40kShenanigans

The stormfront rolled across the dead plains like a living thing, lightning carving jagged scars across a sky choked with ash. Beneath the thunder, something older stirred - a pulse, a signal, a memory echoing from deep within the fractured vault buried under the battlefield.

For millennia, the vault slept. Now it calls.

Across the sector, seven forces converge:

The T'au Empire

Guided by the philosophy of the Greater Good, the Hunter Cadre seeks to bring the vault's secrets into the light of logic and progress. Whether as a beacon of advanced technology or a dangerous relic to be denied to the "Gue'la" and other primitive races, the Earth Caste demands its containment at any cost.

The Orks

The call of the WAAAGH! echoes across the sector. To the Orks, the vault is a magnet for violence - a promise of a "proppa scrap" and a stash of "shiny bitz" just waiting to be looted. They do not care what is inside, so long as it is heavy enough to krump someone with.

The Tyranids

A shadow falls across the warp as the Hive Mind focuses its hunger. The vault pulses with an irresistible psychic resonance, a beacon in the cold void that promises a rich harvest of biomass. It is not a prize to be won, but a source of vital nutrients to be consumed and assimilated.

The Necrons

Eons of slumber have ended, and the rightful masters of the galaxy have returned. What the younger races mistake for a mystery, the Necrons recognize as a lost node of their ancient, sprawling empire. They do not come to explore; they come to reclaim what has been theirs since the stars were young.

The Black Templars

With a roar of chainswords and the chanting of holy litanies, the Black Templars descend. To these eternal crusaders, the vault is a site of sacred importance that must be sanctified. Any xenos presence is a blasphemy to be purged with righteous fire and cold steel in the name of the God-Emperor.

The Blood Angels

The Sons of Sanguinius fight with a desperate, elegant ferocity. While they strive to secure the vault for the glory of the Imperium, every warrior battles a private darkness. They must claim victory quickly, lest the noble purpose of their mission be eclipsed by the savage pull of the Red Thirst.

The Dark Angels

Cloaked in shadows and ancient ritual, the Unforgiven move with silent, lethal intent. While their official reports claim they seek to secure the vault for the Inner Circle, their true objective is known only to themselves. They hunt for whispers of the Fallen, following a trail of secrets that has burned for ten thousand years.

The vault opens in three Acts - reconnaissance, escalation, and revelation. Alliances will form. Betrayals will scar the ground. And in the end, only one force will claim the heart of the vault.

The storm breaks. The ground trembles. The first shots ring out. The Fractured Front has awakened.

Complete setup framework for commander-led groups with no dedicated GM.

1) Establish the group structure

• Player count: 2–6 ideal (6+ works best with alliance play).
• Faction picks: choose from Frontier Saga factions; for balance, limit one faction per super-category (Imperium / Chaos / Xenos / Mechanicus-Machine / Temporal-Psychic / Wildcard).
• Optional draft start: lay out faction cards, roll off, then pick in draft order.

2) Build shared campaign materials

A. Sector map

• Use the full Fractured Frontier map, or a simplified nine-territory layout.
• Suggested territories: Warp Storm Maelstrom, Tyranid Devourer Belt, Iron Wraith Dead Zones, Chronal Rift Expanse, Voidborn Drift Routes, Solar Doom Constellation, Astronomican Beacon Line, Lost Legion Starfall Corridor, Veiled Probability Lattice.
• Each territory should include a name, special rule, threat level, and resource bonus.

B. Event deck (GM replacement)

• Build 20–40 event cards.
• Each card needs a trigger, effect, and faction-agnostic consequence.
• Example cards: Warp Surge (psyker penalties), Solar Flare (ranged penalty), Temporal Slip (random territory instability).

C. Mission table

• Build 6–12 missions for clashes and invasions.
• Each mission should define setup, twist, victory condition, reward, and consequence.

3) Define rotating player responsibilities

• Arbiter (rotating each session): reads mission rules, draws event cards, updates map, resolves ties by die roll.
• Chronicler: tracks territory control, resources, campaign turn count, and major events.
• Quartermaster: tracks faction currencies (Biomass, Authority, Doom Points, Wraith Points, Convergence Points, etc.).
• Strategists (all players): declare wars, form alliances, spend resources, and resolve missions.

4) Core turn structure

1. Event phase: draw and apply one event card.
2. Strategy phase: declare attacks, defenses, alliances, and resource spending.
3. Battle phase: resolve missions and update territory control.
4. Resource phase: gain faction resources and unlock upgrades.
5. End phase: check thresholds and final-boss trigger conditions.

5) Alliance framework

• Alliances are public, temporary, and breakable.
• Benefits: shared defense, shared intel, combined strikes.
• Breaking an alliance triggers betrayal penalties and event-deck fallout.

6) Choose victory condition model

• Territory victory: first to control 5 territories.
• Resource victory: first to 20 faction resource points.
• Narrative victory: trigger final boss (Omnis Convergence / Fractal Legion), survive finale, then score by territory control.
• Co-op victory: unite against final boss; all surviving factions win if boss is destroyed.

7) Tone and expectations (critical session-zero agreement)

• Agree competitiveness level, alliance norms, betrayal policy, and final-boss mode (shared enemy, race, or hybrid).
• Set campaign length, play frequency, absence handling, and dispute resolution (default: roll-off).

8) Create faction sheets for each player

• Include faction name, starting territory, starting units, resource tracker, special rules, goals, rivals, and allies.

9) Run a practice mission

• Use a two-player test mission to verify event deck flow, mission table, resource economy, and map updates before campaign launch.

10) Begin campaign turn 1

• Place starting markers, draw first event, and open Turn 1 of the Frontier Saga.

Theme: Reconnaissance, first contact, uneasy diplomacy

Pairings: Random

Alliances: Allowed (except Tyranids)

Betrayals: Rare but possible

Mission Options

• Kill Team: Recon Sweep - Control 3-5 scattered objectives. Twist: Low visibility - Dash actions cost +1 APL.
• Kill Team: Silent Extraction - Extract the relic and escape. Twist: Shooting within 6" triggers alarms (enemy gains 1 CP).
• Combat Patrol: Seize the Outpost - Hold the central outpost at game end. Twist: First turn is Cautious Advance.
• Combat Patrol: Hold the Line - Defender holds 2 objectives for 3 turns. Twist: Attacker gains +1 CP on turn 1.

Branching Outcome

• If 2+ alliances form -> Act II: The Cold War
• If no alliances form -> Act II: The Land Grab
• If any betrayal occurs -> Act II: The Shadow War

Path A - The Cold War

Theme: Espionage, sabotage, proxy battles

• Kill Team: Data Heist - Extract 3 data packets. Twist: Each extraction risks mortal wounds.
• Kill Team: Infiltrate the Vault - Control the breach point at TP4. Twist: No overwatch allowed.
• Combat Patrol: Proxy Battle - Fight on behalf of an ally. Twist: Winner may transfer 1 Influence.
• Combat Patrol: Sabotage Run - Plant explosives on 2 objectives. Twist: Explosives detonate on 3+.

Path B - The Land Grab

Theme: Open war, territory rush, escalating violence

• Kill Team: Tunnel Breach - Control the breach at TP4. Twist: Ranged attacks over 6" are -1 to hit.
• Kill Team: Secure the Node - Hold the node for 2 turns. Twist: No equipment allowed.
• Combat Patrol: Breakthrough Assault - End with more units in enemy zone. Twist: Vehicles +1" move.
• Combat Patrol: Battle for the Ridge - Control ridge at game end. Twist: High ground +1 to hit.

Path C - The Shadow War

Theme: Ambushes, misinformation, sudden violence

• Kill Team: Ambush at Dusk - Eliminate 50% of defenders. Twist: Defender deploys scattered.
• Kill Team: The Decoy - Identify real objective by TP3. Twist: Wrong objective explodes.
• Combat Patrol: Sudden Strike - Destroy units in first 2 turns. Twist: No reserves allowed.
• Combat Patrol: The Trap - Survive or spring the trap. Twist: Random explosions each turn.

Theme: Revelation, psychic resonance, final positioning

Pairings: Determined by Influence Points

Mission Options

• Kill Team: Assassination - Kill enemy leader. Twist: Leaders +1 APL.
• Kill Team: Extraction Under Fire - Escort carrier off board. Twist: Carrier cannot Dash.
• Combat Patrol: Battle for the Core Chamber - Control Core at game end. Twist: Psychic surges cause mortal wounds.
• Combat Patrol: The Vault Awakens - Hold awakening nodes. Twist: Nodes trigger random effects.

Cinematic intro (club roster edition)

The stormfront rolled across the dead plains like a living thing, lightning carving jagged scars across a sky choked with ash. Beneath the thunder, something older stirred — a pulse, a signal, a memory echoing from deep within the fractured vault buried under the battlefield.

For millennia, the vault slept. Now it calls.

Across the sector, six forces converge:

• T’au Empire (Liam): secure the vault for the Greater Good — or deny it to rivals.
• Orks (Liam G): answer the promise of a proper scrap and loot worth krumpin’ over.
• Tyranids (Tim): follow synaptic hunger toward biomass and psychic resonance.
• Necrons (Liam’s friend): reclaim what they identify as a lost node of an ancient empire.
• Black Templars (Jon): purge xenos presence and sanctify the vault.
• Blood Angels (Jaiden): newly arrived force balancing noble duty against the Red Thirst.

The vault opens in three Acts: reconnaissance, escalation, and revelation. Alliances will form, betrayals will scar the ground, and only one force will claim the heart of the vault.

Act structure quick reference

Act I — The Discovery: Reconnaissance, first contact, uneasy diplomacy. Pairings random. Alliances allowed (except Tyranids). Betrayals rare but possible.

• Kill Team: Recon Sweep — Control 3–5 scattered objectives; low visibility (Dash +1 APL).
• Kill Team: Silent Extraction — Extract relic; shooting within 6" triggers alarms (+1 enemy CP).
• Combat Patrol: Seize the Outpost — Hold central outpost; first turn is Cautious Advance.
• Combat Patrol: Hold the Line — Defender holds 2 objectives for 3 turns; attacker +1 CP turn 1.

Branching outcomes: 2+ alliances → Cold War; no alliances → Land Grab; any betrayal → Shadow War.

Act II — Branching Paths: Choose one branch from Act I results.

• Path A, The Cold War: Data Heist, Infiltrate the Vault, Proxy Battle, Sabotage Run.
• Path B, The Land Grab: Tunnel Breach, Secure the Node, Breakthrough Assault, Battle for the Ridge.
• Path C, The Shadow War: Ambush at Dusk, The Decoy, Sudden Strike, The Trap.

Act III — The Vault Opens: Revelation and final positioning. Pairings determined by Influence Points.

• Kill Team: Assassination — Kill enemy leader; leaders gain +1 APL.
• Kill Team: Extraction Under Fire — Escort carrier off board; carrier cannot Dash.
• Combat Patrol: Battle for the Core Chamber — Control Core; psychic surges cause mortal wounds.
• Combat Patrol: The Vault Awakens — Hold awakening nodes; nodes trigger random effects.

Campaign logbook

Player roster

• Liam — T’au Empire — The Diplomat
• Liam #2 — Orks — Da Biggest an’ Da Best
• Tim — Tyranids — The Consumer
• Liam’s Friend — Necrons — The Awakened Protocol
• Jon — Black Templars — The Purifier
• ??? — Blood Angels — The Redeemed Fury

Act I log fields: alliances formed, betrayals committed, chosen Act II path, mission results (tables 1–3).

Act II log fields: path played, alliances formed, betrayals committed, influence changes, mission results (tables 1–3).

Act III log fields: pairings by influence, mission results, final influence totals.

Finale log fields: Kill Team duel winner, final Combat Patrol winner, campaign champion.

Secret agenda cards

• T’au — The Diplomat: form at least one alliance per Act; win a mission without killing more than half the enemy; betrayal bonus +2 Influence.
• Orks — Da Biggest an’ Da Best: charge in first two turns; win at least one mission by tabling opponent; betrayal bonus +1 CP.
• Tyranids — The Consumer: kill enemy leader once per Act; end mission with more models alive; betrayed players gain nothing.
• Necrons — The Awakened Protocol: control central objective twice; win a mission with no Stratagems; being betrayed grants +1 Influence.
• Black Templars — The Purifier: never ally with xenos; kill a psyker or synapse creature; betrayal bonus +1 EP.
• Blood Angels — The Redeemed Fury: win by charging on scoring turn; end mission with Warlord alive and in melee; stop enemy psyker/synapse objective; betrayal bonus +1 Influence.