Saturday, May 3, 2008

Advanced Rules of Engagement

I started work on something similar to this during our preparation for Adepticon. I would throw together a series of charts for Deployment, Special Rules, and Objectives in order to emulate the structure of their scenarios, which have definite identifiable trends that could be categorized and put into chart form, creating a variety of circumstances that would could expect to have thrown at us. I felt like it worked pretty well even if I generated the rough charts anew each game.

With our campaign coming up, Scott (the organizer) suggested we might use the Rules of Engagement ( http://uk.games-workshop.com/warhammer40000/rules-of-engagement/1/). I like the idea of random scenarios, but looking over the options the Rules of Engagement presented, it really left off a lot of cool stuff and means of variety. So I present to you the rough draft of my own Advanced Rules of Engagement. Look them over and tell me what you think!

I. Roll Strategy Rating.
The winning side can modify 1 die roll by the difference they won by during the following steps (II.-VI.)

II. Deployment Zones (Roll D6):

1. Quarters
2. Strong Point
3. Diagonal
4. Board Edge
5. Surrounded
6. Apocalypse

Notes:
Strong Point. "Attacker" gets 3 board edges, the "defender" gets a 12"x12" square on the open edge. See BGB P207.

Surrounded. "Defender" gets a 12"x12" square in the center of the board, the attacker utilizes the board edges. See BGB P213 for the closest example.


III. Separation (Roll D6):

1. 12"
2. 15"
3. 18"
4. 24"
5. 27"
6. 30"

Note: If one side gets pushed off of their board edge their forces move onto their board edge on Turn 1.

IV. Special Rules (Roll 2D6):

2. Night Fighting
3. Hidden Set Up
4. Fortifications or Preliminary Bombardment*
5. Concealment
6. Deep Strike
7. Infiltrate
8. Dusk + Dawn
9. Random Game Length
10. Obstacles or Preliminary Bombardment*
11. Divided Force and Reserves
12. Sustained Attack

Optionally, both sides can choose 1 City Fight Stratagem.

Notes: * Roll off. One receives Fortifications or Obstacles, and the other side receives Preliminary Bombardment to counter them.

V. Objective (Roll 2D6):

2. The Gauntlet (Set up a 12" wide exit point in your deployment zone. Exit off the opposing player's exit point. COD P48)
3. Hold Out (Occupy more area terrain than your opponent. COD P43)
4. Sabotage (Blow up objective in opponents deployment zine by getting into base to base. BGB P206)
5. Enemy Lines (Recon BGB P83)
6. Loot (Objective markers. Secure and Control BGB P82)
7. Table Quarters (BGB P81)
8. Annihilation (BGB P82)
9. Field of Battle (BGB P83)
10. Plant the Flag (Move through scenery to claim it, most flags wins. COD P42)
11. Capture Vital Building (COD P43)
12. Assassins (Kill enemy HQ. COD P51)

VI. FOC (Roll D6): (Optional)

1. Raiders
Required: 1x HQ and 1x ELITES
Optional: 1x HQ, 2x ELITES, 5x TROOPS, 3x FAST, 1x HEAVY

2. Breakers
Required: 1x ELITES and 1x TROOPS
Optional: 2x HQ, 1x ELITES, 4x TROOPS, 3x FAST, 3x HEAVY

3. Hit and Fade
Required: 1x HQ, 1x FAST and 2x ELITES
Optional: 1x HQ, 4x ELITES, 2x TROOPS, 2x FAST

4. Standard
Required: 1x HQ and 2x TROOPS
Optional: 1x HQ, 3x ELITES, 4x TROOPS, 3x FAST, 3x HEAVY

5. Siege
Required: 1x HQ and 3x TROOPS
Optional: 1x ELITES, 6x TROOPS, 3x HEAVY

6. Defender
Required: 2x TROOPS
Optional: 1x HQ, 2x ELITES, 4x TROOPS, 1x FAST, 2x HEAVY

Note: All of these alternate FOCs are taken from the Dark Millennium section of the BGB and from COD.


I think this would create an amazing array of scenarios.

What do you think?

5 comments:

Scott said...

I like some of the new stuff you've added that Rules of engagement left out. The shear number of options is a little intimidating.

I definitely want to try it.

xNickBaranx said...

I just rolled out 4 random missions using this generator. Here's what I got:

Mission #1

Deployment: Diagonal 30" apart
Special Rules: Fortifications and Preliminary Bombardment
Objective: Hold Out
FOC: Standard

"You are desperately trying to gain a forward position to assault the defensive line of the enemy. Both sides are trying to hold onto as much ground as possible. Hopefully the orbital bombardment you requested will give you the distraction needed to accomplish your mission."

Mission #2

Deployment: Apocalypse 27" apart
Special Rules: Divided Forces/Reserves
Objective: Hold Out
FOC: Raiders

"Your elite raiding party is split into two groups as you scour hostile territory for inroads to flank the enemy and strike at their heart. Unfortunately, the enemy had the same idea and now you are forced to hold your ground and drive them back while you wait for reinforcements to arrive!"

- This one really makes me think of the Gaunts Ghost novel where they are trying to break the trench warefare that has gone on for decades, and they send out a couple of parties to scout out a better way to take on the enemy and the one group gets holed up in the one house in no mans land that hasn't been leveled.

Mission #3

Deployment: Quarters 18" apart
Special Rules: Infiltration
Objective: Sabotage
FOC: Breakers

"You are tasked with blowing up the Communications Array/Water Still/Command Center/Secret Weapon of the enemy and you've been given a force to break the enemy line and create the mayhem needed for your elite troops to get the job done. Unfortunately, the enemy is trying to do the same to you!"

Mission #4

Deployement: Board Edge 24" apart
Special Rules: Hidden Set Up
Objective: Enemy Lines
FOC: Defenders

"Caught behind enemy lines you have obscured your ragtag mob the best you could. The enemy knows you're there - but they don't know where, so they've trying to head off your advance. Or are they? It could very well be that the forces on your Auspex are enemies in the same position you are?"

Space Hulk Enthusiast said...

I've played the regular rules of engagement with my gaming group for over a year now... sometimes straight out of the book and sometimes with more modifiers than you imagine. I think anything like this (if you are up for playing games that aren't necessarily 100 percent balanced) can be a ton of fun.
It sure beats the standard cleanse mission any day.

Pedro Kantor said...

Im excited to give it a try, tonight perhaps!

Anonymous said...

Love it! Thanks to you I've been playing nothing but GW's RoE missions since.

Eventually I'll get to your Advanced RoE. (or 5th edition will take over...)

I struggle to understand part 2, Separation though. Is this the size of no-mans-land? Or what? It wouldn't seem to work with every deployment type.

Also, I realize you marked it as Optional, but the FOC thing would obviously need to be set ahead of time, rather than, "here's my list, oops, I don't have 2 elites"

Looking forward to when you revisit this.

Jon