Iron Warriors
The Iron Warriors are the most heavily armed of the Chaos Legions. Because they are siege specialists they rely less on close combat and more on withering salvos of fire. Even when fighting outside fortifications their approach remains the same with the greatest importance being placed on a detailed fire plan. This is not done flippantly but is instead a careful tactic aimed at establishing strongpoints which will tie down superior numbers of enemy, allowing the Iron Warrior reserves to achieve superiority elsewhere. They are quite willing to allow strongpoints to be cut off, falling back before enemy assaults, confident that even when isolated the positions will be held. Enemy assaults can then be directed around the front-line defences into specially prepared killing fields in the second line. Only when they have destroyed the enemy momentum will they counter-attack but when launched the counter-attacks are extremely fierce. Offensively they are methodical, always seeking to grind down their opponents by attrition until the moment comes when they can be swept away by a concerted attack.
If attacking fortifications the Iron Warriors will quickly decide at what point they will actually attack, then they will launch a series of feint attacks designed to confuse the enemy and encourage them to weaken the real objective.
- The only Mark they can bear is the Mark of Chaos Undivided.
- Iron Warrior armies may not include any Daemons apart from Daemon Princes and Possessed Chaos Space Marines (although their Possessed are unusual in that they harness bound Daemonic energies to power an array of cybernetic enhancements).
- Inevitably Iron Warriors are all excellent siege fighters so every model will automatically have the Siege Specialist skill at no points cost. This skill does not count toward their maximum number of skills.
- Iron Warrior forces make extensive use of Obliterators, with whom they have a special association. The normal 0-1 unit limitation in the main list does not apply to them.
- The Iron Warriors are characterised by their heavy equipment and may include an extra Heavy Support selection in return for two Fast Attack selections. Using the standard force organisation chart they may therefore have four Heavy Support selections and one Fast Attack selection.
- Large amounts of artillery are needed for sieges so the Iron Warriors have learned to capture and re-construct Imperial equipment for the job. An Iron Warriors army can include up to one Basilisk (see Codex: Imperial Guard) and up to one Vindicator (see Codex: Space Marines) as Heavy Support Choices. The Basilisk remains BS3 and may be upgraded to fire indirectly. The Vindicator's storm bolter is replaced by a pintle combi-bolter. The only vehicle upgrades allowed are those specified in this book.
- The Iron Warriors are technically gifted and have the equipment to accompany their skills, Iron Warriors may therefore use Servo Arms.