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So, I think Bodyguards need to be a bit shinier. They're supposed to be plucked from the best of the Crisis Suits and next in line to take command, but more than that, they're there to make sure that the Commander stays alive. They need to be able to do this reliably and taking from the new Shield Gen rules, here's what I propose.

Crisis Bodyguard (PL 8)
M 8, WS 4+, BS 3+, S 5, T 5, W 4, A 3, LD 8, SV 3+

The unit contains 2 Crisis Bodyguard. It can include up to 1 additional Bodyguard (+4 PL), up to 4 additional Bodyguard (+16 PL), or up to 7 additional Bodyguard (PL +28). Each Crisis Bodyguard is equipped with a Burst Cannon and Shield Generator, and may be accompanied by up to 2 Tactical Drones (+1PL)

Any Crisis Bodyguard may replace their Burst Cannon with up to two items from the Ranged Weapons and/or Support Systems List.

For the Greater Good (PG 48)

Bonding Knife Ritual If you roll a 6 when taking a Morale test for this unit, the test is automatically passed.

Sworn Protectors Roll a D6 each time a friendly <Sept> Character loses a wound while they are within 3" of this unit. On a 2+, a model from this unit can intercept the hit - the Character does not lose a wound but this unit suffers a mortal wound.

Shield Generator This unit has a 4+ Invulnerable save. In addition, roll a D6 each time a model with this ability loses a wound; on a 5+ that model does not lose a wound.

Manta Strike During deployment, you may set up a Crisis Bodyguard in a Manta hold instead of placing them on the battlefield. As the end of any of your Movement phases, they can use a Manta strike to enter the fray - set them up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" from any enemy models.

(Points per model, 52 + wargear)

********

There's a points increase for the better stats (And, in reality, they're 60 pts each since you *must* take a Shield Generator), but they're a touch more survivable with the 5+ FNP like a Shield Drone, letting them tank a bit better, and the higher cost puts a bit more room between them and ordinary Crisis Suits. The unit size drops to a minimum of 2 to handle all those players who have two and can't really go out and arrange to pick up a single extra one, but most people will take them in units of 3 I'd wager. Taking up one of their thre gear slots with a Shield Generator means you trade firepower for survivability and bodyguardness, which should balance out the better statline fairly.

What do you think, sirs?

While i get why your doing this to bring them in line with what shield drones do now. This takes them out of sync with every other protector unit in the game.

 Lance845 wrote:
While i get why your doing this to bring them in line with what shield drones do now. This takes them out of sync with every other protector unit in the game.

Somewhat, but not entirely. The big addition is the required Shield Generator and 5+ FNP of a shield drone, but at the cost of reducing the weapon load by 1. (And allowing for legacy groups of 2, rather than 3.)

Wakshaani wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
While i get why your doing this to bring them in line with what shield drones do now. This takes them out of sync with every other protector unit in the game.

Somewhat, but not entirely. The big addition is the required Shield Generator and 5+ FNP of a shield drone, but at the cost of reducing the weapon load by 1. (And allowing for legacy groups of 2, rather than 3.)

Yeah, giving them a native 1/3rd chance to negate the mortal wounds that every other protector unit does not have on a fast 3w platform. That is a massive change. If EVERY protector unit had the 5+ FNP and it was only non-shield drones that did not then cool. But right now drones needed some reason to want to give up a gun to be pure shields. This FNP addition is a knee jerk patch to give them some kind of reason to be taken over the drones that have guns.

There's another wrinkle, too - I still mostly want shield drones instead of bodyguards. They're cheaper, and that's what I want in a unit whose primary job is to die so something else doesn't. Ultimately, while I like bodyguards from a fluff perspective, mechanically they need to do something that's not done better with nine shield drones and a squad of Crisis suits.

I'm not sure what that might be, though. Maybe if they can intercept shots before saves are taken (like how drones worked pre-FAQ/Errata), so they can use their save against them, allowing them to tank for squishy Fireblades and Ethereals? Maybe their protector method could work like so:

Take the Bullet: Roll a D6 any time an attack hits a friendly <SEPT> character that is within 3" of a unit of Crisis Bodyguards. On a 2+, the unit of Crisis Bodyguards takes the hit instead - resolve the attack exactly as if it had targeted them originally.

That would allow Bodyguards to bring their higher Toughness and Armor Save into play when protecting Ethereals and Fireblades. They'd basically just be ablative wounds for a Commander, so they're better off using shield drones, which is kinda crappy fluff-wise, but it's a start.

If they intercepted the hit rather than wounds or damage, came in sets of 1 or 2, and had 2 weapons + 2 systems i can see it being worth taking. This would end in situations where a fireblade gets sniped, passes to bodyguard, passes to shield drone. That might aggravate some people. And certainly needs point increase.

The notion of bs3+ is nice but hard to balance around. Maybe only when near a character?

Side stepping the drone debate.

If the body guards had the stat buff but instead of forcing shield and FNP but just giving them a 4th slot for support gear only. Commander currently have 4 completely open slots but the guards are the up and coming dudes.

The majority of players will be split between the ATS and shield gen. depending on what the point differential would then be. Because I would definitely spend the points to try to keep that dude alive longer.