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W elcome to Spearhead an exclusive newExpansion for Warhammer
40,000. Spearheadallows you to fight huge tank battles of the
41stMillennium, bringing the devastation wrought when twoarmoured
companies clash to your tabletop. Spearhead hasit all, from daring
flank attacks to brave armoured assaultsinto the heart of the enemy
battleline.
Armoured OnslaughtWhen opposing armoured columns clash, the
battles aredevastating and bloody. Such encounters are marked
bysquadrons of tanks, thunderous artillery support and sleekschools
of skimmers. Elite tank formations are deployed tospearhead the
attack. Waves of armoured vehicles unleashhell upon one another. In
the midst of this mechanisedmadness, troops dash for cover,
although it offers scantprotection against such an array of
prodigious firepower.
To an infantryman this is not a battlefield; it is aslaughtering
ground, little more than a killing field. Theysoon learn to fear
the grinding clank of metal tracks, thedeep thrumming of massed
grav-tanks, or the high-pitchedwhine of straining jetbike
engines.
Spearhead FormationsIn a Spearhead battle both players are
allowed to includespecial spearhead formations in their army. These
representadditional assets that are made available to lead the
attack.Sometimes they will be specially trained units drawn fromthe
armoury, or the most elite units handpicked to form aformidable new
regiment.
On occasion, even a battle-dominating super-heavytank is
released from reserve to front the offensive. Thesespearheads must
lead your armys armoured assaultthrough the seething cauldron of
blazing wrecks.
Prepare yourself, for no other style of warfare in the
41stMillennium can compare to the brutal devastation of a
full-scale armoured assault. Jervis Johnson presents a newExpansion
for Warhammer 40,000.
EXPANSION
TM
OFFICIAL
SPEARHEAD
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Tank Hunter Spearheads are made upof tanks crewed by proven
veteranswho know how to destroy thearmoured fighting vehicles of
theirenemy. They can be relied upon tocarry out their mission with
coldefficiency and deadly skill. Before thebattle begins the tank
crews willmemorise the details of every terrainfeature and ambush
site on thebattlefield, as well as the weak pointson the enemy
vehicles they are likelyto meet. Honed to perfection, readyto meet
any threat and ideally suitedto the task in hand, Tank
HunterSpearheads often display theirprowess through kill-rings,
enemy-slain tallies, or even the crude displaysof past victims.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank or Walker units.
SPECIAL RULESTank Hunter Crews: The tank crews that make upthis
spearhead are hardened veterans. Each vehiclecounts as having the
following universal special rule: Tank Hunters.
TANK HUNTER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
There are a wide range of spearheads to choose fromand every
army can take advantage of such formations in adifferent way. An
altered Force Organisation Chart allowsplayers to concentrate on
units that suit their objectives tank armies, wedges of monstrous
creatures or a force builtaround a Baneblade or Stompa. There are
endlesscombinations that you can include.
New Battles to FightSpearhead also uses a new set of missions.
What will strikemost players straight off is that Spearhead battles
are foughtdown the length of the table, with opposing sides
startingsome distance apart. This is very different to
thepurposefully claustrophobic standard missions in theWarhammer
40,000 rulebook, where the two sides startfairly close together.
The set-up used in Spearhead ensuresa different confrontation, one
that favours long-rangedfirepower and heavily armoured troops and
vehicles.
How this Expansion WorksSpearhead is a completely new Expansion
for Warhammer40,000. Youll find all the rules and scenarios
forSpearhead on the following pages, along with thespearhead
formations. You can also find a Spearhead battlereport in the White
Dwarf archive elsewhere on thiswebsite to show you what a Spearhead
battle looks like onthe tabletop. All of the other material that
you will need toplay is included in this PDF.
You can fight a Spearhead battle using your existingWarhammer
40,000 army, although spearhead formationsprovide a great excuse to
add new units and vehicles to
your army. All you need to do to get started is study therules,
read the battle report and youre ready to play. Sofire up your
engines, unleash your armoured spearheads,and prepare yourself for
the sheer carnage and ruin thatyou will see unfold!
SpearheadsSpearhead battles can include all manner of
additionalspearhead formations; from veteran tank crews who
havehoned their skills hunting enemy armour in countlessbattles to
daring pilots using dangerously experimentalweaponry to devastating
effect.
When you fight a Spearhead battle, each player isallowed to
include one spearhead of each type in his army.There are at least
18 different spearhead types, althougheach of these can be composed
in many different ways,leaving countless tactical possibilities.
Picking the rightspearhead formations to use, and deciding which
modelsto build them with, is important and worth careful thought.If
you favour aggressive units, then you may want toconsider
formations like an Armoured Spearhead or aSuper-heavy Spearhead.
If, on the other hand, you prefer toout-manoeuvre an enemy, then
the Mechanised AssaultSpearhead may be more your cup of tea. No
matter yourtactical preferences, there will be a spearhead to
suit.
The Spearhead Formation rules describe how to pickand use the
units in a spearhead, as well as rules (asexplained later) for
using them in the game, but anexample spearhead is shown below to
give you a taste ofwhat to expect. Youll find all 18 Spearhead
Formations inthe latter half of this document.
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0-2 HQ0-3 Elite 0-6 Troops
0-3 Fast Attack0-3 Heavy SupportAny number of spearheads
Up to onespearheadformation ofeach type.HQ ELITES
TROOPSTROOPS FAST ATTACK HEAVY SUPPORT
This means that your army could include: Your usual Warhammer
40,000 army.
Your usual Warhammer 40,000 army, plus one or more
spearheads!
Nothing but spearheads!
SPEARHEAD FORCE ORGANISATION CHART
ORGANISING A BATTLEThe following rules will take you through the
steps youneed to follow in order to set up a Spearhead game.
Inaddition it describes the special rules that apply inSpearhead
battles, and notes on how to set up the terrainand scenery for the
game.
1. Agree Points Limit and Choose ForcesIn a Spearhead battle you
agree points limits and chooseforces in a slightly different way
than you would whenfighting one of the missions described in the
Warhammer40,000 rulebook. We recommend that you set the pointsvalue
for your games rather higher than normal, at least500-1000 points
more, simply because all those extravehicles can soak up a lot of
points very quickly.
The Force Organisation Chart used for Spearhead isslightly
different to a standard mission from theWarhammer 40,000 rulebook.
As youll see in the chartbelow, there are no minimum requirements,
and you areallowed to include a spearhead formation of each type
inyour army. This opens up many new possibilities to
createformidable combinations.
SpearheadsAny number of spearhead formations may be included
ineach players army. A spearhead can be a single unit, orseveral
units grouped together to form a devastating attackgroup. A
spearhead represents powerful, specially trained,or veteran units
that have been made available for thebattle. How these units are
selected is explained in more
detail in the Spearhead Formation rules that can bedownloaded
from the website.
Each spearhead provides the extra rules, backgroundand
additional points value for the formation. Spearheadscan be used by
any army, but not every force will be ableto field every type of
spearhead. Most units in a spearheadare chosen from a Codex, but
sometimes they are super-heavy units, and in such cases the
information needed tofield the super-heavy unit can be found in
Apocalypse.Suffice it to say that the addition of a spearhead unit
or twoallows you to create an army that you couldnt field in
astandard game or a normal tournament battle, and theextra rules of
these formations will add to your enjoymentof the challenging new
scenarios.
To feel the thunder of munitions like thefury of the gods as the
ground tears apartaround you, that is to know true glory.Mark it
well.
Logan Grimnar, the Great Wolf
SPEARHEAD SET-UP1. Agree points limit & choose forces2.
Prepare the battlefield3. Select a mission4. Deploy forces5. Fight
the battle!
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INFANTRY? IN A TANK BATTLE?Astute army builders will notice two
things about theSpearhead Force Organisation Chart. First off,
somewill have recognised you can use your standard armyif you wish.
This means it is possible to fight Spearheadbattles straight away
with your standard Warhammer40,000 army. Secondly, players will
notice thatinfantry are still allowed in games of Spearhead.
Tanks,armoured vehicles, and mechanised infantry are at
anadvantage, however you can take as much infantry asyou like. You
may well find that some units of infantryare helpful in supporting
an armoured column,countercharging enemy units or bringing their
ownanti-tank weapons to bear. Effective support units canmean the
difference between victory and defeat.
THE BATTLEFIELD
Long table edge
Long table edge
2. Prepare the BattlefieldOnce your armies have been selected,
the battlefieldshould be set up using the guidelines found in
theOrganising a Battle section of the Warhammer 40,000rulebook. The
rules that follow assume that the battle willbe fought on a 6' by
4' gaming table, although larger orsmaller surfaces can be used too
if very large or very smallarmies are being used. The only thing to
watch out for isthat the gaming area is at least 5' long, as
otherwise theremay not be enough room to deploy the two armies.
Also, note that the table is divided in half along itswidth,
rather than its length, and that therefore the playerstable edges
that is the edge that new units enter from andunits retreat towards
are the narrow table edges in aSpearhead battle. Outflanking units
will arrive on the longtable edges rather than the narrow ones.
How much Terrain?Some of the most famous tank battles of the
41stMillennium have been fought across barren deathzoneswhere there
is little natural cover. Conversely, manyarmoured assaults have
been tasked with battling throughruined cities, heavily cratered
no-mans-land, and everytype of terrain known. Armour battles can
occur anywhereand there are no additional rules about how much
terrainyou should use.
This said, we've found that Spearhead battles benefitfrom using
slightly less terrain than usual. After all, youwant to leave
enough room for your tanks to manoeuvrethrough! Try grouping or
clustering terrain so there is agap of at least 12" and up to 24"
between terrain features,as this allows both cover and killing
zones for gamesfeaturing large numbers of vehicles. As the
gameprogresses, the chassis of wrecked tanks will provideadditional
cover. After youve fought a few battles, try arelatively barren
battlefield or a very densely packed onefor a new challenge.
Play
erA
sta
ble
edge
Play
erB
sta
ble
edge
A Blood Angels armouredassault encounters heavyresistance from
the Tyranids.
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3. Select a MissionWhen you are fighting a Spearhead battle you
use thefollowing missions rather than those found in theWarhammer
40,000 rulebook. There are three Spearheadmissions, and you and
your opponent can either agree onthe mission you will play, or roll
a D6 and consult thechart below.
Ending the GameA Spearhead battle lasts a random number of
turns, usingthe same method as for a standard mission. At the end
ofgame turn five, one of the players rolls a dice. On a 1-2 thegame
ends immediately, but on a roll of 3 or more anotherturn is played.
If the game carries on, roll the dice again atthe end of game turn
six. This time the game will continueon a roll of 4 or more, and
will end on a roll of 1-3. Thegame ends automatically at the end of
game turn seven.
As normal, as soon as the game ends and beforeworking out
victory conditions, all units that are fallingback are removed and
count as destroyed.
Scoring UnitsUnlike a standard Warhammer 40,000 mission, where
onlyTroops count as scoring units, in a Spearhead battle
thefollowing units are scoring units:
Any units from an armys Troops allowance. A unit ofTroops
embarked in a transport can control objectives(measure the distance
to their vehicles hull).
Any Tank or Walker units, no matter which section theywere
selected from. Even damaged or immobilisedTanks or Walkers count as
scoring units (althoughobviously destroyed ones do not!).
All spearhead units.
There are a few exceptions, where units that wouldotherwise
qualify do not count as scoring units:
If they have the Swarm special rule.
If they have a special rule specifying that they nevercount as
scoring units.
Wipeout!Regardless of the victory conditions, if you destroy
everysingle unit in the enemy army before the end of the game,then
you win the game!
D6 Roll Mission:1-2 Breakthrough3-4 Lightning War5-6 Vital
Ground
The full armoured mightof the Tau Empire isunleashed upon the
foe.
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BREAKTHROUGHAfter months of bloody fighting, the build up of
reservesis finally in place. Tanks and support vehicles havebeen
rushed to the front; commanders and officers havemade their plans
and delivered stirring speeches to theirtroops. The time has
finally come to smash the enemyaside and drive into the open ground
beyond! You mustcreate a hole through the enemys lines to open
acorridor that the rest of the army will pour through. Butbeware,
for the enemy is not ignorant of your gatheringforces and stands
ready to repulse you.
Victory ConditionsAt the end of the game, each player scores 1
victorypoint for each scoring unit that is at least partiallywithin
the enemys half of the table.
The player that has the highest total of victorypoints at the
end of the game wins. If the players havethe same total, the game
is a tactical draw.
VITAL GROUNDControlling the battlefield is important, but
aparticularly vital area, such as a supply dump or a fueldepot, is
the primary objective. Whoever gains controlof this vital target
will almost certainly win the battle.You must claim the vital
objective and deny the enemyall other tactical points on the
battlefield to securevictory. Only once the area is fully in your
control canthe next stage of the campaign begin.
Victory ConditionsBefore setting up their forces, the players
must set upthe objectives. These are split into two types: a
singlevital objective and 3 minor objectives. The winner of
aroll-off picks the vital objective, choosing a position inone half
of the table, marking it with a counter,nominating a terrain
feature detail, or any other methodthat is equally clear. The other
player then picks 3minor objectives in the other half of the table.
Allobjectives must be at ground level and none of theobjectives may
be in impassable terrain, within 12" ofanother objective, or within
6" of any table edge. Afterpositioning the objectives, deployment
of the forcesbegins, as described next.
Your super-heavy vehicles that are wrecked duringthe game become
an objective for your opponent.
At the end of the game you control an objective ifthere is at
least one of your scoring units, and noenemy unit (of any type,
scoring or not), within 3" of it.As objectives may vary in size and
shape it is importantto agree at the beginning of the battle
exactly wherethis distance will be measured from. A vital objective
isworth 3 points, and the minor objectives and wreckedsuper-heavy
vehicles 1 point each. The playercontrolling the most points worth
of objectives wins. Ifthe players have the same total, then game is
a tacticaldraw with no force gaining the upper hand.
LIGHTNING WARNothing short of an all-out attack will break
theenemys lines! Now is the time to strike hard and strikefast.
Whoever makes the opening move and executesthis action with a
decisive and paralysing blow willgain the advantage. To enact this
you must contain thefoes forces, while your own troops surge
forwards andoverrun the enemy positions. Steal a march on theenemy
for victory!
Victory ConditionsBefore setting up their forces, the players
must set upthree objectives. The winner of a roll-off places the
firstobjective, marking it with a counter, nominating aterrain
feature detail, or any other method that isequally clear. Players
take it in turn placing the nexttwo objectives. Objectives must be
placed at groundlevel and not in impassable terrain, or within 24"
ofanother objective. In addition, one objective must beplaced
within 18" of each table edge, and one objectivemust be placed
within 18" of the tables centre. Afterplacing the objectives,
deployment of the forces begins,as described in the next
section.
Your super-heavy vehicles that are wrecked duringthe game become
an objective for your opponent.
At the end of the game you control an objective ifthere is at
least one of your scoring units, and noenemy unit (of any type,
scoring or not), within 3" of it.As objectives may vary in size and
shape it is importantto agree at the beginning of the battle
exactly wherethis distance will be measured from.
The player controlling the most objectives at theend of the game
wins. If the players control the samenumber of objectives, the game
is a tactical draw.
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4. Deploy ForcesWith your armies selected, terrain set-up and
the missiondecided, it is time to deploy the armies taking part in
thebattle. Spearhead battles are always fought down thelength of
the table, although exactly how you deploy willdepend on the type
of battle being fought. You can eitheragree with your opponent what
type of deployment to use,or roll a D6 and consult the following
chart.
Infiltrators and ScoutsIn all three types of deployment, the
sequence is the same.First the players deploy their forces, apart
from units left inreserve or that choose to use their Infiltrate
special rule.Then they deploy their infiltrators, as described in
theWarhammer 40,000 special rules. Finally they move unitswith the
Scouts special rule. Units that enter play byoutflank do so by one
of the long table edges.
Multiple Unit ChoicesNote that occasionally a Codex will allow a
player toinclude several units in his army at the cost of a
singleforce organisation slot (such as dedicated transports).
Apartfrom counting as a single choice when selected, these
unitsoperate and count as separate units in all other respects.
Seize the Initiative!The defender (i.e. the player moving
second) may try toseize the initiative in a Spearhead battle in the
samemanner as in a standard mission. In order to do so, justbefore
the attacker (i.e. the player moving first) begins hisfirst turn,
the defender may roll a dice. On a roll of a 6, thedefender will go
first instead, immediately beginning hisfirst turn (and no, the
attacker cannot then try to seize theinitiative back again!).
In this case the enemy has obviously stolen a march onthe
attacker; after all, vehicles in the 41st Millennium canbe
unreliable and cantankerous if you dont apply thecorrect rites of
ignition!
A Note on SecrecyTo keep things fair you should always make
clear to youropponent which squads are embarked in which
transportvehicle. In addition, before starting to deploy their
armies,it is a good idea for the players to agree whether or
notthey can read each others force rosters before or duringthe
game, or only after the battle is finished. Some playersprefer full
disclosure (which is the norm in tournaments, forexample), as they
want to concentrate on outplaying theiropponent rather than winning
by springing a secret trumpcard on them. Others prefer to keep
things secret, asbluffing can add an enjoyable element to the game.
Justmake sure you agree before the game.
COUNTER-ATTACK One army has committed its forces to an all-out
attack.As they advance, they are spotted by the enemy,
whoimmediately launches a counter-attack.
The table is divided into two halves, by drawing animaginary
line through the middle of the long tableedges. The players
roll-off to decide who will be theattacker and who will be the
defender.
Both players may choose to place units that can DeepStrike and
any units transported in them in reserve. Upto half of any
remaining units (rounding up) may also beplaced in reserve if
desired. All other units must bedeployed on the battlefield.
The attacker then chooses one of the short table edgesto be his
own table edge. He deploys his army in awedge-shaped area, as shown
on the map to the right the tip of the wedge should be 9" away from
the centrepoint of the table (this is his deployment zone).
Thedefender then deploys in the opposite half of the table,as
shown.
If players have the Infiltrate or Scout special rule, theymay
deploy and/or move after other units havedeployed. Once deployment
is finished, the attackerstarts game turn 1 with his first player
turn.
9"
9"
Defender's deployment zone
Attacker's deployment zone
D6 Roll Deplyment type1-2 Counter-attack3-4 Cauldron5-6
Escalation
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CAULDRON Both sides have committed their forces to battle at
thesame time. The two armies crash into each other,turning the
battlefield into a swirling and extremelydeadly cauldron of
destruction.
The table is divided into two halves, by drawing animaginary
line through the middle of the long tableedges. For example, a 6'
by 4' table would have two 4'by 3' halves.
Both players may choose to place units that can DeepStrike and
any units transported in them in reserve. Upto half of any
remaining units (rounding up) may beplaced in reserve if desired.
All other units must bedeployed on the battlefield.
The players roll-off to decide who will be the attackerand who
will be the defender. The attacker thenchooses one of the short
table edges to be his own tableedge. He deploys his army in his
half of the table, morethan 18" away from the tables middle line
(this is hisdeployment zone). The defender then deploys in
theopposite half of the table.
If players have the Infiltrate or Scout special rule, theymay
deploy and/or move after other units havedeployed. Once deployment
is finished, the attackerstarts game turn 1 with his first player
turn.
ESCALATIONWhat starts out as a small local fight between
frontlinetroops quickly escalates into a full-scale onslaught
asboth sides feed more and more reserves into the battle.
The table is divided into two halves, by drawing a linethrough
the middle of the long table edges.
The players roll-off to decide who will be the attackerand who
will be the defender. The attacker thenchooses one of the short
table edges to be his own tableedge. He deploys his army in his
half of the table, morethan 9" away from the tables middle line
(this is hisdeployment zone). The defender then deploys in
theopposite half of the table in a similar manner.
Both players must deploy either one spearhead or
threenon-spearhead units on the battlefield. All remainingunits
must be placed in reserve. If for any reason aplayer does not have
enough units, then he must deployas many units as he has available.
Units that caninfiltrate, can do so, as long as at the end of
deploymentthe player still has a maximum of one spearhead orthree
non-spearhead units.
Once deployment is finished, the attacker starts gameturn 1 with
his first player turn. Defender's deployment zone
Attacker's deployment zone
9"
9"
Defender's deployment zone
Attacker's deployment zone
18"
18"
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SELECTING A SPEARHEADWhen you fight a Spearhead battle, each
player isallowed to include one spearhead of each type in hisarmy.
Simply look through the spearheads on thefollowing pages and pick
which ones you will use.
There are 18 different spearhead types, although eachof these
can be composed in many different waysleaving countless tactical
possibilities. Picking the rightspearheads to use, and deciding
which models to buildthem with is important and worth careful
thought. Ifyou are an aggressive player, then you may want
toconsider formations like a Super-heavy Spearhead. If,on the other
hand, you prefer to out-manoeuvre anenemy, then the Mechanised
Assault Spearhead may bemore your cup of tea, and so on.
CHOOSING UNITSOnce youve selected the spearheads you will use,
youcan then pick the specific units that make them up.Each
spearhead lists what type of units you can pick in general you will
select the units from a Codex, butsome will allow you to pick from
other sources.
Unless stated otherwise, all of the units in a spearheadmust be
chosen from the same entry in the army list,though they may take
different options and upgrades.Remember that even though normally
an entry allowsyou to buy a single vehicle, in some army lists an
entrywill allow you to buy an entire squadron of vehicles!
When selected as part of a spearhead, dedicatedtransports count
as Heavy Support units instead, andtherefore are selected without a
transported unit.
The units in a spearhead do not come for free youmust still pay
the points for the units in the spearheadfrom the points allocation
you have agreed with youopponent. So, if you were playing a
2000-pointSpearhead battle, then the points for the spearheadunits
you use in your army would count towards thetotal points value of
your army.
In addition, most spearhead formations have anadditional cost,
that covers the special rules associatedwith the spearhead.
Note that you dont have to take any spearhead unitsat all if you
dont want to. However, as spearhead unitscan eat up your points
allocation quite quickly, if youare going to take any, it is a good
idea to select theseimportant formations first.
We have found playing our regular sized armies andtopping them
up with a spearhead or two is a goodway to get started. We usually
allow an extra 500 to a1000 points for spearhead units, and use
these to topup a standard army to a total of 2000 points or
so.However, it is also great fun to play a larger game withseveral
spearheads on both sides.
SPECIAL RULESEach spearhead includes one or more special rules
thatare listed on the spearhead datasheets. In addition,
thefollowing special rules also apply. Unless notedotherwise, these
rules apply only to the units that makeup the spearhead.
THE SPEARHEAD RULESpearheads are either specially trained units
or eliteveterans that know how to act in unison and provideeach
other with covering fire. To represent this, units ina spearhead
benefit from the following special'Spearhead rule' when they are
within 4" of anotherunit from the same spearhead at the start of
theShooting phase:
Vehicles other than Walkers, that are moving at up tocruising
speed, can fire one more weapon than wouldnormally be permitted. In
addition, this weapon can befired at a different target unit to any
other weapons,subject to the normal rules for Shooting. Note
thatvehicles which are moving flat out may not takeadvantage of
this rule.
Walkers and Monstrous Creatures may fire oneweapon after they
run. Note that they may not shootand then run, they must always run
first.
DEPLOYING SPEARHEADSEach spearhead counts as a single unit for
the purposesof deployment and arriving from reserve, unless
notedotherwise in its entry. This means that all units in
thespearhead must either be deployed on the battlefield,or held in
reserve, and that when rolling for the arrivalof reserves a single
dice roll is made for the wholespearhead. In effect, all of the
models in the spearhead(apart from casualties) must either be on
the table oroff it.
SPEARHEAD FORMATIONS
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Description: An explanation of what is in thespearhead and how
it is used.
Picture: A illustration of what a spearheadof this type might
look like in battle.
Points Cost: In addition to the points cost of themodels in the
spearhead, there is often an extracost you must pay to use the
formation.
Special Rules: There may be special rules thatapply to all of
the units in the spearhead. These arein addition to the usual
special rules that mayapply to any of its units.
Spearhead Units: This states the number and typeof units that
make up the spearhead, and wherethey are chosen from. All units
must be chosenfrom the same Codex as the rest of the army,unless
stated specifically otherwise. Any optionsnormally allowed may be
chosen at the usualpoints cost.
Fire at the lead tank of an enemycolumn if you want to blockade
theirmovement. Fire at the rearmost vehicles todeny the enemy cover
from the wreckageof the vehicles you destroy.
Tactica Imperium
An Armoured Spearhead is made up ofarmoured vehicles that have
been fittedwith extra protection. These metalbehemoths are almost
invulnerable tosmall arms fire, and even heavy weaponscan have a
difficult time affecting them.Armoured Spearheads are trained
towork as a team, mutually supportingeach other in case any member
is hit. Asthey lumber towards the enemy theirpowerful weapons will
lay down awithering hail of fire on any enemytroops that they see.
ArmouredSpearheads are often used to lead theattack, soaking up
firepower so the restof the assaulting force can advancebehind
their defensive shield.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank units.
SPECIAL RULESArmoured Behemoths: The armoured vehicles used
tospearhead an assault will be fitted with extra protection
andreinforced internal armour. This provides all of the vehicles in
theArmoured Spearhead with a 5+ invulnerable save.
ARMOURED SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
Type: Remember, you can only haveone spearhead per type in your
army.
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An Armoured Spearhead is made up ofarmoured vehicles that have
beenfitted with extra protection. Thesemetal behemoths are
almostinvulnerable to small-arms fire, andeven heavy weapons can
have adifficult time damaging them.Armoured Spearheads are trained
towork as a team, mutually supportingeach other in case any member
is hit.As they lumber towards the enemytheir powerful weapons will
lay down awithering hail of fire on any enemytroops that they see.
ArmouredSpearheads are often used to lead theattack, soaking up
firepower so the restof the assaulting force can advancebehind
their defensive shield.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank units.
SPECIAL RULESArmoured Behemoths: The armoured vehicles used
tospearhead an assault will be fitted with extra protection
andreinforced internal armour. This provides all of the vehicles in
theArmoured Spearhead with a 5+ invulnerable save.
ARMOURED SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
An Ambush Spearhead is set up in ahidden position where it
cannot be seenby the enemy. The vehicles that make upthe spearhead
will be moved intoposition under cover of night, or whilethe enemy
is occupied by a raid orspoiling attack designed to distract
theirattention. Once in position the vehiclesand their crews will
remain hidden, notmaking a sound or doing anything thatwill attract
the enemy's attention. Then,when the appropriate time
finallyarrives, the hidden units will revealthemselves, pouring
devastating volleysof fire into the unsuspecting foe.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank or Walker units. Units with atransport
capacity may not be selected.
SPECIAL RULESAmbush: The vehicles that make up this spearhead
have beendeployed in carefully hidden positions and expertly
camouflaged.Each vehicle has the Stealth* and Infiltrate universal
special rules,but may not be placed in reserve.
* The vehicles are not actually stealthy, of course. Rather this
rulerepresents their ability to make the maximum use of cover.
AMBUSH SPEARHEAD POINTS: 75 + UNITS
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A Mechanised Assault Spearhead ismade up of lightly equipped,
fast-moving troops. They will makemaximum use of their speed to
closequickly with the enemy, trusting to thesuddenness of their
attack and theirmanoeuvrability to avoid damage. Onceamongst the
foe they will cause as muchdamage and confusion as possible,
tyingup the enemy with hit and run attacks,and buying the rest of
the assaultingforce valuable time. As the enemystruggles to deal
with their elusiveassailants, they will suddenly findthemselves
beset by the rest of theattacking army.
SPEARHEADUp to three vehicle units with a transport capacity.For
each vehicle taken, you must take one unit ofany type, from one or
more entries in the armylist, that can transported in the
vehicle.
SPECIAL RULESFlank Attack: All of the units in the Mechanised
AssaultSpearhead must be mounted in their transports and placed
inreserve. However, they will always arrive in their sides first
turn (noroll is necessary), in the same manner as an outflanking
unit. Rollonly once to see which table edge the spearhead arrives
on; allunits in the spearhead will arrive on this edge.
MECHANISED ASSAULT SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
Tank Hunter Spearheads are made up oftanks crewed by proven
veterans whoknow how to destroy the armouredfighting vehicles of
their enemy. Theycan be relied upon to carry out theirmission with
cold efficiency and deadlyskill. Before the battle begins the
tankcrews will memorise the details of everyterrain feature and
ambush site on thebattlefield, as well as every weakpointon the
enemy vehicles they are likely tomeet. Honed to perfection, ready
tomeet any threat, and ideally suited tothe task in hand, Tank
HunterSpearheads often display their prowessthrough kill-rings,
enemy-slain tallies, oreven the crude displays of past victims.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank or Walker units.
SPECIAL RULESTank-Hunter Crews: The tank crews that make up this
spearheadare hardened veterans. Each vehicle counts as having the
followinguniversal special rules: Tank Hunters.
TANK HUNTER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
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The troops gathered together for anassault will sometimes
include new orextremely rare types of armouredvehicles. These
vehicles will have beenfitted with ancient technology fromforbidden
worlds, and will carryimproved guns or perhaps stores of rarebut
powerful ammunition. Vehiclesassociated with the Chaos powers
mightnot have technical upgrades, but insteadsorcerous ones.
Regardless of the sourceof this extra firepower, the
ArcheotechSpearhead can lay down hellish swathesof lethal
gunfire.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank or Walker units.
SPECIAL RULESExperimental Upgrades: All the weapons fitted to
the vehiclesin the spearhead receive a +1 Strength modifier (up to
amaximum of 10). A single D6 must be rolled after the vehicle
firesits weapons in the Shooting phase. On a roll of 1 the
vehiclesuffers a penetrating hit, on a 2 the vehicle suffers a
glancing hit,and on a 3-6 nothing happens. Do not make this roll if
the vehicledoes not shoot.
ARCHEOTECH SPEARHEAD POINTS: 30 + UNITS
An Outrider Spearhead is formed whenthe survival of a tank
necessitates thatescort vehicles guard its flanks. Theseoutriders
are usually less heavilyarmoured but more manoeuvrable thantheir
Spearhead Leader. Outriders aretasked with the protection of
theircharge no matter the cost, and thereinevitably comes a time
when there isnttime for escort vehicles to bring theirfirepower to
bear. In these occasions theonly course left to the outriders is
tointerpose themselves between anenemys guns and their target,
trustingthat their sacrifice is not in vain.
SPEARHEADTwo or three Tank, Skimmer or Walker units. Oneunit
(the Spearhead Leader) must be chosen from adifferent army list
entry to the others.
SPECIAL RULESProtection Duty: Each time the Spearhead Leader
suffers apenetrating or glancing hit caused by an enemy shooting
attack,and after any cover saves have been taken, you can choose
tointercept the attack with any of the spearheads other vehicles
thatare within 4". If you choose to do so, the damage is
resolvedagainst the nominated vehicle instead of the original
targetregardless of any different armour values, facings, cover
etc.
OUTRIDER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
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True master pilots of skimmer craft knowhow to push, twist, and
get maximumthrust and lift out of their anti-graviticengines.
Through expert timing and deftmanoeuvre, such a pilot can bounce
hiscraft high in the air on a powerfulairburst often straight into
cloud cover,allowing him to then come screamingdownwards and arrive
at his objectivestraight from the heavens! When such adevastating
force lands unexpectedamidst the foes positions, it candevastate
vulnerable side or rear armour,disrupt enemy battle plans, drop
offclose-ranged assault troops andgenerally wreak havoc.
SPEARHEADUp to three Skimmer units. SPECIAL RULES
Rapid Descent: All units in a Skyfall Spearhead must be held
inreserve. All gain Deep Strike if they do not already have it. On
theturn they arrive only roll for scatter for the first vehicle to
bedeployed; any other vehicles in the spearhead are placed within4"
of a vehicle that has already been deployed and will notscatter. In
addition, shooting attacks made by the vehicles on theturn they
Deep Strike have the pinning characteristic and arealways resolved
against a vehicles side armour.
SKYFALL SPEARHEAD POINTS: 45 + UNITS
Some armies include terrifying monstersthat are twice or more
the height of anormal warrior, and which can cleavethrough the
armour of the most heavilyprotected tank with ease. They areusually
only encountered in smallnumbers, but when an army makes anall-out
assault these monstrous creaturescan gather in great swarms.
Surgingahead, they will lead the lesser creaturesin the army
towards the enemy,shrugging off damage that woulddestroy a battle
tank, slaughtering orsmashing aside anyone or anything thatgets in
their way.
SPEARHEADUp to six units with the monstrous creature unittype.
HQ units may not be selected.
SPECIAL RULESOn the Rampage: The monstrous creatures that make
up thespearhead have the following universal special rules
(assuming theydont have them already, of course): Counter-attack,
Fleet (cannotbe combined with flying creatures), Furious Charge,
Rage.
MONSTROUS SPEARHEAD POINTS: 60 + UNITS
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Some armies have little choice but to pita horde of lightly
armed troops againstthe armoured onslaught of their foes.Although
there is little chance forsurvival in such a contest, if gathered
inenough numbers they can get closeenough to overwhelm the enemy.
Whenthe time for the assault arrives, themassed formations rise up
and advance.Enemy fire will tear them apart, leavinggaping holes.
They may falter, but theenemy will have to kill every last one
ofthem before they give up. If the infantryfinally get to charge
they will releasetheir pent-up fury at the foe!
SPEARHEADUp to six non-vehicle units chosen from the
Troopssection of the army list.
SPECIAL RULESThermite Bombs: All of the models in the units that
make up thespearhead are armed with special assault weapons for use
againstvehicles. These counts as krak grenades with a Strength of
7. Inaddition the units have the Preferred Enemy: Monstrous
Creaturesspecial rule.
The Final Push: Hate-filled propoganda, stimulants, alien
fervour,or sheer hatred means that all units in the spearhead can
test toregroup regardless of any normal restrictions.
MASS ATTACK SPEARHEAD POINTS: 90 + UNITS
The vehicles that make up a CrusherSpearhead are heavily
modified so thatthey can literally crush the enemy.Strong internal
supports are added tothe vehicle in order to make it morerobust,
and additional armour platingand crash bars are added to the front
toabsorb the impact as it smashes intoenemy vehicles and troops.
Finally theengine is upgraded and fuel injectionsystems added so
the much heaviervehicle can be driven pell-mell towardsthe foe. At
the start of the battle thevehicles in the Crusher Spearhead
starttheir engines and surge towards theenemy lines with only one
aim in mind:to smash the foe to pieces and grindthem to dust under
their tracks.
SPEARHEADUp to three Tank units. Skimmers may not
beselected.
SPECIAL RULESRamming Speed!: The Tanks that make up this
spearhead countas having a frontal armour value of 15 when they ram
anothervehicle. Enemy units that are tank shocked by vehicles from
thisspearhead suffer a -1 Leadership modifier.
CRUSHER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 15 + UNITS
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Sometimes it is reasoned that if you canstrike hard and fast
enough and land asingle determined blow, the enemy, nomatter how
powerful, will be sentreeling into defeat. That is the battletheory
exploited at rapid breakneckspeed by the Seek & Destroy
Spearhead.Such spearheads are made up of veryfast-moving vehicles
such as skimmers,bikes or jetbikes. Enemy commanderswill struggle
to maintain theircomposure as waves of fast movingattackers rocket
across the battlefield,all the while laying down a witheringhail of
fire.
SPEARHEADUp to three units of Fast Skimmers, Jetbikes or
Bikes.
SPECIAL RULESLightning Strike: Once per game, all models in the
Seek & DestroySpearhead can move flat out or use Turbo-boosters
and can shootas if they had moved at combat speed or not
Turbo-boosted.
SEEK & DESTROY SPEARHEAD POINTS: 50 + UNITS
A Linebreaker Spearhead specializes indestroying enemy
fortifications,especially in built up areas. It is capableof
smashing through defence lines,blasting apart bastions, levelling
cityblocks, and reducing defenders toliquefied remains with casual
ease. Therole of a Linebreaker Spearhead is toengage the enemy
where it is strongest,clearing paths for other formations
topenetrate the enemy lines. All of thevehicles concentrate their
fire on asingle point, destroying it utterly.
SPEARHEADThree Tank units chosen from any section of thearmy
list. All of the vehicles must either have anordnance weapon, or a
weapon with Blast and aStrength of 7+
SPECIAL RULESCombined Fire: As long as there are three vehicles
remaining in thespearhead, they may combine their fire. Resolve the
shots as asingle strength 10, AP2, Ordnance shot, using the 10"
ApocalypticBlast marker, if the hole in the centre of the blast
marker lands overa terrain feature it is destroyed on a roll of 4+
(replace it withsuitable debris). Models in the destroyed feature
suffer 1 wound ona roll of 4+ (saving throws allowed) and each unit
must take apinning test. Vehicles suffer a glancing hit.
LINEBREAKER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 50 + UNITS
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A Rapid Assault Spearhead is made upentirely of fast-moving
infantry. Theyrely on a swift approach to surprise theenemy, moving
quickly and quietly intotheir attack positions before
surgingforward to assault the foe. More oftenthan not the first
thing their victims willknow of the attack will be when theRapid
Assault Spearhead unleashes itsprimary volley of shots. The
spearheadwill then fall upon the enemy, andsupporting formations
will advance fromhidden reserve positions to complete the rout.
SPEARHEADUp to six non-vehicle units chosen from the
Troopssection of the army list. All models must have theFleet
special rule.
SPECIAL RULESRapid Assault: The player that takes this spearhead
must deploy allof the units from the spearhead on the table. All
other units mustbe placed in reserve, even if this means that more
than half of theunits in the army are in reserve for certain
missions.
Surprise Attack: Enemy units must first pass a Leadership test
inorder to move, go to ground, shoot or assault in the first turn.
Testbefore carrying out each action. If the test is failed the
action maynot be carried out.
RAPID ASSAULT SPEARHEAD POINTS: 25 + UNITS
Sometimes the best form of attack is asolid defence. A
Strongpoint Spearheadconsists of a series of bastions anddefence
lines that have either been builtspecifically for the purpose, or
capturedfrom the enemy. These will be used asan impregnable bulwark
against whichattacking enemy formations can bebroken and scattered.
Once the enemyhas wasted their strength in futileattacks, fresh
formations will be fed intothe battle, first stopping the enemy
intheir tracks and then turning theirattack into a headlong
retreat.
SPEARHEADOne Strongpoint.
Note that you need the Planetstrike Expansion touse this
Spearhead.
SPECIAL RULESStrongpoint: The Strongpoint consists of two
bastions, defencelines, and five interceptor guns. See the rules
for bastions, defencelines and interceptor guns in the Planetstrike
Expansion. The playerthat took this spearhead must set up the
Strongpoint terrain pieceswherever he likes on the table, before
either army deploys. TheStrongpoint does not count as the single
spearhead you may deployin the Escalation scenario (i.e. you can
still deploy it along with oneother Spearhead).
STRONGPOINT SPEARHEAD POINTS: 100
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Skimmer transport vehicles can usetheir flight capabilities to
launch alightning fast assault. Before thebattle begins they will
fly highabove the combat zone. Once theenemy are engaged they
swoopdown from the skies, tradingaltitude to build up speed until
theyare hurtling along in a screamingdive. Their velocity hurls
themswiftly across the battlefield anddeep into the enemy lines,
fromwhere the troops carried in theskimmers can swiftly disembark
andlaunch a murderous close-rangeassault upon the foe.
SPEARHEADUp to three skimmer units with a transport capacity.For
each vehicle taken, you must also take one unitof any type, that is
from the same army list and canbe transported in the vehicle.
SPECIAL RULESSkystorm Assault: All of the units in the Skystorm
Spearheadmust be mounted in their transports and placed in reserve.
Onthe turn they enter play they must make a special Skystorm
moveinstead of moving normally. A Skystorm move can be up to 36"and
the transports may fire one weapon in the Shooting phase.At the end
of the move any transported units must disembark,and can launch an
assault in the turn they do so.
SKYSTORM SPEARHEAD POINTS: 45 + UNITS
A Destroyer Spearhead is used tocrush the enemy through
sheerweight of fire. It will be made up ofthe units in the army
that have themost devastating weaponry. As therest of the assault
force advances toengage the foe, these units will coverthe attack
by laying down a storm ofheavy weapons fire. Enemy units thatare
not destroyed outright will beforced to take cover or fall back
inthe face of this onslaught. Once anyobjectives have been
captured, theunits in the Destroyer Spearhead willmove forward to
help protect themfrom counter-attack.
SPEARHEADUp to three units (of any type) chosen from the Heavy
Support section of the army list.
SPECIAL RULESPreparatory Barrage: The units in a Destroyer
Spearhead areallowed to fire all of their weapons before the battle
starts. Thistakes place after both sides have completely deployed
and madeany pre-battle moves (for Scouts or Infiltrators, etc). If
both sideshave Destroyer Spearheads, then the player moving first,
goesfirst. The shooting attacks are carried out in exactly the
samemanner as a shooting attack in the Shooting phase.
DESTROYER SPEARHEAD POINTS: 75 + UNITS
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20 WHITE DWARF BATTLE REPORT
Super-heavy vehicles such as the ImperialBaneblade or Ork Stompa
are amongstthe most deadly combatants on thebattlefields of the
41st Millennium. Justone of them can dominate a
battlefield.Although incredibly rare, their presencecan
single-handedly spell the differencebetween victory or defeat.
Because oftheir might and nigh-on invulnerability,super-heavies are
often used tospearhead an assault. Protected byincredibly thick
armour, they shrug offeven heavy weaponry, and they arearmed with
batteries of guns that canlevel a city block and destroy
entireswathes of enemy troops.
SPEARHEADOne super-heavy vehicle chosen from anyApocalypse
datasheet aligned with your race.
Note that you need the Apocalypse Expansion inorder to use this
spearhead.
SPECIAL RULESSuper-Heavy Vehicle: See the rules for super-heavy
vehicles in theApocalypse Expansion.
Large Target: Unless the super-heavy vehicle is placed in
reserve, itwill suffer one penetrating hit before the battle
starts. Thisrepresents enemy weapon strikes on the vehicle before
the mainbattle begins. The damage is resolved at the start of the
first game turn.
SUPER-HEAVY SPEARHEAD POINTS: COST OF UNIT
Some armies are accompanied intobattle by gargantuan living
creatures,every bit as huge as the super-heavyvehicles used by
other armies. Thesecreatures are so large that they can levelentire
buildings, crush armoured vehiclesunderfoot, smash skimmers out of
theair, and annihilate entire companies ofsmaller creatures.
Although usually heldback so they are available for extremelylarge
battles, when in dire need acommander can call on one of
thesebehemoths to spearhead a vital attack.
SPEARHEADUp to one Gargantuan Creature chosen from anyApocalypse
datasheet.
Note that you need the Apocalypse Expansion touse this
Spearhead.
SPECIAL RULESGargantuan Creature: See the rules for Gargantuan
Creatures inthe Apocalypse Expansion.
Large Target: Unless the Gargantuan Creature is placed in
reserveit will suffer D3 wounds before the battle starts, with no
saves ofany kind allowed. This represents enemy weapon strikes on
thecreature before the battle starts. The damage is applied at the
startof the first game turn.
GARGANTUAN SPEARHEAD POINTS: COST OF UNIT