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So, I play Imperial Guard, and I have two buddies that play Dark Eldar. One is absolutely stoked with the new Dark Eldar codex, and the other is much less so. In an effort to raise the spirits of the latter, the former and I are thinking up ways to make the game fun for everyone. We've always joked about my Guardsmen being Dark Eldar slaves (of varying purposes) whenever we ally for any reason, and so it popped into my head the other day that it might be neat to write up some rules to represent slave raids for the Dark Eldar... But beyond that allow them to actually use captured slaves on the tabletop as well as allow me to capture them back, so we'd be looking at a massive Tug-Of-War over Guardsmen.

So I wrote the rules. They're cool. You know you want to read them.

I am also in the process of writing up fluffy scenarios with all kinds ideas inspired by the awesome deployment and mission rules you'd find in the pre-6th Edition rulebooks. I can't tell you how much fun my 'Nid friend and I had with the AMBUSH! scenario in 5th Edition. Sneaky sneaky Carnifexes...

Anyways. What say you? Think you lot would like to see these funky-fresh rules? I'll freely throw them up for you guys to peruse, tweak, and shamelessly rip off for your own gaming groups. I promise they'll be fluffy, fun, and (mostly) balanced in one way or another.

If you want generic cookie-cutter "This is your zone! This is my zone! Set up! Brawl! I win!" scenarios or the relatively boring Maelstrom style objectives, look elsewhere. These are going to be straight up missions, homes. They'll require some tactical thinking and will have some semi-homebrew rules that *GASP* INTRODUCE FUN CONCEPTS BESIDES WHAT YOU DO IN EVERY GAME!

Addendum: I have recently been notified that my "core rules" are rather similar to a new Mission GW put in the Haemonculous Coven supplement. Me being me, I don't care and I'll keep talking anyway because I think my rules are a bit more fun, despite having just a few more words to read. This is not to say mine are the same; on the contrary, mine are drastically more realized than the GW ones. GW found a way to make slaves a dynamic objective in a one-off game. Cool beans. Mine make slaves a primary objective as well as allow them to dynamically affect later games. In addition, I'm writing (and have already written) several Missions to accompany these rules, rather than simply making them a single Mission like GW did. Read on if you're interested.

Soo... where's the rules? Should wait until you have something to post before posting really.

It sounds like you're suggesting Relic with multiple Relics on the table. I know a guy who put that together already.

I generally think slaves or civilians should be classed or skilled as gretchines.

Furyou Miko wrote:Soo... where's the rules? Should wait until you have something to post before posting really.

Indeed, sorry. I put this up so I'd remember to do it when I get home... But got caught up in other things. Rules going up now.

AnomanderRake wrote:It sounds like you're suggesting Relic with multiple Relics on the table. I know a guy who put that together already.

Nope. Way different. The core rules encompass Dark Eldar actually being able to actively capture Guardsmen from IG squads and then using them in later games, as well as the IG attempting to rescue their squadmates later on even if it means having to fight them first. DE get to USE slaves on the field, not just as objective markers. Just take a look at the stuff I'm posting right now. I'll be taking inspiration from older GW rules but nothing will be stone cold GW without some tweaks.

Ffyllotek wrote:I generally think slaves or civilians should be classed or skilled as gretchines.

Conscripts, actually. Behold! The core rules are in the first post now!

It should be noted that for one, these rules are intended to be used in a series of escalating games. Indeed, half the rules only come into play on the second or third game played with them. I have written up a few missions and scenarios to reinforce this, and will post those later as I edit and proofread them.

For another, you are more than able to use these rules for any faction in place of the IG. I don't think the Dark Eldar are THAT picky with their slaves.

And finally, this is all for fun. I don't care if something is a bit out of balance or not competitive, but as long as it is not game-breaking it's fine. I don't think Slave Squads as I describe them are competitive (or frankly even effective in most DE armies) but it's all just for fun. I myself won't be playing competitive IG lists, so it won't matter to us. I'm just putting these up for your perusal, hoping there are other gaming groups out there that might think like we do and pick up the idea.

Right, then! Some new rules are going up in both this post and the first post. I have made the core rules ("Dark Eldar Slave Raid Rules") easier to read, and have finished two scenarios and am working on a third one.

I haven't had a chance to play any of these yet myself, but funnily enough my DE buddy bought the Haemonculous Coven supplement this weekend and we both had a laugh realizing that some extremely similar rules cropped up in one of the missions it adds. I swear I wrote my stuff first though!

"Demolitions Gone Awry" is a scenario made for Kill Teams. It is meant to kick off the campaign, with a group of IG Sappers on a mission to demolish a Tau HQ. Unbeknownst to them, the Dark Eldar have just entered the system and happened to make landfall on the same location.

"A Sleepless Nightmare" is intended to be used at any time during the campaign, with the rules for a standard 1500-2000 point match of 40k. An IG Infantry Regiment is given a brief reprieve from fighting and set up camp, allowing themselves to lull into a false sense of security. The Dark Eldar intend to capitalize on this once the sun goes their eyes shut. This is how I imagine most DE Slave Raids would go down in "Real Life 40k."

Keep in mind that although these are 100% playable as-is with no issues that I can forsee, they are nothing if not WIP. As such, comments, critiques, suggestions, and requests are not only welcome, but wanted. Lemme know what you think, folks!