Templecon's The 40k Meat Grinder Mega Battle Official Rules

The 40k Meat Grinder Mega Battle Official Rules

“The Last Stand at Dragon’s Reach”

“The worst case scenario for the Imperium’s unstable hold on the galaxy has happened. The entirety of the Universe has decreed that the human blight on the galaxy must be extinguished and have joined forces to rid existence of humanity. They have started this crusade against the Imperium at Dragon’s Reach, Fortress Monastery and World of the Dragon Slayer’s Space Marine Chapter. All Imperial Forces in the Segmentum have been summoned to this Fortress World in a last ditch effort to stop the combined menace of the Alien, Mutant, and Heretic. Will The Imperium stand or fall? You Decide”


Note: These are all subject to change and updates may happen to this post at anytime prior to the event. Final rules packets will be available at the event.

Basic Format: This will bea standard game of 40k, with some exceptions, using the Main Rulebook and all GW FAQ’s. Teams shall be divided into Forces of the Imperium versus the rest of the galaxy. We shall at best try to keep the sides even to this degree dividing the armies into these teams using only legal GW codices as well as armies from Imperial Armour and other Forge World books (No home brew codices are permitted). The Main difference between this and a normal game of 40k is that when a unit is destroyed it can respawn later in the game in designated zones.This also means you can join the game late and spawn in one of these legal zones or pull your entire army off and leave early if you wish. Hence the “meatgrinder”. See the “Meat grinder” official rules below for more details.

Basic Objectives: The goal for the Imperial side is to defend Dragons Reach until the end of the game while it is the job the Rest of the Galaxy (ROTG) to take the Dragons Reach.

Strategic Postions/Objectives: Each Team will have 5 Strategic Positions they control at the start of the game.These will also have special rules/abilities attached to them as well as be respawn zones across the battlefield and are important to victory. They shall act as objectives (although quite large ones) and whichever team controls the most at the end of the game wins. ALL UNITS are to be considered scoring units for purposes of controlling or contesting a Strategic Location. A team will benefit from a strategic Location as long as they have one unit within 3” of a strategic objectives key location, which will be marked by a noticeable objective marker, and will count as having control over it until no units are within 3” of the Strategic Location. If it is being contested by an enemy unit then the Original Team controlling the objective still benefit from the special ability given to them by controlling the location although UNITS-CANNOT RESPAWN on the strategic location until it is no longer being contested. Each Strategic Location shall be worth a specific amount of Victory Points.Whomever at the end of the game controls more Victory Points wins the game and decides the fate of Humanity!

Turns: Each Team will have 10 minutes for movement, 10 minutes for shooting, and 15 minutes for assault phases. Note that it is good to be quick as these are strict time limits that must be kept. There will also be a small 5 minute window for redeployment at the top ad bottom of every turn for units to respawn and new armies to appear/disappear. If the army is not fully deployed the unit will be counted as being in ongoing reserves. Note that all reserves are to be considered ongoing reserves and do not need to be rolled for. At the start of the game each team will bid on how long they have to deploy. Team that bids the lowest will get to deploy first and gets +1 to the roll off for who goes first (Note that this is different than normal rules)

“MEATGRINDER” Special Rules

Re-spawning: Since this is the Meat grinder every unit gains these special rules and each unit may benefit from this differently. See below….Note that any unit or army deploying in this way may deploy from your teams table edge as normal or within 8” of an uncontested Strategic Location controlled by your team. Note that you cannot deploy with in 6” of an enemy unit as well….Note that units that have the deep strike special rule may deep strike as normal.

Infantry : If an infantry unit is completely destroyed or is running away at below 25% of original size it is eligible for a Meatgrinder deployment and may be placed into ongoing reserves and placed at the start of your next turn in a legal deployment zone. Note that unless a unit has specific meat grinder rules listed below it will use these rules for the meat grinder

Monstrous Creatures: If a MC is completely killed or has run off the table it is eligible to go back into ongoing reserves a turn after it was removed. (EXAMPLE: Your Daemon Prince dies Turn 1, Gets placed back in ongoing reserves after turn 2 and can respawn at your turn 3)

Vehicles:If a vehicle is immobilized or has suffered half or more of its hull points in the game or is completely destroyed or blown up it can be removed from play and can be placed in ongoing reserves a turn after it had been removed. (EXAMPLE: Your Land Raider gets immobilized Turn 1, You can remove it at the end of your turn and it would get placed back in ongoing reserves after turn 2 and can respawn at your turn 3)

Flyers: Follow the same rules for vehicles except they must wait two full turns before being placed in ongoing reserves.Also note that flyers can only be respawned from your teams table edge and count as coming out of reserve at the start of your turn one (instead of being in reserves) (EXAMPLE: Flyer gets shot down turn 1, it waits two full turns and is eligible for respawn at the start of your turn 4)

Super Heavies/titans: Unfortunately there are not too many of these beasties around and cannot respawn…. Sorry Mars.

Everything else: Just follow the meatgrinder rules listed for infantry.

Strategic PositionSpecial Rules and Descriptions

Imperial Starting Strategic Positions

1. Dragons Reach (10 VP’s): All units with the team that controls this Location gain the stubborn special rule while within 24” of it and gain the fearless and gain Feel No Pain special rules while within 12” ofit.

2. The North Wall (5 VP’s): All units of the controlling team within 12” of the wall gain the Adamantium will Special rule, units on the wall have the stubborn special rule.

3. The Landing Pad (3 VP’s): Units deploying by deep strike ontop of the pad will never scatterand the team that controls the pad is allowed an orbital bombardment per turn as detailed by the Space Marinescodex. This counts as a skyshield landing pad as well for all purposes

4. The Forward Command Post (3 VP’s) (Specific Fortress of redemption): Units on top of or inside of the Fortress gain the skyfire special rule. Note that if the Fortress is destroyed it is still considered a Strategic Location but units can no longer benefit from skyfire from it. Note it still works as a normal Fortress of Redemption

5. The Forward Munitions Dump (3 VP’s): Units from the team controlling this location within 12” of it weapons count as twin linked.

ROTG Starting Strategic Positions

1. The Sacrificial hill(10 vP’s): Any unit on top of r are with in 6” of this location gain the fearless and Feel No Pain special rules.As well as benefit from a 6+ invulnerable save

2. The Forward Observation Post(Bastion)(5 VP’s): Units on top of or inside of the Bastion or within 6” of it gain the skyfire special rule. Note that if the bastion is destroyed it is still considered a Strategic Location but units can no longer benefit from skyfire from it. Note it still works as a normal Bastion.

3. The Alter (3 VP’s): Units deploying by deep strike on top of the alter will never scatter and the team that controls the pad is allowed an orbital bombardment per turn as detailed by the Space Marines codex. This counts as a sky shield landing pad as well for all purposes

4. The Keep of Vengeance (3 VP’s): Any unit from the controlling team on top of this tower, inside of it, or are within 12” of it are allowed re-rolls to wound for all purposes.

5. The Black Forrest (3 VP’s): Units from the controlling team that are with in 6” of the Forrest gain the fearless and fear special rules.

Deployment and other Restrictions

Deployment zones for the start will be marked out prior to the game. scouts/infiltrating will only happen prior to turn 1. Units with outflank may outflank.

Force Organization and Roster rules

Up to 2500 Points Max, 1 HQ 1 Troop Mandatory, Max 1 Special Character. Max 1 Super Heavy.  Allies are allowed but you must follow the ally rules and force org. as restricted by the Main Rule book and you cannot use an ally that would not be from your own team, aka Imperium can only take Imperial allies and ROTG can only take non-Imperium allies. Forgeworld is allowed as well as forgeworld army lists.

Sorry but NO FORTIFICATIONS, we have enough of them on the table already

For the purposes of this event there will be NO Warlord Traits, as there would be too many warlords on the table!

Roll for psychic powers normally, roll when your army deploys the first time and you keep these powers even if you respawn.