Episode 123: New 40K: Matched Play Missions

The Battlehosts - A Warhammer 40k Podcast

In this episode, we talk about the new Matched Play missions in Warhammer 40k. These were clearly designed to be a universal set of balanced missions for tournaments, so we want to cover how they work and how they might be implemented by your favorite event.

Introduction

NO more maelstrom missions, at least not in this book.

The intent is to have everyone play the same matched play missions.

Board Size

The new edition has different missions and minimum sizes of tables depending on the size of the army, so each one is tailored to the kind of game you plan on playing:

• Combat patrol 500, 44” (3’8”) x 30” (2’6”)
• Incursion 1000 (same as above)
• Strike Force 2000 44” (3’8”) x 60” (5’)
• Onslaught 3000 44” (3’8”) x 90” (7.5”)

Must be battleforged detatchments and have at least one keyword in common.

Steps for the Mission

Once you select the mission size and mission, you:

• Place objective markers
• Set up the battlefield: cannot put terrain features on objectives!
• Select secondary objectives, 3 of them, write them down secretly and reveal
• Determine attacker/defender, winner decides, there is no benefit to being an attacker, except you put down second.
• Defender selects deployment zone
• Declare reserves and strategic reinforcements, which will set up other than a deployment zone, which are in transports, secretly, then reveal. No more than half total number of units or point value in strategic reserve. Have to arrive by the 3rd battle round or destroyed.
• Deploy, starting with defender. If a unit cannot fit, it can’t do anything the first turn. If you have units to place after deployment, roll off, starting with winner.
• Determine first turn, roll off, winner declares first or second turn.
• Resolve pre-game abilities, minus anything that upgrades a unit or changes its deployment
• Start the game
• Battle ends after 5 rounds
• Max of 100 victory points: 45 primary, 45 secondary (15 for each), 10 for all models painted Battle ready.

Conceding: If both agree, calculate victory points. If one wants to end early, they get 0 and the other player can play out the rest of the turns.

Secondary Objectives

Cannot select more than 1 category, some of these are designed so you can’t actually get all 15 points.

• Purge the enemy: destroying specific units
• No Mercy, No Respite: generic destroying units
• Battlefield Supremacy: Board control
• Shadow Operations: Action focused objectives
• Warpcraft: psyker focused

Strike Force missions: 6 missions

• Fixed deployment maps: 2 Dawn of war, 2 hammer anvil, 1 vanguard, 1 search and destroy
• Fixed objective placement, 2 each of 4, 5 and 6.
• Primary objective is the same, progressive objective.
  • At the end of your command phase, score 5 points for each of the following, max 15.
    • Control 1 or more objectives
    • Control 2 or more objectives
    • Control more than your opponent
  • Cannot score first round, so… you have 4 turns to score this.
• Each one has a unique secondary objective that you can choose instead of the ones listed.
• Missions 3, 4, 5, and 6 each have unique rules, some examples

Are these good enough for any event to run “out of the book” missions?

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