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Based on the old Apostate Cardinal rules from Codex: Witch Hunters, updated in line with the Priest rules from Codex: Adepta Sororitas.

Apostate Cardinal {35 points}................ HQ
Up to five Apostate Cardinals may be included in any Chaos: Space Marines or Tyrants Legion army as an HQ choice. They do not take up slots on the Force Organisation chart. A single Apostate Cardinal may also be taken as an HQ choice in any Codex: Imperial Guard or Codex: Space Marines army that has been modelled as Lost and the Damned, in which case he may count as your Compulsory HQ and fills the Force Organisation chart as normal.

Apostate Cardinal: WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A2 Ld9 Sv5+/4++

Unit Composition: One Apostate Cardinal.

Type: Infantry, Character

Wargear: Mace, Laspistol, Sigil of Corruption, Flak Armour, Frag and Krak Grenades

Special Rules: Independent Character, Warp Hymns

Options:
May exchange Laspistol and/or Mace for;
- Close-Combat Weapon: Free
- Lasgun: Free
- Shotgun: Free
- Bolt Pistol: 1 point
- Bolter: 1 point
- Heavy Chainsword: 1 point
- Hand Flamer: 5 points
- Power Weapon: 15 points
- Plasma Pistol: 15 points
- Plasma Gun: 15 points
- Icon of wrath: 15 points
- Icon of flame: 10 points
- Icon of despair: 10 points
- Icon of excess: 30 points
- Icon of vengeance: 25 points
May take a Mark of Chaos:
- Mark of Khorne: 5 points
- Mark of Tzeentch: 9 points
- Mark of Nurgle: 5 points
- Mark of Slaanesh: 5 points

Warp Hymns:
At the start of the Assault Phase, upon a successful Leadership test an Apostate Cardinal may activate one of the following abilities:
Discord: Inflicted unsaved wounds by the Cardinal or his unit count as double when calculating Combat Resolution.
Fury: The Cardinal and any unit he has joined gain the Rage and Hammer of Wrath rules until the end of the phase.
Frenzy: The Cardinal gains the Rampage special rule until the end of the phase.


Personal Cult {HQ}......................12 points
An army which includes an Apostate Cardinal may include a single Personal Cult for each Cardinal. It does not take up a Force Organisation slot.

Cultist: WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld7 Sv6+
Guardian: WS4 BS3 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld8 Sv4+
Assassin: WS5 BS3 S4 T4 W1 I5 A2 Ld8 Sv-

Unit Composition: 3 Cultists

Unit Type: Infantry

Wargear:
Cultist:
- Close-Combat Weapon
- Laspistol
- Improvised Armour
Guardian:
- Power Weapon
- Storm Shield
- Carapace Armour
Assassin:
- Two Power Weapons

Special Rules:
Assassin:
- Preternatural Reflexes (5++)

Options:
May include up to 7 additional Cultists: +4 points/model
May upgrade any Cultist to a Guardian: +11 points/model
May upgrade any Cultist to an Assassin: +11 points/model
May take a Mark of Chaos:
- Mark of Khorne: 2 points/model
- Mark of Tzeentch*: 2 points/model
- Mark of Nurlge: 2 points/model
- Mark of Slaanesh: 1 points/model

*Note that a Guardian with the Mark of Tzeentch gains no benefit, as he already has a 3++ invulnerable.


Design Notes:

Well. What to say? The hardest part was balancing the Chaos Mark points costs, since the Cardinal's stats are so much lower than a Marine HQ's, but he comes with a severely discounted 4++ save, and the Cult's abilities are so varied. MoT is overcosted for a Cultist or Guardian, but undercosted for an Assassin. Not sure how to change that, but I figure it will balance out over the whole unit (since even with a 4++, assassins aren't likely to see combat without Guardian support).

No dedicated transport! This is partly to help it fit cross-codex - putting Land Raiders in Guard armies is just asking for trouble, and putting Chimeras in Chaos Marine armies is even worse! I could give them a Rhino, but who would take it?

I love the idea of the evil mirror universe version of the Codex:Adepta Sororitas priests & their war hymns.

Costing is tricky and the number of options is a bit overwhelming, so I need to ponder those a bit more.

Also, I know the term "Cardinal" comes from the old codex, but surely there can't be flocks of apostate cardinals running around. Maybe "apostate priest" or even "anti-priest"?

Anti-priest makes me think of an assassin who only kills clerics. ^^;

Maybe just 'Apostate' or 'Dark Missionary'..?

"Chaotic evil cleric"? That has the kind of poetic ring that only D&D can produce. ("If we go down a level and kill some higher level stuff we can go up a level and get some higher level spells!)