WARHAMMER 40,000

CODEX: SPACE MARINES

Official Update Version 1.2

Although we strive to ensure that our rules are perfect, Page 160 – Drop Pod, Drop Pod Assault
sometimes mistakes do creep in, or the intent of a rule Change the Matched Play clause to read:
isn’t as clear as it might be. These documents collect ‘This model and any units embarked aboard it are
amendments to the rules and present our responses to exempt from the Tactical Reserves matched play rule,
players’ frequently asked questions. As they’re updated except that if it and any units embarked aboard it have
regularly, each has a version number; when changes not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third
are made, the version number will be updated, and any battle round, they count as having been destroyed.’
changes from the previous version will be highlighted
in magenta. Where a version number has a letter, Page 174 – Chapter Tactics
e.g. 1.1a, this means it has had a local update, only in Add the following:
that language, to clarify a translation issue or other ‘Designer’s Note: The Chapter Tactic rules presented in
minor correction. Codex: Space Marines and its codex supplements replace
any Chapter Tactics previously printed in other publications,
ERRATA including those for Blood Ravens and Crimson Fists in White
Page 109 – Combat Doctrines Dwarf magazine and the Chapter Tactic for the Emperor’s
Replace the Combat Doctrines ability with the following Spears included with the limited edition of the Spear of the
(note that the Devastator Doctrine, Tactical Doctrine Emperor novel. Crimson Fists should use the No Matter the
and Assault Doctrine remain unchanged): Odds Chapter Tactic (pg 175), while Blood Ravens and the
‘If your army is Battle-forged and if every unit from Emperor’s Spears should use the Successor Chapter Tactics rules
your army has this ability (excluding Servitor and on page 176. Note that the Emperor’s Spears are a successor
Unaligned units), this unit gains a bonus (see below) Chapter of the Ultramarines, and so if you choose the Inheritors
depending on which combat doctrine is active for your of the Primarch Successor Tactic, you must use the Chapter
army, as follows: Tactic of the Ultramarines.’

• During the first battle round, the Devastator Doctrine Page 175 – Ultramarines: Codex Discipline
is active for your army. Change the final sentence to read:
‘Units with this tactic that cannot Fly can shoot in
• During the second battle round, the Tactical Doctrine a turn in which they Fell Back, but if they do, when
is active for your army. resolving an attack made by a model in that unit in the
Shooting phase of that turn, subtract 1 from the hit roll.’
• At the start of the third battle round, select either the
Tactical Doctrine or Assault Doctrine: until the end of Page 180 – Auspex Scan
that battle round, the doctrine you selected is active Change the first sentence to read:
for your army. ‘Use this Stratagem after your opponent sets up a unit
on the battlefield as reinforcements within 12" of any
• During the fourth and subsequent battle rounds, the Adeptus Astartes Infantry units from your army.’
Assault Doctrine is active for your army.
Page 180 – Duty Eternal Stratagem
 nless specified otherwise, this bonus is not cumulative
U Change this Stratagem to read:
with any other rules that improve the Armour ‘Use this Stratagem when an Adeptus Astartes
Penetration characteristic of a weapon (e.g. the Storm of Dreadnought model from your army is chosen as the
Fire Warlord Trait).’ target for an attack. Until the end of the phase, when
resolving an attack made against that model, you can
Page 151 – Hellblaster Squad reduce any damage suffered by 1, to a minimum of 1
Change the Power Level to ‘8’. (this is not cumulative with any other rules that reduce
Change the second sentence of the unit description the damage).’
to read:
‘It can additionally contain up to 5 Hellblasters (Power Page 183 – Adaptive Strategy Stratagem
Rating +8).’ Delete this Stratagem.

WARHAMMER 40,000 – CODEX: SPACE MARINES 1

Page 185 – The Vox Espiritum Q: If an ability or rule generates an additional hit (e.g. the
Change the second sentence to read: Siege Masters Chapter Tactic or Whirlwind of Rage), do these
‘If a model has this Relic, add 3" to the range additional hits gain any other benefits that would apply to
characteristic of its aura abilities (e.g. Rites of Battle) to an attack on a hit roll of 6 (e.g. an Infiltrator’s marksman
a maximum of 9".’ bolt carbine)?
A: No. If any additional hits are scored as the result
of a particular hit roll, those additional hits are not
IMPERIUM NIHILUS: VIGILUS considered to have been made with any hit roll – they
DEFIANT ERRATA simply hit the target and you must continue the attack
sequence for them (i.e. make a wound roll).
Since the release of the Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus
Defiant book, a number of the rules presented there Designer’s Note: In the previous iteration of this FAQ,
have been superceded by those found in Codex: Space this question was ruled differently. Since that document was
Marines. This has necessitated the following changes published, unintended combinations have come to light (such
to Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Defiant: as some players interpreting that this allowed an infinite hit
loop, effectively destroying any unit in the game as soon as a
Page 174 – Grey Shield single 6 to hit is rolled – which was obviously never the intent
Change the first paragraph to read: of the rule), as well as that ruling being used as a precedent
‘Once per battle, at the start of your Movement phase, for similar abilities in other publications. As such, we have
if your Warlord is on the battlefield, you can choose for changed the answer to this question to ensure a more rewarding
Indomitus Crusader units in the same Detachment experience for all players.
as your Warlord to gain an additional Chapter Tactic
until the start of your next turn. Pick the additional Q. A lot of rules apply an effect when resolving an attack,
Chapter Tactic from the following: Codex Discipline, rather than attacks. Does this mean the ability only applies for
Lightning Assault, Siege Masters, Righteous Zeal, one single attack? For example, the Masterful Marksmanship
Forged in Battle, Shadow Masters, The Flesh is Weak, Stratagem states ‘Until the end of the phase, when resolving
No Matter the Odds (see Codex: Space Marines).’ an attack made with a special issue boltgun by a model in that
unit, add 1 to the wound roll.’
Page 175 – Stratagems A: The attack sequence in the core rules is based on
Remove the Boltstorm, Rapid Fire, Target Sighted attacks being made one at a time. Therefore the wording
and Veteran Intercessors Stratagems from this of these abilities matches how attacks are resolved in
Specialist Detachment. the core rules. The ability would still apply to other
attacks made by that unit, so long as it satisfied the
Designer’s Note: Updated versions of these Stratagems requirements laid out in the rule. In the above example,
can be found in Codex: Space Marines. the ability would apply for each attack you make with a
special issue boltgun by a model in that unit until the
end of the phase.

FAQs Q. If I upgrade my Captain in Phobos Armour to be a Chapter

Q. Can I use a Stratagems from the 2017 edition of Codex: Master, should the Infiltrator Comms Array still work with this
Space Marines if there is not an updated version of that model, and with its Chapter Master ability instead of Rites
Stratagem in the 2019 edition of Codex: Space Marines? of Battle?
A: No, none of the rules found in the 2017 edition of A: No.
Codex: Space Marines can be used.
Q: If an Impulsor unit moves and a unit embarked upon it
Q. If I include a Space Marines Detachment in my army, can disembarks as a result of the Assault Vehicle ability, can that
I use the Stratagems from Codex: Space Marines to affect disembarking unit then move?
Adeptus Astartes units from other codexes, such as Codex: A: Yes.
Grey Knights or Codex: Deathwatch?
Q. If you have a unit that can shoot twice, (e.g. a Thunderfire
A: No, as noted in the second paragraph under Space Cannon affected by the Suppression Fire Stratagem), and it has
Marine Units and Detachments on page 174 of Codex: the Salamander’s Forged in Battle Chapter Tactic, can it re-roll
Space Marines. one hit and one wound roll both times it shoots, or only once?
A: Both times. The Forged in Battle Chapter Tactic takes
Q: Does adding an Officio Assassinorum model to my effect each time a unit is chosen to shoot with and the
army with the ‘Operative Requisition Sanctioned’ Stratagem unit in question is being chosen to shoot with twice.
prevent the rest of my army from using Combat Doctrines?
A: Yes. Note that this model remains part of your army if
it is destroyed.

WARHAMMER 40,000 – CODEX: SPACE MARINES 2

Q: Can a Captain replace his master-crafted boltgun with a Q: Can I use a Signum to increase the Ballistic Skill
chainsword, then replace that chainsword with a storm shield? characteristic of a model when it shoots with a ranged weapon
A: Yes, because these wargear options are two before being removed as a casualty as part of the Astartes
separate bullet points (you cannot choose the same Banner ability?
bullet-pointed wargear option for a unit more than A: No.
once, however).
Q: Can the Auspex Scan Stratagem be used to shoot an enemy
Q. Some datasheets that were in the 2017 edition of Codex: unit that is set up on the battlefield before the start of the
Space Marines are not in the 2019 edition, but are still first turn?
in Index: Imperium 1. Can the versions from Index: A: No.
Imperium 1 still be used?
A: Yes, provided an updated datasheet is not found for
them elsewhere (e.g. in a codex supplement).

Q. Does a Chaplain have to be on the battlefield to recite

a litany?
A: Yes.

Q: Can successor Chapters use the Warlord Traits of their

founding Chapter?
A: Not as presented on page 179 of Codex: Space Marines.
However, if you have a successor Chapter and are using
a codex supplement of your founding Chapter, that
publication will describe how you can select Warlord
Traits (and other rules) from your founding Chapter as
presented in that publication.

Q: Can I use the Flakk Missile Stratagem when a model fires a

cyclone missile launcher?
A: No.

Q: Which part of a Drop Pod should I measure distances from

and to, especially if the model has been assembled so its doors
can be opened or closed?
A: Measure all distances to and from any part of the
model, including its doors. If this model has been
assembled such that you can lower and raise its doors,
then when this model is first set up in the battlefield
choose whether the doors will be lowered or raised –
you cannot raise or lower the doors thereafter during
the battle.

Designer’s Note: Choosing to set this model up in the ‘raised

doors position’ simply represents the doors closing the instant
after its passengers have disembarked.

Q: When a unit with the And They Shall Know No Fear ability
takes a Morale test, is the number that is added to the dice roll
for the number of models destroyed in that unit for that turn
considered to be a modifier (for the purposes of applying re-rolls
before modifiers)?
A: No, the number added is not considered to be
a modifier.

Q: Can a Techmarine Gunner make ranged attacks in the same

phase in which it operates a Thunderfire Cannon?
A: Yes.

WARHAMMER 40,000 – CODEX: SPACE MARINES 3