Contents:
Space Hulk
Covert Operations: Imperial Guard in Space Hulk
There are times when Space Marines are not at hand and the situation is desperate. There are times when Space Marines would be wrong for the mission, this is often a political matter. At times like these the Imperial Guard steps in, for good or for worse.
When entering a Space |Hulk the Guard take only their very best troops, because they know that Lasguns and the Emperor’s faith will not suffice! The following rules are for using Imperial Guard, their weapons and special rules with Space Hulk.
Most of the normal rules for Space Hulk still apply, accept where noted below.
Unlike Terminators Guardsmen have five action points, this represents the added bonus of movement when you have very little armour. Guardsmen can also side-step, like Genestealers, into a square to their left or right. However, unlike Genestealers, they cannot turn 90 degrees for free (see action points table).
Because Imperial Guard are no way as well equipped or trained as Terminators, they receive a -1 penalty on all close assaults from Genestealers. The only exception to this are Captains (who can also parry) and Storm Troopers, the elite of the Guard.
Each squad contains a com-link and its generally a good idea to keep him alive, because if he’s the last alive at the beginning of his turn he can call for backup. On a roll of a 5 or 6 on a D6 remove the com-link model and place the exact same squad you started with in the entry area. This new squad has the same mission as the last. Also note that the board is left as it is, so doors which have been destroyed stay like that and so on (its at times like these you feel sorry for a Genestealer player).
Imperial Guard have also developed a technique for close quarter fighting, basically they shoot and hide. This allows you to fire and then move. Its just like the normal command of move and fire and all the penalties for sustained fire shooting apply, its just the other way around!
There are two sorts of Imperial Guard squad available for your command. Storm Troopers and a normal squad. You can fight any Space Hulk mission with these squads. Note though that for two squad missions in the original boxed set booklet it would be advisable to take Storm Troopers and with one squad missions a normal squad.
Normal Squad Consists of:
One Captain, armed with bolter, powerfist and sword.
Six Guardsmen, armed with Lasguns and knifes.
One Com-link trooper, armed with Lasgun and knife.
One Sergeant or Lieutenant, armed with bolter and knife.
One Guardsman armed with either a Flamer, Plasma Gun or a Melta Gun
Storm Trooper Squad Consists of:
One Commander (Captain), armed with Shotgun and sword.
Six Troopers, armed with Hot Shot Lasguns and knifes.
One Com-link trooper, armed with Hot Shot Lasgun and knife.
One Sergeant, armed with Hot Shot pistol and knife.
One special weapon Trooper, armed with knife and either Flamer, Plasma Gun or a Melta Gun
Note: For the loss of one Lasgun armed Guardsman or Hot Shot Lasgun armed Trooper, you may take another model armed with a special weapon (not Captain or Sergeant). This means your squad will be reduced to a strength of nine models.
Bolters/Hot Shot Lasguns/Hot Shot Pistols/Shotguns
Exactly the same rules as a storm bolter but you roll one less shooting dice.
Lasgun
Lasguns are similar to Bolters. The only thing is though, they are not as powerful. So sustained fire is not allowed. A perfect hit is needed to kill Genestealers and doors.
Note: Although the Lasgun is not that good, it does work well with the Guards rule of shooting then moving. This enables them to be quite mobile (or chicken)!
Plasma Gun
This Gun makes Storm Bolters look like water pistols! It has three sustained fire dice and can sustained fire even when moving. However it does need to recharge and one action point must be missed before it can fire again.
Melta Gun
Because this gun is quite cumbersome, any model using it only has 4 A.Ps (yes even Catachan Jungle fighters J ) instead of five. It has two shooting dice and can sustained fire when moving.
Note: That both the Plasma Gun and Melta Gun can sustained fire from their first shot. They do not have to wait until their second action point.
Using these rules you can play a normal game of Space Hulk (in a mission where flaming a room, or two, is needed refill canisters for flamers are allowed).
Imperial Guard squads are not Terminators (their cannon fodder), and so do not have the communication abilities of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. To represent this, as long as your Captain or Com-link are alive you may take command points. The Captain or Com-link shouts additional orders to the other squad members. If both of these men die you lose your command points permanently. With Storm Troopers they each have cameras mounted on their back packs and so do not suffer from this, they may take command points to the last man.
Tactics
With the Imperial Guard in Space Hulk you have to consider your objective (because sooner or later those excellent Lasguns on overwatch aren’t going to stop those waves of Genestealers) and achieve it quickly! Also try not to use command points with Plasma Guns, because it eats them up wholesale. The rest is the joy of using Imperial Guard in Space Hulk J.
Hive Fleet Kracken rages across the east of the Galaxy. Every where forces are hard pressed to repel the invasions. Amongst all this confusion a Space Hulk slips through the warp. Name, Mullocko. Route, Terra.
Initial Investigations by the Mentor Legion reported of a new breed of Genestealer, a different appearance and mental composure. Where as the usual Purestrain attacked in wave patterns, these infiltrated deep behind enemy lines and attacked at the weakest point.
The mentor Legion attempted the destruction of the Hulk by destroying the plasma reactor which gives it power. The whole Terminator company attacked. Vicious fighting took place, whole squads were wiped out by surprise attacks. With Genestealer ripping through walls and ambushes coming from behind, the Terminators were in trouble. Soon the company was reduced to squads fighting on their own deep within the hulk, desperately trying to destroy the reactor. Interference was too high to teleport. Flamers ran out and assault cannons jammed, they fought back to back and fell one by one. The Legions Terminators all died with over a thousand to one odds.
The Legion mustered its battle companies for a suicidal attack, it could not let the suits be lost forever in that spawn ship. Then disaster happened. The Techmarines reported that the Mullocko’s warp engines were powering up! A last ditch defense laser barrage merely crippled one of the five engines, and the Mullocko slipped out of the Legions grasp.
It reappeared three years later, with its deadly cargo, and only twenty days from Earth. Terra’s defense fleet came to meet it, they easily had enough firepower to destroy the Hulk. However word came from Earth to save the Hulk until a specimen had been captured of this new breed reported by the Mentor Legion. The message had come from the High Lords of Terra themselves.
Time was against the Imperium, with all the Space Marine chapters too far away to intervene in time. The only option left was to send in the Imperial Guard, their mission: capture a Genestealer and secure a bridgehead to retrieve the Terminator suits.
These new Genestealers could be an advance guard of another hive fleet, the Imperium would need to prepare for this. It seemed that the lowly Guard had an important mission, one which could decide the lives of millions.
Mission 1:1
Onboard the Majestic Captain Rowney considered his options, should he attempt an alien capture straight away or go for a more tactical approach?
As he mused a message appeared on the bridge screen, it was the primary scan of the Hulk Mullocko. The results showed the majority of Genestealers in, or around the ships old fusion reactor. The scan also reveled a high level of leakage which, if exposed to, would be lethal to his men. The best specimens were nearest the Primarch and would have to be flushed out from that dangerous area.
The only way to do this would be to make the reactor have a controlled leak, destroying part of the brood and forcing the rest out of hiding. This controlled destruction would have to be done internally, as an orbital nuke would be too destructive. Fortunately, Rowney, knew just the man for the job.
BACKGROUND
Sergeant Apone and his men must advance to the control room and secure the room from Genestealer attacks by closing the bulkheads (see main rules for closing bulkheads). By doing this he will have full access to the reactor. This beachhead will also enable the Guard to recapture the Terminator suits lost by the Mentor Legion.
Mission 1:2
While the attack on the control room happened, several dozen Genestealer attacked the Imperial Guard landing site on the Hulk. This action destroyed several Thunderhawk Gunships and most of Captain Rowney’s equipment was damaged. The close quarter fighting around the Thunderhawks was a brutal and short affair, favoring the Genestealers. Captain Rowney and his bodyguard were overrun even as Sergeant Apone completed his mission. Commander Hicks of the Storm Troopers valiantly fought through and destroyed the Genestealer incursion. But instead of finding the shattered body of Rowney, he found nothing at all.
Captain Rowney and his bodyguard had been taken away for implantation. He was still alive, although it was only a matter of time before he died. What mattered to Hicks was how he went. Pride was at stake now as Hicks led his squad into unknown territory. The Captain was going out in style!
BACKGROUND
Commander Hicks must lead his Storm Troopers to where Captain Rowney is being held and administer the Emperor’s grace on him and his bodyguard. Then, Hicks and any remaining Storm Troopers must exit via a teleporter.
Mission 1:3
The time had come. Commander Hicks watched the brave volunteer’s board the Thunderhawk. He tried not to think of what would happen to them, but they’d go down with honor at least.
The special Genestealer breed was proving difficult to catch by conventional methods. It seemed only live bait would suffice. It was Hicks last resort to do this and that last resort had come. He had posed the question to his remaining men in the company, he wanted some volunteers. One man stepped forward. A hard bitten veteran of Colonel Shaefer’s Penal squad. He said he would complete the mission - for a price! Amnesty would be granted, should he and his men live.
BACKGROUND
Sergeant Bull and his penal squad must capture a Genestealer, alive. To do this they must advance to a cargo storage bay and use themselves as bait to lure a Genestealer into the bay. Then they must close all the bulkheads before the Genestealer kills them all. Any left inside when the doors close will die. The Majestic can then remove the cargo from the exterior of the Mullocko for safe passage to Terra.
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Copyright (c) 1998, Owen Rees