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"The Avalon Project was a mistake, by god, was it a mistake! We thought we could play god, control thing...this...machine. It has no trace of the Omnissiah inside of it. It has no soul." The static-filled image stutters, and the scientist looks scared. "I must hurry! The Avalon Project has made a new nanobot, one that turns DNA into Grey Sludge, bound together by strands of coiling warp energy. We gave it a body! We taught it the light of the Emperor, and in our haste we gave it access to things it never should have had. It got out, onto the planet, and it is turning the planet into itself! You must leAGGGGHHHH!!" The screen goes blank, but not before the Ethereal sees the scientist be stabbed in the back by some strange, alien, piece of metal. The Ethereal shudders, but still orders the cadre to move forward in the exploratory mission. "This strange entity could prove to be the force that will bring the message of The Greater Good to the ignorant" thinks the Ethereal, "we must hope."

The Avalon are among the most effective and dangerous fighters known to the Imperium, and a single squad can easily take down a unit of Space Marines, in long range or close combat. Their only weakness, however, is their cost. Their cheapest effective fighters cost upwards of 30 points a model. Here are my (experimental) rules for some of their units:

Troops
Arepiel (the basic unit)
Arepiel 30 WS 6 BS 4 S 5 T 5 I 5 W 1 A 2 Ld 10 Sv 4+
Arepiel Link +25 WS 6 BS 2 S 6 T 4 I 5 W 2 A 3 Ld 10 Sv: 3+
Infantry
Squad Size: 5 - 15 Arepiel, one of which must be a Link
Weapons: Babel Disc. Link also equipped with Siren Staff
Any model may replace its Babel Disc with a Magog Slicer for no extra cost
The entire squad may be Equipped with the following upgrades for the cost listed:
Nano-injectors.....2 points per model
Electro bonds......3 points per model

Nareliel (Lightning Archers)
Nareliel 35 WS 4 BS 5 S 5 T 5 I 4 W 1 A 1 Ld 10 Sv 4+
Nareliel Link +25 WS 4 BS 7 S 5 T 5 I 5 W 2 A 2 Ld 10 Sv 5+
Infantry
Squad Size: 3 - 12 Nareliel, one of which must be a Link
Weapons: Gauntlet Arrows. Link also equipped with Warp Blade
The Link may replace his Warp Blade with a Siren Staff at no cost.
The entire squad may be Equipped with the following upgrades for the cost listed:
Whipwire Snares......2 points per model
Electro bonds......3 points per model

Fast Attack
Russodaor Calvary
Russodaor 75 WS 5 BS 5 S 7 T 7 I 3 W 2 A 3 Ld 10 Sv 3+
Russodaor Link +25 WS 6 BS 6 S 8 T 9 I 4 A 4 Ld 10 Sv 2+
Calvary
Squad Size: 4 - 7 Russodaor, one of which must be a Link
Weapons: You must select one weapon per Russodaor from the list below, for the appropriate points cost. There may be any combination of weapons within a squad.
Babel Disc......5 points
Magog Slicer.......4 points
Gauntlet Arrows......5 points
The Link must be equipped with either a Warp Blade or a Siren Spear at the points cost listed
Siren Spear.....3 points
Warp Blade......7 points
The entire squad may be Equipped with the following upgrades for the cost listed:
Electro bonds......3 points per model
All models in the squad have the following special rules;
Furious charge - whenever a Russodaor squad charges at an enemy, the entire squad gains +3 I. Also, the entire squad must take a morale test. If they fail it, the Russodaor may preform a sweeping advance.

Ebsanah Fliers
Ebsanah 50 WS 4 BS 4 S 5 T 5 I 3 W 2 A 3 Ld 10 Sv 5+
Ebsanah Link +25 WS 6 BS 5 S 6 T 6 I 4 W 3 Ld 10 Sv 4+
Jetbikes
Squad Size: 2 - 5 Ebsanah, one of which must be a Link
Weapons: All Ebsanah have Siren Spears.
The Link must be equipped with either a Warp Blade or a Siren Spear at the points cost listed
The entire squad may be Equipped with the following upgrades for the cost listed:
Electro bonds......3 points per model
Whipwire Snares.......2 points per model
Sonic Amplifiers.......2 points per model
All models in the squad have the following special rules;
Furious charge - whenever an Ebsanah squad charges at an enemy, the entire squad gains +3 I. Also, the entire squad must take a morale test. If they fail it, the Ebsanah may preform a sweeping advance.

HQ
Chronotel
Chronotel 100 WS 2 BS 2 S 3 T 4 I 2 W 4 A 1 Ld 10 Sv -
Infantry (Independent Character)
Squad Size: 1 Chronotel, 2-5 Arepiel
Weapons: Chronotel is armed with Temponic Staff, and he must pick two physic powers from the Avalon physic powers list.
The Arepiel may are armed with Magog Slicers
The Arepiel may be given any upgrades available to them in their rules.
Chronotel has the following special rules:
Master Manipulator - At the beginning of the game, roll a D6. Whenever you roll the number rolled on the D6, move Chronotel and his retinue that many inches.
Blink-back - If Chronotel is assaulted, you may roll the D6. If you roll a 1 or a 2, nothing happens. If you roll a 3 or a 4, you opponent may roll on the deep strike mishap table. On a 5 or a 6, you may deep strike the entire squad to a location of your choice. If Chronotel and his retinue are moved in this way, scatter them D6". If they move off the table, put them in reserve.
Deepstrike - Chronotel and his retinue may deepstrike, even in scenarios that don't allow it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All models have the following special rules;
Nano-carapace - may re-roll failed armor saves that rolled higher than a 1.


Weapons;
Babel Disc - Range 36" S 4 AP 6 Assault 1, Rending
Any model armed with a Babel Disc gains +1 attacks.
Siren Staff - Power weapon, any model using it counts as having defensive grenades, and gains rending.
Magog Slicer - Power Weapon, any model locked in combat with a unit with Magog Slicers counts as having only one attack.
Gauntlet Arrows - Range 48" S 6 AP 4 Assault 2
A model equipped with Gauntlet Arrows counts as having Assault Grenades.
Warp Blade - Range 24" S 10 AP - Rapid Fire, rending
Any model equipped with a Warp Blade counts as being armed with a force weapon, and has rending.
Temponic Staff - Power weapon, while in assault with a model with a Temponic Staff, no enemy models may join the assault unless the owner of the staff lets them. In addition, any model hit by a Temponic staff must take a moral test. If they pass, they are removed from the combat, and may not enter into it again. If they fail, they take a wound, and must take the moral check again. This continues untill the model has left combat, or is dead.

Upgrades;
Nano-injectors - Any unit being assaulted by a model with Nano-injectors must re-roll successful armor saves.
Electro Bonds - Any model equipped with electro bonds does not require LoS to shoot, and gain preferred enemy.
Whipwire Snares - A unit assaulting a model with Whipwire Snares gains no benefit from charging.
Sonic Amplifiers - All enemy models within 6" of a model with Sonic Amplifiers must take a pinning check if they want to move towards or assault the model.

Link rules;
Links may "hook up" with a fellow Avalon, and allow it to use the Link's weapon or ballistic skill for the duration of the phase. This may only be done once a turn, and, if done, the link counts as having gone to ground for the turn.
Any friendly model may use the Link's LoS instead of their own.

Physic Powers
Physonic Burst - range 4D6" S D6 AP 3 Large blast, Heavy 3
requires physic test to fire, pinning
Field of Lightning - All enemy model withing 12" of the model takes a WS 5 S 5 hit, with no cover save allowed.
Physonic Shackle - range 12" S N/A AP N/A Assult 5
Any model hit by this attack counts as having failed a pinning test, and must move D6" in the direction of the caster's choice. Whenever they move, they must take a leadership test. If they fail, they are free from the effects of the ability, and must begin falling back. You may break unit coherency with this effect, and when they return to normal, must react as if unit coherency has been broken.

More units and upgrades will be added!

No comments? anybody?

This army wont work. You made them into a "high level creature" bunch of models, could fit into a RPG but will be too effective against too many units of most other armies.

Maybe as NPC opponents in a campaign.

1hadhq wrote:This army wont work. You made them into a "high level creature" bunch of models, could fit into a RPG but will be too effective against too many units of most other armies.

Maybe as NPC opponents in a campaign.

Yes, that could work. As you can tell from their backstory, they really are on only one planet.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, the Babel Disc is very bad against SMs. 14 of them cause maybe 2 wounds.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Added an HQ option.

Good stuff 1st
-I like the idea. It's very original
-I think most of it will work

Bad
-Whats the point of the HQ?
-Too powerful IMO

Nice idea. Wot were you thinking the models would look like? A picture would be good.

The blink back rule seems a bit odd. Maybe im just reading it wrong but it seems to me that 9 times out of 10 the squad will scatter off the table and be put in reserve as they are effectively deep striking onto a table edge. Would it not make more sense for them to just move back from combat 2D6 inches? or be placed in reserve?

Some of those weapons are just too OP. 48" S6 ass2! Really!? The Tau have crazy good guns fluff wise, and that only transplates into an extra pt of S and a 6" max range increase. And THAT's a huge deal! Good story idea though, sounds intriguing.

I'm sorry but you fall into the category of OP with this. Love the story and I can tell you've put some thought into it but the weapons and characters can mulch space marines. And everything has LD 10.Great, what the game needs, another army that's basically immune to rout or pinning.

You give the Tau way to much credit.
They could never create such a race.
They're too filthy and blue for that sort of thing.

Although, if this army of yours ends up slaying the Etheral's cadre, then I'm a happy young man.

A bit too powerful, just in general.

Most of these ideas are made of fail, however.

The Acolyte wrote:Nice idea. Wot were you thinking the models would look like? A picture would be good.

The blink back rule seems a bit odd. Maybe im just reading it wrong but it seems to me that 9 times out of 10 the squad will scatter off the table and be put in reserve as they are effectively deep striking onto a table edge. Would it not make more sense for them to just move back from combat 2D6 inches? or be placed in reserve?

Fixed problem.

Zio wrote:Some of those weapons are just too OP. 48" S6 ass2! Really!? The Tau have crazy good guns fluff wise, and that only transplates into an extra pt of S and a 6" max range increase. And THAT's a huge deal! Good story idea though, sounds intriguing.

So the guns are a little OP...got any suggestions to make them weaker?

agnosto wrote:I'm sorry but you fall into the category of OP with this. Love the story and I can tell you've put some thought into it but the weapons and characters can mulch space marines. And everything has LD 10.Great, what the game needs, another army that's basically immune to rout or pinning.

Of course they can mulch SMs!That's why they cost the value of two of them!

lordrevege wrote:You give the Tau way to much credit.
They could never create such a race.
They're too filthy and blue for that sort of thing.

Although, if this army of yours ends up slaying the Etheral's cadre, then I'm a happy young man.

QFT

Generally, I'd suggest doing exactly what GW did when they made the Tau. They wanted a race of technologically superior...vagina... faced... things...

Anyway, pick a gun that already exists, increase it by a point here or there and consider it EXTREMELY powerful.
For 10 pts a fire warrior costs DOUBLE that of a guardsman, and with WORSE stats! (2 WS, 2 I... wow)

They do have 1 better armour save, but that cost is mostly the pulse rifle. +1 S and a bit better armour doubles the points of a FW over a guardsman...

Hope that helps some! =)

Zio wrote:Generally, I'd suggest doing exactly what GW did when they made the Tau. They wanted a race of technologically superior...vagina... faced... things...

Anyway, pick a gun that already exists, increase it by a point here or there and consider it EXTREMELY powerful.
For 10 pts a fire warrior costs DOUBLE that of a guardsman, and with WORSE stats! (2 WS, 2 I... wow)

They do have 1 better armour save, but that cost is mostly the pulse rifle. +1 S and a bit better armour doubles the points of a FW over a guardsman...

Hope that helps some! =)

Thanks! I'll fix the guns after celebrating xmas...