Hardened Veteran Guardsman
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Obviously a list only suitable for Apocalypse (because even the cheap models are hundreds of points apiece and it includes squads of super-heavy fliers), but I had a thought about this last night.
No points values, as this is purely 'hey, wouldn't it be cool if' and not meant to be balanced. Or used; NOBODY should have THAT many resin planes, or be that willing to slice them up.
Unless otherwise stated, BS3.
So, without further ado:
HQ:
Command Bomber
A Marauder fitted out with additional communications gear to support being used as an airborne command post.
Base vehicle: Any Marauder or variant
BS 4
Improved Comms: One reroll per turn for Reserves on returning aircraft.
May take Upgrades.
Independent Character: May join squads.
(Should be given additional radio aerials or some kind of protusion along the top that can be pointed to as containing some.)
Heroic Ace
A hero of the Imperial navy, an ace dogfighter promoted to lead the entire squadron. Raw talent and rare, sophisticated targeting gear make him extremely accurate, while his experience allows him to dodge incoming AA fire.
Base vehicle: Any Thunderbolt, Lightning, or Vulture Gunship.
BS6
Distinctive Paint: 6+ jink save
May take Upgrades.
Independent Character: May join squads.
(Should be given a customised paint scheme, above and beyond what the Upgrade requires. Really, this guy's the best of the best, go nuts.)
Elites:
Resupply Marauder (0-1)
Marauder variant, can re-arm an aircraft's disposable stores and repair damage if they spent a turn within 6" of each other.
Can give one re-roll per turn for Reserves on returning aircraft.
No bombload, rear turret removed, and tail section raised slightly to accomodate a set of robotic servitor-controlled claws.
Ace Squadron
BS4
2-4 Lightnings or Thunderbolts
A group of experienced pilots put together to form a crack hunter-killer team.
One pilot may be upgraded to Heroic, allowing him to purchase Upgrades.
Airbone Radar (0-1)
The Imperial equivalent to the AEWACS planes of today, this is a Marauder fitted with sophisticated radar and imaging gear replacing the bombload, and a large radome mounted dorsally.
Base Aircraft: Marauder.
It's presence allows the regular aircraft to turn off their radar sets, giving forcing would-be attackers to use the Night Fight rules (roll after subtracting 12" to save time and because it'd be mean otherwise) unless they have an AA mount (those usually have their own dedicated search and track radars). Unfortunately, this and the huge dome on the top give it a huge radar signature, so weapons ignore any Night Fight rules and automatically pass Target Priority checks to shoot at it.
Construction-wise, it's a Marauder with no bombload, the tail from a Destroyer, the dorsal turret removed, and a radome on the back where the dorsal turret used to be (big flat saucer-y shaped construction on pylons that enter where the dorsal turret was).
Troops:
Thunderbolt Squadron
A squad of trained fighter pilots, flying Thunderbolts in pairs.
2-6 Thunderbolts
One member may be ugraded to an Ace, giving him BS4 and allowing him to take Upgrades.
Marauder Squadron
A squad of trained bomber pilots, flying Marauders in pairs.
2-6 Marauders (Basic Marauders. Other variants get their own entry.)
One member may be ugraded to an Ace, giving him BS4 and allowing him to take Upgrades.
Valkyrie squad
A Valkyrie VTOL transport with a squad of infantry (anything but HQ) chosen from Codex: Imperial Guard) inside.
The pilot may be ugraded to an Ace, giving him BS4 and allowing him to take Upgrades.
Fast Attack:
Lightning Squadron
A squadron of trained fighter pilots, flying Lightnings in pairs.
2-4 Lightnings.
One member may be ugraded to an Ace, giving him BS4 and allowing him to take Upgrades.
Vulture Squadron
A squad of trained gunship pilots, flying Valkyries in pairs.
2-6 Vultures
One member may be ugraded to an Ace, giving him BS4 and allowing him to take Upgrades.
Heavy Support:
Marauder Destroyer Squadron
A squad of trained bomber pilots, flying Destroyer variant marauders in pairs.
2-6 Marauder Destroyers
Vulture Squadron
A squad of trained gunship pilots, flying Valkyries in pairs.
Lightning Strike Squadron
A squad of trained strike fighter pilots, flying Strike Lightnings in pairs.
2-6 Lightning Strikes
Marauder Devestator Squadron
A rare variant of the Marauder, where the bombbay is removed and replaced with a powerplant and a Laser Destroyer cannon protruding through the nose. Specifically designed to hunt tanks and small Titans, these crews are a breed apart from normal pilots, either dangerously suicidal through too much flying through heavy AA fire at large objects, or twitchy and temperamental as the arcane weapons they carry.
1-2 Marauder Devestators
BS4
One member may be upgraded to an Ace, allowing him to choose Upgrades.
(This is a rather nasty conversion job. You've got to replace the nose turret of a Marauder with the end of the cannon from the Leman Russ Destroyer and integrate it with an aerodynamic fairing with plasticard or putty.)
Titan-hunting Marauder squadron
Seldom seen until the 13th crusade, this is a squadron of Marauders upgraded to carry and deliver as many Hellstrike missiles as possible. The pilots tend towards the slightly insane, as the craft's unusual handling characteristics, immense firepower, and the fact that it's strapped with fireworks.
2-6 Marauder titan-hunters
Like a normal marauder, but again with the nose turret and bombload removed. This time, it's replaced with a rack of missiles and a string of hardpoints along the wings, for a total of 24 missiles in all. A squadron of these can take down a titan in one strike.
Orbital Strike
Everyone loves megaton-scale warheads dropped from orbit. Anyone who's not an alien, heretic, traitor, obstructive bureaucrat, or unworthy of the Emperor's mercy because they just happen to live where the Navy is dropping warheads.
This is a powerful attack that stikes every turn (after it comes on from reserve) at a set terrain piece decided upon by the player before the battle. You don't need to tell your opponent which one, but it can't move. Every model inside the terrain is hit automatically, wounded on a 2+, and no armour saves are allowed, Invulnerables are allowed, as even a standard-issue forcefield will be of some use when your squad's turned to slag.
After the first strike, replace the terrain with a similarly-sized crater.
Upgrades:
Unique Paint Job: A distinctive paint scheme. Either particularly effective camoflage, high-tech stealth coverings, graffiti and kill markings, or just an eye-wounding paint job. 6+ jink save against ranged attacks.
Ace Upgrade: The character is a crack pilot, and his machine should show this. Trophies inside the cockpit, customisation on the ouside, kill markings, his name stencilled on the tailfin, or just some dramatic battle scarring.
Upgraded Turret: One of the gunners has used his skills and connections to somehow obtain new turret weapons. Replace the default turret weapons with any other pair of heavy weapons from the Imperial Guard list. Anywhere on it. They have to be twin-linked, though. No mismatching to gain more shots.
Extra Hardpoints: Exactly what it says on the tin. More bomb or missile racks.
Repair Servitor: A little repair robot designed to crawl through the inside or over the outside of the aircraft to repair damage. Counts as a techpriest's servo-arm, but only works on this vehicle.
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