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These are just thoughts on how to make 6th edition less random and more cinematic. Those words brought to you with less sarcasm and more irony.

I like the idea of these terrain features, but I just don't like how they are random with no pre-knowledge "I could go into that forest to get a slightly better save or I could lose the game as it takes over Eldrad again and wipes out the Pathfinders he's with. Again." It should be a tactical decision to go into a forest. I should have to weigh the risk of stirring up the Razorwings against the reward of moving my Grey Hunters close enough to rapid fire, but to make that decision I have to know whether the river is icy or glowing psychic goo before I step into it.
Hey! That objective looks like one of those wonky Eldar gravity generators! Oh no, it was just a cache of targeters.

Warlord Traits, non-random
All Warlord traits are selected during army building.

Warlord Traits, less random.
3 Warlord traits are selected during army building, one from each category. If the codex contains a fourth alternative, replace one of the main army book tables with this one (unless you've got access to a D4). Roll a D3 to determine which trait becomes most prominent for the engagement prior to battle.

Mysterious Terrain, non-random.
This is the most cinematic way to do it, agree between the players what is mysterious and in which way.

Mysterious Terrain, purchasable.
Neither side really know what's up, but you both know that the planet is out to get you. Roll 1D3+1 terrain features. When deploying terrain, you may instead make a terrain feature Mysterious of your choice. These are marked prior to battle so both sides know what forest is Brainleaf and what river is Hyperslime.

Mysterious Terrain, pre-known.
The problem with the mysterious terrain tables is that they assume that there's something special in all terrain. I suggest some moderation. When placing a terrain feature, immediately roll a dice. On a 4+, roll on the table for Mysterious Terrain. Or better yet, remove two items from each table. Carnivorous Jungle makes no sense on a tundra!

Mysterious Objectives, pre-known
Of course the objective is a critical point! Of course there's a reason why you want it! However, a Grav Wave Generator is detectable unless your warlord is an idiot and don't bother even trying to scout/scan the terrain. A Targeting Relay is noticable. When setting up objectives roll immediately on the table.

Mysterious Objectives, non-random
As above, but this time there was some thought to how these items were place, some time a long time ago. The player placing the objective also chooses what objective it is.

Mysterious Objectives, Sabotaged improved.
Sabotaged! might make sense, it's rather cinematic. What is odd, though, is that it can pulse and explode at random intervals. With this suggestion, the Sabotaged! activates immediately on discovery. It is suggested that this happens on a 4+ or 5+ when the objective itself has been marked as "Nothing of immediate use".

Mysterious Objectives, Sabotaged! replaced
Well, who doesn't like guns? This objective is a weapons cache! (The weapons cache should idelly be a size between a Fantasy Dwarf and an Imperial Guardsman) Models standing within 2" of the objective may make use of these weapons to provide extra fire power and may re-roll failed to-hits. The downside is that it's volatile and is T5 W3 Sv3+. If the cache is removed as a casualty it will no longer remain as an objective and it will also explode, centre the large blast marker on it for a S4 Ap- explosion.

Addition to Mysterious items
Some mysterious terrain you'll want to not know in advance. There might be something bad in those woods. That objective might be mined. These ones should have an uncertain marker attached to it, and the first unit to touch them reveals if such is the case on a suitable roll of 3+/4+/5+ depending on how much random carnage you players want to add.

If you are doing chosen warlord traits the would need to be purchasable otherwise some are just far better than others.

Breng77 wrote:
If you are doing chosen warlord traits the would need to be purchasable otherwise some are just far better than others.

Naw, they're all fairly situational. And why make them purchasable, if both players are simply going to choose 'the better ones'?

These things are already cinematic. Your army isn't necessarily the heroes with unlimited good luck.

The point .

DE-------------

As usual.

Overall I dont really think its less random (except for the warlord table). Adding in rolls for sabotage and whether terrain will be normal or mysterious adds in a fair amount of randomness. In the BRB it already says you can either roll for terrain or agree between players. But the reason I imagine its almost always done on the dice roll is to stop disagreements and bias. If it was selected, I would be surprised if more players tried to do it more 'cinematically' rather than give themselves all ironbark forests and force dome generators etc.
But it would be kind of cool if the warlord traits could be chosen. To me it makes more sense that the warlord knows what he's good at, rather than turn up and realise he's good at stopping enemy reserves or something.