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.

Blame this one on Mezmorki. i already had a brief overview in my "all things old editions of 40K" topic. for the hybrid 5th edition rules our FLGS group has been using for our 40K games for over 5 years (and the ones that show up in my battle reports/post a pic of your last game topics).

He requested a more complete and better looking breakdown of the rules our group came up with.

As a bit of of a joke i call it the "prefect edition" much like the high end gundam models are "perfect grade"

A good portion of our players are veteran gamers who have been playing 40K (and many other game systems) since 3rd edition along with quite a few newer players who started 40K post 6th edition and have come to love playing "old hammer" better than 8th or 9th edition once they have experienced it.

We specifically tried to avoid making our own rules as much as possible, instead just importing the better version of rules from editions 3-7 to make 5th even better.

+++++++++++++++

unified 5th edition (perfect edition) rules for using all 3rd edition through 7th edition warhammer 40K codexes in the 5th edition rule set.

PREFACE-
These rules have been in use by our FLGS group for over 5 years and are intended for casual play to make the 40K experience fun and thematic. allowing players to use the codex they feel best fits the lore of the faction they wish to play and are in no way intended to "balance" game play for tournament style play.

-All rules follow the core 5th edition main rulebook (designated by BRB) with the following exceptions
===============
1.USRs
Any unit that has a USR that does not appear on PGs 74-76 of the main rulebook shall use the appropriate one that matches the intent of the USR, if no similar rule exists the USR is ignored. I.E. "desert strider" from the admech 7th edition codexes-as normal infantry movement in 5th edition is fixed at 6" the extra 3" move is ignored but, as it is attempting to represent the units abiltiy to move through rough terrain the move through cover USR is used in stead. by comparison "it will not die" does not have A USR equivalent and is ignored.
--------------------------
2.WOUND ALLOCATION
Page 39 of the BRB is replaced with the 4th edition rule-
A-wounds are allocated by the controlling player
B-multi-wound models-wounded models are removed first
---------------------------
3. PRE-MEASURING
.is allowed
---------------------------
4.POWER WEAPONS
. all power weapons are AP3 except those that are naturally AP2 (power fists/ORK claws/hammers etc...) or have a special rule that makes them AP2. all bonuses to strength etc.. use the 7th edition weapons profiles (+1 strength for axes etc..)
----------------------------
5.SNIPER RIFLES
.the 5th edition rule is replaced by the 4th edition rule-
hit on 2+ wound on 4+ are strength 3 ( the prior does not apply to the tau sniper rail team as it has a different strength profile) with rending
---------------------------
6.AREA TERAIN TYPE WOODS P21
.tree templates are reverted back to 4th edition 5+ cover saves
---------------------------
7.OVERWATCH/GRENADE THROWING/SNAP FIRE
A.added from 6th/7th edition
B.grenade throw distance is a shooting attack with 8" range for krak and frag equivalent grenades (not melta bombs)
C. As per 7th edition rules snap fire applies to any infantry unit that moves with a heavy weapon that does not possess the relentless or slow&purposeful special rules. additionally, all vehicles may snap fire non-template weapons that they may not fire at normal BS because of being stunned/shaken or movement restrictions (see below)
--------------------------
8.DEFENSIVE WEAPONS ON VEHICLES
A.replace with 4th edition limit of strength5
B.vehicles sitting still may fire all weapons at normal BS unless stunned or shaken. moving at combat speed counts as stationary for firing all S5 or less weapons and may only fire one S6 or better weapon, moving at flank speed they may only snap fire. unless another rule allows it such as POTMS.
-------------------------
9.MONSTEROUS CREATURE MELEE ATTACKS
.replaces S+2d6 armor pen for 6th edition SMASH-
half number of attacks rounding up at S10
-------------------------
10. AA VEHICLES
.can choose to shoot at ground or air targets at the start of the turn at normal BS
-------------------------
11.FLYERS
.follow the 6th/7th edition flyer rules with the following FW fly rules add-ons
A.replace vector lock for immobilized results with-crashed/destroyed
B.flyers never benefit form cover (but still may take jink saves) they are flying high so can see everything on the table and everything can also see them.
C.AA units hit flyers on BS, non AA units on 6+
D.flyers count as being high up- +12" range penalty to all shooting attacks
E.units that count as jump infantry may assault flyers
F.flyers always count as stationary for firing weapons
G.universal vehicle upgrades-
.armored cockpit-10 points-reduces shaken to stunned damage result
.chaff/flare launchers-5 points-one use- allows a re-roll on a damage result like the venerable rule for dreadnoughts
When a flyer is destroyed place a 5" template over the models base and scatter 2d6 inches. any models caught under the blast friend or foe are hit by a S10/AP1 hit. vehicles are hit on side armor.
H.flyers can choose to shoot at ground or air targets at the start of the turn at normal BS
-------------------------
12.SUPER HEAVY VEHICLES/CREATURES
A.can be taken in armies of 2,000 points as a separate detachment
B.use the 5th edition apocalypse rules or the escalation expansion rules, or if you are in luck to have a copy of the 3rd edition rules (i do) you can use the rules FW actually designed for use in normal games before apocalypse was a game mode.
C.D-weapons do not exist replace with S10/AP1 or the 3rd edition rules (IE turbo laser destructors were 72" range S9/AP2 small blast)
-------------------------
13. HULL POINTS DO NOT EXIST
-------------------------
14.USING NEWER UNITS IN OLDER CODEXES
.IE-using a helldrake in the 3.5 chaos codex-
A.take base cost of new unit entry
B.take all points costs and rules effects for unit upgrades from codex the model is being imported into.
-------------------------
15.FRAG/KRAK GRENADES EQUIVALENTS
.all basic grenades are part of the normal model loadout ignore additional points costs from older codexes.
_______________
16.VEHICLES IN A SQUAD
.can be broken up into individual units after the game starts but may not rejoin (effectively combat squadding)-addresses the problem that occurs when a single vehicle in the squad gets immobilized (counting it as destroyed, we felt was a bit extreme).
-------------------------
17. OBJECTIVE SECURED
.from 6th/7th edition-all units are scoring, troop units can take the objective from non-troop units if the objective is contested.
-------------------------
18. fearless-replace no-retreat with 3rd/4th edition fearless/ATSKNF- fearless units auto pass all moral checks, ATSKNF units when caught turn and continue fighting as if combat was tied- no fall back moves are made.

Hello! Thanks for posting a more detailed break down of what you use

(one very minor point of feedback on the formatting of this, the "+" and "=" lines are forcing the window to have a scroll-bar and it's making it total pain to view on mobile .... switching those back to "-" lines or some other shorter header bar would be cool)

As for the rules themselves - if you have (or were to have) players running 7th edition codexes (or 6th edition) there are some USRs that as you point out are going to be ignored. Why not just have those units and situations reference the USR from the applicable BRB instead?

Wound Allocation - agreed that 4th was generally better. Do you have any system in place for handling units with mixed armor saves?

It's interesting to see how much overlap there is with these core rule changes and the core hybrid base that ProHammer uses (a similar mix of 4th + 5th ed rules).

Why not just have those units and situations reference the USR from the applicable BRB instead?

One word-BLOAT
Just like what GW did with stratagems, formations and USRs by 7th edition there were just too many of them. the 22 USRs in the 5th ed BRB were enough. the new ones created in 6th/7th are not necessary and detract from overall gameplay as well as keeping the core rules centered within the confines of 5th edition.

Wound Allocation - agreed that 4th was generally better. Do you have any system in place for handling units with mixed armor saves?

The same way 5th ed covers units with different toughness values for speed and simplicity-use the majority. most players obviously choose to remove the less armored models first.

It's interesting to see how much overlap there is with these core rule changes and the core hybrid base that ProHammer uses (a similar mix of 4th + 5th ed rules).

It isn't that surprising really. as experienced war gamers we understand how and why things work in the game to make it more immersive and playable. so we come to the same conclusions when we are seeking the same goals for the game.

We are also not changing things to push alternate goals like promoting a new edition, model sales etc....

This may be needed to keep a game "fresh and new" in the industry however, it isn't needed for a good rule set for a game to be enjoyable. occasionally a game can do it and be fine (classic battletech has maintained the same core rules mechanics for over 30 years) the problem for GW is change for the sake of change even when the changes are some of the most inept replacements of good mechanics/rules. the old saying about the pendulum swing is real with GW. fix the one glaring issue everybody sees and complained about...and then 10 more where there was not an issue.