LEVIATHAN TOURNAMENT

COMPANION
VERSION 1.0
INTRODUCTION LEVIATHAN TOURNAMENT MISSION SEQUENCE
Welcome to the Leviathan Tournament Companion! The following Players should use the mission sequence presented in the Leviathan
guidelines are designed to support organisers of Warhammer 40,000 Mission Pack, but replace steps 2, 4 and 5 with those shown below.
events in delivering a fine-tuned tournament experience using the
Leviathan Mission Pack. That product offers unprecedented scope for
all kinds of matched play, and its many variables create a dizzying
2 DETERMINE MISSION
Instead of shuffling and drawing from the Deployment,
array of potential missions – thousands, in fact! Some of these are Mission Rule and Primary Mission decks, players should use
particularly well suited to the most hotly contested scenarios, and the pre-generated missions from the Leviathan Tournament
this pack provides suggestions for the best event configurations. Mission Pool. Set aside the Secondary Mission and Gambit
We have also taken the opportunity to optimise certain Core Rules decks as normal (players will receive these later).
concepts for tournament play.

This document provides a ready-made framework for levelling the

4 PLACE OBJECTIVE MARKERS
P layers now set up objective markers on the battlefield.
playing field and getting games underway quickly, whether you are Each Deployment card’s deployment map will show
planning your first matched play event or have years of experience players how many objective markers to set up and
organising the largest and most acclaimed tournaments. Its where each should be placed. In Leviathan Tournament
recommendations will be followed in full at most Games Workshop Missions, models can end any type of move on top of an
matched play events, and are considered the official way to play objective marker.
Warhammer 40,000 in a tournament setting, but can be adapted
to suit your own circumstances – the terrain layout advice is Designer’s Note: In the Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules, objective
aimed primarily at newer organisers, for example, and those with markers are physical artefacts that models cannot end a move
large established terrain collections should feel free to interpret on, representing vital data caches, xenos relics, Chaos portals
it accordingly. or anything else that suits your narrative. While this adds to the
cinematic nature of the battlefield and offers exciting hobby
The recommendations are presented as follows: opportunities, it can sometimes result in model-positioning
circumstances that not everyone will enjoy equally. As such,
■ Leviathan Tournament Mission Sequence: Adjustments to the steps these guidelines recommend treating objective markers as flat,
players would normally follow to generate a mission and prepare circular markers 40mm in diameter that offer no impediment to the
the battlefield. movement or placement of models.
■ Leviathan Card Updates: Tweaks to certain cards in the Leviathan
Mission Pack.
■ Leviathan Tournament Mission Pool: 15 recommended tournament
5 CREATE THE BATTLEFIELD
P layers now create the battlefield and set up terrain
rounds to draw from, with pre-set Primary Missions, Mission Rules features. Missions are played on rectangular battlefields
and deployment modes that put all players on an equal footing and whose dimensions are approximately 44" by 60".
minimise pre-game admin.
■ Terrain Layouts: A suite of carefully designed terrain setups to be When setting up terrain features, use the guidelines detailed
used in conjunction with the Leviathan Tournament Mission Pool. in the Terrain Layouts section of this pack. Players must use
■ Pairings and Rankings: Advice for fairly pairing players and the rules for terrain features detailed in the Core Rules. While
determining rankings. other approaches to terrain layout may work within the
collections of experienced organisers, we recommend these
terrain guidelines when otherwise in doubt.

Reminder: During the Select Secondary Missions step, if a player

decides to use Tactical Missions, note that the two Secondary
Mission cards they place face down and then reveal to their
opponent should be returned to their Secondary Mission deck before
they reshuffle it (they are not placed to one side or discarded).
Before drawing cards in tournament play, it is always good practice
to offer your opponent the opportunity to cut your deck.

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 LEVIATHAN CARD UPDATES
When using the Leviathan Mission Pack, use the updated cards
presented on this page in place of their printed equivalents. Note that PRIMARY MISSION
both the Attacker and Defender should use the text presented on the
Attacker cards shown below. Updated text is shown in red. DEPLOY SERVO-SKULLS
This area is littered with valuable relics. Secure these
artefacts behind our front lines.

The objective markers that start the battle in No Man’s

Land are servo-skulls. At the end of each turn, each of
these objective markers can be moved up to 6" in any
direction by the player that controls it. When moving
objective markers, they cannot end that move on top of
any other objective marker or model, or inside impassable
parts of terrain features (such as the walls of a ruin).
In the second, third, fourth and fifth battle rounds:
At the end of each turn, the player whose turn it is scores
VP as follows:
■ 2 VP for each servo-skull that is wholly within 12" of
their opponent’s deployment zone.
■ 5VP for each servo-skull that is wholly within 6" of their
opponent’s deployment zone.
■ 8VP for each servo-skull that is wholly within their
opponent’s deployment zone.
Note that these conditions are not cumulative; if more
than one applies, the player whose turn it is scores the
applicable condition that carries the highest VP reward.

SECONDARY MISSION – ATTACKER SECONDARY MISSION – ATTACKER

DEPLOY TELEPORT HOMER BEHIND ENEMY LINES
An allied fleet approaches ready to launch a full-scale Break through the foe’s army and cut off their lines
invasion of this planet. If our vanguard forces deploy of escape.
a series of teleport homers and landing beacons deep
within enemy territory, troops aboard our ships will be At the end of your turn, if two or more units from your army
able to launch a deadly surprise assault from orbit. (excluding Aircraft) are wholly within your opponent’s
deployment zone, this Secondary Mission is achieved and
In your Shooting phase, you can select one unit from your you score 4VP (or 5VP if you are using Tactical Missions).
army that is not Battle-shocked and is eligible to shoot.
Until the end of your turn, that unit is not eligible to shoot If, at the end of your turn, only one unit from your army
or declare a charge. (excluding Aircraft) is wholly within your opponent’s
deployment zone, then this Secondary Mission is still
At the end of your turn, if that unit is within your achieved, but in this instance you score 3VP instead of
opponent’s deployment zone, or within 6" of the centre of 4VP (or instead of 5VP).
the battlefield, it deploys a teleport homer at that location,
this Secondary Mission is achieved and you score a
number of VP depending on where the teleport homer was
deployed, as follows:
■ C entre of battlefield = 3VP.
■ Opponent’s deployment zone = 4VP if you are
using Fixed Missions, or 5VP if you are using
Tactical Missions.
 LEVIATHAN TOURNAMENT MISSION POOL
The 15 Leviathan Tournament Missions in this section are
designed to act as a pool from which organisers can build
their events, selecting from it in random order. Further
commentary on these is given below.

Primary Missions
Every Primary Mission from the Leviathan Mission Pack is included
in this mission pool. If you are running an event with only 3-6 rounds,
we recommend selecting options that span a variety of different
Primary Missions. For example, if running a 3-round Saturday
tournament, you might use missions A, B, and C, or D, F, and G.

For those running longer-format events, or whose attendees are

particularly expectant of a perfectly balanced mission every time, we
have included the more straightforward Primary Missions in a greater
number of configurations.

Mission Rules
Mission Rules are an exciting component of the Leviathan Mission
Pack, providing twists to the way a mission is normally played, and
the ones recommended here are particularly suited to tournament
play. For the Leviathan season of play, we recommend using
Chilling Rain (i.e. no effect), Hidden Supplies, Chosen Battlefield and
Scrambler Fields, as shown in the configurations below.

Terrain Layouts
When using the recommended terrain layouts in this pack, please
note the layouts best suited for each deployment mode, as shown
in the table below. We recommend structuring your mission order to
facilitate any changes to terrain layouts you will need to make during
your event.

LEVIATHAN TOURNAMENT MISSION POOL

PRIMARY MISSION MISSION RULE DEPLOYMENT TERRAIN LAYOUTS
A Take and Hold Chilling Rain Search and Destroy 1, 3, 4

B Priority Targets Hidden Supplies Search and Destroy 1, 3, 4

C The Ritual Scrambler Fields Sweeping Engagement 1, 2, 3, 4

D Deploy Servo-skulls Chilling Rain Search and Destroy 1, 3, 4

E Take and Hold Chosen Battlefield Sweeping Engagement 1, 2, 3, 4

F Supply Drop Chilling Rain Search and Destroy 1, 3, 4

G Sites of Power Chilling Rain Hammer and Anvil 1, 2, 4

H The Ritual Chilling Rain Hammer and Anvil 1, 2, 4

I Take and Hold Hidden Supplies Hammer and Anvil 1, 2, 4

J Priority Targets Chilling Rain Crucible of Battle 1, 3, 4

K Deploy Servo-skulls Hidden Supplies Crucible of Battle 1, 3, 4

L Scorched Earth Chilling Rain Dawn of War 1, 2, 3

M Purge the Foe Chilling Rain Crucible of Battle 1, 3, 4

N Priority Targets Chosen Battlefield Dawn of War 1, 2, 3

O Vital Ground Chilling Rain Crucible of Battle 1, 3, 4

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 TERRAIN LAYOUTS
The following battlefield recommendations are intended primarily for newer organisers and those looking for a steer in building
up a terrain collection for regular tournament play. These layouts will be seen at most Games Workshop matched play events,
and reflect the type of terrain density that creates risk-and-reward decisions that a wide variety of army types can engage
with. They are by no means the only way to set up a battlefield for balanced play, but represent a reliable starting point when
in doubt.

These layouts were designed with a few key principles in mind: OBJECTIVE MARKERS
Objective markers can and sometimes will be either hidden within
NO FIXED MEASUREMENTS terrain or placed in the open, but the markers themselves should
Precisely locked terrain layouts with fixed measurements are not never intersect a wall or similar element.
recommended. As well as limiting the variety of terrain organisers
may feel permitted to field, such strictures can encourage army USE OF RUINS
construction that plans for guaranteed measurements for the The following layouts primarily use the Ruins terrain feature.
purposes of line of sight, objective control and so on. Furthermore, it This efficiently achieves a good amount of line-of-sight blockage
can create problematic mid-game situations should players notice and cover appropriate for balanced games, thanks to the natural
their terrain does not meet prescribed limits. When using these abstraction of line of sight within the rules for Ruins. Remember that
layouts, players should ensure they are as close to the illustrated a variety of terrain heights not only adds to the immersive nature of
positions as possible, but organisers should avoid mandating precise the battlefield, but is also important for line of sight and rules such
locations for each piece. as Plunging Fire. For organisers and players with a more robust
terrain collection (especially elements that block true line of sight),
In general, however, there should be at least 4" between the physical incorporating features such as Woods, Barricades and Hills into your
edges of each terrain feature. This is primarily to avoid situations chosen layouts is perfectly acceptable.
where certain factions (e.g. Imperial Knights) are unable to interact
with areas of the battlefield due to Ruins and other impediments
being too close together.

TERRAIN KEY
Area Terrain Suggested Ruin walls

For model mobility purposes, wall sections shown as thin

lines should be largely under 2" in height, and never more than
4" in height, while wall sections shown as solid rectangles
should always be more than 4" in height.

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TERRAIN LAYOUT 1

TERRAIN LAYOUT 2
TERRAIN LAYOUT 3

TERRAIN LAYOUT 4
 PAIRINGS AND RANKINGS
There are countless different ways in which a Warhammer organised RANKING PLAYERS
play event can be run. While broad-stroke concepts like pairing In many tournaments, the overall Best General will be the single
off players with the same record are straightforward enough, the remaining undefeated player at the end of the event. Sometimes,
nuance of running a successful Warhammer tournament is the however, there are not enough rounds available to determine a single
subject of continuous conversation and evolution. The following undefeated player, and players often wish to know their ranking
recommendations are once again for newer organisers who are still regardless of whether they won the whole event. To help break
establishing their principles and best practices, to help improve the ties between players who end an event with the same record, we
average experience at any Warhammer tournament. These principles recommend ranking players by the following criteria:
are also followed at most official Games Workshop events, and are
designed to create the fairest, most fun experience possible for ■ First – by overall record (wins, losses and draws)
every attendee, regardless of standing. ■ Second – by their opponents’ win records (i.e. those with more wins
against opponents with better win records would place higher)
PAIRING PLAYERS ■ Third – by total Victory points (VP)
While the first round of most tournaments is randomly paired,
subsequent round pairing can be done in a number of ways. The first Designer’s Note: Traditionally, many organisers use total VP or VP
pairing metric will almost always be player record, i.e. pairing a 3-1 differential to determine ranking. However, the number of VP scored
player with another 3-1 player, and so on. Given that most rounds will within any one game of Warhammer 40,000 rarely tells a clear story
include numerous players with the same record, however, deciding about how close that game actually was. Often, a more challenging
pairings beyond this metric can be quite nuanced, and the different opponent will be harder to score against (and thus yield a lower
methods available can have significant impacts on the experience score despite the victory being all the more hard-earned), or the
of players at an event. We recommend pairing players by the nature of how the two armies match up may dictate a risky strategy
following criteria: that doesn’t pay off (and thus yield a wide score disparity despite
almost working out).
■ First – by record (i.e. the number of wins, losses and draws)
■ Second – by win path (i.e. the timing of the rounds in which a player As such, we do not recommend using VP as a pairing metric, nor as a
won or lost their games) ranking metric until all other metrics have been exhausted, or when
■ Third – randomly within players of the same ranking further tie-breaking is required (e.g. in larger events where identical
rankings become more likely). By contrast, opponent win record is
an ideal metric, because when two players end up with the same
record, the overall skill of their opponents is a better indicator of
Win Path which player had the more challenging path along the way.
A player’s ‘win path’ refers not to their number of wins and
losses, but to the timing of those wins and losses. While
pairing by win path has an incidental tendency to pair people
by strength of schedule, its greatest impact is on the overall The Rules Commentary
enjoyment experienced by all players, as it tends to pair There are myriad ways to enjoy the Warhammer hobby,
players based upon shared experience. and these all manifest themselves at a tournament: gifted
hobbyists with beautiful armies, skilled competitors aiming for
For example, let's take two 3-1 players. One of them lost their Best General, casual players looking to face new opponents
first game; they likely lowered their expectations for winning and make new friends (by far the most common type of
the whole event after this, but are probably in a great mood attendee), and even practitioners of the niche hobby of
after three consecutive victories. The other won their first three Rules Lawyer! These particular hobbyists often find unusual
games then lost their fourth – a sharp disappointment after a rules interactions at the very fringes of Warhammer 40,000,
3-0 start. Should these players face off, their shared enjoyment which can create interesting challenges for tournament
may be at odds as they are in very different emotional places. organisers looking to provide clear answers and an easy
Win path ensures players enter their match with recent gaming experience for their attendees. For the current edition,
common experiences upon which to build a friendship during the Warhammer Design Studio has created its most robust
their next game of Warhammer. and comprehensive Rules Commentary to date. Available to
download on warhammer-community.com, this living document
will be reviewed periodically to clarify any issues that may be
causing uncertainty. Should an odd rules interaction come up
during your event and the Core Rules do not provide a clear
answer, we recommend consulting the Rules Commentary.

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 AFTERWORD
WHAT IS THE POINT OF A
WARHAMMER TOURNAMENT?
Warhammer is more popular than ever, and this popularity has
extended to the tournament scene. Over the last few years, more
than one million games of Warhammer 40,000 were played in
tournaments around the world, and that growth will only continue
in the future. With so many Warhammer hobbyists participating in
the game within growing communities, it’s important to ruminate
on the point of a tournament. First and foremost, it is not about
celebrating the ultimate victor; someone who goes undefeated
and wins Best General needs very little acclaim beyond the
outcome itself (after all, they won!). Instead, it is the experience
of every single attendee that truly matters, and the recognition
that, for most people who attend a tournament, community and
friendship are both the purpose and the outcome.

Before you roll a single dice against an opponent to start your

tournament experience, remember two things:

1) T he person across the table from you shares your love

of Warhammer.

2) By the time the dust settles on the event, almost everyone will
have lost a game (typically, at most, only one or two people will
manage to leave the event without a loss).

While any game often yields winners and losers on the tabletop,
the magic of Warhammer in an event setting is the opportunity
it provides every participant to become a bigger part of the
Warhammer community, and to build friendships with fellow
hobbyists that can last a lifetime. As an organiser or a player, if
you focus on this inalienable truth, then while most of you will
have lost a game or two, you’ll all share victory in your experience
of what it is to attend a Warhammer event.

- The Warhammer Events Team and

the Warhammer Design Studio