Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Moderators: Vis Bellica, Laffe

unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Hi Guys,

Hopefully this isn't considered too heretical, or actually breaks any rules anywhere (if it does please let me know and I'll remove the posts). For those interested we have taken our hand to trying to play Warhammer 40k using Chain of Command rules - CoC40k.

We have come up with a hybrid system that uses Chain of Command as the base game, with 40k mechanics and stats to resolve shooting and close combat (and a few other 40k specific things like psychic powers etc).

The main mission is twofold:
- to use the depth and tactical decision making of Chain of Command to drive the game
- to allow 40k players to use any current and future codexes and models, and to keep the individuality of each miniature.

Our first playtest revealed how sturdy the base CoC rules are as CoC40k was a fun, enjoyable and tactical matchup. The meshing of 40k mechanics worked pretty well.

This is early days yet, and there are some lumps to smooth out, but so far I am happy with the result.

For those of you interested, or who might enjoy such a game, please feel free to view the post and subsequent link to the doco here: http://playingtheodds.com.au/chain-of-c ... ammer-40k/

For a direct link to the CoC40k document, you can find it here: http://playingtheodds.com.au/wp-content ... 0kv0.2.pdf

Any questions, feel free to ask, as this is still a work in progress.

Thanks,
Matt
User avatar
pedivere
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:42 am
Location: Cologne, Germany

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by pedivere »

excellent

I was wondering when this would eventually happen :lol:

You won't sort out the unplayables I'm afraid..
unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Yeah as old time 40k players, this presented an opportunity we couldn't resist.

Given the amount of special rules in 40k, there will most likely always be something that doesn't quite fit!
User avatar
pedivere
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:42 am
Location: Cologne, Germany

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by pedivere »

I admit I did not look thoroughly into it, but it seems to me you will need to figure out the standard platoon system, that is a vital part of the game engine in CoC.

It is fine if you use the dployment system and the patrol phase, it is a step forward (I used myself alternate unit activation when I still played it), but you cannot just buy the troop types you fancy like in WH40K and call them support, there needs to be a balance. And I quite can't thin how you want to incorporate the big guys and monsters into this there would probably be (for the Imperial Guard) one Space Marine combat squad per support 3 or one Terminator per support 5 or so, or you would have a platoon of chaos Space Marines versus a company of Tau Empire or so...
Anyway, I am curious how you want to figure that out
unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Hi Pedivere,

You raise an interesting point and one I have spent a long time thinking about. Unfortunately I have no perfect solution yet.

One thing I do know is that a portion of 40k players find army building to be an integral part of the game.

This hybrid version caters to that. It allows formations, detachments and any other arrangement from any codex to be fielded.
The hybrid version sets fixed points values for a match. Say 1000. This provides an approximate to the CoC method. Instead of fixed forces and then balancing by support lists the hybrid balances directly through points. In the case of mission support points, the same dice can be rolled with the amount being rolled multiplied by 100 and given as extra points to the army. Presume an attack where 2d6 support are rolled for the attacker with the defender getting half. If an 8 was rolled the attacker would get 800 extra points, the defender 400.
Any selections from HQ or TROOPS sections use that table on the bad things happen. Any other selections are SUPPORT options on the same table.
Not perfect but suits the hybrid style at this point.

Further down the track we are looking at ways to do a more 'full conversion'. This would implement more of a CoC style of force org with fixed core troops etc.

Hopefully you can see what we are going for here and with luck we can make improvements as we go.

Thanks,
Matt
User avatar
pedivere
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:42 am
Location: Cologne, Germany

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by pedivere »

very true
If you want to do justice to both systems, this kind of hybrid is what you need to do.

As much as the army building is a part of 40K, getting along with the standard platoon is part of the CoC rules. So there is the need to find some common ground. As you did, and I am always curious about the outcome.

WH40K always had the problem of making the background story playable. Standard WW2-style units like the imperial guard would never work against SF cultures like Tau or Eldar, and these would always be anihilated by elite forces like space or chaos marines, who are basically one man tanks. As an imperial gamer, this break in the concept that was necessary in order to make it work on the tabletop always put me off. I am kind of the frustrated IG gamer who always wanted to game 40K as it is depicted in the "gaunts ghosts" novels, where the super spldiers only turn up by the handful and the technologically superior aliens in rather small numbers. :lol:
But the game runs differently, and you surely made a workable hybrid. Looking forward to see more of it.
unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Here is a more in depth look at the playtest (a sort of battle report)

http://playingtheodds.com.au/chain-comm ... le-report/

@pedivere, I agree, the background used to be workable due to some 'handwaveonium' where you could wave away some discrepancies. As they have tried to pad out the fluff, and retroactively insert more unit types and stories, the gaps between races and technologies becomes more evident.
The diluting of the relative power of certain forces, like Space Marines, removes even more of the background immersion. Instead of a rock hard force of 15 or 25 marines with some support, you now have formations requiring a minimum of 50 troops, easily padded out to 100 Space Marines in a 2000 point battle.
To me, that is just not right or true to the background.
<Rant off, sorry I tend to go on when it comes to 40k background v game mechanics>
User avatar
pedivere
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:42 am
Location: Cologne, Germany

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by pedivere »

nothing stops you from doing it right with CoC
space marine=light armoured car
terminator=light tank
dreadnought=heavy tank

or so :lol:
unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Absolutely! :)

According to background and fluff, Marine armour is as thick as an AFV so would 'realistically' fit into that area. Unfortunately I am not sure how that would work on the table and what the palyability would be like (need to read up more on vehicle squadrons etc).
unhingedtangent
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:40 am
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: Chain of Command Warhammer 40k

Post by unhingedtangent »

Hi Everyone,

Some more work has been done on the CoC40k document.

Worked out a way to incorporate a hybrid version of shock, added deployment methods and leader abilities.
I think we have also worked out a suitable way to incorporate flyers, both zooming and hovering, but we'll playtest that a bit first.

I am hoping to have another test report up this week, Ultramarines raid a Tau prison facility to break out some humans.

Updated document can be found here:
http://playingtheodds.com.au/coc40k-update-0-5/

Thanks,
Matt
Post Reply