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Missions

The following missions illustrate the different sorts of strategies used by Chaos Space Marines, and they will provide new tests of your tactical ability as a commander.

Altar of War: Cypher Missions

It is very straightforward to use an Altar of War mission – it only requires a handful of minor modifications to the rules for fighting a battle in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. These changes are explained in detail next, but they boil down to: roll-off if you want to use an Altar of War mission; if you win, you can roll on an Altar of War mission table instead of the Eternal War mission tables. And that’s it!

1-2
ALTAR OF WAR
: 

Turn the Tide

Cypher’s motives are beyond the ken of mortal men. In general, his actions seem to be part of some overarching plan, but what that plan can be, no one knows other than, perhaps, Cypher himself. However, there have been numerous instances where Cypher has participated in a battle for no apparent reason other than to help those who would be doomed without his aid. Appearing suddenly and as if from nowhere, Cypher will fight with grim determination alongside his new allies, helping them to survive long enough for more help to arrive. He will then vanish, as suddenly and mysteriously as he appeared.
THE ARMIES
Choose armies as described in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. One army must include Cypher.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Use the deployment map included with this mission. Then, set up terrain.

The players then roll-off. The winner of the roll-off can decide which of the table quarters will be Cypher’s deployment zone.

DEPLOYMENT
Players should first roll for Warlord Traits.

The player commanding Cypher’s army must split the units in his army into two contingents. Each contingent must include at least one unit. Do not include Cypher or any fortifications with either contingent at this time.

The enemy player then deploys, anywhere on the table more than 12" from Cypher’s deployment zone, as shown in the deployment map. The enemy player then picks one of the contingents from Cypher’s army. This contingent, along with Cypher and any fortifications, must be deployed in Cypher’s deployment zone. No units from this contingent can be placed in reserve – any that would normally have to do so are deployed on the battlefield instead. All of the units in the remaining contingent must be placed in reserve, and will arrive using the Better Late Than Never special rule below.

FIRST TURN
The enemy player goes first unless the player commanding Cypher’s army can Seize the Initiative.

GAME LENGTH
The mission uses Variable Game Length.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player that has scored the most Victory Points wins the battle. If the players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

Primary Objective
If, at the end of the game, all of the models from the contingent deployed at the start of the battle have been removed as casualties, destroyed, or wrecked then the enemy player receives 6 Victory Points. If this is not the case, then the player commanding Cypher’s army receives 6 Victory Points. Cypher and any fortifications are not counted as being part of the contingent for the purposes of these victory conditions.

Secondary Objectives
At the end of the game, each player receives 1 Victory Point for each opposing unit that has been completely destroyed. Units that are falling back at the end of the game, and units that are not on the board at the end of the game, count as destroyed for the purposes of this mission. Remember that Independent Characters and Dedicated Transports are individual units and award Victory Points if they are destroyed.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES
Night Fighting, Reserves.

Backs Against the Wall: Units from Cypher’s army cannot fall back off a table edge before the fourth game turn. Any units that are called upon to do so instead immediately Regroup (even if they had been reduced to less than 25% of their starting number of models).

Better Late Than Never: Units from the reserve contingent in Cypher’s army cannot arrive before the fourth game turn. They automatically arrive at the start of Turn 4.
3-4
ALTAR OF WAR
: 

Hidden Presence

Over the millennia Cypher has joined countless battle forces, more often than not appearing to be a mercenary fighter with little desire other than to earn his keep in battle. His matchless prowess has meant that most leaders turn a blind eye to his origins or background, and are content merely to have such a formidable warrior under their command. It is only later that they realise that Cypher had been using them to mask his own presence from the eyes of those that search for him.
THE ARMIES
Choose armies as described in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. One army must include Cypher.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Use the deployment map included with this mission. Then, set up terrain.

The players then roll-off. The winner of the roll-off can decide which of the table quarters will be Cypher’s deployment zone.

Objectives
Place one Primary Objective marker in the centre of the table, and two more, one each in the centre of each table quarter that is not a deployment zone, as shown on the deployment map.

DEPLOYMENT
Players should first roll for Warlord Traits. The enemy player deploys first, anywhere in his deployment zone that is more than 9" from the centre of the table. The player commanding Cypher’s army then does likewise.

FIRST TURN
The enemy player goes first unless the player commanding Cypher’s army can Seize the Initiative.

GAME LENGTH
The mission uses Variable Game Length.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player that has scored the most Victory Points wins the battle. If the players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

Primary Objective
If, at the end of the game, Cypher has exited the table (see the His Own Path special rule below) then the player commanding Cypher’s army receives 3 Victory Points. If this is not the case, then the enemy player receives 3 Victory Points. In addition, at the end of the game, each Primary Objective is worth 2 Victory Points to the player that controls it.

Secondary Objectives
Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES
Mysterious Objectives, Night Fighting, Reserves.

A Hidden Presence: Cypher is not deployed at the start of the battle. Instead, the player commanding Cypher’s army must secretly pick a unit from his army that includes one or more Infantry models, none of which has more than three Wounds. He must record this information so that he can prove to his opponent which unit Cypher is hidden in. At any time during the game, the player commanding Cypher’s army can reveal Cypher’s location, by showing his opponent which unit Cypher was hidden in, and replacing one Infantry model with three or fewer Wounds from the unit with Cypher’s model. Any wounds that the model being replaced has suffered are carried over to Cypher, and from that point on Cypher is treated as a separate unit. Note that if all of the models in the unit that Cypher is hidden in are removed as casualties, then Cypher cannot be revealed.

His Own Path: Cypher can exit the table if he ends one of his Movement phases within 3" of the enemy table edge. If he does so, remove the Cypher model from the battlefield (he is not a casualty). He cannot return.
5-6
ALTAR OF WAR
: 

Dichotomy of Purpose

Cypher’s actions seem to have an agenda that is known only to himself. His actions appear inconsistent, and because of this it is by no means certain whether Cypher is an ally or an enemy of the Imperium, or a friend or foe of the Dark Angels. Although Cypher only rarely works alone, more commonly fighting alongside allies that are drawn to his prowess and dark charisma, he almost always has his own secret agenda, which will only become apparent after he has achieved his ends.
MISSION GOAL
Although Cypher has his own secret agenda, each side will have their set of goals they wish to complete. To determine this, before starting play, the player commanding Cypher’s army must generate an Eternal War mission, which will determine how the armies deploy and what they are trying to achieve.

THE ARMIES
Choose armies as described in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. One army must include Cypher.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission.

Objectives
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission.

Cypher’s Objective
The players must set up one additional Primary Objective marker, known as Cypher’s Objective. Certain secret agenda results (see the Secret Agenda special rule below) will depend on whether this objective is controlled or not. It is not treated as a Primary Objective for any other victory conditions that may apply in the Eternal War mission that is being used. The players must roll-off to see who will place Cypher’s Objective. The winner of the roll-off must place the marker anywhere on the battlefield outside of either side’s deployment zone, and more than 12" from any table edge.

DEPLOYMENT
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission.

FIRST TURN
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission.

GAME LENGTH
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
Use the rules from the Eternal War mission. In addition, Cypher will have his own secret agenda, determined using the Secret Agenda special rule below. If Cypher’s secret agenda is accomplished, then the player commanding Cypher’s army receives D6 Victory Points. If it is not accomplished, then the enemy player receives D6 Victory Points.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES


Use the rules from the Eternal War mission. In addition, the following special rule must be used:

Secret Agenda: Before deployment commences, the player commanding Cypher’s army must determine Cypher’s secret objective. To do this they will need a D6, and a mug or cup (the container). The player commanding Cypher’s army must shake the dice in the container, and then quickly turn it over onto the table so that the container covers up their dice roll. The player commanding Cypher’s army is allowed to peek at the dice at any time, but may not touch it, and should ensure that his opponent doesn’t get a chance to see the roll. The dice will remain under the container until the end of the game, when it – and Cypher’s agenda – are finally revealed.

The result of the dice roll is shown on the following table. The dice is revealed when Victory Points are scored, if it has not been revealed earlier.

D6Result
1Work out Victory Points as normal at the end of the battle, and then compare the two sides’ scores. If Cypher’s army has fewer points, add three Victory Points to the total for Cypher’s army before determining who has won. If Cypher’s army has more points, subtract three Victory Points from the total for Cypher’s army before determining who has won. If both sides have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw. 
2Reveal this agenda if Cypher is within 1" of Cypher’s Objective at the start of any of his turns. The player commanding Cypher’s army receives D3 Victory Points. If this agenda has not been revealed by the end of the battle, the enemy player receives D3 Victory Points. 
3Reveal this objective if Cypher fights in a challenge against the enemy Warlord. If the enemy Warlord is removed as a casualty during the challenge, then the player commanding Cypher’s army receives D3 Victory Points, in addition to any other points they might receive for so doing. If Cypher is removed as a casualty during the challenge (even if he escapes), then the enemy player receives D6 Victory Points, in addition to any other points they might receive for so doing. 
4If at the end of the battle the Warlord of Cypher’s army has been removed as a casualty, the player commanding Cypher’s army receives four Victory Points. If he has not been removed as a casualty, the enemy player receives D3 Victory Points. 
5If Cypher is in the enemy deployment zone at the end of the battle, the player commanding Cypher’s army receives D3 Victory Points. 
6If Cypher is in his own deployment zone at the end of the battle, the player commanding Cypher’s army receives D3 Victory Points. 

Echoes of War: Cypher Missions

Here you will find a selection of Echoes of War missions inspired by the battles in which Cypher was involved. The Armies section of each of these missions provide guidance on the forces present so that you can replay the pivotal events using the armies, characters and war machines described in this book. Many of the Echoes of War missions include a map that depicts the battlefield on which the conflicts were fought.

For those with a mind to historical accuracy, you’ll notice certain restrictions and rules that we use to replicate the conditions of the battle in question. Whilst the Echoes of War missions have been inspired by specific events, with a little imagination they can easily be repurposed to recreate battles of your own invention. If you choose to go this route, you can modify these missions so that they can be fought using any combination of forces and terrain in your collection.

№1
ECHOES OF WAR
: 

Master of Puppets

For reasons that even now remain a mystery, Cypher murdered the shadowy Inquisitor, Arnuldus, and assumed his identity for many months to support the brief secession of Septius VII from the Imperium. The true purpose of Cypher’s intervention on the hive world has baffled generations of scholars researching the enigmatic Fallen’s actions, for Septius VII was restored under Imperial rule within the year. All that is known for certain is that in his guise as Inquisitor Arnuldus, Cypher led Ordo Hereticus death squads personally in a number of engagements against the Planetary Defence Force that sought to regain the territory lost to the rebel forces.
THE ARMIES
The player commanding Cypher’s army chooses an army from Codex: Inquisition using the additional rules in this dataslate (it must include Cypher). The enemy player commands an army chosen from Codex: Imperial Guard. Both players select forces to an agreed points limit. The player controlling Cypher’s army must nominate Cypher as his Warlord; Cypher’s Shadowy Herald of Strife special rule is not used in this scenario as he is impersonating the Inquisitor directly.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Set up terrain using the deployment map included with this mission.

Place Primary Objectives
After setting up the terrain, the players take it in turns to place a total of D3+2 Primary Objectives.

DEPLOYMENT
Before any models are deployed, both players should roll to determine their Warlord Traits. The player controlling Cypher’s army must roll on the Ordo Hereticus Warlord Traits table to determine Cypher’s Warlord Trait.

Players then take it in turns to deploy.

FIRST TURN
The player controlling Cypher’s army has the first turn unless the enemy player can Seize the Initiative.

GAME LENGTH
The mission uses Variable Game Length.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player who has scored the most Victory Points wins the game. If players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

Primary Objective
At the end of the game, the player controlling Cypher’s army receives 1 Victory Point for each enemy unit that has been completely destroyed. Units that are falling back at the end of the game, and units that are not on the board at the end of the game count as destroyed for the purposes of this mission. Remember that Independent Characters and Dedicated Transports are individual units and award Victory Points if they are destroyed. At the end of the game, the enemy player scores 3 Victory Points for each Objective Marker that he controls.

Secondary Objectives
Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES
Mysterious Objectives, Night Fighting, Reserves.

Arnuldus’ Spy Network: The player controlling Cypher’s army can re-roll the dice to Seize the Initiative, or force the enemy player to re-roll his.

Disguised: Cypher is disguised as Inquisitor Arnuldus. While Cypher is disguised enemy Dark Angels models do not receive the Never Forgive special rule, and he automatically escapes if he is removed as a casualty (do make a roll to see if he is captured). All of his other special rules still apply, and he can use any of his wargear.

If, at the start of any turn, Cypher is within 12" of a Dark Angels model, or a Psyker model (friend or foe) with psychic powers from the Divination or Telepathy psychic disciplines, then his disguise may be pierced. Roll 1D6 for each model that is capable of piercing his disguise and within 12" of him. If any of the dice roll a ‘6’, then Cypher is revealed. If none of the dice roll a 6, then Cypher’s disguise remains intact.

If Cypher is revealed, then the Disguised special rule does not apply for the rest of the battle, and Cypher is not allowed to join friendly units for the rest of the battle. If Cypher is part of a friendly unit when revealed, he must leave the unit in his next Movement phase.

Designer’s Note
Remember that Cypher can be revealed by a friendly Psyker as well as an enemy one. Because of this, it is wise for the player controlling Cypher’s army to avoid including psykers with the Divination or Telepathy disciplines in the his army.
№2
ECHOES OF WAR
: 

Blackened

Despite evidence that Cypher has worked alongside numerous different renegade Space Marine and Traitor Legionnaire warbands over the millennia, the most concerning sighting to date for the Dark Angels and other agents of the Imperium investigating the enigmatic Fallen was when he was encountered on the forge world of Voss Prime. It was here, amid the vast Munitorum fortress-factories of the Adeptus Mechanicus that Cypher was witnessed at the head of a deadly host of Black Legion Terminators – the first known example of a union between Cypher and the dreaded Chaos Space Marines of Abaddon the Despoiler. Guided by Cypher, the elite Black Legion force smashed its way through the hastily assembled Imperial Guard defenders and into the adamantium-clad archive repositorium known as the Irontower to reach the prize sheltered within its armoured vault.
THE ARMIES
The player commanding Cypher’s army chooses an army from Codex: Chaos Space Marines using the additional rules in this dataslate (it must include Cypher). The enemy player commands an army chosen from Codex: Imperial Guard. Both players select forces to an agreed points limit.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Set up terrain using the deployment map included in this mission.

Place Primary Objectives
After setting up the terrain, the enemy player places 3 Objective Markers anywhere within his deployment zone. No objective can be placed within 6" of any battlefield edge or 12" of another objective.

DEPLOYMENT
Before any models are deployed, both players should roll to determine their Warlord Traits. The enemy player deploys first, placing all of his units in the deployment zone depicted on the map. The player commanding Cypher’s army then places all of his units anywhere in his deployment zone.

FIRST TURN
The player controlling Cypher’s army has the first turn unless the enemy player can Seize the Initiative.

GAME LENGTH
The mission uses Variable Game Length.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player who has scored the most Victory Points wins the game. If players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

Primary Objective
At the end of the game, each Objective Marker is worth 3 Victory Points to the player that controls it.

Secondary Objectives
Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES
Mysterious Objectives, Night Fighting, Reserves.

Retrieval Protocols: The player commanding Cypher’s army can declare that he will use this special rule at the start of any of his turns. When he does so, any units from Cypher’s army that are on the battlefield can enter Ongoing Reserves.

Unfailing Precision: Any units controlled by the player commanding Cypher’s army do not Scatter when they Deep Strike.
№3
ECHOES OF WAR
: 

The End of the Line

The world of Monarch Prime was ill-prepared for the cultist uprising that blossomed across the planet as if from nowhere. Not even the arrival of the battle-hardened 1024th Cadian Regiment, fresh from combat in a nearby system, could quell the sudden ferocity of the renegade forces as they swept aside all resistance. Only when the apostate host reached the emergency bunker that sheltered Monarch Prime’s Planetary Governor did the Cadians make their stand – here they would die protecting the Governor or defeat the cultist uprising once and for all. As the unmistakable silhouettes of baroque power armour were spotted amongst the rebel lines for the first time, having evidently arrived to finish what their cultists minions had started, so too did a similarly clad, but robed figure join the ranks of the Imperial Guard and exhort them to hold their ground. Whilst this stranger lived, the defenders of Monarch Prime would yet know hope…
THE ARMIES
The player commanding Cypher’s army chooses an army from Codex: Imperial Guard using the additional rules in this dataslate (it must include Cypher). The player controlling Cypher’s army must also include a squad of Veterans, the Sergeant of which represents Sergeant Grunhelm (see Stepping Up, below), and a Wall of Martyrs Imperial Bunker in his army to represent the Governor’s bunker, though this fortification is free – it does not cost any points, nor does it use up a fortification Force Organisation slot. The enemy player commands an army chosen from Codex: Chaos Space Marines. Both players select forces to an agreed points limit.

THE BATTLEFIELD
Set up terrain using the deployment map included in this mission.

DEPLOYMENT
Before any models are deployed, both players should roll to determine their Warlord Traits. The player commanding Cypher’s army deploys first, placing all of his units in the deployment zone depicted on the map included in this mission. The enemy player then places all of his units anywhere in his deployment zone.

FIRST TURN
The enemy player has the first turn unless the player commanding Cypher’s army can Seize the Initiative.

GAME LENGTH
The mission uses Variable Game Length.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player who has scored the most Victory Points wins the game. If players have the same number of Victory Points, the game is a draw.

Primary Objective
At the end of the game, each player receives 1 Victory Point for each enemy unit that has been completely destroyed. If the enemy player slays Cypher (whether he is then captured or not), he instead scores 3 Victory Points. Units that are falling back at the end of the game, and units that are not on the board at the end of the game count as destroyed for the purposes of this mission. Remember that Independent Characters and Dedicated Transports are individual units and award Victory Points if they are destroyed.

Furthermore, at the end of the game, the Imperial Bunker is worth 3 Victory Points to the player that controls it.

Secondary Objectives
Slay the Warlord, First Blood.

MISSION SPECIAL RULES
Night Fighting, Reserves.

Bearing of an Officer: Cypher has the Senior Officer special rule. In addition, any unit from this Formation that is within 12" of Cypher must use his Leadership characteristic instead of their own for any Leadership tests.

Stepping Up: Sergeant Grunhelm has two Wounds instead of one, and has the Voice of Command (Junior Officer in 6th edition of Imperial Guard codex) special rule.