Space Marine Forces

Space Marines

Space Marines are humanity's finest warriors. Genetically tailored for their role and utterly loyal to the Emperor, the Space Marine Chapters represent mankind's greatest hope of victory in the unending wars for survival. A Space Marine is stronger and tougher than an ordinary human, with faster reflexes and superior co-ordination.

All Space Marines belong to a warrior cult. Space Marines are therefore spiritual brothers as well as brothers in arms. This dual role as physical and spiritual warriors is very important, and it is what makes the Space Marines so dedicated.

Individual Space Marines are trained to use all equipment, but in battle each squad is equipped in one of three ways: as a Devastator squad, an Assault squad, or a Tactical squad. Devastator squads use a high proportion of heavy weapons; Assault squads carry close combat weapons; Tactical squads are used in a general combat role.

There are squads that are exceptions to the standard organisation. These squads will either be armed uniquely, and/or trained for a specialised style of fighting.

Special Rules

The following special rules apply to all Space Marines and Space Marine characters, including Apothecaries, Chaplains, Techmarines and Librarians, but excluding Servitors and Scouts.

Break Tests Space Marine units take break tests or psychology tests as normal. However, if they fail their test, they are not broken and forced to flee like other troops, but are shaken instead. Shaken troops may never move toward the enemy, but may shoot, fight hand to hand combat, and use psychic powers normally. If surrounded, and therefore unable to move without approaching an enemy, they cannot move at all, except to pivot on the spot. Shaken troops may not use follow-up moves to engage other enemy models. The exception is that they may use a follow-up move to fight an enemy model which is already engaged against another Space Marine. Shaken Space Marines may use a follow-up move to get behind cover, even if this means moving closer to an enemy.

The Space Marine squad may recover from being shaken by passing a rally test at the end of its turn. The usual conditions apply. If a shaken Space Marine squad fails a further Break test, then it is broken and forced to flee exactly like any other troops. Once broken, a Space Marine squad may rally like any other unit.

Rapid Fire If a Space Marine squad doesn't move at all and is not engaged in hand to hand combat, then the Space Marines may use Rapid Fire. Each Space Marine may fire his stormbolter, bolt gun, or bolt pistol twice instead of once as normal.

Rapid Fire is only possible with stormbolters, bolt guns, and bolt pistols, not with any other weapons. Some squad members may use Rapid Fire while others fire single shots (ie if using heavy weapon, flamers, plasma guns, etc., or throwing a grenade). Rapid Fire is worked out exactly like ordinary shooting, except that each Space Marine fires twice.

Techmarines

Techmarines are the Chapter's core of technicians, builders, mechanics, and inventors. To their fellow Space Marines, they are mysterious figures possessing disturbing skills and obscure knowledge. To undertake the manual labour of maintenance and construction, the Techmarines create cyborg Servitors, weird machine men with limbs of metal and hands formed into heavy tools.

Special Rule

A Techmarine may attempt to repair a single damaged hit location on a vehicle, a Dreadnought or a destroyed support weapon, if he can reach it during his next movement phase. He can do nothing else during the turn - he cannot shoot or fight hand-to-hand combat while he is attempting a repair. At the end of the turn roll a D6.

Servitors

Special Rules

Immune to Psychology. A Servitor's mind is essesntially blank and only the most rudimentary instincts remain. Servitors cannot be affected by fear or terror and are immune to all psychological effects.

Crew. On the battlefield Servitors act as weapon crew. In this capacity they will operate their equipment and fight to defend it if necessary. If their weapon is destroyed they will automatically move towards another thus forming a reserve of crew members around surviving machines. Servitors can also act as a Techmarine's bodyguard, forming a unit of troops led by the Techmarine. Crew Servitors whose weapon has been destroyed may join a Techmarine's bodyguard instead of forming reserve crew for other machines.

Save. A Servitor's mechanized body is partially armoured giving him a saving throw of 5 or more on a D6.

Space Marine Librarians

Librarians are powerful psykers. They are responsible for all interstellar communication, with the power to protect their minds through warp space. They are also the adjudicators of the Chapter's psychic population. Space Marine Librarians are trained to use their powers in battle to unleash energy blasts, to sense the enemy's movements, and to predict the fortunes of battle.

Space Marine Chaplains

The Chaplains administer the rites of their Chapter, performing the ancient ceremonies of initiation and vindication, as well as leading their brethren through the prayers of faith and the sacred psalms of the Emperor. The Chaplains accompany their brothers into war, chanting the litergies of battle.

Special Rule

Leadership. Chaplains are inspirational individuals and spiritual leaders. If any Space Marine unit within 8" of a Chaplain fails any Leadership-based test (such as a psychology or a Break test) then it may retake the test immediately.

Space Marine Apothecaries

Apothecaries are the custodians of the Chapter's geneseed, and it is they who inocculate each new Space Marine with the Chapter's geneseed. If a Space Marine dies in battle, he can be replaced if either or both of his progenoid organs can be recovered. If a brother warrior falls, the Apothecary can administer to him by tending his wounds, and applying battle dressings to staunch the flow of blood. Many Space Marines that would oherwise be unable to fight have lived to fight again thanks to the attentions of an Apothecary.

Not all wounded can be saved. The Apothecary can only calm the spirits of the dying and prepare them for Death, helping them on their way with the heavy pistol carried to end the suffering of the dying. The Apothecary ensures that the fallen Space Marine returns to the Chapter by removing the progenoid organs from his body.

Templar Scouts

Templar Scouts wear lighter armour than other Space Marines. They rely upon speed and mobility to scout out enemy positions and uncover any foes who have secreted themselves in ambush. Templar Scouts will also set traps and ambushes for careless enemy, and they can infiltrate behind enemy lines to sabotage supply lines or blow up ammo dumps, spreading confusion and panic.

Special Rules

Infiltration. Space Marine Scouts may deploy onto the battlefield using the Infiltration rule as described in the Starting the Game section of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.

Dispersed Formation. Space Marine Scouts may use dispersed formation as described in the Squads section of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.

Note: Templar Scouts ARE full Space Marines, and therefore use the Rapid Fire and Break Test rules.

Temple Guard Terminators

Temple Guard Terminators are the most experienced and battle-hardened Space Marines of the Iron Templars Chapter. They fight with a determination and fearlessness far beyond normal Marines.

Special Rules

Space Marines. All Space Marine special rules apply.

Terminator Armour. A model wearing Terminator armour has an armour saving throw of 3 or more, just like power armour. However, because the armour is so massively thinck the saving throw is rolled on 2D6 instead of 1D6.

Terminator armour also incorporates a targeter that is linked to whichever ranged weapon is carried. A targeter confers a +1 bonus to hit when shooting.

All suits of Terminator armour are equipped with a teleport homer to assist in teleport operations. A teleport homer is a transmitter which gives out a constant coded signal for teleporters to lock onto, making it easier to teleport troops down to an active teleport homer.

If a squad is teleporting to a point within 6" of an active teleport homer (carried by another squad for example) a roll of a HIT on the Scatter dice indicates that the squad has locked onto the homer and doesn't deviate as they teleport. A roll of an arrow indicates the squad has deviated as normal.

Immune to Psychology. The Temple Guard Terminators are completely fearless in the face of horrors that would drive a normal man insane. Therefore, they cannot be affected by fear or terror and are immune to all psychological effects.

Bretheren of the Sword

The Bretheren of the Sword are Space Marines who are zealous fighters and devout believers in the rightness of the cause of the Emperor and they have full faith that they have his support in all battles. They are always accompanied into battle by a Chaplain who chants the battle litanies as they go forth to meet the enemies of the Emperor of Mankind.

Special Rules

Immune to Psychology. The Bretheren are completely fearless in the face of horrors that would drive a normal man insane. Therefore, they cannot be affected by fear or terror and are immune to all psychological effects.

Dispersed Formation. Bretheren may use dispersed formation as described in the Squads section of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook.

Frenzy. Bretheren attack with such zeal and ferocity that they are subject to frenzy, but their skill with their weapons is such that if they have a parrying weapon they may parry.