Warhammer 40k House Rules

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For those that don't know, House Rules are tweaks to a game system that (hopefully) rebalance the game in question in a positive way. Below are some minor tweaks to the core system without creating (currently) known imbalances or unfair advantages after extended play testing. If you add to this page, please limit the rule changes to minor tweaks you have personally tested and simply add your own rule, try not to modify someone else's. This is not the place to debate the results of these house rules, merely to list the ones your group uses. If you don't like them, these are house rules. Don't use them.

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• mealstorm objectives- To negate the unfair randomness of them . They can be generated before the game, and be achievable for both players.

They can be generated like this Turn 1 player A 2 objectives come available ( for example 23 & 12) Turn 1 player b 2 objectives come available ( for example 61 & 16) Turn 2 player A 2 objectives come available ( for example 55 & 34) Turn 2 player b 2 objectives come available ( for example 21 & 42) etc. Just lay the cards orderly at one side of the board. So that each player knows from what moment each objective is scorable. The player who scores the card picks it up.

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• The Assault Phase- If you finish the phase by either causing a unit to retreat or a sweeping advance and your consolidation would put you into base contact with another enemy unit, you may make a disordered charge into the enemy unit. (Not as strong as you may think)

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• Deep Strike/Outflank/Reserves- Instead of the standard disembark/shoot, allow a single "phase". The unit may move, shoot, OR assault (with a disordered charge though). Through playtesting, it was found this made assault units much more effective for their point cost and much more balanced for 6E's heavy emphasis on shooting.

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• Shooting into Assault - A nice counterpoint that just makes sense. Think 'nids, orks, tau (greater good), or even the Imperium would care about a little friendly fire?
  • Variant 1) All shots that miss the enemy unit will instead hit your own units. Twin-linked weapons will still hit your own unit on the failed hit (can hit your own unit twice for double fail). You must pass a leadership check in order to fire into an assault.
  • Variant 2) Only 1s will hit your own, no blast weapons. Otherwise most low BS troops ('nids, orks, and Guard, ie the ones who would do this) will end up hitting mostly their own.
  • Variant 3) Enemy units take special 5+ save immediately after resolving hit (before to-wound rolls) - for each successful save hit is redirected to your models.
    • Additionally you can add modifiers according majority model size difference:
      • Normal - 1
      • Bulky - 2
      • Very bulky - 3
      • Extremely bulky/walker - 4

So for example if a bunch of ork boyz (normalsize) get in a fight with terminators (bulky), terminators would get only 6+ save whet get shot in melee, while orks would get 4+.

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• Random Generation- One of the more odd changes in 6E was the random generation of psychic powers and warlord traits. It doesn't support the narrative play style conducive to an entertaining game.
  • Variant 1)For psychic powers, choose a single discipline. You know all the powers but can only use as many as your warp charges allow. For warlord traits, choose one from your army's codex or the main rulebook. This will hopefully re-introduce a bit of flavor into your armies.
  • Variant 2) Roll the D6 first, then choose the table. Since there are 3 tables in the BRB you can choose from 3-4 different traits where some will always help you instead of having a single bad roll that screws with your plans. It's less random but still random enough for a tabletop wargame. Not very narrative though.
  • Variant 3) Use universal upgrades
    • Preset warlord trait: 25 pts
    • Choose warlod trait before deployment: 40 pts
    • Preset psy powers: 10 pts +5 for each mastery level
    • Chose psy powers before deployment: 20 pts +10 for each mastery level
    • One extra power: 5 pts
    • Other random pre-game rolled shit (Sceraz upgrades, Penal legion, Deamonic gifts) - +1 for each 10 points of affected unit cost, or for each 5 pts if the chart have a "bad" results.

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• Flying Units- 5th Edition flyers are too efficient because they were designed as skimmers and thus cost less points than they should. However, this house rule will hopefully be obsolete soon because GW is "rapidly" cranking out new codices and will hopefully balance 'Dettas and Cron Air. (Who are we kidding?)
  • Variant 1) Snap shots are no longer required to hit airborne units. All other abilities are unchanged. Aircraft don't travel anywhere near the speed of a ballistic projectile. Consider this, they are Razorbacks with upgraded weaponry and a 50% chance to negate damage.
  • Variant 2) Snap shots fired at flyers get BS 2 instead of BS 1.
  • Variant 3) But blast weapons are still allowed to hit them able they much always scatter, flame templates still never hit. Units with jump packs may assault flayers, able if they use there jump packs during assault, however they hit no better than 5+ and count as charging through a dangerous terrain (as you're trying to hit an object moving 400+ mph with a sword). Flayers and flying monstrous creature that vector strike count as hovering (ie no snap shoot for you) since they're moving so close to the ground.

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• Cover- Counts as a non-save similar to Feel No Pain. You can roll your cover save, followed by your armor/invulnerable, followed by Feel No Pain. Cover can also be destroyed as per the rulebook (Building Damage).

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Codex Specific

Tau

• Riptide- Limited to one per FOC.
  • Limited to one per thousand points.
• Hammerhead- Limited to one per FOC (Stupidly OP against vehicles).
  • None below 1000 points because they are OP.
• Supporting Fire- Can only be done at BS1, twin linked has no effect, units can't do this more than once a turn.

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Eldar

• D weapons-Eldar should buy you a snack/drink for each D weapon in their list.

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Dark Eldar

• Witches- get 3++ save against overwatch fire.
• Mandrakes - can charge the same turn they arrive from reserves. Do not suffer Initiative pennalty for charging through difficult terrain. Their CC attacks are Rending.
• Webway Gate - allow units who enter the field from the gate to charge at the same turn they arrive from reserves.

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Space Marines

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Orks

• WAAAGH- When a WAAAGH is called, all enemy units within 6" of an Ork unit must take a leadership test. If failed, that unit is considered to be WS 1 for the rest of the turn.
• Old Zogwort- Old Zogwort is BS 1, not 0 and back in the codex. He is master lv 3 and curse is 2 warpcharges.
• Mob Up!- If an Ork Unit breaks, and begins to fall back to the Ork Players table edge, it can move towards the closest Ork unit of the same type. (Example: An Ork Loota mob breaks. It can move towards another Loota mob.). When it gets into base contact with the unit, both units merge into one (the one retreating counts as being destroyed).

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Tyranids

• Psychic Powers- Allow disciplines from the BRB.
• Synapse- Gain fearless for being in synapse, no instinctive behavior. Synapse range boosts stacks.
• Allied Detachment- May take an "allied" detachment of Tyranids as BB or an allied detachment of IG as AoC (no Comissars, Techpriests, Priests and special characters allowed). (Genestealer cult? -Brofisticus)
• Old One Eye- Never remove the model from play, regenerate even after the last wound is removed. Cannot be your Warlord.
• Broodlord: can use his psy power at the end of his movement phase instead of the start.
• Instinctive Behavior: Negative effects only happen on a roll of 1. 2-3 cause the same result as a 4-5 roll.
  • Or ditch it entirely.
• Omitted Characters/Spores- Just bring them back at their previous point cost. I'm sure a dataslate will be available soon with the same units.

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Necrons

• Doomsday Ark- Limited to one per FOC.
  • One per 1000 points.
• Monoliths- Limited to one per 1000 points.

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Adepta Sororitas

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Imperial Guard

• Orders- Remove them all. Any mechanic that can negate a significant number of points for multiple units at the simple cost of a leadership check is too much.
• Priests- If you want priests, ally with Sisters.

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Chaos Marines

• VoLW grants immunity to being swept in melee (just like ATKNF) and ability to regroup even after heavy causalities.
• MoT +9 pts cost for Sorcerers and DP's. Grant two extra psy powers to generate and access to all BRB disciplines.
• Helldrake: AV 11/11/10, 180 degrees fire ark rather than 360.
• Mutilators: No SaP, but still cannot sweep. Max unit size 6, one model can be upgraded to character for +5 pts. (gaining Chamiopn of Chaos)
• Thousand Sons: Can fire overwatch despite being SaP, Aspiring sorcs get extra powers from new MoT bonuses.
• Khorne Berzerkers: -2 pts per model. Unless accompanied by IC except Kharn) at the start of each turn must pass Ld-2 test. If they fail they get FnP 6+ but are forced to move towards, fire/run towards and than attempt to charge the closest visible enemy unit. No effect if there is no enemy units in LoS.
• Noise Marines: Can charge after firing their Sonic Blasters in half range mode despite them being Salvo.
• Chosen: Gain 5 pts discount for each melee weapon options.
• Raptors: May be equipped with raptor armour (you know, the old predatory looking one) for +2 pts per model.
  • Raptor armour: Grants Hit and Run, ability to use jump packs for both movement and charge in the same turn and make HoW attacks Rending.
• Warp Talons: Get raptor armour by default, ignore I penalty for charging through terrain. Get "Soul Hunters" special rule:
  • Soul Hunters: Scatters only D6" within 6" of any enemy unit that lost at least 25% (round up) models.
• Ahriman: get all new MoT upgrades, can purchase familiar.
• Lucius: the model that slay him count as removed as casualty at the end of the game. If he's a character, all his unit count as removed (as Lucius reborn slay them immediately after his resurrection). His sword is also AP2 Rending, because it's the Blade of Laer IIRC.

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Daemons

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Squ*BLAM*....=][=

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8th Edition

Hello, I am the Dominar. You can delete these if you want, I'm going to put them in a book anyway.

RETURN FIRE

• A unit that did not Advance, Charge or Attack in the previous round is considered COMBAT READY and can RETURN FIRE.
• To do so, when fired upon, every saving throw of 6 becomes a RF Token that you may assign 1 per model to the victim unit.
• These are to be used immediately, will expire at end of the phase, and all extras are discarded.

SEE YOU IN HELL

• When a model is slain, roll a d6 to make a dying attack. On a 6+ you may use one weapon on the closest enemy unit.

HE'LL BE ALRIGHT

• When shooting an enemy who is within 1" of a friendly model there is a risk of Friendly Fire.
• On a Failed Hit Roll of 1 your attack hits the closest friendly model within the same Line of Sight.

FRELLING CHARGE

• On a Failed Charge Roll, move half+ (rounding up) of the rolled distance up to 2" from enemy units.

MOVE STEADY

• Move at D6" (up to the unit's maximum) to maintain accuracy with heavy weapons.

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POWER SHIELD - An alternative to Invulnerable Saves.

• Provides improved Toughness and Armor Save at the cost of AP invulnerability.
  • This should be used with units that in the fluff employ a small-arms stopping shield, as opposed to units like daemons who have a more aethereal existence.

Examples:

• Shield Generator 4++ becomes Inv2
  • +2 to Toughness and Armor Save.

• Guardian Field 5++ becomes Inv1
  • +1 to Toughness and Armor Save.

This is a tough one, TBH. I had a long discussion on dakkadakka and learned a lot about other armies. I don't want my Crisis suits running from those peashootas orkboys use, nor do I want them to become over-powered. There are terminators with storm shields to consider, as well as daemons with 7+ 5++ or w/e. The Tau shield generator is supposed to be immune to small arms fire, not lascannons.

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PLASMA GUNS - Making it so that machine spirits aren't scared of the dark.

• Supercharged Plasma weapons explode and slay the firing model on a natural 1, before modifiers and after re-rolls.

Pretty simple, just makes it so that hit penalties (e.g. The dark and Aeldari bullshit) don't also increase the likelihood of plasma weaponry exploding. It also stops supercharge spam for the tau as +1 to hit no longer guarantees no explosion.