In this thread , I talked about trying to intergrate a table top game with my only war sessions. However, after receiving feedback and reflecting upon the idea, I failed to come up with something that was intrinsically intuitive, and more importantly, fun.

Not wanting to settle on that, I brainstormed with my playing group to come up with some ideas. Finally, we had settled on making a game out of Risk. What started as farily simple derivative evolved in the course of two weeks into what I am now going to share with the Only War community.

This first version of what I am dubbing, Only War: Annihilation, is a meta-game to be played to help build and influence the narrative of the role-playing sessions for my group (or any one elses). With my group, we have been playing the Against the Savages mission from the core rule book, and have built up on that premise - thus this suppliment uses Skrynne and that mission as inspirational backdrops.

Only War: Annihilation

Ork Faction Deck

Imperial Faction Deck

Skrynne Campaign Events Deck

Are you essentially trying to figure out a way to determine what happens in the larger battle, campaign or war in which the PC-squad is participating?

If so, I think that's pretty cool. At the same time, results of the larger campaign are better left as story elements to direct the tone/nature of the missions the players are assigned to complete. Of course, the players' results (i.e. successes and failures) should feel relevant enough to influence the war around them. Even if they don't actually influence anything, it helps if they feel like they did, or at least could.

Are you essentially trying to figure out a way to determine what happens in the larger battle, campaign or war in which the PC-squad is participating?

Yes and no, at the same time. This meta-game certainly has helped me decide the front line conditions in the zones i've chosen to represent in the Meta-Game, but I don't allow it to dictate the course of the entire war. Similar to the old Rolling Campaigns of warhammer 40,000, each 'warzone sector' of the meta-game is a small piece of the overall conflict.

An example of how I've used it: After the 1st week of trying these rules out, the players ended up 'beating' me. I played the Ork forces of Skrynne, as well as the insurgent locals being egged on by the Severan Infiltraitors. At the end of game Imperial forces controlled every territory.

Mechanically, this meant they got a few perks to get supplies. In the only war session, this was shown in the game in a few ways:

1. The Imperial Commander was slain in defense of the Imperial Headquarters.When I made a handout for my party, it mentioned the Imperial General (I called him Jax Guilleman) having been slain in the defense of the capitol city and had been succeeded by the firebrand second-in-command Colonel Scaldyr, who mounted the Imperial forces in an aggressive raze-and-burn counter attack. The orders the players received were clear - all defensive positions were to be handed over to skeletol crews as the Imperial Guard mounted a devestating large-scale reclamation.
2. I had mentioned which 'territory' the players had been in. During game, using the map I had used for the meta-game, I determined they needed to head to the far north of the map (into formerly enemy held hot zone). The Orks had been pushed back, but were defending fiercely in the next warzone (not on the map). The distance required some Navigation (Surface) checks, which led them to meeting now-friendly locals, some random orks and passing Imperial troops marching to the north.
3. The descriptions of the terrain they moved through matched some notes I made based on the most wackiest of roll offs. Once they entered the territories were the fighting had been most severe, I began describing them coming across the remains of smoking ork and imperial vehcles, entire sections of the jungle razed to the ground and the embers still hot. They came across wounded that could be saved with hard (-30) Medicae tests, etc.
4. In the game, as a Siege Regiment, the players were called in to help against the final Ork bastion. Although they had won the 'meta-game', they players role remained focul to the narrative session. The new frontlines hinged on their success at cracking the gates upon, and tipping the scale to complete domination. (Note: I pre-determined only doing another mission based off the introduction mission found in the Only War Core Rulebook. Had I wanted to stay on Skrynne longer, I would have moved them in similarly important positions, but continuing on into newer warzone sectors).

If so, I think that's pretty cool. At the same time, results of the larger campaign are better left as story elements to direct the tone/nature of the missions the players are assigned to complete. Of course, the players' results (i.e. successes and failures) should feel relevant enough to influence the war around them. Even if they don't actually influence anything, it helps if they feel like they did, or at least could.

Of course i'm in agreeance. I think the meta-game im developing here with my group has been tremendously helpful in populating my sessions with narrative details, and embellishing my games, but also by keeping the abstract results of the game flexible I've been supporting the player-centric focus.

Thanks for the input Traejun =D

I haven't looked at the details, but the conceptual idea of using a risk-style board to game the war around the players, while allowing the players to establish whether their own sector succeeds or fails is a brilliant idea. It's cleaner and simpler than any idea I have used previously.

I like it.

THanks Annaamarth!

So far I've used it only for two weeks (in-between our sessions. Very easy to do with an online group). I've also used BFG to establish some narrative on Fleet movement, as well as a devestating course of action for the players. the last turn of BFG ended with a Necron boarding action, which we played out using a surprise round of Space Hulk! The players have enjoyed the quirky games that happen periodically (which should be kept in mind - don't over do it! otherwise, it's homework and chore like!), but when we do play these mini-games to build up the narrative in other mediums the players have felt both accomplished, and have been able to whet to their competetive side.

Now our players, having been victorious in preventing the Necrons from sabotoging their vessals fusion drives, found themselves on Kalf. Their vessal had been taken over by Dark Eldar raiders after the Imperial Navy was sent in disarray, and our current live action session focus now on their escape and trying to recon with the nearest Imperial civilization.