DEATH WORLDS OF THE IMPERIUM"We've- run into scorpions the size of battle tanks, three men died. from Eyerot in the night, an insect's

bite will kill and you better keep an eye on the trees - they move closer when you're not looking ...Emperor help me, I love this place! "

The Imperium of Man spans the galaxy fromend to end, a grand sprawl of a million worldscapable of supporting life. But wherever thereis life there is also death, and some of thoseplanets taken in the Emperor's name are lethalbeyond measure. Amongst the dizzying varietyof planets that comprise the realm of Mankindthere are those worlds so hostile, so inimicalto existence, that they have been classified asdeath wQrlds. Woe betide those who make warupon 'sucn>aworld, for they fight the planetitself just as much as the forces of the enemy.Only the t'ruly heroic can hope to join battleupon a death world and survive.

It is almost impossible to imagine how vast theImperium is, and how thinly spread the planetsclaimed and inhabited in the Emperor's name are.And yet each world is dutifully codified and placedinto one of several classifications. These broadcategories represent the merest hint of what aplanet's climate, environment, population and culturaloutlook are like; although its classification will beenough for a savant of the Administratum sat half agalaxy away to apportion the correct tithe grade.

All FlI'!!lets in the Imperium fall under one of the maincategories, or even a sub-classification. From forgeworlds to agri worlds and the many in between:cardinal worlds, garden worlds, ghost worlds, feralworlds and feudal planets. Then, of course, there arethe death worlds.

IMPOSSIBLE PLANETSDeath worlds are planets deemed too dangerousto support widespread human settlements. Suchworlds are nearly impossible to colonise, but havesome intrinsic value - either strategic or mineral -that necessitates the provision of outposts or otherfacilities. The exact nature of a death world's threatvaries from planet to planet. Catachan is infamous forits continent-spanning jungles and myriad forms ofcarnivorous life, while Praxeti is a barren and blastedrockscape, riven with ion storms that strike withenough force to shatter rocks.

Other death world threats are stranger still - theliving planet of Croatoa, the psychic storms ofSycorax or Kragadam's indestructible crystallinefauna, to name but a few. From the endless desertsof Luther Mcintyre to the burning sulphur fields ofJjojos, any population able to scratch out an existenceon a death world will have to overcome threats farbeyond the imagination of most Imperial citizens.Such hard-bitten folk are ideal recruits for theImperial Guard, a detail that justifies the settlementof a death world regardless of other factors.

Unfortunately, the very same reasons that leadMankind to a death world will often lure in otherthreats as well. Resources are few and far betweenin the vast pall of the galaxy. And so when a planet- no matter how inhospitable - is found to havesubstantial wealth, whether that is in mineral form orsome other commodity, then conflict is inevitable.

BAITLEMISSIONS: DEATHWORLDS

USING THE DEATH WORLDHAZARD TABLESWhen playing a death world mission, at thebeginning of each of your turns, roll a D6 and consultthe following table to see which Hazard table you willuse for that turn.

"Tread carefully. brother. for here even the battlefield itself is your enemy."

Fighting a battle anywhere in the 41stMillennium is no easy thing, but to successfullyexecute a well-honed strategy on a death worldis a different matter entirely. For you are notjust fighting the enemy but the environmentitself. Acid rain, fire storms, earthquakes andwidening chasms can all reduce your squadnumbers before you've even encounteredyour foe. But it's not just the elements, as theflora and fauna on a death world are highlyaggressive and dangerous, treating the visitingarmies as prey and an opportunistic chance tofeed. As force commander be wary, for they arenot called death worlds without reason ...

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREADPhil Kelly: In a death world mission, your army willalmost certainly suffer casualties from the world itselfas well as from the actions of enemy troops. Gamesset upon death worlds are not for the faint of heart -only the most hard-core of 40K players need apply!

Still, if you're brave enough, you should have a lotof fun - you will get to inflict all manner of horriblefates upon your opponent's troops as you roll on theDeath World Hazards tables and apply the effects.Everything from eruptions of lava to deadly monstersto gravitic anomalies that can hurl units into the skyare represented here. Canny use of the death worldhazards can tip a game your way at a critical point -it's a lot of fun to take a bite out of your opponent'sHQ with a giant carnivorous plant, for example.

Each Hazard table has a specific theme - thesegive you the rules you need to represent a hostileplanetary environment. If your opponent agrees, youcan use the Hazare tables in conjunction with anyof the standard missions in the main Warhammer40,000 rulebook. Alternatively, when choosing ascenario to play from the Battle Missions book, youcan opt to use the Death World Hazard tables inaddition to whatever mission you roll up.

Lastly; if you want the full death world experience,you can play one of the three special Battle Missionspresented over the next few pages. If you are usingthe random selection method, these missionsoccupy the. following 'slots' on the Random BattleMission Table:

1,1 Search and Rescue1,2 Breakthrough1,3 Weather the Storm

78 Battle Missions:Death Worlds

HAZARD RANDOMISER TABLE

06 Hazard Table used:1 Your opponent chooses which table is used.

2 Environmental Hazards

3 Indigenous Hazards

4 Seismic Hazards

5 Hellscape Hazards

6 You choose which table is used.

SCORING UNITSDeath worlds are planets so inimical to life that everysoldier, regardless of rank, does whatever necessaryto get the job done. Because of this, all infantry,jump infantry, cavalry and bike units are scoring unitsin any mission that uses the Death World Hazardtables or the Death World Battle Missions.

CHOOSE YOUR POISONDifferent Hazard tables have different effects, soyou'll want to choose the one that will have thegreatest impact. The Environmental Hazards tableaffects the entire battlefield - it's deadly againstlightly armoured troops, but not such a big dealfor those in power armour. The S-eismicHazardstable usually affects troops in the open, whereasthe Indigenous Hazards table affects those in cover- that's where the death world's beasties like tohide! The Hellscape Hazards table has the nastiestresults of all, though uniquely it has a couple thatmay actually end up benefiting the opposing army,so it's a bit of a gamble. As you become familiarwith your hostile environment, you'll learn howbest to use the death world's own unique brandof carnage as another weapon in your arsenal. It'sa simple evolutionary principle common to suchdeadly planets - adapt or die!

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDSD6 Effect1 Flaystorm: The razorhail pelts down with such fury it

flays skin from bone. All non-vehicle units are treatedas being in difficult terrain this turn. If a unit makesa difficult terrain roll and the combined total of thedice is lessthan 7, that unit takes 306 51, AP - hits.

2 Deathly Miasma: A suffocating fog drifts up fromthe earth. All units in play take 206 51, AP4 hits.

3 Rain of Oil: Oily rain falls from the sky. Non-vehiclemodels treat the board as difficult terrain this turn.Immobilised vehicles may move as if not immobilised.

4 Suffocation: The air itself suddenly becomes thinand unbreathable. All units with a majority savingthrow of 4+ or worse treat the entire board asdifficult terrain this turn, and both difficult anddangerous terrain next turn.

5 Rain of Vitriol: Acid rain falls from the skies. Allunits that are not inside buildings or transportvehicles take 206 51, AP5 hits. Units in open-toppedbuildings or transport vehicles also suffer these hits.

6 Seeker Lightning: The glowering skies spit out agreat lance of electrical force. The model closestto the ceiling (factor in banner poles, wings, flyingstands, terrain and so forth) takes 206 58, AP 5 hits.

SEISMIC HAZARDSD6 Effect

Ground Collapse: The ground gives way. Choose anunengaged infantry model. That model must passanInitiative test or be removed from play. If tRe Initiativetest is failed, choose another model within 2" andrepeat. Continue until an Initiative test is passed.

2 Treacherous Footing: The earth shifts underfoot.Placea counter next to 03 terrain pieces. Theseterrain pieces are treated as dangerous terrain.

3 Gnashing Earth: The ground gnaws like a livingthing. Choose an unengaged infantry unit with noneof its models in terrain. All models must passanInitiative test or take a S3AP - hit.

4 Tectonic Shift: The planet's tectonic plates convulse.Choose one deployment lone. All non-vehicle units inthat zone must take a Pinning test.

5 Magma Eruption: Red hot lava fountains into theair. Choose an unengaged infantry unit with none ofits models in terrain. Roll a 06 for each model in thatunit - on a 4+ it takes a S4 APS hit.

6 Acid Geyser: A great column of boiling acid burstsforth. Choose a single point on the battlefield thatis not within terrain. All models within 06" of thatpoint take a S2AP3 hit.

INDIGENOUS HAZARDSD6 Effect

Self-Detonating Fauna: An indigenous lifeformturns out to have an explosive defence mechanism.Centre the blast marker over an unengaged modelthat is wholly in area terrain. All models touched bythe marker take a 58 AP3 hit.

2 Carnivorous Flora: Alien foliage wraps its tendrilsaround the intruders. Choose a terrain piece. Allmodels at least partially in the terrain piece must passan Initiative test or take a 54 AP - hit. If the terrain isa wood, these hits are resolved at 56 AP 5 instead.

3 The Swarm: A swarm of mind-eating psychneueinstirs into action. All psykers on the battlefield sufferD3 53, AP2 hits (roll separately for each psyker).

4 Deadly Spores: Puffballs disgorge choking spores.Choose a terrain piece. All models at least partially inthe terrain must passa Toughness test or take a 51AP3 hit. Models from Codex: Orks ignore this result.

5 Indigenous Beast: A great predatory beast attacks.Choose an unengaged model that is at least partiallyin a terrain piece. That model takes D6 55 AP - hits.

6 Lasher Nest: Lashertendrils grasp the trespassers.Choose a terrain piece. All models that are at leastpartially in that terrain piece take a 52 AP - hit.

HELLSCAPE HAZARDSD6 Effect1 Haven of Sanctity: 5afe ground has been found.

Choose a fleeing unit. That unit automatically rallies.You must choose a fleeing unit, even an enemy.

2 Meteor Strike: A fiery meteor strikes. Centre theblast marker over an enemy model and scatter it206". All models at least partially under the marker'Sfinal position take a 57 AP2 hit. All models within 3"of the template take a S3AP - hit.

3 Gravitic Anomaly: A pocket of low gravity appears.Choose an unengaged infantry unit and roll a D6. Ona 1-3, that unit may move as Jump Infantry this turn.On a 4-6, it is placed in reserve and will re-enter playby Deep 5trike in its next turn.

4 Burning Skies:The skiesthemselves burst into flame.All units that enter play by Deep Strike this turn aretreated as being deployed in dangerous terrain.

5 Ghastly Hallucinations: The toxic atmosphere playstricks on the mind. Choose D3 units without theFearlessrule. Those units must take a Pinning test.

6 Meteor Storm: A shower of meteors rains down.Apply the Meteor Strike result, though you maychoose 03+ 1 units to be affected. The same unit maynot be chosen more than once.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds 79

SEARCH AND RESCUE"What does 'retrieval imperative. subsequent redeploy at officer's discretion' mean?

It means grab the goods and get out of this hellhole. that's what it means!"

Despite being the most dangerous planets,death worlds are often the most valuable, thesource of great mineral wealth or exotic goods.Many are the operations that have scoured theface of a death world for a priceless artefact orperson, just as the death world itself is tryingto scour them from existence. Such search andrescue missions often end in conflict, for trulyvaluable resources have a nasty habit of alreadybeing claimed.

OBJECTIVESThe objective of the game is to capture as manyobjectives as possible. Before deciding deploymentzones, the players must place 03+ 1 objectives. Thewinner of a roll-off chooses a point on the table andplaces an objective upon it. Then the opponent doesthe same, and the players alternate until the positionof all the objectives has been determined. Theseobjectives may not be in impassable terrain or within12" of a table edge or another objective.

DEPLOYMENTSplit the table into halves and roll off to see whichplayer chooses the table half they will deploy in.The opposing player deploys in the opposite half.Next, the player that chose table half deploys oneof his units. Then his opponent deploys one of hisown units, alternating placement until all units aredeployed. No unit may be deployed within 18" ofan enemy.

RESERVESPlayers may place any number of units in reserve.

FIRST TURNThe players roll off to see who takes the first turn.

GAME LENGTHThe player that chose deployment zones rolls a diceat the end of game turn 4. On a 1-2 the game endsimmediately, and on a 3 or more the game continues.If the game continues then the same player rolls a 06again at the end of game turn 5; this time the gameends immediately on the roll of a 1-3, and continuesfor another turn on the roll of a 4+. The game endsautomatically at the end of game turn 6.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

VICTORY CONDITIONSAt the end of the game, the player controlling themost objectives wins. If the players control the samenumber of objectives, the game is a draw.

SPECIAL RULESDeath World Hazards: This mission uses the DeathWorld Hazard tables as described earlier.

Mobile Objectives: Any infantry model can pickup an objective by moving into base contact withit during the Movement phase. From that point on,move the objective marker with the model. If themodel falls back, or is removed as a casualty, theobjective is dropped. Note that an objective cannotbe brought aboard a transport vehicle. If an objectiveis dropped in impassable terrain, place it as close aspossible to the point where it was dropped that is notimpassable terrain.

ALFROSTThe death world of Alfrost was rightly named.A planet far from its feeble star, it is a worldsheathed in thick ice. The weather can shift froman icy chill to a hail storm of frozen bouldersin an instant. The surface of the world is criss-crossed with deep chasms, many of which arehidden, covered by a thin glacial layer. TheValhallans discovered this at great cost, losingseveral Leman Russsquadrons - the only warningwas the ominous cracking of ice before the tanksplunged into the misty chasms below.

Nevertheless, the Valhallans continued tostrengthen their defences, even a_?the greenskinslanded. Like the Imperium, the Orks were drawnto Alfrost for the mineral known locally asstarglass. This unique and valuable element couldbe found in clusters strewn across the chasmedsurface of Alfrost. With the greenskin invasion,the Imperial harvesting operation was halted andthe Valhallans were sent forth to wrest controlof the quarries from the Orks. The Valhallan74th regiment advanced on the greenskin horde,taking the fight to the eager foe. That's whenthe berserker ice bears joined the fray, and theslaughter really began in earnest.

The Valhallan 74th leave the protection of their bunkers to face both the Ork horde and the freezing dements of the death world's surface.

SEARCH AND RESCUE DEPLOYMENT MAP

," - - - - - - - - - - - _. Player2 deployment zone,

Player 1 deployment zone.

Set-up Summary-"

• Take it in turns to set up D3+ 1 objective markers at least 12"

from a table edge or another objective,

• Roll-off for deployment areas.

• Players alternate placing units in their table half, more than 18'

from any enemy model.• Any number of units may be placed into reserve.

BREAKTHROUGH"Mission accomplished? Holy Emperor, we've been waiting for this vox for days!

Shame it's too late for the rest of the 122nd..."

For the ground-pounders stranded planetside.the nightmare is almost over. High commandhas sent through the orders to advance towarda drop site where the withdrawal can be madein earnest. The strike force receives the newswith elation; every hour on the planet hasclaimed the lives of those dispatched to it. andnot one of the soldiers fighting on-planet wishesto spend another minute there.

Unfortunately, there remains the small matter ofthe enemy forces locked in combat with thosewho remain. If anything the foe seem to be doingeverything in their power to force their way throughenemy lines, relocating to a target site of their own.Will there be anything left of the two forces oncethey've fought their way across the death world'slast reaches?

OBJEalVESThe objective of the game is to get as many units intothe enemy deployment zone as possible.

DEPLOYMENTSplit the table into halves and roll off to see whichplayer chooses the table half they will deploy in. Theopposing player deploys in the opposite half.

Next, the player that chose a table half deploys oneof his units at least 12" from the centre line. Then hisopponent deploys one of his own units, alternatingplacement until all units are deployed.

RESERVESPlayersmay place any number of units in reserve.

FIRST TURNThe players roll off to see who takes the first turn.

GAME LENGTHThe player that chose deployment zones rolls a diceat the end of game turn 4. On a 1-2 the game endsimmediately, and on a 3 or more the game continues.If the game continues then the same player rolls a 06again at the end of game turn 5; this time the gameends immediately on the roll of a 1-3, and continuesfor another turn on the roll of a_4+. The game endsautomatically at the end of game turn 6.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

VICTORY CONDITIONSAt the end of the game, each player totals thenumber of units he has in the opponent's deploymentzone (any unit, whether scoring or not). Troops unitscount double towards this total - hence a playerwith one Fast Attack unit and one Troops unit inhis opponent's deployment zone would score threepoints. The player with the highest total is the winner.If the totals are the same, the game is a draw.

SPECIAL RULESDeath World Hazards: This mission uses the DeathWorld Hazard tables as described earlier.

Frayed. Fragged and Frazzled: The two armieshave been stranded on the death world for far toolong, and the constant barrage of trauma is leadingto a breakdown of discipline, nerves or synapticinterference. All units have a negative modifierto their Leadership equal to half the current turnnumber (rounding up). For instance, on Turn 5, allunits will have a -3 modifier to their Leadership.

Furthermore, those whose frayed nerves finallybreak will run pell-mell for their target site. Torepresent this, units that flee will make their fleemove towards the enemy table edge instead of theirown table edge.

TYRANNOFORMED WORLDSIn the wake of a Tyranid invasion, even the mostidyllic of maiden worlds can become akin to adeath world. As it first approaches a prey world,a bio-fleet seeds the planet with billions of alienspores, spurring the native flora into unnaturalgrowth to maximise the potential biomass. Asthe Tyranids invade, the world is transformedinto a nightmarish landscape as the world itselfbegins to turn into a bioform. In the latter stagesof invasion, as the last of the defenders aredefeated, the process of consumption begins, asacidic digestion pools are bored into the planet'scrust to render the bodies of the fallen down intobiological gruel to feed to the descending hiveships. Finally, as the hive fleet departs for anotherworld, the planet is left barren and utterly lifeless.

Stranded planets ide as the hive fleet begins to digest the world itself. Ragnar Blackmane leads his Space Wolves in a spirited breakout.

BREAKTHROUGH DEPLOYMENT MAP

Player 1 deploymem zone.

, .. - -- -_ .. -- -- - -_. Player2 deployment zone.

Set-up Summary• Roll-off for deployment areas .

• Players alternate placing units in their table half more than 12"

away from the centre line:"

Battle Missions: Death Worlds 83

WEATHER,THE STORM"Stuck on this Emperor-forsaken hell of aplanet, right in the middle of ablazin' electrical storm?

Something tells me the top brass don't wantus around no more..."

The storms that ravage death worlds are aclass of their own. The skies rage and growl,the atmosphere boils, and thunderheads hanglow in the skies. As armies clash on the heavingground below, the planet itself writhes with thetitanic forces exerted upon it. Deadly lightningarcs down to ground itself on the troops below.

Abandoned on the surface of an exceptionally violentdeath world, the two armies have been laying intoeach other with every weapon at their disposal. Thebattle lines have become confused in the carnage andboth sides form coherent battle lines more throughluck than design. Each soldier secretly believes it can'tget any worse; that is, until the skies darken and anelectrical storm of unprecedented magnitude rolls in.

OBJECTIVESThere are no objectives in this mission, other than tosurvive the hostile environment!

DEPLOYMENTSplit the table into six equal sections as shown in thedeployment map (this is very easy to do if you havea Realm of Battle board, as it is already divided intosix such zones). Then divide the board lengthwise,and roll off to see-which player chooses the table

Battle Missions: Death Worlds

half they will deploy in. The opposing player deploysin the opposite half. Next, the player that chose atable half deploys one of his units. Then his opponentdeploys one of his own units, alternating placementuntil all units are deployed. No unit may be deployedwithin 18" of an enemy.

Before deploying a unit, roll a D6. That unit mustbe deployed wholly within the section of theirdeployment that corresponds to the D6 result (seedeployment map).

RESERVESPlayers may place up to half of their units in reserve.

FIRST TURNThe players roll off to see who takes the first turn.

GAME LENGTHThe player that chose deployment zones rolls a diceat the end of game turn 4. On a 1-2 the game endsimmediately, and on a 3 or more the game continues.If the game continues then the same player rolls a D6again at the end of game turn 5; this time the gameends immediately on the roll of a 1-3, and continuesfor another turn on the roll of a 4+. The game endsautomatically at the end of game turn 6.

VICTORY CONDITIONSAt the end of the game, each player counts up thenumber of units he has left in play, and adds oneto the result for each enemy unit he has destroyed.The player with the highest total is the winner. If thetotals are the same, the game is a draw.

SPECIAL RULESDeath World Hazards: This mission uses the DeathWorld Hazard tables as described earlier.

Deafening Thunder: Due to the shrieking gales andrumbling thunder that constantly rolls through theclouds above, communication is all but impossible.Morale tests must be taken using the majorityLeadership of the unit, not the highest Leadership inthe unit. For instance, a unit of five Grey Hunters (Ld8) joined by a Wolf Lord (Ld 10) must use the GreyHunters' Leadership of 8 for Morale tests.

Lightning Strikes Twice: Once you have resolvedthe usual roll on the Death World Hazards tables atthe beginning of the turn, roll a separate D6. TheSeeker Lightning result is triggered at the beginningof the turn on the roll of a 4+. See the EnvironmentalHazards table for details.

CONTEXTUALISING DEATH WORLDSThere are many types of death world scatteredacross the stars 50 you may want to interpretthe Death World Hazard results to fit with yourown battlescape. In the sub-zero temperatures ofan ice planet, for instance, the Magma Eruptionmight be a fountain of freezing liquid - adaptedto fit that style of death world, but no less deadlyfor it. On a jungle world, the Indigenous Beastmight be a many-legged Catachan Devil, whereason a lava world it might be a flame-skinnedsalamander. Some players may wish to go onefurther, customising the Hazard Randomisertable to their own needs. The ice world of Fenrismay not use the Hellscape Hazards table (it'sabsolutely freezing, but at least it obeys thelaws of physics) but could instead replace it withanother Seismic Hazards result to represent theshifting, cracking ice floes underfoot. Conversely,a mechanical Daemon world might have twoHellscape Hazards results on the table, one ofwhich replaces the Indigenous Hazards result -even predatory fauna doesn't stand a chance!

WEATHERTHE STORM DEPLOYMENT MAP

Player 1 deployment zone.

Set-up Summary

• Roll-off for deployment areas .

• Players alternate placing units in their table half, rolling a D6 for

each unit and placing it in the corresponding table area more

than 18" from any enemy model.

,'- - - - - - - - - - - - _. Player 2 deployment zone.

Battle Missions: Death Worlds' 8'5