To the galactic east of Holy Terra seethes the Maelstrom, a realspace warp incursion

second in size only to the Eye of Terra. Within the shifting warp tides lurk many dark
secrets and xenos threats, including the savagery of the ork, the cunning of the
Hrud, and the heretical treachery of Chaos renegades - human, fallen Space Marine,
and daemon.
While relatively stable as a whole, the borders of the Maelstrom ebb and flow
randomly (or at the directions of the Ruinous Powers), swallowing and disgorging
whole systems along its edges at whim. While the majority of these newly returned
worlds are corrupted beyond hope of salvation, there are times the possibility of
discovering a lost bit of ancient lore or the rumour of a fully realized STC will bring
the forces of the Imperium to bear. Such a world is Bathory V, located in a recently
storm cleared section of space known as the Tannhauser Gate. Eight standard
Terran months ago, the Ultramarines patrol ship Honour of Thiel, on picket duty
around the Maelstrom, noted the recession of the warp storm from the systems of
the Tannhauser Gate. As the ship was making a long range scan of the area, on
board astropaths began intercepting various standard coded communiques from
the Bathory system. The transmission were of a surprisingly mundane nature and
bearing time stamps that placed their origin date as pre-Crusade era. Adeptus
Mechanicus tech priests theorise that, due to the fluid nature of time in the warp,
the system may have experienced nil relative local time passage whilst being
engulfed for thousands of years in warpspace (sub reference Ordo Chronos file
M37.453c2 "Gathomar Incident"). Spurred by the very rare opportunity to examine
pre-Heresy tech, the Lords of Terra turn their eye upon Bathory V.

Setup
Each player chooses an plain unoccupied territory as their HQ. Players then
alternate choosing adjacent map territories until each player controls five territories.
For every territory a player has that contains a strategic asset, they will receive an
asset information card detailing the advantages of owning the asset.

Turn
All players roll 2d6 for initiative, with players holding Spaceports adding +1 per
controlled Spaceport to their roll. Players will then choose their action from
highest to lowest, either to attack an opposing player or dig in (explained below).
Once a player has been targeted for attack, no other player may choose an attack
option against him that turn. All players should end up with one Attack (or Dig In)
action and one Defend action. If all opponents are engaged and there is an odd out
player, that player may either a)choose to take a dig in action; or b) choose one
game where the defender's army is either Battle Brothers or Allies of Convenience

and, if the defender agrees, they may each play as 700 pt allies against the attacker
(who will play a standard 1250 pt force).
A player may choose to make no attack actions and instead fortify and dig in with
his army. This is reflected in the chart below.
For each challenge, a 1250 pt game is played (battleforged armies, no allied
detachments, no named characters, no Lords of War). The mission is generated by
random roll, but as the attacker has the initiative, he may add or subtract 1 from
the mission roll. The game is then played thru, with standard scoring applying. To
determine who gains control of the contested territory, each player involved rolls a
D3 and applies the modifiers from the chart below. If the attacker wins the roll, he
may either take control of the contested territory or expand his home territory by
one uncontrolled square. If the defender wins the roll, he retains control of the
territory.
Factor
The territory is adjacent to or is your HQ territory
Adjacent to one or more controlled territories
+/- your margin of victory or defeat in victory points
Defending player chose to dig in
Defending territory has a Shield Generator

Modifier
+3
+1
Varies
+1
-1

Note, if the battle resulted in a sudden death victory then the victor automatically
gains control of the contested territory regardless of any other factors.
After each player that has planned to attack has done so, the turn ends and control
points are tallied. A player that is not present during a turn does not attack; if one
of his territories is attacked, the attacker must still roll on the control chart,
assume the absent defending player has rolled a 1 and modify by the chart as
necessary. An absent player does not count as having taken a dig in action.

Control points
After determining which tiles change hands, players then receive control points from
their territories. Control points accrue throughout the campaign and at the
conclusion of the campaign the player with the most control points will be declared
the winner.
Tile
Control points
Your HQ tile
4
Strategic asset territories
3
Territories connected to HQ by one or more
controlled territories
2
Any other territory
1

Strategic assets (SAs)

Some territories contain sites of strategic importance that will confer certain
advantages to the controlling player.
Spaceport - A perfect launching point for air travel to strike at your enemies. A
territory containing a spaceport counts as being adjacent to all other spaceports.
Also, flyers do not roll for coming in from reserves. Each Spaceport a commander
controls adds +1 to their initiative roll.
Comm Center - Commanders may easily coordinate with their troops. One unit in
the army may gain Outflank.
Gene Lab - Ancient and forbidden technology from the Age of Strife. The army gains
the asset Nanovirus Grenade.
Shield Generator - Powerful shields provide some respite from bombardment. All
units in the army's deployment zone gain a 6+ invulnerable save against shooting.
An attacker may not use deep strike or outflank. Also, a contested Shield Generator
territory will be at -1 to the attacker's control roll when checking after a battle.
Psychic Node - The border to the warp here is thin. The army gains the asset
Vortex Grenade.
Refinery - Highly flammable liquids are refined here. Flamer weapons in the army
gain +1 STR and AP.
Hive City - Enlisted to the cause, the local populace cause disruption of the enemy
force's movements. Select one enemy unit; they must start the game in reserves.
Reliquary of Souls - This ancient hall is the ideal place for warriors to work
themselves into a religious fury. All characters in the chosen army receive the
Zealot special rule.
Firebase - A treasure trove of equipment and ammunition. Shooting attack rolls of 1
may be rerolled.

HQ - The beachhead and command center for the army. If defending his HQ, the
player gets a free bastion with comms relay and either an Icarus cannon or quad
gun.
The player controlling a SA territory receives the benefit from that asset for all their
battles (with the exceptions listed below). However, lines of supply are not infinite
and become problematic with distance. To be able to use the benefit of an SA, you
must roll on the chart below according to the distance away (in territory hexes) the
battle is taking place from the SA.

Distance in hexes
0
1
2-6
7+

Roll to use (D6)

Auto
2+
4+
6+

Note - SA Shield Generator and HQ only confer their bonuses to battles within
their own territories. Also, as Spaceports count as adjacent to each other, a player
may count any controlled Spaceport as being the distance in hexes from another
SA as being the closest number from any other of his controlled Spaceports.

Winning the Campaign

Play will continue for five turns. After the fifth turn, Control points will be tallied and
the player with the highest total will be declared the winner.

Warlord Advances
The Warlord of your army must be named. Your Custom Warlord can gain experience
and upgrades throughout the campaign. After a game in which your Custom Warlord
survives the battle (was not removed as a casualty) roll 1d6. On a result of 1-4, your
Warlord is just lucky to be alive and gains no particular advances. On a roll of 5-6,
their experience in battle has changed them. Choose one of the following tables and
roll 1d6:
Characteristics
1 +1 WS or +1BS

2 +1S or +1T
3 +1W
4 +1I or +1A
5 +1Ld
6 Choose
*All stats have a maximum of 10. If you have already taken one upgrade from a
result that offers multiple choices, you must take the remaining upgrade before you
can take this upgrade again.

Command
1 Flank March: As long as the Warlord is on the table at the start of the controlling
players turn, all units in the same detachment may reroll the dice to determine
which table edge they enter from when using the Outflank rule.
2 Rapid Assault: The controlling player may reroll Seize the Initiative rolls.
3 Coordinated Reserves: The controlling player may add or subtract 1 on rolls for
units entering from
Reserve.
4 Night Stalker: If Night Fighting is in effect on Turn 1, roll a d6 at the beginning of
Turn 2. On a 5+, Night Fighting continues. Roll again at the beginning of Turn 3. On a
6+, Night Fighting continues for one more turn.
5 Always Forward!: After the Warlord has made a Difficult Terrain test or Run roll, all
units in the same
detachment may use the same result for that turn.
6 Coordinated Strike: As long as the Warlord is already on the table at the start of
the turn, Deep
Striking units in the same detachment may reroll the scatter dice.
Morale
1 Rallying Cry: Once per game, at the start of any turn that the Warlord is on the
table, all units in the same detachment that are falling back automatically regroup.
Instead of making the normal 3 regroup move, they may move, shoot and charge
normally.
2 Overrun: The warlord and their unit add +1 to their Initiative when rolling for
Sweeping Advance after
winning a close combat.
3 Leap Back: The warlord and their unit add +1 to their Initiative when rolling for
Sweeping Advance after losing a close combat.
4 Hungry for Victory: The warlord and their unit roll 2d6 when consolidating after
close combat.
5 Here I Stand: The warlord and their unit add +1 to the result of any Ld test taken
in their own deployment zone.

6 Enemy Ground: The warlord and their unit add +1 to the result of any Ld test
taken in their enemys
deployment zone.
Melee
1 Ferocious Charge: The warlord and their unit cause Fear when charging enemies
that occupy defense
lines, battlements and entrenched positions.
2 Master of Blades: The warlord and their unit add +1 to WS on the turn that they
charge.
3 Unseen Strike: The warlord and their unit add +1 to Initiative on the turn that
they charge.
4 Headsman: All of the Warlords close combat attack cause Instant Death on the
turn he/she/it charges.
5 Heroic Sacrifice: When fighting in a challenge, excess wounds inflicted by the
enemy character are not carried over into the Warlords unit.
6 Quick Reaction: When firing Overwatch, the Warlord may make an Initiative test.
If the test is passed, the Warlord and their unit may fire Overwatch using their full
BS. If the test is failed, the Overwatch is conducted using Snap Shots as normal.

Asset: Vortex Grenade

A vortex grenade is one of the most potent man-portable weapons in the galaxy.
Use in your Shooting phase to make the following shooting attack with your Warlord:
Range
12"

S
1

AP
Type
Assault 1, Vortex, Blast

Useable once per game only.

Asset: Nanovirus Grenade

A nanovirus grenade is a genetically tailored life eater virus combined with metal
eroding nanotech that is released by the exploding grenade, deadly to all that come
into contact with it. It is suicidal at best to use as it makes no distinction of friend
from foe, and no armour is proof against the millions of tiny nanites that swarm and
chew microscopic holes in the toughest of materials.
Use in your Shooting phase to make an attack with your Warlord. The grenade has
a 12" range and a 2" blast radius. All models under the marker are killed instantly
on a roll of 3+. Do not remove killed models straight away. Instead lie the model
down and test to see if the mutating virus spreads to nearby troops. Roll a d6 to
establish the contact range in inches for the virus. Any model within the contact
range of a victim is killed on a 4+. Every time a model is killed, roll for the contact
range for that model and work out if models within this range are killed. Once there
are no more victims within the contact range, the virus has mutated into a safe form
and there is no further effect.
Useable once per game only.