In the Octarius Sector, the Imperium’s worst fears have been realised. For years, the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan have been locked in a war of attrition with the Orks. Now, the conflict has spilt out into surrounding space, and the xenos forces descend on Imperial planets, hungry for battle and biomatter.

The combined forces of the Deathwatch, numerous Space Marine Chapters, and the legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus rush to stem the tide of destruction that threatens to engulf the Pankallis Sub-sector in war. Not all hope is lost: Inquisitor Athocles Van Roth is brewing a plan – a high stakes endeavour that may result in the total defeat of the Tyranid forces. The Imperium must be ready to do whatever it takes to stop the Octarius Sector from falling to ruin.


Books

BookKindEditionVersionLast update
  Warzone Octarius – Book 1: Rising Tide
  Warzone Octarius – Book 1: Rising TideExpansion9Indomitus 1.2July 2022
  Warzone Octarius – Book 2: Critical Mass
  Warzone Octarius – Book 2: Critical MassExpansion9November 2021

Book 1: Rising Tide

When the invasion of the Pankallis Sub-sector began, many Factions answered the call for aid and marched to war. Over the following pages, you will find a campaign system that allows you and a group of players to retell the events of the War Zone Octarius story for yourselves, in an invasion of the Pankallis Sub-sector.

While one-off games against favoured opponents and new foes alike offer plenty of fun and enjoyment, campaigns are something special, adding even more excitement, consequence and narrative to every tabletop clash. By entering a campaign, you get to take part in not just one game, but a series of interlinked battles. You’re not just playing to see who wins, but to seize hard-fought territory or resources, avenge an earlier defeat or earn fresh rewards for your army. Before each battle, you determine context: where the conflict is taking place, why, and what stakes and consequences it will have. At each game’s end, you discover what cost the battle has levied on your forces, and what experience or potent Relics they have gained. If participating as part of a team, you play knowing your fellow campaign commanders are battling at the same time on nearby tabletops, all of you fighting for the same goal. It is an exciting and immersive experience.

At its heart, playing in a campaign is a narrative experience that forges war stories you and your fellow commanders will share for years to come. It can be the highlight of an entire gaming year, and can spawn future events where you revisit old grudges or beloved settings. Whether you’re completely new to campaign gaming, or a veteran looking for a new thrill, all you need to do is gather your armies and read on to discover how to get the most out of War Zone Octarius.

Introduction

A Pankallis Assault campaign allows a group of players to get together, form alliances and play a series of games. It is split into campaign phases, each of which consists of multiple battles fought with unique rules inspired by the key stages in War Zone Octarius. At the end of each campaign phase, the alliance with the most war zone points achieves victory in that phase, then each alliance starts again for the following campaign phase, meaning the outcome of the campaign is at stake in every game from start to finish.

Campaign Master

A Pankallis Assault campaign is best run with a Campaign Master. This is a heroic individual who takes on the mobilisation and organisation of the campaign so that the other players can focus on playing games. Campaign Master is a privileged position that offers a degree of leadership to the individual who takes on the role, however, its primary purpose is to facilitate a smooth and enjoyable experience for all players involved. A Campaign Master can indeed play in the campaign, but in larger campaigns that include a multitude of players, it may be they prefer to solely oversee the campaign rather than play in it. In any case, the job of a Campaign Master is very easy, and we have provided simple instructions you can follow, and even predetermined examples of Pankallis Assault campaigns you can use straight away, should you wish.

Below we will refer to the Campaign Master and how they can go about organising a Pankallis Assault campaign. Campaign Master’s Edicts are useful tools and rules ideas that the Campaign Master can use to add further excitement to the campaign. These are by no means essential, however. If this is the first campaign for many of the players, or they would otherwise prefer to keep things as simple as possible, then Campaign Master’s Edicts are not necessary for a Pankallis Assault campaign.

Players and Alliances

Once a Campaign Master has stepped forward, their first task in organising a Pankallis Assault campaign is to gather the players and sort them into alliances. The system is flexible enough to support various numbers of people; an experienced Campaign Master could run the campaign for dozens of gamers, and equally just two players could use the system to tie the results of their regular games together into a greater whole. The campaign is at its best, however, with a small group of like-minded and enthusiastic players who can meet on a regular basis, and who can be evenly distributed across two alliances - the Attackers and the Defenders.

The two alliances should be organised evenly and, where possible, based on the Faction being played, so have a chat with the group to determine this. Once players are assigned to an alliance, their army is committed to the cause and will do their all to achieve victory. For this reason, players should play with the same Faction throughout the campaign. If they wish to change their Faction, they can do so at the Campaign Master’s discretion. The alliances are as follows:
  • Defenders - The Warden planets of the Pankallis Sub-sector are currently held by the IMPERIUM, with the forces of the Astra Militarum and the Deathwatch leading the defence against any and all aggressors. Any army with the Imperium keyword is best suited to this alliance.
  • Attackers - The Orks and Tyranids, though bitter foes, share the same desire to break out from the Cordon Impenetra, and so are simultaneously attacking the Pankallis Sub-sector. At the same time, the Warden planets are being assaulted by daemonic invasions and Cult uprisings. Any army without the IMPERIUM keyword is best suited to this alliance.
These alliances allow for a well-rounded campaign, with each side battling back and forth for dominance.

Allies of Convenience

Note that the bullet points on the previous page are guidelines on how to organise players into an alliance, rather than a requirement. If it suits the group better to organise the alliances differently, then the Campaign Master should feel free to do so. For example, if many of the players in the group play armies associated with a single alliance, then - to make the alliances more evenly numbered - some of them may have to fight for a different alliance than we have recommended. This is fine. You could always create some interesting narrative to explain why that side chose to fight for a different alliance.

Here are a few examples:
  • The Aeldari have decided to pursue their own agenda of sterilising worlds to deny Hive Fleet Leviathan of more biomass, and so fight on the side of the Attackers to use the cover of war in order to achieve their goals.
  • An Orks Warboss has amassed a vast fortress filled with all his best gubbinz, so when the Tyranids enter orbit he fights for the Defenders, the better to keep his stuff from getting devoured.
  • The Genestealer Cult of Pankallis rises up to repel an Orks Invasion, joining the forces of the Defenders until such time as their true star saviours arrive to deliver them.
  • A Deathwatch strike force has decided to follow the questionable wisdom and agenda of Kryptman, and so fights for both the Attackers and Defenders at different times - its actions unfathomable to all but the wily Inquisitor.
Equally, if it is just not possible to arrange alliances evenly, then the system will still work with a little extra organisation from the Campaign Master, as described later.

Ways to Play

Once players have been organised into alliances, the Campaign Master should determine the type of play for the campaign: open, matched or narrative play. The Campaign Master will also need to determine the largest battle size (or battle sizes) that will be used in the campaign. It is important for the Campaign Master to specify these from the outset so that each player taking part will have a large enough army to participate and they can be organised accordingly, as well as making sure that the players know which mission packs can be used. Whether the players are looking for a deep narrative experience using Crusade battles, or a test of minds in the crucible of war that is matched play, a Pankallis Assault campaign will support these, and the campaign system will work with any mission pack.

Campaign Length

A Pankallis Assault campaign is split into a number of phases, each of which has 3 stages. Before the campaign begins, the Campaign Master should determine the number of phases in the campaign. Once the final stage of a phase ends, the alliance that won that phase is determined. Once the final stage of the final phase ends, the campaign ends and the overall winning alliance is determined.

A campaign can be a long and expansive experience where each campaign phase takes place over a month, with many battles fought and mighty heroes lost to the fires of war. Equally, it can be a short and focused campaign played over a weekend, with each campaign phase consisting of just one battle representing the key moments of the conflict. Ultimately, the Campaign Master should determine a campaign length that best suits the gaming group taking part, thinking about how regularly they can meet and how many games they are likely to play.

As a guide, if each member of your campaign group will play one game a week, each phase will last 3 weeks. Whilst it is tempting to plan out an epic campaign for galactic domination, we recommend keeping your campaign small, say to 2 or 3 phases. If, at the end of the final phase, all the players are thirsting for more war, the Campaign Master can always decide to add an extra phase (or start a new campaign altogether).

Campaign Phases

For each phase in your campaign, the Campaign Master will first need to create a Campaign Tree and distribute it to the players. This is simply a list of missions that can be played during that phase of the campaign, and a list of bonuses that the players can earn for winning each stage. An example is shown below:


It is very straightforward to create a Campaign Tree and takes mere moments to do. Simply select 6 missions from your desired mission pack(s) and then select 3 Victor Bonuses. A blank Campaign Tree that you can photocopy and fill in can be found here. If you prefer, however, you can use one of the predetermined example Campaign Trees.

Once you have gathered the players into alliances, established the way to play, determined the length of the campaign and created your Campaign Tree(s), it’s time for the invasion of the Pankallis Sub-sector to begin!

VISIONS OF WAR
You can use any mission from any mission pack when creating a Campaign Tree for a Pankallis Assault campaign, but we recommend you first make sure all players taking part have access to them. You can either carefully select specific missions that you think might flow naturally together, or simply randomly select them. You can also select any battle size for any stage in the phase; indeed, there is no requirement for all the missions in a particular stage to use the same battle size if you do not wish them to. Though the choice is completely up to you, we have found you can best represent the escalating nature of a campaign by starting with smaller battle sizes for earlier stages, and having larger battle sizes in later stages. Alternatively, the earlier phases of a campaign could feature smaller battle sizes, and the later phases larger ones.

If, as the Campaign Master, you wish to spend some more time crafting your Campaign Trees to best suit the narrative of your campaign, it can only enhance every player’s experience. Careful selection of specific missions and related Victor Bonuses can set the theme of the campaign and help everyone visualize the main turning points of the war. For example, if we look at the example Campaign Tree above, we can imagine that during stage 1, the Vanguard of an invasion fleet has made planetfall ahead of the main attack wave, and is attempting to subvert the planetary vox net when they encounter a patrol from the defending forces. If the Attackers are successful in stage 1, they will receive orders from high command to push their advantage in stage 2, and seize a holy Relic from the Defenders’ forces, thereby demoralising their entire army in one daring move. However, if the Defenders won stage 1 they are able to use the vox net to raise the alarm planetwide, and the call to mobilise forces and secure supplies ahead of the main invasion is sent out. This is just a simple example of how, with a little thought, you use the Campaign Trees as a storytelling tool for your campaigns.

Campaign Stages

During each stage of a phase, the first mission that every player must play is the same. This is determined by consulting the Campaign Tree for that phase. Any player can play more than one battle per phase if they wish, and subsequent battles played can be the same mission shown in the Campaign Tree, or any other of their choosing if they prefer a bit more variety.

The result of each battle is about more than just personal glory. Your presence contributes to the success of your alliance in the greater war. This is achieved with Planetary Assault points. Each time you play a game, your alliance earns Planetary Assault points as follows:

PLANETARY ASSAULT POINTS
Combat PatrolIncursionStrike ForceOnslaught
Play a game1111
Draw a game1234
Win a game2345

For example, if you play a Combat Patrol game and win, your alliance earns a total of 3 Planetary Assault points.

It is the players’ responsibility to determine how many Planetary Assault points are earned. They then report their results to the Campaign Master, who keeps a record of each alliances total Planetary Assault points. Once the current stage of the campaign phase comes to an end, the victor of that phase is the alliance with the most Planetary Assault points. If the alliances are tied for the most Planetary Assault points, then the alliance that won the most battles during that campaign stage is the victor of that phase. If there is still a tie, the Campaign Master rolls a D6: on a 1-3, the Attacker is the victor, and on a 4-6, the Defender is the victor.

UNEVEN ALLIANCES
If an alliance has an uneven number of players, the Campaign Master is at liberty to reward extra Planetary Assault points to make up the inherent deficit. Perhaps they could set a challenge for one player in each campaign stage, with Planetary Assault points awarded to their alliance for playing that game, and a greater points return if they achieve victory and complete their challenge.

Once the victor is determined, the victorious alliance gains that stages Victor Bonus; all players in that alliance gain the listed Victor Bonus, which they can use for the remainder of the campaign. The players then proceed to the next stage of the campaign, and each alliance’s Planetary Assault points are reset to zero, putting alliances on an equal footing for the next stage of the campaign. The mission played during the next stage depends on which alliance was the victor in the last stage, as shown in the Campaign Tree for that phase.

For example, if we were using the Campaign Tree shown above, all players would play the Recon Patrol mission during stage 1. If the Attackers won stage 1, then they would gain the Command Net Victor Bonus, and all players would play The Relic mission during stage 2. If the Defenders won stage 2, they would gain the Mobile Reserves Victor Bonus and the mission played by all players during the final stage of this phase would be Narrow the Search.

Arranging Games

To play a game, a player must arrange one with a player from the opposing alliance. When they meet on the battlefield, they follow the battle sequence as specified in their mission pack, with the following exception:

Whenever a narrative play or matched play mission instructs players to determine the Attacker or Defender, replace that step of the mission sequence with the following rule:

Planetary Assault: The player from the Attackers Alliance is the Attacker. The player from the Defenders Alliance is the Defender.’

Once the players have finished their game and determined the victor, they earn Planetary Assault points for their alliance, as detailed above.

The Campaign Master has a few options concerning how players are matched up for games. They can leave the players to arrange games themselves, with challenges thrown down and honour at stake - this is perhaps the simplest way of arranging games, and lets the campaign progress naturally with plenty of friendly rivalries to go with it! Alternatively, it may be appropriate to introduce more structure to the matchups. For example, a matchup schedule will ensure that everyone gets an equal amount of games. Or, in campaigns with a large number of players, breaking each alliance into smaller subgroups that are then matched against their enemies can make arranging games even simpler. This can also add to the narrative, as you can imagine each group battling in a different system of the Pankallis Sub-sector.

Winning the Campaign

Once the final phase of the campaign ends, the campaign has reached its conclusion. Alliances have had victories in the various campaign phases, and these victories determine the overall winner of the Pankallis Assault campaign. Each campaign phase provides a Strategic Value to the alliance that was victorious during it, as follows:

CAMPAIGN PHASESTRATEGIC VALUE
11
22
33
etc.etc.

Also, note the Death or Glory Victor Bonus has a Strategic Value of +2 for the alliance that earns it, but only if you are playing an exceptionally long campaign with 4 or more phases.

Once each alliance has determined their total Strategic Value, they should consult the table below to determine who is crowned the overall campaign victor, and what kind of victory (and bragging rights) they have won:

STRATEGIC VALUECAMPAIGN RESULT
Attackers’ Strategic Value is 2 or more than the Defenders’Planet Killer: The Attackers have won a major victory. They have crushed all that dared stand before them, and now an entire world lies dead and burning by their hand. The planets in the surrounding star systems tremble at their approach, fearing they will be next.
Attackers’ Strategic Value is 1 more than the Defenders’World Butcher: The Attackers have won a minor victory. They have shattered a world’s defences and slaughtered its armies, but at a bloody cost.
Attackers and Defenders have same Strategic ValueBloody Stalemate: The campaign is a draw. Despite all efforts, neither side has managed to defeat the other to claim outright victory.
Defenders’ Strategic Value is 1 more than the Attackers’World Sentinel: The Defenders have won a minor victory. Though their world bears terrible scars and their armies have been all but shattered, they have successfully defended their planet from annihilation.
Defenders’ Strategic Value is 2 or more than the Attackers’Custodian Supreme: The Defenders have won a major victory. The invaders were blasted from the skies, smashed against fortress walls and slaughtered in the streets. It will be a lifetime before anyone else is foolish enough to even think about invading the planet again.

Victor Bonuses

When a Campaign Master is creating a Campaign Tree, they can select Victor Bonuses from those below. They can either select the bonuses they feel best fit the narrative of the campaign, or they can select them randomly by rolling a D36. To do so, roll one D3 and one D6: the result of your D3 determines your ‘tens’ and the result of your D6 your ‘units’. For example, if you rolled a D3 and the result was a 2, and you rolled a D6 and the result was a 5, then the D36 result is a 25.

With the exception of Superior Intel, you cannot select a Victor Bonus that has already been used during the campaign. If selecting randomly, re-roll duplicate results. The Victor Bonus for the final stage of the final phase of your campaign must always be Death or Glory (see below) - this cannot be randomly selected or used for any other stage of the campaign.

DEATH OR GLORY

The final battle is at hand, and the fate of the entire planet hangs in the balance. Only death or glory await...

This bonus can only apply to the final stage of a Pankallis Assault campaign. If the campaign lasted for 4 or more phases, increase your alliance’s total Strategic Value by 2.

11. SUPERIOR INTEL

Our spies have uncovered details of the enemy’s plans, allowing us to better organise our own counter-strategies.

At the start of your Command phase, roll one D6. On a 6, you receive 2 Command points for that turn’s Battle-forged CP bonus, instead of 1. If you have this bonus more than once, add 1 to this dice roll for each additional time you have this bonus (to a maximum of +3).
12. VITAL SUPPLIES

By securing critical supply caches, our troops will never run short of vital equipment.

Once per battle, when you use a Wargear Stratagem, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
13. COMMAND NET

Domination of the planetary vox net will ensure your troops can execute your battle plan flawlessly.

Once per battle, when you use a Battle Tactic Stratagem, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
14. LEGENDARY HEROES

The deeds of a few courageous heroes can turn the fate of battle.

Once per battle, when you use an Epic Deed Stratagem, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
15. INSPIRED STRATEGISTS

Your successes are due to your superior use of tactics and strategy.

Once per battle, when you use a Strategic Ploy Stratagem, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
16. STRATEGIC GAMBIT

By committing to this battle you leave other battlefields without reinforcements. Though you take a risk, victory here will require no explanation. Defeat, however, will allow none...

At the start of the battle, you can decide to make a Strategic Gambit. If you do so, and you win the battle, you gain 1 additional Planetary Assault point from that battle. If you do so, and you lose the battle, your opponent gains 1 additional Planetary Assault point from that battle.
21. DELAYING TACTICS

We have hidden reserves that we can deploy if you can hold the enemy at bay for long enough. Total victory is not required for us to achieve our wider goals, but the enemy must not overrun your position.

Each time a battle ends in a draw, you gain 1 additional Planetary Assault point from that battle.
22. LINES OF RETREAT

Maintain your lines of retreat and do not waste the lives of your warriors needlessly.

If you lose a battle, at the end of the battle, roll off with your opponent. If you win the roll-off, you gain 1 additional Planetary Assault point from that battle.
23. ORBITAL SUPERIORITY

If the invading forces dominate the space lanes in this region, they will be able to land forces with impunity. If the garrison maintains a strong orbital defence, any landing craft will be delayed as they have to traverse a withering hail of fire.

If the Attackers Alliance has this bonus and the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, the CPs that a player from that alliance must pay to place their units into Strategic Reserves are all reduced by 1CP. If the Defenders Alliance has this bonus and the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, the CPs that a player from the Attackers Alliance must pay to place their units into Strategic Reserves are all increased by 1CP.
24. SCRAMBLER FIELDS

If the defenders can fully power their scrambler fields, their positions will be obscured from orbital scans. However, if the power sources are destroyed altogether, the defenders will not be able to hide from the invading forces.

If the Defenders Alliance has this bonus and the Concealed Deployment rules are being used, the CPs that a player from that alliance must pay to place their units into Concealed Deployment are all reduced by 1CP. If the Attackers Alliance has this bonus and the Concealed Deployment rules are being used, the CPs that a player from the Defenders Alliance must pay to place their units into Concealed Deployment are all increased by 1CP.
25. TABLES TURNED

By some clever ruse, you have found the means to turn the tables on your foe. Now the prey becomes the hunter.

At the Determine Attacker and Defender step of a mission, you can choose to ignore the Planetary Assault rule and instead follow the rules as presented in the mission sequence.
26. MOBILE RESERVES

Your forces have acquired the means to commit a rapid reaction force into the heart of any battlezone.

Once per turn, if the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, one of your Strategic Reserves units can arrive from Strategic Reserves as though the battle round were 1 higher than it actually is.
31. ELITE KILL TEAM

Your forces contain a cadre of hardened operatives who have proved their merit in prosecuting countless covert operations.

If the Shadow Mission rules are being used, each time you roll to see if one of your units on a Shadow Mission has achieved their Shadow Mission, add 1 to the result.
32. ELITE SENTRIES

Your supply lines are protected by operatives who are trained to patrol and eliminate would-be infiltrators with unnerving lethality.

If the Shadow Mission rules are being used, each time your opponent rolls to see if one of their units on a Shadow Mission has achieved their Shadow Mission, subtract 1 from the result.
33. MASTER OF DECEIT

Whether by using holographic technologies or some other, more primitive decoy, misdirection is a worthwhile strategy.

After both players have deployed their armies, select one unit from your army that is wholly within your deployment zone and redeploy it anywhere in your deployment zone. If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, this unit can be placed into Strategic Reserves instead, without having to spend any additional CPs, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves. If both players have abilities that redeploy units, roll off; the winner chooses who redeploys their units first.
34. SIEGE ASSETS

Fortified strongholds are vital to planetary defence. Their destruction is high on the list of any invader's strategy.

If the Attackers Alliance has this bonus, the Command Cost of Fortification Network detachments included in any army in the Defenders Alliance is changed to 2CP. If the Defenders Alliance has this bonus, the Command Cost of Fortification Network detachments is changed to 0CP, and its Command Benefits are changed to none.
35. FLEXIBLE GOALS

There is more than one way to achieve victory, and our goals must remain fluid.

If you are playing a mission that requires you to select either secondary objectives or Agendas, then after both players have revealed their selections you can select one of your secondary objectives or Agendas, and replace it with a different one (make a note on your army roster as to your new selection and inform your opponent). All the normal rules for selecting secondary objectives and Agendas apply. If both players have a rule that allows them to select new secondary objectives or Agendas, both players make their new selections before revealing them, simultaneously, to their opponent.
36. DEVASTATING ONSLAUGHT

Such is the blow inflicted upon your foes that they still reel from it. They are ill-prepared to mount a defence against your future assaults.

Until the end of the first battle round, each time your opponent uses the Command Re-roll Stratagem, it costs 2CP.

Predetermined Campaign Trees

Below you will find ready to use Campaign Trees for use in a Pankallis Assault campaign. These use missions found in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, and assume all players taking part in the campaign can field Strike Force size armies.

There is one example of a 2-phase campaign that uses the Crusade mission pack, and another that uses the Eternal War mission pack. In both cases, phase 1 is on the top of the page and phase 2 is on the bottom of the page. The Campaign Master should feel free to photocopy and use these, modify them, or simply use them as inspiration when making their own Campaign Trees (a blank Campaign Tree you can photocopy and fill in can be found here:
).


Matched Play Campaign Trees


Campaign Master’s Edicts

Campaign Master’s Edicts are tools the Campaign Master has at their disposal to add further depth to a Pankallis Assault campaign. The Campaign Master should use these at their discretion, if it is appropriate for their gaming group and the circumstances the campaign is built upon.

Concealed Deployment

Concealed Deployment is a means by which one or both sides have chosen to deploy their forces in hiding at the start of the battle, forcing their foes to commit to battle without truly knowing what they will face. These rules explain how to place units into Concealed Deployment, as well as how to reveal them and set them up on the battlefield.

PLACING UNITS INTO CONCEALED DEPLOYMENT
You can only place units into Concealed Deployment if your army is Battle-forged.

Before the battle, at the start of the Deploy Armies step of the mission, you can select one or more units from your army to be placed into Concealed Deployment (TITANIC units, AIRCRAFT units and units with the Fortifications battlefield role cannot be placed into Concealed Deployment). You must pay Command points (CPs) to place your units into Concealed Deployment; the number of CPs required depends on the combined Power Ratings of all the units you wish to place into Concealed Deployment (including those embarked within TRANSPORT models that are themselves placed into Concealed Deployment), as shown in the table below. If you do not have enough CPs for your current band, you must reduce the number of units you wish to place into Concealed Deployment until you do have sufficient CPs.

CONCEALED DEPLOYMENT
COMBINED POWER RATING OF UNITS PLACED INTO CONCEALED DEPLOYMENTCPs TO PLACE INTO CONCEALED DEPLOYMENT
1-141
15-292
30-443
45-594
etc.etc.

CONCEALED DEPLOYMENT COUNTERS
Next, you must assign a unique number for each unit from your army that you placed into Concealed Deployment, and make a note of this on your army roster. During deployment, instead of setting up a Concealed Deployment unit on the battlefield, you instead set up a counter with that unit’s number on it face down (you can alternatively place a number or dice next to the counter, just so long as it corresponds to one of your Concealed Deployment units and is kept secret from your opponent for now). These counters must be set up within your deployment zone - if the unit has a rule that enables it to be set up elsewhere on the battlefield, that rule cannot be used.

REVEALING CONCEALED UNITS
Once both players have finished deploying, but before either player uses any rules that would trigger ‘at the end’ of deployment, the players must reveal their concealed units. To do so, starting with the Attacker, the players alternate selecting one of their Concealed Deployment counters, flipping it over to reveal its number and setting up the corresponding unit. Each time they do so, the first model in the unit being set up must be placed touching the corresponding marker, and the entire unit must be set up wholly within the player’s own deployment zone. That Concealed Deployment counter is then removed. If one player has no Concealed Deployment counters left to reveal, their opponent then reveals all their remaining counters in any order they choose, as described above.

Crusade Rewards

In a narrative play campaign, the Campaign Master can further support Crusade forces by having a selection of bonuses and rewards available for the players. Here are a few ways in which these can be rewarded:

UNDERDOG REQUISITION POINT
At the end of each campaign phase, each player can be awarded 1 additional Requisition point based on if their alliance lost the current phase, representing that alliance calling for aid and doubling their efforts to achieve victory in the following campaign phase. Remember that each player can never have more than 5 Requisition points; any excess points are lost.

EXPERIENCE POINTS
The Campaign Master can award experience points based on how each Crusade force performs on the battlefield. This should be done at the Campaign Master’s discretion in an impartial and consistent manner. Here are some criteria by which the Campaign Master can determine experience rewards (note that these could be communicated as a challenge for the players to achieve):
  • At the end of each campaign phase, each player from the winning alliance gains 5 experience points to distribute freely across units in their Crusade force.
  • If a player defeats an enemy player who defeated them in their previous meeting in the campaign, after that game, the winning player can select one additional unit from their army to be Marked for Greatness.
  • At the end of a campaign phase, if a player lost all the games they played during that phase, they can roll one D6. They gain that many experience points to distribute freely across the units in their Crusade force.
  • Each time a unit that is part of a Crusade force accomplishes a Shadow Mission (below), it earns 1 additional experience point at the end of the battle.

Shadow Missions

Shadow Missions are covert operations that you can assign to one of your units. That unit will not be available to you at the start of the battle, dispatched as it is to achieve a special mission behind enemy lines, but it can be recalled to rejoin your forces later. If this covert team has been successful in their mission, they will have dealt your opponent a crippling blow.

ASSIGNING A SHADOW MISSION
If you have placed any INFANTRY units (excluding CHARACTER units) into Strategic Reserves, you can select one of them that has either the Troops or Elites battlefield role and that contains 10 or fewer models. That unit can be sent on a Shadow Mission behind enemy lines - simply select one of the Shadow Missions from those listed below and make a note of it on your roster. You can either select the mission, or you can randomly determine it by rolling a D6. Once both players have assigned a Shadow Mission (if any) they then reveal their selections to their opponent.

ACCOMPLISHING SHADOW MISSIONS
During your Command phase in battle round 2, if you have a unit on a Shadow Mission, roll one D6 (if the unit has the Elites battlefield roll, you can re-roll a result of 1) and apply any Shadow Mission modifiers from the following table that are applicable to the unit:

SHADOW MISSION MODIFIERS
Unit has a Power Rating of 2 or less-1
Unit has a Power Rating between 6-10+1
Unit has a Power Rating of 11++2

Once you have applied all relevant modifiers, consult the Shadow Mission table below. If the result equals or beats the number specified for battle round 2, that unit has successfully accomplished its mission and its result is applied for the remainder of the battle. You can now either recall that unit - in which case it must arrive from Strategic Reserves this turn - or you can order it to continue its Shadow Mission (if the unit accomplished its mission, it must be recalled).

If it continues its Shadow Mission, then during your Command phase in battle round 3, roll one D6 (if the unit has the Elites battlefield roll, you can re-roll a result of 1), and then apply any relevant Shadow Mission modifiers - as described in the table to the left - before consulting the Shadow Mission table again. If the result equals or beats the number specified for battle round 3, that unit has now successfully accomplished its mission and its result is applied for the remainder of the battle. In either case, that unit must now be recalled and it must arrive from Strategic Reserves this turn.

When a unit that is sent on a Shadow Mission arrives from Strategic Reserves, roll one D6 for each model in that unit. For each roll of 1, one model (of your choice) in that unit is destroyed to represent the casualties suffered during the Shadow Mission. This may trigger a Morale test later this turn.

Shadow MissionRoll to Succeed On Battle Round:Result if Accomplished
23
1. Disrupt Supply Lines: Attack the enemy supply lines to create a distraction that diverts the enemy’s attention and resources away from the front lines.6+5+At the start of each of your opponent’s Command phases, roll one D6; on a 5+, your opponent does not receive a Battle-forged CP bonus that turn.
2. Demolish Ammo Cache: Infiltrate enemy territory and sabotage any ammunition dumps and weapon stores you find.5+5+The cost of all Wargear Stratagems your opponent has access to is increased by 1CP.
3. Capture and Interrogate: Capture an enemy officer and interrogate them in order to learn the foe’s plans.6+6+The cost of all Strategic Ploy Stratagems your opponent has access to is increased by 1CP.
4. Daring Raid: Mount a raid to steal one of the enemy’s prized relics, thereby demoralizing their forces and humiliating their leaders.6+5+The cost of all Epic Deeds Stratagems your opponent has access to is increased by 1CP.
5. Sabotage Comms Network: Deploy scramblers, vox Jammers and any other means you can to disrupt the foe’s means of communication.6+5+The cost of all Battle Tactic Stratagems your opponent has access to is increased by 1CP.
6. Assassinate Command Structure: If you can assassinate the enemy’s rear-echelon command structure, their army will be thrown into disarray.7+6+The cost of all Core Stratagems your opponent has access to is increased by 1CP.

Crusade Rules

This section contains the following additional rules:

CAMPAIGN BADGE
At the end of every battle that is part of a Pankallis Assault campaign, every unit that was part of your Crusade army in that battle that does not already have it gains the Pankallis Assault campaign badge. Such a unit gains the PANKALLIS ASSAULT keyword.

BATTLE TRAITS
Various units can be given one of the Battle Traits presented below as they gain experience during a Pankallis Assault campaign and are promoted in your Crusade force. These help to better reflect the unique upgrades and Battle Honours that are earned by fighting in War Zone Octarius.

REQUISITIONS
In a Pankallis Assault campaign, Crusade forces have access to a number of additional Requisitions inspired by the events of the War Zone Octarius campaign. You can find these here.

CAMPAIGN AGENDAS
If you are playing a Pankallis Assault campaign with Crusade forces, you can use the Campaign Agendas presented here. Unlike normal Agendas, which are goals your army is attempting to achieve during one battle, Campaign Agendas are overarching goals that your Crusade force can attempt to accomplish over the course of the whole campaign.

FORTIFICATION UPGRADES
The Fortification Upgrades can be used to bolster the defensive power of your strongholds. As fortifications cannot gain Battle Honours, this represents the only way to enhance these units in your Crusade games.

While ideal to represent the many fortifications present on the garrison worlds of Octarius as part of a Pankallis Assault campaign, these upgrades are not limited to such a campaign, and can be used for any Crusade force that has any UNALIGNED BUILDING models in its Order of Battle.

Battle Traits

When a PANKALLIS ASSAULT unit gains a Battle Trait, you can use one of the tables below instead of one from another source to determine what Battle Trait the unit has gained. To do so, roll one D6 and consult the appropriate table, or choose a Battle Trait from the appropriate table that tells the best narrative for your unit. All the normal rules for Battle Traits apply (e.g. a unit cannot have the same Battle Trait more than once). As with any Battle Honour, make a note on the unit’s Crusade card when it gains a Battle Trait and increase its Crusade points accordingly, as described in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book.

PANKALLIS ASSAULT UNITS (EXCLUDING MONSTERS AND VEHICLES)
D6TRAIT
1Destined for Greatness

This unit’s natural battlefield acumen marks them for greatness.

Each time this unit is Marked for Greatness, it gains 5 experience points instead of 3.
2Phantom Scouts

This unit’s knowledge of stealth capabilities is such that they approach the battlefield as invincible phantoms.

  • If the mission uses the Concealed Deployment rules, this unit can be placed into Concealed Deployment without having to spend any additional CPs, regardless of how many units are already in Concealed Deployment.
  • Until the start of the second battle round, each time a ranged attack is made against this unit, this unit receives the benefits of Light Cover.
3Elite Operatives

This unit excels at performing operations behind enemy lines.

  • If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, this unit can be placed into Strategic Reserves without having to spend any additional CPs, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves.
  • If a Shadow Mission is assigned to this unit, each time you roll a D6 to see if that Shadow Mission is successful, add 1 to the result.
4Planetary Invader

This unit has been in the vanguard of a dozen planetary invasions.

  • Whilst this unit is wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone, it has the Objective Secured ability. If this unit already has the Objective Secured ability, then while it is wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone, models in this unit count as one additional model when determining control of an objective marker.
  • Enemy units cannot fire Overwatch or Set to Defend against this unit.
5Planetary Defender

These warriors have stood against several invasion forces, and none have broken through their defences.

  • While this unit is wholly within your deployment zone, it has the Objective Secured ability. If this unit already has the Objective Secured ability, then while it is wholly within your deployment zone, models in this unit count as one additional model when determining control of an objective marker.
  • Each time an enemy unit declares a charge against this unit, if this unit is not within Engagement Range of any enemy units, it can either Set to Defend or Hold Steady.
6Sentinel

These warriors are seemingly possessed of a sixth sense, and are adept at ambushing would-be ambushers.

At the end of the Reinforcements step of your opponent’s Movement phase, if this unit is not in Engagement Range of any enemy units, it can shoot as if it were your Shooting phase, but its models can only target a single eligible enemy unit that is within 12" of their unit and was set up as Reinforcements this turn when doing so.
PANKALLIS ASSAULT MONSTER AND PANKALLIS ASSAULT VEHICLE UNITS
D6TRAIT
1-2Engine of Glory

This unit’s battlefield record is as inspiring to allies as it is terrifying to enemies.

Each time this unit is Marked for Greatness, it gains 5 experience points instead of 3.
3-4Instrument of Destruction

All that stand before this behemoth invite only death and destruction.

Each time a model in this unit makes an attack, on an unmodified wound roll of 6, improve the Armour Penetration characteristic of that attack by 1. This is not cumulative with any other ability that improves the Armour Penetration characteristic of an attack.
5-6Linchpin

This unit is key to the battle plans of this world, either to defend it, or to see it burn.

  • If this unit is part of the Attackers Alliance when it gains this trait, each time a model in this unit makes an attack, the target does not receive the benefits of cover to its saving throw against that attack.
  • If this unit is part of the Defenders Alliance when it gains this trait, each time an attack with an Armour Penetration characteristic of -1 is allocated to a model in this unit, that attack has an Armour Penetration characteristic of 0 instead.

Requisitions

You can spend Requisition points (RPs) on the Crusade Faction Requisitions listed below in addition to those found in other sources. Some of these can only be used if your Crusade force has a certain Faction keyword (e.g. IMPERIUM).

These Requisitions can only be purchased immediately before or after playing a battle that is part of a Pankallis Assault campaign; each time such a Requisition is purchased, the Planetary Assault points you contribute to your alliance for that battle is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

BEHIND ENEMY LINES1RP

Small groups of highly skilled operatives can infiltrate behind enemy lines and inflict crippling damage on the enemy.

Purchase this Requisition when you have assigned a Shadow Mission to a unit from your Crusade army. You can now select a second INFANTRY unit (excluding CHARACTER units) that has 10 or fewer models from your army that you placed into Strategic Reserves, that has either the Troops or Elites Battlefield Role. Assign a Shadow Mission to that unit as well (you must select a different Shadow Mission; if randomly selecting Shadow Missions, re-roll duplicates). At the end of the battle, if both units successfully achieved their Shadow Missions, you gain 1 Requisition point and 1 Planetary Assault point.
GLORY SEEKERS1RP

Some warlords in the Octarius System fight not to achieve the goals of their alliance, but for personal glory.

Purchase this Requisition after a battle. You can select one additional Campaign Agenda (you cannot select the Planetary Saviour or Destroyer of Worlds Campaign Agendas and you cannot select the same Campaign Agenda more than once during the same campaign).
GARRISON WORLD STRONGHOLDS1RP

The fortifications within the Octarian System are built to withstand protracted assaults.

Purchase this Requisition after a battle, before rolling to see if any BUILDING models in your Crusade force lose any Fortification Upgrades as a result of being destroyed during that battle. Such upgrades are only lost after this battle on rolls of 1, instead of 1-3.

IMPERIUM
INQUISITORIAL AGENDA1RP

In helping an Inquisitor to achieve their own inscrutable agenda, a few honoured Imperium servants earned the gratitude of the Holy Ordos, and the reward for a job well done is typically... another job.

Purchase this Requisition when you are selecting Agendas. You can select one additional Agenda to use in that battle.

ORKS
OCTARIAN RUKKBOYZ2RP

The Octarian Empire has bred some of the meanest, ’ardest mobs of greenskins there are. When the Tyranids arrived, Orks only thrived in the fighting, always up for a challenge and always spoiling for a good fight.

Purchase this Requisition when you add a BOYZ unit to your Order of Battle.
  • That unit gains the OCTARIAN RUKKBOYZ keyword, its Power Rating is increased by 1 and every model in that unit has a Strength characteristic of 5.
  • That unit gains 6 experience points (and therefore gains the Blooded rank). Select one Battle Honour for them as normal.
Your Crusade force can only contain one OCTARIAN RUKKBOYZ unit, and you cannot purchase this Requisition if doing so would cause your total Power Level to exceed your Crusade forces Supply Limit.

TYRANID <HIVE FLEET>
VANGUARD MIND FEEDER1RP

One of the driving imperatives imparted to Tyranid vanguard organisms during the first stage of a planetary invasion is to devour the brains of the prey’s leaders using their feeder tendrils, so they can learn of the foe’s defences and battle strategies.

Purchase this Requisition at the end of a battle if, during that battle, a <HIVE FLEET> GENESTEALER, LICTOR, TOXICRENE or VENOMTHROPE unit from your Crusade army destroyed the enemy WARLORD with a melee attack. That TYRANID unit gains 5 experience points and you gain 2 Planetary Assault points.

Campaign Agendas

If you are playing a Pankallis Assault campaign with Crusade forces, then at the start of the campaign, after players have been organised into alliances, each player can select two different Pankallis Campaign Agendas from those listed below. These must be noted on your Order of Battle, and your Campaign Master should also keep a list of them.

Some Campaign Agendas will instruct you to keep a certain tally. These tallies will then be used to determine if you achieved any Campaign Agendas, and how many experience points certain units in your Crusade force earned from them. You can use the Crusade Goals section of your Order of Battle to keep track of these tallies.

DESTROYER OF WORLDS
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Make planetfall without delay. Crush all opposition before you.

At the end of the campaign, if you are part of the Attackers Alliance and you won the campaign, you gain 5 experience points for each phase in that campaign, to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).
PLANETARY SAVIOUR
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Any who dare invade this world court destruction against your defences.

At the end of the campaign, if you are part of the Defenders Alliance and you won the campaign, you gain 5 experience points for each phase in that campaign, to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).
FLAWLESS EXECUTION
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Victory requires no explanation. Defeat allows none.

At the end of the campaign, if your alliance won every stage of one or more phases of the campaign, you gain 6 experience points to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force.
HEROIC WAR EFFORT
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Winning the war is more important than personal agendas.

Keep a Heroic War Effort tally. Each time you contribute a Planetary Assault point to your alliance during the campaign, add 1 to your Heroic War Effort tally. At the end of the campaign:
FIRST AMONG EQUALS
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Prove that you are the most powerful warlord in your alliance.

You can only select this Campaign Agenda if there are 2 or more players in your alliance. Keep a First Among Equals tally. At the end of each stage of a campaign, if you contributed the most Planetary Assault points to your alliance, add 1 to your First Among Equals tally. At the end of the campaign, you gain a number of experience points equal to double your First Among Equals tally to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force. In addition, if your First Among Equals tally is 5 or more, you gain D3 Requisition points.
SHADOW WAR
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Prosecute a successful Shadow War to undermine your foes’ war efforts.

Keep a Shadow War tally. Each time a unit from your Crusade force successfully accomplishes a Shadow Mission:
  • Add the SHADOW OPERATIVES keyword to that unit’s Crusade card.
  • Add 1 to your Shadow War tally.
At the end of the campaign, if your Shadow War tally is 3 or more, you gain 6 experience points to distribute freely across SHADOW OPERATIVES units in your Crusade force.
AGE OF HEROES
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

In these desperate times, many a legend will rise.

Keep an Age of Heroes tally. Each time a CHARACTER unit from your Crusade force gains a rank during the campaign, add 1 to your Age of Heroes tally. At the end of the campaign, if your Age of Heroes tally is 5 or more, you gain 6 experience points to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT CHARACTER units in your Crusade force.
EMPIRE BUILDER
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

The conflict in the Octarius sector represents an opportunity to build your forces and grow your empire.

Keep an Empire Builder tally. Each time you use the Increase Supply Limit Requisition during the campaign, add 1 to your Empire Builder tally. At the end of the campaign:
FORGED IN BATTLE
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

You can temper the battle skills of your warriors in the fires of Octarius.

Keep a Forged in Battle tally.
  • Each time a PANKALLIS ASSAULT unit from your army gains a Crusade point during the campaign, add 1 to your Forged in Battle tally.
  • Each time a PANKALLIS ASSAULT unit from your army loses a Crusade point during the campaign, subtract 1 from your Forged in Battle tally (to a minimum of 0).
At the end of the campaign, if your Forged in Battle tally is 10 or more, you gain 5 experience points to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force.
RELIC HUNTER
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Rumours abound of powerful relics lost in the Octarius sector, awaiting rediscovery.

Keep a Relic Hunter tally. Each time a PANKALLIS ASSAULT CHARACTER from your Crusade force gains a Crusade Relic during the campaign:
At the end of the campaign, if your Relic Hunter tally is 6 or more, you gain 10 experience points to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT CHARACTER units in your Crusade force that gained a Crusade Relic during the campaign (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).
HEADHUNTERS
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Cut off the head and the body shall die.

Keep a Headhunters tally. Each time a unit from your Crusade force destroys an enemy WARLORD during the campaign:
  • Add the Headhunters keyword to that unit’s Crusade card.
  • Add 1 to your HEADHUNTERS tally.
At the end of the campaign, if your Headhunters tally is 3 or more, you gain 9 experience points to distribute freely across HEADHUNTERS units in your Crusade force (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).

Fortification Upgrades

Units with the Fortification Battlefield Role that are part of your Crusade force cannot gain experience points and cannot gain Battle Honours, but you can use the rules presented here to purchase upgrades for them.

You can upgrade any UNALIGNED BUILDING model in your Crusade force at any time before or after a battle by spending 1 Requisition point. You then select one of the upgrades listed below and make a note of that upgrade on that model’s Crusade card. Each time you purchase a Fortification Upgrade for an UNALIGNED BUILDING model, that unit’s Power Rating is increased by 1 (if the BUILDING model is TITANIC, its Power Rating is increased by 2 instead). You cannot purchase a Fortification Upgrade if doing so would cause your total Power Level to exceed your Crusade forces Supply Limit.

A BUILDING model can have a maximum of 3 Fortification Upgrades, and it cannot be given the same upgrade more than once.

If a BUILDING model with any Fortification Upgrades is Destroyed during a battle, then at the end of the battle, at the same time you take Out of Action tests, you must roll one D6 for each upgrade that BUILDING model has. On a 1-3, that upgrade is lost; remove it from that model’s Crusade card and reduce that model’s Power Rating accordingly. You can purchase that Fortification Upgrade for that BUILDING model again if you wish, as described above.

The Fortification Upgrades available are:

Ammo Store

Extra crates of ammunition have been stockpiled within this fortification, ready to be distributed to garrisoning troops.

Each time a model embarked in this BUILDING model makes a ranged attack, re-roll a hit roll of 1.

Minefield

This fortification is protected by a hidden minefield - an explosive surprise for the first souls foolhardy enough to assault it.

The first time an enemy unit ends a charge move within Engagement Range of this BUILDING model, roll three D6s for each VEHICLE or MONSTER model in the charging enemy unit, and one D6 for every other model in the charging enemy unit. For each result of 6, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound (to a maximum of 6 mortal wounds).

Escape Hatch

This fortification maintains a concealed escape route.

You can only use this upgrade on a BUILDING model that has the TRANSPORT keyword. If this BUILDING model is destroyed, you can immediately use the Emergency Disembarkation Stratagem once for 0CP. In addition, if this BUILDING model is destroyed, you do not need to roll to see if any of the models embarked within it are destroyed as a result; none of these models will be destroyed.

Magos Machine Spirit

This fortification itself is semi-intelligent, imbued with a machine spirit with an improved control over its arsenal.

  • This BUILDING model loses its Automated Weapons ability.
  • This BUILDING model does not suffer the penalty incurred to its hit rolls for firing Heavy weapons at enemy units that are within Engagement Range of it.

Searchlights

Searchlights are often fitted to fortifications to spot approaching enemies who lurk in the dark.

At the start of your Shooting phase, select one enemy unit within 24" of this BUILDING model. Until the end of the phase, each time a model from your army makes a ranged attack against that enemy unit, the target does not receive the benefits of cover against that attack.

Void Shield

This fortification houses an ancient void shield.

This BUILDING model has 5+ invulnerable saving throw (if this BUILDING model is a VOID SHIELD GENERATOR, it instead has a 4+ invulnerable saving throw).

Underground Bunker

This stronghold boasts extensive subterranean quarters suitable to house a large garrison.

You can only use this upgrade on a BUILDING model that has the TRANSPORT keyword. The transport capacity of this BUILDING model is increased by 5 models.

Reinforced Walls

The armoured walls of this stronghold have been bolstered to weather the most furious attacks.

Increase the Wounds characteristic of this BUILDING model by 2.

Sanctified Foundations

The bones of blessed saints are built into the foundations of this fortress to assist in wars against the supernatural.

Each time this BUILDING model would lose a wound as the result of a mortal wound, roll one D6: on a 5+, that wound is not lost.

Defensive Auto-feeder

The defensive weapons mounted on this stronghold are fed from an extensive magazine by servo auto-feeders.

Each time this BUILDING model makes a ranged attack with a weapon that has a Strength characteristic of 6 or less, an unmodified hit roll of 6 scores one additional hit.

Book 2: Critical Mass

The Swarmlord’s aggressive surge towards Octaria broke the stalemate in the Octarius System into a desperate war of attack, defence and denial. While the Orks attempted to hold off the Tyranid onslaught, many other factions were called to battle, either taking advantage of the carnage or attempting to negate the gains made by other forces. Maintaining the stalemate that had so far held both the Ork and Tyranid forces in check would keep the xenos’ attention focused inwards, rather than towards other nearby sectors. Over the following pages, you will find a campaign system that allows you and a group of players to retell the events of the War Zone Octarius story for yourselves, in the onslaught within the Octarius System.

While one-off games against favoured opponents and new foes alike offer plenty of fun and enjoyment, campaigns are something special, adding even more excitement, consequence and narrative to every tabletop clash. By entering a campaign, you get to take part in not just one game, but a series of interlinked battles. You’re not just playing to see who wins, but to seize hard-fought territory or resources, avenge an earlier defeat or earn fresh rewards for your army. Before each battle, you determine context: where the conflict is taking place, why, and what stakes and consequences it will have. At each game’s end, you discover what cost the battle has levied on your forces, and what experience or potent relics they have gained. If participating as part of a team, you play knowing your fellow campaign commanders are battling at the same time on nearby tabletops, all of you fighting for the same goal. It is an exciting and immersive experience.

At its heart, playing in a campaign is a narrative experience that forges war stories you and your fellow commanders will share for years to come. It can be the highlight of an entire gaming year, and can spawn future events where you revisit old grudges or beloved settings. Whether you’re completely new to campaign gaming, or a veteran looking for a new thrill, all you need to do is gather your armies and read on to discover how to get the most out of War Zone Octarius.

Introduction

An Octarius System campaign allows a group of players to get together, form alliances and play a series of games. It is split into campaign phases, each of which consists of multiple battles fought with unique rules inspired by the key stages in War Zone Octarius. At the end of each campaign phase, the alliance with the most War Zone points achieves victory in that phase, then each alliance starts again for the following campaign phase, meaning the outcome of the campaign is at stake in each and every game from start to finish.

Campaign Master

An Octarius System campaign is best run with a Campaign Master. This is a heroic individual who takes on the mobilisation and organisation of the campaign so that the other players can focus on playing games. A Campaign Master is in a privileged position that offers a degree of leadership to the individual who takes on the role, however, its primary purpose is to facilitate a smooth and enjoyable experience for all players involved. A Campaign Master can indeed play in the campaign, but in larger campaigns that include a multitude of players, it may be they prefer to solely oversee the campaign rather than play in it. In any case, the job of a Campaign Master is very easy, and we have provided simple instructions you can follow, and even predetermined examples of Octarius System campaigns you can use straight away, should you wish. You may wish to have several players share the role, perhaps with each taking responsibility for a separate campaign phase.

Below we will refer to the Campaign Master and how they can go about organising an Octarius System campaign. Campaign Master Edicts are useful tools and rules ideas that the Campaign Master can use to add further excitement to the campaign. These are by no means essential, however. If this is the first campaign for many of the players, or they would otherwise prefer to keep things as simple as possible, then Campaign Master Edicts are not necessary for an Octarius System campaign.

Ways to Play

The first step in the Octarius System campaign is for the Campaign Master to determine the type of play for the campaign: open, matched or narrative play. The Campaign Master will also need to determine the battle size (or battle sizes) that will be used in the campaign, and which mission packs they will draw missions from. It is important for the Campaign Master to specify these from the outset so that each player knows what to expect from the campaign before committing to it. We would always encourage a Campaign Master to take advice from their proposed group of players on which type of play is preferred, and what size armies players are able to muster for the Faction or Factions they wish to use for the duration. Taking part in a campaign of this type is a collaborative effort and requires agreement and cooperation from all involved to ensure that it both runs smoothly and that the maximum amount of enjoyment can be experienced by each participant.

Players and Alliances

Once a Campaign Master has stepped forward, their first task in organising an Octarius System campaign is to gather the players and sort them into alliances. The system is flexible enough to support various numbers of people; an experienced Campaign Master could run the campaign for dozens of gamers, and equally just two players could use the system to tie the results of their regular games together into a greater whole. The campaign is at its best, however, with a small group of like-minded and enthusiastic players who can meet on a regular basis, and who can be evenly distributed across the alliances. The Octarius System campaign can use either two or three alliances - the Attackers and the Defenders are the two core alliances. If you have three or more players and wish to add a twist to your campaign, you can also use the third alliance - the Agents of Disruption.

These alliances should be organised evenly and, where possible, based on the Faction being played, so have a chat with the group to determine this. Once players are assigned to an alliance, their army is committed to the cause and will do their all to achieve victory. For this reason, players should play the same Faction throughout the campaign. If they wish to change their Faction, they can do so at the Campaign Masters discretion. The alliances are as follows:
  • Defenders - The planets of the Octarius Sector are held in the iron grip of the Overfiend and his Orks. Other forces will be attempting to resist the relentless Tyranid onslaught and maintain the current stalemate, in order to ensure the safety of surrounding systems. An army with the Orks keyword is best suited to this alliance, but any force that would benefit from the Tyranid forces being denied victory, or the stalemate continuing, can also be included.
  • Attackers - The Tyranids and their Swarmlord are single-minded in their determination to reach Octaria and absorb the biomass gathered there. At the same time, cult uprisings within the Human slave populations - as well as other forces who would seek the downfall of the Orks - are at play in the sector. An army with the Tyranids keyword is best suited to this alliance, but any other Faction that might seek to raid or disrupt the Ork defenders is also appropriate.
  • Agents of Disruption - The Octarius Sector is a battleground where both the Tyranids and Orks are under constant manipulation by exterior forces, ensuring that neither is able to gain the upper hand and threaten nearby Imperial worlds. These forces work from the shadows, but occasionally conduct larger strikes against specific targets. Any army that might seek to disrupt the Attacking or Defending forces is suited to this alliance.
These alliances allow for a well-rounded campaign, with each side battling back and forth for dominance or, in the case of the Agents of Disruption, to maintain the status quo.

Allies of Convenience

Note that the bullet points opposite are guidelines on how to organise players into an alliance, rather than requirements. If it suits the group better to organise the alliances differently, then the Campaign Master should feel free to do so. For example, if many of the players in the group play armies associated with a single alliance, then - to make the alliances more evenly numbered - some of them may have to fight for a different alliance than we have recommended. This is fine. You could always create some interesting narrative to explain why that side chose to fight for a different alliance.

Here are a few examples:
  • The Aeldari seek to contain Hive Fleet Leviathan. They appear from hidden webway gates and fight on the side of the Ork Defenders, then disappear again before the ignorant greenskins are able to bring forces to bear against them.
  • A Necron stasis-tomb lies beneath the surface of one of these worlds. Undisturbed thus far, they finally awaken, marching forth for the Agents of Disruption in order to deny the occupying Orks or the invading Tyranids the resources of a world the Necrons see as theirs.
  • A force of Chaos Space Marines are secreted on multiple worlds that have been devastated by the Blood Crusade. They seek to enact a ritual to open several portals to the warp, joining the Defenders in holding back the Tyranid assaults until their daemonic allies can arrive to drown the Octarius System in blood once more.
Equally, if it is just not possible to arrange alliances evenly, then the system will still work with a little extra organisation from the Campaign Master, as described later.

Campaign Length

An Octarius System campaign is split into up to 5 phases, each of which has 3 stages. Before the campaign begins, the Campaign Master should determine the number of phases in the campaign, to a maximum of five. Once the final stage of a phase ends, the alliance that won that phase is determined. Once the final stage of the final phase ends, the campaign ends and the overall winning alliance is determined.

A campaign can be a long and expansive experience where each campaign phase takes place over a month, with many battles fought and mighty heroes lost to the fires of war. Equally, it can be a short and focused campaign played over a weekend, with each campaign phase consisting of just one battle representing the key moments of the conflict. Ultimately, the Campaign Master should determine a campaign length that best suits the gaming group taking part, thinking about how regularly they can meet and how many games they are likely to play.

As a guide, if each member of your campaign group will play one game a week, each phase will last three weeks. Whilst it is tempting to plan out an epic campaign for galactic domination, we recommend keeping your campaign small, say to 2 or 3 phases. If, at the end of the final phase, all the players are thirsting for more war, the Campaign Master can always decide to start a new campaign altogether. The rules provided in the Campaign Masters Edicts ensure that even replaying the same phase can feel dramatically different with a few aspects altered.

Campaign Phases

Each phase of the campaign is set on a different world in the path of the Tyranid onslaught. For each phase in your campaign, the Campaign Master must select one of the four outlying worlds: Badsquig, Gork’s Bonce, Dakkazot or Urmuk. The final phase of the campaign will be played on Octaria. Each of these worlds has a corresponding campaign tree, which the Campaign Master will need to create and then distribute to the players to use for that phase. This is simply a list of missions that can be played during that phase of the campaign, and a list of bonuses that the players can earn for winning each stage. Each phase will also contain a legendary mission, unique to that phase. An example is shown below:


It is very straightforward to create a Campaign Tree and takes mere moments to do. For each stage, select two missions of different battle sizes from your desired mission pack(s) and then select three Victor Bonuses. A blank Campaign Tree that you can photocopy and fill in for each of the phases can be found here. If you prefer, however, you can use one of the predetermined example Campaign Trees in this book. Each phase will also have a Legendary Mission that fills one slot in that phase. Once you have established the way to play, gathered the players into alliances, determined the length of the campaign and created your Campaign Tree(s), it’s time for the war in the Octarius System to begin!

Missions and Mission Packs

You can use any mission from any mission pack when creating a Campaign Tree for an Octarius System campaign, but we recommend you first make sure all players taking part have access to them. You can either carefully select specific missions that you think might flow naturally together, or simply randomly select them. You can also select any battle size for any stage in the phase; indeed, there is no requirement for all the missions in a particular stage to use the same battle size if you do not wish them to. Though the choice is completely up to you, we have found you can best represent the escalating nature of a campaign by starting with smaller battle sizes for earlier stages, and have larger battle sizes in later stages. Alternatively, the earlier phases of a campaign could feature larger battle sizes, and the later phases smaller ones.

Campaign Stages

Each campaign phase begins on stage one. The result of each battle is about more than just personal glory. Your presence contributes to the success of your alliance in the greater war. This is achieved with War Zone points. Each time you play a game, your alliance earns War Zone points as follows:

WAR ZONE POINTS
Combat PatrolIncur­sionStrike ForceOn­slaught
Play a game1111
Draw a game123*4
Win a game234*5

*If the Strike Force mission being played is a Legendary Mission, score 1 additional War Zone point.

For example, if you play a Combat Patrol game and win, your alliance earns a total of 3 War Zone points.

It is the players’ responsibility to determine how many War Zone points are earned. They then report their results to the Campaign Master, who keeps a record of each alliance’s total War Zone points. Once the current stage of the campaign phase comes to an end, the victor of that phase is the alliance with the most War Zone points. If any alliances are tied for the most War Zone points, then the tied alliance that won the most battles during that campaign stage is the victor of that phase. If there is still a tie, the Campaign Master rolls a D6 to randomly determine which of the tied alliances is victorious.

Once the victor is determined, the victorious alliance gains that stage’s Victor Bonus; all players in that alliance gain the listed Victor Bonus, which they can use for the remainder of the campaign. The players then proceed to the next stage of that phase of the campaign, and each alliance’s War Zone points are reset to zero, putting alliances on an equal footing for the next stage of the campaign. The missions available to be played during the next stage depends on which alliance was the victor in the last stage, as shown in the Campaign Tree for that phase. If the Agents of Disruption are victorious in a stage, they can choose which branch of the tree is used next. This could be decided by a vote, or the Campaign Master can nominate a player from that alliance who has performed admirably during that stage to choose.

For example, if we were using the Campaign Tree Shown opposite, all players would play the Sweep and Clear or Recon Patrol Mission during stage 1. If the Attackers won stage 1, then they would gain no Victor Bonus and all players would play Assassinate or The Relic mission during stage 2. If the Agents of Disruption won stage 2, they would gain the Strategic Thinkers Victor Bonus, and they could decide whether the missions played by all players during the third stage of this phase would be The Ritual or Raze and Ruin, or Behind Enemy Lines or Ambush. If the Defenders won stage 3, they would gain the Indomitable Defenders Victor Bonus, and then all players would play the Break the Stalemate Legendary Mission in Stage 4 - the winning alliance of this stage gains the Scouting Forces Victor Bonus.

UNEVEN ALLIANCES
If an alliance has an uneven number of players, the Campaign Master is at liberty to reward extra War Zone points to make up the inherent deficit. Perhaps they could set a challenge for one player in each campaign stage, with War Zone points awarded to their alliance for playing that game, and a greater points return if they achieve victory and complete that challenge.

Arranging Games

To play a game, a player must arrange one with a player from an opposing alliance. That player and their opponent will then decide which of the two missions listed for that stage they wish to play. This may be negotiated, determined due to the amount of time or size of armies available, or simply determined by rolling a D6. When they meet on the battlefield, they follow the battle sequence as specified in their mission pack, with the following exception:

Whenever a narrative play or matched play mission instructs players to determine the Attacker or Defender, replace that step of the mission sequence with the following rule:

Surgical Strikes: The player from the Agents of Disruption alliance is the Attacker, and their opponent is the Defender. If neither player is from the Agents of Disruption alliance, then the player from the Attackers alliance is the Attacker and the player from the Defenders alliance is the Defender.’

Once the players have finished their game and determined the victor, they earn War Zone points for their alliance, as detailed above.

The Campaign Master has a few options concerning how players are matched up for games. They can leave the players to arrange games themselves, with challenges thrown down and honour at stake - this is perhaps the simplest way of arranging games, and lets the campaign progress naturally with plenty of friendly rivalries to go with it!

Alternatively, it may be appropriate to introduce more structure to the match-ups. A match-up schedule will ensure that each alliance gets an equal amount of games, as well as ensuring players are able to take a week off if required without affecting the overall result. For example, in a campaign where each alliance has 5 players (giving an odd numbered total of 15), it will be impossible to match every player up with an opponent in each stage. Setting a schedule that requires 4 of the 5 players to play a game in that stage will mean that players can take a break when required, as well as ensuring that each alliance plays an even number of games and therefore has an equal chance to score War Zone points. This can also add to the narrative, as you can imagine each group battling in a different system of the Octarius System.

The number of games played in each stage can also be varied. The Campaign Master may decide that each player will play one game during each stage, or that each Faction has a maximum number of games that they can score points from. This is purely at the Campaign Master’s discretion, and will be affected by player count as well as numerous other factors.

Legendary Missions

Each campaign phase contains one Legendary Mission, which must be played during that stage instead of any other missions. Each Legendary Mission is based on a key conflict during a different phase of the War Zone Octarius campaign, and each is set on a different world within that system. They are different to missions you will find in mission packs, in that they have a variety of unique mission rules that add additional narrative to the battle. Note that these missions can be played by following the mission sequence from any mission pack. That means that in a matched play campaign, the players should select secondary objectives as normal, and in a narrative play campaign using Crusade forces, the players should select Agendas as normal. These Legendary Missions have been designed for use with Strike Force size battles, but the Campaign Master should feel free to adjust these missions for Combat Patrol, Incursion or Onslaught size battles if they so choose. The Legendary Missions can be found here.

Winning the Campaign

Once the final phase of the campaign - the Octaria phase - ends, the campaign has reached its conclusion. Alliances have had victories in the various campaign phases, and these victories determine the overall winner of the Octarius System campaign. Each campaign phase provides a Strategic Value to the alliance that was victorious during it, as follows:

CAMPAIGN PHASESTRATEGIC VALUE
11
22
33
etc.etc.

Also, note the Final Stand Victor Bonus has a Strategic Value of +2 for the alliance that earns it, but only if you are playing an exceptionally long campaign that uses all 5 phases. Once each alliance has determined their total Strategic Value, they should consult the table below to determine who is crowned the overall campaign victor, and what kind of victory (and bragging rights) they have won:

STRATEGIC VALUECAMPAIGN RESULT
Attackers have the highest Strategic Value.The Swarm Victorious: Both the Orks and the Agents of Disruption caught up in the conflict are utterly destroyed. The Overfiend is cast down, and the greenskin biomatter is consumed by the Tyranid host.
Defenders have the highest Strategic Value.Waaagh!: The Orks have held firm, destroying both the Tyranid assault and the machinations of the Agents of Disruption. The Overfiend mounts the Swarmlord’s head upon his banner, his might undisputed. With their forces tempered by battle - and no longer impeded by the tendrils of Leviathan - the greenskins now pose a grave threat to surrounding systems.
Agents of Disruption have the highest Strategic Value.Disrupted: The Agents of Disruption can continue their operations unimpeded. All threats to their plans have been eliminated, and it is likely that both the Ork and Tyranid forces will never again gain enough momentum to trouble this region.
All alliances have the same Strategic Value.A Bloody Stalemate: The campaign is a draw. Despite all efforts, neither side has managed to defeat the other to claim outright victory. The Octarius System war will rage on...

Victor Bonuses

When a Campaign Master is creating a Campaign Tree, they can select Victor Bonuses from those below. They can either select the bonuses they feel best fit the narrative of the campaign, or they can select them randomly by rolling a D36. To do so, roll one D3 and one D6: the result of your D3 determines your ‘tens’ and the result of your D6 your ‘units’. For example, if you rolled a D3 and the result was a 2, and you rolled a D6 and the result was a 5, then the D36 result is a 25.

If selecting randomly, re-roll duplicate results. The Victor Bonus for the final stage of the final phase of your campaign must always be Final Stand - this cannot be randomly selected or used for any other stage of the campaign.

FINAL STAND

The final battle looms. All our hopes and resources are pinned on it. The other worlds of the Octarius System lie behind us, and we must succeed here or be lost entirely.

This bonus can only apply to the final stage of an Octarius System campaign. If the campaign lasted for 5 phases, increase your alliances total Strategic Value by 2.

11. CHAMPIONS OF THE CAUSE

Some among our forces show exceptional promise, setting an example to all who witness them fight.

Once per battle, during the Resolve Pre-battle Abilities step, you can select one unit with the Elites Battlefield Role (excluding VEHICLE or MONSTER units). That unit has the following ability:

Champions (Aura): While a friendly unit is within 6" of this unit, add 1 to that unit’s Leadership characteristic.’
12. MIGHTY HERO

Our leaders must be paragons of battle, their every strike perfect, their every parry expertly timed.

Once per battle, when you use the Command Re-roll Stratagem to re-roll a hit roll, a wound roll, a damage roll or a saving throw for your WARLORD, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
13. VETERAN INFILTRATORS

Our forces have become adept at avoiding the attention of the enemy, moving around their positions without being noticed.

Once per battle, during the Resolve Pre-battle Abilities step, you can select one unit (excluding VEHICLE or MONSTER units). Redeploy that unit. If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, that unit can be placed into Strategic Reserves without having to spend any additional CPs, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves. If both players have abilities that redeploy units, roll off; the winner chooses who redeploys their units first.
14. SCOUTING FORCES

Our forces are able to move stealthily into forward positions to ambush the foe.

Once per battle, during the Resolve Pre-battle Abilities step, you can select one unit (excluding VEHICLE or MONSTER units) that is wholly within your deployment zone. That unit can immediately make a Normal Move of up to 6" as if it were your Movement phase.
15. STRATEGIC THINKERS

Battlefield experience has given some among our forces a superb grasp of tactics and strategy.

At the start of your Command phase, if your WARLORD is on the battlefield, roll one D6; on a 5+, the Battle-forged CP bonus grants you one additional CP this turn (this will typically mean you gain 2CP, rather than 1).
16. INDOMITABLE DEFENDERS

Our forces have learned how to gain maximum protection from even scant cover.

At the start of the battle, you can select one INFANTRY unit from your army. While that unit has the benefit of Light Cover, it has the following ability:

Solid Defence: Each time an attack with an Armour Penetration characteristic of -1 is allocated to a model with this ability, that attack has an Armour Penetration characteristic of 0 instead.’
21. HIDDEN INTELLIGENCE

Undercover agents supply us with excellent intelligence on enemy movements. We know how to stay one step ahead.

Each time a battle ends in a draw, you gain 1 additional War Zone point from that battle.
22. SHADOW OPERATIONS

Elite kill teams are causing havoc behind enemy lines, destroying supplies, delaying reinforcements and ensuring our offensive maintains momentum.

At the end of each battle, roll one D6; on a 5+, you gain 1 additional War Zone point from that battle.
23. SUPERIOR LOGISTICS

The efficiency of our supply trains means that anything our forces need can be delivered in an instant, ensuring ammunition is always plentiful and bellies are always full.

When building your army, the Command Cost of each Vanguard Detachment is reduced by 1CP.
24. COMMUNICATIONS COVERAGE

Rotating code-forms ensure that our communications systems remain active, with full coverage of the war zone. We can continually supply targeting information to our heaviest forces without slowing their advance.

When building your army, the Command Cost of each Spearhead Detachment is reduced by 1CP.
25. ORBITAL SCANS

Utilising orbital imagery, our rapid assault forces always know the lay of the land and are able to use the local terrain to their advantage.

When building your army, the Command Cost of each Outrider Detachment is reduced by 1CP.
26. SUPPORTING ARTILLERY

Well-placed artillery can cover our every advance and pound the enemy into submission.

In your first Command phase, roll one D6 for each enemy unit on the battlefield. On a 6, that enemy unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
31. UNDERMINING OPERATIONS

We have tunnelled beneath the enemy’s defensive positions, ready to collapse them at a moment's notice.

Once per battle, in your first Command phase, you can trigger a collapse. Select one terrain feature on the battlefield that has the Light Cover trait. That terrain feature loses the Light Cover trait and gains the Breachable and Difficult Ground traits.
32. SUPREME GAMBIT

Much of our strength lies in wait to be the hammer. The remainder of our forces are the anvil. They must hold, no matter the cost, until the time is right to strike our foes.

If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, you can set up additional units, to a maximum total Power Level of 20, in Strategic Reserves for no cost, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves.

If you used this ability to set up units with a total Power Level of between 5 and 15 in Strategic Reserve and you win or draw the battle, gain 1 additional War Zone point. If you used this ability to set up units with a total Power Level of 16 or more in Strategic Reserve and you win or draw the battle, gain 2 additional War Zone points.
33. DECEITFUL TACTICS

Using fake communications, holographic imagery or other misdirection, we can leave the enemy unsure of our forces' true positions.

After both players have deployed their armies, select up to two units from your army and redeploy them wholly within your deployment zone. If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, any of those units can be placed into Strategic Reserves without having to spend any additional CPs, regardless of how many units are already in Strategic Reserves. If both players have abilities that redeploy units, roll off; the winner chooses who redeploys their units first.
34. COUNTER-ASSAULT

Spotting a weakness in the foe as they extend their lines, our forces strike back, driving a wedge into their defences.

If you lost your previous battle, do not use the rules described in the Determine First Turn step of the mission pack. Instead, you can choose whether you will take the first or second turn.
35. MASTERFUL DEFENCE

Every assault, push and trick the enemy attempts breaks like waves upon the shore of our defence lines.

If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules and your opponent wishes to place any units into Strategic Reserves, add 1 to the CP cost.
36. ALL OUT OFFENSIVE

The time is now. We have committed everything to breaking the enemy's will to fight. If we succeed, nothing can stop us.

If the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules and you wish to place any units into Strategic Reserves, subtract 1 from the CP cost.

Predetermined Campaign Trees

Below you will find some ready to use Campaign Trees - for both matched play and narrative play - that you can use in an Octarius System campaign. These use missions found in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, and assume all players taking part in the campaign can field Strike Force size armies.

The Campaign Master should feel free to photocopy and use these, modify them, or simply use them as inspiration when making their own Campaign Trees (a blank Campaign Tree you can photocopy and fill in can be found here:
).





Matched Play Campaign Trees





Campaign Tree References




*Legendary Mission played will depend on what phase this is, as shown below:

PHASELEGENDARY MISSION
BadsquigBreak the Stalemate
Gork’s BonceInto the Maelstrom
DakkazotCollapse Zone
UrmukCapture the Station
OctariaBreak Their Back

Campaign Master’s Edicts

Campaign Master’s Edicts are tools the Campaign Master has at their disposal to add further depth to an Octarius System campaign. The Campaign Master should use these at their discretion, if it is appropriate for their gaming group and the circumstances the campaign is built upon. To use them, the Campaign Master simply declares to the players which of these edicts will be active and for how long - be it the rest of the phase, a single stage or the rest of the campaign. Once active, the selected edict(s) apply to all games played in that Octarius System campaign.

Full-scale Bombardment

With such large forces at work, heavy fire support is plentiful, whether from emplaced artillery behind the lines or even orbital assets. These are not limitless, however, and command over their application is assigned to more senior officers within a force fighting in theatre, and with a direct view of the battle at hand.

Each army can perform a number of bombardment attacks during the battle, based on the total combined Power Rating of the units with the HQ Battlefield Role and SUPREME COMMANDER keyword within your army. Add up the total combined Power Ratings of the units with the HQ Battlefield Role and the SUPREME COMMANDER keyword from your army that are on the battlefield, or embarked upon TRANSPORT units that are on the battlefield at the start of the first battle round, then consult the table below to determine how many bombardment attacks you can make during the battle.

FULL-SCALE BOMBARDMENT
COMBINED POWER RATING OF UNITS ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITH THE HQ BATTLEFIELD ROLE AND SUPREME COMMANDER KEYWORDFULL-SCALE BOMBARDMENT ATTACKS
1-100
11-201
21-302
31+3
etc.etc.

Each turn, in their Command phase, a player can resolve one bombardment attack. Once a player has resolved all of their bombardment attacks, they cannot resolve any more for the rest of that battle.

To resolve a bombardment attack, that player selects a point on the battlefield that is visible to a unit with the HQ Battlefield Role and SUPREME COMMANDER keyword from their army, or a TRANSPORT unit that has one of these units embarked upon it, and places a marker on that point. The players then roll off, with the player resolving the attack adding 1 to their roll. The winner can move the marker a number of inches equal to the difference between the rolls. If the roll is tied, the marker does not move. Once the final position of that marker is determined, roll one D6 for each unit that is within 3" of the centre of that marker, subtracting 1 if that unit is an INFANTRY CHARACTER unit. On a 5+, that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Critical Missions

There are turning points in any conflict that can signal a shift in momentum, such as a desperate last stand or an overwhelming assault against a battered foe. Such missions are often high-risk, but the rewards can change the course of that war.

At the start of any campaign stage, the Campaign Master can decide that the battles fought during that stage will be Critical Missions for one or more alliances. They may choose to apply this to all alliances if the campaign is closely fought, or only to one alliance if they believe that alliance could use a slight helping hand. The Campaign Master can either select one of the Critical Missions listed below as appropriate, or simply allow players to select - or even randomly generate - one during the Read Mission Briefing step of each battle. Each Critical Mission will describe the conditions under which it is successful, and the reward gained for succeeding.

If they wish, the Campaign Master may assign several Critical Missions to a particular stage, or combine two Critical Missions together, whereby both conditions must be met for that mission to be successful, but if it is, both rewards are earned.

CRITICAL MISSIONS
D6CRITICAL MISSIONREWARDS
1Eliminate Commanders

The enemy cannot fight without their commanders.

This Critical Mission is successful if all enemy CHARACTER models have been destroyed at the end of the battle.
2Infiltrate

Push forward into enemy territory and report your findings.

This Critical Mission is successful if, at the end of the battle, you have one or more units from your army within 6" of your opponent’s battlefield edge.
3Salvage Data

We have identified an enemy unit bearing crucial data. Destroy them and take it.

At the start of the first battle round, select one enemy unit that was set up in your opponent’s deployment zone. This Critical Mission is successful if that enemy unit is destroyed while a unit from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT units) is within 6" of it.
4Safeguard

The enemy seeks the death of one of our high-ranking commanders. Do not allow them to succeed.

At the start of the first battle round, your opponent can select one CHARACTER unit from your army. This Critical Mission is successful if that unit is on the battlefield at the end of the battle.
5Hold the Line

If the enemy break through here, all is lost. Hold them back at all costs.

This Critical Mission is successful if, at the end of the battle, there are no enemy units within 6" of your battlefield edge.
6Protect the Assets

Crucial assets have been placed under our care. Do not allow the enemy to take them.

If this mission uses objective markers, select one that is not in either player’s deployment zone. If this mission does not use objective markers, instead, during the Place Objective Markers step, set one up in the centre of the battlefield. This Critical Mission is successful if, at the end of the battle, you control that objective marker.

Crusade Rewards

In a narrative play campaign, the Campaign Master can further support Crusade forces by having a selection of bonuses and rewards available for the players. Here are a few ways in which these can be awarded:

Underdog Requisition Point

At the end of each campaign phase, each player can be awarded 1 additional Requisition point based on if their alliance lost the current phase, representing that alliance calling for aid and doubling their efforts to achieve victory in the following campaign phase. Remember that each player can never have more than 5 Requisition points; any excess points are lost.

Experience Points

The Campaign Master can award experience points based on how each Crusade force performs on the battlefield. This should be done at the Campaign Masters discretion in an impartial and consistent manner. Here are some criteria by which the Campaign Master can determine experience rewards (note that these could be communicated as a challenge for the players to achieve):
  • At the end of each campaign phase, each player from the winning alliance gains 5 experience points to distribute freely across units from their Crusade force.
  • If a player defeats an enemy player who defeated them in their previous meeting in the campaign, after that game, the winning player can select one additional unit from their army to be Marked for Greatness.
  • At the end of a campaign phase, if a player lost all the games they played during that phase, they can roll one D6. They gain that many experience points to distribute freely across the units from their Crusade force.
Phase 1 – Legendary Mission

Badsquig: Break the Stalemate

MISSION BRIEFING
The endless stalemate in the Octarius System is shifting. The grinding war of attrition is breaking apart. Forces from all sides strike hard, seeking to push back their enemy’s position and unseat its forces from this world.

MISSION RULES
Grinding Front Lines: If both players have units with the Objective Secured ability within range of an objective marker, neither player controls that objective marker. If a player controls an objective marker at the start of their Command phase, they can move that objective marker up to 6", directly towards their opponent’s battlefield edge. An objective marker can never move more than 6" away from the centre line.

War, From Horizon to Horizon: Strategic Reserve units from your army cannot be set up within your opponents deployment zone.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Victory points are awarded as follows:

FRONT LINES
Progressive Objective

The front lines are constantly in motion, with each side desperate to push back their foe.

At the end of each players Command phase, the player whose turn it is scores 5 victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • They control one or more objective markers.
  • Two or more objective markers are closer to their opponent’s battlefield edge than their own.
  • Three or more objective markers are closer to their opponent’s battlefield edge than their own.
This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
WAR OF ATTRITION
End Game Objective

Our enemy seeks to overwhelm us. Destroy them.

At the end of the game, each player adds up the total Power Rating (or, if your game is using a points limit, the points value) of each unit from their army that has been destroyed. The player with the lowest total scores 10 victory points.
VICTOR BONUS
If this battle was a Crusade battle, the victor can select two units from their army to be Marked for Greatness after the battle, instead of just one.

Phase 2 – Legendary Mission

Gork’s Bonce: Into the Maelstrom

MISSION BRIEFING
As the forces descend on the supa-rok Gork’s Bonce, the vast Mek-created landscape is alive with bizarre defences and clanking weapons factories. Those attempting to assault it are blasted with incandescent beams, or crushed to paste as gravity is brutally amplified around them.

MISSION RULES
Descending Swarms: If one of the players is from the Attackers alliance, that player is always the Attacker in this mission. Otherwise, use the Arranging Games rules.

Objective Markers: At the end of the Determine Attacker and Defender step, the Defender can set up a total of four objective markers on the battlefield. Two of these cannot be set up in either player’s deployment zone, and must be set up more than 6" away from each other and 9" away from any battlefield edges. These are Beta objectives. The other two must be set up wholly within the Defender’s deployment zone, more than 6" away from any other objective markers and more than 9" away from any battlefield edges. These are Alpha objectives.

Defensive Systems: In the Defender s Command phase, the Defender rolls one D6 for each Alpha or Beta objective marker, adding 2 to the result if that objective is an Alpha objective. On a 6+, the closest enemy unit (excluding CHARACTER units) that is within 12" of that objective marker suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Units from the Attacker’s army can perform the following action:

Disable Defences (Action): One INFANTRY unit from your army can start to perform this action at the end of your Movement phase if it is within range of the Alpha objective marker that has not been disabled. It cannot start this action while there are any enemy units (excluding AIRCRAFT units and units with the Fortification Battlefield Role) in range of the same objective marker. This action is completed at the end of your turn. If this action is completed, that objective marker is disabled. It is no longer considered to be an Alpha or Beta objective marker for the purposes of the Defensive Systems mission rule.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Victory points are awarded as follows:

FEND OFF THE ASSAULT
Progressive Objective

The defending forces fight frantically to keep their weapons active.

At the end of the Defenders Command phase, they score 5 victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • They control one or more objective markers.
  • They control one or more Alpha objective markers.
  • They control one or more Beta objective markers.
This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
DESTROY DEFENCES
Progressive Objective

The attacking forces push through the deluge of fire, securing key locations despite taking heavy casualties.

At the end of the Attackers Command phase, they score 5 victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • They control one or more objective markers.
  • One or more Beta objective markers have been disabled.
  • One or more Alpha objective markers have been disabled.
This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
VICTOR BONUS
If this battle was a Crusade battle, the victor of this mission increases their Requisition points to 5. If the Attacker is the victor, and three or more objective markers have been disabled, the Attacker’s WARLORD is Marked for Greatness in addition to any other units. If the Defender is the victor, and one or fewer objective markers have been disabled, the Defender’s WARLORD is Marked for Greatness in addition to any other units.

Phase 3 – Legendary Mission

Dakkazot: Collapse Zone

MISSION BRIEFING
As the battle rages on the surface of Dakkazot, subterranean burrowers cause sections of the battlefield to collapse beneath the feet of warring forces. Both armies must now fight to escape the unfolding disaster.

MISSION RULES
Triggered Collapse: Around the outside of the battlefield are 6 trigger points for each player (Defenders trigger points are shown in blue, Attackers trigger points are shown in red). At the start of each battle round, the player who is taking the first turn rolls one D6; on a 5+, a collapse has been triggered. If a collapse is triggered, each player randomly determines one of their trigger points by rolling one D6. Once both trigger points have been determined, draw a straight line between the two points. Each unit this line passes over suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Unstable Surroundings: Reinforcement units from your army cannot be set up within your opponents deployment zone.

Escape the Collapse: If a unit from a player’s army is within 1" of their opponent’s battlefield edge, at the end of that player’s Movement phase, that unit can escape. Remove that unit from the battlefield. That unit cannot return to the battlefield and is considered to have escaped.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Victory points are awarded as follows:

ESCAPE
End Game Objective

Forces press forwards in a desperate attempt to escape this deadly environment.

At the end of each player’s turn, they score victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • Score 1 victory point for each unit that was at or below Half-strength that escaped the battlefield this turn.
  • Score 2 victory points for each unit (excluding TITANIC units) that was not below Half-strength that escaped the battlefield this turn.
  • Score 5 victory points for each TITANIC unit that escaped the battlefield this turn.
VICTOR BONUS
If this battle was a Crusade battle, each unit from the victor’s army that escaped gains 1 experience point. If that unit was above Half-strength, it gains 2 experience points instead.

Phase 4 – Legendary Mission

Urmuk: Capture the Station

MISSION BRIEFING
At Urmuk, immense forces clashed in the void and aboard enormous orbital junka-stations, the battles upon which were particularly perilous. There was much indiscriminate fire, and many stations were struck by ramming attacks from both sides as conflict raged within.

MISSION RULES
Impact Zones: At the end of each battle round, the player who took the second turn randomly determines which of the Impact Zones is affected by an impact. The player who took the first turn then rolls one D6 and consults the following table:

D6TYPE OF IMPACT
1-3Void Munition Strike: Each player rolls one D6 for each unit from their army that is within the affected Impact Zone. On a 6, that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
4-6Voidcraft Collision: Each player rolls one D6 for each unit from their army that is within the affected Impact Zone. On a 6, until the end of the next battle round, each time a model in that unit makes an attack, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.

Boarding Pod Arrival: Reinforcement units that are set up within an Impact Zone are not eligible to declare a charge in the turn in which they are set up.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Victory points are awarded as follows:

YARD BY YARD
Progressive Objective

Every step forward is a step towards our victory. Hold as much ground as possible and deny it to the enemy.

At the end of each players Command phase, the player whose turn it is scores 5 victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • They control one or more objective markers.
  • They control two or more objective markers.
  • They control more objective markers than their opponent controls.
This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
SECURE THE CORRIDOR
End Game Objective

Establishing a beachhead at the far end of the corridor is essential to securing the area, enabling us to spread our forces throughout the station.

At the end of the battle, each player should add up the total Power Level of units from their army that are wholly within their opponent’s deployment zone. If a unit that is in their opponent’s deployment zone is below Half-strength, halve the Power Rating of that unit (rounding up). The player with the highest total scores 20 victory points.
VICTOR BONUS
If this battle was a Crusade battle, each unit from the victor’s army that is within their opponent’s deployment zone gains 1 experience point. The victor also gains 2 Requisition points.

Phase 5 – Legendary Mission

Octaria: Break their Back

MISSION BRIEFING
At Octaria, vast armies clash in battle. The only way to break this stalemate is to seek out the enemy commanders and destroy them, before driving their routed forces from the field.

MISSION RULES
Leadership Points: At the start of each player’s first Command phase, that player must allocate 30 Leadership points, as evenly as possible, between the CHARACTER units from their army that are on the battlefield, noting this down on their army roster. If a player’s army has no CHARACTER units, 10 Leadership points are instead allocated to that player’s WARLORD unit. If a unit that has any Leadership points allocated to it leaves the battlefield for any reason, with the exception of embarking on a TRANSPORT unit, that unit’s Leadership points are immediately lost.

Set An Example: Each time an enemy CHARACTER unit with any Leadership points allocated to them is destroyed by an attack made by a CHARACTER from your army, allocate a number of additional Leadership points to your CHARACTER unit equal to the number of Leadership points that enemy CHARACTER unit had allocated to them.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Victory points are awarded as follows:

HEADHUNTERS
Progressive Objective

The enemy commanders must be located and struck down as swiftly as possible.

At the end of each player’s turn, they score victory points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 15 victory points):
  • Score 5 victory points if any enemy units that had Leadership points allocated to them have been destroyed.
  • Score 5 victory points if the total number of Leadership points allocated to enemy units on the battlefield (or embarked on a TRANSPORT unit that is on the battlefield) is 20 or less.
  • Score 5 victory points if the total number of Leadership points allocated to enemy units on the battlefield (or embarked on a TRANSPORT unit that is on the battlefield) is 9 or less.
This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Progressive Objective

Our commanders must be at the forefront of the battle, setting an example to those who follow them.

At the end of each player’s Command phase, the player whose turn it is scores 10 victory points if a unit from their army that has any Leadership points allocated to it is within range of an objective marker.

This mission objective cannot be scored during the first battle round.
VICTOR BONUS
If this battle was a Crusade battle, each unit from the victor’s army that has any Leadership points allocated to them, and is within range of an objective marker at the end of the battle, is Marked for Greatness.

Crusade Rules

In this section you’ll find additional rules for playing Crusade battles with your army during an Octarius System campaign, such as Crusade Relics that are inspired by the conflict in the Octarius System. You can find out more about Crusade armies in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book.

This section contains the following additional rules:

CAMPAIGN BADGE
At the end of every battle that is part of an Octarius System campaign, every unit that was part of your Crusade army in that battle that does not already have it gains the OCTARIUS SYSTEM campaign badge. Such a unit gains the Octarius System keyword. Note that it keeps this keyword, and therefore any associated Battle Honours, for future battles, even if those battles are not part of an Octarius System campaign.

CRUSADE RELICS
In addition to the Crusade Relics presented in other sources, this section contains a selection of Crusade Relics that can be selected for OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTERS when they gain a Battle Honour. Below you will find a number of Artificer Relics that can be selected for OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTERS even after your Octarius System campaign has finished.

In addition, whilst playing an Octarius System campaign your OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTERS can also gain Antiquity Relics. These are divided into three groups, and access to them is available to armies that have fought as part of a specific alliance in the Octarius System campaign, be it the Defenders, Attackers or Agents of Disruption. Note that the Crusade Relics below are only available to the applicable units while your army is taking part in the Octarius System campaign.

Crusade Relics

When an OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTER gains a Crusade Relic you can instead select one of the Relics from the appropriate list below. All the usual rules for selecting Crusade Relics, as described in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book, apply.

Artificer Relics

An OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTER can be given one of the following Artificer Relics, instead of one of the ones presented in other sources.

Order of the Octarian Star

The wars in the Octarius System are some of the most bitterly fought in the galaxy. A significant portion of the Imperial forces that are fed into this deadly meat grinder never see the end of battle. However, for those who perform admirably and survive in the face of the elemental forces, the rewards are great.

IMPERIUM model only. At the end of the battle, in the Update Experience Points step, if the bearer destroyed any enemy units during that battle, it gains one additional experience point. In addition, if the bearer destroyed any enemy OCTARIUS SYSTEM WARLORD models during that battle, it gains one additional experience point.

Da Overfiend’s Second-best Basha

The Overfiend is a ferocious and adaptable fighter. When Hive Fleet Leviathan arrived in the Octarius Sector, he soon discovered that the enormous iron club he favoured was not as effective at staving in the reinforced chitinous skulls of the biggest Tyranid beasts as he’d hoped. When he discarded it, his boyz ensured that it was still put to good use.

ORKS model equipped with big choppa or ’uge choppa only. This Relic replaces a big choppa or ’uge choppa and has the following profile:
WEAPON
RANGE
TYPE
S
AP
D
Da Overfiend’s Second-best Basha
Da Overfiend’s Second-best Basha
Melee
Melee
+3
-3
3

The Swarm Crown

This adaptation was first seen on the battlefields of the Octarius System. It is thought that the crown’s spiny protrusions enhance the bearer’s synaptic control over their underlings. Whatever the reason, creatures with this adaptation direct the tides of Tyranid creatures like a conductor at the centre of a concerto.

TYRANID SYNAPSE or PATRIARCH model only. The bearer has the following ability:

The Swarm Crown (Aura): In your Command phase, you can select one friendly TYRANID unit that is within 6" of the bearer. Until your next Command phase:
If that unit is performing an action, it can shoot without that action failing.
That unit is eligible to declare a charge in a turn in which it Fell Back.’

The Eye of Octaria

This jagged talisman absorbed countless souls during the Blood Crusade. Found at the bottom of a gore-filled crater by those dedicated to the Dark Gods, it promises untold power to any who can bind it to their will - as long as they feed its insatiable hunger for souls.

CHAOS model only.
  • Add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of the bearer.
  • Each time the bearer makes a melee attack, add 1 to that attack’s wound roll.
  • At the end of the battle, in the Update Crusade Cards step, if 7 or less enemy models were destroyed by a melee attack made by the bearer, the bearer must take an Out of Action test (subtract 1 from the roll when doing so). TITANIC models count as 10 models for this ability.

Multi-target Tracking Node

This targeting scanner is developed to allow Battlesuits to rapidly track individual enemies within the vast hordes of troops deployed by Ork and Tyranid forces in the Octarius System. Its multiple lenses ensure that each shot finds a new target, preventing already slain foes from absorbing shots meant for their nearby fellows.

T’AU EMPIRE BATTLESUIT model only. Each time the bearer makes a ranged attack that targets an enemy unit with a Starting Strength of 11 or more, you can re-roll that attack’s wound roll.

The Orb of the Awakeners

This orb - containing potent control engrams - allows the bearer to directly control the countless Necron Canoptek constructs that maintain the deathless legions. When it is activated, these constructs strike with a viciousness previously unseen.

NECRONS model only. In your Command phase, you can select one friendly CANOPTEK unit that is within 6" of the bearer. Until your next Command phase:
  • Improve that unit’s Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill characteristics by 1 (to a maximum of 3+).
  • Add 1 to charge rolls made for that unit.

Mask of Morai-Heg

The scale of bloodshed in the Octarius System drew many followers of the Crone Goddess to the area. It is said that those who view the universe through the eyes of this mask can see the very flow of souls on their way to the warp. It even allows the wearer to see their own fate played out in visions, though whether they seek to embrace or thwart that fate is up to them - presuming Morai-Heg allows it.

AELDARI model only.
  • Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 5+, that wound is not lost.
  • Each time an Out of Action test is failed for the bearer, you can re-roll that test.

Antiquity Relics

An OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTER of Heroic rank can be given one of the following Antiquity Relics instead of one of the ones presented in other sources. Add 1 to a unit’s total Crusade points for each Antiquity Relic it has - this is in addition to the +1 from gaining a Battle Honour, for a total of +2.

The following Antiquity Relics are only available to OCTARIUS SYSTEM CHARACTERS during the Octarius System campaign. Each is only available to armies that are part of a campaign alliance, and can only be selected while your army is part of the stated campaign alliance. Each time one of these Antiquity Relics is selected, the War Zone points you contribute to your alliance in your next battle is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

Tyrant Skull Totem

Many forces attempting to resist the onslaught of the Hive Mind have found that the skulls of leader-beasts often retain an echo of psychic dominance, causing temporary confusion in the smaller, subservient beasts of the Tyranid swarm. They have also been shown to affect other creatures whose brain patterns are susceptible to the shadow in the warp.

Defender alliance only. Each time an enemy unit makes a melee attack against the bearer:
  • Subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
  • If that enemy unit is a TYRANID unit (excluding SYNAPSE units), subtract 1 from that attack’s wound roll.

Disruption Orb

This orb broadcasts disruptive sonic frequencies shown to cause extreme discomfort to nearby organisms, especially those with higher brain function. When activated, they have provided a crucial, if temporary break from many who seek respite from their foes.

Agents of Disruption alliance only. Once per battle, at the start of the Fight phase, you can activate this Relic. When you do so, select one enemy unit that is within 3" of this model. That enemy unit is not eligible to fight until after all eligible units from your army have done so.

Amplification Node

Implanted into the bearer, this node amplifies psychic brain activity, overwhelming those who would seek to deny their domineering will.

Attacker alliance PSYKER model only. Once per Psychic phase, when you take a Psychic test for this model, you can re-roll that Psychic test.

Glossary

Below you will find a glossary that contains a number of terms used in those books.


Book 1: Rising Tide

Alliances: For a Pankallis Assault campaign, players are organised into one of two teams, known as alliances; the Attackers or the Defenders. The results of each of their games contribute to their alliance’s overall result.

Army of Renown: A variant army list for a Faction that can be used in your games of Warhammer 40,000 to represent a specialised force. It must be Battle-forged, cannot include any Specialist detachments, and will have other specific restrictions that must be adhered to. Doing so, however, will provide you with unique benefits.

CADIAN Detachment: A detachment that only includes CADIAN units (excluding units that are listed in the Advisors and Auxilla section of Codex: Astra Militarum).

Campaign Agendas: Aset of goals and achievements you can use when playing a Pankallis Assault campaign with your Crusade force. When complete, each will reward one or more of the units in your Crusade force with a number of experience points.

Campaign Badge: A keyword a unit gains if it was part of your Crusade army in a Pankallis Assault campaign.

Campaign Master: The individual who organises and runs a Pankallis Assault campaign.

Campaign Master’s Edicts: Optional rules for a Campaign Master to use when running a Pankallis Assault campaign.

Campaign Phase: A Pankallis Assault campaign is split into one or more phases, as decided by the Campaign Master at the start of the campaign.

Campaign Stage: Each phase of a Pankallis Assault campaign is split into 3 stages in which players play games.

Campaign Tree: Each phase of a Pankallis Assault campaign is described by a Campaign Tree which shows which missions are used during each stage, and what the Victor Bonuses for each stage are.

Codex Supplement: Cadia: Additional rules for ASTRA MILITARUM detachments drawn from CADIA.

Concealed Deployment: A Campaign Master’s Edict that players can use to set up their units using Concealed Deployment markers, to add an element of secrecy to their force’s deployment.

Fortification Upgrades: Upgrades available to UNALIGNED BUILDING units in your Crusade force.

Kill Team Strike Force: An Army of Renown for the DEATHWATCH.

LEVIATHAN Detachment: A detachment that only includes LEVIATHAN units.

Pankallis Assault Campaign: A campaign system for your games of Warhammer 40,000 inspired by the events of War Zone Octarius Book 1.

Planetary Assault Points: These are used to determine the winner of a campaign stage. They are most commonly achieved by playing games in a Pankallis Assault campaign.

Shadow Mission: A Campaign Master’s Edict that players can use to send one of their units placed into Strategic Reserves on a covert operation behind enemy lines.

Strategic Value: At the end of a Pankallis Assault campaign, the alliance with the highest total Strategic Value - earned by winning a campaign phase - is the overall winner.

Synaptic Link ability: Synaptic Link abilities are always denoted by ‘(Synaptic Link)’ after the ability’s name. They can affect friendly models or units that are within Synaptic Link Range of the unit that has this ability. A unit can only be selected for one Synaptic Link ability per battle round. If a <HIVE FLEET> unit is within Synaptic Link Range of a friendly <HIVE FLEET> SYNAPSE unit, it can be affected by that unit’s Synaptic Link abilities.

Synaptic Link Range: If a <HIVE FLEET> unit is within 12" of a <HIVE FLEET> SYNAPSE unit with a Synaptic Link ability, it is within Synaptic Link Range. If an uninterrupted chain of any number of <HIVE FLEET> SYNAPSE units, each within 12" of one another, exists between these two units, and the two units are within 12" of the chain, the <HIVE FLEET> unit is within Synaptic Link Range.

TYRANIDS Detachment: A detachment that only includes TYRANID <HIVE FLEET> units.

Victor Bonus: A bonus that all players in an alliance gain during a Pankallis Assault campaign if their alliance wins a particular stage of the campaign. The Victor Bonus gained for winning a stage can be found on the Campaign Tree for that campaign phase.

Book 2: Critical Mass

Adrenaline Junkies: An ability for SPEED FREEKS units from a Speed Mob Army of Renown.

Alliances: For an Octarius System campaign, players are organised into one of three teams, known as alliances: the Attackers, the Defenders or the Agents of Disruption. The results of each of their games contribute to their alliance’s overall result.

Army of Renown: A variant army list for a Faction that can be used in your games of Warhammer 40,000 to represent a specialised force. It must be Battle-forged, cannot include any Specialist Detachments, and will have other specific restrictions that must be adhered to. Doing so, however, will provide you with unique benefits.

Archeotech Curiosity: A type of Crusade Relic available to your army through Requisitions, while your Order of Battle contains a ROGUE TRADER unit.

Campaign Badge: A keyword a unit gains if it was part of your Crusade army in an Octarius System campaign.

Campaign Master: The individual who organises and runs an Octarius System campaign.

Campaign Master’s Edicts: Optional rules for a Campaign Master to use when running an Octarius System campaign.

Campaign Phases: An Octarius System campaign is split into several phases, as decided by the Campaign Master at the start of the campaign.

Campaign Stage: Each phase of an Octarius System campaign is split into stages in which players play games.

Campaign Tree: Each phase of an Octarius System campaign is described by a Campaign Tree, which shows which missions are used during each stage and what the Victor Bonuses for each stage are.

Codex Supplement: Blood Axes: Additional rules for ORKS Detachments from the BLOOD AXES clan.

Critical Mission: A Campaign Master’s Edict that allows players to receive additional rewards for accomplishing specific tasks during a battle.

Full-scale Bombardment: A Campaign Master’s Edict that allows players to call in powerful artillery strikes during Octarius System campaign battles.

Index: Astra Cartographica: Rules for including ROGUE TRADERS units in your army.

Legendary Mission: A unique mission to each phase of the Octarius System campaign, played at the end of each phase, and inspired by a key event from War Zone Octarius Book 2: Critical Mass.

Loot Vehicle: A Mek Job available to Ork Crusade Armies, which allows you to add unique new datasheets to your Order of Battle by spending Scrap points.

Octarius System Campaign: A campaign system for your games of Warhammer 40,000 inspired by the events of War Zone Octarius Book 2: Critical Mass.

Speed Freeks Speed Mob: An Army of Renown for Orks.

Strategic Value: At the end of an Octarius System campaign, the alliance with the highest total Strategic Value - earned by winning a campaign phase - is the overall winner.

Victor Bonus: A bonus that all players in an alliance gain during an Octarius System campaign if their alliance wins a particular stage of the campaign. The Victor Bonus gained for winning a stage can be found on the Campaign Tree for that campaign phase.

War Zone Points: These are used to determine the winner of a campaign phase. They are most commonly achieved by playing games in an Octarius System campaign.
13. COMMAND NET

Domination of the planetary vox net will ensure your troops can execute your battle plan flawlessly.

Once per battle, when you use a Battle Tactic Stratagem, that Stratagem costs 0CP.
26. MOBILE RESERVES

Your forces have acquired the means to commit a rapid reaction force into the heart of any battlezone.

Once per turn, if the mission uses the Strategic Reserves rules, one of your Strategic Reserves units can arrive from Strategic Reserves as though the battle round were 1 higher than it actually is.
11. SUPERIOR INTEL

Our spies have uncovered details of the enemy’s plans, allowing us to better organise our own counter-strategies.

At the start of your Command phase, roll one D6. On a 6, you receive 2 Command points for that turn’s Battle-forged CP bonus, instead of 1. If you have this bonus more than once, add 1 to this dice roll for each additional time you have this bonus (to a maximum of +3).
Command Points
The starting number of CPs each player starts with for Battle-forging their army depends on the size of the battle you are playing. This is usually defined in the mission pack that is being played, but if one is not presented in the mission pack, use the following table. Note that the total Power Level is based on the combined power of all the models used in the battle (so the combined Power Level of both your and your opponent's armies). If you are using a game that uses points values, then the points limit is the maximum points limit per side.

COMMAND POINTS
BATTLE SIZETOTAL POWER LEVELPOINTS LIMITCOMMAND POINTS
Combat PatrolUp to 50Up to 5003
Incursion51-100501-10006
Strike Force101-2001001-200012
Onslaught201-3002001-300018

  • Starting number of Command points varies with battle size.
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, make the roll-off again. Neither player is allowed to re-roll or modify any of the D6 when making a roll-off.

  • Roll-off: Both players roll a D6 – highest wins.
  • Roll again if a tie.
COMMAND RE-ROLL1CP
Core Stratagem
Use this Stratagem after you have made a hit roll, a wound roll, a damage roll, a saving throw, an Advance roll, a charge roll, a Psychic test, a Deny the Witch test or you have rolled the dice to determine the number of attacks made by a weapon. Re-roll that roll, test or saving throw.
Power Ratings
Every unit has a Power Rating listed on its datasheet, and it is a measure of its efficacy on the battlefield. They are designed to give players, at a glance, an idea of how mighty a unit is on the battlefield, irrespective of the weapons its models can be equipped with. They can therefore be used as a quick guide to establish the comparative strength of each army.

The Power Rating on a datasheet is for a minimum-sized unit. A unit’s Power Rating can be increased if additional models are added to the unit, and occasionally if other options are taken for the unit (such as equipping a unit with jump packs) - in either case the unit's datasheet will make it clear if the Power Rating listed at the top of the datasheet is increased as a result.

  • Power Ratings: Quick measure of a unit's efficacy.
Requisition Points
Requisition points can be used to purchase Requisitions: these can upgrade your Crusade force, or units within them. Each time you spend a Requisition point, reduce your total by 1. Any Requisition points you do not spend are saved and can be used later. As you play more battles, you can accrue additional Requisition points, but a Crusade force can never have more than 5 (any additional Requisition points acquired beyond this are lost). Each time you play a battle, you will gain 1 Requisition point after that battle has been completed, regardless of the result of the battle itself. You should keep track of how many Requisition points you have on your Order of Battle.

The Requisitions you can purchase can be found here. Each Requisition will tell you when it can be purchased; they can never be purchased during a battle. Unless stated otherwise, there is no limit on the number of Requisitions you can purchase, the number of times you can purchase each Requisition, nor on the combination of Requisitions you can purchase, so long as you have enough Requisition points. If you do not have enough Requisition points to purchase a Requisition, you cannot purchase it.

  • Requisitions cost Requisition points to purchase.
  • You can never have more than 5 Requisition points.
  • Each battle you play earns you 1 Requisition point (win, lose or draw).
Morale Tests
To take a Morale test, roll one D6 and add the number of models from the unit that have been destroyed this turn. If the result is equal to or less than the highest Leadership (Ld) characteristic in the unit, the Morale test is passed and nothing else happens. An unmodified roll of 1 also always results in a passed Morale test, irrespective of the total result. In any other case, the Morale test is failed, one model flees that unit, and you must then take Combat Attrition tests for the remaining models in the unit. You decide which model from your unit flees – that model is removed from play and counts as having been destroyed, but it never triggers any rules that are used when a model is destroyed.

  • Morale test = D6 + number of models destroyed this turn.
  • Unmodified roll of 1 always a success (no models flee).
  • If Morale test exceeds unit’s Ld, one model flees and other models must take Combat Attrition tests.
Battle Honours
Units gain one Battle Honour each time they gain a rank. Sometimes, a unit can gain an additional Battle Honour by other means (such as by winning certain missions). There are several types of Battle Honours that can be bestowed onto a unit: Battle Traits, Psychic Fortitudes, Weapon Enhancements and Crusade Relics. Each time a unit gains a Battle Honour, it can select from one of those categories. A unit can never have more than six Battle Honours. Make a note of each Battle Honour a unit has on its Crusade card.

Each time a unit gains a Battle Honour you must increase its Crusade points total by 1 (if the unit has a Power Rating of 10 or less) or 2 (if the unit has a Power Rating of 11 or higher).

  • There are four types of Battle Honours:
    • Battle Traits: New skills and abilities.
    • Weapon Enhancements: Upgrade an item of wargear.
    • Psychic Fortitudes: Boosts a unit's psychic might.
    • Crusade Relic: Gain a rare and powerful artefact.
  • Each time a unit gains a Battle Honour, increase its Crusade points by:
    • 1 if unit has a Power Rating of 10 or less.
    • 2 if unit has a Power Rating of 11 or more.

Light Cover
When an attack made with a ranged weapon wounds a model that is receiving the benefits of cover from this terrain feature, add 1 to the saving throw made against that attack (invulnerable saving throws are not affected).

  • +1 to saving throws against ranged weapons.
  • Invulnerable saving throws unaffected.
Objective Secured
Some units have an ability called Objective Secured. A player controls an objective marker if they have any models with this ability within range of that objective marker, even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective marker. If an enemy model within range of an objective marker also has this ability (or a similar ability), then the objective marker is controlled by the player who has the most models within range of that objective marker as normal.

  • Objective Secured: Player controls objective marker if any of their models in range have this ability.
Overwatch
Certain rules enable units to fire Overwatch at an enemy unit before it can charge. If an enemy unit declares a charge that targets one or more units from your army that have such a rule, each of those units can fire Overwatch before the charge roll is made. A unit cannot fire Overwatch if there are any enemy units within Engagement Range of it. Overwatch is resolved like a normal shooting attack (albeit one resolved in the Charge phase) and uses all the normal rules, except that an unmodified hit roll of 6 is always required for a successful hit roll, irrespective of the firing model’s Ballistic Skill or any hit roll modifiers. In addition, when a model fires Overwatch, it does so at the charging unit. Any rule that states the unit cannot be targeted unless it is the closest target (e.g. Look Out, Sir) does not apply when firing Overwatch.

  • Overwatch: Before charge roll made, all charge targets that can fire Overwatch can do so.
  • Can never fire Overwatch while enemy units are in Engagement Range.
  • When firing Overwatch, shoot with unit, but attacks only hit on unmodified 6s.
Defensible (Set to Defend/Hold Steady)
If every model in an INFANTRY unit is on or in an Area Terrain feature with this trait, then it can either Hold Steady or it can Set to Defend (see below) when an enemy unit declares a charge against it.

If every model in an INFANTRY unit is within 3" of an Obstacle terrain feature with this trait, then it can either Hold Steady or it can Set to Defend (see below) when an enemy unit declares a charge against it if, were you to draw a straight line, 1mm in thickness, between the closest parts of the bases (or hulls) of the two closest models in the two units, that line would pass over or through that terrain feature.

A unit cannot Hold Steady or Set to Defend while it is within Engagement Range of any enemy units.

If a unit Holds Steady, any Overwatch attacks made by that unit this phase will score hits on rolls of 5+. If a unit Sets to Defend, it cannot fire Overwatch this phase, but you add 1 to hit rolls when resolving attacks made with melee weapons by models in that unit until the end of the next Fight phase.

  • INFANTRY units can Hold Steady or Set to Defend (if no enemy within Engagement Range).
  • Hold Steady: Overwatch attacks hit on 5+.
  • Set to Defend: Cannot fire Overwatch but add 1 to hit rolls in next Fight phase.
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 are within Engagement Range of each other. While two enemy models are within Engagement Range of each other, those models’ units are also within Engagement Range of each other. Models cannot be set up within Engagement Range of enemy models.

  • Engagement Range: 1" horizontally + 5" vertically.
  • Models cannot be set up within Engagement Range of enemy models.
Charging with a Unit
Once you have chosen an eligible unit to declare a charge with, you must select one or more enemy units within 12" of it as the targets of its charge. The target(s) of this charge do not need to be visible to the charging unit. You then make a charge roll for your unit by rolling 2D6. This is the maximum number of inches each model in the charging unit can now be moved if they can make the charge move. To make a charge move, the unit’s charge roll must be sufficient that it is able to end that move in unit coherency and within Engagement Range of every unit that was a target of its charge, without moving within Engagement Range of any enemy units that were not a target of its charge. If this is possible, then the charge is successful and the models in the unit make a charge move so as to fulfil the above conditions. If this is impossible, the charge fails and no models in the charging unit move this phase.

  • Declare targets of the charge (must be within 12").
  • Charge roll = 2D6".
  • If insufficient to move charging unit into Engagement Range of all targets, charge fails.
  • If charge successful, models make their charge move.
  • Cannot make a charge move within Engagement Range of any unit that was not the target of the charge.
Wound Roll
Each time an attack scores a hit against a target unit, make a wound roll for that attack by rolling one D6 to see if that attack successfully wounds the target. The result required is determined by comparing the attacking weapon’s Strength (S) characteristic with the target’s Toughness (T) characteristic, as shown on the following table:

WOUND ROLL
ATTACK’S STRENGTH vs TARGET’S TOUGHNESSD6 ROLL REQUIRED
Is the Strength TWICE (or more) than the Toughness?2+
Is the Strength GREATER than the Toughness?3+
Is the Strength EQUAL to the Toughness?4+
Is the Strength LOWER than the Toughness?5+
Is the Strength HALF (or less) than the Toughness?6+

If the result of the wound roll is less than the required number, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends. An unmodified wound roll of 6 always successfully wounds the target, and an unmodified wound roll of 1 always fails. A wound roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1. This means that if, after all the cumulative modifiers to a wound roll have been calculated, the total modifier would be -2 or worse, it is changed to be -1. Similarly, if, after all the cumulative modifiers to a wound roll have been calculated, the total modifier would be +2 or better, it is changed to be +1.
Terrain and Cover
Some pieces of terrain can provide certain bonuses to units in your army. Each bonus and how to acquire it is described in the Terrain Features section of the Core Rules. There are ways for some models to ignore such bonuses while making an attack, but it should be known what kind of benefit is ignored (see the Rare Rules for clarification).
Saving Throw
The player commanding the target unit then makes one saving throw by rolling one D6 and modifying the roll by the Armour Penetration (AP) characteristic of the weapon that the attack was made with. For example, if the weapon has an AP of -1, then 1 is subtracted from the saving throw roll. If the result is equal to, or greater than, the Save (Sv) characteristic of the model the attack was allocated to, then the saving throw is successful and the attack sequence ends. If the result is less than the model’s Save characteristic, then the saving throw fails and the model suffers damage. An unmodified roll of 1 always fails.
Crusade Faction
When you start a Crusade force, you must decide what its Crusade Faction will be - this must be one of the following Faction keywords:
  • IMPERIUM
  • CHAOS
  • AELDARI
  • TYRANIDS
  • ORKS
  • NECRONS
  • T’AU EMPIRE
In a Crusade force, all of the units in your Order of Battle (see below), with the exception of those that are UNALIGNED, must have at least one Faction keyword in common (e.g. IMPERIUM or CHAOS). If a unit does not have the correct Faction keyword, it cannot be included in your Order of Battle.

  • Crusade Faction: All units in your Crusade force must share this keyword (or be UNALIGNED).
PLANETARY SAVIOUR
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Any who dare invade this world court destruction against your defences.

At the end of the campaign, if you are part of the Defenders Alliance and you won the campaign, you gain 5 experience points for each phase in that campaign, to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).
DESTROYER OF WORLDS
Pankallis Assault Campaign Agenda

Make planetfall without delay. Crush all opposition before you.

At the end of the campaign, if you are part of the Attackers Alliance and you won the campaign, you gain 5 experience points for each phase in that campaign, to distribute freely across PANKALLIS ASSAULT units in your Crusade force (no unit can gain more than 5 experience points as a result of this Campaign Agenda).

The BOYZ keyword is used in the following Orks datasheets:

Troops
Power Level
An army's Power Level is a guide to how large and powerful an army is, so an army with a high Power Level is more powerful than one with a low Power Level. You can calculate the Power Level of an army by adding up the individual Power Ratings of every unit contained within it.

  • Power Level: Sum of all Power Ratings in army.

The <HIVE FLEET> and GENESTEALER keywords are used in the following Tyranids datasheets:

The LICTOR keyword is used in the following Tyranids datasheets:

The TOXICRENE keyword is used in the following Tyranids datasheets:

Elites

The VENOMTHROPES keyword is used in the following Tyranids datasheets:

Characters
Some models have the CHARACTER keyword. These models can make Heroic Interventions in Charge Phase and are not easy targets in the Shooting Phase (see Look out, Sir, rule). If your Warlord has the CHARACTER keyword he may be able to have a Warlord Trait (see Warlord Trait section on model’s faction page).

Note that CHARACTERS cannot use their Aura Abilities while performing actions.
INCREASE SUPPLY LIMIT1RP
Purchase this Requisition at any time. Increase your Crusade force's Supply Limit by 5 Power.
The Warlord
While mustering your army, you can nominate one model (except a model with the FORTIFICATION keyword) to be your Warlord. That model gains the WARLORD keyword. If this model is a CHARACTER, you can also assign a Warlord Trait to it. Note, that more than one model in your army can have a Warlord Trait (e.g. by using Stratagems), but they are only considered your Warlord for the purpose of that trait.
Embark
If a unit makes a Normal Move, an Advance or it Falls Back, 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 within a TRANSPORT model that is within Engagement Range of enemy models, and it 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 the model.

Units cannot normally do anything or be affected in any way while they are embarked. Unless specifically stated, other units’ abilities have no effect on units while they are embarked, and Stratagems cannot be used to affect units while they are embarked. For all rules purposes, units that are embarked within a TRANSPORT model that has made a Normal Move, Advanced, Fallen Back or Remained Stationary also count as having made the same kind of move that turn.

  • Units can embark in a friendly TRANSPORT if every model ends a Normal Move, an Advance or a Fall Back within 3" of it.
  • A unit cannot embark within a TRANSPORT that is within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
  • A unit cannot embark and disembark in the same phase.
  • Units cannot do anything, or be affected in any way, while they are embarked within a TRANSPORT.
Hit Roll
When a model makes an attack, make one hit roll for that attack by rolling one D6. If the result of the hit roll is equal to or greater than the attacking model’s Ballistic Skill (BS) characteristic (if the attack is being made with a ranged weapon) or its Weapon Skill (WS) characteristic (if the attack is being made with a melee weapon), then that attack scores one hit against the target unit. If not, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends.

If an attack is made with a weapon that has an ability that says it ‘automatically hits the target’, no hit roll is made – that attack simply scores one hit on the target unit. An unmodified hit roll of 6 always scores a hit, and an unmodified hit roll of 1 always fails. A hit roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1. This means that if, after all the cumulative modifiers to a hit roll have been calculated, the total modifier would be -2 or worse, it is changed to be -1. Similarly, if, after all the cumulative modifiers to a hit roll have been calculated, the total modifier would be +2 or better, it is changed to be +1.
Mortal Wounds
Some attacks inflict mortal wounds – these are so powerful that no armour or force field can withstand their fury. Each mortal wound inflicts 1 point of damage on the target unit, and they are always applied one at a time. Do not make a wound roll or saving throw (including invulnerable saves) against a mortal wound – just allocate it as you would any other attack and inflict damage to a model in the target unit. Unlike damage inflicted by normal attacks, excess damage from mortal wounds is not lost. Instead, keep allocating damage to another model in the target unit until either all the damage has been allocated or the target unit is destroyed.

If an attack inflicts mortal wounds in addition to the normal damage, resolve the normal damage first. If an attack inflicts mortal wounds in addition to the normal damage, but the normal damage is subsequently saved, the target unit still suffers the mortal wounds, as described before. If an ability modifies the damage inflicted by a weapon, and that weapon can inflict mortal wounds in addition to the normal damage, the modifier does not apply to any mortal wounds that are inflicted (unless the rule specifically states otherwise).

  • Each mortal wound inflicted on a unit causes one model in the unit to lose one wound.
  • No saving throws can be made against mortal wounds.
  • Mortal wounds inflicted by attacks in addition to normal damage always apply, even if normal damage saved.
EMERGENCY DISEMBARKATION1CP
Core Stratagem
Use this Stratagem when a TRANSPORT model from your army is destroyed. All units that are embarked within that model can be set up wholly within 6" of the destroyed model when they disembark instead of the normal 3" before the model itself is removed from the battlefield. These units are not affected by the destroyed model's Explodes ability (or equivalent) — instead you must roll one D6 for each model you just set up on the battlefield. Instead of one model that disembarked (your choice) being destroyed for each roll of 1, one model that disembarked (your choice) is destroyed for each roll of 1 or 2. Units cannot declare a charge or perform a Heroic Intervention in the same turn that they disembarked from a destroyed TRANSPORT model.
HEAVY
Heavy weapons are amongst the biggest guns on the battlefield, but they require bracing to fire at full effect and are unwieldy to bring to bear at close quarters.
When an INFANTRY model shoots a Heavy weapon, subtract 1 from the hit rolls when resolving that weapon’s attacks if the firing model’s unit has moved for any reason this turn (e.g. it made a Normal Move this turn).

  • Subtract 1 from hit rolls if firing model is INFANTRY and its unit has moved this turn.
Invulnerable Saves
Some models have an invulnerable save. Each time an attack is allocated to a model with an invulnerable save, you can choose to use either its normal Save (Sv) 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. If you use a model’s invulnerable save, it is never modified by a weapon’s Armour Penetration value.

  • Invulnerable save: Saving throw that is never modified by attacking weapon’s AP.
  • A model with an invulnerable save can use it instead of its normal Sv.

The VOID SHIELD GENERATOR keyword is used in the following Unaligned datasheets:

Fortifications
Transport Capacity
All TRANSPORT models have a transport capacity listed on their datasheet. This determines how many friendly models, and of what type, can embark within them. A model’s transport capacity can never be exceeded.

Units can start the battle embarked within a TRANSPORT instead of being set up separately – declare what units are embarked within a TRANSPORT model before you set it up.

  • Transport capacity: Maximum number of models that can embark within the Transport.
  • Units can start the battle embarked in a TRANSPORT.
15. STRATEGIC THINKERS

Battlefield experience has given some among our forces a superb grasp of tactics and strategy.

At the start of your Command phase, if your WARLORD is on the battlefield, roll one D6; on a 5+, the Battle-forged CP bonus grants you one additional CP this turn (this will typically mean you gain 2CP, rather than 1).
16. INDOMITABLE DEFENDERS

Our forces have learned how to gain maximum protection from even scant cover.

At the start of the battle, you can select one INFANTRY unit from your army. While that unit has the benefit of Light Cover, it has the following ability:

Solid Defence: Each time an attack with an Armour Penetration characteristic of -1 is allocated to a model with this ability, that attack has an Armour Penetration characteristic of 0 instead.’
14. SCOUTING FORCES

Our forces are able to move stealthily into forward positions to ambush the foe.

Once per battle, during the Resolve Pre-battle Abilities step, you can select one unit (excluding VEHICLE or MONSTER units) that is wholly within your deployment zone. That unit can immediately make a Normal Move of up to 6" as if it were your Movement phase.
Normal Move
When a unit makes a Normal Move, each model in that unit can move a distance in inches equal to or less than the Move (M) characteristic shown on its datasheet, but no model can be moved within Engagement Range of enemy models.

  • Normal Move: Models move up to M".
  • Cannot move within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
Breachable
INFANTRY, BEASTS and SWARM units can move through the walls, girders, chains and foliage of this terrain feature without impediment.

  • INFANTRY, BEAST and SWARM models can move through walls, girders, chains and foliage.
Advance
When a unit makes an Advance, make an Advance roll for the unit by rolling one D6. Add the result in inches to the Move (M) characteristic of each model in that unit until the end of the current phase. Each model in that unit can then move a distance in inches equal to or less than 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 made an Advance.

  • Advance: Models move up to M+D6".
  • Cannot move within Engagement Range of enemy models.
  • Units that Advance cannot shoot or charge this turn.
Fall Back
When a unit Falls Back, each model in that unit can move a distance in inches equal to or less than the Move (M) characteristic shown on its datasheet, and when doing so you can move it within Engagement Range of enemy models, but it cannot end its move within Engagement Range of any enemy models – if it cannot do this then it cannot Fall Back. A unit cannot declare a charge in the same turn that it Fell Back. A unit cannot shoot or attempt to manifest a psychic power in the same turn that it Fell Back unless it is TITANIC.

  • Fall Back: Models move up to M".
  • Units that Fall Back cannot charge this turn.
  • Units that Fall Back cannot shoot or manifest psychic powers this turn unless they are TITANIC.
Difficult Ground
If a unit makes a Normal Move, Advances or Falls Back, and any of its models wish to move over any part of this terrain feature, subtract 2" from the Move characteristic of every model in that unit (to a minimum of 0), even if every part of this terrain feature is 1" or less in height. If a unit declares a charge, and any of its models wish to move over any part of this terrain feature as part of its subsequent charge move, subtract 2 from that unit’s charge roll, even if every part of this terrain feature is 1" or less in height. These modifiers do not apply if every model in the moving unit can FLY. These modifiers do not apply if every model in the moving unit is TITANIC and this terrain feature is less than 3" in height. The height of a terrain feature is measured from the highest point on that terrain feature.

  • Subtract 2" when making a Normal Move, Advance, Fall Back or charge move over this terrain feature (unless the moving unit can FLY, or if the moving unit is TITANIC and the terrain feature is less than 3" in height).

The datasheets using SUPREME COMMANDER keyword can be found in the following Factions:

Chaos: Chaos Daemons, Chaos Space Marines, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, World Eaters.
Imperium: Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Mechanicus, Astra Militarum.
Xenos: Necrons, Orks, T’au Empire.

The SUPREME COMMANDER keyword is used in the following datasheets:

Points Limit
An army’s size and relative power can also be described with a points limit instead of a Power Level — the bigger this limit, the larger and more powerful an army is. To use a points limit, you will first need to agree with your opponent what the points limit for your battle will be. Both players can use the same limit, but this does not need to be the case. You will then need to add up the points values for every unit in your army, and make sure the total does not exceed the agreed points limit for the game.

  • Points limit: Sum of all points values in army cannot exceed this.
Points Values
Every model and weapon has a points value, which is found in a number of Warhammer 40,000 publications. Points values are similar to Power Ratings, in that they give you a guide as to how powerful certain warriors and weapons are, but they offer a greater degree of granularity. A unit’s points value is calculated by adding together the points value of every individual model in that unit and the points value of every individual weapon equipped by a model in that unit. Certain items of wargear also have a points value, and must be included in a unit's points value if equipped by a model in that unit. While it takes a little longer to work out each unit's points value, doing so enables you to differentiate between two similar squads equipped with different weapon options, as the points values listed in our publications reflect the fact that some weapons are more powerful than others.

  • Points values: Detailed measure of a unit's efficacy.
Select Weapon
When a model makes a close combat attack, it must do so using a melee weapon (i.e. a weapon that has the ‘Melee’ type). The weapons a model is equipped with are described on its datasheet. If a model is not equipped with any melee weapons, or if it cannot make an attack with any of the melee weapons it is equipped with, then that model makes its attacks using a close combat weapon, which has the following profile:

WEAPONRANGETYPESAPD
Close combat weaponMeleeMeleeUser01

If a model has more than one melee weapon, select which it will use before resolving any attacks. If a model has more than one melee weapon and can make several attacks, it can split them between these weapons however you wish – declare which attacks are being made with which weapons before any attacks are resolved. If the selected weapon has more than one profile that you must choose between, you must declare which profile is being used at the same time. Different attacks made with such a weapon can be made using different profiles if you wish.

If your unit is making attacks with more than one melee weapon against a unit, and those weapons have different characteristics profiles, then after you have resolved an attack with one of those weapons you must, if any other weapons with the same characteristics profile are also being used to make attacks against that unit, resolve those attacks before resolving any attacks against the target with a weapon that has a different characteristics profile. Note that all the attacks you have declared are always resolved against the target unit even if, when you come to resolve an individual attack, no models in the target unit remain in range (this can happen because of models being destroyed and removed from the battlefield as the result of resolving other attacks made by the attacking model’s unit first).

  • Each close combat attack is made with a melee weapon.
  • A model makes attacks using the close combat weapon profile if it has no other melee weapons.
  • If a unit attacks with multiple weapons, all attacks made with weapons that have the same profile must be resolved before resolving attacks with the next.
Psychic Tests
When a PSYKER unit attempts to manifest a psychic power, you must take a Psychic test for that unit by rolling 2D6. If the total is equal to or greater than that power’s warp charge value, the Psychic test is passed. If you roll a double 1 or a double 6 when taking a Psychic test, that unit immediately suffers Perils of the Warp.

  • Psychic test: Passed if 2D6 equals or exceeds psychic power’s warp charge.
  • If double 1 or double 6 rolled, PSYKER suffers Perils of the Warp.

The datasheets using ROGUE TRADER keyword can be found in the following Factions:

Imperium: Agents of the Imperium, Rogue Traders.

The ROGUE TRADER keyword is used in the following datasheets:

The LOOTED WAGON keyword is used in the following Orks datasheets:

Dedicated Transport

The LOOTED ‘EAVY WAGON keyword is used in the following Orks datasheets:

The BATTLE FORTRESS keyword is used in the following Orks datasheets:

Lords of War
LOOT VEHICLE6+SP
Purchase this Mek Job either before or after a battle. Add one LOOTED WAGON, LOOTED ‘EAVY WAGON or BATTLE FORTRESS unit to your Order of Battle. The Scrap point cost of this Mek Job depends on which unit you wish to add. The starting Scrap point cost for each unit can be found in the table below.

UNITSTARTING SCRAP POINT COST
LOOTED WAGON unit6
LOOTED ‘EAVY WAGON unit8
BATTLE FORTRESS unit16

Each datasheet also lists a selection of wargear options. Some wargear options will also carry an additional Scrap point cost. If you select to use one of these wargear options when creating your looted vehicle, add that number of Scrap points to the total cost. Once you have decided which options you wish to use, the Scrap points total for your selected vehicle and wargear options is deducted from your army’s Scrap points total. This looted vehicles Power Rating is equal to its total Scrap points cost. You cannot purchase this Mek Job if doing so would cause your total Power Level to exceed your Crusade forces Supply Limit.

Example: Andy wishes to add a looted vehicle to the Order of Battle for his Orks Crusade force. Because he has 11 Scrap points, he chooses to add a LOOTED ’EAVY WAGON unit to his Order of Battle for 8 Scrap points, and uses the weapon option to equip it with a killkannon, which costs 1 additional Scrap point. He also replaces that model’s big shoota with a rokkit launcha using the second weapon option, and adds 2 more rokkit launchas using the third weapon option for 1 additional Scrap point. The total Scrap point cost of Andy’s LOOTED 'EAVY WAGON unit is 10 Scrap points, which he deducts from his army’s Scrap points total. He then creates a Crusade card for this unit with a Power Rating of 10, and then adds this unit to his Order of Battle.

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