Space fighting in the 41^st millennium

Star ships	Armour	Damage pts	No. crew max	No. guns max
Heavy craft	14	18	55, infantry	15
Cruiser	12	12	30, infantry	8
Fighter	10	3	2, infantry	3

Armour: works like front/rear/side armour except that if hit remove a damage point instead of rolling on the ordinary table.

Damage points: if a spaceship is hit roll a D6, on a 3+ remove a damage points. If a space ship loses all its damage points remove it from the board. All models without respirators or xenos gills must take a suffocation test. All other models immediately take a strength five hit (jump infantry may take an initiative test to avoid this hit).

Suffocation test: if a model without a respirator or xenos gills is exposed to space they must take a suffocation test. Roll a D6 on the first turn of exposure. On 2+ the model is removed as a casualty (ignoring how many wounds they have. Even the toughest warrior can’t survive long without air). On the second turn of exposure remove the model as a casualty (ignoring how many wounds they have).

Options

Whole squad are armed.

·        Respirator………………………...30pts

·        Jump pack………………………..50pts

·        Detonation charge………………..75pts

All count as heavy support.

·        Heavy craft (un-armed)…………..75pts

·        Cruiser (un-armed)…………….....50pts

·        fighter..................……………......30pts

Detonation charge: one use only. A detonation charge may be stuck to the outside of a space ship, each turn that the detonation charge is there the ship takes D3 strength 6 hits. A squad may only attach a detonation charge if they are touching the outside of the ship for a whole turn. You may remove one by spending a turn in base contact with the same part of the ship where it was stuck, use a marker to represent where this is. You may not use a detonation charge if you remove it (they through it into space and it exposed.)

Respirator: all tyranids, chaos daemons, necrons, killa kans, deff dreads, defiler, tau battle suits, tau stealth teams, vespid stingwings, drop pods, elder avatar, elder wraith guard, elder wraithlord, eldar jetbikes, closed vehicles and dark eldar reavers count as already having respirators or xenos gills.

Asteroids: D6+6 asteroids are placed on the board at the beginning of the game. They use the rules for drifting but cannot be controlled. If one hits a spaceship it takes D3 strength D6+2 hits. The asteroid then bounces off D6 inches in direction scatter dice (note: it cannot hit the ship again so if the arrow points towards the ship leave the asteroid for a turn).

Control room: each ship has a control room. If every model in the control room is killed or leaves then the ship drifts. If you have models in your enemy’s control room and there are no enemy models in it then you can control it (but only its movement not weapons). If you control the enemies command ship then you can control all his ships (only movement not weapons).

Guns:  a ship may only fire as many guns (each gun may only fire ounce) as it has unengaged models on the ship (this rule does not apply to fighters, instead they can fire one gun per damage pt)

Cruiser and heavy craft gun choices (for points values see specified model in codex. Note: you do not need the actual models listed below you only need to pay the points to arm the ship with them) all weapons fire at BS 3

	1st choice weapon	2nd choice weapon	Special rules
Chaos daemons	none	None	You are at BS 2 when firing at a daemon star ship
Chaos space marines	Auto cannon (see predator)	Twin linked reaper auto cannon (see defiler)	BS 4
Daemonhunters	Psycannon (see grey knights)	Incinerator (see grey knights)	BS 4 only models with respirators may fire the guns. Retinue do not count.
Dark eldar	Dark lances (see raider)	Splinter cannons (see scourges)	If a gun causes damage it may fire again (note it may only fire twice maximum)
Eldar	Support weapon battery (see support weapon battery)	Heavy weapon plat form (see guardians)	If a gun causes damage it may fire again (note it may only fire twice maximum)
Imperial guard	1 heavy weapons team (see heavy weapons team)	Basilisk (see basilisk)	For every model on the ship two guns can fire
Necrons	Heavy destroyer (see Heavy destroyer)	None	The guns are automatic and don’t need any crew
Orks	1 ork kannon (see big gunz)	1 ork zzap gun (see big gunz)	BS 2 but each one causes D3 hits
Space marines	1 thunderfire cannon (see thunderfire cannon)	Lascannon (see predator)	BS 4
Space wolves	Demolisher cannon (see vindicator)	Lascannon (see predator)	BS 4
Tau empire	Ion cannon (see hammerhead)	Rail gun (see hammerhead)	For every model on the ship two guns can fire
Tyranids	Biovore (see biovore)	Pyrovore (see pyrovore)	BS 2
Witch hunters	Flamer (see sisters of battle) 7pts	inferno pistol (see seraphim) 10pts	Can fire flamers twice as long as there are two models per flamer. Retinue do not count.

Drift:  if a ship, model or asteroid is drifting roll a D6 and a scatter dice. Then move the object in that direction.

Fighters: fighters use two standard infantry weapons and a heavier version tail gun.

	Front	Tail
Chaos daemons	-	-
Chaos space marines	Bolter	Auto cannon
Daemon hunters	Storm bolter	Psycannon
Dark eldar		dark lance
Eldar	Shuriken catapult	Fusion gun
Imperial guard	Lasgun	Lascannon
Necrons	Gauss flayer	Gauss blaster
Orks	Sluggas	Burna
Space marines	Bolter	Assault cannon
Space wolves	Bolter	Heavy bolter
Tau empire	Pulse rifle	Pulse carbine
Tyranids	Flesh borer	Impaler cannon
Witch hunters	Bolter	Flamer

Fighters start the game un-manned and but may be manned by up to two models. These models can either be independent characters or members of a squad. If they are members of a squad they break off and are treated as a separate squad (but they cannot take objectives). They may leave the fighter if they: land in a hanger (even the enemy’s), on an asteroid (if the asteroid collides with anything the crew may make a dangerous terrain test. If passed they jump onto the ship they collided with, if failed they are placed off the asteroid into space and count as floating troops) or on an enemy space craft. To enter or leave a fighter the crew must take a difficult terrain test.

Floating: If a model (which isn’t jump infantry or a skimmer) goes off all terrain into space it counts as floating. Each turn the model or squad must take a dangerous terrain test (it’s very easy to float away in space) then subtract its move by D3 inches. Floating models may shoot, fight and even try to break into doors as usual. If a tank or walker finds itself floating, for whatever reason, it is immediately removed as a casualty. If it is open topped any models it is transporting are placed where it was otherwise they are removed as casualties.

Choosing forces: you must take 1 HQ, 2 troops, 1 heavy support and 2 cruisers. You may also take: 0-4 troops, 0-5 heavy support, 0-3 elites, 0-4 fast attack, 0-3 heavy craft, 0-6 cruisers and 0-9 fighters.

(you may only take three fighters for each heavy craft as a hanger can only hold three). You must also upgrade one heavy craft (or if not using any a cruiser) too a command ship

Stratagems

Only one of each type of stratagem may be chosen.

Key ships	Only one ship is upgraded
Fuel ship	The ship may move an extra inch, additional all the ships guns gain +1 strength and +6 to their range. But if the ship takes 2 damage pts in a turn roll a dice. On a 4+ the ship loses an additional 2 damage pts.
Veteran craft	All models within the ship and within 6 inches of it count as being stubborn.
Master gunners	All the ships guns may re-roll any failed to hit rolls.
Ship upgrades	All your ships are upgraded
Combat lock	All your ships have the combat lock special rule. If one of your ships is in boarding position with an enemy ship they may lock like that preventing the other ship pulling away until you want it to.
Bombarders	All your ships have a bombarder cannon: range 18 inches, strength 10, type: ordnance 1, blast
Boarding plank	monstrous creatures and walkers are treated as infantry while boading.
Dirty tricks
Asteroid squad	You may deploy two heavy support (these don’t count towards your maximum) on two asteroids anywhere on the board.
Demolition	Choose an asteroid and not it down (all asteroids have numbers written underneath them), also note down the turn in which the charge will go off. In the player’s own shooting phase of the nominated turn roll a D6. On a 1 the device is a dud and does not explode. On any other result anything within D3+6 inches counts as having been struck by an asteroid (see above) then the asteroid (and anything on it) is removed
Force fields	All your cruisers or fighters get +2 to their armour.
Gadgets	Two of your ships are upgraded
Airlocks	If an airlock door is opened into space none of the models in the craft are exposed to the space air.
Escape pods	One squad (you may choose) ignores the strength five hit. And the suffocation test.
Warp shield	No one may deep strike into this ship.
Sabotage device	In a dogfight you may fire one of these at the enemy rather than shooting your tail gun. If hit It counts as a breaching charge but the enemy fighter takes hits from it every time he shoots his guns.

Doors: a unit may break an enemy door down by wounding it, all doors have a toughness of 5 and 1 wound, if the door is broken down it is removed unless it is an air lock. If a door that is not on a ship in boarding position is broken down then all your models (in the space ship) without respirators or xenos gills are exposed to the space air.

Hangers: hangers are open but don’t expose your troops without respirators or xenos gills to the space air. Up to three fighters or vehicles may be stored in a hanger. This is the only way they may leave the ship (walkers may board like monstrous creatures, tanks may not leave the ship). Enemy fighters and skimmers may enter your hanger if there is room. If there isn’t (or even if there is) the fighters and skimmers may engage in a dogfight.

Dogfight: if there are two fighters or skimmers within three inches of each other then one of the players may call a dogfight. The player whose turn it is fires all his weapons off at the enemy fighter or skimmer then the other player does the same. Repeat this until one of the fighters or skimmers is shot down or loses two of its weapons.

Boarding: if two ships meet and their doors are touching the ship that moved into boarding position may board the other. They must move a squad into base contact with the door and a model in the squad may attempt to break it down. When they succeed they may assault the enemy that turn.

When crossing into the other ship monstrous creatures must take a dangerous terrain test. If they fail they are placed outside the ships and count as floating.

After the boarding one of the ships may attempt to pull away. It does so on a 4+, if it successfully pulls away then all models in the other ship count as being exposed to the space air.

Game levels:

Skirmish in space: 2 stratagems

Star fight: 3 stratagems

Battle fleet: 4 stratagems, may take an extra HQ

If there are any rules not covered here then consult expansion: cities of death (1^st) or the main rules book (2^nd)

Missions

1. Star pirates

A force of piratical raiders has come down upon the fleet seeking to rustle as many ships as possible.

Objective: the force that controls the most star ships at the end wins. To control a star ship you must have more models than your opponent in the control room.

Scenario special rules

Skirmish in space:

Star fight: stratagems

Battle fleet: stratagems

Game length: 6+D3 turns

2. Hive fleet

The tyranids hive fleets were sweeping through the galaxy eliminating world after world.

Objective: the tyranids player must destroy three quarters of the enemy army while his enemy must destroy the command ship.

Scenario special rules

Skirmish in space: stratagems.

Star fight: stratagems, the tyranids player only gets 2 stratagems but gets 25% more points, tyranids: monstrous spearhead.

Battle fleet: stratagems, the tyranids player only gets 2 stratagems but gets 50% more points, preferred enemy: tyranids, tyranids: monstrous spearhead.

Game length: 6 turns. After the six keep playing and rolling a D6 at the start of each new turn. On a 4+ the game continues.

3. Orbital attack

In war sometimes a key battle is fought far above the world between the defence force and the reinforcements. Often reinforcements are the turning point in a battle.

Objective: one player is the attacker and one the defender. The attacker must get into the defender’s deployment zone and bail out as many scoring units as possible (while stopping the ships from drifting). The defender must stop this.

Scenario special rules

Skirmish in space: stratagems, bail out: to bail out all you need to do is leave the ship then the model is removed and all bailed out models are counted up at the end.

Star fight: stratagems, bail out, furious charge.

Battle fleet: stratagems, bail out, furious charge, rage.

Game length: 8 turns –D3

4. Blockade

Sometimes an attacking army will blockade a planet, starving them of supplies and contacts, but a messenger may escape unseen to call a fleet to save their world.

Objective: one player is the attacker and one the counter-attacker. The counter-attacker must destroy 66% of the attackers force (including star ships).

Scenario special rules

Skirmish in space: stratagems

Star fight: stratagems, counter attack (counter attackers only)

Battle fleet: stratagems, counter attack (counter attackers only), super heavy spearhead.

Game length: 6 turns

5. Traders

Trading in the 41^st millennium is a very prosperous business, the corporate banking alliance and the imperial stockists all show this, but it is also a dangerous one. Ships go missing even in docking as other companies take them.

Objective: one player is the attacker and one the defender. The attacker must capture over 66% of the enemy’s ships.

Scenario special rules

Skirmish in space: stratagems (3)

Star fight: stratagems (4)

Battle fleet: stratagems (4), skyfall spearhead.

Game length: 7 turns

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