Warhammer 40,000 ‘Minor League’ Campaign (Background)
‘Dark October’ Campaign (
This page describes the fluff behind a ‘homegrown’ Warhammer 40k Universe battles campaign. The rules & guidelines provided here are inspired by or follow those described in the ‘Campaign in a Flash’ rules from Games Workshop. This campaign is intended to help new players learn the Warhammer 40k rules & game play strategies without requiring them to invest a lot of time or money, until they are ready to do so. We hope to have fun & explore this incredible game & hobby, without the strings attached in time/resources! As we become more involved & dedicated to the construction of larger armies we intend to grow the size & complexity of our battles & perhaps campaign to suit. Until then though… enjoy the battles, strategize on your army list & paint those models! The ‘Dark October’ Campaign Data Sheet can be found by following the link here: Dark October Campaign Data Sheet. The Campaign rules can be found here: Dark October Campaign Rules.
The World of Dark October:
Out towards the dangerous center of the galaxy lies a small, quiet system of ten planets orbiting a single star, much like the sun that Terra orbits. Most of the planets in the system are fairly unremarkable rocks or gas planets with no mineral wealth or strategic use. Thus, the October system has been ignored and has remained a footnote in Explorator Fleet logs.
This obscurity changed upon the discovery of October III, a habitable world that was missed by the Explorator fleets for some reason. How a habitable world like October III escaped detection is still a mystery, with many Imperial Captains swearing that it appeared out of nowhere. Once found, initial scans showed a world teeming with mineral wealth, archaeotech, and a crumbling infrastructure from what appeared to be the planet's former and long-dead inhabitants.
With habitable worlds at a premium, the October system was suddenly bestowed with a new strategic value and the Imperium dispatched a small fleet to claim this newly revealed world.
The Imperium was not alone in their want to claim this worldly treasure. The October system's location was near the Maelstrom, Tau Empire scouts had noted its lush, tranquil nature and even the Eldar had an interest in claiming October III as a maiden world. What's more, a new tendril of the vast Tyranid Hive Fleets had passed nearby, code named by the Inquisitor who first encountered it as 'Hive Fleet: Devourer'... the Hivemind would not let such a tasty morsel pass it by.
All of these machinations ignored one question: what happened to the dead civilization of October III?
Divide and Conquer!
The Imperium's landing on October III was scattered by a sudden and unexpectedly turbulent planet-wide storm. Imperial Guard contingents were separated from their central Command, and the crusading elements from the Space Marine Chapters found themselves cut off. Tau scouting forces were isolated and unable to contact the Ethereal Caste leaders who sent them, eager to learn news of a rich new world to acquire.
Even the Tyranids experienced problems, with many of their vanguard organisms haphazardly scattered across the planet.
Before any of the forces on October III could regroup, the skies above appeared to boil and shift. Contact with the fleets in orbit stopped and a deathly silence fell over the planet – not even the native fauna made a sound.
The most chilling discovery was made when trans-atmospheric craft were sent by the surface groups to attempt to contact the fleets. The craft discovered at the cost of their existence that the atmosphere was sealed by some kind of shield and none of the fleets could be seen. Any attempt to break through the atmosphere was met with disaster, and it became apparent that the forces on the world were trapped.
This realization spread like wildfire in the Imperial Guard regiments, causing mass desertion and morale to evaporate. Even the Eldar, who’s Avatar was still with their fleet, found themselves in considerable disarray. It was as if the very atmosphere was fostering discord among the trapped forces.
Imperial Guard Commanders turned warlord and started to carve out empires for themselves, declaring they were following the one true Emperor, while assaulting other ‘heretical’ Guard regiments. The natural rivalries between the Space Marines boiled over into open conflict between the Chapters.
The hunter cadres of the Tau's advanced scouts also became restless & began taking control over territorial assets as a means to protect their mission of spreading The Greater Good. Madness assailed the forces on the planet as they all strove to claim it in the name of their Lord, Empire, God, or Hunger. The nearby Maelstrom is teeming with Chaos acolytes eager to corrupt another world & even they have sent scouts to October III.
Then the Necrons appeared. Apparently the activities of the planet’s new inhabitants combined with unusual energies assailing the planet stirred the ancient race to investigate beyond their immortal tombs. Perhaps they were the cause of the original inhabitants’ downfall; perhaps they are the original inhabitants. Whatever the truth, the Necrons had awoken…
So the
What is Dark October?
In simple terms, Dark October is a campaign where you play games and gather territory. As you go, your army becomes stronger and larger as victory gathers new followers or resources to your cause. Defeat, of course, has the opposite effect on your forces.
It is fair to describe Dark October as a tournament-style campaign, with a general playing period, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final between the top two players of the campaign.
Advancement to these stages is decided by the amount of Territory captured (described below). "Wildcard" opportunities for advancement are also available.
Along the way, there will be special campaign events and games when new territory is revealed, archaeotech uncovered, and wildcards come up for grabs.
The basic premise of the campaign is that your small army is making its way across October III to uncover the mystery of the planet. That, or just good old fashioned Empire building (or eating, depending on your point of view).
Where the battles will be fought:
Who to Contact?
If you are interested in participating in this or a similar Warhammer 40k campaign, or if you would like to discuss or ask questions about it please feel free to contact me! The full write-up of rules, as we will be conducting the campaign, can be found here: Warhammer_40k_Minor_League_Campaign.htm
I am playing and holding this campaign in the Bossier City/Shreveport,
I can be reached by email by clicking the following link or if you prefer, you can send e-mail the old manual way at the following address: TheRockit@TheRockit.com