Imperial fists are bringing the siege-breaking heat with their helping dose of rules. Check out everything there is to know about the boys in yellow next!
Coming from Glacial Geek on Youtube, we’ve got a full breakdown on everything you need to know about the Imperial Fists and their rules before they hit the scene. Get an early look and let us know about any strong combos you see!
Tor Garadon
Looking at the next Primaris addition to the Imperial Fists, we’ve got Tor Garadon. He’s coming to play with Aggressor armor and a shoulder-mounted grav-gun as well as what looks to be a supercharged power fist. If anyone is going to have a decent power fist it’s going to be the Imperial Fists.
With the same camera mounted on his back as the Iron Father Malkaan Feirros, he may very well be giving the 2+ BS bonus to friendly units within 3″ as well.
Check out the stats of this guy. He’s a named Primaris character in Gravis armor coming to the Fists. He’s got the same basic stats as Gravis armor gives but with a whopping 7 wounds and 5 attacks (6 on the charge). He’s essentially a named Captain, letting everyone reroll 1’s around him. However, he’s also got a grav-gun instead of the normal boltgun that Gravis characters have. In addition, he’s got a spicy 3-flat damage Sx3 power fist that DOES have a -1 to hit.
Being a named character, he has to have some special rules right? Signum Array, gives a unit within 3″ of himself a BS of 2+. This is something we first saw with the Iron Hands Malkaan Feirros. However, Siege Captain gives Garadon 1 bonus damage doing 4 a pop against buildings and vehicles. He’s the Imperium’s next Kool-Aid man for sure.
Imperial Fist Codex Rules & More
This Chapter, like the Iron Hands, plays off of the Devastator Doctrine. If you stay in this bracket of rules, you get a nifty +1 damage to all heavy weapons. Being that this is the first Doctrine you always start in, there’s really never any reason to move.
Devastator Doctrine
- +1 damage with heavy weapons against buildings and enemy vehicles while the Devastator Doctrine is active.
Named Character Points
- Pedro Kantor- 150 pts
- Tor Garadon- 140 pts
- Darnath Lysander- 130 pts
Warlord Traits
The way it looks, the Crimson Fists are only getting three specific Warlord Traits to choose from while the Imperial Fists get the full 6. With that said, the image is a bit blurry. However, we’ve got the breakdown transcribed for you.
- Fleetmaster: Once per battle, if your Warlord didn’t move, you get a free Orbital Bombardment without the CP. (might be worth it if it’s essentially free. the Strat has been pretty useless since its existence, however).
- Stubborn Heroism: Your Warlord can’t fall back but you halve any damage he would take.
- Refuse to Die (Crimson Fists): If your Warlord dies, he can come back with D3 wounds remaining on a 4+.
- Siegemaster: When resolving an attack against a building or vehicle with this Warlord, add 1 to the wound roll.
- Indomitable: Attacks can’t wound your Warlord on anything better than a 4+.
- Architect of War: When resolving an attack against a friendly unit within 6″ of this Warlord, units in cover add an additional +1 to their armor save against AP -1 weapons. Note that this only procs on AP -0 to -1 weapons. A las cannon will still melt these guys and this is the same Warlord Trait from the index.
- Hand of Dorn: You get D3 CP before the start of the battle.
Crimson Fist Warlord Traits
- Refuse to Die: The first time this warlord is slain, on a 4+ he comes back with D3 wounds remaining.
- Tenacious Opponent: When chosen to fight, if there are at least 5 enemy models within 6″ of the Warlord, add D3 to the attack characteristics.
- Stoic Defender: Units within 6″ of the Warlord have Objective Secured. If a model already has its (all troops do), they count as being two models instead of one.
Relics
- Banner of Staganda: Ancient model only- Add 1 to all hits for melee weapons within 6″ of the bearer.
- Eye of Hypnoth: Imperial Fist model only- This gives a 6″ aura of a lieutenant’s reroll 1’s to wound aura.
- Spartean: Bolt Pistol/Heavy Bolt Pistol only- 18″ pistol 2 S4 AP-3 D-2 and can target characters.
- Bones of Osrak: Imperial Fist Librarian only- You can reroll your psychic test rolls when casting powers from the geokinesis discipline.
- Duty’s Burden: Crimson Fist with Master-Crafted auto bolt rifle or stalker bolt rifle only- 30″ Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-2 D-2 (Seems like a slightly reworked version of the Ex-Tenebris for Raven Guard).
- Fist of Vengeance: Crimson Fist model with power fist only- Sx2 AP-3 D-3. This is basically a thunder hammer with no negative to hit.
For special-issue wargear, some of this equipment is what we’ve seen before. However, going over the unique ones there are:
- Fist of Terra: this is another powerfist replacement that gives the bearer +1 attack and no negative to hit.
- Gatebreaker Bolts: This is a one-shot relic that explodes into D3 wounds and is a AP -5 D-1 killer!
- Auric Aquila: Gives the bearer a 4++ invuln and a 5+++ FNP for psychic mortal wounds.
- Warden’s Cuirass: Add 1 to the wounds characteristic to the bearer.
Psychic Powers
- Tectonic Purge (WC 6): Subtract 2″ to enemy charges while they are within 12″ of this Psyker.
- Wrack and Ruin (WC 6): You can pick a building or units in a terrain feature and roll nine D6. Each 5+ is a mortal wound.
- Fortify (WC 4): Gain D3 wounds back on an Infantry/Biker unit within 12″. (Your Librarians can be better Apothecaries at-range).
- Iron Inferno (WC 6): Select a point on the battlefield in 18″. Within a 6″ aura, everything on a 4+ takes a mortal wound.
- Aspect of Stone (WC 5): Add 2 to the Psykers Strength and Toughness characteristic (He can bump chests with Dreadnoughts and other elites with this).
- Chasm (WC 6): Select an enemy unit within 18″ and can’t FlY. Roll 2D6. If the result is lower than the move of the unit, they take 1 mortal wound. If the result is equal to the move they take D3. If the result higher they take a flat 3.
Stratagems
- Pain is a lesson (1CP): Give a 6+++ FNP to a non-vehicle, non-servitor unit
- Bolster Defenses (1CP): If a unit is in cover, add 1 to their saving throw. This can only be used once per battle and invulns aren’t affected.
- Bolter Drill(2CP): Rolling a 6+ to hit with an Imperial Fist unit explodes into two hits.
- Bitter Enmity (1CP): If you’re in melee with an Iron Warriors unit you can reroll hits and wounds.
- Sappers (1CP): Add 1 to hits and wounds against Vehicles or Buildings in the fight phase.
- Close-Range Bolter Fire (2CP): Pick a unit to shoot. Their bolt weapons count as getting an additional shot in terms of rapid-fire/pistol. (rapid fire 1 becomes rapid fire 2).
- Stubborn Defence (2CP): You can’t discard storm or defend objectives. However, they net you one additional point.
- Tank Hunters (2CP): You can pick an enemy Vehicle and a friendly Imperial Fist unit. Add 1 to the wound roll for any attacks (shooting or melee) that target the Vehicle from that unit.
- Champion of Blades (1CP): You can give an Imperial Fist Successor Chapter character a regular Imperial Fist relic.
- Sentinel of Terra (1CP): Give a non-named Fist character an additional Warlord Trait.
- Clearance Protocols (1CP): All models (up to ten) in a unit can all throw grenades.
- Praetorian’s Wrath (2CP): Add 1 additional AP for a wound roll of a 6+. You can only use this once per battle. (Raven Guard have this exact same strat with a different name).
- Gift of the Phalanx (1CP): A Segreant model can take a Special-Issue wargear option.
- The Shield Unwavering (2CP): You can only use this at the end of your turn if a unit is standing on an objective. However, you add 1 to attacks and saving throws for the unit until the start of your next turn. This essentially acts as a deterrent for the enemy to come and rip you off the objective.
Crimson Fist-Specific Stratagems
- Slay the Tyrant (1CP): Add 1 to hits against a character
- A Hated Foe (1CP): Reroll wounds against Orks in the shooting or fight phase.
Will these rules make Dorn proud? Do the Imperial Fists/Crimson Fists bring anything to the meta that other factions just can’t?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials:@RealmbrushPainting
Bio: Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4.
If you like what he writes and want to reach out or get your models painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
