Armies of the Imperium
Armies of the Imperium Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Imperial Army
- Space Marines
- Space Wolves
- Space Marines – Troop Types
- Special Space Marine Command Units
- Space Wolves – Force Organisation and Troop Types
- Grey Knights
- Inquisitors
- Land Raider Armoured Fighting Vehicle
- Space Marine Dreadnoughts
- Terminators
- Thunderhawk Gunship
- Drop Pods
- Imperial Guard Colour Schemes
- Imperial Data Sheets
- Terrain and Reference Tables
- Painting Space Marines
- Imperial Wargear
- The Imperial Guard
- Guard Command Structure
- The Chain of Command Rule
- Choosing the Imperial Guard
- Imperial Guard Troops
- Beastmen
- Ogryns
- Rough Riders
- Ratling Snipers
- Manticore Rocket Launcher
- The Leviathan
- Shadow Sword Super-Heavy Battle Tank
- Baneblade Super-Heavy Tank
- Storm Hammer Super Heavy Tank
- Gorgon Close Assault Vehicle
- Bombard Mobile Siege Mortar
- Commissars
- Hellhound Firethrower
- Basilisk Self-Propelled Artillery Gun
- Sentinel
- Deathstrike Tactical Missile Launcher
- Hellbore
- The Mole
- The Termite
- Leman Russ Battle Tank
- Capitol Imperialis Mobile Fortress
- Space Marine Play Sheet
- Army Cards
Introduction
Armies of the Imperium describes the different sorts of Space Marines and Imperial Guards that make up the vast armies of the Imperium. This volume contains all the rules for every model available at the time of going to press, and therefore includes details for many new models or formation sizes. We have also incorporated the relevant rules from the Space Marine rule book in order to provide a complete single reference volume for Imperial armies.
In the light of playing experience and useful comments from Space Marine gamers we have revised a few of the data sheet details to fit in better with new models or formation sizes. All the current data sheets for Imperial Guard and Space Marines are reproduced in the middle of this book.
Although they can also form part of Imperial armies, Titans and Squats are not covered by this volume, but will be described fully in further Space Marine supplements.
The new epic army cards describe many new formations for Space Marines and Imperial Guard. There are also a number of unique cards for the four Chapters covered in detail by this volume – Ultra Marines, Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Dark Angels, which can be used alongside the original cards from the Space Marine game.
You will notice that the new cards have been coloured in a distinctive fashion so you can tell the Imperial forces apart and differentiate them from other races' armies. You can extend this colour coding to your existing black and white cards by using coloured markers or adhesive labels if you want. There is certainly nothing to stop you combining original and new cards, or several sets of the new cards.
The actual number of cards supplied with the game is not intended to provide a limit on your forces. The points values and rules governing which cards you can combine already provide sufficient limitations to ensure a fair and challenging game. Ambitious players with huge armies may wish to photocopy existing cards to make new sets. You are allowed to do this so long as the cards are for your personal use only. In the future we hope to release separate sets of cards to enable players to augment their forces more easily.
Everything in this volume and all the cards are up to date at the time of printing. New Citadel models will be advertised in White Dwarf magazine and new rules and epic army card details will be provided for them at the same time.
The Imperial Army
In many cases Imperial armies consist of combined Space Marine and Imperial Guard forces, and players may well want to assemble their own armies in this manner. A few players may prefer to collect only Space Marine or Imperial Guard, and this is entirely up to them of course! As well as Space Marines and Imperial Guard, Imperial armies are also likely to include Titans and Squats, although they are not described in this volume.
An Eldar craftworld will sometimes ally with Imperial forces for the duration of a specific battle or campaign, but they remain aloof from humans and prefer not to get involved in combined operations. This is quite different to the Squats whose worlds are independent, but very closely allied with the Imperium, and who fight alongside Imperial Guard and Space Marines.
To combine Imperial Guard, Space Marines or Squats into a single army then choose two or three separate forces using the appropriate epic card sets. The total points value of your army can be divided in any way between the different types. Bear in mind you have to choose each force separately – you cannot use Space Marine company cards to entitle you to Guard or Squat support cards.
For example, you might wish to field a 5000 point force which consists of 2,400 points of Space Marines, 1,500 points of Imperial Guard, and 1,100 points of Squats. This gives you the advantage of being able to field top class Space Marine troopers alongside Imperial Guard super heavy tanks and Squat bikers. The disadvantage of this option is that you will reduce the points available for support and special cards, as you will have to include at least one company card from each force.
If you wish, you can also include Eldar allies in your Imperial army. Eldar are fiercely independent and their attitude to humans is ambivalent to say the least. Sometimes humans attempt to settle worlds which the Eldar consider their own, having seeded them in eons past to create habitable environments. This can lead to conflict and even prolonged warfare, but ultimately both sides realise that they have more to gain by cooperation.
While no Eldar commander would place himself or his forces under the direct control of the Imperium, Eldar and Imperial forces sometimes cooperate to achieve a common objective. Usually this takes the form of armies fighting across different parts of a warzone, or Eldar space fleets clearing enemy shipping while Imperial ground forces attack planetary strong points, but occasionally Eldar and human armies find themselves thrown together by the fortunes of war.
With a few restrictions, Eldar can be included as allies in an Imperial force. It wouldn't really be fair to allow Imperial players unrestricted use of Eldar, so no Imperial army can include more than 50% of its total points value as Eldar troops.
As with combined Squats, Imperial Guard and Space Marine forces you must choose the Eldar force separately – you cannot use Space Marine company cards to entitle you to Eldar support cards. Remember too that many of the Space Marine command unit bonuses only apply to Imperial Guard and Space Marines and not to Squats and Eldar fighting alongside them.
Space Marines
The Space Marines are the finest warriors in the entire Imperium. They are divided into about a thousand different Chapters, each an independent fighting force with its own armouries and spacefleets. Almost every Chapter rules over a planet which serves as its operational base and often forms its main recruiting ground as well. Unlike most worlds in the Imperium Space Marine homeworlds are not obliged to provide tithes for the Adeptus Terra or recruits for the Imperial Guard. Instead their entire resources go to maintain the Space Marine Chapter. Some Space Marine homeworlds are large with a substantial population of ordinary humans. Others are small with little or no native population so that recruits have to be taken from elsewhere in the Imperium.
The inhabitants of most of these worlds are aware that their lords and masters are Space Marines but this is not always the case. A few homeworlds are primitive, such as Fenris, the world of the Space Wolves, where the natives revere their masters as divine beings who live on the mountain tops. On other worlds the inhabitants remain totally unaware of the Chapter's presence or even know nothing of the Imperium at all. Their products and resources are secretly directed to the hidden Space Marine base by the few powerful individuals privy to the truth.
There are a great many Chapters scattered throughout the galaxy. We have chosen to describe four in detail: the Space Wolves, the Dark Angels, the Ultramarines and the Blood Angels. These are probably the most famous Chapters of all, and also show how diverse the Space Marines can be in organisation and character. Of course, we will never be able to describe every Chapter, so there is plenty of opportunity for you to invent your own if you want, making up their organisation and uniform details to your own liking. For those of you who wish to pursue this more individualistic approach the following details will provide you with a basis to work from and examples to consider.
Imperial Armies
Space Marines form an important part of the Imperial Army. Players can choose to have their army formed entirely of Space Marines, just as it can be formed entirely of Imperial Guard, but it is more common to mix the two forces together into one army. The Space Marine part of the army is chosen using the Space Marine epic army cards. You can use the original cards supplied in the Space Marine game and the new cards from the Armies of the Imperium supplement. The new Space Marine cards are indicated by an Imperial eagle symbol and red coloured band (you can use coloured pens or pencils to colour your black and white cards too if you wish). Some cards represent units from specific Chapters, such as the Dark Angels Deathwing, and these cards are indicated by the Chapter symbol. How you use the card pack depends on what kind of Space Marine force you want to represent.
Choosing Space Marines
A Space Marine force may be assembled from the epic cards in the manner described in the Space Marine rule book. Having decided on your points total choose cards to represent your force. You must chose at least 1 company card, though you can choose more if you wish. For every company card you can choose up to 5 Space Marine support cards and 1 Space Marine special card.
Mixed Chapters
Space Marine Chapters often fight together in armies of several Chapters. In large wars as many as twenty Chapters might be banded together into one army. Usually such an army would also include Imperial Guard and Titans. Imperial players may field a mixed force of Space Marines too; there is no need for your army to restrict itself to just one Chapter.
It is easy to assemble a mixed force of Space Marines by painting units to represent different Chapters. Chapters are mostly distinguished by their armour colour, so collecting several different Chapters enables you to vary the colour schemes of your units.
A mixed force can include any of the Chapters discussed in detail in this volume, those illustrated in the Warhammer 40,000 books, or Chapters you have invented yourself. So, for example, you might choose the Dark Angel Deathwing as a company card, and add support cards to represent two Blood Angel Devastator detachments, a Space Wolf Blood Claws Pack, an Ultramarine tactical detachment, and a squadron of Crimson Fist land speeders. The Crimson Fists are not specifically discussed in this book or represented by cards but they are depicted on the cover of Warhammer 40,000. You could paint your models to represent this or any other of the Chapters described in any of the Warhammer 40,000 books.
One Chapter
If you wish you can paint your Space Marine force to represent just one Chapter. As Chapters vary in size tremendously there is no problem of creating a Chapter that is bigger than a real Space Marine Chapter as during prolonged wars all the Chapters train more recruits to increase their size. Obviously you will not be able to use any of the cards which represent troops that are specific to other Chapters. You can always add units from other Chapters later, turning it into a mixed force as described above. You can represent any single Chapter without restricting yourself as regards its size and the types of cards it includes, even Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Dark Angels and Blood Angels should you want to.
Chapters Using Lists
The way in which you choose your epic army cards automatically reflects the army's organisation so that the proportion of company cards to support and special cards creates a reasonable and fair army. If you like the idea of collecting a Chapter in a more coherent way then you can use the army lists described on the following pages for the Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and Ultramarines. Alternatively you can draw up your own lists, in which case you'll find those given are a useful guide. You do not have to use these lists if you do not want to, not even if you are collecting one of these Chapters.
The lists represent Chapters at their 'stand-by' strength. In time of war more troops are routinely added and this will obviously change the list and lift many of the restrictions. However, by using the lists provided you will ensure that Chapters are fielded in a representative manner. An army that consisted entirely of Space Marine Devastators might be theoretically legal, but is stretching the rules to the point where other players may refuse to fight you! It is therefore suggested that players who like a more restricted game mutually agree to use these lists, or ones drawn up and agreed upon by the players themselves.
The Chapter lists restrict the availability of each type of unit, so it is impossible to field more than one Terminator company, for example. The restrictions vary for each Chapter, and in the case of the Space Wolves a wholly different organisation is presented. Only troop types given in the lists are restricted, other types of unit are not restricted in any way. So for example, land speeders and bikes are limited to those given in the lists, but you can add as many Predator or Whirlwind squadrons as you like. These kinds of vehicles are usually crewed by household troops who are not themselves Space Marines, although their leaders are usually Space Marines and their morale values are therefore the same.
The Ultramarines
The Ultramarines are the best example of an orthodox Space Marine Chapter. Ten thousand years ago, following the end of the Horus Heresy, the original Space Marine Legions were substantially re-organised to form the Space Marine Chapters we know today. A new code of organisation and operational methods called the Codex Astartes was drawn up by the Adeptus Terra. This sought to define standard organisations and uniform details as well as providing the ultimate reference work on strategy and tactics. Over the millennia most of the Chapters have evolved variations on the details laid down by the Codex Astartes. Some have changed quite radically so that their organisation and operating procedures bear almost no resemblance to the textbook. The Ultramarines however have retained every detail of the Codex Astartes intact and have become famous for their rigid adherence to its ancient orthodoxy. This means the Chapter is a very good place to start, as all other Chapter organisations represent developments of the Codex Astartes or complete revisions of it.
Every Space Marine Chapter has only a finite number of Space Marine Companies and these are of specific types: Veteran, Battle, Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Scout. The Ultramarines, for example, have one Veteran Company, four Battle Companies, two Tactical Companies, one Devastator Company, and one Scout Company. You can choose to field as many of these as you want, choosing and paying points for epic army cards as normal, but you cannot exceed the number available to you. These limits are summarised on the chart below. Some Space Marine Companies can split up into separate support detachments – for example a Tactical Company can split into three detachments.
When a company splits its HQ unit joins the upper echelons of command behind the battle lines and so is not represented on the table. If you look at the chart you will see which companies can be fielded as separate detachments. Obviously you cannot field the same troops as a whole company and as separate detachments; you must do one or the other.
If you opt to field troops as support detachments then you can field one, two, or three detachments and these are chosen as support cards as described in the Space Marine rulebook. In the case of Scout, Veteran, and Tactical Companies you have the extra option of fielding support troops in different roles. In the case of Ultramarine number 6 Tactical Company, for example, you can field each detachment as a Tactical Detachment or as a Bike Squad. You can field any combination of these but you cannot field more than three in total. In the case of the Veteran Company these can be fielded either as Veteran Space Marines in powered armour or as Terminators in heavy Terminator armour.
As you can see the Chapter lists restrict your choice of troops by placing a limit on the number of specialist troops you can field, particularly Terminators, Bikes and Land Speeders. If you are choosing a very large force you will find the choices harder. On the whole the Ultramarines represent a well prepared force true to the tactical precepts of flexibility and mutual support encoded in the Codex Astartes. Some Chapters offer more special troops or unusual combinations of weaponry, but few rival the Ultramarines' flexibility.
Ultramarines Chapter Chart
| Company number | Field these as 1 Company card, or | Up to 3 support cards which may be |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veteran Company or Terminator Company | Veteran Detachments or Terminator Detachments |
| 2 | Battle Company | None – Battle Companies are always fielded as whole Companies consisting of a Company HQ Unit, a Tactical Detachment, a Devastator Detachment, and an Assault Detachment. |
| 3 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 4 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 5 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 6 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments or Bike Squads |
| 7 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments or Land Speeder Squadrons |
| 8 |
The Dark Angels
The Dark Angels differ only slightly from the basic Chapter organisation of the Codex Astartes. The main difference is that they have a specially equipped mobile company called the Ravenwing in place of one of the Battle Companies. This consists of Space Marines riding either Bikes or Land Speeders and gives the Dark Angel player the option to field a large mobile formation. However, his other formations are less flexible – the Tactical Companies can only break down into Tactical Detachments for example. The first company is the Deathwing and is represented by a special card – the Dark Angel first company always fights as the Deathwing Company or as Deathwing Detachments, never as Veteran Space Marines. The Dark Angel force may not include other Veteran or Terminator Space Marines.
Dark Angels Chapter Chart
| Company number | Field these as 1 Company card, or | Up to 3 support cards which may be |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deathwing Company | Deathwing Detachments |
| 2 | Ravenwing | Land Speeder Detachments or Bike Detachments |
| 3 | Battle Company | None – Battle Companies are always fielded as whole Companies consisting of a Company HQ Unit, a Tactical Detachment, a Devastator Detachment, and an Assault Detachment. |
| 4 | Battle Company | (as 3) |
| 5 | Battle Company | (as 3) |
| 6 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments |
| 7 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments |
| 8 |
The Blood Angels
The Blood Angels were one of the original Space Marine Legions, whose genetic implants were cloned from their leaders – super-human warriors called Primarchs. The Blood Angel's Primarch, Sanguinius, was able to fly thanks to long hawk-like wings that grew from his back. At the climax of the Horus Heresy Sanguinius sacrificed his life to earn the Emperor time to hunt down and destroy Horus in person. Though the Emperor triumphed, his injuries were so terrible that he was confined to life-support stasis ever since. The body of Sanguinius was also placed in stasis and cells from it are still used to create the genetic implants for every Blood Angel Space Marine.
All other Chapters use genetic material from Space Marines to produce implants, but the Blood Angels are incapable of this and rely on cells drawn from the body of their Primarch. This has a particular effect upon the minds of the Chapter as a whole, which manifests itself as the Death Company.
The genetic material of Sanguinius is still saturated with his last moments of desperate sacrifice, and fleeting memories of that conflict continually break through into the consciousness of every Blood Angel Space Marine. These ghostly memories are partly pacified by the ceremonies and peculiar blood rituals for which the Chapter is famous. However, many Blood Angels succumb to the overwhelming emotions of their Primarch's final moments. When this happens, as it is prone to do on the eve of battle, a Blood Angel's overwhelming impulse is to seek death. So desperate and irresistible is this impulse that the individual loses all touch with reality and becomes fearless to the point of madness. Blood Angels who are taken by this death frenzy prior to battle join together in a special unit called the Death Company.
Death Company. Once you have chosen your Blood Angel force roll a dice for each Space Marine detachment. Make sure you roll a dice for every detachment including Veterans, Terminators, Bikes, Land Speeders, and Scouts – in fact everything you have chosen from the list. On the roll of a 5 or 6 some Space Marines from that detachment join the Death Company; remove 1 stand from the detachment and place it to one side. Once you have done this for the entire force replace all the stands you have removed with Death Company stands.
The Death Company paints its armour black, sometimes adding red crosses signifying the wounds of Sanguinius. The most simple version of this is a plain black scheme with red detail, such as the bolter and shoulder pads.
The Death Company forms a single unit on the tabletop. Its size will vary from game to game, up to a maximum size of 1 stand for every Space Marine detachment in the army. Obviously any detachments losing stands to the Death Company will fight one stand down from the start of the game, but stands removed from these detachments are not considered to be casualties and do not affect their original unit's break point value. The Death Company itself is provided with enough additional Rhinos to carry all the stands, which cost no points.
The Death Company never checks morale and cannot be broken, nor is it worth any victory points to your enemy. Space Marine stands fight with a close assault factor of +4 and the company must always be given advance or charge orders. It cannot be given first fire orders as the Space Marines are in far too frenzied a state of mind to sit tight and pick their targets. Once all the Space Marines in the Death Company are killed any remaining Rhino transports are automatically considered to have been routed and are removed from the tabletop.
Blood Angels Chapter Chart
| Company number | Field these as 1 Company card, or | Up to 3 support cards which may be |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veteran Company or Terminator Company | Veteran Detachments or Terminator Detachments |
| 2 | Battle Company | None – Battle Companies are always fielded as whole Companies consisting of a Company HQ Unit, a Tactical Detachment, a Devastator Detachment, and an Assault Detachment. |
| 3 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 4 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 5 | Battle Company | (as 2) |
| 6 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments or Bike Squads |
| 7 | Tactical Company | Tactical Detachments or Land Speeder Squadrons |
| 8 |
Space Wolves
The three Chapters described above differ from each other only in detail. They use mostly the same cards, and only the Dark Angels are forbidden from using any specific cards (Terminators and Veterans as these are represented by the Deathwing). The Space Wolves are completely different and are a very good example of just how individual a Space Marine Chapter can be.
Like the other Chapters the Space Wolves were re-organised after the Horus Heresy according to the Codex Astartes. However, their Primarch, the famous Leman Russ, was never conventional and the Chapter soon adapted to suit its leader's fierce warrior mentality. The Space Wolves Chapter is divided into twelve Great Companies each led by a mighty warrior called a Wolf Lord. Each Great Company has its own lands and its own base called a Lair.
Space Wolf Scouts who have proven their worth in battle ("Earned their claws" as the Space Wolves say) are ready to join one of the Great Companies. To determine which of the Great Companies they will join, and as a final demonstration of their readiness, groups of Scouts visit the Great Wolf, Lord Fenris, Master and Ruler of all the Space Wolves. The Great Wolf sets each group a task, usually to raid the Lair of one of the Great Companies and capture some special item of worth such as a war trophy. The young Wolf Scouts must infiltrate the Great Company's Lair and capture their target. No weapons are used and all fighting is conducted by unarmed combat. Space Marines are exceptionally strong so injuries are common although death blows and any deliberate attempt to maim are strictly avoided. If the Wolf Scouts successfully complete their task they will be allowed to join the ranks of the Great Company whose trophy they have captured.
Each Great Company consists of the Wolf Lord himself who always fights alongside his Wolf Guard – the bravest and best of his fighters. This core of elite troops forms the command unit for the Great Company. Wolf Guard have the option to fight as Wolf Guard Terminators. The remaining Space Wolves are divided into three types: Grey Hunters, Blood Claws, and Long Fangs. All of these favour close quarter fighting over fighting at a distance, although the Long Fangs carry a higher proportion of heavy weapons than the others.
The three types reflect the seniority and fighting prowess of the Space Marine. Initially he will join the Great Company as a lightly armed, mobile Blood Claw. After a few years of combat experience he joins the main warrior band the Grey Hunters. If he is sufficiently successful he will be invited to fight alongside his master as a Wolf Guard, otherwise his advancing age and experience will earn him a respected place amongst the Long Fangs. As Space Wolves actually have fangs their title reflects a physical reality as well as their battlefield potency.
Blood Claws carry mostly hand-to-hand weapons and grenades and are equipped with jump-packs so that they can move rapidly over the battlefield. They are famous for their howling cry and terrifying charge. They sometimes fight from Land Speeders or Bikes and provide the Chapter's mobile strike force.
Grey Hunters carry a mixture of close combat weapons, bolt guns and grenades. They are the majority troop types of the Space Wolves and every Great Company has a good sized band.
Long Fangs are the most heavily armed of all Space Wolves as their ranks include a fair number of individuals with missile launchers, lascannons and other heavy weapons as well as bolters, and the usual mixture of hand-to-hand weapons, pistols and grenades. As the oldest and most battle-hardened of the Chapter they provide long range covering fire for the more head-strong warriors. Even by Space Marine standards Long Fangs are very hard to break, and there are many famous occasions when they have held the battleline against all odds to cover a retreat or hold a position whilst reinforcements rushed forwards.
Wolf Guard. The Wolf Guard are the chosen companions of the Wolf Lord and the best fighters in the entire Chapter. They fight alongside the Wolf Lord and form the command unit for their company. Wolf Guard are armed with a variety of personalised weapons with a bias towards close combat weapons. They can fight in Terminator armour as Wolf Guard Terminators.
Choosing a Space Wolf Force
Space Wolves are organised quite differently from other Space Marines, and so you choose your forces in a different way than normal. You can use any of the specific Space Wolf epic cards, but you cannot use any of the following general Space Marine cards: Veteran, Terminator, Battle, Tactical, Assault, Devastator, Scout, Space Marine Land Speeder or Space Marine Bike, as these types are represented by special Space Wolf cards. You can use other Space Marine cards such as Vindicators, Whirlwinds, and so on – these represent vehicles and weapons with crews of Servitors or other ordinary human troops in the service of the Space Wolves. You can also use any of the special cards.
Because Space Wolf Great Companies vary in size there is no formal list to choose from. The only limit is that you may choose no more than 12 Great Companies. The normal support and special card allowances apply, so you can choose 5 support cards and 1 special card for each company card. This means a Space Wolf force can be potentially very large indeed.
Space Marines – Troop Types
Space Marine Chapters are tightly and carefully organised fighting forces in which individual companies and detachments are designed to fulfil specific roles. A typical Space Marine Chapter has ten companies – although more companies will be created and maintained in times of prolonged war. Each company is made up of three detachments plus an HQ unit.
HQ Unit. A Space Marine command unit is called an HQ unit, and consists of a single stand of Space Marines marked with a banner pole to indicate that a Captain and his staff are included. Various epic scale plastic Space Marine officer models are available in the Epic boxed sets of miniatures, and can be included on the HQ stand if you wish. Any Imperial Guard or Space Marine formation may add +1 to its morale dice if a Space Marine HQ unit is within 10cm.
A Detachment can be either Tactical, Assault, or Devastator. Each type carries different weapons and equipment and fulfils a different tactical role. This is shown in the game by the different game details.
Assault Space Marines are equipped with close quarter weapons such as pistols and swords, and they wear powered jump-packs which enable them to leap over trees, rocks and buildings. Assault Space Marines may therefore ignore movement penalties – they simply use their jump packs to leap over terrain and move much faster than ordinary troops. A stand consists of 5 assault Space Marine models.
Devastator Space Marines carry heavy weapons, such as lascannons, which they use to burst open enemy tanks and installations. A stand consists of 4 tactical Space Marine models and 1 model with a heavy weapon.
Tactical Space Marines usually carry bolt guns and are highly flexible and tactically adaptable troops. They make up the majority of most Space Marine Chapters. A stand consists of 5 tactical Space Marine models.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tactical Marines | 10cm | None | +2 | Bolters | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | |
| Assault Marines | 15cm | None | +3 | Pistols\Swords | 25cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | Jump Packs. |
| Devastator Marines |
Veterans and Scouts
Veterans. The first (number 1) company is the Veteran Company. Space Marine Veterans are the most experienced and toughest Space Marines in the entire Chapter. Their game details are superior to other Space Marines. Veterans can fight in normal Space Marine power armour or as Terminators in special Terminator armour. A stand consists of 5 tactical Space Marine models.
Scouts. A Chapter also has at least one Scout Company, made up of young Space Marines who have yet to complete the final stages of their training and bio-chemical enhancement. Until they are ready to join the brother-warriors of the Space Marines they fight as Scouts.
Scouts are more lightly equipped than other Space Marines. They are trained to clear the way for the Space Marines, secure vital strong points, and scout the enemy's firepower. To represent the way in which Scouts infiltrate the battlefield unseen by the enemy, the Space Marine player is allowed to reposition Scouts once the two armies have been set up. Before the game begins the Space Marine player may move any or all of his Scouts once at up to charge rate (ie double normal move rate). This may bring the Scouts close to the enemy line – but they are not allowed to move closer to any enemy troops than 5cm. Scouts do not use power armour, so a stand may be represented by 5 Imperial Guard tactical troopers painted in the appropriate Chapter colours.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Veterans | 10cm | None | +4 | Bolters | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | |
| Marine Scouts | 10cm | None | +2 | Bolt Pistols | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 |
Special Space Marine Command Units
Every Space Marine Chapter includes a number of Space Marine officers who fulfil special roles within the Chapter. For example: Tech-Marines who are expert mechanics, Librarians who have psychic powers, and Chaplains who are important cult leaders. Each of these special officers is represented by a single stand forming a command unit which is assumed to include one or more of the officer type, plus other lower-ranking officers, bodyguards, or other accompanying individuals. A stand consists of a Space Marine commander, standard bearer and Space Marine models making a total of 5. A distinctive banner will allow stands to be easily identified.
Librarians
Every Chapter includes a number of powerful Space Marine psykers who are known as Librarians. Not all of these fight in battle, some remain behind the lines monitoring psychic communication and transmitting psychic messages to commanders far from the battle itself. Only fighting Librarians regularly appear at the front, using their powers to attack the enemy or protect Space Marines from enemy psykers.
A Librarian stand may be made up from Space Marine models including an officer to represent the Librarian himself – the remainder are his bodyguard. You can use a banner pole and banner to further emphasise the model if you wish. The Librarian's powers enable the stand to make one special psychic attack in the combat phase. This is treated as a separate attack, so the Librarian can shoot as normal and make one of the following psychic attacks. These attacks are treated as if they were weapons, so the Librarian must be able to see the target to use the attack. Psychic attacks may be used against Titans and other comparably large targets with power or void shields, but the effect will be considerably reduced as shields set up interference patterns which sap psychic energy. Should the target have one or more shields up roll a D6. On a 1-3 the psychic energy is dispersed by the shield with no effect. On a 4-6 the shields are penetrated and fail to stop the attack. The shields themselves are not destroyed as a result of a psychic attack.
Purge Psyker. The Librarian can use this power to destroy an enemy psyker within 50cm. Purge Psyker can be used to attack an Eldar Warlock, Ork Weirdboy, another Librarian, or other living psyker but not a daemon, Chaos Android, Eldar Wraithguard or Eldar Dreadnought. Basically, Purge Psyker will affect anything not affected by Destroy Daemon and vice versa. Choose a visible target within 50cm and roll 2D6 to represent the strength of the Librarian's psychic power. The enemy psyker rolls 1D6. If the Librarian's score is higher the enemy psyker is destroyed. If the enemy's score is higher there is no effect unless the score is twice that of the Librarian in which case the Librarian is destroyed by psychic feedback. If the scores are equal both players roll again.
Mind Blast. The Librarian projects a blast of psychic energy which shreds the mind of living creatures. Choose a target within 25cm and roll a D6. On the roll of a 4, 5 or 6 the target is hit. No armour saving roll is allowed against a Mind Blast. A Mind Blast can be directed against a vehicle with a live crew and has the same effect as a normal hit – it is assumed the crew are slain and the vehicle wrecked. The Mind Blast can also be used against a Titan's crew, in which case a D6 roll of 4 or more is required to penetrate any shields. If its shields are penetrated the Titan automatically sustains a hit to the head, representing damage to the crew. Work out damage to the head by rolling on the damage chart as normal.
A Mind Blast has no effect on Robots as they obviously have no mind, nor on daemons or any daemon-like troops which are not flesh and blood living creatures. A list of the latter is given in the Destroy Daemon attack (below).
Destroy Daemon. The Librarian unleashes a potent bolt of energy which focuses onto the nearest daemon. The bolt has a maximum range of 25cm and automatically strikes the nearest visible daemon stand or greater daemon. Destroy Daemon works against Eldar Avatars, as well as Wraithguard and Eldar Dreadnoughts, both of which contain the spirit of a dead Eldar. Destroy Daemon is also effective against Chaos Androids which contain a bound daemon. The Librarian player rolls 2D6 to represent his psychic power. The target piece rolls 1D6 if it is a daemon stand or Chaos Android, 2D6 for Wraithguard or Eldar Dreadnought, and 3D6 if it is a Greater Daemon or Avatar. If the Librarian's score is higher the daemon is destroyed. If the daemon's score is higher then there is no effect unless the daemon's score is twice that of the Librarian in which case the Librarian is destroyed by psychic feedback. If both scores are equal the players roll again.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaplain | 10cm | None | +4 | Pistols & others | 25cm | 2 | 5+ | 0 | Imperial troops within 10cm add +1 to CAF. |
| Medic | 10cm | None | +2 | Pistols & others | 25cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | Imperial troops within 10cm save on 5+. |
Chaplains
Every Space Marine Chapter has its own priests of the Imperial Cult – these are called Chaplains and their role is to look after the Chapter's shrines and chapels, and to administer the various ceremonial rites of the Chapter. All Chaplains are extraordinarily brave, even by Space Marine standards, inspiring tremendous loyalty and fighting fury in the troops around them. Any Imperial troop stands within 10cm of a Chaplain may add +1 to their close assault factor to represent this.
Medics
Every Chapter has its medical staff including high-ranking surgeons and doctors, although these specialists don't always fight on the battlefield. Field-medics are relatively junior medical staff, whose role is to attend to the wounded in the heat of action. Thanks to the advanced technology of the Imperium even the badly wounded stand a good chance of survival, while warriors who are lightly wounded have their injuries tended on the battlefield so they can carry on fighting.
Any Imperial troop stands within 10cm of a Medic may take a special saving throw if they are slain. Roll a D6: if the score is 5 or 6 the Medic has managed to save some or all of the casualties and the troop stand fights on as normal. On the roll of less than 5 the Medic may still have saved the lives of the troops concerned, but they are in no condition to fight on and are removed as casualties as normal.
Note that a Medic can only save the lives of troop stands in this way (including bike riders) – he can't save tanks or any other kind of vehicle or weapon.
Tech-Marines
Every Space Marine Chapter sends a proportion of its most intelligent young recruits to the Adeptus Mechanicus for training as Tech-Marines. These fortunate few receive all the training and special powers that every Space Marine enjoys, and in addition they are taught the age-old technical secrets of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They learn how to make and repair all kinds of complex devices, and how to turn ordinary humans into cyborg servitors to perform mundane mechanical tasks. Together with their servitors the Tech-Marines manufacture and maintain their Chapter's technical equipment, from the humblest bolt pistol to the mighty spacecraft that propel the Space Marines to war.
The Tech-Marine is represented by a single stand which includes the Tech-Marine plus a number of junior officers or servitors. The stand is a command unit and so does not require orders and does not need to check morale. On the battlefield the Tech-Marine's most valuable skill is his ability to repair damaged and broken down machinery. If a vehicle is destroyed by enemy fire there is always a chance the Tech-Marine and his servitors can effect some temporary repair which will get the machine back into action. Any Imperial vehicle or artillery piece within 10cm of a Tech-Marine may make a special saving throw once it has been hit and destroyed by enemy fire. Roll a D6 – if the score is 5 or 6 the Tech-Marine has managed to repair the machine and it may continue to fight as normal. If the dice roll is less than 5 the repair does not work and the machine remains out of action. Note that the Tech-Marine can only save machines in this way including tanks, artillery pieces and Dreadnoughts, but he cannot save troop stands or bike riders.
Space Wolves – Force Organisation and Troop Types
Space Wolves are organised differently to other Space Marines. They are divided into Great Companies, each composed of the Space Wolf chieftain, or Great Wolf, and his band of fighting warriors. A Great Company card consists of a command unit called the Wolf Guard, and two Packs of Grey Hunters representing the Great Wolf and his band of warriors. Space Wolf Marine detachments are called Packs and they are often larger than ordinary detachments. Packs of Long Fangs, Grey Hunters, Blood Claws, Blood Claw Bikers, and Blood Claw Land Speeders can also be included as support cards.
Wolf Guard. The Wolf Guard are the chosen companions of the Great Wolf and the best fighters in the entire Chapter. They fight alongside the Great Wolf and form the command unit for their company. The Wolf Guard are armed with a variety of personalised weapons with a bias towards close combat weapons. They are the equivalent to HQ Units in other Chapters and may be represented by adding a Space Marine officer model to a stand of tactical Space Marines or by fastening a banner pole and banner. Any Imperial formation may add +1 to its morale dice if a Wolf Guard or any other Space Marine HQ unit is within 10cm.
Wolf Guard Terminators. The Wolf Guard can fight in Terminator armour and some of the Great Company cards have this option. The Space Wolves are unusual in that their Terminators also fight as command units. The usual +1 morale bonus for Imperial formations applies. A stand consists of 5 Terminator models.
Blood Claws carry mostly hand-to-hand weapons and grenades and are equipped with jump-packs so that they can move rapidly over the battlefield. They are famous for their determined and terrifying charge accompanied by wolf-like howling. An enemy unit which is charged by Blood Claws must take a morale test. Robots or other models which do not take morale tests are obviously exempt from this rule. If enemy fail a morale test a fall back counter is placed by the unit and they suffer a -2 penalty on their close assault factor. Blood Claws can also fight from Land Speeders or Bikes without jump-packs. A stand consists of 5 assault Space Marine models.
Grey Hunters carry a mixture of close combat weapons, bolt guns and grenades. They are the main troop types of the Space Wolves, equivalent to tactical troops from other Chapters. However, their preference for short ranged weaponry means that they are even better at close combat fighting. A stand consists of 5 tactical Space Marine models.
Long Fangs are the most heavily armed of all Space Wolves as their ranks include a fair number of individuals with missile launchers, lascannons and other heavy weapons as well as bolters and the usual mixture of hand-to-hand weapons, pistols and grenades. As the oldest and most battle-hardened of the Chapter they provide long range covering fire for the more head-strong warriors. Long Fangs are very hard to break, even by Space Marine standards, and there are many famous occasions when they have held the battleline against all odds to cover a retreat or hold a position while reinforcements rushed forwards. A stand consists of 1 or more Space Marine models with heavy weapons plus tactical Space Marines making a total of 5 models.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Guard | 10cm | None | +4 | Bolt Pistols | 25cm | 2 | 5+ | 0 | Command unit. Imperial troops within 10cm add +1 to morale. |
| Wolf Guard Terminators | 10cm | Fixed 6+ | +6 | Storm Bolters | 25cm | 2 | 4+ | -1 | Command unit. Imperial troops within 10cm add +1 to morale. |
Grey Knights
The Grey Knights are the most extraordinary Space Marine Chapter of all. Their secret headquarters is believed to be situated on an outer planet of the solar system, possibly Titan, but only the Inquisition knows its whereabouts for certain. The Grey Knights are daemon-hunters, recruited because of their latent psychic talents or extreme psychic resistance, and their role is to provide the Inquisition with a potent fighting arm anywhere in the galaxy.
The very existence of daemons and the Chaos Powers is not widely acknowledged outside the Inquisition, as to do so could cause universal fear and terror that would serve the purposes of Chaos only too well. Combat troops are generally kept away from daemonic forces, as few men who encounter these horrors face-to-face survive with their sanity intact. Ordinary Space Marines are too valuable to expose to such horror, although for those unfortunate enough to do so there is the prospect of selective memory removing surgery to ease the pain. Grey Knights are made of tougher stuff, men whose natural resistance protects them from daemonic presence or whose own psychic powers enable them to fight back.
Grey Knights are only deployed against daemonic forces as they are too valuable to risk against conventional enemy. Grey Knights may therefore only be used if you are fighting against a Chaos army. Note that the Grey Knight card is available as a Space Marine and an Imperial Guard support unit. This is indicated on the card by the Space Marine eagle symbol and the Imperial Guard skull.
Grey Knights wear steel or brass-coloured Terminator armour and carry a variety of close combat and distance weapons including psychic weapons such as force swords and the nemesis weapon. The Grey Knights have a fleet of fast warp ships and the best astro-navigators that the Inquisition can supply. When they arrive at the battle zone they use teleporters to transport down onto the surface or into the heart of enemy spacecraft.
A Grey Knight stand consists of five Terminator models, and four stands make up a detachment. A Grey Knight detachment may be deployed at the start of the battle or it can be teleported down during any subsequent movement phase. To teleport the detachment nominate a landing point and roll the scatter dice. If the dice shows the teleporter is on target place one stand on the nominated point and the remaining three stands within 6cm of it. If the scatter dice indicates a scatter move the landing point 2D6cm in the direction shown and position the first stand in the place indicated, then place the remaining three stands within 6cm as before.
Grey Knights are not affected by the normal morale roll taken when daemons attack, though they are affected by other morale rolls as normal. Grey Knights do not suffer any to hit penalties for shooting at daemons or close combat penalties for fighting against them. If attacked by a psychic power, such as an Eldar Warlock's psychic attack, a Weirdboy psychic bolt, or a spell from a Greater Daemon, then a Grey Knight stand has a psychic saving throw to represent its psychic resilience. Roll a D6, and on the score of a 4, 5 or 6 the stand is unaffected.
Grey Knights wear Terminator armour which is incredibly thick as well as affording a reasonable degree of mobility. This combines the two advantages of infantry and vehicles, and makes Terminators relatively difficult targets. At long range they are quite small and easily concealed behind localised cover or folds in the ground, while at short range their thick armour protects them from all but the more powerful weapons. To represent this Terminators have an armour saving throw of 6 on a D6 – almost all other infantry stands have no saving throw. Furthermore, because part of their save represents their small size and ability to move quickly, the save never drops below 6 – even if hit by a Volcano Cannon, Tempest Laser or other powerful weapon.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey Knights | 10cm | Fixed 6+ | +6 | Various | 35cm | 2 | 4+ | -1 | Psychic save of 4+. |
Inquisitors
Inquisitors belong to the organisation known as the Inquisition, and are probably the most important agents of the Imperium. The Inquisition is answerable to no-one but itself. Its purpose is to root out the moral and physical corruption of Chaos and to uncover the secret enemies of mankind. Inquisitors travel the galaxy and often find themselves embroiled in the bloodiest battles. Respected and held in awe by all humans, Inquisitors are naturally enough feared and hated by mankind's enemies.
The Inquisitor fights alongside a small group of followers making up a single troop stand. These do not have to be specific models, as Inquisitors adopt whatever style of dress is appropriate, so you can make up an Inquisitor stand using whatever oddments you have at hand.
The Inquisitor stand is counted as a command unit and so never requires orders but always moves as if on charge orders and shoots as if on first fire orders. As a command unit the Inquisitor never tests morale. The inspirational powers of the Inquisitor are phenomenal, and any Imperial unit within 25cm of the Inquisitor stand will automatically pass any morale test. Inquisitors do not suffer any of the usual close combat penalties for fighting against daemons, and are also very resistant to psychic attacks. If attacked by a psychic power, such as an Eldar Warlock's psychic attack, an Ork Weirdboy's psychic bolt, or a spell from a Greater Daemon, then an Inquisitor stand has a psychic saving throw to represent its psychic resilience. Roll a D6, and on a score of 4, 5 or 6 the stand is unaffected.
Inquisitors and their followers often have special weapons and armour. They sometimes wear Terminator armour, or they might have experimental force fields or even ancient and incredibly rare alien devices. They also carry unusual or unique weapons which are awesomely powerful. To represent this, Inquisitors have an armour saving throw of 4, 5 or 6 on a D6. This is unusual because almost all other infantry stands have no saving throw. Furthermore, because of the special nature of their armour, as well as the benefit of small size and agility, the save never drops below 4, 5 or 6, so even a hit from a Volcano Cannon, Tempest Laser or other powerful weapon can be saved on a 4 or more.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inquisitor | 10cm | Fixed 4+ | +6 | Various | 35cm | 2 | 4+ | -1 | Psychic save of 4+. |
Land Raider Armoured Fighting Vehicle
The Land Raider armoured fighting vehicle combines speed, firepower and troop carrying capacity, making it an ideal vehicle for a mobile and tactically flexible force such as the Space Marines.
Some Land Raiders are built by the Adeptus Mechanicus and supplied direct to Space Marine Chapters in return for goods, services, or hard cash. However, most Chapters prefer to build Land Raiders in their own armouries, where they can incorporate their own modifications. The Land Raider is the Space Marines' main armoured fighting vehicle, as it combines a great deal of punch into a relatively small space.
The Land Raider can move up to 20cm, a reasonable rate for any armoured vehicle and quite fast considering its heavy armour. Thick plasteel plating gives the Land Raider an armour saving throw of 2 or more, which means that shots will bounce off its armour on the D6 roll of anything but a 1 (of course, as with all vehicles, the enemy's save modifier may reduce the chances of saving).
The Land Raider is designed to offer good close combat support. It carries two bolt guns mounted in a cupola high up on its hull positioned to rake down on enemy infantry below. The restricted vision and inflexibility of the small slot on the cupola reduces the effective range of the bolters – their main purpose is to deter infantry from attacking in close combat.
The Land Raider is an excellent vehicle in close combat, crushing enemy troops and light vehicles under its huge tracks, so it has a close assault factor of +3. The Land Raider's main armament is two sponson-mounted lascannons. A separate attack dice is rolled for each lascannon, so the Land Raider has two lascannon shots per turn. Targets hit by the lascannon must subtract -2 from their armour saving dice roll, which means that it can slice through most armoured vehicles. Even heavily armoured tanks like the Land Raider can be knocked out (in the case of a Land Raider you would have to roll a 4 rather than the normal 2 to save, for example).
The Land Raider can shoot its bolters up to 15cm range. This counts as one shot because the bolters are very light weapons compared to the lascannon. Targets hit by the bolters do not suffer the armour saving throw penalty.
The Land Raider can carry ten Space Marines (two troop stands) although its primary role is a battle tank rather than a troop carrier. However, in emergencies Land Raiders can pick up and reposition troops, and they have been known to act as carriers during the initial stages of a battle. On the whole, though, they are too powerful to use in this way. It is better to take up a position which gives a good view over the battlefield, and to use the Land Raiders' long range firepower to pick off enemy tanks from a distance.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Raider | 20cm | 2+ | +3 | Lascannon / Bolters | 75cm / 15cm | 2 / 1 | 5+ / 6+ | -2 / 0 | May carry 2 troop stands. |
Space Marine Dreadnoughts
Dreadnoughts are huge fighting machines almost three times the height of a man. Although they could be mistaken for robots or even extra-ordinarily large armoured fighting suits in fact they are quite unique. The Dreadnought's operator is not an ordinary Space Marine but one of the Old Ones – a Space Marine mortally wounded in battle many years ago. Rather than letting him die he has been implanted inside the Dreadnought, his nervous system connected into the machine. The Space Marine himself survives only as a tightly curled and shrivelled organic component deep inside the Dreadnought which is at once his reborn body and his tomb. Once installed, the Space Marine can never leave the Dreadnought. He loses all sensation from his body and relies completely upon the artificial senses of the machine.
Dreadnoughts are often very ancient, sometimes many thousands of years old, with memories which stretch back to the early days of the Chapter's history. They are revered by the other Space Marines not just as potent warriors but also as ageless forebears and as the living embodiments of battles fought long ago. Dreadnoughts are difficult to build and many of the secrets of their construction were lost after the Horus Heresy. There are therefore relatively few of them in each Chapter and those that survive are carefully maintained and repaired when necessary. If a Dreadnought's occupant is killed in action then the Dreadnought is refurbished and prepared for another Space Marine.
Dreadnoughts are large machines and relatively cumbersome as a result. They have the same movement restrictions and penalties as vehicles. See the Terrain Chart on the Space Marine summary sheet for details of these restrictions. Dreadnoughts can be armed with a variety of weapons such as auto-cannons, chainsaws, heavy bolters, and many more. They are especially powerful hand-to-hand fighters.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreadnought | 10cm | 5+ | +2 | Autocannon | 75cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 |
Terminators
Every Chapter has a small number of Terminator armoured suits: very heavy and bulky powered suits with built in weaponry. Generally speaking only the best of Space Marines are allowed to wearing this rare and potent armour. Terminators are at their best fighting at close quarters where their lack of mobility doesn't hamper their fighting abilities. They are used, for example, to board spacecraft, especially Tyranid hive ships, where the extra thick armour is essential to survive. On the open battlefield they are less useful, because their extra armour is largely countered by the heavier weapons found there, but they are still powerful close combat adversaries.
A Terminator stand contains five Terminator models exactly like other infantry troop stands. If a whole company of Terminators fights at once, as for example the Dark Angel Deathwing, then a Terminator HQ Unit will be present too. This can be indicated by use of a banner pole and banner, or by painting one of the Terminators as a Captain with decorated or distinctively coloured armour.
Terminator armour is incredibly thick and affords a reasonable degree of mobility. This combines the two advantages of infantry and vehicles, and makes Terminators relatively difficult targets. At long range they are quite small and easily concealed behind localised cover or folds in the ground, while at short range their thick armour protects them from all but the more powerful weapons. To represent this Terminators have an armour saving throw of 6 on a D6 – almost all other infantry stands have no saving throw. Furthermore, because part of their save represents their small size and ability to move quickly, the save never drops below 6 – even if hit by a Volcano Cannon, Tempest Laser or other powerful weapon.
Terminators are available only in limited numbers as either whole companies or support cards depending on the Chapter. Space Wolves have a different organisation – their Terminators are mixed into companies and are command units – see the section on Space Wolves.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminators | 10cm | Fixed 6+ | +6 | Storm Bolters | 25cm | 2 | 4+ | -1 | |
| Terminator HQ | 10cm | Fixed 6+ | +7 | Storm Bolters | 25cm | 2 | 4+ | -1 | Command unit. Imperial troops within 10cm add +1 to morale. |
Thunderhawk Gunship
Space Marines are expert planetary assault troops and employ a variety of special craft to carry them down through the atmosphere onto the battlefield. The smallest of these craft are drop pods, but these can only carry a few troops and are difficult to land precisely. Space Marines therefore prefer to use the larger and more tactically flexible gunships to land troops directly into a battlezone.
Thunderhawk gunships are dropped from a spacecraft in low orbit. Once they reach the lower atmosphere their jet engines fire, allowing them to fly like aircraft. Gunships fly around the battlezone attacking enemy from the air, and can land their troops right in the thick of the action.
A Space Marine player may include Thunderhawk gunships in his force as support cards. A gunship can carry a single detachment of up to 6 troop stands. It cannot carry bikes or vehicles, and any Rhinos or Land Raiders which would normally accompany the detachment are lost. This does not affect the unit's break point. Detachments must be selected and placed with their gunships before the game. Make sure you make a note of which detachments you have assigned to gunships. It will help if you place the gunship card together with the card for the detachment it carries.
Thunderhawks are not part of the units they transport, they can move away and act totally independently once their cargoes have been delivered to the battlefield. The break point of transported units remains the same, even though the attendant Rhinos are not present. This reflects the do or die determination of troops dropped into the thick of the combat.
A gunship may move onto the tabletop during any movement phase. When it does, place an advance or charge order counter immediately. While gunships are in the air they must be given advance or charge orders, they cannot be given first fire orders until they have landed. When it enters the table the gunship model on its flying base is placed at any point on the table edge and may be moved that turn. Once the Thunderhawk has moved it may elect to remain airborne or land. Once landed the flying base is removed. A landed gunship can take off and move in any subsequent turn, but it cannot take off and land in the same turn.
While it is in the air the Thunderhawk can only be shot at by enemy units with first fire orders to represent the difficulty of hitting a speeding aerial target. It is possible to fire a barrage against a flying gunship but this won't affect troops on the ground even if they lie directly under the barrage marker because the shells or missiles explode too high in the air to harm them.
Rules for loading and unloading troops from Thunderhawk gunships are the same as for Rhinos and other troop carriers. If the carrier does not move the troops may move a full move, if the carrier uses half its move the troops may move up to half their move, etc. The proportion of move used by the vehicle is deducted from the remaining move of the troops.
While in the air the gunship will be able to see potential targets more easily because of its height above the ground. The model is left on its flying base and all shooting is worked out assuming the Thunderhawk can see over intervening scenery in the same way as skimmers making pop-up attacks. A flying gunship can fire all its armament, but once it has landed it cannot fire its rockets, though it can fire its other weapons as normal. The Thunderhawk's weapons have a relatively short range because they are designed for close range strafing of enemy positions rather than long range pot shots.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunship | 60cm | 4+ | 0 | Rockets | 50cm | 6 barrage points | – | -2 | |
| Gunship | 60cm | 4+ | 0 | Battlecannon | 50cm | 1 | 4+ | -2 | |
| Gunship |
Drop Pods
Drop pods are pod-shaped landing craft which are launched from orbiting spaceships, fall through the atmosphere, and land on the battlefield. They can carry Space Marines or robotic weapon systems designed to clear a landing area or support foot troops.
The Space Marines use three kinds of drop pod: the Assault Pod, which carries two Space Marine stands; the Deathwind Pod, which carries a multiple bomb launcher; and the Support Pod, which contains a turret-mounted heavy plasma gun. Deathwind and support pods are robotic and have no living crew.
Before the game begins alot a number to each drop pod, and note down which numbers correspond to Deathwind, Support and troop carrying Assault Pods.
You can decide to bring pods down in any turn – but you must note in which turn they are going to land before the game begins. For each pod note down whether you want the pod to arrive with the first wave (the first turn), the second wave (second turn), third wave (third turn) and so on.
Drop pods land on the table during the orders phase after orders have been placed but before they are revealed to the other player. Determine where pods land using the special drop markers. These are supplied with the epic army cards for the drop pods and consist of small numbered cards which correspond to the numbered pods.
Place all the markers for pods landing that turn on a burst template, and hold it about 30-40cm above any part of the table. Invert the template sharply so that the markers fall on the table, and place a closed pod model where every marker lands. Don't remove the markers yet as you will need to refer to the number when the pod opens.
A pod is destroyed if it lands off the table, in terrain which is impassable to vehicles or on a Titan. Titans or buildings that are hit by a pod take a hit with a -3 saving throw modifier. If a pod lands on top of any other troops they are destroyed.
Enemy troops with first fire orders may fire on drop pods as they fall from the sky. This is an exception to the normal turn sequence. Instead of firing in the combat phase, troops fire at the end of the order phase after orders have been revealed. Because the pods are falling through the sky, firers ignore any intervening terrain that might block their sight. Any troops that fire in this way are not allowed to fire again during the turn.
Once the pods have landed explosive locking bolts fire and the petal-like sides unfold, releasing the troops within. Unfortunately, the extreme heat of the journey through the atmosphere often fuses the pod's outer surface and prevents it opening.
Test to open each pod as follows: at the end of the orders phase roll a D6 – on the roll of a 3, 4, 5 or 6 the pod opens. If it doesn't open, then test in the orders phase of each following turn until it does. Once the pod has opened troops may disembark or weapons can fire as described below. Until the pod opens it is a sitting target.
Deathwind Pod. As soon as the pod opens the missile launcher inside is triggered. This is an exception to the normal turn sequence, as firing occurs at the end of the orders phase. The launcher rotates at speed, scattering missiles in every direction. Any troop stand or vehicle within 10cm of the pod is hit on the D6 roll of a 4 or more and must make its save to avoid destruction. As Titans are bigger they roll 3 dice, and suffer a hit on each roll of a 4 or more. The Deathwind is a one shot weapon – once it has fired it has no further effect.
Assault Pod. As soon as the pod opens place the troops it carries next to it. Troops emerging from a pod automatically have advance orders and move normally in the movement phase.
Support Pod. The Support Pod carries a plasma gun which can be fired normally in the combat phase once the pod has opened. There is no need to put an order counter down for Support Pods – they always fire in the first fire segment.
A pod can be fired at while it is on the ground both before and after it has opened.
| Pod | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Pod | Special | 4+ | 0 | None | Carries 2 stands. | ||||
| Support Pod | Special | 4+ | 0 | Plasma Cannon | 75cm | 1 | 5+ | -2 | |
| Deathwind |
Imperial Guard Colour Schemes
Following the dark days of the Horus Heresy, when Space Marines fought fellow Space Marines and the whole Imperium was torn by conflict, the victorious commanders of the Emperor sat down together to draw up a new galactic order. They laid the foundations upon which the Imperium of the 41st millennium is built. In particular, and after a great deal of discussion, they produced the great tome of ancient military wisdom known as the Codex Astartes.
The Codex Astartes
Many of the most brilliant minds of the age contributed to the Codex Astartes. It describes not only methods of fighting wars, but also deals with such diverse elements as organising troops, establishing supply lines, clothing and feeding troops, subterfuge and espionage, and of course, countless tactics and ploys to confound the opposing commander.
With such brilliant minds as the Space Marine Primarchs Leman Russ and El'jonson offering sagely advice, as well as the practical wisdom of the great Imperial Guard commander General Tybour, the Codex Astartes has always been regarded as an essential part of every young officer's education. Every Imperial officer is familiar with its contents, and its many precepts and ideas form the basis for much lively debate. The book remains fresh and valid ten thousand years after it was written.
This is because it is presented as a series of discussions and ideas by the most advanced military thinkers of its day, not as a strict code of practice soon to become out of date. Much of its content is contradictory or inconclusive, representing different aspects of military practice, and this is what makes the volume an eternal source of inspiration to military commanders whatever their personal inclinations.
The Imperial Guard is a vast fighting force and its leaders vary in ability from the most talented genius to the dullest functionary. The teachings of the Codex Astartes provide a minimum standard, enabling the least able to command in an effective if uninspired way. Of course an able commander may rise above this level, and the best commander knows exactly when to apply the ancient wisdom of the Codex and when to literally throw the book away. Such commanders are rare but over such a vast span of time there have been many names to brighten the annals of Imperial history: Foch, Born Tahal, Castrokali, and many other heroes of the Imperium.
The Codex Astartes has much to say on the subjects of troop organisation, uniforms, colour schemes, and camouflage. Such things are important because only a well ordered and enthusiastic force can fight at its best. Naturally there are practical details to consider such as the best type camouflage to provide the best chance of avoiding enemy fire, unit markings to enable commanders to see where troops are, and banners for leaders so that troops under their command can identify their officers.
The following sections illustrates organisational and other markings used by the Imperial Guard and are taken from examples described in the Codex Astartes. The colour schemes and camouflage details provide sufficient combinations of colour and pattern to afford protection in almost any fighting environment. Although these are the most common colours and schemes, they are not the only ones by any means, as it is up to the commander to decide on the overall schemes for the force. Of course, in practice troops often have to make do with vehicles hastily painted, or even equipment transferred from another warzone and already painted a certain way. Some Guard regiments have traditional, famous and immediately recognisable schemes of their own which are completely different to those shown. This variety enables the ambitious painter free rein to invent new schemes, just as it enables confident battlefield commanders do.
The Regiment
The Regiment is the largest formation in the Imperial Guard. Every Regiment consists of a number of companies and is usually recruited from one world. The following pages illustrate some of the colour schemes and markings used by tank and artillery companies.
Painting Details
All of the tanks and vehicles shown were painted using the same technique. After undercoating, the models were given a base coat of the chosen colour, making sure that this covered properly without any patchiness. Once properly dry they were drybrushed with a mix of Skull White and the base colour. A few colours are highlighted slightly differently as explained in the description below. All of the tracks and guns are painted Chaos Black and then drybrushed with Boltgun Metal and Mithril Silver.
Codex Colours
The 12 colours shown over the next page were all mixed from Citadel Paints and the chart below describes how we achieved the final results. The exact shades do vary as you might expect in a warzone with paint applied over different surfaces and allowed to fade or dull to various degrees before repainting.
Battle Green. This neutral green colour makes ideal camouflage in rural zones with temperate climates where the light is soft and the terrain either wooded or consists of pasture or prairie. Battle Green is mixed from Ghoul Grey, Goblin Green and Chaos Black.
Forge Bronze. This is a highly reflective finish designed to protect the vehicle against excessive solar radiation or other harmful atmospheric effects. It is a common finish amongst Titan Legion ground forces, hence it is named after the Forge Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus. To make it mix Gold, Bolt Gun Metal and Brown Ink. Highlight with Shining Gold.
Fire Orange. Fire Orange is excellent camouflage on desert worlds which have a strong orange mineral oxide base. It is quite a bright colour but blends in well in hot, sunny, fiery coloured terrain. Use Blood Angel Orange with a touch of Red Gore – a spot is enough. Highlight with Sunburst Yellow.
Ash Waste. The light grey/green colour blends well against drifts of mineral waste found in ash deserts as well as other light-saturated desert environments. To make Ash Waste mix Rotting Flesh and Skull White.
Nightworld. This is a favoured colour in poorly lit worlds as it reflects little light and blends well against caverns and rocks. To make Nightworld Blue mix Moody Blue and Chaos Black. Highlight with Enchanted Blue.
Jungle Green. As its name implies this is a colour designed to blend in with lush jungle scenery, although it also merges into darker forests too. It is also used on desert worlds with a strong green copper oxide sand. Mix the colour from Woodland Green and Chaos Black. Highlight with Goblin Green.
Codex Grey. This colour is usable for most environments and is especially effective amongst urban ruins, rubble and dust. We've used codex grey for our Leman Russ Company. To make Codex Grey use Elf Grey and mix in a little Chaos Black.
Sulphur Desert. This dark yellow colour provides excellent camouflage against sand, yellow oxide, and sulphurous terrain. To make it use Sunburst Yellow and add a spot of Orc Brown.
Apocalypse Red. Red is a very strong colour but it works well on worlds with dark red iron oxide soils, red skies, and spectacular volcanic features which bathe the terrain with ruddy light. To make Apocalypse Red, mix Blood Red and Blood Angel Orange. Highlight with Bad Moon Yellow.
Polar White. This is a scheme designed to blend into frozen wastes such as ice and snow. It can also be used on some very light coloured mineral deserts, especially salt flats. Make Polar White by mixing Elf Grey and Skull White. Highlight with Skull White.
Strike Green. This is a light shade of yellow/green which is favoured on sun-drenched worlds with open vegetation. It is also the colour used for most artillery pieces. Strike Green is mixed from Striking Scorpion Green and Snakebite Leather.
Horizon Blue. This is a pale blue-grey colour which reflects the background colour of the sky and is therefore known as Horizon Blue. Across open territory is surprising how effectively this works. Mix this colour from Space Wolf Grey and Enchanted Blue. Highlight with Space Wolf Grey.
Camouflage
The Codex Astartes discusses the effects of different patterns and how stripes or patches of various contrasting colours can be used to break up the shape of a vehicle and effectively disguise it. Not only does this make a vehicle harder to see at a distance, but even at short range it means the vehicle becomes a harder target because it is difficult to judge its distance and the direction it is moving in. Although the Codex illustrates some specific patterns, it is the principle of using shapes to disguise the underlying vehicle which is important. The examples shown over the page are particularly favoured patterns. You can combine any colours to produce a suitable effect – it is the pattern itself which is important not the colours. The patterns can also be varied. For example you can twist any of the patterns round to fit the vehicle's shape, and you can add more stripes or patches if the vehicle is larger or longer. Another variation is to add edging colours to the stripes and patches.
Even though each of the patterns shown is different, the technique for painting them is basically the same. The underlying light colour is applied first to the whole tank and then the overlying colour is applied in the chosen pattern. It is important to paint the pattern so that it looks attractive and that the areas are visually balanced. If the basic scheme is a striped camouflage, the first stripe is painted on from one of the vehicles rear corners to the opposite front corner, then the other stripes are applied evenly spaced to either side of this so that they look balanced. Don't try and paint on too many stripes or the shape of the tank will be too well hidden and the model will look less attractive. The schemes shown in the examples use two or at the most three colours – you can add more but on the whole it is best to avoid this as the result often looks messy and confused.
Markings
The painted examples have company, squadron and other markings painted on. This requires considerable patience, especially for the more complex shapes. Of course you don't have to include all these markings if you prefer not to, they are often obliterated from vehicles in the field, so there is no reason why you should feel obliged to include them. Citadel will shortly be producing a new transfer sheet based on these designs. We found this helped when painting some of the markings too, and doesn't detract from the appearance of the model at all.
Flags and Conversions
The flags were made from paper with the designs painted on. The completed flags were wrapped around a flag pole made from wire (in fact a pin but any rigid wire will do fine). To fix the flags in place we used superglue to fasten the poles to a suitable anchorage point. In some cases we drilled a hole to fasten the pins more securely.
Attaching a flag is the most simple conversion but there is no need to stop there if you feel confident enough to try something more ambitious. Opening hatches and putting in commanders is an obvious and attractive conversion. We used a fine saw to slice off the turret hatch on our Leman Russ Company commander. If you're careful the same hatch can be re-glued in an open position – otherwise use a circle of card or plastic. The figure is simply an Imperial Guard model cut at the waist and glued into position. You don't have to do this to your HQ tanks, but it does help to make them that bit more special.
Colour Charts
Colours. The 12 core vehicle colours recommended by the Codex Astartes are shown below on Leman Russ battletanks. Commanders in the field often devise their own schemes, but the ancient wisdom of the Codex Astartes is highly respected and most commanders rely heavily upon the sound words of its authors. The twelve colours are Battle Green, Forge Bronze, Fire Orange, Ash Waste, Nightworld, Jungle Green, Codex Grey, Sulphur Desert, Apocalypse Red, Polar White, Strike Green and Horizon Blue.
Camouflage. The Codex Astartes contains a whole section devoted to the art of camouflage and illustrates many vehicle camouflage patterns of which the 8 most effective are shown below. The camouflage schemes are patterns only, the colours may vary. The patterns are Zig-Zag, Y-Stripes, Patches, Stripes, Wavy Stripes, Bands, Jagged Stripes and Jagged Stripes with Insets.
The vehicles illustrated are examples of camouflage patterns applied over various standard colours. In practice the combinations of colours differ and the patterns themselves inevitably vary as they are applied. The patterns may be twisted round so that stripes run the opposite way for example, and the number of stripes or patches are sometimes varied to suit the local terrain or the shape of the vehicle. It has been known for commanders or crews to superimpose two camouflage schemes together, or to add smaller patches, stripes, or other features.
Company Markings
Each Imperial Guard Regiment is made up of many individual companies. Tank and mobile artillery companies are distinguished by coloured bands consisting of a light broad band with darker inner band as shown on the examples below. This identifying banding is painted in a convenient position to aid recognition in combat. The side armour is often treated in this way and the design may also be repeated on the turret and frontal plate.
Squadron Markings
Every company has its own distinctive badge which is carried by every tank in the company. Every tank squadron – usually three tanks – carries its company badge but in a distinctive colour – for example red for the first squadron, blue for the second, yellow for the third. The actual colours are up to the individual company leaders and are likely to be changed if a new colour scheme is adopted for a fresh campaign. The important thing is that the colours show up well enabling the squadrons to be identified by the company commander. Company commanders have their own tank which is always readily recognisable by one or more means. It is usual to paint the turret red and also to carry a flag displaying the banded company marking on one side and the badge on the reverse.
A selection of Imperial Guard squadron markings plus identification numbers sometimes used to identify individual vehicles in a company.
Leman Russ Company
This company consists of three squadrons plus a commander and demonstrates the use of the colour schemes and various company markings. The tanks are codex grey with red over white company markings producing a distinctive banding along the side armour.
The company badge is a star over a square patch and in this case the star colour changes to indicate the three different squadrons. Within each squadron every tank has distinctive barrel markings – this enables the squadron HQ tank to be recognised from the other two tanks. Another method of distinguishing the squadron HQ is to add numbers to the tanks, or to affix a pennant. There is no mandatory system for identifying individual tanks, but 1, 2 and 3 barrel stripes is practical and effective.
The Company Commander is a special conversion. Apart from the red turret and flag, we decided to add an open hatch and commander using the top half of one of the Imperial Guard models. The reverse of the flag has the company banding.
Campaign Badges
When the armies of the Imperium go to fight in a new campaign it is usual to adopt a symbol or insignia to be worn by all the troops and marked on all the vehicles. This campaign badge is worn on the uniform of every trooper, it is painted onto the armour of every Space Marine, and naturally it appears on tanks, artillery pieces, and other vehicles and equipment too. Campaign badges always take the form of simple geometric shapes or icons that can be easily painted or stencilled onto flat surfaces. In this way an entire force can be identified by one marking even though it includes Imperial Guard Regiments, Titan Legions, Space Marines from different Chapters and maybe even Squat allies. Some typical examples are shown here. The campaign badge is always chosen by the Imperial Commander in charge of all the forces, and it is used only for the duration of the campaign. Once the campaign is over the forces are dispersed and campaign markings painted over or replaced with new ones. Various examples of these campaign badges can be seen on the fully painted Baneblade models shown below.
Baneblades showing a selection of markings.
Imperial Data Sheets
The data sheets reproduced in the middle of this book are transcribed below as printed, one table per printed sheet.
Imperial Data Sheet – Space Marines
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | Close Assault Factor | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | To Hit Roll | Target's Save Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | |||||||||
| Tactical Marines | 10cm | None | +2 | Bolters | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 |
Imperial Data Sheet – Imperial Guard
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | Close Assault Factor | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | To Hit Roll | Target's Save Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderhawk Gunship | 60cm | 4+ | 0 | Rockets / Battle cannon / Bolters | 50cm / 50cm / 15cm | 6 Barrage points / 1 / 3 | – / 4+ / 6+ | -2 / -2 / 0 | |
| Imperial Guard – Tactical Troops | 10cm | None | 0 | Lasguns | 50cm | 1 | 5+ |
Imperial Data Sheet – Imperial Guard Vehicles and Support
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | Close Assault Factor | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | To Hit Roll | Target's Save Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basilisk | 15cm | 5+ | 0 | Earth Shaker Artillery Cannon | 150cm | 2 Barrage Points | -2 | May fire 2 barrages per turn. | |
| Deathstrike | 15cm | 6 | 0 | None | Special rules |
Terrain and Reference Tables
Terrain Chart
| Terrain | To Hit | Infantry | Vehicle | Titan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings / Trenches / Bunkers | -2 | No effect | Impassable | Impassable |
| Fox holes, rocks, rubble, craters, broken ground | -1 | No effect | Difficult | No effect |
| Hill | 0 | No effect | No effect | No effect |
| Marsh | 0 | Impassable | Impassable | Impassable |
| River | 0 | Impassable | Impassable |
Difficult: The terrain is crossed at half move rate.
Impassable: The terrain may not be entered, and may only be crossed if it is possible to step, jump or fly over it.
Buildings: Show that a unit has entered a building by placing it on the roof. You may only place as many troops in a building as will fit on its roof.
Terrain Table
Number of terrain pieces per 2' by 2' area: 1-2 = One, 3-4 = Two, 5-6 = Three.
| Roll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hill | Hill | Hill | Woods | Woods | Rubble |
| 2 | Woods | Woods | Woods | Woods | Hill | Craters |
| 3 | Hill | Town | Town | Hill | Woods | Hill |
| 4 | Town | Hill |
Building Table
| Construction Material | Saving Roll (2D6) |
|---|---|
| Light (Wood, mud bricks) | 6+ |
| Standard (Bricks, concrete) | 4+ |
| Reinforced (Fortications) | 2+ |
Victory Point Table
| Condition | Effect |
|---|---|
| Reduce an enemy army card to its break point | See card |
| Capture an objective counter | +5VP |
| Lose an objective counter | -5VP |
Barrage Table
| Total Barrage Points | To Hit Roll |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 6+ |
| 3-4 | 5+ |
| 5-6 | 4+ |
| 7-8 | 3+ |
| 9 or more | 2+ |
Victory Level Table
| Game Battle Value | Number of VP's Required to Win |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | 30 |
| Up to 2,000 | 35 |
| Up to 3,000 | 40 |
| Up to 4,000 | 45 |
| Up to 5,000 | 50 |
| Etc | Etc |
Super Heavy Battletanks
Super heavy battletanks are organised into smaller companies than most tanks – a company consisting of 3 vehicles rather than 3 squadrons as in a normal company. In effect each vehicle is equivalent to a squadron of smaller tanks. The examples shown above and on the previous page demonstrate how the colour schemes, camouflage patterns, company markings, and campaign badges may be brought together. In the case of these especially large tanks each tank in the company can carry a flag if desired. The examples show only one flag, but it is not uncommon for flamboyant commanders to use two or more, sometimes putting the company banded badge on one flag and the company emblem on the other. The HQ tank in each company can be distinguished in any way which makes the vehicle easily identifiable. A red turret or red guns, as in the Storm Hammer shown above, is one method. Another variation is to stripe the barrels with 1, 2 or 3 stripes to indicate each vehicle, or to add numbers to conspicuous areas of armour. In the case of these large vehicles it is easier to apply numbers as the areas are larger. You can, of course, combine any or all of these distinguishing features; there are no formal rules and the idea is to make the HQ tanks easy to recognise on the battlefield.
Notice how the different markings have been applied on the examples above. There is no formal position for any of the markings except the company banding, and even this is only a convenience that happens to suit these tanks very well. Different campaign markings have been used to demonstrate variety, but every force will have its own. A player with Space Marines and Imperial Guard troops will want to apply the same marking throughout, for example. The company badge is positioned wherever it readily fits – which in some cases is the side and in others the front track guards. On many tanks the turrets also have suitable areas for insignia or numbers.
Artillery
The term artillery covers not only large self-propelled guns which fire explosive shells but also missile launchers and other weapons designed to launch barrages against massed enemy troops or buildings. The Imperium employs a great variety of these weapons including the Manticore missile launcher and Basilisk self-propelled gun, shown below. It is a common convention in the Imperial Guard to paint artillery in the colour known as Artillery Green although this colour is used for other vehicles too. This is not a strict rule, but it is felt that these weapons are generally placed behind the front lines in areas where they are unlikely to meet enemy face to face, and that the concept of camouflage is therefore less important than with other tanks. Using a standard colour therefore saves repainting the weapons when they are moved from warzone to warzone. In practice it is often necessary to adopt a different colour depending on the battlefield, in which case a suitable colour from the Codex Astartes is likely to be used, unless the commander feels a totally different scheme is called for.
Artillery company badges usually consist of a coloured square with a contrasting coloured circle painted on top – the colour indicating separate batteries. The battery colours shown are blue, orange and yellow.
Artillery Companies generally have three batteries each of three vehicles. As with tank squadrons it is necessary to mark the Battery HQ vehicle in some way to identify it easily, and this can be done either with a number, barrel stripes, by painting the weaponry in a distinctive colour, or adding a pennant. In the examples shown here the individual markings are on the other side of the vehicle although the company badge can be seen on the front plates of the Basilisks. On the whole a small pennant is the most effective method as this enables the piece to be identified most easily.
Manticore Battery. Basilisk Battery.
Painting Space Marines
Each Space Marine Chapter has a distinctive Chapter colour which is applied to its armour and, in many cases, to vehicles and other equipment too. When on a campaign, this colour is often replaced with camouflage schemes along the lines discussed for the Imperial Guard; this is especially likely during prolonged conflicts. The schemes shown here are the basic colours of the Blood Angel Chapter, including the various unit markings. Common variations are to remove individual unit markings and add campaign badges. An Imperial force which includes Space Marines, Imperial Guard and Squats will invariably use the same campaign marking, giving the army an overall unifying feature.
Within a Chapter, each Company has its own associated colour – this is the colour of the Company's banners and the background colour for unit markings. While Space Marine infantry units often remove these markings in battle to avoid recognition by the enemy, on vehicles and flags they are usually retained. The markings take the form of a symbol which is different for each type of Space Marine troop – Assault, Devastator, veteran, Scout, etc. The company colour is also the colour of the individual Space Marines' shoulder armour where it is applied – in practice this is optional amongst campaign troops.
The photo below shows a complete Blood Angel Battle Company. The Company colour is blue, and the three detachments are easily recognised by the contrasting white unit markings: Assault Detachment on the left, Devastators in the middle, and Tactical on the right. The command unit has the same Company colour, but carries the Blood Angels' winged blood-drop badge by way of a unit marking.
The photograph top-left on the opposite page shows six different Blood Angel Rhinos. They are all painted in the Chapter colour, Blood Angel Orange – an orange-red colour particular to this Chapter. The Company markings are the coloured squares – each colour corresponds to a different Company, and all the Rhinos in that Company use that colour.
On the top row, the Rhino on the left comes from the Black Company, and belongs to a Tactical Detachment as shown by its tactical marking – a double headed arrow. The middle Rhino is also from a Tactical Detachment, but this time of the Orange Company, while the Rhino on the right is from an Assault Detachment of the Blue Company.
On the bottom row, the Rhino on the left belongs to a Devastator Detachment of the Green Company. The middle Rhino is from the Veteran Company – the Company colour is white and the symbol is the Terminator badge showing the company can fight as Terminators. The Rhino on the right is from the Scout Company, as shown by the dark red Company colour and Scout badge.
These markings are a helpful way of distinguishing the Rhino models on the table. The basic idea is applicable to all Chapters, and the colours used can be varied to suit your army. The individual symbols also help to identify which Rhinos belong to which units, and are available as transfer sets.
Rhinos showing company and detachment markings.
The second box on this page shows two unusual colour schemes from our own Blood Angels force. On the left is a Vindicator Squadron and on the right a Whirlwind Squadron. In any Chapter it is usual to paint some units in distinctively different schemes. When it comes to painting your army, you'll also find its a pleasant change to switch colours. We went to town on these models, adding flames and lots of detail. We also decided to give all the models flags, although this is not strictly necessary. Details such as the Chapter badges are easy to add using transfers.
The third box on this page shows a detachment of the best Space Marines in our Blood Angel force, and the ones we lavished the most time on. Of course such super-detailing isn't really necessary, but if you enjoy painting its only right to spend more time on your favourite units.
Vindicators and Whirlwinds.
Terminators with Land Raider transport.
Chaplain and Medic command units.
Chaplains and Medics are useful additions to the Space Marines, and are represented by stands which include a Medic or Chaplain officer model. Space Marine Medics wear white armour, while Chaplains wear black. Each also bears the Blood Angel blood drop symbol in this case. (Though an overall black or white colour scheme will serve just as well.)
A combined Orky force of Snake Bites, Goffs and Bad Moons assault a Blood Angel's Space Marine border fortress.
Imperial Wargear
The weapons and artillery described in this section are available to both the Space Marines and the Imperial Guard, and have been included together for convenience.
Rhino Armoured Troop Carrier
The Rhino armoured troop carrier is the most widely used transport vehicle in the Imperium, in service with the Space Marines, the Imperial Guard, the Titan Legions, and even supplied to the Squats and Knight Worlds. Though the Adeptus Mechanicus manufacture large numbers of Rhinos, most planetary Lords and Space Marine Chapters prefer to build and equip their own locally. The Rhino's enduring popularity is due to the ready adaptability of the vehicle's basic design, and the fact that it can be built from a wide range of materials, from steel to high-tech thermo-plasteen. It can be modified to suit local climates or to fulfill different military roles. One of the most common variants, the Whirlwind, is described below.
As the data shows, the Rhino armoured troop carrier can move up to 25cm – relatively fast for an armoured vehicle. This speed allows troops to be moved quickly to their fighting positions with minimum exposure to enemy fire. The Rhino's armoured skin gives it a saving throw of 4 or more on a D6, so when the vehicle is hit the shot rebounds from the armour without any effect on the dice roll of 4, 5 or 6. Remember that when a troop carrier is destroyed any troops inside are eliminated too, so the armour saving throw is important.
The Rhino carries two bolt guns mounted in small flat turrets (called cupolas) on its upper surface. Because of the cupolas' restricted vision and movement the bolt guns only have a short effective range, but this is enough to enable the Rhino to advance with its infantry and fight alongside them in close combat, blasting away at extremely short range. This can make all the difference to the infantry with the Rhinos, especially if you can use the Rhinos to gang up on enemy pieces to outnumber them.
Because of the Rhino's light armament, it has a close assault factor of 0. Its bolter armament can be fired at a range of up to 15cm. Although there are actually two bolt guns, they are such light weapons that their combined fire is represented by a single dice. A 6 is required to hit, and no save modifier is applied to the target's armour saving throw. This means that Rhinos stand little chance against real tanks, but can keep enemy infantry busy and aid friendly infantry by providing extra short range firepower.
The Rhino can carry ten men, ie two troop stands. The best way to use your Rhinos is to decide where you want your infantry to be right at the start of the game, then use the Rhinos to carry them there quickly, preferably in the first turn. As soon as possible get the troops out of the Rhinos and into cover, and from then on use the vehicles as support. Remember that a vehicle travelling in the open is a vulnerable and inviting target – infantry are far safer once they have left their vehicles and either dispersed or taken cover.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhino | 25cm | 4+ | 0 | Bolters | 15cm | 1 | 6+ | 0 | May carry 2 troop stands. |
Land Speeder
The Land Speeder is a very fast two man light attack vehicle powered by gravitic-reaction jets which suspend it in the air. The Land Speeder is a skimmer, and can make special pop-up attacks as described in the main rules. It is armed with the short ranged but deadly multi-melta, which fires a blast of heat capable of melting steel or boiling exposed flesh.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Speeder | 30cm | None | +3 | Multi-melta | 25cm | 1 | 3+ | -2 | Skimmer. |
Whirlwind Missile Carrier
The Whirlwind is an adaptation of the Rhino, featuring the addition of a multiple rocket launcher. This provides long range support barrages which can be used to cover an advance or a retreat, or to pick off exposed enemy at long distances. It is a useful addition to the armouries of the Imperium.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whirlwind | 20cm | 4+ | 0 | Multi-launcher | 150cm | 2 Barrage Points | 0 | Fires barrage. |
Vindicator Heavy Support Tank
The Vindicator is another Rhino variant – a heavy, well armoured and brutal looking tank. Its Thunderer cannon fires an extremely powerful but very short ranged shot, used to shift enemy troops from cover, especially from buildings. The terrific blast of the Thunderer shell makes a nonsense of any attempt to take cover behind walls or vegetation, as such cover is soon blown apart! The Thunderer cannon ignores the usual modifiers applied to the 'to hit' roll when firing at troops in cover.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vindicator | 20cm | 2+ | +2 | Thunderer | 50cm | 1 | 4+ | -3 | Ignores to hit modifiers for cover. |
Predator Battle Tank
The Predator is based on a substantially up-armoured Rhino body to which a top-mounted turret and two side-mounted sponsons are attached. Each sponson carries a lascannon, while the turret is equipped with a powerful shell-firing autocannon. The Predator is one of the Imperial Guard's most common battletanks, and is also used by the Space Marines.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predator | 25cm | 3+ | 0 | Autocannon / Lascannon | 75cm / 75cm | 1 / 2 | 5+ / 5+ | -1 / -1 |
Rapier Laser Destroyer
The Rapier Laser Destroyer is a slow moving but potent support vehicle. It carries a modified lascannon with four separate barrels. Because the laser blast is diffused through four barrels the weapon is shortened and the blast spread slightly. As a result the Rapier is shorter ranged than a normal lascannon but more likely to hit dispersed targets such as infantry. It is designed to support advancing infantry and protect them from attack.
The Rapier Laser Destroyer model is mounted on a 20mm x 20mm piece of card or a spare epic plastic stand with 2 crew models – any spare models can be used as crew.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapier | 5cm | None | -3 | Las. Destroyer | 50cm | 1 | 4+ | -1 |
Imperial Bike
Several sorts of bike are adapted for warfare by the Space Marines and the Imperial Guard. Such well armed and highly mobile troops make excellent reconnaissance troops and may be used to seize forward positions from the enemy. Bikers have a faster move than ordinary infantry as shown on their data sheet. Although they are mounted on a base like infantry, they are treated as vehicles when it comes to moving. This means bikers cannot cross some terrain, and other terrain will slow them down considerably. Bikers can fight in close combat just like other troops.
To prepare bike models glue them onto card or epic plastic bases. Fix two bikers to each base to give a stand of two bikes. The game details shown below refer to a single stand of 2 bike models, just as an infantry stand has 5 models.
Imperial Guard bike squads must have a recognisable section HQ stand which may be identified by a different colour or flag.
In the case of Imperial Guard bike squads, they are an exception to the normal Chain of Command rule. They do not need to be given orders directly, and will use their own judgement to react to the circumstances in which they find themselves. This means that even if there is no chain of command you can still place whatever orders you like for them. However, if a unit of Bikes is broken and has no chain of command then it is automatically routed and any remaining troops are removed from the battlefield. This represents the fact that Bikes are used to working on their own, beyond the normal lines of communication, often deep inside enemy territory. However, without close support they are unlikely to stand their ground if serious opposition is encountered.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Bike | 30cm | None | +3 | Bolters | 15cm | 1 | 6+ | 0 |
Thudd Gun
The Thudd Gun is a light artillery piece which fires explosive shells. It shoots rapidly, its multiple barrels pumping in and out as each shell fires in succession with a distinctive 'thud-thud-thud' noise, hence the common name of Thudd Gun. The Thudd Gun is mounted on a 20mm x 20mm card square or spare plastic stand together with 2 crewmen. The crewmen can fire the weapon and man-handle it over short distances. The Thudd Gun is used by the Imperial Guard to provide close range support for infantry.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thudd Gun | 5cm | None | -3 | Thudd Gun | 75cm | 2 Barrage Points | 0 | Fires barrage. |
Mole Mortar
The Mole Mortar was developed by the Squats whose homeworlds are rocky and barren and where most habitations are built underground. It has a crew of two operators who can also dismantle and move the weapon if needed. The Mole Mortar fires a burrowing subterranean shell called a tunnel torpedo. This travels rapidly underground before burrowing to the surface and exploding underneath its target. This causes the ground to collapse beneath the target engulfing infantry or tanks, and sometimes trapping large heavy tanks or Titans.
The Mole Mortar is mounted on a 20mm x 20mm card square or plastic epic base together with its crew. It may be moved by its crew, although only slowly.
Mole Mortars fire barrages, although these are underground barrages rather than conventional air-borne barrages from artillery pieces. Work out hits exactly like a normal barrage. If the target is a super-heavy tank or a Titan work out damage as normal and then (assuming the target survives) roll a further D6 to see if the target falls into the resulting crater. If you roll a 6 the target falls into the crater and is trapped.
A super-heavy tank or Titan cannot move while trapped but it is able to shoot normally. It is possible to climb out of the crater by using a charge order and then rolling a 3 or more on a D6 – the tank or Titan is then free but does not move that turn. If you wish craters can be represented using plasticine or some other suitable modelling material.
Mole Mortars can easily be moved from place to place, and they count as infantry stands for moving over difficult terrain. They may be moved into buildings and even fired from inside if required.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mole Mortar | 5cm | None | -3 | Mole Mortar | 150cm | 1 Barrage Point | 0 | Fires barrage. |
Tarantula
The Tarantula weapon system is a robotic point-defence installation which can recognise the enemy and eliminate suitable targets using its two lascannons. It is especially useful for defending fixed sights where many Tarantulas can be controlled remotely from an underground bunker or other command centre away from the battlelines. The Tarantula can move under its own power, using its gravitic-reaction motors to hover. It can therefore be used to support an attack or help defend a battlefield position.
On the battlefield the Tarantula can be controlled from a position behind the front lines or from an orbital ship – this need not be represented on the tabletop. Alternatively, where there is insufficient time or opportunity to install remote control systems, a crew of one or two may operate it. You can therefore add a couple of crew models to your Tarantula and mount it on a spare stand if you want to.
The Tarantula's robotically fast reactions and double armament allow it to fire twice per turn – once in the first fire phase and once in the advance fire phase. However it cannot fire on the move – so it must be given either first fire orders (in which case it can fire but not move) or charge orders (in which case it can move up to 10cm but not fire). There is no point in giving the Tarantula advance orders.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarantula | 10cm on charge | None | -3 | Lascannons | 75cm | 1 | 5+ | -2 | Fires twice. |
Robots
Robots make solid if somewhat limited troops because they rely on a program which determines what they do on the battlefield. Despite this they have many advantages over ordinary troops, as they are stronger, better armed and do not need to check morale. Robot models are quite large and come with their own base, but it is a good idea to glue each robot onto a separate 20mm x 20mm square of card or a spare plastic base. Robots fight in detachments which consist of four models.
Robot detachments operate independently according to their program. They do not take morale checks, cannot be broken, and do not require orders.
Before starting to play, you must give each detachment of robots a program which it will follow for the duration of the game. The program consists of a list of four situations and a command for each.
The situations are:
- If there are enemy in charge reach
- If there are enemy within weapon range
- If there are enemy in sight
- In any other situation
To make a program write down the four situations in the sequence given and choose a command which applies for each. Write down the command next to the situation. You may choose any of the following commands.
Charge: Charge nearest enemy unit. The robots must enter close combat if possible. Otherwise they must move at between normal and full charge rate towards the nearest enemy.
Capture: Advance towards nearest objective counter. The robots must move at between half and full normal rate.
Advance: Advance towards nearest enemy unit. The robots must move at between half and their full normal move distance towards the nearest enemy unit and may fire upon it in the advance fire segment.
First Fire: Fire on nearest enemy in the first fire segment.
Fall Back: Move directly towards your own table edge. Robots will not approach closer to enemy as they fall back.
Ignore: Ignore the situation described.
In each orders phase consult the program for the robot detachment. Read down the list of situations, starting with 'enemy in charge reach' until you find the first condition that applies to one or more robots in the detachment. As soon as you reach a situation that applies implement the order written against it.
For example, the following program might be devised and used to send a Robot detachment to capture an objective.
- If there are enemy in charge reach – First fire
- If there are enemy within weapon range – Ignore
- If there are enemy in sight – Ignore
- In any other situation – Capture
This program would allow the Robot to attack their enemy more directly, leaving a final option to move towards an objective.
- If there are enemy in charge reach – Charge
- If there are enemy within weapon range – Advance
- If there are enemy in sight – Advance
- In any other situation – Capture
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robots | 10cm | 5+ | +2 | Autocannon | 75cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | Special rules. |
The Imperial Guard
The Imperial Guard is the most important and by far the largest fighting force of the Imperium. War is a fact of life in a hostile universe, so the Imperial Guard is constantly active throughout the galaxy defending human worlds, attacking hostile aliens, and battling for possession of newly discovered planets.
Every world in the Imperium has its own army to defend it against raiders, pirates, and rebels. These local armies are maintained by the planet's own ruler and are known as the planetary defence forces. Even though these forces might number several million this is not sufficient to withstand a full scale enemy attack, although it is plenty for the purposes of defending against localised attacks. In practice, the main role of the planetary defence forces is to serve as the personal troops of the planet's ruler, in which capacity they are used to protect him against internal rivals as well as from off-world threats.
The Imperial Guard is raised from the planetary defence forces and organised into distinct armies. When a new army is to be raised, the Adeptus Terra determines which of the Imperium's million planets is next in line for recruitment. Some planets have small populations and are only liable to recruitment once every hundred years or so, while other more populous worlds provide more troops and may be chosen for recruitment two or three times a decade. Once a planet is selected for recruitment an Adeptus Mechanicus recruiting officer from the Departmento Munitorum of the Adeptus Terra visits the world and inspects its fighting forces. If the officer is satisfied with the fighting qualities of the planet's best troops he recruits whole regiments into the Imperial Guard.
A typical regiment may be between two and six thousand men strong and as there are over a million worlds in the Imperium the potential number of recruits is enormous. The size of an individual army depends on circumstances, but it is quite common for armies to include more than a hundred regiments in all. Once enough regiments have been selected the troops are shipped out to their assembly point at the war zone. Because each army is recruited at the same time its troops tend to be of more-or-less the same age. Each regiment will be from a different world, but they will fight together from then on. None of the regiments ever return home as the cost of moving such large bodies of men from one side of the galaxy to the other is simply too great.
Once a regiment joins the Imperial Guard it receives no further recruits. As time passes and troops grow older losses amongst their ranks will reduce the size of each regiment and the army as a whole. Of course, after twenty years of fighting the army is as hard-bitten and battle-hardened as it is possible to be, with a fighting reputation won on some of the most dangerous battlefields in the galaxy.
If a regiment is successful it will be allowed the honour of joining an invasion force to fight for possession of a new world, and if the world is conquered the regiment earns the right to retire from the Imperial Guard and settle on the planet. In this way new worlds are added to the Imperium and settled by hardened warriors well able to defend themselves as well as survive in a hostile environment.
Many of the Imperium's planets were originally settled in this way by an old regiment itself recruited from an established world. As a result individual world cultures are transposed from one side of the galaxy to the other, overlaid with the martial traditions of the Imperial Guard, and strengthened in a frontier environment where only the strong survive.
Old warriors become the founding members of a hard-bitten aristocracy, while regimental commanders become the first of a dynasty that will rule the new planet. Within a few generations a world will have prospered and its population multiplied sufficiently to provide fresh regiments for the Imperial Guard.
Because regiments of the Imperial Guard are recruited from a single planet they have an identity and character which is distinctive from regiments recruited elsewhere. Most worlds speak a dialect version of the Imperial language so it may be difficult or even impossible for two regiments from different worlds to understand each other. The cultural variation between regiments can be extreme. For example, the grimly violent street fighters and undercity scum of Necromunda are renowned as excellent warriors: equally famous, but totally different, are the fighting horse-riding herders of the open steppes of Oran who fight as Rough Riders and collect the heads of their fallen enemies for trophies.
Despite these differences all regiments have a broadly similar appearance. Most Guardsmen fight as infantry and carry the standard issue Adeptus Mechanicus manufactured lasgun. Every newly recruited Guard regiment is provided with a uniform manufactured on its planet of origin to Imperial Guard specifications. The standard uniform colour is ashen grey because this is the easiest and cheapest material to manufacture, but some worlds can provide coloured or camouflaged plasticloth and this is sometimes specified instead. Some of the older and most prolific recruiting worlds have a traditional colour scheme which they always use for their regiments.
Guard Command Structure
Because the Imperial Guard is so huge its command structure is very formally organised. The entire regiment falls under the command of a colonel who, together with other senior officers and his personal bodyguard, form the regimental HQ, which is the nerve centre of the entire regiment. The troops in each regiment are divided into a number of companies, the actual number varies between ten and forty depending on the size of the regiment. Each company consists of three platoons of 50 men in the case of tactical units (ie three units of ten troop stands) plus a company HQ unit of ten men. Each platoon includes a five-man section HQ unit under the command of a junior officer. Each tactical company therefore consists of 160 men in total.
In addition to its main companies the regiment also includes a number of support units which can be placed under the command of a company HQ unit for the duration of a battle, such as robots, artillery batteries, etc.
Very unusual troops such as Ogryns, Rough Riders, and Ratlings are recruited as separate and usually smaller regiments. Because their battlefield roles are specialised and they are ideally used in smaller units to support the main infantry companies, it is usual for commanders to divide up these regiments on the battlefield and attach individual units to other regiments. It often happens that troops assigned to another regiment for a particular battle end up being permanently attached because the rest of their regiment is destroyed or posted to another battlefront before they can rejoin it. This sort of thing happens all the time, so many Imperial Guard regiments include Rough Riders, Ogryns, Ratlings or infantry from other regiments initially sent to reinforce them. This is reflected in the epic army cards for the Imperial Guard, which allow you to include specialist troops in varying quantities.
Organisation Chart
Imperial Guard Organisation.
- Regimental HQ. Each regiment typically includes 10-40 companies.
- Company HQ. Consists of 2 troop stands and 1 Rhino.
- Platoons. Each company consists of 3 platoons. Plus up to 5 support units, each with its own section HQ.
- Platoon. Consists of 1 Section HQ and 9 troop stands (some special platoons contain less stands as we shall see later).
The Chain of Command Rule
The tight structure of the Imperial Guard is reflected on the games table by the chain of command rule. This represents the way in which orders are passed from regimental HQs to company HQs and finally to each individual unit. If this chain of command is broken then troops further down the chain receive no orders and become bogged down while they wait for fresh instructions.
The chain of command rule works as follows. Imperial Guard units may only be given orders if they are connected to the chain of command. A unit is automatically connected to its chain of command if its company HQ is within 25cm. It is not necessary that the unit's own section HQ is within 25cm of the company HQ, only that at least 1 model is within 25cm.
The chain of command is broken in the following circumstances:
- If the unit is further than 25cm from its company HQ.
- If the unit's section HQ has been destroyed.
- If the unit's company HQ has been destroyed.
Note that an infantry company HQ consists of 2 command stands and a Rhino. The Rhino is only a transport vehicle, the company's officers are represented by the troop stands and it is these that are used for measuring purposes. If both troop stands are slain the Rhino cannot function as a command unit on its own and the entire company's chain of command will be broken.
If a unit cannot be given orders it adopts the standard no orders routine as described in the Space Marine rulebook. It cannot move and may only fire in the advance fire segment. Some units are an exception to this, such as Snipers, Rough Riders and Bike Squads. Their battlefield roles demand that they operate with a degree of autonomy. These units are described in the rules.
Regimental HQs
Regimental HQs comprise a number of huge mobile command centres called Leviathans. These are served by space surveillance and the reports of battlefront commanders, aerial reconnaissance, and long range scanners. A regiment almost always has several Leviathans operating behind the lines, maintaining communications with all the company HQs in that zone. If your army does not include a Leviathan model then it is assumed that the regimental HQ is behind the lines and that it maintains communications with your companies at all times.
If your army does include a Leviathan then there is a risk of it being eliminated, destroying your entire chain of command. However, because there are always more Leviathans waiting to take over the chain of command is only broken for 1 turn. No orders may be issued for 1 turn and all Imperial Guard units revert to a no orders routine. Leviathans and the special rules that apply to them are discussed in more detail later.
The object of the chain of command rule is to make the Imperial Guard work as a closely supported force dependent upon its officers and command structure. So long as the company HQ is intact it is a relatively simple matter to co-ordinate the different units. Should individual platoon or support HQs be destroyed their units will become bogged down, but this is not too much of a problem as there are some special uncommitted command units which can be moved to take over such troops. If you lose the company HQ, however, it is a different matter, and the chances of finding enough additional command units to get the whole force moving are slim.
The acute reader will have realised that the best place for the company HQ is somewhat behind the main line of advance: close enough to the section HQs to relay orders but sufficiently far behind to avoid attack by enemy troops. Because there are two company HQ stands and a Rhino it is possible to spread the command unit quite wide and stay in formation – with one stand one side of the Rhino and the other stand on the other side. This enables the company HQ to broaden its zone of control, although stretching your lines of communications like this is always a bit risky as the loss of one company HQ stand will leave troops on the periphery of your command zone without orders.
Section HQ (Special Rule)
Every Imperial Guard unit has a model or troop stand which includes its leader, which is called the section HQ. A unit's section HQ is treated exactly like its ordinary troop stands or vehicles: it moves and shoots in the same way and is subject to morale along with the rest of the unit. Section HQs are part of their unit, and must stay in formation just like its other members.
Section HQs are referred to as squadron HQs in the case of tank units, battery HQs in the case of artillery, and squad HQs for bikes, but these are all section HQs and this special rule applies to them all.
A section HQ is not a command unit and the special rules for command units do not apply. However, a section HQ can only be shot at if it is the closest stand or model in its unit. This prevents the enemy taking unfair advantage by shooting out all your section HQs when in reality the confusion of battle would make them almost indistinguishable from the rest of their unit.
The Chain of Command in Action
In the example below you can see the chain of command rule in action. The map shows an Imperial Guard company with three separate platoons plus a company HQ. The platoon section HQs are clearly indicated. The first platoon is positioned on the left flank, is within 25cm of the company HQ, so the platoon can be given orders as normal.
The second platoon on the right flank is also well positioned so that it can receive orders from the company HQ.
The third platoon has been thrown forward into the attack, but it is still within 25cm of the company HQ so it can receive orders.
The company has a support unit in the form of a battery of Whirlwinds – the Whirlwind HQ is one of the Whirlwind models, and this is assumed to include communication gear and officers to direct the battery. The Whirlwind is positioned within 25cm of the company HQ and so can receive orders as normal.
Commissars
The most important exception to the normal Chain of Command rule is the Commissar stand. The Commissars are tough Imperial agents whose role is to make sure the Imperial Guard achieve their aims. When commanders are slain or stranded the Commissars are ready to step forward and lead the troops. Commissars are fanatically brave and their loyalty to the Imperium is utterly without doubt. Their gallantry is legendary and there are many tales of stranded or demoralised Imperial Guard units being driven to great feats of valour by the inspirational leadership of a Commissar.
Commissars don't fall into the regimental organisation as such. A Commissar stand can join an Imperial Guard unit and command it personally. The full rules for Commissars are given in the Forces section.
The best thing about Commissars is that they are FREE! Your army automatically gets 1 Commissar for every Imperial Guard company card it includes.
Choosing the Imperial Guard
Your Imperial Guard force represents an Imperial Guard regiment which is part of an Imperial army. The army itself may include Space Marines, Titan Legions, Squats, and other allied contingents such as Eldar. An Imperial Guard regiment is very large and may include various special troops which have been added to the regiment's numbers over the years. Your troops are chosen using the epic army cards for the Imperial Guard. These are indicated by a distinctive colour and a skull symbol. Begin by fixing a points value for the whole army; your force may not exceed this value.
You must choose at least one company card. For every company card you choose you may include up to five support cards which represent units placed directly under the command of the company HQ. This means that they are liable to the chain of command rule.
For every company card you may also choose one special card. Special cards encompass unusual, often independently operating, individuals or units. Troops included as special cards are not assigned to the company itself, so they are not bound by the chain of command rule. These special troops are described more fully in the following section. As you choose your cards note down the total points value and make sure the total does not exceed your agreed value for the army.
For every company card you automatically receive 1 free Commissar. The Commissar is not a special card as such, and so does not affect your ability to buy other support or special cards.
For example, you might choose an Imperial Guard company as your first card – this has three platoons and a company HQ. To this you might decide to add support cards to include an Ogryn detachment, a battery of Thudd Guns, a squadron of Sentinels, a detachment of Beastmen, and a detachment of Imperial Guard assault troops. In addition you could choose an Inquisitor as your special card. Including so many different units under the company HQ is probably going to stretch your lines of communication to their limit, and you may prefer to reduce the number of support units.
Remember there is no obligation to buy the whole allowance of five support cards or the special cards. On the whole it is best to use the support cards as they are intended: to provide useful support for the companies concerned. How much support you need and what form it takes will depend entirely on your battleplan and how that particular company fits into it.
Imperial Guard Troops
Imperial Guard infantry companies are very closely structured forces with a clearly defined chain of command. There are three types of Guard company: tactical, assault, and heavy. Each type carries different weapons and equipment and fulfils a different tactical role, as described below.
Tactical Imperial Guards make up the bulk of Imperial Guard companies, and are represented by a stand of five Imperial Guardsman models. The standard uniform specification is Codex grey with helmet stripes in the company colour. Because there are a great many companies in a regiment it is usual to give some companies two or more distinctive coloured helmet stripes. In battle these markings are frequently painted out so you do not have to include them on your models if you don't want to. Tactical companies are purchased as company cards which include a company HQ unit (see below).
Assault Companies are somewhat different to tactical Imperial Guard in that they are made up from fast, highly mobile assault troops equipped with jet packs and close combat weapons. They are represented by stands of five assault Imperial Guard models. Assault troops are used to spearhead attacks or to clear buildings or other securely held enemy positions. An assault company may be purchased as a company card complete with an HQ unit (see below).
Heavy Company troopers are also known as support companies because individual platoons are usually assigned to other companies as support units. This is not always the case though, and sometimes a whole heavy company will fight together to hold a position against overwhelming enemy attack or to throw their combined firepower behind a determined advance. A heavy company troop stand is represented by four ordinary trooper models plus a model with a lascannon. You can purchase a heavy company complete with HQ unit, or you can include heavy platoons as support cards for other companies.
Each platoon, whether tactical, assault or heavy, has a section HQ represented by one troop stand. The section HQ contains the unit's commanding officer and communications team and is represented by a troop stand of the platoon type with an officer model substituted for one of the trooper models. Alternatively you may use a banner fastened into the base to indicate that the stand is a section HQ stand. The section HQ stand is treated exactly like the other stands in the unit, and is identified purely to establish that the unit is joined to the chain of command and can therefore be given orders.
Company HQ Unit. Each company also includes a company HQ unit which consists of two officer stands and a Rhino transporter. This command unit is very important to the whole company because orders are relayed through each company HQ to platoons under their command via the section HQs. This has already been explained as the Chain of Command rule. If you are in any doubt as to how this works refer back to the rules and example in this rulebook.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tactical Troops | 10cm | None | 0 | Lasguns | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | |
| Assault Troops | 15cm | None | +1 | Pistols\Swords | 25cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | Jump packs. |
| Heavy Troops |
Beastmen
Beastmen are half-human mutants who inhabit some Imperial worlds. Although not much liked or trusted by the Imperium they are just about tolerated and provide troops for the Imperial Guard as do other human mutants such as Ogryns and Ratlings. Entire regiments of Beastmen are recruited from a single world but because they are seen as untrustworthy and rather stupid the usual practice is to divide these regiments up once they reach the war front. Individual companies or even platoons are allocated to other Imperial Guard regiments as support troops. Companies of Beastmen are led by human commanders while individual platoons are led by their own officers. A Beastmen troop stand has five models. There are three types of Beastman models in the Imperial Guard and Chaos plastic sets and these may be freely intermixed to produce the slightly barbaric appearance which characterises these regiments.
Beastmen are available as company cards or support cards. Company cards consist of three platoons of Beastmen plus a human company HQ – this unit is exactly the same as a standard Imperial Guard company HQ described above. Support cards consist of a single platoon. All platoons are led by a section HQ stand which may be indicated with a banner fastened to the base or painted in a distinctive fashion. The Chain of Command rule applies in the same way as to the Imperial Guard.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beastmen | 10cm | None | +3 | Swords/clubs | None | None | None | 0 |
Ogryns
Ogryns are extremely large, intensely loyal, and slightly simple human mutants. They come from harsh, cold, high-gravity worlds where brawn, rather than brains, is needed to survive. Ogryns make very good troops except that they are not bright enough to use the more sophisticated equipment. A simple-to-operate and effective weapon, the Ogryn Ripper Gun, has been invented specially for them. This has a short range but is quite heavy, reflecting the Ogryns' great strength and preference for close fighting.
Due to their mental limitations Ogryns rarely fight as whole regiments but are divided up once they reach a war front, with individual Ogryn platoons joining other regiments as support troops.
Ogryns are available as support cards consisting of a single platoon. All platoons are led by a section HQ stand in the same way as the Imperial Guard, although in this case the commander is an Ogryn 'Bonehead', who has undergone mental enhancement surgery at the hands of the Adeptus medical corps. Stands consist of 5 Ogryn models and a banner can be used to indicate the Bonehead stand. The Chain of Command rule applies in the same way as the Imperial Guard themselves.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogryns | 10cm | 6+ | +6 | Ripper Gun | 10cm | 1 | 4+ | -1 |
Rough Riders
Rough Riders come from worlds where horse riding and cattle herding are the normal way of life. Steppe Worlds, as these planets are known, provide meat for other nearby worlds and often have no industry of their own. The nomadic herders that live on the Steppe Worlds are expert horsemen and are recruited into the Imperial Guard as regiments of Rough Riders. These regiments are usually divided into companies before a battle and allocated to other regiments where they provide scouts, patrols, and fast attack troops. Sometimes these ad hoc divisions become permanent and so regiments of Imperial Guards acquire a corps of Rough Riders.
The weapon of these troops is the hunting lance with its deadly explosive tip, derived from the similar weapons used on their home worlds to hunt down large carnivorous animals. A properly tuned military hunting lance can crack open a tank and a Rough Rider charge can annihilate enemy infantry.
Rough Riders can be included as company or support cards consisting of a single cavalry squadron. Company cards consist of three squadrons plus a standard company HQ unit of two troop stands with a Rhino. Rough Rider stands consist of two Rough Rider models glued to a 20mm x 20mm piece of card or a standard plastic epic base. Squadrons include a single section HQ stand, which must be indicated as such by use of a banner pole or in some other way, such as by painting the riders' helmets in a distinctive colour, for example.
Rough Riders are an exception to the normal Chain of Command rule. They do not need to be given orders directly, and will use their own judgement to react to the circumstances in which they find themselves. This means that even if there is no chain of command you can still place whatever orders you like for Rough Riders. However, if a unit of Rough Riders is broken and has no chain of command then it is automatically routed and any remaining troops are removed from the battlefield. This represents the fact that Rough Riders are used to working out on their own, beyond the normal lines of communication, often deep inside enemy territory. However, without close support they are unlikely to stand their ground if serious opposition is encountered.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rough Riders | 20cm | None | +3 | Hunting lance | 25cm | 1 | 6+ | 0 |
Ratling Snipers
Ratlings are diminutive human mutants who live on some Imperial worlds. They don't make very good troops on the whole, partly because they are fairly happy-go-lucky but more importantly because they are so tiny. However, they do have one very useful skill – they are crack shots! Instead of recruiting regiments of Ratlings for the Imperial Guard it is usual to recruit battalions of sharpshooters which are smaller than normal regiments totalling between one and five platoons. In battle they disperse into independently operating sniper squads. These infiltrate the battlefield unseen, secreting themselves among undergrowth or buildings.
A sniper platoon consists of four stands of five Ratling sniper models and may be included under the command of a company as a support card. Snipers are an exception to the normal Formation and Chain of Command rules. Their role means that they must operate on their own without support from other troops or even communication with their commanding officers. Sniper stands do not have to remain in formation; each stand may act totally independently as if it were a command unit. Snipers do not need to be given orders. They may move at charge rate of up to 10cm and are always considered to have first fire orders for shooting. However, because they need time to settle into firing positions, a sniper stand which moves may not shoot that turn.
Snipers are so good at hiding that if they are within cover they cannot be seen at a range of more than 25cm. This means it is impossible for enemy to fire at them above this range. Of course, this special restriction only applies when the Ratlings are within cover. If they are in the open then they can be seen and fired at as normal.
As snipers operate as individual stands they cannot be broken or routed. If their commanding company is broken or routed the snipers are unaffected and may continue to fight as normal. Victory points for the snipers are awarded to the enemy once four stands have been destroyed. If you are playing with several platoons of snipers then the requisite victory points are awarded for every four sniper stands destroyed regardless of which platoon they come from. This reflects the fact that snipers operating at a distance from each other rarely know whether other members of the same platoon have been eliminated.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratling Snipers | 10cm | None | -1 | Sniper Rifle | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | 0 | Special rules. |
Manticore Rocket Launcher
The Manticore is another lightly armoured support weapon which carries a potent barrage weapon, in this case a rack full of Storm Eagle rockets. The Manticore must be reloaded each time after it fires. As it takes a complete turn to reload, this means it is vitally important to decide when to use the missiles because once you launch them you won't be able to fire the next go! You can move and reload the Manticore in the same turn however, so it does give you the opportunity to reposition ready for your next firing.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manticore | 15cm | 5+ | 0 | Rockets | 200cm | 6 Barrage Points | 0 | Fires barrage. 1 turn to reload. |
The Leviathan
The Leviathan super-heavy command centres form the mobile headquarters of an Imperial Guard regiment. Each contains extensive communications and surveillance gear used to co-ordinate the regiment in action, including spy satellite link-ups, lines to orbiting spacecraft, control gear for tiny flying spy robots, and direct links to each company HQ unit. Inside are the regiment's senior officers, its Guard colonel and his staff, plus a considerable fighting crew to man the many weapons. This awesome vehicle is made by the Squats and supplied to the Imperial Guard as part of the mutual exchange of materials between the Squat Homeworlds and the Imperium. Every regiment has several Leviathans, any of which can command the entire regiment if necessary.
The immense weight and size of the Leviathan means it is very slow, and its move rate is therefore 10cm. This is its maximum move rate; the Leviathan cannot double this move if given charge orders. This doesn't really pose a problem as the command centre is unlikely to venture too near the enemy lines except in a dire emergency.
Because of its very thick and efficient armour the Leviathan has an armour saving throw of 1 on a D6. This applies all the way round including the sides and rear, so attackers do not get the usual bonus for side and rear shots. Needless to say, this means that most shots will simply bounce off unless the weapon has a save modifier of at least -1.
The Leviathan also has four void shields, which work in the same way as a Titan's. This means that it can sustain a number of hits without taking damage.
The super-heavy Leviathan is so massive that it cannot be easily brought into close combat. To represent this the Leviathan can't be pinned in close combat by lighter troops; it can only be pinned by Titans or other vehicles which are described in the rules as super-heavy. Super heavy vehicles include all Imperial super-heavy tanks (Shadow Sword, Baneblade, Storm Hammer) Ork Battle Fortresses (Giblet Grinda and Skull Hamma) and Squat Land Trains. If infantry or lighter vehicles engage the Leviathan in close combat it is not pinned and can simply move past them in the next turn, scattering opponents out of the way as it does so.
The Leviathan bristles with deadly weapons including the vast and highly destructive Doomsday Cannon mounted on its prow. This fires a barrage with a barrage points value of 3 plus the roll of a D6, so the score varies between 4 and 9. The Doomsday Cannon may fire to the Leviathan's front as normal. Because of its mobile turrets and the arrangement of its other weapons these may be fired all round.
The Leviathan can carry a complete infantry company of Imperial Guard including its company HQ unit complete with vehicles (up to 30 stands + HQ unit). Troops can be allocated to the Leviathan before the game begins. They are not obliged to stay with the command centre but can disembark and fight as normal.
The Leviathan may be included in your army as a special card. The regimental HQ issues orders to company HQ units over the entire battlefield and it can be imagined sending orders to troops further along the battlefront as well. If the Leviathan is destroyed the whole force is in deep trouble! You won't be able to give orders to any troops next turn because the chain of command will be broken at its very first link. Company commanders will find all their communications go dead, no information about the battle will reach them, and they will receive no instructions regarding objectives or movements. From the following turn orders may be given normally as another regimental HQ further behind the lines is assumed to take over.
The Leviathan does not need to be given orders. It automatically fires as if on first fire orders and can move up to 10cm. Because it is so huge, the special rules restricting firing at command units do not apply to the Leviathan; it may be fired at by any enemy that can see it just like any other target.
You can include several Leviathans in your force if you wish, assuming of course that you have sufficient points to pay for them. In this case your regimental headquarters is automatically assumed to be divided between the Leviathans. The vehicles may move and fight individually and do not form a unit as such. The loss of one of several Leviathans will not affect your chain of command so long as there is at least one left intact.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leviathan | 10cm Max. | 1 all round | 12 | Lascannons / Battlecannon / Bolters / Doomsday Cannon | 75cm / 75cm / 15cm / 200cm | 6 / 1 / 12 / D6+3 Barrage Pts | 5+ / 5+ / 6+ / – | -1 / -2 / 0 / -3 | May carry Imperial Guard company. 4 void shields. |
Shadow Sword Super-Heavy Battle Tank
The Shadow Sword super-heavy battle tank is a massive fighting machine which looks more like a mobile fortress than a tank. It carries a crew of 12 men to operate its fearsome battery of armaments, control its engines and direct its ponderous movements. The Shadow Sword is as big as a building, and weighs upwards of a thousand tons.
It takes a long time to move Shadow Swords from one warzone to another and position them at the battlefront. They are hardly fast – it is rather difficult to move something that weighs a thousand tons and which is wider than most streets!
Once the Shadow Swords have reached the fighting zone they are used to provide anchor points in the battle lines – mobile fortresses which break the force of enemy attack. Shadow Swords also play an essential role in the attack, slowly rolling forward to present an irresistible force which few foes can withstand. They are used by the super-heavy tank formations of the Imperial Guard.
The Shadow Sword is so huge and heavy that its speed is inevitably very slow – 10cm. If your force contains Shadow Swords their speed will determine the rate of your advance. Because of this, it is vital to get them into a good position very early in the battle or you may find the action over before they have fired a shot!
Because of its extra-ordinary armour the Shadow Sword has an armour saving throw of 1 or more on a D6. This means that hits automatically bounce off harmlessly unless the weapon has a save modifier of at least -1. For example, if hit by a weapon with a -2 modifier the Shadow Sword would still save on a D6 roll of 3 or more (as 3 - 2 is still 1, which is sufficient to save). The Shadow Sword is therefore immune to bolter fire from most vehicles, Ork Boyz stands, and other troops without a save modifier.
The super-heavy Shadow Sword is almost unstoppable in close combat, crushing infantry and lighter vehicles as it advances! To represent this the Shadow Sword can't be brought to a halt by lighter troops who engage it in close combat, it can only be pinned by Titans or by another super-heavy tank. If infantry or lighter tanks engage the Shadow Sword in close combat it can simply move past them in the next movement phase, scattering them out of the way as it does so.
The Shadow Sword is festooned with bolters to gun down infantry who come too near. Each individual bolter has only a limited arc of fire and a restricted range, but in combination the weapons are ideal for fighting off troops in close combat. The close assault factor of 6 reflects this, and also represents the super-heavy tank running down its opponents and crushing them beneath its broad tracks.
The Shadow Sword's main armament is a huge laser cannon called the Volcano Cannon, a weapon so powerful that others like it are used to defend planets against attack from space, firing through the atmosphere against drop ships and low-orbiting space ships. If the Volcano Cannon hits a Titan the player adds +3 to the damage roll to determine the effect.
The Shadow Sword also carries two lascannons in its auxiliary turrets, and many bolters which fire from restricted fire slits. The bolters are only intended as a last minute defence against infantry opponents at short range. Ideally the Shadow Sword will be protected by friendly infantry, as it is far too valuable to lose to a surprise attack by fast moving opponents.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Sword Super Heavy Tank | 10cm | 1+ | +6 | Volcano cannon / Lascannon / Bolters | 100cm / 75cm / 15cm | 1 / 2 / 6 | 3+ / 5+ / 6+ | -4 / -1 / 0 | Volcano cannon adds +3 to damage rolls vs Titans. |
Baneblade Super-Heavy Tank
The Baneblade is based on the same huge building-sized armoured body shell as the Shadow Sword with various modifications incorporating further hull armament and a separate turret. The Baneblade super-heavy tank does not carry any weapon as powerful as the Shadow Sword's Volcano Cannon, but it does carry more weapons and is better able to take on hordes of opponents thanks to its varied armament and many bolter positions.
The Baneblade is just as slow and ponderous as the Shadow Sword, and has the same thick armour and saving roll. The same special close combat rules apply as described for the Shadow Sword – it can only be pinned by Titans or other super-heavy tanks. The Baneblade is armed with a battlecannon which fires powerful explosive shells and a lascannon which shoots blasts of energy. It is also mounted with many bolt guns to protect the vehicle from infantry and other short range attack.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baneblade Super Heavy Tank | 10cm | 1+ | +8 | Battlecannon / Lascannon / Bolters | 75cm / 75cm / 15cm | 2 / 2 / 10 | 4+ / 5+ / 6+ | -2 / -1 / 0 |
Storm Hammer Super Heavy Tank
The Storm Hammer is one of the three types of Imperial super heavy tank and is just as well armoured as the Shadow Sword and the Baneblade. It is built for a close assault role and carries mostly short ranged weaponry. The Storm Hammer has two main turrets each carrying deadly cannons and four smaller turrets equipped with lighter bolters.
The Storm Hammer is designed to bring its armament to bear all round – as a close assault super heavy tank it would otherwise be vulnerable to attack from the sides and rear. As it is the Storm Hammer can wade in amongst enemy troops without suddenly finding itself unable to attack opponents who have closed in behind or round the sides. To further protect it against attack it has specially thickened side and rear armour.
To represent its wide arc of fire and many rotating turrets the Storm Hammer can shoot all round, not just to its front like most vehicles. Because of its extra thick side and rear armour its saving throw is not reduced for shots to the side and is only reduced by -1 for shots to the rear – most other vehicle saves are reduced by -1 and -2 for side and rear armour of course. The same close combat rules apply as described for the Shadow Sword and Baneblade; it can only be pinned by other super heavy tanks.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Hammer | 10cm | 1+ | +10 | Cannon / Bolters | 50cm / 15cm | 4 / 14 | 4+ / 6+ | -2 / 0 | Side armour as front. Rear armour -1. |
Gorgon Close Assault Vehicle
The Gorgon is a large, slab-sided vehicle with thick armour and monstrous tracks. It is used to carry infantry under heavy fire, such as in a siege or when attacking an enemy defence line. In many ways it is like a mechanical version of a heavily protected medieval siege tower full of combat troops and bristling with weapons!
In front the Gorgon has a very substantial bulldozer blade which it can use to push its way through obstructing terrain, and therefore ignores all penalties normally applied to vehicles for moving through some terrain. As a Gorgon moves through woods or over rocky ground it leaves a corridor behind it which is passable to other tanks. You can represent this by removing scenery as the Gorgon passes over it.
The bulldozer blade also forms a further layer of armour, so the Gorgon is allowed two saving throws for its armour if shot at from the front. Make your normal saving throw and if this fails roll again: the Gorgon is unharmed if either save is successful.
The Gorgon's high sides protect the infantry inside. The player can release the infantry in any turn, the Gorgon's blade is raised and the infantry pour out of the vehicle. The Gorgon can carry up to 5 stands (25 men) and they disembark in the same way as troops leaving any other vehicle. The Gorgon is armed with short ranged mine launchers which lob large barrel-shaped charges a short distance ahead of its advance to clear out enemy troops.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgon | 10cm | 1+ (save twice on front) | +4 | Bolters / Minethrower | 15cm / 15cm | 4 / 1 | 6+ / 4+ | 0 / -3 | May carry 5 troop stands. |
Bombard Mobile Siege Mortar
The Bombard carries a large siege mortar which lobs very heavy shells onto enemy positions. It is extremely good at bursting apart armoured formations, as the sheer weight of its missile can stove in armour and split apart the most heavily armoured tanks. The Bombard lobs shells upwards in a curving arc so it cannot fire at very close range because the gun barrel cannot be depressed enough to fire at a very close target. The Bombard cannot fire at a target closer than 50cm, and thus has a minimum range of 50cm.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombard | 10cm | 5+ | 0 | Siege Mortar | 50-150cm | 3 Barrage Points | -3 | Fires barrage. |
Commissars
Commissars are amongst the most important characters in the whole army. They are tough Imperial agents whose role is to make sure the Imperial Guard achieve their aims. When commanders are slain or stranded the Commissars are ready to step forward and lead the troops. Commissars are fanatically brave and their loyalty to the Imperium is utterly without doubt. Their gallantry is legendary and there are many tales of stranded or demoralised Imperial Guard units being driven to great feats of valour by the inspirational leadership of a Commissar.
Commissars are free to move about as they wish, as they are not actually part of the regimental organisation, but they are most usefully employed towards the front of the battle zone where their influence will be needed most.
Commissars are represented by troops stands of five Commissar models. Although individual Commissars don't actually go around in little groups the stand is a useful way of representing a number of Commissars who may actually be spread slightly more widely. This does not affect the way the stand fights at all – the Commissar stand moves, shoots, and may be destroyed just like any other stand.
Commissars are included in the army in addition to troops indicated on the epic army cards. For every full Imperial Guard company card in the army you automatically have one Commissar stand plus one Rhino transport to carry it. Remember Commissars are not actually part of the companies, they are totally independent pieces.
A Commissar stand plus its attendant Rhino comprises a special type of command unit. All the normal rules for command units apply, so the Commissar does not need orders but automatically moves as if on charge orders and fires as if on first fire orders. The Commissar stand's most useful attribute is its ability to join Imperial Guard units and to issue orders to them. This means, for example, that an Imperial Guard platoon or tank squadron which no longer has a proper chain of command can be given orders by a Commissar.
The Commissar stand can only join one unit at a time and must be within 6cm as defined by the formation rule in the Space Marine rulebook. This ability of the Commissar to give orders to troops whose chain of command has broken down is extremely important to the Imperial Guard. Note that it is only the Commissar stand itself which can issue orders in this way, the Rhino can only do so if the Commissars are actually riding inside it. Once the Commissar stand is destroyed its Rhino is removed automatically.
The Commissars cost no points and their destruction confers no victory points to the enemy.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissar | 10cm | None | +4 | Pistols/Swords | 25cm | 2 | 5+ | 0 | May give orders to any Imperial Guard unit. |
Hellhound Firethrower
The Hellhound is used specifically to flush enemy infantry from cover, armoured emplacements, and buildings. It consists of an armoured body with a tall frontal tower section. Volatile fuel is stored in the armoured containers at the back from where it is pumped through metal pipes to the fire nozzles at the top of the tower. The ignited fuel becomes a torrent of flames which pour down onto the enemy below, lapping round cover, bursting through doors and filling buildings with flame and smoke.
The Hellhound's weapon is the Dragon firethrower, which gives the Hellhound its other popular name of the Dragon.
The Hellhound is represented by the special flame template. To use the weapon take the template and place it so that the pointed end is next to the front of the Hellhound and the broad rounded end lies away from it and within the normal 180° frontal fire arc. The template area represents the fall of flames and all targets within the area are hit on the D6 roll of a 5 or 6. No to hit modifiers are ever applied for cover when shooting with a flame weapon – the flames lap round cover and the searing heat is intensified by enclosed areas such as rooms, bunkers and other hidey holes.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellhound | 15cm | 3+ | 0 | Dragon firethrower | Template | 5+ | 0 | Ignore to hit modifiers for cover. |
Basilisk Self-Propelled Artillery Gun
The Basilisk is a self-propelled artillery piece mounted with a long barrelled cannon known to the Imperial troops as the 'Earth Shaker' because of its tremendous recoil. The Earth Shaker has a long range and is used to pound enemy positions from a distance prior to a general advance. The advantage of the Basilisk artillery piece over a rocket launcher is that it can be redirected, loaded and fired relatively speedily. The Basilisk is allowed to fire two barrages rather than just one; both shots are taken in the same combat segment, one after the other. The second shot may be against the same target or a different one, the player may choose which.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basilisk | 15cm | 5+ | 0 | Earth Shaker Artillery Cannon | 150cm | 2 Barrage Points | -2 | May fire 2 barrages per turn. |
Sentinel
The Sentinel is a light one-man fighting vehicle consisting of an armoured pod raised high above the ground on two legs, which it uses to walk with. The Sentinel is used as a scout and patrol vehicle and for sentinel duties such as guarding supply compounds and encampments.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel | 25cm | 6+ | +2 | Autocannon | 50cm | 1 | 4+ | 0 |
Deathstrike Tactical Missile Launcher
Many of the largest Titans carry missiles which they use to attack other Titans, massed troops and fortifications. These missiles can also be modified to be fired from a Deathstrike launch vehicle.
A Deathstrike launcher can only fire if its unit is given first fire orders. If you do this, you do not have to fire missiles, though you may fire any or all of them, as you wish. By putting a tactical missile unit on first fire orders you are fuelling up the missiles and activating their guidance systems in preparation for firing. Each missile can only be fired once.
Tactical missiles have complex robotic guidance systems which enable them to seek out and destroy their target. In the turn it is fired the missile climbs high into the air from where its cameras can see the whole battlefield. Once the missile's robotic brain has selected a target the missile dives down to ground level from where it heads towards the target at slow speed, weaving round buildings and other obstructions, and dodging incoming fire.
The Deathstrike launcher may only be fired if its unit has first fire orders. Represent the missile's attack as follows. Remove the missile from its launcher or place a counter to show that it has been fired. The missile travels upwards in a high arc to scan the battlefield for targets then descends to about 10 - 20 metres above the ground. Place the missile model, or a counter representing it, D6 x 10cm directly in front of the Deathstrike vehicle. This indicates the point where the missile descends and begins its hunt for the target. The missile will fly over the heads of friendly troops or non-preferred enemy, and will also avoid buildings, hills, and terrain features by flying over or round them. Should the missile happen to descend directly on top of an enemy target which the player wants to destroy it can be exploded immediately and damage worked out as normal. Otherwise the missile moves in the first fire phase of each succeeding turn until it hits a target or runs out of fuel. Should the missile come down off the tabletop it can be positioned at the edge ready to move onto the table next turn.
Missiles move and can be exploded in the first fire segment of the combat phase. All missiles currently in flight can be dealt with at once as a single 'firing' so there is no need to take a separate turn for each missile on the table. Once in the air, missiles keep moving until they reach their target and explode, malfunction, run out of fuel, or are shot down. Each missile travels D6 x 10cm a turn. If you roll a 6 the missile either runs out of fuel or malfunctions and explodes that turn – roll a further D6 x 10cm to establish how far the missile travels before it explodes. Otherwise move the missile the total distance indicated, making any turns or other changes in direction as required but measuring the full distance. The player may detonate the missile at any point along its flight path should a suitable target present itself.
Missiles in flight may be shot at and are destroyed if hit. However, they are difficult to hit because they are capable of taking evasive action so it is only possible to shoot at them at a range of 25cm or less. Also, because they are a rapidly moving aerial target they can only be shot at by troops with first fire orders.
There are three kinds of missiles. A Deathstrike unit of 3 launchers can be equipped with any combination of the following missiles.
Barrage Missile. This contains a multiple plasma warhead capable of vapourising a large target or area of ground. It is particularly useful for depleting the void shields on a Titan. The missile is represented by a number of barrage templates. Position the first template directly over the point where the missile explodes, then roll a D6 to determine the number of extra templates. These may be placed so that they are touching the original template or each other, forming a compact mass or line. Targets covered by the barrage are struck for 8 barrage points with a -2 armour save modifier.
Harpoon. This missile is designed to penetrate the outer casing of a Titan and short out its control systems. Once control of the target has been removed from its crew the missile's own computer brain can control it to some extent. The Harpoon can also be used against other targets, in which case its powerful electromagnetic pulse is usually sufficient to destroy the target outright.
A Harpoon missile can strike any target in its flight path and hits automatically. A vehicle or infantry stand struck by the missile must make its saving throw with a -2 modifier or be destroyed. A Titan with operational shields will lose only a single shield to Harpoon attack, but a Titan with no shields is in deep trouble. Select a location and roll the hit location die as normal, then make a saving throw with -2 modifier for the location that is hit. If the save is failed the Harpoon has lodged in the Titan. If the save is successful the missile has failed to penetrate the Titan's outer casing and has no effect.
A Titan that is harpooned must roll a D6 in each subsequent orders phase. On a 1 the missile falls out or ceases to function, and the Titan can fight as normal. On a 2-6 the Titan falls under the control of the Harpoon. The opposing player may control the Titan for that turn, moving it and firing its weapons in any manner he wants, just as if it were his own Titan.
Warp Missile. The warp missile contains a miniature warp drive which skips the missile in and out of warp space, allowing it to bypass shields and thick armour to materialise directly inside the target where it explodes with devastating effect.
The warp missile can strike any target in its flight path and hits automatically. A vehicle, building, or troop stand hit by the missile is destroyed automatically with no saving throw. If a Titan is struck by a warp missile then its shields are ignored and a target location is established. To represent the chance of the missile disappearing into warp space or being deflected off course roll the hit location dice twice. If a location is hit it receives no armour save: go straight to the damage chart and roll twice. This represents the cataclysmic damage caused as the missile materialises inside its target and detonates.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launcher | 15cm | 6 | 0 | None | Special Rules. |
Hellbore
The Hellbore is the largest of the tunnelling troop transporters known collectively as tunnellers or miners. These subterranean machines tunnel their way underground, bypassing enemy troops and fortifications and emerging behind the lines. Tunnellers can move over the ground surface as well as underground, but as they only move slowly overland it is usual to move them to battlefields on huge transporter vehicles.
At the start of the game any tunneller models are positioned on their transports along with the rest of the army. The tunnellers themselves are assumed to be underground from the beginning of the game, and the transports are left on the table. Although transporters don't have weapons and cannot move, they continue to act as guidance stations for the tunnellers. It is possible for the enemy to force a tunneller off-course by destroying its guiding transport vehicle as described later.
A Hellbore may attempt to surface at any time during its side's movement. Roll a D6, and on the score of a 1 the Hellbore has struck a rocky obstruction and cannot emerge that turn. On the score of 2 or more the Hellbore breaks through to the surface. It does not move further during the turn it emerges above ground, but can move along the surface from the next turn. If the Hellbore's transporter can be seen from the point where the Hellbore intends to emerge proceed as follows. First nominate where you want to surface and then roll the scatter dice. If you roll a hit symbol then the Hellbore has emerged on target. If you roll an arrow you have missed your aiming point and instead emerge D6 x 5cm away in the direction indicated. This means you can end up anywhere between 5cm and 30cm from your chosen point. If the transporter cannot be seen from the place where you want to emerge, or if the transporter is destroyed, then roll the scatter dice in the same way but the distance will be D6 x 10cm for misses.
Troops may not disembark on the turn that the Hellbore emerges but may do so in the following or any subsequent turn. Position order counters to remind you to disembark in the movement phase. The usual rules for boarding and leaving transport vehicles apply – the infantry move is reduced in proportion to the vehicle's move. Note that as there are 3 platoons on board the Hellbore you must issue 3 sets of orders if you want them all to disembark.
The Hellbore may move along the surface of the ground, ploughing a deep furrow in its wake. It always moves in a straight line directly forwards up to 15cm.
No orders are ever given for the Hellbore because it is an HQ unit. Note that it cannot double up its move with a charge order; tunnellers have a maximum move of 15cm and can never move faster. Once the Hellbore has completed its move for the turn the player may turn it round by up to 45° so that it can move in a slightly different direction when it moves next turn. This is the only way to turn a tunneller and, as you can imagine, it makes them rather cumbersome. For this reason it is better to keep them underground until you really want them to emerge, rather than surfacing early and relying on slow and awkward overland movement. A Hellbore can move through woods, trenches, foxholes, rocks and other broken ground without slowing down, but marshes, rivers and other bodies of water are impassable once the tunneller has surfaced. Nothing, not even marshes and water, can stop a tunneller that is burrowing underground.
A Hellbore can emerge under a building or plough straight through one if moving overland. This is a bit reckless as the building can collapse as a result and there is a possibility that the tunneller may be crushed by tons of plummetting rubble. To see if the building survives, roll its basic saving throw. If this is failed the building collapses and any troops inside are killed. If the building does collapse, the Hellbore may be trapped and destroyed. Roll a D6, and on the score of 6 the Hellbore is crushed by tons of debris and destroyed along with any troops still inside. Smaller tunnellers are crushed on the score of a 5 or 6 in the case of Moles and 4, 5 or 6 in the case of Termites.
The Hellbore is so huge that it is almost unstoppable in close combat, grinding infantry and lighter vehicles into the ground as it advances! To represent this the Hellbore can't be brought to a halt by lighter troops who engage it in close combat, it can only be pinned by Titans or by a super-heavy tank. If infantry or lighter tanks engage the Hellbore in close combat it can simply move past them in the next movement phase, scattering them out of the way as it does so.
A Hellbore is available as a company card complete with three platoons of tactical guards. Unlike most company cards you are restricted in the various support cards you can include with it. Obviously you can't sensibly place subterranean troops and other troops in the same chain of command as one or the other will inevitably end up stranded. Therefore, you can only include Moles or Termites as support units for Hellbores.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellbore | 15cm Max. | 1+ | +12 | None | Carries 30 stands. | ||||
| Transporter | – | 5+ | 0 | None |
The Mole
The Mole is the intermediate sized tunneller, carrying a single platoon of Imperial Guard tactical troops. The same rules apply as described for the Hellbore except that the Mole is trapped under a falling building on the roll of a 5 or 6 rather than just a 6. Unlike a Hellbore, The Mole can be engaged in close combat in the same way as any other vehicle.
All Moles carry special communication equipment which allows them to relay orders to the troops they carry. So long as the platoon is within 25cm of the Mole it can maintain direct communications with its regimental headquarters and can therefore be given orders. However, the Mole does not count as a command unit itself, it only acts as a relay between the regimental HQ and the platoon's own section HQ. The platoon may also be given orders by its own company HQ exactly as with other units.
Moles are available as company cards and support units including a platoon of ten tactical guards. You can include Moles as support units for any company you like – they don't have to be placed under the command of a Hellbore Company, though you can do this if you prefer.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mole | 15cm | 3+ | +3 | None | Carries 10 stands. |
The Termite
The Termite is the smallest of the tunnellers. It carries 2 stands and is organised into squadrons of 3 carrying a special Imperial Guard Termite unit of 6 tactical stands. The same rules apply as for Moles and Hellbores except that the Termite is trapped under a falling building on the D6 roll of a 4, 5 or 6. Unlike a Hellbore, the Termite can be engaged in close combat in the same way as any other vehicle.
Termite squadrons all use the same tunnel, each following behind the other and branching to the surface only at the last moment. Establish where the first Termite surfaces as described for the Hellbore and then place the remaining two Termites anywhere you wish within 6cm. This allows the platoon to maintain its formation.
In a squadron the first Termite carries the section HQ and also special communication equipment which allows it to relay orders to its platoon. So long as the platoon is within 25cm of the first Termite it can maintain direct communications with its regimental headquarters and can therefore be given orders. However, the Termite does not count as a command unit itself, it only acts as a relay between the regimental HQ and the platoon's own section HQ. The platoon may also be given orders by its own company HQ exactly as with other units.
You can include Termites as support units for any company you like, so you don't have to place them under the command of a Hellbore, although you can if you wish.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termite | 15cm | 4+ | +1 | None | Carries 2 stands. |
Leman Russ Battle Tank
This heavy battle tank is the mainstay of the Imperial Guard heavy tank formations. It is well armoured and carries a heavy battlecannon and a lascannon as well as bolters in small cupolas to pick off enemy infantry who get too close. The battlecannon fires a powerful armour-busting shell, while the lascannon shoots a burst of laser energy.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leman Russ | 20cm | 3+ | +2 | Battlecannon / Lascannon / Bolters | 75cm / 75cm / 15cm | 1 / 1 / 1 | 5+ / 5+ / 6+ | -2 / -1 / 0 |
Capitol Imperialis Mobile Fortress
Even compared to the towering Leviathan the Capitol Imperialis is vast vehicle: a mobile base so huge it can carry two full companies of infantry or tanks. On inhospitable planets these lumbering machines act as fortresses and shelter for the Imperial Guard troops inside, protecting them with its thick armoured plating and void shields.
The immense weight and size of the Capitol Imperialis means it is very slow, so move rate is only 10cm. Its role is that of a mobile base which is the equivalent of a heavily fortified barrack block. Although it is really too heavy and slow to be used in an attack role the Capitol Imperialis's defensive value is tremendous. It is heavily armoured and protected by void shields. Although its primary function is defensive the Capitol Imperialis is no stranger to conflict. When an Imperial Guard force finds itself hemmed in and heavily outnumbered several Capitol Imperialises can be manoeuvred to form a defensive compound, using the short range Behemoth cannon to create an almost impenetrable curtain of fire. The Capitol Imperialis is also known as the Behemoth after its fearsome armament.
Because of its very thick and efficient armour the Capitol Imperialis has an armour saving throw of 1 on a D6. This applies all the way round including the sides and rear – attackers do not get the usual bonus for side and rear shots. Needless to say, this means that most shots will simply bounce off unless the weapon has a save modifier of at least -1. The Capitol Imperialis is also protected by void shields in the same way as a Titan. Because of its role as a fortified barrack block, its void shields are vital if the troops inside are not to be destroyed by an unexpected enemy attack. The Capitol Imperialis therefore has 6 void shields to protect it.
The Capitol Imperialis's main armament is its rapid firing Behemoth cannon. This discharges a curtain of explosive shots designed to keep the enemy away. The Behemoth cannon can shoot up to 4 barrages a turn. Take 4 barrage markers and position them into a row. The row can take any shape so long as each successive barrage marker touches the one placed before it. You cannot position the markers so that they overlap – only so that they lie edge to edge. This forms a curtain of defensive fire which is very hard to avoid.
[Diagram: four barrage markers laid edge to edge in a row.]
Any target under a barrage marker will sustain 4 barrage points. If you look at the barrage table you will see that this means it is hit on a 5 or a 6.
The super-heavy Capitol Imperialis is so massive that it cannot be easily brought to close combat. It is rather like trying to fight against a huge skyscraper or city block! To represent this the Capitol Imperialis can't be pinned in close combat by lighter troops – it can only be pinned by Titans or other vehicles which are described in the rules as super-heavy. Super heavy vehicles include all Imperial super-heavy tanks (Shadow Sword, Baneblade, Storm Hammer) Ork Battle Fortresses (Giblet Grinda and Skull Hammer) and Squat Land Trains.
If infantry or lighter vehicles engage the Capitol Imperialis in close combat it is not pinned and can simply move past them in the next turn, scattering opponents out of the way as it does so. The Capitol Imperialis's high close assault factor represents its vast bulk and the many bolter guns studded over its surface which provide close range fire power against attacking infantry.
The Capitol Imperialis is so large that it can carry two entire Imperial Guard companies. These can be either infantry companies complete with their vehicles, or companies of tanks, vehicles or artillery. Infantry stands may be deployed onto the roof of the Capitol Imperialis and count as behind cover in the same way as troops inside buildings. If the Capitol Imperialis is destroyed all troops inside are automatically destroyed in the same way as any other transport vehicle or a building.
| Troop Type | Move | Saving Throw | CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice | Roll to Hit | Target's Save Mod. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Imperialis | 10cm Max. | 1 all round | 10 | Behemoth Cannon / Bolters | 25cm / 15cm | 4 barrage pts / 8 | – / 6+ | -1 / 0 | May carry 2 Imperial Guard companies. 6 void shields. |
Space Marine Play Sheet
Sequence of Play
Orders Phase. Place order counters. Both players roll a D6 to determine initiative. Reveal orders.
Movement Phase. The player who won the initiative decides to move 1st or 2nd. The 1st player moves his forces. The 2nd player then moves his forces.
Combat Phase. 1. First Fire Segment. 2. Close Combat Segment. 3. Advancing Fire Segment.
Players alternate firing, firing one unit (detachment, squadron, Titan, HQ unit, etc) at a time, starting with the player who won the initiative.
End Phase. Record Victory Points. If a player reaches his target VP he has won! Repair damaged Titan void shields. Check morale for units broken that turn. Check morale for falling back troops who want to rally. Broken troops who fail their morale check fall back and are routed or destroyed if they fail a further check.
Formations
A unit (detachment, squadron, HQ unit, etc) must maintain its formation at all times when possible. Each model or stand in the unit must be no further than 6cm from its neighbour, forming a chain or compact clump. Where transport vehicles are unable to maintain formation with faster moving foot troops due to impassable terrain they are placed as close as possible.
[Diagram: 3 Land Raiders in Formation, with 6cm between neighbouring vehicles.]
Barrage
Direct barrages never scatter – place the template over the target and work out damage from the Barrage Table overleaf. Indirect barrages may scatter 2D6cm off target as indicated by the scatter dice. A unit must have first fire orders to shoot an indirect barrage and the target must be visible to at least one model on your side.
Orders
Order counters are placed for each formation in the order phase. Place counters face down and reveal simultaneously. Note that Eldar Warlocks allow formations within 10cm to place orders after other orders have been revealed. Also note that Ork formations can only be given orders if there is a command unit within 10cm. Otherwise Orks revert to their traditional behaviour (see rules).
First Fire. May not move. Fire in the first fire segment.
Advance. Move in the movement phase. Fire in the advancing fire segment.
Charge. Move at double rate in the movement phase. May not shoot – but may fight close combat with enemy.
If you forget to give units orders troops may not move but may shoot in the advancing fire phase (see special rules for Orks). Command units do not need orders – they may move in the movement phase and shoot in the first fire segment.
Combat
Shooting. For each shot roll D6 to hit as shown on the data sheets. Apply any to hit modifiers for terrain. Targets which are hit must make their saving roll or are removed as casualties. Reduce saves by -1 for side shots, and -2 for rear shots. Command units may only be shot at if they are the closest troops.
Close Combat. Roll 2D6 for each side and add close assault factors. The highest score is the winner and the loser is removed (or sustains 1 hit in the case of Titans). No armour saves apply in close combat.
For multiple combat fight one 'pair' at a time. The 2nd combatant adds a further D6, and so on. Troops on first fire orders may shoot against close combat opponents who engaged that turn.
Only Skimmers can pin Skimmers in close combat, and Titans can only be pinned by another Titan. Super-heavy vehicles can only be pinned by other super-heavy vehicles, or by Titans.
Pop-up Attacks. Skimmers with first fire orders can make special pop-up attacks over concealing cover. Only enemy on first fire orders can return fire.
Morale
Roll a D6 for each unit to be tested. If the score is equal to or greater than the unit's morale value it has passed. Troops which fail a morale check must fall back. A fall back counter is placed next to the unit. The unit moves away from the enemy at double rate and may not shoot. In close combat they fight with a -2 penalty. Falling back troops are routed and removed from play if they fail another morale check.
Check morale in the following instances:
- Broken that turn.
- Broken troops are engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Test at start of combat phase.
- Attacked by daemons or otherwise, as identified by the rules.
- Wanting to rally.
A falling back unit may attempt to rally by taking a morale test. If successful the fall back counter is removed and the unit ceases to fall back.
Army Cards
Editorial note: the pull-out army cards at the back of this book (the last forty-nine pages of the scan, after the Play Sheet; the Space Marine and Imperial Guard unit, company, detachment and battery cards) are not transcribed here. Each card lists the unit's composition, points value, break point, morale value and victory points, and some carry short card-level rule notes. The rules text in this rulebook is transcribed from the body of the book, the data sheets and the Play Sheet. The card-level break points, morale values, victory points and points values are not reproduced.