Warhammer 40,000's Myriad Missions: Boarding Action V10

FR translation of the GW article from August 9, 2024

A few weeks ago, we announced that the brutal, closed-door combat of Boarding Actions was returning to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and it's time to take a look at one of the key features: missions. Previously, a huge range of missions were spread across the Arks of Omen books, and some didn't translate well to the new edition's rules. They've all been updated and brought together in one place, allowing for radically different mission objectives and rules each time you play.

In fact, there are a whopping 54 missions in this book, featuring changing battlefields, narrative challenges, and multiplayer battles for up to four players. Here are some of our favorites.

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Hull Breach

Symmetrical Mission

The first category of missions in Boarding Actions is called Symmetric Missions, designed to give competitive players a level playing field where each side has the same rooms, passages, objectives, and mission rules. However, just because these are the most balanced ways to play Boarding Actions doesn't mean they're without their quirks—which is why we're particularly fond of the Hull Breach mission.

As both sides vie for control of valuable data cores, the ship's aging structure may fail, exposing one of its compartments to the void, predictably dangerous for everyone inside. Not knowing when or where the breach will occur forces players to plan for the worst while rushing to complete objectives, and can turn a dominant player's fortunes around in an instant.

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Take the Teleportarium

Campaign Mission

Boarding Actions contains the complete rules for The Rock Under Siege campaign, first appearing in Arks of Omen: Vashtorr , which chronicles the Arkifane's assault on the home of the Dark Angels. This campaign of linked missions can be played between all factions, and the results of some missions influence the rules of others while providing unique gameplay experiences inspired by the events of the book.

Taking the Teleportarium changes the game by separating the two boards that usually make up a Boarding Action battlefield. While a fight for the Critical objective—worth 15 victory points—takes place in the Enginerium, units stuck on the Teleportarium side must clear enough space in the arcane structure to teleport reinforcements to their besieged comrades. This is a real tactical headache because losing one side completely will be disastrous, but once units are teleported out of the Teleportarium, they can never return...

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Retrieve the Codes

Boarding Operation Mission

Some missions use the Killzone Upgrade: Soulshackle set to add destructible walls and passage blockers, allowing players to strike from unexpected places and disrupt their opponent's plans. Weak Walls can be broken either by attaching boarding charges, firing them with particularly powerful ranged weapons, or by having a true legend with at least Stamina 5 and 3 Hit Points (calling all Terminators) charge straight through them with a charge move.

These walls are critical in Recover the Codes, an asymmetrical mission that tasks one side with charging headlong into the Communications Zone while the other side attempts to wipe them out. The rules are simple—just get three chosen units to the end intact—but the ability for players to block gates and break walls makes every attempt chaotic from start to finish.

>> Discover the perfect, affordable playmat for Warhammer 40,000 Boarding Action!

Dark Voices

Multiplayer Mission

Why play with two when you can play with four? Boarding Actions contains 12 missions specifically designed for three or four players, and few are as full of chaos and fun as Dark Voices. Here, sinister whispers draw your Warlord to a Safe Zone in the center of the battlefield, with just one problem—every other player's Warlords are also heading toward the same point, and only one will be left standing when the dust settles.

Ignoring the voice causes constant damage to your champion, so all you really have to do is throw them into the fray. In our experience, a few sneaky player deals are a great way to get rid of the most imposing warlords first, but don't get distracted—objectives still dot the battlefield, and a strategic retreat could well win you the war while everyone else is slaughtering each other in the center.

Get those boarding torpedoes ready, because Warhammer 40,000: Boarding Actions is available for pre-order starting tomorrow.