This text is freely distributable and all copyrights that are not already owned by GW are claimed by the authors of this thing:
Stefano Lanticina and Erik Scheuermann
The vehicle (or trooper) is characterized by its move, armour, CAF value, hardpoints and basic vehicle class (BVC for short). All this is included in the standard chassis template (SCT).
The weapon covers the save modifier, range, to hit roll (I'll assume all races to be equal shots short for simplicities sake) and basic weapon class (BWC). Each troop stand has at least two weapon systems, their basic infantry weapon and some kind of support weapon.
The actual combat unit (chassis, weapons and further improvements) is then reflected by the Vehicle Combat Template (VCT)
Troopers are pretty self explanatory, everything that usualy goes five to a base is a trooper (including Wraithguard). This class can be attacked with whatever weapon is availible. The largest weapon it can carry is the heavy weapon (single barreled), but theoreticaly it could carry five of them (one per trooper) although this will probably never happen. Troopers is the only class that can enter Buildings.
Open vehicles includes everything that goes two to a base, as well as all other vehicles that have larger vulnerable part (normaly the driver) in an exposed position (one exception is the Gorgo assault carrier, which is an armoured vehicle unless under a barrage template for which purposes it counts as open for the troops it's carrying, not for the pilots, they are better armoured.). Again these vehicle can be attacked by all kinds of weapons and carry heavy weapons as max. Support weapon platforms are also members of this group.
The next group is the armoured vehicles. Pratically every tank in the game, also including dreadnaughts. These vehicles can be attacked by antitank weapons only, weapons with different settings must use the antitank setting. These machines can carry every weapon up to, but not including the Titan weapons.
The last group is the Titan class which includes all vehicles that have either a target matrix or the new negative saving throw. These are the only vehicles that are equipped with a plasma reactor or a similar device, therefore they can carry Titan class weapons. Again you need antitank weapons to attack them, the same applies to any shields they might carry.
The five bwc's are:Infantry (IW), light support (LSW), heavy (HW), vehicle (VW) and titan (TW).
Infantry covers all basic infantry weapons, mainly bolters, lasguns and shuriken catapults as well as their pistol variants. These weapon class can only attack open vehicles or other troopers, neither can they be used to knock down power fields or void shields. They only have an Infanry save modifier. Each trooper stand is considered to shoot as one unit shooting one weapon.
The light support weapons contain all "bigger" anti infantry weapons (Flamers, shuriken cannons, meltaguns). Usually these weapons are too weak to attack any other targets then normal infantry weapons. There are some excpetions here like the meltagun, which has an "anti infantry" as well as an "antitank" setting, and therefore can attack all bvc's.
The next group is the heavy wepons, a group that is identical to the 40k group of the same name. Most of these weapons have different settings like the meltagun (most notably the missile launcher, multi melta or the heavy plasma gun).You can attack anything you like with these weapons, but if they have a setting specifically for anti infantry this will usually attack more then one target (by barrage or following fire). Troopers can only fire these weapons on first fire orders. The setting must be announced before firing.
The vehicle weapons include all heavy weapons too big and cumbersome to be carried by infantry, this includes battlecannons, multilaunchers or mortars.
Titan weapons at last contain all the weapons that are either too large for a normal vehicle to carry, use too much ammo or require a plasma reactor to power them. A vehicle that is not a Titan can carry a maximum of one Titan class weapon (single barreled of course).
SCT
CLASS (CL) :
MOVEMENT (MOV) :
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) :
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) :
MORAL VALUE (MOR) :
Fixed Mounts (Fx) :
Swivel Mounts (Sw) :
Turret Mounts (Tr) :
Special :
BASIC POINT VALUE :
Fx: 90 deg
Sw: 180 deg
Tr: 360 deg
Except for the turret mount a third letter is added to indicate the direction of the mount:
R: right
L: left
F: forward
B: back
Examples: SwL: 180 deg. on the left side; FxF: 90 deg. forward....
The other value that chracterizes a weapon mount is the weapon grade, that means the maximum number of barrels and class the weapon mount can take. For a better understanding see the example for the Rhino chassis.
Example:
CLASS (CL) : Armoured Vehicle
MOVEMENT (MOV) : 25 cm, tracked
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) : 4+
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) : 0
MORAL VALUE (MOR) :
Fixed Mounts (Fx) : FxFw 1VW
Swivel Mounts (Sw) : SwL SwR 2HW
Turret Mounts (Tr) : 2 VW
Special : The FxF and the Tr mounts are alternative and cannot be occupied at the same time
BASIC POINT VALUE : 10 pts
VCT
CLASS (CL) :
MOVEMENT (MOV) :
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) :
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) :
MORALE VALUE (MOR) :
WEAPONS
Type (T) Mount (Mnt) Barrels (BAR) Load (LO)
The movement on the SCT is the max move of this chassis. A chasis can never move faster, but of course you can reduce the move by up to 10 cm. You get a 5 pts "price"- reduction for each full 5cm of move reduction. The propulsion type can also not be changed.
The next thing is the save, it can be increased for 10 pts per point, each extra point of armour takes up the space equal to one heavy weapon.
Armour cannot be reduced since the basic save represents the structural design of the vehicle. Usually the minimum save is 1+ unless the vehicle is a TC and already had a lower save in its SCT, the effects of this will be discussed in section 3.1.2.
The close assault factor can be increased for 5 pts per point for a max difference of 5 to the SCT. Under the new point value system only troopers, light vehicles and titans new a seperate CAF. As with armour CAF cannot be lowered. You still buy one CAF value, then you can assign different values to the OCAF and DCAF as long as the average is not higher then the CAF and the difference is not larger then 4.
Leadership can be increased to up to 6 at 5 pts per point increase. Any increase over 6 turns the stand into an command stand, these increases cost 10 pts per point.
Now that we have come so far we get to the fun section and that's adding the weapons. Each chassis has a maximum load which characterizes the maximum weight a vehicle can carry as well as the biggest weapon you can bolt onto it. The size of each grade equals two of the next lower grade, with the exception of infantry weapons, but you can never "upgrade" a mount. So for example a vehicle with the ML of 1VW could carry a one barreled VW or two HW with a single barrel or a HW with two barrels. A vehicle with the ML 2HW on the other hand could carry the same combinations of HWs but it would be not possible to mount any VWs on it.
I tried to design the weapons in a group as equal as possible so each weapon costs the same:
LSW: 5 pts; HW: 10pts; VW: 20pts; TW: 40pts
When you add up your total load don't forget to add you extra armour (1HW for each extra point of armour). If you're over the max load, start removing weapons.
Of course every weapon must be mounted on a suited mount, so no double barreled Battlecannon on the SwL 2HW mount on the side of the landraider ;). Troop carrying capacity also affects the ML, 1 troop stand takes the space of one VW.
Restrictions: Troopers can only carry one single barreled Weapon additional to their basic weapon, these weapons are considered to have a 360 deg fire arc. Theoreticaly each trooper could carry a LSW or HW, giving a stand a potential 5 HW, this should be avoided as it doesn't make much sense.
Because of the recoil VW must be FxF, FxB or Tr mounted on armoured vehciles, this does not apply to Titan class vehicles.
Titan Weapons must also be mounted FxF, FxB or Tr on all Vehicles that are not Titans.
Example: For this example I designed a vehicle build by a mekaniak around an old Rhino chasis
CLASS (CL) : Armoured vehicle
MOVEMENT (MOV) : 25 cm
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) : 1+
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) : 2+
MORALE VALUE (MOR) :
WEAPONS
Type (T) Mount (Mnt) Barrels (BAR) Load (LO)
Heavy Plasma FxF 1 1HW
armament = 1HW final load = 4HW
That equals the ML of a Rhino chasis of 2 VW, the mount is also possible. So far a legal vehicle, now for the point cost:
Basic cost 10 pts
3*extra arm 30 pts
1 HW 10 pts
+2 CAF 10 pts
overall cost 60 pts
Now we have a block of metal with enough room inside to cramp in one driver and a gunner with his weapon ;).
Basically the shooting procedure has not changed much from the 2nd ed. rules. The main difference is that the to hit roll is now resolved on a d10 instead of a d6. In the charts and tables section you will find the new values for the weapons. Any modifiers from the 2nd ed. stay the same we just wanted to increase the range of possible results.
For troop stands there is a new option for firing and that's concentrated fire. For concentrated fire two restiction apply:
1) The detachment will fire at only one target
2) Only the models with LOS count for concentration.
Members of that detachment that have no LOS cannot shoot at another target, they have wasted their shots.
At the moment concentrated fire is only possible with infantry weapons. Count the number of stands that fire and check them against the concentrated fire table.
# To hit Dice6 is the max number, as this is the largest group the can sensibly shoot fire at a target any shoots beyond that are wasted.
1 8+ 1 2 5+ 1 3 3+ 1 4 4+ 2 5 2+ 2 6 3+ 3
If the stand contains troopers with special weapons (LSW or HW) it can use concentrated fire as usual if it has no more then two special weapons. Then it can also fire these weapons seperately.
If it has more then two special weapons the player must decide wether he wants to fire concentrated with its basic weapon or fire the heavy weapons.
Some weapons have the possibility of using following fire (FF), this means they can fire more then once as long as it hits its target.
To use this your weapons must be in the right setting, then roll as many d6 as in the description of the weapon. This is the max number of shots and as long as you hit your target you can keep shooting, either at the same target or another target within 6cms.
Any unit on first fire order can snap-fire. This means when any unit enters the line of sight of an enemy unit during it's movement phase the player can announce snap-fire before the moving unit reaches leaves the LOS again. When snap-fire is announced the unit is left halfway between entering and leaving LOS for targeting purposes. The fire is then resolved at -1 for normal moving units -2 for charging in addition to any other mdifiers. The shooting unit fires all of it's weapons (useless or not) and can no longer fire in the 1st. fire segment (add a counter to represent this).
If an "infantry" target is hit by an "antitank weapon" it's destroyed, no save possible. The next thing I wanted was to make the larger tanks a bit more survivable. To achieve this I invented the negative saving throw. If a vehicle with a negative save is hit by a shot, resolve this shot as if it is a vehicle with the saving throw of one. If it is saved, alright, if not go to step two. Now check if you would have penetrated the armour including the negative save the vehicle is destroyed, if not it is only damaged. This means that a random weapon is destroyed or some troopers aboard are killed.
Random damage location
(roll d10)
1-2 Random weapon destroyed
3-4 Troopers aboard killed
(if there are no troopers aboard still,
count this hit for the possibility of a second)
5-6 Engine hit (reduce move by 5 cm)
7-8 Controls damaged (draw orders for this vehicle randomly)
9-0 Structural damage (reduce save by 2)
With the exception of the last location any second hit on a location will destroy the vehicle.For this second calculation you can use damage modifiers (if existing) as extra negative saving throw modifiers.
Example: A Skullhamma (sv -2) is hit by a Quake Cannon (Macro Cannon, sv -3). The saving throw is 3, which beats a save of 1 and therefore the hit damages the vehicle. The saving score is 0 which is more then -2 and therefore the vehicle is not destroyed, only damaged.
Now roll on the random damage table.
Now assume the Quake Cannon was a Vulcano Cannon (Defence Laser, sv -4, +3 damage modifier). The saving score would be -1 still not enough, but the VC has a damage mod, which can also be applied to to the score which modifies it to -4. The only thing that remains of this vehicle is a rather large crater ;).
The offensive CAF (OCAF) depends on the skill and training of the tropper, assault stands will have a high OCAF as well as fast moving or heavily armoured vehicles.
The defensive CAF (DCAF) depends a lot on the moral of the troops, troops with a high moral will have a better DCAF, while tanks for example are relatively difficult to defend and have a low DCAF.
The second concept is different close combat for different opponents here is some kind of CC table, although this is not yet fully developed.
Attacker Defender Combat resolution
Infantry vs. Infantry OCAF vs. DCAF (the old way)
Infantry vs. Armour OCAF vs. CAF (calculated this way, 6-sv)
Infantry vs. Titan Stand can fire any applicable weapon (grenade ?)
inside the Titan shields but runs the danger of
being killed before on a 5+ on a d10.
Armour vs. Infantry Infantry dodges, difficulty determined by the
distance moved (speed)
5 cm: 2+
10 cm: 3+...
If the Inf blow their dodge: Pancake day!!!
Armour vs. Armour Ram, save vs. save, lower number wins.
Armour vs. Titan Ram against leg armour of the Titan
if succesfull, make a saving throw or be destroyed
as well.
Titan vs. Infantry Stomp, Infantry is fataly deformed on an attack
roll depending on the size of the Titan:
Emperor, Mega Gargant 3+
Garagant, Phantom, Warlord 5+
Slasher, Reaver 6+
Warhound 7+
Knight 9+
If a stand survives and makes a moral roll it
can fire its weapons inside the Titans shields.
Titan vs. Armour Stomp as with Infantry, count as -3 sv. If
attack is succesfull a Titan suffers leg damage
from the exploding vehicle on a 9 or 10. If the
vehicle survives it can fire it's weapons inside
the shields.
Titan vs. Titan OCAF vs. DCAF the old way.
If a detachment has to take a leadership roll and has at least one command unit alive and present it can use the higher Ld for this test.
Appart from break tests there are now more situations which call for a leadership roll. The main thing is when a unit that is not a command unit receives charge orders it has to pass a Ld test to see if it does indeed charge (against the command Ld again if present). Should this roll be failed the unit automaticaly goes on advance orders.
Other Ld rolls have to be made if a unit is made doing something against their instinct and training or if the referee decides so.
Name Range to hit Infantry save mod
Las Gun/Pistol 35(20)cm 8+ 0 Bolt Gun/Pistol 30(15)cm 8+ -1 Shuriken Cat/Pistol 25(15)cm 8+ -2
Name Range to hit Inf/Arm sv mod. Special Melta Gun 20 cm 6+ -4/ -1 1" template on anti inf setting Plasma Gun 40 cm 8+ -2/ -1 up to 1d6 shots FF on anti inf Flamer Template 4+ -1/--- No modifiers for cover Grenade Launcher 40 cm 9+ -1/-2 2" template on anti inf Vehicle Bolter 15 cm 8+ -1 up to 2d6 FF
Name Range to hit Inf/Arm sv mod. Special
Autocannon 50 cm 6+ -3/ -1 up to 1d6 shots FF on anti inf
Lascannon 75 cm 5+ --/ -2 no anti inf setting
Missile Launcher 75 cm 8+ -1/ -2 2" template on anti inf
Multi Melta 25 cm 6+ -3/ -3 2" template on anti inf
Heavy Bolter 50 cm 5+ -2 up to 2d6 shots FF no anti armour setting
Heavy Plasma 75 cm 7+ -3/ -3 up to 1d6 shots FF on anti inf
1 turn to reload after anti armour shot
Name Range to hit armour sv mod. special Battlecannon 75 cm 7+ -2 2" template Multi Launcher 100 cm 8+ -2 2" template
Name Range to hit armour sv mod. special> Defence Laser 100 cm 4+ -4 +3 to damage roll Macro Cannon 100 cm 5+ -2 2" template Plasma Cannon 100 cm 5+ -3 2d6 shots FF
CLASS (CL) :
MOVEMENT (MOV) :
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) :
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) :
MORAL VALUE (MOR) :
Fixed Mounts (Fx) :
Swivel Mounts (Sw) :
Turret Mounts (Tr) :
Special :
BASIC POINT VALUE :
CLASS (CL) :
MOVEMENT (MOV) :
SAVE /NEGATIVE SAVE (SV) :
CLOSE ASSAULT FACTOR (CAF) :
MORALE VALUE (MOR) :
WEAPONS
Type (T) Mount (Mnt) Barrels (BAR) Load (LO)
Weapon: weapon includes magazines, gunner and other auxiliary systems.
Mount: fixed place on a chasis, strengthened to place a weapon there. Every mount also defines the fire arc of the so installed weapon.
Please feel free to tell me any problems to add to this list.
Of course this is only part of the way to new and truly improved tm rules, and we need any feedback we can get. So if you got criticism, encouragement or any ideas you like to see in here please mail them to:
E.Scheuermann@ike.uni-stuttgart.de
lanti@pitagora.usr.dsi.unimi.it
| Last Updates | |
|---|---|
| 19 July 1996 | reformatted |
| 16 April 1996 | reorganized |
| Comments or corrections? | |