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Primarily random Maelstrom of War missions, though my friends and I are starting up an Eternal War mission campaign soon, with each battle including a single objective we choose from our TacObj decks. Not sure how my one friend is gonna organize/score it, but I'm interested to see how it goes.

Open War is great. The GW uses the Eternal War missions from Chapter Approved in their monthly tournaments. Lots of custom narrative missions in more casual games too.

Almost exclusively chapter approved games, with an appreciable percentage being Maelstrom.

Games are always close & fun - my Slaanesh Daemons destroyed an AdMech Gunline recently (without deepstriking, mind, except one unit that ended up dsing in my DZ anyways). That's unlikely to happen in anything that's not Maelstrom.

Maelstrom usually, unless there's a time restriction, then I find Eternal War works if you have to end a game early.


I kinda like the ITC LoS blocking Ruins rule, even though it comes at a disadvantage as often as an advantage. I find it ridiculous that shooting THROUGH a building offers zero protection to a unit completely behind it, while also getting accurate shooting curving bullets over the wall or something.

The most interesting thing about this thread is the distinct lack of posts from Dakka's more prolific posters. Curious.....

Also interesting that this thread finally puts to rest the "Everyone plays only Matched games"

 Crimson Devil wrote:
The most interesting thing about this thread is the distinct lack of posts from Dakka's more prolific posters. Curious.....

Curious indeed

To add to my earlier post, I also think Maelstrom fairly heavily punishes gunline armies, provided the foe has the durability to last through turn 6. I've found that things have value in simply drawing enemy firepower and dying - sometimes considerable value, if they occupy the attention of e.g. a Shadowsword for multiple turns. But that doesn't show up well at tournaments because the games haven't lasted long enough.

We play matched play for points - list building only.

The we usually opt to play a narrative table, where the win conditions revolve around why your army is present... or we play Open War and let the cards set the scene and the narrative follows (occasionally substituting words like "the relic" with "the governor").

Very rarely we'll break into CA for some missions.

Though, if we're feeling exceptionally lazy, we'll do Eternal War and shoot the crap out of each other for the lols.

We've also had 3rd parties set up table/scenarios for the two armies playing, where it is all basically ad hoc crap on the fly. That's always fun, too.

But really, all we use matched play for is points... and the rule additions haven't been bad either. Most of the beta rules don't even affect us much, if at all. We never spammed smite, we never made character blobs to shield characters... deep strike shooting was present, but not at the stupid levels that would warp the game (sometimes 1-3 units for an entire army, if any).

Open War cards, Narrative scenarios, sometimes the open play scenarios. Both from the big rulebook as the chapter book.

I use Eternal War. Works out nicely, plays like games always have.

BRB matched play missions usually.

At my local game store it's usually 2000 points, Maelstrom of War, Matched Play. A lot of times we'll use as many tournament-style rules as possible, so people are already adjusting their lists for the Rule of 3 and Tactical Reserves and such, but otherwise it's pretty casual.

Wow - look at everyone playing match play rules with random CA missions saying this is the most fun edition ever. I happen to agree.

Spoletta wrote:
Also interesting that this thread finally puts to rest the "Everyone plays only Matched games"

It doesn't ask if we play matched, only if we play ITC.

I think he means that there are so many people using open war cards, narrative missions, and the like. I think the livestream about the FAQ the GW designers said there are people who use 40k as a toolbox and pull from every way to play and combine them. I think the guy is right about that and the people who think 40k is only played one way are wrong.

We tend to play Open War.

Going to look at Maelstrom and CA missions again after this thread.

I tend to like CA missions better then BRB missions, and always enjoy Open War cards when I can get it (Sadly I have not been able to land a deck myself from the FLGS - they tend to go fast).

CA Maelstorm missions, we are a very small (like 5 people) casual meta, no use going super competitive.

Open war but using mayched play points and the restrictions on psychics/strategems. Tough we sometimes drop the latter.

Mostly we just play Open Play games using the BRB and Codexes plus errata. I also have Chapter Approved, so we use anything relevant from that.