Handling three and four players effectively

[ealiff]

After how helpful the community was in answering my first question, I'm back for more. With the holidays upon us, my gaming group is planning to get together this weekend for a big day of gaming. While we've played 1v1 scenarios plenty of times, we are looking for effective ways to be able to have the three or four of us game together. I saw the Carnage release on the Advent calendar, and we may end up playing that, but I'm wondering if any of you have seen particularly fun scenarios involving three players (1v1v1 or 2v1) or four players (2v2 or free for all)? I've seen people mention that coming up with them yourself can be fun--I'm just interested in finding a base to work from of scenarios that other players have successfully developed.

Along with this would be a question of army points and whether or not to do a shared Force Org for the teams. In advance, I appreciate any direction in this area!

[Mr Mystery]

If it's a free for all, research the recent Warhammer expansion (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440005a&prodId=prod2250034a)

It's about multiplayer, all on all battles. Much of it should adaptable to 40k.

[Wolfshade]

When you have only two sides they can run pretty much as per normal 1v1 games, though you have to balance FOCs, so for instance If it were player 1 vs player 2 and 3, then player 1 has in effect two armies 1a and 1b, rules for allies and what not apply.

With the many you can try having random whole turns, so each player picks a number from 1 to n out of a cup and have an entire player turn in that order and once everyone has had a turn re-pick to keep it random, the other way is a more LoTR style, and you pick for each phase so pick for movement, pick for shooting then pick for assault this I feel is better.

One thing that you do have to look out for that one player doesn't get singled out unfairly. If things like that happen then this is where an independent games master comes in and balances it with "random" acts such as orbital bombardment, fog (to block los/provide shrouded) unexpected reserves and the such like.

[Anakzar]

For 3 person pick up games. We have found its best to play either a relic type game or one objective in the middle of the board to hold. Set up the board with line of sight blocking terrain in the middle blocking all the way to one long edge. Deploy 2 of the armies along the long side on either side of the line of sight blocking terrain and the 3rd on the other long side. This way you don't start less than 24 inches from each other.

The last 3 person game I played we had the objective be the last barrel of ale on the planet. Mainly because all 3 of us showed up with biker type armies. Eldar, Space marines, and orks.... Sadly I can't remember who won but I do remember that the elder got the the barrel first but was shot off then my ork leader got the barrel only to be charged and challenged by the SM leader, they both had powerfist/claws so ended up killing each other and dropping the barrel. Oh and the Eldar player had a wraithloard leader type I think anyhow the SM player took 2 wounds off and was irked to see my orks finish him off with vollyes of warbike shots(I think it took 3 whole mobs shooting 36 shots each...)

Another good way to set up for 3 and 4 player games is to start each army in a corner, using an arc from the corner. make sure that the deployment zones are 24 inches away from each other. Equal length sides work best for this 4X4 or for bigger battles push two tables together to get a 6X6 playing surface.

If you have 4 players that want to play together It works out well to team up with each other. But I recommend 1k each so you end up with 2k on each side. Also each team gets to fill only one FOC, each member of the team gets one HQ and 2 troops. Then fill in the rest by agreement so you end up 2 HQ 4 troops mandatory and no more than 3 for each of the Elite, fast and heavy, and 2 more troops to play with if needed. You can then play any of the BRB scenarios or may up your own.

[Lord-Boofhead]

Just invest in the Carnage Scenario once it hits the virtual stands...

[interrogator_chaplain]

My friends and I worked out a deployment solution for 3 player games that helps mitigate the carnage for the poor person in the middle sandwiched by two armies.
http://i.imgur.com/bOosiByl.jpg

Giving each player 1 12"X12" deployment zone on each side of the table, but making sure that you're not across from your own opposite force maintains a decent balance. We use the Crusade rules and have done it with more than 3 objectives. Using up to 6 with random point values. We've found that this really helps in 3 person Free-For-Alls.

I wrote a longer article over on the Homebrew Rules board (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?37679-40k-3-Person-Deployment).

[Tyrendian]

so, anyone who got Carnage willing to give a brief summary? sounds kinda like Triumph&Treachery lite - is it any good?

[Lost Vyper]

When we play 1v1v1 in our FLGC, it´s most important, that you don't follow the normal "who goes first and same turns after that" -format. We use simple tactic. Each game turn we throw dice and see who goes first,second and third. This will reduce the effect on "let´s gang up on the third player who goes last" -syndrome, we like it and it works for us, but just don´t play KP -missions, they just don´t work...

[SaveModifier]

Carnage puts each player in a 24x12 corner of the board, roll off for choosing a corner, deployment, and first turn, no seizing the initiative, melee happens on every player turn that the active player has a unit in, so if there is an ork player and its his turn, he has 2 units in combat, one with space marines and the other with eldar, they all take a combat round with those units, but if the eldar player had a unit in combat with the space marine player, they wouldn't fight until either the space marine or eldars turn