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With my young nephews having started playing 40k, I constructed a set of solo rules so that we could play together against an AI, instead of fighting against eachother. Makes for much happier games all around.

I am really proud of the results!

Since my playtesting with the kids have gone so well, I decided to create an account here to share my rules for those of you that are interested. Just apply your own tweaks to whatever your needs / taste.

The rules are attached later down this thread, it's just a single page of rules.

Summary: in addition to some brief rules on deployment and general AI reactions, each AI unit has a unique order card which tells the odds of getting a specific order. There are four different orders (enough to make variety, not too many to make the kids confused), which are described in detail in the rules, but briefly goes like this:
HUNT- try to reach enemy in close combat
PREY- try to destroy enemy warlord
ROAR- fire with guns
GUARD- go for objective

Depending on type of unit, the odds of getting a specific order varies, it is all decided by the roll of a die at the beginning of each AI turn.

Note that these rules are intentionally brief since they must be accessable by kids (fits on a single A4 page).
The Order cards are designed around specific units of a specific army (Space Wolves), but I think they are fairly portable to other armies too if you want to design your own.

The AI sometimes makes bad strategic choices, but that's alright as it makes the kids feel clever, and it is more important to have accessible rules than an overcomplex AI.
Giving the AI roughly a 50% Power Level boost makes for tense and close games.
Designed for use with Core rules, thus no need to bother with stratagems and such.

Feel free to comment and try out the rules yourself!

[Edit: edited due to the rules now attached in the thread, so you can have a look for yourself]

Im very interested in playing these. Used One Page Grimdark for 1 turn only as it's just the same as using common sense.
Whats needed is the UNPRDICTABILITY of an oppanant...your cards seem (not tried it yet) a great idea....
But what is needed is a general guide to what kind of units have what cards. The extra points for the AI seems a brill idea , for what reason i dont know!!! it looks like you wanted the AI to keep the played on his toes, will gladly try it so please POST THE CARDS so i know what kind of units get what card

Most certainly!

The extra points for the AI (about 50% more power level) are to make sure the games are more even. Since the rules for the AI are so brief, and the AI by default is quite random, there are lots of opportunities for the AI to make bad decisions.

As already mentioned, this is intentional. Firstly, it makes the kids able to grasp the rules since they are so brief, and secondly it makes the kids feel clever as they outwit the AI. As an added bonus it also makes the kids less sad when they (we) lose, since the AI had about 50% more power, we the players are always the underdogs.

Anyways, I have attached (PDF) the rules for the six units that the AI army got so far.

Generally, I distribute the orders to the AI based out what kind of battle field role each specific unit has: basic infantry often goes for GUARD, units with heavy weapons go for ROAR, units good at beating multiwound characters get PREY and close assault units go for HUNT.

Thamk you
with the prey roar guard etc i think it would be a good idea to assign types of 40k units to each order to make it easier , ie Devestators/ ork deff guns, forge fiend with guns would sit at the back of the board so what would be the best order for it !!!
Also can i put this into the solo game forum on FB

licclerich wrote:
Thamk you
with the prey roar guard etc i think it would be a good idea to assign types of 40k units to each order to make it easier , ie Devestators/ ork deff guns, forge fiend with guns would sit at the back of the board so what would be the best order for it !!!
Also can i put this into the solo game forum on FB

I've done Order cards fitting thematically and practically for a specific selection of Space Wolves. If one wants to include other armies and other units, I think the orders need to be adjusted to one's own personal taste and theme. That being said, I think every unit should have a chance of at least two different orders, to ensure unpredictability. If the players know beforehand that a unit always act under the "Prey" orders, that can become boring really quick. But that is of course only my suggestion.

Sure, post these on the solo game forum on FB!

These look cool! I could definitely see using these rules to give some of my 40k-curious friends a taste of the game without dumping them into a PVP environment right away.

I may be overcomplicating things, but I could see some merit in creating a few different "behavior tables" for different types of AI. Something like...

* Melee-only table: all about moving towards enemy units and objectives.

* Mobile Shooting: Similar to what you have. Always falls back out of melee if it can.

* Static shooting: Seeks cover and/or objectives, and then proceeds to shoot in place.

* Versatile: Basically what you have now.

Also, you mention determining the order the enemy units act in as "random." That's probably fine in practice. If you wanted an easier to resolve way of doing things on paper, perhaps roll a d6 at the start of each turn and resolve the enemy unit actions going from left to right or vice versa depending on the result?

Wyldhunt wrote:
These look cool! I could definitely see using these rules to give some of my 40k-curious friends a taste of the game without dumping them into a PVP environment right away.

I may be overcomplicating things, but I could see some merit in creating a few different "behavior tables" for different types of AI. Something like...

* Melee-only table: all about moving towards enemy units and objectives.

* Mobile Shooting: Similar to what you have. Always falls back out of melee if it can.

* Static shooting: Seeks cover and/or objectives, and then proceeds to shoot in place.

* Versatile: Basically what you have now.

Also, you mention determining the order the enemy units act in as "random." That's probably fine in practice. If you wanted an easier to resolve way of doing things on paper, perhaps roll a d6 at the start of each turn and resolve the enemy unit actions going from left to right or vice versa depending on the result?

Isn't that exactly what's already there? Mobile Shooting seems very similar to the current rules for the Land Speeder, so I suggest use that as inspiration when designing your own cards (see specific order card, attached), just for example.


And just as you mention, if you look at the specific order cards for each unit, you will see that every single one has a specific spread of orders, using a d6 just as you mentioned, with some units more likely to go after objectives and other units more likely to go for close combat etc, all based on their overall role on the battle field.

[Edit: some grammar errors]

Wyldhunt...Yes thats what i was looking for. Flamingo is 99% on the right track and ive done a 1500 pts vs 2000 AI.
Unit needs some Base Order like Wyldhunt and random actions like Flamingo. The scales of luck/unluckyness are then done for each unit. Berzerkers more likely charge/run but will never stand ??....Devestators will more likely to stand but wont ever charge ??.....Flamingos idea of adding 50% is brill, but im going for 25% to start of with

Yeah, play a game, create your own Order cards (feel free to use my order cards as inspiration) and let me know how it went!

from own experience, the less special rules to remember, the more likely none are forgotten. so keep it simple!

good luck!

Having my first battle using the crux of this system...made and added some changes 1500 AM vs 2000 pts Tau (AI)....im already under pressure and the Tau Bsuits have yet to arrive...

licclerich wrote:
Having my first battle using the crux of this system...made and added some changes 1500 AM vs 2000 pts Tau (AI)....im already under pressure and the Tau Bsuits have yet to arrive...

out of curiousity, how did your game go?

Looks like an excuse to order some Space Wolves....I see what you did there, Flamingo!

The presentation is really good and will be giving it a go. Over the years I've used Tyranids as opponents for solo-coop games as they swarm and throw themselves at their prey without regard for their own safety, and can make for fun "Rorke's Drift" games for the player. In that respect its easier to overlook their AI-driven nature.

SamusDrake wrote:
Looks like an excuse to order some Space Wolves....I see what you did there, Flamingo!

The presentation is really good and will be giving it a go. Over the years I've used Tyranids as opponents for solo-coop games as they swarm and throw themselves at their prey without regard for their own safety, and can make for fun "Rorke's Drift" games for the player. In that respect its easier to overlook their AI-driven nature.

Thank you for your kind words!

Yes, Space Wolves is the army I own, and those six units are the units I own. So the rules are clearly designed based on that. That is also why the orders are wolf themed (roar, prey, hunt , guard...)

But I do think that the rules are good enough to act as a base for any army, with a few adjustments.

Tyranids would probably be a perfect fit, just add some simple rules about how AI uses psychic powers. Perhaps some simple flowchart on what psychic power is used under which circumstanse, and you're good to go.

For more shooty or technical armies like Tau or Eldar, the AI would clearly have to be refined a bit. To each their own, depending on what they want.

I am just happy if people can get enjoyment out of these core rules. They make games a billion times more exciting than playing both sides "as neutral as possible", which sadly is the overwhelming advice I see elsewhere when people ask about solo rules for 40K. That advice just saddens my heart.

Ah, a lot of players have grown used to wargaming as a competitive and "social" pastime, and aside from the Warhammer Quest series GW hasn't always been known for their solo-coop efforts.

Oh, in a recent issue of White Dwarf, Sam Pearson wrote a solo-coop campaign for AoS called "Heroes of the Hinterlands". The idea is each player takes an unnamed hero or two and they face off against lesser enemies in short battles, each one raising a threat level until you end up fighting an enemy hero and their goons. It was pretty good! Issue 458...