These are the final flash rules we hashed out over the past month at the shop. They work pretty well, and keep the pace of play moving well.
I encourage you to try them if you looking for something new to spice up some 40k play. Please comment back with how it goes!
Here’s the changes I made to the previous flash rules
1. Added Necrons.
2. Changed how Tau can take HQ’s
3. Adjusted Grey Knights’ HQ’s
4. Changed max games per week, and capped veteran abilities.
Changes in Red Below -MBG
Flash features fast and furious games taking about an hour to complete (it was originally designed to be played during lunch breaks).
Players challenge each other anytime during the week, as you can play up to 3 games a week– BUT you must play two other people before playing the same player twice.
500pt FLASH RULES
The following rules are for building Warhammer 40K Flash
• You must have 1+ Troop choice and a minimum of 2 non-HQ unit selections.
• You may only have 0-1 HQ selection, even if allowed more than one such selection per HQ.
• You may only have 0-3 total Elite, Fast Assault and Heavy Support units combined.
• You may only have 0-1 non-HQ unit with more than 2 wounds. Minimum unit size is 1 model, maximum size is unit’s original minimum size.
• No independent characters or HQ selections with more than 2 wounds.
• No monstrous creatures.
• No units with a toughness over 6.
• No equipment or upgrades with 2+ saves or models with 2+ saves.
• Vehicles squadrons may only take their minimum number of models.
• No vehicles with a total Armor Value greater than 33. Calculate this by adding the Front, Side, and Rear armor values (counting the Side once). Vehicles with any wargear, or inherent abilites (like Quantum Shielding) that give them higher armor are not allowed.
• No units with Ordnance weapons
• No Special Characters
500 pt Flash Army Specific Rules (Good till Dec 1)
• Black Templars: You may take 1 Sword Brethren unit as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Blood Angels: You may take 1 Sternguard Veteran Squad as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Chaos Space Marines: You may take 1 Chosen Chaos Space Marine unit as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Dark Angels: You may take 1 Company Veterans unit as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Dark Eldar: You may include 1 Incubi unit as a HQ choice with a min. unit size 1.
• Eldar: HQ Warlocks may be selected without taking a Farseer, and count as Independent Characters. One warlock can be taken as an HQ choice.
• Grey Knights: You may take either a strike, purifier, or interceptor as a HQ choice. He may not use his psychic abilities for the flash league (i.e. Hammerhands, Cleansing Flame etc…)
• Imperial Guard: Ignore Infantry Platoon composition; you can select infantry platoon units individually. Command Squads count as HQ, Infantry and Conscript Squads as Troops and Heavy and Special Weapon Squads as Heavy Support.
• Necrons: You can take any Type: Infantry model as a unit of one to be your designated leader (HQ Choice), as long as he follows the rules above (regardless of royal court restrictions).
Vehicles with any wargear, or inherent abilites (like Quantum Shielding) that give them higher armor are not allowed.
• Orks: You may take 1 Nobz unit as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Space Marines: You may take 1 Sternguard Veteran Squad as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Space Wolves: You may take 1 Wolf Guard unit as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Tyranids: You may take 1 Warrior Brood as a HQ choice with min. unit size 1.
• Tau- You can take a single Crisis Battle-suit, Stealth Suit, or firewarrior with any of their normal upgrades for your HQ choice. Weapon Restrictions due to model count (like 3 models per one fusion gun in the Stealth Squads) are ignored.
Game Setup
1. Table Setup: Terrain is set-up at the tables prior to the start of the event. Players agree how terrain is ruled and will affect the game. Tables are 4’x4′.
2. Deployment: Determine who goes first and table edges, then deploy as the mission dictates.
4. Seize the Initiative: Roll “Seize the Initiative”.
Gaining Veteran Abilities
After each battle follow the rules for gaining veteran abilities on page 263 of the 40k Rulebook. You must record these on your army lists, so I suggest writing your units out on index cards to make this easier.
Each Unit may only use one Veteran ability during a game, regardless of how many they may possess. (this helps you tailor to your opponent- more than one is kinda broken). Indicate to you opponent which ability (if any) you will be using during your game.
500 pt Flash Scoring
Use victory point rules in WH40k p. 300 to detemine the Victory Margins below.
You get a bonus 100 Victory points for achieving the game objective (and nothing else).
• 0-99 Draw
• 100-199 Marginal
• 200-299 Solid
• 300+ Massacre
Victory Margin Scores:
- Draw (10 points each)
- Marginal (12/8 points)
- Solid (15/5)
- Massacre (20/0)
Missions w/ Deployment
(variable feel free to change to taste)
- Week 1 Capture and Control, Pitched Battle
- Week 2 Annihilation, Spearhead
- Week 3 Seize Ground, Dawn of War
- Week 4 Annihilation, Pitched Battle.
What do you think, the emphasis is on fast quick play, with minimal reporting. The bulk of the work for players will come from keeping track of their Veteran Abilities!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
