Rules
For the Emperor!
The rule set for a Warhammer 40,000 narrative campaign at OMTS by Grant McKenna, derived [with permission] from Joel Dodd’s campaign rules. The website is forlethia.geek.nz. These rules were updated on the 31st January 2010.
The basic requirement for this campaign is that each participant has the ability to field at least one 500 point army. A player with an Imperial Army may choose to field it in some games as being Loyalist and in others as being a Traitor. The campaign is designed to ensure that all players have the chance for an enjoyable game and to create a “meaning” for the game by fitting it into a campaign. The purpose of this campaign is not to determine who the “best player” is- that is the role of a tournament. Although the campaign is not intended to determine who is ‘best’, a table is kept of the rankings of players- “the Generalship table”- which shows the win/loss percentage of a player, the number of games played by the player with each of their armies and the number won, drawn or lost as each army; this helps players decide who to play in ‘pick-up’ games.
Players must designate which one system they are beginning with and the size of the planets that the system contains; they may then develop the system and have a starting rank of ten Prestige Points to do this.
Essential to the campaign is the existence of a record keeper or team of record keepers who will keep note of what is happening. For this campaign it is Grant McKenna grant@forlethia.geek.nz. It is also important to note that events occur in Campaign Turns, which are usually a fortnight long- they start on a regularly scheduled gaming meet of the club and continue to the minute before the start of the next regularly scheduled gaming meet of the club. All events occurring in a Campaign Turn are deemed to happen within the same Imperial year.
At the start of each day’s play players indicate which armies they wish to play with, and it is arranged who plays whom. When players sort out who will play whom, players who have prearranged to play each other pair off, and then amongst the remaining players the Generalship Table is used to see which would be the best matched games.
The Lords of Terra then vote as to which game is more important to the Imperium of Man. The Lords of Terra consist of all players present, not just those who will be using an Imperial force on the day. Each game is worth ten Prestige Points per 1500 points or part thereof, the points being awarded out according to the win/loss ratio. Kill Point games award two Prestige Points for every Kill Point won in the game. If a game has been voted more points then the player who wins that game gets that many points added to their prestige.
Planets are never captured in a single game unless both players have agreed that the game is for the conquest of the planet; otherwise the attacking player must win two out of three games for the planet. Planetary Defences will increase the ratio of games that must be won. A player may usually only conquer a system adjacent to them- unless they have a Battlefleet, for which they will need a Fleet Shipyard. A series of games for the conquest of a planet should begin with a Planetstrike mission.
If Loyalist players fight each other and both have armies or allies drawn from the same codex then determine if they fight a battle or a training exercise. Training exercises use the same rule as ordinary battles, but because all damage is simulated no conquest of territory occurs. Space Marines of the same chapter do not fight either each other, or chapters of the same founding line [i.e. Grey Knights don’t fight each other, Raven Guard do not fight Black Guard, Guardians of the Covenant don’t fight Dark Angels]. Inquisitors and Rogue Traders often end up fighting amongst themselves.
Each planet has several development nodes, each of which is a Deathworld Feature until developed. The number of nodes is decided by the first player to occupy the planet. A development takes up one node. To replace one development node with another simply buy the new one and state that the older one is replaced. Most developments cost five Prestige Points except that Hive Cities cost twenty-five points, as they include a Command Bastion, Manufactorum, Power Station, Shield Generator, and a Spaceport. Costs are doubled if built in space or on any except a planet in the inhabitable region. [This doubling includes on moons in the inhabitable region]. Prestige Points are used once spent, but some more are generated by controlling planets etc, and of course by whenever a new game is won. Prestige Points may be held over until used.
Three Necron Tombworlds H7 Aegypo, G4 Akko and C4 Golof, as well as six Eldar Webway Portal Worlds [F1 Enosia, F6 Iotha, B7 Limat, E8 Noit, H4 Senid and B3 Vorlithe] have been designated.
No system may contain more than two inhabitable planets at the start of the campaign. Systems that are not occupied at the start of the campaign have the size of their planets determined when first occupied. For the purpose of mapping the systems a chessboard is used.
Arbiters may be taken as allies by any Loyalist player; an Arbiter station makes Chaos infiltration less likely.
An Abominable Desecration generates nine Prestige Points a campaign turn for the Chaos player controlling it- which means that that node generates ten Prestige Points [one for player’s control, nine for the development]. Possession of an Abominable Desecration enables a Chaos player to field Daemons as allies, provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with. Only one Abominable Desecration may be built in a system, and it is created by Chaos capturing an Ecclesiastical Shrine, or by spending twenty-five Prestige Points for the purpose.
An Agricultural Settlement replaces a Deathworld Feature if built on a planet or moon and produces enough food to feed itself and a surplus of one Food Unit. A world with at least 75% of its Development Nodes as Agricultural Settlements is an Agriworld, and doubles its food production as the economies of scale take effect. Agricultural Settlements may be built in space- build three Orbital Constructions and add an Agricultural Settlement. Agricultural Settlements may not be added to Fleet Shipyards. If all of a player’s Agricultural Settlements production cannot be delivered due to blockades, the cost of that player’s non-vehicle models is increased by 10%. They cost two Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
For the purpose of determining prestige points Apocalypse games count as being one game for each 1000 points used, rounded up [i.e. a 10,000 point game is 100 prestige points]. This means that a 3000 point normal rules game is worth 20 Prestige Points- less than the 30 Prestige Points of a 3000 point Apocalypse game- because playing Apocalypse is good!
A Battlefleet consists of a group of space going vessels. Battlefleets are built by using the Battlefleet Gothic rules; each Prestige Point is worth 10 BFG points. Damaged vessels recover two hull points of damage for each campaign turn that they are at a Fleet Shipyard, with each shipyard repairing one vessel. Ships are built at the rate of two hull points per shipyard per campaign turn; a shipyard can build and repair at the same time, but then only repairs one hull point and builds one hull point in a turn. This can mean that there will be a massive backlog of vessels awaiting repair unless a large number of shipyards are built.
Campaign Turns are usually a fortnight long- they start on a regularly scheduled gaming meeting of the club and continue to the minute before the start of the next regularly scheduled gaming meet of the club. All events occurring in a Campaign Turn are deemed to happen within the same Imperial year.
Chaos armies are all Rebel Imperial Guard and Rebel Space Marines that have declared for Chaos as well as all Daemon armies. Any Chaos army that defeats a Loyalist army which contained either Inquisitors, Daemon Hunters or Witch Hunters gets double the Prestige Points for the game.
Chaos players may attempt to raise Chaos Covens on a planet; if they spend ten prestige points and in front of the controlling player of that planet then roll three D6, they get a Chaos Coven for each 6 rolled. The effect of a Chaos Coven is to negate the effect of any Planetary Defences after the first one. If the defending player has an Arbiter station then they can make the Chaos player reroll all three D6, but must accept the results of the reroll.
Chaos Cultists use the Imperial Guard codex entry for conscripts. One Cultist may be upgraded to an Agitator for free; the Agitator may be given a Chaos Banner for free. Each Chaos Banner may purchase one Daemon Squad to be bound to it. Use the Daemon Codex for the points for Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch, and Lesser Daemons from the Chaos Space Marines codex for Chaos Undivided’s points. When the Daemons manifest, they do so by possessing the bodies of the cultists. If there are fewer Cultists than Daemons, then the extra Daemons are lost; surplus Cultists remain in play. A Greater Daemon may be purchased to possess the body of the Agitator. If the Agitator is killed before being possessed then the Daemon may [at the owning player’s choice] immediately possess the body. If that happens then at the end of every turn the Daemon must make an armour save or lose a wound. Wounds lost in this way cannot be regenerated during the game. Other than a Greater Daemon possessing a dead Agitator, Daemons must possess living Cultists, and manifest at a time of the controlling player’s choice. Rebel Imperial Guard may raise Cultists in order to field daemons, or may capture an Ecclesiastical Shrine and turn it into an Abominable Desecration- or may build an Ecclesiastical Shrine as Loyalists, betray the Imperium, and make an Abominable Desecration of the Ecclesiastical Shrine.
Command Bastions are detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate two Prestige Points a turn- which means that that node generates three Prestige Points [one for player’s control, two for the development].
Loyalist armies that contain Daemon Hunters and that defeat a Chaos army get double the Prestige Points for the game.
Dark Angels or their successor chapters may not be taken as an ally by any player who has abhumans in their force, nor by any Rogue Trader. Dark Angels that defeat a Chaos army which fielded any figures identified as being of the Fallen receive three Prestige Points for each if captured or one if killed.
A Dark Eldar player receives double Prestige Points for every game in which they took prisoners [which is deemed to be whenever they won a close combat]. Dark Eldar do not get any Prestige Points for fighting Necrons, because Necrons cannot be enslaved. Dark Eldar develop their sector of Comorragh as follows: a Slime Pit [the equivalent of an Agricultural Settlement], a Fleet Shipyard, a Bone Breaker Hall [the equivalent of an Manufactorum], a Wraith Bone Torture Pit [Mining Settlement], a Spaceport and Craftworld Defences [Planetary Defences]. Development nodes may be added at the cost of the Prestige Points listed under the names of their equivalents, and any number may be built. Only Dark Eldar can fight in Comorragh; none other know its location.
A Deathworld Feature is a terrain, climate or biological characteristic of a planet that makes human life there tenuous at best. A world with at least half of its development nodes as Deathworld Features is a Deathworld. All worlds start as Deathworlds. Control of a Deathworld Feature generates one Prestige Point a turn.
Development Nodes represent how big an area can be developed on a planet or moon- there can be up to 100 development nodes on a planet, and a moon may have up to a third of the number on the planet [rounded up]. If there is more than one moon, then the number of development modes on the moons cannot total more than half of the number on the planet [rounded up].
An Ecclesiastical Shrine replaces a Deathworld Feature if built on a planet or moon and cost twenty-five Prestige Points to build and generate nine Prestige Points a turn- which means that that node generates ten Prestige Points [one for player’s control, nine for the development] for the Loyalist player controlling it. Ecclesiastical Shrines may be built in space- build an Orbital Structure and then add an Ecclesiastical Shrine; the floating structure is now a space borne Ecclesiastical Shrine. An Ecclesiastical Shrine enables a Witch Hunter player to field Sisters of Battle, a Daemon Hunter player to field Grey Knights or a Loyalist player to field either as an ally in any games, provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with. Only one Ecclesiastical Shrine may be built in a system. If an Ecclesiastical Shrine falls to an enemy the player who controlled it may continue to field their army, but may not gain more than three Prestige Points in any game until they have either recaptured the Ecclesiastical Shrine or built a new one.
An Eldar Craftworld is one of the last remnants of a dwindling but still mighty civilisation, and is both an industrial centre and an agricultural centre; Eldar develop their Craftworlds in their own special way. Eldar Craftworlds may have the following Developments: an Agricultural Settlement, a Fleet Shipyard, a Bonesinger Hall [the Eldar equivalent of an Manufactorum], a Wraith Bone Node [the Eldar equivalent of a Mining Settlement], a Spaceport and Craftworld Defences [Planetary Defences]. Development nodes may be added at the cost of the Prestige Points listed in the Development Table under the names of their equivalents, and any number may be built on the Craftworld. Building seven Bonesinger Halls allows a player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
If an Eldar Webway Portal World is in any non-Eldar player’s control- including Dark Eldar- then all Eldar players receive half Prestige Points for each of their games. Eldar Webway Portal Worlds are the worlds designated as such at the start of the game; any Eldar can attack any of the Eldar Webway Portal Worlds even if they are not adjacent to them, by using the Webway. Eldar players playing a game which wins control of a planet that they have to conquer in terms of this rule also receive Prestige Points equal to double the number of players in the campaign, even if the other designated worlds are still in enemy hands.
A Fleet Shipyard replaces a Deathworld Feature on a planet or moon; it takes up no development nodes if built in space. Fleet Shipyards build and repair spaceships. Each Fleet Shipyard requires at least one Food Unit and one Ore Unit to feed and supply it- a player may therefore not build a Fleet Shipyard unless they have Food Units available to feed the factory workers and Ore Units to supply to the machines. A Fleet Shipyard is necessary to blockade systems or planets or to attack systems to which one is not adjacent, because to do any of those things requires a Battlefleet. Fleet Shipyards are automatically Orbital Constructions, and do not pay extra for this feature. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that if built on a planet or moon that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
A world with at least seven Hive Cities is a Forge World; living conditions there are uncomfortable for all but the elite and will usually require artificial support. Possession of a Forge World allows a player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations. Seven Hive Cities in space at a planet qualify that planet as being a Forge World.
A Hive City’s rules are detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost twenty-five Prestige Points to build and generate five Prestige Points a turn- which means that that node generates six Prestige Points [one for player’s control, five for the development].
Imperial Guard can field Deathworld Veterans if they control a Deathworld. Possession of a Forge World allows an Imperial Guard player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations. Control of a Space Marine Recruitment Centre enables the player to field the designated Space Marine Chapter as an ally in any games provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with, but the Space Marines cannot be used to fight another army also using them.
An Imperial Administrative Centre is a Command Bastion as detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
Loyalists are any Imperial Guard, Space Marine, Ecclesiarchy and Rogue Trader armies other than the traitorous scum who have rebelled.
A Manufactorum replaces a Deathworld Feature if built on a planet or moon and is necessary to field any kind of model designated as being a vehicle in the rules. A player may field any type and number of vehicles- as long as they have at least one Manufactorum. Each Manufactorum requires at least one Food Unit and one Ore Unit to feed and supply it- a player may therefore not build an Manufactorum unless they have Food Units available to feed the factory workers and Ore Units to supply to the machines. If a Blockade results in less Food Units or Ore Units being available than there are Manufactorums then the Manufactorums of an entire planet no longer create vehicles, even if the shortfall is just one. Manufactorums may be built in space- build an Orbital Construction and add an Manufactorum. An alternative strategy is to build a Fleet Shipyard and then add an Manufactorum; the floating structure is now a space borne Manufactorum and Fleet Shipyard. If all of a player’s Manufactorums are out of production due to blockades, the cost of that player’s vehicles is increased by 10%. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development]. Their in-game effect is as detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5].
A Mining Settlement replaces a Deathworld Feature and must be built on a planet or moon; it is used to mine valuable ore. Possession of a Mining Settlement enables one Ore Unit to be produced each turn. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
Necron Tombworlds are the worlds designated as such at the start of the game; any Necron Player can attack any of them even if they are not adjacent to them by using the Necron’s secret portals. Necron players receive only half Prestige Points if a Necron Tombworld is in any non-Necron player’s hands. Necron players playing a game which wins control of a planet that they have to conquer in terms of this rule also receive Prestige Points equal to the number of players in the campaign, even if the other designated worlds are still in enemy hands.
Necrons may activate the following developments: Recharge Pylons [the Necron equivalent of Agricultural Settlements], a Fleet Materialisation Point [the Necron equivalent of a Fleet Shipyard], Lesser Materialisation Points [the Necron equivalent of Manufactorums], Spaceports, Planetary Defences, and a Deathworld Feature. Development nodes may be added at the cost of the Prestige Points listed under the names of their equivalents, and any number may be built. Activating seven Lesser Materialisation Points allows a player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
Orbital Constructions are built in space to house something that would normally be built on a planet or moon. Squats build them for five Prestige Points; for everyone else they cost ten Prestige Points. Orbital Constructions do not generate any Prestige Points, but the structure built upon them may.
Armies containing an Ordo Xenos Deathwatch Team that win a game for control of a Necron Tombworld or an Eldar Webway Portal World get double Prestige Points. Ordo Xenos Deathwatch Teams can be fielded by any Loyalist army facing aliens or non-Imperial abhumans.
Orks get double the Prestige Points that were up for grabs for any game that they win to simulate Orks flocking to a successful Waaaaghh! Orks only get half the Prestige Points [rounded up] for any game that they lose, to simulate Orks abandoning a failing Waaaaghh! Orks get the ordinary number of Prestige Points for a draw, because the Warboss says so.
Orks may build the following developments: a Squig Pit [the Ork equivalent of an Agricultural Settlement], a Fleet Shipyard, a Big Mek’s Big Shed [Manufactorum], a Hole in da Ground [Mining Settlement], a Krash Pad [Spaceport] and Big Bangy Stuff [Planetary Defences]. Building seven Big Mek’s Big Sheds allows a player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
Planetary Defences replace a Deathworld Feature and must be built on a planet or moon; they make it harder for an invader to conquer the planet- the owner of a planet with a Planetary Defence increases the ratio of tiles that must be won for a planet to be captured by the attacking player from two out of three [66%] to three out of four [75%]. A second Planetary Defence makes the ratio five out of six [83%]- more Planetary Defences make no more difference. Planetary Defences make very good objectives for Special Missions. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
Power Stations are detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
Rebel Imperial Guard may be aligned with Chaos or attempting to remain independent of the Imperium. If they are attempting to remain independent then they are treated by all Loyalists as being Chaos, and by all Chaos as being Loyalists. Rebel Imperial Guard can field Deathworld Veterans if they control a Deathworld. Possession of a Forge World allows a Rebel Imperial Guard player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the models rules and limitations. Control of a Space Marine Recruitment Centre enables the player to field a designated Chaos Space Marine Chapter as an ally in any games provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with, and means that the player is affiliated to Chaos. The Chaos Space Marines can be used to fight another army also using the same chapter, as Chaos is notoriously prone to dissension.
Rebel Space Marines may be aligned with Chaos or attempting to remain independent of the Imperium. If they are attempting to remain independent then they are treated by all Loyalists as being Chaos, and by all Chaos as being Loyalists. Rebel Space Marines with a Space Marine Recruitment Centre may field Daemons from the Chaos Daemons codex as allies [Lesser Daemons are always available ], provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with. A player doing so has chosen the side of Chaos. Possession of a Forge World allows a Rebel Space Marine player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
Rogue Traders that win a game to gain or keep control of a Necron Tombworld or an Eldar Webway Portal World get double Prestige Points. Rogue Traders are created using the Daemon Hunter or Witch Hunter Codices as proxies. Rogue Traders may not have Grey Knights or Sisters of Battle as members of their force, or as allies, but may have Space Marines other than Dark Angels.
Shield Generators are detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development]. Shield Generators count as Planetary Defences.
Space represents construction taking place in space- it may be at a system where no planets exist, or in space near a planet. There is no limit to how many Space developments are placed in a system other than the supply needs of the developments.
Loyalist Space Marines with a Space Marine Recruitment Centre may field neophytes. Possession of a Forge World allows a Space Marine player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
A Space Marine Recruitment Centre replaces a Deathworld Feature if built on a planet or moon and enables a Loyalist Space Marine player to field neophytes, and a Chaos Space Marine player to field Daemons as allies, provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with. A Loyalist or Rebel Imperial Guard player may build a Space Marine Recruitment Centre on their planet for a designated Space Marine Chapter of the player’s choice. This will enable the player to field the designated Space Marine Chapter as an ally in any games provided that the point limits and army organisation charts are complied with. A Space Marine Recruitment Centre counts as a Command Bastion, detailed in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. Only one Space Marine Recruitment Centre may be built in a system by a player. Space Marine Recruitment Centres cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
A Spaceport replaces a Deathworld Feature if built on a planet or moon and is necessary to transport goods to and from the surface of a planet- no Food Units or Ore Units produced on a system can be counted towards Manufactorums or Fleet Shipyards elsewhere unless Spaceports are built on both the planet producing Food Units or Ore Units and the planet/space with Manufactorums or Fleet Shipyards. Even if the Agricultural Settlement and Manufactorum are on the same planet, a Spaceport is still needed to get the vehicles off-planet. Further Spaceport rules are found in the Planetary Empires rulebook [p4-5]. They cost five Prestige Points to build and generate one Prestige Point a turn- which means that that node generates two Prestige Points [one for player’s control, one for the development].
Special Missions are any missions agreed to by the players which are not found in the main Games Workshop rulebook; they may be made up or from an old White Dwarf, a codex or wherever.
Tau players get double Prestige Points for winning a game in defence of a planet on which they have developed more than half of the development nodes.
A Tyranid Hivefleet is an ever ravenous maw; Tyranid players who conquer a planet will consume it. They get a Prestige Point for each Prestige Point that had been spent developing the planet, but can only get one third of the original Prestige Points in any Campaign Turn. Deathworld Features count as five Prestige Points for consumption purposes, even if on a planet that had not been previously developed. Tyranids may use Prestige Points to replace Food Units or Ore Units. Once a planet has been consumed it counts as being in the Outer Planetary Zone for purposes of calculating future development costs. If a planet has not been fully consumed by the time it is re-conquered then it is considered to be a Deathworld.
Tyranid Hivefleets may have the following Developments: a Nutrition Secretion Chamber [the equivalent of an Agricultural Settlement], a Hiveship Ovipositor [the equivalent of a Fleet Shipyard], a Genetic Manipulation Chamber [the equivalent of an Manufactorum], an Absorption Chamber [the equivalent of a Mining Settlement], an Entry/Exit Sphincter [the equivalent of a Spaceport] and Hiveship Protection Symbiotes [the equivalent of an Planetary Defences]. Tyranid players will not get any Prestige Points for fighting Necrons. Building seven Genetic Manipulation Chambers allows a player to field models with rules detailed in ForgeWorld™ publications or the Apocalypse Rulebook and supplements in accordance with the model’s rules and limitations.
Note that if a Tyranid player fields their Hivefleet in a game of Battlefleet Gothic then they must field a Mothership which will then be deemed to contain all of the Hivefleet developments. A Tyranid player may field a fleet other than their Hivefleet if they have built a Hiveship Ovipositor. If a Mothership is destroyed then the highest value Capital Ship surviving will become a Mothership, with one of each of all the Hivefleet Developments which the previous Mothership had.
Loyalist armies that contain Witch Hunters and that defeat a Chaos army get double the Prestige Points for the game.