40K / 8e tutorial-style mini-campaign via Dark Imperium

As a 40K  player who started compiling a DE army without knowing the rules, I figure it has value here.

I've put together what I hope is a fun and approachable 5-mission mini-campaign for new players to learn the core 40K rules via the Dark Imperium boxed set (plus you'll need a Librarian, or proxy model).

I essentially tried to follow the "video game tutorial" school of education, ie staggering the introduction of units (and thus, rules) within the framework of a compelling narrative.

Before I dive into the mini-campaign, lemme provide some context. I approached the design with certain goals / expectations / personal preferences in mind:

• To keep it simple, I stuck with straightforward Matched Play missions. Because we're limited to Dark Imperium's contents (plus a Librarian), battle-forged balance isn’t entirely possible. I'm gonna be testing this mini-campaign out with a friend who also has never played 40K, so as the "educator" here, I tried weighing the army lists in his favor.
  
• My buddy wants to be Ultramarines, so when I couldn't achieve a perfect balance, I tried to give that army the edge over Death Guard.
  
• I have a double-sided "Wasteland" / "Imperial Stronghold" mat, so I designed the missions with those environments in mind.
  

MINI-CAMPAIGN OUTLINE

The Ultramarines and Death Guard are warring for control of a strategic Imperial world. Their battles have reduced the civilian population centers to ruins. The armies themselves have nearly wiped out one another. With their warlords issuing orders from secret hideouts, the scattered remnants of both armies play a game of cat-and-mouse among the silent, lifeless wastes.

This status quo is about to end. Having escaped from a shattered superstructure beneath the planet’s surface, a dying scientist has issued a distress signal. Both the Ultramarines and the Death Guard pick up the signal, and understand the significance of the installation--it is the secret control center for the planet’s orbital weapons platforms. These platforms were deactivated at the onset of the conflict, which contributed to the slow attrition The army that seizes the control center and reactivates the orbital weapons will be poised to swiftly conclude the conflict.

Orders go out. Ragtag remnants of the nearest battalions mobilize and descend upon the signal.


MISSION #1


Honing in on the distress call, the two armies arrive at the shattered ruins of an Imperial city. While they cannot locate the entrance to the subterranean superstructure itself, they do pinpoint the shell-shocked, half-dead scientist now hiding in terror amongst the ruins. It is a race to “rescue” the scientists, and extract the precise location of the command center’s entrance.

• Mission: The Relic, 223
  
• Battle Mat: Wasteland
  
• Tutorial Objectives: Basic rules / simple combat
  
• UM Units: x1 units of 5 Intercessors (bolt rifles, bolt pistols); x1 Primaris Lieutenant (auto bolt rifle, bolt pistol, counts as Warlord)
  
• DG Units: x1 unit of 10 Poxwalkers; x1 unit of 5 Plague Marines (boltguns, plague knives; one Marine of player’s choosing counts as Warlord)
  
• Special Notes: For the “refugee scientist” objective marker, I’m using a Mantic ghoul.
  

MISSION #2


The [Victorious Army of Mission #1] has honed in on the entrance to the subterranean command center. The enemy force is hot on their heels. The armies engage in a bloody clash at the entrance. Whichever army succeeds in driving off their opponent will afford time to cut through the blast doors and be first to enter the megastructure.

• Battle Mat: Wasteland
  
• Mission: No Mercy pg. 219
  
• Tutorial Objectives: Melee; Intercessors, Bloat-drone
  
• UM Units:  x1 unit of 5 Intercessors (bolt rifles, bolt pistols); x1 Primaris Lieutenant (power sword, bolt pistol; counts as Warlord); x1 unit of 3 Inceptors
  
• DG Units: x1 unit of 6 Plague Marines (x5 w/ boltguns, plague knives; x1 w/ bolt pistol, plaguesword, power fist, counts as Warlord); x1 Foetid Bloat-drone
  

(REMAINING MISSIONS BELOW)

I should add that I picked up a Librarian so my buddy can enjoy testing out the Psyker rules as well; I asked the clerk if I could snap some pics of the stats but forgot about the point cost. I will incorporate into Mission #4 (maybe using the same base stats and cost as the Plaguecaster) but am curious to see what others think before investing the time.

For point costs and stats look at the battlescribe app. As for the rest it sounds pretty cool, but I am not the best person to comment

I would suggest a progressing army size system. An Escalation campaign.
Basically, first game is Patrol Detachments only. Each subsequent game, points limit rises slightly to introduce a new unit for example.

Whoops! Didn't realize I got cut off, must be the word count. That's what I get for trying to do this via mobile. Here is more:


MISSION #3


Delving deep into the subterranean superstructure, the [Victorious Army of Mission #2] has located the master control nodule for the orbital weapons platforms. [The Ultramarine leader need only execute the system protocols to reactivate the platforms] OR [The Death Guard Warlord must bind a daemonic spirit to the system, which will reactivate the platforms and cede control to the Death Guard]. Unfortunately, the [Defeated Army in Mission #2] has infiltrated the facility and hacked into a nearby auxiliary nodule. They are attempting to wrest control of the system. The armies must battle for ultimate control.”

• Battle Mat: Imperial Stronghold
  
• Mission: Secure and Control, pg 222
  
• Tutorial Objectives: Plasma weapons, Buff / Debuff, Psykers
  
• UM Units: x1 unit of 5 Intercessors; x1 unit of 5 Hellblasters; x1 Primaris Lieutenant (power sword, bolt pistol; counts as Warlord); x1 Ancient, x1 Librarian
  
• DG Units: x1 unit of x20 Poxwalkers; x1 unit of 7 Plague Marines (x5 w/ boltguns, plague knives; x1 w/ plasma gun, plague knife; x1 w/ bolt pistol, plaguesword, power fist, counts as Warlord); x1 Noxious Blightbringer (cursed plague bell + plasma pistol), x1 Malignant Plaguecaster