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.

For the uninitiated, combat patrol is a variation of the standard 40k game, introduced in I think 4th edition, intended for very small games. The rules are small and available for free. Essentially you are allowed up to 400 points, with a number of limitations on the force. The basic idea of combat patrol is to allow for small one hour games with tiny forces that do not take to long to collect and get painted. The idea here is to field multiple attachments of combat patrols as a unified army. So:

Core rules
You may field multiple attachments of combat patrols armies as one army.
The number of combat patrols must be agreed on before hand.
The combat patrols need not be derived from the same army.

A combat patrol army is defined as an army following the standard combat patrol rules. This means you can field:

One combat patrol (400 points), standard combat patrol, one race.
Two combat patrols (800 Points), up to two races
Three combat patrols (1200) up to three races
So on, so on...

This could give some fun ill intended combinations.
Proposed extra rules
Models or units who normally has 3 wounds might be taken as 2 wound models for their standard point cost.(To get away from the 2 w max limit)
If your army numbers three patrols or more (1200 points), you may designate one unit as a command unit. This unit is not subject to normal combat patrol limitations. It may thus contain models with for example +2 armor save or above three wounds, or so on.
A command unit may not include a vehicle with total armor value above 34.

Here's some suggestion for extra special heretical combinations.

Alas! Estranged brothers forced together! Only the wrath of their enemy can still their righteuos fury!
Space Marines X Chaos Space Marine. Why are they together? Only you can tell.

The servants of chaos bothering with the foolish children of high technology? Their very body's corrupted? Impossible!
Tau X Plague Marines Eww...

Okay this really shouldn't be.
Tau X Orks If we could only get the ethereal out of the big meks speshul chair, we could get rid of the orks and finally get the kroot breakfast at the same time...

Taste the rainbow!
Eldar x Space Marines x Orks "Green iz da best! But blue beakies are extra lucky. But red panzees go fast... but green is da best!"

Maybe something more conservative...

Space Marine x Imperial Guard x Imperial Guard
Chaos Space Marine x Imperial Guard
Eldar x Tau
Thousand Sons x Khorne Berserkers x Imperial Guard (traitors)

So anyway, the basic point is multiple combat patrols at each side. Allows you an easy (if possibly ill adviced) allies system, cool, unique forces, the ability to create multiple different armies without spending to much time or money on each, Thoughts? Comments?

I have a few issues with your rules allowing vehicles, like the part limiting the vehicle armor. By my math AV10(Being the minimum) times 4 (for four sides) equals 40. I suppose you could mean adding the values for the armor in the codex which would mean that the values of the two sides are counted once, but people are confused by simplar things then this regarding 40K. Alternativley you could just say no "Tank" vehicle types to keep it simple. BTW as it stands you are allowing me to field a Manticore Rocket Launcher, which would wipe most 500 pt armies from the board, in a mission described as a "Combat Patrol"... so you might want to look that over.

I don't get the part about adding the 2+ amor save units at 1200 pts. At this point you are looking at close to an average size game anyway so it really isn't "Combat Patrol" anymore is it? Maybe allow them in at lower point games, but they MUST be held in reserve?

The whole part on mixing armies in patrols seems like you went off on a tangent there for a minute, so I'm kind of ignoring it.

How about a cap on the number of points that can go into each unit\squad? This would prevent people from deploying uber units just because they can hack up a minimal core list and go to town with the rest of the points. Also this would represent the Troops not really expecting a full size brawl but being somewhat prepard with their normal equipment.

From what i remember on the rules: (back then)

Wound limit for any normal model was 2 (characters dont apply)
No special characters.
Nothing with better than a 3+ save.

Was started as "40k in 40 minutes" in one of the WD mags, but then changed to border patrol as it took off pretty well.

There were quite a few more limitations, but cant remember alot of them.

Someone should get the info on this and make a fan-dex.

The rules of combat patrol are as follows:

Armies are no more than 400 points
You must have one troops choice.
You may have only one HQ, but is not forced to take one.
You may spend remaining points from anywhere in the codex.
No models can have more than 2 wounds
No special characters
No +2 armour saves
No +3 or better invulnerability saves
No vehicles with a total armour value of more than 33 (summing up front, side and rear. Side is only counted once. )
All models should be WYSIWYG

The final rule is:
Be aware combat patrol approaches 40k in a way not really intended. As such some leeway or minor changes might have to be made in specific causes. For example, you might want to field an army with only one troop choice, containing a character with three wounds as a mandatory part. In these cases, some leeway has to be made to adapt the codex to combat patrol or vice versa. Always discuss with your opponent before hand. Have fun.

My son, who has great difficulty maintaining attention for even small (1500pt) games of 40K has expressed interest in Combat Patrol as an alternative. He's played Kill Team, the skirmish-level of 40K and Combat Patrol seems to be the next logical progression of the game.

I like the option of fielding mutiple patrols as an army, and eliminating the restriction of 2+ saves/2 wounds for HQ units when fielding 3 patrols, bringing the game closer to a normal game of 40K, which it should be at that point. Special Characters and heavier vehicles, of course, being the next "step up" as it were, along with the 2 troop minimum.

Cool. I'd say try it. If he's not interested he's not interested and nothing can make him. But if he gets an understanding off the game... Okay I will summarize and put in another extra rule.

Main rules, Standard Combat Patrol Rules, as detailed above.
Core Rules, Multiple Patrols allowed, as detailed in first post.
Extra rules, Lowering the limitations after three army choices as detailed in the first post.

Additional rule.
At 1600 points (four patrols) you may choose a command patrol instead of or in addition to choosing a command unit. These fourhundred points are subject to none of the normal limitations for a combat patrol, not even the mandatory troop choice, meaning you can take any unit or units you have the points for, including special characters and heavy armoured vehicles. The command patrol must still come exclusively from one army.

After this you could instead try to play a normal game of 40k, where you only require two troop choices, though you must take at least one hq, and all your units must come from the same army. Have fun.

Wasnt there also a mention of "no ordenance weapons" in the original Combat Patrol?

We played some matches of this and it works out even in the newer edition, you need to change some stuff for the Tyranids in terms of the wounds warriors have, though