Warhammer 40k: Skirmish

Unofficial Rules

The Basics
Introduction: Small-scale combat is a recurring desire amongst 40k players. Kill team was a nice addition, but it just isnt the same. Player 1 and Player 2 dont operate in the same way. Necromunda is the bees knees, but it just doesnt work for the non-human (i.e. most) players. The purpose of these rules is to allow 40k players to capture some of the feel of Necromunda, without having to learn a new rule set. As such it will be a blend of Warhammer 40,000 mechanics, with some additional tidbits thrown in for strategy, wow factor and simply because you can in a game with a drastically lower model count. The Basic Overview: In the average Skirmish game, forces will be selected by using a single troop choice and being limited by both a point value and a number of upgrades. Unless you and your opponent both agree before hand, both sides are limited to twenty models each. Each model will for the most part act as an individual, but several allowances are made for play balance and to keep some very predictable tactics less useful (but not useless by far).

Assembling your Force

Step 1. Select the Scope. Each list you make will need to conform to a certain scope. The scope is determined by three variables: point value, upgrade limit and model count. The point value is the number of points your force is allowed to use, this is the same as in regular games of 40k; a typical game is between 150 and 250 points, usually in 50 point blocks. The upgrade limit is special to skirmish. This limit is the number of modifications or upgrades you are allowed in the game. This will be described in greater detail in force selection. A typical game should allow 1 upgrade for every 50 full points allowed. Model count is the number of physical models your force may contain. The usual model count is 20. If you have filled your model count and still have points remaining, you gain unlimited (legal) upgrades to try and fill your point value. If you still cant reach your point value, then either deal with it or choose another force. The second part of the scope is the reinforcement contingent. It will be a second smaller force 1/3rd the size (round off) of the normal scope. Following the same restrictions, and organized as a completely separate list. In most games this bonus force will not be used. It will only be used in certain missions, but having this reinforcement already selected, these missions can be played without extra fuss. Step 2. Force Selection: In your appropriate codex, select a troop choice. In the case where a troop choice consists of more than one unit (such as the imperial guard), pick any unit in that choice as your core selection. You may select any number of un-upgraded models from that unit (within the model count scope). For each upgrade you wish to give the unit, you must use one of your available upgrades (defined in the scope). Upgrading a unit character, a heavy or special weapon, or a transport are all examples of upgrades. Any upgrade that can (or must) be given to the entire unit will only take a single upgrade. Frag grenades, krak grenades, and marks of Chaos are all examples of this type of upgrade. A character may spend an upgrade to select a single weapon or piece of wargear that is more than 10 points in value. Alternatively you may spend an upgrade to grant him 10 points of weapon and wargear piecemeal. A powerfist is an example of the first option, while giving an Ork Nob eavy armour and a choppa is an example of the second. Any traits, doctrines or other forms of army wide upgrade you choose will also take a single upgrade per trait or doctrine. Using a variant list (such an Ork Klan or Lost and the Damned) does not require an upgrade to be spent. Any mandatory upgrades (such as an iron fist squads chimera or a grot mobs slaver) do not require an upgrade. Multiple units: When the number of models in your core unit reaches the minimum unit size you may select another troop choice (unless you have multiple units per troop choice) and begin selecting models from that unit (repeat as needed). Alternatively you can also begin to select single, un-upgraded models from an elites, heavy support or fast attack choice for one upgrade each. These selections may not be vehicles or monstrous creatures (this is pure balance people); an ork loota, space marine assault marine or necron immortal are all examples of this. You may upgrade one of these non-troop models for three upgrade points. An ork loota with a lascannon or space marine assault marine veteran sergeant are examples of this. Mandatory elite upgrades (such as a tyranid warriors weapon symbiotes) do not fall under this category. Now you have your skirmish force.

2 Inches
Step 3.) Models as individuals: While it would be simple to let each model be a unit of one, some fairly common problems would arise almost instantly. A heavy bolter would be overkill against the imperial guard because you could only target one model at a time, every grunt would be a sniper to target overpriced sergeants from the get go and leadership boosting items would be useless. To combat this, we have the rule of 2 inches, which makes models within two inches of each other (or in some cases a chain of people two inches apart from each other) in one unit. The rule of 2 inches for shooting. This basically allows (and forces) you to take hits on models within two inches of the model your opponent originally targeted. This can be used to protect your character upgrade by keeping grunts close to him as meat shields. It also means multiple shot weapons can kill more than one person if they are bunched up. The rule of 2 inches for close combat. This aspect of the rule means that you are considered part of close combat, if you are within two inches of a friendly model in base-to-base contact. This also means your charge will be successful if a friendly model is in base to base contact within two inches of your maximum charge range. You may charge a model within 2 of the model you shot at in the shooting phase. The rule of 2 inches for leadership. Any model can use the leadership value of character within 2 inches. Also, this ability may be chained along models no more than 2 inches of each other as if they were a single unit in coherency. This concept of chaining is used in all leadership situations that bring numbers into the equation. For example, determining if you are outnumbered would also use this situation, as would determining if Tyranids are in Synapse or the numbers of Orks for a Mob Size or Power of the Waaagh check. There are no easter eggs in this rule, if you think something is being left out from your codex, then bring it up with your opponent before hand and let him know youre including it.

Step 4.) Descriptive Interlude.

With the above rules you could easily play a game of warhammer 40,000 skirmish. The game however would get stale pretty quickly. In necromunda there are no range penalties to moving and shooting, and since you are squaring off against other humans it isnt suicidal to move into close combat with them. Using only the rules above there would be no reason for Tau Firewarriors to do anything but form a gunline and pray for victory against an approaching swarm of Genestealers, thus we need some rules too complicated for larger scale battles to spice things up.

Step 5.) New rules: Shooting

First off, a few new (and old) rules are coming back. Yes that means there will be a simplified form of overwatch so lets start with this most holy and yet most contentious of rules. As a side note, you may wish to have a models base block line of sight to other models (friendly or enemy). This may make the game more real but it can also lead to some quite un-fun meta-gaming. So restrict it to opponents you trust not to try such things. Overwatch: Going on overwatch represents your soldier, huddling down and gripping his gun with white knuckles, just waiting for that genestealer to bust around the corner. The second he does bust around the corner the soldier is going to unload everything he has on it. Overwatch works as follows: Nominate any of your models to go on overwatch during your shooting phase. If he has not moved, he automatically goes on overwatch. If he has moved, he must make a leadership check, if he fails, his turn is done. A model on overwatch may take no further actions for the turn. The fun begins on your opponents turn, during the shooting phase. At the beginning of your opponents shooting phase, nominate a model on overwatch and roll a d6. If the result is equal to or lower than its initiative (a 6 always fails) you may make its shooting attack immediately but ONLY at the closest target. Units with Fleet may use this movement to move towards the nearest enemy unit. If they move into base-to-base contact with the nearest target, they count as charging it. Models that failed their initiative check will get to shoot at the end of the opponents turn, after the assault phase. The purpose to this rule is to prevent some units from completely dominating in closed quarters. The purpose of the allowing units with fleet to charge is to prevent melee units from being terrible in closed quarters, since more terrain will be prevalent Spray and Pray: Any model which has a rapid-fire weapon can choose to Spray and Pray rather than shooting normally. The model is considered to be rapid-firing for all intents and purposes when it comes to assaulting after. The benefit is that two shots may be fired 24 instead of the usual 12. The downside is that these shots will only hit on a 6 and that target will receive and additional +1 to their cover save if they have one. The purpose of this rule is to give an option to Joe guardsman besides forming a gun line, without making him unstoppable to melee forces. Movement is to be encouraged.

Shooting, Continued
Frag and Plasma Grenades: In addition to their use in the assault phase, frag and plasma grenades can be thrown in the shooting phase. They will be Barrage weapons with a range equal to twice the throwers base strength. Frag grenades are S3 and plasma S4 and they both use the blast template. Note than many upgrades work by counting as frag grenades in the assault phase, these will not work in the shooting phase. Inside a building, grenades can be thrown around corners. This will only matter if you agree with your opponent to quite sensibly not allow normal barrage weapons to fire in a building. This rule is mostly just included as a rule of cool. Every bomb lands somewhere: Any blast weapon that misses (by rolling under the required to hit number based on ballistic skill) will scatter to a new location. Roll a scatter die and 2d6. If a HIT is scored, use the direction pointed to by the arrow above the I. The blast template will scatter a number of inches in that direction equal to the highest number on either of the 2d6. The original target can never be hit by the same blast. If he is covered fully or partially by the blast template after it scatters, consider him a miraculous survivor who managed not to get hit by any of the shrapnel. In a skirmish game blast weapons will lose some of their effectiveness, as infantry wont be squeezed as tightly together. This rule is allows them to have some increased effectiveness to counter balance that. Flammable Terrain: Any Terrain that is hit by a template weapon will catch fire on a d6 roll of a 6. Flaming terrain is considered Dangerous Terrain. A model may attempt to intentionally set fire to terrain by targeting it directly. It will catch fire on a d6 roll of 4+. Any enemy models also under the template will only be hit on a 6. For especially large pieces of terrain you may wish to break it into segments no larger than 6 inches by 6 inches (or even smaller), discuss this before the game. Models must make a morale check of the beginning of their turns to remain inside burning terrain. Point Blank: If you are within 2 inches of an enemy model, you may not shoot any other target except that one nearest model. Since you are at point blank range, you will hit on 2+ regardless of your ballistic skill.

Step 6.) New rules: Close Combat

Close combat in 40k has become somewhat streamlined; there is really only one new rule to be added. The rule of 2 inches and existing warhammer 40,000 rules cover the rest. Separate weapons: Unlike in standard Warhammer 40,000, each weapon will be used separately rather than merely gaining +1 attack for an additional close combat weapon. The additional +1 attack must be used with the weapon giving the bonus. A model with a powerfist and bolt pistol for example, would use one attack with a bolt pistol in initiative order, and the remainder of the attacks with the powerfist at initiative 1. A pistol is always considered the additional weapon and can only ever be used for one attack per turn. A four attack model with a powersword and powerfist could choose to use one attack with a powersword and three with a powerfist, or three with a powersword and one with a powerfist. It could not make two attacks with each. Similarly, a genestealer with rending claws and scything talons would not gain the rending ability with the scything talon attack, since they count as an additional close combat weapon and do not grant rending on their own. Pistols, as stated earlier, can only be used for one attack. They will use the Strength and AP of the pistol, not the bearer. Pistols that get hot will still do so on the roll of a one.

Step 7.) New rules: Morale, Pinning and Cover

Obviously leadership rules will need some glossing over to make up for the oddities of a force entirely comprised of lone soldiers. Morale: For the purposes of Last man standing, Squad under half and other morale rules which are based off of squad size, use the total number of models in the force for comparison. Each model tests separately and may regroup as long as they are more than 6 away from the enemy, and at least half of your starting models are still on the table. Pinning: Obviously, pinning would be useless if your lone model had to be wounded (and usually killed) before he tested for pinning. The rules work differently in Skirmish. If any model is fired at (even if missed) by a weapon that causes pinning he must take a pinning check. If a model is hit, by any weapon (even if it did not wound him or he saved) he must take a pinning check. If a pinning weapon kills a friendly model within two inches of you, you must take a pinning check. Pinning isnt as suicidal as it would appear, as there are some changes. A pinned model gains +1 to its cover save. If a model becomes pinned in the open it will dive for the nearest cover, moving up to 6 inches to do so. If there is no cover, you may move away from the model that fired at you by up to 6 inches. A model may voluntarily become pinned at the beginning of its movement phase. Models in cover, receive a +1 bonus to their leadership against pinning checks. Move through cover and interiors: In any situation (aka Space Hulk) where you are inside an industrial or other form of cluttered building, ship or other structure, having move through cover will be advantageous. A model with move through cover in these situations will gain an automatic cover save, depending on his distance from the firer. If he is more than 6 away he will gain a 6+ cover save. If he is 12 or more away he will gain a 5+ cover save, if he is 24 or more away he will gain a 4+ cover save.

Injuries
Down but not quite out: If a model is reduced to zero wounds (but not less than zero) he is not necessarily dead. Models that have been instant-killed count as having less than zero wounds. Place him on his side as injured. At the beginning of his players turn roll a d6 and consult the following table. 1: Grit and bear it: The model is back to one wound, and may act as normal this turn. 2-4: No change: model remains injured. 5-6: Finished: The model cannot continue the struggle, remove it from play. An injured model may only crawl 1d6 inches on his turn, he may not shoot or assault. In close combat he cannot fight back and is hit on a 2+. If an Injured model sustains another wound, it is dead, remove it from play. If a model is engaged in close combat with ONLY injured models, then he may simply choose to leave combat during his movement phase. He does not have to, and may continue beating on injured models as long as he likes, perhaps to secure himself against enemy shooting, perhaps because he fears the injured models will Grit and bear it and shoot him in the back. Injured models are ignored for target priority tests. As a side note, attacks that kill a model but do not reduce it to one wound (or reduce it to less than one wound) cause a model to be removed as a casualty without a roll on this table. Weapons that cause instant death are the most likely cause of this.

Step 8.) The Second Interlude:

Now, in conjunction with the standard warhammer 40,000 rulebook, you are ready to play a game of two of skirmish. A 4 X 4 table is recommended. A simple opposing sides shootem up where you use standard deployment and run at each other may work for a while, but you may want some missions.

Mission 1: Lets blow it and go home!

Nominate one side the defender and one side the attacker. The defender deployment zone is the whole board, at least 8 inches in from each side of the board. In addition, the defender must deploy an immobile AV 10 objective token. Any Glancing or Penetrating hits destroy it automatically. The attacker deploys after the defender has finished deploying, and must deploy along a single board edge of his choosing. The attacker automatically gains first turn. The game last 6 turns automatically, and will last any number of additional turns at random. At the end of the current last turn, roll a d6, on a 5+ play another turn. At the end of that turn, roll again. Continue until you fail to roll a 5+. Victory is based solely on the survival of the objective token; the attacker must destroy it.The defender may bring his reinforcements on from reserves in this mission, they may deploy from any board edge except the one the attacker deployed from. This makes a great space hulk mission.

Mission 2: Breakout!
Nominate one side the defender and one side the attacker. The attacker deployment zone is the center of the board, at least 12 inches in from each side of the board. The defender deploys after the attacker has finished deploying, and must deploy up to six inches in from any board edge or edges he chooses. The attacker automatically gains first turn. The game lasts 6 turns. The attacker gains VPs for each model he moves off a board edge. The defender gains VPs for each attacker he destroys. The defender may bring his reinforcements on as reserves, they will appear on a random board edge.

Mission 3: Run for cover!

In the center of the board place a tunnel/teleporter marker. An incoming artillery or orbital strike is about to mess up the surface in a bad way. Moving onto this marker is the only way to be safe (either being teleported away or diving into an underground bunker). Each player chooses two table corners that are diagonally opposed to each other. A player may deploy his forces within 6 inches of either of his table quarters. The game lasts six turns, with the possibility of lasting two additional turns. At the end of the sixth turn, roll a d6, on a 3+ the game lasts another turn. At the end of the seventh turn roll a d6, on a 5+ it lasts an additional turn. VPs are earned when you move your forces onto the tunnel/teleporter marker. VPs are earned equal to their cost. The second you move a model onto the marker it is removed from play, scurrying into safety.