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WARHAMMER 40K CAMPAIGN SYSTEM

This system is intended as an expansion to the default campaign system presented in Planetary Empires. Its main goal is to increase the impact the actual map has on the campaign and should allow more strategic and tactical options.

Campaign Map Setup

Campaign Map setup works as described in Planetary Empires or the players see fit.

Battlefield Map Setup

The battlefield is usually described as the "terrain occupied by the army" or the "terrain represented by the tile". To achieve this, the players basically have to decide which basic terrain is represented by each tile. The basic terrain types addressed in this document are: Urban, Ruins, Mountains, Rough, Forrest, and Open Ground. The battlefield is divided into 12 × 12 inch sections. For each section roll a d6. On a result of 4 or more place a piece of terrain into the section. Adjacent terrain sections occupied by the same terrain may also contain a bigger piece of the given terrain.

To determine which terrain piece to place consult the following tables. Reroll if the given terrain piece is not available anymore.

Urban
D6 Result Effect
1-2 Ruins
3 Barricades (3 sections)
4 Tank Traps (3 sections)
5-6 Building

Ruins
D6 Result Effect
1-2 Ruins
3 Barricades (3 sections)
4 Barbed Wire (3 Sections)
5 Tank Traps (3 Sections)
6 Rubble/Stones.

Mountains
D6 Result Effect
1-2 Hill
3 Forrest
4 Ruin
5-6 Rubble/Stones.

Forrest
D6 Result Effect
1 Hill
2-4 Forrest
5 Hill with Forrest
6 Ruins

Open Ground
D6 Result Effect
1 Hill
2 Forrest
3 Ruins
4 Barbed Wire
5 Tank Traps
6 Rubble/Stones.

Installations

If the tile contains an installation, terrain representing the installation should be placed in the deployment zone of the player controlling the tile. If the tile is not controlled by any player, the installation is placed in the center of the map. An istallation occupy at least an 12×12 inch area of the board, up to 24×24 inch. Installations may by represented by the following terrain:

Campaign Military Points

Usually each player starts with 10 Campaign Military Points. For some scenarios the players may agree that the players start with a different amount of Campaign Military Points. At the beginning of the game all these points are in the player's Reserve Pool. Campaign Military Points are an abstract measurement of a player's military strength and each point may be the equivalent of several million points of 40k models. But don't worry, the rules are not written with the intent to make you field millions or hundreds of millions of troops (as it would be "realistic" for a 40k campaign), but to allow any size of scenario you want.

Armies and Army Strength

Each player may have several armies on the map. Each army must be placed into a map tile controlled by the player. Armies are represented by markers. One way to represent armies is by using Epic Armageddon units. Each army has an Army Strength. Campaign Military Points from the reserve pool may be transferred to armies to improve their Army Strength, and the Army Strength may be reduced to transfer Campaign Military Points back into the Reserve Pool. A army may have a strength from 1 to 10.

Fleets and Fleet Strength

The players may also have access to fleets in space. Usually a player starts with 10 Fleet Points, but this can also be changed by mutual consent. Fleet points are assigned to fleets at the beginning of the game. A fleet may have a strength from 1 to 10.

Special Characters

Each player may decide to have any special character from his codex available, as long as another player doesn't want to use the same character. The players may agree that there exist two similar characters, which basically have the same profile as a special character, but have different names to make it possible that two players use the same special character.

After the players have determined which special characters are at their disposal, all special characters are in their Reserve Pool. Special characters in the Reserve Pool may be available for any battle to defend against another players Offense.

Special Characters may be assigned to armies. A special character assigned to an army may only fight in an Offense initiated by that army, or if the army the character is assigned to defends against another players Offense.

Special Characters may be presumed killed or missing in action. A special character which is presumed killed or missing in action is no longer available for any mission, offense or defense.

However, special characters may return at the end of each player's Mobilization Sub-Phase

Campaign Round

A campaign round is divided into three phases: Preparation, Offense, and Consolidation

The Preparation Phase

During the Preparation phase each player mobilized or demobilizes troops, and the success or failure of reconnaissance and espionage is determined.

Mobilization Sub-phase

For each Campaign Military Point a player has in the reserve pool, one army with an Army Strength of one may be placed in any of the tiles controlled by that player. The player may spend more points to create stronger armies. For each Campaign Military Point spent, the strength of the army increases by one. Points from the Reserve Pool may also be used to reinforce existing armies.

Special characters from the Reserve Pool may be assigned to an army. After special characters have been assigned, roll for each special character which is presumed dead or missing in action. On a roll of 4+ a character which is missing in action is returned to the Reserve Pool. On a roll of 6+ a character which was presumed dead is returned to the Reserve Pool.

Space Transport Sub-phase

Campaign Military Points from the Reserve Pool may be transferred to the player's fleets in orbit above the planet or vice versa, if the player controls at least one space port on the planet. Each point of Fleet Strength may carry one Campaign Military Point.

Special characters from the Reserve Pool may be transported to a fleet in orbit.

Demobilization Sub-phase

After armies have been created or reinforced, the strength of existing Armies may be reduced to put Campaign Military Points into the Reserve Pool. For each point the Army Strength of an army is reduced, the amount of Campaign Military Points in the Reserve Pool is increased by one. If an Army is reduced to an Army Strength of zero it is removed from the map.

Special characters assigned to an army may be moved to the Reserve Pool.

Reconnaissance Sub-phase

A player may make one reconnaissance attempt for each spaceport or hive city tile controlled by him, or for each full three points of Fleet Strength his fleets in orbit above the planet have, if applicable.

Reconnaissance Mission

Each player may decide to play a reconnaissance mission to get one additional reconnaissance attempt vs. an opposing player's army. This may even be done if no regular reconnaissance attempts are available. The player has to choose the army that is surveyed. The tile occupied by the army should determine the terrain for the mission. Reconnaissance missions may be all kind of missions, but a sample mission is given below:

The Armies

Choose armies as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. However, the player doing the reconnaissance mission gets only half the points of the opposing player, may not take any selections from the support part of his codex and may not take any fortifications, but may take up to six selections from the fast attack part.

The Battlefield

The deployment is determined as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. No primary objectives are placed. The battlefield terrain depends on the terrain occupied by the surveyed army.

Deployment

Player's roll for warlord traits and deploy as stated on page 121 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook.

First Turn

The player doing the reconnaissance mission goes first.

Game Length

The game ends after three turns.

Victory Conditions

The player doing the reconnaissance mission wins, if at least one of his fast attack units survives on the battlefield at the end of turn three.

Mission Special Rules

Night Fighting, Reserves

Mission Outcome

The player doing the reconnaissance mission gets an additional reconnaissance attempt vs. the opposing player if he wins the scenario. Otherwise his total allowed reconnaissance attempts are reduced by one, to a minimum of zero.

Resolving Reconnaissance Attempts

To make a reconnaissance attempt, chose one army of an opposing player. The same army may be chosen multiple times.

Roll on the table below to determine the outcome of the attempt.

Reconnaissance Table

Reconnaissance Table
D6 Result Effect
1 Reconnaissance failed miserably. Reconnaissance units were shot down or forced to retreat. Roll a D6: On a result of 1, reduce Fleet Strength or Campaign Military Points in Reserve Pool by one.
2-3 Reconnaissance failed. No information gained
4-5 The opposing player has to reveal if the army has an Army Strength of five or more or not.
6+ The opposing player has to reveal the exact army strength of the army.

Espionage Sub-phase

During the espionage sub-phase the players may determine the location of the special characters of opposing players. A player is allowed one espionage attempt for each hive city controlled by him and for each full three points of Military Strength in his Reserve Pool. Espionage attempts may be reserved for sabotage attempts in the Sabotage Sub-phase.

A player selects either an army or an installation of an opposing player for an espionage attempt. Installations include spaceports, hive cities, manufactorums, shield generators, command bastions, and power stations.

A player may assign a special character to that attempt. This special character must be from his Reserve Pool and must have at least one of the special rules Deep Strike, Infiltrate, or Scout (or any similar Codex specific special rule). A special character assigned to an espionage attempt may not be assigned to other espionage attempts, sabotage attempts, may not have fought in a Reconnaissance Mission in the previous Reconnaissance Sub-phase and is not available to defend vs. another players Offense from the Reserve Pool until the beginning of the next Espionage Sub-phase of the player making the attempt.

Espionage Mission

Each player may play one Espionage Mission to allow an additional espionage attempt vs. one army or installation. Espionage missions should be an opportunity to include any kind of weird scenarios into the campaign. An espionage mission may be a hive world gang bribed by one player to capture and interrogate an administrorum official of an other player, played by using the Necromunda rules. It may also be about an Inquisitor tainted by chaos of one player trying to get hold of the documents of a loyal Inquisitor of another player played by using the Inquisitor rules.

A sample espionage mission using the 40k rules is given below:

The Armies

Choose armies as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. However, the player doing the espionage mission may not take any selections from the support part of his codex and may not take any fortifications, but may take up to four selections from the elite part.

The Battlefield

The deployment is determined as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. The battlefield terrain should represent the installation, and may be an indoor location.

Deployment

Player's roll for warlord traits and deploy as stated on page 121 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. The player who is the target of the espionage attempt deploys first and places a counter (1-2 inches accross) representing the information anywhere on the board.

First Turn

The player doing the espionage mission goes first.

Game Length

Variable game length.

Victory Conditions

The player doing the espionage mission wins, if he seized the information.

Mission Special Rules

Night Fighting, Reserves

The Information: The information is handled similarily to the relic from the relic mission in the Warhammer 40k rulebook. However the information can be seized only by an applicable infantry or character unit that has at least one of the Deep Strike, Infiltrate, or Scout special rules (or any similar Codex specific special rule). Also if any player figures out a way to move the information to a location inaccessible to the other player, he automatically loses the game, because someone jumps out of the shadows, grabs the information and sends it to the opposing player immediately.

Mission Outcome

The player doing the reconnaissance mission gets an additional reconnaissance attempt vs. the opposing player if the scenario is won by that player. Otherwise his total allowed espionage attempts are reduced by one, to a minimum of zero.

Espionage vs. Armies

To make an espionage attempt, chose one army of an opposing player. The same army may be chosen multiple times.

Roll on the table below to determine the outcome of the attempt.

Espionage vs. Army Table
D6 Result Effect
1 Espionage failed miserably. The player making the attempt has to reveal the amount of Campaign Military Points in the Reserve Pool of that player or the Army Strength of one army controlled by the player to the opposing player. The opposing player chooses what the player making the attempt has to reveal. Also a special character assigned to the espionage attempt may be in trouble. Roll 1d6: 1-2 character is presumed dead. 3-4 Character is missing in action. 5+ the character returns home more or less safely.
2-3 Espionage failed. No information gained
4-5 The name of at least one special character (opposing players choice) assigned to the army has to be revealed, or the opposing player has to reveal that no special characters are assigned to the army.
6+ The names of all special characters assigned to that army have to be revealed or the opposing player has to reveal that no special characters are assigned to the army.

Espionage vs. Installations

To make an espionage attempt, chose one installation of an opposing player. The same installation may be chosen multiple times.

Roll on the table below to determine the outcome of the attempt.

Espionage vs. Installation Table
D6 Result Effect
1-2 Espionage failed miserably. The player making the attempt has to reveal the amount of Campaign Military Points in the Reserve Pool of that player or the Army Strength of one army controlled by the player to the opposing player. The opposing player chooses what the player making the attempt has to reveal. Also a special character assigned to the espionage attempt may be in trouble. Roll 1d6: 1-2 character is presumed dead. 3-4 Character is missing in action. 5+ the character returns home more or less safely.
3-4 Espionage failed. No information gained
5 The amount of Campaign Military Points in the opposing player's Reserve Pool must be revealed to the player making the espionage attempt.
6+ The amount of Campaign Military Points in the opposing player's Reserve Pool must be revealed to the player making the espionage attempt. Also the names of all special characters in the Reserve Pool must be revealed to the player making the espionage attempt.

Sabotage Sub-phase

During the sabotage sub-phase a player may disable certain installations to help in his Offense phase. For each espionage attempt reserved during the Espinonage Sub-phase to make a sabotage attempt, the player may make one sabotage attempt.

A player selects an installation of an opposing player for an sabotage attempt. Installations include spaceports, hive cities, manufactorums, shield generators, command bastions, and power stations. However, if the target of the sabotage is a hive city, only one sub installation of the hive city may be sabotaged with one attempt. To disable all functions of a hive city (manufactorum, shield generator, command bastion, and power station) four separate successful sabotage attempts are necessary.

A player may assign a special character to that attempt. This special character must be from his Reserve Pool and must have at least one of the special rules Deep Strike, Infiltrate, or Scout (or any similar Codex specific special rule). A special character assigned to an sabotage attempt may not be assigned to other sabotage attempts, may not have fought in a Reconnaissance Mission in the previous Reconnaissance Sub-phase and is not available to defend vs. another players Offense from the Reserve Pool until the beginning of the next Espionage Sub-phase of the player making the attempt.

Sabotage Mission

Each player who has not played an Espionage Mission may play one Sabotage Mission to sabotage one installation. Sabotage missions allow for almost as many variations as Espionage Missions.

A sample espionage mission using the 40k rules is given below:

The Armies

Choose armies as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. However, the player doing the sabotage mission may not take any fortifications, but may take up to four selections from the elite part.

The Battlefield

The deployment is determined as stated on page 118 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. The battlefield terrain should represent the installation, and may be an indoor location.

Deployment

Player's roll for warlord traits and deploy as stated on page 121 of the Warhammer 40k rulebook. The player who is the target of the espionage attempt deploys first and places a counter (1-2 inches accross) representing the weak spot of the installation within the terrain representing the installation. The counter is treated as a vehicle with an armor value of 13 all around and 3 hull points.

First Turn

The player doing the sabotage mission goes first.

Game Length

Variable game length.

Victory Conditions

The player doing the sabotage mission wins, if he destroys the weak spot of the installation.

Mission Special Rules

Night Fighting, Reserves

Mission Outcome

The installation does not work until the end of this player's Offense Phase. This is not only an additional attempt but is treated as an automatic success of additional attempt (the installation has been disabled). This is equal to a result of 6 on the Sabotage table.

Espionage vs. Installations

To make an sabotage attempt, chose one installation of an opposing player. The same installation may be chosen multiple times.

Roll on the table below to determine the outcome of the attempt.

Sabotage vs. Installation Table
D6 Result Effect
1-2 Sabotage failed miserably. The player making the attempt has to reveal the amount of Campaign Military Points in the Reserve Pool of that player or the Army Strength of one army controlled by the player to the opposing player. The opposing player chooses what the player making the attempt has to reveal. Also a special character assigned to the espionage attempt may be in trouble. Roll 1d6: 1-2 character is presumed dead. 3-4 Character is missing in action. 5+ the character returns home more or less safely.
3-5 Sabotage failed.
6+ The installation no longer provides its effects to the battle or the campaign until the end of the Consolidation Phase of the controlling player. Manufactorums and power stations don't provide their bonus to production, shield generators do not protect from flyers, deep striking units, or orbital bombardments any more, Bastions have no working weapons left and spaceports may not be used for their various beneficial purposes.

The Offense Phase

A player may attempt an offense with each of his armies, which is not marked with a battle marker. For each offense he selects a tile on the map. This tile is called the contested tile. The player initiating the Offense is the attacking player. All other players are defending players.

Also a player may attempt an offense by spending Campaing Military Points transported by his fleets. Any tile on the map may be the target of this attack.Place an army with an Army Strength equal to the Campaign Military Points spent for the Offense in that tile. This means that armies of opposing players may occupy the same tile.

Defending Armies

If the tile contains an army of an opposing player, this army automatically defends the tile. However, all players who have armies within 3 tiles of the attacked tile have the option to join the battle. Each army that takes part in the battle is marked with a battle marker. The army of the player attempting the Offense is marked with two battle markers(total)

Effective Army Strength

The Effective Army Strength of each army involved in the battle equals its Army Strength modified as follows:

Check if the player controlling the army controlls a spaceport within three tiles of the contested tile. Reduce the Effective Army Strength by two for each tile the army has to travel to reach the contested tile beyond the first, if he does not. Reduce it only by one for each tile the army has to travel to reach the contested tile beyond the first, if he does. An army dropped from space has its Effective Army Strength reduced by two.

A player having a fleet of more than twice the strength of all the other fleets of all other players involved in the battle in orbit above the planet, adds one to his effective army strength.

If the tile is controlled by a player, he may use his reserves to defend it. The amount of Campaign Military Points which is available for the defense depends on the total tiles of the player. This is even allowed if the player has no army in or close to the contested tile. Add the following amount to the Effective Army Strength of the player controlling the tile. Fractions are rounded down. Also the player may roll for each special character in his Reserve Pool, to check if he is available for the battle.

Offense Mission

Basically, this is the heart of the campaign. Everything goes. You may use the battlefield map setup rules given above to create the terrain. Scenarios may be fought using Epic Armageddon, Warhammer 40k, or Apocalypse.

Some basic ideas for missions are outlined below. If the army was dropped from space the rules from the Planetstrike expansion should be used to play a 40k scenario.

Spaceport Blockade

This mission may be attempted against a player who used a spaceport to reduce the effect of the distance between his army and the contested tile. The spaceport must be within four tiles of a spaceport or an army of the player making the offense to allow this mission. This mission may be fought using the Scouring mission with the following modifications:

The Armies

The player attempting the mission may not take any fortifications. The player controlling the spaceport gets a skyshield landing platform for free.

Deployment

The player attempting the mission deploys first. The opposing player may steel the initiative as usual.

Outcome

If the player attempting the Offense wins, the player who is targeted by the mission is treated as if he does not control a spaceport within three tiles of the contested tile, and his Effective Army Strength is adjusted accordingly. If the player attempting the Offense loses, his own effective army strength is reduced by one.

Kill the HQ

Try to kill the HQ of the opposing player to improve your chances to win. This mission may be attempted by the player attempting the Offense or any defending player. To determine which player is attempting the mission, roll off using a d6. The player with the lower Effective Army Strength adds one to his result, because he is more maneuverable. This mission may be fought using the Purge the Alien mission with the following modifications:

Battlefield

Battlefield depends on the terrain of the contested tile

Deployment

The player attempting the mission deploys first. The opposing player may steel the initiative as usual.

Victory Conditions

The player who attempts this mission wins if he is able to kill all HQ units of the opposing player. He loses otherwise.

Outcome

If the player attempting the mission wins, the defending players Effective Army Strength is reduced by 1d3. If the player attempting the mission loses, the defending players Effective Army Strength is incresed by 1d3 because he becomes aware of the mean plans of his enemy...

Cut the Supply Lines

This mission may be attempted against a player who has no manufactorum, space port, or hive city controlled by that player within two tiles of the contested tile. This mission may be fought using the Crusade mission with the following modifications:

The Armies

The player attempting the mission may not take any fortifications

Deployment

The player attempting the mission deploys first. The opposing player may steel the initiative as usual.

Battlefield

Battlefield depends on the terrain of a tile adjacent to the contested tile and on the shortest route to the next manufactorum, space port, or hive city controlled by the player targeted by the mission.

Outcome

If the player attempting the mission wins, the defending players Effective Army Strength is reduced by 1. If the player attempting the mission loses, his own effective army strength is reduced by one.

Secure Retreat

If the contesting tile is at least two tiles away from the attacking player, this player may make sure he gets away if the offense fails. This mission may be fought using the Big Guns Never Tire mission with the following modifications:

Battlefield

Battlefield depends on the terrain of a tile adjacent to the contested tile and on the shortest route to any tile controlled by the player attempting the mission.

Outcome

If the attacking player wins, his losses in the Offense are reduced by 1d2. If he loses, his own effective army strength is reduced by one.

Major Battle

This mission basically represents a major battle which is part of the Offense and should be fought using the Apocalypse or Epic Armageddon rules. In this major battle the bigger army is allowed 5% more points than the smaller army for each point of Effective Army Strength it has above the weaker army. If several armies fight against each other, treat the smallest army as the base, with each larger army getting more points related to the smallest army.

Battlefield

Battlefield depends on the terrain of the contested tile.

Outcome

The winning army increases its Effective Army Strength by 2. Also, if the winning army lost less than 25% of its units, its losses in the Offense are reduced by 1d2. If the loosing army lost more than 75% of its units, its losses are increased by one.

Success or Failure

The attacking player has to roll his own Effective Army Strength vs. the Effective Army Strength of all other armies defending the tile. To do this use the table used to Roll to Wound. The Effective Army Strength of the attacking player is used as the Attacker's Weapon Strength and the Effective Army Strength of the defending player is used as the Target's Toughness. If he is able to wound all defending armies, he wins, moves his army to the contested tile and now controlls the contested tile.

Losses

Compare the attacker's Effective Army Strength to the sum of the Effective Army Strength of all defenders and determine the losses. Damage which can't be applied to an army is applied to the reserves instead, reducing the Campaign Military Points in the Reserve Pool. The attacker's army strength may not be reduced below one, if the attacker succeeded in the Offense. However, eccess damage is still applied to the attackers reserves.

All losses are increased by one for armies of players who do not control the contested tile or a tile adjacent to the contested tile. Armies dropped from space are usually completely wiped out if the Offense did not succeed. If it did succeed, an army of the opposing player occupying the tile has to be moved to one of the tiles controlled by him, which are closest to the contested tile. If the player does not control an other tile on the map, the army is lost.

Consolidation Phase

During the consolidation phase each player determines how much supplies and resources he has available to support his fleets and troups or build new installations.

Battlemarker Sub-phase

Remove one battle marker from each of your armies

Production Sub-phase

During the consolidation phase each player determines if he is able to support his armies and fleets. For each tile he controls he gains two Support Points. Each pair of manufactorum and power station is worth two additional Support Points. Note that the minimum of power stations and manufactorums controlled by the player determine the bonus. Hive cities count as a pair of manufactorum and power station for this purpose, but see later.

Storage Retrieval Sub-phase

Determine your maximum storage capacity. The maximum amount of Support Points you may have in storage is equal to the number of installatios he controlls. Each hive city counts as four installations for that purpose. Any excess points in storage are lost. Add the amount of Support Points from your Storage to the Support Points available to you.

Fleet Support Sub-phase

Each point of Fleet Strength that does not transport troops, may be used to gather supplies from... somewhere. For each point of Fleet Strength not occupied by troops add two more Support Points

Scrapping Sub-phase

Remove a manufactorum, power station or shield generator to gain one additional Support Point. You may scrap as many of them as you want.

Hive City Support Sub-phase

Each hive city requires five Support Points to be happy. Roll a d6 for each hive city you control and add the number of Support Points spent for this city to the die roll. You may also add the Army Strength of an army occupying the city. If you roll a 5 or less the city mutinies and is no longer controlled by you. If you have an army in a city which mutinies, you may move the army to an adjacent tile controlled by you. If you don't control a tile adjacent to the city the army is gone and all special characters assigned to that army are missing in action.

Deduct the amount of Support Points spent for your Hive Cities from the amount of Support Points available for later Sub-phases

Fleet and Army Support Sub-phase

Each point of Fleet Strength and each point of Army Strength requires one Support Point. If you don't have enough Support Points to support all your armies and fleets, you have to reduce the strength of your armies and fleets until you have sufficient Support Points. Then deduct the amount of Support Points spent for your fleets and armies from the amount of Support Points available for later Sub-phases

Construction Phase

You may spend your remaining Support Points to do the following:

Bribery Sub-phase

You may spend your remaining Support Points to gain control of installations by bribery:

Storage Sub-phase

You may put the remaining Support Points into storage. This amount may not exceed your maximum storage capacity.