So, I'm not a huge fan of the Spinward Front, and the Margin Crusade. It has its high points, and all, but...meh. Meanwhile, these troops are serving as a cover action turned real "oh crap!" scenario for a much bigger, cooler, also never going to end war; the Angevin Crusade. Has anyone run a game of OW, but put it there, rather than in the Spinward Front? I don't see a big difference, other than fighting more protracted wars against more BA enemies, replacing Dark Eldar, Orks, and Chaos with Tau, Nids, and...um, Chaos. And the Necrons, a bit fewer Orks, and the occasional "better" Eldar round out the territory's players. Both have the Guard, in number, all of their supports, a Tetrarchus, or one of the other salient masters, rather than a Ghanzorik. They are big, nasty fights, and on. So, any stories? Would it work well? I sort of see the Margin Crusade as a smaller deal, where a player-group of Guardsmen might seem to make more of a difference, while pitting them against Necrons, Nids, and Tau tank-busting assets might seem harsh, by comparison, and seem to be more a place for the Zap Brannigan school of throwing wave after wave of our own men at them, and rendering a small group not as powerful. Of course, there have to be at least as many Boys, Guants, and evil cultists to fight as there are Genestealers, Crisis Suits, and CSM's, so plenty of foes "their speed", as the Guard is fighting there. Anyone know if I am right or wrong? I would very much like to hear some stories of the loyal Guardsmen pitting their balls of Adamantium against the hordes of the Hive Mind, and Tau whose sedition bites as deep as the rail cannons their tanks fire, and the endless douchbaggery that is Chaos.

If this is something you can describe, did you do anything different with your group, to reflect the potentially bigger, badder, more powerful threats, and scale of them? Thanks, and have a good one.

Well. I haven't yet but me and my group are working on a sort of idea for it, because although we like the Spinward Front, and being special snowflakes, we also like nitty gritty sort of things, in which we really are just grunts. With that in my mind, we are thinking of running two regiments. Our current one where it is in the Spinward Front, and another, new one in the Reach, although I can't decide who to have them face yet, or what kind of planet. However, I'll try and keep this page updated. I'll also need more Deathwatch supplements, as I only have the rulebook, and Rites of Battle. (It didn't strike a cord with us and we sorta ditched it.)

Even if some modding would be necessary, I don't think I can strongly enough stress fishing up a copy of Mark of the Xenos; it has lots of nice stuff for Tau and Nids.

Thanks for the advice. I took a look on Amazon and they themselves had none in, so I'll have to take a look on that dreaded, vast realm that is Ebay.

Well the best places to get the profiles are Mark of the Xenos and The Jericho Reach. The Jericho Reach pulls double duty as it's a very "here's what's happening right now" sort of book, so you can ground any campaign in the current status of the Reach. The Achilus Assault is useful if you want the Reach's history and a good look into the high-level command for the Imperial Guard, plus it gives a good overview of the various combat theatres. And finally if you want to go a bit further, The Outer Reach is good if you want to introduce Necrons.

BYE

A little bit of thread necromancy, but I was considering the same thing, where to place my new OW campaign. I suppose the Spinward Front is a bit "friendlier" for my new players, but the Jericho Reach just seems to have so much more going on.

I have been considering starting them off in the Spindward Front, and then moving them through the Gate to the Jericho Reach, but that may not be too likely for the IG to just pick up and move regiments rather than raise new ones or divert others in transit.

A little bit of thread necromancy, but I was considering the same thing, where to place my new OW campaign. I suppose the Spinward Front is a bit "friendlier" for my new players, but the Jericho Reach just seems to have so much more going on.

I have been considering starting them off in the Spindward Front, and then moving them through the Gate to the Jericho Reach, but that may not be too likely for the IG to just pick up and move regiments rather than raise new ones or divert others in transit.

Play them in the Spinward Front for a certain amount of time, have them in transit to a new planet and then diverted to the Reach. PM me if you ever want any help.

Slightly off topic, what is an appropriate challenge to a squad of Guardsmen? No specialist supports yet. For campaign structure I am normally used to running a "sandbox", which obviously doesn't apply to a military campaign. How do you keep it from feeling like one mission after another? I don't know how active my players are going to want to role play downtime unless something crazy is going on.

Tau Firewarriors. Marginally better armour and guns. Similar stats. Just need smarts and a little luck.

Slightly off topic, what is an appropriate challenge to a squad of Guardsmen? No specialist supports yet. For campaign structure I am normally used to running a "sandbox", which obviously doesn't apply to a military campaign. How do you keep it from feeling like one mission after another? I don't know how active my players are going to want to role play downtime unless something crazy is going on.

In a military campaign, it is almost impossible to get away from the 'mission of the week' style adventuring. Even if you have an overal campaign in mind (for example fighting off a planetary invasion), the players will still have to play through the different steps of the invasion....while being directed by a higher authority.

To still get a sandbox vibe, you have to eliminate the higher authority and ideally isolate the players so they have to rely on their own skills and initiative.

For example, say the player's regiment is being transported by ship to a new planet. The ship gets caught in a warp storm and breaks up. The regiment is scattered on a nearby planet in penny packets because chaos...

Now you have your players on their own (in a squad), having to find a way to communicate with the Imperium. They could be hunted by the locals, meet up with other squads and form a larger force or try to evade their comrades because those troops are commanded by Captain Crazy....Maybe they take this opportunity to set themselves up as local warlords or they meet a squad which has done so. Perhaps chaos has followed them to the planet...etc. etc. etc.

I don't mind doing something more structured, it takes a lot of the work out of it for me if I don't have to make up entire cities on the spot =)

I'm trying to figure out how much of the silly military stuff to mix in, stupid dares, games, etc. Soldiers aren't all that serious in their downtime, so I wanted to model that a bit. I doubt it has changed much in 38,000 years.

Back on topic. I think I will start them in the Reach. Orks, Traitors, Chaos, Dark Eldar, are all there. I can incorporate Genestealers pretty easy, as well as all sorts of other xenos threats. The plus side is it is not as instantly fatal as the Jericho Reach. If we want to move it's easy enough to have them pulled for R&R and diverted into the Reach instead of getting some time off.

Tau Firewarriors. Marginally better armour and guns. Similar stats. Just need smarts and a little luck.

Correction: Much Better Guns.

Otherwise I agree.

I often forget that they're massively upscaled from what they should be on the table. If my memory is working properly a pulse rifle should be basically the same stats as a boltgun, albeit much longer ranged.

I often forget that they're massively upscaled from what they should be on the table. If my memory is working properly a pulse rifle should be basically the same stats as a boltgun, albeit much longer ranged.

In the TT, pulse rifles are S5 AP5, with better range than a lasgun.

In other words: kills guardsmen on a 2+, no save (except cover).

They are downscaled from the TT, as far as I can tell.

Bolters are S5, AP5.

In the RPG, they have 1d10 + 5 Tearing.

Bolters are S5, AP5.

Bolters are S4 AP5.

Big difference.

...ofcourse, lasguns are S3 AP- :-/

My error. I should have consulted the Codices before posting.

But if you'll follow my logic through.

Lasgun. S3, AP- = 1d10 + 3 Pen 0

Bolter, S4 AP 5 = 1d10 + 5 Pen 4, Tearing.

Tau Pulse Rifle S5 AP 5 = 1d10 + 7 Pen 4, Gyro Stabilised. Maybe some Proven on there.

I figure that the Pulse Rifle being 2d10 + 2 pen 4 or 1d10 + 12 pen 4 as it is in previous games.is a little over the top in scale.

But yeah. I'm planning to do a full armoury conversion if that'd be of use following a few baseline tenents.

YES, YES, YES! OW in the Reach! Please FFG, please make this possible by adding a new book for this idea. Just keep the OW rules but make a setting for the Jericho Reach. Already thinking of possible settings and ideas.

About the big and dangerous threat think of this... The group is on a planet you know resting and just chilling out. The planet is apparently against the Emperor but there is no sign of that. However the group gets into the action pretty quickly as some of the guardsmen turn against their kin. Why? Are they traitors or are they possessed? As the group try to find out they uncover a ritual trying to call in daemons! Of course they try stop it (do they?) but sadly they are too late. Insert hell here.

Do you like that idea? If it sounds too covert op it can be easily changed to a more grunt situation where you hardly know whats happening until you face the daemons.

2d10+2 pen4 seems accurate enough for pulse weapons. Mix those fire warriors with kroot/ vespid auxilaries to make the enemy more flexible and you are good to go.

Were people guessing on OW pulse weapons, or trying to formulate them above, because EoI has them on p.105. They are a bit ridiculous, I will admit, compared to the tried and true flashlight.

Formulating a more appropriate powered one, in my opinion, was my intention. Others will disagree with me.