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Bridges And Mine Layers

Bridge Layers:

As you will see in the following section I have done a lot of work on adding bridge layers to the game of Epic 40,000. Above is the first of many conversions I have done for these models alone - a simple and rather crude Rhino bridge Layer I made half an hour before a battle - not special but it shows what you can do with a deadline!

This type of unit is the perfect example of a unit which can be used in any game of E40K and is by no means limited to the campaign on Chameleon V. Bridge laying machines have been in use for over 38,000 years by the time the game is set and so would not by any means be a rarity only common on certain planets - wherever they would be of Use people would have made them. There are a number of options for bridge layers in the game with the rules I give you here - I would be grateful for any feedback on any of them as I personally have enjoyed the different options it brings - not just to the game but also to the scenery which it allows you to create and use in a battle.

But what U want to know is about the units and how to use them - so here goes:

As you would expect - the aim of the unit type is to span difficult or impassable terrain and counter any movement penalties they impose on your troops. A bridge can be mounted onto almost any kind of sturdy vehicle - obviously things such as bikes are no suitable due to the weight but I shall leave it up to you and your opponents to decide what you think the real limitations are. As for the size of a bridge which can be used - only what looks right on the model when you make it. Obviously a rhino mounted with a five inch by two inch bridge is totally out of the question - but on the whole the bigger the vehicle you are prepared to sacrifice the move rate of - the bigger the bridge you can have!!

General Rules: (These have been updated due to advice from TheAvatar111 (Yahoo ID). A link to his own site can be found at the bottom of the Main Page)

Bridges can be laid where ever it will fit and the carrying vehicle can get to - its as simple as that.

Bridges are laid in the Assault phase. Bridge layers can move and shoot in the other phases as Normal.

Any Unit carrying a bridge has its movement value halved.

Any Unit that is carrying a bridge may also carry any other troops that it is normally permitted - it has no effect.

The carrying unit may not fire "through" the bridge it is carrying - it must be taken into account for the purposes of firing.

What units can pass over a bridge? - well, what units can fit on the model when it is laid out? Obviously units such as bikes and infantry can pass over almost any bridge - their size is as individuals remember not as a base of them.

Points cost for bridges: 5 points for any bridge up to around 10cm³, 10 points for 11-20cm³ and 15 points for anything over 20cm³. (sounds too big to be real but I've used Mega Gargants with them!)

When a bridge is in place there are no penalties for moving over the terrain it spans

but there are no bonuses for it being a road - The time taken mounting them counters the effect of the good surface.

Make it: One big point is that a bridge layer can only be used if you have gone to the trouble of making the conversion for the model. And a good tip is to make the bridge itself detachable from the carrier so that it can be put in position when it is laid to save the problems of arguments of just what would be able to get over it and exactly where it was laid (in the time taken to sort these things out a real bridge of the equivalent size could be laid!!).

Mine Layers:

I have a question? Why doesn't Games Workshop use Mine layers? A friend of mine helped me write these rules in just a few minutes to use in a special battle - they're dead easy!

Any vehicle other than bikes, Dreadnoughts, or skimmers can be fitted with a mine layer device. These come in many different shapes and sizes - generally based on what the defenders could find in the last few weeks of preparation.

Fitting a mine layer costs ****.

Mine layers carry one type of mine which can be set for either anti-tank or anti-personnel purposes.

If a unit containing a mine layer is placed on special orders then the mine layer can do the following:

move up to a half of its normal move in the movement phase
Then lay either anti tank or anti personnel mines (must be specified as they are being laid). In the shooting phase

Mines cover an area of radius 3 cm (a warhammer blast template is the same size). The marker must be laid in contact with the model.

Models can move over the mine field without penalty if they are not of the type at which the mines are aimed. However: - if a model attempts to move through the field which is of the type at which the mines are aimed (i.e. infantry if they are anti-personnel mines) then you must do the following:

Roll a D6.
On the score of a one or two then the unit takes a hit.
Mines ignore any kind of shields in place by the unit due to the fact that they are set off by directly contact.
Critical damage can not be caused by hits by mines.

People have suggested that personnel mines should be set off and destroyed when passed over by vehicles - this was tried but led to problems due to the size of vehicles compared to the minefield. For this reason - as far as vehicles are concerned personnel mines do not exist and vice versa.

Mine layers can also remove mine fields from the battleground in the same way - halve move and then work on the field. This can be done to mine fields from either side.

They can also exchange anti-personnel for anti-tank mines and Vice versa - again by only moving half distance and reaching the edge of a mine field. However this operation can only be performed by A mine layer of the team by whom the field was laid - destroying mines is one thing - "tinkering" with unfamiliar mines is quite another.

****This is a point where I ask for your help. I have not used the mine layers much at all - they have only just been developed from the scrap on Chameleon v and the commanders are still working out their value as a battle - worthy machine. I would ask you to try out these machines in a battle or two and tell me what you think - the results for them have been very varied in the battles I have used them for. As ever - I thank you for your input.

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