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So this has what i've been using in my club for newcomers as a way of getting them into the setting/rules.

In every game, you and your opponent each control a team of eight combatants who face off in intense, close-quarters fights (unit cohesion optional. Individual miniatures can be treated as independent. Morale is not a component). Rather than depicting an entire battlefield in the conventional standards of tables sized 2'x2' to 4'x6', this scenario focuses on a much smaller play area size (it's the size of a A3 piece of paper. No. Literally, you play on a piece of A3). This represents slices of a much larger battlefield—think of it as the camera zooming in on key moments that decide the course of a larger battle happening off-screen. The gameplay reflects pivotal moments like breaking through enemy lines, toppling castle gates, or seizing control of a siege weapon. Rules are, however, as per the latest edition of 40k.


Eight Bolter Marines from the 8th Reserve Company of the Sanguine Reavers Chapter (8th Founding) have been assigned to guard the mouth of a valley leading to a hapless civilian settlement. The terrain is hot, humid and muddy, full of vegetation, vines and trees. Their opponents? the savage orks. Attacking in endless waves of eight Beast Snagga Boyz, the greenskins are intent on getting at the human prey beyond. For every wave that falls, another takes it place. For the Orks, the mouth of the valley heralds a good fight. For the Space Marines, they are the thin red line between order, and savagery. If a Space Marine falls, repeat the scenario sans the casualty (or more. So if 1 Space Marine dies during game 2, then game 3 would only have 7 space marines). (yes, i'm aware that this is literally a chess reference. Eight peons against 8 peons)

Of course, should the Space Marines fall, then move onto the next scenario. Where the vengeful Space Marine hero (Captain with the Artificer Armour and The Honour Vehement enhancement) stands alone against the Orks.

Should he fall, the defender can now field a Leman Russ Main Battle Tank (hull mounted Heavy Bolter + two sponson Heavy Bolters + 1 battlecannon) against the orks.

Should the warmachine fall to ruin, the defender will now field ten Astartes servitors (no range weapons) instead. Same rules as regard to casualties as with the eight Bolter Marines.

(and I haven't written anything further than that)

How does it sound so far? too unbalanced? Too narrative focussed?

Pretty dull.

Orks will walk forwards and charge. Every game. Every time.

Hey, I like the sound of your scenario. It seems like you are concentrating very heavily on the Space Marines and not very much on the Orks. I would recommend, especially if you are using these as introductions for new players, to also put some thought into what the orks are doing to overcome the obstacle in their path should they fail to break through. Because sometimes players want to play the "bad guys" and that's a valid option in 40k.

Do the orks add more boyz to their Assault? Do their break-throughs have any impact on an ongoing narrative? Maybe if you start with this scenario one week you could play out the next stage of this battle using orks that broke through last week versus a new type of gun line?

I will always advocate for more narrative over game-ification for building enthusiasm in new players.

Very often terrain can have an affect on game play. Does that valley mouth favor the defenders (it should, they're smart space marines)? And can the Orks have special rules that let them try to damage or destroy the cover that the space Marines are using? Just some ideas.

I wrote dozens of custom scenarios in the Campaign I posted on this very forum. Go check it out and steal all the ideas you like. Keep at it and have fun!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, I'd love to know the names of the planet, the mountain pass the Marines are defending, maybe even the names of the marine defenders themselves. What's the backstory? Who asked for help defending their world and why did this Chapter respond? Do they have ancient Oaths to uphold? Are they here for a more sinister purpose? Is it just chance that they happened to be near enough to respond to the Astropathic call for help? Did they arrive in time to save the populace or is this a war for vengeance?

 Warboss_Waaazag wrote:
Hey, I like the sound of your scenario. It seems like you are concentrating very heavily on the Space Marines and not very much on the Orks. I would recommend, especially if you are using these as introductions for new players, to also put some thought into what the orks are doing to overcome the obstacle in their path should they fail to break through. Because sometimes players want to play the "bad guys" and that's a valid option in 40k.

Do the orks add more boyz to their Assault? Do their break-throughs have any impact on an ongoing narrative? Maybe if you start with this scenario one week you could play out the next stage of this battle using orks that broke through last week versus a new type of gun line?

I will always advocate for more narrative over game-ification for building enthusiasm in new players.

Very often terrain can have an affect on game play. Does that valley mouth favor the defenders (it should, they're smart space marines)? And can the Orks have special rules that let them try to damage or destroy the cover that the space Marines are using? Just some ideas.

I wrote dozens of custom scenarios in the Campaign I posted on this very forum. Go check it out and steal all the ideas you like. Keep at it and have fun!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, I'd love to know the names of the planet, the mountain pass the Marines are defending, maybe even the names of the marine defenders themselves. What's the backstory? Who asked for help defending their world and why did this Chapter respond? Do they have ancient Oaths to uphold? Are they here for a more sinister purpose? Is it just chance that they happened to be near enough to respond to the Astropathic call for help? Did they arrive in time to save the populace or is this a war for vengeance?

So at present, the DM controls the orks. The new player controls the defenders. Because 'we', the veterans, know how the game is played so we can just indulge the newbies. And we can cut down on budget esp if reusing ork models. The only real 'carry-over' ive been planning is 'promoting' ork boyz to nobz, and up the chain (nobz --> meganobz) if the particular ork did something noteworthy. Ie, kill a marine during a phase 1.

The current narrative trail is

First phase - 8 bolter marines vs 8 orks

leads to

Second phase - 1 tooled up captain vs 8 orks

leads to

Third phase - 1 barebones LMR MBT vs 8 orks

leads to

Fourth phase - 10 melee combat servitors vs 8 orks

What makes this narrative?
It's certainly not a normal battle scenario you'd play on the tabletop... But what's the narrative about it?