The Rules of Space HulkEach turn consists of 5 phases. The Space Marines always go first with the Command Phase. At the beginning of the Command Phase, the Marine side receives a number of Command Points, from 1 to 6. These are essentially extra actions that the Marines can take during the rest of the turn. Once the Command Phase is over, the timer starts and the next phase begins.
Next is the Space Marine's Action Phase. Each Marine receives 4 Action Points, which may only be used during the Action Phase. It is during this time that Marines may move, shoot, and perform other actions. It is important to note that once a Marine begins taking action, it cannot stop and continue after another Marine moves, except by using Command Points. Make sure that you coordinate with your fellow battle-brothers.
When all Marines have finished moving, or the time limit runs out, the genestealers get to have a turn. First is the Reinforcement Phase, in which additional genestealers enter play. Genestealers enter play as "blips". Each blip represents 1-3 genestealers...but only I know what they are until revealed. After this, the genestealer's Action Phase begins. Thanks to their superior speed and dexterity, genestealers receive 6 Action Points each. They can perform many of the same actions as Marines, but emphasize speed and agility.
Finally, there is the Mission Status phase. During this phase, the board is cleaned up and the GM checks to see if either team has fulfilled the victory conditions. If neither team has won, a new Command Phase begins and the game continues.
Action points are the bread and butter of Space Hulk. Everything you do, from walking down a corridor to firing an assault cannon, requires them. As previously stated, Marines get four AP each, and they cannot be shared or transferred between them. Thankfully, most actions require just 1 AP. Here is a list of possible actions, and their AP cost:
- Move forward one square (including diagonally): 1 AP
- Move backwards one square(including diagonally): 2 AP
- Turn 90 degrees: 1 AP
- Fire storm bolter or assault cannon: 1 AP
- Close Assault: 1 AP
- Open or close a door: 1 AP
- Clear a jam: 1 AP
- Fire heavy flamer: 2 AP
- Set Overwatch or Guard: 2 AP
Obviously, some of the things on this list haven't been discussed yet. I wanted to leave this list as a reference for any confused players.
Oh, and genestealers have their own action chart as well. Here it is:
- Move forwards 1 square (including diagonally): 1 AP
- Move sideways 1 square: 1 AP
- Move backwards 1 square (including diagonally): 2 AP
- Turn 90 OR 180 degrees: 1 AP
- Close Assault: 1 AP
- Open or close a door: 1 AP
You may notice that the genestealer list is somewhat different. Don't worry, all will become clear!
Now that you know about AP, let's start figuring out the proper way to use them, shall we? We'll start with movement. All movement in Space Hulk is done on a grid. Diagonal movement is often possible, though the narrow corridors which make up most maps offer limited use of this ability. In addition to movement, units also have a facing. Models can only face the cardinal directions; up, down, left, and right.
You may have been able to guess from the lore and the box art, but Terminator armor is big and bulky. Thus, they are somewhat limited. Genestealers, on the other hand, can not only turn on a dime and move sideways, but they can also turn 90 degrees as part of a move action for no additional AP cost. Blips do not have a facing, and all movement for them is 1 AP.
Up until this point, the genestealers have had all of the advantages. Well, no more! Almost every Marine in Space Hulk has some sort of long-range weapon, while the poor genestealers have none at all. Good thing too, as you'll see when we get to the close assault section...
All shooting is based on rolling six-sided dice, otherwise known as D6. Some weapons roll more than others, or require different results. Each weapon is different, but all are useful.
Let's start with the standard gun in the Marine's arsenal: the storm bolter. Unlimited ammo, unlimited range (for the most part), and powerful enough to easily kill a 'stealer. The storm bolter is an essential weapon and will probably fire the most shots in any single mission.
A Marine can fire his storm bolter for 1 AP. When this happens, 2D6 are rolled. If either of them show a six, the target is destroyed. This may not sound terribly great, but if the Marine fails to kill his target and fires again at the same thing, he gets a sustained fire bonus. With a sustained fire bonus, the target is destroyed if either die shows a 5 or better, doubling the chances of a successful kill. Sustained fire bonus lasts until the Marine either stops shooting, moves, or kills the current target.
Now, remember how genestealers could turn 90 degrees for free as part of normal movement? The Space Marines can do something similar! When a Marine moves or changes facing, he may fire his storm bolter for free. In this way you can move towards or away from a target, shooting the entire time. However, there is a downside to this; firing while moving does not give you a sustained fire bonus, even if you are shooting at the same target. You must remain stationary for that.
Next in the arsenal is the mighty assault cannon. This is probably the deadliest ranged weapon, though it comes with a few downsides. Like the storm bolter, the assault cannon only requires 1 AP to shoot. However, this gun gets 3D6, and will destroy it's target on a 5 or better. The assault cannon also benefits from sustained fire bonuses, increasing the kill chance to a 4 or better. Assault cannons may also fire while moving.
Now, here are the downsides. The assault cannon only carries so much ammo; it can fire 10 shots before it needs reloading, at a cost of 4 AP. Reloading gives you another 10 shots, but that's it. Reloading also carries significant risk; if the assault cannon has been reloaded and rolls three-of-a-kind on it's dice roll, the cannon explodes, killing the Marine holding it and potentially destroying anything else in the same map section.
Finally, we have the heavy flamer. While useful in many ways, the flamer has significant drawbacks. It only carries enough fuel for six shots, costs 2 AP to fire, has a range of 12 squares, cannot destroy doors, and does not benefit from sustained fire. Where it excels however, is mass destruction and area denial. The flamer can target any model or square in the Marine's firing range, and douse it with burning promethium. These flames will spread and fill the entire map section with devastation. Any model caught in the flames makes a single D6 roll; on a roll of 2 or better, the target is destroyed. This gives the flamer the best odds in the game for scoring kills, and a single flamer shot can hit (and eliminate) multiple targets. Surviving targets must remain stationary, or else risk death from further dice rolls. The flames stick around until the Mission Status phase, and while they remain they block line of sight and movement.
Of course, in the narrow, twisting depths of Space Hulk, guns aren't always a viable option. All Marines have a close combat weapon, and are trained in their use. Against normal opponents, these guys would be nearly unstoppable. Not against genestealers, sadly.
Melee combat, otherwise known as Close Assault, costs 1 AP to initiate. The models must be adjacent to each other (diagonals do not count), and the initiating model must be facing it's target. Melee combat, like ranged shooting, comes down to dice rolls. Each side gets to roll dice, and the highest number wins. Genestealers get 3D6 in close combat. The average Marine? 1D6. In normal circumstances, genestealers are the masters of close combat. However, all genestealers are identical, and don't get special rules. The Marines, on the other hand, have a wide variety of weapons to help hold the line.
The basic close combat weapon on Terminator armor is the power fist. This is a massive gauntlet that crackles with energy. It is normally used to punch holes in tanks, and it is a phenomenal weapon against the big and slow. Neither of those terms apply to genestealers. A power fist just gets a normal 1D6 in close assault. A Marine wielding a power fist might get lucky and win in close combat, but most of the time they should be using long-range weapons instead.
Similar to the power fist is the chainfist. This weapon is even more powerful than the power fist, but is even more bulky. In close combat, it performs identically to the power fist. It's true usefulness comes in it's ability to instantly destroy doors, no combat rolls required.
The next weapon is the power sword. While it isn't more powerful than a power fist (still only gets 1D6), it has the ability to force the genestealer player to re-roll his highest dice roll. Combined with the Guard action (which will be discussed later), a Marine wielding a power sword has pretty decent odds of survival.
Next we have lightning claws. These things are pretty badass, like if Wolverine's claws were wrapped in energy. A Marine wielding these gets 2D6 + 1 in close combat. However, since lightning claws are carried in each hand, the Marine in question has no ranged weapons.
Finally, we have the thunder hammer and storm shield. Like the lightning claws, a Marine carrying these weapons cannot use ranged weapons. However, the thunder hammer provides 1D6 + 1 in close combat, and the storm shield completely blocks one genestealer attack, causing the genestealer to only roll 2D6 instead of 3.
While their weapons give them several advantages, perhaps the greatest strength of the Marines is their tactical flexibility. There are two defensive moves Marines can perform that can help withstand the genestealer onslaught, both of which cost 2 AP. Both actions are reset during the Mission Status phase.
The first move is called Overwatch. A Marine in Overwatch locks his knees and prepares to fire on anything that moves. What this comes down to is that any time a genestealer makes an action in a watching Marine's line of fire, the Marine shoots at it, for free. This is a vital strategy for defending long corridors, as a Marine can gun down 'stealer after 'stealer without wasting additional AP, especially with sustained fire bonuses. Storm bolters and assault cannons are the only weapons that can make use of Overwatch.
Now, Overwatch comes with a few drawbacks. A storm bolter firing in Overwatch has the potential to jam, requiring the Marine to spend 1 AP to clear. If this happens at the wrong time, it could spell doom for the Marine in question. Assault cannons are designed for rapid, continuous fire and thus cannot jam. Also, keep in mind that performing any action other than clearing a jam will bring the Marine out of Overwatch. This includes attacking (or being attacked!) in close combat.
The second defensive mode is called Guard. A Marine in Guard mode may re-roll one of his close-combat dice if assaulted. It's basically a second chance to survive, and when used by melee powerhouses it dramatically increases a Marine's odds of living to fight another day.
Finally, we have the Marines themselves. There are several different kinds, and each mission will use different parties. Let's get started, shall we?
Sergeant
These guys are the leader of the Terminator squads. They come in two varieties, and have special rules. The first rule is that Sergeants automatically get a +1 to close combat rolls, as they are quite skilled. The second rule is that as long as a sergeant is alive, he may re-draw his team's Command Points. Keep in mind that the second result must be used, even if it is worse.
The first type of sergeant is the sword sergeant. He uses a power sword and storm bolter. Canonically, this guy is over 600 years old, but we aren't dealing with canon today, no sir!
The second variety of sergeant is the hammer sergeant. This dude carries a thunder hammer and storm shield, and he's a powerful melee fighter. Keep in mind that the +1 bonus for being a sergeant stacks with the thunder hammer's +1, giving this guy a +2 bonus in melee combat. Put him on Guard, and he can pretty much stop anything.
Heavy Weapon Guys
There are two varieties of heavy weapon experts. One carries a heavy flamer, the other an assault cannon. Both of them wield power fists for melee combat. These guys are usually important for mission objectives, so keep them alive.
Lightning Claw
A marine armed with lightning claws. Other than that, not much special about him.
The Grunts
They may have individual models and back stories, but they're all identical from a gameplay perspective. Each is armed with a storm bolter and power fist.
Door Opener
Though he has identical stats to the Grunts, this guy carries the only chainfist in the squad. Use him to cut open doors, or just as a normal marine. He is also armed with a storm bolter.
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Topic: Let's Play Space Hulk! -Mission 0 Start- (Read 19710 times)