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Having homebrewed new Sisters of Battle*, Frateris Militia, and Ministorum Confessors -- with great feedback from Dakkanauts helping me improve them all -- I felt the poor neglected Ecclesiarchy Battle Conclaves needed some love, specifically in the form of buff-granting-characters and stratagems. What follows is three new characters, each giving rerolls to one of the E.B.C. units, and two new Stratagems, finally letting Crusaders act as bodyguards and Death Cult Assassins infiltrate. (Arco-Flagellants already have the lovely "Extremis Trigger Word").

As always, I'm eager for critiques & suggestions. New rules are marked in bold and explained in this thread; everything else is right out of Codex:Adepta Sororitas.
[EDIT: Thanks to some great feedback, I've thoroughly revised these rules: click here for the latest version]

* [url=https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/785692.page]Sororitas Bikers, [url=https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/785562.page#top]infiltrators & Novices, tanks, flyers, characters, and superheavies,




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Common special rule:

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.

General Design Notes:


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ElLITE: Flagellant Packmaster
(37 points per model, 1 model per unit)
His cyberneticaly augmented limbs twitchy from combat-drug abuse, he is little more human than the wretched Arco-Flagellants he whips into battle.


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ELITE: Crusader Champion
(35 points per model, 1 model per unit)
Stalwart, true, and very hard to kill, he is a paragon who makes his fellow Crusaders stronger by his unyielding presence.


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ELITE: Death Cult Mistress
(37 points per model, 1 model per unit)
An inspiration to her fellow cultists, she glorifies the God-Emperor through her art. Her paintbrush is a blade, her palette is red, her canvass is flesh.


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Stratagem: Crusader Bodyguard (2 CP)
Crusaders put their shields — and bodies — between their spiritual leaders and danger.
Use this Stratagem immediately after any Adeptus Ministorum Character in your army would lose any wounds (but not Mortal Wounds) as a result of an attack made against that Character. Pick a Crusader unit within 3” of that Character and roll one D6; on a 3+, that Character does not lose those wounds and the Crusader unit loses the same number of wounds. Models in the Crusader unit may save against these wounds as normal.
You may only use this Stratagem once per phase.

Stratagem: Hidden Blade (1 CP)
Death Cult Assassins steal ahead of the main force to strike from the shadows.
Use this Stratagem during deployment. Chose one Death Cult Assassin unit from your army: Set that unit up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9” away from the enemy deployment zone and any enemy models.

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Rerollable 3++ saves are awful.

I also think that those units are really really strong for their costs.

Just looking at the crusader Champion: thats a bit under the cost of three crusaders for (compared to those three guys) +1 wounds, rerollable inv, -2 AT, but +1WS and the Option of a blessed blade. And rerollable 3++ is... very good *cough*. I mean that only leaves a 11% chance to take any damage.

Also as much as I would appreciate the Bodyguard rule, that stratagem is... problematic. Especially because the Crusaders can still save for those wounds (with a rerollable 3++). Do they have to save for every wound separatly or if they tank lets say 6 wounds only one inv. save is rolled?


Edit: compare the crusader Champion with blessed blade (44 Points) with a Bullgryn with Slabshield (42 Points)
The crusader has: +1 wound, +1 better inv. save and rerolls on that, the same # of attacks as the Bonehead and one more than the Standard Bullgryn (Zealot and Avalanche of muscle have a similar effect) but +1 WS, reroll 1s, +2 AP, -2S, same damage. But he also is a Character, buffs nearby Crusaders, has spiritual Fortitude (what was that again?)
I mean... that is quite an awesome package for that pricetag. And Bullgryn already are a really really points efficient assault unit

You’re both right, rerollable 3++ was.... not well-thought-out, especially in conjunction with the bodyguard stratagem; I’ll get rid of it.
Otherwise point costs and abilities are very close to the Repentia Superior (aka Mistress of Penitents). I take your point about the comparison to a Bullgryn, though the Bullgryn striking with Strength 5 (7 with a maul!) instead of the Champion’s 3 is a big dang deal.
Would replacing rerollable 3++ with rerolling charges & advances, and upping cost to 40-45 points, be enough of a fix for the Champion? How about Mistress and Packmaster?

First off: I realize it would be fairer to compare the Crusader champion with blessed blade with the Ogryn Bodyguard with Slabshield and Powermaul (52 points) which is also a character and his a fitting statline:
4 x WS3+ attacks at 7/-1/2
T5, W6, A4, 4+, 4++

compared to the crusaders:
4 x WS2+ attacks at 5/-3/D3
T3, W4, A4, 4+, 3++

Comparing chances to hit and wound:
T3: 65% vs. 55%
T4: 65% vs. 44%
T5: 49% vs. 44%
T6: 32% vs. 44%
T7: 32% vs. 33%
T8: 32% vs. 22%
So eccept vs. T6 the crusader wounds the same or better and then his superior AP kicks in, so he is better in the offense.

defensivly only looking at the chance of an attack coming through (without rerollable 3++)
T3: 17% vs. 17%
T4: 22% vs. 17%
T5: 22% vs. 25%
T6-9: 27% vs. 33%
So the crusader champion gets equal wounds from T3, more from T4 and 5 and less from T6+. But the Ogryn Bodyguard has two more wounds, so he is a bit more sturdy

Taken together that shows me that the Crusader Champion in this itteration is better on the offense (especially against good armor saves), and weaker on the defense, which should even itself out. But if you inlude rerolling charges and Advances he is a significantly better fighter

But meanwhile he has a couple of special rules and is a potent force multiplier for other Crusaders.



So my recommendation would be: With blessed blade he should cost about the same as the mentioned Ogryn Bodyguard (around 55 points), more if he really gets rerollable charges and advances. But I personally would go another route: design him as defensive bodyguard. Take away the blessed blade, don't give him rerollable charges and advances, instead give him the normal bodyguard rule of the Bullgryn and design the stratagem in a way that it allows him (for 1 CP) to roll his save against the wounds he is tanking. All that for the same pricetag of the Ogryn Bodyguard and it would be fine in my opinion

The Packmaster doesn't belong.

The Arcoflail leader should not be an arcoflagellant itself and shouldn't share their traits. It should be a ministorium or inquisitorial handler similar to how the Repentia are handled by a person who herself isn't a repentia.


Maybe along the lines of:

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

Unit contains 1 Flagellant Handler is armed with a chainsword, laspistol, and Flagellant Redemption Encouragement Controller.

Wargear Options:
This model may replace it's laspistol with a bolt pistol.

Abilities:

Flagellant Redemption Encouragement Controller
At the beginning of your turn, select one unit of Arcoflagellants within 6" of this model to gain one of the following benefits:
Adrenaline Boost: Arcoflagellant unit may add 1 to advance and charge rolls until the beginning of your next turn
Frenzy: Increase the attacks characteristics of models in this Arcoflagellant unit by 1 until the beginning of your next turn
Disobedience Discouragement Shocks: Arcoflagellant unit automatically passes morale tests until the beginning of your next turn

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum

Keywords:
Infantry, Flagellant Handler



My thoughts:
A: obviously, the handler themselves shouldn't be drugged up or augmented or frenzied. They're not an arcoflagellant. Their job is to control and shepherd them around the battlefield. A "champion" arcoflagellant would be a pengine.
B: they don't need whips or anything like the Repentia Mistress. The drug and pain inducers are already integrated into the Arcoflagellants, so he just needs to push a button on his remote to activate them. This also keeps him different.
C: rotating abilities made it seem more like he's got an RC remote for an array of stimulant injectors and shock devices that he can activate and deactivate.

Pyroalchi, Katherine, some great analysis and suggestions. Today's kinda crazy but I'll ponder rewrites to both these characters. Any suggestions on the Death Cult Mistress?

 SisterSydney wrote:
Pyroalchi, Katherine, some great analysis and suggestions. Today's kinda crazy but I'll ponder rewrites to both these characters. Any suggestions on the Death Cult Mistress?

No, not really. I'm not certain is assassins actually need a leader [since they're assassins, they're pretty solo small-unit as is], but as an assassin leader she seems fine. Unlike the Acros, the assassins would be lead by one of their own, so it makes sense that she'd be a super DCA.

Perhaps her ability could be more flavorful and assassin-ninja themed or help them kill characters:
How about:
Guide the Blade: Increase the damage value of Death Cult Assassin units's melee weapons within 6" of this model by 1.
Lead the Strike: This model may be set up in ambush instead of on the board. For each Assassin Mistress unit in your army, you may set up one unit of Death Cult Assassins in ambush as well. At the end of any of your movement phases, you may set up this unit 9" away from any enemy units and then set up a DCA unit wholly within 3" of this unit and more than 9" away from the enemy.

with a stratagem:

Decapitation Strike 3CP: Use when you set up a Assassin Mistress from ambush. You may set her up within 3" of an enemy character and more than 1" away from all enemy units, and set up a unit of DCA wholly within 3" of her and more than 1" away from enemy units. The units set up may only declare charges against CHARACTERS in your charge phase. [Assassinate somebody]


And maybe the following stratagems for Crusader Leader and Arcoflail Handler:
Shieldwards 2CP: Use after an enemy unit completes a charge against a friendly unit. Select a Crusader Champion in your army and a unit of Crusaders within 6" of that Crusader Champion. Both units may charge as if it were your charge phase, and fight before all enemy units in the fight phase. [Stooping Dive for Crusaders. They're not Jetbikes, though, so less CP]

Explosive Redemption 1CP: Select a unit of Arcoflagellants within 6" of a Flagellant Handler. For each model in the unit, inflict 1 mortal wound on a unit within 1", and then remove the model as casualty. [Suicide Arcos]

Very cool ideas — thanks.

Thanks for great suggestions. I’ve revised the Crusader Champion’s ability — see below:

Paragon of Protection
All Crusader units within 6” of a Crusader Champion may use his Leadership instead of their own.
After an enemy unit has successfully charged a friendly Adeptus Ministorum unit within 6” of a Crusader Champion, the Champion may immediately move up to 6”, as long as he ends this move within 1” of the charging enemy unit. In addition, if any Crusader unit is within 6” of the Champion when he has finished this move, that Crusader unit may also immediately move up to 6”, as long as at least one Crusader model ends this move within 1” of the charging enemy unit.

Would it be fair to cost him at 45 points with this ability? And maybe cut the option for him to take a Blessed Blade?

I would say yes. As mentioned he should compared to the Ogryn Bodyguard in price, so 45 points is fine. As my gut feeling says he should either have the blessed blade making ihm a better fighter or be a bodyguard one might make it an equipment option? So give him the bodyguard rule and say if he takes the blade he looses it?

Maybe because there are defensivly and offensivly trained crusaders or because he needs some kind of reflex enhancing gimmick as bodyguard that doesn't work with the blade?

Another small thing: I tend to not give him the Astra Militarum keyword like the usual crusaders. Otherwise there might be some weird interactions (like healing twice with hospitaler and AM command squads or taking the relic "Blade of conquest")

I loved Katherine's take on the Arco-Flagellant controller -- I just thought he should be a little more nightmarishly callous about the lives of his charges. So, how's this?

Master of Flagellants
(40 points per model, 1 model per unit)

While any priest can learn the basic trigger words to send Arco-Flagellants shrieking towards the enemy, only a few specialized clergy can fine-tune the neurochemical controls to get the maximum performance out of the cyborgs — and if a few of them drop dead during the adjustments, well, they were condemned to death anyway.


Design Notes:
Start with Preacher (30 ppm)
Replace War Hymns (+1A to friendly units within 6”) and Icon of the Ecclesiarchy (-1 Ld to Chaos within 6”) with Arco-Controller: +10 points for greater flexibility, albeit at the risk of killing models?

 SisterSydney wrote:
I loved Katherine's take on the Arco-Flagellant controller -- I just thought he should be a little more nightmarishly callous about the lives of his charges. So, how's this?

Master of Flagellants
(40 points per model, 1 model per unit)

While any priest can learn the basic trigger words to send Arco-Flagellants shrieking towards the enemy, only a few specialized clergy can fine-tune the neurochemical controls to get the maximum performance out of the cyborgs — and if a few of them drop dead during the adjustments well, they were condemned to death anyway.

Spoiler:

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

A Master of Flagellants is a single model equipped with a laspistol ahd chainsword

Wargear Options:
This model may replace its laspistol with a bolt pistol.

Abilities:
Zealot
Rosarius

Arco-Controller
Once per phase, you may select one unit of Arco-Flagellants within 6” of this model.
First, roll one D6 for each Arco-Flagellant in the unit; for each 6, one model in that unit is destroyed.
Then you may do one and only one of the following for this unit:
- reroll an advance roll.
- reroll a charge roll.
- reroll all 1s rolled on melee attacks.
- automatically pass a morale test.

Faction Keywords:
Imperium, Adeptus Ministorum

Keywods:
Character, Infantry, Ministorum Priest, Master of Flagellants

Design Notes:
Start with Preacher (30 ppm)
Replace War Hymns (+1A to friendly units within 6”) and Icon of the Ecclesiarchy (-1 Ld to Chaos within 6”) with Arco-Controller: +10 points for greater flexibility, albeit at the risk of killing models?

Nice! I'm glad you liked my thoughts.

That said, usually units die on a 1, not a 6.

Oddly, the "Extremis Trigger Word" stratagem kills Arco-Flagellants on a 6, not a 1, so I figured I';d be consistent with that. And speaking of Stratagems, here's my rewrite for the Crusader one. It's now basically the Celestians' ability, so it no longer allows the Crusaders to save, which makes me a little sad but is also is way less likely to create strange rules situations. I also made it cheaper since the bodyguard automatically goes splat:

Stratagem: Crusader Bodyguard (1 CP)
Crusaders put their shields — and bodies — between their spiritual leaders and danger.
Use this Stratagem when a Crusader unit in your army is within 3" of a friendly Adeptus Ministorum Character and that Character would lose any wounds as a result of an attack. Roll one D6; one a 2+ that model does not lose those wounds and the Crusader unit suffers one mortal wound for each of those wounds instead.
You may only use this Stratagem once per phase.

I'm still honestly pretty happy with the Assassin stratagem, which is relatively straightforward -- for reference:

Stratagem: Hidden Blade (1 CP)
Death Cult Assassins steal ahead of the main force to strike from the shadows.
Use this Stratagem during deployment. Chose one Death Cult Assassin unit from your army: Set that unit up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9” away from the enemy deployment zone and any enemy models.

Hearing no objections, I'll use the Stratagems as revised above. Below are the revised rules for the three characters, pulling together all the changes from upthread into one place (plus rounding the Mistress of Assassin's point cost up to 40). And, because I apparently have a fetish or something, I've started a new thread on Death Cult Bikers.

ELITE: Crusader Champion
(45 points per model, 1 model per unit)
Stalwart, true, and very hard to kill, he is a paragon who rallies his fellow Crusaders to stand firm between the foe and those whom they have sworn to protect.


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ELITE: Master of Flagellants
(40 points per model, 1 model per unit)
While any priest can learn the basic trigger words to send Arco-Flagellants shrieking towards the enemy, only a few specialized clergy can fine-tune the neurochemical controls to get the maximum performance out of the cyborgs. If a few flagellants drop dead during the adjustments, well, they were condemned to death anyway.


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ELITE: Death Cult Mistress
(40 points per model, 1 model per unit)
An inspiration to her fellow cultists, she glorifies the God-Emperor through her art. Her paintbrush is a blade, her palette is red, her canvass is flesh.

Just looking at the Crusader Champion (as IG play he is the only one I van really wrap my head around), I think he is fairly priced now. And I like the Paragon of Protection rule as it is something new and makes Crusaders pretty nice countercharge dudes.

Regarding the Bodyguard stratagem: Is it intentional that it is worded in another way than the usual bodyguard rule?
Currently Ogryns role once for every wound and take a MW if successful (which allows the player to "dose" the damage, as you don't have to roll for ALL wounds). Yours is a bit different.
And regarding rolling saves for those tanked wounds: I think it would be a matter of trying it out. You could make the stratagem 1/2CP, depending on if they just somehow hurl themselves in the way (1CP, no saves roled for those tanked wounds) or orderly place their shields (2 CP, saves can be rolled). Or one could work with miracle dice (if you use them in your rules set) like for each wound tanked the crusader can discard a miracle dice to roll a save against it.
On the one hand it would be another way to do something useful with "bad" miracle dice, on the other hand it would keep that "saves for tanked wounds" think from being to powerful, as it is a pretty limited trick.