# HIVE WAR ## A Supplement for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy — Age of Darkness *"The city does not merely witness the war. The city is the war. Every archway is a killzone. Every spire is a gun platform. Every sewer is an infiltration route. You do not fight in a hive. You fight the hive itself."* *— attributed to Warsmith Barabbas Dantioch, Iron Warriors IVth Legion* --- *They came at dawn, though it scarcely mattered. The city's smog had not permitted true dawn in living memory — only a gradual greying of the perpetual murk, a brightness that passed for morning in the hab-stacks of Caroun Secundus.* *The first bombardment lasted eleven minutes. Corporal Asha Maren of the 14th Solar Auxilia Lasrifle had counted the detonations, because counting was something to do with her hands while they were shaking. She reached four hundred and something before she stopped. By then the Northwall had ceased to exist as a coherent structure. It had become a ridge of broken rockcrete four metres high, behind which the garrison sheltered and prayed.* *When the Astartes came through the breach, both sides were wearing the same colours.* *That was the moment Maren understood what the city had become. Not the flags above the command towers. Not the orders crackling through the vox. The city — its streets, its ruins, its bones — was the only fixed point. The only thing that would outlast either army.* *She held her position for eleven days. The city held for twenty-three.* *— From the testimony of Corporal Asha Maren, 14th Solar Auxilia Lasrifle Cohort, Caroun Secundus Engagement, 007.M31. The testimony survived. The Cohort did not.* --- ## Introduction Hive War is a Theatre of War supplement for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy — Age of Darkness, designed to represent the savage close-quarters battles fought in the ruins of the Imperium's great urban centres. From the ash-choked streets of Isstvan to the macro-basilica districts of Terra herself, the Horus Heresy was as much a war for cities as it was for hearts and minds. This supplement replaces and expands upon the core Building and Terrain rules presented in the Age of Darkness Rulebook when playing a Hive War Battle. It is intended to be used alongside the Core Mission Pack or any other Mission Pack, adding an additional layer of tactical depth through the integration of **Battlefield Assets** as a core mechanic, the introduction of **Urban Stratagems**, and a suite of modified terrain and mission rules that reflect the particular savagery of fighting in a ruined city. ### Using This Supplement When playing a Hive War Battle, the following rules supersede or modify the equivalent sections of the Age of Darkness Rulebook and the Battlefield Assets Mission Special Rules as follows: - The **Terrain Rules** in this supplement replace the standard Building and Area Terrain rules for all terrain on the Battlefield. - The **Battlefield Assets** system is **always in use** in a Hive War Battle and is not optional. Additional Hive War-specific Assets are introduced here. - **Urban Stratagems** replace the Cityfighting Stratagems concept, functioning as a separate selection that all players make before the battle. - The **Hive War Mission Sequence** replaces the Core Mission Sequence. All other Age of Darkness rules — characteristics, movement, shooting, assault, reactions, vehicle rules, special rules, and so on — remain unchanged unless explicitly noted. --- --- > *"A building is not cover. Cover implies protection. A building is a cage you have chosen — and your enemy knows exactly where the cage is."* > > *— attributed to Siege-Captain Orryn Dast, IVth Legion Iron Warriors, chalked on the wall of a forward command post during the Ghorvast Reduction* --- ## Part I — Terrain in the Hive ### Defining Terrain In a Hive War Battle there are several distinct types of terrain. Players must agree before any models or objectives are deployed what each terrain piece on the table represents. The types available are: #### City Ruins > *There is a kind of equality in ruins. The greatest warrior in the greatest armour becomes something constrained and hunted the moment he steps into a shell of broken floors and smoke-blackened archways. The Iron Warriors have a word for this — they call it the narrowing. The reduction of all variables, all advantages, until only the next corridor matters.* > > *— Remembrancer Ilat Vors, embedded with the IVth Legion during the Hive Tertium Compact* City Ruins represent wrecked, partially collapsed, or bomb-damaged urban structures. They are the most common terrain type in a Hive War Battle and the primary source of tactical advantage and danger. City Ruins are treated as **Heavy Area Terrain** (4+ Cover Save) with **multiple levels** as defined by the standard terrain level rules. Unlike standard Heavy Area Terrain, Line of Sight *may* be drawn into and through City Ruins under the modified Line of Sight rules below. City Ruins also have a **Structural Profile** used when they are attacked or subjected to the Demolition Stratagem: | Ruin Type | Armour | Hull Points | |---|---|---| | Small Ruin (up to 6"×6") | 9 | 6 | | Medium Ruin (up to 9"×9") | 10 | 9 | | Large Ruin (up to 12"×12") | 11 | 12 | City Ruins are not Buildings for the purposes of any other rule unless specifically stated. Units do not Embark on City Ruins — they occupy them. #### Intact Buildings Some structures have survived the fighting thus far. Intact Buildings use the standard Building rules from the Age of Darkness Rulebook (Armour, Hull Points, Transport Capacity) and the relevant profiles. An Intact Building that is reduced to 0 Hull Points becomes a City Ruin of the appropriate size and retains any Battlefield Asset Markers or Urban Stratagems assigned to it. #### Rubble Rubble represents collapsed sections of wall, fallen debris and detritus. Rubble is **Medium Area Terrain** (5+ Cover Save) and **Difficult Terrain**. Rubble does not have levels. #### Obstacles Obstacles — barricades, tank traps, razor wire, and wreckage — are **Terrain Pieces** that block Line of Sight to models within 1" of them. Their specific rules are determined by the Urban Stratagem used to place them (see Part V). #### Streets and Roads Streets and open plazas are **Open Terrain**. Vehicles may move freely along them. Streets that pass through or between City Ruins are not difficult terrain unless rubble or an obstacle has been placed to block them. --- ### City Ruin Footprints The footprint of a City Ruin is defined by the outer extent of its walls or base, whichever is more clearly delineated. Players must agree the exact footprint of each City Ruin before the Battle begins. A model is considered to be **inside** a City Ruin if it is within the footprint. A model is **outside** it if it is not. Models inside a City Ruin benefit from the Cover Save and Line of Sight rules for that ruin regardless of which level they are on. > **Note:** If a City Ruin has a base that extends beyond its walls, only the wall extent counts as the footprint unless both players agree otherwise. --- ### Terrain Levels in City Ruins City Ruins use the standard terrain level rules. Each level of a City Ruin is considered to be 3" higher than the one below. When setting up a Hive War Battle, players must agree which physical elements of each terrain piece constitute discrete levels before deployment begins. When a model moves vertically within a City Ruin, any vertical distance moved counts against its Movement Characteristic for that phase. A model with a Movement Characteristic of 6" could move 3" horizontally and then climb one level (3"), ending at the first level — spending its full move. **Exception — Charging:** Difficult Terrain has no effect on Charge Moves. However, if a charging model must climb one or more levels to reach its target, it adds 3" to the distance it must move for each level it must climb. --- --- > *"You do not clear a building floor by floor. You clear it body by body."* > > *— Solar Auxilia Tactical Catechism, Urban Pacification Operations, revised edition 997.M30* --- ## Part II — Using City Ruins ### Measuring Distances Always measure base-to-base along the tabletop surface, even when models are at different elevations. The vertical component of distance is not measured for determining range, though it does count for movement. This represents the difficulty of accurately ranging targets in a three-dimensional urban environment. ### Movement **Infantry and equivalent** move normally within City Ruins, spending movement for vertical as well as horizontal travel as described above. A model may never end its movement suspended in mid-air between levels — it must end its move on a defined level or on the ground. **Vehicles** (excluding Walkers) may not enter a City Ruin unless it contains a clearly defined entry at ground level large enough to accommodate the model's base. If a Vehicle enters a City Ruin, it may not move vertically and may not move further than 6" while within it. A Vehicle that enters a City Ruin must take a Dangerous Terrain Test for doing so. Vehicles may not move to any level above ground level. **Walkers** move within City Ruins as Infantry. **Models with the Antigrav or Flyer Sub-Type** may move over City Ruins freely but may only land within them by using a clearly defined level large enough to hold the model. If they land within a City Ruin, they are treated as Infantry for all subsequent purposes until they leave. **Jump Infantry (models with Jump Packs)** may use their jump pack movement to ascend or descend levels within a City Ruin without spending additional movement for the vertical component, but must begin and end their move on a defined level. ### Unit Coherency in City Ruins A unit maintains coherency within a City Ruin if each model is within 2" horizontally *or* within 3" vertically of at least one other model in the unit. The vertical coherency represents models on adjacent levels remaining in shouting and visual contact along stairwells, hatches and gaps in the floor. ### Determining Line of Sight Line of Sight within and through City Ruins is subject to the following modifications, which replace the standard Area Terrain Line of Sight rules for Heavy Area Terrain: - A model may trace Line of Sight *into* a City Ruin freely. - A model may trace Line of Sight *through* no more than **6"** of City Ruin terrain. If the Line of Sight passes through more than 6" of the ruin's footprint, it is blocked. - A model *inside* a City Ruin may trace Line of Sight to another model *inside the same ruin* freely, subject to the standard rules. Line of Sight between models on different levels is determined by taking a model's eye view. - A model at a **higher level** than its target may draw Line of Sight over the top of any City Ruin that is lower than its own level, but may not draw Line of Sight into a City Ruin at a lower level unless it can physically see the target through a gap or opening. > **Practical note:** For Line of Sight across different levels, it is recommended to physically check from the model's perspective by bending down to eye level with the model. When in doubt, if a model could plausibly see another model through the structural gaps inherent to ruined buildings at the same elevation, Line of Sight exists. --- --- > *"The most dangerous order I ever gave was to fire the demolisher cannon into the hab-block. I knew my own men were in the lower levels. I had been told by command they were not. Both things were true, and neither truth meant anything when the shell left the barrel."* > > *— Sergeant Thael Cossavar, XIIIth Legion Ultramarines, after-action deposition, Calth sub-campaign records* --- ### Blast and Template Weapons in City Ruins #### Blast Weapons When a Blast Weapon targets a model within a City Ruin, the attacking player must declare which **level** is being targeted before making the Shooting Attack. Only models on the declared level may be hit by the attack. If the Blast Marker scatters, it still only hits models on the declared level. #### Template Weapons A Template Weapon may only affect models on the **same level** as the model making the attack, or on a level **directly adjacent** (one level up or down) if the template can physically be positioned to affect that level. The attacking player must declare which level(s) are being targeted before placing the template. #### Barrage Weapons Barrage Weapons always affect the **uppermost level** of the City Ruin that is under the hole at the centre of the Blast Marker after any Scatter has been resolved. Only models on that uppermost level suffer hits. #### Ordnance Weapons Ordnance Weapons with the Blast (X) Special Rule follow the same rules as Blast Weapons but additionally reduce the Cover Save provided by the City Ruin by −1 for that attack. --- --- > *"In the open, an Astartes in plate is a war machine. In a corridor three metres wide, he is just a man. A large man, an armoured man — but a man who cannot swing his blade without hitting the wall, who cannot bring his bolter to bear without stepping over his brother's corpse. The city is the great leveller. It does not care what you were made to be."* > > *— Remembrancer Ilat Vors, embedded with the VIIth Legion during the Shattered Hive Engagements, 006.M31* --- ### Assaults in City Ruins Close combat within the confined spaces of a ruined city is brutal and disorienting. The following modifications apply to Assault Phases within or into City Ruins: - When a unit makes a Charge Move into a City Ruin, models must physically reach the base of their target model. Models on different levels fight each other normally if they are in base contact (including via a connecting stairway, ladder or gap in the floor modelled on the terrain piece). - When a unit is Locked in Combat within a City Ruin, models on adjacent levels (one level apart) may fight each other as if they were in base contact, representing fighting through hatches, across collapsed floors, and over barricades. This does not apply to models two or more levels apart. --- --- > *"Before the first shot is fired, the battle is already half decided. The commander who enters a city without knowing where his ammunition lies, where the high ground is, where the sewers run — that commander has already lost half his force to ignorance."* > > *— Praetor Ulus Gavren, VIIth Legion Imperial Fists, address to officers before the Siege of the Caroun Bastion* --- ## Part III — Organising a Hive War Battle ### The Hive War Mission Sequence Replace the Core Mission Sequence with the following: 1. Select Hive War Mission 2. Determine Density Level 3. Select Armies and Battlefield Assets 4. Select Urban Stratagems 5. Prepare the Battlefield 6. Deploy Objectives 7. Select Deployment Map 8. Declare Mission Reserves 9. Deploy Armies and Battlefield Asset Markers 10. Start the Battle --- ### Step 1 — Select Hive War Mission Select a Mission from the Hive War Mission list (see Part VI), either by agreement or by rolling on the Mission table. --- ### Step 2 — Determine Density Level The Density Level represents the scale of urban devastation and the density of terrain on the battlefield. The Density Level affects the number of City Ruins required, the number of Battlefield Asset Points available, and the number of Urban Stratagems each player may select. Players may agree on a Density Level or roll a D6: | D6 | Density Level | |---|---| | 1–2 | **Ash** — A city reduced to low ruins and long sightlines. The long-range specialists who dominate open warfare retain some advantage here; armour is still relevant; the battle has not yet fully descended into the close work. *This is a city that still remembers what it was.* | | 3–4 | **Rubble** — The standard Hive War battlefield. Dense ruins, sightlines measured in metres, fire from three directions simultaneously. *This is the city that most soldiers of the Heresy came to know: everywhere at once, and nowhere safe.* | | 5–6 | **Inferno** — A city so thoroughly destroyed it has become something else entirely. Ruin stacked upon ruin. Vehicles become coffins. Long-range weapons become irrelevant. Only the warrior who can navigate the narrowest corridor and kill in the smallest space will survive. *This is where the war ends.* | | Density Level | Minimum City Ruins | Battlefield Asset Points | Urban Stratagems per Player | |---|---|---|---| | Ash | 3–4 | +2 per player | 1 | | Rubble | 5–7 | +3 per player | 2 | | Inferno | 8+ | +4 per player | 3 | The **Battlefield Asset Points bonus** from the Density Level is added to the standard Asset Points value for the Battle's Points Limit (see the Battlefield Assets rules). Players spend their total Asset Points on both standard Battlefield Assets and new Hive War Assets. --- ### Step 3 — Select Armies and Battlefield Assets Armies are selected as per the standard Core Mission rules. In addition, each player selects Battlefield Assets with a total value up to their available Asset Points (base + Density Level bonus). Players may select from: - **Standard Battlefield Assets** (Disruption Emitter, Melta Minefield, Graviton Snares, Frag Minefield, Contingency Device, Forward Ammunition Drop, Strategic Cogitator Array) - **Hive War Battlefield Assets** (see Part IV) All Assets selected are noted on the player's Army Roster before any other step proceeds. --- ### Step 4 — Select Urban Stratagems Each player secretly selects a number of **Urban Stratagems** up to the limit for the Density Level. Urban Stratagems are revealed simultaneously before terrain is placed. Urban Stratagems are divided into four categories: **Key Building**, **Dirty Tricks**, **Armoury**, and **Deployment**. A player may not select more than one Urban Stratagem from any single category, unless the Density Level allows three or more selections, in which case one category may be doubled. Urban Stratagems are detailed in full in Part V. --- ### Step 5 — Prepare the Battlefield The standard Battlefield is a flat area 4'×6'. For Hive War Battles at Omega/Inferno density, a 4'×4' table is equally appropriate and recommended — the density of terrain makes a smaller table feel proportionately larger. #### Placing Terrain 1. Both players roll off. The winner places the **tallest available City Ruin** first, within 8" of the centre of the table. 2. The other player places the next tallest City Ruin within 3"–8" of the first. 3. Players alternate placing City Ruins within 3"–8" of the previously placed ruin until the minimum number for the Density Level has been placed. 4. If no space exists within 3"–8" of any ruin, place the next ruin anywhere on the table at least 3" from any other terrain piece. 5. Once the minimum number of City Ruins is placed, players alternate placing remaining terrain (rubble, intact buildings, roads, obstacles) anywhere on the table at least 2" from any other terrain piece. Urban Stratagem terrain (obstacles, booby traps, etc.) is placed during Step 9 as directed by each Stratagem. --- ### Steps 6–10 These steps follow the standard Core Mission Sequence, with the following additions: **Step 9 — Deploy Armies and Battlefield Asset Markers:** After both armies are deployed, players place their Battlefield Asset Markers as directed by each Asset's rules, followed by any Urban Stratagem terrain pieces as directed. The player who deployed their army second places their Asset Markers and Stratagem terrain first. --- --- > *The resources a soldier finds in a city are not the resources he was issued. Ammunition in a collapsed Mechanicum depot. Gun systems, their operators long dead, continuing to execute their last programmed target protocols. Sewers — built for waste — become arteries of movement. The soldier who fails to understand and use the city around him is a soldier wasting his only remaining advantage.* > > *— Extract from 'Urban Doctrine and Logistical Adaptation', a Solar Auxilia field manual of uncertain origin, circulated widely during the Heresy* --- ## Part IV — Hive War Battlefield Assets The following Battlefield Assets are available exclusively in Hive War Battles. They follow all standard Battlefield Asset rules unless otherwise noted. Like standard Assets, they use the Attacker/Defender and Minefield/Explosive Traits where indicated. When the Battlefield Assets Mission Special Rule is described as being in use in a standard Mission, these Hive War Assets may also be selected in addition to the standard list. --- ### Vox Relay Station *(—)* — 2 Asset Points *Hastily assembled from salvaged components, a Vox Relay Station amplifies and re-broadcasts battlefield communications across a sector of the city, allowing commanders to coordinate attacks through the interference of rubble-thick walls.* **Set-up:** Placed at the start of Step 9 within the controlling player's half of the table and within 6" of a City Ruin. **Effect:** While any friendly model with the Command Sub-Type is within 6" of the centre of this Marker, friendly units within 12" of the Marker may re-roll failed Cool Checks. At the end of each Battle Turn, roll a D6; on a 1, this Marker is removed from the Battlefield. --- ### Ammo Cache *(Explosive)* — 2 Asset Points *A hidden stockpile of ammunition, demolition charges or promethium canisters — a vital resource, but a lethal one if the enemy gets too close with a flamer.* **Set-up:** Placed at the start of Step 9 within 6" of a City Ruin and more than 6" from the controlling player's Deployment Zone. **Effect:** Once per Battle, when a friendly unit with at least one model within 3" of this Marker is selected to make a Shooting Attack, that unit may declare it is drawing from the cache. Until the end of that Shooting Attack, all weapons in the unit with a Firepower Characteristic gain +1 Firepower. After that Shooting Attack is resolved, roll a D6; on a 4+ this Marker is removed. Additionally, this Marker has the Explosive Trait. If triggered by a Blast Marker, it detonates as described in the Explosive Asset Trait rules, using its 2 Asset Point value. --- ### Structural Charges *(Defender, Explosive)* — 3 Asset Points *Demolition teams have pre-wired key load-bearing columns with melta-charges and krak grenades. When triggered, they bring a ruin down on anyone inside.* **Set-up:** During Step 4 (Urban Stratagems phase), the player places a secret marker on their Army Roster indicating which City Ruin this Asset is assigned to. The Battlefield Asset Marker is placed on or adjacent to that City Ruin at the start of Step 9. Only one Structural Charges Marker may be assigned to any single City Ruin. **Effect:** Once per Battle, at the start of any of their Player Turns, the controlling player may trigger the Structural Charges. When triggered, the assigned City Ruin immediately becomes a **Collapsing Ruin** (see Collapsing Ruins below) and this Marker is removed. Alternatively, if a Blast Marker covers the centre of this Marker, the Explosive Trait rules apply and the ruin collapses as above. --- ### Automated Turret *(Defender)* — 3 Asset Points *A stripped-down Tarantula chassis or improvised gun mount, locked onto a fixed arc and programmed to fire on any movement in a designated kill-zone.* **Set-up:** Placed at the start of Step 9 within the controlling player's Deployment Zone or within 6" of a City Ruin in their half of the table. The controlling player must declare the turret's **Fire Arc** (a 90° arc of their choice) when placing it. **Profile:** | Weapon | Range | Str | AP | Type | |---|---|---|---|---| | Twin-linked Heavy Bolter | 36" | 5 | 4 | Heavy 3, Twin-linked, Pinning | | *or* Twin-linked Lascannon | 48" | 9 | 2 | Heavy 2, Twin-linked | *(Choose one when selecting the Asset.)* **Effect:** At the start of each of the controlling player's Shooting Phases, the turret may make one Shooting Attack as if it were a friendly unit, using BS 3. It may only target units within its declared Fire Arc. It may not make Reactions. If the turret suffers a Penetrating Hit or two or more Glancing Hits from enemy attacks (Armour 10, Hull Points 1), it is destroyed and the Marker is removed. The turret does not benefit from Cover Saves. --- ### Sewer Access Point *(—)* — 1 Asset Point *A junction into the city's underhive tunnel network — a labyrinth of service conduits, drainage channels and ancient transit pipes that wind beneath the rubble.* **Set-up:** Both players may select this Asset. When placed, the controlling player positions a Marker at ground level anywhere on the table more than 6" from any Deployment Zone edge and more than 6" from any other Sewer Access Point Marker (from either player). **Effect:** Any friendly Infantry unit that is in Reserves may enter the table from any Sewer Access Point Marker rather than from the table edge, following the standard Reserves rules for arriving from the table edge. A unit that arrives via a Sewer Access Point is placed with all models within 3" of the Marker. Units that arrive via this method may not make a Charge Move in the same turn they arrive. Only one unit may use each Sewer Access Point per turn. --- ### Collapsed Sector *(—)* — 1 Asset Point *Weeks of bombardment have rendered this zone actively lethal — floors give way without warning, walls lean at impossible angles, and any movement risks bringing the whole structure down.* **Set-up:** After terrain is placed in Step 5, the controlling player nominates one City Ruin on the table. That ruin becomes a **Dangerous Ruin** for the duration of the Battle (it counts as Dangerous Terrain in addition to all other rules). Place this Marker on or adjacent to that ruin. **Effect:** Any model that moves into, within, or out of the designated ruin must take a Dangerous Terrain Test. This replaces the standard Difficult Terrain rules for that ruin — it is now Dangerous rather than merely Difficult. --- ### Sniper's Nest *(—)* — 2 Asset Points *A carefully prepared position — sandbag walls, a cleared line of sight, ammunition laid out in order, and a rangefinder zeroed to every likely target zone in the sector.* **Set-up:** Placed at the start of Step 9 on the top level of any City Ruin within the controlling player's half of the table. **Effect:** A friendly unit with at least one model within 3" of the centre of this Marker and occupying the same level gains the following benefits during its Shooting Phase: all weapons with the Sniper Special Rule in that unit count as having the Ignore Cover Special Rule. Additionally, those weapons may re-roll failed Hit Tests against targets in the open (not within any Area Terrain or City Ruin). This Marker is removed when the unit that last used it vacates the level or is destroyed. --- ### Vantage Point *(—)* — 1 Asset Point *A cleared observation platform — a shattered gantry or blown-out window with a commanding view of the street below.* **Set-up:** Placed at the start of Step 9 on any level above ground level on any City Ruin anywhere on the table. **Effect:** Any friendly unit with at least one model within 3" of this Marker treats targets at a lower level as having their Cover Save reduced by −1 (minimum 6+). This represents the height advantage rule from classic Cityfight doctrine, now formalised as a prepared position. This Marker is permanent and is not removed. --- --- > *"The building did not fall the way I expected. It did not collapse inward. It came apart, floor by floor, like something being slowly unfolded. The men on the upper levels were the last to understand what was happening to them. They had perhaps two seconds — enough to look up, and see the sky coming in."* > > *— Trooper Davuk Eln, 22nd Cadian Shock Troops, survivor's account, Caroun Secundus* --- ## Collapsing Ruins When a City Ruin is reduced to 0 Hull Points, or when Structural Charges are triggered, it immediately becomes a **Collapsing Ruin**. Apply the following in order: 1. **Collapse Roll:** Roll a D6 for every model (friendly and enemy) within the footprint of the ruin, regardless of level. On a 4+, that model suffers 1 Wound or Hull Point of damage. No Armour Save may be taken, but Invulnerable Saves may be made. 2. **Entanglement:** Any unit with surviving models inside the ruin immediately gains the **Pinned** Tactical Status, unless it is Locked in Combat. 3. **Vehicle Damage:** Any vehicle within the footprint suffers a Glancing Hit (roll on the Vehicle Damage Table normally). Vehicles that are already Locked in Combat are not affected by Entanglement but still take the Collapse Roll hit. 4. **Rubble Replacement:** Remove the City Ruin model and replace it with a zone of **Rubble** (Medium Area Terrain, 5+ Cover Save, Difficult Terrain) covering the same footprint. Any models that were inside the ruin are now in the Rubble zone. 5. **Combat Continues:** Any assault that was in progress within the ruin continues within the resulting rubble zone, applying standard rules. --- --- *When the bombardment lifted, the sergeant walked the line. He checked each position in turn: the medicae station on the ground floor, stocked and manned. The vox-relay in the tower, running clear. The snipers at the upper windows, in position. The engineers, crouched by the pre-wired columns with their detonator leads coiled in their laps.* *"They think the preparation is over," he told his adjutant, watching the dust settle in the street below.* *"And you don't?"* *"The war was decided an hour ago," the sergeant said. "I just haven't told them yet."* *— Attributed to Sergeant-at-Arms Kael Vreth, XIIIth Legion Ultramarines, before the defence of the Basilica Tertia; location and date sealed by order of the Legion Praetors* --- ## Part V — Urban Stratagems Urban Stratagems are pre-battle selections that modify the game. Each player selects a number of Stratagems up to their Density Level allowance. Each Stratagem belongs to one of four categories. No player may select more than one Stratagem from the same category unless the Density Level grants three or more selections. Stratagems are revealed simultaneously before terrain is placed. --- --- > *Every city is a machine. Its hospitals sustain the will to endure. Its command nodes co-ordinate the machine's responses. Its power substations animate its defences. Its sacred places — whatever the race, whatever the creed — provide the one thing that pure logistics cannot: a reason to hold. The side that controls these structures controls more than buildings. It controls the city's nervous system.* --- ### Key Building Stratagems Key Building Stratagems designate a specific City Ruin with a special function. The Stratagem applies to a single City Ruin, chosen secretly during Step 4 and revealed when the Stratagem is first used. Only one Key Building Stratagem may be applied to any given City Ruin. **General rules for all Key Building Stratagems:** - The assigned ruin must be selected during Step 4 and noted secretly on the Army Roster. - The Stratagem's effects apply to the **controlling player's** friendly units only unless stated otherwise. - Effects apply to a unit that has at least one model **within** the assigned ruin or within a stated distance. - The Stratagem may be used **once per Battle Turn** and only by a unit that qualifies. - If the assigned ruin is destroyed (reduced to 0 Hull Points or Collapsed), the Stratagem is lost. #### Medicae Station *Salvaged medical supplies and auto-injectors allow warriors to patch their wounds and return to the line.* A friendly unit that starts its Movement Phase with at least one model inside the assigned ruin may not make any move that turn but gains the **Feel No Pain (5+)** Special Rule until the start of its next Movement Phase. This effect lasts only while at least one model from that unit remains inside the ruin. #### Command Bunker *A reinforced sub-basement with vox-casters and a hololithic map table allows officers to coordinate the battle with unusual clarity.* While a friendly model with the **Command Sub-Type** is inside the assigned ruin, friendly units within 12" of the ruin may re-roll failed **Leadership** Checks. Additionally, once per Battle Turn, the controlling player may select one Secondary Objective in use and increase its Victory Point value by 1 for the remainder of that turn. #### Sacred Ground / Ideological Strongpoint *Whether a shrine to the Emperor, a monument to the Warmaster, or simply a position that must not fall, this ruin has been designated worth dying for.* A friendly unit inside the assigned ruin gains the **Stubborn** and **Fearless** Special Rules. Units inside the ruin that would normally take a Panic Check do not take it while any model from the unit remains inside. #### Fuel Depot *Promethium pipes and storage tanks run through this ruin's lower levels.* Friendly units inside or within 6" of the assigned ruin that have at least one weapon with the **Template** Special Rule add +1 to the Strength of all Template weapons they fire. Additionally, this ruin counts as having the **Explosive** Battlefield Asset Trait (2 points) — if a Blast Marker covers the centre of this ruin, roll as per the Explosive Trait rules. #### Observation Spire *What remains of the ruin's upper levels offers a commanding view of the surrounding streets.* A friendly unit with at least one model on the **highest level** of the assigned ruin gains the **Night Vision** Special Rule and may re-roll failed Hit Tests against targets in the open (not in Area Terrain or a City Ruin). Additionally, that unit is not required to roll for Snap Fire when making Reaction shots. #### Power Node *The local power grid still channels a trickle of current through this block. Lascannon arrays, plasma feeds and shield generators can be patched in.* Once per Shooting Phase, a friendly unit inside or within 3" of the assigned ruin may select one of its weapons with the **Gets Hot** Special Rule. For that attack, the weapon does not roll for Gets Hot and adds +1 to its Firepower Characteristic. If the ruin collapses, roll a D6; on a 1–2, all units within 6" suffer D3 Strength 4, AP 5 hits as the power surge discharges. #### Fortified Position *Loopholes cut into walls, firing steps constructed from rubble, barricaded doorways, reinforced floors — a building prepared for defence becomes a nightmare to assault.* The assigned City Ruin becomes a **Fortified Ruin** for the duration of the Battle. Place this Stratagem's marker on the ruin when it is revealed. A Fortified Ruin gains the following benefits: - Its Cover Save is improved by +1 (a City Ruin becomes 3+ instead of 4+). - Enemy units assaulting into a Fortified Ruin do not receive any charge bonus to their Initiative — all models in the assault fight simultaneously in the first round of combat, regardless of charging status. - Enemy models may not enter a Fortified Ruin via the Wrecking Crew Stratagem unless that roll succeeds on a 5+, rather than the normal 3+. If the Fortified Ruin is reduced to 0 Hull Points or Collapses, it loses the Fortified status and becomes a standard Collapsed Ruin. --- --- > *"Three months in the ruins and a soldier becomes cautious. Six months, and they become something else entirely — something that watches doorways the way a predator watches a waterhole. They stop thinking about the enemy as an enemy. They start thinking about him the way the city itself thinks about everyone inside it: as a potential casualty."* > > *— Remembrancer Ilat Vors, field notes, later published as 'The Narrowing: A Study of Urban Combat Psychology'* --- ### Dirty Tricks Stratagems #### Booby Traps *Anti-personnel mines, tripwires connected to krak grenades, unstable rubble piles balanced to avalanche — all placed to welcome the enemy.* During Step 4, the controlling player secretly places D3+2 Booby Trap Markers anywhere on the table, not within their opponent's Deployment Zone. Each Marker must be placed at least 3" from any other Booby Trap Marker. Markers are revealed when triggered. When an enemy unit moves so that any model ends its move within 3" of a Booby Trap Marker, or any enemy model moves through the footprint of a City Ruin containing a Booby Trap Marker, the controlling player may attempt to trigger it. Roll a D6; on a 4+, the trap detonates. The enemy unit suffers D3 hits at Strength 5, AP 4, with the **Shred (5+)** Special Rule. Vehicles are hit on their weakest Armour Facing. Once triggered or revealed without detonating, remove the Marker. #### Demolition *A carefully prepared breach charge positioned at a key structural point. One signal and an entire section comes down.* During Step 4, the controlling player secretly designates one enemy City Ruin (not within their own Deployment Zone). This Ruin is targeted for demolition. At any point during their Shooting Phase on Turn 2 or later, the controlling player may activate the Demolition Stratagem. When activated, that City Ruin immediately suffers D3 Penetrating Hits against its Structural Profile. If it is reduced to 0 Hull Points, it Collapses immediately. The Stratagem is expended after use regardless of the result. #### Master Snipers *Veteran marksmen have been positioned in pre-surveyed hides throughout the city, with rangefinders calibrated to every alley and window.* All friendly units in the controlling player's army that have at least one weapon with the **Sniper** Special Rule gain the following benefit for the duration of the Battle: Attacks made with Sniper weapons ignore Cover Saves provided by City Ruins. Additionally, Hit Tests made with Sniper weapons against targets on a lower level than the firer may re-roll results of 1. #### Preliminary Bombardment *Pre-battle artillery fire walks across the enemy's likely approach routes, cracking foundations and turning load-bearing walls into death traps.* After Step 5 (Prepare the Battlefield) but before Step 6, the controlling player nominates D3 City Ruins on the table (not within their Deployment Zone). Each nominated ruin immediately becomes a **Dangerous Ruin** for the duration of the Battle (as per the Collapsed Sector Battlefield Asset effect). Additionally, each nominated ruin loses 1 Hull Point from its Structural Profile. --- --- > *There is a specific type of Legionary that volunteers for combat engineering in city fighting — not the suicidal ones, as some observers assume, but the calculating ones. Men who look at a wall and see not an obstacle, but a problem. Men who find satisfaction in problems with definitive solutions. The wall comes down, or it does not. If it comes down, you advance. If it does not, you die. There are worse ways to think about a war.* --- ### Armoury Stratagems #### Combat Engineers *Specialist breacher squads equipped with melta-cutters, demolition charges, krak grenades, and portable siege shields.* All friendly Infantry units in the controlling player's army gain the following for the duration of the Battle: - When assaulting a **fortified position** (any unit inside a City Ruin with the Fortified Stratagem applied), models in the assaulting unit strike at **Initiative 10** in the first round of combat, representing the shock assault doctrine of breaching under fire. - Friendly Infantry units may attempt to remove an **Obstacle** terrain piece. At the end of any Movement Phase in which a model is in base contact with an Obstacle, roll a D6; on a 4+ the Obstacle is removed. - Smoke grenades: once per Battle, a friendly Infantry unit may use smoke grenades instead of shooting. That unit gains a 5+ Cover Save until the start of its next Shooting Phase, even in the open. #### Siege Shells *Modified ordnance rounds designed to crack ferrocrete and bring down load-bearing walls rather than simply kill infantry.* One friendly unit in the controlling player's army that is equipped with an **Ordnance (X) Blast (X)** weapon may upgrade its ammunition with Siege Shells for the Battle. When that unit fires, it may choose to fire Siege Shells instead of its normal ammunition, using the following profile in place of the weapon's standard profile: | Name | Range | Str | AP | Type | |---|---|---|---|---| | Siege Shell | As weapon | 10 | 1 | Ordnance 1, Blast (5") | When Siege Shells hit a City Ruin directly (the Blast Marker centres on the ruin's footprint), that ruin loses 1 Hull Point from its Structural Profile in addition to any wounds inflicted on units inside. #### Rappelling Lines *Grav-chutes, magnetic clamps, and military-grade abseiling rigs that allow warriors to descend from one level to another without using conventional access points.* Friendly Infantry units may move vertically within City Ruins without spending any Movement Characteristic on the vertical component. They may also move directly from one level of a City Ruin to a lower level of an adjacent City Ruin if the ruins are within 3" of each other horizontally, treating the gap as a move through open air. They must still have sufficient horizontal movement to do so, and must make a Dangerous Terrain Test when doing so. #### Wrecking Crew *Monstrous Creatures and Walkers fitted with pneumatic rams, wrecking claws or siege mauls, capable of breaching walls and pulling down supports.* All friendly models with the **Walker** Type or the **Monstrous Creature** Sub-Type gain the following ability: when such a model makes a Charge Move into base contact with a City Ruin wall (not entering through an access point), roll a D6. On a 3+, the model breaches the wall and is considered to have entered the ruin at ground level — no Difficult Terrain penalty applies for this move. On a 1–2, the model is halted at the wall and may not complete its Charge. If a model with this ability remains inside a City Ruin during its Shooting Phase and does not shoot, it may instead attack the ruin's structure: roll a D6; on a 4+, the ruin loses 1 Hull Point. --- --- > *"Drop pods are for the open field, where the enemy can see you coming and be afraid. In a city, you want to come from the last place they are looking. You want to come from the floor they are standing on. You want to come from the pipes beneath their feet."* > > *— Recovered vox-intercept attributed to VIIIth Legion Night Lords, Nostramo Compliance Archive* --- ### Deployment Stratagems #### Deep Strike *Teleportation homers, drop pods, grav-chutes and boarding torpedoes allow forces to be inserted directly into the urban warzone.* Friendly units that have the **Deep Strike** Special Rule may use it in this Mission. This functions as the standard Deep Strike rules. Units arriving by Deep Strike in a Hive War Battle scatter normally; if they scatter into a City Ruin, they land at ground level within the ruin's footprint. Units that do not normally have the Deep Strike Special Rule do not gain it from this Stratagem. #### Infiltrate *Scout elements, forward operatives or infiltrating specialists have already slipped through the enemy's lines before the main battle begins.* Friendly units that have the **Infiltrate** Special Rule may use it in this Mission. After all armies have been deployed in Step 9, these units may be redeployed to any location on the table that is more than 9" from any enemy model and not within the enemy Deployment Zone. #### Sewer Rats *Hardened veterans and specialists who know the underhive better than the enemy — or at least better enough to survive.* Before the Battle begins, the controlling player places D3+2 **Sewer Access Point Markers** anywhere on the table at ground level, each more than 6" from any other Sewer Access Point Marker and more than 6" from either Deployment Zone. These function identically to the Sewer Access Point Battlefield Asset. Friendly Infantry units in Reserve may deploy via these points. This Stratagem may be combined with the Sewer Access Point Battlefield Asset — the points from both sources are pooled. --- --- *The strategist's impulse is to bypass the city. Encircle it. Starve it. This is sound doctrine, and it is the doctrine that failed at Calth, at Isstvan, at a hundred burning worlds whose names the Remembrancers have not yet fully recorded.* *Cities resist encirclement. They have sewers and hidden caches and stubborn defenders who refuse to understand when they have lost. More than this: cities have meaning. To hold a city is to claim a symbol, and symbols are weapons in this war — perhaps the most decisive ones. Both sides know that the name of a city on a communiqué, the image of a banner above a ruined spire, is worth ten regiments of facts on a logistics table.* *This is why your warriors are in the ruins. This is why the ruins are worth fighting for.* --- ## Part VI — Hive War Missions All Hive War Missions use the following Mission Special Rules unless stated otherwise. These supplement (and in some cases replace) the standard Core Mission Special Rules. ### Hive War Mission Special Rules #### Hive War Stratagems Urban Stratagems are always in use. The number of Stratagems available is determined by the Density Level. #### Dusk & Dawn Roll a D6 after Deployment but before determining first Player Turn. On a 1, Night Fighting is in effect for Turn 1 only (dawn breaks at Turn 2). On a 6, Night Fighting begins at Turn 5 and remains for all subsequent turns. On 2–5, normal visibility throughout. During Night Fighting, Line of Sight through City Ruins is limited to 3" instead of 6". #### Seize the Initiative As per the standard Core Mission rules. #### Counter Offensive As per the standard Core Mission rules. #### Reserves As per the standard Core Mission rules, with the addition that units may enter from Sewer Access Point Markers if applicable. #### Sudden Death As per the standard Core Mission rules. #### Occupying a City Ruin A City Ruin is **Occupied** by a player when that player has at least one eligible unit with models inside the ruin's footprint and no enemy eligible units also have models inside it. An Occupied ruin may be scored as an Objective Marker for missions that require this, unless an enemy unit enters the ruin (at which point it is Contested). Contested ruins yield no Victory Points. Units that are Locked in Combat, Routed, Pinned, Stunned, or Suppressed do not count as Occupying a ruin for Victory Point purposes. Vehicles may not Occupy a ruin for Victory Point purposes. #### Dusk & Dawn Urban warfare often begins or ends in darkness, with the dense terrain reducing visibility to almost nothing. After Deployment but before determining who takes the first Player Turn, roll a D6: - On a **1**, the Battle begins before dawn. The Night Fighting rules (as per the Age of Darkness Rulebook) are in effect for Player Turn 1 only. At the start of Turn 2, dawn breaks. - On a **6**, the Battle begins at dusk. Night Fighting rules are in effect from Player Turn 5 onwards for the remainder of the Battle. - On any other result, the Battle takes place in normal visibility. If Night Fighting is in effect, all Line of Sight through City Ruins is limited to 3" rather than 6" for the duration of the Night Fighting condition. --- #### Tactical Statuses in City Ruins The following Tactical Status interactions are unique to Hive War: - A unit that gains the **Pinned** Tactical Status while inside a City Ruin may not move to a different level until it recovers, but may still fire Snap Shots. - A unit with the **Routed** Tactical Status inside a City Ruin must move toward the nearest table edge as normal, but may exit the ruin via the nearest opening rather than the nearest table edge exit. --- ### Mission 1: Street by Street > *"You do not take a city. You take a street. Then another street. Then the one after that, until there are no streets left to take — or no men left to take them."* > > *— Attributed to Captain-General Arvus Keld, IVth Auxilia Assault Cohort* *Both forces advance block by block, seeking to clear the enemy from as much of the city as possible before the other side can consolidate.* #### Objective Both forces attempt to Occupy as many City Ruins as possible. At the end of each Battle Turn after the first, the player Occupying the most City Ruins scores 1 Victory Point. In case of a tie, neither player scores. At the end of the Battle, the player who has Occupied the most City Ruins scores an additional 2 Victory Points. Additionally: Slay the Warlord (1), Last Man Standing (2). #### Set-Up 1. Roll off; winner chooses Deployment Zone using the Hammer and Anvil map. 2. Deploy forces as per standard rules: Troops, Heavy Support, Elites, HQ, Fast Attack. 3. No unit may be deployed within 12" of the centreline. #### Reserves Standard. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. Apply the Random Game Length rule at the end of Turn 4: roll a D6; on a 4+ play a fifth Turn. --- ### Mission 2: The Vital Ground > *There is always one structure that matters more than all the others. Both sides know which one it is. That is precisely why neither will ever agree to leave it.* *A single strategically vital ruin dominates the sector. Both forces have been ordered to hold it at any cost.* #### Objective The first City Ruin placed during terrain setup is the **Vital Ground**. At the end of each Battle Turn after the first, a player scores 2 Victory Points if they Occupy the Vital Ground. At the end of the Battle, a player scores an additional 3 Victory Points for Occupying it. Additionally: Slay the Warlord (1), First Strike (1). #### Set-Up 1. Roll off; winner chooses Deployment Zone using the Search and Destroy map. 2. Deploy forces: Troops, Heavy Support, Elites, HQ, Fast Attack. 3. No unit may be deployed within 12" of the Vital Ground at the start of the Battle. #### Reserves Standard. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. --- ### Mission 3: Total Domination > *Dominance through weight. Through will. Through the grinding arithmetic of a city cleared one room, one level, one ruin at a time — until there is nothing left for the enemy to stand in.* *Sheer weight of numbers and firepower must decide the issue. Take and hold every ruin, and drive the enemy from the city.* #### Objective At the end of the Battle, score 1 Victory Point for each City Ruin your army Occupies. Score an additional 2 Victory Points if you Occupy more than half of all City Ruins on the table. Score an additional 2 Victory Points if you Occupy more City Ruins than your opponent. Additionally: Slay the Warlord (1), Giant Killer (2), Last Man Standing (1). #### Set-Up 1. Roll off; winner chooses Deployment Zone using the Dawn of War map. 2. Deploy forces: Troops, Heavy Support, Elites, HQ, Fast Attack. #### Reserves Standard. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. Apply the Random Game Length rule at the end of Turn 4. --- ### Mission 4: Annihilation Protocol > *"There are engagements where the objective is not a building, not a flag, not a vox-relay. The objective is the destruction of the enemy force. The city is simply the vessel in which that destruction is contained."* > > *— IVth Legion Iron Warriors tactical briefing, classification redacted* *There is no time for subtlety. Destroy the enemy. Break their formations. Leave nothing standing.* #### Objective Victory Points are scored based on the destruction and degradation of enemy units, as follows: | Unit Condition at End of Game | Victory Points Awarded to Opponent | |---|---| | Infantry/Support unit at 50%+ Wounds remaining | 0 VP | | Infantry/Support unit below 50% Wounds remaining | ½ points value (round up) | | Infantry/Support unit Destroyed, Routed off table, or Falling Back | Full points value | | Vehicle: not Wrecked, Destroyed, or Immobilised | 0 VP | | Vehicle: Immobilised | ½ points value (round up) | | Vehicle: Wrecked or Destroyed | Full points value | | Independent Character/Warlord: Unwounded | 0 VP | | Independent Character/Warlord: Wounded | ½ points value (round up) | | Independent Character/Warlord: Removed as Casualty | Full points value | *Non-vehicle units that include multi-Wound models: count Wounds remaining, not models, to determine 50% threshold.* The player with the most Victory Points wins. In a tie, the player who destroyed the most enemy models wins. Additionally: First Strike (2), Giant Killer (2), Last Man Standing (1). #### Set-Up As Mission 3. #### Reserves Standard. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. --- ### Mission 5: Desperate Defence > *Somewhere in the ruins, a sergeant has stopped counting his dead. He has started counting his bolts.* > > *He has enough for three more engagements. After that, he will use his hands.* *One force holds a fortified position in the city while the other must break through. The attacker strikes fast; the defender fights for every metre.* This Mission uses the **Attacker/Defender** structure. Roll off; winner decides which role to take. #### Objective The Attacker must Occupy all City Ruins in the Defender's Deployment Zone by the end of the Battle. Score 1 Victory Point for each such ruin Occupied. If the Attacker Occupies all of them, score an additional 3 Victory Points. The Defender scores 1 Victory Point for each ruin in their Deployment Zone that the Attacker does not Occupy at the end of the Battle. Additionally: Slay the Warlord (1), First Strike (1). #### Set-Up 1. Use the Hammer and Anvil Deployment Map. 2. The Defender deploys first, entirely within their Deployment Zone. 3. The Defender may select the **Fortified Position** Key Building Stratagem free of charge and apply it to one City Ruin within their Deployment Zone, in addition to their normal Stratagem selections. This does not count toward their Stratagem allowance for the Density Level. 4. The Attacker deploys second within 12" of their own table edge. 5. The Attacker takes the first Player Turn. #### Reserves The Defender's reserves enter from their own table edge. The Attacker's reserves enter from their own table edge. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. Apply the Random Game Length rule at the end of Turn 4. --- --- > *Not every engagement is fought for territory. Some are fought for time. Some are fought for a single life. These are the moments that produce the stories that outlast the wars that produced them — told in mess halls and training yards for a century after the guns fall silent, if the guns ever fall silent.* --- ## Part VII — Special Missions ### Special Mission 1: The Gauntlet > *Some corridors have no cover and no alternatives. You move through them fast, or you do not move at all.* *The encircled force must break out through the cordon before it tightens. The surrounding force must prevent the breakout at all costs.* #### Attacker and Defender Roll off; winner decides which role to take. #### Objective The Attacker wins if they move half or more of their units off the table via the **Exit Point** by the end of the game. A destroyed or Routed unit does not count toward this total. The Defender wins if the Attacker fails. #### Set-Up 1. Use a long table edge for the Attacker's Entry Point and the opposite long table edge for the Exit Point. 2. The Defender sets up their entire army within 6" of either long table edge. All Fast Attack and Elite units are held in Reserve. 3. The Attacker sets up within 6" of their Entry edge, or holds units in Reserve. 4. The Attacker takes the first Player Turn. #### Reserves Attacker's Reserves enter from the Entry Edge. Defender's Reserves enter from a randomly determined long edge (roll D6: 1–3 Entry edge, 4–6 Exit edge). #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. Apply the Random Game Length rule. --- ### Special Mission 2: Assassination in the Ruins > *The target does not know his name is on a list. He will not know until the first shot. And if the shooter is any good — if the nest was prepared properly, if the rangefinder was zeroed the night before, if the spotter called the wind correctly — that will be the only shot he needs.* *A high-value target has been located within the warzone. A surgical strike force has been sent to eliminate them before they can escape.* #### Attacker and Defender Roll off; winner decides which role to take. #### Objective The Attacker must destroy the Defender's **Warlord** (High Command choice). If the Warlord is removed as a Casualty before the end of the Battle, the Attacker wins. If the Warlord survives, the Defender wins. Each Attacker unit Removed as a Casualty scores 1 Victory Point for the Defender. Each Defender unit Removed as a Casualty scores 1 Victory Point for the Attacker. These secondary Victory Points are used to determine the margin of victory. #### Force Organisation This Mission uses the **Hit and Fade** Force Organisation: | Role | Attacker | Defender | |---|---|---| | High Command | 1 (Compulsory) | 1 (Compulsory) | | Elites | 0–2 | 0–1 | | Fast Attack | 0–2 | 0–0 | | Troops | 0–1 | 0–6 | | Heavy Support | 0–0 | 0–2 | The Attacker's force is fast, surgical, and small. The Defender's force is heavier but must hold a position. #### Set-Up 1. Use the Search and Destroy Deployment Map. 2. The Defender deploys first, entirely within their Deployment Zone. 3. The Attacker deploys all Compulsory units beyond 12" of any table edge. All remaining units are held in Reserve. 4. The Attacker takes the first Player Turn. #### Reserves Attacker's Reserves enter from any table edge (declared when the unit arrives). Defender's Reserves enter from their own Deployment Zone edge. #### Game Length Four Battle Turns. Apply the Random Game Length rule. --- ## Appendix A — Quick Reference: Terrain in Hive War | Terrain Type | Infantry | Vehicles | Cover Save | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | City Ruin | Difficult Terrain; vertical movement costs Mv | Max 6" inside; Dangerous Terrain Test on entry; no vertical | 4+ | LOS max 6" through; multi-level; coherency 2"/3" | | Dangerous Ruin | Dangerous Terrain (DTT on every move in/out/within) | Dangerous Terrain; max 6" inside | 4+ | Created by Collapsed Sector Asset or Preliminary Bombardment | | Collapsed Ruin (Rubble) | Difficult Terrain | Dangerous Terrain (DTT) | 5+ | Created when a City Ruin collapses | | Intact Building | As per Building rules | As per Building rules | Per building profile | Standard HH3 Building rules apply | | Rubble | Difficult Terrain | Dangerous Terrain (DTT) | 5+ | Medium Area Terrain | | Obstacle (Barricade) | Difficult Terrain | No effect; barricade is removed if vehicle drives through | 4+ | Terrain Piece; LOS blocked within 1" | | Razor Wire | Difficult Terrain | No effect | None | Terrain Piece | | Tank Traps | No effect | Impassable | 5+ | Non-vehicle models sheltering behind gain 5+ cover | | Streets / Open | No effect | No effect | None | Open Terrain | *DTT = Dangerous Terrain Test (roll D6; on a 1, suffer 1 Wound/Hull Point, AP 2, Damage 1, no Armour or Cover Save)* --- ## Appendix B — Quick Reference: Hive War Battlefield Assets | Asset | Points | Who | Effect Summary | |---|---|---|---| | Vox Relay Station | 2 | Any | Command models within 6": friendly units within 12" re-roll Cool Checks | | Ammo Cache | 2 | Any | +1 Firepower (Str 5 or less weapons) once per battle; Explosive trait | | Structural Charges | 3 | Defender | Trigger collapse of designated ruin | | Automated Turret | 3 | Defender | BS3 heavy weapon in fixed 90° arc | | Sewer Access Point | 1 | Any | Reserves may enter via sewer markers | | Collapsed Sector | 1 | Any | Designate one ruin as Dangerous | | Sniper's Nest | 2 | Any | Sniper weapons ignore Cover; re-roll 1s vs open targets | | Vantage Point | 1 | Any | −1 to Cover Saves of lower-level targets | *Standard Battlefield Assets (Disruption Emitter, Minefields, Contingency Device, Forward Ammunition Drop, Strategic Cogitator Array) are also available.* --- ## Appendix C — Quick Reference: Urban Stratagems | Stratagem | Category | Effect Summary | |---|---|---| | Medicae Station | Key Building | Unit inside gains Feel No Pain (5+) for one turn | | Command Bunker | Key Building | Command model inside: re-roll Ld checks within 12"; boost one Secondary Objective | | Sacred Ground | Key Building | Unit inside: Stubborn + Fearless | | Fuel Depot | Key Building | +1 Strength to Template weapons within 6"; Explosive trait on ruin | | Observation Spire | Key Building | Top level: Night Vision + re-roll 1s vs open targets | | Power Node | Key Building | One Gets Hot weapon: ignore Gets Hot, +1 Firepower | | Fortified Position | Key Building | Assigned ruin: 3+ Cover, no charge Initiative bonus for attacker, Wrecking Crew needs 5+ | | Booby Traps | Dirty Tricks | D3+2 secret markers; D6 on 4+ = D3 Str5 AP4 Shred hits | | Demolition | Dirty Tricks | Designate enemy ruin; deal D3 Penetrating Hits on activation | | Master Snipers | Dirty Tricks | Sniper weapons: Ignore Cover vs City Ruins | | Preliminary Bombardment | Dirty Tricks | D3 ruins become Dangerous; each loses 1 Hull Point | | Combat Engineers | Armoury | Strike at I10 on breach assault; remove obstacles; smoke grenades | | Siege Shells | Armoury | One Ordnance unit: Str 10 AP1 Blast (5"), chips ruin Hull Points | | Rappelling Lines | Armoury | Infantry ignore vertical movement cost; can gap-jump between ruins | | Wrecking Crew | Armoury | Walkers/Monstrous Creatures breach walls; can damage ruin structure | | Deep Strike | Deployment | Eligible units may Deep Strike | | Infiltrate | Deployment | Eligible units may Infiltrate | | Sewer Rats | Deployment | D3+2 sewer markers; Infantry Reserves may deploy via them | --- --- > *"We will not remember the cities we burned. We will remember the men we lost in them."* > > *— Unknown, recovered from the wall of a command post, Caroun Secundus, authorship unattributed* --- ## Designer's Notes **On the integration of Battlefield Assets:** The decision to make Battlefield Assets mandatory in Hive War rather than optional was deliberate. In standard Age of Darkness play, Assets are an interesting but peripheral addition. In city fighting, the presence of pre-placed fortifications, automated defences, cached supplies, and structural hazards is not unusual — it is the defining characteristic of the environment. By anchoring the Stratagem concept (from Cities of Death) to the Asset system (from the Isstvan V rules), both systems gain coherence: Stratagems become the pre-battle preparation that defines the shape of the battlefield, while Assets represent the automated and persistent elements of that preparation. **On terrain density:** The Density Level system deliberately rewards players who commit to the urban aesthetic. An Inferno-level game on a 4'×4' table with eight or more City Ruins is a fundamentally different experience from a standard Age of Darkness game — movement is constrained, long-range weapons are less dominant, and close-assault units that would struggle in the open find new relevance. This is intentional. **On vehicle rules:** Vehicles are significantly hampered in Hive War. This is also intentional and reflects both the historical record of urban warfare and the spirit of the Cityfight and Cities of Death supplements. Players who wish to use Armoured forces in Hive War are encouraged to do so, but should expect to rely heavily on Infantry support and to lose vehicles that advance too aggressively without screening. **On lore and narrative:** The vignettes, quotes, and fictional fragments throughout this supplement are intended to evoke the specific horror of the Horus Heresy in the urban context — the reduction of cities to killing grounds, the populations caught between armies of demigods, the warriors who were brothers now killing each other in the bones of a civilisation they once built together. They are not intended as definitive canon, and deliberately leave the specific engagements, cities, and individuals unnamed or only loosely identified, so that players may set their games wherever in the Heresy they wish. They are impressions of a war too large for any single account to contain. **On City Ruin Hull Points:** The Structural Profile system (borrowed and adapted from the Cities of Death approach to building destruction) gives City Ruins a sense of physical substance without the full complexity of the Building rules. Ruins can be demolished by Siege Shells, Structural Charges, Wrecking Crew attacks, or sustained ordnance fire — all of which creates emergent tactical decisions about when to risk collapsing a ruin your own troops are holding.