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've been looking at holding a tournament that focuses on a more infantry-level feel that doesn't go as small as KT, maybe 500-750 points? The problem I'm running into is that I want it to focus on smaller forces that will be relatively balanced using your more basic options, but I don't know what rules I can lay down that would still make all the armies competitive. In friendly games it's not an issue but you know how some people get in tournaments, even casual ones, if there's prize money involved (and if I don't have a buy-in/prize money we'll get fewer players).

Are there any armies that would specifically struggle with restrictions to their choices, and what are some basic rules I should lay down?

Some obvious things would be no GC/SHV, but what else should I include? No T7 or 8, no MCs in general, no AV14, no vehicles period? No psykers? I want these to feel like skirmish level, impromptu battles of advance forces. At the same time, am I crippling some armies with these rules?

I imagine people would be fine with no riptides or dreadknigths, but what about large nids? Can a nid army function without some basic MCs since a lot of them provide synapse? I'm obviously against flying circus, but how should I ban them while allowing tervigons? Maybe no flyers? Any army can technically deal with tervigons w/ S3 (I think they're T6), but that'd still be hard. If I'm banning riptides/dreadknights how do I allow tervigons? I don't want a "these units are banned list" as that will drive away players. And what about 2+ saves and rerollable saves and high FNPs?

As for vehicles, should anything be allowed? No AV14? No drop pods because the small points means it's easy to have your stuff wiped first turn? No vehicles in general, because a really fluffy/friendly list might struggle to take down 3 or more vehicles? Use KTs nothing above 33? How strong are some of the transports, what armies have ones that'd really change the balance? Necrons and Eldar (or are wave serpents bad now?). I imagine harlequins will suck without starweavers.

How limited should psykers be? Would allowing invisibility,summoning and such make the system a bit broken, or would saying no psykers make a lot of list unplayable (tzeentch)?

What sort of FOC should be used? CAD (or CAD w/out HQ requirement for armies lacking HQ)? No Heavy Support? Should formations be disallowed?

Overall:
Are there any outliers I'm missing, any ways to manipulate restrictions in small games?
What restrictions would cripple armies, and how will the low points level affect things?
I doubt anyone will bring a land raider, but how much would vehicle heavy armies benefit from allowing a leman russ, dreadnought, or a wyvern, or any other decent vehicles?
Will limits on saves, such as 2++, rerollable saves, high FNP, reanimation change the game?
Changes in FOC?

Again, I'm really hoping for a fun friendly game that works at a low points level and lets people bring whatever list they have, but I don't want massive advantages for certain armies because other armies can't handle it given restrictions and low points values. How can I prevent the inevitable (accidental or otherwise) shenanigans of certain players, and make it fun for everyone involved? I just don't want to see new players get stomped because someone manipulated my restrictions.

No 2+ armour save on models with more than 2-3 wounds.

No vehicle whose AV is greater than 33-8

Only 1-2 unit that can Deep Strike

Only CAD allowed (armies without a HQ can opt to select an Elite unit as their HQ/Warlord) or FOC detachments only

No Flyer's/FMC's

2+ rerollable becomes 2+ to 4+

Just a couple of ideas. You can change them as you see fit.

You could just use the Kill Team restrictions but play normal 40k

I think KT restrictions are a bit too strong for 500-750pts, but you can do something similar, just as Frozocrone suggested. Especially an AV limit on vehicles, to allow fast transports that anyone can take down (like the starweavers you mentioned).

A way to ban problematic units is to put a cap on the number of points per model. If you say that no model can cost more than 100pts, you ban riptides and many named characters, but allow weaker MCs (if you can come up with a list of units you want to ban, you can find the sweet spot for the point cap).

Psykers are harder to balance, but it's not specific to low scale 40K. I think you could lower their potency by changing the warp dice rule: you only generate D3 warp charges on top of your ML, instead of D6 (like in Heralds of Ruins KT). Since it would be much more difficult to spam good psykers at this point level (especially with a FOC that limits the number of HQ you can take), people will have a harder time to get the power they want, and a harder time casting it because of fewer dice.
It won't stop a farseer from casting invis pretty reliably (if he manages to get the power), but the whole invis deathstar shenanigans would be much harder to pull off (I suppose you will have a single CAD, therefore a single faction too).

I would say, only remove the models that require *specific* counters.
Fliers don't really fit, because in order to deal with a flier, you usually have to spend at least a hundred points to get decent AA, but often more - Not a big deal in an 1850 game, but a massive handicap in 500-750.
No tanks with AV14/14/14, but I dunno if denying AV14 altogether is the right call. Cracking AV14 is pretty hard when you only have 500-750 to bring for your whole army, but many tanks that only have AV14 on the front offer some more versatility and options for players, since those tanks can still be flanked to kill them.

Reducing the number of warp charges to D3 seems like a good idea.

I'm not sure if banning any specific stat or armor value is also the right idea. 2+ armor isn't overpowered on Terminators, and I don't think T7 on a Great Unclean One is that bad either. On the other hand, someone like Smashbane is just made even more impossible to kill. I prefer softer limits, not really strict ones, so maybe nothing with T6 2+ armor or greater, and no invulns better than 3+? (Even with Psychic Powers or other buffs, it can't pass 3+.) That doesn't actually weaken Smashbane, but since Smashbane costs 250+ points plus his retinue, I'm not sure that bringing him in a 500 point is a good idea anyways.

Both use the same codex

Instead of imposing a list of detailed restrictions you could reinvent SCENARIOS played at this scale, so that sinking too much points into anything will result in a self-imposed dissadvantage.

As to Tyranids question - they can function on Zoantrope synapse but have only two non-MC HQ choices, one of which is severly overcosted. But footslogging Tyranid MCs aren't really scary or OP, no matter the scale - T6 3+ save with 4-5 wounds and max two shooting weapons is a terminator or wraithblades squad equivalent at best.

No 'free' transports. At that level it really unbalances the game. You want them, you pay for them.

Single codex/FOC, no allies of any sort. Eliminates a lot of OP right there.

I like the no Flyers/FMC bit, but an alternative would be to allow Flyers but as Skimmers, allow FMC but as Jump troops.

And if you REALLY want to mess with the players, announce that at least one game, they will have to swap armies with their opponent and fight against their own army... We did an army swap tourney years back as part of our groups GT prep, funny how armies that players considered 'point-and-click' fared rather poorly when played by someone else.