playtesting now!
tabletop ops: WARGAMING CAMPAIGN RULES
Free campaign system designed for games from 40k to Epic 40k and other 6mm games. From platoon and company to division scale. From WWI to Sci-Fi settings!
These free Universal Campaign rules feature:
- Formations (platoon to battalion size) moving independently on the map
- Unit losses are removed from your Order of Battle
- Commanders generate order tokens, which allow formations to perform orders like move, pick battle plans when engaged, build structures, call artillery fire missions and more.
battle orders
Battle Orders: When 2 or more formations are engaged, each commander rolls off. The most wins picks the type of battle to play, as well as which map tiles are the battlefield (Played on tabletop)
This means that reserves can come on from the table edge and the battles reflect what's happening on the map.
PLAY A MORE REALISTIC CAMPAIGN WITH:
- Simple resources and victory point system
- Recon system
- Supply and logistics mechanics: formations that are too far from your supply depots,or have been cut off via enemy formations suffer penalties to their shooting and movement during games.
- A whole bunch of narrative and faction archetype rules to inspire your narratives
- Asymmetrical win conditions
The rules have a number of balancing and modular options, so if the rules will break your game or are too detailed for your preference: just don't use them! Simple.
No AI used! It's in Alpha, I'm just play-testing it now and getting player
feedback. If you have tried the rules out please let me know what you think in the quick survey.
the mission
You’ve read the history books. You know the lore. You’ve spend hundreds of dollars on minis.
Hours of research, many months working on painting minis and terrain.
Finally, you have a free Sunday for a game with your mate. Stoked!
You pick a mission, from the rulebook – or maybe an app. Your friend is getting their army out, while
you look over the official map layouts.
“So what are are the objectives?” They ask.
Fiddling with the tape measure, you reply “Those four circles, 12” from the centre”
“Gotha - Are they scored by round, or at the end of the game?”
“Uh..by round”
“Sick, here’s my list – 2001 points, is that cool? - Couldn’t quite fit my new unit in”
20 mins later, you admire the sight.
Two carefully painted forces. Even based!
You have a row of heavy transports, loaded to the brim with your terminators.
They are headed for the circles in the middle.
Evenly matched with the enemy battle line.
You’ve got a special assault formation, with the best warriors available. Warriors who are ready to fight and die.
They know the plan.
They know that if you’re 1” too far from the circular objectives, or you don’t rush
there immediately, you’ll lose the battle.
(P.s. No disrespect to the tournament scene - I get it. Matched games are fun. I play in loads of tournaments myself - pic related. But give a campaign a go and take a break from the e-sports trend that wargaming is going through at the moment.)
Historically, there are only a handful of battles in which belligerents faced off with evenly matched forces.
I won’t speak for you, but many wargamers (myself included) typically play points-based missions or campaigns that are more like tournaments.
After picking up a game suited for combined arms, epic scale battles, I was dismayed to see that the rulebook missions were similar to so many other games I played.
Most missions feature symmetrical forces fighting for evenly spaced objectives. And usually, BOTH sides attacking.
But really, the experience of playing stand alone games lately, has me a little underwhelmed. There’s not enough context, or stakes. So the games feel less memorable.
Looking for a campaign system all I could find were very simple campaign rules.
The relationship between the map context and missions and battles played is tenuous.
So I’m trying to make a universal map-based campaign system, that suits all sorts of games. From Warhammer 40k, to 6mm Cold war games, to Battletech Alpha Strike.
If a more detailed map based campaign system, with operational management and formation manoeuvring sounds appealing to you, then please:
combined arms map based wargaming campaign rules
Universal modular tabletop campaign rules that bridge the gap between the map, and the actual missions and battlefield.
Move by formation, not a single army.
Simulate supply lines. Actually use artillery and recon!
I'm 18,000 words in already. But before I finish them, I'd love to hear about your own experiences playing campaigns;
Take the quick survey now!
How crunchy are the rules for this game?
Crunchier than most campaign systems I've seen. You should just download them for free and decide for yourself.
But we probably don't want to be doing tonnes of admin. So I've kept it as simple as possible while still representing operational level concerns like supply lines, terrain effects and replenishment of formations due to casualties.
There's a simple economy.
A bunch of rules are optional to, so you can pick and choose to play the campaign you want.
You can see an example of the costs and actions you can take in the rules. I've also made a handy spreadsheet to keep track of your orders, formations and treasury.
Is this suitable for warhammer 40k campaign rules?
Yep! Tabletop Ops is perfect for games such as 40k. There are different faction archetypes you can use to represent your faction. To use these rules for 40k campaigns, a 'Formation' would be approximately 600-800 points of units.
These are crunchier rules than most you would have seen, and work well with smaller dedicated groups of players. Or just play with your main opponent!
It's designed for combined arms games so I don't recommend it's use with skirmish games like kill team.
What tabletop wargames can be played with these campaign rules?
See the survey results to the right!
In general, big battle games (28mm games like 40k) and epic scale games that feature combined arms combat.
Formations move independently on the map. They can fight together using a nifty system. (Read the Battle Phase rules section)
What a formation is depends on the game you're playing.
Here are some examples per game:
- Battletech Alpha Strike: Stars, Lances
- Legions Imperialis Campaigns: Formations
- Epic 40k / Net Epic Armageddon Campaigns: approx 1000pts of units
- Bolt Action, Chain of Command: Infantry Sections, or Platoons.
- Flames of War /Team Yankee WWII campaigns: Companies
- Seven Days to the River Rhine: Platoon or company
- Other wargames: 1/3rd of the typical size of an army used on a 6' x 4' tabletop.
NB: The author makes no claims of ownership over trademarks or copyright protected images used in these rules. These are intended to be a supplement to games wargamers are already playing.
These rules are alpha - when will they be completed? Can I use them now?
I plan to finish them by the end of the year. I'm currently playtesting them - if you would like to help me speed it up there's a survey link in the PDF.
Can this game be played if I don't play a miniature game?
Yes - it's effectively a boardgame! I'm going to make a vassal module so you can play with friends online.
I'll design some tokens and more gaming aids soon.
How can I play my campaign with friends online?
For sure. I'm working on a Vassal Module. Vassal is a free program used to play boardgames online. It would be a great way to keep track of the campaign, as there can be many moving pieces.
Otherwise a map on a pinboard, with some spreadsheets to track your roster and treasury works well!
Did you use AI to write the rules?
I don't believe in tech-heresy.
How many players and sides can you have?
Currently the rules are best suited to smaller groups of players.
- Two players if you have a regular opponent
- 3-8 players, divided into two teams, sharing a supply system
- For larger groups like a group at a club or store it can work. But if you are playing with multiple sides, you will want to simplify things and probably shouldn't use the logistics system.
tabletop campaign rules changelog
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