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On many worlds in the Imperium, the noble commanders of Imperial Guard regiments are granted the right of riding a steed to war. On the battlefield, these elite commanders use their steeds to react more quickly to changing situations than their foot mounted underlings. Often, those commanders granted the right to ride a horse are the high ranking officers of a regiment or battleforce, and their presence on the battlefield, and the sight of fluttering banners from the backs of mighty steeds steels the morale of many Imperial Guardsmen.

Unit Type: Calvary
Unit: Horse Mounted Regimental Command Squad
Points Cost: 120 points

Special Rules
High Command: All regimental advisers available to a CCS are available to the Regimental Command Squad. All regimental advisers and other add ons (Commissars, Priests, etc.) must pay an additional 5 pts on top of their base cost to represent the added cost of a horse. Additionally, up to 4 Bodyguards may be taken to represent the higher protection accorded to ranking officers.

Horse Mounted: Heavy weapons can not be taken as it would be impossible to fire from a horse, nor can the squad take a Chimera transport.

Practicality: The Regimental Command can choose to enter battle on foot or in a Chimera instead of mounted on their trusty seeds. Subtract 30 points from the squads base cost, and also ignore the Horse Mounted rule.

Composition

Colonel: BS4 WS4 S3 T3 W3 I3 A2 Ld9
-Officer: The Colonel may issue up to 3 orders each turn with a 12" command bubble. He may use any orders available to a Company Commander as well as the special order: For the Regiment! For the Emperor!
-Inspiring Commander: The Colonel is beloved by all Guardsmen of the regiment, and in his presence the men and women of the Imperial Guard do their best not to disappoint. All units within 3" of the Colonel take their Morale and Pinning checks on the Colonel's leadership instead of their own.

Wargear: Bolt pistol, Power weapon, Carapace Armor, Refractor field.

For the Regiment! For the Emperor!: All infantry units within the command bubble take a leadership test. All units who pass the leadership test act as though they have passed both Fire by Ranks and Bring it Down orders. This represents Guardsmen rising from cover to pour weapons fire into the enemy, driven on by the words of their beloved commander. However, by standing they remove themselves from cover slightly. For any unit that would get a cover save -1 to the cover saves. E.g. An infantry squad in 4+ cover now counts as being in 5+ cover.

Regimental Communications Officer: BS3 WS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld8
-Veteran Vox Man: The Regimental Communications Officer has years of experience working with vox communication, and understand the vagaries of vox communication better than most. As such, one order issued by the Colonel each turn may be issued to any squad on the table with a vox caster. However, due to vox interference Incompetent Command takes place with leader ship tests of 9 or higher.

Wargear: Hotshot Lasgun, Close Combat Weapon, Vox Caster, Carapace Armor

Standard Bearer: BS4 WS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld8
-Custom Standard: The custom standard is the embodiment of the regiment itself, and is a source of great pride to every member of the regiment. Although if it were ever to fall the pain would be immeasurable. All unis within 12" of the Standard can retake any failed test of the leadership characteristic, and posses the stubborn special rule. However, if the Standard bearer is slain, all units within 12" of the standard must take a morale test.

-Vengeance: If any units pass the leadership test after the standard bearer is slain, they are filled with holy anger at the foes who have struck down the symbol of the regiment. They gain both the Relentless and Preferred Enemy special rules.

Wargear: Hotshot Lasgun, Close Combat Weapon, Custom Standard, Carapace Armor

2x Master Sergeant: BS4 WS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld8
-Expert Armsmen: The Master Sergeants are taken from the most elite members of the regiment's veterans squads, and are on the quick track to promotion to command rank. All Master Sergeants act as though their hotshot lasguns are Assault 2 instead of rapid fire. All special weapons are treated as if they were rapid fire as well.

-Fast Track to Command: While in the Regimental Command Squad, Master Sergeants learn command skills from the experts. If the Colonel is killed, but a Master Sergeant is still alive, the Regimental Command Squad may still issue 1 order that a Platoon Commander could issue.

-Look out-Argggh!: See Codex: Imperial Guard

Wargear: Hotshot lasgun, Close Combat Weapon, Carapace Armor



Tell me what you think! Hopefully its balanced out, and if there are any things that I've made too cheesey or whatever the criticism is just let me know your thoughts! Hopefully I can turn this into a viable HQ choice for 40k games or Apoc.

Step by step analysis by me. Ignore if useless.

-Good fluff, original idea

-3x the cost of a regular command? Is it really justified for what you get, a more mobile command squad with fleshy bodies that can no longer use a Chimera as a mobile bunker?

-Look Out rule for the other members is a little too much. The sharing of wounds rule (equally divide wounds by unit size, with remainder) fits the unpredictability of war. This would remove chance. If you feel it is necessary, integrate a bodyguard or two into the squad, but leave options open for special weapons for the other 3 or 2 guys.

-Given that they would need horses, add a couple of points to each regimental advisor?

- Ld9 Colonel, not 10. 10 is for heroes, the incredibly brave and super villains, not low ranking (in the whole IG system of Warmasters down) field officers.

-2 orders for CCS is standard, though seeing as this is special I could understand giving him 3. Adds character (still fewer orders than Creed), so I would say it fits.

-For the Regiment! For the Emperor! is a cool rule, but needs to be more customised, not an amalgamation of two others. The downside will have no effect in open terrain, but I can see how a downside is needed to counter the usefulness of this rule. Try for something like Al'Rahem? Or make the chosen units lasguns Assault 2 until the next shooting phase maybe.

-Veteran Vox-Operator Good idea, but maybe make it so that the CCS can only issue one order like this per turn to any unit with a vox on the field, automatically pass the order, then you skip straight on to another CCS or PCS for orders. One auto-'super order' in exchange for no others from that CCS (the order is repeated several times for clarity, so stops all other orders from this CCS)

-The standard idea seems a bit volatile, when it goes your gunline could run away. How about making nearby units have Stubborn and Counter-Attack, given its (included) hefty price-tag

-Master Sergeants, give them the bodyguard rule (Look Out) and then give them Assault 2 Hot-shots (their shooting skills). Given your previous idea for bodyguards, the Colonel is unlikely to die, but make it so that together they act as if a Platoon Commander (not being Lieutenants but still skilled). No heavy weapon (on horse), but a special weapon each (with appropriate points) would likely be acceptable

This could probably be used in 40k, though it would be better in larger battles or if cheaper. Ignore my advice (at your peril! *shakily points finger*) if you wish, but as a Guard player, those are my thoughts. Again, good idea but a tad too 'special' and on the expensive side. Field testing will find how good they are

Point by point response!

-Thanks.

-Too much? I was trying to go for overpriced rather than underpriced, but what do you say to....100 points?

-Hmmm....alright then I'll drop that rule and give it only to the Master Sergeants then.

-Yeah, each regimental advisor will be 35 points, the 5 extra points paying for their horse.

-Alright then. That does make sense...I do wish there was a way to make it so he could have something inbetween 9 and 10.

-Yep. He's more senior that a Captain, but not Creed so smaller command bubble and one fewer order.

-Hmmm...care to explain what you mean by like Al'Rahem? Do you mean his 'Like the wind' order? I actually personally prefer the current way, as it really makes the gunline a LOT stronger for a single shooting phase. And given the price we're paying for this unit, I personally think making lasguns assault 2 wouldn't really be giving them enough. I mean, Guardsmen don't charge. So making their lasguns assault doesn't help too much, and if the enemy is close enough, Fire By Ranks could give them 3 shots instead of only 2 so no one would really use this order....

-I could see how that could work, but personally I kinda like my idea. Autopassing an order seems a bit OP, even if you have to sacrifice 2 more orders to get it. I think it's a cool enough trick to issue orders half way across the board as is, so I don't know about that critique.

-Hmmm....giving them stubborn in addition to the standard rules would make the standard worth its downside even more. Hmmm...maybe I could add a rule like the Tau Ethereal has that if any unit survives the leadership test, they gain Relentless and Preferred Enemy?

-Assault 2 hotshots? Sounds good to me. I like it better than my original idea. I forgot completely about the whole horse mounted thing when I let them take heavy weapons. No, you can not fire a lascannon single handed from horseback. =scribbles down=

Thank you, that's my plan to mainly use in Apoc and things like that. I'll edit the OP and see how it goes.
-

Meh. I'd be much more interested in taking a regular command squad with a 30 point upgrade to mount them all on cavalry bases (with perhaps another 30 point upgrade for giving them lances), then with all of this complexity.

Ailaros wrote:Meh. I'd be much more interested in taking a regular command squad with a 30 point upgrade to mount them all on cavalry bases (with perhaps another 30 point upgrade for giving them lances), then with all of this complexity.

If I was playing a reg 40k game then yeah, I'd probably go with that. But I'm viewing this more as a bigger Apoc style game unit that represents the high levels of command entering the battlefield. It's meant to be fun and fluffy more so than streamlined and efficient.

oh, they yeah, this would make a great apocalypse unit. The only thing it needs is the option for bodyguards so you can flush it out to a 10-man squad.

Four body guards seems like a good compromise. When regimental advisers are added, that would make a nice 10 man squad.

Glad you liked my tips! I should have left it so that they could have fired one-handed lascannons, would have been awesome...

Take on the advice above and adjust the pts a bit to fit but, maybe, instead of bodyguards, you could take more Master Sergeants, for the appropriate points?

Seeing as the Officer is of such High Command (for Apocalypse), then I can see your standard rules, the new order and the Ld 10. Use my adjustments for fairness in regular games, but keep them for Apoc, they suit a higher level of command with better leadership.

Sorry, seeing it in a different light now, probably should've originally...didn't realise they were High Command

Would be cool if anyone in the squad could pay to buy a hunting lance.

Pvt. Jet wrote:Would be cool if anyone in the squad could pay to buy a hunting lance.

Why though? It doesn't make alot of sense that the High Command of a regiment would be armed with hunting lances to charge into battle.

ChrisWWII wrote:

Pvt. Jet wrote:Would be cool if anyone in the squad could pay to buy a hunting lance.

Why though? It doesn't make alot of sense that the High Command of a regiment would be armed with hunting lances to charge into battle.

Cool idea for the lascannon: Make it be carried between two members of the squad's, on a sling-rig between their horses.

I dunno, I think a lance-and-horse upgrade to a Command Squad would be more useful. This would cancel the heavy weapon option, but all other options would remain. They'd take the lances as more of a cultural thing rather than because they intend to charge into combat.

On the sort of world where Rough Riders are often used, the assumption would be that the commander is at least CAPABLE of leading his men.

And then maybe a separate thing for the 'High Command' idea in Apocalypse games, since this doesn't neccesarily have to be a cavalry-only idea.

Well, if I were to use this idea in regular 40k, I'd just do what Ailaros suggested and add 30 points to a generic command squad to make them horse mounted, and maybe 5 more points to equip them with hunting lances. Though, I do like the fluffiness of your idea....it does make sense that they'd take them ceremonially, and never want to use them, and in the most extreme cases lead their men in a charge.

And yeah, of course. I could say like -30 points and you just get the regimental command squad with no horses. That'd be fun....

Death Korps of Krieg have such rules, you can get them there http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/News/Downloads.html

But considering how dangerous riding a horse is in the 41st millenium (Rough Riders aren't very good at staying alive), I think commanders wouldn't take that risk.

Yeah, but I kinda wanted my own personalized squad for my army. A more generalistic squad rather than the death riders, yah? I'll use the Death-Riders Command squad in a regular game of 40k, but for Apoc? I kinda like this.

And since when has an Imperial commander showed common sense about that? Horses = Status Symbol = MUST HAVE

Maybe give the leader the same horse as Moghul Kamir. Or some sort of super-horse! Or a dinosaur...

Make it so that he can have loadsa guards, AKA bullet shields. And he needs to be awesome if he's an Apocalypse level leader (along the lines of Creed?) Maybe a company/regiment champion/swordmaster guy, someone who has Nork Deddogs stats maybe, but for better value.

I change my opinion on most things frequently. I may disagree with this statement later...

WhiteBishop wrote:Maybe give the leader the same horse as Moghul Kamir. Or some sort of super-horse! Or a dinosaur...

Make it so that he can have loadsa guards, AKA bullet shields. And he needs to be awesome if he's an Apocalypse level leader (along the lines of Creed?) Maybe a company/regiment champion/swordmaster guy, someone who has Nork Deddogs stats maybe, but for better value.

Hmm....maybe. Mogul Kamir's horse gives what? +D3 on the charge? Sure why not.

He can already take 4 body guards...are those not enough bullet shields for ya? Additionally, he's not Creed, not the supreme leader of an entire planet's military...he's just the commander of a single regiment. Better than a Company Commander, but subservient to Creed, and his like.