Aw yis, Games Workshop just dropped the third edition rules for Zone Mortalis. For those not in the know, Zone Mortalis is an alternate play mode for Warhammer the Horus Heresy designed for games in sealed environments, and it's genuinely one of the best ways to play the game.
Many of the pivotal battles in the Horus Heresy books take place in so-called 'Zone Mortalis' terrain: the Imperial Fist and Iron Warriors void ship boardings during the Battle of Phaal; the underground war in the Arcologies of Calth; the taking and retaking of Lions Gate space port during the Siege of Terra; the Emperor's Anabasis assault on the Vengeful Spirit. Zone Mortalis always feels like the Heresy - not to mention the utter bloodbath you always get when you throw Marines into close quarters.
The latest rules are free to download from the Warhammer community website, though of course you'll need the basic game rules, miniature, and a suitably dense set of terrain to play with. The new set is a lot more lightweight than the rules used in second edition - in fact, it's the closest to the base game we've seen since first edition.
The defining feature of Zone Mortalis is that hyper dense terrain, and how that impacts gameplay. For a start, there's a ceiling, and it's low enough that Barrage Weapons and Aircraft can't be used. For the first time, tanks, bikes, and skimmers can be used in Zone Mortalis, making this rule set suitable for modelling indoors engagements within the massive mega structures of hives or the Imperial palace. White Scars players will still have to be cautious though, as - quite aside from the volume of obstructing terrain - anything that moves nine inches or more during its turn risks a fiery death.
Are you a Zone Mortalis fan already? Or did you adore Warhammer 40k's boarding actions and want to give that a go with Space Marine Legion vs Space Marine Legion? Come and chat about it in the Wargamer Discord community - we're particularly keen to see any Zone Mortalis board setups you might have to share.