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One thing that has always irked me about 40k compared to competing games is that it's "I go, you go" for everything. This has two main drawbacks compared to "Activation Turnbase" systems (and that's before bringing up the whole "alphastrike" part):

* When it's not your turn, you get to take a smoke break until it's time to roll saves, or a Deny check.

* When it is your turn, you have to make sure you move every unit before going to the psychic phase, make sure you shoot with every unit before going to assault, etc. This means "don't forget to do this with your unit" bookkeeping is 4 x number of units you have (wheras a basic ATB system is X); that, and there's always that one player that will go "oh, you moved to the Psychic Phase, so you can't move your unit forward, neenerneener. Gitgood and don't forget to move everybody!"

So I figured I'd draft up a super-basic draft for what 40k could look like as an Alternating Activation system, similar to Epic. As usual, I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts.

Turn Order in Alt-activation 40k

Epic players will notice this: You have a Strategy Phase, an Action Phase, and a Resolution Phase.

Strategy Phase

Each army generates a fixed number of Strategy Points per turn based on their army's Strategy Rating: Generally, Guard/Orks are SR 1, Marines/Eldar are SR 3, most other races are SR 2 though this might change, and some armies might have special SR (for example: Dark Eldar start at SR 5 on turn 1, but subtract 1 on each subsequent turn; they get the drop on you, but their attacks quickly degenerate into disorganized plunder). Strategy Points can be used for several things, as detailed in the Action Phase. This is also the phase where "maintenance" (status effects, "spell upkeep" or other things) would be applied, should the game expand to incorporate them. Once all players have generated their SP and resolved all other items, then players roll for "Initiative Order"; this is a D6 roll + your army's Strategy Rating (so D6+3 for Marines, D6+1 for Orks). The winner can choose the order which all players activate units for this turn.

Action Phase

In the order determined by the player that won the roll-off in the Strategy Phase, each player rotates turns activating unit in their army; if a player runs out of units to activate for the turn, that player skips activations until all other units are activated.

A unit that is activated may:

* Flat-Out: This means you make two separate moves, each up to your normal move distance. If this brings you within 1" of your opponent, you are now in Assault.

* Cautious Advance: The unit moves, and Defends (a catchall for G2G, Jink, Smoke, etc). Attacks vs a Defending unit suffer a flat -1 to-wound.

* Engage: The unit moves, and either shoots or performs an equivalent combat action (repair, etc)

Interruptions: Before or after an activated unit makes its initial Move, any other player may immediately select a unit that had not been previously Activated that turn to Interrupt; a unit that Interrupts cannot be Activated this turn. This can be one of three things:

* Counter-Move: The Interrupting gets to make a free move. If this brings the unit within 1" of the Activated Unit, that Unit is in assault.

* Overwatch: The Interrupting Unit gets to shoot the activated unit.

* Incoming: The Interrupting Unit immediately Defends.

Spending Strategy Points: Strategy Points can be used in 1 of 3 ways:

* Coordinate Reserves: For each unit you wish to bring in from Reserves (starting from the 2nd turn), you must spend 1 Strategy Point that turn.

* Retain the Initiative: Once a player finishes moving an Activated unit, it may immediately spend a Strategy Point to activate a second unit.

* Responsive Tactics: Once an Interrupting unit performs its initial action, it may immediately perform a second different Interrupting Action.

Resolution Phase

* Fight Assaults: Personally I'd enjoy the 3rd-7e system for this, as a second round of alternating activations might be a bit much. YMMV. Feel free to adapt. Add a rule that a unit that did not shoot in the Action Phase can use any Pistol/Assault weapons alongside/in lieu of melee.

* Check for Objective Ownership: Objectives start off unowned. In order to obtain control over an objective, you must have a unit within 3" of it at the start of the turn, and must be the only player with a unit within 3" of it at the end of the turn (this does not necessarily have to be the same unit). Once you control an objective, that objective is yours until an opponent takes it according to the criteria above.
Points for objectives are determined at the end of the game; Objectives are "weighted", with more emphasis on capturing objectives near your opponent's DZ, and there might be a formula for forming an uninterrupted chain of controlled objectives.

Tweak Morale so it's not a "battleshock" system, but allows for suppression, and you end up with a system that's fairly simple, allows for "emergent play", and still ultimately favors the offense over the defense ("Interrupting" gives 1 action for every 2 that "Activation" gives).

That said, there are some things I am considering:

"Half-actions:" What it says on the tin.
"Free Strikes:" What it says. Moving through a unit/disengaging invites free melee attacks.

Would you be interested in splitting the actions up, to remove the need for interupt rules etc.

Eg place the 2 action set order in the strategy phase.

Player A takes 1st action of a units 2 action order,

Player B takes 1st action of a units 2 action order

Alternate between players until all units have taken 1st action.
Then
Player B takes 2nd action of a units 2 action order.

Player A takes 2nd action of a units 2 action order,

Alternate until all units have taken 2nd action if the 2 action order.

Action tracking...
Order counters next to each unit,
Place face down in the strategy phase.
Flip over as 1st action is taken
Remove after 2nd action is taken.

Its easier to keep track of units actions and delivers the interaction in a simpler way than 'interruption type mechanics.'(IMO.)I can explain in more detail if required,

So, I've tried porting 40k to alternating activation and it always felt tedious but I have never tried it quite the way you putt it. I will give it a try this way.

In general, I fail to see the advantages of this system over a simpler your phase-my phase system where I take my movement phase with all of my army, you move with all of your army, I shoot, etc.

 Powerfisting wrote:
So, I've tried porting 40k to alternating activation and it always felt tedious but I have never tried it quite the way you putt it. I will give it a try this way.

In general, I fail to see the advantages of this system over a simpler your phase-my phase system where I take my movement phase with all of my army, you move with all of your army, I shoot, etc.

The way I view it, I go you go is basically ATB x 3. Remember to move all your units, then shoot with all your units, then assault with all relevant units. It's ADD-riffic IMO, and I'm interested in a system that's more fluid/organic in its play.

I had a few thoughts on how to streamline the rules further:


-Less Command Points per army, but they replenish at the start of the turn.
-A unit gets a max of 2 actions per turn, chosen from:
--Move: If done while in melee, enemy models in B2B get a free round of autohitting attacks ("free strike"). If not in melee, cannot move within 1" of an enemy unit unless you end movement within 1". At the end of the move, any models in b2b with the enemy may make a free round of melee attacks.
--Attack: This includes a 3" move. If in assault, use pile-in rules for assault. Else, the move is "at will". Assault Weapons can be used in melee if not used previously, so Breachers have a purpose, and Ork Warbikers get their old Psycho-Dakka-Blasta shtick back. You can split attacks between 2 melee weapons, use one melee weapon and one pistol, or two pistols.
--Defend ("Only lose a wound for every 2 failed saves, round up"). Defend replaces Smoke, Jink, Go to Ground, etc. and is a general catchall for protective measures. Only "Move" can be carried out twice.
-Some characters get noncombat actions they can take in lieu of attacking.
-Activating a unit lets it take up to 2 actions (aka "good luck").
-Immediately after an activated unit declares an action but before executing it, the opponent may declare a unit will attempt to Interrupt. This lets the unit take one action.
-Command Points may be spent to:
--Bring a unit in from reserve.
--Interrupt with a unit that has already taken one action.
--Activate a unit that has already taken one action.
--Activate a second unit after activating one unit. You may not activate a third subsequent unit before handing the Initiative to your foe.

The system would have a few oddities/tweaks to represent old-school rules, hypothetical examples including:
-Dark Angels do not need to spend a CP to interrupt with a unit that moved, if that unit is attempting to shoot a charging foe.
-Dark Eldar have 6 - (Turn Number) CP per turn. They need to get in, accomplish their objective, then get out!
-Berzerkers can take two Attack Actions, if they're both with melee weapons.

The idea is this system can model Advances, counter-charges, overwatch, Jinking/Going to Ground/etc. without needing explicit rules for them. There are a few items I might include (Collisions/movement, "free strikes" if an opponent tries to withdraw from melee, etc), but the idea is to keep the tempo going between both players, with CP being reserved for trap-setting, or double-striking your foe.