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This is a little post for any of you people out there who want to play gigantic games of 40K but don't want them to take quite as long.
This is a pretty simple set of changes that streamlines the game of 40k and definitely makes more killing happen more quickly. . .but that's the point of Apocalypse, right?

The shooting rules make shooting more deadly, but more importantly remove most of the range and line of sight checking from the process and make it much simpler to remove valid casualties.

To counter balance how badly assault units are going to get shot up by these shooting changes, the close combat rules have been altered to make close combat units much, much more deadly. More importantly the process of fighting a combat has become drastically simplified by removing the need to pull certain casualties to deny attacks and sweeping advances. Also when a victorious unit consolidates into a new combat both sides may make an immediate pile-in move to help consolidate the battlefield and to help expedite the combat in the next Assault phase.

Finally, the need to constantly dump transported units in and out of a transport everytime it takes a penetrating hit has been removed to help streamline the game.



MOVEMENT PHASE


CHEATING THE BACK MODELS
Within these house rules you'll notice a trend that the placement of individual models within the unit is not so important to the game anymore. The only real important thing is the placement of the model(s) in the front of the unit. With that concept in mind players are encouraged to carefully move the models at the front of the unit and after that, they are free to "cheat" the movement of all the other models in the unit so that they don't waste time measuring for each model. Obviously you shouldn't be gaining six extra inches with each model you move, but a few inches here and there really won't make any difference to the game.



SHOOTING PHASE


RANGE
Range for shooting is measured from the closest (visible) model in your firing unit to the closest visible model in the target enemy unit. This closest visible firing model is known as the "base" model. Whatever the distance found to be between the base model and the closest enemy model is the distance assumed for all the models in the firing unit. So if the base model is found to be within 12" of the closest visible enemy model then all other models in the shooting unit are also assumed to be within 12" of all the enemy models in the target unit.


LINE OF SIGHT
Line of sight is also drawn from the same base model in the firing unit. Similar to range, if the base model can draw line of sight to even a single model in the target enemy unit then that unit is a valid target and may be fired upon.


CASUALTY REMOVAL
Casualties may (and must) always be removed from any model in an affected unit, regardless of the normal range or line of sight restrictions (and never have to be drawn from under a blast or template). In essence, once the base model is found to be within range and line of sight of even one model in the enemy unit, the entire unit is fair game to be shot at and killed regardless of where the models actually lie.


COVER SAVES
Whether or not a unit is in cover is determined by looking at the placement of the models in the enemy unit in relation to the base firing model. If a majority of the models in the taget enemy unit are in cover, behind cover or out of LOS from from the base firing model then the unit is considered to be in cover and gets the appropriate cover saves (use a plurality-rules system if the unit is in or behind different types of cover to determine which save to use. If no largest plurality exists, use the worse of the saves tied for the largest plurality). If the unit is out of line of sight behind something that normally doesn't provide a cover save (like a close combat), these models are treated as being behind 5+ save cover. If more than half of the models in the target enemy unit are out of LOS from the base firing model, add +1 to the cover save the unit recieves (to a maximum of a 2+ cover save).


MULTIPLE BLASTS/TEMPLATES (&BARRAGE WEAPONS) IN A SINGLE FIRING UNIT
When a unit hits with mutiple templates or blasts simply place one blast/template and then multiply the number of hits & partials by the number of blasts/templates you hit with to determine the total number of hits & partials you have achieved.

Once you've determined your grand total number of hits (i.e. after multiplying and then rolling for all the partials) a negative modifier is applied based on the number of blasts/templates you hit with (to represent that if you were to individually resolve each blast/template one at a time you'd get less hits with each successive blast/template due to increasing casualties).

If you hit with 2 blasts or templates, total up you hits then subtract one from the total.

If you hit with 3 blasts or templates, total up your hits then subtract two from the total.

If you hit with 4 blasts or templates, total up your hits then subtract three from the total.

If you hit with 5 blasts or templates, total up you hits then subtract four from the total.

Etc, etc, etc.

With regular Barrage weapons, place only the first marker and roll for scatter. Once you've determined its landing location calculate the number of hits the battery has achieved exactly as you would for multiple blast weapons as described above. Barrage and Ordnance Barrages (and any weapons that use Apocalypse templates) are still resolved as normal.



ASSAULT PHASE


ENGAGED STATUS
The status for engaged models is increased to 6" from enemy models in a unit that is locked in combat with their unit. Units that currently have an extended engaged range (like Hormagaunts) increase the new Engaged range to 8".

Models that are engaged at the start of the Assault phase are considered engaged the entire assault phase regardless of Initiative steps.

ICs still fight separately from any unit they are part of which means they have to be in base contact with an enemy model at the start of the Assault phase in order to attack the enemy or be attacked. However as with all units, once engaged their "kill zone" is any enemy model they are locked in combat against within 6". The only enemy models that can direct their attacks against characters are those in base contact with them or within 6" of the IC but not in base contact with another enemy model.


SWEEPING ADVANCES
Sweeping Advances may be attempted even if no models from the falling back enemy unit are in base contact at the time.


NO RETREAT!
No Retreat! wounds now ignore armor saves (although invulnerable saves may still be attempted).


CONSOLIDATING INTO A FRESH COMBAT
When a unit consolidates into an enemy unit that wasn't currently in combat, both sides immedately make a pile-in move (starting with the enemy unit that was consolidated into).



VEHICLES & BIG CREATURES


TRANSPORT VEHICLES
Embarked units on a transport vehicle that suffer a penetrating hit but aren't destroyed do not suffer any damage and do not have to disembark.


SIZE 4 MODELS AND TERRAIN
Titans, Gargantuan creatures and any other model both players feel is appropriate are classed as Size 4. This enables them to draw line of sight over Size 3 terrain and fire at enemies beyond. Players may also designate absolutely gigantic buildings and other appropriate terrain features as being Size 4 as well. Skimmers and jetbikes ending their turn over a piece of Size 4 terrain count as being Size 4 for drawing line of sight to and from them.



So, that's it. Why not tell me what you like/dislike about these suggestions and if you've got any other great Apocalypse house rules why not post 'em here?

Just saw the link from Dakka Discussion

Very nice set of rules Yak. Gonna see if I can get my buddies to try em out on Wednesday when we have our "small" apoc games(7-8k total)

Heh, I've been playing with those exact movement and shooting range rules for a while now, they cut game time drasticly. The rest seem pretty good too.

It looks really streamlined. I might try these out next weekend when I play with a couple buddies of mine.

My only suggestion is that you modify or get rid of the No Retreat! rule. Putting power weapons on everything is absolutely nasty. It also puts Terminators, Power Armored Models, Meganobz, and anything that pays a lot for a high armor save and a possible Invulnerable save at a major disadvantage. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Terminators would be rendered useless - replaceable by twice as many Bolter Marines.

Other than that, it looks great. Nice job.

CK

Great fething job Yak. Almost makes me want to play Apoc, but no one wants to play my 'Chucky' army.