Chapter I - The Hive Stirs...

++++++++ EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION - GRADE MXVIII

++++++++ From: Dietrick Armengarde, Rogue Trader, Captain of the Dies Suberbia

++++++++ Via astropath - beacon: ERROR

++++++++ Countersignal: ERROR

By the Light of the most Hallowed God Emperor of Mankind, Aegis of Terra, Infinite in Wisdom, Unwavering in Resolve and Purifier of all that is Vile.

I, Dietrick Armengarde, renew my efforts to be embraced by thy light again by reaching out to my fellow men of the Imperium for aid. For a full terran month we have been locked in orbit around Maelstrom Congeris, and I fear for our safety should we not recieve aid. The void stirs around us, and tainted warp energies flicker out in the dead space. In them can be seen sights that would drive lesser men mad, which is why I have given to order to close all shutters to the crew quarters’ observation decks. In my kindness I want to spare them the fate that I must endure; to gaze into madness to report to thee. They are weak men though, and have even had the audacity to complain and riot. Arch Militant Gascaard has been quite busy restoring order. I cannot fathom the ingratitude, but alas I must endure.

The planet below us stirs still, and two terran days ago I was woken by my servants to witness another change in the visible surface below. In a quite spectacular, but ofcourse unholy, display there materialised a great structure below. It resembled parts of an Imperial Hive City, which caused my heart to soar; with so many members of the imperial society close at hand then surely our way home and imperial dominion over Maelstrom Congeris would be assured. My heart plummeted yet again when my archivist identified the hive in question. It seems to be none other than the Infelix Hive of the great rebellion in the Tenebrae system which took place some 350 terran years ago. My archivist informed me that it was wrested from imperial control by the vile gangs which frequented the parts of the Hive where decent men never set foot. The gangs where said to be incredibly well armed, enough even to overthrow the local security forces and even thwarting the Planetery Defence Forces’ attempts to regain control. The conflict ended when the system governor Sable Contadoor ordered that a vortex missile would be deployed, and over half of the hive where swept away into nothingness. Governor Contadoor was later gravely chastised for bringing such armaments into the conflict, as was his brother who where the supreme commander of the PDF.

The arrival of Infelix Hive will surely have a great impact on the world below. My auspex can already pick up a lot of movement from the hive, and in some regions also the faint trace of gunfire. Might be that the armaments in the hive is tempting enough that the stranded forces below will dare enter it’s halls to gain as much firepower as they can, to better their odds of survival in that ever-shifting hellscape.

Emperor, thy servant can only remain here to report the tidings to thee while waiting for thy servants to come to my aid. By the most holy light of the Astronomican we look for guidance. Lead our saviors to us, and let the Aegis of Mankind allow us to survive until this time is nigh.

The Emperor protects.

During this week, players can always choose to play the following special mission:

Special Mission - Raiding the Armoury

As the forces enter the massive structure, they might find a wealth of armaments waiting for them within it’s massive halls. They are not alone in their pursuit though, and to gain even the slightest superiority in killing power they need to contend both with their opponents and the brutal hive gangers who still fight and kill to protect their lot.

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules.

Place a small ruin in the middle of the board. This is the armoury, and also the objective of the mission. Place an additional ruin in the center of each table quarter which is not the deployment zone of either player. These are the Gang Hideouts.

In this scenario, a third force will contend with the players in the form of the vicious hive gangs. They will fight with the following profile:

Hive Ganger squad

Unit type: Infantry (Squad size 5)

WS: 3 BS: 3  S: 3  T: 3  W: 1  I: 3  A: 1  Ld: 7 Sv: 6+

Special rules: It’s our stuff! Back to the Hideout!

Wargear: Autoguns, Arsenal, Gang armour

It’s our stuff! :  Hive Gangers are fearless if they are within the Armoury, fighting viciously to protect their lot.

Back to the Hideout! : If the Hive ganger squad falls back, it always fall back towards the nearest Gang hideout. It automatically regroups if the squad is wholly within the Gang Hideout.

Arsenal: Whenever a Hive ganger squad is placed, they might have additional weapons. Any special weapon carried replaces the autogun of that model Roll a d6 on the following table to determine: 1-2 No additional weapon, 3-4 Flamer, 5-6 Heavy Stubber

At the beginning of the game, each Gang hideout is empty. At the beginning of each turn, roll a d6 for each Gang Hideout. On a 5+, another Hive Gang squad is placed in the hideout. Roll for their Arsenal as soon as they are placed. There may be at most 6 squads of Hive gangers at the table at any given time.

The Hive Gangers act before the first acting player. In the movement phase, the Hive Ganger Squads will try to move towards the Armoury and occupy it if possible. They will try to utilize cover as much as they can. In the shooting phase, the each member of the squad will try to shoot the closest enemy model. If no enemy models are within sight or range, the squad will run. The squad will not make any charges in the assault face. If assaulted, each model will attack the enemy in base contact. Roll to decide which if multiple enemy models are in base contact.

Note that Hive Gangers DO NOT roll on the Injury table. A failed save means that the model is remover.

A player wins the game if he/she controls the armoury at the end of the game, which means that no enemy models are within the armoury. Note that the Hive Ganger squads counts as enemy models for all intents and purposes.

At the end of the week, the player which has won the most amount games where this mission is played will receive a custom base upgrade as a reward.

Optional: If possible, a third player could take control of the Hive Gangers effectively controlling them as a team of his own. Feel free to do this, and use the gangers in the most effective way (ignoring the previous guidelines). However, keep them neutral and respond to all threats equally. Be fair, and don’t use this opportunity to skewer the odds in a player’s favour.

Moderators note: This mission may cause some rules confusion, since there are a lot of possible scenarios I might have missed when writing these basic rules. Try to use common sense and be as neutral as possible when deciding the moves of the Hive gangers.

Additional Kill Team Missions

Here follows a list of additional missions to be used in the campaign, as your team fight for survival on the surface of Maelstrom Congeris. (Note that the missions might be subject of revision in the future)

1. Assault
Two forces collide in the wasteland, both desperately trying to advance and gain ground while negating the opposing forces which tries to do the same. 

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules. 

Each player places an objective in his/her deployment zone. This must be at least 6" from the table edge.

When the game ends, a player wins if he/she is controlling the opponents objective while the opponent does not control his objective. If both controls each others' objective or no objective is controlled, the game is a draw. 

At all cost - Any model within 3" of an objective is fearless.

2. Sabotage
Covert missions are not uncommon in war, where both sides are trying to sabotage the other with explosives, radar scrambles and listening devices. Will any team be able to deploy their saboteurs, while keeping the enemy sappers at bay?

This mission uses the horizontal deployment from the original missions 1,2 and 6 in the Kill Team rules.

Each players begins with a sabotage device, which is treated the same way as the Relic from the eternal war mission found in the Warhammer 40 000 rulebook. These devices should be marked properly so that the original owning team may be identified.

When the game ends, a player wins if he/she her sabotage device is in the opponents deployment zone  while the opponent does not have his/her sabotage device in the players deployment zone. A sabotage device that is not carried by a model still counts when deciding the outcome of the game. If both players have brought their devices to the other's deployment zone, or none of the players have done so, the game is a draw. 

3. King of the Hill
High ground can be crucial in battle, and in this scenario even more so. Whether an important vantage point of the stash of a killed scout, a tall ruin becomes the heart of a hurricane of violence.

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules. 

Place a ruin (or an equal piece of terrain) at least 3 floors tall in the middle of the board. This ruin is considered to have ladders between each floor. The topmost floor of this ruin is the objective of the game. 

When the game ends, a player wins if he/she is controlling the topmost floor while the opponent does not have any model there. If both players have models on the topmost floor or none of the players have, the game is a draw. 



This... is... (Insert battlecry here)! - Any model at the topmost floor in close combat may perform a special attack instead of it's ordinary attacks. If the attack hits, the model which is hit must then pass a toughness test or be kicked over the edge. The model is considered to have fallen the distance to the ground, suffering damage a normal according to the Kill Team rules. 

4. Bloodbath
Sometimes when opposing forces clash, it is more than mere battle. Whether fueled by intense bloodlust, the madness of Khorne or simple vengeful desperation, the battlefield is assured to run slick with blood and entrails. 

This mission uses the horizontal deployment from the original missions 1,2 and 6 in the Kill Team rules.

In this mission, the objective is to slay as many points worth of enemies as possible. A slain model gives as many victory points as it is worth when purchasing from the appropriate mini-codex. Models in a squad are counted individually. 

In the end of the game, a player wins if he/she has more than 50 victory points than here enemy. If the difference is less than 50, the game is a draw. 

This mission does NOT use the rules for rout.

Send in the next wave! - All core models from both teams have this special rule. When the model or squad is killed, an identical unit enters play from reserve. The new unit enters from the owning players table edge. Such a unit may not utilize any special deployment rules, such as outflank or infiltrate. The new unit will give points when killed in the same way as the original. 

The owner of a squad may, at the end of any turn, remove the remnants of a damaged squad to allow a full squad to enter the game. The damaged squad still counts as killed for the purpose of victory points. 

Campaign clarification: Models will count as slain at the end of the game if the unit or squad has been slain even once during the game. 

5. Escort
A non-combatant is present on the battlefield, and needs to be brought safely across the battlefield. Although heavily protected, the escort will still be a tempting target for enemies to intercept and capture.

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules. 

Before the game begins, the players will roll of to decide which player will be the attacker and escort. 

The escorting player will have a special model which begins the game at the absolute corner of her deployment zone. This model will henceforth be referred to as the Ward. The Ward has the following stat line:

The Ward
Unit type: Infantry (character)
WS: 1 BS: 1  S: 3  T: 4  W: 3  I: 4  A: 1  Ld: 7

Special rules: Non-combatant, Get behind me!, Hit&Run
Wargear: The best we've got and more

Non-combatant: This unit can never declare a charge
Get behind me!: If this unit is the target of a charge, the charge will be redirected to the nearest unengaged friendly model within 3". Move the intervening model the minimum distance required to bring it into base contact with the charging model. This will leave the Ward unengaged in assault. If there are no unengaged friendly models within 3", the charge proceeds as normal. 
The best we've got and more: The ward is outfitted with an atrocious amount of defensive wargear. This gives the ward +1 toughness (Included in the profile above), a 3+ invulnerable save and the Eternal Warrior special rule. 

The escorting player wins if the Ward is within 6" of the enemy corner at the end of any full game turn (including both players turns). The attacking player wins if the Ward is slain, and more than 25% (rounded up) of the models in the attacking team are still alive. If the ward has not reached it's goal, or the attacking players have less than 25% of the models left, the game is a draw.

6. Maelstrom
Drawn like moth to flame, opposing forces arrive from every direction towards a central objective too tempting or important to pass up on. 

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules. 

Place an objective in the center of the field. 

Before deployment, each player selects half of their models (rounded up) which will begin the game placed in reserves. When arriving from reserves, these models may arrive from any table edge. 

When the game ends, a player wins if he/she is controlling the central objective while the opponent does not. If both players have models within 3" of the central objective or none of the players do, the game is a draw. 

Introduction to the Campaign

++++++++ EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION - GRADE MXVIII

++++++++ From: Dietrick Armengarde, Rogue Trader, Captain of the Dies Suberbia

++++++++ Via astropath - beacon: ERROR

++++++++ Countersignal: ERROR

By the Light of the most Hallowed God Emperor of Mankind, Aegis of Terra, Infinite in Wisdom, Unwavering in Resolve and Purifier of all that is Vile.

I, Dietrick Armengarde, humbly requests assistance from any fellow soul devoted to the Emperor’s will. My proud frigate Dies Superbia has suffered crippling damage due to a tremendous storm in the Warp which has left us stranded in an unidentified sector of the galaxy.

Initial damage reports suggest that all engines, 34% of the internal power sources, the shuttle bay and 89% of all crew compartments has suffered damages irreparable at our current status. Casualty reports suggest that our Void Master Isabellia Volgota, Master Navigator Khryyn Kortemptis and 67% of all members of the Astropathic Choirs has perished. Life support-systems are still fully operational, praised be His name, as well as our Shadowmind M.03 pattern Auspex and the internal Vox network. The Geller Field remains intact as well, else we might have suffered a fate worse than a thousand deaths. Arch Militant Solomon Gascaard is currently quelling the last of the internal riots along with 56% of all remaining men in Internal Security.

Our instruments, though thricely blessed by the servants of the Omnissiah, has yet to determine our galactic coordinates. Visual observation can confirm that we are locked in orbit around an unknown planet in a field of debris consisting of asteroids, wrecks of ships and even parts that can only be identified as from a city. Heavy warp phenomenon can still be observed, and multiple tendrils of debris seems to trail along the planet.  Our velocity seems equal to that of the planet below. Visual observation of the planets reveals a heavy, writhing blanket of grey clouds which gives only hint of the ruined cityscape below. My Prime Astropath Erzurum Krim has given me reports that would give pause to any Emperor-fearing member of the Imperium; the planets surface does not seem to be metaphysically stable. Krim’s reports state that at least three major changes has occurred during our time in orbit, estimated to a terran week. The changes seem to have replaced a swath charred city ruins, with a surface the size of a small continent, with a vast ocean of emerald water. Other changes seems to be occurring at a smaller scale, where parts of a once glorious Imperial Hive has been twisted and replaced with horrid bio-structures. Whether these changes are actual pieces of planets or an illusion by the Dark powers still remains to be explored, but Emperor help any imperial citizen with the most ill of luck to be stranded on a place like this. Initial auspex scans have already begun to discern signs of life and faint calls from vox casters, but also signatures that are not imperial and some that certainly do not belong to anything remotely human.

I have given the planet the temporary designation Maelstrom Congeria. By the most holy light of the Astronomican we look for guidance. Lead our saviors to us, and let the Aegis of Mankind allow us to survive until this time is nigh.

The Emperor protects.

Introduction

Welcome to the tale of Maelstrom Congeris, a campaign where you will enter as a kill team consisting of a small band of individuals to brave the ever shifting landscape of madness. The role your team can be plentifold. Are they the scattered survivors of individuals caught in a warp storm and spirited away along with the very city they fought for? Are they bloodthirsty raiders to fall upon the planet, preying upon the scattered beings of the planet? Or are their purpose and means of arrival still shrouded in mystery, along with their intentions to set their feet upon this twisting worldscape? No matter which path that has been chosen for them, they must fight through dangerous engagements with the other inhabitants (willing or not) to gain power, lost artefacts, ancient technologies or simply the way to escape this planet that the Emperor forgot. As the campaign progresses the team will rally more survivors or find more comrades among the ruins, all to better their chances of succeeding with their agenda.

The narrative of the story will be presented from the point of view of Dietrick Armengards, a poor Rogue Trader stranded in orbit. With his ship crippled and his auspex as one of the few tools at his disposal he can’t do more than watch as the event unfold on the planet below, for better or for naught. Our little part of the story takes place in one of the vast cityscapes of the planet, among ruins of races untold. Here both treasure and traps hide among the shades of ruined buildings and charred temples.

The campaign uses the fan-made rules for Kill Team and the adjoining Campaign rules. All rules can be found here: http://heralds-of-ruin.blogspot.co.uk/p/kill-team-rules.html

However, there will be the following exception to the rules:

Kill Team Rules

• The optional injury rules will be used. However, the the table for rolling for injury will be replaced with a table where 1-3 result that the model i Stunned and 4-6 that the model is removed as a casualty.

Kill Team Campaign Rules

• You will not be available to upgrade the base freely. At the beginning, you will only be able to buy the Forward Base upgrade. Further upgrades will be made available as the campaign progresses.
• You will not be able to look for Legendary Weapons; These will be special missions announced by the campaign moderator.
• The optional rules for transport vehicles will NOT be used. Therefore the Vehicle Hangar base upgrade cannot be bought.
• The rules for legendary heroes will NOT be used.

At the beginning of the Campaign, each player will submit a copy of their force roster to the campaign moderator. The players are then free to play games versus each other at their leisure. After each game, the players will roll for injured models, note the amount of requisition points and renown earned and spend it as they see fit. The final changes shall then be sent to the campaign moderator. There will be a limit that a player may earn a maximum of 40 requisition point and 5 renown each week. You will of course be able to play more games if you want, but these will not give you any requisition points or renown. However, a player will not lose any models after a game where he could not gain any Requisition Points. All models automatically recover after the game has been played. The game does count towards the total number of wins or losses of your team (see below)

The games are played along the standard missions found in the Kill Team Rules. At certain times, the campaign moderator will announce special missions that will be available for a limited time. These can give special rewards, like unique upgrades or legendary weapons. The moderator will also announce when new levels of base upgrades are available.

The moderator will keep track of the numbers of wins and losses for each team, as this will help to shape the narrative and the conclusion of the campaign.

All the rules and restrictions may be subject to changes during the campaign.