Warhammer 40,000 Rules Addendum
Please note, this is a working draft of the FAQ as voted upon by a council of Independent Tournament Organizers and is subject to change. This overrides any previous rulings I have made. This is also the FAQ you will see at many events, including Adepticon, WargamesCon, Feast of Blades, etc. so the rulings here will be in common use.
Warhammer 40,000 Rule Book
General Principles
- Being “removed from play” is the same thing as being “removed as a casualty”.
The Movement Phase
- A Tank is allowed to move through enemy models not locked in close combat when it turns on the spot to “aim” as part of a Tank Shock. Units moved through in this way count as being Tank Shocked and models in the path of the pivot may make Death or Glory attacks (provided the unit passes its Morale test). [pg. 76, W40KRB]
The Shooting Phase
- Models that Turbo-boost in the Shooting phase can move any number of inches (up to the maximum for their unit type) in any combination of directions, potentially ending the phase in the exact same position. [pg. 45, W40KRB]
- When a unit makes a shooting attack, so long as a model in the target unit was within range and LoS of at least one model in the firing unit when To Hit rolls were made the target model may have wounds allocated to it and be removed as a casualty.
- Ex 1: A unit of 10 Grey Hunters with 8 Boltguns and 2 Meltaguns fires at a unit of Chaos Space Marines. The Space Wolves player chooses to resolve the Boltgun wounds first. After armor saves are made for the Boltgun wounds, the closest CSM is beyond the 12” range of either Meltaguner. This CSM model may still have the Meltagun wounds allocated to it and be removed as a casualty if any one of the Boltgun wielding Grey Hunters had range and LoS to it when To Hit rolls were made.
- Ex 2: A Space Marine Tactical Squad with 4 Boltguns and a Lascannon shoots at a unit of Ork Boys. All 4 Boltgun wielding Marines have range and LoS to the same Ork Boy, but only that Boy. The Lascannon Marine has range and LoS to the entire Ork Boy unit. All Ork Boys can have unsaved wounds allocated to them and be removed as casualties. [pg. 3, W40KRB FAQ]
The Assault Phase
- Units are considered to be locked in close combat as soon as any enemy model moves into base to base contact with the unit. This prevents them from firing Overwatch against other units charging later in the Assault phase. [pg. 23, W40KRB]
- Units may choose not to make a Consolidation move after winning an assault. If they choose not to all models in the unit are left in their exact positions. [pg. 27, W40KRB]
- If a unit chooses to make a Consolidation move all models in the unit must end the movement 1” away from all enemy models. This means that if a unit chooses to make a Consolidation move it must end the move 1” away from all enemy vehicles, including those it may have just attacked in close combat. [pg. 27, W40KRB]
Psykers/Psychic Powers
- Multiple instances of the same Malediction cast by different models do stack with each other. [pg. 68, W40KRB]
- The Objuration Mechanicum psychic power has no effect on Zooming Flyers.
Universal Special Rules
- If a model with the Swarms special rule is wounded by a template or blast weapon that also causes Instant Death, the number of wounds is doubled and then an entire model is removed for each wound (e.g. if a Helldrake with a Baleflamer causes 3 wounds to a unit of Necron Scarabs 6 Scarab models would be removed as casualties). [pgs. 16 & 43, W40KRB]
- A unit can perform a Vector Strike in the same turn that it leaves Combat Airspace. [pgs. 43 & 81, W40KRB]
Flyers and Flying Monstrous Creatures
- Any attacks or special abilities that automatically effect enemy units without rolling to hit (e.g. an Ork Weirdboy’s Zzap psychic power, Imotekh’s Lord of the Storm or Njal’s Lord of Tempests special rules) have no effect on Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures. This is true even if the attacking unit has the Skyfire special rule.
- Weapons mounted on a Flyer model can swivel downward up to 45 degrees, even if the barrel on the model itself cannot physically do that. [pg. 72, W40KRB]
Blast Weapons
- Models completely out of LoS of the firing unit can be hit by a blast template and add wounds to the wound pool for the shooting attack. However, models completely out of LoS cannot have unsaved wounds allocated to them, and so cannot be removed as a casualties.
Template Weapons
- Models completely out of LoS of the firing unit can be hit by a template weapon and add wounds to the wound pool for the shooting attack. However, models completely of out LoS cannot have unsaved wounds allocated to them, and so cannot be removed as a casualties.
- Template weapons with the Torrent special rule must still abide by all relevant targeting and casualty removal rules of a template weapon (e.g. the firer must have LoS to the first model hit by the template). [pg. 43, W40KRB]
Allies
- A unit with an allied Independent Character attached cannot embark or begin the game embarked upon a transport vehicle. [pg. 112, W40KRB]
- Allies of Convenience are scoring units for the purchasing player, provided they meet all requirements to be a scoring unit. [pg. 112, W40KRB]
Fortifications
- Fortifications are not considered enemy or friendly units, do not generate Victory Points when destroyed, do not trigger effects caused by destroying a unit, and do not count as a surviving model in the purchasing player’s army. [pg. 44, W40KRB]
- Gun emplacements cannot be targeted by psychic powers, tank shocked, or assaulted. If while in assault with another unit a gun emplacement is engaged in close combat, attacks may be directed at the gun emplacement as if it was a separate unit.
- Both players may have a model in base contact with the same gun emplacement (provided they are 1” apart) and both models may fire it in consecutive Shooting phases. [pg. 105, W40KRB]
- Any model with a BS greater than 0 may fire a gun emplacement, including all vehicles and models without a ranged weapon. [pg. 105, W40KRB]
- Models on top of a Bastion that are obscured by the battlements receive a 4+ cover save. [pg. 97, W40KRB]
- Models behind a Bastion and obscured by the building portion of the model receive a 3+ cover save. [pg. 18, W40KRB]
- Models obscured by a ruined bastion receive a 4+ cover save. [pg. 18, W40KRB]
- The purchased Comms Relay and gun emplacement for a Bastion must be placed on the model’s roof.
- For the purposes of movement and unit coherency, treat the Skyshield Landing Pad as a ruin without a base and one upper level.
- Only models physically on top of a shielded Skyshield Landing Pad gain a 4+ invulnerable save.
- The shielding walls of a Skyshield Landing Pad are battlements and provide a 4+ cover save to models obscured by them.
- Models obscured by the leg/pillar portion of a Skyshield Landing Pad receive a 3+ cover save.
Missions
- Fast Attack and Heavy Support choices count as denial units in The Scouring and The Big Guns Never Tire missions respectively.
- Fast Attack and Heavy Support choices with the Swarms special rule count as scoring units in The Scouring and The Big Guns Never Tire missions respectively.
- In The Relic mission, if the relic is dropped because it moves more than 6” in a single phase, then it is dropped from the position where the carrying model began its move this phase.
- Units embarked on a transport cannot achieve the Linebreaker Secondary Objective for being in the enemy deployment zone.
Drop Pods
- Models disembarking from a drop pod can make a normal move ending wholly within 6” of the pod.
- When a drop pod deploys it is treated as suffering an immobilized damage result and removes a hull point.
- If a drop pod deploys into dangerous terrain and fails its DT test, it is treated as an already immobilized vehicle suffering a second immobilized result. It therefore removes two more hull points and is wrecked.
- If a drop pod is wrecked because of a failed dangerous terrain test, the unit inside is considered to be disembarking from a wrecked vehicle. They must end their disembarkation move wholly within 3” of the drop pod and take a Pinning test.
- The doors of a drop pod model are ignored for all game purposes (e.g. they never block LoS, they may not be disembarked from, and enemy models do not need to remain 1” away).
- A drop pod themed army may only start every unit in reserve if the following conditions are met:
- Every unit (except Independent Characters) begins the game in their own dedicated drop pod transport.
- Every Independent Character is joined to a unit inside their own dedicated drop pod transport.
[pg. 36, W40KRB]
Black Templars
Blood Angels
- The Blood Lance psychic power has no effect against Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures.
Chaos Daemons
- When Chaos Daemons are taken as an allied detachment two Daemonic Heralds may still be taken as a single HQ selection.
- Epidemius’ Tally of Pestilence special rule allows non-daemon models to benefit from Noxious Tough.
- A unit of Screamers of Tzeentch cannot make Slash Attacks against Zooming Flyers or Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures.
Chaos Space Marines
- A model without the Champion of Chaos special rule may attempt a Glorious Intervention to save a model with the Champion of Chaos rule. [pg. 65, W40KRB]
- Two Independent Characters with different Marks of Chaos can both join the same unmarked unit.
- A marked Independent Character from the Chaos Space Marines codex cannot join a unit from the Chaos Daemons codex without a mark but devoted to a different god (e.g. Lucius the Eternal cannot join a unit of Bloodletters).
- Force weapons cannot cause Instant Death to Kharn the Betrayer even if their strength is double his toughness value (e.g. a Nemesis Daemonhammer). [pg. 59, C:CSM]
- A Warpsmith cannot use a fire point to curse an enemy vehicle with the Master of Mechanism’s special rule while embarked on a vehicle.
- Plague Zombies can man gun emplacements and fire emplaced weapons. [pg. 105, W40KRB]
- LoS for a Helldrake with a Baleflamer is drawn from the head of the model. The head has a 360 degree LoS and ignores the rest of the Helldrake model when drawing LoS.
- Models with a Chaos bike may use their twin linked bolter as the replacement when the Chaos Wargear Lists says, “a model can replace one weapon with…”
- A Dimensional Key does not override the effects of the Jamming Beacon wargear on a Land Speeder Storm.
Dark Angels
- Dark Angels units using the Deathwing Assault special rule are ignored for the purposes of calculating the number of units that may be held in Reserves.
- A unit containing Belial that uses the Gate of Infinity psychic power to Deep Strike does not scatter. Also, the unit does not need to roll to see if a model is claimed by the warp.
- Ezekiel does benefit from the Book of Salvation wargear effectively making him WS6. [pg. 54, C:DA]
- A Deathwing Terminator model can take a Cyclone Missile Launcher and a Thunderhammer & Storm Shield. [pg. 99, C:DA]
- The following weapons are considered to be Boltguns when using the Standard of Devastation; Boltguns, Twin-linked Boltguns, Master-crafted Boltguns, Hurricane Bolters, and Combi-weapons (when fired as a Boltgun). Also note that the terms Boltgun and Bolter are always used interchangeably.
- The Shroud of Angels special rule means that two Ravenwing Darkshrouds within 6” of one another give each other Stealth. This Stealth stacks with the Shrouded the Dark Talons already have. [pg. 49, C:DA]
Dark Eldar
- The Penetrating Blade special rule applies to all of Lelith Hesperex’s attacks, even ranged attacks. [pg. 49, C:DE]
Eldar
- An Eldar Independent Character joined to a Dark Eldar unit cannot be the target of a psychic power that must be cast on an Eldar Unit.[pg. 39, W40KRB]
- An Eldar unit with a Dark Eldar Independent Character joined to it can be the target of a psychic power that must be cast on an Eldar Unit. While joined, the effects of the psychic power apply to the Dark Eldar character. [pg. 39, W40KRB]
- Phoenix Lords do not directly convey their unit benefits to non-aspect warrior units. However, if a Phoenix Lord has a special rule that would apply to any unit they join, those rules do apply to non-aspect warrior units joined by the Pheonix Lord (e.g. Khandras does not give the Stealth special rule to a unit of Guardians. But if Khandras joins a unit of Guardians the entire unit benefits from Stealth while he is attached.). [pg 54, C:Edr]
- If Prince Yriel chooses to use his Eye of Wrath wargear while he is involved in a challenge, place the large blast template normally. The enemy model also involved in the challenge is treated as being in a separate unit from any other units hit by the template. Wounds are then determined normally for each effected unit, removing casualties in order of closest to Prince Yriel. Using the Eye of Wrath in this way allows Prince Yriel to wound models not directly involved in the challenge.
- Cover saves may not be taken against Prince Yriel’s Eye of Wrath attacks.
- A Swooping Hawk unit that uses the Skyleap special rule to go back into reserves goes into Reserves, not Ongoing Reserves, and will therefore need to roll to return to the table on turns 2 and 3. [pg. 35, C:Edr]
- Vibro Cannon attacks have no effect against Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures.
- A model with the Eternal Warrior special rule still dies automatically and is removed if it fails its leadership test after being wounded by a Diresword. [pg. 30, C:Edr]
Grey Knights
- Allied units cannot benefit from the Grand Strategy special rule.
- A Neural Shredder uses the majority leadership of the target unit when rolling to wound.
Imperial Guard
- Valkyries and Vendettas cannot outflank. [pg. 4, C:IG FAQ]
Necrons
- If a model with the Reanimation Protocol special rule is part of a unit caught in a Sweeping Advance, do not place a Reanimation Protocol or Ever Living counter next to the unit.
- A successful Feel No Pain roll does not negate the armor reducing effects of the Entropic Strike special rule.
- If a Cryptek or any Independent Character is joined to a unit of Deathmarks that model also benefits from the Hunters from Hyperspace special rule.
- A Doom Scythe’s Death Ray is a hull mounted weapon. The initial point for the Death Ray can be anywhere within 12” of the weapon, and the second point anywhere within 3D6” of the first. However, only models in the Doom Scythe’s LoS and range (the greater of 24” from the Tesla Destructor or the variable range from the Death Ray) can have unsaved wounds allocated to them and be removed as causalities. For casualty removal purposes the Death Ray’s range is 12” plus the 3D6” rolled when picking the second point. Vehicles completely out of the Doom Scythe’s LoS are unaffected by the attack. Note that the Death Ray line may still pass over models completely out of LoS and cause hits for that unit. But in order to cause any casualties the unit must have some models in LoS and range of the Doom Scythe.
- The player whose turn it is determines whether the effects of mindschackle scarabs and whip coils are resolved before or after models involved in a challenge are moved into base to base contact. [pg. 9, W40KRB]
- When Mindshackle Scarabs are controlling a Deathwing Knight either the Necron or Dark Angels player can choose to activate the unit’s Smite Mode, and all Deathwing Knights in the unit must follow suit. However, if one player is striking at a higher Initiative step than the other player (e.g. the mindshalked Deathwing Knight is also being affected by a whip coil), then whichever mode the first attacking Deathwing Knight(s) choose to attack in will apply to all Deathwing Knights from the same unit.
- The Chronometron wargear can only be used on rolls of a single D6 (e.g. an armor save) not rolls that use multiple dice (e.g. a leadership test).
Orks
Sisters of Battle
- If Saint Celestine is turned into a Squig by the Zogwart’s Curse special rule in the Orks codex her Miraculous Intervention rule is effectively ignored. The Miraculous Intervention rule is triggered when she is removed as a casualty, this does not happen with Zogwort’s Curse. However, she is not considered “destroyed” until the squig is destroyed. But even after the squig is destroyed she cannot use Miraculous Intervention to return to the game.
- If Saint Celestine is turned into a Chaos Spawn using the Boon of Mutation special rule in the Chaos Daemons codex she is considered to be removed as a casualty. Place the Miraculous Intervention counter at the spot where she was turned into a spawn and roll normally for her return. The spawn version of Celestine remains in play whether or not she returns to the game. This means there could be multiple spawn versions of Celestine on the table.
- Attacks and special rules that reduce a characteristic or apply an ongoing effect to Saint Celestine (e.g. the Entropic Strike special rule) still apply if she returns to the game via Miraculous Intervention.
Space Marines
Space Wolves
- If an Ally of Convenience casts a psychic power within 24” of a Runic Weapon the Space Wolves player must roll a D6, and on a 4+ (3+ for Njal) that power is nullified. This is done instead of the Deny the Witch roll the opposing player would normally make. [pg. 112, W40kRB]
- Jump Infantry is a subclass of Infantry, and therefore Jump Infantry models are affected normally by the Jaws of the World Wolf psychic power.
Tau Empire
Tyranids
- A Tervigon cannot spawn Termagants in the same turn that is uses the Gate of Infinity psychic power.
- Units with the Stubborn special rule ignore the Deathleaper’s It’s After Me rule when taking Morale or Pinning tests.