With the arrival of sixth edition, there are a number of new elements to the game which tournament organizers must make decisions on. One of these, is the use of Fortifications.

There are many reasons a player might add a fortification to their army. The most base of these would be for the tactical advantage gained by their inclusion. Another aspect may be for defending against units like flyers with the Skyfire weapons available to them.

From an organizer's perspective Fortifications present some challenges. Should they be allowed in the tournament at all? Should there be any restrictions on which are allowed? How do they get deployed?

With terrain usually fixed in a tournament setting - either to expediate the game, or for thematic purposes, or both - Fortifications can really throw a wrench into a thematic scenario or simply be too large to fit onto a table already covered in terrain. They may also end up unbalancing a scenario or even affecting the way third party units act due to their positioning.

Astronomi-con has always tried to embrace all types of armies and rules. So we decided to go with a hybrid approach and allow only the Aegis Defence Lines and Imperial Bastion for players to use as Fortifications in their armies.

These provide the smallest footprint on the table and also allow the purchase of Skyfire weapons to give players a tool to help deal with flyers. One other aspect was to enable our member to expand their collections and modeling skills with the idea of converting up themed fortifications for their force.

Players will be able to deploy their Fortifications with their army during normal deployment.

These choices will serve as our trial run for bringing Fortifications into play. We will definitely be looking for player feedback with how Fortifications affected their games both positively and negatively.

Fortifications - Defending their use.
 
Flyers have been a part of the Warhammer 40k game for many years now, ever since the release of the first Forgeworld Imperial Armour books.

Over the years the rules for flyers have evolved quite a bit and now for the first time are incorporated into the core rules.

Most armies have access to at least one flyer unit, whether from Imperial Armour or codex, or recent White Dwarf articles. Other armies can make use of the new allies rules to add a flyer to their force.

Flyers have some great advantages along with a few disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that Flyers are hard targets for most units to hit. With their Zoom rules they gain the Hard To Hit special rule which force all shooting against them to be resolved as snap shots - unless the model or weapon had the Skyfire special rule. The other advantage is that Zooming Flyers cannot be assaulted. They also may fire up to four of their weapons using their full Ballistic Skill if they have moved at combat or cruising speed that turn.

Some disadvantages are that they must begin the game in Reserve, have limited maneuverability and generally have light to medium armour. As vehicles they cannot capture or deny objectives - except in some special circumstances.
How to combat flyers should always be a consideration for games where encountering a flyer is likely. Models or weapons with Skyfire should be looked at to shoot them down.

Units like the IG Hydra, Eldar Fire Storm, or Tau Sky Ray provide some immediate help. But the simple fact is that there are not many viable threats to flyers at this point in time.

Fortifications provide a way for all armies to gain access to Skyfire weapons, with the Quad Gun and Icarus Lascannon.

Flyers are also a real option to help combat other flyers.

Twin-linked weapons are another option, giving you a better chance to roll those sixes you need to bring them down.

Snap fire is going to require a fair bit of luck to do enough damage to shoot down a flyer. Until such time that things like Flakk missiles and other Skyfire weapons are introduced, flyers will be a real threat on the 40k battlefield.

To get the most out of your flyers, they need to be on the battlefield and stay alive. Units that assist with reserves will help ensure that your flyer arrives on turn two. You should target the major threats to your flyer as soon as possible. These would primarily be units with Skyfire ability.

Keeping your flyer on the board is also important so try and set up your flight paths at least a turn in advance.

Flyers with transport capacity are going to draw more fire if they have a unit onboard, so do try and get those passengers into the fight as soon as possible.

For those players which have had opponents with flyers in their armies over the years, combating them will not be a new aspect of the game. For the vast majority, Flyers present a new challenge to meet and ultimately overcome.

Flyers - Death From Above
 
Selecting a balanced army has in some circles been frowned upon. Many players in previous editions would load up on Troops or more commonly Heavy Support to try and put together a winning combination. The notion of selecting a balanced army - an army featuring selections from all branches of the Force Organiztion chart becomes a more attractive option for everyone with the release of sixth edition.

With the new Endless War missions, the focus is mostly on controlling objectives with only one mission which sees destroying enemy units as the main goal.

The notion of scoring units has also evolved, extending to other force organization selections from just the previous Troops. This also provides a new "tool in the toolbox" when it comes to scenario design for those looking to go beyond what's in the rulebook. Denial units have also evolved and some selections now cannot prevent an enemy from controlling an objective. Most notably, vehicles and swarms.

This shift in how objectives are controlled should now make selecting your army a bit more challenging. Mechanized armies lose a lot of capability for denying objectives, except for the 'Big Guns Never Tire' mission and in 'The Scouring' mission Fast Attack selections count as scoring units.

With a full third of games now played with a short table edge as a player's board edge the ability to maneuver, deep strike, or even outflank becomes a reason to reconsider the effectiveness of some units which may have been left on the shelf previously.
With the changes we are now seeing with how the game is going to be played, players will need to revisit how their army is composed.

This shift may see non-competitive armies closing the gap between the lists seen traditionally as more competitive ones. Keeping the more competitive nature of the game in-check will almost certainly lead to more fun for everyone - and more diverse armies on the tabletop.

Army Balance - Levelling the playing field.
 
The way Vehicle Squadrons operate in v6 has changed dramatically in some aspects, but still retain some of the rules introduced in the previous edition.

Some of the things that remain the same are the 4" coherency, and the ability to see and shoot through members of their own unit. Beyond these points, the way squadrons fight in v6 is very different.


Squadron models work like other units in v6 where some models can remain stationary while others can move as long as they remain in coherency. This allows stationary units to maintain a high rate of fire while other members of their unit advance or withdraw. This also includes moving Flat Out. This kind of maneuvering allows for squadron members to put distance between potential enemy assaulting units. It also allows for squadron members which have suffered damage to move to a position where other squadron members can draw fire away from them - all while maintaining an improved rate of fire.

"When shooting at a squadron hits must be resolved, one at a time, against the model in the squadron closest to the firing unit - exactly like you would resolve wounds on a normal unit."

Some sutuations can arise with Vehicle Squadrons that are not covered directly by the rules.

There appears to be no option for Focus Fire (page 18) when it comes to shooting at vehicle squadrons. Another situation is when shooting at a vehicle squadron that has one or more models which are out of line of sight, or with the nearest model out of line of sight.

In these cases perhaps the best way to resolve things is to take to heart the wording in the Shooting At Squadrons section (page 77): "...roll To Hit as normal." and "...exactly as you would resolve Wounds on a normal unit."

This would then permit things like Focus Fire and to enable models in a squadron which are out of line of sight from the shooting unit to not be eligible to have hits allocated to them.
With the way hits are resolved, damaged squadron members can be moved to a position where hits in future turns are allocated to a closer squadron member -this goes a long way to increase the survivability of the unit. Another important change is the ability to Abandon Squadron-mates should they become immobilized. In the previous edition, such an occurance would effectively destroy the squadron member. Now these models form their own unit once left behind and can still contribute, or remain part of the squadron until abandoned.

With the changes to the way shooting is resolved, squadrons no longer need to worry about their shooting effectiveness being diluted due to varying strengths and AP of their weapons. Since the player doing the shooting gets to decide in what order the Wound Pool gets resolved in these cases. (page 15 Mixed Wounds).

This makes a big improvement in the effectiveness of a squadron's shooting.

The rules for Assaulting Squadrons and vehicles in general make vehicles more vulnerable to such attacks. Models from squadrons that have enemy in contact with them are going to be the first to be destroyed but a strong assaulting force can quickly turn an entire squadron into wreckage.

Defending a vulnerable vehicle squadron from being assaulted should be an important consideration. Destroying, impeding or simply moving away from such threats to keep your squadron firing is usually preferable than staying stationary and taking the gamble that the enemy will be out of assault range. That being said, ensure your squadron has an escape route available to them.

One core principal as to why to select a squadron is to free up Force Organization slots for other selections. With the advent of multiple detachments this is no longer a necessity, but the improved shooting rules and the survivability of immobilized members may see the revival of these units on the battlefield.

Vehicle Squadrons - A Force Multiplier.
 
The term Victory Points has evolved into something new with the arrival of sixth edition. For those of you that have been in the hobby for as long as I have, Victory Points used to refer to the points that a unit gives up as it is damaged it destroyed. In some missions those points would be tallied up at the end of the game to determine the winner.

The use of Victory Points in the previous edition while still a published mechanic (page 300 v5 rulebook) was in many ways shoveled under the carpet in favour of the Kill Point mechanic - which in the minds of many was too granular to be effective.

Astronomi-con continued to use the Victory Points mechanic for their missions which called for these sorts of scoring and still found it to be effective and accurate. It should also be noted that the vast majority of our attendees were in support of using this mechanic.

With the arrival of v6, the term Victory Points takes on an all new meaning with the Endless War missions. In an effort to bring the library of Astronomi-con's v5 missions up to snuff we have evolved the old Victory Points system into what we've dubbed: Unit Points.

Unit Points (UPs) are calculated as follows:

Units Destroyed
At the end of the game every unit that has been destroyed is worth an amount of UPs equal to its points cost (including the cost of all its extra wargear, vehicle upgrades, etc). Units that end the game falling back or off the battlefield count as destroyed.

Units at half strength
At the end of the game every enemy surviving unit that lost half of its initial models or more is worth an amount of UPs equal to half its points cost (including the cost of all its extra wargear, vehicle upgrades, etc), rounded down. In the case of units that start as a single model (Independent characters, monstrous creatures, etc), they are worth half their points cost in UPs if they have lost half or more of their Wounds on their profile. In the case of vehicles, they are worth half their cost in UPs if they have lost half or more of their Hull Points at the end of the game.

Special Cases
  • Vehicle Squadrons are treated as a unit when calculating UPs.
  • Combined units like Imperial Guard infantry squads are treated as a single unit with a points cost of all the combined units.
  • Space Marine combat squads are treated as individual units with a points cost equal to half the cost of the full squad - regardless of what models are in each combat squad.
  • Vehicle Squadrons which abandon a member over the course of a game do not include the abandoned unit in any UP calculation. The abandoned unit forms its own unit and gives UPs as a single vehicle.

Moral Victory?
Each player adds together all of the UPs they have scored by damaging enemy units and any bonus UPs which may have been awarded by the scenario, then the two totals are compared to find the difference in UPs. A difference of less than 10% of the game's point limit (i.e. 150 UPs in a 1,500 point battle) would count as a draw. Should a player score more than this margin, they would be deemed the winner.

While the future plan for Astronomi-con scenarios is to ultimately move toward a Victory Points system similar to the missions found in the rulebook, in the short term we will be using the Unit Points mechanic to reduce any confusion on nomenclature with the terms in the new edition - and have evolved the old system into a new tool for updating old scenarios and designing new ones.

Unit Points - Things are looking UP.
 
The sixth edition of Warhammer 40,000 introduces the concept of The Warlord to games. In previous editions the notion of your 'commander' has served as a focal point for games, and in many tournaments their demise or survival is often central to many scenarios.

Now we have a defined set of rules for how to identify The Warlord as well as grant them a unique perk. See page 111 in the rulebook.

The Warlord is defined as always being the HQ choice character with the highest Leadership. In the case where you have more than one character are tied for the highest Leadership, you can choose among them which is your Warlord.

The rulebook places a strong emphasis on Forming A Narrative but for some armies this presents a few odd situations which seem counter to the narrative players may want to form. Imperial Guard will find that their Lord Commissar will be forced to be Their Warlord, when the leader of the Command HQ would be the more natural choice. Other armies which for story purposes would want to portray a lesser character in charge and leading a force with another higher leadership character in-tow loses that storytelling device.

The Warlord also gains access to a random trait from three categories. Command, Personal, and Strategic.

In the Eternal War missions found in the rulebook, the decision on which traits
players roll for happens after the mission has been determined.  So, this can
factor into which trait table you roll on.

Command Traits tend to affect units within 12" of your warlord.  Personal Traits influence the Warlord and the unit they join.  Strategic Traits influence your army and how it performs on the field of battle.

The term trait is a somewhat misleading term as these abilities have no sustainability from game to game, and due to their random nature may be of no help to your force while your opponent may gain substantial advantage - simply due to the roll of the dice. These abilities do add some additional flavor to games but may leave some with a bad taste in their mouth.

If these abilities could be simply selected before the battle to provide a discernible benefit, and to establish a character's true trait, it may have been a better design choice - but doing so could also lead to abusive play. 

Players may opt to choose to do different things for campaigns or linked games, etc.   As always the rules should serve as a starting point and serve to inspire and encourage players to be creative!

The Warlord - Rank has it's privlidges.
 
The Skyshield Landing Pad is a wonderful terrain piece which has been available for some time now. It is a fairly large kit which measures about 15" x 15" when unfurled and just under 12" x 12" when Shielded. It also stands nearly 4" in height.

As a Fortification this terrain piece is available to any army for 75 pts. With the new rules for fortifications you can take a single fortification for each primary detachment in your force. When playing the Eternal War missions found in the v6 rulebook Fortifications are set up prior to terrain wholly within the owning player's table half and count toward terrain density.

The complete rules for the Skyshield Landing Pad can be found on page 115 of the v6 rulebook. Some of the details I will list here and discuss in a bit more depth.

The Skyshield has two modes. Shielded and Unfurled. In Shielded mode, units on top have a 4+ invulnerable save against enemy shooting attacks. When unfurled if a unit deep strikes on top it will never scatter.
The choice of adding a Skyshield to your army can provide a number of tactical advantages. Armies which rely on deep striking units could bring units to that point of the battlefield with relative safely, and use it as a means to springboard an attack. If using these types of springboard tactics, consider deploying the Skyshield closer to the middle of the table to hem in your opponent. Also consider placing objectives nearby or even on it for easy access.

Another viable tactic is to use the Skyshield as a defensive strongpoint. In shielded mode, models on top get a 4+ invulnerable save. They also gain some protection from assaults as enemy models must get underneath the platform and use a ladder to get to the top surface or attempt to Assault The Battlements by throwning grenades as detailed on page 96.  This tactic is further enhanced by placing the Skyshield in your deployment zone.  It can fit in a 12" deployment zone and offer a commanding view of the tabletop.  This makes it a great place to deploy heavy weapons and other units which can operate in a static position.

As the top surface of the Skyshield is open terrain if it is set up in your deployment zone even non-skimmer vehicles could be deployed on it.
There are a few grey areas with respect to this fortification which I will explore next.

The first has to do with units deep striking on top of an unfurled Skyshield. There is no rule preventing your opponent's models benefiting from these abilities - so the Skyshield may get a bit crowded!

Another point of discussion involves barrage weapons and how they affect shielded units. Since Barrage weapons always assume the shot is coming from the centre of the blast marker it can be argued that these shots bypass the shielded ability.  The other side of the coin would be to claim that the shield behaves as a dome and provides protection even against barrage weapons. This is currently supported by the rules as written. Until a clarification for how barrage weapons are affected by these sorts of things, players are encouraged to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion.

Models moving off the Skyshield also raise a few questions. Some units like Jump, Jet Pack, Jetbikes and Skimmers do not need to take Dangerous Terrain tests for moving off an unfurled Skyshield how other units are handled is not covered directly.

As I look at the Skyshield I would opt to handle things as follows:

Infantry models climbing over a shielded or jumping off an unfurled side would also use the Leaping Down rules found on page 95 of the rulebook.

A non-skimmer vehicle on top of the Skyshield would only be able to drive off if it is unfurled and would also be subject to the Leaping Down rules.

One last thing to consider is using the Skyshield as simply a piece of terrain for your games. The rules for Dilapidation on page 96 cover some aspects, but you can always take things a bit further such as restricting the ability to have all of its features working. Perhaps allowing only cover saves instead of invulnerable saves or restricting the ability to change configurations.

The Skyshield Landing Pad offers a number of tactical advantages to armies and gives players a significant piece of terrain to battle over and around.

Skyshield - A seventy-five point landing.
 
Sixth edition introduces many new concepts and mechanics to the game. One of these is the addition of purchasable fortifications to one's army.

Of all the currently available fortifications the one that costs the least amount of points is the Aegis Defence Line.

Defence lines are a type of Battlefield Debris which in addition to following the rules of Barricades And Walls which give models behind them a 4+ cover save. In addition units that go to ground behind a Defence Line gain a +2 to it's cover save.

All armies can take a single Fortification for each primary detachment in their force. An Aegis Defence Line consists of up to four long and four short defence line sections. When deployed these sections must all be placed in contact with at lease one other section.

In addition, an Aegis Defence Line may be further upgraded by purchasing a Comms Relay, or a gun emplacement with either an Icarus Lascannon or a Quad-gun.

A Comms Relay allows any player with an unengaged model within 2" of a Comms Relay can re-roll Reserves Rolls and models in cover behind one gain a 5+ cover save. Note that there is no restriction on what reserve rolls can be re-rolled so canny generals may use this to attempt to delay or usher in their reserve forces.

Both the Icarus Lascannon and the Quad-gun fill the same role. They both have the Interceptor special rule which allows the weapon to fire at any one unit that arrived from Reserve. This an exception to the normal shooting rules in that the owner can fire the weapon at the end of their opponent's shooting phase in lieu of shooting in their following turn. These weapons also have the Skyfire special rule which allows them to shoot at Flyers, Flying Monstrous Creatures, and Skimmers with their normal Ballistic Skill. These Gun Emplacements require a model in base contact with it to operate it and allow it to fire and models behind it gain a 4+ cover save.


The Aegis Defence Line provides over 28" of 4+ cover that you can deploy in your half of the table. It is sizable enough that even vehicles can benefit from a 4+ cover save now that at least 25% of a vehicle needs to be covered to count as obscured. Imperial Guard can further improve this with the addition of Camo Netting which grants stealth an improves the cover save by +1, giving such vehicles a 3+ cover save if they remain stationary.

With such a large area potentially covered by the Aegis Defence Line it is important to consider the pitfalls which can result. Be sure to leave enough room for units like vehicles to be able to advance and maneuver around your fortifications. Also models within 2" of the fortification can be assaulted simply by the enemy getting into contact with your Defence Line. Also remember that cover works for both armies and should your force be driven away that the enemy can just as easily use your fortifications against you.
Beware of weapons that have the Ignores Cover special rule. Your fortifications won't help you in these cases so such units should become alpha targets if you rely heavily on cover.

The Aegis Defence Line kit comes with the 8-piece barricades as well as a Quad-gun. Note that this can be considered just the starting point for aspiring modelers. Such fortifications can also be converted or scratch built to be more in theme for your army. Those looking to go this route should try to ensure that the dimensions of their fortifications are similar to the original model kit. The goal here should be seen as a way to theme a fortification for their army and not trying to model for advantage.

It should also be noted that the gun emplacements available as options for fortifications are the only way most armies can access weapons with Interceptor and more importantly Skyfire. Until new codices introduce options like Flakk missiles and other weapons with the Skyfire special rules expect to see such fortifications playing a role in army design.

Aegis Defence Lines - They've got you covered.
 
Divination is the final Discipline I'll be covering in this series on the new Psychic Disciplines. Only five armies have access to these powers: Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, Grey Knights, and the Eldar.

Divination features powers which help the Psyker to anticipate the flow of the
battle and take advantage of the moment - tipping the balance in their favor.

All the powers in this disicpline are either blessings or maledictions which have a Warp Charge of 1, which makes them all available to any psyker which can choose from Divination, but makes getting a specific power less likely.


(1) FOREBODING - This blessing targets the Psyker and while active, the
Psyker and his unit have the Counter-attack special rule and fire Overwatch on
their full Ballistic Skill, rather than BS 1.  

This power has limited application, but against armies with a penchant for assault, it can be used with great effectiveness.  Best used on large units or ones with a high rate of fire to maximize the overwatch firepower and counter attack, opponents will think long and hard before declaring an assault on a unit and psyker with this power active.


(2) FOREWARNING - This blessing targets a single friendly unit within 12".  While active the target unit has a 4+ invulnerable save.

For some armies, an invulnerable save is a rare thing for a model to have, let
alone an entire unit - and one that is as powerful as this is an exceptional
boon.  Useful when moving a unit out of cover and when a unit is expected to come under heavy fire or enter an assault.


(3)  MISFORTUNE - This malediction targets an enemy unit
within 24" causing them to re-roll successful saving throws.

Having this power affecting a unit  makes them extremely vulnerable to both shooting and assault attacks.  Even the  most resiliant or dug-in units will be affected by this power.  Lower save  models are the most vulnerable but even models with a 2+ save will see the 1's  start to pile up.   Note that this power can also be cast upon vehicles to help  reduce the effectiveness of cover or a jink
save.


(4) PERFECT  TIMING - This blessing targets the psyker, causing the
psyker and any unit they have joind to have their weapons gain the Ignores Cover special rule.

This power will be the bane of lightly armoured units which rely upon cover to help them survive on the 40k battlefields.  Even Fortifications like the Aegis Defence Line become all but worthless when a unit with this power takes aim and opens fire.  Units with a large number of models, or with high rates of fire will come to realize the true potential this power as to offer.  Of course, such displays of firepower will be met with swift retribution.
(5) PRECOGNITION - This blessing targets the Psyker allowing them to re-roll all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls, as well as failed saving throws.

The psyker takes on an almost other-worldly aura with these abilities.  A well equipped and well armoured psyker can wade into combat slaying foes and deflecting blows.  A Psyker with this ability can confidently lead from the front, soaking  overwatch fire and protecting an accompanying unit.  Note that only failed To Hit rolls are allowed to be re-rolled - not any To Hit rolls which prevents players from trying to re-roll to score precision shots. 


(6) SCRYER'S GAZE - This blessing targets the psyker.  While active the controlling player can roll three dice and chose the result they want when rolling for Reserves, Outflank, and Mysterious Terrain.

This power is perhaps the most subtle of all the powers, foregoing offense and defense for tactical and positional advantages.  As this is a blessing, this power is cast that the start of the turn, before Reserves rolls are made.   With Reserves now arriving on a roll of 3+ on both turns two and three, having this power active will have an even better chance of bringing units from reserve into the game. 

The table edge which your Outflankers arrive is also subject to rolling three dice and choosing the best result. This helps overcome units like the Imperial
Guard's Officer of the Fleet.   The Eldar can combine this with the Autarch's +1
to reserve rolls for almost certain arrival of units placed in reserve on turn two.
Units like flyers which must begin the game in reserve will likely see them taking part in the battle from turn two onwards.  

The third feature of this power is the determination of mysterious terrain.  Mysterious terrain certainly adds a random element to games.  It should be clear during set-up which terrain features count as Mysterious Terrain before selecting psychic powers.  When playing with Mysterious Terrain a player using this power will have a few options when they first encounter the terrain feature.  Choosing the most beneficial of the options may not always be the right choice and some consideration for how you expect the battle to flow should play into the decision.  Terrain which benefits you will also benefit your opponent so using the terrain itself to fight your opponent can only be a benefit to you.

+++

Should any of these powers when they are rolled up not be to your liking or
align with your army's tactics, you can always opt to change one of them to the
PRIMARIS POWER of the discipline.  These powers always have a Warp Charge of 1.  For Divination, the power is:


(P) PRESCIENCE - This blessing targets a single friendly unit within 12".  While this power is in effect, the target unit can re-roll all failed To Hit rolls.

This power seems straightforward enough, similar to the Eldar power, Guide -but its application has greater scope in v6.  To Hit rolls also apply for close-combat attacks.  Overwatch fires is also subject to these re-rolls.  Blast weapons can re-roll their scatter dice - especially useful for barrage weapons which no longer get the benefit of the firer's Ballistic Skill when firing indirectly.  Characters are also more likley to make precision shots.

+++

Divination provides a selection of powers which can dramatically increase the performance of units in your force and spell doom for those of your opponent.  A power used at the right time on the right unit can change the course of a game and can be very difficult for your opponent to plan for.  Having your opponent off balance and worrying about what your units might do is a sure sign that you're on your way to victory.

Divination - Knowledge is power.
 
The Psychic discipline of Biomancy brings a mix of familiar and new powers to the table. Based on the manipulation of biological energy, this discipline provides a variety of abilities to boost your own units as well as reducing the effectiveness of your opponent's.
 
Only five of the nine armies with access to psychic disciplines may choose Biomancy: Space Marines, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Imperial Guard and Tyranids.

Every psychic power from this discipline has a Warp Charge of 1.  So, all psykers have access to the full range of powers, making drawing a specific power from the deck more unlikely than the  other disciplines I've covered to date.


(1) IRON ARM - This blessing targets the Psyker, increasing strength and toughness by +D3.  Roll the dice once and that value applies to both stats.   The Psyker also gains the Eternal Warrior special rule.

This power is similar to the old Codex Daemonhunters Daemonhost power Warp Strength.  Eternal Warrior is a very nice bonus to this ability, making the Psyker exceptionally resiliant.  The strength bonus applies to any weapons being wielded, so their close combat potential gets a significant boost - and the toughness increase combined with Eternal Warrior makes taking overwatch fire a lot less of a concern.


(2) ENFEEBLE - This malediction targets an enemy unit within 24" causing the unit to suffer a -1 penalty to both strength and toughness.  In addition, the unit moves as if it were in difficult terrain.

This power has the potential to really make a unit vulnerable to damage.  Lowering a unit's toughness opens up the possibility that weapons which could not would normally now become a threat.  Additionally, the spectre of instant death from strength six or higher weapons can turn a rock solid deathstar unit into a handful of models in the dead-pile with a few well-placed shots.  Multi-wound models like Ogryns, Ork Nobz, and swarms need to be wary.  Also, this abiltiy can reduce the effectiveness of Feel No Pain should their reduced toughness cause attacks to now cause instant death.  Dark Eldar beware!

Their lower strength makes the target unit less effective in close combat and restricts its ability to launch an assault.


(3) ENDURANCE - This blessing targets a friendly unit within 24".  The unit gains Feel No Pain, It Will Not Die and the Relentless special rules.

This power has a great deal of flexibility in terms of what units it can be cast upon.  Even vehicles can benefit from the It Will Not Die special rule.    Tyranid armies could use this power in conjunction with Regeneration to restore wounds rapidly.  Relentless makes units with heavy weapons mobile and feel no pain helps with survivability.
(4) LIFE LEECH - this witchfire power is a S6 AP 2 Assault 2 attack with a range of 12".  If at least one unsaved wound is caused, the psyker regains one wound lost earlier in the battle up to it's starting number of wounds.

While short-ranged, this power has stopping potential against even the most well armoured units.  In a pinch it can be used against lightly armoured vehicles.  Regaining wounds is a very rare ability on the 40k battlefield and as such it can go a long way to keep your psyker in the fight.  As almost all psykers have at least two wounds, those with three or more wounds may find this power more attractive.

It is my interpretation that should a psyker cast a double 1  - Perils of the Warp and only have one wound remaining at the point that they cast the power, they suffer their last wound and are immediately removed as a casualty.   The power is resolved, and any casualties are removed as normal - but the psyker having already being removed as a casualty cannot regain a wound.


(5) WARP SPEED - this blessing targets the psyker.   The psyker gains +D3 Initiative and Attacks and gains the Fleet special rule.

The benefit from these stat increases  is obvious.   One important point to note is that if the psyker is joined to a unit without the fleet rule, the psyker gains no benefit.  So, in some cases it may be worthwhile to separate the psyker from a unit they have joined in order to retain the fleet ability prior to charging.


(6) HAEMORRHAGE - this focussed witchfire power has a range of 12".  The target model must pass a Toughness test or suffer a wound with no armour or cover saves allowed.  If the target is slain, select another model at random within 2" and perform a toughness test.  If that model is slain, select another model within 2" and continue the process until a model passes its toughness test or there are no models within range.

It is important to note that the range of 12" is only for the original attack and that models outside of the 12" range can be affected by the series of toughness tests.   Models with more than one wound which are forced to make the toughness test will cause this power to stop its progress.  As such, when considering a unit to target, be sure they have only a single wound in order to propigate these toughness tests.

When used in conjunction with the Enfeeblement power discussed above, mid-to low toughness units could see significant numbers of models fall casualty to this power.

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Should any of these powers when they are rolled up not be to your liking or
align with your army's tactics, you can always opt to change one of them to the 
PRIMARIS POWER of the discipline.  These powers always have a Warp Charge of 1.  For Biomancy, the power is:


(P) SMITE - This witchfire power has a 12" range and has the profile:  S4 AP 2 Assault 4.

This is the same power which is available to Librarians in Codex Space Marines.  While it is short ranged, the AP 2 of the shots make it bypass the armour of any non-vehicle target.   A great prelude to an assault,  this power will be favored for psykers with a high ballistic skill facing heavy infantry.

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Biomany presents an interesting range of powers, including lethal short ranged witchfire, blessings which enhance the psyker, powers that make the enemy vulnerable and even prey upon the weak.  Armies like Blood Angels, Space Wolves  and Tyranids which are at their best in close will find the offensive powers from this discipline very useful.  Armies like Space Marines and Imperial Guard which tend to keep the enemy at range likely will find limited utility from this discipline, but the chance to draw Enfeeble and Endurance may keep them coming back for more. 

Biomancy - Warping the mind and body.