TJW

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MISSIONS & BACKGROUND

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 THE RETURN
The sigh l i n g of a H u l k in real space is a very rare event.
Most spend their t i m e locked i n the warp space vortices
where they were spawned. When they manage to escape
their warp space current into human space t h e event is
usually realised too lace and rhe ship w i l l have been sucked
back into the warp.
T h e c h a n c e s i g h t i n g o f a H u l k , a p p a r e n t l y i n e r t , and
t r a v e l l i n g t h r o u g h realspacc, was t h e f i r s t s i n c e t h e
disastrous B l o o d Angels engagement (sec page 3 of t h e
rulebook), now over six hundred years ago. Humanity was
very l u c k y to be alerted to rhe second vessel before it
reached its apparent target, Maelstrom VI . an isolated terra-
f o r m a t i o n project at the very fringe of the Segmentum
Obscura. As w i t h i t s predecessor, the H u l k was completely
dormant, radiating o n l y on the visual sped r u m .
The Hulk was spotted by the warpship Windrush, which
was exploring at the very edge o f t h e Segmenium Obscura
By a fortunate coincidence, the W i n d rush dropped out of - 04 22.50
warp space a mere parsec away from the vessel, easily + + C o m m a n d m o d u l e d e p l o y e d . Barges re-entering
w i t h i n visual range. I t s commander. Rogue Trader Borrak Warpspacc.
Vorra a p p r o a c h e d t h e H u l k b u t , f o r t u n a t e l y f o r t h e
I m p e r i u m , decided against a boarding action. Instead, h e + + The Blood Angels have returned, VWp avenge 950 dead.
chose lo r e t u r n t o h u m a n space, and notify Batdefleet Time does not heal our wounds.
Obscura

T h e Blood Angels had long since been returned to f u l l

s t r e n g t h . O n e o f t h e o l d e s t L e g i o n s Astartes i n t h e
+ + Michaelus Raphael, Imperial Commander, Chapter of I m p e r i u m , they had been formed i n the first founding and
Blood Angels. Initiating report. Space Hulk boarding action. p l a y e d a l e a d i n g r o l e in t h e j i h a d w h i c h created t h e
Estimated Impact -08.00 75 Imperium. I n their ten t h o u s a n d year h i s t o r y the one
blemish on their honour was the Failed attempt on the first
+ + Real space re-entry. A l l six barges have materialised. Hulk,
Displacement 25 seconds less than 0 . 5 % parsec. Velocity
displacement less than 2 % . Formation perfect. The news o f t h e Emperor's order was greeted with peeling
bells, and earnest prayer. The Blood Angels had been given
+ - Boarding torpedoes launched, Initiating f u l l retro, and a second chance.
on course.
The first stage of the operation was a thorough scan. To
4 4 Bless your weapons, raise prayer t o r y o u r armour. avoid alerting the dormant Geoesteaiers. this had to rely
Begin the litanies of hatred on less effective, passive sensors. As such a scan could only
pick up details of the vessel's peripheral areas, one intrusive
clement was incorporated and the first invader was placed
From Boreas data, the vessel was conclusively i d e n t i f i e d aboard. An autonomous Cyber-Altrred task (recon) Unit
as a Genestealer-infcsted H u l k and codenamed i h c 5 f « 0/ (C AT’.) was teleported to (he outer decks. The unit was
a (7g rr . L i k e i t s predecessor, t h e vessel was s t i l l
programmed to move down into the vessel's i n n e r levels.
dormant, relying on irs near invisibility to escape desertion. Here i t would observe and analyse the Hulk's computer
Because the H u l k was completely closed d o w n , it was systems. These systems were expected to be activated once
effectively b l i n d , and an easy candidate for a thorough an intruder alert had been sounded, giving the C.A.T. an
reduction by nuclear bombardment. opportunity to gain vital intelligence.
However, as w i t h all Hulks, the 5fn o/DflffJHrtr/oH was a The C.A,T, unit was too small to incorporate 1 transmitter
new and unique c o m b i n a t i o n o f technologies. The ship’s that could be picked up from within the Hulk's metallic
o r i g i n s w o u l d span galaxies and millions of m i l l e n n i a . depths. Once the invasion commenced, and the data was
Intact, it could yield enormous value to humanity, and its gathered, the C.A.T. was programmed to return to the outer
Emperor. Despite the Blood Angel's earlier near decks for retrieval.
annihilation, and their negligible reduction of the
Genestealers' total forces, i t was decided to attempt another
hoarding art i o n , By personal c o m m a n d of the Emperor, -03.00,25
this honour was given to the same Chapter.
+ + H o l d i n g course. Assigned impact points identified
Targetting complete Impact pattern anticipated 99 5 %
accurate.
-1- + We are the vanguard o f h o n o u r The leading edge of
One thousand marines Wc bring death.
The passive scan showed rhe Hulk to be every b i t as vast
as the one attacked six hundred years earlier; if anything
i t was slightly bigger. As expected, it was a m i x of of alien
tech no fogies, salvaged from vessels of widely varying age,
size and f u n c t i o n . Most h a d been disassembled a n d
stripped. Here and there, however, wholly intact ships were
incorporated into the Srns surface and structure
Most of the vessel was i n empty darkness, open to the
vacuum. The bulk of its vast, chaotic architecture seemed
to serve no function at all. Inside was a seemingly random
distribution o f rooms and corridors, linking clusters of
motors, cryogenic chambers, life support systems, and
maintenance functions
From analysis of the data, cross indexed f r o m reports
following the first boarding, it was estimated that the ship
contained in excess of 42 hOOO dormant Genesiealers. Even
w i t h improved tactics, the entire Chapter could nol hope
to destroy even a fraction of this force
-01.23.00
+ + Retro sequence complete. Impact velocity.
+ + Energizing ram shields.
+ + Our mission is a gift from the Emperor. Victory will
redeem our forebears. We are blessed
+ + Impact.
The Marines’ one hope lay in the fact that the bulk o f the
alien forces seemed to take some time to come out of
hibernation I t was decided to launch a first wave of one
hundred marines, all in f u l l Terminator armour. Their
objective was simple, either to disable the cryogenics, or
to introduce lethal toxins into the chambers, killing the
<rcncstcalcrs as i hey were re-activated Only when th is was
achieved woul d the remainder of the Chapter he seni on
board. *
To minimise the risk of contamination the first wave was
to be hunched from warp barges These w o u l d enter real
space ar sub-light speeds, i n close proximity to the target.
Each barge w oul d then launch a number o f boarding
torpedoes, each carrying two squads of marines. Once the
torpedoes were launched, the barges w o u l d return to
warpspace, and re-matcriahse a safe distance away
The mission w o u l d be overseen by a command team in a
separate module, also deployed from warpspatc. The
module had the capacity to evaluate ail the information
in -comi ng from the Scnsoria of each Terminator armoured
Marine. Orders specific to any squad o r individual would
be relayed directly, w h i l e the operalions commander
assessed rhe broader strategic situation, and relayed the
strategic orders. The overall leader was Michealus Raphael,
the Chapter's Imperial Commander.
Standing off at a distance o f t w o parsecs were the Gothic
Class Battlecruisers /nto/mwc, and
Porter Each s h i p c a r r i e d a pay l o a d o f one
hundred /feH/rre class nuclear missiles The pay load of a
Hellfire is one hundred and twelve sub-mumLions. each
one w i t h a five gigs -tonne warhead I f rhe vanguard failed,
the vessel would be fusion bombed, down i n a fine powder.
+ 00.37,50
+ + First casualties reported. Shield failures on lorpedoes
3 . 12. Four Squads dead o n a r r i v a l . Tactical reserve
re-targetted.
+ AH squads advancing. No enemy activity.
+ + The Emperor watches our every move. Humanity’s
protector is at hand.
 HOU) TO PLAV THE MISSIONS
Following are six Missions pitting Space Marines against the Genrstealers. The Missions may be played i n any order
however, as they arc listed in roughly the order of difficulty, i t is suggested that new players - especially new Space
Marine players - tackle the early Missions before going on to the later ones.

HOU) THE MISSIONS WORK MATCH PLAV

Each Mission contains the following sections: Because most games take an hour and :i h a l f or less to
complete. Space H u l k is admirably suited for match play.
Map We suggest that each i ime you 1ry a Mission , you and your
opponent play ii t w i c e - o n c e each side Keep track of how
The Map shows you how to set u p (he board and where
many t u r n s the game takes a n d h o w many casualties
io place d o o r counters p r i o r to play (all doors begin the
occurred far both sides on a piece of scrap paper
game closed I. i n addition, it displays the Space Marines'
deployment area the Stealers’ entry areas, and any other
special rooms or corridors.

Objectives
What each side is t r y i n g to accomplish.

Forces
What forces each side has at its disposal at the start of the
game, and what reinforcements i t has available
Space Marines: For die Marines, this typically means one
or two complete Squads, including full ammunition for the
H a m e r A complete Marine Squad contains one Sargeant,
one Flamer Marine, and three standard Marines.
If one player wins both games, hr gets ;in outright victory'.
I f you split i he games, w h i c h means that cither the Srealers
or Marines w o n both games, the player who caused the
most casualties, o r w h o succeeded i n f u l f i l l i n g h i s
objectives i n the shortest amount of time (depending upon
the scenario's victory conditions), is the winner.

Since you have to keep track of each i n d i v i d u a l Flamer's

ammunition, it is a good idea to place the t w o piles of six
Flamer markers well-separated o n the table, each near to
the appropriate Flamer Marine.
Stealers: The Stealer player usually begins rhe game with
one or more Blips l u r k i n g off hoard, j n d h e receives an
additional number of Blips, each t u r n as rein farce menus -
usually one or two per t u r n .
I n these M i s s i o n s , t h e Stealers have u n l i m i t e d
reinforcements - as long as the game lasts, the Stealer player
w i l l get the stated number of additional Blip counters ai
rhe beginning of his turn. I f all o f the Blips have been drawn
from the box top, take all of the converted or destroyed
Blips ( w h i c h are probably scattered alx>ut the table), shuffle
them together, place them back i n t o the box top, and begin
drawing them again

Deployment
This section describes h o w b o t h sides deploy models.
Marines: Marine Squads typically deploy on one or two
specific five-square-lung corridor sections, or dispersed
about the boa rd as the Marine player wishes. I Inless stared
otherwise in the Mission. the Marine player may place his
models i n any order, facing i n any direction he chooses.
Stealers: The Stealers enter play as Blips at any of the
S/eaZer ch fry areas s h o w n on the m a p diagram.

Special R u l e s
This describes any special rules for rhe Mission.

Victory
What each side needs to do to w i n .

❖
 MISSION I : SUICIDE MISSION
As lhe blunt nose of the Chapter's boarding
craft smashed through the steel skin of the
space hulk the Intolerance blazed the alien
vessel with a great hurst of radiation. The Hash
of data was quickly analyzed by the onboard
computers to give the Imperial forces their first
detailed view of the inner layout of the space
hulk. On lhe dark green view-screens on the
bridge the skeletal passages and chambers
glowed with a ghostly white light. Commander
Bellisario pointed to one of the groups of
glowing dots clustered around the outer levels
of the hulk.
"These match up with the protuberances on lhe
outside of the hulk," he said. "They appear to
be small boarding craft, perhaps escape pods.
We cannot risk any planet-side con la mi nation -
no ( ienest eaters can be allowed to escape. It is
imperative that the pods are destroyed or
disabled before we launch our main attack."
Within minutes, the next wave of data from the
scanners had fleshed out ihe three dimensional
floor plan of the hulk. Wide spectra analysis
revealed a fine red network of active jxwer
conduits and, more ominously, hundreds of
blobs of cold blue - cryogenics champers.
Computer analysis predicted that the escape
pods were all linked to a central control room
situated well beyond the defensive perimeter, in
the center of several larger, cryogenic clusters.
Any squad moving into the area was unlikely to
get out alive, but Commander Bellisario
ordered a squad to attack immediately. The
Space Marines could afford to delay no longer...
Objectives: The Marine player is attempting to
deliver a Hamer hit on the Launch Control
Room, i h e ‘Stealer player is, of course,
attempting to keep the Marine player from
doing this.
Forces: Marines: One hill standard Squad.
(One Sergeant, giving 2 minutes 30 seconds to
move)
Gt nest calm: Begins with two
Blips and receives one Blip reinforcement per
turn.
Deployment: Marines: The squad deploys
on the fust five squares al the top of the map.
Genestealers; 1 he 'Stealer
player may place his starting force and
subsequent reinforcements at
the entry areas of his choice.
Special Rules: If it's the Marine player's first
game he gels 3 minutes to move.
Victory: 1 he Marine player wins by scoring a
Hamer hit on the Launch Control Room /Room
A in this map} The moment he scores the hit he
wms and the game ends. The ’Stealer player
wins when he kills the flamer Marine, or if the
Hamer inns out of ammo.
 MISSION ONE : SUICIDE MISSION

r □ DOOR
£3 MARINES DEPLOY
it STEALER ENTRY AREA

Control Room
 MISSION 2 : EXTERMINATE ” ___
Commander Bellisario paced across the bridge
of llie Intolerance to where the lechmarines
clustered around the view screen, studying ihe
layout of the space hulk The Space Marines
had succeeded in destroying the launch control
room, but at the cost of an entire squad of
Terminators. Bellisario hadn't been alive at the
time of the Blood Angels' first encounter with a
space hulk six hundred years ago, when the
I irst Company had been virtually wiped out,
but he felt the burden of their loss reaching out
to him across the centuries. Now he hoped to
avenge their deaths, and finally lay their souls
at peace.
The ship's layout had been analyzed, and the
likely routes lor an alien advance had all been
plotted. It was calculated that the first enemy
attacks would be delivered from a cryogenic
cluster a kilometer aw ay from the landing area.
Sealing a key junction along this route should
block the route. A squad of Space Marines had
been sent to the junction, 300 meters beyond
the projected perimeter defenses. Here, it was
hoped, they could cover the beachhead area by
slowing down the rate of enemy reinforcement.
The advancing Space Marines reached the
junction and spread out to check the nearby
rooms for unspotted aliens. Ihe sweep was
finished with only seconds to spate. By the time
the Space Marines reported the area secure,
several hundred Genesteak rs were converging
on their position. I h e Terminators were
outnumbered by over sixty to one, and it wras
obvious that it was only a mutter of minutes
before they were wiped out.
4
Objectives: The Marine player is clearly
doomed. It is onlv a matter of lime before it is
destroyed by the numberless forces of
rampaging Genestealers. To a man. ihe Marines
have one overriding desire: to take out as many
'Stealers as they can before they go down. I he
'Stealers merely wish to destroy the Marines
with minimal casualties.
Forces: Marines: One full standard squad
Genesteak'i’s: No starting forces.
I wo reinforcement Blips per turn.
Deployment: The Marine squad begins
dispersed. Taking turns, the Marine and the
Stealer players place one Marine in any space,
with any facing, in any of «he rooms shown on
the map. No two Marines may begin play in the
same room. The Marine player places first.
Special Rules: Blips and 'Stealers are not
allowed lo lurk olT-board, nor are they allowed
to use an entry area that is within six spaces of
a Space Marine. If. al the end of the ‘Stealer
player's turn, any ’Stealers or Blips are lurking
off-board, they arc automatically lost - a though
they doesn’t count towards the Marine player’s
victory. In die unlikely event that the Marines
manage lo black all entry areas, the Marine
player wins immediately.
1 he Marine player needs to record ihe number
of 'Stealers he kills. Note that Hamed Blips
count for the number of 'Stealers they represent,
but Blips lost lurking off-board arc not counted
at all.
Victory; The Marine player w ins if he kills 30
'Stealers before his squad is destroyed,
otherwise the 'Stealer player wins.
 MISSION TWO : EXTERMINATE

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□ DOOR
MARINES DEPLOY
STEALER ENTRY AREA
 MISSION 3 : RESCUE
As the Space Marines moved into position, a
Cyber- Altered Task spy robot had crept into (he
hidden depths of hulk. Within seconds of
connection to die hulk's computer net, (he
C.A.T. had amassed all the data it required on
the ship's cryogenic systems. both their layout
and their security.
The C A T. stored the information, disengaged
from the net, and began working it's way back
towards the outer decks. As soon as the C A T
started moving, it was located by the
Intolerance's continuing wide spectra analysis.
Contact with the C.A.T. was maintained with
relative ease, bur scanners revealed (he
(.juncsLcalers were closing in rapidly...
Objectives; The Marine player must retrieve
(he C A.T and bring it safely back to the
dropsh ip.
Forces; Marines: Two complete standard
squads.
Gene stealers: No forces al start of
play, three blips pci Lum as reinforcements.
Deploy me nt: One squad begins in either or
both of the shaded com dor sections labeled 'A'
{the right hand pair of free corridors in this
map I . the other at 'B' I the pair of fee corridors
at rhe bottom of this map}. One of (he Marines
in the 'A' section is carrying the C A T
Special Rules: The C.A.T.
The CAT counter lakes no place in it's square,
and may be passed anti shot through as any
empty square. If a door is closed on the square
containing the CAI roll a dice to see which way
the CAT is pushed
The CAI is placed in the square with the
Marine carrying il, and it gives no penalties to
the Marine carrying il.
Il costs I AP to pick up. pass or take the CAT
from another Manne. For any attempt to do so
roll a dice; on 1 the CAT is damaged, on 2 it is
dropped and may wander around by itself,
otherwise it was a successful move. If the CAT
is damaged, any further damage to it will
destroy il.
The CAI may be damaged as above or if lhe
Space Marine who carries it engages tn Close
Combat.
If he wins or ties il, roll a dice with the
conditions above, if he loses il the results of the
dice gives: I lhe CAT is destroyed, 2-3 lhe CAI
is damaged, 4-6 the CAT is unharmed and will
wander about.
A flamer hit to rhe room containing lhe CAI
destroys il. The CAT cannot be attacked, picked
up or destroyed directly by a Stealer if
wandering by itself
If lhe CAI is on its own it will move in lhe
Marine players end phase Roll a dice; on 1-3
the Stealer player moves it, on 4-6 the Marine
player moves it The CAT moves up to three
spaces, and pays nothing to turn It can move to
or through occupied spaces but not into closed
doors or burning corridor sections. If damaged
lhe CAJ may not move
Victory: The Marine player wins if he gets the
undamaged CAT oil' the map through one of the
corridors at ’B‘. The name is a draw if a
damaged CAI is taken off: otherwise the
'Stealer player wins.
 M/SS/OH THREE : RESCUE

□ DOOR
S MARINES DEPLOY
i STEALER ENTRY AREA
EXIT
 MISSION 4 : CLEANSE AND BURN
-------- -----------
Objectives
The Techmarine captives are being held in two
rooms marked on the map To kill I he captives
and protect the Chapter's gene seed the Marines
must cleanse each room with a flamer shot,
Forces
Marines: Jwo full standard Squads.
'Stealers: No starting forces, two reinforcement
Blips per turn,
i H
4
------------ - _ 4.
Deployment
Marines: Each squad starts in one of the
marked corridor sections.
Special Rules
When one of the target rooms takes a flamer
hit, it is cleansed; mark the room afterwards
with the 11am er marker upside down.
Victory
I he Marine player wins by cleansing both Gene
Banks. The stealer player wins if both Flamer
Marines are killed or run out of ammunition
before lheir objective is reached.
 MISSION FOUR : CLEANSE AND BURN

Gene Bank

Gene Bank

□ DOOR
® MARINES DEPLOY
Jk STEALER ENTRY AREA
 MISSION 5 : DECOYE
Objectives
I he Marines are attempting to reach a nearby
cryogenics cluster just to the north of the
sectors shown above, both to destroy the
several thousand Genestealers interned within
before they can activate, and to draw oil'
’Stealers from the real target of the assault.
Forces
Marines: Two lull standard squads.
'Stealers: The 'Stealer player begins with three
Blip®, and gets two reinforcement Blips per
mm.
Deployment
The Marine player starts with one squad on
each of lhe live -square sections m the middle o f
the map {the five-square corridors on the right
and left sides of this map}.
The 'Stealer player may place their starting
Blips at any of the marked entry areas.
Victory
The Marine player wins by moving a total of
five Marines off the map at the exit point.
Special Rules
A Marine must pay 1 AP to move off the map.
t )nce exited he cannot return to the game.
 MISSION FIVE : DECOY

DOOR
MARINES DEPLOY
STEALER ENTRY AREA
EXIT
 MISSION 0 : DEFEND
Objectives
The Marines must defend the Duel Room {the
northenmn/s! square room in this map! until all
of the toxins has been released into the
cryogenic atmosphere circulation system. If
they keep the Genestealers from destroying the
fragile ducting before the toxins have been
released , all the hibernating Genestealers will
be destroyed.
Forces
Marines: Two complete standard squads, but
the flamer Marines begin with only 4 Hamer
shots each.
'Stealers: Hie 'Stealer player begins with two
Blips, and gets two reinforcement Blips per
turn.
Deployment
Marines: The Marine player is allowed to set
up his men anywhere on the map.
Special Rules
Duration: I he Space Marines must survive for
sixteen complete turns.
Flamer Limitations: Because of the danger of
breaching the ducts, the Hamers may not be
fired into or out of the Duel Room or the
adjacent corridor. If one is fired in this way the
ducts are damaged and the stealer player wins
immediately.
Victory ■r
To win, a Genes tealcr must enter the Duct
Room and attack the northern wall (the one
furthest from the door) in close combat. If the
Genest cal cr rolls a 6, it has breached the ducts
and the Genestealers win. If the Marines can
keep this from happening for 16 turns they win.
 MISSION SIX : DEFEND

Duct Room

STEALER ENTRY AREA

 I I'
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 THE FALL OF DARUON
/ rton'i frnow come from Zf wems fr/gfrZy /rn/fttfly /frflf ffrey cto/red rcg/urfllZy to Jo it fra/ rfreg Arc wdm»
- impossible, given what we know about evolution, fterbaps they are jown? kind a/ frfowwpOrt,
rtgo by madmen for some long-forgotten war. Jfso, / jaspert /bar Ibefr creators soon came to regret their creation.
Or perhaps they come straight from the warp.
wen? too unpfcasa/tf.
THE INUASI4N
Tfrtfa/tes III was a deep .space cargo hauler working t h r
trade routes around the Chiron Cluster. Currently carrying
a l o a d of taw-gradc orc from t h e Marion b e l t mines to
Darvon V I . TfsnAa/us had been following [he same route
for years, a n d had never had any trouble - her cargo wasn’t
w o r t h enough to m e r i t the attention o f any of rhe great
Pirate consortiums w o r k i n g the Cluster, and she was w e l l -
armdd enough w deal with the independents. Thus, her
Captain was not u n d u l y alarmed by the presence o f an
unknown ship at the warpgates leading to the Darvon
system.
Until his First Officer t o l d him how big i t was.
“ C h e c k your instruments?” t h e Captain snapped.
T h e First O f f i c e r was s w e a t i n g as h e recalibrated h i s
scanners * 'Same re ad i ng. Capia in . TWl ve kilometers stem
to stern; eight kilometers diameter at centre. Displacement
-” B u t t h e C a p t a i n w a s n ' t i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e s h i p ' s
displacement.
“Thar’s a warship! Red alert! All crew 10 battle-stations!"
The bridge's lights dimmed to red and the crew moved to
emergency stations. The Captain continued barking out his
instructions. “Navigation! Plot an immediate course back
to the Gate. I d o n ' t care where we come o u t . as long as
we jump system fasti
“ C o m m , broadcast standard non-belligerency call sign on
all frequencies. Monitor local channels and sec if you can
pick u p any chatter from rhe ship. L want to know who
she is."
“Whoever .she is,” ( h r First Officer inserted grimly, “she's
moving 10 intercept us. Accelerating at 5 0 Gs. We're nor
going to make i t . Captain .”
The Captain swore. “Nav, take us insystem! Give i t your
top acceleration - burn out the engines if you have co. N o w ! ”
Before the Navigator c o u l d comply, a scaring lance o f
energy darted our from the ship a n d sheared t h r o u g h
Tan to toss shields as i f they were butter.
I hrte weeks later, an in-system shuttle picked u p a distress
signal from one of 7frritoto<5 lifeboats, floating i n o r b i t
around the huge gas world of Darvon V I i 1. There was one
survivor on hoard, Assistant Navigator Sirvul,
Sirval told h i s rescuers that the TflMtaZfls was attacked by
pirates when i t entered the system He d i d n ' t remember
much after that ' ' W lien il te pi rates boarded us and starred
k i l l i n g everybody
1 must have gone off my head a little."
The next thing he knew, h e was aboard the lifeboat, alone
The shuttle took .Sjrval back to Darvon V I . I t towed the
lifeboat back to the planer w i t h them, the shuttle's captain
p h o n i n g to c l a i m salvage rights.
Ul
created millennia
Possibly /fre £or*Zs 0/ Cfrtfoj /tom’te cast ffrt*iw oat because tbe>-
-Jan? Advent, Senior -Xen&bfologfsl,
inquisitorial Institute 0/ Proctos Jtfnor
Unfortunately, the shuttle’s crew didn't search the lifeboat's
storage bay quite thoroughly enough
When they reached the planet, Sirval was subjected to a
rigorous physical and psychological examination. T h e
apothecaries c o n c l u d e d t h a t he was nut carrying any
communicable diseases, i h e Inquisitors chat he was not
spiritually contaminated. He had completely blocked out
the details o f the pirate attack, b u t that was not particularly
unusual. No d o u b t he was suffering from extreme guilt
about abandoning his shipmates to their d o o m ; survivors
of disasters often blocked out memories of their ordeal to
keep their sanity.
W h e n they asked him about his future plans, Strval said
chat he was giving up space travel; he warned to settle down
and raise a family. The Inquisitors nodded pityingly. The
boy had obviously lost his nerve, Under the circumstances,
they thought to themselves, c o u l d you blame him?
The lifeboat was to he brought down at [he Carsin City
Spaceport. However, seconds after i t entered t h e
atmosphere, the port masters lost contact w i t h the pilot
aboard the boat. Shortly afterwards. It crash-landed about
forty miles outside of town. in the middle of a dense forest
There were n o survivors.
Three m o n t h s later, Sirval married a young woman from
Carsin City. The couple moved o u t o f town, and began
homesteading fifteen miles from the site of [ h e lifeboat's
crash. A year later, their first c h i l d was bom.
THE INFILTRATION
4s _/izr as we fraiw frcfrt afrte to d’etormtoc Gwwjfeflters
n?Z?r&d«Ci? ortZy fry m/ec/to# ctffrers uurfr their gerte/Zc
pattern. They appear to entirely Zac£ /fre ca/w?c7(y to hear
wurc# As joh might imagine, this characteristic
makes them extremely aggress ft v - toe)' wmsz confer WU'
crortos to gdto ne«r frreetfZfl stodfe, or Zfrefr en/rre race
uu'/Z perish.
7b cpm/ternate far this extraordinarily complicated
breeding pattern. Genestealers are highly intelligent and
remarkably difficult to kill - frflm’nj? sctrtfenAr, fl/Z frw/
tounorta/.
4 child from to fl wton or lw.wilw w.’fro frfls fr ew infected
by a Genestealer is quite simi far to a pttreb red SZeaZei;
displaying lillle ouhcwriZ ffjflflyrjtofton 0/ j'/jf Hawfljj
orZgZni fr/rto, if not before, it exerts a strange power
Hirer its parents, causing them to nurture and protect the
m o n s t e r with a l m o s t fanatical devotion. The
Human/Siea ter hybrid is capable of breeding only ula the
Genesteafer method - infecting other non -Steaters with its
DNA.
 A STUDY OF HYBRID GENESTEALERS FROM THE
SKETCHBOOK OF JARV ADVENT. SENIOR XENOBIOIOGIST

/in
1 7

7 .suspecl fhaf rbere is some kind of psychic link between Thefou rib gen cration hybrid is all but indistinguishable
fl Stealer, bis victims. and their progeny, b u t this is from a purestrain H u m a n a n d Is fully capable of
unproven. in the Darron W matter, we bcltct'c fbar a reproducing as a Human being, li may spawn pure-stra/n
purestra/n Gtowfader entered £beplarntf, ctmrwlllwg /he Humans, Human/5iea/er hybrids, or pure-slraln
Iflfected crewmember after tbe crewmember wo* released Genestealers.
from custody, .So. ylssume ibaf one GVmestealer lands on a planet find
1
/« auy case, fbose Zujfectedby Genestealcrr ba?id together infects Just ten Humans - a n extremely conservative
and, if possible, leave the mainstream of civilization number. Each of those ten Humans has two children,
altogether, forming small, dtecrete enclaves or covens. producing twenty first generation hybrids. Each of those
Outsiders are subfly or overtly discouraged from entering infects ten Humans* who each bate two children. /Vow
these havens, those who persist are themselves infected, you b a t e . let's see...twenty times fen times two...four
and subsequently Join the group. Though ostensibly run hundred second generation hybrids. 7’hty each InfecT fen
by Humans, i suspect that purebred Genesteaiers control Humans, who each bace fwo children. That's eight
the covens from behind the scenes. thousand by the third generation. By the fourth
generation, there are one hundred and sixty thousand
A second generation hybrid, burn of parents infected by
monsters on that planet.
a first generation hybrid, has more of a H u m a n
appearance. its skin-colour begins to appmadmate its And tbaf s assum tog that each of the cmtf u res injects only
Human pa rents ; iosing some of the Staater s characteristic ten Human beings. Suppose the real number is twenty?
colouring. The hybrid i bead may be patter than a pure Or fifry? Or one hundred? W don? hnow bow long these
Stealer % closer to the normal shape of a Human's, and creatures lite, or bow fist they mature. Wc don? hnow
its clawlike appendages somewhat atrophied, if fully enough about them by half
c/oabed and accompanied by Hitmans to do their talking
Afy fugges/lon to you, my lords, is that once the infection
for them, some second generation hybrids are able to mow
spreads beyond the first generation, the planet should be
among o n injected bumans without being detected. fusion -bombed from deep space
If is usually al this stage, when secrmdgetteratHjn hybrids - fare Advent, Senior Xenobiologist, inquisitorial
hare ma lured, that the coten begins actire Iwp/fraftow institute of Proctos Minor
?f the basl planet.
The third generation hybrid may be almost entirely
Human In outward appearance. It has tost one or both Eighty years passed, and there were over t w o hundred
of the cZawlfbe extremeties; it can walh upright; if can t h o u s a n d t h i r d a n d f o u r t h generation Genestealers
speak like a Human. Apparently, some third generation inhabiting Darvon VI. The Stealers had infiltrated the entire
fabric of the society I n fact, the Cult of the Children,
hybrids are not equipped with the organ which allows a
Stealer to directly infect others, though they can still do founded by Assistant Navigator Sirval, was the secund most
by drawing some of their blood a n d popular religion on the planet. Most of the Cultists were
so artifically,
innocent dupes, completely unaware of lhe sinister origins
infecting if into a victim.
o f the Cult and its even mure frightening objectives;
Frighteningly, this injection as open as not is uo/wnfarx however, innocent or not. their sheer number gave the Cult
By this time, the coc-en is probably qu ite powerful, and a great deal of power on the lightly-populated planet But
victims willingly accept the infection during the coww’s despite rhe Cult's growing strength, the local government
initiation rituals. did noi recognize them as a threat. _

1A1
Thr tenets of the Cull - modesty, industry, accession to
worldly authority { “ Render unto the Emperor../’) - were
seenby the authorities as harmless, and possibly beneficial
Though n o t himself infected, the Imperial Governor-
General actively encouraged the Cull . believing that Lt was
far preferable to the other native religions, which typically
urged their members to aml 'Social behaviour, if not active
revolt against the Imperium.
The Governor-General d i d not begrudge (he Cultists their
peculiarities - if the members wished to stay in seclusion
or travel about in black, voluminous robes, as long as they
paid their taxes, that was their business. That the Cultists
raised their children i n strict seclusion was a little more
difficult to accept, but the Minister of Education himself
had visited rhe Cult-run schools, and announced that they
were, a n the whole, much better than State schools i n tact,
the Minister was so impressed that he joined the Cull shortly
after his visit,
THE fiEUOLT
Wfc trertf ftp ftaruun 17 om a standard recruitment drive.
Governor-General Mathous had regretfully informed us today.
fj&at Aw iwm unafr/e to fulfill bis recruitment quota , os rtw
local religion, ftw Cufto/tZw CM/drew,Jbrbftf /ft mem&CTS
/h>ni tarw/fo# oj/p/artef -4s otwr /orty /wre wf 0/
/i op u lace belonged to the religion, the numbers of
volunteers was unacceptably small.
The Governor-General requested that the Cult be allowed
to pay indemnities instead of supplying soldiers to the overwhelmed, and Carsin City the largest c i t y on the
Imperia! Guard; this request was, as usual, denied. The planet, reported fierce house-to-house fighting as the
Governor-General then informed us (hat ibe Cult bad still Imperial garrison there struggled for its life.
refused to provide us with recruits; he was helpless to make
them comply.
As per standard procedure, a Recruiting Centre was
established well in the hinterlands, several hundred
kilometres from concentrations of civilisation. Recruiting
squads of Ogryns were sent from the basecamp to local
villages via drop skip- Tkc first jf/narfc were wiie
swcccw/uZ, bitting the Cult villages under cover 0/
darkness. taking several dozen 0/ yowwg men, artd
brtwg/ng /j&effl frack ft) the frasecamp /or medical cjhtxkwp
awft basic Zmftje/nnHtion,
t rpow examfna/fon, ft hws rfftcotwred fka f sume of the
recruits were obviously mutants, bearing multiple arms,
oddiy-coloured skin, and other, less-obvious mutations.
Recruitment was halted while we reported io our sm/Wote
and asked /or further instruction. Wfr aiere ftfttf io waft
artif do noftftng, ftw /n ufsitors wi-re on i&e way
Four rtays /aft>r be/ore the /n uftttore arrtr ft, tbc
ffecrurimtnr Certfre uvisaffackeft. tbousa/oft 0/ Cuftftft,
many bearing some iftgree 0/ iZw mufti -armed mutation .
swept out 0/ tJbe /ore$t, com/ftetufy ot'erwbrimin#
i£e
swj/pr/jteft pickets antf fbc automatic ftejtnces,
Wow Ibty mawagwf to reach ftw Centre, / cannot say M?
traces o/Za/ye-scaft transporiattow
Tfraf
un/ra/neft Caftftft manager/ to rfftcotwr our /ocaftow, get
tJbemse/iws or.gawft ft and march two to fj&ree hanftretf
kftomefres tn /sarftays ft /rankty. asfonft Zng. // / baft
not seen ft, / hjumM not twfteue ft.
Ort/ya /tw of the Cultists were armed with weapons. Most
of them, particularly the most heavily-mutated, were
completely unarmed. Despite this, they fought with great
skdi and determination, employing massive wave -assault
tactics to crush our defenses. Human and Squats were no
match /or ftjem in hand-to-hand combat; tiw Ogryns gaw
tf?em more 0/ a fight, b u t etwn they were soon
ot ent’he/merf. 77w Cuirftfs' morate ?cas extraor/tinan';
ttwy rf/ft not seem to fake any notice 0/ auuafties.
-4s I 'm sure you realize, the Recruitment Centre was not
designed io fend off the attack of thousands of fanatics,
et'en unarmed fanatics. VFTwn it was o riows ikaf uw were
gt>fr£fo fee (Zestro>eft, ftweommanfter o/fi&e Centre, xtfayor
AVwftgos, ordered me to escape anrf report ftsyau, / took
/ice o/fj&e mutants wftfr me, /or /urftwr stafty, I believe
the Recruitment Centre fell shortly after I left.
Once in the dropship, en route to the orbiting transport,
the prisoners broke out of their confinement and attacked
fbeir guards, killing fourteen Imperial soldiers and
forcing us to destroy them to survive.
Five of them feifted /ourfeen o/us. Here are f/wft bodies.
j4s fflflt sure you wift not ft e, not one of them looks to be
over sixteen years of age *
I shudder to think what it must be like on that planet
- Ct?fe/ Medical O/ptcer ta/ftmon.
Within two days of the attack on Lhc Recruitment Centre,
the Cultists rose up in revolt, and fighting broke Out across
the entire planet. All the smaller towns and villages were
L-nfonunatcly for the garrison, at least I wo of its troopers
were secret member of the Cult. They launched a stunning
suicide attack against the garrison s headquarters, killing
most of the high-ranking commanders and destroying its
communications n e t w o r k , T h e garrison fell s h o r t l y
thereafter.
The rebels q u i c k l y mastered the garrison's ami-space
weaponry, forcing the Imperial transport to leave orbit and
destroying all of the Imperial communications and spy
satellites.
Nothing has been heard from Darvnn V I since then
Foar ftafta/fi)nsy Hph reek /o recon MW Dart'OM V7 wftk
/)«r fratfa/row? I doubt that you could do it with forty
battalions, or four hundred!
The planet is lost! Fusion bomb it from space, 1 beseech
you!
I see. I suppose you must learn it yourselves before yow
wjH freftetv.
Vfery weft, //vow Zwsftf u/ww fj&ft /ooZftk attack . at feast
fake tbft a trfte- fie trr)Ops sent cfc?«m to Darron V7are
fteeid men. f Jestroy ff?e dropsftips after t/wy Zanft. Do not
take fJtwni feack tn to your fraHS/3t?rfs awrfer aay
c/rr m5tajxce5 Tkey may de ■ cowtam/nafeJ.
If this infection spreads beyond Darvon V7, / don Jf see
kow we caw cowtafti ft.
Jfy Toraft, I fear for the Empire.
- Jaw Advent, Senior Xenobiologist, Inquisitorial
Institute of PrOCiOS Minor
 GENESTEALERS
7"fre tfdfee o/ a sotor fiebind is rhe warm glow of a bright. yellow s u n . surrounded by balls of green an J Wwe
and red. planets locked in rhe endless Afirtowfan da wee of orbit. Ahead is darkness, broken only by pinpricks of
tired white light issued years before from faraway suns, and toe occastona/ passage o/’.wrfZ/ bfts of rock heading
jrtyyy/em to temporary u-ar/nffr or //ren r tfeato, or oursjslem to Zfre tong yottrney torowgfr toe co/rf dc/fjfe n/gjbr
Auc&fenfy, a soundless eAp/oston, /Won Instanr /be weresr /rarftow of o n i w W - a bole opens. /I frote leading
to nowhere.
.4n impossibility Issues forth.
Clad In frZacfc Zee; stored fry frwge rents and rears, toe sb/p appears. .4 mg-fr/mare of distorted physics and monstrous
energy, too huge, too a/Zen to comprehend, toe toip jrfritoWcrs and moans as it makes the transition from nothingness
to being. Outraged, reality denies the ship, h u t is defeated by the certitude of those aboard .4 w w of new possibility
rippies sullenly through the fabric of what is.
7be GencstoaZers frar.t come, ,4notoer so/ar sysrem begtos to die.

THE INUADERS
The Gencstealcrs arc rhe most enigmatic of races. Fierce
warriors, they eschew the use of weapons in combat. Highly
intelligent. they build n o t h i n g of their o w n , relying solely
upon the technology o f conquered people. Possessing an
incredibly strong survival drive, they die fearlessly i n battle
Vicious, destructive (bey choose to c o n q u e r t h r o u g h
seduction and infiltration rather than overt battle,
Al first glance, i t is difficult to believe that i cunning and
malign intelligence lurks within rhe Grncsttiiler’s bestial
exterior. A Genes teal er resembles t h e m o s t fearsome
monsters of ancient legend, a horror o f leech, claws, and
glittering savage eyes. Protected by j remarkably strong
carapace, through which protrude ropes of sinewy muscle,
the creature stands in a perpetual crouch atop its clawed
feet. Two sets of arms descend from its massive shoulders,
one equipped with fingers, i h e other with powerful daws.
I t s long, thick head is equipped w i t h a fearsome array of
fangs and an even more frightening pair of eyes,
No one knows how many space hulks there are. Millions
of Human vessels have been lost in the warp; countless
billions more must have been lost by -ocher races over [he
millennia Most are empty piles of junk - spice flotsam -
some, however, contain treasures of bygone ages, (he lust
science of the fantastic Dark Age of Technology. o r of other
rates, as far advanced above Humanity as we are above the
insects. Thus, some seek out the spacehtdks, travelling
aboard t h e m i n rhe hope of discovering treasure risking
eternal prison for the chance of wealth beyond the dreams
of avarice.
Some creatures, particularly Chaos Renegades, use the hulks
as pinite vessels, appearing i n a system, sending o u t smaller
ships to murder and rob nearby planets or vessels, then
escaping io safety in the random w a r p jumps of the space
h u l k s . T h i s i s d a n g e r o u s in t h e e x t r e m e , b u t C h a o s
Renegades do not fear danger.

The Genestraltfs choose t o live aboard the space hulks for

THE SPACE HULKS
There arc currents i n warpspacc. Spacecraft r i d e these
currents, entering the warp ar a warpgaie, travel ting along
them for a time, then, hopefully, emerging hack into our
universe again ar another gate. Some vessels never return.
Sometimes they f o u n d e r a n d arc r i p p e d apart by t h e
tremendous force of wrarpstorms. Sometimes they miss
t h e i r exit gate, and journey forever t h r o u g h the warp,
eternal prisoners of the void, or drop hack i n t o the universe
c o u n t l e s s u n t o l d m i l e s a n d endless years from t h e i r
i n t e n d e d d e s t i n a t i o n . Perhaps chat’s h o w t h e first
Genestcalcn arrived in this galaxy. N o one knows,
Some vessels, however. become locked in a strange current
o f the warp, emerging from time to time in realspacc, but
then later helplessly sucked back i n t o the w'arp. They have
no control over their destination and may travel in the warp
for centuries, appearing at the same gate whence they came,
or light-ccniurics away, only to disappear once more after
several hours or days.
For some reason, according to the demented physics of the
warp, more than one of these prison-ships
from time to
rime emerge at the same gate at the same time. One vessel
might be an a b a n d o n e d w r e c k , a n o t h e r a new c r a f t ,
c o m p l e t e w i t h l i v i n g crew. I f possible, t h e crew will
sc avenge rhe wreck, perhaps binding i t to their o w n vessel,
to increase their l i v i n g space, and perhaps in the vain hope
[hat they w i l l be able to fashion an escape vessel out of
the wreck. Thus are born space hulks.
similar reasons to the Renegades. Ill equipped to build a n d
man their own vessels, the Genes [eaten* find i n the random,
unforseeahte movement o f I hr hulks the perfect vessel for
t h e i r i n f i l t r a t i o n o f H u m a n space. Incredibly hardy,
extraordinarily long-lived, they are nor deterred by the cold,
vacuu m. or chance of centuries of isolation. T<nail y w ithr nit
fear, they are willing 10 chance - i f not court - death to
further their aims
THE CYCLE OF CONQUEST
T h e Genesrealers a r e a w a r r i o r race. T h e i r v e r y
physiological make-up demands that they constantly seek
Out new victims to conquer: if they don’t, they w i l l become
extinct.
Gcncstcalcrs r e p r o d u c e b y a m e t h o d w h i c h is vastly
different from Humans. There are no 'male' and 'female'
Stealers-. Stealers are incapable of m a t i n g w i t h each other,
and they are unable t o bear their own young. Stealers
reproduce b y infecting o t h e r races w i t h t h e i r generic
material.
Stealers are strong psychics. T h e y arc able to paralyse
victims with their gaze, in much the same way snakes terrify
their prey into i m m o b i l i t y . I f a Stealer concentrates all of
h Is energies upon dominating its victim, only the strongest-
w i l l e d can resist. Once a v i c t i m is dominated,, the Stealer
infects h i m . passing o n its generic material i n an obscene
parody of a kiss.

I
 K.

k
’V,"

We came in
through
the western wall at the
height of the ceremony, as

4' the frenzied screams of pain

and ecstasy reached their
loudest. To the left were the cult members, about two
hundred men and women in all, lying fully prostrate

A on the floor. To the right stood their - priests? gods?

children? - I don't know what to call them. There were
perhaps a dozen of the creatures, dressed for battle
and armyed about a tall, handsome man in ceremonial
robes, bearing a staff of some kind.
For a iong moment, no one moved. The tall man
looked at me. I could /t 1#/ his eyes burning into my
mind. 1 was frozen w i t h terror and... and something
like dnrk’jfpdJZ/on. He smiled. I - I don't know what
would have happened next, if Gorm. my Ogryn
Sergeant, hadn't torn Loose a piece of the wall and
thrown it at the tall man. He missed - and one of the
creatures ripped Gorm's head off for his pains - but
the tall man flinched, and the spell was broken.
I ordered my men to attack You know r the rest.

- J?naf report 0/ .fffrifefeflrt 7b//,

tate 0/ (At? fmperta/ (foanfr.
The Gcncstealers r long, supple tongues are equipped w i t h
iw [posters (egg-Layers) When a Stealer LkiMC< a victim, the
THE INUASION OF
tongue pierces the victim’s skin, leaving an egg behind. IMPERIAL SPACE
After a v i c t i m is infected, he is released. Whether as a by-
Despite its growing weakness, the Imperium of Man is still
product of the Stealer’s hypnotic gaze or as a retsuli of a
an extremely formidable opponent. Humanity is a warrior
hormonal secretion of the egg itself, [ h e victim has no
race, like the Gcncstcaiers, and. though no match for the
m e m o r y o f the implantation-, he sees the entire episode as
Genescealers in hand-io-hand combai, their ability t o use
a nightmare of fear. and burning eyes
s o p h i s t i c a t e d w e a p o n r y makes t h e m deadly fighters
A subtle psychic link is established between the Sicatcr and indeed. The Imperium can not be cowed o r bargained w i t h .
its victim. The Stealer can influence the victim's thoughts The Imperia] Inquisitors ruthlessly exterminate any infected
a n d actions w i t h o u t The victim realizing that he is being planets they discover - they arc not afraid to kil I the innocent
manipulated. The Stealer uses this power to give its victim fo ensure that all o f rlic tainted ones arc destroyed. The
one overwhelming desire: to mate ;End have children. Inquisition keep strict silence about this threat to the
I mperi um . ruth less ly kJHing or mind w ipi n g a11who come
Because of I he dam age to the v i c t i m s genetic structure,
into contact w i t h the aliens, fearing the taint of Chaus and
though he mates w i t h his o w n k i n d , his children w i l t be
spiritual contamination.
hybrids: pari victim race h parr Gcncstcaler Until the fourth
generation, the hybrids arc sterile, able to procreate only As a w h o l e , M a n k i n d i s p s y c h i c a l l y w e a k , b u t sonic
via the Gcnestcalcr method. individual Men are strong, The Emperor o f Mankind is all
but dying, but lhe Stealers have tasted hi 5 m i n d from afar
The first generation hybrid closely resembles a purest ram
and they fear h i m , more than any being they havc ever
Gcncstealer. From birch, i f not before, i t has the Stealer 5
encountered.
strong psychic ability; this, i n concert with the natural
paternal I'maiernal instincts in all parents, blinds its parents But the Stealers have no choice They are driven. They must
to the child's monsrrousness, keeping them from destroying conquer - or perish
the monster at b i r t h . They nurture and cherish the young
The Gtne$tealer< plan.. evolved over eons o f conquest, is
hybrid, and w i l l go to great lengths to protect i t from harm,
s i m p l e , yet v e r y subtle. I n d i v i d u a l Gcncstealers w i l l
W h e n the first generation hybrid matures, i t w i l l infect infiltrate a large number o f Imperial planets, establishing
o t h e r s , w h o will in t u r n produce s e c o n d g e n e r a t i o n small covens amongst the disaffected populace which exist
hybrids. With each passing generation, the hybrids l o o k throughout Humanity. They w i l l increase their families
more and more like their parent race, a tul less a n d lew like s l o w l y - as slowly as their burning drive to procreate w i l l
Gencstealers. By about t h e fourth generation, they arc all allow - taking great pains to avoid detection. After the fourth
but indict mgu inhabit* from p u restrain members of their general ion hybrids are b o r n , they will leave their plane!
parent race, to the extern that they are able to mate in the as merchants, diplomats, traders, and even soldiers in the
same fashion as uninfected members of their species. Some Imperium, to found covens on new planets.
of their children w i l l he hybrids, some pu restrain members
Using their psychic powers and shrewd diplomatic skills,
of the v i c t i m race - some w i l l be purcstrain Genes tcalcrs.
honed by millennia of inter-family warfare, the Stealers'
All of the descendants of a purcstrain Genes icaler tend to
covens w i l l make alliances with other, non -Stealer covens
naturally band together into an extended 'family usually
- those created by Vampires, mad Humans, the forces of
under the control of the original Stealer itself
Chaos - extending their power and influence a
i ho Lisaud fo I cI W h en t h e time is right . when t he I mperi urn
STEALERS AND TECHNOLOG V is a[ its weakest, under some grave threat from outside, the
Despite being equipped with hands, purestrain Gcnestriilera Stealers will strike, fomenting unrest and rebellion amongst
are not tool -users; they build n o t h i n g for themselves Their the populace across a thousand thousand imperial worlds
sophisticated and subtle brains, w h i c h a l l o w t h e m to
infih race and psychically dominate other species, are quite
incapable o f understanding the complexities of the lever
or the wheel - or the jipcar, o r t h e gun W h e n they fight,
they light as animals, using their bare teeth and claws to
rend their opponents [o bits.
Not so the hybrids. First generation Stealers arc almost as
l i m i t e d t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y as purestrain Stealers. Later
generations however are capable of understanding and
using technology A t h i r d or fourth generation Stealer can
build and operate sophisticated equipment, and it can wield
w e a p o n s . H o w e v e r , even t h e l a t e r h y b r i d s are up!
technological innovator.; they arc limited by the capabilities
of their parents, if their parents lack sophisticated
manipulatory' digits, so will the hybrids; if the planet never
achieved spaceflight. the hybrids are unlikely to do so.
W hen S[eaters embark upon space hulks, they take third
and fourth generation hybrids w i t h them, to maintain the
vessels and Operate the lifeboats; however; the hybrids arc
noc as hardy o r long-lived as purr Stealers. If they die before
[he vessel reaches an inhabitable planet, Lhc Stealers arc
a l l but helpless u n t i l new victims decide to enter the hulk
Oti [heir own. BS

i£*
 THE IMPERIUM
THE BEGINNING
M o r e t h a n 25 millennia ago, M a n k i n d began the first
tentative steps to the stars. .Equipped both w i t h shockingly
primitive technology and a burning des ire for exploration
and conquest. Man slowly, blindly, made his way to rhe
nearest systems outside his o w n . Generations lived and died
o n the long interstellar voyages; the fiixt I lunian.s to set foot
o n another planet had never seen the cool green hills o f
Terra, nor had their parents, n o r their pare m s 7 parents.
The first colonies were completely o n their o w n , cut off
by untold miles and uncounted years from any assistance.
Most colonics died alone and un lamented; a scattered few
survived and prospered, A n d ( h r exodus continued
W i t h the discovery of t h e n rarp tfrfoc came the great
Expansion, as what was once a journey of several centuries
became a journey of several days Warp space was tricky
anti dangerous stuff , and not to be entered lightly. Many
ships simply vanished, never to be seen again. W i t h the
discover)- of the w h i c h allowed ship's
p i l o t s to m a k e l o n g e r , m o r e accurate w a r p j u m p s ,
interstellar travel became much safer, and soon Men were
exploring all of the nearby stars.
Alien contact followed shortly thereafter, and, w i t h g r i m
inevitability, the first Alien Wars. The pattern was set
THE DARK AGE
Of TECHNOLOGY
E x p l o r a t i o n b r o u g h t new ideas, new w e a l t h , new
arrogance, and Science became God. The machines of travel
a n d conquest achieved incredible Levels of sophistication
There seemed n o t h i n g that Man couldn't do. Man himself
was changing, and psychic pow ers, once the stuff o f quack
science and trashy p u l p thrillers, came robe accepted, and
studied.
Though few realized it 21 the time, the end of the Age of
Technology was heralded by the appearance of psykers
humans capable of using psionic powers such as telekinesis.
The trigger for this appearance has never been precisely
d e t e r m i n e d , b u t w i t h i n mere c e n t u r i e s psykers w e r e
recorded on almosi every planet known to Man. Some went
mad; uncounted millions were b u r n l as witches, destroyed
by ignorance and fear, and. possibly, prescience. A few.
those o n civilized, 'enlightened' planets, were protected
and nurtured, allowed to test and explore their new-found
skills.
THE AGE OF STRIFE
F o r more t h a n five t h o u s a n d years, warfare wracked
M a n k i n d . Nation baetlrd n a t i o n , p l a n e i fought p l a n e t ,
system laid waste system. Man fought Himself, Daemon,
and Alien. The fragile bonds of C i v i l i s a t i o n were lost.
Abandoned colonies perished by the scores o r reverted to
barbaric savagery. Ou (spacers and aliens plundered and
grew fat on the wreck of Humanity.
h was al this time that the mu rants began to appear in great
numbers. As science crumbled, terraformed worlds slowly
reverted to t h e i r natural conditions; the M e n o n t h e m
adapted, o r died. Thus were born the abfrMtturns the
stocky Squats, lhe powerful tlgryns. the mad Bcasimcn.
and many others.
Only the worlds where psykers were rigorously suppressed
survived intact. The retrenchment of Mankind was almost
total.
THE REBIRTH OF MAN
Perhaps Man's greatest strength is His ability (o create heroes
in t i m e of need - the greater the p e r i l , the greater the man
1‘he Age o f Strife, arguably the greatest peril Mankind has
ever faced, brought forth the greatest man history has ever
recorded - rhe man who would be known as the Emperor
o f Human Space. A shrewd diplomat , lie gathered the loose
fragments of Humanity i n t o a single Empire. A brilliant
soldier, he conquered those w h o w o u l d not join o f their
Own v o l i t i o n and reclaimed rhe worlds lost to the Aliens.
The strongest psyker the galaxy b a d ever seen, h e drove
the Daemons back i n t o the warp from whence they came.
The Emperor is Im monal. For ten thousand years he has
. ruled the Imperium. For ten thousand years h e has ordered
the lives o f men. For ten thousand years he has protected
Mankind from t h e threats w h i c h abound i n this hostile
universe. For ten thousand years he has sacrificed h i m sell
o n rhr altar of Humanity's hopes for the future. For ten
thousand vears the Imperium has endured, established Out
of strife and discord, a bastion of light in the darkness
■•MdA’A'dr W/WM

T h i s was to prove die greatest calamity chat Man has ever

perpetrated u p o n h i m s e l f i n a long h i s t o r y o f foolish
arrogance and stupidity.

Untrained and igriurJnt o f what they meddled w i t h , die

novice psykers opened t h e galaxy to invasion. Daemons :
■ •

fell creatures i n the warp, born of Chaos - attacked the

minds of the unprotected psykers, a n d t h rough t h e m ,
gained entrance to our galaxy. MouSlers walked the worlds.
I g n o r a n c e a n d madness replaced e n l i g h t c m n e n i and
t e c h n o l o g y Aliens, sensing Man's weakness, attacked
savagely, attempting to regain all that they had lost. The
/Igt? of S/ri/e was h o r n . 11
 THE IMPERIAL HIERARCHY
THE EMPEROR The Adeptus Arbitcs
The Imperial p o l i c e and justices, the enforcers of I m p e r i a l
Ageless and ancient, the Emperor is the undisputed master law throughout space.
of Humanity. Wounded during t h e great conflagration
known m the Homs Heresy, the Emperor caused a life- The Adeptus Astra Telepathies
support machine o f incredible complexity, the G o l d e n
a cadre of powerful psykm, charged w i t h maintaining the
Throne, to lie b u i l t on Terra. Once it was completed, he
A s t r o n u m i c o n a n d s u p p l y i n g t h e lesser psykers to b e
was placed within its confines, where h e has remained ever
sacrificed to the Emperor.
since, ruler and prisoner, sustained by life-energy drained
from millions of human psykers. His w i l l maintains the
navigation beacon known as t h e Ascronomicon and binds
H u m a n i t y together.
Throughout the i m p e r i u m , the Emperor's W i l l is carried
out by two colossal organisations: the Inquisition and the
Adeptus Terra. Tens ot billions of men and women - adepts,
scholars, priests, governors, soldiers and Inquisitors exist
o n l y to serve the Emperor.

THE INQUISITION
Tile Inquisition is responsible for scouring the Imperium
for rogue psykers. mutants, and alien threats. Answerable
only to the Emperor Himself, they are also charged w i t h
weeding out i h e corrupt and inefficient w i t h i n the Adeptu.s
Terra. Inquisitors are granted tremendous power and
independence of action, few Imperial servants would dare
deny any request made by the Inquisitors

THE ADEPTUS TERRA

The Adeptus Terra has charge of everything else w i t h i n the
Imperium - fn>m l h e disposition of the I m p e r i a l Fleet, to
the maintenance of the salt collectors on the watery world
of Argon 11. The Adepnis Terra is responsible for the spiritual
as weil as physical well-being of the I m p e r i u m ; countless
priests, officials, warriors, technicians, doctors and others
arc employed in this vast, system-spanning bureaucracy.
The Adeptus Terra is divided into many bureaucracies and
departments The most important of these art:

The Admin[stratum
The largest single department in the Adeptus Terra. The
men and women o f the Adminisrratum are responsible for
most of the day-to-day governing of the Imperium; there
are members o f the Adm inks t rat u m on almost every planet
in Imperial space, a p p l y i n g policy, levying taxes, ordering
the movement of Imperial troops, and carrying out the
million other details of the Imperial Will.
The best servants of rhe Adm in istratum arc appointed as
Imperial Commanders. They are given charge of planets,
a n d sometimes entire systems, to r u n as they see fit -
providing tithes are paid and their loyalty is firm.

The Adeptus Custodes

The Emperor's personal bodyguard. A n elite force, they
have nol left Terra since the Emperor's confinement w ithin
the Golden T h r o n e

The Adeptus Meehank u s

The tech-priests of the Imperium, they are responsible for
the recovery o f the technology lost during the Age of Strife,
and the maintenance of existing technology. They also
provide support lo die Imperial Guard, the Fleet and for
their own fighting arms, most notably the Titans of rhe
 THE WARRIORS Of THE IMPERIUM
As befits a warrior stare, the Armed Forces of the Imperium
are mighty indeed - perhaps the mightiest host the galaxy
has ever seen. There arc four main arms in the imperial
forces; the Fleet, the Collegia Titanic?, the Imperial Guard,
and the Lcgiones Astartcs.
THE FLEET
The Imperial Fleet provides both a space-going navy a n d
transport for the Imperial Guard and Collegia Titanica. hi
addition, the Imperial Scout Vessels are constantly probing
at the edge of the Unknown, expanding the I m p e r i u m at
a tremendous rare. The Fleet controls most o f the interstellar
transport w i t h i n the Imperium, independent private ships
do exist, b u t these are relatively rare
THE COLLEGIA TITANICA
A subdivision of t h e Adcptus Mechanicus, the Collegia
Titanica controls the Imperial War Titans - huge, manlike
war machines, up to one h u n d r e d feet tall The Titans saw
m u c h service i n the long-ago Horus Heracy, when Titan
battled Titan for control of the Imperium. Today, most of
t h e I m p e r i a ] T i t a n s are e m p l o y e d g a r r i s o n i n g t h e
boundaries or the H o r u s Worlds, where remnants of the
Traitors still exist, an ever gnawing thorn in the Imperium’s
side.
THE GALAXV OE THE IMPERIUM
The galaxy contains around four hundred thousand million
stars. Of these, o n l y a fraction are orbited by planets which
are liabiiahlt or within the capability of human engineering
to make habitable. And of these few, fewer still have been
investigated and settled by humans. This Tew,' however,
numbers millions of worlds.
It is simply impossible to count the systems where humanity
or one of its sub-species can be found. New worlds arc
constantly being colonised and added to the Imperium,
in such number that even the sophisticated computers o f
the Adcptus Ttrra cannot keep track of them all. Even using
faster-thin -light warp drive, travel from Terra, the centre
o f g o v e r n m e n t , to the edge of the Imperium can take
literally years - by the r i m e one arrives, the border is likely
to have advanced even farther. Despite i t s inexorable
growth, the Imperium is unlikely to ever explore the entire
galaxy, let alone spread its rule to others. The galaxy is
bigger than Man, and is Likely to remain so.
WARP SPACE
Warp space is both the single greatest boon to Man, and
the single greatest threar The conquest of warp space is
i he power that binds the Imperium together, a l l o w i n g
spacecraft io move hundreds o f thousands of light years
tn only a few hours. However. warp space is also the domain
of Chaos, a n d its minions gnaw constantly at the Imperium,
seeking to conquer it f r o m w i t h o u t , seeking to rot it from
within.
THE IMPERIAL GUARD
The Imperial Guard arc recruited from the elite of the
countless planetary armies across the Imperium. The sheer
n u m b e r o f r e g i m e n t s i n t h e G u a r d s staggers t h e
i m a g i n a t i o n ; i t i s a t r u l y vast forte, w i t h tremendous
capabilities,
THE LEGIONES ASTARTES
Though they cannot match the Imperial Guard’s awesome
numbers, the Space Marines o f the Lcgiones Astanes fir
o u t s t r i p t h e G u a r d i n t e r m s of f e r o c i t y a n d savage
dedication. There are one thousand Chapters of Space
Marines, each of one thousand Marines - a million battle
brothers,
The best one hundred Marines in each Chapter arc trained
in the use o f temttadtor unHOwr, fantastic bat tie -armour
created i n the Dark Ages of Technology.
I f i he Imperial Guard is the mailed fist of the I m p e r i u m ,
the Legioncs Astarte* is t h e rapier o f the Imperium, and
the terminator-clad Space Marines its mor-sharp point. (5ee
r/?t* next /or more on f/w Intones
Astarttes. )
At rhe simplest level, warp space is a separate and complete
universe, coexisting w i t h our universe. For every p o i n t i n
o u r universe, there is a corresponding location in warp
space, and t h e two universes are intimately connected.
However, warp space is n o t an exact duplicate o f Teal'
space. Warp space exists according to its own set of physical
laws; distance and time are different there. Two points that,
in our reality, are tens of thousands o f light-years apart,
might, in warp space, be separated by mere miles, o r inches
Thus. U is possible for a suitably-equipped vessel lo enter
warp space, travel for several hours, and re-emerge i n our
space light years from its starting point.
Spacecraft Navigators find their way across warp space by
fixing their course on the A s t r o n o m i c o n . t h e psychic
beacon of il ie I n iperiu ni Main taincd by the Emperor s will
a n d c o n s u m i n g The e n e r g y of u n c o u n t e d m i l l i o n s o f
psykers, the Astronomicon shines across reality and i h r
warp. allowing Navigators to steer spacecraft safely through
the currents of warp space.
In warp space, however, nothing may be taken for granted.
I t i s a universe f i l l e d w i t h cross-currents, eddies and
w h i r l p o o l s o f power Ships disappear, without reason, o r
emerge from the warp centuries after they entered i t , or
millions of light years from their intended destination Warp
storms flare up, b l o c k i n g travel through huge reaches of
rhe warp. These storms can last for seconds or persist for
millennia, destroying or sending off-course any ships w h i c h
enter t h e m , I s o l a t i n g areas o f real space from a l l hut
pa inful ly-slow sub I ight travel A nd there is al ways C h aos ,
the primal force of the warp, wailing. ..
ALIEN RACES AND EXTERNAL THREATS
Mankind is not the only creature to have made the leap
into space, During its Long history, the I m p e r i u m has
encountered ■ and battled - a number of alien races. The
most notable of the Imperium's contacts and foes arc the
E/ttar; the OrtoM, and the Genestealers.
The Great Powers of Chaos
Through forbidden research, the U r d u Malleus have
determined chat their are four great Powers w i t h i n the
forces of Chaos - Tzeentch, the Lord of Change. Skinners h.
the Lord of Deca dance. Nurglr, the Lord of Corruption,
and Khomc, the Lord of Battle. Each Power has human
servants w o r k i n g w i t h i n the Imperium and across the
universe. Each has a coterie of Daemons w i t h i n the warp.

71 The Powers seek the destruction of Mankind and, i n that

destruction, the ultimate domination of Chaos throughout
this reality.
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enriffef, see of Cfiaos. rafumeJ I and IL)

THE ELDAR CHAOS

in physique the Eldar are the moat human Like of the known
alien races.Roughly man-sized in height, but slimmer, these
aliens have fought Mankind in countless battles across the
galaxy - and alongside Mankind in almost as many. A
dangerous enemy, and almost as dangerous an ally, the
Eldar's aesthetic nature and sophistication has lead them
to regard Man as a foolish and dangerous upstart. On their
part. Man tn turn has branded the F.ldar as decadem. Both
Opinions have something of the truth in them.
A once mighty race, most o f the Eldar s planets were
destroyed eons ago during the Fall of the O l d Race. The
surviving Eldar live on great space ships known as cna/f
uwWi Few Humans have seen a craft world and lived to
tell of it . The Eldar keep the number, size, and location of
the craft worlds strictly secret.
Mention has been made elsewhere of the malevolent
psychic creatures which live in warp space. These beings
have preyed upon psyfceis throughout human history; using
them as gateways i n t o the real universe. Accounts o f
witchcraft, possession, and daemons appear again and
again in the Imperium's most secret records, along w i t h
hints of other, darker mysteries.
The Ordo Malleus
Within the Inquisition there is a secret college, the Ordo
Malleus, which is devoted to combatting such phenomena.
Few know of the struggle, for to know is to risk corruption
and temptation. Humanity as a whole must never learn of
the battle, else the Darkness w o u l d surely t r i u m p h
Ignorance is the armour of purity

THE ORKOIDS
The Orkoids comprise a numirer of
different races which share impvrtani
characteristics. Orkoids arc green-
skinned humanoids with brutal,
cunning, and violent natures. The
largest and strongest of these, known
as C)rk\ dominate the smaller and
weaker, I he Gretchens. Whether the
various O r k o i d s are all descended
from o n e race o r are a s t a r t l i n g
example o f parallel e v o l u t i o n is
unknown, though the t )rks claim the
latter.
As a r u l e , O r k o i d t e c h n o l o g y i s
primitive and often unreliable in i h r
extreme, The Ork technicians, called
are poor irniovators. but
well skilled in the art of dismantling
stolen or captured machines, and
designing something that works - most
o f the time, anyway. Ork weaponry
epitomise emde technology which has
been pushed to its limits, allied w i t h
a complete disc regard i o r operator
safety A l t h o u g h Humans despise
O r k o i d technology, most have a
healthy respect for its firepower.
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 THE LEGIONES ASTARTES
The Leglane# Astartts is the official tide o f t h e warrior
organization known as rhe Space Marines Its warriors are
acknowledged as the most powerful and feared fighting
men i n the Imperium. Most of its troopers arc recruited
from rhe feral planets, where traditional w a r r i o r castes
compete for rhe honour of becoming a 4 warrior of rhe stars.'
For true aggression and psychotic killer-instinct, however,
few recruits can best the murderous followers of the city-
scum that roam the darkest pits of the hive-worlds, Driven
to extremes of insanity by colossal pressures o f hive- world
l i v i n g , these merciless killers make ideal Space Marines
Young recruits arc sub jeered To many hours o f intensive
training and indoc trination. Their bodies are roughened
by bio-chemicals, and their resolve is hardened by psycho-
Surgery. A special black carapace is merged w i t h t h e i r
natural flesh, f o r m i n g a sort o f i d e n t i t y tag as w e l l as
permanent a r m o u r By the end of h i s training, i h r recruit
has been t u r n e d into a Marine, a disciplined - or at least
controllable - killer.
The basic unit of the l.cgioncs Astartcs is called a Chapter.
Each Chapter is like a small army in Itself, fully equipped
w i t h its o w n transport, non-combatant support staff . cct.
A l t h o u g h II contains at most o n l y a thousand f i g h t i n g
Marines the Chapter has the fighting potential of many
times that number o f ordinary troops
Fully recognizing their value the Imperium does not often
waste die Space Marine# in stand-up brawls where sheer
numbers w i l l decide the day. Instead, they are used with
surgical precision, to m o u n t lightning raids and surprise
attacks. T h e i r r e p u t a t i o n for c o l d - b l o o d e d n e s s a n d
complete lack of mercy has earned t h e m rhe nickname
o/ Dea/A.
Du ri ng tlle upheaval know n as rh c Horu s I leresy, w hen cme
of the Emperor's most trusted generals succumbed to the
lure of Chaos and turned on h i s liege, the Space Marines
fought w i t h savage ferocity on both sides. IVvo Chapters
in particular, rhe Imperial Fists and the w h i t e wars, earned
great renown in die heroic defence o f the Imperial palace
CHAPTERS
T h e C h a p t e r s are s e l f - c o n t a i n e d . , a l m o s t m o n a s t i c
communities, answerable only io the Emperor. For the vast
bulk of the Space Marines, the Chapter is their w o r l d , and
the only contact they have w i t h outsiders is in battle
Tradition and ritual are of great importance within
Chapter, a n d t h e training and daily r o u t i n e of a Space
Marine places as m u c h emphasis upon moral welfare and
dedication io the Emperor as o n physical training and
combat skills.
Each Chapter has i t s o w n base, or yd rfrej.r- monastery,
w h r re i he Space Marin es 5pen d their t imc bci ween bat i les
in training and meditation. As well as barracks, training
facilities, machine shops, defence systems and shuttle silos,
a fortress -monastery includes a chapel for each o f the
Chapter’s Companies, a n d b u r i e d deep beneath i t a l l .
ORGANISATION
Marines belonging to the same Chapter are called battle -
brothers or hat tie-kin Each Chapter, led by a veteran Marine
w i t h the rank of Chapter Master, comprises administrative
staff, maintenance teams, transport ream#, medical teams
and about a thousand fighting Space Marines. The wrarriors
are d i v i d e d into fighting Squads o f 5 10 troopers, each led
by a Sergeant. Ten such Squads m a k e u p a C o m p a n y ,
commanded by a Captain and usually assisted by one or
more Lieutenants Typically, one Company of up io one
hundred Marines is trained in the use o f Terminator armour.
WEAPONRY ANO ARMOUR
Marines go i n t o battle w e a r i n g p o w e r a r m o u r . Power
a r m o u r consists of an all -enclosing protrcrivc*suit, life-
support system, and m a n y o t h e r features The natural
weight and cumbersomeness of the a r m o u r is overcome
by a system o f electrically motivated fibre-bundles which
replicate in every way t h e muscular movements of the
wearer - so. although heavy, the wearer moves w i t h o u t
penalty. Controls are minimal; most o f the suit functions
are automatic, and the suit's b u i l t - i n 'thought machine'
(computed w i l l respond to vocal commands. Though not
nearly as effective as Terminator armour, power armour
is an awesome battle suit in i t s own right.
The standard hand weapon of 1he Space Marines is the bolt
gun, a lighter version o f rhe storm bolter. Many Marines
carry different weapons: lasguns, auto-guns, and various
types of grenades b e i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y popular Marines
almost always go into combat with, a hand-to-hand weapon,
w h i c h may range from a simple knife all the way up to an
awesome chainsword. Heavy weapons the Marines favour
Include flamers, graviton guns, shuriken catapults, heavy
plasma cannon, mu i t i -me I his. a n d the like.
TERMINATOR ARMOUR
Also known as 'Ihctical Dreadnought Armour, Terminator
exo-armour is a development o f the scaled environment
suits used by .spaceship crews.
Exo-armour is c o n s t r u c t e d from heavy gauge p l a c e d
plating, forming an armoured shell that can withstand even
the colossal impact of high-speed orbital micro-debris It
is the only reachl y available armour suitable for working
inside the highj-pressure casings of plasma reactor shields,
or the extremely corrosive environments inside the hold#
of bulk chemical carriers. These .same qualities. suitably
enhanced by the Adcptus Mcchanicus. make Terminator
the
a r m o u r virtually invulnerable to most weapons.
lerminator suits contain their own independent power
supply and life-support systems. They are heavily armed
and many also carry teleport homers, bio-scan ners, energy-
scanners, auto-sense#, suspensor# and targeted for their
weapons, a n d communicators.
Almost all Space Marine Chapters have suits of Terminator
armour, a n d train a small number of their best Marines to
use them T h e suits are valuable, and often very old. Many
bear scars or medallions commemorating past actions, and
arc treated with the reverence due io ancient relics.
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