Space Hulks and Boarding Actions

SUMMARY

• Wars in the Stars are common. Boarding actions, exploring Space Hulks, capturing orbital installations are just as important as surface battles in the grim darkness of the far future. These rules allow for fighting aboard space ships or space hulks.
• Capture control rooms and other locations to affect the entire battlefield.
• Infantry and walkers only.
• Optional rules for hidden movement (blips).
• Author’s note: There was rumor a while back the GW was going to a space warfare codex for 40k called Codex: Darkside but could not because Lucasfilm had Darkside trademarked. Hence my safer name ‘War in the Stars’ which I am sure no one is using.

Wars in the Stars! Space Hulks and Boarding Actions

(By: Kid Kyoto)

THE BOARD

TERRAIN

• The entire table should be covered in corridors and rooms. Several companies make them, they can also be scratch-built. Space Hulk tiles can also be downloaded from the GW site. Alternately dense buildings and walls could be used.
• Special Rooms – You can include several, clearly identifiable special rooms (see below). Special rooms should be several from each other and scattered throughout the table. One short side should be designated the front of the ship, another the rear.
• Cover – Rooms should have some cover from crates, machines, statues or consoles.

• Doors – You may not see or shoot through a door. Opening a door takes 2” of movement. Doors automatically close when no one is within 2”. Doors are AV12, any penetrating hit will permanently destroy a closed door.
• Entrances – Corridors that touch the table edge, these are the entrances. There should be several on the two long ends. The short ends should not have entrances.

• Damaged Corridors – You can either start off with some corridors damaged or have normal corridors become damaged when certain weapons are used or events occur. Damaged corridors are dangerous terrain as plasma leaks, radiation and explosive decompression take their toll, difficult terrain as models pick their way over debris, and convey a 5+ cover save to anyone inside since they are filled with smoke. Ideally you should have doors to seal them.
• Destroyed areas – Destroyed areas cannot be entered. Any model deep striking into them is destroyed. Areas can be destroyed by orbital decay, a reactor explosion or other events if you want to add them.
• Negative Space – Space not covered by corridors is assumed to be armor, ducts, power conduits and other impassible terrain. Models may not pass through it, any models deep striking into it are destroyed.
• Recommendations – at least two large rooms (1 square feet or more), at least two long straight corridors at (least 24”).

SPECIAL ROOMS

• There are several special rooms. To control a room at the start of your turn you must have one model in it (whose unit is not in assault, pinned or falling back) and have no enemy units inside. The unit must remain in the room to use it (except for the teleporter). The player who controls the room may use its special abilities on one unit. All special rooms are optional; players can decide between themselves which they will use and which they will not or roll a die and on a 4+ use the room.

• Control Room – This is the heart of the ship and should the largest room. The player who controls this room may order the ship’s orbit to decay (see below) or stop the orbital decay. At the start of his turn the player may also decide if the shields are up or down. If shields are down reserve units with the deep strike ability may do so. If they are up the reserve units must walk on.

• Engine Room – This room controls the power to the rest of the ship. The controlling player may attempt to do one of the following: raise/lower shields, start/stop orbital decay, detonate the reactor. On a roll of 4+ the player succeeds. Fighting in the engine room is very dangerous. At the end of any phase where someone shoots into the engine room (shooting out of the room is safe) or fights an assault roll a D6. On a roll of 1 there is a radiation leak or other malfunction. Every model in the room takes a wound on 4+ (they may take armor saves or invulnerable saves).
• Medical Bay – The squad that controls this room may either restore lost wounds to all multi-wound models or return one model to life.
• Plasma Reactor – Models may not enter the plasma reactor. Any entrances to it terminate in an armor 14 wall. Any models who deep strike into it are destroyed. Players may attempt to destroy the reactor by shooting the outer walls.

Any penetrating hit will destroy it and cause a catastrophic explosion. All models within 3d6” of the outer walls are instantly destroyed, as is all terrain.

All special rooms lose power. The security center, teleporter and medical bay have no effect. The ship’s orbit begins to decay and shields go down permanently (see below). The player who blew it up loses 5 victory points.

• Security Center – The player who controls the security center may open or close doors anywhere on the table at the start of his turn.

• Shrine – The player who controls the shrine gains 1 victory point per turn.
• Teleporter – At the start of the movement phase the controlling player may deep strike anywhere on the table. Players may use the teleporter even if the shields are up since they are inside the shields already.
• Vault – This room stores the treasures of the ship. Perhaps it has rare technology, vital intelligence or just bars of gold. When a unit takes control roll a D6 at the start of the turn. The room may be searched every turn until it is destroyed.
  • 1 – OPPS! You set off a booby trap. A massive explosion destroys the room killing everyone inside (regardless of toughness or armor). Remove the room.
  • 2-3 – Nothing of interest.
  • 4-5 – Minor treasure. Gain 1 victory point.
  • 6 – Major treasure! Gain 5 victory points.
• Weapon Tower – During the shooting phase the player who controls the weapon tower may fire lance strikes anywhere on the board. Lance strikes have this profile: S7, AP-, large blast, scatters 2d6”-shooters ballistic skill. The player may fire even if the shields are up since the shots are coming from within the shields.

ORBITAL DECAY

• Orbital decay can be triggered in the control room, the engine room or by the destruction of the reactor. If the ship’s orbit decays, it will burn up in the atmosphere. Place a string at the front of the ship. At the start of each turn it advances 2d6”. Any models and terrain between the string and the front of the ship are destroyed.

• No victory points are awarded for units killed this way.

THE GAME

ARMY LISTS

• Army lists should be limited to infantry and walkers. Tanks and even small vehicles cannot fit in the narrow corridors of a star-ship.
• Other than that normal army list restrictions apply.
• I recommend 1000 to 1500 points. Otherwise the board becomes too crowded with units jammed into corridors.

DEPLOYMENT

• Roll off, the winner chooses to be attacker or defender.
• Defender deploys first, anywhere on the ship at least 13” from any entrance. Defender may choose to keep any unit in reserve.
• Attacker moves first, moving onto the board from entrances on one side. That side becomes his deployment zone, the opposite side is the defender’s deployment zone.
• Infiltrators and scouts may make a normal move before the start of the game but may not shoot or assault.
• Deep striking is only allowed if the shields are down (see the control room above).

MOVEMENT

• Move normally. Jump packs, wings, bikes, turbo booting, veil of darkness and other special movement options may be used normally. Assume the ceiling is high enough to accommodate them.
• Model bases must be able to physically fit through openings to enter rooms or corridors.
• Models may not move over or through walls and doors. Yes, even Necron Wraiths. The walls are ray shielded OK?

HIDDEN MOVEMENT (OPTIONAL)

• Unlike a field battle there is often no way to know where your enemies are or even what they are. Combatants have only blurry auspex readings, sounds and guesses. In game terms units are represented by blip counters.
• Blip counters should be tokens with a number on the bottom. The number identifies which unit it is.
• The blips move like a model in the unit (i.e. 6” for infantry, 12” for a bike). When an enemy model has line of sight on the blip replace it with a model. Place the other models in the unit behind it (away from the enemy). No model should be placed closer to the enemy than the blip.
• Each player should have 3 ‘false blips’. False blips move like normal infantry but disappear when the enemy gains line of sight.

SHOOTING & ASSAULT

• Shooting and running are normal.
• Indirect fire weapons may NOT shoot over walls.
• Assault is normal.

FALL BACK

• Units fall back towards their nearest entrance. If they make it to the entrance they leave the table normally.
• If the unit is cut off from the nearest entrance they fall back towards the nearest clear corridor.
• If a unit is trapped with nowhere to go, they must pass an immediate leadership check (unmodified). If they pass, they rally (even if they normally could not, the desperate situation gives them courage) if they fail they are removed.

VICTORY!

• Killing an entire enemy unit – 1 victory point
• Controlling the Control Room – 1 victory point per turn
• Controlling the Shrine – 1 victory point per turn.
• Controlling the Vault – Roll each turn.

1=explosion 2-3=nothing 4-5=One victory point 6=Five victory points.

• Controlling the Engine Room – 1 victory point per turn.
• Destroying the Reactor – LOSE 5 victory points.

SHOPPING

FLAT MAPS

• Star Wars Galaxy Tiles – These are tiles you can rearrange. They are printed on heavy-duty, laminated cardboard and are double sided. 4 sets are enough to cover a 4’x6’ table and they’re compatible with Wizards of the Coast’s D&D Dungeon Tiles sets. Probably the best value for the money. The only disadvantage is lack of doors.

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Galaxy-Tiles-Supplement/dp/0786947446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227855458&sr=8-1

• Litko Aerosystems – Unpainted plywood tiles and doors that interlock. These require painting but are good quality and fairly cheap.

http://www.litkoaero.com/products.php

• Space Hulk Tiles – If you have these already you’re good to go. If not they can be downloaded here but you’ll need to print and mount them yourself:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/info/25696

• DOOM and other boardgames – Not much to say, if you have an appropriate game like Fantasy Flight’s DOOM you’re good to go.

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=34&enmi=Doom

• Downloadable maps – Several websites and companies have CD-ROMs or download packages for creating starship or dungeon floor-plans. You’ll have to print them yourself but it’s a good low-cost option. Here are a few:

http://www.discoverthat.co.uk/floorplans/sci-fi/index.htm http://www.gamewyrd.com/shopping/1169b http://www.profantasy.com/products/cos.asp

• Draw your own – The ultimate in low cost/high creativity options. You can just lay a whiteboard on the table and create your design with nothing but a ruler and a triangle.

THREE DIMENSIONAL CORRIDORS

• Creative Gamescapes – Makes plastic modular corridors for just this sort of game. Generally yo'll need 4 to 8 sets to play a full game.

http://www.creativegamescapes.com/

• Dwarven Forge – The gold standard of dungeon terrain. Pre-painted, tough ceramics with a choice of medieval and science fiction sets. Expensive but worth the money.

http://www.dwarvenforge.com/store/home.php

• Hirst Arts Molds – Hirst Arts sells plaster molds for casting your own blocks and details. They have several science fiction sets that would let you build anything you want. The most labor-intensive option but potentially the most rewarding.

http://www.hirstarts.com/

• Ainsty – Old Crow sells Ainsty’s line of space ship interiors. They’re resin, unpainted and have to be shipped from the UK. But they do look great.

http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/aiproducts.htm

• IMEX models – IMEX makes gothic buildings, chemical plants, electrical plants and other terrain kits. Their kits are modular and fit together well and could be used to build corridor walls.

http://www.thewarstore.com/IMEXPlatformerHexagon.html

• Games Workshop and Forge World terrain – One of the easiest options for building your own. Cities of Death walls and Forge World terrain can be used with plasticard, wood or foamcore to create detailed ship interiors. It won’t be cheap but it will be rewarding.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/acatalog/TERRAIN.html http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/acatalog/QUATERMASTERS_STORE_WARHAMMER_40K_TERRAIN_7.html

• Paper models – Many companies make paper terrain. Print it yourself, cut it and fold it into shape. The results are very impressive with three-dimensional environments and even vehicles. I’ve never tried it, and you’ll want a good color printer but it seems viable, if labor intensive, option.

http://www.papermakeit.com/ http://greywolf.critter.net/paper.htm http://www.germy.co.uk/ http://www.ebblesminiatures.com/shop/downloads.php http://www.paperterrain.com/

• Make your own! – Mad props to anyone who does. It can be done with wood, plasticard, plumbing supplies and other materials. Here’s a tutorial I found.

http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/infopages/page353.html

MACHINERY, CONSOLES AND OTHER DECORATIONS

• Scotia Grendel – Although they do not have corridors Scotia Grendel has a line of science fiction terrain pieces that can dress up your ship. They’re based in the UK and not cheap but they are good.

http://www.scotiagrendel.com/

• Copplestone Castings – Copplestone’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang line has Cold War era consoles and doors meant for mad scientists underground lairs but useful for us as well.

http://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/

• JR Miniatures – JR has lines of resin science fiction and steampunk terrain that will work well.

http://www.jrminiatures.net/

• Armorcast – Like Scotia Grendel they have lots of science fiction bits for use. They’re not cheap either and based in the U.S. so it cheaper to ship there.

http://www.armorcast.com/

• Megaminis – Megaminis makes consoles and command chairs to go with their ‘Star Trek’ looking bridge crews.

http://stores.ebay.com/MegaMiniatures

• Showcase Terrain – Showcase uses Hirst Arts molds to make some useful peices like teleports and power generators along with crates and pipes.

http://www.showcaseterrain.com/

Categories: Warhammer 40,000 Proposed Rules