Gemini Rules for Warhammer 40,000. Shooting Phase Rules

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Shooting Phase Rules

Gemini Rules for Warhammer 40,000.
These rules are now obsolete
Try the Gemini-ARAP 2.4 Rules
Shooting Phase Rules

BASIC RULES
        SHOOTING phase uses the weapon profiles and rules from 3rd/4th Ed but using some of the modifiers from WH40K-RT.

        To shoot at a target the target must be within range and visible to the shooter. How many times the shooter can fire and the range of the weapon will depend on the weapon type, whether the shooter has moved and conditions such as visibility.
        SHOOTING phase uses the firer's Ballistic Skill. The number of Attacks a model has in the profile is not used in SHOOTING phase and does not determine how many shots a model can take. To hit the target the shooter must roll against their Ballistic Skill (BS). A BS of 3 gives a basic 3 in 6 chance of hitting so a roll of 4+ is needed. A BS of 4 has a 4 in 6 chance so a 3+ is needed and so on.

        Hits are randomized among the eligible targets within a unit. A roll of weapon Strength (S) verses the target's Toughness (T) is made to see if damage is causes and the target may be eligible to make a saving roll to avoid the damage. If damage is caused and not saved the model takes one wound. If weapon strength was twice the target's Toughness unsaved damage takes all the target's remaining wounds and kills them outright.

        If in a single turn a unit takes casualties of 25% or More of its current strength due to shooting or Psionic attack it must test for Morale. If the test is failed the unit becomes Pinned.

        Shooting rules for Gemini games are very similar to those for Official WH40K but use some to-hit modifiers for target size, speed, cover effects and other factors.One of the differences that will be most noticeable is that these rules do not use the Cover Save system but instead impose to-hit modifiers for cover.

        Rules for using Area and Template weapons are a little different in Gemini rules. The shooter's Ballistic Skill does have an influence of whether an Area marker deviates and high trajectory and indirect fire are made using guessed ranges. Ballistic Skill is also used to determine if a target under a Template is hit. Rules for using Hand-grenades in the Shooting phase are included.

Heavy and Slow weapons cannot be fired if the model using them moved in the MOVEMENT phase that precedes that SHOOTING phase. A Heavy weapon also cannot fire if it traversed more than 90° during MOVEMENT.
Units that were Routing, in Pursuit or Breaking off during MOVEMENT cannot fire during the SHOOTING phase.
Marines don't so much rout as fall back while automatically consolidating. They can therefore fire with non-Heavy weapons in the following SHOOTING phase.

Line of Sight
        The main single factor that establishes whether a shooter can fire at a target in range is the Line of Sight (LOS). The basic rule of thumb is your model can not shoot what it can't see. When in doubt get down for a model's eye view. The exception to using the model's line of sight is if terrain such as jungles or woods are involved. To allow models to be placed in it Tabletop terrain is less dense than the terrain it represents.

        Official 4th Edition Rules divide models into three size classes. Size One are small creatures. Size Three are Monstrous Creatures and any Vehicles with the exception of Bikes. Size Two are most other models including Bikes, Terminators and Ogryn.

        There will be times when a model is partially obscured by cover. The quick rule is if the head torso, a leg or an arm can be seen there is a Line of Sight and the figure can be targeted. If only a headdress or back banner can be seen the figure cannot be targeted, although the enemy will be aware of its position. Moveable wings -ie those that are part of a creature are treated the same as back banners. Fixed wings, such as on an aircraft can be targeted. Weapons can only be targeted if they are a natural or integral part of a creature/machine. You can't shoot at a Guardsman if you can only see the barrel of his lazgun poking around the corner. Against vehicles the hull and/or turret must be visible. You can't destroy a tank just by hitting a barrel or antenna.

        When firing against a squad some members may be out of Line of Sight while some may not. In such a case hits and wounds scored are only applied to the figures in Line of Sight. Shots that scatter or are fired at a high angle may hit figures that are out of Line of Sight.

Shooting, Obstruction and Formation.
        There will sometimes be instances when a model cannot draw a direct line of sight to a target because another member of the squad is in the way. In real life this may not be a problem since troops will drop to a crouch or step to the side to fire. In Gemini rules a shooter can fire past no more than one member of the same unit who his blocking his line of sight. This assumes that target, shooter and blocker are all on the same level and that shooter and blocker are about the same size and in unit coherency. If a squad is moving in a neat file and an enemy appears directly in front only the first two members of the squad will have a clear shot. Likewise if a mob is in a tight bunch only those two-deep at the edges can shoot or throw rocks, not those in the centre.
        In the first example above it may occur to you that if the file is not so neat more of its members might have a chance of firing. To increase their chances of a clear shot infantry use simple formations, the most common being the Line, Vee, Arrowhead and File.
        The Line gives maximum firepower to the front but only part of the unit can fire to the flank. The Vee is like a line but with the centre elements pulled back. It gives good frontal firepower but is better at promptly dealing with threats that appear to the sides.
        The Arrowhead gives good frontal and lateral coverage. Where the Line and Vee are usually used as fighting formations the Arrowhead is used more for movement when the direction the enemy will be encountered in is not know. The File is used for easy movement through terrain. Its firepower to the front is weak but against lateral attacks it is effectively a line formation.

        While members of the same unit may be able to fire past other members of the same unit one unit cannot fire through another unit. Gemini rules differ here from 5th Editions rules, that let you fire thriough enemy and friendly units.

Movement and Shooting.
        An important aspect of understanding how WH40K works is to grasp the concept that although MOVEMENT and SHOOTING phases are played sequentially they are really simultaneous events.
        For example, a fast moving skimmer makes a long move, sweeping by a pistol-armed assault unit and finishing behind a building. The skimmer started off out of range of the unit's pistols and finishes out of sight -can the assault unit fire upon it during their turn?
        The answer is “YES” if any part of the Skimmer's course took it within range of the unit's pistols. If the vehicle moved close enough they may even assault the vehicle. If successful in stunning the crew, immobilizing or destroying the vehicle the model didn't finish its move and is moved back from behind the building to the point it was attacked.
        This also explains how models that dart from cover to cover can still be hit. Staying behind Hard Cover gives a hit modifier of -2. Moving from Hard Cover to separate piece of Hard Cover within move distance makes the model -1 to hit. Moving from Hard to Soft, Soft to Hard or from Soft Cover to more Soft Cover are all at -1 to hit. Chance of not being effected by a blast marker won't exceed 1 in 6, depending on location of blast centre. Concepts such as Hard and Soft Cover will be explained in a later section.

SHOOTING.
        Weapons are fired at any target withing the firing arc and within range of the weapon being used.

        In the original WH40K-RT rules shooting could only be conducted against targets within a 90° arc of the front of the model. 3rd Edition and later did away with firing arcs for Infantry, allowing them to fire in any direction irrespective of facing. In Gemini rules I have chosen to give Infantry models and Dreadnoughts a 180° arc of fire, which is also taken to be their field of view for purposes of establishing line of sight. This 180° arc may be taken to be represented by a line that runs transversly through the centre of the model's base. Size One and Size Two targets must be entirely ahead of this line to be eligible as targets.

        Monstrous creatures may fire up to two weapons in the SHOOTING phase.

        SHOOTING phase uses the firer's Ballistic Skill. The number of Attacks a model has in its profile is not used in SHOOTING phase and does not determine how many shots a model can take. This is determined by the sort of weapon being fired, whether shooting is at long or short range and whether the shooter moved in the MOVEMENT phase.

Rapid Fire weapons can fire 2 shots per turn to 12” range if the shooter is moving. If the shooter did not move that turn they may fire 2 shots to 12” range or one shot to the maximum range of the weapon.
Assault Weapons shoot to maximum range as many times as for that type of weapon regardless of if the model moved or not. Assault Weapons can be fired once when Charging
Pistols can be fired twice at targets up to 12” away if the shooter is static, once to 12” if the shooter moved. Pistols can also be used in Close Combat and fired once when Charging
Heavy Weapons shoot to maximum range if the shooter was stationary but do not fire if the shooter moved in the MOVEMENT phase that precedes that SHOOTING phase. A Heavy weapon also cannot fire if it traversed more than 90° during MOVEMENT.
Slow Weapons fire once per turn but cannot fire if the shooter moved in that turn. Slow Weapons can fire if they traversed more than 90° in that MOVEMENT phase.
Units that were routing, in pursuit or breaking off during MOVEMENT cannot fire during the SHOOTING phase.
Marines don't so much rout as fall back while automatically consolidating. They can therefore fire with non-Heavy weapons in the following SHOOTING phase.

        These restrictions mainly apply to normal infantry. A Rapid Fire weapon mounted on a Vehicle, Dreadnought or War Robot would always be regarded as stationary even if the the vehicle was moving so can always fire 2 shots to 12” or one shot to maximum range. Heavy weapons used by Vehicles, Dreadnoughts, War Robots or Terminators can be fired if moving.
        A shooter firing from a moving vehicle would count as being stationary for firing purposes.

        As can be seen above, keeping track of which units have moved or not is quite important. Although this sounds rather involved it needn't be. In your MOVEMENT phase either move a unit or place a counter beside it to show it did not move. In the SHOOTING phase units with a counter can fire Slow and Heavy weapons or fire their Pistols or Rapid Fire weapons using the rules for stationary firers. All other units follow the firing rules for moving units.

Slow and Heavy Weapons.
        The term “Slow weapon” will be used in Gemini rules for weapons that obey the same firing rules as for Heavy weapons but are not physically heavy. The Sniper rifle is therefore a Slow weapon. You'll note that if a unit armed with muskets is in a static position it can deliver quite a reasonable rate of fire, which is mirrored in real life.

        Slow weapons fire once per turn when entitled to fire.

        The main difference between Slow and Heavy weapons in these rules arises if a shooter was stationary during the MOVEMENT phase but traversed. A Heavy weapon cannot fire if it traversed more than 90° during the MOVEMENT phase, while a Slow weapon can unless the shooter used up all their movement allowance turning (which is highly unlikely).

        Note that some Heavy Weapons are mounted so that they can traverse more than 90° and still fire. Most vehicle mounted weapons are of this category.

        MOVEMENT and SHOOTING restrictions for Slow or Heavy weapons in Gemini Rules only apply to the actual users, not to the rest of the squad.

Suspensors
        Suspensors are weight nullifying devices that are sometimes fitted to the Heavy Weapons of advanced, well-equipped units. A Suspensor-equipped Heavy Weapon can fire if the model carrying it moved but at a -2 to-hit penalty and only to Half Range or 18”, whichever is the lesser. Suspensor-equipped Heavy Weapons cannot be fired by Consolidating units.

Short Range.
        These rules will sometimes refer to weapons being used at short range. This can be assumed to mean being used at 12” or less. For weapons with a maximum range of 12” or less short range is taken to mean half its maximum range.

Selecting Targets
        To fire at a target it must be in range. In formal games the range to the target is measured after the intent to shoot at the target has been declared. If a nominated target is beyond the maximum range of the weapon the shot automatically misses. Measure the distance from each potential shooter to the nearest membe of the target unit. Those that are in range may inflict casualties on the target unit. Target unit members not in LOS or fire arc cannot take wounds unless hit by a scattering marker or high angle fire.

        Normally an individual model in a unit cannot be specifically targeted and any hits must be randomized among the models eligible as targets. Specific models can be targeted if

Range is 3” or less and there is no closer target.
The target is considerably larger than other models in the unit, such as a Size Two model among Size One creatures or a Size Three among Size Two. As a general rule only allow troops to individually target Large Targets such as Vehicles, Dreadnoughts and Monstrous creatures and randomize hits among normal troops as described below.
Models moving independently of a squad (more than 3” from a friendly unit) can be specifically targeted if there are no more numerous targets within the firing arc at closer range.
Imperial Assassin characters with the Marksman ability are allowed to target specific models at any range.

        With Area weapons it can remove a lot of fun if players are allowed to use them like sniping weapons to knock out Leaders and Heavy weapons. 4th Edition rules suggest that once the number of casualties is determined the player who owns the unit gets to pick who got killed from the whole unit -which seems a little unfair in the other direction.
        Under Gemini Rules direct fire shots made with Area weapons are initially aimed at the centre of the visible part of a unit. This means the whole unit is treated as a single target, not its members. If in a line or column the shooter can specify the middle of the left or right side of the formation, or left, right or centre if a very long formation. An Area weapon can only be aimed at an individual if they are not part of a unit or are a Larger Target.

Randomized Hits and Specific Targets.
        Hits scored on a unit are usually randomized within that unit with priority being given to the forward ranks. Potential casualties must be within the firing arc and range of the weapon or within the Blast marker or Template if these are used.
        If all the models in the unit have the same toughness and armour save determining who was hit can be left until the number of wounds scored is established. If this is not the case it will be necessary to work out who his hit before wounds are determined.
         If three hits were scored and there were four possible targets some means may be used such as throwing three D6s and re-rolling any 5+ rolls. Note that it is quite possible for one model to get hit several times if they are unlucky. The Randomized Hit rule prevents players concentrating their fire on Leaders or Heavy weapons.
        Often the majority of a unit will have the same profile and equipment, so it may not matter which actual model was hit. For example, most of a Marine squad will have Bolters. For such Rank and File models my inclination is that casualties should be removed from the models closest to the shooter, representing how fire can slow an advance or charge.
        Your unit may include Independent characters or squad members with different profiles or equipment to the rank and file so you will have to dice to see if these characters or the Rank and File take hits. For example, a unit of eight takes three hits, so I roll the D10 dice I have to hand. A roll of 1 indicates the Leader is hit, a roll of 2 the Special Weapon trooper and a roll of 3-8 a hit to the Rank and File models. If I roll a 9 or 10 I re-roll till I get a lower number.
        As stated above when randomizing shooting effects you either do it when allocating hits or with wounds. When allocating hits it is quite possible for the dice to show one or more models to be hit more than once. Treat these as separate S vs T and Save rolls, and if any are failed the model takes the wound(s).
        If all the models in the unit have the same Toughness and Save then it is easier to determine the number of wounds scored then allocate these. For Rank and File figures with W1 one figure is removed for each wound. Figures can only be removed if they were eligible as casualties (within range, LOS and fire arc). If more wounds are scored than there were eligible targets these wounds are lost and not passed on to the rest of the squad. Dice may give Independent or squad characters more than one wound. Apply these to the individual and remove the model if they loose all their wounds.
        Some units will have Rank and File models that have multiple wounds. In such situations it is preferable to remove whole models rather than try and keep track of individual wounds. So if a unit of W2 models takes 5 wounds you'd remove two models and allocate a wound to a third rather than trying to keep track of which five models only have one wound left. Multiple wound character models such as Independent characters, unit leaders and special weapons users take wounds as they are rolled. Remember having a wound will affect the model's shooting, running and psychic abilities.

Fast Dicing.
        Gameplay can be speeded up considerably if your dice throwing is organized. This is best illustrated by an example.

        Five Marines are firing on another unit, and need a 3+ to hit. Five dice are thrown at once and scores are 1, 1, 3, 5 and 6. The three dice that passed the roll are picked up and the “to wound” roll made with them, which also needs a 3+. A 2, 4 and 5 are thrown. Two dice are picked up and passed to the opposing player and used to make the Save throws which need a 4+. 1 and 4 are thrown so one model is killed.

        If one of the Shooters was using a different weapon to the others a different coloured dice would be used for him. This is also done if one or more of the models needed a different target score.
        It's a good idea to have plenty of dice available and have a few of them of different colours.

Ballistic Skill
        Shots in the SHOOTING phase, grenade throws etc are all made using the Shooter's Ballistic Skill. With a BS of 1 a hit is only scored on a hit of 6, with a BS of 5 or higher the shot hits on a 2 or better. A minimum score of 2 is always needed.
        It is easy to remember the score needed if you remember a BS of 1 gives a 1 in 6 chance, BS of 4 at 4 in 6 chance etc. Alternately you can get the basic target score by subtracting the BS from 7.
        A BS of 6 or more may be encountered. BS of 5 or greater still need a roll of at least 2 to hit. A 1 is always a miss. In Gemini rules BS higher than 5 allow the shooter to ignore certain values of negative to-hit modifier. BS6 ignores -1, BS7 ignores -2, BS8 -3, BS9 -4 and BS10 -5.

        For Example:- A Baby Razorwing would be -1 to hit due to small size and another -1 due to its speed for a total of -2 to hit. With BS5 the shooter would hit on a roll of 4+. With BS6 -1 of modifier can be ignored and a 3+ is needed. With BS7 or greater the full -2 of modifier can be ignored and the Razorwing is hit on a 2+.

        Some targeting devices or weapons may take the minimum dice roll needed to less than 2. Such instances are treated in the same way as if the shooter had a very high BS - a roll of 2 is still needed but certain values of negative modifier can be ignored.

7+ To Hit
        Some modifiers may take the required to-hit roll to a value of 7 or more. A good example of this would be a small target in hard cover. While such a thing would be very difficult to hit it would not be impossible, especially if the whole squad fired upon it. To roll a “7” each shooter would usually have to roll a 6 in their to-hit roll and then attempt to roll of a 4+. For an 8 a player would need a 6 then a 5+, and for a 9 two 6s in a row. A required roll of 10 can never hit.

Hit Modifiers
        These modifiers are added or subtracted from the dice score made against the target score derived from the shooter's BS. The modified dice score must equal or exceed the target score for the shot to hit.

+1	Firing at a Large target	Anything over 3 metres high or long or ruled to be Size Three. Dreadnoughts and most vehicles and buildings are Large Targets. (This modifier does not apply to Area weapons. See note below.)
-1	Firing at a Small target	Anything under 30cm long or high or ruled to be Size One. (This modifier does not apply to Area weapons)
-1	Firing from a moving surface	Such as from a vehicle, horseback etc
-1	Firing at a fast-moving target	Applied for every full 12” moved in its previous turn. (This modifier does not apply to Laser weapons)
-1	If the firer is wounded	The firer has suffered any wounds unless healed or regenerated
-1	Target behind soft cover	Vegetation, wood or trees or figure lying down
-2	Target is behind hard cover	Stone, brickwork, walls, bulkheads, in trench
-1	Firing a pistol in each hand	See the “John Woo” rule.
-1	Tactical Movement	Firing while using tactical movement
-1	Throwing improvised weapons	Throwing bricks and other missiles.

        Laser beams travel at the speed of light. Troops using Laser weapons are not subject to modifiers for firing at fast moving targets.

        Large target usually refers to Size Three models such as Vehicles, Dreadnoughts and Monstrous Creatures. According to WH40K-RT Ogryn are 2½-3 metres tall so a shade less than 3m high and are therefore not +1 to-hit. A normal-sized human on horseback would not be a large target. Both Ogryn and typical Cavalry are Size Two.
        Some Artillery weapons can be considered as Large targets while others such as Thudd guns and Rapiers are quite small even when it is considered that shots are randomized between crew and weapon so technically both are the target. To add confusion the Thudd guns made by Forgeworld are quite large while the classic models are much smaller. In such cases the GM must decide on an individual basis if the +1 modifier applies.
        The +1 bonus for large targets is a legacy of the original Rogue Trader rules. This bonus can make things a little too easy for units with relatively high Ballistic Skill. A Chaos Havoc with a Lazcannon and a BS of 4 gets to hit a vehicle on a basic 2+, for example.
        For Gemini rules the following modifications are suggested:-

Area Weapons do not get a +1 bonus for large targets.
Template Weapons get a +1 bonus for Size Three or larger targets.
All other Weapons only get a +1 bonus if the range is less than 12” and the target is extra-large. Extra large targets are bigger than a Land Raider and include such things as Super Heavy Vehicles, Titans, Juggernauts� and Very Large buildings.

Cover.
        Soft cover (actually concealment) and Hard cover both affect the likelihood of hitting a target. Soft cover gives -1 to hit and Hard cover -2 to hit. I feel this is more realistic than using cover to generate an alternate save as is the policy in 3rd, 4th and 5th Ed rules.
        Line of sight must be figured into this, however. Troops in a building can only be targeted at -2 if they are visible in windows etc. Likewise troops in trenches can only be shot at if heads up or the shooters are in an elevated position. Troops on a roof are in hard cover to those below them but have no cover against attackers from above.
         Soft and Hard Cover makes a target -1 or -2 to hit, depending on line of sight. A model must be within 1½” of a low wall, hedge etc to claim protection from it but cannot claim protection if the shooter is also within 2” of the model. A model must be within 1½” of a corner of a building to claim protection from it. These distances are measured from the centre of the base. If any part of the model's body (head, arms, torso and legs) are not in clear line of sight of a shooter, the model can be claimed to be in cover . To make things simple, if half or more members of a coherent unit are in cover all members are considered to be in cover. If more than half are out of cover none of the members are considered to be in cover. Hits scored should be allocated so that unit members with a lower level of cover are removed first. Since this will change the proportion of members in cover the to-hit modifier for the unit may also change.

        Most of the rules that define if a model is hidden also regulate whether a target is in cover. A model in cover can be targeted but is harder to hit.

        Soft cover is mainly concealment that obstructs the enemy's view of the target. Vegetation, woods or trees. Troops within woods are automatically in soft cover from troops outside. If deep in the woods and not shooting they may be considered to be hidden. Soft cover gives a -1 to hit.

        Hard cover is brickwork, trenches, vehicles, rocks and anything that will obscure vision and also offer some physical protection.

Targets in Smoke and Firing Wild.
        Normally a model must have line of sight to a target in order to shoot at it but exceptions will arise. A model may want to shoot around a corner without exposing themselves to counter-fire or may blaze away into the darkness or smoke in the hope of getting lucky.
        Firing wild needs a roll of a 6 to hit, irrespective of the shooter's BS. This may still be subject to to-hit modifiers for size and cover. Note that if the score needed for an aimed shot is 7 or greater the model cannot claim to be shooting with its eyes closed so it only needs a 6!
        Firing wild cannot be done with Bows, Crossbows, Slings, Antique Pistols or Muskets. The chances of scoring a hit are too low.
         Since Smoke blocks Line of Sight firing into a Smoke cloud, through a cloud, out of a cloud or between units in a smoke cloud is treated as firing wild shooting so needs a roll of a 6 or higher to hit, irrespective of the shooter's BS. Lasers with a Strength less than 6 cannot fire through smoke at all. Lasers with a Strength of 6 or more have their Strength reduced by 2 if firing through smoke. Area weapons firing into or out of smoke treat their targets as hidden, so use guess range, no BS modifier to the scatter roll and deviate by the sum of highest scoring pair of three D6. If a hit is rolled the marker still scatters D6”.
        The above rules assume that the models cannot see through the smoke. If they have Infra-vision they may shoot as normal. Blind-grenade clouds follow the same rules but models with Infra-vision cannot see through then either, so have no advantage.

Corrective Aiming
        Shooters who do not move and continue to fire at the same stationary target may add +1 to their chance of hitting for the second and subsequent shots. This is only applied to Barrage fire if the shot is observed by the shooters or by an observer in communication with them.

Damage and Double Strength Rule (Instant Death).
        If a target is hit then the target's Toughness is compared to the Weapon's Strength. The chart in the rulebooks gives the minimum D6 score needed to cause damage. Successful hits with any weapon inflict one wound.
        Some models have more than one Wound in their profile. Such models are not removed from play until they are wounded as many times as they have wounds. Keep a track of how many times models that can take more than one wound are damaged. A model with multiple wounds that has been wounded shoots at -1 until healed or regenerated.

        If a creature with multiple wounds is hit by a weapon with twice the Strength of the target's Toughness and it fails its Saving Throw it is instantly killed, no matter how many wounds it had. Ignore Toughness bonuses for being mounted on bikes, special attributes etc, use the basic toughness of the model.

Saves, 3rd Ed Body Armour Penetration Rules and Invulnerability
        In WH40K-RT many weapons had a save modifier. If a target had a saving roll of 5 or 6 and the Save modifier was -1 the model was only saved if it rolled a 6.
        In 3rd Ed Save modifiers are replaced by an AP (Armour Piercing) value. If the weapon has a AP of 5 models wearing armour that saves on a 5+ has no saving roll against that weapon. A target wearing 4+ armour still saves if he rolls a 4, 5 or 6.
        Some creatures have a “Invulnerable” save. This means the creature can always attempt a saving roll even if hit by a weapon with an AP the same or better than its save.

        Old weapon profiles can easily be converted to the AP system - those that gave a save modifier of -1 now automatically penetrate armour with a save of 6, those with -2 penetrate armour with a 5+ save, those that has -6 penetrate +2 save armour etc.
        Needlers give an extra “pip” to the saving throw (convert a 4+ to a 3+ etc). A model with no save still gets a save of 6 against Needler weapons.
        Armour values in 3rd Ed have been changed. Imperial Flak armour is 5+, Marine armour 3+ etc. 3rd Ed rules also have no encumbrance for any armour. Some armour values for Gemini rules are.

Armour	Save	Move penalty
Marine Power Armour*	3+	none
Terminator Armour*	2+	none
Imperial Flak Armour	5+	none
Imperial Mesh	4+	½”
Imperial Stormtroop Carapace*	4+	½”
Heavy Mesh	3+	1”
Heavy Carapace Armour*	3+	1”
Eldar Mesh Armour*	5+	none
Eldar Aspect Armour*	4+	none
Squat Exo-Armour*	2+	none
Ork Body Armour	6	none
Ork 'Eavy Armour	4+	½”
Ork Mega Armour	2+	2”
Dark Eldar Incubi Armour*	3+	none
Tyranid Warrior Carapace	5+	none (body part)
Chain Mail/Light Plate	6	½”
Plate Armour	5+	1”

        Items marked with * are assumed to be air-tight for purposes of determining gas effects.
        Encumbrance or move penalty can be considered as optional. It can be assumed that experienced fighters are so used to their Armour it no longer slows them. Move penalty may change for some armours if worn by a different species or may be applied if the wearer is not used to armour. The GM may also decide that primitive armours such as mail or plate do effect the wearer.

        No model will ever have a save of better than 2+. A dice roll of “1” will always be a failed save.

Shields
        A shield that gives protection against shooting damage provides protection against Shooting attacks from the front only. It only protects against Area attacks such as Frag blasts if the centre of the blast template is forward of the model. In close combat shields are taken to provide protection from attacks from any direction.
        A model carrying a shield cannot do anything else with that arm and cannot use a two-handed shooting weapon. A shield worn on the back frees the hands but is ½” encumbrance. A shield worn on the back may give extra protection against rear shooting attacks but this will not be better than a 6 or +1 to the body armour save.

        Shields are not limited to primitive cultures. Shields made by advanced cultures offer the same level of protection but made of modern materials so they last longer. Most conventional shields give a save of 6. Other high-tech shields may include energy fields or superior materials to give them increased performance.
        The following shield types are relatively common in the WH40K universe.

	Close Combat	Shooting
Buckler	+1 or 6	None
Primitive Shield	+1 or 6	+1 or 6 (Primitive weapons only)
Hi-Tech Shield	+1 or 6	+1 or 6
Combat Shield	5+ Invulnerable	None
Power Shield	5+ Invulnerable	6 Invulnerable
Storm Shield	4+ Invulnerable	?

        Bucklers and Combat Shields are too small to offer any protection from shooting damage. These only offer a save bonus during close combat. On the other hand Bucklers are small enough to be used as extra hand weapons and Combat Shields allow a second close combat weapon or a two-handed items to be used.
        Non-energy shields increase the user's Save by 1 or give a save of 6 if the user had no other save. Note that the fighter's body armour save is used when determining the effects of AP. A fighter with plate armour (5+) and a shield would have a save of 4+ but have no save against a weapon with AP 5 or better.
        Primitive Shields offer no protection against Shooting damage from high-tech weapons such as Bolters, Lasguns and Autopistols. Historically Primitive shields of some cultures did offer some protection against muskets. The Spanish found that some wicker Mexican shields could stop a musket ball. It is up to the GM if primitive shields are effective against muskets, antique pistols and other low-velocity weapons such as Tyranid firearms. Hi-Tech shields are made of better materials so offer some protection against modern weapons.
        Energy shields give a Invulnerable Save of 5+ or better in close combat and therefore offer protection against weapons such as Power Swords against which there is not Armour save. The Power Shield is also large enough to give the user a Invulnerable Save of 6 against shooting damage. Terminator Storm Shields give an Invulnerable Save of 4+ in Close Combat but are too small in relation to the Terminator to give any noticeable protection against shooting damage. Terminator Armour gives a basic Invulnerable Save of 5+ anyway. More advanced cultures may have shields of similar performance that do not need the Terminator Armour's bulky power supply and can be carried and used by human-sized users. Such shields might be expected to give a 5+ Invulnerable Save against shooting.

Suppression, Duckback and Shock.
        This is an optional rule that can be fun. This is based on an optional rule in WH40K-RT (page 233) that is called Duckback and Shock.

        A model that is hit but takes no damage, either by a Save roll or beating a Strength vs Toughness roll will be “Suppressed” in their next turn unless the unit passes a Ld test.
        Make a note of how many hits a unit takes during a turn if fired upon. Subtract the number of figures killed from this. If this is a positive number then this is the number of members who will be suppressed if the unit fails a Suppression test.

        To avoid the effects of Suppression the unit needs to pass a Ld test.

        The suppressed model may move in their next turn but may not shoot. They may not Charge but can fight normally in close combat if charged. Suppression lasts for just one round unless the model is hit again. Suppression applies to individual models so should not be confused with Pinning.
        If a suppressed unit chooses to charge then a number of models equal to the number that was suppressed may not enter combat. In this situation treat the figures at the rear of the unit as being those that are Suppressed. Suppressed figures cannot move double distance if charging and may not end their charge contacting enemy models. Suppressed figures can be Locked in Combat but not Engaged in the first round, so cannot make attacks. If they have insufficient move to keep up with the rest of the unit and loose coherency they will not be Locked and must use their next move to join their unit. If the unit is Routed the suppressed models join their Routing unit. If all of the unit was suppressed a charge cannot be made.

        Don't take a Suppression test if the unit must also take a Pinning test.

        Monstrous Creatures, Vehicles, Dreadnoughts and War-Robots are not effected by the Suppressive fire rules, nor are models that have an Invulnerable Save, such as Terminators. Vehicles etc may become Shaken as a result of a roll on their Special Damage charts, however. Swarms may or may not be subject to suppression, although most swarms cannot make shooting attacks anyway.

ARAP Suppression Rules.
        Suppression rules have been changed so they effect the whole unit, not just individual models.

        If a unit takes 25% or more shooting casualties during a turn it must take a Pinning test. If a unit takes 3 or more shooting hits in a turn they must test for Suppression. Weapons with a Strength of 7 or greater can Suppress a unit if they score two hits, not three.
        Since units that have to take a Pinning test don't have to test for Suppression work out the casualties before taking the test, to see what you are testing for. Both Pinning and Suppression tests are made in the same way. They are passed if a 2D6 roll is less than or equal to the unit's Ld. If the test is failed the unit is Suppressed or Pinned for their next turn, as appropriate.
         A Pinned unit cannot be activated in the controling player's next turn. They can fight back in Close Combat if attacked.
         A Suppressed unit can be activated, but cannot roll for activation with more than two dice.

        An Area or Template weapon can cause Suppression if the marker hits three or more members of the same unit.

Shooting Phase Morale Tests.
25% or More Rule.
        Heavy casualties inflicted by shooting can cause a unit's resolve to whither. If a unit has taken 25% or more of its current strength in casualties at the end of an enemy SHOOTING phase due to Shooting or Psionic attack it must test against Morale unless the Unit is Fearless or Dogged. Casualties from Mines and Booby traps may also require a Morale test to be taken in the unit's Movement Phase.
        A Morale test is passed by rolling 2D6 equal to or less than the unit's Ld value. If the unit is lead by a Commander with a higher or lower Ld value this value is used instead.
        Unlike the Official Rules in Gemini Rules failing a Shooting (or Movement) Phase Morale test causes the unit to become Pinned rather than Routing/Falling Back. This is known as a Casualty Pinning Test to distinguish it from Pinning caused by Pinning Weapons. The Unit may not Move, Shoot or Charge in its following Turn. If Assaulted by an enemy Pinning is canceled and the unit fights back normally.
         For Example:- A ten-strong unit is fired upon. If it takes three or more casualties it must roll against its Leadership value. The unit takes only two casualties so no Morale test is required. In the next turn the unit is fired on again. Since the current strength is now only eight the unit must Morale test if it looses two or more members, not three.

        The Shooting Phase Morale Check is only taken if casualties of 25% or more were inflicted and if the unit has not already become Pinned from fire from Pinning Weapons. Mobs that take 25% or More casualities and fail a Morale test Rout rather than become Pinned unless already Pinned or in Close Combat.

Area Weapons.
        Area weapons or Blast weapons are those that use a 1½” radius circular marker. Many of the rules for Area weapons also apply to Ordinance weapons which use larger markers. Some Area weapons are used for direct fire, some for indirect or “Barrage” fire and some can use either mode.

Direct Fire with Area Weapons.
        I've changed the Area Weapon rules to more closely resemble those of 5th Edition WH40K. If anyone wants me to put up my BS based older rules I'll put them up on a separate page.
        The marker is placed on the intended target and the distance measured to ensure the intended impact point is in range. If it was placed out of range the shot automatically had no effect. Under Gemini rules the centre hole of the marker does not have to be placed over a model. Individuals within a squad cannot be individually targeted with Area weapons. The visible part of the squad is treated as a whole and marker placed in its centre. If the squad is spread out the GM may allow the left, right or centre of the group to be targeted.
        If an individual is in cover then the whole of the cover is treated as a target, not the individual.
        Shots made with Area weapons are not subject to to-hit modifiers for small or large targets.
        A Scatter dice is rolled and if a Hit is rolled the marker is left in place. If the an arrow is moved the marker deviates in the direction of the arrow 2D6” minus the firer's BS and any relevant modifiers made. Modifiers for target size do not apply to Area Weapons. All other modifiers are subtracted from the BS. Therefore if BS was 3 and the dice roll 8 the marker would move 5”. If the target was behind cover the marker would move 7” since 8-(3-2). A scatter distance of 0 or less is treated as a hit.
        Krak missiles and grenades do not have a marker but are treated in the same way, using a small counter or coin to mark the location. Near misses against large targets may still therefore hit.

        Optional (but recommended) rule -the marker cannot deviate by more than half the measured range to the target -shots are highly unlikely to land behind the shooter!. The half-range rule does not apply to hand thrown grenades or grenades fired at short range. It is quite possible for a badly thrown grenade to bounce off a wall and land behind a thrower.

        In these rules some Area weapons use different sized markers, as defined in WH40K-RT rules or the Gemini Rules Wargear Page. Most weapons used by infantry have a 1½” radius markers but some have a larger or smaller effect area. If in doubt, use the 1½” radius marker with a ¼” diameter centre as default. In Apocalypse rules markers are more commonly refered to by their diameter.

        All models fully within a blast marker are hit automatically unless stated in the weapon profile (I'll be working on some weapon profiles specific to these rules). A model at the edge of the marker is also hit if any part of the body or the centre of the base (whichever is closer) is covered by the marker. For this rule use the criteria described under “Line of Sight”. Only count weapons as being a body part if they are integral to the creature or vehicle. Moveable wings are not counted as a body part if under an Area marker.
        Roll for damage and saves as usual.
        If any Area weapon is successfully fired into a vehicle interior or building section all occupants and equipment are hit automatically due to the effects of the confined space.

        If a vehicle is within a Blast marker but the centre hole is not on the vehicle then the weapon's strength is halved (rounding down) for purposes of working out Armour Penetration. A direct hit from a S9 weapon that hit would test the vehicle's armour against 9+D6, while a near miss would test against 4+D6.

Area Weapons and Cover
        Cover provides some protection against the effects of Blast or Ordinance markers. Hard cover gives models within the marker a 1 in 3 chance of not being hit (not hit on a 5+). Burst protection from Soft cover is at the GM's discretion. Being in long grass will give no protection while laying on your belly or being in dense woodland will give some protection. If the GM rules a piece of Soft cover is giving protection then the chance of not being effected by a burst is 1 in 6 for each model in the burst. Note that Cover effects the chance of not being hit. This is not the same as the Cover Save in 3rd/4th or 5th Edition WH40K. Being in Cover gives a chance of not being hit by the effects of a burst but this will depend on where the centre of the burst marker ends up.
        If the model is behind a wall and the Blast marker's centre is on the other side of the wall the wall provides cover. If the centre is on the same side of the wall a model in a marker will be hit as usual. Likewise a model in a trench has cover from a burst with a centre outside the trench and a 5+ chance of not being hit. If the centre of a marker is on the trench everyone in a 6” trench section takes an automatic hit due to the confined space. Hard cover that is classed as a confined space offers no extra protection from Area weapons that are successfully fired into it - the effect radius is actually increased to 3” (or the whole building section) and all models in this radius are hit. Some features within a confined space such as thick interior walls may still offer some protection if between the model and the blast centre. Rules for Area weapons in Confined Spaces are given in the Building rules section

Area Weapons and Hidden units.
        If Troops are hiding they cannot be hit with direct fire. Players may wish to use Area weapons or grenades to attack suspected positions of hidden troops and thin their numbers or provoke counter fire. All fire against hidden troops with Area or Ordinance weapons is treated as Barrage fire without Line of Sight. Shots are therefore made with Guessed range, no roll modifier to Scatter for BS.. In addition, Barrage fire against hidden troops deviates R3D6P2↑”. If the Scatter dice rolls a Hit the marker is still moved D6”.

Area Weapons and Obstructions.
        If the enemy is behind cover then an Area weapon used for direct fire is fired at a nominated section of the cover visible to the shooter. If there is a open window or door visible the shooter many nominate a point beyond the cover visible through this opening. If the Scatter dice rolls a Hit the marker is placed on this point. If the shot deviated it may not have passed through this opening. The deviation is worked out to determine the position the marker should be placed in. Position the marker as dictated by the deviation roll as though the cover was not present. Take a line from the centre of the marker back towards the shooter. If there are no obstructions or other features that would have intercepted the shot leave the marker where it is. If the shot would have hit an intermediate feature or model move the marker back along the line until it is at the feature nearest the shooter. The centre hole will be on the side of the cover nearest the shooter but the marker may still cover enemies behind the cover. These may be hit but have a chance of not being effected as described above in Area Weapons and Cover.
        This technique is used for other terrain features or if a shooter attempted to fire through a mass of enemy or friendly models outside a building the same technique may be used.

Template Weapons
        The 3rd/4th/5th Ed rules for Flamers used a cone shaped template that can be placed without any need for a roll to hit. The same template is used for Hand Flamers, Flamers and Heavy Flamers, only the Strength and AP of the attack varies. 4th Ed rules have adopted the term “Template” exclusively for this cone-shaped template and now calls circular templates for Burst and Ordinance weapons “Markers”. This clears up confusion for weapons that use the Flamer template but are not actually flamers.
        In the heat of combat it is quite possible to miss with a flamer, especially if the target is fast moving or visibility poor. In Gemini rules Template weapons use a variation of the 4th Edition rule used for the Inferno Cannon. Place the template over the intended target with the tip of the narrow end touching the base of the shooter. (In Gemini rules this must be within the model's arc of fire) Roll to hit against BS. If the roll is made all models under the template are hit. If the roll is failed this is termed a “Partial-Hit” and models are only hit on a roll of 4+.
        Cover will provide some protection against Template weapons, modifing the BS roll by -1 for soft cover or -2 for hard cover if the cover is between the target and the weapon. This is different to 3rd/4th Edition WH40K rules that allow Template weapons to ignore all Cover. The GM may rule that many kinds of soft cover offer no protection.
        Situations may occur when some models under a template are behind cover and some are not. How to deal with this is easily dealt with by an example:-
        A Marine with a flamer fires on multiple targets, some in the open and some behind cover. The Marine has a BS of 4 so needs a 3+ to score a full hit on the targets in the open. The targets behind cover are -2 to hit so the Marine needs a 5+ to score a full hit on them. If the Marine rolls a 5+ he scores an automatic hit on all targets. If he rolls a 3 or 4 he automatically hits the targets in the open but must roll a D6 for each target in cover. One target in cover is hit for each 4+ rolled. If the Marine rolled a 1 or 2 he must roll a 4+ on a D6 for each target under the template.

Linked Weapons.
        Linked weapons consist of a pair of weapons of the same type joined together so they fire more rounds at the same target, increasing hit probability.
        A linked weapon makes a single to-hit roll but is allowed to re-roll a missed result. A successful hit does the same damage as a single weapon of the same type - in other words it only makes one “to-wound” roll. A Twin-linked weapon only counts as being one weapon fired for purposes of vehicle firing rules.
        For troops trying to shoot openings in walls etc the GM may allow linked weapons to inflict two points of damage instead of one. This is optional and up to the GM.

        Linked Template weapons re-roll their “to-damage” roll rather than a to-hit roll. Area weapons can opt to re-roll their Scatter dice.

Grenades
        3rd and 4th Ed rules mention grenades but give no rules for using them! Grenades are restricted to being devices used in the ASSAULT Phase and a common complaint is there are no rules for using them in the SHOOTING Phase. On the other hand some players complain that grenades greatly slowed down play in 1st and 2nd edition games.

        Treat grenades as having a range of 6”. There are no short/long ranges for grenades and models using grenades can move with no penalties.
        Throwing a grenade or rock is instead of firing a weapon in the SHOOTING phase. Only 25% of a unit can throw grenades or rocks in a turn.
         For grenades that take effect results are resolved as for any other Area weapon. A roll against BS is made. If the roll is made the grenade hits the nominated target. If the BS roll is not made roll a Scatter-Only dice and move the marker D6” in the direction indicated. Hand-thrown grenades can scatter more than half their range. A hidden model throwing a grenade does not reveal their position and can remain hidden.

        Firing an Imperial Guard Auxiliary Grenade Launcher (range=18”) or a Power Glove-mounted Grenade Launcher (range=12”) counts as throwing a grenade and counts towards the 25% of models throwing total.
        Firing smoke dischargers on a vehicle, Dreadnought or Terminator suit does not count as shooting and the model may also fire if entitled to. To fire through its own smoke the model will need Infra-vision for targets beyond the smoke, unless firing indirectly. It would, however, be very unusual for a model to want to fire its Smoke before shooting or moving.
        Thrown Rocks, Bricks and Stones are treated as grenades but do not have an effect area. They hit with the strength of the thrower but are -1 to hit since they are improvised missiles.

Barrage Fire.
        Certain projectile weapons are capable of High Trajectory or Indirect fire that allows them to hit a target even if it is behind cover or obstacles etc obstruct LOS or prevent Direct fire. In WH40K rules Indirect and High Trajectory fire is termed “Barrage Fire”. Some weapons such as mortars only use Barrage fire while other weapons such as grenades, grenade launchers and slings can use either Direct or Barrage fire. Some weapons such a Missile Launchers and Heavy Autocannon can only use Barrage fire beyond certain ranges.
        Many Barrage fire weapons have a minimum range for Barrage fire and cannot use Barrage fire against targets closer than this range. High velocity projectile weapons such as Missile Launchers and Heavy Autocannon have a minimum range of 36” when using Barrage fire. Weapons that do not have a minimum range that fire at 6” or less may have their shots deviate more than half the range to the target.

        All Barrage fire in Gemini Rules is made using 3rd/4th Ed Guess-range rules.

        The player guesses the range between the target and firer. The quoted figure is then measured off exactly and the marker placed at that location.

High trajectory shots where the shooter can see the target are made using the shooter's BS to modify scatter distance as detailed above for direct fire of Area weapons. Scatter distance will be 2D6 - (BS+/-Modifiers)”. The difference between direct fire and barrage fire is the marker is initially placed on the guessed range, not on the intended target.
When the firer can't see the target at all (Indirect fire) the scatter distance is not modified by the BS. Other modifiers may apply. The marker is placed at the guessed range and moved according to the roll of a Hit/Scatter dice and 2D6”, accepting a “Bull's-eye” roll as being dead on the guessed range.

At close range (ie within grenade throwing range) the player may claim that he can hear or possibly smell a nearby target even though he can't draw LOS against it. If the GM agrees the attack can be made using BS and 2D6” of scatter but using a guessed range.

All Barrage fire uses Guess-range.
If the shooter can see the target the shooter's BS is subtracted from the Scatter distance. Shots that scatter deviate 2D6 - (BS+/-Modifiers)” .
If there is no Line of Sight to the target use Hit/Scatter dice and 2D6” for deviation.

Ordinance Fire.
In these rules Ordinance weapons can be used in the same way as normal area weapons. They can be fired with Direct fire or Barrage fire as appropriate.

For direct fire of an Ordinance weapon the marker is placed on the intended target then a Scatter dice rolled and scattered shots moved 2D6 - (BS+/-Modifiers)”. This applies to Ordinance weapons fired from fixed emplacements or very large vehicles such as Titans, Juggernauts and Gigants.
Direct fire with Ordinance weapons from normal sized moving vehicles scatter R3D6P2↑”, modified by BS and other modifiers. This means you roll three D6 and take the score of the highest two for deviation distance.
Barrage fire is made as for other Area Weapons. Barrage Ordinance fire can only be made from stationary vehicles, artillery pieces or fixed emplacements. The marker starts at the guessed range, not on the intended target. Scatter is modified by BS if the target is within line of sight so Scatter is 2D6 - (BS+/-Modifiers)”.
If there is no Line of Sight Barrage fire with Ordinance weapons is made only with Hit/Scatter dice and 2D6” scatter distance. If there is a Forward Observer who can observe the fall of the first shot then BS can be used for the second and following salvos.

        Most Ordinance weapons use the 5” diameter marker with a ¼” diameter central hole. Some use larger markers.

        When determining damage against vehicles from Ordinance weapons two D6 are rolled and the value of the highest scoring one is added to the weapon strength to calculate if armour is breached.
        Example:- The weapon has a Strength of 8 and the player rolls two dice scoring a 1 and a 4. Armour is compared to a value of 12 (8 +4)

        Full force of an Ordinance weapon is only applied against a vehicle if the centre of the template was located on the vehicle. If the vehicle did not receive a direct hit then the weapon strength is halved (round down). In the above example the vehicle would only take test against a 8 (4+4).

        Infantry and exposed passengers and crew always take hits from Ordinance weapons at full weapon strength.

        If the centre of an Ordinance marker hits a Monstrous creature make D3 rolls to wound rather than just one, and apply all unsaved wounds scored. For Daemonic Monstrous creatures (including Eldar Avatars) the GM may decide that only one wound can be scored.

        Ordinance weapons could be used for Battery fire if the conditions listed below are met. However, this is likely to rapidly empty the tabletop of living models!

        The use of Ordinance weapons can be pretty devastating and can prematurely shorten a game.

Forward Observer Rule.
        A common way to use Barrage fire is to have an observer note the fall of the shots and communicate corrections back to the weapon team. If the firer using Battery Fire is in communication with a spotter who can see the target and where the shots land only the first shot is made without applying BS to the Scatter distance (Or the firer's BS if there was LOS). The second and subsequent shots can be made using the observer's BS to Scatter. The Corrective aiming rule also applies here. Third and subsequent shots against the same target are made with a +1 to-hit for as long as there is a forward observer to guide the shooter and both shooter, observer and target are stationary.
        In most forces being a Forward Observer requires special training and is not a capability of a normal trooper. Troops trained as observers are likely to be such personnel as Officers, NCOs, Commissars, Scouts, Tech-priests, Techmarines etc.

Battery Fire.
        This rule is the Gemini rules variation of the Barrage fire rule in 3rd Ed (p58). The name has been changed to avoid confusion with the Barrage missile, which isn't covered by Barrage rules. In 4th Ed rules Barrage fire has been renamed “Multiple Barrage Fire” and is said to only apply to Guess-Range weapons. In Gemini rules it applies to any Area weapons that meet the criteria below.

         Certain weapons can be Battery fired. Weapons must be Area Weapons or Ordinance Weapons that use a blast marker, of the same type, firing the same type of ammo and belong to a coherent stationary unit. If the unit has been split the weapons firing must be in the same sub-unit. Shooters must have equal BS. If BS varies the lowest in the unit is used.

        A ranging shot is fired by one weapon and the marker moved for deviation as per normal rules. Under Gemini rules this may be a direct shot or guess-range shot., depending on weapon and firing conditions. Note that the scatter of this marker must be settled before any other markers are placed.
        A Hit/Scatter dice is rolled for each of the other weapons. If an arrow is rolled the marker is placed touching the edge of that of the ranging shot. If a Hit is rolled the player may place the marker where he likes so long as it touches the edge of that of the ranging shot or any of the other markers already laid. Markers may overlap.

        Some individual Area weapons can fire more than one shot in a turn. Not all of these weapons can use Battery rules so consult the individual description.

Pinning Weapons
        Fire from certain types of weapons may cause troops to become pinned even if only one casualty is inflicted. Such weapons can also cause Pinning in Dogged units that can ignore Shooting Phase Morale Checks. These are known as Pinning Weapons. Sniper fire will do this but so will fire from Area and Ordinance weapons that the unit cannot see. 4th Ed refers to the latter class of weapons as “Barrage weapons” and includes mortars and most Ordinance weapons that fire shells in plunging trajectories. A good rule of thumb here is to test for Pinning for any unit taking casualties from Sniper fire or from weapons that are using Guess-range firing. Non-Pinning weapons or Psionic attacks can cause a unit to become Pinned if they cause more than 25% casualties in a Shooting Phase and the unit fails a Morale Check.
        When a unit takes any casualties from Pinning Weapon fire they must pass a Leadership test or become Pinned. A unit may have to take several Pinning Tests during a turn.
        A unit that suffers any casualties from an Ordinance weapon will have to take a Pinning test at -1.

        If a unit fails a Pinning test it is Pinned.
        A Pinned unit cannot move, charge or shoot in their following turn. If charged they can fight in close combat as normal.
        A unit that becomes Pinned also has Gone to Ground. Going to Ground due to Pinning does not offer additional protection to the Pinned unit from any other fire from the unit which pinned them that phase. It will offer additional protection against the fire from other units that fire upon them afterwards that turn.

        Troops engaged in Close Combat do not have to take Pinning tests.
        A routing unit could be pinned if fired upon but would defend at WS 1 if then engaged in close combat.

        Some weapons may only be Pinning under certain conditions. Troops do not usually have to test for pinning if they are aware of the location the weapon firing at them.

        Coming under fire from enemies that remain hidden after shooting may pin a unit. A model throwing a grenade from a hidden location is likely to remain hidden and troops may become pinned by this attack since they mistake it for a booby trap or mortar fire. Certain weapons will pin troops even if the firer is visible.

        If the GM wishes non-ordinance weapons with an effect area of 2 ½” or greater can pin troops as if they were Ordinance fire (Leadership test at -1) if they cause casualties.

        If the players wish for more realistic Pinning rules the following can be used:-

Tyranid Barbed Strangler always pins if it causes a casualty. There is no need to make a test against Ld and it will Pin Fearless Units.
Low signature weapons used by hidden shooters at any range require a Pinning test if any casualties are caused.
Sniper rifles fired from beyond 12” range require a pinning test if they cause a casualty.
Any Barrage fire weapons not in Line of Sight require a pinning test if they cause a casualty..
Barrage Fire from beyond 24” range requires a pinning test if it causes a casualty..

        Fearless units always pass Pinning Tests. Dogged Units always ignore Morale tests for 25% or more Casualties but still take tests for Pinning Weapons. Such units can still be Pinned by situations or weapons that cause an automatic pin.

Going to Ground
        This a 5th Edition rule that works a little differently in Gemini rules, since we don't have Cover Saves. It is dealt with here since it takes place in the enemy SHOOTING phase.
        You can declare a unit has Gone to Ground after an enemy has inflicted casualities but before saving throws are made. If a unit is declared Gone to Ground all saves are increased by 1. If the models had no save they now have a save of 6. A Marine with a usual save of 3+ now has a 2+ save. Saves cannot be taken to better than 2+. This is figured out after the AP of attacking weapons is taken into consideration. A Marine (3+ basic save) attacked by an AP 3 weapon doesn't get a 2+ save, he gets a save of 6. The modifier for Going to Ground can be applied to the model's armour or Invulnerable save, which ever it is using.
        Models and units that go to ground can do nothing of their own volition until the end of their following turn. They may not shoot, move or charge. They may still take Morale tests or fight back if Assaulted.
        Becoming Pinned also causes a unit to Go to Ground.

Low Signature Weapons.
         Some weapons have a firing signature that allows them to be fired by hidden models without revealing the shooter's position. These include.

Exitus Rifle.
Type 1 Needlers
Silenced Stub guns and Autopistols.
Bolters with Stalker Ammo.
Hand-thrown grenades.

        Bows and Crossbows are not Low Signature weapons. The arrow often gives a good indication of where the shot came from and shooters must often stand or kneel to use these weapons. Any Shot with a Handbow has a 50% (4+) chance of allowing the shooter to remain hidden.

Firing into Hand to Hand.
        3rd and 4th Ed rules no longer allow firing into masses of fighters in close combat. However in a three-way battle a Marine commander would have no qualms about shooting into a mass of fighting Dark Eldar and Orcs. And some creatures are so psychotic they don't care who they open up on!

        Fire into a Melee is randomized between the two sides. If five hits are made then each is made either on a model from one side on a D6 of 4-6, or on a model from the other on 1-3. If a larger number of one side are closer to the shooter the distribution may be biased in disfavor of the closer side with a 3+ roll. There is always a likelihood that some shots will miss and hit models of the other side and this is never less than 1 in 3.
        If the GM agrees the shooter can claim that the massed figures are a large target (greater than 3 metres) and +1 to hit. This will often be the case since fighting models will have less than 2” spacing

Plasma Weapons.
        Under the WH40K-RT rules Plasma weapons could not fire every turn. They had to wait between one and three turns while they recharged. This rule will be reintroduced for “Capacitor Plasma Weapons” in Gemini Rules. Plasma weapons that can fire each turn but are prone to overheating are referred to as “Hot Plasma Weapons”.

        A Capacitor Plasma weapon cannot fire on two consecutive turns. If the weapon was fired in Overwatch it cannot fire in the player's following turn.

        Keeping track of which Capacitor Plasma weapons can fire can seem complicated, especially if using Overwatch rules. The whole process can be simplified by placing charge counters beside weapons that have fired. If a weapon needs more than one turn to recharge place more than one charge counter.

A Cap-Plas weapon can only fire if it has no charge counters beside the model at the start of the turn.
The appropriate number of charge counters is placed beside a figure immediately after a weapon is fired.
At the end of his turn a player can remove one charge counter from beside each figure providing the counter was not placed in that turn.

        A Cap-Plas weapon that is fired while charging is assumed to have enough Plasma left to be used in the first round of the Close Combat that follows. If a charged model used a Cap-Plas weapon to Stand and Fire it is also assumed there is enough energy stored to be used in the first round of combat. The above Recharging rules are followed. Charge markers are placed immediately after firing and removed at the end of the firer's turn. If a Close Combat lasts long enough Cap-Plas weapons may be recharged enough to be used again. If the Cap-Plas Pistol was not fired during the charge the player may choose to not fire it until a later round of Close Combat.

Antique Pistols.
        Antique pistols can fire once each turn if the firer does not move. It is assumed the movement phase is spent reloading instead of moving. If the firer moves they can still fire once but may not fire that weapon in a following turn unless they spend a movement phase not moving.
         If charging a Antique pistol can either be fired while charging or fired during one round of Close Combat, not both. Likewise if charged a Antique pistol can either Stand and Fire or be used in one round of Close Combat, not both. Antique pistols cannot be reloaded while the user is in Close Combat.
        The above rules assume a single Antique pistol is being used. Some fighters will carry several pistols and the above rules can be modified appropriately.

Swarms and Wounds.
        A Swarm of creatures is treated as a single model with multiple attacks and wounds. Swarms are mounted on 40mm (1½”) diameter bases although some Swarms may use 50mm (2”), especially if borrowing an old model from WHFB. Often one model on a base will representing each wound the Swarm can take. Models attached with Blu-tac can easily be removed as wounds are inflicted. Each wound on a swarm is taken to kill a proportion of the swarm but does not reduce its number of Attacks accordingly.

Swarms are not effected by the Double Strength rule.
Swarms hit by Area weapons take two wounds, not one. Any part of the base covered by the Area Marker is taken as a hit to the Swarm
Many Swarms are made up of physically very small creatures. Such Swarms in cover are an additional -1 to hit when fired on by non-Area weapons.
In Close Combat Swarms are considered to have Stomp Attack(s).

Artillery, Field Pieces and Similar Equipment.
        Some heavy weapons are mounted on tripods or carriages and the model may have more than one crewman mounted on the base. Such models are treated in the same way as a single figure carrying a heavy weapon in that only the crewmen can be hit, not the weapon. If all the crew are killed a heavy weapon is assumed to be destroyed or lost.
        Larger weapons such a Rapiers, Tarantulas, Thudd guns and Heavy Mortars are treated slightly differently. The weapon and its crew are treated as a single target but hits are randomized between the crew and the weapon.
        For Template and Marker weapons hits are distributed as normal. For point weapons a D6 is rolled and on a 1-4 a crewman is hit, on a 5-6 the weapon is hit. Normal Line of Sight restrictions still apply so a crewman hidden by the bulk of the weapon is not eligible as a casualty and any hits must be given to those in LOS.
        A weapon is treated as a vehicle with an Armour Value (AV) of 10. Any Glancing or Penetrating hit scored automatically destroys the weapon so there is no need to roll on the charts.

        Some weapons with crew may be considered to be large targets and therefore +1 to hit. This is left for the GM to decide on an individual basis. Rapiers, Tarantulas and the older Thudd gun models probably should not be large targets, while weapons such as Macro-Cannon and the Thudd guns and Heavy Mortars made by Forgeworld are.

Visibility and Night Fighting.
        Various factors can effect visibility and consequently LOS and the range that targets can be shot at.
        Smoke and Blind grenades and certain psionic powers can block line of sight. They will also block fire from laser weapons. Mist, fog and rain can reduce the range at which targets can be seen and may also make them harder to hit.
        WH40-RT gave no rules for fighting at night. 4th and 3rd Ed (page 134) does address this and these rules expand on this slightly.

        A roll is made by the GM at the start of the game. The roll is 2D6 x 3. This is the number of inches that normal humans can see. This may remain constant for the whole game or it may be ruled that the planet is cloudy, has a very variable moon etc. In such a case visibility may be re-rolled every so many turns, whenever the GM rolls a 6 at the start of a turn. etc.
        Troops equipped with infra-vision or have this as a racial trait can see normally at night or in smoke.
        Creatures that have good night vision roll a 3D6 x 3. If several different species are in action a separate roll for each may be made. If the value of 3D6 x 3 rolled is less than the 2D6 x 3 made for normal models then these creatures use the higher normal vision value.
        Guess-range weapons or weapons using a firing mode that uses Guessed range can fire as normal, but add D6” to their rolled scatter distance if fired at beyond visual range.
        For a very variable combat environment a unit that wishes to fire upon another unit must roll 2D6 x 3. If the enemy is within this distance they can be shot at as normal, If they are further away they could not be seen or all the shots miss etc. This roll is made whenever a new engagement between units begins or one unit moves out of visual range. These rules may be used to represent a battlefield covered by billowing chemical weapon clouds, a blizzard or a sandstorm.

        Search lights are mounted on vehicles (3 pts/vehicle) or in static positions. When a Searchlight is used a 2D6x4 is rolled and one enemy unit within this distance is detected and can be fired upon. Any friendly unit within this distance of the illuminated enemy can fire upon the illuminated unit as usual and can continue to do so unless one side or the other moves out of this range or LOS is broken. If a target is lost the Searchlight can roll again next SHOOTING phase.

        Nightlight missiles illuminate the whole tabletop area as if it were daytime for D6+1 turns.
        Smaller Paraflare illumination rounds have the same effect over an area of 3D6 diameter as long as the flare is burning. Models within this area can be targeted as if in normal daylight by units both inside and outside the area of illumination if they are within range.
        At the end of each player's turn after the Paraflare has been launched roll a dice and add the number of times you have rolled for the missile already. If the result is a 6+ the light goes out and it is dark again

Woods and Area Terrain
        Area terrain is a generic term for woods, forest, orchards, brush land, undergrowth, building ruins etc.
Firing into Woods and Area Terrain

Troops up to 6” inside a wood can be seen and fired at from the outside but at -1 or -2 to hit, depending on the type of cover or terrain type. They cannot be fired at if they are hiding.

Troops more than 6” inside the Area Terrain cannot be seen from outside and cannot be fired upon by direct fire.
Firing Out of Woods and Area Terrain

Troops within 2” of the wood's edge can fire out without any penalties

Troops between 2” and 6” inside Area terrain can fire out but at a -1 or -2 to-hit penalty, depending on terrain type.

Troops more than 6” inside Area Terrain cannot fire at targets outside area terrain.
Firing within Woods and Area Terrain
        Any units in area terrain can only fire at other targets within the same area terrain at ranges of 6” or less. Essentially the intervening terrain obscures the shooter's view of targets. These shots will often be -1 or -2 to-hit penalty, depending on terrain type.
        The GM may choose to vary the visibility in Area terrain. In densely grown areas such as forest edges it may be as low as 2-3” while in plantations or deep forest it may be 8-12”.

Crawling.
        A humanoid moving while crawling moves at half rate. This is not modified for difficult terrain but is reduced to quarter rate for Very Difficult Terrain. In Variable terrain only one dice is rolled for movement.
        A model or unit may declare that it is going prone at the end of its Movement Phase. While prone a model is at -1 to hit. While prone a model can only move by crawling, unless they Charge. At the end of their next Movement Phase they may either remain prone or declare they have stood up. If the stand up they can move normally in their next movement phase, but are also targeted normally. Humanoids that are prone can only Charge their normal move allowance, and it is assumed that the Charging action includes standing up, so the figure is not at -1 to hit if fired upon during the charge or in following turns.
        A model crawling or laying on their belly is at -1 to hit unless the enemy is within 4”. This can be combined with cover from terrain features and models may be 7+ to hit. A crawling model may be out of Line of Sight, however, which would prevent it being targeted.
         A humanoid moving while crawling moves at half rate.
        If a prone model is attacked in close combat by a non-prone model the non-prone fighter counts as being “Uphill” so has a +1 to hit advantage.
        An obvious application for the prone rule is for Weapon Crews. If they were stationary in their previous turn they can claim to be at -1 to hit. Going into or leaving the prone position counts as movement so a Move or Fire weapon cannot be used in a turn the firer moves in or out of a prone position.

        Going prone and crawling can only be used by creatures that can physically do so. A vehicle cannot go prone. Humanoids and some beasts can go prone and crawl. An example of the latter would be a tiger, which often crawls when stalking its prey. A horse could go prone but could not crawl. Cavalry sometimes make their horses lay down to give them cover when they are shooting. Models with Fleet of Foot ability cannot use it while prone or crawling.

        This to-hit penalty for prone figures can be considered an optional rule and may be discarded if the GM feels it offers an unfair advantage.

Firing from High Walls.
        As rule of thumb the “Dead Zone” of a tall structure can be taken to be half the vertical height that the firer is at.

        A shooter at building level 2 (3-6”) or higher cannot fire at targets closer than 3” to the base of the building unless he leans over the edge of the rampart or window. A shooter leaning out cannot claim to be -2 to hit for Hard Cover and can be targeted normally. Instead of leaning out of a window, or over a ledge a shooter may just hold his weapon out and fire wild, needing a basic roll of 6 to hit. Modifiers for target size or cover may take this score to 7+. This can only be done with Pistols and Basic weapons and can not be done with Bows, Crossbows, Handbows, Slings, Antique Pistols and Muskets. The same score is needed for firing blind around corners. Dropping Grenades or rocks out the window blind is -2 to hit with any scatter results that take the shot into the wall being re-rolled.

        Firing at a target at a higher height level has no penalty for most weapons. Low-velocity weapons may have a reduced effective range when firing upwards. Such Weapons include:-

Bows, Handbows and Crossbows.
Slings.
Antique Pistols
Muskets.
Flamers
All thrown weapons including hand-thrown grenades

        3” is added to the horizontal range for each higher level (or 3” vertical distance) that the target is at.

Two Pistols -the John Woo Rule.
        In WH40K-RT rules a model in the SHOOTING phase with more than one pistol can only fire one of them (they can only both be used in close combat).

        3rd Ed rules state that Seraphim with a pair of bolt pistols can fire as if armed with a linked weapon and can therefore re-roll a missed to-hit dice. A Seraphim armed with a pair of Hand Flamers fires as though armed with a flamer.

        Under Gemini rules some fighters are ambidextrous when firing pistols during the SHOOTING phase, either naturally or by extensive practice. They fire as though using a linked weapon.
        Ambidextrous shooters include Imperial Assassins, Harlequins and Adepta Sororitas Seraphim.
        Ambidextrous shooters can fire a pair of pistols to full range with no penalties.
        Note that many of the above are also ambidextrous in close combat and have reduced or no penalty close combat attacks for fighting with two weapons in close combat. These should not be confused with their SHOOTING phase abilities.
        A character model who was extremely well practiced might also master the ability to be able to fire a pair of pistols in the SHOOTING phase with no penalties. They would need to have had years of practice and a BS of at least 5.

        Other troops may also use two pistols at once. This can only be done at Short Range (6” for most pistols). Both weapons must still be fired at the same target. Treat the pistols as a linked weapon but with at a -1 penalty for both the to-hit roll and the re-roll if taken.

        If using two pistols of different types average the strength rounding DOWN and the AP rounding up . If one or both weapons is a flamer a hit will also set the target on fire if damage is caused. Twin Hand Flamers are treated as linked Hand Flamers in Gemini Rules and subject to Flamer deviation rules. The player may choose to arm Flamer armed Seraphim with either a Flamer (S4 AP5) or twin Hand Flamers (S3 AP6).

        If one pistol used is a Neuro-disruptor no to-hit re-roll is made but the target will become confused if hit. If one pistol was a Hand Webber the target will become entangled. These effects are in addition to any damage the other pistol may cause.
        Some characters may have Digital weapons. Those made by the Jokareo are most sought after while those made by other species are often bulkier or can only be used at close combat ranges. Digital weapons can be used with the John Woo rule but characters may not fire more than two weapons in a SHOOTING phase. If a character has a pistol and three digital weapons he can only fire two digital weapons or one digital weapon and his pistol.

Burning Targets
        Keeping track of who is on fire can make things too complicated so the following rules are optional.
        The first hit from a flamer is made with the flamer's strength (3 for a Hand Flamer, 4 for a Flamer or 5 for a Heavy Flamer). If the target is not killed or wounded then it catches fire on a roll of 4+. A burning model will continue to burn until the flames are extinguished. At the start of the burning model's own turns a D6 is rolled. The fire goes out on a 1. Models in base contact or within 1½” of the burning model can help beat out the flames, subracting 1 from the dice score for each model. The model takes an automatic Strength 4 hit in each of its turns that it is still burning.
        Burning models are moved in a random direction and can't do anything else such as Shooting or Fighting. Models in Frenzy will continue to fight on. Vehicles, Dreadnoughts, Robots and Terminators can choose to ignore the flames and move, shoot and fire normally. Models that stop burning do nothing else for the rest of that turn but may fight normally in following turns. Vehicles, Dreadnoughts, Robots and Terminators can fight normally in the turn the flames are extinguished.
        The above burning rules can be used for any other event that the GM rules has set a model on fire, such as a Molotov cocktail (treat as an improvised grenade (-1 to hit) with a 1½” burst radius).
        The GM may rule that certain targets are flammable. Flamer attacks against flammable targets attack with a Strength+1 higher than normal (see below, Setting Things on Fire).

        Flamers can also be fired at the ground to create a pool of fire that may block the advance of enemies. The area catches fire on a 4+ roll (or 3+ if the area is flammable). Place a 1½” radius marker where the template was at its broadest. The area continues to burn until a 5+ is rolled. This can be changed to a 6 if the area is very flammable or a 4+ if there is very little burning material.

        Some weapons that use the flamer template are not flame weapons. An acid weapon wouldn't set a figure on fire but they would react like they were burning, take damage (possibly at S2) for several phases but there would be no flames to be beat out. One of the weapons of a Great Unclean One uses a flamer template but does not do burning damage.

        If desired the WH40K Area weapon rules can be used instead for flamers with an appropriately sized marker. Flamers have a marker of radius 1½”, Heavy flamers 2” while Hand flamers only hit individuals.

Setting Things on Fire.
        A burning brand or similar source of flame can be considered to be S4 when used to attempt to set things on fire. The would-be arsonist must be contact with his intended conflagaration. Setting fire to something with a brand would be one Action. Setting fire to something with a primitive means of firemaking such as a tinderbox would be three Actions. Using a pocket lighter or similar might be two Actions.

Most Woods will catch fire on a 5+
Thatched roofs and haystacks catch fire on a 2+
Wooden houses and similar dry wooden structures catch fire on a 4+.

        Rain and snow will reduce the roll by 1 point, heavy rain by 2 points. Setting fire to a haystack in heavy rain would therefore need a roll of 4+. Strong winds add by +1 to the dice roll, as does using a Flamer weapon.
        A successful roll ignites a 1” square area. In subsequent Game Turns roll a D6 for each adjoining 1” square. On a roll of the target number the fire spreads to that square.

        Contact with a typical fire is a Strength 4 hit. Some materials may burn hotter and be of greater strength. Smaller fires would do less injury and therefore be lower in Strength.

        Attempting to put out a fire requires a dice roll lower than the numbers given above. A success extinguishes the flames in that 1” area. Apply modifiers for suitable fire fighting equipment, extra models helping etc. Some equipment or powers may allow larger areas to be extinguished on a successful roll. Unless he has a device such as a fire hose or extinguisher the fire-fighter must be in contact with the burning item or within 1½”. Attempting to put out a fire is one action and they may make an attempt in the same action they used to move to the fire.

        Overview Page.
        Gemini ARAP Rules System
        MOVEMENT
        ASSAULT
        Extra and Optional Rules.
        Vehicle Rules Section.
        Building Rules Section.

Warhammer 40000 Scrapboard Page

By the Author of the Scrapboard : Blog of the Books.
	Attack, Avoid, Survive: Essential Principles of Self Defence Available in Handy A5 and US Trade Formats. A5 Edition. US Trade Edition. New Global Edition Epub Global Edition Video Webpage
	Survival Weapons: Optimizing Your Arsenal
	Crash Combat Second Edition with additional content. Epub edition Second Edition with additional content. Crash Combat Third Edition Epub edition Third Edition.
	Anatopismo: An Underrealm Novella
	Hell-Ay: Angel Town