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Hello.

I've always been fascinated by the Night Lords. Having Batman as their primarch and the fact they never get any attention will do that. Their emphasis on using terror as a weapon is pretty interesting.
I threw some ideas down. Who knows, maybe we will get a proper Legions books some day?


Legion trait: Night Attack

In an army contains at least 1 Night Lord Detachment you may declare that the battle is taking place at night.
The night attack rule is in effect during the first battle round. Roll a dice at the beginning of each subsequent battle round, on a 4+ the night continues, otherwise the morning arrives and the night attack rule has no further effect for the rest of the battle.

While the night is in effect you gain the following benefits:

1. Shooting attacks that target Night Lords more than 12" away are -1 to hit.
2. Enemy units are -1 leadership.
3. Many Night Lord stratagems will gain additional effects during the night, these will be noted on the stratagem.


Stratagems

The darkness lingers: 3CP

Use this at the start of a battle round. The roll to see if the night continues is automatically successful.

Cascade of Panic: 2CP

Use this stratagem immediately after an enemy unit fails a morale test. That unit must immediately take another morale test.

Night: In addition, select a different enemy unit within 6" of the target unit to immediately take a morale test. This can be a unit that has already taken a morale test and it does not prevent the enemy unit from taking a second morale test later in the phase if it has not done so already.

Terror Tactics: 1CP

Select an enemy unit that is taking a morale test. Your opponent must roll 2 dice and discard the lowest result.

In midnight clad: 2CP

Select a Night Lord unit that has been declared a target of a shooting attack. Shooting attacks that target the unit are -1 to hit for the rest of the phase.

Night: In addition shooting attacks that target the unit have their ranged reduced by D6”.

Lightning Strike: 2CP

Select a Night Lord unit that arrived from reserve or disembarked from a transport this turn and is charging.
Roll 3 dice for the charge distance.

Night: The targets of the charge cannot declare overwatch at the charging unit.

Hit and Run: 1CP

Select a Night Lord unit at the end of any combat phase.
That unit can perform a move but cannot advance as part of this move.
The unit cannot end within 1" of any enemy models.

Booby traps: 2CP

After determining deployment zones secretly note down D3 terrain features to be booby trapped. The first time an enemy unit finishes a move where it moved across a trapped terrain piece, roll a d6 for each model in the enemy unit, for each roll of a 6, the enemy unit suffers a mortal wound, Monsters and vehicles suffer d6 mortal wounds instead,

Make an example: 1CP

After a Night Lord hero slays an enemy hero in the combat phase, each enemy unit within 6" of the Night Lord hero suffers -1 to hit and -1 leadership until the end of the turn.


Warlord Traits

1. Murderous Tyrant: The warlord gains +1 attack. The warlord gains +1 strength and 1 additional attack on a turn in which they charged.

2. Terrifying Reputation: Enemy units within 18" of the warlord are -1 leadership.

3 .Torturer: Melee attack wound rolls of 6+ do a mortal wound in addition to other damage. In addition each time this model inflicts a wound on an enemy hero that does not slay the enemy, roll a D6, on a 4+ you gain 1 command point.

4. Legacy of the Night Haunter: +1 Command point. If this models slays any enemy models in the combat phase, Night Lord units within 18" automatically pass morale checks in the following morale phase.

5. Creature of the Night: The roll for night attack at the beginning of the second battle round is automatically successful.

6. Vindication: When the warlord is slain, before removing the model it may pile in and attack as per the combat phase. After it attacks roll a d6, on a 2+ the enemy does not achieve the Slay the Warlord objective. Then remove the warlord as normal.

This looks really solid and fun to play both with and against. Well done. Some notes:

* The Darkness Lingers seems really expensive at 3CP. For 1CP, you could reroll the 4+ instead and have a really solid chance of keeping night going anyway. 3CP is the cost of Orbital Bombardment and Agents of Vect . Maybe I"m under-valuing it, but 3CP feels like too much to me.

*In Midnight Clad probably doesn't need to have a random roll for its Night rule. Just flatly reducing the range of weapons that wish to target the unit by 6" seems reasonable. Kind of like the old rules for Night Shields on dark eldar vehicles.

Also, you should clarify whether or not the range penalty retroactively impacts the first unit to target the unit (thus allowing the stratagem to be used.) If you're 35" away, and I target you with a 36" gun and THEN you pop the stratagem, is my attack wasted? Do I get to target another unit?

*Make an Example is fine as is, but I wanted to direct your attention to the dark eldar version of this which is just a table-wide -1 to leadership for the remainder of the game. Your version is good too though.

*Any thoughts on stratagems?

Hey, thanks for the feedback.

* The Darkness Lingers seems really expensive at 3CP. For 1CP, you could reroll the 4+ instead and have a really solid chance of keeping night going anyway. 3CP is the cost of Orbital Bombardment and Agents of Vect . Maybe I"m under-valuing it, but 3CP feels like too much to me.

I agree that 3 is too much,especially with the command reroll available. 2 is probably the sweet spot. 1 would be a no-brainer.

*In Midnight Clad probably doesn't need to have a random roll for its Night rule. Just flatly reducing the range of weapons that wish to target the unit by 6" seems reasonable. Kind of like the old rules for Night Shields on dark eldar vehicles.

Also, you should clarify whether or not the range penalty retroactively impacts the first unit to target the unit (thus allowing the stratagem to be used.) If you're 35" away, and I target you with a 36" gun and THEN you pop the stratagem, is my attack wasted? Do I get to target another unit?

I'd be fine with a static 6", it's only affecting 1 unit after all.
I would tend to allow the shooting player pick a new target if the original is out of range. I don't think robbing players of agency in this manner is good for the game.

murphs wrote:
Hey, thanks for the feedback.

* The Darkness Lingers seems really expensive at 3CP. For 1CP, you could reroll the 4+ instead and have a really solid chance of keeping night going anyway. 3CP is the cost of Orbital Bombardment and Agents of Vect . Maybe I"m under-valuing it, but 3CP feels like too much to me.

I agree that 3 is too much,especially with the command reroll available. 2 is probably the sweet spot. 1 would be a no-brainer.

*In Midnight Clad probably doesn't need to have a random roll for its Night rule. Just flatly reducing the range of weapons that wish to target the unit by 6" seems reasonable. Kind of like the old rules for Night Shields on dark eldar vehicles.

Also, you should clarify whether or not the range penalty retroactively impacts the first unit to target the unit (thus allowing the stratagem to be used.) If you're 35" away, and I target you with a 36" gun and THEN you pop the stratagem, is my attack wasted? Do I get to target another unit?

I'd be fine with a static 6", it's only affecting 1 unit after all.
I would tend to allow the shooting player pick a new target if the original is out of range. I don't think robbing players of agency in this manner is good for the game.

That sounds reasonable, and I would definitely be willing to let you use such rules against me.