Rending (X) If a model has the Rending special rule, or is attacking with a Melee weapon that has the Rending special rule, there is a chance that their close combat attacks will strike a critical blow. For each To Wound roll equal to or higher than the value listed, the target automatically suffers a Wound, regardless of its Toughness. The controlling player may choose to resolve these Wounds at AP 2 instead of the weapon’s normal AP value.
Similarly, if a model makes a Shooting Attack with a weapon that has the Rending special rule, a To Wound roll of equal to or greater than the listed value wounds automatically, regardless of Toughness, and is resolved at AP 2.
In either case, against Vehicles each Armour Penetration roll of equal to or greater than the listed value allows a further D3 to be rolled, with the result added to the total Strength of the attack. These Hits are not resolved at AP 2, but are instead resolved using the weapon’s AP value.
For example, a model with the Rending (5+) special rule that rolls To Wound against a non-Vehicle model will wound automatically on the roll of a 5+, and the attacking player has the choice of using an AP value of 2 instead of the AP value of their weapon.
Poisoned (X) If a model has the Poisoned special rule, or is attacking with a Melee weapon that has the Poisoned special rule, it always Wounds on a fixed number (generally shown in brackets), unless a lower result would be required, when attacking in close combat. In addition, if the Strength of the wielder (or the Poisoned weapon) is higher than the Toughness of the victim, the wielder must re-roll failed rolls To Wound in close combat.
Similarly, if a model makes a Shooting Attack with a weapon that has the Poisoned special rule, it always Wounds on a fixed number (generally shown in brackets), unless a lower result would be required. If no number is shown in brackets, the rule is Poisoned (4+).
Unless otherwise stated, Poisoned weapons are treated as having a Strength of 1. The Poisoned special rule has no effect against Vehicles.
Concussive (X) A unit that suffers one or more Wounds, regardless of whether those Wounds are Saved or otherwise discounted, from a weapon with this special rule must take a Leadership test at the end of the Shooting phase (if the attacks were inflicted as part of a Shooting Attack), or the current combat (if the attacks were inflicted as part of a Melee attack). If the test is failed then that unit’s WS is reduced by the value in brackets listed as part of the special rule until the end of the following Assault phase (if no value is listed then reduce the target unit’s WS by -1).
No matter how many times a unit has taken saved or unsaved Wounds from an attack with the Concussive special rule, it may only be forced to take one Leadership test because of it. If a single unit has been the target of several Concussive attacks with different values and fails the Leadership test, then it suffers the effects of the highest single modifier among those attacks – the effects do not stack or otherwise become cumulative.
