Battle for Vogen - Rules & Questions Thread

[Andrew]

Hey everyone that's participating, here's what you need to know for this campaign of awesomeness!

Books recommended:
Cities of Death

Campaign Basic/Advanced Rules:
www.ogreslair.ca/web/images/vogen_campaign_rules.pdf

Map Location special rules:
www.ogreslair.ca/web/images/vogen_campaign_locations.pdf

5th edition amendments to Vogen rules:
- Any time it talks about "dots" of fortifications (esp in Advanced Rules I.), replace "100 points to spend etc" with "stratagem." Basically, for each dot of fortifications, you get to take an extra stratagem. Easy.

5th edition amendments to Cities of Death (or BRB) book:
- LOS will be true, just like normal 40K games.
- Ruins and Buildings will work exactly as in the BRB instead.
- What's a scoring unit and all will be as defined by the Cities of Death book instead.

Meeting Times:
- The first one will be on the 16th of December (it's a Thursday).
- We will meet to advance forces and such during club night, unless people want a different time at which point we will decide on a new one.
- Games can be played at any time during the week between moves.
- If you can't make it to meeting times, let me know via PM or whatever and we can update it here online.

Sub-plots:
- You may choose to use sub-plots in each of your games. If you do, here's the chart.
- See below! I suggest copy/paste and printing it.

Experience:
- This will be as detailed in the 4th edition BRB with the Cities of Death amendments. If you do decide to keep track of experience, post in the update thread which unit gains what ability.

Level Suggestions:
- If fighting over one location: Alpha
- If fighting over two locations: Gamma
- If fighting over three or more locations: Omega and 2000+ points (this one is mandatory)
- Otherwise, you may freely choose what level and points level to play at.

Additional things of Note:
- Weather effects may come into play. Check the update thread (when it's up) weekly to be sure.
- Some city locations will have NPC forces present; these will be clearly marked by some color, most likely yellow or so. To claim these locations, you must defeat whatever forces lurk there. Friz will be providing the forces and player for these when possible, but when he can't make it any other player with an army different to their campaign army can take the spot and be the "op-for." This has no impact on his campaign army or anything of that matter; it's just a one-off game for him.
- Once a force shows up in an area, the same one must be used by NPC armies until it's defeated. So, if I were to use Chaos in a territory, I'd have to stick with it. The army composition may change, but it'd still have to come from the same codex.
- Basically, these are to let players have a little fun between actual campaign battles.

Any questions that need addressing, go ahead and ask here; I'll also put in answers for those asked during club nights.

[Andrew]

Cityfight Sub-plots
At any one time, there are uncountable bloody wars being fought out across the galaxy; brutal, destructive campaigns where thousands die with every passing minute. Cities are often the focal point for these battles, be they Imperial industrial cities, claustrophobic hive worlds or the delicate, utterly alien Eldar craftworlds. There are many ploys that a cunning (or desperate) commander might attempt in order to gain some advantage over the enemy in such conditions. Many times, elements come into play that are completely unpredictable and out of the control of the engaging forces, and only a resourceful and adaptable commander will triumph.

These rules are an optional addition to the normal Cityfight campaign rules, and are designed to add character to your battles. They are intended to give your troops additional experience points and be flavorful, without upsetting the balance of the game.

Before the battle, each player may choose to roll on the sub-plots table. Roll a D6 to determine which table to roll on:

1-2 Random Events
3-4 Secret Ploys
5-6 Legacies of War


RANDOM EVENTS (D6):
1. Tunnels
- The army scouts discover a series of subterranean tunnels spreading under the city.

- One infantry unit may utilize the tunnels and use the Deep Strike special rule, though they only ever show up on a 4+ no matter what turn it is. If the unit may already use the Deep Strike special rule, then the player does not roll the Scatter dice for its Deep Strike.

2. Earthquake/Unstable Region
- The region is particularly unstable, earthquakes and subterranean rumblings wracking the city.

- Units may only move half of what they roll for Difficult Terrain tests.

3. Chem-fog
- Cloud of toxic fumes have spread across the city, concealing the movements of the enemy from view.

- The chem-fog covers the entire battlefield. Use the Night Fight rules. At the beginning of each player's turn roll a D6; on a 6 the fog dissipates, and the battle is fought normally.

4. Vermin Swarm
- One of the buildings in the area is teeming with rats and insects, which will swarm over any that enter the infested building.

- Take turns with your opponent to nominate a building and roll a D6; on a 5 or 6 the vermin swarm is within that building. The same building cannot be nominated twice. Once you roll a 5 or 6, stop nominating and mark the building as infested.

- The first non-vehicle unit entering the building is attacked by the swarm, taking D6 automatic hits at Strength 3, AP 6. After the initial attack, the swarm disappears beneath the city, playing no further role in the battle. Vehicles and Walkers are unaffected.

5. Acid Rain
- Many cities are highly poouted, and acidic rain falling from the skies is not an unusual occurrence.

- At the start of the game, any squads with models that are not under cover, i.e. not within a building, may be affected by the acid rain. For each squad not in cover, roll a D6; on a 6 that squad takes D6 Strength 2, AP6 hits. Vehicles and Walkers are unaffected

6. Electrical Discharge
- The skies above the war-torn city are ripped apart by a fierce electrical storm.

- Each player may place the 5" blast template anywhere on the board at the start of each of their turns. TWO rolls are made for it scattering, and each time the distance is 2D6.

- Any model under the template may be struck by lightning. If the model has a saving throw of a 4+ or better, it is struck on a 5+. If the model has a saving throw of 5+ or worse it is struck on a 6. Models struck by lightning suffer a Strength 5, AP 6 hit. Vehicles under the template are struck by the lightning on a 5+ and suffer a Glancing Hit.




SECRET PLOYS (D6)
1. Hit and Run
- The battle force is moving fast so as to achieve its objectives before the enemy has a chance to counter attack.

- If the scenario incorporates a random game ending, the player may choose to re-roll the dice. If the game does not last for a variable number of turns, another roll on the Secret Ploys may be made instead.

2. Building Reconnaissance
- Information has been received that one of the buildings on the battlefield may contain something of particular interest. Although this is unlikely to be the case, it must be investigated nonetheless.

- Your opponent may nominate any building on the battlefield that is not within 10" of any board edge. One squad (not a vehicle or walker) must end its turn within the building in order to investigate it. There must be no enemy models within the building. The squad (or individual) which investigates the building receives +100 experience points.

3. Battle Plans
- One soldier in the army is carrying important battle documents, a sacred artifact or some such item. This must not fall into enemy hands!

- Nominate any one model within the force to be carrying the item. The model may not be a vehicle or walker. Your oponent must be aware who is carrying it.

- If the model survives the battle, his squad (or himself if he is an independent character) receives +100 experience points.

- If the model is killed, the enemy unit (or individual) who killed him will receive +100 experience points.

4. Deceptive Deployment
- Enemy spies and scouts have been deceived and misinformed.

- One of your squads (your choice) may be repositioned after deployment has been completed, and after infiltrating squads have been placed.

5. Secret Intelligence
- Your scouts have been observing the movements of the enemy, and the responses of the enemy have been anticipated.

- The battle force gains D6 rerolls that can be used at any time in the battle. Each reroll enables the player to take any single D6 he has rolled (including one of the dice rolled on a 2D6, 3D6, etc) and roll it again.

6. Explosive Charges
- Your scouts have tunnelled beneath one of the buildings on the battlefield, placing explosive charges beneath it.

- After board sides have been chosen, but before and squads have been set up, the player secretly chooses one building on the battlefield which has the charges set beneath it. Write it down on a piece of paper.

- At the beginning of any of your Shooting Phases, you may attempt to detonate the charge. Show your opponent the building written down and roll a D6. On a 1 it is a dud or has been disengaged by the enemy. On a 2-6 it explodes, destroying the building. Resolve its destruction normally.




LEGACIES OF WAR (D6)
1. Inspired
- Coming out of a recent victory or hearing a rousing oratory from their commander can often inspire soldiers to unprecendented levels of bravery.

- One squad (your choice) may ignore negative modifiers for Morale Checks, Pinning Tests, and tests for regrouping. If the squad is broken at any time during the battle, it loses 50 experience points.

2. Extended Duty
- Sometimes due to the necessities of war, a squad will be required to engage in extended duty, often standing watch without relief, or forced to battle day in, day out.

- One of your squads (your choice, but not a Fearless unit) has a -1 to its Leadership for the duration of the battle.

- If the squad remains unbroken for the entire battle, it gains +100 experience points.

3. Blood Bond
- The rigors and horrors of war will often bond the soldiers together into a tight-knit fighting force.

- Any squad (not a vehicle or walker) which fails its Leadership test for any reason is allowed to immediately retake the test once if any member of the squad is within 6" of another friendly squad (not a vehicle or walker).

- Any squad which is broken at the end of the game loses 50 experience points.

4. Vengeance
- The actions of a particular enemy have become infamous and much hated by your soldiers.

- One of your squads (your choice) hates the enemy with such a passion that it will always hit the enemy in close combat on a 3+.

- Any squad breaking an enemy in assault gains +50 experience points (on top of the usual +100). Any squad that is broken in an assault loses 50 experience points.

5. Battle Crazed
- The rigors of war affect some soldiers different than others. Some squads become crazed, seeking out the enemy in disregard for their own personal safety.

- One squad (your choice) will automatically pass the first Leadership test it is required to take, and is allowed to regroup even if below half strength. In addition, the squad must always charge an enemy in the Assault phase if it is within range (though it does not have to charge an enemy vehicle or walker).

- Battle-crazed squads which break an enemy in an assault gain +50 experience points (on top of the usual +100).

- Battle-crazed squads which are broken at the end of the game lose 50 experience points.

6. Spoils of War
- Many are the occasion when soldiers will acquire additional wargear as a result of their looting of the battleground and the enemy.

- One squad (your choice) has stumbled upon some wargear that can be used for this battle only and is free. Roll another D6 to see what they have discovered:

1-3 Scaling ladders/grapnel hooks (may move to the top floor of a building from the outside in a single turn)
4 Smoke/blind grenades (use instead of shooting; 5+ cover save to unit)
5 Shredder mine (one use, if unit moves it's lost; otherwise may be activated in any shooting phase. Resolve as a heavy flamer, with the narrow end anywhere within 6" of a squad member)
6 Demolition charge (Strength 8, AP 2, 6", Large Blast, One Use)

[Andrew]

EARNING EXPERIENCE POINTS
Over the course of many battles, soldiers may acquire tricks of the trade, learn from experience and the teachings of old hands. Units can earn Experience Points in a number of ways (and can also lose them if they perform badly).

TRANSPORT VEHICLES
A Dedicated Transport cannot earn Experience Points or gain battle honors of its own. Vehicles that are chosen as a unit in their own right (a Space Marine Land Raider, or Eldar Falcon for example) earn Experience Points like any other vehicle, and roll on the Vehicles table for any battle honors they earn.

INDEPENDENT CHARACTERS
These characters earn points in the same way as units. If they earned any particular Experience Points having joined a unit they will earn the same amount of points as the unit did.
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Gaining Experience Chart:
Fought in Battle: +200
For every battle the unit takes part in, it earns +200

On winning side: +50
If the unit is on the side that won the battle it earns +50

Broke an Enemy in Assault: +100
If the unit forces an enemy unit to fall back after an assault, or if it wipes the unit out by destroying all models in the unit, or if it destroys them as a result of a Sweeping Advance, or it destroys a vehicle in an assault, it earns +100

Acting Beyond the Call of Duty: +D6 x 10
At the end of the battle, each player can nominate one unit in his army that he thinks has performed particularly admirably. The unit earns +D6 x 10

Regrouping: +50
A unit that passes a Leadership test to regroup after having failed a Morale check earns +50 (he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day!)

Achieving Mission Objectives: +100
Most missions have some sort of objective (for instance, Planting a Flag or capturing a building). Units that took part in achieving the objectives (by going in and doing stuff; not by sitting outside and shooting) earn +100
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EXPERIENCE AND CODEXES
Necrons, being automatons devoid of any individual identity, do not learn from their experiences and do not gain battle honors. Necron Lords, on the other hand, can gain them like any other unit as they still have some form of sentience.

Tyranids, being swarms of creatures with no will of their own , do not learn from their experiences and do not gain battle honors. Leader-beasts (any creature with the Synapse special rule) however, can gain experience as they direct the will of the Hive Mind, which indeed does learn from its experience.

BECOMING ELITE
A unit from the Troops, Heavy Support, or Fast Attack sections of the army list with 3,000 or more Experience Points becomes Elite. These specialized troops are often called upon to fight in other battles and their availability is therefore limited. To represent this, Troops, Fast Attack, and Heavy Support units with 3,000+ Experience Points count as Elites for choosing the army instead of their normal FOC slot.

LOSING EXPERIENCE
Just as units can gain Experience Points, they can lose them too. The following chart shows what happens when...
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Losing Experience Chart
Reduced to half strength/vehicle damaged: -D3 x 100
If a unit is reduced to 50% or less of its original numbers, or is a vehicle that suffered lasting damage (ie, Immobilized or Weapon Destroyed), then it loses D3 x 100 Experience Points. This is deducted from the Experience Points earned from this battle but does not reduce the unit or vehicle below the Experience it had prior to the battle.

Wiped Out/Vehicle Destroyed: -100 or -600
If a unit fled off the table, it gains no experience points and additionally loses 100 Experience Points from its total at the start of the battle (minimum 0).

If a unit or vehicle is completely destroyed/killed, it gains no experience from the battle and additionally loses 600 experience points from its total at the start of the battle. This can take it below 0, to a max of -300.
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BATTLE HONORS
Once a unit has accumulated 1,000 Experience Points, it rolls on the appropriate Battle Honors table. Each battle honor is represented by a reroll. In every case, the reroll applies to the entire unit. Also note that, if the unit already has a reroll of the specified type, perhaps thanks to twin-linked weapons or a special ability, they must abide by the universal rule of "no rerolling rerolls."

Battle Honors: Infantry, Bikes, Cavalry/Beasts, Monstrous Creatures
1 - Street Fighters. The unit may reroll Difficult or Dangerous Terrain Tests.

2 - Grizzled Veterans. The unit may reroll failed To-Wound rolls from a single player turn of shooting or close combat.

3 - Seasoned Campaigner. The unit may reroll failed Morale Checks. (Fearless units reroll this result)

4 - Tank Killers. The unit may reroll failed armor penetration rolls.

5 - Natural Survivors. If the unit is the loser in an assault, it may reroll its Initiative test.

6 - Rapid Deployment. If held in reserve, the unit may reroll its Reserves roll.

Battle Honors: Cityfight (can use this chart instead of the chart above)
1 - City Fighters. The unit gains Stealth.

2 - Guerrilas. The unit gains Move Through Cover. Jump infantry must reroll this skill.

3 - Tank Hunters. The unit gains Tank Hunter and always passes any tests for Tank Shock.

4 - Sewer Rats. The unit knows the sewers and tunnerls below the city like the back of its hand. It (and only that unit!) may make use of the Sewer Rats stratagem.

5 - Stealthy. The unit is expert at moving silently and unseen, and so gains Infiltrate. If Infiltrators are not allowed (because you didn't take the Stratagem) they may make a Scout move instead.

6 - Cunning. Members of the unit carry cluster mines - explosive devices crammed with tiny anti-personnel bomblets and triggered by tripwires or pressure sensors.

At the start of the game, after terrain is placed, secretly write down which piece of area terrain has been booby-trapped. They are automatically triggered the first time a unit (friendly or enemy) moves into the boody-trapped terrain. When triggered, the cluster mines inflict 2D6 S4 AP5 on the unit at the end of its move.

If a vehicle triggers the cluster mines, the hits are always resolved against the rear armor to represent them striking at its weaker under-armor. Once the mines have been triggered they have been expended without further effect.

Battle Honors: Vehicles
1 - Terrifying. The owning player may request that an enemy unit Tank Shocked by the vehicle reroll its Morale check (Walkers reroll this result).

2 - Hardened Crew. The owning player may request that the result of a glancing hit scored against the vehicle is rerolled.

3 - Reinforced Armor. The owning player may request that the result of a penetraing hit scored against the vehicle is rerolled.

4 - Skilled Gunnery. The vehicle's weapons count as Twin-linked.

5 - Skilled Pilot. The vehicle may reroll Dangerous Terrain test.

6 - Tank Killers. The vehicle may reroll a failed Armor Penetration roll.


[edit: it's a WIP because I forgot to bring my other book to fill these in; it will be completed by Thursday night]