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Fascist Italy

2023-05-25T12:53:41Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* See Also */

{{flamewar}}
{{fail}}
{{Topquote|It is better to be a lion for one day then a sheep for a hundred.|Benito Mussolini, NOT Voltaire in spite of the common misatribution}}
{{Topquote|Well, at least he made the trains run on time!|Everyone missing the fucking point, [https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/did-mussolini-really-keep-trains-running-on-time.htm also he didn't] }}

[[File:italyflag.webp|frameless|center]]

[[Image:italysheep.webp|thumb|right|150px|...Totally not a sheep eh?]]

'''Fascist Italy''' is generally used to describe the '''Kingdom of Italy''' and its colonies from 1922 to 1943, which was briefly followed by the Italian Social Republic in the last two years of World War II. It is also known for its [[FAIL|UTTERLY HORRIFIC FAIL in everything it ever attempted to do.]] Seriously, you ever see those old-school propaganda cartoons where the Germans were portrayed as bumbling idiots who couldn't think their way out of a paper bag? That was actually a reasonably accurate depiction of the Italian high command. While Italy did excel in certain areas as touched on below, It was significantly better known for the countless disasters it experienced on every conceivable level: command, weapons, supplies, morale, manpower and manufacturing. Italy holds the questionable fame of being the ''only'' major Axis country to be defeated without Soviet help (yep, the Kwantung Army's destruction in Manchuria was a significant contribution to the Japanese defeat and it's still a matter of debate whether they were more scared by the atom bomb or the Soviet declaration of war). One of its primary armored vehicles was the ''Carro Veloce 35''... [[FAIL|A tankette; in other words a tractor with some sheet metal welded on and a machine gun that modern civilian trucks could probably survive being hit by]]. And yet Mussolini's certainty that he would usher in a new Roman Empire was absolute. How the FUCK did this happen? How come seemingly every battle had Italy failing against forces that they outnumbered ten to one? Were the Italian soldiers just THAT bad or is this a case of the French being cowards again? Well, buckle up, kids it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

==Backstory==

In the aftermath of [[The Great War]] much of Europe was an utter mess. Those areas which were not devastated by the fighting or caught up in the Russian Civil War were hit hard by economic collapse. Governments had racked up massive debt, agriculture had declined, millions of people had been killed or maimed, there were shortages of everything and in a lot of places social order had broken down. The Russian Empire had collapsed into civil war after 1917 and the German and Austrian Empires were disintegrating even before they were abolished by the Entente. There was a lot of uncertainty about the future, nationalist sentiment that had been riled up in the war was left sloshing about to fester without a target, communist and socialist agitation was on the rise across the continent, and the Red Scare was in full effect.

But not Italy. Oh, no. Things in Italy were much worse. But to understand why we're gonna have to rewind a bit.

After the fall of Rome, Italy took an entirely different path from the rest of the empire, splintering into a motley collection of city-states theoretically loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor. Because of the warmer climate, fertile soils, and coastal cities, Dark Age feudalism never really got established in the region the way it did elsewhere. Italy also bore the worst of the Black Death, so the working-class population who survived enjoyed more power, enough to make merchant republics (sometimes with princes) the norm rather than feudal kingdoms. A good chunk of the region was also controlled by the Pope as his personal stomping ground, the Papal States. And they liked to fight with each other. A lot.

Protected from the northern powers by the Alps, the Italians were free to focus on killing each other over supporting the Pope (Guelphs) vs the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines). But these weren't really wars. They were more like town-vs-town raiding parties, and eventually were more about revenge and pride than a serious dispute over who Italy should unite behind. Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is set in this period. This went on for LITERALLY CENTURIES until one day a short Corsican with a French army plowed his way through the Alps and told Italy to get with the times.

Between 1829 and 1871, Italy was slowly united, as Italian nationalists pushed one duchy after another to bend the knee to the House of Savoy and took all the land away from the Papal States until they only had a fortified hill in Rome left. This didn't mean that the Italians stopped killing each other, though; far from it. With widespread poverty, unemployment, homelessness, the papacy being salty over losing most of their private demesne and stirring up trouble, and at best marginal success on the industrialization front, Italy in the back half of the 19th century was a shitshow of brigandry, civil war, and familial revenge murder.

What? You've seen "The Godfather" haven't you? You think they just came over to America and started doing all that shit just because?

Before the Great War kicked off, Italy was a member of the Central Powers, but as the conflict started the Italian government decided to rethink their relations with Germany, since they'd mainly promised to get involved if Germany was attacked and Germany had instead squared up to Serbia and Russia after Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Both sides promised some post-war goodies - Berlin offered them parts of France (mainly Savoy and Provence), while London did the same with Austrian South Tyrol, Albania (then Austrian-dominated) and parts of the Ottoman Empire. In the end Italian ambitions in the Adriatic region prevailed, and they joined the Entente in 1915, hoping to quickly get what they wanted.

'''They failed.''' While the occupation of Albania was a definite victory, the Italian theater quickly became one of the least successful fronts in the war. To get the right kind of picture, they couldn't push into Austria-Hungary, a country that couldn't completely liberate Galicia from Russian armies for three years, even as their senior partner Germany battered their way into France against the best and the most that the British and the French could throw at them. In fact, at some point they almost lost Venice to an Austrian offensive. And while they managed to survive until the end of the war and even get some Anatolian lands according to the Treaty of Sevres, Ataturk's now reorganized resistance managed to retake Asia Minor and Britain's unfair treatment of the island possessions crushed their dreams of Mediterranean domination. In the end, they got nothing, which led to them referring to their victory as the "Vittoria Mutilata" (Mutilated Victory)

==Enter Il Duce==
[[File:italyspeach.webp|right||150px|]]

Into that environment stepped Benito Mussolini.

He rallied a collection of nationalist army-vet toughs, named them the Fascists (from ''Fasces'', an axe tied into a bundle of rods, an old Roman symbol of law and order), beat up a bunch of communists and socialists and projected an image of strength and certainty that won people over. Soon enough his gang of schlubs marched on Rome as a show of strength. King Victor Emmanuel III and the old-school conservatives saw him and his black-shirted thugs as a solution to their communist/socialist/anti-monarchist liberal problems and made him prime minister. He further secured his position by negotiating a treaty between the Vatican and the Kingdom of Italy, defusing the decades-long conflict between the two parties and gaining the church's tacit approval of the fascist regime, basically setting up the situation today. At the same time, his Fascist party embedded itself into the government, fed their message to the masses (which included the need for discipline, nationalism, hierarchy and a belief that war was a good thing in its own right), cracked down on their political enemies, and entrenched themselves into Italian society. By rolling several sixes and being in the right place at the right time, Mussolini became the champion of the European far right, boasting about how he'd rebuild the Roman Empire and inspiring copycats across the continent. At least until Hitler stole his thunder in the late '30s.

Now, although the nature of Germany's sudden wealth and power after the Nazi takeover is explored in depth on their own [[Nazi|page]], the overall point is that Hitler acquired resources, public support, finances, and a highly trained, well-equipped fighting force before deciding to start invading places. This wasn't just in regards to the army, but using propaganda and public works to win the public over to his side. While he had many issues in regards to actually fighting a war, something Hitler understood was that you need a strong nation (even if it was temporary) in order to support a strong armed force. Il Duce on the other hand, while also mimicking Hitler's giant Ponzi scheme, used his cash flow to support the economy in total, rather than specifically focusing on infrastructure and industry. Italy was an agrarian state with very few exploitable natural resources or material stockpiles compared to Germany, which sat on considerable reserves and could support autarky if it tightened its belt for a while. Worse still, after the economic and human disaster that was World War I, very few people had knowledge and experience in anything other than farming. While Germany was experimenting with tanks, Italy was struggling to scrape enough metal together to even make even one! Ultimately, Italy's weapons were often of First World War vintage (especially their rifles, which were still using ROUND HEADED BULLETS) with new weapons that had horrifically bad issues (their light machine guns being the best example) being manufactured to the very end of the war because they lacked the resources to develop anything new.

On top of all that, Mussolini never had much actual support. While somewhat popular, he was nowhere near as beloved as Adolf and his party was when they took over Germany (as limited as that popularity was electorally). Making matters worse was the Vatican. While they never outright denounced Benito for obvious reasons, and the Fascists weren't running around executing nuns and priests like the Communists, the church took a very anti-fascist stance and supported resistance movements behind the scenes.

[[File:italymeme2.jpeg|left||150px|]]

Now, the Italian Fascist Party was not devoted in any way to German National Socialism. That is, they are '''NOT''' Nazis. Nazi racial theory had a mixed reception down south. Mussolini himself had several Jewish mistresses and Italo Balbo, one of the left-leaning members of the Fascist Council, focused on Fascist outreach to Jews, Muslims, and Africans, while many Italian Jews supported the Fascist Party in its early years. Additionally, Nazi racial theory held Mediterranean races, like the Italians, in lower regard than the superior Nordic stock, so it couldn't be expected that Italian Fascists would embrace such a self-degrading ideology. That said, the Fascists were ''definitely not nice people''; they freely used what are now recognized as WMDs against North African Berbers and Ethiopians when they resisted, and even used [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rab_concentration_camp proto-concentration camps to anyone rebelling], the only silver lining being that those who cooperated were seen as equals. But [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_fascism_and_racism such racism as Italy professed -haphazardly with German pressure no less-] was the kind of [[China|cultural bigotry against "barbaric" enemies]] which had existed since Roman times. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T_98uT1IZs| Not all fascism is Nazism, but all Nazism is fascism.] What mainly sets Italian Fascism apart from other contemporary authoritarian ideologies (and frustrates the hell out of historians and political scientists to this day) was that it was barely backed up by any coherent ideology and underwent several shifts along the way, mainly driven by Mussolinis political opportunism. If anything, the most comparable ideological system would probably be Putinism, both characterized by aggressive nationalism and a hodge podge of policies meant to appease a largely depolitized populace in the sole service of the leader of the country staying in power. Nazism on the other hand was a clear-cut ideology with tenets and goals.

Interestingly enough, ''unlike'' their totalitarian colleagues, Fascist Italy was much more tolerant to the so-called "degenerate" and "bourgeois" futurism (at least before 1938, when this form of art was banned as one of the conditions for their alliance with Germany). In fact, many futurists initially supported Mussolini, including Phillipo Marinetti, Father of Futurism (although he and his comrades left politics after Il Duce started leaning into the traditionalist side of fascism more than revolutionary one). Modern academics generally don't appreciate why this happened, believing it may have been simple pragmatism on the part of Il Duce, but for European intelligentsia fascism offered all the appeal of progressivism without the waywardness and lack of discipline seen in the United States and the sheer destructive terror of communism. This perception that Italian fascism offered the path to a shining industrial future accounted for its strong support among the educated classes in its early years and even into World War II, and was mirrored by the international respect garnered by Il Duce pre-Munich. As a result, the propaganda of Fascist Italy is more memorable and eye-catching than its contemporaries.

Mussolini's decision to try and destroy organized crime in Italy had an unintentional ripple effect which has left its mark on modern society. Many crime bosses fled to the New World and established new crime families and organizations, creating the American Mafia and ultimately kicking off a cultural fascination that has resulted in popular media like ''The Godfather'' and ''The Sopranos'', among other things.

==Fascist Italy Portrayals in Fiction==
While it's very true that the Italians are vastly overshadowed by their German allies you'd be surprised how many tropes were inspired, often indirectly, by Italy's actions and performance in WWII. Ever seen the trope where our heroes go to a small poor nation with a dictator who talks big shit about being some grand empire poised to take over the world? How about the big bad bringing in all the representatives of the groups he controls, and there's one really shouty man who thinks he's big shit and often gets killed by the big bad to make a point? Hell, the Cardassians in Star Trek actually have a lot more in common with Fascist Italy, especially in ''Deep Space 9'', than they do with Germany! If they themselves ever appear, though, it's either as the butt of a joke or to be the guys our heroes stomp in order to show how badass they are.

===Fascist Italy and /tg/===

Well apart from Italians being perfect fodder for level 1 characters in a WWII setting they are often injected into games as antagonists in groups that have a "no Nazis" rule, even as the villains. This often occurs if, in the past, the group has run a game with them as the enemies only for the bard equivalent or the party in general to try and blend in [[Racial Holy War|TOO well...]] A clever DM can even use this to their advantage. Since the Italians weren't into the whole Nazi "wir waren Aryanz un' Scheisse" thing a character that attempts to disguise himself by going full Nazi can be discovered immediately. You can also look at the list below to bring in Italians into a situation they may actually excel at.

==Italian Gear, Weapons, and Vehicles==
Here's a very rough summary of Italian equipment. Don't get your hopes up, though there are one or two surprises in there.

''Main Article: [[Fascist Italian Equipment]]''

==Things Italy was ACTUALLY Good at==
Now for some faint praise to go along with the damnation...
* Italian paratroopers performed amazingly in most battles they took part in, and were famously the last Axis force to resist the Allies during the breaking of the Tobruk siege.
* Italian Bersaglieri also get notice. They also performed well in most battles, and some US Rangers were fully convinced that they were the best Italy had to offer. While the Germans sat over there with ok tanks and stupid good LMGs, the Bersaglieri were kicking ass and taking names with the shittiest LMG in the war and "tanks".
* Italian submachine guns, especially from the Beretta company. In fact they were so good that not only were they prime targets for trophies, but the government decided to try and save some resources by asking the company to make their models WORSE.
* Manned torpedoes (midget submarines used to plant mines directly on ships). They were actually so successful plans were being written up to sneak a team through the Atlantic and launch on attack on New York harbor, but was called off with the invasion of Italy. Overall the Regia Marina had good ships (better than Germany) but no radar and inflexible, risk-adverse leadership. Largely because they did not need to rebuild from scratch and they had a longer time to get it ready.
* Air force (post 1943). Yes, despite little support from Germany and essentially having to fend of the Allied air forces by themselves, not only did they hold them off but they actually shot down more planes than the Germans. Italian aviation engineering was in truth pretty good (especially at building seaplanes and multi-engine airliners; eg the CANT Z.506) but was hamstrung by conflicts between firms, a few political mandates and the ever present resource crunch. They also had a thing for three-engine planes (two on wing nacelles and one on the nose) for what it's worth.
* Armored Cars. Oddly enough with their reputation in regards to tanks, Italian armored cars were pretty top notch, even after the 1943 split Germany elected to spend resources to continue the Italian development program.
* Its soldiers. Yes, really. Once they joined the Allies where they could actually fight for something while equipped with actual guns and bullets, they performed so well they shocked the Allied forces they fought beside. The Allies originally wanted nothing to do with the anti-fascist forces but after their first battle they were so impressed they did a complete 180 on the decision. Even before that, the Italian divisions that fought in North Africa impressed the Germans with their fighting spirit and aggression; they just tend to be left out of the narrative because everyone has a boner for Rommel and the Afrika Korps.
* Recycling! Resources were cut in every place they could be, and some weapons were even modified to catch ejected shells so they could be sent back to the factory.

And finally as mentioned previously Italian ships would have been good... but Supermarina thought this whole radar thing was a useless fad. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Matapan That was a REALLY bad call.] The sheer curbstomp of that one battle deserves a repetition of this point.

== See Also ==
* [[/pol/]]: For all your fascism goodness. The fact even /pol/ rarely tries to describe Italy as good back then says a lot about both.
* [[Communism]]: While not true Nazi the two were still very opposed to each other. Communists actually played a big part in the Italian resistance movement, but became a major and long-lasting annoyance to Italian governments during the Cold War.
* [[Nazi]]: The much more brutal and racially fueled version, the concept of race taking precedence over the state. Still not efficient, but caused far more damage to the world.
[[Category:History]][[Category:Not related]]

Hellhound Tank

2023-05-25T11:34:14Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Trivia */

[[File:AB1318-Imperial-Guard-Hellhound-400x400.jpg|300px|right|thumb|{{Blam|*FWOOOOOSH!*}}]]

In the universe of [[Warhammer 40,000]], the '''Hellhound''' pattern tank and its variations are a series of light tanks fielded by the [[Imperial Guard]]; its main purposes are to provide fast fire support for the Imperial Guard, and to fuck the shit of anything that's hiding in cover.

There are several different patterns of the Hellhound in use by the Imperium, such as the Artemia Pattern which replaces the vehicle's turret with one that is [[Reasonable Marines|remotely controlled from inside the vehicle by the vehicle's commander]] which allows the tank to make do with a crew of only two. Other patterns of the Hellhound, such as the more common Mars Pattern, use several smaller fuel tanks that can be hidden inside the remnants of the Chimera chassis' troop compartment. This pattern of Hellhound is preferred by Imperial commanders to the standard pattern of the vehicle since it is similar in appearance to the regular [[Chimera Transport]], making it harder for the enemy to identify.

The Hellhound uses a modified [[Chimera Transport|Chimera]] chassis: replacing its transport capabilities with a heavier engine to allow faster movement, promethium tanks (or equivalent, depending on the weapon in question), and heavier side armor. This increases the survivability of the tank for its primary purpose: to [[Salamanders|get close to the enemy and melt their faces off]]. The crew that volunteers for Hellhound duty tend to be a rather [[Magic:_The_Gathering|unhinged]] bunch that [[Sisters_of_Battle|love to set people on fire and watch them burn to death]]. There are currently three patterns of the Hellhound in use: the Hellhound, the Bane Wolf and the Devil Dog. Like the Chimera, the Hellhound and its variants can field a hull-mounted [[Heavy Flamer]], [[Heavy Bolter]] or [[Multi-Melta]].

BRO TIP: The only way these three tanks differ from each other is by the barrel of their weapons. Make them in such a way so you can swap between the flamer, chem and melta barrels to get more mileage out of your vehicles. The head of the weapon is a simple plug-in so it should be easy to just not glue them in place and swap between them as needed.

== Hellhound ==

[[File:Hellhound.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Hellhound, the bane of [[Orks]] and [[Tyranids]] alike.]]

The '''Hellhound''' is the classic pattern: by using a unique [[Inferno Cannon|flamethrower]] that allows the vehicle to project its burning payload over a very wide area, allowing the introduction to potentially over a dozen enemies to your good friend [[Imperial_Munitorum_Manual|Mister Yellow]]. This will fuck up anything that's not an [[MEQ]], including [[Tyranid]] and [[Necron]] Warriors, most [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]], any [[Tau]] infantry, and any blob of the non-MEQ or [[Animu|moe]] variety. By far the most popular choice for pick up gamers.

=== Crunch ===

Hellhounds have gotten a whole lot cheaper on the whole and faster as well. That's good, because they'll need it. The once-frail Hellhound has suffered under the change to tanks as well, meaning that massed infantry fire can pose a serious threat to even its T7 W11 3+ frame. Out of the box a Hellhound costs a mere 101 points, which really helps for what it does. It can pick one of three secondary weapons: a Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Multi-Melta.

The Hellhound's Inferno Cannon packs a punch at Heavy 2D6 S6 AP-2 D1, making it effective against most infantry. Sheer number of shots will burn through hordes and allow you to ping medium and heavy infantry well enough. And with 18" range it doesn't have to come too close either. The first pick for a secondary weapon would be the Heavy Flamer but do note that it's got only 2/3-range compared to the Inferno Cannon. The benefit for all of this is that whether it has 11 wounds remaining or 1, this setup is unaffected in terms of damage output.

== Bane Wolf ==

[[File:Banewolf.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Banewolf. It is like having [[Nurgle]] throwing up onto your enemies.]]

{{topquote| Where do you want to spray...?|Toxin Tractor}}

The Bane Wolf mounts a [[Chem Cannon]] in place of the Inferno Cannon. Essentially the Chem Cannon sprays a highly concentrated, poisonous gas instead of flame. This toxic cocktail makes short work of light infantry, and because the substance can dissolve through solid material even Power Armor is vulnerable as seals and joins are simply liquified. However, vehicles are much less susceptible to its effects.

The Bane Wolf first made its gaming appearance in [[Dawn of War 2]] where it was the unique unit for [[Inquisitor Adrastia]]. Just like in tabletop, the Bane Wolf was excellent against infantry and was ideal for attacking units entrenched within buildings and cover. It also made for one of the best vehicle rushes in the game. It was a pretty common tactic for IG players to surprise summon a metal baux with a Banewolf the moment they hit tier 2 and immediately burn the enemy generator farm to the ground before their opponent could bring anti-tank weapons on the field.

=== Crunch ===

With the 9th Edition codex, the Chem Cannon got a noticeable buff, going up to D2 and Heavy D3+3 shots, making it far more effective at killing MEQ. It still has a very short range and is useless against anything with the Vehicle or Titanic keyword, but over all a far more useful option.

== Devil Dog ==

[[File:Devil_Dog.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Devil Dog. Note the tank commander [[Meme|who wants to be driven close to the enemy, so he can hit them with his Melta Cannon.]]]]

Sometimes there are no alternatives. Sometimes you just want to strap on your [[Power Fist]] and punch a dude through the chest. When all else fails there's the '''Devil Dog'''; fielding the unique [[Melta Cannon]], once the ''only'' Blast weapon to have the Melta rule in the entire game. Nowadays it is perfect to vaporise anything with a 2+ save, tanks or Monstrous Creatures. Remember that the tears of a [[Grey Knight]] player whose entire unit of Paladins was just vaporised by a cheapo tank are considered a delicacy on [[/tg/]]. Bottle them and share them with the [[Neckbeards|guys]] at your [[LGS|local game store]]. All in all, it's the closest the Guard has to a medium tank: an armored vehicle that sacrifices armor for speed and power. Use the speed to get it in position fast, and the power to make back its points.

=== Crunch ===

In 8th, the Devil Dog's Melta Cannon was thankfully turned into an Assault weapon as, meaning that you can hit D3 times with a standard melta profile, and re-rolls of your D6 damage at half range. This means that you've got a decent shot at taking down all but the toughest of tanks in a single blast, which is a ton of fun. It's also semi-reliable against tough units of TEQs, but the low rate of fire is an issue when facing units of at least 5 models large. While it seems logical to take the Multi-Melta to supplement this, consider that it's a Heavy weapon, the Devil Dog has no way to mitigate this (unless, of course, you dedicated this Devil Dog to the Gallant People of Tallarn) and it has a BS of 4+ at best. This configuration cranks the cost up to a worrying 128 points, which is quite a lot for a unit that'll likely end up getting taken out of the battle in a single turn.

In 9th, the Devil Dog and (all Hellhound weapons, really) were turned into Heavy weapons. The melta cannon also buffed to S9 AP-4 D6+2(+4 within half range). While you no longer get penalties to move and fire heavy weapons, you cant advance and fire anymore, but not that you really need too. The Multimelta now pairs very nicely since their ranges complement each other (only the melta cannon has 24"), and while only the Multimelta can shoot into melee, only the Melta Cannon can shoot out of it.

With the 9th edition codex, the Melta Cannon also got the Turret Weapon special rule, making it noticeably better at actually hitting its targets. However, keep in mind this *does not* affect your secondary weapon, such as a multi-melta.

== General Consensus ==
Overall, all the tanks have access to the Heavy Bolter as well, and while it suffers from the same issue with it being Heavy, it is also the cheapest of the secondary guns. And the difference is notable: the Heavy Flamer is more than double the cost and the Multi-Melta is two and a half times its price tag. This means that a consideration has to be made: the cheaper and longer-ranged (longest range on the tank, mind you!) but less reliable Heavy Bolter, or the more expensive and complimentary but short-ranged Heavy Flamer. The Multi-Melta has the worst of both worlds: while its range is not the issue the cost, the different preferred targets, low accuracy and rate of fire means it's not a weapon you take just in case.

The trick to using these tanks is getting close to your preferred target ASAP and blast them to bits. The high speed and the smoke launchers (once per game you don't shoot, but instead invoke a -1 penalty to hit with shooting). After that you'll likely get blasted into scrap, but if not you might get lucky a second time. Because they are cheap they make for ideal distractions as well, either with the threat of violence or as a physical screen for your other units.

=== Power Ratings ===

With Power Ratings some of the issues are solved, but not all of them. The Heavy Flamers are now a lot more viable and while Devil Dogs cost the same <s>5</s> '''6''' points as the other tanks, the Multi-Melta still suffers from the same problems. <s>5</s> '''6''' points is still cheap, and can make for some highly mobile (if fragile) heavy weapons fire where your [[Heavy Weapons Squad]]s cannot easily reach them. Overall they are useful, but not the best unit on your roster.

== Trivia ==

The term "Devil Dog" comes from a nickname supposedly given to the US Marine Corps by the Krauts during World War One ("Teufel Hunden"). [[Derp|The fact that this is grammatically incorrect to the extent of being faux German (in German it'd actually be ''Teufelshund'') and a much more common equivalent in German would be their word for Hellhound (''Höllenhund'') casts much doubt on the veracity of the Yanks' claim, however]]. Meanwhile, Banewolf just sounds mean.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Imperial Guard]]

[[Category: Chaos]]

[[Category: Lost and the Damned]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

{{Imperial-Guard}}

{{Lost-and-Damned}}

{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}

Hellhound Tank

2023-05-25T11:34:02Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Trivia */

[[File:AB1318-Imperial-Guard-Hellhound-400x400.jpg|300px|right|thumb|{{Blam|*FWOOOOOSH!*}}]]

In the universe of [[Warhammer 40,000]], the '''Hellhound''' pattern tank and its variations are a series of light tanks fielded by the [[Imperial Guard]]; its main purposes are to provide fast fire support for the Imperial Guard, and to fuck the shit of anything that's hiding in cover.

There are several different patterns of the Hellhound in use by the Imperium, such as the Artemia Pattern which replaces the vehicle's turret with one that is [[Reasonable Marines|remotely controlled from inside the vehicle by the vehicle's commander]] which allows the tank to make do with a crew of only two. Other patterns of the Hellhound, such as the more common Mars Pattern, use several smaller fuel tanks that can be hidden inside the remnants of the Chimera chassis' troop compartment. This pattern of Hellhound is preferred by Imperial commanders to the standard pattern of the vehicle since it is similar in appearance to the regular [[Chimera Transport]], making it harder for the enemy to identify.

The Hellhound uses a modified [[Chimera Transport|Chimera]] chassis: replacing its transport capabilities with a heavier engine to allow faster movement, promethium tanks (or equivalent, depending on the weapon in question), and heavier side armor. This increases the survivability of the tank for its primary purpose: to [[Salamanders|get close to the enemy and melt their faces off]]. The crew that volunteers for Hellhound duty tend to be a rather [[Magic:_The_Gathering|unhinged]] bunch that [[Sisters_of_Battle|love to set people on fire and watch them burn to death]]. There are currently three patterns of the Hellhound in use: the Hellhound, the Bane Wolf and the Devil Dog. Like the Chimera, the Hellhound and its variants can field a hull-mounted [[Heavy Flamer]], [[Heavy Bolter]] or [[Multi-Melta]].

BRO TIP: The only way these three tanks differ from each other is by the barrel of their weapons. Make them in such a way so you can swap between the flamer, chem and melta barrels to get more mileage out of your vehicles. The head of the weapon is a simple plug-in so it should be easy to just not glue them in place and swap between them as needed.

== Hellhound ==

[[File:Hellhound.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Hellhound, the bane of [[Orks]] and [[Tyranids]] alike.]]

The '''Hellhound''' is the classic pattern: by using a unique [[Inferno Cannon|flamethrower]] that allows the vehicle to project its burning payload over a very wide area, allowing the introduction to potentially over a dozen enemies to your good friend [[Imperial_Munitorum_Manual|Mister Yellow]]. This will fuck up anything that's not an [[MEQ]], including [[Tyranid]] and [[Necron]] Warriors, most [[Eldar|Aspect Warriors]], any [[Tau]] infantry, and any blob of the non-MEQ or [[Animu|moe]] variety. By far the most popular choice for pick up gamers.

=== Crunch ===

Hellhounds have gotten a whole lot cheaper on the whole and faster as well. That's good, because they'll need it. The once-frail Hellhound has suffered under the change to tanks as well, meaning that massed infantry fire can pose a serious threat to even its T7 W11 3+ frame. Out of the box a Hellhound costs a mere 101 points, which really helps for what it does. It can pick one of three secondary weapons: a Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Multi-Melta.

The Hellhound's Inferno Cannon packs a punch at Heavy 2D6 S6 AP-2 D1, making it effective against most infantry. Sheer number of shots will burn through hordes and allow you to ping medium and heavy infantry well enough. And with 18" range it doesn't have to come too close either. The first pick for a secondary weapon would be the Heavy Flamer but do note that it's got only 2/3-range compared to the Inferno Cannon. The benefit for all of this is that whether it has 11 wounds remaining or 1, this setup is unaffected in terms of damage output.

== Bane Wolf ==

[[File:Banewolf.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Banewolf. It is like having [[Nurgle]] throwing up onto your enemies.]]

{{topquote| Where do you want to spray...?|Toxin Tractor}}

The Bane Wolf mounts a [[Chem Cannon]] in place of the Inferno Cannon. Essentially the Chem Cannon sprays a highly concentrated, poisonous gas instead of flame. This toxic cocktail makes short work of light infantry, and because the substance can dissolve through solid material even Power Armor is vulnerable as seals and joins are simply liquified. However, vehicles are much less susceptible to its effects.

The Bane Wolf first made its gaming appearance in [[Dawn of War 2]] where it was the unique unit for [[Inquisitor Adrastia]]. Just like in tabletop, the Bane Wolf was excellent against infantry and was ideal for attacking units entrenched within buildings and cover. It also made for one of the best vehicle rushes in the game. It was a pretty common tactic for IG players to surprise summon a metal baux with a Banewolf the moment they hit tier 2 and immediately burn the enemy generator farm to the ground before their opponent could bring anti-tank weapons on the field.

=== Crunch ===

With the 9th Edition codex, the Chem Cannon got a noticeable buff, going up to D2 and Heavy D3+3 shots, making it far more effective at killing MEQ. It still has a very short range and is useless against anything with the Vehicle or Titanic keyword, but over all a far more useful option.

== Devil Dog ==

[[File:Devil_Dog.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Devil Dog. Note the tank commander [[Meme|who wants to be driven close to the enemy, so he can hit them with his Melta Cannon.]]]]

Sometimes there are no alternatives. Sometimes you just want to strap on your [[Power Fist]] and punch a dude through the chest. When all else fails there's the '''Devil Dog'''; fielding the unique [[Melta Cannon]], once the ''only'' Blast weapon to have the Melta rule in the entire game. Nowadays it is perfect to vaporise anything with a 2+ save, tanks or Monstrous Creatures. Remember that the tears of a [[Grey Knight]] player whose entire unit of Paladins was just vaporised by a cheapo tank are considered a delicacy on [[/tg/]]. Bottle them and share them with the [[Neckbeards|guys]] at your [[LGS|local game store]]. All in all, it's the closest the Guard has to a medium tank: an armored vehicle that sacrifices armor for speed and power. Use the speed to get it in position fast, and the power to make back its points.

=== Crunch ===

In 8th, the Devil Dog's Melta Cannon was thankfully turned into an Assault weapon as, meaning that you can hit D3 times with a standard melta profile, and re-rolls of your D6 damage at half range. This means that you've got a decent shot at taking down all but the toughest of tanks in a single blast, which is a ton of fun. It's also semi-reliable against tough units of TEQs, but the low rate of fire is an issue when facing units of at least 5 models large. While it seems logical to take the Multi-Melta to supplement this, consider that it's a Heavy weapon, the Devil Dog has no way to mitigate this (unless, of course, you dedicated this Devil Dog to the Gallant People of Tallarn) and it has a BS of 4+ at best. This configuration cranks the cost up to a worrying 128 points, which is quite a lot for a unit that'll likely end up getting taken out of the battle in a single turn.

In 9th, the Devil Dog and (all Hellhound weapons, really) were turned into Heavy weapons. The melta cannon also buffed to S9 AP-4 D6+2(+4 within half range). While you no longer get penalties to move and fire heavy weapons, you cant advance and fire anymore, but not that you really need too. The Multimelta now pairs very nicely since their ranges complement each other (only the melta cannon has 24"), and while only the Multimelta can shoot into melee, only the Melta Cannon can shoot out of it.

With the 9th edition codex, the Melta Cannon also got the Turret Weapon special rule, making it noticeably better at actually hitting its targets. However, keep in mind this *does not* affect your secondary weapon, such as a multi-melta.

== General Consensus ==
Overall, all the tanks have access to the Heavy Bolter as well, and while it suffers from the same issue with it being Heavy, it is also the cheapest of the secondary guns. And the difference is notable: the Heavy Flamer is more than double the cost and the Multi-Melta is two and a half times its price tag. This means that a consideration has to be made: the cheaper and longer-ranged (longest range on the tank, mind you!) but less reliable Heavy Bolter, or the more expensive and complimentary but short-ranged Heavy Flamer. The Multi-Melta has the worst of both worlds: while its range is not the issue the cost, the different preferred targets, low accuracy and rate of fire means it's not a weapon you take just in case.

The trick to using these tanks is getting close to your preferred target ASAP and blast them to bits. The high speed and the smoke launchers (once per game you don't shoot, but instead invoke a -1 penalty to hit with shooting). After that you'll likely get blasted into scrap, but if not you might get lucky a second time. Because they are cheap they make for ideal distractions as well, either with the threat of violence or as a physical screen for your other units.

=== Power Ratings ===

With Power Ratings some of the issues are solved, but not all of them. The Heavy Flamers are now a lot more viable and while Devil Dogs cost the same <s>5</s> '''6''' points as the other tanks, the Multi-Melta still suffers from the same problems. <s>5</s> '''6''' points is still cheap, and can make for some highly mobile (if fragile) heavy weapons fire where your [[Heavy Weapons Squad]]s cannot easily reach them. Overall they are useful, but not the best unit on your roster.

== Trivia ==

The term "Devil Dog" comes from a nickname supposedly given to the US Marine Corps by the Krauts during World War One ("Teufel Hunden"). [[Derp|The fact that this is grammatically incorrect to the extent of being faux German (in German it'd actually be ''Teufelshund'') and a much more common equivalent in German would be their word for Hellhound (''Höllenhund'') casts much doubt on the veracity of the Yanks' claim, however]]. Banewolf just sounds mean.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Imperial Guard]]

[[Category: Chaos]]

[[Category: Lost and the Damned]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

{{Imperial-Guard}}

{{Lost-and-Damned}}

{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}

Imperial Navy

2023-05-25T11:28:45Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: Undo revision 890082 by 2601:1C0:5001:5320:8C83:E38F:3027:1A84 (talk) Attack Craft (Bombers) ignore Void Shields, at least they did back in the tabletop game

[[File:imperialnavy1.jpg|400px|thumb||Cathedrals IN SPEHSS!]]

{{Topquote|When you began, you couldn’t have possessed enough bones for the whole ship. It would look stupid with a few dozen skeletons nailed to the walls. So, how do you start? Do you save up enough bodies for a corridor at a time, or put them away until you have enough to decorate the entire vessel?’|[[Jain Zar]],-Storm of Silence, And while in context she is talking about a [[Dark Eldar]] ship, it applies equally well to the Imperium. She thoroughly underestimates how many corpses both have readily available.}}

{{Topquote|By my faith, may the light of the Emperor spread to the farthest star. By my duty, the galaxy will belong to the righteous. By my actions, the Imperial Navy shall be honoured and remembered on Holy Terra. For the Emperor of Mankind, AND FOR THE BATTLEFLEET GOTHIC!|Imperial Navy Captain Abridal, shorty before his blaze of glory that ultimately stopped the 12th [[Black Crusade]] and saved billions of Imperial lives.}}

The '''Imperial Navy''' is one of the main branches of the [[Imperium of Man|Imperial]] military in [[Warhammer 40,000]], although very little of the Navy actually appears in the tabletop game. They're also one of the main factions in the beloved spin-off game [[Battlefleet Gothic]].

Unlike the [[Imperial Guard]], who get killed in the <s>thousands</s> <s>millions</s> billions every day, the Imperial Navy rarely suffers that many casualties (at least when capital ships are concerned). This is because, unlike the [[lasgun|flashlight]] used by Guardsmen, the main weapon of the Navy is a giant, heavily-armed, heavily-armored battleship that puts other races' spaceships to shame. These ships are also [[Awesome|massive, flying, Gothic cathedrals]]. Be mindful that a ship ''surviving'' a fight doesn't mean survival of any and all of her crew - when the hull is compromised, people die by the hundreds, and retrieval of hulks after a victorious battle is a routine operation for the Navy.
The Imperial Navy is actually well handled by the Imperium. I know, shocking. ''But'', (there it is!) the Imperium seems to think trying to defend everywhere is a good idea. This works fine in general because most threats it faces are hilariously out-matched rebels. But when they're not facing hilariously out-matched rebels, multiple worlds are lost before the Navy can get enough force concentration to win and usually take back those planets. Since those rebels don't need anything above escorts to go squish them (and protect the transports of Guardsmen to do personal squishery), the Navy's penchant for trying to shove full fleets everywhere and even having light cruisers on patrol is not thought-out. It doesn't mean that Guard would get support of a full battlegroup initially tasked with securing the system during their ground campaign (see [[Vraks]] as an example).

Depending on how you look at it, and who you're looking at, the officers of the Navy are either wealthy cowards or badass gentlemen. In either case, their ships have crews numbering the hundreds of thousands or even millions (we're not kidding when we say that each ship has its own language(s) and culture(s,)) since the Imperial Navy doesn't understand how auto-loaders work, so loading a gun requires thousands of slaves running on treadmills. Of course, this might be the fault of [[Adeptus Mechanicus|a certain other branch of the Imperium, who, coincidentally, ''do'' have working auto-loaders on their ships]]. In any case, [[Grimdark|the Imperium has found it cheaper and ''more effective'' to use manpower because they have ''that many people'' to throw at even the tiniest of problems.]] Of course, for a major officer, most days simply require him to press a button and blow something up, then go back to drinking his tea. Oh, and ''maybe'' scramble the ground-support flyers, if he's feeling charitable that day.

Note that, back in the [[Great Crusade]], the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy were one and the same, operating under the far-less-badass name of "Imperial Army." However, thanks to the [[Horus Heresy]], the two got split up, so that a single military commander couldn't control too many forces; a Guard commander isn't able to get off any given planet either without the Navy ship or commandeering a civilian transport, an action that (theoretically) also reqiures approval of Navy officials, and the Navy isn't able to conduct wars (and, you know, occupy territory) without the Guard. You'd think that this enforced mutual co-dependence would make them collaborate, but [[grimdark|of course]], despite how much they need each other, the two bicker constantly, which, in fact, may be the reason for shitty situation the 40k Imperium finds himself in, at least on the military front. And it's all thanks to no other than [[Roboute Guilliman]], the fact his fans keep forgetting about.

While the fleet and ground forces generally had their own commands in the Imperial Army, they had one superior officer in form of Lord Militant (or Lord Solar) on top of both branches. Since admirals are not known for knowing jack shit about ground operations and vice versa, High Command generally operated in auftragstaktik and delegated specifics to the underlings (the same way WW2 army generals worked with air force, essentially), unless the whole expedition was lead by Lord Marshal (think Rogue Trader expedition, but with a cohort of [[Solar Auxilia]] and not all that interested in trading).

Interestingly, though most of the most well-known Chaos ship classes have been put into reserve fleets by the Imperium (hopefully after fixing the insanity-causing problems), those ships are still used by virtue of being, well, reserves. When your battlfleet goes off to fight who-knows-what, the reserve fleet is what holds the line if some major invasion happens. Frontline loses are generally not replaced by the reserves and reserves are used for when greater numbers or something are needed only if situation is really dire. Think of it as holding back a portion of your forces to take a wait-and-see approach for determining where to use them. It might have something to do with reserve fleet ships actually having rules for routing from the field easier and even turning traitor if the enemy fleet is Chaos in BFG...hmmmm.

Weirdly, although Chaos is famed for its use of numerous carriers and attack craft and the Imperium for its big guns, the Imperial Navy has more dedicated carriers and more hybrid carriers whereas Chaos has the most and best guns. The difference is, of course, that the Imperium doesn't make nearly as frequent use of its carriers and carrier hybrids as Chaos does just as Chaos's non-carrier hybrids tend to be used as support vessels like how the Imperium uses its dedicated lance boats and ordnance boats which Chaos also has a small handful of. Chaos Lances and Macrobatteries also tend to have longer ranges due to being made with ancient advanced technology that has been long lost for Imperium of 40k. It sucks that [[Belisarius Cawl]] has been too obessesed with his Primarises for 10 thousand years to actually make something useful for any other military branch of Imperium, doesn't it?

== Types of Ships ==

The Imperial Navy has four types of ships they hide their cowardly asses in. The main ships are battleships, cruisers, escorts, and fighters. There are also mobile Battle Fortresses/Starbase.
Each ship can also be classified by its weaponry, and role in the battlefleet:
*'''Basic:''' Jack of All Trades ships, due to having multiples weapons types, and not being specialized into any. Lunar class cruisers are the prime example, having macrobateries, lances & torpedoes. Why use basic instead focusing on Ordnance-boats to drop shields and Lance-boats to finish off? Because escorts can carry lances and destroyer squadrons can spam torpedoes and the light cruisers can supplement cruiser ordnance and lance and attack craft wherever needed. Which turns space combat into a very complicated game of Chess and Risk combined. As such, carriers, ordnance-boats, and lance-boats become supplementary rather than the bread and butter. After all, if you have an ordnance or lance boat and its supporting escorts get quickly killed off (which is what would happen) then you've lost half your capabilities and would probably lose to a basic as you either couldn't drop shields fast enough or once you did drop you couldn't finish off the enemy fast enough. Plus, lances fluff-wise seem to do massive damage to shields and their only draw-back is the shields regenerating nearly as quickly as the lances so having even a small number of weapons batteries to prevent recharge or even take more bites out of enemy shields between lance blasts would be very good. Which seems to be how the Imperium likes to fight, actually: with lances being their "real" cannons and weapons batteries just assisting with a storm of shots.
*'''Lance-boats:''' Ships that focus into Lance weaponry, used for long-range focused attacks, especially against small ships & unshielded ones. Rarer as they have a weakness to Void Shields and require better drives due to the power requirements of the lances.
*'''Ordnance-boat:''' Opposite of the Lance-boat, replaces Lances with more Macrobatteries, focusing mostly into medium & short range brawls against enemy ships. Usually this is because they need extra power due to mounting a Nova Cannon or having power-hungry macrobatteries such as Plasma Cannons.
*'''Carrier:''' The red-haired stepchild of the Navy. Replaces the Lances with Launch Bays and is disliked by most Admirals due to the stigma against Attack Craft, although it is because the Traitors and Chaos pawns focused on raiding and striking fast, so with enemy fleets focused on long range attack (Lances, laser, and attack craft) plus Chaos likes them more because they can fill the bays with Assault Boats, the Imperial Navy might have got that stigma of seeing too many Chaos carriers raiding and pillaging imperial planets and so started disliking them. Some Carriers are also made from wrecked cruisers of other types, in which case damaged broadside weapons are ripped out and replaced by launch bays. Attack Craft are the primary weapon of the mighty Emperor-class and Despoiler-class battleships. So much for carriers being weak.
*'''Torpedo-boat:''' Originally an experiment for escort ships to overrun enemy vessel crews using boarding torpedoes, it was doomed to failure as the targets were either too nimble or too big. The Imperial Navy kept a few as Missile Destroyers.

=== Mobile Battle Fortress ===

Massive space stations that can serve a fleet of ships. Only two classes have been named in canon.
*'''Ramilies-class Starfort:''' Very rare battle stations that can move thru the Warp. Nobody knows exactly how that works so over the millennia, over a thousand of these valuable and rare artifacts were lost. As these were made by [[STC]]'s, it is assumed that they can still be constructed albeit very slowly. They serve as forward bases most of the time and only the most important people/locations get to have one. There used to be an Imperium-wide network of these things which enabled the Imperium to very quickly respond to threats despite the unpredictability of Warp travel.

In more recent canon, these things can move only with the aid of tugs, but their utility remains, and they serve as hubs for local military activity and Crusade staging.

=== [[Imperial Navy Battleship|Battleship]] ===

Supposedly rare, but every Grand Marshal and High Admiral has at least one and often several or even dozens to hide in because GW is completely and hopelessly inconsistent with fleet sizes, though as of late it seems that GW is leaning towards big fleets and big armies when it gives numbers. The biggest heaviest hitters available, these things are like actual medieval cathedrals in that the grandchildren of the workers who start building them get to live to see their completion. Fuckheug, lots (and lots, and lots) of guns and most can deploy fighters and bombers. Many of you are wondering why battleships instead of focusing on carriers. Contrary to popular belief, large ships are not negated because of smaller but more numerous ships being able to swarm it dead. Big ships are built to kill the ships directly below them, which the ones below them etc. like the universe’s most brutal food chain. So, the ships below them in power ganging up on them still costs more than the big ship they’re ganging up on. For torpedo boats, big ships are escorted by vessels specialized in killing torpedo ships and attack craft. Carriers replaced battleships in real life due to range, which is irrelevant when cheap swarms of potent anti-air ships can be spammed.
*'''Ordnance-boats:'''
**'''Retribution:''' Packing all gun batteries, the ship can devastate an entire continent in one broadside, has 3/4 of Gothic broadside as auxiliary weapons in turrets and enough torpedo tubes to tear a cruiser in half just for good measure. Subtle as a sledgehammer to the face.
**'''Invincible:''' An interesting class, dubbed a 'fast battleship', these were designed to chase down xenos and chaos raiders, and then use them to make the vast, empty tracts of space more interesting by filling it with their enemies' debris fields. This type of battleship combines the firepower of a ''Retribution'' with the speed of a ''Dauntless''. It worked ''incredibly well'' to the point that piracy and xenos activity in the entire sector became almost non-existent practically overnight. The problem, of course, is the general incompetence of Imperial tacticians. It looks exactly like a ''Retribution'' and has the guns to match, so it must be one, right? NO. They excelled at the role they were designed for, but throw them into gunfights against dedicated battleships, and these things tended to come apart easier than wet cardboard, earning them the nickname 'Kisher's Kombustibles' and the scorn of many admirals. Admirals who ignored the fact that the reports detailing the introduction of the ship and how to best use it (it's tactics also included in the Tactica Imperialis) explicitly state not to use it on a gun-line and that it is for fast-ship interdiction. The ship's Commissars must be particularly incompetent to let this slide as in the Guard the generals would be executed quickly for such incompetence. Of course, these are also the Commissars who do nothing when troop transports' escorts frequently run off to fight while the transports lose a significant percentage of their ships. Perhaps if they would actually enforce their orders to stay with the transports, the Imperium would have won most of the campaigns it has lost. Given that they still often win even with a fraction of their beginning ground forces actually managing to make landfall. [[Grimdark|Because they have THAT many men to throw at the enemy.]] Hmmm in fact, misusing the Invincible-class is technically heresy as its instructions of use are in the Tactica Imperialis and violating the Tactica Imperialis is outright heresy (I think I remember someone actually being executed in the fluff for violating it).
***Much like the Chalice-class of Battlecruisers, the Invincibles are a big reference to the real life Battlecruisers of World War 1, especially with the term "Kisher's Kombustibles" (real life Battlecruisers were referred to as "Fisher's Combustibles") and the fact that three blew up in a single battle (referencing Jutland).
*'''Lance-boat:'''
**'''Apocalypse:''' One of the oldest ship designs (predating the ''Retribution'', which is also one of the oldest ship designs), this ship packs a lot of [[lances]] and a [[Nova Cannon]]. Good for taking out lots of smaller sized ships with massed lance fire. It's also described in fluff as being able to cripple anything up to a cruiser with a single, concentrated broadside. They're fairly rare, since the Imperium doesn't know how to build them anymore, and the ones still operating are so old, their weapons systems have degraded permanently, forcing them to fire their lances at only a fraction of their full power. Shares all the disadvantages of a ''Gothic''-class cruiser.
***Despite the fluff stating that the Apocalypse and Oberon classes are unique in that they lack figure-heads, the artwork and [[Crunch|models]] [[Derp|give them one anyway.]]
**'''Victory:''' Possibly an attempt to recreate the ''Apocalypse'' class, the ''Victory'' is basically a ''Retribution'' with a bunch of lances replacing its broadside cannons, and a Nova Cannon instead of torpedoes. Has the range that fluff states the ''Apocalypses'' once had, but lacks the same level of firepower. Effective at sniping, and hilarious when used against escort heavy fleets.
**'''Desolator:''' A ridiculously old design. Designed to emphasize range and carries Torpedos, Broadside Lances and Dorsal Macrobatteries. Like most keel-built ships, the Desolators ended up mothballed or went traitor.
*'''Carrier:'''
**'''Emperor:''' The "standard" battleship of the 40k 'verse, the ship has multiple fighter decks and, thanks to dorsal and prow turrets, enough weapons batteries to put Dominator broadside to shame. Unfortunately, most commanders like to use this ship as a hideout, causing the lack of sufficient air support in the ground wars even though the Navy's atmospheric aircraft are completely different from its much bigger space based strike craft. Tabletop-wise, its status as the official battleship of Battlefleet Gothic doesn't stop it from losing carrier duels against the Chaos equivalent.
**'''Nemesis:''' The super-carrier of the Imperial Navy. It has SIX flight decks (the size of towns or small cities, each), more than any other ship in the galaxy. But because of Rule of Cool, it is incredibly rare since the Navy captains prefer to get up close broadside their enemies, or actually rather because all of the ships in this class were just ships modified from Emperor class ships in one particular war, because they were damaged or otherwise. Naturally, the Navy never considers making them based on the Invincible instead (the Invincible was mass-produced).
**'''Desecrator:''' The carrier variant of the Desolator. Replaces half the Broadside Lances with Landing Bays. Shared the same fate as its sister class and is now only seen in Chaos fleets. Traitorous despite its clearly pious and Emperor-loving name.
**'''Despoiler:''' Oh boy, where do we start? The Despoiler-class came about after the cogboys discovered plans for a carrier on Barbarus. The catch? Well, Barbarus is the former homeworld of the [[Death Guard]], and the plans were for the same class of ship that the [[Terminus Est]] is a part of. Showing a complete lack of common sense, the Imperial Navy decided to build ships of this class, only for them all to go traitor due to the class's inherent [[Gellar Field]] flaws. [[Fail|Oops]]. The Despoilers at first don't appear to be that unique, as they have Dorsal Lances and Broadside Landing Bays and Weapons Batteries. Their difference is that, like the Terminus Est, they managed to have a Prow Landing Bay as well.
*'''Other:'''
**'''[[Gloriana-class_Battleship|Gloriana]]:''' Massive, terrifying and capable of decimating entire fleets on their own, these were the personal flagships of the Primarchs during the Great Crusade. Very few, if any, are still around in the Imperium in M41, though a few such as Horus's flagship ''[[Vengeful Spirit]]'' are still tooling around inside the Eye of Terror. Because they were dickheads, the [[Alpha Legion]] had two, creatively named the ''Alpha'' and the ''Beta''. Interestingly, the Ultramarines have one, the ''[[Macragge's Honour]]'', but didn't [[derp|fucking]] use it, the whole fucking time until [[Roboute Guilliman]] returned. It shows up again in ''Dark Imperium,'' with the Smurfs having stolen it back from the Red Corsairs, which at least is fucking funny even if it makes no sense. The Imperial Fist had the ''Eternal Crusader'', but it was never their flagship since the [[Phalanx]] is so much better, so [[Rogal Dorn]] gave it to the [[Black Templars]] in the [[Second Founding]]. Also, due to Forgeworld apparently hiring people from the street now, the 9th black book of HH states Dark Angels had those as core of their ''support'' flotillas.
**'''Oberon:''' The mixed-breed bastard of the Imperial Navy. It has [[lances]], fighter bays, and weapon batteries. Its a powerful ship... <s>when fighting foes half its size</s> "Newer" fluff says the Oberon is rare, but a complete success in making a ship capable of killing anything it comes across, alone. Unfortunately, fluff also says a ridiculously low number of these (apparently) powerful ships were made (like, 3 or so). Then again: only four Iowa class battleships ships were built (technically 6, but 2 were scrapped before completion), and we know HOW to build them. It makes sense in a way. Attack craft can cripple an enemy's main weapons and engines and likely ultimately damage the power transfer from generators to void shields. Combined with macro-batteries hammering away and the enemy's weakened ability to maintain its shields would cause them to drop much quicker than usual. Then the city-sized lance-batteries rip the enemy in half. If used against enemy escorts to support attacks on large enemy ships like battleships and grandcruisers, this would work extremely well to the point an Oberon would likely become a priority target for enemy ships.

=== [[Imperial Navy Grand Cruiser|Grand Cruiser]] ===

Only slightly weaker and less powerful than Battleships, Grand Cruisers were the weird middle-child of actual Line Ships (that really were the mainstay of the fleet back then) and Cruisers in the ancient Imperium. Built primarily with autonomy in mind, those were reserved for the most daring expeditions in the uncharted regions, conducted both by Imperial Army and Rogue Traders. Nowadays most of them run on archeotech that is barely understood and hard to repair with current Imperial knowledge. These grand ships are often used as flagships in lieu of extremely rare Battleships. Ultimately replaced by battleships (which is why they became explorers later) as it’s ultimately cheaper to build a battleship than a grand cruiser and a cruiser to rival the firepower and survivability of a battleship. Even though realistically since many Grand Cruisers are a third smaller than a battleship, it actually is better to build two Grand Cruisers to gang up on enemy battleships and way waste to everything else but the writers forgot about the massive difference in ships’ volume. Basically, they are the quintessential Battlecruisers; tougher and deadlier than Cruisers and yet more mobile than Battleships. Strangely, a common characteristic of all classes is the inability to fire forward though all can ram.
*'''Basic'''
**'''Vengeance/Furious:''' The granddaddy of "modern" Imperial warships. The ''Vengeance'' was the winner of a GW-sponsored ship design contest, and was originally known as the ''Furious''. Highlights include heavy shielding and armour (though lacking the prow armour of later designs), as well as both lances and long range weapons batteries, making this the sniper of the Imperium's Grand Cruisers.
**'''Repulsive:''' Originally named the Corinus Class, before being renamed after many fell to Chaos by an overly literal Mechanicum designation. Whilst the Repulsive Grand Cruisers are exceedingly maneuverable heavy warships (and therefore exceedingly useful because they can fill a hole in the Imperial tactical lineup), they are considered a cursed class due to the majority of them falling to chaos, [[Fail|which unfortunately was the result of experimental warp drives which occasionally interfered with the Gellar Field (OMGWTFBBQTIME)]]. Only the Emperor knows what kind of complete moron would deploy ships equipped with that. The ones that remain in Imperial control are kept mothballed in reserve fleets and segmentum fortresses (imagine giant glass boxes with 'In Case of Emergency, Break Glass' signs). It doesn't say anything about their warp drives being swapped out for something that isn't shitty or perhaps a completed and no longer experimental version of their own. Not that you want AdMechs tear off your head for tinkering with their sacred templates, on the other hand.
*'''Ordnance-boat:'''
**'''Avenger:''' The short range brawler of the Imperium's Grand Cruisers, it's a ''Vengeance'' with only macrobatteries (kilometres of Macrobattery broadsides). Intended to break the line of battle like Nelson's ships at Trafalgar, while suffering from the lack of an armored prow. Unfortunately line-breaking is quite a dangerous role for any ship, even a Grand Cruiser that excels at doing it, and so not many exist in the 41st Millennium. Those that have survived are known for being exceedingly reliable and faithful; it takes a lot of damage or mistreatment to cause these noble vessels to give trouble. If you spoke with members of the Imperium (both members of the public and the navy), this is the vessel they would think of if you asked them about Grand Cruisers. Now, if only the Imperium realized a slower but more heavily armored and shielded ship would fare better in its role.
*'''Lance-boat:'''
**'''Executor:''' The sniper of the Vengeances, the Executor replaces its Broadside Macrobatteries with even more Lances. Unfortunately, the last remaining Imperial Executors decided to act retarded and chase a fleet into the Eye of Terror, meaning that all of the ships are chaos aligned now.
*'''Carrier:'''
**'''Exorcist:''' A ''Vengeance'' that has carrier bays in place of lances. Useful in providing carrier support to any Imperial fleet. As a bonus, being Grand Cuisers mean they can outrun anything except battleships to save their vulnerable carrier self while their attack craft are away. Originally designed for extended operations alone on the Frontiers of Imperial Space, either on Patrol or by exploring into the unknown, the Exorcist developed quite a reputation for 'boldly going where no man has gone before'. Whilst not many remain in Imperial Service due to maintenance difficulties, they still find use in the hands of Rogue Traders who need vessels capable of long cruises and of defending themselves against anything they might encounter. So much for maintenance difficulties.
**'''Retaliator:''' A mix of a Repulsive and a Vengeance, but as a Carrier. Has Lances, Launch Bays and Macrobatteries on its Broadsides. Unfortunately, it has the Repulsive's tendency to go traitor.

=== [[Imperial Navy Battlecruiser|Battlecruiser]] ===

What do you do when you forget how to maintain an entire category of heavy warships? You build a new bunch of heavy warships, with simpler technology.

Battlecruisers are basically upgunned cruisers, with more weapons (usually adding dorsal weapons and some armor), and are intended to fill the gap between true battleships, which are rare, and normal cruisers, which tend to die really easily to the ancient Chaos cruisers and grand cruisers. Battle cruisers were tried in real life as some way to combine battleship firepower or armor with the speed of a cruiser. They did not, frankly, work well and much like reality these things have their share of problems. Chaos operates their own versions known as Heavy Cruisers. In real life, the accepted successful form of a battlecruiser is between a heavy cruiser and a battleship; it can kill anything it can catch and it can outrun anything that can kill it (usually only an enemy battleship). After its teething years it was generally a good and effective form of combat when used intelligently. Then the navies trying them realized they had basically made a battleship and it fell out of use again. Why build a ship with the speed, only a slightly lower firepower and roughly equal armor to a battleship when you can fork out a few bucks more and build an actual battleship? Exactly.
*'''Basic:'''
**'''Armageddon Battlecruiser:''' An upgraded variant of the Lunar Class Cruiser (YAY! ANOTHER ONE!). A rather new innovation, the Armageddon class is basically made up from recovered Lunar Class Hulks that have been extensively repaired and then retrofitted with more armour and more weapons. The base hull was never designed to cope with all this extra equipment (and the extra crew to man said equipment) and so it has problems operating independently for long periods of time. This isn’t really a problem, though, since they wouldn’t be operating away from a fleet anyway. Though reinforcing its frame to handle the added mass would be a smart thing to do to save immensely in future maintenace costs over the centuries. Battlefleets won't say no to them because more guns = better! These ships are extremely powerful and live up to their name. Somehow, though, the Imperium never went “Hey guys, this thing kicks the shit out of everyone, let’s upgrade all Lunar-class ships to Armageddon-class and make a new class to accomodate the new crew and equipment.” Or someone did and was turned into a servitor...
**'''Hellfire Heavy Cruiser:''' An upgunned Murder-class. Has the same issues as the Armageddon, slow as fuck and has power and supply issues. [[What|Also, lacks Void Shields]]. Most mutinied and joined Chaos, which decided to use them for some reason.
*'''Ordnance-boat:'''
**'''Overlord Battlecruiser:''' The Classic Imperial Battlecruiser. Using the standard Imperial doctrine of - Macrobatteries, Lances and Torpedoes, the Overlord has become the most effective Battlecruiser simply because it really complements standard Imperial Navy Tactics. As an added bonus, its simplicity of design makes it easier to produce and one can be built within a decade. The only negative (if you can call it a negative), is that it's not really useful for anything except war.
**'''Chalice Battlecruiser:''' A fast heavy cruiser. Unique to the Calixis sector and an exceedingly new design, the Chalice was conceived as a Battlecruiser that could either out-run or out-manoeuvre anything it can't kill. Which means it was conceived to be a plain ‘ol normal battlecruiser. Whilst good in theory, unfortunately, speed came at the cost of armour and durability and so whilst these vessels punch hard, they can't take as many hits as other cruisers. Which is fine since battlecruisers as a concept are meant for slaughtering escorts in real life not fighting other capital ships. In addition, it carries an experimental plasma drive layout, which while boosting power efficiency, also makes it rather vulnerable to lighting up like a roman candle. Imperial Propaganda is currently trying to cover up their failings and is lauding them as the Poster-ships of the Calixis Sector and therefore a lot of people think they're the 'Best Battlecruisers Eva!'. If they would just use a normal plasma drive and make the whole ship bigger, it would be fast enough, armored enough, and even better armed (or just change the drive). Unfortunately, not being stupid is heresy in Calixis.
***The idea of a ship that can "either out-run or out-manoeuvre anything it can't kill" that turns out to be really poor at taking hits was the original design of real life Battlecruisers, which although being up-gunned Cruisers (<s>which are the equivalent of Frigates IRL, not Ships of the Line</s> cruisers are the lowest level of capital ship types, you’re thinking of the WW2 destroyers), were used as discount Battleships at Jutland were they turned out to lack the armour required for a proper fight. Thus, if the Imperials were smart, they would be using the Chalice as a commerce raider, not a ship of the line. Or use it to rip up escorts and light cruisers and then run away and hit somewhere else in the battle before they can be overwhelmed by an enemy cruiser.
**** Actually, they were not bad at taking hits, they were better at it than heavy cruisers. They just sucked at taking hits from battleships like everybody else on the planet. Real life battlecruisers (after their early screw up designs) were made only a little smaller than battleships which allowed them to have greater armor and firepower and speed than heavy cruisers and were even fast enough to outrun battleships at the cost of significantly lower firepower and armor than the only slightly larger battleships (which caused things like the Jutland kablooie). They had the whole package. So, imagine an Invincible-class but give it a heavy cruiser’s firepower and use the saved weight to give it proper battleship level armor. In reality, the larger the ship the faster it is in navies (broadly speaking, in dense fluids the longer the vehicle is relative to its cross-section, the easier it is to go fast (and the larger the engine by even a little makes far more power)), sci-fi just is made by ignorrants. Battlecruisers fell out of favor shortly after they were perfected for the same reason battleships and heavy cruisers did: the carrier. That isn’t quite accurate. Light cruisers stopped being made because anti-air destroyers grew large enough to do the same job (or you could see it as light cruisers being renamed “destroyers” and actual destroyers being phased out by them, but there were also AA cruisers which was probably not fun to fly against) though when light cruisers were first invented they were just stop-gaps but the name returned to use for normal cruisers due to the invention of heavy cruisers and heavy cruises became known just as “cruisers”, battleships stopped being made, battlecruisers were perfected by making them so big, armored, and armed that they were battleships by another name and so the name “battlecruiser” was dropped as meaningless by that point. That said, they were indeed usually used as commerce raiders. But that is true for all ships. Navies exist to destroy enemy commerce shipping and to transport armies. The only reason fleets engage each other is because both sides defend their own shipping and seek out enemy fleets to pre-emptively destroy to protect said shipping and transports. In 40k, it could be said that the Invincible-class is the closest thing the Imperium has to an equivalent to a real life battlecruiser.
**'''Long Serpent Battlecruiser:''' A true success story, this is what the ''Chalice'' wishes it was. Taking a battlecruiser's armour and firepower, and giving it the engine suite of a battleship, this thing can kick the shit out of anything short of a grand cruiser or battleship, while being able to keep up with raiders. It's only real flaw is that when one is taken out, it has a better than average chance of rupturing its warp drive. As a result, the names of ''Long Serpents'' that have been destroyed are usually accompanied by those of allied ships that were too close. Which is somewhat odd since the reasoning is that the Long Serpent also has a battleship's warp core (who knows why, it isn't big enough to need it). Given the small difference in size between this ship and other "normal" cruisers which are the mainstays of the fleet, the Imperium could just choose to use a smaller warp core suitable for this ship's size and focus on mass-producing the Long Serpent to replace basically every other class of ship except battleships , Cobras, and carriers. Fewer would be made but, unlike video games, swarming a capital ship with escorts does not work at all. The escorts are slaughtered and the capital ship like this one is left unharmed. (<s>There are plenty of instances both in 40k and irl of large capital class ships being overwhelmed by smaller, faster vessels due to being caught without support.</s> Actually that is when they’re spamming torpedoes. All non-Imperial navies do not do that (the closest being Chaos but even they don’t use torpedoes nearly as much), although swarms of Firestorms could carve up large ships, the shields prevent this without much larger supporting vessels. Swarms of Cobras and Vipers could do it, but few would survive the attempt, not that any admiral cares about that...until the tech-priests tell them they won’t have a Navy for the few centuries it takes to replace so many ships regardless of size) But doing this would require common sense, which is [[Heresy]]. Like properly using the Invincible-class must be.
**'''Mercury Battlecruiser:''' Another fast Battlecruiser. It's a cruiser with a Battleships's engines. Nothing more.
**'''Hades Heavy Cruiser:''' A long-ranged brawler. Carries Broadside Macrobatteries and Dorsal and Prow Lances. Got phased out like most keel-built designs, but Chaos still uses them.
*'''Lance-boats:'''
**'''Acheron Heavy Cruiser:''' Designed to test new Lances and Macrobatteries. The Imperials only built one, which went traitor. Carries Broadside and Dorsal Lances with Prow Macrobatteries.
*'''Carriers:'''
**'''Mars Battlecruiser:''' In a word - Mediocre. Some Imperials say it's versatile due to its diverse weapons loadout but in reality it makes it an awkward duckling to use. The Nova Cannon and Launch bays would be good on a ship holding back and harassing enemies at range and yet it has Macrobatteries and Lances which are great for brawling. So if you sit back and harass or go in and brawl, you're wasting half your ship. The Imperial Navy never really got on with it either and so it has gone out of production on most Forge-Worlds. Which is a shame because if they would replace the macrobatteries and lances with larger, long-range lances, and a great number of small, short range weapons batteries for fighter support and self-defense respectively, this would be a great ship in any fleet. It's nova cannon clears a hole in the enemy escort screen, the attack craft rush through to wreck the weapons and engines of light capital ships while long-range lances assist other Imperial ships in slaughtering targets of opportunity. The destroyed enemy light capital ships leaves all the other big ships vulnerable to mass, concentrated torpedo attack from friendly ships. Attack craft return to the fight to tear up the no-doubt seriously damaged enemy big ships and lances win the day. Then just send in friendly light capital ships with attack craft support to finish off the surviving escorts. That would almost make this ship into a sort of miniature "I Win" button. Almost. Especially in a squadron of two, as they could assist each other against any opponents that slip through to them with their combined, close-range firepower, lances, and whatever attack craft they kept back for defense ripping the enemy weapons and engines apart to let the close-range macrobatteries have fun.
**'''Dominion Battlecruiser:''' Basically a fixed Mars, some tech priest got it in their head that, maybe, it'd make more sense to replace the Macrobatteries with Lance Batteries instead, making it a dedicated support ship, harrassing enemy ships at range whilst the big guns go out and fight. Apparently not that successful, a number were used at the Battle for Maccrage (Of course the fucking Smurfs get them) against the tyranids, though apparently they all got fucked up and have been in drydock since, which is why up until now no-one's seen them.
**'''Styx Heavy Cruiser:''' A pure carrier. Has Broadside Launch Bays, Dorsal Lances and and Prow Macrobatteries. For some reason the Imperial phased it out for the Mars, so only Chaos uses them now.
**'''Hecate Heavy Cruiser:''' An attempt to replace the Styx. Swaps out some of the Launch Bays for Macrobatteries. Believed to have an inherent design flaw that made them go traitor, so they were decommissioned.

=== [[Imperial Navy Cruiser|Cruiser]] ===

Cruisers are the bread and butter of the Imperial Navy. Much larger than escorts and light cruisers, but less rare than battleships, cruisers are what the Imperial Navy (and Chaos and Xenos) use to fight their campaigns across the stars. Thus far, all Imperial Cruisers have been shown to utilize the same hull-type: a squat armored prow in front, capable of mounting a prow-mounted weapon system, and a big bunch of engines in the back, with baroque and Gothic architecture in-between. Most cruisers can effectively be placed in four categories:
*'''Basic:'''
**'''Lunar:''' The Lunar. You've heard so much about it and now you want to know what makes it the standard Imperial Cruiser. First of all, it's one of the oldest designs still in use by the Imperium and is so easy to build that even less advanced worlds can produce them. They're quite versatile due to their weapons loadout (a balanced build of Macrobatteries, Lances and Torpedoes) and make up the backbone of Battlefleets throughout the entire Imperium. This is the cruiser against which all other cruisers are measured.
**'''Emasculator:''' Considered a failure by the Imperium at large, Emasculators have the same basic load-out as the Lunar, but are keel-built, lacking the armored prow and replacing the torpedo tubes with more weapons batteries. This means they require different tactics to a Lunar, using their speed and longer ranged weapons to pound ships from a distance. As this fits with Chaos tactics more than Imperials. most of them ended up as traitors. [[/d/|The name Emasculator is due to them being seen mostly as Slaaneshi ships, their original name is unknown.]] The fact the Imperium keeps trying new ships built on the normally Chaos style hulls implies that usually it must work out just fine since otherwise it would have been banned by now. So, there are probably many cool looking keel-based Imperial ship classes floating around we'll never catch wind of ever.
**'''Slaughter:''' A special type of Cruiser, the Slaughter-class has a more powerful drive called the Scartix Engine Coil, but lacks prow weapons. Armed with short ranged, but powerful lances and macrobatteries, the Slaughter is designed to get in close, blast away and retreat. Unfortunately, the Imperium can't build them anymore because one went traitor and destroyed the plans for the Scartix Coil. It is unknown if they were always called the Slaughter-class or were renamed when most went traitor. Considering the usual lack of intelligence in the Imperium's leadership, it was probably called something worse, like the "Traitor-class" or something and then the Imperium was shocked when they lived up to it. Really, would you be surprised if the Imperium did that?
**'''Inferno:''' A earlier counterpart to the Carnage-class, carrying more lances in exchange for some Macrobatteries. Had the same difficulties as the Carnage and was mothballed, though a few went renegade beforehand. Rare example of the Imperium learning its lesson. Still too stupid to realize that using cheaper-after-a-few-centuries-than-manual-labor auto-loaders would've fixed the problem for both ships.
*'''Lance-boat:'''
**'''Gothic:''' Another variant of the Lunar Class, the Gothic is designed as a heavy Lance gunship. Due to the amount of Lance Weaponry it carries, it can easily deal with ships of its own size or larger but often does require an escort or a partner to strip enemy void shields first in order to use its own weaponry to the maximum effect. When supported and used correctly, Gothic Cruisers are the most efficient way to deal with enemy capital ships.
*'''Ordnance-boat:'''
**'''Dominator:''' A variant of the Lunar Class, the Dominator is designed primarily for planetary bombardment and assault. Not generally used in fleet actions even though it can provide support with its Nova Cannon when necessary. After one Dominator fucked over a Chaos Cruiser with said Nova Cannon during the Gothic War, the Navy took note and started making more Dominators. [[Awesome|Additionally, another Dominator came close to destroying the Terminus Est (''aka the toughest Battleship in the galaxy''), before being destroyed.]] The Dominator possesses the same armament as the Retribution-class battleship but lacks the range of one. This is fine, though, since it's meant to get close to the enemy like most Imperial ships anyway. Basically, if you get in range of this thing, ''you're going to die''.
*** From Lexicanum 40K: "Captain Straden of the Depth of Fury defended the shrine world of Kathur to the death, and came very close to destroying the Death Guard ship Terminus Est. As it was, he and his crew vaporised several of its decks and destroyed scores of escort ships before finally succumbing. Ironically, no Imperial souls survived to tell the tale."
**'''Tyrant:''' The Tyrant was originally intended as a stand-off vessel; it would stay at long range and bombard enemies from afar with superfired plasma weaponry. Unfortunately, due to design compromises where it mixed both short range and long range weaponry to save on power, it wasn't really deadly enough at long range to do its job. Therefore the Imperial Navy is trying to replace the short range weapons with ancient Long-range weaponry (that doesn't use a lot of power) recovered from Space Hulks or Renegade Ships. The Hull itself is a rather effective design and so the Tyrant has become very popular with Rogue Traders who generally replace all of the Plasma Weaponry in order to have more power available compared with other cruisers.
**'''Relentless/Carnage:''' Another attempt at a fleet support ship with Plasma weapons, the Relentless ended up with technical difficulties and, when these were overcome, [[Heresy|most ships ended up turning traitor]] [[Fail|(including the lead ship of the class)]]. [[Tzeentch|This is theorised to be due to something wrong with the geometry of the ship's design]], as the Relentless-class is keel built, like most older ships (This also means the Relentless lacks an armored prow and torpedo tubes, carrying more plasma batteries instead). The tendency of these ships to turn to Chaos, along with changing tactics, led to the class being renamed the Carnage-class and mothballed in favor of the Tyrant-class, though their speed means they suit Chaos tactics famously.
*'''Carrier:'''
**'''Dictator:''' A Carrier retrofit of extremely damaged Lunar Class Cruisers. If a Lunar class has its lance weaponry destroyed, it's quicker, easier and cheaper to replace those with heavy launch bays for strike craft. This makes it quite versatile and able to deal with virtually all situations and interestingly enough, makes it more effective than the original Lunar Class at everything except fighting as a ship of the line. Unfortunately, the Lunar Class is designed for fighting as a ship of the line, so Admirals dislike Dictators. Interestingly, given why attack craft and torpedoes can go through shields, theoretically a Dictator whose weapons batteries are missiles could use its fighters and missiles to swarm enemy anti-air and ultimately kill an enemy ship without damaging its shields.
**'''Jupiter:''' A kitbashed design, converted from other classes of cruiser that have been heavily damaged in battle. By stripping out all the damaged components and replacing them with launch bays, you get a pretty sturdy carrier. Just don't let the enemy get anywhere near it. Apparently the Imperium doesn't build these normally at all, likely because they are absolutely shit at defending themselves from other Cruisers.
**'''Devastation:''' Deviating from the standard Carrier design, the Devastation-class carries Lances instead of Macrobatteries. Mostly turned traitor or mothballed, as they lack armored prows and torpedos; and are keel-built. Chaos likes them, as they can pack them with mutants and sit back to spam assault boats and lances at anything that looks at them funny.
*'''Other:''' Various other cruiser types exist, but are rarer.
**'''Ambition:''' Custom-made Cruisers for the exceedingly affluent - it's the Rolls Royce of the Cruiser World. Most Rogue Trader ships are second-hand, battle-scarred, tired and worn ex-navy vessels but the Ambition is not. It's the only cruiser class that can be bought brand spanking new by Private parties in the Imperium and each one is unique and built to the customer's specifications. These exclusive ships, whilst still cruisers and deadly in their own right, are stately homes and status symbols. Some durability sacrifices have been made in order to make them the most opulent and luxurious ships on the market but for eccentric people like Rogue Traders, it's generally worth it.
**'''Conquest-Class Star Galleon:''' Built for the very first Rogue Traders on the orders of the Emperor himself, the Star Galleon is an ancient and noble design. Whilst not considered heavily armed by modern standards, they're still formidable opponents and yet as specialist exploration vessels they are able to operate independently for many years and can transport greater quantities than other Cruisers. In effect, it's a cruiser fused with a transport and looks fucking amazing.
**'''Murder:''' The predecessor to the Lunar. Differs by being keel-built, exchanging their torpedos for Lances and having more powerful macrobatteries. The majority that appear in modern 40k are Chaos-aligned, as the Imperials mothballed theirs in favor of the Lunar. A few carried lances as well as Macrobatteries, meaning they don't fit into any category. As with the Slaughter, it is unknown if Murder-class is their original name or they were renamed.
**'''Cardinal:''' The black sheep of Imperial Cruisers. A ship that's plagued by its ancestors. The Cardinal-Class Heavy Cruiser is a class of Cruiser used by the Imperial Navy. Seeing as how this ship used the original template for the ill-fated Acheron Class, one can see why this class of ship proved a tad bit too controversial for the Imperial Navy. The failure of the Acherons and their supposed use of xenos technology has haunted the Cardinal Class and now only a handful of Imperial Navy fleets use the ageing ships in service. As its design was Great Crusade-era, the Cardinal lack the armored prow of its modern cousins and is more suited for long-range engagements.

=== [[Imperial Navy Light Cruiser|Light Cruiser]] ===

Smaller than true cruisers, light cruisers are used in two ways. Either you use a fast, maneuverable light cruiser like the Dauntless to add some extra firepower to a scouting squadron or long-range patrol, or you use a pocket cruiser like the Voss light cruiser to add some heavy firepower and armor to a convoy, fleet, or base. The advantage of the light cruisers are that they're cheaper to build and operate than real cruisers. Another departure from real nomenclature. In real life, “light” cruisers were less armed and armored normal cruisers made to make up for losses, especially in America after Japan’s initial attack. After the industry fully turned to wartime manufacturing, the light cruisers’ changes were recinded and they were just normal cruisers again. However, with the introduction of heavy cruisers, the normal cruisers again were named “light” cruisers to avoid confusion. In 40k, however, light cruisers are very distinct and fill a unique niche. Like the Cruiser, they fit into a few base categories.
*'''Basic:''' Same as its larger sibling, a Jack of All Trades.
**'''Dauntless;''' The standard Light Cruiser of the Imperium; it's a Jack-of-all-Trades. You can't go wrong with the Dauntless even though other Light Cruisers may be better for certain tasks. Considered 'scouting' cruisers, these make up the bulk of Imperial Patrol Squadron leaders. Comes in lance and torpedo variants, with the prow lance being a bit more common.
**'''Defender:''' A convoy escort variant of the Dauntless, with added dorsal weaponry.
**'''Endeavour;''' A 'heavy', Light Cruiser, designed as a stop-gap between the 'lighter' light cruisers and true cruisers. Whilst they can slug it out in a fleet fight, they can easily be overwhelmed because they simply aren't cruisers and don't have the equivalent fire-power or hull integrity. As an added titbit, most of Battlefleet Koronus' patrols consist of an Endeavour and a pair of frigates. The Endeavour and its variants are relatively new designs unique to the Voss Prime forge world and are rare outside of Battlefleet Armageddon. Except Battlefleet Koronus, apparently, which must have a ton of them.
**'''Siluria;''' Three-quarters the cost of the Endeavor, and about three-quarters the ship. Standard weapon batteries only, no fancy frills to speak of. Cheap and effective, at short range, to catch enemy torpedoes.
*'''Lance-boat:''' Also the same as the Cruiser version, though some have weak weapons batteries for better defence.
**'''Endurance;''' An Endeavour variant with just enough guns to claim it has them, lance batteries and a couple of torpedoes. It's the lance half of a Lunar, nothing more.
*'''Carrier:''' More useful as a Light Cruiser, as it can act as backup for patrols.
**'''Enforcer:''' A carrier variant of the Dauntless, with a bombardment cannon like those seen on space marine cruisers. Designed to maintain control of rebellious planets via intimidation [[Grimdark|(and possible orbital bombardment)]]. Given one managed to stop the rebellion of an ''entire sub-sector'', its a shame the Imperium doesn't build more of them. Anyone else just realize that 40K is so Grimdark we're disappointed the dystopian ultra-oppressive, bloody regime isn't being more oppressive? [[Grimdark|''Because we know their oppression is the right and best choice they have.'']]
**'''Defiant;''' A carrier variant of the Endeavour. It's quite versatile (by virtue of being a carrier) and so has found a home in many Rogue Trader houses but unfortunately the Imperial Navy doesn't consider it as useful because they can't stand by themselves and require an escort. Gee, it's almost like ships are meant to be used in groups to compliment each other. Due to being based off of the Endeavour, it's relatively well armoured for a Light Cruiser and that does help with its survivability.

=== Ironclad ===

8 kilometer long battering rams. No, really. Tyranids and Orks are busy taking notes.

=== [[Imperial Navy Escort|Escort ships]] ===

Escorts are the smallest armed vessels available to the Imperial Navy. These ships are normally assigned sector patrol duties or perform as escorts for much larger ships. In fleet engagements they will also act as scouts, ranging out in front of their armada to verify enemy ship numbers and locations. They are generally classified as either frigates or as destroyers. They are usually deployed in squadrons consisting of the same class.

==== Frigates ====

Ranging from about 1.4-2km long. They are used for all sorts of duties from convoy escorts to attack or patrol squadrons. Ironically named, as in real life Frigates were the same as Cruisers (which were not Ships of the Line). In the Age of Sail. But in WW2, cruisers had like six or eight times the armament and were more than twice the size of frigates and were self-sufficient and were intended to fight other ships and were considered capital ships. Usually deployed in three-ship squadrons.
*'''Basic:''' Laser batteries or Light Macrobatteries only, maybe some Torpedoes if you're lucky. Named after types of swords.
**'''Sword Frigate:''' The most common warship in the Imperial Navy, and one of the simplest. No torpedoes or lances to distract you here; a Sword puts two massive laser batteries in turrets behind a pointed armored prow and cuts into enemy formations like [[C.S Goto|a multi-laser through canon.]]. Some variants replace the lasers with light macro batteries instead.
**'''Falchion Frigate:''' A new (245 years old) class of escort ship built by [[Forgeworld|Voss Prime]]. Slower than the Cobra (in the lore they were faster than invading Chaos ships, though) but still capable of firing torpedoes. While Cobras are used offensively in fleet actions, Falchion's are designed to be convoy escorts and stick close to larger warships to defend them from enemy escorts. Effectively a Voss-pattern Cobra with two more laser/macro batteries.
**'''Turbulent Heavy Frigate:''' Heavy Naval Escorts; these things have comparable armour to cruisers. They're built to sally forth ahead of the main fleet and win skirmishes against enemy scouting forces and vanguard elements. They've garnered a reputation for being lucky; they've contributed to many glorious victories and survived catastrophes that other ship classes have not. Their only downside is that they have rather antiquated communication equipment, probably equipped for durability, not ease of use. The other downside is that the Navy isn’t smart enough to replace the Sword-class with these badasses.
*'''Lance-boat:''' Rarer for Frigates, as they need a Prow slot to mount a Lance.
**'''Firestorm Frigate:''' A Sword-class frigate with a prow-mounted Lance replacing one laser/macro battery. Gives the Sword some extra anti-ship punch that it dearly needs. It's also two hundred meters longer than the Sword-class as a result. The Navy does not like the Marines having them, for [[Horus Heresy|some reason.]]
***[[Derp|Given the general naming scheme for Frigate classes is naming them after weapons (Claymore, Sword, Falchion, Gladius etc), the Firestorm would make more sense being called the ''Lance''-class due to its role.]]
**'''Thunderbolt Heavy Frigate:''' Not much information on this one, but implied to be a Lance version of the Turbulent, like how the Firestorm is the Lance version of the Sword.
*'''Ordnance-boat:''' Mostly upgunned Frigates. Can carry a mix of macrobatteries and small lances.
**'''Tempest Strike Frigate:''' Specialized Brawling frigate designed for devastating enemies at close range. Basically a Sword with a triple armoured prow and heavy short-range broadside batteries. They're often equipped with Assault Boats and Barracks for boarding actions.
**'''Havoc Merchant Raider:''' Small, yet fast raider sized vessels whose impressive firepower came at the expense of armor. Glass Cannons, in large squadrons these can easily overwhelm larger vessels by weight of fire. Supposedly has large storage space for its size. Which makes sense for something meant for piracy.

==== Destroyers ====

The most common warship class. Their tasks range from scouting to shuttling VIPs or fighting in fleet engagements in large squadrons. Most pirates use these speedy, nimble vessels to prey upon transport ships. The Navy usually deploys them in squadrons of four. Instead of a WWII or modern analogue, the destroyers of the Imperial Navy are like those of the First World War: ocean-capable torpedo boats that swarm enemy ships.
*'''Basic:''' Usually mounts Prow Torpedoes and a Macrobattery/Laser.
**'''Cobra Destroyer:''' The PT-Boats of the Imperial Navy. Small, fast, and lightly armed, their one purpose in life is to fire shoals of torpedoes from 3-4 ship squadrons. A great part of the Imperium's military advantage (in fluff and [[Battlefleet Gothic|on the tabletop]]) comes from all the torpedoes they can fire at the enemy, and the Cobras are a big part of that.
**'''Infidel Raider:''' Was meant to replace the Cobra, but the plans [[Blood Ravens|were stolen]] by Chaos. Armed with Prow Torpedos and a Macrobattery like its predecessor, though some Chaos fleets upgrade them to Heavy Raiders by adding another Macrobattery. The Falchion was developed from the redevelopment. Both ships are almost twice the size of the Cobra they are meant to replace. Guess someone realized PT boats aren’t that useful if your extremely long-ranged and fast enemy just slaughters them.
**'''Iconoclast Destroyer:''' If there ever was a Guardsman of starships, the Iconoclast is it. A destroyer so shitty the Navy doesn't want it, the Iconoclast mounts 1-2 macrobatteries and is used by Rogue Traders, Chaos and Pirates. Notable for being one of the few ships to have a forward placed bridge, likely due to the smoke-stack like pylons along its spine. It actually has good firepower for its size and is effective at killing enemy attack craft, torpedoes, and destroyers. So, not actually shitty at all until a Sword shows up to kill everyone.
*'''Torpedo-boat:''' Why waste space on pop guns?
**'''Viper Destroyer:''' Given GW's naming conventions, it was inevitable somebody would do this. Not to be confused with the Sloop below, this is a variant of the Cobra where the remaining guns are replaced by torpedoes. Weak against escorts but deadly in numbers against capital ships. Use [[Boarding Torpedo|Boarding Torpedoes]] for hilarious results. Since a Cobra has one gun and it’s useless, we can only assume either Tzeench or self-lobotomy was involved when the navy decided to focus on the Cobra instead of the Viper.
*'''Lance-boat:''' Rather rare among Raiders, as most use their Prow slots for Torpedoes.
**'''Apostate Heavy Raider:''' A variant of the Infidel. Somehow those heretics managed to shove a full sized Lance into a Dorsal slot, which only Light Cruiser and bigger can normally manage.
**'''Idolator Raider:''' Also known as the "WTF is this" ship, the Idolator is the lovechild of a Infidel, a Firestorm and Xenotech. Has a prow lance and a macrobattery.
*'''Other:''' Mostly weak scouts.
**'''Viper Scout Sloop:''' Smallest warp-capable ship in mass production. It is an exceedingly fast scout ship with ridiculously powerful realspace engines and high-tech auspex scanners. In support of Naval Operations these vessels would burn into enemy territory at high speed, collect as much information as possible and then warp back to friendly territory. Unfortunately they are so specialized that they can't do much else apart from that.
**'''Rudense "Class":''' A small ship designed post Gathering Storm to be as fast, heavily armed, and densely armoured as possible, which they do with aplomb. You may ask yourselves, why are they not used in more regular combat roles? Well, the answer is that they are a specialised orbital insertion ship - designed to get as close to the atmosphere of a heavily defended planet as possible, drop it's cargo of primaris marines into the top layer, and get out of there. Whilst this may seem too specialised to be practical, few enemies are ready for half a company of marines dropping in to their base unexpectedly. (Nb - the class hasn't been formally named yet but the only example of it thus far was named the Rudense).
**'''Claymore Corvette:''' Designed entirely around escorting vulnerable transports and protecting them against light raiders in order to allow true Frigates to accompany more valuable ships such as Battleships, Battlecruisers and Cruisers. The Claymore Corvettes are easy to mass produce and maintain and are exceedingly common in the private sector, as they are simply a discount Sword. It’d be nice if someone bothered using them to protect troop transports.

=== Aircraft ===

As part of the reforms falling the Horus Heresy, the Imperial Army was not just split into regiments to ensure that no one Imperial army could be self-sufficient if it fell to heresy or rebellion: the ground forces were also split from their airpower, which was given to the Imperial Navy. Strictly speaking, all atmospheric aircraft are also part of the Imperial Navy, with only [[Phantine Air Corps| few general exceptions]]. Which was stupid and pointless as now the IG can’t even pretend to defend itself if even one ship above them turns traitor and they don’t usually receive hardly any air support. This means all the split did was ensure the Navy held '''all''' the power.
*'''Fighter:''' The fighter's main role is to stop enemy torpedoes and bombers before they can [[anal circumference|rip your flying cathedral multiple new assholes]]. Comes in different models like the [[Fury Interceptor]] or the [[Thunderbolt Fighter]]. The main difference is that some can enter a planet's atmosphere to dogfight and/or strafe ground targets, whereas others are limited to space combat. Technically, Furies are capable of atmospheric operation but would maneuver like a crippled whale and would basically just be entertaining targets. The good news is you can have a bunch on a planet to surprise buttsax invaders.
*'''Bomber:''' Basically reusable torpedoes. Come in different models like the [[Marauder Bomber]] and the [[Starhawk Bomber]], but again the main difference is that some can dip in a planet's atmosphere and drop bombs on ground-pounders, while others are space-combat only. Starhawks might also be technically capable of atmospheric flight, unknown exactly.
Oddly, a modern F/A-18E Super Hornet is about one-thirteenth the size of a ''Nimitz''-class carrier. A Fury would take about 133 nose-to-tail to measure up to the length of an Emperor-class battleship. Yet, the number of Furies aboard an ''Emperor'' class is at most 40 (eight squadrons of 5 each at best) whereas the number of Super Hornets on a ''Nimitz'' at most is 130. Yeah, there's a problem there. A Super Hornet is slightly less than 19 meters long, a Fury is 60 meters long. That's a very small difference for such a massive discrepancy. The only explanation is that Emperor class is not a dedicated carrier so presumable more of it's internal volume it taken up by gun and lance batteries and other systems. Still that is a ridiculously lack of fighter support it could have.

=== Converted Civilian Vessels ===

Civilian ships seized by the Navy.
*'''Armed Freighter:''' Not really a conversion. Considering what universe this is, odds are every freighter out there is armed in some way as a matter of course. Won't last long or do much damage. However, in sufficient numbers, they can cripple or even destroy Frigates, which is a good trade. Pressed into temporary service, these merchantmen are the basic transports of the navy.
*'''Q-Ship:''' Generally classified as Loki-class. These are civilian cargo ships taken over by the Imperial Navy and retrofitted to sacrifice cargo space for heavy weaponry. Unlike the Armed Freighters above, these are essentially auxiliary warships crewed by navy personnel. The standard tactic is to look like a scared civilian and let the enemy come close, then let them have it with the macros. They don't have warship armor or shields so they die in a prolonged battle.
*'''Escort Carriers:''' Like the Q-Ships above but with hangers instead of weapons. The Imperial Navy currently has a severe shortage of carriers despite having numerous hybrid carrier classes and dedicated carrier classes it chooses not to build, so this is a cheap way to get fighters and bombers to the field. More common than Q-Ships.

=== Fire Ship ===

A fancy name for what's essentially a colossal kamikaze ICBM. A '''Fire Ship''' is an Imperial Navy vessel that for whatever reason, is no longer considered for active service (due to old age, suffered catastrophic damage....etc), stuffed to the brim with whatever explosives the navy could spare, and flown straight into whatever priority target(s) the officers designate in a final blaze of glory. Again, Orks are busy taking notes for their Roks. Contrary to what you might think from the Imperium, this is not necessarily a one-way assignment (atleast for the crew).

A skeleton crew is used and supplied with plenty of escape pods/lifeboats. The crew evacuates and the ship detonates after they are far out of the danger zone. Some captains decide to go down with the fire ship anyway. Or they mindfuck some penitents to stay and guide it to the best point of detonation. The Imperium isn't short on criminals and/or desperate underclassmen/mutants. Despite its reputation, the Imperium does care about its people’s lives (mostly because Imperial lives are the Emperor's currency, and wasting His property is heresy). It just doesn’t care how many of those lives are sacrificed when necessary; but does attempt to minimize said necessity and sacrifice. It’s a nation, not a team-killing asshole out to murder its own people...when not believed needed for the majority to survive.

=== Non-Warp Capable Vessels ===

Vessels incapable of interstellar travel. All but the most primitive Imperial planets have them.
*'''System Ships:''' Civilian ships that do all the civilian stuff like ferrying, mining and transport. As nobody would buy models of them, [[GW]] never bothered to flesh out their canon. If armed, they are dragooned into the System Defense Force during invasions.
*'''Defense Monitor:''' Essentially, a mobile gun emplacement in space. Slow and small, it diverts all its power into the battleship-sized guns it carries. Crewed by regular Imperial Navy personnel and used to augment existing defenses. Threatening enough to make pirates and smallish raiding fleets fuck off for easier targets, but usually insufficient to stop a determined invasion force.
*'''System Defense Vessel:''' The primary unit of a System Defense Force aka the [[Planetary Defense Force|PDF]] in space. Nobody knows what they look like or even what capabilities they have. It is assumed they are lightly armed vessels usually used in police actions and customs enforcement. In times of invasion, they use hit and run tactics as best they can until they die.

=== Logistics / Civilian Vessels ===

Ships used for the transportation of cargo or individuals. The majority of Imperial ships would fall into this category.

*'''Carrack-Class Transport Ship;''' A newer version of the Conquest Star Galleon. It's a hardy vessel that can defend itself quite well against raiders. The profile even looks like a Military Vessel so opponents who can't distinguish between Imperial Ships could be scared off.

*'''Jericho-Class Pilgrim Vessel:''' Refinery ships that have been converted into personnel carriers, the majority of which will be transporting poor-er passengers. Can't really defend itself but usually not even worth the bother for pirates.

*'''Orion-Class Star Clipper;''' Blockade runners through and through. They're designed to transport low-volume but high-quality goods, even through hostile space. Speed is the name of their game. Hell, these things can put some Eldar ships to shame.

*'''Universe-Class Mass Conveyor;''' Think Super-Tanker in space. It's the largest standardized Cargo hauler in the Imperium and is 12km long. It looks freaking awesome too.

*'''Vagabond-Class Merchant Trader;''' Rather small cargo vessel but extremely common. As if to assist with its 'commoner' theme, it makes you yawn just looking at it.

== Adeptus Mechanicus Vessels ==
{{Main|Explorator Fleet}}
Being in charge of manufacturing the warships for the other departments of the Imperium, obviously the Adeptus Mechanicus would also have fleets of its own. The official Mechanicum body that constructs and operates spacecraft is known as the Basilikon Astra. Because the Quest for Knowledge can involve long & dangerous travels into unexplored space, it is important that they be heavily armed and armored, so the Adeptus Mechanicus ships generally are overall of higher quality than standard ships, with better tecnology, weapons, and shields. Though the total number of ships the Adeptus Mechanicus has at its disposal dispersed among its many forge worlds is far outnumbered by that of the Imperial Navy, it goes without saying that those responsible for all starship construction reserve for themselves among the most powerful and best-equipped warships encountered anywhere in the Imperium.

*'''[[Ark_Mechanicus|Ark Mechanicus:]]''' If battleships are literal void-traveling cities, then Ark Mechanicus are void-traveling factories or massive laboratories, with industrial capabilities rivaling that of many hive cities, with kilometre upon kilometre of manufactoria, refineries, crackling Plasma Reactors and laboratories, test ranges, chemical vats and gene-bays. These kinds of battleships are incredibly large, nigh-mythical ships that are said to endlessly search the stars as part of the Adeptus Mechanicus Quest for Knowledge, being led by a Venerated Archmagos Explorator. An Ark Mechanicus is outfitted with the most powerful weapons available to the Imperium, generally having a balanced set of lances, wepons batteries, and a Nova Cannon. Shit's that dangerous out there.
*'''Lathe-class Monitor-Cruiser:''' An Adeptus Mechanicus Light Cruiser designed around deep space exploration and extreme self-reliance. These ships, when properly outfitted, can operate for decades without returning to imperial space for resupply. These would make up the bulk of Explorator fleets.
*'''Secutor-class Monitor-Cruiser:''' An Adeptus Mechanicus Light Cruiser designed to excel at the art of war. Tougher than all of the other Light Cruisers and yet still more mobile than true Cruisers. Due to being designed from the ground up to be a Warship, this Light Cruiser is fitted with Cruiser sized Void Shield Generators.
*'''Goliath-Class Factory Ship;''' An Adeptus Mechanicus vessel designed to harvest plasma from Stars. These ships supply the fuel for the entirety of the Imperium. Other ships can be fitted with Plasma Scoops to top up their own tanks but this is the true fuel-harvesting-workhorse of the Imperium.

== Inquisition Vessels ==

The Inquisition usually borrow ships to do their jobs. However, there comes a time in every Inquisitor's life when witnesses are liabilities and executing entire Imperial Navy crews may be too much. Solution: Have a Navy of your very own. Still, these ships are rare and are assigned on a mission to mission basis. Usually carries [[Deathwatch]], [[Grey Knights]], [[Adepta Sororitas]] and/or [[Tempestus Scions]] depending on the [[Inquisition|Ordos]] involved. They do not have Armored Prows and usually travel alone.

*'''Inquisitorial Black Ship:''' What happens when a [[Strike Cruiser]] and Battlecruiser fall in love? They create offspring that are stronger than Battleships. Armed with a dorsal Bombardment Cannon, port weapons batteries, Attack Craft prow launch bays, prow Torpedoes and whatever Xenos/Chaos tech you can imagine.

*'''Inquisitorial Cruiser:''' A Strike Cruiser-variant built for the Inquisition. However, unlike most Strike Cruisers (which are the size of Navy Light Cruisers) they can be a lot bigger and have no set pattern. Usually specifically designed for use by specific Ordos.

== Adeptus Astartes Vessels ==

{{Main|Adeptus Astartes Fleet}}

== Adeptus Arbites Vessels ==

*'''Punisher Cruiser:''' Modeled after the [[Strike Cruiser]]s of the Astartes, they are supposed to bolster local PDF security, put down rebellions, hunt down pirate bands and transport high-ranking Arbites officials. Realistically, carrying Big Wigs is probably all they do. Despite being heavily armed with torpedoes, [[Bombardment Cannon]]s, Fighters and advanced scanners to spot bases, they are too few (usually travelling alone) to fight anything major. That said... being a Strike Cruiser variant means they have the body of a light cruiser but can punch way over their weight class. Can easily destroy escort squadrons and go ''mano a mano'' with bigger ships.

== Important Details ==

=== Crews ===

''Navy crews are made up of officers, techpriests, astropaths, navigators, servants, slave drivers, and slaves.''

A bit of an over-simplification, but broadly true. Due to the Imperium's aversion to AI and Automation each ship needs at least thousands of people to man it. Whenever the crew count gets low, the Imperial Navy sets up fake strip clubs on a planet claiming "Free Hookers" to lure in unsuspecting men (and the occasional woman). Once a future crewman steps in, he's knocked out, bound, gagged, and taken to the ship, [[grimdark|where they'll slave away the rest of their soon-to-be-short existence]] doing everything needed to make flying through space and fighting in the void possible.

This includes dragging shells the size of houses into cannons while being whipped. Still, at least for the crew sex is allowed, in fact encouraged, if for no other reason than maintaining the crew complement. Seriously, whole fucking cities and civilizations arise from the more massive ships, every bit as intricate as a long lived Hive City. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7wcShvrus Here is an idea of how it works, right up to the Roman armor, whips and beatings.] Oh and apparently besides whole civilizations, there are whole civilizations of mutants around too. They can more or less settle new worlds for da [[Emprah]] by simply disgorging their excess population, which the crew is probably all too happy to do.

High ranking officers may also bring their own people on board. These include, but are not limited to, concubines, bodyguards, servants, slaves, etc.. Makes you wonder just what regulations are actually enforced if any exist at all.

One area where fluff [[Black Library|hasn't been consistent]] is in the uniform worn by Imperial Navy crewmen. Some sources suggest that uniforms are divided by segmentum of the Imperium, while others suggest that it is a sector-by-sector fashion choice. Given the scale of the Imperium and the fact that Navy fleets are already identified by hull color, it's probably on a segmentum basis, but [[Games Workshop]] doesn't care enough to make a decision about it (and no matter what they'll inevitably be blinged out in skulls and eagles). For the ranks of the aforementioned shell draggers at the bottom of the naval hierarchy they'd wear a motley collection of their old civilian clothes and whatever they could scrounge up and sew together. Continuing the Age of Sail metaphor.

=== Travel ===

The ships of the [[Imperium]] travel through the [[Warp]] using what's called a [[FTL (Warhammer 40,000)#Warp Drive|warp drive]] to get to where they're going. However, this isn't your happy, fancy tunnel-of-light like in Star Wars, or everything-moves-fast Star Trek, it is an alternate dimension full of [[Chaos]]. In order to avoid being turned inside-out (think Event Horizon) and getting hentai-raped by every daemon in the warp, the ships rely on what is called a [[Gellar Field]] to keep the [[furries]], undesirables, and various other evil beings out of their ship when traveling through. The Baroque decorations are also implied in helping to ward off said daemons. When traveling through literal Hell itself, turning an actual cathedral into an actual voidship is actually a pretty good actual idea. They rely on a [[Navigator]] that uses the [[Empra]] as a beacon to safely navigate the Warp, hence the title "Navigator".

=== Ordnance ===

* '''Macrocannons:''' Guns. Lots of guns. Macrocannons are gargantuan cannons firing equally gargantuan shells. On escort ships these are often mounted in turrets, while capital ships often feature broadside batteries manned by crews of tens of thousands. Generally used to saturate void shields with overwhelming volume of fire. Alternatively, its also used by capital ships to provide planet-side fire support (although due to it's size, its the equivalent of dropping a nuclear bomb on someone) or used en-masse against the planet's surface to [[Exterminatus|bombard it into oblivion]].
* '''Lasers:''' Smaller than true lances, lasers are common on escorts such as the Sword. Accurate but not overly powerful, their main virtue is that they don't require ammunition and are usually in turrets. They only need lens refocusing or repairing the actual gun itself, as by the time their "ammo" supply (the reactor) is compromised the ship has worse problems than going dry.
* '''Plasma Cannons:''' Powerful, but power hungry and finicky. Not every forge world can build them, but generally the Imperium is better at building ship sized plasma guns than they are at building handheld ones. Imperial ships with plasma tend to be all plasma like the tyrant instead of the normal lance and macro mix of the lunar.
* '''Lance Batteries:''' Lances are enormous particle/laser weapons designed to penetrate armor and inflict deep structural damage. Accurate and powerful but they don't recharge fast enough to defeat void shields unassisted. Their sheer size and power requirements typically limit them to capital ships; lance armed escorts are purpose built vessels like the Firestorm. The necessity to defeat void shields means that the preferred Imperial loadout for capital ships is macrocannons paired with lances. Lances do extreme damage, period, but recharge so slowly that the enemy shields will have mostly recharged by the time you shoot again, hence preference for pairing with macrocannon. Macrocannons either prevent recharge in small numbers or do that and take chunks out of void shields between lance shots.
* '''Torpedos:''' The standard Imperial torpedo consists of a unstable plasma reactor with an engine and a guidance cogitator. On impact, the reactor and its remaining fuel detonates with roughly the force of an escort ship's main drive exploding, but directed straight to the target like a shaped charge. A well placed torpedo allows even a lowly destroyer to threaten a battleship, although they are as often used by capital ships to force an enemy to turn to avoid a torpedo salvo.
** '''Melta Torpedos:''' What causes more damage than a reactor blowing up in a shaped charge? Said reactor blowing up inside the target after a melta charge has burrowed it's way through and more melta warheads exploding alongside, consuming the impact area in nuclear fire. That said, if the torpedo launcher receives a penetrating hit while they are loaded, there is a good chance they will detonate and take the ship with them.
** '''Boarding Torpedo:''' Essentially a torpedo version of an assault ship, boarding torpedoes are more often used by the Astartes due to the acceleration forces involved on both ends of the trip.

== Ranks in the Navy ==

While the Imperial Navy uses a lot of the ranks in similar fashion to modern militaries, they invariably hold to a more archaic form and are not equivalent to modern day ranking systems. Particularly since it's quite clear that commissions in 40k can often be purchased rather than earned, and that a "Warrant" would most likely hold to the original term and be an "officer by appointment" rather than an enlisted grade. Though considering the immense variety of units within the Imperium, this may not necessarily be the case galaxy-wide, so all options are equally valid. A competent naval academy or [[Schola Progenium]] graduate leading one ship and a glory hound who's daddy paid for another can serve on the same bridge. Also, the ship commander will generally be referred to as Captain internally for the sake of simplicity, except in Astartes fleets where they are called shipmasters to avoid confusion regarding the actual rank of Captain in the Astartes. Funnily, this practice among the Astartes is directly opposite to IRL Marine units, where Captains are known as Majors to avoid being confused with the actual Captain of the ship. Since they are not in the dirt, Navy officers look significantly more well dressed than Guard officers but can get scarred just like the ground pounding plebians. LT's and up in the Navy can be very creepy to look at. The smoking hot lieutenant commander in immaculate uniform with fancy frills and spotless [[Carapace Armor]] having half of her face missing and plated over with cybernetics along with her whole arm being replaced by bionics is not an uncommon sight. Ratings and below look more like standard sci-fi lower class cyborgs.

Like the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy has Commissars. They serve the exact same role they do in the Imperial Guard. They're outside the chain of command, they maintain discipline and punish traitors and mutineers, and they can in theory overrule or execute anyone, though it is much more difficult to put a bolt in a Navy Captain's head than a Guard Colonel. Much like guard regiments, not every ship in the navy will always have a Commissar aboard, but the ones likely to need them typically will.

=== Officer Ranks ===

*'''Lord-High Admiral of the Imperial Navy''' - This person is a [[High Lords of Terra|High Lord]] and is the person responsible for the '''ENTIRE''' Imperial Navy, though likely the post holder doesn't do much other than delegate to their subordinates and attend tedious High Lord meetings.
*'''Lord-High Admiral''' - There are five of these guys, one for each Segmentum. While they're probably never anywhere near the front lines they probably have more to do, since its their job to oversee the deployment of fleets and materials from sector to sector. That said, the non-canonical Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2 game has Lord-High Admiral Spire personally leading Battlefleet Gothic around the Cadian sector from his flagship, even taking down some of the top-dogs of Abaddon's inner council.
*'''Lord Admiral''' - The guy in charge of a sector fleet who gets direct command of vessels and formations. You see these guys in the fluff quite regularly when "key" worlds ''(like Armageddon)'' need defended or attacked.
*'''Solar Admiral''' - Often a ''terminal'' rank... no really. Occasionally regular Admirals who do good jobs can put themselves forward for promotion to this position, which needs to be approved by the Lord-High Admiral of their Segmentum, then the officer needs to travel to Terra be reviewed by the Lord-High Admiral of the Imperial Navy. Obviously this can take a very, ''VERY'' long time to approve. So they might often be [[Grimdark|dead before the paperwork gets rubber-stamped]]. If they do get approved they are likely to get promoted straight up to sector commander (see Lord Admiral) as a position will probably have opened up while he was waiting. More rarely, Solar Admirals can get sent on "detached duties" which is basically a license to do as they please with their independent fleets. The fact they get approved implies that those who died waiting were rejected without being told.
*'''High Admiral''' - Commands several group of naval fleets (e.g. Battlegroups), often the most senior Navy officer in a Crusade but the things these fucks usually do is just having snacks with their Imperial Guard counterparts and leaving the combat duties to their subordinate Admirals
*'''Admiral''' - Gets put in charge of a fleet and told to oversee some subsectors. He's usually the highest of the "front line" ranks and much of his time will be on active duty patrolling his assigned region.
*'''Vice Admiral''' - Fleets traditionally get split into three parts, with the highest Admiral taking up the portion containing the larger ships, while the "Vice" Admiral takes the "Vanguard" portion of faster moving ships.
*'''Rear Admiral''' - the third portion of a fleet would be the "Rearguard" and usually gets assigned to the youngest/least experienced Admiral in the fleet. His job is usually the quietest one as he gets the mop-up and repair duties.
*'''Commodore''' - an experienced Captain in command of a squadron of capital ships. It's traditionally only a temporary rank, as capital ships don't always get assigned to each other the same way that escorts do. But the realities of war often mean that ships stay together for extended periods, often well beyond the lifespans of generations of captains.
*'''Lord Captain''' - not actually a rank, but an honourific applied to Captains of detached vessels operating independently. The '''"Lord-"''' part implies that they operate with the full authority of the Imperial Navy when they act so they can deal with outside organisations (like planetary governors, Space Marines or Imperial Guard) on relatively even footing. Sometimes also known by the more archaic term of "Flag-Captain", since as the commander of a detached vessel they figuratively carry their own flag.
*'''Captain''' The commander of a single capital ship or the lead starship in an escort squadron.
*'''Commander''' - Usually the commander of an escort vessel. Is also the ranking officer on board orbital space stations. It also gets used as the terminal rank amongst Pilots, since small attack craft all fall under the remit of the Navy; so a '''Wing Commander''' would get command over all pilots based on a single carrier.
*'''Lord Lieutenant''' - The second-in-command to captains of capital ships, bizarrely Commanders don't hold that role and hold their own positions. Thankfully because a chain of command exists in any military, despite a Wing Commander holding higher "actual" rank over a Lieutenant on a carrier vessel he would not hold any higher authority on that ship than his duties allow for. [[Fail|Sometimes this rank is known as Flag Lieutenant, which allows GW to once again show their incompetence as a Flag Lieutenant is actually an Admiral's aide-de-camp.]]
*'''Lieutenant''' - a "working" rank. Either holds command over small system vessels or acts as second in command to Commanders of escorts, or as department heads on Capital ships. They are also Squadron leaders amongst pilots.
*'''Sub-Lieutenant / Ensign''' - Team leaders or attack craft pilots
*'''Midshipman''' - Apprentice officers who haven't passed any exams or earned any responsibility, they would exist below the Warrant Officers in terms of authority, despite holding a commission. Midshipmen are commissioned from Imperial Nobility as part of the [[Administratum|Imperial Tithe]] ''(which can mean virtually anyone gets the job if they send their useless heirs just to keep the best ones at home)'' but they are also assigned from the [[Schola Progenium]]. In addition, Midshipmen also may be taken on as a personal favour from the Captain of a vessel if he knows the family. This echoes the ancient real-world practice of young noblemen showing up while the vessel was in dock with a letter from their family and being granted a commission on the Captain's say-so.

=== NCO Ranks ===

*'''Ship Master''' - the most senior Warrant officer on board a starship, also quite possibly the busiest man on the starship. It's his job to maintain the logs, update stellar navigation charts, oversee ships stores and order supplies, and command a hangar deck if there is one. Basically he's the guy who knows the ship better than anyone. In real-world historical usage, this guy would have an authority equivalent to a Lieutenant on board a starship, and would "mess" ''(ie: occupy the same space)'' as the other officers do.
*'''Bosun''' - ''(Shorthand for Boatswain)'' The NCO directly responsible for all of the common crew members, including work planning, scheduling, training, and [[Commissar|enforcing discipline]]. Despite his position, his actual rank may vary depending upon the size of vessel or operational requirements, in practice it never really matters since he's unlikely to ever meet another Boatswain. ''(real-world Boatswains are typically petty officers or warrant officers, but could be of any rank. They held responsibility over all areas of the ship other than Engineering, which was left to the Chief Engineer, as if the bosun disciplined/executed/imprisoned a skilled crewman from that department the ship could be crippled because of it)''.
**Note that most Capital Ships, but not all Escort ships, may have an actual Naval [[Commissar]] on board in this role, tasked with maintaining discipline up to and [[Blam|including]] the Officer compliment.
*'''Chief Warrant Officer''' - Also called "Chief Petty Officer" on some vessels. Will often be given command of important ship sections ''(like Chief Engineers, helmsmen, or auspex control, as these are critical to ongoing operation of a starship)''
*'''Chief Enginseer''' - This one is complicated. The engineering section of Imperial Navy vessels falls under jurisdiction of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]], which maintains their own byzantine system of ranks among [[Techpriest|techpriests]]. The ranking member of the mechanicus contingent will have shipboard authority equivalent to a Lieutenant. However, on capital ships or vessels featuring archaotech systems, the leading techpriest may well be a full [[Magos]]. Similarly, on ships traveling into unexplored space the leading techpriest might be an Explorator slumming it as an enginseer to ride along.
*'''Chief Navigator''' - Another complicated position. Imperial navy vessels invariably host a small contingent of [[navigator|navigators]] to guide the vessel through the warp. In practice, navigators aboard naval vessels answer ONLY to the commanding officer and show zero deference to any other member of the crew. It's not unheard of for navigators to give crewmembers the warp eye for the slightest transgression; there are even rare cases of navigators demanding ratings or mutineers to sacrifice to complete their navigation rites. If a vessel has [[astropath|astropaths]] aboard, they too generally answer directly to the commanding officer, although they're usually less haughty about it.
*'''Chief Surgeon''': Leads the ship's medicae. Can't downcheck officers, that's the Commissariat's job. Usually a Militarum doctor, but occasionally will be a [[Sister Hospitaler]] if the ship is in a war and the crew are lucky enough for [[Sisters of Battle]] to be barracked aboard for the duration of the campaign, and even more rarely a [[Magos]] Biologis if they're exploring or the crew seriously lucked out on campaign.
*'''Warrant Officer''' - You'll find lots of guys of equivalent rank on a ship, in command of various operational sections keeping the ship running at all times:
**Masters of Ordnance - make certain that Torpedoes and Attack craft (if any) are fueled and maintained.
**Master Gunner - have responsibility over all of the weapons batteries through the Gun Captains and make sure they are loaded and fired when required.
**Master-at-Arms - responsible for all "small" arms on board a starship, overseeing all Sergeants-at-Arms, as well as maintaining order over any barracked Guard regiments currently in transit.
**Master of the Vox - making sense out of the bazillions of messages that run through the bridge at any given moment both internally and externally ''(crews can get pretty massive, and a lot of traffic can come through at once)''.
**Steward - the guy who keeps everyone else well fed.
*'''Gun Captain''' - Funnily enough, the man in charge of a single gun crew. Makes sure that the weapon is taken care of, is reloaded quickly enough, and <s>is accurate when asked to fire</s>, asking the local Enginseer to ensure the gun is accurate when asked to fire. All of that comes back to this guy. . .and the Enginseer.
*'''[[Navis Sergeant-At-Arms|Sergeant-at-Arms]]''' - Man in charge of the weapons lockers and leader of boarding parties, as well as maintaining ship-board security. Usually they are transferred from [[Imperial Guard]] regiments so that they don't have any prior association with the crew, though it likely depends from fleet to fleet. The Sergeants-At-Arms generally directly lead the elite Breacher squads.
*'''[[Voidsmen-at-Arms|Armsmen]]''' - Occasionally referred to as Voidsmen-at-Arms. Crewmen trusted to carry weapons. They train extensively with Lasguns, concussion grenades, and low caliber rotor cannons that are unlikely to chew up starship hulls, as well as getting to wear flak-armour. Since they are trusted more, they have slightly more freedom to move around the vessel as well. They are not [[Imperial Guard|true soldiers]] since offensive boarding actions tend to be rare, so these guys still have their own regular responsibilities on board ship, yet Armsmen can come from the common ratings all the way up to the Officer ranks. On some ships the crewmen really don't want the job, since it means they get scrutinised more, and they might be ordered to beat up their buddies. On other ships, they are set above the toiling classes and are necessary for keeping them in line.
**'''[[Imperial Navy Breachers|Breachers]]''' - the elite amongst the Armsmen who get to wear even heavier void-armour and carry nastier weapons like explosives and melta-guns that would otherwise be suicidal to use inside a starship. Not only are they the primary defensive contingent on board a ship, but they are also the go-to crew members if an enemy ship needs boarded or an [[Star Trek|away team]] is called upon.
*'''Voidsmen''' - the lowest rank of crewman on board a Naval Starship above the [[Servitor]]s unless the Captain is cool with slavery. If they have a skill or a trade they may be referred to as '''Able Voidsmen''' which is an official rank that might require examinations. Additionally, if they show leadership qualities they might be promoted to '''Leading Voidsman''' and put in charge of work gangs and be considered for promotion to Warrant Officer if a position opens up.

== Notable Problems ==
These are problems some have with the Imperial Navy and their fluff....

=== General Logistical Problems ===

The big problem that the Imperial Navy has is that it's the only organised navy in the galaxy that's trying to defend its massive amounts of space. To do this takes vast numbers of ships but rather thinly spread out. Given the problems of warp travel it's also extremely hard to reinforce friendly fleets under attack. The foes of the navy come essentially in two flavours; raiders who might just manage to scrape together a few converted transports (building even escort-sized ships is a huge undertaking, akin to building damn near the entire American Navy combined from iron ore and making it fly) which take an escort squadron to murder, and huge organized invasion fleets that take a whole fleet to fight. These combine together to mean that outside of fleet bases and important strategic worlds there is nowhere in the Imperium that is actually well-defended. At best a fleet has to be formed and sent out and they could arrive months later. Travel takes a lot of time, and out in the void it can be extremely hard to know what you are actually fighting against, especially since the enemy tend to kill anyone who tries to look at them. So when there's a large enemy force that you absolutely must fight (not fighting is much preferable) you don't just band together whoever was within shouting distance of the flagship and go murdering, you pull together every single vessel in the sector and hope to the Emperor it's enough to do the job.

TL,DR: Acquiring a force sucks when command thinks paperwork and red tape are forms of worship and maintenance thinks the toilet needs a prayer before it is unclogged.

Warships genuinely are vast things and obscenely expensive and risking them at all in major actions is not something anyone does lightly. Each cruiser is larger and more complex than a fully-kitted titan legion. These things are MASSIVE. In the BFG book there's a fluff story of a cruiser being built at a shipyard that orbits a primitive world. The entire population of the planet were given over to mining the resources needed to build one single cruiser. It took them eleven years to mine the ore. Sure, that's a primitive world, but if you think about it that makes carving out the rocks for it the largest single project ever engaged upon without mechanization. If you add together all seven wonders of the world you aren't even close to the pile of rock we're talking about. So these things are a big fucking investment and the high lords really don't like risking them without a really good reason (makes you question why they wouldn't build 20 smaller ships instead).

So if you ever wondered why the Navy doesn't get more action, now you know. By the time the big, awesome ships get on the scene the invasion already probably finished and the bad guys moved on. Then you nuke the shit out of them from orbit or drop millions of poor bastards into the meat grinder. Far better idea all round. It's the reason that the enemy, even nutters like Chaos, don't fight in the void without reason. On the ground it's just a scrap, and maybe you win or maybe you don't. If you lose in the void then your campaign on the surface is dead. No reinforcements, no support and a massive constant orbital bombardment to kill everyone left (which sometimes doesn't happen, because, you know, plot armour). That tends to mean fleets hover around and not fighting, one ensuring the other can't directly interfere with the surface war. This is actually an excellent and realistic explanation for why there is significant ground warfare in 40k. Also, ground-based defenses, mobile theater-shields, etc. are common. So, attacking a planet worth anything is like attacking a planet-sized Death Star without the super-weapon. Your ground forces taking out shields and anti-space batteries is critical to achieving anything. But, by that point, most of the enemy is dead and the survivors have either moved to the next defended region or got so stuck-in with your dudes that you can't shoot without killing your own army. Unless you worship Khorne, in which case you really couldn't care less who you kill, even yourself.

Besides that, there are strategic locations to take in order to take or destroy the anti-orbit defenses. Those locations have strategic locations and so on and before you know it, you’re invading the whole damn planet.

So, the navies of the galaxy ultimately get pushed down into either raiders, escorts against raiders, raider-hunters, or babysitting and logistical duty for groundpounders. Which of course brings back the question of why the Navy has such a desire to get more interceptors and bombers for ship-to-ship combat when they rarely engage in combat in the first place and the attack craft are insufficient. Could be to weaken the enemy ships' ability to shoot at the surface, but by the point they would have a target it would have (as stated) gone to a new defended location or whatever else, defeating the point of sending attack craft to weaken the enemy ships' offensive power. They won't shoot at each other, and they can't shoot at the surface (or at least can't shoot anything worth shooting at). In exchange for packing in so many attack craft into hangars designed for countless atmospheric air support fighters and bombers, the Imperial Guard has to die in radically greater numbers than they have any need to since they have limited anti-air capabilities and all of their enemies have no problem sending massive swarms of fighters and bombers at them. That is without even getting to engage the enemy on the ground and not counting the countless soldiers killed as the transports are shot to pieces due to their escorts commonly ditching them to go after obvious bait tactics. Oh, and sending reinforcements from other worlds, let alone the loss of expensive and valuable drop ships and interstellar transport vessels, is far more expensive than just using damn atmo-fighters and bombers for the Guard. Heck, an escort ship variant was created specifically to resolve this problem as even the High Lords got pissed about it. A ship designed as an escort vessel specializing in carrying atmospheric fighters, bombers, etc. just to provide support for the Imperial Guard. The Navy promptly took the ships built, removed the atmospheric craft, and replaced them with Furies and Starhawks. They already have a light cruiser escort carrier and the number of attack craft they crammed in was abysmal.

Thus the rumor that the Navy has no balls. But who needs balls when you have a nova cannon sized dick and eighteen dice worth of fire power.

=== Ship Size ===

No one is quite sure how big the ships really are. One story claims the Retribution-Class is a mere 3 kilometers long, while another says it is 9 kilometers and up to 20 kilometers.

Your best bet is Rogue Trader, although going by those figures, anything bigger than a cruiser has an average density around that of hydrogen... Everything after Rogue Trader became much larger, though, so this is likely inaccurate (though pretty big vessels anyway). Given the constant references to “city sized” weapon batteries and hangars, perhaps take Rogue Trader ship sizes and multiply ten or even a hundred. From a helpful poster on [http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63267&page=2 Heresy-Online] we have this:

For the most accurate scale, look towards the Battlefleet Koronus Expansion, as it is more a stat/rule book than a story. That and previous consensi, as well as cross referencing with the Horus Heresy rulebooks by Forge World (which places Battleships at 8-12km) place Cruisers just above 5 kms, and Battleships in the mid 8s. Please note that most ships above the size of 8ish kilometers are either a unique modified/purpose built flagship or a ship of a small class that is not in widespread circulation. For a sense of scale the largest warship in the world is currently the US Navy's Ford Class Aircraft Carrier measuring in at 337 meters long or 0.337km making the USS Ford the size of a cannon. They have guns literally the length of an Aircraft carrier!

*Transports and other Attack Craft, typically rated for atmospheric operation; also includes ships designed to be boarding torpedoes.
**<1 kilometer. That's the small ones, there are super transports in 40k as well. (A [[thunderhawk]] would go here).
*Escorts are "small" ships, like the Cobra, designed to flank foes and operate in squads.
**1-2 kilometers.
**Heavy Frigates
**Frigates
**Corvettes
**Destroyers
**Freighters
*Light Cruiser, a smaller Cruiser.
**3-5 kilometers.
*Cruiser, the standard fighting vessel; every Imperial fleet has them.
**5-6 Kilometers.
*Battle Cruiser, a beefed up Cruiser; generally more 'modern' than a Grand Cruiser.
**6-7 kilometers.
*Grand Cruiser; pocket-sized Battleship, very old.
**7-8 kilometers.
*Battleship; the biggest of the lot, simply put.
**8-12 kilometers.
**Battleships
**Fleet Carriers

The Horus Heresy novel "Know No Fear" had this to say about ship sizes, taken from [http://archive.foolz.us/tg/thread/22848349/ /tg/] who quoted it from the book and written here is just the lengths and names of the ships, for simplicity and space:

*Macragge’s Honour. Twenty-six kilometers - Flagship
*Spirit of Konor. Seventeen kilometers - Battleship
*Antrodamicus. Twelve kilometers - Grand Cruiser
*Antipathy. Nine kilometers - Cruiser (note that the book said it had "six thousand lives" on board, which would be an absurdly small crew for its size by 40k or even 21st century standards, but it wasn't fully crewed at the time; maybe for an astartes or mechanicus vessel its a bit closer to reasonable but definite not for the Navy)
*Aegis of Occluda. Seven kilometers - Class unknown
*Gladius. Four kilometers - Escort
*Then there is the Abyss-class created by Lorgar that is said to match the Phalanx in size. He made three of them. In reality, they matched it in beam, but the Phalanx is round, so iut probably wasn't quite as big.

===Weapon Effects===

The calcs for Imperial Navy warships are one of the [[FAIL|<u>''worst''</u>]] things in GeeDubs' illustrious history. From Macrocannons [[Wat|outputting fewer joules than a punch from an 8-year-old child]] to [[Exterminatus|broadsides breaking continents]] [[Derp|making the existence of Cyclonic Torpedoes feel impotent.]] Calculating the strength of naval weapons have been one of the biggest pain in the ass for /tg/, not helping with the fact that many BL authors have no sense of fucking scale, let alone consistency.

Nevertheless, even if naval vessels shot out megatons per broadside, many newer folks around here may wonder, "Why can't the Imperial Navy do an orbital bombardment of a heavily defended position on land?". The answer is simple. Collateral damage. Yes, even the most incompetent of Imperial commanders recognize that too much collateral damage is a bad thing and would really affect the health of a good Crusade. After all, life is the Emperor's currency. '''SPEND IT WELL'''. This is not helped by the fact that the naval weapons of the Imperial Navy aren't the most accurate of the lot. Sure, fluff dictates that Macrocannons have an effective range in excess of tens of thousands of kilometres. But there is a <u>BIG DIFFERENCE</u> in providing suppressive fire against multi-kilometre spaceships and trying to hit a well-defended bunker that is only ten meters across. The only weapons that could be counted as 'accurate' are Lances and Nova Cannons. But firing them is overkill and the resulting shockwave will fuck up anyone indiscriminately, including ''Titan legions''. This is not counting into the basis of Void Shields and anti-orbital weapons like [[Defense Laser]]s for example.

As such, whilst it is theoretically possible to do orbital bombardment, in reality, most of the time it is just far more efficient to direct your naval assets to spar against ''other'' enemy naval ships, rather than risk a fleet that a) may or may not hit the target or worse, their allies due to inaccuracies, b) must come dangerously close to Defense Laser range or any other anti-orbital weapons and c) when they ''ARE'' given the chance to perform the role, the enemy has either become too insignificant to order a bombardment or have already captured and took hold of the entire planet plus its defences. Ergo, whilst it is tempting, orbital bombardment isn't really popular and just risks splitting your forces where it could have been better suited to, you know, deny the enemy of any potential orbital superiority in the first place.

=== Lack of Balls ===

It is well-known that most Imperial Navy Officers don't have em. Other times their balls are too big and get themselves and their crews killed in idiotic attacks.

An Imperial Navy fleet is most effective when Inquisitors take it over. [[Exterminatus|See Here]].

=== Carrier Hate ===

Back in M36, the Imperial Navy fought a lowkey civil war over fleet doctrine in Segmentum Tempestus known as the Gareox Incident. A cabal of chaos worshipers worked their way high enough in the navy to start designing ships that were ready-built to turn traitor, most of which were carriers. The battlefleet eventually figured out something was off and the result was a giant carriers vs battleships fight that went down the way the Battle off Samar would have if the Japs hadn't been scared shitless by three destroyers. The surviving carriers went openly traitor and since then building new carriers has been borderline heresy so far as the navy is concerned. Doesn't stop them from building a bunch of them anyway. Hating something has never stopped the Imperium from doing whatever is necessary to do its duty (or else).

Strangely, this battle is contradictory in how attack craft fare in any other battle. Normally, you read about bombers and interceptors ravaging and destroying ships with impunity unless you have a way to counter them such as dedicated anti-air ships and interceptors of your own. Which the attacking loyalists in this battle lacked. And the keel-built ships are faster so should have been able to stay out of range and cripple the Imperial ships’ engines and weapons and sensors easily.

== In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 1 & 2 ==

The Imperial Navy is the most balanced faction of the game as expected from being the posterboys of Battlefleet Gothic. Decent hull points, strong voidshields, okay speed and a wide selection of choices, the Imperial Navy offers a level of flexibility and diversity that no other faction could match. In general, Imperial Navy ships are more suited for close-range brawler types; their row upon row of [[Macrocannon]]s ensures a steady supply of [[Dakka|munitions]] that is reasonably accurate in short-medium range, whilst their armoured prow enables them to become effective battering rams when needed. Likewise, some classes have their loadout decked in [[Lance Weapon]]s, [[Torpedo|Torpedoes]] and [[Nova Cannon]]s, so they aren't slouches in long-range combat as well. Sure they cannot compete against the [[Eldar]], [[Tau]] and [[Chaos]] when it comes to overall range, and that they aren't as good when it comes to pure CQC mayhem like the [[Orks]] and [[Tyranids]], but the sheer ''amount'' of ships one can choose means that eventually, you will find a class that will cover each other's weaknesses. By far the easiest and least punishing faction of the lot.

== Music of the Imperial Navy ==

Not to be outdone by the Imperial Guard (as well as to compensate for their aforementioned lack of balls), the Imperial Navy has begun collecting music to either be blared on loudspeakers when not in active use, or in the case of battleship command decks, played live by orchestra. the first four are taken from [[Battlefleet Gothic Armada|Battlefleet Gothic Armada.]]

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DhAAGZVAVo [[Awesome|This one is by far the best.]]
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80QrqY_FgQ8
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is0I7M0W_Ig
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFREOz5CvDs
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AlLNITLk8A - A piece dating back to the Armada Imperialis' of the Great Crusade, but is still played regularly.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5STVoaxz8-Y - This instrumental is rumored to date back to some epic naval battle during the later dark age of technology.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJEgAFR9vDc - While not quite fitting for battleships and grand cruisers, this piece dates back to when humanity was just beginning to march upon the stars, and as such, is heard regularly in ships captained by sentimental officers.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUrSQNSN6_c - This fitting instrumental is often played in bastion fleets whenever they are mustered to put down [[Black Crusade|yet another temper tantrum.]]
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAw1KlZ8C-A - Battlefleet Gothic Imperial port theme.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlcUwUwjLrs - This ancient piece, a popular mobilization theme for the Imperial Navy, was apparently created during a time in which humanity was at war with a xeno species known as "Cylons". [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|No other records of this species can be found.]]
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so10dKbhorI - Another piece from the same era that the Cylons existed, it was created to commemorate a successful assault on a planet known as New Caprica, what is now an imperial hive world.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFEHCuSnun0 - This was commissioned by a very srs bzns admiral.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gii4e-h3DBc - This was commissioned by a very srs bzns admiral from Praetoria.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7qOJrT_lUg - One of the pieces Lord High Admiral Langsung ordered to be played during the Battle for Port Sanctus.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu_Lp51wyao - This dated back to the glory days of human stellar exploration, when the universe was less grimdark, but is still a favorite for exploratory fleets, or for trying to distract yourself from the fact that you're just one [[Gellar Field|energy field]] away from a level 99 rapefest.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPLXNmKvLBQ - One of many favorites of those captaining Ironclads.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TXlJ5DMq5o - A favorite of Vostroyan admirals.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK5iReyAMI - Played during ceremonial ship or fleet launches since the great crusade.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR5N0-DqZoU - One of many pieces played when the fleets return victorious.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3q6dCeP7M - An orchestral litany created to aid in battles against chaos ships.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvriqdS3vsc - A common theme of blockade runners, more nimble imperial vessels, and rogue traders plundering xeno planets in the name of the God Emperor.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbh6HT7lLx8 - Popular among fleets in Segmentum Pacificus.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NDn6WtZBJY - Popular among fleets in Segmentum Pacificus led by admirals from oriental cultures.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvUVq-dVEjQ - Battle music that is popular among said admirals of oriental cultures, and also of those from Segmentum Pacificus.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KylMqxLzNGo - Music played whenever the Navy has to perform exterminatus.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZcj56XXrPM - A personal favorite of an admiral from Armageddon.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3iwvG2ZKuw - The christening and launch of a new ship, straight out of the docks.
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9mFPDRZIgE - Encountering a Tyranid Hive Fleet

== See also ==

* [[Famous_Spaceships_of_Warhammer_40,000#Famous_Imperial_Spaceships|Famous Imperial Spaceships]]

== External Links ==

* [http://www.darkreign.org/sites/default/files/BFG%20FAQ%202010_0.pdf/ A Comprehensive List of Ships]
* [http://yenlowang.free.fr/warhammer-forum/BFG/BFG_-_Additional_Ships_Compendium_1.4.pdf Battlefleet Gothic Additional Ships Compendium]
* [https://i.imgur.com/2q7J2Xv.jpg A big poster of fictional navies], with 40k in the center left
* [[Kor'Vattra]]

== Gallery ==

<gallery>

image: EMP-Class.jpg|The Lord Admiral's Love Shack

image: Avenger.jpg| The Grand Marshal's Summer Palace of PWNAGE

image: Lunar-Class.jpg|<s>Imagine how quick land battles would be if these things actually helped</s> They do help, but they can't do it too much or they risk fucking up the planet they came to save, also you try aiming a lance cannon at a spot a meter wide from orbit without hitting your mates on the ground

image: RapidStrikeVessels.JPG|The Bullet-Catchers of the Navy

image: Imperial Fleet Size Sca.jpg|Another demonstration of too much spare time

image: Flagship-mk2.JPG|One of the revered ships of Battlefleet [[/tg/]]: [[Flankitus]]

File:Warhammer Imperial Cruisers by mik.jpg|

File:M1130006 Gothic Art Cover.jpg|

</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Battlefleet Gothic]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Imperial Navy]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Ships]]

{{40k-Imperial-Ships}}

{{Template:Imperium}}

Crimson Fists

2023-05-25T11:25:57Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: Undo revision 890091 by 151.36.179.194 (talk) Read the rules, this isn't a fucking forum

{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = Crimson Fists aka The Marines Hispanic
|Heraldry = [[Image:Crimsonfistslogo.JPG|250px]]
|Battle Cry = "There is only the Emperor."<br>"He is our shield and protector."
|Number =
|Founding = [[Second Founding]]
|Successors of = [[Imperial Fists]]
|Successor Chapters =
|Chapter Master = [[Pedro Kantor]]
|Primarch = [[Rogal Dorn]]
|Homeworld = Rynn's World
|Specialty = Tactical flexibility, Heroic last stands, Sheetrock hanging, and spanking Orks
|Strength = Somewhere around full strength after [[Ultima Founding]]
|Allegiance = [[Imperium of Man]]
|Colours = Blue and crimson red
}}

{{Topquote|My choice is made, it was made centuries ago, when I became an initiate in the Great Hall of the Arx Tyrannus. I chose to serve the Chapter Master unto my dying breath, and through him the Emperor of Mankind. I will not throw away my life for the sake of pride. I will honour instead the commands of Chapter Master Kantor. I will fight the enemy with every weapon at my disposal, every warrior at my disposal, even if I have to create those warriors for myself. While I live, the Chapter lives. I am the shield hand of Dorn, and I. Will. Not. Yield.|Veteran Sergeant Sandor Galleas}}
{{Topquote|War of Armageddon? Just a regular Monday.|A Crimson fist}}
{{Topquote|Whoever will come to us with a sword, from a sword will perish.|Alexandr Nevsky}}

The '''Crimsons Fists''' are a second founding chapter of the [[Imperial Fists]], formed by the younger and more level-headed members, led by uberbadass [[Alexis Polux]]. Noted for their crimson gauntlets, which were inspired by <strike> the blood of their enemies after a good fisting </strike> a ritual with [[Rogal Dorn]] and an Imperial Fist successor Chapter Master having a manly handshake with cut palms, signifying blood brotherhood between them. The name sounds more like a [[/d/|particularly painful sex act]] of [[Slaanesh]] that ends in internal bleeding, but whatever, they're still cool. Also in damn near every artwork they are in, it's a last stand. Like seriously, they might as well be the king of dying heroically, as seen even in the OG [[Warhammer_40,000:_Rogue_Trader|Rogue Trader]]. Still, who ''doesn't'' love a good <s>fisting</s> final, defiant stand?
==Overview==
They got fucked over during an Ork invasion on Rynn's World, their home planet, when a stray missile fired from their orbital defense grid struck their own fortress. The damn thing somehow missed its original target, bypassed ALL of the fortress' void shields (we'll get to this freak accident later), and hit the armory directly, not exploding until it was hundreds of meters underground. The chances of this happening are about as likely as rolling 100 d20s and only getting 1s on all of them. (If you're curious, the probability of that happening is one in 1.267651x10<sup>130</sup>. Seriously.)

But it's okay, because the Crimson Fists still managed to beat the Orks with only <s>two-hundred and twenty-eight marines, 100 of which were killed</s> the actual number of marines that survived their fortress monastery being destroyed isn't stated (Rynn's World mentions 16 including [[Pedro Kantor]] and [[Alessio Cortez]]). Kantor had sent a significant force to New Rynn City to defend it (because, you know, Crimson Fists aren't complete arseholes and will make time to defend the civilians). All that's known is that after the Imperial fleet came to Rynn's World to screw up the Orks there were only a couple of companies left. A [[Land Raider]] appropriately named ''Rynn's Might'' somehow [[awesome|managed to skillfully ''pilot itself'' using only its machine spirit and take out a good chunk of the invading Ork horde, including a warboss, with hellishly accurate weapon fire. When it ran out of ammo, it then tried to run over the Orks and when its treads were clogged with bodies and its doors smashed open, it was entered by Lootas seeking to take it, after which it vented the reactor and killed them all with hot plasma.]] The Crimson Fists were able to recover the [[Machine Spirit]] of ''Rynn's Might'', and are now trying to find a new vehicle to house the Machine Spirit. They probably need a [[Titan]] chassis to contain that much awesome (and a literal mile of parchment for its purity seals).

Let's also not forget that there's a part from the Rynn's World novel where Captain Cortez saves a mother and her kids, one of which is only a baby, from being murdered by Orks. Kantor is ''quite displeased'' at this, knowing that there are very few Crimson Fists left and they could not afford to take refugees along for the ride. However, he mentions they can tag along if they can keep up with the Astartes. Eventually the mother fatigues and falters, falling to her knees. The column of marines halt as their Chapter Master moves to the back, where the reader is led to believe that he is about to kill her given his wrist-mounted Storm Bolter is very, very close to her head. She pleads that her children were so heavy and she tried, and what does Kantor do? Let me stress that he did not want her in the first place. What does he do? He replies with, "You did well to bring them this far. It is time someone else carried you now." [[Awesome|And then he picks her up in his arms, along with 2 of her kids, and rejoins his Battle-Brothers]]. Upon carrying half the family to the relative safety of a nearby forest, Kantor has a couple of his marines find food for the family. Later on, the marines save a group of about 60 pilgrims from a large group of Orks, then lead the entire group to the safety of New Rynn City. Do you see the Ultrasmurfs doing such a doubly heartwarming and doubly awesome act of kindness? <s>Of course not *cough*FallofDamnos*cough*</s> Yes, repeatedly. They help save civilians from the tyranids in "Shadow of The Leviathan", and Graham McNeill shows that they care about the lives of people in his Ultramarines novel series. Then again, the whole point of the book was the Fists learning to care about Rynn's World, and its people, as before that point they just saw it as their base (they didn't even recruit from the place). This was due to the fact they were a fleet-based chapter for most of their history and only received Rynn's World a thousand years before the Orks invaded it. Meaning what Kantor did wasn't just being a cool guy, it was character development, showing the Fists weren't just merely defending a world, they were defending their home.

The Crimson Fists 1st Company is known as the Crusade Company and consists of 128 marines after the Crimson Fists decided to get shit done during the Crusade of Righteous Retribution. During the crusade, the Fists were unable to procure new recruits, and slowly suffered attrition until they ended up with only 128 marines left. Sounds kind of pathetic until you realise that the crusade lasted for over 300 years, meaning that the Fists lost fewer than 3 marines a year. It's now considered a bad omen if they don't have a full strength Crusade Company.

It's also worth noticing that only 9 years after the Battle for Rynn's World, the Crimson Fists were already sending forces to fight in the Zeist Campaign. Crimson Fists obviously do not fuck around.

They've recently been boosted back up to around full strength with the Ultima Founding which probably means the Primaris Marines outnumber the regular marines.

Crimson Fists are so awesome they were the cover art for the 3rd Edition Space Marine codex and [[Warhammer_40,000:_Rogue_Trader|Rogue Trader]]. Yes, they were the cover of the very first edition of Warhammer 40K ever. Suck it [[Spiritual Liege|Ultrasmurfs]]!

The Fists also have a bit of an unpleasant history with other Chapters; thanks to their exceptional zeal and loyalty, they've been [[Minotaurs (Chapter)|repeatedly tasked with exterminating Chapters deemed heretics]], such as the [[Soul Drinkers]], [[Extinct_chapters#Marines_Vigilant|Marines Vigilant]] (though in fairness they felt guilty about that afterwards), and the [[Extinct_chapters#Sons_of_Gideon|Sons of Gideon]]. Thanks to this reputation as [[Kharn|team-killing fucktards]] working for [[Inquisition|megalomaniacal psychopaths in silly hats]], they don't get along too well with the likes of the [[Space Wolves]], [[White Scars]], and probably most other chapters with a rep for defying the Emperor's pet psychos.

==How the fuck did that missile incident happen?==

Well the first option is just "these things happen." As the case of HMS ''Hood'' proves, sometimes you just roll a nat 1 critical miss and die a stupid death. But that's not really narratively satisfying, so various writers have tied themselves into knots to make it sound plausible. First it was implied it was a standard missile fired from an orbiting defensive platform, meaning it normally should have done NOTHING to such a mighty stronghold beyond a small crater. They claimed the missile bypassed the void shields entirely, hit a piece of mountainside that was really super-duper weak (and somehow the Crimson Fists didn't know about it) and went deep down into the mountain. The missile detonated the Crimson Fists' weapon stockpile, causing their chapter a lot of hurt.

This was fixed by Steve Parker; the missile was actually fired from one of the fortress's anti-ship weapons bastions, and the void shields had to be dropped to fire them. It was also the type of antiship missile that formed a melta field over the warhead to bore through ship armor before detonation, to make "tunneled through two hundred meters of solid rock" less stupid. Which is why silos like that should be, and usually are, kept in an orbiting installation rather than near the fortress, so you don't have to drop your shields to fire. While this would expose the silos, you can have one missile each and hide dozens of them far away from one another.

<span style='color:green>Nah, the Kaptin in charge of the ship told everyone that he would do this and it happened. Ork don't gotta explain.</span>

A new theory has emerged from the madness of the warp. See the Crimson Fists had a habit of pissing off certain people. Not the Inquisition, but something more complicated. During their history, the Crimson Fists clashed with the Ultramarines and Mortificators to the point of almost full blown civil war. The only reason this did not happened is because of the fact the [[Black Templars]] would step in on the side of the Crimson Fists and probably anyone who hates the Ultramarines ([[Space Wolves|That]] [[Inquisition|is a]] [[Dark Angels|long list]] [[Imperial Fists|of organizations and chapters]]). However a sabotage attempt makes a fair amount of sense and given how the Crimson Fists were not enemies of the High Lords or the Inquisition (They did their dirty work for them) the Ultramarines and their successors are a potential suspect.

==Notable Members==
*[[Alexis Polux]]: Founding chapter master of the Crimson Fists; they got their name from him. He died 800 years after the chapter was founded when some sneaky xenos dicks shot him in the head with a poison dart, but got the last laugh when he told his successor how to defeat the sneaky dicks with his dying breaths.
*[[Pedro Kantor]]: Current chapter master of the Crimson Fists. Has a major hate-on for Orks, like all the other Crimson Fists who lived through Rynn's World, and proved he has a heart when he carried an exhausted mother and her children to safety.
*[[Alessio Cortez]]: Fuckawesome captain who is probably insane. Has broken nearly every bone in his body and is currently about ninety percent scar tissue and sheer manliness. He got an arm torn off by an Ork warboss during the invasion of Rynn's World, but pointed out that technically he hadn't lost it because it was right over there. Disappeared while fighting Eldar, but he might still be out there.

==Daily Rituals==
06:00- Wake up Call: The Crimson Fists awaken from their beds made of Ork bone. Generally, a captured loudboy will be used as a substitute for an ancient Bird called a "Rooster". His usefulness spent, they proceed to beat the Ork to death with their bare fists.

07:00- Morning Prayer: The Crimson Fists will pray to the Emperor. They will also force Orks to pray, just so they can pray louder than the Orks. One of the most common prayers is a prayer for patience when dealing with the inevitable arguments over what a tortilla is.

08:00- Morning Firing Rites: Targets are set up in a field to be shot. A large portion of them are either captured Orks or painted to look like Orks.

09:00- Morning Battle Practice: The Ork cage is opened, and the Crimson Fists fight against their angry pets. Beating an Ork to death with one's fists is encouraged.

10:00- Breakfast: The Crimson Fists gather to eat before their arduous afternoon. Sauce for their churros is provided by dead Orks.

11:00- Tactical indoctrination: The Crimson Fists gather to make fun of Orks. Making fun of Ghazkull Uruk'Thraka is encouraged. Whoever throws the best insult gets to hold the chapter standard.

13:00- Afternoon Battle Practice: The Crimson Fists let the Orks out again so they can curbstomp them again. Typically, the afternoon battle practice takes longer due to the Orks being mad over the previous fight.

16:00- Evening Firing Rites: The Crimson Fists gather the most noteworthy Orks from the previous practice, and practice shooting them. Battle Brothers will be punished if they kill the Ork in the first shot.

18:00- Evening Meal: The Crimson Fists feast upon the Orks they killed. Their favorite dish is Ork paella.

20:00- Evening Battle Practice: The chapter practices Aerial and Mechanized maneuvers, whilst spreading Orkoid fungus, ensuring they have a plentiful supply of Orks for tomorrow.

22:00- Free Time: The chapter takes recreational time. Activities include games like Pin the Tail on the Ork, Kick the Ork, and Ork wrangling. Any Orks that die are immediately sent to resupply the snack bar.

24:00- Bedtime: The chapter retires for the evening. Before they go to sleep, they choose a loud boy to be the alarm Ork for the next day.

==Naming Scheme==

The Crimson Fists are (in)famous on /tg/ for being the Spanish Marines, primarily due to to how their Chapter Master Pedro Kantor and his best bud [[Alessio Cortez]] were named. This has bled into all media where the Fists are featured -- novels, games, even RPG supplements like [[Deathwatch]]. Even the Fall of Cadia features Captain Ruis Tracinto as part of the reinforcements that managed to make it to the planet.

This is not to say that ''every'' member of the Fists sport Hispanic-Iberian names -- Captain Ashor Drakken of the Badlanding incident comes to mind -- but an overwhelming number of them do.

In-universe, most of the Spanish-named marines (like Kantor and Cortez) come from the feral world of '''Blackwater''', which is one of the major sources of recruits for the Chapter. They're considered... odd, by non-Blackwater born Marines.

==Gallery==
<Gallery>
File:Power Fists TV Tropes.png|It really says a lot about their love for Power Fists when they provide the TV Tropes Image...
File:Eternal_War_CF_vs._Orks_luches.jpg|Just Pedro Kantor being awesome nothing unusual really...
File:Watch-Captain_Estaban_De_Dominova.jpg|"What do you mean by we have to hunt xenos other than orks?"
File:CF Primaris Marine.png
File:Crimson Fists Last Stand.jpg|Last Stand of the Crimson Fists. Maybe their most popular representation.
File:Rogue_trader_cover_no_text.JPG|The Crimson Fists being the first look of many for the Spess Mehreens.
File:Last_Stand_of_the_Crimson_Fists_2_Primaris_Boogaloo.jpg|<strike>Seriously, someone has to tell them that "Last stand" is not a viable strategy.</strike> Pfft, please, it's worked for them so far and it looks awesome.
</Gallery>

==Vidyas==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dyO9SWiY7k A Crimson Fists Chaplain in its natural habitat. Also, the police are all Guardsmen.]

{{Template:Marines-Official}}
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Space Marines]]

Aeonid Thiel

2023-05-25T11:25:36Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: Undo revision 890092 by 151.36.179.194 (talk) Because it is well known that each marine only produces 1 geneseed. Oh wait

[[Image:Thiel.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Reasonable doesn't mean stupid.]]

'''Aeonid Thiel''' was an [[Ultramarines]] sergeant during the [[Horus Heresy]]. A bit of a maverick, Thiel was initially censured for cooking up strategies for fighting other Space Marines, something that was considered [[Heresy|unthinkable]] during the [[Great Crusade]].

Then the Heresy happened, and due to his quick thinking and bravery during the [[Battle of Calth]] he turned what was initially a mark of shame (a helmet painted red), into a badge of honour. It is for this reason to ''this day'', that Ultramarines and other Codex compliant sergeants wear red helmets, as a mark of their leadership abilities and experience.

== Personality ==

Thiel was as dutiful and loyal as any good Ultramarine, but compared to the often dogmatic approach his fellows have, his views and tactics seem downright unorthodox (read: [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable]]). While he still considers the Theoreticals and Practicals, he's more than willing to drop these for something that will deliver in a given situation, up to and including what more honorable Ultramarines would consider dirty tricks. These include, among other things, impersonating a Word Bearer to get close enough to shank him and simply ''shooting'' a <strike>World Eater</strike> Night Lord instead of indulging him with a mano-a-mano duel.

Thiel was also quite frank with his opinions, even to his [[Primarch]], [[Roboute Guilliman]]. Though he had the utmost respect for his genefather, he also wasn't afraid to call him out for some of his more dubious tactical decisions. This honesty endeared him to Guilliman, who had come to value his counsel.

== Not my Thiel ==

After the Battle of Calth an [[Alpha Legion]] imposter posing as Thiel led a kill-team in an attempt to assassinate Guilliman. They manage to grievously wound the Primarch (quite impressive), but Bobby G was able to fight them off. This little issue begs the question: where's the ''real'' Thiel? As it turns out, the real Thiel turned up to Macragge afterwards, understandably horrified that he had been used as a cover for the Alpha Legion. He was then sent out throughout Imperium Secundus to try and keep the peace.

Due to the shift of focus of the Heresy novels toward the [[Siege of Terra]], that's something that will remained unanswered for now. However, thanks to '''Dark Imperium''', we ''do'' know what happens to him after...

== Eventual Fate ==

During the Scouring, Thiel became Captain of the Ultramarines Chapter Second Company, and was part of the force that accompanied his Primarch in boarding [[Fulgrim]]'s flagship during the [[Battle of Thessala]]. It is heavily implied that it was Thiel that teleported Guilliman after Fulgrim fatally wounded him.

What happens to him after that is unclear, and Guilliman himself could only find the barest clues in the deepest parts of the Fortress of Hera that he persisted after Thessala. Some in /tg/ posit that, if his progenoids managed to survive into the present, there are a few candidates to where they might have [[Captain Titus|been implanted into...]]

== Bros with Guilliman ==

Thiel had an interesting relationship with Guilliman, in that while he respected his gene-father, he seemed to be the ''only one'' not afraid to call him out for his stubborness and mistakes. In any other Legion this would be considered insubordinate behavior, but surprisingly Guilliman appreciated this candidness and honesty. It's this reason that, [[Age of the Dark Imperium|even into the present day]], Guilliman misses him.

[[Cato Sicarius]]' impetuousness reminds Guilliman of Thiel, and as a result the Primarch seems to have made it a pet project of his to balance out Sicarius' gung-ho attitude with lessons on diplomacy and, perhaps, humility. Knights of Macragge has Cato receive a Gene seed flashback to the greatest moments of several of his predecessors, the first of which heavily implied to be Thiel's death in battle some time after Guilliman got put into stasis.

== In Media ==

Sergeant Thiel features prominently in '''Know No Fear''', '''Censure''', and '''Red-Marked'''. He is also a warlord card in [[The Horus Heresy: Legions]], where his ability is to shoot an enemy and create a random "Theoretical" card if it survives.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Space Marines]]

{{Marines-Characters}}

Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Space Marines

2023-05-24T12:32:36Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: Undo revision 889921 by 109.144.218.75 (talk) You have to attach them to a unit in 10e

{{stub}}
<div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">[[Indrick Boreale|WE ARE THE SPEHSS MAHREENS! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FUREH!]]</div>

This is the current [[Warhammer_40,000/10th Edition Tactics|10th Edition's]] [[Space Marine]] tactics. [[Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Space Marines|9th Edition Tactics are here.]]

==Why Play Space Marines==
===Pros===
*Basically agreed upon to be one of the best if not the absolute best army in the game to start with. They're easy to paint, cheap, and elite.

===Cons===
*Despite being GW's favorite child, you're the fanbase's punching bag.
**Another consequence of being the favorite child is that everyone's going to be making armies to counter you out of habit simply because you're the first codex.

==Faction Rules==
*'''Oath of Moment''': The special rule of the faction, this lets you mark one enemy unit. All of your forces can re-roll to hit and wound this one unit, making it ideal for focus-firing an enemy to death. Expect Knight players to refuse to play against you.

==Detachments==

===Gladius Task Force===
====Special Rules====
*'''Combat Doctrines:''' This has come back, but it's been cut back considerably form being a fundamental asset for guiding your army's movement to now once-per-game buffs.
**'''Devastator Doctrine:''' Your army can always shoot after advancing. Incredibly handy for heavy gunners Heavy Intercessors and Helblasters.
**'''Tactical Doctrine:''' Your army can shoot and charge after falling back.
**'''Assault Doctrine:''' Your army can charge after advancing.

====Stratagems====
*'''Only in Death Does Duty End (2 CP):''' If your enemy hits and kills one of your models in melee, that model can get one last swing before going down.

===Strike Force Octavius (Combat Patrol)===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:800px">
One of the first Combat Patrols released for 10E. Pretty much here to showcase the power of this new gameplay format.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Composition:''' 1 Captain Octavius, 1 Terminator Librarian, 5 Terminators, 5 Infernus
*'''Captain Octavius:''' Pretty much a barebones Terminator Captain equipped with a power weapon and storm bolter. However, he loses access to the free stratagem each turn.

<u>'''Enhancements'''</u>

<u>'''Secondary Objectives'''</u>
*''Wrath of the Emperor:'' Your default Secondary is pretty basic. Just have your captain kill models and you get 2 VP.
*''Shock Tactics:'' A bit risky, as it requires you to claim any objectives that your enemy owned at the start of the turn. It's a worthwhile win though, as you get 5 VP for getting at least one.

<u>'''Stratagems'''</u>
*'''Veteran Instincts (1 CP):''' During the fight phase, you can pick one Terminator squad that hadn't yet fought and lets them re-roll a 1 to wound or re-roll any wounds against {{W40kKeyword|Vehicles}} or {{W40kKeyword|monsters}}.
</div>
</div>

==Equipment==

==Unit Analysis==

===Characters===
*'''Captain:''' Attaching a Captain to a squad lets them re-roll their charge rolls.
**'''Terminator Captain:''' Takes the same Primaris buff seen on other Termies for T5. Alongside the charge re-rolls, this captain can also give you the option to use one strat for free on any unit, including one you already used for another strat. If you're looking for additional durability, you can buy a Relic Shield, which only provides an extra wound this time rather than improving your saves beyond the stock 2+/4++.
***While the Storm Bolter remains the same as ever, Combi-Weapons have been tragically mothballed into a singular tool, giving you an additional attack at BS3+ with ''Anti-Infantry 4+'', ''Devastating Wounds'', and ''Rapid Fire 1''. Gone are the days of using a suicide captain to tote a combi-melta to pop a tank, gone are the days of a combi-flamer giving you budget crowd control for a terminator sergeant.
***Melee weapons have similarly seen a mass downsizing, as all power weapons got axed, and the Relic Blade got relegated to just being a fancier power weapon at S5 AP-2 D2. The power fist and chainfist remain effective options while the Thunder Hammer got a bit of a bump by gaining ''Devastating Wounds'' and the Twin Lightning Claws (presumably the single one just became a power weapon) gained ''Twin-Linked'' to make it more of a threat.

*'''Librarian:'''
**'''Terminator Librarian:''' Get all the bonuses that Terminator armour provides, making them tougher to remove. Very good front-line addition to any Marine unit as they have good Melee power and can make all ‘Attacks’ gain the Sustained hits 1 rule; not limited to Range attacks, and will apply to their psychic attacks as well- could make things like Melta-weapons better overall; the rule for sustained hits doesn’t say that the Attack sequence ends with the extra hits like it does with other rules, so (depending on how you read it) if you roll another 6 on the extra attack, that also provides an extra attack- it keeps going as long as you keep rolling 6’s; this could potentially turn a strong melee unit into an absolute monster. Has a Psychic Hood that gives Feel No Pain 4+ against Psychic attacks; this should also apply to wounds inflicted by failing a focussed Witch Fire test, as the wound would be inflicted by an attack with the Psychic rule, and the FNP4+ rule also affects Mortal wounds coursed by Psychic attacks; this applies to the entire unit. Overall, by far the best psychic in the game so far.

*'''Lieutenant:''' Attaching a Lieutenant to a squad gives its weapons ''Lethal Hits'' and the ability to shoot and charge after falling back.
**'''Phobos Lieutenant:'''

*'''Apothecary Biologis:'''

====Epic Heroes====
*'''Roboute Guilliman:''' The Avenging Son has received an extra wound and can come back from the dead on a 3+ (with 6 wounds) the first time he's defeated. While he can't join units, he gains Lone Operative any time he's within 3" of any Space Marines infantry units to compensate. (Sadly, he still can't take transports because he's not {{W40kKeyword|infantry}}.) His shooting is roughly the same since while the Hand of Dominion is only Rapid Fire 2 now, it compensates with AP-2. In melee, he's as dangerous as ever, with the Emperor's Sword granting 14 S8 AP-3 D2 attacks with ''Devastating Wounds'' and the Hand of Dominion granting 7 S14 AP-4 D4 attacks with ''Lethal Hits''. Finally, Adept of the Codex lets him choose one of three buffs at the start of the Command Phase, which will last until the next Command Phase:
**'''Primarch of the XIIIth:''' Friendly Space Marine units within 6" gain +1 to OC and can re-roll Leadership and Battle-Shock tests.
**'''Master of Battle:''' After picking the target for Oath of Moment, select a second enemy unit. If the first target dies, your army receives the re-roll bonuses that Oath of Moment provides against the second target.
**'''Supreme Strategist:''' A friendly Space Marine unit within 12" can be targeted with a Stratagem for free, even if the Stratagem you're targeting it with has already been used that Command Phase.

===Battleline===
*'''Infernus Squad:''' Primaris all equipped with S5 flamers. They also get the ability ''Purge the Foe'', causing one {{W40kKeyword|infantry}} unit that got flamed to make a Battle-Shock test. Got the specialized role of clearing out GEQ units and forcing Battle-Shocks. Still, they're no faster than any other foot soldier and they've only got a 12" assault weapon, so transport is often recommended.

*'''Intercessor Squad:''' The biggest change to Intercessors is that all three types of Bolt Rifle have been folded into a single weapon; as it has both Assault and Heavy, they can both shoot after advancing and gain +1 to hit if they stay still. Needless to say, this means they're way more flexible than they used to be, even if they still need help against heavier targets.

*'''Sternguard Veterans:'''

===Infantry===
*'''Terminator Squad:''' Got the Primaris buff of T5 and a 4+ invulnerable save. Fortunately, their WS and BS remain fixed at 3+, which surprisingly actually stays where it is on the power fists (Which remain S8 AD2 but lose a bit with AP-2 and one less attack than the power weapons), but are stuck on WS4+ on the Chainfists (which are just power fists but with ''Anti-Vehicle 3+''). The power weapons, however took a step down by just being power swords (no more axes, no more power mauls, just S5 AP-2 for everything). Storm Bolters are pretty much identical as they were, as is the Heavy Flamer and the the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which actually got S9 on its krak missiles). The Assault Cannon took a nerf by losing its AP , but ''Devastating Wounds'' makes critical wounds more effective on monsters while giving a way to still deal some damage to armored targets.
**Fury of the First makes them a lot more reliable now that its been made into a rule instead of a Stratagem. Being able to ignore any penalties to hit helps throw off a lot, but this also lets you add +1 to hit against anyone you target with Oath of Moment.
**The Teleport Homer remains as a means for reliable deep-striking, but now you need to set them up around 3" of the new pack-in beacon. This also requires you to use the Rapid Ingress Stratagem in order to use it, though you're not wasting a CP for it.

===Vehicles===
*'''Ballistus Dreadnought:''' The brand-new Dakkanought, as if the ability to re-roll to hit units at half-strength or higher isn't enough to show. At T10 W12 with a 2+ save, they're capable of taking a stray melta shot but not much beyond that. This dread comes in a classic Hellfire loadout, with one arm getting a S12 AP-3 D1+d6 lascannon that gets a full two shots instead of twin-linking, a missile launcher that can go between firing a decently-sized blast to handle mobs or a high-powered Krak to take care of light vehicles, and the only ''Twin-Linked'' weapon this thing gets, the Twin Storm Bolters.

*'''Venerable Dreadnought:''' The inevitable is coming. The classic Castraferrum dread is being phased out of production and is confirmed to end up in Legends. While the Venerable Dread remains in production for now, it's believed to be only a matter of time before it goes too.

*'''Land Raider:''' Already we see the significant bump in durability as its Toughness got bumped up from 8 to 12 - Incidentally, that's just enough that its lascannons (now bearing the "Godhammer" moniker) can only wound it on a 4+. That tankiness also influences its damage track, as it now only suffers a penalty to BS when it's on its last 5 wounds. Assault Ramps also make a glorious return, granting your squads the ability to charge after disembarking.
**As with last edition, it can easily grab Wulfen and Termies with ease (each model taking two slots) and can even fit Centurions (each taking three slots), but now it can also carry any {{W40kKeyword|Gravis}} units as well (at two slots a model), meaning you can easily use it to cart a pack of Aggressors so they can incinerate the opposition or assist some Heavy Intercessors with capping a point.
**[[Matt Ward|Of course, its unique Godhammer lascannons don't have to deal with the return of Twin-Linked and just get 2 shots base.]]

====Dedicated Transports====
*'''Drop Pod:'''

*'''Rhino:'''

*'''Repulsor:'''

{{Warhammer 40k Tactics}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40000 Tactics (10E)]]

Nippon

2023-05-23T23:19:36Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Old Lore (pre-4th Edition) */

{{whfb-stub}}
'''Nippon''' (日本) is the Japan analogue of the [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] universe. It is an archipelago nation to east of [[Cathay]] (of course). Also, "Nippon" is literally the Japanese word for "Japan", [[Games Workshop| because of course.]]

== Meta-History ==
Nippon appeared all the way up in the 1st edition of WFB, and can be considered one of the oldest created human factions, alongside [[Norsca]] and similarly abandoned [[Albion]], some years before [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|The Empire]] was introduced. It was a prominent faction in the first three editions, although due to the lore being less important in the Oldhammer and the lack of proper rulebooks at the time (no faction ones, all armies are in one book) Nippon never was really fleshed out. And then it was abandoned, and most of the lore was [[Squat|squatted]].

Graeme Davis explains the squatting of Nippon like this:

''The East was never officially opened up by GW. They stuck a toe in the water – after Kagemusha, the Shogun miniseries and the 80s fashion for Japanese characters on T-shirts, there was a lot of interest in feudal Japan among 80s geeks. There was the short-lived Oriental Heroes range, and the Perrys did a few ninja minis, but almost nothing in the way of text. I proposed an Oriental Heroes vs. Hobgoblins battle box (working title: Bakemono’s Revenge) but the battle boxes were dropped after McDeath. What Mark found is the mortal remains of the Tetsubo project. Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson, authors of the “Way of the Tiger” gamebooks, were commissioned to create a Nippon supplement for WFRP1. I was one of the people who looked over the original "manuscripts" when they turned it in, and everyone agreed it didn’t nail the WFRP tone. It was more like an adaptation of FGU’s Bushido to use WFRP1 rules. It languished in a “to be developed” pile for a long time, but nothing happened with it. As time went on it was getting harder and harder to get a green light for a new Enemy Within adventure, let alone opening up a whole new region. Then the fashion for Japanese stuff faded and that was that.''

So, if you're wondering about Fantasy Squats, they're pretty much these guys.

== Old Lore (pre-4th Edition) ==
Nippon is pretty much just a Tokugawa-era Japan with some minor fantasy stuff and only a little bit of somewhat good ideas. They were apparently united as a nation for the first time in 1IC by some guy named Yamayakyuki I who promptly dropped dead a few years later in 12 IC and since then the position of Emperor (known as the Divine Sun) has become mostly ceremonial similar to how the emperor position was in real life Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Nipponese (like other Oriental guys in Oldhammer) worship a Buddha-like deity known as the Orange Simca which was named after one of the Warhammer developers' car. The truly hilarious thing is that Simca isn't even Japanese brand, but a [[Bretonnia|French one]]. Simcaism has a martial version called Vim-to, that is worshipped by crazy, but skilled monks and mages that fight [[Awesome|with bare hands]]. There are also a bunch of [[Tzeentch|Tsien-Tsin]] cults, which is not unusual for [[Eastern Lands]].

The little official info on their land army pretty much shows it as being the same as what real-life Japan had during the latter half of the Shogunate (arquebus wielding ashigeru, peasant foot soldiers, samurai and ninja etc.) plus, rocket artillery, magic sorcerers, magic kung-fu monks and...suicide bombers called Kamikaze. Out of all the possible magical creatures they could of had, for some reason Nippon only got Ki-Rin and Temple Dogs, which were shared with [[Cathay]].

There were almost no named characters in Nippon back then. "The tale of Sanyo Kawasaki" scenario told the story of a Samurai who had a [[Butthurt|butthurt]] over the fact that the government [[Grimdark|let a foreign ship pass near the Nipponese coast (not even landing there) and made no attempts to sink it]]. He gathered an army under the command of his retainers with similarly stupid names ([[Derp|Honda Suzuki, everyone?]]) and marched to the capital, but failed to take it and ritually killed himself [[Derp|by standing on his head in a bowl of cold water]]. Yeah. This was the only Nipponese scenario before the squatting happened, by the way.

[[Genevieve Sandrine du Pointe du Lac Dieudonné]] also apparently went there once. Probably. If she exists. Honestly, this wouldn't be worth mentioning except that we don't know shit about Nippon so it's like 5% of what we know.

== Current lore (post-4th Edition) ==

Nippon is still the same old Tokugawa-era Japan, but less satyral and/or stupid and more... nothing. At least we know that there the [[Skaven]] learned how to be ninjas, right? Nah, not really, other lore states that [[Clan Eshin]] rats learned to be ninjas in ''Cathay''. On a less stereotypical note, [[Ogre Kingdoms|Ogres]] also apparently exist there somehow and are known as Oni, so you could probably convert some Ogre kingdom units in order to help support a homebrew Nippon army.

[[Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay]] 1st Edition (which almost got the Nippon supplement, by the way), states that there are three known characters from Nippon: Lady Katsui Okumoto, wife of the den Euwe merchant clan's leader in [[Marienburg]]; Toko and Masahito, a ninja and a bouncer in a service of [[Kingdoms of Ind|Indan]] merchant. The last one is named after a real-life Japanese prince, it seems.

According to the [[End Times]], they've got the best fleet ever, but they don't do shit with it. It's the best fucking fleet in the world. That's right, not druchii black arks or asur dragonships, ''fucking Yamato-Class Battleships''.

This is literally everything we know about Nippon.

Andy Hall recently confirmed that they aren't planned [[Total War: WARHAMMER|Total War: Warhammer 3]], so yeah, sorry...until the prototype combined map was found in the game files that included Ind, Khuresh...[[RAGE|BUT NO NIPPON]]. Then again, they also said they wouldn’t do Vampire Coast and Andy also said that while the early plans for additional Total Warhammer 3 content is solidly planned out it get looser as it goes and nothing is strictly off the table so anything could happen.

It turns out that Nippon exists in an [https://www.artstation.com/artwork/RngoLE Immortal Empires Cathayan map prototype], and is even mentioned in the notes as a '''Kingdom''' of Nippon, severely downplaying the status of this nation, it seems. Will it also mean that new Nippon can probably use a different Japanese history era? Probably not, but we'll see.

==Nippon's Army Through The Ages==
Rooted firmly in the days of Oldhammer, the Nipponese army appears only in the first three editions of the game, which means it was never particularly fleshed out compared to some of the other armies that similarly emerged from that era.

===1E===
The 1e version of the Nippon force found in ''Forces of Fantasy''' names them as the '''Men of the Orient'''... which is a bit redundant since they'd already called the [[Araby]] forces "Men of the East".

In this edition, they have a fairly small army list; [[Samurai]] in infantry and cavalry forms, Ashiguru as regular troopers, Kamikazes (Samurai with Frenzy), and Vim-to Monks (for the non-British; Vimto is a Coca-Cola-esque soft drink). They can also field Samurai Heroes, Martial Arts Heroes, and Vim-to Mages.

===2E===
In the 2e corebook, Nippon didn't get much lore to shine; most of the "Orientals" portion of the Human ethnic writeup was actually devoted to [[Cathay]], with Nippon just getting a few passing mentions - they have [[samurai]], death-seeking samurai [[berserker]]s called Kamikazes, and warrior-monks who practice a martial art called Vimto, sacred to a god called ''The Orange Simca'' and whose worship was common to both Nippon and [[Cathay]].

Nippon could at least claim superiority in one field; the ''Ravening Hordes'' army book featured a full Nippon army list, but had no such list for [[Cathay]] or [[Araby]]. In this edition, aside from the generic Heroes and Magicians, a Nipponese army could field Samurai, Samurai Cavalry, Regular Cavalry, Mounted Archers, Mounted Crossbowmen, Warrior Monks, Ashigaru, Archers, Crossbowmen, Arquebusiers, Peasants, [[Ninja]]s, Kamikaze Suicide Warriors (who in this edition are guys who run into enemy formations with a keg of [[Gunpowder (Warhammer Fantasy)|gunpowder]] strapped to their back with a burning fuse), Skirmishers, Cannons, Rocket Launchers, Stone Throwers and Bolt Throwers. Also, they could take [[Ogre]]s and [[Giant]]s as mercenaries.

Honestly? Pretty generic, but then, most of the armies in 2e were.

===3E===
The Nippon forces began their slide into obscurity in this edition; in the corebook, they don't even warrant a separate entry as a nation in the basic writeup of the setting, being instead folded into the Cathay writeup - the book promises that "a complete guide to the lands of Nippon is already under development", but it never appeared.

''Warhammer Armies'' saw them downgraded from their own independent fighting force to simply a [[Mercenary]] force. In this edition, [[Dark Elves (Warhammer Fantasy)|Dark Elf]] armies could take a single Samurai Lord commanding a single [[Ninja]], up to 60 [[Samurai]] and up to 60 Ashigaru... why were Dark Elves the only army that could take Nipponese allies? Who knows!

===Warhammer Army Project===
Naturally, the [[Warhammer Army Project]] was quick to seize the opportunity that [[Games Workshop]] abandoned and made their own Warhammer Armies: Nippon army book for their 9th edition project. And it is '''massive''', with one of the ''biggest'' army lists of their project! Seriously, this is on par with their [[Warriors of Chaos]] and [[Skaven]] 9e rewrites for terms of sheer content!

==Links==
* [[Warhammer Army Project/Nippon|Nippon fandex]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-EaoVgSTdw Nippon lore in a video]<s> only barely parodied</s>

{{Regions and areas of the Old World}}
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Ruinstorm Daemons

2023-05-01T04:47:49Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Ætheric Dominions */

This is the current tactics page for the Legio Custodes in HH 2.0. The 1.0 tactics can be found [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Daemons of the Ruinstorm (30k)|here]]

For the generals on how to play the game and the basics on listbuilding (as well as other tactica rules), you may want the General tactics page. You may also find the Horus Heresy general thread as "/HHG/" on [[/tg/]].

==Why play the Ruinstorm Daemons==
Because you already have an army of Daemons from any other GW game and just don't want to paint any more.

'''Pros'''

'''Cons'''
* Shooting is pretty much nonexistent.

==Special Rules==
*'''Ætherial Invulnerability (X+):''' It's an Invulnerable save. You know it, you need it. Sadly doesn't work against force weapons.
*'''Daemon Unit Type:''' Of course, you'll need to work around this. Daemons get Fear(1) and are immune to Fear as well as auto-passing any Pinning checks, which is a bigger deal now. However, daemons cannot opt to fail morale checks and any they do fail suffers d3 wounds rather than falling back.
**The bigger issue is the matter of Degradation. See, during the turns 1 and 2, your forces get +1 to their strength and toughness. On turns 3 and 4, those bonuses go away and on turns 5 and 6, your forces now suffer -1 to their strength and toughness and turn 7 sees those penalties upped to -2. Drawing a game out is actively dangerous for you.

===Ætheric Dominions===
Of course, knowledge of the [[Warp]] and Chaos in general was proscribed to the general public, so nobody really had a clue how they operated. Rather than a singular deity, people presumed that they had [[Hive Mind|certain malign intelligences]] guiding them.

*'''[[Great Horned Rat|Encroaching Ruin]]''': Your daemons get Move Through Cover. Units with only this rule also only suffer 1 wound as a result of failing a morale check.
*'''[[Khorne|Heedless Slaughter]]''': Your daemons must charge any units within 8". In addition, units with only this rule add +1 to their combat resolution and to their sweeping advance checks.
*'''[[Tzeentch|Formless Distortion]]''': During the Fight subphase, your daemons roll d3 and get a random buff to their melee attacks: Lance and Concussive(1) to knock tanks, Reach(1) to top Initiative, or Shred and Sunder to tear down defenses.
*'''[[Nurgle|Putrid Corruption]]''': Your daemons gain the Heavy Subtype. They also gain a special 6+ save they can use against any damage that isn't Instant Death or psychic in nature.
*'''[[Malal|Ravenous Dissolution]]''': Your daemons get +1 to hit Psykers, Independent Characters, other Daemons, and Corrupted units on the first turn of combat. Sadly, all it means is a glorified Hatred.
*'''[[Slaanesh|Rapturous Sensation]]''': Your daemons gain +1" to the distance of any Runs, Charges or reaction moves. Successful charges that aren't disordered also give your forces a +1 to Initiative for the turn, letting them potentially beat out Praetors. Units with only this rule get to re-roll tests for Blind and Concussive weapons.
*'''[[Vashtorr|Malevolent Artifice]]''': Your daemons re-roll any armour saves against attacks where the attack's strength is less than their toughness.
*'''[[Hashut|Infernal Tempest]]''': Your Daemons have Hammer of Wrath(1), with the bonus of any HoW hits gaining Deflagrate for extra fun. They also gain a special weapon, an 8" S8 AP5 Assault 2 gun with Deflagrate that can only be used as a reaction but always hits. While S8 is nifty, AP5 means that any MEQ can easily shrug it off.

==Daemonic Wargear==

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Brute Armaments:''' The basic weapons for your brutes and attendants. AP3 makes it plenty threatening, as does Murderous Strike(5+) and Rending(6+). Two-Handed here doesn't mean much unless the full army list gives alternatives.
*'''Regent Blade:''' The Daemon Regent's sword. A Two-Handed AP2 weapon with Murderous Strike(5+), so it's just as deadly as the brute's weapon.

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===

====Named Characters====

===Elites===

===Troops===

===Fast Attack===

===Heavy Support===

===Lords of War===

==Bound Daemons==
Released as an Exemplary Battles doc, this gives us a bit of a preview of what daemons may end up being. That said, they require someone else

===Special Rules===
*'''Bound Subtype:''' The big selling point here. All Bound Daemons no longer suffer from deterioration, but now require psykers to be on the field to avoid them losing power.
**The big tradeoff is how they're deployed. During initial deployment, One IC psyker must make psychic tests in order to summon each unit of daemons on the field. However, one failure and any remaining squads are thrown into reserves. Afterwards, your IC psykers can make psychic tests in order to summon those daemons from reserves.
*'''Bound Malefica:''' Allows Bound Daemons to count as Ruinstorm Daemons in terms of any rules that require the latter, such as the Esoterist's Breach the Veil power or Erebus' Harbinger of Chaos.

===Warlord Trait===
*'''Malefic Supplicant:''' Pretty much a necessity, as this is the only way you can summon your forces. Fortunately, this is available to both your daemons as well as to any allied traitor warlords. This makes the warlord a psyker, but they don't get the ability to cast anything aside from "Summon Daemons". Your army also gains an extra reaction during the Assault phase.

===Unit Analysis===

====HQ====
*'''Bound Daemon Regent:''' What might well become better known as Daemonic Heralds. They're slightly tougher with T6, 4 wounds and a 4+/4++ save, while WS5 makes them about on par with most basic characters with their AP2 Regent Blade with ''Murderous Strike (5+)'' making them capable of carving through most things.
**If you're worried about survivability, you can also buy Attendants. In fact, that's the only way your Regent can be in a squad since they lack Independent Character or some other way to join squads. That said, these Attendants are just Daemon Brutes with a fancier title.

=====Named Characters=====
*'''[[Samus|Bound Samus, the End and the Death, Daemon Prince of the Primordial Annihilator]]:'''

====Troops/Elites====
*'''Bound Daemon Brutes:''' Oddly both a Troops and Elites choice, meaning you'll need to see a LOT of them. Their weapons are quite effective at S5 AP3 with ''Rending (6+)'' and ''Murderous Strike (5+)'' on top of ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'', and being T5 with a 4+/5++ save and 3 wounds a model makes them more than a little durable for a squad of brutes. Being ''Bulky (3)'' also means that outnumbering them won't be as easy as you think.

====Lords of War====
*'''[[Ka'bandha|Bound Ka'bandha, Daemon General of Signus]]:'''

==Allies==
As Agents of the Warmaster, you're pretty much set in regards to who you want to ally with. If they're traitors, you can go with them.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

====Knights====

==Building your army==

==Army Tactics==

[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]
{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}

Total War Warhammer/Tactics/Chaos Dwarves

2023-05-01T03:31:48Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Why play Chaos Dwarfs? */

This is the general tactics page on how to play [[Chaos Dwarfs]] (that's DWARFS with an FS at the end, ignore the title of the page, the author shall be sacrificed to Hashut) in [[Total War: WARHAMMER]].

==Why play Chaos Dwarfs?==
*Because you like seeing things go BOOM!
*While everyone else is in the Renaissance at best, you will show the world the glory and horror of the Industrial Revolution.
*Because you love the shameless evil of the Dark Elves but don't like the actual ''Elf'' part.
*You love to artillery box and shoot things with giant fuck off guns.
*Because you feel like every single villain should use an exceptional amount of fire.
*You're a fan of clan Skryre and their tactic of dropping high explosives into the ranks of your own slave fodder
*You wanted to play dwarves but you are tired of the classic honorable mining fellows.
*You have a high tolerance for silly hats.
*You're a Victoria 3 player but also want war in your game

===Pros===
*'''Gunpowder''': Your guns are some of the most powerful in the whole game. Expect to win in a straight up shoot out against pretty much any other faction that relies on guns. Combine that with some of the strongest artillery in the game and no enemy will want you shooting for long.
*'''Armor''': At least for the units you actually care about. Even the lowest Chaos Dwarf has strong armor comparable to the Dwarfs when it comes to durability. Of course your Hobgoblins won't be great in this department, but you don't really care about them now do you?
*'''Melee Grind''': What? You thought that just because they are good at shooting they must stink in melee? Nope! Chaos Dwarf infantry is very strong and hard hitting and their monsters are quiet good at turning the enemy into pasta sauce.
*'''Fire''': Not only do you have lots of it but you have lots of units resistant to it. Anything weak to fire is going to burn and anything that uses fire will feel damn near useless against you. You also have plenty of ways to give fire weakness, leading to some cool combos.
*'''Monsters''': You got plenty of them, from K'Daai, Lamassus and Great Tauruses you have plenty of monsters to throw around.
*'''Versatile''': You got a unit for more or less any occasion. Yeah you prefer to shoot but you got strong Infantry, Cavalry, Fliers and magic as well. It's possible to pull out all kinds of tactics, especially compared to your Dawi cousins. The flexibility of the Chorfs on launch puts many other factions to shame. It's almost absurd just how well all different parts of the Chorfs' roster work together. You have plenty of sources of Flammable to complement your plenty of sources of fire damage, your four lores of Fire, Metal, Death and Hashut give you every buff, debuff, and direct damage you need. Enemies charging your frontline? Drop an Ash Storm and give your Blunderbusses Flaming Sword of Ruin and even the strongest units will disintegrate before your eyes. Need to tarpit something? You have plenty of expendable greenskins to hold things in place while your artillery rain death on them. You have a tool for virtually every situation.

===Cons===
*'''Insufficient Mid-Tier Options''': You don't have a lot of options that are strong while also affordable. Your options consist of either very strong but very few Chaos Dwarfs or plentiful but near useless Hobgoblins and Labourers. In game, your army lacks effective mid-tier units that can kick ass while still being an affordable price.
*'''Single Entity Artillery''': Your artillery is fearsome but they're all single-model units. You can actually get into trouble during artillery duels as many other ranged factions can bring units of cannons with four shots to your one.
*'''Short-ranged infantry''': The Chaos Dwarfs always favored blunderbusses over handguns. While dumping a whole unit of shotguns into somebody is going to hurt, longer range units can kite away from you. Your other possible option, goblin archers are... not great if we look to the orcs. Fireglaives have decent range but they are also highly expensive and you have limited recruitment. So if you want to really touch somebody at distance you'll have to rely on your artillery.
*'''Slow''': Chaos-corrupted Dwarfs are still Dwarfs, and you still curse the day the Old Ones gave you stubby legs. Sure you're faster than the Karaz Ankor Dwarfs but that's like saying you're faster than your 4 year old nephew, not something you should be bragging about. Even Bull Centaurs are rather slow for Cav and while Hobgoblin cav is quick, it’s not good for much outside of killing skirmishers and artillery or chasing off routing units.
*'''Cost-inefficient''': The big one: Chaos Dwarfs don't like fighting in armies as there is too few of them to risk their lives consistently compared to their western brethren. As such, the Chorfs have high upkeep for units like chaos dwarf warriors, infernal guard, etc. and will be reliant on slaves, which you will likely only be able to get by fighting and winning battles. Don't expect anything to go cheaply unless it is a slave with low morale or a hobgoblin.
*'''Anti-Large? What's that?''': You don't have super cost effective Anti large options. All your AP missiles cost a pretty penny and anything with Anti Large is in the elite camp, so monsters might actually be a problem for you.

==Faction Traits==
*'''Contempt''': All Chaos Dwarf race units (so excluding Hobgoblins and K'Daai, but including Bull Centaurs) will only suffer morale penalties from watching friendly units rout if they also have the Contempt rule. This means that if your Greenskin or Monster units run away, they aren't going to give a shit, allowing your Dorfs to stay in the fight a bit longer than other units in the same situation.

*'''Malign Authority''': The ability of your Greenskin sla- oh, I'm sorry- LABOURER units. They gain extra leadership when a unit with the Contempt rule is nearby, allowing them to stick around for just long enough to drop another volley onto their faces while they hold the enemy in place.

*'''Backstabbers''': Common to all hobgoblin units, increases both melee and missile damage if above half health.

*'''Fire Resistance''': All Chaos Dwarf race units have some degree of fire resistance, in the 15%-25% range, varying by unit.

*'''Hellbound''': Common to all war machines and artillery besides the Hellcannon, this passive grants Magical Attacks, 20% Physical Resistance, and perfect Vigour for as long as HP is >25%. Oddly enough, can be removed in multiplayer for some extra funds.

*'''Hell-Forged''': Common to the same units as Hellbound, simply allows them to be healed by the Daemonsmith's Reforge ability, which is given even more importance by the buffs gained from keeping Hellbound enabled. Also works on K'daai.

==Lords==
===Legendary Lords===
*'''Astragoth Ironhand''': An ancient, partially petrified Sorcerer-Prophet with machinery grafted to his limbs to move, and de facto the faction leader. Comes with a mix of the Lore of Hashut and the Lore of Fire. Despite being a caster lord, he can hold his own against melee beatsticks like Vlad and Malekith thanks to his high melee stats and his special ability that increases physical resistance at the cost of mobility over the course of a battle. And while he doesn't get a mount, that's not a problem when his mobility suit allows him to run at heavy cavalry speed.

*'''Zhatan the Black''': Your dedicated melee beatstick. He's not the strongest melee lord in the game, but he's well armored and shielded, making him fairly tanky. He's also got decent maneuverability if you take the Lammasu or Great Taurus mount. His most powerful ability is his "Sadistic Snare," a single target net that allows your ranged units to turn that target into mincemeat.

*'''Drazhoath the Ashen''': Lore of Hashut caster lord. Can mount a Taurus, Lammasu, or Bale Taurus.

===Generic Lords===
*'''Sorcerer-Prophet''': Based off of the Legion of Azgorh they can use the Lore of Hashut, Fire, Death, or Metal. Anyone who's seen chorf speculation has heard this a thousand times, but your generic magic lord may have a mechanic to represent the curse of petrification.

*'''Overseer''': Melee lord

==Heroes==
===Legendary Heroes===
'''Gorduz Backstabber''': Hobgoblin melee hero, can buff Hobgoblin units. Can mount a wolf.

===Generic Heroes===
*'''Daemonsmith''': Hashut's own mix between a caster and master engineer. Come with the lore of Hashut, Fire, Metal, or Death, and can heal War Machines.

*'''Infernal Castellan''': Missile Specialist

*'''Bull Centaur Taur'ruk''': Melee specialist pseudo-cavalry with anti-large

==Units==
===Infantry===
*'''[[Chaos_Dwarf_Slaves|Goblin Labourers]]''': the worst of the worst infantry in the game, the only thing they beat is peasant mobs and that should say something, luckily like peasant mobs that a damn cost-effective meatshields, have a chorf unit near them and, well, they still ain’t very good but at least they won’t rout immediately.

*'''[[Chaos_Dwarf_Slaves|Orc Labourers]]''': your other trash unit, orc laborers are only good as cannon fodder for heavily armored factions, otherwise goblins are more cost-effective, there so bad they lose to GOBLINS, the one greenskins use, makes one wonder what the chorfs out their laborers through that make even orcs suck ass at fighting.

*'''[[Hobgoblin Warriors|Hobgoblin Cutthroats]]''': Close but stronger to the Greenskins' Goblins. Also benefit from Malign Authority and Backstabbers. Because of Contempt, you can use them just as disposably as the Labourers. With 140 models, makes for good tarpitting.

*'''[[Sneaky Git|Hobgoblin Sneaky Gits]]''': Stalk, poison precursor ranged attack, poison anti-infantry melee. Has mediocre melee stats and no armor piercing, so use them as a cheap sneaky tarpit like night goblins.

*'''[[Chaos_Dwarf_Warrior|Chaos Dwarf Warriors]]''': Tier 2 heavy infantry, across the board superior than Dwarf Warriors, but used in essentially the same way. Comes with axe & shield, or armour-piercing great weapons, has silver shields which their honorable cousins still don’t have, this has…lead to more than a few popped vains

*'''[[Infernal_Guard|Infernal Guard]]''': Tier 3 heavy infantry, comparable to Longbeards. Come in axe & shield or AP great weapon varieties.

*'''[[Infernal_Guard|Ironsworn]]''': Heaviest infantry available to the Dawi Zharr. Charge defense vs all and broadly similar stats to Dwarf Ironbreakers, magical & flaming attacks.
**'''The Immortals:''' An elite double axe Regiment of Renown which can turn basically any other infantry they face into rump roasts.

===Missiles===
*'''Hobgoblin Archers''': Closely analogous to Greenskin Goblin Archers, but with Flaming Attacks added. Can be surprisingly good if Weakness to Fire is abused (or absolutely useless against Dragons).

*'''Chaos Dwarf Blunderbusses''': THE standout member of the present roster, a frontline of Blunderbusses can on it's own rout many armies, and with charge defense vs large even the stuff that reaches them will have a hard time getting through them. Comparable melee stats to Dwarf Warriors, and their ranged weapon does an ungodly amount of damage to anything that enters it's 90 range. Prepare for the possibility of this unit getting nerfed like Ogre Ironbelchers.

*'''Infernal Guard Fireglaives''': Tier 3 hybrid infantry, with a 145 range repeating rifle. Very capable melee combatants to boot, one of only two Chaos Dwarf units with anti-large. Will lose bad in a 1-to-1 shootout against Blunderbusses.

===Cavalry===
*'''Hobgoblin Wolf Raiders''': Superior Goblin Wolf Riders. Come in spear & shield and bow varieties, and have the unique ability Cowardly Despoilers granting +25% Weapon Strength when attacking a unit from behind or the flank.

*'''Bull Centaur Renders''': A bit like tankier Dragon Ogres. Come in axe & shield, anti-infantry dual axe, and anti-large great weapon varieties, all with armour-piercing. Similar to Blunderbusses, Bull Centaurs with great weapons are absurdly overtuned and will beat practically every other cavalry unit in the game and will likely be hit with the nerf hammer in upcoming patches. They're slow for monstrous cavalry however, and are vulnerable to kiting.

===Monsters===
*'''Great Taurus''': The basic doom cow and your cheapest monster. It has respectable stats, it flies, it causes terror, it gains physical resistance and reflects melee damage the longer it's in combat. Drop it on a backline and watch it go moo.

*'''Lammasu''': An odd flying monster with some tricks up it sleeves. It has Enfeebling Foe and The Withering as bound spells, which can be useful as the only access to Shadow spells in the roster. Compared with the flying cows, it has far less AP damage, lower melee attack and substantially less charge bonus, but higher melee defence and magical attacks. Besides its spells, the unique feature of the Lammasu is it has an aura that nullifies enemy unit's magical attacks. This would be very useful... if the Chorf's roster actually had any units that relied on high physical resistance to survive. Really, the only non-RoR units that rely on physical resistance are the K'daai, which if you're babysitting, it's better to just stick a Daemonsmith on a Lammasu rather than bring one of these by themselves.

*'''K'daai Fireborn''': Daemons summoned from the burning depths so they may then be bound into armour and turned into the Dawi-Zharr's brand of Monstrous Infantry. K'daai have a few attributes that make them tricky to use. They gain physical resistance and damage reflection the longer they're in melee, and they're Unbreakable as long as their health is high but as soon as it dips too low they start taking damage from Daemonic Instability. They have an anti-infantry bonus with most of their damage being AP and can buzzsaw through even elite infantry... so long as their health is up. Once it drops the Fireborn die ''fast''. Since they benefit from a Daemonsmith's Hellforged ability they're one of your few units that can be healed but you have to keep an eye on them or they'll be gone as soon as you blink. They suffer a bit from filling the same role as dual weapon Bull centaurs but being far more fragile.

*'''Bale Taurus''': Exactly the same as the Great Taurus but with better stats and the addition of a flaming breath attack. This steak wants ''you'' well done.

*'''K'daai Destroyer''': The big monster from the trailer and the ultimate work of the Chaos Dwarfs, the K'Daai Destroyer is a massive metal-wrought prison for a raging fire daemon, and it is here to rip and tear through your enemy's frontline. Flaming magical attacks with a whopping 680 weapon strength will pulverise any man-sized thing it gets its claws on, and its animations are designed for it to rip through even the most elite infantry in seconds. On top of being Hell-Forged allowing your Daemonsmiths to repair it, it's a Bound Fire Daemon like the Fireborn, it has Blazing Body, and its unique Hellish Frenzy buffs its damage, charge bonus and melee attack while it's above 75% health, although it also has Daemonic Instability which means once that Unbreakable wears off it can die quickly. If you want a giant monster to throw at your enemy, look no further than the K'daai Destroyer. Just keep it away from anti-large monsters.

===Artillery & War Machines===
*'''[[Magma_Cannon_(Warhammer_Fantasy)|Magma Cannon]]''': Single unit anti-infantry fire artillery with a range of 450. Upon hitting something, its projectile makes a fire field on the ground that continuously damages and stuns anything in it, which breaks up a unit's formation on the advance. If the enemy is coming towards you in a big blob, target the front ranks of the blob, the other guys will walk into the fire patch.

*'''[[Iron_Daemon_War_Engine|Iron Daemon]]''': Fat single unit, powerful collision attacks and two fat blunderbuss cannons. This and the Skullcracker's primary melee attacks are anti-infantry steam cannons mounted on all sides of the chassis, so this thing can do a lot of damage whether it's sending rounds into the enemy's flanks or rolling straight through it. It's melee attack/defense are mediocre, so it won't perform optimally if you order it into an infantry blob and forget about it. See also: Dreadquake Mortar.

*'''[[Hellcannon|Hellcannon]]''': The classic artillery piece using the souls of the damned as homing ammunition. Not much to be said, just the WoC unit returned to their fellow countrydwarfs. Lacks the unique traits of the faction's other machines, and is the only crewed unit on the roster.

*'''[[Iron_Daemon_War_Engine|Skullcracker]]''': The dedicated melee counterpart of the Iron Daemon that for some reason has the exact same stats as the Iron Daemon minus the guns. Despite this, it costs more than the Iron Daemon. Lords do have redline skills that improve the Skullcracker's melee stats, but this just isn't a thing in multiplayer battles. Probably needs some stat adjustments to differentiate it from its ranged brother.

*'''[[Deathshrieker_Rocket_Launcher|Death Shrieker Rocket Launcher]]''': A much killier version of the Empire's Helstorm and Cathay's Fire Rain. 420 range, can fire both anti-infantry airburst rockets and anti-large direct detonation rockets (Two direct hits of the latter will break Queen Bess). Important to note that the anti-large rocket will only ever hit a single entity - shooting it at anything that isn't a single or very low model count unit is hugely inefficient. This is the most specialised of the Chorf's artillery, it loses out in the anti-infantry department to all other options available and the single-fire rocket is lacking in accuracy. It does have an extremely high firing arc that lets it ignore most terrain in between itself and its target.

*'''[[Dreadquake_Mortar|Dreadquake Mortar]]''': CHUNKY 380 range mortar. Single hit will cut a lot of unit's model count in half, but the slow speed of the projectile can make it a little situational. The damage number doesn't count the AoE earth tremor effect that persists for a few seconds after the shot lands. While highly inaccurate, a direct hit will decimate all but the most heavily armoured units and it will stop anything in its tracks with its -60% speed debuff. Be careful though, as the Dreadquake doesn't discriminate, and a poorly aimed shot will decimate your frontline as quickly as it'll decimate the enemy's. But that's what your greenskin units are for, ay? Can be taken by itself, or can be pulled into battle by an Iron Daemon or a Skullcracker, for all your war train needs - benefited further by it's 360° firing.

==Tactics==
===Multiplayer Strategies===

==Campaign Advice==
===Mechanics===
Chaos Dwarfs have a large number of mechanics at their disposal, more than pretty much any other faction in the entire good. The good news from a comprehension stand point is that a lot of them are from other factions, so if you are familiar with how those factions work than you can implement the same thing into the Chorfs. As for what is unique to them however, it may seem very complicated at first but honestly once you start playing you catch on pretty quick.

Firstly, Chorfs are focused around economic development, and have three different building chains that produce three different types of incomes outside of normal gold. There are '''Outposts''' that produce ''Raw Resources''', '''Factories''' that consume Raw Resources to produce '''Armaments''', and '''Towers''', Regional capitals that produce '''Conclave Influence'''. Outposts and Factories both have building chains that produce the Raw Resources and Armaments, where as Towers produce Conclave Influence naturally.

Your Raw Resources consume '''Labour''' to produce from your '''Labour Economy'''. Labour are your totally fairly treated, well paid and not at all enslaved workforce that are gained from winning battles, raiding, use of your '''Military Convoy''' system (basically Cathayan Caravans, where you sell Gold or Armaments in exchange for Gold, Raw Resources or Labour, countering battles and new chances for units as your convoy travels the map) or from random events. Once you have two provinces you can manage your Labour with a tab that allows you to see where your Labor is, move Labourers around to other parts of your empire, and stop Larbourers from going to provinces you don't need them anymore. It's important to make sure your Provinces all have the Labour they need because if they don't your Outposts won't produce the Raw Resources you need as efficiently. You can also sacrifice Labourers in order to gain money, control, Conclave Influence or instantly construct buildings.

Raw Resources are extremely important in the early game as you need them to upgrade your towers, certain buildings and produce Armaments. Armaments are used for '''The Hell-Forge''' mechanic to help you get decent armies. Any unit in your army that isn't a Hobgoblin or Labourer is restricted by unit caps, and you can spend Armaments in the Armoury in order to raise said cap. You can also spend Armaments in the Manufactory in order to upgrade your higher end units, though this will cost you Armaments up front and an upkeep of them per turn. You can also trade them with the Convoy system, which will get you better more resources than with pure gold. Finally, Conclave Influence is used in the '''Tower of Zharr''' system, wher you can secure seats in the tower and steal seats from other Chaos Dwarfs for buffs and bonuses, all the way up to confederating the other Chaos Dwarf factions. Influence can also be used to upgrade towers to higher tiers when you conquer a city.

I know, I know, big scary wall of text, so let's break it down.

'''Treasury''': Normal gold earned from income buildings, used to upgrade Outposts, recruit and maintain units. Can be traded in Convoys

'''Labour''': Totally not Slaves got from battles, raids and Convoys used to make Raw Resources, instantly construct building or sacrificed for buffs

'''Raw Resources''': Made from Outposts' Strip Mine buildings. Consumes Larbour. Used to upgrade Towers, Factories and certain buildings and produce Armaments

'''Armaments''': Made from Factory's Gunsmith buildings. Consumes Raw Resources. Used for upgrading units or selling on the Convoy

'''Conclave Influence''': Got from Settlement Buildings, certain buildings and events. Used to upgrade conquered towers and secure seats in the Tower of Zharr.

Looks very complicated at first but you catch on fairly quick. If you play Victoria 3 you might be laughing at someone calling this system complex but by Total War standards it's a fun and in depth evil economy simulator.

{{Chaos Dwarfs-Forces}}
[[Category:Total Warhammer]] {{Total War Warhammer Tactics}}

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Imperialis Militia

2023-05-01T03:20:59Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* HQ */

==Why Play Imperial Militia==

*'''Pros'''
**Insane customisation. This list covers nearly everything from Squats, Mutants, Mech Guard stand-ins, Death World Cavalry, WW1 artillery armies, and pretty much whatever else you can imagine, often in combination. Want Ogryns as Troops? You can have them in cyborgs, mutant, alchem, or bestial varieties. The same applies to pretty much every other unit type.
**CHEAP! The cheapest unit comes in at 2 points per model, even the vehicles come in at a discounted price compared to other armies. You can be quite certain that you will always have the numerical advantage.
**Lots of variety in ranged weapons, with many of the standard options being rather good, or in some ways useful. In particular, you have access to ''Pinning'' and/or ''Concussive'' weapons for multiple units in every slot. With so many guns you are likely to be able to force at least one check every turn.
**There are more choices for melee armies this edition. But even with the new melee options, the dangers of melee combat are seriously dire for you.
**None of your vehicles confer any victory points for their destruction. With the right Provenances it is possible to spam disposable Leman Russes, Rhinos, and/or Land Raiders. Added with the extra irony of your Superheavies not being worth anything to your opponent.

*'''Cons'''
**Low Leadership everywhere. Which gets even worse when you factor in the inherent rules of the Militia subtype. Meaning that when you break, you break hard and often.
**Your "Third Line" vehicles are more easily penetrated, and don't have especially good options either. Generally coming as lesser versions of existing vehicles.
**Almost a total lack of Skyfire options means that if your opponent takes lots of flyers you are going to be completely outclassed. Your only source of Skyfire suffers from the above problem of being a third-line version of a flyer that is better in other armies.
**You have no Dreadnaughts, and your options of dealing with them are limited. Even tarpitting is less valuable of an option now.
**New Necromunda and IG models shoehorned in made some of the older ones invalid, unless your friends allow you to proxy Cargo-8 Hauler with an Aurox.

==Warlord Traits==

*'''Ruthless Tyrant:''' The warlord gains a special form of ''Fear(1)'' that lets them affect friend and foe alike. If a friendly unit falls back while affected by this Fear, you can sacrifice d6 models/a model in a Monstrous unit to keep them in place. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
*'''Merchant Princeling:''' All of the warlord's weapons are now Master-Crafted and must deploy attached to a Militia unit. Their retinue gains the Heavy subtype and can re-roll 1s to hit but now your warlord can never leave this retinue. Make sure that this squad won't ever run away. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
**Curiously, there's no idea how this can possibly be used in a Command Squad.
*'''Beloved of the People:''' If the warlord dies, the entire army gets a big sad-on with a +1 to WS and S as well as ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' until the '''end''' of the owners '''next''' player turn. Potentially giving two turns of awesomeness. Normally it grants and additional reaction in the Shooting phase, but losing your warlord also lets you take an additional reaction in the Assault phase instead.
*'''Marcher Lord:''' Gains ''Battle-Hardened(1)''. In a <u>pure</u> Imperialis Militia army, this also makes that the entire army immune to ''Fear''. Keeping your warlord alive also lets you auto-pass your first pinning check each turn as well as an additional reaction in the Shooting phase.
*'''Connoisseur of Alien Curios:''' Once per turn you can have the warlord roll a D6 to activate a special randomized result: '''1:''' self-destruction, coupled with a nuclear blast that automatically hits ''every'' unit, friend or foe within 12" for D6+1 S8 AP4 hits. '''2-3''': a single unit within 12" chosen by the warlord suffers D6+1 automatic hits at S8 AP4 with the ''Deflagrate'' rule. '''4-5:''' ''Rage(2)'' and ''Furious Charge(2)'' for the warlord and his squad for the rest of the game turn, or '''6:''' permanent ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' with future rolls of 6 boosting Strength and Toughness to a maximum of six. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.
*'''Robber Baron:''' The warlord's unit gains +1 Strength on a turn where they charged. Instead of Sweeping Advances, you can roll a d6 and on a 4+ the unit scores you d3 VP. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.

==Special Rules==

*'''Militia Subtype:''' All of your units have this, and it's not good. Units that are below half their starting number of models that begin to fall back, will never be able to regroup. They just keep going back until they leave the table.
**A unit that is falling back that is charged by the enemy is simply removed, without any further leadership test being taken, regardless of the remaining number of models.
**A unit locked in close combat, that is charged by ''another'' unit, has to test morale or will immediately begin falling back as it it had lost combat. Also being subjected to sweeping advance.
*'''Mechanised Subtype:''' A bit of an oddball mix of Infantry and Dreadnought. All Poisoned(X) and Fleshbane attacks must re-roll to wound, as do any Armourbane(X) attacks. Like a dread, it can fire Heavy and Ordnance weapons after moving and can charge after shooting. They can also be affected by Haywire, Battlesmith, and Detonation like one.
*'''Third-Line Subtype:''' Given to most of your tanks, and it's not good either. Any glancing hits are now considered pens, which is terrible. Your only consolation is that losing these tanks don't give your enemy VPs.

===Provenances of War===
This is where the modelling opportunities for this army come from. Your Force Commander can purchase up to two Provenances of War that applies their effects on any model in the detachment with the ''Militia'' subtype that is also not ''Mechanised''.

They can all massively impact the rest of the army and can radically change the army build and the options you can take. Some Provenances lock you out of certain things or are mutually exclusive with one another, but some also allow units to buy their own unique options.

*'''Warrior Elite:''' All eligible units gain +1 Ld ''(to a maximum of Ld9)'' while Levy squads gain the ''Support Squad'' rule. Grenadiers on the other hand lose the ''Support Squad'' rule. This provenance is effective for a number of reasons. In that it gives you easier access to better ''Line'' troops, and also grants the whole army a MUCH needed morale booster. You are best served by taking as many Discipline Masters as you can to capitalise on that. Alternatively, this is a great way to improve morale for allied detachments of Militia, who can't take Discipline Masters due to the limit on a single HQ slot.
**Grenadiers also benefit from several other Provenances, so this is always an easy go-to combination option if you want good Grenadiers without having to pay troop taxes on other units first.
*'''Legacy of the Great Crusade:''' Grenadiers, Command Cadres, and Discipline Masters gain BS4. While a Force Commander gains Initiative 5. Depending on what your other Provenance is, your milage may vary. It obviously works well with Warrior Elite or the Armoury of the Dark Age. But if you go heavy on other Troop types, there are better options.
*'''Clanfolk Levy:''' Cavalry Squads can be taken as Compulsory Troops, where they gain +1 Ld. But cannot otherwise be taken as non-compulsory troops. Instead, you get four extra Fast Attack slots for Cavalry squads.
**This doesn't give any squad the ''Line'' subtype, despite being Troops. So you'll still need something else to claim those objectives.
*'''Gene Crafted:''' A bit of a wildcard Provenance. If this is chosen, then after deployment, but before the first turn, roll a D6 for every Infantry and Cavalry unit.
***On a 1 the unit starts the game pinned, while units embarked on vehicles immediately disembark and are still pinned. Sucks to be them. Units in reserve suffer no ill consequence.
***On a 2-5, the unit gains their choice of the ''Fleet (2), Move through Cover'' or ''Night Vision'' special rules.
***On a 6, the unit either gains ALL of the special rules from a result of 2-5, or the choice of ''Relentless, Stubborn '' or ''Adamantium Will (6+)''.
**There isn't a whole lot you can base an army around with this Provenance. The common 2-5 results don't radically change what the army does. While ''Relentless'' on a 6 might be very useful with Heavy weapon units, you cannot reliably expect to get it every time.
**That said, you can at least rely on most of your army gaining access to broadly useful buffs. ''Night Vision'' can help mitigate the Militia's already weak morale for missions with Night Fighting, as well as improving early game shooting. ''Fleet (2)'' can be very helpful for melee and/or cavalry-focused armies. Just under no circumstances take ''Adamantium Will''.
*'''Cyber Augmetics:''' All eligible units gain ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' and ''Slow and Purposeful''. You also treat the Mechanicum faction as Sworn Brothers. Slow and Purposeful is probably the more significant rule here. Heavy weapons attached to regular squads can now shoot at full effectiveness, while all those Fire Support squads and Field Guns can now move and fire.
**This Provenance cannot be combined with Gene Crafted.
**Surprisingly good for pairing with Armoury of the Old Night, given it completely negates the Lasrifle's Heavy type.
**This Provenance also opens up some powerful pairings with Mechanicum thanks to ''Sworn Brothers''. Magos Draykavac can provide a much better version of the ''Ruthless Tyrant'' warlord trait to mitigate Militia's perennial morale issues, while the ''Opus Viscera'' ability for the Lacryaemarta Order now allows your ''Battlesmith'' units to "repair" Ogryns!
*'''Alchem-Jackers:''' Units do not suffer negative penalties to Leadership in the Assault phase. If a unit fails a morale check in the shooting phase and still have over half their models, they are pinned instead of falling back. This is useful because it can turn an instance of losing combat from a guaranteed break to simply a normal chance of breaking. While being pinned manages to negate some of the disadvantages of the Militia subtype, potentially saving the unit if they get charged by the squad that just shot at them. This makes those Discipline Masters even more valuable for the Ld boost and morale reroll.
**'''Frenzon:''' units can buy ''Furious Charge (1)'' for 25 points. As most of your units are behind their opponents in terms of WS, Strength, and Toughness, this merely closes the gap for one assault phase.
**You can capitalise on this with Feral Warriors for added Weapon Skill and Chain Axes for even more strength and accuracy for that charge. Though the costs add up quickly, remember even a baseline human with WS 4, ''Furious Charge'' and Chainaxe (with sidearm) will be getting 3 attacks on the charge at S5 with ''Shred''. Yes they'll still be I3, but if you take Shotguns on another unit (or give them to Grenadier Squads), with luck you'll be hitting on 3s (and be hit on 5s) and be wounding on 3s (with re-rolls). That means your buck standard 20 man Infantry Squad just killed almost '''12 marines''' (not accounting for the 2-3 casualties you'll take when they strike first)...and it only costs you 155 points for that squad. Throw them at the similarly costed 10 man Tactical Squad with bolters and watch your shitty mortals [[What|beat Marines in CQC]].
**Remember that Cavalry unit units and Monstrous units (Ogryns) cannot be pinned, so this provenance renders those types virtually immune to morale in the shooting phase at least until they drop below half models.
*'''Survivors of a Dark Age:''' Suffered a big change from last edition, though justifiably given how overpowered it was. Now the only thing it does is grant Grenadier squads and Command Cadres the ability to select Rhinos, Termite Assault Drills, and Proteus Land Raider Carriers as dedicated transports. Considering that the army doesn't have any dedicated transport options any more, the provenance could be worth it on that point alone. However, those vehicles gain the ''Third-Line'' subtype and drop their BS to 3, while not recieving any kind of discount for the downgrades. Still, it allows for mass deployment of Land Raiders that even some Astartes armies cannot afford thanks to the lower taxes that need to be spent on mortal units.
**'''Void Jumpers:''' For an extra 20 points, your Recon squads using this Provenance can be given Jump Packs, granting them a 12" move range that ignores terrain. They also swap their weapons with two laspistols or two autopistols. While the added mobility is nice, especially on ''Light'' infantry that can already infiltrate; they remain fragile guardsmen, and that weapon swap puts them perilously close to literally everything that can take them out.
**Easy access to Land Raiders as dedicated transports is a solid alternative to taking ''Industrial Stronghold'' if you want an armour-focused list. AV14 all-around is still a tough nut to crack even with ''Third-Line'', and the Militia list otherwise lacks platforms for lascannons that can stand up to concentrated firepower. Since you can still Charge after jumping out of Land Raiders, this is also a good option for melee-oriented lists needing a way to deliver chainaxe-wielding Grenadiers right into your opponent's face.
**''Third-line'' Rhinos will explode in a stiff breeze, but they're a cheap and perhaps more importantly ''small'' transport option compared to the Cargo-8s in the Fast Attack slot. They can also mount weapons like Multi-Meltas to provide some firepower that can catch an opponent off-guard, but be aware that this almost doubles the Rhino's price.
*'''Armoury of the Old Night:''' Holy crap, this one is good. Firstly, all eligible models may replace their Lasgun with a Lasrifle for free. This limits mobility somewhat, but can extends the range of the S3 shots to 30", or grants them a S6 alternate firing mode. Suddenly, ''every'' soldier in the army becomes a threat to nearly everything for no additional cost.
**'''Relic Arms:''' for an additional cost of 30 points per unit. Grenadier squads and Command Cadres may replace their Lasguns with Assault Needlers or Volkite Chargers, or Laspistols with Volkite Serpenta or a Needle Pistols. May also swap Sniper Rifles with Needle Vulnus, and may swap Heavy Stubbers with Volkite Culverins or Needle Cannons. These options effectively give you one over on nearly every opponent. With Warrior Elite you can have a whole army that wounds most enemies on 3+. ''Pinning'' on Needle weapons is an added bonus.
***Though the other available options are mostly solid, the Assault Needler is likely the best infantry weapon in the entire Militia list. It not only outshoots the Lascarbine at 18" thanks to its extra shot at Assault 3, but Poison 3+ means your Grenadiers are suddenly a serious threat to just about anything with ''Wounds'' in either the Legion or Mechanicum army lists. Even Contemptors, which get a re-roll against ''Poisoned'' and have a 2+ Armour Save, will start getting nervous facing 20-man Grenadier squads with Assault Needlers, especially if paired with ''Legacy of the Great Crusade'' for BS4.
**'''Heirlooms of Past Glory:''' Force Commanders using this Provenance can replace a Power Sword with a Paragon Blade for 10 points. They may also replace a laspistol with an Archeotech pistol for 10 points. While a Paragon Blade is nice, you still have to pay for the Power Sword first, and that becomes a lot of points to spend on a squishy character with WS4. Even with Archeotech pistols being good, Force Commanders already have access to the widest range of pistols in the Blast, Needle and Flame variety, so really have to decide if it is worth it.
*'''Feral Warriors:''' All eligible units gain +1 WS when charging, but must declare charges if able to do so. This is essentially an auto-include if you want to run a melee-focused Militia list, as it means your mortal troops are now hitting (and being hit) by models with standard space marine statlines on a 4+, rather than the ''considerably'' worse 5+ to hit, and 3+ to being hit for bog standard WS3 Militia.
**'''Chainaxes:''' any model with a close combat weapon ''(practically everyone)'' can buy a Chainaxe for 2pts per model, or replace a chainsword for 1pt. This can get expensive quickly (at least relative to usual Militia costs), as chainaxes cost the same 2pts as the potential Levy wielding it! However, the boost to killing power for either weapon option can be huge, and very much worthwhile for any unit that you expect to deal damage in melee, rather than just being bullet/charge sponges.
**Like with other faction abilities tied to successful charges, this Provenances ''demands'' a lot of attention to detail in both army composition and movement. Being forced to charge means you should never leave infantry sitting within 9-12" of an enemy, as it leaves them exposed to a forced (and likely failed) charge that opens them up to Overwatch, or even worse an enemy charge the next turn that completely negates your +1 WS bonus. Ensure your units can follow up with easy charges on any turn that you enter the 12" 'danger zone,' and it is worthwhile investing either in units with innately good movement (like Cavalry), or to take Provenances that help with Movement indirectly, such as ''Gene-crafted'' for the ''Fleet(2)'' option or ''Survivors of the Dark Age'' for Land Raiders.
*'''Kinfolk Helots:''' Literally Squats this time around. The whole army gains +1 Toughness but drops their movement and initiative by -1. Every Character, so all squad sergeants and attached advisors gain ''Battlesmith (6+)'' with Independent Characters instead gaining ''Battlesmith (5+)''.
**May not be taken with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. They're Squats, not [[Halflings]].
*'''Abhuman Muster:''' All units gain +1 strength, but -1 BS. They also all gain ''Bulky (2)'' if they didn't already have a different version of Bulky. All models also gain ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'' with Independent Characters and Monstrous units instead gaining ''Hammer of Wrath (2)'', though Ogryns already have [[Fail|HoW (2)]]...
**This may not be combined with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. But the bonus still applies to Ogryns that you might take anyway.
*'''Debased Rabble:''' ''(Traitors only)'' All units gain ''Crusader'' and ''Hatred (Everything)'', but they must declare a charge when able to do so.
**Grenadier squads may not be taken at all. And may not be combined with Survivors of the Dark Age Provenance.
*'''Tainted Flesh:''' ''(Traitors only)'' Eligible units gain ''Fear (1)'' and ''Furious Charge (1)''. However, all compulsory Troops must be Militia Levy squads, and the detachment may not include more other Infantry-type units than it already has Levy squads. In addition, the only permitted HQ choices are Force Commanders and Rogue Psykers
**May not be taken with Survivors of a Dark Age, Gene Crafted, Ogryn Conscripts, or Alchem-Jackers Provenances
*'''Ogryn Conscripts:''' Ogryn Brute squads can be taken as Troops choices, with those taken as Compulsory Troops gaining the ''Line'' subtype. In addition, Discipline Masters, Militia Medicare and Force Commanders can join Ogryn Brutes, ignoring the usual restrictions.
*'''Industrial Stronghold:''' Leman Russes can now be taken as Squadrons of up to six tanks, rather than being one per slot. You also gain two more Heavy Support slots solely for Leman Russes.
**May not be taken with Unending Hordes, Debased Rabble, Tainted Flesh, or Ogryn Conscripts Provenances
*'''Unending Hordes:''' Militia Infantry and Militia Levy that are destroyed can be returned to reserves on a D6 roll of 4+. They retain their wargear options, though any attached advisors are lost. Grenadier squads become Elite choices when using this Provenance.

===Wargear===
====Ranged Weapons====
This army has staggering variety of less than staggering guns, allowing you precise control over the balance and type of your firepower to affordability.

*'''Lasgun / Autorifle:''' functionally the same weapon, 24" S3 AP- Rapid Fire. Nearly every unit has this as standard. However most units can replace them with better options.
*'''Lascarbine:''' 18" S3 AP6 Assault 2 lasguns. So you trade some maximum range for more shots at the mid range, and the freedom to charge after.
*'''Stubcarbine''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 3. Even shorter range, but beats out the Lasgun at Rapid Fire distances. If you anticipate being this close then it is the clear winner. Though you are certain to be counter attacked and chewed up from being this close.
*'''Shotgun:''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 2, but with ''Concussive (1)''. They can potentially reduce the WS of their target unit by one if they fail a leadership save. Obviously everyone has better WS than Militia, so if you can actually get this to work, it can make a fight against a non-elite melee opponent slightly more manageable, if not winnable. But everyone also have better Ld than Militia, so it is unlikely to really come into play a lot. If you actually intend to get into combat with some units, then it may be worth taking. Otherwise a Stubcarbine is strictly better at the same range.
**On the flip side, while a single unit cannot force multiple Concussive tests...multiple units CAN. So if you're taking Shotguns, go all in. A squad of Grenadiers might only have a 25% chance to make Marines fail a LD test...but if they're backed up by an Infantry Squad who also shot the Marines then you now have a 50% chance. Not to mention Ogryn's can take Thunderstubs with Concussive, so you can back them up with this same tactic.

*'''Laspistol:''' 12" S3 AP- pistol that everyone knows. Better than nothing.
*'''Autopistol:''' 9" S3 AP- Pistol 2. Any unit that has access to a Laspistol generally may take an Autopistol instead if they choose to. The 3" loss in range will barely matter in most instances, particularly if either party intends to get into assault, as either player will try to close to a comfortable distance to make sure that charge distance roll actually succeeds. So the Autopistol is usually the better choice for attackers and units performing overwatch reactions.
*'''Blast Pistol:''' Available to several kinds of Squad Leader, as well as Discipline Masters. 9" range with S6 AP4, Pistol 2. Superior to Autopistols in nearly every aspect and are a reliable threat against everything up to light vehicles, they usually come in cheap at 5 points for the upgrade which is definitely worth the price.
*'''Bolt Pistol:''' Most models with access to Blast Pistols have access to Bolt pistols for the same cost. Unless you think you need the extra 3" range, then the extra shot and strength will always be the better choice.
*'''Plasma Pistol:''' getting more expensive. 12" S7 AP4 with ''Breaching (4+)'' and ''Gets Hot''. One of the best pistols that a character can be given as it can reliably kill the typical models that the rest of the squad will also be shooting at, but if the weapon explodes it is unlikely that the model carrying it will survive. But the model carrying it was unlikely to survive very long from being within 12" of the enemy in any case.

=====Armoury of the Old Night=====
These relic options may only be taken by certain characters or when using the right Provenance. So shall be listed separately to save confusion with more standard gear

*'''Lasrifle:''' the superior Lasgun, which becomes a free upgrade with the right Provenance. It is always a Heavy weapon, so it drops the mobility of the unit quite a lot. However the range of the S3 volley increases to 30" which is more than double that if the rapid fire range of the standard Lasgun. It also gains a Blast Charger mode, giving it 18" range, S6 AP4. Imagine having a whole army with S6 weapons for free? While the range is short and marines still get their saves, in bulk this weapon can easily threaten everything they fire at. Even T6 Primarchs should be wary about charging into a massed unit of these.

*'''Needle Pistol:'''
*'''Assault Needler:'''
*'''Needle Cannon:'''
*'''Needle Vulnus:'''

*'''Volkite Serpenta:'''
*'''Volkite Charger:'''
*'''Volkite Culverin:'''

====Melee Weapons====

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Force Commander:''' You need one of these in your detachment in order to use Provenances, and all other HQ choices have the ''Support Squad'' rule, so you need one anyway. Thankfully Provenances are free this edition, so that's less of a worry. This guy has lots of good options, so he can easily be customized out the way you want him to be, and also has some of the best pistol choices in the army. The problem is that he is WS/BS4 I3, so cannot really compete in an environment that includes Space Marines, Custodians, and Primarchs. So unless you can match up some Provenances to gear that makes him marginally impressive, sometimes it's better to just go cheap and focus your attention on your flavourful squads instead.
**A Charnabal Saber is actually a good melee weapon for him, with S3 he only tends to wound on 5+ anyway. This weapon then makes all of those wounds AP2 with ''Breaching (5+)'', and with ''Duelists Edge (1)'' it can even the playing field somewhat against regular warriors in challenges.
**With Legacy of the Great Crusade his Initiative jumps from 3 to 5, which suddenly puts him ahead of most basic units in other armies, giving him a fighting chance against random sergeants who might think he is easy pickings.
**With Armoury of the Old Night, he can buy a Paragon Blade and/or an Archeotech pistol. These become added expenses that probably don't justify their points on a model that won't really utilise it properly.

*'''Discipline Master Cadre:'''The Imperial Army's version of Commissars, Discipline Masters are cheap, flexible, and indispensible thanks to their special rules boosting the Militia army list's mediocre (but very important!) Morale. Starting at 20pts, with the option to include up to ''11'' more in the same "squad." They have a wide variety of upgrades available, and their survivability can be cheaply and substantially increased with carapace armour and refractor fields. At WS4, they can hold their own in melee, though power weapons are relatively pricey at +10pts apiece. Their ranged options are less costly, but really you're getting Discipline Masters for their two ''very'' important special rules, rather than upgrades. Those special rules are:
**''Instil Order'': When a squad with an attached Discipline Master fails a Morale check, the check can be re-rolled at the cost of D3 wounds inflicted on the squad with no AP. This is a small price to pay, given that Falling Back for units with the ''Militia'' sub-type is often a death sentence. This massively boosts a unit's ability to stay in the fight, as a re-roll for the Discipline Master's own Ld8 means you're giving Space Marines a run for their money in sheer grit.
***Note that these Wounds can't be applied to other attached Characters or the Discipline Master himself. The average lasman is not encouraged by their Discipline Master whipping himself, sadly.
**''Among the Ranks'': Discipline Masters are individually assigned to units with the ''Infantry'' Type and ''Militia'' Sub-type before Deployment, though this can be extended to Cavalry by an upgrade and Ogryns through a Provenance. Discipline Masters gain the special rules of units they're attached to, so Fire Support and Field Gun squads will keep their ''Heavy'' bonus even with a Discipline Master making sure they don't abandon the guns.

*'''Imperial Militia Command Cadre:'''

*'''Rogue Psyker''' ''(Traitors only)'' The Rogue Psyker is equal parts good and bad at the same time. If you want to take Daemons in the detachment, then you'll need at least one of these to be able to summon them to the battlefield with the ''Breach the Veil'' power. While their offensive psychic powers are either the safe-but-basic ''Aetheric Lightning'' that only risk Perils of the Warp if they want to double the strength of the attack to S6, or the bullet spamming ''Void Darts'' that risks Perils every time they use it. However, with the Rogue Psyker's terrible BS2 he is unlikely to hit much with either power. They can also purchase Force Weapons for a not-insignificant 10 points, but with WS2 they are not likely to ever hit anything either. So looks like the best use of them is to get those Daemons onto the table.
**They do have ''Fear (1)'' as an inherent special rule, so can drop enemy Ld values within 12" by one with their mere presence. This allows for useful combinations with other weapons that have ''Concussive'' or ''Pinning'' to get better use out of those weapons, depending on what squad you attach the Rogue Psyker to.
**If you don't attach the Rogue Psyker to a different squad, he is more than capable of bringing his own. He can buy up to nine Wardens at five points each, and they are quietly better than nearly every other squad in the army. They all have Ld7 as standard, and each warden has a pistol and close combat weapon as well as two attacks basic. They also can each buy a Blast Pistol for the bargain basement cost of 2 points, giving a whole squad of guys who can throw out two S6 pistol shots each. Admittedly this is not a range you want the Rogue Psyker to be within, but it does mean that his squad has a surprising amount of punch.

*'''Expeditionary Navigator''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Made available to all factions as part of the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list. Currently this is the only way for loyalists to get a "psyker" in the detachment, and for 50 points you aren't getting much, a fragile conscript model with a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to interfere with enemy Deep Strike within 12".
**He only gets one power: the Lidless Stare, which is S2 using the flame template and has ''Pinning''. It also has ''Force'' if you want to risk the models only wound to double the strength to the overwhelmingly massive score of four.

*'''Davinite Lodge Priest''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Like the Navigator, the Davinite Priest is available thanks to the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list, this time a Traitor exclusive. A one wound model with a statline that is comparable to everything else in this army list, their only psychic power: "Ritual Healing" is able to restore a single wound to a single model, which is seemingly not very helpful to an Imperialis Militia detachment, as any model that takes a wound is liable to be dead outright...
**...until, of course, you remember you can take Ogryns. If you're building some form of Deathstar out of them, the Lodge Priest becomes significantly more useful.

===Troops===
*'''Militia Infantry Squad:''' The core Troops choice. For 80 points you get twenty models with a variable loadout depending on your taste, and they are one of your only sources of ''Line'' for claiming objectives. With ''Strength in Numbers'' you may also take up to three squads per Troops slot. Which means you can get your objective claiming needs sorted out while leaving yourself plenty of other slots for spamming the better support units.
**Lasguns/Autorifles have the traditional balance of range vs number of shots, and can outrange all of the other standard weapons, which can be good for keeping the enemy out of charge range. Furthermore, these weapons can purchase bayonets to give the squad +1 strength in melee. Not quite a winner, but certainly provides the squad a bit more utility.
**Shotguns have ''Concussive'' so are potentially able to reduce the enemy WS by -1 for a turn. At that range it can be a lifesaver when you inevitably get counter charged, as most common opponents could be reduced to equal weapon skill. Not entirely reliable as a lot of units are going to pass the test, or simply not care. But if you are going melee focussed for your army, this could be the better choice.
**Lascarbines/Stubcarbines reduce the working range of Lasgun in order to gain more shots. Remember at these ranges, the squad is likely to be taken out by a volley or two of bolter fire. Stubcarbines are then probably the better choice, as twenty models can throw out sixty shots at 12", giving the best chance of reducing the enemy numbers before that inevitable counter volley/charge.
**Taking pistols and melee weapons means committing the squad to melee, for an army that really doesn't like it. You should really only choose this if you're building the entire army around a melee build (like Feral Warrior/Alchem-Jackers).
**One model can also choose to take a special weapon from the standard list. The choice should match the weapon the rest of the squad takes. So longer ranged weapons like Heavy Stubbers and Sniper Rifles will do better alongside lasguns. While Flamers work better with Carbines because of the similar ranges. Meltaguns are probably not worth it because the rest of the squad are unlikely to harm whatever the Melta forces them to shoot at. While Grenade Launchers are a happy medium that work against everything the other 19 squad members have a reasonable chance of hurting.
**Weirdly, while you might expect the Flamer to be the best option for a melee squad...it's actually the Grenade Launcher because the Frag profile has ''Pinning''. Marines have a 75% chance to pass the leadership test if hit with it, but even a 25% chance of not taking any reaction fire is going to help a lot.

*'''Militia Levy Squad:''' 20-50 conscripts at 2 points per model with a Lasgun, autogun, or a pistol and melee weapon. You can't really get cheaper than that. And with ''Strength in Numbers'' you can take up to three squads per slot, so you can really bulk up on the model count if you want to cover an impressive amount of ground. Like last edition, they are still expendable, so do not confer any victory points for their destruction.
**Changes to the basic rules mean that there is considerable risk to taking them though. The Expendable rule also means that if they ever fail a morale check, they just get removed entirely, so the downsides of Militia subtype just get overwritten with worse outcomes. This makes it hard, if not impossible to use them as a tarpit unit. They do not have ''Line'' so can never score objectives, and with changes to Weapon Skill rules, they are less likely to hit anything in melee, while being more easily hit back. It seems their purpose now is to truly be an expendable unit to throw at the enemy as a distraction while you do more important things with other units.

*'''Militia Grenadier Squad:''' Your other ''Line'' choice, but this one has the ''Support Squad'' rule, so cannot be taken as a Compulsory unit unless you also selected Warrior Elite. These guys are the Stormtrooper analogues, and all come with 4+ saves and +1 Leadership when compared to regular troopers. They have all the same weapon selections as regular Militia Infantry squads, so the same advice applies here. With the possible exception of remembering that with 4+ saves they are more likely to survive up close against bolter fire, therefore Carbines can be confidently recommended.
**Grenadiers are subject to far more changes from Provenances than any other unit, so their roles can change wildly depending on the Force Commander. In Warrior Elite armies they become the Primary objective takers, Legacy of the Great Crusade armies make them more accurate, Survivors of the Dark Age turns them into Mechanised Mobile troops, while in Armoury of the Old Night armies they gain incredible firepower that can put other armies basic units to shame. In Debased Cults and Unending Horde armies they become less common, or unavailable altogether.
**Note that they get both their long arms alongside a pistol and basic close combat weapon. This is important for some Provenances, for example with Feral Warriors they can take the god combo (at least for this army) of Chainaxe ''and'' Shotgun.

*'''Fire Support Squad:''' Your heavy weapon squads, just like with Imperial Guard, but as Troops choices with no platoon tax. Unfortunately as ''Support Squads'' they cannot be Compulsory choices. They come in units of 3-10 teams and have the full range of Guard crew-served heavy weapons usually for 10pts each, plus some extras like multi-lasers and the stock heavy stubbers. These units have good potential, but even with 2 wounds per "team," their inherent squishiness and the punishing ''Emplaced'' rule mean they should be kept as far back as possible and usually in numbers less than the full 10 available per squad.
**Like with the Field Gun Battery, the Fire Support Squad is subject to the ''Emplaced'' rule. This prohibits their Reaction choices to Return Fire, Overwatch, or Interceptor, which admittedly are the only ones you'd want to use anyway. It also means that if they ever have to fall back for '''any reason''', they abandon their weapons and are removed from the game. Even more so than other units in this list, invest in Discipline Masters or other ways to boost Leadership.
***'''Heavy Stubber''': The stock option. It'll murder another Militia player's Levy Squads, but its niche of "high volume, low damage" is better done by other options here. At the very least Heavy Stubbers look cool.
***'''Mortar''': Its ability to avoid danger thanks to the ''Barrage'' rule is somewhat mitigated by only having 36" range. However, it's the cheapest upgrade available at only 5pts, wounds Space Marine statlines on a 4+, and can be a plentiful source of ''Pinning''.
***'''Heavy Bolter''': The premier choice for mulching other mortals thanks to AP4. Against Space Marines, the 36" range means this squad is usually close to the fighting, so try your best to keep them in cover so their meagre 5+ armour isn't blasted apart by basic bolters.
***'''Multi-laser''': A better choice against Space Marines thanks to its S6, it still suffers from only 36" range.
***'''Missile-Launcher''': A versatile option, but sadly lacking Flakk Missiles.
***'''Autocannon''': At the same price as Heavy Bolters/Multi-Lasers but blessed with 48" range and ''Rending'', Autocannons are the better choice against anything but total chaff units.
***'''Lascannon''': The priciest at +15pts, Lascannons are as good as ever. However, be mindful of the Fire Support Squad's BS3, and that the perceived threat of Lascannons mean this unit will likely draw much more fire against a squishy and now-expensive target.

*'''Reconnaissance Squad:''' Your "elite" troops choice. Coming with shotguns as standard, yhey all have ''Scout, Infiltrate'' and ''Moves Through Cover'' as well as having the '' Light'' subtype, giving them more mobility if they decide to Run and Gun. However, 50 points for five GEQ models is an awful lot to ask, and those sniper rifles come in at 10 points per model meaning this squad can easily become fragile pointsinks that have to work hard to justify their cost. Even so they are still one of the cheapest Troop choices in the game. Just have a plan for them.
**It's worth remembering that Sniper Rifles and Long Las weapons are two very separate weapons in this list. Sniper Rifles are more appropriate for taking out high value officers with their 72" range and ''Rending (5+)'' rule. While the Long Las is more effective at taking out light vehicles with S6 and ''Sunder''. This means that Infiltrating into a good position at the start of the game can be crucial depending on the chosen target, such as getting a good angle on weaker rear vehicle armour.

===Dedicated Transports===

===Elites===
*'''Ogryn Brute Squad:''' 3-10 Ogryns with big sticks and flak armour, with a squad upgrade option to take Carapace armour for a set cost. They don't get a squad leader unless their unit size is five or more. Each model can take a single wargear choice for five points, and mixing is allowed. Generally speaking, Thunderstubs or Ripper Guns would be the best choice. As the former grants an extra attack in close combat, while the latter has a sufficient rate of fire that it overcomes the Ogryns appalling BS2. Thunderstubs are very cool, but are so short ranged that you may never get a chance to use them.
**Never take a second basic CQC weapon on them, because due to the usual FW proofreading [[Fail|it costs as much as a Thunderstub which gives you +1 attack '''and''' a short ranged Concussive (1) shot]].
**You can mix and match the weapons options, so consider throwing one or two boarding shields into a unit with Ripper Guns or Thunderstubs to tank those AP5+ (or AP4+) shots.
**An Ogryn Boss has a separate list of wargear to choose from, but can still select an item from the standard Ogryn gear. So it is possible, and probably recommended, to pair up a better close combat weapon such as a Power Axe or Thunder Hammer alongside a Boarding Shield to make an effective challenger.
**They still have the Militia subtype, so have to be wary about failing morale checks and losing models, and unfortunately they cannot have attached advisors unless you expressly use the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. Thankfully they have the ''Stubborn'' rule, so unlike the rest of the army, they can have the most reliable morale, despite having the same scores as everyone else. So if you want some modicum of longevity, then best to stack up on models and go for the Boss to get the Ld boost.
**Ogryns do well in combination with several other Provenances, so look for best ways to help them out. Feral Warriors for instance let's them swap those basic close combat weapons for Chain Axes, giving them S6 and ''Shred'', without actually taking up one of their weapon upgrade choices. While Warrior Elite adds that valuable +1 Ld to a squad that cannot normally gain Ld boosts from anywhere else.
**While a lot of Provenances say that they cannot be combined with Ogryn Conscripts. That doesn't actually stop you from taking Ogryn squads and gaining the benefit anyway. So you can get Ogryn Brutes in [[Squat|Kinsfolk]] armies and have Toughness 6 and ''Battlesmith (6+)'' on their Boss. Or setting their base Strength to 6 when using Abhuman Muster.
**As usual, Ogryns are the diamond in the rough of the baseline human list. With Feral Warriors and Alchem-Jackers, you can get a 220 point (read: similar cost to a 20 man Despoiler Squad) unit of five WS5 Absolute Units with Chainaxes and Thunderstubs. This gives you a total of 30 attacks at S7 with ''Shred''. Assuming you used a second unit with Shotguns and/or your Thunderstubs to dump ''Concussive'' on your <s>victim</s> target unit, you will not care about the fact you're striking second because you're hitting on 3s and those Marines are now hitting on 5s...and you're also wounding on wounding on 2s (with a re-roll). Yes, Marines will get their saves, but that doesn't help them much when they've just been hit with an average of 20 wounds (plus another 8 from HoW). Ironically this is less wounds than an Infantry Squad can shit out for less points, but Ogryns are more durable and can take Carapace Armour for another 25 points.
**If you want to, you can also add a Boss with a Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield to the above for another 70 points. Do this if you want someone to challenge Marine Sergeants or even no-name Centurions and '''Praetors''', because apparently the Emperor's genetic engineering loses out to several millennia of life in an environment where "natural selection" meant "tard strength". Or to translate, he'll be dumping six S12, AP2, Brutal (2) attacks at WS5, enough to squash '''three''' Sergeants or Centurions or even almost '''''two fucking Praetors'''''. And most importantly, even when that Praetor (who costs at least twice as much as the Ogryn Boss) hits back with his own Thunder Hammer, he'll only take off about 1 wound, because [[What|your fat retard has Strength 12 so will ID the Praetor's T4, but the Praetor has Strength 8 so won't ID your fat retard's T5]]. This means it's not just the no-name Praetors that Joe Ogryn can beat, even named Praetors who don't have Eternal Warrior or a weapon with the ID special rule (or Murderous Strike and a good number of attacks) will likely fall to this beast. Anyone else starting to think Emps may have failed to see the real evolution of humanity?

*'''Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment:''' 3-12 field medics that you can disperse to other infantry squads in your army to grant them ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' that cannot be combined with any other version of the rule, nor can multiple medics be stacked on the same unit. Given his fragile your infantry are, any addition to their survivability is usually a welcome one. But a 6+ save is unlikely to reliably affect any outcomes.
**Medics inherit the rules/subtypes of whatever unit they get attached to, so bear this in mind. So yes, that Provenance that lets you attach them to Ogryns also means you [[What|get Ogryn medics]]. Maybe kitbash them from Ogre Kingdoms Butchers?

*'''Field Gun Artillery Battery:''' A Rapier analogue with two key differences, the first being that the gun crew and weapon all count as a single model (effectively making them an even bigger version of the Fire Support squad), and the second being that these are ''Emplaced'' guns which lack the Rapier's ''Relentless'' mobility. The ''Emplaced'' rule means the unit is also instantly destroyed if it has to Fallback, but having ''Heavy'', 3 wounds, and very cheap carapace armour means they're rather tough by Militia standards. In terms of weapons they have three choices - one of which is the clear winner, and the other two having niche uses that can be helpful if you lack the points or FOC slots for alternatives:
**The basic '''Thunderblast Cannon''' is a safe but unremarkable bet. It is a S7 AP4 Blast (3) weapon with ''Barrage'' and ''Pinning''. Its 72" range means it can be kept far from trouble, but having only a 3" Blast template and S7 means its damage output is minimal. Use this if you want long-range guns in an Elites slot, and you've already used your Heavy Support slots for tanks, or bigger guns that do the Thunderblast's job better.
**The '''Heavy Lascannon''' is pretty much a normal Lascannon with S10. It is inferior in stopping power to a Laser Destroyer but has better range. The unfortunate downside is the added cost of effectively 60 points per gun, which adds up in bulk. You otherwise could have had regular Lascannons in Fire Support squads for 35 points per gun, which usually does the job just as well.
**The '''Kalliope Mortar''' is the standout star of the Field Gun options. It's analogous in many respects to the Rapier Quad Mortar, having the same strength and AP, and both use the Large Blast template. The Quad Mortar has longer range and ''Shred'', but the Kalliope has a trick up its sleeve in the fact that it causes ''Pinning'' with ''Shell Shock (1)'' meaning that it can reliably shut down enemy squads. It doesn't cost any extra either, so it allows for peppering quite large areas when taken in multiples per unit, and ends up being cheaper than multiple Rapiers for potentially a better outcome.
***It can't be overemphasized how important the 5" Large Blast is for the Kalliope relative to the Thunderblast. Outside of edge cases needing very long range or higher Strength for bullying a vehicle's top armour, the Kalliope will deliver much better results with S5, Large Blast, and ''Shell Shock(1)''.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Cavalry Squad:''' At last! Rough Riders are a part of the Imperial Militia. You get a proper fast moving unit that has a surprising amount of punch. They all have a pistol and close combat weapon as standard, but can choose an additional weapon on top of that. Shotguns, Lascarbines, and Stubcarbines are all perfectly viable options, though the unit gets access to the unique Militia Lance, giving them S7 AP3, with ''Brutal (2)'' and ''Sudden Strike (2)'', meaning when they charge they now hit at Initiative 5 and have a respectable chance of killing any MEQ in a single hit before they get struck back. ''Ungainly'' means they only ever get one attack with this weapon, and only ever when charging. So it pays to match up units that use it with accuracy boosting Provenances like Feral Warriors or Debased Rabble.
**They can also take Carapace armour for a single cost, giving them much needed survivability if you intend to get them close enough for melee combat.
**Feral Warriors also allows them to swap their basic combat weapon with a Chainaxe, which makes a perfectly serviceable back-up weapon if you can't use, or don't take, the Lances.
**Remember that they are still Militia, so if you use them as a melee unit, they are still likely going to break and be destroyed very easily when the opponent strikes them back. Luckily Discipline Masters can be added to them if they buy their own mounts.
**Much like Grenadiers, they take their long arm (or Lance) separately to their pistol and close combat weapon. Overall meaning in some builds you can just treat them as faster Grenadiers.
*'''Cargo-8 Hauler Squadron:''' Channel your fiercest Gorkamorka energies and mount no less than 22 models in the back of a hulking and very fragile freight truck. At a measly 50 points to start, with +40pts for two more Haulers in a squadron, these are priced to move. Not that they'll move especially quickly with 10" of Movement, or safely with only 12AV on the front (still better than a Rhino). You can upgrade to an Armoured Container for +10pts to get 12AV all-around and the option to buy two extra Heavy Stubbers, but any effect on survivability this will have is negligble, and it comes at a steep cost of cutting the transport capacity down to just 12 models.
**The best use for Cargo-8s is to keep them cheap and keep them moving. Dozer Blades are just +5pts and will save your platoon the embarassment of having 22 men footslogging because the Cargo-8 hit a rock. They ''will'' die the moment any halfway serious anti-vehicle firepower comes there way, so make the most of that 10" move to get your transported infantry where they need to be.
**Interestingly, the Cargo-8 can be used to transport up to four Sentinels if it doesn't have an Armoured Container.
*'''Arvus Lighter:''' It's a flying transport for 40 points. It has no weapons to speak of, and can't even be jury-rigged like last edition.l, effectively turning it into a rather expensive drop pod. With that in mind, there aren't really many ways to get Deep Strike in this list without taking Survivors of a Dark Age, so if you want to vary your deployment this is it. Because of its capacity of 12 it can only really transport Grenadiers, Recon squads and HQ units.
*'''Sentinel Squadron:''' The chickenwalkers are back, and GW has even released a much chunkier refresh of the old model. They're perhaps a touch overpriced at 60pts per Sentinel (with no discount for additional walkers), but they at least come with fairly solid statline and the benefits of the ''Mechanized'' Unit Type. They're the only unit in the army to come with a native 3+ Armour Save, and when paired with T6 and W3, they can shrug off small-arms almost entirely and even handle things like Autocannons or Volkite Culverins to some extent. Being ''Mechanized'', they can also fire their solid weapons options on the move, which is especially helpful if you take advantage of their ''Scout'' rule to Outflank and hit enemy vehicles in the sides or rear.
**The Multi-Laser comes stock, and can be swapped at no cost with either a Heavy Flamer or Autocannon. These are all solid anti-infantry options, though the Heavy Flamer is risky due to needing close range, and the Sentinel lacks any sort of melee weapon upgrade.
**The Missile Launcher is the first "paid" upgrade at a very reasonable +5pts for Frag & Krak Missiles. The Lascannon and Multi-Melta both come at a pricier +15pts, but definitely benefit from being mounted to a fairly quick and durable platform, especially when it comes to getting close enough to take advantage of the Melta's ''Armourbane'' at half-range.
*'''Thunderbolt Fighter:''' Compared to the Astartes version, it gets a 50 point discount for effectively the same skeleton of a unit. 120 points is a more reasonable cost for your only serviceable flyer. However you are BS3 and have the ''Third Line'' rule in exchange for that discount. GW also didn't fix the inherent problem of having more guns than you can fire.
*'''Beastmasters:''' Quite frankly a very bad unit for a number of reasons, you get three militia for 50 points, '''before''' factoring in what animals you want to add to the unit. You also need one Handler for each creature that gets added in, so you have to buy more of the crappy dudes in order to get more Beasts. Unfortunately the militia and beasts have mutually exclusive subtypes, special rules, and profiles: With the exception of the Caiman, all Beasts are faster than their human handlers and are therefore stuck at the slowest speeds. Most Beasts have ''Light'' which '''would''' allow them to get +1 Initiative when running but are prevented from doing so [[Fail|as long as any humans remain in the unit.]] Furthermore, any Provenances taken by the Force Commander will not apply to Beasts because they lack the Militia subtype which would make them eligible, but the Beasts will still suffer from the drawbacks inherent to ''Militia'' subtype as long as the unit contains any models with the rule, therefore they are liable to being removed from play under certain situations while they are stuck with their Handlers. Best case scenario? Kill off the Handlers as soon as possible and let the animals run wild!
**Mastiffs, Felidae, and Raptors all have ''Fleet (1)'', but as above, are unable to use the rule while any models without the rule remain in the unit.
**Mastiffs have ''Furious Charge (1)'', which allows them to strike at S5 on the charge.
**Felinids have ''Rage (1)'' to get four (2+1+1) attacks on the charge. They also have the highest initiative, but because they are only S3 their odds of hurting anything is quite slim.
**Raptors have ''Shrouded (4+)'' so they get an actually good damage mitigation save against shooting. They don't have an armour value at all, but it's fairly irrelevant when the other animals have 5+/6+ saves which are ignored by simple Bolters. Raptors also have three attacks base, so have equivalent or better damage output to Felidae, just at a lower initiative.
**Caiman have S5/T5, two wounds, and ''Feel No Pain (5+)'', so they are clearly the hardest hitters of the bunch and are the hardest to kill under regular circumstances. They also have the slowest speed and aren't ''Light'' so they lose the least while still being attached to their Handlers.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Rapier Battery:''' Your mobile artillery unit. Regardless of the weapon you choose, they always have ''Relentless'' so they can move and shoot. They start with Gravis Multi-lasers, but you can swap them for Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Quad Launchers. Of these, the Laser Destroyers have the most useful niche, as AP1 and two twin-linked Ordinance shots outperform both the Lascannon and Heavy Lascannon in a comparable role without even factoring in ''Exoshock (6+)''. The other choices aren't bad by any means, but other options exist to do their job for cheaper and in less high-demand FOC slots.
**Unlike most of the other artillery units, this one doesn't suffer from any variant rule where they abandon their guns if they fall back. They are still ''Militia'' so morale is a worry, but at least this gives you a second chance if there are enough models in the unit.

*'''Heavy Ordnance Battery:''' Earthshaker guns that have the longest range out of the entire armoury. Able to strike pretty much anywhere on the table, Earthshakers are very likely to wound their targets with S9 and ''Shred'', and at 75 points for the initial cannon, and 65 for each additional one, they are very reasonably priced. They are Immobile though, and the Ld7 crew have a special rule where if they fall back the guns are simply lost, this makes them really fragile, which probably accounts for the cost. They can buy up to twenty crewmen for only 2 points per model, so arguably should be stocked up as much as possible to avoid those 25% shooting morale checks.

*'''Imperial Militia Leman Russ:''' Leman Russes, everyone's favourite, chosen from the Vanilla, Annihilator, Exterminator, Demolisher and Vanquisher flavours. Of these options, only the Vanilla option with the Battlecannon is truly ''bad'' in every sense of the word. However, the Vanquisher is good. Really good. Good to the extent that it outperforms every other variant through sheer versatility, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. The other options can work well, and you shouldn't feel guilty about using your preferred options in an army very much leaning towards creativity over competitiveness, but you really just can't go wrong with the Vanquisher for anything but killing chaff (and why aren't you using the rest of your army to do that?).
**Note that unless you take the ''Industrial Stronghold'' Provenance, Leman Russes are purchased individually. With that Provenance, you can take Russes in squadrons of ''6'', which is equal parts insane and hilarious.
**For whatever reason, Militia Russes can no longer take sponson weapons. As for the hull-weapon, the Heavy Bolter and Heavy Flamer options are unremarkable, while the Lascannon costs a frankly scandalous +20pts for a single shot at BS3. Purchase it with clenched teeth, because it at least means "Weapon Destroyed" damage results won't automatically nuke your turret weapon.

*'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' One highly customisable vehicle, for 185 points, which is a significant reduction when compared to the 245pt Legion and 225pt Solar Auxilia versions of the same tank. You get a lot of guns on a ''Reinforced'' chassis, and every weapon on the tank can be swapped out for something else. However this variant comes with ''Third Line'' and doesn't get the Independent Fire Control of other versions so you may actually be better served by keeping the left and right sponson weapons as Bolters, Multi-lasers, or Flamers as they are Defensive weapons that can still fire at the nearest target independently of the main turret(s) in front.
**The Vanquisher cannon may not be the best idea, despite its awesomeness. With BS3 you can only hit half the time, otherwise you might be better with 125 points of a Leman Russ, that gets a coaxial weapon to give more accuracy.
**Malcadors are actually the one of the fastest units in the army list with a movement speed of 14.
**The tank also has the ''Support Squad'' rule, which in most cases is meaningless, since Heavy Support slots are not usually compulsory unless you are playing some unique mission variant.

*'''Gorgon Heavy Transporter:'''
**[[Derp|GW forgot that Open Topped isn't a thing anymore, so because it isn't an Assault Vehicle that big ramp is meaningless]].

===Lord of War===

*'''[[Baneblade|Militia Baneblade]]:''' - This edition it comes with the ''Third Line'' drawbacks, but it's still a Superheavy Vehicle it is less bothered by penetrating hits, so the downside is mitigated somewhat. Though outclassed by the Legion Fellblade, the Baneblade is still a nasty proposition to face and since it's only 400 points, this is the only reasonably priced Baneblade available to any army. Sporting a Baneblade cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon and a twin-linked heavy bolter. With the option of two Lascannons and two more twin-linked heavy bolters/flamers ''(the sponsons don't come as standard here)'' optional pintle mounts, AND optional Hunter-killer missile, it is a rolling fortress of death, and it is your only Lord of War choice, so you are going to want one.

===Fortifications===

==Allies==
The Militia is a bit of an oddball in terms of alliances. While considered part of the Imperial Army, taking the Kinfolk Helots, Abhuman Muster or Ogryn Conscripts provenances immediately dump your friendship with the legions and Solar Auxilia forces to Distrusted Allies.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

===Solar Auxilia===

===Legio Custodes & Sisters of Silence===
One word: Don't.

The Custodes treat the Militia as by the Emperor's Command, so you can't do anything for them aside from being a disposable meatwall.

The Sisters of Silence can't do anything for the Militia just by the simple virtue of the Anathema sub-type. Considering how shit your Leadership is, this won't ever end well for you.

===Ruinstorm Daemons / Bound Daemons===
Daemons are available both both as Allies and an in-detachment option depending on whether you have taken Rogue Psykers or not. They are always Sworn Brothers as Agents of the Warmaster, but are prohibited from joining each others units because of the limitation built into the ''Daemon'' subtype.

Whether you take them as Ruinstorm Daemons or as Bound versions, you get access to dedicated melee units that your own army is unlikely be able to match. Daemon Regents and Brutes are superior in melee to naked Ogryns and they are able to fill glaring gaps in your army list and be customised on a per-unit basis thanks to ''Aetheric Dominions'' rather than depend on a all-unit Provenance granted by the commander.

==Tactics==

==Building your Army==

USE YOUR DAMN IMAGINATION! Want an army of Felinids? Abhuman Helots and Gene-Crafted. Only Renegades & Heretics have more customization. This army is about as customizable as they are but, they're less diverse both in the base units available and being restricted by the biggest source of customization being army wide. The units can take a startling rainbow of standard weapons, but like a rainbow, many of the options are almost the same. Its entirely possible (albeit better for friendly counts as games) to proxy a fantasy army, such as the Empire or possibly Skaven. Look at the stuff available on GW's website. Empire, Elf, Guard, Skaven, (some) Skitarii, even ORKS (with some converting) can work! Since many tournaments ban forgeworld anyway, look to other model sites if it suits your fancy. All of it works, all of its totally fluff friendly. WoC? Feral worlders. Infinity stuff? Technological advanced enclave. A WW2 model range? You get the idea. If you ever wanted to make an army thats truly "you", a one of a kind masterpiece, et cetera, this is for you. You may not exactly win, but you sure as hell wont be forgotten. Hell, make your army a bunch of chicks with swag armour and do a proto-sisters of battle army. Then piss people off and give them gene-crafted for Sister Marines, alchem-jackers with frenzon for RED RAGE sisters, or cyber sex gals.
If you're using Survivors of the Dark Age and decent armor, why not make an army of [[Adeptus_Arbites|Arbites]]? Survivors of the Dark Age and Abhuman Helots work for an army of Squats. Any combination of Tainted Flesh, Abhuman Helots, Feral Warriors and
Cult Horde could give you an army of [[Beastmen]]. Want something vaguely Calibanite? Warrior Elite and SotDA works well to that end.

{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Imperialis Militia

2023-04-29T14:53:29Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Elites */

==Why Play Imperial Militia==

*'''Pros'''
**Insane customisation. This list covers nearly everything from Squats, Mutants, Mech Guard stand-ins, Death World Cavalry, WW1 artillery armies, and pretty much whatever else you can imagine, often in combination. Want Ogryns as Troops? You can have them in cyborgs, mutant, alchem, or bestial varieties. The same applies to pretty much every other unit type.
**CHEAP! The cheapest unit comes in at 2 points per model, even the vehicles come in at a discounted price compared to other armies. You can be quite certain that you will always have the numerical advantage.
**Lots of variety in weapons, with many of the standard options being rather good, or in some ways useful.
**There are more choices for melee armies this edition. But even with the new melee options, the dangers of melee combat are seriously dire for you.
**None of your vehicles confer any victory points for their destruction. With the right Provenances it is possible to spam disposable Leman Russes, Rhinos, and/or Land Raiders. Added with the extra irony of your Superheavies not being worth anything to your opponent.

*'''Cons'''
**Low Leadership everywhere. Which gets even worse when you factor in the inherent rules of the Militia subtype. Meaning that when you break, you break hard and often.
**Your "Third Line" vehicles are more easily penetrated, and don't have especially good options either. Generally coming as lesser versions of existing vehicles.
**Almost a total lack of Skyfire options means that if your opponent takes lots of flyers you are going to be completely outclassed. Your only source of Skyfire suffers from the above problem of being a third-line version of a flyer that is better in other armies.
**You have no Dreadnaughts, and your options of dealing with them are limited. Even tarpitting is less valuable of an option now.
**New Necromunda and IG models shoehorned in made some of the older ones invalid, unless your friends allow you to proxy Cargo-8 Hauler with an Aurox.

==Warlord Traits==

*'''Ruthless Tyrant:''' The warlord gains a special form of ''Fear(1)'' that lets them affect friend and foe alike. If a friendly unit falls back while affected by this Fear, you can sacrifice d6 models/a model in a Monstrous unit to keep them in place. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
*'''Merchant Princeling:''' All of the warlord's weapons are now Master-Crafted and must deploy attached to a Militia unit. Their retinue gains the Heavy subtype and can re-roll 1s to hit but now your warlord can never leave this retinue. Make sure that this squad won't ever run away. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
**Curiously, there's no idea how this can possibly be used in a Command Squad.
*'''Beloved of the People:''' If the warlord dies, the entire army gets a big sad-on with a +1 to WS and S as well as ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' until the '''end''' of the owners '''next''' player turn. Potentially giving two turns of awesomeness. Normally it grants and additional reaction in the Shooting phase, but losing your warlord also lets you take an additional reaction in the Assault phase instead.
*'''Marcher Lord:''' Gains ''Battle-Hardened(1)''. In a <u>pure</u> Imperialis Militia army, this also makes that the entire army immune to ''Fear''. Keeping your warlord alive also lets you auto-pass your first pinning check each turn as well as an additional reaction in the Shooting phase.
*'''Connoisseur of Alien Curios:''' Once per turn you can have the warlord roll a D6 to activate a special randomized result: '''1:''' self-destruction, coupled with a nuclear blast that automatically hits ''every'' unit, friend or foe within 12" for D6+1 S8 AP4 hits. '''2-3''': a single unit within 12" chosen by the warlord suffers D6+1 automatic hits at S8 AP4 with the ''Deflagrate'' rule. '''4-5:''' ''Rage(2)'' and ''Furious Charge(2)'' for the warlord and his squad for the rest of the game turn, or '''6:''' permanent ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' with future rolls of 6 boosting Strength and Toughness to a maximum of six. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.
*'''Robber Baron:''' The warlord's unit gains +1 Strength on a turn where they charged. Instead of Sweeping Advances, you can roll a d6 and on a 4+ the unit scores you d3 VP. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.

==Special Rules==

*'''Militia Subtype:''' All of your units have this, and it's not good. Units that are below half their starting number of models that begin to fall back, will never be able to regroup. They just keep going back until they leave the table.
**A unit that is falling back that is charged by the enemy is simply removed, without any further leadership test being taken, regardless of the remaining number of models.
**A unit locked in close combat, that is charged by ''another'' unit, has to test morale or will immediately begin falling back as it it had lost combat. Also being subjected to sweeping advance.
*'''Mechanised Subtype:''' A bit of an oddball mix of Infantry and Dreadnought. All Poisoned(X) and Fleshbane attacks must re-roll to wound, as do any Armourbane(X) attacks. Like a dread, it can fire Heavy and Ordnance weapons after moving and can charge after shooting. They can also be affected by Haywire, Battlesmith, and Detonation like one.
*'''Third-Line Subtype:''' Given to most of your tanks, and it's not good either. Any glancing hits are now considered pens, which is terrible. Your only consolation is that losing these tanks don't give your enemy VPs.

===Provenances of War===
This is where the modelling opportunities for this army come from. Your Force Commander can purchase up to two Provenances of War. While their cost seems rather low, they can all massively impact the rest of your army, and can radically change the army build and the options you can take. Some Provenances lock you out of certain things or are mutually exclusive with one another, but some also allow units to buy their own unique options.

*'''Warrior Elite:''' All eligible units gain +1 Ld ''(to a maximum of Ld9)'' while Levy squads gain the ''Support Squad'' rule. Grenadiers on the other hand lose the ''Support Squad''rule. This provenance is effectively for a number of reasons. In that it gives you easier access to better ''Line'' troops, and also grants the army a MUCH needed morale booster. You are best served by taking as many Discipline Masters as you can to capitalise on that.
**Grenadiers also benefit from several other Provenances, so this is always an easy go-to combination option if you want good Grenadiers without having to pay troop taxes on other units first.
*'''Legacy of the Great Crusade:''' Grenadiers, Command Cadres, and Discipline Masters gain BS4. While a Force Commander gains Initiative 5. Depending on what your other Provenance is, your milage may vary. It obviously works well with Warrior Elite or the Armoury of the Dark Age. But if you go heavy on other Troop types, there are better options.
*'''Clanfolk Levy:''' Cavalry Squads can be taken as Compulsory Troops, where they gain +1 Ld. But cannot otherwise be taken as non-compulsory troops. Instead, you get four extra Fast Attack slots for Cavalry squads.
**This doesn't give any squad the ''Line'' subtype, despite being Troops. So you'll still need something else to claim those objectives.
*'''Gene Crafted:''' A bit of a wildcard Provenance. If this is chosen, then after deployment, but before the first turn, roll a D6 for every Infantry and Cavalry unit.
**On a 1 the unit starts the game pinned, while units embarked on vehicles immediately disembark and are still pinned. Sucks to be them. Units in reserve suffer no ill consequence.
**On a 2-5, the unit gains their choice of the ''Fleet (2), Move through Cover'' or ''Night Vision'' special rules.
**On a 6, the unit either gains ALL of the special rules from a result of 2-5, or the choice of ''Relentless, Stubborn '' or ''Adamantium Will (6+)''.
**There isn't a whole lot you can base an army around with this Provenance. The common 2-5 results don't radically change what the army does. While ''Relentless'' on a 6 might be very useful with Heavy weapon units, you cannot reliably expect to get it every time.
*'''Cyber Augmetics:''' All eligible units gain ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' and ''Slow and Purposeful''. You also treat the Mechanicum faction as Sworn Brothers. Slow and Purposeful is probably the more significant rule here. Heavy weapons attached to regular squads can now shoot at full effectiveness, while all those Fire Support squads, Field Guns, and Rapiers can now freely move and fire.
**This Provenance cannot be combined with Gene Crafted.
**Surprisingly good for pairing with Armoury of the Old Night, given it completely negates the Lasrifle's Heavy type.
*'''Alchem-Jackers:''' Units do not suffer negative penalties to Leadership in the Assault phase. If a unit fails a morale check in the shooting phase and still have over half their models, they are pinned instead of falling back. This is useful because it can turn an instance of losing combat from a guaranteed break to simply a normal chance of breaking. While being pinned manages to negate some of the disadvantages of the Militia subtype, potentially saving the unit if they get charged by the squad that just shot at them. This makes those Discipline Masters even more valuable for the Ld boost and morale reroll.
**'''Frenzon:''' units can buy ''Furious Charge (1)'' for 25 points. As most of your units are behind their opponents in terms of WS, Strength, and Toughness, this merely closes the gap for one assault phase.
**You can capitalise on this with Feral Warriors for added Weapon Skill and Chain Axes for even more strength and accuracy for that charge. Though the costs add up quickly, remember even a baseline human with WS 4, Furious Charge and Chainaxe (with sidearm) will be getting 3 attacks on the charge at S5. Yes they'll still be I3, but if you take Shotguns on another unit (or give them to Grenadier Squads), with luck you'll be hitting on 3s (and be hit on 5s) and be wounding on 3s (with re-rolls). That means your buck standard 20 man Infantry Squad just killed almost '''12 marines''' (not accounting for the 2-3 casualties you'll take when they strike first)...and it only costs you 155 points for that squad. Throw them at the similarly costed 10 man Tactical Squad with bolters and watch your shitty mortals [[What|beat Marines in CQC]].
**Remember that Cavalry unit units and Monstrous units (Ogryns) cannot be pinned, so this provenance renders those types virtually immune to morale in the shooting phase at least until they drop below half models.
*'''Survivors of a Dark Age:''' Suffered a big change from last edition. Now the only thing it does is grant Grenadier squads and Command Cadres the ability to select Rhinos, Termite Assault Drills, and Land Raiders as dedicated transports. Considering that the army doesn't have any dedicated transport options any more, the provenance could be worth it on that point alone. However, those vehicles gain the ''Third-Line'' subtype and drop their BS to 3, while not recieving any kind of discount for the downgrades. Still, it allows for mass deployment of Land Raiders that even some Astartes armies cannot afford thanks to the lower taxes that need to be spent on mortal units.
**'''Void Jumpers:''' For an extra 20 points, your Recon squads using this Provenance can be given Jump Packs, granting them a 12" move range that ignores terrain. They also swap their weapons with two laspistols or two autopistols. While the added mobility is nice, especially on ''Light'' infantry that can already infiltrate; they remain fragile guardsmen, and that weapon swap puts them perilously close to literally everything that can take them out.
*'''Armoury of the Old Night:''' Holy crap, this one is good. Firstly, all eligible models may replace their Lasgun with a Lasrifle for free. This limits mobility somewhat, but can extends the range of the S3 shots to 30", or grants them a S6 alternate firing mode. Suddenly, ''every'' soldier in the army becomes a threat to nearly everything for no additional cost.
**'''Relic Arms:''' for an additional cost of 30 points per unit. Grenadier squads and Command Cadres may replace their Lasguns with Assault Needlers or Volkite Chargers, or Laspistols with Volkite Serpenta or a Needle Pistols. May also swap Sniper Rifles with Needle Vilnius, and may swap Heavy Stubbers with Volkite Culverins or Needle Cannons. These options effectively give you one over on nearly every opponent. With Warrior Elite you can have a whole army that wounds most enemies on 3+. ''Pinning'' on Needle weapons is an added bonus.
**'''Heirlooms of Past Glory:''' Force Commanders using this Provenance can replace a Power Sword with a Paragon Blade for 10 points. They may also replace a laspistol with an Archeotech pistol for 10 points. While a Paragon Blade is nice, you still have to pay for the Power Sword first, and that becomes a lot of points to spend on a squishy character with WS4. Even with Archeotech pistols being good, Force Commanders already have access to the widest range of pistols in the Blast, Needle and Flame variety, so really have to decide if it is worth it.
*'''Feral Warriors:''' All eligible units gain +1 WS when charging, but must declare charges if able to do so.
**'''Chainaxes:''' any model with a close combat weapon ''(practically everyone)'' can buy a Chainaxe for 2pts per model, or replace a chainsword for 1pt.
*'''Kinfolk Helots:''' Literally Squats this time around. The whole army gains +1 Toughness but drops their movement and initiative by -1. Every Character, so all squad sergeants and attached advisors, gains ''Battlesmith (6+)'' with Independent Characters instead gaining ''Battlesmith (5+)''.
**May not be taken with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. They're Squats, not [[Halflings]].
*'''Abhuman Muster:''' All units gain +1 strength, but -1 BS. They also all gain ''Bulky (2)'' if they didn't already have a different version of Bulky. All models also gain ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'' with Independent Characters and Monstrous units instead gaining ''Hammer of Wrath (2)'', though Ogryns already have [[Fail|HoW (2)]]...
**This may not be combined with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. But the bonus still applies to Ogryns that you might take anyway.
*'''Debased Rabble:''' ''(Traitors only)'' All units gain ''Crusader'' and ''Hatred (Everything)'', but they must declare a charge when able to do so.
**Grenadier squads may not be taken at all. And may not be combined with Survivors of the Dark Age Provenance.
*'''Tainted Flesh:''' ''(Traitors only)'' Eligible units gain ''Fear (1)'' and ''Furious Charge (1)''. However, all compulsory Troops must be Militia Levy squads, and the detachment may not include more other Infantry-type units than it already has Levy squads. In addition, the only permitted HQ choices are Force Commanders and Rogue Psykers
**May not be taken with Survivors of a Dark Age, Gene Crafted, Ogryn Conscripts, or Alchem-Jackers Provenances
*'''Ogryn Conscripts:''' Ogryn Brute squads can be taken as Troops choices, with those taken as Compulsory Troops gaining the ''Line'' subtype. In addition, Discipline Masters, Militia Medicare and Force Commanders can join Ogryn Brutes, ignoring the usual restrictions.
*'''Industrial Stronghold:''' Leman Russes can now be taken as Squadrons of up to six tanks, rather than being one per slot. You also gain two more Heavy Support slots solely for Leman Russes.
**May not be taken with Unending Hordes, Debased Rabble, Tainted Flesh, or Ogryn Conscripts Provenances
*'''Unending Hordes:''' Militia Infantry and Militia Levy that are destroyed can be returned to reserves on a D6 roll of 4+. They retain their wargear options, though any attached advisors are lost. Grenadier squads become Elite choices when using this Provenance.

===Wargear===
====Ranged Weapons====
This army has staggering variety of less than staggering guns, allowing you precise control over the balance and type of your firepower to affordability.

*'''Lasgun / Autorifle:''' functionally the same weapon, 24" S3 AP- Rapid Fire. Nearly every unit has this as standard. However most units can replace them with better options.
*'''Lascarbine:''' 18" S3 AP6 Assault 2 lasguns. So you trade some maximum range for more shots at the mid range, and the freedom to charge after.
*'''Stubcarbine''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 3. Even shorter range, but beats out the Lasgun at Rapid Fire distances. If you anticipate being this close then it is the clear winner. Though you are certain to be counter attacked and chewed up from being this close.
*'''Shotgun:''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 2, but with ''Concussive (1)''. They can potentially reduce the WS of their target unit by one if they fail a leadership save. Obviously everyone has better WS than Militia, so if you can actually get this to work, it can make a fight against a non-elite melee opponent slightly more manageable, if not winnable. But everyone also have better Ld than Militia, so it is unlikely to really come into play a lot. If you actually intend to get into combat with some units, then it may be worth taking. Otherwise a Stubcarbine is strictly better at the same range.
**On the flip side, while a single unit cannot force multiple Concussive tests...multiple units CAN. So if you're taking Shotguns, go all in. A squad of Grenadiers might only have a 25% chance to make Marines fail a LD test...but if they're backed up by an Infantry Squad who also shot the Marines then you now have a 50% chance. Not to mention Ogryn's can take Thunderstubs with Concussive, so you can back them up with this same tactic.

*'''Laspistol:''' 12" S3 AP- pistol that everyone knows. Better than nothing.
*'''Autopistol:''' 9" S3 AP- Pistol 2. Any unit that has access to a Laspistol generally may take an Autopistol instead if they choose to. The 3" loss in range will barely matter in most instances, particularly if either party intends to get into assault, as either player will try to close to a comfortable distance to make sure that charge distance roll actually succeeds. So the Autopistol is usually the better choice for attackers and units performing overwatch reactions.
*'''Blast Pistol:''' Available to several kinds of Squad Leader, as well as Discipline Masters. 9" range with S6 AP4, Pistol 2. Superior to Autopistols in nearly every aspect and are a reliable threat against everything up to light vehicles, they usually come in cheap at 5 points for the upgrade which is definitely worth the price.
*'''Bolt Pistol:''' Most models with access to Blast Pistols have access to Bolt pistols for the same cost. Unless you think you need the extra 3" range, then the extra shot and strength will always be the better choice.
*'''Plasma Pistol:''' getting more expensive. 12" S7 AP4 with ''Breaching (4+)'' and ''Gets Hot''. One of the best pistols that a character can be given as it can reliably kill the typical models that the rest of the squad will also be shooting at, but if the weapon explodes it is unlikely that the model carrying it will survive. But the model carrying it was unlikely to survive very long from being within 12" of the enemy in any case.

=====Armoury of the Old Night=====
These relic options may only be taken by certain characters or when using the right Provenance. So shall be listed separately to save confusion with more standard gear

*'''Lasrifle:''' the superior Lasgun, which becomes a free upgrade with the right Provenance. It is always a Heavy weapon, so it drops the mobility of the unit quite a lot. However the range of the S3 volley increases to 30" which is more than double that if the rapid fire range of the standard Lasgun. It also gains a Blast Charger mode, giving it 18" range, S6 AP4. Imagine having a whole army with S6 weapons for free? While the range is short and marines still get their saves, in bulk this weapon can easily threaten everything they fire at. Even T6 Primarchs should be wary about charging into a massed unit of these.

*'''Needle Pistol:'''
*'''Assault Needler:'''
*'''Needle Cannon:'''
*'''Needle Vulnus:'''

*'''Volkite Serpenta:'''
*'''Volkite Charger:'''
*'''Volkite Culverin:'''

====Melee Weapons====

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Force Commander:''' You need one of these in your detachment in order to use Provenances, and all other HQ choices have the ''Support Squad'' rule, so you need one anyway. Thankfully Provenances are free this edition, so that's less of a worry. This guy has lots of good options, so he can easily be customized out the way you want him to be, and also has some of the best pistol choices in the army. The problem is that he is WS/BS4 I3, so cannot really compete in an environment that includes Space Marines, Custodians, and Primarchs. So unless you can match up some Provenances to gear that makes him marginally impressive, sometimes it's better to just go cheap and focus your attention on your flavourful squads instead.
**A Charnabal Saber is actually a good melee weapon for him, with S3 he only tends to wound on 5+ anyway. This weapon then makes all of those wounds AP2 with ''Breaching (5+)'', and with ''Duelists Edge (1)'' it can even the playing field somewhat against regular warriors in challenges.
**With Legacy of the Great Crusade his Initiative jumps from 3 to 5, which suddenly puts him ahead of most basic units in other armies, giving him a fighting chance against random sergeants who might think he is easy pickings.
**With Armoury of the Old Night, he can buy a Paragon Blade and/or an Archeotech pistol. These become added expenses that probably don't justify their points on a model that won't really utilise it properly.

*'''Discipline Master Cadre:'''

*'''Imperial Militia Command Cadre:'''

*'''Rogue Psyker''' ''(Traitors only)''

*'''Expeditionary Navigator''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Made available to all factions as part of the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list. Currently this is the only way for loyalists to get a "psyker" in the detachment, and for 50 points you aren't getting much, a fragile conscript model with a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to interfere with enemy Deep Strike within 12".
**He only gets one power: the Lidless Stare, which is S2 using the flame template and has ''Pinning''. It also has ''Force'' if you want to risk the models only wound to double the strength to the overwhelmingly massive score of four.

*'''Davinite Lodge Priest''' ''(Militaris Attaché)''

===Troops===
*'''Militia Infantry Squad:''' The core Troops choice. For 80 points you get twenty models with a variable loadout depending on your taste, and they are one of your only sources of ''Line'' for claiming objectives. With ''Strength in Numbers'' you may also take up to three squads per Troops slot. Which means you can get your objective claiming needs sorted out while leaving yourself plenty of other slots for spamming the better support units.
**Lasguns/Autorifles have the traditional balance of range vs number of shots, and can outrange all of the other standard weapons, which can be good for keeping the enemy out of charge range. Furthermore, these weapons can purchase bayonets to give the squad +1 strength in melee. Not quite a winner, but certainly provides the squad a bit more utility.
**Shotguns have ''Concussive'' so are potentially able to reduce the enemy WS by -1 for a turn. At that range it can be a lifesaver when you inevitably get counter charged, as most common opponents could be reduced to equal weapon skill. Not entirely reliable as a lot of units are going to pass the test, or simply not care. But if you are going melee focussed for your army, this could be the better choice.
**Lascarbines/Stubcarbines reduce the working range of Lasgun in order to gain more shots. Remember at these ranges, the squad is likely to be taken out by a volley or two of bolter fire. Stubcarbines are then probably the better choice, as twenty models can throw out sixty shots at 12", giving the best chance of reducing the enemy numbers before that inevitable counter volley/charge.
**Taking pistols and melee weapons means committing the squad to melee, for an army that really doesn't like it. You should really only choose this if you're building the entire army around a melee build (like Feral Warrior/Alchem-Jackers).
**One model can also choose to take a special weapon from the standard list. The choice should match the weapon the rest of the squad takes. So longer ranged weapons like Heavy Stubbers and Sniper Rifles will do better alongside lasguns. While Flamers work better with Carbines because of the similar ranges. Meltaguns are probably not worth it because the rest of the squad are unlikely to harm whatever the Melta forces them to shoot at. While Grenade Launchers are a happy medium that work against everything the other 19 squad members have a reasonable chance of hurting.
**Weirdly, while you might expect the Flamer to be the best option for a melee squad...it's actually the Grenade Launcher because the Frag profile has ''Pinning''. Marines have a 75% chance to pass the leadership test if hit with it, but even a 25% chance of not taking any reaction fire is going to help a lot.

*'''Militia Levy Squad:''' 20-50 conscripts at 2 points per model with a Lasgun, autogun, or a pistol and melee weapon. You can't really get cheaper than that. And with ''Strength in Numbers'' you can take up to three squads per slot, so you can really bulk up on the model count if you want to cover an impressive amount of ground. Like last edition, they are still expendable, so do not confer any victory points for their destruction.
**Changes to the basic rules mean that there is considerable risk to taking them though. The Expendable rule also means that if they ever fail a morale check, they just get removed entirely, so the downsides of Militia subtype just get overwritten with worse outcomes. This makes it hard, if not impossible to use them as a tarpit unit. They do not have ''Line'' so can never score objectives, and with changes to Weapon Skill rules, they are less likely to hit anything in melee, while being more easily hit back. It seems their purpose now is to truly be an expendable unit to throw at the enemy as a distraction while you do more important things with other units.

*'''Militia Grenadier Squad:''' Your other ''Line'' choice, but this one has the ''Support Squad'' rule, so cannot be taken as a Compulsory unit unless you also selected Warrior Elite. These guys are the Stormtrooper analogues, and all come with 4+ saves and +1 Leadership when compared to regular troopers. They have all the same weapon selections as regular Militia Infantry squads, so the same advice applies here. With the possible exception of remembering that with 4+ saves they are more likely to survive up close against bolter fire, therefore Carbines can be confidently recommended.
**Grenadiers are subject to far more changes from Provenances than any other unit, so their roles can change wildly depending on the Force Commander. In Warrior Elite armies they become the Primary objective takers, Legacy of the Great Crusade armies make them more accurate, Survivors of the Dark Age turns them into Mechanised Mobile troops, while in Armoury of the Old Night armies they gain incredible firepower that can put other armies basic units to shame. In Debased Cults and Unending Horde armies they become less common, or unavailable altogether.
**Note that they get both their long arms alongside a pistol and basic close combat weapon. This is important for some Provenances, for example with Feral Warriors they can take the god combo (at least for this army) of Chainaxe ''and'' Shotgun.

*'''Fire Support Squad:''' your heavy weapon squads, just like with imperial guard, but as Troops choices with no platoon tax. Unfortunately as ''Support Squads'' they cannot be Compulsory choices. They come in units of 3-10 teams and have the full range of guard weapons, including heavy stubbers, heavy bolters, mortars, multilasers, missiles, autocannons, and lascannons. This unit has awesome potential.
**However, the downside is that they have the ''Emplaced'' rule. Which prohibits their Reaction choices to Return Fire, Overwatch, or Interceptor, which admittedly are the only ones you'd want to use anyway. But also means that if they ever have to fall back for any reason, they abandon their weapons and are removed from the game.

*'''Reconnaissance Squad:''' Your "elite" troops choice. Coming with shotguns as standard, yhey all have ''Scout, Infiltrate'' and ''Moves Through Cover'' as well as having the '' Light'' subtype, giving them more mobility if they decide to Run and Gun. However, 50 points for five GEQ models is an awful lot to ask, and those sniper rifles come in at 10 points per model meaning this squad can easily become fragile pointsinks that have to work hard to justify their cost. Even so they are still one of the cheapest Troop choices in the game. Just have a plan for them.
**It's worth remembering that Sniper Rifles and Long Las weapons are two very separate weapons in this list. Sniper Rifles are more appropriate for taking out high value officers with their 72" range and ''Rending (5+)'' rule. While the Long Las is more effective at taking out light vehicles with S6 and ''Sunder''. This means that Infiltrating into a good position at the start of the game can be crucial depending on the chosen target, such as getting a good angle on weaker rear vehicle armour.

===Dedicated Transports===

===Elites===
*'''Ogryn Brute Squad:''' 3-10 Ogryns with big sticks and flak armour, with a squad upgrade option to take Carapace armour for a set cost. They don't get a squad leader unless their unit size is five or more. Each model can take a single wargear choice for five points, and mixing is allowed. Generally speaking, Thunderstubs or Ripper Guns would be the best choice. As the former grants an extra attack in close combat, while the latter has a sufficient rate of fire that it overcomes the Ogryns appalling BS2. Thunderstubs are very cool, but are so short ranged that you may never get a chance to use them.
**Never take a second basic CQC weapon on them, because due to the usual FW proofreading [[Fail|it costs as much as a Thunderstub which gives you +1 attack '''and''' a short ranged Concussive (1) shot]].
**You can mix and match the weapons options, so consider throwing one or two boarding shields into a unit with Ripper Guns or Thunderstubs to tank those AP5+ (or AP4+) shots.
**An Ogryn Boss has a separate list of wargear to choose from, but can still select an item from the standard Ogryn gear. So it is possible, and probably recommended, to pair up a better close combat weapon such as a Power Axe or Thunder Hammer alongside a Boarding Shield to make an effective challenger.
**They still have the Militia subtype, so have to be wary about failing morale checks and losing models, and unfortunately they cannot have attached advisors unless you expressly use the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. Thankfully they have the ''Stubborn'' rule, so unlike the rest of the army, they can have the most reliable morale, despite having the same scores as everyone else. So if you want some modicum of longevity, then best to stack up on models and go for the Boss to get the Ld boost.
**Ogryns do well in combination with several other Provenances, so look for best ways to help them out. Feral Warriors for instance let's them swap those basic close combat weapons for Chain Axes, giving them S6 and ''Shred'', without actually taking up one of their weapon upgrade choices. While Warrior Elite adds that valuable +1 Ld to a squad that cannot normally gain Ld boosts from anywhere else.
**While a lot of Provenances say that they cannot be combined with Ogryn Conscripts. That doesn't actually stop you from taking Ogryn squads and gaining the benefit anyway. So you can get Ogryn Brutes in [[Squat|Kinsfolk]] armies and have Toughness 6 and ''Battlesmith (6+)'' on their Boss. Or setting their base Strength to 6 when using Abhuman Muster.
**As usual, Ogryns are the diamond in the rough of the baseline human list. With Feral Warriors and Alchem-Jackers, you can get a 220 point (read: similar cost to a 20 man Despoiler Squad) unit of five WS5 Absolute Units with Chainaxes and Thunderstubs. This gives you a total of 30 attacks at S7 with ''Shred''. Assuming you used a second unit with Shotguns and/or your Thunderstubs to dump ''Concussive'' on your <s>victim</s> target unit, you will not care about the fact you're striking second because you're hitting on 3s and those Marines are now hitting on 5s...and you're also wounding on wounding on 2s (with a re-roll). Yes, Marines will get their saves, but that doesn't help them much when they've just been hit with an average of 20 wounds (plus another 8 from HoW). Ironically this is less wounds than an Infantry Squad can shit out for less points, but Ogryns are more durable and can take Carapace Armour for another 25 points.
**If you want to, you can also add a Boss with a Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield to the above for another 70 points. Do this if you want someone to challenge Marine Sergeants or even no-name Centurions and '''Praetors''', because apparently the Emperor's genetic engineering loses out to several millennia of life in an environment where "natural selection" meant "tard strength". Or to translate, he'll be dumping six S12, AP2, Brutal (2) attacks at WS5, enough to squash '''three''' Sergeants or Centurions or even almost '''''two fucking Praetors'''''. And most importantly, even when that Praetor (who costs at least twice as much as the Ogryn Boss) hits back with his own Thunder Hammer, he'll only take off about 1 wound, because [[What|your fat retard has Strength 12 so will ID the Praetor's T4, but the Praetor has Strength 8 so won't ID your fat retard's T5]]. This means it's not just the no-name Praetors that Joe Ogryn can beat, even named Praetors who don't have Eternal Warrior or a weapon with the ID special rule (or Murderous Strike and a good number of attacks) will likely fall to this beast. Anyone else starting to think Emps may have failed to see the real evolution of humanity?

*'''Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment:''' 3-12 field medics that you can disperse to other infantry squads in your army to grant them ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' that cannot be combined with any other version of the rule, nor can multiple medics be stacked on the same unit. Given his fragile your infantry are, any addition to their survivability is usually a welcome one. But a 6+ save is unlikely to reliably affect any outcomes.
**Medics inherit the rules/subtypes of whatever unit they get attached to, so bear this in mind. So yes, that Provenance that lets you attach them to Ogryns also means you [[What|get Ogryn medics]]. Maybe kitbash them from Ogre Kingdoms Butchers?

*'''Field Gun Artillery Battery:''' A Rapier analogue with one key difference, the gun crew and weapon all count as a single model, effectively making them an even bigger version of the Fire Support squad. They also have the ''Emplaced'', so if they fall back, they are fucked. In terms of weapons they actually have three good choices:
**The basic Thunderblast Cannon is a safe bet. It is a S7 AP4 Blast (3) weapon with ''Barrage'' and ''Pinning'' while other artillery pieces in the army can do similar jobs better, getting them in elite slots for relatively cheap is always nice to have.
**The Heavy Lascannon is pretty much a normal Lascannon with S10. It is inferior in stopping power to a Laser Destroyer but has better range. The unfortunate downside is the added cost of effectively 60 points per gun, which adds up in bulk. You otherwise could have had regular lascannons in Fire Support squads for 35 points per gun, which usually does the job just as well.
**The Kaliope Mortar is analogous to the Quad Mortar in many respects. They have the same strength and AP, and both use the Large Blast template. The Quad Mortar has a longer range and ''Shred'', but the Kaliope has a trick up its sleeve in the fact that it causes ''Pinning'' with ''Shell Shock (1)'' meaning that it can reliably shut down enemy squads. It doesn't cost any extra either so it allows for peppering quite large areas when taken in multiples per unit, and ends up being cheaper than multiple Rapiers for potentially a better outcome.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Cavalry Squad:''' At last! Rough Riders are a part of the Imperial Militia. You get a proper fast moving unit that has a surprising amount of punch. They all have a pistol and close combat weapon as standard, but can choose an additional weapon on top of that. Shotguns, Lascarbines, and Stubcarbines are all perfectly viable options, though the unit gets access to the unique Militia Lance, giving them S7 AP3, with ''Brutal (2)'' and ''Sudden Strike (2)'', meaning when they charge they now hit at Initiative 5 and have a respectable chance of killing any MEQ in a single hit before they get struck back. ''Ungainly'' means they only ever get one attack with this weapon, and only ever when charging. So it pays to match up units that use it with accuracy boosting Provenances like Feral Warriors or Debased Rabble.
**They can also take Carapace armour for a single cost, giving them much needed survivability if you intend to get them close enough for melee combat.
**Feral Warriors also allows them to swap their basic combat weapon with a Chainaxe, which makes a perfectly serviceable back-up weapon if you can't use, or don't take, the Lances.
**Remember that they are still Militia, so if you use them as a melee unit, they are still likely going to break and be destroyed very easily when the opponent strikes them back. Luckily Discipline Masters can be added to them if they buy their own mounts.
**Much like Grenadiers, they take their long arm (or Lance) separately to their pistol and close combat weapon. Overall meaning in some builds you can just treat them as faster Grenadiers.
*'''Cargo-8 Hauler Squadron:'''
*'''Arvus Lighter:''' It's a flying transport for 40 points. It has no weapons to speak of, and can't even be jury-rigged like last edition.l, effectively turning it into a rather expensive drop pod. With that in mind, there aren't really many ways to get Deep Strike in this list without taking Survivors of a Dark Age, so if you want to vary your deployment this is it. Because of its capacity of 12 it can only really transport Grenadiers, Recon squads and HQ units.
*'''Sentinel Squadron:'''
*'''Thunderbolt Fighter:''' Compared to the Astartes version, it gets a 50 point discount for effectively the same skeleton of a unit. 120 points is a more reasonable cost for your only serviceable flyer. However you are BS3 and have the ''Third Line'' rule in exchange for that discount. GW also didn't fix the inherent problem of having more guns than you can fire.
*'''Beastmasters:''' Quite frankly a very bad unit for a number of reasons, you get three milita for 50 points, '''before''' factoring in what animals you want to add to the unit. You also need one Handler for each creature that gets added in, so you have to buy more of the crappy dudes in order to get more Beasts. Unfortunately the militia and beasts have mutually exclusive subtypes and profiles: With the exception of the Caiman, all Beasts are faster than their humans, and are therefore stuck at the slowest speeds. Most Beasts have ''Light'' which '''would''' allow them to get +1 Initiative when running, but are prevented from doing so [[Fail|as long as any humans remain in the unit.]] Furthermore, any Provenances taken by the Force Commander will not apply to Beasts because they lack the Milita subtype which makes them eligible, but the Beasts will still suffer from the drawbacks inherent to ''Militia'' subtype as long as the unit contains any models with the rule, therefore are liable to being removed from play under certain situations while stuck with their Handlers. Best case scenario? Kill off the Handlers as soon as possible and let the animals run wild!
**Mastiffs, Felidae, and Raptors all have ''Fleet (1)'', but as above, are unable to use the rule while any humans remain in the unit.
**Mastiffs have ''Furious Charge (1)'', which allows them to strike at S5 on the charge.
**Felinids have ''Rage (1)'' to get four (2+1+1) attacks on the charge. They also have the highest initiative, but because they are only S3 their odds of hurting anything is quite slim.
**Raptors have ''Shrouded (4+)'' so they get an actually good damage mitigation save against shooting. They don't have an armour value at all, but it's fairly irrelevant when the other animals have 5+/6+ saves which are ignored by simple Bolters. Raptors also have three attacks base, so have equivalent or better damage output to Felidae, just at a lower initiative.
**Caiman have S5/T5, two wounds, and ''Feel No Pain (5+)'', so they are clearly the hardest hitters of the bunch and are the hardest to kill under regular circumstances. They also have the slowest speed and aren't ''Light'' so they lose the least while still being attached to their Handlers.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Rapier Battery:''' Your mobile artillery unit. Regardless of the weapon you choose, they always have ''Relentless'' so they can move and shoot. They start with Gravis Multi-lasers, but you can swap them for Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Quad Launchers.
**Unlike most of the other artillery units, this one doesn't suffer from any variant rule where they abandon their guns if they fall back. They are still ''Militia'' so morale is a worry, but at least this gives you a second chance if there are enough models in the unit.

*'''Heavy Ordnance Battery:''' Earthshaker guns that have the longest range out of the entire armoury. Able to strike pretty much anywhere on the table, Earthshakers are very likely to wound their targets with S9 and ''Shred'', and at 75 points for the initial cannon, and 65 for each additional one, they are very reasonably priced. They are Immobile though, and the Ld7 crew have a special rule where if they fall back the guns are simply lost, this makes them really fragile, which probably accounts for the cost. They can buy up to twenty crewmen for only 2 points per model, so arguably should be stocked up as much as possible to avoid those 25% shooting morale checks.

*'''Imperial Militia Leman Russ:''' Leman Russes, everyone's favourite, chosen from the vanilla, annihilator, exterminator, demolisher and vanquisher flavours. Unfortunately there are no options for sponson weapons here.

*'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' One highly customisable vehicle, every weapon on the tank can be swapped out for something else, so depending the model you have, or your skill at kitbashing, you could possibly have a tank with a battlecannon and a demolisher cannon, or lascannons all the way around, or something in between.
**Malcadors are actually the one of the fastest units in the army list with a movement speed of 14.
**The tank also has the ''Support Squad'' rule, which in most cases is meaningless, since Heavy Support slots are not usually compulsory unless you are playing some unique mission variant.

*'''Gorgon Heavy Transporter:'''
**[[Derp|GW forgot that Open Topped isn't a thing anymore, so because it isn't an Assault Vehicle that big ramp is meaningless]].

===Lord of War===

*'''[[Baneblade|Militia Baneblade]]:''' - This edition it comes with the ''Third Line'' drawbacks, but it's still a Superheavy Vehicle it is less bothered by penetrating hits, so the downside is mitigated somewhat. Though outclassed by the Legion Fellblade, the Baneblade is still a nasty proposition to face. Sporting a Baneblade cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon and a twin-linked heavy bolter. With the option of two Lascannons and two more twin-linked heavy bolters/flamers ''(the sponsons don't come as standard here)'' optional pintle mounts, AND optional Hunter-killer missile, it is a rolling fortress of death, and it is your only Lord of War choice, so you are going to want one.

===Fortifications===

==Allies==
The Militia is a bit of an oddball in terms of alliances. While considered part of the Imperial Army, taking the Kinfolk Helots, Abhuman Muster or Ogryn Conscripts provenances immediately dump your friendship with the legions and Solar Auxilia forces to Distrusted Allies.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

===Solar Auxilia===

===Legio Custodes & Sisters of Silence===
One word: Don't.

The Custodes treat the Militia as by the Emperor's Command, so you can't do anything for them aside from being a disposable meatwall.

The Sisters of Silence can't do anything for the Militia just by the simple virtue of the Anathema sub-type. Considering how shit your Leadership is, this won't ever end well for you.

==Tactics==

==Building your Army==

USE YOUR DAMN IMAGINATION! Want an army of Felinids? Abhuman Helots and Gene-Crafted. Only Renegades & Heretics have more customization. This army is about as customizable as they are but, they're less diverse both in the base units available and being restricted by the biggest source of customization being army wide. The units can take a startling rainbow of standard weapons, but like a rainbow, many of the options are almost the same. Its entirely possible (albeit better for friendly counts as games) to proxy a fantasy army, such as the Empire or possibly Skaven. Look at the stuff available on GW's website. Empire, Elf, Guard, Skaven, (some) Skitarii, even ORKS (with some converting) can work! Since many tournaments ban forgeworld anyway, look to other model sites if it suits your fancy. All of it works, all of its totally fluff friendly. WoC? Feral worlders. Infinity stuff? Technological advanced enclave. A WW2 model range? You get the idea. If you ever wanted to make an army thats truly "you", a one of a kind masterpiece, et cetera, this is for you. You may not exactly win, but you sure as hell wont be forgotten. Hell, make your army a bunch of chicks with swag armour and do a proto-sisters of battle army. Then piss people off and give them gene-crafted for Sister Marines, alchem-jackers with frenzon for RED RAGE sisters, or cyber sex gals.
If you're using Survivors of the Dark Age and decent armor, why not make an army of [[Adeptus_Arbites|Arbites]]? Survivors of the Dark Age and Abhuman Helots work for an army of Squats. Any combination of Tainted Flesh, Abhuman Helots, Feral Warriors and
Cult Horde could give you an army of [[Beastmen]]. Want something vaguely Calibanite? Warrior Elite and SotDA works well to that end.

{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Imperialis Militia

2023-04-29T14:49:42Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Elites */

==Why Play Imperial Militia==

*'''Pros'''
**Insane customisation. This list covers nearly everything from Squats, Mutants, Mech Guard stand-ins, Death World Cavalry, WW1 artillery armies, and pretty much whatever else you can imagine, often in combination. Want Ogryns as Troops? You can have them in cyborgs, mutant, alchem, or bestial varieties. The same applies to pretty much every other unit type.
**CHEAP! The cheapest unit comes in at 2 points per model, even the vehicles come in at a discounted price compared to other armies. You can be quite certain that you will always have the numerical advantage.
**Lots of variety in weapons, with many of the standard options being rather good, or in some ways useful.
**There are more choices for melee armies this edition. But even with the new melee options, the dangers of melee combat are seriously dire for you.
**None of your vehicles confer any victory points for their destruction. With the right Provenances it is possible to spam disposable Leman Russes, Rhinos, and/or Land Raiders. Added with the extra irony of your Superheavies not being worth anything to your opponent.

*'''Cons'''
**Low Leadership everywhere. Which gets even worse when you factor in the inherent rules of the Militia subtype. Meaning that when you break, you break hard and often.
**Your "Third Line" vehicles are more easily penetrated, and don't have especially good options either. Generally coming as lesser versions of existing vehicles.
**Almost a total lack of Skyfire options means that if your opponent takes lots of flyers you are going to be completely outclassed. Your only source of Skyfire suffers from the above problem of being a third-line version of a flyer that is better in other armies.
**You have no Dreadnaughts, and your options of dealing with them are limited. Even tarpitting is less valuable of an option now.
**New Necromunda and IG models shoehorned in made some of the older ones invalid, unless your friends allow you to proxy Cargo-8 Hauler with an Aurox.

==Warlord Traits==

*'''Ruthless Tyrant:''' The warlord gains a special form of ''Fear(1)'' that lets them affect friend and foe alike. If a friendly unit falls back while affected by this Fear, you can sacrifice d6 models/a model in a Monstrous unit to keep them in place. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
*'''Merchant Princeling:''' All of the warlord's weapons are now Master-Crafted and must deploy attached to a Militia unit. Their retinue gains the Heavy subtype and can re-roll 1s to hit but now your warlord can never leave this retinue. Make sure that this squad won't ever run away. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
**Curiously, there's no idea how this can possibly be used in a Command Squad.
*'''Beloved of the People:''' If the warlord dies, the entire army gets a big sad-on with a +1 to WS and S as well as ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' until the '''end''' of the owners '''next''' player turn. Potentially giving two turns of awesomeness. Normally it grants and additional reaction in the Shooting phase, but losing your warlord also lets you take an additional reaction in the Assault phase instead.
*'''Marcher Lord:''' Gains ''Battle-Hardened(1)''. In a <u>pure</u> Imperialis Militia army, this also makes that the entire army immune to ''Fear''. Keeping your warlord alive also lets you auto-pass your first pinning check each turn as well as an additional reaction in the Shooting phase.
*'''Connoisseur of Alien Curios:''' Once per turn you can have the warlord roll a D6 to activate a special randomized result: '''1:''' self-destruction, coupled with a nuclear blast that automatically hits ''every'' unit, friend or foe within 12" for D6+1 S8 AP4 hits. '''2-3''': a single unit within 12" chosen by the warlord suffers D6+1 automatic hits at S8 AP4 with the ''Deflagrate'' rule. '''4-5:''' ''Rage(2)'' and ''Furious Charge(2)'' for the warlord and his squad for the rest of the game turn, or '''6:''' permanent ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' with future rolls of 6 boosting Strength and Toughness to a maximum of six. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.
*'''Robber Baron:''' The warlord's unit gains +1 Strength on a turn where they charged. Instead of Sweeping Advances, you can roll a d6 and on a 4+ the unit scores you d3 VP. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.

==Special Rules==

*'''Militia Subtype:''' All of your units have this, and it's not good. Units that are below half their starting number of models that begin to fall back, will never be able to regroup. They just keep going back until they leave the table.
**A unit that is falling back that is charged by the enemy is simply removed, without any further leadership test being taken, regardless of the remaining number of models.
**A unit locked in close combat, that is charged by ''another'' unit, has to test morale or will immediately begin falling back as it it had lost combat. Also being subjected to sweeping advance.
*'''Mechanised Subtype:''' A bit of an oddball mix of Infantry and Dreadnought. All Poisoned(X) and Fleshbane attacks must re-roll to wound, as do any Armourbane(X) attacks. Like a dread, it can fire Heavy and Ordnance weapons after moving and can charge after shooting. They can also be affected by Haywire, Battlesmith, and Detonation like one.
*'''Third-Line Subtype:''' Given to most of your tanks, and it's not good either. Any glancing hits are now considered pens, which is terrible. Your only consolation is that losing these tanks don't give your enemy VPs.

===Provenances of War===
This is where the modelling opportunities for this army come from. Your Force Commander can purchase up to two Provenances of War. While their cost seems rather low, they can all massively impact the rest of your army, and can radically change the army build and the options you can take. Some Provenances lock you out of certain things or are mutually exclusive with one another, but some also allow units to buy their own unique options.

*'''Warrior Elite:''' All eligible units gain +1 Ld ''(to a maximum of Ld9)'' while Levy squads gain the ''Support Squad'' rule. Grenadiers on the other hand lose the ''Support Squad''rule. This provenance is effectively for a number of reasons. In that it gives you easier access to better ''Line'' troops, and also grants the army a MUCH needed morale booster. You are best served by taking as many Discipline Masters as you can to capitalise on that.
**Grenadiers also benefit from several other Provenances, so this is always an easy go-to combination option if you want good Grenadiers without having to pay troop taxes on other units first.
*'''Legacy of the Great Crusade:''' Grenadiers, Command Cadres, and Discipline Masters gain BS4. While a Force Commander gains Initiative 5. Depending on what your other Provenance is, your milage may vary. It obviously works well with Warrior Elite or the Armoury of the Dark Age. But if you go heavy on other Troop types, there are better options.
*'''Clanfolk Levy:''' Cavalry Squads can be taken as Compulsory Troops, where they gain +1 Ld. But cannot otherwise be taken as non-compulsory troops. Instead, you get four extra Fast Attack slots for Cavalry squads.
**This doesn't give any squad the ''Line'' subtype, despite being Troops. So you'll still need something else to claim those objectives.
*'''Gene Crafted:''' A bit of a wildcard Provenance. If this is chosen, then after deployment, but before the first turn, roll a D6 for every Infantry and Cavalry unit.
**On a 1 the unit starts the game pinned, while units embarked on vehicles immediately disembark and are still pinned. Sucks to be them. Units in reserve suffer no ill consequence.
**On a 2-5, the unit gains their choice of the ''Fleet (2), Move through Cover'' or ''Night Vision'' special rules.
**On a 6, the unit either gains ALL of the special rules from a result of 2-5, or the choice of ''Relentless, Stubborn '' or ''Adamantium Will (6+)''.
**There isn't a whole lot you can base an army around with this Provenance. The common 2-5 results don't radically change what the army does. While ''Relentless'' on a 6 might be very useful with Heavy weapon units, you cannot reliably expect to get it every time.
*'''Cyber Augmetics:''' All eligible units gain ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' and ''Slow and Purposeful''. You also treat the Mechanicum faction as Sworn Brothers. Slow and Purposeful is probably the more significant rule here. Heavy weapons attached to regular squads can now shoot at full effectiveness, while all those Fire Support squads, Field Guns, and Rapiers can now freely move and fire.
**This Provenance cannot be combined with Gene Crafted.
**Surprisingly good for pairing with Armoury of the Old Night, given it completely negates the Lasrifle's Heavy type.
*'''Alchem-Jackers:''' Units do not suffer negative penalties to Leadership in the Assault phase. If a unit fails a morale check in the shooting phase and still have over half their models, they are pinned instead of falling back. This is useful because it can turn an instance of losing combat from a guaranteed break to simply a normal chance of breaking. While being pinned manages to negate some of the disadvantages of the Militia subtype, potentially saving the unit if they get charged by the squad that just shot at them. This makes those Discipline Masters even more valuable for the Ld boost and morale reroll.
**'''Frenzon:''' units can buy ''Furious Charge (1)'' for 25 points. As most of your units are behind their opponents in terms of WS, Strength, and Toughness, this merely closes the gap for one assault phase.
**You can capitalise on this with Feral Warriors for added Weapon Skill and Chain Axes for even more strength and accuracy for that charge. Though the costs add up quickly, remember even a baseline human with WS 4, Furious Charge and Chainaxe (with sidearm) will be getting 3 attacks on the charge at S5. Yes they'll still be I3, but if you take Shotguns on another unit (or give them to Grenadier Squads), with luck you'll be hitting on 3s (and be hit on 5s) and be wounding on 3s (with re-rolls). That means your buck standard 20 man Infantry Squad just killed almost '''12 marines''' (not accounting for the 2-3 casualties you'll take when they strike first)...and it only costs you 155 points for that squad. Throw them at the similarly costed 10 man Tactical Squad with bolters and watch your shitty mortals [[What|beat Marines in CQC]].
**Remember that Cavalry unit units and Monstrous units (Ogryns) cannot be pinned, so this provenance renders those types virtually immune to morale in the shooting phase at least until they drop below half models.
*'''Survivors of a Dark Age:''' Suffered a big change from last edition. Now the only thing it does is grant Grenadier squads and Command Cadres the ability to select Rhinos, Termite Assault Drills, and Land Raiders as dedicated transports. Considering that the army doesn't have any dedicated transport options any more, the provenance could be worth it on that point alone. However, those vehicles gain the ''Third-Line'' subtype and drop their BS to 3, while not recieving any kind of discount for the downgrades. Still, it allows for mass deployment of Land Raiders that even some Astartes armies cannot afford thanks to the lower taxes that need to be spent on mortal units.
**'''Void Jumpers:''' For an extra 20 points, your Recon squads using this Provenance can be given Jump Packs, granting them a 12" move range that ignores terrain. They also swap their weapons with two laspistols or two autopistols. While the added mobility is nice, especially on ''Light'' infantry that can already infiltrate; they remain fragile guardsmen, and that weapon swap puts them perilously close to literally everything that can take them out.
*'''Armoury of the Old Night:''' Holy crap, this one is good. Firstly, all eligible models may replace their Lasgun with a Lasrifle for free. This limits mobility somewhat, but can extends the range of the S3 shots to 30", or grants them a S6 alternate firing mode. Suddenly, ''every'' soldier in the army becomes a threat to nearly everything for no additional cost.
**'''Relic Arms:''' for an additional cost of 30 points per unit. Grenadier squads and Command Cadres may replace their Lasguns with Assault Needlers or Volkite Chargers, or Laspistols with Volkite Serpenta or a Needle Pistols. May also swap Sniper Rifles with Needle Vilnius, and may swap Heavy Stubbers with Volkite Culverins or Needle Cannons. These options effectively give you one over on nearly every opponent. With Warrior Elite you can have a whole army that wounds most enemies on 3+. ''Pinning'' on Needle weapons is an added bonus.
**'''Heirlooms of Past Glory:''' Force Commanders using this Provenance can replace a Power Sword with a Paragon Blade for 10 points. They may also replace a laspistol with an Archeotech pistol for 10 points. While a Paragon Blade is nice, you still have to pay for the Power Sword first, and that becomes a lot of points to spend on a squishy character with WS4. Even with Archeotech pistols being good, Force Commanders already have access to the widest range of pistols in the Blast, Needle and Flame variety, so really have to decide if it is worth it.
*'''Feral Warriors:''' All eligible units gain +1 WS when charging, but must declare charges if able to do so.
**'''Chainaxes:''' any model with a close combat weapon ''(practically everyone)'' can buy a Chainaxe for 2pts per model, or replace a chainsword for 1pt.
*'''Kinfolk Helots:''' Literally Squats this time around. The whole army gains +1 Toughness but drops their movement and initiative by -1. Every Character, so all squad sergeants and attached advisors, gains ''Battlesmith (6+)'' with Independent Characters instead gaining ''Battlesmith (5+)''.
**May not be taken with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. They're Squats, not [[Halflings]].
*'''Abhuman Muster:''' All units gain +1 strength, but -1 BS. They also all gain ''Bulky (2)'' if they didn't already have a different version of Bulky. All models also gain ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'' with Independent Characters and Monstrous units instead gaining ''Hammer of Wrath (2)'', though Ogryns already have [[Fail|HoW (2)]]...
**This may not be combined with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. But the bonus still applies to Ogryns that you might take anyway.
*'''Debased Rabble:''' ''(Traitors only)'' All units gain ''Crusader'' and ''Hatred (Everything)'', but they must declare a charge when able to do so.
**Grenadier squads may not be taken at all. And may not be combined with Survivors of the Dark Age Provenance.
*'''Tainted Flesh:''' ''(Traitors only)'' Eligible units gain ''Fear (1)'' and ''Furious Charge (1)''. However, all compulsory Troops must be Militia Levy squads, and the detachment may not include more other Infantry-type units than it already has Levy squads. In addition, the only permitted HQ choices are Force Commanders and Rogue Psykers
**May not be taken with Survivors of a Dark Age, Gene Crafted, Ogryn Conscripts, or Alchem-Jackers Provenances
*'''Ogryn Conscripts:''' Ogryn Brute squads can be taken as Troops choices, with those taken as Compulsory Troops gaining the ''Line'' subtype. In addition, Discipline Masters, Militia Medicare and Force Commanders can join Ogryn Brutes, ignoring the usual restrictions.
*'''Industrial Stronghold:''' Leman Russes can now be taken as Squadrons of up to six tanks, rather than being one per slot. You also gain two more Heavy Support slots solely for Leman Russes.
**May not be taken with Unending Hordes, Debased Rabble, Tainted Flesh, or Ogryn Conscripts Provenances
*'''Unending Hordes:''' Militia Infantry and Militia Levy that are destroyed can be returned to reserves on a D6 roll of 4+. They retain their wargear options, though any attached advisors are lost. Grenadier squads become Elite choices when using this Provenance.

===Wargear===
====Ranged Weapons====
This army has staggering variety of less than staggering guns, allowing you precise control over the balance and type of your firepower to affordability.

*'''Lasgun / Autorifle:''' functionally the same weapon, 24" S3 AP- Rapid Fire. Nearly every unit has this as standard. However most units can replace them with better options.
*'''Lascarbine:''' 18" S3 AP6 Assault 2 lasguns. So you trade some maximum range for more shots at the mid range, and the freedom to charge after.
*'''Stubcarbine''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 3. Even shorter range, but beats out the Lasgun at Rapid Fire distances. If you anticipate being this close then it is the clear winner. Though you are certain to be counter attacked and chewed up from being this close.
*'''Shotgun:''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 2, but with ''Concussive (1)''. They can potentially reduce the WS of their target unit by one if they fail a leadership save. Obviously everyone has better WS than Militia, so if you can actually get this to work, it can make a fight against a non-elite melee opponent slightly more manageable, if not winnable. But everyone also have better Ld than Militia, so it is unlikely to really come into play a lot. If you actually intend to get into combat with some units, then it may be worth taking. Otherwise a Stubcarbine is strictly better at the same range.
**On the flip side, while a single unit cannot force multiple Concussive tests...multiple units CAN. So if you're taking Shotguns, go all in. A squad of Grenadiers might only have a 25% chance to make Marines fail a LD test...but if they're backed up by an Infantry Squad who also shot the Marines then you now have a 50% chance. Not to mention Ogryn's can take Thunderstubs with Concussive, so you can back them up with this same tactic.

*'''Laspistol:''' 12" S3 AP- pistol that everyone knows. Better than nothing.
*'''Autopistol:''' 9" S3 AP- Pistol 2. Any unit that has access to a Laspistol generally may take an Autopistol instead if they choose to. The 3" loss in range will barely matter in most instances, particularly if either party intends to get into assault, as either player will try to close to a comfortable distance to make sure that charge distance roll actually succeeds. So the Autopistol is usually the better choice for attackers and units performing overwatch reactions.
*'''Blast Pistol:''' Available to several kinds of Squad Leader, as well as Discipline Masters. 9" range with S6 AP4, Pistol 2. Superior to Autopistols in nearly every aspect and are a reliable threat against everything up to light vehicles, they usually come in cheap at 5 points for the upgrade which is definitely worth the price.
*'''Bolt Pistol:''' Most models with access to Blast Pistols have access to Bolt pistols for the same cost. Unless you think you need the extra 3" range, then the extra shot and strength will always be the better choice.
*'''Plasma Pistol:''' getting more expensive. 12" S7 AP4 with ''Breaching (4+)'' and ''Gets Hot''. One of the best pistols that a character can be given as it can reliably kill the typical models that the rest of the squad will also be shooting at, but if the weapon explodes it is unlikely that the model carrying it will survive. But the model carrying it was unlikely to survive very long from being within 12" of the enemy in any case.

=====Armoury of the Old Night=====
These relic options may only be taken by certain characters or when using the right Provenance. So shall be listed separately to save confusion with more standard gear

*'''Lasrifle:''' the superior Lasgun, which becomes a free upgrade with the right Provenance. It is always a Heavy weapon, so it drops the mobility of the unit quite a lot. However the range of the S3 volley increases to 30" which is more than double that if the rapid fire range of the standard Lasgun. It also gains a Blast Charger mode, giving it 18" range, S6 AP4. Imagine having a whole army with S6 weapons for free? While the range is short and marines still get their saves, in bulk this weapon can easily threaten everything they fire at. Even T6 Primarchs should be wary about charging into a massed unit of these.

*'''Needle Pistol:'''
*'''Assault Needler:'''
*'''Needle Cannon:'''
*'''Needle Vulnus:'''

*'''Volkite Serpenta:'''
*'''Volkite Charger:'''
*'''Volkite Culverin:'''

====Melee Weapons====

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Force Commander:''' You need one of these in your detachment in order to use Provenances, and all other HQ choices have the ''Support Squad'' rule, so you need one anyway. Thankfully Provenances are free this edition, so that's less of a worry. This guy has lots of good options, so he can easily be customized out the way you want him to be, and also has some of the best pistol choices in the army. The problem is that he is WS/BS4 I3, so cannot really compete in an environment that includes Space Marines, Custodians, and Primarchs. So unless you can match up some Provenances to gear that makes him marginally impressive, sometimes it's better to just go cheap and focus your attention on your flavourful squads instead.
**A Charnabal Saber is actually a good melee weapon for him, with S3 he only tends to wound on 5+ anyway. This weapon then makes all of those wounds AP2 with ''Breaching (5+)'', and with ''Duelists Edge (1)'' it can even the playing field somewhat against regular warriors in challenges.
**With Legacy of the Great Crusade his Initiative jumps from 3 to 5, which suddenly puts him ahead of most basic units in other armies, giving him a fighting chance against random sergeants who might think he is easy pickings.
**With Armoury of the Old Night, he can buy a Paragon Blade and/or an Archeotech pistol. These become added expenses that probably don't justify their points on a model that won't really utilise it properly.

*'''Discipline Master Cadre:'''

*'''Imperial Militia Command Cadre:'''

*'''Rogue Psyker''' ''(Traitors only)''

*'''Expeditionary Navigator''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Made available to all factions as part of the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list. Currently this is the only way for loyalists to get a "psyker" in the detachment, and for 50 points you aren't getting much, a fragile conscript model with a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to interfere with enemy Deep Strike within 12".
**He only gets one power: the Lidless Stare, which is S2 using the flame template and has ''Pinning''. It also has ''Force'' if you want to risk the models only wound to double the strength to the overwhelmingly massive score of four.

*'''Davinite Lodge Priest''' ''(Militaris Attaché)''

===Troops===
*'''Militia Infantry Squad:''' The core Troops choice. For 80 points you get twenty models with a variable loadout depending on your taste, and they are one of your only sources of ''Line'' for claiming objectives. With ''Strength in Numbers'' you may also take up to three squads per Troops slot. Which means you can get your objective claiming needs sorted out while leaving yourself plenty of other slots for spamming the better support units.
**Lasguns/Autorifles have the traditional balance of range vs number of shots, and can outrange all of the other standard weapons, which can be good for keeping the enemy out of charge range. Furthermore, these weapons can purchase bayonets to give the squad +1 strength in melee. Not quite a winner, but certainly provides the squad a bit more utility.
**Shotguns have ''Concussive'' so are potentially able to reduce the enemy WS by -1 for a turn. At that range it can be a lifesaver when you inevitably get counter charged, as most common opponents could be reduced to equal weapon skill. Not entirely reliable as a lot of units are going to pass the test, or simply not care. But if you are going melee focussed for your army, this could be the better choice.
**Lascarbines/Stubcarbines reduce the working range of Lasgun in order to gain more shots. Remember at these ranges, the squad is likely to be taken out by a volley or two of bolter fire. Stubcarbines are then probably the better choice, as twenty models can throw out sixty shots at 12", giving the best chance of reducing the enemy numbers before that inevitable counter volley/charge.
**Taking pistols and melee weapons means committing the squad to melee, for an army that really doesn't like it. You should really only choose this if you're building the entire army around a melee build (like Feral Warrior/Alchem-Jackers).
**One model can also choose to take a special weapon from the standard list. The choice should match the weapon the rest of the squad takes. So longer ranged weapons like Heavy Stubbers and Sniper Rifles will do better alongside lasguns. While Flamers work better with Carbines because of the similar ranges. Meltaguns are probably not worth it because the rest of the squad are unlikely to harm whatever the Melta forces them to shoot at. While Grenade Launchers are a happy medium that work against everything the other 19 squad members have a reasonable chance of hurting.
**Weirdly, while you might expect the Flamer to be the best option for a melee squad...it's actually the Grenade Launcher because the Frag profile has ''Pinning''. Marines have a 75% chance to pass the leadership test if hit with it, but even a 25% chance of not taking any reaction fire is going to help a lot.

*'''Militia Levy Squad:''' 20-50 conscripts at 2 points per model with a Lasgun, autogun, or a pistol and melee weapon. You can't really get cheaper than that. And with ''Strength in Numbers'' you can take up to three squads per slot, so you can really bulk up on the model count if you want to cover an impressive amount of ground. Like last edition, they are still expendable, so do not confer any victory points for their destruction.
**Changes to the basic rules mean that there is considerable risk to taking them though. The Expendable rule also means that if they ever fail a morale check, they just get removed entirely, so the downsides of Militia subtype just get overwritten with worse outcomes. This makes it hard, if not impossible to use them as a tarpit unit. They do not have ''Line'' so can never score objectives, and with changes to Weapon Skill rules, they are less likely to hit anything in melee, while being more easily hit back. It seems their purpose now is to truly be an expendable unit to throw at the enemy as a distraction while you do more important things with other units.

*'''Militia Grenadier Squad:''' Your other ''Line'' choice, but this one has the ''Support Squad'' rule, so cannot be taken as a Compulsory unit unless you also selected Warrior Elite. These guys are the Stormtrooper analogues, and all come with 4+ saves and +1 Leadership when compared to regular troopers. They have all the same weapon selections as regular Militia Infantry squads, so the same advice applies here. With the possible exception of remembering that with 4+ saves they are more likely to survive up close against bolter fire, therefore Carbines can be confidently recommended.
**Grenadiers are subject to far more changes from Provenances than any other unit, so their roles can change wildly depending on the Force Commander. In Warrior Elite armies they become the Primary objective takers, Legacy of the Great Crusade armies make them more accurate, Survivors of the Dark Age turns them into Mechanised Mobile troops, while in Armoury of the Old Night armies they gain incredible firepower that can put other armies basic units to shame. In Debased Cults and Unending Horde armies they become less common, or unavailable altogether.
**Note that they get both their long arms alongside a pistol and basic close combat weapon. This is important for some Provenances, for example with Feral Warriors they can take the god combo (at least for this army) of Chainaxe ''and'' Shotgun.

*'''Fire Support Squad:''' your heavy weapon squads, just like with imperial guard, but as Troops choices with no platoon tax. Unfortunately as ''Support Squads'' they cannot be Compulsory choices. They come in units of 3-10 teams and have the full range of guard weapons, including heavy stubbers, heavy bolters, mortars, multilasers, missiles, autocannons, and lascannons. This unit has awesome potential.
**However, the downside is that they have the ''Emplaced'' rule. Which prohibits their Reaction choices to Return Fire, Overwatch, or Interceptor, which admittedly are the only ones you'd want to use anyway. But also means that if they ever have to fall back for any reason, they abandon their weapons and are removed from the game.

*'''Reconnaissance Squad:''' Your "elite" troops choice. Coming with shotguns as standard, yhey all have ''Scout, Infiltrate'' and ''Moves Through Cover'' as well as having the '' Light'' subtype, giving them more mobility if they decide to Run and Gun. However, 50 points for five GEQ models is an awful lot to ask, and those sniper rifles come in at 10 points per model meaning this squad can easily become fragile pointsinks that have to work hard to justify their cost. Even so they are still one of the cheapest Troop choices in the game. Just have a plan for them.
**It's worth remembering that Sniper Rifles and Long Las weapons are two very separate weapons in this list. Sniper Rifles are more appropriate for taking out high value officers with their 72" range and ''Rending (5+)'' rule. While the Long Las is more effective at taking out light vehicles with S6 and ''Sunder''. This means that Infiltrating into a good position at the start of the game can be crucial depending on the chosen target, such as getting a good angle on weaker rear vehicle armour.

===Dedicated Transports===

===Elites===
*'''Ogryn Brute Squad:''' 3-10 Ogryns with big sticks and flak armour, with a squad upgrade option to take Carapace armour for a set cost. They don't get a squad leader unless their unit size is five or more. Each model can take a single wargear choice for five points, and mixing is allowed. Generally speaking, Thunderstubs or Ripper Guns would be the best choice. As the former grants an extra attack in close combat, while the latter has a sufficient rate of fire that it overcomes the Ogryns appalling BS2. Thunderstubs are very cool, but are so short ranged that you may never get a chance to use them.
**Never take a second basic CQC weapon on them, because due to the usual FW proofreading [[Fail|it costs as much as a Thunderstub which gives you +1 attack '''and''' a short ranged Concussive (1) shot]].
**You can mix and match the weapons options, so consider throwing one or two boarding shields into a unit with Ripper Guns or Thunderstubs to tank those AP5+ (or AP4+) shots.
**An Ogryn Boss has a separate list of wargear to choose from, but can still select an item from the standard Ogryn gear. So it is possible, and probably recommended, to pair up a better close combat weapon such as a Power Axe or Thunder Hammer alongside a Boarding Shield to make an effective challenger.
**They still have the Militia subtype, so have to be wary about failing morale checks and losing models, and unfortunately they cannot have attached advisors unless you expressly use the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. Thankfully they have the ''Stubborn'' rule, so unlike the rest of the army, they can have the most reliable morale, despite having the same scores as everyone else. So if you want some modicum of longevity, then best to stack up on models and go for the Boss to get the Ld boost.
**Ogryns do well in combination with several other Provenances, so look for best ways to help them out. Feral Warriors for instance let's them swap those basic close combat weapons for Chain Axes, giving them S6 and ''Shred'', without actually taking up one of their weapon upgrade choices. While Warrior Elite adds that valuable +1 Ld to a squad that cannot normally gain Ld boosts from anywhere else.
**While a lot of Provenances say that they cannot be combined with Ogryn Conscripts. That doesn't actually stop you from taking Ogryn squads and gaining the benefit anyway. So you can get Ogryn Brutes in [[Squat|Kinsfolk]] armies and have Toughness 6 and ''Battlesmith (6+)'' on their Boss. Or setting their base Strength to 6 when using Abhuman Muster.
**As usual, Ogryns are the diamond in the rough of the baseline human list. With Feral Warriors and Alchem-Jackers, you can get a 220 point (read: similar cost to a 20 man Despoiler Squad) unit of five WS5 Absolute Units with Chainaxes and Thunderstubs. This gives you a total of 30 attacks at S7 with ''Shred''. Assuming you used a second unit with Shotguns and/or your Thunderstubs to dump ''Concussive'' on your <s>victim</s> target unit, you will not care about the fact you're striking second because you're hitting on 3s and those Marines are now hitting on 5s...and your also wounding on wounding on 2s (with a re-roll). Yes, Marines will get their saves, but that doesn't help them much when they've just been hit with an average of 20 wounds (plus another 8 from HoW). Ironically this is less wounds than an Infantry Squad can shit out for less points, but Ogryns are more durable and can take Carapace Armour for another 25 points.
**If you want to, you can also add a Boss with a Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield to the above for another 70 points, do this is you want someone to challenge Marine Sergeants or even no-name Centurions and '''Praetors''', because apparently the Emperor's genetic engineering loses out to several millenia of life in an environment to which "natural selection" translated to "tard strength". Or to translate, he'll be dumping six S12, AP2, Brutal (2) attacks at WS5, enough to squash '''three''' Sergeants or Centurions or even almost '''''two fucking Praetors'''''. And most importantly, even when that Praetor (who costs at least twice as much as the Ogryn Boss) hits back with his own Thunder Hammer, he'll only take off about 1 wound, because [[What|your fat retard has Strength 12 so will ID the Praetor's T4, but the Praetor has Strength 8 so won't ID your fat retard's T5]]. This means it's not just the no-name Praetors that Joe Ogryn can beat, even named Praetors who don't have Eternal Warrior or a weapon with the ID special rule (or Murderous Strike and a good number of attacks) will likely fall to this beast. Anyone else starting to think Emps may have failed to see the real evolution of humanity?

*'''Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment:''' 3-12 field medics that you can disperse to other infantry squads in your army to grant them ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' that cannot be combined with any other version of the rule, nor can multiple medics be stacked on the same unit. Given his fragile your infantry are, any addition to their survivability is usually a welcome one. But a 6+ save is unlikely to reliably affect any outcomes.
**Medics inherit the rules/subtypes of whatever unit they get attached to, so bear this in mind. So yes, that Provenance that lets you attach them to Ogryns also means you [[What|get Ogryn medics]]. Maybe kitbash them from Ogre Kingdoms Butchers?

*'''Field Gun Artillery Battery:''' A Rapier analogue with one key difference, the gun crew and weapon all count as a single model, effectively making them an even bigger version of the Fire Support squad. They also have the ''Emplaced'', so if they fall back, they are fucked. In terms of weapons they actually have three good choices:
**The basic Thunderblast Cannon is a safe bet. It is a S7 AP4 Blast (3) weapon with ''Barrage'' and ''Pinning'' while other artillery pieces in the army can do similar jobs better, getting them in elite slots for relatively cheap is always nice to have.
**The Heavy Lascannon is pretty much a normal Lascannon with S10. It is inferior in stopping power to a Laser Destroyer but has better range. The unfortunate downside is the added cost of effectively 60 points per gun, which adds up in bulk. You otherwise could have had regular lascannons in Fire Support squads for 35 points per gun, which usually does the job just as well.
**The Kaliope Mortar is analogous to the Quad Mortar in many respects. They have the same strength and AP, and both use the Large Blast template. The Quad Mortar has a longer range and ''Shred'', but the Kaliope has a trick up its sleeve in the fact that it causes ''Pinning'' with ''Shell Shock (1)'' meaning that it can reliably shut down enemy squads. It doesn't cost any extra either so it allows for peppering quite large areas when taken in multiples per unit, and ends up being cheaper than multiple Rapiers for potentially a better outcome.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Cavalry Squad:''' At last! Rough Riders are a part of the Imperial Militia. You get a proper fast moving unit that has a surprising amount of punch. They all have a pistol and close combat weapon as standard, but can choose an additional weapon on top of that. Shotguns, Lascarbines, and Stubcarbines are all perfectly viable options, though the unit gets access to the unique Militia Lance, giving them S7 AP3, with ''Brutal (2)'' and ''Sudden Strike (2)'', meaning when they charge they now hit at Initiative 5 and have a respectable chance of killing any MEQ in a single hit before they get struck back. ''Ungainly'' means they only ever get one attack with this weapon, and only ever when charging. So it pays to match up units that use it with accuracy boosting Provenances like Feral Warriors or Debased Rabble.
**They can also take Carapace armour for a single cost, giving them much needed survivability if you intend to get them close enough for melee combat.
**Feral Warriors also allows them to swap their basic combat weapon with a Chainaxe, which makes a perfectly serviceable back-up weapon if you can't use, or don't take, the Lances.
**Remember that they are still Militia, so if you use them as a melee unit, they are still likely going to break and be destroyed very easily when the opponent strikes them back. Luckily Discipline Masters can be added to them if they buy their own mounts.
**Much like Grenadiers, they take their long arm (or Lance) separately to their pistol and close combat weapon. Overall meaning in some builds you can just treat them as faster Grenadiers.
*'''Cargo-8 Hauler Squadron:'''
*'''Arvus Lighter:''' It's a flying transport for 40 points. It has no weapons to speak of, and can't even be jury-rigged like last edition.l, effectively turning it into a rather expensive drop pod. With that in mind, there aren't really many ways to get Deep Strike in this list without taking Survivors of a Dark Age, so if you want to vary your deployment this is it. Because of its capacity of 12 it can only really transport Grenadiers, Recon squads and HQ units.
*'''Sentinel Squadron:'''
*'''Thunderbolt Fighter:''' Compared to the Astartes version, it gets a 50 point discount for effectively the same skeleton of a unit. 120 points is a more reasonable cost for your only serviceable flyer. However you are BS3 and have the ''Third Line'' rule in exchange for that discount. GW also didn't fix the inherent problem of having more guns than you can fire.
*'''Beastmasters:''' Quite frankly a very bad unit for a number of reasons, you get three milita for 50 points, '''before''' factoring in what animals you want to add to the unit. You also need one Handler for each creature that gets added in, so you have to buy more of the crappy dudes in order to get more Beasts. Unfortunately the militia and beasts have mutually exclusive subtypes and profiles: With the exception of the Caiman, all Beasts are faster than their humans, and are therefore stuck at the slowest speeds. Most Beasts have ''Light'' which '''would''' allow them to get +1 Initiative when running, but are prevented from doing so [[Fail|as long as any humans remain in the unit.]] Furthermore, any Provenances taken by the Force Commander will not apply to Beasts because they lack the Milita subtype which makes them eligible, but the Beasts will still suffer from the drawbacks inherent to ''Militia'' subtype as long as the unit contains any models with the rule, therefore are liable to being removed from play under certain situations while stuck with their Handlers. Best case scenario? Kill off the Handlers as soon as possible and let the animals run wild!
**Mastiffs, Felidae, and Raptors all have ''Fleet (1)'', but as above, are unable to use the rule while any humans remain in the unit.
**Mastiffs have ''Furious Charge (1)'', which allows them to strike at S5 on the charge.
**Felinids have ''Rage (1)'' to get four (2+1+1) attacks on the charge. They also have the highest initiative, but because they are only S3 their odds of hurting anything is quite slim.
**Raptors have ''Shrouded (4+)'' so they get an actually good damage mitigation save against shooting. They don't have an armour value at all, but it's fairly irrelevant when the other animals have 5+/6+ saves which are ignored by simple Bolters. Raptors also have three attacks base, so have equivalent or better damage output to Felidae, just at a lower initiative.
**Caiman have S5/T5, two wounds, and ''Feel No Pain (5+)'', so they are clearly the hardest hitters of the bunch and are the hardest to kill under regular circumstances. They also have the slowest speed and aren't ''Light'' so they lose the least while still being attached to their Handlers.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Rapier Battery:''' Your mobile artillery unit. Regardless of the weapon you choose, they always have ''Relentless'' so they can move and shoot. They start with Gravis Multi-lasers, but you can swap them for Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Quad Launchers.
**Unlike most of the other artillery units, this one doesn't suffer from any variant rule where they abandon their guns if they fall back. They are still ''Militia'' so morale is a worry, but at least this gives you a second chance if there are enough models in the unit.

*'''Heavy Ordnance Battery:''' Earthshaker guns that have the longest range out of the entire armoury. Able to strike pretty much anywhere on the table, Earthshakers are very likely to wound their targets with S9 and ''Shred'', and at 75 points for the initial cannon, and 65 for each additional one, they are very reasonably priced. They are Immobile though, and the Ld7 crew have a special rule where if they fall back the guns are simply lost, this makes them really fragile, which probably accounts for the cost. They can buy up to twenty crewmen for only 2 points per model, so arguably should be stocked up as much as possible to avoid those 25% shooting morale checks.

*'''Imperial Militia Leman Russ:''' Leman Russes, everyone's favourite, chosen from the vanilla, annihilator, exterminator, demolisher and vanquisher flavours. Unfortunately there are no options for sponson weapons here.

*'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' One highly customisable vehicle, every weapon on the tank can be swapped out for something else, so depending the model you have, or your skill at kitbashing, you could possibly have a tank with a battlecannon and a demolisher cannon, or lascannons all the way around, or something in between.
**Malcadors are actually the one of the fastest units in the army list with a movement speed of 14.
**The tank also has the ''Support Squad'' rule, which in most cases is meaningless, since Heavy Support slots are not usually compulsory unless you are playing some unique mission variant.

*'''Gorgon Heavy Transporter:'''
**[[Derp|GW forgot that Open Topped isn't a thing anymore, so because it isn't an Assault Vehicle that big ramp is meaningless]].

===Lord of War===

*'''[[Baneblade|Militia Baneblade]]:''' - This edition it comes with the ''Third Line'' drawbacks, but it's still a Superheavy Vehicle it is less bothered by penetrating hits, so the downside is mitigated somewhat. Though outclassed by the Legion Fellblade, the Baneblade is still a nasty proposition to face. Sporting a Baneblade cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon and a twin-linked heavy bolter. With the option of two Lascannons and two more twin-linked heavy bolters/flamers ''(the sponsons don't come as standard here)'' optional pintle mounts, AND optional Hunter-killer missile, it is a rolling fortress of death, and it is your only Lord of War choice, so you are going to want one.

===Fortifications===

==Allies==
The Militia is a bit of an oddball in terms of alliances. While considered part of the Imperial Army, taking the Kinfolk Helots, Abhuman Muster or Ogryn Conscripts provenances immediately dump your friendship with the legions and Solar Auxilia forces to Distrusted Allies.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

===Solar Auxilia===

===Legio Custodes & Sisters of Silence===
One word: Don't.

The Custodes treat the Militia as by the Emperor's Command, so you can't do anything for them aside from being a disposable meatwall.

The Sisters of Silence can't do anything for the Militia just by the simple virtue of the Anathema sub-type. Considering how shit your Leadership is, this won't ever end well for you.

==Tactics==

==Building your Army==

USE YOUR DAMN IMAGINATION! Want an army of Felinids? Abhuman Helots and Gene-Crafted. Only Renegades & Heretics have more customization. This army is about as customizable as they are but, they're less diverse both in the base units available and being restricted by the biggest source of customization being army wide. The units can take a startling rainbow of standard weapons, but like a rainbow, many of the options are almost the same. Its entirely possible (albeit better for friendly counts as games) to proxy a fantasy army, such as the Empire or possibly Skaven. Look at the stuff available on GW's website. Empire, Elf, Guard, Skaven, (some) Skitarii, even ORKS (with some converting) can work! Since many tournaments ban forgeworld anyway, look to other model sites if it suits your fancy. All of it works, all of its totally fluff friendly. WoC? Feral worlders. Infinity stuff? Technological advanced enclave. A WW2 model range? You get the idea. If you ever wanted to make an army thats truly "you", a one of a kind masterpiece, et cetera, this is for you. You may not exactly win, but you sure as hell wont be forgotten. Hell, make your army a bunch of chicks with swag armour and do a proto-sisters of battle army. Then piss people off and give them gene-crafted for Sister Marines, alchem-jackers with frenzon for RED RAGE sisters, or cyber sex gals.
If you're using Survivors of the Dark Age and decent armor, why not make an army of [[Adeptus_Arbites|Arbites]]? Survivors of the Dark Age and Abhuman Helots work for an army of Squats. Any combination of Tainted Flesh, Abhuman Helots, Feral Warriors and
Cult Horde could give you an army of [[Beastmen]]. Want something vaguely Calibanite? Warrior Elite and SotDA works well to that end.

{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

Carnifex

2023-04-29T14:13:02Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Screamer-Killer */

[[Image:Carnifex and Gaunts Victorious.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Better to die than be nom'd.]]

A '''Carnifex''' (''Carnifex voracio'') is a monstrous [[Tyranid]] creature from the ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' game. Carnifexes are hulking beasts that are often used quite literally as battering rams, barging through enemy lines and tossing tanks around like toys. However, the Carnifex is among the most customizable of Tyranid units, allowing for many different varieties to fulfill different roles on the battlefield. They range from the above mentioned battering ram, to a weapons platform for anti-horde duties. 'Fexes are notoriously resilient thanks to a combination of an [[Armoured Exoskeleton]] and [[Armoured Shell]], and can even be upgraded with regeneration - a mutation previously unique to a Carnifex special character known as Old One Eye, but later introduced to the standard Tyranid army list - making them extremely difficult to kill; It's pretty much a diet Robo-Tarrasque. ''40k'' players commonly name specific variations of Carnifex by taking another word that represents the concept and appending "-fex" to the end. For example, the Dakkafex is a [[shooty]] Carnifex based on the [[Ork]] term "[[dakka]]".

'''Note:''' In Latin, "Carnifex" literally means "butcher," (even more literally, "meat maker") but is also used for an "executioner," a "tallow-renderer," or, more figuratively, a "murderer" or "villain."

==Carnifexes in 5th Edition==
[[Image: Discofex.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Thanks to [[Robin Cruddace| This failure]], the days of bosses like this are now long past. ...]]
In the 5th edition, the Carnifex lost a total of ''eighteen biomorphs and weapon options'', having been replaced by [[Nerf|more stringent mandatory loadouts]]. The Carnifex has also faced a doubling in base point cost with rather paltry statistical increases - putting it arguably somewhere between 20-30 points too expensive for the overpowering majority of competitive army lists, and 10 or so points above the cost-effectiveness ratio provided by variant 'Fexes (such as [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]).

How profoundly [[Rage|infuriating]] this is for Tyranid players writ-large cannot be denied, and is notable for being one of the first times that players openly called foul on [[Games Workshop]]. Beyond any doubt, the Carnifex was ''the'' mainstay big fucking unit of Tyranid players and was the one unit that literally every Tyranid player had in their army list. It was the epitome of ubiquitous; you could mount lots of options on it, and all of them, to some degree or another, were viable - until this edition hit. This is most Likely because Games Workshop wants more money and by making the Fex suck you have to buy, from Games Workshop, the Trygon to stand a chance.

Some of the new biomorph weapons and options were nice, and there was options added to make some of the 'Nid swarm a little less vulnerable to being dramatically outgunned, and considerably improved Tyranid psyker units (its command units especially), but in the process, the Carnifex - the one fucking model every 'Nid player and their grandmother had at least one of - got toned down dramatically and is now rather inefficient - as well as much more vulnerable to being taken down quickly by certain units with reasonably-effective armor-penetrating weapons (of particular note: [[Imperial Guard|Guardsmen]] with Missile Launchers, Hunter-Killer Missiles, [[Thousand Sons|Rubric Marines]], [[Necrons]], and [[Stormtrooper]]s, since the fucking thing can't take [[AIDS|Extended Carapace]] anymore.

It enraged players even more that this edition's weapon changes functionally forced people to buy all-new Carnifexes since the old ones they fielded, such as Sniperfexes (which were armed with [[Venom Cannon]]s and [[Barbed Strangler]]s, to give the Tyranids much-needed fire support and allow them to stun enemy vehicles into submission) were no longer valid, whilst several of the new bioweapons, whilst not bad (people like that the [[Venom Cannon]]s can score penetrating hits now) are specifically designed to take bites out of the Carnifex's originally-legendary punch (since the gun now replaces 2 hands). Functionally, the Carnifex is now half as good at ranged support as it was before with only token upgrades in return and the loss of about 33% of the Carnifex's durability, since it can no longer shrug off a ''lot'' of weapons it used to. The new rules for blast weapons (of which the [[Heavy Venom Cannon]] ''is'' one) doesn't exactly help the Carnifex's average accuracy, either, which renders its tankbusting potential rather lacking on top of all this.

Extensive debate on /tg/ has been had since the update, arguing whether the new Carnifex is a direct result of corporate evils or the result of gross incompetence or prejudice on the part of Robin Cruddace, the 5th edition codex writer. As of currently, smart money is on the former; it's widely known that GW is bleeding money due to its fuck-ups, which indicates that this may have something to do with it, especially since Robin Cruddace isn't exactly the biggest fan of Tyranids. Which sort of makes him a reverse [[Matt Ward]].

Again, there are a few bright spots. 3rd edition's Old One Eye is back, even if he does now cost more than a Landraider and is ''barely'' better than a standard Carnifex with no weapons courtesy of Old One Eye's close-combat only biomorph loadout (his primary advantage is that he recovers wounds of fives or mores instead of just sixes, which isn't worth it at all.) The new Hive Guard is a great unit for fucking with [[Tau|Communist Dipshits]] that like to use the old [[Fish of Fury]] tactic. Wider support for variant weapons, previously from Chapter approved, are also a plus. It's a shame that the good stuff gets out-fucked by the bad.

==Carnifexes in 6th Edition==
In 6th the Carnifex saw a buff with a nice price drop from 160 to 120 points bare. However some of the weapons they can use have seen a nerf, notably [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]] (Although their point cost also decreased). The Carnifex gets its biggest bonuses riding the monstrous creature buffs that came around in 6th, such as the ease of cover save availability and the sweet hammer of wrath attack you can make when you charge into battle and swing with [[D3]] S9 I10 attacks to sucker punch some unlucky guy. Fear is generally useless and should not be relied upon to make much of a difference, however if it does take effect the Carnifex gains a big in combat boost vs. [[METAL BOXES|its natural prey.]]

The Carnifex has gotten better with its tank crushing power, now that they have Armourbane and no longer strike at I1. Walkers like the Dreadnought and Soul Grinder still strike before the Carnifex (so equip electroshock grubs and entice them to charge), but they can now deal with Power Fists without suffering a blow from them. Otherwise the carnifex still takes apart vehicles with record efficiency most of the time. Also people field a few less anti-tank weapons in favor of more anti-infantry power due to 6ed move away from mech warfare, not huge but it helps a bit to have one less railgun rammed down your fex's throat. Oh, and if your Carnifex falls out of synapse range, it has a 50% chance of eating itself if there's more than one in a Brood! Even by themselves they can't [[get shit done|get shit done]] because they aren't allowed to shoot, run, or even assault unless it can charge the closest enemy unit (Even a squad of TH/SS Terminators). It no longer gets Rage unless you roll a 6, even then it still follows the 5th edition Rage, so keep them in Synapse range!

All in all the Carnifex is now a viable choice to field and is now more versatile with the choice to go either Two Twin-linked [[Brainleech Devourer]]s, a Cannon of your choice with Crushing Claws, or even just stock equipment with Regeneration to act as an escort for a Tyranid Prime. Old One Eye is still a meh choice, slightly better, but lacks the buff other HQ can give to your army while not being a solid enough HQ to contribute its own to the battle in any real way.

(With 6th second force org chart at +2000 point games, you can field a total of 18 fexes, that's about 72 T6 wounds and up to as many as 126 S9 attacks on the charge (If raging, but that heavily relies on luck) and could go up as high as 180 attacks with crushing claws on Vehicles(very unlikely, but hella scary to think about)!

==Carnifexes in 8th edition==

So far so good, it seems. They've seen a MASSIVE reduction in price, going from 125 points in 6th/7th, to a mere ''67 points base'', though, you need to pay at least 20 extra to actually field one. Though it seems they aren't getting [[Armoured Shell]] back, they are receiving a pretty substantial buff in a couple of ways. First and foremost, they're the rough Dreadnought equivalent of the Tyranid army, with T7, 8W, 3+ save, S6 (With a weapon option that brings them to S12 AP -3, with 3 damage per hit that goes through. (Not really recommended due to -1 to hit, however, unless you're tagging along with OOE), and being a monster/vehicle that doesn't degrade. Though, bringing it down somewhat from its potential are two factors: One, unless Old One Eye is tagging along with them, their weapon skill is a mediocre 4+, basically 5+ if using crushing claws. Not terrible when you have 6 attacks on the charge, unless you have crushing claws in which case its even worse, but not ideal. The other being is when they are taken either shooty or vanilla, their S6 isn't particularly threatening compared to your other options for dedicated melee in this edition like the Swarmlord, the aforementioned OOE, Trygons, Haruspexen, etc. Overall, an extremely solid unit with a bargain price. Getting roughly the equivalent of a Space Marine dreadnought. Good all-rounder unit, from the sounds of things, especially with the option to make squads of them. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out, but it seems the days of Fexen mediocrity are over.

With the Codex, we've gotten a couple variant Carnifexes in the Screamer-Killer and the Thornback, in addition to some minor buffs to Old One Eye (He no longer degrades and gets character protection!). They all also get the universal buff of getting +1 to hit on the charge.

The Screamer Killer is a Carnifex with double [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|scything talons]] and a special form of [[Bio-Plasma]], which is S7, AP-4, and Assault D6, 18" range. Improved from Assault D3, AP-3, and a 12" range. 14 more points then a Carnifex with [[Bio-Plasma]] and double scything talons, before other upgrades are factored in. It also has the Terrifying ability, which adds 1 to any morale tests for enemy units within 8" of any Screamer Killers.

The Thornback is a Carnifex with scything talons (OR a [[Stranglethorn Cannon]]), and your choice of either Twin Monstrous [[Deathspitter]]s/[[Devourer]]s, chitin thorns, and an improved Living Battering Ram rule which gives it a D3 mortal wounds on a 4+ when charging rather then just a single mortal wound. 3 more points then a Carnifex with the same upgrades before other upgrades are factored in. Also has the special ability to ignore cover with its shooting attacks.

Also returning from 4th edition are some long-forgotten Biomorphs straight from the Carnifex sprue, exclusive to the Carnifex! (For now, at least). Weapon options remain the same, however, with the standard choice of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons/Dual Scything Talons]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]], one of the two cannons ([[Venom Cannon|Venom]] or [[Stranglethorn Cannon|Stranglethorn]]), and one or two sets of the Twin-Linked monstrous guns (Either [[Brainleech Devourer]]s or [[Deathspitter]]s). And of course the obligatory Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands.

CARAPACE BIOMORPHS:

Chitin Thorns: Uniquely, can be taken with either of the other Carapace Biomorphs. Currently likely not working as intended unfortunately, as the ruling is "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound.", rather then what is likely intended "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy '''''model''''' within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound." Thornbacks MUST take this. These are the little spikes that no one knows what to do with that come with every Carnifex kit.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Cluster Spines|Spine]] [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Stinger Salvo|Banks]]: Very short ranged S5 AP- Assault 4 shooting with the ability to fire into combat as if it was a pistol. Tied with the Bone Mace as the cheapest biomorph a Carnifex can take, but locks out Spore Cysts.
Thornbacks may take this.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Spore Mine Cysts|Spore Cysts]]: Enemy shooters targeting this Carnifex have -1 to hit. Very useful, but notably expensive at 10 points. Pretty much a must-take. Screamer-Killers may take this. Notable for its change in ability since 4th edition, where it used to spawn Spore Mines in exchange for the attached Carnifex taking wounds.

HEAD BIOMORPHS:

[[Bio-Plasma]]: Still around from the Index, pretty much unchanged, albeit taking it does lock out your options for other head biomorphs.

Enhanced Senses: +1 Ballistic Skill. Extremely useful for any gun-toting Carnifex. Thornbacks may take this. Looks very much insectoid with its <s>three</s> six eyes and weird antennae. Has an alternate modeling option with the smaller antennae which can be attached to the standard Carnifex head if you don't want to use the weird looking one.

Tusks: +1 attack when charging. Useful on a melee-fex so you can pile on attacks, and especially useful combo'd with Old One Eye so you can have 6 S6 attacks hitting on 2s re-rolling 1s on the charge. Arguably the most common biomorph you'll see, due to the popularity of Dawn of War 2, with its carnifexes always having this biomorph, and it just being really cool looking. Also the cheapest head morph.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Acid Maw|Monstrous Acid Maw]]: A melee weapon. Not so useful for melee fexes but something to consider for a gunfex. Looks really freaky with its big old dripping tongue.

TAIL BIORMOPHS:

Almost unchanged from the index, really. [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Tail|Bone Mace or Thresher scythe]]. You have the option of neither though now, annoying all those who impulsively glued one of the two on in haste during the time we had with the Index. One and only one attack though now, which is sad for the Thresher Scythe. No more clearing hordes with it unfortunately.

You can, of course, choose to not take any biomorphs but weapons, which can give you a Carnifex for about 80 points... alternatively you can load up on as many as possible and get a Carnifex for about 150 with all the bells and whistles, coming close to recreating the Godfexes of old.

==Old One Eye==
[[File:OldOneEye.png|200px|thumb|right|Old One Eye before being re-purposed by the Hive Mind.]]
Old One Eye is the only unique Carnifex in the entire Tyranid Codex, along with being one of the few unique characters in said codex. He's known for being ultimately [[fluff]]y but not the slightest bit [[crunch|crunchy]]. He has nothing to back his fluff up.

Old One Eye is a Carnifex that was present when Hive-fleet Behemoth came to fuck the [[Ultramarines|Ultramarines']] world of Calth. Now, like most Carnifex, his armor was nigh impenetrable. Reaching around the problem, a soldier ignored his armor by aiming a [[plasma]] bolt at his head, searing right through his eye and into his skull. The beast was declared dead. He was quickly forgotten, his corpse freezing up during the winter and left behind after his Hive-fleet was obliterated.

Some time later, some scavengers found the ice block and thawed it out, hoping to get some cash. (Yes, they decided to follow the plot of John Carpenter's "The Thing".) However, like a defeated hero who has to do a sequel or the titular alien from the aforementioned film, he quickly regenerated his wounds (save for his original plasma scorched eye). He fucked their shit up, ravaging Calth along with the Tyranid remnants from the original invasions. Rumors were spread of a terrible, single eyed beast hunting the terrified population, earning the creature the title of "Old One Eye." You see, despite being cut off from the Hive Mind, skull fucked by a plasma bolt, and frozen, he was still alive. His long stay on an Ultramarines world had earned him a skill that none could counter: Ultramarine-level Plot armour.

The Ultramarines, unable to stop him with regular means, sent in Scout Sergeant Telion, the [[Matt Ward|greatest scout sergeant/sniper in the Imperium]]. Telion hunted OOE down, cornered him near a cliff, and managed to disable him by shooting his ruined eye socket, causing OOE to stumble into a large ravine to die yet again. However, since he was plated with the same plot armor of the Ultramarines, he survived and traveled around Calth, ravaging more and more Imperial cities. Now, this wasn't OOE's only plot armored moment. OOE has been hit on numerous occasions that would outright kill a regular Carnifex. Rumors abound that the creature was killed dozens of times, only to get back up again like some Necron player who owns cheating amounts of good luck with his Reanimation Protocol rolls.

Nowadays, its frozen body has become a bit of an attraction for a local [[Genestealer Cult]], who [[God-Emperor of Mankind|worship its corpse]] alongside their Patriarch.

Table-top wise, OOE was first introduced in the 3rd edition as one of the two only Special Characters for the Tyranids, who otherwise had no individuals among them. Back then his cost was relatively low (slightly higher than a decent kitted out fex) and came with his unique Crusher Claws. Regeneration was also unique to him, allowing him to AUTOMATICALLY regenerate one wound per turn as well as get back up from being dead on a roll of a 4+ (there was no limit to the number of times he could do this). He was also unique in that he was the only special character that could be taken in an army less than a certain points value (all other characters had a minimum points value to field them. OOE had a Maximum Point value). Needless to say, this was when he reigned supreme since you had something that cost around the price of a dreadnought that can dish out an upwards of 8 attacks on the charge AND ignore wounds. He was removed in 4th edition because it was felt that Tyranids should not have characters within them, as they are a faceless swarm, so OOE's abilities were given to normal carnifexes. This end up kicking the bucket in 5th edition, where he returned but with a boost to his overall point cost while not regaining his borderline-OP regenerative abilities (He still had the claws tho). In 6th edition OOE is a unique HQ choice who's more expensive than a regular Carnifex (30pts less than a Land Raider), while not being able to significantly outperform one. In the retarded 5th Edition that is when the Tyranid army went to the shitters, much like the 5th edition [[Necrons|space zombies]] (Check your 6th edition, Necron are now at the top of the heap). So yeah, he's going about, being [[Dreadknight|one]] [[Jokaero|of]] [[Matt Ward|several]], [[Kaldor Draigo|excellent]] [[Pyrovore|avatars]] of what is wrong with 5th Edition (Cptn. 6th edition here with your morning news, Old one eye; still bad, but <s>a little better</s> get him into close combat and he'll SMASH SOME HEADS).

In 8E, you may as well disregard the above as his rules have completely changed since. Old One Eye is a fairly good special character to take if you like Carnifexes and bring a good amount of them (Not hard to do). He hits hard and with a lot of attacks, having two weapon options, both of which can be useful in certain circumstances. Buffs carnifexes around him with a much-appreciated +1 to hit in the fight phase. As of the Codex, he's the only Monster Character which can receive the benefits of the CHARACTER keyword, having less then 10 wounds. This also means he no longer degrades as he did in the Codex. [[What|This, amusingly, makes him a better choice for a Warlord then the Swarmlord.]] Although he is quite expensive now, he is one of the best tyranid anti-tank units right now, even if there are no other fexes for him to buff. Since he generates extra attacks on a hit roll of 6+, and he gets +1 to hit when charging, AND he gives HIMSELF +1 to hit with his own aura, he will generate extra attacks on hit rolls of 4+ (or 5+ when using the crushing claws). You can basically send the little guy at a tank, and assuming he makes it into melee, the tank will be dead. Doubly so if using a stratagem to let him reroll failed wound rolls.

==Variants==
Throughout the Carnifex's lengthy history, there have been a couple popular loadouts that have stuck around since their introduction back in 2E.

===Screamer-Killer===
[[File:ScreamerKiller.png|200px|thumb|right|...or so we thought, looks like the [[Robin Cruddace|the Ogryn]] lost in the long run.]]
A melee-focused 'fex, equipped with only two pairs of talons with no other armaments to its name. It's named the Screamer-Killer thanks to its unique Bio-Plasmic Scream, which is what happens when it vomits out superheated plasma onto a crowd.

{{clear}}

===Thornback===
A more firepower-focused version of the Carnifex.

{{clear}}
===Stone Crusher===
[[File:StoneCrusherCarnifex.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I came in like a Wrecking Ball!]]
[[Forge World]]'s exclusive Carnifex pattern.

Even nastier and more 'battering ram' styled Carnifexes, used as living siege engines thanks to their [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bio-Flail|Bio-Flail]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Wrecker Claws|Wrecker Claw]] combo. They have a bevvy of special rules making it even easier for them to knock down buildings (never a big problem for 'fexes, but a job's a job), and reduce incoming fire strength. They aren't bad melee 'fexes even if your opponent has no buildings, though, and are reliable enough investments to a stompy 'nid list.

==See Also==
*[[Jeanstealer]]
*[[Lolifex]]
*[[Unyuufex]]
*[[Tyranid]]
*[[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]

== External Links ==

*[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Carnifex The Carnifex article] on [[Lexicanum]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Carnifex

2023-04-29T14:12:40Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Screamer-Killer */

[[Image:Carnifex and Gaunts Victorious.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Better to die than be nom'd.]]

A '''Carnifex''' (''Carnifex voracio'') is a monstrous [[Tyranid]] creature from the ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' game. Carnifexes are hulking beasts that are often used quite literally as battering rams, barging through enemy lines and tossing tanks around like toys. However, the Carnifex is among the most customizable of Tyranid units, allowing for many different varieties to fulfill different roles on the battlefield. They range from the above mentioned battering ram, to a weapons platform for anti-horde duties. 'Fexes are notoriously resilient thanks to a combination of an [[Armoured Exoskeleton]] and [[Armoured Shell]], and can even be upgraded with regeneration - a mutation previously unique to a Carnifex special character known as Old One Eye, but later introduced to the standard Tyranid army list - making them extremely difficult to kill; It's pretty much a diet Robo-Tarrasque. ''40k'' players commonly name specific variations of Carnifex by taking another word that represents the concept and appending "-fex" to the end. For example, the Dakkafex is a [[shooty]] Carnifex based on the [[Ork]] term "[[dakka]]".

'''Note:''' In Latin, "Carnifex" literally means "butcher," (even more literally, "meat maker") but is also used for an "executioner," a "tallow-renderer," or, more figuratively, a "murderer" or "villain."

==Carnifexes in 5th Edition==
[[Image: Discofex.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Thanks to [[Robin Cruddace| This failure]], the days of bosses like this are now long past. ...]]
In the 5th edition, the Carnifex lost a total of ''eighteen biomorphs and weapon options'', having been replaced by [[Nerf|more stringent mandatory loadouts]]. The Carnifex has also faced a doubling in base point cost with rather paltry statistical increases - putting it arguably somewhere between 20-30 points too expensive for the overpowering majority of competitive army lists, and 10 or so points above the cost-effectiveness ratio provided by variant 'Fexes (such as [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]).

How profoundly [[Rage|infuriating]] this is for Tyranid players writ-large cannot be denied, and is notable for being one of the first times that players openly called foul on [[Games Workshop]]. Beyond any doubt, the Carnifex was ''the'' mainstay big fucking unit of Tyranid players and was the one unit that literally every Tyranid player had in their army list. It was the epitome of ubiquitous; you could mount lots of options on it, and all of them, to some degree or another, were viable - until this edition hit. This is most Likely because Games Workshop wants more money and by making the Fex suck you have to buy, from Games Workshop, the Trygon to stand a chance.

Some of the new biomorph weapons and options were nice, and there was options added to make some of the 'Nid swarm a little less vulnerable to being dramatically outgunned, and considerably improved Tyranid psyker units (its command units especially), but in the process, the Carnifex - the one fucking model every 'Nid player and their grandmother had at least one of - got toned down dramatically and is now rather inefficient - as well as much more vulnerable to being taken down quickly by certain units with reasonably-effective armor-penetrating weapons (of particular note: [[Imperial Guard|Guardsmen]] with Missile Launchers, Hunter-Killer Missiles, [[Thousand Sons|Rubric Marines]], [[Necrons]], and [[Stormtrooper]]s, since the fucking thing can't take [[AIDS|Extended Carapace]] anymore.

It enraged players even more that this edition's weapon changes functionally forced people to buy all-new Carnifexes since the old ones they fielded, such as Sniperfexes (which were armed with [[Venom Cannon]]s and [[Barbed Strangler]]s, to give the Tyranids much-needed fire support and allow them to stun enemy vehicles into submission) were no longer valid, whilst several of the new bioweapons, whilst not bad (people like that the [[Venom Cannon]]s can score penetrating hits now) are specifically designed to take bites out of the Carnifex's originally-legendary punch (since the gun now replaces 2 hands). Functionally, the Carnifex is now half as good at ranged support as it was before with only token upgrades in return and the loss of about 33% of the Carnifex's durability, since it can no longer shrug off a ''lot'' of weapons it used to. The new rules for blast weapons (of which the [[Heavy Venom Cannon]] ''is'' one) doesn't exactly help the Carnifex's average accuracy, either, which renders its tankbusting potential rather lacking on top of all this.

Extensive debate on /tg/ has been had since the update, arguing whether the new Carnifex is a direct result of corporate evils or the result of gross incompetence or prejudice on the part of Robin Cruddace, the 5th edition codex writer. As of currently, smart money is on the former; it's widely known that GW is bleeding money due to its fuck-ups, which indicates that this may have something to do with it, especially since Robin Cruddace isn't exactly the biggest fan of Tyranids. Which sort of makes him a reverse [[Matt Ward]].

Again, there are a few bright spots. 3rd edition's Old One Eye is back, even if he does now cost more than a Landraider and is ''barely'' better than a standard Carnifex with no weapons courtesy of Old One Eye's close-combat only biomorph loadout (his primary advantage is that he recovers wounds of fives or mores instead of just sixes, which isn't worth it at all.) The new Hive Guard is a great unit for fucking with [[Tau|Communist Dipshits]] that like to use the old [[Fish of Fury]] tactic. Wider support for variant weapons, previously from Chapter approved, are also a plus. It's a shame that the good stuff gets out-fucked by the bad.

==Carnifexes in 6th Edition==
In 6th the Carnifex saw a buff with a nice price drop from 160 to 120 points bare. However some of the weapons they can use have seen a nerf, notably [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]] (Although their point cost also decreased). The Carnifex gets its biggest bonuses riding the monstrous creature buffs that came around in 6th, such as the ease of cover save availability and the sweet hammer of wrath attack you can make when you charge into battle and swing with [[D3]] S9 I10 attacks to sucker punch some unlucky guy. Fear is generally useless and should not be relied upon to make much of a difference, however if it does take effect the Carnifex gains a big in combat boost vs. [[METAL BOXES|its natural prey.]]

The Carnifex has gotten better with its tank crushing power, now that they have Armourbane and no longer strike at I1. Walkers like the Dreadnought and Soul Grinder still strike before the Carnifex (so equip electroshock grubs and entice them to charge), but they can now deal with Power Fists without suffering a blow from them. Otherwise the carnifex still takes apart vehicles with record efficiency most of the time. Also people field a few less anti-tank weapons in favor of more anti-infantry power due to 6ed move away from mech warfare, not huge but it helps a bit to have one less railgun rammed down your fex's throat. Oh, and if your Carnifex falls out of synapse range, it has a 50% chance of eating itself if there's more than one in a Brood! Even by themselves they can't [[get shit done|get shit done]] because they aren't allowed to shoot, run, or even assault unless it can charge the closest enemy unit (Even a squad of TH/SS Terminators). It no longer gets Rage unless you roll a 6, even then it still follows the 5th edition Rage, so keep them in Synapse range!

All in all the Carnifex is now a viable choice to field and is now more versatile with the choice to go either Two Twin-linked [[Brainleech Devourer]]s, a Cannon of your choice with Crushing Claws, or even just stock equipment with Regeneration to act as an escort for a Tyranid Prime. Old One Eye is still a meh choice, slightly better, but lacks the buff other HQ can give to your army while not being a solid enough HQ to contribute its own to the battle in any real way.

(With 6th second force org chart at +2000 point games, you can field a total of 18 fexes, that's about 72 T6 wounds and up to as many as 126 S9 attacks on the charge (If raging, but that heavily relies on luck) and could go up as high as 180 attacks with crushing claws on Vehicles(very unlikely, but hella scary to think about)!

==Carnifexes in 8th edition==

So far so good, it seems. They've seen a MASSIVE reduction in price, going from 125 points in 6th/7th, to a mere ''67 points base'', though, you need to pay at least 20 extra to actually field one. Though it seems they aren't getting [[Armoured Shell]] back, they are receiving a pretty substantial buff in a couple of ways. First and foremost, they're the rough Dreadnought equivalent of the Tyranid army, with T7, 8W, 3+ save, S6 (With a weapon option that brings them to S12 AP -3, with 3 damage per hit that goes through. (Not really recommended due to -1 to hit, however, unless you're tagging along with OOE), and being a monster/vehicle that doesn't degrade. Though, bringing it down somewhat from its potential are two factors: One, unless Old One Eye is tagging along with them, their weapon skill is a mediocre 4+, basically 5+ if using crushing claws. Not terrible when you have 6 attacks on the charge, unless you have crushing claws in which case its even worse, but not ideal. The other being is when they are taken either shooty or vanilla, their S6 isn't particularly threatening compared to your other options for dedicated melee in this edition like the Swarmlord, the aforementioned OOE, Trygons, Haruspexen, etc. Overall, an extremely solid unit with a bargain price. Getting roughly the equivalent of a Space Marine dreadnought. Good all-rounder unit, from the sounds of things, especially with the option to make squads of them. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out, but it seems the days of Fexen mediocrity are over.

With the Codex, we've gotten a couple variant Carnifexes in the Screamer-Killer and the Thornback, in addition to some minor buffs to Old One Eye (He no longer degrades and gets character protection!). They all also get the universal buff of getting +1 to hit on the charge.

The Screamer Killer is a Carnifex with double [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|scything talons]] and a special form of [[Bio-Plasma]], which is S7, AP-4, and Assault D6, 18" range. Improved from Assault D3, AP-3, and a 12" range. 14 more points then a Carnifex with [[Bio-Plasma]] and double scything talons, before other upgrades are factored in. It also has the Terrifying ability, which adds 1 to any morale tests for enemy units within 8" of any Screamer Killers.

The Thornback is a Carnifex with scything talons (OR a [[Stranglethorn Cannon]]), and your choice of either Twin Monstrous [[Deathspitter]]s/[[Devourer]]s, chitin thorns, and an improved Living Battering Ram rule which gives it a D3 mortal wounds on a 4+ when charging rather then just a single mortal wound. 3 more points then a Carnifex with the same upgrades before other upgrades are factored in. Also has the special ability to ignore cover with its shooting attacks.

Also returning from 4th edition are some long-forgotten Biomorphs straight from the Carnifex sprue, exclusive to the Carnifex! (For now, at least). Weapon options remain the same, however, with the standard choice of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons/Dual Scything Talons]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]], one of the two cannons ([[Venom Cannon|Venom]] or [[Stranglethorn Cannon|Stranglethorn]]), and one or two sets of the Twin-Linked monstrous guns (Either [[Brainleech Devourer]]s or [[Deathspitter]]s). And of course the obligatory Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands.

CARAPACE BIOMORPHS:

Chitin Thorns: Uniquely, can be taken with either of the other Carapace Biomorphs. Currently likely not working as intended unfortunately, as the ruling is "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound.", rather then what is likely intended "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy '''''model''''' within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound." Thornbacks MUST take this. These are the little spikes that no one knows what to do with that come with every Carnifex kit.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Cluster Spines|Spine]] [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Stinger Salvo|Banks]]: Very short ranged S5 AP- Assault 4 shooting with the ability to fire into combat as if it was a pistol. Tied with the Bone Mace as the cheapest biomorph a Carnifex can take, but locks out Spore Cysts.
Thornbacks may take this.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Spore Mine Cysts|Spore Cysts]]: Enemy shooters targeting this Carnifex have -1 to hit. Very useful, but notably expensive at 10 points. Pretty much a must-take. Screamer-Killers may take this. Notable for its change in ability since 4th edition, where it used to spawn Spore Mines in exchange for the attached Carnifex taking wounds.

HEAD BIOMORPHS:

[[Bio-Plasma]]: Still around from the Index, pretty much unchanged, albeit taking it does lock out your options for other head biomorphs.

Enhanced Senses: +1 Ballistic Skill. Extremely useful for any gun-toting Carnifex. Thornbacks may take this. Looks very much insectoid with its <s>three</s> six eyes and weird antennae. Has an alternate modeling option with the smaller antennae which can be attached to the standard Carnifex head if you don't want to use the weird looking one.

Tusks: +1 attack when charging. Useful on a melee-fex so you can pile on attacks, and especially useful combo'd with Old One Eye so you can have 6 S6 attacks hitting on 2s re-rolling 1s on the charge. Arguably the most common biomorph you'll see, due to the popularity of Dawn of War 2, with its carnifexes always having this biomorph, and it just being really cool looking. Also the cheapest head morph.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Acid Maw|Monstrous Acid Maw]]: A melee weapon. Not so useful for melee fexes but something to consider for a gunfex. Looks really freaky with its big old dripping tongue.

TAIL BIORMOPHS:

Almost unchanged from the index, really. [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Tail|Bone Mace or Thresher scythe]]. You have the option of neither though now, annoying all those who impulsively glued one of the two on in haste during the time we had with the Index. One and only one attack though now, which is sad for the Thresher Scythe. No more clearing hordes with it unfortunately.

You can, of course, choose to not take any biomorphs but weapons, which can give you a Carnifex for about 80 points... alternatively you can load up on as many as possible and get a Carnifex for about 150 with all the bells and whistles, coming close to recreating the Godfexes of old.

==Old One Eye==
[[File:OldOneEye.png|200px|thumb|right|Old One Eye before being re-purposed by the Hive Mind.]]
Old One Eye is the only unique Carnifex in the entire Tyranid Codex, along with being one of the few unique characters in said codex. He's known for being ultimately [[fluff]]y but not the slightest bit [[crunch|crunchy]]. He has nothing to back his fluff up.

Old One Eye is a Carnifex that was present when Hive-fleet Behemoth came to fuck the [[Ultramarines|Ultramarines']] world of Calth. Now, like most Carnifex, his armor was nigh impenetrable. Reaching around the problem, a soldier ignored his armor by aiming a [[plasma]] bolt at his head, searing right through his eye and into his skull. The beast was declared dead. He was quickly forgotten, his corpse freezing up during the winter and left behind after his Hive-fleet was obliterated.

Some time later, some scavengers found the ice block and thawed it out, hoping to get some cash. (Yes, they decided to follow the plot of John Carpenter's "The Thing".) However, like a defeated hero who has to do a sequel or the titular alien from the aforementioned film, he quickly regenerated his wounds (save for his original plasma scorched eye). He fucked their shit up, ravaging Calth along with the Tyranid remnants from the original invasions. Rumors were spread of a terrible, single eyed beast hunting the terrified population, earning the creature the title of "Old One Eye." You see, despite being cut off from the Hive Mind, skull fucked by a plasma bolt, and frozen, he was still alive. His long stay on an Ultramarines world had earned him a skill that none could counter: Ultramarine-level Plot armour.

The Ultramarines, unable to stop him with regular means, sent in Scout Sergeant Telion, the [[Matt Ward|greatest scout sergeant/sniper in the Imperium]]. Telion hunted OOE down, cornered him near a cliff, and managed to disable him by shooting his ruined eye socket, causing OOE to stumble into a large ravine to die yet again. However, since he was plated with the same plot armor of the Ultramarines, he survived and traveled around Calth, ravaging more and more Imperial cities. Now, this wasn't OOE's only plot armored moment. OOE has been hit on numerous occasions that would outright kill a regular Carnifex. Rumors abound that the creature was killed dozens of times, only to get back up again like some Necron player who owns cheating amounts of good luck with his Reanimation Protocol rolls.

Nowadays, its frozen body has become a bit of an attraction for a local [[Genestealer Cult]], who [[God-Emperor of Mankind|worship its corpse]] alongside their Patriarch.

Table-top wise, OOE was first introduced in the 3rd edition as one of the two only Special Characters for the Tyranids, who otherwise had no individuals among them. Back then his cost was relatively low (slightly higher than a decent kitted out fex) and came with his unique Crusher Claws. Regeneration was also unique to him, allowing him to AUTOMATICALLY regenerate one wound per turn as well as get back up from being dead on a roll of a 4+ (there was no limit to the number of times he could do this). He was also unique in that he was the only special character that could be taken in an army less than a certain points value (all other characters had a minimum points value to field them. OOE had a Maximum Point value). Needless to say, this was when he reigned supreme since you had something that cost around the price of a dreadnought that can dish out an upwards of 8 attacks on the charge AND ignore wounds. He was removed in 4th edition because it was felt that Tyranids should not have characters within them, as they are a faceless swarm, so OOE's abilities were given to normal carnifexes. This end up kicking the bucket in 5th edition, where he returned but with a boost to his overall point cost while not regaining his borderline-OP regenerative abilities (He still had the claws tho). In 6th edition OOE is a unique HQ choice who's more expensive than a regular Carnifex (30pts less than a Land Raider), while not being able to significantly outperform one. In the retarded 5th Edition that is when the Tyranid army went to the shitters, much like the 5th edition [[Necrons|space zombies]] (Check your 6th edition, Necron are now at the top of the heap). So yeah, he's going about, being [[Dreadknight|one]] [[Jokaero|of]] [[Matt Ward|several]], [[Kaldor Draigo|excellent]] [[Pyrovore|avatars]] of what is wrong with 5th Edition (Cptn. 6th edition here with your morning news, Old one eye; still bad, but <s>a little better</s> get him into close combat and he'll SMASH SOME HEADS).

In 8E, you may as well disregard the above as his rules have completely changed since. Old One Eye is a fairly good special character to take if you like Carnifexes and bring a good amount of them (Not hard to do). He hits hard and with a lot of attacks, having two weapon options, both of which can be useful in certain circumstances. Buffs carnifexes around him with a much-appreciated +1 to hit in the fight phase. As of the Codex, he's the only Monster Character which can receive the benefits of the CHARACTER keyword, having less then 10 wounds. This also means he no longer degrades as he did in the Codex. [[What|This, amusingly, makes him a better choice for a Warlord then the Swarmlord.]] Although he is quite expensive now, he is one of the best tyranid anti-tank units right now, even if there are no other fexes for him to buff. Since he generates extra attacks on a hit roll of 6+, and he gets +1 to hit when charging, AND he gives HIMSELF +1 to hit with his own aura, he will generate extra attacks on hit rolls of 4+ (or 5+ when using the crushing claws). You can basically send the little guy at a tank, and assuming he makes it into melee, the tank will be dead. Doubly so if using a stratagem to let him reroll failed wound rolls.

==Variants==
Throughout the Carnifex's lengthy history, there have been a couple popular loadouts that have stuck around since their introduction back in 2E.

===Screamer-Killer===
[[File:ScreamerKiller.png|200px|thumb|right|...or so we thought, looks like the [[Robin Crudace|the Ogryn]] lost in the long run.]]
A melee-focused 'fex, equipped with only two pairs of talons with no other armaments to its name. It's named the Screamer-Killer thanks to its unique Bio-Plasmic Scream, which is what happens when it vomits out superheated plasma onto a crowd.

{{clear}}

===Thornback===
A more firepower-focused version of the Carnifex.

{{clear}}
===Stone Crusher===
[[File:StoneCrusherCarnifex.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I came in like a Wrecking Ball!]]
[[Forge World]]'s exclusive Carnifex pattern.

Even nastier and more 'battering ram' styled Carnifexes, used as living siege engines thanks to their [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bio-Flail|Bio-Flail]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Wrecker Claws|Wrecker Claw]] combo. They have a bevvy of special rules making it even easier for them to knock down buildings (never a big problem for 'fexes, but a job's a job), and reduce incoming fire strength. They aren't bad melee 'fexes even if your opponent has no buildings, though, and are reliable enough investments to a stompy 'nid list.

==See Also==
*[[Jeanstealer]]
*[[Lolifex]]
*[[Unyuufex]]
*[[Tyranid]]
*[[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]

== External Links ==

*[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Carnifex The Carnifex article] on [[Lexicanum]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Carnifex

2023-04-29T14:12:06Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Carnifexes in 5th Edition */

[[Image:Carnifex and Gaunts Victorious.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Better to die than be nom'd.]]

A '''Carnifex''' (''Carnifex voracio'') is a monstrous [[Tyranid]] creature from the ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' game. Carnifexes are hulking beasts that are often used quite literally as battering rams, barging through enemy lines and tossing tanks around like toys. However, the Carnifex is among the most customizable of Tyranid units, allowing for many different varieties to fulfill different roles on the battlefield. They range from the above mentioned battering ram, to a weapons platform for anti-horde duties. 'Fexes are notoriously resilient thanks to a combination of an [[Armoured Exoskeleton]] and [[Armoured Shell]], and can even be upgraded with regeneration - a mutation previously unique to a Carnifex special character known as Old One Eye, but later introduced to the standard Tyranid army list - making them extremely difficult to kill; It's pretty much a diet Robo-Tarrasque. ''40k'' players commonly name specific variations of Carnifex by taking another word that represents the concept and appending "-fex" to the end. For example, the Dakkafex is a [[shooty]] Carnifex based on the [[Ork]] term "[[dakka]]".

'''Note:''' In Latin, "Carnifex" literally means "butcher," (even more literally, "meat maker") but is also used for an "executioner," a "tallow-renderer," or, more figuratively, a "murderer" or "villain."

==Carnifexes in 5th Edition==
[[Image: Discofex.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Thanks to [[Robin Cruddace| This failure]], the days of bosses like this are now long past. ...]]
In the 5th edition, the Carnifex lost a total of ''eighteen biomorphs and weapon options'', having been replaced by [[Nerf|more stringent mandatory loadouts]]. The Carnifex has also faced a doubling in base point cost with rather paltry statistical increases - putting it arguably somewhere between 20-30 points too expensive for the overpowering majority of competitive army lists, and 10 or so points above the cost-effectiveness ratio provided by variant 'Fexes (such as [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]).

How profoundly [[Rage|infuriating]] this is for Tyranid players writ-large cannot be denied, and is notable for being one of the first times that players openly called foul on [[Games Workshop]]. Beyond any doubt, the Carnifex was ''the'' mainstay big fucking unit of Tyranid players and was the one unit that literally every Tyranid player had in their army list. It was the epitome of ubiquitous; you could mount lots of options on it, and all of them, to some degree or another, were viable - until this edition hit. This is most Likely because Games Workshop wants more money and by making the Fex suck you have to buy, from Games Workshop, the Trygon to stand a chance.

Some of the new biomorph weapons and options were nice, and there was options added to make some of the 'Nid swarm a little less vulnerable to being dramatically outgunned, and considerably improved Tyranid psyker units (its command units especially), but in the process, the Carnifex - the one fucking model every 'Nid player and their grandmother had at least one of - got toned down dramatically and is now rather inefficient - as well as much more vulnerable to being taken down quickly by certain units with reasonably-effective armor-penetrating weapons (of particular note: [[Imperial Guard|Guardsmen]] with Missile Launchers, Hunter-Killer Missiles, [[Thousand Sons|Rubric Marines]], [[Necrons]], and [[Stormtrooper]]s, since the fucking thing can't take [[AIDS|Extended Carapace]] anymore.

It enraged players even more that this edition's weapon changes functionally forced people to buy all-new Carnifexes since the old ones they fielded, such as Sniperfexes (which were armed with [[Venom Cannon]]s and [[Barbed Strangler]]s, to give the Tyranids much-needed fire support and allow them to stun enemy vehicles into submission) were no longer valid, whilst several of the new bioweapons, whilst not bad (people like that the [[Venom Cannon]]s can score penetrating hits now) are specifically designed to take bites out of the Carnifex's originally-legendary punch (since the gun now replaces 2 hands). Functionally, the Carnifex is now half as good at ranged support as it was before with only token upgrades in return and the loss of about 33% of the Carnifex's durability, since it can no longer shrug off a ''lot'' of weapons it used to. The new rules for blast weapons (of which the [[Heavy Venom Cannon]] ''is'' one) doesn't exactly help the Carnifex's average accuracy, either, which renders its tankbusting potential rather lacking on top of all this.

Extensive debate on /tg/ has been had since the update, arguing whether the new Carnifex is a direct result of corporate evils or the result of gross incompetence or prejudice on the part of Robin Cruddace, the 5th edition codex writer. As of currently, smart money is on the former; it's widely known that GW is bleeding money due to its fuck-ups, which indicates that this may have something to do with it, especially since Robin Cruddace isn't exactly the biggest fan of Tyranids. Which sort of makes him a reverse [[Matt Ward]].

Again, there are a few bright spots. 3rd edition's Old One Eye is back, even if he does now cost more than a Landraider and is ''barely'' better than a standard Carnifex with no weapons courtesy of Old One Eye's close-combat only biomorph loadout (his primary advantage is that he recovers wounds of fives or mores instead of just sixes, which isn't worth it at all.) The new Hive Guard is a great unit for fucking with [[Tau|Communist Dipshits]] that like to use the old [[Fish of Fury]] tactic. Wider support for variant weapons, previously from Chapter approved, are also a plus. It's a shame that the good stuff gets out-fucked by the bad.

==Carnifexes in 6th Edition==
In 6th the Carnifex saw a buff with a nice price drop from 160 to 120 points bare. However some of the weapons they can use have seen a nerf, notably [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]] (Although their point cost also decreased). The Carnifex gets its biggest bonuses riding the monstrous creature buffs that came around in 6th, such as the ease of cover save availability and the sweet hammer of wrath attack you can make when you charge into battle and swing with [[D3]] S9 I10 attacks to sucker punch some unlucky guy. Fear is generally useless and should not be relied upon to make much of a difference, however if it does take effect the Carnifex gains a big in combat boost vs. [[METAL BOXES|its natural prey.]]

The Carnifex has gotten better with its tank crushing power, now that they have Armourbane and no longer strike at I1. Walkers like the Dreadnought and Soul Grinder still strike before the Carnifex (so equip electroshock grubs and entice them to charge), but they can now deal with Power Fists without suffering a blow from them. Otherwise the carnifex still takes apart vehicles with record efficiency most of the time. Also people field a few less anti-tank weapons in favor of more anti-infantry power due to 6ed move away from mech warfare, not huge but it helps a bit to have one less railgun rammed down your fex's throat. Oh, and if your Carnifex falls out of synapse range, it has a 50% chance of eating itself if there's more than one in a Brood! Even by themselves they can't [[get shit done|get shit done]] because they aren't allowed to shoot, run, or even assault unless it can charge the closest enemy unit (Even a squad of TH/SS Terminators). It no longer gets Rage unless you roll a 6, even then it still follows the 5th edition Rage, so keep them in Synapse range!

All in all the Carnifex is now a viable choice to field and is now more versatile with the choice to go either Two Twin-linked [[Brainleech Devourer]]s, a Cannon of your choice with Crushing Claws, or even just stock equipment with Regeneration to act as an escort for a Tyranid Prime. Old One Eye is still a meh choice, slightly better, but lacks the buff other HQ can give to your army while not being a solid enough HQ to contribute its own to the battle in any real way.

(With 6th second force org chart at +2000 point games, you can field a total of 18 fexes, that's about 72 T6 wounds and up to as many as 126 S9 attacks on the charge (If raging, but that heavily relies on luck) and could go up as high as 180 attacks with crushing claws on Vehicles(very unlikely, but hella scary to think about)!

==Carnifexes in 8th edition==

So far so good, it seems. They've seen a MASSIVE reduction in price, going from 125 points in 6th/7th, to a mere ''67 points base'', though, you need to pay at least 20 extra to actually field one. Though it seems they aren't getting [[Armoured Shell]] back, they are receiving a pretty substantial buff in a couple of ways. First and foremost, they're the rough Dreadnought equivalent of the Tyranid army, with T7, 8W, 3+ save, S6 (With a weapon option that brings them to S12 AP -3, with 3 damage per hit that goes through. (Not really recommended due to -1 to hit, however, unless you're tagging along with OOE), and being a monster/vehicle that doesn't degrade. Though, bringing it down somewhat from its potential are two factors: One, unless Old One Eye is tagging along with them, their weapon skill is a mediocre 4+, basically 5+ if using crushing claws. Not terrible when you have 6 attacks on the charge, unless you have crushing claws in which case its even worse, but not ideal. The other being is when they are taken either shooty or vanilla, their S6 isn't particularly threatening compared to your other options for dedicated melee in this edition like the Swarmlord, the aforementioned OOE, Trygons, Haruspexen, etc. Overall, an extremely solid unit with a bargain price. Getting roughly the equivalent of a Space Marine dreadnought. Good all-rounder unit, from the sounds of things, especially with the option to make squads of them. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out, but it seems the days of Fexen mediocrity are over.

With the Codex, we've gotten a couple variant Carnifexes in the Screamer-Killer and the Thornback, in addition to some minor buffs to Old One Eye (He no longer degrades and gets character protection!). They all also get the universal buff of getting +1 to hit on the charge.

The Screamer Killer is a Carnifex with double [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|scything talons]] and a special form of [[Bio-Plasma]], which is S7, AP-4, and Assault D6, 18" range. Improved from Assault D3, AP-3, and a 12" range. 14 more points then a Carnifex with [[Bio-Plasma]] and double scything talons, before other upgrades are factored in. It also has the Terrifying ability, which adds 1 to any morale tests for enemy units within 8" of any Screamer Killers.

The Thornback is a Carnifex with scything talons (OR a [[Stranglethorn Cannon]]), and your choice of either Twin Monstrous [[Deathspitter]]s/[[Devourer]]s, chitin thorns, and an improved Living Battering Ram rule which gives it a D3 mortal wounds on a 4+ when charging rather then just a single mortal wound. 3 more points then a Carnifex with the same upgrades before other upgrades are factored in. Also has the special ability to ignore cover with its shooting attacks.

Also returning from 4th edition are some long-forgotten Biomorphs straight from the Carnifex sprue, exclusive to the Carnifex! (For now, at least). Weapon options remain the same, however, with the standard choice of [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Talons|Scything Talons/Dual Scything Talons]], [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Crushing Claws|Crushing Claws]], one of the two cannons ([[Venom Cannon|Venom]] or [[Stranglethorn Cannon|Stranglethorn]]), and one or two sets of the Twin-Linked monstrous guns (Either [[Brainleech Devourer]]s or [[Deathspitter]]s). And of course the obligatory Toxin Sacs and Adrenal Glands.

CARAPACE BIOMORPHS:

Chitin Thorns: Uniquely, can be taken with either of the other Carapace Biomorphs. Currently likely not working as intended unfortunately, as the ruling is "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound.", rather then what is likely intended "At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for each enemy '''''model''''' within 1" of any models with chitin thorns. On a 6, that unit suffers a mortal wound." Thornbacks MUST take this. These are the little spikes that no one knows what to do with that come with every Carnifex kit.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Cluster Spines|Spine]] [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Stinger Salvo|Banks]]: Very short ranged S5 AP- Assault 4 shooting with the ability to fire into combat as if it was a pistol. Tied with the Bone Mace as the cheapest biomorph a Carnifex can take, but locks out Spore Cysts.
Thornbacks may take this.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Spore Mine Cysts|Spore Cysts]]: Enemy shooters targeting this Carnifex have -1 to hit. Very useful, but notably expensive at 10 points. Pretty much a must-take. Screamer-Killers may take this. Notable for its change in ability since 4th edition, where it used to spawn Spore Mines in exchange for the attached Carnifex taking wounds.

HEAD BIOMORPHS:

[[Bio-Plasma]]: Still around from the Index, pretty much unchanged, albeit taking it does lock out your options for other head biomorphs.

Enhanced Senses: +1 Ballistic Skill. Extremely useful for any gun-toting Carnifex. Thornbacks may take this. Looks very much insectoid with its <s>three</s> six eyes and weird antennae. Has an alternate modeling option with the smaller antennae which can be attached to the standard Carnifex head if you don't want to use the weird looking one.

Tusks: +1 attack when charging. Useful on a melee-fex so you can pile on attacks, and especially useful combo'd with Old One Eye so you can have 6 S6 attacks hitting on 2s re-rolling 1s on the charge. Arguably the most common biomorph you'll see, due to the popularity of Dawn of War 2, with its carnifexes always having this biomorph, and it just being really cool looking. Also the cheapest head morph.

[[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Acid Maw|Monstrous Acid Maw]]: A melee weapon. Not so useful for melee fexes but something to consider for a gunfex. Looks really freaky with its big old dripping tongue.

TAIL BIORMOPHS:

Almost unchanged from the index, really. [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Scything Tail|Bone Mace or Thresher scythe]]. You have the option of neither though now, annoying all those who impulsively glued one of the two on in haste during the time we had with the Index. One and only one attack though now, which is sad for the Thresher Scythe. No more clearing hordes with it unfortunately.

You can, of course, choose to not take any biomorphs but weapons, which can give you a Carnifex for about 80 points... alternatively you can load up on as many as possible and get a Carnifex for about 150 with all the bells and whistles, coming close to recreating the Godfexes of old.

==Old One Eye==
[[File:OldOneEye.png|200px|thumb|right|Old One Eye before being re-purposed by the Hive Mind.]]
Old One Eye is the only unique Carnifex in the entire Tyranid Codex, along with being one of the few unique characters in said codex. He's known for being ultimately [[fluff]]y but not the slightest bit [[crunch|crunchy]]. He has nothing to back his fluff up.

Old One Eye is a Carnifex that was present when Hive-fleet Behemoth came to fuck the [[Ultramarines|Ultramarines']] world of Calth. Now, like most Carnifex, his armor was nigh impenetrable. Reaching around the problem, a soldier ignored his armor by aiming a [[plasma]] bolt at his head, searing right through his eye and into his skull. The beast was declared dead. He was quickly forgotten, his corpse freezing up during the winter and left behind after his Hive-fleet was obliterated.

Some time later, some scavengers found the ice block and thawed it out, hoping to get some cash. (Yes, they decided to follow the plot of John Carpenter's "The Thing".) However, like a defeated hero who has to do a sequel or the titular alien from the aforementioned film, he quickly regenerated his wounds (save for his original plasma scorched eye). He fucked their shit up, ravaging Calth along with the Tyranid remnants from the original invasions. Rumors were spread of a terrible, single eyed beast hunting the terrified population, earning the creature the title of "Old One Eye." You see, despite being cut off from the Hive Mind, skull fucked by a plasma bolt, and frozen, he was still alive. His long stay on an Ultramarines world had earned him a skill that none could counter: Ultramarine-level Plot armour.

The Ultramarines, unable to stop him with regular means, sent in Scout Sergeant Telion, the [[Matt Ward|greatest scout sergeant/sniper in the Imperium]]. Telion hunted OOE down, cornered him near a cliff, and managed to disable him by shooting his ruined eye socket, causing OOE to stumble into a large ravine to die yet again. However, since he was plated with the same plot armor of the Ultramarines, he survived and traveled around Calth, ravaging more and more Imperial cities. Now, this wasn't OOE's only plot armored moment. OOE has been hit on numerous occasions that would outright kill a regular Carnifex. Rumors abound that the creature was killed dozens of times, only to get back up again like some Necron player who owns cheating amounts of good luck with his Reanimation Protocol rolls.

Nowadays, its frozen body has become a bit of an attraction for a local [[Genestealer Cult]], who [[God-Emperor of Mankind|worship its corpse]] alongside their Patriarch.

Table-top wise, OOE was first introduced in the 3rd edition as one of the two only Special Characters for the Tyranids, who otherwise had no individuals among them. Back then his cost was relatively low (slightly higher than a decent kitted out fex) and came with his unique Crusher Claws. Regeneration was also unique to him, allowing him to AUTOMATICALLY regenerate one wound per turn as well as get back up from being dead on a roll of a 4+ (there was no limit to the number of times he could do this). He was also unique in that he was the only special character that could be taken in an army less than a certain points value (all other characters had a minimum points value to field them. OOE had a Maximum Point value). Needless to say, this was when he reigned supreme since you had something that cost around the price of a dreadnought that can dish out an upwards of 8 attacks on the charge AND ignore wounds. He was removed in 4th edition because it was felt that Tyranids should not have characters within them, as they are a faceless swarm, so OOE's abilities were given to normal carnifexes. This end up kicking the bucket in 5th edition, where he returned but with a boost to his overall point cost while not regaining his borderline-OP regenerative abilities (He still had the claws tho). In 6th edition OOE is a unique HQ choice who's more expensive than a regular Carnifex (30pts less than a Land Raider), while not being able to significantly outperform one. In the retarded 5th Edition that is when the Tyranid army went to the shitters, much like the 5th edition [[Necrons|space zombies]] (Check your 6th edition, Necron are now at the top of the heap). So yeah, he's going about, being [[Dreadknight|one]] [[Jokaero|of]] [[Matt Ward|several]], [[Kaldor Draigo|excellent]] [[Pyrovore|avatars]] of what is wrong with 5th Edition (Cptn. 6th edition here with your morning news, Old one eye; still bad, but <s>a little better</s> get him into close combat and he'll SMASH SOME HEADS).

In 8E, you may as well disregard the above as his rules have completely changed since. Old One Eye is a fairly good special character to take if you like Carnifexes and bring a good amount of them (Not hard to do). He hits hard and with a lot of attacks, having two weapon options, both of which can be useful in certain circumstances. Buffs carnifexes around him with a much-appreciated +1 to hit in the fight phase. As of the Codex, he's the only Monster Character which can receive the benefits of the CHARACTER keyword, having less then 10 wounds. This also means he no longer degrades as he did in the Codex. [[What|This, amusingly, makes him a better choice for a Warlord then the Swarmlord.]] Although he is quite expensive now, he is one of the best tyranid anti-tank units right now, even if there are no other fexes for him to buff. Since he generates extra attacks on a hit roll of 6+, and he gets +1 to hit when charging, AND he gives HIMSELF +1 to hit with his own aura, he will generate extra attacks on hit rolls of 4+ (or 5+ when using the crushing claws). You can basically send the little guy at a tank, and assuming he makes it into melee, the tank will be dead. Doubly so if using a stratagem to let him reroll failed wound rolls.

==Variants==
Throughout the Carnifex's lengthy history, there have been a couple popular loadouts that have stuck around since their introduction back in 2E.

===Screamer-Killer===
[[File:ScreamerKiller.png|200px|thumb|right|When the crab legs want to eat you]]
A melee-focused 'fex, equipped with only two pairs of talons with no other armaments to its name. It's named the Screamer-Killer thanks to its unique Bio-Plasmic Scream, which is what happens when it vomits out superheated plasma onto a crowd.

{{clear}}
===Thornback===
A more firepower-focused version of the Carnifex.

{{clear}}
===Stone Crusher===
[[File:StoneCrusherCarnifex.jpg|200px|thumb|right|I came in like a Wrecking Ball!]]
[[Forge World]]'s exclusive Carnifex pattern.

Even nastier and more 'battering ram' styled Carnifexes, used as living siege engines thanks to their [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Bio-Flail|Bio-Flail]] and [[Tyranid_Bio-Weapons#Wrecker Claws|Wrecker Claw]] combo. They have a bevvy of special rules making it even easier for them to knock down buildings (never a big problem for 'fexes, but a job's a job), and reduce incoming fire strength. They aren't bad melee 'fexes even if your opponent has no buildings, though, and are reliable enough investments to a stompy 'nid list.

==See Also==
*[[Jeanstealer]]
*[[Lolifex]]
*[[Unyuufex]]
*[[Tyranid]]
*[[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]

== External Links ==

*[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Carnifex The Carnifex article] on [[Lexicanum]].

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tyranid]]

[[Category: Megafauna]]

{{Tyranids-Creatures}}

Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics

2023-04-29T14:06:59Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Weapon USRs */

This page is meant to index pages for the Warhammer 40,000 tactics dumps, and also acts as a repository for more general 40k tactics.

This is the current [[Warhammer_40,000_10th_Edition|10th Edition]]'s General tactics. [[Warhammer_40,000/10th Edition Tactics|10th Edition Tactics are here]].

== USRs ==
After spending two entire editions trying to negate them, GW finally decided to reintroduce Universal Special Rules once more.

*'''Deadly Demise X''': New name for the various rules for Vehicles exploding and thus on tanks and some monsters, if this unit dies, it deals X hits to nearby enemies.
*'''Deep Strike''': After spending all of 8E and 9E trying to reword it in a million fancy rules, they're now back to where they started.
*'''Firing Deck X''': Despite 8th Edition mostly doing away with it, firing ports are back. Some transports let you have X models inside inside it fire a gun at an enemy within range, so it once again means your chimeras can do a lot more now.
*'''Invulnerable Save X+''': This is still kicking around, but now the datacard makes it more obvious with a big shield.
*'''Feel No Pain X+''': Another rule that didn't need a hundred different rewordings. It's another save you can take after getting wounded, just like the Emperor intended.
** As the Terminator Librarian shows, this will also be how you're able to resist psychic powers.
*'''Leader''': Pretty much explains which characters can attach themselves to units.
*'''Psychic''': With the psychic phase gone, this is your only way to indicate what weapons and rules are psychic powers (which also means that it applies to Force Weapons again).
**Since these powers are on the card and not anywhere else, is it possible that psychic tests are back to being Leadership tests instead of being mere 2d6 rolls against a power's TN?

=== Weapon USRs ===
*'''Assault''': Like last edition, Assault Weapons can be fired after advancing. Unlike last edition, doing so no longer inflicts any penalties to hit.
*'''Anti-{{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} X+''': Any hits against a unit with the mentioned {{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} tag that roll an X+ to wound count as having rolled a natural 6.
*'''Blast''': Might be unchanged from last edition.
*'''Devastating Wounds''': Rolling a natural 6 to wound makes any damage the attack deals mortal wounds.
*'''Hazardous''': Might well be the way Gets Hot! will be reworded.
*'''Heavy''': No longer restricted to just heavy weapons, as even the basic Bolt Rifle has this. Weapons with this rule can be fired on the move, but they add +1 to BS if the model hasn't moved before shooting.
*'''Ignores Cover''': If you need to ask what this does, it ignores the rock you've been living under for the last eight editions.
*'''Melta X''': Meltaguns and other Melta-adjacent weapons always worked better at half-range anyways. This adds +X to the gun's damage if you fire it within half their listed range.
*'''One Shot''': Single-use weapons.
*'''Precision''': Probably Precision Shots/Hits, might allow a unit to ignore the typical wall of bodies to pick out a single model to hit. Or the old Sniper rule.
*'''Rapid Fire X''': A mix between how last edition did it and the Orks' Dakka weapons. If this gun is fired at half-range, they now add +X extra attacks.
*'''Sustained Hits X''': Rolling a natural 6 to hit deals +X additional hits.
*'''Torrent''': Given to spray weapons like the Pyreblaster. Might just be their auto-hit rule, but their BS is also listed as N/A so it may be something else like the old Torrent rule [[Melta Rifle|(especially with how Primaris weapons tend to get better range)]].
*'''Twin-Linked''': Back from the dead, this lets you re-roll to hit. Even better, this can now be applied to melee weapons in cases where the model is dual-wielding!

{{Warhammer 40k Tactics}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40000 Tactics (10E)]]

Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics

2023-04-29T14:05:39Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Weapon USRs */

This page is meant to index pages for the Warhammer 40,000 tactics dumps, and also acts as a repository for more general 40k tactics.

This is the current [[Warhammer_40,000_10th_Edition|10th Edition]]'s General tactics. [[Warhammer_40,000/10th Edition Tactics|10th Edition Tactics are here]].

== USRs ==
After spending two entire editions trying to negate them, GW finally decided to reintroduce Universal Special Rules once more.

*'''Deadly Demise X''': New name for the various rules for Vehicles exploding and thus on tanks and some monsters, if this unit dies, it deals X hits to nearby enemies.
*'''Deep Strike''': After spending all of 8E and 9E trying to reword it in a million fancy rules, they're now back to where they started.
*'''Firing Deck X''': Despite 8th Edition mostly doing away with it, firing ports are back. Some transports let you have X models inside inside it fire a gun at an enemy within range, so it once again means your chimeras can do a lot more now.
*'''Invulnerable Save X+''': This is still kicking around, but now the datacard makes it more obvious with a big shield.
*'''Feel No Pain X+''': Another rule that didn't need a hundred different rewordings. It's another save you can take after getting wounded, just like the Emperor intended.
** As the Terminator Librarian shows, this will also be how you're able to resist psychic powers.
*'''Leader''': Pretty much explains which characters can attach themselves to units.
*'''Psychic''': With the psychic phase gone, this is your only way to indicate what weapons and rules are psychic powers (which also means that it applies to Force Weapons again).
**Since these powers are on the card and not anywhere else, is it possible that psychic tests are back to being Leadership tests instead of being mere 2d6 rolls against a power's TN?

=== Weapon USRs ===
*'''Assault''': Like last edition, Assault Weapons can be fired after advancing. Unlike last edition, doing so no longer inflicts any penalties to hit.
*'''Anti-{{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} X+''': Any hits against a unit with the mentioned {{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} tag that roll an X+ to wound count as having rolled a natural 6.
*'''Blast''': Might be unchanged from last edition.
*'''Devastating Wounds''': Rolling a natural 6 to wound makes any damage the attack deals mortal wounds.
*'''Hazardous''': Might well be the way Gets Hot! will be reworded.
*'''Heavy''': No longer restricted to just heavy weapons, as even the basic Bolt Rifle has this. Weapons with this rule can be fired on the move, but they add +1 to BS if the model hasn't moved before shooting.
*'''Ignores Cover''': If you need to ask what this does, it ignores the rock you've been living under for the last eight editions.
*'''Melta X''': Meltaguns and other Melta-adjacent weapons always worked better at half-range anyways. This adds +X to the gun's damage if you fire it within half their listed range.
*'''One Shot''': Single-use weapons.
*'''Precision''': Probably Precision Shots/Hits, might allow a unit to ignore the typical wall of bodies to pick out a single model to hit. Or the old Sniper rule.
*'''Rapid Fire X''': A mix between how last edition did it and the Orks' Dakka weapons. If this gun is fired at half-range, they now add +X extra attacks.
*'''Sustained Hits X''': Rolling a natural 6 to hit deals +X additional hits.
*'''Torrent''': Given to spray weapons like the flamer. Might just be their auto-hit rule.
*'''Twin-Linked''': Back from the dead, this lets you re-roll to hit. Even better, this can now be applied to melee weapons in cases where the model is dual-wielding!

{{Warhammer 40k Tactics}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40000 Tactics (10E)]]

Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics

2023-04-29T14:04:49Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Weapon USRs */

This page is meant to index pages for the Warhammer 40,000 tactics dumps, and also acts as a repository for more general 40k tactics.

This is the current [[Warhammer_40,000_10th_Edition|10th Edition]]'s General tactics. [[Warhammer_40,000/10th Edition Tactics|10th Edition Tactics are here]].

== USRs ==
After spending two entire editions trying to negate them, GW finally decided to reintroduce Universal Special Rules once more.

*'''Deadly Demise X''': New name for the various rules for Vehicles exploding and thus on tanks and some monsters, if this unit dies, it deals X hits to nearby enemies.
*'''Deep Strike''': After spending all of 8E and 9E trying to reword it in a million fancy rules, they're now back to where they started.
*'''Firing Deck X''': Despite 8th Edition mostly doing away with it, firing ports are back. Some transports let you have X models inside inside it fire a gun at an enemy within range, so it once again means your chimeras can do a lot more now.
*'''Invulnerable Save X+''': This is still kicking around, but now the datacard makes it more obvious with a big shield.
*'''Feel No Pain X+''': Another rule that didn't need a hundred different rewordings. It's another save you can take after getting wounded, just like the Emperor intended.
** As the Terminator Librarian shows, this will also be how you're able to resist psychic powers.
*'''Leader''': Pretty much explains which characters can attach themselves to units.
*'''Psychic''': With the psychic phase gone, this is your only way to indicate what weapons and rules are psychic powers (which also means that it applies to Force Weapons again).
**Since these powers are on the card and not anywhere else, is it possible that psychic tests are back to being Leadership tests instead of being mere 2d6 rolls against a power's TN?

=== Weapon USRs ===
*'''Assault''': Like last edition, Assault Weapons can be fired after advancing. Unlike last edition, doing so no longer inflicts any penalties to hit.
*'''Anti-{{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} X+''': Any hits against a unit with the mentioned {{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} tag that roll an X+ to wound count as having rolled a natural 6.
*'''Blast''': Might be unchanged from last edition.
*'''Devastating Wounds''': Rolling a natural 6 to wound makes any damage the attack deals mortal wounds.
*'''Hazardous''': Might well be the way Gets Hot! will be reworded.
*'''Heavy''': No longer restricted to just heavy weapons, as even the basic Bolt Rifle has this. Weapons with this rule can be fired on the move, but they add +1 to BS if the model hasn't moved before shooting.
*'''Ignores Cover''': If you need to ask what this does, it ignores the rock you've been living under for the last eight editions.
*'''Melta X''': Meltaguns and other Melta-adjacent weapons always worked better at half-range anyways. This adds +X to the gun's damage if you fire it within half their listed range.
*'''One Shot''': Single-use weapons.
*'''Precision''': Might allow a unit to ignore the typical wall of bodies to pick out a single model to hit.
*'''Rapid Fire X''': A mix between how last edition did it and the Orks' Dakka weapons. If this gun is fired at half-range, they now add +X extra attacks.
*'''Sustained Hits X''': Rolling a natural 6 to hit deals +X additional hits.
*'''Torrent''': Given to spray weapons like the flamer. Might just be their auto-hit rule.
*'''Twin-Linked''': Back from the dead, this lets you re-roll to hit. Even better, this can now be applied to melee weapons in cases where the model is dual-wielding!

{{Warhammer 40k Tactics}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40000 Tactics (10E)]]

Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics

2023-04-29T13:59:59Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* USRs */

This page is meant to index pages for the Warhammer 40,000 tactics dumps, and also acts as a repository for more general 40k tactics.

This is the current [[Warhammer_40,000_10th_Edition|10th Edition]]'s General tactics. [[Warhammer_40,000/10th Edition Tactics|10th Edition Tactics are here]].

== USRs ==
After spending two entire editions trying to negate them, GW finally decided to reintroduce Universal Special Rules once more.

*'''Deadly Demise X''': New name for the various rules for Vehicles exploding and thus on tanks and some monsters, if this unit dies, it deals X hits to nearby enemies.
*'''Deep Strike''': After spending all of 8E and 9E trying to reword it in a million fancy rules, they're now back to where they started.
*'''Firing Deck X''': Despite 8th Edition mostly doing away with it, firing ports are back. Some transports let you have X models inside inside it fire a gun at an enemy within range, so it once again means your chimeras can do a lot more now.
*'''Invulnerable Save X+''': This is still kicking around, but now the datacard makes it more obvious with a big shield.
*'''Feel No Pain X+''': Another rule that didn't need a hundred different rewordings. It's another save you can take after getting wounded, just like the Emperor intended.
** As the Terminator Librarian shows, this will also be how you're able to resist psychic powers.
*'''Leader''': Pretty much explains which characters can attach themselves to units.
*'''Psychic''': With the psychic phase gone, this is your only way to indicate what weapons and rules are psychic powers (which also means that it applies to Force Weapons again).
**Since these powers are on the card and not anywhere else, is it possible that psychic tests are back to being Leadership tests instead of being mere 2d6 rolls against a power's TN?

=== Weapon USRs ===
*'''Assault''': Like last edition, Assault Weapons can be fired after advancing. Unlike last edition, doing so no longer inflicts any penalties to hit.
*'''Anti-{{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} X+''': Any hits against a unit with the mentioned {{W40kKeyword|KEYWORD}} tag that roll an X+ to wound count as having rolled a natural 6.
*'''Blast''': Might be unchanged from last edition.
*'''Devastating Wounds''': Rolling a natural 6 to wound makes any damage the attack deals mortal wounds.
*'''Hazardous''': Might well be the way Gets Hot! will be reworded.
*'''Heavy''': No longer restricted to just heavy weapons, as even the basic Bolt Rifle has this. Weapons with this rule can be fired on the move, but they add +1 to BS if the model hasn't moved before shooting.
*'''Ignores Cover''': ...do you really need to ask for this?
*'''Melta X''': Meltaguns and other Melta-adjacent weapons always worked better at half-range anyways. This adds +X to the gun's damage if you fire it within half their listed range.
*'''One Shot''': Single-use weapons.
*'''Precision''': Might allow a unit to ignore the typical wall of bodies to pick out a single model to hit.
*'''Rapid Fire X''': A mix between how last edition did it and the Orks' Dakka weapons. If this gun is fired at half-range, they now add +X extra attacks.
*'''Sustained Hits X''': Rolling a natural 6 to hit deals +X additional hits.
*'''Torrent''': Given to spray weapons like the flamer. Might just be their auto-hit rule.
*'''Twin-Linked''': Back from the dead, this lets you re-roll to hit. Even better, this can now be applied to melee weapons in cases where the model is dual-wielding!

{{Warhammer 40k Tactics}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40000 Tactics (10E)]]

Consul

2023-04-29T13:48:02Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Primus Medicae */

Legiones Consularis, or Consuls, were a set of specialist ranks bestowed upon veteran [[Space Marines]] during the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]]. They should not be confused with [[Legion Consul]]s, who were basically the military police of the Legions. They were identified by their specialization in given areas of warmaking. Called upon to use their mastery when their Legion needed them, with the outbreak of the Horus Heresy these officers would face their grandest trial. As one can imagine, there is a metric shit-tonne of different variants of Consuls.

==Variants==
===Armistos===
Where the Champion is a master of blades, the Armistos is a master of firepower, the bigger the better. Usually assisted by masters of the armory, the Armistos was constantly testing the most cutting-edge firearms in order to find the finest means to deliver death from afar.

In the Horus Heresy tabletop, the Armistos gains hardened armour to protect themselves from blasts as well as a Cognis Signum. Most notably, they gain access to an array of master-crafted heavy weapons, allowing them to run around and blow shit up more efficiently.

====Castellan====
The Castellans of the [[Imperial Fists|VII Legion]] were relentless in drilling their troops to perfection in marksmanship. When they left a newly conquered world, they left behind a new set of fortifications, staffed by loyal soldiers.

The Castellans are an VII Legion-exclusive addition to the Liber Astartes in the 2nd edition of the Horus Heresy tabletop. Similar to the Armistos, they get hardened armour and a master-crafted heavy weapon - though their options are restricted to the heavy bolter, autocannon, and the legion-exclusive Iliastus Assault Cannon. They're one of the shootiest characters in the current edition and can be absolutely trolltastic with the right setup.

===Champion===
The predecessor to the Company and Chapter Champions of the Chapters, their role has seen the least amount of change. After all, the Champion was always meant to be an exemplary swordsman among their brothers and fight the greatest foes. How else were they to improve that?

===[[Chaplain]]===
{{main|Chaplain}}
While the [[Imperial Cult]] was not established yet, the Legiones Astartes still had room in their order of battle for dudes who shouted really loudly at them about the need to kill xenos scum for great justice. Similar to their successors in black and bone, these Chaplains would inspire hatred in their charges and wield a master-crafted [[Power Weapon]] - though unlike the Crozius Arcanum synonymous with the later iterations, these could be any sort of power weapons than merely mauls.

====Speaker of the Dead====
Before the [[Space Wolves|VI Legion]] had [[Wolf Priest]]s mixing Fenrisian lore with the Imperial Creed, the Speakers of the Dead were the resident Apothecaries-slash-cult leaders of the lesser deity Morkai.

In the tabletop, this not only gave an attached unit Hatred (Everything) and Stubborn, but they also gained a Narthecium and a master-crafted power maul in place of the Crozius.

===Delegatus===
In smaller conflicts where the Legion's senior command did not see the need to directly intervene, they would deputize a lesser officer, typically a Centurion, with full command of their own army. These officers would then assemble their own strike forces to lead into battle.

In the tabletop game, the Delegatus is an upgrade that offers no special equipment, but it does grant the Consul the Master of the Legion rule, and thus the ability to qualify as the warlord in smaller games as well as the ability to select a Rite of War as if they were a Praetor. They also get a single-use ability to roll a Leadership Check to force any units that were falling back or pinned to rally and act normally for the turn.

===Forge Lord===
Though trained on Mars in the ways of the Mechanicum, unlike the Praevians the Forge Lords were selected for their incredible skill with machinery. While they made use of the war machines of the Mechanicum, their real job was repairing the Legion's armoured forces. As with their successors, these Forge Lords were usually in charge of overseeing supply and weapons production for the Legion.

On the Horus Heresy tabletop, Forge Lords have servo-harnesses to help them repair their vehicles as well as being useful multi-weapons. On top of this, they can also purchase Cortex Controllers, which prove particularly useful if they decide to ally with any automata on the field, including the Thallax maniples that they unlock access to.

===Herald===
The forebears of the Chapter and Company Ancient, the Herald is charged with holding carrying their Legion's standard into battle. As ever, the Legions fought with religious fervour to protect those who held these artefacts, which were usually touched by the Primarch and gifted to an officer as a sign of favor.

The tabletop represents Heralds by forcing them to sacrifice either their pistol, bolter, or combi-bolter so they have a free hand to hold this weighty standard.

===[[Librarian]]===
{{main|Librarian}}
Due to the [[Council of Nikaea]], the Librarius was dissolved among the legions, but as many can attest, this was not for long.

In most cases, a psyker was elevated to a more senior position to make use of their unnatural powers, but as time passed, it became clear that the powers of psykers were one of the only ways to defeat the foul warpspawn that the traitors summoned...or to summon them. Following the Heresy, Guilliman would formally reestablish the Librarius as a structure in the Chapters.

As with their successors, these Librarians have access to [[Force Weapon]]s with which to channel their psychic powers. Psychic Hoods did exist in this era in order to help cancel out any harmful psychic influences, but they were not so common that they could be issued to any Librarian that wanted one.

====Caster of Runes====
Before they were called [[Rune Priest]]s, the Casters of Runes were the standing psychic force of the [[Space Wolves|VI Legion]]. Of course, they were deemed "exceptions" to the ban on Librarians due to claiming their powers were derived from shamanism and channeling the spirit of their homeworld of [[Fenris]]. Nobody bothered to call them out on this due to the fact that the Space Wolves were effectively the Emperor's attack dogs that got sicced on any naysayers.

Practically, aside from their limited choice in psychic powers (including some of their own), they were identical to Librarians.

====Esoterist====
Among the psykers of the legions, only a few dared to dive deep into the unknown fields of Warpcraft, but it proved to be incredibly effective, if in varying ways. While the loyalist legions had Esoterists who studied how to banish daemons outright, the traitor legions discovered ways with which they could summon the forces of Neverborn into reality with their own power.

Esoterists are a specialization that were originally introduced at the tail end of the first edition of the HH tabletop. They are identical to Librarians with two exceptions - one is access to Archaeotech Pistols, but the bigger one is their unique Anathemata psychic discipline (or the Sanctic/Malefic Daemonology in the original books), which normal Librarians don't get access to.

====Stormseer====
Similar to the VI Legion, the Stormseers of the [[White Scars|V Legion]] were also treated as special "exceptions" to the no-Librarians rule due to being shamans, though the Stormseers weren't so hypocritical as to reject the Librarius as a failed structure. These Stormseers would persist after the Heresy and effectively become the Librarius for the chapter.

Practically, aside from their limited choice in psychic powers (including some of their own), they were identical to Librarians.

===Diabolist===
Is it any surprise that these consuls hailed from the [[Word Bearers|XVII Legion]]? Indeed, as [[Lorgar]] dove further into the Primordial Truth, so too did his sons continue diving into this forbidden lore of the daemons, even as this knowledge corrupted their souls and twisted them. One might assume them as the predecessor to the [[Master of Possession]] that would lead the Legions of Chaos, and that is quite close a guess.

In the Horus Heresy tabletop, these consuls are special psykers with force weapons who partake in forbidden daemonology, essentially becoming daemons. This will require the rest of the army to take Dark Channeling to similarly become daemons if you want the Diabolist to join a squad. Unlike the Librarian, they see no need for a psychic hood since summoning daemons to fuck shit sideways is the whole point of what they're doing.

===[[Moritat]]===
Though the role of Consul was typically an honoured one, the Moritat received no such acclaim. Being drawn from the oft-scorned Destroyer companies, the Moritat was specially tasked to deliver death on their own, operating outside the Legion's normal command structure as a one-man special forces squad.

On the Horus Heresy tabletop, the Moritat is notable for their ability to take rad grenades and their dual-pistol loadout. The latter is their most iconic feature as it lets them rapid fire these pistols to an almost comical degree. However, the Moritat is also unable to lead anything aside from an attached Destroyer squad.

===Mortificator===
Among the ranks of the Techmarines, the Mortificators are those who spend the most time with the honoured [[Dreadnought]]s of the legion. As they know the most about these venerated war machines, they will accompany the dreads into the fray, constantly ensuring that they operate at their finest.

On the Horus Heresy Tabletop, the Mortificator serves as the keeper of the dreads. He can be attached to a Dreadnought talon, in which case the dreads gain a Feel No Pain save on top of the consul's ability to repair them. The Mortificator comes equipped with a servo-arm and a Corposant Stave, an unusual archaeotech weapon that can overload enemy machinery.

===Pathfinder===
With the extreme demand for frontline troops in the Heresy, there were few scout companies that were utilized as they tended to be thrown into power armour as soon as possible. As a result, the scouts of these days tended to be experts in the field, opting for light armour for the sake of completing covert ops that the rest of the legion would not see as feasible.

In the Horus Heresy tabletop, the Pathfinder is an addition to the Liber Astartes/Hereticus books of the second edition. The Pathfinder is the only Consul equipped with Scout Armour, but for some reason he doesn't gain the Light sub-type.

===Praevian===
[[File:PraevianAlt.jpg|200px|right|thumb|In the Great Crusade, Battlebots were an actual ''thing''.]]
The Consul Praevian was a type of Astartes commander during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy and a variant of the Consul.

Trained on [[Mars]] by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus|Mechanicum]], Praevians were the keeper of the Legion's [[Legio Cybernetica|robots]], including Battle-Automata given honorary induction into the Legion's ranks. On the field of battle they marched at the forefront of Battle-Automata forces, guiding them through the engagement.

They were often chosen from veterans whose injuries required extensive bionic replacement. Known to be solitary individuals, they rarely advanced up the chain of command. Some Legions used the rank as a dumping ground for warriors seen as unfit for other duties. However, in the [[Iron Hands]] (No surprise there) and [[Salamanders]], the rank was seen as a great honour. On the traitor side, [[Iron Warriors]] also make great use of them due to their ability to bring siege robots to the party. As they are heavily augmented, they wore what is essentially [[Artificer Armour]] for defence, but by the time of [[Horus Heresy|Horus' clusterfuck bonanza]] some of them had to wear [[Mark V: Heresy Armour|Heresy-pattern armour]].

Some people call them a predecessor of the [[Techmarine]], but with each of them in command of a mini robot-army.

On the tabletop, they are the Master of the Legion's Automata. The Praevian is a Support Officer, so cannot be used as a compulsory HQ and thus cannot be in an allied contingent. Comes equipped with a Cortex Controller, Cortex Designator and can't take anything that makes him bulky. First, you choose a type of Battle Automata (only [[Castellax Class Battle-Automata|Castellax]] and [[Vorax Class Battle-Automata|Vorax]] at this time) to accompany him, forming one unit with MCs (so he can't go to ground) that he can't leave. Any time the Praevian hits an enemy unit with a ranged attack, he grants Preferred Enemy to the Automata in his unit for that turn (so give him a [[Astartes Boltgun|bolter]]). Upgrade them with Enhanced Targeting Arrays for 2+ re-rollable accuracy for your weapons.

In the first edition, Praevians were unique in that they not only treated their charges as members of the legion, but they could also equip them with special equipment that might have proved useful to them.

===Primus Medicae===
Chosen from the most senior officers of the [[Apothecary|Apothecarion]], the Primus Medicae was the figure in charge of the well-being of his brothers and their gene-seed. In those situations where they take to the field, the Primus Medicae is singularly dedicated to the safety of the Legion's health.

On the tabletop, the Primus Medicae has a Narthecium, as befits their station, as well as a special rule to let an attached unit <s>re-roll any Feel No Pain saves they make from that Narthecium.</s> re-roll IWND rolls. [[Fail|Who the fuck wrote that?]] At least this makes him good at buffing Primarc-...wait, [[Derp|what do you mean he only lets Infantry and Cavalry re-roll IWND rolls?]]

At the very least he's the only Narthecium carrier able to take Terminator armour, so has a niche as the Feel No Pain provider for your [[Deathstar]].

===Primus Nullificator===
As the Heresy ground on, the loyalists tried a great many methods to ward off the hordes of daemons being summoned by the traitor forces. One of these would be Nullificators, a small force of marines who etched their power armour with hexagrammatic wards and used superstition and normally unsanctioned weapons like disintegrators. Primus Nullificators were the leaders of these forces, psykers who were specially trained to purge daemons.

On the tabletop, the Primus Nullificator uses these Hexagrammatic Wards to protect themselves against the warp. Alongside their guns (which could also include the disintegrator), they wield the Aether-shock Maul, a special power weapon made to demolish daemons. Their main goal is opening extended access to the Nullificators, allowing one to field them without restriction as a Troops choice, though they're a Support Squad so they can't score objectives.

===Siege Breaker===
When there were fortifications or armored vehicles that needed to be gone yesterday, the Siege Breakers were the ones who got the call. Usually leading from the front, the Siege Breaker devoted himself to smashing the enemy's walls and trashing their tanks.

On the tabletop, the Siege Breaker comes loaded for bear, with a Nuncio-Vox to direct artillery strikes and Phosphex Bombs to scorch the earth. More importantly, they can give Sunder to a unit within 6" each turn and they unlock phosphex rounds for Rapiers and Arquitors, letting you bring creeping death to the field.

===Dark Emissary===
Agent of the [[Horus|Warmaster]] and the [[Black Legion|XVI Legion]], the Dark Emissary was dispatched to other legions, seeking to corrupt their leadership by whispering honeyed words to those who would listen. Often, they would subvert the warrior lodges to make their work easier, spreading corruption and deceit through the lodges' clandestine gatherings. For those that turned from the Emperor, the Dark Emissary became the voice of their leader and enforcer of Horus' will.

The Dark Emissary is a Sons of Horus-exclusive consul in the HH tabletop. As they are not warlords, they are instead seen only in allied detachments of the Sons of Horus. They wield the Staff of Dark Authority, a special power weapon that serves as their badge of office.

===Pack Thegn===
Serving the Jarls of the [[Space Wolves|VI Legion]]'s great companies, the Thegns are champions of the Rout, with plenty of experience to impart to their troops. However, they do not view this as an honour, as these Thegns have been passed up for promotion as Jarl, whether by suffering some grave dishonour or as the lone survivor of their pack.

The Pack Thegn is a Space Wolves-exclusive Consul introduced in the Liber Astartes. They don't add much, giving only Counter-Attack (1) as well as the Skirmish unit sub-type, which lets them integrate with the legion's unique units without much trouble.

===Paladin of the Hekatonystika===
The [[Dark Angels|I Legion]] was known for its labyrinthine web of orders, cabals, and chambers, an anomalous organization that made the Legion impenetrable to outsiders and allowed its commanders to draw upon the unique knowledge of each order as needed. Among these are the Hekatonystika, an order shrouded in extreme secrecy but uniquely experienced in a special art of warfare. A Paladin may on occasion be assigned from the orders of the Inner Circle to take the lead in a situation where the order's experience would prove absolutely necessary.

The Paladin of the Hekatonystika is a Dark Angels-exclusive consul introduced in the Liber Astartes of the HH tabletop reboot. He gets a Terranic Greatsword and can select one of the choices for the Orders of the Hekatonystika given to the Inner Circle Knights Cenobium. With the bump to Leadership and WS as well as Stubborn, the Paladin is basically an improved Consul Champion, though he's not honour-bound to accept any challenges.

===Phoenix Champion===
The Phoenix Guard are the most elite terminators of the [[Emperor's Children|III Legion]], masters of combat and icons of [[Fulgrim]]'s pride. The Phoenix Champion is the most elite of these guardians, acting as the shining exemplar of a legion that prides itself on outright perfection.

The Phoenix Champion is a unique consul introduced with the Liber Hereticus of the HH tabletop reboot. These consuls gain the same special rules as the Phoenix Guard as well as the exquisitely decorated and master-crafted Phoenix weapons the wielded.

===Vigilator===

The lone gunmen of the Legiones Astartes. Vigilators were highly trained snipers who typically embarked on infiltration, reconnaissance, sabotage, and decapitation missions behind enemy lines. Some Legions thought they were dishonourable and refused to incorporate them into their order of battle, but others, like the Alpha Legion and the Raven Guard, made excellent use of them.

On the tabletop they come equipped with a master-crafted Nemesis Bolter and get melta bombs for free. They have the option to be given either Infiltrate or Scout. They aren't Skirmish sub-type though, so they don't mix well with Recon Squads, which is a shame, but they do have the same Marked for Death special rule that Seekers do, so they can re-roll 1s to-wound against a single unit chosen at the start of the game. They also have the Master Sniper rule, which gives any Sniper weapon they use the Rending (2+) and Shell Shock (1) rules. So effectively against their chosen target with their Nemesis Bolter, they auto-hit (BS5 Master-crafted) and auto-wounding with AP2 (Rending (2+) and Marked for Death).

====Saboteur====

Saboteurs were an elite group of Alpha Legionnaires who were basically Vigilators if they focused exclusively on dicking over the enemy's army. After all, your opponent can't fight if his comms are jammed, his armor and artillery are wrecked, his commanders are dead, his troops are in the wrong spot, and his fortifications have been breached.

The Saboteur is an XX Legion-exclusive consul in the second edition of the Horus Heresy tabletop. He comes stock with Infiltrate and Scout, plus a rule known as False Colours that prevents him from being attacked until he attacks. He also gets melta bombs, breacher charges, and shroud bombs for free and can buy a Nemesis bolter for cheap because the Alpha Legion doesn't fuck around in the dirty-tricks department.

===Warmonger===

Junior captains who were eager to make a name for themselves, Warmongers specialized in close-assault tactics and deep striking via teleport, allowing them to get right up in the enemy's face before blowing it off. They fit better into [[World Eaters|some legions]] than into [[Salamanders|others]].

Warmongers have been relegated to PDF status as of the second edition of the Heresy tabletop, which is probably fine since they're kind of a one-trick pony. They get an Aetheric Juncture Splicer, which allows them and an attached squad to deep-strike, so you could theoretically troll your opponent by dropping him and a Breacher squad onto an objective...but you have to roll a d6 when you deploy them and rolling a 1 deals an automatic wound. The Warmonger also has to charge whenever he can, which can be problematic if he's Leeroy-Jenkinsing a Terminator squad or a Dreadnought without proper kit.

{{Marines-Forces}}
{{Chaos Space Marines}}

Primaris Apothecary

2023-04-29T13:43:15Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Apothecary Biologis */

[[File:40kPreviewJuly23 Apothecary2n-500x461.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Whelp Jimmy, you had a good run, but I guess I will take your precious progenoids as part of my...[[NSFW|'collection'.]]]]

{{topquote|Amongst the most honoured Space Marines of a Chapter are its Apothecaries. It is their role to to [sic] mind the physical well-being of their battle-brothers – this is seen most obviously on the battlefield, where an Apothecary serves as an emergency medic. Their most important duty, though, concerns the dead; an Apothecary can harvest the progenoid organs from a fallen Space Marine, ensuring the creation of further warriors and the continuation of the Chapter.|Games Workshop}}

The Primaris Apothecary is the souped-up version of the regular old [[Apothecary]] from the [[Space Marines|SPEHS MAHREENS]]. The [[Primaris Marines|Primaris version]] of the trusty combat medic is noted for its high praise among many both in and out of /tg/ due to its high quality in the model, cool pose and superb design. Anyways, the Primaris Apothecary functions the same as the normal Apothecaries with the exception of the armor and equipment they carry.

Whilst the normal run-of-the-mill Apothecary isn't that well known for packing a lot of firepower, the Primaris version is known to carry both a [[Reductor Pistol]] or an [[Bolter#Absolvor Bolt Pistol|Absolvor Bolt Pistol]] which gives it a much needed punch. Going back to the Reductor Pistol, whilst normal Apothecaries are perma-armed with a [[Narthecium]], the Primaris Apothecary uses the Reductor Pistol as its equivalent. This allows the Primaris Apothecary to have some flexibility and dexterity (as well as range and firepower if needs be) when caring for wounded or dead Marines on the battlefield. Like the Narthecium, the Reductor is designed to punch through Space Marine Power Armour quickly and cleanly in order to get into the juicy bits of the Marine, or it can inject certain medicinal agents or combat drugs to boost military performance; it can also do much the same to the skull of a rampaging [[Ork]] [[Warboss]] if push comes to shove.

Furthermore, to complement the Reductor Pistol, the Primaris Apothecary is also armed with an advanced version of the regular Narthecium outfitted with a sensor that enables the Apothecary to see the heart-rate, status and ailments of friendly Marines. This would prove useful in times when even an Apothecary is not too sure about the status of a Marine to enable the Emperor's peace or not.

Additionally, Primaris Apothecaries (unlike conventional Apothecaries) are able to attach a servo-arm armed with a power-drill to either punch through the armor of tanks/buildings in order to get to a trapped Marine or create a giant hole in any foe charging its way towards the Apothecary. Curiously, Primaris Apothecaries are known to carry a bunch of small canopic jars filled with the [[Gene-seed|progenoids]] of deceased battle brothers [[Wat|around their necks,]] to be used for future gene-seed reproduction. [[Derp|You would think they would put these precious commodities somewhere safe so it won't get accidentally crushed by a powerfist to the chest or something.]]

== Helix Adept ==

[[File:HelixAdept.jpg|170px|right|thumb|When you're a close-combat frontline specialist but still more sensible than the [[FAIL|Primaris 'Wear your precious Gene-Seed like a necklace' Apothecaries.]]]]

A very specialized form of Apothecaries in general. The Helix Adept is a Vanguard Primaris Marines, essentially Primaris [[Veteran Squad|Veteran Squads]] if you will. However, unlike most Apothecaries who are treated as a single individual unit that likes to stay in the backlines, the Helix Adept always come tagging along an [[Infiltrator|Infiltrator Squad]] and likes to get in close and dirty.

Also unlike regular and Primaris Apothecaries, Helix Adepts actually carry a proper military weapon in the battlefield. Yeah, sure the Apothecaries could use the [[Narthecium]] and the [[Reductor Pistol]] as a weapon, but these are often medical equipment first and foremost, so their battlefield viability is extremely limited and a tactical liability. The Helix Adept on the other hand, is armed with a Marksman variant of the [[Bolter#Bolt Carbine|Bolt Carbine]], making him several orders of magnitude more flexible in battle than the average Apothecary.

Speaking of Nartheciums, the Helix Adept carries a smaller, more compact and streamlined pattern rather than the Reductor Pistol, this could be because a Bolt Carbine is far more useful in close quarters than a single-shot pneumatic needle gun.

Furthermore, since they are always paired with the Infiltrators, they are experts in disrupting enemy communications and sabotaging targets of opportunity. Thus, they are equipped with the backpack mounted Omni-Scramblers; electronic warfare devices that intercept signals across a broad spectrum, scrambling frequencies and shutting down enemy communications (Kind of like the [[Genestealer]] [[Clamavus]]).

Because of this, Helix Adepts are very versatile and what most would call a proper combat-medic. They are able to heal and revive their fallen brethren and since almost every Infiltrator is equipped with one, they can be a very annoying unit to take out. Although the Helix Adept's version of the Apothecary's Narthecium is overall weaker, which lets it restore 1 wound per round to models in its unit, or revive a slain model in its unit on a 5+. The weaker Narthecium is to compensate from the Helix Adept's overall better combat statlines than your regular and Primaris Apothecaries.

Also, unlike the Primaris Apothecaries, the Helix Adepts aren't mentally retarded enough to hang their Chapter's precious Gene-Seed like a bloody Buddhist necklace and actually puts them in safe storage.

== Apothecary Biologis ==
{{Skub}}
[[File:IXHe4oumrNMAwCFp.jpg|300px|right|thumb|When you want to become a zoologist but accidentally end up in med school...]]
For whatever reason, the Apothecary now has access to [[Mark X: Gravis Pattern Armour|Gravis Armor]] at a point where all Primaris Marines can now don Terminator Armor. The Apothecary Biologis is a new variant of Primaris Apothecaries (As if the Primaris need yet ''another'' version of the same unit), first introduced in 10th Edition.

Unlike conventional Apothecaries, these guys are more scientist rather than a doctor. Due to this, this pattern ditches the [[Narthecium]], likely leaving its duties to the [[Miscellaneous_Weapons#Servo-Arm|servo-arms]] mounted on his backpack. He also now carries around a giant jar filled with Gene-Seed (or maybe some other biological sample) and a Vivispectrum scanning suite for determining weak points.

His only weapon outside of his servo-arms is a single [[Heavy Bolt Pistol]] for range. As such, he doesn't really carry that much weight in combat, even amongst other Apothecary variants. So he is more like a support character than anything else. Nevertheless, his Gravis Armour paradoxically means that he is by definition, the toughest Apothecay variants, because for [[Derp|some reason]] Apothecaries are barely ever seen wearing [[Terminator Armour]] unless they're [[Deathwing]] or the old Heresy-era [[Consul#Primus_Medicae|Primus Medicae]].
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[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Space Marines]]

[[Category: Primaris Marines]]

{{Primaris Marine-Forces}}

Infernus

2023-04-29T12:35:16Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Overview */

[[File:0uYdaP5J4irFuf0M.png|300px|right|thumb|The successors to [[Vulkan]]'s lost pyrophilia.]]
Infernus or Infernus Squads are a new batch of [[Primaris Space Marine|Primaris]] [[Salamanders|Pyromaniacs]] who grew intensely inspired by the [[Black Templar]] [[Initiate]]s and their [[Pyreblaster]]s. So now every Primaris Chapter is lugging around a couple of these badboys, which is perfect timing anyways given [[Tyranids|who]] has been making their presence known lately.

==Overview==
Well, treat these guys as your dedicated close-range assault units. These guys are your pyros, so they like to get in close and dirty; making them pretty specialised as a result. They are reserved for large-scale horde clearing and, against Tyranids, are their biggest bane. However, their close-ranged weapons makes them vulnerable to enemy snipers or artillery, and they don't have the cool jetpacks that other close-assault Space Marine units can help mitigate their weaknesses.

Like their Black Templar [[anime|senpais]], almost all of them wield a [[Pyreblaster]] as their standard issue. For secondaries, they carry a [[Bolt Pistol]], a [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Astartes Combat Knife|combat knife]] for melee, and [[Grenades & Explosives#Frag Grenade|frag]] and [[Grenades & Explosives#Krak Grenade|krak grenades]]. All of them wear the standard-issue [[Mark X: Tacticus Pattern Armour]].

==Tabletop==
{{Skub}}

{{Primaris Marine-Forces}}

Infernus

2023-04-29T12:35:08Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Overview */ It's the same flamer and pistol as the others get model-wise

[[File:0uYdaP5J4irFuf0M.png|300px|right|thumb|The successors to [[Vulkan]]'s lost pyrophilia.]]
Infernus or Infernus Squads are a new batch of [[Primaris Space Marine|Primaris]] [[Salamanders|Pyromaniacs]] who grew intensely inspired by the [[Black Templar]] [[Initiate]]s and their [[Pyreblaster]]s. So now every Primaris Chapter is lugging around a couple of these badboys, which is perfect timing anyways given [[Tyranids|who]] has been making their presence known lately.

==Overview==
Well, treat these guys as your dedicated close-range assault units. These guys are your pyros, so they like to get in close and dirty; making them pretty specialised as a result. They are reserved for large-scale horde clearing and, against Tyranids, are their biggest bane. However, their close-ranged weapons makes them vulnerable to enemy snipers or artillery, and they don't have the cool jetpacks that other close-assault Space Marine units can help mitigate their weaknesses.

Like their Black Templar [[anime|senpais]], almost all of them wield a [[Pyreblaster]] as their standard issue. For secondaries, they carry a [[Bolt Pistol]], a [[Basic Close Combat Weapons#Astartes Combat Knife|combat knife]] for melee, and [[Grenades & Explosives#Frag Grenade|frag]] and [[Grenades & Explosives#Krak Grenade|krak grenades]]. . All of them wear the standard-issue [[Mark X: Tacticus Pattern Armour]].

==Tabletop==
{{Skub}}

{{Primaris Marine-Forces}}

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Ruinstorm Daemons

2023-04-29T12:13:27Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Ætheric Dominions */

This is the current tactics page for the Legio Custodes in HH 2.0. The 1.0 tactics can be found [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Daemons of the Ruinstorm (30k)|here]]

For the generals on how to play the game and the basics on listbuilding (as well as other tactica rules), you may want the General tactics page. You may also find the Horus Heresy general thread as "/HHG/" on [[/tg/]].

==Why play the Ruinstorm Daemons==
Because you already have an army of Daemons from any other GW game and just don't want to paint any more.

'''Pros'''

'''Cons'''
* Shooting is pretty much nonexistent.

==Special Rules==
*'''Ætherial Invulnerability (X+):''' It's an Invulnerable save. You know it, you need it. Sadly doesn't work against force weapons.
*'''Daemon Unit Type:''' Of course, you'll need to work around this. Daemons get Fear(1) and are immune to Fear as well as auto-passing any Pinning checks, which is a bigger deal now. However, daemons cannot opt to fail morale checks and any they do fail suffers d3 wounds rather than falling back.
**The bigger issue is the matter of Degradation. See, during the turns 1 and 2, your forces get +1 to their strength and toughness. On turns 3 and 4, those bonuses go away and on turns 5 and 6, your forces now suffer -1 to their strength and toughness and turn 7 sees those penalties upped to -2. Drawing a game out is actively dangerous for you.

===Ætheric Dominions===
Of course, knowledge of the [[Warp]] and Chaos in general was proscribed to the general public, so nobody really had a clue how they operated. Rather than a singular deity, people presumed that they had [[Hive Mind|certain malign intelligences]] guiding them.

*'''[[Chaos Undivided|Encroaching Ruin]]''': Your daemons get Move Through Cover. Units with only this rule also only suffer 1 wound as a result of failing a morale check.
*'''[[Khorne|Heedless Slaughter]]''': Your daemons must charge any units within 8". In addition, units with only this rule add +1 to their combat resolution and to their sweeping advance checks.
*'''[[Tzeentch|Formless Distortion]]''': During the Fight subphase, your daemons roll d3 and get a random buff to their melee attacks: Lance and Concussive(1) to knock tanks, Reach(1) to top Initiative, or Shred and Sunder to tear down defenses.
*'''[[Nurgle|Putrid Corruption]]''': Your daemons gain the Heavy Subtype. They also gain a special 6+ save they can use against any damage that isn't Instant Death or psychic in nature.
*'''[[Malal|Ravenous Dissolution]]''': Your daemons get +1 to hit Psykers, Independent Characters, other Daemons, and Corrupted units on the first turn of combat. Sadly, all it means is a glorified Hatred.
*'''[[Slaanesh|Rapturous Sensation]]''': Your daemons gain +1" to the distance of any Runs, Charges or reaction moves. Successful charges that aren't disordered also give your forces a +1 to Initiative for the turn, letting them potentially beat out Praetors. Units with only this rule get to re-roll tests for Blind and Concussive weapons.
*'''[[Vashtorr|Malevolent Artifice]]''': Your daemons re-roll any armour saves against attacks where the attack's strength is less than their toughness.
*'''[[Hashut|Infernal Tempest]]''': Your Daemons have Hammer of Wrath(1), with the bonus of any HoW hits gaining Deflagrate for extra fun. They also gain a special weapon, an 8" S8 AP5 Assault 2 gun with Deflagrate that can only be used as a reaction but always hits. While S8 is nifty, AP5 means that any MEQ can easily shrug it off.

==Daemonic Wargear==

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Brute Armaments:''' The basic weapons for your brutes and attendants. AP3 makes it plenty threatening, as does Murderous Strike(5+) and Rending(6+). Two-Handed here doesn't mean much unless the full army list gives alternatives.
*'''Regent Blade:''' The Daemon Regent's sword. A Two-Handed AP2 weapon with Murderous Strike(5+), so it's just as deadly as the brute's weapon.

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===

====Named Characters====

===Elites===

===Troops===

===Fast Attack===

===Heavy Support===

===Lords of War===

==Bound Daemons==
Released as an Exemplary Battles doc, this gives us a bit of a preview of what daemons may end up being. That said, they require someone else

===Special Rules===
*'''Bound Subtype:''' The big selling point here. All Bound Daemons no longer suffer from deterioration, but now require psykers to be on the field to avoid them losing power.
**The big tradeoff is how they're deployed. During initial deployment, One IC psyker must make psychic tests in order to summon each unit of daemons on the field. However, one failure and any remaining squads are thrown into reserves. Afterwards, your IC psykers can make psychic tests in order to summon those daemons from reserves.
*'''Bound Malefica:''' Allows Bound Daemons to count as Ruinstorm Daemons in terms of any rules that require the latter, such as the Esoterist's Breach the Veil power or Erebus' Harbinger of Chaos.

===Warlord Trait===
*'''Malefic Supplicant:''' Pretty much a necessity, as this is the only way you can summon your forces. Fortunately, this is available to both your daemons as well as to any allied traitor warlords. This makes the warlord a psyker, but they don't get the ability to cast anything aside from "Summon Daemons". Your army also gains an extra reaction during the Assault phase.

===Unit Analysis===

====HQ====
*'''Bound Daemon Regent:''' What might well become better known as Daemonic Heralds. They're slightly tougher with T6, 4 wounds and a 4+/4++ save, while WS5 makes them about on par with most basic characters with their AP2 Regent Blade with ''Murderous Strike (5+)'' making them capable of carving through most things.
**If you're worried about survivability, you can also buy Attendants. In fact, that's the only way your Regent can be in a squad since they lack Independent Character or some other way to join squads. That said, these Attendants are just Daemon Brutes with a fancier title.

=====Named Characters=====
*'''[[Samus|Bound Samus, the End and the Death, Daemon Prince of the Primordial Annihilator]]:'''

====Troops/Elites====
*'''Bound Daemon Brutes:''' Oddly both a Troops and Elites choice, meaning you'll need to see a LOT of them. Their weapons are quite effective at S5 AP3 with ''Rending (6+)'' and ''Murderous Strike (5+)'' on top of ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'', and being T5 with a 4+/5++ save and 3 wounds a model makes them more than a little durable for a squad of brutes. Being ''Bulky (3)'' also means that outnumbering them won't be as easy as you think.

====Lords of War====
*'''[[Ka'bandha|Bound Ka'bandha, Daemon General of Signus]]:'''

==Allies==
As Agents of the Warmaster, you're pretty much set in regards to who you want to ally with. If they're traitors, you can go with them.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

====Knights====

==Building your army==

==Army Tactics==

[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]
{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}

Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition

2023-04-29T12:06:41Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Major Updates */

{{stub}}
Announced on March 30, 2023, '''Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition''' is yet another revision to [[Games Workshop]]'s big money-hog and it's promising to be even bigger than the transition from 7th to 8th.

The focus of this edition seems split between [[Imperium]] vs [[Chaos]] and [[Imperium]] vs [[Xenos]], with the [[Ark of Omen|Arks of Omen]] saga's after-effects still lingering while Ultramar and the rest of the Imperium is being embroiled in the [[Fourth Tyrannic War]].

==Major Updates==
* '''Simplified Statlines.''' The promise here is that the unit stats are going to be so small they can fit on an index card so you can actually carry them around without needing to carry a whole goddamn book. More surprisingly, all units' statlines will be immediately available as [[What|free downloads]] at launch.
** Taking a note from Kill-Team and [[Age of Sigmar]], weapons now have their own statlines independent of each other. Saves an extra line of text for unwieldy weapons like the power fist by making its WS set at 4+ instead of 3+ like the rest of the squad's knives.
** '''Objective Control.''' This new stat represents how many models a certain model counts as in terms of capping an objective. Likely to make ObSec more valuable.
* '''USRs Return.''' Turns out that there was no point in making up twenty different ways to explain "Feel No Pain" or "Deep Strike".
** Weapons have their own special rules to account for. Assault Weapons can now be fired after advancing without penalty. Heavy Weapons add +1 to their BS if the user stands still before shooting. Additionally, weapons can have more than one type (e.g. Bolt Rifles are both Assault and Heavy weapons).
** Twin-linked weapons work more like they did in the old days, granting a re-roll to wound. Melee weapons can also be twin-linked in some cases.
* '''Cut the Stratagem Bloat.''' There are too goddamn many of them, so a trimming to the very fringe ones is very welcome. A bunch of them now function as passive abilities inherent to the units they once enhanced, which was what everyone wanted back anyway.
* '''Heroes can be attached to squads again.''' Some characters still have auras, but now you can have squads with heroes leading them for special buffs as opposed to them being buffed into the stratosphere by overlapping auras.
** Curious to note is that some heroes can't attach to certain squads. Heroes that can't attach to squads at all are protected from shooting attacks unless they're within 12" of the shooter.
* '''The psychic phase has been axed.''' Psychic attacks are now weapons with the proper statlines, psychic buffs/debuffs are now special rules. Just like the good ol' days.
** An unfortunate development of this is that the lists of psychic powers seem to be gone. This is troubling considering that there were spells with all sorts of special uses that couldn't fit inside a single statline.
* '''Morale phase has been merged with the Command phase.''' Not like there was anything more that the phase did.
** '''Battle-Shock changes.''' Instead of just causing extra casualties, Battle-Shock now inflicts penalties for the rest of the turn- the affective unit has its OC stat set to 0 so it can't hold objectives, it has to take a Desperate Escape test when falling back, and it can't be boosted with Stratagems.
* '''The Death of the FOC.''' Just like [[Warhammer Fantasy]] before it, 40k will no longer sport that old chestnut called the Force Organization Chart. Now there are only five real slots to contend with: {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Epic Hero}},{{W40kKeyword|Battleline}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dedicated Transport}}, and everything else.
** Being the central units to your army, the Battleline and Dedicated Transport units can be taken up to six times in an army. Epic Heroes (your named characters) can only be taken once, and everything else can be taken up to three times. You need at least one Character in the army, though.
** Curiously, the Boarding Action play mode seems to be the least affected by this due to dropping a lot of the older additions for its own fixed rules; according to the website it was specifically designed with 10th edition in mind. The most you might need there is a revision for units that might have been taken despite not being Troops/Elites choices.
* '''Tough units are tougher.''' Most Vehicles and Monsters have received a noticeable bump to their Toughness and Wounds, and several weapons have lower AP than they used to have. Expect it to be much harder to kill off tanks and the like with infantry-portable weapons.
** Speaking of monsters and vehicles, damage tracks seem to be much more simplified. Rather than copypasta the same statline multiple times with smaller numbers, there's now a "Damaged" section that just states what penalties to impose on an unit.

===Boxed Sets===
*'''Leviathan''' is the box that's going to be launching 10th Edition, pitting Space Marines against who else but the Tyranids.

===New Models===
*'''Space Marines''' are getting new models for the Termie Captain, Termie Librarian, Phobos Lieutenant, [[Sternguard Veteran]]s, and base [[Terminator]]s. Being introduced to the line are the [[Apothecary]] Biologis (a [[Primaris Apothecary]] in Gravis armor who remembered Apothecaries are scientists as well as medics), and the [[Ballistus Dreadnought]] (a [[Redemptor Dreadnought]] offshoot that leans more towards the old Hellfire Dreads by having guns on both arms), the [[Infernus Squad]] (A squad of marines toting Pyreblasters that used to just belong to [[Black Templars]]) . Lion El'Jonson also makes his return as the second playable loyalist Primarch in 40k.
*'''Tyranids''' are getting new models for the Tyranid Prime (with wings), [[Termagant]]s, and the Screamer-Killer [[Carnifex]] sporting more elongated claws and a new head. Brand new to the line are the [[Neurotyrant]] (A super-sized [[Zoanthrope]] with smaller floating attendants), [[Neurogaunt]]s (New gaunt variants that are led by a bigger gaunt that acts as a Synapse beacon), [[Barbgaunt]]s (essentially Gaunt Mortar Teams, fulfilling someone's wish for a heavy-weapons gaunt), [[Von Ryan's Leaper]]s (smaller pack hunter Lictor-likes), and the [[Psychophage]] (a giant psyker-eating beast with a maw that puts the [[Haruspex]] to shame).

==Lore Updates==
===Imperium===
====Space Marines====
*[[Belisarius Cawl]] has finally found something he couldn't improve upon: [[Terminator]] Armor. Apparently the design for it is so perfect that he couldn't find any way to improve it. Instead, he managed to find a way to retrofit it (read: scale up) to fit Primaris marines.
**Similar to that, it seems like a lot of Space Marine transports are being upsized to fit the Primaris strain...[[Retcon|or perhaps their increased height was overexaggerated all along]].

===Chaos===

===Xenos===
*Hive Fleet Leviathan has made its big revenge and is swarming the Imperium from the galactic west, right when the Imperium's forces are still concentrated in the Imperium Nihilus and unable to get back in a remotely reasonable time.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: 40k editions]]

Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition

2023-04-29T12:05:56Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Space Marines */

{{stub}}
Announced on March 30, 2023, '''Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition''' is yet another revision to [[Games Workshop]]'s big money-hog and it's promising to be even bigger than the transition from 7th to 8th.

The focus of this edition seems split between [[Imperium]] vs [[Chaos]] and [[Imperium]] vs [[Xenos]], with the [[Ark of Omen|Arks of Omen]] saga's after-effects still lingering while Ultramar and the rest of the Imperium is being embroiled in the [[Fourth Tyrannic War]].

==Major Updates==
* '''Simplified Statlines.''' The promise here is that the unit stats are going to be so small they can fit on an index card so you can actually carry them around without needing to carry a whole goddamn book. More surprisingly, all units' statlines will be immediately available as [[What|free downloads]] at launch.
** Taking a note from Kill-Team and [[Age of Sigmar]], weapons now have their own statlines independent of each other. Saves an extra line of text for unwieldy weapons like the power fist by making its WS set at 4+ instead of 3+ like the rest of the squad's knives.
** '''Objective Control.''' This new stat represents how many models a certain model counts as in terms of capping an objective. Likely to make ObSec more valuable.
* '''USRs Return.''' Turns out that there was no point in making up twenty different ways to explain "Feel No Pain" or "Deep Strike".
** Weapons have their own special rules to account for. Assault Weapons can now be fired after advancing without penalty. Heavy Weapons add +1 to their BS if the user stands still before shooting. Additionally, weapons can have more than one type (e.g. Bolt Rifles are both Assault and Heavy weapons).
** Twin-linked weapons work more like they did in the old days, granting a re-roll to wound. Melee weapons can also be twin-linked in some cases.
* '''Cut the Stratagem Bloat.''' There are too goddamn many of them, so a trimming to the very fringe ones is very welcome. A bunch of them now function as passive abilities inherent to the units they once enhanced.
* '''Heroes can be attached to squads again.''' Some characters still have auras, but now you can have squads with heroes leading them for special buffs as opposed to them being buffed into the stratosphere by overlapping auras.
** Curious to note is that some heroes can't attach to certain squads. Heroes that can't attach to squads at all are protected from shooting attacks unless they're within 12" of the shooter.
* '''The psychic phase has been axed.''' Psychic attacks are now weapons with the proper statlines, psychic buffs/debuffs are now special rules. Just like the good ol' days.
** An unfortunate development of this is that the lists of psychic powers seem to be gone. This is troubling considering that there were spells with all sorts of special uses that couldn't fit inside a single statline.
* '''Morale phase has been merged with the Command phase.''' Not like there was anything more that the phase did.
** '''Battle-Shock changes.''' Instead of just causing extra casualties, Battle-Shock now inflicts penalties for the rest of the turn- the affective unit has its OC stat set to 0 so it can't hold objectives, it has to take a Desperate Escape test when falling back, and it can't be boosted with Stratagems.
* '''The Death of the FOC.''' Just like [[Warhammer Fantasy]] before it, 40k will no longer sport that old chestnut called the Force Organization Chart. Now there are only five real slots to contend with: {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Epic Hero}},{{W40kKeyword|Battleline}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dedicated Transport}}, and everything else.
** Being the central units to your army, the Battleline and Dedicated Transport units can be taken up to six times in an army. Epic Heroes (your named characters) can only be taken once, and everything else can be taken up to three times. You need at least one Character in the army, though.
** Curiously, the Boarding Action play mode seems to be the least affected by this due to dropping a lot of the older additions for its own fixed rules; according to the website it was specifically designed with 10th edition in mind. The most you might need there is a revision for units that might have been taken despite not being Troops/Elites choices.
* '''Tough units are tougher.''' Most Vehicles and Monsters have received a noticeable bump to their Toughness and Wounds, and several weapons have lower AP than they used to have. Expect it to be much harder to kill off tanks and the like with infantry-portable weapons.
** Speaking of monsters and vehicles, damage tracks seem to be much more simplified. Rather than copypasta the same statline multiple times with smaller numbers, there's now a "Damaged" section that just states what penalties to impose on an unit.

===Boxed Sets===
*'''Leviathan''' is the box that's going to be launching 10th Edition, pitting Space Marines against who else but the Tyranids.

===New Models===
*'''Space Marines''' are getting new models for the Termie Captain, Termie Librarian, Phobos Lieutenant, [[Sternguard Veteran]]s, and base [[Terminator]]s. Being introduced to the line are the [[Apothecary]] Biologis (a [[Primaris Apothecary]] in Gravis armor who remembered Apothecaries are scientists as well as medics), and the [[Ballistus Dreadnought]] (a [[Redemptor Dreadnought]] offshoot that leans more towards the old Hellfire Dreads by having guns on both arms), the [[Infernus Squad]] (A squad of marines toting Pyreblasters that used to just belong to [[Black Templars]]) . Lion El'Jonson also makes his return as the second playable loyalist Primarch in 40k.
*'''Tyranids''' are getting new models for the Tyranid Prime (with wings), [[Termagant]]s, and the Screamer-Killer [[Carnifex]] sporting more elongated claws and a new head. Brand new to the line are the [[Neurotyrant]] (A super-sized [[Zoanthrope]] with smaller floating attendants), [[Neurogaunt]]s (New gaunt variants that are led by a bigger gaunt that acts as a Synapse beacon), [[Barbgaunt]]s (essentially Gaunt Mortar Teams, fulfilling someone's wish for a heavy-weapons gaunt), [[Von Ryan's Leaper]]s (smaller pack hunter Lictor-likes), and the [[Psychophage]] (a giant psyker-eating beast with a maw that puts the [[Haruspex]] to shame).

==Lore Updates==
===Imperium===
====Space Marines====
*[[Belisarius Cawl]] has finally found something he couldn't improve upon: [[Terminator]] Armor. Apparently the design for it is so perfect that he couldn't find any way to improve it. Instead, he managed to find a way to retrofit it (read: scale up) to fit Primaris marines.
**Similar to that, it seems like a lot of Space Marine transports are being upsized to fit the Primaris strain...[[Retcon|or perhaps their increased height was overexaggerated all along]].

===Chaos===

===Xenos===
*Hive Fleet Leviathan has made its big revenge and is swarming the Imperium from the galactic west, right when the Imperium's forces are still concentrated in the Imperium Nihilus and unable to get back in a remotely reasonable time.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: 40k editions]]

Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition

2023-04-29T12:05:34Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* New Models */

{{stub}}
Announced on March 30, 2023, '''Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition''' is yet another revision to [[Games Workshop]]'s big money-hog and it's promising to be even bigger than the transition from 7th to 8th.

The focus of this edition seems split between [[Imperium]] vs [[Chaos]] and [[Imperium]] vs [[Xenos]], with the [[Ark of Omen|Arks of Omen]] saga's after-effects still lingering while Ultramar and the rest of the Imperium is being embroiled in the [[Fourth Tyrannic War]].

==Major Updates==
* '''Simplified Statlines.''' The promise here is that the unit stats are going to be so small they can fit on an index card so you can actually carry them around without needing to carry a whole goddamn book. More surprisingly, all units' statlines will be immediately available as [[What|free downloads]] at launch.
** Taking a note from Kill-Team and [[Age of Sigmar]], weapons now have their own statlines independent of each other. Saves an extra line of text for unwieldy weapons like the power fist by making its WS set at 4+ instead of 3+ like the rest of the squad's knives.
** '''Objective Control.''' This new stat represents how many models a certain model counts as in terms of capping an objective. Likely to make ObSec more valuable.
* '''USRs Return.''' Turns out that there was no point in making up twenty different ways to explain "Feel No Pain" or "Deep Strike".
** Weapons have their own special rules to account for. Assault Weapons can now be fired after advancing without penalty. Heavy Weapons add +1 to their BS if the user stands still before shooting. Additionally, weapons can have more than one type (e.g. Bolt Rifles are both Assault and Heavy weapons).
** Twin-linked weapons work more like they did in the old days, granting a re-roll to wound. Melee weapons can also be twin-linked in some cases.
* '''Cut the Stratagem Bloat.''' There are too goddamn many of them, so a trimming to the very fringe ones is very welcome. A bunch of them now function as passive abilities inherent to the units they once enhanced.
* '''Heroes can be attached to squads again.''' Some characters still have auras, but now you can have squads with heroes leading them for special buffs as opposed to them being buffed into the stratosphere by overlapping auras.
** Curious to note is that some heroes can't attach to certain squads. Heroes that can't attach to squads at all are protected from shooting attacks unless they're within 12" of the shooter.
* '''The psychic phase has been axed.''' Psychic attacks are now weapons with the proper statlines, psychic buffs/debuffs are now special rules. Just like the good ol' days.
** An unfortunate development of this is that the lists of psychic powers seem to be gone. This is troubling considering that there were spells with all sorts of special uses that couldn't fit inside a single statline.
* '''Morale phase has been merged with the Command phase.''' Not like there was anything more that the phase did.
** '''Battle-Shock changes.''' Instead of just causing extra casualties, Battle-Shock now inflicts penalties for the rest of the turn- the affective unit has its OC stat set to 0 so it can't hold objectives, it has to take a Desperate Escape test when falling back, and it can't be boosted with Stratagems.
* '''The Death of the FOC.''' Just like [[Warhammer Fantasy]] before it, 40k will no longer sport that old chestnut called the Force Organization Chart. Now there are only five real slots to contend with: {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Epic Hero}},{{W40kKeyword|Battleline}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dedicated Transport}}, and everything else.
** Being the central units to your army, the Battleline and Dedicated Transport units can be taken up to six times in an army. Epic Heroes (your named characters) can only be taken once, and everything else can be taken up to three times. You need at least one Character in the army, though.
** Curiously, the Boarding Action play mode seems to be the least affected by this due to dropping a lot of the older additions for its own fixed rules; according to the website it was specifically designed with 10th edition in mind. The most you might need there is a revision for units that might have been taken despite not being Troops/Elites choices.
* '''Tough units are tougher.''' Most Vehicles and Monsters have received a noticeable bump to their Toughness and Wounds, and several weapons have lower AP than they used to have. Expect it to be much harder to kill off tanks and the like with infantry-portable weapons.
** Speaking of monsters and vehicles, damage tracks seem to be much more simplified. Rather than copypasta the same statline multiple times with smaller numbers, there's now a "Damaged" section that just states what penalties to impose on an unit.

===Boxed Sets===
*'''Leviathan''' is the box that's going to be launching 10th Edition, pitting Space Marines against who else but the Tyranids.

===New Models===
*'''Space Marines''' are getting new models for the Termie Captain, Termie Librarian, Phobos Lieutenant, [[Sternguard Veteran]]s, and base [[Terminator]]s. Being introduced to the line are the [[Apothecary]] Biologis (a [[Primaris Apothecary]] in Gravis armor who remembered Apothecaries are scientists as well as medics), and the [[Ballistus Dreadnought]] (a [[Redemptor Dreadnought]] offshoot that leans more towards the old Hellfire Dreads by having guns on both arms), the [[Infernus Squad]] (A squad of marines toting Pyreblasters that used to just belong to [[Black Templars]]) . Lion El'Jonson also makes his return as the second playable loyalist Primarch in 40k.
*'''Tyranids''' are getting new models for the Tyranid Prime (with wings), [[Termagant]]s, and the Screamer-Killer [[Carnifex]] sporting more elongated claws and a new head. Brand new to the line are the [[Neurotyrant]] (A super-sized [[Zoanthrope]] with smaller floating attendants), [[Neurogaunt]]s (New gaunt variants that are led by a bigger gaunt that acts as a Synapse beacon), [[Barbgaunt]]s (essentially Gaunt Mortar Teams, fulfilling someone's wish for a heavy-weapons gaunt), [[Von Ryan's Leaper]]s (smaller pack hunter Lictor-likes), and the [[Psychophage]] (a giant psyker-eating beast with a maw that puts the [[Haruspex]] to shame).

==Lore Updates==
===Imperium===
====Space Marines====
*[[Belisarius Cawl]] has finally found something he couldn't improve upon: [[Terminator]] Armor. Apparently the design for it is so perfect that he couldn't find any way to improve it. Instead, he managed to find a way to retrofit it (read: scale up) to fit Primaris marines.
**Similar to that, it seems like a lot of Space Marine transports are being upsized to fit the Primaris strain...or perhaps their increased height was overexaggerated all along.

===Chaos===

===Xenos===
*Hive Fleet Leviathan has made its big revenge and is swarming the Imperium from the galactic west, right when the Imperium's forces are still concentrated in the Imperium Nihilus and unable to get back in a remotely reasonable time.

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category: 40k editions]]

Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Imperialis Militia

2023-04-29T12:00:39Z

2001:8003:1C20:8C00:F211:A254:7DA9:FB24: /* Provenances of War */

==Why Play Imperial Militia==

*'''Pros'''
**Insane customisation. This list covers nearly everything from Squats, Mutants, Mech Guard stand-ins, Death World Cavalry, WW1 artillery armies, and pretty much whatever else you can imagine, often in combination. Want Ogryns as Troops? You can have them in cyborgs, mutant, alchem, or bestial varieties. The same applies to pretty much every other unit type.
**CHEAP! The cheapest unit comes in at 2 points per model, even the vehicles come in at a discounted price compared to other armies. You can be quite certain that you will always have the numerical advantage.
**Lots of variety in weapons, with many of the standard options being rather good, or in some ways useful.
**There are more choices for melee armies this edition. But even with the new melee options, the dangers of melee combat are seriously dire for you.
**None of your vehicles confer any victory points for their destruction. With the right Provenances it is possible to spam disposable Leman Russes, Rhinos, and/or Land Raiders. Added with the extra irony of your Superheavies not being worth anything to your opponent.

*'''Cons'''
**Low Leadership everywhere. Which gets even worse when you factor in the inherent rules of the Militia subtype. Meaning that when you break, you break hard and often.
**Your "Third Line" vehicles are more easily penetrated, and don't have especially good options either. Generally coming as lesser versions of existing vehicles.
**Almost a total lack of Skyfire options means that if your opponent takes lots of flyers you are going to be completely outclassed. Your only source of Skyfire suffers from the above problem of being a third-line version of a flyer that is better in other armies.
**You have no Dreadnaughts, and your options of dealing with them are limited. Even tarpitting is less valuable of an option now.
**New Necromunda and IG models shoehorned in made some of the older ones invalid, unless your friends allow you to proxy Cargo-8 Hauler with an Aurox.

==Warlord Traits==

*'''Ruthless Tyrant:''' The warlord gains a special form of ''Fear(1)'' that lets them affect friend and foe alike. If a friendly unit falls back while affected by this Fear, you can sacrifice d6 models/a model in a Monstrous unit to keep them in place. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
*'''Merchant Princeling:''' All of the warlord's weapons are now Master-Crafted and must deploy attached to a Militia unit. Their retinue gains the Heavy subtype and can re-roll 1s to hit but now your warlord can never leave this retinue. Make sure that this squad won't ever run away. Grants an additional reaction in the Assault phase.
**Curiously, there's no idea how this can possibly be used in a Command Squad.
*'''Beloved of the People:''' If the warlord dies, the entire army gets a big sad-on with a +1 to WS and S as well as ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' until the '''end''' of the owners '''next''' player turn. Potentially giving two turns of awesomeness. Normally it grants and additional reaction in the Shooting phase, but losing your warlord also lets you take an additional reaction in the Assault phase instead.
*'''Marcher Lord:''' Gains ''Battle-Hardened(1)''. In a <u>pure</u> Imperialis Militia army, this also makes that the entire army immune to ''Fear''. Keeping your warlord alive also lets you auto-pass your first pinning check each turn as well as an additional reaction in the Shooting phase.
*'''Connoisseur of Alien Curios:''' Once per turn you can have the warlord roll a D6 to activate a special randomized result: '''1:''' self-destruction, coupled with a nuclear blast that automatically hits ''every'' unit, friend or foe within 12" for D6+1 S8 AP4 hits. '''2-3''': a single unit within 12" chosen by the warlord suffers D6+1 automatic hits at S8 AP4 with the ''Deflagrate'' rule. '''4-5:''' ''Rage(2)'' and ''Furious Charge(2)'' for the warlord and his squad for the rest of the game turn, or '''6:''' permanent ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Feel No Pain (4+)'' with future rolls of 6 boosting Strength and Toughness to a maximum of six. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.
*'''Robber Baron:''' The warlord's unit gains +1 Strength on a turn where they charged. Instead of Sweeping Advances, you can roll a d6 and on a 4+ the unit scores you d3 VP. Grants an additional reaction in the Movement phase.

==Special Rules==

*'''Militia Subtype:''' All of your units have this, and it's not good. Units that are below half their starting number of models that begin to fall back, will never be able to regroup. They just keep going back until they leave the table.
**A unit that is falling back that is charged by the enemy is simply removed, without any further leadership test being taken, regardless of the remaining number of models.
**A unit locked in close combat, that is charged by ''another'' unit, has to test morale or will immediately begin falling back as it it had lost combat. Also being subjected to sweeping advance.
*'''Mechanised Subtype:''' A bit of an oddball mix of Infantry and Dreadnought. All Poisoned(X) and Fleshbane attacks must re-roll to wound, as do any Armourbane(X) attacks. Like a dread, it can fire Heavy and Ordnance weapons after moving and can charge after shooting. They can also be affected by Haywire, Battlesmith, and Detonation like one.
*'''Third-Line Subtype:''' Given to most of your tanks, and it's not good either. Any glancing hits are now considered pens, which is terrible. Your only consolation is that losing these tanks don't give your enemy VPs.

===Provenances of War===
This is where the modelling opportunities for this army come from. Your Force Commander can purchase up to two Provenances of War. While their cost seems rather low, they can all massively impact the rest of your army, and can radically change the army build and the options you can take. Some Provenances lock you out of certain things or are mutually exclusive with one another, but some also allow units to buy their own unique options.

*'''Warrior Elite:''' All eligible units gain +1 Ld ''(to a maximum of Ld9)'' while Levy squads gain the ''Support Squad'' rule. Grenadiers on the other hand lose the ''Support Squad''rule. This provenance is effectively for a number of reasons. In that it gives you easier access to better ''Line'' troops, and also grants the army a MUCH needed morale booster. You are best served by taking as many Discipline Masters as you can to capitalise on that.
**Grenadiers also benefit from several other Provenances, so this is always an easy go-to combination option if you want good Grenadiers without having to pay troop taxes on other units first.
*'''Legacy of the Great Crusade:''' Grenadiers, Command Cadres, and Discipline Masters gain BS4. While a Force Commander gains Initiative 5. Depending on what your other Provenance is, your milage may vary. It obviously works well with Warrior Elite or the Armoury of the Dark Age. But if you go heavy on other Troop types, there are better options.
*'''Clanfolk Levy:''' Cavalry Squads can be taken as Compulsory Troops, where they gain +1 Ld. But cannot otherwise be taken as non-compulsory troops. Instead, you get four extra Fast Attack slots for Cavalry squads.
**This doesn't give any squad the ''Line'' subtype, despite being Troops. So you'll still need something else to claim those objectives.
*'''Gene Crafted:''' A bit of a wildcard Provenance. If this is chosen, then after deployment, but before the first turn, roll a D6 for every Infantry and Cavalry unit.
**On a 1 the unit starts the game pinned, while units embarked on vehicles immediately disembark and are still pinned. Sucks to be them. Units in reserve suffer no ill consequence.
**On a 2-5, the unit gains their choice of the ''Fleet (2), Move through Cover'' or ''Night Vision'' special rules.
**On a 6, the unit either gains ALL of the special rules from a result of 2-5, or the choice of ''Relentless, Stubborn '' or ''Adamantium Will (6+)''.
**There isn't a whole lot you can base an army around with this Provenance. The common 2-5 results don't radically change what the army does. While ''Relentless'' on a 6 might be very useful with Heavy weapon units, you cannot reliably expect to get it every time.
*'''Cyber Augmetics:''' All eligible units gain ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' and ''Slow and Purposeful''. You also treat the Mechanicum faction as Sworn Brothers. Slow and Purposeful is probably the more significant rule here. Heavy weapons attached to regular squads can now shoot at full effectiveness, while all those Fire Support squads, Field Guns, and Rapiers can now freely move and fire.
**This Provenance cannot be combined with Gene Crafted.
**Surprisingly good for pairing with Armoury of the Old Night, given it completely negates the Lasrifle's Heavy type.
*'''Alchem-Jackers:''' Units do not suffer negative penalties to Leadership in the Assault phase. If a unit fails a morale check in the shooting phase and still have over half their models, they are pinned instead of falling back. This is useful because it can turn an instance of losing combat from a guaranteed break to simply a normal chance of breaking. While being pinned manages to negate some of the disadvantages of the Militia subtype, potentially saving the unit if they get charged by the squad that just shot at them. This makes those Discipline Masters even more valuable for the Ld boost and morale reroll.
**'''Frenzon:''' units can buy ''Furious Charge (1)'' for 25 points. As most of your units are behind their opponents in terms of WS, Strength, and Toughness, this merely closes the gap for one assault phase.
**You can capitalise on this with Feral Warriors for added Weapon Skill and Chain Axes for even more strength and accuracy for that charge. Though the costs add up quickly, remember even a baseline human with WS 4, Furious Charge and Chainaxe (with sidearm) will be getting 3 attacks on the charge at S5. Yes they'll still be I3, but if you take Shotguns on another unit (or give them to Grenadier Squads), with luck you'll be hitting on 3s (and be hit on 5s) and be wounding on 3s (with re-rolls). That means your buck standard 20 man Infantry Squad just killed almost '''12 marines''' (not accounting for the 2-3 casualties you'll take when they strike first)...and it only costs you 155 points for that squad. Throw them at the similarly costed 10 man Tactical Squad with bolters and watch your shitty mortals [[What|beat Marines in CQC]].
**Remember that Cavalry unit units and Monstrous units (Ogryns) cannot be pinned, so this provenance renders those types virtually immune to morale in the shooting phase at least until they drop below half models.
*'''Survivors of a Dark Age:''' Suffered a big change from last edition. Now the only thing it does is grant Grenadier squads and Command Cadres the ability to select Rhinos, Termite Assault Drills, and Land Raiders as dedicated transports. Considering that the army doesn't have any dedicated transport options any more, the provenance could be worth it on that point alone. However, those vehicles gain the ''Third-Line'' subtype and drop their BS to 3, while not recieving any kind of discount for the downgrades. Still, it allows for mass deployment of Land Raiders that even some Astartes armies cannot afford thanks to the lower taxes that need to be spent on mortal units.
**'''Void Jumpers:''' For an extra 20 points, your Recon squads using this Provenance can be given Jump Packs, granting them a 12" move range that ignores terrain. They also swap their weapons with two laspistols or two autopistols. While the added mobility is nice, especially on ''Light'' infantry that can already infiltrate; they remain fragile guardsmen, and that weapon swap puts them perilously close to literally everything that can take them out.
*'''Armoury of the Old Night:''' Holy crap, this one is good. Firstly, all eligible models may replace their Lasgun with a Lasrifle for free. This limits mobility somewhat, but can extends the range of the S3 shots to 30", or grants them a S6 alternate firing mode. Suddenly, ''every'' soldier in the army becomes a threat to nearly everything for no additional cost.
**'''Relic Arms:''' for an additional cost of 30 points per unit. Grenadier squads and Command Cadres may replace their Lasguns with Assault Needlers or Volkite Chargers, or Laspistols with Volkite Serpenta or a Needle Pistols. May also swap Sniper Rifles with Needle Vilnius, and may swap Heavy Stubbers with Volkite Culverins or Needle Cannons. These options effectively give you one over on nearly every opponent. With Warrior Elite you can have a whole army that wounds most enemies on 3+. ''Pinning'' on Needle weapons is an added bonus.
**'''Heirlooms of Past Glory:''' Force Commanders using this Provenance can replace a Power Sword with a Paragon Blade for 10 points. They may also replace a laspistol with an Archeotech pistol for 10 points. While a Paragon Blade is nice, you still have to pay for the Power Sword first, and that becomes a lot of points to spend on a squishy character with WS4. Even with Archeotech pistols being good, Force Commanders already have access to the widest range of pistols in the Blast, Needle and Flame variety, so really have to decide if it is worth it.
*'''Feral Warriors:''' All eligible units gain +1 WS when charging, but must declare charges if able to do so.
**'''Chainaxes:''' any model with a close combat weapon ''(practically everyone)'' can buy a Chainaxe for 2pts per model, or replace a chainsword for 1pt.
*'''Kinfolk Helots:''' Literally Squats this time around. The whole army gains +1 Toughness but drops their movement and initiative by -1. Every Character, so all squad sergeants and attached advisors, gains ''Battlesmith (6+)'' with Independent Characters instead gaining ''Battlesmith (5+)''.
**May not be taken with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. They're Squats, not [[Halflings]].
*'''Abhuman Muster:''' All units gain +1 strength, but -1 BS. They also all gain ''Bulky (2)'' if they didn't already have a different version of Bulky. All models also gain ''Hammer of Wrath (1)'' with Independent Characters and Monstrous units instead gaining ''Hammer of Wrath (2)'', though Ogryns already have [[Fail|HoW (2)]]...
**This may not be combined with the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. But the bonus still applies to Ogryns that you might take anyway.
*'''Debased Rabble:''' ''(Traitors only)'' All units gain ''Crusader'' and ''Hatred (Everything)'', but they must declare a charge when able to do so.
**Grenadier squads may not be taken at all. And may not be combined with Survivors of the Dark Age Provenance.
*'''Tainted Flesh:''' ''(Traitors only)'' Eligible units gain ''Fear (1)'' and ''Furious Charge (1)''. However, all compulsory Troops must be Militia Levy squads, and the detachment may not include more other Infantry-type units than it already has Levy squads. In addition, the only permitted HQ choices are Force Commanders and Rogue Psykers
**May not be taken with Survivors of a Dark Age, Gene Crafted, Ogryn Conscripts, or Alchem-Jackers Provenances
*'''Ogryn Conscripts:''' Ogryn Brute squads can be taken as Troops choices, with those taken as Compulsory Troops gaining the ''Line'' subtype. In addition, Discipline Masters, Militia Medicare and Force Commanders can join Ogryn Brutes, ignoring the usual restrictions.
*'''Industrial Stronghold:''' Leman Russes can now be taken as Squadrons of up to six tanks, rather than being one per slot. You also gain two more Heavy Support slots solely for Leman Russes.
**May not be taken with Unending Hordes, Debased Rabble, Tainted Flesh, or Ogryn Conscripts Provenances
*'''Unending Hordes:''' Militia Infantry and Militia Levy that are destroyed can be returned to reserves on a D6 roll of 4+. They retain their wargear options, though any attached advisors are lost. Grenadier squads become Elite choices when using this Provenance.

===Wargear===
====Ranged Weapons====
This army has staggering variety of less than staggering guns, allowing you precise control over the balance and type of your firepower to affordability.

*'''Lasgun / Autorifle:''' functionally the same weapon, 24" S3 AP- Rapid Fire. Nearly every unit has this as standard. However most units can replace them with better options.
*'''Lascarbine:''' 18" S3 AP6 Assault 2 lasguns. So you trade some maximum range for more shots at the mid range, and the freedom to charge after.
*'''Stubcarbine''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 3. Even shorter range, but beats out the Lasgun at Rapid Fire distances. If you anticipate being this close then it is the clear winner. Though you are certain to be counter attacked and chewed up from being this close.
*'''Shotgun:''' 12" S3 AP- Assault 2, but with ''Concussive (1)''. They can potentially reduce the WS of their target unit by one if they fail a leadership save. Obviously everyone has better WS than Militia, so if you can actually get this to work, it can make a fight against a non-elite melee opponent slightly more manageable, if not winnable. But everyone also have better Ld than Militia, so it is unlikely to really come into play a lot. If you actually intend to get into combat with some units, then it may be worth taking. Otherwise a Stubcarbine is strictly better at the same range.
**On the flip side, while a single unit cannot force multiple Concussive tests...multiple units CAN. So if you're taking Shotguns, go all in. A squad of Grenadiers might only have a 25% chance to make Marines fail a LD test...but if they're backed up by an Infantry Squad who also shot the Marines then you now have a 50% chance. Not to mention Ogryn's can take Thunderstubs with Concussive, so you can back them up with this same tactic.

*'''Laspistol:''' 12" S3 AP- pistol that everyone knows. Better than nothing.
*'''Autopistol:''' 9" S3 AP- Pistol 2. Any unit that has access to a Laspistol generally may take an Autopistol instead if they choose to. The 3" loss in range will barely matter in most instances, particularly if either party intends to get into assault, as either player will try to close to a comfortable distance to make sure that charge distance roll actually succeeds. So the Autopistol is usually the better choice for attackers and units performing overwatch reactions.
*'''Blast Pistol:''' Available to several kinds of Squad Leader, as well as Discipline Masters. 9" range with S6 AP4, Pistol 2. Superior to Autopistols in nearly every aspect and are a reliable threat against everything up to light vehicles, they usually come in cheap at 5 points for the upgrade which is definitely worth the price.
*'''Bolt Pistol:''' Most models with access to Blast Pistols have access to Bolt pistols for the same cost. Unless you think you need the extra 3" range, then the extra shot and strength will always be the better choice.
*'''Plasma Pistol:''' getting more expensive. 12" S7 AP4 with ''Breaching (4+)'' and ''Gets Hot''. One of the best pistols that a character can be given as it can reliably kill the typical models that the rest of the squad will also be shooting at, but if the weapon explodes it is unlikely that the model carrying it will survive. But the model carrying it was unlikely to survive very long from being within 12" of the enemy in any case.

=====Armoury of the Old Night=====
These relic options may only be taken by certain characters or when using the right Provenance. So shall be listed separately to save confusion with more standard gear

*'''Lasrifle:''' the superior Lasgun, which becomes a free upgrade with the right Provenance. It is always a Heavy weapon, so it drops the mobility of the unit quite a lot. However the range of the S3 volley increases to 30" which is more than double that if the rapid fire range of the standard Lasgun. It also gains a Blast Charger mode, giving it 18" range, S6 AP4. Imagine having a whole army with S6 weapons for free? While the range is short and marines still get their saves, in bulk this weapon can easily threaten everything they fire at. Even T6 Primarchs should be wary about charging into a massed unit of these.

*'''Needle Pistol:'''
*'''Assault Needler:'''
*'''Needle Cannon:'''
*'''Needle Vulnus:'''

*'''Volkite Serpenta:'''
*'''Volkite Charger:'''
*'''Volkite Culverin:'''

====Melee Weapons====

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Force Commander:''' You need one of these in your detachment in order to use Provenances, and all other HQ choices have the ''Support Squad'' rule, so you need one anyway. Thankfully Provenances are free this edition, so that's less of a worry. This guy has lots of good options, so he can easily be customized out the way you want him to be, and also has some of the best pistol choices in the army. The problem is that he is WS/BS4 I3, so cannot really compete in an environment that includes Space Marines, Custodians, and Primarchs. So unless you can match up some Provenances to gear that makes him marginally impressive, sometimes it's better to just go cheap and focus your attention on your flavourful squads instead.
**A Charnabal Saber is actually a good melee weapon for him, with S3 he only tends to wound on 5+ anyway. This weapon then makes all of those wounds AP2 with ''Breaching (5+)'', and with ''Duelists Edge (1)'' it can even the playing field somewhat against regular warriors in challenges.
**With Legacy of the Great Crusade his Initiative jumps from 3 to 5, which suddenly puts him ahead of most basic units in other armies, giving him a fighting chance against random sergeants who might think he is easy pickings.
**With Armoury of the Old Night, he can buy a Paragon Blade and/or an Archeotech pistol. These become added expenses that probably don't justify their points on a model that won't really utilise it properly.

*'''Discipline Master Cadre:'''

*'''Imperial Militia Command Cadre:'''

*'''Rogue Psyker''' ''(Traitors only)''

*'''Expeditionary Navigator''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Made available to all factions as part of the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list. Currently this is the only way for loyalists to get a "psyker" in the detachment, and for 50 points you aren't getting much, a fragile conscript model with a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to interfere with enemy Deep Strike within 12".
**He only gets one power: the Lidless Stare, which is S2 using the flame template and has ''Pinning''. It also has ''Force'' if you want to risk the models only wound to double the strength to the overwhelmingly massive score of four.

*'''Davinite Lodge Priest''' ''(Militaris Attaché)''

===Troops===
*'''Militia Infantry Squad:''' The core Troops choice. For 80 points you get twenty models with a variable loadout depending on your taste, and they are one of your only sources of ''Line'' for claiming objectives. With ''Strength in Numbers'' you may also take up to three squads per Troops slot. Which means you can get your objective claiming needs sorted out while leaving yourself plenty of other slots for spamming the better support units.
**Lasguns/Autorifles have the traditional balance of range vs number of shots, and can outrange all of the other standard weapons, which can be good for keeping the enemy out of charge range. Furthermore, these weapons can purchase bayonets to give the squad +1 strength in melee. Not quite a winner, but certainly provides the squad a bit more utility.
**Shotguns have ''Concussive'' so are potentially able to reduce the enemy WS by -1 for a turn. At that range it can be a lifesaver when you inevitably get counter charged, as most common opponents could be reduced to equal weapon skill. Not entirely reliable as a lot of units are going to pass the test, or simply not care. But if you are going melee focussed for your army, this could be the better choice.
**Lascarbines/Stubcarbines reduce the working range of Lasgun in order to gain more shots. Remember at these ranges, the squad is likely to be taken out by a volley or two of bolter fire. Stubcarbines are then probably the better choice, as twenty models can throw out sixty shots at 12", giving the best chance of reducing the enemy numbers before that inevitable counter volley/charge.
**Taking pistols and melee weapons means committing the squad to melee, for an army that really doesn't like it. You should really only choose this if you're building the entire army around a melee build (like Feral Warrior/Alchem-Jackers).
**One model can also choose to take a special weapon from the standard list. The choice should match the weapon the rest of the squad takes. So longer ranged weapons like Heavy Stubbers and Sniper Rifles will do better alongside lasguns. While Flamers work better with Carbines because of the similar ranges. Meltaguns are probably not worth it because the rest of the squad are unlikely to harm whatever the Melta forces them to shoot at. While Grenade Launchers are a happy medium that work against everything the other 19 squad members have a reasonable chance of hurting.
**Weirdly, while you might expect the Flamer to be the best option for a melee squad...it's actually the Grenade Launcher because the Frag profile has ''Pinning''. Marines have a 75% chance to pass the leadership test if hit with it, but even a 25% chance of not taking any reaction fire is going to help a lot.

*'''Militia Levy Squad:''' 20-50 conscripts at 2 points per model with a Lasgun, autogun, or a pistol and melee weapon. You can't really get cheaper than that. And with ''Strength in Numbers'' you can take up to three squads per slot, so you can really bulk up on the model count if you want to cover an impressive amount of ground. Like last edition, they are still expendable, so do not confer any victory points for their destruction.
**Changes to the basic rules mean that there is considerable risk to taking them though. The Expendable rule also means that if they ever fail a morale check, they just get removed entirely, so the downsides of Militia subtype just get overwritten with worse outcomes. This makes it hard, if not impossible to use them as a tarpit unit. They do not have ''Line'' so can never score objectives, and with changes to Weapon Skill rules, they are less likely to hit anything in melee, while being more easily hit back. It seems their purpose now is to truly be an expendable unit to throw at the enemy as a distraction while you do more important things with other units.

*'''Militia Grenadier Squad:''' Your other ''Line'' choice, but this one has the ''Support Squad'' rule, so cannot be taken as a Compulsory unit unless you also selected Warrior Elite. These guys are the Stormtrooper analogues, and all come with 4+ saves and +1 Leadership when compared to regular troopers. They have all the same weapon selections as regular Militia Infantry squads, so the same advice applies here. With the possible exception of remembering that with 4+ saves they are more likely to survive up close against bolter fire, therefore Carbines can be confidently recommended.
**Grenadiers are subject to far more changes from Provenances than any other unit, so their roles can change wildly depending on the Force Commander. In Warrior Elite armies they become the Primary objective takers, Legacy of the Great Crusade armies make them more accurate, Survivors of the Dark Age turns them into Mechanised Mobile troops, while in Armoury of the Old Night armies they gain incredible firepower that can put other armies basic units to shame. In Debased Cults and Unending Horde armies they become less common, or unavailable altogether.
**Note that they get both their long arms alongside a pistol and basic close combat weapon. This is important for some Provenances, for example with Feral Warriors they can take the god combo (at least for this army) of Chainaxe ''and'' Shotgun.

*'''Fire Support Squad:''' your heavy weapon squads, just like with imperial guard, but as Troops choices with no platoon tax. Unfortunately as ''Support Squads'' they cannot be Compulsory choices. They come in units of 3-10 teams and have the full range of guard weapons, including heavy stubbers, heavy bolters, mortars, multilasers, missiles, autocannons, and lascannons. This unit has awesome potential.
**However, the downside is that they have the ''Emplaced'' rule. Which prohibits their Reaction choices to Return Fire, Overwatch, or Interceptor, which admittedly are the only ones you'd want to use anyway. But also means that if they ever have to fall back for any reason, they abandon their weapons and are removed from the game.

*'''Reconnaissance Squad:''' Your "elite" troops choice. Coming with shotguns as standard, yhey all have ''Scout, Infiltrate'' and ''Moves Through Cover'' as well as having the '' Light'' subtype, giving them more mobility if they decide to Run and Gun. However, 50 points for five GEQ models is an awful lot to ask, and those sniper rifles come in at 10 points per model meaning this squad can easily become fragile pointsinks that have to work hard to justify their cost. Even so they are still one of the cheapest Troop choices in the game. Just have a plan for them.
**It's worth remembering that Sniper Rifles and Long Las weapons are two very separate weapons in this list. Sniper Rifles are more appropriate for taking out high value officers with their 72" range and ''Rending (5+)'' rule. While the Long Las is more effective at taking out light vehicles with S6 and ''Sunder''. This means that Infiltrating into a good position at the start of the game can be crucial depending on the chosen target, such as getting a good angle on weaker rear vehicle armour.

===Dedicated Transports===

===Elites===
*'''Ogryn Brute Squad:''' 3-10 Ogryns with big sticks and flak armour, with a squad upgrade option to take Carapace armour for a set cost. They don't get a squad leader unless their unit size is five or more. Each model can take a single wargear choice for five points, and mixing is allowed. Generally speaking, either additional close combat weapons or Ripper Guns would be the best choice. As the former grants an extra attack in close combat, while the latter has a sufficient rate of fire that it overcomes the Ogryns appalling BS2. Thunderstubs are cool, but are so short ranged that you may never get a chance to use them, and may never hit anyway.
**Never take a second basic CQC weapon on them, because due to the usual FW proofreading [[Fail|it costs as much as a Thunderstub which gives you +1 attack '''and''' a short ranged Concussive (1) shot]].
**You can mix and match the weapons options, so consider throwing one or two boarding shields into a unit with Ripper Guns or Thunderstubs to tank those AP5+ (or AP4+) shots.
**An Ogryn Boss has a separate list of wargear to choose from, but can still select an item from the standard Ogryn gear. So it is possible, and probably recommended, to pair up a better close combat weapon such as a Power Axe or Thunder Hammer alongside a Boarding Shield to make an effective challenger.
**They still have the Militia subtype, so have to be wary about failing morale checks and losing models, and unfortunately they cannot have attached advisors unless you expressly use the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. Thankfully they have the ''Stubborn'' rule, so unlike the rest of the army, they can have the most reliable morale, despite having the same scores as everyone else. So if you want some modicum of longevity, then best to stack up on models and go for the Boss to get the Ld boost.
**Ogryns do well in combination with several other Provenances, so look for best ways to help them out. Feral Warriors for instance let's them swap those basic close combat weapons for Chain Axes, giving them S6 and ''Shred'', without actually taking up one of their weapon upgrade choices. While Warrior Elite adds that valuable +1 Ld to a squad that cannot normally gain Ld boosts from anywhere else.
**While a lot of Provenances say that they cannot be combined with Ogryn Conscripts. That doesn't actually stop you from taking Ogryn squads and gaining the benefit anyway. So you can get Ogryn Brutes in [[Squat|Kinsfolk]] armies and have Toughness 6 and ''Battlesmith (6+)'' on their Boss. Or setting their base Strength to 6 when using Abhuman Muster.
**As usual, Ogryns are the diamond in the rough of the baseline human list. With Feral Warriors and Alchem-Jackers, you can get a 220 point (read: similar cost to a 20 man Despoiler Squad) unit of five WS5 Absolute Units with Chainaxes and Thunderstubs. This gives you a total of 30 attacks at S7 with Shred. Assuming you used a second unit with Shotguns and/or your Thunderstubs to dump Concussive on your <s>victim</s> target unit, you will not care about the fact you're striking second because you're hitting on 3s and those Marines are now hitting on 5s...and your also wounding on wounding on 2s (with a re-roll). Yes, Marines will get their saves, but that doesn't help them much when they've just been hit with an average of 20 wounds (plus another 8 from HoW). Ironically this is less wounds than an Infantry Squad can shit out for less points, but Ogryns are more durable and can take Carapace Armour for another 25 points.
**If you want to, you can also add a Boss with a Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield to the above for another 70 points, do this is you want someone to challenge Marine Sergeants or even non-name Centurions and '''Praetors''', because apparently the Emperor's genetic engineering loses out to several millenia of life in an environment to which "natural selection" translated to "tard strength". Or to translate, he'll be dumping six S12, AP2, Brutal (2) attacks at WS5, enough to squash '''three''' Sergeants or Centurions or even almost '''''two fucking Praetors'''''. And most importantly, even when that Praetor (who costs at least twice as much as the Ogryn Boss) hits back with his own Thunder Hammer, he'll only take off about 1 wound, because [[What|your fat retard has Strength 12 so will ID the Praetor's T4, but the Praetor has Strength 8 so won't ID your fat retard's T5]]. Anyone else starting to think Emps may have failed to see the real evolution of humanity?

*'''Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment:''' 3-12 field medics that you can disperse to other infantry squads in your army to grant them ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' that cannot be combined with any other version of the rule, nor can multiple medics be stacked on the same unit. Given his fragile your infantry are, any addition to their survivability is usually a welcome one. But a 6+ save is unlikely to reliably affect any outcomes.
**Medics inherit the rules/subtypes of whatever unit they get attached to, so hear this in mind. So yes, that Provenance that lets you attach them to Ogryns also means you [[What|get Ogryn medics]]. Maybe kitbash them from Ogre Kingdoms Butchers?

*'''Field Gun Artillery Battery:''' A Rapier analogue with one key difference, the gun crew and weapon all count as a single model, effectively making them an even bigger version of the Fire Support squad. They also have the ''Emplaced'', so if they fall back, they are fucked. In terms of weapons they actually have three good choices:
**The basic Thunderblast Cannon is a safe bet. It is a S7 AP4 Blast (3) weapon with ''Barrage'' and ''Pinning'' while other artillery pieces in the army can do similar jobs better, getting them in elite slots for relatively cheap is always nice to have.
**The Heavy Lascannon is pretty much a normal Lascannon with S10. It is inferior in stopping power to a Laser Destroyer but has better range. The unfortunate downside is the added cost of effectively 60 points per gun, which adds up in bulk. You otherwise could have had regular lascannons in Fire Support squads for 35 points per gun, which usually does the job just as well.
**The Kaliope Mortar is analogous to the Quad Mortar in many respects. They have the same strength and AP, and both use the Large Blast template. The Quad Mortar has a longer range and ''Shred'', but the Kaliope has a trick up its sleeve in the fact that it causes ''Pinning'' with ''Shell Shock (1)'' meaning that it can reliably shut down enemy squads. It doesn't cost any extra either so it allows for peppering quite large areas when taken in multiples per unit, and ends up being cheaper than multiple Rapiers for potentially a better outcome.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Cavalry Squad:''' At last! Rough Riders are a part of the Imperial Militia. You get a proper fast moving unit that has a surprising amount of punch. They all have a pistol and close combat weapon as standard, but can choose an additional weapon on top of that. Shotguns, Lascarbines, and Stubcarbines are all perfectly viable options, though the unit gets access to the unique Militia Lance, giving them S7 AP3, with ''Brutal (2)'' and ''Sudden Strike (2)'', meaning when they charge they now hit at Initiative 5 and have a respectable chance of killing any MEQ in a single hit before they get struck back. ''Ungainly'' means they only ever get one attack with this weapon, and only ever when charging. So it pays to match up units that use it with accuracy boosting Provenances like Feral Warriors or Debased Rabble.
**They can also take Carapace armour for a single cost, giving them much needed survivability if you intend to get them close enough for melee combat.
**Feral Warriors also allows them to swap their basic combat weapon with a Chainaxe, which makes a perfectly serviceable back-up weapon if you can't use, or don't take, the Lances.
**Remember that they are still Militia, so if you use them as a melee unit, they are still likely going to break and be destroyed very easily when the opponent strikes them back. Luckily Discipline Masters can be added to them if they buy their own mounts.
**Much like Grenadiers, they take their long arm (or Lance) separately to their pistol and close combat weapon. Overall meaning in some builds you can just treat them as faster Grenadiers.
*'''Cargo-8 Hauler Squadron:'''
*'''Arvus Lighter:''' It's a flying transport for 40 points. It has no weapons to speak of, and can't even be jury-rigged like last edition.l, effectively turning it into a rather expensive drop pod. With that in mind, there aren't really many ways to get Deep Strike in this list without taking Survivors of a Dark Age, so if you want to vary your deployment this is it. Because of its capacity of 12 it can only really transport Grenadiers, Recon squads and HQ units.
*'''Sentinel Squadron:'''
*'''Thunderbolt Fighter:''' Compared to the Astartes version, it gets a 50 point discount for effectively the same skeleton of a unit. 120 points is a more reasonable cost for your only serviceable flyer. However you are BS3 and have the ''Third Line'' rule in exchange for that discount. GW also didn't fix the inherent problem of having more guns than you can fire.
*'''Beastmasters:'''

===Heavy Support===
*'''Rapier Battery:''' Your mobile artillery unit. Regardless of the weapon you choose, they always have ''Relentless'' so they can move and shoot. They start with Gravis Multi-lasers, but you can swap them for Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Quad Launchers.
**Unlike most of the other artillery units, this one doesn't suffer from any variant rule where they abandon their guns if they fall back. They are still ''Militia'' so morale is a worry, but at least this gives you a second chance if there are enough models in the unit.

*'''Heavy Ordnance Battery:''' Earthshaker guns that have the longest range out of the entire armoury. Able to strike pretty much anywhere on the table, Earthshakers are very likely to wound their targets with S9 and ''Shred'', and at 75 points for the initial cannon, and 65 for each additional one, they are very reasonably priced. They are Immobile though, and the Ld7 crew have a special rule where if they fall back the guns are simply lost, this makes them really fragile, which probably accounts for the cost. They can buy up to twenty crewmen for only 2 points per model, so arguably should be stocked up as much as possible to avoid those 25% shooting morale checks.

*'''Imperial Militia Leman Russ:''' Leman Russes, everyone's favourite, chosen from the vanilla, annihilator, exterminator, demolisher and vanquisher flavours. Unfortunately there are no options for sponson weapons here.

*'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' One highly customisable vehicle, every weapon on the tank can be swapped out for something else, so depending the model you have, or your skill at kitbashing, you could possibly have a tank with a battlecannon and a demolisher cannon, or lascannons all the way around, or something in between.
**Malcadors are actually the one of the fastest units in the army list with a movement speed of 14.
**The tank also has the ''Support Squad'' rule, which in most cases is meaningless, since Heavy Support slots are not usually compulsory unless you are playing some unique mission variant.

*'''Gorgon Heavy Transporter:'''
**[[Derp|GW forgot that Open Topped isn't a thing anymore, so because it isn't an Assault Vehicle that big ramp is meaningless]].

===Lord of War===

*'''[[Baneblade|Militia Baneblade]]:''' - This edition it comes with the ''Third Line'' drawbacks, but it's still a Superheavy Vehicle it is less bothered by penetrating hits, so the downside is mitigated somewhat. Though outclassed by the Legion Fellblade, the Baneblade is still a nasty proposition to face. Sporting a Baneblade cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon and a twin-linked heavy bolter. With the option of two Lascannons and two more twin-linked heavy bolters/flamers ''(the sponsons don't come as standard here)'' optional pintle mounts, AND optional Hunter-killer missile, it is a rolling fortress of death, and it is your only Lord of War choice, so you are going to want one.

===Fortifications===

==Allies==
The Militia is a bit of an oddball in terms of alliances. While considered part of the Imperial Army, taking the Kinfolk Helots, Abhuman Muster or Ogryn Conscripts provenances immediately dump your friendship with the legions and Solar Auxilia forces to Distrusted Allies.

===Legiones Astartes===

===Mechanicum===

===Solar Auxilia===

===Legio Custodes & Sisters of Silence===
One word: Don't.

The Custodes treat the Militia as by the Emperor's Command, so you can't do anything for them aside from being a disposable meatwall.

The Sisters of Silence can't do anything for the Militia just by the simple virtue of the Anathema sub-type. Considering how shit your Leadership is, this won't ever end well for you.

==Tactics==

==Building your Army==

USE YOUR DAMN IMAGINATION! Want an army of Felinids? Abhuman Helots and Gene-Crafted. Only Renegades & Heretics have more customization. This army is about as customizable as they are but, they're less diverse both in the base units available and being restricted by the biggest source of customization being army wide. The units can take a startling rainbow of standard weapons, but like a rainbow, many of the options are almost the same. Its entirely possible (albeit better for friendly counts as games) to proxy a fantasy army, such as the Empire or possibly Skaven. Look at the stuff available on GW's website. Empire, Elf, Guard, Skaven, (some) Skitarii, even ORKS (with some converting) can work! Since many tournaments ban forgeworld anyway, look to other model sites if it suits your fancy. All of it works, all of its totally fluff friendly. WoC? Feral worlders. Infinity stuff? Technological advanced enclave. A WW2 model range? You get the idea. If you ever wanted to make an army thats truly "you", a one of a kind masterpiece, et cetera, this is for you. You may not exactly win, but you sure as hell wont be forgotten. Hell, make your army a bunch of chicks with swag armour and do a proto-sisters of battle army. Then piss people off and give them gene-crafted for Sister Marines, alchem-jackers with frenzon for RED RAGE sisters, or cyber sex gals.
If you're using Survivors of the Dark Age and decent armor, why not make an army of [[Adeptus_Arbites|Arbites]]? Survivors of the Dark Age and Abhuman Helots work for an army of Squats. Any combination of Tainted Flesh, Abhuman Helots, Feral Warriors and
Cult Horde could give you an army of [[Beastmen]]. Want something vaguely Calibanite? Warrior Elite and SotDA works well to that end.

{{Warhammer_30k_Tactics}}
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

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Cannon

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After the [[China|Chinese]] worked out the basics of gunpowder, they began to experiment with how to use it on the battlefield. As such, during the Song Dynasty people invented basic bombs, rockets and [[firearm]]s for use in combat. Eventually someone decided that their firelance was a good idea, but it could become an even better idea by making it even ''bigger''. Thus were born the first '''cannons'''. By an odd quirk of fate this design process apparently happened in reverse in Europe when gunpowder got around to them, with cannons being built first which were then scaled down into man portable handgonnes/hand-cannons.

Not to be confused with [[canon]], though they do share the same word root which refers to a tube/pipe.

== Cannons in Warfare ==
[[image:TurkishBombard.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Great Turkish <s>Penis Compensator</s> Bombard, when you absolutely positively need to conquer Constantinople, accept no substitutes]]
Cannons can be generally sorted into either one of three main categories: gun, howitzer, or mortar. The main difference between these weapons is in their ballistic qualities and ammunition. Gun projectiles travel at high velocities following a fairly flat trajectory, mortar projectiles travel at low velocities with steeply-arched trajectories, and howitzers are between the two.

The gun was historically used to batter down fortifications, pulverize infantry, or smash boats with solid shot. Most forms of premodern artillery were guns. Prior to the invention of reliable fuzes, Mortars and howitzers were just about the only means of safely firing explosive or incendiary ordinance at the enemy. Mortars, with their steep trajectories, were very useful in dropping bombs on the heads of enemy soldiers hiding behind hills and ramparts; Howitzers on the other hand, were (and still are) highly versatile pieces capable of handling solid and explosive shells, though with less efficiency and more difficulty than either guns or mortars.

The history of the cannon is written in blood-- in its first chapters often the blood of their users along with their targets. The first generations of cannons were crude affairs made by people with rudimentary metallurgy working things out by trial and error, with error often ending with the poor sods manning the gun getting a face full of iron shards, if not vaporized by the blast outright. This was made all the worse by the crude gunpowder available at the time and mishandling by inexperienced crews. In this initial period history Cannons were used for two purposes: small wall mounted defensive weapons in fortifications and large siege weapons to get through city walls. While they were powerful, cannons were simply too inaccurate in the early times, which was especially true for the heavier offensive guns. The big siege guns would usually be carted into a fixed location and be set there. Even if nothing went wrong they could only get off a couple shots an hour. Early cannons fired a variety of shot from spears to chiseled stone balls, though eventually cast iron balls became the most common as things progressed. While early cannons were dangerous and unreliable in terms of accuracy or lifespan, they were more easy to cast and maintain compared to the wood and rope used to make catapults and ballista; with the latter prone to warping and decay from humidity and weather.

Eventually the art of cannon making improved as time went on and things became more reliable as gunmakers and gun crews got more experienced in handling their weapons (partially as the stupid ones got their jimmies blown off) and tried and true designs were replicated. Cannons went from massive bombards hurling large boulders to smaller but more powerful pieces firing iron balls at higher velocity. As this happened, it prompted a change in fortification design. Tall and comparatively thin walls with high towers might be imposing and good at fending off attempts to scale them with ladders and siege towers, but they could not take that many salvos from a besieging enemy. Walls instead became shorter and thicker, reinforced with heavy earth ramparts to absorb the shock of cannonballs, with pointed battlements better suited for mounting defensive cannon and bouncing shells.

An even bigger development was the matter of cannons at sea. Though some people tried using catapults, ballistae, and the occasional flamethrower ([[Standard Template Construct|until the Byzantines forgot how they worked thanks to Emperors keeping the recipe and well...a coup and a couple of dead folks later, no one remembered where they put it.]]) as ship-mounted weapons, naval battles were up until this point settled by ramming or boarding actions. By the late 1400s potential of naval guns soon became obvious, damaging or destroying the wooden enemy ships outright, and navies began adapting their ship designs to carry guns. In 1571 the naval forces of the Holy League faced off against those of the Ottoman Empire off the coast of Greece at Lepanto. Though the Ottomans had a slight numerical advantage in terms of galleys and soldiers, [[Dakka|the Christians had more that twice as many cannons as well as better trained gun crews which could get off two shots for every volley]] the Ottomans could which was a big factor in the crushing defeat that the Ottomans suffered that day. Even so, the days of the galley were done and the age of sail had begun. Purely sail driven warships might not have the short range speed advantage or the shallow water maneuverability of a Galley, but where a galley would have ranks of rowers manning oars and a five or so frontal cannons a sailing ship would have a broadside with dozens of cannon.
[[image:24_pounder_gun.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A 24 pounder Long Gun from the age of Sail]]

From about 1400 to 1800 there were two main materials used to make cannons: bronze and iron.

Bronze was by far the preferred material. In Europe, there was a long tradition of [[Casting]] large metallic objects out of bronze, namely church bells and bronze statues. Additionally, unlike iron, bronze takes much less energy to recast, so guns were made out of whatever bronze material was left lying around. Next time you're in Europe, take a shot every time you find a church bell older than 200 years. It sucks as a drinking game, since you won't end up drunk at the end. Bronze guns can be made lighter than iron guns of a similar size, and were therefore more mobile on the battlefield. Furthermore, bronze has some give to it, which means you have some warning if the gun is going to blow up. When an iron gun is about to blow up, it doesn't give any warning when it's no longer safe, but a bronze one will bulge first, letting you know when you're starting to push your luck. The problem was that copper and tin were fairly rare and in short supply and the cannon makers were not the only ones who wanted the stuff, so the number of bronze guns you could make was limited.

Iron is of course one of the most common elements in the Earth's crust. That said, it took more fuel to smelt, it was much harder to melt and reforge, it took different and less-common craftsmen (since you couldn't just conscript the various bell-makers in your given nation), and if you didn't have a good metallurgist you would end up making a brittle gun that was liable to explode in your face. The earliest guns tended to be made out of iron staves welded and bound together by iron hoops like a barrel, though these could rarely withstand the strain of repeated firings. Casting was no less easier. Simply put, it's just much easier to make a big thing like a cannon out of bronze than iron. That said, the use of iron became more and more common as time went on, as the need for artillery increased and the requisite metallurgy and tooling improved.

Of course iron and bronze were not the only things we made cannons out of. In a pinch or on the cheap, you could use wood to make a cannon, but wooden guns need much thicker walls than a metal one, limiting the size and weight of your shot and how much powder you can use. Another material experimented with was copper bound with leather, first toyed with by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden against Poland. They were... less than successful, and replaced with 3-pound bronze guns.

You might ask why Gustavus decided to make a cannon out of leather in the first place? The answer is that as time went on and cannons became quicker firing and more accurate, people began wondering about other uses for cannons besides blasting apart castles and ships. Armies back then formed up their infantry into large, blocky formations of arquebusiers (men armed with pre-musket guns), halberdmen, swordsmen and pikemen. Against such foes, the old and massive castle-crackers were overkill. Beyond that they were still slow-firing and a massive pain in the butt to move around. What was needed against those targets were smaller, lighter, (a cannon that can shoot a 3 pound ball is still very heavy, though much lighter than one that shoots a 12 pound ball which is why Gustavus tried leather to make a light gun) guns that could quickly be moved into position, loaded and fired. Thus, bit by bit Gustavus developed the idea of Field Artillery for antipersonnel use and would end up attaching 12 or so field guns to each of his brigades (a military unit he himself invented) to support his infantry. This made Gustavus army devastatingly effective against the Catholic forces in the 30 years war. Just not with the leather cannons.

In any case by 1700 it was made clear that field artillery was a critical part of any army on the march. This development also meant that armies began to shift their tactics away from blockish formations but to long firing lines. You see, you can aim a cannon ball so that when it reaches the ground it bounces off of it in front of the formation so that it would fly though a block formation of thirty or more pikemen and musketeers at hip level, killing and maiming until it went out the other side. This was called the grazeing shot and warhammer fantasy players are likely well aware of how effective this could be on thick blocks of troops. The same would apply to a three man thick line of soldiers, though with only a tenth the casualties. A cannon ball can only kill people it hits or those nearby (the later due to the fact that [[Khorne|the bones of the people hit spray fragments everywhere]]). Explosive shells, which have a wider area of effect, had long been in use, but their effectiveness was always a little iffy, on account of requiring a v lit fuze in order to explode; they also couldn't be fired out of guns at very high velocity, since they'd also need thicker shell walls to withstand the stresses of firing, which reduces the power of the explosive payload.

Cannons changed substantially during the 19th century. Improvements in metallurgy and tooling not only made it possible to cheaply produce strong guns out of iron (and later steel), but to also give their barrels rifling, imparting greater range and accuracy to projectiles, as well as the ability to reload from the breech, which is a lot faster than trying to shove things down the barrel from the muzzle. You also had high explosives. Compared to regular old gunpowder (which is often called low explosive or black powder) high explosives were by nature much more powerful and very unstable. The latter quality however, made small quantities ideal for the creation of reliable shell fuzes and primers; when mixed with stabilizers, they also turned out to be much better propellants and explosive material than the old stuff. From now on, all forms of artillery could fire explosive shells with absurd range and power. You could shoot so far that you didn't even need to see your targets to hit them, though you needed spotters to tell you were to shoot. That said, there remained problems with accuracy. Which is why during World War One, they used weeks of saturating bombardments to try and destroy fortifications. Mostly, this didn't work: 1,738,000 shells were fired at the German lines before the battle of the Somme and enough Germans were left alive to kill 26,000 of the attacking British (Empire) and French on the first day. What was needed was a way to get a cannon in place to hit a target directly and allow the accurate destruction of fortifications. . . which lead of course to the invention of the [[tank]] and the modern infantry mortar to allow much closer range accurate fire support.

That pretty much leads us to today. The cannon is now generally only found in its purest form on [[Tank]]s, where high velocity solid shot is still one of the best ways to penetrate armour. They are also still in use on warships as dual-purpose artillery, though they rarely fire solid shot there. Mortars have generally been infantry-portable muzzleloading weapons, though a few are sufficiently massive to warrant mounting on vehicles and/or incorporating a breechloading mechanism. Howitzers are now technically gun-howitzers, incorporating aspects of both the gun and howitzer to rain fire on enemy positions many miles (or kilometres) away, though they are perfectly capable of murderizing things much closer, if the situation calls for it. For a time, it seemed that rockets and missiles would completely replace gun artillery, though the latter still has a significant niche in providing sustained, cost-efficient fire support. Most marked improvements to cannons in the twentieth century amount to either making them more portable by putting them on a tracked or wheeled vehicle. As for lethality, you now have one gun capable of doing the job of a dozen or more, courtesy of superior accuracy through computerized fire control systems, guidance systems, autoloaders, and the wonders of the atomic age.

In the future, cannons are likely to be replaced with high tech systems than small arms. Conventional propellants have reached the point where there is no room for further improvement, and so humanity's ongoing quest to hit things harder will require more exotic forms of propulsion. The railgun seems like the most promising candidate, using the power of two conductive rails to propel a solid metal dart at hypersonic (Mach 5+) speeds, imparting so much kinetic energy on contact that the need for an explosive payload is largely rendered [[moot]]. This has a number of advantages, key among which is that you no longer have to deal with your ammunition exploding. Laser weapons that can hit small explosive objects or UAVs with pinpoint accuracy are now in operational service with some militaries. However, much as is the case with small arms, such advanced weapons projects have yet to provide a system that can compete with the simple efficiency of a chemical explosion, as they are all dogged by problems relating to power requirements, heat generation, and durability, with few systems being reasonably portable or capable of firing more than a few shots before breaking down.

== Cannons in Fantasy ==
[[image:Emp great cannon 1434013374.jpg|thumb|300px|right|One of the [[Empire]]'s cannons, proving that you can mix fantasy with gunpowder weapons]]
Fantasy writers are a bit more accommodating to cannons than firearms: in part because they became more practical earlier on. Also they were crew served devices ill suited to use of a single warrior (unless he/she had fantastic powers to begin with) and cannons are the go to solution when someone says "thrilling non modern naval action". Even so there is some reticence about their use as it implies that sooner or latter someone is going to figure "Hey, why don't we take these things and scale them down?".

Many cannons in fantasy settings have some fancypants adornment with bores made into the mouths of roaring lions, dragons and similar and they are rarely even primitive breech loaders. Fantasy authors also have dislike of making their guns out of Bronze since we like the idea of a big black iron gun. Cannons also tend to exist in isolation, you don't see mortars or howitzers for example . Cannons also tend to be somewhat underpowered (compared to their real life counterparts) in settings where they have to coexist with monsters. To put another way, if a cannon can knock a castle down from 490m away, then I don't care how big your dragon is, one direct hit and it will be down for the count. Mind you, getting that direct hit is going to be a bitch and a half and they are not the easier things to lug around.

== Types of cannons ==
Below is a non-exhaustive list of different artillery weapon types, roughly arranged according to era:

*'''Bombard''': An early cannon that broke down castle walls by hurling massive stone balls at them. Unlike later cannons, bombards don't tend to have carriages and were fixed in place on wooden frames, though a few did have wheels. Single-handedly shortened the length of sieges by allowing for the breaching of walls in a matter of hours, but became obsolete as formulations for gunpowder improved, leaving out unnecessary bits like arsenic or mercury.
** '''Basilisk''': A similarly massive cannon, though slightly more refined. Made exclusively out of bronze, mounted on a carriage, and with a smaller bore firing iron cannonballs weighing over a hundred pounds each.

*'''Demi-cannon, Culverin, Saker/Minion, Falconet''': A wide range of terms were employed from the 16th to 18th centuries to describe cannons of varying sizes. By this point in time, people figured that if you changed the formulation of gunpowder to make it more explody, you could make cannons lighter without sacrificing power. Just about the only thing they had in common were that they were all mounted on carriages and could be used as field artillery. Fell by the wayside sometime into the eighteenth century, as it became more common to refer to cannons by their shot weight in pounds.
**'''Demi-cannon''': Fired a ball weighing less than 42 pounds. Usually employed on ships by the 17th century.
**'''Culverins''': Fired a ball weighing between 20 and 14 pounds. Often referred to by the Koreans and Chinese as ''Hongyipao'' or "red barbarian cannon", since they were introduced to them by the Portuguese.
**'''Saker/Minion''': Fired a ball weighing around 5 pounds.
**'''Falconet''': Fired a ball weighing around 1 pound. The smallest of artillery pieces, though nevertheless provided with its own carriage.

*'''Licorne''': Meaning "unicorn" in French, the licorne was the earliest form of gun-howitzer and so named due to the unicorns carved into the original models. It didn't really catch on outside of Russia.

*'''Secret Howitzer''': The result of pure Russian autism and [[Munchkin|min-maxing]]. This 'weapon' was a howitzer modified to have an oval barrel, [[Wat|in the hope that it would spread grapeshot more effectively.]] The drawback was it was useless for any other purpose and not much better at its intended one. Of course, the Russians being who they were, it was decided that the penalty for talking about these guns was to be death, hence the name. [[Fail|This policy becomes more ironic when you discover that the only response to their enemies, the Prussians, finding out about these weapons was a collective WTF and having the captured units melted down for scrap.]]

*'''Gribeauval system''': Not so much a type of cannon so much as a scheme for standardizing the production and use of cannons. Introduced by the French starting in 1765, the Gribeauval system made artillery so much more practical in the field by standardizing the weight of cannonballs to 4, 8, and 12 pounds; the same was done to mortars, howitzers, and siege artillery, which went up to a maximum of 24 pounds. It also came with a field carriage that could quickly hook up to an ammunition limber for horse transport, as well as prepackaged powder bags. Cannons thus not only became easier to move around and able to fire more quickly, but could also be more easily supplied with replacement parts and ammunition.

*'''Carronade''': Short barreled, large bore cannons used for naval combat. These tended to be used on the main deck (above the gundeck) to give a ship the same punch as a similarly-bored gun for less weight; they also tended to be cheaper and easier to reload, though they did suffer from a substantially shorter range than a proper long gun. Carronades were almost exclusively loaded with grapeshot (basically a bunch of smaller cannon balls stuffed into a bag) and targeted to sweep the enemy deck clear of crew, although chain was also sometimes used to destroy rigging.

*'''Canon obusier de 12/Napoleon''': A French gun that revolutionized gunnery when it was invented in 1853, combining the best features of both the cannon and howitzer. It could fire solid shot at high velocity like a cannon, yet was also capable of firing explosive shells like a howitzer, thanks to the introduction of contact-fuzed shells. Heavily used by both factions during the American Civil War.

*'''Double barreled cannon''': An idea that sounds good on the drawing does not always means good in real life. Case in point, US Confederacy double barreled cannon. The idea was to load the guns with chain shot, two cannonballs connected by a chain, and then fire both barrels at the same time, so that the twin cannon balls would fly in such a way that not only would each ball kill the enemy, the chain between the ball would as well. The problem was in step two of the plan, getting both barrels to fire at the same time. To put it simply, it could not. It was tested three times. The first time the balls flew off target and tore up a corn field before the chain broke. The second time it missed again and tore holes in a nearby pine forest "like mowing machine" a witness said. Third time it was fired, the chain broke apart instantly and one ball flew off hitting a chimney, and the other killed a cow. The over optimistic inventor considered these tests a success. That the gun was lost for over ten years and found under a pile of rock speaks to how much the confederates thought of the thing.

*'''Quaker "Gun"''': Named after Christian Pacifists, and alternatively called "Dummy Guns". A Quaker gun is a gun mock-up (typically made of wood), made to look like real guns from a distance in order to deceive enemies you were more threatening than you actually were. Quaker guns found several instances of success throughout the ages and has negated battles that would have otherwise been an easy victory for the opposing side who didn't realize the guns they were scouting were fakes. These were particularly popular in the US Civil War, when an infantry advance on foot against cannons was absolutely guaranteed to cost the attacker wagonloads of dead and injured. Advances in modern reconnaissance technology has largely rendered dummy guns ineffective shortly after WWII, but the dummies there were hilariously important from a tactical view- the usage of dummy Allied tanks and artillery along key points helped to convince the Germans that the main attack of D-Day would occur at Calais rather than Normandy (it helped that Patton stayed near their supposed launch point partly to deceive the Nazis and partly as punishment for him being an asshole to two soldiers in a hospital for psychological issues).

*'''Parrott Rifle''': A Union Civil War cannon, the Parrott rifle was distinctive for its cast iron construction incorporating a band of wrought iron strengthening the breech of the gun. This made it an accurate piece of artillery that was simple to produce, though it did have a distressing tendency to burst.

*'''Armstrong gun''': The Armstrong gun is one of the first rifled breech loaders. It also employed an innovative built-up construction: an inner barrel made out of a wrought iron or mild steel, surrounded with more wrought iron coils that were shrunk to keep the tube compressed. The Armstong used a screw breech, so to load the gun you had to open it like the door on a ship by spinning a wheel to unscrew it. Armstrong guns were made in a wide range of calibers, from 6 pound horse guns to 110 naval artillery. Used by the British in their colonial wars and Japan in the Boshin War. The most famous Armstrong guns are the 100-ton guns used to defend Malta, capable of obliterating ships that are barely visible over the horizon. That said, despite its technical innovations, the next generation of British guns were all rifled muzzleloaders, partly because of cost concerns but also because the Armstrong's breech was not strong enough to handle armour-piercing shot at a time when a growing number of warships were clad in iron. Also, the Armstrong guns quickly became obsolete as everyone was switching from Black Powder to the more powerfl Smokeless Powder.

*'''Krupp System''': Krupp is an old German company that has been making guns and working iron for centuries, but it really made its name known in the mid 19th century when it worked out a system to load a cannon from the rear. The idea of loading a cannon from the breech rather than cramming everything down the muzzle had been toyed around with before, but there had been problems which prevented it from being fully practical. In 1859, Krupp solved these problems by introducing a sliding block system on an all cast steel cannon able to fire explosive shells. Long story short, there was a block in the back of the cannon which could be fastened into place and unfastened and slid out of the way to load it. These guns let Otto von Bismarck unite Germany under his banner and let him beat the French in the Franco-Prussian War who, despite having better rifles, airships, and primitive machine guns, were still using muzzle-loading artillery.

*'''System de Bange''': Yes that's it's real name. No, it doesn't mean 'Bang System', instead 'de Bange' was its inventor, [[Skub|though that arguably makes it funnier.]] Essentially a very efficient breech loading system. After the Germans beat them with Breech Loading Cannons, the French wanted their own such guns if those Germans came back. The solution they settled on was to make a cannon with a steel plug which screwed into the back, but with the screw's thread being removed on two quarters of the length of the plug/bore so it could be secured and opened by rotating it 90 degrees with a washer of good old fashioned asbestos to get a solid seal. The system worked very well and (with a few tweaks) is still in use today.

*'''Disappearing gun''': Guns have recoil; a disappearing gun uses that recoil to lower itself immediately after firing, protecting them from retaliation and making them difficult to spot. Later versions were mounted on retractable platforms for the same effect. They became obsolete once planes were a thing. Because of the complex mechanisms involved, these tended to be used in stationary coastal defense batteries.

*'''Canon de 75 mle 1887''': The French 75 (or as the French would put it, ''le soixante-quinze'') was pretty much the first modern artillery gun as we know it, incorporating a fast-acting screw breech, self-contained ammunition (cartridge case attached to the shell), and most significant of all, a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism that smoothly returned the gun to its original position after firing. Put together, all of these features allowed the 75 to put out [[Dakka|an average of fifteen rounds a minute, or as many as thirty rounds a minute with an experienced crew]]. That said, it was also one of the last field guns as we know it, with the advent of modern warfare pushing artillery way further into the backline, and off the field of battle.

*'''Autocannon''': Essentially an automatically loading cannon with a calibre between 20mm to 76mm. Dating back to the 19th century (see below), the autocannon really came into its heyday during the Second World War, when there came to be a need for a rapid-firing cannon that could fire armour-piercing and explosive shells to swat planes out of the sky. They utilize a number of mechanisms to achieve their ends, including the tried-and-true Gatling mechanism to beefed up recoil operation systems, not to mention a range of externally-powered mechanisms that automate the process of loading, firing, and extracting ammunition. Employed on pretty much every vehicle you can think of. From wheeled vehicles to tanks; helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, surface vessels such as Patrol Boats, Destroyers, Cruisers and even Aircraft Carriers.

=== Noncannon guns worth mentioning ===
There have been numerous inventions in the history of firearms that use a cannon's limbers and caissons to mount a weapon that was not quite cannon, and was often used in a way most cannons were not. What they all had in common was that they were all "artillery" in the sense that they were static, mounted firearms that could fuck up enemies in ways that infantry-portable firearms could not, much like your average cannon.

*'''Chongtong''': Not "really" cannons but this entry was here before the rocket page existed and these were fired out of a cannon. The Congtong was a Korean cannon, or rather, cannons since there was more than one type. The four types were the "Cheonja", "Jija", "Hyeonja", and "Hwangja", the names being roughly equivalent to Cannons A, B, C, and D. The Cheonja was the largest with a 130mm bore able to fire 30 pound rocket out to just over a kilometer. The other three types were pretty much the same, only shrunk down, the Jija had 100mm bore, the Hyeonja, 80mm while the Hwangja was very similar to a European hand cannon. (Wait a minute, barreled weapons that fire self propelled rockets... [[Bolter|Why does that sounds familiar?]])

*'''Da Vinci Cannons''': included in this section because, as far as we know, they were never actually built or used in battle. If they were ever used, we have no record of them, and you’d think it would be a big deal if they were successful. The famous inventor Leonardo understood the emerging importance of cannons, and sought to improve on its design. He had an early version of breech-loaders, but like a true mad scientist, that was just the beginning. Not only did he design a triple-barreled cannon, [[Steampunk|steam-powered]] cannons, and his own version of the Ottoman Bombard, but also a ''33-barreled'' cannon that had three rows of 11 small-caliber barrels set on a rotating axle, and each row would be fired in volley by rotating the row into firing position. [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Certainly reminds you of a certain gun from a certain tabletop game, doesn't it?]]

*'''Ribauldequin''': Don't ask us how to say it (Ri-bow-de-kin, pretty much like it's written. Just ignore the 'l'). A simpler name is “Organ gun”, because the gun barrel arrangement looks like a pipe organ, or volley gun. The Ribauldequin is troubling to list as a "cannon", since it has a number of small barrels rather than one big one. Rather than a cannon, thinking of it as a bunch of guns on a cannon carriage may be more accurate. Of course, the downside to being able to fire a bunch of guns at once is that, in the age of muzzle-loaders, you had to take even longer to reload it. And compared to having a bunch of guys individually aiming an loading a single barrel, you had maybe one or two guys doing all the loading. Still, if you could take the enemy out in a single volley, or at least create an opening for the rest of your guys, it could be an effective force-multiplier and morale weapon. After all, it wasn’t called the “infernal machine” for nothing.

*'''Wall gun''': Essentially guns too big to be personal firearms, but too small to qualify as proper field artillery. These are generally designed to be rested atop a wall, or supported on a stand. They are, roughly, the ancestor to modern sniper/anti-material rifles.
**'''Abus Gun''': An Ottoman artillery piece, similar to a Hook Gun, the Abus gun was small, but still hard to move about and was fired from a tripod and shot a roughly 5 pound cannon ball.
**'''Hook Gun''': Or Hakenbuechse, an oversized musket, that was always classified as an artillery piece, this weapon was popular in 16-18th century Eastern Europe and was usually used either in sieges or as a proto-sniper rifle.

*'''Swivel gun''': Essentially small cannons on stick, swivel guns were mostly used on ships and were mounted on the decks. While ineffective against all but the smallest boats, against boarding parties they could be very effective.
**'''Pierrier à boîte''': A french breech loading swivel gun made of wrought iron. The Pierrier à boîte breech, though allowing it to fire more rapidly than other guns, still had issues and had a tendency to leak leading to a loss of power and additional danger to the gunners.
**'''Lantaka''': A (usually) bronze swivel gun developed by the Philippine Moros, firing a half-pound ball or charge of grapeshot. Mounted on the fronts of boats and on the walls of earthwork forts. Saw much use against the Spanish conquistadors, but was defeated by the howitzers and mortars brought by the American infantry.

*'''Mechanical machine guns''': These are essentially the first machine guns. Technically firearms, they differ from later machine guns in that their firing mechanisms relied on repetitive manual operation via a crank or lever. They also tended to be mounted on artillery carriages, partly because these were pretty heavy machines, but also because military thinking had yet to really move on from the idea that crew served weapons didn't need to be horse-drawn. All of these were rendered obsolete by the Maxim gun except the gattling gun which with some modifications is still in use to this day.
**'''Mitrailleuse''': French for "grapeshot", though the word now refers to "machine gun" in that language. This was a weapon that looked like a cannon, only instead of one big hole in the muzzle it had twenty five 13mm barrels. It is not unlike a ribeaudequin, in that it fires multiple shots at a time. The main difference is that it is much easier to reload and shoot: all you need to do is unscrew the breech, slot in a steel plate with all twenty five cartridges, and then screw the breech closed. To fire it, you turned a crank that sequentially fires five barrels at a time. Was France's super duper secret weapon during the Franco-Prussian War, but it largely failed to live up to expectations in large part because the French insisted on deploying it as artillery just outside of rifle range.
**'''Gatling Gun''': Not to be confused with the chain gun, which operates on a completely different principle. The Gatling Gun features multiple barrels which fire in turn as they rotate around the twelve o'clock position. This configuration allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrel overheating. The earliest gatling gun required a person to crank it like a pepper grinder, so it's not like it can be fired automatically by some sandwich eating Russian. Notable for its use in Zulu and the Boshin war, mowing down those <s>pre-historic savages</s> unlucky pre-industrial indigenous like a combine harvester through chaff. It would later be brought back coupled with a motor to allow for so high a rate of fire that each of the guns "dakkas" blur into each other to become one long "BZZZZZZZZZZZZ", because jet planes were too fast to be easily brought down by anything less than a hundred 20mm rounds fired in a split-second.

*'''Dynamite gun''': In the early days of high explosives, there were no explosives stable enough to be fired from a gun without blowing up, and high explosives were far more powerful than low explosives like gunpowder. Hence, the Dynamite gun, the most steam punk weapon ever deployed. Dynamite guns worked like a big air gun, only instead of a BB they fired a shell full of Dynamite or other high explosives and instead of air they used compressed steam if on a ship, or smokeless powder used to indirectly propel a gas into the barrel to launch the shell.

*''' Maxim gun''': The first successful weapon that can be considered a true machine gun, harnessing the power of recoil to load, fire, and extract cartridges several hundred times a minute, with little more input than depressing a trigger. Like earlier mechanical machine guns, it was at first mounted on a horse-drawn carriages, though reductions in weight led to rethinking the whole mounting business and putting it on a lighter tripod. It was also the direct ancestor of the autocannon. The QF 1-pounder (37mm) and the QF 2-pounders (40mm) 'Pom-poms' (nicknamed like that because of the continuous rumble one produces when firing) were adopted by nations as soon as they became aware of them or had been on the receiving end, essentially converting the machine gun design into autocannons. The QF 1 started out as a field gun before it was used on warships as an anti-aircraft weapon. The Maxim along with it's descendants made field charges and line combat impossible, ushering in the era of trench warfare, with only [[Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20|mall ninjas]] and [[/pol/|other idiots]] lamenting the loss of those tactics.

== Types of cannon ammunition==
As mentioned before, cannon munitions can essentially be categorized according to two categories: shot or shell. Generally, you want the latter when you want to blow things up; the former is generally for breaking hard targets.

* '''Round shot''': As the name suggests, it's a round ball made of either stone or later iron. Round shot was best used against fortifications and infantry in the open. When firing at infantry the ideal use of iron round shot was to fire just in front of the infantry and let the ball bounce up and through the formation like a bowling ball from hell. This is replicated in cannon mechanics in Warhammer Fantasy. This is also one of the reasons why armies stopped fighting in deep formations and switched to lines. Also, don't knock a stone cannon ball because while they wouldn't bounce as well on impact, they have a tendency to shatter and spread deadly shrapnel like a primitive HE round instead.

*'''Hot Shot''': Against wooden ships that were full of black powder and other flammables, often the best solution is to light them on fire. As such an attempt to do this was to take an iron cannon ball, and heat it up so that it glowed red and then fire it... carefully. As you can imagine sticking a red hot cannon ball down the barrel of an iron tube full of explosive was careful work in order to pull it off they had to put a plug of wet clay between the ball and the powder. As any Hornblower fan will tell you, hot shot was rarely used by ships. Naval artillery in the age of sail was risky enough without adding an extensive furnace infrastructure and running red-hot balls all over your own very flammable ship. Hot shot was most often used by coastal forts against passing ships. This is the modern origin for the term "Hotshot" as someone who is renowned for their skill and courage - like the people who could load said red hot cannonballs without blowing themselves up in the process.

*'''Chain shot''': used mostly at sea, Chain shot was either two small cannon balls linked with chain, or one single cannon ball that broke into two halves connected by a chain after firing. Chain shot covered a larger area and was used to target the rigging of enemy ships (though as the tv series 'The Borgias' shows, it could also be quite useful in mowing down infantry). As steamships become more common however, chain shot became less and less useful.

*'''Canister shot''': A canister shot is a collection of small iron musket balls, that was jammed down the barrel in a tin can. Upon firing, it basically turned the cannon into a massive shotgun spraying the area in front of it with hundreds of musket balls. In a day and age where fighting was done shoulder to shoulder canister shot was lethal, a single cannon could and has stopped an infantry charge dead in its tracks. '''Grape shot''' was similar in concept but used bigger balls and was loaded in a bag, not a can (supposedly the bulges the balls made in the bag looked like a bunch of grapes, hence the name) and was more common on ships since it could better punch though wooden hulls. While still in use, with some utilizing dart-like flechettes instead of shot, canister rounds fell out of favour thanks to the invention of the...

*'''Shrapnel shells''': You know how a person invents a thing and get his name attached to the invention so completely that if you tried to use it today as a name it just sounds strange? Well Henry Shrapnel was so successful with his invention that all types of flying debris now bear his name. Shrapnel rounds were invented in 1784 and they're similar to a canister shot, except the outer hull is solid enough to withstand being shot out of the cannon, and it is outfitted with a fuze so that the shell explodes in mid-air. Rather than only a 'shotgun blast' at the muzzle of the gun, this almost triples the range of the anti personal round while keeping the lethality. Round shot for use against infantry became a thing of the past, and Shrapnel rounds were used all the way up to the 20th century when it was discovered that the fragmentation effects produced by the casing of a High-Explosive shell made the balls themselves largely unnecessary. That said, Shrapnel-like rounds operating on timed or proximity fuzes are still employed, with 'airburst' munitions designed to hit either targets hiding behind cover or to knock down fast-moving targets like planes/helo's and incoming missiles.

*'''Explosive shells''': A shell that's hollow and has explody stuff in it. While shells have been known to exist ever since the 14th century, they didn't become widespread until reliable fuzes appeared after the end of the Napoleonic wars. Prior to then, early fuzes were essentially slow-burning wooden plugs lit by the heat of firing: not very reliable, as they would often explode too early, explode too late (in which case an enemy could put them out), or not explode at all. Later fuzes incorporated a shock-sensitive explosive that would set off the main payload, detonating either on impact or much later, by mechanical timed or proximity fuzes. When introduced, they made the wooden sailing ship useless as no such vessel could withstand being hit by more than a few shells; likewise, their ability to blast apart brick and mortar made many an existing fortification obsolete. Today, such shells come in a wide variety of munition types with chemical and explosive, but the most common versions are High-Explosive (HE), (Semi-)Armor-Piercing High-Explosive ((S)APHE), High-Explosive Incendiary (HE-I) and High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT, see below).

*'''Nuclear shells:''' For a time, you also had shells with nuclear warheads, though these have been largely phased out as impractical. First, if you start tossing nuclear weapons at your enemy, they might take it as a sign that nuclear war is a go, which then leads to further escalation. Second, they irradiate the battlefield, which in turn poses difficulties for attackers. Thirdly, you need a really, really big gun to launch a nuclear shell far enough that your well out of the blast zone (and it has to have a big blast because why else use a nuclear shell at all?). Finally, with the advent of precision guided munitions (PGM) they've been largely rendered pointless: the whole point of a nuclear weapon is to ensure destruction of a target with as few munitions as possible, but PGMs can do the job nearly as efficiently without all the negative associations.

*'''Chemical shells:''' These are filled with chemical payloads. They were in their heyday during the First World War, when they were employed as a means of suppressing enemy defenders before an attack, but it was then quickly realized that they could be just as much of a hazard to attackers. Eventually, both sides came up with highly effective gas masks to ward them off. This, along with the lingering memory of the horror associated with their use, meant that they were very rarely employed in the Second World War and thereafter. The main exception is just below.

*'''Smoke shells:''' Self-explanatory. Designed to provide a screen that blocks visual detection, in addition to electronic devices such as infrared and thermal. Technically a chemical shell; some variations have offensive applications as well. The white phosphorus used by some countries (the United States and Russia) for example, will spontaneously combust in the presence of oxygen, setting flammables on fire and burning flesh on contact.

*'''Illumination shells:''' A special type of payload shell designed to eject a flare at a predetermined altitude, which then slowly descends on a parachute. As per the name, they are generally used for illumination, but different colored variations can be used for signalling.

*'''Cluster:''' It's a shell designed to burst in mid-air and scatter its payload over a large area. Said payload consists of tiny bomblets (incendiary, chemical, anti-personnel, or anti-tank) or mines. While bomblets are designed to explode on timer or on impact, the fuzes can fail, and since these each shell can contain dozens of these things, bombarding an area with cluster munitions can leave lots of nice little presents for people to later find. On the cheerier side of things, they can also be filled with paper and other things as well.

*'''Carcass shell''': No, not something a [[Deep Rot|necromancer]] would use. A carcass shell was a reserve of highly flammable material encased within an iron shell with some vents, as to spray the chemical after firing. it was called Carcass shell because, supposedly, the shot looked like a human carcass thanks to the holes. Carcass shell was shot mostly out of lower velocity mortars and Howitzers and was one of the first chemical weapons to be used. It was especially useful at night as the glow allowed it to be used to spot for the gun.

*'''Junk''': Obviously if you're out of proper ammunition you could just shove anything you want down the barrel and hope it works. Mostly, this amounted to things like scrap metal and rocks, but supposedly a Uruguayan ship once fired stale cheese out of their cannons and shattered the mast of a Brazilian ship. Contrarily to the common portrayal, however, the practice was discouraged as it would quickly wear the barrel of the weapon out and render it unusable.

*'''Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR)''': Also known as High Velocity Armor Piercing (HVAP) if you're an American or 'Hartkern' (hard core) if you're German. As tanks got bigger to the point where they were just shrugging off hits from tiny early war cannons, all nations were faced with the dilemma of stopping those monsters. There was the time-honored solution of bringing a bigger, longer gun, but that came with a prohibitive increase in weight, if only because you needed a bigger breech and enough mass to counterbalance everything. Another alternative was to make the projectile itself out of denser material, to focus all that energy onto a smaller area. That's HVAP/APCR/Hartkern. Same overall shell size, but the weight of the projectile is 'concentrated' in a smaller core made out of tungsten fitted with a lightweight aerodynamic cap. It worked, but at the expense of significantly decreasing range, since rifling isn't designed to stabilize a sub-calibre round. They also have the significant downside that the few materials they were made out of, like Tungsten or more recently, depleted Uranium, are either rare, expensive, hard to aquire or all of the above.
**'''Squeeze-bore''': A variant of APCR, also known as Armor-Piercing Composite Non-Rigid (APCNR). The most significant difference is that the gun is partially tapered, squeezing the sides of the shell as it travels down the barrel. This leads to propellant gases focusing on an ever smaller area, significantly increasing exit velocities. While it made APCR work a lot better, it has two major downsides: first it complicated logistics: guns employing tapered barrels or adapters to squeeze AP shells typically could not fire the same ammunition as other guns, even if they were of the same nominal calibre, and secondly a full on tapered barrel is a BITCH to make, since your trying to drill a long narrow CONE through a Cylinder!

*'''Sabot''': Not to be confused with the later armour-piercing shell design described below. Sabots (French for a clog shoe and pronounced like "Sah-bo") were used in the 19th century with weapons like the Paixhans gun, one of the first naval guns designed to fire an explosive shell. A sabot is a container made of a light material that fits the barrel and contains the actual munition but falls away after leaving the barrel, leaving just the sub-munition to fly toward the target. It was used to center the projectile and prevent propellant gas leakages, which could potentially prematurely detonate the shell in the barrel. Advances in metallurgy and the invention of the driving band have made such sabots obsolete. Buuuuut...

*'''Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS)/Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS)''': Remember the APCR above, where we said 'core made out of hard material to deal more damage'? Well the modern APDS/APFSDS rounds take this one level further. A small, very heavy projectile is encased in a sleeve (called a sabot), which is discarded the moment it exits the barrel, leaving only the projectile to fly toward the target. Features much better ballistics than APCR, though APDS rounds still tend to somewhat less accurate when fired out of a rifled cannon. Accuracy is not much of a problem when Tanks and Self Propelled Artillery have built in targeting computers and communications systems. With the move to APFSDS, modern tanks now shoot what basically amounts to a huge dart made of depleted uranium or tungsten at one another through their smoothbore cannons. These are a whole kettle of fish altogether. Exhibiting an even smaller cross-section, they travel at near hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) velocities, with whatever they hit getting absolutely wrecked by the pressure wave and spall they generate while traveling through solid material. That said, if you tried to point them at the sides of a car or another lightly-armoured vehicle, all they'll do is make two very neatly-shaped holes, assuming that they don't turn someone into red paste on their way through.

*'''High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)/High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin-Stabilized (HEAT-FS)''': A modern round (it was introduced in WW2) that uses the Munroe effect to defeat heavily-armored targets, like a tank. In essence, all the force of the explosion is concentrated into a 'jet' that forces/melts/erodes its way through the armor and incinerates anything behind. Since their penetration capability is independent of the projectile's kinetic energy, they can take a variety of different forms: a shell launched by a cannon is the most applicable one here, but it also can be a rocket, or even a bomb thrown at/attached to a vehicle. While extremely effective, they have the drawback of needing to detonate at just the right distance and angle from their target. Furthermore, the rifling of a cannon tends to have a detrimental effect on the high explosive jet, causing it to splay out upon detonation, which needs to be counteracted in some form or another. The fin-stabilized version is a later variation that (as the name indicates) uses fins to stabilize the shell's flight (negating the need for rifling) and improve the chance of hitting at exactly said right angle/distance.
**'''Tandem Charge''': HEAT, when introduced, was a game changer and everyone scrambled to find ways to protect their tanks from them. The counterspell to the opponent's counterspell, a tandem charge is exactly what its name implies: a first small HE charge fucks up whatever HEAT countermeasures are installed to allow the secondary HEAT charge to strike true. It has since been broadened to different combinations of charges for different applications, but the general idea is always the same. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6j9wEF1sf8 See here for a demonstration of a building-clearing AP/HE combo.]

*'''High-Explosive Squash-Head (HESH)''': Bears a mention for completeness' sake, this one is a bit weird: the explosive charge is a blob of malleable plastic explosive. When it hits the target, the plastic is squashed against the target's surface (hence the name), and the resulting pancake is detonated by the fuze. This creates shockwaves that will cause the inner surface to break off and turn into shrapnel (spall). Modern composite armor and anti-spalling liners have rendered this type of shell inefficient against tanks, but they are still extremely effective against concrete structures and light vehicles. Unlike many of the shells described above, HESH requires rifling in order to work effectively, as the centrifugal force of a spinning shell allows the high explosive pat to spread out evenly. Unlike the other described above, only the British Army continues to use them in any serious capacity aboard the Challenger 2 MBT.

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