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Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Mad Max Gets Religion: Homebrewing Frateris Militia
Expendable fanatics riding jury-rigged vehicles with weapons that sometimes blow up in their faces. The Frateris Militia were some of the first units I ever homebrewed on this board, back in 2013, and now I’m updating them for 8th edition and the new Sororitas Codex. Dakkanauts have given me great feedback on other units that are actual Sisters of Battle -- Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, and superheavies – making them much better, and I’m eager for pointers as to problems with these units and suggestions on how to improve.

What follows:
Background fluff explaining my interpretation of the Frateris Militia.
Common special rules for Frateris units, including Easily Led and poor man’s Order Convictions: the Cults of Frenzy, Martyrdom, and Zeal.
Frateris Wargear, some of it borrowed from the Imperial Guard book but a great deal consisting of improvised weapons that kill the user (or damage their vehicle) if you roll a 1.
Frateris Cultists: The hard core of the Frateris Militia. 4 ppm for WS & BS 4+, Ld:6, and Sv:6+.
Frateris Rabble: A mob of untrained, unarmoured civilians. 3 pm for WS & BS 5+, Ld:4, and Sv:7+.
Penitent Abhumans: Conscripted Ogryns & the like, with big clubs and no armour. 25 ppm for WS:3+, S & T:5, W:3 A:3, Ld:6 Sv:7+.
Frateris Bikers: The bad guys from Mad Max, only religious. 7 ppm, M:14”, T:4 W:2, Ld:6, Sv:5+.
Frateris Hussite: A dump truck full of gun-wielding maniacs. 110 ppm, M:10”, BS:4+, T:7 W:12 Sv:4+ with FNP 6+.
Frateris Technical: A pickup truck full of gun-wielding maniacs. 50 ppm, M:12” BS:4+, T:7 W:10 Sv4+.
New special rules, wargear, etc. not borrowed from some existing unit are marked in bold.

UPDATE: The rules below have been extensively revised based on feedback from this thread -- the revised units are here, the additional Anointed Berserker is here, and Stratagems are here and here.

*

Every Battle Sister's story follows the same arc from orphanhood to martyrdom. The Frateris Militia are rushing headlong towards the same ending, but they come from every background and for every reason imaginable:
Spoiler:

Ordinary drudges who just want to be part of something important for a change. Schoolboys afire with dreams of glory (and hormones) after seeing the Adepta Sororitas march past. Middle?aged merchants who kiss their wives and children goodbye because they can't send the poor to die in their place, not again. Imperial Guard veterans who see the untrained masses headed for the slaughter and start having flashbacks. Hive gangers seeking redemption and a little loot. Murderers one step ahead of the hangman. All are welcome in the Frateris Militia.
The militia is the unofficial, irregular army of the Imperial Cult, the shabby brothers of the knife-sharp Sisters of Battle. At the lesser shrines of the Imperial Cult, the ones that don't rate a Sororitas garrison, a hastily assembled mob of Frateris is the first and sometimes only line of defense. The Frateris also carry out pogroms against easy targets beneath the dignity of Battle Sisters. But even in major wars where the Sisters serve as the mailed fist of the Adeptus Ministorum, the Frateris often swell the ranks — and the body count.
Most Frateris "units" are really mobs of untrained rabble, stiffened by a hard core of experienced fighters and the occasional Eviscerator?wielding berserker. A few squads of Frateris approach Imperial Guard levels of skill and discipline, but even these have both temperaments and weapons that are likely to blow up at any moment.



*

Frateris Militia Special Rules
Spoiler:

Easily Led
When this unit is within 3” of a Ministorum Priest, it may use the Ministorum Priest’s Leadership instead of its own.

Militant Cult
All members of the Frateris Militia belong to a Militant Cult, which is not a formal organization but a loose shared interpretation of the Imperial Creed that motivates them to go to war. When you include a unit with the CULT keyword in your army, you must specify which Militant Cult the unit is from.
If your army is Battle-Forged, all Frateris Militia units in an Adeptus Ministorum detachment gain one of the following special abilities, so long as every Frateris Militia unit in that detachment belongs to the same CULT:
Cult of Frenzy: When resolving an Advance or Charge made by this unit, you may roll an extra D6 and discard the lowest roll.
Cult of Martyrdom: When resolving a Morale test for this unit, only add half the number of models slain this turn.
Cult of Zeal: When resolving an attack made with a melee weapon by a model in this unit, you can re-roll the hit roll if that model’s unit made a charge move, was charged, or performed a Heroic Intervention this turn.

Pious & Penitent
This unit can be included in an Adepta Sororitas Detachment even though it does not have the Adepta Sororitas keyword. Furthermore, it does not prevent other units in that detachment from gaining an Order Conviction.

Open-topped
Models embarked on this model can attack in their Shooting phase. Measure the range and draw line of sight from any point on this model. When they do so, any restrictions or modifiers that apply to this model also apply to its passengers; for example, the passengers cannot shoot if this model Fell Back in the same turn, cannot shoot (except with Pistols) if this model is within 1" of an enemy unit, and so on.


*

Frateris Wargear

Wargear:
The Frateris militia build their heavier weapons themselves with more zeal than skill in workshops that often blow up. Sometimes, instead, their improvised products passes what passes for inspection only to backfire explosively on the battlefield.

Spoiler:

Autogun (0 points): 24” Rapid Fire 1 S:3 AP:0 D:1

Autopistol (0 points): 12” Pistol 1 S:3 AP:0 D:1

Brutal Melee Weapon (0 points): Melee S:User AP:0 D:1
Each time the bearer fights, it can make one additional attack with this weapon.

Frateris Exterminator (1 point): 6” Pistol D6 S:3 AP:0 D:1
This weapon hits automatically. On a hit roll of 1, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Heavy Stubber (2 points): 36” Heavy 3 S:4 AP:0 D:1

Improvised Flamer (4 points): 8” Assault D6 S:4 AP:0 D:1
This weapon hits automatically. If 1 is rolled for the number of shots, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Improvised Grenades (0 points): 6” Grenade D6 S:3 AP:0 D:1
On a hit roll of 1, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Improvised Grenade Launcher(2 points): 24” Assault D6 S:3 AP:0 D:1
On a hit roll of 1, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Improvised Heavy Flamer(12 points): 8” Heavy D6 S:5 AP:-1 D:1
This weapon automatically hits its target. If one is rolled for the number of shots, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Improvised Mortar (8 points): 48” Heavy D6 S:4 AP:0 D:1
This weapon can target units that are not visible to the bearer. On a hit roll of 1, the bearer is slain if they are Infantry or Bikers; any other bearer suffers a Mortal Wound and no longer has this weapon.

Shotgun (0 points): 12” Assault 2 S:3 AP:0 D:1
If target is within half range, add 1 to this weapon’s Strength.

Twin Heavy Stubber (4 points): 36” Heavy 6 S:4 AP:0 D:1


*

Troops: Frateris Cultists
(4 points per model, 12-30 models per unit)
The hard core of the Frateris Militia is a mix of military veterans, religious vigilantes, and pious gangsters – often, all three at once – who appoint themselves as protectors of their local shrine and persecutors of potential heretics. Their combination of combat experience and teamwork makes them considerably more dangerous than the rapturous rabble who’ve never held a weapon, but ultimately they remain expendable.
Spoiler:

Frateris Cultist: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:1 Ld:5 Sv:6+
Frateris Veteran: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:2 Ld:6 Sv:6+
Frateris Heavy Weapons Team: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:2 A:2 Ld:5 Sv:6”

This unit contains 1 Frateris Veteran and 11 Frateris Cultists. It can include up to 18 additional Frateris Cultists. Each model is armed with an autogun.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autogun with a shotgun or with an autopistol and brutal melee weapon.
For every 10 models in the unit, one model may replace its autogun with a Frateris exterminator, improvised flamer, or improvised grenade launcher.
Two Frateris Cultists may form a Frateris Heavy Weapons Team, which must replace its autoguns with a heavy stubber, improvised heavy flamer, or improvised mortar.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia, CULT

Keywords:
Infantry, Frateris Cultists


Design Notes:
A mix of Chaos Cultists and IG Infantry (both of which are also 4ppm). Their Leadership and Save are on the same level as Chaos Cultists, one worse than the IG’s. But Easily Led gives them easy access to IG-equivalent Ld from priests and Militant Cult is better than anything the Cultists have, if probably inferior to IG Orders and Regimental Doctrines. Plus they have some nasty weapons options. I figure that all roughly balances out.

*

Troops: Frateris Rabble
(3 points per model, 20-50 models per unit)
A sufficiently fiery sermon can turn untrained civilians into a mob -- but only time and training can turn them into soldiers, and the majority of the Frateris Militia get neither. Whipped to a frenzy, armed with whatever they can grab, and herded into battle by their priests, the rabble are not expected to survive.
Spoiler:

Frateris Rabble: M:6” WS:5+ BS:5+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:1 Ld:4 Sv:7+

This unit contains 20 Frateris Rabble. It may contain an additional 30 Frateris Rabble. Each model is equipped with an autopistol.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autopistol with a brutal melee weapon or improvised grenades.
For every 10 models in the unit, one model may replace its autopistol with an autogun, Frateris exterminator, improvised flamer, improvised grenade launcher.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent

Sheep To The Slaughter
This unit may only benefit from a Cult Conviction if it is within 3” of a Ministorum Priest.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Infantry, Frateris Rabble


Design Notes:
Based on IG Conscripts, with Raw Recruits replaced by the slightly less crippling Sheep To the Slaughter, but no save at all. Oh, and they don’t get grenades automatically, although they do have more weapons options. I figure overall that’s worth a point off per model.

*

Elite: Penitent Abhumans
(25 points per model, 3-10 models per unit)
“Your sin was what you were born! Your redemption will be how you die!”
Spoiler:
Abhumans are more often the victims of the Frateris Militia than its members. When the Frateris start working up their courage, their first target — if only by way of practice — is often their genetically imperfect neighbors. Even when Abhumans prove their piety sufficiently to survive, their service usually consists of hauling supplies until they fall, unburied and unmourned, along the line of march. But in these desperate times, the sheer strength, ferocity, and blind faith of the larger abhuman breeds is sometimes just too useful to discard. On the eve of battle, the priests unchain these mighty outcasts from the ammunition sledges, hand them crudely forged masses of metal, and tell them of their great good fortune: a chance to cleanse their tainted blood by shedding it for the God?Emperor.

Penitent Abhumans: M:6” WS:3+ BS:4+ S:5 T:5 W:3 A:3 Ld:6 Sv:7+
This unit contains three Penitent Abhumans. It may contain seven additional Penitent Abhumans. Each model is armed with a Crude Maul and improvised grenades.

Crude Maul
Melee S:+1 AP:-1 D:2

Wargear options: None.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent

Avalanche of Muscle
You can add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of this model in the Fight phase on any turn in which it made a successful charge. This ability may only be used the first time this model fights each turn.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia, CULT

Keywords: Infantry, Penitent Abhumans


Design Notes:
They’re closer to Forge World Renegades & Heretics Ogryn than anything in the Imperial Guard, but they’re even worse than R&H because they have no combat drugs or armour. They also don’t have a sergeant, dropping Ld by 1, though Easily Led largely replaces that. And they replace Chaos Covenant with a CULT keyword. Overall, I discounted them 5 points.

*

Fast Attack: Frateris Bikers
(7 points per model, 5-20 models per unit)
Even biker gangs can revere the God-Emperor — and God?Emperor help anyone they decide does not. Whether hardened outlaws on stolen rides or young nobles showing off their spiffy steel steeds, Frateris Bikers serve as mobile, fragile scouts.
Spoiler:

Frateris Biker: M:14” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:4 W:2 A:1 Ld:6 Sv:5+
Frateris Biker Boss: M:14” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:4 W:2 A:2 Ld:7 Sv:5+

This unit contains one Frateris Biker Boss and five Frateris Bikers. It can include up to 15 additional Frateris Bikers. Each model is armed with an autopistol.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autopistol with an autogun, shotgun, or brutal melee weapon.
For every five models in the unit, one Frateris Biker may replace its autopistol with an improvised flamer or improvised grenade launcher.
The Frateris Biker Boss may take a brutal melee weapon.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia, CULT

Keywords:
Biker, Frateris Biker


Design Notes:
Based on Gene Stealer Cult bikers (aka Atalan Jackals), but with -1 Ld, no Skilled Outriders rule, and no Cult Ambush or Unquestioning Loyalty, which I estimate drops their cost by 30%.

*

Heavy Support: Frateris Hussite
(110 points per model, 1 model per unit)
A clanking monstrosity jury-rigged out of a commercial heavy hauler, the Hussite serves as a mobile fortress for the Frateris firing out of it in every direction.
Spoiler:

M:* WS:4+ BS:* S:6 T:7 W:10 A:* Ld:7 Sv:4+
Some of this model’s characteristics change as it suffers damage, as shown below:
Wounds / Move / BS / Attacks
6-10 / 10” / 4+ / 6
3-5 / 6” / 5+ / D6
1-2 / 4” / 6+ / D3

A Frateris Hussite is a single model equipped with six heavy stubbers.

Wargear Options:
This model may replace any heavy stubber with a twin heavy stubber, an improvised grenade launcher, an improvised mortar, an improvised flamer, or an improvised heavy flamer.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent
Explodes

Improvised Armour
Roll a D6 each time this model loses a wound; on a 6, that wound is not lost.

Transport:
A Frateris Hussite can transport up to 12 Adeptus Ministorum Infantry. Each Penitent Abhuman takes the space of three other models.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia, CULT

Keywords:
Vehicle, Frateris Hussite


Design Notes:
It’s a Genestealer Cult Goliath Rockgrinder with a dash of Ork BattleWagon. Compared to the Goliath, it gets two additional wounds to represent its size, different weapons options, better transport capability, and Frateris special rules instead of GSC ones; I added +32 points.

*

Dedicated Transport: Frateris Technical
(50 points per model, 1 model per unit)
Some Frateris careen towards martyrdom crammed into civilian trucks hastily fitted with crude armour and unreliable weapons.
Spoiler:

M:* WS:6+ BS:5+ S:* T:6 W:10 A:* Ld:6 Sv:4+
Some of this model’s characteristics change as it suffers damage, as shown below:
Wounds / Move / Strength / Attacks
6-10 / 12” / 6 / 3
3-5 / 8” / 5 / D3
1-2 / 6” /4 / 1

A Frateris Technical is a single model armed with a heavy stubber.

Wargear Options:
This model may replace its heavy stubber with a twin heavy stubber, an improvised grenade launcher, an improvised mortar, an improvised flamer, or an improvised heavy flamer.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Militant Cult
Pious & Penitent
Open-Topped
Explodes

Transport:
This model can transport 12 Adeptus Ministorum Infantry models. Each Penitent Abhuman takes the space of three other models.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia, CULT

Keywords:
Vehicle, Transport, Frateris Technical


Design Notes:
This is an Ork Trukk, but it loses a point of WS, the Dakka Dakka Dakka army-wide rule, and Ramshackle without getting anything in return, so it gets a nine-point discount

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2020/05/23 18:48:47


BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Humming Great Unclean One of Nurgle





In My Lab

7 PPM for a M14", T4, 2W biker? That feels really good. Like... Ridiculously.

Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne! 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





First off, the cult abilities are pretty good. Second, they're auxiliaries to the Sisters of Battle, nobody else's auxiliaries get doctrines. Also, I think Chaos Cultists no longer get Legion Tactics.

Why would they have homemade weapons, or weapons any more home made than Chaos Cultists or Genestealer Cultists? They're also intrinsically better supplied than Chaos or Genestealer cultists, since they've got the backing of the Imperial government.
Also, the Improvised Flamers don't actually ever kill anyone since their mortal wound triggers on a hit-roll.

Why does the base unit have 12 models base?
On a more irrelevant note, "Inducted Guardsmen" used to actually be a unit for us, so I would rather see them return than a "Trained Milita" unit.


3ppm Rabble are too cheap. Conscripts were demonstrably overpowered at 3ppm, and even with the armor reduction I don't think the points cost should be lower than conscripts because:
Extra Attack for free: They can take a Brutal Melee Weapon for free, and it doesn't replace their gun. So they're all A2.
Replace Pistol with Autogun, for free: They're super-cultists, who have both the +1A and the rapid-fire autogun.
Replace Pistol with Shotgun, for free: Now they've got S3/4 Assault 2 ranged weapons, and their free +1A.
They also get special weapons. Conscripts don't.


The bikers are also overpowered for their cost.

I have no idea what the hussite is supposed to be. There's already a technical. Also, for some reason, Improvised Armor is actually better than non-improvised armor.

The technical truck is probably also on the cheap side. I don't think ramshackle, DakkaDakka, and WS5+ are worth 15% of the vehicle's cost.





My response proposals:
I'd delete cult convictions.

For the angry lynch mob I'd cut their options to:
Any cultists may:
Replace their autopistol with an autogun
Replace their autopistol with a Brutal CCW
Replace their autopistol with a shotgun
This prevents them from just taking the free CCW with a free full ranged weapon.

I'd change the base milita unit to actually just have guardsmen rules, and be inducted guardsmen.

Strike the Ogryn.

Strike the bikes, or if they're to be kept, up their cost and limit their weapons.

Strike the hussite. I have no idea what it's supposed to be, what role it's supposed to fill, or anything. Also, like hussites are a people, what do they have to do with this thing?

Increase the pickup truck cost. Probably strike the weapon options, or make them cost transport space. I'd limit it to:
Replace Heavy Stubber with Twin Heavy Stubber, Mortar, or Heavy Flamer.
If it replaces it's heavy stubber, reduce it's transport capacity to 6 Militia Infantry Models.
Depending on how big it's imagined being, if it's actually just a pickup truck, I could see it being W7 because it's small, and staying cheap.



Alternatively, for the militia trucks:
Militia Transport Truck:
M12"/6"/3", WS6+, BS4+/5+/6+, T6, S6/5/4, W10/5/2 Ld6, Sv4+
This model may carry up to 12 Militia Infantry models
This model may equip a Heavy Stubber

Militia Technical Truck:
M12, WS6+, BS4+, T5, S5, W7 Ld6, Sv4+
This model is equipped with a Heavy Stubber
This model may replace it's Heavy Stubber with a Twin Heavy Stubber, Mortar, or Heavy Flamer

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2020/05/03 22:07:45


Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






JNA, you’re right about the bikers. Katherine, great critique, thank you: A few things you found are actually editing mistakes on my part -- I've fixed those in the post above -- but the rest are more fundamental. Let me address these by topic:

Cult Convictions

 Inquisitor Lord Katherine wrote:
First off, the cult abilities are pretty good. Second, they're auxiliaries to the Sisters of Battle, nobody else's auxiliaries get doctrines. Also, I think Chaos Cultists no longer get Legion Tactics.
….
I'd delete cult convictions.


Fair, but I’d like to try to salvage them first by toning them down. See, while they’re packaged to look like Chapter Tactics / Order Convictions / Regimental Doctrines etc., they’re really not. In my 2013 version, the Frateris all got Rage, which was +1A on the charge.
This time, I thought I’d make them a little more customizable, because I’m all about letting people customize their armies, and the Frateris Militia are particularly diverse and colorful (read: ragged and disorganized). So instead of them all getting the same ability, you can choose one of three – but, as the price for that flexibility, you have to choose the same thing for the whole Detachment. Now, maybe being very like Tactics/Convictions/Doctrines but not really is too damned confusing and I need to make them clearer, the way the Chaos God icons are very distinct from Legion traits.

As for power level, how about downgrading from the current version (below for reference)
Spoiler:

Cult of Frenzy: When resolving an Advance or Charge made by this unit, you may roll an extra D6 and discard the lowest roll.
Cult of Martyrdom: When resolving a Morale test for this unit, only add half the number of models slain this turn.
Cult of Zeal: When resolving an attack made with a melee weapon by a model in this unit, you can re-roll the hit roll if that model’s unit made a charge move, was charged, or performed a Heroic Intervention this turn.


to this, which is hopefully more reasonable but still useful:
Cult of Frenzy: You may reroll an Advance or Charge for this unit, but you must abide by the second roll.
Cult of Martyrdom: You may reroll a failed Morale check for this unit, but you must abide by the second roll.
Cult of Zeal: Reroll hit rolls of 1 for attacks made by models in this unit if they made a successful charge or Heroic Intervention in the preceding phase.

*

Improvised Weapons

Why would they have homemade weapons, or weapons any more home made than Chaos Cultists or Genestealer Cultists? They're also intrinsically better supplied than Chaos or Genestealer cultists, since they've got the backing of the Imperial government.


Aha, we have a different vision of the fluff. I envision the Frateris Militia as a truly rag-tag lot, pressed into service with no military experience at all except for a leavening of IG veterans. Their weapons are whatever they had in their houses or workplaces, which means theirs autopistols and autoguns are probably professionally made, but everything else is kludged together in a hurry before running off to join the crusade.
The Adeptus Munitorum has no interest in opening its warehouses and giving real weapons to this rabble. The Adeptus Arbites, PDF, and local enforcers don’t want them to get real weapons, from the Munitorum or elsewhere, because a bunch of them are criminals, all of them are a threat to public order, and any of them who survive are going to go back to civilian life and probably make a nuisance of themselves. And the Ordo Hereticus has no desire for the Ecclesiarchy to raise a mass army of “men under arms” that isn’t vetted and disciplined the way the Sisters are.
Now, you’re right, regular Imperial Guard units and even Imperial Navy warships sometimes get seconded to Ecclesiarchy control for Wars of Faith – but I don’t think those guys go in this fandex, I think they’re allied detachments taken from the IG codex.

Also, the Improvised Flamers don't actually ever kill anyone since their mortal wound triggers on a hit-roll.

Whoops! Copied and pasted without thinking. Changed Improvised Flamer and Improvised Heavy Flamer to blow up "if a 1 is rolled for the number of shots," which is the same percentage as the other Improvised weapons.

*

Frateris Cultists


Why does the [Cultist] unit have 12 models base?
On a more irrelevant note, "Inducted Guardsmen" used to actually be a unit for us, so I would rather see them return than a "Trained Milita" unit.
...
I'd change the base milita unit to actually just have guardsmen rules, and be inducted guardsmen.


I want the Frateris Militia to have Troops who are better than mere rabble but who still have a very “crazy religious nutcase” flavor, representing things like Redemptionist Cults and Zealots. In the 2013 version, Frateris Rabble started as conscript-equivalents that could be upgraded to better statlines, but 8th edition doesn’t like units with mixed statlines very much, so I split off the “hardcore” Frateris into their own unit.
Inducted Guardsmen are absolutely in keeping with the lore, but I’d rather see them as allied detachments. Otherwise you end up doing what Genestealer Cults did and having a bunch of borrowed IG codex units in your book and, in my mind, diluting the flavor of the army.

Oh, and these guys have a minimum squad size of 12 to limit cheap CP-farming and to keep them out of Sororitas transports without needing a special rule to that effect. They’d get mud on the seats, Sister Superior would kill them!

*

Frateris Rabble


3ppm Rabble are too cheap. Conscripts were demonstrably overpowered at 3ppm, and even with the armor reduction I don't think the points cost should be lower than conscripts because:
Extra Attack for free: They can take a Brutal Melee Weapon for free, and it doesn't replace their gun. So they're all A2.
Replace Pistol with Autogun, for free: They're super-cultists, who have both the +1A and the rapid-fire autogun.
Replace Pistol with Shotgun, for free: Now they've got S3/4 Assault 2 ranged weapons, and their free +1A.
They also get special weapons. Conscripts don't.
....
For the angry lynch mob I'd cut their options to:
Any cultists may:
Replace their autopistol with an autogun
Replace their autopistol with a Brutal CCW
Replace their autopistol with a shotgun
This prevents them from just taking the free CCW with a free full ranged weapon.


The most egregious stuff is actually an editing error on my part -- the Rabble originally had a single Cultist acting as their sergeant-equivalent, and he alone had the option for the shotgun and/or free brutal melee weapon. Then I cut him out but forgot to cut his wargear options. Fixed now, so Rabble only have:

Any model may replace its autopistol with a brutal melee weapon or improvised grenades.
For every 10 models in the unit, one model may replace its autopistol with an autogun, Frateris exterminator, improvised flamer, improvised grenade launcher.


Now, as you say, that's still better at close combat than IG Conscripts, who are stuck with a lasgun and frag grenades: Even with the editing error fixed, you can give them all +1A from Brutal Melee Weapon, give them the "reroll hits in close combat" Cult, and attach a Priest to give them Ld:7 and +1A -- making them pretty nasty in melee.

Plus a few of them can have special weapons, which is honestly a holdover from when my original fandex had a single Frateris infantry unit that started out as Rabble but could be upgraded to the equivalent of what the Cultists are now. I kind of like the added crazy it brings, though, especially since they blow themselves up 16.67% of the time.

Now, even with the Rabble’s special weapon options, I think IG Conscripts are a lot better at shooting, especially the 50% of the time an officer’s order to FRFSRF! actually has an effect.

Still, I need to tone down the Cults, up the points cost, or both.

*

Penitent Abhumans

Strike the Ogryn.


Awww! I like their backstory, it’s really sad. Plus huge bellowing mongo monsters that are actually tragic victims just fits the Ministorum so well.

What’s your argument against them? I’d love to hear it, maybe I can fix whatever issue you see.

*

Frateris Bikers

 JNAProductions wrote:
7 PPM for a M14", T4, 2W biker? That feels really good. Like... Ridiculously.


 Inquisitor Lord Katherine wrote:
The bikers are also overpowered for their cost…. Strike the bikes, or if they're to be kept, up their cost and limit their weapons.


Fair enough. I was starting with 10 ppm Genestealer Cult bikers, took away all their abilities in the first draft, then later added the generic Frateris abilities without thinking through how good they were and recosting.

So, let’s try this again:
Start with a 10 ppm GSC Atalan Jackal.
Replace Cult Ambush with Cult Conviction (once I tone those down): no change.
Reduce Ld by -1 to 6, but add Easily Lead so they can get Ld:7 back from a Priest: so slight a nerf it’s not worth a point.
Get rid of Skilled Riders (-1 to hit with Shooting) and replace it with nothing: Ok, that does hurt, so -1.
Final cost: 9 ppm for the basic loadout of autopistol OR autogun OR shotgun OR brutal melee weapon (+1A).

Does that work?

*

Vehicles

I have no idea what the hussite is supposed to be. There's already a technical. Also, for some reason, Improvised Armor is actually better than non-improvised armor.
The technical truck is probably also on the cheap side. I don't think ramshackle, DakkaDakka, and WS5+ are worth 15% of the vehicle's cost.

Strike the hussite. I have no idea what it's supposed to be, what role it's supposed to fill, or anything. Also, like hussites are a people, what do they have to do with this thing?
….
Increase the pickup truck cost. Probably strike the weapon options, or make them cost transport space. I'd limit it to:
Replace Heavy Stubber with Twin Heavy Stubber, Mortar, or Heavy Flamer.
If it replaces it's heavy stubber, reduce it's transport capacity to 6 Militia Infantry Models.
Depending on how big it's imagined being, if it's actually just a pickup truck, I could see it being W7 because it's small, and staying cheap.
….
Alternatively, for the militia trucks:
Militia Transport Truck:
M12"/6"/3", WS6+, BS4+/5+/6+, T6, S6/5/4, W10/5/2 Ld6, Sv4+
This model may carry up to 12 Militia Infantry models
This model may equip a Heavy Stubber

Militia Technical Truck:
M12, WS6+, BS4+, T5, S5, W7 Ld6, Sv4+
This model is equipped with a Heavy Stubber

This model may replace it's Heavy Stubber with a Twin Heavy Stubber, Mortar, or Heavy Flamer


The Frateris Hussite is indeed kind of a hot mess in this draft. The 2013 original was actually based on an Ork Battlewagon, but this time I decided to base it on a human vehicle, the GSC Goliath, only to find it ended up too close to the Ork Trukk-based Technical. It’s supposed to a big truck full of crazies with guns, some pintle-mounted and some hand-held.
Oh, and the name “Hussite” is a reference to the Hussite, well, battle wagons….. But maybe that’s a little too tangential an illusion.
I could try redoing it as a human version of the Ork Battlewagon, but maybe I’m just pushing too hard to get a Frateris Heavy Support option, when we have Penitent Engines for that.

I like the idea of taking the Technical down a few Wounds, maybe giving it a worse Save, since it really is supposed to be a civilian pickup (or the M41 equivalent) that someone bolted a gun onto. It doesn’t benefit from “Improvised Armour” because it has no armour.
And you’re right, upgrading to a mortar or twin heavy stubber should take up the whole truck bed and probably eliminate the passenger capacity outright, in which case I should make a Fast Attack version.

*

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/09 01:31:40


BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





Not going to quote, because it'll be a mess. Anyway, from the top:

Convictions:
Chaos Marks don't give a bonus for having them. They allow you to hit them with stratagems.
New ones are probably in line. The reroll advance and charge one and re-rolling all hits on charge just sounded really powerful.
That said, that means that any detachment would have 2 doctrines, an Order doctrine and a Cult doctrine. It's already sounding like a mess. It might be better to do something like Stormtroopers, wherein they only get a thing if the whole detachment was stormtroopers.


Improvised Weapons:
The Arbites don't not want them to have weapons any more than they don't want GSC or Chaos Cultists to not have weapons, and Chaos Cultists can have flamers and heavy stubbers and stuff. If Chaos Cultists, who are aggressively suppressed, don't need improvised kit, I don't see why an Imperial cult would need to have scratch-built jury-rigged weapons. Also, the Improvised Grenade Launcher and Mortar are stupidly likely to explode on you to the point where you might not want to touch them with a 10 foot pole.


Frateris Cultists:
12 is still a weird size, but okay.
Why not just add a clause forbidding them to ride in ORDER vehicles, and ORDER units to ride in CULT vehicles?


And as for diluting the flavor of the army, not to be snarky, but isn't introducing a ton of IG units by another name already diluting the flavor of the army? Ye Olde Land Raiders and Inducted Guardsmen and Inducted Chimerae of yore weren't diluting the army in the days of Witch Hunters, or were so much that everything without Adepta Sororitas was removed.


Frateris Rabble:
They're still really good, and the CC generally eats the cost of Orders, not the unit receiving them.
These guys should be 4ppm.


Ogryn:
I got the backstory you wrote, but it still sounds a little out of place to have them deploying their own mutants. There's already penitent engines and arcoflails, especially now that Pengines are seriously down in stats. I might leave the Ogryn to the guard, but if you like them, my complaint is just that they're weird feeling lore wise.


Bikes:
Yeah, that's better, probably.


Trucks:
Yeah, the hussite thing is a mess. I think it doesn't really need to exist, and if it's supposed to be an improvised vehicle like a technical, then it shouldn't really have a unique name. As a side note, I agree that there doesn't need to be a HS choice other than pengines for Militia Auxiliaries

I don't think Improvised Armor should be a rule for either. The FNP makes them take wounds theoretically better than some tanks that have actual real armor against a lot of AT weapons. Presumably the improvised armor is what actually brought them up to 4+ in the first place.


I definitely like the idea of a Pickup Truck combat vehicle for militia forces. I've always wanted a hilux truck unit in 40k. But yeah, mounting heavy weapons might tick off combat space since most hilux and land cruisers can't take both a stack of .50's and a load of passengers.

Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in cz
Crazed Spirit of the Defiler





I’m going to echo the other opinions and say that the cults need to go. Conscripts lose out on orders and cultists don’t have sub-faction rules. For that matter tow of the cult abilities are pretty crazy. Organic rerolls negates poor WS and and the moral one makes the unit virtually immune to the effects of the moral when paired with a priest

I get the thought behind the improvised weapons but why do those just remove a wound and a weapon? Most weapons like that remove the model on a roll of one. You also could never fast roll those weapons because you need to know exactly when the one comes up.

The fratris rabble are the largest unit in the game. I can’t think of any other selection that can go up to 50 models in one unit. For 450 points you can swamp the board with 150 models. Those models compare favorably to grots, conscripts or cultists.

The bikes seem unnecessary and as already stated are incredibly cheap for what they do. There aren’t very many multi wound models below 10pts.

The technical being T6 seems a bit much. I would drop it down to T5 so that massed basic shooting is still a threat to what’s basically an F-150 in the midst of the apocalypse. At 50 points this unit is so cheap is better as a lockup missile than as a transport or weapons platform.

Overall I get what you’re going for here but I don’t think these units are a positive addition with these rules. The chaff units compare favorably with almost any of their equivalents and give you the ability to flood the board with cheap hordes. It might be worth it to move the militia to the elites choice or just replace all of them with brood brothers style guardsman.

Iron within, Iron without 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Thanks. I’ll ponder. The original version of the Frateris Bikers from 2013 actually were W:1 T:3 with the Cavalry rules, not the Bike rules. The GSC bikers made me think, gosh, even civilian bikes give the rider +1W and +1T.... but maybe that’s part of the GSC’s very careful accumulation of paramilitary-grade mining and exploration gear.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





 SisterSydney wrote:
Thanks. I’ll ponder. The original version of the Frateris Bikers from 2013 actually were W:1 T:3 with the Cavalry rules, not the Bike rules. The GSC bikers made me think, gosh, even civilian bikes give the rider +1W and +1T.... but maybe that’s part of the GSC’s very careful accumulation of paramilitary-grade mining and exploration gear.


I think it's fine to keep the +1W +1T, they just need to be appropriately costed.

Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Got it, but I also like the idea of cheap, fragile bikes that are M:14" T:3 W:1 -- basically really fast infantry that trade the INFANTRY keyword and the ability to take cover in Battlefield Terrain for a really fast Move.
Plus, at 10 points per GSC Atalan Jackal, and Frateris Bikers being worse, it's hard to figure out a cost for a T:4 W:2 version.

Yeah, I understand that Genestealer and Chaos cultists are usually insurgents and must scrounge their weapons, but at least they're trained and organized paramilitaries with some kind of logistical support structure -- I imagine the Frateris, at least the Rabble, as barely above a mob. Maybe the Frateris Cultists (and maybe Bikers) should get better weapons and I should reserve the improvised ones that blow up for Rabble.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





 SisterSydney wrote:
Got it, but I also like the idea of cheap, fragile bikes that are M:14" T:3 W:1 -- basically really fast infantry that trade the INFANTRY keyword and the ability to take cover in Battlefield Terrain for a really fast Move.
Plus, at 10 points per GSC Atalan Jackal, and Frateris Bikers being worse, it's hard to figure out a cost for a T:4 W:2 version.

Yeah, I understand that Genestealer and Chaos cultists are usually insurgents and must scrounge their weapons, but at least they're trained and organized paramilitaries with some kind of logistical support structure -- I imagine the Frateris, at least the Rabble, as barely above a mob. Maybe the Frateris Cultists (and maybe Bikers) should get better weapons and I should reserve the improvised ones that blow up for Rabble.


At some point, if you like the idea of something too much, it might just be a little too good. And when in doubt, cost homebrew conservatively. Costing them identically to Atalan Jackals is probably a fair cost, they are, at base, M14", T4, W2, and that's pretty much good enough to be a viable tag-player at 10 points.



Here's my 2c on the weapons:
First off, the improvised grenade launcher and mortar are stupidly likely to explode. They fire 1d6 shots, each of which explodes on a 1.
Second, if they're permanent enough to make special weapons, they're organized enough to have them supplied or given to them.
Third, they're backed by the Ecclesiarchy, it is intrinsically always going to be easier for them to receive or acquire functioning weapons than it is for chaos cultists, because they're not aggressively being suppressed.

It's not like the UDA was any less well equipped than the Provos just for being on Britain's side, or any US backed local militias in Afghanistan are any less well equipped than the Taliban. Again, at the minimum they have access to anything the Taliban could get their hands on, plus anything we're willing to given them.

Thus:
Any unit that represents an actual militia has been around for a little while and is at least as well organized on average as your average GSC/CSM cultist unit and thus should have actual special weapons.
Any unit that was formed literally 5 minutes ago by the Sister Superior yelling invectives about how they're all going to march down to the underhive and hang the genetically inferior from the ol' hanging tree wouldn't have had time to build themselves special weapons in the last 5 minutes, and shouldn't have special weapons.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/05 18:40:56


Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






1) On improvised weapons: That’s distressingly logical. You’ve convinced me. I guess I’ll have to trot out my old Skaven lists to scratch the itch for armies that blow themselves up.
2) What do folks think of T:3 W.1 bikers? The first time I proposed that (in 2013) I was drowned out in cries of “heresy!”

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





 SisterSydney wrote:
1) On improvised weapons: That’s distressingly logical. You’ve convinced me. I guess I’ll have to trot out my old Skaven lists to scratch the itch for armies that blow themselves up.
2) What do folks think of T:3 W.1 bikers? The first time I proposed that (in 2013) I was drowned out in cries of “heresy!”


"Distressingly Logical?" I like that Hopefully I didn't cause too much distress.


As for T3 W1 bikers: those a jump packs.

Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Enigmatic Chaos Sorcerer




The dark hollows of Kentucky

 SisterSydney wrote:

2) What do folks think of T:3 W.1 bikers? The first time I proposed that (in 2013) I was drowned out in cries of “heresy!”

They'd have to be cheap, and I'm not sure what purpose they'd fulfill. Going after distant objectives maybe? But they'd be easily cleared off of them. What's your idea for their possible uses?
   
Made in us
Storm Trooper with Maglight





Fredericksburg, VA

That's, a lot of stuff to digest.

The CULT rules (version 2) seem better - though no need to stats "must abide by the second roll" as that's a default part of the core rules anyway.

Weapons: Inquisitor Lord Katherine made some sanguine points about these, I agree. Less blowing themselves up is more likely (even though it would be hilarious!); weapons are common on most Imperial worlds, and any even semi-organized Militia would likely have a cache of something decent already.

Frateris Cultists
30 Seems a little large for a basic unit size, I'd have probably gone up to 20. Might have even given the Veteran the option to have a Lasgun (I mean, its possible he "forgot" to return it when leaving IG service, and its functionally the same as an Autogun in game anyway so no harm done)

Frateris Rabble
Yeah 50 again seems way too large, maybe down to 20-30 on these guys.
3 points is also cheap, while they are not great, a full squad with brutal melee weapons get a lot of attacks. I'd either make the weapon simply +1S, take that option away, or limit it in numbers.

Abhumans unit seems about right.

Frateris Technical
If you're going for something like a pickup, with a gpmg on the back, its probably going to be TRANSPORT or gun, not both. 10W seems a bit much also, the Taurox is fully armored/enclosed, and only has that many, Maybe drop it to 8, drop the points to 40, and have it either a transport, or twin heavy stubbers.

One thing I feel is missing, is a Frateris character type. In any 'cult-y' environment there's likely to be some charismatic individual that rises to the top and the others follow more so than the actual priests. Something kind of on par with an IG Platoon Commander (no invulnerable though!) - a former guard officer, or gang leader that's suddenly pious and is organizing some aspects of the militia. A demagogue type figure if you will; some decent gear and a simple aura ability.

As to 1W T3 bikers, not sure what purpose they'd serve; a speed bump at best. In a regular army some light fast troops used as recon, or spotters works, but in 40K, while those things would happen, they don't really work on the tabletop as the player already has all that information by just looking at his opponents models. Thematically it makes some sense, but practically it doesn't really fit well in the game. I can't think of anything they would do, that wouldn't end up with them either not using their fast move, or just getting dead very quickly. Perhaps giving them less access to weapons, and the ability to fall back and shoot, they might be a useful advance screen - but they are still going to die in droves.
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






I’ve taken y’all’s excellent suggestions to heart and thoroughly revised these units. I think we’re most of the way to good, but I’d love your takes on further tweaks.

Major changes:
Militant Cult: Benefits toned down and renamed Religious Frenzy; CULT keyword removed.
Get Out Of My Rhino: New special rule restricting Frateris to Frateris Trucks for transport.
Wargear:
- Improvised Weapons replaced with regular weapons from the IG Codex.
- Brutal Melee Weapon (+1A) replaced with Crude Maul (+1S but -1 to hit).
Frateris Cultists: unit size reduced to 10-20, points per model increased from 4 to 5.
Frateris Rabble: unit size reduced to 20-40, points per model increased from 3 to 4.
Penitent Abhumans: no change (except for how Frateris Militia standard rules have changed).
Frateris Bikers: unit size reduced to 5-15, points per model increased from 7 to 9.
Frateris Hussite: Eliminated.
Frateris Technical: now a gun truck with no passenger capacity, in Heavy Support. Comes in units of three.
Frateris Truck: Transport version of the old Technical, with very limited weapons options, and those can only fire when infantry are embarked. Passenger capacity reduced to 10.

*

Frateris Militia Special Rules
Spoiler:

Easily Led
When this unit is within 3” of a Ministorum Priest, it may use the Ministorum Priest’s Leadership instead of its own.

Get Out Of My Rhino
If you take a Dedicated Transport for this unit, that Transport must be a Frateris Truck.
This unit may never embark on a Transport with the Adepta Sororitas keyword.

Pious & Penitent
This unit can be included in an Adepta Sororitas Detachment even though it does not have the Adepta Sororitas keyword. Furthermore, it does not prevent other units in that detachment from gaining an Order Conviction.

Religious Frenzy
Before the Frateris Militia go into battle, their priests whip them into a frenzy for the fight. The exact effects — while never entirely predictable — depend heavily on the kind of sermon the priests give.
Before deployment, choose one and only one of the following effects for all models with this rule in this detachment:
Frenzy for Battle: You may reroll an Advance or Charge for this unit.
Frenzy for Martyrdom: You may reroll a failed Morale check for this unit.
Frenzy for Slaughter: You may reroll hit rolls of 1 for attacks made by models in this unit if they made a successful charge or Heroic Intervention in the preceding phase.


*

Frateris Wargear

Wargear:
Spoiler:

Autogun (0 points): 24” Rapid Fire 1 S:3 AP:0 D:1

Autopistol (0 points): 12” Pistol 1 S:3 AP:0 D:1

Crude Maul (0 points): Melee S:+1 AP:0 D:1
When resolving an attack made with this weapon, subtract 1 from the hit roll.

Grenade Launcher (3 points):
When attacking with this weapon, choose one of the profiles below
Frag: 24” Assault D6 S:3 AP:0 D:1
Krak: 24” Assault 1 S:6 AP:-1 D: D3

Heavy Stubber (2 points): 36” Heavy 3 S:4 AP:0 D:1.

Mortar (9 points): 48” Heavy D6 S:4 AP:0 D:1
This weapon can target units that are not visible to the bearer.

Shotgun (0 points): 12” Assault 2 S:3 AP:0 D:1
If target is within half range, add 1 to this weapon’s Strength.

Twin Heavy Stubber (4 points): 36” Heavy 6 S:4 AP:0 D:1


*

Troops: Frateris Cultists
(5 points per model, 10-20 models per unit)
The hard core of the Frateris Militia is a mix of military veterans, religious vigilantes, and pious gangsters – often, all three at once – who appoint themselves as protectors of their local shrine and persecutors of potential heretics. Their combination of combat experience and teamwork makes them more dangerous than the rapturous rabble who’ve never held a weapon, but ultimately they remain expendable.
Spoiler:

Frateris Cultist: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:1 Ld:5 Sv:6+
Frateris Veteran: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:2 Ld:6 Sv:6+
Frateris Weapons Team: M:6” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:3 W:2 A:2 Ld:5 Sv:6”

This unit contains 1 Frateris Veteran and 9 Frateris Cultists. It can include up to 10 additional Frateris Cultists. Each model is armed with an autogun and frag grenades.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autogun with a shotgun.
Any model may replace its autogun with an autopistol and Crude Maul.
For every 10 models in the unit, one model may replace its autogun with a hand flamer, a flamer, or a grenade launcher.
Two Frateris Cultists may form a Frateris Weapons Team, which must replace its autoguns with a heavy stubber, a heavy flamer, or a mortar.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Infantry, Frateris Cultists


Design Notes:
A mix of Chaos Cultists and IG Infantry (both of which are 4ppm).
Their Leadership are the same as Chaos Cultists, one worse than the IG’s -- but Easily Led gives them easy access to IG-equivalent Ld from priests, softening the blow.
Their Save is the same as Chaos Cultists, one worse than the IG’s, and there’s no mitigating factor.
They get frag grenades, like the IG; Cultists don’t.
Religious Frenzy plus the option for Crude Mauls makes them better at close combat than IG, though arguably equal to Crude Cultists with their Brutal Assault Weapons.
The shotgun option makes them better at short-range shooting than either.
Their limited heavy weapons options make them worse at long-range shooting than IG, but still better than Cultists.
All told, I think that’s worth one point.

*

Troops: Frateris Rabble
(4 points per model, 20-40 models per unit)
A sufficiently fiery sermon can turn untrained civilians into a mob -- but only time and training can turn them into soldiers, and the majority of the Frateris Militia get neither. Whipped to a frenzy, armed with whatever they can grab, and herded into battle by their priests, the rabble are not expected to survive.
Spoiler:

Frateris Rabble: M:6” WS:5+ BS:5+ S:3 T:3 W:1 A:1 Ld:4 Sv:7+

This unit contains 20 Frateris Rabble. It may contain an additional 20 Frateris Rabble. Each model is equipped with an autopistol.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autopistol with a Crude Maul or frag grenades.
For every 10 Frateris Rabble, one model may replace its autopistol with an autogun or a shotgun.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Infantry, Frateris Rabble


Design Notes:
Based on IG Conscripts. They’re worse at shooting – only one in 10 can get a 24” weapon, and they don’t get Orders – but better at melee – since their weapons options and Religious Frenzy options all skew towards close combat. All in all, a wash.

*

Elite: Penitent Abhumans
(30 points per model, 3-10 models per unit)
“Your sin was what you were born! Your redemption will be how you die!”
Abhumans are more often the victims of the Frateris Militia than its members. When the Frateris start working up their courage, their first target is often their genetically imperfect neighbors. Even when Abhumans prove their piety sufficiently to survive, their service usually consists of hauling supplies until they fall, unburied and unmourned, along the line of march. But in desperate times, the sheer strength, ferocity, and blind faith of the larger abhuman breeds is too useful to discard. On the eve of battle, the priests unchain these mighty outcasts from the ammunition sledges, hand them crudely forged masses of metal, and tell them of their great good fortune: a chance to cleanse their tainted blood by shedding it for the God-Emperor.

Spoiler:

Penitent Abhumans: M:6” WS:3+ BS:4+ S:5 T:5 W:3 A:3 Ld:6 Sv:7+
This unit contains three Penitent Abhumans. It may contain seven additional Penitent Abhumans. Each model is armed with a Huge Crude Maul.

Huge Crude Maul
Melee S:+1 AP:-1 D:2

Wargear options: None.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy

Avalanche of Muscle
You can add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of this model in the Fight phase on any turn in which it made a successful charge. This ability may only be used the first time this model fights each turn.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords: Infantry, Penitent Abhumans


Design Notes:
They’re closer to Forge World Renegades & Heretics Ogryn than anything in the Imperial Guard, replacing combat drugs with Religious Frenzy, but losing their armour and grenades with no replacement. They also don’t have a sergeant, dropping Ld by 1, though Easily Led largely replaces that. Overall, I discounted them five points.

*

Fast Attack: Frateris Bikers
(9 points per model, 5-15 models per unit)
Even biker gangs can revere the God-Emperor — and God-Emperor help anyone they decide does not. Whether hardened outlaws on stolen rides or young nobles showing off their spiffy steel steeds, Frateris Bikers are the fastest thing in the militia.
Spoiler:

Frateris Biker: M:14” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:4 W:2 A:1 Ld:6 Sv:5+
Frateris Biker Boss: M:14” WS:4+ BS:4+ S:3 T:4 W:2 A:2 Ld:7 Sv:5+

This unit contains one Frateris Biker Boss and five Frateris Bikers. It can include up to 10 additional Frateris Bikers. Each model is armed with an autopistol.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its autopistol with an autogun, a shotgun, or a Crude Maul.
If this unit contains 10 or more models, one model may replace its autopistol with a flamer or grenade launcher.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Biker, Frateris Biker


Design Notes:
Start with a 10 ppm GSC Atalan Jackal.
Replace Cult Ambush with Religious Frenzy: no change.
Reduce Ld by -1 to 6, but add Easily Lead so they can get Ld:7 back from a Priest: so slight a nerf it’s not worth a point.
Get rid of Skilled Riders (-1 to hit with Shooting) and replace it with nothing: Ok, that does hurt, so -1.
Limit weapons options: no points cost, but helpful for balance.
Final cost: 9 ppm for the basic loadout of autopistol OR autogun OR shotgun OR Crude Maul (+1A).

*

Heavy Support: Frateris Technicals
(55 points per model, 1-3 models per unit)
In grimy workshops, fanatic mechanics weld armour plate and gun mounts onto civilian trucks. These ungainly ad hoc war machines are the pride of the Frateris Militia, crewed by their best gunners and boasting their heaviest weapons.
Spoiler:

Frateris Technical: M:* WS:5+ BS:4+ S:* T:6 W:10 A:* Ld:6 Sv:4+
Some of this model’s characteristics change as it suffers damage, as shown below:
Wounds / Move / Strength / Attacks
6-10 / 12” / 6 / 3
3-5 / 8” / 5 / D3
1-2 / 6” /4 / 1

This unit contains 1 Frateris Technical. It may contain up to 2 additional Frateris Technicals. Each model is equipped with a twin heavy stubber.

Wargear Options:
Any model may replace its twin heavy stubber with a heavy flamer, a hunter-killer missile, or a mortar.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy
Explodes

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Vehicle, Frateris Technical


Design Notes:
This starts as an Ork Trukk, but loses transport capacity, Ramshackle, and some of its weapon options, while gaining 1 point of WS. That strikes me as worth a four-point discount.

*

Dedicated Transport: Frateris Truck
(40 points per model, 1 model per unit)
Some Frateris careen towards martyrdom crammed into civilian trucks hastily fitted with crude armour.
Spoiler:

M:* WS:6+ BS:5+ S:* T:6 W:8 A:* Ld:6 Sv:5+
Some of this model’s characteristics change as it suffers damage, as shown below:
Wounds / Move / Strength / Attacks
5-8 / 12” / 6 / 3
3-4 / 8” / 5 / D3
1-2 / 6” /4 / 1

A Frateris Truck is a single model with no weapons.

Wargear Options:
This model may take a flamer, a grenade launcher, or a heavy stubber.

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy
Explodes

No Gunner
If this model is equipped with a weapon, it may only use that weapon when at least one Infantry model is embarked.

Open-topped
Models embarked on this model can attack in their Shooting phase. Measure the range and draw line of sight from any point on this model. When they do so, any restrictions or modifiers that apply to this model also apply to its passengers; for example, the passengers cannot shoot if this model Fell Back in the same turn, cannot shoot (except with Pistols) if this model is within 1" of an enemy unit, and so on.

Transport:
This model can transport 10 Adeptus Ministorum Infantry models. Each Penitent Abhuman takes the space of three other models.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum, Frateris Militia

Keywords:
Vehicle, Transport, Frateris Truck


Design Notes:
This starts as an Ork Trukk, but it loses a point of WS, a point of Toughness, two Wounds, a point of Save, and Ramshackle. Plus it replaces Ork army-wide rules with Frateris ones, which means less good at shooting (no Dakka Dakka Dakka) but potentially better at Adance or ramming people in melee (depending on your Religious Frenzy option). At a guess, that’s worth a nine-point discount.

*

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Confessor Of Sins





Tacoma, WA, USA

First off, I'd like to suggest some simple rules cleanup to unclutter these units entries.

First up would be to create Frateris Milita rule to the units to replace Easily Lead, Get Out of My Rhino, and Pious & Penitent:

Frateris Milita: When this unit is within 3” of a Ministorum Priest, it may use that model's Leadership instead of its own. Additionally, this unit may not embark in an Adepta Sororitas Transport. Add this unit to the list of units subject in The Pius and the Penitent (see Codex: Adepta Sororities).

This cleans up the number of rules the unit has and works much like Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclave.

Second is the issue of available arms. Frateris Militia primarily exist during Crusades of Faith. At that time, they are fully supported by the Ecclesiarchy and would thus have access to "standard" weaponry. So Autoguns, Autopistols, Grenade Launchers, Flamers, and Heavy Stubbers all make sense. Frag Grenades also, although maybe some sort of Improvised Grenade would be best for the lesser units (Grenade d3, S6, AP0). Not sure I buy them having Mortars. Fanatics want to rush in and die gloriously for the Emperor, not hang back and shell the enemy. I see no reason they can't have a Fanatic Melee Weapon to replace their Autoguns (Melee, S U, AP 0, Make one additional attack when you fight) as that is a rather ubiquitous melee weapon profile for any model actually armed with a melee weapon.

Third, there are unit names:

Members of the Imperial Cult are not Cultist! Cultist are the vile followers of false religions. Were are the Frateris Faithful.

Also, we do not refer to our less skilled brothers and sisters as Rabble. They are Frateris Martyrs.

Fourth: I'm not really down with the Religious Frenzy rule. Left to their own devices, this motley crew of rabble are just a motley crew of rabble. However, these are great starting ideas for Stratagems. I would just make sure they require a suitably inspiring unit nearby to allow you to use them. For example:

Forward Martyrs! (1 CP): Use during the Movement Phase when a Frateris Militia unit moves while within 6" of a Ministorum Priest or Adepta Sororitas unit. The unit Advances and rolls additional die on the Advance roll, discarding the lower. Additionally, the unit may either fire Assault, Pistol and Rapid Fire weapons in the following Shooting phase as if it hadn't advanced or it may Charge in the following Charge phase.
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Stratagems! You're right, I should've thought of those -- it's tricky for me because they didn't exist in regular 40K when I did this last edition. Also the Sisters are already a CP-hungry army, but then, if we add Frateris to fill out detachments, we can farm a lot more CP.
Now, I still like being able to customize units, hence the attraction of Religious Frenzy for me. My 2013 Frateris all had Hatred, which I guess would be replaced by Zealot this edition, and I could just do that. But I like being able to tweak a unit without having to spend CP on it. And a unit with no special rules at all (like the Chaos Cultists) strikes me as kinda bland.

As for wargear -- I'm in part inspired by Third World militia like the Somalis and Iraqis, who can be plenty fanatical and still perfectly willing to lob mortar rounds or rockets at the infidel from a distance before hurrying off in their Toyota HiLux. The Frateris Rabble are the ones who just charge headlong -- the more experienced Frateris are more willing to stand off a little.
That said, having Frateris Heavy Weapons Teams may just be too IG-like and professional; maybe their only heavy weapons should be on the Technicals, because it's hard to get militia to carry heavy stuff....

Finally, I see your point on names. I'll change Frateris Cultists to Frateris Zealots, which homages an old WD unit. But the rabble are so, well, rabbly that I think even their own leaders call them that.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Confessor Of Sins





Tacoma, WA, USA

I like Frateris Zealots, but still not sold on Rabble. Besides, I like the idea of the Priest saying "send in the Martyrs".
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Inspired largely by Alex's comments, I have three things I'd like folks to give their take on: whether to have one or several Frateris special rules; whether to make Frateris customizable through their special rules (like Imagifiers) or leave that to Stratagems; and, finally, what y'all think of a new unit, the first Frateris Militia character:

Elite: Anointed Berserker
(30 points per model, 1 model per unit)
All Frateris are touched by religious frenzy, but their greatest champions work themselves into such ecstasies of battle-madness that they can ignore fear, pain, and even what should be fatal wounds. Ritually blessed by the priesthood and armed with the brutal two-handed chainswords called Eviscerators, these Anointed Berserkers lead the charge against the infidel — or whoever their leaders point them at.
Spoiler:

M:6” WS:3+ BS:5+ S:3 T:3 W:4 A:5 Ld:7 Sv: 6+

An Anointed Berserker is a single model armed with a Penitent Eviscerator.

Wargear Options: None

Abilities:
Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy
Zealot

Pain Is A Blessing
When this model would lose a wound, roll 1D6: On a 5+, that wound is not lost.


Design Notes:
Spoiler:

Start with Preacher (30 points)
Improve WS, Attacks, Wounds, & Leadership all by 1 (almost like 35-pt SoB character vs 45-pt Canoness ) : 10 points
Drop BS: irrelevant, can’t take ranged weapons
Replace Rosarius (4++) with Feel No Pain (5+++): +/-0 ?
Replace War Hymns and Icon of the Ecclesiarchy with Penitent Eviscerator & Frateris special rules: +/-0 ?


Note that I'm still using this set of Frateris Militia special rules:

Easily Led
Get Out Of My Rhino
Pious & Penitent
Religious Frenzy

Now, would it be simpler to pack all the different special abilities the Frateris have into one rule, as Alex suggested? I like have different named abilities to remind me of different things -- in this case, it's fairly obvious the first of these has to do with Leadership, the second with Transports, the third with the Pious & Penitent list in the Codex, and the fourth is some kind of combat bonus -- but maybe others find the multiple abiliities confusing.
Then there's Religious Frenzy itself. Similar to an Imagiefier's Litanies, t's intended to allow players a bit of pre-batltle customization without spending Stratagems -- especially important since the Frateris are supposed to be fairly disposable, things that get you CPs rather than cost them -- but maybe I should give them all Zealot and make a few 1 CP Stratagems instead? I'd think the Stratagems would have to be more powerful than the currently Religious Frenzy options to warrant spending a CP, however, and I don't want to make these guys too good, both because it's not fluffy and because it takes too much attention from the Sisters....

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/10 18:42:32


BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Storm Trooper with Maglight





Fredericksburg, VA

As a thought, if you're looking at stratagems, and especially ones that don't make them too powerful, nor detract from the Sisters; which naturally should be the core of the army. How about stratagems that allow them to react to the Sisters presence?

Miraculous Inspiration (1CP): Inspired by their miraculous abilities, the Militiamen fight on despite losses, secure in the faith of the Sisters.
Use on a FRATERIS MILITIA unit. When an ADEPTUS SORORITAS unit within 6" of this unit performs an act of faith, this unit may roll D3 for any morale tests until the start of its next turn. (or some other benefit, but you get the gist)

Martyrdom! (2CP): Determined to keep faith in the eyes of the Sisters, the Militiamen throw themselves at the enemy
Use on a FRATERIS MILITIA unit, after an enemy successfully charges them, and an ADEPTUS SORORITAS unit is within 6". Any casualties inflicted by the charging unit(s) may make a single melee attack immediately, before being removed.
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





 Kcalehc wrote:
As a thought, if you're looking at stratagems, and especially ones that don't make them too powerful, nor detract from the Sisters; which naturally should be the core of the army. How about stratagems that allow them to react to the Sisters presence?

Miraculous Inspiration (1CP): Inspired by their miraculous abilities, the Militiamen fight on despite losses, secure in the faith of the Sisters.
Use on a FRATERIS MILITIA unit. When an ADEPTUS SORORITAS unit within 6" of this unit performs an act of faith, this unit may roll D3 for any morale tests until the start of its next turn. (or some other benefit, but you get the gist)

Martyrdom! (2CP): Determined to keep faith in the eyes of the Sisters, the Militiamen throw themselves at the enemy
Use on a FRATERIS MILITIA unit, after an enemy successfully charges them, and an ADEPTUS SORORITAS unit is within 6". Any casualties inflicted by the charging unit(s) may make a single melee attack immediately, before being removed.


Perhaps also (almost all in the same vein of the unwitting militia being willingly led to a massacre by the people they worship):

Lambs to the Slaughter (1/2CP): To the Militia, the Sisters of Battle are divinely empowered heroes smiting the enemy. To the Sisters of Battle, the Militia are cannon fodder to expend to protect their more valuable assets.
Use when an enemy unit succeeds on a charge against an ADEPTA SORORITAS within 3" of a FRATERIS MILITIA unit. After the enemy unit has moved, the FRATERIS MILITIA unit may heroically intervene, and the ADEPTA SORORITAS unit may move 6" ending more than 1" away from enemy models. Move these units in any order of your choice. The enemy counts as having declared a charge against the FRATERIS MILITIA unit. This stratagem costs 2CP if the ADEPTA SORORITAS unit has 10 or more models or wounds.

Expendable (1CP): In the fanatical frenzy of close combat, the Frateris Militia rarely notice if it's the enemy's blades or bolt shells that are killing them.:
Use at the beginning of your shooting phase. Select an enemy unit within 1" of friendly FRATERIS MILITIA units. Do not consider the presence of FRATERIS MILITIA units within 1" of it when determining if ADEPTA SORORITAS units may shoot at that unit. For each missed shot against that unit by an ADEPTA SORORITAS unit, one FRATERIS MILITIA model from a unit within 1" of the targeted unit is slain.

Fanatic Obedience (1CP): When the Canoness tells them to stand over there, the Frateris Militia do so eager to please their heroes. Often, "over there" is directly in the path of enemy fire.:
Use when an ADEPTA SORORITAS INFANTRY unit is selected as the target for an enemy shooting attack and it is within 3" of a FRATERIS MILITIA unit. Until the end of the phase, roll a die for each hit inflicted. On a 1, the attack continues as normal, on a 2+ the attack is instead resolved against a FRATERIS MILITIA INFANTRY unit within 3".

There's Always Room for One More (1CP): In a improvised battlefield transport, there's always room for one additional rider, if you don't care about safety:
Use this stratagem when a FRATERIS MILITIA INFANTRY unit attempts to embark in a FRATERIS MILITIA TRANSPORT. You may count the transport's capacity as doubled. Roll a die for every model in the embarking unit, on a 1 one model from the embarking unit is slain.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2020/05/11 18:11:42


Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






I love this — both the idea of Sisters-Frateris synergy stratagems in general and the specific ideas you two have suggested. Really cool stuff. I’ll ponder refinements on a less crazy day. But this is why I love bouncing ideas off other people — because they can think of cool stuff I wouldn’t have. Thanks.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






I’ve gone over your proposed Stratagems plus all the ones in the Codexes I have. I love the idea of Sisters blithely shooting through Frateris Militia, but if even Chaos and Genestealer Cults can’t do that, I think it’s too big a stretch for an Imperium faction to be the only one that can do it— and it potentially causes all sorts of rules problems. [EDIT: I was WROOOOOOOONG -- see the comments and my proposed "shoot through Frateris Militia" Stratagem below]
So here’s what I’ve come up with. I’m sure there are wording problems and game balance issues I’m not seeing, so I’m especially eager for your critiques and suggestions:

Ablative Martyrs (2 CP)
Frateris Militia idolize the Adepta Sororitas and often pledge to throw their own bodies in the path of enemy fire to protect the Sisters. In practice, many Frateris need a little push.
Use this Stratagem during the Shooting phase when an Adepta Sororitas Infantry unit in your army would lose one or more Wounds. For each Frateris Militia Infantry model within 3” of the unit that would lose Wounds, roll 1D6: On a 4+, that unit suffers one less Wound and one Frateris Militia Infantry model is removed.
If more Frateris Militia Infantry models are removed than the Adepta Sororitas Infantry unit would have lost Wounds, that unit does not gain any additional Wounds, but the Frateris Militia Infantry models are still removed.

Eager for Martyrdom (1 CP)
Whipped into a frenzy by their priests, Frateris Militia often mount up on their vehicles and surge recklessly ahead of the main body in their fervor to close with the enemy.
Use this Stratagem during deployment, when you set up a Frateris Militia Biker, Truck, or Technical from your army within 3” of a Ministorum Priest. At the start of the first battle round but before the first turn begins, you can move both the Frateris Militia unit and the Ministorum Priest up to 9”, as long as they end their move within 3” of each other and at least 9” away from any enemy models.
If both players have units that cane move before the first turn begins, the player who is taking the first turn moves their units first. Each unit can only be selected for this Stratagem once per battle.

Martyrs’ Intervention (3CP)
Sisters of Battle are deadly markswomen who often find it inconvenient to be tied down in close combat. Fortunately, the Frateris Militia are eager to do battle hand-to-hand and often rush in where angels fear to tread, allowing the Sororitas to step back.
Use this Stratagem at the end of the Charge phase, before beginning the Fight phase, after an enemy unit successfully charges an Adepta Sororitas unit in your army and a Frateris Militia Infantry or Biker unit is within 3” of the enemy unit.
The Adepta Sororitas unit must immediately move 6”, with each model ending that move more than 1” away from all enemy units. If this is not possible, the Stratagem fails and the CP spent are lost.
The Frateris Militia unit must move 3”: Every model must move closer to the charging enemy unit, and as many models as possible must move within 1” of the charging enemy unit. If this is not possible, the Stratagem fails and the CP spent are lost.
The charging enemy unit now counts as having successfully charged the Frateris Militia unit instead of its original target.

Miraculous Inspiration (1 CP)
The Frateris Militia are taught to adore the Adepta Sororitas long before they see them. To actually witness the Sisters working miracles in the Emperor’s name is a relevation.
Use this Stratagem whenever an Adepta Sororitas unit in your army gains or uses a Miracle dice. One friendly Frateris Militia unit within 6” of the Adepta Sororitas unit – or within 6” of where that unit’s last model was if it was eliminated – may roll D3 instead of D6 on its next Morale test.

Send In More Martyrs (2 CP)
Untrained, uncouth, and poorly armed, the Frateris Rabble are the Imperium’s most expendable troops, and if they fall, there are always more.
Use this Stratagem at the end of you Movement phase. Pick a unit of Frateris Rabble and remove it from the battlefield. You can then set it up again wholly within 6” of the edge of the battlefield and more than 9” from any enemy models, at its full starting strength. You can only use this Stratagem once per battle.

Desperate for Redemption (see Codex:Adepta Sororitas)
Penitent Abhumans may also use this Stratagem.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2020/05/18 16:47:14


BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Humming Great Unclean One of Nurgle





In My Lab

Ablative Martyrs is worded weirdly. Needs clean up.

Eager For Martyrdom looks fine, considering nothing too powerful can use it.

Martyrs' Intervention needs a touch of clean-up (only ONE Frateris model should have to make it to within 1", since that's all that's needed for them to get pounded) but for 3 CP, seems fair.

Miraculous Inspiration looks fine. Minor formatting issue, though-it's all italicized.

Send In More Martyrs should be 3 CP. You can, at best, get 147 points from it. Realistically, you can expect close to 100 points if you bring a big squad.

Desperate For Redemption is the Fight Again strat? Who else normally gets it?
If Repentia can use it, I don't see an issue. If only Pen Engines can, the Abhumans might be too good with it.

Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne! 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter





 SisterSydney wrote:
I’ve gone over your proposed Stratagems plus all the ones in the Codexes I have. I love the idea of Sisters blithely shooting through Frateris Militia, but if even Chaos and Genestealer Cults can’t do that, I think it’s too big a stretch for an Imperium faction to be the only one that can do it— and it potentially causes all sorts of rules problems.
So here’s what I’ve come up with. I’m sure there are wording problems and game balance issues I’m not seeing, so I’m especially eager for your critiques and suggestions:


Valhallans do it already.

I worded it basically the same was as the Valhallan order to do so, but on all misses instead of 1's since it's really easy for Sisters to not be rolling 1's.



As a side note, on the replacing victim of the charge one, I would word it as:
The ADEPTA SORORITAS unit may move up to 6", but must end more than 1" away from any enemy models.
The FRATERIS MILITIA unit may move up to 3", but must end it's move with at least 1 model within 1" of a unit that charged the ADEPTA SORORITAS unit.
All units that successfully charged the ADEPTA SORORITAS unit also count as having charged the FRATERIS MILITIA unit.

Why is this important? Because A: this now knows what to do when there are multiple units engaged with one Sisters unit, and B: if you replace instead of adding the charge target, it means that the enemy unit can't fight them if they are able to catch them, which means you're not actually incentivized to retreat, you just stand there and block the way and eat up pile-ins and consolidates while also being immune to melee. Wording it so that it adds the charge target rather than replacing it would mean that you have to get away and get far enough away from the enemy so the enemy can actually use their pile ins and consodiates and don't get locked out by a unit that just made itself immune to melee and is just standing there. [As an added bonus, it means it can be countered by the opponent spending their own 3CP to fight again, which is kind of neat, and might indicate that 3CP might be expensive for this stratagem]

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2020/05/18 00:16:31


Guardsmen, hear me! Cadia may lie in ruin, but her proud people do not! For each brother and sister who gave their lives to Him as martyrs, we will reap a vengeance fiftyfold! Cadia may be no more, but will never be forgotten; our foes shall tremble in fear at the name, for their doom shall come from the barrels of Cadian guns, fired by Cadian hands! Forward, for vengeance and retribution, in His name and the names of our fallen comrades! 
   
Made in us
Enigmatic Chaos Sorcerer




The dark hollows of Kentucky

 Inquisitor Lord Katherine wrote:
 SisterSydney wrote:
I’ve gone over your proposed Stratagems plus all the ones in the Codexes I have. I love the idea of Sisters blithely shooting through Frateris Militia, but if even Chaos and Genestealer Cults can’t do that, I think it’s too big a stretch for an Imperium faction to be the only one that can do it— and it potentially causes all sorts of rules problems.
So here’s what I’ve come up with. I’m sure there are wording problems and game balance issues I’m not seeing, so I’m especially eager for your critiques and suggestions:


Valhallans do it already.

I worded it basically the same was as the Valhallan order to do so, but on all misses instead of 1's since it's really easy for Sisters to not be rolling 1's.

The Purge have basically the same strategem as well.
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Great points. I had completely forgotten about the Valhallan’s special order — I had been looking solely at Stratagems. Well, let’s shoot through some Frateris, then!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Below is the new “Assisted Martyrdom” Stratagem and the revised “Marytrs’ Intervention” Stratagem.

Assisted Martyrdom (1 CP)
The Adepta Sororitas are keenly aware of the Frateris Militia’s zeal for martyrdom and are more than willing to speed them on their way, especially if they stand between the Sisters and their target.
Use this Stratagem during the Shooting phase. Select one Adepta Sororitas unit from your army that is more than 1” away from any enemy unit. Until the end of the phase, the chosen unit may shoot at enemy units that are within 1” of friendly Frateris Militia Infantry units.
However, for each attack that misses, resolve that attack as a hit against a friendly Frateris Militia Infantry unit within 1’ of the target unit instead. (If there is more than one such unit, you may choose whch is hit).

Martyrs’ Intervention (3CP)
Sisters of Battle are deadly markswomen who often find it inconvenient to be tied down in close combat. Fortunately, the Frateris Militia are eager to do battle hand-to-hand and often rush in where angels fear to tread, allowing the Sororitas to step back.
Use this Stratagem at the end of the Charge phase, before beginning the Fight phase, after one or more enemy units successfully charges an Adepta Sororitas unit in your army and a Frateris Militia Infantry or Biker unit is within 3” of the enemy unit.
The Adepta Sororitas unit may move up 6”, but must end this move more than 1” away from any enemy models. If this is not possible, the Stratagem fails and the CP spent are lost.
The Frateris Militia unit may move to 3”, but every model must end its move closer to an enemy unit that charged the Adepta Sororitas unit, and at least 1 model must end its move within 1” of such an enemy unit. If this is not possible, the Stratagem fails and the CP spent are lost.
All units that successfully charged the Adepta Sororitas unit now also count as having charged the Frateris Militia unit.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/18 02:02:38


BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Forgot to address JNA's points!

 JNAProductions wrote:
Ablative Martyrs is worded weirdly. Needs clean up.


Whoops -- what's the problem, precisely? I'm certainly capable of leaving huge horrible rules holes in my wording, especially since Stratagems (outside Apocalypse) are new to this edition and I'm not used to them.

Eager For Martyrdom looks fine, considering nothing too powerful can use it.

Martyrs' Intervention needs a touch of clean-up (only ONE Frateris model should have to make it to within 1", since that's all that's needed for them to get pounded) but for 3 CP, seems fair.

Miraculous Inspiration looks fine. Minor formatting issue, though-it's all italicized.


Fixed and fixed, thanks.

Send In More Martyrs should be 3 CP. You can, at best, get 147 points from it. Realistically, you can expect close to 100 points if you bring a big squad.


It's based on the Chaos Space Marine Codex's "Tide of Traitors," which does the same thing with Chaos Cultists for 2CP.. Your maximum-size Chaos Cultist unit is 30 models @ 4 ppm, so 120 points, which is pretty comparable.

Desperate For Redemption is the Fight Again strat? Who else normally gets it?
If Repentia can use it, I don't see an issue. If only Pen Engines can, the Abhumans might be too good with it.


It's for Repentia, Mortifiers, and Pengines, yeah.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
Made in us
Humming Great Unclean One of Nurgle





In My Lab

Look at the wording for GSC-they've got a similar 4+ to ignore a wound, but kills a friendly model. I think what's INTENDED is clear, but the wording is just... Wonky.

Clocks for the clockmaker! Cogs for the cog throne! 
   
Made in us
Preacher of the Emperor






Yeah, the GSC rulebook was one of the models I looked at... So would the wording be better this way (changes in bold):

Use this Stratagem during the Shooting phase when an Adepta Sororitas Infantry unit in your army would lose one or more Wounds. For each friendly Frateris Militia Infantry model within 3” of the unit that would lose Wounds, roll 1D6: On a 4+, that unit suffers one less Wound and one friendly Frateris Militia Infantry model is removed.

BURN IT DOWN BURN IT DOWN BABY BURN IT DOWN

 Psienesis wrote:
Well, if you check out Sister Sydney's homebrew/expansion rules, you'll find all kinds of units the Sisters could have, that fit with the theme of the Sisters (as a tabletop army) perfectly well, and are damn-near-perfectly balanced.

I’m updating that fandex now & I’m eager for feedback on new home-brew units for the Sisters: Sororitas Bikers, infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, superheavies, Frateris Militia, and now Confessors and Battle Conclave characters
My Novice Ginevra stories start with Bolter B-Word Privileges 
   
 
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