Hello everyone, SaltyJohn here again with another article discussing First Past the Post mission design. Specifically today I want to post up all the missions I have come up with so far. I encourage you to play them and let us know what you think. We’ve had several people in our local community trying them out and I’ve received a lot of great feedback in terms of how they played and what might need changing. Next week, I hope to have out local competitive ladder league that I run try a specific mission. You can also expect a battle report on it!
Without further prattling on, here are the missions in all their glory.
First Past the Post Mission 1:
Step 1. Adjust and define terrain with your opponent.
Step 2. Roll for Psychic Powers/Gifts/etc.
Step 3. Roll for deployment zones. DAWN OF WAR DEPLOYMENT
Step 4. Place Objectives using normal objective placement rules as modified below.
- Each player places 3 objectives. One player places numbers 1-3 the other 4-6. 1 objective is placed in their own deployment zone, outside both zones but 18 inches from their own table edge, and 1 in their opponent’s deployment zone.
Step 5. Roll for Warlord traits per usual in the BRB Pg. 124. Do not use the Tactical Traits table. If your opponent has a LoW and you do not, you can roll on the Escalation Warlord table (pg.34 of the Escalation Supplement).
Step 6. Roll for Night Fighting.
Step 7. Roll for first turn. The player that wins the roll can choose to go first or second. The player going first then deploys first and goes first unless the other player seizes the initiative. If a player chooses to go second they may not attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Scoring: At the end of each player turn, a player scores 1 point for holding an objective.
If a player scores First Strike, or Slay the Warlord, immediately score a point that turn. At the end of each full game turn, score for Ground Control. If a player achieves Ground Control that player gets a point, and if there is a tie between players, no points are scored.
Objectives are held as outlined in the 40k Rulebook, however a unit cannot hold and/or contest more than one objective at a time. Both players can score points, whether it is their turn or not. The first player to score 26 points wins. If neither player has scored 26 points by the end of turn 7 or time is called, the game is a draw.
Turn 1 Objectives:_______/______ Turn 4 Objectives: ______/_______
Turn 2 Objectives: ______/_______ Turn 5 Objectives: _____/________
Turn 3 Objectives: ______/_______ Turn 6 Objectives: _____/________
My Name__________________________________ Points:_______
I: won___ lost ___ got a draw___.
First Past the Post Mission 2:
Step 1. Adjust and define terrain with your opponent.
Step 2. Roll for Psychic Powers/Gifts/etc.
Step 3. Roll for deployment zones. HAMMER AND ANVIL DEPLOYMENT
Step 4. Place Objectives using normal objective placement rules as modified below.
- Players place a single zone of control in their deployment zone. This zone of control is a rectangle measuring 8inx12in. The zone must be 6 inches from a table edge. Fortifications may not be placed inside the zones.
Step 5. Roll for Warlord traits per usual in the BRB Pg. 124. Do not use the Tactical Traits table. If your opponent has a LoW and you do not, you can roll on the Escalation Warlord table (pg.34 of the Escalation Supplement).
Step 6. Roll for Night Fighting.
Step 7. Roll for first turn. The player that wins the roll can choose to go first or second. The player going first then deploys first and goes first unless the other player seizes the initiative. If a player chooses to go second they may not attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Scoring: At the end of each player turn, a player scores 1 point for each unit wholly within their own zone of control and 3 points for each unit of theirs wholly within the enemy zone of control. Both players can score points for both zones, whether it is their turn or not.
If at any point in the game a player would earn Slay the Warlord, that player scores 2 points that turn.
The first player to score 28 points wins. If neither player has scored 28 points by the time the round ends the game is a draw.
Turn 1 Points:_______/______ Turn 4 Points: ______/_______
Turn 2 Points: ______/_______ Turn 5 Points: ______/_______
Turn 3 Points: ______/_______ Turn 6 Points: ______/_______
My Name__________________________________ Points:_______
I: won___ lost ___ got a draw___.
First Past the Post Mission 3:
Step 1. Adjust and define terrain with your opponent.
Step 2. Roll for Psychic Powers/Gifts/etc.
Step 3. Roll for deployment zones. VANGUARD STRIKE DEPLOYMENT
Step 4. Place Objectives using normal objective placement rules as modified below.
- Each player places two objectives, numbered 1 and 2. The first objective is placed in their own deployment zone and the second must be placed outside of both players’ deployment zones.
Step 5. Roll for Warlord traits per usual in the BRB Pg. 124. Do not use the Tactical Traits table. If your opponent has a LoW and you do not, you can roll on the Escalation Warlord table (pg.34 of the Escalation Supplement).
Step 6. Roll for Night Fighting.
Step 7. Roll for first turn. The player that wins the roll can choose to go first or second. The player going first then deploys first and goes first unless the other player seizes the initiative. If a player chooses to go second they may not attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Scoring: At the beginning of each player’s turn, the player rolls 3d6 to determine their objectives for that turn. A player chooses two objectives to attempt to achieve, re-rolling any double results until 3 unique numbers have been rolled.
- Hold Maelstrom Objective 1
- Hold Maelstrom Objective 2
- Have a scoring unit at least partially within 12 inches of the enemy deployment edge.
- Destroy an Enemy Unit
- Destroy an Enemy Unit
- Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent’s scoring units in your deployment zone.
3 Point Maelstrom Objective 1: If Maelstrom Objectives 1 and 2 are generated, they may be exchanged for: Hold 3 Objectives and earn 3 Maelstrom Points.
3 Point Maelstrom Objective 2: If Maelstrom Objectives 4 and 5 are generated, they may be exchanged for: Destroy 3 Enemy Units and earn 3 Maelstrom Points.
At the end of each player’s turn, players score 1 point if they are achieving the Maelstrom objective they rolled for in their turn, and a player can score on their opponent’s turn if they achieved the objective(s) from their previous turn. For example, if Player A scored for holding objective 1 on their turn, and still control it at the end of their opponent’s turn, they score it again. The first player to score 20 points wins, if neither player scored 20 points by the time the round is over use the following as tie breakers in order: 1. Ground Control+First Blood+Slay the Warlordl 2. Kill Points. If players tie on both those tiebreakers as well the game is a draw.
Turn 1 Points:_______/______ Turn 4 Points: ______/_______
Turn 2 Points: ______/_______ Turn 5 Points: ______/_______
Turn 3 Points: ______/_______ Turn 6 Points: ______/_______
My Name__________________________________ Points:_______
I won___ lost___ got a draw___.
First Past the Post Mission 4:
Step 1. Adjust and define terrain with your opponent.
Step 2. Roll for Psychic Powers/Gifts/etc.
Step 3. Roll for deployment zones. HAMMER AND ANVIL DEPLOYMENT
Step 4. Place Objectives using normal objective placement rules as modified below.
- Players place a single Objective, the Relic, in the center of the table.
Step 5. Roll for Warlord traits per usual in the BRB Pg. 124. Do not use the Tactical Traits table. If your opponent has a LoW and you do not, you can roll on the Escalation Warlord table (pg.34 of the Escalation Supplement).
Step 6. Roll for Night Fighting.
Step 7. Roll for first turn. The player that wins the roll can choose to go first or second. The player going first then deploys first and goes first unless the other player seizes the initiative. If a player chooses to go second they may not attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Scoring: At the end of each player turn, a player scores points for controlling the Relic based on the conditions below:
- Dominating Control: 3 Points if a player controls the relic and no enemy models are within 12 inches of the Relic.
- Basic Control: 2 Points if a player controls the Relic as outlined in the 40k Rulebook for holding objectives.
- Contested Control: 1 Point if a player is contesting control of the Relic as outlined in the 40k Rulebook.
Players can score points for controlling the Relic whether it is the end of their turn or their opponent’s turn, and both players can score points for having “Contested Control”. The first player to reach 10 points wins. If neither player has acquired 10 points by the time the round is over, the game is a draw.
Turn 1 Points:_______/______ Turn 4 Points: ______/_______
Turn 2 Points: ______/_______ Turn 5 Points: ______/_______
Turn 3 Points: ______/_______ Turn 6 Points: ______/_______
My Name__________________________________ Points:_______
I: won___ lost ___ got a draw___.
First Past the Post Mission 5:
Step 1. Adjust and define terrain with your opponent.
Step 2. Roll for Psychic Powers/Gifts/etc.
Step 3. Roll for deployment zones. DAWN OF WAR DEPLOYMENT.
Step 4. Each player places a single objective 9 inches from two board edges (a corner). The edge of the objective, not the center, should be measured to for the 9 inches from the table edge.
Step 5. Roll for Warlord traits per usual in the BRB Pg. 124. Do not use the Tactical Traits table. If your opponent has a LoW and you do not, you can roll on the Escalation Warlord table (pg.34 of the Escalation Supplement).
Step 6. Roll for Night Fighting.
Step 7. Roll for first turn. The player that wins the roll can choose to go first or second. The player going first then deploys first and goes first unless the other player seizes the initiative. If a player chooses to go second they may not attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Scoring: A player controls an objective for this mission if they have 10 models within 12 inches of the objective and their opponent has none.
- At the end of the third game turn, a player wins if they control both objectives. If by the end of turn 7, or time is called, neither player has achieved this; add up the points value of all units destroyed, or removed from play, including units in reserve. The player who has given up the most points loses. In the case of “free” units or “free” wargear, the actual cost of the units and wargear is added to the total regardless of whether or not a player paid for them in their list. If the points total is the same, the game is a draw.
Total points of units destroyed by me:
Total points of my units destroyed:
My Name__________________________________ Points:_______
I: won___ lost ___ got a draw___.
Overall, the reaction to these missions has been positive by those playing them. Although tweaks will more than likely be necessary on all of them, you’ll note I made changes to Mission 1 since my last post and video battle report using it. The intention of the missions won’t change. That intent is to shift the player meta away from Slow Play being awarded in mission design and shift the meta itself slightly through introduction of a more varied set of missions. I hope you enjoy playing these, and of course, let us know how it goes!
