Below you can find a basic system usable for games of 40k. It is mainly based on the one found in the Warhammer Battle Book. In the future I would like to greatly expand this table to take in to account the unique flavor of a 40k battlefield, as well as provide for desert, wasteland, arctic, etc, settings. Oh well, until then this should provide a good starting point.
Each player first chooses the table edge they will deploy on. Next each player rolls a D6: highest roll consults the table below and rolls a 2D6. The terrain piece generated can be placed anywhere on his half of the table, but it may straddle the center line of the table. As soon as this piece is placed the other player takes a turn by also rolling on the table below, and placing the resulting terrain piece. Player's continue in this fashion alternating placing terrain until one player declares that he is placing his last piece; his opponent may then roll and place one last piece if he so chooses. No player can stop placing terrain until at least 2D6 pieces of terrain have been placed.
As stated in the rule book, every other piece of terrain a player puts down must be placed in the battle zone (see page 9 of rules book).
| 2D6 | Terrain |
|---|---|
| 2 | Deep River/Lake: A river must be placed so that it flows on to the battlefield from one side and out from either the same or another side. A river may not extend over more than half the length of the table unless your opponent agrees that it may do so. A deep river is Impassable along its entire length except at a ford/bridge. A river must always include at least one bridge/ford somewhere along its length. If it extends over more than half the length of the table it must include two crossing places, one of which is chosen and positioned by the opposing player. A lake in Impassable. Counts as a single piece. |
| 3 | Shallow River/Stream: Choose either a a shallow river (Very Difficult) or a stream (Difficult). The river or stream must enter and leave at a table edge. Rivers cannot extent over more than half of the table length without your opponent's consent, but this does not apply to streams. If you place a river it must have at least one bridge/ford. If the river extends over more than half the table length it must include two crossing places one of which is chosen and positioned by the opposing player. A stream may have a single crossing place along its length if you wish. Counts as a single piece. |
| 4 | Difficult Ground: marsh, scrub, thick wood/jungle, craters, wreckage, boulder field, etc. |
| 5 | Steep Hill: This counts as Difficult Ground and may include one or more sheer slopes (very Difficult). |
| 6 | Wood: Counts as Open Terrain. |
| 7 | Hill or Wood: Counts as Open Terrain. |
| 8 | Hill: Counts as open Terrain. |
| 9 | Obstacles: May be up to 12" of walls, hedges, chain link fence, sand bag walls, barracades, oil drums, etc. |
| 10 | Single Structure: a single building, tower, ruin, abandoned vehicle (treat as wreckage) and up to 6" of obstacles (chain fences, sand bad wall, hedges, oil drums, barricading, etc.). |
| 11 | Building Complex: 2-4 buildings/structures or ruins, with up to 12" of obstacles (walls, chain link fence, sand bag wall, hedges, barracades, oil drums, etc). If ruins they are treated as Difficult Ground. |
| 12 | Very Difficult Ground: Sheer sloped hill, swamp, tar pit, Very thick wood/jungle, tangled briers, heavy wreckage. |
Each terrain piece above (except streams/rivers, etc) should occupy a space no greater than 12" in any direction unless both player's agree to allow such a piece to be placed.
Once the terrain is in place both player's are free to alter the layout slightly if it would make for a better game (assuming both players agree to do this). It is at this point that players may choose to place extra scenary that would have little effect on the game but improve the appearance (roads, a few pieces of loose lichen, or a small rock or tree, etc).
Option #1: Each player is free to choose up to one result above instead of rolling. The piece is placed as normal. This must be declared before either player declares he is placing his last piece.
Option #2: One time durring placement a player may remove one already placed terrain feature (regardless of who placed it). Both players may do this once, before either player declares he is placing his last piece.
Option #3: Players can't stop placing terrain until at least 2D6 +3 pieces of terrain have been placed in the battle zone.
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