BATTLEFLEET:

HERESY
Void battles in the Age of Darkness
It has been two hundred years since Mankind has returned to the stars
to reclaim that which was lost in the cataclysmic wars of the Old Night.
Led by the Emperor of Mankind and His Primarchs, Mankind rose again
from the mire of barbarism and cast back the darkness. The Great
Crusade forged a new age. The Age of the Imperium.
The glittering achievements of the Dark Age of Technology have been
all but lost, obscured by uncounted centuries of superstition and fear.
The worlds of Man are scattered across the galaxy, vast gulfs of
wilderness space separating them from one another. But the Age of the
Imperium has cast the Emperor’s hand across a million worlds. It
established a regime only maintained through flesh and blood, endless
toil and unflinching loyalty to distant Terra. Man has learned to embrace
war as Truth, taking up arms against a galaxy of foes. Great ships sail
the void, their guns charged to rain death upon the enemies of the Pax
Imperialis.
Still it is not enough to guard Man from a cruel and uncaring universe.
For the galaxy is in flames. The Emperor’s glorious vision for humanity
is in ruins. His favored son, Horus, has turned from his father’s light and
embraced Chaos. Just as the legions of the Adeptus Astartes are locked
in a brutal civil war, so too are the ancient and mighty fleets of the
Imperium. Once these great vessels sailed side by side, their crews as
brothers. Now they are divided.
Worlds are burning. Entire fleets are reduced to spinning wreckage. War
has begun, a conflict that will engulf all of mankind in apocalyptic fire.
Treachery and betrayal have usurped honor and nobility. All must choose
a side, or die. The screams of the innocent and the pleas of the righteous
resound to the cruel laughter of thirsting gods.
This is the Horus Heresy. A time of war and vengeance among the stars.
Of great fleets and mighty armies. Of selfless heroism and blackest
infamy.
If you dare sail in these dark times, read on.
For the age of knowledge and enlightenment is dead, its ashes blowing
on the solar winds. The Age of Darkness has begun.
1
The Authors would like to acknowledge the following groups and
individuals who laid the foundations for Battlefleet: Heresy

Alan Bligh, without whom the Horus Heresy

would not be what it is.
Andy Chambers, Gavin Thorpe, and Jervis
Johnson, for writing the rules that started it
all.
The High Admiralty, and all those who have
kept BFG fun and alive.
The Richmond 30k gamers who play tested
these rules.
The rules in this book are meant to represent the
various crusade fleets during the Great Crusade and
Horus Heresy, and as such make use of rules found in
the Battlefleet Gothic Core Rulebook, the Armada
supplement and the 2010 Compendium. While all
attempts have been made to ensure balance, we are
not professional game designers. In all cases, make
judicial use of common sense and narrative judgment.

Written by Austin Hunt and Steven Campbell

with special thanks to Jason Flinn, Jesse Ervin
and Michael Mitchell.
Published 2020
This document is a fan-made homebrew supplement. It is completely unofficial
and in no way endorsed by Games Workshop Limited. All associated marks,
names, races, race insignia, characters, ships, locations, units, illustrations and
images from the Warhammer 40,000 universe are either ® TM and/or ©
Copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2020-2029, variably registered in the US and
other countries around the world. Used without permission. No challenge to
their status intended. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners.

22
 Contents
Section I: Battlefleet Heresy
Special Rules______________________________5
Fleet Command____________________________6
Fleets of the Great Crusade_________________8
Glorianna Battleships______________________10
Experimental Ships________________________14
Panoply of War___________________________16
Legions of the Adeptus Astartes____________18
Rogue Traders Militant____________________60
Campaigns in the Age of Darkness__________70
Section II: Fleet Compendium
Battleships_______________________________90
Battlecruisers_____________________________97
Grand Cruisers____________________________99
Heavy Cruisers____________________________105
Cruisers__________________________________108
Light Cruisers_____________________________115
Escorts___________________________________122
Section III: Apocrypha
Notes on Historical Context________________135
Alternating Activations____________________139
Alternative Ordnance Rules________________142
Section III: Quick Reference Guide
3
 “Gentlemen, you have been instructed in the arts of Naval Warfare long
enough to have an excellent understanding of what it is to fight in the Great
Crusade. How to gauge energy signatures from unknown species and unknown
ships, and how best to defeat them. You have been taught to always be the
attacker. To seek out the foe and destroy them with superior ships, weapons,
and numbers. Most importantly you have been taught to always, ALWAYS
fight only when you are confident of victory. You have been taught that every
ship and every expeditionary fleet is precious, and that they should only be
committed in the cause of absolute victory over the Xenos and the
Noncompliant.
No longer.
We are fighting a new kind of war now. One that hasn’t been seen since fall of
Old Night. A Galaxy-spanning war of brother against brother. The enemy
has been trained as you have been trained, will fight as you have been trained to
fight, and will sail the very ships you will sail against them. No longer can you
rely on superior tactics, or vessels, or even the endless reinforcements of the
Expeditionary Fleets. You cannot, Emperor preserve us, even rely on the
might of the Legiones Astartes. All the things once counted as our strengths
are now the enemies as well, or lost to us. Your lot will be to fight desperate
holding actions against superior numbers until you die or Lord Gulliman
arrives to save us. Do not fall for the false hope that we who are here can
obtain victory on our own. Against the power that comes against us we simply
cannot win. We can only deny. Deny Horus ships, men, and most of all time.
You must accomplish this mission first in the out-sectors, your ships part of
hit-and-run formations designed to lure the enemy into far away battles and
harry his supply network. Don’t be fooled though, I don’t doubt that these fleet
actions will rival anything seen during the Great Crusade for size or losses.
You will be outnumbered, but at least have the advantage of picking your
battles. Nevertheless we expect casualties to be severe. Next you will fight
holding actions at critical star systems such as Beta-Garmon. In these fights
you will likely find yourselves outnumbered, but you must hold the LeGrange
points until Lord Dorn has decreed that your deaths and the deaths of your
ships and crews no longer outweigh the additional troops and supplies coming
through. Only then will you be allowed to withdraw. Then those of you that
are left will return to Sol for your final acts. By this point two-thirds of you
will be dead. When the Warmaster’s fleet arrives you must hold nothing back,
you must be prepared to commit yourselves and your ships totally. We are
prepared to lose, not just some of us, or most of us, but ALL of us in this final
stage. So that’s it then. You are all dead men. Accept it. But there are deaths
and there are deaths. It is my job to ensure you die with purpose, taking as
many of the enemy with you as possible. So let’s begin, shall we?”

- Retired Rear Admiral Eriol Pa’al, first lecture to Accelerated

Officer’s Training Class 009a, upon their arrival at Saturn Orbital
623xn9 “Saturnine Naval Academy” 855.009M31.

4
 SPECIAL RULES
Legions in the Void - In the days of the First Founding, entire fleets were under the
command of the Space Marines and their servants.

Any capital ship of a Legiones Astartes fleet may purchase an Astartes Crew for 15 points
(which can be upgraded to Terminators for a further 20 points). An escort squadron may
purchase an Astartes Crew for 5 points per escort but may not upgrade to Terminators. This
allows the vessel to roll on the Space Marine leadership table for generating leadership (see
below), grants a +1 bonus to Hit and Run attacks (+2 for Terminators), and imposes a -1 to
enemy Hit and Run attacks (-2 for Terminators).

Any ship with an Astartes Crew constitutes an “Astartes ship". Any ship drawn from the Space
Marine fleet list (Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers, Novas, Hunters and Gladius) are assumed to
already be have Astartes crewmen (although must still pay 20 points for Terminators). As they
are custom built and equipped for Space Marines, those specific ships confer a +2 bonus to
boarding actions (+3 for Terminators).

Additionally, each Legiones Astartes fleet will be granted certain bonuses, depending on the
Legion it belongs to. These will be detailed later.

Fleet Carriers - Imperial carriers often held a wide variety of craft to face an equally wide
variety of threats. This was especially true of ships crewed by the Legiones Astartes, who
went to war in mighty Thunderhawks and Stormbirds.

All carriers are equipped only with the ordnance stated in their profile. Astartes ships may
replace this compliment with Thunderhawks and Thunderhawk Annihilators for no additional
cost, or add Thunderhawks and Thunderhawk Annihilators to this compliment for 10pts.
Thunderhawks normally take 2 launch bays to deploy from any ship that is NOT drawn from
the Space Marine fleet list. (IE: A Dictator class cruiser with 4 launch bays could launch 4
fighters/bombers, 2 Thunderhawks, or 1 thunderhawk and two fighters/bombers.)

“They ran alongside us for near two million kilometers, and we pounded each other the whole way.
Hard pounding, that. But t'was us that pounded harder!”
- Senior Gunnery Officer Odah Musashi, on the destruction of the
Dominator-class cruiser Oliphant at the battle of Simm's Landing.

5
 FLEET COMMAND
Before the Horus Heresy necessitated the separation of the Legions and what
would become the Imperial Navy, both organizations shared the same resources. While
most Expeditionary Fleets were lead by the post-human Astartes, many smaller
flotillas were commanded by high standing officers of the Imperial Army and Rogue
Traders Militant.
Any Legiones Astartes fleet over 1000pts in composition must be led by an
Astartes Master of the Fleet. Any Armada Imperialis fleet over 1000pts in
composition must be led by an Armada Imperialis Captain, Flag Captain or Lord
Admiral. These officers must be assigned to a ship and replace that ship’s leadership
value with the value shown.
• Astartes Master of the Fleet (Ld.10) (100pts)

• Armada Imperialis Captain (Ld.8) (50pts)

• Armada Imperialis Flag Captain (Ld.9) (75pts)

• Armada Imperialis Lord Admiral (Ld.10) (100)

The fleet commander comes with a single command reroll, but may purchase more.
• One extra reroll (25pts)

• Two extra rerolls (75pts)

• Three extra rerolls (150pts)

Leadership for individual capital ships and escorts squadrons is determined by rolling
a single D6 and consulting the appropriate chart below.
Ships with Astartes Crew Ships of the Armada Imperialis

D6 Result Leadership Value D6 Result Leadership Value

1-2 8 1 6

3-4 9 2-3 7

5-6 10 4-5 8

6 9

6
 “Captain Lotara Sarrin
Has no soul they say!
The Captain of the Conq’rer
Has a heart of frozen clay!
That on the bridge of the Conq’rer
She throws mens’ lives like dice!
Captain Lotara Sarrin
Her eyes are fire and ice!”

- Excerpt from popular (and highly discouraged) void shanty sung by

veterans who survived service alongside the XIIth Legion.

7
 FLEETS OF THE GREAT
CRUSADE
Crusade fleets use only warships drawn from the following list, applying all the rules
described beforehand. The costs below replace all costs given in other publications for
Heresy Era fleet lists.

Battleships - One Battleship may be included for every 3 cruisers in the fleet, per 1000pts.

• Glorianna Battleship

• Battle Barge (May not be taken by Armada Imperialis or Rogue Trader fleets) (395 pts)

• Emperor Battleship (345 pts)

• Retribution Battleship (365 pts)

• Oberon Battleship (335 pts)

• Victory Battleship (360 pts)

• Desolator Battleship (300 pts)

• Apocalypse Battleship (375 pts)

• Experimental Battleship (X pts)

Grand, Battle and Heavy Cruisers - A fleet may include one Grand Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser or
Battle Cruiser per 2 Cruisers.

• Mars Battlecruiser (270 pts)

• Eclipse Battlecruiser (215 pts)

• Retaliator Grand Cruiser (275 pts)

• Executor Grand Cruiser (210 pts)

• Vengeance Grand Cruiser (230 pts)

• Avenger Grand Cruiser (220 pts)

• Dagon Grand Cruiser (230 pts)

• Exorcist Grand Cruiser (230 pts)

• Governor Grand Cruiser (250 pts)

• Styx Heavy Cruiser (290 pts)

• Hades Heavy Cruiser (200 pts)

• Hellfire Heavy Cruiser (285 pts)

• Cardinal Heavy Cruiser (190 pts)

• Experimental Heavy Cruiser/Grand Cruiser/Battlecruiser (X pts)

8
Cruisers - A fleet may include up to 15 cruisers

• Lunar Cruiser (180 pts)

• Gothic Cruiser (180 pts)

• Dictator Cruiser (220 pts)

• Crusade Cruiser (180 pts)

• Devastation Cruiser (190 pts)

• Murder Cruiser (170 pts)

• Slaughter Cruiser (165 pts)

• Dauntless Light Cruiser (110 pts)

• Armiger Light Cruiser (110 pts)

• Endeavor Light Cruiser (120 pts)

• Endurance Light Cruiser (120 pts)

• Strike Cruiser (May not be taken by Armada Imperialis fleets) (145 pts)

• Experimental Cruiser (X pts)

Escorts - A fleet may contain any number of escorts. These ships may not be given refits.

• Sword Frigate (35 pts)

• Firestorm Frigate (40 pts)

• Cobra Destroyer (30 pts)

• Falchion Destroyer (35 pts)

• Thunderbolt Heavy Destroyer (50 pts)

• Iconoclast Raider (30 pts)

• Idolator Raider (45 pts)

• Havoc Destroyer (40 pts)

• Nova Frigate (May not be taken by Armada Imperialis or Rogue Trader fleets) (50 pts)

• Gladius Frigate (May not be taken by Armada Imperialis or Rogue Trader fleets) (45 pts)

• Hunter Destroyer (May not be taken by Armada Imperialis of Rogue Trader fleets) (40 pts)

A single Ramilies Star-fort may be purchased as planetary defenses, or in a campaign (875 pts)

9
 GLORIANNA BATTLESHIPS
Designer’s Note: Glorianna Battleships are shown here using two different
profiles. Portrayed as the most powerful vessels available to the fleets of the
Imperium, they have been intentionally downplayed in most cases so as maintain
balance. While it makes for a compelling narrative that the Conqueror or the
Fidelitas Lex can single handedly engage and defeat an entire fleet of Ultramarine
vessels, it is considerably less compelling to on the receiving end of their
firepower. They are included, however, in the narrative spirit of Battlefleet Heresy,
so that each Legion may have a unique vessel to deploy in their fleet. In campaign
games, it should be mutually agreed on by all players whether or not to use
Glorianna battleships. Bear in mind that, as always, we have done our best to
balance these units based on our relatively limited experience as designers.
Glorianna Class Battleships may be included into any Legiones Astartes fleet using the
Heresy Era Fleet List for their listed points cost, or into any Armada Imperialis fleet that
has successfully acquired their assistance via the Appeals table. Blackshields may not
make use of a Glorianna. Gloriannas gain the following general benefits.

• Glorianna Battleships are automatically Leadership10.

• Glorianna Battleships are automatically counted as being purpose built for Space
Marines. As such, they count as Astartes vessels and they gain all relevant benefits
such as being sized for Thunderhawks, Legion traits and bonuses to hit-and-run
attacks. Additionally, Glorianna Battleships inflict a further -1 penalty on Hit and Run
attacks launched against them (for a total of -2 before any other modifiers).

• Glorianna Battleships automatically come equipped with Terminators.

• Glorianna Battleships count as Battle Barges in Planetary Assault or Exterminatus

missions

Additionally, Glorianna Class Battleships are subject to a number of restrictions.

• Glorianna Battleships must be your fleet’s flagship

• In campaign settings, Glorianna Battleships may not benefit from crew skills or refits.

• Glorianna Battleships must be modeled in such a way as to be easily distinguishable as

the vessel of the Primarch himself.
• In campaign settings if a Glorianna Battleship becomes a hulk, is crippled or is the
target of a subplot, then it is worth twice the renown for all relevant calculations.

• In campaign settings, if a Glorianna is destroyed, it cannot be replaced. A battleship

of the same design (as described in their Legion entry) will replace it instead
(pursuant to all relevant rules regarding replacing lost ships), albeit without any of
its unique modifications.

• Additionally, if a Glorianna is destroyed in battle, at the start of the owner’s next

turn, every ship/squadron in the owning player’s fleet must take a leadership test. If
the test is failed, that ship/squadron must immediately attempt to disengage.

10
• Glorianna Battleships, while unique, follow one of several templates. A Glorianna shall
be based off of an existing Battleship template from the Battlefleet Gothic rulebooks
(Desolator, Emperor, Battle Barge, etc) to represent them on the table, with
modifications made and points costs adjusted accordingly. To further emphasize their
uniqueness, some Gloriannas may be based off of a battleship class not yet created
during the Heresy. As such, all Gloriannas are subject to the relevant restrictions for
Battleships unless otherwise noted.Each of the Legions, and the Armada Imperialis
have one Glorianna that they may include in their fleet, although some legions have
other, unique vessels that they may deploy as well.
I: Dark Angels - Invincible Reason
III: Emperor’s Children - Pride of the Emperor
IV: Iron Warriors - Iron Blood
V: White Scars - Swordstorm
VI: Space Wolves - Hrafnkel
VII: Imperial Fists - Eternal Crusader
VIII: Night Lords - Nightfall
IX: Blood Angels - Red Tear
X: Iron Hands - Fist of Iron
XII: World Eaters - Conqueror
XIII: Ultramarines - Macragge’s Honour
XIV: Death Guard - Endurance
XV: Thousand Sons - Photep
XVI: Sons of Horus - Vengeful Spirit
XVII: Word Bearers - Fidelitas Lex
XVIII: Salamanders - Flamewrought
XIX: Raven Guard - Shadow of the Emperor
XX: Alpha Legion - Alpha/Beta
Armada Imperialis - Amphion
On a war footing your average cruiser expects three deaths a day. Crushed under machinery,
gantry falls, radiation poisoning, atmospheric malfunction, there's a million ways it can happen.
Anyway, three deaths a day from a crew of 60,000 doesn't seem like much, but it adds up. So the
press-gangs were always working. Every time we orbited a planet, the press-gangs went down.
Sometimes they'd come back with a thousand volunteers eager to get off-world. Sometimes they'd
come back with a thousand weeping clerks. Made no matter to us. Or to them, in the end. Three
deaths a day on the lower decks. It don't sound like much, but it caught most of those 'pressed
before they learned the ropes.
- Commander Evaleen Danse, on her time as 3rd Lieutenant
(Personnel Requisitions) of the Gothic-class cruiser Samothrace
11
 The following rules are meant to represent “narrative accuracy” when
using Gloriannas in your games. These rules should not be used in campaigns,
except by unanimous consent of all players, as they are explicitly written with
the purpose of being unbalanced. It is the authors’ intention that these rules be
used in the provided scenarios, and we encourage players to come up with their
own scenarios to get the most use out of these rules. You may find that certain
rules suit your playstyle while others do not. Feel free to use as many or as few
of these rules as you wish.
Gloriannas are the flagships of the legions and the personal ships of the
Primarchs themselves. They are the pinnacle of mankind’s void artifice. In
addition to all previous rules for Glorianna battleships, the following rules shall
be in effect for any Glorianna in your fleet. A separate profile will be provided
for a Narrative Glorianna, to be used alongside these rules.
Supermassive - A glorianna is vast even by the standards of a voidship, bolstered
with the finest equipment mankind can devise and archeotech from humanity’s golden
age.
A Glorianna suffers no penalty for movement through blast markers. A
Glorianna counts as a larger target when being rammed, and rolls 4d6 for a
command check to ram escorts.
Fleet Killers - Glorianna battleships host firepower surpassing even the strength of
amassed warships, and can mete out murderous damage with surgical precision.
A Glorianna automatically passes all command checks to separate its firepower
against multiple targets, and gains a left shift on the gunnery table before other
modifiers are applied. A Glorianna that has torpedo weapon systems may fire a
wave of any specialist torpedoes, but each type may only be fired once.
Unstoppable: Dense shielding and a world’s worth of ablative armor make even
damaging a Glorianna a daunting task, to say nothing of destroying it. In addition to
a vast army of tech priests and mechanical redundancies, a Glorianna is host to the
finest of their number.
If destroyed, a Glorianna may reroll a result of 11 or 12 on the Catastrophic
Damage table, but the second roll stands. If an 11 or 12 is rolled, a Glorianna
automatically explodes (or implodes) the maximum distance. Even if crippled, a
Glorianna does not reduce its weapons’ firepower values.
If a Glorianna suffers critical damage, roll a D6. On a result of 3+, the critical
damage is ignored. A Glorianna may repair any damage that would otherwise
be unrepairable. Additionally, a Glorianna repairs critical damage on a 4+
instead of the usual 6+. If a Glorianna suffers the disabling of a weapon,
reduce the weapon’s firepower value by half until it is repaired. A second
critical hit to the same position will fully disable the weapon.
Ex: An enemy scores three points of a damage against your Glorianna, and rolls 3D6
to see if any of this damage results in a critical hit. Two 6s are rolled. You then roll
a D6 for each critical scored, to attempt to negate this, and score a 1 and a 5, negating
one of the critical hits. In the end your Glorianna suffers 3 points of damage, and the
results of a single roll on the Critical Hits table.

12
Overwhelming Might: To even be in the shadow of a Glorianna is to shake the nerve of
a hostile crew, and many captains know that to stray too close is to court instant death.
At the start of its turn, any enemy ship or squadron within 15cm of a Glorianna
must take a command check. If failed, the ship/squadron must move its full
distance to maneuver as far away from the Glorianna as possible.
Carrier Capacity: A Glorianna contains not only massive stores of ammunition and
weapons, but vast hangars filled with the deadliest attack craft that the Legion can muster.
Often, these crafts are used to ferry even the Primarchs into the fray.
All Gloriannas without launch bays have port and starboard launch bays that can
launch up to 6 squadrons of Thunderhawks or Thunderhawk Annihilators, in
addition to their normal armaments. Once per game, any hit-and-run attack
launched from a Glorianna can be nominated as carrying the Primarch and his
bodyguard. This can be a teleport attack, or a single assault boat. If the attack is
successful, the stricken ship in question will automatically suffer a Bridge Smashed!
critical damage. If the attacking wave is destroyed, there is no penalty. It is
assumed that the proper measures were taken to keep the Primarch safe. If this is
used on another Glorianna, the defending Glorianna may apply its 3+ save to the
damage.
Labyrinthine Vastness: So huge are Gloriannas, that boarding actions against them must
be carefully planned, and must always be conducted by an excessively huge force of soldiers.
It requires two assault boats (or equivalent) to conduct a hit-and-run attack on a
Glorianna.
Pride of the Legion: Glorianna's represent the might of the legion and do not steer from
the fight. Their loss is a catastrophic blow.
A Glorianna may only disengage by leaving a table edge. The Alpha/Beta may
ignore this rule. The Shadow of the Emperor may ignore this rule so long as it’s
shadowfield is active. Additionally, if a Glorianna is destroyed, the opposing player
automatically gains 1000vp. Possession of a Glorianna’s hulk is worth an
additional 1000vp.
Peerless Bridge Crew: A Glorianna is the lodestone for the legion’s best and brightest
officers. Oftentimes, a Glorianna’s junior officers will take the post over captaincy of a
lesser vessel.
A Glorianna automatically passes its first order of the turn, and it may attempt a
second order at a -1 Ld penalty. If successful, any duplicate negatives from orders
do not stack. Legions that automatically pass an order must use the relevant order
first.
Opposing fleets facing a Glorianna in a narrative context will also receive a
number of benefits.
• Ships automatically pass the command check to fire on a Glorianna if it is not
the closest target. The Photep is immune to this rule.
• If a ship is within 15cm of a Glorianna and suffers catastrophic damage, it may
attempt a leadership test. If passed, the ship does not need to roll. Instead, it
automatically suffers a Warpdrive Implosion.

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 EXPERIMENTAL SHIPS
During both the Great Crusade, and the Horus Heresy, there have always been
rare ships among Imperial fleets whose configurations have been incongruent with any
existing class. Heavily armed destroyers, atypically fast and maneuverable battleships
and motherships swarming with attack craft have all been seen operating in some
capacity during Man’s wars. While the majority of these vessels were held in
Mechanicum hands as experimental platforms and pet projects, many were known to
operate under the auspices of the Armada Imperialis and the Legiones Astartes.
• Experimental Ships may be included in any fleet. Legion and Armada Imperialis fleets may
take one per part of 1000 points, Mechanicum fleets may take one per part of 750 points.

• Experimental Ships can still be improved with all faction relevant upgrades.

• Experimental Ships are worth 150% their points cost when calculating victory points.

• If an Experimental ship is reduced to a hulk or a blazing hulk, at the end of the battle, roll
a D6. On a 1, not enough of the ship is left to salvage and repair, and it is struck from the
roster and may not be replaced in the usual manner. If an Experimental Ship suffers a
plasma drive overload or warp drive implosion, there is no need to roll. It is automatically
lost.

• An Experimental Ship should be appropriately modeled to represent its characteristics,

including base size.

• If more than 62% of an experimental ship’s overall cost is in its weapons batteries, lance
batteries, ordnance or other weapon systems, increase its total cost by 50 points.

To create an Experimental Ship, the following characteristics must be purchased.

Hull Points: 5pts each

Shields: 10pts each
Turrets: 5pts each
4+ Armor (all around): Free
5+ Armor (all around): 10 points
6+ Armor (all around): Multiply total cost of the ship by x1.45
5cm of base speed: 1pt each

Weapons may be mounted on any facing (Port, Starboard, Dorsal, Prow, Aft)

30cm weapons batteries: 1.5pts per “point of strength"

45cm weapons batteries: 3pts per “point of strength"
60cm weapons batteries: 4.5pts per “point of strength”

30cm Bombardment Cannon: 7pts per “point of strength"

30cm lances: 9pts per “point of strength”

45cm lances: 11pts per “point of strength”
60cm lances: 13pts per “point of strength”

Nova Cannon (prow only): 37.5pts

Plasma Destrctor (prow only): 16pts

Ordnance may only be mounted on Prow, Aft, Port or Starboard

Launch Bays: 13.5pts per “point of strength”

Torpedoes: 3.5 points per “point of strength”

14
Additionally, any Experimental Ship may purchase from following upgrades

Advanced Firing Solutions (Does not suffer a bad shift for firing batteries outside 30cm): 15pts
Auxiliary Bridge: 30pts
Anti-Boarding Spines: 30pts
Armored Prow: 32.5pts
Assault Boats: 3.5pts
Exterminatus-grade Weapons: 10pts
Improved Sensor Suite: 10pts
Mimic Engine (may not be taken with Nova Cannons) 30pts
Power Ram (May not be taken with Improved Sensors): 10pts
Improved Thrusters :10pts
Maneuvering Thrusters (Improves turn radius to 90°) 90pts
Replace all shields with Holofields (May not be taken with Nova Cannon): 30pts

Experimental Ships may also take a number of flaws to reduce its point cost. Note that these
may be offset by future refits.

Inferior thrusters (Only move 3D6 on All Head Full): -10pts

Inferior Gunnery (Suffers a right shift when firing batteries): -15pts
Fragile Sub-Systems (suffers critical hits on a 4+): -80pts
Temperamental Technologies (-1 leadership for going under special orders): -15pts
Obsolete Defenses (turrets have no effect on torpedoes): -50pts
Experimental Ships are subject to a number of restrictions and benefits based on their
equipment and characteristics. All experimental ships are subject to the fleet composition rules.

• Light Cruisers
An experimental ship counts as a Light Cruiser if it has 6 or fewer hull points
Light cruisers may take Maneuvering Thrusters for free
Light cruisers may not have more than 2 shields
Light cruisers may not take Nova Cannons

• Cruisers
An Experimental ship counts as a cruiser if it has between 7 and 9 hull points.
If 56% or more of an Experimental ship’s total cost is in its weapons, then it counts as
either a heavy cruiser or a battlecruiser, and is subject to the relevant restrictions.
• Grand Cruisers
An Experimental ship counts as a Grand Cruiser if it has 10 or 11 hull points, and should be
modeled on a large base.

• Battleships
An Experimental ship counts as a battleship if it has 12 or more hull points.
Experimental Battleships may not use Come to New Heading or take Maneuvering
thrusters, and must be modeled on a large base.

2300 (shipboard) 04222989.M30: Start of second watch

0200 (shipboard) 04222989.M30: Anomalous shield signal observed. Logged as

DE1989
0230 (shipboard) 04222989.M30: DE1989 refuses hailings. No matching ident tags.

0545 (shipboard) 04222989.M30: Visual contact with DE1989 made. Shields visible.
Glowing red.
- Excerpt of ship’s log, macro freighter Hera’s Dream

15
 PANOPLY OF WAR
The Fleets of the Crusade have many a rare and terrible weapon at their disposal,
from ordnance dating to Old Night, to more recent innovations of murderous efficiency.

Ordnance
There are various types of ordnance available to capital ships, listed below. As these are rare
and fairly unusual (not to mention powerful) types of weapons, they cannot be given to any
ship at will. In a campaign setting, a commander must appeal to fleet command to obtain
specialist torpedoes or unique attack craft. Otherwise, they may be purchased for the listed
cost.

Specialist torpedoes - Any capital ship with torpedo capacity may be equipped with
Specialist torpedoes 20pts for salvos with a strength of 6 or less or 30pts for salvos greater
than 6. These may be fired once per game, and are resupplied automatically every game in a
campaign setting. No ship may be equipped with more than one type of specialist torpedo
unless it is explicitly stated in their rules, and no more than 25% of eligible ships (to a
minimum of one) may be equipped with vortex torpedoes.

• Short Burn torpedoes: Short burn torpedoes have a speed of 40cm. However, roll a D6
for each salvo after they have moved and/or attacked. On a 1, the torpedoes run out of
fuel and are replaced by a blast marker.

• Barrage Bombs: Barrage bombs that strike a ship damage shields and leave blast
markers, just like direct fire. Barrage bombs may be fired in low orbit (they are
unaffected by the gravitic pull), where they move just like ordinary torpedoes in deep
space. Each salvo of 6 or less that strikes a planet will score 1 assault point, and each
salvo of 7 or more will score 2.

• Seeking torpedoes: A seeking torpedo will turn up to 45 in the ordnance phase, so that it
is facing the nearest enemy ship (if multiple ships are equidistant away, they will turn to
face the ship with the most hull points. Seeking torpedoes that strike blast markers or
celestial phenomenon will detonate on a D6 roll of 1 or 2. Seeking torpedoes will not
strike friendly ships that move into contact with them.

• Guided torpedoes: Guided torpedoes can make a turn of up to 45 during the ordnance
phase, if the ship which launched them passes a Leadership check. If the test is failed,
the nearest enemy ship may attempt to guide the torpedoes by passing a Leadership
check.

• Melta torpedoes: Hits from melta torpdos do no damage. Instead, each successful hit
inflicts an automatic Fire! critical hit. If a ship carrying unused melta torpedoes suffers a
hit to its prow (or wherever the torpedoes are stored), then it suffers D3 Fire! critical
hits as the ordnance detonates!

• Vortex torpedoes. Hits caused by Vortex torpedoes automatically cause critical damage.
If a ship carrying unused vortex torpedoes suffers a hit to its prow (or wherever the
torpedoes are stored), then it suffers an additional D3 points of damage and suffers an
automatic critical hit as the ordnance detonates!

Attack Craft - Any ship capable of launching attack craft may purchase additional types of
attack craft from the list below, for the given cost .

• Torpedo Bombers: These craft have a speed of 20cm and count as bombers for
interception purposes. A torpedo bomber squadron may be replaced with a Strength 2
torpedo salvo at the start of the ordnance phase. These torpedoes function the same as a
normal torpedo wave but are removed at the end of the phase they are launched. A
wave of torpedo bombers may combine their torpedo salvos together in the same way as
ships. (10pts per strength of launch bay)

16
• Thunderhawks: Astartes carriers may launch Thunderhawks and Thunderhawk
Annihilators in addition to their usual complement of attack craft. Thunderhawks
normally take 2 launch bays to deploy from any ship that is NOT drawn from the Space
Marine fleet list. (IE: A Dictator class cruiser with 4 launch bays could launch 4 fighters/
bombers, 2 Thunderhawks, or 1 thunderhawk and two fighters/bombers). A
Thunderhawk may act as both a fighter and an assault boat, and a Thunderhawk
Annihilator may act as both a fighter and a bomber.

• Orbital Mines: One cruiser, heavy Cruiser, Battlecruiser or Grand Cruisers per fleet with
launch bays may replace its attack craft with orbital mines. One orbital mine may be
launched per bay, like attack craft squadrons, but may not be formed into waves, and
count as torpedoes for the purpose of defensive turret fire, blast markers, celestial
phenomenon or other ordnance. If a ship carrying mines suffers damage to their launch
bays, they take an additional D3 damage as mines detonate. A vessel that has run out of
ordnance is not subject to this extra damage.

An orbital mine moves 10cm towards the nearest enemy ship in each ordnance phase.
If it comes into contact with the base of an enemy ship, it detonates, rolling 8D6 to
hit the target vessel. If a mine is hit by defensive turret fire, it rolls four dice instead
of 8D6. (5pts per strength of bay)

Nova Cannons
Author’s note: Two rulesets exist for Nova Cannons, although it is the authors’ intentions that the
below rules be used. Should players wish to use the “guess range” rules for Nova Cannons, it should be
agreed upon by all players involved.

Any capital ship from the Imperial Fist or Iron Warriors legion with 6+ prow armor may
exchange Str6 or less prow torpedoes for a Nova cannon for 20pts or Str7-9 torpedoes for a
nova cannon for 10pts. Nova cannons must be reloaded between shots, and may not be fired
if the vessel is under All Ahead Full, Come To New Heading, Burn Retros or Brace for
Impact special orders. Vessels with a Nova Cannon confer a +1 bonus to Hit and Run attacks
being conducted against them, before any other modifiers.

When firing, the template is placed anywhere desired so that its edge is between 30-150cm
from the firing vessel. It does not have to be centered on a single ship and can be placed in
contact with multiple targets. If placed within 45cm of the firing ship, roll a scatter die and
1D6. Roll 2D6 if the template is between 45 to 60cm of the firing ship, or 3D6 if it is placed
beyond 60cm. Move the template a number of cm rolled by the dice in the direction of the
scatter die roll. If the scatter die rolls a “hit,” the template remains where placed. Any target
that is in base contact of the template after it is moved takes one hit. Any target in base
contact of the center hole of the template takes D6 hits. Replace the template with a single
blast marker if it does not contact a target after being moved.

The Nova Cannon is a line of sight weapon and cannot fire through obstacles or celestial
phenomena that that act as normal line of sight obstructions, such as planets, moons,
asteroid fields, etc. If desired however, these can nonetheless be fired upon. If a direct hit is
scored on the scatter dice, place D6 blast markers in contact with the planet or asteroid field
edge.

17
LEGIONS
OF THE
ADEPTUS
ASTARTES

18
16
It was madness. Pure, unadulterated,
madness. We watched the assault boats and
stormbirds and thunderhawks get annihilated
by the fort's defenses. Hundreds of marines
and thousands of men, gone in minutes
because the first wave lost the fire control
room. Thought it was over then. Thought
that the Wolves would pull out and leave the
XVII to their business. Then Torm Guadric,
"Jarl" they call him, commander of the fleet,
gave the order. Pure madness. But I heard
them laughing on the vox. And they were
still laughing as Sonnadal and half the fleet
went into the warp rift at full speed! But it
worked. I don't know what sort of
navigators they have, or maybe the Emperor
himself held out his hand to guide them. But
it worked. Next thing I knew, they were
right amidst the Word Bearers fleet
unleashing broadsides in all directions.
Blew the Word Bearers right to whatever hell
they pray to. Damndest thing I ever saw.
- First Officer Jonathan Carter of the mass-
conveyor Herbert West, on the VI Legion's defeat
of a XVII Legion fleet at Ankaelia Starfort.

61
19
 I: DARK ANGELS
Survivors of the Age of Strife, the Dark Angels favor
powerful, archaic weaponry, and may bring more of it, more
easily, to battle than their brother legions. Their Glorianna is
Vessels of the Invincible Reason.
the First Legacies of Old Night: The first legion has unique access to
Legion ancient vessels denied to other fleets, and these relics of
humanity’s nightmarish past are often seen leading Dark Angel
fleets in the void.
Austere Dark Angels may take one less cruiser/light cruiser before they
Purification are allowed to take a heavy/battle/grand cruiser. So instead of a
1:2 ratio, The Dark Angels may take them at a 1:1 ratio.

Pridemark
Getting Started
Heavy/Battle/Grand Cruisers are upgunned and more heavily
Star of the First armored (in the case of Grand Cruisers) versions of their
Legion smaller cousins. Normally, to represent their comparative rarity
and dispersal among the legion fleets, a player’s list must have
two cruisers or light cruisers for every larger Cruiser they take.
In keeping with the Dark Angels’ status as the First Legion and
Dark Sovereign survivors of the Dark Age, they have easier access to these more
powerful ships. Naturally, the point costs of larger Cruisers are
higher. So beware the temptation to deploy as many of these
Blade of powerful ships as you are able.
Numarc A starter fleet of Dark Angels would nominally be lead by one
of these larger vessels, which favor longer range firepower
compared to close range brawling. While your fleet could be led
Spear of Truth by a Battleship, bringing a larger class of cruiser allows more
points for upgrades and to make sure you aren’t too heavily
outnumbered by the opponent.

Vehemence 1000pt Starter

Blade of The Order (Styx Heavy Cruiser with Astartes crew) - 305pts
Oath of Silence (Strike Cruiser with an extra shield) - 155pts
Intervention
Longinus (Strike Cruiser with an extra shield) - 155pts
Triumph of Will (Hades Heavy Cruiser with Astartes crew and
Terminators) - 235pts
Halberd Squadron (Firestorm Escorts x3, Sword Escort x1) - 155pts

20
 The Invincible
Reason does not
suffer a negative
shift on the
gunnery table for
firing through
blast markers or
outside of 30cm.
The Invincible
Reason does not
run out of
Vortex
Torpedoes.

The I Legion is
known to have
many a strange
and esoteric
weapon from
mankind's distant
past. This
extends to their
ships as well,
making the I
Legion an
excellent choice
for those players
who wish to
utilize the
Experimental
Ship rules to
represent vessels
like the Dark
Soverign and
other rare
survivors of
humanity’s
Golden Age.

21
 III: EMPEROR’S CHILDREN
Fast and well coordinated, the Emperor’s Children were
ever adept at out maneuvering the enemy and demoralizing
them with panic inducing precision. Given over to darker
Vessels of powers now, they have lost none of their ability to shock
the and disorient. Their Glorianna is the Pride of the Emperor.
They may also field the Wage of Sin.
Emperor’s
Children Disorienting Precision: Whether loyalists or traitors, the Emperor’s
Children quickly overwhelm their enemy from every quarter. Some
with flawless maneuvering, others will broadcasts and practices that
offend every sense that beholds them.
Proudheart
Capital ships with Astartes crews may take the Mark of Slaanesh for
15pts each, inflicting a -2 penalty to leadership values of enemy
ships within 15cm. This effect is cumulative.
Erwhon
Getting Started
The Mark of Slaanesh impose a -2 penalty to enemy ships’ Ld within 15cm
of the bearer, and the effects do stack. Emperor’s Children vessels make it
Suzerain harder for enemy ships to manage their Orders and make for excellent
harassment tactics, confusing enemy ships and leaving them directionless
before blasting them apart. Once the Emperor’s Children are in range and
in position, it is very hard to shake them.
Excessive
An Emperor’s Children Fleet can make excellent use of a long range
support vessel, steadily wearing down vessels that are tied down with
trying to survive the assault of faster and more maneuverable IIIrd legion
vessels. While a light starter force is acceptable, Be careful not to expand
Ravisher exclusively with maneuverable Light Cruisers, as these relatively fragile
ships can find themselves quickly outgunned by larger targets.

1100pt Starter
Pulchritudinous Incubus (Desolator Battleship with Astartes crew) - 315pts
Rapier (Dictator with Astartes crew and Mark of Slaanesh) - 250pts

Andronius Resplendent (Dauntless with Astartes crew and Mark of Slaanesh) - 140pts

Glorious (Dauntless with Astartes crew and Mark of Slaanesh - 140pts

Daughters of Chemos squadron (Nova escort x3) - 150pts

22
 When
successfully
going under
special orders,
any ships within
15cm of the
Pride of the
Emperor may
choose to
automatically
pass a test to go
under the same
order (provided
they are not
already under an
order or braced).
The Pride of the
Emperor is
equipped with
the Mark of
Slaanesh.
Wage of Sin (430
pts)
The Wage of Sin
may be taken
using the profile
that appears on
page 107 of the
Powers of
Chaos
Publication.
Being a Battle
Barge, the Wage
of Sin follows
all relevant BFH
rules, and before
a battle may
Thunderhawk: elect to carry
20cm
Thunderhawks
Thunderhawk
8 squadrons and
Annihilators: Thunderhawk
20cm Annihilators
instead of its
usual
complement of
attack craft.

23
 IV: IRON WARRIORS
The Iron Warriors’ skill at void warfare was often overshadowed by their
more storied brothers, and often are seen as unsubtle. But the sons of
Olympia’s calculating, mathematical approach to spaceborne battles saw
them efficiently sweep aside many an enemy. Their Glorianna is the Iron
Vessels of Blood.
the Iron Void Artillery: Perturabo made good use of his strong ties with the
Warriors Mechancium, and not only saw to it that his fleet swelled with the newest
class of vessels, but that they bore the latest in the Imperium’s
experimental heavy weaponry.

Warbreed For ever 1 in 3 capital ships, one Astartes capital ship with more than 8 hull
points and a 6+ prow may exchange Str6 or less prow torpedoes for a Nova
cannon for 20pts or Str7-9 torpedoes for a Nova Cannon for 10pts.
Additionally, vessels with an Astartes crew may reroll hits for 1/3rd of the
strength of the wave when determining hits with ordnance or bombing
Tyche’s Lament runs (a spread of 6 may reroll 2, a spread of 9 may reroll 3 and so forth).

Getting Started
Contrador In the 31st Millennium, Nova Cannons are not commonplace like they are
in the 41st. They were experimental weapons at this time, and only two
legions (both with a reputation for insane amounts of firepower) had access
to them. The Nova Cannon is a powerful, shipborne artillery weapon that
can disrupt enemy formations and devastate squadrons of tightly packed
Dominator ships. While the Nova Cannon requires some guesswork and some practice
to master (there is no pre-measuring in BFG), it is a powerful tool for
Admirals who prefer long range combat. Beware that ships with Nova
Cannons confer a +1 bonus to enemy boarding parties.
Erinyes
Unlike their defensive cousins, the Imperial Fists, the Iron Warriors are
more adept at pummeling their opponents from afar with wave after wave
of ordnance.
Rebuke An Iron Warriors fleet would do well to make use of a battlecruiser as a
flagship, using smaller (albeit heavily armed) vessels to hold enemies down,
or funnel them into range and firing arc of the Nova cannon. Even escorts,
under Perturabo’s hand, were as heavily armed as possible. The biggest
Sire of Sabaktes guns possible should be the idea as your fleet expands. Beware that the
Nova Cannon, while powerful, can be unpredictable and sometimes
unreliable. Take care not to place all of your faith in it.

Grim Paragon 1000pt Starter

Hammer of Reason (Mars battlecruiser with Astartes crew)
- 275pts
Legatus of Oympia (Lunar cruiser) - 180pts
Starbreaker (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts
Subjugator squadron (Thunderbolt escorts x5 with Astartes crew)
- 265pts

24
 The Iron Blood
ignores the
first failed
Reload
Ordnance of
the game.
In
Exterminatus
scenarios, the
Iron Blood
counts as an
Exterminator,
but does not
count towards
the total
number of
Exterminators
in the fleet.
The Iron Blood
may reroll
failed To-Hit
rolls against
planetary
defenses (space
stations, mines,
etc).

25
 V: WHITE SCARS
The Vth legion’s void tactics closely mirrors their
terrestrial tendencies. Which is to say, going as fast as
possible, and harrying the enemy until there is nothing left.
Vessels of Their Glorianna is the Swordstorm.
the White Riders on The Storm: Known for “doing strange things to his ships”,
Scars the Khan ensured that his fleets would be able to outrun anything
they couldn’t outgun, and such enemies were few and far between.

All Astartes capital ships with a speed of less than 25cm must be
Lance of equipped with an engine upgrade. All Astartes capital ships over
Heaven 25cm base speed may be equipped with an engine upgrade. Engine
upgrades cost 10% of the total base cost of the ship in question. All
Astartes ships Automatically pass “All ahead full” commands.

Sickle Moon
Getting Started
The “Riders of the Storm” upgrade adds 5cm to speed and costs 10% of
the ships total base cost (often costing less than 25pts). As we all know,
Plainsmaster the White Scars are fast. This trait effectively means that all of their
ships can keep pace with each other, and present a unified force of ships
to the enemy. Or, should you so choose, split your fleet into a hail of
lances aimed for the enemy’s weakest parts. Additionally, auto-passing
Thunder and All Ahead Full means that the Scars can outmaneuver enemy ships more
Lightning easily. Getting behind the enemy is a crucial advantage (especially in
escort missions where a convoy may be positioned behind their
defenders) and the Scars’ speed allow them to gain it more easily.

Chaos vessels make excellent starter ships for the White Scars. Sporting
Storm Nomad 25cm movement from the start allows you to circumvent an engine tax,
but still buy the upgrade should you wish to go even faster. Additionally,
their lighter armor fits well with the Vth’s theme of speed. Beware,
however, as rushing to the front and being closer to the enemy can earn
Wayfarer you a punishing salvo of weapons batteries and torpedoes in response.

991pt Starter

Sansaryn • Thunderchild (Hades heavy cruiser) - 200pts

Azarga
• Gan (Slaughter cruiser with Astartes crew and engine upgrades)
- 196pts

• Bataar (Slaughter cruiser with Astartes crew and engine upgrades)

- 196

• Warhorse (Strike cruiser with engine upgrades) - 159pts

• Munokoi squadron (Firestorm escort x4) - 180pts

• Arrow squadron (Cobra escort x2) - 60pts

26
 The
Swordstorm
may use the
Come To New
Heading special
order and
comes equipped
with thruster
upgrades.
All ordnance
launched from
the Swordstorm
increase their
stated
movement
speed by 10cm
on the turn
they are
launched.
Navigational
Shields: This
vessel ignores
movement
penalties from
blast markers
and celestial
phenomena.

27
 VI: SPACE WOLVES
An unrelenting force, the Wolves of Fenris sight their
enemy, and run them down. Their Glorianna is the Hrafnkel.
Vessels of The Longboats: There is no escaping the Wolves of Fenris. Asteroid
the Space belts, nebulae and even swirling warp rifts offer no protection with
the wolves on one’s heels.
Wolves
Vessels with Astartes crews may reroll command checks when
Aesrumnír attempting to navigate celestial phenomena and when ramming.
Attack craft launched from an Astartes vessel may reroll any result
of 1 when moving through celestial phenomena (this does not include
blast markers).
Nidhoggur

Ragnarok
Getting Started
From asteroid fields to nebulae, BFG has no shortage of celestial
phenomena for ships to make their way through. Normally, to navigate
obstacles in space, a ship must pass a leadership check to avoid damaging
Wolf-Spirit their vessel. The Space Wolves may reroll this test should they fail, which
allows them to more easily plow through phenomena in order to gain
better position over the enemy, or escape a particularly determined foe.
The reroll also applies to ramming, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Helicon Spear Taking a heavier ship and punching a lighter ship in the face is a time-
honored tactic, and the Vlka Fenryka do not balk from it.

Their Glorianna is a powerful brawler at short range, and is the

Crone Hammer embodiment of the Wolves’ proclivity to strike hard and strike fast, and
leaving nothing to resist them.

The age and reputation of a ship matters not to the Wolves, and they will
make use of any vessel given to them to crush the enemy. That being
Frey-Slavor said, the Wolves do not grant a particular advantage to either the Chaos
or Imperial Navy line of ships, and can put both to good use in their
fleets.
Nauro 950pt Starter

• Einherjar (Vengeance grand cruiser with Astartes Crew) - 245

Russvangum • Eytha (Murder cruiser) - 180

• Saetta (Dictator cruiser with Astartes crew) - 235

• Okvidinn (Lunar cruiser) - 180

• Gjalla (Dauntless light cruiser with Astartes crew) - 110

28
 The Hrafnkel
gains a left
column shift on
the gunnery
table when
firing on
targets with 9
or more
starting HP, or
on crippled
targets with 8
or less starting
HP.
The Vlka
Fenryka had a
reputation for
fighting any
war, no matter
the foe. Darker
rumors said
they would do
the jobs nobody
else would.
This meant
they had few
friends among
the Legiones
Astartes or the
mortals who
served in the
Armada
Imperialis.
While not a
hard rule,
players wishing
to field a
thematic VI
Legion fleet
should
generally give
every vessel a
Legion crew.

29
 VII: IMPERIAL FISTS
Bolstered by powerful defensive tactics, the Imperial Fists are the
Praetors of Terra, and enjoy the latest in powerful weapons from Mars
to better aid them in that endeavor. Their Glorianna is the Eternal
Crusader, and they have access to their powerful fortress: the Phalanx.
Vessels of
the Imperial Solar Defenders: Due as much to Dorn’s mind for defensive tactics as
Fists their solemn charge, the Imperial Fists are experts at grinding down
their enemies against stalwart defenses and punishing counterattacks.
Oath of Stone For ever 1 in 3 capital ships, one Astartes capital ship with 8 or more
hull points and a 6+ prow may exchange Str6 or less prow torpedoes
for a Nova cannon for 20pts or Str7-9 torpedoes for a Nova Cannon for
10pts. Additionally, vessels with an Astartes crew that are abeam of an
Halcyon enemy weapon that use the gunnery table, forces that vessel to subtract
their number of shots by 1 when firing (to a minimum of 1), once per
turn.

Hammer of Getting Started

Terra In the 31st Millennium, Nova Cannons are not commonplace like they
are in the 41st. They were experimental weapons at this time, and only
two legions (both with a reputation for insane amounts of firepower)
had access to them. The Nova Cannon is a powerful, shipborne
Tribune artillery weapon that can disrupt enemy formations and devastate
squadrons of tightly packed ships. While the Nova Cannon requires
some guesswork and some practice to master (there is no pre-
measuring in BFG), it is a powerful tool for Admirals who prefer long
Truth range combat. Beware that ships with Nova Cannons confer a +1
bonus to enemy boarding parties.

Unlike their more aggressive counterparts, the Iron Warriors, the

Imperial Fists also gain a small defensive bonus when properly
Sulla positioned, allowing them to better draw in the enemy before
punishing them in return.

1195pt Starter
Light of Inwit
• Ajax (Battlebarge with bombardment cannon broadsides and dorsal
lances) - 445pts

Unity • Iram Imperator (Crusader cruiser with Astartes crew) - 195pts

• Hemera (Crusader cruiser with Astartes crew) - 195pts

• Imperial Glory (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts

Blade of
Perdition • Eye of Wrath (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts

30
 The Phalanx:
1038pts
The Phalanx is a
Ramilies Star
Fort that follows
all rules for a
Glorianna
Battleship. It
increases the
turret, shield and
hull point value
of each quadrant
by 1. The
Basilica Batteries
weapons systems
include a
Bombardment
Cannon (45cm,
Firepower 8).
Double these
values for
purpose of
Narrative
Gloriannas.
In campaigns,
the Phalanx
cannot be lost to
the warp when
moving between
systems.

31
 VIII: NIGHT LORDS
Killers and murderers to a man, the Night Lords delight in sowing
despair. Enemy fleets beware, for there are monsters between the
stars. Their Glorianna is the Nightfall.
Vessels of Nowhere to Hide: Never a legion to fight fair, the Night Lords had no
the Night qualms about butchering an enemy crew to disable a ship, and were adept at
Lords seeking out those most weakened in battle, and finishing the job with
ruthless precision.
Echo of Astartes ships do not have to pass a Leadership Check to fire on a crippled
Damnation ship if it is not the closest target. Additionally, for each successful Hit and
Run attack (teleport or otherwise) from an Astartes ship, the player may
elect not to do no damage, but instead inflict a -1 leadership penalty to the
target. This penalty is cumulative with all other modifiers and does stack
with itself. The penalty lasts until the end of the stricken ship’s next turn.
Covenant of
Blood
Getting Started
Hit and Run attacks (be they from teleportation, assault craft, or from
Hunter’s ramming) are an excellent way to disable a ship’s components (such as
Premonition their weapons systems or their engines) and leave it vulnerable to
further attack, or keep it out of a crucial fight. Leadership is crucial to
passing orders or disengaging from a fight, and the Night Lords can
ensure that a ship is neither firing, nor running, before they close in
Serpent of the for the kill.
Black Sea A crippled ship may not be able to kill an enemy vessel, but they can
still prove to be a thorn in your side while their healthier allies use
their distance to keep them safe to continue harassing you or allow
them to disengage safely. This is especially true when they are
Vulterine grouped in squadrons. The Night Lords do not suffer the difficulty of
firing on a ship that is not their primary target. They will finish the
job, one way or another. Take care, however, not to be overconfident
that your shipborne murderers can carry the day with minimal
Tenebor reprisal when they are plying their trade.

1000pt Starter

Throneless King • Merciless (Styx heavy cruiser with Astartes crew) -305pts

• Killing Judge (Devastation cruiser with Astartes crew) - 205pts

• Heart of Darkness (Devastation cruiser with Astartes crew) -

Praxis Mundi 205pts

• Typhon (Strike Cruiser) - 145pts

• Bloodletter Squadron (Sword escorts x4) - 140pts

32
 Each successful Hit-
and-Run attack
launched from the
Nightall impose a
permanent -1
leadership modifier
onto the target
vessel in addition to
any other damage.
This effect is
cumulative.

In Exterminatus
scenarios, the
Nightfall counts as
an Exterminator,
but does not count
towards the total
number of
Exterminators in
the fleet.
*In narrative
campaigns set after
the Thramas
Crusade, we
suggest the
Nightfall not be
used, as it was
destroyed by the
Dark Angels.

“They’re boarding
us… I have the
Enginarium
overloading the warp
core, better all of us
go quickly than what
will happen to us now
those monsters are
aboard! What do you
mean you only hear
screaming? Oh
Emperor they’re
comi-”

- Last transmission
from Captain
Martin L’grasse of
the light cruiser
Graf Yoseff. The
Graf Yoseff
transmitted nothing
but screams for a
further three hours.

33
 IX: BLOOD ANGELS
Despite their noble personage, the Blood Angels are utterly
destructive on the warpath, slamming into their foe with a fury
matched by few of the Emperor’s armies. Their Glorianna is the Red
Tear.
Vessels of
the Blood Red Fury: Encarmine angels fall upon the foe with shot, shell and
blade, sparing none their wrath. To be in the guns of the Blood
Angels Angels’ fleets is the court death.
Malevolence Astartes ships that are in a squadron gain a left shift on the gunnery
table when firing weapons batteries, and may reroll to-hit rolls of 1
when firing lances.

Blood’s Son

Getting Started
Chalice
The Blood Angels were ruthless voidsmen, frequently directing all
available firepower to a single target and leaving it dead before
selecting the next. A Blood Angels fleet benefits greatly from keeping
Covenant of their ships together, to maximize firepower.
Baal
A Blood Angels fleet only needs one thing to succeed: guns, and lots
of them. While every fleet has a place for a carrier, the Blood Angels
mastery of the shooting phase means that they can pummel their foe
Victus from afar (or close up, should you prefer) once they have achieved
optimal firing positions. Take care not to discount the importance of
attack craft, however, as wasting a broadside trying to kill an inbound
wave of fighters and bombers can lead to an ignoble end.
Sanguinium 1000pt Starter
Ignis
• Furious Descent (Avenger grand cruiser with Astartes crew) -
235pts

Hermia • Spear of Light (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts

• Raphael’s Lament (Lunar cruiser) - 180pts

• Blood Moon (Devastation cruiser with Astartes crew) - 205pts

Crimson Spectre
• Seraphim Squadron (Firestorm escorts x5) - 200pts
“Nothing we had could stop it. Lasbolts and hard rounds just bounced
off its armor. All Morau's hisser did was make it mad. It wasn't even
wasting bullets on us after the first couple of volleys. It was just
stepping on us! It kept making this noise, like a Russ shifting gears. I
think it was laughing at us."
-Armsman Ditreck Seyes, describing his unit's
holding actions when the battleship Avalon is Risen
was boarded by several talons of IXth Legion
Leviathan Dreadnoughts

34
 The Red Tear does
not suffer a negative
shift for firing
through blast
markers.

Additionally, if
critical damage is
rolled against the
Red Tear, it’s
controlling player
may roll 2D6 and
select which result
is to be applied.
This includes
damage from Hit
and Run attacks.
*In narrative
campaigns set after
Signas Prime, we
suggest the Red
Tear begin the game
as crippled,
requiring resources
to return to full
strength, as it was
heavily damaged by
that campaign.

“They were artists, as

much as warriors.
The way they moved,
the way they sailed,
graceful was the only
way to describe it.
But when they got the
enemy in the killzone,
then you saw the other
side of them.
Ferocious, relentless,
merciless. When the
IX’s battle-fury was
upon them you could
see that they were
weapons after all.”

- Captain Marduc
Plent, 392nd
Expiditionary Fleet

35
 X: IRON HANDS
A veritable wedge driving into the enemy, the fleets of the Xth legion
are as unbroken as the marines that sail them. Their Glorianna is the
Fist of Iron.
Vessels of Unbroken Iron: The Iron Hands do not falter easily. That which is
the Iron broken or faulty is quickly replaced, and their ships are constantly
Hands being tended to, even in the heat of battle.

Winter’s Oath Against the first round of fire after going under Brace For Impact,
ships with an Astartes crew may re-roll failed Brace for Impact saves.
Additionally, the flagship may always roll one extra die when
repairing critical damage.
Red Talon

Ferrum Getting Started

Brace for Impact! is a crucial order used by ships who find themselves
outmaneuvered or outgunned, and about to be on the receiving end of
Veritas Ferrum some truly punishing fire. After shields are down, ships that are Braced
have a 4+ save against incoming damage (a 50% chance to ignore the
damage). Iron Hands Astartes are able to reroll the first round of
incoming fire from the enemy once they are braced. Bracing for impact
does half all weapons and turret fire and cannot go under new orders
Fastidious until the next turn (from when they braced), so be aware that a braced
Prosecutor ship’s capabilities are still severely hampered. However, with proper
timing, you can give your ships a powerful defensive boost, and have full
firepower once you are among the enemy, ready to blow them apart.

Sisypheum An Iron Hands fleet makes excellent use of the Imperial Navy line. The
armored prow and pugnacious appearance fits well with their aesthetic.
Their slower speed also allows them to stay in close formation with one
another, and provide covering fire. Once you have a core of ships to
Light of Battle break the enemy formation, a good addition would be vessels to range
on the flanks, harassing with long range lances.

980pt Starter
Iron Heart • Endurance of Deed (Vengeance grand cruiser) - 230pts

• Black Iron (Strike cruiser with an extra shield) - 160pts

Brutus • Aegus (Lunar cruiser) - 180pts

• Kappo (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts

• Might of the Clans (Dictator cruiser with an Astartes crew) - 235pts

36
 The Fist of Iron
gains a +1 bonus to
all Brace for Impact
saves (increasing to
a 3+), and gains a
6+ save when not
under the Brace for
Impact special
order.

Additionally, in the
End Phase, the Fist
of Iron repairs
critical damage on a
5+ and it may
attempt to repair
critical damage that
is otherwise
unrepairable or
disallowed (such as
shield collapse or
bridge smashed).

*The Fist of Iron

was crippled by the
III Legion’s
Glorianna Pride of
the Emperor before
the Heresy truly
began. Left behind
when Ferrus Manus
took his warriors to
Istvaan, the fate of
the Fist of Iron is
currently unknown.
In campaigns and
narrative missions
set in the early
Heresy we
recommend
removing D6 hull
points from the Fist
of Iron (or 2d6 if
using the narrative
glorianna rules) to
represent the
damage the Fist of
Iron took as a result
of that betrayal.

37
 XII: WORLD EATERS
A byword for unbridled carnage, the World Eaters are an unsubtle
navy, crashing headlong into the enemy lines and lashing out
mercilessly at everything in range. Their Glorianna is the Conqueror.
Vessels of Chariots of Slaughter: Lost to the Nails and a boarding force beyond
the World compare, the World Eaters seek only one thing: to close with the
Eaters enemy and butcher them in close combat!

Clavam Capital ships with Astartes crews must take the Mark of Khorne for
5pts per vessel, which doubles their value in a boarding action.
Additionally, carriers with this mark may elect to launch an additional
D3 attack craft markers of any type if within 30cm of an enemy
vessel, but must Reload Ordnance and not launch the next turn if
Bellicose they do.

Justified Getting Started

Aggressor
In keeping with their savage reputation, the World Eaters’ access to the
Mark of Khorne makes them brutal in ship-to-ship combatants. Boarding
is almost a matter of course with a World Eater vessel, as their ships’
Infestus values in the boarding action is doubled. World Eaters will benefit from
taking heavily armored ships such as Imperial Navy or Space Marine
cruisers, allowing them not only to survive long enough to run down an
enemy and board them, but to do as much damage as possible if they
choose do so via ramming. Be careful that when boarding you are also
Industrious vulnerable to damage from the enemy, so choose your targets carefully.

Ships with considerable (but short ranged) firepower have a welcome

home in a World Eaters fleet, as their effectiveness increases the closer
Dedicated Wrath they are. Escorts are not a requirement when starting your World Eaters
fleet, but it would be beneficial to acquire them in future expansions, as
their firepower can weaken and distract an enemy ship while you close
the distance.
Blood Shrike 990pt Starter

• Roar of The Victorious (Eclipse battlecruiser) - 235pts

Galerus • Hateful Tenacity (Slaughter cruiser with Astartes crew) - 190pts

• “Lady” Sarin (Strike cruiser with an extra shield) - 155pts

Iaculum • Audacity (Strike cruiser with an extra shield) - 155pts

• Bloody Brotherhood (Crusader cruiser with Astartes crew) - 195pts

Bringer of Ruin • Gnasher Squadron (Cobra escorts x2) - 60pts

38
 Ursas Claws may
be fired in the
shooting phase,
as Lances. A
target struck by
Usras Claws
immediately
counts as having
gone under the
Burn Retros
special order for
the next turn, in
addition to any
damage caused
by the claws
(shields do not
absorb their
hits).
Additionally, if
the Conqueror
initiates a
boarding action
against a ship
struck by the
Claws, it gains a
+5 bonus (in
addition to all
other modifiers).
Every turn
subsequent to
being struck, the
ship must pass a
leadership test,
or continue to be
under the Burn
Retros order.
The Conqueror
may elect to
voluntarily
detach the claws.

39
 XIII: ULTRAMARINES
Bowed but unbroken since Calth, Ultramarine fleets strike out from
Ultramar to hunt down invaders and bring vengeance to the traitor.
Their Glorianna is the Mcragge’s Honour.

Vessels of Superior Tactics: Versatile tactics ensure that the Ultramarines’

the admirals have all the tools required to complete any mission, and
defeat any foe.
Ultramarines
Squadron coherency for all vessels is extended by 5cm. Additionally,
Sword of the the fleet commander gain one extra command re-roll free of cost,
500

Courage Above
All
Getting Started
Squadron coherency allows for Ultramarine vessels to cover more space
Aequitas and also grants them added protection from incoming ordnance like
torpedoes or nova cannons, which will continue to do damage to ships
that are too close to their intended target. The real benefit here is the
extra command reroll, which allows for an admiral to reroll any attempt
Vinculus to go under Orders. This can be crucial when it is absolutely necessary to
Unitatis brace against incoming fire, or come to new heading to reposition a ship.
Having an extra reroll allows for Ultramarine admirals to ensure their
orders are carried out with minimal margin for error.

Nova Warrior Ultramarine fleets enjoy versatility and reliability, meaning that they can
employ squadroned Imperial vessels or solo Chaos vessels to equal effect.
Beware however, that extra rerolls do little to negate the effects of
leadership reducing sources.
Ceres 1010pt Starter

• Ophelia (Oberon battleship) - 335pts

Armsman • Legate (Slaughter cruiser) - 165pts

• Honor in Duty (Lunar cruiser) - 180pts

Phaunos • Foebane (Gothic cruiser) - 180pts

• Pilum Squadron (Nova escorts x3) - 150pts

Sethaln's
Thunder

Objective Truth

40
 The Macragge’s
Honour grants an
additional re-roll
and ignores a
single point of
leadership
reduction from
sources such as
blast markers or
the Mark of
Slaanesh.
Additionally, all
vessels may
reroll 1s to hit a
target that the
Macragge’s
Honour has fired
upon that turn
(including any
attack craft it has
launched).
The Macragge’s
Honour is
equipped with an
Auxiliary Bridge.

41
 XIV: DEATH GUARD
A legion of stubborn post-humans who refuse to die, the Death
Guard fleets dispense with exotic maneuvering and subtly in favor of
sheer, unstoppable endurance. Their Glorianna is the Endurance. They
Vessels of may also field the Terminus Est.
the Death Legendary Resilience: Even in the face of overwhelming force, the
Guard Sons of Mortarion do not stop in their inexorable advance until the
very last of them lay dead, a feat not easily accomplished.
Necrotore
Ships with Astartes crews automatically pass command checks to go
under Brace For Impact! Orders.

Reaper’s Shroud

Mia Donna Getting Started

Mori
Like the Iron Hands, the Death Guard fleets are resilient.
While they do not get the rerolls against incoming damage,
auto-passing the order means that Death Guard ships will
Spectre of always have a reliable defense against enemy firepower. Unlike
Death the other legions who may be plagued by low leadership,
smashed bridges or pesky Slaaneshi vessels, the Death Guard
will not yield, and will endure. Bracing for impact does half all
Fourth weapons and turret fire and cannot go under new orders until
Horseman the next turn (from when they braced), so be aware that a
braced ship’s capabilities are still severely hampered.
The Death Guard make good use of all range of vessels
Morbid available to the legions, but excel with ships that pack
Revelation excessive amounts of firepower. In this way, bracing will half
their weapons’ strength, but they have strength to spare.
995pt Starter
Barbaros’ Sting
Pale Rider (Styx heavy cruiser with Astartes crew) - 305pts

Moloch (Crusader cruiser with Astartes crew) - 195pts

Eisenstein Tyranny Denied (Gothic cruiser with Astartes crew) - 195pts

15th Heavy Escort Squadron (Thunderbolt escorts x3) - 150pts

Stalwart 19th Heavy Escort Squadron (Thunderbolt escorts x3) - 150pts

42
 The Endurance
may elect to fire
its weapons
batteries, or its
torpedoes as
Proscribed
Weapons, which
hit and cause
critical hits on a
4+, but have no
effects on shields.
Additionally, any
hit-and-run or
boarding actions
carried out against
it suffer a further -
1 modifier.
Terminus Est (430
points)
The Terminus Est
may be taken as it
appears in the
Powers of Chaos
publication.
The Terminus Est
is Ld.10, has a
single reroll and
must be the fleet’s
flagship if the
Endurance is not
present.
Being a Battle
Barge, the
Terminus Est
follows all
relevant BFH
rules, and before a
battle may elect to
carry
Thunderhawks
and Thunderhawk
Annihilators
instead of its
usual complement
of attack craft.

43
 XV: THOUSAND SONS
Esoteric and misunderstood, the fleets of the Thousand Sons ply
strange tides, and employ even stranger tactics. Their Glorianna is
the Photep. They may also deploy the Scion of Prospero.

Vessels of Corvidae Commanders: The Thousand Sons naturally, as a matter of

course, employed powerful psykers to guide their ships, and to inform
the their order of battle.
Thousand
Sons Capital ships with Astartes crews must take the Mark of Tzeentch
for 20pts, providing an extra command reroll usable for that ship
Second Circle only.

Fulcrumesque

Getting Started
Herumon
The Mark of Tzeentch grants the ship that bears it a single
reroll. Thousand Sons ships can more reliably pass Orders
when it is crucial to do so. This is in addition to any rerolls
Achaeonical that you may have bought for your fleet admiral, so a
Thousand Sons fleet can make for a highly reliable (if not
slightly more expensive) force. However, one must still judge
the appropriate time to use these rerolls, and be aware that
Sycrorax they still mean little in the face of severe leadership penalties
from a variety of sources.

Ankhtowe The Thousand Sons make a capable carrier/ordnance fleet,

where their mandatory Mark of Tzeentch enables them to
reliable keep ordnance in the tubes and launch bays. Be careful
not to expend all of your ammunition and attack craft in hasty
deployment, however.
1015pt Starter
• Abraxas (Desolator battleship) - 300pts

• Aleph (Dictator cruiser with Astartes crew & mark of Tzeentch) -

255pts

• Hageir (Lunar cruiser) - 180pts

• Incendrius (Murder cruiser with an Astartes crew) - 185pts

• Righteous Fire squadron (Cobra escorts x3) - 90pts

44
 Successful
Leadership checks
to fire at the
Photep (such as in
the instance of it
not being the
closest vessel)
must be rerolled.
Additionally, once
per phase, the
Photep (or any of
its ordnance) may
reroll any single
die.
The Photep comes
equipped with the
Mark of
Tzeentch.
Scion of Prospero
(450 pts)
The Scion of
Prospero may be
selected i the
profile appearing
on page 106 of
the Powers of
Chaos publication.
Being a Battle
Barge, the Scion
of Prospero
follows all
relevant BFH
rules, and before a
battle may elect to
carry
Thunderhawks
and Thunderhawk
Anhilators instead
of its usual
complement of
attack craft.

45
 XVI: SONS OF HORUS
First Among Equals. The Most Honored of Legions. Arch-traitors.
The Sons of Horus are merciless and without hesitation on the attack.
Their Glorianna is the Vengeful Spirit.

Vessels of Tip of the Spear: The brutal, decapitation strikes of the Sons of
the Sons of Horus are their pride, led from the front by the black clad terminators
of the 1st company.
Horus
Your flagship gains terminators for free. Two additional ships may
Bone Jackal upgrade their Astartes to terminators for 15pts. When any ship
equipped with terminators makes a teleport attack, that ship may roll
2D6 and apply both results to the target

Desolation

Gore Prow Getting Started

Go for the throat! Terminators are a 20pt upgrade to an
Astartes crew which adds an additional +1 to Astartes’ innate
boarding skill (for a total of +2 on top of Astartes natural
Fourfold Wolf +1). Should Terminators be assigned to a ship drawn from
the Space Marine fleet list, then they get an incredible +3
(SM ships themselves add +1 to boarding actions by virtue
of being purpose built for marines)! Normally, terminators
Lupercal may only be taken on a single ship. But the Sons get
Pursuivant terminators on the flagship for free, and may buy terminators
for an additional 2 ships. Teleport attacks may be conducted
on enemy ships in range that have had their shields stripped,
Magna Tyranis inflicting terrible damage with the bonuses from
Terminators. Additionally, the Sons of Horus roll 2d6
(instead of the usual 1) and apply BOTH results! A ship
under attack from SoH Terminators will find itself deprived
King Eater of operational weapons systems and suffering from
catastrophic damage. Beware, however, as being close enough
to the enemy to launch these attacks can earn you a
punishing salvo of weapons batteries and torpedoes.
War Oath
1000pt Starter
• Old Cthonia (Eclipse battlecruiser with Astartes crew and
Ikon terminators) - 230pts

• Talon (Strike Cruiser with terminators) - 160pts

• Reikart (Strike Cruiser with terminators) - 160pts

Oblivion
• Crown Breakers (Iconoclast escorts x4) - 120pts

• Unstoppable Humanity (Murder cruiser with Astartes crew) -

185pts

• Shaasta (Slaughter cruiser) - 165pts

46
 All friendly
vessels in the
same fleet as the
Vengeful Spirit,
gain a +1 to
their leadership
value.

Additionally, the
Vengeful Spirit
may conduct
teleport attacks
from 25cm away.
The Sons of
Horus, being the
Warmaster’s
own Legion,
were superbly
equipped at the
outset of the
Horus Heresy.
As the war
Front
dragged on
Left/Front/Right several of their
ships were
“upgraded” by
the Dark
Mechanicum.
These two facts
makes the Sons
of Horus an
excellent choice
of Legion for
Traitor players
who wish to
make use of the
Experimental
Ship rules.

Front
Left/Front/
Right

47
 XVII: WORD BEARERS
Instigators of the Heresy, the Word Bearers sail into the void
accompanied by Hell itself. Their Glorianna is the Fidelitas Lex. They
may also field an Abyss-class battleship.

Vessels of Voidborne Altars: Long since sold their souls to the darker powers, the
the Word Word Bearers enjoy the patronage of the Dark Gods.
Bearers Capital ships with Astartes crew may take any Mark of Chaos, and the
flagship gets a mark for free.
Kamiel
Mark of Khorne: The ship doubles its value in boarding actions. 10pts
Mark of Slaanesh: Enemy ships within 15cm of the vessel suffer a -2
to leadership 20pts
Abyssal Mark of Tzeentch: The vessel gains an additional re-roll. 25pts
Communion Mark of Nurgle: The vessel gains an additional hull point and cannot
be boarded. 30pts

Getting Started
Gospel of Steel Marks of Chaos are an excellent way of improving a ship’s
capability and for a price, the Word Bearers have access to all
four. The Mark of Khorne improves boarding capability, the
Mark of Slaanesh imposes a -2 leadership penalty on enemy
Vox Finalis ships, the Mark of Tzeentch grants a reroll, and the Mark of
Nurgle adds an extra hull point onto the ship and makes it
immune to boarding (but not hit and run attacks). The Word
Bearers become a highly versatile force with these upgrades.
Crown of But beware that they can only be bought for ships with
Colchis Astartes crews as an upgrade (or already included), so the price
can add up quickly.
995pt Starter
Deadsong
• Bleakmaw (Hades heavy cruiser with Astartes crew & Mark
of Nurgle) - 215pts
De Profundis • Altar Eternal (Devastation cruiser) - 190pts
• Pilgrim of the Void (Devastation cruiser) - 190pts
Hand of • Monstrous squadron (Sword escorts x3, Firestorm escorts
Destiny x2) - 185pts
• Sin Drinker (Crusader cruiser with Astartes crew & Mark
of Slaanesh) - 215pts
Infidus Diabolus

48
 All friendly
vessels within
45cm of the Lex
may use its
leadership.
Additionally, the
Fidelitas Lex may
not take a Mark
of Chaos.
However, all
enemy vessels and
ordnance markers
that end their
movement within
30cm of the Lex
count as being in
contact with blast
markers. If the
Fidelitas Lex is
destroyed in
campaign, it may
be replaced with
an Abyss-class
battleship.
Abyss-class
Battleship (525
pts)
This counts as a
the Fidelitas Lex
for all intents and
purposes, and uses
the profile for the
Planet Killer
(adding an S:2 aft
launch bay that
may only deploy
orbital mines).
The Abyss cannot
be used in a fleet
that currently has
the Fidelitas Lex.
and there may
only ever be one.

49
 XVIII: SALAMANDERS
Warrior mystics of the Promethean Cult, the Salamanders do not die
easily, and will fight to the last to defend humanity, and each other.
This determination only grew in those few XVIII Legion ships and
Vessels of Astartes that survived the Dropsite Massacre. Their Glorianna is the
Flamewrought.
the
Salamanders Promethean Creed: Ships with Astartes crew, when crippled, only
reduce their weapons, turrets and shields to 75%, instead of the usual
Guardian of 50%. Only 1 in 3 ships may have an Astartes crew upgrade.
Flame Additionally, the flagship may take melta torpedoes for free.

Charybdis

Chalice of Fire Getting Started

A crippled ship’s ability to fight back is severely hampered,
especially when its attacker remains fully combat capable. The
Salamanders’ ability to return fire with minimal diminishment
Khalkeus means that even when crippled, they are still a significant
threat. While the difference may only be a handful of dice in
the shooting phase, it only takes a single hit to change the
course of a ship’s fate. Beware that the Salamanders are not as
Ebon Drake numerous an Astartes fleet as others, and so one must be
careful in selecting which ships will benefit the most from a
space marine crew.
Fire Ark 1035pt Starter Fleet
• Immolus (Dagon grand cruiser with Astartes crew and
melta torpedoes) - 245pts
Verdict of the
Anvil • Nocturnian (Dictator cruiser) -220pts
• Fearless (Lunar cruiser) -180pts
De Infernus • Aenian 2-3 (Hunter squadron ×6) - 240pts
• Young Drakes (Nova squadron ×3) -150pts

50
 The
Flamewrought
does not run out
of melta
torpedoes
Additionally, if
there is a
crippled friendly
vessel within
25cm of the
Flamewrought,
then it may
reroll failures to
hit against
enemy units, but
suffers a -2 to
any attempts to
disengage.
*When playing a
narrative
campaign set
after Istvaan V,
we suggest the
Flamewrought
begin the
campaign as
crippled,
requiring
resources to
return to full
strength, as it
was ‘reportedly’
destroyed during
the Dropsite
Massacre.

51
 XIX: RAVEN GUARD
The Ravens strike hard, without warning, and from unexpected
quarters. Those still standing after their initial attacks are left reeling
as the sons of Corax fade to strike again. Their Glorianna is the
Vessels of Shadow of The Emperor.
the Raven Wing and Talon: Ships with Astartes crew automatically pass
Guard command checks to Come to New Heading.

Avenger Reflex Shields: Raven Guard ships may elect to drop their shields to
ignore the penalties from enemy markers and ships before attempting
to disengage.

Providence

Raven’s Claw Getting Started

Using Come to New Heading is a fantastic way to gain
superior position over your opponents, sacrificing firepower for
Shadowed maneuverability. The Raven Guard are easily able to slip past a
Guardian victim’s fire arcs, and stay there for the rest of the game as
they struggle to come about and engage. Beware lest you find
yourself caught between another enemy vessel and your
victim, however, as your advantage against one is negated if
Black Wing the other has advantage over you. Disengaging is a way to
preserve your ships for other fights, as well as deny victory
points to the enemy. Using their Reflex Shields allow Raven
Guard vessels to disappear once they have done their damage,
Raven’s Valor completely ignoring penalties for being among the enemy.
However, take care. If you fail to disengage, you find yourself
in the midst of enemy guns, and with no shields to protect you.
Triumph Such a fate is a death sentence for ships already damaged and
trying to make their escape.
955pt Starter
Sabalis
Liberatus • Dark Poet (Mars battlecruiser) - 260pts
• Black Tower (Murder cruiser with Astartes crew) - 185pts

Saviour in • Veiled Lady (Strike Cruiser replacing launch bays with

Shadow lances) - 145pts
• Tenebrous Vox (Dauntless light cruiser with Astartes crew)
- 125pts
• Liberator squadron (Cobra ×4) - 120pts
• Raptor squadron (Cobra ×4) - 120pts

52
 When braced,
instead of the
customary 4+
save, the Shadow
of the Emperor
counts as having
a Holofield. This
ship may use the
Come to New
Heading special
order.

*When playing a
narrative
campaign set
after Istvaan V,
we suggest the
Shadow of the
Emperor begin
the campaign as
crippled,
requiring
resources to
return to full
strength, as it
was ‘reportedly’
destroyed by the
Terminus Est
during the
Dropsite
Massacre.

53
 XX: ALPHA LEGION
Insidious and subtle, the Alpha Legion prefer to win a battle before
the enemy is even aware there is a battle to be fought. Their Glorianna
is the Alpha, or perhaps the Beta.
Vessels of
the Alpha False Ident Codes: Ships with an Astartes crew may take a Mimic
Engine for 30pts. If all ships participating in the battle are equipped
Legion with a Mimic Engine, then they may not be targeted until they fire
first, or come within 30cm of the enemy, instead of the usual first
Delta turn only protection. If one ship’s mimic engine is compromised, it is
assumed they all are.

Gamma Mu

Upsilon Getting Started

Mimic engine allows a ship to be untargetable by the enemy
until it fires first, or comes within 30cm. It also grants a free
Zeta movement after deployment. This allows for the Alpha Legion
to assume the optimum position for attack before the enemy
realizes the threat. If the entire fleet has mimic engines, then
they may not be targeted at all until hostilities have begun!
Lamda This makes the Alpha Legion very dangerous if allowed to
strike first. But be aware that equipping a ship (or a fleet) in
such a way can be very, very expensive.
Zeta-Telios 1000pt Starter
• Sarna (Battle barge replacing armaments for lances)
- 445pts
• Blue Adder (Strike Cruiser with mimic engine) - 175pts
• Principia Deceptiva (Strike Cruiser with mimic engine)
- 175pts
• Morrigan (Murder cruiser with Astartes and terminators)
- 205pts

54
 The Alpha comes
equipped with a
Mimic Engine,
and for the first
turn of a battle,
the enemy fleet
suffers a uniform
-D6 penalty to
their leadership
values.
Additionally, in
a campaign
setting, if the
Alpha is sent out
of system for
repairs, it may
immediately be
replaced by the
Beta until it
returns. The Beta
counts as
destroyed if the
Alpha is, but may
be used in
separate battles
in any system
adjacent via
warp route to the
Alpha’s location.
The two ships
are identical.

55
 ARMADA IMPERIALIS
The sailors of the Imperial Army are the brave mortals that sail the
Expeditionary Fleets. As varied in skill as they are in doctrine, the
Armada Imperialis is a fleet made to conquer the galaxy. Their
Glorianna is the venerable Amphion.
+++
INCOMING Naval Veterans: For a cost of 20pts, Naval Veterans may be purchased. Upon
ORDERS being posted, the Veteran adds 1 to the leadership of their vessel.
+++ Additionally, roll a D3. The Veteran in question automatically passes all of
the corresponding orders (there is no need to determine which ship a Veteran
is posted to until after this roll is made). If a Vereran’s ship is destroyed, a
++++ veteran of the same discipline may be generated for its replacement. Fleets
Fleet-to- of the Armada Imperialis may not use ships drawn from the Space Marine
assemble-at- list, or purchase Astartes upgrades.
GRID/2020/A-
[Port Maw] 1. All Ahead Full, Burn Retros and Come to New Heading
++++ 2. Lock On! and Reload Ordnance
3. Brace for Impact
+++
Admiral- Getting Started
Bramstok- The fleets of the Armada Imperialis lack the single focus of
commanding- the Legion fleets, but make up for it with a greater versatility
RESPLENDANT across a greater number of ships. The posting of Veterans
+++ allows you to increase a ship’s natural aptitude for its
+++ battlefield role. Battleships and heavy cruisers would benefit
Battlegroup- greatly from having the offensively oriented Veteran on its
Lethe-to-attend bridge, while maneuverable light cruisers and escort squadrons
+++
+++ will be able to be at the right place at the right time with the
Battlegroup- help of a positioning Veteran. Even a space station, normally
Stalwart-to- hampered by low leadership, is capable of far greater
attend performance under a Veteran’s guidance. Be sure not to be
+++ careless with them, however, as their price tags can start to add
+++ up.
Patrolgroup-
Bretz-to-attend 1000pt Starter
+++
• Lord DuPonte (Eclipse battlecruiser) - 235pts
+++
OPERATION:tot • Austerity (Slaughter cruiser) - 165pts
al-destruction-of-
traitor-forces-by- • Blade of Unification (Dauntless light cruiser) - 110pts
any-means
+++ • Young Ifrit (Dauntless light cruiser) - 110pts
+++ • Champion of Saturn (Dictator) - 220pts
may-your-guns-
be-true-may-the- • Chirion and Velmar’s Lament (Thunderbolts ×2) - 100pts
throneworld-
remember-you • Naval Veterans ×3 -60pts
+++

56
 The Amphion has
an Augmented
Crew instead of
an Astartes
Crew. This adds
+1 to all Hit and
Run or Boarding
actions, but does
not grant the
benefits of
Terminators, nor
is it capable of
launching
Thunderhawks.
Additionally, it
counts as a battle
barge for the
purpose of
Planetary
Assault and
Exterminatus
missions. The
Amphion may
only be selected
by Loyalists.

57
 BLACKSHIELDS
Forsaking loyalty to both the Warmaster and the Emperor, these
sailors carve out their own fate amidst the turmoil of the Heresy.
They do not have a Glorianna, but may use a Space Hulk.

Unorthodox Methods: Blackshields may purchase Augmented Crews

for 5pts, Astartes Bridge Masters for 10pts or Astartes Crew for
15pts. Ships with Astartes Bridge Masters roll 2D6 when generating
leadership and select the higher result. The flagship must have either
Astartes Crew or Astartes Bridge Masters.

In a campaign, Blackshields follow all relevant rules for Pirates (IE:

Orks and Eldar), but may elect to fight a Fleet Engagement scenario
instead of a Major Raid. If the Blackshield base is discovered, instead
of playing Planetary Assault or Exterminatus scenarios, the
Blackshield player may elect to play the Retribution! Scenario (see
next page).

Retribution!
Having finally tracked down the Blackshield forces, the enemy is eager to put
an end to the pirate menace, and mete out much deserved justice for the loss of
time and materiel. The destruction of their headquarters will teach these
faithless men a lesson.

Forces
This scenario is a battle, and both players should decide on a points
limit. As the Blackshield player is defending their base of operations,
they must roll a D3 against the following table to determine what
forces (if any) are available for the defense.
1. Ambushed!: The warband is taken completely by surprise, with only a
token force on hand to defend their base.
The Blackshield player may only use up to a quarter of the total
points value for the battle.

2. Caught Off Guard: Much of the warband’s strength is tied up in

raids and battle elsewhere, but there remains a contingent of homeguard.
The Blackshield player may only use up to half of the total points
value of the battle.

3. Well Prepared: Not to be outmaneuvered, the warband is on full alert

and ready to meet the foe.
The Blackshield player may use up to the full point value of the battle.

In addition to their available fleet, the Blackshields player may include

either a Space Hulk or a Ramilies-class Starfort. This will count as
their base of operations for the purpose of the scenario.

Battlezone
Pirates frequently secret their bases away in the outer reaches or in
deep space, although more aggressive warbands are known to reside
within the primary biosphere, where raiding and receiving tribute can
be more efficient. Set up celestial phenomena in a way that is
agreeable to both players, or generate the battlezone per the relevant
table.

58
Setup
The defender has most of their fleet stationed near the base, as the enemy approaches, but several
ships or squadrons of ships are out on patrol and arrive later in the engagement. The defender
must pick one capital ship or escort squadron to be on patrol for every 500pts of their fleet.
These are kept to one side, not deployed at the start of the battle. The remainder of the
defending fleet may be deployed anywhere on the battlefield, but not within 30cm of a table edge.
The attacker sets up their entire fleet within 15cm of the table edge which is furthest from the
base.
15cm

50cm

Attacker’s Deployment Zone

Blackshield
Base Defender’s Deployment Zone

30cm

The First Turn

Each player rolls a dice, and the player with the higher score may choose whether to go first or
second.

Special Rules
The defending fleet rolls for the arrival of its patrols at the start of each of the defender’s turns.
Roll a D6 for each defending capital ship and escort squadron which is not in play and compare it
to the table below. If the score equals or beats the number shown, the ship arrives as
reinforcement on a randomly determined table edge.

2-3

1 D6 Roll 6

4-5

Ship’s Speed Up to 20cm Up to 25cm 30cm+

Score Needed to Arrive 5+ 4+ 3+

Game Length
The game ends when one fleet disengages, or the base is destroyed.

Victory Conditions
If one fleet disengages, then it loses. If the attacker destroys the base, then the attacker wins.

59
Rogue
Traders
Militant

60
16
 By Order of the Most Glorious
Emperor of Mankind

Thou art granted the title and rank of Rogue

Trader Militant, and placed upon thee the
Charge to sail from this place forthwith;
returning not except at such time the Emperor
Himself absolves thee of thy Task.
Thou shalt sail, with all thy bondsmen and
serfs, into the Uncharted Reaches, making
known there the Light of the Imperial Truth.
Wheresoever thou finds the scattered Children
of Terra, thou shalt make Peaceful Contact and
bring Illumination.
However if Thou shalt find the Xenos, the
Mutant, or those who reject the Light to dwell
in Darkness, thou shalt wage the Emperor’s
war, or, if the foe be too great, summon hence
the wrath of His armies, so that the Imperium
of Man be safeguarded and expanded.
- Excerpt from the Warrant of Trade awarded to Balthasar
Rhoyne 806.M30

61
61
Rogue Trader’s Militant in Battlefleet Heresy
The purpose of this fleet is to give life to the Rogue Trader Militant (RTM) fleets assembled
during the Great Crusade. Thus they are built around a few large “show the flag” type
vessels which still have decent speed. To act as the eyes and ears of the expeditionary fleets
they no doubt included masses of escorts and light cruisers. The Armiger-class light
cruiser, which could overawe planets without a large spacefaring presence with its attack
craft squadrons and lances was likely a popular choice. Likewise the Stalwart-class
reconnaissance/exploratory light cruiser. So both of these ignore the capital ship tax
imposed on RTM fleets. The authors expect the bulk of such fleets were made up of escort
squadrons. Large numbers of small ships would allow an expeditionary fleet to feel out an
area of space much more quickly than with larger ships. Given their lack of ready supply
lines and the fact that escorts need refuel/resupply more frequently than larger ships,
attached transports would be a must. From that the escort and transport requirements came
into being. In the end we wanted something distinctly “second tier” compared to the main
Expeditionary fleets, but with enough flavor to catch people unawares!

The foes RTM fleets were supposed to fight would likewise not be on the same level as the
Expeditionary fleets. When faced with overwhelming force, the RTM would mark the
location and call for the main Expeditionary fleets or the Legions. If they found
unsophisticated xenos species or recalcitrant single-system human civilizations, these light
forces would suffice to bring about compliance. During the Heresy these fleets were likely
used for similar tasks by Loyalists and Traitors alike. Scouting out enemy positions, locating
fleets, or acting as raiders deep behind enemy lines. Conversely it is known that some Rogue
Trader Militants truly did go Rogue, carving out pocket empires of their own and fighting
both Loyalists and Traitors who got in the way.

There are numerous ways to build and upgrade RTM ships, especially the escort squadrons.
Though they have been given generic names the author would encourage users to name each
variant craft they field, especially in campaign situations! Below are some examples to spark
the imagination.

ED-146.3-17/g “Wasp” class escorts- Designated an escort-destroyer these vessels were first
encountered by the 146th Expeditionary Fleet during the pacification of 146-17, and were the third
previously unidentified vessel of similar type and tonnage encountered by the 146th. Code-named
“Wasps” by fleet tacticians, they were little more than a mild inconvenience to the heavy cruiser
squadron that made up the core of the 146th primary combat group. After compliance several of
these vessels were handed over to the Rogue Trader Abrax D’Orvyl, who utilized his ties to the
Mechanicum of Mars to upgrade the weapon mounts prior to departing for the Varaxian Deeps.
(Requisitioned Escort pattern Alpha)

Qang-Class Battleship- Named after a famous wet-navy admiral from Ghavanti history, the
laughably-named “battleship” is a remarkable vessel. Though only a frigate by Imperial standards,
the Quag is more than a match for most Imperial ships of the same tonnage. Boasting advanced
targeting matrices and long-ranged guns backed by a lance-equivalent the Qang “battleship” is a
dangerous foe. When Ghavant peacefully joined the Imperium its navy attempted to join the Imperial
expeditionary fleets. However only the Qang could be made warp-capable, and the smaller vessels
were relegated to planetary defense. Qangs joined several then-local RTM fleets and provided good
service both in the Crusade and later on both sides of the Heresy. (Unconventional Escort, Targeting
Matrix.)

62
A Rogue Trader Militant fleet has the following rules:

Forms Esoteric and Strange: Rogue Trader’s Militants’ fleets are often comprised of ships that don’t
match the specifications of other Imperial vessels. Some may have been ancient before the Age of
Darkness and were gifted to the Rogue Trader before they set out. Other times a recently-compliant
civilization might be forced to send its former fleet into Imperial service with its Admiral as a new Rogue
Trader Militant. Often times pre-compliance and non-STC vessels are added to a Rogue Trader’s fleet
wholesale to make up for losses. Compounding the problem of standardization is the long years spent
away from friendly ports, which lead to ad-hoc refits using non-imperial human or even xenos technology.

Any Rogue Trader Militant capital ship, Rogue Trader Cargo Vessel, Requisitioned Escort, or
Escort Carrier can roll randomly on the Dark Age/Xenos Systems chart for 30pts per capital
ship or 5pts per escort. For an additional 5pts per ship, the player can select the Dark Age
Upgrade instead of rolling for it. For escorts you may roll once for each type of ship in the
squadron capable of receiving the upgrade and apply the result to every ship, or roll once for
the whole squadron. When utilizing escort squadrons comprising both ships that can and ships
that cannot take Dark Age/Xenos Systems upgrades, only the ships that can receive upgrades
are used to calculate cost.

(IE: In an escort squadron of two Requisitioned Escorts, one Escort Carrier, and three Cobra Destroyers,
you could pay 15pts total, roll once for both Requisitioned escorts, and apply a separate roll for the Escort
Carrier. Or you could roll once and apply the results to both Requisitioned Escorts and the Escort
Carrier. The Cobra Destroyers are not eligible for upgrades, as they are of standard Armada Imperialis
design.)

Dark Age/Xenos Systems

1. Long Range Sensors: The vessel adds +1 to its base leadership (max 10)

2. Esoteric Targeting Matrix: The vessel counts all targets as closing when using the
gunnery table within 30cm and ignores right-shift modifiers for shooting greater than
30cm.

3. Advanced Shielding: The vessel increases its number of shields by +1.

4. Point Defense Grid: The vessel increases the strength of its turrets by +1.

5. Advanced Drive Technology: The vessel adds +5cm to its speed as well as +1D6 when
undergoing All Ahead Full special orders.

6. Gravitic Thrusters: The vessel can double the maximum rate of its normal turn.

Pioneer Companies: The White Scars were famous for their pathfinding ability, and often were part
of RTM fleets during the Great Crusade. When the heresy began these ships frequently stayed with their
mortal allies rather than try to make it back to the Khan through the Ruinstorm.

For every full 1500pts your fleet may include either up to 2 White Scars light cruisers, a
squadron of up to 6 White Scars escorts, or a squadron of 3 White Scars escorts and 1 White
Scars light cruiser. These ships count as part of your fleet for game purposes (though they
cannot take Dark Age/Xenos systems upgrades), as well as benefit from the White Scar Legion
rules.

Eclectic: Despite the long years away from friendly ports, and the strange changes worked on their fleets
for that fact, Rogue Traders’ ships are still (for the most part) churned out of Imperial shipyards, and
follow many conventional designs. At first glance, at least.

In addition to the ships listed later, Rogue Trader Militant fleets may select any cruiser, light
cruiser, or escort available to Horus Heresy Fleet lists, with the exception of a battle barge,
Strike Cruiser, Nova, Hunter or Gladius. White Scars included in a RTM fleet ignore this when
selecting ships.
63
Fleet Composition
Your fleet must contain at least one Rogue Trader Militant for 50pts. You may include an
additional Rogue Trader Militant for every ship with 8 or more hull points in your fleet.
Each Rogue Trader Militant is LD9, and has a single re-roll which may be used on their ship
or any escort squadron in your fleet. Additionally, each Rogue Trader may choose from the
following upgrades for their ship.

• Armored Prow (30pts)

• Power Ram (25pts)

• +1 Hull point (10pts)

• Aft weapons battery S:6 R:30cm Rear (5pts)

• Additional Dark Age/Xenos Systems roll (20pts)

• Augmented crew (10pts)

Self-Contained: A Rogue Trader Militant’s fleet is expected to operate far beyond known ports of
call and without the help of the wider Imperium. Therefore their supply ships are both more
numerous and more frequently in harm’s way than is usual with the Legions or the Imperial Army.

For every 500pts in your fleet you must include either 1 heavy transport, super heavy
transport, or Star Galleon; or two Rogue Trader Cargo Vessels. In a campaign, when
playing a scenario that requires you to bring transports, you may substitute any of the free
transports with your own cargo vessels, Star Galleons, or Heavy/Super Heavy Transports
for free. Only vessels from your fleet list count for determining the number of transports
and/or cargo vessels in your list, per 500pts. (IE: in a convoy scenario a free heavy transport
would not count as your 1 heavy transport per 500pts, but if it was swapped out for a ship
from your campaign list it would.)

Your fleet may contain one ship exceeding 8 hull points for every 2000pts (Super Heavy
Transports do not count against this total). This ship may be any vessel from the Horus
Heresy Fleet List with a minimum of 20cm speed. Battle Barges may not be taken.

For every 2 hull points of capital ship in your fleet, you must have at least 1 escort.
Superheavy transports, Heavy Transports, Star Galleons, and Armiger class light cruisers,
are not counted for or against this requirement. (IE: A fleet containing a murder class
cruiser (8hp) and a dauntless-class light cruiser (6hp) must include at least 7 escorts. A fleet
containing a Murder class cruiser and an Armiger class light cruiser would only need to
include 4 escorts.)

Remnants of Empires: Often times, a Rogue Trader Militant is a former enemy of the Emperor.
Warlords and merchants and malcontents of great renown that were given the choice of execution or
service. These men and women carry their legacies to the stars, where they are “free” to continue their
reign, as long as they do so in the name of the Imperium of Man.

A Rogue Trader Militant may purchase a Remnant of Empires for 60pts. Only one Rogue
Trader Militant in a fleet may have this upgrade at one time. This upgrade grants the Rogue
Trader Militant special abilities, and a further armory of upgrades to choose from.
Regardless of the sub-type a Rogue Trader selects, it still retains the rank of Rogue Trader
Militant, and all relevant rules and available upgrades still apply, except where explicitly
stated otherwise.

64
Rogue Trader Reavers: Warlords, pirate queens and exiled despots, the Reaver is a soul who has
channeled their fury and their wrath into their ships, forging them into mighty war vessels capable of
challenging many contemporaries and leaving them as spinning space debris. Their left is an iron fist,
their right is a bloody hand.

A Reaver may select any vessel with the Battleship/12 or Cruiser/10 type as their flagship,
without needing a fleet of 2000pts or more in value.

Bloody Handed: If a friendly ship fails a command check, the Rogue Trader will fire upon it
with half of its available firepower in its next shooting phase. Duly chastised, the victim vessel
increases its Ld. by 1 for the rest of the game. If the offending vessel is outside of the Rogue
Trader’s flagship’s firing arc, or weapons range, then nothing happens. If the offending ship is
the Rogue Trader’s, then it counts as being crippled for the turn as the tyrant’s men crack
some heads. If the offending ship has an Astartes Crew, nothing happens. Even fratricidal
madness has its limits, after all.

Any Rogue Trader Reaver may purchase

• Replace prow weapon with a nova cannon (may not join Mechanicum fleets) (40pts)

• Add a S:2 R:60cm L/F/R dorsal lance battery (25pts)

• +D3 Hull points (10pts)

• Add S:8 R:30cm port/starboard bombardment cannon (40pts)

• Launch bays may launch assault craft (Free)

• Add prow S6 torpedoes (may not be taken with a nova cannon) (20pts)

Rogue Trader Tech Baron: Former leaders of technocracies, mechanical enclaves and enterprising
salvagers, the Tech Barons are abhorred by the Mechanicum, who see them as little more than
heretical thieves hiding behind their Warrants. But the esoteric machines aboard their ships make
them excellent survivors in the dark between the stars, and they are adept at repurposing wreckage
and junk to keep their fleets going.

A Tech Baron may, as their flagship, build an Experimental Ship (pursuant to all relevant rules
and restrictions), but may not select a battleship hull. A Tech Baron may not be taken by a
Mechanicum fleet.

Salvage Kings: At the end of the battle, if the Tech Baron’s side holds the field, then all hulks
are worth twice as much renown (bear in mind that this is cumulative with other factors such
as Gloriannas). Additionally, for each hulk claimed, the fleet gains an additional resource point.

A Tech Baron may purchase

• Replace prow weapon with a nova cannon (40pts)

• Mimic engine (25pts)

• +1 Shield (10pts)

• Up to 3 fleet defense turrets (5pts each)

• Add S:4 R:45cm port/starboard lance battery (20pts)

• Xenotech OR Gifts of the Mechanicum roll (20pts)

• Replace shields with Holofield (may not take with additional weapons or shield upgrades)
(30pts)
65
Rogue Trader Magistrate: In the cold reaches of space, the Warrant is law, and the Magistrate’s
interpretation of that warrant is all. Some are charismatic, some are underhanded, but the
Magistrate is capable of bringing almost anyone over to their side. Powerful communication
equipment ensures that their wishes are conveyed to all, even to the enemy at times.

A Magistrate may include Hunters, Novas and Gladius escorts in their fleet.

A Magistrate may purchase

• Astartes crew (15pts)

• +1 command reroll (25pts)

• Auxiliary bridge (30pts)

• +1 turret (5pts)

• Add S:2 R:45cm dorsal lance battery OR S:6 R:45cm dorsal weapons battery (20pts)

• Anti-boarding spines: the vessel cannot be boarded. (30pts)

Countermand Orders: Once per game, at any time, the Magistrate may take a leadership
test. If passed, they may negate the current order of a single enemy ship within 60cm and
replace it with one of his own choosing. The target may take a leadership test to resist the
new order, but their current one is negated regardless.

Rogue Trader Escorts

Rogue Trader fleets field an uncommon number of escorts, and in addition to those drawn
from the Horus Heresy fleet list, the following escorts are common in Rogue Trader
Militant Fleets. At least half of your escorts must be made up of these types.

Requisitioned Escort (30pts)

Covering a variety of ships these escorts are usually the vanquished remnants of a now-compliant
human civilization’s fleet, or reconditioned Imperial escorts no longer considered capable of front-line
combat. Either way, these vessels are usually modified by Rogue Traders Militant to provide fast and
surprisingly effective escorts.

• Alpha Pattern

• Beta Pattern

66
Unconventional Escort (50pts)
Whether relics of the Dark Age of Technology, Imperial escorts “upgraded” with archeotech, or highly
effective non-STC frigates from a compliant world’s former defense fleet, Unconventional Escorts are
much prized by Rogue Traders Militants. Though the Expeditionary fleets shun them due to lack of
standardization, Rogue Traders are less picky. Any ship is hard to maintain in the dark beyond the
Imperium’s borders, and the added firepower of an Unconventional Escort squadron can spell the
difference between victory and defeat.

An Unconventional Escort may selected as an upgrade from the “Dark Age/Xenos systems
table”. You may have one squadron of Unconventional Escort for every 750pts.

Escort Carrier (60pts)

These ships are generally ignored by the expeditionary fleets. Their small attack craft compliment and
weak armor making them unsuitable for major fleet actions. However RTM fleets frequently make use
of these “pocket carriers” as a way to provide attack craft cover for far-flung convoys, a show of force
against minor space installations, or even as raiders capable of capturing poorly defended freighters.

No more than 25% of your fleet’s total amount of escorts (not including transports) may be
escort carriers.
Cramped Conditions: Escort carriers come in a variety of types, from converted freighters
to non-STC pattern designs laid down by pre-compliance civilizations. They are universally
somewhat unsuited for the rigorous demands of Imperial starfighter launch/recovery and
maintenance, though that doesn’t stop many captains from cramming as many attack craft as
they can on the decks! Escort Carriers suffer -1LD when reloading ordinance. For no charge
an escort carrier can ignore this penalty, but replaces their port/starboard launch bays with a
single launch bay with a Strength of 1 to represent the decreased capacity sufficient space for
normal operations provides.
Multi-Purpose: Rogue Trader’s Militant engaged in ground campaigns as frequently as void-
fights. For air superiority planetside RTM fleets sometimes utilized escort carriers equipped
with the Thunderbolt Strike Fighters. If you are using the H33 or WR33 Ordnance rules,
your escort carrier may be equipped entirely with Thunderbolt squadrons for 5pts. Due to
the small size of the Thunderbolt in comparison to true starfighters, if you take this upgrade
you may ignore the Cramped Conditions special rule.

67
 Rogue Trader Transports
For every 500pts in your fleet you must include either 1 heavy transport, super heavy
transport, or Star Galleon; or two Rogue Trader Cargo Vessels. In a campaign, when
playing a scenario that requires you to bring transports, you may substitute any of the free
transports with your own cargo vessels, Star Galleons, or Heavy/Super Heavy Transports
for free.

Rogue Trader Cargo Vessel (20pts)

The cargo vessels for Rogue Trader fleets varied extensively in looks, but in general were faster and
better protected against marauding attack craft than those transports build for safer spacelanes. These
extra weapons and larger engines cut down on carrying capacity, but it was determined to be a small
price to pay for the added survivability.

Suited for War: These vessels have more in common with warships than traditional
freighters, giving up a significant portion of their cargo capacity to mount warship-grade
weapons and drives. They move +4d6 when on All Ahead Full orders. They are worth 1
assault point in planetary assault scenarios when within 30cm of a planet edge and count as
a half-transport (Rounding down in scenarios that require transports.)

Fast Clipper: Instead of taking a refit normally, for no extra cost this vessel type can be
converted to a Fast Clipper. Remove its primary battery armament and gain the Advanced
Drive Technology Dark Age/Xenos Systems result.

Heavy Transport (50pts)

Rogue Traders Militant frequently make use of larger transports to carry fleet supplies, spoils from
conquests, or trade goods to help ease negotiations.

Unsuited for War: Despite their size and complexity, heavy transports have little in
common with true warships. Heavy Transports only move +3D6 on All Ahead Full. Heavy
Transports are worth 2 transports (1 if crippled) during convoy scenarios. They are worth
4 assault points (2 if crippled) in planetary assault scenarios.

Fuel Tanker: For no extra cost or change in profile a Heavy Transport can be a Fuel
Tanker. In addition to the special rules above, Fuel Tankers suffer critical damage on a 5+
instead of the normal 6+. If a Fuel Tanker is reduced to 0 hull points it rolls 3D6 on the
catastrophic results table and adds all three together. Every Fuel Tanker that survives a
game without disengaging earns +1 renown for the controlling player, even if crippled.

Repair Tender: For 50pts a Heavy Transport can be upgraded to a Repair Tender. A
Repair Tender grants +1 renown OR +2 repair points to the owning player at the end of
every battle (even if crippled). The enemy gains +1 renown for crippling and +2 renown for
destroying a Repair Tender.

68
Superheavy Transport (100pts)
Extraordinarily vast behemoths of the stars, these ships are most often found plying safe starlanes to
supply raw materials to Forge Worlds, or as the resupply ships of the very largest Expeditionary
Fleets. Some Rogue Trader Militants prefer their admittedly ponderous bulk to smaller transports as
a way to keep supplies centralized and maintain control over the fleet. Their sheer mass also deters
many would-be pirates, though they are not well armed for their size.

A Superheavy Transport may swap its Prow Weapons Battery for a single Dorsal Lance
Battery (Range 15cm Firepower 1 arc L/F/R) for 5pts.

Super-Heavy transports move +3D6 on All Ahead Full and count as three transports (Two
if crippled) for convoy scenarios. They are worth 4 assault points (2 if crippled) in planetary
assault scenarios. The enemy gains +1 renown for crippling and +2 renown for destroying a
super-heavy transport. Note that super heavy transports should be on a large base.

Star Galleon (120pts)

At the start of the Great Crusade dozens of these vessels were built in the famed Jovian Shipyards
to act as command vessels for the Pioneer fleets and Rogue Trader expeditions which worked as
pathfinders for the Expeditionary Fleets. Capable of extended solitary operations thanks to their
cavernous holds and able to defend themselves against all but the best armed pirates, Star Galleons
were a common sight in the early Great Crusade. As the Crusade wore on and construction of
fully-fledged warships took priority, Star Galleons began to become rarer. Still, many a Rogue
Trader captain prefers the Star Galleon for its excellent sensors and balance of firepower and cargo
capacity. Most Star Galleons would not survive the Heresy, as they were under-gunned for fleet
actions and their powerful sensors often made them priority targets for enemy fleets.

Star Galleons may be given up to two dorsal lances (Range 30cm Firepower 1 Arc L/F/R)
for 10pts each. Because of the additional strain on the reactor and space required to mount
them each dorsal lance reduces the Firepower of the Port & Starboard Weapons batteries
by 1. (IE: A Star galleon with two dorsal lances would have Port and Starboard weapons
batteries with a Firepower of 4.) Star Galleons are worth 1 transport in convoy scenarios.
They are worth 4 assault points (2 if crippled) in planetary assault scenarios.

Unparalleled Sensorium: In scenarios where your opponent has pings or hidden divisions
of ships, you may choose to look at the contents of any marker/division at the start of
each of your turns. Additionally, any ship attempting to disengage within 60cm of a Star
Galleon suffers an additional -1. If the Star Galleon suffers a “Bridge Smashed” critical
result this rule no longer applies.

69
Campaigns in
the Age of
Darkness

70
7e
 It is the authors’ firm belief that
Battlefleet Gothic is best enjoyed in
the linked scenarios of a campaign.
The Heresy is, after all, a vehicle
through which the narrative is
told. With that in mind, this
Heresy ruleset changes little of the
original campaign rules found on
pg.148 of the original Battlefleet
Gothic rulebook.
Nevertheless, we have provided you
with some additional resources that
we feel are in the spirit of the
Horus Heresy, as well as some
modifications that allow for more
seamless gameplay. As always, you
are free to use as many or as few of
these rules as you like, as long as
all players can agree.

61
71
 Heresy Subplots
When rolling for subplots, these may be taken instead of those found in the basic
rulebook. If a 6 is rolled select the subplot specific to your faction.

Victory is Vengeance
1. Blood Feud: For all their supposed unity, many Imperial forces harbored grudges against one
another for real or imagined slights to honor, decorum or simple decency. As the Heresy
unfolded, those sworn to retribution gladly collected on these debts, and many new ones
were forged in the fires of betrayal.
Nominate one or more enemy capital ships that are the target of a feud. Prove
yourself righteous by destroying or crippling all nominated targets. (+X/-X,
where X represents the total number of nominated targets)

2. Headtakers: Sometimes, the mere mention of a commander of renown’s presence will drive a
fleet to bring them to battle. In the cold void, they will be made to answer for their actions.
Bring honor to your brothers by reducing the pride of the enemy fleet to spinning space
junk.
The flagship of the enemy fleet must be crippled or destroyed. If either player has
a Glorianna participating in the battle, their opponent must take this subplot.
(+2/-1)

3. Oath of Sacrifice: Driven insane by betrayal or by powers darker still, many crews were
willing to sell their lives, if it meant inflicting wounds on the enemy. Such forlorn vessels
were especially dangerous in battle. No amount of damage would stay their hand, and
they could be found in the thick of it, lashing out even as their decks burned.
Secretly nominate a capital ship. It must end the game crippled or destroyed, and
have been responsible for the destruction of at least one enemy capital ship or
escort squadron. (+3/0)

4. Remonstration: The Horus Heresy was a swirling morass of forces, with regiments, fleets,
and even whole sectors switching sides as fortune or survival dictated. When mainline
Traitor and Loyalist fleets clashed, those whose allegiances were fickle were often singled
out. Both Loyalists and Traitors hoped that the destruction of such forces would show
those allied to their enemy, that their only hope of salvation was to change sides.
Cripple or Destroy every allied capital ship and escort squadron in the opposing
fleet. Treat ships in a Legion fleet without Space Marine crews as allied ships for
the purposes of this subplot. (+2/0)

5. Public Display: Misinformation by the Alpha Legion and numerous other factions on both
sides meant that key leaders were frequently declared dead when in fact they were alive and
well. The resurfacing of an enemy presumed dead proved devastating for morale.
Traitors took to the habit of displaying the corpses of notable loyalists on engines and
tanks. As the heresy progressed Loyalists would often distribute vid-captures and stills of
traitor commanders’ corpses to prove to their populations that Horus’ forces could be
beaten. When particularly notable captains and ships were spotted, admirals often ordered
boarding actions against them so that their deaths could be confirmed and used for
propaganda purposes.
Nominate a single enemy capital ship with 8 or more hull points. That ship must
be destroyed via boarding action. (+2/-1)

72
6. (Traitors) Offering of Souls: Horus’ forces rapidly came to the realization that sacrifice
was required to earn their new patrons’ favor. Either their own blood, or the enemies. But the
gods are greedy, and failure to offer up sufficient sacrifice at the prescribed time often resulted
in…. unpleasant results.
Completely destroy your opponent’s fleet, or more than 50% of the combined Hull
Points of both players’ fleets must be lost. This subplot may only be taken by Traitor
players. (+2/-1)

6. (Loyalists) Delaying Tactics: For much of the war, Loyalist forces were desperate to slow
down the Traitor advance, so that additional defenders could be brought to Terra. The attempt
to stall Horus’ fleets often led to drawn-out engagements, where Loyalist forces stayed well past
the point a sensible withdrawal, in the hope that the hours their enemy spent destroying them
would make a difference in the Endgame. Often times, these missions were deemed worth the
cost, but sometimes admirals’ desperate to slow the enemy merely provided additional names for
the butcher’s bill.
At the end of Turn 10 (or at the end of the game if a scenario ends in less than 10
turns), have at least one ship within 60cm of an enemy vessel, or completely destroy
your opponent’s fleet. This subplot may only be taken by Loyalist players. (+2/-1)

6. (Blackshields) Prize Hunting: Blackshield commanders were frequently short of ships and
men. Often times they would see battle as a chance to increase their numbers. Elite boarding
teams would be assembled and a target vessel selected. The Blackshields would endeavor to
damage this ship as little as possible with guns, instead boarding the vessel in an attempt to
eventually add it to their fleet.
At the start of the game secretly nominate a single enemy capital ship. You cannot
cause damage to this ship by any means other than boarding actions and hit&run
attacks. If this ship is reduced to 0 hull points, it gains D6 hull points and is treated as
being part of your fleet in all respects. It may not go on orders, cannot fire weapons
or launch ordnance, and can only move its minimum distance. If this ship successfully
disengages it may be added to your Fleet Registry. Additionally your enemy suffers -1
Renown for losing a ship to such an ignominious fate. If the ship’s previous owner
fights a battle including this ship, it counts for the Remonstration subplot, and must be
the nominated ship for Public Display regardless of the ship’s hull points. (+1/0)

“Objective? You’re asking me for our objective? Our Objective Mr. Teeg, is to
slaughter every single one of those bastards. Slay every one of their ships. Burn
every one of their worlds, until their isn’t a single thing left between us and Terra.
Then we will throw the burned-out corpse of their False Emperor from his slagged
throne! I’ll hear no more of your talk of objectives. You knew what they were from
the moment we pledged ourselves to the Warmaster’s cause.”

- Admiral Khy el-Harrt, to his flag-captain at the start

of the battle of Pollard’s Star

73
 Scenarios in the Horus Heresy
These missions are designed to represent scenarios that are not already covered in other
Battlefleet Gothic publications, and cover plausible or historical scenarios from the Horus
Heresy. For example, the Battle of Phall was a unique scenario, and therefore has its own
mission here. The fleet engagement during the Battle of Calth could easily be played as a
Surprise Attack thus no specific scenario was included. Where a mission says “Generate
terrain as normal” the author means what has become the standard for many groups of
BFG players. Namely generate the Zone per the BFG rulebook, then divide the table into
six sections. Each player rolls for 3 sections, and on a 4+ generates terrain per the
appropriate terrain generating chart in the main BFG rulebook, then deploys whatever
terrain was rolled in that zone however he or she chooses. Players are of course not
required to use this method and may set up their tables in any mutually agreed upon
fashion.

In a campaign, players may substitute these battles for those in the basic rulebook if they
wish. Players should roll for what kind of mission they are playing (raid or battle) as
normal, and then agree that they are going to use a Horus Heresy scenario. Selecting the
mission itself should be a method mutually agreed upon.

1 - Hunt for the Hammer of Io

As the heresy went on ships were being destroyed faster than shipyards could build them. The
demand for ships often led to patrols being sent out to the battlefields of the Great Crusade to
repair hulks previously considered not worth the effort of recovering. Occasionally opposing
salvage fleets would meet, and old battlefields would re-ignite with the fires of Heresy. Most often
these salvage missions would center around the recovery of capital ships from expeditionary fleets
that went missing over the course of the Great Crusade. Famously, the hulk of the vanished
2,188th Expeditionary Fleet’s Flagship Hammer of Io became the fulcrum for several
engagements as both loyalists and traitors attempted to recover it.

Forces: This is a Raid. Both players should agree on a fleet size between 500 and 750pts.
Each fleet has a free heavy transport acting as the “repair tender”.

Battlezone: This battle may take place in any zone., But most commonly in the Outer
Reaches and Deep Space. Generate terrain as normal.

Set-Up: Players will roll off, with the highest rolling player choosing who deploys first.
Players should deploy their entire fleets within their marked zones.

Fleet A
60cm

90c

Fleet B

First Turn: Players will roll off, with the highest rolling player determining whether they
want to take the first turn.

74
Victory Conditions: The game lasts until one fleet has been completely destroyed or
disengages, or the Hammer of Io is destroyed or moved off the table.

• Major Defeat- the enemy fleet has control of the Hammer of Io, all critical damage
has been repaired and all deactivated systems activated, or the enemy was in control
of the Hammer of Io when it moved off the table.

• Minor Defeat- the enemy fleet has control of the Hammer of Io

• Draw: The Hammer of Io has been destroyed.

• Minor Victory: You have control of the Hammer of Io and the enemy has completely
disengaged or been destroyed.

• Major Victory- Your fleet has control of the Hammer of Io and all critical damage
has been repaired and all deactivated systems activated, or you were in control of the
Hammer of Io when it moved off the table.

The Hammer of Io: Players alternate placing 5 contact markers, rolling off to
determine who places the first marker. These markers cannot be placed within 45cm of
another contact, and must be 30m from a deployment zone or table edge. These represent
the Hammer’s potential location. If a ship comes within 15cm, or any attack craft wave
comes within 5cm of a contact marker roll a D6, (adding +1 for each contact marker
already revealed). On a 1-5 they have discovered a wandering asteroid or cloud of
debris,, and the marker is removed. On a 6 replace the marker with the Hammer of Io,
facing a random direction and remove all other markers from the table.

The Hammer of Io historically was an Emperor-class battleship, but you may substitute
this for any heresy-legal battleship you have in your collection. When it is revealed
remove D6 of its starting hull points to represent the crippling damage it bears The
Hammer of Io is crewless and largely airless. To represent this, the ship is always counted
as being on Brace for Impact special orders and cannot suffer a fire critical result.
Regardless of battleship type it begins the game with port, starboard, dorsal, and prow
weapon damage, as well as engine room damage. Shields cannot be raised, or turrets fired
unless they have been activated. Launch bays cannot be used and treat its shield and
turret value as halved (rounded down).

To control the Hammer of Io a ship must end its move in base to base contact with it.
Repair Tenders: Repair tenders are treated as heavy transports in all respects, except
that they have a Leadership of 8 (representing the higher-than-average skill of the
Machine-God’s servants who crew such vessels) and a speed of 20cm. Your heavy
transport may board the Hammer of Io and attempt to restart its systems. In the end
phase roll 2D6 and consult the following chart.

• 2: That doesn’t go there…. Hammer of Io suffers one critical hit. Re-roll results of
“Fire” or “Bridge Smashed”

• 3-8: Repairs Ongoing Your crews are working, but no major repairs have been
made. Add +1 to your roll next turn.

• 9-10: System Online! You may either fix 1 critical hit, activate shields, raise turrets
or begin moving the Hammer of Io.

• 11-12: Major repairs completed! You may do two of the following: fix a critical
hits, raise shields, activate turrets, or begin moving the Hammer of Io.

75
 2 - Slaughter at Anchorage RX-9
One of the characteristics of Naval Warfare during the Horus Heresy was the tenacity with
which fleets stayed in action. Only rarely did vessels put in for repairs, instead fighting on even
when they’d suffered crippling levels of damage. High commands on both sides knew that the war
would be decided before a ship could finish major refits, and acted accordingly. On the rare
occasion a fleet was mauled badly enough to no longer be considered combat effective without being
outright annihilated, they would put it at High Anchors to effect emergency repairs. This was a
time fraught with danger, as these supposedly-secret facilities were known to admirals on both
sides. Long-range reconnaissance craft would often stake out opposing high anchors, and send
word when they were in use. Then squadrons of rapid-attack craft would descend upon the
crippled fleet to destroy as many ships as possible before disappearing into the warp.

Forces: This is a Raid. The attacker has 1,000pts, and cannot take any grand cruisers or
battleships. The Defender has 1,500pts of ships and a single Space Station. The defender
may spend no more than 300pts on escorts. Additionally, the defender may select
2D6x10pts worth of minefields and/or weapon platforms.

Battlezone: This battle may take place in any zone. Generate terrain for this zone as
normal, but the defender may place every piece of terrain.

Set-Up: The defender deploys first and must deploy their space station in the center of
the battlefield. All weapons platforms and ships must be deployed within 30cm of the
station, and all minefields must be within 60cm of the station. The attacker may deploy
their fleet anywhere within 45cm of either short table edge.
Attacker’s Deployment Zone

30cm Attacker’s Deployment

Defender’s
Deployment
45cm 45cm

First Turn: Players will roll off, with the highest rolling player determining whether
they want to take the first turn.

Game Length: The game lasts until one fleet is completely destroyed or disengages.
Attacking ships with disengage do not count as destroyed.

Victory Conditions: The attacking fleet must destroy (not cripple) at least 50% of the
enemy fleet, and cannot have more than 75% of its ships destroyed.

76
In Dire Straits: Every time the defending player places a capital ship, it loses D6+2 hull
points if the ship has 10 is a battleship or grand cruiser, D6 hull points if the ship is a
heavy cruiser, battlecruiser or cruiser, or D3 hull points if the ship is a light cruiser.

Surprise Attack: The defender’s capital ships begin the game conducting repairs. At the
start of each turn, before orders are issued every defending capital ship/capital ship
squadron must pass a leadership test to see if it goes On Alert. On the first turn of the
game the defenders are at -1 to this leadership test. If a ship is not On Alert it cannot
raise shields, move, fire, and counts as defenses for the gunnery table. However, any ship
which is not On Alert may re-roll repair dice in the End Phase. The defending fleet’s
escorts are assumed to be on patrol and being the game On Alert.

“Flog me if you must, Sir. But ‘tis not Orks or non-comps out there. ‘Tis
the Sons of Horus. They won’t stop. Not until every one of His ships is
sunk. Three orbital batteries, a pair of laser platforms and forty thousand
square kilometers of minefield? It isn’t enough. We will never be safe.”
- Master of Gunnery (former) Lothos Castor, of the Dagon-class Grand
Cruiser Vision of The Heron, before the Battle of Morox.

77
 3- The Battle of Phall Part1: Ambush!
The battle of Phall saw the Imperial Fists’ fleet, under the command of Alexis Polux, engage the
main body of the Iron Warriors commanded by their primarch, Perturabo. Initially the vast
Traitor fleet cut a swath of devastation through the defenders, scattering all before them. Though
on alert for potential attack, the Imperial Fists suffered heavy losses before turning to engage the
enemy fleet elements. Through superior maneuver the Imperial Fists turned the tide, but were
forced to withdraw when orders from Rogal Dorn arrived demanding their immediate return to
Terra. The loyalists suffered massive casualties executing this retreat, and the battle resulted in a
Pyrrhic victory for the Traitors. Afterwards much discussion among non-Fist elements of the
Loyalist occurred ruminating on what could have been had Polux received Dorn’s orders a few
hours later, or had decided against retreat to land a killing stroke against Perturabo and the IV.
As it was the Iron Warriors remained a significant threat for the duration of the Heresy and
beyond.

Forces: This is a Battle. Neither player should play this scenario with less than 2000pts.
The traitors should have 15% more points than the Loyalists. Additionally the Traitors
may include 1 heavy transport for every 1000pts for free, and may up to three Fire Ships
at 10pts each per 1000pts. Also the Glorianna Iron Blood, flagship of the IV Legion,
should be included in the traitor fleet.

Battlezone: This battle occurs in the Primary Biosphere. Phall II should be represented
by a medium-sized planet, and be placed in the center of the table. Generate all other
terrain as normal.

Set-Up: The Loyalists must deploy with 30cm of Phall II (for every full 1000pts over
3,000 we recommend extending this sphere by 10cm.) The Traitors should divide their
fleet into three divisions of roughly equal points, and nominate them to be the First,
Second, and Third division. After the loyalists deploy, the traitors may place a 15x20cm
warp rift (representing a temporary phenomena caused by the mass amount of ships
detranslating so close together) anywhere at least 30cm away from the loyalist
deployment zone. (for every full 1000pts over 3,000 we recommend extending this by
5cm in each direction) At the start of the traitor’s first movement phase the First
Division may be placed anywhere touching the edge of the warp rift and move as normal.
(IE: the traitor player places one ship/squadron from First Division touching the warp
rift, and moves them. Then selects another First Division ship/squadron and repeats the
process until all the First Division ships are moved.)

+/= 30cm Phall 30cm

Warp Rift
II

78
First Turn: Traitors have the first turn.

Game Length: The game lasts 8 turns, or until one fleet has been totally destroyed.

Victory Conditions: The Traitors win if at least 75% of the Loyalist fleet is crippled or
destroyed, and the Iron Blood is not destroyed. The Loyalists win if 50% of the Traitor
fleet is crippled or destroyed AND the Iron Blood is destroyed. Any other outcome
results in a Draw.

Surprised by Unshaken- The Imperial Fists were ambushed at Phall, but were on alert and
reacted quickly to the traitor attack. Nevertheless the opening minutes of the battle reaped a heavy
toll.
The Loyalist fleet starts On Alert, but the constant need to maintain a level of combat
readiness takes its toll on ships. Until a ship is at Battle Stations its shields and turrets
are halved (rounding down), it cannot go on orders, fire weapons, launch ordnance, and
cannot move more than its minimum move distance. At the start of the Imperial Fists’
first turn, they must make a leadership test for every ship/squadron in their fleet. If
passed that ship/squadron goes to Battle Stations and may act as normal. Any ship that
fails Turn 1 must test again on Turn 2. All ships automatically go to Battle Stations on
Turn 3.

Massive Armada: Pertuabo’s fleet numbered more than 400 vessels, and even with the warp
strangely calm it was impossible for so many ships to de-translate so close together. This caused his
fleet to be somewhat strung out as the battle progressed, a fact that the Imperial Fists would
capitalize on.
At the start of Turn 2 the traitor’s Second Division moves onto the table from the warp
rift in the manner described above for the First Division. On Turn 3 the Third Division
arrives in the same manner.

Hell Burners and Macro-ships: At Phall Perturabo had in his fleet several macro-conveyors
full of Iron Warriors and slave troops. With them were the so-called “Hell Burner” fireships.
Together they caused immense damage to the Imperial Fists.
Heavy Transports double their hull points for boarding actions and are considered to
have Space Marine Crews. All Heavy Transports and Fire ships must be placed in the
first two waves.

Never Give Up: Both the Iron Warriors and the Imperial Fists are known for their stalwart
siege mentalities. Their pre-heresy enmity and the stakes involved in this battle meant no captain
was willing to slink away on his own, no matter how badly damaged his vessel.
Neither side may voluntarily disengage. For the purpose of this scenario, Enmity is to be
disregarded.

*Author’s Note: Historically, Phall involved more than 400 ships for the Traitors, and
363 Loyalist vessels. If ever there was a chance to fight a megabattle this is it! We here at
RR30k believe that BFH breaks down at games above 2,500pts as ordinance and blast
makers take longer and longer to work out. This might take all day at 5,000pts a side even
with multiple players per faction. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Alternatively, 2-3,000pt
games with loosened restrictions on the amount of Battleships, grand cruisers, and
battlecruisers a fleet can take could represent the crux of the battle could make the game
more manageable. Having fewer ships (especially carriers) makes the mechanics run more
smoothly while multiple “big ships” still gives a grand effect.

79
 4- The Battle of Phall Part 2: Counterattack
The battle of Phall saw the Imperial Fists’ fleet, under the command of Alexis Polux, engage the
main body of the Iron Warriors commanded by their primarch, Perturabo. Despite being
ambushed in the opening moments of the battle the Loyalist fleet rallied and began to take a deadly
toll on the IV Legion. However the Imperial Fists were forced to withdraw when they received
word from Rogal Dorn to return to Terra with all haste. The Imperial Fists suffered massive
casualties extricating themselves from the battle, and it is widely believed that had they continued
the engagement for just a few hours more Perturabo and his sons would have been destroyed.
Instead the IV Legion’s primarch was shamed by the Imperial Fists’ superior tactics, but he and his
Legion were still a capable and deadly threat for the entirety of the Horus Heresy. This battle
represents the Imperial Fist counterattack and subsequent withdraw from Phall. opening of the
battle.

Forces: This is a Battle. Neither player should play this scenario with less than 2000pts.
The traitors should have 15% more points than the Loyalists. Additionally the Traitors
may include 1 heavy transport for every 1000pts for free, and may up to three Fire Ships
at 10pts each per 1000pts. Also the Glorianna Iron Blood, flagship of the IV Legion,
should be included in the traitor fleet.

Note: If you are playing this mission as a linked battle to Part 1: we recommend using the same
fleets, with each fleet gaining reinforcements equal to 50% of whatever the previous games’ fleet
size was. This represents additional ships pouring through for the Traitors, and for Loyalists
those ships on Patrol across the Phall system being assembled for the counterattack.

Battlezone: This battle occurs in the Primary Biosphere. Phall II should be represented
by a medium-sized planet, and be placed in the center of the table. Generate all other
terrain as normal.

Set-Up: Use the table from Fleet Engagement (see: pg.80 of the Battlefleet Gothic
Rulebook). However the Traitor player must tell the Loyalist which formation they are
choosing. This represents the Imperial Fists’ superior use of fleet tactics during the
battle.

First Turn: Loyalists have the Furst Turn.

Game Length: The game lasts 8 turns, or until one fleet has been totally destroyed.

Victory Conditions: The Loyalists with if more than 30% of their starting fleet escapes
and at least 50% of the Traitor fleet has been destroyed, including the Iron Blood. The
Traitors win if they destroy at least 70% of the Loyalist Fleet and the Iron Blood is not
destroyed. Any other outcome results in a Draw. (Note that crippled ships/squadrons
count for 50% of their points when calculating how much of the Loyalist fleet escapes.)

80
Dorn’s Call- Starting with turn 4, the Loyalist player secretly rolls a D6 at the start of
their turn, before any orders are issued. On a roll of 6 astropathic communications from
Lord Dorn have been received ordering the fleet back to Terra with all haste. Subtract 1
from the result needed for this roll for every turn after 5. (ie: turn 6 communications are
received on a 5+, turn 7 a 4+, and so-on.) Once the Loyalists have received Dorn’s orders
they may begin to withdraw. To do so they must be within 15cm of a LaGrange point.

LaGrange Points: Once Dorns Call is received place 3 Contact Markers 60cm away from
Phall II, using a scatter die to determine their direction. (ie: Roll a scatter die on/beside
Phall, place a marker 60cm away from Phall on that line, and repeat.) If this places the
LaGrange Point inside a piece of terrain the Loyalist player may choose to move it so
that it is still 60cm away from Phall II but no longer inside a terrain feature.To withdraw
a ship/squadron must be within 15cm of a LaGrange Point at the start of their turn, and
pass a leadership test. If passed the ship is removed from play. If a ship is crippled and
fails the test by rolling a natural 12 on the dice, it suffers a Warp Drive Implosion as
unseen battle damage destroys the ship.

Note: The LaGrange points are randomly placed so as to stop the Loyalist player inadvertently (or
on purpose) positioning their fleet to flee the instant they are able. Historically the order came as a
complete shock to the Imperial Fists, and the location of safe places to enter the Warp played no
part in their tactics until that point. If both players wish LaGrange points may be randomly set
up before deployment. This gives advantages to both players, in that the Loyalists know where to
flee and the Traitors know where to stop them, but the author feels this runs somewhat counter to
the actual battle.

Never Give Up: Both the Iron Warriors and the Imperial Fists are known for their stalwart
siege mentalities. Their pre-heresy enmity and the stakes involved in this battle meant no captain
was willing to slink away on his own, no matter how badly damaged his vessel.
Traitor Vessels cannot disengage. Loyalist vessels may only attempt to disengage in the
manner described in the “LaGrange Points” special rule.

*Author’s Note: Historically, Phall involved more than 400 ships for the Traitors, and
363 Loyalist vessels. If ever there was a chance to fight a megabattle this is it! We here at
RR30k believe that BFH breaks down at games above 2,500pts as ordinance and blast
makers take longer and longer to work out. This might take all day at 5,000pts a side even
with multiple players per faction. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Alternatively, 2-3,000pt
games with loosened restrictions on the amount of Battleships, grand cruisers, and
battlecruisers a fleet can take could represent the crux of the battle could make the game
more manageable. Having fewer ships (especially carriers) makes the mechanics run more
smoothly while multiple “big ships” still gives a Grand effect.

81
 5- Clash of Leviathans
During the chaotic early years of the Horus Heresy captains and admirals had to learn how to
effectively fight their own kind. An iconic representation of this was the Battle of Simm’s
Landing, which occurred when a Loyalist Battleship group comprising various fleet admirals and
their attendant escorts arrived at the planet to discuss their options, and were attacked by a
formation of Traitor Battleships sent to oppose them. The traitor fleet was made up of the major
ships of several expeditionary fleets, which resulted in disputes about their course of action. The
debate ended when they were joined by the Son’s of Horus Battlebarge “Throne of the
Underworld” then commanded by Beraddon Fal. Fal ordered a straight-ahead engagement to
annihilate the Loyalist fleet. The battle resulted in the destruction of no fewer than 7 battleship-
class vessels and resulted in a Traitor victory, though Fal himself was killed.

Forces: This is a Battle. Fleets should be between 1500 and 3000pts. Ignore fleet
restrictions, instead divide your fleet into 500pt sections. Each section must include one
Battleship, and the remaining points must be spent on a single escort squadron, or one or
more vessels with the Cruiser/6 type. This represents each Battleship’s support
squadron.

Battlezone: Historically the Battle of Simm’s Landing took place around a medium-sized
planet in the Primary Biosphere. However similar battles took place dozens of times
during the heresy, and players should feel free to select any Zone. Generate terrain in the
usual way.

Set-Up: Players will roll off, with the highest rolling player choosing who deploys first,
and on what side. Players should alternate in deploying one of their 500pt sections, until
both sides are fully deployed. Alternatively, players may elect to use deployment from the
Fleet Engagement scenario (see: pg.80 of the Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook).

Fleet A
60cm

90cm

Fleet B

First Turn: Players will roll off, with the highest rolling player determining whether
they want to take the first turn.

Game Length: The game lasts until the attacker ‘s fleet has disengaged or been
destroyed.

Victory Conditions: Both fleets score victory points as normal, and the fleet with the
highest victory points total wins.

82
Ad-hoc fleets: The Battleship on battleship engagements of the early Heresy were frequently
fought by combined fleets. Since battleships were frequently the flagships of expeditions these
combined fleets often had multiple admirals and senior captains, and chain of command was
frequently disputed.
Battleships use the faction rules of whatever fleet they are painted in, and receive a single
re-roll which may only be used by themselves or their supporting escort squadron. The
exception to this, is if the Battleships have their respective fleet’s commander (Astartes
Master of the Fleet, Rogue Trader, Archmagos Navis, etc) aboard, whereupon they may
use any additional rerolls and abilities granted by said commander.

*Author’s Notes: The authors realize that most players have only one or two battleships. However
this is a perfect multiplayer battle. Each traitor or loyalist brings one section of ships to use in the
battle.

Players may wish to use their big centerpiece models in scenarios other than this one. Should that
be the case, simply apply the “Forces” and “Ad-hoc Fleets” rules to any other scenario which you
wish to play. Bear in mind that this may have unintended side-effects in terms of balance or game
length. In all cases, make judicial use of common sense and narrative judgment.

83
 6- Recon Mission
While less well-documented than the massive clashes the Horus Heresy was known for, the
independent actions of small craft were crucial to the outcome. Small groups of escorts and light
cruisers were used by both sides as pathfinders and reconnaissance, and the intelligence they
provided was invaluable to Loyalists and Traitors alike. Perhaps the most famous of these actions
were the persistent incursions into the Sol system by traitor forces. These small patrols were used to
assess Dorn’s strategic posture in the system as well as identify strongpoints and potential
weaknesses. Though they took heavy losses, the information survivors brought back allowed
Horus’ forces to launch an unstoppable attack against Dorn’s defenses when the time came.

Forces: This is a Raid. The attacking fleet should be 500pts, and should comprise only
escorts and light cruisers. It should not contain more than a single carrier, and all ships
should have a speed of 25cm or greater. The defending fleet should be 300pts and should
contain no ships with Launch Bays. Additionally the defender gains 5d6x10pts worth of
space stations, weapons platforms, and minefields.

Battlezone: These battles can take place anywhere from the inner biosphere
(representing a mission against a single planet) to Deep Space (representing recon against
a critical and populous system like Sol, where the defenses were pushed out as far as
possible.) Generate terrain as per normal. If you have generated a planet place it in the
dark grey zone.

Set-Up: The defender must divide their defenses into 4 groups, and deploy each group in
a separate Defensive Zone, in the center of the table. Note that weapon platforms in each
zone must be within 10cm of another weapon platform in the same zone. After that the
defender may deploy their ships anywhere in the green zone. (each box is 15cm wide by
approximately 30cm long on a 4x6ft table.

7.5cm 15cm 15cm

1
Defender’s Deployment Zone

Attacker’s Deployment Zone

15cm

2 approx
30cm

First Turn: The attackers have first turn.

Game Length: The game lasts until the attacker ‘s fleet has disengaged or been
destroyed.

Victory Conditions: The defender scores victory points as normal. The attacker scores
50% victory points for every defending ship destroyed. The defender gets no points for
destroying enemy defenses. (This represents the fact that if defending ships or stationary
defenses are destroyed the defender may replace them with something else, rendering the
reconnaissance worthless.) Additionally the attacker scores 100VP for every Defensive
Zone swept so long as at least one attacking ship leaves via the attacker’s board edge after
the sweep has been made.
84
Close Reconnaissance: Patrols were frequently called upon to make close passes of enemy
defenses to gauge reaction times and ascertain specific details about the platforms and stations
being used by the defender.
At the start of the game place a single Contact Marker in the center of each Defensive
Zone. To sweep a zone an attacking ship must come within 20cm of the zone’s contact
marker. To sweep a planet an attacking ship must come within 30cm.

*Author’s note: Yes this means that if a planet is on the table this mission gets much harder for the
attacker. War isn’t fair. However feel free to simply not generate a planet if you want. After all
these are homebrew missions for a homebrew ruleset of a dead game!

Not Here to Fight: Recon Patrols were not expected to destroy the enemy, and captains
frequently spent their time training their crews to handle extreme maneuvers at the expense of
gunnery and damage control practice.
The attacking fleet receives +1LD All Ahead Full, and Come to a New Heading special
orders, but receives -1LD for Lock On and Brace for Impact special orders.

Get Home With the Goods: Attacking ships that leave the table via their own board
edge after at least one Defensive Zone has been swept are worth 0 VP.

Nowhere to Hide: Attacking ships cannot attempt to disengage, unless leaving via their
own board edge as described in Get Home With the Goods.

85
 Heresy Appeals
In the Aftermath portion of a campaign, this table replaces the Space Marines and Powers
of Chaos Appeals table. These appeals are granted on a D6 roll of 5+. Roll 2D6 against
this table.

2: Deceived! Where the commander sought allies, he finds only enemies. Whether a contingent is not
as loyal to the cause as previously expected, or was long ago overcome by assailants from another
quarter, no help can be found here.
In the player’s next game, the enemy may include (for free) a single vessel or squadron of
vessels that do not exceed 200pts (including upgrades).

3: Chanting their binary hymns, a contingent of Mechanicum vessels answers the commander’s call.
In the player’s next game, they may include (for free) a single vessel or squadron of
vessels drawn from the Mechanicum fleet list not to exceed 300pts (including upgrades).
These ships do not have to be modeled to represent Mechanicum loyalty, but gain +1 to
their leadership if they are.

4. A friendly force is able to spare a single vessel in aid the commander.

In the player’s next game, they may include (for free) any single vessel with the
Cruiser/6 or Cruiser/8 type. If the vessel is modeled as that of a different legion, it
may use the appropriate legion trait should the player wish. Use common sense and
narrative context to determine what upgrades, if any, are appropriate. If the necessary
models are not present to be used, reroll this result.

5. A friendly force is able to spare a task force to aid the commander.

In the player’s next game, they may include (for free) up to 300pts of ships/squadrons of
escorts and/or cruisers. If the vessels are modeled as that of a different legion, they may
use the appropriate legion trait should the player wish. Use common sense and narrative
context to determine what upgrades, if any, are appropriate. If the necessary models are
not present to be used, reroll this result. One Adeptus Telepathica Blackship cruiser may
be taken by any loyalist fleet.

6. The commander requisitions or conscripts (whichever most appropriate) the local system’s cutters,
derelicts, patrol or hauler craft for use in their fleet.
In the next game, the player may include (in any combination) D3+2 Fire Ships, System
Ships, Defense Monitors, Armed Freighters, or Escort Carriers for no additional cost.
These ships do not count towards victory points. Use whatever models are available/
appropriate to represent these vessels.

7. The commander is granted authority to station a single maniple of void-aegis automata on their
ship of choice.
Add +1 to any boarding actions (cumulative with any existing modifiers) conducted by
this ship for the remainder of the campaign. Additionally, enemy hit and run attacks
suffer a -1 (cumulative with any existing modifiers).

8. An elite command company of Terminators has been sent to aid the commander, stationed on the
ship of their choice.
This ship counts as being equipped with Terminators for the remainder of the campaign.
Additionally, this ship does not suffer the -3 leadership penalty of Bridge Smashed!,
although the critical damage is still applied and must be repaired in the aftermath of
battle.

86
9. A friendly commander has come in person to aid their stalwart ally!
In the player’s next game, they may include (for free) any single vessel with the
Battleship/12 or Cruiser/10 type. If the vessel is modeled as that of a different legion,
it may use the appropriate legion trait should the player wish. Use common sense and
narrative context to determine what upgrades, if any, are appropriate. If the necessary
models are not present to be used, reroll this result. (NOTE: A Glorianna can only be
taken if it is from the same Legion as the player’s fleet.)

10. By sabotage or judicial hit and run attacks by a friendly fleet, the commander finds planetary
defenses and enemy fleet elements smashed ahead of their advance.
In the player’s next game, the enemy must reduce their points value for the battle by
D6x30. If this battle is one that involves planetary defenses, reduce the available points
of those defenses by D6x30 instead.

11. Desperately needed materials and supplies are brought to you by the world’s under your aegis. The
war continues.
When spending resource points, the player has an extra 2D6 for this campaign turn.

12. Loyalist: Commendation or heartening news comes directly from Terra itself. Let none be found
wanting!
In the next game, when using a command reroll, roll a D6. On a roll of 4+, the reroll is
not expended.

Traitor: The Dark Gods have blessed their vessel of choice.

Foul warpstuff coils and forms in the wake of their adamantium emissary. Enemy ships
within 20cm of the nominated ship may count as having one blast marker in contact with
them. The traitor vessel has this ability for the entire battle. Additionally, once per battle,
the ship may inflict D6 hits on an enemy vessel within 30cm.

Blackshields: Carefully placed intelligence elements have relayed enemy plans to the renegade
admiral, allowing them to better encircle the foe.
In the next game in which the player’s ships arrive from a randomly determined table
(such as Retribution!), roll a D6 before determining a vessel’s successful entry. On a 4+,
the player may determine from which table edge the ship enters. In a Fleet Engagement
mission, the Blackshield’s opponent must reveal their formation before the Blackshield
player picks theirs.

“A destroyer is nothing more than a jail cell in space. Only worse,

because it’s a rare jail cell that can fill with fire or plasma or the
bone-cold void with no warning and leave the inmates dead with
no explanation. If I knew what awaited me in the black I would
have stayed planetside, arbites be damned!”
- Rating Ektor Mirada, on signing on as crew
for the Iconoclast-class destroyer Avex after being
labeled a recidivist by the Adeptus Arbites on Jaroon.

87
 FLEET
COMPENDIUM

88
76
“The entire purpose of void
warfare is to go wherever
you want with every damn
ship you have.”
- Vice-Admiral Har Mahaan Al-Friid, on the
Strategy of Interstellar War.

61
89
Without exception, the
Battle Barge is the
most ubiquitous class
of battleship to be
found among the Space
Marine Legions.

They are pragmatic,

brutal vessels, with one
purpose behind their
design: the complete
subjugation of a world.
As might be expected,
a Battle Barge is
configured for the close
support of a planetary
assault. Much of their
hull space is given over
to the launch of intra-
system craft and drop
pods, and observations
have indicated that one
of these craft can
deploy three companies
of space marines
simultaneously. No
single pattern of Battle
Barge exists, however,
and in addition to
heavy armor and dense
shielding, many Battle
Barges also feature
weaponry capable of
destroying a planet
entirely, should its
complement of
Astartes prove
insufficient. Some
Battle Barges forgo
their launch capacity
entirely, in favor of
rank after rank of
cannon batteries, lances *Battleships are slow and ponderous
and torpedo tubes. vessels. This vessel cannot use Come To
New Heading orders.
*In Exterminatus missions,
a Battle Barge may be
selected as an Exterminator
without modifying its profile
in any way (Battle Barges
carry cyclonic torpedoes,
virus bombs and other
planet killing weapons) and
fires its weapon on a 3+,
rather than a 4+.

*In Planetary Assault

missions, every turn a Battle
Barge spends landing troops
or bombarding the planet,
they score 2 assault points,
instead of the usual 1.

90
 Ancient and
venerable, beyond
even the reckoning
of the
Mechanicum, the
Desolator is highly
valued as a fleet
support vessel for
its long range
firepower. The
Angel Eater
(renamed by its
traitorous captain)
was a XVIIth
Legion Desolator
present at the
grand betrayal on
Istvaan V, where it
accounted for the
destruction of six
loyalist cruisers and
an uncounted
number of smaller
craft desperately
attempting to
return to their
mother ships and
escape the
*Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot use Warmaster’s trap.
Come To New Heading orders. The Angel Eater
was also recorded
to have engaged in
a series of running
battles with the
Space Wolves in
There are no gods in the galaxy. The closest you’ll come to both the D43
seeing one is meeting a commander of one of the Emperor’s Cluster and the
Battleships. Ullanor system.
- Common saying among the Armada Imperialis Famous Ships of
the Horus Heresy

Angel Eater (Word

Bearers)

Imperator Eternus
(Armada
Imperialis)

91
 RETRIBUTION BATTLESHIP....365 PTS

Distinctively Imperial,
with its armored prow
and multiple tube
plasma engines, the
Retribution is
considered a mainstay
of the Great Crusade.

Over fifty of the vessels

are cataloged as serving
in just as many
Expeditionary fleets.
The Imperial Hammer
and Antelope both serve
as the flagships of their
respective fleets. The
Imperial Hammer is
considered lucky by
those who have served
on it, and rightly so.
The vessel was one of
only three to return
from the initial actions
of the disastrous
Falshan Xenocides, was
repaired in an
astounding eight years,
and returned to Falshan
Prime a year after that
to participate in the
final, decisive battle over
the world, where it *Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot use
destroyed four of the
aliens’ deep space Come To New Heading orders.
dreadnoughts. The
Antelope famously Any Retribution battleship in the fleet may take:
happened upon the
doomed world of • Power Ram (10pts)
Stachaun V, where it
offered an ultimatum to
its people. Salvation, in
return for service. Now
the 446th Expeditionary “Ask any void-trooper what the hardest part of a fight is, and
fleet is bolstered by the they’ll all answer the same way. Waiting in the boarding craft
millions strong
Antelope Runner auxilia as they fly through a hailstorm of enemy fire. Well, I may not
militia. fire a gun at the enemy, or ever see them face to face. But I fly
an unarmed assault boat through hell to get the tercios on
Famous Ships of the target, sometimes 3-4 times a battle, almost always under
Imperial Army enemy fire. So be damned the Astartes breachers who say they
serve in the hardest zones, or the Solar Auxilia volkite squads
Antelope that pride themselves on being the tip of a cohort’s spear. The
Ozymandias
worst part is getting there, and I’ve done it more than any man
I know still breathing.”
Star Tamer - Coxswain Senioris Norris Calley, commander of 17
Boarding Squadron, a Shark Assault Boat squadron
stationed aboard the Battleship Anarchy’s Heart

92
 EMPEROR BATTLESHIP....345 PTS

The Emperor-class
battleship is a vessel
known to be serving
in the fleets of
Humanity for at least
three millennia before
His Great Crusade.

It is a reliable and
durable class favored
by every branch of
the Crusade from the
Armada Imperialis to
the Mechanicum of
Mars to the Space
Marine Legions, to
the Rogue Traders
Militant. With a huge
compliment of void
and atmospheric
capable craft within
her holds and a
sophisticated sensor
suite housed in its
prow, the Emperor is
frequently chosen as
the flagship of
Expeditionary fleets.
With such versatility
to its name, it is often
chosen as the first
Imperial vessel
presented to newly
discovered worlds, a
symbol of Humanity
resplendent..

Famous Ships of the

Horus Heresy

Taloned Liberty (Raven

Guard)
*The Emperor-class dispenses with the normal armored prow, instead
carrying a mass of sensor probes and forward turrets. This gives it a Signi Malari (Armada
+1 to its leadership rating. Imperialis)

*Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot Erewhon (Emperor’s
use Come To New Heading orders. Children)

93
 OBERON BATTLESHIP.............335 PTS

An incredibly ancient
class of vessel, and an
early variant of the
Emperor class, the
Oberon was rare even
in the halcyon days of
the Great Crusade.

It was designed in an
attempt to create a
battleship that could
theoretically deal with
all manner of threats
while dispensing with
the constant need of
other classes to rely
on escorting vessels.
While it sacrifices
much of its
predecessor’s
ordnance capacity, it
retains the fearsome
firepower of the
previous design, and
adds punishing salvos
from its additional
lance turrets. While
frequently placed in
reserve fleets and
patrol squadrons in
favor of other class of
vessels, the Oberon
has found a home in
several legions that
make use of far
ranging and
decentralized tactics.
Famously, the White
Scars Oberon Mazian
conducted a thirteen
month campaign of
sabotage ahead of the
main fleet, smashing
aside Ork defenses
before the bulk of the
Legion purged the
region of the xenos.

Famous Ships of *The Oberon-class dispenses with the normal armored prow, instead
the Great Crusade carrying a mass of sensor probes and forward turrets. This gives it a +1 to
its leadership rating.
Sonnandal (Space
Wolves) *Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot use
Come To New Heading orders.
Mazian (White
Scars)

94
 VICTORY BATTLESHIP................360 PTS

In internal layout, the

Victory-class closely
resembles the
Retribution-class
battleships.

It is possible that this

design similarity is
the product of
grafting lance
batteries onto a
Retribution template
in an attempt to
manufacture a more
stable replacement for
the powerful (but rare
and temperamental)
Apocalypse battleship.
The Magi of Mars
steadfastly refuse
access to any of their
data stacks regarding
this vessel, and so its
origins remain
unclear, even in the
enlightened age of
the Great Crusade.
The Conqueror (not to
be confused with the
flagship of the XIIth
*Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot use Legion) distinguished
Come To New Heading orders. itself admirably
during the early years
of the Crusade,
Any Victory Battleship in the fleet may take: leading the fleet that
cleansed System
• Power Ram (10pts) Stabulo of the
deviants that polluted
Sector Tempestus.

Famous Ships of the

Great Crusade

Conqueror (Armada
Imperialis)

“I do not wish for victory. Give me annihilation.” Halifax (Armada

Imperialis)
- Perturabo, Primarch of the IVth Legion
Tribune (Imperial
Fists)

95
 APOCALYPSE BATTLESHIP........375 PTS

The Apocalypse-class
battleship is an
ancient design
believed to be a
precursor to the
Retribution, millennia
ago.

The superior
technologies used to
construct the magna-
class lance turrets of
the Apocalypse have
all but been forgotten,
and so it is extremely
difficult to replace
even the small
number of these ships
that still sail. The loss
of even one will be
keenly felt. By the end
of the Warmaster’s
conflict and into the
bloody Scouring, both
sides had lost almost
all of their
Apocalypse
battleships, with only
those loyal to the
Throne able to claim *If this ship uses Lock On orders, it may elect to increase the range of its lances
more than half a to 60cm for that shooting phase only. However, if this is done, the ship will
dozen. It has been suffer an immediate Thrusters Damaged critical hit.
noted that the lance
arrays are capable of *Battleships are slow and ponderous vessels. This vessel cannot use
operating at much Come To New Heading orders.
greater ranges, albeit
at the cost of sapping
the ship’s main drives Any Apocalypse Battleship in the fleet may take:
of power, leaving it
sluggish in the midst • Power Ram (10pts)
of battle.

Famous Ships of the

Great Crusade

Rock of Ages (Dark

Angels)

Crown of Thunder
(White Scars)

Iron Sands (Basilikon

Astra)

96
 MARS BATTLECRUISER............270 PTS

The Mars, despite being

a relatively new addition
to Imperial fleets, has
quickly gained favor
among calculating and
sure footed naval
commanders.

The lynchpin of many a

defensive formation, the
Mars has proven time
and time again to be able
to pound the enemy
from afar with its lances
and torpedo salvos.
Some Mars have been
documented to mount
the experimental Nova
Cannon, further
complimenting their
long range firepower.
During the Solar War,
the fleets of the Iron
Warriors were swollen
with this class of ship.
Sadly, for the sons of
Perturabo, they would
bleed the majority of
that strength dry in the
blitzkrieg of the Solar
theater.

Famous Ships of the

Great Crusade

Imperious (Armada
Imperialis)

One Mars Battlecruiser per fleet may take:

• Targeting Matrix (15pts)

• Power Ram (5pts)

97
 ECLIPSE BATTLECRUISER...........215 PTS

The Eclipse-class is
frequently based on
upgraded Lunar-class
hulls, with the refit
taking place as old,
crippled cruisers come
to dock and are in
need of complete
overhaul anyway.

The weapons are

upgraded and lance
batteries are added
along a modified
spine, giving the new
ship a good medium
range punch.
Although the Eclipse
(like many
Battlecruisers)
predominantly found
its way into traitor
aligned fleets (thanks
to the logistical
influence of the
Warmaster), the
Ultramarine Eclipse
Theocoles made a good
account for herself in
the aftermath of the
Calth betrayal. In the
bitter cleansing of the
500 Worlds by the
XIIIth Legion, the
Theocoles, despite her
damage, smashed Any Eclipse Battlecruiser in the fleet may take:
aside several
marauding waves of • Power Ram (10pts)
traitor frigates as they
made desperate runs
at the cruiser to
destroy it any cost.

Famous Ships of the

Horus Heresy

Theocoles
(Ultramarines)

Basilisk (Salamanders)

Ikon (Sons of Horus)

98
RETALIATOR GRAND CRUISER....270 PTS

The Alpha Legion

Retaliator Venom incited
the mutiny of the
garrison fleet of MU-
433 against Imperial
rule.

For four days, the

traitorous fleet
rampaged through the
system, before
translating into the
warp to continue their
madness elsewhere.
Everywhere the flotilla
went, the Venom was in
its shadow, often lending
its guns to scour planets
clean of life. When the
traitors were finally run
down by a far ranging
contingent of White
Scars, their vessels were
sorely in need of
ammunition, fuel and
repairs, goaded as they
were by the Alpha
Legion.

The White Scars easily

overcame and
annihilated the garrison
fleet. The Venom was
nowhere to be seen
before, during, or after
the battle.

*Thanks to improved thrusters, this vessel moves +5D6 when under All Ahead Full orders.

99
 AVENGER GRAND CRUISER........220 PTS

A mainstay line
breaker of the
Armada Imperialis.

Bedecked in gun decks

and sporting a sleek
profile, the Avenger
has always been
employed best by
barreling headlong
into enemy formations
and savagely lashing
out at every target in
range. So occupied is
the foe by the Avenger
in their midst that
they are shortly
outmaneuvered by the
rest of the Imperial
fleet.

While eschewed by
many Space Marine
legions as inelegant
and needlessly risky,
the Avenger has found
kindred souls among
the fleets of the
World Eaters, Iron
Hands and Death
Guard. The former do “You think you know war dirtsiders? HA! I've seen plasma roll through half a
not balk easily from deck in the time it takes to blink and take 2,000 souls with it. I've seen a
charges that most
others consider ill- pinprick of light a million kilometers away that was the death of 180,000
advised, while the men who were bent on killing me a moment before. I've been in crush-fights
latter stubbornly meet where men were fighting each other with pikes and wrenches and bare teeth
the enemy headlong, until they died of asphyxiation because the scrubbers were drowned in blood.
handing out a I've seen a hundred men happy at mess one second and sucked screaming out
mauling twice as what of a hull breach into the void the next. You dirtsiders know war under an
they receive. open sky. I know war in a metal box full of the worst deaths you can imagine.
But you'll learn dirtsiders, you'll learn. Those of you that live, anyway.”
Famous Ships of the
Horus Heresy

Sword of the Emperor

- Petty Officer Borusa, to the former members of the
(Armada Imperialis) 18th Lantimar Infantry upon their reassignment
to the grand cruiser Perdition's Honor as ship's
Barb of Nostramo (Night armsmen.
Lords)

Savage Reprisal (World

Eaters)

100
VENGEANCE GRAND CRUISER...230 PTS

Regarded as
something of a failed
experiment in ship
design, the Vengeance
often finds itself
lacking the armor of
more forward
thinking Imperial
designs, but unable to
match the speed of
earlier classes of
vessel.

A lack of dorsal or
prow weapons make
the Vengeance clumsy
to engage, as it must
present its broadsides
to the enemy in order
to obtain a firing
solution at all. The
vessel does however,
sport a punishing
array of weapons, and
shall be
underestimated at the
foe’s peril. While it
often finds itself
relegated to reserve
fleets and patrol
missions, the
Vengeance
nevertheless has
proven to be stalwart
and reliable, and in
the Age of Darkness,
many a loyalist fleet
has found themselves
“Take, burn, or destroy the enemy fleet!” thankful for a number
of these massive
- Admiral Harmon to the former 243rd vessels left in their
Expeditionary Fleet at the defense of the Ichar inventory.
system
Famous Ships of the
Horus Heresy

Reaper’s Shroud (Death

Guard)

Red Talon (Iron Hands)

101
 GOVERNOR GRAND CRUISER...250 PTS

The Governor class

Grand Cruiser was one
of the first class of
warships built for the
Great Crusade.
Though it fell out of
favor once the ability to
create new Desolator
class Battleships was
rediscovered, they are
excellent flagships for
smaller expeditionary
fleets.

The long-range
firepower of a
Governor allows the
ship to remain out of
harm’s way while
delivering truly
terrifying amounts of
firepower on a target.
This, combined with
larger fleets replacing it
with the Desolator,
made it a common site
among Rogue Traders
Militant.

Famous Ships of the

Horus Heresy

Vergeltung Des Kaisers

(Armada Imperialis)

Iron Mistress
(Flagship of the Rogue
Trader Ahbigayle Rhyce)

102
 DAGON GRAND CRUISER......230 PTS

The Dagon is
archetypal of a
noteworthy but
relatively uncommon
class of vessel: the
Grand Cruiser. These
vessels are something
of a “pocket
battleship”. A halfway
point between a cruiser
and a battleship in
terms of size and
firepower. They are
intended principally to
be capable of
operating on their
own, instead of part as
a larger fleet.

The Dagon is much

among the most
common class of
Grand Cruiser and is
praised for its
versatility and modular
(if temperamental)
construction. It is
favored as a flagship of
powerful Rogue
Traders Militants, and
the Magi of the
Any Dagon Grand Cruiser may: Basilikon Astra.
• Increase the range of its dorsal lance batteries to 45cm (10pts) In the latter’s case,
Dagons become
something of pet
projects for their
“The four enemy frigates, some bastardizard deviation from Martian design, masters. The ease with
made absolutely no effort to escape. Indeed, they gave no indication that they which the ship can be
had even spotted us. I closed in at high speed, until at range at about five refit means that many
thousand. I felt that the moment had arrived, and gave the order to open fire at Dagons become test
the nearest target. At this range, our cannons couldn’t miss. The enemy vessel beds for new weapons,
shuddered and quivered as our gunners soaked it with fire. The opposition was experimental
remarkably feeble. A mere spray of hard shot. It did nothing to deter us. We technology, or
pushed closer, hungry for the kill. At this distance, I could see huge chunks being anything else that
torn away from the enemy’s hull. Its armor plating was being ripped away becomes the focus of
entirely as our heavy stuff tore into its side and exploded.” the Magos at the helm.
In the Age of
- Flag-Captain Dennett, at the pacification of Darkness, this makes
the Mau’Van system the Dagon a difficult
foe, as armaments,
speed and shield
density may vary from
vessel to vessel.

103
 EXORCIST GRAND CRUISER......230 PTS

While slowly being

phased out in favor of
the newer Mars-class,
the Exorcist-class still
finds frequent use in
long range and far
flung patrol routes,
where it can operate
in a largely self
sufficient manner.

It needs only two or

three escort
squadrons, and the the
Imperial Army
commonly employs
them as means of
transporting
regiments and reserve
elements behind the
front, or as escort
vessels along more
significant trade
routes.

Many of these aging

vessels were at the
forefront of Traitor
assaults, disgorging
mortal auxiliaries in
their billions onto
loyal worlds. Once so-
called “dark
compliance” was
established, Exorcists
often stayed behind as
a means of enforcing
it. Their relative
independence and
fearsome firepower Any Exorcist Grand Cruiser may:
proving more than
enough to keep cowed • Reduce the range of it’s batteries to 30cm, increasing the firepower to 10 (No
systems in line. cost)

104
 STYX HEAVY CRUISER......290 PTS

A great multitude of
Styx-class hulls were
laid down in the
dockyards of Cypri
Munda in service to
the Great Crusade.

Facing fierce
competition from
Mars, it is estimated
that several hundreds
of these vessels were
constructed over the
course of the
Crusade, many
quickly being put into
service among those
Legions who
frequently found
themselves at the very
edge of known
Imperial space. The
Word Bearers took on
seven Styx cruisers in
965.M30, and three
went to the Blood
Angels late in
004.M31. In
particular, the Horn
of Gabriel was among
the battered vessels to
return with the legion
from Signas Prime,
although the vessel
was so badly damaged
that it had to be
scuttled and set to
drift at the edge of
the solar system when
the Blood Angels
“We pressed in closer, within two thousand. The starboard guns came back returned to Terra.
into action. The crew had ejected a burning magazine into the void and The Word Bearer
brought up another. With a flash of flame, the little frigate crumpled like a Styx Hangman is the
paper model. It disintegrated and disappeared. Our shields shimmered as the subject of many oaths
rain of metal fragments were shunted aside. The next enemy was about five of the Space Wolves,
thousand ahead, slightly ahead and throwing everything she had at us. The as it has escaped final
other frigates had disappeared, with our sister ship, The Scorpion, in pursuit. destruction at their
We cut across the enemy’s wake, firing on her as we crossed. She was turning hands several times.
rapidly, panicking to get away, as I increased to full speed to overtake her, and For its its part, the
drew up abeam at a range of about four thousand. “ enmity is entirely
mutual.
- Flag-Captain Dennett, at the pacification of
Mau’Van

105
 HADES HEAVY CRUISER......200 pts

There are few cruisers

within the Imperial
Armada that enjoy as
high praise as the
Hades. It is greatly
valued as a training
vessel and as a first
class ship of the line.
Many Imperial
officers cut their teeth
on the decks of a
Hades cruiser.

At the battle of Phall,

the VIIth Legion’s
Stalwart bravely
defended her stricken
sister ship while it
hemorrhaged savior
pods and ether rafts.
Placing herself abeam
of the crippled Kelesai,
the Stalwart fought
off three successive
waves of Iron
Warrior destroyers
hellbent on finishing
off the Kelesai, with
little regard to her
own safety. Upon
returning to Holy
Terra, Stalwart had
her guns stripped and
placed in the planet’s
surface as titanic
defense batteries.
There, they continued
to vent their fury
spaceward, into the “Space is wide,
fleet of the and good friends are too few.”
Warmaster. - Excerpt from Saturnyne void-clan labor chant

Famous Ships of
the Horus Heresy

Bone Jackal (Sons of

Horus)

Wrathful Son (Dark

Angels)

Caestus
(Ultramarines)

106
 HELLFIRE
HELLFIREHEAVY
HEAVYCRUISER......285
CRUISER.......285PTS
pts

The Hellfire cruiser is

suspected to be an early
attempt by Mars to
mount large batteries of
various weapons onto a
cruiser hull.

Initially, the vessels

were only fitted with
relatively weak (but
numerous) macro
cannons and laser
batteries. But after
careful observation and
modifications to the
ship’s power output,
enough energy was able
to be diverted to
increase the range of
the lance batteries.
Despite taking nearly
two and a half centuries
for the design to be
approved, the Hellfire
proved to be a
formidable participant in
planetary sieges and
system blockades once it
entered regular service
in 778.M30. Despite
this, the Hellfire is still
seen as something of a
mixed result. Although
the ship’s huge arsenal
was of great use to fleet
commanders, it’s
ponderous speed proved
to be a hindrance in fleet
maneuvers.
*When using the All Ahead Full or Burn Retros orders, this vessel may not fire its Furthermore, three
lance batteries. The energy necessary to do so is being fed to the ravenous engines. Hellfires were lost early
in the career of the class
due to overzealous
captains taxing their
generatoriums to the
breaking point in their
eagerness to maintain
rate of fire, which left
no power left for their
ships’ shields. Due to its
reputation as a
“Gak the torpedoes! All head full!” temperamental and
- Commodore Hyronimo Vervun, at the Battle of Rising Fel difficult to manage ship,
the Hellfire finds little
use outside the coldly
precise fleets of the
Mechanicum. However,
many Imperial admirals
are quick to request
their presence when it
comes to the blockade
operations to which they
are so well suited.

107
 CARDINAL HEAVY CRUISER.....190 PTS

The Cardinal-class is a
rare, but reliable vessel
to be found only among
those fleets with strong
ties to the Mechanicum.
Frequently used as a
test bed for weapons
systems rediscovered by
the Great Crusade as it
swept across the stars,
Cardinals were
frequently sailing back
and forth between the
front lines and their
home ports, their
armaments ever
changing as shipmasters
grafted the newest
generation of weapons
to their decks. Before
the fires of war engulfed
the Imperium, there
were said to be plans
made for the
replacement of the
Cardinal with a more
modern successor. Such
designs would not bear
fruit for thousands of
years later, with the ill-
fated creation of
BF/67-A.

The Daedalus was a

famously belligerant
cruiser of the Thousand
Sons legion, who’s
ancient machine spirit
underwent a significant
change upon the loss of
the Daedalus’ sister ship
Icarus. When the latter
was boarded by Ork
raiders, the Daedalus’
maudlin shipmaster
fired upon the Icarus,
destroying her rather
than letting her be taken
by the greenskins. From
that day fruther, the
Daedalus was known to
be increasingly
tempermental when
engaging Ork enemies.
So eager was the vessel
to annihilate the
ramshackle ships of the
xenos, that it
disappeared pursuing
them far beyond its
protective escort
squadrons, never to be
seen again.

108
 CRUSADE CRUISER..........180 PTS

A brute of a cruiser,
built in massive
numbers for the Iron
Warriors legion at
Kar Duniash, the
Crusade was
originally intended as
a fleet support vessel.
It has, however, found
much more common
use as a siege ship.
Flanked on both sides
by powerful macro
cannons, the
Crusade’s engagement
solution is short
ranged, but powerful.

While uncommon in
Segmentum bastion
fleets, where its
massive firepower is
blunted in defensive
actions, the Crusade is
a favorite among the
Expeditionary fleets.
The exception to this
rule was the Imperial
Fist vessel Ardent
Any Crusade cruiser may: Resolve, which had
been refit with the
• Increase the range of its weapons batteries to 45cm and reduce the firepower experimental Nova
to 6 (No cost) Cannon. When the
fleet of the
• Purchase a Power Ram (5pts) Warmaster arrived at
Terra, the Ardent
Resolve sold itself
dearly, blasting huge
chunks from traitor
vessels with the
weapon before the
suicidal ramming of
the Death Guard
We got the range on them at 2309. By 2409 two were drive-dead and awash battleship Mia Donna
Mori.
in flame, and the third was nothing more than a cloud of plasma. By the
Emperor, they may outrun us, but they cannot outrun a Nova Cannon shell! Famous Ships of the
Horus Heresy
- Sergeant Andulius, 53rd Company of the Imperial Fists and
Master Gunner aboard Ship of Stone , describing the destruction of Burning Brand
three unknown light cruisers attempting reconnaissance of the Sol (Salamanders)
System, 012.M31
Ship of Stone
(Imperial Fists)

Northern Sword
(Emperor’s Children)

109
 LUNAR CRUISER......180 PTS

A mainstay of the
Expeditionary Fleets,
there are over six
hundred Lunars serving
in Segmentum Solar
alone, and twenty
serving in the Ullanor
campaign.

The uncomplicated
design allows for the
vessel to be constructed
on almost any world,
even those nominally
unable to muster the
expertise to build a
capital ship, although
the majority of Lunars
are churned out of the
shipyards of Mars (the
so-called Phobos pattern
Lunar, which features
heavy laser batteries in
place of macro cannons
but is.otherwise
identical) or Jupiter (also
a proprietary design, the
blunt nosed Io pattern
Lunar). The most
decorated Lunar of the
Crusade was the
Saggitarius, named in
honor of one of The
Emperor’s own
Custodians. The Any Lunar cruiser in the fleet may take:
Saggitarius fought in
the early years of the • Power Ram (10pts)
Crusade, where she
earned the distinction
of delivering the death
blow to an Eldar “We were hitting her heavily. We had the bitch cold, when the prow lasers overheated. I made
craftworld when she the choice to ram her, rather than risk her escape. Ringing the alarm for ‘ramming stations’, I
delivered a payload of let her draw ahead, before bearing down at top speed.
the Life Eater virus into
a rent in the xenos We struck her about twenty yards from the main drives. The adamantium of my prow
vessel’s superstructure,
spelling doom for every smashed into her spine. She broke in two as if made of brittle glass. The stern tore off and
Eldar aboard. slid down my starboard side and the remainder tumbled away to port. We had bitten right
through.”
Famous Ships of the
Gret Crusade - Flag-Captain Dennett, at the pacification of Mau’Van

Saggitarius (Armada
Imperialis)

Khabir (Armada
Imperialis)

Medusan Sun (Iron

Hands)

110
 GOTHIC CRUISER......180 PTS

A familiar sight among

the Expeditionary
Fleets and Segmentum
garrison fleets, the
Gothic-class can often
be found in the
company of smaller
escorts, or itself acting
as an escort for a larger
vessel.

Mounting powerful
lance batteries, the
Gothic excels at
pulverizing enemy
shields abeam while its
accompanying kin
attack from the bow or
stern. When acting in a
squadron of similar
vessels, however, the
Gothic’s broadsides
can reduce even a
battleship to spinning,
lifeless debris. During
the Istvaan V atrocity,
the Iron Warriors
cruisers Olympia
Ascendant, Babylon
and the Bloodied
Any Gothic cruiser in the fleet may take: Spear formed a
staunch battleline
• Power Ram (10pts) against the breakout
attempts of the
loyalists, reaping a
terrible toll on their
unsuspecting cousins.
Likewise, the same
tactic was used by the
Ultramarines during
the Betrayal at Calth,
where a pair of
Gothics vented their
wrath at elements of
the Word Bearers
trying to retreat from
the ground war.

Famous Ships of the

Gret Crusade

Hrathrathr (Space
Wolves)

Illuminator (Thousand
Sons)

111
 DICTATOR CRUISER......220 PTS

Versatile as a part of a
larger fleet, or operating
on its own in patrol
actions, the Dictator is
built on the Lunar hull,
replacing its lance decks
with launch bays and
repair stations.

Originally designed as a
stop-gap method in the
early days of the Great
Crusade, the Dictator
soon found a place
among the Legions, ever
hungry for vessels
capable of aiding in
planetary assaults. They
are particularly
treasured by those
legions with proud
martial traditions such
as the World Eaters, for
their ability to quickly
deliver warriors into the
fray, be it on the ground
or against enemy
vessels.

Docking at Port Maw

for a desperately needed
refit, the World Eaters’
cruiser Invader pulled
away from its berth
packed to capacity with
Astartes, all of its
ordnance replaced by
boarding torpedoes and
its launch craft
supplanted entirely by
Dreadclaws and
Kharybdis assault craft.
The innovation proved
to be short lived and
unpopular, as the entire Any Dictator cruiser in the fleet may take:
Legion crew of the
Invader, taken by the • Power Ram (10pts)
Nails, clambered into
their craft to board and
butcher an Ultramarine “An Imperial void attack craft squadron will consist of between 9 and 15
frigate group. The trap Fury-equivalent fighters or better. Void bomber squadrons shall have no fixed
was sprung and the number but should be capable of operations from STC Shipboard Launch
sabotaged ships
detonated, taking their Catapult and/or void-VTOL capable. A full bomber squadron should be able
attackers with them. to deploy 950 petajoules of energy on target, and no less than 80 petajoules at
This left the mortal 25% strength. Carriers should have parts and spare aircraft to account for
skeleton crew of the 33% wastage among all attack craft carried, as well as fuel and armaments
Invader to be killed in for same to sustain 6 weeks of Alpha-level operations.”
turn when the ship was
counter-boarded and - Extract from section 2.1 of “Imperialis Auxilia Carrier
captured. Operations in Expeditionary Fleets” published 866M30
by the Imperialis Auxilia Publishing Directorate.

112

108
 MURDER CRUISER......170 PTS

Among the fleets of

the nascent Imperium,
there is fierce
competition between
two classes of
battery-craft. The
Martian Crusade-
class, and the arrow
prowed Murder-class
cruiser. In most cases,
it comes down to an
admiral’s preference
for speed or firepower.
For those who prefer
the former, the
Murder invariably is
the ship of choice,
valued for its superior
engines and the long
range lance mounted
in the prow. Like
many classes of ship
that share hull design
with the Murder, it is
valued as a raider and
a skirmisher.

The sister ships Red

Litany and Black
Litany of the XVIIth
The Weapon Batteries of any given ship, even one ostensibly of the legion were both
same class, may vary widely one from another in type and effective outriders in the
use. As long as the aggregate energy output at the specified range is Istvaan atrocity and
highly active
met, the battery will be considered Imperial Standard. For example, participants in the
the Jupiter Yards favor a mix of macro-cannon and bulk plasma War for D43. The
weaponry at a ratio of approximately 3:1, which ensures a ship will Murder-class also sees
always have a weapon capable of damaging a given foe. On the extensive use in the
other hand the Martian shipwrights on the Ring of Iron prefer to Sons of Horus, where
equip a ship purely with one or the other, rely on mutual support and it fits well with their
proper assignment of a ship with a given battery plan to a campaign ‘tip of the spear’
that best suits its capabilities. Then there are shipyards which, by doctrine.
predilection or necessity, can only build weapons of a specific type, or
even subtype. In this manual you will learn the basic targeting Famous Ships of
methods, accuracies, reload/recharge rates, and mountings for the The Horus Heresy
Jupiter, Mars, and Voss pattern macrocannon as well as Mars and
Ryza pattern macroplasma projectors which make up 89% of the Red Litany (Word
Armada Imperialis’ main-gun weapon batteries. Bearers)

- Introduction to “Armada Imperialis Tactical Lion’s Maw (Dark

Manual XCIII: Non-Laser Main Gun Batteries” Angels)
published 896M30 by the Imperialis Auxilia
Publishing Directorate. To Tear Asunder
(Blood Angels)

113
 SLAUGHTER CRUISER......165 PTS

It is a source of
continued mystery to
the adepts of the
Mechanicum that a ship
with the displacement
and mass of the
Slaughter can achieve
such high speed, even
without full burn on its
main engines.

While the Scartix

engine coil is known to
be at the center of that
mystery, the device is
poorly understood. It is
posited that the
Slaughter’s service to
the Great Crusade is an
attempt at gathering
enough data to unravel
the enigma, as the vessel
is undergunned
compared to classes of
similar size. For the
most part, the rest of
the Armada Imperialis
and the Legiones
Astartes do not share
the Mechanicum’s
infatuation with the
quest for understanding,
and are happy to accept
the Slaughter as a *Thanks to improved thrusters, this vessel moves +5D6 when under All Ahead Full orders.
peerless outrider cruiser
without questioning
why it should be so.

Unsurprisingly, the Vth

Legion makes the
heaviest use of the In a void battle I only once had a fear of death. On a starship's bridge in a
Slaughter, and the voidfight you're either dead or alive. Odds of anything in between, or
Kublah is the most knowing you're going from one to the other condition is next to zero. No
highly decorated ship of point being afraid of that! When we were boarded by the XVII above
its class. Mau'van though... We found out afterwards it was only a squad, and I
never so much as heard a chainsword whir. But the twenty minutes it took
Famous Ships of The to put those monsters down were the most terrifying of my life. “
Horus Heresy
- Commodore Elena Kaledin, Slaughter-Class
Red Cull (Basilikon Cruiser Fire of Illumination
Astra)

Kublah (White Scars)

Viirmak (Armada
Imperialis)

114
DEVASTATION CRUISER......190 PTS

Highly valued by
legions that operated
well when cut off
from central
command for long
periods of time, the
Devastation-class
served in huge
numbers in the Vth,
XIXth and XXth
legions.

The vessel was

capable of operating
in long range patrols
with minimal escort.
Faster than the
similarly equipped
classes of ship
produced in the
Segmentum Solar, the
Devastation also
found use as an escort
vessel for supply
trains who’s
destinations were
considered critical,
and time sensitive.
When the
Warmaster’s
treachery split the
Galaxy, many
Devastations became
piratical banes to both
Traitor and Loyalist
shipping, as their
speed and load out
suited them perfectly
to lighting raids. A
Devastation bearing
unknown heraldry,
but the ident
Remember Istvaan
was highly active in
the Unlau system, on
the Warmaster’s
spinward flank, a
constant thorn in the
Traitors’ sides, as late
as the fiery wars of
retribution in the
opening years of
M32.

115
 ARMIGER LIGHT CRUISER......110 PTS

Shunned by the
Legions, who prefer to
use their own Strike
Cruisers, the Armiger
is found most
frequently in the
ranks of the mortal
Battlefleets and
Expeditionary Fleets.

The Armiger is a
support vessel,
primarily. While it has
been shown to
perform poorly in fleet
engagements (where
‘proper’ carrier vessels
hold more sway), it’s
speed and
independence make it
highly effective in
anti-pirate and system
control operations. In
the dark epoch of
Horus’ rebellion,
Armigers were seen in
greater numbers on
both sides, used to
ensure loyalty
through fear of
retribution or to
oversee the paying of
tithes due.

In a doomed act of
defiance, the penal “Well, the Iterators landed on this little dirtball of a moon, them and a full
world of Mercy fired company of Solar Auxilia. The 227th. No, the 229th. Anyway these
its single battery of savages barely had any technology left, except for a Knight house that could
laser silos at the only muster half a dozen suits. But there’s the thing, the kek-headed morons
Houndmaster, crippling didn’t believe us when we said we were from Terra! Crucified the Iterators
it and forcing it to at a meeting, then assaulted the Solar Auxies’ camp. Made the Captain
disengage. Mercy was well and truly put out, so it did. SO the captain says, says he, ‘launch the
utterly obliterated birds to cover the mudcrunchers, and have the main guns target the Keep.’
days later when the
Cthonian So I pass the word to the gunners and we get the marauders launched, and
Headhunters paid the wouldn’t you know it, t’wasn’t thirty minutes later that the auxie Major
act back with cyclonic downstairs says the birds took out all the knights, the lances had slagged the
torpedoes. Keep, and all the locals left alive were on their knees, BEGGING for the
Imperial Truth. Well the birds came back ok, and the Solar Auxies too,
Famous Ships of The minus the twenty killed before the marauders got there. ‘Course the Captain,
Imperial Army he ain’t one to take such things lightly. So we slagged the twenty biggest
townships they had with lances b’fore we left. That’s Justice!”
Baron Ibex
- Voxman 1st Class Jegg Walder of the Armiger Light
Terra’s Gaze Cruiser Baron Ibez, regarding the Compliance of 355-9

Nothram

116
ENDEAVOR LIGHT CRUISER......120 PTS

Heavily armed and

armored for a light
cruiser, the
Endeavor is a
popular heavy
escort for larger
ships of the line,
especially Grand
Cruisers where it is
capable of holding
its it's own in a
pitched battle.

During the Ullanor

campaign, the
Endeavor
distinguished itself
against the
greenskins, where
its relatively slow
speed was not found
to be a hindrance.
While a rarity
among the Legions
(like many light
cruisers) the
Endeavor is well
liked by those space
*Becaue the midship corridor of the Endeavor is easy to defend, this vessel gets +1
marines with
to its dice rolls when defending against boarding actions. pugnacious
reputations and a
tendency to value
heavier armor and a
more powerful
punch.

Famous Ships of
the Ullanor
Campaign

Sinister (Death
Guard)

Aggressor (World
Eaters)

Aegus Kappo (Iron

Hands)

117
 ENDURANCE LIGHT CRUISER.....120 PTS

Produced in great
numbers on the Forge
World of Voss, the
Endurance is often
deployed in support
of larger numbers of
Endeavors, laying
down heavy lance fire
once a target has been
made vulnerable.

Like its sister class,

the Endurance’s
narrowed design
amidships makes
boarding it a
dangerous
proposition, even
when the attackers are
high in number. Such
a truth was discovered
by the Cult of the
Shimmering Veil
when the several
thousands strong
mass fell upon the
Mechanicum vessel
Gamma-K-Gamma in
an attempt to steal the
ship for their IIIrd *Because the midship corridor of the Endurance is easy to defend, this vessel gets +1 to
Legion masters. its dice rolls when defending against boarding actions.
Coldly, and
dispassionately, the
vessel’s Thallaxi
armscrew butchered
the cult to a man,
holding them in the
reinforced corridor to
the bridge

Famous Ships of the

Horus Heresy “Sighted cruiser; destroyed same.”

Swiftness (White - Official report of the destruction of the

Scars) Death Guard Carnage-class Cruiser Breath of
Barbarus by the strike cruiser Krakenbane of the VI
Silver Calf (Emperor’s Legion.
Children)

118
 STRIKE CRUISER.......145 PTS

When the might of a

Battle Barge proves to
be unnecessary, the
Space Marines will
often employ their
Strike Cruisers.

Versatile craft, they

are fast, heavily
armored, able to carry
a full company of
Astartes and deploy
them within 20
minutes of arrival in-
system. Often times, a
handful of Strike
Cruisers is enough to
conquer a world, or
frighten a rebellious
planet into
compliance. Like
Battle Barges, they do
not represent a single
class of vessel nor
configuration of
weapons. Rather, they
represent a wide
variety of vessels
used for largely
similar purposes. Each
legion possesses
widely varying forms
Any Strike Cruiser may of Strike Cruiser,
shaped by long years
• Add an additional shield (15pts) of war and unique
doctrine among
• Purchase Improved Thusters (10pts) Astartes.

• Replace prow bombardment cannon with a S:1 R:30 lance firing L/ Famous Ships of the
F/R (no cost) Horus Heresy

• Add port and starboard S1 launch bays launching Thunderhawks and Oblivion (Sons of
Thunderhawk Annihilators (30pts) Horus)

Any Strike Cruiser may replace it’s prow launch bay with: Waning Moon (Blood
Angels)
• Firepower 6 torpedo tubes (no cost)
*In Planetary Assault
• Firepower 5 30cm front firing bombardment cannon (no cost) missions, every turn a
Strike Cruiser spends
landing troops or
bombarding the planet,
they score 2 assault
points, instead of the
usual 1.

119
 HERETIC LIGHT CRUISER.......120 PTS

The ironically named

Heretic-class light
cruiser is a close
predecessor of the
more common
Dauntless-class.

A fast support cruiser

with huge amounts of
firepower (compared to
other ships of the same
tonnage and
displacement), the
Heretic is actually
among the rare
“artillery cruisers” to
survive the apocalypse
of Old Night.

Like many light cruisers,

the Heretic was to
distinguish itself
admirably against
greenskins in the Wheel
of Fire and Ullanor.
Working in conjunction
with its sister classes,
the Heretic blasted a
bloody path through
massed amounts of ork
escort-equivalents,
paving the way for the
heavier cruisers to
surgically dismantle
their contemporaries in Doubts? No I never had any doubts serving alongside the XIX. Well,
the xenos fleets. apart from just once. I was on the Avenger when she rescued Lord
Corax at Istvaan. I was assisting the bridge sensorum officer, when
Famous Ships of the Corax intentionally initiated Warp Translation within 2,000 klicks of
Great Crusade an enemy cruiser. Dragged the thing whole into the warp after us,
without a gellar field. Now I know it’s bad manners to hold with gods
Lash of the Legion and faith, but the part of me that was raised a good Catheric boy, still
(World Eaters)
wakes up at night in a cold sweat. 60, 70,000 people on that cruiser?
Sobek (Thousand And some nights it’s like I hear their screams. Corax tossed them into
Sons) the warp in a fit of pique. He called it vengeance. A “last remark” to
the traitors. But part of me feels like we threw 70,000 souls directly
Wasmeier (Armada into hell, and even though they were traitors, I’m not sure anybody
Imperialis) deserves that kind of death.
- Captain Armand Gettering, formerly a
lieutenant aboard the Avenger, on his service with
the XIX Legiones Astartes

120
SILURIA LIGHT CRUISER.......90 PTS

The Siluria-class
Light Cruiser is a
much older design
than the Dauntless,
but numerous refits to
the surviving ships in
this class have kept it
fighting in the space
lanes of the
Imperium.

Shunned by the
Legions for its
relatively small
armaments and lack
of launch capacity, the
Siluria nevertheless is
capable of of causing
great damage, even to
a heavy cruiser,
unleashing the fury of
its massed laser
cannons with pinpoint
precision. The wise
Admiral will keep the
Siluria well screened
until the time to
unleash its weapons
arrives.

Shantyman: Oh, ‘twas broadside to broadside a long time we During the war in the
lay, Cyclops cluster, the
Voidsmen: Be stern, fight hard, and so sailed we; Siluria Cruisers
Titania and Beatryce
Shantyman: Until the Prince of Terra shot the xenos guns suicidally charged the
Death Guard
away! battleship Pallid Hand
of Death,
Voidsmen: Cruising down the Rimward Edge of Sector D- courageously
Four-Three! detonating its
magazine with
Shantyman: “Oh quarter, oh quarter,” those Xenos then did overcharged salvos of
cry! their batteries. All
three ships were
Voidsmen: Be stern, fight hard, and so sailed we; vaporized in the
ensuing explosion.
Shantyman: But the quarter that we gave them- We blew them
to debris!

Voidsmen: Cruising down the Rimward Edge of Cluster D-

Four-Three!
- Excerpt from popular void shanty sung
by torpedo loaders and gun-haulers.

121
 DAUNTLESS LIGHT CRUISER......110 PTS

Many a traitor captain

has cursed the
Dauntless-class, and the
loss of each one was felt
keenly by the
Warmaster’s forces, as
replacing them en route
to Terra was near
impossible.

While a light scouting

vessel by design, the
Dauntless is
surprisingly well armed
and armored for this
fact. A popular vessel,
the Dauntless carries
enough fuel and supplies
to remain away from
base for months at a
time. In the battle for
the Pell system, it was
the Dauntless scouts
Aramis and Farthaun
that were the first to
detect the Emperor's
Children in system,
allowing loyalist
elements of the Death
Guard to bring them to
battle and repay blood
for blood. *Thanks to improved thrusters, this vessel moves +5D6 when under All Ahead Full orders.

Famous Ships of The Any Dauntless light cruiser may:

Horus Heresy
• Replace their lance batteries with prow 30cm Strength 6 torpedoes (No cost)
Gjalla (Space Wolves)

Necrotore (Death
Guard)
We came up to them at 2216, so close you could see them through the bridge
Iron Wasp (Battlefleet windows. Suddenly they started a yaw-roll, like they were gonna hit us with
Solar) a full broadside. Well, the Shipmistress wasn't one to be caught with her
knickers down by a ship-of-the-line, and she'd had the tubes loaded and
armed since we pulled out of dock. Fired a full spread at them less than
200,000 klicks out. They might have got one of the torpedoes, but the rest
broke 'em in half and vaporized everything aft of their prow before they
realized their mistake!”
- Lt. Commander Gnauis M'butu, Second
officer of the Dauntless-class light
cruiser Forbearance

122
FIRESTORM FRIGATE.........40 PTS

Built around a Sword

hull, major changes
were made to the
central laser core
conduits to power a
lance cannon at the
prow of this design.

As maneuverable as
an escort, while
packing the punch of
a light cruiser, the
Firestorm was a much
welcome addition to
the Great Crusade
and was particularly
effective at battling
the Eldar in the
Northern Rim.

Their numbers were

severely depleted by
the time war reached
Terra, as both Traitor
and Loyalist fleets
threw them into the
thick of battle,
knowing they would
excel. It would be
several hundred years
before even a handful
of Battlefleets would
be able to claim fully
“And now I’m on the front lines in a Firestorm frigate reinforced squadrons
of Firestorms.
Shot fifteen of the Xenos ships and they haven’t got us yet!”

- Excerpt from popular Armada Imperalis

song circa 997M30. Famous Squadrons of
the Horus Heresy

Patrol Group Calth

(Ultramarines)

Patrol Group
Armatura
(Ultramarines)

Daughters of Chemos
(Emperor’s Children)

123
 SWORD FRIGATE.......35 PTS

Easily the most

common escort vessel
to be found among the
fleets of humanity. A
classic even in the far
gone days of the
Unification Wars, few
battleships fight
without at least a pair
of these frigates to
protect their back.

They are easily

constructed, and
easily maintained,
tested in innumerable
engagements and
lauded by both mortal
sailor and Astartes
alike.

Famous Squadrons of
the Horus Heresy

63-5 Patrol (63rd

Expedition Fleet)

Young Drakes
(Salamanders)

4th Raukaan Attack “Everyone wants to talk about the big guns and big ships. That newfangled
(Iron Hands) Nova Cannon, the Battleships, the Gloriannas. But it’s escorts that won the
Great Crusade. Who wants a great hulking battleship when they’re trying
to root out an ork nest in an asteroid field? Who wants a Nova cannon
when you’re fighting a swarm of some non-compliant pre-warp human
civilization’s “dreadnoughts” barely bigger than corvettes? Not I! No, for
my money the finest ship ever crewed by mankind is the Sword-class frigate.
More worlds were brought into compliance and threats to mankind
destroyed by a Sword’s guns than any other class of ship in the Imperium!”

- Admiral Constance Vidaar

124
COBRA DESTROYER......30 PTS

Cobra class escorts

form a significant
proportion of the
bastion fleets of
the Cyclops
Cluster. Their
versatility makes
them a favored
vessel for scouting,
patrolling and
raiding.

The Cobra was

also favored heavily
by those legions
participating in the
Ullanor Campaign,
where the vessels
great speed and
powerful ordnance
enabling it to catch
and destroy the
slow moving, and
densely
constructed ork
rokks. Imperial
records indicate
that upwards of
three hundred of
these xenos
abominations were
destroyed in the
the twelve months
prior to the
Triumph at
Ullanor.

125
 FALCHION ESCORT........35 PTS

Produced by
Voss as a means
of
supplementing
lighter escorts
with heavier
firepower, the
Falchion was a
relatively new
addition to the
Armada at the
outbreak of the
Horus Heresy.

Unlike other
innovations in
naval designs,
however, the
Falchion did not
catch the
Warmaster’s eye
the way larger
vessels did, and
so its numbers As small-ship captains boarding and, more importantly, counter-boarding
were not actions will be critical for the continued survival of your ships and crews.
restricted to While escorts do not normally initiate boarding actions, being able to repel
those legions boarders efficiently will be of utmost importance. Against the Legiones
still loyal. The Astartes there is not much hope, but the enemy utilizes Solar Auxilia and
irony being that standard shipboard armsmen with far greater frequency than Space
many of these Marines. But even against marines an alert and attentive captain and crew
ships were still may be able to avert catastrophe. All boarding actions concentrate against
denied to the three main sections of a ship. First is the enginarium and warp drive, the
later war effort, capture of which can lead to the complete destruction of your ship.
their carcasses Secondly is the magazine, the loss of which can likewise be deleterious to the
left floating in health of both you and your vessel. As escort captains these must be your
orbit around priority, since escorts are rarely boarded so as to claim the vessel, but rather
worlds like are boarded by elite strike teams in the hopes of causing a catastrophic
Istvaan, Calth detonation. Thirdly the seizure of the bridge may bring about the
and Caliban. surrender of the ship entire, as the attacker will be in command of all ship
functions. As Captain you are charged by the Emperor Himself to not give
up the ship. The first and best way to prevent that unhappy occurrence is to
keep your shields up and your anti-ordinance crews alert. Secondly you
must remember that as Captain it is up to you to fight the ship, not to go
haring off after intruders sabre in hand! That being said you better be
good with those sabres gentlemen. I always find it embarrassing to hear of
Armada officers being killed in boarding actions without giving a good
account of themselves. Now let us examine the ways in which the
deployment of shipboard armsmen can best defend against various types of
boarding actions...”
- Captain Carolyn Gweir, from her lecture “Principles
of Counter-Boarding” given to Accelerated Officer’s
Training Class 009a 891.009M31

126
 HAVOC DESTROYER.........40 PTS

An older pattern
of destroyer, the
Havoc was well
liked by the
Armada
Imperialis for its
ease of
maintenance and
robust firepower.

It is believed that
the Havoc is a
precursor to the
heavily armed
Thunderbolt, as
the two designs
share many
similar
subsystems and
construction
methods. More
lightly armored
and armed,
however, the
Havoc is a faster
ship and more
suited to the
While the Type 78 anti-ship torpedo has a range of 75 million harrowing of the
kilometers before auto-detonation, it is recommended that a semi- enemy. In the
stationary target be selected within 2 million kilometers to ensure a conquests of the
clean strike. For ship-to-ship combat 700,000km is considered the Coronid Deeps,
farthest a torpedo can launched against a foe maneuvering to avoid Havocs of the
and still have a chance of impact. However, studies conducted during 507th Attack
the Great Crusade indicate that full-launch target strikes spike Squadron
dramatically when fired within 380,000km. At that range most presaged the
capital ships are unable to successfully maneuver away from a torpedo arrival of the
salvo given the short amount of time between launch and contact. At Sons of Horus
such short ranges the firer will be within the engagement envelope of cruiser Ikon, as
a target’s primary weapons. Thus a careful balance must be struck that fell vessel
regarding the efficacy of a launch at optimal range and the return came to enforce
fire incurred as a result of exposing the ship to enemy gunnery. so-called “Dark
-Excerpt from “Armada Imperialis Tactical Compliance” on
Manual CXLIV: Un-crewed Naval Ordinance the worlds in that
and Their Employment” published 976M30 by cluster.
the Imperialis Auxilia Publishing Directorate.

127
 THUNDERBOLT HEAVY FRIGATE..50 PTS

The heavily
armed
Thunderbolt
frigate is actually
only one of many
varieties of the
Thunderbolt hull.

Used by almost
every branch of
the Imperial fleets,
the Thunderbolt
enjoys popularity
brought on by its
versatility, despite
seemingly being
anathema to many
Imperial admirals’
thinking
regarding escorts.

In the front line

of battle, it is still
just as vulnerable
as any other
escort. On the
flanks however, it
is capable of
everything from
daring attack
runs, to sustained
patrol operations,
and anti-logistics
campaigns. There
are even reports
of throne loyal
Thunderbolts
deploying
Exterminatus-
grade weapons on
worlds ahead of
the Traitors’
advance, leaving a
swathe of
scorched earth
before them.

128
 ICONOCLAST........30 PTS

An ancient
design, in the
process of being
phased out in
favor of the more
heavily armed
and armored
Sword-class, the
Iconoclast was
mostly relegated
to reserve fleets
and mothballing
by the time the
Heresy broke out.

Surprisingly
lethal for a ship
of its size, the
Iconoclast
mounts an
impressive array
of cannon
batteries, and
quickly proved
itself as a
peerless raider.
Hit and run
tactics forced
commanders on
the fringes the
war to take the
Iconoclast
seriously, and to
“Do you want to be a Hero in the Sky?” guard their flanks
and supply trains
- Common recruitment slogan for the Armada Imperialis against their
predations.
Daring strafing
runs from
Iconoclast
squadrons badly
mauled the
orbital defenses
near the
agriworld
Tocasta IV,
clearing the path
for a lone Alpha
Legion cruiser to
bombard the
planet with the
Life Eater virus.

129
 STALWART MINEKEEPER.....60 PTS

The Stalwart-class
minekeeper was a
staple of Imperial
bastion and
blockade fleets.
Seeding the void
of space with
atomantic mines in
their millions, the
Stalwart’s efforts
saw that many
xenos infested
quarantine zones
remained
reinforced against
the monsters
between stars.

During the great

wars of the Horus
Heresy, the
loyalists flooded
nearly every stable
warp route they
were able with
space mines, in an
attempt to buy *An orbital mine moves 10cm towards the nearest enemy ship in each
Terra time with ordnance phase. If it comes into contact with the base of an enemy
their threat. So ship, it detonates, rolling 8D6 to hit the target vessel. If a mine is hit
maligned was the by defensive turret fire, it rolls four dice instead.
Stalwart by
Traitor fleets, that
the vessels were
often boarded
rather than
destroyed, and
their crews
subjected to long,
agonizing deaths,
in retaliation for
lost time and
material.

130
 NOVA FRIGATE........50 PTS

The Nova is a
rare ship among
the crusade fleets
of the Legions.

Ostensibly, it is
too small to truly
fulfill the role of
a planetary
assault vessel so
favored by the
Legions. It's
speed and lance
armament,
however, make it
a formidable
gunboat in its
own right, and at
least one or two
Novas may be
found among the
raiding fleets of
marauding
legions, or their
castoffs.

“I will have no ship which cannot sail fast. For I intend to go in harm’s
way.”
- Attributed to the Primarch
Jaghatai Khan of the V Legion

131
 HUNTER.....40 PTS

Commissioned from
Mars by the 1st
Legion, the Hunter
fulfilled a much
needed role among
the Dark Angels at
the time: delivering
of high yield
torpedo ordnance.

Highly distrustful
and secretive, the
Legion wished not
to rely on the
Cobras of the
Armada Imperialis,
and so the Hunter
was created on their
behalf. By the third
decade of the Great
Crusade, the
Hunter had been
adopted by fully
half of the legions,
and by all before
the fourth. The
Iron Warriors and
the Imperial Fists
both found a great
affinity for the craft.
The Hunter fell
into almost
exclusively Loyalist
use by the end of
the Horus Heresy,
as the Traitor fleets
had been badly
depleted by the
long march to
Terra and the siege
itself.

132
GLADIUS FRIGATE.....45 PTS

A more heavily
armored
evolution of the
aging Gladiator
class frigate, the
Gladius is a
staple in Legion
fleets.

Although large
by frigate
standards, the
Gladius is
considered small
by their Astartes
masters, seldom
carrying more
than a single
tactical squad.
This tends to rob
the ship of the
punch of its its
more powerful
family members
in assault roles,
but it has proven
itself admirably
in more mundane
operations such
as patrol and
blockades, where
it is a foremost
ship of the line.

133
 Apocrypha

The following shall

serve as repositories of
information to illustrate
the authors’ intent, and
further optional rules.

134
11
16
Apocrypha Primus:
Notes on Historical
Context

Apocrypha Secundus:
Alternating
Activations

Apocrypha Tertius:
Advanced Ordnance
Rules

135
 Notes onApocrypha
Historical Context
Primus
Our approach selecting the BFH fleet list was twofold. First, we wanted lists that, as
accurately as we could, reflected the late Great Crusade/Horus Heresy era. Second, we wanted
a game where people’s existing collections of BFG ships would be usable more-or-less as they
were. This meant our first priority was scouring every bit of BFG literature to find out what
types of ships were used when and by who. This yielded our first batch of “Heresy Legal”
ships, as vessels like the Emperor Class Battleships were mentioned as having served since the
Great Crusade. Our second stop was the vast collection of HH Black Library and Forgeworld
books. There are hundreds of references to dozens of ships in these, and all of them were
cross-referenced to ID as many existing ships as possible. When the original BFG literature
and HH books clashed, we took the newer HH documentation as cannon. This is how Nova
Cannon and Firestorm-class frigates came into being, despite BFG sources indicating they
were post-heresy designs. When this was finished we had a surprising amount of both Chaos
and Imperial ships positively identified as being Heresy Legal. The final step was more finicky.
At this point there were still numerous BFG hulls that were not legal in BFH play. There were
also numerous ship classes mentioned in Black Books and HH novels which were completely
unknown in BFG. We took it upon ourselves to designate several of these new ship types as
being roughly analogous to BFG ships already in existence. We only did this when it was clear
the class and at least some of the weaponry of a HH-era ship was comparable to a BFG vessel.
This is how the Apostate-class Heavy Raider became the Thunderbolt Heavy Frigate, among
others. The Imperium is a baroque and secretive bureaucracy which dwarfs anything currently
in existence. So we felt it wouldn’t be out of the common way for ships with similar designs to
“new” ships from about M38 onward to have existed during the Horus Heresy.

For the Space Marine fleet we went a slightly different way. We know from various points of
lore that “Strike Cruiser” and “Battle Barge” were not specific classes of ships in the Horus
Heresy, but rather referred to a whole gamut of vessels that were re-purposed or specifically
built for Legion use. Indeed, BFG provides players with the ability to take Emperor-class
Battleships and other designs as ancient “Battle Barges” usable in Space Marine fleets.
Nevertheless we decided based on HH fluff that ships much in keeping with modern Space
Marine vessels (up-armored assault ships with prow bombardment cannon) were in use during
the Heresy. Our answer was to allow the generic Space Marine vessels in BFH as stand-ins for
what was probably a much wider array of vessels all of which performed the same role.

This still left some gaps, especially among the bigger Imperial Navy vessels. If, as the Siege of
Terra rolls onward, new ships classes are mentioned some of these may be added to the BFG
ship list. However we feel that for narrative the best thing to do is vote “no” on a ship rather
than be all inclusive. This is of course a fan made ruleset for a dead game, so do with it as you
will. But just like you can’t take Land Raider Crusaders in a 30k list because it would “break
immersion” and “not be historically accurate” we hope the reader understands that we feel
taking vessels outside the list provided here isn’t really in keeping with the Horus Heresy spirit
we’re trying to maintain in BFH. In the end experimental ships can provide those of you who
must live “outside the box” with a place to stretch your creative muscles.

As every faction in BFH would have the same fleet list to draw on, we felt is was supremely
important for each Legion to have their own specific rules to give the various lists some flavor.
With the inclusion of Mechanicum, Imperial Army, and Rogue Trader fleet lists this has
become a little less pressing, but nevertheless as most games would be Legion vs. Legion we
wanted each to stand out. We also didn’t want any one legion to be distinctly second tier or
overpowered compared to the rest. For the most part we settled on re-purposing rules from
other parts of BFG for Legion use; for example, the various marks traitor legions must take, or
the Alpha Legion rules which are only slightly modified from their first incarnation as Dark
Eldar Mimic Engines. It was felt that these rules would be easier to balance against each other
than coming up with 18 new rules out of whole cloth. We hope that these rules provide a
sense of how the Legions operate in the fluff, and of all the rules these are the most likely to
see tweaks and updates as we get ever-increasing amounts of feedback and learn more about
how the Legions changed their void tactics as the Heresy progressed.
136
Xenos in the Age of Darkness

While this ruleset is primarily intended to represent the battles during the Age of
Darkness, it naturally extends into the Great Crusade as well (indeed, the original name of
this project was “Great Crusade Fleets”). This means that it is entirely possible to play this
fleet list against xenos races! Orks are Eldar (the Authors steadfastly refuse to refer to them as
the Aeldari, Drukhari, T’au or any other rebranded name! This is the Glorious Time of Man,
and what xenos call themselves is of no consequence!) are the main focus here, as Tau had not
yet achieved space flight, the Necrons had not yet awakened, and the Tyranids had not yet
arrived in the Milky Way. The Authors can find no reason to limit the classes of ships available
Xenos fleets. As always, players should use good sense and narrative judgment to determine
what is appropriate for a given scenario. For those wishing to be as accurate as possible, it
should be noted that Orks did not have teleport technology during the Great Crusade. It
should go without saying that while we endeavored to keep the Heresy fleet lists as internally
balanced as possible, they have not been compared to Xenos fleets in any meaningful way.

Talons of the Emperor in the Age of Darkness

While it is a fact that that the Ten Thousand and their allies were abroad during the
Horus Heresy, the Authors did not find sufficient evidence to suggest that they had their own
dedicated fleets, outside of the Black Ships of the Adeptus Telepathica, which followed their
own agenda and did not mingle with the Expeditionary Fleets. Therefore, they have not been
given a profile in the same way as the Legions and the Mechanicum.

Rare Vessels in the Age of Darkness

Many of the flavor text that you see in the Ship Compendium is adapted from
established lore present in the basic rule book and Armada. Several ships (such as the
Apocalypse-class battleship) are described as being rare; difficult to build, repair and replace.
Others are relatively new to the fleets of the Imperium, and there are not yet enough ships to
replace those lost with any efficiency. It is this Author’s opinion that there should be some
optional rules to present this.

In campaigns, players using rare vessels will be unable to replace them in the usual way, if they
are lost in battle.

• If a rare vessel is reduced to a hulk or a blazing hulk, and its owner holds the field at the
end of the game, roll a D6. On a 5+, the vessel can be salvaged. It is not struck from the
player’s roster, but must have at least one hull point repaired before it can be used again,
and it still suffers the leadership penalty. If the vessel suffers a plasma drive overload, or a
warpcore implosion, there is no need to roll. The vessel is lost.

• When a rare vessel is lost, do not replace it with another vessel of the same class. Instead,
replace it with another vessel of the same type (Battleship, Cruiser, etc), of an equal or
lesser points value.

• A rare vessel may be (re)obtained by a player via the reinforcements appeal. Instead of the
usual 2+ roll, a 5+ is required to obtain one of these mighty ships. If the result is a 2, 3 or
4, an additional ship may still be added to the roster, but it may not be a rare vessel.

The Following Vessels are Rare

Oberon-class Battleship
Apocalypse-class Battleship
Ark Mechanicum
Governor-class Grand Cruiser
All Battlecruisers, except in Mechanicum and Traitor Astartes fleets.

137
Barred Classes of Ship
Not all classes of ship available to Battlefleet Gothic players are considered historically viable,
and are therefore disallowed from usage in the described ruleset. That is not to say that an exact class
cannot be recreated and deployed using the Experimental Ship rules, only that they may not be taken as
part of a regular fleet. This list is not comprehensive, and serves as a merely a guide as to the exclusion
of certain classes of ship.

Warp Rift and other Apocrypha

When Specialist Games was shut down in 2010, Battlefleet Gothic did not die as such, and has
been continually worked and improved upon by groups such as the esteemed High
Admiralty. Publications such as Warp Rift and the Book of Nemesis contain a veritable
treasure trove of new gaming material made by fans and experienced Battlefleet Gothic
players. Much of the material in those works could be considered “Heresy Legal”. However,
for the sake of simplicity and due to the varying levels of experience of the writers of this
material as designers, we have excluded them from the official (insofar as any this is official)
Battlefleet Heresy fleet registries. The Authors encourage the players to determine for
themselves what other homebrew materials they wish to include in their games, and as
always, suggest judicial use of good sense and narrative judgment in any given scenario.

Battleships

• Desecrator-class Battleship: This ship’s master, Heinrich Bale, was a former student of the Young
School, a cadre of officers not seen until M.36. Presumably, it was Bale’s idea to convert a Desolator
into what would be known as the Desecrator, and no other attempts had been made prior to his flash
of inspiration.

• Despoiler-class Battleship: A product of the Gareox Perogative in M.36, the Despoiler misses the
mark of historical validity by about five thousand years. Despite the appearance of what appears to
be a Despoiler battleship in Book 8: Malevolence, there is no evidence to suggest that it is a distinct
class of vessel available at large to the Expeditionary Fleets. That being said, a similar class of ship
can be achieved by using a Battlebarge with additional launch bays and adding dorsal and prow
mounted lance batteries.

• Invincible-class Fast Battleship: The ill-regarded Invincible was created in Segmentum Tempestus
as a response to chaos raiders, a problem that did not exist before the Heresy.

• Nemesis-class Fleet Carrier: Nemesi are always modified Emperor-class ships. The Emperor was
not rediscovered by the Imperium until long after the Heresy (although it did serve during the
Heresy), and the Authors reasoned that if Nemesi carriers served concurrently with the Emperor-
class, then the former would not have disappeared and then rediscovered. Which is to say, Emperors
could have been remade from Nemesis hulls.

• Planet Killer: While ships with the capacity to destroy planets are not uncommon in the Imperium, a
vessel matching the armaments of the Planet Killer was completely unheard of until its introduction
in the Gothic War, in M.41. It should be noted that the Planet Killer does serve as the foundation for
the Furious Abyss class ship which can be taken by Word Bearers fleets in narrative play.

• Vanquisher-class Battleship: The Vanquisher misses the mark by a millennia, as the Heresy had
ended by M.32. Records are admittedly fragmentary and hard to come by, surrounding the
Vanquisher’s origins, and vessels of this class may indeed have existed before to the Vae Victis’
service record begins. However, the Authors have made it a point not to include ships on the grounds
that “you can’t prove that they weren’t around”, and so the Vanquisher remains non-viable.

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Cruisers

• Acheron-class Heavy Cruiser: The Acheron’s initial description as a one-of-a-kind vessel, unnamed
until the 41st millennium, led the Authors to consider it unlikely that it existed in its originally-published
form during the Age of Darkness. Book 3: Extermination lists the Cardinal-class (the vessel upon which
the Acheron was based) as a vessel commonly in use among the Legions, and so of the two similarly
armed ships, the Cardinal was included and the Acheron was not.

• Armageddon-class Battlecruiser: Not to mention being named after a planet that goes by a different
name in M30, the first Armageddon was built from a ship that had suffered while fighting Chaos
raiders, a problem that did not exist until after the Heresy.

• Carnage-class Cruiser: The Carnage did not see combat until the so-called Skalathrax Landing, in
which Imperial forces attempted to claim the world from ‘renegades’, presumably elements of either the
Emperor’s Children or World Eaters legions. This places the ship’s origins either during or after The
Scouring, and therefore after the Heresy.

• Daemonslayer-class Cruiser: Despite the fact that the Daemonslayer’s main gun appears to predate the
Imperium, the ship itself seems to be singularly unique, and so even if it did exist during the Heresy, it
seems doubtful that there was ever more than one.

• Emasculator-class Cruiser: This ship was first seen among Slaaneshi fleets. Seeing as warbands being
singularly dedicated to a single god of chaos (the ‘cult’ legions notwithstanding) were not encountered
until mid-to-late-war, the Authors thought it unlikely that the Emasculator would have been in service
before or during the Heresy.

• Furious-class Grand Cruiser: There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding the creation dates of the
Furious. But we look to the Repulsive-class, upon which the first Furious were built, and see that the
latter class was not commissioned until M.34, three thousand years after the Heresy.

• Hecate Heavy Cruiser: Evidence suggests that this class of vessel was a creation not of the Imperium,
but of the chaos raiders that emerged after the Heresy, seeking to supplement the shortcomings of the
Styx-class. So despite a lack of creation date, it does not seem likely that the Hecate was in service before
or during the Heresy.

• Inferno-class Cruiser: The Inferno is mostly dated by its classification as a later counterpart to the
Carnage-class, which did not enter service until the Scouring, at the earliest.

• Inquisition Black Ship: While the Black Ships certainly existed under the purview of the Adeptus
Telepathica, such ships followed their own agendas and were not included among the Expeditionary
Fleets.

• Jovian-class Battlecruiser: This vessel is brand new (by Imperial standards anyway) at the outbreak
of the Gothic War, in M.41.
• Long Serpent-class Battlecruiser: Another Gothic War alumnus. Far too late to participate in the
Heresy.

• Overlord-class Battlecruiser: Despite a definitive lack of creation date for the Overlord, the Authors
determined that their designs were made to replace the Acheron, which itself is a post-heresy creation.

• Repulsive-class Grand Cruiser: This class of ship was not commissioned until M.34.

• Tyrant-class Cruiser: Definitively a creation of the 38th millennium, the Tyrant’s role can be fulfilled
by a Crusader (otherwise known as the Dominator).

Escorts

• Viper Missile Destroyer: Another creation of the 36th Millennium's ill fated Gareox Prerogative.

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 Alternating Activations
Apocrypha Secundus
With the advent of Adeptus Titanicus and the general move away from I-Go-You-Go
gaming systems in recent years, some gamers are turned off by BFG's relatively antiquated
mechanic of all one fleet moving/shooting/etc then the other. The following are highly
experimental rules that the Authors feel help modernize the existing core mechanics of
Battlefleet Gothic, and make them more realistic (if we can say such a thing about a spaceship
game where boarding-and-chainswording is a viable tactic!). As always, players are free to use as
many or as few of these rules as they wish (they are, after all, optional rules for a fan-made
version of a dead game). As of this publication, these rules have gone through very little
playtesting, and so players may find instances in which it is unclear how interactions should
proceed. As always, players are encouraged to use good sense and narrative judgment in any given
scenario.

In this ruleset, game turns proceed in the following order:

1. Priority Phase

2. Orders Phase
3. Activation Phase

4. Ordnance Phase

5. End Phase

Priority Phase
Each player rolls a D6, and the player with the highest result may choose who has “priority” this
round. In this case “priority” refers to the player who acts first in any given phase. In the case of
a tie the player which did not have priority last round gains priority. Re-roll ties on the first turn.

The priority roll is subject to the following modifiers, which cease in application at any point in
which the relevant circumstances are no longer true. Conversely, if any of the following
circumstances become true where they were previously not, then the relevant modifier is applied.
These modifiers can produce a D6 roll higher than 6.

Add +1 to the priority roll if:

• A player has more escort ships on the field than their opponent.

• A player has more ships with a base speed of 25cm on the field than their opponent (including
escort ships).

• A player is the Attacker in a scenario.

• A player has more Astartes ships of Raven Guard or Alpha Legion on the field than their
opponent.

Ex 1: Dave and Robbie roll for Priority. Dave’s defending fleet contains 7 escorts to Robbie’s 4, and two
Murder-class cruisers (which have a base speed of 25cm) to Robbie’s one Desolator-class battleship (which
has a base speed of 25cm). Dave has a total modifier of +2 to his priority roll (+1 for more escorts, and
+1 for more ships with 25cm base speed), and Robbie has a +1 modifier for being the Attacker. Dave rolls
an 8 (6+2), and Robbie rolls a 5 (4+1). Dave has Priority. By the start of Turn 4, Robbie has smashed
Dave’s Murders, crippling one and destroying the other, and Dave’s escorts have been forced to Disengage.
Now Dave must rely on the flat D6 roll, having both his lost speed and numerical advantage to casualties,
whereas Robbie still maintains his +1 modifier for being the Attacker. At the start of Turn 4, Dave rolls a
5 (5+0), and Robbie rolls a 6 (6+1). Robbie has Priority this turn.
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Ex 2: Dave and Robbie are playing an Escalating Engagement scenario. At the start of the game, the only
ship that Dave deploys from his defending fleet is his Murder-class cruiser. Robbie has deployed a squadron of
4 escorts. Robbie has a +2 modifier to his roll, for having more escorts deployed than Dave and for being the
attacker. Dave has no modifier, because his single Murder does not equate to “more ships with a base speed of
25cm than the opponent. By the start of Turn 5, Dave has brought on four more ships with base speed of
25cm, and escorts of his own, while Robbie has not. Dave may now claim the +1 modifier for having a faster
fleet.

Orders Phase
After resolving beginning-of-turn effects such as Celestial Phenomena, each player, starting with the
player who has Priority, takes turns attempting to issue orders to a ship or squadron of ships as per
the normal rules. For simplicity’s sake, we shall refer to these as a unit.

The +1 to leadership checks for enemies being on orders applies if any unit in your opponent's fleet
was on orders the previous turn.

Activation Phase
Each player, starting with the player who has Priority, selects a single ship or squadron.

This unit may then move and shoot as per the normal rules.

Additionally, if the unit has the ability to launch torpedoes or other “unguided” ordnance, it may
select a single friendly torpedo wave (or equivalent) to activate. This is done after the unit has moved
and fired. This wave moves its usual distance per the usual rules. If a unit launches ordnance during
its activation, that ordnance must be moved. Each instance of ordnance may only be moved once
during the Activation phase, and its ‘parent’ unit must be used to do so, unless it is incapable of
doing so (such as disengaging or being destroyed). Note that a ship can activate ordnance as long as
that ship has the weapons on its profile. IE, a unit with Prow Weapon Damage or that has run out of
ordnance may still choose a torpedo wave to move when it is activated.

Ex: Dave activates his Dictator-class cruiser Heirophant. After moving and shooting with it, he chooses to
launch torpedoes. He places the torpedo marker in base to base contact with Heirophant, and then measures out
its standard 30cm before moving the wave. He has two other torpedo capable vessels yet to be activated, but they
cannot be used to further activate and move Heirophant’s torpedo wave, and must instead launch their own.
In the following turn, upon activation, Heirophant may activate its on-the-move torpedo wave and send it a
further 30cm along its course.

If a unit has the capacity to launch attack craft, it may select two tokens of attack craft per strength
of launch bay to activate. This is done after the unit has moved and fired. These tokens move and
interact with other units per the usual rules. If a unit launches attack craft during its activation,
then the attack craft must be moved. Each instance of attack craft may only be moved once during
the Activation phase. Note that a ship can activate attack craft as long as that ship has the weapons
on its profile. Any attack craft tokens on CAP are activated alongside the vessel, and do not count
towards the number of markers that the unit can activate.

Ex: Dave activates his Dictator-class cruiser Heirophant. After moving and shooting with it, he chooses to
launch attack craft. He places four craft tokens in base to base contact with Heirophant, (a Dictator has two
bays with a strength of 2 and so can launch a total of four tokens) and then measures out their maximum
possible movement before moving the tokens. He has one other carrier vessel yet to be activated, but it cannot be
used to further activate and move Heirophant’s attack craft, and must instead launch its own. In the following
turn, upon activation, Heirophant launches four attack craft a second time, and may activate the four
previously launched tokens, moving them along their course in whatever combinations he wishes. In effect, upon
activation, a unit may direct a previously launched set of tokens, as well as launch and direct a new one.

Ordnance Phase
Each player, starting with the player who has Priority, selects a friendly torpedo wave OR an amount
of friendly attack craft tokens (up to the highest strength of launch bays in the player's fleet) that
have not already moved in the ordnance phase, to move as per the usual rules.

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If a player has no carriers left , then their attack craft move AFTER all of their opponent's
attack craft. This is to represent the command and control breakdown as flight crews try to
operate without the broader picture of the battle provided by flight controllers on carriers.

If a torpedo wave was not activated during the Activation phase, it moves twice the distance
stated on its profile*. Note that this does not apply to attack craft, as pilots will work to
conserve as much fuel as possible when given no specific maneuver instructions.

The End Phase

Each player, starting with the player who has Priority, selects one of their hulks/blazing
hulks and moves them as per normal rules.

Once all hulks/blazing hulks have been moved, each player, starting with the player who has
Priority, selects a unit to make repairs, resolve critical hits, and similar actions, as per the
usual rules.

Remove all orders issued in the Order Phase (remembering to keep track if you get a +1 for
enemies on orders!) and move to the next turn!

Notes
• A unit may still go under Brace for Impact! orders at any point at which it may receive
damage, unless specifically disallowed.

• If a unit is boarded before it has a chance to be activated in the Activation Phase, then it
is locked into the boarding action, and may not be activated in that Activation Phase. If a
unit wishes to not be boarded, it should activate sooner!

• Ships may only use their turrets to target either torpedoes or attack craft in a single
phase. So in the Activate Ships phase a ship may use their turrets to engage torpedoes
but not attack craft, and in the ordinance phase could either continue to fire at torpedoes
or switch to shooting attack craft.

• If one player runs out of activations or ships to give orders to, the other player may
activate/give orders to every remaining ship/squadron/ordnance marker he/she wishes,
in whatever order he/she wishes.

• *Author’s Note: The movement of ordnance in this ruleset can seem especially tricky. An
important thing to remember, when interpreting these rules, is that a “normal” game of BFG
requires two turns in order for both players’ actions to be fully carried out. In this ruleset, both
players’ actions are compressed into a single turn. Ergo, consider the following:

When you fire torpedoes in your shooting phase, they move 30cm come the ordnance phase. And when
they move again, in your opponent’s ordnance phase, they go another 30cm. So between you and your
opponent’s turn, they move a combined speed of 60cm.
The next turn, when your ordnance phase comes, they go another 30cm, and in your opponent's
ordnance phase, they'll go another 30cm. So assuming they miraculously haven’t hit anything by then,
they have moved a further 60cm.

So a torp wave will move 60cm in the single turn, to replicate their function in a "normal" game.

Attack craft behave differently. Attack craft with no orders or a base to return to, are more likely to
conserve power for as long as possible in the hopes of eventual pickup then they are to go out in a
blaze of glory! Yes this means that a fleet without carriers, or a fleet with huge amounts of attack
craft on the table, will have slower-moving attack craft. Partly this is a mechanic to discourage
massive attack craft buildups, and partly this reflects what is known about real-life carrier operations.

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 Alternative Ordnance Rules
Apocrypha Tertius
Battlefleet Gothic has no shortage of extra rules and add-ons for the Ordnance
Phase. It is the intent of the Authors that players of Battlefleet Heresy use the ordnance
rules found in the 2010 FAQ, or the H33 rules below. However, for the sake of completion,
other rules that we have enjoyed using are included here, so that players can deepen their
gaming experiences as they so desire. Players may use as many or as few of these additional
rules as they like, or even write ones of their own.

H33 Ordnance Rules

These rules are the attack craft rules we at Remembrancer’s Retreat enjoy playing with the most, and
the rules with which Battlefleet Heresy is intended to work. They are in large part the Advanced
Ordnance rules from Warp Rift #33, though there have been some modifications to how torpedoes are
countered by attack craft and we’ve added a few more “Heresy era” attack craft to WR33’s list.

I never really liked the token-removes-token aspect of BFG’s attack craft rules, nor the fact that every
launch is exactly what the admirals needs in the moment. Historically, both real-world and in
various sci-fi settings (to include GW’s own fluff) carrier attack craft usage was dictated by the
amount and types of fighters/bombers/what-have-you that the carrier had when the fight began.
While the 2010 FAQ was right that infinite attack craft on the table (except the vagaries of doubles
on a reload ordnance roll) was too powerful, I felt that having to essentially recall your fighter screen
to deploy bombers, and being able to launch wave after wave of bombers even though they kept being
destroyed, was unrealistic and a bit dull. I really enjoyed the WR33 ordnance rules, and modified
them slightly to (in my opinion) better show how the various ordnance interacts in the fluff. The
following rules are my attempt to balance what I think makes a “good” set of carrier attack craft
rules. . - Austin

Before the game begins (or when a new ship with launch bays is first added to your
campaign fleet list) you must select what mix of attack craft is being carried by every ship
with launch bays in your fleet. A carrier may carry 3x its number of launch bays in
squadrons, with Thunderhawk squadrons counting as 2 for all ships except for Battle Barges
and Strike Cruisers.

• For example the VI Legion Dictator-class Cruiser “Saetta” with space marine crew (4 launch
bays) may normally carry Fighters, Bombers, and Thunderhawks. It could be equipped with 6
fighters and 6 bombers, or 4 fighters, 4 bombers, and 2 thunderhawks, or even 12 bombers.

Carriers launch attack craft per normal, but do not run out of Ordnance for attack craft if
you roll doubles when attempting to Reload Ordnance. (Torpedoes still cannot be loaded if
doubles are rolled.) Instead, they may only launch the attack craft they started the game
with, and if all these craft are on the table/destroyed, cannot launch any more attack craft.

You may have as many attack craft on the table as you are capable of launching.

• Let’s say Saetta chose to carry 4 fighters, 4 bombers, and 2 thunderhawks. On Turn 1 she
launched 2 thunderhawks for CAP. Saetta now has 4 fighters and 4 bombers she is capable of
launching. Saetta Reload’s Ordnance, and Turn 2 launched 2 fighters and 2 bombers. Saetta
now only has 2 fighters and two bombers left in her hangers. Nevertheless she launches them
Turn 3. On her Turn 3 the first wave Saetta launched attacked an enemy cruiser, losing one of
its fighters. The remaining fighter and two bombers would return to Saetta, allowing her to
launch 1 fighter and 2 bombers later. In the Enemy’s Turn 3 Saetta’s second wave of fighters
and bombers attacks, and loses both fighters and a bomber. The remaining bomber returns. Now
on Turn 4 Saetta has 1 fighter and 3 bombers capable of being launched.
As you can see these rules add a new layer of strategy for burgeoning carrier commanders.
Throwing away attack craft against heavily defended opposition now could mean no attack craft for
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later use! Conversely these rules allow players to put out a “fighter screen” capable of existing even as your
carriers deploy bomber waves to destroy the enemy, or mass your carrier’s entire compliment of attack craft
for a massive strike. It leads to interesting choices pre-game as well, as you try to gauge how many fighters
you’ll need vs how many bombers or assault boats you want. Plus scraped-together waves of
“suboptimal” makeup late game can lead to some excellent gaming moments!

It should be noted that the following rules in no way change the way ordnance interacts with
ships. All the normal rules for how attack craft, torpedoes, and mines attack or are attacked by
ships in BFG/BFH remain unchanged.

Type

Each Attack Craft is given a Type. This dictates how the Attack Craft will interact with ships.
Additionally this describes which capital ships can take them. A ship may only have one variety
of squadron for each Type it is capable of carrying. For example, a Dictator can take “fighters and
bombers.” This means it could be equipped with Swiftdeaths, thunderbolts, OR Furies for it’s fighters,
and Marauders OR Starhawks for bombers. It cannot carry both Furies and Thunderbolts. In fluff
terms this represents the fact that carriers almost exclusively operate one type of starfighter, bomber, etc to
simplify logistics. In game terms this simplifies the varieties of attack craft running around on the table,
as many people only have one type of marker for the various types of attack craft.

Attack

Fighters have an Attack value which they use to engage other ordnance markers. This
represents a mix of weapons, general training of pilots and crew, and the characteristics of the
attack craft in question. Markers with Attack value may engage other Ordnance and roll a
number of dice equal to their Attack value if, they have any. Any dice which equal or beat the
Armor value of the target ordnance will remove the ordnance marker. Markers with an Attack
value are also capable of suppressing anti-ordnance turrets on capital ships and so count as
Fighters when using the Turret Suppression rules with mixed waves. Note that all squadrons
roll dice simultaneously when attacked. If a squadron has no Turret value, use the Attack value
when engaged by other attack craft.

Turrets

Ordnance that has no Attack value cannot engage other ordnance deliberately, just like in the
main BFG rules. The Turrets value is provided to represent their defenses against fighters.
This involves the various defensive weapons and countermeasures a squadron has against
attackers, and in some instances represents certain attack craft being less able to defend
themselves compared to when they initiate a fight. . They use their Turret value in the same
manner as Attack value. Because you must have an Attack value to engage other ordnance
markers, squadrons that only have a Turret value cannot initiate engagements against other
Ordnance Markers.

Torpedoes and Mines

Torpedoes and mines have a turret value just like other ordnance. This (usually) doesn’t mean
they have in-built defenses like bombers. Instead it represents vagaries of fate such as
detonating mines engulfing the attacking squadrons, and the comparative hardiness of such
weapons forcing attacking fighters to drain their magazines to destroy them.

• Any Attack rolls of 5 or 6 remove 2 torpedoes instead of 1. In game terms this allows a single
squadron of fighters to theoretically remove a “full spread” of torpedoes fired by a cruiser. In fluff
terms this represents a torpedo's destruction knocking nearby torpedoes off-course or otherwise
damaging them such that they no longer function.

• When playing with the H33 Limited Attack Craft Rules any squadron removed from play by
torpedoes or mine turrets is, on a 4+, not destroyed. Instead the squadron is removed from
play and counts as having returned to its carrier.

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 Author’s Note: The following table has been modified from its appearance in WR 33, to account for
the variety of craft available to the Legions, Armada Imperialis and the Basilikon Astra. Players
are highly encouraged to keep the markers they use for ordnance as simple and easy to interpret as
possible, to avoid confusion as the game carries on into later turns.

ARMADA IMPERIALIS ATTACK CRAFT

RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH
Fury Fighter 30cm 3 5+ 0
Interceptor
Starhawk Bomber 20cm 0 4+ 2
Bomber
Starhawk Torpedo-
Torpedo 20cm 0 3+ 2
Bomber
Bomber
Shark Assault Assault Boat 30cm 0 4+ 2
Boat
Thunderbolt* Fighter- 25cm 2 4+ 0
Strike Fighter Bomber
LEGION ATTACK CRAFT
RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH
Xiphon Fighter 30cm 3 5+ 0
Interceptor
Fire Raptor Fighter 25cm 2 5+ 3
Fighter-
Storm Eagle Assault Boat 25cm 2 5+ 0
Fighter-
Thunderhawk Assault 20cm 3 6+ 0
Boat
Thunderhawk Fighter- 20cm 3 6+ 0
Annihilator Bomber
Fighter-
Sokar Bomber- 20cm 1 6+ 3
Stormbird Assault Boat
Caestus
Assault Ram Assault Boat 25cm 0 6+ 1
Dreadclaw Assault Boat 30cm 0 4+ 0
Kharybdis Assault Boat 30cm 0 5+ 2

BASILIKON ASTRA ATTACK CRAFT

RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH
Servitor-Fury Fighter 30cm 3 5+ 2
Interceptor
Servitor-
Starhawk Bomber 20cm 0 4+ 2
Bomber
Servitor-
Starhawk Torpedo- 20cm 0 3+ 2
Torpedo Bomber
Bomber
Servitor-Shark Assault Boat 30cm 0 4+ 2
Assault Boat
Servitor- Fighter-
Thunderbolt 25cm 2 4+ 1
Bomber
Strike Fighter*
Vulturax Void- Fighter 25cm 4 6+ 1
Automata

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 ELDAR ATTACK CRAFT**
RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH
Darkstar Fighter 30cm 3 5+ 0
Fighter
Eagle Bomber Bomber 20cm 0 6+ 2
Eagle Torpedo Torpedo- 20cm 0 6+ 2
Bomber Bomber
Phoenix Fighter-
Fighter- 25cm 2 5+ 0
Assault Boat
Bomber
Vampire Fighter- 25cm 0 4+ 2
Raider Bomber

ORK ATTACK CRAFT**

RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH

Fighta- Fighter- 25cm 3 4+ 0

Bommaz Bomber

Ork Assault Assault Boat 30cm 0 4+ 2

Boats

Ork Torpedo Torpedo- 20cm 0 3+ 2

Bommaz Bomber

ORDNANCE

RANGE/ FIREPOWER
NAME TYPE ARMOR TURRETS
SPEED /STRENGTH

Torpedo Torpedo 30cm 0 4+ 1

Boarding Torpedo 30cm 0 4+ 1

Torpedo

Orbital Mine Mine 10cm 0 4+ 1

*Thunderbolts are void-capable, though less agile in space than purpose-built starfighters.
They are one of the premier Imperial aircraft however, and should be taken as part of an
Air Base’s compliment of attack craft. While capable of performing bombing missions
against ground targets, the Thunderbolt’s payload is too small to allow it to operate
effectively in this fashion against voidships. Therefor a Thunderbolt Squadron rolls a D3
when determining how many attacks they generate when attacking ships, rather than a D6.
**Xenos attack craft are included here for completeness’ sake, and should be used by any
Eldar or Ork player daring to take on the Imperium during the Great Crusade!

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Substituting Attack Craft: The array of attack craft available to ships using these rules
means that carriers have access to different attack craft other than what is shown on their
profiles. Before the game begins (or when a new ship with launch bays is first added to
your campaign fleet list) you must select what mix of attack craft is being carried by
every ship with launch bays in your fleet. A carrier may carry 3x its number of launch
bays in squadrons, with Thunderhawk squadrons counting as 2 for all ships except for
Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers.

Carriers in Armada Imperialis fleets may take any combination of Furies, Starhawk,
Starhawk Torpedo Bombers and Thunderbolts for no additional cost. Ships that are
capable of buying Shark assault boats may do so per their usual costs.

Carriers in Legiones Astartes fleets are equipped only with the ordnance stated in their
profile. Astartes ships may replace this compliment with Thunderhawks and
Thunderhawk Annihilators free of cost, or supplement this compliment with
Thunderhawks and Thunderhawk Annihilators for 10pts. Thunderhawks normally take 2
launch bays to deploy from any ship that is not originally drawn from the Space Marine
fleet list. (IE: A Dictator class cruiser with 4 launch bays could launch 4 fighters/
bombers, 2 Thunderhawks, or 1 thunderhawk and two fighters/bombers.) Astartes ships
may add Stormbirds to their compliment of attack craft for 10pts. Astartes Ships may
replace the attack craft shown on their profile for any combination of Fire Raptors, and
Storm Eagles for no additional cost. Any Astartes ship capable of launching Dreadclaws
or Shark Assault Boats may replace them with Caestus Assault Rams for 5pts, or
Kharybdis for 10pts. When launching Hit-and-Run attacks with a Stormbird or a
Kharybdis, apply the inflicted critical hit twice. Glorianna Battleships (Narrative or
otherwise) may take any combination of Legion attack craft for no additional cost.

Carriers in Basilikon Astra fleets may take any combination of servitor crewed Furies,
Starhawk, Starhawk Torpedo Bombers and Thunderbolts for no additional cost. Ships
that are capable of buying Shark assault boats may do so per the usual cost. Ships that are
capable of launching Furies may replace them with Vulturax void-automata for 10pts.

Advanced Ordnance Rules by: Graham Wilson

These rules can be found in Warp Rift Magazine #33 on page 8, and simulate the vagaries of
aerial combat. Each kind of ordnance unit has its own profile, allowing for a stunning range of
diversity in representation. While BFH uses the aforementioned “H33” rules, we have included
the original publication for the sake of completion.

These changes are limited to how Ordnance interacts with other Ordnance, and does not
effect the way that Ordnance interacts with capital ships or defenses.

Ordnance is not held in place after being intercepted, and can continue to move after
carrying out its interactions, in their own turn. This should encourage interception
further from your fleet if possible, but still make CAP fighters on ship bases useful. Note
that ordnance may still only make one interaction per phase, and still interacts with the
first ship or ordnance marker they come in contact with per their normal rules.

Ordnance is still launched as normal, and is limited in quantity to the number of launch
bays available as per the most recent rules [the 2010 FAQ - RR]. The option to remove
existing ordnance in play, in order to launch fresh ones is, I prefer, one you would be best
to ignore if using these rules,. This allows you to redeploy your forces where they are
needed, rather than them simply disappearing from the combat. Whether you do this is
not is up to you, but it always frustrates me to send a wave of fighters to one side of the
board to intercept some bombers simply to have them disappear and launch from point
blank range from a different carrier. When engaging a mixed wave, fighters must be
engaged first as per the normal rules - this restriction is not removed. With fighters
being harder to take down than bombers, this makes mixed waves far more useful again
too!

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The use of existing terms should hopefully allow you to adopt these rules with little
difficulty. They are applied slightly differently however, and remember that they only
work against other ordnance! Those fighters can’t start shooting up battleships on their
own! All ordnance has been their type, speed, and then three new values —Firepower,
Armour Value and Turrets.

Firepower: Only Fighters have a Firepower value and they can use this to engage
another Ordnance markers. The two markers engage each other and both sides roll a
number of dice equal to their firepower (if they have a value). Any results which equal or
beat the armor value of the respective target will remove the squadron. In this way both
sides may be destroyed or both sides survive. The firepower chart is not used in this
method. Markers with a firepower value may also be used to strafe larger ships and so
count as Fighters when using the Turret Suppression Rules with mixed waves.

Turrets: Ordnance that has no firepower value cannot voluntarily engage other ordnance
in the same manner as the BFG Rulebook dictates. However, the turrets value is provided
so that they may defend themselves against fighters. When engaged against fighters, they
use their turrets value in the same manner as a Firepower Value to shoot down enemy
fighters. Because you must have a firepower value to engage another marker, Bomber
squadrons may not engage each other using their turrets.

Armor Value: This is used to distinguish how hard a target is to hit, to balance the
effectiveness of fighters and bombers when engaged by each other. In general, a bomber
is easier for a fighter to shoot down. Eldar and Thunderhawks have a much higher value
to replace the mechanic of their 4+ save from being removed. You will also notice that
lumbering torpedo bombers are far easier to intercept, and that bombers will suffer more
from fighters than other fighters will.

Torpedoes: Torpedoes have been modified very little, but really, the only interaction they
have with these rules is when being intercepted by Fighters. Although a torpedo wouldn’t
have defensive turrets they have been assigned a value to represent the fact that attacking
fighters could run out of ammunition before destroying the entire salvo. A fighter that
attacks a torpedo salvo, makes its attacks as normal and reduces the strength of the salvo
by one for each hit, meaning that large salvos of torpedoes aren’t so easy to destroy
instantly by a few fighters and even harder by slower fighters that only get a few snap
shots off, but the fighters can still engage smaller salvos easier and still survive the
engagement to intercept other salvos or different ordnance.

Notes: With the extra vulnerability of Torpedo Bombers and the slightly reduced
effectiveness of Fighter Bombers as Fighters, it is reasonable to allow these options for
no extra points cost. Some craft should be limited to certain types of ship however - IE:
Fighter Bombers to Cruisers and Torpedo Bombers to Battleships. This is up to you
however. I have included a few extra craft in this list for Imperial and Eldar forces as
standard availability, as these would be deployed from the same ships as those used in
blockades and supporting invasions. So it makes sense to have them available in battlefleet
gothic too. Where a fighter previously had a save against being removed, they now
instead have a 6+ armor value to make them more resilient to being intercepted. They
can still be shot down however. Where Eldar Bombers were harder to hit from ship
turrets only, this has not been changed, as I didn’t want to change the balance of things
too much. On the whole, I have tried to introduce an extra layer without changing the
way the craft interacted with each other originally.

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 2010 FAQ Ordnance Rules by: High Admiralty
These rules are considered the “official” BFG ordnance rules, and were published in the 2010
FAQ. In most events, and in many gaming communities, these are used to varying levels of
verbatim. Should you find yourself among a new group of BFG players, this is likely the
ordnance rules they are most familiar with. BFH utilizes the 2010 FAQ in most respects, to
include the massed turret, turret suppression, and CAP rules included here.

Attack craft are represented by 20mm square markers. When used in a wave, they must
be spread and moved so they are always in contact with each other, and they cannot be
stacked. Attack craft waves must be assembled into the smallest circumference possible,
such as a block of four, two rows of three, etc. For example, a single wave of eight
ordnance markers cannot be stretched out into a single-file line eight markers long. On
the other hand, individual markers not in a wave can be organized in any formation
desired as long as no single marker moves farther from its launching vessel than its
maximum possible movement.

Once separated, attack craft markers cannot be re-combined into waves. Attack craft can
make as many turns as desired in the course of their movement, and they are not
required to attack the closest target. They are assumed to be able to avoid or ignore
closer targets or obstructions unless the course of their movement unavoidably brings
them in contact, such as traveling through blast markers or celestial phenomena. When
doing so, no part of the wave may move more than its speed. For example, you cannot
gain extra speed by turning at the end of your movement making markers on the corner
edge move further than the wave’s maximum speed. If you are intending on attacking at
the fringe of your total movement, the player should measure the distance before moving
the wave. Attack craft can ignore any targets they are not actually in contact with, but
they cannot “fly through” enemy ship bases to attack a desired target behind them.
However, attack craft can select to target vessels with small bases “hiding” inside the
footprint of a large ship base as long as the attack craft actually have the range to reach
the smaller base (this is the only manner in which attack craft may ignore the first ship’s
base they come in contact with). Torpedoes still behave normally and cannot select
targets in this manner (this includes boarding torpedoes or any other “special” torpedo
type). Ships with bases stacked in this manner may mass turrets against ordnance as
described in the relevant section. When attacking ships, an assault boat or bomber wave
that destroys a ship expends the entire wave to do so and is removed, even if individual
markers have not yet rolled their attacks.

Fighters: Fighters can escort a-boats in a wave in the same manner that they can escort
bombers, though they offer no bonus to a-boat attacks. Fighters escorting other attack
craft are always removed first when attacked before resolving any other attacks. Fighters
must always interact with ordnance they come in contact with for any reason. This
includes attack craft that behave as fighters but fulfill other roles, such as Space Marine
Thunderhawks or Ork fighta-bommas.

Torpedo-Bombers: Fleets that do not normally have access to bombers also do not have
access to torpedo bombers. Attack craft that function as both fighters and bombers (such
as Ork fighta-bommas) lose their fighter ability when converted to torpedo bombers and
function ONLY as torpedo bombers. Ships that pay an extra cost to be equipped with
torpedo bombers do not replace their bombers with torpedo bombers. When taken,
torpedo bombers become an additional type of attack craft available to the carrier.
Torpedo bombers always move no more than 20cm, regardless of how fast other bomber
types move in a given fleet list. Torpedo bombers may not launch their torpedoes (convert
to a torpedo salvo marker) in the same ordnance phase they were launched from their
parent carrier. This includes if they make contact with their target in the same turn they
were launched. In such cases, use normal bombers instead if desiring to attack an enemy
ship in close range.

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Resilient Attack-Craft: Attack craft that are “resilient”, meaning they have a 4+ save against
other ordnance such as Thunderhawks or Eldar fighters, can only attempt this save once per
ordnance phase, regardless of attacking or being attacked. Even if they roll a 4+ to remain in
play, they have to stop movement where the ordnance interaction took place and cannot move
further for that ordnance phase, and they lose their 4+ save for the rest of that phase as well (or
movement phase if save is made while in CAP). In all cases, resilient attack craft that fail to make
their save are immediately removed. Resilient attack craft that behave as fighters must always do
so when in contact with other ordnance, even if they may serve another function as well, such as
Thunderhawks. Attack craft that do not function as fighters but have a save against fighter
attacks, such as Tau Manta bombers, ignore any other type of ordnance except fighters in the
same manner other bombers or assault boats do.

Multiple Attacks: Any second interaction in the same ordnance phase such as attacking multiple
markers in the same phase will cause the marker to be automatically removed, as normal fighters
would be were they not resilient. The attacking player always decides the order of the ordnance
interaction. For example, if two Thunderhawks move in contact with two Chaos Swiftdeath
fighters, the Space Marine player decides in which order the ordnance interacts. He can decide
Thunderhawk #1 removes one fighter, makes its 4+ save and remains in play, then decide
Thunderhawk #1 removes the second Swiftdeath, in which case Thunderhawk #1 is
automatically removed but Thunderhawk #2 remains in play without using its save and can thus
move full distance. Conversely, the Space Marine player may decide to engage the Swiftdeaths one
apiece, in which case both Thunderhawks remain in play if they both make their saves, but both
expend their saves for that ordnance phase in the process. In this case, both Thunderhawks end
their movement where they came in contact in the Swiftdeaths and may not continue to move full
distance.

Opposing Resilient Ordnance: If two markers that both have a 4+ save attack each other and
both remain in play by successfully rolling their saves, they stop movement and remain in contact
until the next turn’s ordnance phase. However, if any marker that saves is attacked again in the
same phase, it (along with the marker that attacked it) is automatically removed. Following is an
extreme example:

1. Two Tau Mantas are attacked by two Eldar Darkstar fighters, and the Eldar player elects that
Darkstar #1 attacks Manta #1, and both markers immediately stop all movement. If they
both roll a 4+, both remain in play. If Darkstar #2 now attacks Manta #1, the Manta is
automatically removed. If Darkstar #2 now rolls a 4+ save, it may remain in play but the
Eldar ordnance phase is now complete because both ordnance markers rolled saves and can no
longer move or attack.

2. It is now the opponent’s turn to move his or her markers this ordnance phase. Manta #2 may
now elect to move away from the two Eldar fighters because it itself is not a fighter and is not
obligated to engage ordnance in play, or it may elect to remain in contact. If it does, it
automatically removes one Darkstar fighter because both fighters already rolled their saves
for that turn. If Manta #2 now successfully rolls its save and no other ordnance is on the
table, the ordnance phase ends for that turn, and both it and the remaining Darkstar fighter
remain in contact for the rest of the turn.

If a wave containing resilient attack craft attacks or is attacked and a save is made, ordnance
markers that make saves may no longer move. However it may be split from the wave to allow the
rest of the wave to continue its movement. Attack craft in the wave that were not attacked (and
thus didn’t use their 4+ save) complete their movement normally. For example, instead of
ignoring it a wave of four Thunderhawks in the course of their movement attacks a single Ork
Fighta-bomma not in base contact with a ship (rules for attacking ships with fighters on CAP
remain unchanged). One Thunderhawk attacks the fighta-bomma, removing it. If it rolls its 4+
save it may remain in play, but it must stop where it made contact with the fighta-bomma and not
move until the next ordnance phase. The remainder of the Thunderhawk wave may continue to
move its full distance. In essence, the Thunderhawk marker that engaged the fighta-bomma
peeled off the wave to engage it while the rest of the wave continued on to its target.

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Combat Air Patrol (CAP): One or more fighter markers on CAP may elect to move with its
ship in the Movement phase (thus remaining in base contact) to intercept ordnance that may
be in its way, but if it does so it may NOT then move in the ordnance phase. In other words,
no double moves. Fighters on CAP then stay on CAP for that turn unless removed. If when
doing so they move farther than the attack craft can move normally in a single ordnance
phase (such as 20cm Thunderhawks escorting a Cobra that moves 30cm), they then cannot
move in the opposing player’s ordnance phase as well, though they are still capable of
defending the ship they are in base contact with normally. An ordnance marker or wave is
considered to move with the ship it is escorting and will protect the ship against enemy
ordnance it encounters even in the midst of the ship’s movement. Multiple fighters on CAP
in base contact with a single ship function as independent markers in all respects and are not
a wave. When encountering blast markers, roll once per squadron marker. This includes if
the ship is subsequently destroyed, at which time the fighter markers roll separately against
the effects of the explosion. Any markers that survive subsequently act as separate ordnance
markers and may move again in the subsequent ordnance phase. Only fighters and ordnance
markers that behave as fighters can be used as CAP. Bombers and attack craft cannot be used
as CAP to protect against ramming or hit and run attacks by other ships the escorted ship
encounters in its own movement phase. For example, a bomber can’t be placed on CAP to
escort a cruiser so that it immediately makes attacks upon an enemy ship the cruiser moves
in base contact with. This includes resilient bombers such as Mantas. Multi-role ordnance
markers that can still act as fighters on CAP are capable of attacking ships (such as Fighta-
Bommas and Thunderhawks) can only attack ships during the ordnance phase unless an
attacking ship moves into contact with them during the enemy’s movement phase. They may
not otherwise attack a ship until they leave CAP first. See the following two examples:

1. An Ork Terror Ship with two fighta-bommas in base contact serving as CAP rams
and/or boards an Imperial cruiser. The fighta-bommas it dragged along in the course of
its movement do not automatically attack the Imperial cruiser as well but must wait until
the ordnance phase, and even then may only do so if the attacking ship ends its
movement in base contact with the target vessel because attack craft that escort a ship in
the movement phase cannot also move in the ordnance phase. If engaged in a boarding
action and the Terror Ship ends its movement in base contact with the Imperial cruiser,
the fighta-bommas may attack it in the ordnance phase before the boarding action takes
place in the end phase.

2. An Imperial cruiser rams and/or boards an Ork Terror Ship that has two fighta-bommas
in base contact serving as CAP. In this case the Imperial cruiser must follow all rules for
moving in contact with enemy ordnance. After resolving the ram attack (if successful),
the fighta-bommas immediately attack the Imperial cruiser and are removed. If engaged
in a boarding action and the Imperial cruiser ends its movement in base contact with the
Terror Ship, the fighta-bommas still resolve their attack immediately, before the
boarding action takes place in the end phase.

Note: The same example would apply for other multi-role attack craft that behave as
fighters on CAP, such as Thunderhawks. Note that because the markers are not in a wave, if
a ship is destroyed by markers in CAP, no further markers are lost to attacking the destroyed
ship. Fighters and attack craft that behave as fighters can at any time in their normal
movement be placed on a friendly ship as CAP. However, only these types of attack craft can
behave as CAP. Fighter-type attack craft must be split from attack craft in a mixed wave of
ordnance that don’t have the fighter rule before they can subsequently serve as CAP.

There are only two situations where fighters can leave CAP excluding their destruction. 1.)
At the beginning of the owning player’s movement phase. 2.) During the owning player’s
part of their opponent’s ordnance phase. Note: If the attack craft on CAP is resilient, it still
moves with the ship even if it has made a save.

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Fighters on CAP and Other Friendly Attack Craft: It is possible to defend friendly attack
craft by putting them within the perimeter of a ship’s base that has fighters on CAP. Note:
If enemy fighters intercept attack craft that are “hiding” on a ship’s base in this manner,
they will not be repelled by turrets. Fighters on CAP don’t attack torpedoes or mines being
launched from a friendly ship it is protecting or from friendly ships in base contact including
when launching a massed torpedo salvo. However, they will defend against torpedoes and
enemy mines in any other instance. Resilient attack craft such as Manta bombers and
Thunderhawks that end their movement in base contact with a ship escorted by CAP
(meaning they are already in base contact with a ship when stopped by the fighter), use their
4+ save to survive the attack and subsequently survive against turrets may no longer move
or attack other ordnance markers. However, they may complete their attack run against the
target vessel normally as long as they do not have to move any more to do so. For example,
two Mantas attack an Ork Terror Ship with a fighta-bomma in base contact serving as CAP.

Orbital Mines: Once mines are in play, they are always active until destroyed. This includes
individual mines purchased separately from a minefield as well as mines launched from
modified carriers. Individual mines purchased separately count for victory points when
destroyed, regardless of how they are removed from play. Individual mines deployed from a
minefield do not normally count for victory points when destroyed. Toward friendly ships, a
minefield behaves as an asteroid field in all respects, and they may traverse a minefield as
they would an asteroid field normally. Foolhardy enemy vessels may attempt to do so using a
leadership check as when traversing an asteroid field. Shields protect against hits from mines
normally. Enemy ships inside a minefield will affect activating mines just as if they were
outside the minefield normally, in which case they would be the first ship(s) targeted by any
activated mines. If multiple enemy vessels enter a minefield and activate mines, the player
owning the minefield determines which vessels activated mines attack first. Attack craft are
not large enough to activate mines and can hide in a minefield the same way they may do so
in an asteroid field (destroyed in a D6 roll of six). Friendly attack craft (including fighters)
will not attack activated mines. Torpedoes that contact a minefield are destroyed. A
minefield blocks line of sight in the same manner as an asteroid field. Orbital Mines and
Launch Bay Strength: Orbital mines completely replace ALL the attack craft in a ships
launch bays in a one for one manner. For example, an Imperial Dictator has four launch bays
in total so if mines were taken it would have four mine launchers in total with no capability
for other types of attack craft, though torpedoes would be unaffected. For purposes of
number of launch bays, mines count as torpedoes as opposed to attack craft in that as many
mines may be in play as the ship is capable of launching. However, launch bays of ships
carrying mines do not count toward the total number of launch bays in the fleet for
purposes of ordnance limits.

Massing Turrets: Ships in base contact may mass turrets together, each increasing the
turret strength of a ship under attack by 1. Regardless of how many ships are in base
contact with each other, no single ship can mass turrets with more than three others,
providing a maximum of +3 dice when rolling turrets. The ships that mass turrets with a
ship under attack take on the same ordnance restrictions as the ship under attack, such as
using turrets to defend against either attack craft or torpedoes (not both) in a given
ordnance phase. Only the ship actually being attacked can apply its own turret value as a
negative modifier to bomber attack dice rolls. Ships that are braced can mass turrets and
have turrets from other ships massed to defend it. Ships that are crippled cannot mass
turrets but can have turrets from other ships massed to defend it. No more than one ship can
be moved at a time for any reason; ships will only be able to benefit from massed turrets after
or before the movement phase is complete but not during. This does not affect how and in
what order ships escorted by CAP are moved. An extremely unusual circumstance may
occur where a ship extremely near to but not actually touching an enemy ordnance marker
has a friendly ship move in base contact with it while it simultaneously contacts the
ordnance marker. In this and ONLY this case can it then mass turrets while moving!

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Turret Suppression: Each fighter in a wave of bombers actually attacking a ship will add
+1 attack to the total attack runs of the wave, regardless of whether they are shot down
by turrets or not. The maximum number of bonus attacks that can be added in this way
cannot exceed the number of surviving bombers in the wave. There must be at least one
surviving bomber in the wave after turret fire to gain these bonus attacks, and fighters
are removed before any other type of ordnance. Fighters that never made it because they
were intercepted by defending fighters (even those on CAP) don’t add to this suppression
bonus. See the following examples:

1. An Emperor battleship (foolishly) launches a single wave of three bombers and five
fighters against a Devastation cruiser with three turrets and no CAP. The
Devastation’s turrets roll 4,5,6 to knock down three fighters. The three bombers now
each roll 1D6-3 (minimum zero) attacks regardless of whether or not any of the
fighters survived against turrets. Now only three of the five fighters that escorted the
bombers provide an additional+1 attack because there are only three bombers in the
wave, for a single total addition of +3 attacks.

2. An Emperor battleship launches a single wave of four bombers and four fighters
against a Devastation cruiser with three turrets and no CAP. The Devastation’s
turrets roll 4,5,6 to knock down three fighters. The four bombers now each roll 1D6-3
(minimum zero) attacks regardless of whether or not any of the fighters survived
against turrets. Now all four of the fighters that escorted the bombers provide an
additional+1 attack because there are four bombers in the wave, for a single total
addition of +4 attacks.

Note: See p.26 for how Ork fighta-Bommas work slightly differently when suppressing
turrets as applied to the preceding example. Turrets always reduce bomber attack runs,
even if they have been used to defend against torpedoes and thus cannot be used against
attack craft.

Massed Turrets and Ships with 0 Turret Strength: A ship with 0 turret strength (such
as Eldar or hulked vessels) cannot offer a bonus to massed turrets, but may itself benefit
from massed turrets from a ship with turret strength 1 or more. This applies both to
ships desiring to defend a friendly hulk or a fleet defending an allied Eldar vessel.

153
 Quick Reference
Legion Traits
I: Dark Angels: May take one less cruiser before adding a Battleship, Grand Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser
or Battle Cruiser

III: Emperor’s Children: Astartes ships may take the Mark of Slaanesh for 15pts each, inflicting a -2
modifier to the leadership of enemy ships within 15cm.

IV: Iron Warriors: For every 2 capital ships, one Astartes capital ship with more than 8 hull points and a 6+
prow may exchange Str6 or less prow torpedoes for a Nova cannon for 20pts or Str7-9 torpedoes for a Nova
Cannon for 10pts. Any ship with an Astartes crew may reroll the failed hits of 1/3rd of the strength of
a torpedo wave (a wave of 6 may reroll 2 hits, a wave of 9 may reroll 3 and so on).

V: White Scars: All Astartes capital ships with a speed of less than 25cm must be equipped with an
engine upgrade. All Astartes capital ships over 25cm base speed may be equipped with an engine
upgrade. Engine upgrades cost 10% of the total base cost of the ship in question. All Astartes ships
Automatically pass “All ahead full” commands.

VI: Space Wolves: Vessels with Astartes crews may reroll command checks when attempting to navigate
celestial phenomena and when ramming. Attack craft launched from an Astartes vessel may reroll any
result of 1 when moving through celestial phenomena (this does not include blast markers).

VII: Imperial Fists: For ever 2 capital ships, one Astartes capital ship with more than 8 hull points and a 6+
prow may exchange Str6 or less prow torpedoes for a Nova cannon for 20pts or Str7-9 torpedoes for a Nova
Cannon for 10pts. Vessels with an Astartes crew that are abeam of an enemy weapon that use the
gunnery table, forces that vessel to subtract their number of shots by 1 when firing (to a minimum of
one), once per turn.

VIII: Night Lords: Astartes ships do not have to pass a Leadership Check to fire on a crippled ship if
it is not the closest target. Additionally, for each successful Hit and Run attack (teleport or otherwise)
from an Astartes ship, the player may elect not to do no damage, but instead inflict a -1 leadership
penalty to the target. This penalty is cumulative with all other modifiers and does stack with itself.
The penalty lasts until the end of the stricken ship’s next turn.

IX: Blood Angels: Astartes ships that are in a squadron gain a left shift on the gunnery table when firing
weapons batteries, and may reroll to-hit rolls of 1 when firing lances.

X: Iron Hands: Against the first round of fire after going under Brace For Impact, ships with an
Astartes crew may re-roll failed Brace for Impact saves. Additionally, the flagship may always roll one
extra die when repairing critical damage.

XII: World Eaters: Capital ships with Astartes crews must take the Mark of Khorne for 5pts per
vessel, which doubles their value in a boarding action. Additionally, carriers with this mark may elect
to launch an additional D3 attack craft markers of any type if within 30cm of an enemy vessel, but
must Reload Ordnance and not launch the next turn if they do.

XIII: Ultramarines: Squadron coherency for all vessels is extended by 5cm. Additionally, the fleet
commander gain one extra command re-roll free of cost.

XIV: Death Guard: Ships with Astartes crews automatically pass command checks to go under Brace
For Impact! Orders.

XV: Thousand Sons: Capital ships with Astartes crews must take the Mark of Tzeentch for 20pts,
providing an extra command reroll.

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XVI: Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus: The flagship gains terminators for free. Two additional ships
may upgrade their Astartes crew to terminators for 15pts. When any ship equipped with
terminators makes a hit and run attack, that ship may roll 2D6 and apply both results to the target

XVII: Word Bearers: Capital ships with Astartes crew may take any Mark of Chaos, and the
flagship gets a mark for free.

• Mark of Khorne: The ship doubles its value in boarding actions. 10pts
Mark of Slaanesh: Enemy ships within 15cm of the vessel suffer a -2 to leadership 20pts
Mark of Tzeentch: The vessel gains an additional re-roll. 25pts
Mark of Nurgle: The vessel gains an additional hull point and cannot be boarded. 30pts

XVIII: Salamanders: Ships with Astartes crew, when crippled, only reduce their weapons, turrets
and shields to 75%, instead of the usual 50%. Only 1 in 3 ships may have an Astartes crew
upgrade. Additionally, the flagship may take melta torpedoes for free.

XIX: Raven Guard: Ships with Astartes crew automatically pass command checks to “Come to
New Heading”. Additionally, those ships may also elect to drop their shields to ignore the penalties
from enemy markers and ships before attempting to disengage.

XX: Alpha Legion: Ships with an Astartes crew may take a Mimic engine for 30pts. If all ships
participating in the battle are equipped with a Mimic engine, then they may not be targeted until they
fire first, or come within 30cm of the enemy, instead of the usual first turn only protection. If one
ship’s mimic engine is compromise, it is assumed they all are.

Blackshields: Blackshields may purchase Augmented Crews for 5pts, Astartes Bridge Masters for
10pts or Astartes Crew for 15pts. Ships with Astartes Bridge Masters roll 2D6 when generating
leadership and select the higher result. The flagship must have either Astartes Crew or Astartes Bridge
Masters.

In a campaign, Blackshields follow all relevant rules for Pirates (IE: Orks and Eldar), but may elect
to fight a Fleet Engagement scenario instead of a Major Raid. If the Blackshield base is
discovered, instead of playing Planetary Assault or Exterminatus scenarios, the Blackshield player
may elect to play the Retribution! Scenario (see page 58).

Armada Imperialis: For a cost of 20pts, Naval Veterans may be purchased. Upon being posted, the
Veteran adds 1 to the leadership of their vessel. Additionally, roll a D3. The Veteran in question automatically
passes all of the corresponding orders (there is no need to determine which ship a Veteran is posted to until
after this roll is made). If a Vereran’s ship is destroyed, a veteran of the same discipline may be generated for its
replacement. Fleets of the Armada Imperialis may not use ships drawn from the Space Marine list, or purchase
Astartes upgrades.

1. All Ahead Full, Burn Retros and Come to New Heading

2. Lock On! and Reload Ordnance
3. Brace for Impact

155
 Astartes Crews
A capital ship may purchase an Astartes Crew for 15pts, which may be upgraded to
Terminators for an additional 20pts. Escorts may purchase Astartes crew for 5pts per
squadron, and may not purchase Terminators. Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers, Hunters, Novas
and Gladius-class vessels already come stock with Astartes Crews. Battle Barges and Strike
Cruisers may purchase Terminators for 20pts.

Ships with Astartes Crew add +1 to all Hit and Run attacks, and Boarding actions, and
inflict a -1 penalty to enemy Hit and Run attacks and Boarding actions. This is
increased to +2 and -2 when launched from Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers, Hunters,
Novas and Gladius class vessels.
Ships with Terminators add +2 to Hit and Run attacks, and Boarding actions, and inflict
a -2 penalty to enemy Hit and Run attacks and Boarding actions. This is increased to
+3 and -3 when launched from Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers, Hunters, Novas and
Gladius-class vessels.

Common Refits
Anti-Boarding Spines: A vessel with Anti-Boarding Spines cannot be boarded.
Armored Prow: A vessel with an Armored Prow has an armor rating of 6+ on its front
arc.
Augmented Crew: A ship with an augmented crew adds +1 to Hit and Run attacks, and
during Boarding Actions.

Auxiliary Bridge - A vessel equipped with an Auxiliary Bridge ignores the effects of the first
Bridge Smashed critical damage, although any other instances of the same damage still apply.

Engine Upgrade: Vessels with upgraded engines increase their movement speed by
5cm.
Exterminatus-grade Weapons: A ship with exterminatus-grade weapons fires
Exterminators on a 3+.
Improved Sensor Suite: A ship with this upgrade adds +1 to its leadership value when
making command checks. It may not be taken with Armored Prow or Nova Cannon.

Improved Thrusters: Vessels with this upgrade add an extra D6 to their movement
when under All Ahead Full special orders.
Mimic Engine: Vessels with Mimic Engines may make a move at the start of the game
as if it were their movement phase. Additionally, a vessel with a Mimic Engine may not
be targetted or fired upon unless it fires weapons or launches ordnance, or moves within
30cm of an enemy ship. In a fleet with multiple Mimic Engines, if one ship’s disguise is
compromised, it is assumed that all are.

156
Plasma Destructor: A plasma destructor uses the following profile

A plasma destructor, never hits on worse than a 5+, regardless of the target’s armor,
and always inflicts critical hits on a 5+.
Power Ram: A ship with a power ram adds one extra attack die when ramming.
Shadowfields/Holofields: Ships that have replaced their shields with shadowfields or
holofields gain a 2+ save against all damage from a weapon that uses the gunnery
table. Damage received from ordnance and lances is unaffected.
Targeting Matrix: A ship with a targeting matrix gains a left column shift on the
gunnery table when firing with its weapons batteries.

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