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Picked up Battle Missions today. Seems like a fairly mixed bag to me, but here are my first impressions using the following rating system...

Game on!
Yeah ok, I'll play...
Got better things to do thanks

Tried to identify the mission from 40K Rulebook that each battle mission most closely resembles. I think I've been vague enough to not count as physically giving you the rules, but have aimed to give you a rough idea of how each mission works.

Chaos Space Marines

Pillage - Subtle variation of Seize Ground, where loot/salvage points are gained for every turn an objective is held
Black Crusade - Kill point mission, everyone has stubborn/preferred enemy and all non vehicle units can be recycled
Scorched Ground - Seize Ground again, but area terrain is either on fire (dangrous ground) or smoking (provides better cover)

Chaos Daemons

Night Fight - Night fight rules for entire game, well duh!
Invasion - Capture and Control with 4 objectives near a nasty warp rift in centre of the table. Don't get too close!
Fight to the Death - Opposing army must be completely destroyed

Dark Eldar

Dawn Raid - Capture and Control with 4 objectives and Night Fight Rules in effect unless a 6 is rolled at the end of the turn
Slave Raid - Capture slaves by wiping out opposing units in combat or by being in the vicinity of a unit when it is destroyed
Feigned Retreat - Kill Point game, two Dark Eldar units have hit and run

Eldar

Pre-emptive Strike - Kill Point game, but points vary depending on what is destroyed. Eldar get most for wiping out enemy HQ
Flank Attack - Capture and Control with 3 objectives and outflank for all Eldar reserves
Mobile Defense - All Eldar infantry, monstrous creatures and walkers deployed, everything else in reserve, reserves from 1st turn

Imperial Guard

Prepared Assault - The infamous stray shells mission! As seen in WD, it's capture and Control/Seize Ground really
War of Attrition - VPs determined by points values (Lol!) All troops can be recycled
Trench Warfare - Seize Ground with increased cover and nasty obstacles

Necrons

Ambush - A strong contender for dullest mission in the book, a kill point game with enemy deployed across the centre of the board
Reconnaissance in Force - Seize Ground with fog of war type effect for deployment (difficult to explain in a sentence, but works well)
Implacable Advance - Capture and Control with 3 objectives and no outflanking

Orks

Blitzkrieg - Capture and Control that favours fast attack for deployment and reserves
Waaagh! - Seize Ground with Waaagh! continuing into subsequent turns. No cover save allowed for Orks during Waaagh! effects though (if you're an Ork player!)
Cut & Run - Kill Point game similar to Pre-emptive Strike, Orks have Hit and Run

Space Marines
Vanguard - Capture and Control with objectives in opposing deployment zone, any Space Marine unit can hold objectives, Thunder Hawk can be used
Surprise Attack - Kill point game similar to Pre-emptive Strike with Planet Strike type rules for Space Marines and defensive benefits for opposing army
All-round Defence - Capture and Control with 1 objective in centre of the board, Space Marines surrounded with option to place Fast Attack and Deep Strike in reserve

Tau Empire
Vertical Envelopment - Kill point game, but Tau reserves that are Skimmers arrive from opposing board edge
Counter Attack - Kill point game, with Tau HQ, Elite and Fast Attack in reserve whilst Tau units that start on the board have Stealth
Fighting Withdrawal - Capture and Control with 3 objectives in Tau deployment zone, all Tau have hit and run

Tyranids
First Contact - Capture and Control with 6 objectives, all Tyranids in reserve and deploy from random section of the board
Wave Assault - Capture and Control with 4 ojectives and Tyranid force divided into 3 waves, arriving in turns 1, 2 and 2 at random (bit like Chaos Daemons deloyment)
Infestation - Kill point game, enemy hold one corner, Tyranids have Stealth, Opposing forces have Preferred Enemy, all area terrain is dangerous!

Special Missions
Kill Team - It's back baby, all be it in a simplified form, LoTR type courage test required once you are down to 50%, first side to run away loses
Linebreaker - Three Baneblades must exit the opposing board edge, might be fun but do you have three Baneblades? /
Clash of Heroes - Normal army selection, but must have 1 named character each. VPs (based on points values) are scored for each unit destroyed by that character. Game can be instantly won by killing opposing named character with yours

Thank you. Interesting reading.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have life! Kill Teams are BACK! (Not that I was in an edition with them, but seemed like the proper thing to say)

By your system, Eldar, orks, and nids have the best games. Is this true?

Thanks for the post. I was hoping there would be a combat patrol or 40k in 40 minutes style mission as well, but at least there are kill team rules (I wish I knew where my 4th ed book went to so I could look up the originals) and, well, 40k/40minutes is pretty good even in it's current unofficial status. Sounds a bit like a 'read it at the store and don't buy it' for me though, army-specific missions seem like a great way to open the gates of bitching.

Happygrunt wrote:By your system, Eldar, orks, and nids have the best games. Is this true?

My less than scientific system was based on a quick read through of each mission followed by some mulling on my part about whether it would be fun to play. Obviously people will have to try them out for real For all I know, the Necron's Ambush mission could lead to some riveting gameplay, but personally I just couldn't see it.

Btw, H.B.M.C. will probably want to avoid making this purchase, given the name of the author that is proudly displayed on the first page


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would also add, that as GW have suggested, most of the missions are easily (and quite logically) transferable to other races.

Who wrote it? Has J.J. struck again?

Good choice to pick it up.

Got it on friday, so here my "vote":



Game on!
Yeah ok, I'll play...
Got better things to do thanks
huh?


Chaos Space Marines

Pillage - Subtle variation of Seize Ground, where loot/salvage points are gained for every turn an objective is held
Black Crusade - Kill point mission, everyone has stubborn/preferred enemy and all non vehicle units can be recycled
Scorched Ground - Seize Ground again, but area terrain is either on fire (dangrous ground) or smoking (provides better cover)

Chaos Daemons

Night Fight - Night fight rules for entire game, well duh!
Invasion - Capture and Control with 4 objectives near a nasty warp rift in centre of the table. Don't get too close!
Fight to the Death - Opposing army must be completely destroyed

Dark Eldar

Dawn Raid - Capture and Control with 4 objectives and Night Fight Rules in effect unless a 6 is rolled at the end of the turn
Slave Raid - Capture slaves by wiping out opposing units in combat or by being in the vicinity of a unit when it is destroyed
Feigned Retreat - Kill Point game, two Dark Eldar units have hit and run

Eldar

Pre-emptive Strike - Kill Point game, but points vary depending on what is destroyed. Eldar get most for wiping out enemy HQ
Flank Attack - Capture and Control with 3 objectives and outflank for all Eldar reserves
Mobile Defense - All Eldar infantry, monstrous creatures and walkers deployed, everything else in reserve, reserves from 1st turn

Imperial Guard

Prepared Assault - The infamous stray shells mission! As seen in WD, it's capture and Control/Seize Ground really

the weird marker thing is just bad. maybe a preemptive strike from the guard ordnance ( ie all IG ordnance or barrage weapons
fire once before turn one and the opponent gets some cover to balance out ) or a barrage with a greater scatter distance measured from the middle of the table ( ie 6d6 ? ) could translate an "opening" salvo into a game of 40k nicely.
The concept of IG taking it to the enemy alone would be fine. Without the flattering paper =

War of Attrition - VPs determined by points values (Lol!) All troops can be recycled
Trench Warfare - Seize Ground with increased cover and nasty obstacles

Necrons

Ambush - a kill point game with enemy deployed across the centre of the board
Reconnaissance in Force - Seize Ground with fog of war type effect for deployment
Implacable Advance - Capture and Control with 3 objectives and no outflanking

Orks

Blitzkrieg - Capture and Control that favours fast attack for deployment and reserves
Waaagh! - Seize Ground with Waaagh! continuing into subsequent turns. No cover save allowed for Orks during Waaagh! effects though (if you're an Ork player!)
Cut & Run - Kill Point game similar to Pre-emptive Strike, Orks have Hit and Run

Space Marines
Vanguard - Capture and Control with objectives in opposing deployment zone, any Space Marine unit can hold objectives, Thunder Hawk can be used
Surprise Attack - Kill point game similar to Pre-emptive Strike with Planet Strike type rules for Space Marines and defensive benefits for opposing army
All-round Defence - Capture and Control with 1 objective in centre of the board, Space Marines surrounded with option to place Fast Attack and Deep Strike in reserve

Tau Empire
Vertical Envelopment - Kill point game, but Tau reserves that are Skimmers arrive from opposing board edge
Counter Attack - Kill point game, with Tau HQ, Elite and Fast Attack in reserve whilst Tau units that start on the board have Stealth
Fighting Withdrawal - Capture and Control with 3 objectives in Tau deployment zone, all Tau have hit and run

Tyranids
First Contact - Capture and Control with 6 objectives, all Tyranids in reserve and deploy from random section of the board
Wave Assault - Capture and Control with 4 ojectives and Tyranid force divided into 3 waves, arriving in turns 1, 2 and 2 at random (bit like Chaos Daemons deloyment)
Infestation - Kill point game, enemy hold one corner, Tyranids have Stealth, Opposing forces have Preferred Enemy, all area terrain is dangerous!

Special Missions
Kill Team - It's back baby, all be it in a simplified form, LoTR type courage test required once you are down to 50%, first side to run away loses
Linebreaker - Three Baneblades must exit the opposing board edge.
Clash of Heroes - Normal army selection, but must have 1 named character each. VPs (based on points values) are scored for each unit destroyed by that character. Game can be instantly won by killing opposing named character with yours


IMO not bad.
Nice missions, chaos marines fluff reduced to renegades and necrons awakening and starting the harvest.

Downsides:
-old quotes recycled.
-good cover, but thats it for illustrations.

PS: written by J.J

Indeed, Jervis has written it. Other than Kill Team, and a couple of Space Marine/Ork missions, there's not much in there that was really worth paying for... ><

I have to say I prefer to make up my own 'missions' with my mates and make up my own fluff. I was doing this before battle missions came out and I DO NOT need a book to tell me how to play my games!

I can see it being a source for GW tournaments. This way everyone is on the same page, quite literaly, for more themed complex battles than the rule book allows while still remaining fair for all.

@ 1Hadhq - Interesting to see someone else's view point No love for Kill Team or do you not like the gross simplification of what was a fun side game in 4th Edition?

Sounds like a reprint/update of the missions they used to put in the back of all of the codexes like I thought it would be. I like the idea that they are all collected together.

Sort of, although IIRC, the Tau's mission in their codex was to rescue an Ethereal. Would have been interesting to see something in that vain. My main criticism is that most of the missions in BM are variations of the three in the Rulebook.

A couple sound like ones from a previous edition rule book. Can't say for certain as I don't recall all of the ones from the backs of codexes and haven't done a complete read of the battle missions.

In my opinion the reviews and comments are overly negative. But then again, I only started last year and all the missions are completely new to me.

I think the quick review that Flashman did skipped some of the finer details, especially deployment options. For Example, Night Fight (CD mission) requires both players to roll for deployment of each unit and randomizes where you can deploy them. Which means that the non-CD player has to think very quickly on how to handle the deployment options given to him.

For me it's definitely worth its money.

Flashman wrote:@ 1Hadhq - Interesting to see someone else's view point No love for Kill Team or do you not like the gross simplification of what was a fun side game in 4th Edition?

I don't play "side-games".

Always start on company level. Less than 1000 points is too unbalanced for me.
( plus, can't stop under 2k with any list ever written, hard enough to cut down to 1,5k ).

I agree that some missions are 'recycled' missions from codices, isn't a bad thing.

As expansion, those missions are optional and thus maybe not replacing the 'official' BRB missions in pick up games but
IMO balanced enough to be played regularly with friends/local group of 40kers. The race/army specific nature just begs for
a revanche IE 2 games instead of 1.

PS: did like the advancement of necron fluff too.

Not gonna lie, the Ork WAAAAGH! mission is broken if you take Ghazzy. I played that a few weeks ago in a team game and tabled an Imperial Guard and a Death Wing player. It just isn't fair....

@ Shrubs - I deliberately left out deployment rules for two reasons... Firstly, I'd end up writing out the whole book which isn't allowed and secondly, it was taking forever to write as it was

You're right though, I should have read Night Fight more carefully. Happy to upgrade it to a

All in all, I quite like the book too, especially for the fluff.

I like the scattering shells!

I've no problems with the scattering shells either, but the mission itself is just Capture and Control with all the objectives in your opponents deployment zone.

KILL TEAMS BACK BABY!!!!!
(with simplified rules)

After reading all this (and thanks everyone!), I'm still not sure if I want to pick it up or not...

Help!

I plan on getting a copy this weekend and will be trying to run a campaign based around some of the missions in it. They should provide more variety than the basic missions. Which is what I'm looking for. I don't expect them all to be practical, but that there will be enough to give me the variety that I, and my friends, want.

Alpharius wrote:After reading all this (and thanks everyone!), I'm still not sure if I want to pick it up or not...

Help!

Personally, having played in a small tourny with the book, I think half the missions are... sorta junk. I honestly wouldn't play them more than once for novelty or ask my opponent to.
The other half are alright, but the majority are simple in the extreme: [Spearhead deploy, your units get X USR and your opponents get Y USR] or [KPs, but some units are worth more] or [Night fighting, quarters deployment]... these should not be things that take 2 pages to explain and 1/3rd of your armies additions in an expensive new rulebook. When the book was first announced I was looking forward to unique new rules and more general stuff, or multi-game campaign rule ideas... something other than the bland stuff I feel like we got. I've seen much much better homebrew stuff, and I've made up whacky deployment rules on the spot that were just as good.

If I bought it, the only thing I'd probably run frequently is the KT scenario... and you can easily run that without shelling out for the book, as the rules are simple.
It also irks me that the rules are often shoddily written, in the apoc 'work it out yourselves, we don't want to deal with it' vein.

I'd browse through your store copy to see if you like it, but I passed.

JEB_Stuart wrote:Not gonna lie, the Ork WAAAAGH! mission is broken if you take Ghazzy. I played that a few weeks a go in a team game and tabled an Imperial Guard and a Death Wing player. It just isn't fair....

Yup. I'd have to test it first, but I think it'll get edited in my play group to allow his special rules for the first full turn, then after that it goes back to a regular Waagh. 12" charging Orks is just a bit much IMO.

I love the Kill Team mission... however, I'm absolutely torn in what direction to spend my 200 pts! IG... any ideas?

I've started with Harkers Vets armed to the max... another HB with relentless and a few spec weapons with an Autcannon Scout sentinel!

Then I threw that way and went for a smaller Vet pts unit... no Harker, and included Marbo! Felt this was too Las Gun heavy and not enough punch outside Marbo!

I then realised that if you wanted you could take a Platoon Com Squad, include a commisar for his ld and Penal Legion... the random specials they get aren't to bad for a kill team mission!

Then I realised that somebody with teo Valkyries could field... two Valkyries and i got a bit paranoid that anything I took would be picked off from the sky, or stomped on by a regular Termie squad etc...

What would you guys put in your 200 pts (any race) and if your IG what would you have?

Thanks for any advice!

Correct me if i'm wrong, but in the Kill Team entry under 'reserves' it says that neither side may hold models in reserve for this mission. That will put a hurt on drop pod lists as well as sly marbo's sneaky deployment.

tetrisphreak wrote:Correct me if i'm wrong, but in the Kill Team entry under 'reserves' it says that neither side may hold models in reserve for this mission. That will put a hurt on drop pod lists as well as sly marbo's sneaky deployment.

Nope, drop pod rules say they can still be taken even if the mission dosnt allow it. Cheese FTW!

Happygrunt wrote:

tetrisphreak wrote:Correct me if i'm wrong, but in the Kill Team entry under 'reserves' it says that neither side may hold models in reserve for this mission. That will put a hurt on drop pod lists as well as sly marbo's sneaky deployment.

Nope, drop pod rules say they can still be taken even if the mission dosnt allow it. Cheese FTW!

And Zagstruk says he 'must enter via deep strike' but gives no permission to do so if the mission rules don't allow it. Shoddily written rules FTW!

Sly marbo and 10 rough riders FTW! Best kill team list of all time.