Area Denial Drop
(Rule)Description: Before the start of the first turn, when placing units into Reserve, a player must assign all Legion Deathstorm Drop Pods in the army to Reserve to perform an Area Denial Drop. At the beginning of the controlling player’s first turn, before any other models are moved or deployed, all of the Area Denial Drop units must enter play using the procedure described below:
Performing an Area Denial Drop
When deploying the Area Denial Drop, the controlling player selects one of the available units to deploy first. Place a single model from that unit anywhere on the battlefield that is at least 6" from any enemy model, battlefield edge or piece of Impassable Terrain and is outside of all Deployment Zones. Do not scatter the model.
If possible, the model must be placed in a position that will allow any other models in the same unit to deploy (as follows), and may only be placed in a position that denies the remainder of the squad a place within unit coherency if no other position is available.
Once the model’s final position has been decided, the remainder of the unit may be deployed anywhere that is within unit coherency and more than 6" from any enemy model or piece of Impassable Terrain. Any models that cannot be placed are removed as casualties.
Once this first unit has been deployed, roll a D6. On the roll of a ‘1’, the Area Denial Drop is Disordered and the opposing player may deploy each remaining unit in the Area Denial Drop anywhere within 12" of the first unit without scattering, though no model may be within 1" of an enemy model or within Impassable Terrain. If the roll is a ‘2’ or higher, the controlling player deploys each remaining unit anywhere within 12" of the first, though no model may be within 1" of an enemy model or within Impassable Terrain.
Once all units are deployed, any enemy units within line of sight and range may choose to make the Interceptor Reaction (see page 309 of the Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness rulebook) targeting any one of the units deployed as part of the Area Denial Drop. Any units that are chosen to make the Interceptor Reaction do not expend any of the controlling player’s Reaction Allotment for the Phase, but do count as having made a Reaction (and thus cannot React again in this Phase). Note that no Reaction other than Interceptor may be made against the deployment of a unit as part of an Area Denial Drop.
Once all units from the Area Denial Drop have been deployed and any Interceptor Reactions have been resolved, the turn proceeds as normal. Units that have been deployed as part of an Area Denial Drop may not Move or Run in the same Movement phase as they are deployed, but may Shoot and declare Charges as normal (if the models deployed as part of the Area Denial Drop are allowed to make Charges).