"The only justifiable risk is one that can do more harm to the enemy than it can to you. All risks must be calculated in your favour. Otherwise you are fighting for the enemy!"
Tactica Imperium

house rules
A. Vehicle cards for squadrons

Normally a unit has to charge the nearest enemy unit. This rule is change according to the following: To decide, which enemy unit to charge, measure if the relevant units fit into a 90 degree arc. If so, charge the nearest. If not, charge the unit nearest in one of the two different directions.

"In an army balance is the key to success. A commander who puts his faith in heavy weaponry alone will be outmanoeuvred. A commander who relies on close combat without suport will lose his force to enemy fire. Each element must work in harmony, so that the effectiveness of the army is greater than the sum of its parts."
Tactica Imperium

top

These are the rules for dangerous plants (taken from WD242). They are 2nd AND 3rd edition compliant. Some tips on how to include them in your games follow below.

How to include these fantastic killers into my games?

1. Through the subplots
   The first possibility to include the dangerous plants in your games is through the subplots. You just substitute one of the above results in the subplots-chart for a dangerous plant appearance. This could read like this: Dangerous plants inhabit the battlefield. Whenever a model moves into soft cover (vegetation), roll a D6. On a roll of 6 a dangerous plant is hidden in the bushes. Place the model on the appropriate position and apply the usual rules.
2. Plonk it down
   Simply put one or two dangerous plant on the battlefield after you´ve set up the rest of the terrain. Maybe each player gets to set up one plant.
3. Include a terrain generator
   Make up a list of plants, include your dangerous ones and roll on the list to generate random plants.
4. Deathworld veterans
   You can use the below Deathworld veterans rules! This represents your army locating the carnivorous plants and luring the enemy into a battle nearby.
   Each plant type includes a points cost with its rules and is paid for like any other unit. Hostile terrain doesn´t fill slots on the force organisation chart, but you cannot include more terrain choices than you have units that can ambush (for 2nd ed. make that "can infiltrate or come from death worlds (background)").
   The unit doesn´t have to ambush (infiltrate) though; it just needs to have the ability to do so. If you have two units catachan Devils and a sniper unit for example, you could take three plants.
   When used as part of a Deathworld Veterans army, the hostile terrain is secretly allocated to a square of the table just like you would for a booby trap (for 2nd ed. divide the table into equal squares (5"x5") and note in which one you want the plant to be). No more than one plant can be placed in one square. The plants also cannot be allocated to squares containing ambushing units or booby traps. Auspex or similar devices cannot detect the plants. When an army sets off a booby trap in the square where the hostile terrain is found, i.e. rolls a double on the difficult terrain table within the square (2nd ed: whenever a unit moves from one square to another roll 2D6, on a roll of a double,...) the plant reveals itself. Place the model anywhere within the square. Then scatter D6" in a random direction for the final location. If possible, the plant will attack immediately. In any case follow the nomal rules afterwards. The units in the Deathworld Veterans army won´t "wake up" the plant in any case, even if they fail the dice roll (the 2D6, remember?) That means in 2nd ed. the army containing the plants won´t have to take the test at all. However, once in play, the plant will attack any model moving nearby.
   That´s it.

Venus Mantrap - 20pts
The Venus mantrap is so-named due to its similarity to an ancient terran plant, rather than it is native to Venus. It emits a pungent aroma that most creatures find highly stimulating and as they investigate the source of the exotic scent, its jaw-like leaves snap forward toi devour them.
The scent of the Venus mantrap extends 2D6" from the plant, rolled at the end of every movement phase after it is paced. Starting with the closest model within this area, each affected model must pass a leadership test immediately or be devoured and be removed as a casualty. Once one model has been devoured, the mantrap will not attack anymore that turn (it is too busy munching the unfortunate victim).

Spore Tree - 35pts
These trees launch a cloud of spores when they detect something moving close by, to carry their seeds to other fertile areas. The spore cloud is so dense, the creature which disturbed the tree often chokes and dies. This is also useful for the spore tree as its victim´s decaying body will enrich the ground around its roots.
If, at the end of the movement phase, there is a model within 5" of the tree, test to se if the tree detects its presence. To do this, roll a D6 and compare it to the distance from the tree. If the roll is greater than the distance, then the spore tree will shower the area with spores. To represent this, place the Flamer template so that its narrow end is pointing towards the tree and the template is centered on the model it detected. Any model touched by the tmplate must make a successful armour save or lose a wound from spore inhalation. Vehicles are unaffected unless open-topped in which case they take a glancing hit (ignore in 2nd ed).

Strangleplant - 25pts
Strangleplants prefer shady spots to grow in, where their distinct tube-like trunks are hidden from view. When they detect the disturbance caused by a passing animal, their long, highly adhesive stamen uncoil, wrapping themselves around their prey and dragging them back to die of dehydration.
If there is a model within 6" of a strangleplant at the end of the movement phase, it will be attacked by the plant (it will attack the closest target, if there are more than one). The model must roll equal to or under its Strength on 2D6 or be removed as casualty. The model may add the distance from the plant to its Strength when making the test. A Strength 3 model that is 5" away must roll 8 or less to avoid capture, for example.

Brainleaf - 40pts
The Brainleaf, native to Catachan but now found on other worldss, is one of the most horrifying plants in the galaxy. It appears to have a rudimentary intelligence, albeit on an instinctual level only. Its leaves can detach themselves and fly short distances, embedding themselves into the nervous system of their prey. These leaves rapidly grow fibrous tendrils into their victim, allowing the brainleaf to control its prey´s actions to some degree.
At the end of the movement phase, roll a D6 for each model within 6" of the brainleaf, on a roll of 1 it has been infected and takn over by the brainleaf. This model counts as a casualty for all victory points, morale checks and any other purpose. Models that are controlled by the brainleaf act randomly. Roll for each model on the following table at the start of each of its subsequent turns. The model´s actions take place right at the start of the turn, before anything else. Whilst controlled by the brainleaf, the model automatically passes any Leadership test it is required to take (and will never fall back). If the brainleaf is destroyed, any models it is currently controlling immediately die and are removed as well.

D6	RESULT
1	Urgh! The brainleaf loses control of the model, leaving it to collapse to the ground and die - remove the model as a casualty.
2	Duh! The brainleaf cannot make the model attack this turn. If the model is not in contact with the brainleaf, it moves into contact with it.
3-4	Raargh! The model charges towards the model closest to the brainleaf and within the models charge range (there is no need to roll for dificult terrain). Move the model into base-to-base contact with its target if possible and resolve the combat as if it had charged. The target may not attack back. Once the model has attacked it is moved into contact with the brainleaf.
5-6	Blam! The model opens fire on the closest unit it can see with a model within 6" of the brainleaf, following all of the normal shooting rules.

Catachan Mantrap - 30pts
Although havinga a similar name to the Venus mantrap, the Catachan mantrap uses a much more aggressive hunting technique. It can move its leaves around, actively searchin out prey and clamping its jaw-like leaves around its victim.
At the end of the movement phase, the Catachen mantrap will make D3 attack against the closest model within 6" of it. These attacks have Weapon Skill 3 and Strength 5, resolved like any other close combat.

Miral Catcher - 25pts
A Miral Catcher is a ground-hugging vegetation which has roots that are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the ground, such as might be caused by an animal wandering past. It looks innocuous enough when dormant, but when it attacks, huge tentacles whip from its many frilled maws and lash out. They carry a paralysing toxin, which acts almost instantly.
If there is a model within 12" or closer at the end of the movement phase, the catcher´s tentacles will attempt to strike (attack the closest possible model): Roll 2D6 and comparethe score to the distance the target is from the catcher. If the score is les, the catcher misses. If equal to or over, the catcher hits home. The model suffers a Strength 6 hit (no AP).

Sucker Tree - 35pts
The Sucker Tree looks fairly innocuous to the untrained eye; it is simply a fungal-like growth an top of a seemingly normal trunk. However, the trunk can twist and turn when it detects prey, bending over to drop its suckers on top of the heads of its victims. It quickly drains them of their life fluids and then flings the corpse away, to ensure that future victims are not made suspicious by a pile of bodies.
The sucker tree has a range of 3" for its attacks, which it will make against the closest model within range at the end of trhe movement phase. Roll aD6 to attack the model. If the roll is equal to or more than the model´s strength, the model is devoured and removed from play.

Canak Floater - 40pts
Floaters are filled with lighter-than-air gases, and drift across the planet with the vagaries of the wind. They have sensitive feeler tentacles, which detect warmth and moisture above the normal local levels. This is usually to detect streams, hot springs and so forth, but unfortunately is also sensitive enough to detect the temperature and moisture changes caused by, let´s say a human... When it finds such a place, the floater explodes, scattering its seed pods over a wide area. These seed pods have a diamond-hard outer casing with razor sharp edges, and will scythe through anything within range.
Floaters do not remain in their original position. Instead, at the end of the movement phase, they will drift D6" in a random direction. If the floater ends its movement within 2" of any model, it explodes. Any model within 6" suffers a Strength 3 hit. (The hit has an AP equal to the distance the model is from the center of the blast.) Once it has exploded remove the floater from play. (Vehicles hit by a floater suffer an automatic glancing hit. Deduct the distance between floater and vehicle from the damage roll. A roll of less than 1 is considered to have bounced off the armour of the vehicle)

top