Optional Rules: Support Weapons

 

Optional Rules: Support Weapons

Support Weapons are rare devices of awesome power, many dating back to the time of the Heresy or before. Each usually requires specialized equipment and repair, and are a rare sight outside of Adeptus Mechanicus forces though sometimes seen detached to other Imperial armies. Rarer still they wind up in the hands of heretic cults bent on revolution or destruction. Even though difficult to ready and maintain, they are superb in combat and relatively easy to use.

Player Consent: Support Weapons can only be used if both players agree to allow them. If allowed, Genestealer Cults may choose Support weapons as per the rules below, with each battery counting as two Heavy Support selections.

 

Special Rules:

Movement and Crew

  • Support Weapons have a crew (usually of two Operators) who must stay within 2" of their weapon at all times.
  • Support Weapons cannot be transported.
  • Crew from one Support Weapon can be used to re-crew other Support Weapons as needed. Once the operator moves to within 2" of the weapon he becomes its operator, but cannot be used to fire it in that turn. If already within 2", he can fire it as normal that turn.
  • All Support Weapons in a battery must remain within 4" of each other.

Firing a Support Weapon

  • Only one operator is needed for normal operation; the second operator is free to fire any weapons of his own.
  • Both the weapon and at least one Operator must have Line of Sight for non-Guess weapons.
  • Multiple Support Weapons in a Battery will not create Salvos when fired together. Instead, make all range Guesses first as normal, then work out their firing effects one weapon at a time.

Shooting at a Support Weapon Battery

  • When fired upon, randomize hits in a battery (1-4 = hit on operators, 5-6 = hit on the support weapon). The owning player may choose
  • which support weapon or crew are hit in the battery. Resolve hits against the operators as normal. A Support Weapon has an Armor value of 10, and if it takes any penetrating or glancing hits it is destroyed and removed from play.

Assaulting a Support Weapon Battery

  • Enemy units may Assault a support weapons battery in the same manner as assaulting any other unit. Any enemy models in contact with a support weapon can attack it exactly as if it was a vehicle with the same armor value and hit resolution as for shooting above.
  • Support Weapons cannot be fired while any members of their battery are engaged in an assault.

 

Cult Support Weapons Summary:

Support Weapon

Range

Str

AP

Type

Tarantula (w/Linked Lascannon)

48"

9

2

Heavy 1 & Linked, or Assault 1

Rapier

36"

9

1

Assault 1 (if 6" or less movement)

Mole Mortar (Ground Burst/Air Burst)

G12-48"

4/3

5

Heavy 1, Blast/Ordnance

Thudd Gun

G12-48"

6

5

Heavy (2+D3) Blast

 

Cult Support Weapons

Cults can sometimes gain access (or get lucky and steal) Imperial Support Weapons. These are usually large stand-alone weapons, each with it’s own power source and often even self-propelled. The chances of it happening are very rare though. Cults which invest too much time in attempting to acquire them from their heavily guarded materiel centers usually wind up with little resources left to equip themselves with more conventional weapons.

Choosing Cult Support Weapons: Cults can form Support Weapons into Batteries of 1-3 Support Weapons. The Support Weapons in each Battery do not have to be the same weapon; you are free to mix weapons in the Battery as desired. However, obtaining Support Weapons for the Cult ties up many valuable resources that could have been spent in gaining other weapons. Due to this, each Support Weapon Battery selection counts as two Heavy Support choices. The points value per Support Weapon include the cost for the two Brood Brother Comrades serving as Crew.

Profile

Points/Team

WS

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Ld

Sv

Brood Brother Comrade Crew

-

3

3

3

3

1

3

1

7

5+

Hybrid Neophyte

+12

4

2

4

3

1

5

1

8

5+

Hybrid Acolyte

+10

3

3

3

3

1

4

1

8

5+

Hybrid Leader: Support Weapon Batteries can be lead by a single Hybrid Acolyte (+10 pts) or Hybrid Neophyte (+12 pts). The Hybrid Leader is with a Laspistol or Autopistol, wears well-made Flak Armor (5+ Save), and can select items from the Armory as normal. Hybrids cannot operate Support Weapons; they simply do not have the training!

 

 

Tarantula Weapon Platform Cost: 35 points each + weapons cost

Mounted on small anti-grav or hover skirts, Tarantulas are a widely used Adeptus Mechanicus weapon platform. Almost any Imperial weapon can be easily mounted to the chassis, and with the aid of built-in weapon-linking mechanisms they are very accurate.

Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or Laspistol and close combat weapon.

Weapons: You must equip each Tarantula with one of the following Linked weapon mounts:

Lascannon at +25 pts, Heavy Bolter at +15 pts, Autocannon at +20 points, Missile Launcher at +20 pts, Multi-Melta at +30 pts, Plasma Cannon at +27 pts (note overheating plasma cannons will have no effect).

Weapon

Range

Str

AP

Type

Tarantula (w/Linked Lascannon)

48"

9

2

Heavy 1 & Linked, or Assault 1

Special Rules:

A Tarantula is self-propelled; it can make a 6" movement in Movement Phase just like regular infantry and still fire as though it was stationary. If a Tarantula moves, it looses its Linked ability though (and thus cannot re-roll misses). Only if it stays stationary can it re-roll misses.

 

 

Rapier Laser Destroyer Cost: 60 points each

Rapier is the common name for a variety of small tracked engines mounting multiple lasers designed to all focus together as a single strike. Known primarily as a tank-killer, the high power beam also have give it a reputation for making sure that any enemy hit stays very, very dead!

Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or Laspistol and close combat weapon.

Weapons: Multiple Rapier Lasers in "Destroyer" Configuration

Weapon

Range

Str

AP

Type

Rapier lasers

36"

9

1

Assault 1

Special Rules:

Rapiers are self-propelled; moving like a vehicle through difficult terrain – if immobilized though then cannot move for rest of the game (though it can turn in place). Rapiers can Move 6" or less in Movement Phase & still fire as normal, but a Rapier moving over 6" (up to a 12" maximum movement) cannot fire. When it moves over 6 inches, the crew move with the Rapier – they hitch a lift on it as it moves, then get off within 2" of the model. Rapiers have superior targeting mechanisms, allowing you to re-roll the Armor Penetration roll or roll to wound if you wish. You must accept result of second roll though, even if it is worse.

 

 

Mole Mortar Cost: 60 points each

Mole Mortars are odd devices much like regular Imperial Mortars, but they fire their shells under the ground rather than through the air. While often inaccurate, they can often catch the enemy unprepared, and the resulting underground explosion literally knocks them off their feet!

Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or Laspistol and close combat weapon.

Weapons: Tunnel Torpedoes

Weapon

Range

Str

AP

Type

Tunnel Torpedo (Ground Burst/Air Burst)

G12-48"

4/3

5

Heavy 1 Blast/Ordnance

Special Rules:

Mole Mortars must remain stationary to fire, though it can be fired in any direction desired. The crew can pick it up and move it 6" in movement phase, but cannot move it in the Assault phase.

Firing Procedures:

Mole Mortars operate much like a regular Barrage weapon, but have a minimum distance of 12" for the Guess range.

Once the distance is measured, roll the Scatter die and 2 D6 at the Guessed location. If at least one Operator has Line of Sight to the target spot then the shot will still scatter as per rules below, but only ½ of the distance rolled rounding up.

Subterranean explosion. If a Hit, place Blast Template at that location & work out explosion as below. If an arrow, move the template the distance of the higher of the two dice rolls (Mole Mortars are not very accurate!). The Torpedo then explodes just below the surface, creating a crater the size of the Blast template which remains in play for the rest of the game. These craters act as Difficult Terrain and offer a 5+ Cover Save to any models in or behind them, but do not block Line of Sight. All models covered or touching the template take a Strength 4 hit at AP5. Any unit that suffers casualties in this manner is Pinned automatically, unless they are immune from Pinning.

Airburst! If Doubles are rolled, the torpedo has emerged into the air and exploded, spraying shrapnel all around! Scatter the template as per the roll, but use Ordnance template to represent the huge airburst. Any models covered or touching the template take Strength 3 hit at AP5. No crater is created for an Airburst. Units suffering casualties in this manner take Pinning checks as per normal Barrage Pinning rules (note it is not Ordnance Pinning, even though that template is used for the area of coverage).

 

 

Thudd Gun Cost: 65 points each

Thudd Guns resemble Rapiers in many respects, but instead of tank-killing lasers Thudd Guns are armed with multiple short-barreled cannons designed to lay down a salvo of explosive anti-personnel shells.

Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or Laspistol and close combat weapon.

Weapons: Mark III "Punisher" class Quad-launcher

Weapon

Range

Str

AP

Type

Quad-launcher

G12-48"

6

5

Heavy (2+D3) Blast

Special Rules:

While self-propelled, Thudd Guns must remain stationary to fire. It can move up to 6" in Movement Phase (in the same manner as regular infantry) if desired though.

Thudd Guns operate much like a regular Barrage weapon, but have a minimum distance of 12" for the Guess range. If at least one Operator has Line of Sight to the target spot then the shot will still scatter as per rules below, but only ½ of the distance rolled.

Firing Procedures:

Thudd Guns Fire a Salvo of 2+D3 Barrage shots, but each will scatter from the previous template, rather than all scattering from the first shot. Place the first marker as normal, and generate second marker placement as per normal Salvo rules on page 58 of the Warhammer 40K Rulebook. Then scatter the third template from the location of the second, and so on. This may result in some models being covered by multiple templates, but in this case they only are effected by a single hit.


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