Official Q&A for Codex: Armageddon, a Chapter Approved supplement covering Ork Speed Freaks, Salamanders Space Marines, Planetary Defence Force, Black Templars, and Steel Legion (Armageddon Mechanised Infantry Company) army variants. The Steel Legion variant has its own chapter — see Codex: Armageddon — Steel Legion.
Speed Freaks
Must Deth Kopta (or even ordinary bikers) use their psycho blasta attack on the first close combat round? Do they have to use it even when going up against vehicles?
The warbikes' psycho blasta attack is a very extreme form of special close combat attack, like a power fist — like a power fist, it can be eschewed if desired.
Can Speed Freaks use the normal Ork vehicle upgrades from the Codex Orks or are they limited to the ones in Codex: Armageddon?
They can use both lists.
If you take a Battlewagon for your Speed Freaks Warboss, does this count as your one and only Battlewagon?
No — it's a transport option, so it doesn't count against the limit. In total, a Speed Freaks army can take six Battlewagons: one as a Heavy Support choice, plus up to five more as transports.
Can a Warboss and his Mob ride in a looted vehicle instead of taking a Wartrukk or Battlewagon? The letter of the law says only Wartrukks or Battlewagons, but it seems right to put him in a huge tank!
The letter of the law applies — Wartrukk or Battlewagon only.
Can a Speed Freek Warboss be mounted on a bike?
Yes, using the rule specified in (US) White Dwarf 270, page 89.
Can all units in reserve be attacked by an Ork fighta-bommer?
Only those that will be arriving on the table normally via the table edge. Units such as Daemons (which are summoned) and Terminators that will Deep Strike are not affected.
Salamanders
Is the second flamer in the Tactical squad an error? Should it be a heavy flamer?
No, it isn't a typo — it means precisely what it says: you can trade in your heavy weapon slot for an extra (ordinary) flamer for 10 points. It costs more because two flamers are more than twice as good as one.
The Emperor's Champion has an Iron Halo, which is one per army — and the Black Templars High Marshal is sometimes modelled with an Iron Halo too. You must take an Emperor's Champion, so together that could mean two Iron Halos in an army. Does the one-per-army limit hold even for special character use?
Yes — the intention is that the Emperor's Champion gets the army's one and only Iron Halo. Don't be fooled by the halo-like growth on the back of the Force Commander's head in photos — that's his UHF aerial.
Planetary Defence Force
From which area of the Force Selection chart do Hive Gang Militia come? Are they Troops or something else entirely?
They count as Troops. The name "Defence Force" in front of the unit probably shouldn't have implied otherwise.
Chaos Cultists get AP5 heavy stubbers while Hive Militia get ones that are AP6. Which of these is right, or does each unit get the rules listed in their own list?
AP6 for both — Codex: Armageddon takes precedence over the White Dwarf article on Cultists.
Black Templars
The Black Templars mixed Armour save rule does not say that it applies only to shooting, as the Space Wolves' Armour save rule does. Does it apply to all wounds taken, or just to shooting?
Only to shooting attacks — as with Orks and Space Wolves.
The rules for the Emperor's Champion state that he is always an Independent Character and cannot get a Command squad — does this preclude him from ever joining another unit like a normal Independent Character can?
No — he's an Independent Character, so he can join other units as normal. He simply can't be given his own Command squad retinue.
Do Black Templars Terminators get to make a sweeping advance when they take the 'Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds' vow?
No.
Steel Legion
The Chimera special rules state "They may also be used for Chimeras in a standard Imperial Guard army as long as both players are aware of the rules before the game starts." Does this mean they're optional (like special characters), or can you use them as long as you tell your opponent just before the game?
They aren't optional, but they can't be sprung on an opponent either — whether telling someone about them just before a game counts as "springing" them depends on the player.
The Chimera special rules don't say the lasguns are 'vehicle mounted'. Are they standard infantry lasguns for rapid fire purposes, or considered vehicle mounted?
They count as standard infantry weapons.
Does the Armageddon Sentinel's special lascannon option require: (a) any Imperial Guard force, (b) only Steel Legion (Mechanised Company), (c) Steel Legion & Planetary Defence Force, or (d) something else?
The rules say "any Armageddon force," which is interpreted as (a) in effect, since there are plenty of Imperial Guard forces on Armageddon — it's a new piece of kit for Imperial Guard players, and it would be unreasonable to limit it to just Steel Legion or to the duration of the campaign.
Codex: Armageddon states that all units in a Steel Legion Mechanised Infantry Company (SLMIC) must either be vehicle units or have a Chimera transport, with units not normally allowed a Chimera (such as heavy weapons teams) required to take one at +70 points plus upgrades. Deathworld Veterans from Codex: Catachan may not be used in an SLMIC. Assassins aren't mentioned even though other Codexes are — does this mean an Assassin fielded in an SLMIC army would be required to buy a Chimera, and lose access to Infiltrate the way Storm Troopers do?
Units taken from the Heroes of the Imperium list can join a unit, so since they could join a unit (and therefore be transported), they have to be. Assassins cannot join units, so they can't join a unit inside a transport — they're exempt from the SLMIC Chimera requirement. (Making a Vindicare ride around in a Chimera would lead to some bad sniping.)
Other Heroes could hitch a lift with a unit though?
Yes.