Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I made the following as an attempt to make a set of rules that allow for a player to play against as opposing force whose units follow pre determined courses of action throughout the game.

I also made a video using the rules: https://youtu.be/EpoN_7577ss
Let me know what you think :-)


40K Horde mode Rules

The aim of these rules is to allow someone to play a meaningful game of 40K when you don’t have someone to play against. You will need two different forces, one made up like a normal army and the other listed as an array of different units that you have available to field. We will call this opposition force the Horde. The idea is that the Hordes units will be controlled by a series of tables that dictate their actions making it a tactical battle against rules of the horde. This isn’t a game that is likely to be won but more a game you see how well you do at and can then attempt to do better in the next game. The points/Power Level you play is entirely up to you and is likely dependent on the models you have available to use as the Horde force.
The choice of horde army will greatly influence the way the game works. Thematically Daemons, Tyranids, Necrons and Orks likely work the best. Make a list of the units you have available and number each unit so you can randomly roll to see which unit arrives onto the battlefield each turn, I will try and get to 20 units as a D20 is an easy way to randomise. I’d recommend listing the units in group depending on their type and ascending in power finishing with a character, here’s my list of Khorne Daemons as an example:
20 Bloodletters
10 Flesh hounds
6 Blood Crushers
Skull Cannon
Blood Thirster

If you randomly select a unit that is already deployed on the battlefield you then select the unit above it on the list instead, this has the effect of making it more likely that the character associated with that section of the list arrives to help their troops once the troops have deployed.

Once you have your list of units you then need to assign each unit a Control Type, this will define how they will act whilst on the battlefield. The choices are as follows:

Melee Unit – A unit that doesn’t worry about shooting guns and just wants to get in combat with the enemy as soon as possible.

Ranged Unit – A unit that doesn’t want to move towards the enemy only towards cover, then they shoot at a target appropriate to their weapons.

General unit – A unit that will move towards the enemy and assault if it can but is happy to shoot if possible, as well.

Support Unit – A unit that benefits other units that it is near, it will move towards eligible units and fire weapons and assault only when able to.

The following are Sub-Control Types, a unit can have them in addition to a Control Type:

Command Unit – This is given to Character models with less than 10 wounds, it means they will try and move behind friendly models where possible whilst still following their normal Control type.

Psychic Units – This is given to models with psychic powers and controls how they use their powers.

Flyer Units – This is given to models that have the supersonic rule and covers how they move.

Transport Units – This is given to unit with a transport capacity and covers how they and their contents act.

After listing all of this down you are nearly ready to play, setup the battlefield with a decent amount of defensible terrain and then setup your actual army.
After this you need to randomly determine some Horde units to deploy to the battlefield, this will again depend on the size of your two forces but I’m going to start with 2d3 units plus an extra unit per turn of the game.
Once you have decided on the units that will be deploying you then need to actually deploy them, I’m going to be using Daemon so will randomly deepstrike them onto the table by dividing the table into six 2’x2’ squares and then determine a position in each square by rolling a scatter dice and 2D6 from the centre of the square. After finding this position I will then move the arrival point as small a distance as possible so that it is more than 9” from enemy units and then deploy the unit.
Some Horde forces wont thematically fit with deepstriking onto the table, in these cases you can randomly choose a point on a table edge for them to move on from, remembering to not move closer than 9” to enemy models when you do so.
After deploying all the Horde units you can then proceed through the normal turn sequence activating horde units ini each phase in the order they appear on your unit list.

Command Abilities: Obviously you can’t easily or fairly spend command points for the horde units so they get the following abilities instead:

Charge! - Re-roll the lowest dice of the first failed charge by a Melee unit each turn.
Destroy! – Re-roll the first roll of a 1 by a horde unit for a random damage weapon in the game.
Lucky! – Re-roll the first failed saving throw by a Command Unit each turn.
Control! – Re-roll the first perils of the warp rolled for a horde unit psychic test in the game.
Discipline! - Re-roll the first failed moral test a Horde unit fails in the game.

Control Type Rules

Melee Unit
Movement Phase: This unit moves towards the nearest enemy unit (non-supersonic unless this unit can fly). After moving if it is not within 12” of an enemy unit (or is able to advance and still charge) it will advance towards the nearest enemy unit.
Shooting Phase: This unit will fire all its ranged weapons at the closest enemy unit it is able to target.
Charge/Fight Phase: This unit will declare a charge against the nearest two enemy units within 12”. If successful move models in this unit in such a way so that the maximum number of models from this unit are in contact with the maximum number of models in enemy unit. Follow this rule for pile in and consolidate moves as well. All horde units fight in reverse order working down their selection sheet.

Ranged Unit
Movement Phase: This unit moves towards the nearest terrain piece where possible while ensuring that it ends the movement phase with line of sight to at least one enemy unit within range of its weapons. If this unit is locked in combat it will fallback towards the closest table edge.
Shooting Phase: This unit fires all its sniper weapons at the closest CHARACTER model that it is able to target. Then this unit fires all its multi-damage ranged weapons at the closest MONSTER, BATTLESUIT or VEHICLE unit it is able to target. Then this unit fires all of its single damage weapons at the closest INFANTRY, SWARM or BIKE unit it is able to target. Then this unit fires all it weapons that have not yet fired at the closest unit it is able to target.
Charge/Fight Phase: This unit will not declare any charge moves. During pile in and consolidate moves, move models in this unit in such a way so that the maximum number of models from this unit are in contact with the maximum number of models in enemy unit. All horde units fight in reverse order from their selection sheet.

General Unit
Movement Phase: This unit moves towards the nearest enemy unit (non-supersonic unless this unit can fly).
Shooting Phase: This unit will fire all its ranged weapons at the closest enemy unit it is able to target.
Charge/Fight Phase: This unit will declare a charge against the nearest enemy unit within 12”. If successful move models in this unit in such a way so that the maximum number of models from this unit are in contact with the maximum number of models in enemy unit. Follow this rule for pile in and consolidate moves as well. All horde units fight in reverse order working down their selection sheet.

Support Unit
Movement Phase: This unit moves towards the nearest Horde unit that is affected by one or more of its aura abilities. If there are none it will then move towards the closest enemy unit.
Shooting Phase: This unit will fire all its ranged weapons at the closest enemy unit it is able to target.
Charge/Fight Phase: This unit will declare a charge against the nearest enemy unit within 6”. If successful move models in this unit in such a way so that the maximum number of models from this unit are in contact with the maximum number of models in enemy unit. Follow this rule for pile in and consolidate moves as well. All horde units fight in reverse order working down their selection sheet.

The following are Sub-Control Types, a unit can have them in addition to a Control Type:

Command Unit
Movement Phase: When this unit moves, if possible always place it so there is a friendly Horde unit between it and the closest enemy unit.
Charge Phase: This model will heroically intervene when possible.

Psychic Units
Psychic Phase: During their psychic phase this model will cast powers in the order they appear on its list entry. When it casts a power it always casts it on the closest unit it is able to target. During enemy psychic phases this unit will attempt to deny the all powers it is able to.

Flyer Unit
Movement Phase: This model will always the minimum distance that it needs to as long as it doesn’t leave itself in a position where it will not be able to move next turn and it is in range of a unit it is able to target. If a unit finds itself unable to move and fulfil the above conditions (or just unable to move) and it has a the hover rule then it will hover and follow its normal movement rules.

Transport Units
Movement Phase: This unit moves depending on the control type of the unit that is embarked, if it has no unit embarked them it follows its own control type, if there are multiple control types embarked then see if any disembark then move following the transports control type if multiple remain types embarked.
If a Melee Unit then that unit disembarks if doing so would put them within charge range of an enemy unit they are able to target. Otherwise this unit moves as a Melee Unit.
If a Shooting Unit then that unit disembarks if doing so would put them in range to shoot an enemy unit they are able to target. Otherwise this unit moves as a Shooting Unit.
If a General Unit then that unit disembarks if doing so would put them in range to shoot or charge an enemy unit they are able to target. Otherwise this unit moves as a General Unit.
If a Support Unit then that unit disembarks if doing so would put them in range of a Horde unit that is affected by one or more of its aura abilities. Otherwise this unit moves as a Support Unit with the aura abilities of the embarked unit..

Your latest couple of videos brought me here. I'm definitely going to give this a go and will let you know if I find any major flaws. I think the trickiest part to get right might be the number/points ratio of your force and the AIs.