Choosing Your Team
G40k is based on much smaller armies than WH40k. Rather than full squads, G40k relies on a 150pt Team, divided into Combat Units of at least 15pts. Most games are engagements between two teams, although players with more time, models, and interest, may wish to increase this value to include multiple teams per side.
Rules Ignored – Minimum Squad Size, Force Organization Chart*
- Players select a team of 150pts from their armybook. You are still bound to the Force Organization chart however, meaning that you must have at least 2 Combat Units from the Troops Section, and no more than 3 units each from Elite, Fast Attack, and Heavy Support. Unlike WH40K, HQ choices are optional, and limited to only one choice per team.
- A Combat Unit is defined as any number of models adding up to a minimum of 15pts, chosen from the same squad. A group of 3 Imperial Guardsmen for 5pts each is a single Combat Unit. Two Tactical Marines (15pts each, total 30pts) could be taken as a single Combat Unit, or broken down into two 1-man Combat Units.
- A Combat Unit is allowed to take any upgrades that would normally be allowed for a full squad. For example, the 3 Guardsmen could carry a special weapon if they desired. Sergeants may be taken in a Combat Unit that includes at least 2 models. To determine the cost of a sergeant upgrade, multiply the cost of additional models by the number present in the base squad, then subtract this value from the base cost.
Example – a Tactical Squad is 1 Sergeant and 4 Marines for 85pts. Additional Marines may be purchased for +15pts/model. To determine the cost of a sergeant – 15x5 = 75, 85-75 = 10pts. Therefore, the upgrade to sergeant costs 10pts.
For units which don’t allow you to field additional models (Imperial Guard squads for example), simply divide the number of models in the squad by the base cost (this will also determine the cost per model), and treat the upgrade to Sergeant as being free.
Restrictions
Players may not select any models with more than a single wound, except for the single optional HQ choice, which may have 2 wounds.
Players may not select any vehicle with more than 34pts total armor value (Front+Side+Rear), or the Flier special rule.
Preparing For Battle
Tables should be 3’x3’ or 4’x’4 for games between 2 squads. For games including additional squads, increase the size to 4’x4’ to 6’x4’. In any case, the field should feature very dense terrain. Jungle or Urban themes are most popular.
Deploying Teams
Players roll off for deployment as usual. The player deploying first then chooses a point anywhere on the table within 12” of any table edge. The player deploying second then chooses a point at least 24” inches away from the first.
The player who chose to deploy first then places each of their Combat Units within 12” of their chosen point. The player who chose to deploy second places their Combat Units within 12” of their chosen point, and no closer than 12” to any enemy model.
The Turn
G40k does not use the same “I go- you go” format as WH40k. Instead, at the start of each turn, both players will roll a D6 for each of their Combat Units, and add the lowest initiative value in the unit.
Combat Units are then activated in order, starting with the highest scoring units first. If two units from different teams are tied, then the players roll off on a D6 and the winning player chooses which squad will activate first.
There is no order to the turn phases (Move, Shoot, Assault) in G40k. Rather, once a Combat Unit is activated, each model gains 3 Actions, and may expend 1 Action to act in any of the phases. Once a model spends an Action Point, you must complete all of their actions before moving on to another model in the Unit.
Actions which preclude another (such as moving and firing a heavy weapon) are still mutually exclusive. If you fire a heavy weapon in your first action, you cannot choose Move for any of your remaining actions.
- Unit Coherency: Unlike 40k, unit coherency between members of a Combat Unit in G40k is increases to 6” and is only important when the unit is activated. If a Combat Unit is activated and the members are more than 6” apart (either by blunders in the previous turn, or by casualties inflicted) each model in the Combat Unit loses 1 Action point and are at -1Ld for the turn.
- Ammo/Fatigue: Models may take any action multiple times during their turn (for example, 2 or more Move Actions). However, the first time you attempt to repeat an action, you must pass a leadership test. If you attempt the same action again (3 move actions in a single turn, for example) you must pass a Leadership test at half leadership. If a leadership test caused by Ammo/Fatigue is failed, the model stops in place, and loses any remaining action points for the turn.
Example – a Guardsman is attempting his second Move action in a turn. He rolls his leadership and passes it. For his third action, he attempts to Move again. This time he rolls at half leadership and fails. The guardsman stops in place, no doubt struggling to catch his breath.
- Independent Character Command Range: A Combat Unit may use the leadership of an HQ choice if they are in coherency and any member of the Unit is within 12” of the character. Otherwise, Combat Units containing a Sergeant may use his LD value as long as they are in Coherency.
The Movement Action
This is unchanged from WH40k. Infantry moves 6” etc, difficult terrain still slows you, and are you are still bound by Dangerous Terrain tests.
- Conform to Cover: A model may conform to cover by being in base-contact with it, and turning their back to the cover. This represents models kneeling or crouching behind a piece of cover, so use your head – an 8’ tall Marine probably wouldn’t be able to hide behind a street curb, for example.
Models which have Conformed to Cover in this turn may still be shot at. However any successful wounds will not be counted against the model, but rather, will force a Pinning Test. You may be required to pass multiple Pinning Tests in a turn because of this rule. This represents suppression fire.
Models which begin the turn Conformed to Cover are considered invisible to any enemy that would have to draw LoS through the piece of terrain the model is conformed to.
The Shoot Action
This is also unchanged from WH40k. All weapon rules still hold. Remember however that if a model has moved prior to shooting, or fires a weapon before moving, certain rules may apply. A model who rapid-fires at 24” for example, will not be able to take a Move action in that same turn.
Models may still ‘Run’ as a Shoot Action, allowing you to possibly gain a few extra inches of movement without having to take a Fatigue test.
- Splitting Fire: A model capable of firing multiple shots may use 2 Shoot Actions (LD check required as normal for Fatigue/Ammo) to split those shots between any targets within 6” of each other (you may pre measure). However, a model must be hit (though not necessarily wounded) before you can fire on the next model you have chosen.
Example: A Marine with a Heavy Bolter (3 shots) is firing on a Guardsman, a Storm Trooper, and a Veteran. He fires on the Guardsman and hits him, but fails to wound. He must now fire on the Storm Trooper. The first shot misses, so he rolls to hit with the third shot and wounds him. Because the Marine has used all 3 shots, the Veteran is safe.
- Called Shots: If a model targets the same enemy as another model from the same Combat Unit, he gains a +1 to hit. This bonus is not cumulative; the most a model will ever gain by firing at a “called” model is +1, regardless of how many friendly models have fired at it.
The Called Shots rule also allows a model to fire at an enemy who began the turn Conformed to Cover, just as if that enemy had Conformed in this turn (as described in the Movement Action section), if another model in the Combat Unit with LoS fires at it first.
- Camping: Models which remained stationary during their previous activation grant a +1 bonus to any model attempting to shoot them. This is not cumulative with the +1 from ‘Called Shots’.
- Wounded Models: If a model loses its final wound in the shooting phase, it is not removed from play immediately. Instead, place the model on its side (unless the strength of the attack was double the toughness of the target, in which case remove it entirely).
If a friendly model moves into base-contact with a model downed in this way, it may expend an action to stand the model back up. Models stood up this way will lose 1 Action Point the next time they are activated. Multiwound models return to play with only 1 wound.
If an enemy model moves into contact with a downed model, remove the downed model immediately – imagine the enemy finishing him off in a suitably ruthless manner. Also, a model which is merely hit (no need to wound, although cover saves are allowed) are automatically removed from play.
The Assault Action
Models are no longer Locked in Combat like they are in WH40k. They may elect to take a Move Action to move out of base-contact with the enemy. However, if engaged in base-contact with an enemy, they must choose to take either a move action, or an Assault action.
Models which move away from combat provoke an Attack of Opportunity from their opponent, who gets to roll 1 attack to hit and to wound as normal.
Models that choose an Assault Action will fight a single round of Close Combat as normal under the WH40K rules. There is no more 2” rule though – engaged models must be in base-contact.
This makes Assaults in G40k very violent, dangerous affairs, as it’s possible to fight 6 rounds of combat in a single turn.
Models who suffer their final wound during an Assault action are automatically removed from play. Close combat is a brutal event, and kills are more thorough than a simple shooting attack.
Scoring a Game
Although you can play any of the standard WH40k missions using G40K rules, you should substitute Kill Points for the following scoring method:
+1pt for every model downed
+1pt for every model removed from play
+1pt for any model removed from play automatically (cumulative with +1 for removing from play)