Check out the full rules for stratagems, Relics, Warlord Traits, and Psychics from the Iron Hands codex supplement. These guys are tough as nails!
We’ve gathered all the info on the Iron Hands so far up to this point. With a relic, Warlord Trait, and a named character under our belt, we’ll be looking at a few of the new stratagems. But be sure to get caught up with the other goodness first as well.
Be sure to keep in mind in some cases these rules are paraphrased and may not be the EXACT codex wording. There is a chance we got some terms, and/ or phrases wrong. Other than that, enjoy the new Traits, Psychics and Abilities of the Iron Hands!
Full 40k Iron Hands Codex Rules: Relics, Traits & Psychic Powers
With the new codex and supplements, the Chapters are getting bonus rules called Doctrines. All Chapters start with the same Doctrine active at the start of the game. However, as the game progresses, they can switch up the rules and pick which Doctrine is best for the stage that turn.
The Iron hands Calculated Fury ability pairs with the Devastator doctrine. This allows all models in the army to move and shoot heavy weapons and re-roll all ones to hit. This is not only unique but also just insane. A max squad of Hellblasters plus Fierros 2+ Ballistic skill could kill/maim most targets in one round of shooting and probably without any CP needed.
Warlord Traits
We already saw Student of History (which is also Feirros), so let take a quick look at the other five.
- Adept of the Omnissiah: This lets a character repair a vehicle for D3 and if it is a tech marine already, it can repair flat 3
- Will of Iron: This gives a free deny the witch roll to the character, if they already could, they get an extra deny roll
- All Flesh is Weak: This is a standard 5+ feel no pain
- Merciless Logic: Unmodified hit rolls of 6 generate an additional hit, these can’t produce more. (This can include guns, as it only says “an Attack”)
- Target Protocols: Select one unit within 6″, when resolving that units ranged attacks, you can re-roll a hit roll, wound roll, and damage roll.
Relics
We saw The Ironstone, which helps make nearby vehicles tougher to hurt, so let’s see the possibilities with the rest of the relics.
- Axe of Medusa: Replaces a Power Axe to become a +3 Str, -3 AP, and 3 damage
- The Aegis Ferrum: (Primaris Only) +1 toughness, reduce damage take by 1 to a minimum of 1
- The Mind Forge: Replaces a Power Sword, Axe, or Stave to become x2 Str, -3 AP, and d3 damage
- Betrayer’s Bane: Replaces a combi-melta to change the melta profile to Assault 2, 8 Str, -4 AP, d6 damage
- The Tempered Helm: When you use a CP on a stratagem you can roll a dice on a 5+ you get one CP back, Only one per battle round
- Gorgon’s Chain: The character is -1 to wound, and has a 4+ Inv
Psychic Discipline: Technomancy
We previously saw this psychic power, so let’s take a look at the other 5
- Objuration Mechanicum: Warp charge of 7; choose an enemy within 18″ of the psyker and in line of sight, until the start of the next fight phase, If they have an unmodified hit roll of 1 with a ranged weapon they suffer one mortal wound after resolving the attacks.
- Fury of Medusa: Warp charge of 6; choose an enemy within 18″ of the psyker and in line of sight, draw a line 1mm wide between the psyker and the target’s bases. For each enemy and the target in the line roll 1d6, add 2 to the roll for to vehicles. On a 4 or 5 they take 1 mortal wound, on a 6 they take d3.
- Psysteel Armour: Warp charge of 6; choose one friendly Iron hands unit within 12″ of the psyker, until your next psychic phase, add one to saving throws for that unit, Invulnerable saves are not affected.
- Reforge: Warp charge of 5; choose one friendly Iron hands vehicle within 3″ of the psyker they regain d3 lost wounds
- Machine Flense: Warp charge of 6; choose one enemy vehicle model within 18″ and visible to the psyker, They take d3 mortal wounds. Then, choose one enemy unit within 6″ and visible of that vehicle, for each mortal wound the vehicle took roll a d6, on a 3+ the unit takes a mortal wound.
That’s a great look at the larger changes rules-wise overall for the Iron Hands- more on the way soon!
Iron Hands Stratagems Spotted
Going over the first stratagem given to us from GW, it plays solely on tactical objectives. Meaning it has no use in the ITC format. With that said it’s still totally powerful if you’re playing with your friend using those cards! These next few were first spotted on a Warhammer TV Live Stream.
To help screen characters with all of the snipers running around in the meta, Iron Hands will get a 2+ Look out, Sir!/ Savior protocols Stratagem. The only stipulation is that it can only be used in the shooting phase and you have to have another unit within 3″.
With one of the coolest Stratagems we’ve ever seen, Iron Hands will be able to turn a Dreadnought into a Character. By doing this, it makes them eligible for relics, traits, and also gets a bonus attack and Ld. Now for a couple of others that have been making their rounds on the web.
Latest Stratagems Revealed
GW picked a very weird way to word this strat, but essentially, your Iron Hands get to overwatch on a 4+. It’s like an auspex scan in the opponent’s charge phase!
Bringing some serious fluff to the table, this strat lets the Iron Hands get a little payback on their own terms. If you fight Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, or Alpha Legion, you’re treated as having a Chaplain stand next to your guys in the fight phase. A 1CP strat that goes against four Legions isn’t too shabby. Alpha Legion are probably the most popular out of all these Legions, however.
With Methodical Firepower, this adds a bit more potency to your army in the shooting phase. If you’ve got the Tactical Doctrine active to give your Intercessors -2 AP boltguns, you can pop 1CP and select something like a storm cannon leviathan to boost its guns to -3 AP. You definitely wouldn’t use this all the time, but it’s great when you need to squeeze out just a bit more firepower.
For 1CP, your Techmarine can heal a vehicle twice in a turn and it can be the same vehicle! With a 6-wound potential to bring back, you can definitely pull a tank from its lowest bracket (well assuming the Chapter trait hasn’t helped out that much). Very nice. The Iron father will get a kick out of this one for sure.
For 1CP, you can also make almost every one of your units that have any business being in combat hit ona 2+ and 3+. What’s even cooler is that if you’re going against Emperor’s Children, you’ll also add 1 to the wound roll. That’s what those pink boys get for taking papa’s top knot.
2CP for a stratagem that affects your entire army is incredible. And rightly so, you can only use it once per game. But essentially, you can make wounds of a 6+ increase the AP by 1 with all your Heavy weapons. That means Heavy Bolters can be a whopping -3 AP and Las Cannons -5 AP, for example.
The Iron Hands characters have been around for a while and gained some prowess in battle. That being said, any unnamed Warlord can have a second Warlord Trait that has to be different from the first. That’s extremely useful and at the cost of only 1CP.
In the same vein, you can spend 1CP for Scions of the Forge for an additional relic to be carried into battle. The only stipulation is that you have to put it on a Sergeant and it’s from a certain selection of options.
Reject the Flesh, Embrace the machine is another cheap stratagem but essentially, you can give a 5+++ FNP to an Infantry unit from your force. If you really need to stay on top of an objective and one unit is drawing a lot of fire, this will certainly help protect them.
Iron Hands might have a burning hatred for a lot of things but their hatred for enemy Psykers is made manifest in Souls of Iron. You can spend 1CP to deny a power on a 4+, no matter what the enemy rolled. The best part is that you still get your Deny the Witch attempt!
Used in the shooting or fight phase, you can make your wounds of a 6+ explode as two wounds instead. Combo this with the 2CP Engine Purge strat from above and you’ll be able melt just about anything on wounds of a 6+. Lascannons can potentially be -5 AP and do 2D6 damage per shot…
What are your thoughts on all of these stratagems? Also, be sure to check out Malkaan Fierros’ rules if you haven’t already.
Malkaan Feirros is going to be bringing the pain to the enemies of the Iron Hands. Check out his FULL Warhammer 40k rules from the codex supplement book.
With more stratagems emerging on the Chapter, what are your thoughts on their flexibility? Will you be making a Dreadnought a character in all of your games? What is your favorite relic? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter (with discount coupon codes) each morning as well!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. 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 contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
