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So I've been playing around with the idea of an army fandex based on a race of pure psykers. They would function in a way that was a cross between the Psychic Battle Squads and Orks' Mob Rule. Powers would be stronger as there were more models in the unit, and as they got shot/chopped up, they would grow weaker. The base stat line on them would be something similar to gretchin as their bodies have grown weaker and weaker as their psychic powers developed stronger. I kind of imagine them as a mix up of gretchin, Yoda, and grey aliens...maybe throw in some big creatures they use psychic domination on along the lines of Ogryn for some muscle. I'd like to shake up the meta game a bit with it, but without making the army overpowered.

For each section of the FOC they would have a unit designed for shooting, one for assault, and then a support unit that either buffs it's own army, debuffs the opposition, or provides some sort of defense. Each unit would have access to certain psychic powers depending on it's overall role, and it would have to choose which ones to purchase depending on how the player would want to specialize them (much like purchasing special or heavy weapons).

Average Base Stat Line: WS3 BS3 T2 S2 W1 I3 A1 LdX Sv 6+

A couple of rules/powers I've been thinking about (haven't named anything yet)

- The leadership value of all (insert the name of the new race here) units excluding vehicles and independant characters equals the number of models in the unit to a maximum of 10. Any units with 11 or more models in it may reroll their psychic tests but must accept the second result (a Perils of the Warp result on the first roll is ignored if the player chooses to reroll). If the unit suffers a Perils of the Warp result, D3 models of the unit are immediately removed from play as the the unit rechannels the psychic feedback into a few of their members to ensure the safety of the unit. The owning player chooses which models to remove. The unit may also roll 2d6 and pick the highest when rolling against Psychic Hoods.

A couple heavy fire support powers:

Psychic shooting attack: Range 24"
If the firing unit = 10 or less models: S5 AP4 Automatic 1d6 hits
If the firing unit = 11-20 models: S6 AP3 Automatic 1d6 hits
If the firing unit = 21-30 models S7 AP2 Automatic 2d6 hits

Psychic shooting attack: Range 48"
If the firing unit = 10 or less models: S3 AP5 Barrage D3, Small Blast
If the firing unit = 11-20 models: S4 AP5 Barrage D3, Large Blast
If the firing unit = 21-30 models S5 AP5 Barrage 3, Large Blast

The support units would have various stat/save improving abilities, all scaling with the # of models in the unit using the power, and like wise abilities to reduce stats/saves of enemy units. In addition I could see some powers that create areas of difficult and/or dangerous terrain or limiting enemy mobility.

Assault based units would have powers to emulate certain weapons like power weapons, thunder hammers, or give certain USRs like prefered enemy, furious charge, etc.

So thoughts? Does it sound interesting, rediculous, hairbrained, OP, UP?

Sounds interesting... now my question is; are they HUMAN psykers or alien psykers?

At some point they may have been much more humanoid or maybe even actual humans that have evolved into something completely different, but now they are as alien to humans as Eldar, Orks, Tau, etc. I haven't really thought far enough back in their fluff to come up with real origins.

Good. Because human psykers are pretty horrible...
Anyways, I wouldn't be too sure about the rules that group them together in such large quantities. I mean, 30 units with only ONE attack? I would have to say that they be grouped off in no more that 10, MAX 15, if you are going to make a single power for each group. Also think about units other than psykers that will be in the army. Tau and IG are good at shooting, but they also have a dedicated CC unit (Kroot, Ogrynn). Think about that and post some more ideas. I do like the concept, it just needs tweaking.

I did have in the OP the thoughts on using something like Ogryn for some of the CC muscle that they might need. As for the stat line, it's just a base to work from. The units that were CC oriented would get additional attacks, and powers would be available to buff stats as well. As for the large units, I figure if you are talking about a race of T2 creatures that weaken as they lose numbers, you are going to need a lot of guys in that unit to be able to not be rendered a non-factor in one turn. Also, part of it is that I see a lack of true horde armies in the game. Orks, Nids, and IG can do horde pretty well, but often there are more viable builds.

As for additional ideas, another thing I was tossing around would be a vehicle that was essential a bunch of the psykers plugged in via head implants to a dish to focus and amplify their power. Fluffwise it amplify a telekenetic ability to essentially crush or implode a vehicle. The statline and special rules would be something like:

Range 48" S8 AP2 Ordnance 1
- A unit inside a transport vehicle that recieves a Destroyed - Explodes result on the damage table from this weapon suffers S6 AP2 hits instead of S4 AP- as the vehicle is crushed around them blocking exits and crumpling thier own armor into their bodies.

Sounds good so far, especially the vehicle 'imploding' effect
This effect also makes the S8 attack more viable; a tradeoff for not having S10. Keep em coming

I'm thinking about giving squads the ability to cast two powers a turn. However in doing so, they would have to split the number of models in the unit to each power. For example if a 30 man unit wanted to cast power x and power y, they could say they were casting one with 9 models and the other with 21 models. It adds alevel of complication in play, but opens up a lot in the way of tactical choices.

Hmmm... That seems very do-able, seeing as you are following an IG/Orky psyker approach, you could add in a few random abilities that each squad could have?
Also, if you split up the powers as you were saying, would there be a rule for firing at two separate units/models with the one squad? Maybe have to take a morale/psychic test?

Maybe a piece of wargear that could be purchased could allow certain units to split fire. I'll think about the random aspect. Personally I hate having a truely random result of a power like some of the orcs and the old IG psykers. I could see it on a special character though, some sort of rogue psyker who has focused on raw power rather than control of his abilities.

That seems really awesome! Some psyker that has absolutely no control over his power and releases raw energy of the Warp all around him! > Could be similar to the Nurgle's Rot spec. rule except units that suffer wounds would have to pass a psychic test.
He could be like this:
SUPER PSYKER!!! [XXX pts]
WS:3 BS:4 S:3 T:3 W:2 I:3 A:1 LD:8 SV:4+
Up to you though

Hmm, for combat units you need not go into the mind control area.
You could have fully blown psychic manifestations under the control of a unit, im thinking something about the size of a tyranid warrior/ogryn. For now, i'll call it a gribbly

Going off a unit size of 5-15. The unit must pass a psychic test to bring on their gribblies, and must attempt to do so from turn 2 onwards, the gribblies will DS as per the normal rules, the parent unit counts as having a locator beacon for the purposes of creating their own gribblies. If the gribblies would use the locator beacon to DS then they may assault this turn. Only one unit of gribblies may be in play at any one time for each parent unit.

Example Gribbly stats.

Parent unit size 11-15 WS:5BS:5S:5b]T:[/b]5b]W:[/b]3I:4b]A:[/b]4Ld:10Sv:4++
Power weapons attacks.
Parent unit size 6-10 WS:4BS:4S:4b]T:[/b]4b]W:[/b]3I:3b]A:[/b]3Ld:10Sv:5++
rending attacks.
Parent unit size 1-5 WS:3BS:3S:3b]T:[/b]3b]W:[/b]3I:2b]A:[/b]2Ld:10Sv:6++
standard CCW attacks.

If the unit of gribblies is wiped out, another may be created (each one offering a KP). While controlling the gribbles the parent unit is effectively pinned, without the cover bonus. If the parent unit would fall back, become pinned, or become involved in combat their control wanes, the unit of gribblies takes D3 wounds per gribbly in the unit and gains rage until order is restored in the parent unit. If the parent unit is destroyed the gribbly unit takes D3 wounds per gribbly at the start of everyone of their turns.

I wouldn't make them too expensive as one stray shell could effectively kill the parent unit and cause them to flee, essentially killing any further gribblies. Gribblies would be free, the cost could be in the parent unit itself. You could have 1 gribbly per 3 (or part there of) in the parent unit at the time of summoning.

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If you like the idea, change it however you see fit as its just an example.

Considering you'd like assaulty units for each FOC slot you could have different gribblies...
Troops: High number, low stat gribblies.
Elite: Low number, high stat gribblies.
Fast attack: Medium number/stats, but fast.
Heavy support: Single Gribbly, monstrous creature sized.

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If there was a race of pure psykers (not Eldar standard but all incredibly powerful) Then i'd doubt they'd get their hands dirty so to speak.

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For other units you could have the shooting ones you described above but change it up a bit.
Troops: Small arms fire.
Elite: Special weapons (plasma, melta, flamer, etc)
Fast attack: hmm... ?
Heavy support: Heavy weapons (missiles, cannons, etc)

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As for supportive you could have powers that do the following...
Buffs such as stealth, FnP, shrouding
De-buffs such as reduced cover, Pinning, etc

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ok, enough rambling... im hungry

That's a very interesting idea. I don't think I'd use it across all the slots, but I think it would work well for one of them. I'm thinking you buy the parent unit, and then the "gribblies" would be a psychic power they would purchase with a couple different types to choose from. I'd still like to have one unit of watered down "Yodas" that basiclly are these decrepid creatures that boost their own bodies psychicly to basicly turn them into ninja equivilants. Something somewhere between Yoda, and Adepts from the Shadowrun games. Also a unit of psychicly dominated slaves works well with some of the preliminary fluff I'm thinking about.

For the shooty and support units, that's pretty much in-line with what I'm working on.

Well there are powers currently that boost stats, though not all of them at the same time, usually just the one or two.
Assuming this is a racial thing that is developed from birth/adolesance then you could have different levels of powers.
The less effective the power type the less degraded the body.
I'd consider 4 types of power.

1. Combat
New psykers learning the trade by boosting themselves and their unit.
2. Shooting
As the psykers grow older they are able to project their powers from afar, resulting in potentially devastating results.
3. Support
As the psyker masters his powers he can 'pump up' friendies or 'curse' enemies with a variety of effects.
4. Mind control
As the Psyker become a true master he is able to control the minds of others, eventually he can create manifestations of his own will.

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Possible ideas for power effects. (not all on one unit obviouosly)
1) Power weapons/fists, rending attacks, boost to attack/strength/toughness/iniative stats. moves like jump infantry/cavalry/has fleet.
2) Mentioned before.
3) Mentioned before.
4) Small units or single models control large groups of 'zombie' like minions. Psykers could be in the unit, or a safe distance away. Psyker death = loss of unit. The higher the power level the bigger/more sentient the horde could be. After time a psyker would not need slaves and could produce his own gribblies.
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Idea!
(insert name here)
WS: 5 BS: 4 S: 5 I: 5 A: D6 Armour Fr: 13 Si: 11 Rr: 10
Essentially a dreadnaught for an older crazed psyker.
Imagine a psyker gets too powerfull or crazy that he could be a danger to his fellows, his body could be confined within a walker with some interesting effects. Their would be dampners in strategic locations creating a barrier from the dread attacking his own side and stopping his powers manifesting fully, however he can release his powers through his dreadnaught arms.
Weapon options. May take two of the following...
(list of random weapons, anything really)
Examples.
Dread CCW (with built in Mind flayer (AKA: nueral shredder))
Psychic generator: 12" S:x AP6 Heavy D3, pinning (will target all enemy units within 12" and always wounds on a 3+)
Quake cannon: 24" S:6 AP:4 large blast (all enemy units within 2D6 count as in difficult terrain next turn (Jump/jet, etc excluded)
Electro lash: DCCW, any vehicle hit counts as stunned in addition to other effects
Psychic Barrier: 4+ invun save
The possibilities are endless... but the idea is there

the gribblies sound like your classic fantasy elemental, an archetype that hasn't been transplanted into SPESS as far as I can tell.

In fact summoning powers could be another interesting facet to this army, though would it be too much like daemons?