Troop characteristics
This section describes the characteristics that are common to the Warhammer Games System: Warhammer Battle Rules, Warhammer Fantasy Role-play and Warhammer 40,000. If you are already familiar with the system there is no need to read this section; although you may like to note the change in name of what is bow skill to ballistic skill in Warhammer 40,000. The common abbreviation is BS in both cases.In the Warhammer 40,000 game every type of creature has characteristics particular to its race. Each characteristic represents one aspect of the creature, and is given a value of one or more. The characteristics are described below, but don't worry about remembering them all right now.
Fighting characteristics
Movement allowance (M). Often just referred to as move. This characteristic determines how far a creature may move across the tabletop in inches. For example, a model with a M of 4 moves 4" a turn, whilst a model with a M of 6 moves 6". This distance will sometimes be reduced to take into account difficult terrain, obstacles and other factors.Weapon skill (WS). This indicates a creature's ability to handle close combat weapons, or its chances of landing a telling blow by biting or clawing. The lowest WS is 1 and the highest is 10. The higher the WS, the easier it is to strike a blow in combat, and the harder it is for your opponent to strike back.
Ballistic skill (BS). This indicates a creature's ability to use long range weapons, such as guns, launchers, rifles or even thrown stones. Some creatures can spit poison, or acid, and their BS determine how accurate they are. The lowest BS is 1 and the highest is 10. The higher the BS the easier it is to score a hit with your weapon.
Strength (S). This characteristic shows how easily a creature can cause damage in hand-to-hand combat, a creature with a high S causes damage relatively easily, a creature with a low S would be less likely to damage an opponent. The lowest S is 1 and the highest 10.
Toughness (T). This characteristic measures a creature's natural resistance to damage. It is very hard to damage a creature with a high T, and relatively easy to hurt a creature with a low T.
Wounds (W). Some creatures can take more damage than others, either because they have more stamina, or because they have little regard for, or sense of, pain. This is represented by the number of wounds a creature can take before he, she or it is removed from the game. Every creature can tale at least I wound, but some exceptional creatures can tale more. Theoretically, there is no upper limit.
Initiative (I). This characteristic determines a creature's speed of thought and action. A creature with a low I will be slow and dull-witted, a creature with a high I will be fast. In hand-to-hand combat, creatures with high I will be able to strike before their enemies. The lowest I is 1, the highest 10.
Attacks (A). This characteristic shows the number of hand-to-hand combat attacks that a creature can deliver at once. Most creatures have only 1, but some can bite, claw and lash with their tails all at once, giving them multiple attacks. This characteristic never applies to missile attacks.
Personal Characteristics
Leadership (LD). This characteristic indicates a creature's ability to command, and to react to commands. It reflects innate sense of discipline and obedience. Values go from l, the lowest, to 10, the highest. Units of troops have leaders whose IA characteristic score will affect the whole unit's fighting abilities to some extent.Intelligence (Int). This shows a creature's ability to think and use technical equipment. The lowest is 1, and the highest 10.Creatures with a really low Int are unable to use certain pieces of equipment.
Cool (Cl). This characteristic reflects a creature's temperament, and its ability to stay calm and under control. 'values go from I to 10. Creatures with a very low Cl are likely to lose control of their actions, and do unpredictable or hysterical things. Creatures with a high Cl are just the opposite; they can be unaffected by sights and experiences that reduce frail characters to jelly.
Will power (WP). This is a measure of mental resistance, a creature with a high WP can often avoid or escape the effects of psychic attack. values go from 1 to 10.
0 Level Characteristics
Sometimes a creature has been given a characteristic score of '0'. This indicates that the creature or individual concerned has no ability in that field whatsoever This is most commonly applied to BS. For example, a creature with a BS of 0 nay not use any long range weapons at all, even improvised weapons such as thrown rocks.Profile
A creature or character's characteristics can he given all at once in what we call a creature or character profile.| Fighting Characteristics | Personal Characteristics |
| M WS BS S T W I A | Ld Int Cl WP |
There are comparable profiles for every creature. Including Orks, Squats, Enslavers, Gretchins and other alien races. Creature profiles only give the average values typical of that species, and this is the value applied to creatures fighting in units. Some members of a unit might be stronger, faster or tougher than others, bet these things are assumed to average out.
Models representing heroes, unit leaders and other Individuals can be given special character profiles, which reflect their individual strengths and weaknesses. For now it is only important to bear in mind that character profiles can, and do, differ to some extent from the basic creature profile.
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Models for the Game
Citadel Miniatures manufacture a large and comprehensive range of Warhammer 40,000 metal models. At your local games shop you will find Space Marines, Gretchins, Squats and all the other types of warrior described in this book, human and otherwise. In addition, many of Citadel's other models are ideally suited for use as 'primitive' creatures, or weird aliens. After all, the universe is big: there is plenty of room for the old-fashioned, the unexpected and the downright odd. The same goes for conversions of your own. With a little modelling skill and imagination you can create whole alien races, mutations and monsters. Of course you will have to invent rules for your creations - and persuade your fellow players of the undoubted world-destroying mega-powers of your creature! Unusual monsters and large creatures can often be bought as plastic kits or toys: carefully remodelled, such acquisitions will provide you with an interesting and unique creation.The Warhammer 40,000 universe is a vast and wild place. There are over a million planets within the Imperium - fully developed industrial planets, partially settled frontier worlds, and the dreaded Death Worlds, where life forms are armed with poison, spines, tooth and claw - and they're all out to get you! These are just some of the planets of the Imperium and who knows how many more planets are home to renegade and lost human groups, not to mention the countless varieties of spacefaring aliens. None really knows what's out there. If you want to invent your own races, or create your own flora and fauna - then do it!
Organising Troops
Models are organised into fighting units. A unit can be any number of models from 5 upwards, but you will find it most convenient to have units of either 5 or 10 models. Standard unit organisations are given in the Background section, where unit organisation, command structure and uniforms are discussed in some detail.A unit fights and operates as a single body of troops. For instance, 9 Space Marines and a Sergeant make up a 10 man Squad of Marines. Units always have a leader; usually an officer or NCO, or a tribal chieftain amongst primitive creatures. Because a unit acts as a single body, under the command of one of the unit, individual members are not supposed to just wander off on their own. No member of a unit may move more than 2" away from at least one other member of the same unit.
For example, a squad of Space Marines are moving across clear ground in fairly 'open' formation. No model is more than 2" away from at least one other.
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Members of a unit will usually be equipped and armed in the same way and have identical profiles. It is not necessary to have identical models, and minor discrepancies in a model's equipment can be overlooked and make no difference to the unit as a whole. Some units incorporate individuals who carry a different weapon, often a heavy support weapon. A separate note must be made of this and any other oddities.
Bases
Most Citadel models are now sold with a separate plastic base of the correct dimensions for use with this game. The purpose of a base is to establish which models can fight in hand-to-hand combat. Equally important, a base will stop models from falling over, which is not only Irritating but can also damage your painstaking artwork. As most combat tales place at a distance, and hand-to-hand combat is of only secondary significance, the actual dimensions of the base are not critical. A base should allow a model enough room to move and fight, without being so large that it looks ridiculous. The actual shape of the base itself is not important - and you can employ any of the round, hexagonal or square bases available from Citadel.
The turn sequence
The turn sequence is standard for Warhammer Battle Rules and Warhammer 40,000.Games are fought between two opposing sides. Each side is represented by one or more players. In large games it is useful to have the extra players to move troops and throw dice.
Each side takes a turn in strict rotation. Flip a coin to see which side has the first turn. The side to go first (side A) takes a turn, then the second side (side B), then the first again (A) and so on.
During your turn you may move your troops and fire any permitted weapons (though some weapons cannot be moved and fired in the same turn as explained later). Both sides may then fight hand-to-hand combat with enemy troops as explained in the hand-to-hand combat rules.
| 1 Movement | If it is your turn you may move your troops. If it is not your turn your troops must remain stationary |
| 2 Shooting | If it is your turn you may shoot with any weapons as appropriate |
| 3 Hand-To-Hand Combat | Both sites may fight with any troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat. |
| 4 Reserves | If it is your turn you may move uncommitted troops. This extra move represents the bringing up of reserves. |
| 5 Psionics | If it is your turn you may use any psionic powers as appropriate. |
| 6 Rallying | If it is your turn you may attempt to rally any of your routing troops. |
Movement
During your side's turn you may move your own models during the movement part of the turn sequence. Everything that can move has a movement allowance characteristic. This represents the maximum distance, in inches, that the model can be moved. A creature with an M of 4 can move up to 4". Models may be moved less than their full move, or not at all if the player wishes, so long as they are not subject to some compulsory movement rule (such as routs - see later). Although the rules given here cover most eventualities, sooner or later you will encounter a new situation. In such a case it is up to the GM to invent his own rules, or apply an unbiased judgement within the spirit of the existing rules.
Encumbrance
In certain circumstances a model's move is reduced to tale into account the weight of armour and equipment. This is called encumbrance, and can seriously slow down the speed of your troops.Armour and other equipment that reduces a model's move is called
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For example - a human wearing a suit of mesh armour suffers a penalty of-½ ". Standard human M is 4, so the adjusted move distance will be 3½".
Difficult Ground
Difficult ground is an area of scenery that is especially difficult to traverse. This might be for any number of reasons, such as clinging vegetation, soft sand, uneven rocks, unstable lava crusts, etc. The GM must decide before the game which areas or features constitute difficult ground and would normally indicate these to the players. Models crossing difficult ground do so at half-rate. So, a model which normally has a move of 4 will travel only 2 over difficult ground. It is convenient and acceptable to round all fractions of an inch up to the nearest ½" to prevent unnecessary complication. If a model crosses normal and difficult ground during the movement part of the turn, then remember that it will move at half rate only over the difficult ground.For example - a model with an M of4 would be able to move 1" through difficult terrain and 2 through normal terrain on its move.
These are examples of difficult ground.
Woods and other dense foliage
Steep or treacherous slopes
Fords and shallow streams
Soft sand or thick dust
Brush, scrub or other clinging vegetation
Stairs, steps and ladders
Building debris, wreckage, loose rocks or boulders
Marsh, bog and thick mud
Inside cluttered buildings and cramped vehicles
Very Difficult Ground
Very Difficult Ground
Some terrain is even more difficult to get through than difficult ground. Moving through scenery of this type is at quarter-rate. So, a model with an M of 4 may move 1 through very difficult ground. Two kinds of difficult terrain can be combined to form very difficult ground. For example: Woods on treacherous slopesBog and dense foliage
Clinging vegetation and wreckage
Impassable Terrain
Impassable terrain is just that! It cannot be passed under normal circumstances. Troops or creatures may fly over or tunnel under impassable terrain if suitably equipped or naturally able to do so.15
Splitting Units
If a player wishes, part of a unit may he spilt off into one or more smaller Units: this is an exception to the normal rules on organising units. These units may be of any number of models, even one. Each division takes the unit an entire turn spent without moving, firing or doing anything at all. During this time the unit's leader will be explaining what he wants done, who is to go where, and so on. The unit leader remains with the parent body. The new unit has no leader, and cannot he split further.Each new unit must be given a brief written instruction - such as 'hold the ravine and give cover' or 'scout to the ridge and report enemy activity'. The instruction can be agreed verbally with the GM if the player wishes. The new unit must now obey its instructions - as interpreted by the GM.
A unit can, at any time, stop obeying its instruction and return to, and merge with, its parent body. if forced to abandon its ordered task it will always attempt to return to the parent body if possible.
Direction of Facing
Models are assumed to be facing in the direction as indicated by the position of the figure. This can be important, as most weapons have only a limited lire arc.
Turning
Any model can be turned once up to 90° either before, after or at some point during movement. This incurs no penalty. Each additional turn of up to 90° incurs a penalty of ½" from the total move distance.Example. A Space Marine is being pursued by his foes. He is facing them, and must make a 180° turn to face in the opposite direction (a -½" penalty - the first 90° is free). The player moves the model a further 2½" and rums 180° to face his enemies once more (a 1" penalty). Total ½+2½+l = a move of 4.
Obstacles
An obstacle is a crossable linear feature, such as a hedge, wall, ditch, etc. Some other activities, such as climbing through a window and getting into a vehicle, are also treated as if bypassing obstacles. Crossing an obstacle costs a model half of its total move distance. Again, as with difficult ground, it is convenient and acceptable to round remaining fractions up to the nearest ½". Models, which approach an obstacle and then have less than half their move remaining, cannot cross. They must halt. They do not count as 'half-way across'. They may be able to use Reserve Movement to get across (See Reserve Movement p14).Examples of obstacles:
A door or window
A hedge, fence or low wall
A ditch or narrow crevasse
Getting on or off a vehicle or riding animal
Unit Coherence Models operating
as a unit must stay reasonably close together. No model may stray further
than 2 from at least one other member of the unit. The diagram illustrates
a unit moving in a loose formation.
Shooting
During the shooting part of his turn a player may shoot once with any appropriately armed model. Alternatively, a model may be assumed to throw a hand-held projectile, such as a grenade. There are some exceptions, and some special cases, as discussed later.
Fire Arcs
The direction in which the model is facing is assumed to be the actual direction faced by the individual. Common sense will tell you that it is not possible to fire a weapon directly behind you. A weapon may be fired at a target within a 90° arc to the front of the model. The diagram below illustrates the 90° arc. Occasionally, players may16
Line Of Sight
The firer must be able to draw a clear line of sight to the intended target: a firer cannot shoot at a target that he could not theoretically see. This is the basic rule - and you must use your common sense when you interpret it.Hills, large boulders and buildings will normally block the line of sight totally. Assume the ridge or high point of a hill runs down its exact middle. Where there is doubt the GM must decide. Often it is necessary to get down low over the table for a model's eye view!
Linear obstacles, such as hedges and walls, block a firer's line of sight on level ground. However, it is possible to draw a line of sight to a model in cover behind a wall or hedge (so long as it is not hiding - see later). Similarly, if the firer is in cover behind a hedge or wall he can draw a line of sight over it. Especially high walls or hedges may block a line of sight totally; this is at the GM's discretion. It is best to point out any especially high walls/hedges before the game begins. Especially large vehicles or creatures may be visible over a linear obstacle, and may even be able to see and fire over it; again, this is at the GM's discretion.
Woods will block a line of sight if the firer and target lie on either side of the wood. If the target lies inside the wood, the line of sight is blocked if there is more than 2 of woodland between firer and target. If the target is within 2 of the edge of the wood he can be seen and fired at from outside as normal (unless he is hiding).
Interposing models, like interposing terrain, block the line of sight. It is not possible to fire through another model at a target beyond.
Hiding
In appropriate circumstances a model can use a piece of cover to hide behind. This can be thought of as ducking behind a wall or the comer of a building. This makes the model impossible to see or target upon, but does not restrict its own vision at all. It is assumed that the hiding trooper can just steal a glance from his cover.The player must declare that the model is hiding during his turn - it cannot then be targeted upon during the enemy's following turn.
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1. A model is only hidden behind a vehicle, wall (or other linear obstacle) if within 1" of it. The model is only hidden from troops on the other side of course! The hidden trooper can see normally by peeking over the edge of his cover.
2. A model may he hidden inside a wood (or comparable cover). If within 2" of the edge it is able to see outside perfectly normally
3. A model may be hidden in a crater, trench, pit, hog (or other hole in the ground) and still see out normally
4. A model in a building may be hidden at a window or entrance (or comparable opening) and see out normally
5. A model cannot fire a weapon and go into, or remain in, hiding during the same turn. A model which fires a weapon always gives away its position, and can be targeted by enemy in their following turn.
6. A model cannot go into hiding during or after a reserve move. Reserve moves represent a dash or hurried movement of a kind chat would easily give away a model's position. A model in hiding may not make a reserve move for the same reasons.
A space Orc is in hiding behind a wall. A small marker suitably placed can be used as a reminder.
Shooting from elevated positions
Troops on hills, the upper storeys of buildings, aerial vehicles or in any elevated position, can draw a line of sight over lower terrain features, linear obstacles or models. This means that they may he able to fire at targets which would otherwise be hidden, or obscured by interposing models.Similarly, it is possible to draw a line of sight to these over lower terrain features.
Cover
There are two kinds of cover - hard cover and soft cover. Hard cover comprises walls, ditches, trenches, vehicles, rocks and other features which not only block a firer's vision to some extent, but which also offer some form of real physical protection. Soft cover comprises features which block a firer's vision to a degree, but which offer, at18
1. To claim protection from linear cover (hedges, walls, etc),
that cover must lie between the target and firer, and the target must
be within 1" of the cover. If the firer and target are both within 1"
of the cover it is effectively cancelled out and is ignored.
2. The corner of a building, vehicle or large rock (or similar)
can be counted as cover. The model is placed at the edge, so that it is
partly but not wholly obscured.
3. Woods (and other similar features) offer automatic protection
to troops inside them.
4. Trenches and pits offer automatic cover from outside fire.
5. Troops at windows and doors (and other comparable features)
count as behind cover from outside fire.
6. Any trooper may take cover by simply throwing himself to the
ground. A suitable marker may be placed next to the model to indicate
this, or the model can be carefully laid dawn. This counts as soft cover.
It takes a model half a turn to get down, and half a turn to get up again.
This counts as movement and may restrict tiring with some weapons. Once
a target is within 4" range of the firer it cannot claim cover in this
way.
Shooting From In-Cover
Troops who are behind cover are not restricted in what they can see or fire at. However, if they are hiding, they will give away their positions by firing, and can then be targeted in the enemy's following turn.
Shooting from within woods
In woods, and wood-like vegetation or dense crystal forests, visibility and all firing ranges are reduced to 2" maximum. The only exceptions are models firing from within 2" of the edge, who may see and fire outside normally.Troops who are inside a wood and are more than 2" from an edge cannot be seen or shot at from outside the wood at all.
Discovering Hidden Troops
If troops can get close enough to enemy who are hiding, they will see them, and be able to fire on them even although they haven't given away their position in any other way creatures will automatically spot enemy creatures who are hiding within their initiative characteristic number of inches. So, for example, humans (Initiative 3) will spot hiding enemy within 3".Some technical equipment also enables creatures to detect hidden enemies from a greater distance - such as a bio-scanner. See the Equipment section for details.
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Range
All weapons have a maximum range, and targets must be within this range. In addition, it is usually easier to hit a target at short range than it is at long range. The actual range bands are different for different weapons. Details of each weapon's maximum, short and long ranges are given in the Equipment section. Here are a few examples, to give you the idea.| Weapon | Short range | Long range | Maximum range |
| Bolt pistol | 0-8" | 8-16" | 16" |
| Plasma pistol | 0-6" | 6-18" | 18" |
| Lasgun | 0-12" | 12-18" | 18" |
To score a hit
To see whether a shot hits its target roll a D6. The dice roll needed depends on how good a shot the firer is - i.e. his ballistic skill characteristic, or BS The chart shows the minimum D6 roll needed to score a hit.| BS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Score | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 |
Basic modifiers
The firer's dice roll is modified to reflect how easy or difficult the shot is.| +1 | Firing at a large target | Generally anything over 3 metres high or long counts as a large target. |
| -1 | Firing at a small target | Normally anything under 30cm high and long counts as a small target. |
| -1 | Firing from a moving surface | Such as a vehicle, from horse-back, etc. |
| -1 | Firing at a fast moving target | If the target is in motion. This modifier is applied for every full 10" moved during its previous turn. |
| -1 | If the firer is wounded | The firer has suffered any wounds at all, unless healed or regenerated. |
| -1 | The target is behind soft cover | Soft cover comprises vegetation, woods or trees for a figure lying down. |
| -1 | Throwing improvised weapons | Stones, bricks, pottery and other impromptu missiles count as improvised. |
| -2 | The target is behind hard cover | Hard cover comprises stone or brickwork, walls and metal bulkheads, models standing in a trench, etc. |
Weapon modifiers
Some weapons are more simple to use than others, making it easier or more difficult to score hits. In some cases a weapon's design might make it relatively effective at short range, but less so at long range. To allow for this, every weapon has its own set of 'to hit' modifiers.For example:
| Weapon | Short range | Long range |
| Laspistol | +2 | -1 |
| Bolt pistol | +2 | |
| Bolt gun | +1 |
Minimum to hit
The minimum score required to hit is 2. There is no such thing as an automatic hit. No modifier may take dice score needed to below 2.
Maximum to hit
Sometimes a score of 7 or more is needed to hit. In such cases it is up to the GM to permit the shot or not. Generally, speaking, it is best to ignore such shots from normal troopers in large games, but to allow them in small games, or from special character models. Obviously, it is not possible to roll 7 or more on a D6. So, to see if a hit is scored first roll a D6. If the result is a 6, then there is a chance that the shot might have hit, and a further D6 roll is made. The chart below gives the score required.| Score needed to hit | |||||||
| D6 score needed 6+ |
|
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Damage
Once you have established that a hit has been scored you must decide whether the shot causes damage or not. Not all hits cause damage, some might just graze the target, or maybe strike a piece of equipment and glance off harmlessly. To decide whether a hit causes damage you must compare the strength of the weapon with the toughness of the target.Consult the chart below. Cross reference the weapon's strength with the target's toughness (T). The number indicated is the minimum score on a D6 needed to cause wound damage. Wound damage from most weapons or creatures is 1 point (or 1 wound). Some weapons, however are more powerful, and cause D4, D6, D10 or even more wounds.
A target can only take so many wounds. Usually this is 1, the actual amount is indicated on the creature profile (w). Once the target has received this many wounds it is out of combat. The creature is assumed to be dead, unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, and can be removed as a casualty.
Note that N on the chart means no effect. A creature or target of the toughness indicated cannot be affected by a hit of that strength level.
| Weapon Strength | Target's Toughness T |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N | N | N | N | N |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N | N | N | N |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N | N | N |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N | N |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | N |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Saving Throws
Most warriors of the future wear some sort of protective armour. To simulate the effects of this amour a 'save' is allowed against damage received. If a save is successful the shot bounces off or is absorbed by the armour. Only one save is attempted for anyone shot, no matter how many actual wounds the shot might cause. If the save is successful no damage is taken.Different sorts of armour give different saving rolls, and some sorts of armour can be used together to give better protection. Saving rolls are always on a D6. To save successfully the result of a D6 roll must be the same or higher than the number given for the armour type. All the types of protection available are described in the Equipment section on pxx - the following are examples.
| Armour | Minimum score required to save |
| Flak armour | 6 |
| Mesh armour | 5 |
| Carapace armour | 4 |
Save Modifiers
Some of the weapons of the far future are very powerful and just cannot be stopped by some types of armour. Adjust the saving throw dice score by the modifier indicated for the weapon being fired. Often this will make the save impossible.The following are examples. Note that the needler has a positive modifier - this weapon is easily stopped by armour, even a character with no armour has a save of 6 against this weapon.
| Weapon | Modifier | Basic Save with mesh | Modified save |
| Bolt gun | -1 | 5 | 6 |
| las-cannon | -6 | 5 | no save |
| Needler | +1 | 5 | 4 |
Area Effect Weapons
Some weapons, notably grenades, explode causing damage over a fairly large area. Other weapons scatter shot over a wide area with a similar effect.
Area Effect Marker
Area effect is represented by a card circle with a radius of 1/2" or21
Area Effect Deviation
Area effect weapons may sometimes miss the target point, and possibly hit another target. This is called deviation.The chances of a weapon deviation from its target are related to the size of the marker - weapons with smaller markers are more accurate. Weapons with larger markers are more difficult to place precisely - but it is less necessary to do so. In case of thrown grenades those with larger markers are heavier or may be less suitable for throwing, in either case they are more prone to deviate.
| Marker Radius | Deviates on the D6 score of |
| 1,2 or 3 4,5 or 6 |
6 5 or 6 4,5 or 6 3,4,5 or 6 2,3,4,5 or 6 |
To, discover the distance deviated roll a D6. The score is the deviation distance in inches. Extreme deviation may effectively increase a weapon's range. No weapon may deviate by more than half the measured range: an 8" grenade toss may never deviate by more than 4".
Rolling to hit with area weapons
Once the position of the marker has been established you can see which models are targets. Any model which lies wholly, or even partially within the area marker is a target. Roll to hit each target in turn. It is not always clear how many models are encompassed by a marker, and the GM must be prepared to give a ruing. In clear fifty-fifty cases throw a dice to decide. Alternatively, allow partially covered models to count as targets, but at -1 to hit. This is left to the GM's discretion to decide, and is largely a matter of personal taste.
Targeting at hidden troops with area weapons
Models which are hiding may not be targeted by a shooter. However, a shooter with an area weapon can always aim at an area of cover, or an adjacent visible target. In this 'way it is possible to hit a target which, theoretically, cannot he seen. The deviation rules prevent players from taking advantage of this too much. However, if the GM considers a player to be using this rule unfairly - blasting away at areas of cover with no real visible target - then he can impose a further +1 on the deviation dice. This is left to the GM's discretion.Area weapons thrown or fired into a closed room or vehicle, will hit all occupants automatically so long as the area is equivalent to a single building section (approx 4x4" or less). See Buildings page 36.
Open topped vehicles, bikes, horses, etc
At short range a firer may choose whether he wants to shoot at a crewmember of a vehicle, or at the vehicle itself. The same applies to riders and horses (and other riding beasts).At long range a shot may hit either crew/riders or vehicle/mount.
Dice randomly as follows. Roll a D6.
| 1, 2 or 3 | A crew member/rider |
| 4, 5 or 6 | The vehicle/mount |
Vehicles and mounts which are destroyed will usually crash or fall, possibly causing damage on the crew. See Vehicles p38.
Firing into hand-to-hand combat
Normally this is not allowed; models engaged in hand-to-hand combat are not eligible as targets. This is because it would be very easy to hit the wrong person. However some entities are sadly lacking in moral judgement on such matters and may wish to fire, even though they run the risk of hitting their own friends. In cases such as this decide which models are hit by dicing randomly among the possible targets. A roll of 1-3 hitting the enemy, and 4-6 hitting the firer's friends.
Firing from hand-to-hand combat
Troops who have entered hand-to-hand combat may not fire during the shooting part of the turn. Some shooting is allowed as part of hand-to-hand combat, but this is resolved later
Firing from a moving platform
It is especially difficult to fire if you cannot remain still long enough to draw a head on your target. Models firing from a moving vehicle or riding animal may do so at short range only. This does not apply to weapons mounted on or in vehicles as part of their armament, but only to fire from troops in or on the vehicle. Properly mounted weapons have stabilising Systems to compensate for vehicle movement.22
Slow Weapons
Slow weapons (S-type) are generally slow to load, or slow to operate. Weapons of the kind are indicated in the Equipment section. It is not possible for an individual to move and fire an S-type weapon during the same turn, either during movement or reserves. Even turning the weapon around counts as moving, and so makes shooting impossible.Slow weapons can be fired from moving vehicles, so long as the crew remains stationary on the vehicle.
Following Fire Weapons
Some weapons are capable of following fire, these are called following-fire weapons F-type). Following fire is a lengthy, continuous burst, which can be used to sweep an area, or cut a swathe of destruction.When using an F-type weapon select the target, roll to hit and cause damage as normal. If wound damage is caused (even if this is saved) then the weapon may be fired again, either at the same target or at a new target within 4" of the original. If wound damage is caused once more the process continues, each new target must be within 4, of the previous one. You may keep rolling to hit until either a target is missed, or a shot falls to score a wound (saving throws do not count for this).
Hand-To-Hand Combat
Even in the distant future, hand-to-hand combat, the close physical struggle between enemies, is still important. In many alien environments long range fire becomes difficult, or even impossible. Then foes must settle their differences in the bloody, flesh-tearing slaughter of close combat.
Entering Hand-To-Hand Combat
A model can enter hand-to-hand combat by a move called a charge. During the movement part of the turn, a model may charge an enemy model within reach. For the purposes of a charge the maximum distance a model can move is doubled. A model with a normal move of 4 may make a charge of up to 8", - even if the distance covered is only 2 or 3" the move is still a charge. Terrain and other modifiers apply as usual. No model may simply wander into close combat - it must charge, and the player must say that it is charging, even if the distance involved is only a fraction of an inch.Once models are in actual physical base-to-base contact they are in hand-to-hand combat. All models in hand-to-hand combat may fight, no matter whose turn it is, no matter whose side they are on
If, for some reason, a charger falls to make contact with his enemy then he may do nothing at all for the rest of that turn. He cannot shoot,
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