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Hi Dakka,

I wrote up some rules to while thinking about the role Artillery and most Barrage units in 40K work. I mean, why have self propelled artillery units like Basilisks so close to the front? Sorry, that never made any sense to me.

My proposed rules are designed to work with normal and bigger games of 40K. They work by essentially adding a backfield game board to a normal game of 40K - artillery units on the backfield board support units on the front lines. What do you think Dakka?

Rules for adding off-map fire support:

Any unit that has the barrage rule or can otherwise fire indirectly can start the game on a backfield game area instead of the normal game area. Units that start the game in this manner rely on other units in the normal game space to call in fire support missions, and can not fire freely.


-The Backfield-

When playing with off-map support units, a backfield area should be designated. This game area has arbitrary dimensions but shouldn’t exceed 4’x4’. This tertiary game area can be anywhere, but in game terms we understand it to be somewhat geographically behind the owning players deployment zone.

Terrain is arbitrary, but should be relatively open - this is a rear echelon staging area, not a hardened bastion.


-Starting the Game in the Backfield-

Any unit with the Barrage rule, or any unit that can otherwise fire indirectly can start the game in the backfield map instead of the normal game space. Units that start the game in this manner can deploy anywhere on this map.

You may want to include other units in the backfield to guard your assets. Any other units that don’t have barrage or indirect fire my also start in the backfield, but they will not be able to target any units in the normal game space.


-Fire Support Missions-

Units in the backfield with indirect fire can’t target enemy units in the main game space independently. Instead, they rely on friendly units in the main combat zone to direct their fire.

To do this, any Infantry, Jump Infantry, JetPack Infantry, Bike, Calvary, Warlord (including non-Infantry warlords), and any unit with Networked Markerlights can elect in the Shooting Phase to call in a Fire Mission instead of using its normal shooting attack.

To call in a Fire Mission, a unit must have remained stationary in the Movement Phase, must have started the Movement Phase on the board, and must have Line of Sight to the target. If all these conditions are met, the backfield unit fires on the target unit normally, always scattering a full 2D6, even on a HIT with the scatter dice.

Backfield units can improve the accuracy of their bombardment if their forward observers are particularly suited for relaying battlefield information. Any unit equipped with a Vox Caster, or a Marker Light (or Networked Markerlight), and any unit with the Scouts rule (even units not listed above) can aid backfield units acquire their target better and is considered a Spotter unit. When a Spotter unit calls in a Fire Mission, roll a D6 to Hit against the artillery unit's BS (unmodified). On a successful roll to Hit, the scatter is reduced from 2D6 to 1D6, and always scatters the full amount, even on a HIT with the scatter dice.

Spotter units can work together to further improve accuracy. If more than one Spotter unit can see the same target, one unit can call in the Fire Mission, and each additional Spotter unit targeting the same unit can further reduce the scatter dice result by 1.

-Targeting Backfield Units-

Units in the backfield are normally safe from fire both from other enemy backfield units, and units on the main board. However, backfield units are vulnerable to attack from any unit that can make its way to their opponent’s backfield area.


-Entering Backfield Areas During Play-

Once the game starts, players have the opportunity to enter their opponent’s backfield to target their backfield assets. This can be done a number of different ways:


* Units can walk (or drive, gallop and skim) from one playing space to another: Players can enter their opponent’s backfield by moving one of their own units across the main board, past the enemy’s deployment zone, and off the other end of the board. All models in the unit must end their movement within 1” of their opponent’s board edge to claim backfield access. If all models are with 1” inch of the opponent’s board edge, then remove the models from the board. On the start of the owning player’s movement phase, the models reappear on the backfield table edge nearest to the main game area, just as if the had arrived from reserves (with the same restrictions to assault, etc).
* Units with Outflank can arrive from Reserves in the backfield: If a unit has the Outflank rule, this unit can elect to arrive from Reserves on the backfield board instead of the main board. This works exactly the same way as if it were arriving on the main board, except that when rolling for the table edge, if the long edge is rolled, this is alway the edge closest to the main game space.
* Units can Deep Strike into the backfield: A unit with the Deep Strike rule can elect to arrive from Reserves onto the backfield board instead of the main game board. This works exactly as if the unit were arriving on the main board.
* Units can Zoom from the main game board to the backfield: Flyers can not arrive from Reserves directly into the enemy backfield. But they can fly directly across the board to then enemy backfield in one turn, even it it is the turn they arrived from Reserves. To do so, simply end the Flying unit’s movement phase with its base in contact with the board edge. Do not remove it immediately. The enemy still gets a chance to down that flyer on the way to the backfield. Flying units that survive start their next turn in the backfield (from any board edge). Note, Flying units can’t move from board to board except when Zooming (Hover mode makes them too vulnerable to anti-air attacks on their way to the target zone). The same goes Flying Monstrous Creatures

Friendly units can also come and go from their own backfield at will. To do so a unit simply needs to end their own Movement Phase within 1" of their own board edge. Remove the models from the board and at the beginning of the next owning player's Movement Phase, place the unit in the backfield area on the board edge closest to the main game area, acting as if it has come from Reserves.

Any unit already in the backfield can follow these same rules in reverse to move from the backfield to the main board, always arriving on the board edge closest to the backfield board, exactly as if it had come from Reserves.




-Flyers (and Flying Monstrous Creatures) and the Backfeild-


Because Flyers may have movement ranges the can exceed the width or breadth of a Backfeild board, Flyers in Zoom mode will observe the following:


* Flyers that Zoom from one board edge to the other can target any units along its path of travel with any of its weapons in a Strafing Run, even though the end of its movement will take the flyer beyond its target to the opposite board edge
* Flyers performing a Strafing Run that end their movement at the opposite board edge aren't removed immediately - Strafing a target makes the flyer vulnerable to ground fire and any eligible units in the backfield may attempt to down the strafing Flyer in their own shooting phase
* Units firing on a Strafing Flyer can elect to resolve shots on the front arc (as the Flyer bears down on the target) or the rear arc (as the Flyer pulls away - firing on the rear arc imposes a -1 penalty to BS (to a minimum of 1)
* Flyers that Zoom from one board edge to another may decide to remain in the backfield or Zoom back to the main board - Flyers that remain in the backfield can renter the board agin next turn from any board edge, Flyers electing to return to the main board do so exacting as if arriving from Ongoing Reserves




-A Note on Ranges-

The Range of a barrage weapon is not calculated in the normal way when they are placed in the backfield. Instead, when a backfield unit fires, measure the distance from the unit calling in the Fire Mission, instead of from the backfield unit using the barrage weapon's Range. A unit that wants to call in a Fire Mission against a target within the off-map weapon’s Minimum Range measured from the unit calling in the Fire Mission must first pass a Leadership test - it’s dangerous at that range for the spotter to call a Fire Mission so close! Likewise, a Fire Mission can not be called for targets beyond the Maximum Range of the off-map weapon, measured from the unit calling the Fire Mission.

Additionally, not all backfield weapons have the distance to target assets in the enemy's backfield:


* Units with Max Ranges of 72": These weapons can target anywhere on the normal game board, but do not have the range to reach targets in the opponent's backfield
* Units with Max Ranges of 73" and beyond: These weapons can reach anywhere on the battlefield and the opponents backfield.


-Battlefield Effects and Allies and other Misc-

All other considerations are as follows:


* Units that confer benefits: Some Warlords or Characters confer benefits to all members on the same faction when that model is on the board and alive. These benefits are not applied to any units in backfield while these characters are on the main board. Likewise any benefits that are conferred by units in the backfield are not passed to units on the main board.
* Allies and Allied Detachments: Units in an Allied Detachment can call in Fire Missions for units in a Primary Detachment, and vice versa. To do so, the unit wishing to call in the Fire Mission must first pass a Leadership test.
* Falling Back: When a backfield board is being used in a normal game, units that are Falling Back toward their own board edge are still considered causalities if they reach the board edge. They do not get to Fall Back on the backfield board, and are considered destroyed in game terms.
* Falling Back on the back backfield board: Units in their own backfield will Fall Back to the table edge farthest from the main game board. Units in their opponent’s backfield will Fall Back to the board edge closest to the main game board. In both cases units that reach the table edge are considered destroyed.
* Scoring: In games where objective markers are placed, no makers can be placed in either player’s backfield. In games where Line Breaker secondary objectives are in play, Line Breaker nets 2 VP’s instead of 1 if that player has a unit in the enemy backfield. It is perfectly acceptable to march units to your own backfield in order to deny your opponent a VP in games where Kill Points are used.

For a simpler and easier implementation of off-map support see the Militarum Master of Ordnance.

I feel the same way about artillery that I feel about air units, they should just be "attacks" like the Master of Ordnance and Chapter Master's bombardment abilities rather than actual units on the table.

Artillery should be large blasts that can be placed anywhere on the table. Airstrikes are strafing runs which use the apocalyptic flamer template, and can also be placed anywhere on the table. Artillery scatters, the strafing runs do not. To compensate, the strafing runs tend to do less damage and generally don't ignore cover.

They are purchased as upgrades for special characters who have access to them (MoO, Chapter masters, Archons etc etc), and are available in a variety of sub-types; there are some artillery blasts that are D3 blasts instead of one but with weaker strength, some re-roll the scatter die, etc. Strafing runs may act like napalm and ignore cover, but do less damage, or have low strength and weak AP but last on the field for multiple turns, etc.

Although they aren't units, they still follow the rules for reserves when determining their availability in-game.

Similar to orbital bombardment

You can specifically buy off-table artillery barrages in one or more of those forgeworld traitor guard lists.

I think any change to traditional artillery to put it off of the board should limit its firepower but simply make it invincible to attack. For instance, a simple "always scatter" would be useful for this, or perhaps it must mark target points on the table a turn in advance.

A much simpler idea:


Any unit with the barrage rule can elect to stay in reserve for the entire game. If it chooses to do so you need not roll for its reserve rolls and it may continue to fire from reserve, with distances being measured from the controlling player's board edge. When in reserves, the Barrage weapon ignores it's minimum range but reduces its maximum range by 12"

LoS

When measuring Line of Sight for Barrage weapons in reserve, check line of sight from any Troop or HQ unit under your control. Alternatively, the weapon can Blind fire. Nominate 3 spots on the board and randomly select one of them. At least 1 of these spots must be chosen by your opponent.

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

I realize these rules are over-bulky for what can be accomplished much more simply by making artillery work as upgrades, or units that never leave reserves. In general, for a game of this scale, I actually totally agree that's how things like artillery and flyers SHOULD be handled. Anyone who thinks flyers don't interact with the core rules in the most clunk and in-elegant way is kidding themselves. Flyers and to an extent artillery are completely out of scale for a squad/company level game.

That being said, I think the impetus for writing a set of more involved rules like this was so that, well, you have these models already, how can we use them in a game meaningfully, that doesn't feel silly, and that works with the game as it is now. If I had my choice I'd gut a lot of the bloat that has become 40K - but the system is what it is right now. If we didn't even have Basilisk models in the first place, it would be trivial to simply add off-map artillery as unit upgrades etc.

Modifying Deadshot's idea - roll for reserves for each artillery piece each turn. If it 'comes on' it can fire.