Nothing is Getting Done!

I received some great gifts for Christmas. Orks, a painting station, more Guard stuff. I need to finish painting the Jokers - almost completely done with them. I need to continue writing my Crucible of Despair story and get that posted.  

But nothing is getting done. Not a damn thing. 

The reason is because I am falling prey to the insidious plans of the Dark Gods themselves. For Christmas, I also received The First Heretic, the fourteenth book in the Horus Heresy series. Usually I can temper my reading, balancing the other aspects of the hobby with my addiction to Black Library books.

In this case, I cannot. Whenever a Horus Heresy book comes out, the rest of my hobby suffers. 

So please bear with me as I finish this book because nothing is going to get done until I put the book down.

The Crucible of Despair: Part I - The Last Aquila

The planet was wrong.

It had been 159 days since the world had fallen into the hands of chaos and in that relatively short time everything about the planet had become corrupt. The air was frigid but the sun was warm. There were birds and wildlife, but they made every attempt to stay hidden and rarely made any noise. The sun stayed hidden behind a cloud cover that had no discernible color. Even the color of the foliage was somehow... wrong.

Sgt. Hathcock looked at walls of the burned chapel and couldn't imagine the violence that took place inside the building. It wasn't the charred bodies of the worshippers that disturbed him, but the complete excess of destruction that was wrought upon this place of worship.

Every Aquila, parchment, or reference to the Emperor of Mankind was defaced. On the wall was the charred outline of where a four foot wide Aquila once hung. Even the outline was defaced with blood and what looked to have been a human skull with a stake impaled through it into the wall.

In the sermon given before making planetfall the preachers had referred to this liberation as the Crucible of Hope. Hope, they said, for those who praise and fear the Emperor.

Seeing the carcasses of those who were praising the Emperor in His place of worship, Hathcock could only think that this was the Crucible of Despair.

"Over here", Sgt. Gell said and started walked towards the altar. Hathcock grabbed the back of his armor and pulled him back. Gell snapped his head around and opened his mouth to speak, but Hathcock already had his hand over the other sergeant's mouth.

With barely a movement, Hathcock made a sharp whistling noised that sounded exactly like the noise one of the indigenous birds made. Two long whistles and three short.

Another scout/sniper appeared from a shadow and moved past the sergeants without making a sound. He slung his rifle over his back, rolled up his sleeves, and knelt to the floor. He moved his arm up and down in front of him slowly, then felt the ground before him. Satisfied there were no traps or tripwires, he moved forward noiselessly and repeated the process.

Hathcock hated this assignment. He had been planet-side for twelve days assessing the enemy with his squad of scout/snipers. The squads in the Scout company were always sent out ahead of the armored might of the Hambali 501st Regiment to gather intelligence and enemy disposition. Rarely did they see the frontline actions of the veteran and armored squads. Because of this the Scout Company of the 501st was considered an outcast. Their true value was never fully appreciated by the rank and file companies.

Two days ago Hathcock received word that he was to lead Sgt. Gell's squad to a location where the local insurgency would meet them. To Hathcock, it sounded like a trap. It also tested his patience to no end.

The veteran squads of the 501st were good soldiers. Once considered the outcasts of the Hambali regiments, and even nicknamed the "Jokers", the 501st was tested by the fires of battle and hardened into a formidable force.

But a good solider sometimes makes the worst scout. A squad of ten men sounded like thirty to Hathcock. They barely understood noise discipline and, worst of all, they smelled. The first thing a scout does when making planetfall is to take on the smell of the planet. If that meant crawling through a sewer, then the scout would crawl through a sewer.

Gell's squad still smelled of clean uniforms and their lasguns smelled of new gun oil, as if they had just jumped out of the back of a Chimera, even though they had been walking on this wasted planet for two days.

When the path to the altar was cleared, Hathcock removed his hand from Gell's mouth and made the hand gesture for "silence" and "move slowly". To Gell's credit, he had picked up on the hand language of the scouts. They both moved slowly to the altar, Hathcock with his sniper rifle raised and slowly sweeping the left side of the chapel, Gell covering the right side with his laspistol. Behind them four other members of Gell's squad fanned out and took positions behind overturned pews and rubble.

Hathcock mouthed the words "now what" when they reached the supplicant's dais, but didn't lower his rifle. Gell looked around, uncertain.

"The message said to 'kneel before the altar'", Gell whispered.

After a moment, Gell holstered his pistol and kneeled. The floorboard under his right knee creaked loudly and everyone froze. He slowly backed up, still on his knees, and swiped some of the debris away, revealing a loose floorboard. The cracks between the boards were wide enough for Gell to get his finger under and a small piece of the board was removed effortlessly.

In the small hole was a small case with an Aquila stamped on it. It was the first undefiled Aquila that wasn't worn on the uniform of the 501st that Hathcock had seen in two weeks.

"We need to get this back to Command before the enemy gets to us", Gell whispered. In the distance a bird whistled. Three short whistles and one long whistle. Gell looked at Hathcock with a puzzled look on his face.

Hathcock turned to the door, his rifle still raised. "It's too late", he whispered to Gell. "They are already here."

Yearly Chaos Incursion

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*Begin Transmission*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Repetition of General Directive 264-A-XCIV

To: Distribution, Sectorium Primus From: Office of The Grand Inquisitor, Ebineezar Grinchanius Re: Yearly Chaos Incursion

This purpose of this notice is to remind the forgetful of the annual visitation by the minion of Chaos known to the unworthy as Santa Claus.

+++ The Emperor's Light Banishes the Shadows of Heresy +++

As the diligent will recall, the incursion occurs regularly every 8742 to 8766 terran hours, roughly corresponding to a terran year. This trespass has occurred with disturbing regularity since at least the Horus Heresy, and perhaps longer, as many records were misplaced.

+++ Love and Obey the Emperor +++

The faithful will recognize the target on sight, as his garb and gear mark him immediately as an agent of the abominations.

Santa Claus is a corpulent, bloated creature approximating the human form. It wears a crimson tunic the color of fresh blood, marking him as a possible follower of Khorne. It is bearded, mocking the honorable squats, and its hair is a sallow shade of gray, betraying its unnatural age. Be advised that despite the creatures fearsome name, no claws have been observed, and the former is likely a ruse.

The target has been observed in the company of smaller creatures having the appearance of thin (less than 30 kg, approx.), stunted (1.5 meters) humanoids with pointed ears. Their appearance suggests the involvement of the decadent Eldar, and although that race denies involvement (*reference the Rudolphian Campaign [index 111-BGE-MMXCII- Primus], specifically the Battle of Yukon Coneliaus IV [ibid., index 6]*), agents are advised to be prepared for their involvement, as the Eldar are known for their deceitful ways.

Santa Claus is conveyed by means of a grav-sled powered by unnatural livestock as detailed below.

The target's vehicle is a grav-sled. It has superfluous runners which are used only on landing and take-off. Despite the appearance, no frozen water is necessary for its operation (another ruse). The vehicle's resemblance to the foul Palanquin of Nurgle should not be discounted, even though the colors continue to be reminiscent of Khorne.

The device is powered by the unholy ministrations of eight or nine quadrupeds. Ordo Malleus scholars have identified these creatures as warped versions of an extinct species of terran mammal known as a Moose (reference 900002-ER-CIV). These beings single-mindedly pull the target's vehicle during its yearly invasion. They are outfitted with belled harnesses which are apparently imbued with the ability of flight. These beasts have been likened to the Fiends of Slaanesh, and such a comparison should not be dismissed too lightly, as the creatures shed a luminous substance as effluent as they move. Inquisitors should take care to avoid exposure.

Perhaps more disturbing is the variable number of the minion- creatures. On occasion, a ninth Moose has been observed, placed before the other Mooses. This creature radiates a sickly reddish glow from its snout, as a psychic beacon to other followers of the Vile Ones. This Chaotic device has allowed the target to navigate despite our best efforts to jam its navigation systems.

+++ Blessed is the Virtue of Blind Faith +++

Santa Claus gains entry to the domiciles of loyal Imperial Citizens (see below) and leaves small Chaos Rewards to tempt the faithful.

Inquisitors are reminded to confiscate and incinerate these items before any lasting damage is done. As a localized temporal distortion field is in effect around the target, these items are secreted in the habitations of the Imperium at exactly 2400 hours in every location defiled by the creature. It is therefore possible to gain entry to the citizens' cretches and remove the items (often cunningly hidden in footwear) before the citizens are aware of the heresy that has been committed upon them.

In other cases, removal of the items after the citizens have discovered them is possible. In such situations, small children are occasionally loath to surrender the items, as the tainting of the juveniles has already begun. Executions of the above are to be handled in the most expedient manner possible.

Often, juveniles that are well within the Emperor's Grace are given small blocks of graphite ore rather than the more tempting gifts visited upon the less faithful. The identity of these individuals are to be recorded, as future recruitment into the Inquisition or Adeptus Terra is possible. [Note: Inquisitors or other agents who do *not* receive the graphite stones should be watched carefully]

Santa Claus enters the domiciles be way of heating ducts and waste vents. The size of the opening is not a factor, as the creature can adjust its mass and displacement by means of psychic manipulation. Mining these openings with frag, krak and other demolitions has proven unsuccessful.

The creature egresses by the same means, after ritually caressing his nostrils. No mucus has ever been recovered.

+++ The Death of Emperor's Enemies is the Only Gift We Can Give +++

Although all previous attempts at the destruction of Santa Claus have failed, Inquisitors are urged to make such an attempt whenever possible. However, of more importance is the suppression of cultist activity associated with the yearly incursion. The Tainted have been known to erect shrines in their homes in the form of shrubbery adorned with baubles and lights [Note: the shrubbery is often highly inflammable, and offers a discrete method of executing the offending heretics without calling undue attention to the operation]. Other warning signs include: hallucinations involving sugared candies during slumber; excessive singing; references to 'A magical time of year' (note the influence of Tzeentch); the construction of effigies made of snow; and the performance of Slaanishi rituals while underneath plant clippings of the genus phoradendron flavescens.

Once again, executions should be handled in an expedient manner.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*End Transmission*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

I have no clue who originally wrote this, but it has been around since at least 2008 (that is the earliest copy I found). It is now part of the 40k Lore and must be republished every year. 

THAT Player

Come on, now. Don't be offended. We all know who THAT player is.

The question is this: how many people consider YOU to be that player on the right?

Preparing for Battle

For two days in the upcoming week I will be fighting against Stavrous in The Crucible of Despair campaign. This campaign consists of five games:

1 - Kill Team

2 - Planet Strike

3 - Seize Ground

4 - Cities of Death

5 - Gladiator

The winner of each battle gains an overall advantage in the next battle. Click here to download the full campaign rules.

The most interesting part of this is the planning. I've been pouring over different army lists for over a month for each battle. All of the battles except the Kill Team and Gladiator are 2,000 points, so there is a bit of flexibility.

So we'll see how the battles turn out over the next week!

Bluff

Here is a summary of my Ork tactics. Enough said.

Necrons. Why did have to be Necrons?

Here's the latest and greatest Necron rumors from around the web. Take it or leave it - we'll see what's true when the codex is actually released.

• New Codex drops mid year.
• WBB changes to FNP for "most" units
• New HQ options include "One" new C'Tan. Nightbringer and Deceiver to get new models...and at least one will have optional "incarnations"
• New Tomb Spider plastic model. option to create alternate model that is Heavy artillery.
• New fast cc focus unit. jump infantry. warrior sized.
• new models for immortals.
• new "tank" - could be the TS based artillery just referenced from different source.
• new MC walker - likely the rumored "Necronmancer" - may be HQ or Heavy-conflicting rumors here.
• New plastic Lord with all options.
• New named Lord metal blister
• New Monolith option...not represented in models to be released.

Email: Help with Guard List

Hey Aki,

I thought you would be the best person for this job...

one of our members wants to get a list ready for an upcoming tournament.... and I was wondering if you would take a few moments to review it...

it looks like this..

Company command squad – 70 points

4 snipers in command squad

Vet Squad – 80 points – melta gun

Vet squad – 70 points

Vet Squad – 70 points

Vendetta gunship x2 – 260 points

Valkyrie – 100 points

Battle tanks x 3 – 510 points

Heavy bolter sponsons

Leman russ punisher x1 – 210 points

Multi melta sponsons

Leman russ punisher x1 – 250 points

Commander Pask

Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Leman russ executioner – 230 points

Plasma cannon sponsons

Total Points – 1850

Now I will admit that I know NOTHING about the IG codex and what potential they have, that's why I am deferring to you. someone who has recently participated in a tourney and knows alot about the codex and hopefully.. someone who loves helping those underlings put together some decent list and tactics..

Anyways, anything you could help with would be greatly appreciated.

thanks again man!!!

Wow. Looks like someone likes tanks more than I do.

Always a pleasure to help out. But first I've got to give my standard caveat: everybody needs experience with their army to determine what works best for them. This is especially true with Imperial Guard because there are sooooo many different ways to make a list. So much of list design depends on your own play style. 

With that said, here are my comments and suggestions. I tried to keep the overall theme of your list.

The first HUGE problem is the lack of troops. It looks like the plan is to bring the troops in air-cav style, but if I were playing this list in an objective based game (which, you have to consider, three, possible four, of the games will be objective based), I would simply kill all your troops at all costs. Sure, I may lose a lot, but you are guaranteed to lose without anybody to take objectives.

You really need at least four troop choices.

The second problem is the command squad is a point sink in an all mech list. Snipers are fun, but not extremely effective. Yes, the order from the commander will help, but you’re going to have a “naked” (unarmored) squad hiding in the bushes with nobody by snipers to take the wounds you’ll get. It’s a fun unit to play, but in a tournament it will simple be squashed unless there are more appealing targets around it.

When playing all mech (or air/mech, as in this list), the HQ choice is a hindrance. I usually field a Primaris Pskyer. He’s got a power weapon , the 2D6 S6 electric-out-of-the-fingers attacks and, most important, he’s the cheapest HQ choice. Attach him to a vet squad and you’re good to go.

The true value of a command squad is when you field an infantry platoon. But more on that later.

I am assuming six tanks are arranged like this:

1 squadron of two Leman Russ Battle Tanks

1 squadron of two Punishers (1 with Pask)

1 Executioner

You really need to look at and appreciate wound allocations on squadrons. Once the tanks are hit with a close combat squad, they will be quickly destroyed. And trust me, there is a lot out there that will get into close combat with your tanks quickly.

But the purposes of your tanks seem skewed. The Battle Tanks have the cannon, hull HB, and sponson HB. It looks like they are set up for anti-infantry, but you’ve already got that covered with the Punishers.

One of the Punishers has mulit-meltas, but the Punisher cannon is an anti-infantry gun.

Pask will allow you to hit more with the Punisher cannon, but 50 points to add 1 to the BS isn’t worth it unless you have Vanquisher.

The plasma Executioner is loads of fun, but it is heavy anti-infantry (a terminator killer).

Here’s the low-down on tanks:

Leman Russ Battle Tank – all around multi-purpose beast that should be geared towards anti-armor. ALWAYS include the hull lascannon. You can move 6” and still shoot the lascannon and battle cannon. Remember to always move when infantry get close to prevent the auto-hit on the assault, so you won’t get a chance to use the sponson HB very often.

Leman Russ Punisher – loads of fun, but really doesn’t kill as much as you would think. I brought two to a tournament once and was disappointed. The fun thing about it is that most opponents are so scared of it that they sink everything into it, allowing the rest of your army to do what you want.

You won’t face that type of opponent in a tournament.

Executioner is expense, but loads of fun in a game. If you stand still, you will get five plasma templates dropping on someone’s head. If you have the points, it’s worth it.

Demolisher is a wonderful close-range beast that will attract a lot of attention. It is one of the ultimate “deal with me or die” units. Lascannon on the hull is a requirement as its purpose is to kill the enemy vehicles that jump out in the front and any infantry that doesn’t appreciate the power of the pie plate. Sponson multi-meltas are a nice touch, but that makes for a very expensive target.

The main issues with this list are not enough troops and the tanks are geared for too many purposes to be effective.

So, here is what I would suggest while trying to keep as much of this that you currently have:

Company Command Squad w/ 4 snipers (70)

Vet Squad w/ meltagun (80)

Vet Squad (70)

Vet Squad (70)

Infantry Platoon

----Platoon Command Squad (30)

----Infantry Squad (50)

----Infantry Squad (50)

----Heavy Weapon Squad w/Missile Launchers (90)

----Heavy Weapon Squad w/Missile Launchers (90)

Valkyrie (100)

Valkyrie (100)

Valkyrie (100)

Tank Squadron

----Leman Russ Punisher w/ sponson HB (190)

----Leman Russ Punisher w/ sponson HB (190)

Leman Russ Demolisher w/sponson MM and hull Lascannon and Dozer (220)

Leman Russ Demolisher w/sponson MM and hull Lascannon and Dozer (220)

Here’s the idea…

The three vet squads go into the valks and are held in reserve. What you want to do is hope they come in as late as possible. When they come in, keep moving them 18” to gain the 4+ cover save. At the last moment, take and contest the objectives.

The infantry platoon sits in the back behind the tanks. Their job is to claim the back objectives. If you are fighting an army that has a bunch of deep striking units, spread them out to the max to try to cause the deep strike mishaps.

The missile launcher squads are spread out (and hopefully elevated) with the company command squad in between them. Make sure you spread them out and into cover to a) ensure they both have good fields of fire and b) to prevent them all from being taken out in a single blast.

The company commander keeps issuing Bring it Down commands, one to each missile launcher squad. There is nothing more effective than 6 twin-linked missile launchers when it comes to taking out vehicles. The snipers are just for fun. MAKE SURE YOU ISSUE YOUR ORDERS AT THE RIGHT TIME. You need to issue them before shooting anything else. So the missile launchers will be shooting at the beginning of the shooting phase.

The Punishers sit front and center. You will have 58 S5 shots into a single squad if you don’t move and shoot everything. That should beat the averages for the terminator squads and be a real crowd pleaser against hordes.

The Demolishers are separate units (not in a squad). You need to get them forward and kill any AV14 you have. ALWAYS fire the S10 cannon and one other weapon. Get within 12” and you’re in optimal melta range, outside of 12” shoot the lascannon with the cannon. You need the dozers on these puppies so you don’t need to worry about terrain. Nothing sucks more than a short range cannon that gets stuck in the mud.

This gives you 130 points to add extras to your squads (maybe even add another infantry squad or two). You need to really consider bringing Marbo (65 points). You will not find another unit in the entire game that makes up twice (or more) of their value as consistently as Marbo. Just remember, when he comes in, put him somewhere to throw his demo charge on a unit that is NOT in cover, otherwise you just wasted it. Yes, he will die EVERY GAME, but he is worth it.

I purposely changed the Vendettas to Valks to save points. Remember, the purpose of the valks is to keep moving really fast and take objectives on the last turn. Moving around at 18” means you ain’t shooting much, so give the guns to someone else. You may want to add more melta to the vet squads – they can hold 3 each and have an awesome BS4. Popping a 3 melta vet squad out of a valk that just ran 12” up behind a tank is means your opponent has a dead tank.

So, there it is. That’s how I would build and play this type of list. It may mean building more infantry models, but you’ll need it in order to ensure you have enough scoring units.

Good luck!

eBay : The Miracle Worker

I go through spurts of selling stuff on eBay, usually for someone else. eBay attracts some of the more interesting specimens of humanity who ingeniously believe that their excuses are unique and plausible.

Recently, a gentleman explained that he lost his credit card and it would "take (another) week to get a new one". This excuse was unique in my experience. It was unique because most people are not that stupid to admit they purchased something without a method to pay for it (it will take "another" week?). Also, as anyone who has gotten a card lost or stolen, the card company has a new one in your hands within 48 hours. Doesn't matter where in the world you are, Mr. Visa will find you to ensure you have a valid card that can be used.

But let's take a step further back and consider this. You walk into the grocery store, get something and go to the register. After the cashier rings the item up, you tell them you lost your credit card or your computer is down or your email has been down or grandma just died. What is the cashier going to do? That's right - he's going to put the item back on the shelf so the next customer - who has their money - can pay for it.

If I gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and believe why they didn't pay for the item they just won on eBay, then I would have to believe that I am truly a menace to society. It appears that people who bid on my items are at a high risk of having a family member die, their computer crashing, their email crashing, or, apparently, their credit card being stolen. I cannot explain to everyone how sorry I am about this. It appears that there is something about the items I put on eBay that will cause these events to occur.

I should put a warning label in the description of every item I put up on eBay. WARNING: BIDDING ON THIS ITEM WILL CAUSE YOUR COMPUTER TO CRASH, YOUR EMAIL TO STOP WORKING FOR A WEEK, AND POSSIBLY EVEN KILL A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY.

But, there is a bright side to all of this. eBay is truly a phenomenal site. They have this function called "Open Unpaid Item Case" that performs nothing less than miracles. By clicking on that button, I am able to unleash a torrid of loving kindness upon those who have been harmed by bidding on my items.

Once I press the "Open Unpaid Item Case" button, computers are brought back from the brink of destruction, their hardware and operating systems working like new. Email systems, which were formally unusable, clogged, or simply down, are brought back and are more efficient that ever.

This button will find credit cards that were formally lost or will get the credit card companies to send you a new one that arrives within minutes.

I would even venture to say that this button actually raises people from the dead.

So, for those who bid on my items, please do not fear anything. Whatever woe may befall upon you, undoubtedly caused by you simply winning one of my eBay auctions, all will be put right once I press that magical "Open Unpaid Item Case" button.

The Flight Attendant

Here is my cheap attempt at an Officer of the Fleet. I just threw some parts together and made him look like a flight attendant.

The sergeant's head on the tank officer's body is HUGE! So I have him holding the auspex thing in front of his face so you can't see how big his head is.

However, he does look like a very angry flight attendant, so don't be surprised if he yells at everyone, grabs a beer, pulls the chute, and jumps out of the back of the lander.

Being a God

Some people play this game to win. That desire to win sometimes forces them to make decisions that a normally moral and just individual may not make. Sometimes that desire to win is rooted in their effort to prove themselves as a man.

Ironic that they need to play with toys to prove themselves as a man.

Some people play this game to hang out with others and just have fun. Manly men have poker night, we have Warhammer 40k.

Now let me tell you why I play the game. Let me attempt to explain my pathetic life and why I spend so much time painting little plastic men and tanks, why I waste so much of my meager resources and time on this hobby.

I am explaining this because I believe there are others out there like me that just haven’t discovered a way to articulate why they play this game.

I play this game because it makes me a God. Oh, surely not THE GOD, but a God. A somewhat impotent God, but a God nonetheless.

In gaming terms, I am omnipresent (I can reach across the board), omnipotent (I can do whatever I want), eternal (in terms of the game – I live longer than my the dudes in my army), and somewhat omniscient  (I see the entire board).

The only thing I am lacking is knowing the future, which even that I know from time to time. For example, I have been able to see many times that my army was going to get their rear-ends completely stomped.

God influences people through their thoughts and allows them to make their own decision. Oh, sure, he’s been known to directly influence things like the weather and make one decision more appealing than another, but he allows us to make their own decisions.

That’s how I play my army. Sure, I try to influence them to do things, try to convince them to do things, but in reality they make their own choices. For example, when I tell that last remaining Sergeant to have faith and stand his ground against 30 Bezerkers, it’s up to him to listen to me.

Most of the time he doesn’t.

Sometimes I’m a mean God. I’ll promise a Commissar that he will survive if he charges into that Blood Angels HQ squad. A Commissar has a lot of faith and almost always listens to me. At least he can say he died for his faith.

A Commissar meeting his fate....

Sometimes I am a gracious God and allow a squad to voluntarily go to ground instead of dying.

Sometimes I am a miraculous God and, in spite my army working against me because they don’t understand my overall strategy, I lead them to victory.

Most of the time, however, I’m just a mean God. I may occasionally dole out a salvation here and there, but I find that providing punishment is easier than salvation.

So yes, I have a God complex.

Why go through this rambling description of my delusions? Because there are those out there that cannot possibly fathom a person playing this, or any game, without the priority being to win. I find that the younger a person is, the harder it is for them to understand this.

I have an eight year old son that I love playing video games with. There are times I beat him and times when he beats me. When he beats me, I am happy for him. It wasn’t the victory I was after, it was the time spent with him.

I could care less who wins the game when I am unpacking my army, I’m after the time spent seeing if my army is going to obey or disobey their God.

The question you need to ask yourself during your next game is are you in the presence of Gods or are you just a man trying to prove yourself with toys? 

The Alternative Tournament Part IV - The Hobby Tournament

For the final part of this series I will describe the scenarios for the Alternative Tournament or the Hobby Tournament. This is the rules that would be distributed to every player prior to the day of the tournament.

The rules are a variation of the Road to Glory Campaign found in the Fifth Edition rulebook and this is only an example. You will see that there are unlimited possible variations to these rules.

Click here to read The Alternative Tournament Part I - The Problems With Tournaments

Click here to read The Alternative Tournament Part II - What isn't Required?

Click here to read The Alternative Tournament Part III - What It Looks Like

The Crucible of Despair

Playing in the Tournament

Playing this tournament is straightforward. There will be five battles of various types and sizes. Think of each battle as a snap-shot of a far larger ongoing war.

Battle 1 kicks off the action, but its implications won't be revealed until the last round of the tournament, when the victorious forces return on the eve of the final battle. In Battle 2, the main forces arrive in an all-out planet strike against an entrenched enemy. The winner of Battle 2 will attempt to consolidate his position in Battle 3, which the defender will launch a hurried counter-attack. The war will then escalate in Battle 4 and ultimately lead to an assault upon the enemy headquarters in Battle 5.

You will need the following items to participate in this tournament:

1 - The following army lists

- Kill Team, per the Battle Missions Kill Team rules

- Two 2,000 point Planet Strike lists (one as the attacker, one as the defender) with five stratagem points selected

- A 2,000 point Seize Ground list

- A 2,000 point Cities of Death list with three stratagems selected

- A 2,250 point Gladiator list that allows for any Apocalypse Data Sheet or Formation to be used as a Heavy Support selection

2 - All of your models to be fully painted with at least three colors and based

3 - All of your models to be completely WYSIWIG

4 - All rulebooks and Data Sheets you will be using

5 - All the templates, dice, measuring devices, etc., that are required to play each game

The Teams

After player is physically present at the beginning of the campaign, the player pool will be divided into two teams. Every effort will be made to group the like armies together, but some players may be asked to switch to another team to balance it out.

Once the teams are established, a player from one team will only play against players from the opposite team.

The Battles

Each battle presents all the information you need to play, addressing the following points:

1. Battle Briefing

A summary of the game, along with any significance the battle has in the ongoing tournament.

2. Playing the Battle

Which ruleset and mission is to be played, and which deployment is to be used. In addition, as each battle takes place in an ongoing war, the winner of the previous game may have an advantage, as described in this section.

3. Terrain

The terrain over which each battle is fought is described here. This is intended as guidance only.

The Winner

The tournament ends in climactic fashion with Battle 5. The winning team of that game is the winner of the entire tournament, having crushed his foe utterly.

Battle 1: The Spoils of War

Battle Briefing

This battle forms a "prologue" to the tournament, taking place before the main offensive gets underway. Both sides have dispatched a force to recover the supplies lost by an ill-fated re-supply mission. Crucially, neither knows for sure what is in the supply container. It won't be until the container has been delivered to high command, just before the last battle, that their contents will be revealed.

Playing the Battle

Battle 1 is a Kill Team battle. Details of the battle can be found in the Battle Missions book, page 90. The Specialist Troopers rule will also be in effect, so three different models will benefit from a Universal Special Rule. These models should be noted in the army list.

Objective

To ensure your opponent is either destroyed or flees the battlefield. Refer to the Game Length and Victory Conditions section of the Kill Team rules for details.

Terrain

The battle will be played on a 4'x4' table with more than an average amount of terrain and will be placed however both players see fit. City ruins would be best for this battle.

Gaining the Advantage

The winning team of this battle, as determined by the overall number of wins, will decide whether or not they will be the attacker or the defender in the next round. A simple majority vote of all team members will suffice. Whatever the team decides, every member of the team will be. So if the team decides to be the attacker, then every team player will play the role of attacker in the next round.

If there are an equal number of wins, losses, and tied for both teams, then the teams will designate one person to roll off to determine who the winner of the round was. If this occurs, the winning team will decide whether or not they will be the attacker or the defender in the next round, but the advantage provided to this team for winning this battle in round 5 will not be granted.

Battle 2: Planet Strike

Battle Briefing

This battle represents the full start of the tournament with both forces fully engaged. One army has dug in and fortified their position while the other army has decided to push an all-out offensive against the position. The victor will gain an advantage in the tournament.

Playing the Battle

Battle 2 is a 2,000 point five objective Planetfall Mission as described in the PlanetStrike rulebook. The role of attacker and defender are designated by the results of the first battle.

Objective

To ensure the attacker is repelled or the defender is crushed. The victory conditions are described on page 14 of the PlanetStrike rulebook. There will be five objectives for this battle.

Terrain

The terrain should consist of bastions, strongholds, defense perimeters, etc., as described in the PlanetStrike rulebook.

Gaining the Advantage

The team that wins Battle 2 has gained a strategic advantage, and is referred to for the rest of the tournament as the attacker. The other team is referred to as the defender. Either the attacker for Battle 2 has won and pushes the attack into other enemy controlled areas or the attacker has lost and his forces, which have landed on the planet, are now in a defensive posture.

The attacking team may choose who goes first in the next battle. This is an individual player decision for each member of the attacking team.

Battle 3: Breakthrough

Battle Briefing

Battle 3 represents the winner of Battle 2, having broken the enemy, is now looking to consolidate their gains by taking defensive positions from which to make subsequent attacks. The other army will not be sitting around idly. of course, and will be launching an all-out counter-attack to prevent the positions falling to the enemy for good.

Playing the Battle

This battle is fought as a 2,000 point Seize Ground standard mission using the Pitched Battle deployment with the following exceptions: the defender must deploy his entire army first and then the attacker may decided who gets the first turn.

Objective

The objectives are key positions both sides have been ordered to secure. Instead of placing counters each player must nominate terrain features such as buildings, barricades, hills, or anything else you have available, as the objectives that are to be fought over.

If an objective is a piece of area terrain or a building, then half of the scoring unit must be in the terrain piece to count as scoring. In order for a unit to contest the area terrain objective, at least half of the unit must also be in the terrain piece.

If an objective is not a piece of area terrain (such as a barricade or supply box), then a scoring unit must be within 3" of the model to claim it and any enemy model within 3" contests it.

Ensure you discuss each objective and how it can be claimed and contested prior to the beginning of the battle.

Terrain

The battlefield should be set up to represent one side's front line. This means it could feature intact buildings, roads, communications trenches, bunkers and ammo dumps as well as craters and barricades. The more small pieces of terrain, the better.

Gaining the Advantage

The winning team of the third battle may choose one extra stratagem for Battle 4. This is an individual player decision. Every member of the winning team may choose whichever stratagem they desire.

Battle 4: Beginning of the End

Battle Briefing

The attacker has now gained a solid enough advantage that he can launch a major thrust towards his enemy's center of power. The defender has marshaled his forces to hold back the invaders and block the advance.

Playing the Battle

Battle 4 is a 2,000 point Domination mission from the Cities of Death rulebook, page 43. The team which lost battle 3 can choose three stratagems and the team which won battle 3 can choose 4. Stratagems can only be taken once per army. Only Cityfighting Stratagems, Dusk & Dawn, and Random Game Length scenario rules are allowed. Deep Strike, Reserves, Infiltrate, etc., are not allowed unless the unit specifically states that these rules are used regardless of mission or the stratagem that allows these rules is taken.

Objective

Every building and ruin is an objective. The player who controls the most buildings or ruins wins the battle. "Controlling" a building or ruin means the unit is at least 50% in the footprint of the building. See page 9 of the Cities of Death rulebook for further explanation.

Only troop choices are considered scoring units. Any unit can contest an objective if at least 50% of the unit is within the footprint of the building or ruin.

Terrain

The buildings and ruins will be set up per the "Placing Terrain" section on page 15 of the Cities of Death rulebook.

Mission Special Rule - Minefields

In an attempt to slow down the attacker, the ground before the defender's position is strewn with deadly mines. The attacker's advance will be reduced to a painfully slow crawl under the guns of the enemy, unless he can negotiate the lethal minefields.

- The defender may play D3+3 minefields anywhere outside of the attacker's deployment zone.

- For each minefield, place a small marker. The mines extend 3" from the marker in all directions.

- Minefields count as difficult and dangerous terrain, and any units that suffer casualties from them must test for pinning.

Gaining the Advantage

The winning team of the fourth battle may choose the deployment type in the next game. He may also choose whether or not the Night Fighting special rule is in effect during the first turn, representing him dictating when the attack will begin. This is an individual player's decision for every member of the winning team.

Battle 5: The Crucible

Battle Briefing

The last battle takes place at the heart of the defender's territory, the attacker having broken through every defense put in place. Both sides are fielding their very finest warriors, throwing every last resource into the final conflict. Both leaders have taken to the field in person, leading from the very front or supervising the final defense first hand. The winning team of this battle will be crowned savior, or conqueror. They will hold the honor of having repulsed a mighty invasion and saved the entire planet, or of breaking the enemy's hold on it once and for all.

Playing the Battle

Battle 5 is a 2,250 point Gladiator Annihilation battle. Each army must follow the standard Force Organization Chart with one difference: a single Apocalypse Datasheet model or formation or a Spearhead formation may be taken. This model/formation takes one of the Heavy choices allowed in the standard FOC.

The winning team of the fourth battle chooses deployment type and whether or not the Night Fighting rule is in effect during the first turn.

The defender decides his deployment zone, but who deploys first and first turn is decided by rolling off.

Objective

To wipe out your opponent. Refer to the victory point rules on page 300 of the big rulebook or page 108 of the small rulebook to determine the winner.

Terrain

The defender sets up the terrain in Battle 5. The character of the terrain can be varied depending on the army, but it should be dense and very, very war-torn. Whatever you choose to use, keep in mind that the defender is manning his last bastion, headquarters or most sacred site.

The Final Twist

Even as the two armies close for the final confrontation, a ragged patrol, long assumed lost, staggers in to the headquarters. It is the warriors sent to retrieve the supplies in the wastes at the beginning of the offensive. Within the canisters was intelligence vital to defeating the enemy - so vital, that the patrol has fought long and hard to bring it to high command. The intelligence reveals the secrets to beating the enemy, describing in detail his weak points and deficiencies.

Players of the team that won Battle 1 may nominate a number of units equal to the number of games he has won in the tournament so far. These units gain the Preferred Enemy and Tank Hunters universal special rules, as they know the weaknesses of their foe.

Mission Special Rule - Preliminary Bombardment

The attacker's final offensive is preceded by a thunderous artillery barrage, designed to soften up enemy forces before the assault.

- After both armies have deployed but before the first turn, the attacker rolls a D6 for every enemy unit and terrain piece (excluding buildings and ruins as detailed below) on the tabletop. On a roll of 6, the unit or terrain piece is hit.

- A squad takes D6 Str5 AP4 hits that cause pinning. Cover saves are allowed if the majority of the unit is within area terrain or behind barricades. Vehicles struck do not take damage, but will suffer a Stunned Drive result instead.

- Vehicles in a squadron are rolled individually.

- Units that start the game in reserve will not be hit by Preliminary Bombardment.

- How terrain is effected is not so straightforward. Small terrain pieces, such as sections of razorwire, tank traps, or barricades are removed automatically if hit - replace with a crater. Area terrain is more a judgment call - players could agree that small wood will be removed and replaced with a crater while marshy ground would be unaffected.

- Buildings and ruins are not affected by the Preliminary Bombardment, nor are any units within.

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This is only an example. It could very well be Kill Team, Combat Patrol, and a couple of 1,000 points games in a single day event.

Here are the key points, though:

1 - The determination for who won each battle cannot include any external scoring mechanisms. This includes determining the winner using victory points (unless it is an annihilation mission). The reason for this is because killing more of your enemy in an objective based game should not declare you as the winner.

2 - Don't under-estimate what a hobby player would do to play like this. They would be more than happy to bring a bunch of models and terrain. How often to you get to show off your terrain at an event?

3 - Every battle must be extremely different. I'm not talking about randomly selecting different missions from Battle Missions, I'm talking about scenarios that push a person to use their army in ways they haven't imagined. Using different rulebooks (Cities of Death, Planet Strike, Spearhead, etc) provides the types of differences I am talking about, but those are just the beginning. Go back to the roots of this hobby. White Dwarf use to (20 years ago) publish different scenarios like this.

This is very different from a traditional tournament. And you should not worry about "unbalanced" too much unless you are creating your own scenarios. The different rulebooks have mission types that have been play-tested and are about as balanced as you can get (given the situation you are throwing two armies into).

There are also many different ways you can handle a tie. You can keep it as a tie and declare that neither player gains an advantage in the next battle.

And, if anyone is ever brave enough to throw a tournament like this, be prepared for the verbal beating. The competitive-only players will have a lot to say about it. They will say "I am a non-competitive hobby player, but...", then they will pick out all of the differences between this and a tradition competitive tournament. That shows a complete lack of understanding of what I am saying.

For example, a competitive player will have a huge problem if they win every battle, but their side loses the tournament. THAT WILL HAPPEN, and that's the point of it. Conversely, someone will lose every battle and their side will win. That's what is so cool about it.

So, if you find a way to come up with an overall "best player" that includes the w/l/t record, painting compositions, etc., then is it very possible for someone on the losing side to be the overall winner.

Just DO NOT add any other scoring mechanism to the individual battles. That will throw everything out of whack and will just make the entire show a funky competitive tournament.

The Alternative Tournament Part III - What It Looks Like

In Part I of this series I discussed the inherent "problems" with the traditional tournament. In Part II I described what shouldn't be part of the alternative tournament.

Today I'll discuss the nitty, gritty details of what the alternative tournament should look like and how it should be organized.

For this example, we will use a five game, two day tournament. We're not going to use battle points, the same list, and they won't all be standard missions (or standard missions with twists).

The first thing to remember is the type of player this tournament is meant for: the hobbyist. Pure competitive players probably will not enjoy this format, but I think that inside every pure-competitive player is a hobbyist who is trying to get out.

You need to think of the tournament as a highly organized club day. Don't think of it as a tournament where there will be a single player standing on a pedestal.

Each of the five games will be completely different scenarios. By completely different, I don't mean different missions, but completely different game types. For this example, the games will consist of Kill Team, Planet Strike, Seize Ground, Cities of Death, and Gladiator. This means that each player will either need access to each of these rulesets or you will need to publish the applicable rules in the tournament package.

This also means you will need to distribute the tournament package to everyone before the tournament. This is something that is not done in the current tournament scene, but it is required for the alternative tournament.

Every player will need five different lists to play in this setting. Actually, they will need six because they will not know if they are playing attacker or defender in the Planet Strike game.

A huge portion of a tournament is preparation. For the hobbyist, this is sometimes more fun than actually playing the game. Understanding the battle, planning tactics, building and painting the forces you will use are a huge thrill that is taken away from the traditional tournament scene.

Building an army for a specific battle and then practicing that battle against different forces is as close to being a general as you will ever get. Infantry units will practice an assault over and over and over again before the assault takes place. THAT is what the hobby-player is looking for. That anticipation, the thrill of expectancy, the understanding that all battle plans go to hell once the first shot is fired.

It is as important as the actual game, and it is completely ignored by tournament organizers.

You can, and should, restrict the rules as they are in traditional tournaments, such as which codices and datasheets (for the Gladiator game) can be used. But the rules should not be overly strict.

The real restriction should be painting and WYSIWYG requirements. This won't be an issue with most hobby-players, however.

The games should be written in such a way that one builds on the other and provides advantages or disadvantages for the next game. It is like a small campaign. This is important to link the entire event together.

Before the tournament, after everyone who is playing is actually there, the entire player pool needs to be split into two teams. The best method to do this is by using the Forces of Order and the Forces of Disorder method.

The Forces of Order team consists of Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Inquisition, Eldar, and Tau. The armies that make up the Forces of Disorder are Chaos and Renegade Space Marines, Chaos Daemons, Traitor Guard, Necrons, Dark Eldar, Tyranids and Orks.

More than likely you will have an imbalance of armies and accommodations will need to be made. Eldar can always be thrown into the Forces of Disorder because they will fight in battles to help and hurt the Imperium. This probably won't be enough, though, and you will need to ask for volunteers to switch sides. It can be said that an army was misidentified in the fog of battle or perhaps that army was possessed or manipulated into fighting for the wrong side.

Another method is to simply randomly assign players to one side or the other.

After you have the two sides, you will need to arrange the games so nobody ever plays against another player on the same side or against someone they played against before.

The games themselves should allow enough time for the entire game to be played. For Kill Team, this should be no more than an hour. For the Planet Strike, Seize Ground, and Citied of Death games, this should be three hours (assuming a 2,000 point game). For the Gladiator game it shouldn't take more than two and a half hours.

Battle points and victory points are not to be used until the last Gladiator game, which is an Annihilation-type game. This is to keep everyone focused on the mission, not simply killing. Each game will be a simple win, loss, or tie.

Let me repeat that: battle points and victory points will not be used. It is important to let every battle stand on its own merits. They don't have to be overly complicated battles with primary, secondary and tertiary objectives. You don't need to design them in such a way to keep a score.

And definitely do not add other elements such as painting, sportsmanship, or army composition into the determination of who the winner is for each battle.

Each battle will be a simple win, loss, or tie.

After each game, the records for each team will be calculated. This is simply be which team won more games. If it is an absolute tie with both teams having the same number of wins, then the tournament organizer should roll off to determine the winner of the round for the purpose of the overall tournament.

Each round offers something to the overall tournament. In our example, winning the first game provides an advantage in the last game. Every army in the side that wins the first round will gain that advantage in the last round.

The winning team of the second round is defined as the "attacker" for the remaining rounds. This means that every player on the team who won the second round is now defined as the "attacker".

At the end of the tournament, an entire team (half of the players) will be declared the "winners". You can further refine this for prize support and give awards to the players that actually won the most individual games, but you have to also remember that prizes for the hobby-player are not the incentive for playing. They are nice, but the winners don't need a $100 prize. The goal is to make the experience of the tournament more enjoyable than any prize they may win.

Organizing this type of tournament will take a bit more time and planning, but the implementation will actually be easier than a traditional tournament. Also, you won't need any judges. This is an important aspect. If two players cannot work out differences in the game, they shouldn't be playing in this type of game. That means there will be more rules look-ups, but that is why there is more time provided for the games.

As anyone who has been associated with organizing a tournament knows, having enough terrain is an issue. This is especially true because a Cities of Death game is being played. To overcome that, simply require that players bring a set amount of completely built and painted terrain. In our example, you will need many ruins for Cities of Death. Require each player to bring three buildings and/or ruins. That, combined with the tournament organizer's terrain, should be enough.

The entire tournament is designed so each player is working towards an overall goal and while the individual player is important, a single WAAC (win at all costs) player will not throw the tournament off.

It is also a good idea to have a painting competition that is separate from the games. A competition where other players vote on the best army, model, and/or different categories of models is the best method in this setting.

It is important, however, that there is no additional judgments to the games themselves. No battle points, sportsmanship scores, painting scores, composition scores, or anything else should be associate with the battles. Let the battles be solely about the battles with the result being a win, loss, or a tie. Period.

The fees for the tournament should cover the room, lunch (if desired) and minimal prize support. The hobby-player would actually pay more to play in a setting such as this, especially if there is a bar available and pretzels at each table. The entire event is a social gather and should be treated as such.

That is what the alternative tournament looks like. Tomorrow (the last part, I promise) will describe, in detail, each game. It is basically the overall tournament package that each player would get prior to the tournament.

The Alternative Tournament Part II - What isn't Required?

Yesterday I discussed the differences between "competitive", tournament players and non-competitive, hobby-style players. To put this article in proper context, please read Part I.

The typical tournament has the goal of finding the best player. Most tournaments separate this out into a couple of different categories, such as Overall Best Player, Best General, Codex Dominations, etc.

When you have vendors providing prize support and lots of goodies, you need a way to determine who gets the most loot.

This is done through the use of battle points. There is no other way to do this. You can't possibly have an elimination event with 30 or more players - it would take too many games.

So battle points are used. There are many elements that make up the battle points, such as who won and lost, specific objectives, secondary objectives, HQ killed, other FOC units killed, victory points, etc. Then, "soft scores" are added to this to entice the "hobby" players.

But when you come down to it, you are simply playing five games with the same list. Someone will come out on top and be declared the best.

There are two fundamental problems with the system from the perspective of the "hobby" player:

1 - There is no story. Sure, the tournament will try to link the battles together in some sort of narrative, but that is a transparent gimmick. Hobby players are asking "what does this do to advance the story of my army?"

2 - The hobby player does not consider someone who can play the same list over and over again and win to be the "Best General". Yes, you may know your list very well, but that doesn't mean you know your army. You know how to make a list that beats many other lists and you know how to use that list. But it doesn't make you the "best".

The tournament scene is what it is and it needs to stay that way. It attracts many players and has a great role in the hobby as a whole. I am not suggesting changing it in any way.

What I am suggesting is to add something else. But what is that?

First, let's look at what it isn't.

The first fundamental flaw with the tournament scene is the need to determine an overall "winner". That is the force that drives the entire tournament. Who is the "best" player?

A hobby player recognizes that there is always someone out there who will beat them. They don't aspire to be the "best" and don't really care if they lose an individual battle.

Again, if you don't understand that concept (apathy towards losing), then consider The Empire Strikes Back. This is perhaps the best Star Wars films made. But what happened? Luke got his hand chopped off and was psychologically brutalized by his father, Han was frozen and kidnapped, heck - even C3-PO got messed up in that movie. The entire film was a tragedy from beginning to end. The good guys LOST!

Yet, it was a great movie. Why? Because the good guy doesn't have to win for the movie to be enjoyable. It's the story, not the results, that count.

So, if we don't care about who the "best" player is, then why are we keeping score about every aspect of each game?

The second fundamental flaw is that it is one-dimensional. Five battles, all basically variations of the three battle types and three deployment types. Sure, sometimes there is a whacky mission thrown in there or some element that you don't normally see in a game (blizzards, avalanches, etc.). Usually when you see these other elements added, though, you will see a majority of the tournament players complain about that "one screwed up scenario" they lost.

Does anyone remember the many and loud complaints about the mission in a tournament earlier this year that had no terrain on the board? Players actually stated they would never attend that tournament again.

The third fundamental flaw is that the same list is played over and over and over again. There can be no variation. You have a huge advantage if you know how to create a good list. But you will start to see standard "lists" based on different codices. Players will bring the "best" (as defined by the internet) units and you will start to understand the term "metagame".

How often have you heard complaints about playing another "mech guard" army or the Lash list or the Nob Biker list?

Hobby players hate redundant games. It's like watching the same movie over and over again.

With that said, the alternative to tournaments cannot have the following elements:

1 - Scoring of every aspect of the individual battles. Each game results in a win or a loss.

2 - Consist of multiple battles that are fundamentally the same. There needs to be a huge degree of differences between each game.

3 - Force the players to play the same list for every battle.

So, what the heck is the alternative tournament if it isn't those things?

Tomorrow I will describe the alternative.