IMPERIAL GUARD
In this dark and terrible age, the Imperium of Mankind is beset upon all sides by threats beyond counting. It is the duty of the Imperial Guard to hold back this endless tide of foes. No matter how many lives victory may cost, an Imperial Guard army will eventually grind their foe to a bloody pulp. This book recounts the history of the Imperial Guard, from their brutal inception amid the blood and horror of the Horus Heresy, through ten thousand years of selfless sacrifice and constant warfare. Take command of this mighty multitude, and you fight in defence of the Imperium itself – but remember, victory in the Emperor’s name justifies any sacrifice, for a dutiful death is its own reward...
List of Imperial Guard Regiments in Eternum
List of Individual Imperial Guard Regiments in Eternum
IMPERIAL GUARD WARGEAR
IMPERIAL GUARD DATASHEETS
IMPERIAL GUARD UNIVERSAL SPECIAL RULES
IMPERIAL GUARD SPECIAL RULES
Grinding Advance
The Leman Russ tank’s sturdy frame allows it to keep up a fearsome rate of fire even as it advances on the foe.
LEMAN RUSS models only. If this model remains stationary or moves under half speed in its Movement phase (i.e. it moves a distance in inches less than half of its current Move characteristic) it can shoot its turret weapon twice in the following Shooting phase (the turret weapon must target the same unit both times). The following weapons are turret weapons: battle cannon, eradicator nova cannon, exterminator autocannon, vanquisher battle cannon, demolisher cannon, executioner plasma cannon and punisher gatling cannon.
Voice of Command
A good Imperial Guardsman does not think for himself. Rather, he follows without question or hesitation the orders of his superior officers. These men in turn must command without doubt or weakness, for a well-timed order can win an entire war.
A model with this special rule is known as an officer. An officer can issue one order each turn. Orders are issued and their effects resolved at the start of your Shooting phase. If you have more than one officer, or if you have an officer that has a special rule allowing it to issue more than one order a turn, issue and resolve each order one at a time.
An officer can attempt to issue an order provided he is not locked in combat, embarked in a vehicle or building, falling back, or has gone to ground. Issuing an order does not prevent the officer’s unit from acting (shooting, Running etc.) later in that phase.
Issuing an Order
To issue an order, declare the order your officer is attempting to issue and select a single friendly non-vehicle unit from Codex: Astra Militarum that is within 12" of the officer – this can be the officer’s own unit if you wish. We call this unit the ‘ordered unit’. The ordered unit must then take a Leadership test to see if the order has been understood and acted upon. If the test is passed, the order takes effect as specified in its description.
If the test is failed, the order does not take effect.
Unless an order causes the ordered unit to make a shooting attack or Run, receiving it does not prevent the ordered unit from acting later in that phase, whether the order was successful or not.
Orders cannot be issued to embarked units or units that previously received an order that phase (whether or not that order was successful). Unless otherwise stated, orders cannot be issued to units that are locked in combat, are falling back, or have gone to ground.
Incompetent Command
If a double 6 is rolled for the ordered unit’s Leadership test, the order does not take effect, and no further orders can be issued, by any officer, for the remainder of this turn.
Inspired Tactics
If a double 1 is rolled for the ordered unit’s Leadership test, once the order has been resolved all further orders issued, by any officer, are automatically successful for the remainder of this turn.
Astra Militarum Orders
‘Bring it Down!’
| Enemy war machines and alien monstrosities are equally high priority targets for the commanders of the Imperial Guard. |
‘Bring it Down!’ can only be issued by a model with the Senior Officer special rule. The ordered unit must make a shooting attack. When resolving this shooting attack, all models in the ordered unit have the Tank Hunters and Monster Hunter keywords.
‘Fire on my Target!’
| Assisted by targeting matrices or just a good pair of magnoculars, the officer gives his men the coordinates for a pinpoint fusillade. |
‘Fire on my Target!’ can only be issued by a model with the Senior Officer special rule. The ordered unit must make a shooting attack. When resolving this shooting attack, all weapons in the ordered unit have the Ignores Cover keyword.
‘First Rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire!’
| The Guardsmen pour a fusillade of lasgun fire into the enemy to the tempo of the officer’s bellowed commands. |
All lasguns and all hot-shot lasguns in the ordered unit change their Type to Rapid Fire 2 until the end of the phase.
‘Forwards, for the Emperor!’
| The officer commands his men to grit their teeth, open fire and advance towards the enemy’s lines. |
The ordered unit can shoot this phase even if it Advanced in its Movement phase.
‘Get Back in the Fight!’
| More afraid of death by summary execution than of the foe, the fleeing squad steels themselves for more. |
‘Get Back in the Fight!’ can only be issued by a model with the Senior Officer special rule. Unlike other orders, ‘Get Back in the Fight!’ can only be issued to a unit that is Battleshocked or that has gone to ground. The ordered unit immediately regroups if Battleshocked, but it does not make a 3" move. If the unit has gone to ground, the effects of going to ground are immediately cancelled instead. In either case, the ordered unit can act (shoot, run, charge etc.) normally for the remainder of the turn.
‘Move! Move! Move!’
| The officer exhorts his troops to sprint towards their objective, be it a point of strategic importance or shelter from incoming enemy fire. Heads down and lasguns held close, the squad dash across the battlefield with all possible haste. |
Instead of shooting this phase the ordered unit immediately moves as if it were the Movement phase and must Advance as part of this move. When determining how far the unit Advanced, roll three dice and use the highest result.
‘Smite at Will!’
| The officer gives his men free rein to fire their weapons when and where their shots will be most effective. |
The ordered unit must make a shooting attack. When resolving this shooting attack, the ordered unit has the Split Fire keyword.
‘Suppressive Fire!’
| The officer exhorts his troops to rain fire upon the foe, forcing the enemy to keep their heads down lest they lose them altogether. |
The ordered unit must make a shooting attack. When resolving this shooting attack, all weapons in the ordered unit have the Pinning keyword.
‘Take Aim!’
| Aiming carefully, the officer bids his men steady themselves and recall page one hundred and nine of the Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer – the Litany of Accuracy. |
The ordered unit must make a shooting attack. When resolving this shooting attack, all models in the ordered unit have the Precision Shot keyword.
Regimental Doctrines
Regimental Doctrines represent the varied traditions, tactics, equipment and experience of Astra Militarum regiments. To reflect this, you can create your own Regimental Doctrine for your army. To do so, select two of the doctrines from those listed here; these two doctrines combined become your army’s Regimental Doctrine, and all Astra Militarum units in ASTRA MLITARUM Detachments in your army have that Regimental Doctrine. Write down the doctrines you selected on your army roster.
Mechanised Infantry
The infantry squads of this regiment have been ceaselessly drilled in disembarkation assaults. Prepared to pile out the moment the hatches slam open - even as their transport is still moving - their footing and aim is sure enough to fire a deadly volley.
- Units with this doctrine can disembark from a TRANSPORT vehicle (excluding FLYER models) after that model has made a Normal Move, but if they do so, such units cannot be selected to move again this phase (though they still count as having moved) and neither they nor that TRANSPORT model are eligible to declare a charge this turn.
Parade Drill
This regiment’s unyielding soldiers fight and die facing the enemy, a virtue made famous by many of Mordian’s proud formations. Standing tall in ordered ranks, they unleash a devastating fusillade of las-fire. If a unit with this doctrine Remained Stationary in your Movement phase, then until the end of your next Shooting phase, change the Type characteristic of lasguns and hot-shot lasguns models in that unit are equipped with to Heavy 2.
Armoured Superiority
The crews of this regiment’s war machines have been instructed in battlefield dominance and are skilled in using their iron steeds to scatter lesser enemies.
- SENTINEL models with this doctrine count as 3 models each when determining control of an objective marker.
- TITANIC models with this doctrine count as 10 models each when determining control of an objective marker.
- All other VEHICLE models with this doctrine count as 5 models each when determining control of an objective marker.
Blitz Division
This regiment’s vehicle crews are well-practised in blitzkrieg manoeuvres, swiftly encircling enemy positions before breaking through their flanks with a roar of engines.
- When placing units with this doctrine into Strategic Reserves, halve their combined Points when determining the number units you can place into reserves.
- In the second battle round, each time you set up a VEHICLE unit (excluding SENTINEL units) with this doctrine from Strategic Reserves, it is considered to be the third battle round for the purposes of determining where that unit can be set up.
Expert Bombardiers
Skilled in coordinating their targeting with forward spotter elements, this regiments artillery crews are capable of devastating precision shelling.
- Each time a Wyvern, Manticore, or Basilisk model with this doctrine makes a ranged attack, if the target of that attack is within 12" of and visible to a friendly VOX-CASTER or SENTINEL unit, add 1 to that attack’s hit roll.
Heirloom Weapons
This regiment has been issued with handcrafted weapons engraved with intricate ornamental detail, redolent of those borne by the Firstborn of Vostroya. These are no artisanal trinkets, however, as the corpses of their many victims attest. Add 4" to the Range characteristic of all ranged weapons (excluding Relics) models with this doctrine are equipped with.
Recon Operators
Adept infiltrators or swift vanguard skirmishers, this regiment’s infantry range ahead of the front lines alongside swifter elements, tackling the enemy without warning and reporting observations to Imperial command. At the start of the first battle round, before the first turn begins, INFANTRY, CAVALRY and SENTINEL units with this doctrine that start the battle wholly within your deployment zone can make a Normal Move of up to 6". They cannot end this move within 9" of the enemy deployment zone or any enemy models.
Trophy Hunters
Whether through being trained in anti-armour countermeasures, equipped with upgraded wargear or hailing from worlds rich in predatory carnivores, these soldiers are especially adept at hunting down the foe’s hulking behemoths. You cannot select this doctrine if you have selected any other doctrine, and if you select this doctrine you cannot select a second. Each time a model with this doctrine makes an attack against a MONSTER or VEHICLE unit, add 1 to the Strength characteristic of that attack.
Grim Demeanour
This regiment’s soldiers, akin to many of those hailing from icy Valhalla, are possessed of a grim fatalism at the prospect of death, and will march unflinchingly into the most hellish of firestorms.
- Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of models in this detachment. Each time a LD test is made for a unit in this Regiment, you can ignore any and all penalties to Leadership.
Brutal Strength
Ferocious warrior-soldiers exist in a number of regiments. Some hail from death worlds, such as Catachan with its deadly jungles; others may be cut-throats of a penal regiment, former hive world gangers, once-ordinary soldiers issued with psychoactive stimulants or thickly muscled survivors of a long campaign, able to effortlessly haul heavy guns into new firing positions.
- INFANTRY models with this doctrine do not suffer the penalty to hit rolls incurred for firing Heavy weapons in the same turn that their unit has moved.
- Each time an INFANTRY unit with this doctrine fights, if it made a charge move, was charged, or performed a Heroic Intervention this turn, then until that fight is resolved, add 1 to the Strength characteristic of models in that unit.
Veteran Guerrillas
This regiment fought for years through dense war zones harbouring foes in every shadow. Their infantry and most nimble vehicles are keen-eyed stalkers, able to spot lurking enemies amidst tangled ruins or heavy jungles.
- Each time an INFANTRY or SENTINEL model with this doctrine makes an attack that targets a unit within 12", the target does not receive the benefits of cover against that attack.
Elite Sharpshooters
Veterans of several war zones, these soldiers’ accuracy has been honed in the fires of conflict.
- Each time a unit with this doctrine is selected to shoot, you can re-roll one hit roll when resolving that unit’s attacks.
Cult of Sacrifice
Famed for their willingness to fight no matter the odds in the manner of the Death Korps of Krieg, or otherwise unafraid of death, the soldiers of this regiment are ready to sacrifice themselves on the field of battle in the Emperor’s name.
- Each time a model with this doctrine makes an attack, if that model’s unit was below its Starting Strength when it was selected to shoot or fight, add 1 to that attack’s hit roll.
Industrial Efficiency
Like the lauded Steel Legions of Armageddon, to this regiment the pitiless mathematics of industrialised slaughter have become a grim fact of life. Issued with additional or higher-quality armour or having scavenged extra kit, the regiment’s attrition ratio is lower than most. Each time an AP2 attack rolls for penetration against a vehicle with this doctrine, you can re-roll on the vehicle damage table, but must take the second result.
Swift as the Wind
Like Tallarn’s infamous masters of the lightning ambush, this regiment’s highly mobile soldiers and roaring tanks strike with overwhelming force before swiftly fading into the wilderness as if they were never there at all.
- Add 1" to the Move characteristic of INFANTRY models with this doctrine, and add 2" to the Move characteristic of all other models with this doctrine.
- Add 1 to charge rolls made for units with this doctrine.
Imperial Guard Warlord Traits
When generating his Warlord Traits, an Astra Militarum Warlord may either roll on one of the Warlord Traits tables in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, or instead roll on the table below. Note that if your Warlord is a Tank Commander, he must roll a D3 on the table below instead of a D6 – he can never roll on any other Warlord Traits table.
| D6 | Trait |
| 1 | Grand Strategist - Nominate D3 units in your primary detachment. These units gain the Outflank special rule. |
| 2 | Old Grudges - During Deployment, before deploying Infiltrators and before Scouts deploy, choose one Faction. The Warlord and his unit have the Preferred Enemy against all enemy units chosen from that faction. |
| 3 | Draconian Disciplinarian - Friendly Astra Militarum units within 12” of the Warlord do not take Morale Tests for suffering 25% or more casualties. |
| 4 | Implacable Determination - The Warlord and his unit have the Relentless special rule. |
| 5 | Bellowing Voice - Your Warlord has the Voice of Command special rule. If your Warlord already has the Voice of Command, he can issue orders to friendly units within 18” of him. |
| 6 | Master of Command - Your Warlord has the Voice of Command special rule. If your Warlord already has the Voice of Command, he can issue one additional order per turn. |
Imperial Guard Relics [Heirlooms of Conquest]
The sacred relics of the Imperial Guard are items of incredible rarity. Only one of each of the following items may be chosen per army – there is only one of each of these items in the galaxy!
Only one of each heirloom may be taken per army.
Bale Eye
| The Orks of Armageddon believed that Old Man Yarrick could kill with but a glance, a superstition that the Commissar was keen to exploit to his advantage. The forbidding bale eye implanted in place of his own can project a powerful short-range blast of laser energy that will core out an opponent’s skull at ten paces. |
The Bale Eye can be used in the Shooting phase in addition to firing another weapon.
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| 6" | 3 | 3 | Pistol |
Kurov’s Aquila
| General Kurov was one of the most gifted officers in Imperial history. Upon retirement, he recorded dozens of tactical treatises that were translated into voxghosts by the Adeptus Mechanicus and uploaded into a two-headed avian servitor referred to as ‘Kurov’s Aquila’. A senior officer who possesses this prestigious tool can turn to it for tactical guidance, addressing his questions to the hunched machine-bird. In response, the servitor’s blindfolded head will vocalise the most relevant vox-ghost in Kurov’s stentorian tones. The other head’s eyes glow above its bound-shut beak as they project a hololithic display of Kurov himself, arms folded and dress uniform immaculate, his imago flickering as it reveals the secrets of the foe. |
The officer, and all friendly units from Codex: Astra Militarum within 6", have the Preferred Enemy special rule. In addition, the bearer may re-roll a single failed Leadership test per turn.
Payback
| Sergeant Harker’s favourite heavy bolter, ‘Payback’, has served him well in countless hostile war zones. |
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| 36" | 5 | 4 | Heavy 3, Rending |
Power Field
| Yarrick is protected by a thrumming power field, a potent personal shield generator that bleeds the force from incoming attacks amid crackling skeins of golden lightning until it stops them altogether. |
The Power Field gives Yarrick a 4+ invulnerable save.
The Blade of Conquest
| The greatest Imperial Guard commander ever to bestride the stars, Warmaster Solar Macharius reclaimed a thousand worlds for the Emperor. Upon his death he was enshrined as a saint; the six ornate blades of his subordinate generals laid upon the altar to his glory. Only one of these weapons has been reclaimed to active service. The Blade of Conquest is a beautiful example of bladesmithing, but its true worth lies in the authority it symbolises. Any man who wields this sword can light a righteous fire in the hearts of his men, for they fight in the shadow of Saint Solar himself. |
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| - | +1 | 3 | Melee, Master-crafted |
The Deathmask of Ollanius
| Ollanius the Pious is the epitome of Imperial sainthood, believed martyred at the hands of Horus himself. In the millennia since his passing, Ollanius’ deathmask has been revered as a holy relic; whosoever wears this ancient artefact is granted the determination and endurance of the famous martyr himself. The mask is a terrifying piece of craftsmanship, depicting in obsidian and void-fired bronze the agonised visage of a tortured angel. It is said that, in the presence of traitors, the Deathmask will weep tears of blood. |
The bearer of the Deathmask of Ollanius gains a 4+ invulnerable save, and has the It Will Not Die and Fear special rules.
The Emperor’s Benediction
| Wielded by a succession of brutal, uncompromising Commissars, this masterwork bolt pistol is feared by all. Its elementary but bloodthirsty machine spirit has been blamed for a series of unfortunate ‘accidents’ on the field of battle. In spite of this, the Officio Prefectus view the Emperor’s Benediction as an artefact of some distinction – some say that it can taste cowardice even before the reprehensible act has been committed. |
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| 12" | 5 | 4 | Pistol, Precision Shot, Master-crafted |
The Laurels of Command
| The Laurels of Command are a callous and controversial means to ensure obedience. Concealed within their peerless artistry is a band of empathic-impulsion circuitry which allows the wearer limited control over the minds of indoctrinated individuals via subliminal suggestion. Under their effects even cowards fight to the last, while orders are executed in perfect synchronisation. However, if the officer wearing the Laurels is slain, the echoes of his death can leave his subordinates reeling in confusion. |
Whenever a friendly unit from Codex: Astra Militarum within 6" of the bearer is required to take a Morale check, the bearer of the Laurels may choose whether they pass or fail. However, if the model with the Laurels is removed as a casualty, all friendly units from Codex: Astra Militarum within 6" must take an immediate Pinning test.
The Tactical Auto-Reliquary of Tyberius
| Built into the gold-chased skull of Lord Commander Lucellin Tyberius himself, this device contains a web of psycho-circuitry containing Tyberius’ memory engrams and tactical acumen – and with it, his curmudgeonly and overbearing personality. Borne aloft by its own gravitic motors, the device observes and evaluates an officer’s decisions. The moment it considers an order poorly chosen, the skull cuts into the vox and loudly overrides its exasperated owner. In imperious, static-laden tones, the auto-reliquary will countermand the officer’s orders and issue a barrage of its own from Tyberius’ store of tactical insights. |
When rolling Leadership tests for orders issued by an officer with the Tactical Auto-Reliquary, any successful Leadership test that results in a double will count as Inspired Tactics. However, if you roll a double 1 while using the Tactical Auto-Reliquary, you still benefit from Inspired Tactics, though the officer has ‘accidentally’ shut the device out of the vox network – it may no longer be used this game.
Envenomed Blade
| Marbo carries a large Catachan knife coated with deadly toxins. |
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| - | User | - | Melee, Poisoned (2+) |
Ripper Pistol
| Loaded with armour-piercing, envenomed rounds, Marbo’s ripper pistol is the final word in terminal close encounters. |
| Range | S | AP | Type |
| 12" | X | 3 | Pistol, Sniper |
