Chapter War (Primarchs 2) Ideas/Sign-up Thread

[Alex]

Since there seems to be interest in a follow-up game, I am posting this thread to discuss and set up the next round. I am adding a poll to address the possible game types, for the prospective players to vote on.

Also, please use this thread to sign up for the game. So far, it seems the list of prospective players is as follows (to be updated as more entries are received):

Alex
Bulgaroktonos
Gulag
Hellhound01
Ran Exilis

The options are as follows:

1) Modified Horus Heresy - create your own Primarch and Legion to replace one of the "canon" Primarchs, similar to the original Primarchs game. The remaining Primarchs are from the canon universe. The game would start at the Ullanor Crusade and continue until the Battle for Terra, or however long the players are willing to take it. The units can be reinforced with relative ease, and planets (except for Terra) will not be detailed. This will be essentially the repeat of the original Primarchs game.

2) All Original Heresy - create your own Primarchs and Legions for the game. There will be only as many Primarchs as there are players, with one or two more NPC Primarchs/Legions a distinct possibility (to even up the eventual odds, if needed). The game would start at the Ullanor Crusade and continue until the Battle for Terra, or however long the players are willing to take it. The rules would be very similar to the original Primarchs game.

3) Chapter War - create your own unique Space Marine Chapters and Chaos warbands, and fight an all-out conflict in an isolated sector of space. The GM will use the Inquisition to fan the flames of conflict. Due to smaller scale of engagements, Marines will be hard to replace, and attrition warfare may not be a viable option. The smaller (sector) scale will also allow for more detailed combat on the surface of several worlds, similar to Battle for Terra from the original Primarchs game. There will be additional resources, artifacts, and xenos factions with their own specific goals in this game.

So, which would you prefer? Please cast your votes and sign up, I am looking forward to the next round of some good old fashioned science fiction carnage!

[Gulag]

Chapter War!

[Alex]

Awesome! I think Chapter War would probably work with any number of players - it can be playable with as little as 4 players, while a Heresy game would probably be most effective with at least 8 or more players. Not to mention it may allow players to play multiple Chapters with their own goals, while the Inquisition will meddle with the entire scenario.

If there are at least 4 players committed to the game, we can probably start it on Monday. I say there should be a 6 player minimum for any Heresy game, but 4 player minimum for Chapter War... what say you guys?

[Gulag]

Originally Posted by Alex

Awesome! I think Chapter War would probably work with any number of players - it can be playable with as little as 4 players, while a Heresy game would probably be most effective with at least 8 or more players. Not to mention it may allow players to play multiple Chapters with their own goals, while the Inquisition will meddle with the entire scenario.

If there are at least 4 players committed to the game, we can probably start it on Monday. I say there should be a 6 player minimum for any Heresy game, but 4 player minimum for Chapter War... what say you guys?

I support the Chapter War game now, and a new Primarch Game once we stir up a few more players.

For added giggles of the All New Heresy game - we could 'borrow' the Twisthammer Primarchs for NPCs...

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Gulag

I support the Chapter War game now, and a new Primarch Game once we stir up a few more players.

For added giggles of the All New Heresy game - we could 'borrow' the Twisthammer Primarchs for NPCs...

That would be pretty awesome... If that happens, I call dibs on Angelus, the utterly insane, non-Slaaneshi (yet) version. Imagine the conversations he would have with all others...

[Gulag]

Originally Posted by Alex

That would be pretty awesome... If that happens, I call dibs on Angelus, the utterly insane, non-Slaaneshi (yet) version. Imagine the conversations he would have with all others...

Those would be the most interesting conversations there are.

[Ran Exilis]

I'm up for both Chapter War or any version of a new Heresy game.

I've got ideas for both, too.

Also; if we're going to use Twisthammer Primarchs, then it'd make sense if the GM assigns the numbers of the Primarchs. That way, the GM has a lot more leeway in determining which Twisthammer Primarchs to use as NPCs.

[Alex]

Speaking of GMs, do you guys want me to be the GM, or would you rather have someone else GM it? I am OK with both.

[Gulag]

Originally Posted by Alex

Speaking of GMs, do you guys want me to be the GM, or would you rather have someone else GM it? I am OK with both.

You have the experience

[Alex]

Awesome - let's keep the sign-up open until midnight on Sunday, after which the setup and the gameplay proper can start (depending on what the players chose). I might have a few minutes to put together a sector map today - if so, I will post it as an attachment to this thread.

[Bulgaroktonos]

In.

[HellHound01]

I like option 1 or 2.

EDIT: On looking it over the Chapter Wars game actually looks pretty good as well.

[Alex]

Just a little something. This is the sector I was thinking of for Chapter War scenario. So far I only did the sector map and the system maps - as you can see, it looks pretty massive, but I think it is manageable. The idea is that every type of planet is useful for something - gas giants are a fuel source, ocean planets are food producers, jungle planets produce drugs and chemicals for biological warfare and such, hive planets can produce supplementary Imperial Guard regiments (mainly useful as garrison troops) and have some armor/weapon/ship production capabilities, volcanic planets produce raw minerals, and forge worlds have full range of equipment/armor/etc production capabilities. Dead worlds can range from producing absolutely nothing to fortress planets, manufactories, resource producers, and such.

When I have more time I can do a bit more, if anyone is interested.

[HellHound01]

Originally Posted by Alex

Just a little something. This is the sector I was thinking of for Chapter War scenario. So far I only did the sector map and the system maps - as you can see, it looks pretty massive, but I think it is manageable. The idea is that every type of planet is useful for something - gas giants are a fuel source, ocean planets are food producers, jungle planets produce drugs and chemicals for biological warfare and such, hive planets can produce supplementary Imperial Guard regiments (mainly useful as garrison troops) and have some armor/weapon/ship production capabilities, volcanic planets produce raw minerals, and forge worlds have full range of equipment/armor/etc production capabilities. Dead worlds can range from producing absolutely nothing to fortress planets, manufactories, resource producers, and such.

When I have more time I can do a bit more, if anyone is interested.

Hmmmm, why would the Imperial Guard only be useful for garrisons? At the very least they would make good meat shields to soften up the enemy for the Space Marines.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by HellHound01

Hmmmm, why would the Imperial Guard only be useful for garrisons? At the very least they would make good meat shields to soften up the enemy for the Space Marines.

Couple of reasons, most of all, transportation. For Imperial Guard to be truly effective, it needs to be present in very large numbers, which would require large amounts of transports. This is why Imperial Guard would make more sense as a defensive force - cheap, expendable, and able to hold objectives so that the Chapters involved don't have to waste any of their Space Marines on garrison duty.

Additionally, the Inquisition (heavily involved in the conflict) would not look too kindly upon the Chapters involved getting too close to Imperial Guard regiments. If, like the Badab War, the conflict is about suppressing a Chapter that had too many ideas about ruling in its own name, it is also about restricting the power of individual Chapters. As a result, using local PDF (Planetary Defense Forces) as allied NPCs to hold planets is OK, but taking more than a small force of Imperial Guard on campaign without Inquisitorial permission or involvement is not only a logistics problem, but also a power sharing issue.

That said, the Inquisition (played by the GM - presumably yours truly) will provide rewards for completing its missions, and one of those rewards could be the temporary services of Imperial Guard regiments for specific missions, or even of elite Inquisitorial Stormtroopers.

Additionally, each Chapter would generally have a force of its own serfs. These people tend to have reasonable amounts of military training, and would generally compare favorably to all but the best Imperial Guard regiments. Best of all, while the Chapter Serfs are not a large force, it can be replenished relatively easily - in game terms, it means that they can be reinforced up to a certain limit, while Space Marines are much harder to replace. It would be possible to take the serfs with you on offensive operations under player's control, but their limited numbers may be an issue to overcome.

As another side note, this conflict will be roughly patterned after the Badab War from canon 40K. Therefore, one of the Chapters involved in the conflict will be able to command its own retinues of Imperial Army equivalent troops, and to raise them as player-controlled, if weaker, armies. It would still have to contend with the logistical issues of moving sufficiently large quantities of Imperial Army between systems. Naturally, this is the Chapter at the heart of the rebellion against the Imperial authorities.

Depending on the number of players involved and the opinions of those players, this Chapter may be either a player controlled one, or the NPC Chapter leading the insurrection.

If I have any time later today, I might be able to start working on the rules.

[Panzer]

Something else. . . like say, a 40K with a POD where the faction that would become the Mechanicum of Mars was beaten during the civil war and the faction that took power conquered Luna and then expanded to conquer Terra.

[Gulag]

Originally Posted by Panzer

Something else. . . like say, a 40K with a POD where the faction that would become the Mechanicum of Mars was beaten during the civil war and the faction that took power conquered Luna and then expanded to conquer Terra.

Dislike.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Panzer

Something else. . . like say, a 40K with a POD where the faction that would become the Mechanicum of Mars was beaten during the civil war and the faction that took power conquered Luna and then expanded to conquer Terra.

Personally, I would be against this idea because it would require large amount of world building to the point where it would take away from the game. For this, we might as well design an all-new universe, since the changes would be so sweeping that the universe may as well be unrecognizable and require complete redesign. But that is just my opinion.

[Gulag]

Originally Posted by Alex

Personally, I would be against this idea because it would require large amount of world building to the point where it would take away from the game. For this, we might as well design an all-new universe, since the changes would be so sweeping that the universe may as well be unrecognizable and require complete redesign. But that is just my opinion.

It summarizes my position as well.

[Alex]

Very quick update - the ground combat rules and calculator are done, and Space Marine ground units are done. Still to do: other factions' ground units, space combat rules, space combat units.

[HellHound01]

You said Imperial Guard Armies would be given out as rewards, but what about PDFs? Would those be NPC only? Or would we also have control over any PDF whos world we controlled?

[Nikephoros]

Oh hell I'm in.

[Panzer]

Originally Posted by Alex

Personally, I would be against this idea because it would require large amount of world building to the point where it would take away from the game. For this, we might as well design an all-new universe, since the changes would be so sweeping that the universe may as well be unrecognizable and require complete redesign. But that is just my opinion.

*Shrugs* Not necessarily, you could just say something like it's the 41st millenium of the (insert pompous title) surrounded by (insert familiar) enemies there is only war.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by HellHound01

You said Imperial Guard Armies would be given out as rewards, but what about PDFs? Would those be NPC only? Or would we also have control over any PDF whos world we controlled?

The PDF forces allied to the player will be controllable by the player.

[HellHound01]

Originally Posted by Alex

The PDF forces allied to the player will be controllable by the player.

What about there tech level? They range from muskets and pikes all the way up to Imperial Guard standards. Will you be deciding that on a case by case basis?