12,000 point games

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**asorel**

I'm planning to run a 2v2 game with some friends to which we each bring 6,000 points. We're planning to use the floor instead of the standard 6x4 table due to space constraints. Is there any other deviation we should make from the core rules? Is 12,000 per side big enough for Apocalypse? If so, is there more than one edition of Apoc? Any basic advice on running larger games in general?

**Yarium**

Give yourselves a full day to play this, and good luck!

**Peregrine**

Time limits. Put a strict limit on each phase of the turn (10-15 minutes is about right) and enforce them. If you just give everyone as much time as they want you'll never finish the game.

LoW. Use them. They eat up tons of points but roll relatively small numbers of dice, which makes armies with multiple LoW play much faster than armies with nothing but "normal" units.

Consider how you can make infantry relevant. On a floor-sized game models with 6" movement and 24" weapon ranges struggle to accomplish anything. If you're going to use the floor add width to the "table" but don't make the deployment zones significantly farther apart.

BE CAREFUL. You'll have hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of models in perfect position to be stepped on and destroyed. Strictly enforce a "no standing on the battlefield" rule, and it's probably best if you make it kneeling-only near the edges. Few things will ruin someone's day like having a $500 model destroyed because someone got careless.

**Alex Kolodotschko**

Or lots of beer and heavy boots if you want to forge a narrative and learn the true cost of war.

**the Signless**

Scheduled lunch, snack, wandering off to have a smoke breaks. This prevents players from wandering off when they might be needed (rolling for saves, snapfiring, etc.). It also helps keep the game fresh if you can take 30 minutes to eat some food while talking.

**Scott-S6**

Don't be tempted to increase the gap between deployment zones and NEVER STEP BACKWARDS.

**asorel**

Is there anything we need to change (or not) about the rules besides deployment zones? No one's mentioned Apocalypse, so I'm assuming it isn't required. My current list has one LoW super-heavy (the second detachment is a formation), and I'll make sure my ally brings one as well.

**Quanar**

Apocalypse isn't required - the rules for super-heavies and massive blasts are in the main rulebook now.

The key part of Apoc is the section on time limits (including "biding" on who can deploy fastest), enforcing breaks, "pairing-off" (if a player has forces spread out across the entire board, if enemy A and enemy C are both shooting at his units, select a player from his side to roll saves against enemy C, whilst he rolls saves against A, making everything faster), and how to brew a proper cup of tea. Most of which have been covered above.

The other rules (Divine Interventions, Finest Hour, Strategic Assets, Attack Patterns etc.) aren't really needed, and can make things even more complicated.

**asorel**

What about turn order? I've got the notion from somewhere that having this much gak on the field means whoever goes first has a decent chance of just curbstomping the other side. Should we bother splitting up activation any more than a player by player basis?

**Quanar**

Ensure you have enough terrain - such a large play area will probably stretch capability of the host to properly en-foliage, get other players to bring some too.

Consider allowing a certain amount of reserves to arrive turn 1 - this will let players hide units they are worried about losing to an alpha strike, and also speed up deployment.

Alternating turns is an option, but will obviously slow the game down (as each movement phase isn't simultaneous like it would be otherwise).

Whichever method you decide to use, agree before the game how you will handle the number of Warp Charges in the Psychic phase.

**eleven11**

When the game is going, both active players need to be doing stuff at the same time.

Don't fall into the trap of having 3 players watching one guy make some moves.

Break off into two groups of 1v1 and double the turn speed. It will cause some tactical mistakes, but it's well worth it.

Also 8x4 is plenty of space to play this game. Hold some stuff in reserve. And don't play with the armies more than 24inches apart at the start of the game.

**Brennonjw**

well, not to long ago, we played a 3 v 2 10,000 point game, and it lasted from 12:00 AM (we met up at 11:00 AM) untill arround 5-6 o'clock, so plan for a whole day, a short break every 2 whole turns or so, and remember to have fun, and this is not the game mode to be nit-picky about "no, this model is .2 mm closer, so pull him first"

**Lythrandire Biehrellian**

Also, in the apocalypse rule book there are cool stratagems and a chart that allows units to arive starting first turn (and you don't roll for it) I highly recommend the book

If you are playing on the floor, make a couple pieces of "impassable terrain" that give footprint areas to stand on if people need to get accross the room.

Lastly, with this many points I suggest way more low than two per side, unless they are titan level monstrosities they won't be able to speed the game up that much. I'd say a 6000 point ork army, for example, should have at least two stompas and maybe a killkrusha tank.

Good luck, and have fun!

**asorel**

Thank you for the replies, the advice has been most helpful. I've been getting advice to take more than one superheavy, though my current list only calls for one, and I'm not sure how I'd go about adding another. I'll post my list here if anyone has some recommendations for editing it.

Spoiler:

The Honor Guard and Ironclad ride in the Stormraven, which itself starts on the Skyshield. Smashfether goes with the LC/SS command squad along with the Mindforge Stave libby. The other two libbies each go in a gravgun command squad. The Captain and Chaplain join the Honor Guard. I intend to take the Biomancy, Telepathy, and Divination disciplines.

The Stormraven's Fighter Ace upgrade is Wrath of the Emperor, and the lone Stormtalon with one has Vectored retro-thrusters.

**Billagio**

Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
Or lots of beer and heavy boots if you want to forge a narrative and learn the true cost of war.

Realistic stomp attacks