Many units have special rules, as indicated in the Army Lists. Further specific rules are included in the entries of individual units where appropriate. Note that not all of the rules listed here apply to units in the Army Lists of this book, but they are included so that players can get an idea of which rules might be appropriate for other forces.
Some troops excel at hand-to-hand combat, whether because of specific training, special abilities or even a cultural disposition. Each model in a unit with this special rule has two attacks in hand-to-hand combat when carrying out close quarter combat against infantry and artillery crew, regardless of what weapons they carry.
Fanatics are unwilling to give in and will die fighting rather than flee or surrender. When a fanatic unit loses half its numbers from enemy fire it does not take a morale check, and it continues to fight as normal so long as it includes at least two men. Should the unit be reduced to a single man he must take checks as normal.
When a fanatic unit is defeated in close quarter combat, the fight counts as a draw instead and the fanatic unit must always opt for a follow-on round of combat, although if their opponent declines, both units can consolidate as normal.
Whether they are conscripted militia, freed criminals, or just reluctant or inept fighters, some units are just not combat material. Shirkers must always take an order test when given an order, even where they are not pinned, and always count pin markers as a –2 penalty rather than the normal –1.
Raw troops are usually rated as inexperienced with a morale value of 8 – but some inexperienced troops may be too foolhardy or overconfident to understand their predicament. Green troops might run at the first shot, prove stubbornly fierce, or resistant to attack.
Green units are inexperienced with a morale rating of 8. The first time the unit suffers a casualty roll a die. On a roll of a 1 the unit suffers an additional D6 pin markers and goes Down – if it has already taken its action this turn, flip the order die to Down, if not then take an order die from the dice pot to show the unit is Down. There is no further effect. On a roll of 2, 3, or 4 the unit fights on as you would expect, this special rule has no further effect. On a 5 or 6 the unit is immediately up rated to regular with a morale value of 9 for the rest of the battle.
German heavy infantry attack a lone Siberian Horror
Tank hunter units are equipped with specialised close quarter anti-tank weaponry. This includes anti-tank grenades – possibly launched from a rifle – sticky bombs, gammon bombs, satchel charges, lunge bombs, Molotov cocktails and the like. If a tank hunter unit wins an assault and scores damage against an armoured vehicle, the effect is resolved on the Damage Result table as for a normal anti-tank penetration rather than as for superficial damage. See here for an explanation of how assaults against armoured vehicles are resolved.
A sniper team includes a marksman with a high-power telescopic sight and can also include an observer or loader. When a sniper shoots using a Fire or Ambush order, the following special rules apply. If a sniper shoots in any other situation the shot is counted as an ordinary rifle shot.
Rifle range is increased to 36” and the sniper adds +1 to his die roll to hit the target. The sniper is a crack shot equipped with a superior weapon and can pick off targets at long range. The sniper can aim at any individual model that he can see in the target unit, and if the target is hit and killed that specific model is removed as a casualty in the same way as for exceptional damage.
When rolling to hit, a sniper ignores all dice penalties for the target’s cover. If shooting at artillery a sniper ignores the gun shield rule.
Cavalry are generally treated as units of infantry except where noted below. Once dismounted they become infantry for the remainder of the game and the Cavalry special rule no longer applies.
The cavalry unit moves 9” at an Advance and 18” at a Run with the same terrain and movement restrictions as infantry, except that cavalry may not enter buildings.
Cavalry units may not select a Down reaction to enemy fire, they can however make a run to cover reaction. A cavalry unit can dismount as part of any Advance order; once dismounted riders move and fight as infantry. Troops cannot remount once dismounted.
Cavalry units can carry infantry small arms, but the only weapon that can be fired whilst mounted is a pistol or a carbine, in which case it is treated as a pistol. Note that carbines are treated as rifles when used by troops on foot. All other weapons can only be fired if dismounted.
Cavalry models fight at close quarters with three attacks in hand-to-hand combat regardless of how they are armed.
Motorbikes were primarily used by dispatch riders and reconnaissance units; as with cavalry they are generally treated as infantry with the following exceptions.
Bikers can dismount and fight as infantry, from which point the motorbike special rules no longer apply.
Motorbike units move 12” at an Advance and 24” at a Run with the same movement rules and restrictions as wheeled vehicles, except that motorbikes may make an unlimited number of turns.
Motorbike units may not select a Down reaction to enemy fire, they can however make a run to cover reaction. Motorbike riders can dismount as part of any advance order, once dismounted riders move and fight as infantry. Troops cannot remount once dismounted.
Bike riders can carry small arms but may not fire while mounted. Sidecar riders can shoot small arms when carrying out an Advance order. All other weaponry can only be fired when stationary, i.e. with a Fire order.
Bike are not allowed to make an assault action and if assaulted may make a free escape reaction regardless of whether they already have an order dice. If attacked at close quarters they are hit as soft-skinned vehicles (cannot be hit on run order, hit on a 6 on an advance and on a 4, 5, or 6 if stationary), and damaged as infantry (as per their experience rating). Motorbikes fight as infantry and may choose either point blank fire or hand-to-hand combat as normal.
Automatons have basic decision making ability but lack quick reactions and true human judgement. Automatons have the following special rules:
1.They cannot be given assault or Ambush orders.
2.They cannot carry out reactions
3.They must take an order test on every receipt of an order, even if they have no pin markers.
4.They may fire fixed weapons whilst moving, with the normal –1 to hit modifier.
5.They are immune to horror.
6.They cannot benefit from medics or the proximity of officers.
7.They cannot benefit from national special rules.
Units with the tough special rule may have a number of ways of resisting damage. Most commonly through effective armour, an unnatural tolerance to pain, or even from a rapid healing ability.A unit with the tough special rule rolls a D6 every time an opponent rolls equal or over its Damage value; the damage is ignored on a roll of 5+. Weapons with a damage penetration modifier of +2 or greater negate this special rule.
As a result of genetic manipulation and DNA splicing, certain troops in the German and Soviet armies are more animal than human. As such they often have oversized teeth and claws, making them terrifying opponents at Close Quarters.
Similar to the tough fighters rule, models with the tooth and claw special rule have three attack dice in hand-to-hand combat. Models with the tooth and claw special rule cannot also benefit from using a weapon’s special rules in hand-to-hand combat.
Some units of infantry are considerably larger than ordinary soldiers, notably the newer Rift-tech Heavy Infantry squads and some of the German and Soviet genetic enhanced infantry. Units with this special rule count double when calculating capacity for transports. For example, five US Heavy Infantry require a carrying capacity of ten in a transport.
Units that have the flight special rule move around the battlefield in long leaps, swoops or bounds. They do not stay airborne like aircraft, nor can they hover or manoeuvre freely at altitude. The rule is intended to provide movement options for troops with enhanced mobility such as Nachtjägers and US Firefly jump troops. The ability to move swiftly, whilst ignoring terrain is of great help to infantry that need to cover ground quickly whilst under fire. In some cases however, the extra attention such movement may attract can be tactically counter-productive!
Units with the flight rule may move up to 12” when advancing and 18” when running. Flying troops ignore any terrain restrictions on their movement, but must not end their flight in impassable terrain. Infantry with the flight rule may elect to move as normal infantry at the start of their activation, in which case they follow all normal rules for infantry movement.
With the advent of heavier and bulkier personal armour, from flak vests to powered suits, not all infantry can maintain the same pace across the battlefield. Squads with the slow special rule have a base move of 4” rather than the normal 6”. Accordingly, these troops therefore Run at 8”.
As genetic and DNA manipulation of military personnel becomes more widespread, certain enhanced infantry can move quicker than the average soldier. Squads with the fast special rule have a base movement rate of 8”, and therefore a Run move of 16”.
The presence of heavy armour and biologically-enhanced super soldiers has resulted in a generation of soldiers that are increasingly hard to kill, particularly without heavier weapons. Infantry units with the resilient rule may have heavy armour, tough skin or immunity to pain and injury; regardless they receive the same benefit. Troops with the resilient special rule have a Damage value of 6+ when being fired upon, they use their normal morale level in hand-to-hand combat.
Using fledging Infrared (IR) technology, a range of weapon scopes, vehicle sights and sensors have been developed for use on the battlefield. Rift-tech advances have meant power supplies are more consistent and equipment is far more compact than otherwise would have been the case. Units with the IR vision special rule ignore smoke and may fight normally during night-fighting scenarios.
Certain genetically-enhanced soldiers are capable of feats of incredible strength; as Germany and the Soviet Union continue to push the boundaries of Rift-tech, it is only a matter of time before these enhancements reach epic proportions.
A unit with the strong special rule has a Pen of +1 when rolling hand-to-hand damage (but not point blank shooting). When rolling to penetrate armoured vehicles in hand-to-hand combat, each successful hit against the target adds +2 to the roll rather than the normal +1. Units with strong also gain the tank hunter special rule.
Despite the grit and resolve of the soldiers fighting on the frontline, there are limits to the amount of mental trauma some men can take. Battle fatigue, or ‘shell shock’ as it was known in World War I, is not helped by some of the horrors stalking the modern battlefield. Creations from the bio-labs of Germany and the Soviet Union recreate nightmares of myth and legend, testing the resolve of the most hardened veteran. Certain units may have the horror special rule, which has the following effects on the tabletop.
Troops assaulted by units with the horror rule must take a morale check after the assault is declared. If they fail they may not carry out reactions and must conduct point blank fire and hand-to-hand combat after the horror-causing attackers. If they pass the test, they still fight after the horror-causing troops, but can carry out reactions as normal.
Troops that cause horror also unsettle soldiers around them, friend or foe. Any unit within 6” of a horror-causing model suffers –1 to their morale. This penalty will also affect targets of an assault, even if the assaulting horrors start over 6” away.
Troops that have the horror special rule are themselves immune to horror.
German Schreckwulfen
