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The Rules

Quick Start Guide Core Rules Crusade Rules Rules Commentary FAQs

Matched Mission Packs

Leviathan Pariah Nexus Battles Chapter Approved 2025-26

Crusade Mission Packs

Tyrannic War Pariah Nexus Nachmund Gauntlet

Boarding Actions

Boarding Action Rules

Others

Bunker

Chapter Approved 2025-26

Books

Book	Kind	Edition	Version	Last update
Chapter Approved 2025-26: Mission Deck
Chapter Approved 2025-26: Mission Deck	Expansion	10	1.1	July 2025
Chapter Approved Tournament Companion
Chapter Approved Tournament Companion	Expansion	10	1.1	July 2025

FAQ

If I destroy the Bodyguard unit of an Attached unit that meets the criteria for Cull the Horde (Starting Strength of 13+), but the Leader unit survives, do I score the VP for destroying the Bodyguard unit?

If the Bodyguard unit would have had a Starting Strength of 13+ had it not been part of an Attached unit, then yes. Otherwise, no.

Example: If you destroy a unit of 16 Accursed Cultists, but their Cultist Firebrand Leader survives, you score the VP for that unit. If you destroy a 10-strong Cultist Mob, but don’t destroy the Dark Commune attached to them, you do not score the VP for that unit.

Q:	If a unit that is part of an Attached unit is destroyed, and that Attached unit was performing an Action, can the remaining unit(s) in that Attached unit still complete that Action?
A:	Yes.

If my opponent selects an Attached unit for the Marked for Death Secondary Mission, which units forming that Attached unit must I destroy to score VP?

To score VP, you must destroy the Bodyguard unit and at least one of the Leader units that was attached to it. For example, if your opponent selects a unit of Boyz led by a Warboss and a Weirdboy, and you destroy that Boyz unit so that the Warboss and Weirdboy each become individual units, you must also destroy either that Warboss or that Weirdboy (or one of them must be removed from the battlefield for any other reason) to score VP from Marked for Death.

Q:	When selecting units for the Marked for Death Secondary Mission, can I select a Leader within an Attached unit?
A:	No.

Q:	When performing the Terraform Action, can I terraform an objective marker my opponent has already terraformed?
A:	Yes.

Q:	In the Burden of Trust Primary Mission, how many times can each player score VP for guarding an objective marker they control?
A:	The player going first can score VP for guarding an objective marker they control at the end of their opponent’s first, second, third, fourth and fifth turn. The player going second can score VP for guarding an objective marker they control at the end of their opponent’s second, third, fourth and fifth turn.

Q:	When setting up objective markers as part of step 4 of the Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Sequence, or setting up a new objective marker as part of a Primary Mission (such as The Ritual), do I measure from/to the centre or the edge of the objective marker?
A:	In all of these instances, you measure from the centre of the objective marker. This also includes the central objective marker in the Search and Destroy deployment map when measuring the boundaries of the deployment zones.

Q:	To start performing the Sabotage Action, does it require both the terrain feature and your unit to not be within your deployment zone? Or is it just your unit that must not be within your deployment zone?
A:	Only your unit must not be within your deployment zone to start performing the Sabotage Action.

Q:	In Burden of Trust, can you guard objective markers in your own deployment zone?
A:	Yes.

Q:	For Primary and Secondary Missions that award VP for destroying CHARACTER models or units, if those models or units are returned to the battlefield and then subsequently destroyed again, will such Primary and Secondary Missions award VP for them being destroyed again?
A:	Yes, unless that Primary or Secondary Mission specifies otherwise.

For the purposes of the Mission Pack, are there any amendments to the Core Rules regarding how Ruins affect charging units and which models can fight?

No. This means models can be positioned to make it difficult to charge directly through sections of terrain features into combat, as models can’t end their Charge move where any part of their model or base would be within sections of those terrain features (e.g. a solid Ruins wall). This may mean the result of a Charge roll needs to be greater to allow a unit to make a Charge move that ends within Engagement Range and not within any sections of those terrain features, while still following all other conditions of charging.

Designer’s Note: Organisers, if your terrain collection includes large enclosed structures that units would be able to move within, but may render ending a Charge move within Engagement Range of those units within that terrain impossible, you may wish to include additional clarification for your particular terrain elements within your event packs to avoid uninteractive situations.

Chapter Approved Battles

A Chapter Approved battle is waged by following the sequence below.

Set Mission Parameters

Choose what sort of mission you want to play. Your decision determines which decks of cards you use for the mission.

Incursion: Players have mirrored deployment zones and the same aim.

Strike Force: Players have mirrored deployment zones and the same aim.

Asymmetric War: The Attacker and Defender have different deployment zones and aims. Designed for 2000+ points per army.

Then gather and shuffle the following decks, determined by the sort of mission you chose.

Incursion: Incursion Deployment cards; Primary Mission cards; Secondary Mission cards (Attacker and Defender decks); Challenger cards.

Strike Force: Strike Force Deployment cards; Primary Mission cards; Secondary Mission cards (Attacker and Defender decks); Challenger cards.

Asymmetric War: Asymmetric War Deployment cards; Asymmetric War Primary Mission cards; Secondary Mission cards (Attacker and Defender decks); Challenger cards.

In any of these missions, you can also use the Twist deck to add thematic conditions to the battle.

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT COMPANION
Asymmetric War cards and the Twist cards not included in Chapter Approved Tournament. This document also assumes you will be playing Strike Force sized games; as such, the layouts are designed to be used with the Strike Force Deployment cards.

Muster Armies

Muster armies as described in the Core Rules.

INCURSION MISSIONS
In an Incursion mission, we suggest the following changes to the Muster Armies rules for a better experience for both players.

Your army can contain up to two units with each datasheet name - or up to four units with each datasheet name if it is a BATTLELINE or DEDICATED TRANSPORT unit.
Your army can contain up to one TITANIC CHARACTER.

Determine Mission

Draw one Deployment card, one Primary Mission card and, if you’re using them, one Twist card. Together these describe where you can deploy your armies, how to score Victory points (VP), and any additional conditions.

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT COMPANION
Instead of shuffling and drawing from the Deployment and Primary Mission decks, players should use the pre-generated missions from the Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Pool. Set aside the Secondary Mission and Challenger cards decks as normal (players will receive these later).

Read Mission

Read the Primary Mission. The Primary Mission card details how and when you score Victory points (VP), and may also apply additional conditions to the battle. You can also score VP by achieving Secondary Missions and Challenger cards (described later).

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT COMPANION
Twist cards will not be used.

Place Objective Markers

Set up objective markers on the battlefield, as shown on the Deployment card drawn.

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT COMPANION
Players now set up objective markers on the battlefield. Each Deployment card’s deployment map will show players how many objective markers to set up and where each should be placed. In Chapter Approved Tournament Missions, models can end any type of move on top of an objective marker.

Designer’s Note: In the Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules, objective markers are physical artefacts that models cannot end a move on, representing vital data caches, xenos relics, Chaos portals or anything else that suits your narrative. While this adds to the cinematic nature of the battlefield and offers exciting hobby opportunities, it can sometimes result in model-positioning circumstances that not everyone will enjoy equally. As such, these guidelines recommend treating objective markers as flat, circular markers 40mm in diameter that offer no impediment to the movement or placement of models.

Create The Battlefield

Create the battlefield and set up terrain features (see the Core Rules). Missions are played on rectangular battlefields 44" by 60" in size. Terrain features should not be set up within any impassable sections (such as the walls of a ruin) within 1" of any objective markers.

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT COMPANION
Players now create the battlefield and set up terrain features. Missions are played on rectangular battlefields whose dimensions are approximately 44" by 60". When setting up terrain features, use the guidelines detailed in the Terrain Layouts section of this pack. Players must use the rules for terrain features detailed in the Core Rules. While other approaches to terrain layout may work within the collections of experienced organisers, we recommend these terrain guidelines when otherwise in doubt.

Determine Attacker and Defender

Look at the Deployment card drawn and agree which edges of your battlefield are the Attacker’s and Defender’s battlefield edges. Roll off: the winner decides who will be the Attacker and who will be the Defender (or decide together if both players agree).

Select Secondary Missions

Secondary Mission cards detail additional ways to score VP, and must be used either as Fixed or Tactical Missions. Players now secretly note down whether they will use Fixed or Tactical Missions; if using Fixed Missions, they must also note down which two Fixed Missions they will use (see below). Players then reveal these decisions and proceed accordingly.

Designer’s Note: If you’re not sure, use Tactical Missions.

FIXED MISSIONS

Fixed Missions are goals that remain throughout the battle, and can be achieved multiple times.

Fixed Missions are those marked with the symbol shown on the left. After revealing the two Fixed Missions you will use, set aside the remainder of your Secondary Mission deck (it will not be needed during the battle). Your selected Fixed Mission cards cannot be discarded for any reason other than the Adapt or Die Mission Rule card.

TACTICAL MISSIONS

Tactical Missions are replenished at the start of your Command phase, and are discarded once achieved.

After revealing that you will use Tactical Missions, shuffle your Secondary Mission deck.

If you are using Tactical Missions:

At the start of your first Command phase, draw two cards from your Secondary Mission deck; those two Secondary Mission cards are active for you until you achieve them. At the start of each of your subsequent Command phases, if you have fewer than two active Secondary Mission cards, draw from your Secondary Mission deck until you have two active Secondary Mission cards.
At the end of your Command phase, you can spend CP to use the New Orders Stratagem below.

NEW ORDERS

1CP

Core Stratagem – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

High command has received new intelligence.

WHEN: End of your Command phase.

TARGET: One of your active Secondary Mission cards.

EFFECT: Discard it and draw one new Secondary Mission card.

At the end of each player’s turn, each player using Tactical Missions does the following, starting with the player whose turn it is:

First, if you scored 1 or more VP from a Secondary Mission card, discard that Secondary Mission card – it is achieved.
Then, you can discard one or more of your active Secondary Mission cards. If you do, and it is your turn, you gain 1CP.
If your Secondary Mission deck runs out, you cannot generate any additional Secondary Missions during the battle.

Declare Battle Formations

Players secretly note down which of their Leader units will start the battle attached to which Bodyguard units, which of their units will start the battle embarked within which TRANSPORTS, and which of their units will start the battle in Reserves (including Strategic Reserves). Players then reveal these decisions.

RESERVES RESTRICTIONS

No more than half of the units in your army can start the battle in Reserves, and the points total of those units cannot be more than half of the points total of your army (units embarked within a TRANSPORT that is set up in Reserves also count towards these limits).
Reserves units cannot arrive on the battlefield during the first battle round (excluding units placed into Strategic Reserves during the battle).
Any Reserves units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third battle round count as having been destroyed, as do any units embarked within them (excluding units placed into Strategic Reserves during the battle).

Deploy Armies

Players take it in turns to set up their remaining units one at a time, starting with the Defender. A player’s models must be set up wholly within their deployment zone. If a player sets up a TITANIC unit when it is their turn to set up a unit, they skip their next turn to set up a unit. If one player finishes deploying all of their units, their opponent then deploys the remainder of their units.

Asymmetric War Missions: In an Asymmetric War mission, starting with the Attacker, each player sets up all of their units wholly within their deployment zone. Once a player has finished setting up units, if that player has any units that have not been set up (for example, because there isn’t room), those units start the battle in Reserves. Players must still observe the Reserves restrictions above. If a unit cannot be set up in this step or start the battle in Reserves, it is destroyed.

Redeploy Units

Some rules allow players to redeploy certain units after both armies are deployed. Unless otherwise stated, such rules are resolved in this step. Players alternate resolving any such rules, starting with the Attacker.

Determine First Turn

Roll off: the winner takes the first turn.

Resolve Pre-battle Rules

Players alternate resolving any pre-battle rules units from their army may have, starting with the player who will take the first turn.

Begin the Battle

The first battle round begins. Players continue to resolve battle rounds until the battle ends.

Challenger Cards

A player becomes the Challenger if, at the start of the battle round, they have fewer VP than their opponent, and the difference between their VP totals is 6 or more. That player remains the Challenger until the end of the battle round.

While you are the Challenger, draw one Challenger card at the start of your Command phase. Each Challenger card presents one Stratagem and one Mission. You can complete the Mission, or you can use the card as a Stratagem – you cannot do both. Note that both players use the same deck of Challenger cards.

Rules cannot change the cost of the Stratagem on a Challenger card, and rules that generate Command points cannot be triggered by the Stratagem on a Challenger card.

At the end of your turn, if you have not used that Stratagem or completed that Mission, discard the card. If you use that Stratagem or complete that Mission, discard the card.

End the Battle

The battle ends after five battle rounds have been completed. Even if one player has no models remaining in their army at the start of their turn, players continue to play out their turns until the battle ends.

Determine Victor

At the end of the battle, the player with the most VP is the winner. If the players are tied, the battle is a draw.

The maximum VP each player can score is 100VP. Each player scores 10VP if their army is painted to a Battle Ready standard. The maximum VP that can be scored from each source of VP is detailed on below. In all cases, any excess VP awarded above these maximums are lost.

VP SOURCE	MAXIMUM VP
Primary Mission	50VP	90VP**
Secondary Missions	40VP*
Challenger cards	12VP
Battle Ready Army	10VP	10VP

* If using Fixed Missions, 20VP maximum per Fixed Mission card.
** You cannot score more than 90VP for your Primary Mission, Secondary Missions and Challenger cards combined.

Designer’s Notes

VP FOR DESTROYING MODELS OR UNITS

Some cards award VP for destroying enemy models or units. If you gain VP as described on such cards, you retain those VP even if those destroyed models or units are subsequently returned to the battlefield, and if those models or units are subsequently destroyed again, you can gain VP again as a result if a relevant card is active.

VP UP TO A LIMIT

Some cards award VP up to a stated limit, which may not be a round multiple, e.g. ‘2VP (up to 5VP)’. In such cases, you can keep scoring up to the stated limit, then any excess VP awarded are lost.

DISCARDING CARDS

Some cards begin with a section named ‘When Drawn’, which details immediate next steps including when such cards either can or must be discarded. Note that if such a card is a Secondary Mission card, this section only applies if you are using Tactical Missions.

HOW MANY UNITS CAN PERFORM THE SAME ACTION?

If an Action’s Units section places a limit on the number of units that can perform it, this means that only that number of units from your army can be performing that Action at any one time.

Deployment Card Key

ATTACKER’S DEPLOYMENT ZONE

The Attacker must set up their army within this area.

DEFENDER’S DEPLOYMENT ZONE

The Defender must set up their army within this area.

NO MAN’S LAND

The region of the battlefield that is not within either player’s deployment zone.

OBJECTIVE MARKERS

The quantity and locations of objective markers are shown with this icon.

CENTRE OF BATTLEFIELD

Attacker’s Battlefield Edge

Defender’s Battlefield Edge

Actions

Your forces can attempt daring battlefield tasks to turn the conflict in your favour.

Some cards feature Actions that certain units can perform. Each Action states which units can perform it, when it is started and completed, and what the effects of completing it are. A unit cannot start to perform an Action if one or more of the following apply to that unit:

It is an AIRCRAFT unit.
It is Battle-shocked.
It has an Objective Control characteristic of 0.
It is within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units (unless it is a TITANIC CHARACTER unit).
It Advanced or Fell Back this turn.
It is not eligible to shoot this phase (including units that have already been selected to shoot this phase).

If a unit starts to perform an Action, until that Action is completed or until the end of the turn (whichever is later), that unit is not eligible to shoot or declare a charge (if it is a TITANIC CHARACTER unit, that unit cannot start to perform another Action and is not eligible to declare a charge instead).

If a unit performing an Action makes a move (excluding Pile-in and Consolidation moves) or leaves the battlefield, that Action cannot be completed.

In an Incursion mission:

Advancing does not make a BATTLELINE unit ineligible to start an Action.
Starting an Action does not make a BATTLELINE unit ineligible to shoot.

Battle Ready

Playing games of Warhammer is a shared experience that we all want to look and feel great. To reflect this, Chapter Approved games reward you for having a fully painted ‘Battle Ready’ army. Here we explain what that means, and where to find achievable online tutorials and painting guides to get your army ready for action!

When you play a Chapter Approved game, there are 10 victory points available if every model in your army is painted to a Battle Ready standard. Battle Ready means your models are fully painted with a detailed or textured base.

This is considered to be the minimum standard of miniature painting for a Chapter Approved mission, as well as a guaranteed method of scoring some victory points before the dice even start rolling.

The Citadel Colour range includes all the paints and hobby supplies you’ll need to paint your miniatures quickly and efficiently, In fact, Contrast paints were created especially to help you get your armies Battle Ready in no time — just one coat of Contrast paint lays down both a base colour and a bit of shade — while Technical paints give you a textured base with one application. It’s never been easier to get your army ready for a tournament.

Chapter Approved Tournament Companion

Introduction

Welcome to the Champter Approved Tournament Companion! The following guidelines are designed to support organisers of Warhammer 40,000 events in delivering a fine-tuned tournament experience using the Chapter Approved Mission Deck. That product offers great scope for all kinds of matched play, and its many variables create a dizzying array of potential missions – thousands, in fact! Some of these are particularly well suited to the most hotly contested scenarios, and this pack provides suggestions for the best event configurations. We have also taken the opportunity to optimise certain Core Rules concepts for tournament play.

This document provides a ready-made framework for levelling the playing field and getting games underway quickly, whether you are planning your first matched play event or have years of experience organising the largest and most acclaimed tournaments. Its recommendations will be followed in full at most Games Workshop matched play events, and are considered the official way to play Warhammer 40,000 in a tournament setting, but can be adapted to suit your own circumstances – the terrain layout advice is aimed primarily at newer organisers, for example, and those with large established terrain collections should feel free to interpret it accordingly.

The recommendations are presented as follows:

Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Sequence: Adjustments to the steps players would normally follow to generate a mission and prepare the battlefield.
Chapter Approved Mission Deck Errata & FAQ: Updates to certain cards and answers to frequently asked questions.
Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Pool: 20 recommended tournament rounds to draw from, with pre-set Primary Missions and deployment modes that put all players on an equal footing and minimise pre-game admin.
Terrain Layouts: A suite of carefully designed terrain setups to be used in conjunction with the Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Pool.
Pairings and Rankings: Advice for fairly pairing players and determining rankings.

Designer’s Note: This document does not use the full contents of your Chapter Approved Mission Deck; it has been written to provide the best experience for strangers to play a pick-up game or face off in an event. For this reason we have not included the Asymmetric War cards and the Twist cards, which are both left for pick-up-and-play games where you can plan and prepare. In addition, this document assumes you will be playing Strike Force sized games; as such, the layouts are designed to be used with the Strike Force Deployment cards. We recommend that tournament organisers who wish to run an Incursion event should adjust these layouts as appropriate.

Chapter Approved Tournament Mission Pool

The 20 Chapter Approved Tournament Missions in this section are designed to act as a pool from which organisers can build their events, selecting from it in random order. Further commentary on these is given below.

Primary Missions
The Chapter Approved Mission Deck includes 10 Primary Missions, for the best balanced experience we have used a mix of 7 of these Primary Missions for organisers to build their events. We recommend selecting options that span a variety of different Primary Missions, to provide different challenges for the players to adapt to.

For those running longer-format events, or whose attendees are particularly expectant of a perfectly balanced mission every time, we have included the more straightforward Primary Missions in a greater number of configurations.

Recommended Terrain Layouts
When using the recommended terrain layouts in this pack, please note the layouts best suited for each deployment mode, as shown in the table below. We recommend structuring your mission order to facilitate any changes to terrain layouts you will need to make during your event, if, as the organiser, you choose to set up the tables for the players.

CHAPTER APPROVED TOURNAMENT MISSION POOL
	PRIMARY MISSION	DEPLOYMENT	TERRAIN LAYOUTS
A	Take and Hold	Tipping Point	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 4, Layout 6, Layout 7, Layout 8
B	Supply Drop	Tipping Point	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 4, Layout 6, Layout 7, Layout 8
C	Linchpin	Tipping Point	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 4, Layout 6, Layout 7, Layout 8
D	Scorched Earth	Tipping Point	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 4, Layout 6, Layout 7, Layout 8
E	Take and Hold	Hammer and Anvil	Layout 1, Layout 7, Layout 8
F	Hidden Supplies	Hammer and Anvil	Layout 1, Layout 7, Layout 8
G	Purge the Foe	Hammer and Anvil	Layout 1, Layout 7, Layout 8
H	Supply Drop	Hammer and Anvil	Layout 1, Layout 7, Layout 8
I	Hidden Supplies	Search and Destroy	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
J	Linchpin	Search and Destroy	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
K	Scorched Earth	Search and Destroy	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
L	Take and Hold	Search and Destroy	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
M	Purge the Foe	Crucible of Battle	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
N	Hidden Supplies	Crucible of Battle	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
O	Terraform	Crucible of Battle	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
P	Scorched Earth	Crucible of Battle	Layout 1, Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4, Layout 6
Q	Supply Drop	Sweeping Engagement	Layout 3, Layout 5
R	Terraform	Sweeping Engagement	Layout 3, Layout 5
S	Linchpin	Dawn of War	Layout 5
T	Purge the Foe	Dawn of War	Layout 5

Terrain Layouts

The following battlefield recommendations are intended primarily for newer organisers and those looking for a steer in building up a terrain collection for regular tournament play. These layouts will be seen at most Games Workshop matched play events, and reflect the type of terrain density that creates risk-and-reward decisions that a wide variety of army types can engage with. They are by no means the only way to set up a battlefield for balanced play, but represent a reliable starting point when in doubt.

These are the terrain layouts we use for balance and internal testing within the Warhammer Design Studio. We feel they reflect how a battlefield should look for balanced play in the current edition of Warhammer 40,000.

They are by no means the only way to set up a battlefield for balanced play, but represent a reliable starting point when in doubt. These layouts were designed with a few key principles in mind:

Recommended Measurements

For all of the battlefield recommendations we use a combination of three different sizes of area terrain outlines:

AREA TERRAIN SIZE	QUANTITY
6" x 4"	4
10" x 5"	2
12" x 6"	6

Using the area terrain outlines detailed above, all of the battlefield recommendations have preset measurements provided. This allows for organisers to easily set up the tables, or allow the players themselves to set up their own tables at the beginning of each round.

Objective Markers

Objective markers can and sometimes will be either hidden within terrain or placed in the open.

Use of Ruins

The following layouts primarily use the Ruins terrain feature. This efficiently achieves a good amount of line-of-sight blockage and cover appropriate for balanced games, thanks to the natural abstraction of line of sight within the rules for Ruins. Remember that a variety of terrain heights not only adds to the immersive nature of the battlefield, but is also important for line of sight and rules such as Plunging Fire. For organisers and players with a more robust terrain collection (especially elements that block true line of sight), incorporating features such as Woods, Barricades and Hills into your chosen layouts is perfectly acceptable.

TERRAIN KEY – SUGGESTED TERRAIN HEIGHT

MORE THAN 4"

2" OR LESS

For model mobility purposes, we have shaded the area terrain outlines in the above colours to show our recommendations for how tall the terrain should be in each section.

Below are examples of Ruins terrain placements within area terrain sections, as well as icons that denote if connected area terrain outlines are a single area terrain section or separate area terrain sections when determining line of sight.

These height and Ruin placement guidelines help provide a balanced tournament experience; as organisers you are free to adjust this to suit your terrain collection.

	RECOMMENDED RUINS TERRAIN PLACEMENT
	SINGLE AREA TERRAIN SECTION
	SEPARATE AREA TERRAIN SECTIONS

Pairings and Rankings

There are countless different ways in which a Warhammer organised play event can be run. While broad-stroke concepts like pairing off players with the same record are straightforward enough, the nuance of running a successful Warhammer tournament is the subject of continuous conversation and evolution. The following recommendations are once again for newer organisers who are still establishing their principles and best practices, to help improve the average experience at any Warhammer tournament. These principles are also followed at most official Games Workshop events, and are designed to create the fairest, most fun experience possible for every attendee, regardless of standing.

Pairing Players

While the first round of most tournaments is randomly paired, subsequent round pairing can be done in a number of ways. The first pairing metric will almost always be player record, i.e. pairing a 3-1 player with another 3-1 player, and so on. Given that most rounds will include numerous players with the same record, however, deciding pairings beyond this metric can be quite nuanced, and the different methods available can have significant impacts on the experience of players at an event. We recommend pairing players by the following criteria:

First – by record (i.e. the number of wins, losses and draws)
Second – by win path (i.e. the timing of the rounds in which a player won or lost their games)
Third – randomly within players of the same ranking

Win Path
A player’s ‘win path’ refers not to their number of wins and losses, but to the timing of those wins and losses. While pairing by win path has an incidental tendency to pair people by strength of schedule, its greatest impact is on the overall enjoyment experienced by all players, as it tends to pair players based upon shared experience.

For example, let’s take two 3-1 players. One of them lost their first game; they likely lowered their expectations for winning the whole event after this, but are probably in a great mood after three consecutive victories. The other won their first three games then lost their fourth – a sharp disappointment after a 3-0 start. Should these players face off, their shared enjoyment may be at odds as they are in very different emotional places. Win path ensures players enter their match with recent common experiences upon which to build a friendship during their next game of Warhammer.

Ranking Players

In many tournaments, the overall Best General will be the single remaining undefeated player at the end of the event. Sometimes, however, there are not enough rounds available to determine a single undefeated player, and players often wish to know their ranking regardless of whether they won the whole event. To help break ties between players who end an event with the same record, we recommend ranking players by the following criteria:

First – by overall record (wins, losses and draws)
Second – by their opponents’ win records (i.e. those with more wins against opponents with better win records would place higher)
Third – by total Victory points (VP)

Designer’s Note: : Traditionally, many organisers use total VP or VP differential to determine ranking. However, the number of VP scored within any one game of Warhammer 40,000 rarely tells a clear story about how close that game actually was. Often, a more challenging opponent will be harder to score against (and thus yield a lower score despite the victory being all the more hard-earned), or the nature of how the two armies match up may dictate a risky strategy that doesn’t pay off (and thus yield a wide score disparity despite almost working out).

As such, we do not recommend using VP as a pairing metric, nor as a ranking metric until all other metrics have been exhausted, or when further tie-breaking is required (e.g. in larger events where identical rankings become more likely). By contrast, opponent win record is an ideal metric, because when two players end up with the same record, the overall skill of their opponents is a better indicator of which player had the more challenging path along the way.

The Rules Commentary, Errata and FAQ
There are myriad ways to enjoy the Warhammer hobby, and these all manifest themselves at a tournament: gifted hobbyists with beautiful armies, skilled competitors aiming for Best General, casual players looking to face new opponents and make new friends (by far the most common type of attendee), and even practitioners of the niche hobby of Rules Lawyer! These particular hobbyists often find unusual rules interactions at the very fringes of Warhammer 40,000, which can create interesting challenges for tournament organisers looking to provide clear answers and an easy gaming experience for their attendees. For the current edition, the Warhammer Design Studio has created its most robust and comprehensive Rules Commentary, Errata and FAQ to date. Available to download on warhammer-community.com, these living documents will be reviewed periodically to clarify any issues that may be causing uncertainty. Should an odd rules interaction come up during your event and the Core Rules do not provide a clear answer, we recommend consulting these resources.

Card Decks

Primary Mission deck

Primary Mission

LINCHPIN

True victory is built upon a firm foundation. If you cannot hold the centre, then all else will crumble swiftly.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

If the player whose turn it is does not control the objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for each objective marker they control.

If the player whose turn it is controls the objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for controlling that objective marker, and 5VP for each other objective marker they control (up to 15VP per turn).

Primary Mission

BURDEN OF TRUST

The strategic prizes in this region must be guarded at all costs - a duty that falls upon a chosen few.

At the end of the Command phase, for each objective marker the player whose turn it is controls, they can select one unit from their army (excluding AIRCRAFT) within range of that objective marker to guard it until the start of their next turn.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores 4VP for each objective marker they control that is not within their deployment zone.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of each player’s turn.

The opponent of the player whose turn it is scores 2VP for each of their units (excluding Battle-shocked units) that are within range of and guarding an objective marker they control.

Designer’s Note: Note that the player going second has the first chance to score VP in this way, as they can guard objectives in their first turn and score VP in their opponent’s next turn.

Primary Mission

TAKE AND HOLD

Several strategic locations have been identified in your vicinity. Your orders are to assault these positions, secure them and hold them at any cost.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores 5VP for each objective marker they control (up to 15VP per turn).

Primary Mission

TERRAFORM

Victory here lies in shaping the landscape ofthe battlefield.

TERRAFORM (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different objective marker that is not within your deployment zone.

COMPLETES: End of the turn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range ofthe same objective marker and you control that objective marker.

IF COMPLETED: Each of those objective markers is terraformed by you. If that objective marker was terraformed by your opponent, it no longer is.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the turn.

Each player scores 1VP for each objective marker that is terraformed by them.

Primary Mission

PURGE THE FOE

Exterminate the enemy. Show them no mercy.

ANY BATTLE ROUND

WHEN: End of the battle round.

Each player scores 4VP if one or more enemy units were destroyed this battle round.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the battle round.

Each player scores 4VP if more enemy units than friendly units were destroyed this battle round.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores 4VP if they control one or more objective markers, and an additional 4VP if they control more objective markers than their opponent controls.

Primary Mission

SCORCHED EARTH

What cannot be secured must be burned to ash.

BURN OBJECTIVE (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase, from the second battle round onwards.

UNITS: One unit from your army within range of an objective marker that is not within your deployment zone.

COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.

IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is burned and removed from the battlefield.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: Any time.

Each time a player burns an objective marker, that player scores 5VP if that objective marker was in No Man’s Land, or 10VP instead if that objective marker was in their opponent’s deployment zone.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

Primary Mission

UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE

Volatile undetonated material lies in your path. Shifting such hazards towards enemy territory could be the key to victory.

Start of the Battle: Each objective marker within No Man’s Land becomes a Hazard objective marker.

MOVE HAZARD (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One or more units from your army, each within range of a different Hazard objective marker you control.

COMPLETES: End of your turn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same Hazard objective marker and you control that objective marker.

IF COMPLETED: You can move each of those Hazard objective markers up to 6". When doing so, that objective marker cannot end that move on top of any other objective marker or model, or inside impassable parts of terrain features.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of each player’s turn.
The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows:

8VP for each Hazard objective marker that is wholly within their opponent’s deployment zone.
5VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 6" of their opponent’s deployment zone.
2VP for each other Hazard objective marker that is wholly within 12" of their opponent’s deployment zone.

Primary Mission

HIDDEN SUPPLIES

Reconnaissance units have uncovered a hidden cache of materiel in this war zone.

In the Place Objective Markers step, players must set up one additional objective marker in No Man’s Land.

Before setting up this new objective marker, players must first move the objective marker in the centre of the battlefield 6" directly towards one of the corners of the battlefield (if No Man’s Land touches any of the corners of the battlefield, you must move the objective marker towards one of those corners). Otherwise, the players roll off, and the winner selects which cornerthe objective marker is moved towards. Players then set up the new objective marker 6 from the centre of the battlefield towards the diagonally opposite corner of the battlefield to the previously moved objective marker.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows (these are cumulative):

5VP If they control one objective marker not within their deployment zone.
5VP If they control two objective markers not within their deployment zone.
5VP if they control more objective markers than their opponent controls.

Primary Mission

THE RITUAL

Bitter foes clash in a race to finish a ritual to either sanctify or corrupt the battlefield.

THE RITUAL (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army.

COMPLETES: End of your turn.

IF COMPLETED: Set up one objective marker anywhere on the battlefield wholly within No Man’s Land and within 1" of your unit, provided it can be setup exactly 12" from one other objective marker within No Man’s Land and not within 6" of any other objective marker.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

Primary Mission

SUPPLY DROP

Supplies are inbound. Secure the drop site.

Start of the Battle: Players randomly select two different objective markers within No Man’s Land that are not in the centre of the battlefield; the first selected is the Alpha objective, the second selected is the Omega objective.

Start of the Fourth Battle Round: The Alpha objective is removed from the battlefield.

Start of the Fifth Battle Round: The Omega objective is removed from the battlefield.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores the following VP for each objective marker in No Man’s Land that they control, depending on the current battle round:

5VP in the second and third battle rounds.
8VP in the fourth battle round.
15VP in the fifth battle round.

Asymmetry War Primary Mission deck

Primary Mission

SYPHONED POWER

A matrix of potent energy runs beneath the battlefield. You must seize a series of critical power nodes to claim the untapped resource flowing below.

Start of the Battle: The Defender scores 50VP.

SYPHONED POWER (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase, from the second battle round onwards, if you are the Attacker.

UNITS: Any number of units from your army, each within range of a different objective marker.

COMPLETES: End of yourturn, if your unit is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.

IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is syphoned.

ANYTIME (ATTACKER)

WHEN: Any time.

Each time you syphon an objective marker, the Defender loses VP (to a minimum of 0) and you score the same amount of VP, depending on where that objective marker is, as follows (up to 15VP per turn):

2VP if it is within your deployment zone.
3VP if it is wholly within No Man’s Land.
5VP if it is within your opponent’s deployment zone.

Primary Mission

ESTABLISH CONTROL

Balancing aggression with discipline, you must establish an iron grip on the battlefield to seal a crushing victory over your foe.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

If the player whose turn it is does not control each objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for each objective marker they control.

If the player whose turn it is controls each objective marker in their deployment zone, they score 3VP for each of those objective markers, and 5VP for each other objective marker they control (up to 15VP per turn).

Primary Mission

UNEVEN GROUND

Empyric energies continue to warp the battlefield. As the landscape shifts, key objectives are revealed. Prioritise their capture.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

WHEN: End of the Command phase (or the end of your turn if it is the fifth battle round and you are going second).

The player whose turn it is scores VP as follows (up to 15VP per turn):

2VP for each objective marker within their deployment zone that they control.
4VP for each objective marker within No Man’s Land that they control.
6VP for each objective marker within their opponent’s deployment zone that they control.

Primary Mission

DENIED RESOURCES

Seize your objectives. If they cannot be held, then make sure you deny them to your foe.

ANY BATTLE ROUND (DEFENDER)

At the start of your turn, select one objective marker. At the end of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if you control that objective marker, it is denied and removed from the battlefield.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS (DEFENDER)

WHEN: Any time.

Each time you deny an objective marker, you score VP depending on where that objective marker is, as follows:

7VP if it is within your deployment zone.
10VP if it is wholly within No Man’s Land.
16VP if it is within your opponent’s deployment zone.

Primary Mission

HOLD OUT

The enemy closes in. Stand fast and hold your ground, for there can be no sharing in the spoils of victory.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS

Strike Force Deployment deck

Deployment - Strike Force

TIPPING POINT

Deployment - Strike Force

SWEEPING ENGAGEMENT

Deployment - Strike Force

SEARCH AND DESTROY

Deployment - Strike Force

HAMMER AND ANVIL

Deployment - Strike Force

DAWN OF WAR

Deployment - Strike Force

CRUCIBLE OF BATTLE

Incursion Deployment deck

Deployment - Incursion

TIPPING POINT

Deployment - Incursion

SWEEPING ENGAGEMENT

Deployment - Incursion

SEARCH AND DESTROY

Deployment - Incursion

HAMMER AND ANVIL

Deployment - Incursion

DAWN OF WAR

Deployment - Incursion

CRUCIBLE OF BATTLE

Asymmetric War Deployment deck

Deployment - Asymmetric War

TIP OF THE SPEAR

Deployment - Asymmetric War

PINCER ATTACK

Deployment - Asymmetric War

LAST STAND

Designer’s Note: This deployment works best when terrain is set up in and around the Defender’s deployment zone to make a well-fortified position while the rest of the battlefield has relatively few pieces of terrain

Deployment - Asymmetric War

DEFENSIVE LINE

Designer’s Note: This deployment works best when terrain is set up in and around the ‘front’ of the Defender’s deployment zone - the diagonal across the centre of the battlefield - to make a well-fortified position.

Deployment - Asymmetric War

BREAKOUT

Designer’s Note: This deployment works best when terrain is set up in and around the Defender’s deployment zone to make a well-fortified position.

Secondary Mission deck

Secondary Mission

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Your orders are clear: break through the enemy and cut off their escape routes.

When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, you can draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One unit from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) is wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone.		3VP

OR

Two or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within your opponent’s deployment zone.		4VP

Secondary Mission

STORM HOSTILE OBJECTIVE

You must dominate the field of battle. Storm every site of tactical import and leave the foe with no place to hide.

When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, you can draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one or more objective markers that were controlled by your opponent at the start of the turn.		4VP

OR

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
Your opponent did not control any objective markers at the start of the turn, and you control one or more objective markers that you did not control at the start of the turn.		4VP

Secondary Mission

ENGAGE ON ALL FRONTS

This area is of extreme importance. You are to lead an immediate all-out assault to capture it and deny it to our enemy for good.

When Drawn: If one or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within a table quarter, and those units are more than 6" away from the centre of the battlefield, you have a presence in that table quarter.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You have a presence in two table quarters.		1VP

OR

You have a presence in three table quarters.		2VP

OR

You have a presence in four table quarters.		4VP

Secondary Mission

ESTABLISH LOCUS

You must guide allied forces onto the battlefield by any means necessary; this objective must be completed swiftly to pave the road to victory.

ESTABLISH LOCUS (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army.

COMPLETES: End of your turn, if that unit is within your opponent’s deployment zone or within 6" of the centre of the battlefield.

IF COMPLETED: Your unit establishes a locus.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
Your unit established a locus this turn and is within 6" of the centre of the battlefield.		2VP

OR

Your unit established a locus this turn and is within your opponent’s deployment zone.		4VP

Secondary Mission

CLEANSE

Your forces have identified a series of tainted objectives in this area; these locations must be purified.

CLEANSE (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One or more units from your army within range of an objective marker that is not within your deployment zone.

COMPLETES: End of your turn, if the unit performing this Action is still within range of the same objective marker and you control that objective marker.

IF COMPLETED: That objective marker is cleansed by your army.

ANY BATTLE ROUND	VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.

One objective marker was cleansed by your army this turn.	2VP

OR

Two or more objective markers were cleansed by your army this turn.	FIXED 4VP	TACTICAL 5VP

Secondary Mission

ASSASSINATION

The enemy looks to their champions for courage. You must identify and eliminate such targets with extreme prejudice.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Fixed Missions).
Each time an enemy CHARACTER model with a Wounds characteristic of 4 or higher is destroyed.		FIXED 4VP
Each time an enemy CHARACTER model with a Wounds characteristic of less than 4 is destroyed.		FIXED 3VP

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn (if you are using Tactical Missions).
One or more enemy CHARACTER models were destroyed this turn.		TACTICAL 5VP

OR

All enemy CHARACTER models have been destroyed during the battle.		TACTICAL 5VP

Secondary Mission

NO PRISONERS

Show no mercy. Exterminate yourenemies.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Fixed Missions).
Each time an enemy Bodyguard unit or enemy non-CHARACTER unit is destroyed.		FIXED 2VP (UP TO 5VP)

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Tactical Missions).
Each time an enemy unit is destroyed.		TACTICAL 2VP (UP TO 5VP)

Secondary Mission

CULL THE HORDE

The enemy come forth in teeming masses. Their ranks must be thinned if the day is to be won.

When Drawn: If there are no enemy units on the battlefield that satisfy the condition below, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Fixed Missions).
Each time an enemy INFANTRY unit with a Starting Strength of 13+ (including Attached units) is destroyed.		FIXED 5VP

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn (if you are using Tactical Missions).
One or more enemy INFANTRY units with a Starting Strength of 13+ (including Attached units) were destroyed this turn.		TACTICAL 5VP

Secondary Mission

BRING IT DOWN

The opposing army contains numerous heavily armoured units. You must prioritise their destruction.

When Drawn: If there are no enemy MONSTER or VEHICLE units on the battlefield, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active (if you are using Fixed Missions).
Each time an enemy MONSTER or VEHICLE unit is destroyed.		FIXED 2VP
+	The total of the Wounds characteristics of the models in that destroyed unit was 15+ (at its Starting Strength).	FIXED +2VP (CUMULATIVE)
+	The total of the Wounds characteristics of the models in that destroyed unit was 20+ (at its Starting Strength).	FIXED +2VP (CUMULATIVE)

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn (if you are using Tactical Missions).
One or more enemy MONSTER or VEHICLE units were destroyed this turn.		TACTICAL 4VP

Secondary Mission

DEFEND STRONGHOLD

You are charged with the defence of a critical objective. It must not be permitted to fall into enemy hands.

When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.

SECOND BATTLE ROUND ONWARDS		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
You control one or more objective markers in your deployment zone.		3VP

Secondary Mission

MARKED FOR DEATH

You have been ordered to eliminate specific enemy assets to ensure victory, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

When Drawn: Your opponent must select three units from their army on the battlefield. If there are only one or two units from their army on the battlefield, they must select those units. The selected units are your Alpha Target units. You can then select one unit from your opponent’s army on the battlefield to be your Gamma Target unit. If there are no units from their army on the battlefield, discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn.
One or more of your Alpha Target units were destroyed (or removed from the battlefield for any other reason) this turn.		5VP

OR

None of your Alpha Target units were destroyed (or removed from the battlefield for any other reason) this turn, but your Gamma Target unit was destroyed (or removed from the battlefield for any other reason) this turn.		2VP

Secondary Mission

SECURE NO MAN’S LAND

You must advance swiftly into no man’s land and seize it before the enemy can, lest they take control of the entire battlefield.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one objective marker in No Man’s Land.		2VP

OR

You control two or more objective markers in No Man’s Land.		5VP

Secondary Mission

SABOTAGE

This region is replete with strategic assets or supply caches vital to your foe. See to it that they are reduced to just so much flaming wreckage.

SABOTAGE (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army that is within a terrain feature and not within your deployment zone.

COMPLETES: End of your opponent’s next turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first), if your unit is on the battlefield.

IF COMPLETED: Your unit commits sabotage.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your opponent’s turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is not within your opponent’s deployment zone.		3VP

OR

Your unit committed sabotage this turn and is within your opponent’s deployment zone.		6VP

Secondary Mission

AREA DENIAL

It is critical that this area is dominated. No enemy vanguard or guerrilla units can be allowed to disrupt your plans.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are within 3" of the centre of the battlefield, and there are no enemy units within 3" of the centre of the battlefield.		2VP

OR

One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are within 3" of the centre of the battlefield, and there are no enemy units within 6" of the centre of the battlefield.		5VP

Secondary Mission

RECOVER ASSETS

You must locate and reclaim scattered strategic assets.

When Drawn: If you are playing an Incursion mission, or if there are fewer than three units from your army on the battlefield, you can discard this card and draw a new Secondary Mission card.

RECOVER ASSETS (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: Two or more units from your army, if each of those units is wholly within a different one of the following areas: your deployment zone; No Man’s Land; your opponent’s deployment zone.

COMPLETES: End of your turn, if either two or three of those units are on the battlefield.

IF COMPLETED: Those units recover assets.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn or the end of the battle (whichever comes first).
Two of your units recovered assets this turn.		3VP

OR

Three or more of your units recovered assets this turn.		5VP

Secondary Mission

A TEMPTING TARGET

An opportunity to seize a valuable asset has been identified, but the enemy are likely to use it as bait in a trap. Move to secure the site, but be wary of enemy ambushes.

When Drawn: Your opponent must select one objective in No Man’s Land to be your Tempting Target objective marker.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of either player’s turn.
You control your Tempting Target objective marker.		5VP

Secondary Mission

EXTEND BATTLE LINES

The battleground is conquered one yard at a time. Lead your forces forward and establish a strong presence in the area.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
You control one or more objective markers within your deployment zone and one or more objective markers within No Man’s Land.		4VP

OR

You control one or more objective markers within No Man’s Land.		2VP

Secondary Mission

OVERWHELMING FORCE

You must scour the enemy from the face of the battlefield.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: While this card is active.
Each time an enemy unit that started the turn within range of an objective marker is destroyed.		3VP (UP TO 5VP)
Designer’s Note: Destroyed Leader and Bodyguard units count separately for the purposes of scoring this Secondary Mission, provided that Attached unit started the turn within range of an objective marker.

Secondary Mission

DISPLAY OF MIGHT

Intimidation is the most potent of weapons. Degrade the combat abilities of your opponent to demonstrate your superiority and erode enemy morale.

When Drawn: If it is the first battle round, draw a new Secondary Mission card and shuffle this card back into your Secondary Mission deck.

ANY BATTLE ROUND		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
There are more units from your army than from your opponent’s army wholly within No Man’s Land.		4VP

Challenger deck

Challenger

BURST OF SPEED

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

Having unleashed hell upon their target, this unit presses forward, lent fresh speed and impetus by the invigorating thrill of battle.

WHEN: End of your Shooting phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army (excluding units that made a move this phase).

EFFECT: Your unit can make a Normal move of up to D6", and then cannot move again this phase.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

FOCUSED EFFORT (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
Models in two or more units from your army made one or more attacks against the same enemy unit this turn, and models in that enemy unit lost one or more wounds as a result of any of those attacks.		3VP

Challenger

OPPORTUNISTIC STRIKE

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

Taking advantage of the foe’s exposed position, these warriors launch a well-timed attack.

WHEN: Your Shooting phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that is not within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units.

EFFECT: Select one enemy unit that is not within Engagement Range of one or more units from your army and is within 6" of and visible to your unit. Roll six D6: for each 4+, that enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

SOW CHAOS (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more enemy models from two or more different units were destroyed this turn.		3VP

Challenger

FORCE A BREACH

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

Break through their defences, smash down their walls and barricades and breach their lines. Let no obstacle halt your progress.

WHEN: Your Movement phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that has not been selected to move this phase.

EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time your unit makes a Normal or Advance move, it can move horizontally through models and terrain features.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

SECURE EXTRACTION ZONE (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army that is not within your deployment zone and is wholly within 9" of one or more battlefield edges.

COMPLETES: Immediately.

IF COMPLETED: You score 3VP.

Challenger

GREAT HASTE

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

Speed is often the key to victory, and this unit is blessed with exceptional celerity.

WHEN: Your Movement phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that has not been selected to move this phase.

EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, add D6" to the Move characteristic of models in your unit.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

OVER THE LINE (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are within your opponent’s deployment zone.		3VP

Challenger

PIVOTAL MOMENT

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

The outcome of the battle hangs in the balance. This is the time to strike hard and without mercy.

WHEN: Your Movement phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army.

EFFECT: Until the end of the turn, your unit is eligible to shoot and declare a charge in a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

ATTRITION (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
One or more enemy units were destroyed this turn.		3VP

Challenger

RENEWED FOCUS

0CP

Challenger – Battle Tactic Stratagem

Shutting out the din of battle, these warriors focus only on their foes, unleashing an inescapable fusillade of death and destruction.

WHEN: Your Shooting phase or your Fight phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot or fight this phase.

EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes an attack, re-roll a Hit roll of 1 and re-roll a Wound roll of 1.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

ESTABLISH COMMS (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army that is more than 15" away from all other units from your army.

COMPLETES: Immediately.

IF COMPLETED: You score 3VP.

Challenger

HARBOURED POWER

0CP

Challenger – Wargear Stratagem

Overcharged power packs, experimental ammunition, potent combat stimms or sorcerous might: these assets may be expended in the pursuit of victory.

WHEN: Your Shooting phase or your Fight phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot or fight this phase.

EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [HAZARDOUS] ability and your choice of the [LETHAL HITS] or [SUSTAINED HITS 1] ability.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

DUG IN (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
For each objective marker you control.		1VP (UP TO 3VP)

Challenger

ALL IN

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

The time has come to commit your forces. Order your soldiers forward, pursue the foe and cut them down without mercy. Victory or death!

WHEN: Your Fight phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army that has not been selected to fight this phase.

EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes a Pile-in or Consolidation move, it can move up to 6" instead of up to 3". In addition, it does not need to end that move closerto the closest enemy model, provided it ends it as close as possible to the closest enemy unit.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

SELF PRESERVATION (ACTION)

STARTS: Your Shooting phase.

UNITS: One unit from your army.

COMPLETES: End of your turn, if that unit is more than 18" away from all enemy units.

IF COMPLETED: You score 3VP.

Challenger

STRATEGIC RETREAT

0CP

Challenger – Strategic Ploy Stratagem

The soundest military minds find no shame in signalling a retreat. Strength preserved may prove pivotal at a later juncture.

WHEN: Start of your Shooting phase.

TARGET: One unit from your army (excluding MONSTERS and VEHICLES) that is not within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units.

EFFECT: Remove your unit from the battlefield and place it into Strategic Reserves.

CHALLENGER STRATAGEM

CHALLENGER MISSION

ZONE DEFENCE (ANY BATTLE ROUND)		VICTORY POINTS
WHEN: End of your turn.
For each of the following areas, one or more units from your army (excluding AIRCRAFT and Battle-shocked units) are wholly within that area: Your deployment zone. 6" of the centre of the battlefield. No Man’s Land. Your opponent’s deployment zone. To a maximum of 1VP per unit.		1VP PER AREA (UP TO 3VP)

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Twist

MARTIAL PRIDE

The rank and file of your armies are determined to demonstrate their consummate skill, proceeding towards their objectives relentlessly and maintaining a punishing assault as they go about their duties.

Advancing does not make a BATTLELINE unit ineligible to start an Action (excluding VEHICLE units).

Starting an Action does not make a BATTLELINE unit ineligible to shoot (excluding VEHICLE units).

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RUINSCAPE

Decades of war have reduced the structures on this battlefield to hollow ruins. Your warriors stalk and scramble through the skeletal remnants of half-destroyed buildings as they close in upon their enemies.

Each time a unit makes a Normal or Advance move, it can move horizontally through terrain features.

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NIGHT FIGHTING

A starless night has fallen across the battlefield, obscuring the vision of your warriors yet providing ther with cover.

Each unit can only be the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 18".

Designer’s Note: This is a great twist for players who do not yet have a battlefield’s worth of terrain.

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HIGH OCTANE

Your warriors are addicted to the thrill of speed, the deafening roar of engines and the thunderous sound of booted feet upon the ground.

Each time a unit Advances, do not make an Advance roll. Instead, until the end of the phase, add 6" to the Move characteristic of models in that unit.

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RAPID ESCALATION

Your armies hurl themselves recklessly into what is swiftly becoming a maelstrom of battle. With every passing moment, the flames of conflict rage higher.

In the first battle round, players can set up units from Strategic Reserves in the Reinforcements step of their Movement phase. If they do, those units must be set up wholly within 6" of any battlefield edge, but no model in those units can be set up within the enemy deployment zone. A unit set up in this manner cannot be set up using the Deep Strike ability. The maximum points total of units set up in this way is 200 points in Incursion missions, and 400 points in Strike Force and Asymmetric War missions.

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BLOODLUST

The warriors at your command are bloodthirsty indeed, hurling themselves into the fight with reckless aggression and frightening speed.

A unit is eligible to charge if it is within 18" of one or more enemy units, instead of within 12".

Each time you make a Charge roll, roll 3D6.

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ADAPT OR DIE

On a changing battlefield such as this, you must adapt your strategies swiftly and decisively if you are to stand any chance of seizing victory.

FOR PLAYERS USING FIXED MISSIONS

Once per battle, at the end of that player’s turn, after scoring any VP, they can discard one of their Secondary Mission cards and replace it with another Secondary Mission card that has the Fixed Mission symbol.

FOR PLAYERS USING TACTICAL MISSIONS

Twice per battle, after drawing a Secondary Mission card, that player can draw another Secondary Mission card, then shuffle one of those two Secondary Mission cards back into their Secondary Mission deck.

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LORDS OF WAR

Your warlords are paragons of battle, possessed of both peerless skill at arms and a relentless thirst to demonstrate their martial might in the heaviest of fighting.

Until the end of the battle, add 3 to the Attacks characteristic of each weapon equipped by WARLORD models (excluding VEHICLES).

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POINT BLANK

Your soldiers excel at close-range combat, utilising the most unwieldy of ranged weapons with great precision, even as the enemy closes in around them.

Ranged weapons (excluding Blast weapons) have the [PISTOL] ability.