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Last minute invite to anybody on the fence about this year's NOVA 40k Narrative, coming up fast now on Sep 1--4 in Arlington, VA, USA. As usual, there is the Warlords option for those that really want to get into it, and the Nightfighters track for those participating in other events each day. New this year we will also have separate Kill Team styled games linked in to the larger campaign, for people that just want to get in some fast, narrative 40k during lunch or dinner.

The core of the Narrative will be the same missions we used for our very successful LibertyHammer event earlier this summer in Philadelphia. I think they're pretty unique in 40k play, so hopefully of some interest even if you can't join us. There's a writeup below, and you can find full details in the linked event primer. We will also be putting together a separate campaign packet afterward much like the skirmish campaign we put out earlier this year. Along with that I'm also considering a Kickstarter for low-cost models enabling these narrative missions and campaign. If that's of interest to you, please drop a comment or message.

Thx!

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NOVA 40k Narrative Campaign: Sep 1--4, Arlington, VA!

*Warlords and Nightfighters, Virtue and Humans, the time is almost at hand!* The final event primer has been posted. In it you will find the core of one of the most innovative, fun 40k Narrative experiences to be had this year. We hope you’ll sign-up and join us!

Background

Coming into 2016, the ongoing NOVA story has advanced. Surviving remnants of Humanity continue to struggle on in a fringe existence. Three centuries on, however, the battle for Earth continues to have consequences for the Virtue. Questions raised by its unprecedented defeat have reverberated slowly but momentously throughout the millenia old society. Now it stands at the crux of a new age, either moving strongly forward from its greatest internal test yet, or facing the unknown if these doubts continue to unravel the threads of its might.

Missions

At the core of the campaign are nine missions, five of them strongly themed: Shuttles crash to the ground, comms facilities are attacked, convoys ambushed, supply depots raided, and VIPs assassinated. These missions require special game pieces, all of which are being 3D printed for this year’s NOVA. Players in each alliance will alternate choosing among these missions for their games each round, so players will get some choice in the missions they want to attempt over the course of the campaign.

Mission scoring also now features a list of secondary objectives from which players will choose each game. This allows players to adjust scoring scoring to suit their army and strategies. For example, in a mission to control objectives, such as Supply Depot, one player well suited to holding ground might double down on objective markers by choosing the Frontline secondary, while their opponent, less able to hold ground and facing numerous troop units, tries to balance out the objective styles by choosing Meat Grinder.


An Imperial Guard convoy is waylaid by the Swords of Dorn, desperate for supplies.

Civilians

Fame and Infamy mechanics have also been totally reworked for this year’s campaign. Each game will feature civilians, again represented by custom markers 3D printed for NOVA. Civilians are NPCs, with players choosing to slaughter or protect them, even potentially using them as meat shields or escorting them to safety. In doing so they will garner fame and infamy and establish their reputation as either wanton butchers or great heroes.

The combination of civilians and thematic missions brings a whole new feel to 40k, emphasizing that the campaign is not happening in abstraction---specific missions are being conducted, cities are being burned, the galaxy is on fire.


Scouts protect a civilian.

Campaign

On top of all that will be the strategic choices made by the alliances and defining the campaign. In addition to choosing missions and tables each round, matches will be put toward specific strategic effects as the Virtue and the Humanity continue their ongoing fight. Covert missions and secret stratagems and resources will also be thrown into the mix, allocated to the players most capable of enacting them or facing the toughest matchup. Warlords will also get to choose objectives and missions to be fought out in the new 40k Recon Squads skirmish events happening between Narrative rounds.

Sign-Up Today!

We still have plenty of slots for both Warlords and Nightfighters to sign-up. Warlords get 6 great battles from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon. Nightfighters will join them on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings following the NOVA 40k GT and other events. Between those games we hope you’ll join us for one or more Recon Squads skirmishes, for which you can register for one or more in any fashion you please. Across all these events we’ll no doubt see many brilliant tactics, brave sacrifices, and crushing defeats in a narrative-full campaign as we fight it out between the Virtue and Humanity and together write the next chapter of the NOVA 40k Narrative storyline!