Mission Strategies
Most of the missions you play, will come from the Rule Book. If you have a good idea on how to win in these situations, you will be able to adapt your tactics to any similar one off scenarios. As often as possible, run through possible make believe battles in your mind. Test out your army against the very best opponents that you can imagine. This is the technique that grand master chess players use. If you need to see objects in front of you, use models to represent the action or other objects such as Lego men, blobs of Blue Tac or pieces of cardboard to represent your foe.
Standard Missions
Battle Missions
Raid Missions
Breakthrough Missions
Codex And Chapter Approved Missions
Standard Missions - Back to top
The standard missions are the easiest to understand of all mission types. Players new to the game are advised to both face off two armies and wipe each other out (meat grinder with no options), or start here.
Standard Missions Force Organization
The force organization charts are the same for both sides. There really are no attacker or defender roles in standard missions. Instead, both armies have the same objectives and can pick from the same unit types found in their amrylists.
Cleanse Mission
At least four squads are required if you want to capture the four zones. Heavy support are placed first. If this is placed at the centre of the table your opponent will be forced to the back line. This will give you control of the board and means that your opponent has to come to you. The player with the last turn has an opportunity to move his fast troops to capture game board quarters without being shot at. If you can, strip down your heavy support options to a bare minimum, such as a Devastator squad of five with no heavy weapons. That way you will have a cheap and expendable unit that you can risk placing forward.
Night Fight Mission
At least four squads are required if you want to capture the four zones. This mission suits armies with lots of close combat troops and short-ranged weapons. Infiltrators get an extra move before the game starts. You can use this to enter the unoccupied quarters giving you a three-to-one lead. Also, if your army has a high leadership value or ignores leadership tests, then insist on using the expanded night fight rules (as found in Chapter Approved). Remember to use Search Lights. Attach Search Lights to your toughest tank as it is bound to attract a lot of return fire.
Patrol Mission
Your army enters the battle in a chaotic fashion. The only units you can be sure of is your first unit. Make this a fast multipurpose unit that can quickly seize strategic ground. The more units you have in your army the more likely it is that their appearance will follow the averages (3:6 on turn two, 4:6 of the remainder on turn three, and 5:6 of the remainder on each following turn).
Reconasance Mission
This mission suits fast, and/or heavily armoured units. Fast attack units can hang back until the last moment before making a dash for it. Heavily armoured units can push forward slowly while taking the fire. Remember to defend your baseline as well as seizing the objective.
Rescue Mission
Grab the objective and run. Suited to fast units. Give these units cover with heavy weapons or a curtain of inexpensive cannon fodder.
Battle Missions - Back to top
Out of all of the scenarios Battle Missions require particular attention to forming well-rounded forces. 1 HQ, 1 Elites, 2 Troops, 1 Fast Attack, and 1 Heavy Support units are recommended wherever possible.
Take And Hold Mission
This mission suits large, and/or tough units that can take lots of damage.
Meat Grinder Mission
Defenders should not try to completely destroy the attacker's units, but instead should try to keep them small so that they can not be re-deployed.
Raid Missions - Back to top
These scenarios usually involve a small force attacking a larger one by surprise.
Sabotage Mission
Suggestions: This mission can be won with just one man, in theory; you just need to keep the defenders troops away from him. The objective is in the center of the board, so you only have to cover half the ground. Devise the fastest army you can. You want to reach the objective before any reserves turn up.
The defenders are recommended to stay put and rapid fire. As only H.Q. and Troop choices start on the board make your army H.Q. and Troop heavy. You only get one Fast Attack option, use it. Choose the fastest Elite and Heavy Support options available to you, tanks not foot troops. You may get lucky and start on the long edges, but 2 out of 3 times you will start at the furthest point away from the battle. Imperial Guard Basilisks come in there own in this game, if you are an Guard player use Basilisks if you can.
Ambush Mission
Every general's nightmare is to be ambushed. The reason is represented in this scenario by the hidden set-up rule. The enemy has surrounded them on three sides, and they must charge through the middle. This is real charge of the light brigade stuff. My only suggestion is to grit your teeth and go!
Strong Point Attack Mission
In strong point attack the attacker has the advantage. He can either choose a hand to hand combat army and get them in to assault in the firs turn, or choose a long ranged shooting army and bombard the defenders and bunkers. Each bunker is worth 200 points. The more bunkers there are on the table, the more important they become in the game. a 1000 point game with five bunkers will be won or lost on the destruction or protection of the bunkers alone. Attackers. If you have a good hand to hand combat army you can get in to close assault on the first turn. Use your infiltrators to sneak up to the bunkers and place melta bomb charges (or your armies equivalent). If it's got to be done try to 'soften up' the defense with some heavy weapons. Alternatively get your fast attack there ASAP to tie up the opposition troops whilst your main forces dash across no-mans land. Defenders. You get to place obstacles on the table. Place them where they will slow the enemy down. You also get to place your H.Q. Troops and Heavy Support out at the start of the game. Use all of your H.Q. Troop and Heavy Support choices so you have the biggest force to blast you attackers as they approach. Place your sentries wisely so the attacker can not place his infiltrators right up to your deployment area.
Breakthrough Missions - Back to top
The Imperial Guard in defence and the Space Marines on the attack favour the Breakthrough missions as the blare of gunfire, lightning advances and stubborn defence works great with the rules for these scenarios.
Rearguard Mission
The defender is split in to two groups equally while the attacker is split up in to one group of 33% and the rest in the other group. Defenders have a force that you can split evenly. This way you know what you will be fighting with before the battle. Attackers know which force comes on first. They can bring on 66% of the army to remove most of the defender's army and use the left over 33% to tidy-up the remnants.
Breakout Mission
The defending force, except for the elite units, is split in to two. The attacking force tries to use everything they've got against one of the defending units, wiping it out before the next unit can get in to range. This will give them a 2:1 advantage.
Blitz Mission
Use large quantities of inexpensive units to act as mobile cover for your specialist units. Attack along one side of the table. This will draw the defenders to one side allowing you to rush through the weaker side with your fast attack. Defenders will probably want as many shots as possible. Remember that armies like the Imperial Guard can field masses of Troop units very cheaply, that is up to 80 Lasguns shots per round
Codex And Chapter Approved Missions - Back to top
These are missions published in Codices or in Chapter Approved.
Planet Fall Mission
Published in Space Marines Codex. Attackers should concentrate their troops in one area. This gives them the ability to strike at small groups of shattered defenders with a large force.
Death By Moonlight Mission
Published in Dark Angles Codex. Attackers, normally Orks, have to create a corridor from one end of the board to the other. The attacker should create various dummy thrusts at the defender's lines to divert the defender's units from where the real offensive will be.
