Special Rules (key words) based upon Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition, with Bonepile Miniatures House Rules.

This is a rules summary meant for Warhammer Fantasy. Most of these rules are taken from the Games Workshop Warhammer Fantasy 8th edition rulebook. However, many house rules have been substituted or added. In cases of confusion or rule conflicts, please defer to the original 8th edition rulebook. Many of the house rules were inspired by the Warhammer Armies Project, and players may also defer to those works, if desired, to work out confusion or rule conflicts. This concise writing format is intended for those familiar with the game. Beginners should study the 8th edition rulebook in tandem with this guide. These house rules are intended for casual play, and this content is only intended to spread ideas among the Warhammer Fantasy community about different ways to play this awesome game. No profit is made from this guide.

This is part of a series of 5 articles with House Rules.

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NOTE: Bonepile Miniatures recommends using Magic Items and their rules, as well as the individual Army Books produced by Warhammer Armies Project.

Special Rules

(House Rules are denoted in Red)

Always Strikes First/Last – Striking Order, regardless of I.

Ambushers – After turn 1, arrive on battlefield on a 3+ during Remaining Moves sub-phase at any edge

Animated Construct – Immunity to Poisoned Attacks and Unbreakable. Cannot March.

Armor Piercing (*) – Negative modifier to Armor saves.

Aquatic – Water is considered open terrain. Can March, be Steadfast, get rank bonus, and gets -1 To Hit from missile attacks. Not in marshes.

Breath Weapons – Ignore Cover. Can only use one Breath Weapon in Close Combat.

On repeated uses of a Breath Weapon, roll a D6. On a 4+ it can be re-used. Can retry each turn.

Shooting: Can use if marched or reformed. But cannot Stand and Shoot. All models even partially under the flame template are automatically hit.

Combat: Use Breath Weapons in addition to normal attacks. Makes 2D6 automatic hits. No model may take more than 1 Hit. Excess hits are wasted. Wounds count toward Combat Resolution.

Devastating Charge – +1 Attack on a Charge.

Ethereal – All terrain is open. Cannot stop in Impassable Terrain. Have Magical Attacks and Unstable. Only hit by Magical attacks, weapons, or effects. Obstruct Line of Sight. Cannot be joined by non-ethereal models.

Expendable – Cannot induce Panic. Characters cannot join. Only 1 expendable unit per regular unit.

Fast Cavalry – Have Vanguard rule. Can reform at beginning and end of move, unless Charging. Can shoot on the March, but still takes shooting penalty. Feigned Flight Flee reaction charges.

Cannot have barding or armor save stronger than a 5+.

Fear – A unit in base contact with a unit that has Fear must take a Leadership test. If failed, causes WS to reduce to 1 for the rest of Close Combat.

Fight in Extra Ranks (*) – Supporting Attacks can come from these ranks.

Flaming Attacks – Cause Fear in War Beasts, Cavalry, Chariots, and Flammable Creatures. Re-roll To Wound rolls when assaulting buildings.

Flammable – Creatures with this rule take 2 wounds when hit with Flaming Attacks.

Fly – Gain Swiftstride and Skirmishers. Start and end turns on the ground. Move at 10″ and March at 20″. Flee and Pursues on the ground. Flying Cavalry are Fast Cavalry.

See Flying Rules Supplement for alternate rules.

Frenzy – Gain +1 Attack, and Immune (Psychology); must Pursue or Overrun Fleers; unit must declare a charge if it can, unless it passes a Leadership test. Frenzy models cannot Parry.

Hatred – Must re-roll failed To Hit rolls in 1st round of Close Combat.

Also re-rolls successful Restrain rolls.

Hidden – Model is not placed in unit until start of a movement or combat phase, then placed in front rank. Cannot be the General or use its Leadership.

Hover – Gains Fly, except for March rules.

Ice Attacks – Models in base contact gain Always Strikes Last. Missiles or spells cause Always Strikes Last until next turn. Immune to (Ice Attacks).

Immunity (*) – Ignores the rule in the bracket

Immunity (Psychology) – includes Fear, Terror, Panic and they can never choose Flee!

Ignores Armor – Armor saves cannot be used

Ignores Cover – Ignores penalties from cover

Impact Hits (*) – Multi-part models use highest number. Only on successful charges. Automatic Hits. Roll to Wound. Divide hits across multiple models in base contact. Count toward Combat Resolution. Occur before challenges or any other attacks. Armor saves allowed, but no Parry. Most attack penalties don’t apply to Impact Hits.

Killing Blow – a 6 automatically kills in a To Wound roll. No armor or Regeneration saves, but yes to Ward Saves. Effective against Infantry, Cavalry, and War Beasts.

Heroic Killing Blow – like Killing Blow, but works on all Troop types except Swarms.

Large Target – No cover from typical obstacles. General or BSB Inspiring Presence and Hold Your Ground! increase to 18″.

Lightning Attacks – Ignores Armor saves except Natural Armor.

Loremaster (*) – Knows all spells from specified lore.

Magical Attacks – All spells, magical items use this attack type. They are not physical.

Magic Resistance (1-3) – Essentially a Ward save against Magic.

Monsters & Handlers – For an unsaved Wound roll a D6. On a 1-4, the Monster takes the Wound. If the Handler(s) are killed, roll on the Monster Reaction Chart. Handlers can direct their attacks against models in base contact with their monster. Handlers can’t be charged or targeted otherwise.

Move or Fire – Cannot shoot if moved at all.

Multiple Shots (*) – Fire once without penalty, or multiple times with -1 To Hit penalties.

Multiple Wounds (*) – Each wound rolled and saved separately.

Natural Armor (*) – May be combined with other armor.

Poisoned Attacks – To Hit rolls of 6 automatically wound the target.

Quick to Fire – No penalty for moving and shooting. Can always Stand and Shoot.

Random Attacks (*) – Number of attacks as indicated.

Random Movement (*) – Movement distance as indicated, moved in Compulsory Moves. Cannot move within 1″ of friendly units or Impassable Terrain. Base contact with enemy counts as a Charge, with Hold as the only reaction.

Regeneration (*) – A type of saving roll. Cannot be used on Fleeing units, Unstable, Killing Blows, or units w/o rank and file models, or turns with no wounds. Wounds still count toward Combat Resolution.

Requires Two Hands – Cannot use shields during Close Combat, but other phases OK.

Scaly Skin – May be combined with other armor.

Scouts – May deploy anywhere on the field after armies finish deploying, at least 12″ from enemy units. Cannot Charge 1st turn. Roll off to see which team places Scouts first.

Sea Creature – Water terrain is open ground. Cannot March out of water. No benefit in marshes.

Skirmishers – Placed 1/2 ” apart. All ranks may shoot. Vanguard. Tighten up around center model for Close Combat. Reforms like Fast Cavalry. Spread back out on Remaining Moves. All models shoot, can shoot on the March, but -1 To Hit. -1 Penalty to shoot at Skirmishers. No rank bonus in Close Combat. Can’t be Steadfast. Can’t disrupt enemy. Character who join gain Skirmishers rule, except Mounted ones.

Slow to Fire – Cannot Stand and Shoot

Sniper – Can target any model in a unit, with -1 to Hit. No Look Out Sir!

Stomp – Always Strikes Last. Inflicts 1 automatic hit on Infantry, War Beasts, or Swarm in base contact. Resolved at model’s Strength.

Thunderstomp – D6 wounds.

Strength Bonus (*) – Applies in Close Combat and is cumulative.

Strider – Terrain is considered open terrain.

Stubborn – Always have Steadfast.

Stupidity – Take a Leadership test. If failed move forward D6″. Immune to Psychology. Must pass each turn. Stupid wizards can’t use spells or dispels, or channel. If passed, use model as normal.

Swiftstride – Roll 3D6, and discard the lowest dice. Add the model’s M value for the total distance. For Fleeing and Pursuing, roll 3D6, and remove the lowest, but don’t add the M value.

Terror – Fear models Fear Terror. Terror models never have Fear. Panic Test on unit they charge.

Leadership test to charge a Terror model.

Unbreakable – Immunity (Psychology). No Break Tests. Non-unbreakable Characters cannot join.

Unstable – Unbreakable. Suffer 1 extra wound for a Close Combat loss.

Vanguard – Moves ahead of army after deployment, up to 12″, but not within 12″ of enemy. Roll off to see which player starts Vanguard moves. Alternate with multiple units. Cannot declare a Charge in 1st turn if player starts first.

Volley Fire – All ranks shoot. -1 To Hit penalty. Cannot do within 1/2 of weapon range.