After seeing many battles basically determined by the strategy roll on the crucial point, I came up with an idea of how to make a battle a bit less dependant on a single roll..

The side which moves first cannot retain their first activation.

Naturally this would hurt more of those with higher SR and especially Eldar. And yes, it would affect the game a lot as no more the one winning the activation on the second/third/fourth turn does 2 critical moves first. Now it would be more balanced: do I take the most critical action first, or then 2..?

Interesting idea.

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"I don't believe in destiny or the guiding hand of fate." N. Peart

Couldn't the winner of the Strategy Roll then just let their opponent go first, take a single activation, and then roll forward with their plan?  It may spoil things a bit, but would it be that great of a risk?  

I've often seen high SR armies let opponents make the first move in the early game.

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

As Chroma says, in my circles it is almost standard practice to force the opponent to move first in the first turn, especially where you already have an activation advantage. However, I suspect that you intend this to apply to all turns, which would prove a bit more intruigung - 1st activations in the 2nd turn are usually the most crucial ones and I have played many games where the outcomes decided the remainder of the battle. Limiting them may provide a little more balance.

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"Play up and play the game"

Vitai lampada
Sir Hemry Newbolt

No one ever forces me to activate first on turn one with my IG, something about cruise missiles and artillery.

I've never really had a problem with someone winning the SR then retaining on me. Sure its irritating, but the IG are very resilient and used to being out maneuvered.

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Fear is for the enemy, fear and bullets.
-James O'Barr, the Crow

Ditto

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Guns don't break formations. Blast Markers break formations.

This would apply to all turns, not just first.

You don't feel its balanced by the higher SR rating forcing the army to deploy objectives first and deploy a formation first? Also it should be accounted for in playtesting in terms of the relative power level (the eldar three activations certainly is).

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'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913
"Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography."
General Plumer, 191x

Ability to make Alpha Strike is so fundamental part of Epic that I would not change it. Almost every good assault needs that normal activation and then retain. And if victory and defeat hangs in the balance of one strategy roll, well that is Epic!

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Eradication of Earth's
Population loves Polaris

We don't use the SR ... just roll off at beginning of every turn. Winner has the option to activate a detachment/unit first or pass it on to his opponent.   That way no army is at a disadvatage because of G/W Fluff !  The Army units & organization is "fluffy" enough.    And as rpr said, a game is less dependent on a single roll ...  And IMO the flow of the game is more based on each players' "personal" SR ... ie. tactical skill/savvy ... Then G/W's fluff ...

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Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

As a point here, I have nothing against SR differences.
What I dislike is that there is this random thing (strategy roll on turn 2 very often) which usually has huge effect of the game and very often can decide the outcome of the battle.

Actually, game-wise, I would prefer no strategy roll at all - the one with higher SR wins. If even, the one which did not last turn. But I know that many players here like more chaos/unknown variables in their games, with hours of work ditched by bad single roll. Thus, the rule I camer up with would diminish the effect of that roll.

So this boils down to basic question of how much dice roll is good for the game. Lots of rolls that usually even up are good for my taste, but I do not like TOO important single rolls..


'

ADWWFY !

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Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

If my Guard used this houserule I would never fear Eldar or Marines again, they need that edge  desperately.

I wouldn't mind letting higher SR just win each turn.

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Fear is for the enemy, fear and bullets.
-James O'Barr, the Crow

How about eldar, would they be allowed their extra retain (thus letting them activate two formations, but not three), or would they be limited to only one, too?

But I do agree, I find the game can often hinge far too much on the second (and third) turn strategy roll. This would be one way to fix that.