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Prospective Player List

1hadhq -- ??? -- ???
Admiral-Bell --- Imperial Guard --- ???
BrotherStynier --- Chaos Space Marines --- Night Lords
Emperors Faithful --- Imperial Guard --- Vostroyans
Erasoketa --- Space Marines --- Black Templars
Deff Dread red Edition --- Imperial Guard --- Elysians
focusedfire --- ??? --- ???
JohnHwangDD --- Tyranids --- Grendel
Inquistor_Syphonious --- Imperial Guard --- Valhallans
Manchu --- Eldar --- Ulthwe
Nightwatch --- Orks --- Freebooterz
Orkeosaurus --- Space Marines --- Rainbow Warrior
Shaman --- Space Marines --- Ultramarines
the_ferret --- Orks --- ???
Thor --- ??? --- ???
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I expect this post will be edited quite a few times, so I am not bothering with the fanciest of formatting or even creating a complete ruleset here.

The rules presented in this post (note: not thread) are FINAL for Game Two--unless they are demonstrated to be extremely broken in some way.

First up: The Board size will comprise worlds in the amount of one third the number of players rounded down with a minimum of six worlds. The Board is linear, in that movement from the last world to the first or vice versa is generally not allowed.

Let's remember that, generally speaking, factions must move to reinforce and may not reinforce on the same turn as attacking.

Next: Rules for the factions that will definitely make it into Game Two.

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Chaos Space Marines
A 2 T 2 M 1/A R 1* Start 10 Max 15
Legions of the Warp: The predations of Chaos Space Marine warbands are aided both by the denizens and the deceptions of the Immaterium.
Chaos Space Marine factions may attack on the same turn that they move, before or after moving. They may only reinforce while moving before an attack. Chaos
Space Marine factions treat the Board as circular, i.e., they may move between the first and last Worlds.

Eldar
A 1x2 T 1x2 M 1*/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
Masters of the Webway: The enigmatic Eldar slip in and out of their Webway portals, attacking where and whenever they are least expected.
Eldar factions may move from their current World to any other World. They may attack once before moving and once after moving. They may never attack
on the same World twice in one turn.

Imperial Guard
A 3 T 3 M 1 R 3 Start 10 Max 20
Hammer of the Emperor: The sprawling Imperial Guard mobilizes fire power unmatched throughout the Emperor's far-flung domains.
Imperial Guard factions may neither move nor attack on a turn that they reinforce.

Orks
A 1/2 T 1/2 M 2/A R 2 Start 10 Max 20
WAAAAAAGH!: Ork violence gains momentum in its belligerent charge across the stars, growing more savage wherever Greenskins gather.
Ork factions may move up to two space per turn and can attack on the same turn as moving, either before or after moving. When two or more Ork
factions are on the same world, treat each as A 2 T 2.

Space Marines
A 3 T 1 M 2/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
Codex Astartes: The teachings of Guilliman have honed the Space Marines into a perfect precision strike force.
Space Marine factions may move up to two spaces per turn. They may attack on the same turn as moving but only after moving. They may not move
then attack then move again, however.

Tyranids
A 2 T 1/2 M 1 R n/a Start 15 Max 25
The Great Devourer: Tyranids Hive Fleets tear mercilessly through the galaxy, assimilating the biomass of their victims into themselves.
Tyranid factions reinforce on the same turn as attacking. Each turn, they may inflict either two wounds on one target, reinforcing by one, or one wound on
two targets, reinforcing by two. There may only be one Tyranid faction for every three other factions.
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And now, rules for factions that may or may not be included in the next game. (More will be added as I think of them, perhaps.)

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Tau Empire
A 1/2 T 1/2 M 1 or 1/A R 1/2 Start 10 Max 15
For the Greater Good: Able to coordinate complex military actions with versatility, the Tau pose a steadily growing threat to any who oppose their Greater Good.
All Tau factions start on the same World. Tau factions may attack on the same turn as moving, either before or after moving, as A 1 T 1. If they attack without moving, they are
treated as A 2 T 2. If a Tau faction moves without attacking to a World where another Tau faction is already present the moving faction may reinforce by two rather than one.

Sisters of Battle
A 2 T 2/1 M 1 R 2 Start 10 Max 15
Acts of Faith: Adepta Sororitas are an inspiring witness to the power of faith in the God-Emperor, leading Humanity's crusades at their bloody spearpoints.
Whenever Sisters of Battle factions are below their starting wounds or are present on the same World as either Imperial Guard or Space Marine factions, they are treated as
A 2 T 1 rather than A 2 T 2. (They may not choose to remain A 2 T 2 in this case, however.)

Dark Eldar
A 2 T 1 M 1*/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
The Thirst of Commorragh: Driven by their insatiable appetite for souls, Dark Eldar slavers strike out from the Webway to sow terror among the livestock races.
Dark Eldar factions may move from their current World to any other World. They may move and reinforce on the same turn as attacking, but only after attacking. They may not
otherwise reinforce nor may they move and then attack on the same turn.
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Finally, as to what this thread is for: I would like for people to discuss these rules and suggest changes based on experience with Game One--or, for anyone who hasn't been playing in Game One, based on being a wargamer! Rules proposals for Chaos Daemons or Necrons are also welcome. MOST IMPORTANTLY, however, please use this thread to start plotting out which faction you will play in the context of other players' choices. Some of this will have to be done via PM, for the sake of creating secret alliances, but other parts of it are better done in the open . . . to intimidate others . . . and, of course, to throw people off your real game, right? This pre-game stage is very nearly a game in and of itself and I hope that people have fun doing it because I think it should be a very important part of StratS.

Game Two will begin when there are a suitable number (at least ten but I hope for around fifteen or even more) people ready to play. Note that this does not mean we must all wait until the end of Game One to begin Game Two. So please post here if you are interested in eventually joining Game Two. And please do spread the word about StratS. I would really like to see more people playing this because as more people that try it there's a good chance that more problems with existing rules and opportunities for better and more fun rules will be revealed. The more minds, the merrier!

I'll gladly play Nids.

That may be more your speed . . . er, should I say strength?

Linear is going to make it a completely different game. I like it.

I think to prevent the madness of last game you should post all the possible actions for each faction. If I was smarter I would but well I'm not.

I also think that orks (Tau/Sisters if in the game) are gonna be a huge target if people think rather then use in -universe bias. The way they support each other is a huge threat to everyone who doesn't have the same ability.

Also so Chaos have been judged Op? Thats probably accurate, all of us are still above starting wounds.

Eldar will actually have mobility, with linear.

Also thanks for all the hard work. I think you've made something quite cool.

Just my thoughts

EDIT Im interested in Game 2. Can I stake my claim already? If so I choose Ultramarines.

I'll be back with the guard.

@Manchu: Nids are easily the strongest all-round. No weakness in the army design whatsoever.

@Shaman: Linear makes no real difference as long as Eldar intend to "win" rather than just drawing it out - Eldar still need to get stuck in to fight, and that means they're meat.

I'll be up for the next game, but I'll hold off on selecting a faction until I see the final list.

@Shaman: I will leave the possible actions lists to Nightwatch, if he doesn't mind, or some other enterprising individuals if he does mind. I prefer to see how someone else interprets my rules and then straightening out what I intended. This will be better to do BEFORE the game beings, I think.

I do think Chaos is OP. In this iteration, they are even more like sharks: they need to keep moving forward, always ready to attack, in order to survive. As a pack, they are still very powerful. They will also be, obviously, tied with Space Marines for second most mobile faction in Game Two--although they are mobile in quite different ways.

I also think that Eldar could be OP, if left as they were, in the early game. Yes, in a linear game they will still be very strong early game. If they coordinate to hit hard they can put big dents into the other players. Such alliances, if handled without subtlety, will likely provoke animosity. The Eldar need a deft hand but I think they are very powerful.

Sisters could be a target, sure. But they need to be supported AND to support their potential Imperial allies. Just going it alone will not work best for them, I think. But going it alone doesn't work well for anyone . . . except maybe Nids. The same is true of Tau, except they have less versatility in their prospective alliances. Both factions are okay by themselves but are best when functioning in the context of alliances, which (as I said) really should be true for almost everyone.

All in all, I think that players should think more deeply and creatively about how they work together and against each other.

You can of course claim Ultramarines--and you may swap in and out as you please until the game begins. Same goes for everyone.

JohnHwangDD wrote:@Manchu: Nids are easily the strongest all-round. No weakness in the army design whatsoever.

This should be their greatest weakness. Other players, upon realizing this, should be willing to band together and pound the Nids into extinction. But, just like in 40k, petty rivalries often get in the way of dealing with the real threat. I will be limiting the number of possible Nids players, however.

focusedfire wrote:I'll be up for the next game, but I'll hold off on selecting a faction until I see the final list.

Please make some kind of choice. You are free to change your choice up until Game Two begins. Faction choices are another facet of alliance building. Being able to change them makes for some great pre-game strategy.

Shaman wrote:Also thanks for all the hard work. I think you've made something quite cool.

Thank you for the kind words. The pay-off is seeing people have fun and interact. I think of these kinds of games as a way of strengthening the Dakka community by getting people to interact more regularly. This is also why I hope the game works well and is fun--so it can draw more members together so that they can get to know each other and have fun on the site.

JohnHwangDD wrote:@Manchu: Nids are easily the strongest all-round. No weakness in the army design whatsoever.

@Shaman: Linear makes no real difference as long as Eldar intend to "win" rather than just drawing it out - Eldar still need to get stuck in to fight, and that means they're meat.

I don't doubt either of those points. Now that you mention them. I was just saying that they would have greater mobility. I am chasing you in game one, if the board was linear it would be harder for me to do so.

My guesses for rules.

Perhaps a weakness for tyranids could be starvation. They have to attack to keep their wounds up? lose a wound if they don't attack one enemy that turn. In late agme people could avoid them and starve them out.

This one is totally out there.. Ah make eldar wounds 8 attack 2 (single target). They hit hard enough for people to notice but are as weak as tissue paper.

Just thoughts.. dont kill me.

Shaman wrote:Perhaps a weakness for tyranids could be starvation. They have to attack to keep their wounds up?

Factions still have to coordinate to starve the Nids. Actually, Eldar are the preeminent coordinators of starvation/raiding against Nids because they can get away from them so effectively. Their natural allies in this regard are the Space Marines. Not coincidentally, the two strongest factions in the early game are natural enemies of the strongest late game faction. So while it is tempting for them to be at each other's throats, it makes more sense for them to work together--at least that is one possibility. Tyranids make a great pawn in other factions' games BUT this is one pawn that could easily digest the whole Board if it is not managed carefully.

Complaints about the Eldar are overstated. They are not the only faction that attacks at A1 T1. They are not the only faction with Max 10. I admit, they are the only faction with both.

I think it's also important to remember that winning is what you make of it. I am not especially worried about creating a lot of rules to avoid stalemates because I think a confederation of Eldar all surviving is just as fulfilling a victory as a single Ork clan getting all the way through.

Additionally: For now, choose ONLY from those factions that will be available in Game Two.

I have another possible solution to the Eldar "problem":

Eldar
A 1x2 T 1x2 M 1*/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
Masters of the Webway: The enigmatic Eldar slip in and out of their Webway portals, attacking where and whenever they are least expected.
Eldar factions may move from their current World to any other World. They may attack once before moving and once after moving. They may never attack
on the same World twice in one turn.

. . . instead of . . .

Eldar
A 1 T 1 M 1*/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
Masters of the Webway: The enigmatic Eldar slip in and out of their Webway portals, attacking where and whenever they are least expected.
Eldar factions begin play off-Board and are placed on a World of their choice during Turn 1. This, and an attack, count as their entire first turn. Subsequently,
they may move, from their current World to any other World, and attack on the same turn. They may attack either before or after moving.

I like this better than the "deep strike" ability as I have not been able to resolve my fear that some Eldar player or another will miss their deepstrike on Turn One and give us a real rules pickle to hash out. I think it might also sorely tempt Eldar players to be fickle, blasting away at ostensible neutrals or even allies for not wanting to waste a chance at attacking when they might get away with it--true to fluff about their inscutable motives.

If you check the current numbers, Shaman, I think you will find that the game is getting more "killy." Standard attack is now a 2 with SM still hitting hardest at 3. I am kind of worried that "A score" inflation will hurt the Guard, however. Giving IG different "artillery configurations" could help.

Manchu wrote:

JohnHwangDD wrote:@Manchu: Nids are easily the strongest all-round. No weakness in the army design whatsoever.

This should be their greatest weakness. Other players, upon realizing this, should be willing to band together and pound the Nids into extinction.

I will be limiting the number of possible Nids players, however.

We'll see...

Max 4, just like in Game One should be OK.

Hammer of the Emperor-

Valhallan Ice Warriors

If you check the current numbers, Shaman, I think you will find that the game is getting more "killy." Standard attack is now a 2 with SM still hitting hardest at 3. I am kind of worried that "A score" inflation will hurt the Guard, however. Giving IG different "artillery configurations" could help.

Hmm, yes I am digging the new numbers. No doubt someone will pipe up and say it terrible but I am greatly pleased.

also you are gonna play this time right manchu?

Already stole my Ulthwe.

Inquisitor_Syphonious wrote:Already stole my Ulthwe.

Ah yeah didn't see that.

Sorry about skipping out so quickly last game everyone, my monthly cap, reached its' cap.

Anyway, I'll take Imperial guard. Elysian drop troops to be more specific.

Marshall Tolbrecht sets the fleet for a punishment Crusade.

Dark Eldar
A 2 T 1 M 1*/A R 1 Start 10 Max 10
The Thirst of Commorragh: Driven by their insatiable appetite for souls, Dark Eldar slavers strike out from the Webway to sow terror among the livestock races.
Dark Eldar factions may move from their current World to any other World. They may move and reinforce on the same turn as attacking, but only after attacking. They may not
otherwise reinforce nor may they move and then attack on the same turn.

So:

- Attack move reinforce.

But:

- no Move + attack ?

You could spect from DE to be able to move and attack, it's their lifestyle

@Erasoketa: They can--but only as between turns.

Turn 1: attack at Gamma, (move to Alpha and reinforce
Turn 2: attack at Alpha), move to Delta and reinforce
Turn 3: attack at Delta, move to . . . and so on

So that (move to Alpha and reinforce, attack at Alpha) is their "move then attack" combo and must be done over two turns. Why?

Well, unlike Craftworld Eldar, DE are tied to a resource outside of the Webway--namely, slaves. This reliance is predictable, balancing out their unpredictable movement. I represent it in the rules by making the move/reinforce combined action the last thing DE will do most turns. Their addiction to this resource is also mirrored in their rather narrow options. They are like vampires, needing to constantly move from victim to victim. Splitting their attack move like that is also balanced out by letting them reinforce.

Notice that, by contrast, Craftworld Eldar are more aloof. Their unpredictability makes them free to pursue whatever goal they choose, except attrition. They are, in my mind at least, a fairly attractive ally to any other faction. The corresponding Eldar sequence looks like:

Turn 1: attack at Gamma, (move to Alpha, attack at Alpha)
Turn 2: move to Gamma and reinforce
Turn 3: attack at Gamma, (move to Delta, attack at Delta)

The last two thirds of an aggressive Eldar turn are unpredictable. But they have to take a whole turn to reinforce. Notice how vulnerable they are in the red portion. They share this drawback with Space Marines. The problem becomes finding a safe haven to withdraw to. Having a linear Board may help create such havens. I could see an IG-controlled world, for example, trading promises to attack specific enemies for safe passage on a reinforce move.

Ok, I see the point, looks good!

It would be cool to see how they work mixing it with the alliance and betrayal subgame

I would like to play in this one too.

If possible Kraken again.

Sign me up! This has been great fun so far.

I'll probably go with Vostroyans again, but I am change to fill in gaps of other armies. Maybe sisters.

I'll be free to join soon.

Not sure which factions fate to Ruin next.

Pick a juggernaut and sit on a planet if you are worried about dying.

I think the A 3 T 3/2 config for IG is too much. Please consider them A 3 T 3. I will update the OP accordingly tonight. Getting too far into doing mega-damage is not good for horde factions. Tyranids are an intentional exception to that. Keeping SM at A 3 T 1 may seem to make them too much of a target but before offing them other players should consider who will help with the maxed-out Nids in end game. VScott, I will also add you to the list as Kraken later.

Cap'n Nottwotch vows to return. I should have that list of possible actions up by tomorrow.

Manchu wrote:I think the A 3 T 3/2 config for IG is too much.

Keeping SM at A 3 T 1 may seem to make them too much of a target but before offing them other players should consider who will help with the maxed-out Nids in end game.

VScott, I will also add you to the list as Kraken later.

A3 R3 IG are plenty good. Almost as good as Nids.

A3 T1 SM would be murder against T10 armies. Paste a bigger target on their heads!

I forget to name my fleet. I pick "Grendel".
____

1hadhq wrote:I'll be free to join soon.

Not sure which factions fate to Ruin next.

Play SMs!

I am open to suggestions on SM. I feel like they are getting left behind. Short of allowing them to strafe (JSJ), I've been drawing a blank.

Maybe you should make the SM weaker, so they're not as obvious a threat?

A1 M2 R1 H10-15

Also, with VS playing Kraken and me playing Grendel, that still leaves 2 spots for Leviathan and Behemoth...