The Big Finish

It has been a real joy to run such a fun Wahammer 40k map based campaign.  The players have been very sportsman like, with a special shout out to Andrew, our Chaos Space Marine player in this category.
    As the warpstorms converge on the wormhole that goes to BiFrost, word of an important discovery comes about.  An ancient piece of Imperial Tech that seems to be based on a Webway portal has been found.  An explorer that went through it reports a functioning STC factory! Your forces immediately race for the portal, knowing that if they can slip a single hero through the portal with a teleport homer, at least some of the lost tech may be recovered.
    We will be playing kill team to see who can deploy first for our Epic scale battle.  You must pick one army to be the first through, then the rest of your forces will come on as reserves.  I will have the tables set up on Friday night, so make sure to be there by noon.  I plan on the Kill team starting at twelve thirty and the Big Show immediately after.  Promises to be a big Day.
      The points are close.
      Nathan is in the lead
      Alex D. is 4 points behind
      John E. is 6 points behind the leader
      Kenny H is back 8
      Richard G. is back 9
       Andrew is tail end charlie, with a rather large hill to climb of 15 points.
       No one is out of the running.  There will be a LOT of Victory points up for grabs on the final battle. Pay attention to the rules when I give them.  Andrew could win this if he does and the rest of you don't.

Week 5 Contest

     This contest is for the entrants to build a command bunker that is race specific. It should be a model that could be easily identified as your race, and should also be a good piece of terrain.   It should have enhanced ways to sense what is on the battlefield, to communicate with the troops under it's control, and offensive and defensive capabilities in order to survive a while.  There are no restrictions, other than what you believe your high command would be willing to put in one place permanently as a command structure.  If you really think the high command for the IG would put 35 las cannons pintle mounted across the top of your bunker, go ahead.  The entries will be judged by the other players, like the last contest.  This also will give you a cool piece of terrain to have at home.  Just sayin'. 
    

Bifrost Warhammer 40k Map based campaign, the early years.

The Maps for Bifrost

     Well, I am excited.  The Bifrost 40k campaign at The Tower Game Center has been the object of some serious speculation.  The rules are posted on the blog from earlier.  I am putting up the maps in this post.  Andrew is putting together PDF's for the Build/Move and Battle Results. Several Players are putting together entries for the first contest.  I think we are in for a good time.  Without further ado:
   

The Bifrost system Map

     I don't claim any artistic talent.  It gets the basic point across.  The rest of the maps are done with my Mighty Empires tiles.  The "A" tile is the capital city.  It will produce more income than the others on the planet.  I will use planet interchangeably for planet, space hulk, and Kuiper Belt. As far as movement goes, the closer you are to the place you want to move to, the faster you will move from your location.  That becomes important when you are leaving a command zone that someone else is entering.  If you are both moving the same distance, I will roll a die to see who moves first.
   The first planet in the system is called Tyr.  It has Gas pumping and refining platforms around it, and those are the control zones for this planet.  We will use this map for Tyr, with the fiction included that tiles A and E are actually touching.

Tyr

The next planet in line is Bitor.  It was a Forge world, or a place with a lot of heavy industry and factories.  Here is the map for this planet:

Bitor

The Third Planet is Baldor.  It was an Agriworld, with much in the way of Food supplies.  Here is that map:

Baldor

The fourth planet is Odin, a standard imperial Governor's World.   Here is the map for that:

Odin

The next planet in the system is Loki, a hive world.  Here is the map for that:

Loki

Next in line is the Space Hulk:

Space Hulk

Following the Space Hulk come Freya, the larger of the two Agriworlds:

Freya

Then comes the Ice Planet Norn, where there are rumors of both psychic disturbances and necrons:

Norn

 Finally there is the Kuiper Belt:

The belt with the promethium mines

So, to be clear, I'd like you all to send in your army lists.  You may certainly send in 2 or more of exactly the same list, but be clear as to which army is which IE:  1000 pts imperial guard list A "Razaks Roughnecks".  and 1000 pts imperial guard list B "Blackies Blackguards".
   I'd like you to tell me what planet and what control zone they plan on landing in.
So, for the mythical IG player above, Your first email to me should be something in the line of:

Army list:
Hq "x"
troops choice 1
troops choice 2
other stuff to make points total of 1000

Army "Razak's Roughnecks" lands on Bitor A
Army "Blackies Blackguards" lands on Space Hulk C

I will look for these by noon on Saturday.  I want to be able to hand out what battles happen by 2pm that day so all of you can get to killin' each other.

If you follow the blog, you will be able to see all the updates as they come across.

I would really like it if you guys would take pictures of your games in progress.  If you want to write up a battle report to go on the blog, that would be great.   See you Saturday!

Questions?  Comments?  Feel Free!

First Contest

The Bifrost system has been cut off for a really long time, somewhere between 15 and 20 thousand years.
      A Space Marine successor chapter had gone to Bifrost on a crusade and was lost when the wormhole was covered by the eye of terror.  Little is know about them, other than rumor and legend.
     The contest is to come up with the best custom Space Marine successor chapter you can. Don't use one from Games Workshop, make up your own.  Give us not more than one page of fluff about them.  Paint a command squad up in the colors you choose.  Bring them into the store by January 11th, the start of our gaming.  On that day, we will have a vote on whose is the best.  There will be an in game reward and a store prize as well.
      I don't own a space marine command squad you say.  Fair problem.  We will sell you one at 20% off for the contest.  You don't have to participate in the contest if you don't want too.  It's all about fun.  That is our first rule.  Have fun.  See you there!

The rules as I see them

            “The warpstorm surrounding the Eye of Terror has swirled into an interesting pattern,  Inquisitor.” The Navigator Timon spoke nervously to Mathias Queghorn, whose reputation for suffering fools proceeded him. 

“Explain youself.” Snapped Queghorn, irritation plain on his face.

“Patterns in the storm indicate access to the wormhole leading to the  Bifrost System, lost to us in antiquity.”  The Navigator’s monotone reply hid a quaking fear of the inquisitor, who could not care less.  Queghorn turned to his imperial scribe, Quinta, who never seemed to leave his side.  “What do you have for me on the system?”  She immediately launched into her recall voice, dredging from memory without consulting the dataplaque. “Bifrost is home to 7 planets, 5 of which are habitable and have been colonized since the 20^th Millennium.  The planet closest to Bifrost, the local star, is called Tyr. It  is a gas giant with 5 gas pumping stations, quite useful for refueling ships and Vehicles.  The next planet is Bitor,  at the edge of the habitable zone, and it had several manufatoroums built before contatct was lost.  The third planet, Baldor, is an agriworld,  Next in line is the Governors’ Planet, Odin, a standard imperial bastion.  Fifth in line is the hiveworld Loki, home to several notorious gangs and home planet of the 172^nd company of the Imperial Army.  After Loki, Freya, another Agriworld is the sixth planet.  The outermost planet in the system, Norn, is the ice planet.  There were some rumors the Necrons had some sort of installation on Norn.   There are also legends of psychic oddities on that planet, as inhospitable as it is.    There is also a Kuiper belt of Proethium rich asteroids.”

“What do you instruments tell you about the system now, Timon?  Have there been major changes?” Queghorn spat as he turned on the Navigator.  A faint smell of urine crept into the air, already musty with machine oil and incense.

“Inquisitor, the, the, the instruments indicate a space hulk has also recently entered the system. It looks to be infected with some of the vile alien tyranids.” The navigator almost whimpered.

“Quinta, help me understand why I care about this system?  It seems to be a backwater and relatively worthless.  The length of time of separation will doubtless have led the descendants to have issues with other races and perhaps led to heresy as well.”

“Sir, the length of time is also a value for the empire as well.  The manufactorums there had STC technology.  The Promethium mines of the asteroid belt are a resource not to be ignored.  There may be lost souls in need of redemption. The possibility of discovering ancients secrets of the Machine Cult exists.  Lastly, several other races have taken an interest in the system. “ 

“That tears it. We must get there first and take what is to be found.  Call our available forces.  We are off to Bifrost.”

Phases-

Build phase-

You can use points from production and reinforcement to build new or supplement current Armies.

Move phase-

You may move Armies as indicated below.

Move Results phase-

All battles to be fought will be handed out.  The players will be responsible for arranging battles.  If one player make a reasonable attempt to schedule battles with another player and the other player is obstinately unavailable, the unavailable player will have a penalty on the roll the GM makes for resolving the battle.

Battle phase-

Whatever battles need to be fought are done so on the tabletop.  Results are turned into GM.   

Battle results phase-

Players who win battles either by tabletop or by GM roll are awarded control of contested zones.  Experience rolls are made for advancement by GM.

Production Phase-

All reinforcement and zone production happens now.

Production and Building-

There will be a 200 points per turn reinforcement that comes through the wormhole.  Players may use these to replace models lost in battle, or to purchase new units entirely. If you are replacing models that have experience, add one point per model per experience point.  There are no restrictions on the use of these points.  You may carry over unused points from turn to turn.

Each control zone a player owns will contribute specific points to be added to his list.  These may be specific to a type of unit, ie “zone X produces 25 points per turn of elites” or “zone y produces 50 points per turn of any type you wish”.  Should you control all the zones of a planet, or the asteroid belt, or the space hulk, you may double the points produced in each zone of that area.

You may put in place defensive works, planetary defense forces, etc that can only be used in defense of a specific zone at half points cost.  These forces may not gain experience.

The original forces and any reinforcements that come from the 200 points from the wormhole must use all rules for allies as written in the books.   There may be some strange alliances on the other side of the wormhole after 15k years. 

Movement-

Each player indicates on the Army move form to what zone they are sending each Army, if it moves at all.

You may move any army from any one zone on a planet to any zone on the same planet in between fighting phases.

You may move an Army from on planet/hulk/asteroid belt to an adjacent planet/hulk/asteroid belt in between fighting phases. You may land on any zone when you arrive.

If you wish to move an Army further than an adjacent planet, it will take a fighting Phase being missed to do so.  You may move anywhere in the system in that case.  You may land on any zone when you arrive.

                              

Movement Resolution-

When all players have submitted movement sheets (by midnight Friday) movements will be calculated. Results will be available at the Tower on Saturday.  If you don’t submit a movement sheet, you are assumed to stay in place. 

If there is a hostile indigenous force in a zone you move into, you will have a battle.  If two or more players occupy a zone, there will be a battle. 

Battles –

Each tabletop battle will come with instructions on who is the attacker and defender, and what scenario will be played. Some zones will have specific scenarios, or adjustments to normal rules.

Battle Results-

The winner of the battle will control the zone.

Playing a tabletop game with an army will give each model in the army one experience point.  We will use a table to advance models who have fought enough to advance.

 We will also use the Mordhiem casualty recovery table for models, treating vehicles as characters. 

 Each control zone is worth 5 victory points.

 Control of an entire planet, or the hulk or asteroid belt, doubles the victory points for that zone. 

Fighting a battle on the table is worth 2 victory points. Winning that battle is worth  3 victory points.

 If you are the underdog by at least 50% and win, double that number.

 If you are the underdog by at least 50% and last on the table to turn 5, add 2 victory points.

Victory points will be awarded for sportsmanship, based on a secret ballot of the players.

Army Composition-

No army may be smaller than 500 points.

 Each army must conform to all validation tests by itself. 

There may be no more than one of each named character or wargear in each player’s force.  The force is all armies the player has in the Bifrost system.

 For every 1500 points in an army after the first 1500, you must spend 100 points a turn in upkeep. 

Each player starts with 2000 points to construct his expeditionary force.  You may create as many or as few armies as you wish.

The point of this campaign is to have fun.  The objective is to win.  Please, try to accomplish the objective while still getting the point.  You will play people you don’t normally play.  You will have games and scenarios that don’t occur in the rulebook.  Some days you will be the bug, and some days you will be the windshield.    If you want to play a series of tournament games with the same three people, this isn’t for you.  If you want something different, come sail away with us.