Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

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Aekar
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Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by Aekar »

Hello guys,


Just wanted to share that I am working on a Dark Eldar campaign.
The campaign will feature briefings, tough decisions, units, weapons, game rules and game balance changes (well as far as we can edit that; for instance I wanted to edit movement / melee / range / spotting range for all units).
The setting will be across several planets, from the point of view of a commander within a medium-ranked Kabal.

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Total Conversion and New Set of Rules


This is a total conversion mod, with new units, weapons, factions. (but possibly not changing the UI yet)
I decided to try to reproduce some of the tabletop feeling, by making the following rules for all units.

The mod will not alter existing units and scenarios, but you should SAVE the Graphics, data and UI folders by copying them somewhere, just to make sure.
Adding a faction is currently no easy feat as the Editor doesn't support custom factions, so I will provide lso workarounds about that.


The new unit rules are called the "Warmaggeddon rules" (WARMAG).
It as a new set, simulating the Tabletop experience but not being the exact TT, as it bears a large number of adaptations and choices of implementations.

I set them with a spoiler / quote tag to make reading them easier.
They are untested and subject to change.
Please note that I am unfortunately not a TT player (althoug I am passionate about the TT gameplay now tat I read the Codexes), so some things might make you jump...
But maybe it also allows for a nice "mix" for this computer mod.

[spoiler]

Unit stats

- Default movement is now 2 for all infantry units.
- Default spotting range is now 4 for all infantry units.
- Scouts will have a huge spotting range (likely 6 to 8 ).
- Toughness 3 converts to 45 Defense. +1 gives +15 Defense, so Toughness 4 has 60 DEF.
- Strength 3 converts to 45 Attack. +1 gives +15 Attack, so Strength 4 has 60 ATK.
- Ballistic 3 (BS 3) converts to 60 % accuracy. Combined with a normal weapon (85 %, see below), and a distance of 2, you should have 50 % or less hit chances, which sounds proper (you hit with 4+ on tabletop). +1 BS gives +15 % Accuracy.
- Weapon Skill 3 (WS 3) converts to 45 % accuracy. +1 WS gives +15 % Accuracy.
- Armor gives +5 Defense per Armor Save point, and +10 Defense per Invulnerable Save point.

Vehicle stats
- Vehicles will usually keep very low spotting range values (1 or 2).
- Base movement shall be 4 or 5. "Fast" means at least +2 movement.
- Melee Accuracy will be 1 %, except for vehicles equipped with close combat weapons and with a Weapon Skill (WS).
- Ballistic 3 (BS 3) converts to 60 % accuracy. (like for units) +1 BS gives +15 % Accuracy.
- Vehicles will usually have more Defense that in vanilla, because the TT weapon conversion can lead to devastating penetration and damage (as suitable).
- An average between flank and frontal armor will be taken as "Vehicle Base Armor". VBA will translate into 10 DEF per point, and 1 HP per 2 points (rounded down).
- This means that a Raider, which has 10 Armor on all sides, has 10 VBA. This converts into 100 Defense.
- Open-topped vehicles will receive +2 Spotting but -10 DEF. The Raider is Open-topped, so then has 90 Defense.
Weapons
- All close combat weapons are range 0-0 and give the 'Assault' trait to their bearer.
- All 6'' range weapons (usually pistols) are range 1-1 and will then be fired in melee range (they are fired when engaging and retaliating to close combat).
- All 12'' range weapons are range 1-1.
- All 18'' range weapons are range 2-2.
- All 24'' range weapons are range 2-3.
- All 36'' range weapons are range 2-5.
- All 48'' range weapons are range 2-7.
- Grenades will usually become range 2-2 weapons with 1 or 2 ammo (however I don't think ammo is managed yet by the game), and usually 50 % base accuracy (to compensate for non-ammo management).

- Range Weapons will usually have 1 shot.
- Weapons with Assault X, Rapid Fire X, receive X number of shots instead of 1.
- Weapons with Heavy X receive X number of shots and the Bulky trait, which prevents retaliation with this weapon.
- Ranged Weapons will usually receive 6 Ammo. (however I don't think ammo is managed yet by the game)

- Close combat weapons receive 1 shot, +1 per model Attack above 1, and +1 per Attack given by the weapon.
For instance, a weapon giving +1 Attacks then has 2 shots. A model with 2 attacks also gives +1 shot. Separate versions of weapons may have to be made for separate models.
- Close combat weapons will usually receive infinite Ammo.

- Weapons with a randomized number of attacks will receive an averages number of shots, rounded up. For instant, bladevanes have D3 attacks, which will translate into 2 shots. Caltrops have D6 attacks, which will translate into 4 shots.

- All range weapons usually default to 85 % accuracy, instead of 100, so as to allow roughly 1 chance out of 6 to fail.
- Dispersion from range usually stays at the -10 % per hex.
- Weapons or attacks which reroll fails are replaced with 115 % accuracy (instead of 85). They can still fail, but from other parameters only, like distance or great defense.

- Armor Penetration (AP) is of 15 % per AP from 6. Meaning AP 5 gives 15 % pen, AP 4 gives 30 % pen, AP 3 gives 45 % pen, AP 2 gives 60 % pen.
- Weapons which ignore all armor receive 75 % penetration.
- Weapons which ignore armor and roll an automatic dice to wound receive a penetration from their hit score score (6+ = 15 %, 5+ = 30 %, 4+ = 45 %).
- Weapons which give an automatic kill will either receive 1 shot with 99 % penetration, or 30 shots with 75 % penetration.
- "Blast" weapons receive Siege (which has no effect) and +1 Shot.
- "Large Blast" weapons receive Siege (which has no effect) and +2 Shots. But one shot weapons won't receive that bonus.

- Weapons which cause Rending or other detrimental / weakening effects will instead receive the Terror trait.
- Weapons which hit from other sources (bladevanes etc) are translated into close combat weapons with a base Attack and a number of shots.
- Weapons which give bonuses to the model, and nothing else, will be translated into new unit variants (if it is an optional weapon) or base bonuses (if automatic), but will not appear as a weapon.

Tactical scale
- Many missions will be played on a smaller scale: units of 1 men, 5 men, etc are then now allowed.
- Some unit templates are available with different sets: Kabalite Warriors, for instance, are available in Tier I (5 men), Tier II (10 men), Tier III (15 men) and Tier IV (20 men). Some Tiers will allow for the weapon variants they may have.
- Purchase price is form the tabletop. Rough conversion is 1 Tabletop cost = 5 Requisition, to keep things simple.
- The unit costs won't be balanced with the vanilla game, so all units from the vanilla game will also have separate versions in time.
- First tests show an interesting premise and very interesting decisions.
Other notes
- A large number of things are impossible to introduce "as is", so I took my own decision regarding these.
- For instance, Dark Eldar have access to Fleet, Combat Drugs or Pain Tokens.
- Fleet has been replaced by +1 Movement for some units, and is otherwise canceled.
- Combat Drugs have a large number of effects (bonus attacks, run chances, weapon skill ...). I decided that its effect will be +1 WS.
- Pain Tokens have a large number of effects, usually topping with Fearless. I decided to cancel this on normal units, and grant Fearless to elite units with access to Pain Tokens.
- Wych Dodge has been replaced by +1 Toughness. I could not separate range from close combat, so I split the bonus in two.
- Mandrakes will always have their Baneblast available (not awaiting a Pain Token), as they won't benefit from Stealth or Infiltrate.
- Unfortunately, Grotesque won't be able to Berserk.
- Talos Chainflails add 2 attacks instead of the best of a die.
[/spoiler]
=================================================

=================================================


Weapon and Unit List



Weapon list

95 new weapons are currently implemented.

This only addresses the Dark Eldar non-Arcane weapons, non-Boss weapons.
Additional weapons will have to be made for the other factions.

Some close combat weapons have been designed in case the unit receive one, to make its basic melee attack available.
Only those marked with a * begin as equipped on the base version of the unit.

Kabalite Sword
Sybarite Sword
Truebons Sword
Dracon Sword
Wych Blade*
Hekatrix Blade*
Bloodbride Blade*
Syren Blade*
Hellion glaive
Helliarch glaive
Reaver Blades*
Champion Blades*
Beastmaster Whip*
Fiend Claws*
Kymera Bite*
Razorwing Beak*
Incubus Blade
Klaivex Blade
Scourge Blade
Solarite Blade
Mandrake Sickle*
Nightfiend Sickle*
Archon Twin-Blades*
Ur-Ghul Needle-Teeth*
Lhamaean Poison*
Sslyth Halberd*
Succubus Curved Blade*
Haemonculus Claw*
Haemonculus Great Claw*
Wrack Handblade*
Acothyst Handblade*
Grotesque Metalclaw*
Aberration Metalclaw*
Cronos Sprout*
Harlequin Laughter Blade*
Master Laughter Blade*

* (equipped, as a weapon is mentioned by the Codex)

Other weapons are implemented as described above.
- Wych Shardnet
- Wych Impaler
- Wych Hydra Gauntlets
- Wych Razorflails (Wych, Hekatrix, Bloodbride and Syren variants)
- Reaver Bladevanes (Reaver and Champion variants)
- Reaver Cluster Caltrops (Reaver and Champion variants)
- Reaver Grav Talon (Reaver and Champion variants)
- Incubus Klaive (Incubus and Klaivex variants)
- Incubus Demiklaive (Incubus and Klaivex variants)
- Incubus Bloodstone
- Medusae Eyeburst
- Talos Ichor Injector
- Talos Stinger Pod
- Talos Chainflails
- Cronos Spirit Syphon
- Cronos Spirit Vortex
- Harlequin's Fusion Pistol
- Harlequin's Kiss
- Harlequin's Shrieker Cannon
- Harlequin's Hallucinogen Grenades
- Monoscythe Missile
- Necrotoxin Missile
- Implosion Missile
- Shatterfield Missile
- Void Lance
- Void Mine
- Agoniser
- Darklight Pistol
- Darklight Blaster
- Darklight Dark Lance
- Disintegrator Cannon
- Djin Blade
- Electrocorrosive Whip
- Haywire Grenades
- Haywire Blaster
- Heat Lance
- Huskblade
- Minphase Gauntlet
- Phantasm Grenade Launcher
- Plasma Grenades
- Shredder
- Shuriken Pistol
- Splinter Pistol
- Splinter Rifle
- Shardcarbine
- Splinter Cannon
- Venom Blade




Unit List
(will be completed as more units are implemented)
Kabalite Warriors
Kabalite with Darklight Blaster
Kabalite with Splinter Cannon
Kabalite with Dark Lance
Sybarite and all his variants : Splinter Rifle, Grenade Launcher, Pistol and Sybarite Sword, Darklight Blast Pistol, Venom Blade, Agoniser
Wyches and all their variants : Haywire Grenades, Razorflails, Shardnet & Impaler, Hydra Gauntlets
Hekatrix and all her variants (same)

Transports for these units :
Raider
Venoms
... but I am still working on their sprites.



... will be completed as more things get in ;)




COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER

The mod is a free and non commercial, artistic work
It makes use of elements copyrighted by Games Workshop.
All rights are reserved to their respectful owners.

Games Workshop doesn't support the mod, or its author, and is in no way affiliated or related to them.
The mod or its author never received or asked for GW endorsement.

In any case, links to GW references and stores will be provided to access the mod materials:
- The Dark Eldar Codex (7th Edition)
- The Dark Eldar miniatures
- etc.
Last edited by Aekar on Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:27 am, edited 17 times in total.
VoidDragon
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign

Post by VoidDragon »

Aekar wrote: A resource I would like to access:
Where can I find the stats and weapons of all W40K Dark Eldar units?
Do you have a reference site?
Dark Eldar Codex is the way to go, it seems.
Maler
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign

Post by Maler »

Awesome, I will really look forward to playing that. Hope it goes well :)
Micha63
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign

Post by Micha63 »

Phantastic !
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign

Post by Aekar »

Thank you all.

And thank you for the piece of advice VoidDragon; I believe I am now spotted as a non-tabletop player... :D
... who just now feels passionate about the tabletop experience!

I would like to have it live!
But in coop with friends.

But that is another story.

Ok, so back to the topic:
After reading the Dark Eldar Codex I just could not resist.
I started the mod.

As of now:

I) implemented new "rules" for an experience closer to the tabletop squad experience.*
II) implemented 42 new Dark Eldar weapons.
III) started implementing the new Dark Eldar units.




As you guessed, the idea is to include at least two thirds of the whole codex.
100 percent isn't possible as the game doesn't allow to mod Traits...

I will share more later...
First, there are many units to design.

Later then! ;)
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign

Post by Aekar »

I updated the first post with much information about the mod set of rules.
Regarding progress, I eventually got past a number of setbacks (like the game or editor crashing), and eventually managed to get things zorking with the new faction.

So even if I have to redo a lot of things, it will now go forward!
GHEPP
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by GHEPP »

nice, hate to see that its gives
bobthehero
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by bobthehero »

BS 3 hits on 4+ on the TT, by the way.
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by Aekar »

BS 3 hits on 4+ on the TT, by the way.
Whoops! Yes of course. I'll fix that!
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by Aekar »

Typo / mistake fixed.
Actually, base model accuracy with BS 3 shall be 65 %.
65 % Accuracy with BS 3, combined with a weapon at range 2 =

65 % (model accuracy)
* (85 % - 10 %) (weapon accuracy, and 1 square of range from 1)
= 65 % * 75 %

= 50 % chances (which is the same as 4+)


However, it is possible that this formula will translate into range weapons being too deadly.
For this reason I first lowered it to 60 %.

I believe I still need to see the Armaggeddon game mechanics in detail, but allow me to explain that position:

The game lacks means to customize a "To Wound" roll with armour save.
And anti-vehicle weapons can be used against infantry in Armaggeddon, which on a tactical scale (less men), means they will be deadly and effective.
I hope I will find ideas to fix that problem if it becomes facts in this campaign.
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by Aekar »

I have a demo episode ready!
Packaging a release version now.
Last edited by Aekar on Wed Dec 10, 2014 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
sshnuke
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by sshnuke »

nice job

just waiting for demo now
Aekar
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Re: Dark Eldar Campaign (and new tactical ruleset)

Post by Aekar »

Thank you Sshnuke !
Download link is online now, and working. ( you can download it here )
Screenshots are there too.

Tell me if the mod install worked for you!
(after backing up your data and Graphics folders! beware of the Warp!)
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