Legiones Astartes – Legion Medusa
UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 LEGION MEDUSA
150 PointsPts
The Legion Medusa shares many common components with the Basilisk, but in place of the long-ranged earthshaker cannon is fitted with a massive calibre siege mortar. In doing so, the Medusa sacrifices range for outright destructive power in a tradeoff that is only exacerbated by being mounted on a relatively lightly armoured and slow moving platform. Despite this, these venerable tanks were called upon to provide close fire support on the front lines of the myriad battles of the Horus Heresy, their crews knowing only too well the vulnerabilities of the vehicles they operated.
| Armour | Transport Capacity | ||||||
| M | BS | Front | Side | Rear | HP | ||
| Legion Medusa (⌀Use model) | |||||||
| Legion Medusa (⌀Use model) | 10 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 | - |
WARGEAR
- Centreline Mounted Medusa mortar
- Hull (Front) Mounted heavy bolter
TRAITS
- [Allegiance]
- [Legiones Astartes]
WARGEAR
Medusa Mortar
Shorter-ranged than many of the other artillery pieces available to the Legions, the Medusa mortar is nonetheless capable of raining heavy explosive shells down on enemy positions, shattering even the most resilient entrenchments or fortifications.
| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Medusa Mortar | |||||||
| Medusa mortar | 36 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | Ordnance (RS), Blast (5"), Barrage (2), Breaching (5+), Pinning (2) | - |
Movement (M) – The Movement Characteristic is primarily used to determine how far a Model can move during the Movement Phase, with higher values denoting an ability to move further (see Moving Units). If a Model’s Movement Characteristic is reduced to 0, then the Controlling Player may not move, Rush or otherwise change the Model’s position on the Battlefield regardless of any other Rules that may affect it until its Movement is changed to a value greater than 0.
Ballistic Skill (BS) – The Ballistic Skill Characteristic is primarily used to determine a Model’s ability to make attacks during a Shooting Attack, with a higher value making it easier to succeed at attacks (see Ranged Hit Tests). If a Model’s Ballistic Skill is reduced to 0 then that Model cannot make Shooting Attacks, even if no Hit Test is required or it would have otherwise automatically succeeded due to the use of a Special Rule.
Range (R) – This Characteristic determines the maximum distance, in inches ("), at which attacks may be made with a Weapon. A Weapon with Range 0 or ‘-’ may not make attacks as part of a Shooting Attack.
Firepower (FP) – This Characteristic is used to determine how many Dice are rolled when making attacks with this Weapon. A Weapon with a Firepower Characteristic of 0 may not be used to make attacks of any kind.
Ranged Strength (RS) – This Characteristic is used only during Wound Tests or Armour Penetration Tests for attacks made using ranged Weapons. If a Weapon has a Strength Characteristic of ‘0’ or then any Wound Tests made for it automatically fail and no Dice are rolled (if the Wound Test could have triggered a variable Special Rule, then that Rule is considered to automatically fail to activate as part of the Test).
Armour Penetration (AP) – This Characteristic is used to determine if a Model Hit by attacks made with a Weapon may make an Armour Test. Like Saving Throws, lower values are more valuable for this Characteristic. When modifying the Armour Penetration Characteristic the same Rules are used as those for modifying Saving Throws.
Damage (D) – This Characteristic determines how the Wounds or Hull Points Characteristic of a Target Model that fails a Saving Throw after sustaining a wound from a Weapon is modified. A Weapon with a Damage Characteristic of 0 cannot inflict Damage on a Model, regardless of the Weapon’s other Characteristics or Special Rules.
Rules and Special Rules
The term Rule refers to any instructions that allow Players to resolve game actions as part of a Battle, covering all of the interactions between Models and Units (such as moving, Shooting and making Assaults). All of the material in the Principles of Combat, Rules of Battle and Battles in the Age of Darkness sections of this book are considered to be Rules. Special Rules modify how a Rule works, but do not present new basic game instructions, and in this book are mostly found in the Armoury of the Age of Darkness section. In all cases, Special Rules take precedence over Rules where the two present differing instructions.
Traits
Traits are a special kind of Characteristic, one which all Models have but which confers no inherent Rules or benefit on its own. Instead, Traits are used by other Special Rules and effects to target specific Models and apply benefits or penalties. The most common Traits are those for Allegiance and Faction, which are possessed by almost all Models. Allegiance requires that each Model have either the Loyalist or Traitor Trait, and most Models will gain one or more Traits based on the Army List from which they were selected.For example, a Legionary selected from the Imperial Fists Faction and selected as part of a Loyalist Army would have the Loyalist and Imperial Fists Traits. On their own these Traits have no effect on the Model’s Characteristics, Points cost or other features, but Rules that target Imperial Fists or Loyalist Models will apply their effects to the Model.
In addition to Models, Weapons can also have Traits. These are usually different to those possessed by Models, but are used for the same purposes. Weapons will commonly have Traits that define the type of Weapon it is or a specific type of usage. For example, a bolt pistol has the following Traits: Assault, Bolt. These identify which ‘family’ of Weapons it belongs to for any Rules that might only affect ‘Bolt’ Weapons and notes that it can be used for attacks where only ‘Assault’ Weapons may be used.
While they appear similar to Characteristics, it is important to note that Traits never have a ‘value’ attached to them. Furthermore, Traits cannot be modified in any way by another Special Rule or effect during a Battle, unless a Rule specifically states it affects a Trait.
Shooting Attacks
A Shooting Attack is the process by which a Unit makes a coordinated series of attacks targeting an enemy Unit.In order to make a Shooting Attack for a Unit that has been selected during the Attack Sub-Phase, as part of a Reaction or for any other Rule or Sub-Phase that requires a Shooting Attack to be made, the following procedure must be followed:
As part of the Rules for conducting a Shooting Attack, the term ‘Attacking Unit’ will be used to refer to the Unit whose Models will be making attacks as part of that Shooting Attack, while the term ‘Attacking Player’ will be used to identify the Player that controls the Attacking Unit. The term ‘Target Unit’ will be used to refer to the Unit that is selected as the Target Unit for the Shooting Attack.
Blast (X)
Some weapons trade precision for indiscriminate destruction, high explosive impacts that can devastate a wide area. From artillery shells to high energy blasts, such weapons are popular tools of destruction on the battlefields of the Horus Heresy.
Attacks made with the Blast (X) Special Rule use a Blast Marker to determine how many Hits are caused.When making attacks with a Weapon that has the Blast (X) Special Rule, before any Hit Tests are made, a Blast Marker must first be placed to determine how many Hits may be inflicted by the attack. The Player making the attack must place the Blast Marker indicated in brackets as part of the Special Rule so that the hole in the middle is entirely over the Base of any one Model in the Target Unit. Once the Blast Marker has been placed, the Player making the attack must make a Hit Test for the attack, and each Model from the Target Unit that is fully or partially under the Blast Marker will suffer 1 Hit if the Hit Test is successful.
Hits on Other Units
If any Models from Units other than the Target Unit are fully or partially covered by the Blast Marker, then a new Fire Group must be created for those Hits and set to one side. Continue resolving the Shooting Attack on the original Target Unit, and once that Shooting Attack has been completely resolved begin a new Shooting Attack to resolve those additional Fire Groups generated for Units other than the original Target Unit.
If any Models from Units other than the Target Unit are fully or partially covered by the Blast Marker, then a new Fire Group must be created for those Hits and set to one side. Continue resolving the Shooting Attack on the original Target Unit, and once that Shooting Attack has been completely resolved begin a new Shooting Attack to resolve those additional Fire Groups generated for Units other than the original Target Unit.
If the Hit Test is unsuccessful then no Hits are inflicted and the Player making the attack must make a Scatter Roll for the Blast Marker. Once a Scatter Roll has been made for the Blast Marker and it has been moved, one Hit is inflicted on a Unit for each Model from that Unit that is wholly or partially covered by the Blast Marker.
Hits can be scored on both friendly and enemy Units by attacks using the Blast (X) Special Rule. Hits inflicted by Weapons with the Blast (X) Special Rule are allocated in the same manner as other Hits, regardless of which actual Models were under the Blast Marker and the Blast Marker may not be used to inflict Hits on specific Models.
If a Fire Group includes multiple attacks made with the Blast (X) Special Rule, do not place multiple Blast Markers. A single Blast Marker is placed using the Rules detailed above, and a Hit Test is made for each attack in that Fire Group. For each successful Hit Test, one Hit is inflicted for each Model from the target Unit that is fully or partially under the Blast Marker. If any Hit Tests are unsuccessful then, after any Hits made by successful Hit Tests are counted, a single Scatter Roll is made for the Blast Marker, regardless of the total number of unsuccessful Hit Tests. For each Hit Test that was unsuccessful, one Hit is inflicted on a Unit for each Model from that Unit that is wholly or partially covered by the Blast Marker after the Scatter Roll has been resolved.
The [Allegiance] Trait is used in the following Legiones Astartes datasheets:
Warlord
High Command
• Praetor
The [Legiones Astartes] Trait is used in the following Legiones Astartes datasheets:
Breaching (X)
Designed to pierce the armour worn by heavy infantry, some weapons have gained a fearsome reputation on the battlefields of the Floras Heresy. While many such weapons are rare or temperamental in use, the sheer power of their attacks more than makes up for this.
With a Weapon that has the Breaching (X) Special Rule there is a chance that a Wound Test may result in the Wound ignoring Armour Saves.When any Wound Test is made for an attack with the Breaching (X) Special Rule, if the result of the Dice roll, before any modifiers are applied, is equal to or greater than the value of X attached to this variant of the Breaching (X) Special Rule, then if a wound is inflicted by that Wound Test, that wound becomes a ‘Breaching Wound’.
A Breaching Wound is always treated as having an AP Characteristic of 2 regardless of the Characteristics of the Weapon used to make the attack.
Pinning (X)
The crack of the sniper’s rifle or the burst of heavy artillery, both signal a sudden and indiscriminate death and send infantry scurrying for cover. Such weapons are meant as much to pin the foe in place as to kill them, breaking up advancing ranks of troops and shattering defensive formations.
Weapons and other attacks that have the Pinning (X) Special Rule have a chance of inflicting the Pinned Status on the Target Unit.If a Shooting Attack made for a Weapon or Model with this Special Rule inflicts one or more wounds on a Target Unit, regardless of whether any Damage is inflicted, that Target Unit must make a Cool Check in the Morale Sub-Phase of the same Player Turn. If this Check is failed then all Models in the Unit gain the Pinned Status, if the Check is passed then there is no further effect. The value of X attached to this Special Rule is applied as a negative modifier to the Cool Characteristic of Models in the Target Unit when making Checks caused by an attack with this Special Rule, if the attack includes multiple Weapons with different versions of this Special Rule the modifiers do not stack - use only the greatest modifier.
Heavy (X)
Some weapons are so heavy that, while they can be fired on the move, are more powerful when properly braced and made ready before shooting. Warriors on the battlefield must use their judgement to decide when speed is required and when the full firepower of their arsenal must be unleashed.
Weapons with the Heavy (X) Special Rule gain +1 to a Characteristic when Stationary.When making a Shooting Attack with a Weapon that has the Heavy (X) Special Rule, a modifier of +1 is added to a Characteristic if the Model with that Weapon is part of a Unit that remained Stationary in the Controlling Player’s previous Movement Phase. If the Characteristic listed is AP, then instead it improves the AP by one Step (see the Rules for modifying Saves and AP). The value of X in the specific variant of the Heavy (X) Special Rule determines which Characteristic gains the +1 modifier.
Army List
Datasheets collatedFaction Rules
• Wargear
Transport Capacity – This Characteristic is only used to determine how many Models may Embark upon a Model (see the Transport Rules). Most Models with the Vehicle Type will have a Transport Capacity of 0/-, which simply means that no Models may Embark upon that Model.
Armour (Front, Side, Rear) – This Characteristic will often be presented with various separate Sub-Characteristics, one for each of the Model’s Facings (see the Vehicles and Damage). Each of these Sub-Characteristics is used to determine the effect of a Model’s armour and how hard it is to defeat. When any Armour Sub-Characteristic reaches 0, then any Hit on that facing will result in an automatic Penetrating Hit without any Dice being rolled (if the Hit could have triggered a variable Special Rule, then that Rule is considered to automatically activate as part of the Hit).
Hull Points (HP) – The Hull Points Characteristic is primarily used to determine a Model with the Vehicle Type’s capacity for receiving damage during a Battle, with a higher value allowing a Model to sustain more damage before it is removed from play. When a Model’s Hull Points Characteristic is reduced to 0 that Model is removed from play as a Casualty, see the Rules for Destroyed Vehicles here.
Hull (Arc) Mounted – Hull (Arc) Mounted Weapons will always specify a single Firing Arc and may only attack targets in that Firing Arc. The different Hull arcs are: Front, Rear, Left and Right. Some Units may specify Side as an arc - this means both Left and Right arcs.
For example, a Land Raider Carrier has a Hull (Front) Mounted twin heavy bolter - this Weapon may only attack targets in the Front Firing Arc.
For example, a Land Raider Carrier has a Hull (Front) Mounted twin heavy bolter - this Weapon may only attack targets in the Front Firing Arc.
Heavy bolter
| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Heavy bolter | |||||||
| Heavy bolter | 36 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | Heavy (FP) | Bolt |
Ordnance (X)
Huge artillery cannon and vast laser weapons are commonly employed as the primary armament of the greatest war machines of the Imperium. These weapons are devastating when properly braced and prepared for firing - more than capable of destroying smaller war engines in a single blast.
Weapons with the Ordnance (X) Special Rule double the value of a Characteristic when Stationary.When making a Shooting Attack with a Weapon that has the Ordnance (X) Special Rule, a modifier of x2 is applied to a Characteristic if the Model with that Weapon is part of a Unit that remained stationary in the Controlling Player’s previous Movement Phase (if that Characteristic is AP, then the AP is instead changed to AP 2). The value of X in the specific variant of the Ordnance (X) Special Rule determines which Characteristic gains the x2 modifier.
Barrage (X)
Long range artillery fire is the terror of any infantry advance, striking its targets no matter what cover they seek or where they attempt to take shelter.
A Weapon with this Special Rule may be used to attack Target Units out of Line of Sight.If a Unit for which a Shooting Attack is made includes any Models with one or more Weapons with this Special Rule, then in Step 2 of the Shooting Attack process they may ignore the restriction on requiring Line of Sight to a Target Unit. If a Player uses this Special Rule to declare a Shooting Attack on a Unit that the attacking Unit cannot draw a Line of Sight to, then in Step 3 of the Shooting Attack process that Player may only declare attacks with Weapons that have this Special Rule.
If a Weapon with this Special Rule and the Blast (X) Special Rule is used to attack a Unit without Line of Sight to that Unit, then no Hit Test is made and an Indirect Scatter Roll must be made for the Blast Marker placed as part of the attack. If such a Weapon makes more than a single attack then a separate Indirect Scatter Roll is made for each attack. When making an Indirect Scatter Roll for such an attack, the number of Dice rolled alongside the Scatter Dice is determined by the value of X for the Weapon with the Barrage (X) Special Rule, the value of these Dice is then totalled to find the distance the attack Scatters.
Centreline Mounted – Centreline Mounted Weapons may only attack targets in the Centreline Firing Arc.
This datasheet has Armour Battlefield Role. Full list of Legiones Astartes units sharing same Battlefield Role follows:
Medusa Mortar
Shorter-ranged than many of the other artillery pieces available to the Legions, the Medusa mortar is nonetheless capable of raining heavy explosive shells down on enemy positions, shattering even the most resilient entrenchments or fortifications.
| Ranged Weapon | |||||||
Ranged Weapon | R | FP | RS | AP | D | Special Rules | Traits |
| Medusa Mortar | |||||||
| Medusa mortar | 36 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | Ordnance (RS), Blast (5"), Barrage (2), Breaching (5+), Pinning (2) | - |