Commissars with Catachans....fluffy?

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**Deadshane1**

Now we all know that Catachans are the most Dangerous HtH opponents in the entire galaxy, this isnt in dispute...

However, in the hypothetical and unlikley situation that they were ever beaten in a close combat one might see the usefulness of an attending commissar within the large 30+ man squad to make them stubborn.

...even more so (and even more unlikely) a leadership 10 from a Commissar Lord would assist again in said lost combat. (again, as ridiculous as the idea truly is of Catachans losing a HtH combat, but lets say they were sleeping or something when they were attacked, and outnumbered, and tied up, and bored....)

My question is, how 'unfluffy' would a Catachan army be with several, say 3 commissars in tow, one of which being a lord. (assume this is BEFORE the Commissar attempts to give an order to the commander and a couple of Jungle Fighters stab him in the neck from the shadows)

Catachans needing help in close combat..../facepalm.

**Cheese Elemental**

No. Catachans never tolerate Commissars. You could do 'counts-as', but how would you justify Summary Execution?

**Orkeosaurus**

They were allowed in the old Deathworlds codex, I would think they'd be fine in a Catachan army now.

Just make them look a little more "grizzled" than usual.

**Doombot001**

I thought Catachans hate Commissars and routinely "arrange accidents" for them?

As in "Whoops! Forgot to tell the poor black coat that he shouldn't step near that brainleaf" accident.

**warboss**

i think that commissars are in catachan regiments just like any others. the only thing is that they have to be shirtless just like the rest of them and their red sashes are made from the blood pulp of the Fluffernuttickus poisionous man eating plant!

**Cane**

Anything can work in 40k.

Commissars do get attached to Catachan regiments but thats not to say the Commissar wouldn't get an accidental grenade go off when's he's asleep especially if he's a douche or tries to kill a Catachan.

And like mentioned before they were useable in the Catachan dex with a rule of 'if you roll a one the Commissar suffers an unfortunate accident and can't be used this battle'.

**Gwar!**

You could make the Inqusitor Lord CIAPHAS CAIN HERO OF THE IMPERIUM.

Even Catachans won't mess with him

**Death By Monkeys**

It'd be pretty darn unfluffy. That said, if you found a way to model it well, it could work - frex:

- Model the Commissars looking extremely paranoid (heh - maybe have one with a "Shoot Me!" sign on his back)

- Or maybe have an Inquisitor as a "Counts-As" Commissar - that way the "Summary Execution" wouldn't be as weird...

**Gwar!**

Hmmm, the Inqusitor Idea seems cool, though the Idea of a Commissar with a Target Taped onto his back is funny

**JD21290**

Pair of DPM trousers.
Commissar hat.
Power machete.
no top.
Covered in scars.

**The New Romance**

The "no shirt" part is extremely important. Aside from that, you can do whatever you like to

I think the idea of having a new and shiny Commissar that just graduated from the Schola Progenium with a battleforce of grizzled Catachans is quite intriguing. But remember! His equipment is allowed to be new and shiny, but he may not wear a shirt!

**SgtDavi**

Justify SE - "Catachan Commisar roars words of faith to inspire his squad, but the sergeant unfortunatly gets shot/cut down as he turns his head to see who challenges his authority" (every time too)

**Bookwrack**

Death By Monkeys wrote:It'd be pretty darn unfluffy.

Actually no, it'd be completely fluffy. Catachans don't like commissars, but there is absolutely nothing that's unfluffy about taking them. Given that the Catachan codex itself had explicit rules for using commissars, anyone saying it's unfluffy really doesn't know what they're talking about.

**Fafnir**

That, and if the Empire assigns you a commissar, you'll be assigned a commissar. Either that or you can be purged like the heretic you are.

**Orkeosaurus**

Commissars in a Catachan regiment are an excellent source for wacky hijinks with your army.

You should take them, and then write fun stories about their fish-out-of-water misadventures.

**Corpsesarefun**

Countsas commissar have some Rambo type character than kills any catachan acting like a pussy to make the othes see how hardcore he is

call him Sly Ambro!

**Emperors Faithful**

It could be an attempt to drill some discipline into the Catachans by the Schola Progenium (fail), or mabye the commissars have 'gone bush'. And are more tolerant of the men they lead. (though not tolerant enough to let heresy slide)

**Witzkatz**

I like the idea of a newbie commissar assigned to a platoon of Catachans. However, in friendly games, I'd really want to make a houserule

If the squad fails a LD test, it's not due to the catachans panicking. It's due to the catachans being annoyed and distracted by that awful propaganda sound coming out of the commissars mouth. When the commissar tries to execute a catachan, he is instantly killed by a catachan fang to the back for this act of stupidity - remove the commissar model from play. However, the squad is so relieved that Mr. Shineyboot's chatter is over that they may reroll their failed test anyway and gain LD 9 for the rest of the game. (Not rerollable, but no summary execution anymore.) The sergeant picks up whatever fancy weapons the commissar had with a content grin.

What do you think?

**Emperors Faithful**

I think that it shold work JUST like summary execution, ecxept the only difference is that the commisar is the one removed.

**Gwar!**

Well, imo, as long as you make the Commissar INCREDIBLY AWESOMESAUCE TO THE MAX FX™, you could explain it as "This commisar is INCREDIBLY AWESOMESAUCE TO THE MAX FX™ so the Catachans respect him, and whenever a Catachan suffers from an uncharacteristic spell of The Girly Screams™ (Pat. Pen.), he puts a hole through his head and inspires the rest of the men with his INCREDIBLY AWESOMESAUCE TO THE MAX FX™ skills."

**Witzkatz**

@Emperors_Faithful: The problem is, that your way only works once. After that, there's no commissar to be executed left.

Normal commissars can execute away through the whole squad - this won't work with this case, therefore my slightly altered variant.

**Emperors Faithful**

@Witzkatz: Well, how about they simply continue to get the 'stubborn' rule, representing thier atempt to prove the late loudmouth commissar wrong?

@Gwar!: I believe that there was a White Dwarf Battle Report that did something akin to that.

**Witzkatz**

The problem with directly granting them "stubborn" is, that there's no more drawback due to summary execution.

One could probably justify it in that way that you lose one of the best models in the squad (WS4 BS4 bolt pistol/special weapon) to the first execution and that evens out with the lack of further executions on normal lasgunners.

Yeah, I could live with that, too.

**Emperors Faithful**

Perhaps if the commissar first attempts a summary execution, you first resolve a round of combat between the models in BC of the commissar. If the commissar survives, he has proved that he is 'tougherer' than the catachans and can shoot them at will?

**MeanGreenStompa**

Yarrick gives catachans instruction, catachans follow instruction and win or fail and get powerklawed right up...

**Ordznik**

Gwar! wrote:You could make the Inqusitor Lord CIAPHAS CAIN HERO OF THE IMPERIUM.

Even Catachans won't mess with him

Yeah, because Cain would never execute a Catachan officer. A commisar could get shot in the back doing stuff like that, and Momma Cain didn't orphan any fools.

**Cheese Elemental**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:Yarrick gives catachans instruction, catachans follow instruction and win or fail and get powerklawed right up...

Yarrick doesn't have Summary Execution.

**Polonius**

The thing to remember about Catachans is that they respect strength. While they're not wild about having a commissar around to tell them what to do, a suitably tough set of commissars would be able to impress the catachans enough to be safe.

One thing to remember is that the rules and fluff for the animosity comes from the Deathworld Veterans lists, which was a set of rules for Catachans fighting in other death world class jungles. That's their thing, and commissars probably only slow them down.

In open field fighting, they're still bad-ass soldiers, but even they have to realize they need training and help to switch from fighting in a jungle to, say, advancing with armored support across a steppe.

Even if you don't like that, simply make the commissars that join the squads "headmen" or some other form of catchan officer.

**Insane Ivan**

Polonius wrote:The thing to remember about Catachans is that they respect strength. While they're not wild about having a commissar around to tell them what to do, a suitably tough set of commissars would be able to impress the catachans enough to be safe.

One thing to remember is that the rules and fluff for the animosity comes from the Deathworld Veterans lists, which was a set of rules for Catachans fighting in other death world class jungles. That's their thing, and commissars probably only slow them down.

QFT. A recent WD had a commissar joining a Catachan Regiment, and quickly earning their respect after knocking a sergeant major through a window during a bar brawl.

Also, all regiments get assigned commissars. There's no choice, refusing one probably means you get designated "Heretics. Exterminate without remorse." And not even Catachans are immune to flamers...

Of course, if the commissar's a

, he might meet with an 'accident'. You might get away with it, if you're careful in your AAR. But you'll just get assigned a new one...

**Shaman**

I have read deathworld the catachan novel just yesterday naturally the catachans are stuck with a commissar.

SPOILER

Who they arrange an accident for, yet when he at first doesnt die they let him live. till well he dies of his own stupidity later. The point being if he isnt a total feth head he might not get accidented.
END SPOILER

Anyway if mr nice guy commisar gaunt cant exist then you can have shirtless or not catachan commisars IMO