What points is the BRB Missions designed best for?

[Exc20002001]

Greetings,

So I'm lucky enough to have at least 5 friends who play 40K quite regularly but the problem that we face is that our games (or should I be plural and just say game...) take far too long to play, half the time not finishing by evening.

So I was wondering what is the 'sweet point' at which to play at. There are so many objectives in standard mission games so you can't have them too small otherwise you can't really get many objectives (and may as well just be 'purge')

So the breakdown is;
Crusade has d3+2 objectives
Purge has 0
Big guns has D3+2
Scouring has 6
Emperor's will has 2
Relic has 1

I was thinking maybe 1500 as this allows a good amount of troop choice while allowing for a couple of the favoured nasty units held in army list to be taken as well.

[shadekiller]

the mission that is most problematic for us is the scouring, with 6 random values (somewhat) objectives, an eventual archeotech artefact and some special rule that can create and objective mid game, you need an awfull lots of troop to capture a fair share while denying the ennemy point with your other troops, everyone has to be doing something on an objective. I think it's hard to generally play the game properly below 2000 IMHO

[Exc20002001]

Yeah that's true. I guess playing points and then randomly rolling a mission wouldn't be advisable if that's whats going to happen. Maybe choosing point limits after the random dice is rolled is the best way to go?

[Tarax]

I think the basic design is for 1500-2000 points. It gives you enough options of all sections of the FOC. Maybe you can not take all you want, but certainly you are not bereft of anything either.

As to changing the order where you first roll for mission and the build your army, I think is just wrong. It's meant as a situation where you, as the Warlord, have an army ready and then recieve orders to do something with it, ie your mission. You have no other forces available, because they are being repaired or wounded or something like that.

[Tarax]

I think the basic design is for 1500-2000 points. It gives you enough options of all sections of the FOC. Maybe you can not take all you want, but certainly you are not bereft of anything either.

As to changing the order where you first roll for mission and the build your army, I think is just wrong. It's meant as a situation where you, as the Warlord, have an army ready and then recieve orders to do something with it, ie your mission. You have no other forces available, because they are being repaired or wounded or something like that.

[Radium]

1500-1750. Gives you enough points to take enough troops to capture objectives (but likely not enough to take all of them, so you have to make decisions which objectives to take and which to deny!) and plenty of other toys to win the battle without getting to the point where you can buy everything you could ever need at least once. That way you have to make choices to which units you're going to use, and makes the game more fun IMHO.

[shadekiller]

I personally have more fun with more stuff... but thats just me XD I just find it better to have the limit at 2000 since every older army benefit from 2x FOC while new one don't really use it tooo much. 1500 point games are quick and tactical, at least for me but the sheer awesomeness of larger battles like 2k, 3k, 4k....12k... haaa souvenirs souvenirs....

and really radium for my part I find it underwhelming when there are too much objective, with not enough point. For example, my last game was the scouring with an archeotech artifact wich we rolled objective worth 2VP, there was then 7 objective (4,3,3,2,2,2,1). Each side of the board could hold his own share of objective and make few attack to gain some since it was almost even and both of us could aim for a last turn contest (sort of...). We played 1500 and really there was like... objectives everywhere :P with the 12" between objectives and board edge, the board is covered with them..:P it was weird TBH. it is probably better suited for a 2500 pts battle on a 4x8 I guess.

[MajorWesJanson]

We used to play 2000 points around here, but now are at 1850. I'd personally go with 1999 points, just to avoid the second FOC for normal games.

[alextroy]

It is obvious from the rules that they are designed for less then 2000 points, since that is when they give you another FOC. Most likely it is between 1250-1500 points.

[Sons of Lorgar]

750 works quite nice on a 4'x4' table though

Personal favourite is around 2k-3kpts on a 8'x6' table

[Exc20002001]

As to changing the order where you first roll for mission and the build your army, I think is just wrong. It's meant as a situation where you, as the Warlord, have an army ready and then recieve orders to do something with it, ie your mission. You have no other forces available, because they are being repaired or wounded or something like that.

I see what you mean, I used to think so too. But sometimes in real war we know exactly what our objectives are and put together a strike force to best achieve that goal. So it can go both ways really (but I like the first one as it makes you better make a all round army which makes games fun).

It is obvious from the rules that they are designed for less then 2000 points, since that is when they give you another FOC. Most likely it is between 1250-1500 points.

This is a really good point. Not 100% agreeable but should at least be 'my stopping point' if I want fast games.

[Akkaryn]

I played an 1100 game yesterday. I had 4 troop choices. Played the game with 6 objectives. At the end of the game I held 4. (one unit had been destroyed but I managed to secure a part of the table enough I could Conga line between two.

I think they will work for 1k plus. Just have to adapt. I place all the objectives in midfield/ opponents field as that's where I will be.

[Exc20002001]

I played an 1100 game yesterday. I had 4 troop choices. Played the game with 6 objectives. At the end of the game I held 4. (one unit had been destroyed but I managed to secure a part of the table enough I could Conga line between two.

I think they will work for 1k plus. Just have to adapt. I place all the objectives in midfield/ opponents field as that's where I will be.

Out of curiosity what armies were at play?

[Radium]

one unit had been destroyed but I managed to secure a part of the table enough I could Conga line between two.

Just so you know, you can no longer do that in 6th. You can only ever capture one objective with a unit (page 123).

[Tayrod]

Have you tried setting up stuff in advance (if you are playing at your house). My regular opponent and I were never able to finish our game, before I started setting up stuff in advance.

[Snowflake]

It is obvious from the rules that they are designed for less then 2000 points, since that is when they give you another FOC. Most likely it is between 1250-1500 points.

Took the words right out of my mouth. It's clear that 2k points and above are supposed to be unusually large games, indicating that the normal game is somewhat less than that. 1500 seems to be what they were shooting for to me. I think the reason that this seems small to many people is because 1500 doesn't allow you to take a lot of troops IF your main concern when writing a list is to fill out those heavy support/elite/FA choices, which seems to be most people's aim. Troops seem almost an afterthought to a lot of people, which is odd given that for most of the scenarios it is the troops that win you the games.

[murgel2006]

Frankly I think the game has been designed to 1.5k-3k for fluff/fun games.
(and 1k-1.5k for tournament if that has been a thought at all)
To me the 1500 points is the absolute minimum for a mission game. You need so much points to put in the basic necessary firepower that below 1.5k most armies look basically the same as they fill the needed items Anti-Tank/Anti Infantry/ objective grabbing and holding/Support units. Sure it might look different but it functions all the same at this level.
Only with points to spare can you bring forth the flavour and stile of warfare each army is supposed to have as the units representing stile this are often not so very useful.

Like:
- Vanilla Marines just bring more. Getting stronger this way
- Wolves bring foot infantry for CC (bloodclaws etc.) Getting more fluffy
- Eldar bring more variant aspects or more units of certain aspects or guardians etc. Getting to have varying tactical options to work with.
- Orks bring more boys or stormboys etc. Ehm.. becoming more.

It depends on the army you have. If you have Marines (any type) you can do very well below the 1.5k threshold. If you are Eldar you are hard pressed.
The easiest indicator is to look at the build variation in tournaments. Codices with various builds there do well below 1.5k the others do not.

I do like and play smaller games often 500 and up but only in special missions and with both players doing it purely for fun.