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.

Alrighty, so the overall goal here: take the current 5th edition rules set and massage it for play with epic 40k miniatures in a roadtrip setting. Imagine magnetized models (or mobs) on a magnetized board, with movement in centimeters. Imagine being able to break up the hours of travel with a game of our favorite hobby. Now lets make it happen.

Problems with foisting 40k rules upon epic sized miniatures:
1. Measuring (move to centimeters as a fix?)
2. Templates (Base number of models hit per template + a D3/D6 for randomization?)
3. Cover saves (so tiny... so hard to determine LoS)
4. Vehicles (so tiny... so easy to get cover saves)

So, just from thinking about it I would imagine that individual models being moved around via magnetized board would work (in a so-so ish manner) with the standard rules (exceptions above). Is there anything else people would like to add?

I'll come back every now and again and post up more problems/solutions I find in addition to some WIP (hopefully) pics as I get them.

As a simpler suggestion why not just load vassal40k on a laptop or notepad?

Jack

Because that's the easy way out. I love the idea of Travel 40K.

1.) No Clue
2.) Mini Templates? Your idea sounds easier though
3.) 4th edition style cover? Ie No TLos, Enemy units grant cover to those behind them, friendly infantry gets out of the way, ect.
4.) Again, 4th edition style where you get cover for the type of stuff you're behind

Sounds interesting, maybe use some mini terrain attached to the board with magnets too.

Grimm wrote:Because that's the easy way out. I love the idea of Travel 40K.

+1

If I wanted to play video games (Or poor excuses for them like Vassal) I would.

I love this idea and hope you post some pics if you actually get it together...

I love this idea so much that I've been looking at some Epic minis on the GW site. How many men are on a stand? If it's five, you could make some very big armies, very cheaply.

Hi folks.
If you want to make a travel version of 40k, why not just play a small game of epic?
Why use the model focused rules of 40k, when the UNIT focused rules of epic are more suitable for this scale?

Just a thought...

Lanrak wrote:Hi folks.
If you want to make a travel version of 40k, why not just play a small game of epic?
Why use the model focused rules of 40k, when the UNIT focused rules of epic are more suitable for this scale?

Just a thought...

Because Epic is designed to be played on the same size table as 40k. It's the gaming space that's the issue here.


Re: Original post:

Sounds like a good idea. You'd need to allow more abstraction to make the game work, as you can't really bend down and get TLOS to check out whether a 6mm high model is more than half obscured by a 3mm wall.

Why not use hexes? Mount a paper hex sheet on a thin metal foldable board. Magnetise the bases of your models.

Measurement:
1 hex = 1 inch in game/measuring terms. Rather than direct measurement, count the hexes. You'll lose something in accuracy, but it'll work in this scale.

Templates:
Small = target hex and all others touching.
Large = as small plus all others touching those.

Terrain:
Either colour the hexes or magentise small scale terrain. Definite abstraction here, but easier with hexes; if you're on the terrain hex, you get the effects, whether cover save, difficult terrain etc.

Obscuring:
As with terrain, you define whether a hex blocks LOS or obscures a shot that passes through it.

You'd be limited in your armies, of course. IIRC, a devastator squad all carried the same weapon, so you'd need a way of depicting exactly what a model was carrying, or limit your army choices. WYSIWIG is probably not a good idea at this scale - "No, that's not a normal sword, it's a power sword. Can't you see the 5 micron wide wires I've modelled onto it?"

I'll watch this thread with interest.

I remember a picture of it actually done in White Dwarf years ago - I've been fond of the idea ever since. As for TLOS I don't think it would work, unless you are that mental you make scaled scenery and have to lift the entire board up to eye level everytime you want to shoot.

I see terrain being a problem - however you could just go for more of an old school approach and perhaps have the terrain painted on? So you can see if they're inside a trench, a bunker, a ruin etc. If behind a barricade or wall then use angles to work out LOS - if they can be 'seen' then use the cover save as standard. So the whole thing would kind of look like a Battle Report but with 3-D models on it. If you could make it all modular somehow (kind of like fridge magnets?) that would be awesome.

I agree that abstraction would have to have a major role in however you decide to do it. I'd definately use CM as a movement guide though