Aaron's GT concepts

[hyv3mynd]

So I was daydreaming more than usual today at work and here are some mission concepts I dreamed up. They could work out well, they may be terrible. Feel free to playtest them if you get a chance before me and LMK how they play out.

"Mission Improbable"

General Fluff - Your forces are at risk of giving up vital information. You are tasked with destroying data and artefacts before the enemy can get their hands on it. As fate would have it, enemy curriers are passing within reach with some vital information of their own. Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is destroy your intel with an explosive and capture your enemy's before they can destroy their own.

Deployment: Pitched Battle
Game Length: Random (rolled for starting at the end of t5)

Roll off to decide which player will take the first turn and choose deployment zones. Before any units are deployed, each player must place one objective in their own deployment zone no closer than 6" to a table edge.

Each player may choose one of their own troop choices (no monstrous creatures or walkers) that will be allowed to deep strike or outflank for this mission only, even if they do not have the special rule. Call this unit "Strike Force" for scoring purposes. Troop choices with a dedicated transport may outflank in their transport or deep strike without their transport.

Deploy forces normally, however each player must deploy one infantry or jump infantry unit with at least one model in base contact with their own objective. This unit begins the game "gone to ground" and may not do anything during turn 1 except stand up. They are considered to be placing explosives on the objective. Call this unit "Demo Force". Chaos demons deep strike as normal, but must place at least one model of an infantry unit in base contact with the objective as if they are deep striking without a scatter.

The Objectives : The objectives in this mission are rigged to explode by their owners to prevent aquisition by the enemy. To capture your opponent's objective, you need to move a single unengaged infantry or jump infantry model into base contact with the objective before it explodes. If you accomplish this, remove the objective immediately.

The Explosives : After both players have completed their 4th turn, roll a dice. On a 5+, any objectives still on the table explode, 4+ at the end of turn 5, and automatically at the end of turn 6 if they have not yet been touched by an enemy model. Place the large blast template with the center over the objective. Any models touched by the template take a str10 ap1 hit following the same rules as an ordinance barrage. If the game ends due to time limit restrictions, remaining objectives explode after the last player turn and wounds inflicted before the game score is totalled.

Scoring:
Primary - Win (20) You captured your opponent's objective and detonated your own. Draw (10) both objectives are captured or detonated. Loss (0) Your opponent captured your objective.

Secondary - Win (15) You have more scoring units in your opponent's deployment zone than they have in yours. Draw (7) Each player has an equal amount of scoring units in the opposing deployment zone. Loss (0) Your opponent has more scoring units in your deployment zone than you have in theirs.

Tertiary - Win (10) Victory point difference of more than 600 in your favor. Draw (5) Victory point score within 600 of each other. Loss (1) Your opponent earned at least 600 more victory points than you.

+1 You captured your opponent's objective with a "Strike Force" model
+1 If you have 3 or more scoring units in your enemy's deployment zone at the end of the game
+1 You killed your opponent's most expensive HQ unit
+1 You killed your opponents "Strike Force"
+1 You killed your opponent's "Demo Force"

[hyv3mynd]

"Shock and Awe"

General Fluff - Your force has built a reputation based on its battle tactics that strikes fear in the enemy. Annihilate the enemy and do what you do best!

Deployment: Spearhead
Game Length : Random ala BRB

Choose "Shock" - shooting, or "Awe" close combat for your army. Each unit killed via your chosen method is worth 2 kill points. Each unit killed via your unchosen method is worth 1 kill point. If you lose a unit via the method you chose, subtract 3 kill points from your ending total. (Example - You choose Shock/shooting for your army. An enemy unit destroys one of your units with a shooting attack and you will lose 3 points. It is possible to end the game with a negative score). It's important to not let your enemy out perform you in a shock and awe campaign! Units broken via shooting attacks or losing close combat count as the 2 kill points if they run off the board or are broken when the game ends. Units destroyed or broken by tank shocks, ramming, and death rolla's count towards "Awe" results. Units that are destroyed by Fearless combat resolution wounds count as casualties via "Awe". Units destroyed by damage from a "vehicle explodes" blast count as "Shock" casualties.

Scoring:
Primary - Win (20) 8 kill points or more than your opponent (If you table your opponent, you win regardless of killpoints). Draw (10) Within 7 kill points of each other. Loss (0) 8 kill points less than your opponent.

Secondary - Win (15) 600 or more victory points than your opponent. Draw (7) within 599 vistory points of each other. Loss (0) 600 victory points less than your opponent.

Tertiary - Win (10) You tabled your opponent. Draw (5) Neither player was tabled. Loss (0) you got tabled!

+1 Your opponent had no surviving HQ units
+1 Your opponent had no surviving Elite units
+1 Your opponent had no surviving Troop units
+1 Your opponent had no surviving Fast Attack units
+1 Your opponent had no surviving Heavy Support units

[Timbo]

These both sound really fun. I'll see if I can get my friends to try them out next time we play.

[chumbalaya]

First is an interesting variation on C&C, I think it bears testing.

Second I'm not a fan of. It really doesn't favor a balanced army, more promoting one dimensional builds.

[hyv3mynd]

I'm inclined to disagree based on the scoring mechanics allthough I haven't playtested it yet.

Say you build a super balanced marine list with 925 invested in shooting ans 925 invested in assault units. Your opponent brings an assault list. You choose the shooty option and deny him assault as much as you can, using your assault to pick off the units weakened by shooting. Remember if your opponent chooses assault and you kill one of his units in assault, he loses 3 points.

Like I said I haven't played it yet, but I think it'll actually favor balanced lists in the end.

[hyv3mynd]

So Tim and I playtested "Shock and Awe" tonight. Dark Eldar vs. Tyranids 1850pts.

I chose awe/cc as did Tim, which surprised me initially and we later decided this was a bad decision and the course of the battle would have been different.

With the current scoring as written, we finished with 16kps (tyranids) to -14kps (de) or thereabouts. It is a very lopsided score, but such is a successful "Shock and Awe" campaign.

Actual killpoints were 12 (tyranids) to 9 (de). Since almost all of my kills were cc and he lost 3kp every time he lost a unit in cc, we created a large score gap.

If Tim would have chosen shock/shooting, final score would have been around 16-14.

Fully scored out in tourney format tyranids would have earned 20 (win) + 7 (draw) + 5 (draw) + 2 tactical bonuses for 32 of a possible 48. Dark Eldar would have had 0 (loss) + 7 (draw) + 5 (draw) + 1 tactical for 13 total.

If Tim would have chosen shock/shooting, it would have been up and down draws for final scores of 23-22.

While we were playing, we kept track of the modified kp scores. I initially though I totally screwed the scoring system. However, after the fact I think it's still useable. There is a HEAVY emphasis of knowing your army's strengths as well as your enemy's.

I think the mission is useable, but the scoring for draws needs adjusting downwards and there are two typos in the tactical bonus section.

[Horst]

yea, against a nid army like yours, with little to no ranged units, I'd always pick ranged, even if I had a CC army, just to deny you the negative modifier. It seems like where you have a -3 or a +2 to your KP, avoiding the negative is more desirable than attaining the positive... which is why I'd probably swap the two, and give a +3 bonus to killpoints gained with your chosen method, and a -2 modifier to units lost to your chosen method.

Also, I'd advise a ruling that dedicated transports with AV totals under 33 for Front + Side + Rear shouldn't count as modified killpoints in this mission. It makes it way too easy for a shooty army to beat a run rings around a mechanized melee army, like DE or Blood Angels. All you'd have to do is pop 3 raiders / rhinos, with your ranged firepower, then sit back and run away the rest of the game, sacrificing units to hand to hand.

[Timbo]

Yeah, believe it or not I actually chose shooting to try to eliminate tons of negative KP. I figured all of my cardboard transports + a relatively large amount of Tyranid shooting would equal a massive negative score for me. Haha it turns out I was flat wrong. I definitely know that my army is more shooty now.

Edit: Horst has an interesting idea with flipping the positive and negative KPs. That way, a proactive choice is favored rather than a defensive one.

[hyv3mynd]

You guys are totally right. +3/-2 makes it a net 1kp if two similar armies face off also which is much more friendly.

I'll write a 3.0 version, Jay disreguard the one I sent last night.