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ThePov
08-29-2009, 09:05 PM
So, I posted this on my fancy new Lounge user Blog, but I decided to see what the internets at large thought of it, and I think I'll get more views here.

I figured I'd give a little idea for a campaign I had. I don't have nearly enough players around here to play it, so it's really just a concept, but the idea is for a Planetary Empires-Based map campaign (with possible BFG tie in) based on a shadowy Mechanicum Forge World. This Forge World's job with in the Hieracrchy of the Imperium was to investiage and try to reverse engineer Xenos technology captured by Mechanicum Tech-Crusades. To further this end, the World was Knowingly built on a slumbering Necron Tomb World, with care taken not to disturb it.

Obviously, the nature of this world's mission would put it at odds with the Inquisition, so it's purpose was masked to all expect for those who live and work there, and the Mechanicum higher-ups. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a massive problem. Unknowingly, a Chaos artifact is brought in to be reverse engineered, and without Inquisition oversight, the Tech-Priests do not realise what it is until it is too late. Thier attempts to unlock it's secrets slowly corrupts the Forge World to the Ruinous Powers. A civil war erupts amoung the Tech-Priests, and just before being destroyed, the loyalist manage to get a single SOS out to Mars.

The Adeptus Mechanicus immideatly realises the trouble they are in, and fabricates a story about a Daemon incursion on a Forge World to garner Inquisition support in their attempt to retake the Forge World, as well as support from the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy, and elements of Several Space Marine Chapters.

The Forces of Chaos immediately realise the value of a fully functional Forge World converted to their cause, and rush to reinforce and fortify the world against the Imperial counter-strike.

When the Imperial forces finally reach the Forge World, a massive battle is waged both in space and at the Imperial landing sites as the Imperium carves out a toe hold, yard by bloody yard. Though the Imperium does establish itself on-world, Chaos reinforcemnts rob them of their hard won orbital supremacy and blunt the momentum of the world's redemption. Soon, the battle reaches a stalemate, and for every manufactorum the Imperium takes, it loses one to the Heretics.

Meanwhile, the Tomb World buried deep beneath the planet stirs from it's millenia-long rest. With all the chaos on the surface, the wards against the Necrons are neglected, and within months, the very ground beneath the quarreling mortals rises up against them as the Tomb World awakens and hordes of Necrons arise.

Faced with this new threat, the true purpose of this Forge World becomes painfully obvious to the Inquisition forces supporting the Mechanicum's crusade of reclamation. Faced with their ally's Heresy, they turn on them, and soon the Imperial Forces are split down the middle, fighting not only the forces of Chaos, not only the Necrons consuming the world, but each other as well. And when the Inquisition calls for a fleet of their own to destroy the Planet out-right, the battle becomes not just a fight for territory and supremacy, but a desperate struggle for survival.




So thats it, my grand campaign idea. Four sides, Mechanicum, Inquisition, Necron, and Chaos, all fighting for the same planet. In terms of campaign mechanics, it starts out with the Mechanicum and Inquisiton landing side by side in a massive Planetstrike/Apoc game, then working side by side grudingly, until one side moves into the Necron's home hex, which is seceretly placed by the campaign master. When that happens, another Planetstrike/Apoc game is played, with the Necrons erupting from beneath the planet. After that, the two Imperial sides are now at odds and can fight each other, and the campaign then has a turn limit until a climactic BFG/Apoc battle is played. Like I said, I'll likely never actually play this, so if you want, go ahead and use it.

What do you guys think? Good story for a campaign? Problems you see? Masses of praise to throw at my feet? What are your thoughts after reading this.

entendre_entendre
08-29-2009, 09:12 PM
very nice! seems a shame you don't have enough people to play it :( it would be great fun. it would be nice to see the space marine chapters involved choosing sides due to fluff (ex. Iron Hands going w/ Mechanicum after split).

Emperorsmercy
09-02-2009, 03:44 AM
How would you represent mechanicum forces?

ThePov
09-02-2009, 04:42 AM
Well, my idea was to neccesitate that the forces supporting the Inquisition would need some sort of Inquisitorial ally, and forces supporting the Mechanicum would need to take some sort of TechPriest/Techmarine. Not as good as a whole Mechanicum codex, but then again we don't have that, now do we?

JamesP
09-02-2009, 07:17 AM
Well, my idea was to neccesitate that the forces supporting the Inquisition would need some sort of Inquisitorial ally, and forces supporting the Mechanicum would need to take some sort of TechPriest/Techmarine. Not as good as a whole Mechanicum codex, but then again we don't have that, now do we?

I've seen a lot of armies posted on the net where they've combined Guard and Witchunters army lists to represent Mechanicus forces very effectively - Storm Troopers and Guard Veterans with carapace represent the Skitarii, Orgryns and Penitent Engines are Praetorian combat servitors, Archo-Flagellants are Electro Priests, etc.

Tempus Fugitives came up with a very nice Mechanicus army list a year or two ago, if you register with their site you can still download it AFAIK. They also did a Dark Mechanicus list, using elements from the Daemons codex.

Patternmaker
09-02-2009, 02:58 PM
This Forge World's job with in the Hieracrchy of the Imperium was to investiage and try to reverse engineer Xenos technology captured by Mechanicum Tech-Crusades.


I small detail to add to your Campaign. More orthodox and traditional Tech Priests are actually against the idea of reverse engineering xenos technology. When the Inquisitor game first came out; White Dwarf published an article about a rogue group of Tech Priests who maintained studies of Xenos technology.

I don't think this really changes your campaign idea, it just adds a bit more clarity. I think it's possible that you could have both Mechanicum and Inquistors both for and against the use of Xenos tech. Both organization are highly political and have varying cults and sects with different agendas.

I know you are not planning playing this story out in a game, but I do hope you continue developing the story.

Sitnam
09-07-2009, 01:20 AM
I don't think this really changes your campaign idea, it just adds a bit more clarity. I think it's possible that you could have both Mechanicum and Inquisitors both for and against the use of Xenos tech. Both organization are highly political and have varying cults and sects with different agendas.

Having read the Eisenhorn series, I would have to agree on this. The inquisition is very split up, and it seems the titular character fights other inquisitors just as much as the enemies of the Imperium. In addition, he had a good working relationship with one Mechanicum adept iirc. Plus, the idea of a Inquisitor and Techpriest working together vs another pair just like them can lead to many interesting story lines. Add in various SM chapters and IG regiments, some fighting with the radicals, some with the puritans, and you have a classic 40k storyline: Imperium vs Imperium vs Miscellaneous.