The origins of the massive stellar vessel known simply as the Planet Killer are a mystery to Naval authorities. It bears no resemblance to any Imperial ship design and is assumed to have been constructed within the Eye of Terror by Abaddon’s forces, just prior to the Gothic War – in fact several of the Adeptus Mechanicus doubt whether its construction would have been physically possible outside of warp space. Built around a central energy cannon of immeasurable magnitude, the Planet Killer is also studded with numerous long range lances, weapons batteries and torpedo launchers. Well armoured and protected by a plethora of shield generators, the Planet Killer’s only weakness seemed to be its ponderous speed. It was this lack of pace which was to lead to its eventual downfall, as it was destroyed by salvo after salvo of torpedoes, fired at extreme range by the Lunar class cruisers of battle group Omega, shortly after the destruction of Kharlos II.

You may include a Planet Killer in your Chaos Force if it consists of 1,000 points or more.

The Planet Killer is notoriously slow to manoeuvre and so cannot use the Come To New Heading special orders.

Firing The Armageddon Gun: The Armageddon Gun may not be fired if the ship has been crippled or is on Burn Retros, All Ahead Full or Brace For Impact special orders. The Armageddon Gun can only be fired directly ahead of the ship. To fire the Armageddon Gun, place the Nova Cannon template so that it is touching the Planet Killer`s stem then move it directly ahead 90cm. If the hole in the centre of the template passes over a ship`s base (friend or foe!), that ship suffers D6 automatic hits. If any other part of the Nova Cannon marker moves over a ship`s base then the ship suffers one automatic hit. Hits take down shields exactly as normal. Ordnance touched by the template is destroyed.

Reloading The Armageddon Gun: Once the Armageddon Gun has fired, it must build up another charge of energy and you must use Reload Ordnance orders before it can fire again. If you roll a double 6 for a Reload Ordnance check, then the Armageddon Gun has disastrously malfunctioned, inflicting a critical hit on the Planet Killer and rendering the Armageddon Gun useless for the rest of the battle. On a roll of any other double, the Armageddon Gun can be fired once more before it must be shut down to prevent overloading. Note that as the Planet Killer also has torpedoes, it is possible that you will need to use Reload Ordnance orders for these at the same time as for the Armageddon Gun. In this case, only make one Command check but apply the roll equally to both weapons systems (eg if you roll a double six, then the Planet Killer suffers an automatic critical and will also be out of torpedoes for the remainder of the game).

Including the Planet Killer In Exterminatus: The Planet Killer, as its unsubtle name suggests, is designed to attack worlds. This makes it particularly appropriate for the Exterminatus scenario. If the Chaos fleet is attacking, it can include the Planet Killer instead of using modified exterminators or a Blackstone Fortress. The Planet Killer does not lose any of its weapons for being an exterminator, but if the Armageddon Gun cannot be used for any reason then it can no longer act as an exterminator and the Chaos player loses the battle automatically.

Including the Planet Killer In Other Battles: Below is an additional entry to the Chaos incursion fleet list so that you can use the Planet Killer in your Battlefleet Gothic games. However, the Planet Killer isn`t particularly suited to general fleet engagements and is much more appropriate for special scenarios or certain types of games. In fact, the Planet Killer is very likely to be the whole reason for a battle. For example, you could play Scenario three: The Raiders, with the Chaos fleet defending the Planet Killer. Instead of the normal victory conditions, the attacking player must cripple or destroy the Planet Killer.

Another variation on the `Destroy the Planet Killer` scenario is to use Surprise Attack. Rather than orbiting a world, the defending Chaos fleet is stationed around the Planet Killer (perhaps it is undergoing repairs or something similar). The defender does not have to pay any points for the Planet Killer, but it starts the battle on standby like the other defending vessels. The attackers must cripple the Planet Killer to win.

Similarly, you could fight a Convoy scenario, with the Planet Killer counting as eight transports. The Planet Killer`s unwieldy size will make it difficult to manoeuvre in the dense celestial phenomena, offsetting its far greater offensive capabilities. If the Planet Killer moves off the opposite table edge undamaged then the Chaos player wins. If it is crippled before it escapes it is a marginal attacker win and if it is destroyed the attacker gains a major win.