Planning a Warhammer 40k Campaign!

Hello Folks!

So, my gaming friends and I are putting together a home-brewed campaign/Warhammer Weekend in June, and I'm working on a Campaign that we can play while we're all together.

Note: This post is an active work-in progress and will be updated regularly as I make tweaks and changes to the plan!

For starters, a campaign Map. In the interest of saving time (and not re-inventing the wheel) I was thinking we might use a Map from one of the old Dawn of War games - Soulstorm:

This map is already drawn out (I can just print a blown-up version), and already setup to where each player can't eliminate another in the first turn.
The Soulstorm map allows for nine players, and is a whole Sector - which is cool, we can have each Planet be a separate game board.

Lists to bring:
- Up to 3 competitive 1850 point lists*
- A single 925 point list for games of three or more players (to speed them up)
- An optional 1850 point "Defender" list, for use when their home territory/planet is attacked. For this list, the Defender may use a Force Organization chart where up to two Fast Attack slots can be used as Heavy Support and vice versa (so it may be up to one Fast Attack and five Heavy Support, for example)**

*Each list will be represented by a Campaign Marker, to represent a different attack force (limit 3, including the starting Marker). Each player will have the chance to unlock additional Markers as they win victories. Each army can be similar, but Special Characters can only be in one of the three Lists (As they're Unique), and Champions' bonuses will not carry over from army to army (even if there are identical units in each army).

**I chose that particular FoC modification because I happen to know none of my gaming pals have more than two Heldrakes or Wraithknights. That said, I'm sure the results could still be disastrous...

List Guidelines:
- Minimum proxies! Any model you don't have that's in your list *must* be represented with the correct base size and rough model size, and any Special Weapons must be clearly differentiated.
- Fortifications are in.
- D-Weapons are out, non-D Weapon Superheavies are in (Knights included)
- Limit two sources (Primary + Ally or Primary + Dataslate, not both)
- Game sizes should be around 1850 pts/side, with no mid-game list modifications
- Special Characters are allowed without limits
- Deathstars are banned (Seerstar, Ovessastar, Screamerstar, Centurionstar)
- Varied Missions, with an emphasis on variety and a need for solid Scoring units (plus there will be cases where Fast Attack and Heavy Support units can score)

*Another side note, all Psychic Powers will be randomly chosen! We'll figure out Codices that have not yet been updated to 6th as they come in. For purposes of list building, a Psyker's Mastery Level will be the number of powers they can "cast" per turn. If there is a cost per power, pay the lowest points cost for as many powers as you want to roll for.
 
Game Play:
Players begin the game in a designated "Start" area, using an appropriate marker on the board. In each turn, each player writes down one order per marker. That order may be "Attack/move," "Defend," or "Support." Or nothing, of course (but why?)

*Any player gets an additional Marker for every three territories they control (including their starting territory).

Ala Diplomacy, each player writes down their moves for each Marker. Negotiation is encouraged at this point, the fight is easier with support from other players, and easier still if you can turn other players against each other. All players reveal their choices simultaneously. If they're unopposed (moving into a territory with no other Marker on it), nothing happens, they get a territory and a roll on both the "Global" and "Warforged Heroes" tables below. If two or more players move into the same territory, they fight!

It is possible to have three (or more) players competing for the same province. In these cases, each player will have to use their 925 point list (because of the difficulty of getting a larger force through so many foes), and the more players on the board, the more bad things will be going on (Warp Storms, Planetquakes, Volcanic eruptions, etc).

ATTACK:
For any move into a Contested (multiple players moving in in the same turn) or Defended (already occupied by a Marker) territory, the Attacker rolls as normal from the Core BRB for Mission and Deployment.
If this is after the first game, players roll on the "Global" conditions table (see below). These conditions apply to their next game.

*Any player gains an additional "Firestorm" strike for every three territories they control (including their starting territory) see the Support section below.

DEFEND:
Any turn where a player believes they will be Attacked (or at their Starting province/moon), a player may choose to Defend. If a player is Defending (or thinks they will be) they may choose to play the "Ambush!" Scenario from the 5th Edition rulebook (See the last section for Special Scenarios) if attacked in that turn.

*Any player gains an additional "Defense Field" for every three territories they control (including their starting territory) see the Support section below.

Any player whose home or starting territory is taken will be eliminated from the Campaign. So, to make elimination a little more difficult, a player who is attacked in their starting territory may use their "Defending" Army List (if they choose), and choose from one of several "Stratagems." The Defender gets D3 + 1 points to spend on these Stratagems, as outlined below:

Krak Attack (1 pt):
Declared when an Attacking unit arrives by Deep Strike. Unit immediately takes D6 S6, AP4 hits. Each time an additional Attacking unit arrives from Deep Strike, roll a D6 - on a roll of 1, they also suffer a Krak Attack.
Las Maze (1 pt):
Declared on Deployment. Defender gets 2d6+1 6" markers. These may be placed anywhere outside of the Attacker's Deployment Zone, and each must be placed touching another (if possible). Any non-vehicle model crossing one of these markers must take a Dangerous Terrain test.
Trench Network (1pt):
Declared on Deployment. During the Firestorm strike and the first game turn, any Defending unit in the open is considered to have a 5+ Cover Save (4+ if they go to ground).
Ground Observer (2 pts):
Declared on Deployment. Defender player places a marker anywhere on the board. They may force the Attacking player to re-roll any Deep Strike scatter within line of sight of the marker. If at any point an attacking unit gets within 6" of the marker, the marker is immediately removed from play.
Misleading Deployment (2 pts):
Declared after Deployment (but before Scout moves). The Defender may swap the positions of two Infantry units. This cannot be used on units occupying a building or embarked within a Transport, and cannot be used to swap an Infiltrated unit with a unit that does not have Infiltrate.
Desperate Last Push (2 pts):
Declared at the end of the game. The Defender may immediately make another turn (if they choose to). However, if they do so, the Attacker rolls a D6. On a 4+, the Attacker may also take a final turn.

SUPPORT:
Any time two players border the same territory, any player may choose to "Support" an Attacker or Defender rather than attack themselves.

Supporting an "Attacker" grants the attacker D6 "Firestorm" attacks per supporting territory:

Firestorm attacks are fired after Scout moves but before the first game turn, and scatter the full 2d6 with no adjustment for BS, using the profile below. In addition, Firestorm attacks do not force Morale checks from 25% casualties inflicted, but any unit that elects to Go to Ground from a Firestorm counts as Pinned.

Unlimited range/Ignores LoS, S 7, AP 5, Large Blast, Pinning.
*Vehicles are hit on their side armor

Supporting a "Defender" grants the Defender D6 "Defense Fields" per supporting territory:

Defender places a marker for each field, any unit within 6" of the marker is protected by it. A Defense Field counts as an AV 12 shield that is destroyed by a single Glancing or Penetrating hit, but ignores Firestorm and must be destroyed before units under the field can be fired on. For the purposes of shooting at a Defense Field, anywhere within 12" of the center marker is in range.
*Assaults ignore Defense Fields (as they're within the field)

END OF MATCH:
Global:
At the end of any battle or uncontested move, each Player (win or lose) rolls 2d6 and applies the result below to their following battle.

2 - Warp Storm! Player's next Battle will take place in a Warp Storm, from the BRB (pg. 397)
3 - Lightning re-deploy. Player adds +1 to their roll to go first and Seize the Initiative
4 - Unexpected Windfall! Player places an additional "Archeotech Artifact" objective (1 VP), and whoever captures it first rolls normally on the A. Artifact table from the BRB (pg. 106)
5 - Ambushed by Orks! One non-Warlord unit with a Character in it (randomly chosen) must start the game in Reserve. However, having beaten an Ork ambush, they make an additional roll on the Warforged Heroes table below before the game begins.
6 - Strategic Advantage. Player may choose which Warlord Trait they want to use (IF they have to roll, not for a Special Character with a default trait)
7 - Webway Exploit. Player may give a single non-Vehicle unit the Deep Strike special rule for this game.
8 - Aerial Superiority. Player may begin rolling for Reserves on their turn 1.
9 - Reinforcements. When the Player's lowest-cost Troop unit is destroyed, an identical unit (without any Warforged Heroes bonuses, if applicable) may enter the battlefield from Reserve in their following turn. This unit may capture points and concede kill points as normal. This rule applies to up to 2 units if there is a tie/two identical cost units.
10 - Battlefield Intelligence. Player may re-roll results on Mysterious Objectives and Mysterious Terrain
11 - Fool-proof plan. The Player's Opponent may not roll to Seize the Initiative this game
12 - Winds of Change Re-roll twice on the table, both results apply in the Player's next game (does not stack)

Warforged Heroes
At the end of any battle or uncontested move, a single non-Warlord Character or Squad Leader (randomly selected each time) from each army rolls once on the table below. These results stack (unless otherwise specified), non-stacking or maxed-out rolls may be re-rolled until an applicable result comes up. These bonuses also carry through to each battle even if the Character is killed (presume they were gravely injured, but saved by their comrades).

2 - Touch of the Warp! Character becomes a Psyker (Mastery Level 1) see below. If already a Psyker, gains one Mastery Level (max 2). Tau, Dark Eldar and Necrons re-roll this result.
3 - I could do this all day. Character and his unit gain Relentless, and cannot be Pinned.
4 - Battlefield Promotion! One non-Vehicle unit (randomly chosen) gains the Character special rule for one Model in the unit (controlling player chooses). If an army has no non-Warlord Characters, this result automatically applies - immediately make an additional roll on the table.
5 - Muscle Memory. Character and his unit gain +1 WS/BS. In addition, his unit gains Counter Attack.
6 - Been there...  Character gains +1 Leadership (if already Ld. 10, gains Fearless)
7 - Battle Scarred. Character gains +1 Toughness (maximum 6). In addition, his unit gains Feel no Pain (6+). An additional '7' roll will grant the unit FnP (5+).
8 - Famed Leader. Character's unit may re-roll Leadership tests. In addition, his unit gains Adamantium Will.
9 - Tough as Nails. Character gets +1 Wound and It Will Not Die.
10 - Cunning Fighter. Character's unit gains Infiltrate. If the Character already has Infiltrate, he gains Shrouded.
11 - Infamous. Character causes Fear, (rolling this twice adds -2 Penalty to enemy Fear tests). In addition, his unit gains Furious Charge.
12 - Intensive Training. Character gains +1 Strength (maximum 6), if already at Strength 6 or higher, Character gains +1 Initiative. In addition, his unit gains Fleet.

*Bonuses DO NOT cross over between lists

**Touch of the Warp -
1.) If the Character is already a Psyker, they gain one Mastery Level (maximum 2).
2.) If the Character is NOT already a Psyker, they roll a d6 to determine which tree they manifest powers from (1 Biomancy, 2 Divination, 3 Pyromancy, 4 Telekinesis, 5 Telepathy). On a roll of 6, the controlling player may choose (including from their own Codex). The player may also choose to swap a 2 (Divination) for their own Rulebook tree if they have one (because they saw this change coming!). Once the Discipline is determined, the newly minted Psyker may roll for powers each game as normal.

WINNING THE CAMPAIGN:
Any Player wins when all other opponents have been eliminated, they then control the Sector. Depending on how far we get into the campaign, if we choose to end early, the player who controls the most territory wins.

Special Missions:
*Every scenario includes Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, First Blood, and is subject to Night Fighting and Variable Game Length as normal.

GAMES OF THREE OR MORE:
Games of two or more Attackers on a single Defender (three or more players) will always use the Broken Alliance Scenario:
-925 points per army
-Single piece of terrain in the center of the Battlefield, this is the "Meeting Place."
Deployment:
Each player must place a terrain piece to represent their Base Camp (must be 18" away from the center and 30" away from any other Base Camp). Players roll off and Deploy Base Camps in order of their rolls, then Deploy their armies (and play) in reverse order. Each player's Deployment must include a single HQ unit (HQ + bodyguard, may not be embarked in a transport) within 6" of the center of the table.
All other deployment must be within 12" of their camp, and 24" away from any enemy units.
Victory Conditions:
Each Base Camp and the Meeting Place are Objectives worth a single Victory point each, the player with the most Victory Points wins.
Special Rules:
Confusion reigns! In the first turn, every unit must roll a D6. On a 4+, the unit may act normally. On any other result, the unit may not move, shoot, assault, or use Psychic Powers until the following turn. These still take Leadership tests and fight as normal if shot/assaulted by another unit (including firing Overwatch).
Surrounded by enemies! Any player may choose to shoot into a close combat in which they have none of their own units engaged.

Indiscriminate Sabotage! All terrain (except for a player's own home base) is treated as both Difficult and Dangerous Terrain.
Escalating Chaos! These matches always take place with the Lightning Storm condition in effect. In games of four players or more, the Corrosive Atmosphere condition is in effect. Five or more, Toxic Mist (all conditions in the BRB pg. 368)

AMBUSH!
Long table, the Defender (ambusher) chooses a side and sets up a 12" Deployment Zone on their side. The Attacker always Deploys and goes first, and may Deploy anywhere up to the center of the table opposite the Defender's Deployment Zone.
Hidden Deployment:
The Defender's forces are represented with markers. These are best represented by Terminator-size bases. The Defender gets one marker per unit in their army, plus (D3 + 5) "Decoys." These markers may be deployed anywhere on the table 18" away from any Attacking models. In the Defending player's movement phase, each marker (including Decoys) may move 6" and remain unrevealed. However, if any unit chooses to run, shoot, attempt to assault, or manifest Psychic Powers, it is immediately revealed - the Marker is removed, and the unit is placed following normal Unit Coherency, with the Marker's location being the closest model to any Attacking unit.
Markers are also revealed if an Attacking unit moves within 6" of, shoots at, or attempts to Assault them.
*Flyers cannot be placed as Markers and must instead enter play from Reserve as normal. These do not grant an extra Decoy Marker.
Victory Conditions:
Determined by Victory Points. The Attacker gains an additional Victory Point for each unengaged unit they have in the Defender's Deployment Zone in excess of the Defender's unit (i.e., the Defender has two units in the DZ, the Attacker has four, all are unengaged, the Attacker gets +2 VP)

DEFENSE SCENARIOS!
Any one of these three scenarios may be chosen by any player who is Attacked at their own home territory. They may choose to use their Defender list. Also, in each of these scenarios, the Defender deploys and goes first.
1.) Flank Attack
-- Players roll off for table sides. Then Defender deploys on their table side anywhere more than 9" from the center of the board. A single 3 pt. Objective is placed in the Defender's Deployment Zone, two more are placed in the Attacker's Deployment Zone, each 24" from one of the table sides.
-- Game is decided by Victory Points.
-- Any unit the Defender keeps in Reserve gains the Outflank special rule. In addition, any unit arriving from Outflank does not roll to see which table side they enter from, the defending player chooses.
2.) Death from the skies!
-- The table is split into 6 equal sections, each numbered 1 to 6. A single 1 pt. Objective is placed at the center of each. The Attacker deploys first, rolling a D6 for each unit deploying, and must place that unit in the table section corresponding to the roll. The Defender does not deploy any units immediately, but declares which will enter Turn 1 and which will enter from Reserves. Any Defending units that enter first turn or from reserves must roll a D6 and deploy in the corresponding area/table edge as the Attackers did, any units arriving by Deep Strike must choose an initial entry point in that area.
-- The Attacker may not place ANY units in Reserve (except flyers) and must deploy all of their units. Deep striking units Deep Strike immediately during Deployment.
-- Game is decided by Victory Points. In addition, any unit may score in this scenario, including vehicles (but not Flyers)
3.) Hold the center!
-- A single 4 pt. Objective is placed dead center of the board, the Defender must deploy within 12" of it. The Defender may only place Fast Attack and Deep Striking units in reserve and must deploy everything else. The Attacker must keep ALL of their units in Reserve, and may then enter from any table side/edge or by Deep Strike for units that may do so. In addition, the Attacker may begin rolling for Reserves in turn 1.
-- Game is decided by Victory Points.
-- Any unit within 6" of the Objective gains the Fearless special rule.
*Note an Attacker does not lose automatically for having no models on the board at the end of any turn in this scenario.