The rules of Warhammer 40,000 are designed for games between 500 and 3000 points, with the limits of a compositional framework called the Force Organisation Chart making games with larger point values difficult to play. In response to player comments, the Apocalypse rules expansion was introduced to allow 3000+ point games to be played. Players might field an entire 1000-man Chapter of Space Marines rather than the smaller detachment of around 30–40 typically employed in a standard game. Apocalypse also contains rules for using larger war machines such as Titans. The latest rules for Apocalypse based on the Warhammer 40,000 rules are found in '"Chapter Approved 2017, while a boxed set also entitled Apocalypse with an entirely different rules base was released in 2019.Cities of Death (the revamp of Codex Battlezone: Cityfight) introduces rules for urban warfare and guerrilla warfare, and so-called "stratagems", including traps and fortifications. It also has sections on modelling city terrain and provides examples of armies and army lists modeled around the theme of urban combat. This work was updated to 7th Edition with the release of Shield of Baal: Leviathan and to 8th edition in Chapter Approved 2018.Planetstrike, released in 2009, sets rules allowing players to represent the early stages of a planetary invasion. It introduces new game dynamics, such as dividing the players into an attacker and a defender, each having various tactical benefits tailored to their role; for example, the attacker may deep strike all infantry, jump infantry and monstrous creatures onto the battlefield, while the defender may set up all the terrain on the battlefield. Planetstrike was updated to the 8th edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.Planetary Empires, released in August 2009, allows players to coordinate full-scale campaigns containing multiple battles, each using standard rules or approved supplements such as Planetstrike, Cities of Death or Apocalypse. Progress through the campaign is tracked using hexagonal tiles to represent the current control of territories within the campaign. The structure is similar to Warhammer Fantasy's Mighty Empires. The set has been out of production for many years.Battle Missions, released in March 2010, contained a series of 'missions' with specific objectives. Each faction had three specific missions which could be played; these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from the missions meant for the two armies being used. They still used the standard rules from the Warhammer 40,000 rule book. The Battle Missions format was never updated for 8th or 9th editions and is no longer compatible with the current iteration of the game.Spearhead, released in May 2010, allowed players to play games with a greater emphasis on armoured and mechanised forces. The most notable change to the game is the inclusion of special "Spearhead Formations" and greater flexibility in force organisation. "Spearhead Formations" represent a new and altogether optional addition to the force organisation system standard to Warhammer 40,000. Players now have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organisation. Spearhead also includes new deployment options and game scenarios. This expansion was released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download, and through the company's monthly hobby magazine White Dwarf. The Spearhead rules were never updated for 8th or 9th editions and are no longer compatible with the current iteration of the game, though the loosened force organization introduced in 8th edition makes them somewhat superfluous.Death from the Skies, released February 2013, contains rules for playing games with an emphasis on aircraft. There are specific rules for each race's aircraft, as well as playable missions. A notable inclusion in this release is "warlord traits" for each race that deal specifically with aircraft. This supplement still uses the same rules as the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. It was updated to 7th Edition with Shield of Baal: Leviathan. Death From the Skies was not updated after 7th edition, but 8th edition and onward permit using aircraft in the core rules.Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, was a 48-page expansion that contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well as rules for more fortifications than listed in the main 6th Edition rulebook. Stronghold Assault was updated for the 8th edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.Escalation, released in December 2013, contained rules for playing games with super heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse events, in normal events. Escalation was not updated, and in the current iteration of the game super heavy vehicles can be used in the core rules.Boarding Actions, released in January 2023, was designed for smaller 500-point missions aboard spaceships. It generally follows the rules of Warhammer 40,000 with modifications such as distance being measured around terrain features rather than through, combat no longer working through walls, and models blocking line of sight. Vehicle and Monster units are not able to be played in Boarding Actions, making the game heavily focused on infantry units. Rules for Boarding Actions were released in the Arks of Omen: Abaddon book. New boxset releases called Boarding Patrols were also released to give players a starting force for use in Boarding Actions. In July 2024, a new supplement for Boarding Actions was released, adding new missions and bringing the rules fully into the 10th edition of the game.
The rules of Warhammer 40,000 are designed for games between 500 and 3000 points, with the limits of a compositional framework called the Force Organisation Chart making games with larger point values difficult to play. In response to player comments, the Apocalypse rules expansion was introduced to allow 3000+ point games to be played. Players might field an entire 1000-man Chapter of Space Marines rather than the smaller detachment of around 30–40 typically employed in a standard game. Apocalypse also contains rules for using larger war machines such as Titans. The latest rules for Apocalypse based on the Warhammer 40,000 rules are found in '"Chapter Approved 2017, while a boxed set also entitled Apocalypse with an entirely different rules base was released in 2019.Cities of Death (the revamp of Codex Battlezone: Cityfight) introduces rules for urban warfare and guerrilla warfare, and so-called "stratagems", including traps and fortifications. It also has sections on modelling city terrain and provides examples of armies and army lists modeled around the theme of urban combat. This work was updated to 7th Edition with the release of Shield of Baal: Leviathan and to 8th edition in Chapter Approved 2018.Planetstrike, released in 2009, sets rules allowing players to represent the early stages of a planetary invasion. It introduces new game dynamics, such as dividing the players into an attacker an?d a defender, each having various tactical benefits tailored to their role; for example, the attacker may deep strike all infantry, jump infantry and monstrous creatures onto the battlefield, while the defender may set up all the terrain on the battlefield. Planetstrike was updated to the 8th edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.Planetary Empires, released in August 2009, allows players to coordinate full-scale campaigns containing multiple battles, each using standard rules or approved supplements such as Planetstrike, Cities of Death or Apocalypse. Progress through the campaign is tracked using hexagonal tiles to represent the current control of territories within the campaign. The structure is similar to Warhammer Fantasy's Mighty Empires. The set has been out of production for many years.Battle Missions, released in March 2010, contained a series of 'missions' with specific objectives. Each faction had three specific missions which could be played; these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from the missions meant for the two armies being used. They still used the standard rules from the Warhammer 40,000 rule book. The Battle Missions format was never updated for 8th or 9th editions and is no longer compatible with the current iteration of the game.Spearhead, released in May 2010, allowed players to play games with a greater emphasis on armoured and mechanised forces. The most notable change to the game is the inclusion of special "Spearhead Formations" and greater flexibility in force organisation. "Spearhead Formations" represent a new and altogether optional addition to the force organisation system standard to Warhammer 40,000. Players now have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organisation. Spearhead also includes new deployment options and game scenarios. This expansion was released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download, and through the company's monthly hobby magazine White Dwarf. The Spearhead rules were never updated for 8th or 9th editions and are no longer compatible with the current iteration of the game, though the loosened force organization introduced in 8th edition makes them somewhat superfluous.Death from the Skies, released February 2013, contains rules for playing games with an emphasis on aircraft. There are specific rules for each race's aircraft, as well as playable missions. A notable inclusion in this release is "warlord traits" for each race that deal specifically with aircraft. This supplement still uses the same rules as the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. It was updated to 7th Edition with Shield of Baal: Leviathan. Death From the Skies was not updated after 7th edition, but 8th edition and onward permit using aircraft in the core rules.Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, was a 48-page expansion that contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well as rules for more fortifications than listed in the main 6th Edition rulebook. Stronghold Assault was updated for the 8th edition of the game in Chapter Approved 2017.Escalation, released in December 2013, contained rules for playing games with super heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse events, in normal events. Escalation was not updated, and in the current iteration of the game super heavy vehicles can be used in the core rules.Boarding Actions, released in January 2023, was designed for smaller 500-point missions aboard spaceships. It generally follows the rules of Warhammer 40,000 with modifications such as distance being measured around terrain features rather than through, combat no longer working through walls, and models blocking line of sight. Vehicle and Monster units are not able to be played in Boarding Actions, making the game heavily focused on infantry units. Rules for Boarding Actions were released in the Arks of Omen: Abaddon book. New boxset releases called Boarding Patrols were also released to give players a starting force for use in Boarding Actions. In July 2024, a new supplement for Boarding Actions was released, adding new missions and bringing the rules fully into the: 10th edition of the game.