These unofficial rules are provided for you to use as you wish. They were created by me, a dedicated fan of the 1st Edition Space Hulk game. Don't ask me about the 2nd Edition rules or any way to convert these rules for 2nd Edition. 2nd Edition is best recognised as a resource for spare board pieces, blips, counters and figures; it had very little intellectual value at all.
All of the rules on this website assume that you are thoroughly familiar with the standard 1st Edition Space Hulk rules, along with the Deathwing and Genestealer Expansions. Furthermore, the Campaigns book and some articles in the older White Dwarf issues are also assumed knowledge.
In other words, you know all about the Space Marines and their variety of weapons. You also know all about the whole host of different Genestealers and Hybrids that can be encountered and destroyed, along with Chaos Terminator Marines and Power Armour Space Marines.
The purpose and intent of this website is to expand the official rules by introducing new rules, characters, wargear and missions for all different types of Space Hulk games. As such, there will be minimal referencing to the official rules, unless it has been deemed important to clarify or alter something in the original rule books. Unless otherwise stated - all of the official rules still stand as written and provide the framework for the expansion to take place.
Play tough but fair and enjoy your games.
What now...?
There are plenty of new rules on offer in these pages. Take your time and scan the ones that initially appeal to you. There is no need to jump in and try every race at once. The rules were created one race at a time after constant play-testing to balance the effects that every race has on each other. The rules are structured in a way that you don't have to know what every race does if you don't wish to play them. Please note that the rules were also written based on the models that I either owned or was able to freely use. As such, these rules will grow in time as I purchase different models that I do not already own. If you own different models, then you may need to alter some rules or write new ones to suit your own forces. Watch for any updates on the index page to notify any changes.
Each race has a rules section and a forces section. The rules section describes all of the new characters, skills, weapons and wargear for that race. The forces section lists all of the available forces that you may purchase with your points for that race. You can use the bidding system from Deathwing, it works very well. Note that the forces and tables are stored as Excel files. You will need to have Excel installed on your computer to open them. They were designed this way to minimise my hassle with HTML and they can be sized to fit nicely on A4 pages when printed. There may be more than one active page on some of the Excel files (eg. Marine Forces).
Note that Genestealers and Tyranids do not have any points values. The random nature of drawing blips does not support fixed cost point value force lists for Genestealers or Tyranids. Suggestions are given on how you can introduce Tyranids into your games using the Tyranid Force List. Also note that the rules were mainly written for the older 2nd Edition models. Not all of the 3rd or 4th Edition changes have been covered as yet. There is huge variety in experimenting with different opposing forces against Genestealers and Tyranids. To try and even put a points value to the Genestealers and Tyranids would be ridiculous and take away so much opportunity to experiment with the Deathwing bidding system. In short, if you have a very strong Genestealer/Tyranid force with lots of Psykers, then players will just have to make sure that they bid enough points to be competitive in the mission!! You can play the same mission for days just experimenting with different forces!
What you should read...
You should read the New Rules, as they apply to all races where appropriate.
You should have the Action Point Table handy during games. It details just about every action that each character can make. The Action Point Table should be obvious and familiar to all.
You need to have the Close Assault Table with you during games. It lists each character with every possible close assault weapon combination that they are allowed. More importantly it lists the appropriate dice to roll that each character makes from the four possible close assault squares surrounding them. Each character makes different rolls depending on their facing when they are attacked. The Close Assault Table is designed to be simple and easy to use. Where a 'd' value is listed, roll the appropriate number of dice. Where a number, '+ 1', '- 2' etc, is listed, add or subtract the modifier to each dice rolled. Some weapons also have their special ability listed where appropriate. Try it!
Finally, you need the Ranged Weapons Table as a reference during games. Its format is based on the familiar spread in the Campaigns Book, so it should not be difficult to read.
A note about the Ranged Weapons Table...
You will see that every race and every weapon has unique characteristics. Far too many other websites gloss over different races and apply the unrealistic rule of: "Hit as a Terminator, Power Armour, Hybrid or Purestrain". This 2nd Edition style of thought totally ignores the fact that each race should be listed on its merits. For instance, Termagants are not as tough as Purestrain Genestealers, but they are smaller and more agile. They would be as hard to kill with a Target Weapon as a Purestrain Genestealer, yet if they were caught in a section effect weapon blast, they would die as easily as a Hybrid would. Thus the numbers required to kill a Termagant properly reflect this. Much thought and play-testing was put into the Ranged Weapon Table to make it as realistic and as accurate as possible.
Similarly, other websites will list a new weapon such as a dark lance, for example, and then state: "Treat as a las-cannon". Again, this 2nd Edition, simple minded thinking does not offer realism or any characteristically new features to the weapon. Though the hit rolls for a dark lance are the same as a las-cannon, they are different weapons because the model with the las-cannon must remain stationary when firing and suffers movement penalties. The dark lance can be fired on the move and does not hinder the Dark Eldar's movement.
Another final note about the Ranged Weapons Table...
You will see that some extremely tough creatures have numbers greater than 6 to be killed. Other websites take the 40K style of thinking and apply wounds to tough creatures. This system is completely in contrast to the whole design of Space Hulk. Space Hulk is a simple game that has one very clear rule; when you are hit, you are dead. If you want to include wounds and armour saves and invulnerable saves, then go and play 40K. If you want to use other non-six sided dice for hit rolls, then go and play a Role Playing Game. You are using the wrong system to worry about tough models having wound counters or other polyhedra dice.
These rules cater for tough models by making them hard to hit, just as they should be!!! For example, to hit a Carnifex with a storm bolter requires a score of 8. If you think about this, it becomes obvious that all you need to do is stand still and pump the Carnifex with a few rounds of sustained fire before it keels over and dies. The first shot requires an 8, the second shot needs a 7, then the third shot needs a 6, each following shot will only need a 5! A single shot on the run, or hurried overwatch shots are not enough to take down a Carnifex. Yet if you deliberately take aim and continue to pelt away, you are rewarded with a kill. It then becomes obvious that some weapons (the weaker ones without sustained fire) can't kill a Carnifex. But how realistic would it seem for a lasgun to kill a Carnifex with a single shot? Multiple lasgun shots would successfully anger a Carnifex so it charges with more rage than it did before. Quote: "Stop shining that flashlight at me!". These rules reward the cautious players with tough models, as they can exploit their opponent's inferior weaponry by charging them down in the hurried and often inaccurate fire of overwatch. The rules also reward smart thinking players who are able to ambush tough models and can spend many APs or CPs gunning them down.
If you are not convinced then think of this scenario: How would you like your Marine wearing Tactical Dreadnought Armour (that can survive hits from rail guns and can withstand the interior of plasma reactors) standing on overwatch, to be gunned down with a single shot from a Gretchin's shotgun? It makes far more sense that the Gretchin steps and shoots and is gunned down in overwatch fire from the storm bolter. If the Terminator was not on overwatch, then he deserves to be killed if the Gretchin has enough APs (or is cheered on) to keep sustaining fire.
Final Remarks...
These rules work extremely well, and have been play-tested extensively. They add a good touch of realism with the added detail of unique characteristics for each aspect of battle onboard the Space Hulk. The rules try and retain all of the original flavour of 1st Edition, without adding any unnecessary complications. All of the psychic rules from 1st Edition are fully embraced, as they offered a whole new dimension of strategy. Other websites simply prefer to dumb-down the psychic rules claiming that they are too difficult to use. People who think along these lines have probably not played enough games to appreciate the challenge of using the full psychic rules. Or, quite possibly, they probably just have trouble understanding any rules at all and give up.
In conclusion: If you don't like these rules, then you have wasted enough of your time reading this far. Otherwise, go ahead, arm your squad and glory to the Emperor!! Eat Metal!! Die Slimeball!!
Comments: tezzajw@hotmail.com
Last revised: January 28, 2006.