Suppression Fire
Intro
Suppression Fire is a rule for 40K games that I made in the hopes of adding to the game while creating a more realistic portrayal of firearms in a futuristic conflict. I see Suppression Fire adding to the tactic versatility of the game while creating situations were supporting actions and multi-unit tactics are further emphasized, much inline with realistic gun battles.
Rule
Suppression Fire: Any unit that is capable of projecting five or more shots (shots being the number of actual times the guns can fire at the unit) may target an enemy unit for suppression. The guns must be within range and line of sight to the target. The unit must NOT have fired in the shooting phase and did not engage in behavior that would have disqualified them from firing at their intended targets such as running or moving when using heavy weapons or rapid-fire weapons. Weapons that use blasts, templates, or are heavy 1, pistols, or use the get's hot rule may not be used for suppression, as they cannot maintain the rate of fire to suppress units.
The targeted unit must pass a leadership during its turn or become pinned, take this test once suppression is declared. If the targeted unit passes the leadership then during their turn, they can elect to remain still or brave the hail of fire being sprayed overhead. If the unit attempts to move, fire its ballistic weapons, or engage in any action, then it exposes its members to the incoming rounds blazing around them. Any unit that is at the receiving end of suppression fire and attempts any action must roll for each one of its models with a member being struck by a round on a roll a 6 on a D6. The gun type that contributed the majority of the shots at the unit determines the type of shot that hits the unit. Guns with the same type of ammo such as boltguns and boltpistols count as the same gun. In the case of ties, two or more different gun types contributing the same amount of shots, the opponent taking the damage picks the weapon to resolve the damage. A unit only takes damage from suppression once, this is the first time it exposes itself to the incoming fire. A unit that moves or shoots gets hit once same as a unit that moves, fires, and assaults.
It is possible for units using suppression fire to be rendered ineligible by normal occurrences in a battle. This might happen if the unit receives causalities that drops the number of shots it can send at the suppressed unit under 5, if it becomes pinned /breaks, or if it loses line of sight to the target (blocked be a vehicle for example). A squad of five dire avengers is attempting to suppress a unit of space marine scouts is struck by a whirlwind shell that kills 3 of the eldar. The scout’s who passed their suppression leadership test may run out of cover, or fire their weapons without suffering any hits as the dire avengers no longer have the ability to suppress the squad due to a lack of shots generated.
Note: Every model of a unit does not need to contribute their fire to suppression, a player only needs 5 shots from a unit and does not need to used excess shots that would have the targeted unit take fire from a weaken type of gun. If a unit suppressing opts to only contribute some of its weapons to inflict a high power hits on a targeted unit loses its contributing members and drops below 5 shots then it is considered ineligible; the other non-firing models can not pick up the slack.
Crossfire:
Multiple units may make the attempt of suppressing the same target. For every additional unit attempting to suppress a single unit subtract one from the die roll to determine if they are hit and their leadership when attempting to pass the pinning test to brave the fire to a maximum of a 2+ to be hit and a minus 4 to the leadership test. A targeted unit will only take one pinning test due to suppression a turn and all suppressing units must use the crossfire rule rather than inflicting numerous pinning tests and damage rolls.
Cover:
The suppressing units are attempting to halt the enemies advance by spraying their fire through the space they would need to occupy in order to take any significant action; by performing such actions on the battlefield the targets are abandoning their cover and risking the hail of fire being projected at them. Due to the rate of fire be drummed out at the target by enemy soldiers spraying their shots between gaps of trees, over trenches, and through fire-ports no cover saves may be made against hits from suppression fire.
Transports:
Transports may be targeted for suppression in which case their passengers are hit if they disembark. If the passengers disembark in a manner in which some suppressing units are no longer within line of sight of them then they cannot be counted as firing upon the disembarking unit. A unit disembarking from a transport under suppression fire must pass a ld. test as normal if they fail they must remain in the vehicle.
If the transport is opened top then the crew will be affected as if they were outside the vehicle if they attempt to fire from the vehicle even if they did not disembark, to expose themselves to fire from their vehicle they must pass a pinning test same as if they were not in a vehicle. Making use of a fire port while enemy projectiles are bouncing on the hull is a rather bold maneuver. If a transport vehicle uses its fire ports while being suppressed its crew is effected as if they where in an open-topped vehicle. This will only happen if the suppressing unit has line of sight to the fire port that was used. The vehicle itself is able to block line of sight to its own fire ports.
Shrapnel
Powerful guns are capable of doing far more damage then their lesser counterparts when spraying a fortified position. Trenches collapse, walls shattering into stone splinters and eardrums burst. When a gun whose strength is double or more than double the majority toughness of the unit being suppressed that unit suffers D3 wounds that permit armor saves. Damage is assigned before the pinning test is taken.
Suppression verse Suppression:
A unit that was selected as a target for suppression and passed its leadership test, but elected not to take any action may suppress an enemy unit without exposing itself to fire as it takes its position during the brief lull of incoming fire. In this manner suppression fire can be exchanged between enemy units who are mutually suppressing each other across a no man's land.
Grenades:
Models equipped with assault or defensive grenades may use them to disorient an enemy sheltering behind cover in a similar manner as suppression fire. For the purpose of suppression fire only, treat models with grenades as being equipped with a weapon with the following profile.
Range: 6” Strength: 4 AP: 5 Assault 2
Why I made this rule:
I felt that the typical 40K game lacked a ballistic component. In the game units can advance upon a bristling gun line with no immediate consequences – whereas it would be more likely that braving such a situation would inflict causalities the very second the squad stuck its head out. Suppression fire also gives the leadership characteristic more of a role in the game, which is a good thing in my opinion.
This rule adds another level of tactics to the game. Imagine using a rhino to sever suppression fire from a besieged squad of marines so they could progress safe from enemy fire; a unit of guardsmen losing their nerve and sheltering down while eldar shuriken sing over their heads allowing the unit of banshees to advance uncontested; termagants peppering an imperial gun-line with flesh borer shots to protect their synapse creatures from being targeted by heavy weapon teams; several units of tau fire warriors lighting up a large ork mob as it foolishly advances into their blasts; and so on.
Movement: In realistic firefights exposing yourself to the enemy by leaving cover is a real ballsy maneuver. This rule incorporates that realistic component into the 40K battle. By making it possible for units to suppress the enemy advancing upon them, contested movement and leadership becomes more of a factor in a battle.
Target rich environment: When spraying fire at a mob of thirty Orcs it should be easier to score hits than firing at five dire avengers. This rule covers the spray in pray approach to firearm management. If thirty Orcs are baring down on you could try to pick out individuals and fire upon them or you could switch to full auto and spray the mob with as many shots as you can squeeze off saturating the air with projectiles or raging energy bursts. Targets are not hit by ballistic skill, but by simply filling the air with lead and hoping some of the shots find their mark.
More Consideration: This rule empowers the small units; a squad of five guardsman with lasguns within 24” of 30 termagants will inflicted and average of 5 hits on the unit, but would perform far less successfully against small units. Also thanks to the crossfire rule several units can create a killing field that would require clever unit placement on their part.
Favors defenders?: While this rule may seem to benefit armies that find themselves playing the role of the defender and hurts attack oriented armies like Orcs and Tyranids that is not really the case. An advancing unit of Orcs can spray fire upon a unit of guardsman forcing them to keep their heads down so the Orcs can assault without receiving fire from the unit. Termagants could pepper a space marine squad preventing them from counter assaulting a Hive Tyrant. This rule allows the attacker to use a spray of fire to force the defender to keep their head down in order to advance upon them just as easily as an defender can use suppression to halt the attacker’s advance.
I feel that my suppression rule touches upon what GWS was hoping to achieve with their “over-watch” and “stand your ground” rules, but does so in a manner that does not strongly over power or disadvantage any one army - a problem with the two mentioned rules. My rule is not so much an interruption of an opponent’s movement turn like the over-watch and stand your ground rule, but a hazardous condition that is inflicted upon the enemy. Suppression doesn't stop the opponent’s game in order to take a shooting phase, but creates a threatening condition that may inflict causalities or pin a unit down.
