If I want to do a 60” x 44”, then I bring out an ironing board and a couple of extra flat wooden boards to run alongside the table to make that extra 8.5”. A 30” x 44” battlefield for Combat Patrol or Incursion is a nice fit.
We have a decent-sized dining table that is about 53.5” x 35.5” with leaves that extends out to about maybe 90” x 35.5”. Now to the practical logistics of playing. This is a pretty subjective and ‘season to taste’ part of the process. I might build in Heavy Bolters instead, or an Assault Squad instead of Devastator Squad. If the first list is all infantry, then there’s probably not much need for a bunch of Devastator Squad with Lascannons and Multi-meltas. If my first list contains two big tanks, then the list to go up against it should have a few heavy weapons or comparable anti-tank component to it, without being exclusively composed of tank hunter units. Like a real opponent probably should, knowing roughly what they would be facing. I’ll begin with some concept like that for one of the factions above, build the list, and then choose another faction and build a list that is somewhere between a perfect foil for the first list and a takes-all-comers list for the faction. I’ll typically have it in mind to play a game with a force of nearly all White Scars bikers, or a list of nothing but Leman Russ tanks. Thematic lists can be very fun when you can also tailor the opposition to allow for a well-matched game. Similarly, I might do an Incursion game where I only take an Outrider detachment of my White Scars. Sometimes I’ll choose a 25ish PL list from a larger Order of Battle just to do a relatively simple and quick Combat Patrol game. Sometimes I’ll play the biggest game possible between two factions, matching the PL as nearly as possible. Often this is determined by the opposing force I choose, because many of them are only filled out to the size of a Combat Patrol or Incursion game.
Next up I’ll decide how big a game I want to play. Lately I’ve been going with the Astra Militarum for several games, again because I want the RP to keep filling out their force with stuff I have already painted. My options on hand are Astra Militarum, Ultramarines, Word Bearers, Red Corsairs, Sons of Omegon (custom Primaris-only chapter), Talons of the Emperor (Adeptus Custodes with or without Sisters of Silence), and Imperial Knights.
Often I’ll rotate my alternate forces to match up against them. I almost always play my White Scars because I want to keep earning RP for them to keep adding stuff to their Order of Battle. The first thing I do is decide which two armies I want to play. I’ve done that borrowing a mission reward (determined by rolling a D6, usually) from one of the Crusade mission sets for Combat Patrol/Incursion/Strike Force.
I’ve actually generated Open missions to play using Crusade. I play Crusade mode, but this method should work fine for Matched/GT/Open mission sets, as well. Not that the system matters all that much, but there may be some particulars that would need adjustment for use with Age of Sigmar or Flames of War or what-have-you. This is aimed at the everyman (or woman, of course) player of 9 th edition 40K. I get the feeling a lot of people are very excited to play more games but frustrated by the pandemic. It’s fairly simple, of course, but breaking it down might help show people how it’s possible to do, if you are willing to go to the trouble. Based on some social media posts I've seen, apparently there is a need for it! I thought I should write up my solo play method. War Zone Charadon Act II: The Book of Fire War Zone Charadon Act I: The Book of Rust The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness Rulebook