MATCHED PLAY
Matched Play is a little different from Open Play and Narrative Play, focusing more on introducing balance to battles. It is ideal for those who wish to play in a competitive spirit, and is also more useful for those who wish to play against opponents they do not regularly play, ensuring a more-or-less fair fight. This makes it ideal for leagues and tournaments, but also for battles fought at gaming clubs and pick-up games in local gaming stores.
A battle fought using the Matched Play rules pits two players against each other, each taking command of a battlegroup that is selected so that its Battle Rating falls within a certain range. Although one player might still have a higher Battle Rating than the other, the mission (and Stratagems available, as described later) should ensure a fair fight.
Styles of Matched Play
There are several ways to enjoy Matched Play. One-off battles are probably the most common form of Matched Play, where two players (who may or may not be regular opponents) come together to pitch their battlegroups against one another. Alternatively, a gaming group might organise a ladder campaign or long-form league, effectively recording the results of a number of one-off battles between a set number of players in order to determine an eventual winner. Gaming tournaments, in which players gather in one place to play a number of games in a single day or weekend, for example, are also ideally served by the Matched Play rules.
| Battle Level | Battle Rating | Stratagem Points | Approximate Length | Underdog Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skirmish | 700-1,250 | 2 | Under two hours | 150 |
| Confrontation | 1,250-1,750 | 3 | Around two hours | 200 |
| Epic Clash | 1,750-2,500 | 4 | Two to three hours | 350 |
In this book, we will primarily cover one-off battles, but the Meeting Engagement rules found on the following pages could easily be used for any form of Matched Play. Later supplements will go into more detail on other ways to engage in Matched Play.
MEETING ENGAGEMENT
Meeting Engagement is the standard Matched Play mission for Adeptus Titanicus. The players will decide a Battle level and plan their battlegroups accordingly (or, alternatively, they could decide a Battle level based around the size of the battlegroups they have brought). The deployment method and objectives will vary each time the mission is played, and players can use a number of Stratagems to gain an edge over their opponent.
The first step in fighting a Meeting Engagement is deciding the Battle level, which will determine the size of the battle, the number of Stratagem points available to each player and how long the battle will last (roughly), providing that it is between two players who have a good knowledge of the rules.
Once the players have agreed on a Battle level, they will each need to assemble a battlegroup as described on page 53, making sure to complete a Battlegroup roster. Each battlegroup’s Battle Rating must fall within the range shown for the Battle level. For example, for a Skirmish, each battlegroup’s Battle Rating would need to be between 700-1,250 points. Note that the two players can have rather different Battle Ratings – this is fine as any imbalance will be taken care of through the use of Stratagems as detailed later.
Selecting Mission Objectives
Once each player has assembled their battlegroup, they will then each need to select a mission objective. In a Meeting Engagement, each battlegroup has its own objective, and players must aim to achieve their objective while stopping their opponent from doing the same.
Each player rolls two D6 and looks their result up on the table below to see which objectives are available – for example, if a player rolled a 3 and a 6 then Retrieval and Vital Cargo would be available to them. Re-roll any duplicates until each player has two different objectives available. Each player then secretly writes down which of their two available objectives they will be attempting – the other is discarded, presumably to be handled by a different battlegroup. The objectives are detailed on page 85 – players should read through each of their options before deciding which they will attempt. The players then reveal their chosen objectives simultaneously.
| D6 | Mission Objective |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Engage and Destroy |
| 3 | Retrieval |
| 4 | Glory and Honour |
| 5 | Hold the Line |
| 6 | Vital Cargo |
SPEED OVER STRENGTH. Smaller maniples, either numerically or in Scale, often have the advantage of speed over their more ponderous counterparts. They are able to react to an enemy’s moves a lot more effectively and are generally granted a greater level of autonomy as a result, allowing them to choose their missions more freely.
Each Battle level has an Underdog Margin. If one player’s Battle Rating is higher than the other’s by at least the Underdog Margin for their Battle level, the player with the higher rating does not write down their chosen mission objective in secret – instead, they declare it aloud. The other player then decides upon which of their two mission objectives to choose.
Meeting Engagement Objectives
Engage and Destroy
Overview. An enemy battlegroup has been sighted on long range auspex. Your task is simple – seek them out and eradicate them, while suffering minimal losses to your own battlegroup.
Scoring Victory Points. At the end of the battle, score Victory points for each enemy unit that is Structurally Compromised or completely destroyed. Structurally Compromised units grant a number of Victory points equal to their Scale. Destroyed units grant a number of Victory points as follows:
| Scale | Victory Points |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | 4 |
| 4–6 | 6 |
| 7–9 | 10 |
| 9+ | 15 |
Secondary Objective: Minimise Losses. At the start of the battle, each player calculates the total Scale of their units. If they still have at least half their starting total at the end of the battle, they score 5 Victory points.
Retrieval
Overview. A famed Warlord Titan of your Titan Legion has been laid low in enemy territory, but its crew has survived. Their centuries of combined experience cannot be lost – retrieve them, no matter what!
Special Rule: The Lost Crew. Immediately after determining the deployment method, the opposing player places the objective marker (from the plastic sprue) within 6" of the centre of the battlefield to represent the fallen Titan’s crew. If a Titan belonging to the player with this objective is within 1" of the marker at the end of the Movement phase, the crew climb aboard. Move the marker onto the Titan’s base and move it with the Titan from now. If the Titan is destroyed, place the marker at the centre of its base then scatter it D10", stopping if it moves off the board or into Blocking terrain or Impassable terrain.
In any End phase, the player with this objective can remove the Titan carrying the objective marker if it is within 1" of their battlefield edge. The Titan does not count as destroyed, but plays no further part in the battle.
Scoring Victory Points. At the end of the battle, the player with this objective scores 20 Victory points if the crew has been recovered, or 10 Victory points if it has not been recovered but is within 12" of their battlefield edge.
Secondary Objective: Wreak Vengeance. At the end of the battle, score 2 Victory points for each destroyed enemy unit with a Scale of 5 or less, and 4 Victory points for each destroyed enemy unit with a Scale of 6 or more.
Glory and Honour
Overview. Morale is as vital to the war effort as military might – arguably, even more so. Your battlegroup has been tasked with striking a blow to enemy morale by laying low one of their mightiest god-engines.
Scoring Victory Points. At the start of the battle, determine which enemy unit has the highest points cost. If two or more units are tied for the highest points cost, the opposing player must choose one of them when this objective is revealed. Score 20 Victory points if that unit is destroyed in the first round, 15 if it is destroyed in the second and 10 if it is destroyed in the third round or later.
Secondary Objective: Dominate. At the end of the battle, divide the battlefield into four 2'×2' quarters. The player with this objective scores 3 Victory points for each quarter which contains at least one of their units and no enemy units.
Hold The Line
Overview. The enemy has advanced into territory which they cannot be allowed to control. Your battlegroup will move out and either destroy the opposition’s engines or force them back.
Scoring Victory Points. At the end of the battle, score 5 Victory points if there are no enemy units within 12" of the scoring player’s battlefield edge. Score another 5 Victory points if there are none within 18" of that battlefield edge, another 5 Victory points if there are none within 24" and another 5 Victory points if there are none within 30".
Secondary Objective: Retribution. At the end of the battle, score Victory points equal to half the Scale of each destroyed enemy Titan (rounding down).
Vital Cargo
Overview. It is imperative that a certain cargo makes it through enemy territory intact. The risk of sending a hauler or convoy is too great; however, the enemy is unlikely to expect it to be carried by a Titan.
Special Rule: The Cargo. After the player with this objective has finished deploying, they must secretly write down one of their Titans that is on the battlefield – this is the Titan that is carrying the cargo. If that Titan is within 1" of the enemy’s battlefield edge at the end of any round, they can remove it from play to secure the cargo. The Titan does not count as destroyed, but plays no further part in the battle. If the Titan carrying the cargo is destroyed, place a marker where the centre of its base was to show the location of the fallen cargo.
Scoring Victory Points. If the cargo is secured, score 15 Victory points. If the cargo is not secured, but there are no enemy units within 12" of the Titan carrying it (or the marker representing the fallen cargo) at the end of the battle, score 5 Victory points.
Secondary Objective: Feint. At the end of the battle, the player with this objective scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each of their Titans that are in the enemy’s deployment zone.
Choosing Stratagems
Once each player has chosen their objective, the players spend their Stratagem points to purchase additional support, as described on page 64. The Battle level determines the number of Stratagem points that each player has to spend, as shown on the table on page 84. The player with the lower Battle Rating can also gain additional Stratagem points, based on the chosen Battle level’s Underdog Margin (see page 84). For each full increment of the Underdog Margin that the other player’s rating is higher than, the player gets 2 bonus Stratagem points. For example, at Confrontation level (with an Underdog margin of 200 points), if one player had a Battle Rating of 1,300 points and the other had a Battle Rating of 1,700 points, the first player would get 4 bonus Stratagem points.
Deployment
With Stratagems chosen, the battlegroups will now be deployed. The player with the lowest Battle Rating rolls a D6 and consults the table below to see which deployment method will be used.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lines of Battle (see page 86) |
| 2 | Chance Engagement (see page 87) |
| 3 | Stand-off (see page 87) |
| 4 | Close Quarters (see page 88) |
| 5–6 | The player with the lowest Battle Rating chooses one of the deployment methods listed above. |
Following the rules described for the chosen deployment method, both battlegroups are now deployed. Once a player has finished deploying their last unit, they immediately deploy any Battlefield Asset Stratagems they have selected with their Stratagem points, as described on page 64.
Lines of Battle
6″
36″ Neutral Flank
6″
48″
‘We saw their maniple as we rounded the tangled wreckage of the outhive. They were waiting for us, line abreast, as though this were nothing more than an honour duel.’
Princeps Ghonan Krel, Splendor Ignis, Legio Fureans
The players roll off, with the winner deciding if they will seize command of the battlefield or grant it to their opponent.
The player with command of the battlefield then chooses one of the two shaded areas shown on the map to be their deployment zone. The other area is their opponent’s deployment zone.
Then, starting with the player who has command of the battlefield, the players alternate setting up one of their units so that it is entirely within their deployment zone. When one player has finished setting up their units, the other player sets up all of their remaining units.
In the Strategy phase of the first round, the player who was last to finish setting up their units rolls a D6 rather than a D10 when rolling off to see who is First Player.
Stand-Off
“When this new enemy appeared on our auspex, we were tired and our reactors were running hot. Then we sighted them and saw that they were similarly ragged. But when the firefight began, neither side was willing to display fatigue.”
— Princeps Ana Sulerian, Luminor Praxis,
Legio Tempestus
Deployment map: 48" × 36" Neutral Flank. Each deployment zone is 12" deep.
The players roll off, with the winner deciding if they will seize command of the battlefield or grant it to their opponent.
The player with command of the battlefield then chooses one of the two shaded areas shown on the map to be their deployment zone. The other area is their opponent’s deployment zone.
Then, the player with command of the battlefield sets up half of their units (rounding up) so they are entirely within their deployment zone. The other player then does the same. The player with command of the battlefield then deploys the rest of their army in the same way, followed by the other player.
Chance Engagement
“The blizzard had rendered us blind. The shields were howling and the auspex swarmed with ghosts. Then, as soon as it had started, the weather lifted and there they were: a quartet of engines in the enemy’s damned livery, strung out amid the snowfall. And with that, battle was joined.”
— Princeps Molom Raal, Invictus Nova,
Legio Gryphonicus
Deployment map: 48" × 36" Neutral Flank. Each player’s deployment area is 6" deep and divided into four 12"-wide sectors: A, B, C and D.
The players roll off, and the winner chooses to either seize command of the battlefield or grant it to their opponent. The battlefield contains two 6" deep areas, each of which is divided into four sectors, as shown on the map. The player with command of the battlefield takes one area as their deployment zone, and their opponent takes the other.
The players secretly write down which sector each of their units is deployed in. When both players have done this, the location of all the units is revealed. Starting with the player who has command of the battlefield, the players take turns picking one of their units and setting it up so that it is entirely within their designated sector. When one player has finished setting up their units, the other player sets up all of their remaining units.
In the Strategy phase of the first battle round, the player who was last to finish setting up their units rolls a D6 rather than a D10 when rolling off to see who is First Player.
Close Quarters
C
6" B
6" A
6"
12" Neutral Flank
6" A
6" B
6" C
48"
48"
The players roll off, with the winner deciding if they will seize command of the battlefield or grant it to their opponent.
The battlefield contains two shaded areas, each of which is divided into three 6" wide sectors: A, B and C, as shown on the map. The player with command of the battlefield chooses one of the two areas to be their deployment zone. The other area is their opponent’s deployment zone.
The player with command of the battlefield takes their unit with the lowest Scale (if more than one of their units shares the lowest Scale, they can choose which) and sets it up so that it is entirely within Sector A of their deployment zone. The other player then does the same, setting up their lowest Scaled unit in Sector A of their deployment zone.
This is repeated with Sector B, each player deploying one of their remaining units – this must be the unit that has the lowest Scale. Then, starting with the player who has command of the battlefield, the players alternate setting up units in Sector C. When one player has finished setting up their units, the other player sets up all of their remaining units.
Compare the Scales of the two units in the sectors labelled A. If one player’s unit has a higher Scale, they roll a D6 rather than a D10 when rolling off to see who is First Player in the first round.
“We loped towards the objective at full stride, but an enemy Warhound was already there. It hesitated, waiting to see whether we were alone before opening fire. Suffice to say, we made it pay dearly for its caution.”
Princeps Konor Tarrell, Canis Plurius, Legio Astorum
Battle begins
Once the sides have deployed, any rules or effects which happen ‘at the start of the battle’ then take place. If a player has more than one effect which takes place at this time, they can choose the order in which they happen. If both players have Start of Battle effects, they should roll off, with the winner resolving all of their effects first.
Then, the first round begins.
Game Length
A Meeting Engagement lasts for between 4 and 6 rounds. At the end of the fourth round, roll a D10. On a roll of 9 or 10, the battle ends. Otherwise, roll again at the end of the fifth round – this time, the battle ends on a roll of 5 or more. The battle automatically ends at the end of the sixth round, if it has not already done so.
Victory
Each player’s mission objectives give them ways of scoring Victory points. Once the battle is over, total up the points scored by each player. The player who has scored the most is victorious.
Annihilation. If either of the players has no models on the battlefield at the end of any round, the battle ends and their opponent is declared the victor.