Playing 40K a Different Way

Hi All,

So April sees the return of myself and Trevdog to the original campaign we played called CODE40K.  This later became the name of our group and indeed the blog name.  So what is CODE40K?  Essentially its a story driven campaign where the result of each battle affects the choice of next game and any other special rules we see fit to add in.

You may ask why play 40K this way.  Well the short answer is it breaks up the turn up put down and play games.  Its adds a little bit more as to why the battle is taking place.  This Friday we will play the first game in what we proposed to be a 5 battle linked campaign.  As yet we haven't defined beyond game 1 and what the outcomes of the game might mean.

The first thing we did was write up some background to start us off:

Background

The sector is somewhere around the Ultima Segmentum and Eastern Fringe.  The sector consists of 9 systems.  One of which is the Arden System which comprises of:

Arden Prime, Arden II, Arden III (The Code campaign), Arden IV, Arden V.   

The campaign will start on Arden III in the capital city of Pavonis.

 In recent times the planet of Arden III hasn't been keeping up with its payment of imperial tithes and has been subject to small insertion attacks by the mysterious Eldar from the Ulthwe Craftworld.  The reasons for these attacks remains unknown to the Planetary Governor Shonai West.   The world itself is mainly controlled by faction leaders each owning a large production centre.  These faction leaders vote one of themselves to be the planetary governor.  In reality bribes and alliances go on to get a faction leader into power and then the same to get them out of power! 

Payment of the tithes has been dropping for the last two governors mainly caused by a drop in production from the last war and the greed of the faction leaders.  This injustice has also spread to the population of Arden III with poverty and deprivation wide spread.  This in turn has lead to the rise of "The Church of the Emperor's God" as people have sought solace in religion.  The reality is this is against the law as religion is forbidden and the leaders of the church are simply seeking to take advantage of the disadvantaged.  This group has organised many public rallies against the leading factions and is believed to be behind a number of small terrorist attacks, although proof of this has not been forthcoming.  One such attack was foiled by the members of the Adeptus Soritas "Sisters of Battle" who have a shrine on the planet just outside the city walls.  It is believed they took prisoners but as yet are refusing to hand these over to the faction leaders? 

In addition Eldar raids have been taking place across the system but the reason behind the attacks is unknown.  The most recent of which was on a farming community 540 miles south of the city where none were left alive.  On investigation of the site a large metal structure of unknown origin was found to be just below the surface.  This is still being analysed by scientists but appears to be a large structure which dates back for thousands of years.    

Next we thought about what the first game would look like and who the characters involved would be:

Game 1 Ambush on Plaza Drive
The Plot:

The Imperium fed up with the performance of the planet has dispatched an Administrator to get the tithes back on track.     A company of the emperors finest space marines have been dispatched to accompany the administrator and to halt the Eldar attacks.  This game will be set in the inner city as the administrator is travelling to the governor's palace across the city.  After being dropped at the edge of the city the administrator is being transported by rhino apc when they are ambushed by the church.  

The Forces

The Escort Party               Dramatis Personae

Space Marine Captain Kearosen Diritz,                                               

Emperor’s Children, Captain of the 4^th Company. Honoured at the scouring of Galifrax.

Boltgun, Power Axe, Bolt Pistol, Iron Halo, Frag and Krak Grenades

Brother Kol Larz                                                                                                            

Emperor’s Children battle brother 4^th Company. 14 affirmed kills at the scouring of Galifrax.

Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Frag and Krak Grenades                               

Brother Berenito                                                                                             

Emperor’s Children battle brother 4^th Company.  Sole survivor from the frigate Hammer of Justice before it fell to the burning sun at Jea IX.

Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Frag and Krak Grenades               

Admin Aid - Sympath I, Laspistol                                                                             
Admin Aid - Dedidex, Laspistol                                                                  
Liaison to Governor Shonai - Grandis Brinn, Laspistol                     

(uses the profile of conscripts)

Imperial Administrator - Prefect Patrinor (unwilling to fight in any circumstances) If engaged in close combat use imperial guard colonel stats, armed with a power knife same as sword but AP4 and a refractor field.                                                                                                                                                         Free

Grandis Brinn

Liaison to Governor Shonai.   A little unorthodox for some of the other aids but Governor Shonai chose him because of this.

Sympath I

Admin Aid to Prefect Patrinor.  Augments not visual to the casual observer.  Very good at her job.

Dedidex

Admin Aid to Prefect Patrinor.  Heavily augmented.

Prefect Patrinor

Imperial Administrator.  Looks down on others below his station.

PDF - (use imperial guard vets rules)
Gavier, Grenade Launcher                                                                        

Pavonis 10^th Barator Elite Guard.  Keeps to himself.  Good dependable elite guardsman.

Travis, Shotgun                                                                                             
Nikaulus, Shotgun                                                                                          

Pavonis 10^th Barator Elite Guard. Friends before joining the Guard and have both served together for 8 years.

Flex, Shotgun                                                                                                

Pavonis 10^th Barator Elite Guard.  Known for his black and white view of things.  Called Flex because of his inflexible views by his friends.  Also good to have in a fight.

Kearosen’s Spear,  Rhino, Extra Armour                                                               

Brother Torrinium (Reserve, Bike)                                                          

Emperor’s Children battle brother 4^th Company, Fulion bike squad. Fought at Soron plains at Jea IX against the Necrons.

Brother Bransk (Reserve, Bike)                                                                 

Emperor’s Children battle brother 4th Company, Fulion bike squad. Fought at Soron plains at Jea IX against the Necrons.

TOTAL 287

Rebels

Enforcer Irongate, Power Fist, Laspistol, Refractor Field, Causes Fear               

Rocket Launcher Team " Aces High "                                                                                   

Rocket Launcher Team " The Missile Brothers "                                                          

(Fragin Heck and Krakin Joke make up the Missile Brothers)

Renegade Squad "The Rabellions"                                                                                        

Veteran Gravesend  " That's Mr Gravesend to You"                                                      

Meltagun, Stubber Team known as "The Stub Toes"                                                    

3 Hounds:  Lucy, Cameron and Cheryl                                                                                   

8 Mutants " The Undesirables"                                                                                                  

TOTAL 284

The Mission

Kill Team Rules in Effect

Length 8 Turns, Or Administrator Escapes to Plaza Square or Administrator Dies

Game Begins Just Before Dawn

First two turns are under night fighting conditions

Rebels set up and take the first turn. 

Rhino is presumed to be stunned in space marines first turn regardless if damage was taken or not.

Space Marine Bikes Turn up in turn 3 automatically

Outcomes:

If Prefect Patrinor escapes it makes the removal of the church the no 1 priority over and above the investigation of the eldar attacks.  If Enforcer Irongate is killed in a challenge with Captain Diritz he is presumed captured.  We could play an attack game on the rebel stronghold.  Maybe the sisters carry this out as they already have info? 

Escapes by turn 6 = 3 rebel units delayed in attack scenario

Escapes by turn 7 = 2 rebel units delayed in attack scenario

Escapes by turn 8 = 1 rebel unit delayed in attack scenario

(units randomly determined)

If Irongate is  captured it gives Captain Diritz the causing Fear rule as the rebels are in awe of someone who took down Irongate!

If Prefect Patrinor doesn't escape the rebels grow in confidence and push forward to attack the governor's palace. 

Two options if by some miracle Diritz is brought low by Irongate then we could have a rescue mission for the captain!  or The attack on the Palace or both as a combination??

As you can see we havent fully mapped out what will happen post battle.  That will allow us to let our imaginations take us where we go next.  The ideas above just get the ball rolling.  We will post up some pictures and a run down of what happened in game 1.  Then discuss where the CODE40K campaign goes next?

Trevdog also wrote this short story to accompany game 1:

A low moaning noise ending with a metallic screech pierced the pre-dawn stillness above the street.  A cool breeze had picked up just as the morning sun was about to rise at the far end of Plaza Drive to the east.  Across the gantry spanning the road was an aerial walkway circling a short curved tower that housed the local sewerage machinery for the pumps below.  As the low moaning started up again a silhouette appeared against the dark grey metal walls of the tower.  The figure took a cigar from its mouth and wedged it into the heat extraction flaps to stop them vibrating.

“Thank throne for that Mr Gravesend”, said Krakin in a hushed voice.  “It was starting’ to give me the creeps”.  The tip of Gravesend’s boot poked firmly into the soft flank of the prone man as he lay looking down the sight of his hand held rocket launcher.  Krakin recoiled with a grunt.

Gravesend hissed through his sneer, “Krakin, just keep your eyes fixed on that street.  They’ll be here any minute, then you’ll have something to worry about”.  Gravesend’s voice faded as he moved away, “We’re relying on you to stop those Imps dead in their tracks”.

All was quiet again.  To his right Krakin could just make out the features of his loader and close friend, Fragin, crouched next to him.  Fragin’s angular jaw looked all the more prominent in the shadowy dawn.  He peered across to the ruined building opposite to see if he could see the forms of the twins they called Ace’s High, manning the other rocket launcher from their lofty position, but he couldn’t.

The other members of The Church itching to take the fight to the heart of Governor Shonai’s seat of power would be in their positions now having primed the explosives for the ambush.  They all looked to their leader Enforcer Irongate for the next stage of the plan to unseat Governor Shonai.  Irongate had inside information about an Imperial Administrator coming to meet with the Governor to take her to task over the shrinking tithes collected from Arden Prime.  If the Imperial Administrator didn’t make it to the palace for the meeting, or was even killed, then the Imperium would come down hard on Shonai and could even remove her from office.  If not it would certainly weaken her position and favour amongst the other government members.

A rumbling noise from down the street broke the silence and Krakin’s thoughts.  He shifted his weight to adjust his aim.  Coming quickly into view was an APC.  The growling engines shaking the metal gantry even from that distance. Krakin sucked in through dry lips and felt a trickle of sweat run down his face.  This was it. 

Until next time 

DOC and Trevdog

Cloak and Dagger The Code's Easter Battle

Hi All,

This is part two of Cloak and Dagger.  Below is the background as written by Trevdog Howler

PART 1

Finuval Windmaker haughtily looked down his nose at the Imperial emissary as they stood at Marienburg docks.  His fleet was moored up and his fellow countrymen unloaded the shipment of war with customary efficiency.  Fellow soldiers of renown were with him and he relished the chance to strike at his hated cousins.  Even though Doc Grunnson’s Dwarf force was two days march ahead of him, he knew he could catch them up.  Doc Grunnson had said to rendezvous at Dunterswald village.  It was little more than a collection of houses and a farmstead.  He didn’t give Finuval a reason for meeting there apart from his message passed on by the emissary made reference to Skaven and a tunnel network that headed toward the village.  Teclis had ordered him to trust the Dwarfs…… but he couldn’t shift the feeling they would be the death of him……

……..They were making good time and kept the pace high.  Grunnson’s men could keep this up for days, even weeks.  He knew he had to get to Dunterswald before the Skaven.  They were up to something big and bad, so a spy from the hold had reported.  He’d heard the Skaven had been extending their network further north along the border of the Laurelorn forest and into the Wastelands.  The reason why escaped him.  The Clans had been amassing and dire warp engines had been at work deep in their lairs.  The spy had come across several references to a relocation of O J Backstabber’s clan to the Wastelands. A mission was going ahead……..

………”Only eight food stops master!” squealed Gibitt to O J Backstabber who was looming over him brandishing a dirty curved blade.  “Seven, no more!” ordered O J as he sank back down off his tip toes.

If he was ever to get his clan to the meeting with the Dark Elf Things in time he had to be quick quick.

Dragit Red Eye had primed the boy and all was set for his big creation.  His tail swished with excitement.  All he had to do was get to the boy and take it from there……. Admittedly he had bargained with the Dark Elf Witch Thing, Lady Maleficent, to bring his cunning plan together.  She would bring her magic cage and once this first monster was contained another and another and another would be made flesh.  He might let her have one.  Squeek squeek squeek! he sniggered……..

……… a silent black tide rolled off the sea and onto the Wasteland.  Lady Maleficent made an almost unnoticeable signal to her army to send them into the next stage of her plan.  Not far now.  Dark comforting thoughts of what she would do with the Skaven’s monster when it was in her hands gave her a thrill.  O J Backstabber had promised her one when she had performed her part of the bargain.  She hadn’t got to be where she was now by following any bargains to the letter.  She would watch out for OJ.  Meet him at Dunterswald.  Well, there was another threat in the form of her hated High elf cousins following up the coast.  She would warn the Skaven.  Need them on her side at least for now.  Then like a dark shadow the host dispersed into the barren land.

PART 2

Cloak & Daggers……a nasty new dawn

Chewing on his bottom lip he stood in the cold morning light with a pale in
his left hand and his other in his mother's hand as she talked to him on the
front doorstep of their farm house. He wasn't listening. He was more concerned
where his little friend had got to. He hadn't seen him in days. Ma and Pa
thought he had an imaginary friend like Samia's, she lived just past the tower
with her Ma and Pa. But his friend was real. Red Eye said he would be back,
and each time he came back he brought something with him. Just a small thing, a
little green bean. Quite innocuous as they were just beans. But Red Eye was
insistent that Aldred keep them safe in the barn. Big people weren't to know.
Aldred was glad he had saved Red Eye from Scratchy the farm cat around three
full moons ago when the cold was at its most fierce. He had gone to the barn
later that day to see to his surprise Scratchy about to pounce on a big brown
rat that had one black and one red eye. He was sure Scratchy would have ended
Red Eye's life in a flash just like the other rats unfortunate to venture into
the barn when the cat was around.
But a strange thought came to him as he watched the stand off between cat and
rat, and before he knew what he was doing he had a broom in his hand and was
scooting Scratchy off. Stranger still was when Scratchy had gone Red Eye fixed
him with a stare and then uttered words to him…….

Red Eye was distraught one day and Aldred didn't know how to help him. Red
Eye said the beans were under threat from someone, and he wanted Aldred to help
him find a better hiding place for them. Red Eye's words and speech was funny
and sometimes made Aldred laugh. But this time Red Eye was serious. "Friend
friend, come come. You must hide them quick quick. Put them in your stomach,
swallow swallow!!" So Aldred did this for his friend. He only saw Red Eye once
more after that. Moorsleib waxed and waned and on the 13th night Aldred went to
the barn in a midnight sweat and retched up a large dark shinny green bean. He
thought it best to keep it hidden on him until he could tell Red Eye what had
happened. And day after day it grew a little bigger.

 "Are you listening to me Aldred? Oh, just go get half a pale of water from
the well. Off you go then."

 The cold morning light was still too weak this early to add colour to his
surroundings. He couldn't even see the steam of his breath. At the well he
hooked the pale to the tether of rope below the winch, then he let the weight of
it whirl the handle round until the splash would signal the water below…….. a
dull thud was the signal this time.

 "Ma! There's no water in the well!" Aldred cried out.

As the light grew stronger his surroundings became clearer, and he froze as
he saw the movement of many, many figures coming toward Dunterswald and his Pa's
farmstead.

The final part of Cloak and Dagger the report will be published tomorrow!

DOC

Cloak and Dagger The Prologue

Hi All,

DOC GRUNNSON HERE,

So this is part one of a three day run down of Cloak and Dagger our Easter Warhammer Battle.  Today's post will describe the prologue to the battle.  Tomorrows post will bring you the background story and lastly the report post will bring you the battle report which will be published on Thursday.

So here is the prologue:

Cloak and Dagger - Prologue
 
One hundred and thirteen miles north of the large sea port of Marienburg on the west coast of the empire, literally just inside the border of the empire and the northern wastes is the village known as Dunterswald in the Wasteland. Holgan’s farmstead is near to the village and has been the attention of the Skaven for some time. A good reason for a slave raid by the Dark Elves perhaps, but why have they joined up with the Skaven?  The Dark Elf raiding fleet is quite a size and is able to slip into a remote and quiet part of the Empire's coast.  The Skaven have been hard at work extending their tunnel network and have a sizeable hoard waiting in the dark tunnels. In anticipation of the "Dark pointy things" arrival the Skaven have infiltrated Holgan’s farmstead close to the coast.  This will be the rendevous!

However, the Elves in white have had wind of their dark cousins movements toward the Empire coast, having recently had a naval engagement and lost to their cousin’s much larger fleet.  This fleet was heading at speed.  Word was then sent to a High Elf contingent that has a small fleet that passes the port of Marienburg at times to go and warn the empire of the approaching Dark Elves.  The Marienburg forces are currently dealing with a threat from the Northern Wastes to the north east of the Empire and have little in the way to send up to meet any raid on their coast.  Fortunately, a large force of Dwarfs that had agreed to help bolster the Northern part of the Empire had arrived in Marienburg around a month ago. They have agreed to secure the West coast.  The Dwarf lord met with the Marienburg Count Elector and a High Elf emissary to agree joint action against the Dark Elves.

Little do they expect the intervention of the Skaven......

We were also provided a map of the area:

So this is what started off the battle and scenario building process.  We then provided Trev (battle co-ordinator) with our leaders names and a little bit about them:

DOC

My Dwarf is called DOC GRUNNSON
cause he can fix any situation.
He's an engineer turned general! Likes experimenting and he’s had some of his experiments stolen by the sneaky Skaven.

DARTH DARLOW

Meet the Maleficent Family

Lady Maleficent
Sorceress (Matron Mother)
Dark Pegasus

Count Maleficent
Dreadlord (Patron)
Black Dragon

Pernicious
Sorceress (Daughter)

Captain Duress
Battle Standard Bearer (Old Family Retainer)
Giant Cold One

Ironically the corsairs didn't make the trip over the Sea of Claws and are still in the Land of Chill awaiting a paint job.

On this raid only Lady Maleficent will be present as the Count's Dragon gets sea sick, plus he's allergic to cannons.

The rest of the family will probably be there along with lots of spiky death.

HENDRIX LAMBERT

My general is O J Backstabber.  He’s climbed and backstabbed his way up the Clan to become top rat.  Part of his plan is to extend his tunnel network up to the Chaos wastes, and ultimately become a member of the Council of Thirteen.

TREVDOG HOWLER

My leader is Finuval Windmaker, a Lothern Sea Lord.  He has a grudge against the Dark elves as each time they have crossed paths he has been beaten by them.  Will this time be different?  Lady Maleficent and Finuval Windmaker go back a long way.  They stood shoulder to shoulder a long time ago……

So this was our start to the process of us creating a game around the fluff and to be honest, with every player having played WFRP at some point of time it suited us all.  So as stated above tomorrows post will bring you the fully developed background for the game.

Thats All Folks

DOC