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Command Barge


One of the most blatant manifestations of Drukhari decadence, the command barge is part pleasure craft, part tool of destruction, part symbol of wealth and power for an especially arrogant archon. Command barges vary greatly in size, appearance and armament, but they are typically a Raider or Ravager customised to the tastes of its owner. Features often include a throne, enhanced force fields and the highest-quality targeting systems, as well as more extravagant additions such as a finely-carved figurehead or a well-stocked liquor cabinet. The eccentric Lady Draskhei of the Kabal of the Bone Spire even built a barge with an orchestra pit, as she liked her raids to be set to music.

By far the most infamous command barge is Asdrubael Vect’s Dais of Destruction. Many archons have since followed the Supreme Overlord’s example, basking in the aura of terror and pain that wafts from the battle while slaves and courtiers attend to their every whim.


Meta commentary: In previous editions, Asdrubael Vect used to ride to battle on his own Ravager, the Dais of Destruction. This is sort of an homage to the Dais, while also making it available to other kabals. I am not sure how many points it should cost. Note that a regular Ravager runs from 125 to 140 pts, including weapons but not other equipment. Compared to the Ravager, the Command Barge has an extra point of BS, Ld and invulnerable save, a transport capacity of 6 versus none, and the Command Vehicle rule.


Unit type: HQ. (Note: A detachment may not include more Command Barges than Archons.)


M:* WS:4+ BS:* S:6 T:6 W:10 A:* Ld:8 Sv:4+

DAMAGE
Some of this model’s characteristics change as it suffers damage, as shown below:
--6-10+ Wounds remaining: M:14’’, BS:2+, A:3
--3-5 Wounds remaining: M:10’’, BS:3+, A: D3
--1-2 Wounds remaining: M:6’’, BS:4+, A:1

A Command Barge is a single model equipped with bladevanes and three dark lances.

WEAPONS
--Dark lance: 36’’, Heavy 1, S:8, AP:-4, D: D6 (Change this weapon’s Type from Heavy to Assault if it is equipped on a vehicle.)
--Disintegrator cannon: 36’’, Assault 3, S:5, AP:-3, D:2
--Bladevanes: Melee, S:4, AP:-1, D:1


WARGEAR OPTIONS
This model may replace any of its dark lances with a disintegrator cannon.
This model may take items from the Vehicle Equipment list.

ABILITIES

--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 has Fallen Back in the same turn, cannot shoot (except with Pistols) if this model is within 1’’ of an enemy unit, and so on. Note that the passengers cannot shoot if this model Falls Back, even though the Command Barge itself can.
--Enhanced Night Shield: This model has a 4+ invulnerable against ranged weapons.
--Hovering: Instead of measuring distances and ranges to and from this model’s base, measure to and from this model’s hull or base (whichever is closer).
--Explodes: If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield. On a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6’’ suffers D3 mortal wounds.
--Command Vehicle: If an Archon is embarked on this model, re-roll hit rolls of 1 for friendly [KABAL] units that are within 6’’ of this model. If your Warlord is an Archon and is embarked on this model, friendly [KABAL] units within 6’’ of this model may re-roll failed morale tests.

TRANSPORT: This model can transport 6 Drukhari Infantry models. Each Grotesque takes the space of two models. This model cannot transport Scourges or skyboard models.

FACTION KEYWORDS: AELDARI, DRUKHARI, [KABAL]

KEYWORDS: VEHICLE, TRANSPORT, FLY, COMMAND BARGE


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BS should be *, not 2+. Minor nitpick, but for clarity.

 JNAProductions wrote:
BS should be *, not 2+. Minor nitpick, but for clarity.

Thanks. I've corrected it.

So a ravager with a small transport capacity and slightly improved shields and BS plus a leadership aura? Doesn't seem unreasonable. A few thoughts:

* Small nitpick, but you can streamline the wording on its weapon options. Something like, "The barge may replace any of its dark lances with a disintegrator cannon."

* Consider making this an HQ slot instead of a heavy support. Doing so would help with the drukhari inability to field a double kabal batallion without Drazhar, and it would allow you to include this thing in a batallion without having to ditch one of your three ravagers,

* Command Vehicle. The reroll aura for a vehicle is something I'd kind of like to be able to put on other transports as well. It's a solid rule. The increased model size means the aura size is a lot bigger than normal, but you're functionally paying for expanded coverage by paying for the vehicle the same way you would by paying for an extra archon.

Not sure about the projected leadership aura thing. As a Poisoned Tongue player, I kind of resent that we got the scrap index rule that no one liked as our warlord trait, but this would give us even less reason to use it. XD Plus, a command aura off of a vehicle that depends on a character being embarked is already kind of wordy. If only for the sake of cutting some text off of that rule, I'd suggest ditching the Leadership part.

* Compared to a ravager, you're getting +1 to invul saves, A 25% boost to accuracy, a transport capacity, and the expanded range on the archon's aura. For a rough pricing guestimate, let's say each of those is worth 10 points and then add another 10 points on top of that to be safe. I suggest trying this thing out at 50 points above the base cost of a ravager and adjusting from there after playtesting.

Overall, I like it!

Wyldhunt wrote:
* Small nitpick, but you can streamline the wording on its weapon options. Something like, "The barge may replace any of its dark lances with a disintegrator cannon."

I agree the wording is less than ideal. I copied it from the Ravager datasheet, for consistency purposes.

* Consider making this an HQ slot instead of a heavy support. Doing so would help with the drukhari inability to field a double kabal batallion without Drazhar, and it would allow you to include this thing in a batallion without having to ditch one of your three ravagers,

That was my thought at first, but the vehicle itself is not technically a character and cannot be a warlord (unlike vehicle characters such as Pask). Are there examples of non-character HQ's?

Not sure about the projected leadership aura thing. As a Poisoned Tongue player, I kind of resent that we got the scrap index rule that no one liked as our warlord trait, but this would give us even less reason to use it. XD Plus, a command aura off of a vehicle that depends on a character being embarked is already kind of wordy. If only for the sake of cutting some text off of that rule, I'd suggest ditching the Leadership part.

Re: Leadership: You're right, it could be replaced with another morale-related ability, to avoid making the Poisoned Tongue trait redundant (e.g. units within 6 inches may re-roll failed morale tests; or they reduce by 1 the number of models that flee if a morale test is failed, down to a minimum of 1).

I would like to keep such an ability instead of removing it entirely for simplicity's sake, as I want to emphasize how the Command Barge increases the archon's "presence" on the battlefield. It's a ostentatious symbol of power, not only a weapon of war.


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-Guardsman- wrote:

That was my thought at first, but the vehicle itself is not technically a character and cannot be a warlord (unlike vehicle characters such as Pask). Are there examples of non-character HQ's?

Sure! Pretty sure marines have a few non-character command tank type things. Craftworlders have the squad version of warlocks. I feel like tyrant guard are maybe HQs. And even if there were non non-character HQs, you've already included a rule that requires any army with a command barge also have at least one archon. And even if you didn't, the rules do technically allow you to have an army with no characters in it.

Re: Leadership: You're right, it could be replaced with another morale-related ability, to avoid making the Poisoned Tongue trait redundant (e.g. units within 6 inches may re-roll failed morale tests; or they reduce by 1 the number of models that flee if a morale test is failed, down to a minimum of 1).

I would like to keep such an ability instead of removing it entirely for simplicity's sake, as I want to emphasize how the Command Barge increases the archon's "presence" on the battlefield. It's a ostentatious symbol of power, not only a weapon of war.

Well, the enormous reroll aura that you get on a ravager-shaped model certainly gives the archon a lot of presence, but it's your call.