Terrain categories, cover, visibility and building your battlefield.
13.01Placing Terrain
Before the battle, place a selection of terrain features on the battlefield using one or more of the following methods:
▪ Place a well‑defined boundary (such as a base or mat) in eac location you want to furnish with terrain, then place one or more terrain features wholly within that boundary.
▪ Place one terrain feature directly on the battlefield.
▪ Place two or more terrain features directly on the battlefie in such a way that together they define the boundary of an area. In each case, the area of the battlefield occupied by that boundary or terrain feature is known as a terrain area. A mission’s deployment map may define the location and dimensions of each terrain area. Otherwise, players must agree on this before the battle.
13.02Terrain Categories
Each terrain feature belongs to a terrain category, which can affect the movement and visibility of models. Below are some examples of which types of terrain features fall under each category.
13.03Exposed
Exposed terrain offers only scant protection to the most desperate troops, and can be traversed without hindrance. Examples: Craters, razorwire, scattered debris.
13.04Light
Light terrain can provide cover from incoming attacks, but will not slow an enemy’s advance or offer lasting defence. Examples: Barricades, low walls, statuary.
13.05Dense
Dense terrain is an obstacle to even the largest war machines, and can shelter entire squads from enemy sight. Examples: Buildings, ruins, armoured containers, woods. A mission’s deployment map may define which terrain categories should be present within each terrain area. Meeting these requirements will create the best gaming experience. Note that terrain features sharing the same terrain area can belong to different terrain categories. TERRAIN PLACED ON A MAT Dense Terrain Two terrain features have been placed on a mat. The edges of this mat define the boundary of this terrain area. Both terrain features are ruins, so use the rules for dense terrain features. TERRAIN PLACED ON THE BATTLEFIELD Dense Terrain Three terrain features have been placed directly on the battlefield. The players have agreed on the boundary of the terrain area defined by these features (the shaded rectangle). The BLUE features are dense terrain features and the RED feature is a light terrain feature. Dense Terrain Terrain Area Dense Terrain Terrain Area Light Terrain TERRAIN PLUNGING FIRE As well as gaining superior lines of sight, models that ascend tall terrain features can benefit from the Plunging Fire rule (22.05). SOLID TERRAIN If a terrain feature has the Solid rule (13.11), a dense terrain features do, a model cannot end a move such that any part of it is through any enclosed part of that terrain feature that is 3" or less from ground level – not even through small openings such as doors and windows. This ensures that protruding elements of models cannot be used to circumvent the visibility restrictions o the Solid rule.
13.06Terrain and Movement
Models can move through different categories of terrain feature as follows:
▪ Exposed/Light: All models can move horizontally and vertically through exposed and light terrain features.
▪ Dense:
▪ INFANTRY/BEASTS/SWARM/MOBILE models can move horizontally through dense terrain features.
▪ INFANTRY/BEASTS/SWARM models can move vertically through dense terrain features.
▪ Other models can move horizontally through dense terrain features provided that all sections of that terrain feature that the moving model’s base would move through are 2" or less in height. Otherwise, the moving model must move vertically to ascend or descend such sections. They cannot move through ceilings and floors while doing so, and they cannot end that move on any surface of that terrain feature that is not on ground level (see below). MOVING VERTICALLY Models can move vertically to ascend or descend terrain features. While doing so:
▪ That model must remain within ½" horizontally of that terrain feature.
▪ Add the distance moved vertically up, and the distance moved vertically down, to any other distance that model has moved since its unit began that move. SETTING UP OR ENDING A MOVE Models can be set up or end a move on the ground level of terrain features. Models can also be set up or end a move on any surface of a terrain feature that is not on ground level, if of the following apply:
▪ That model has one or more of the following keywords: INFANTRY/BEASTS/SWARM/FLY/MONSTER.
▪ After ending that move, that model is stable and no part of i base overhangs the outer edge of that surface. all TERRAIN AND MOVEMENT Dense Terrain All sections of this dense terrain feature ar than 2" in height, so this MONSTER model cann through it and must move around it instead. Dense Terrain This INFANTRY model can move vertically and end its move on the top surface of this terrain feature, as it is stable and no part of its base overhangs the outer edge of that surface. e more ot move Dense Terrain This VEHICLE model cannot move through this dense terrain feature, but It can move vertically to ascend and descend sections that are more than 2" in height (provided it does not end that move on top of such sections). Dense Terrain These INFANTRY models can move through dense terrain features, such as the walls of this ruin. Dense Terrain This INFANTRY model is not being moved over or through any terrain features. Its move through the terrain area shown is therefore unimpeded.
13.07Terrain Terrain and Visibility
Terrain can affect visibility, depending on whether the Benefit of Cover, Hidden, Obscuring or Solid rules apply.
13.08Benefit of Cover
Each time a ranged attack targets a unit, if every model in that unit meets one or more of the following conditions, that unit has the benefit of cover against that attack:
▪ That model has the INFANTRY/BEASTS/SWARM keyword and is within a terrain area.
▪ That model is not fully visible to the attacking model due to one or more intervening terrain features and/or one or more intervening obscuring terrain areas (see below). Each time a ranged attack targets a unit that has the benefit of cover against it, worsen the BS characteristic of that attack by
13.09Hidden
A model is hidden while all of the following apply to it:
▪ That model has the INFANTRY/BEASTS/SWARM keyword and is within a terrain area that contains one or more dense terrain features.
▪ That model’s unit did not make one or more ranged attacks during this turn or during the previous turn. While a model is hidden, it can only be visible to enemy models that are within its detection range. Unless otherwise stated, a model’s detection range is 15".
13.10Obscuring
Terrain areas containing one or more light or dense terrain features are obscuring terrain areas. If every line of sight drawn between two models crosses one or more obscuring terrain areas (excluding obscuring terrain areas that one or both of those models are within), those two models are not visible to each other.
13.11Solid
Dense terrain features have the Solid rule. Line of sight cannot be drawn across any enclosed gap in the surface of such a terrain feature that is 3" or less from ground level. Designer’s Note: This rule ensures that models are not visible while sheltering in ground-level terrain, irrespective of small 13 openings such as doors, windows or bullet holes, or because of small gaps between adjacent terrain features. 3" is the height of the first floor of many terrain features, but some missions may adjust the height at which this rule takes effect. BENEFIT OF COVER -1 BS -1 BS When Unit E makes ranged attacks:
▪ Unit A is fully visible to every model in Unit E, not have the benefit of cover.
▪ Not all of the models in unit B are within a terra so unit B does not have the benefit of cover.
▪ All of the models in unit C are within a terrain a unit C has the benefit of cover.
▪ Unit D is not fully visible to unit E due to an in obscuring terrain area, so unit D has the benefit of cover. SOLID so does in area, rea, so tervening HIDDEN AND OBSCURING 15"
▪ There is an obscuring terrain area between all models in units A and D, so none of them are visible to each other.
▪ All models in units B and C are within the terrain area and are INFANTRY, so are hidden. However, unit D’s models are within the 15" detection range of unit B’s models (but not unit C’s), so unit B’s models are visible to unit D’s. Unit D’s models are also visible to the models in units B and C, since they are not within a terrain area. C Units A and B are not visible to each other, because even though there is a window in this dense terrain feature, it has the Solid rule, so line of sight cannot be drawn through such enclosed gaps that are 3" or less from ground level. Units A and C are visible to each other, because even though this dense terrain feature has the Solid rule, line of sight can be drawn normally through enclosed gaps that are more than 3" from ground level. OBJECTIVES Objectives represent and many missions req victory. This section HOLD AT ALL COSTS Some units have abilities that are triggered when they control an objective, or when they secure an objective for your army. critical locations that both sides are attempting to secure, uire your forces to take control of them to achieve describes how to do so with your models.