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.

Coming up with a codex based on a plot-advancement concept where things in the 40K timeline have changed and advance, similar to Age of Sigmar. It is still very much a WIP for the time being.

The Astartes Sanctori are the 40K counterparts to the Stormcast Eternals. They were made by the Emperor (yes he's back), but through psychic powers rather than ancient Earth techno-science. The souls of the worthy pilot the armour, and these souls can be former Space Marines or even regular humans. Think of them as Rubric Marines but with a personality beyond three words. The Astartes Sanctori are all psykers too. Gameplay wise, they have a low model count but make up for it with some serious firepower.

Below are my concepts so far. Keep in mind that these are not the only entries, nor are the ones present finalized.

- Summary of all units.
- Their psychic powers are a mix of the best from the Librarius and Sanctic disciplines.
- Base abilities include ATSKNF, Teleport Strike, and Truesilver Armour (ignore lost wounds on 5+, just like the Death Guard and the GK stratagem). I gave them Teleport Strike because I was inspired by the Bifrost teleport beams in the Thor films.
- All models have at least 2 wounds and a 3+ armour save.

- Sanctori Intecessors are similar to Tactical Squads.
- Signature weapon is the Psybolt Rifle; 30" RF1 S5 AP-1 D1.
- Also have Psybolt Pistol (as above but 12" and Pistol 1) and Plasma Grenades (as above but 6" and Grenade D6).
- Ability to shoot and fall back (but with -1 hit modifier), or use Overwatch at 5+ (provided they remained stationary). They cannot do both in the same turn.

- Sanctori Interceptors
- Ability to move similar to Warp Spiders.
- Armed with two Force Swords (S User AP-3 Dd3).

- Sanctori Inceptors
- Exclusively using Plasma Exterminators.
- Otherwise the same as their Codex SM counterparts.

- Sanctori Devastators are the Heavies of the army.
- They come with Psycannons, which now fire "psychic plasma", and have 3 modes of fire similar to the weapons used by a Hellblaster Squad (Assault, Standard, and Heavy).
- Ability to supercharge the weapon, risking a mortal wound on a hit roll of 1 (they don't instantly die now).
- Ability similar to Dark Reapers (ignoring negative modifiers to BS).

- Sanctori Aggressors
- Armed with Pyroclast Gauntlets that can fire as an Incinerator (S6 Flamer from the GK codex), or a Meltagun.
- Otherwise the same as their Codex SM counterparts.

- Sanctori Reivers
- A mix of Interrogator Chaplain and Primaris Reiver.
- Comes with a default 4++ save.
- Aura of 6" that lowers enemy Leadership.
- Carries an Absolver Pistol, Psyk-out Grenades, and a Crozius-like melee weapon that performs better on enemy daemons and psykers.

- Sanctori Rangers
- Has a 3+ armour save and an ability similar to an Omniscope (enemies cannot benefit from cover).
- Sniper Rifles are S5 now, but otherwise remain the same.
- Camo Cloaks is now called Cameleoline Armour, but still functions the same as before.

- Sanctori Guard
- Statline of a Custodian Guard Shield Captain.
- Armed with a Guardian Spear (the shooting part is now S5) and a Storm Shield.
- Ability where they must always make a Heroic Intervention if it is possible.
- Designed to accompany HQ units and Characters.

- Sanctori Prime
- Can be summed up as the "Emperor's Avatar".
- Statline of Guilliman but with S7 and T7.
- Has a 3++ save (statline reads 3+) and halves all damage taken.
- Armed with an S+1, AP-4, D3 melee weapon that can make a sweeping strike (1 hit roll for each enemy in base-contact at S User, AP-3, D1) instead of attacking normally.
- Can re-roll failed psychic/deny tests, and is immune to Perils of the Warp.
- Aura the reduces the Leadership of daemons by -3.
- Aura the allows friendly Sanctori to re-roll hits and wounds, auto-pass morale tests, and add 1 to advance and charge rolls.

Their statelines and ability looks great, but how are you pricing them??? If you price those Intercesors as 40pts per model, Inceptors / Interceptors being more than 50ppm, the Aggressors / Devsstators priced at 80ppm. Then the whole army may be still unplayable.

In case you're wondering, the other factions would also have their pros and cons. A lot of those will be plot related.

T'au lose Ethereals, but gain more battlesuits.

Necrons lose C'tan Shards, but gain LD10 for everyone that didn't have it before, and a lot of their wargear from previous editions.

Aeldari lose Ancient Doom, but more units gain access to psychic powers.

Astartes Hereticus (Traitor Marines) get the equivalent of Primaris Marines.

Just to name a few.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Neophyte2012 wrote:
Their statelines and ability looks great, but how are you pricing them??? If you price those Intercesors as 40pts per model, Inceptors / Interceptors being more than 50ppm, the Aggressors / Devsstators priced at 80ppm. Then the whole army may be still unplayable.

I've never been good with pricing, sorry. I can give it a go, but it won't be perfect.

To compensate for their power increase, Astartes Sanctori units are locked at their designated model count. An Sanctori Intecessor squad, for instance, could never have more than 5 models (the option for more won't be listed). In addition, their weapons are fixed as well. Again using the Intecessors, they cannot swap out their Psybolt Rifles for something else.

This is their shtick; they're quite powerful, but the con is that they have a low model count and cannot change their wargear.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Some more concept points:

- Most units consist of 1 Sanctori Justicar (the Sergeant of the unit) and 4 Sanctori Knights.

- The Sanctori Rangers and Sanctori Reivers consist of 1 Justicar and 2 Knights.

- The standard stat profile, unless otherwise stated, will be M6" WS3+ BS3+ S4 T4 W2 A2 LD8 SV3+.

- The Sanctori Justicar has A3 and LD9.

- New Psybolt Rifle profile: R30" RF2 S4 AP-1 D1. Keeping to S4 would make it not as OP as before.

- Likewise the Psybolt Pistol will also be S4.

- The Psycannon, wielded by the Sanctori Devastators, has 2 modes of fire; Assault 2 S6 AP-4 D1, and 36" Heavy 1, S8 AP-4 D1. The ability of the Sanctori Devastators can supercharge the weapon to +1 S and D, at the risk of suffering a mortal wound.

- I might come up with characters based upon the loyalist Primarchs. Lore-wise they could be ending up similar to the Phoenix Lords; a guiding spirit inside the armour specifically tailored to their abilities.

- The army will still have some vehicles, as will all factions, but the ground-based ones will all be hover-capable. No more tread-slogging tanks!

- Dreadnoughts will have an invulnerable save instead of Smoke Launchers.

- Apothecaries could be wielding Thunder Hammers now!


I have some concept points for other armies, but since I'm (trying) to concentrate on the Sanctori, these will be less refined.

- Lelith Hesperax now leads the Drukhari. Her new ability gives her all Combat Drugs for the entire game.

- Commander Farsight's Dawn Blade now heals 1 lost wound on a wound roll of 6. Lore wise it is meant to restore the wielder's health.

- The Tyranids will have a new Kerrigan-like character who can tear through invulnerable saves and (possibly) spawn lesser Tyranid units at will.

- Necron Crypteks will regain the use of their techno-magic wargear from 6th edition.

- Necrons will also get Szarekh as a character. He has the stats of an Overlord but makes up for it with some very impressive wargear.

- Bellisarius Cawl now wields the Red Axe (currently an AdMech relic item), and a weapon that can badly wreck enemy vehicles. Lore wise he is now an enemy of sorts; he now leads the Mechanicus exclusively, forsaking all other human factions, including the Sanctori.

UPDATE: Going through some heavy revision after talking to a mate of mine.

- No more stealing the Death Guard's shtick (ignore wounds on 5+). Might end up stealing from the Iron Hands instead (same but on 6).

- Probably no more army-wide access to psychic powers, therefore no stealing the Grey Knights' shtick.

More to come, in time. Sorry for the inconvenience, or whatever.

Peace!

This sounds suspiciously like custodian guard..... just saying

After some considerations and a chat with a mate, I'm going to apply the following:

- No more army-wide psychic powers.

- Dropping the ignore wounds ability to 6+. Sorry Iron Hands. Don't lose ya head over it Ferrus ol boy....oops!

- Dropping the "Psybolt Rifle" (still thinking of a new name) to 24" RF2 S4 AP-1 D1.

More to follow soon.