Codex: 38th Company (Part 8) · 4:19am Feb 5th, 2016
This is it. The last Codex page. No more!
Until I make up a bunch of new characters and need to add them, I mean. Obviously.
38th Company Iron Warriors - Unique Units
This Codex supplement is a listing of all the unique Chaos Space Marines and humans in the 38th Company.
The leadership of the Company is, unlike the bulk of its armies, are quite competent and functional in sum despite their individual weaknesses. This stands in stark contrast to its front-line soldiery, which is better known for being frivolous and unreliable despite their formidable skill and equipment. Any one element of the 38th Company's upper ranks would flounder completely on their own, but together they form such a capable spearhead that they frequently compensate entirely for the shortcomings of the rest of their army, as well as the gross incompetence of Chaos Lord Tellis. They even work well with their allies, frequently giving their mercenary and Dark Mechanicus contingents a level of independence and support that most Chaos Space Marines would never contemplate. Most likely this is a consequence of the 38th Company's low station among the Legion, and the contempt with which it is held by other Warsmiths. With little hubris to cloud their judgments and a vital mission to complete, the Chaos Lords of the 38th are quite aware of their weaknesses, and factor them into their operations.
Solon leads as the Warsmith and, despite his record of technical and administrative excellence, to say nothing of his extraordinary contributions to the fleet's armories, is held in deep contempt by his troops. Sliver is an expert tactician, skilled warrior, and well-respected by the rank and file, yet would struggle to manage the logistics of piracy and could never properly command the Harvest of Steel. Dark Magos Kaelith simplifies the theft of contraband tremendously while the Iron Warriors see to warfare, and is vital for picking out and absconding with the richest targets under a timetable often cut short by Imperial reinforcements. Serith manages the arcane matters of sorcery and spends his time acquiring priceless artifacts and knowledge that would appear to be utterly useless to his masters until deployed to their benefit. Virgil sees to the fleet's cults, keeping order among the temperamental zealots of the fleet and administering ceremonies too obscure for any other to fathom. Trademaster Delgan would seem the weakest link out of all of them, having little use on the battlefield, but commerce is a matter which mystifies the Astartes and frustrates the Dark Mechanicus, and there is no question that the fleet has benefitted handsomely by letting him decide which pirate stations to trade with and which to strip for parts. And Tellis generally harms the enemy more than he harms the Company's missions, if only because his fellow Chaos Lords have come to expect his lunacy while their enemies retain the presumption that he functions as a sane and competent warrior.
By supporting and trusting each other the fleet operates with an efficiency that is grudgingly respected by its Legion and furiously resented by its victims. It actually comes dangerously close to friendship, but none of the aforementioned leaders could seriously claim to like each other; theirs is a trust built of necessity, not camaraderie.
Each of the units described below can be taken in any 38th Company detachment aside from an attachment Xenis. They are all considered "unique", and as such cannot be taken more than once in an army.
HQ
Warsmith Solon (280 points)
Master of the 38th Company since its inception, Solon is a Techmarine somewhat favored by Perturabo during the years before his ascension, and long disfavored by fortune in general. Unusually optimistic and earnest for an Iron Warrior, Solon would not be considered a viable Chaos Lord by any other Legion or for any other mission. Even the Iron Warriors, after the ascension of their Primarch, would have likely seen him exiled were it not for his fleet's productivity and success... and the fact that nobody else really wanted his job. Principle among the factors of his poor reputation is his atrocious record in duels; like any self-respecting Chaos champion, he eagerly seeks out the enemy leaders to challenge and defeat them before his troops, and unlike the other Chaos Champions quite consistently loses in the effort. It is considered testament to his personal endurance and the fantastic quality of his wargear that he actually survives each defeat to be rebuilt and take to the battlefield again.
Over millennia of augmetic rebuilds and after whatever happened to him on Malgotha, Solon has been built into a veritable metal monster, much more akin to the leaders of the Dark Mechanicus than the other Lords of Chaos. It's doubtful that he even maintains any shred of Astartes flesh beneath his shell of impossible machines and ensorcelled metal. And yet, few question that the hulking monstrosity that commands the 38th Company is the same Techmarine that once protected the supply lines of the Primarch's own Grand Company. He still possesses the same placid, mercurial nature, the same overwhelming hatred for Slaanesh, and the same horrible luck with duels. If Nurgle truly did murder their Warsmith and replace him with some daemonic beast, then his men can't tell the difference, and honestly wouldn't care as long as he could still work.
Solon (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 4 | S: 6 | T: 7 | I: 3 | A: 3 | W: 4 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 2+ |
Unit Type: Monstrous Creature
Special Rules: Fearless, 38th Veteran, Feel No Pain, Eternal Warrior, Master of Mechanisms, Crawler, Logistics, Bad Under Pressure
Wargear: Mark of Nurgle (bonus Toughness included in profile), Fleshmetal, Drop Beacons, Mechatendrils (bonus attacks included on profile), Servo Arm, Twin-linked Heavy Bolter, Master-Crafted Power Axe, Warsmith's Armory, Personal Void Shield Generator
Crawler: A model with the Crawler special rule is not slowed by difficult terrain, but may not run.
Logistics: Warlord Trait. Solon's organizational skills and support ensures that his army has all the tools they need to get the job done... so at least he won't be able to blame any losses on inadequate supply. If Solon is the Warlord, then up to two units in Solon's detachment may be re-classified as Troops in his detachment's Force Organization table. This may even be used to re-classify and take additional fortifications, although in this case it does not give the buildings selected any other qualities of Troops units (such as being able to hold objectives).
Bad Under Pressure: Solon is infamously inept in confrontations with enemy leaders, despite being powerful enough to shred most capable troops of lesser distinction. It's almost as if he loses as a matter of dramatic necessity or something.
While engaged in a challenge, Solon's attack rolls suffer a -1 modifier. His servo arm attack, meanwhile, can only hit the opponent on a roll of a 6. In both cases, an unmodified 6 is always a hit. Solon's opponent in the challenge benefits from a +1 modifier to all their attacks, although a roll of 1 will always miss.
Drop Beacons: These signal beacons allow for the deployment of reinforcements to advanced positions, as well as the deployment of fixed turret emplacements to give local infantry heavy weapon support. Any units Deep Striking to a position within 6" of a unit with Drop Beacons will not scatter.
Warsmith's Armory: Solon has a prodigious supply of weaponry at his disposal, and often switches between them before a new engagement. During deployment, and not before or after, Solon must choose one of the following weapons as his arm cannon. They do not count as master-crafted, being fairly experimental designs.
Pulse Laser | Range: 48" | S: 9 | AP: 2 | Heavy 2, Primary Weapon
Heavy Chaingun | Range: 36" | S: 6 | AP: 4 | Heavy 5, Rending, Shred
Singularity Pulse Cannon | Range: 18" | S: D | AP: 2 | Heavy 1, Blast
Blacksteel Mortar | Range: 12"-48" | S: 4 | AP: 5 | Barrage 4, Blast, Ignores Cover
Personal Void Shield Generator: This device generates a Void Shield possessing a single layer. Any Shooting attacks against a unit with a Void Shield are made against the shield, and made against an AV 12 vehicle hull. Armor and Invulnerable Saves granted to the model carrying the shield may not be taken against this damage until the shield has fallen, although Cover Saves may be taken as normal. Any Glancing or Penetrating Hits against the shield will drop a single layer. Roll the damage for each hit one at a time. After the Void Shield collapses, any subsequent hits during the same attack will be made against the target possessing the generator. At the end of the owning player's turn, a fallen Void Shield layer can be regenerated on a roll of 4+.
Sliver (180 points)
Vice-Commander of the 38th Company, Sliver is often thought of as the "true" leader of the Iron Warrior forces. To be sure, he commands the respect of its Chaos Space Marines, the hardened backbone of the fleet, but his presence serves to quell unrest more than it inspires his troops to greatness. Under weaker leaders such as Solon and his Warpsmiths, the fleet would likely break apart into infighting and mutiny as its embittered Chaos warriors seek release from their tiresome assignment. Sliver quells such feelings with ease, presenting a worthwhile leader who betrays genuine sympathy for their frustrations, while at the same time stamping out disloyalty. It is upon Sliver's heavy shoulders that the Iron Warriors rest their hopes, and he bears their burden with grim determination even as those hopes are dashed time and time again.
When it comes to the greater operation of the 38th Company, however, Sliver struggles. He is a warrior and strategist, brilliant, ferocious, and bearing more experience than any living Imperial Astartes. Yet he has no head for technology or complex logistics, and managing the needs of mortals quickly wears on him. While he can empathize easily with his brother Astartes, he views others as simple tools to be used and expended; not a rare attitude, certainly, but he would surely be a much harsher master than Warsmith Solon to the Company's mortal and cyborg contingents, and laugh off the efforts and concerns of businessmen like Norris Delgan. They, at least, are quite happy that the Vice-Commander seems curiously content with being second in command.
Sliver (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 6 | S: 5 | T: 5 | I: 4 | A: 3 | W: 4 | Ld: 10 | Sv: 2+/5++ |
Special Rules: Independent Character, 38th Veteran, Fearless, Feel No Pain, Champion Aura, Master Tactician
Wargear from the Forge of the Warsmith: Mark of Nurgle (bonus Toughness included in profile), Viral Scourge, Siege Hammer, Rift Armor, Drop Beacons
Champion Aura: All friendly units within 12" of Sliver count as having his Leadership value. When Sliver engages an enemy in a challenge, this ability also gives friendly units within 12" the Zealot special rule. If Sliver wins the challenge or the enemy unit flees combat while he is engaged in a challenge, then from then on friendly units within 12" of Sliver will benefit from his Leadership value, the Zealot special rule, AND the Crusader special rule. No further benefits are gained from subsequent challenges.
Master Tactician: Warlord Trait. If Sliver is your Warlord, then he may choose to give the Infiltrate, Deep Strike, or Scout special rules to up to three units in the detachment during the army's deployment. These may not be assigned to vehicles or Monstrous Creatures. If a unit being given a special rule has a dedicated transport, then it automatically gains the same rule so long as the attached unit is deployed while embarked inside it. Independent Characters deploying with an upgraded unit must be given the same special rule separately from the unit it is deploying with.
Viral Scourge: A horrifying toxin cannon that sprays a "blessed" spread of filth across enemy lines. This weapon seeps through the cracks of armor in order to corrode the flesh beneath, and even those safe behind tightly sealed armor find their movements restricted as the repulsive compounds harden around them. The Viral Scourge is a ranged weapon with the following profile:
Viral Scourge | Range: Template | S: 4 | AP: 4 | Assault 1, Torrent, Poison (3+), Harden |
Harden: When resolving this attack against vehicles, after resolving the initial damage, make an additional roll. On a 5+ the vehicle is Immobilized (this effect does not cause Hull Point damage). In addition, any unit hit by a weapon with this special rule acts as if it is moving through difficult terrain for a full game turn (if this weapon was used via Overwatch, this includes the charging unit's immediate assault move). This has no effect against Super-Heavy Vehicles or Gargantuan Creatures.
The Viral Scourge, like all wargear built by Solon, is Master-Crafted. It may re-roll up to one wounding or armor penetration die when used.
Siege Hammer: A surprisingly light and balanced weapon, the Siege Hammer administers a devastating strike to fell armored targets while still being considerably faster than the infamous thunder hammer. The Siege Hammer is a melee weapon with the following profile:
Siege Hammer | Range: M | S: User + 2 | AP: 2 | Melee, Two-Handed, Armourbane, Strikedown |
Rift Armor: A suit of Terminator Armor created using scraps of Eldar Warp Spiders. Presumably those "scraps" refer to technological artifacts found in their suits, although there's definitely a hostile soul trapped within the plate... The Rift Armor allows Sliver and his Rusted Brotherhood a degree of mobility that no other Terminators enjoy. In addition to a deployment teleport, their suits can power up and calculate new teleports rapidly, allowing them to cross the battlefield in an instant to bring themselves within killing range of a foe that probably thought themselves at a safe distance. It isn't clear how such powerful and sensitive technology remains functional under the corrosive influence of Nurgle's gifts. Such is the mastery of Solon's wargear.
A unit in which all the models are equipped with Rift Armor can choose to teleport rather than making a normal move in the Movement Phase. In order to do this, it selects a point on the battlefield within line of sight. The unit is then removed from the board and then deep strikes onto that new position. This teleport move has all the usual restrictions and rules for deep striking such as scatter and cannot charge during that turn's Assault Phase, exactly as if it had arrived normally from Reserves.
Tellis (150 points)
Tellis is a combination of Khorne Berserker, Chaos Raptor, and a clown. Possessing an almost pathological contempt for authority and the attention span of an absent-minded fish, in any other warband he would have been abandoned or murdered by his compatriots in short order for his childish behavior and absolute disregard for strategy. Even other Berserkers regard him as unreliable and insane. Only his fantastic skill at arms and obscene staying power - much of which is mainly thanks to Solon's wargear - can justify the Company's continued tolerance of his presence. Over time they have learned to manipulate the Mad Angel into doing what they want, but even so his contributions to an operation is usually weighed against all the different ways in which he hindered it. To his credit, the net effect is USUALLY beneficial for the Iron Warriors.
Tellis also has the dubious distinction of liking ponies much more than any of the other Iron Warriors, and has even come to desire protecting them. He finds Equine society far more enjoyable than the military drudgery of the fleet, and spends as much time as he can mingling with ponies and fighting the numerous large, magical predators that live around Equestria. This affection is absolutely not mutual.
Tellis (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 7 | S: 5 | T: 4 | I: 5 | A: 5 | W: 4 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 2+/5++ |
Special Rules: Independent Character, 38th Veteran, Fearless, Furious Charge, Friendship is Logical, Tactics are for Nerds, Shield of Khorne, Throw Pony
Wargear from the Forge of the Warsmith: Mark of Khorne, 2 Lightning Claws (bonus attack included on profile, each weapon provides a re-roll to hit), Bloodscream Armor, Frag and Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs
Tactics are for Nerds: Tellis does not take up an HQ slot on your Force Organization chart and may never be an army's Warlord. Furthermore, other models do not benefit from either his Fearless special rule nor his Leadership value if he is attached to a unit. Units with Tellis attached who do not otherwise have the Fearless rule take Morale and Pinning Checks as normal and are affected separately from him, acting as if Tellis is a different unit. If the unit decides to Go To Ground or is compelled to do so by a Pinning Check, then Tellis receives no Cover Save bonus and may detach and move from the unit freely on his next turn. If the unit fails a Morale Check, then it automatically separates from Tellis and retreats as normal, leaving him behind.
Shield of Khorne: Deny the Witch attempts against psychic powers targeting Tellis or his unit succeed on a 3+ for each die used. This is cumulative with any other bonuses, up to a maximum of 2+.
Throw Pony: Tellis is infamous for many things, among them using his equine allies as improvised projectiles. He is a bad person for doing this. It is a terrible idea and should never be attempted.
Any time Tellis is in "gliding mode" and also within 2" of one of the following pony models, he may initiate a special attack. Declare this at the end of the Movement Phase, and then remove the pony model. The pony model is placed back onto the battlefield after the completion of the effect listed below unless it is removed as a casualty. After that it should be expected that the first tendrils of guilt creep into the player's blackened soul, because you are a monster. If the player chooses not to resolve the ability, then the pony model is placed back onto the battlefield within 2" of Tellis at the start of the player's next Movement Phase. Either way, Tellis is unable to move, shoot, or declare an assault aside from resolving this ability. His ammunition victims are likewise unable to perform any further actions during this player turn, including striking blows in close combat, even if resolving the ability returns the model to the battlefield before the turn is over.
Twilight Sparkle - Smart Bomb! Tellis chooses an enemy target within 24" during the Shooting Phase. The attack does not scatter, and the impact has the following profile:
S: 7 | AP: 4 | Assault 1, Blast, Pinning
Treat the damage from this attack as if it were from a Barrage weapon (that is, models taken as a casualty come from those closest to the center of the template). After the attack is resolved, Twilight Sparkle takes a single Wound with no saves of any kind allowed. If she is not removed as a casualty, Twilight Sparkle is placed as close as possible to the center of the blast template's location while still staying 1" from any enemy models.
Rarity - Silver Lance! Tellis chooses an enemy target within 18" during the Shooting Phase. The attack has the following profile:
S: 8 | AP: 2 | Assault 1, Instant Death
After the attack is resolved, Rarity takes a single Wound with no saves of any kind allowed. If she is not removed as a casualty, then she is placed as close as possible to the model that was struck by the attack - either in its place if the model was removed, or next to it if it survived - while remaining 1" away.
Applejack - Apple Shield! Tellis may make an immediate 6" move, testing for difficult and dangerous terrain as if he did not have a jump pack. This may be in addition to any movement he already made this phase. He may not shoot, but in the Assault Phase he may attempt to charge as normal, again without using his jump pack. If he does complete a charge he inflicts d6 Hammer of Wrath hits at Strength 5. He may drop Applejack after a successful charge, or hold onto her until the player's next Movement Phase, in which case she's dropped automatically. In either scenario she is placed within 2" of Tellis, or as close as possible, and if he is in combat then she is automatically engaged and may attack during the next Assault Phase. Until she is dropped, all Unsaved Wounds against Tellis are allotted to Applejack instead, but Tellis's Attacks characteristic is reduced to 1.
Pinkie Pie - Sugar Crash! Unlike other effects, do not remove Pinkie Pie's model before engaging this ability. During the Shooting Phase, place the Large Blast template so that the edge of the template touches the edge of Pinkie Pie's base. Each unit under the template suffers a number of Strength 6 AP 4 hits equal to the number of models under the template. This may include units locked in close combat. After this has been resolved, turn Pinkie's model to lay face-down upon the table. Pinkie Pie cannot act, including striking blows in close combat, and any hits against her will strike her rear armor value until the beginning of the player's next Movement Phase.
Rainbow Dash - Atomic Rainbomb! During the Shooting Phase, choose an enemy unit within 24". Resolve a hit against that unit with the following profile, scattering as normal:
S: 9 | AP: 3 | Assault 1, Large Blast
After the attack, Rainbow Dash is removed as a casualty. There ain't no coming back from that.
Fluttershy - Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a... Where'd You Go? During the Shooting Phase, choose an enemy unit within 12". Resolve a hit against that Fluttershy and the target unit with the following profile:
S: 3 | AP: - | Assault 1
Fluttershy is placed as close as possible to the target model, or replaces the target model if it was removed, staying at least 1" away from all enemy models. Her cloaking field engages immediately.
Bloodstone Armor: Daemon armor. This armor suit provides a 2+ Armor Save, the Daemon special rule, and incorporates a flight pack that makes Tellis unit type: Jump Infantry and grants Ace Flyer. Finally, whenever Tellis inflicts at least one casualty in close combat (regardless of unit type), he gains the Feel No Pain, Eternal Warrior, and It Will Not Die special rules until the beginning of his next Assault Phase.
Serith (180 points)
The 38th Company's High Sorcerer, Serith is the single highest authority on psychic ability and arcane mysticism among the ranks of the space pirates, and the second highest authority on Chaos religion after Virgil. A rebellious outcast from the Thousand Sons Legion, Serith despises Tzeentch more than those of his fleet dedicated to Nurgle, eternal enemy of the God of Change. While this attitude is mostly helpful to his peers, Serith is largely uninterested in the combat operations and success of the 38th Company at large, and his indifference is decidedly less helpful. He is unpopular and mistrusted, and for good reason. Yet he is indisputably more experienced and capable than the few other psykers in the 38th Company (previous to taking on a small army of unicorns, that is). Although the fleet could likely do without his service, Solon has repeatedly rejected suggestions to be rid of the Sorcerer.
Serith's enmity for Solon is quite regrettable and somewhat mystifying, since Solon is entirely responsible for his survival and success amongst the 38th Company. Having fallen victim to one of his own magical experiments, Serith's body was obliterated long ago, rendering him little more than a willful Rubric Marine. It was Solon who created a device to restore Serith's consciousness, saving his soul and rendering the Sorcerer more powerful than ever. Serith is profoundly ungrateful for the Warsmith's efforts.
Serith (character) | BS: 4 | WS: 4 | S: 4 | T: 4 | I: 3 | A: 3 | W: 3 | Ld: 8 | Sv: 3+/4++ |
Special Rules: Independent Character, Psyker (Level 3), Sorcerer Golem
Wargear: Power Armor, Force Halberd, Psykant Occulus, Black Tome
Sorcerer Golem: Serith is little more than an armored suit animated by telekinesis, his senses fed from several electronic sensors into the arcane device that contains his mind and soul. This device, incidentally, is cleverly located in his abdomen rather than his chest or head, where enemies usually inflict their killing blows. This device is also unusually sturdy in the face of psychic feedback, which is always a great boon for a psyker.
Serith suffers a penalty to his Initiative, already included on his profile above. However, he also has an Invulnerable Save of 4+ and the Feel No Pain special rule. When Serith suffers a Perils of the Warp result from a psychic test, he may take a Feel No Pain save against any resulting wounds, and will succeed on a 3+ rather than the usual 5+.
Force Halberd | Range: M | S: User +1 | AP: 2 | Melee, Two-handed, Force, Master-Crafted
Psykant Occulus: This unique piece of wargear was developed specifically to deal with duels of sorcerous power. It absorbs and defuses bolts of psychic energy, rendering the bearer almost immune to attack... unless the enemy has a gun or something.
When a Witchfire, Focussed Witchfire, or Beam psychic power is successfully channeled with Serith or his unit as a target, the Psykant Occulus immediately generates one bonus die to Deny the Witch. This die may only be used to Deny this particular psychic power. All dice used to Deny the Witch against this power will succeed on a 2+.
Black Tome: A mysterious book that Serith coyly hints may come from the coveted Black Library of the Eldar. It probably wasn't. There's a lot of black stuff out there that doesn't have anything to do with the Eldar's library. The cover is black. It probably just gets its name from that.
The Black Tome may be used once per game at the beginning of any Psychic Phase (either the owning player's, or the opponents) after the die to determine the starting pool of Warp charge is rolled. It will either double the amount of Warp Charge generated by friendly psykers, if used during the owning player's turn, or reduce the number of dice generated by enemy psykers to zero if used during the opponent's turn.
Serith selects powers from the Telepathy school of psychic powers. In addition, he knows the Disassembly and Shatter Rubric powers.
Disassembly (Warp Charge 2) - Disassembly is a Malediction psychic power that targets a single enemy vehicle within 18". Make three unmodified rolls on the vehicle damage table, and apply all three results to the vehicle. No hull point damage is suffered by the vehicle unless an immobilized vehicle suffers an immobilized result or an immobilized result is rolled more than once. If the vehicle is in a unit, one model in the unit must be chosen as the target.
Shatter Rubric (Warp Charge 2) - A customized ritual created by Serith to be uniquely harmful to Daemons, and in particular the servants of Tzeentch. Shatter Rubric is a Malediction power that targets a single unit. Any invulnerable save possessed by the target is nullified so long as the power is in effect. If this power is used on a unit of Thousand Sons, then it additionally causes 1d6 Wounds with no saves of any kind allowed. These Wounds must be allocated to the unit's Rubric Marines; they may not be allotted to the unit Sorcerer.
Elites
Norris Delgan (55 points)
Trademaster of the 38th Company's fleets, Delgan at first seems like an odd man out among the 38th Company. While Chaos Cults aren't unheard of among the commercial rogues and nobility of the Imperium, such individuals usually find that their wealth and status count for little among the destructive anarchy and fanatical carnage of Chaos when it ascends to power. Delgan, as it so happened, had lost most of his much earlier during an exodus from the Imperium, and through either luck or sheer hard-nosed gumption managed to build a functioning corporate enterprise off the deck of a Chaos pirate fleet.
Chaos Space Marines often make for awkward pirates. While they are unmatched warriors, they have little understanding of commerce and the various uses for materials and products that aren't weapons or basic utilities. That they could trade those "useless" objects for wargear and useful components rarely survives beyond an abstract idea to the Astartes, and the concept of supplying mortal servants with anything more than basic sustenance and equipment is nearly unheard of. It didn't take a man of Delgan's intellect to think of these things, but it did take a man of his cunning and charisma to successfully pitch the idea to a band of giant, daemon-powered, murderous cyborgs.
Delgan (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 6 | S: 4 | T: 3 | I: 5 | A: 5 | W: 2 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 5+ |
Special Rules: Independent Character, Crusader, Wealth is Power, Clean Break
Wargear: Adamyte Mesh Coat, Laspistol, Combat Boosters, 2 Master-crafted Power Swords (dual weapon bonus included on profile; each weapon provides a re-roll to hit), Eldar Deflection Bracers, Drop Beacons
Wealth is Power: Delgan's personal stock of supplies can be deployed whenever he deems it necessary to the success of a mission, and naturally he usually deems it necessary when he finds himself in the line of fire. Select any two infantry units in Delgan's detachment that can take heavy or special weapon upgrades (but not general armory upgrades, such as for unite commanders). Those two units may purchase two additional weapon upgrades each in addition to their normal allotment.
Clean Break: Delgan is a skilled and vicious combatant, striking at the enemy wherever he senses weakness. When no weakness is to be found, however, he shows equal skill in abandoning a losing battle. Delgan and any unit he is attached to has the Better Part of Valor special rule. In addition, Delgan rolls 2d6 and adds both dice to the highest Initiative in his unit when an enemy unit attempts a Sweeping Advance against him or his attached unit.
Adamyte Mesh Coat: A coat fabricated from alien materials, this fabric is as effective as Flak armor, and several times more fashionable. The Adamyte Mesh Coat provides a 5+ Armor Save.
Combat Boosters: A potent series of chemical enhancers that Delgan uses to enhance reflexes, increase strength, and stave off pain and exhaustion. Delgan's Combat Booster increase Weapon Skill, Strength, Initiative, and Attacks by 1, all of which are included on his profile.
Eldar Deflection Bracers: A pair of close-combat armlets that project small energy shields. Too small to protect the user from incoming gunfire, but perfectly sized and situated to deflect attacks in melee if used by a skilled fighter.
The Eldar Deflection Bracers grant an Invulnerable Save in close combat only. The save granted is identical to Delgan's roll to hit in the melee against the unit attacking him. This is usually a 3+ if his Weapon Skill is better, and 4+ if his Weapon Skill is the same or worse than his opponents. This can be changed by abilities or Wargear that affect his rolls to hit, such as the Invisibility psychic power. If Delgan is fighting against an entire unit, use their majority Weapon Skill to determine his save. If he is fighting a challenge, then use the Weapon Skill of the opposing challenger to determine the Invulnerable Save, regardless of where a given attack actually came from.
Dest (90 points)
Dest is an oddity in the 38th Company, mostly in the sense that he has a good excuse for being a detached, brooding maniac, but generally declines to do so. Abducted from the Imperial Fists Legion while still a Scout, he was convinced to join the Iron Warriors and then generally neglected by his peers and superiors. Mistrusted by his comrades and possessed of none of the crucial skills of an Iron Warrior, Dest was assigned to the transport pool to wallow in obscurity. And surely he would have, had he not been assigned to a simple recon mission that snowballed into a major engagement on Centaur III. The brief firefight on Sweet Apple Acres kicked off a sequence of events that would fundamentally change the lost Space Marine emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
After the completion of the Nethalican and the victory over the Orks (again), Dest found himself one of the Possessed, a class of shock trooper enhanced by a daemonic spirit and then further modified by the tinkering of the Dark Mechanicus. It is unclear why, after spending so much effort to create an experimental new trooper, the 38th Company allows him to set his own agenda and even keep his part-time job at a Ponyville bakery. Even more bizarrely, he still functions mainly as a Rhino driver even when he is deployed in a battle zone. Beside it being a waste of his new abilities, it really is hard on the Rhinos, few of which survive having him as a pilot.
Dest (Rhino) | BS: 4 | FA: 11 | SA: 11 | RA: 10 | HP: 3 |
Unit Type: Vehicle
Transport Capacity: 10 models (cannot transport bulky, very bulky, or extremely bulky models)
Fire Points: 2
Special Rules: Tank, Repair, "Lucky" Pilot
Wargear: Combi-bolter, Smoke Launchers
Dest (Character) | BS: 4 | WS: 6 | S: 5 | T: 5 | I: 5 | A: 5 | W: 3 | Ld: 7 | Sv: 3+/5++ |
Unite Type: Infantry
Special Rules: Independent Character, Fearless, Friendship is Logical, Daemon, Rage
Wargear: Bolter, Frag and Krak Grenades, Daemonic Carapace, Warpflame, Quicksilver Talons
"Lucky" Pilot: Dest is initially deployed in his Rhino. This vehicle is identical to any other unmodified Rhino transport, but will suffer a +1 result to any rolls on the Vehicle Damage chart caused by Penetrating Hits. In addition, if and when Dest's Rhino explodes, the detonation is at Strength 6 rather than 4. When the Rhino is wrecked, however, Dest immediately emerges as an infantry unit with the second profile listed on his entry. When Dest takes to the field this way, he is placed anywhere within 6" from the Rhino wreckage (or the perimeter of the hull previous to the explosion) so long as he is more than 1" away from any enemy models, and may act as normal from that point on, including declaring an assault.
Daemonic Carapace: This modified power armor has been tinkered with extensively to assist the daemonic spirit that now contaminates it... as well as containing a few critical failsafes in case its sense of autonomy goes too far. This power armor suit increases the bearer's Toughness and Wounds characteristics by 1, already included on Dest's profile.
Warpflame: Warpflame is an additional shooting weapon with the following profile.
Warpflame | Range: Template | S: 5 | AP: 5 | Assault 1
Quicksilver Talons: A set of free-mutating claws and blade-wielding servo limbs, these weapons have been enhanced by twitch-activated power fields and liquid-metal core elements that harden according high-intensity combat conditions. These weapons are especially useful to Dest's double-consciousness, since it gives his "assistant" daemonic spirit something to do besides struggle with him for control of their main killing tools.
The Quicksilver Talons encompass all of the bladed weapons Dest has available (plus any extra ones that sprout during a fight). These weapons may re-roll one hit die and one wounding die in each Assault Phase (on top of any other re-rolls Dest may be entitled to). They have the following profile:
Quicksilver Talons | R: M | S: User | AP: 4 | Melee, Rending
Rusted Brotherhood (110 points)
The most hallowed and mightiest of the 38th Company's veterans, the Rusted Brotherhood is a force Sliver assembled himself after his submission to the Cult of Nurgle. As the Company lacks an elite strike force, it often suffered failures when launching pinpoint assaults upon critical, well-defended objectives. Once Solon had "recovered" from his experience at Malgotha and Sliver found himself empowered by the Plague God, the Vice-Commander decided that it was time to make use of the new tools they had available. The Rusted Brotherhood is composed of soldiers unfailingly loyal and unusually capable. Other requirements included a devastating, enhanced training regimen and a full conversion to the Cult of Nurgle. Few were both willing and able to fulfill the requirements; suffice to say, the Rusted Brotherhood is a far more exclusive group than the Terminator squads of other Legions.
Each Brother is fitted with powerful weapons and Terminator Armor similar to Sliver's own, and then altered with a concoction of infectious elixirs that almost perfectly mirrors that of the Death Guard's brutal Plague Marines. The result is a small force with terrifying staying power, almost invincible even compared to other Astartes. They do suffer one rather awkward drawback, however: such is their respect and personal reverence for Sliver that they have come to act less as a primary strike force and more as his personal guard. They prioritize the Vice-Commander's life over their mission objectives, and have been known to refuse direct orders from Warsmith Solon if they believe Sliver has not reviewed them. Sliver has been reluctant to criticize their behavior, unfortunately. That's the funny thing about loyalty; sometimes it works both ways.
Rusted Warrior | BS: 4 | WS: 5 | S: 5 | T: 5 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 2 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 2+/5++ |
Unit Composition: 2 Rusted Warriors
Special Rules: 38th Veterans, Feel No Pain, Fearless, Sliver's Guard
Wargear from the Forge of the Warsmith: Rift Armor (bonuses already applied above), Mark of Nurgle, Combi-Weapon, Power Weapon
Sliver's Guard: If Sliver is included in a detachment with the Rusted Brotherhood, he must be deployed attached to the unit. Although he may detach from the unit freely, no other Independent Character may join a Rusted Brotherhood unit. So long as Sliver is attached to the unit, the Rusted Brotherhood automatically succeeds in any Look Out Sir! attempts the owning player decided to make.
Any Rusted Warrior may upgrade his power weapon for a power fist for 15 points, or a chainfist for 25 points.
Up to 3 additional Rusted Warriors may be added to the unit at a cost of 55 points each.
Troops
Wyatt Daniels (35 points)
A mercenary in heart and soul, Daniels would be completely unremarkable amongst the 38th Company's legions of human servants, slaves, and gun fodder but for his fortune in being part of the unit that stumbled upon Sweet Apple Acres during the opening phase of the Emerald Dawn War. An amoral opportunist and disciplined pragmatist, Daniels proved inoffensive enough to make friends with the native ponies easily. While most sane individuals find the Iron Warriors intimidating and the Dark Mechanicus inexplicably intimidating and boring, the mercenaries seem positively relatable by comparison. Daniels benefits by being generally more sane and rational than most of his fellow traitors, and makes an absolutely minimal investment into his alignment with the forces of Chaos. This doesn't mean he's above sharing or demonstrating some spooky Cultist claptrap, but it does mean that he'll actually call it spooky Cultist claptrap.
On the battlefield he is competent, surprisingly well-armed, and nothing more. He owes his long-term survival entirely to luck and cowardice. He's never been more afraid of the guns behind him than the guns in front of him, and time and time again that judgment has been justified while fleeing from overrun positions. It's cost him his fair share of employers - and eventually pushed him out of the employ of the Imperium and into a fleet of Chaos pirates - but even a man as devoted to money as Daniels knows that his survival comes before his pay packet. Incidentally, it also comes before honor, victory, or the will of the Dark Gods, but he chooses not to advertise those points.
Daniels (character) | BS: 4 | WS: 3 | S: 3 | T: 3 | I: 4 | A: 3 | W: 2 | Ld: 8 | Sv: 4+ |
Special Rules: Independent Character, Better Part of Valor, Precision Shot, Friendship is Logical, Survivor
Wargear: Carapace Armor, Tau Rail Rifle, Tau Pulse Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frag and Krak Grenades
Survivor: Daniels knows that coming back from missions under the leadership of Chaos has less to do with martial or tactical excellence, and more to do with keeping someone else's warm body between you and all incoming fire.
Whenever Daniels takes a Wound, that Wound is automatically allocated to another model in the unit per the Look Out, Sir! rule. No roll is required, and Daniels may not choose to take the Wound so long as there is another model that can take the Wound for him. In any situation in which the Look Out, Sir! rule cannot be used, such as in a challenge or when he is out of friendly models within 6", this rule has no effect.
Drop Rigs
Drop rigs are a specialty of the 38th Company; a hold-over from the pre-Heresy days of the Iron Warriors, when the Legion had access to the finest technology and the nigh-unlimited resources of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They have consequently fallen out of favor with much of the Iron Warriors Legion as it adapted to its new tactics as a rogue force fighting against the Imperium, but the 38th Company maintains the wealth in munitions and Mechanicus personnel for them to remain a viable deployment option.
Although any army can set up some purpose-built barricades before the battle, and even install a bunker right in the path of incoming enemies, the 38th Company's missions often demand that fortifications be installed well behind enemy lines and in the midst of enemy assaults. To that end, extra guns and fortifications are dropped into combat in the same manner as drop pods (which, incidentally, the Iron Warriors make almost no use of). This allows them to harden certain parts of the firing line depending on the changing nature of the battle, although it also sometimes happens that the fortifications arrive too late, or even land in a position more advantageous to the advancing enemy...
Unlike the other entries on this supplement, Drop Rigs are not unique models, and can be purchased as part of a 38th Company detachment. They do not take up Force Organization slots, but a detachment may take one rig per 500 points allotted to that detachment. They may also be included in a Detachment Xenis, despite not coming from the Tau Codex or the associated supplement.
Drop Rigs function like units being held in Reserve for Deep Strike, being rolled for over the natural course of the game. They are subject to all of the normal rules and modifiers, enter play exactly like a Deep Striking unit, and can Mishap exactly like a Deep Striking unit. The only exception is that - because they are not active enemy models but "neutral" structures and emplacements - they may be placed within 1" of enemy models while Deep Striking (but not on top of them). Once in play, Drop Rigs may be used immediately... by whoever reaches them first.
Pillbox (50 points)
Pillboxes are small buildings that provide armored protection for an immobile fire team. Excellent protection for a heavy weapons unit under fire, although they can't withstand heavy punishment.
Pillboxes have AV 12 on all sides, 4 Hull Points, and a model capacity of 10. The firing slits should offer line of sight for 5 models in any direction. Typically there is one entrance, in the rear of the fortification.
Bunker (80 points)
Bunkers are heavier defensive points for more intense combat. They're still fairly small, due to the design limitations of being dropped from orbit and deploying almost instantly, but they're better hardened for attack, especially from above.
Bunkers have AV 13 on all sides, 6 Hull Points, and a model capacity of 15. The defensive plating is heaviest on the ceiling, so when taking impacts from Barrage weapons, Bombs, or shooting attacks from Flyers in Zooming mode or Swooping mode, treat it as AV 14. The firing slits should offer line of sight for 5 models in any direction. Typically there is one entrance, in the rear of the fortification.
Mine Field (25 points)
These rigs instantly scatter clusters of highly sensitive and self-camouflaging explosive charges into a small area; ideally, an area that the enemy must navigate but the user needn't approach, ever. Mark the final scatter location of the "dispenser" (ideally represented by a model no larger than an inch in diameter). All terrain within 6" of the dispenser is Dangerous Terrain for the rest of the game. Furthermore, all Dangerous Terrain Tests made as a result of the mine field fail on a 1 or a 2. Models that normally do not have to take Dangerous Terrain Tests do take them if moving through the mine field, but only fail on a roll of 1. This does not apply to any forms of movement that ignore terrain altogether, such as Jump Pack Infantry leaping over the mine field, or Skimmers.
Gun Emplacements
Gun emplacements are a staple of the 38th Company strategy, allowing outgunned infantry units access to instant anti-armor or anti-air support without having to ferry new units to the field.
Twin-linked Lascannon (40 points)
Quad Gun (50 points)
Twin-linked High-Yield Missile Pod (35 points)
Twin-linked Heavy Bolter (25 points)
SF, you the best. You the you the best.
I think Solon seem to me a little too tough, in my opinion as he is in fact has more toughness then a Deamon Prince, for which he is most certainly not. The four wounds point doe I would get it as most Nurguls minion can sock up a lot of damage. the five point strength is reasonable, seeing that his body has been augmented. I could take issue on the range weapon load out but it doesn't seem that bad
Dest seem also over powered for a Possessed Marine especially with the Flames, but his his extra point for almost every one of his stats seem to much. Even Fabius Bial can't make super soldiers that good.
3734117
Solon's Toughness is comparable to Mechanicus automata; specifically, the Kastelan Robots. It seems to me that a giant robot Astartes devoted to Nurgle should be at least as tough as the ordinary giant war bots. For comparison, for 290 points you get TWO Kastelan Robots, which are Monstrous Creatures with S10 Power Fists, Feel No Pain, and three Wounds each. Plus a Datasmith and a bunch of extra abilities. I used that to balance Solon appropriately, although I could always tack on another 20 points or so if he seems too cheap.
With Dest, being a unique, cyber-enhanced Possessed Marine means he'd have better capabilities that one of the ones that just stop at getting daemon-bonded. Likewise, Fabius Bial's super soldiers are usually created en masse and without daemonic possession or personalized cybernetic enhancement. If he were to create a super soldier with those features, then I think it would be at least as good as Dest.
This is really cool! We finally have the entire Codex good to go! :D
I almost want to learn how to play this game just so I can run an army with these guys. I'm sure someone at my local game store would let me... Even though no one really plays it.
I played alot of games in my day, but any of this crew would be terrible to face in battle. One wonders why Solon is not trained by his more battle able companions at least to flush out bad tactics. High tech seems to win battles, it's tactical in duels where he is somehow outwitted?
Throw Pony! You crazy sunofabich, you actually made rules for Tellis chucking the Mane 6 at people!
If I were to play WH40K, I'd play this army if I could get away with it, because the inclusion of Ponies and the great characters you've written mitigate the revolting aspects of Chaos Marines and make the whole prospect sound more fun.
Do tellis hate slaanesh?
3801139
Everyone hates Slaanesh.
3801166 but do Tellis hate Slaanesh most?
3801187
Hard to say.
On the one hand, he's the main Khorne worshiper, and Khorne is the main enemy of Slaanesh.
On the other hand, Tellis is pretty progressive in terms of not letting ancient grudges control his decisions (as opposed to sudden impulses). He doesn't really care about the Emperor's Children's betrayal of the Iron Warriors, and he doesn't have the deepest understanding of the Blood God's teachings and tenets.
Still, on balance he probably hates Slaanesh SLIGHTLY more than the other Iron Warriors.
3801267 well I have idea for a side story this one.
I can attest after playing against this codex in 2 apocalypse matches that it's pretty well balanced. But I'm just too damn good at playing Imperial Guard. I CANNOT BE STOPPED AHAHAHAHAHAHA
What does the "38th Veteran" special rule do?
5448848
This is an outdated supplement that I haven't updated to 8th edition yet (which is now itself obsolete, lol). Now they get a modification to the Death to the False Emperor rule, such that attack rolls of 6 in the Fight phase generate an additional attack against units with faction keyword Imperium or those with faction keyword Slaanesh.