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Well the new Legion of the Damned codex drop so let’s get this over with

Does not fill the allied detachment on the FOC but is its own separate detachment. May be taken as its own Primary detachment, and can Ally with itself (think Codex Inquisition)

So you could have a SM primary, IG allies, Inquisition detachment, Legion of the Damned detachment as one legal army.
or LOTD Primary, Dark Angels allies, Inquisition Detachment, LOTD Detachment.

Legion of the Damned Detachment

1 Squad required
0-3 Additional squads may be taken

If Legion of the Damned is taken as the Primary detachment then all squads taken count as scoring, The Sergeant in the required squad becomes your warlord

Warlord Table
1- Warlord/Hisunit gets soulblaze
2- Enemies in Base contact with warlord/hisunit get -1 to LD for every LOTD squad on the field when making fear test
3- Warlord/Hisunit Get armourbane for all "Bolt weapons"
4- Warlord/Hisunit gets FNP
5- Warlord/Hisunit arrive turn 2-3 with players choice
6- Warlord/Hisunit gets preferred enemy(everyone)

Relic
Bearer + squad get FNP, whenever an enemy unit within 12" fails a fear, pinning, Morale check one model from that enemy unit is removed from play, For each model removed the FNP of the bearer and Squad is increased by 1 (max 2+) **(lasts for Player's Turn)**

All Imperial armies are BB
Eldar AOC
Deldar/tau DA
Everyone Else COA

If ya need anything else just ask.

Tactics Coming Soon!

I think there are two real important things you missed.

A) A LotD primary detachment can take a LotD detachment for a total of 2 LotD detachments in the army (only the primary one is scoring however)

B) They still all have to go in normal reserves to deep strike and being the primary detachment doesn't change that. As such all LotD units won't arrive until Turn 2 at the earliest and would count as getting tabled unless you take regular allies as well.

Wow with that relic and using units such as sniper scouts and BA libbys with FoD means you could quickly get that entire LotD unit into a set of mini-corbulos... with an invuln!!!
Tbf a 3++/5+ fnp is brilliant by itself...

Eldar + Horrify + Legion.

Hue.

I'm guessing we'll need lots of S8 to kill them. 10 LoD will have 2+ FNP with 7 Models left... That's 7 Models with 3++ 2+ FNP. Or am I reading that right? How many points is it?

Well, they are damn hard to kill. This even holds for S8 hor higher weapons or templates due to their 3+ inv save.

What kind of role would you give to such a unit? Shock and awe?

It's the other way around Waaaghpower. When units near the bearer fail their morale tests, that unit removes a model. The LotD squad gets +1 to their FnP for each time THAT happens, and I believe it only lasts for a game turn.

Waaaghpower wrote:I'm guessing we'll need lots of S8 to kill them. 10 LoD will have 2+ FNP with 7 Models left... That's 7 Models with 3++ 2+ FNP. Or am I reading that right? How many points is it?

10 LOTD + relic ~= Landraider + Rhino

wuestenfux wrote:Well, they are damn hard to kill. This even holds for S8 hor higher weapons or templates due to their 3+ inv save.

What kind of role would you give to such a unit? Shock and awe?

Just looking at them on paper they can do a few things,
melta + Combi Melta + MM means they can pop a tank reliably at 6-12 inches.
Flamer + Combi flamer + Hflamer, Burn something (Them Pathfinders/marker drone squads)
10Lotd + relic + Your choice of weapons = a Very tough squad to remove.

nwabudikemorgan wrote:It's the other way around Waaaghpower. When units near the bearer fail their morale tests, that unit removes a model. The LotD squad gets +1 to their FnP for each time THAT happens, and I believe it only lasts for a game turn.

Correct, It lasts for the players turn.

Player turn??? Well that's pants. It means it'll only ever be used on scattering friendly fire blasts on overwatch shots and in assault. As when it is the opponents shooting phase it is the next player turn...

The relic is still good since you are buying the unit FNP and still has a chance to pop random models for free (especially powerful if it hit big expensive models like their HQ or a monstrous creature)

 CrownAxe wrote:
The relic is still good since you are buying the unit FNP and still has a chance to pop random models for free (especially powerful if it hit big expensive models like their HQ or a monstrous creature)

Okay now I want this to go off on an O'Vesa Star.

The relic is pretty good and taking the LotD as a primary with a big beefy squad w/relic as your HQ could be pretty nasty. The unit would be scoring and has a chance to roll up Ethereal Bolts as your warlord trait you will just annihilate vehicles with little to no effort. The relic is still a 5+ FnP even without any enemy units failing Ld morale tests. Against some armies the relic's morale test ability will be incredible, not necessarily for the increased FnP ability but because removing models due to morale and pinning checks could be devastating against a Tau riptide, broadside, or crisis suits. Many of the MC are not fearless and while this may be somewhat situational it could be a huge game changer when it does go off.

At first I was a little disappointed in the codex but as I think about it more the ability to make 4 LotD units scoring, the artifact, and the warlord traits make this a pretty good addition to the wealth of options the IoM is getting these days.

The Relic is sick, the Warlord traits are an upgrade, and if you roll a 2 the relic gets even better. The scoring troops are great, you can bring Inquisition, and Ally in long range support from SM or IG.

I see this as the new contender for best MEQ army.

Ally in some Clan Raukaan and build a wall o' neverdie.

Since LotD have to take allies to function, what would the best allies be? Probably should be able to cover the only role that LotD can't do well which is anti-air.

I'm leaning towards Imperial Fists in a bastion for a tank hunting quad gun.

 CrownAxe wrote:
Since LotD have to take allies to function, what would the best allies be? Probably should be able to cover the only role that LotD can't do well which is anti-air.

I'm leaning towards Imperial Fists in a bastion for a tank hunting quad gun.

I think Tigurius with a devastator squad in a defense line, quad gun, a group of scouts, and a grav gun command squad will be where I start.

For allies there are a large number of good ones. Really any IoM army you want to add 3 ignore cover melta to. However if you want the LotD to be scoring then it boils down to a few great ones.

IG are probably the best as they can bend the FOC the most and can load up on some of the best AA there is in sabre platforms and vendettas. They also benefit the most from having tough DS scoring units added to the roster. Inquisition already gave the IG the high Ld IC they want to attach to units anyways. Also there are a large number of pinning weapons to be found in this codex. How about a 3x thudd gun unit to give -1 Ld test pinning tests? A PBS could also be interesting but more of a gimmick than a strategy.

CWE interestingly enough might be able to pull off some really nasty deathstar type builds. There are a huge number of pinning weapons in the codex and most of the jetseer stars would not particularly mind not having more FOC slots.

SM will probably not care all that much. I could see some fun with spamming LotD but to have scoring LotD the SM player has to give up a lot of important FOC slots. SM armies usually use all their HS and most of their troops slots. I can't see most SM players giving up these slots to have scoring LotD squads. Still I could see some interesting combinations coming out of beacons and dropping lots and lots of LotD squads on the board turn 2.

Honestly as an ally DA are horrible as allies as they cannot use the FOC character's abilities unless those characters are the warlord. They also don't even give anything a Inv save better than it had. LotD have a lot to bring to the table for DA in terms of ignore cover DS melta and may see some use but it still doesn't help the major problems in the DA codex. I am definitely going to have to try a DW, LotD turn 2 assault using the LotD to crack vehicles and the termies to kill infantry. Still a trouble with synergy as the teleport beacons do not help the LotD.

SoB will be a weird one. They don't really provide anything the other doesn't already have. Ignore cover melta? SoB already had it. 3+ armour saves...already had. Flamers and meltas in 5 man squads...already have it. AA...neither have it. I guess the DS could be useful but will it be that much better the outflanking in a transport?

With GK I could see some nice combinations. A draigowing will not be terribly disturbed by having an allies FOC slots only. However they do nothing to address the AA concerns of GKs and the GKs already had plentiful access to DS scoring units. The introduction of DS melta though could help out with tough vehicles and maybe even help keep some serpent shields up where they would have shot. Ironically, LotD can be considered cheap scoring bodies in a GK list. It is hard to say but with LotD primary, GK allies, and Inquisition you could have basically what GK would have brought in a normal list but with better anti-tank and ignore cover. Now we just need some vengeance battery with quad las for some AA.

I don't see how the armies losing their own effectiveness matters when its about how well they help the LotD out by being their allies

Poly Ranger wrote:
Player turn??? Well that's pants. It means it'll only ever be used on scattering friendly fire blasts on overwatch shots and in assault. As when it is the opponents shooting phase it is the next player turn...

I wasnt saying the RELIC was pants guys. I was saying that they had written it in as PLAYER turn not GAME turn (apparently) is pants. As the fnp increase will never be used in the opponents shooting phase so will not be used when it is at its most needed. Crap rule writing and non consideration of how it will actually effect the game is pants.

There are possibly ways for your opponent to take a morale or pinning check in their movement phase so that you would have increased FNP in their shooting phase

And its still FNP for Assault. Its nice bonus for removing enemy model, not main function of the Relic.

But I was thinking - whats the practical drawback of Legion of the Damned. So far they seems to me like really good, although pricey, drop and shock unit, especially with the 3+ invul.

 ansacs wrote:
SM will probably not care all that much. I could see some fun with spamming LotD but to have scoring LotD the SM player has to give up a lot of important FOC slots. SM armies usually use all their HS and most of their troops slots. I can't see most SM players giving up these slots to have scoring LotD squads. Still I could see some interesting combinations coming out of beacons and dropping lots and lots of LotD squads on the board turn 2.

It's better if you take LotD as allies for SM. It'll free up Elites slots for Sternguard

 Ninjacommando wrote:

Just looking at them on paper they can do a few things,
melta + Combi Melta + MM means they can pop a tank reliably at 6-12 inches.
Flamer + Combi flamer + Hflamer, Burn something (Them Pathfinders/marker drone squads)
10Lotd + relic + Your choice of weapons = a Very tough squad to remove.

Dude, they ignore cover with any and all weapons.
NEVER take the flame weapons on them, massive waste.

Melta on the other hand, is a bit nasty.

Has the squad changed any from the SM codex? Or is it just a new relic + option to take them in other armies?