Narrative Mission Packet - NOVA Open

August 30 - September 2,2012 

Arlington, Virginia 

Capitol First Contact 

Mission Packet - Warhammer 40k Narrative Event 

Contained within this packet are the rules and score sheets for the 2012 NOVA Open 

Warhammer 40k Narrative: Capitol First Contact. Games are played at 2000 points. 

Sportsmanship & Conduct 

Speaking on Sportsmanship and what constitutes a true winner, Jesse Owens once said, 

"[Winning] starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, 

discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and 

respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don't win, how can you 

lose?" 

At the Open, we understand that not every player will become best friends. However, we 

do ask that you treat your fellow competitors with the respect you would accord a peer 

while you are here. NOVA event organizers would prefer that you restrict your battles to 

the tabletop and that every game end with a hearty handshake! 

Please let us know immediately if a major personal issue arises and you need to leave the 

event early. Otherwise, we ask that you play to the end of the tournament. Quitting is not 

only unsportsmanlike, it creates problems for event organizers in terms of managing brackets, 

match-ups and other things. 

And don’t forget that staying in the tournament means that you are eligible for prize drawings 

and other random goodies that will be given out all weekend long at the NOVA Open, 

so you wouldn’t want to miss your shot at free stuff! 

Quit Policy and FAQ 

Please be aware that quitting during a NOVA Open 

event without properly notifying the event organizers 

will put you at risk of being barred from attending any 

future NOVA Open events. 

You are responsible for knowing the Games Workshop 

released FAQs as well as the NOVA FAQ. 

Golden Rules 

Please remember to 

have fun. 

Respect your peers, 

the tournament organizers, 

and the game.




Capitol First Contact—The Narrative 

The Narrative is a 4-Round Event with both Narrative and Casual Tournament qualities. You will be 

using the game of Warhammer 40,000 and your selected army to determine the outcome of a story 

set in a future Earth, one where the world is under invasion from extra-terrestrial sources. 

You will be taking on one of two roles: a ground commander for Earth’s defense forces, or a strike 

commander in charge of a combat element belong to Earth’s invaders. Within this packet, the two 

factions are referenced simply as Defenders or Invaders. 

In every Round, you collect points based on completion of Mission objectives, and destruction of 

your opponent’s forces. These points contribute to personal scores and accolades. These points 

also contribute to your Faction’s score. 

The net score for each Faction at the end of each night of the Narrative will directly influence the 

missions for the following day, the direction of the Narrative story itself, and the future of the NOVA 

Open’s Narrative events for years to come. 

FAQ 

The NOVA FAQ for 6th Edition is attached to this document. Any GW FAQ released after the final 

printing of this document will always supersede rulings within the NOVA FAQ. 

Narrative Scoring 

Players and Factions earn points for each Mission or Covert Mission accomplished each round. For 

Factions, any Mission is always worth 1 point if completed. 

Individual Scoring: Maximum of 100 Points 

Combat Points (Maximum of 48): 

Players earn up to 8 Combat Points / Round for scoring Kill Points; each Kill Point scored is 

worth 1 Combat Point, to a maximum of 8 in any given game. 

Players earn up to 8 Combat Points / Round for winning Missions (4 points each), or drawing 

Missions (2 points each) 

Appearance (Maximum of 30) 

Theme (Maximum of 10) - Players earn up to 5 points for creating any manner of written, painted, 

worn or otherwise creative/artistic material interlacing their force or characters with the Narrative as 

a whole. They earn an additional 5 points for modeling at least one FOC selection to mesh with or 

match the Narrative (either via the NOVA’s scenic bases, or independent conversion/painting). 

Fame and Infamy (Maximum of 12) - See following pages 

Rounds Off or Taking the Highest 

You may request a Round Off in advance of the event, by e-mailing novaopen@gmail.com 

If you play in 4 Rounds, your low score is dropped. If you play in 3 Rounds, all scores are counted .




Fame and Infamy—Protagonists and Antagonists 

Some commanders focus on the task at hand, and brilliant or not, accomplish their objectives with a 

minimum of fanfare or drama. In the Narrative, six players will be able to earn the distinction of our 

three famous Protagonists, and three infamous Antagonists. The Protagonists and Antagonists will 

feature in the continuation of the Narrative Story for 2013. 

Famous and Infamous Actions—In each Round, you’ll have the opportunity to earn fame through 

certain actions. While you may earn both Fame and Infamy, they will cancel each other out toward 

your final score. You can score a maximum of 3 points for Fame or Infamy in each Round. 

Army Lists/Army Specifics, Pre-Pairing, and Forgeworld 

Your list must follow the standard list construction rules from the 40k Rulebook and Codices for a 

2,000 Point Army. Forgeworld/Imperial Armor rules and units are legal. Gargantuan, Super-Heavy 

and Apocalypse Only units are Illegal. 

Printed Army Lists—Make your printed Army List legible and simple. Bring at least 5 printed Army 

Lists with you. One for up to 4 opponents, and one for the tournament staff at registration. 

Power Weapons—In any case where a model is equipped with one or more Power Weapons, you 

must both MODEL the weapon to the appropriate type (Sword, Ax, Maul, Lance), and list which 

weapon is equipped on that particular model within your Army List. 

Your army list MUST be submitted to NOVA Open staff via novaopen@gmail.com in advance of the 

Narrative. Please indicate whether you lean more toward competitive or casual play. All pairings are 

reinforce the theme of the Narrative, and are based upon competitive level and list strength. 

Rules Modifications and Additions 

Warlord Traits: 

In the Narrative, your characters should have … well, character! As a result, you may select 

your warlord trait during construction of your army list. 

If you so choose, you do not HAVE to select a Warlord Trait in advance, and may roll before 

each battle as normal. If you do, it must go on your Army List. 

Points 

On occasion, you will need to record Points, for destroying units, capturing quarters, or otherwise. 

For these purposes, 

A unit is worth its full Points if destroyed 

A vehicle is worth half Points if it is brought to or below half Hull Points 

A vehicle Squadron is worth half Points if the unit’s total Hull Points are brought to or below half; 

Squadrons are scored in this fashion even if they are divided by Immobilization results 

A multi-wound single model unit (such as an Independent Character or Monstrous Creature) is 

worth half Points if it is brought to or below half its starting Wounds characteristic

Hills 

Area 

Ruins 




Terrain at the NOVA 

Fairness / Terrain Abstractions 

Our application of Terrain Rules may in some cases seem abstract; this is done purely to ensure 

FAIRNESS across all tables, and no punishments or advantages as a result of aesthetically pleasing 

terrain design. 

Impassable / Levels 

No terrain at the NOVA Open is Impassable. This may occasionally result in oddities such as Land 

Raiders on rooftops, and Infantry walking through walls. 

Except for items marked below as Ruins, no terrain requires vertical movement distances (i.e. there 

is no vertical distance considered when moving up/down tiers of a hill). 

ALL Terrain is AREA, Including Hills (Rulebook Page 91). 

The Hills additionally follow the rules for Ridegline / Hill Crests (Page 105). 

The Ruins additionally follow the rules for Ruins/Ruins With Bases (Pages 98-101). 

Ruins 

Area 

Area 

Ruins 

Area 

Hills 

Your Table should roughly match this approximation; at least a rhino hull should roughly fit between 

terrain pieces through any/all areas of separation. If something looks off, contact a judge pre-game.




Schedule and Mission Briefings 

Each Narrative Round is preceded by a briefing from your Faction Commander . 

These briefings may include updates on where the battle stands overall and tactical suggestions. 

They will be brief, to the point, and last at most 10 minutes. 

Briefings begin 15 minutes prior to the start of each Narrative Round. 

Round 1: Thursday, August 30, 8:30—11:30PM 

Round 2: Friday, August 31, 8:30—11:30PM 

Round 3: Saturday, September 1, 8:30—11:30PM 

Round 4: Sunday, September 2, 2:00—5:00PM 

Covert Missions 

At the end of each Day, one Faction will typically be winning or losing the war for the future of the 

Capital. As a result of this, the losing side may resort to increasingly desperate and covert tactics to try 

and turn the tide of battle. These actions may include trying to turn on powerful force-fields, improve 

communication with esoteric or arcane methods, or execute classic Sci-Fi genre plot mechanisms, 

such as downloading viruses to enemy command networks. 

Each Covert Mission has a series of unique components to it, and will be introduced during the 

Round’s combat briefings. Each must be revealed to your opponents at a select time, described by the 

rules for each specific Covert Mission. 

Note that it is perfectly acceptable to alert your teammates to the Covert Mission if you discover your 

opponents’ plans first. You are on the same side, after all! For this reason, it can be beneficial to play 

your games with reasonable speed—you don’t want your Covert Mission to be revealed before you 

are in good position to execute it! 

Covert Missions are each twice as valuable to your Faction as Mission 1 or Mission 2 for a given 

Round, and can only be scored by the Faction assigned them. They do not contribute to your personal 

score. You’re not acknowledged as a hero if no one knows what you did! Stopping one is beneficial in 

that it helps maintain your Faction’s lead, but it will never increase it. 

Archeotech Monuments 

If you are set to play on a table with an LED-Lite Recreation of a Washington, DC Landmark, treat the 

Objective at the center of the Landmark as an Archeotech Artefact, per page 106 of the Warhammer 

40,000 Rulebook. Note that all effects and triggers only activate within relevant distances of the very 

center point of the table (so, even if the center Objective is moved in a Relic mission, the effects still 

happen from the center location of the tabletop).

14.5” 

14.5” 



Narrative: Round 1 

EARTH ON AN AUGUST EVENING 

Missions 

Mission 1—Points of Engagement 

The local defenders of Washington, DC fan out into the city as hell descends upon Earth. Their goal 

is to establish strong defensive positions throughout the city, and to engage the Invaders as they land 

throughout the District. The Invaders’ goals are clear—eliminate all human life in the vicinity of their 

primary drop zones. 

The FOUR Objectives located in the center of each Quarter are the target of Mission 1. 

Mission 2—Relic at Ground Zero 

An Invader intelligence craft was targeted by air defense fire on its way in; a lucky shot knocked the 

descending vessel off its trajectory, stranding it away from the primary Invader landing zone. 

The Objective at the center of the table operates as a Relic per the 6th Edition rules. Controlling it is 

the target of Mission 2. 

Fame and Infamy 

Famous Act—The Superb 

“There are times when a corps commander’s life does not count”—Winfield Scott Hancock 

Finish the game with your Warlord within 3” of an Objective or The Relic. 

Infamous Act—He of Epirus 

“Another such victory and I come back to Epirus alone.” King Pyrrhus 

Finish the game with your Warlord alive, but over 50% of your Points destroyed. 

Deployment and Special Rules 

Vanguard Deployment (pg 119, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Night Fighting Begins on Game Turn 5 

Reserves (pg 124, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Mysterious Objectives (pg 125, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Vanguard Deployment Aid: 

21.5” 

21.5”



Narrative Scores: Rd 1 

Round 1 Scores—Earth on an August Evening 

Faction Score—Missions and Covert Missions 

Points of Engagement (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

Relic at Ground Zero (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

Covert Missions Are Inactive For Round 1 

Personal Score: Combat Points 

How many enemy units did you destroy? (0-8; killing your opponent’s entire army is worth 8 

destroyed units, even if his starting quantity was less than 8) 

______________ 

(Maximum of 8) 

How many Mission Points did you earn? Wins are worth 4, Draws are worth 2, Losses are 

worth 0. 


______________ 


Score carefully; you may have accomplished a Famous or Infamous Act even if you did not intend to! 

Did you accomplish Famous Act—The Superb? 

YES 

NO 

Did you accomplish Infamous Act—He of Epirus? 

YES 

NO




BREAKFAST, BULLETS, AND LASER BEAMS 


Mission 1—Practical Perimeters 

The Invaders seek to expand their control over larger areas of the city, while the Defenders seek to 

hold their ground or further regain it. 

This Mission is won by controlling more Table Quarters than your opponent. Each Table Quarter is 

controlled by a Points preponderance, where only Scoring and Denial units count toward controlling a 

given Quarter. 

Mission 2—Know Thy Enemy 

Both sides settle into the cold task of learning how to kill their foreign opponents. Combat units with 

experience at destroying the enemy become increasingly effective and valuable as combat evolves. 

This Mission is won by destroying at least 250 more Points than your opponent. Each time one of 

your units completes the destruction of an enemy with a Shooting Attack, Psychic Power, or Combat 

involving only that unit, place a marker next to it. Each marker on surviving units is worth 25 Points at 

the end of the game toward the total Points score for winning this Mission. 


Famous Act—A Professor from Maine 

“The power of noble deeds is to be preserved and passed on to the future”—Joshua L. Chamberlain 

Finish the game with more marked units (per Mission 2) alive than your Opponent. 

Infamous Act—A Refusal to Engage 

“I believe it is peace in our time.” Neville Chamberlain 

Fire no weapons, make no close combat attacks, and cast no psychic powers with your Warlord. You 

may perform actions with your Warlord’s unit (if he has one). 


Dawn of War Deployment (pg 119, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Night Fighting is Active for Game Turn 1 


Mysterious Objectives (pg 125, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

NOTE—While Objectives are not in play for Mission 1 or Mission 2, they are still Mysterious in terms 

of possible in-game effects when activated.




Round 2 Scores—Breakfast, Bullets, and Laser Beams 


Practical Perimeters (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

Know Thy Enemy (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

If One Was Assigned, Did You Accomplish Your Covert Mission? 

YES NO N/A 




______________ 



worth 0. 


______________ 



Did you accomplish Famous Act—A Professor From Maine? 

YES 

NO 

Did you accomplish Infamous Act—A Refusal to Engage? 

YES 

NO




DUSK IN THE DISTRICT 


Mission 1—Into the Breach 

As the battle escalates, both sides now have much more significant forces engaged, and are poised 

to make full scale assaults across the city. The objective is no longer simply holding ground or establishing 

beachheads, but breaking through the enemy’s lines. 

Controlling or Denying the two Objectives in your opponent’s Deployment Zone is the target of Mission 

1. If both of these are actively denied or controlled by your units (being simply unoccupied does 

not count) at the end of the game, you Win this Mission. Note: Both sides can win Mission 1. It is a tie 

only if neither side wins Mission 1. 

Mission 2—Fortifying Positions 

The Invaders and Defenders both actively seek to control and fortify the natural defenses along the 

front line. 

Terrain Pieces can be captured. Controlling more Terrain Pieces than your opponent is the target of 

Mission 2. All units not Swooping, Zooming, or Immobilized count for this Mission. If a unit is fully inside 

the boundaries of a terrain piece at the end of the Game, it is worth full Points toward controlling 

it. If a unit is partially over/on/inside a piece of terrain at the end of the Game, it is worth half Points 

toward control of the piece. The strength of the unit compared to its starting strength has no bearing 

on its value for this mission. 


Famous Act—The Great Emancipator 

“… dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Abraham Lincoln 

Civilian support elements are isolated behind enemy lines as a result of the chaotic engagements. 

You must declare your intent to pursue this Famous Act during Deployment. Your Warlord must finish 

any player turn in base contact with the central objective, and then finish the game within 12” of your 

own short table edge. 

Infamous Act—The Handsomest Man in America 

“Sic Semper Tyrannis.” John Wilkes Booth 

You must declare your intent to pursue this Infamous Act during Deployment. Secretly mark on your 

opponent’s army list (the one he provided to you) one of his Characters. This is your Warlord’s assassination 

target. If you successfully destroy this Character with your Warlord (via a challenge, precision 

shots, psychic attacks, or other means), you complete this Infamous Act. 


Hammer and Anvil Deployment (pg 119, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Night Fighting is NOT in effect for Game Turn 1. Begin rolling for Night Fighting on Game Turn 4. 


Mysterious Objectives (pg 125, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook)




Round 3 Scores—Dusk in the District 


Into the Breach (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

Fortifying Positions (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 


YES NO N/A 




______________ 



worth 0. 


______________ 



Did you accomplish Famous Act—The Great Emancipator? 

YES 

NO 

Did you accomplish Infamous Act—The Handsomest Man in America? 

YES 

NO




THEY SHALL PERISH FROM THE EARTH 


Mission 1—The Blood of Patriots and Tyrants 

The end is nigh, for both sides. The Defenders of Earth will fully liberate the District from invasion, or 

will die in the effort. The Invaders will accomplish their mission of clearing the City as one of their 

headquarters for further invasion of the continent. All opposition must be destroyed. 

This Mission can be won by both sides. It is a Tie if neither side completes the Mission. Destroying 

1,001 points or more of your Opponent’s force is the target of Mission 1. 

Mission 2—The Last Full Measure 

As the battle reaches its climax, the fiercest and most pivotal engagements center themselves 

around the most important parts of Washington, DC. 

The Objective at the center of the table is the sole target of Mission 2. 


Famous Act—The Dear Price of Victory 

“There stands Jackson like a stone wall!” - Bernard Bee 

If your Warlord finishes the game within 3” of the Objective at the center of the table, you accomplish 

this Famous Act. If your Warlord is an Independent Character, he must also finish the game attached 

to a Scoring unit. 

Infamous Act—War is Hell 

“If the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and 

not popularity seeking.” - William Tecumseh Sherman 

Once you set your sight on an opposing unit, you must utterly destroy it. You accomplish this task 

only if any and all enemy non-vehicle units brought below 50% starting strength (# of models, or # of 

wounds for 1-model units) are completely destroyed by the end of the Game. If any units brought below 

half finish the game alive, you fail to complete this task. 


Dawn of War Deployment (pg 119, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 

Night Fighting (pg 124, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook) 


Mysterious Objectives (pg 125, Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook)




Round 3 Scores—They Shall Perish From the Earth 


The Blood of Patriots and Tyrants (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 

The Last Full Measure (Circle One) 

WIN LOSS DRAW 


YES NO N/A 




______________ 



worth 0. 


______________ 



Did you accomplish Famous Act—The Dear Price of Victory? 

YES 

NO 

Did you accomplish Infamous Act—War is Hell? 

YES 

NO

Narrative Mission Packet - NOVA Open

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