Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Inspired by these:


http://www.pegasushobbies.com/prod%20scifi%20apollo%2027.html

I'm thinking of spaceport terrain. Seems pretty easy, paint the rockets up in Imperial colors, flip over some plastic plates as launch pads. Throw in some hanger, cranes and trucks and Bob's your uncle.

But what to use it for...

THE LAST SHUTTLE OFF OF CY-DAN

The war is over, everyone lost. The Imperial Fleet will soon bombard Cy-Dan into a lifeless rock. Anyone who's getting off had better get off now.

THE GOAL

Evacuate HQ units from the planet. Everyone else is expendible.

THE TABLE

The table should have 3 or more shuttles parked on it (these could also be webway portholes, warp gates, teleporters etc). They should be at least 18" from the long table edge.

THE SHUTTLES

Shuttles have armor 12/12/12.
Each shuttle may carry one unit regardless of size (assume anyone who does not fit is promptly shot by their officers or left to burn on the launch pad).
Once a unit boards a shuttle it launches at the start of that player's next turn. Remove the shuttle from the table.
Neither side may deliberately target a shuttle since both sides want them.
However you may assault the passengers on a full shuttle, move a unit into contact with the shuttle hull, then put the passengers back on the table and fight it out.
If a shuttle is hit by scattering shots: Stunned/shaken results delay launching one turn. Weapons destroyed results are treated as stunned/shaken. Immobilized results mean the shuttles may not be used but remain on the table as terrain. Destroyed results are normal.

DEPLOYMENT

Both armies enter from the long table edge on turn one.

WINNING

You must get your HQ choices off world on a shuttle. If all HQ are dead or evacuated Elites may be subsituted.

I like the mission, except for one thing
-Neither side may deliberately target a shuttle

Clearly both sides want to keep the shuttles alive, but there are instances, i.e. when a shuttle is clearly lost and there is no hope of regaining control of it, that a commander might want to blow it up out of spite. It ought to be up to the owning commander to protect the shuttle, with an obscured vehicle save. Additionally you are removing the ability of a commander to get a glancing hit, and delay departure for another turn allowing the opposing force to capture the shuttle and take off with it.

Other than this scruple, I really like the scenario and may have to try it out sometime.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Additionally, I think you ought to add a rule to represent the fact that the rest of the army may not be so keen on blowing up-

Selfish: If any unit is within 12" of a shuttle at the beginning of their turn, they must pass a leadership test, or immediately fall back towards the shuttle their total movement, and must run towards the shuttle in the shooting phase. If they reach the shuttle, they board it and try to take off to avoid their doom. If the shuttle contains a unit already, the two units engage in combat, be they friend or foe, as is described in assaulting the shuttle.

Fearless units test on the LD provided in their stat line. Im sure most fearless units may have a reason to live and given enough time you could create a reason. Additionally, any unit outside of 12" of an HQ unit suffers a modifier to their moral check equal to the turn number, so in the 4th game turn a modifier of -4 would be applied.

My thought was that if you can shoot the shuttles a turn 1 or 2 victory is too easy. Move on, run for the nearby shuttle and blow up the rest.

If they can't be shot both players have time to make their try.

How about this?

Recommend 5 shuttles in each mission.
Once boarded shuttles launch the next turn on a roll of 4+. Stunned/shaken means -1 to the roll, immobilized -2, 6 always launches.
Recommend 1000 to 1500 points, any more than that and you'll have the firepower to blow up all the shuttles on turn 2.

WHile the idea of troops rebelling is cool (maybe it should be fleeing units fall back to a shuttle?) 40k has never had rules for troops rebelling and I think it makes things too complicated.

Any other thoughts?