It covered the Heroes of Armageddon Project, which will see four Warhammer 40,000 armies painted up and raffled off. Check out the site.
In the discussion I suggested anyone wanting to spread the word could run tie-in features themed around the Armageddon setting, writing fiction, statting up characters or new troop types, or even modelling and painting auxiliaries.
Every post would draw the attention, as well as being a useful resource for players, and maybe even inspire developments in other games.
Every post would draw the attention, as well as being a useful resource for players, and maybe even inspire developments in other games.
Here's my first offering.
Ash waste events
The ash wastes of environmentally degraded hive and industrial worlds are dangerous places, choking, toxic, irradiated, with water scarce, supply lines hard to maintain and dangerous creatures and mutants roaming the dunes and half-buried ruins.
A game of 40K taking place in an ash waste may use the following table. Each player rolls 3D6 at the beginning of his or her turn and the corresponding entry is applied.
- 3 Electrical strike - A charge built up in the particle-filled air earths in a destructive blast. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent is affected, and suffers D6 S8 hits with no saves allowed, or D6 penetrating hits if a vehicle or vehicle squadron. On a roll of 6 the nearest unit is also affected, friendly or otherwise; the strike will continue jumping from unit to unit in this way for as long as further rolls of 6 are made.
- 4 Buried structure - The ruins of an ancient complex once concealed by the ash now lie partially revealed. One infantry unit controlled and chosen by the rolling player may be removed from the table and placed in reserves, and when re-entering play may do so via deep strike.
- 5 Predators - One or more large creatures attacks. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent is affected, and unable to move or shoot this turn. In addition, the unit suffers 2D6 S4 hits. If the unit is in combat, it and each other unit engaged suffers D6 S4 hits instead.
- 6 Ash cloud - A vast wall of ash rolls across the battlefield. For this turn and the opponent's next the game is played using the night fighting rules.
- 7 Acid rain - A caustic squall passes overhead, leading combatants to seek cover. One randomly determined table quarter is affected, and all non-vehicle units in that quarter must pass a leadership test or be pinned.
- 8 Ash devil - The wind lifts a thick swirl of ash. One unit controlled and chosen by the rolling player is assumed to have fired smoke launchers at the end of its move, but may still fire others later in the game if it has them.
- 9-12 No event - Men and machines battle on through the devastation.
- 13 Dune slip - The ash dunes shift and run like water. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent, with the exception of skimmers and flyers, is affected, and immediately moved D6" in a random direction. It may not enter a combat via this move, and any models ending the move in impassable terrain are removed as casualties.
- 14 Broken ground - The dust here conceals forgotten chemical sumps, spoil heaps and machinery. One unit controlled and chosen by the rolling player gains a +1 to its cover save, or a cover save of 5+ otherwise.
- 15 Swarm - A tide of small creatures washes across the terrain and over the combatants. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent is affected, and unable to move or shoot this turn. The unit may not be assaulted this turn; if engaged in combat, no fighting takes place.
- 16 Mutant settlers - A small group of waste-dwellers appears in the haze, moving confidently through the landscape. The rolling player gains the option of a re-roll on this table in his or her next turn; if not used, this re-roll is lost.
- 17 Exhaustion - Extreme conditions and lack of fresh water, food and ammo erode fighting strength and spirit. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent is affected. Roll 2D6; if the result is lower than the number of models remaining in the unit, or weapons intact on a vehicle or whole vehicle squadron, the unit suffers a number of wounds equal to the result rolled, with no saves allowed, or that number of glancing hits.
- 18 Sinkhole - The ground gives way and a gaping sinkhole opens into darkness, drawing in heavy infantry and machines. One unit controlled by the rolling player and chosen by the opponent, with the exception of skimmers and flyers, is affected. Every member of the unit must make a save, with a successful save resulting in one model being killed outright. If the unit a vehicle or vehicle squadron, roll 3D6 for each model; if the result is lower than its highest armour value, the model is destroyed. Mark the sinkhole with a large blast marker or equivalent and treat it as impassable terrain.
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This hasn't been playtested, so any feedback is welcome. It's deliberately powerful, to represent the bizarre and hazardous nature of the landscape as best as possible, and inspire more than a little fear in the players, maybe even build some solidarity.
After all, the landscapes of our world can be dangerous and it never hurts to be reminded of the fragility of life. If you'd like to join in the Heroes of Armageddon Project and go some way to improving the situation, head over to the site to see how.
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