
The elite of the Salamanders Legion are those Legionaries known as the Firedrakes, veterans chosen not simply for their martial skill, but also because of their mental resilience and capacity for discipline and self-sacrifice; for these are values the Promethean Cult holds in high esteem. Tried and tempered in the flames of war, just as a blade is tempered in the flames of the forge, the Firedrakes are indefatigable and relentless, possessing a singular focus in battle which borders on the preternatural, and a legendary resilience; a matter as much to do with their phenomenal willpower as their superhuman physiology or superlatively fashioned arms and armour. Such is the wisdom of Vulkan and the traditions of the Legion that many of the Firedrakes can be found fulfilling numerous roles throughout the ranks, rather than concentrated into elitist cadres as may be found in other Legions, the better to serve as exemplars, champions and protectors.
| LD | CL | WP | IN | |||||||||||
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | LD | CL | WP | IN | SAV | INV | |
| Firedrake (⌀40mm) | 9 | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Firedrake (⌀40mm) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | - | - | - | 2+ | - |
| Firedrake Master (⌀40mm) | 9 | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Firedrake Master (⌀40mm) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | - | - | - | 2+ | - |
This datasheet has Elites Battlefield Role. Full list of Legiones Astartes units sharing same Battlefield Role follows:
Some weapons strike with such force that they cause terrible wounds that can lay low even the most formidable combatant.
When a model is allocated a Wound inflicted by a weapon with this special rule, it does not suffer only one Wound but instead suffers a number of Wounds equal to the number in brackets associated with the specific variant of this special rule, with all of the Wounds inflicted using the same AP and special rules as that of the initial Wound. Roll to save against each Wound inflicted separately, but note that Wounds caused in excess of a given model’s remaining Wounds do not spill over to other models and are lost. This special rule has no effect on models that do not have a Toughness value.Some weapons rely not on the speed of their wielder, but on their sheer length or cunning design to inflict harm upon the foe before they can react.
A model making attacks as part of an Assault using a weapon with this special rule, adds the value of (X) that is included as part of this special rule to its Initiative Characteristic. If a model has more than one weapon with this special rule then that model only increases the value of its Initiative by the value of the special rule on the weapon whose profile is used by that model to attack during the Fight sub-phase. A weapon that is not used to attack does not modify the model’s Initiative Characteristic – models that may attack with more than one weapon, or models claiming the bonus for having a second weapon, may only add the value of the highest variant of this special rule and do not add the values together.These melee weapons are sheathed in disruption fields that allow them to cleave armour as though it were paper and annihilate flesh or bone with ease. They are both difficult to master, for a single mis-stroke can lead to catastrophe in a close packed melee, and expensive to manufacture and maintain, and so are mostly found only in the hands of the finest warriors in the Legiones Astartes.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Power’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons. A model that is eligible to select a power weapon may take any of the weapons included in this Profile.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Power sword | |||||||
| Power sword | - | User | 3 | Melee, Rending (6+) | - | ||
| Power axe | |||||||
| Power axe | - | +1 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy | - | ||
| Power maul | |||||||
| Power maul | - | +2 | 3 | Melee | - | ||
| Power lance | |||||||
| Power lance | - | +1 | 3 | Melee, Reach (1) | - | ||
| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Power fist | |||||||
| Power fist | - | x2 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon | - | ||
| Gravis power fist | |||||||
| Gravis power fist | - | 9 | 2 | Melee, Brutal (3) | - | ||
| Thunder hammer | |||||||
| Thunder hammer | - | x2 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy, Brutal (2), Specialist Weapon | - | ||
| Lightning claw | |||||||
| Lightning claw | - | User | 3 | Melee, Shred, Rending (6+), Specialist Weapon | - | ||
This was an advanced pattern of Terminator armour developed late on during the Great Crusade in parallel with the Maximus pattern power armour, and was considered a technological masterwork. Tartaros armour is more streamlined and power efficient than its predecessors, making it more agile and providing short bursts of extra speed when needed, but was also more difficult and resource intensive to manufacture. Regardless of this, it had become one of the most widely-circulated patterns issued in the decades before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Legion Tartaros Terminator armour confers a 2+ Armour Save and a 5+ Invulnerable Save.Relentless warriors are strong of arm – nothing can slow their implacable advance.
Relentless models can shoot with Heavy or Ordnance weapons, counting as Stationary, even if they moved in the previous Movement phase. They are also allowed to Charge in the same turn they fire Heavy, Ordnance, or Rapid Fire weapons.Some weapons are capable of breaching armour with a terrifying ease, whether by specially designed munitions, careful targeting or sheer brute power.
When rolling To Wound for a model that has the Breaching (X) special rule, or is attacking with a weapon that has the Breaching (X) special rule, for each To Wound roll equal to or higher than the value listed in brackets, the controlling player must resolve these wounds at AP 2 instead of the weapon’s normal AP value. This rule has no effect on models that do not have Wounds, such as models with the Vehicle Unit Type.A branch of weaponry now commonplace among the ranks of the Legiones Astartes, bolt weapons are based on a robust Terran design, refined from the weapons used during the Emperor’s battles to conquer Old Earth. These brutally efficient weapons fire a caseless, self-propelled and mass reactive munition, more akin to a miniature rocket than a simple bullet and easily capable of eviscerating most foes against which the Space Marines of the Imperium find themselves matched. Such was the success of these weapons that they would eventually come to replace the more complex Martian weapons that had once dominated the arsenals of the Legiones Astartes.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Bolt’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Bolt pistol | |||||||
| Bolt pistol | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Pistol | Assault, Bolt | |
| Bolter | |||||||
| Bolter | 24" | 4 | 5 | Rapid Fire | - | ||
| Combi-bolter | |||||||
| Combi-bolter | 24" | 4 | 5 | Rapid Fire, Twin-linked | - | ||
| Kraken bolter | |||||||
| Kraken bolter | 30" | 4 | 4 | Rapid Fire | - | ||
| - Tempest rounds | 18" | 3 | 6 | Assault 3, Ignores Cover | - | ||
| - Scorpius rounds | 24" | 5 | 4 | Assault 1, Breaching (4+) | - | ||
| Nemesis bolter | |||||||
| Nemesis bolter | 72" | 5 | 5 | Heavy 1, Rending (5+), Sniper, Pinning | - | ||
| Heavy bolter | |||||||
| Heavy bolter | 36" | 5 | 4 | Heavy 4 | - | ||
| Gravis bolt cannon | |||||||
| Gravis bolt cannon | 48" | 5 | 4 | Heavy 6, Twin-linked | - | ||
| Gravis heavy bolter battery | |||||||
| Gravis heavy bolter battery | 48" | 5 | 4 | Heavy 8, Twin-linked | - | ||
| Avenger bolt cannon | |||||||
| Avenger bolt cannon | 36" | 6 | 3 | Heavy 7 | - | ||
An Ancient Terran innovation, pairing a bolter with another secondary weapon to allow elite formations of warriors to project superior firepower at the climactic moment of battle. Most often used to break through enemy lines or to stymie the onslaught of enemy armour, these weapons are the mark of the elite of the Legiones Astartes, issued to the most skilled of warriors to maximise their worth.
Combi-weapons are divided into two types: magna and minor. Both are composed of a primary weapon and a secondary weapon, and a model with any combi-weapon may attack with both primary and secondary weapons in the same Shooting Attack without needing the Firing Protocols (X) special rule.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Bolter (Primary) | |||||||
| Bolter (Primary) | 24" | 4 | 5 | Rapid Fire | - | ||
| Flamer (Secondary) | |||||||
| Flamer (Secondary) | Template | 4 | 5 | Assault 1 | - | ||
| Meltagun (Secondary) | |||||||
| Meltagun (Secondary) | 12" | 8 | 1 | Assault 1, Armourbane (Melta), One Shot | - | ||
| Plasma gun (Secondary) | |||||||
| Plasma gun (Secondary) | 24" | 7 | 4 | Rapid Fire, Breaching (4+), Gets Hot, One Shot | - | ||
| Volkite charger (Secondary) | |||||||
| Volkite charger (Secondary) | 15" | 5 | 5 | Assault 2, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Grenade launcher (Secondary) | |||||||
| - Frag | 24" | 3 | 6 | Assault 1, Blast (3"), Pinning | - | ||
| - Krak | 24" | 5 | 4 | Assault 1 | - | ||
| Disintegrator* (Secondary) | |||||||
| Disintegrator* (Secondary) | 24" | 5 | 2 | Rapid Fire, Instant Death, Gets Hot, One Shot | - | ||
R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
- | x2 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon |
R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
- | x2 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy, Brutal (2), Specialist Weapon |
Many warriors live and die according to the principle of ‘death before dishonour’. Seldom do such warriors take a backward step in the face of danger.
When a unit that contains at least one model with this special rule takes Morale checks or Pinning tests, the unit ignore any negative Leadership modifiers. If a unit is both Fearless and Stubborn, the unit uses the rules for Fearless instead.Certain plasma weapons are designed not just to break the target with the sheer power of its initial strike, but also to burn and short-circuit the internal workings exposed. The superheated matter emitted by plasma cannons serves ideally for this purpose, continuing to sear and burn long after impact.
If the target of a weapon with this special rule is a model with the Vehicle Unit Type and that model loses one or more Hull Points as the result of an attack from this weapon, roll a D6. On a 4+, the target model loses an additional D3 Hull Points with no Cover Saves, Invulnerable Saves or Damage Mitigation rolls allowed.Emitting a devastating beam of coherent energy, these weapons can engulf multiple targets in a single blast. Sweeping across the battlefield in a continuous beam of ravening destruction, the destructive power of such a burst can only be halted by the sturdiest of obstructions or most mighty of war machines.
When the weapon with this special rule is used to make a Shooting Attack, draw a 1" wide line from the end of the gun barrel up to the listed range of the weapon – this is the beam area. The initial target for the weapon (the model in the beam area closest to the attacking model) must be an enemy model.The greatest commanders of the Space Marine Legions are all but peerless in their strategic and tactical abilities. The genecraft of the Emperor that created them, honed by individual talent and the experience of countless battles, has sharpened their acumen to a preternatural degree.
The Master of the Legion special rule grants the following benefits:One of the first issued Tactical Dreadnought Armour patterns, the Cataphractii suits were even more heavily protected than their contemporaries, with slab-like ceramite pauldrons housing additional shield generators. This design has the unfortunate side effect of overstraining the armour’s exoskeleton and slowing the wearer dangerously, however. This difference led to the pattern’s declining use with some Legions at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy.
Legion Cataphractii Terminator armour confers a 2+ Armour Save and a 4+ Invulnerable Save. In addition, a unit that includes any models with Cataphractii Terminator armour may not make Sweeping Advances.| A Note on Unique and Variant Terminator Armour: If a unit is described as having a particular additional variant of Terminator armour, such as the Gorgon Terminators of the Iron Hands, or as wearing a personalised and unique suit, such as the armour worn by the Primarch Horus, the rules for this armour will be provided in the unit’s description and should not be inferred from elsewhere. | ||
Many of the most famous and powerful commanders went to war with a dedicated cadre of bodyguards and adjutants. These guardians served both to protect their master in the heat of battle, preserving his life against all threats, and as a vital reserve of skilled warriors to press the attack at the most crucial moment.
A Legion Command Squad, Legion Cataphractii Terminator Command Squad or Legion Tartaros Command Squad may only be selected as part of a Detachment that includes at least one model with the Master of the Legion special rule. A unit selected in this manner is considered a ‘Retinue Squad’ and the model with the Master of the Legion special rule is referred to as the Retinue Squad’s Leader for the purposes of this special rule (if the Detachment includes more than one model with the Master of the Legion special rule then the controlling player selects one as the unit’s Leader). The Retinue Squad does not use up a Force Organisation slot and is considered part of the same unit as the model selected as its Leader. The Retinue Squad must be deployed with the model selected as its Leader deployed as part of the unit and the Leader may not voluntarily leave the Retinue Squad during play. A Legion Command Squad, Legion Cataphractii Terminator Command Squad or Legion Tartaros Command Squad may not be selected as part of an army without a Leader.Among the most ancient of weapons employed within the ranks of the Legiones Astartes, flame has always been a potent weapon against creatures that lurk in darkness. Many of the Space Marine Legions consider the cleansing power of flame a key part of their arsenal, and indeed the ability of these weapons to rout the enemy from fortified positions has proven pivotal in any number of battles.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Flame’ or ‘Flamer’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Hand flamer | |||||||
| Hand flamer | Template | 3 | - | Pistol 1 | - | ||
| Flamer | |||||||
| Flamer | Template | 4 | 5 | Assault 1 | - | ||
| Toxiferran flamer | |||||||
| Toxiferran flamer | Template | 4 | 5 | Assault 1, Poisoned (3+), Rending (6+) | - | ||
| Heavy flamer | |||||||
| Heavy flamer | Template | 5 | 4 | Assault 1 | - | ||
| Flamestorm cannon | |||||||
| Flamestorm cannon | Template | 6 | 4 | Heavy 1, Torrent (18") | - | ||
Capable of focusing microwave beams to such a fierce heat that even the sturdiest of armour runs like water, melta weapons are among the most fearsome anti-tank weapons available to the warriors of the Emperor. The origins of this technology are unknown, for it was in common use among the armies of Old Earth, Mars and Jupiter long before the Emperor unified Sol. However, it has been in use within the Legiones Astartes since their inception and every Legion bears examples of this venerable and fearsome weapon.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Melta’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Meltagun | |||||||
| Meltagun | 12" | 8 | 1 | Assault 1, Armourbane (Melta) | - | ||
| Multi-melta | |||||||
| Multi-melta | 24" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 1, Armourbane (Melta), Twin-linked | - | ||
| Gravis melta cannon | |||||||
| Gravis melta cannon | 24" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 2, Armourbane (Melta), Twin-linked | - | ||
| Magna-melta cannon | |||||||
| Magna-melta cannon | 36" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 3, Armourbane (Melta), Twin-linked | - | ||
| Cyclonic melta lance | |||||||
| Cyclonic melta lance | 18" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 4, Armourbane (Melta) | - | ||
| Siege melta array | |||||||
| Siege melta array | 12" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 5, Armourbane (Melta), Twin-linked | - | ||
| Melta cutters | |||||||
| Melta cutters | 6" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 3, Armourbane (Melta) | - | ||
| Melta blast-gun | |||||||
| Melta blast-gun | 36" | 8 | 1 | Heavy 4, Armourbane (Melta) | - | ||
Understood only by the secretive Tech-Priests of Mars, these weapons unleash projectiles of super-heated plasma capable of melting both armour and flesh with equal ease. Kept contained by temperamental magnetically sealed flasks, the plasma that feeds these weapons is as dangerous to the wielder as to the foe and deadly leaks or even explosions are far from unknown. Yet, such is the destructive power of these weapons that even the risk of such detonations does not outweigh their value.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Plasma’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Plasma pistol | |||||||
| Plasma pistol | 12" | 7 | 4 | Pistol 1, Breaching (4+), Gets Hot | - | ||
| Plasma gun | |||||||
| Plasma gun | 24" | 7 | 4 | Rapid Fire, Breaching (4+), Gets Hot | - | ||
| Plasma cannon | |||||||
| Plasma cannon | 36" | 7 | 4 | Heavy 1, Blast (3"), Breaching (4+), Gets Hot | - | ||
| Gravis plasma cannon | |||||||
| Gravis plasma cannon | 36" | 7 | 4 | Heavy 1, Large Blast (5"), Breaching (4+), Gets Hot | - | ||
| Plasma blaster | |||||||
| Plasma blaster | 18" | 7 | 4 | Assault 2, Breaching (4+), Gets Hot | - | ||
| Executioner plasma destroyer | |||||||
| Executioner plasma destroyer | 60" | 7 | 4 | Heavy 1, Large Blast (5"), Rending (4+) | - | ||
| Hellfire plasma cannonade | |||||||
| - (Sustained fire) | 36" | 7 | 4 | Heavy 6, Breaching (4+) | - | ||
| - (Maximal fire) | 36" | 8 | 4 | Heavy 1, Rending (4+), Gets Hot, Large Blast (5") | - | ||
| Omega plasma array | |||||||
| - (Sustained fire) | 36" | 7 | 4 | Heavy 8, Breaching (4+), Twin-linked | - | ||
| - (Maximal fire) | 36" | 9 | 4 | Heavy 2, Rending (4+), Gets Hot, Plasma Burn, Twin-linked | - | ||
‘Volkite’ is an arcane Martian term for a variety of powerful ray weapons whose origins date back to the Age of Strife. Possessed of considerable killing power surpassing most armaments of their size, volkites were difficult to manufacture, even for the most able of the Mechanicum’s forges, and the demands of the Great Crusade swiftly overwhelmed supply of them. Once relatively common within the fledgling Legions, they had fallen largely from favour by the time of the Horus Heresy, and been superseded by the far more flexible and utilitarian Terran bolter. Those few that remained in service were the purview of only a few specialised units at the outbreak of the conflict.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Volkite’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Volkite serpenta | |||||||
| Volkite serpenta | 10" | 5 | 5 | Pistol 2, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite charger | |||||||
| Volkite charger | 15" | 5 | 5 | Assault 2, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite caliver | |||||||
| Volkite caliver | 30" | 6 | 5 | Heavy 3, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite culverin | |||||||
| Volkite culverin | 45" | 6 | 5 | Heavy 5, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite dual-culverin | |||||||
| Volkite dual-culverin | 45" | 6 | 5 | Heavy 6, Deflagrate, Twin-linked | - | ||
| Volkite falconet | |||||||
| Volkite falconet | 45" | 7 | 5 | Heavy 8, Deflagrate, Twin-linked, Pinning | - | ||
| Volkite saker | |||||||
| Volkite saker | 25" | 6 | 5 | Heavy 6, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite macro-saker | |||||||
| Volkite macro-saker | 45" | 6 | 5 | Heavy 8, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite carronade | |||||||
| Volkite carronade | 45" | 8 | 3 | Heavy 1, Heavy Beam, Deflagrate | - | ||
| Volkite cardanelle | |||||||
| Volkite cardanelle | 45" | 7 | 5 | Heavy 12, Deflagrate, Pinning | - | ||
The flame weapons used by the Salamanders were made to the finest levels of craftsmanship, operating at a potency far beyond that of lesser weapons.
When attacking using the Wall of Death special rule (see the Template rules), a weapon with this special rule inflicts D6 Hits instead of D3.Renowned for their forgecraft, the Salamanders originated a number of prototype systems that would later become standard equipment for the armies of the Imperium. The Dragonscale was one such development, a shield that incorporated field generators capable of stopping even the most powerful of weapon strikes and yet remain man-portable.
Any model with both the Independent Character and Legiones Astartes (Salamanders) special rule that does not also have the Unique Unit Sub-type may take a Dragonscale storm shield for +15 points. Any model with the Legiones Astartes (Salamanders) special rule and Legion Cataphractii or Legion Tartaros Terminator armour may exchange a combi-bolter for a Dragonscale storm shield for +10 points each.