Note for Attendees -

Our final mission and rules packets for all events will be professionally laid out and published in hard copy for you within full color Guidebooks at the NOVA Open 2016. Leading up to the event, the Primers are presented in the following format in order to enable event leads to keep registered and prospective attendees up to speed with changes and updates as efficiently as possible.

Please e-mail novaopen@gmail.com with any questions!

Version - 1.15 (3/28/2016)

• The QRF detachment was tweaked to only allow choosing warlord traits from the BRB, and rerolls if choosing from other tables.

Version - 1.1 (1/31/2016)

• Doubles partners’ armies are allies of convenience regardless of factions.
• Optional Quick Reaction Force detachment made more restrictive.
• Models with more than 9 hull points or wounds are prohibited.
• Invisibility amended to shooting at BS1, hitting in close combat on 5+.
• Rerolled 2+ saves only succeed on a 4+.
• Detailed mapping from NOVA appearance judging to 40k Trios scores.

Version - 1.01 (1/3/2016)

• Minor formatting revisions.

Version - 1.0 (1/1/2016)

• Initial release.

2016 40K Trios Team Tournament Primer

Overview

The Warhammer 40,000 Trios Team Tournament at the NOVA Open is a twist on always-popular team play for 40k. Players register and compete in teams of three. Over the course of three rounds each player battles once on their own using a full size army list, and twice using a smaller list partnered with each of their teammates. This gives players a chance to field all their usual toys, and requires them to be able to fight on their own, but also ensures two great games battling alongside two friends, an excellent way to play 40k!

NOVA 40k Trios is intended to be a fun, casual event. Everybody should play to win, but most of all play to have a great time. Overall scoring for the event includes significant points for sportsmanship, hobby skills, and the narrative for your team. Army composition is more open-ended and standard than in many doubles events, but the missions and other rules are designed to apply some balance while still allowing your favorite toys. For example, superheavy and gargantuan creatures are permitted, but risk giving away points and other advantages to your opponent(s). The missions also include several strategic goals from which players choose, allowing you to fight toward the strengths of your army and play style.

Updates to the NOVA 40k Trios for 2016 from previous years include:

• 1850 point standalone battles, to better fit time constraints;
• Army structures in line with 7th edition 40k;
• Horus Heresy Age of Darkness armies permitted;
• Superheavies and gargantuans permitted, but with mission penalties;
• Optional Quick Reaction Force detachment;
• Doubles gameplay, e.g., the psychic phase, clarified and streamlined;
• Revised scoring components, with explicit metrics;
• Personal Warlord Achievements;
• Whole new missions.

Schedule

The 2016 NOVA 40k Trios event is a 1-day tournament of 3 rounds, from 10am to 8pm on Thursday, September 1st. Players may easily participate in it along with all of the other great NOVA events over the following days, including the signature NOVA Open Warhammer 40,000 GT and Narrative tracks. Information on the other events available and the overall schedule may be found on the NOVA website. The detailed schedule for the Trios is as follows:

Please note that time limits for each round will be strictly kept, in order to ensure everyone can transition on time to the 40k Narrative kickoff following the Trios!

Materials

Each player must bring typed, printed copies of their army lists for the tournament staff and your opponents. You will need 2 copies of your standalone list, and 3 of your doubles list.

You must have an official, legal, complete physical or digital copy on hand for all army, unit, and other sources you are using. You should bring printed copies of relevant pages of any electronic sources. Don't forget errata and FAQs for your sources, available from Games Workshop's Rules Errata webpage.

You must bring any dice, templates, and markers you need to facilitate playing your army.

Awards

All prizes and awards packages are provided through the generosity of the partners, sponsors, and vendors of the NOVA Open. Please share in our appreciation for their support of the community by patronizing their vendor spaces, online stores, and/or store fronts.

Awards will be given out immediately after the conclusion of the Trios tournament (see the schedule above).

Teams

The 2016 NOVA 40k Trios will award team prizes for the following titles:

• Renaissance Trio. To the team with the highest sum of total victory points earned, Sportsmanship, Theme, and Painting scores.
• Strategists Trio. To the team with the greatest number of wins, then draws, then highest total victory points earned, then Overall score.
• Artists Trio. To the team with the highest Painting & Appearance score, then Theme, then Sportsmanship, then victory points.
• Storytellers Trio. To the team with the highest Theme score, then Painting & Appearance, then Sportsmanship, then victory points.

No team will be awarded more than one prize. In the event a team would win more than one, their other prizes in descending order along the list above would be awarded to the next best team. E.g., if a team wins both Renaissance Trio and Artists Trio, they would be awarded the Renaissance Trio prize and the team with the next highest Painting & Appearance score would be awarded the Artists Trio prize.

Individuals

An additional individual recognition will also be given:

• Trios Warmaster. To the player with the highest sum total Warlord Achievements earned, then Overall score for their team.

A player may receive the prize for being the Warmaster even if their team also won an award.

Format

In each of the three rounds, Trios teams will be paired off against an opposing team. The teams play two games simultaneously: One team member fights a standalone battle against a player from the opposing team, while the remaining two teammates join up for a doubles match against the other two opposing players. Each player must play a standalone battle, but teams may choose which player does so in each round. Teams make and declare this decision simultaneously with their opponents after informing each other of the factions each player is fielding, but before formally exchanging army lists.Both the standalone and doubles games use the same mission in each round.

Scoring

Overall scoring is the sum of four components, for a total of 200 points:

Victory Points

Each Trios mission has 20 victory points available. Teams sum the victory points earned in both their standalone and doubles games each round, for 40 victory points available per round, 120 total throughout the Trios tournament.

Sportsmanship

At the conclusion of each round, teams score their opponent team on sportsmanship. By default teams score 10 sportsmanship points per round, but are docked points for misbehavior by the following rubric:

If any player on a Trios team exhibits one of these issues, then the entire team is docked.

Note that it is perfectly acceptable for teams to score maximum sportsmanship points. We hope that everyone does! Sportsmanship scores should be seen as free points, with poor sportsmanship penalized, rather than an award for for minimally acceptable behavior.

Theme

A team may earn up to 26 theme points for having and presenting a cohesive narrative for their combined armies. These will be judged along with the painting & appearance evaluation during the lunch break; please have your armies on display if you wish to be scored! Theme points will be awarded over six components by the following metrics, encompassing the entirety of the players' armies (i.e., the 3 standalone army lists).

• [3 pts] Factions. Given accepted conventions of the 40k universe, would the factions being fielded really fight together?

• [3 pts] Absolutely, no question (all Battle Brothers)
• [2 pts] Vaguely plausible (some Allies of Convenience)
• [1 pts] In a unique situation (some Desperate Allies)
• [0 pts] Definitely not (some Come the Apocalypse pairs)

• [5 pts] Storyline. How original and/or compelling is the underlying narrative of why these forces have come together?

• [5 pts] Original and fascinating
• [3 pts] Detailed and interesting
• [2 pts] Simple, cliched
• [1 pts] Extremely meager
• [0 pts] No narrative

• [5 pts] Storytelling. How and how well is that narrative presented? Note that this could take many forms---textual fiction, artwork, audio drama, etc.---and that quality is more important than size.

• [5 pts] A work of art/poetry
• [3 pts] Impressive materials, e.g., a nicely presented text or drawing
• [2 pts] Prepared materials, e.g., a basic writeup or sketch
• [1 pts] Casual and ad hoc, e.g., a verbal pitch by the team or scribbled notes
• [0 pts] No presentation

• [5 pts] Visual Theme. How well is that narrative captured by the armies themselves? Note that this is not a score on technical painting and hobby skill, which is evaluated separately. This is instead how well the models themselves capture the given narrative.

• [5 pts] The models and story are uniquely tailored for each other
• [3 pts] Extensive connections between the narrative and the models
• [2 pts] Some relationship between the narrative and the models
• [1 pts] The models fit the story, but any models would
• [0 pts] No relationship

• [5 pts] Display Scene. How well are the armies presented, and how well does that presentation tie into the narrative?

• [5 pts] Impressive display board, really capturing the narrative
• [3 pts] Good display board, tied into the narrative
• [2 pts] Above average display board, not particularly related to the narrative
• [1 pts] Standard display board
• [0 pts] No display board

• [3 pts] Team Extras. Does the team have any other bits, potentially outside their narrative, that are interesting? Examples include team clothing, shot glasses, unique and coordinated army cases, and anything else that might impress or amuse the judge(s).

• [3 pts] Unique or very well done team flair
• [2 pts] A bit of team flair
• [1 pts] Some team coordination
• [0 pts] No extras

Painting & Appearance

NOVA Open painting judges will evaluate the technical craftsmanship present in each army to produce a painting and appearance score for the 40k Trios Team Tournament. This judging will be conducted during the lunch break, please have your armies on display if you wish to be scored. Note that this evaluation is across your entire trios team, so make sure your partners get all their painting done, and don’t forget the bases!

The standardized NOVA Open painting and appearance judging process and rubrics are available from the NOVA Open website. In short, the judges rank armies into four tiers, from Tier 4, Ineligible (not painted), to Tier 1, Work of Art (masterfully painted). Most armies wind up in Tier 2, Tournament Standard, and some in Tier 3, Tabletop Mnimum (essentially the classic “3-color minimum”). The few armies that make it into Tier 1 are evaluated by the judges in more detail and given an additional NOVA Open painting score ranging from -12 to 12.

Those tiers and general painting score will be mapped to 40k Trios scoring as in the following table, for a total possible painting and appearance score of 24 points. Again, keep in mind this is across your entire team’s armies.

Pairings

Match pairs for the initial round are randomly determined. The second and third round pairs are determined by Dutch Swiss pairing: All teams are grouped by win/draw/loss tallies, and then ranked within each group by total victory points. Starting from the top group, in groups with an odd number of teams, the lowest ranked team is shifted into the next best group. Within each group, the highest ranked team is paired to the lowest ranked team, then the 2nd highest team to the 2nd lowest team, and so on.

Army Composition

Each player must prepare two army lists:

• Standalone List. For your individual battle, up to 1850 points and Battle Forged
• Doubles List. For your two team games, up to 1000 points and Battle Forged

The doubles list need not be a subset of the standalone list, but cannot use any factions not in the standalone list.

No models with more than 9 Hull Points or Wounds are permitted, but superheavy and gargantuan creatures are otherwise allowed.

No other requirements or constraints are placed on detachments, formations, or force organization beyond being battle forged. An optional Quick Reaction Force detachment is made available for this event, described below.

Sources

Forgeworld units and armies eligible for standard Warhammer 40,000, i.e., not Apocalypse, are permitted. Units and armies from Forgeworld's Horus Heresy Age of Darkness books are also permitted.

All up-to-date, official Warhammer 40,000 army sources are permitted that are available in current publication. This does include White Dwarf entries, which are available via back issues, and current campaign books. It does not include limited edition dataslates and formations, e.g., those included in mega-bundles. Contact the tournament organizer(s) beforehand about any questions. Remember that you must have all sources on hand.

For any codex or supplement re-released within two weeks preceding the event, players may choose whether to use the old or new edition. They may not use both editions of a single source within the event, e.g., allying old with new.

Models

Models need not be painted, but painting scores will be applied to overall standings to reward finished armies.

Models must be WYSIWYG, but identifiable and thoughtful conversions and proxies are welcome. Indistinguishable or confusing proxies are not permitted. Contact the tournament organizer(s) beforehand with any questions.

Quick Reaction Force

Players may optionally employ a Quick Reaction Force detachment in either of their lists, defined as follows.

Force Organization

An army may only contain a single Quick Reaction Force detachment.

All units in the detachment must have the same faction, or have no faction.

The detachment is comprised of units from the following battlefield roles.

A Quick Reaction Force detachment must include one Fast Attack and one Heavy Support choice. It may include up to three selections in one of those roles, but must contain one and only one selection in the other role. I.e., the detachment must adhere to one of the following options, excluding dedicated transports as usual:

• 1–3 Fast Attack and 1 Heavy Support
• 1 Fast Attack and 1–3 Heavy Support

Command Benefits

The following advantages are granted for utilizing this detachment:

• Objective Secured. All scoring units in this detachment except superheavy vehicles and gargantuan creatures gain Objective Secured. A unit with this special rule controls objectives even if an enemy scoring unit is within range of the objective marker, unless the enemy unit also has this special rule.
• QRF Commander. If this detachment is your primary detachment, instead of rolling a random warlord trait you may choose a warlord trait from the tables in the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.  If you wish to use a different table of warlord traits, i.e., from a codex, then you must roll a random trait, but may reroll the result.

Gameplay Rules

This section defines how the doubles games will work, and a few other gameplay rules.

Core

The following rules in this section apply to all of the NOVA 40k Team Trios Tournament games.

The Invisibility psychic power is amended to be:

For any failed 2+ save that may be rerolled, the reroll only succeeds on a 4+.

Doubles

The following rules in this section apply in the doubles games.

Both players in a team select and field their own separate army lists. Regardless of factions, teammates consider their partner's units and models to be allies of convenience to their own army. In addition, both players on a team nominate a warlord for themselves as usual, thus each pair will have two warlords in play.

Results rolled by a player on the Warp Storm table (Codex: Chaos Daemons) do not affect their teammate's army and models unless specifically dictated by the table, i.e., other Chaos Daemons or marked Chaos Space Marines.

In the psychic phase, a single D6 is rolled by the current team to determine the base warp charge from which each of the four players generate their own individual pools, applying the usual rules to their own models. Players all use their own warp charge pool; teammates cannot combine or share warp charge. Either opposing player with models on the table may attempt to deny the witch, caveat that if a specific unit of enemy models is targeted, their player alone may attempt to block the spell.

Units may not shoot at close combats even if none of their player's units are engaged.

Teams are not eliminated unless there are no models of either member on the table.

For all other gameplay purposes the combined forces of a team are considered a single army comprised of multiple detachments, and the team considered a single player for all rules except when specifically distinguished by the missions here. How units belonging to different players in a team may interact are thus governed by the rules for allies of convenience, on page 126 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.

Warmaster

Independent of team scoring by victory points, each player will receive a card with a table of Warlord Achievements. At the end of each game, check off a box on the table for each condition that you met. The individual player who secures the greatest number of warlord achievements across all games will be declared Warmaster of the NOVA 40k Trios.

The Warlord Achievements are as follows.

Mission Rules

Match results are determined by scoring primary, secondary, and tertiary objectives as given for each mission. The winner is the team with more victory points at game end. The teams draw if they have earned equal victory points. No more than 20 victory points may be earned per game (thus each round a team may earn 40 victory points between its standalone and doubles games). At most 9 victory points may be earned from primary objectives, 6 victory points from secondary objectives, and 5 victory points from tertiary objectives each game.

The following rules are to be applied to each mission in each round.

Startup Sequence

At the start of each match, do the following:

1. Greet opponents and inform each other of the factions fielded by each player.
2. Simultaneously declare which player on each team will contest the standalone battle.
3. Randomly determine which of the two tables assigned for the match to use for each game.

The start of each game then proceeds as follows unless the mission notes otherwise:

1. Determine warlord traits, then psychic powers, and then other pre-game effects and choices
2. D6 roll off to select deployment zones
3. Place primary objective markers
4. D6 roll off to choose first or second deployment
5. Deploy main armies in that order
6. Deploy any Infiltrators (pg. 167)
7. Secretly choose and record secondary objectives from the options listed for the mission
8. Make any Scout redeployments (pg. 171)
9. Reveal secondary objectives and any related selections or marker placements as directed
10. First to deploy chooses to play first or second
11. Seize the Initiative roll, if desired and permitted
12. Battle!

Standard objective placement constraints apply unless noted otherwise by a specific mission.

Common Mission Rules

The following special rules are applied to each mission unless noted otherwise.

• Easy Recon. Add +1 to your roll to choose first or second deployment for each superheavy vehicle, gargantuan creature, or mighty bulwark in the opposing army.
• Reserves. As defined on page 135 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.
• Seize the Initiative. As defined on page 132 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.
• Variable Game Length. As defined on page 133 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.
• All In. Units/models in reserve at game end count as completely destroyed/removed as a casualty.

Tertiary Objectives

The following tertiary objectives apply in each mission. At most 5 total victory points may be earned by a player across all of the tertiary objectives.

• Victory Through Attrition. Score 1 victory point for every 2 unsaved hull points or wounds suffered by an opposing superheavy vehicle or gargantuan creature through any means, including explosions and other indirect effects. These points are earned at the end of any phase in which such damage occurs, and thus include any repaired or regenerated later.
• Slay the Warlord. If your opponent's Warlord or a Lord of War character of theirs has been removed as a casualty or is falling back at the end of the game, score 2 victory points.
• Linebreaker. Score 2 victory points if a model from any friendly scoring unit is completely within 12" of your opponent's table edge.
• First Blood. As defined on page 133 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.
• Special Conditions. Any unit, faction, formation, or other special rules granting victory points to either player are considered tertiary objectives and are included within the 5 point cap for that player.

Elimination

If all the forces of one side are eliminated from a game, the remaining player(s) only score as many points as they can by quickly playing out the rest of the game. For example, a player could not claim 3 objectives if they only have a single unit remaining.

Mission 1: Aggression

Table Setup

Deployment zones are Dawn of War, as on page 131 of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook (12" long edges).

After selecting deployment zones, roll off on D6. In that order, both players alternate placing one primary objective marker each in their opponent's deployment zone, and then one in the neutral ground outside both zones, for a total of 4 markers on the table.

Mission Specific Rules

The following mission specific rules apply, in addition to those applied to all missions in this packet.

• Take Command. Units joined by an independent character HQ model gain the Objective Secured rule, as defined on rulebook page 122.

Scoring

This mission is scored by objectives achieved, as follows.

Primary Objectives

Before any Scout redeployments, both players secretly choose one of the following primary scoring mechanisms for themselves:

• Continuous. Beginning with Turn 2, score 1 victory point at the end of each of your player turns for each primary objective marker you control.
• End Game. At game end, score 3 victory points for each primary objective marker you control.

This selection is declared along with the choice of secondary objective, below. Remember that no more than 9 victory points may be earned toward primary objectives.

Secondary Objectives

After deployment, both players simultaneously choose and then reveal a single secondary objective for themselves from the list below. Any necessary selections are chosen and then revealed with the objective unless noted otherwise. No more than 6 victory points may be earned via any secondary.

• Overrun. At game end, count how many scoring units you have at least partially within your opponent's half of the table, and how many scoring units your opponent has at least partially within your half of the table. If your number is higher, score 2 victory points for each point of difference.
• Assassination. Score 1 victory point for each opposing character model removed as a casualty or falling back at the end of the game. Note that this is not limited to just independent characters.
• Meatgrinder. Score 1 victory point for each opposing Troop unit completely destroyed or falling back at the end of the game.
• Seize Ground. Choose two terrain pieces not in your deployment zone. Do not declare these now, but do secretly record your selection unambiguously! Reveal these at game end and score 3 victory points for each piece that you control, treating them as objective markers. Note that this means a single unit cannot claim both a primary objective marker and a terrain piece simultaneously.

Tertiary Objectives

As given in the overall Common Mission Rules section of this packet.

Mission 2: Hostility

Table Setup

Deployment zones are Dawn of War, as on page 131 of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook (12" long edges).

Place six secondary objective markers: One in each table corner 12" from both edges, and two more along the table centerline each 24" from the long edges and 27" from a short edge.

Mission Specific Rules

The following mission specific rules apply, in addition to those applied to all missions in this packet.

• Night Falls. If either player opts for Night Falls before any deployment begins, on a single D6 of 4+ all units except superheavy vehicles and gargantuan creatures have Stealth throughout Turns 5, 6, and 7.

Scoring

This mission is scored by objectives achieved, as follows.

Primary Objectives

At game end, each unit that has been eliminated, is falling back, is in reserve, or has at most 25% of its starting models remaining is broken. Earn 2 victory points per quartile if at least 25%, 50%, and 75% of the opposing army by units is broken. Earn 1 victory point per quartile if at least 25%, 50%, and 75% of your army is not broken. An additional victory point is earned by the player who has had a smaller percentage of the units in their army broken. If one player has been completely eliminated, the opposing player gains an additional victory point. No more than 9 victory points may be earned via this primary objective.

Secondary Objectives

After deployment, both players simultaneously choose and then reveal a single secondary objective for themselves from the list below. Any necessary selections are chosen and then revealed with the objective unless noted otherwise. No more than 6 victory points may be earned via any secondary.

• Majority Control. At the end of each game turn, score 1 victory point if you control more objective markers than your opponent. Score an additional point if you control more than half of the markers.
• Hold The Field. Score 2 victory points for every 2 objective markers held at game end.
• Seize Ground. Choose two terrain pieces not in your deployment zone. Do not declare these now, but do secretly record your selection unambiguously! Reveal these at game end and score 3 victory points for each piece that you control, treating them as objective markers. Note that this means a single unit cannot claim both a primary objective marker and a terrain piece simultaneously.
• Assassination. Score 1 victory point for each opposing character model removed as a casualty or falling back at the end of the game. Note that this is not limited to just independent characters.

Tertiary Objectives

As given in the overall Common Mission Rules section of this packet.

Mission 3: Madness

Table Setup

Deployment zones are Vanguard Strike, as defined on page 131 of the main Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. Vanguard Strike may be approximated by deploying within a 33.5" x 50" table corner triangle. The player that wins the zone roll off may pick any of the four corners, and the other player takes that diagonally opposite.

After determining deployment zones, place two primary objective markers each 18" from a short table edge and 24" from the long edges. Players then roll off on D6 and in that order alternate placing a total of four more objective markers. Each player must place their first marker in their opponent's deployment zone and their second in their own deployment zone. Label all of the markers 1 through 6 in any fashion.

Mission Specific Rules

The following mission specific rules apply, in addition to those applied to all missions in this packet.

• Night Fighting. If either player opts for Night Fighting before any deployment begins, on a single D6 of 4+ all units except superheavy vehicles and gargantuan creatures have Stealth throughout Turn 1.
• Standing Orders. At the start of your turns, draw tactical objectives until you have a total of six in play.
• Maelstrom. To draw a tactical objective, roll a D66 and consult your tactical objective table, included at the end of this mission packet. If that objective is already in play for you, has been achieved, or is scratched off, roll again. Similarly, if that objective would be provably impossible to score, e.g., your opponent has no characters remaining, roll again. Once a valid objective has been rolled, mark it as in play.
  
  Targets cannot be nominated or chosen for a tactical objective marked with a † that have already been chosen for a † objective you have in play.
  
  At the end of your turns, check the requirements for each tactical objective you have in play. For each fixed-value objective met, mark it as achieved and score the associated value in mission points (n.b.: not victory points). Tactical objectives with a value of X may be kept in play as long as you wish. At the end of any of your turns while in play they may be marked as achieved and scored as indicated. Once achieved, objectives are no longer considered in play and cannot be put in play or scored again.
  
  Multiple objectives can be scored in a turn, caveat that you cannot achieve multiple tactical objectives with the same exact title in the same turn using the same marker(s) or unit(s). E.g., to score both Storm objectives at once, you would need to simultaneously control two separate markers in the enemy deployment zone.
  
  At the end of your turn you may scratch out one of your tactical objectives in play to remove it from play.
  
  Tactical objectives in play, achieved, and scratched out are not secret.

Scoring

This mission is scored by objectives achieved, as follows.

Primary Objectives

At game end, compare mission points earned through tactical objectives achieved and award victory points to the higher and lower scorer as follows:

Secondary Objectives

After deployment, both players simultaneously choose and then reveal a single secondary objective for themselves from the list below. Any necessary selections are chosen and then revealed with the objective unless noted otherwise. No more than 6 victory points may be earned via any secondary.

• Hold The Field. Score 2 victory points for every 2 objective markers held at game end.
• Breach Points. Choose two terrain pieces at least partially in the opposing deployment zone. Do not declare these now, but do secretly record your selection unambiguously! Reveal these at game end and score 3 victory points for each piece that you control, treating them as objective markers.Note that this means a single unit cannot claim both a primary objective marker and a terrain piece simultaneously.
• Break Their Back. At game end, each enemy unit that has been eliminated, is falling back, or has at most 25% of its starting models remaining is broken. Earn 2 victory points per quartile if at least 25%, 50%, and 75% of your opponent's army by units is broken.
• Seek and Destroy. Choose and declare a Battlefield Role other than Troop. Score 2 victory points for each enemy unit of this role completely destroyed or falling back at the end of the game.

Tertiary Objectives

As given in the overall Common Mission Rules section of this packet.