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Starting a crusade campaign, and really like reading the crusade rules for my chaos knights and Harlequins. The path to damnnation, and the grand performances seem very cool. Wondering which factions crusade rules people think are the most creative/fun/exciting.

Think I got all the 9th edition books on the list.

I said sisters, but you really have to DEFINE Fun/Cool. Some super competitive people might find BA and their Black Rage/Red Thirst the best. It all depends on how many aliens wear jeans on thursdays.

I don't think I know all the Crusade mechanics, but from what I remember reading the Tau rules they make you create your own strategic map to conquer which is all kinds of awesome.

It’s a little said that these Crusade rules are totally unrelated to each other and on vastly different scales so to say. While Tau and Dark Eldar have strategic elements, Orks are just about infighting, DG cook their own sickness and Necronlords collect names - all of these are kind of fun, but not as inspiring as the strategic ones' for campaign play.

T'au and GSC for sure. I do like the Druhkari "build a criminal empire" but the other two have you make up planets to conquer and that is my jam.

From all I read the black templar rules looked most fun to me. But I have 0 expirance with crusade, so it is just a feeling.

Hands down no questions asked for me, its imperial knights for HH 1.0.
Had thecoolest system ever, you bought pilots that came with special rules attached to the pilot then you bought the knight they want into. Was so much fun because you could have such customization over your army.

Close call between drukhari and tau. I gave my vote to tau because I like the way their mechanics give planets personality and help tell a story. The drukhari territorial acquisition thing is awesome, but I wish there was slightly more to it. In practice, it kind of just ends up being an extra stack of optional benefits.

I actually gave myself an extra restriction the last time I did a drukhari crusade. I only allowed myself to field non-kabal units if I had territories corresponding to that unit type, and only one such unit per appropriate territory. So no incubi until I had a incubi shrine, and no second squad of incubi until I had a second shrine.

I'd love for GW to knock off the tournament books for a bit and instead focus on crusade books that give each faction different styles of crusade mechanics. Instead of expanding my force, maybe I'm losing squads over time as part of a survival system. Maybe my chaos marines have to choose between taking glorious missions that expand their power and logistical missions that supply them with bullets, water, food, etc. Maybe my imperials start the crusade with various benefits from the friendly systems in the sector I'm defending, but I slowly lose systems over time, sort of a reverse tau campaign.

Tyranids get to eat planets, and once done cash out all the biomass for upgrades and move on to the next meal. Pretty fun.

The craftworld eldar path system sucks. Not a fan.

Basic marines get nothing. Sucks to be the first book I guess.

I'm not familiar with all of them.

Much as I criticize the book, though, I do really like the Chaos Space Marines crusade system with the glory levels.

Managing your levels of glory and favor with the dark gods along with the resources of your fleet is pretty flavorful for Chaos.

My first game with my custom renegades played as Alpha Legion was a loss, but I accomplished my personal goals by performing a ritual to appease the gods and giving my warpsmith a battle honor. I also rolled well on my d3 chaos points for a loss. So it was a lost battle but I gained significant dark god glory and achieved my goals. It was a fun roleplay moment.

The one flaw I can see is that it can probably have some serious snowballing effects if you just cannot win a game or you win too much, but I cannot speak from experience.

I had a hard time picking a single faction.

GSC, Tau and Tyranid planetary characteristics can be combined, so that when you populate your system with planets, you can record info that would allow all three factions to interact with the planet.

Drukhari also have awesome Crusade content- the book contains everything you need to basically play a Necromunda Campaign set in Commorragh.

In the end though, I picked sisters. Using the Blessings to reflect rank beyond Cannones is awesome. Penitent oaths are wicked. And sainthood is the cherry on top.

Who on earth voted orks?

The infighting rule is cool and fun, but it only happens once or twice per crusade force and everything else is terribly unfun, boring or can't be used to begin with.

 Jidmah wrote:
Who on earth voted orks?

The infighting rule is cool and fun, but it only happens once or twice per crusade force and everything else is terribly unfun, boring or can't be used to begin with.

Pretty much this LOL

I don't have the Ork dex- I've heard pretty bad things about their Crusade content.

But perhaps the person who chose them liked the Crusade rules for looted vehicles in Octarius? Been a while since I reviewed them, because without the dex, there hasn't been much of a reason.

But maybe that's it.

Ah, right forgot about those. Yeah, I guess the looted vehicle rules are the best they have been in a looooong time.

I actually like the Custodes stuff, but its the Overarching crusade mission is kinda a let down.

You basically have to do 3 missions in order and then can unlock one permanent trait, then if you do it over you just get extra requisition or exp.

Its fairly boring compared to most of the other factions, but it is actually pretty powerful.

 Jidmah wrote:
Who on earth voted orks?

The infighting rule is cool and fun, but it only happens once or twice per crusade force and everything else is terribly unfun, boring or can't be used to begin with.

Nah, I totally want to pay +1 PL to increase my Waaagh!boss's strength or wounds by 1. 4 times. When there's a 5 point difference in between a Primaris and Regular Astartes captain who get +1 attack +1 wound.

I'd say Chaos Knights. The Eightfold Path stuff is just unbelievably cool, and will lead to every Knight having an extremely distinct personality that just fits the lore so nicely.

I'm also a fan of the CSM Warband rules. I love that you can lose a battle, but if you play your Agendas right, you can succeed in achieving some other objective. Again, it's extremely lore-appropriate for Chaos to ultimately lose but get away with some ulterior motive.

Hecaton wrote:

 Jidmah wrote:
Who on earth voted orks?

The infighting rule is cool and fun, but it only happens once or twice per crusade force and everything else is terribly unfun, boring or can't be used to begin with.

Nah, I totally want to pay +1 PL to increase my Waaagh!boss's strength or wounds by 1. 4 times. When there's a 5 point difference in between a Primaris and Regular Astartes captain who get +1 attack +1 wound.

Tell me you have never played crusade as orks without telling me that you have never played crusade as orks.

The only way to think that's even remotely near the biggest issue with ork crusade rules, is if you absolutely haven't played a single game of crusade with orks.

But don't you worry about ruining your narrative just because your Waaagh!boss is overcosted by 45 points - if feel like you absolutely need to run the bestest army possible in your crusade, just use this simply trick:
1) your Waaagh!boss should absolutely be an infantry model, you need that character protection later. Make sure to put a relic and BBK on him.
2) bring a wartrike every game, no WLT or relic. Pick stunts, and have it sit in a corner stunting for the entire game and mark it for greatness. Easy 14 exp/game.
3) your Waaagh!boss will then challenge the trike, which loses every time. The Waaagh!boss will then be set to the wartrike's experience+1, use scrap to remove the trike's battle scar for free.
4) after just four games (three if you can extra exp from survivor, mission rewards or campaign), both your Waaaagh! boss and your trike will have reached legendary rank while the other scrubs in your campaign will be lucky to have units with two battle honors. Pick Choppa of da Great Waaagh! as battle honor for your Waaagh! boss to get a permanent +1S, +1A, 5++ and advance and charge for your entire army as long as the Waaagh! boss is alive. Luckily, it has two extra wounds, right?

Ork's crusade rules are a clusterfeth in every way possible, and you picked the generic PL issue to bitch about?

I never bothered reading much about the Crusade mechanics until I got the Tau book. Seems really decent, just like the old Dawn of War campaign taking over a planetary system.