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.

I'm wanting to run a narrative campaign for a few friends of mine. I'd love feedback or other ideas (I'm considering a persistent warlord, for example). Here's what I'm thinking:

Mission 1a/1b: Secure the artifact - a Void Dragon shard calls to the local Necron forces to contain. Space Marines, only recognizing it as xenos tech, wish to destroy the artifact for the Emprah. The artifact is located in a cave, so no deep striking from orbit (teleportation ok)
Each player gets a 500-point unbound army to dislodge the 350 points of dug in Eldar forces from the artifact, either by destroying them all or getting a unit to it, capturing it, and taking it back to the deployment zone. The player to do it in the least number of turns becomes the defender in mission 2. Board is fairly narrow, say 24"x18".

Mission 2: Excavation - same deep strike rules, 1000 points, battle forged.
Defender is allowed to set up 50% of terrain as they please and deploy first. Attacker is given a tactical escalation (e.g., additional units, reinforcements, or orbital strikes) and goes first, no drop pods/deep striking allowed. Defender must hold out for 4 rounds or eliminate the forces of the other to win. Attacker must destroy several "digger" units placed around the artifact. Board is 4x4 with defender deploying 3/4 of the way back and attacker coming in from the opposite. Control of the artifact goes to the winner.

Mission 3: Base assault - 1250 points. Battle forged. As it emerges from the underground, the artifact emits a massive pulse of electromagnetic energy, causing all blast weapons to fully scatter and flyers to be unusable. Kill points mission.
Mission is on a 4x6 board. The winner of last mission has brought the artifact out through a cave mouth in the center of the map with full forces deployed. Loser gets to deploy around them and has the option of reserves. A NPC squad of Eldar Rangers and a Death Jester have also infiltrated the board and provide kill points also, shooting targets of opportunity. Winner of the game grants himself a tactical escalation benefit for the next game. Loser receives a "reinforcements are en route" token that can put one destroyed unit into ongoing reserves instead for the next game.

Mission 4: Annihilation - The sides square off for the final combat, determined to annihilate the troublesome foes. Artifact is placed in the middle of the board.
Both players square off with larger (1500) point battle forged armies on a 4x4 table and until they've both down to about 1000 points each I then add a 2'x4' table and terrain to the board where the secret 1800pt AdMech/Skitarii, drawn by the pulse of energy, force I've been building deploys and threatens them both for befouling this lost tech, forcing them to ally or face annihilation. The Eldar, deceptive as usual, have been drawing both armies into the conflict in order whittle them down enough such that the AdMech will annihilate them; their Farseers feared what the forces each would become unchecked. When the AdMech is defeated (I expect they will be), let them decide what happens in the end. Played until annihilation, surrender, or compromise is worked out.

not a bad idea. one idea if you just want alternatives might be to swap the eldar with Admech forces, who have their own intreast in the artifact.

I do like this premise and idea (might suggest this for use with my friends if you don't mind?). I have a couple of comments:

HuskyWarhammer wrote:
Mission 1a/1b: Secure the artifact - a Void Dragon shard calls to the local Necron forces to contain. Space Marines, only recognizing it as xenos tech, wish to destroy the artifact for the Emprah. The artifact is located in a cave, so no deep striking from orbit (teleportation ok)

Each player gets a 500-point unbound army to dislodge the 350 points of dug in Eldar forces from the artifact, either by destroying them all or getting a unit to it, capturing it, and taking it back to the deployment zone. The player to do it in the least number of turns becomes the defender in mission 2. Board is fairly narrow, say 24"x18".

-- Something that may be worth consideration is taking inspiration from the Eternal War Mission The Relic. Might help to define this scenario a little.
-- When you say '.. the player to do it in the least amount of turns....', does that mean that the players attempt this mission separately? (i.e. 1 player goes through the scenario, then the next person, and then the next person, etc etc).
-- I think this scenario might work a bit better if it had a Space-Hulk type of setup that represented caves. That way, all the players involved can be on the board at the same time with more strategy involved since you will have to worry about more than one enemy (Eldar + however many players there are on the opposing team), you'll have to work with your allies, and you have to retrieve the relic.
-- I do like the no Deep Striking rule.
-- 24" x 18" may work, but it sounds too small to me (this will obviously depend on how exactly you set out the scenario and the table).

HuskyWarhammer wrote:
Mission 2: Excavation - same deep strike rules, 1000 points, battle forged.
Defender is allowed to set up 50% of terrain as they please and deploy first. Attacker is given a tactical escalation (e.g., additional units, reinforcements, or orbital strikes) and goes first, no drop pods/deep striking allowed. Defender must hold out for 4 rounds or eliminate the forces of the other to win. Attacker must destroy several "digger" units placed around the artifact. Board is 4x4 with defender deploying 3/4 of the way back and attacker coming in from the opposite. Control of the artifact goes to the winner.

-- By 'Rounds', do you mean 'Game Turns'?

Yes, rounds = game turns and yes, I do want them to play 1 separately. I figured that would help keep the variety in the game so that it's not just the same 2 armies fighting each other.

I'm not super familiar with the Relic missions (never played one) but could be a good learning experience!

Edit - Oh, and feel free to steal/modify any ideas you want!

I really like it. Your back stories are great and it looks fun and interesting. I'll say this though, my experience with campaigns has taught me that having lots of limitations can sometimes cause people to lose interest. You get halfway through the campaign and people decide they just want to play some "regular" 1500-1850 Eternal War games already, but it also depends on the group of course.

You really should check out the FW Horus Heresy (book4) Conquest campaign system, it is really fantastic and by-far the best campaign system GW or FW has ever released. You can really tie together themes, like you've already done, using the "Trait" system and still continue to play any mission or game size you like.

I wrote some blog-posts on it because it is a tad overwhelming at first glance and people think it's only for 30K. Honestly if you understand the concept you don't really need to use the book Traits as you can write your own and you seem to have already done something similar. The 'campaign turn' mechanic is also really good.

If you're interested:
http://atticwars40k.blogspot.com/2016/05/conquest-campaign-for-dummies-part-3.html
http://atticwars40k.blogspot.com/2016/04/conquest-campaign-for-dummies-part-2.html
http://atticwars40k.blogspot.com/2016/04/conquest-campaign-for-dummies-part-1.html

The missions sound fine, but I'm not seeing much in the way of a campaign with narrative. I suppose missions with a vague overarching storyline is akin to that.

Does one mission's result impact the next game?

Is it really a campaign at four small scale games?

Is this part of a larger conflict?

Are their active choices players will make before or during the game sequence (are they locked into one army/etc.)

Do you plan to have a game-master who is tweaking things as the games go on?