When close-quarter fighting is expected, Legion Tactical squads will be equipped in the ‘Despoiler’ role, a term that refers to Tactical Legionaries that forgo the standard bolter in favour of alternative weaponry. Despoiler squads are often armed with bolt pistols and chainswords, offering them increased flexibility during boarding actions or trench warfare. On the battlefield, Despoiler squads engage the enemy line directly, carving a bloody path through entrenched foes, shattering their morale and slaughtering all who do not flee.
| LD | CL | WP | IN | |||||||||||
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | LD | CL | WP | IN | SAV | INV | |
| Legion Despoiler (⌀32mm) | 7 | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Legion Despoiler (⌀32mm) | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | - | - | - | 3+ | - |
| Legion Despoiler Sergeant (⌀32mm) | 8 | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| Legion Despoiler Sergeant (⌀32mm) | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | - | - | - | 3+ | - |
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 | - | ||
The Space Marines of the Emperor’s Legions are genetically engineered, psycho-indoctrinated warriors with superhuman abilities, and minds and souls tempered for war. Each of the Legions has its own idiosyncrasies and character – the product of their gene-seed and the unique warrior cultures fostered by their masters.
Any unit with this special rule will have a number of additional special rules and abilities specific to their ‘named’ Legion, all of which will be defined in other Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness publications. A Space Marine unit may only have one such ‘named’ rule, e.g., Legiones Astartes (Sons of Horus). Space Marine units from a different Legion may only be included in an army using an Allied Detachment and in conjunction with the Allies in the Age of Darkness chart.The humble vexilla displays the heraldry of a particular squad, proclaiming not only its designation in the Legion but also its proud legacy in the annals of the Great Crusade.
A unit that includes at least one model with a Legion vexilla adds +1 to the Wounds score used to determine if they win a Combat in the Assault phase. In addition, a unit that includes at least one model with a Legion vexilla may, before any dice are rolled to determine Fall Back distance, choose to Fall Back only a distance equal to the roll of a D6 instead of 2D6 (or 3D6 if a Cavalry unit), and if forced to move off the edge of the battlefield will instead stop moving, with any model that would have moved off of the battlefield ending its Fall Back move prematurely when it reaches 1" from the edge of the battlefield.This energy scanning device has the effect of alerting the user to the concealed presence or imminent arrival of enemy troops in the vicinity.
A unit that includes at least one model with an augury scanner gains all of the following benefits:A nuncio-vox is a beacon and communications array that allows constant co-ordination with other elements of an army – be they in a neighbouring region or in orbit high overhead. This allows precision reinforcements to be deployed nearby and strikes to be targeted with deadly accuracy.
While at least one model with a nuncio-vox is present on the battlefield and not Embarked in a Vehicle or Building, the controlling player may re-roll any Scatter rolls made (whether as part of a weapon attack or the deployment of a model or unit), as long as the model with the nuncio-vox has line of sight to the unit targeted by the attack or the point chosen as the target of the deployment. In addition, a unit that includes at least one model with a nuncio-vox ignores the -1 penalty to Leadership imposed by the Night Fighting rules.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.R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
- | x2 | 2 | Melee, Unwieldy, Specialist Weapon |
R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
- | User | 3 | Melee, Shred, Rending (6+), Specialist Weapon |
This class of grenade contains only a small explosive charge, and is intended primarily to disorientate and distract the foe while closing on a fixed position.
A unit that includes at least one model with frag grenades makes attacks at its normal Initiative Step during an Assault after it has successfully Charged through Difficult Terrain or Dangerous Terrain, but still suffers any penalties to Charge rolls imposed by Difficult Terrain or Dangerous Terrain when resolving a Charge through Difficult Terrain or Dangerous Terrain.This class of grenade encompasses a variety of shaped charges, plasma detonators and crude bombs, all intended to disable armoured vehicles.
The controlling player may choose to have a model with krak grenades that is Engaged or otherwise in base contact during the Assault phase with a Building or Fortification, or a model with the Vehicle, Dreadnought or Automata Unit Type, inflict one automatic Str 6, AP 3 Hit on the target in Initiative Step 1 instead of attacking normally. Any model in a unit that is chosen to inflict Hits using krak grenades may not otherwise attack or make use of any other special rule or item of Wargear that inflicts Hits or Wounds on a model in the same Assault phase (but may participate in Sweeping Advances as normal).Made from high grade composite armour plating over an augmenting musculature of electro-fibre bundles, power armour features its own energy systems, sensors and environmental seals. Legiones Astartes power armour is the signature wargear of the Space Marine Legions and subject to an on-going evolution in design stretching back to the Thunder Warriors of the Unification Wars of Old Earth, fused with the wisdom of the Mechanicum of Mars and technological relics recovered over the years of the Great Crusade. At the outset of the Horus Heresy, the most common patterns employed by the Legions are the ‘Crusade’ and ‘Maximus’ types, with the ‘Iron’ pattern favoured for siege and close assault work, although there are considerable customised panoplies and many other Legion-specific sub-patterns in service.
Power armour provides a 3+ Armour Save.A carefully placed explosive charge can easily doom even the most heavily armoured vehicle, but are difficult to attach accurately in the heat of combat.
A weapon with this special rule may only be used to attack models of the Vehicle, Dreadnought or Automata Unit Types, any model with a Movement Characteristic of 0 or ‘-’, or Buildings or Fortifications. Furthermore, a model that is chosen to attack with a weapon with this special rule during the Assault phase may only make a single attack in the Fight sub-phase, regardless of its Attacks Characteristic and any bonus attacks from Charging or other special rules.With their origins tracing back to the ancient duelling societies, assassin cults and bloody vendettas of the Terran Courts during the Age of Strife, these elegant and deadly weapons rely on speed and dexterity rather than brute force for their lethality. The master weaponsmiths of Terra are each said to have their own rituals of forging, impressing a distinct pattern in each bespoke weapon as legible as a signature to those with the wit to read them. As well as the nobles of the Terran Court, certain Space Marine Legion officers favour the Charnabal weapons over more ‘clumsy’ power weapons as they see them as being more responsive to true martial skill, while others think them effete and decadent weapons.
All weapons listed here are counted as ‘Charnabal’ weapons for those rules that affect such weapons. A model that is eligible to select a Charnabal weapon may take any of the weapons included in this Profile.| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Charnabal sabre | |||||||
| Charnabal sabre | - | User | - | Melee, Breaching (5+), Duellist’s Edge (1) | - | ||
| Charnabal tabar | |||||||
| Charnabal tabar | - | +2 | - | Melee, Breaching (6+), Duellist’s Edge (1) | - | ||
| Charnabal glaive | |||||||
| Charnabal glaive | - | +1 | - | Melee, Breaching (5+), Duellist’s Edge (2), Two-handed | - | ||
Forged by the master craftsmen of the Mechanicum, these superior variations of power armour are often highly embellished with ciphers of strength and durability, while some of wildly differing designs are far older than the present age and owe their origins to the forgotten zenith of human technological might.
Artificer armour confers a 2+ Armour Save.This datasheet has Troops Battlefield Role. Full list of Legiones Astartes units sharing same Battlefield Role follows:
Though often overshadowed in the annals of history by other more prestigious warriors, it is the courage and tenacity of the humble tactical Legionary that carried the Legions to victory after victory. It would be by the blood of these warriors that the course of the Horus Heresy would be decided, and by their sacrifice that the fate of the Imperium determined.
When a unit that includes at least one model with this special rule has at least half of its models within 6" of an Objective then all models in the unit gain the Feel No Pain (6+) and Stubborn special rules. If any model in the unit already has a variant of the Feel No Pain special rule then instead increase the value in brackets of one of those rules by +1 while the unit has at least half of its models within 6" of an Objective (for example, a model that already had Feel No Pain (5+) could choose to increase this to Feel No Pain (4+) while it fulfils the conditions of this special rule).The warriors of the Space Marine Legions knew full well that to leave any foe alive was to compromise the Great Crusade, to endanger the long march of humanity across the galaxy. So in war, they deployed warriors specifically to harry those that attempted to flee or that haunted the edges of the battlefield.
If a Charge is declared for a unit that includes at least one model with this special rule, targeting an enemy unit that is Pinned, Falling Back or includes no models with the Character Sub-type or the Chosen Warriors special rule, then all models in the Charging unit gain a bonus of +1 Attacks for the duration of the Assault phase in which the Charge is declared.