EPIC WARPATH: The Core Structure of an Epic Scale Wargame

Welcome back everyone, in this article we explore the Core Structure of an epic scale wargame for the upcoming EPIC WARPATH Kickstarter.

This is the third in our series of EPIC WARPATH blogs as we ramp up towards the Kickstarter Campaign – which launches on the 14th February 2024. You can catch up on the previous blogs here:

1. EPIC WARPATH: Kickstarter Announcement
2. EPIC WARPATH: Design Basics

This time, we’ll be looking at how the game is structured!

DISCLAIMER: The game is still in development and testing, so some details might be different in the final version!

Units and Bases

Before we look at the game structure, we need to talk about how Units work. In EPIC WARPATH, your army will consist of a number of Units. These each represent squadrons, platoons, or other formations of vehicles, bikes, walkers or infantry.

Within a Unit, there will be a number of Bases (typically three or six), representing all the elements that make up that unit.

For example, you could have six Bases of Infantry in a Unit, or three Tanks/Walkers.

Note that some command, larger or heavier models might be two Bases to a Unit, or even just one!

So, let’s take a look below at how a Unit of Enforcer Operatives may look on the tabletop, made up of multiple Bases. Note that the sculpts may still be subject to some final tweaks until we’re 100% happy with them!

Rounds, Phase and Turns

A game of EPIC WARPATH is played over a series of Rounds, which are each conducted in a number of Phases. Within each Phase each player will alternate taking Turns to activate their Units, one at a time, until both players have completed activating all the eligible Units in their army.

The 5 Phases in each Round are:

1. Command Phase 
2. Movement Phase 
3. Overwatch Phase 
4. Combat Phase 
5. End Phase 

Each Phase is completed before the next is started. Once the End Phase is concluded, a new Round will begin.

Command Phase

During the Command Phase, plays will (1) roll for Initiative, (2) roll their Command Dice for the Round, and (3) place Action Tokens on each of their Units. This last bit is done in secret, with the Action Tokens placed face down so players will have to predict what actions their opponent will be taking!

If a player has the Initiative for the Round, they get to choose whether to go first or second in each subsequent phase.

By default, all action tokens are revealed at once (for both players) – but there is a game variant called ‘Fog of War’ where the action tokens are only revealed as units activate. This keeps your opponent guessing until the last possible moment!

Rolling Command Dice determines the number of Command Points each player has for spending on their army’s Strategic Orders, re-rolls and extra activations. Players roll in the Command Phase each Round, and any unspent Command Points are not carried over.

So, about those Action Tokens! There are three types:

So what do they do?

Overwatch = the Unit will not move, but will be one of the first to fire. It is a required action for Units firing indirectly (e.g. artillery barrages).

Advance = the Unit can move up to its Advance value, and will be able to shoot later.

Sprint = the Unit will not shoot, but can move up to its Sprint value, and can engage enemy Units in an Assault (combat melee).

Note that Command Units are special, and always get both Overwatch and Sprint Action Tokens.

Up Next

Next time round, we’ll be ducking and diving into the Movement Phase.

Don’t forget to sign up to the EPIC WARPATH Kickstarter Page to get notified when the project goes live – just click on the link below!