Fixture of Dakka
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Everything below is assumed to be an HQ except the Lhilitu. Everything here is assumed to not prevent Kabal, Cult, and Coven detachments from getting their obsession unless the unit in question has a Kabal, Cult, or Coven keyword. If it was unclear, these new "obsessions" are benefits that the indicated unit types can benefit from inside of a detachment that grants actual obsessions to units. So incubi in a Poisoned Tongue detachment that includes a Hierarch benefit from the Hierarch's Incubi Obsessions, and kabal units in that same detachment benefit from the Poisoned Tongue obsession. If the naming convention is too confusing, I can change it.
Goals:
* Give obsession type rules to those flavorful villains of Commorragh that don't fit into a kabal, cult, or coven
* Give drukhari players some new HQs so that the rule of 3 isn't quite so frustrating to their list building.
* The obsession rules granted by these new HQs should not provide significant vertical power boosts to the units they pertain to. The benefits they provide should either open up new uses for a unit, new ways of using a unit, or should provide only a situational vertical benefit. I tried to include the cost for these benefits in the pricetag of the HQ unit. You'll note that these benefits can only ever apply to up to 3 non-hq units thanks to the rule of 3 except in the case of the lhamean units.
* Where special characters are obviously "special" versions of other HQs, they should not be strictly "better" versions of those HQs. They should offer something different from their generic counterparts. Malys and Kruellagh should feel like "different" archons instead of "better" archons, for instance.
Thoughts?
Name: Solarch
Cost: 100 points / PL 5
Stats: M 14”, WS 3+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W 3, A 4, Ld 9, Sv 4+/6++
Wargear: Splinter Pistol and Power Sword
Options:
• Replace splinter pistol with a blast pistol
• Replace power sword with a venom blade or agoniser
• Replace both splinter pistol and blast pistol with one of the following:
o Splinter Carbine
o Splinter Cannon
o Blaster
o Haywire Blaster
o Heat Lance
o Shredder
o Dark Lance
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Scourge
Keywords: Fly, Character, Infantry, Jump Pack
Special Rules: Same as Scourges plus Scourge Obsessions
Scourge Obsessions: Pick one of the following rules during army creation. All units with the scourge keyword in the solarch’s detachment benefit from the selected rule. All units in the same detachment must select the same scourge obsession.
• Spire Snipes: Models with this rule add 6” to the range of their weapons while the model’s base is at least 3” above the table.
• Icarian Folly: Models with this rule may add +1 to their ranged to-hit rolls against units with the Fly keyword.
• Fire on the Wing: Models with this rule ignore to-hit penalties for moving or advancing.
Name: Shadow King
Cost: 100/ 5PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 3+, S 4, T 3, W3, A 4, Ld 9, Sv -/5++
Wargear: Glimmersteel Blade, Balefire Blast
Options:
* May replace glimmersteel blade with an agonizer, power sword, or venomblade
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Mandrake
Keywords: Character, Infantry
Special Rules: Same as Mandrakes plus Mandrake Obsessions
Mandrake Obsessions: Pick one of the following rules during army creation. All units with the mandrake keyword in the shadow king’s detachment (except Kheradruakh) benefit from the selected rule. All units in the same detachment must select the same mandrake obsession.
• Runes of Aelindrach: Once per psychic phase, a unit with this rule may select a model in the unit to deny the witch as though it were a psyker.
• Freezing Flames: A unit with this rule treats the AP of its balefire blasts as -2.
• Strike From Shadows: A unit with this rule adds 1 to charge rolls and melee to-wound rolls on a turn in which it arrived from reserves.
Name: Hierarch
Cost: 100/ 5PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W 3, A 5, Ld 9, Sv 3+
Wargear: Klaive
Options:
* None (see Lethality Before Pride)
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Incubi
Keywords: Character, Infantry
Special Rules: Same as a klaivex plus Incubi Obsessions
Incubi Obsessions: Pick one of the following rules during army creation. All units with the incubi keyword in the hierarch’s detachment benefit from the selected rule. All units in the same detachment must select the same incubi obsession.
• Lethality Before Pride: Up to two models in a unit with this rule may replace their klaives with a shredder, blaster, heat lance, or haywire blaster.
• Trusted Protectors: Attacks may never target friendly characters within 3” of a unit with this rule if the unit with this rule is a valid target for the attack.
• Exotic Victims: Invulnerable saves taken against wounds generated by models with this rule suffer a -1 penalty.
Name: Toxarch
Cost: 50 / 3PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W5, A 4, Ld 9, Sv 5+
Wargear: Shaimeshi Blade, Splinter Pistol
Options:
• May replace splinter pistol with a stinger pistol
• May replace shaimeshi blade with a venom blade, huskblade, flesh gauntlet, or electrocorrosive whip
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Lhamean
Keywords: Infantry
Special Rules: Power From Pain, Lhamean Obssessions
Lhamean Obsessions: Pick one of the following rules during army creation. All units with the lhamean keyword in the toxarch’s detachment benefit from the selected rule. All units in the same detachment must select the same lhamean obsession.
• Catalytic Miasma: Friendly poison weapons targeting a non-vehicle unit within 3” of a model with this rule add +1 to to-wound rolls.
• Adder’s Blood: When a model with this special rule suffers an unsaved wound in the fight phase, the attacking unit suffers a Strength 1 AP 0 wound on a 4+ after its attacks have been resolved.
• Toxic Elixir: Units with this Elixir gain the Combat Drugs rule.
Designer's Note: The lhamean entry has taken a bit of a tumble this edition. There's nothing really wrong with their elite version, but an HQ character as a second-in-command type without all the weird Court of the Archon baggage is welcome. Note that the faction keywords on the toxarch let you splash her into a cult or coven detachment. Because really, why are archons the only ones that can pal around with the sisterhood of Shaimesh's disciples?
Name: Lady Aurelia Malys
Cost: 125/ 6 PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W5, A 5, Ld 11, Sv 5+/4++
Wargear: The Lady’s Blade & Fan
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Kabal: Poisoned Tongue, Archon
Keywords: Character
Special Rules: Power From Pain, The Crystal Heart, Clockwork Mind
Warlord Trait: Towering Arrogance
The Lady’s Blade & Fan: Strength: User, AP -3, Damage 1, Special: Lady Malys may make 1d3 extra attacks with this weapon each time she fights.
The Crystal Heart: Once per psychic phase, Lady Malys may Deny the Witch as though she were a psyker.
Clockwork Mind: Lady Malys has a 4+ invulnerable save. At the start of each of your turns in which Lady Malys, roll a d6. On a 4+, gain a command point. This ability functions even while Lady Malys is in reserves, but it does not function if she has been removed as a casualty. Poisoned Tongue units within 6” of Lady Malys may reroll to-hit rolls of 1.
Designer's Note: Note that Malys lacks the Shadow Field that makes most archons so powerful and is stuck with what is generally considered to be the worst warlord trait in the codex. Her melee weapon isn't bad, but it's much worse against multi-wound models than, for instance, a husk blade. So my hope here is to make her a less optimal melee combatant than an archon but a better utility/support character.
Name: Duke Sliscus
Cost: 125/ 6 PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W5, A 5, Ld 10, Sv 4+/6++
Wargear: Psycho Vampiric Blades, blast pistol, plasma grenades
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Kabal: Sky Serpents or Coterie: Sky Serpents
Keywords: Character, Infantry
Special Rules: Power From Pain, Shadowfield, Combat Drugs, Contraband
Warlord Trait: Soul Thirst
Psychovampiric Blades: Strength: User, AP -1, Damage 1, Special: This is a poisoned weapon that adds +2 to its to-wound rolls against non-vehicle targets. On a to-wound roll of 6, this weapon inflicts a mortal wound in addition to any other
damage.
Contraband: Select a unit in your army with the Combat Drugs rule during army creation. That unit may add +2 to its Movement or Leadership OR +1 to its WS, Strength, Toughness, or Attacks. Splinter weapons within 6” of Duke Sliscus may reroll to-wound rolls of 1.
Designer's Note: In addition to an unusual set of equipment, he trades the standard reroll 1's aura for alternative buffs to your splinter weapons and wych units.
Name: Baron Sathonyx
Cost: 100/ 5PL
Stats: M 14”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 3, T 3, W5, A 5, Ld 10, Sv 4+/6++
Wargear: Hellglaive, plasma grenades, splinter pistol, phantasm grenade launcher
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari
Keywords: Character, Infantry, Jump Pack, Fly
Special Rules: Power From Pain, Shadowfield, Bones of the Farseer, Twilight Shroud
Warlord Trait: Famed Savagery (despite not being Flayed Skull)
Bones of the Farseer: Select one Drukhari unit at the start of the first game round. That unit may be redeployed per the rules of the mission. If the unit is a transport, any models inside it remain embarked.
Twilight Shroud: Deepstrike Baron Sathonyx and up to 1 unit of hellions. They must arrive at the same time and within 6” of each other.
Designer's Note: He's mostly a hellion delivery system and a fast shadow field.
Name: Kheradruakh
Cost: 150/ 8PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 5, T 3, W5, A 5, Ld 10, Sv -/5++
Wargear: Decapitator, Balefire Blast
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Mandrake
Keywords: Character, Infantry
Special Rules: Same as Mandrakes plus Shade Stalker, Hunter of Heads
Warlord Trait: Ancient Evil
Decapitator: Strength: User, AP -3, Damage 1, Special: Treat this weapon’s Damage as 3 when targeting characters.
Hunter of Heads: Select a character at the start of your first player turn. Kheradruakh rerolls to-hit and to-wound rolls made against that unit in the Fight phase.
Shade Stalker: Kheradruakh adds the turn number to his charge rolls on a turn in which he arrives from reserves. At the start of any Shooting phase in which Kheradruakh is in reserves, select an enemy non-vehicle non-monster unit within 6” of the unit chosen for the Hunter of Heads rule. That unit suffers 1d3 mortal wounds as Kheradruakh thins his prey’s protectors.
Designer's Note: Too complicated? Too powerful? I tried to make him significantly better against characters than against other targets, and I like the cinematic nature of Shade Stalker, but I worry he's overwrought.
Name: Kruellagh the Vile
Cost: 120/ 6 PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 2+, BS 2+, S 5, T 3, W5, A 5, Ld 10, Sv 5+
Wargear: Soul Flayers, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Plasma Grenades
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Kabal: Flayed Skull
Keywords: Character, Infantry
Special Rules: Same as Archon
Warlord Trait: Soul Thirst
Soul Flayers: Strength: User + 1, AP -1, Damage: d3, Special: Immediately after resolving Kruellagh’s attacks in the Fight phase, make a bonus attack with this weapon for each model killed by this weapon. These bonus attacks cannot generate additional attacks.
Name: Lhilitu (Elites)
Cost: 65/ 4PL
Stats: M 7”, WS 3+, BS 3+, S 3, T 3, W1, A 2, Ld 7, Sv 5+
Wargear: Shaimeshi Blade
Options:
• May add up to 5 additional lhilitu at 13 points per model
Faction Keywords: Aeldari, Drukhari, Kabal, Lhamean
Special Rules: Power From Pain
Designer's Note: Am I the only one who really enjoyed having an entire unit of lhameans? In addition to giving me an excuse to use my converted models, the Lhilitu give Poisoned Tongue players a unit that actually benefits from the melee half of its obsession that wants to be in melee.
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