Mobs

Background

I was thinking of a way to bring cultist back to 40K, but in a manner which allowed them to be fielded by any army with rules that took into account their departure from military forces and trained warriors that are fielded in normal battles. So, I created the following mob rules.

The individuals that make up a mob are not warriors, but a herd of violent screaming frantics who lack the basic military knowledge of an imperial conscript. They are a tide of undisciplined, unskilled, combatants who rely on their weight of numbers and crazed frenzy to tear down their opponents. Mobs are a cheap unit that callous commanders can use to swarm the enemy, but there are downsides to using mobs. Being unruly mobs are not able to function as well as trained combatants. Other disadvantages to using large groups of untrained and poorly disciplined men in your forces like the loss of strategic deployment, initiative, and concealment.

Mobs can represent chaos cultists, desperate imperial citizens defending their home alongside their saviors, gene-stealer cultists, psychically controlled citizens, alien worshiping humans defending their perceived masters, mind-washed slaves, a major epidemic of Stockholm syndrome on an invaded imperial planet, and etc.

Rules

Frantic, Unruly, Poorly Disciplined
Points: 2 per model
Unit Size: 20-50

Mobs do not use up any force organization chart selection.
Weapons: Single close combat weapon
Special Rules:

Frantic: Mobs have a higher then normal leadership due to they frantic nature, but they lack the dedication of standard troops such as imperial guards or eldar guardians. The mobs may never attempt to regroup after failing a fallback test, but the shear size of the mob bolsters their morale and a unit that has at least 20 members is treated as fearless.

Unruly: While being “Troops” mobs can never occupy territory. What commander would entrust a vital objective to them. Also independent characters will never join a mob unless stated otherwise.

Poorly Disciplined: When deploying units in standard games the player using mobs must place all their mobs before the other player places any of his units. Once all the mob units are place the players then take turns placing their units as normal. If both sides are using mobs then take turns placing the mobs, once all the mobs have been placed take turns placing the other units as normal. This rule represents the mobs being unable to work in concert with basic army doctrines concerning stealth and movement, which causes them to be easily detected by enemy forces.

Because this rule could lead to a situation where a player uses mobs to squeeze their opponent out of vital territory before them game even begins, units belonging to the player opposing mobs can disregard restrictions about placing their units within a certain distance of other units as long as the opponent unit is a mob. Also, the opponent of the player using mobs can always decide who takes the first turn; the enemy loses the initiative for using such poorly organized troops. If both sides are using mobs roll for first turn as normal.

Options: Mob Weapons: for 1 point each the mob can be given the equivalent of a laspistol. Note this might be represented by the squad being armed with shotguns, rifles, or other such fire arms. Some miniatures should have guns to represent this upgrade, but it is not necessary that every model possess a firearm.

Mutated: Some mobs have empowering mutations, are injected with combat drugs, augmented by their cruel masters, or any number of other methods that make them not quite human. For 1 point per model the squad can increase it’s strength by 1 point. There is a consequence to altering the human form in such a manner so all mutated models also lose 1 point off their initiative.

Army Specific Upgrades

Imperial:

Mobs can be joined by a priest.

cost: 30 points
equipment: laspistol, close combat weapon

Independent Character, may not leave mob unit.
Frantic: As mobs

Fanatical: Mob may reroll attacks when they charge into combat

Chaos Marines:

A chaos marine army may join a mob with a demagogue.

Mob weapons, frantic, daemon vessel, Cost: 15 points Independent Character may not leave mob unit.
Daemon Vessel: The Demagogue may be used for possession for a greater daemon just like chaos champions.