Warhammer 40,000 6th edition

File:40K 6th rulebook.jpg

The fact that the Space Marines are on the cover is no surprise. The fact that it's the Dark Angels instead of the Ultramarines is.

Basically Fantasyhammer 40,000.

Wards Ultra cross Tau isn't fluff (yet). And the Emperor is still alive.

Matt Ward did, however, manage to sneak his ugly mug into the first few pages of the book (god dammit), giving us that cursed endless smile on the "Playing a Game" page (which are, ironically, Blood Angels versus Necrons).

Crunch Updates

Game

• You may pre-measure to move and shoot. (p 12)
• Snap Shots- Heavy weapons that are not blast or template may shoot after moving at BS 1. (p 12)
• Wound allocation- Wounds are allocated against the closest model to the attacking unit. (p 15)
• If there are 6 units that have the same save which would receive the first allocations, before a model with a different save, roll up to that many dice and remove the failures. Repeat until the buffer of same-saves is depleted, then change the save and roll individually. (p 16)
• Any model from any codex may use the "Look out, Sir!" rule. A 4+ is a success.(p 16)
  • Independent Characters get a +2 to their "Look out, Sir!" rolls.(p 39)
• If a model is 25% obscured from the point of view of one model in the firing unit, it receives a cover save.(p 18)
• Area terrain grants 5+ cover instead of 4+. (p 18)
• If a target unit is in partial cover (some models take cover saves, some do not), you may declare focus fire. Declare you wish to focus fire before rolling to hit. Then declare a cover save amount (from 2+ to 6+, or no cover save at all). Wounds will only be allocated to models that have that cover save or worse. Go to ground does not alter which models may take wounds. You can not hurt any model whose cover save is better than the value you declared. (p 18-19)
• After declaring an assault, the unit being charged may take an "overwatch" shot at the charging unit. This shooting is a snap shot, and follows all rules for those. Overwatch may not cause pinning or morale checks. Blast weapons may not participate, templates get d3 auto hits. (p 21)
• Assault range is now 2d6, not 6 inches. (p 21)
• When the initiative step is complete, all models at that initiative make their pile in. (p 23)
• Pile in moves are 3". (p 23)
• "Look out, sir!" also works in assault. (p 26)
• If a unit's weapons cannot damage the unit it is in combat with, it may choose to auto-fail its morale check at the end of the combat. (p 26)
• Multi-assault negates +1A charge bonus. (p 27)
• Can no longer take Invuln saves against Perils of the Warp. (p 67)
• Vehicles now use a Wounds system called Hull Points. Glancing hits do not roll on the vehicle damage chart; the vehicle simply loses a Hull Point. Penetrating hits both inflict a Hull Point's worth of damage and roll on the vehicle damage chart. Vehicles with no hull points left are wrecked. (p 72-4)

Universal Special Rules

• Acute Senses - If at least one model in a unit has this ability then that unit may re-roll to see which table edge they enter from, should they be arriving from a random one (usually due to Outflanking attempts).
• Adamantium Will - If at least one model in a unit has this ability then that unit receives a +1 bonus to "Deny the Witch" rolls (a new mechanic which allows any unit targeted by a successful Psychic power to nullify it on a 6).
• And They Shall Know No Fear- Now a universal rule instead of exclusive to Spess Mahreens. Automatically pass all regroup tests, can move-shoot-assault normally after regrouping, and grants immunity to the Fear rule below.
• Assault Vehicle - Units disembarking from transports with this USR may assault on the turn they do so, even if their disembarking was caused by the vehicles' destruction. Orks will be pleased.
• Armorbane- Melee weapons with this USR rolls 2d6 to pen vehicles.
• Blast & Large Blast - These old standards work pretty much the same as 5e. It's noted however, that a Blast which scatters so that its central hole if off the table misses regardless of what's under the rest of it. Additionally, Blast weapons cannot fire Snap Shots (including Overwatch).
• Blind- Shooting USR, target takes an initiative test, if failed, WS+BS 1 until the end of their next turn.
• Brotherhood of Psykers- Resolve Perils of the Warp against the character if he is alive/exists, or if not against a model in the unit if he is not. Use the character's LD if he is alive/exists, or the unit's if he is not.
• Bulky- Counts as 2 models in transports.
• Very Bulky- Counts as 3 models in transports.
• Extremely Bulky- Counts as 5 (0_0) models in transports.
• Concussive - Any models that's taken an unsaved wound from a Concussive weapon is reduced to Initiative 1 until the end of the next Assault phase.
• Counter-Attack - If at least one model in a unit has this ability then that unit may make a Leadership test whenever they're assaulted. Should they succeed then the unit receives a +1 Attack bonus as if they charged themselves. They don't receive any of the other bonuses for charging (Furious Charge etc.) and can't use this ability if they were already locked in combat.
• Crusader- If one model in a squad has this rule, roll an extra d6 for run, and take the highest. Add d3 to sweeping advances total.
• Daemon- The scions of the Warp get a 5+invuln and the new Fear rule. Pity about Eternal Warrior though.
• Eternal Warrior- Character with this rule is immune to the Instant Death rule.
• Fear- In combat, before any blows are struck, the unit without this rule takes a leadership test. If it fails, it is reduced to WS 1 for the remainder of that assault phase. Fearless provides an immunity to this of course, as does And They Shall Know No Fear. It's worth noting that having the Fear USR does not make one Fearless by default however.
• Fearless - Still provides an immunity to Pinning and Morale tests along with the new Fear rule and automatic passing of Regroup tests. However, Fearless unit cannot Go to Ground or choose to fail a Morale with "Our Weapons Are Useless!" No Retreat wounds are no longer taking which makes facing down large Ork mobs even scarier than before.
• Feel No Pain- 5+ instead of 4+ (by default anyway, specific units may have different values). Only instant death ignores it (ie power weapons do not).
• Fleet- no longer allows you to run and assault, only increases your run distance. Waaagh!ing now completely fucking pointless.
• Fleshbane- always wounds on a 2+ against non-vehicles.
• Force weapon- Works the same way, but you expend one warp charge to use it. This means more potent psykers can use their force weapon and cast a power.
• Furious Charge- +1S on the charge.
• Gets Hot- Same as before, except it now effects weapons on Vehicles as well. Infantry take their armor/invul save as before, while Vehicles take a 4+ save against it.
• Hammer of Wrath- Units with this USR get 1 auto hit when they charge into combat, at AP-, the model's unmodified S, and I10.
• Hatred[_______] - In the first round of combat against the named foe, re-roll to hit.
• Haywire- When shooting vehicles, Armor Penetration rolls are resolved differently: guaranteed Glancing hit on 2+, guaranteed Penetrating hit on a 6.
• Ignores cover- Self Explanatory.
• Instant Death- Unsaved wounds by this weapon caused instant death regardless of victim's Toughness.
• Interceptor- At the end of the enemy movement phase, this gun may be fired at any unit that arrived from reserve, and is within Line of Sight and range, instead of firing during the next turn of the player who owns it.
• It will not die- If the model has less that its full wounds or hull points, roll a d6. On a 5+ that model regains a wound or hull point.
• Jink- 5+ cover save if the unit moved, 4+ if it moved flat out or turbo-boosted.
• Missile-Lock- d6 scatter instead of 2d6.
• Monster Hunter- A unit containing one or more model with this USR rerolls failed to-wounds against Monstrous creatures and Flying Monstrous creatures.
• Night Vision- Ignores night fighting.
• Rage- now a good thing for some reason. Gives +1A on the charge in Assault, but doesn't make you move towards the nearest enemy.
• Poisoned- Same as before, but with new additional benefits: now Poisoned CC weps must reroll failed To Wound rolls if the wielder has equal to or higher S than the target's T. Additionally, Poisoned guns defualt to 4+ when unspecified, and have a default S of 1.
• Power of the Machine Spirit- Now a universal rule instead of exclusive to Land Raiders; vehicles not moving flat out can fire 1 additional weapon, and it doesn't have to be at the same target as the other weapons.
• Preferred Enemy[_______] - When shooting or assaulting the named enemy, any To Hit and/or To Wound rolls of 1 can be rerolled.
• Shred- Reroll failed To-Wound/Armour Penetration rolls.
• Shrouded- +2 to cover saves, counts as having 5+ cover save even when standing in the open.
• Skilled Rider- Automatically pass Dangerous terrain tests, +1 to Jink saves.
• Skyfire- BS1 against non-flyers and non-skimmers. Interceptor rule negates this penalty.
• Slow and Purposeful- No longer counts as in difficult terrain. Identical to Relentless, but can't Run or Sweeping Advance. For vehicles, replace "can't run" with "can't Turbo or Flat Out". Also can't fire Overwatch.
• Split Fire- One model can shoot at a different target than the rest of the squad (if it passes a Leadership check first).

(This list is not yet complete)

WARDHAMMER 40K: The Age of the Spiritual Leige

The Allies Table. The Eldar and the Tau have a higher Allies rating than the Sisters of Battle when dealing with the Black Templars (obviously because the Black Templars are known for their great love of Psykers and Aliens)... Oh look at that over there, a universe just exploded.

Also, the Imperial Guard are Neutral to both Chaos armies for some assinine reason. Either the Commisars aren't doing their jobs properly anymore, or Adam Troke and Jeremy Vetock weren't holding Ward's leash tightly enough.

Or it could be so that Chaos can have troops of converted imperial guardsmen to do their bidding.

Fluff Updates

General

Craptons of fluff. EXplanation on daily life in the Imperium, how the Imperium is governed. The Imperium is even more almost-doomed than before. Timeline mentions vast swathes of the Imperium falling to rebellion ,alien attack and Chaos rape. Lots of detail on stuff not usualy mentioned. Deathwatch mentioned as chamber militant of Ordo Xenos instead of Grey Knights. It appears that those that wrote about each army are fanboys of that given army. As such you will not find too much negative comments in a race's description.

• Ultramarines and Tau dislike each other.(pg 177) Two times it is pointed out that the Ultramarines regularly fight Tau, with one reference stating "After killing a bunch of Tau, the Ultramarines...".

• Squats and Beastmen/furries on page 405.

Space Marines

Noticeable prepondency of Dark Angels.

• Six Marine Chapters are given little summaries. Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Imperial Fists, and Grey Knights.(pg 187)
• Deathwatch still Ordo Xenos specialists
• Grey Knights still Militant arm of the Ordo Malleus
• Primarchs given a page dedicated to them. Not much detail, though it does say "One by One they Disappear..." (pg 186)

Imperial Guard

Now it sucks more than ever to be in the IG. Apparently so many Catachans were thrown at the Tau during the Damocles Gulf crusade that they almost ran out of laser-bullets.

Sisters of Battle

Actualy presented as a competent millitary force. Otherwise nothing new.

• Given one page dedicated to them. (pg 185)
• Section dedicated to their retrieval and protection of Artefacts, both real and Fake. Implying that even when faith is misplaced in something it is still enough to piece the toughest armor.

Orks

• Waaagh! Grax. Took over a bunch of Forge Worlds and moons.
• Waaagh! The Beast. Nearly took over the Galaxy... One sentence long description.

Otherwise business as usual.

Eldar

The Eldar description on 205 is dripping with arrogance.

• Necrons got their chocolate space ships inside Eldar's peanut butter webways, but webways are still under Eldar control.(pg 205)

Dark Eldar

• Nice artwork, though that is not fluff.
• Black Library description is there.
• Imperium is racist enough to not be able to tell the difference between Eldar and Dark Eldar.
• Dark Eldar are Battle Brothers with the other Eldar, but are not good friends with anyone else, including the Grey Knights, even though Dark Eldar don't use Psykers for fear of Chaos.

Necrons

• Allies of Convinience with Grey Knights. Guess the Xenophobia towards "monkey upstarts" isn't quite so prominent.
• Tombs upon activation send signals, it doesn't appear to be to attract prey as Necrons are weakest in this state.

Tau

• Imperium still doesn't know why Tau are able to convert people so easily. The idea that a generic hippy/communist/socialist attitude is part of the reason is not brought up.

Tyranids

• Hive Mind believed to be a single host organism that the Tyranids originated from. (pg 215, The Hive Fleets)
• At least 9 Hive Fleets known about or worth mentioning.

Chaos Daemons

• Still have the Big 4. (pg 222)
• Eye of Terror is still there.
• Any time a Chaos God has majority control those outside of the warp feel it. ie. Khorne brings war, Nurgle brings disease, Slaanesh brings hedonism, and TZEENTCH brings confusion?...maybe?(pg 221)

Chaos Space Marines

Needs Content

Allies Matrix

• Space Marines - Battle Brothers with every Space Marine Chapter, including Tau and excluding Grey Knights. Rumors says its because Tau are the Emperor's artificial race, because they are not affected by Chaos, though whenever Tau is mentioned in passing Space Marines are killing them. Dislike Sisters of Battle for some odd reason, probably because part of inquisition.
• Black Templars - Same as Space Marines, though hate Sisters of Battle and Tau, and will never work with Orks.
• Blood Angels - Same as Space Marines, though hate Tau and will never work with Eldar or Orks.
• Dark Angels - Same as Space Marines, though dislike Space Wolves and Tau.
• Space Wolves - Same as Space Marines, though Dislike Blood Angels and Tau.
• Chaos Daemons - Battle Brothers with Chaos Space Marines. Will never work with anyone else, except Imperial Guard. Sometimes they work with Dark Eldar, Orks, or Tau but they hate them.
• Chaos Space Marines - Same as Chaos Daemons, though they are better allies with Tau, Orks and Necrons, for some reason.
• Dark Eldar - Battle Brothers with Eldar, because as long as they are close to the same race every things cool. Hate everyone, but especially Necrons, Blood Angels, and Dark Angels.
• Eldar - Generally dislike everyone, but will never ally with Necrons and all of Chaos. Also hate Orks and Sister of Battle. Battle brothers with Tau for some reason yet again.
• Orks -
• Tau -
• Necrons -
• Sisters of Battle -
• Grey Knights -
• Imperial Guard -
• Tyranids - NO ONE! EVER!

Rumors!

Now that the rules have been released, the confirmed rumors have been indicated as such and include any changes made. This remains separate for convenience, so everyone knows what rumors were true (for now).

Core System

• Premeasurement a la WHFB. - Confirmed
• Force Organization Chart is still the same, no percentages. - Confirmed
• New FOC slot called Fortifications, lets you buy special terrain to place on the field. Fortifications range from 50pts pieces of 4+ cover to 200+pts big-ass fortresses. GW swears all options already have a kit available. - Confirmed
• Allies are in. Your army can include an allied detachment, with a limit of 1 HQ, 2 Troops,1 Elites, 1 Fast Attack and 1 Heavy Support, with the HQ and one of the troops compulsory. Alliances are classified by a table (best buds,untrusted etc.) but It's unknown if this will bring actual advantages or limitations. All Codices have been faq'd to hell to prevent certain special character rules from affecting other codices. (IE: Guard orders only work on guard) - Confirmed. It does in fact bring actual limitations and advantages. Such as your Ally being considered an enemy unit when using certain abilities that target enemy units.
• Turn sequence is the same: Move, Shoot, Assault. - Confirmed
• No new phases. No Psychic Phase, Magic Phase, Blowjob Phase or anything. Nothing of nothing. - Confirmed

Movement Phase

No changes, move along. - Confirmed

Shooting Phase

• Most cover got dropped to 5+, but now you only need to hide 25% of the squad to get the save. - Confirmed
• Rapid Fire weapons can fire one shot at full range even if the unit moved. - Confirmed
• Sniper weapons let the owner allocate the Wound if you roll a 6 To Hit. - Confirmed
• New weapon type: Salvo. Can either stay still and fire max shots at max range or move and fire half the shots at half the range. - Confirmed
• Snap Fire: certain weapons can be fired on the move with BS 1. Blast weapons can never Snap Fire. - Confirmed, but it is called Snap Shot and Ordnance, Template, Blast and certain other weapons cannot do it.
• You can only kill as many models in a target unit as you can actually see. - Confirmed
• Wound Allocation rules completely changed. Wounds are taken from the closest unit, no more units with just a SGT and 3 meltas left. - Confirmed
• When firing at a unit partially in cover, you can opt to Focus Fire. You can only kill exposed models, but they don't get a Cover Save. - Confirmed. Alternatively, you can specifically attack models just in cover.

Assault Phase

• Random Charges are in, distance is 2d6". - Confirmed
• Challenges are in. - Confirmed
• Hammer of Wrath: Bikes, Jump Infantry and MAYBE Walkers get an additional I10 attack when assaulting. - Confirmed with some changes. The bonus attack only uses str. Jump Infantry, Monstrous Creatures, and Cavalry get it automatically.
• An assaulted unit can elect to Overwatch: simply Stand and Shoot 40k version. Shots are resolved at BS 1 and cannot cause Morale or Pinning Checks. Templates inflict d3 automatic hits. - Confirmed, but not the templates, since Overwatch acts as if you were using the Snap Shot rule. Template weapons may fire overwatch, even though they cannot fire snap shots. Instead, if a template weapon fires overwatch, it automatically inflicts d3 hits on the charging unit, resolved at normal strength and ap value. (p. 52)
• A unit can Overwatch only once per turn. - Confirmed
• A unit assaulting multiple enemy units suffers from multiple Overwatches. - Confirmed
• A unit declaring multiple assaults suffers Disoriented Charge (no bonus attack). - Confirmed under the name "Disordered Charge".
• Pile-In is reduced to 3" and is done in Initiative order. - Confirmed
• Units can elect to auto-fail the Morale Check at the end of combat. - Confirmed
• Close Combat Weapons have an AP value. For example, Power Swords are "S: as user" AP3, Power Axes are S+1 AP2 but have an Initiative penality, Power Mauls are S+2 AP4... - Confirmed

Vehicles

• Flyers are in, with their own set of rules. - Confirmed
• Vehicles are now limited to move 12", but in the Shooting Phase they can go Flat Out to move a further 6". - Confirmed
• Primary and Defensive weapons are gone. You can fire most of your weapons most of the times, but moving faster will result in less weapons fired at basic BS and more with Snap Fire. - Confirmed
• Fast vehicles can fire more weapons and Flat Out further, Fast Skimmers even more. - Confirmed
• Moving Vehicles count as WS1. - Confirmed
• Skimmers now get Jink, a permanent 5+ cover save, improved to 4+ if they go Flat Out. - Confirmed
• Hull Points are in. They act as a sort of Hit Points for the vehicle. Each Penetrating Hit removes one Hull Point and prompts a roll on the Vehicle Damage Chart, Glancing Hits simply remove the point. a Vehicle out of Hull Points is Wrecked. Most vehicles have 3 with the exception of land raiders (spiky, and non spiky), soul grinders, and defilers which have 4, and some light Chileans which have 2. - Confirmed
• Most vehicles have 3 HP, Land Raiders and Monoliths have 4, Flyers have 2. - Confirmed
• New Vehicle Damage Chart: 1-2 Shaken, 3 Stunned, 4 Weapon Destroyed, 5 Immobilized, 6 Explodes!. As said above, only Penetrating Hits roll. - Confirmed
• AP2 weapons get +1 on Chart rolls, AP1 get +2, AP - is no longer -1. - Confirmed
• No more "half strength if the center hole is off". - Confirmed
• Passengers can only disembark if the vehicle moved 6" or less. - Confirmed BUT they can make a normal 6" move immediately after disembarking.
• Passengers count as moving if the vehicle moved 6" or less, if it moved more they can only Snap Fire. - Half Right. They cannot disembark if it moved more.
• Tanks can get hot. - Confirmed
• stormravens, valkyries and vendettas are now flyers, enjoy not killing them. - Confirmed :(

Psychic Powers

• NO PSYCHIC PHASE. - Confirmed
• Psychic powers are cast just like in 5th ed. - Confirmed
• Perils of the Warp ignores Invulnerable Saves. - Confirmed
• All units get a 6++ against psychic powers, psykers get a better save. - Confirmed
• Psychic powers now cost Warp Charges. Wait! Don't run for the hills yet! All powers cost either 1 or 2, and every psyker get a number of Charges to spend equal to their Mastery Level. For example, a level 2 psyker can cast either two Charge 1 powers or a single Charge 2 power. - Confirmed
• Powers are divided in 5 disciplines, each with 7 or so powers. - Confirmed. Biomancy, Divination, Pyromancy, Telekinesis, Telepathy
• There are 6 types of powers: Witchfire (Shooting Attack), Focused Witchfire (attack targetting a specific model), Maelstrom (area of effect), Nova (enemy-only AOE), Blessing (buff) and Malediction (debuff). - Confirmed

Missions

• Seizing Initiative and rolling for deployment are the same as 5th ed. - Confirmed
• 3 types of Deployment and 6 different Missions, with both Primary and Secondary objectives. - Confirmed
• Primary Objectives are your main goals and award a certain amount of Victory Points. Secondary Objectives are small things (scoring the first Kill Point, getting a unit in the enemy deployment zone) that award a single Victory Point. - Confirmed

Miscellaneous

• All to-hit rolls of 6 by characters are "Precision Shots," which their controlling player allocates. - Confirmed (note that it says CHARACTER)
• One IC in your army is nominated the Warlord. the Warlord gets a special benefit rolled on 1 of 3 available tables. Sample benefits include a 12" bubble of Ld10, Feel No Pain or being Scoring. - Confirmed
• Look Out Sir!: Characters and squad leaders have a 50% chance of evading attacks and assigning them to a friendly model within 6". ICs have a 2+ Look out Sir!. - Confirmed
• Monstrous Creatures now can Smash, forfeiting half their attacks to double their Strength. - Confirmed. The model also always counts as AP2 (unless it is already AP1)
• Flying Monstrous Creatures can choose to act normally or to take to the skies. If they choose the latter they can move 24" with the ability to make Vector Strikes (d3+1 attacks against a unit they passed over), either shoot 2 weapons or run 2d6" and cannot assault or be assaulted. - Confirmed. (They have even more rules than what is here)
• Deep Strike Mishap is now more forgiving: 1 You're Dead, 2-3 Misplaced, 4-6 Delayed. - Confirmed
• Feel No Pain is 5+ by default, but now works against armor-ignoring wounds. - Confirmed. Works against everything but instant death
• Preferred Enemy now lets you re-roll all 1s To Hit and To Wound, both Shooting and in Assaults. - Confirmed
• No Retreat is nowhere to be found. - Confirmed
• Still only one level of Instant Death. - Confirmed
• Rage now gives +2A on the charge. - Confirmed, but it is not 2 on top of the 1 you get for charging, it is 1 extra
• Night Vision completely ignores Night Fighting. - Confirmed
• Acute Senses let you re-roll to Outflank. - Confirmed... technically. It lets you re-roll the TABLE EDGE.
• Fleet allows to re-roll Run distance, maybe even charge distance. - Confirmed. Doesn't have to re-roll both dice.
• Weapons rules are much more generalized: "Rolls 2d6 on Armour Penetration" is now Armourbane, "Strikes at I1" is Unwieldy etc. - Confirmed
• you can buy bastions/buildings, these can give you cover saves etc, as well as special rules, like the Aegis defence line can buy a quad gun with skyfire (you can hit flyers at normal bs) for 75pts - Confirmed
• Warlord traits, the unit you elected as your Warlord rolls from one of 3 tables (strategic, personal or command, these give the warlord a personal bonus or an army-wide bonus depending on your roll) - Confirmed
• Armor and invulnerable saves work against dangerous terrain. (Guess Ward didn't like rolling 1s with his GK termies) - Confirmed