Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I've been bored and decided to be more pragmatic about my angst over the lack of cavalry and landspeeders in the Imperialis Milita & Cults army list.

So I would like to tender my proposal for an Imperialis Militia Rough Rider Squadron, as below. I know the 2 wounds, 2 attacks base is a lot, but that's what they made the Death Riders in the Death Korps Siege Regiment list to make them a viable unit, so I kept it.

IMPERIALIS MILITIA ROUGH RIDER SQUADRON 105 POINTS

WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Rough Rider Ridemaster 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 7 5+
Rough Rider 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 6 5+

Unit Composition
• 1 Rough Rider Ridemaster
• 4 Rough Riders

Unit Type
• Rough Rider Ridemaster: Cavalry (Character)
• Rough Rider: Cavalry

Wargear
• Auxilia pistol
• Close combat weapon
• Hunting lance
• Frag grenades
• Flak armour

Special Rules
• Provenance

Options
• The squad may include:
- Up to fifteen additional Rough Riders..................................................................+18 points each
• The Rough Rider Ridemaster may take melta bombs.......................................................+5 points
• The Rough Rider Ridemaster may exchange their auxilia pistol and/or close combat weapon for one of the following:
- Bolt pistol.................................................................................................................................+2 points
- Hand flamer.............................................................................................................................+5 points
- Blast pistol................................................................................................................................+5 points
- Augmented weapon...............................................................................................................+2 points
- Power weapon.........................................................................................................................+5 points
• One Rough Rider may carry a Vexilla.................................................................................+10 points
• The entire squad may exchange their flak armour for:
- Carapace armour..................................................................................................................+20 points
• The entire squad may replace its auxilia pistols with one of the following options:
- Close combat weapons...................................................................................................................Free
- Laspistols...............................................................................................................+5 points per squad
- Augmented weapons.........................................................................................+15 points per squad
• The entire squad may be given krak grenades................................................+10 points per squad

Hunting Lance
These devices – a long explosive-tipped lance – are used on a charge to take advantage of the Rough Rider’s momentum. Hunting lances hit home with such punishing force that is sufficient to tear an Astartes in twine.

Range Str AP Type
Hunting Lance - +2 3 Melee, Charge, Specialist Weapon, One use only

Charge: When a hunting lance is used when the unit charges into close combat, for the remainder of the close combat phase, it adds +2 to its Initiative.

Imperialis Militia Rough Rider Squadrons may be chosen as a Fast Attack choice for the Imperialis Militia and Cults army list in Age of Darkness games.

IMPERIALIS AUXILIA GRAV-SPEEDER SQUADRON 120 POINTS

Armour
BS Front Side Rear HP
Auxilia Grav-Speeder 3 10 10 10 2

Unit Composition
• 3 Auxilia Grav-Speeders

Unit Type
• Vehicle (Skimmer, Fast)

Wargear
• Hull-mounted twin-linked bolter
• Multi-laser

Special Rules
• Deep Strike

Options
• The squadron may include:
- Up to three additional Auxilia Grav-Speeders..................................................... +40 points each
• Any Auxilia Grav-Speeder may replace its hull-mounted twin-linked bolter with one of the following weapons:
- Flamer..................................................................................................... +5 points each
- Grenade launcher (with frag and krak grenades).......................... +5 points each
- Melta-gun............................................................................................ +10 points each
- Plasma gun........................................................................................... +10 points each
• Any Auxilia Grav-Speeder may replace its multi-laser with one of the following weapons:
- Heavy bolter................................................................................................................................... Free
- Heavy flamer.................................................................................................................................. Free
- Missile launcher (with frag and krak missiles)....................................................... +5 points each
- Multi-melta................................................................................................................. +10 points each
- Lascannon.................................................................................................................... +20 points each
- Plasma cannon............................................................................................................ +20 points each
• Any Auxilia Grav-Speeder may take:
- Up to two hunter-killer missiles............................................................................... +5 points each

Imperialis Auxilia Grav-Speeder Squadron may be chosen as a Fast Attack choice for the Imperialis Militia and Cults army list in Age of Darkness games.

I really, really wish FW would do Militia Land Speeders, just so we can get a rehash of this image (and its associated RT-era model).

I feel like it shouldn't have as many options. Under-slung Heavy Bolter that can be upgraded to a Heavy Flamer and a top mounted Heavy Bolter that can be upgraded to a Autocannon?, Multilaster?, Plasma Cannon or Multimelta.

The underslung looks more like a rotorcannon, to be honest.
Not that a multilaser isn't a reasonable upgrade option.

The heavy bolter, by comparison, looks turreted.

Given their role as scouts, the option of a nuncio-vox (the one where artillery can draw line of sight?) would be appropriate.

The rough riders look nice. My only concern is some nasty provenance combos (20 strong, power armoured, blade & fury rough riders anyone?) But at the moment the imperial army has jack all worth looking at in fast attack, so I'd love to see it.

My last suggestion would be assault squads. Way back in epic, you got jump pack, pair of pistols assault squads inguard armies - you'd never make them a credible melee threat, but a jump pack, carapace armour and a brace of blast pistols would make for a suprisingly tasty short-range firefight unit (2 twin-linked BS3 S5 shots out-shoots rapid firing astartes!) somewhat remeniscent of seraphim.

The original RT Era model that I have seen most often was a Plasma Cannon and a Heavy Bolter underslung. I do like the idea of Rotor Cannons, but they are kinda awful!

Which is why the "base cost" of the speeder can be really low... besides which, I'd say that's as good as a twinlinked bolter, at least.