LudDavenport wrote:
You could argue the lack of specific specialists roles for each of the subfactions is intentional flavor, but I see it as GW not wanting to expand the model range. Assuming this is a problem in need of fixing we therefore need some units.
I mean, the model range is pretty well-rounded in general. It's just the new detachment rules setup that lead to the weirdness. But I'm always up for coming up with new units! As an alternative to just fleshing out the kabal/cult/coven HQs, I actually came up with rules for the various "mercenaries" of the dark city:
https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/766997.page
Maybe something in there will inspire you.
Each of the three sub-factions need 2 more HQ choices(1 cheaper and 1 faster), and 1 troop choice.
Kabalites need a FA choice, the Toxin(to a venom what a ravager is to a raider).
Wytches need a HS choice... honestly need some help here. No ideas have come to mind.
Covens need a FA option. Also could use some help here, possibly winged Grotesques?
The lesser characters for kabal/cult are obviously Dracons and Syrens (AKA Dracites). In the 5th edition book, haemonculi were broken up into normal haemonculi (the lesser option) and Haemonculus Ancients. The current normal haemonculus makes a pretty good ancient, so maybe we come up with "Apprentices" instead.
I'd be pretty content with each of these just being a cheaper version of the generic HQs but without their normal rules, but that's maybe a bit boring and gamey. So if we wanted to give them special rules, maybe something like...
Dracons: Entourage. The splinter weapons of kabal infantry within 3" of the dracon, or embarked on the same transport as him, add +1 to to-wound rolls. Represents he and his friends having access to more expensive toxins. Lets you boost your basic troops without creating a +1 to-wound splinter gunline. Is useful regardless of your kabal trait.
Syren: Brutal Retreat. Enemy infantry units that successfully fall back from a cult unit within 3" of a syren take d3 mortal wounds on a 4+.
Haemonculus Apprentice: Give him an apothecary type rule. Either heal d3 wounds on a Coven models within 3", or else bring a single model from an infantry unit within 3" back to life with 1 wound remaining. Represents them having more skill than your average acothyst but still basically being tasked with Igor-style grunt work around the battlefield. Also dovetails nicely with that stratagem that lets haemonculi heal things. It's not that the haemonculus can't heal stuff. It's just that he can't be bothered most of the time.
Kabalite Fast Attack
FA/Power Rating 7/ TOXINS
This unit contains 1 Toxin. It can include up to 2 additional Toxins(Power Rating +7 each).
Each Toxin is equipped with Bladevanes, a Splinter Cannon and three Twin Splinter Rifles...
Wargear Options:
*Each Toxin may replace any of their Twin Splinter Rifles with a Shredder, Blaster, or Splinter Cannon.
*Each Toxin may take items from the Vehicle Equipment list(They cannot equip equipment banned to Venoms).
This seems fine, but isn't it basically just a short ranged, squishy ravager with a flickerfield? It seems reasonably priced and reasonably useful, but it also feels pretty samey with the rest of our army. Kind of like how the eldar vyper suffers from being directly compared to war walkers. Maybe give it some more exotic weaponry? Maybe let them equip haywire weapons so that they can hunt down fleeing victims and plunge their transports into darkness ahead of the main party. Or perhaps they have some monofilament weapons similar to the old-school night spinner that prevents or discourages advancing. Go first with such a model, and you might spare yourself from an enemy charge for an extra turn. Or heck, go really weird and make it a vibrocannon-toting vehicle (which pairs well with it being a squadron) that emits psycho-sonic vibrations that impose a penalty on psychic tests. It would give us some indirect psychic defense, a new and cruel way to hurt our prey, and a way of dealing with those pesky psykers that might accidentally draw the attention of Slaanesh.
Just some food for thought. Yet another skimmer with some poison and dark light just feels a little redundant.
Fast Wytch HQ
HQ/Power Rating 5/ SUCCUBUS on reaver jetbike
A Succubus on Reaver Jetbike is a single model armed with an agonizer and archite glaive,
Riding a Reaver jetbike equipped with a splinter rifle and blade vanes.
Wargear options:
*This model may replace its agonizer and archite glaive with one item from the Wytch Cult Weapons list.
*This model may replace its agonizer with a splinter pistol, blast pistol, or impaler.
*This model may take a grav-talon or cluster caltrops.
Abilities: Power From Pain, Combat Drugs, Brides of Death, Lightning Dodge, No Escape, Grav-talon, Cluster Caltrops, Matchless Swiftness
Faction Keywords: AELDARI, DRUKHARI, <WYTCH CULT>
Keywords: BIKER, CHARICTER, FLY, SUCCUBUS
Point cost for model without gear*: 90.
*given bikes aren't really gear, the bike cost is included.
Fast Coven HQ
Modifies the Haemonculus datasheet as follows:
Under "Wargear Options" add another bullet point. "*This model may have wings(Power Rating +1). If it does, its Move characteristic is increased
to 14", it gains the Fly keyword, and it gains the Winged Strike Ability."
Add an entry to the points cost table: "Haemonculus with Wings| 1 | 90"
These seem fine. However, DE were, once upon a time, able to put all their HQs on bikes or hellion boards. Perhaps it would be reasonable to allow all HQs to ride bikes again (using an "HQ on Bike" datasheet for each one) and then also add an option for "Sky Gear" which could reflect hellion boards, scourge wings, rocket boots, magnet harnesses, or whatever. Sure, reavers are heavily tied to wyches these days, but anyone in the HQ slot is rich enough to afford to indulge their mid-millenia crisis with a sweet new hog. Also, if you're struggling to decide on what a default flying haemonculus looks like, remember that they're the ones who give scourges wings.
A few other random thoughts:
* Technically, wyches have access to a heavy support in the form of the Reaper from Forgeworld. Don't let this discourage you from making cool units though.
* I kind of like this mental image of a war walker chassis modified with giant blade wings as a wych unit. Not a ton of fluff justification. I just like the idea of gladiators attaching their nervous systems to these flying, knife-winged mecha that slice off pieces of each other in the arena and take on enemies too large to be properly duelled by wyches on the battlefield.
* Winged grotesques are well and good, but a bit formulaic. How do you feel about a sort of modified Cronos type thing that soars over the battlefield sucking up all that tasty pain that normally gets wasted and then occassionally vomits it back up to debilitate entrenched foes? I'm picturing a sort of cronos flyer thing with a weapon that does damage based on the turn number (the power from pain meter).
* GW really seems to want to push the idea of an archon leading from his personal venom, yet sticking a lone archon in a venom is a bad idea/doesn't work for several reasons. So how about a "Command Venom?" I'm picturing a venom with the character rule and an archon aura that may or may not work on troops embarked in transports.
