Check out another way you can play the new 40k’s Apocalypse, but for $0. Now you can play, and have more hobby dollars for new models!
Are you stoked for GW’s reboot of Apocalypse, or are you still on the fence if it is for you? At $100 just for the rules alone, Apocalypse is introducing new rules, stats, and mechanics to players who already play Warhammer 40k.
With that being said I would like to give you my thoughts on how to play with your 40k models in a larger scale format, without wasting a ton of time in between turns.
It’s no secret that I am a fan of all things Apocalypse with it comes to Warhammer. As a veteran of dozens of these games since 2007, I have come up with another way to play Apocalypse that does not require a $100 rules set, new dice, or even really a whole bunch of new rules mechanics. All you have to do is just keep your eyes on the clock, and count a little higher.
Check out details of the 2019 Apoc rules set, as well as an alternative to playing the game, if you would rather drop you hobby dollars on models instead of rules:
40k Apocalypse Rules Box $100
This is the cornerstone of 2019’s Apocalypse. You’ll have to get this box in order to play the game with the official rules. Inside, there will be:
- Command asset decks
- Dice
- Some punch-out tokens to help you keep track of what’s going on with your units
- The manual on how to play (that looks to be softcover).
The value here may vary compared to other popular rules bundles we’ve seen.
The Pros of getting into Apocalypse 40k are:
- Faster games for Hobbyists that want to field all of their models
- The new edition is accessible
The main cons of this are:
- Learning an entirely new game system to play
- There aren’t any points in-game (everything is done off of Power Level which has proven itself to be drastically unbalanced)
- The game requires a new set of dice (D12s) (This could be a “pro” if you enjoy more complexity)
Apocalypse Meow: (Play Apocalypse Without Spending $100)
Before we jump right into another way to play the game without learning a whole new set of rules, it’s important to note that you would still be using the same phases of Apocalypse (minus the orders phase). That means that Damage would always resolve last for both players so they can have a full turn of the units they want to play.
Setting Up Your Games
- Armies can be fielded in traditional 8th edition detachments with points cost (Battlescribe rounds these points at the top).
- Activations are determined by initiative. One detachment is then activated per side, taken in turns back and forth. This continues until two sides pass in a row, or there are no more detachments to activate.
- Maximum 30 minute-turns maximum for each side. If the timer runs out during that sides’ turn, too bad. Pro tip: if you have 3 people on a side then everyone can work together when a detachment is activated. Be sure to budget enough time to move/shoot/assault with each detachment. Only the most important actions matter in Apocalypse, your Guardsmen may never get to fire their lasguns!
- Team Captains could be elected to oversee the entire side (this would be for multi-person games only). They would also be in charge of the time, strategy, and other bookkeeping.
- 40k scales up really well at 8×8 feet. Table sizes are just two normal 4X6s pushed together, with another table slid on its side at the end. Total playing space would be 8×8 with 2ft on each side for books and playing materials.
Playing Your Games
Because Apocalypse is designed for large games to get done in a timely manner, these are some rules we have come up with to make sure the game is going at a comfortable speed.
- Players would remove squads of infantry/armor columns after they’ve taken 50% casualties. This is to simulate them running away from the sheer amount of casualties taken as well as enemy firepower ahead (I.E. Critical Damage)
- If anything in the game has the Titanic keywords, then single-model units over 8 wounds like Daemon Princes, Leviathan Dreadnoughts, etc. would also be removed at 25% wounds remaining. Otherwise, these are your heavy hitters and need to last longer.
- The new Destroyer weapon rules would be ignored for the fact that the percentage-wound removal would streamline the game on its own.
- Players would still alternate activating entire detachments. Detachments don’t have to be pointed out per person. Just per side by modified Base Keywords like Xenos, Chaos, Imperials etc. You could field anything in any detachment, however, no model could benefit from strats (see below). For example, a side could be all Xenos consisting of Tyranids, Tau and Orks.
- Faction-specific stratagems could still be played on Base Keyword detachments. (I.e Space Marine’s Bolter Drill could be played on Space Marines if they were in an Imperial mixed detachment). If a side had a detachment made from Chaos, Guard, and Eldar models then they could not use any stratagems on those models.
- Both sides would regen D3 Command Points per turn. The side who scored fewer Objectives by ITC standards would get one additional CP. Team Captains come in clutch here for bookkeeping.
If you feel that movement trays would help you with the 30 minutes per side time limit, by all means, use them. Just remember you don’t have to activate every single unit each turn too.
The Playtest Works
While the rules we’ve proposed might not be the official rules set for playing Apocalypse games by GW, they work. After being a part of dozens of Apocalypse games before this Box Set and rules were announced, we hope to be part of dozens more using these modified rules.
If you’re going to pass on GW’s Apoc Rules release, maybe give these game parameters a try and tell us your experience. They are fast and easy!
Have you played Apocalypse games before? Does your local playgroup have their own set of rules? How many points of a faction do you have? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
