Encounters with all manner of alien beasts. The two main sources are the creature sections of the original Rogue Trader (a small selection of which was used), and the dinosaur treatments from Lizardmen armybooks (most of which were used), added in are a few Dark Eldar beasts and finally some other staple creatures.
Not organized, least of all into armies, and often non-sapient, Morale for beasts encountered by the retinue works somewhat different than for human or xenos troops. While Morale tests and the consequences of failure are comparable, the triggers for testing Morale can be different – it can be a threshold of losses from a group, equivalent to a military unit’s Break Point (e.g., half of the creatures from a herd eliminated, or maybe just suffering a single loss), but it can also be other circumstances, such as being attacked, getting line of sight to an unfamiliar or seemingly dangerous thing (e.g., a battle titan, an apex predator), moving through unfamiliar terrain, being cut-off from retreat to their nest, to name but a few.
Morale for other un-organized encounters, such as many of those with imperial civilians, can be handled in the same manner, though structuring them into detachments with Break Points (the usual half, or maybe a quarter or even a fifth of their original number) will also work.
Psychneuein
The warp wasps and their mind maggots pose a terrible danger to mankind’s awakening psychic potential. For females (typically 50% of the Psychneuein encountered), an attempt to implantat their thought eggs counts as a use of a psychic power. Target a psyker within 50cm of the female, line of sight is not required. A 6 on a D6 is needed to succeed. If successful, the Psyker will be killed by the Psychneuein larvae growing in their brain within 4D6 hours. Do not roll for Casualty Recovery.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Psychneuein | 15cm | – | +1 | Sting | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 5, Skimmer, Infantry, Implant Thought Egg |
Enslavers
Warp-travelling puppeteers, Enslaver infiltrations, if not stopped early, can hollow out and turn entire planetary populations. Their natural camouflage makes it impossible to target Enslavers from more than 25cm away when in cover. Their ability to enslave other creatures is a psychic power, target a single troop stand or model (except robots) within 10cm of the Enslaver, the target has to test Morale with a -1 penalty. If the target fails the test, it is now under the full control of the Enslaver, as long as it stays within 10cm. It does not have to stay in coherency with its former detachment, effectively becoming a separate unit. If it is a commander (not necessarily a command unit but including, e.g., Imperial Guard section HQs), it may continue to give orders to its troops, even if these are not enslaved themselves. Instead of using their enslaving power, an Enslaver may attack with their psychic shock, a psychic power treated as a shooting attack.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Enslaver | 10cm | – | 0 | Psychic shock | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | -1 |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 3, Command Unit, Psychic Powers, Infantry |
Ambull
The subterranean terrors can tear through plascrete walls just as easily as they rend humans limb from limb. An Ambull can tunnel its way through the earth at almost the same speeds it can achieve overground. At the start of the movement phase, it can choose to surface or to go underground, either of which succeeds on a roll of 2+ on a D6. While underground, an Ambull is immune to weapons fire (with the exception of Mole Mortars and Vibro Cannons, or other similar sub-surface attacks) and cannot be engaged in close combat by units on the surface. An Ambull can attack buildings, which must make an unmodified save or collapse into rubble if attacked in close combat by an Ambull.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Ambull | 10cm | 6+ | +4 | Burrowing Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Infantry, Burrowing, Attack Buildings |
Catachan Devil
Whether they are the most dangerous denizens of the infamous death world of Catachan is up to debate, but easily the Catachan Devil is the most recognizable. It sports a veritable arsenal of natural weapons, from bladed limbs and pincers, over claws and mandibles, to venomous sting, and paralysing tentacles, that enables it do counter any defense and take down any foe. In combat against a Catachan Devil, units may not use any special defensive abilities such as the close combat save granted by equipped wargear Shields, the use of Chaos Cards to ignore damage, a tyranid’s regeneration or the Regeneration talent of a character, the Bulwark’s talent ability to negate additional combat dice, as well as any other examples.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Catachan Devil | 15cm | – | +5 | Natural arsenal | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 2, Natural Arsenal, Infantry |
Ferro-Beast
The strange metabolism of these metallophages makes them the bane of human settlers and many xenos alike. The Ferro-Beast rolls one additional D6 in combat with vehicles, super-heavy vehicles, and titans, although the Eldar with their wraithbone and psychoplastics construction are not affected. Also, when the retinue becomes a casualty in close combat against a Ferro-Beast, all wargear at least partly constructed from metals is destroyed, irrespective of Casualty Recovery, and even when the retinue successfully defeats a Ferro-Beast in close combat, a number of Close Combat Weapons and Armour items at least partly constructed from metals equal to the highest single die roll of the Ferro-Beast will be destroyed.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Ferro-Beast | 15cm | – | +2 | Metal eating | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 5, Infantry, Metal Eating |
Razorwing Flock
Vicious alien birds of prey.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Razorwing Flock | 30cm | – | +1 | Beaks and claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Skimmer |
Clawed Fiend
Once kindled, its murderous rage is all consuming. If a Clawed Fiend is defeated in close combat, before removing it as a casualty, fight a second close combat against the enemy which defeated it.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Clawed Fiend | 10cm | – | +4 | Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 3, Infantry, Fight Again if Defeated |
Helspider
This blade-limbed xenos arachnid can trap almost anything in the web strands it spins and throws in combat. The Helspider may pin super-heavy vehicles and skimmers.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Helspider | 15cm | – | +6 | Bladelimbs | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 5, Pins Skimmers and Super-heavies, Walker |
Giant Rat Swarm
A brown-grey carpet of mutated vermin. Multiple Giant Rat Swarms must stay in base to base contact as they move. Their scurrying multitudes cannot be pinned in close combat.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Giant Rat Swarm | 10cm | – | -1 | Bite | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 6, Must Stay Together, Cannot be Pinned, Infantry |
Living Pit
So-called Living Pits range from gargantuan sand clams to building-sized pitcher plants to buried monstrosities never seen by human eyes but have one thing in common, once drawn in by spurts of sediment, grasping tentacles, or bony harpoons no prey escapes. Living Pits are immobile, they often start hidden, but once revealed, likely by some unfortunate unit stumbling over – or into – them, they can be represented by a barrage template or a small crater. Any model touching the pit or partially within it will be attacked in close combat with a CAF of +6, if the model wins, it survives but does not destroy the Living Pit. Any model fully within the pit will be attacked in combat with a CAF of +14 but has an actual chance of destroying the Living Pit, models fully within the pit are pinned (even skimmers, who are assumed to have been grabbed while too close to the ground, super-heavies, and titans). Ambulls may attack a Living Pit underground, in which case it has a CAF of 0. Living Pits, even once discovered, are immune to shooting attacks, with the exception of sub-terranean attacks (such as Mole Mortar’s tunneling torpedoes) and barrages.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Living Pit | – | 2+ all around | +6/+14 | Maw | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 2, Vehicle, Pins Anything, Immobile, Immune to Ranged Attacks |
Hyperlion
The roar of these terrifying felinids triggers deep fear responses in any living creatures. Targets charged by a Hyperlion must test Morale and if they fail go immediately on Fall Back orders.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Hyperlion | 25cm | – | +3 | Pounce | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 3, Infantry, Fear-inducing Roar |
Cold Ones
Surprisingly agile for their size, these predatory dinosaurs hunt in small packs.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Cold Ones | 15cm | – | +4 | Teeth and Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Infantry |
Carnosaur
Once they start killing, these huge predators will not stop until they have brought down all prey in sight. In their blood frenzy, Carnosaurs roll one additional D6 for each close combar they fight in a turn, i.e., when faced with more than one enemy, they gain the same additional dice as their outnumbering opponents.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Carnosaur | 15cm | 3+ | +8 | Teeth | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 3, Blood Frenzy, Knight |
Dread Saurian
The Dread Saurian dwarfs even the mighty Carnosaur.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Dread Saurian | 15cm | 2+ | +10 | Teeth and Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 2, Wounds: 3 |
Troglodon
These pale, cave-dwelling predators have evolved sensory apparatus to more than compensate for their blindness. Troglodons ignore the effects of night fighting, Stealthy, Invisibility, Illusion, Holo-Fields, Cameleoline, or any other abilities or circumstances that would hide a target from them.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Troglodon | 15cm | 6+ | +5 | Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Cavalry, Keen Senses |
Bastiladon
The armoured brutes are entitled to a 4+ Saving Throw if they lose close combat.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Bastiladon | 10cm | 1+ all around/4+ | +5 | Trample | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Cavalry, Close Combat Save |
Stegadon
The horned and bone-plated head makes the Stegadon a living tank and battering ram. A Stegadon can try to overrun troop stands simply by moving over them. On a D6 roll of 4+ the stand takes a hit. If it survives, the Stegadon has to stop its move and is now in close combat with the stand. Otherwise, the Stegadon can continue its move.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Stegadon | 15cm | 3+ | +7 | Horns | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Cavalry, Overrun |
Thunder Lizard
These enormous herbivores are protected by their sheer size and so are normally not aggressive. They are on Fall Back orders as standard, but as they perceive most other creatures not as threats, they are free to move towards them. However, should they fail a Morale test, they immediately go on Charge orders and seek to trample and destroy whatever startled them so.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Thunder Lizard | 15cm | 2+ all around | +10 | Trample | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 5, Knight, Docile, Rampage Response, Wounds: 4 |
Salamander
Salamanders’ volatile metabolism has gifted them with natural flamethrowers which they use to burn out threats and prey alike. A Salamander’s flame spurt attack ignores cover.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Salamander | 10cm | – | +3 | Flame spurt | 15cm | 1 | 4+ | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Cavalry, Ignores Cover |
Ripperdactyl
These giant flying reptiles stay airborne for long stretches of time and must be careful where to land, as they need a gliding start from a considerable height – such as high cliffs or towering buildings – to get aloft again.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Ripperdactyl | 10-25cm | 6+ | +6 | Beak and claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Morale Value 4, Vehicle, Flyer |
Void Kraken
Deep in the outer dark the Kraken sleeps. These stony monstrosities are too slow moving to ever catch a voidship aware of their presence, but hidden between asteroids and shattered moons their uncoiling arms may grab an unwary vessel to crush its hull.
A Void Kraken has a +2 modifier for space battles and a -2 to speed. If attacking from Ambush, it needs to roll a 2+ for the equivalent of a Command test, and neither it nor the opposing ship gets to roll to maneuver for the battle. If in open space, it tests Command and maneuver on 4+ (effectively bringing maneuver to 6+ due to its speed penalty).
Any ships lost in battle against a Void Kraken make their roll for the result with a -3 modifier.
If a Void Kraken suffers a loss, it treats rolls of 3-5 on the results chart as 6 instead.