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Chaos Neophyte Squad
Original discussion thread

Pts/model WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Neophyte 13 4 3 4 4 1 4 1 8 4+
Ascendant / 4 3 4 4 1 4 2 9 4+

Unit Type: Infanty, Troops

Number/Squad: 5-20 Neopyhtes

Wargear: Carapace Armour, Boltgun, Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frak and Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Glory, In Thy Master's Charge

Options:

Any model may replace his Boltgun with either a Shotgun or Great Weapon* for free

For every five Neophytes one may exchange their boltgun for one of the following: Flamer for 5pts , Meltagun for 10pts, Plasmagun/ Plasma Pistol for 15pts

Character:
One Neopyhte may be upgraded to an Ascendant for 15pts. He carries a Personal Icon.

He may replace his Boltgun/Bolt Pistol with a Plasma Pistol for 15pts
He may replace his Close Combat Weapon with a Power Weapon for 15pts

He may purchase Melta Bombs for 5pts

Icon:
If the Squad numbers 10 or more then the Mark of Glory may be exchanged for the following **;

- Mark of Khorne for 30pts (all Neophytes recieve +1 to their Attacks, the Ascendant may exchange their Boltgun for a Khornate Chainaxe for free. ***)
- Mark of Nurgle for 50pts (all Neophytes recieve +1 to their Toughness, the Ascendant gains Blight Grenades ****)
- Mark of Slaanesh for 20pts (all Neopytes receive +1 to their Initiative, the Ascendant may exchange his Boltgun for a Sonic Blaster for free)
- Mark of Tzeentch for 40pts (all Neopytes recieve a 5+ Invulnerable Save, the Ascendant is classed as a Psyker and gains the Doombolt Power)

In Thy Master's Charge

During the Chaos Space Marine player's movement phase a unit of Neophytes may join another of the player's infantry units to form a combined squad *****. This may be done by moving the Neophytes into base to base contact with a miniature of the target squad.The two units will then go on to function as though they were one until the controlling player choses to split them. The Neophytes may become an autonomous unit again during the movement phase by the controlling player declaring it. A squad of Neophytes may not form a combined squad and exit one during the same movement phases, nor may the combined squad total a number greater than 20.


* A two handed close combat weapon which strikes at +2 Strength and at -2 to the model's Initiative
** If the army's leader has the same mark (an army's leader is its most expensive single HQ choice miniature)
*** A Great Weapon that reduces an enemy miniature's maximum armour saving throw to 4+
**** May be used at the beginning of the first round of an assault phase. Every model within 2' of the model with Blight Grenades takes a strength 3 ap / wound on a 4+. If any models fail this save then the unit must make a morale check after the chaos player has resolved their attacks. (....yeah I forgot how blight grenades worked so came up with my own ^^ These rules also don't necessarilly mean that the enemy might get to attack, this would only happen if they're of a lower initiative than the Chaos player).
***** Excluding units of Daemons, Possessed Chaos Space Marines, cult units with a different mark than the Neophytes, Raptors and Obliterator Cults.

I like it. That's something that they should incorporate into the Chaos Legions dex.

Why doesn't the ascendant have higher leadership?

@ bmoleski
Thanks a lot for that. I tried to keep the heart of the chaos feel, with a semi insane element to it and all. Neophytes would actually make a pretty decent assault unit (their marines bar the save). They could be loaded up with half shotguns half great weapons, which in a squad of twenty would give you 20 str 3 + 10 str 4 shots before a charge in addition to 30(40 with Khorne) str 4 I 4+ 20 (30 with Khorne) str 6 I 2 close combat attacks. Scary. ....Yeah I've thought of using 20 of them alongside 20 Khorne Berserkers in a 2k list. ^^

@ do you hear the voices to (?!!!!! ^^)

I'd considered it, but questioned it as the scout rules that I was working from didn't give the sergeant a higher leadership. Yes he should, thanks for pointing it out. He aught to have a stat line similar to a normal marine, though fluff wise he wouldn't have had the mental confitioning that they go through yet.

"Do you hear the voices too?" is a refrence to Dawn of War: Dark Crusade when you click on the possessed marine.

Sorry to go off-topic.

That's actually a really cool idea! A little surprised these rules don't exist officially somewhere, given there's artwork for it.

@ Vendetta 476

Thus why I added ?!!! to the end of his user name. ^^

@ AethyrKnight

The picture included is actually from a user over on deviantART. I think that he was trying to get a bit of the styling of the 3rd edition codex art a little, which was when the pic was when the pic was drawn I think. Its great nonetheless anyhow. =)

My ten minute quick sketch is godawful in comparison.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
To represent the Neophyte's being marines in training, and in the role of suedo squires to marines, I've added the rule "In They Master's Charge". Its similar to the rule that the Black Templars have of combined squads of marines and scouts, but still allows the Neophytes to be an autonomous unit if so chosen. I've limited the maximum squad number however to 20 when the two units are combined to avoid the Neophytes being used as cheap meat shields as much and the Chaos player being able to field 40 strong combat units of Khorne Berserkers (a unit uses the majority armour save, which will quickly become 3+ after losses, thus its possibly that they could produce 162 Str 4 I 4 attack in one assault phase, with half of those having Furious Charge too) for only 500 or so points). As have I limited which units can combine, like Obliterators, to prevent them being meat shields a little (20 Neophytes defending an Obliterator Cult would mean the cult would never die....) and other general bentness.

In regards to this rule I have also thought of giving the Neophytes some sort of stat boost for the turn they assault, or perhaps some sort of morale check buff. This would represent them trying to prove themselves up to their masters. However I'm really cagey about this as I think the combined squads is already a big enough boost, as would it just lead to making the unit too complex.

What do you guys think of the inclusion of a rule for the summoning of Daemons? As in when a unit of Daemons is summoned by the Neophytes the Ascendant must make a leadership test at (with -1 to his LD for each 10 Daemons in the unit he is attempting to summon). If he fails this then the unit take D6 wounds to represent the Daemons attacking them. The Neophytes would of course give a boost to any unit being summoned- +1 to the reserves role of a designated summoned unit. It would represent the Neophytes urgency to gain favour, but also their the gods taking an ill eye towards those who haven't achieved it yet.