Warhammer 40,000 Hero Mode DLC | Rules PDF V2

Avatar Spider November 14, 202426  43 26 Likes

Hi folks,

Lawrence here with the Version 2 update for the recent Hero Mode rules I released! Thank you for all of the feedback thus far, I’m glad so many of you are enjoying it. As this post will remain the link to this living ruleset, feel free to give ongoing feedback or suggestions for changes in the comments below.

Download the latest rules here: ➡️  HERO MODE RULES PDF V2

Version 2 Patch Notes:

  1. Changed Hero army building to allow shared Faction Keywords, like Imperium etc, with the Warlord’s faction determining the army and detachment rules.
  2. Allowed Hero Warlord units to purchase a minimum strength ‘bodyguard’ unit available to them under their data sheet Leader ability. e.g a Space Marine Captain in Terminator armour may now join a unit of 5 Terminators. This also fixes armies that don’t have access to many characters like Deathwatch and Votann.
  3. Dropped the 5th wave of the Horde Army, as this was either too oppressive, or not able to enter the action by the last turn. It also allows for an easier to manage 2000pts list split across 4 waves.
  4. The Hero army now takes first turn. This prevents their Warlord from always being brought back via Heroic Recovery in the final turn and scoring the bonus points. It also allows the Heroes to thin the first wave a bit before potential first turn charges.
  5. Granted Chosen Heroes Lone Operative rules to the Battlesuit and Mounted keywords.
  6. Further clarified the Heroic Recovery Stratagem as well as allowed its use on the Battlesuit and Mounted keywords.


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Autarch Olly
26 days ago

Had a blast with Hero Mode yesterday and thought I would leave some queries we had here!

  • When Heroes are in the enemy deployment, can the horde deploy in Engagement Range of that Hero?
  • When Heroes allocate damage to a unit with a leader, does the damage spill over onto the leader when all bodyguard models are slain?
Molly Hexcroft
Molly Hexcroft
28 days ago

for “the army cannot contain the same datasheet more than once”, does that mean I can only have 1 Jump Canonness no matter how I equip her? Or could I have one with power weapon and ministorum hand flamer and one with a halberd?

Winter Wizard
1 month ago

Amazing work!!! Spider, would you consider giving the Battleline keyword to some “hordy” units that currently don’t have it? e.g. Poxwalkers and Cultists. Seems a crying shame that “on paper” I couldn’t run a shambling Death Guard zombie tide, or a screaming mass of maddened Tzeentchien fanatics.

FuzzyPat
1 month ago

So, can we see a Hero mode match with the new Agents of the Imperium detachment and some Assassins?

Robert Timms
Robert Timms
1 month ago

I played a game where I was the horde with Necrons and had 3 buddies who wanted to play. We made some minor changes where we made the totals 3k Necrons, with 3 battleline units coming in turns 1 and 2 and 1 in turn 3, and the hero’s got 600 to play with (~200 each) and they got 2 CP in their turn 2 and 4. The upscaling worked really well. The Necron reanimation was tough, but it came down to turn 5 with the silent king killing a unit. It was awesome. Also if you made a mode… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Robert Timms
Sean Carleton
Sean Carleton
1 month ago

Man, Hero Mode has brought the passion back! Ever since you released rev.01 I’ve been kitbashing special characters for my DA army just so that I can pull them to play Hero Mode when needed. I’ve been coming up with cool narratives and everything. Feels like I’m 12 years old again. lol

Lennon Simpson
Lennon Simpson
1 month ago

Mounted heroes are go! Love it, thank you so much. Looking forward to taking my mounted wolf lord out for a little romp this weekend

Kyle Winter
Lifetime Member
1 month ago

Looking over the rules, the one thing that needs to bust this open is a way to lift the restriction on 5 full strength battleline units. It makes sense, and I am on board with the decision to force the horde to have to consist of more ‘generic’ units, as well as not having a horde of just the most powerful units an army can field. But it makes it very hard for many armies to field a ‘horde’ which will limit players trying it. Marines for example need to have 50 intercessors or tactical marines, just as an entry… Read more »

Shas'O Myenshi
Shas'O Myenshi
1 month ago

Oh great call on the Battlesuit part. Think Tau would struggle since only battlesuit chraracter they have at infantry level is Shadowsun so really glad your taking the time to check each factions to make them a bit more viable (now if only GW could learn that lesson, see the puretide engram chip). I have a few ideas for what i would want to run (if anyone was near me and had the right parts), but the 2 main ones are one just with half the Eight (Specifically Farsight, Barvestorm, Brightsword and Arrakon) but that would require me to figure… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by Shas'O Myenshi
christopher bell
christopher bell
1 month ago

we played hero mode first time this week in our local club. 5 heros, gravis captain, Judicar, terminator libby, ragnar and a chaplin against a horde of GSC. was lots of fun, really enjoyable and with the plot armour lots of hilarious saving, think the Chaplin tanked all the attacks from a Norn Emmisary (thanks to plot armour). things like that gave your heros a chance to do amazing things and forge their own epic chapter in 40k. Long will the stories be told of Brother Bill the Chaplin standing firm against an impossible foe. Gravis Captain and Judicar though… Read more »

Jonathon Peasley
Jonathon Peasley
1 month ago

I’m yet to try Hero mode, I’m hoping to soon with some friends, but thank you for the rules update, and the patch notes explaining your choices! It’s always nice to see why a change is made!

Ian-icebeard
Lodge Member
Ian-icebeard
1 month ago

This looks better. I think it was just a little bit too hard for the heroes. It wants to be a desperate last stand but before it just seemed a bit too much

Clicric
Clicric
1 month ago

Nice rule changes, I missed the court of the Archon for my warlod. Does the bodyguard unit benefit from the lone operative rule?

MephistonRed
MephistonRed
1 month ago

Quick question, would weapons labeled as “relic” or “daemon” like the chaos lords daemon hammer or the Judiciars Executioners Relic blade count towards the trademark weapon upgrade or no?

Brad Vassallo
Brad Vassallo
1 month ago

Love the rule set Lawrence! With the change to being able to bring (using your example) a 5 man squad of terminators to join a terminator Captain, do the terminators also benefit from Plot Armour and Trademark Weapons? Thanks for all the content!

Kyle Roach-Smith
1 month ago

given that the heroes get first turn, I think keeping 2500 points for the horde would be a good idea. say 500 points arrive turn 1 and 2, then 750 in turn 2 and 3.

Andrew Pearce
Andrew Pearce
1 month ago

I think the changes to allow Battle suits is good but the same change should probably be added for mounted too.

James Tildesley
James Tildesley
1 month ago

Looking forward to getting my first game in. We’re going to a bit rogue and have built a scenario with a group of Death Guard escaping from a furious craftworld force after a botched raid. We’ve also created some new datacards with different profiles and points for units such as a buffed foetid bloat drone, a single frenzied pox-walker, a mischievous nurgling etc. We then stole some characters from “The Lords of Silence” book and buit different forms of them (for example Dragan can be selected as either a chaos lord or a Daemon Prince by the players). Love the… Read more »

George Stainforth
1 month ago

Loving the change to allow a bodyguard! For world eaters the choices were a bit poor otherwise lol. Already got my heroes ready for action this weekend: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + FACTION KEYWORD: Chaos – World Eaters + DETACHMENT: Berzerker Warband + TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 400pts Char1: 1x World Eaters Lord on Juggernaut (120 pts): Warlord, Exalted chainblade, Juggernaught’s bladed horn, Plasma pistol Enhancement: Favoured of Khorne (+20 pts) Char2: 1x World Eaters Master of Executions (125 pts): Axe of dismemberment, Bolt pistol Enhancement: Battle-lust (+15 pts) 3x Exalted Eightbound (155 pts) • 2x Exalted Eightbound: 2 with Eightbound chainfist, Eightbound eviscerator… Read more »

Last edited 1 month ago by George Stainforth
ho57ile
ho57ile
1 month ago

I cannot wait to play a game of this! The last battle report was amazing.

Kyle Winter
Lifetime Member
1 month ago

Solid changes, nice one! Got a game set up next week, mixed nurgle and Death Guard vs a 5 man SM squad, chaplain on bike, lieutenant, and three captains (Gravis, Terminator, and Jump) I think it is going to be a lot of fun trying these rules out properly!


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