Get ArcReady #4 - Meat Grinder

This series of articles is about sharing some insights into getting ready for Arc40k and the challenging missions that are presented each year.

We've shared half of the missions from 2022 already through the first three articles. Since the last article dropped it’s been confirmed that Arc40k will be using all the updated rules for matchplay - Arcs of Omen, Balanced Data Sheet and Munitorum Field Manual points.

In this article I’m looking at Mission 4 - Meat Grinder. All the missions have been updated to be in line with the format being used for 2023. So be sure to download the .pdf at the end of this article.

If any of the participants at Arc40k 2022 needed a wake up call then Mission #4 Meat Grinder certainly did that.

I've got to dive straight in and talk about to the special rule for the mission - Meat Grinder Respawn!

Back in 3rd Edition of Warhammer 40k they included the classic Battles Scenarios. These scenarios pitted one player against another in a ferocious face-to-face struggle. As a commander you would need a combination of tactical and bloody-minded determination to overcome the foe.

The original Meat Grinder had both an attacker and a defender. The mission used the Sustained Attack special rule.

Occasionally the enemy will have an overwhelming superiority in numbers, with wave upon wave of foes hurling themselves forward. To represent the size of an attack like this, the player making the Sustained Attack can 'recycle' some of his units when they are destroyed. Recycled units are brought back into play to represent the almost limitless supply of reinforcements.

Sustained Attack is a typically Arc40k special rule. You'd expect it to be worked through and modified to be a part of a mission.

In the play-test version of Meat Grinder both players get to respawn their units that gain the Endless Keyword.

So with the new Arcs of Omen Detachment whatever units you choose as your 3 compulsory selections will be able to return after being destroyed.

Ok, leaving the special rule aside - the second of the two Objectives - There will be Blood - is all about scoring Vps for Killing units. It means that if you can kill the respawning units there's 3, 4 or 5 Vps for each of those units.

Not to mention that you count units destroyed from turn one onwards.

The other Primary Objective - Hold and Destroy - also sees you earning 3 Vps for destroying enemy units. So kill stuff - lots of stuff - even the stuff that you have already killed, if it's Endless you get to kill it again, and again and again!

And with two objectives sitting on the edge of your deployment zone, then Holding Objectives and earning 6Vps per turn will be a primary aim. But, getting across the table to contest and battle to stop your opponent to not be holding their objectives will be important in creating a lead and working to create a separation of points between you and your opponent.

In the end Meat Grinder will be about what you need to sacrifice to jam your opponent into one corner. Hold both your objectives, take one of theirs and kill more of their units than you loosing yours.

Hopefully with this article, access to this mission, and a chance to play it through should see you be better prepared. The fact is that the same or similar missions, with similar objectives and outcomes, will be challenging you all on the gaming table at Arc40k in 2023.