TEXT: By now you will know the rules for Epic, the forces that you can 
  command, and the background to the Armageddon campaign. 
  This section of the book describes the different ways that you can 
  use these things in order to create exciting and interesting tabletop 
  wargames to play. Because of the open-ended nature of the Epic 
  rules, there are many different ways you can choose to play 
  games, and describing them all in detail would fill a rulebook 
  several times the size of this slim volume. Instead of trying to do 
  this we have concentrated on three of the more popular styles of 
  play to use as examples of ways that you can play games of Epic. 
  You will find articles about other forms of gaming in White 
  Dwarf and Fanatic magazines (details of which can be found in 
  the Appendices section at the end of the rules), along with articles 
  focusing on aspects of the styles of play described here. The three 
  styles  of  play  we  have  focused  on  are  tournament  games, 
  scenarios, and campaigns. These are described below, and then 
  specific rules and guidelines are given for each method of play. 
  Then it is up to you how you decide exactly how you want to use 
  the rules and information presented in this book. In effect, we’re 
  simply saying “Look, you can play Epic like this, or like this, or 
  like this…” in order to give you some idea of the possibilities. 
  This said, some methods of play are more popular than others. Of 
  the methods we discuss in this section, ‘tournament play’ with its 
  army lists, points value and simple ‘line up and fight’ scenario 
  has proved far and away the most popular with the playtesters that 
  have helped develop the Epic rules. This is understandable; it is 
  easier to collect armies, find opponents and organise games when 
  using the tournament rules than it is to create your own scenarios 
  or set up and run campaigns. However, just because tournament 
  play  is  more  popular  than  the  other  forms  of  gaming  just 
  described doesn’t make it intrinsically any better (or worse) –– it 
  just makes it different. The aim of the Epic Gaming section is 
  therefore to show you as many different styles of play as possible, 
  and then let you choose the style that suits your tastes best. In 
  other words, we want to reveal the whole breadth of the Epic 
  hobby, rather than just one small part of it.
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  6.0 EPIC GAMING
  “Myriad are the ways of war. The lightning strike, the tenacious defence, the cunning ruse; all have their time and place, oft as not 
  dictated by the lie of the land or balance of forces that you find at your disposal. The art of war is learning how to bind the tactics, 
  terrain and forces at your command to your advantage.” 
  Imperium Tactica
  
  Tournament Games
  As has already been mentioned, tournament games are the single 
  most popular form of Epic game. This is mainly because it is the 
  easiest way to play Epic. All you have to do is use the army lists 
  to collect an army, safe in the knowledge that you can use it to 
  play an even and balanced game even against a complete stranger, 
  something  that  is  simply  not  possible  with  scenarios  or 
  campaigns.  In  order  to  achieve  this  happy  state  of  affairs, 
  tournament games require three things: army lists, points values, 
  and a set of tournament game rules.
  An army list, as its name implies, is a list of units and formations 
  that can be used by an army. What sets it apart from a simple 
  order  of  battle,  such  as  the  forces  included  in  the  training 
  scenarios presented earlier in this rulebook, is that it is a list of 
  things you can use in your army rather than a list of things you 
  must use. So, for example, a Space Marine army list would say 
  something along the lines of: “You may have the following things 
  in your army: Space Marine Tactical detachments, Space Marine 
  Assault detachments, Space Marine Terminator detachments…” 
  and so on. Army lists usually focus on one army, for example 
  Space Marines, or Imperial Guard, or Orks, though some cover 
  combined or allied forces. In addition, army lists can either be 
  ‘generic’ and cover all armies of that type, or ‘specific’ and cover 
  a particular army or famous regiment. For example, a generic 
  Space Marine army list would allow you to collect any Chapter, 
  while a Blood Angels army list would only allow Blood Angel 
  units to be used. The advantage of specific lists is that they can 
  include more interesting and characterful units, while a generic 
  list lacks this level of detail but gives the player more freedom in 
  terms of painting and modelling.
  Of course, if players were simply allowed to pick any units or 
  formations they liked from an army list then there is no way that 
  tournament games could be fair – the player with the largest 
  collection of models would always have a big advantage! Because 
  of this, each formation and unit in an army list is given a points 
  value The points value shows how effective the unit or formation 
  is when it is used in a tournament game. So, for example, a 
  mighty Baneblade tank would cost many more points than a 
  humble Leman Russ, as the Baneblade will have a much greater 
  impact on the course of the game. Players are then given the 
  freedom to choose troops from their army list to a set points 
  value. For example, players might agree to play a 2,000 point 
  game, in which case each could pick troops worth 2,000 points 
  from their own army list. As long as the army lists have been 
  worked out properly, then any two armies with the same points 
  value will have an equal chance of winning, although the actual 
  composition of each army may be radically different, even if both 
  are chosen from the same list. Returning to our prior example, 
  one player might choose to take a few Baneblades, while his 
  opponent chooses to take a horde of Leman Russ, but as long as 
  the points values for the two units have been worked out properly 
  then each player will have the same chance of winning the game.
  The final piece of the jigsaw is the tournament game rules. In 
  order to create a fair and balanced contest, tournament games 
  need to have a method of setting up the terrain, deploying the 
  armies, and determining the winner that is as even as possible for 
  both sides. These are known as the tournament game rules, and 
  they need to be set out in advance along with the army lists, so 
  that a player can choose his army knowing what sort of battle he 
  will be fighting. Because of the desire to create an even contest, 
  tournament  game rules  tend  to  be quite simple.  Terrain  will 
  usually be kept to a minimum and not include too many exotic 
  features, and both armies will usually deploy in a ‘set-up zone’ 
  near  their  own  table  edge.  Victory  conditions  can  be  quite 
  complex, but will almost always be the same for both sides (a 
  process called ‘mirroring’). A very common set of tournament 
  game victory conditions is to play for a certain number of turns, 
  and then for each player to count up the points value of destroyed 
  enemy units to see who has won. A variation on this theme is for 
  each player to place a certain number of ‘objective markers’ in 
  the opposing half of the table, with the winner being the player 
  that has captured the most objectives at the end of the game. 
  Previous versions of Epic have used a combination of these two 
  methods, with players winning points for destroying the enemy 
  and  capturing  objectives,  to  determine  the  winner.  However, 
  121    
  
  whatever rules are actually used, the aim is always to create as 
  even a contest as possible between the two armies picked from 
  the army lists, and this usually leads to fairly straightforward ‘line 
  up and fight’ battles with a minimum of terrain and mirrored 
  victory conditions for both sides. The overall effect of this is to 
  create a game that is ideal for ‘pick-up’ games between two 
  players that have not met each other before. Tournament games 
  allow the player to simply go ahead and collect an army, choosing 
  whichever models they like within the constraints of the army list, 
  and then turn up at a club or gaming event, find an opponent, and 
  play knowing that the game will be as fair and even as possible.
  Scenarios
  While tournament games create an even contest and are extremely 
  easy to set up, they do so at a certain cost. This is because the 
  rules used and the choices a player is allowed to make when 
  picking an army need to be constrained or limited in some way in 
  order to keep the game balanced. A good example of this kind of 
  thing is what is commonly known as ‘min-maxing’. A good 
  tournament game player will often try to ‘max-out’ on certain 
  powerful units, usually ones that stretch the game mechanics in 
  some way. In Epic, an example of this kind of unit is Imperial 
  Titans. These are powerful units and no mistake, but if one is 
  powerful on its own, three such units are even more powerful, so 
  a good tournament player will be drawn to trying to field such an 
  army – it’s the old adage of “everything counts in large amounts”. 
  In order to stop players min-maxing, army lists will often include 
  some kind of limit on the number of powerful units that can be 
  taken. For example, you might only be allowed to spend 10% or 
  20% of your points on Titans, or only be allowed a maximum of 
  one in the army. Two other areas where tournament games will be 
  limited is in the ability to use models not covered by the army 
  lists, and in having to use simple ‘line up and fight’ deployment 
  rules and ‘mirroring’ victory conditions.
  What all of these balancing mechanisms create is a game that 
  can’t really cover all of the possibilities of the game background. 
  For example, the tournament army list described earlier doesn’t 
  allow a player to field an all-Titan force, even though such a thing 
  could  easily  happen  on  Armageddon.  It  is  because  of  these 
  limitations  and  abstractions  that  many  players  prefer  to  play 
  scenarios  instead  of  tournament  games.  The  main  difference 
  between a scenario and a tournament game is that a scenario is 
  devised in advance by one of the players, who will determine 
  what forces are used, how they are set up, what the terrain is like, 
  and what the victory conditions will be. The training scenarios 
  that appeared earlier in this book and that you should (we hope!) 
  have played are perfect examples of predesigned scenarios.
  The advantage that scenarios offer is that they are unconstrained 
  in any way, and allow you to explore things that are simply not 
  possible  in  tournament  games.  For  example,  any  student  of 
  military history will tell you that a common feature of most 
  campaigns is desperate rear-guard actions where a horribly out-
  numbered force attempts to delay an overwhelmingly superior 
  attacker. Lop-sided battles like this are next to impossible to set 
  up in tournament games, but very easy  to do as a scenario. 
  Scenarios also allow players to field formations or units that they 
  have created themselves. It’s easy to come up with a scenario that 
  allows one side to field an all-Titan force, for example. What’s 
  more, it’s easy to include scratch-built or converted models in a 
  scenario, and very hard  to do so in a tournament game that 
  requires extensive playtesting to get the points value for each unit 
  exactly right.
  However, with this great freedom (some might say great power), 
  there also comes great responsibility on the part of the player 
  devising the scenario, as it is their job to create a challenging, 
  interesting and characterful game that will be fun for both players. 
  It helps if both sides feel they have a chance of winning too, 
  though this is a lot less important than in tournament games. (As 
  an aside, the designer has always enjoyed playing games where 
  he controls an ‘underdog’ with little chance of winning, as it 
  gives him a good excuse if he loses, and far more glory if he 
  wins!) Devising such a scenario takes time, it’s not something 
  easily done ‘off the cuff ’ at the start of a game, and as scenarios 
  often also rely on having certain types of model available, this 
  means they are usually best suited to small groups of players that 
  meet on a regular basis and trust each other’s judgement. It is 
  mainly  for  this  reason  that  scenarios  are  played  less  than 
  tournament games. On the other hand, players that are lucky 
  enough to be a member of a regular gaming group and who start 
  playing scenarios generally find that they become their preferred 
  method of play.
      122
  
  Campaigns
  A third and highly popular way of playing Epic is as part of a 
  campaign. What differentiates campaign games from tournament 
  games and scenarios, is that campaign games are not one-off 
  battles, but instead form part of a sequence of games that are 
  linked together in some way. There are lots of different ways to 
  run campaigns, some of which are discussed in detail later on in 
  this book, but they all share two traits. These two traits are that 
  the games form part of a series of games, and that there needs to 
  be an organiser who will set up and run the campaign.
  What makes a campaign special is that each battle is part of a 
  series of battles where the result of each game can affect the 
  overall result of the campaign. This can work in a number of 
  ways. At its simplest level a campaign can be a tournament game 
  league, where a record is kept of the battles that players have won 
  and lost, and the results posted so that players can see how well 
  they are doing compared to everyone else. At its most extreme, a 
  campaign involves maps that the opposing armies can manoeuvre 
  over before transferring action to the tabletop when opposing 
  forces  meet,  with detailed  orders of battle,  supply rules,  and 
  anything else the players can think of and wish to include.
  Although very different, both of these are campaigns, because the 
  result of each and every battle directly affects the outcome of the 
  campaign. This can add a whole new dimension and depth to the 
  battles  that  are  fought  as  part  of  the  campaign,  be  they  a 
  tournament  game  grudge  match  between  two  top-ranked 
  opponents  in  a  ladder  campaign,  or a scenario  for  a  pivotal 
  strategic battle in a map-based campaign. In both these examples, 
  the fact that the game takes place in a campaign setting makes 
  them more interesting and more exciting than they would have 
  been as ‘one-off ’ battles.
  Because  of the need  for  continuity,  what  all  campaigns  also 
  require is an organiser. This selfless individual will take it upon 
  themselves to decide how exactly the campaign will work, and 
  will then gather the players together, cajole them into playing 
  their games on time, and keep track of the results and do any 
  other record keeping that is required. More often than not all this 
  work, along with a need to appear unbiased, will mean that they 
  won’t get to play in the campaign themselves. On the other hand, 
  the sheer pleasure provided to the participants by a well-run 
  campaign is usually reward enough!
  These two requirements (ie, continuity and an organiser) mean 
  that campaigns are best suited to clubs or gaming groups that 
  meet regularly and have reliable players. If these are available, 
  they  are  arguably  the  most  satisfying  and  involving  way  of 
  playing Epic, thanks to the depth the campaign adds to any battles 
  that are fought as part of it. 
  Conclusion (or ‘Money Where Mouth Is’)
  In the rest of the Gaming section of the Epic rulebook, we will 
  provide concrete examples of each of these different methods of 
  play. First we provide the ‘official’ Epic Tournament Game rules 
  and  army  lists.  After  that  we  discuss  different  methods  of 
  designing scenarios, and provide some examples of scenarios that 
  we have devised and played ourselves. Finally, we discuss some 
  different methods of running campaigns.
  Hopefully you’ll be able to use these examples to tailor Epic to 
  suit your own needs. When all is said and done, the single biggest 
  advantage that tabletop wargames have over other forms of game 
  is that you can get right in there and ‘tinker’ with the rules if you 
  want to. We advise and encourage you to do exactly that – pick 
  the style of play that suits you best, and make the Epic game 
  system what you want it to be!
  123    
  
  6.1 EPIC TOURNAMENT GAME RULES
  The Epic tournament game rules are designed to be used in 
  conjunction with the Epic tournament army lists. They will allow 
  two players to fight an evenly balanced battle with little or no 
  preparation. They are ideal for pick-up games at clubs or shows, 
  and provide an evenly balanced contest in tournaments.
  In many ways, tournament games represent the most ‘basic’ form 
  of game play, and are designed to be as easy and accessible as 
  possible in order to allow Epic players to play games with the 
  minimum of fuss. Because of this, the tournament rules require 
  little or no preparation other than picking forces from the army 
  lists, while the army lists are designed to work with the packaged 
  range of Epic miniatures produced by Games Workshop, making 
  it easy for players to put together an army. Later sections include 
  rather  more  advanced  rules  and  guidelines  that  will  allow 
  experienced players to design their own unique formations and 
  units for use in scenarios or campaigns of their own devising.
  6.1.1 Forces
  Both players pick armies to an agreed points total between 2,000 
  to 5,000 points using the tournament army lists. It is possible to 
  play games using the tournament rules for larger or smaller games 
  than this, but please note that the army lists have been balanced 
  assuming that armies will fall within this range, and this means 
  that larger or smaller games may be slightly unbalanced.
  6.1.2 Set-up
  Set up the terrain for the game in any mutually agreeable manner. 
  If one player sets up the terrain then his opponent may choose 
  where to deploy. If you set up the terrain as a joint effort or it was 
  set up by a tournament organiser then the player with the higher 
  strategy rating may choose the table edge he sets up on. If both 
  players have the same strategy rating, then dice to see who gets 
  the choice of table edge. You can pick a long edge, or a corner 
  (half way up each long and short edge). The opponent sets up on 
  the opposite edge or corner.
  The tournament game rules have been designed to be played on 
  tables that are 90-150cm wide by 150-240cm long (that’s 3-5 feet 
  by 5-8 feet for you non-metric types!) The ideal size is round-
  about 120cm by 180cm (4 feet by 6 feet). It is possible to play 
  games on tables that are wider or longer than this, but this may 
  favour certain armies and could lead to an unbalanced game.
  6.1.3 The Five Minute Warm Up
  Tabletop  miniatures  wargaming  is  not  an  exact  science.  One 
  person’s line of sight is another’s blocked line of fire, some 
  people love pre-measuring, others hate it, and so on. Because of 
  this after you have set up the terrain for a game you should spend 
  five minutes going through things like how the line of fire rules 
  will work, how the terrain features used will work, and so on. 
  Here are some of the things you may want to discuss:
  • The ‘Counts As’ Rule (see 6.2.1)
  • Lines of Sight and Lines Of Fire
  • Fire Arcs on units
  • Pre-measuring
  • Templates and if units are ‘in or out’
  • Terrain features – what do they count as on the terrain chart, 
  when are units ‘in’ terrain
  • How you will show if a formation is broken, in overwatch or 
  has marched this turn.
  • Anything else you can think of!
  6.1.4 Place Objective Markers
  Take it in turns, starting with the player with the higher strategy 
  rating, to place one objective marker on the table. If both players 
  have the same strategy rating then dice to see who places the first 
  objective marker.
      124
  DESIGN CONCEPT
  Tournament Terrain
  The tournament game rules will work on any type of terrain. However, especially dense or extremely sparse terrain will  
  favour some armies or troop choices over others. An Ork army with a lot of Boyz will do well on a table covered with  
  lots of terrain, for example, while an Ork army with lots of buggies and gunwagons will do better on a table with sparse 
  terrain. In addition, certain terrain features can favour one army over another. Having a river running the length of the 
  table will favour an army with a lot of skimmers and aircraft. You get the idea, I’m sure.
  Because of this, we recommend you use the following guidelines when setting up terrain for tournament games. These
  are not a set of hard and fast rules, but if they are used will ensure a well-balanced game no matter what army or units
  are taken.
  • We recommend the use of terrain features when playing tournament games in preference to modular terrain (see the 
  Appendices for a more detailed description of the two types of terrain).
  • Terrain features can be of pretty much any type, but should be roughly 15-30cm across. Hills can be up to twice this 
  size. See below for a note of how to deal with rivers and roads.
  • Divide the table into 60cm (2 foot) square areas. The total number of terrain features placed should be equal to twice 
  the number of 60cm square areas. For example, if you were playing on a 120cm by 180 cm, you would have six areas 
  and should place 12 terrain features.
  • Within the limits above, place between 0-4 features in each 60cm square.
  • The terrain may include one river. Rivers count as a terrain feature for each area that they run through. They need to  
  enter on one table edge and leave from another, and should not be greater in length than the shortest table edge For  
  example, on a 120cm by 180cm table, the river should not be more than 120cm long. There should be a bridge or ford 
  every 30cm along the river.
  • Roads may be added after all terrain features have been placed. Any number of roads may be used. They need to enter  
  on one table edge and either exit from another or end at a terrain feature.
  
  The first objective a player sets up must be placed on their own 
  table edge. The remaining two objectives must be set up in their 
  opponent’s  half  of  the  table,  at  least  30cm  away  from  the 
  opponent’s table edge and 30cm away from any other objectives 
  that have already been placed.
  Keep placing objectives until six objective markers have been 
  placed on the table in total. You can use anything as an objective 
  marker but we would suggest using terrain pieces to represent 
  them if you can. In our games, we’ve found that battling over an 
  actual bunker or fuel dump is far more appealing than having 
  your forces sell their lives for a cardboard counter!
  You capture an objective if you have a unit within 15cms of it in 
  the  end  phase  and  your  opponent  does  not.  An  objective  is 
  contested if both sides have a unit within 15cms of it in the end 
  phase. Units from broken formations or from formations that have 
  rallied  that  end  phase  can  not  capture  or  contest  objectives. 
  Aircraft which have landed may not capture an objective on the 
  same  turn  that  it  lands.  However,  a  landed  aircraft  may 
  immediately contest an objective.
  Check at the end of each turn to see how many objectives you 
  control. Objectives do not have a ‘memory’ and you will lose 
  control of any you have captured if there are no friendly units 
  within 15cms of them at the end of any subsequent turn.
  6.1.5 Setup Spacecraft & Garrisons
  Each player may start up to two of their garrisoned formations on 
  Overwatch. These formations represent sentries deployed as a trip 
  wire and to provide security at the objectives. They are assumed 
  to have gone on Overwatch in their previous Action phase. That 
  Overwatch is ‘carried over’ into the first turn.
  If either player is using spacecraft then they are set up now before 
  any other units (see 4.3). Units entering play via planetfall should 
  be placed to one side at this time too (see 4.4).
  On-table garrison units are set up after spacecraft have been set 
  up. The following types of formations may be set up on the table 
  as ‘garrisons’ at the start of the game:
  •  Formations where half or more of the units (rounding up) are 
  scouts OR
  •  Formations where no more than one of the units has a move 
  greater than 15cms, and where none of the units are war engines 
  OR
  •  Any formations that include units with a speed of 0 (zero).
  Players take it in turns to set up one garrison at a time, starting 
  with the player with the higher strategy rating. Garrisons must be 
  set up so that they have at least one unit within 15cm of an 
  objective in the player’s own half of the table. No units may be 
  set up in the opponent’s half of the table or in impassable terrain. 
  Units may be set up in dangerous terrain (it’s assumed that they 
  took their time getting into position in order to do so safely!)
  6.1.6 Set-up Remaining Formations
  All of the remaining formations in the players’ armies must be set 
  up within 15cms of their own side’s table edge or be kept back ‘in 
  reserve’. The players take it in turn to set up these formations one 
  at a time, starting with the player with the higher strategy rating.
  Units kept in reserve must either be aircraft, or be going to enter 
  play in a transport aircraft or by teleportation. Reserve formations 
  entering play in aircraft or by teleportation should be placed aside 
  with units that will enter play via planetfall. These formations are 
  not ‘secret’ and your opponent may inspect them at any time.
  Units being transported must start the game already loaded into 
  the transport vehicle that will bring them into play (ie, an aircraft 
  or unit with the planetfall ability). 
  Formations entering play in aircraft or from spacecraft can do so 
  on  any  turn,  following  the  rules  for  transport  aircraft  and 
  planetfall (see 4.2.5 & 4.4) Formations that are in reserve may not 
  carry out any game functions or use special abilities they may 
  have.
  6.1.7 Victory Conditions
  You must check to see if either player has won at the end of the 
  third and fourth game turns. If neither player has won at the end 
  of the fourth turn then the ‘tiebreaker’ rule is used to determine 
  the winner.
  Each player is trying to achieve five things known as goals. You 
  win if you have achieved two of these goals in the end phase of 
  turns three or four, and you have achieved more goals than your 
  opponent.  The  five  goals  are:  Blitzkrieg,  Break  Their  Spirit, 
  Defend The Flag, Take And Hold, and They Shall Not Pass.
  Blitzkrieg: You achieve this goal by capturing the objective that 
  was set up on the opponent’s table edge at the start of the game 
  (ie, the first objective each player set up).
  Break Their Spirit: You achieve this goal by destroying (not 
  breaking) the formation worth the most points in the opposing 
  army. If several formations are tied for the most points, you 
  achieve this goal by destroying any one of them.
  Defend To Flag: You achieve this goal if you control all three 
  objectives in your half of the table.
  Take And Hold: You achieve this goal by capturing a total of 
  two objectives in your opponent’s half of the table.
  They Shall Not Pass: You achieve this goal if there are no 
  unbroken enemy formations in your half of the table.
  If  neither  player  has  won  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  or  any 
  subsequent turn then both players roll a D6 to see if the game 
  carries on another turn or ends in a tiebreak. 
  If both players roll the same number then the game carries on for 
  another turn and the players must roll again at the end of the next 
  turn to see if the game ends or carries on another turn, and so on.
  If the players roll different numbers then the game ends in a 
  tiebreak. Each player scores a number of victory points equal to 
  the full points value of any enemy formations that have been 
  completely destroyed, plus the full points value of any enemy 
  formations that are broken and have been reduced to half strength 
  or less, plus half the value of any formation reduced to half 
  strength or less but is not broken, plus half the value of any 
  formation that is broken but is above half strength. Whoever has 
  the higher points score is the winner. For the purpose of this rule, 
  a formation’s ‘strength’ is equal to the number of units in the 
  formation  plus  the  (remaining)  damage  capacity  of  any  war 
  engines.
  125    
  
  6.2 TOURNAMENT ARMY LISTS
  “Do not throw your forces blindly into battle. Before committing 
  your forces, examine the situation. Review your own strength, 
  and that of your enemy. Remember your own objectives, and try 
  to anticipate those of your opponent. Then select those of your 
  troops best suited to the task in hand.”
  Imperium Tactica
  The following army  lists  are for the Space Marine,  Imperial 
  Guard and Ork armies. They are designed to work with the range 
  of models  produced  by Games  Workshop  for Epic, and  will 
  produce  a  closely  balanced  game  when  used  along  with  the 
  tournament game rules (see 6.1).
  Each army list covers a specific army that took part in the Third 
  Armageddon  War.  Although  each  army  list  is  based  on  one 
  particular fighting force, they are typical of many other similar 
  armies, and so all of these lists can be used as ‘stand in’ lists for 
  players that may already have collected an Epic army from a 
  previous edition of the rules. Over time we plan  to produce 
  additional army lists covering other armies from the Armageddon 
  war and other famous conflicts of the 41st Millennium.
  In order to use the army lists, you and your opponent must agree 
  upon a points total for the game that you will play, and then select 
  formations from the army lists that are equal to or less than this 
  value. For example, you might agree to play a 3,000 point game, 
  in which case you would both pick formations whose points value 
  comes to 3,000 points or less.
  The attached army lists provide points value for all of the models 
  available in the Epic range. The ‘counts as’ rule opposite will 
  make it easy for you to use non-standard models in your games, 
  and the appendices at the end of this book include sections on 
  how to use models that are no longer in production from older 
  versions of Epic in your games too. Our aim is to make it as easy 
  as possible for players to use all of the models in their collection 
  without receiving an unfair advantage by so doing, and as long as 
  you use the rules in this spirit you will find your games all the 
  better for it.
  Each army list is broken down into four parts:
  Background: A brief description of the army, its organisation, 
  and its part in the Third Armageddon War. 
  Using The Army List: This section tells you how to use the army 
  list, and covers the different types of formation used by the army 
  and how they can be selected from the list.
  The Army List: The army list describes the formations that can 
  be used in the army, the units that make up each formation, and 
  gives a points value for each  formation. It also includes the 
  army’s strategy rating and the initiative rating for any formations 
  in the army. The datasheets for all of the units in the armies in the 
  Epic Armageddon rulebook can be found in the Forces section 
  (see 5.0). A quick reference sheet for each army is included in the 
  appendices at the back of the rules.
      126
  Andy Chambers impressive Epic Ork army!
  
  127    
  SPECIAL RULE
  6.2.1 The ‘Counts As’ Rule
  You may if you wish decide that certain units in your army ‘count as’ something else from the army lists that is of 
  roughly the same size and function. This is especially useful if you are using old models that are no longer in the range  
  and therefore not covered in the army lists, or you are using models that are painted differently. For example, you might  
  have managed to lay your hands on some of the old metal Ork Squigoth models that we made many years ago but that 
  are now no longer in the range. Rather than leaving these models languishing on the shelf you could simply decide that 
  they ‘count as’ Ork Battlewagons, which are roughly the same size as a Squigoth and have a similar function. 
  Alternatively, you may have decided to use the Steel Legion army list to represent a different Imperial Guard regiment 
  with a very different colour scheme. Again, it would be a great shame not to be able to use your gorgeously painted 
  army, and the ‘counts as’ rule will allow you to do so. However, if you decide to use the ‘counts as’ rule, then there are 
  three very important things to bear in mind:
  • First of all, before the game starts you must tell your opponent that you have decided to use the ‘counts as’ rule, and  
  you must let him know what counts as what.
  • Secondly, this rule is here to allow you to use all the models in your collection, not as a method of fine-tuning your  
  army for every game that you play. Therefore you may not use the ‘counts as’ rule for units that are actually covered in 
  the army lists. For example, if you have a model of a Land Speeder, then you must use it as a Land Speeder and pay 
  the points for a Land Speeder; you could not use it as a Land Speeder Tornado, or a Predator, or any other unit for  
  that matter. By the same token, a Land Speeder Tornado must be used as a Land Speeder Tornado and can’t stand in 
  for any other units. This rule is included to prevent confusion and keep game play as even and balanced as possible. 
  Note that you can paint the unit in any way you like, you just can’t count it as a different unit from the list.
  • Finally, if you decide that any unit in your army ‘counts as’ something else, then all of that type of unit in your army 
  must count as the same thing. For example, if you decided that your old Squigoth model was a Battlewagon, then all 
  the Squigoths in your army would have to be Battlewagons – you couldn’t have one Squigoth as a Battlewagon, one as  
  a Gunwagon, and so on.
  
  6.3 CODEX ASTARTES SPACE
  MARINE ARMY LIST
  “The  Codex  Astartes  is  the  holy  tome  of  these  loyal  Battle 
  Brothers. The wisdom of the ancients is both scripture and the 
  unbending rod by which they are measured. In war, they are 
  fierce and as steadfast as those of old who stood beside the 
  Emperor and broke the Legions of Horus. In faith and valour 
  they are unmatched. The torches of their chapels burn bright with 
  flames  whose  holy  fire  has  shone  upon  an  unchanging 
  brotherhood for a hundred centuries. In their lives and in war, 
  the Codex Astartes is their guide.”
  Space Marines are the most powerful and dreaded of all of the 
  Imperium’s warriors. They are not human at all but superhuman, 
  having been made superior in all respects to a normal man by a 
  harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and 
  rigorous  training.  Space  Marines  are  organised  into  small 
  independent armies called Chapters, each of which is responsible 
  for its own recruitment, equipment, organisation and strategy.
  The  Codex  Astartes  is  a  massive  tome  that  describes  the 
  organisation, tactical operation, and countless other aspects of 
  Space  Marine  doctrine.  Subjects  as  diverse  as  religious 
  instruction and strategic supply are all covered in great detail 
  within its thousands of holo-pages. The Codex Astartes amounts 
  to an authorative guide to waging war in any number of ways on 
  countless different types of world. The majority of Space Marine 
  chapters follow its teachings as if they were holy writ.
  Fighting Units
  The organisation of the fighting units of Space Marines was laid 
  down by the High Lords of Terra following the reformation of the 
  Space  Marine  Chapters  after  the  Horus  Heresy.  The  rules 
  governing Space Marine organisation and numbers are called the 
  Codex Astartes.
  Although not drawn up until the Emperor’s incarceration, the 
  Codex Astartes is commonly taken as his work. During the ten 
  thousand years since the original Codex Astartes, many Chapters 
  have  introduced  their  own  variations.  In  some  cases  their 
  organisation  and  equipment  differs  completely from the rigid 
  dictates of the Codex Astartes. However, in most cases, today’s 
  Space Marines follow the broad organisational rules laid down 
  ten thousand years ago. A few chapters regard the Codex Astartes 
  as a holy text, and stick rigidly to its contents, regarding any 
  deviation as tantamount to heresy. The organisation described 
  next is that of the Codex Astartes, and it may be regarded as the 
  normal organisational pattern of Space Marines.
  Space Marines are divided into companies, the exact number of 
  which varies from Chapter to Chapter but is typically ten. A 
  company is led by a Space Marine Captain. There are ten squads 
  to a company, and each squad consists of nine Space Marines 
  plus a Space Marine Sergeant.
  The First Company is made up from the oldest and most battle-
  hardened Space Marines. It  is the senior and most respected 
  company, and its members use Terminator armour as well as 
  other Space Marine equipment.
      128
  
  The Tenth Company forms a training company. and is comprised 
  of Scout squads. Its sergeants are older veterans but its fighting 
  Space Marines are the Chapter’s least experienced warriors. After 
  a period in the training company, Space Marines are allotted to 
  other companies to replace battle casualties.
  Individual Space Marines are trained to use all equipment, but in 
  battle  each  squad  is  equipped  in  one  of  three  ways:  as  a 
  Devastator  squad,  an  Assault  squad,  or  a  Tactical  squad. 
  Devastator  squads  use  a  high  proportion  of  heavy  weapons; 
  Assault squads carry close combat weapons; Tactical squads are 
  used in a general combat role.
  The squads that make up a company are organised into ad-hoc 
  formations called detachments when they undertake a mission. 
  Although a detachment can theoretically include any of the units 
  from a chapter, the Codex Astartes details a number of standard 
  detachments which it recommends be used in most circumstances.
  The Codex Chapters
  Not  all  Chapters  follow  the  strict  organisational  and  tactical 
  guidelines of the Codex Astartes. Those that do are sometimes 
  referred to as Codex Chapters. These Space Marines adhere to the 
  Codex  as  the  model  for  their  organisation  and  identification 
  markings. Of all the Codex Chapters’ the oldest and most famous 
  is  the  Ultramarines,  the  Chapter  of  the  Primarch  Roboute 
  Guilliman  himself.  Many  of  the  other  Codex  Chapters  are 
  descended from the Ultramarines’ genetic line.
  Most Chapters do not stick so rigidly to the Codex patterns laid 
  down either for organisation, tactical roles, or other processes. 
  Many Chapters are largely organised according to the Codex but 
  have slight variations, such as the Blood Angels and Dark Angels, 
  for example. A small number of chapters are utterly different 
  from the Codex and owe nothing to it at all. The most famous of 
  these Chapters is the Space Wolves. The Space Wolves have 
  never followed the Codex, their strong willed Primarch moulded 
  his Chapter very much in his own image, irrespective of other 
  influences.  The Adeptus  Terra has  never  felt  it  necessary  to 
  enforce the Codex absolutely. Indeed it is doubtful if it could. 
  However, with subsequent foundings they have always favoured 
  the Ultramarines’ gene-seed and created new Codex Chapters 
  from their line. With the passage of years, some of these chapters 
  have subsequently strayed from the strict letter of the Codex, 
  introducing new variations but remaining broadly faithful to the 
  principles of Roboute Guilliman.
  129    
  
  Using The Army List
  The following army list allows you to field an army based on one 
  of the Space Marine Chapters that closely follows the teachings 
  of the Codex Astartes. It can also be used as a ‘stand in’ army list 
  for other Space Marine Chapters that do not follow the Codex 
  Astartes,  such  as  the Blood  Angels,  Dark  Angels  and  Space 
  Wolves.
  Space  Marines  are  organised  into  small  formations  called 
  detachments. Each detachment is made up of three or more units, 
  and may also include a number of extra units called upgrades.
  The detachments that may be taken in a Codex Astartes army are 
  shown on the chart that follows. The chart also shows what units 
  comprise the detachment, what upgrades are allowed, and its 
  points cost. For example, an Assault detachment consists of four 
  Space Marine Assault units for 175 points, and may include the 
  Commander and Vindicator upgrades at an additional cost in 
  points.
  Each upgrade that is taken adds to the cost of the detachment, as 
  shown on the upgrade chart. The upgrade chart also lists the units 
  that make up the upgrade. Note that these will sometimes replace 
  units in the detachment they are taken for, and sometimes takes 
  the form of additional units for the detachment. Each upgrade 
  may  be  taken  once  per  formation.  For  example,  an  Assault 
  detachment could include one Commander and one Vindicator. If 
  both were taken it would cost 175 + 50 +75 = 300 points
  Codex  Astartes  Space  Marine  armies  may  be  supported  by 
  Imperial  Navy  aircraft  and  Titan  Legion  battle  groups.  A 
  maximum of up to a third of the points available to the army may 
  be spent on these formations.
      130
  SPECIAL RULE
  6.3.1 Space Marine Transports
  The  Space  Marines  are  a  highly  mobile  army. 
  Because of this, the points cost of a detachment 
  usually includes enough Rhino transport vehicles to 
  transport it and any upgrades that have been taken. 
  The number of Rhinos will always be the minimum 
  needed to carry the formation, you can’t take extras 
  along to cover any losses!
  Note that  many formations  don’t  receive Rhinos, 
  usually  because  they  can’t  fit  into  them. 
  Detachments that come with Rhinos will be noted as 
  having ‘plus transport’ in the units section of the 
  army list opposite.
  Also note that you don’t have to take Rhinos if you  
  don’t want to. If you’d rather field the formation on 
  foot instead, so it can act as a garrison for example, 
  or be transported in a Thunderhawk Gunship, then 
  you may do so. 
  In  addition,  you  may  choose  to  replace  a 
  detachment’s Rhinos with Drop Pods. If you do this 
  then the detachment will enter play in a Drop Pod 
  using the rules for planetfall (see section 4.4). Note 
  that if you choose to do this you will also require at 
  least  one  Space  Marine  Strike  Cruiser  or  Battle 
  Barge to deploy the drop pods from.
  
  131    
  CODEX ASTARTES ARMY LIST
  Codex Astartes Space Marine armies have a strategy rating of 5. All Space Marine and Titan Legion formations have 
  an initiative rating of 1+. Imperial Navy aircraft formations have an initiative rating of 2+. The ‘They Shall Know No 
  Fear’ rule applies to all Space Marine formations (see 5.1.1).
  SPACE MARINE DETACHMENTS
  DETACHMENT
  UNITS
  UPGRADES ALLOWED
  POINTS COST
  Assault
  Four Assault units
  Commander, Vindicator
  175 points
  Bike
  Five Bike units
  Commander, Attack Bike
  200 points
  Devastator
  Four Devastator units plus transport
  Commander, Razorbacks, Dreadnought, Hunter, 
  Land Raider
  250 points
  Land Raider
  Four Land Raiders
  Commander, Hunter, Vindicator
  400 points
  Land Speeder
  Five Land Speeders
  Commander, Typhoon/Tornado
  200 points
  Landing Craft
  One Landing Craft
  None
  350 points
  Predators
  Four Predators (may choose either Annihilators 
  or Destructors or a combination of the two)
  Commander, Hunter, Vindicator
  300 points
  Scout
  Four Scout units plus transport
  Commander, Razorbacks, Sniper
  150 points
  Strike Cruiser
  One Strike Cruiser
  Battle Barge
  200 points
  Tactical
  Six Tactical units plus transport
  Commander, Dreadnought, Razorbacks, Hunter, 
  Vindicator
  300 points
  Terminator
  Four Terminator units
  Commander, Land Raiders, Dreadnought, 
  Vindicator
  325 points
  Thunderhawk
  One Thunderhawk Gunship.
  None
  200 points
  Vindicator
  Four Vindicators
  Commander, Hunter
  300 points
  Whirlwind
  Four Whirlwinds
  Commander, Hunter
  300 points
  SPACE MARINE UPGRADES
  UPGRADE
  UNITS
  POINTS COST
  Attack Bike
  Replace any number of Bike units with 1 Attack Bike each
  Free
  Battle Barge
  Replace Strike Cruiser with Battle Barge
  150 points
  Commander
  Add one Space Marine Commander character to a unit in the formation. The Commander may 
  be a Captain, Librarian or Chaplain. One Space Marine Commander in the army may be a 
  Supreme Commander
  50 points
  (+50 points if
  Supreme Commander)
  Dreadnought
  Add one or two Dreadnoughts
  50 points each
  Hunter
  Add one Hunter
  75 points
  Land Raiders
  Add up to four Land Raiders
  100 points each
  Razorbacks
  Add any number of Razorbacks, up to the number required to transport the formation
  +25 points per Razorback
  Sniper
  One Scout unit may be given the Sniper ability
  +25 points
  Typhoon/
  Tornado
  Replace any number of Land Speeders with 1 Land Speeder Tornado or Typhoon each
  +25 points per Typhoon
  +10 points per Tornado
  Vindicator
  Add one or two Vindicators
  75 points each
  TITAN LEGION BATTLEGROUPS 
  FORMATION
  COST
  One Warlord Class Titan
  850 points
  One Reaver Class Titan
  650 points
  One to Two Warhound Titans
  250 points each
  IMPERIAL NAVY AIRCRAFT
  FORMATION
  COST
  Two Thunderbolt Fighters
  150 points
  Two Marauder Bombers
  300 points
  
  6.4 ARMAGEDDON STEEL LEGION
  ARMY LIST
  “Strike fast and suddenly. Attack without warning. Secure victory 
  before the foe is aware of his danger. Remember always, a war is 
  easily won if your enemy does not know he is fighting.”
  Lord General Solar Macharius
  The  Imperial  Guard  is  the  largest  and  most  diverse  military 
  organisation the galaxy has ever seen. Numbering in the billions 
  and equipped with armoured vehicles, Artillery antiaircraft and all 
  the other adjuncts of armoured warfare, the Imperial Guard forms 
  both the hammer and the anvil of the Imperium’s military might.
  The Regiments of Armageddon
  The regiments that make up the Imperial Guard are raised on 
  different planets all across the Imperium, and because of this they 
  do  not  wear  standardised  uniforms,  follow  identical  tactical 
  doctrines,  or  all  use  exactly  the  same  sort  of  equipment. 
  Regiments raised on the jungle Death World of Catachan, for 
  example, tend to be lightly equipped assault troops, while those 
  from the Agri-world of Atilla are mainly Rough Riders. Those 
  raised on Armageddon make use of the planet’s vast industrial 
  might  to  provide  plentiful  armoured  fighting  vehicles,  and 
  because of this they have become famous across the galaxy as 
  Armageddon’s steel legions.
  Armageddon has a massive population and is capable of raising a 
  large number of Imperial Guard regiments in time of war. In the 
  fighting  taking  place  on  Armageddon  following  Ghazkghul’s 
  invasion, well over one hundred of the regiments fighting had 
  been  raised on Armageddon  itself,  and they form  by far the 
  largest contingent of the Imperial Guard forces fighting on the 
  planet.
  Armageddon is often called upon to raise regiments for major 
  battles and campaigns all over the Armageddon sector. Regiments 
  that fight off-world like this are called ‘tithed regiments’, after the 
  process whereby each world in the Imperium is required to offer 
  up  at  least  10%  of  the  troops  it  raises  and  trains  to  the 
  Departmento Munitorum for incorporation in the Imperial Guard.
  Tithed  regiments are supplemented  by troops raised  on other 
  worlds that are not found on Armageddon, such as Ratlings or 
  Ogryns,  as  well  as  certain  types  of  vehicle  that  are  not 
  manufactured on the planet. Many of these tithed regiments have 
  been recalled to the planet during the Third Armageddon War, so 
  a good proportion of Steel Legion regiments include troops not 
  found on Armageddon itself. 
  This said, the bulk of the Steel Legion regiments fighting on 
  Armageddon  have  never  left  the  planet  and  are  part  of  the 
  Armageddon Planetary Defence Force. These regiments differ 
  slightly from tithed regiments in the mix of units that they use, 
  generally having no off-world auxilia or vehicles. 
  Regimental Organisation
  Regiments raised on Armageddon consists of twelve companies 
  made up of a mix of infantry, artillery, armour and mechanised 
  infantry companies. Although some regiments only include one 
  type of company, the bulk are combined arms forces that include 
  a mix of companies. However, the highly industrialised nature of 
  Armageddon means that a far higher proportion than normal are 
  mechanised infantry, and it’s not uncommon for over 90% of a 
  regiment to be made up of such units. It is for this reason that 
      132
  
  regiments  raised  on  Armageddon  for  the  Imperial  Guard  are 
  commonly known as Armageddon Steel Legions.
  At full strength, infantry and mechanised infantry companies in 
  Steel Legion regiments consist of a command section comprising 
  a captain and his support staff, one fire support platoon with 10 
  heavy weapons teams, and three infantry platoons each with 50 
  men including 5 heavy weapon teams. This means that a full-
  strength company will number 175 men. However the casualties 
  suffered during a campaign will quickly reduce the strength of a 
  company, and it is not uncommon for a company’s fire support 
  platoon  to  be  detached  from  the  company  for  special  duties 
  elsewhere. Because of this most ‘companies’ in a Steel Legion 
  regiment will be little larger than one of the platoons in a newly 
  raised formation.
  Tank and artillery companies in a Steel Legion regiment consist 
  of a command vehicle and three squadrons (in Tank companies) 
  or batteries (in the artillery) with three vehicles each. Tank and 
  artillery companies are much more likely to operate at their full 
  strength, as they are usually only directly engaged by the enemy 
  in major battles with the result that they are either operating at 
  full strength or have suffered such heavy casualties that they need 
  to be withdrawn from front-line duty and amalgamated with other 
  similarly  battered  formations.  Artillery,  in  particular,  either 
  survives a battle unscathed or is overrun or wiped out.
  As already noted, the most common type of company found in 
  regiments  raised  on  Armageddon  are  mechanised  infantry 
  companies, sometimes referred to as armoured fist companies. 
  These are similar in many respects to normal Imperial Guard 
  infantry companies, except that all of the infantry that would 
  normally have to move around on foot are provided with Chimera 
  armoured transport vehicles. Mechanised infantry companies are 
  normally quite rare in the Imperial Guard, as it is difficult for 
  most planetary governors to obtain and maintain the vehicles for 
  such a formation. However, Armageddon is one of the chief 
  manufacturing planets for Chimeras, producing several hundred 
  every  day  for use  all  across  the Imperium.  Because of this, 
  infantry units raised on Armageddon are routinely equipped with 
  Chimeras.
  It is important not to overstate the number of mechanised infantry 
  companies  in  each  Steel  Legion  regiment.  While  its  not 
  uncommon for them to make up 90% of a regiment’s companies, 
  it is equally likely they account for less than a quarter of the units 
  available, especially in Armageddon Steel Legion regiments that 
  were raised as part of the Armageddon Planetary Defence Force. 
  Battlefield  attrition  can  also  be  very  high  amongst  lightly 
  protected vehicles like Chimeras, and there have been numerous 
  cases in the Armageddon campaign where a regiment has lost 
  almost all of its Chimeras in battle, and has been reduced to using 
  what  were  once  mechanised  infantry  companies  as  plain  old 
  infantry.
  133    
  
  Using The Army List
  The following army list allows you to field an Imperial Guard 
  army that is based on an Armageddon Steel Legion regiment. It 
  can also be used as a ‘stand in’ army list for other Imperial Guard 
  regiments, such as Cadian Shock Troops, Mordian Iron Guard or 
  Valhallen Ice Warriors, among many others. Note that we have 
  based the number of units in the infantry formations on what will 
  be found in a typical field formation, rather than what is found in 
  a full-strength company when first enlisted.
  Steel  Legion  formations  come  in  two  types:  companies  and 
  support  formations.  Each  company  you  include  in  the  army 
  allows you to field any two support formations. Although you can 
  only take a support formation if you first take a company, they are 
  treated as separate independent formations during a battle and do 
  not have to move around together. For example, taking a Steel 
  Legion Tank Company would entitle you to take two formations 
  from  the  support  formation  chart.  If  you  decided  to  take an 
  artillery battery then it and the tank company would operate as 
  two seperate formations.
  In  addition,  companies  may  be  given  up  to  three  company 
  upgrades. Each type of upgrade can only be taken once by a 
  company (ie, an infantry company could have an Ogryn and a 
  Sniper  upgrade,  but  not  two  Sniper  upgrades).  Upgrades  are 
  added to the company and are not a separate formation. Support 
  formations may not be given company upgrades. Each upgrade 
  that is taken adds to the cost of the company, as shown on the 
  upgrade chart. For example, if you took a Tank Company and 
  added a mechanised infantry platoon to it as an upgrade, then the 
  cost of the tank company would be 650 + 100 +75 (for the 
  Chimera) = 825 points. Note that you may take any type of 
  upgrade for any type of company; so, for example, if you want to 
  include a platoon of Leman Russ tanks in an infantry company or 
  snipers in a Tank Company then you may do so.
  Imperial  Navy  aircraft  and  Titan  Legion  battle  groups  may 
  support Steel Legion Imperial Guard armies. A maximum of up to 
  a third of the points available to the army may be spent on these 
  formations.
      134
  SPECIAL RULE
  6.4.1 Commissars
  A Steel Legion Imperial Guard army may include 
  2D6 Commissar characters. The Commissars do 
  not cost any points. If the dice roll exceeds the 
  number of Commissar units that a player has 
  available then any excess is lost.
  Roll to see how many Commissar units a player 
  may add to their army at the start of the battle 
  before either side sets up. If the army includes a 
  Supreme Commander than the first Commissar 
  must be attached to the Supreme Commander’s 
  formation.  Any  further  Commissars  may  be 
  attached to any other formations. You may not 
  include more than one Commissar per formation. 
  If you have more Commissars than formations 
  any excess is lost.
  
  135    
  STEEL LEGION ARMY LIST
  Steel Legion Imperial Guard armies have a strategy rating of 2. Steel Legion Imperial Guard formations and Imperial 
  Navy aircraft formations have an initiative rating of 2+. Titans have an initiative rating of 1+.
  STEEL LEGION COMPANIES
  COMPANY
  UNITS
  POINTS COST
  Regimental HQ
  (only one allowed)
  One Supreme Command unit, twelve Imperial Guard Infantry units, 
  and seven Chimera transport vehicles (one for Commander)
  500 points
  Steel Legion
  Infantry Company
  Imperial Guard Command unit plus twelve Imperial
  Guard Infantry units
  250 points
  Steel Legion Mechanised
  Infantry Company
  Imperial Guard Command unit, twelve Imperial Guard Infantry units,
  and seven Chimera transport vehicles (one for Commander)
  400 points
  Steel Legion
  Tank Company
  Ten Leman Russ tanks. One Leman Russ may be upgraded
  to a Vanquisher command tank at no additional cost
  650 points
  Steel Legion Super-heavy
  Tank Company
  Three Baneblades or Shadowswords, 
  or any combination of the two
  500 points
  Steel Legion
  Artillery Company
  Nine Artillery units chosen from the following list:
  Basilisk, Manticore
  650 points
  TITAN LEGION BATTLEGROUPS 
  FORMATION
  COST
  One Warlord Class Titan
  850 points
  One Reaver Class Titan
  650 points
  One to Two Warhound Titans
  250 points each
  IMPERIAL NAVY AIRCRAFT
  FORMATION
  COST
  Two Thunderbolt Fighters
  150 points
  Two Marauder Bombers
  300 points
  STEEL LEGION SUPPORT FORMATION
  (Two may be taken per Steel Legion Company)
  UPGRADE
  UNITS
  POINTS COST
  Rough Rider Platoon
  Six Rough Rider units
  150 points
  Storm Trooper Platoo
  Eight Storm Trooper units
  (may have four Valkyrie transport vehicles)
  200 points
  (+150 points)
  Steel Legion Artillery Battery
  Three units of the same type chosen from the following list:
  Basilisk, Bombard, Manticore
  250 points
  Sentinel Squadron
  Four Sentinels
  100 points
  0-1 Deathstrike Missile Battery
  Two Deathstrike Missile Launchers
  200 points
  Super-heavy Tank Platoon
  One Baneblade or Shadowsword
  200 points
  Orbital Support
  One Imperial Navy Lunar class cruiser
  OR one Emperor class Battleship
  150 points
  300 points
  Flak Battery
  Three Hydra
  150 points
  Vulture Squadron
  Four Vultures
  300 points
  STEEL LEGION COMPANY UPGRADES
  (Three may be taken per Steel Legion Company)
  UPGRADE
  UNITS
  POINTS COST
  Fire Support Platoon
  Four Fire Support*
  100 points
  Infantry Platoon
  Six Infantry units*
  100 points
  Tank Squadron
  Three Leman Russ or three Leman Russ Demolisher
  200 points
  Hellhound Squadron
  Three Hellhounds
  150 points
  Griffon Battery
  Three Griffons
  100 points
  Snipers
  Two Snipers*
  50 points
  Ogryns
  Two Ogryns*
  50 points
  Flak
  One Hydra
  50 points
  * These unit’s formations may have Chimera transport vehicles. Each Chimera costs 25 points. You must take enough Chimera to transport the 
  whole formation if any are taken, but you may not take more than one Chimera per unit in the formation.
  
  6.5 GHAZGHKULL MAG URUK
  THRAKA’S ORK WAR HORDE ARMY LIST
  “I'm da hand of Gork and Mork, dey sent me to rouse up da boyz 
  to crush and kill ‘cos da boyz forgot what dere ‘ere for. I woz one 
  of da boyz till da godz smashed me in da ‘ead an’ I ‘membered 
  dat Orks is meant to conquer and make slaves of everyfing they 
  don’t kill.
  I’m da profit of da Waaagh an’ whole worlds burn in my boot 
  prints. On Armour-Geddem, I led da boyz through da fire deserts 
  and smashed da humies’ metal cities to scrap. I fought Yarik, old 
  one-eye at Tarturus, an’ he fought good but we smashed iz city 
  too.
  I’m death to anyfing dat walks or crawls, where I go nothin’ 
  stands in my way. We crushed da stunties on Golgotha, an’ we 
  caught old one-eye when da speed freeks blew da humies’ big 
  tanks ta bits. I let ‘im go ‘cause good enemies iz ‘ard to find, an 
  Orks need enemies ta fight like they need meat ta eat an’ grog ta 
  drink.
  I iz more cunnin’ than a grot an’ more killy than a dread, da boyz 
  dat follow me can’t be beat. On Pissenah we jumped da marine-
  boyz an’ our bosspoles was covered in da helmets we took from 
  da dead ‘uns. We burned dere port an’ killed dere bosses an’ left 
  nothin’ but ruins behind.
  I’m Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka an’ I speak wiv da 
  word of da gods. We iz gonna stomp da ‘ooniverse flat an’ kill 
  anyfing that fights back. We iz gonna do this coz’ we’re Orks an’ 
  we was made ta fight an’ win!”
  Graffiti on Warlord Titan wreckage found
  by Dark Angels at Westerisle, Piscina IV
  Orks are a tough, brutal and remarkably successful race, and rank 
  amongst the most powerful warriors in the whole galaxy. They 
  control a significant  part of known  space,  but this sprawling 
  territory is divided amongst thousands of individual Ork warlords. 
  Were Orkdom ever to unite against the Imperium it is unlikely 
  that humanity would survive very long.
  It is for this reason that Ghazghkul Thraka represents such a 
  potent threat to the Imperium, as he seems to be able to unit the 
  warring Ork tribes in a way that no Ork leader has ever been able 
  to achieve before. Two of the most deadly Waaaghs the Imperium 
  have faced were led by Ghazghkull. After suffering a nasty head 
  wound, he became convinced he had been chosen by Gork and 
  Mork to unite the whole of Orkdom and bring the galaxy under 
  the heel of he greenskins. His rise to prominance was nothing 
  short of meteoric, going from a simple warrior in the mob to 
  being Warlord commanding thousands of Orks in a startlingly 
  short time.
  Normally rival warlords are fiercely competitive and spend much 
  of their time fighting each other. However, they all hold an innate 
  desire to gather as many boyz together as possible and lead a 
  huge Waaagh against their greatest enemies. The Waaagh is a sort 
  of crusade – the Orks stop fighting each other and decide to 
  stomp someone else instead! This overriding urge to expand and 
  conquer is a natural part of the Orks’ psychological make-up, and 
  has greatly contributed to their success as a race.
  All Orks are slightly psychic, so very potent ideas tend to filter 
  from one Ork to another. When a warlord gets really powerful 
  other Orks sense it and flock to join him, increasing his power 
  and  encouraging  more  and  more  Boyz  to  join  the  growing 
  Waaagh. As Ork Boyz from nearby worlds gather they form into 
  huge armies ready to do battle.
      136
  
  Mekboyz, the engineers and inventors of the Orkish race, also 
  sense that something is brewing, and begin to build huge fighting 
  machines in readiness for the coming war. At the very core of the 
  Waaagh lies the construction of the gigantic war engines known 
  as  Gargants.  Each  Gargant  is  a  towering  war  machine  with 
  awesome destructive powers.  It is also  a titanic,  mechanical, 
  fighting, fire-belching idol made in the image of the Ork gods, 
  and building Gargants is thus very much an act of worship for the 
  Orks. The Ork war gods, Mork and Gork, epitomise the Orkish 
  character on a vast scale, being big, carefree, boisterous beings 
  that leave a trail of destruction in their wake. War, conquest, 
  migration, endless feuds, the din of weapons and the war cries of 
  countless Orks are but the crude games and raucous laughter of 
  the Ork gods of war.
  Ghazgkhull’s War Horde is typical of these large Ork armies. It 
  includes Orks from several hundred tribes gathered from over a 
  hundred planets, and includes members of all of the major Ork 
  clans, and quite a few minor ones too! The Boyz in the horde are 
  backed up by prodigious numbers of Grot orderlies and Grot Big 
  Gun mobs, and the most inventive and dangerous Mekaniaks in 
  all Orkdom labour day and night to provide Ghazgkhull with the 
  most potent and dangerous Gargants belonging to any warlord in 
  the Waaagh.
  Ghazghkull’s first invasion was stopped and he was assumed 
  slain. As is now very well-known, this was not true, and he has 
  proved to be the most dangerous of Ork leaders, one with both 
  drive  and  ability  in  abundance.  Now  he  has  returned  to 
  Armageddon  after  decades  of  planning  and  testing  the 
  Imperium’s  defences.  If  Armgeddon  falls,  Ghazghkull  could 
  unify  Orks  across  the  entire  sementum  into  an  unstoppable 
  Waaagh that might threaten Earth itself!
  137    
  
  How To Use The Army List
  Unlike the very rigid formations used  by the Imperium, Ork 
  formations vary widely in both size and composition. The rules 
  for creating Ork formations reflect this. The most common type 
  of  Ork  formation  is  the  warband.  Other  more  specialised 
  formations do exist, suchas Kults of Speed and Blitz Brigades. 
  The different types of Ork formation you may choose are shown 
  on the army list that follows.
  The army list includes the following information:
  Type: The name of the formation.
  Core Units: The units that make up the formation. An Ork player 
  can  choose  to  double  or  triple  the  number  of  units  in  the 
  formation if he wishes. A formation with double the normal 
  number of units is called a big formation, and a formation with 
  three times the normal number of units is called a ‘uge formation.
  Cost: Most Ork formations have three values. The first value is 
  the cost for the basic formation, the second is its cost if it is a big 
  formation, and the third value is its cost if it is a ‘uge formation. 
  If the formation only has one cost then it may not be increased in 
  size. Up to one third of the points available to an Ork army can be 
  spent on aircraft and Gargants.
  Extra Units: An Ork formation may include any of the extra 
  units listed in the ‘Extras’ column. You may include any number 
  of  extra  units  in  a  formation  unless  it  is  specifically  noted 
  otherwise. If there is a limitation then the limit is doubled for a 
  big formation and tripled for a ‘uge formation. For example, a 
  normal sized Kult of Speed can include 0-1 Oddboy, a big Kult of 
  Speed can include 0-2, and a ‘uge Kult of Speed can include 0-3. 
  All of the core, extra, and free units in an Ork formation count as 
  being part of one large formation. The different units may not 
  move off on their own.
  Battlefortresses & Gunfortresses: In tournament games, these 
  units may only transport units from their own formation (ie, the 
  rules for War Engine transports do not apply to them when using 
  the tournament army lists).
      138
  SPECIAL RULE
  6.5.1 Ork Warlords
  Every  Ork  army  must  include  a  Supreme 
  Command  character  called  a  Warlord.  The 
  Warlord character is free, you don’t have to pay 
  any points for it. If the army includes any Great 
  Gargants, then the Warlord must be placed in 
  one of them. If there are no Great Gargants in the 
  army then the Warlord will join a Nobz or a 
  Gargant unit.
  
  139    
  GHAZGKHULL MAG URUK THRAKA’S
  WAR HORDE
  Ork armies have a strategy rating of 3. All Ork formations have an initiative rating of 3+, but receive modifiers 
  depending on the action chosen when taking an action test, or the size of the warband when rallying (see 5.5.1 and 
  5.5.2).
  COST PER FORMATION
  TYPE
  CORE UNITS
  NORMAL
  BIG
  'UGE
  EXTRAS
  Warband
  Two Nobz and six Ork Boyz 
  and two Grotz
  200
  350
  500
  Any number of the following for +25 points each:
  Boyz (+ an optional free Grot per Boy unit ), 
  Stormboyz, Kommandos, Buggies, Warbikes, 
  Skorchas, Big Gunz, Killa
  Kans
  Any number of the following for +35 points each:
  Battlewagonz, Deth Koptas, Dreadnoughts, 
  Flakwagons,
  Gunwagons
  Up to two Nobz for +35 points each
  Up to one Oddboy character for +50 points
  Any number of Stompas for +75 points each
  Any number of Battlefortress for +125 points each
  Any number of Gunfortress for +135 points each
  Stormboyz 
  Warhorde
  Six Stormboyz
  150
  n/a
  n/a
  Any number of the following for +25 points each:
  Stormboyz, Kommandos, Buggies, Warbikes, 
  Skorchas 
  Any number of Deth Koptas for +35 points each
  Kult Of Speed
  Any eight of the
  following units:
  Buggies, Warbikes, 
  Skorchas.
  200
  350
  500
  Any number of the following for +25 points each:
  Buggies, Warbikes, Skorchas
  Any number of the following for +35 points each:
  Gunwagons, Deth Koptas, Flakwagonz
  Up to one Oddboy character for +50 points
  Blitz Brigade
  Any four of the following 
  units:
  Gunwagons, Deth Koptas, 
  Flakwagonz
  150
  250
  350
  Any number of the following for +25 points each:
  Buggies, Warbikes, Skorchas
  Any number of the following for +35 points each:
  Gunwagons, Deth Koptas, Flakwagonz
  Up to one Oddboy character for +50 points
  Up to one Gunfortress for +135 points each
  Mekboy 
  Stompamob
  Three Stompas
  225
  n/a
  n/a
  Any number of Killa Kanz for +25 points each
  Any number of the following for +35 points each:
  Dreadnoughts, Flakwagons
  Any number of Stompas for +75 points each
  Up to one Supa-Stompa for 250 points
  Mekboy 
  Gunzmob
  Five Big Gunz
  125
  225
  325
  Any number of Big Gunz for +25 points each
  Any number of the following for +35 points each:
  Battlewagonz, Flakwagons
  Up to one Nobz for +35 points
  Up to one Oddboy character for +50 points
  Fighta Sqwadron Three Fighta-Bommers
  150
  n/a
  n/a
  Up to six Fighta-bommers for +50 points each
  Ork Landa
  Ork Landa
  200
  n/a
  n/a
  None
  Kill Kroozer
  One Kill Kroozer
  200
  n/a
  n/a
  May be upgraded to Ork Battlekroozer for +50 points
  Gargant
  One Gargant
  650
  n/a
  n/a
  None
  Great Gargant
  One Great Gargant
  850
  n/a
  n/a
  None
  
  6.6 SCENARIOS
  “Well, I never expected that to happen…”
  Last words of Colonel Einz
  The  pre-defined  and  slightly  abstracted  nature  of  tournament 
  games is not for everybody, and many players prefer to play Epic 
  in a way that allows them to really explore all of the possibilities 
  presented by the game’s background. If you are one of those 
  players, or if you are someone like the author who enjoys playing 
  both tournament games and scenarios, then this section is for you. 
  In it we describe how you can devise your own scenarios, and we 
  also provide half-a-dozen or so scenarios that we have devised 
  and which are presented here as examples of what can be done.
  We are using the term scenario here in its broadest possible sense, 
  to cover any game that is not a tournament game. Many players 
  imagine scenarios  to  be  something  that  comes  with  a  bit  of 
  historical background, a list of the forces involved, some special 
  rules, and a set of victory conditions – like the training scenarios 
  presented earlier in this book. In actual fact they can be anything 
  that provides a context for a game that you play using the Epic 
  rules and Epic models. Thus saying “Let’s just set up all our Epic 
  models on the living room floor and keep on playing until one 
  side is dead!” is every bit as much a scenario as a carefully 
  worked out reconstruction of the assault on the Emperor’s Palace 
  – and somewhat easier to organise and play to boot!
  Getting Started
  While the freedom of choice that scenarios allow is what makes 
  playing  them  so  much  fun,  it  can  also  make  them  quite 
  intimidating. There are just so many possibilities one doesn’t 
  know where to start! Because of this, is it much better to begin by 
  creating scenarios that are as simple as possible. Trust me, you’ll 
  quickly build up to more ambitious projects.  In the author’s 
  experience, the easiest way to create a new scenario is simply to 
  come up with a new set of victory conditions to use with the 
  tournament game rules. Simply changing the victory conditions 
  can have a profound effect on the way that the game plays, and by 
  concentrating on this it means you don’t have to worry about 
  other things like special force lists, special rules or special terrain.
  Although tinkering with the tournament game victory conditions 
  is the easiest way to go about create your own scenarios, you do 
  need to be aware that the victory conditions you come up with 
  can  affect the balance of the game.  There are exceptions of 
  course, for example, the first two or three training scenarios are as 
  about an even game as you could imagine, but generally one side 
  or the other will have slightly more chance of winning than the 
  other.  This  scares  a  lot  of  players,  especially  inexperienced 
  players who haven’t had the chance to learn that losing a game 
  played with toy soldiers really doesn’t matter all that much in the 
  cosmic scale of things. This isn’t to say that scenarios should be 
  completely one-sided, just that they don’t need to be a completely 
  even 50-50 proposition for each side. To be honest once you’ve 
  played a few scenarios the whole idea of them needing to be 
  balanced will seem slightly ludicrous, as you’ll have learnted that 
  losing an interesting scenario can be every bit as much fun as 
  winning a perfectly balanced tournament game.
  None the less, if this kind of thing worries you then it is best to 
  start off by playing scenarios that are as even as you can make 
  them. A good way  of doing  this  is  to take a leaf from the 
  tournament  game rules,  and  come up  with  a  scenario  where 
  victory conditions ‘mirror’ each other and are the same for both 
  sides. If you do this and also allow players to pick their forces 
  from the tournament army lists, then you can be pretty certain that 
  the game will be an even contest for both sides. The trick with 
  this type of game is to come up with a way of setting up and 
  winning that is different enough to the tournament game set-up 
  rules and victory conditions to create an interesting game. After 
  all, if you set up in more or less the same way as the tournament 
  game  and  the  victory  conditions  are  similar  to  those  in  the 
  tournament game, and you are using the tournament game army 
  lists, then you might as well play the tournament game anyway!
  Coming up with alternative ways of setting up or winning is 
  really not all that hard at all. One good source of inspiration are 
  the  ‘Standard  Missions’  in  Epic’s  sister  game  Warhammer 
  40,000. The standard scenarios are designed to be as easy to play 
  as ‘pick-up’ games, and because of this they use even-point forces 
  and mirrored victory conditions. The Cleanse mission is one of 
  the most commonly played, and transfers extremely easily into 
  Epic. In Cleanse, the table is divided into four equal quarters, and 
  the players’ armies set up in opposite quarters at least 18” (45cms 
  in Epic) apart. The game is played for a set number of turns 
  (about four would be right for Epic), and the player that controls 
  the most table quarters at the end of the game is declared the 
  winner.  To  control  a  quarter  you  must  have  an  unbroken 
  formation that is over half strength in the area, and your opponent 
  must not. With a bit of common sense it is possible to transfer the 
  other  Warhammer  40,000  standard  scenarios  to  Epic  just  as 
  easily.
  The Escalating Engagement scenario presented on the opposite 
  page is another example of a fairly well balanced scenario that 
  uses  the  tournament  army  lists  and  has  mirrored  victory 
  conditions. We say ‘fairly well’ balanced, as it’s important to note 
  that both the Cleanse mission described above and the Escalating 
  Engagement  scenario  shown  opposite  do  slightly  unbalance 
  things in favour of certain armies. In particular, you will find that 
  armies with a lot of infantry and war engines do much better at 
  the Cleanse mission, while armies with plenty of transport and 
  fast moving units do better in an Escalating Engagement. But to 
  be honest, part of the fun of playing scenarios, even very simple 
  ones like these, is that it forces you to re-evaluate your army and 
  the mix of forces that you use, and to learn new tactics, both of 
  which will make the games more interesting and challenging.
      140
  
  141    
  Escalating Engagement Scenario
  Two patrols clash while they are probing a weakened sector of 
  the battlefront. As the engagement continues, both sides call in 
  additional reinforcements to maintain the attack. 
  Forces: Both players pick armies to an agreed points total 
  between 2,000 to 5,000 points using the tournament army lists.
  Gaming Area: Set up the terrain for the game in any mutually 
  agreeable manner. If one player sets up the terrain then his 
  opponent may choose where to deploy. If you set up the terrain 
  as a joint effort then the player with the higher Strategy rating 
  may choose the table edge he sets up on. If both players have 
  the same Strategy rating then dice to see who gets the choice 
  of table edge. You can pick a long edge or a corner (half way 
  up each long and short edge). The opponent sets up on the 
  opposite edge.
  Deployment: Each  player  starts  with  only  one  formation 
  deployed on the table. This must be the formation with the 
  lowest points value in the army, not including any formations 
  that include war engines, aircraft or a supreme commander. 
  The formation may be set up anywhere within 45cm of their 
  table edge.
  Reinforcements: All  of  the  remaining  formations  in  the 
  players’ armies are assumed to be advancing towards their 
  table edge as quickly as possible. At the start of each turn, each 
  player is allowed to bring on one or more formations, as listed 
  below.
  First Turn Arrivals: Any formation where the slowest unit in 
  the formation has a speed greater than 30cm. Second Turn 
  Arrivals:  Any  formation  where  the  slowest  unit  in  the 
  formation has a speed greater than 15cm. Third Turn Arrivals: 
  Any  remaining  formations.  Any  Turn:  Aircraft,  spacecraft, 
  formations that can teleport, and formations that deploy from 
  orbit (see normal rules for deploying these units).
  Formations must deploy on their turn of arrival. To decide 
  where the formations come on the players take it in turn, 
  starting with the player with the lower Strategy rating, to place 
  a unit from each formation on their table edge. The unit shows 
  where the rest of the units in the formation will enter play 
  during the first turn. If several formations want to enter play at 
  the same point (along a road, for example) simply place the 
  units in a row one in front of the other, and measure their 
  movement from the rearmost unit in the row. If you prefer you 
  can place counters or tokens instead of units, just as long as 
  you know which token corresponds to which formation. The 
  formations move onto the table in the action phase. Formations 
  that fail their Initiative test must choose to move as their Hold 
  action, and will enter play with a Blast marker for failing the 
  Initiative test. All formations must enter play on the turn of 
  arrival; you may not keep formations ‘in reserve’.
  Victory Conditions: At the end of the fifth turn count up 
  Victory points to see who has won. Each player scores a 
  number of points equal to the full points value of any enemy 
  formations that have been completely destroyed, plus the full 
  points value of any enemy formations that are broken and have 
  been reduced to half strength or less, plus half the points value 
  of any formation that has been reduced to half strength but is 
  not broken, plus half the points value of each formation over 
  half strength that is broken. Whoever has the higher points 
  score is the winner. For the purpose of this rule, a formation’s 
  ‘strength’ is equal to the number of units in the formation plus 
  the (remaining) damage capacity of any war engines.
  
  Opposed Victory Conditions
  Although many of the scenarios you’ll have played so far use the 
  same victory conditions for both sides, this is not always the case. 
  Several of the training scenarios have what are called opposed 
  victory conditions, where one side must do something in order to 
  win, and the other side wins if they can stop them doing it. The 
  victory  conditions for the training scenario ‘Death From The 
  Skies’  (see  4.5.1)  are  a  perfect  example  of  opposed  victory 
  conditions. The Orks have three turns to destroy the bunkers and 
  the Basilisks, and if they don’t do this within the time limit then 
  the Imperial player wins!
  A  slight  variation  on  this  standard  form  of  opposed  victory 
  conditions are ones where each side is trying to achieve a slightly 
  different objective. The victory conditions for the ‘Korps Grinda 
  Returns!’ scenario (see 3.4.1) are an example of a very simple 
  form of this type of opposed victory condition. In ‘Korps Grinda 
  Returns’, the Orks must destroy two bunkers to win, while the 
  Marines must destroy the Gargant before it achieves its objective. 
  If the Marines destroy the Gargant but the Gargant managed to 
  destroy a bunker, then the game is a draw.
  The difficulty with opposed victory conditions, and the reason 
  that tournament games usually have mirrored victory conditions, 
  is  that  opposed  victory  conditions  are  inherently  unbalanced. 
  Even with identical forces there is no way to know for sure that 
  both sides  have the same chance of winning, where as  with 
  mirrored victory conditions and identical forces only luck and 
  skill  will  separate  the  winner  from  the  loser.  Fortunately, 
  scenarios don’t need to be perfectly balanced – in fact they don’t 
  need to be balanced at all! Instead, all the victory conditions need 
  to do is decide who has won. It helps if both sides feel that they 
  have some chance of achieving their victory conditions, of course, 
  but to be honest this isn’t that hard to achieve, especially after a 
  bit of practice. If you start out by setting up some small scenarios 
  with opposed victory conditions you’ll quickly start to get a ‘feel’ 
  for what works and what doesn’t, and just how much of an 
  advantage different sorts of opposed victory conditions offer each 
  side.
  Much more importantly, the opportunities offered to the budding 
  scenario  designer  by  opposed  victory  conditions  more  than 
  outweigh their disadvantages. The main problem with mirrored 
  victory conditions is that they are always slightly abstract. By this 
  I mean that they work well in terms of making Epic a balanced 
  game, but are less effective in terms of making Epic a compelling 
  and believable story. This is because very few battles involve two 
  sides trying to achieve exactly the same thing; battles are usually 
  fought because one side wants to achieve something, and the 
  other side wants to stop them! Using opposed victory conditions 
  allows a scenario designer to draw on all of these archetypal 
  battlefield situations and include them in their games of Epic. The 
  result is games that feel like they are based on real events, rather 
  than the more formal and chess-like games represented by the 
  tournament game rules.
  The importance of this can’t be understated, as it is one of the 
  primary reasons for playing scenarios in particular and tabletop 
  wargames in general in the first place. A good tabletop wargame 
  will allow you to ‘suspend your disbelief ’ so that you start to see 
  what is going on as an exciting story that you are witnessing, as 
  much as a game that you are trying to win. You’ll find yourself 
  thinking ‘Well done lads!’ when some of your troops pull off a 
  risky assault, or as they bravely regroup under heavy fire and 
  keep on ‘Hanging on in there!’, and before you know it your army 
  will stop being a collection of toy soldiers, and become real little 
  men (or aliens!) taking part in a life or death struggle under your 
  command.
  We’ve already mentioned some examples of how opposed victory 
  conditions can be used, and it is not difficult to find many, many 
  more by the simple expedient of reading military history books or 
  Black Library novels, or by watching war movies (I know, it’s 
  tough work, but someone has to do it!) In addition, many of the 
  non-standard missions in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook use 
  opposed victory conditions and can be transferred very easily to 
  Epic. The ‘Breakout’ scenario on the opposite page is based on 
  the mission of the same name from Warhammer 40,000, while the 
  introductory text is actually based on the real-life exploits of a 
  Red Army officer that fought against the Germans when they 
  invaded Russia in 1941.
      142
  
  143    
  Breakout Scenario
  General Belov was the commander of the 10th Minervan Tank 
  Legion on Armageddon, and held a vital position on the flank 
  of the Imperial defence line for the hive city of Death Mire. 
  The  10th  was  caught  off  guard  by  the  Ork  invasion, 
  surrounded on all sides as Ork warbands descended on the 
  planet or appeared from their hiding places in the dense jungle 
  that separated Hive Prime and Hive Secundus.
  Rather than stand and die, Belov decided to break through the 
  Ork lines and reunite his regiment with the other Imperial 
  forces  gathering  to  defend  Death  Mire  against  the  Ork 
  invaders.  The  10th  fought  a  series  of  increasingly  bloody 
  engagements against the Ork forces, until they finally managed 
  to breakout and rejoin the other defenders of Death Mire after 
  five days of almost continuous conflict. The long and bloody 
  march cost the regiment over half of its men.
  Forces: One  player  commands  the  10th  Minervan  Tank 
  Legion (see the Designer’s note on the right), and the other the 
  Orks.  The  players  pick  armies  to  an  agreed  points  total 
  between 1,500 to 5,000 points using the Armageddon Steel 
  Legion and Waaagh Ghazgkhull tournament army lists. Note 
  that Titans, Gargants and Spacecraft may be used, as such 
  units featured in a number of the battles that took place during 
  the 10th’s breakout.
  Gaming Area: Set up the terrain for the game in any mutually 
  agreeable manner.
  Deployment: The Ork player must split his force into two 
  parts, one for each deployment area (see map). Each force 
  must only include whole formations, and formations may not 
  be split between the two deployment zones. After the Ork 
  player has deployed, the Minervan player may deploy his army 
  in the central deployment area.
  Special Rules: Minervan formations are allowed to leave the 
  table along either narrow table edge (ie, the edge where the 
  Orks deploy). All surviving units in the formation must leave 
  on the same turn in order for any to be allowed to leave the 
  table – its all or nothing, you can’t leave part of the formation 
  behind!)
  Victory Conditions: The Minervan player must get half or 
  more of his formations off the table in order to win. Any 
  formation reduced to half strength or less only counts as half a 
  formation for this rule.
  DESIGN CONCEPT
  10th Minervan Tank Legion
  The  10th  Minervan  Tank  Legion  was  at  full 
  strength at the start of the battle, and included 
  companies of armoured infantry, tanks and self-
  propelled  artillery.  Although  there  are  some 
  minor  differences  between  the  uniforms  and 
  vehicle patterns used by the Minervan’s and those 
  used  by  Armageddon  Steel  Legion  formations, 
  these can safely be ignored and a Minervan army 
  can be represented by Steel Legion ‘stand-ins’. To 
  be strictly accurate, any Minervan force should 
  include a high proportion of Tank Companies, as 
  these  formed  over  half  of  the regiment’s  total 
  strength at the start of the campaign. However, 
  over the course of the five-day breakout, the 10th 
  fought numerous engagements where they fielded 
  few if any tanks. This was especially true towards 
  the end of the break-out, when heavy losses due to 
  enemy  action  and  mechanical  breakdown  had 
  reduced the number of Leman Russ tanks in the 
  regiment to less than a quarter of their starting 
  strength.
  30cm
  30cm
  45cm
  Defender’s
  Deployment zone 1
  Defender’s
  Deployment zone 2
  Attacker’s
  Deployment zone
  
  Unbalanced Forces
  If using mirrored victory conditions is rather abstract, then having 
  balanced forces is even more so. It is extremely rare for battles to 
  be fought between two evenly balanced forces, and what happens 
  far more frequently is that one side will have a numerical or 
  qualitative advantage,  which  the other  side  will  try  to  offset 
  through  the  clever  use  of  terrain  or  by  employing  cunning 
  stratagems such as ambushes. These things are very difficult, in 
  fact almost impossible, to include in a tournament game. This is 
  partially  because it  is  very  difficult  in  a battle between  two 
  unbalanced forces to come up with a set of victory conditions that 
  ‘mirror’ each other and which are still fair to both sides, and 
  partially because tournament games use army lists that allow 
  players a great amount of freedom in what they choose. This 
  freedom can make it very easy for one side or the other to get 
  round any special victory conditions designed to make the game 
  an even contest.
  This becomes much less of an issue in a scenario, where it is less 
  important that the game be perfectly balanced, and where it is 
  also possible for the scenario designer to dictate what forces a 
  player may use. Let us say, for example,  that you have decided to 
  create a scenario where a smaller force ambushes a larger enemy 
  and then has to escape. Given a free hand, the ambusher would 
  take as many skimmers and fast moving units as he could to allow 
  for a quick escape, while his opponent could either do the same to 
  allow for a quick pursuit or take the toughest units in his army to 
  minimise the damage that he suffers. While this may make for a 
  swift game, it could also be a rather boring one, and therefore the 
  scenario designer might limit the amount of skimmers or fast 
  units the ambusher can use, and force the player being ambushed 
  to take a reasonable number of lightly armoured vehicles and 
  infantry. The degree to which the scenario designer dictates what 
  is available is up to them, and can range from simply saying “Use 
  the tournament list but no skimmers” through to providing a 
  specific force list for each player. We’ll return to this second 
  option again later… 
  First though, it’s important to underline that scenarios that use 
  unbalanced forces are, well, unbalanced! This means that they 
  require the use of some special rules or set-up restrictions that 
  provide enough of an advantage to the smaller force to give it 
  some chance of winning. Remember, you don’t need things to be 
  completely balanced, but you should avoid setting up games that 
  end up similar to the Drop Zone Massacre on Istvaan V The other 
  thing to bear in mind is that it is very difficult to win against a 
  superior force, so the advantages given to the inferior force need 
  to be quite substantial. Imagine playing tournament games where 
  your opponent has even a third more points than you; how often 
  do you think you would win? Not very often is the answer! 
  Because of this, you should try as much as possible to avoid 
  battles where one side has a greater than 2-1 advantage, as it will 
  be very nearly impossible to come up with a situation where the 
  smaller force does anything other than run or die.
  As with opposed victory conditions, it takes some practise before 
  you  will  learn  what  makes  an  interesting  scenario  between 
  unbalanced  forces,  and  what  leads  to  a  one-sided  walkover. 
  Because of this it’s best to start off small and then work your way 
  up to bigger battles. Apart from anything else, you’ll be able to 
  fight smaller battles more than once over the course of a gaming 
  session, allowing the commanders to swop sides and see if they 
  can do better than their opponent.
  Fixed Forces vs Army Lists
  One  subject  mentioned  briefly  above  was  the decision  as  to 
  whether to allow players to pick their army from the army lists, or 
  to provide a fixed force list – in other words whether you should 
  write down exactly which forces are to be used in the scenario. 
  All of the training scenarios use fixed force lists, and in the 
  author’s experience it is the best way of ensuring that scenarios 
  make interesting games. If you consider some of the later training 
  scenarios like Thunderhawk Down (see 4.5.2), then you’ll see 
  that these scenarios simply wouldn’t work without fixed forces. 
  Imagine what would happen in the Thunderhawk Down scenario 
  if the Ork player could choose to take a warband instead of 
  fighter-bomberz, for example.
  In fact the only real advantage of using an army list is that it 
  allows the people playing the scenario to choose the forces they 
  will use for you. Sometimes there is a good reason for allowing 
  players this option; you might not be sure exactly what models 
  there will be available to use, for example, or you might not have 
  time to draw up a force list, especially if you are designing a very 
  large scenario. More often than not, though, these are excuses 
  rather than good reasons. In 99 cases out of 100, scenarios are 
  used by players from a regular group, where everybody knows 
  each other well, and knows what forces the other players can 
  field. In these circumstances it’s really not that hard to come up 
  with  a fixed  force  for  a  scenario,  and  doing  so  will  almost 
  invariably lead to a closer and more exciting game as you will be 
  able to engineer the forces in such a way as to make things more 
  interesting. For example, the Ambush scenario on the opposite 
  page uses carefully selected forces for the two sides in order to 
  ensure an interesting and challenging game. Using fixed force 
  lists also makes it far easier to incorporate new units and new 
  formations, as discussed next.
      144
  
  145    
  Ambush Scenario
  Throughout the Armageddon campaign, contingents of Space 
  Marines operated in a covert role behind enemy lines. These 
  forces were usually dropped off by Thunderhawk Gunship or 
  landed by Drop Pods, and would then operate independently 
  and attack targets of opportunity until they were picked back 
  up. Although lightly equipped and devoid of anything other 
  than the lightest support vehicles, Space Marine raiding parties 
  like this caused huge problems for the Orks by launching raids 
  and carrying out numerous ambushes.
  The Angels of Fire 3rd Company was dropped behind Ork 
  lines early in the campaign, and remained there for over a 
  month.  One  week  after  they  landed,  Scouts  reported  that 
  several large formations belonging to Warlord Morbad’s Big 
  Gunz were heading in their direction. The resulting ambush 
  completely destroyed one of Morbad’s Big Gun warbands and 
  badly damaged two more for the loss of two Land Speeders 
  and less than a dozen Marine casualties.
  Elements of Morbad’s Big Gunz: One Blitz Brigade with 
  five Deth Koptas; one Kult of Speed with five Buggies, four 
  Warbikes and one Skorcha; three Mekboy Gunzmobz each 
  with six Big Gunz; one Kult of Speed with three Buggies, four 
  Battlewagons, eight Boyz and four Grots.
  Angels of Fire 3rd Company: One Assault detachment with 
  three Assault units led by a Space Marine Chaplain character; 
  one Devastator detachment with four Devastator units and two 
  Dreadnoughts;  one  Tactical  detachment  with  four  Tactical 
  units led by a Space Marine Captain character; one Tactical 
  detachment with five Tactical units led by a Space Marine 
  Librarian character; one Scout detachment (attached from 10th 
  Company) with four Scouts units and one Sniper; one Land 
  Speeder  detachment,  with  four  Land  Speeders;  one  Land 
  Speeder detachment two Land Speeder Typhoons and three 
  Land Speeder Tornados; one Bike detachment with four Bike 
  units and four Attack Bikes.
  Gaming Area: Set up the terrain for the game in any mutually 
  agreeable manner, as long as there is a road running from one 
  narrow table edge to the opposite narrow table edge. 
  Deployment: The Ork player sets up first, by placing one unit 
  from each formation at one end of the road that links the two 
  narrow table edges. This shows where the Ork convoy will 
  enter on Turn one, and the order that the units are placed 
  shows the order that the Ork formations will enter play. The 
  formation with a unit at the front of the queue enters first, and 
  so on. The Space Marine player now deploys his whole army, 
  anywhere he likes on the table that is at least 30cm away from 
  the road that joins the two narrow table edges. If the Space 
  Marine player desires, he can deploy the Scout detachment 
  within 15cms of the road.
  Special Rules: On the first turn the normal sequence of play is 
  not used. Instead each Ork formation must take a march action, 
  and may not leave the road. All Ork units must enter play on 
  the first turn, must stay on the road, and must remain in the 
  order  determined  during  deployment.  After  all  the  Ork 
  formations  have  made  this  first  move,  all  Space  Marine 
  formations may shoot just as if they were on overwatch. If any 
  Ork formations are broken by the Marine fire then the Space 
  Marine player is allowed  to  make their withdrawal  move; 
  however the Marine player is not allowed to move the Orks so 
  that any units end up within 15cms of a Marine unit. Once all 
  Marine formations have shot, carryout the Rally phase. Play 
  then returns to the normal sequence for the rest of the game.
  Victory Conditions: The Space Marine player has three turns 
  (including the first) in which to reduce all Ork formations to 
  half strength or less, while at the same time avoiding having 
  four or more Marine detachments reduced to half their starting 
  strength  or  less.  In  addition,  the  Marine  player  must 
  completely wipe out at least one of the Mekboyz Gunmobz. 
  Any other result is an Ork victory.
  DESIGN CONCEPT
  Scenario Special Rules
  The special rules reflect the fact that the Orks 
  were in a convoy driving along the road, and 
  didn’t  see  the  Marines  until  they  opened  fire. 
  Allowing  the Marine  player  to  make  any  Ork 
  withdrawal moves on Turn one reflects the panic 
  caused  by  the  Marine  ambush.  Note  that  the 
  Marine player is not allowed to move the Orks 
  within 15cms of a Marine unit in order to get 
  them killed ‘while trying to escape’.
  
  New Units & Formations
  The  ease with  which  new  units  and 
  unique  formations  can  be  used  in  a 
  scenario  is  one  of  the  biggest 
  advantages they have over tournament 
  games. In a tournament army list, it 
  takes months of testing to ensure that 
  units and formations have the correct 
  points value and that they are balanced 
  and fair. Over the years I have worked 
  at Games Workshop, I have attempted 
  to  come up with systems  that  allow 
  players to build their own units and add 
  them to a tournament game army list – 
  but I have never succeeded in coming 
  up  with  a  system  that  players  can’t 
  exploit in some way or another. For 
  this reason, the Epic tournament army 
  lists only include units and formations that have been extensively 
  play-tested, and that are readily available as part of the Epic 
  model range. The bottom line of any set of army lists is that it 
  they are as
  fair as possible for both players. Having a situation where one 
  player may have access to units that another player simply can’t 
  get hold of just would not be fair, and so is not allowed.
  On the other hand, there are many players who really enjoy 
  scratch-building and converting models, or that have collections 
  of models from older versions of the Epic rules that they would 
  like to use. Scenarios are the prefect place to use such models, as 
  the player devising the scenario can create the units in such a way 
  as to ensure that everything is – more or less – fair and balanced 
  for both sides. (Players with collections of Epic models that are 
  no longer in production should also check out the Appendices at 
  the end of the rules, which have specific rules and guidelines for 
  using these models).
  Scenarios also allow players to field non-standard formations – in 
  other words formations that are different to those described in the 
  army lists. The ‘fixed’ formations used in the tournament army 
  lists  are  a  huge  simplification  of  the  type  and  variety  of 
  formations that can be fielded in an army. It is extremely rare for 
  two formations to be exactly the same in their composition, even 
  if they are nominally of the same type. For example, while a 
  newly recruited formation would start off at full strength, over the 
  course of a campaign casualties will reduce its strength until 
  finally only a hard core of very experienced troops were left. If 
  we take a Steel Legion Infantry Company as an example of this 
  process, then a newly raised company would probably have twice 
  as many units as the formation shown in the Steel Legion army 
  list  (ie,  about  24  instead  of  12),  but  as  it  is  green  and 
  inexperienced should probably have an Initiative value of 3+. The 
  same company at the end of a campaign might be reduced to half 
  a dozen stands, but as these are all hardened veterans they should 
  probably have an Initiative value of 1+. You get the idea, I’m 
  sure.
  Now, it is clearly neither practical or desirable to try to create a 
  set of tournament army lists that cover every type of unit and 
  every type of formation them could possibly be in an army. 
  Instead, they very sensibly concentrate on what is typically found 
  in each army. Thus the Steel Legion infantry company does not 
  represent a bunch of wet behind the ears new recruits or a small 
  group of hardened veterans, but something about half way in 
  between. When playing a scenario, however, there are no such 
  restrictions, and you should feel free to invent new units and 
  create  new  formations  as  you  see  fit.  If  you  are  devising  a 
  scenario  that  requires  an  Imperial  Governor’s  elite  personal 
  bodyguard to be present, along with the Governor in his bullet-
  proof limousine, then you can just go ahead and work out what is 
  in the formation and then come up with the datasheets for the new 
  units. Any new units that you invent like this clearly won’t have 
  any points values, that isn’t really a problem in a scenario as you 
  can just use a fixed force list instead.
  To Map Or Not To Map
  One thing every scenario designer needs to consider is whether 
  the scenario requires a map or not, and also how detailed this map 
  will be. Almost all of the training scenarios in this book do 
      146
  An example of three formations created for a scenario. The HQ detachment on the top of the 
  hill is made up of six units, supported by two Tactical detachments, one with six Tactical 
  units and one with four. Each Tactical detachment has an attached Scout unit.
          WARLORD CLASS BATTLE TITAN
  Mars pattern, Deathstrike Weapon Configuration
  Type
  Speed
  Armour
  Close Combat
  Firefight
  Infantry
  15cm
  4+
  2+
  3+    
  Name
  Range
  Firepower
  Notes
  Rocket Launcher
  60cm
  3BP
  Fixed Forward Arc
  Deathstrike missile
  Unlimited
  MW2+
  One Shot, Titan Killer (D6)
  Gatling Blaster
  60cm
  4 x AP4+/AT4+
  Forward Arc
  Power Fist
  (base contact)
  Assault weapon
  Extra Attack (+1), 
  Titan Killer (D6)
  Damage Capacity 8. 6 Void Shields. Critical Hit Effect: The Warlord’s plasma reactor has been damaged. Roll a 
  D6 for the Warlord in the end phase of every turn: on a roll of 1 the reactor explodes destroying the Warlord, on a 
  roll of 2-3 the Warlord suffers one more point of damage, and on a roll of 4-6 the reactor is repaired and will 
  cause no further trouble. If the reactor explodes, any units within 5cms of the Warlord will be hit on a roll of 4+.
  Notes: Fearless, Reinforced Armour, Thick Rear Armour. Walker. May step over units and impassable or
  dangerous terrain that is lower than the Titan’s knees and up to 2cm wide.
  
  without a map. We’ve done this because it is difficult for us to 
  know exactly what terrain the people playing the scenarios will 
  have available, so we’ve left things as open as possible whenever 
  we can.
  When you are designing your own scenarios you can do the same 
  thing, and there is no reason at all for you to draw a map unless 
  you really have to. The advantage of not drawing detailed maps 
  for scenarios is that it is easier to work this way, and it makes it 
  easier to use whatever terrain you have available when playing a 
  game. Quite often scenarios will not really require a map at all, 
  and at other times they will only require a map showing vital 
  terrain features. The Korps Grinda scenario works like this, just 
  showing the terrain features that need to be placed, and allowing 
  the players to add more scenery to the gaming table as they see 
  fit.
  On the other hand, making a proper map for a scenario will add a 
  lot of character to the game, as you will be able to make sure that 
  the terrain is interestingly and appropriately laid out, and you can 
  also name all of the terrain features when this is appropriate. You 
  can also use maps to show the ‘larger picture’, showing what is 
  happening beyond the area represented on the gaming table. Once 
  again this will help the players get a feel for the situation that the 
  battle is taking place in, and this will make any games that are 
  played that much more enjoyable. It is far more fun knowing that 
  you are battling for the famous heights of Koth Ridge on Piscinia 
  IV or that you have just captured one of the bridges over the 
  Sulphur River on Rynn’s World, than it is to simply capture ‘the 
  hill’ or ‘the bridge’. On the whole, then, taking the time to create 
  a map for a scenario is well worth the effort if you have the time, 
  and the players will appreciate the game far more.
  Unique Situations & Terrain
  Arguably the most important thing that scenarios allow you to do 
  is fight battles based on unique situations or over exotic terrain. A 
  classic example of the first type of scenario is the ‘opposed 
  planetary invasion’ where one side must land all of their troops 
  from orbit onto a well-defended landing site. An equally classic 
  example of the second type of scenario is an ‘opposed river 
  crossing’, where one side must breach a river defence line.
  What these unique settings almost always require are a whole 
  slew of special rules. Say, for example, you have decided to run a 
  scenario  that  takes  place  on  the  frozen  ice-wastes  near  the 
  southern pole of Armageddon. You will need to decide what 
  special rules will be required in order to fight battles in this 
  special setting. How dangerous is the terrain? Are there hidden 
  crevices in the ice? Could a blizzard blow up? Do special rules 
  apply to certain units in this environment? And so on.
  As with almost all of the other types of scenario that we have 
  discussed so far, it is important not to bite off too much the first 
  time that you run a scenario using a very unique situation or 
  exotic terrain. In other words, start off with a Space Marine Battle 
  Company making a landing before you unleash a Chapter, and do 
  a  small-scale  river-crossing  before  attempting  a  D-Day  style 
  coastal  landing!  The  other  thing  to  watch  out  for  is  going 
  overboard on the special rules front. It is extremely easy to get 
  carried away and write too many special rules, and it’s also very 
  147    
  3
  2
  1
  IMPERIAL
  DEFENCE
  OF KOTH
  RIDGE
  Northport
  Spine Ridge
  Indola
  Mines
  (Disused)
  Vartoth
  Mine
  (Disused)
  East Barrens
  Key
  WAAA-GHAZGHKULL
  Ghazghkull’s first assault
  WAAA-NAZDREG Nazdreg’s
  breakthrough attempt
  IMPERIAL
  REINFORCEMENTS
  moving to occupy Koth Ridge
  KADILLUS ISLE - PISCINA IV
  The first stages of
  the Piscina
  Campaign.
  (1) Ghazghkull crosses 
  Koth Ridge from the 
  East Barrens, and 
  assaults Kadillus 
  Harbour.
  (2) Imperial 
  reinforcements move 
  quickly to cut off 
  Ghazghkull’s warriors 
  and prevent Nazdreg 
  from linking up with him 
  by occupying Koth 
  Ridge.
  (3) Nazdreg then turns 
  north to attack the 
  power plant at Barrak 
  Gorge, as Dark Angels 
  Scouts set out to discover 
  how the Orks are getting 
  onto Piscina IV.
        Koth 
  Gorge
  
  easy to make the rules you do write too complex. With special 
  rules, it is almost always the case that ‘less is more’. In other 
  words it is almost always better to have a few simple rules that 
  add a bit of character, than a stack of special rules that simply 
  serve to slow the game down. One simple method of keeping 
  things under control is to write all of the special rules you think 
  you’ll need, and then get rid of half of them! Trust me, what’s left 
  will be more than enough.
  All these things said, unique situations and/or terrain are very 
  well suited to big games, as they bring a feeling of weight and 
  gravitas to the occasion. Although not recommended as your first 
  game, a huge planetary assault, or a coastal landing, or a battle set 
  on the ice-wastes on the southern pole of Armageddon, all make 
  for superb ‘monster games’ played by all the members of a club, 
  or a ‘demo-game’ at a games show. You’ll find that big games 
  like this will utilise all of the skills you’ll have learned playing 
  the other types of scenario discussed above. You’ll need to deal 
  with things like opposed victory conditions, unbalanced forces, 
  foxed force lists and new units and formations, and then combine 
  this with the need to devise special rules to cover the unique 
  aspects of the scenario that you are playing. Big games like this 
  are nearly always a group effort, and this mans that you’ll also 
  need to organise the players that will be taking part, making sure 
  that they turn up on time for the game, that they help paint the 
  forces required, build the terrain, and so on. This makes the ‘big 
  monster scenario’ the ultimate challenge for a scenario designer, 
  but it is an equally rewarding project to undertake. There really is 
  nothing quite like running a big monster game!
  Multiplayer Games
  Scenarios, especially large scenarios, will often involve more than 
  one player on each side. There are a number of different ways to 
  play  multiplayer games,  each  with their own  advantages  and 
  disadvantages. When you play a multiplayer game, you will need 
  to choose one of the following methods of deciding who does 
  what and when. These methods are:
            All-Against-All
            Hierarchical Team Play
            Simultaneous Team Play
  All Against All
  In all-against-all games, each player has an army and all the 
  formations belonging to the other players count as being the 
  enemy as far as the rules are concerned. Each player takes a turn 
  in order, based on their Strategy rolls at the start of the turn. The 
  player that rolled highest chooses whether the players will move 
  in order of lowest roll to highest roll, or from highest roll to 
  lowest. In the Action phase, each player acts in this order. If you 
  assault an enemy formation then only units belonging to the same 
  side as the formation you assault may lend supporting fire. You 
  may not assault formations from two enemy armies in a single 
  assault (well, not unless you want to come up with your own 
  house rules for deciding how this works!).
  The all-against-all method works best with fairly small games 
  with  up  to about four players  a side. If there are too  many 
  formations or too many players, then the game can slow to a 
  crawl,  and  it  is  recommended  that  either  simultaneous  or 
  hierarchical team play is used for larger games.
  Hierarchical Team Game
  In team games, the players are split into two sides. All of the 
  formations  on  the  same  side  treat  each  other  as  friendly 
  formations as far as the rules are concerned, and all formations on 
  the  opposing  side  are  treated  as  enemy  formations.  In  team 
  games, formations belonging to different players on the same side 
  may lend each other supporting fire if assaulted.
  Team  games may  either be hierarchical  or simultaneous  (see 
  below for simultaneous team play). In hierarchical games, one 
  player is placed ‘in supreme command’ and decides which of the 
  players on his side may take an action when it is their side’s turn 
  to  do  so.  This  aside,  the  normal  game  rules  apply  in  full. 
  Hierarchical games work well for small and medium sized games, 
  but can slow things down a lot if you are running a really large 
  monster session. It is an excellent way of introducing new players 
  to the Epic rules, as they can be teamed up with an experienced 
  player who is the supreme commander for their side, and because 
  almost of the normal game rules are used unchanged.
  Simultaneous Team Game
  In  a  simultaneous  game,  players  are  split  into  two  teams  as 
  described for Hierarchal team play above. However, all of the 
  players with an eligible formation get to take actions when it is 
  their side’s turn to do so, rather than just one player doing so. 
  Once all the players have completed their action then play passes 
  to the other side. If any of the players on a side wants to retain 
  initiative then they may attempt to do so; other players on the 
  same side may choose to retain the initiative or not as they see fit. 
  Once all the players have completed the actions they wish to carry 
  out, play passes to the other side and that side gets to carry out 
  actions, and so on.
  When playing a simultaneous game, it is possible for an enemy 
  formation to be attacked by two or more attacking formations. For 
  example, two players on the same side might both want to shoot 
  at the same enemy formation, or one player might shoot at an 
  enemy formation while another player wants to assault it, or two 
  players both want to assault the same enemy formation. If this 
  happens then combined shooting or assaults are allowed to take 
  place. Treat the two (or more) formations taking part as a single 
  force when working out the results of the shooting or assault, 
  following the guidelines for coordinated assault in the core rules. 
  On the other hand, if one player wants to assault an enemy 
  formation then formations belonging to other players on the same 
  side may not shoot at the target of the assault, as the assaulting 
  troops get in the way!
  Simultaneous play is the best option for very large games, as 
  doing anything else can slow the game down to a snail’s pace. 
  However, it can throw up some strange situations that will require 
  common sense or the roll of a dice to sort out. For this reason, it 
  works best when used by experienced players from a regular 
  gaming group that have the experience and maturity to deal with 
  any rules problems that may arise, or if the scenario is run by a 
  non-player ‘umpire’ who can resolve any disputes.
  The Defence of Water Processing Plant 10927
  The  southern  pole  of  Armageddon  is  surrounded  by  an 
  inhospitable region known as the Deadlands. The Deadlands are 
  an  icy  and  blizzard-swept  wasteland  where  the  only  useful 
  resource is the huge reserves of relatively pure water that can be 
  found there. The numerous water processing plants dotted across 
  this landscape filter out the few remaining impurities and then 
  pipe the fresh water to the ever-thirsty hives on Armageddon 
      148
  
  Secundus. When Warlord Skabsnik’s Blitz Brigade landed in the 
  Deadlands, it quickly began to overrun and destroy the water 
  processing plants. Output soon fell to just under half of its pre-
  invasion levels, and Imperial commanders realised that unless 
  something was done and done soon about Skabsnik then the 
  Hives on Armageddon Secundus would fall without a shot being 
  fired as the defenders died from lack of water. Five regiments of 
  Imperial Guard troops, supported by Marines from half a dozen 
  different  chapters  and Titans from  the Legio Victorium were 
  hastily  despatched  to  the  area.  The  first  major  confrontation 
  between these forces and Skabsnik’s boyz took place around the 
  water processing plant known only as 10927.
  Forces: The idea behind this game was simply to use as many of 
  the Epic scale models in our collection as we could! We therefore 
  worked out the points value of the Imperial forces that we had 
  and compared them to the total Ork forces in our collection. This 
  revealed that the Orks would be heavily outnumbered (in terms of 
  points, at least), so we decided to use all of our Imperial Guard 
  army  with  ‘supporting  elements’  from  our  Marine  and  Titan 
  collections to make up the numbers. This still amounted to a 
  substantial force! 
  We  split  the  Imperial  army  into  three  roughly  equal-sized 
  ‘commands’, and the Ork army into two roughly equal sized 
  ‘commands’ (or should that be kommands for the Orks?). The 
  reason for this is explained in the deployment and special rules 
  below. As the Imperial side had a more ‘fractured’ command 
  structure,  and  also  because  some  of  the  other  special  rules 
  favoured the Orks, we decided to allow the Imperial forces a few 
  more units to even things back up (the fact this allowed us to use 
  even more models from our collection had nothing to do with the 
  decision!).
  If you decide to refight the battle yourself, than I recommend that 
  you follow exactly the same procedure; get all of the models that 
  you have available, and use as many of them as you can, using the 
  points values from the Grand Tournament army lists to keep 
  things reasonably even! Note that you will need to split each army 
  into  separate  commands  (Two  Ork  and  three  Imperial).  The 
  important thing is not to fixate too much on ‘keeping things 
  even’. In a game of this type all that matters is that both sides 
  have a chance of winning, not that they have the same chance of 
  winning.
  Gaming Area: With such large forces in play, we needed a 
  suitably large gaming area too. Rather than use a single table, we 
  decided to butt together three of our standard 6’ by 4’ tables to 
  create a suitable large playing area. As few players can reach 
  across a table that is wider than 6’ across, we decided not to butt 
  the tables together in a fashion that created a large rectangular 
  playing area, but instead set them up in a sort of arrow-head shape 
  as shown on the map below. This method of setting up the tables 
  ensured that everyone would be able to reach to the middle of any 
  point on the table in order to manoeuvre their troops, while still 
  giving us a suitably large area to play across. We assumed that all 
  off-table areas were either sea or so filled with dangerous terrain 
  as to make them impassable to all units – after all, they don’t call 
  it the Deadlands for nothing!
  Number Of Players: This game is designed for five players 
  using the special rules for simultaneous team play (see left).
  Deployment: The Imperial force is split into three commands as 
  discussed. Each command has to set up on a separate table, as 
  shown by the map. No Imperial units may be deployed closer 
  than 45cms to one of the table edges where the Orks will enter 
  play.
  Ork forces are split into two commands that enter from different 
  table edges on the first turn of the game. The table edges that the 
  two commands enter from is shown on the map. Ork formations 
  entering play in aircraft or from spacecraft should be placed aside, 
  149    
  Ork Deployment Zone
  Ork Deployment Zone
  Board 2
  Board 3
  Board 1
  Direction of Ork Advance
  Direction of Ork Advance
  Pumping
  Station
  Water
  Holding
  Tanks
  Control
  Complex
  Water Processing Plant 10927
  Deployment map
  The Imperial army
  sets up on boards
  1-3. Imperial units
  may not leave the
  boards they are
  assigned to (see
  the special rules
  on the next page).
  Ork formations enter on the 
  two  deployment  zones 
  shown  on  the  map.  They 
  may  move  from  boards  2 
  and 3 to board 1 along the 
  edges  where  the  boards 
  touch.
  The water processing plant is set up by the Imperial 
  player on board 1 and can be represented by any 
  suitable models in your collection.
  
  along with the transport units that will bring them into play. Units 
  being transported must start the game already loaded into the 
  transport vehicle that will bring them into play (ie, an aircraft or 
  unit with the planetfall ability).
  Other Ork  formations  are assumed  to  be  just  off  table edge 
  assigned to their command. To show where these formations will 
  come onto the table, you must place a unit from the formation 
  anywhere on the appropriate table edge. This unit shows where 
  the rest of the units in the formation will enter play during the 
  first turn. If several formations want to enter play at the same 
  point (along a road, for example) simply place the units in a row 
  one in front of the other, and measure their movement from the 
  rearmost unit in the row. If you prefer you can place counters or 
  tokens instead of units, just as long as you know which token 
  corresponds to which formation.
  Formations entering play in aircraft or from spacecraft can do so 
  on any turn following the rules for transport aircraft and planetfall 
  (see  4.2.5  &  4.4)  They  are  allowed  to  move  onto  the  table 
  assigned to their command or table one, but cannot be used on the 
  table assigned to the other Ork command. Other Ork formations 
  must move onto the table they have been assigned to in the 
  Action phase of the first turn. Formations that fail their Initiative 
  test must choose to move as their hold action, and will enter play 
  with a Blast marker for failing the Initiative test. Formations that 
  are in reserve may not carry out any game functions or use special 
  abilities they may have.
  Victory  Conditions: The  Ork  player  must  destroy  all  three 
  locations that make up the water purifying within 12 turns in 
  order to win (how to destroy the plant is describe below). 
  Special Rules: This scenario uses a number of special rules that 
  are described below.
  Imperial  Command  Structure: The  Imperial  forces  were 
  ordered to defend their positions to the last man and the troops 
  that made up Commands Two and Three (ie, on the outlying 
  tables) were ordered not to fall back towards the water purifying 
  plant under any circumstances. Because of this, they  are not 
  allowed to leave the tables that they set up on during the game. If 
  they do so, they are eliminated. Imperial aircraft are allowed to 
  leave the table to  rearm and  refuel,  but may  only carry  out 
  missions on their assigned table.
  Destroying the water purifying plant: The Ork player must 
  destroy the water purifying plant in order to win. The plant is 
  made  up  of three  key  locations,  each  of  which  needs  to  be 
  destroyed for the Orks to win. These locations are: the water 
  holding tanks, the pumping station, and the control complex. 
  Each of these locations will need to be represented by a suitable 
  model, which is set up on Table One by the Imperial player when 
  he deploys his forces. The water holding tanks and the pumping 
  station must be set up within 15cms of the control complex.
  Each location can be targeted as if it were an enemy formation. 
  They may be assaulted, but don’t bother working out the result of 
  the assault (ie, just roll to see how much damage the attacker 
  causes).  Locations never receive Blast  markers,  and  can’t  be 
  broken, etc. Details of how the Orks can destroy each location are 
  described below.
  Water Holding Tanks: There are six holding tanks. Each is 
  treated as an armoured vehicle with a save of 4+. One hit is all 
  that is needed to destroy each holding tank. 
  Pumping Station: The pumping station is a robust building that 
  is  treated  as a war engine target  with a 4+ save,  a damage 
  capacity of 6, and reinforced armour.
  Control Complex: The control complex is underground. In order 
  to destroy it, Ork troops must enter the complex and kill all of the 
  technicians that are there. Ork units can enter the complex by 
  launching an assault and moving inside (remove the units from 
  the table). Only units that can enter buildings may enter the 
  complex. If part of the assaulting formation remains outside, then 
  at least one unit outside needs to stay within 5cms of the entrance 
  in order to maintain formation coherency. All units that enter the 
  complex  are  allowed  to  attack  with  their  Close  Combat  or 
  Firefight values. They must score a total of six hits to kill all of 
  the technicians. Imperial defenders are not allowed to enter the 
  complex (it’s off limits!). Ork units in the complex may leave by 
  measuring  their move back  onto  the table from  the complex 
  entrance.
  Blizzards: The battlefield around the water purifying plant was 
  swept by blizzards and pitted with hidden crevices. To represent 
  these factors, the Imperial player must roll a D6 at the start of 
  each turn:
  D6
  Result
  1
  Table One is hit by a blizzard
  2
  Table Two is hit by a blizzard
  3
  Table Three is hit by a blizzard
  4
  The Ork player may choose which table is hit by a 
  blizzard
  5
  The Imperial player may choose which table is hit by a 
  blizzard
  6
  All tables are hit by blizzards
  If a table is hit by a blizzard than the following rules apply:
  • Any  weapons  shooting  at  units  on  the blizzard-swept  table 
  suffer a -1 to hit modifier.
  • All units on the blizzard-swept table that fight in an assault 
  suffer a -1 modifier to any to hit rolls made with Firefight 
  values.
  • Formations must treat all terrain other than roads as dangerous 
  terrain (representing hidden crevices covered that the units fails 
  to see because of the blizzard).
      150
  
  6.7 CAMPAIGNS
  “A battle is but one part of a larger whole. Any student of
  war will tell you that a wise commander will not commit
  to battle unless he has first ensured that it is a fight he
  cannot lose. But this still gives the battle an importance it
  does not warrant. Fighting a battle, even a battle you
  cannot fail to win, is the purest foolishness unless it
  advances the chances of ending the need for any further
  battles. Your primary aim must always be to win the war,
  not win the battle.”
  Imperium Tactica
  Playing  one-off  games  of  Epic  is  an  engrossing  and  hugely 
  enjoyable hobby, but any veteran gamer will tell you that playing 
  an Epic campaign is even more fun. Campaigns allow you to link 
  several games together, testing your ability over the course of 
  several games rather than just one. Although campaigns are quite 
  difficult to organise, they are well worth the effort, and really do 
  represent the ultimate way of playing Epic.
  There are a number of different ways of running a campaign, 
  from simple tournament game leagues, right through to highly 
  detailed map based campaigns. In this section, we’ll provide some 
  concrete  examples  of  several  of  these  different  methods  of 
  running a campaign. There are, however, countless different ways 
  of running campaigns, and what we describe here is really only 
  the tip of the iceberg. More than any other part of the rules, the 
  way that you run a campaign is a personal thing, and you should 
  go about it in the way that seems best to you. When all is said and 
  done, if you put in the effort to set up and run a campaign, then 
  you have the right to decide what rules will be used for it!
  Tournament Game Leagues
  By far the simplest and easiest form of campaign is a tournament 
  game league. In such a league, players simply play tournament 
  games and give their results to the league organiser. The organiser 
  tracks the results and keeps a league table that shows how well all 
  of the players are doing. Leagues like this are very easy to run 
  and are an ideal way of running a campaign in a club with a large 
  number of players.
  The simplest form of league to run is called a ‘ladder’. At the start 
  players are listed in order of their age, with the oldest player at 
  the top (don’t worry, he or she won’t be there for long!). When 
  players fight a battle, the winner swops places with the loser, or 
  moves up one place on the list, whichever gets the winner closer 
  to the top of the list.
  In more advanced leagues, the players score points depending on 
  how well they do in a battle, and are ranked in order of the 
  number  of  points  scored.  For  example,  you  might  say  that 
  winning a game by achieving goals is worth 3 points, winning on 
  a tie-break or drawing is worth 2 points, and losing is worth 1 
  point. If you wish, you can add bonus points for things like using 
  a fully painted army, which might be worth a bonus point, or have 
  special ‘league sessions’ where games are worth more points.
  A league organiser may also want to start to track ‘stats’ from the 
  league games played. In order to do this, you need to make sure 
  that you have a results form that collects the information you 
  want to track, and then come up with some way of tracking the 
  data you have collected. For example, if you wanted to track how 
  long games last, you’d need players to write this down, and if you 
  wanted to know how many goals a player had achieved and which 
  ones you’d need to get them to write this down to. Having this 
  information would allow you to do things like publish the shortest 
  game, longest game, most commonly achieved objective, and so 
  on. For some reason, players find this information fascinating, 
  even if it has no real effect on the outcome of the league. 
  One other thing you will need to consider is how long the league 
  is going to run for, and if there is to be some kind of ‘grand final’ 
  to decide the winner. There is no reason at all not to have a 
  ‘perpetual’ league that keeps on running forever if you wish. 
  However,  even  perpetual  leagues  benefit  from  some  kind  of 
  regular  championship  match  to  decide  who  is  the  league 
  champion. Grudge matches between the two top ranked players in 
  a league are always exciting, and will often draw a crowd, and 
  this alone makes them well worth holding. If you are running a 
  league that will finish after a certain amount of time, then a grand 
  final offers a suitably climatic end to the league, and should leave 
  players eager to sign up for a new league if another one is set up 
  at a future date.
  While on the subject of leagues that run for a limited period of 
  time, it is probably worth mentioning the Grand Tournaments run 
  by Games Workshop. These are weekend long gaming events 
  where players take part in a series of tournament games. Points 
  are scored for winning games, how well painted your army is, and 
  how sporting an opponent you are. At the end of the weekend, the 
  player with the most points is declared the winner, and players 
  also win awards for being the best general (ie, winning the most 
  games),  having  the  best  army,  and  being  the  most  sporting 
  opponent. Grand Tournaments like this are really nothing more 
  than a tournament game league run over the course of a weekend 
  with a lot of players, and there is no reason not to consider 
  running a similar event for your own gaming group or club.
  Different Types Of Campaigns
  Fighting a campaign is very rewarding and great fun, and there 
  are many ways to approach it. There are several common types of 
  wargames campaign:
  Narrative Campaign
  A narrative campaign is a series of battles linked together by a 
  story. This story is often mediated by an independent referee, who 
  can  introduce  special  scenarios,  victory  conditions,  strange 
  events, extra rules and so forth.
  For  example,  the  players  want  to  play  a  narrative  campaign 
  detailing an Ork invasion of an Imperial world. The first battle 
  takes place as the beleaguered defenders of the space port are 
  attacked, when the Orks try to capture the port so they can get 
  their war engines to the surface. The Orks win, so the referee 
  decides they can use war engines in the next battle because they 
  can use the space port landing pads. In the next game, the Orks go 
  on the offensive and attempt to break through the defenders now 
  encircling the space port. Say they win again, the referee decides 
  that the Governor’s palace is now under threat from the Ork 
  invaders and a large battle takes place between the Governor’s 
  guards and attacking Orks. The Imperium wins this time so the 
  referee allows the Imperial player to attempt to send a Space 
  Marine strike force mounted in Thunderhawks to make a surprise 
  attack on the base of the Ork Warlord leading the invasion, and so 
  on. The campaign continues like this until the narrative suggests 
  an ending. 
  It may even be the case that a battle suggests various different 
  courses of action. Rather than the referee arbitrarily deciding 
  151    
  
  which battle is fought next, they may present one or more of the 
  players with some options – does the Ork player want to drive for 
  the Governor’s palace or consolidate their hold on the space port? 
  Does the Imperial player want to counter-attack immediately or 
  prepare their defences? What the players opt for will alter the 
  course  of  the  campaign,  so  that  strategic  decisions,  in 
  combination with winning battles, can affect the outcome.
  Of course, a referee isn’t essential in a narrative campaign – the 
  players  can  discuss  the  various  options  and  decide  between 
  themselves on the course of action. A narrative campaign, more 
  than any other campaign, is more than just winning battles – it’s 
  an exciting story where the results of your battles decide the 
  outcome.
  Ladder Campaign
  In ladder campaigns, the players agree to play a pre-set series of 
  battles, with each battle affecting the outcome of later battles. 
  Unlike narrative campaigns which let each battle’s outcome drive 
  the  story,  the  links  within  a  ladder  campaign  tend  to  be 
  predetermined, so you don’t need a referee.
  Using the above example, the players may decide beforehand to 
  play these battles: Defend the Space Port, Break Out, Governor’s 
  Defence and Suprise Attack. Before any of the battles are fought, 
  the players decide what the benefits or penalties for winning and 
  losing these battles will be. The winner of the first battle may 
  have reinforcements from orbit in the form of more war engines. 
  For the second battle, the loser may have some of their forces 
  delayed in reserve for the later battles as they attempt to destroy 
  their enemies around the space port. In the third battle, the victor 
  will score a boost in morale which allows all his units to add +1 
  to their initiative when rallying, and the final battle determines 
  who is the winner of the whole campaign.
  Map Campaign
  A map-based campaign uses a map (surprise, surprise!) to control 
  the action  of each  force  under a player’s  control.  There are 
  ‘campaign turns’ between battles, in which the players move their 
  forces about on the map. When armies move into each other on 
  the map, a battle is fought to determine the outcome of the 
  encounter. Map campaigns often include special rules for such 
  things as supplies, reinforcements and scouting forces, so perhaps 
  a unit’s movement would be restricted if it didn’t have enough 
  fuel for its vehicles. Map-based campaigns often turn into games 
  in their own right and actually fighting the battles on the tabletop 
  becomes  of  secondary  importance  to  out-manoeuvring  your 
  opponent on the campaign map. You don’t need a referee for a 
  map-based  campaign,  but  it  helps  to  have  an  independent 
  arbitrator who can force the protagonists to fight their tabletop 
  games in time for the next campaign turn, and impose forfeits if 
  players do not. The best asset a map campaign can have is very 
  dedicated players, who will play their battles before the next 
  campaign turn starts.
  Tree Campaign
  A more elaborate form of ladder campaign is known as a tree 
  campaign. In a tree campaign, battles are organised by a pre-
  drawn  flow  diagram  with  the  results  of  each  battle  giving 
  predetermined advantages in following battles. Each time a battle 
  is fought, the diagram will tell you which mission to fight next by 
  following the correct path. The longer the campaign, the larger 
  the diagram will need to be. In this short example, there are only 
  two battles to fight, and winning or losing determines whether 
  you achieve a major victory in the campaign or are crushed by 
  your foes.
  In more involved campaigns you could also include paths on the 
  diagram that looped back, or sub-plots which branched off the 
  main tree. You could also experiment with allowing victors a few 
  extra points in their armies after winning a particularly important 
  battle, or perhaps losing a fight for control of a tank factory might 
  mean that armoured vehicle units cost more points. The amount 
  of variation depends only on your campaign background and your 
  imagination.
  Campaign Journals
  Campaigns are not just about organising battles, they are also 
  about developing your own army and characters and giving them 
  some history. Because of this, you should consider keeping a 
  journal of what happens in the campaigns that you fight. You can 
  use the journal as a place to store away the maps, unit data sheets 
  and formations that you create for your campaigns, and you can 
  also use it to write down all of the things that happen. In time, 
  your journal will become a valuable reference book that you can 
  refer back to when devising future scenarios and campaigns. The 
  author has journals for campaigns he ran back when he started 
  wargaming in the 1970s, and which  bring back  many happy 
  memories to this day!
  Although challenging to run, a campaign offers a lot more to 
  players than constantly playing one-off battles. I really do highly 
  recommend that you give one a try!
      152
  MEETING
  ENGAGEMENT
  ALL
  OUT
  ATTACK
  DEEP
  STRIKE
  Attacker
  wins
  Defender
  wins
  MAJOR
  ATTACKER
  VICTORY
  NARROW
  ATTACKER
  VICTORY
  NARROW
  DEFENDER
  VICTORY
  MAJOR
  DEFENDER
  VICTORY
  If  the  defender 
  can fight off the 
  initial attack he 
  will be able to 
  strike deep into 
  enemy territory 
  and  capture  a 
  vital objective.
  Forces clash in no 
  man’s land. If the 
  attacker  wins,  he 
  can launch an all 
  out attack.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/UNSORTED (help requested)/Warhammer Epic Games/Epic 4th Edition/Epic 40k - 4 Editon - updated_rulebook-sections_6_Oct09.pdf