ElectricPaladin
10-06-2012, 10:16 AM
I've recently started teaching Warhammer 40k to a couple of kids at the middle school where I teach. One of them saw a copy of the mini rulebook sitting on my desk and started flipping through it, enthusing over the pictures. I thought it would be fun to start a thread to record my progress for any of you who have similar opportunities, as well as collect your advice.
That said, let's launch into what happened on Day One: the Basics.
The first scenario was simple. I placed some blocking terrain, a forest, and two inch tall plastic skull on a table, with the plastic skull in the center. I gave each student five of my tactical marines, including a sergeant, and told them the rules of the scenario: each force wanted to claim the skull. To pick up the skull, you needed to have two models in base contact with it at the end of their movement phase. With models holding the skull, a unit's movement was halved, and the models holding the skull could not shoot or charge into combat (though they would automatically drop the skull and participate in combat on the next round).
This scenario allowed me to explain movement, unit coherency, shooting, and, as it turned out, close combat and overwatch, since one of my students charged the other as soon as it was remotely feasible. In fact, because the two units got locked in close combat (after the sergeants killed each other with power axes), the game ended with a draw, neither player having ever bothered to pick up the skull.
The second scenario was a little more complicated. I gave each student a full 10-man tactical squad, including a plasma gun and plasma cannon. I took control of an autocannon predator. The scenario: a traitor has taken control of one of your tanks and is trying to escape with it. Your job is to stop him, even if that means blowing up the tank. Of course, the greatest glory went to the commander whose troops actually claimed the traitor's life.
This scenario allowed me to explain heavy weapons, morale, damaging vehicles, and meltabombs. The meltabombs were key, as one of my students combat-squadded his tacs, distracted the tank with the plasma weapons, and charged it with his melta-bomb sergeant, blowing up the tank with a single penetrating hit.
That was all we had time for on Friday. I think next week I'll use my land speeders to give my students a chance to control vehicles, themselves.
Feel free to comment with questions, advice, and accolades. More posts certainly to come!
That said, let's launch into what happened on Day One: the Basics.
The first scenario was simple. I placed some blocking terrain, a forest, and two inch tall plastic skull on a table, with the plastic skull in the center. I gave each student five of my tactical marines, including a sergeant, and told them the rules of the scenario: each force wanted to claim the skull. To pick up the skull, you needed to have two models in base contact with it at the end of their movement phase. With models holding the skull, a unit's movement was halved, and the models holding the skull could not shoot or charge into combat (though they would automatically drop the skull and participate in combat on the next round).
This scenario allowed me to explain movement, unit coherency, shooting, and, as it turned out, close combat and overwatch, since one of my students charged the other as soon as it was remotely feasible. In fact, because the two units got locked in close combat (after the sergeants killed each other with power axes), the game ended with a draw, neither player having ever bothered to pick up the skull.
The second scenario was a little more complicated. I gave each student a full 10-man tactical squad, including a plasma gun and plasma cannon. I took control of an autocannon predator. The scenario: a traitor has taken control of one of your tanks and is trying to escape with it. Your job is to stop him, even if that means blowing up the tank. Of course, the greatest glory went to the commander whose troops actually claimed the traitor's life.
This scenario allowed me to explain heavy weapons, morale, damaging vehicles, and meltabombs. The meltabombs were key, as one of my students combat-squadded his tacs, distracted the tank with the plasma weapons, and charged it with his melta-bomb sergeant, blowing up the tank with a single penetrating hit.
That was all we had time for on Friday. I think next week I'll use my land speeders to give my students a chance to control vehicles, themselves.
Feel free to comment with questions, advice, and accolades. More posts certainly to come!