In the BurdenofTrust Primary Mission, how many times can each player score VP for guarding an objectivemarker they control?
A:
The player going first can score VP for guarding an objectivemarker they control at the end of their opponent’s second, third, fourth and fifth turn. The player going second can score VP for guarding an objective marker they control at the end of their opponent’s third, fourth and fifth turn.
Q:
When setting up objectivemarkers as part of step 4 of the Pariah Nexus Tournament Mission Sequence, or setting up a new objective marker as part of a Primary Mission (such as TheRitual), do I measure from/to the centre or the edge of the objective marker?
A:
In all of these instances, you measure from the centre of the objectivemarker. This also includes the central objective marker in the SearchandDestroy deployment map when measuring the boundaries of the deployment zones.
Q:
If a unit includes some models that have an Objective Control characteristic of 0 and some models that have an Objective Control Characteristic of higher than 0, does that prevent it from starting to perform an Action?
A:
No.
Q:
To start performing the SabotageAction, does it require both the terrain feature and your unit to not be within your deployment zone? Or is it just your unit that must not be within your deployment zone?
A:
Only your unit must not be within your deployment zone to start performing the Sabotage Action.
Q:
In BurdenofTrust, can you guard objectivemarkers in your own deployment zone?
A:
Yes.
Q:
If an Action states in its Units section that one unit can perform it, is it possible for multiple units to each be performing one instance of that Action?
A:
No, only one unit from an army can be performing that Action at any one time.
Q:
For Primary and Secondary Missions that award VP for destroying CHARACTER models or units, if those models or units are returned to the battlefield and then subsequently destroyed again, will such Primary and Secondary Missions award VP for them being destroyed again?
A:
Yes, unless that Primary or Secondary Mission specifies otherwise.
Q:
For the purposes of the Mission Pack, are there any amendments to the Core Rules regarding how Ruins affect charging units and which models can fight?
A:
No. This means models can be positioned to make it difficult to charge directly through sections of terrain features into combat, as models can’t end their Chargemove where any part of their model or base would be within sections of those terrain features (e.g. a solid Ruins wall). This may mean the result of a Chargeroll needs to be greater to allow a unit to make a Charge move that ends within EngagementRange and not within any sections of those terrain features, while still following all other conditions of charging.
Designer’s Note:Organisers, if your terrain collection includes large enclosed structures that units would be able to move within, but may render ending a Charge move within Engagement Range of those units within that terrain impossible, you may wish to include additional clarification for your particular terrain elements within your event packs to avoid uninteractive situations.
Pariah Nexus Battles
A Pariah Nexus Chapter Approved battle is waged by following the sequence below. Chapter Approved battles are designed for Incursion and Strike Force battle sizes.
Shuffle the Deployment, Mission Rule and Primary Mission decks, then draw one card from each of those decks for both players to use during the battle.
PARIAH NEXUS TOURNAMENT COMPANION Instead of shuffling and drawing from the Deployment, Mission Rule and Primary Mission decks, players should use the pre-generated missions from the Pariah Nexus Tournament Mission Pool. Set aside the Secondary Mission and Secret Mission decks as normal (players will receive these later).
3
Read Mission
Read the Primary Mission and Mission Rule cards drawn. The Primary Mission card details how and when you score Victory points (VP), and may also apply additional conditions to the battle. You can also score VP by achieving Secondary Missions and Secret Missions (described later). The Mission Rule card details any special rules that apply to the battle.
4
Place Objective Markers
Set up objective markers on the battlefield, as shown on the Deployment card drawn.
PARIAH NEXUS TOURNAMENT COMPANION Players now set up objectivemarkers on the battlefield. Each Deployment card’s deployment map will show players how many objective markers to set up and where each should be placed. In Pariah Nexus Tournament Missions, models can end any type of move on top of an objective marker.
Designer’s Note: In the Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules, objective markers are physical artefacts that models cannot end a move on, representing vital data caches, xenos relics, Chaos portals or anything else that suits your narrative. While this adds to the cinematic nature of the battlefield and offers exciting hobby opportunities, it can sometimes result in model-positioning circumstances that not everyone will enjoy equally. As such, these guidelines recommend treating objective markers as flat, circular markers 40mm in diameter that offer no impediment to the movement or placement of models.
5
Create The Battlefield
Create the battlefield and set up terrain features (see the Core Rules). Missions are played on rectangular battlefields 44" by 60" in size. Terrain features should not be set up within any impassable sections (such as the walls of a ruin) within 1" of any objectivemarkers.
PARIAH NEXUS TOURNAMENT COMPANION Players now create the battlefield and set up terrain features. Missions are played on rectangular battlefields whose dimensions are approximately 44" by 60". When setting up terrain features, use the guidelines detailed in the Terrain Layouts section of this pack. Players must use the rules for terrain features detailed in the Core Rules. While other approaches to terrain layout may work within the collections of experienced organisers, we recommend these terrain guidelines when otherwise in doubt.
6
Determine Attacker and Defender
Look at the Deployment card drawn and agree which edges of your battlefield are the Attacker’s and Defender’s battlefield edges. Rolloff: the winner decides who will be the Attacker and who will be the Defender.
7
Select Secondary Missions
Secondary Mission cards detail additional ways to score VP, and must be used either as Fixed or Tactical Missions. Players now secretly note down whether they will use Fixed or Tactical Missions; if using Fixed Missions, they must also note down which two Fixed Missions they will use (see below). Players then reveal these decisions and proceed accordingly.
FIXED MISSIONS
Fixed Missions are goals that remain throughout the battle, and can be achieved multiple times.
Fixed Missions are those marked with the symbol shown on the left. After revealing the two Fixed Missions you will use, set aside the remainder of your Secondary Mission deck (it will not be needed during the battle). Your selected Fixed Mission cards cannot be discarded for any reason other than the AdaptorDie Mission Rule card.
TACTICAL MISSIONS
Tactical Missions are replenished at the start of your Command phase, and are discarded once achieved.
After revealing that you will use Tactical Missions, shuffle your Secondary Mission deck.
If you are using Tactical Missions:
At the start of your first Command phase, draw two cards from your Secondary Mission deck; those two Secondary Mission cards are active for you until you achieve them. At the start of each of your subsequent Command phases, if you have fewer than two active Secondary Mission cards, draw from your Secondary Mission deck until you have two active Secondary Mission cards.
At the end of your Command phase, you can spend CP to use the New Orders Stratagem below.
TARGET: One of your active Secondary Mission cards.
EFFECT: Discard it and draw one new Secondary Mission card.
At the end of either player’s turn, if you scored any VP this turn as described on a Secondary Mission card, discard that Secondary Mission card – it is achieved.
At the end of your turn, you can discard one or more of your active Secondary Mission cards. If you do, you gain 1CP.
If your Secondary Mission deck runs out, you cannot generate any additional Secondary Missions during the battle.
8
Declare Battle Formations
Players secretly note down which of their Leader units will start the battle attached to which Bodyguard units, which of their units will start the battle embarked within which TRANSPORTS, and which of their units will start the battle in Reserves (including Strategic Reserves). Players then reveal these decisions.
RESERVES RESTRICTIONS
No more than half of the units in your army can start the battle in Reserves, and the points total of those units cannot be more than half of the points total of your army (units embarked within a TRANSPORT that is set up in Reserves also count towards these limits).
Reserves units cannot arrive on the battlefield during the first battle round (excluding units placed into Strategic Reserves during the battle).
Any Reserves units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third battle round count as having been destroyed, as do any units embarked within them (excluding units placed into Strategic Reserves during the battle).
9
Deploy Armies
Players take it in turns to set up their remaining units one at a time, starting with the Defender. A player’s models must be set up wholly within their deployment zone. If a player sets up a TITANIC unit when it is their turn to set up a unit, they skip their next turn to set up a unit. If one player finishes deploying all of their units, their opponent then deploys the remainder of their units.
10
Redeploy Units
Some rules allow players to redeploy certain units after both armies are deployed. Unless otherwise stated, such rules are resolved in this step. Players alternate resolving any such rules, starting with the Attacker.
11
Determine First Turn
Rolloff: the winner takes the first turn.
12
Resolve Pre-battle Rules
Players alternate resolving any pre-battle rules units from their army may have, starting with the player who will take the first turn.
13
Begin the Battle
The first battle round begins. Players continue to resolve battle rounds until the battle ends.
14
End the Battle
The battle ends after five battle rounds have been completed. Even if one player has no models remaining in their army at the start of their turn, players continue to play out their turns until the battle ends.
15
Determine Victor
At the end of the battle, the player with the most VP is the winner. If the players are tied, the battle is a draw. The maximum VP each player can score is 100VP. Each player scores 10VP if their army is painted to a Battle Ready standard. The maximum VP that can be scored from each source of VP is detailed on below. In all cases, any excess VP awarded above these maximums are lost.
VP SOURCE
MAXIMUM VP
Primary Mission and/or Secret Mission
50VP
Secondary Missions
40VP*
Army painted to a Battle Ready standard
10VP
* If using Fixed Missions, 20VP maximum per Fixed Mission card.
Designer’s Notes
VP FOR DESTROYING MODELS OR UNITS
Some cards award VP for destroying enemy models or units. If you gain VP as described on such cards, you retain those VP even if those destroyed models or units are subsequently returned to the battlefield.
VP UP TO A LIMIT
Some cards award VP up to a stated limit, which may not be a round multiple, e.g. ‘2VP (up to 5VP)’. In such cases, you can keep scoring up to the stated limit, then any excess VP awarded are lost.
DISCARDING CARDS
Some cards begin with a section named ‘When Drawn’, which details immediate next steps including when such cards either can or must be discarded. Note that if such a card is a Secondary Mission card, this section only applies if you are using Tactical Missions.
Deployment Card Key
ATTACKER’S DEPLOYMENT ZONE
The Attacker must set up their army within this area.
DEFENDER’S DEPLOYMENT ZONE
The Defender must set up their army within this area.
NO MAN’S LAND
The region of the battlefield that is not within either player’s deployment zone.
OBJECTIVE MARKERS
The quantity and locations of objective markers are shown with this icon.
CENTRE OF BATTLEFIELD
Attacker’s Battlefield Edge
Defender’s Battlefield Edge
Secret Missions
Secret Missions are challenging covert goals you can pursue if the Primary Mission seems in jeopardy.
At the end of the third battle round, starting with the player who had the second turn, if your Primary Mission VP total is less than or equal to your opponent’s, you can choose to undertake a Secret Mission. If you do:
Secretly select one card from your Secret Mission deck and place it to one side, face-down.
You cannot score more than 20VP from the Primary Mission card; any excess VP awarded above this maximum are lost.
At the end of the battle, reveal your Secret Mission card to your opponent. If you achieved the goal described on that card, you score VP as described on that card.
Actions
Your forces can attempt daring battlefield tasks to turn the conflict in your favour.
Some cards feature Actions that certain units can perform. Each Action states which units can perform it, when it is started and completed, and what the effects of completing it are.
A unit cannot start to perform an Action if one or more of the following apply to that unit:
It is within EngagementRange of one or more enemy units (unless it is a TITANICCHARACTER unit).
It Advanced or FellBack this turn.
It is not eligible to shoot this phase (including units that have already been selected to shoot this phase).
If a unit starts to perform an Action, until the end of the turn, that unit is not eligible to shoot or declare a charge, unless it is a TITANICCHARACTER unit, in which case, until the end of the turn, that unit cannot start to perform another Action and is not eligible to declare a charge.
If a unit performing an Action makes a move (excluding Pile-in and Consolidationmoves) or leaves the battlefield, that Action cannot be completed.
Battle Ready
Playing games of Warhammer is a shared experience that we all want to look and feel great. To reflect this, Pariah Nexus games reward you for having a fully painted ‘Battle Ready’ army. Here we explain what that means, and where to find achievable online tutorials and painting guides to get your army ready for action!
When you play a Pariah Nexus game, there are 10 victory points available if every model in your army is painted to a Battle Ready standard. Battle Ready means your models are fully painted with a detailed or textured base.
This is considered to be the minimum standard of miniature painting for a Pariah Nexus mission, as well as a guaranteed method of scoring some victory points before the dice even start rolling.
The Citadel Colour range includes all the paints and hobby supplies you’ll need to paint your miniatures quickly and efficiently, In fact, Contrast paints were created especially to help you get your armies Battle Ready in no time — just one coat of Contrast paint lays down both a base colour and a bit of shade — while Technical paints give you a textured base with one application. It’s never been easier to get your army ready for a tournament.
Pariah Nexus Tournament Companion
Introduction
Welcome to the Pariah Nexus Tournament Companion! The following guidelines are designed to support organisers of Warhammer 40,000 events in delivering a fine-tuned tournament experience using the Pariah Nexus Mission Deck. That product offers unprecedented scope for all kinds of matched play, and its many variables create a dizzying array of potential missions – thousands, in fact! Some of these are particularly well suited to the most hotly contested scenarios, and this pack provides suggestions for the best event configurations. We have also taken the opportunity to optimise certain Core Rules concepts for tournament play.
This document provides a ready-made framework for levelling the playing field and getting games underway quickly, whether you are planning your first matched play event or have years of experience organising the largest and most acclaimed tournaments. Its recommendations will be followed in full at most Games Workshop matched play events, and are considered the official way to play Warhammer 40,000 in a tournament setting, but can be adapted to suit your own circumstances – the terrain layout advice is aimed primarily at newer organisers, for example, and those with large established terrain collections should feel free to interpret it accordingly.
Pariah Nexus Mission Deck Errata & FAQ: Updates to certain cards and answers to frequently asked questions (these tweaks are already included below, in the Mission Generator).
Pariah Nexus Tournament Mission Pool: 20 recommended tournament rounds to draw from, with pre-set Primary Missions, Mission Rules and deployment modes that put all players on an equal footing and minimise pre-game admin.
Terrain Layouts: A suite of carefully designed terrain setups to be used in conjunction with the Pariah Nexus Tournament Mission Pool.
The 20 Pariah Nexus Tournament Missions in this section are designed to act as a pool from which organisers can build their events, selecting from it in random order. Further commentary on these is given below.
Primary Missions Every Primary Mission from the Pariah Nexus Mission Deck is included in this mission pool. If you are running an event with only 3-6 rounds, we recommend selecting options that span a variety of different Primary Missions. For example, if running a 3-round Saturday tournament, you might use missions B, I, and M, or C, K, and O.
For those running longer-format events, or whose attendees are particularly expectant of a perfectly balanced mission every time, we have included the more straightforward Primary Missions in a greater number of configurations.
Mission Rules Mission Rules are an exciting component of the Pariah Nexus Mission Deck, providing twists to the way a mission is normally played, and the ones recommended here are particularly suited to tournament play.
Recommended Terrain Layouts When using the recommended terrain layouts in this pack, please note the layouts best suited for each deployment mode, as shown in the table below. We recommend structuring your mission order to facilitate any changes to terrain layouts you will need to make during your event, if, as the organiser, you choose to set up the tables for the players.
The following battlefield recommendations are intended primarily for newer organisers and those looking for a steer in building up a terrain collection for regular tournament play. These layouts will be seen at most Games Workshop matched play events, and reflect the type of terrain density that creates risk-and-reward decisions that a wide variety of army types can engage with. They are by no means the only way to set up a battlefield for balanced play, but represent a reliable starting point when in doubt.
These are the terrain layouts we use for balance and internal testing within the Warhammer Design Studio. We feel they reflect how a battlefield should look for balanced play in the current edition of Warhammer 40,000.
They are by no means the only way to set up a battlefield for balanced play, but represent a reliable starting point when in doubt. These layouts were designed with a few key principles in mind:
Recommended Measurements
For all of the battlefield recommendations we use a combination of three different sizes of area terrain outlines:
AREA TERRAIN SIZE
QUANTITY
6" x 4"
4
10" x 5"
2
12" x 6"
6
Using the area terrain outlines detailed above, all of the battlefield recommendations have preset measurements provided. This allows for organisers to easily set up the tables, or allow the players themselves to set up their own tables at the beginning of each round.
Objective Markers
Objectivemarkers can and sometimes will be either hidden within terrain or placed in the open.
Use of Ruins
The following layouts primarily use the Ruins terrain feature. This efficiently achieves a good amount of line-of-sight blockage and cover appropriate for balanced games, thanks to the natural abstraction of line of sight within the rules for Ruins. Remember that a variety of terrain heights not only adds to the immersive nature of the battlefield, but is also important for line of sight and rules such as Plunging Fire. For organisers and players with a more robust terrain collection (especially elements that block true line of sight), incorporating features such as Woods, Barricades and Hills into your chosen layouts is perfectly acceptable.
TERRAIN KEY – SUGGESTED TERRAIN HEIGHT
MORE THAN 4"
2" OR LESS
For model mobility purposes, we have shaded the area terrain outlines in the above colours to show our recommendations for how tall the terrain should be in each section.
Below are examples of Ruins terrain placements within area terrain sections, as well as icons that denote if connected area terrain outlines are a single area terrain section or separate area terrain sections when determining line of sight.
These height and Ruin placement guidelines help provide a balanced tournament experience; as organisers you are free to adjust this to suit your terrain collection.
RECOMMENDED RUINS TERRAIN PLACEMENT
SINGLE AREA TERRAIN SECTION
SEPARATE AREA TERRAIN SECTIONS
Pairings and Rankings
There are countless different ways in which a Warhammer organised play event can be run. While broad-stroke concepts like pairing off players with the same record are straightforward enough, the nuance of running a successful Warhammer tournament is the subject of continuous conversation and evolution. The following recommendations are once again for newer organisers who are still establishing their principles and best practices, to help improve the average experience at any Warhammer tournament. These principles are also followed at most official Games Workshop events, and are designed to create the fairest, most fun experience possible for every attendee, regardless of standing.
Pairing Players
While the first round of most tournaments is randomly paired, subsequent round pairing can be done in a number of ways. The first pairing metric will almost always be player record, i.e. pairing a 3-1 player with another 3-1 player, and so on. Given that most rounds will include numerous players with the same record, however, deciding pairings beyond this metric can be quite nuanced, and the different methods available can have significant impacts on the experience of players at an event. We recommend pairing players by the following criteria:
First – by record (i.e. the number of wins, losses and draws)
Second – by win path (i.e. the timing of the rounds in which a player won or lost their games)
Third – randomly within players of the same ranking
Win Path A player’s ‘win path’ refers not to their number of wins and losses, but to the timing of those wins and losses. While pairing by win path has an incidental tendency to pair people by strength of schedule, its greatest impact is on the overall enjoyment experienced by all players, as it tends to pair players based upon shared experience.
For example, let's take two 3-1 players. One of them lost their first game; they likely lowered their expectations for winning the whole event after this, but are probably in a great mood after three consecutive victories. The other won their first three games then lost their fourth – a sharp disappointment after a 3-0 start. Should these players face off, their shared enjoyment may be at odds as they are in very different emotional places. Win path ensures players enter their match with recent common experiences upon which to build a friendship during their next game of Warhammer.
Ranking Players
In many tournaments, the overall Best General will be the single remaining undefeated player at the end of the event. Sometimes, however, there are not enough rounds available to determine a single undefeated player, and players often wish to know their ranking regardless of whether they won the whole event. To help break ties between players who end an event with the same record, we recommend ranking players by the following criteria:
First – by overall record (wins, losses and draws)
Second – by their opponents’ win records (i.e. those with more wins against opponents with better win records would place higher)
Third – by total Victory points (VP)
Designer’s Note:Traditionally, many organisers use total VP or VP differential to determine ranking. However, the number of VP scored within any one game of Warhammer 40,000 rarely tells a clear story about how close that game actually was. Often, a more challenging opponent will be harder to score against (and thus yield a lower score despite the victory being all the more hard-earned), or the nature of how the two armies match up may dictate a risky strategy that doesn’t pay off (and thus yield a wide score disparity despite almost working out).
As such, we do not recommend using VP as a pairing metric, nor as a ranking metric until all other metrics have been exhausted, or when further tie-breaking is required (e.g. in larger events where identical rankings become more likely). By contrast, opponent win record is an ideal metric, because when two players end up with the same record, the overall skill of their opponents is a better indicator of which player had the more challenging path along the way
The Rules Commentary, Errata and FAQ There are myriad ways to enjoy the Warhammer hobby, and these all manifest themselves at a tournament: gifted hobbyists with beautiful armies, skilled competitors aiming for Best General, casual players looking to face new opponents and make new friends (by far the most common type of attendee), and even practitioners of the niche hobby of Rules Lawyer! These particular hobbyists often find unusual rules interactions at the very fringes of Warhammer 40,000, which can create interesting challenges for tournament organisers looking to provide clear answers and an easy gaming experience for their attendees. For the current edition, the Warhammer Design Studio has created its most robust and comprehensive Rules Commentary, Errata and FAQ to date. Available to download on warhammer-community.com, these living documents will be reviewed periodically to clarify any issues that may be causing uncertainty. Should an odd rules interaction come up during your event and the Core Rules do not provide a clear answer, we recommend consulting these resources.
Mission Generator
The mission generator presented here will generate a random game for you using the rules described in the mission sequence above.
To use the mission generator, first press the ‘Start New Game’ button. This will "draw" a new set of Mission Rule, Primary Mission, and Deployment cards. You may also select any desired cards using dropdown lists if you play pre-generated missions from the Pariah Nexus Tournament Mission Pool. Note that ‘Start New Game’ and dropdown lists also reset the player’s Secondary and Secret Mission decks.
Next, choose whether you want to use Tactical or Fixed Secondary Missions using the slider. If you select Fixed, the cards available to you will appear below, and you can use the ‘Pick’ () and ‘Reject’ () buttons to select two cards. Once you have your selection, click ‘Confirm’ to begin the game.
During the battle, if you use Tactical Missions, you can use the ‘Draw’ and ‘Discard’ () buttons to move through your Secondary Mission deck according to the mission rules. In the few cases where you might need to reshuffle a card back into the deck, a ‘Reshuffle’ button will appear. If you press this instead of the ‘Discard’ button, the card will still be available to draw later in the game.
ADAPT or DIE The generator processes the card as follows:
If you have chosen Tactical Missions, then in acceptable cases the ‘Draw’ button with the number of remaining attempts becomes available (there are 2 in total). When you press that button, two cards are drawn. One of them must be returned to the deck using the ‘Reject’ button ().
If you have chosen Fixed Missions, then the ‘Shuffle’ button
()
will appear above the cards. By pressing it, you send the specified card back to the deck. At the same time, the shuffle button will still be available for cards that specify the ‘When Drawn...’ condition. This is necessary if the victory conditions cannot be met in the game. Be careful and do not accidentally press this button again (Wahapedia can’t see what is happening on your table).
When you wish to choose a Secret Mission, select the ‘Show Secret Mission cards’ checkbox. This will draw Secret Mission cards for you as described in the mission sequence above. Select one, then press ‘Confirm’ to lock in your choice.
Note that:
If you accidentally close the browser or refresh the page your progress will be safe. It is saved on your device in the browser’s local storage.
If you change the Mission Rule, Primary Mission, or Deployment cards, the generator will see it as a new game and reset the Secondary Mission and Secret Mission decks, losing all progress on your current game.
It is not recommended to use this generator on multiple tabs of the same browser on the same device. It’s useless enough and also definitely will break the game.
Start New Game
Player’s Hand
Attacker’s Hand
Choose whether to use Fixed or Tactical Missions during the battle and press ‘Confirm’ button.
TACTICAL MISSION
FIXED MISSION
CONFIRM
Selected Secondary Missions
Attacker’s Selected Secondary Missions
Secondary Mission Deck
Attacker’s Secondary Mission Deck
Choose one Secret Mission card and press ‘Confirm’.
CONFIRM
Selected Secret Mission
Selected Attacker’s Secret Mission
Secret Mission Deck
Attacker’s Secret Mission deck
Defender’s Hand
Choose whether to use Fixed or Tactical Missions during the battle and press ‘Confirm’ button.
TACTICAL MISSION
FIXED MISSION
CONFIRM
Defender’s Selected Secondary Missions
Defender’s Secondary Mission Deck
Choose one Secret Mission card and press ‘Confirm’.
CONFIRM
Selected Defender’s Secret Mission
Defender’s Secret Mission deck
Card Decks
Mission Rule deck
Mission Rule
INSPIRED LEADERSHIP
Few sights set such an inspiring example upon the battlefield than a commander leading from the verg front, wreathed in glory and stained with gore.
While a player’s WARLORD is not within their deployment zone, each time a unit from that player’s army takes a Battle-shocktest, if that player’s WARLORD is within 9" of and visible to that unit, add 1 to that test.
Mission Rule
RAPID ESCALATION
Armies hurl themselves recklessly into what is swiftly becoming a maelstrom of battle. With every passing moment, the flames of conflict rage higher.
In the first battle round, each player can set up BATTLELINE units from Strategic Reserves in the Reinforcements step of their Movement phase. If they do, those units must be set up wholly within 6" of any battlefield edge, but no model in those units can be set up within the enemy deployment zone.
The points total of the units a player can set up in this way cannot exceed 10% of their total points limit for the chosen battle size, as shown below.
BATTLE SIZE
MAXIMUM POINTS TOTAL OF STRATEGIC RESERVES UNITS
Incursion
100 pts
Strike Force
200 pts
Onslaught
300 pts
Mission Rule
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Be it through technological trickery, sorcerous illusion or sheer cunning, both commanders seek to outfox and outmanoeuvre the other.
After both players have deployed their armies, starting with the Attacker, each player can place one unit from their army that is on the battlefield into Strategic Reserves, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves.
The points value of such a unit cannot exceed 25% of each player’s total points limit for the chosen battle size, as shown below.
BATTLE SIZE
MAXIMUM POINTS VALUE OF UNIT
Incursion
250 pts
Strike Force
500 pts
Onslaught
750 pts
Mission Rule
HIDDEN SUPPLIES
Reconnaissance units have uncovered a hidden cache of ammunition, fuel and rations in this war zone.
When Drawn: If you also drew The Ritual Primary Mission card, discard this Mission Rule card and draw a new Mission Rule card.
In the Place Objective Markers step, players must set up one additional objective marker in No Man’s Land.
Before setting up this new objective marker, players must first move the objective marker in the centre of the battlefield 6" directly towards one of the corners of the battlefield (if No Man’s Land touches any of the corners of the battlefield, you must move the objective marker towards one of those corners). Otherwise, the players roll-off, and the winner selects which corner the objective marker is moved towards. Players then set up the new objective marker 6" from the centre of the battlefield towards the diagonally opposite corner of the battlefield to the previously moved objective marker.
Mission Rule
RAISE BANNERS
It is not enough this day simply to defeat the foe. Instead you must raise your banners high, announcing your conquests to all who witness them.
At the end of each player’s turn, if a BATTLELINE unit from their army is within range of an objectivemarker that player controls, that unit raises a banner on that objective marker: that player scores 1VP (which is counted towards their Secondary Mission score), and that player’s units can no longer raise a banner on that objective marker.
Mission Rule
STALWARTS
This is not a time for gilded glory, but instead it is the hour when the mud-spattered, blood-drenched rank and file step forward and prove their worth.
BATTLELINE units that perform an Action are still eligible to shoot in that turn (but cannot start to perform another Action in that turn), and BATTLELINE units can perform Actions while within EngagementRange of one or more enemy units.
Mission Rule
ADAPT OR DIE
On this changing battlefield, only a commander who can adapt their strategy swiftly and decisively stands any chance of seizing victory.
FOR PLAYERS USING FIXED MISSIONS
Once per battle, at the end of that player’s turn, after scoring any VP, they can discard one of their Secondary Mission cards and replace it with another Secondary Mission card that has the Fixed Mission symbol.
FOR PLAYERS USING TACTICAL MISSIONS
Twice per battle, after drawing a Secondary Mission card, that player can draw another Secondary Mission card, then shuffle one of those two Secondary Mission cards back into their Secondary Mission deck.
Mission Rule
SWIFT ACTION
Time is running out. Cataclysm approaches on an unimaginable scale. In the face of such terrors, every warrior fights with the speed and fury of desperation.
BATTLELINE units that Advance or FallBack are still eligible to perform an Action in that turn.
Mission Rule
FOG OF WAR
Due to strange atmospheric conditions or supernatural phenomena, confusion abounds. Enemy positions are unknown, and you dare not commit your resources blindly.
In the first battle round, units have the BenefitofCover, and players cannot use Core Stratagems (excluding the NewOrders Stratagem).
Mission Rule
PREPARED POSITIONS
This is a battle long in the offing, a fight for which both commanders have had ample time to prepare both their warriors and their defences.
Players can target their BATTLELINE units with the GotoGround and HeroicIntervention Stratagems for 0CP (but cannot do so if they have already used that Stratagem on a different unit that turn).
Primary Mission deck
Primary Mission
PURGE THE FOE
Exterminate the enemy. Show them no mercy.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
WHEN: End of the battle round.
Each player scores 4VP if one or more enemy units were destroyed this battle round.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the battle round. Each player scores 4VP if more enemy units than friendly units were destroyed this battle round.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 4VP if they control one or more objectivemarkers, and an additional 4VP if they control more objective markers than their opponent controls.
Primary Mission
LINCHPIN
True victory is built upon a firm foundation. If the centre cannot hold then all else swiftly crumbles.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
If the player whose turn it is does not control the objectivemarker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for each objective marker they control.
OR
If the player whose turn it is controls the objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for controlling that objective marker, and 5VP for each other objective marker they control.
UNITS: One unit from your army within range of an objectivemarker that is not within your deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is burned and removed from the battlefield.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: Any time.
Each time a player burns an objective marker, that player scores 5VP if that objective marker was in No Man’s Land, or 10VP instead if that objective marker was in their opponent’s deployment zone.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objective marker they control (up to 10VP per turn).
Primary Mission
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE
Volatile undetonated material lies in your path. Shifting such hazards towards enemy territory could be the key to victory.
The objectivemarkers that start the battle in No Man’s Land are Hazard objective markers.
UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different Hazard objective marker you control.
COMPLETES: End of yourturn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same Hazard objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: You can move each of those Hazard objective markers up to 6". When doing so, that objective marker cannot end that move on top of any other objective marker or model, or inside impassable parts of terrain features.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of each player’s turn. The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows:
8VP for each Hazard objective marker that is wholly within their opponent’s deployment zone.
5VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 6" of their opponent’s deployment zone.
2VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 12" of their opponent’s deployment zone.
Primary Mission
SUPPLY DROP
Supplies are inbound. Secure the drop coordinates.
Start of the Battle: Players randomly select two different objectivemarkers in No Man’s Land; the first selected is the Alpha objective, the second selected is the Omega objective.
Start of the Fourth Battle Round: The Alpha objective is removed from the battlefield.
Start of the Fifth Battle Round: All objective markers in No Man’s Land apart from the Omega objective are removed from the battlefield.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores the following VP for each objective marker in No Man’s Land that they control, depending on the current battle round:
5VP in the second and third battle rounds.
8VP in the fourth battle round.
15VP in the fifth battle round.
Primary Mission
TERRAFORM
Victory here lies in dominating not only the foe, but also the landscape of the battlefield itself.
UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different objectivemarker that is not within your deployment zone and has not been terraformed.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: Each of those objective markers is terraformed.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows (up to 15VP per turn):
4VP for each objective marker they control.
2VP for each objective marker they have terraformed during the battle.
Note: The above VP are cumulative, so a player who controls one objective marker that they have also terraformed will score 6VP that turn.
Primary Mission
BURDEN OF TRUST
The strategic prizes in this region must be guarded at all costs - a duty that falls upon a chosen few.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 4VP for each objectivemarker they control that is not within their deployment zone. Then, for each objective marker that player controls, they can select one unit from their army (excluding AIRCRAFT) within range of that objective marker to guard it until the start of their next turn.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of each player’s turn.
The opponent of the player whose turn it is scores 2VP for each of their units (excluding Battle-shocked units) that are within range of and guarding an objective marker they control.
Primary Mission
TAKE AND HOLD
Several strategic locations have been identified in your vicinity. You are ordered to assault these positions, secure them and hold them at any cost.
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objectivemarker they control (up to 15VP per turn).
Primary Mission
THE RITUAL
Bitter foes clash in a race to finish a ritual to either sanctify or corrupt the battlefield.
When setting up the battlefield, remove all objectivemarkers in No Man’s Land except the one closest to the centre of the battlefield.
IF COMPLETED: Set up one objective marker anywhere on the battlefield wholly within No Man’s Land and within 1" of your unit, provided it can be setup exactly 12" from one other objective marker within No Man’s Land and not within 6" of any other objective marker.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objective marker in No Man’s Land that they control (up to 15VP per turn).
Deployment deck
Deployment
TIPPING POINT
Deployment
SWEEPING ENGAGEMENT
Deployment
SEARCH AND DESTROY
Deployment
HAMMER AND ANVIL
Deployment
DAWN OF WAR
Deployment
CRUCIBLE OF BATTLE
Secondary Mission deck
Secondary Mission
ASSASSINATION
The enemy look to their champions for courage. Identify and eliminate them with extreme prejudice.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Fixed Missions).
Each time an enemy CHARACTER model is destroyed.
FIXED
4VP
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn (if you are using Tactical Missions).
One or more enemy CHARACTER models were destroyed this turn.
TACTICAL
5VP
OR
All CHARACTER models from your opponent’s army have been destroyed during the battle.
TACTICAL
5VP
Secondary Mission
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Break through the foe’s army and cut off their lines of escape.
When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, you can draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One unit from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) is wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone.
3VP
OR
Two or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone.
4VP
Secondary Mission
BRING IT DOWN
The opposing army contains numerous heavily armoured units. Take any opportunity to bring them down.
When Drawn: If there are no enemy MONSTER oк VEHICLE units on the battlefield, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active.
Each time an enemy MONSTER or VEHICLE unit is destroyed.
2VP
+
The total of the Wounds characteristics of the models in that destroyed unit was 15+ (at its Starting Strength).
+2VP
+
The total of the Wounds characteristics of the models in that destroyed unit was 20+ (at its Starting Strength).
+2VP
Note: The above VP are cumulative, so destroying a MONSTER or VEHICLE unit with a combined Wounds characteristic of 20 (at its StartingStrength) would award you 6VP.
Secondary Mission
STORM HOSTILE OBJECTIVE
Dominate the field of battle. Storm every site of tactical import and leave the foe with no place to hide.
When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, you can draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one or more objectivemarkers that were controlled by your opponent at the start of the turn.
4VP
OR
Your opponent did not control any objective markers at the start of the turn, and you control one or more objective markers that you did not control at the start of the turn.
4VP
Secondary Mission
CULL THE HORDE
The enemy come forth in teeming masses. Their ranks must be thinned if the day is to be won.
When Drawn: If there are no enemy units on the battlefield that satisfy either of the conditions required to achieve this card, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active.
Each time an enemy INFANTRY unit is destroyed, if one or more of the following conditions are satisfied:
The StartingStrength of the destroyed unit was 20+.
The total of the Wounds characteristics of the models in the destroyed unit was 25+ (at its Starting Strength).
When that unit’s player added that unit to their army, the points value they subtracted from the total permitted for this battle was sufficient for that unit to be composed of 20 or more models.
5VP
Note: For the purposes of the above conditions, models in attachedLeader units are ignored.
Secondary Mission
RECOVER ASSETS
Scattered strategic assets must be swiftly reclaimed.
When Drawn: If there are fewer than two units from your army on the battlefield, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.
UNITS: One or more units from your army, if each of those units is wholly within a different one of the following areas: your deployment zone; No Man’s Land; your opponent’s deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if either two or three of those units are on the battlefield.
IF COMPLETED: Those units recover assets.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
Two of your units recovered assets this turn.
3VP
OR
Three of your units recovered assets this turn.
6VP
Secondary Mission
AREA DENIAL
It is critical that this area is dominated. No enemy vanguard or guerrilla units can be allowed to disrupt our plans.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are within 3" of the centre of the battlefield, and there are no enemy units within 3" of the centre of the battlefield.
2VP
OR
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are within 3" of the centre of the battlefield, and there are no enemy units within 6" of the centre of the battlefield.
5VP
Secondary Mission
SECURE NO MAN’S LAND
You must advance swiftly into no man’s land and seize it before the enemy can, lest they take control of the entire battlefield.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one objectivemarker in No Man’s Land.
2VP
OR
You control two or more objective markers in No Man’s Land.
5VP
Secondary Mission
CONTAINMENT
By setting up servo-sentries, laying booby traps or demolishing routes of egress, you must trap your foes within the bounds of this battlefield.
UNITS: One or more units from your army that are wholly within 9" of one or more battlefield edges and not within your deployment zone. Select a different one of those battlefield edges for each of those units.
COMPLETES: Immediately.
IF COMPLETED: Each battlefield edge you selected is contained by your army.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
For each battlefield edge contained by your army this turn.
3VP
(UP TO 6VP)
Secondary Mission
MARKED FOR DEATH
These specific enemy assets must be eliminated to ensure victory, no matter how insignificant they might seem.
When Drawn: Your opponent must select three units from their army on the battlefield. If there are only one or two units from their army on the battlefield, they must select those units. If there are no units from their army on the battlefield, discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn.
One or more of the selected units were destroyed (or removed from the battlefield for any other reason) this turn.
5VP
Secondary Mission
NO PRISONERS
Exterminate your enemies.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active.
Each time an enemy unit is destroyed.
2VP
(UP TO 5VP)
Secondary Mission
DEFEND STRONGHOLD
You are charged with the defence of a key objective. It must not be permitted to fall into enemy hands.
When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
You control one or more objectivemarkers in your deployment zone.
3VP
Secondary Mission
SABOTAGE
This region is replete with strategic assets or supply caches vital to the foe. See to it that they are reduced to just so much flaming wreckage.
UNITS: One unit from your army that is within a terrain feature and not within your deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn orthe end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is on the battlefield.
IF COMPLETED: Your unit commits sabotage.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is not within your opponent’s deployment zone.
3VP
OR
Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is within your opponent’s deployment zone.
6VP
Secondary Mission
OVERWHELMING FORCE
Scour the enemy from the face of the battlefield.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active.
Each time an enemy unit that started the turn within range of an objectivemarker is destroyed.
3VP
(UP TO 5VP)
Secondary Mission
EXTEND BATTLE LINES
The battleground is conquered one yard at a time. Press forward to establish a strong military presence in the area.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one or more objectivemarkers within your deployment zone and one or more objective markers within No Man’s Land.
5VP
OR
You only have one unit on the battlefield, and that unit controls one objective marker within No Man’s Land.
2VP
Secondary Mission
ENGAGE ON ALL FRONTS
This area is of extreme importance. You are to lead an immediate all-out assault to capture it and deny it to our enemy for good.
When Drawn: If there are fewer than three units from your army on the battlefield, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within three different table quarters, and those units are all more than 6" away from the centre of the battlefield.
2VP
OR
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within four different table quarters, and those units are all more than 6" away from the centre of the battlefield.
4VP
Secondary Mission
ESTABLISH LOCUS
Whether a teleport homer crackling with arcane energies, a daemonic summoning circle, a pheromonal marker or some other means of guiding forces onto the battlefield, this locus must be set up swiftly to pave the road to victory.
UNITS: One or more units from your army within range of an objectivemarker that is not within your deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your turn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is cleansed by your army.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One objectivemarker was cleansed by your army this turn.
2VP
OR
Two or more objective markers were cleansed by your army this turn.
4VP
Secret Mission deck
Secret Mission
UNBROKEN WALL
Intelligence has revealed a secondary enemy attack incoming. Form a wall of warriors across this battlefield, ready to repel it.
SECRET MISSION
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of the battle.
You control three or more objectivemarkers that are not within your deployment zone.
20VP
Secret Mission
SHATTER COHESION
There is no surer way to prevent your foe securing victory than to utterly destroy their strategic and tactical capabilities.
SECRET MISSION
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of the battle.
There are no units from your opponent’s army on the battlefield.
20VP
OR
Every unit from your opponent’s army that is on the battlefield meets one or more of the following conditions:
That unit is Battle-shocked.
That unit is BelowHalf-strength.
That unit is more than 3" away from all objectivemarkers.
20VP
Secret Mission
COMMAND INSERTION
Sometimes vital tasks cannot be entrusted to underlings. And such times, a commander must lead by example, bloodying their own hands to achieve victory.
SECRET MISSION
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of the battle.
Your WARLORD is within range of one or more objectivemarkers in your opponent’s deployment zone that you control.
20VP
Secret Mission
WAR OF ATTRITION
This is to be a battle of numbers, wherein you must husband your core forces with skill while winnowing those of the foe.
SECRET MISSION
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of the battle.
One or more BATTLELINE units from your army are within your opponent’s deployment zone, and one of the following conditions applies:
There are no BATTLELINE units from your opponent’s army on the battlefield.
Every BATTLELINE unit from your opponent’s army that is on the battlefield is within your opponent’s deployment zone.
20VP
Objective Markers
Objective markers represent objects of tactical or strategic import that both sides are attempting to secure, such as valuable artefacts, vital supplies or communications nodes. If a mission uses objective markers, it will state where they are located on the battlefield. These can be represented using any suitable marker, but we recommend using round markers that are 40mm in diameter.
When setting objective markers up on the battlefield, place them so they are centred on the point specified by the mission. When measuring distances to and from objective markers, measure to and from the closest part of them. Models can move over objective markers as if they were not there, but they cannot end a move on top of an objective marker.
At the start of the battle, each objective marker on the battlefield is said to be contested, and so is not controlled by either player. To control an objective marker, a player will first need to move models within range of it. A model is within range of an objective marker if it is within 3" horizontally and 5" vertically of that objective marker.
Every model has an Objective Control (OC) characteristic listed on its datasheet. To determine a player’s Level of Control over an objective marker, add together the OC characteristics of all the models from that player’s army that are within range of that objective marker. A player will control an objective marker at the end of any phase or turn if their Level of Control over it is greater than their opponent’s. If both players have the same Level of Control over an objective marker, that objective marker is contested.
A model is within range of an objective marker if within 3" horizontally and 5" vertically.
Level of Control: Add together the OC characteristics of all of a player’s models within range of the objective marker.
An objective marker is controlled by the player with the highest Level of Control over it (in a tie, it is contested).
Models cannot end a move on top of an objective marker.
2. Battle-shock
In this step, you must take a Battle-shock test for each of your units on the battlefield that is Below Half-strength. To do so, roll 2D6: if the result is greater than or equal to the best Leadership characteristic in that unit, the test is passed; otherwise, the test is failed and, until the start of your next Command phase, that unit is Battle-shocked.
If it Falls Back, you must take a Desperate Escape test for every model in that unit.
Its controlling player cannot use Stratagems to affect that unit.
Once you have taken Battle-shock tests for all of your units that require them, your Command phase ends and you progress to your Movement phase.
In this step, if for any reason a unit is forced to take a Battle-shock test for being below its Starting Strength, unless otherwise stated, that unit does not also have to take a Battle-shock test for being Below Half-strength. While a unit is Battle-shocked, all models in that unit are also Battle-shocked.
Take a Battle-shock test for each unit from your army on the battlefield that is Below Half-strength.
Roll 2D6: if the result is greater than or equal to the unit’s Leadership, the test is passed. Otherwise, the unit is Battle-shocked until the start of your next Command phase.
Battle-shocked units have an OC of 0 and their controlling player cannot use Stratagems to affect them.
Battle-shocked units must take Desperate Escape tests if they Fall Back.
BURDEN OF TRUST
The strategic prizes in this region must be guarded at all costs - a duty that falls upon a chosen few.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 4VP for each objectivemarker they control that is not within their deployment zone. Then, for each objective marker that player controls, they can select one unit from their army (excluding AIRCRAFT) within range of that objective marker to guard it until the start of their next turn.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of each player’s turn.
The opponent of the player whose turn it is scores 2VP for each of their units (excluding Battle-shocked units) that are within range of and guarding an objective marker they control.
THE RITUAL
Bitter foes clash in a race to finish a ritual to either sanctify or corrupt the battlefield.
When setting up the battlefield, remove all objectivemarkers in No Man’s Land except the one closest to the centre of the battlefield.
IF COMPLETED: Set up one objective marker anywhere on the battlefield wholly within No Man’s Land and within 1" of your unit, provided it can be setup exactly 12" from one other objective marker within No Man’s Land and not within 6" of any other objective marker.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objective marker in No Man’s Land that they control (up to 15VP per turn).
SEARCH AND DESTROY
SABOTAGE
This region is replete with strategic assets or supply caches vital to the foe. See to it that they are reduced to just so much flaming wreckage.
UNITS: One unit from your army that is within a terrain feature and not within your deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn orthe end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is on the battlefield.
IF COMPLETED: Your unit commits sabotage.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is not within your opponent’s deployment zone.
3VP
OR
Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is within your opponent’s deployment zone.
6VP
Destroyed
Throughout a battle, models will suffer damage and be destroyed. When a model is destroyed, it is removed from the battlefield. When every model in a unit has been destroyed, that unit is destroyed.
Charging with a Unit
Once you have selected an eligible unit to declare a charge, you must select one or more enemy units within 12" of it as the targets of that charge. The targets of a charge do not need to be visible to the charging unit.
You then make a Charge roll for the charging unit by rolling 2D6. The result is the maximum number of inches each model in that unit can be moved if a Charge move is possible. For a Charge move to be possible, the Charge roll must be sufficient to enable the charging unit to end that move:
Within Engagement Range of every unit that you selected as a target of the charge.
Without moving within Engagement Range of any enemy units that were not a target of the charge.
If any of these conditions cannot be met, the charge fails and no models in the charging unit move this phase. Otherwise, the charge is successful and the models in the charging unit make a Charge move – move each model a distance in inches up to the result of the Charge roll. When doing so, each model in the charging unit must end its Charge move closer to one of the units selected as a target of its charge. If you can also move a charging model so that it ends its Charge move in base-to-base contact with one or more enemy models while still enabling the charging unit to end its move satisfying all of the conditions above, you must do so. The controlling player chooses the order in which to move their models.
Charge Roll: 2D6".
Targets of a charge must be within 12" but do not need to be visible.
If the distance rolled is insufficient to move within Engagement Range of all targets while maintaining Unit Coherency, the charge fails.
Cannot move within Engagement Range of any unit that was not a target of the charge.
If the charge is successful, each model makes a Charge move less than or equal to the Charge roll, and must move into base-to-base contact with an enemy model if possible.
Engagement Range
Engagement Range represents the zone of threat that models present to their enemies. While a model is within 1" horizontally and 5" vertically of an enemy model, those models – and their units – are within Engagement Range of each other.
Models cannot be set up or end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within Engagement Range of any enemy models. If for any reason a model cannot meet this condition, that model is destroyed.
Engagement Range: Within 1" horizontally and 5" vertically.
Models cannot be set up or end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
Roll-offs
Some rules instruct players to roll off. To do so, both players roll one D6, and whoever scores highest wins the roll-off. If there is a tie for the highest roll, roll off again. Neither player is allowed to re-roll or modify any of the D6 when making a roll-off.
ADAPT OR DIE
On this changing battlefield, only a commander who can adapt their strategy swiftly and decisively stands any chance of seizing victory.
FOR PLAYERS USING FIXED MISSIONS
Once per battle, at the end of that player’s turn, after scoring any VP, they can discard one of their Secondary Mission cards and replace it with another Secondary Mission card that has the Fixed Mission symbol.
FOR PLAYERS USING TACTICAL MISSIONS
Twice per battle, after drawing a Secondary Mission card, that player can draw another Secondary Mission card, then shuffle one of those two Secondary Mission cards back into their Secondary Mission deck.
Attached Units
Some CHARACTER units have the Leader ability, which lets them merge with other units (known as Bodyguard units) to form an Attached unit.
The Starting Strength of an Attached unit is equal to the combined Starting Strengths of all of its units (i.e. the number of models in the Leader unit added to the number of models in the Bodyguard unit). If either the Leader unit or the Bodyguard unit in an Attached unit is destroyed, the Starting Strength of the remaining unit is changed to be equal to its original Starting Strength.
Example: A Primaris Captain (Starting Strength 1) is attached to a unit of Intercessors (Starting Strength 5). This Attached unit has a Starting Strength of 6. If all the Intercessors are destroyed, the remaining Primaris Captain would revert to having a Starting Strength of 1.
For the purposes of rules that are triggered when a unit is destroyed, such rules are still triggered when one of the individual units that made up an Attached unit is destroyed (the Leader or the Bodyguard unit).
Example: If a rule awards you with 1VP each time an enemy unit is destroyed, and you target an Attached unit, you would gain 1VP if the Bodyguard unit is destroyed and 1VP if the Leader unit is destroyed (for a total of 2VP).
Embark
If a unit makes a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move, and every model in that unit ends that move within 3" of a friendly TRANSPORT model, they can embark within it. A unit cannot embark if it has already disembarked from a TRANSPORT model in the same phase. Remove the unit from the battlefield and place it to one side – it is now embarked within that TRANSPORT model. Unless otherwise stated, units cannot do anything or be affected in any way while they are embarked.
A unit can embark within a friendly TRANSPORT if all of its models end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within 3" of that TRANSPORT.
A unit cannot embark and disembark in the same phase.
Advance Moves
When a unit Advances, make an Advance roll for that unit by rolling one D6. Add the result in inches to the Move characteristic of each model in that unit until the end of the phase. Each model in that unit can then make an Advance move by moving a distance in inches less than or equal to this total, but no model can be moved within Engagement Range of enemy models. A unit cannot shoot or declare a charge in the same turn that it Advanced.
Advance Move: Models move up to M+D6".
Cannot move within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
Units that Advance cannot shoot or charge this turn.
Fall Back Moves
When a unit Falls Back, each model in that unit can make a Fall Back move by moving a distance in inches less than or equal to its Move characteristic, and when doing so you can move it within Engagement Range of enemy models, provided it does not end that move within Engagement Range of any enemy models – if this is not possible, that unit cannot Fall Back.
A unit cannot shoot or declare a charge in the same turn that it Fell Back.
Desperate Escape Tests Unlike when making other types of move, models can move over enemy models when making a Fall Back move as if those enemy models were not there, but you must take a Desperate Escape test for each model that will do so (excluding models that are TITANIC or can FLY) before any models in that unit are moved. In addition, if a unit is Battle-shocked when it is selected to Fall Back, you must take a Desperate Escape test for every model in that unit before any are moved.
Each time you take a Desperate Escape test for a model, roll one D6. For each roll of 1-2, one model from the unit that is Falling Back is destroyed (selected by you). The same model can only ever trigger one Desperate Escape test per phase.
Fall Back Move: Models move up to M".
Units that Fall Back cannot shoot or declare a charge in the same turn.
Models can move over enemy models when Falling Back, but you must take Desperate Escape tests for them before they do so (excluding models that are TITANIC or can FLY).
If a Battle-shocked unit is selected to Fall Back, take a Desperate Escape test for every model in that unit.
Desperate Escape Test: Roll one D6. On a 1-2, one model from that unit is destroyed.
Pile In
When a unit Piles In, you can move each model in that unit that is not already in base-to-base contact with an enemy model up to 3" – this is a Pile-in move. For a Pile In to be possible, a unit must be able to end these moves within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units and in Unit Coherency. If these conditions cannot be met, no models in the unit can make Pile-in moves this phase and you progress to making melee attacks with that unit. Otherwise, the unit can make Pile-in moves.
Each time a model makes a Pile-in move, it must end that move closer to the closest enemy model. If it can also end that move in base-to-base contact with one or more enemy models while still satisfying all of the conditions above, it must do so. The controlling player chooses the order in which to move their models.
Pile-in Move: Up to 3".
Every model that moves must end closer to the closest enemy model, and in base-to-base contact with an enemy model if possible. The unit must end in Unit Coherency and within Engagement Range of at least one enemy unit (or no models can Pile In).
Consolidate
After a unit has finished making all of its melee attacks, it Consolidates. Each time a unit Consolidates, you can move each model in that unit that is not already in base-to-base contact with an enemy model up to 3" – this is a Consolidation move. For a Consolidation to be possible, a unit must be able to end these moves within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units and in Unit Coherency. If these conditions cannot be met, then each model in that unit can instead make a Consolidation move towards the closest objective marker, but only if, after doing so, that unit is within range of that objective marker and in Unit Coherency. If these conditions also cannot be met, no models in the unit can make Consolidation moves this phase and that unit’s fight ends.
If a unit can end its Consolidation within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units, then each time one of its models makes a Consolidation move, it must end that move closer to the closest enemy model. If it can also end that move in base-to-base contact with one or more enemy models while still satisfying all of the conditions above, it must do so. The controlling player chooses the order in which to move their models.
Consolidation Move: Up to 3".
Every model that moves must end closer to the closest enemy model, and in base-to-base contact with an enemy model if possible. The unit must end in Unit Coherency and within Engagement Range of at least one enemy unit if possible.
If the above is not possible, each model can move towards the closest objective marker, but this must result in the unit being within range of it and in Unit Coherency.
If the above is also not possible, no models can Consolidate.
TAKE AND HOLD
Several strategic locations have been identified in your vicinity. You are ordered to assault these positions, secure them and hold them at any cost.
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objectivemarker they control (up to 15VP per turn).
RAISE BANNERS
It is not enough this day simply to defeat the foe. Instead you must raise your banners high, announcing your conquests to all who witness them.
At the end of each player’s turn, if a BATTLELINE unit from their army is within range of an objectivemarker that player controls, that unit raises a banner on that objective marker: that player scores 1VP (which is counted towards their Secondary Mission score), and that player’s units can no longer raise a banner on that objective marker.
TIPPING POINT
Layout 1
Layout 2
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Layout 8
PURGE THE FOE
Exterminate the enemy. Show them no mercy.
ANY BATTLE ROUND
WHEN: End of the battle round.
Each player scores 4VP if one or more enemy units were destroyed this battle round.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the battle round. Each player scores 4VP if more enemy units than friendly units were destroyed this battle round.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 4VP if they control one or more objectivemarkers, and an additional 4VP if they control more objective markers than their opponent controls.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Be it through technological trickery, sorcerous illusion or sheer cunning, both commanders seek to outfox and outmanoeuvre the other.
After both players have deployed their armies, starting with the Attacker, each player can place one unit from their army that is on the battlefield into Strategic Reserves, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves.
The points value of such a unit cannot exceed 25% of each player’s total points limit for the chosen battle size, as shown below.
BATTLE SIZE
MAXIMUM POINTS VALUE OF UNIT
Incursion
250 pts
Strike Force
500 pts
Onslaught
750 pts
LINCHPIN
True victory is built upon a firm foundation. If the centre cannot hold then all else swiftly crumbles.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
If the player whose turn it is does not control the objectivemarker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for each objective marker they control.
OR
If the player whose turn it is controls the objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for controlling that objective marker, and 5VP for each other objective marker they control.
Benefit of Cover
Shattered ruins and twisted wreckage afford much-needed shelter from enemy salvoes. Even heavily armoured warriors unfazed by small arms fire are thankful for such cover when foes bring their biggest guns to bear.
Models can sometimes gain a measure of protection from terrain features. The rules below detail the conditions under which a terrain feature confers the Benefit of Cover on a model.
Each time a ranged attack is allocated to a model that has the Benefit of Cover, add 1 to the saving throw made for that attack (excluding invulnerable saving throws). Models with a Save characteristic of 3+ or better cannot have the Benefit of Cover against attacks with an Armour Penetration characteristic of 0. Multiple instances of the Benefit of Cover are not cumulative – a model cannot benefit from this rule more than once at any one time.
Benefit of Cover: Add 1 to armour saving throws against ranged attacks.
Does not apply to models with a Save of 3+ or better against attacks with an AP of 0.
TARGET: One of your active Secondary Mission cards.
EFFECT: Discard it and draw one new Secondary Mission card.
FOG OF WAR
Due to strange atmospheric conditions or supernatural phenomena, confusion abounds. Enemy positions are unknown, and you dare not commit your resources blindly.
In the first battle round, units have the BenefitofCover, and players cannot use Core Stratagems (excluding the NewOrders Stratagem).
UNITS: One unit from your army within range of an objectivemarker that is not within your deployment zone.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is burned and removed from the battlefield.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: Any time.
Each time a player burns an objective marker, that player scores 5VP if that objective marker was in No Man’s Land, or 10VP instead if that objective marker was in their opponent’s deployment zone.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objective marker they control (up to 10VP per turn).
SWIFT ACTION
Time is running out. Cataclysm approaches on an unimaginable scale. In the face of such terrors, every warrior fights with the speed and fury of desperation.
BATTLELINE units that Advance or FallBack are still eligible to perform an Action in that turn.
Invulnerable Saves
Whether shielded by force fields, enveloped in mystical energies or simply possessed of preternatural senses and lightning-fast reflexes, some warriors are protected by more than mere physical armour.
Some models have an invulnerable save listed on their datasheet. Each time an attack is allocated to a model with an invulnerable save, the controlling player must choose to use either that model’s Save characteristic or its invulnerable save, but not both. If a model has more than one invulnerable save, it can only use one of them – choose which it will use.
Unlike armour saving throws (which use a model’s Save characteristic), invulnerable saving throws are never modified by an attack’s Armour Penetration characteristic, but otherwise follow the normal rules for saving throws.
Invulnerable Save: Never modified by an attack’s AP.
The controlling player can choose to use either a model’s invulnerable save or its Save characteristic.
GO TO GROUND
1CP
Core – Battle Tactic Stratagem
Seeking salvation from incoming fire, warriors hurl themselves into whatever cover they can find.
WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets.
TARGET: One INFANTRY unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, all models in your unit have a 6+ invulnerablesave and have the BenefitofCover.
Charge Bonus
Many warriors thunder headlong into combat, using the impetus of their charge to bring swift death to their foes.
Each time a unit makes a Charge move, until the end of the turn, that unit has the Fights First ability.
HEROIC INTERVENTION
1CP
Core – Strategic Ploy Stratagem
Voices raised in furious war cries, your warriors surge forth to meet the enemy’s onslaught head-on.
WHEN: Your opponent’s Charge phase, just after an enemy unit ends a Chargemove.
TARGET: One unit from your army that is within 6" of that enemy unit and would be eligible to declare a charge against that enemy unit if it were your Charge phase.
EFFECT: Your unit now declares a charge that targets only that enemy unit, and you resolve that charge as if it were your Charge phase.
RESTRICTIONS: You can only select a VEHICLE unit from your army if it is a WALKER. Note that even if this charge is successful, your unit does not receive any Chargebonus this turn.
PREPARED POSITIONS
This is a battle long in the offing, a fight for which both commanders have had ample time to prepare both their warriors and their defences.
Players can target their BATTLELINE units with the GotoGround and HeroicIntervention Stratagems for 0CP (but cannot do so if they have already used that Stratagem on a different unit that turn).
HAMMER AND ANVIL
HIDDEN SUPPLIES
Reconnaissance units have uncovered a hidden cache of ammunition, fuel and rations in this war zone.
When Drawn: If you also drew The Ritual Primary Mission card, discard this Mission Rule card and draw a new Mission Rule card.
In the Place Objective Markers step, players must set up one additional objective marker in No Man’s Land.
Before setting up this new objective marker, players must first move the objective marker in the centre of the battlefield 6" directly towards one of the corners of the battlefield (if No Man’s Land touches any of the corners of the battlefield, you must move the objective marker towards one of those corners). Otherwise, the players roll-off, and the winner selects which corner the objective marker is moved towards. Players then set up the new objective marker 6" from the centre of the battlefield towards the diagonally opposite corner of the battlefield to the previously moved objective marker.
STALWARTS
This is not a time for gilded glory, but instead it is the hour when the mud-spattered, blood-drenched rank and file step forward and prove their worth.
BATTLELINE units that perform an Action are still eligible to shoot in that turn (but cannot start to perform another Action in that turn), and BATTLELINE units can perform Actions while within EngagementRange of one or more enemy units.
SUPPLY DROP
Supplies are inbound. Secure the drop coordinates.
Start of the Battle: Players randomly select two different objectivemarkers in No Man’s Land; the first selected is the Alpha objective, the second selected is the Omega objective.
Start of the Fourth Battle Round: The Alpha objective is removed from the battlefield.
Start of the Fifth Battle Round: All objective markers in No Man’s Land apart from the Omega objective are removed from the battlefield.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores the following VP for each objective marker in No Man’s Land that they control, depending on the current battle round:
5VP in the second and third battle rounds.
8VP in the fourth battle round.
15VP in the fifth battle round.
Layout 3
RAPID ESCALATION
Armies hurl themselves recklessly into what is swiftly becoming a maelstrom of battle. With every passing moment, the flames of conflict rage higher.
In the first battle round, each player can set up BATTLELINE units from Strategic Reserves in the Reinforcements step of their Movement phase. If they do, those units must be set up wholly within 6" of any battlefield edge, but no model in those units can be set up within the enemy deployment zone.
The points total of the units a player can set up in this way cannot exceed 10% of their total points limit for the chosen battle size, as shown below.
BATTLE SIZE
MAXIMUM POINTS TOTAL OF STRATEGIC RESERVES UNITS
Incursion
100 pts
Strike Force
200 pts
Onslaught
300 pts
CRUCIBLE OF BATTLE
TERRAFORM
Victory here lies in dominating not only the foe, but also the landscape of the battlefield itself.
UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different objectivemarker that is not within your deployment zone and has not been terraformed.
COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: Each of those objective markers is terraformed.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).
The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows (up to 15VP per turn):
4VP for each objective marker they control.
2VP for each objective marker they have terraformed during the battle.
Note: The above VP are cumulative, so a player who controls one objective marker that they have also terraformed will score 6VP that turn.
INSPIRED LEADERSHIP
Few sights set such an inspiring example upon the battlefield than a commander leading from the verg front, wreathed in glory and stained with gore.
While a player’s WARLORD is not within their deployment zone, each time a unit from that player’s army takes a Battle-shocktest, if that player’s WARLORD is within 9" of and visible to that unit, add 1 to that test.
SWEEPING ENGAGEMENT
Layout 5
DAWN OF WAR
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE
Volatile undetonated material lies in your path. Shifting such hazards towards enemy territory could be the key to victory.
The objectivemarkers that start the battle in No Man’s Land are Hazard objective markers.
UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different Hazard objective marker you control.
COMPLETES: End of yourturn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same Hazard objective marker and you control that objective marker.
IF COMPLETED: You can move each of those Hazard objective markers up to 6". When doing so, that objective marker cannot end that move on top of any other objective marker or model, or inside impassable parts of terrain features.
SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS
WHEN: End of each player’s turn. The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows:
8VP for each Hazard objective marker that is wholly within their opponent’s deployment zone.
5VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 6" of their opponent’s deployment zone.
2VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 12" of their opponent’s deployment zone.
Starting Strength
The number of models a unit contains when it is added to your army is known as its Starting Strength.
LEADER
Mighty heroes fight at the forefront of battle.
Some CHARACTER units have ‘Leader’ listed on their datasheets. Such CHARACTER units are known as Leaders, and the units they can lead – known as their Bodyguard units – are listed on their datasheet.
During the Declare Battle Formations step, for each Leader in your army, if your army also includes one or more of that Leader’s Bodyguard units, you can select one of those Bodyguard units. That Leader will then attach to that Bodyguard unit for the duration of the battle and is said to be leading that unit. Each Bodyguard unit can only have one Leader attached to it.
While a Bodyguard unit contains a Leader, it is known as an Attached unit and, with the exception of rules that are triggered when units are destroyed, it is treated as a single unit for all rules purposes. Each time an attack targets an Attached unit, until the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks, you must use the Toughness characteristic of the Bodyguard models in that unit, even if a Leader in that unit has a different Toughness characteristic. Each time an attack sucessfully wounds an Attached unit, that attack cannot be allocated to a CHARACTER model in that unit, even if that CHARACTER model has lost one or more wounds or has already had attacks allocated to it this phase. As soon as the last Bodyguard model in an Attached unit has been destroyed, any attacks made against that unit that have yet to be allocated can then be allocated to CHARACTER models in that unit.
Each time the last model in a Bodyguard unit is destroyed, each CHARACTER unit that is part of that Attached unit becomes a separate unit, with its original Starting Strength. If this happens as the result of an attack, they become separate units after the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.
Each time the last model in a CHARACTER unit that is attached to a Bodyguard unit is destroyed and there is not another CHARACTER unit attached, that Attached unit’s Bodyguard unit becomes a separate unit, with its original Starting Strength. If this happens as the result of an attack, they become separate units after the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.
Each time a unit that is part of an Attached unit is destroyed, it does not have the keywords of any other units that make up that Attached unit (unless it has those keywords on its own datasheet) for the purposes of any rules that would be triggered when that unit is destroyed.
Example:If you only destroy the Bodyguard unit that is part of an Attached unit, you have not destroyed a CHARACTER unit. If you only destroy the CHARACTER unit that is part of an Attached unit, or if you destroy the whole Attached unit, you have destroyed one CHARACTER unit.
Before the battle, CHARACTER units with the Leader ability can be attached to one of their Bodyguard units to form an Attached unit.
Attached units can only contain one Leader.
Attacks cannot be allocated to CHARACTER models in Attached units.
Below Half-strength
Some rules will refer to a unit being Below Half-strength.
If a unit has a Starting Strength of 1, then it is said to be Below Half-strength while its remaining number of wounds is less than half of its Wounds characteristic.
For any other unit, while the number of models in that unit is less than half of its Starting Strength, that unit is said to be Below Half-strength.