Most planets have a polar ice cap, but some are so far from their sun that they are locked in a permanent ice age. With a bit of imagination this chart can be used for desert worlds by swapping snow for sand.
Roll 2D6:
| Roll | Feature | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Glacier | An extremely slowly moving river of ice, rent with deep crevasses. Must flow onto the battlefield from one table edge and out from another, cannot spring out from nowhere or simply end, and cannot extend over half the table length unless your opponent agrees. Counts as difficult ground and gives cover to infantry. May include up to D6 crevasses and D6 hidden crevasses along its surface. |
| 3 | Frozen Lake | A thick crust of ice over a body of water, or frozen nitrogen, methane or some other exotic substance. Counts as open ground to infantry, bikes and cavalry, but difficult ground to vehicles, including walkers. If a vehicle becomes immobilised in a frozen lake roll a D6 at the start of each of its turns; on a 1 the vehicle falls through the ice and is destroyed. |
| 4 | Hidden Crevasse | The ice sheet is rent by a huge gash covered over by newly fallen snow, making it almost invisible. Can be 6" to 18" long and 1" to 6" wide. Counts as difficult terrain, and you must roll a D6 for every model crossing it. On a roll of 1 they fall through the thin snow covering and are lost forever. |
| 5 | Crevasse | The ice sheet is rent by a huge opening of unfathomable depth. Can be 6" to 18" long and 1" to 6" wide. Counts as impassable terrain. |
| 6 | Forest | A forest of exceedingly hardy (probably coniferous type) trees. Alternatively, could represent an area of giant ice crystals or something similar. Should be around 6" to 12" in diameter. |
| 7 | Hill or Forest | Choose a hill or forest to place. A hill counts as difficult terrain due to the vast snow drifts which accumulate around it. |
| 8 | Hill | As above, counts as difficult terrain. |
| 9 | Refinery | A small complex of one to three buildings, preferably with interconnecting bridges or gantries. Might be wrecked, and may have up to 6" of adjoining walls, pipelines or fences. |
| 10 | Research Station | A group of several buildings (two to four is enough). May have up to 12" of adjoining walls, pipelines or fences. |
| 11 | City Entrance | A single large structure which protects the entrance to an underground city. Such entrances are often at the centre of a complex of defensive bunkers and towers. |
| 12 | Blizzard | Not really a terrain feature, but a feature of fighting on ice worlds (just as sandstorms are a feature of fighting on desert worlds). Either have the blizzard affect the entire tabletop, or advancing on from a random table edge at 12" per turn. All movement in a blizzard counts as being in difficult terrain. Accurate firing is limited to a range of 12", beyond this 6s are needed to hit regardless of the firer's Ballistic Skill. |