'Geddon on it (4.1) - Citizens

This post has two parts linked by theme. First some short flash fiction then stats for gaming.

The flash fiction is for Jennie's fun Expansion Joints. Anyone can join in. The idea is to tell as much of a story as possible in 15 words, but using a word Jennie provides, this week lines.

Lines drawn. They meet at barricades. 

In front. Behind. 

And those lines run through hearts.

The link is that torn loyalty, the many difficulties in standing free. Now for the gaming.

It's been a while since I did anything ruleswise re the Heroes of Armageddon Charity Project, a plan to raise money for charity Doctors Without Borders through gaming. Last was the homebrew approach to playing 40K inside hives and very close terrain.

Today I'm going to build on the series of linked 31-word stories I ran through May, which could be tied in to the Armageddon setting if that's how you choose to read them. I want to see if the protagonists can be statted up for 40K, to have them playable in games.

First up are the people of the City. If you don't remember, you might want to read Day 3 for a beginning, Days 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 for battle, and Day 27 for a result.

I've tried to work the story into the rules. The unit is designed to be used with the hive interior approach, as the residents of a given urban area. There's a statline for the model, and below that one for a new weapon - the improv - plus a special rule. Range isn't needed in the interiors of course. Citizens may not look much, but they can dig deep.

TROOPS

Citizens

Cost: 3 points per Citizen (?)   Type: Infantry   Size: 10-30 Citizens

   Citizen    2  2  2  2  1  2  1   6   -

Weapons: Improv   Special rules: Fabric of Society, The Idea Lives On

- - - - - -

Improv: Improvs are firearms fashioned from everyday items, production machinery and other material salvaged as the opportunity arises, as well as antique, ceremonial or recreational devices adapted for use in combat.

   Improv    (6”)   2   -   Assault 1 

Fabric of Society: Units of Citizens command a range of skills. Before each game, roll a D6 once on the following table for each in the force.

1.  Schematics  The player controlling this unit may modify the rolls for movement of all friendly units, including reserves, by an additional 1 point.
2.  Barricades  This unit and all friendly units in its initial location are assumed to be in cover with a 5+ save, each until it moves for any reason.
3.  Control  The player controlling this unit may each turn force any opposing player to reroll one reserves roll and reroll one of his or her own.
4.  Access  This Improvs this unit carries become S3 for the entire game.
5.  Expertise  This unit gains 1 point of WS, BS, I or Ld for the entire game, the characterisic chosen now by the player controlling the unit.
6.  Sacrifice  For every full five models this unit loses for whatever reason it is able to ignore up to 1 wound in each subsequent turn of the game.

The Idea Lives On: If a unit of Citizens drops below five models, it may be removed by the controlling player in one of its movement phases with no gain to an opponent in kill or victory points.

Any feedback is welcome on this of course, especially on points cost. To allow for the variation in unit size I've made sure the random benefits favour large units and small. The Idea Lives On may seem powerful, but it shouldn't be for the victory conditions used with the interior approach. Have a read if you haven't yet as it's a different kind of game.

Check out the Heroes of Armageddon project at the website too and consider chipping in, even have a think about what you could do to draw attention to this or other causes, the LiveStrong Wargaming Project for example. Everything makes a difference.
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