Essential Gear and Tactics of the Imperial Fists Space Marines
Astartes Combat Webbing
Astartes combat webbing consists of a sturdy web belt and detachable load-bearing suspenders. The belt and load-bearing suspenders are five centimeters wide and adjustable to fit nearly every body size, as well as over standard Astartes Scout Armor. The webbing is designed to carry hard and soft-sided pouches for equipment and ammunition that a scout needs readily at hand. These pouches come in a variety of sizes and range in use from magazine pouches to Medi-kits to holsters and drop pouches. The pouches connect to the belt and suspenders with a series of semi-permanent clips that can be undone with any flat-bladed tool.
Common pouches include:
- Clip Pouch: Holds two weapon clips. These pouches come in different sizes depending on the kind of clip (Bolt, auto pistol, charge pack, etc.).
Auto-Sense Goggles
These bulky goggles (most often worn by Space Marine Scout snipers) provide the wearer with a number of vision enhancements. There are many models and variants of these goggles. Many of them combine the effects of photo-visors (no penalties due to darkness) and preysense (+20 to vision-based Perception Tests at night or in the dark) sights, can detect and see a broad range of radioactivity frequencies, can record pict-captures, have a 5x optical enhancement, 5x micro-magnification, and a number of colored filters that can be flipped in and out of the viewports. These goggles also have an integral laser range finder that allows the wearer to act as a forward observer or fire controller for artillery and aerospace units by pinpointing targets, calculating firing solutions, and broadcasting the data to waiting units. When using the laser range finder to guide artillery or aerospace fire, the forward observer grants +20 to the allied unit’s Ballistic Skill Test.
Astartes Grapnel
Sometimes used by Space Marine Scout Squads in the field, a grapnel fires a hooked or magnetic grapnel from a bolt pistol, connected to the launcher with a thin but strong 100m wire. Once the grapnel attaches to the desired rock outcropping, gargoyle edifice, or other anchor, the user can manually climb the line or activate a powered winch. In a pinch, a grapnel can also be used as a crude—and messy—projectile weapon, doing 1d10+2 R Damage with a Penetration of 2.
Astartes Grav Chute
On occasion, Space Marine Scout Squads must deploy stealthily, unable to utilize more common methods like teleportation or drop pods. Under those unusual circumstances, the Scouts utilize an Astartes grav chute. Grav chutes rely on suspensor fields to counter gravity and slow descent. Unlike a jump pack, which allows the user to leap into the air, a grav chute’s lower power output only allows for a safe, guided fall such as a combat drop from a transport. It allows for a safe fall from any height.
Siege Auspex
The siege auspex is a powerful scanner that can see through the densest materials to find their weak points. These items are used for finding stress fractures, reinforced or up-armored areas, hidden passages, power conduits, and the numerous other items of interest to a siege engineer. The machine-spirits of a siege auspex, while canny, can only see so far through solid objects and have a fixed range of about 20 meters. Things like energy fields, thick bulkheads, iron, stone, armaplas, and plasteel can reduce the range of the unit or blind it altogether. Game Masters should take into consideration the materials being scanned and adjust the siege auspex’s range accordingly.
Siege Master
- Type: Active
- Required Rank: 1
- Effects: The Imperial Fists are recognized as amongst the finest practitioners of the art and science of the siege, a mastery born of practice, determination, and self-sacrifice. When in Solo Mode, the Battle-Brother is able to locate weak points in enemy fortifications, as well as strong points in cover he himself is using. When using this ability, the Armor Points of any cover used by a target he is firing at is counted as half their normal value. In addition, the Armor Points of any cover the Imperial Fist is making use of are doubled, so long as he remains stationary.
- Improvements: At Rank 5 or more, the Battle-Brother may re-roll failed to hit rolls when firing at enemies in cover.
Imperial Fists Attack Pattern: Tactical Bolter Drill
- Action: Free Action
- Cost: 2
- Sustained: No
- Effects: The Imperial Fists are every bit as effective in the attack as the most ferocious of their fellow Chapters. Rather than savagery however, their methods rely upon the precise application of firepower, selfless discipline, and a refusal to accept that a foe cannot be taken down. With this ability in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range gain the benefits of the Bolter Drill Talent when firing bolt pistols, bolters, heavy bolters, and storm bolters.
- Improvements: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 3 or more, all Battle-Brothers benefiting from this ability gain a +10 to BS when firing a bolt pistol, bolter, heavy bolter, or storm bolter.
Imperial Fists Defensive Stance: Hold at All Costs
- Action: Full Action
- Cost: 3
- Sustained: Yes
- Effects: The Imperial Fists hold numerous battle honors for actions in which they have held a strongpoint against the most horrific of foes, declaring they will die before relinquishing their position to the enemy. A Battle-Brother may issue the command to Hold at all Costs by nominating a specific terrain feature, fortification, or an area of cover up to ten meters in diameter. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of him and within the nominated position are entirely immune to the effects of Fear.
- Improvements: This ability cannot be improved.