APOCALYPSE MEGA BATTLE!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
12PM until 6PM
All Fun & Games, Apex, NC (919) 468-6322 (web)
A Necron Harvester ship has been destroyed by the combined
fire of an Imperial Defense Laser and a raiding Chaos force, causing the ship
to crash on the Imperial planet Afung-Ame.
As the Necrons prepare to be raided themselves, allies arrive from an
unexpected source: the Eldar, desperate to prevent the advanced Necron
technology from falling into the hands of the crude races.
The battle is over! Check out the Gallery!
Background:
A Necron Scythe-class Harvester ship approached Imperial
industrial world Afung-Ame, possibly attempting to make a brief raid on the
populous before vanishing as quickly as it came.
Unfortunately for the Necron raiders, repairs had
finally been completed on the ancient defense laser "The Divine Light of the
Emperor's Might," providing the inhabitants with significant
defenses. Even more unfortunate for the
Necrons was the arrival of the traitor Fulgrim's flagship and support craft,
also preparing to attack the population.
Trapped between the anvil of Fulgrim's crafts and the hammer of the
defense laser, the unthinkable happened; the Necron vessel was shot out of
orbit and crashed on the planet below.
As enemy forces assemble to tear into the
technological marvels that the wreckage must contain, the Deceiver C'Tan laid
his plans out to the Daemon Primarch; All had been predicted and set into
motion. In exchange for the slaughter
of the incoming Ork warlord at the hands of the Emperor's Children, Fulgrim
would be given free access to Necron psycho-technology, enabling the creation
of fully synthetic artificially intelligent minds capable of experiencing
untold levels of sensations. Unexpected
but not unwelcome would be a force of the most pure enemy, the Eldar, intent
only on preventing the approaching Tau leaders from making away with any of the
Necron technology.
Sufficient warning was given to ensure that a sizable
Imperial presence attend the battle as well.
Two full Battle Companies and the Ultramarine Chapter Master joined a
Reaver Titan Company against the traitor, the machine, and the alien. The opportunity to acquire Necron tech would
not be passed up, by any means, but the Space Marines would keep their minds
set on bringing the traitor Fulgrim to justice, keeping a regiment of Ordo
Malleus Grey Knights in reserve, just at the maximum range of their
teleporters.
All that remained was to see how the Deceiver’s
machinations turned out once the day was done.
Contact: Matt
(You’ll have to replace the “at” with @ and the “dot” with “.”)
Previous Battles:
Here's the Gallery for
August,2007! Read the captions for
more descriptions. The web page for
2007/2006 is here.
Check out the Gallery for
November of 2006! Read the captions for
more descriptions.
Game Rules:
We will be using the
Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse rules, except when listed below.
Victory Conditions:
The three Necron ship pieces
were normal Apocalypse objectives.
Fulgrim was an objective for the
defenders while alive and for the attackers if killed.
The Necron Sentinel
functioned as a normal Apocalypse objective once destroyed. It had to be claimed by a side at the end of
the game.
Results: Defenders held the tail section
objective. The Necron Sentinel was dead
but held by the defenders. Fulgrim had
been banished to the warp. Defenders: 2,
Attackers: 1.
Minor Victory Conditions:
1. Necrons: Hold
the Necron Sentinel at the end of the game.
Success. They also got to make
one objective a Vital Objective (chose the upright wing). Failed.
2. Chaos: Kill
Ghazghul. Success, via a Vortex Missile
from the Chaos Warlord Titan.
3. Eldar: Kill all
Tau Ethereals (changed to Crisis Commanders due to the total lack of
Ethereals). Fail, one Crisis Commander
lived.
4. Space Marines:
Kill Fulgrim. Success, via massed
Imperial weapons fire.
5. Tau: Kill the
Deceiver. Fail, even after being held in
close combat by the Ultramarines for most of the game.
6. Orks: Kill
Asurmen. Fail. He did not show up until late in the game.
Conclusions:
1. We must do whatever possible to get a fourth turn if
we are going to allow Strategic Reserves.
This could be accomplished simply through two more hours of game time.
2. Movement trays were a success!
3. Timed turns were a success!
4. Rule Modifications:
a.
It was unclear as
to the difference between how Fulgrim and the Sentinel worked regarding their
status as objectives. One was very easy
for the Attackers to take (Fulgrim) and the other was very difficult, perhaps too
difficult since the Sentinel started the game in Strategic Reserves.
b. Not allowing certain unit types to inflict Penetrating
Hits on Super Heavy Walkers seemed to work out OK.
c.
Should have
changed the Bell of Lost Souls data sheet to allow the Reaver’s CCW to work on
vehicles and Monstrous Creatures.
d. The Warp Rift worked fine. It was always planned that Fulgrim will
emerge from the Warp Rift in Turn 3. I
mean, hey, if you’re a daemon you had might as well use it!
e.
None of the new Formations
were unbalancing, as far as I know.
Preliminary Forces:
Team 1: Defenders:
|
Player |
Army |
Points |
Special |
|
Mike |
Eldar |
4500 |
Eldar Tempest, Vampire,
Void Dragon |
|
Steve |
Necrons |
4800 |
The Deceiver, Monolith of
Renewal |
|
Dave |
Necrons |
4500 |
|
|
Corey |
Necrons |
3000 |
|
|
Kevin |
Necrons |
2500 |
Necron Sentinel |
|
Matt |
Chaos |
13000 |
Warp Rift, Sonic Cacaphony,
Warlord Titan, Reaver Titan, Warhound Titan, Antiquated Baneblade |
|
|
Total |
32300 |
|
Team 2: Attackers:
|
Player |
Army |
Points |
Special |
|
Robert |
Space Marines |
9500 |
Reaver Titans, Ultramarine
Characters |
|
Curt |
Space Marines |
5500 |
Artemis AA Tank |
|
Randall |
Space Marines |
5000 |
Thunderhawk |
|
Jacob |
Space Marines |
2500 |
|
|
Jonnie |
Tau |
2800 |
Kroot Mercs, Armored
Intradiction Cadre (Hammerheads) |
|
Paul |
Tau |
2000 |
|
|
Mark |
Orks |
5000 |
Shock Attack |
|
**** |
Imperial |
500 |
Defense Laser |
|
|
Total |
32800 |
|
Army Restrictions:
1. Every model must be assembled and painted at least
three colors. Necrons can count the
colored plastic rod as one of those three colors.
2. Every unit must be a legal unit. A single Space Marine with a Lascannon is not
a legal unit!
3. Your army must come from a single ‘force.’ No outside or non-traditional allies. ‘Imperium’ is a valid force. ‘Chaos and Eldar’ is not.
4. You may not bring more than 3,000 points of
non-vehicle models unless you bring enough movement trays to cover all of the infantry
in your force.
5. You will need to report how many points you are going
to bring, to the nearest 500 points, to Matt by January 19, 2008. You will also need to report all Special
Characters planned on being taken.
6. Any new Legendary Formations must be submitted to Matt
by January 19, 2008. Preferred format is
a Word document. New vehicles and other
units require pictures. New Formations
using existing models do not need pictures.
All new Legendary Formations will be posted to this web site below.
7. If you do not meet the above requirements, you will
not be guaranteed a spot.
Scenario Details:
1. The scenario will be Eldar & Necrons vs. everyone
else. If the army balance dictates that
another force join these two, the organizer will announce this before the start
of the battle.
2. Every player gets at least one Strategic Asset or
Special unit. The Jammers strategic
asset is disallowed for this scenario.
3. Only one of each Special Character will be taken.
4. The Necron Phase-Out rule is suspended. Scenario special rules will take precedence.
5. We will be playing a variation on the Apocalypse
Mission. Terrain will be set up and
objectives pre-placed. Deployment will
be dictated by the organizer.
6. Deployment:
a.
Both sides will
deploy simultaneously.
b. You must attempt to deploy as many units as
possible. The exception being units with
special deployment rules, of course.
This is a friendly game, so the strategy of holding everyone in reserve
will be frowned upon.
7. Living
Objectives:
a.
There are two
units in the battle that are considered to be Living Objectives; they are so
important to the outcome of the battle that they must be addressed by the
enemy: Daemon-Fulgrim and the Necron
Sentinel.
b. Both of these units count as an objective while alive.
c.
Fulgrim counts as
an objective for the Attackers if killed or forced to leave the battle.
d. The Necron Sentinel may be claimed by either side if
deactivated. Note that it can
potentially reactivate itself.
Apocalypse Modifications:
1. Only usable units are those from:
a.
Any basic
Warhammer 40,000 codex
b. Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse
c.
Imperial Armour
Apocalypse
i.
IAA FAQ (PDF file)
ii.
Any model with a
weapon that exists in both the main Apocalypse book and in IAA will use the
weapon from the main Apocalypse book.
Examples: Volcano Cannon, Vulcan Mega Bolter, etc.
d. The Games
Workshop Apocalypse web page
e.
This web
page. Any others may be submitted
individually (such as individual Bell of Lost Souls data sheets).
2. Note above army composition restrictions.
3. Super Heavies:
a.
Infantry, Beasts
& Cavalry, Artillery, and Bikes are unable to inflict anything worse than a
Glancing Hit to a Super Heavy Walker in close combat. Note that this excludes Vehicles, Monstrous
Creatures, Jump Infantry, and Jetbikes.
b. Any weapon or ability that causes an “auto-shaken”
result instead results in a single “Gun Crew Shaken” result.
4. Any ability that has ‘unlimited’ range in a standard
Warhammer 40,000 game has a range of 96”.
Abilities that have unlimited range in Apocalypse battles retain their
unlimited range.
5. Strategic Assets:
a.
Every player gets
at least one Strategic Asset or Special unit.
b. Any Strategic Assets granted by a special unit or
formation may only be used by models in that formation and while that formation
has not been destroyed.
c.
Strategic Assets
requiring a marker must be sufficiently modeled.
d. The Jammers
Strategic Asset is disallowed for this scenario. Due to deployment restrictions it will not be
practical to enforce.
Movement Trays:
The purpose of movement trays
is to make the use of large quantities of infantry faster and more efficient.
1. Infantry movement trays will be treated as a single
model for movement purposes.
2. Shooting will be measured from each individual model,
as if they were all different guns on a large vehicle. If it is reasonable to assume that a model
would have range or LOS to a target if that model was allowed to move freely in
the space occupied by the tray, then they will be allowed to have range or LOS.
3. If half of the movement tray is in cover, then the
entire tray benefits from cover.
4. Once one model in a tray is Engaged in assault, the
entire tray is Engaged.
5. Units assaulted by
units in a tray may Counter Assault as per the Universal Special Rule.
6. Casualties can be removed from anywhere on the tray,
but effort should be taken to keep the unit as densely-packed as possible. 2” coherency still applies.
7. Any model may change places with any other model on
the tray at the start of a movement phase without counting as moving.
New Legendary Formations:
1. Chaos:
a.
Warp Rift using the daemon types from the old Codex: Chaos Space
Marines (i.e. Daemonettes, Keeper of Secrets, etc.). These legacy daemon types may only use a Warp Rift. They may not be summoned via Icons carried by
Chaos Space Marines. The Warp Rift must
be sufficiently modeled! Only the
daemons from one god may enter from a single Warp Rift.
a.
Sonic Cacophony (Noise Marine Havocs and
Terminators)
b. Fulgrim, Daemon Primarch
of the Emperor’s Children
2. Eldar:
a.
Vampire Raider: Allow single Pulsar plus twin-linked Pulse Lasers
(as per all rules previous to IAA) for +100 points.
c.
Bonesinger
d. Tempest Grav Tank (Very
old Armorcast tank, less structure than Scorpion, main gun uses smaller
template, point-defense Shuriken Catapults)
3. Space Marine:
a.
Artemis AA Defense (Rhino-type tank with AA
turret and no transport)
b. Battle Company:
The Careful Planning Strategic Asset may benefit other Space Marine units from
the same chapter controlled by the same player (i.e. Dreadnoughts, Land
Raiders, Thunderhawk Gunships, etc.).
4. Necron:
a.
Monolith of Renewal (Monolith with Resurrection
Orb/Tomb Spider type abilities)
b. Sentinel
5. Titan Legions/Imperial
a.
Reaver Titan (from
b. Antiquated Baneblade
(Very old Armorcast Baneblade, less structure, main gun uses smaller template,
three Storm Bolters replace twin-linked Heavy Bolters in sponsons)
6. Orks
a.
Shock Attack
Tools:
1. Army tracking sheet.
This convenient sheet will help a player keep track of the large number
of units that may be on the battlefield.
a.
PDF
1/08/2008: Initial Revision
1/14/2008: Added Artemis, Monolith of Renewal, Necron Sentinel
1/17/2008: Modified SM: Battle Company, added Eldar Tempest, Reaver Titan
1/22/2008: Added Ork Shock Attack Battery. Clarified that Necrons may count the plastic rod as one of their three colors. Added Preliminary Forces and some Deployment notes. Changed to remove free Strategic Asset from players that are bringing Special units.
1/24/2008: Added Antiquated Baneblade. Added unit summaries to some of the new Formations.
2/04/2008: Conclusions, initial Gallery