Skirmish 40k

SKIRMISH-40K INTRODUCTION These core rules supply a way of playing skirmishes - combat with small numbers of individual models - in a way that is completely compatible with the main game (unlike the existing rules for ‘Inquisitor’ or ‘Necromunda’). The published 40K profiles for troop types and weapons are used without alteration and the basic systems for movement, shooting and assault are identical. A few simple procedures have been added to help create the feel of fighting with individual warriors rather than squads but players of 40K 4th edition will find themselves on very familiar ground.

TURN SEQUENCE • • •

Movement phase Shooting phase Assault phase

In their own turn, each player completes one phase with all their forces before moving onto the next.

MOVEMENT Movement can happen in all three phases of the turn depending on circumstances. Basic movement

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In open terrain, all models on foot move up to 6” in the Movement phase.

Obstacles and climbing

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Obstacles up to a model’s mid-height can be vaulted over. They count as open terrain and do not affect movement. Higher obstacles must be climbed, in which case their height is included in the calculation of movement distance. Obstacles up to twice a model’s height can always be climbed while higher structures must have agreed means and locations for climbing (ladders, steps, open girders, surfaces with handholds). A model must be able to complete a climb within the turn in order to start its ascent.

Difficult terrain

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Zones of the battlefield (e.g. sludge pools or debris fields) can be classified as difficult or even impassable terrain. If an intended move involves entering, crossing or starting within difficult terrain, roll 2D6 for each model and pick the highest roll for its maximum movement that

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turn. This also applies to charges made in the Assault phase which involve difficult terrain. Hiding

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If a model begins the Movement phase in cover from all enemies and does not move, then it can be declared hidden. The enemy may know where a hidden model is but the fighter is considered to be keeping his head down, presenting no target and may not be fired at. Place a marker to indicate hiding. A model is no longer hidden once it moves, fires or is spotted by any enemy which moves into a position which negates the cover.

Running

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To represent the tactical flexibility of individual fighters skirmishing in dense terrain, all foot troops may ‘run’. They may opt to give up their chance of shooting in the Shooting phase in order to gain an extra D6” of movement. The model does not have to take the extra movement, but rolling for ‘running’ removes the chance to shoot anyway. A model cannot run if it is pinned, falling back or within 6” of an enemy. (If a running move would take it to within 6”, it must stop at that distance.)

SHOOTING Shooting only happens in the Shooting phase Choosing a target

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By default, models must target their nearest visible enemy, even if that enemy is in cover, pinned or falling back. Players may try to get their troops to fire at a different target by taking a Ld test for the firing model. If passed, they may fire at any visible enemy within the range of the weapon they are using.

Firing your weapon The number and range of shots available varies with the weapon type. (The choices you make about shooting will also have an effect on what you can do in the Assault phase with each of your fighters).

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Hitting the target

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To hit, roll 1D6 against the firing model’s ‘to hit’ score. This score varies with the model’s Ballistic Skill and can easily be calculated by subtracting the BS from 7. (e.g. BS3 always needs a 4+ to hit).

Damaging the target

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Damage (a wound) is caused if you can successfully re-roll any dice which hit, against your target’s Toughness. The score you need varies with the Strength of the weapon used.

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Saving throws These are taken to represent factors which might just save the target from its fate: usually cover from terrain or protection from personal armour. Only one saving roll can be made per wound caused; the target chooses its best chance if more than one factor applies.

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Cover from terrain is almost always effective against any weapon, regardless of strength (flamers are an exception) but the level of protection varies with the sort of terrain involved. The table below gives the Save for common types of terrain.

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Personal armour also gives a measure of protection (the save roll required is given on the troop’s profile when equipped with particular types of armour) but some weapons can punch clean through it, negating its effect (the level of armour protection to be ignored is given on the weapon’s profile).

Casualties and instant death

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The number of wounds each character can take (usually 1) is given on their profile. When that many wounds have been suffered, the model is removed. Leader level characters may have 2 or more Wounds, enabling them to take damage and still carry on, but even they cannot realistically survive a damaging hit from the most powerful weapons. If a weapon’s strength is twice a target’s toughness, then a single damaging hit is enough to wipe out the target irrespective of its Wounds characteristic.

Pinning and falling back •

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A model that is hit by shooting and survives must immediately test to see if it is too shaken to continue. Take a Ld test for that model (2D6 to score less than or equal to its Ld characteristic). Failing the test has one of two consequences: if the model is already in cover then it is pinned and immediately hides; if in the open, then it is forced to make an immediate fall back move of 2D6” towards the nearest cover where it could hide, hiding as soon as it gets there if it makes the distance. (Use markers to record pinned and falling back models). At the start of your own turn, test again for any pinned or falling back models. Failing this recovery test means models must stay pinned or immediately fall back again this turn. Pinned models do not shoot their weapons (wishing to stay

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hidden) but falling back models may shoot, at the nearest enemy only, in the Shooting phase. Pinned and falling back models may not charge, but if attacked in hand to hand combat, they defend themselves normally and revert immediately to combat status.

ASSAULT Hand to hand fighting only happens in the Assault phase. All engaged models of either side fight.

Charging • •

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In the Assault phase of their own turn, models within 6” of an enemy may charge into close combat with them. Unless there are restrictions placed on you by being pinned, falling back or having fired in the Shooting phase, any model in range can be charged, but chargers may not pass within 2” of an unengaged enemy model. (Engaged enemy models can be ignored for these purposes). Nominate and move all charging models up to 6” into base to base contact with an enemy. In your own turn, you pick the order of individual combats to be fought and resolve them one by one. It is quite possible for models to be in contact with more than one opponent but each enemy is still fought as if in an individual duel.

Fighting hand to hand • • •

In each combat the participant with the highest Initiative hits first. Equal initiatives strike simultaneously. Charging a model in cover is disadvantageous to the attacker and in this situation the attacker strikes last on the turn that he charged, irrespective of Initiative. Some cumbersome weapons also convey this disadvantage. Fighters roll a number of D6 to try and score hits; potentially, one hit per D6 rolled. The Weapon Skill of the combatants determines the score required.

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The number of dice rolled is equal to the Attacks characteristic of the fighter. An extra D6 is rolled if the model is armed with an extra close combat weapon and yet another if it charged this turn. Models armed with swords may ‘parry’; that is, force their opponent to re-roll their single, highest scoring dice. If both opponents can parry, the abilities cancel each other out and no re-rolls are made. Dice that ‘hit’ are re-rolled for damage on the same chart as used for shooting. Attacks have the personal Strength of the attacker rather than of any weapons used and are referenced against the Toughness of the defender. Some weapons give a bonus to Strength. Generally, the defender gets his full armour Save in close combat, but power weapons (power swords, power fists) ignore all armour. Cover saves do not apply in hand to hand fighting. Casualties are removed as they occur.

Follow-up moves •

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If a model of either side has all enemies in base to base contact with it removed as casualties then, once all other combats have been resolved, it may make a follow-up move of D6”. This move may be used to engage further enemy models but does not count as a charge and the new combat is not fought until the next Assault phase. If the model is left disengaged because a close combat opponent has successfully fallen back, then the maximum follow-up move is 3”.

Voluntary falling back

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If a combat has been indecisive then the fighters normally stay engaged until the next Assault phase but, once all combats have been fought, models of either side may voluntarily try to fall back rather than face the next round. The fleeing model and all enemy models engaged with it roll 1D6 and add their Initiative value. If the fleeing model’s total is the highest of them all, then it disengages and makes an immediate fall back move (2D6”). If any enemy model equals or beats the total, then the fleeing model is cut down and

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removed as a casualty. A model that succeeds in fleeing must subsequently test for recovery like any other falling back character.

MORALE The typical way for a skirmish to end is for one side to ‘bottle out’, melt away and tend to its wounded. Good leadership can, however, hold the entire skirmishing force together in a crisis as well as inspiring individual fighters to give their best when at the leader’s side. •

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All skirmishing forces should have a leader; the model with the highest Leadership characteristic. When another model is required to take a Ld test and is within 6” of the leader, the leader’s higher Ld value may be used. (This does not apply if the leader model is pinned or falling back). If, at the start of a turn (but after any recovery tests have been made) a force has 50% or more of its number pinned, falling back or removed as casualties, then it must take a ‘bottle out’ test. This is taken against the highest leadership available at the time. The Ld of pinned or falling back models may not be used. Failing the test ends the skirmish and gives victory to the other side. A player can elect to fail any bottle out test voluntarily if they wish.

CREATING 40K SKIRMISH GAMES These are the core rules for combat but an actual game needs more: a setting, special conditions for victory, colourful identities for the participants and the odd extra rule to make that identity express itself on the tabletop. A profile for each troop type and for the weapons they will be using needs to be drawn up. You also need some way of choosing roughly equal sides so that both players have a chance of winning, and it would be nice to have a system for developing your skirmish force from game to game. Fortunately, for anyone who already plays Warhammer 40K, most of this is already at your fingertips. Use the Codex Choose your initial force as a whole unit from the relevant Codex to an agreed points maximum (around 100 pts). The upgrades and options listed in the Codex entry are available to your force. Upgrading a leader character might give you access to yet more specialised wargear. By agreement, players could also use or adapt any special rules that apply to their warrior/race type for inclusion in their skirmish games. Scenarios The races which make up two opposing groups of skirmishers should suggest plenty of causes for conflict all by themselves; the usual 40K mixed bag of piratical raids, xenos invasions, uprisings, heresy hunts and civil wars. The default mission can always be to ‘sweep the area clear of the enemy presence’, but a flick through the pages of ‘Necromunda’ will provide the outlines for many more. Hunting over the battlefield for some lost artefact (use counters) or the defence/destruction of an objective (like a communications relay) are old favourites. Terrain

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Skirmish games are best played in an area of about 3' - 4’ square and in terrain that is both dense and various – difficult areas, changes of level, different qualities of cover and lots of blind corners. Cityfight-type terrain is ideal. Campaigns For those players who would like to follow the fortunes of a favourite group of skirmishers I suggest this simple campaign system: After a battle, roll a D6 for each casualty.

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On a 1-4 they recover quickly and are unscathed. On a 5 they live to fight another day but must miss the next battle while recovering. On a 6 they are, in fact, killed.

Winning an engagement earns a skirmish unit 15pts, inflicting a casualty during a battle earns 2pts. Players may spend their hard-won points on their own Codex lists in any way they choose, subject to the standard restrictions for that unit e.g. replace casualties, increase the number in the squad, promote the leader to higher status, upgrade personal equipment or import heavier weapons. Keeping to the standard Codex limits for selecting and improving a unit is not only convenient (the lists already exist) but also means that a favourite skirmish squad can be transferred directly into larger-scale 40K battles, developing their unit history even further. These rules also enable players to buy the boxed set of basic troops for any given race and have a battle-worthy force straight away.

NOTES

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