Tactica Imperialis: August 2013

Alright, the new Space Marines codex is coming soon, and I'm actually pretty excited for it, for one reason.

According to rumor, they're adding chapter-specific rules.

This has been something I've been looking for since I started getting into the hobby, back in 3rd edition. In honor of this, I present some fluff-y rules for chapters, as I feel I will think the rules insufficient in the end, regardless. These are meant to demonstrate how the chapters worked as I read of them in fluff and other sources. If you don't like how they work, then fine, but please comment on how.

Links are provided to various wikis about the Chapters. Some are for the 1d4chan wiki, which is the most entertaining of the wikis (and the writers do know their fluff), but some of it is NSFW content (of the foul language variety). Be warned.

White Scars
I think these guys have gotten it the worst. This one also gets the biggest makeover. So I present the following, with a few tweaks along the way. I've changed some things around here, just to make it a little more in the flavor of the chapter, in my opinion, and to make up for certain things. Such as placing Terminators and Dreads in Heavy Support, as they tend to not use many, and use them more for those roles. Also, I changed the Predators a bit and have them as Squadrons, as I think they would need it for the stuff I did.

And The Tanks are 5 pts more because the Blood Angels already did that.

According to the fluff, they specialize in bikes, fast moving vehicles, and hit-and-run strategies. They don't trust slow moving vehicles or armor (they allow whirlwinds because of their range), and putting their men in Dreadnoughts goes against their personal beliefs, so those are usually not seen in White Scars armies.

Chapter Rules:

Sacrifice Combat Tactics for Hit-And-Run to all models on bikes.
All Independent Characters must take a Space Marine Bike (price included).
All Independent Characters, Sergeants, and Veteran Sergeants on Space Marine Bikes may replace their Bolt Pistol or Close Combat Weapon for a Power Lance (20 pts). Sternguard Bike Squadron, Command Squad, and Honour Guard models (if given bikes) may take them for 15. Champions (Company or Chapter) automatically take them, increasing their point cost by 5.
The Power Lance is an AP 4, Unwieldy weapon. When a character using a Power Lance Assaults, it changes to S +2, AP 3, I +2 weapon.
Honour Guard may take Space Marine Bikes for +15 points per model.
You may take a maximum of one of any Terminator Squad and/or Dreadnought.
All Dreadnoughts MUST take a Drop Pod (price included).
Rhinos and Razorbacks may be upgraded to Fast vehicles for +5 pts/model
Additional vehicle upgrades from the codex are allowed.

Chapter Master: 160 pts

Honour Guard

Captain: 135 pts

Command Squad

Librarian: 135 pts
Chaplain: 135 pts
Master of the Forge: 135 pts

Elites

Sternguard Veteran Squad
Techmarine: 85 pts
Legion of the Damned Squad
Sternguard Bike Squadron: 175 pts (see below)

Troops

Tactical Squad: 130 pts (see below)
Scout Squad
Space Marine Bike Squad
Space Marine Scout Bike Squad

Fast Attack

Assault Squad
Vanguard Veteran Squad
Land Speeder Squadron
Space Marine Bike Squad
Attack Bike Squad
Land Speeder Storm Squadron
Scout Bike Squad

Heavy Support

Devastator Squad: 130 pts (see below)
Chogoris Pattern Predator Squadron (see below)
Chogoris Pattern Whirlwind: 90 pts
Terminator or Terminator Assault Squad: 0-1 (see above)
Dreadnought: 0-1 (see above)

Venerable Dreadnought: 200 pts
Dreadnought: 140 pts
Ironclad Dreadnought: 170 pts

Units:

Sternguard Bike Squadron.............175 pts

These are normal Sternguards, but on bikes.

1 Space Marine Biker Sergeant
2 Space Marine Bikers

Equipped with bike, bolt pistol, ccw.
Special Issue Ammunition is fired from the twin-linked bolter mounted to the bike.

When used, it does not fire as twin-linked.

May take up to 7 additional Space Marine Bikers for +35 pts/model
Any model may replace its bolt pistol for the following weapons:

flamer: +5 pts
meltagun: +10 pts
plasma gun: +15 pts

Up to two Bikers may be upgraded to Attack Bikes for +40 pts/model

They may be upgraded with multi-meltas for +10pts/model

If the squad is subject to the Combat Squad Special Rule.

Sternguard Veteran Squadron............160 pts

Sternguard Veteran Squads now include a Rhino.

May be upgraded to a Drop Pod.......free
or a Razorback.................................+5 pts

Tactical Squad............130 pts

Tactical Squads now include a Rhino.

May be upgraded to a Drop Pod.......free
or a Razorback.................................+5 pts

Devastator Squad............130 pts

Devastator Squads now include a Rhino.

May be upgraded to a Drop Pod.......free
or a Razorback.................................+5 pts

Chogoris Pattern Predator Squadron:

Vehicle, Tank, Fast
1-3 Chogoris Pattern Predators: 65 pts/model
Upgrade autocannon to twin-linked lascannon: +45 pts
It cannot be upgraded with Side Sponsons.

Chogoris Pattern Whirlwind............90 pts

Vehicle, Tank, Fast

Raven Guard

Another chapter that seems to have gotten the shaft. Trying to not only fix it up for them a bit, maybe give them a true leg up, in accordance with their preferred methods of fighting.

The Raven Guard fight using unconventional warfare, guerilla warfare, and lightning attacks. Their preferred method is to use Scouts to recon the battlefield, and designate targets for Devastator and Assault Squads, who then either take them out at range or jump in and destroy them before they have a chance to communicate with higher.

Chapter Rules:

Sacrifice Chapter Tactics for Heroic Intervention on all Jump Pack Models.
Prepared Jump:

When deploying units before the game, you must deploy at least 2 Troops. All other Raven Guard units may be placed in Reserve (even if it is more than half of your models)
In any turn where Reserves would be allowed, you may roll a leadership test for every unit you control in play. If all tests are successful, you may deploy all Raven Guard Jump units in one turn.

If a Raven Guard Independent Character is attached to a unit with Infiltrate, the unit may infiltrate as normal.
Honour Guard and Command Squads may be given Jump Packs at +10 points per model.
Only one Land Raider of any kind may be taken in a Raven Guard Army

Chapter Master

Honour Guard

Captains

Command Squad

Librarian
Chaplain
Master of the Forge

Elites

Terminator Assault Squad
Sternguard Veteran Squad
Venerable Dreadnought
Dreadnought
Ironclad Dreadnough
Techmarine
Legion of the Damned Squad
Vanguard Veteran Squad

Troops

Tactical Squad
Scout Squad
Assault Squad

Fast Attack

Assault Squad
Vanguard Veteran Squad
Land Speeder Squadron
Space Marine Bike Squad
Attack Bike Squad
Land Speeder Storm Squadron
Scout Bike Squad

Heavy Support

Devastator Squad
Thunderfire Cannon
Land Raider/Crusader/Redeemer: 0-1 (see above)
Predator
Whirlwind
Vindicator
Terminator Squad

Exorcists

Another cool little chapter that doesn't get much mention. Apparently they're a chapter full of nulls.

Special Rules:

Remove Combat Tactics Special Rule
Psychers targeting Exorcist Squads or characters with a Psychic Power test with -1 Ld (This includes Force Weapon abilities).
Deny the Witch tests made by Exorcist units always pass on a 3+. If the unit has an Independent Character attached to it (not a lone Independent Character), that increases to 2+. Deny the Witch attempts against Force Weapons are taken as normal.
All psychic powers have no effect when in assault with an Exorcist Squad (this does not apply to any vehicle, even those carrying Exorcist units or Dreadnoughts).
Any unit containing any Psychers or Daemons must take a Leadership Test with -1 Ld to assault an Exorcist Squad (this does not apply to any vehicle, even those carrying Exorcist units or Dreadnoughts). Any model attacking an Exorcist model with a Daemonic weapon must take a Ld check in the same manner to use its ability.
You may only take one Exorcist HQ choice (however you may take Command Squads and Honour Guards as normal).
Due to the fact that Exorcists have an unusually high attrition rate through indoctrination, all squads aside from Tactical and Scout Squads are 0-1 entries.
You may only take one Dreadnought of any kind.
You may not ally Exorcists with other Exorcists.

Chapter Master: 0-1

Honour Guard: 0-1

Captains: 0-1

Command Squad: 0-1

Chaplain: 0-1
Master of the Forge: 0-1

Elites

Terminator Squad: 0-1
Terminator Assault Squad: 0-1
Sternguard Veteran Squad: 0-1
Venerable Dreadnought/Dreadnought/Ironclad Dreadnought: 0-1
Techmarine: 0-1

Troops

Tactical Squad
Scout Squad

Fast Attack

Assault Squad: 0-1
Vanguard Veteran Squad: 0-1
Land Speeder Squadron
Space Marine Bike Squad: 0-1
Attack Bike Squad: 0-1
Land Speeder Storm
Scout Bike Squad: 0-1

Heavy Support

Devastator Squad: 0-1
Thunderfire Cannon
Land Raider/Crusader/Redeemer
Predator
Whirlwind
Vindicator

Salamanders

Always loved these guys...

Special Rules:

Remove Combat Tactics. All flamer and melta weapons count as twin-linked.
Any Independent Characters may take artificer armor for 5 points less than normal.
Any Independent Characters may take a Salamander Mantle for +20 points. This grants the model the Eternal Warrior USR.
Any Character model may make any of its weapons master-crafted (re-roll fails to hit) for +15 pts/weapon.

Minotaurs

Nothing much to add here. They're just pretty cool.

Side note: They're in Imperial Armour 12. Haven't read it yet.

Minotaurs are rumored to crave the assault, will often use Rhinos to get closer to the lines as quickly as possible, and are found to carry assault weapons whenever possible.

Special Rules:

Replace Combat Tactics with Counterassault.
Any model in a Tactical Squad may replace its boltgun with a bolt pistol and close combat weapon at no extra points cost.

Black Dragons

Another cool group. They're in the 21st (cursed) Founding, and suffer mutations where they grow bony spines from their wrists and head, which they use in assault.

Special Rules:

Replace Combat Tactics with Furious Charge
All models count as having an additional close combat weapon. This does not impact models (such as Assault Squads) that have a bolt pistol and close combat weapon, or models with 2-handed close combat weapons (such as relic blades).
Allies of Convenience with other Space Marines.
Desperate Allies with Dark Angels and Grey Knights.

Soul Drinkers/Blood Ravens

I am going to go off of fluff for these, and this is fairly simple. They may take Chaos allies as Battle Brothers to reflect corrupted/mutated members of their chapter, the Warlord may upgrade any chainswords, power weapons, or lightning claws they own to Daemonic Weapons for +15 pts each.

Well, there you have it. Figured it would be fun to get all this stuff down. Somebody go play with some of these rules, tell me what you think.

Alright, I know I haven't posted in quite a while, but life is...weird... right now. That being said, this post is about a few ideas I've been kicking around, and will also post an army I've been working on.

Imperial Guard Spam Platoon:

The platoon consists of:

Command Squad, with Chimera
2 Infantry Squads, with Chimera
4 Heavy Weapons Squads, combined into 2 6-gun squads

You're probably already seeing where this is going. Keep your IS's on the ground. Load up their Chimeras with your HW squads, using the Chimeras to cover your troop movements. Your IS's are a counterassault element now. The fact that your HWS's are in vehicles means that you are not as hindered during movement. Not to mention that they can hold an objective while castling, and stationary fire 7 Heavy Weapons into an enemy (if loaded entirely with heavy bolters, that's 21 shots. I would use 3 missile launchers, 2 heavy bolters, and an autocannon, for 14-15 [3 missiles, 3 multilaser shots, and either 9 heavy bolter shots, or 6 and 2 autocannon).
To add insult to injury, use an additional HW or Special Weapons Squad, combined into the Command Squad.

Gunnery Sergeant Harker:

He can be used one of 2 ways:

Give the squad Camo Cloaks, Sniper Rifles, and a missile launcher or autocannon. Infiltrate them onto an objective. Thanks to the snare mines and sniper rifles, they can keep your opponent at bay, and deny some of his movements, long enough for your army to catch up.
Give the squad Demolitions, and melta guns. No heavy weapons. Outflank them onto the board as a mid-late game anti-tank force.

Now to discuss my idea for an army. This is still in the planning stages, I haven't even calculated points, and need to double check the rules to see if I can do a couple things. It is as follows:

Rune Priest
Command Squad with Creed
2 Squads of Grey Hunters, one in a Rhino, the other in a Drop Pod
Veteran Squad with Harker, sniper rifles, camo cloaks, Chimera
Veteran Squad with Sgt Bastonne, melta guns, heavy flamer, shotguns/laspistols, Grenadiers
Valkyrie Squadron
2 Squads of Long Fangs
Hydra Flak Battery

Now, the idea is as follows. Keep in mind that some things will be sacrificed for points:

Game starts with all but the drop pod GH's, Sgt Bastonne's squad, and the valkyries (carrying said squad). Long Fangs are placed in position with good lines of sight, cover and concealment. Place the Hydras centrally, using the same idea. Attach your Rune Priest to the Command Squad.
Before the game begins, infiltrate Harker on to one objective, and use Creed to infiltrate the Rhino (loaded with Grey Hunters) to either support them, or hold another obj.
First turn, Drop Pod Assault (half of 1 rounded up is 1) the remaining GH's into a support/counter position of the objective holders.
When your Valkyries come in, drop your othe Veteran Squad into a support/counterassault position. Keep your Valkyries on the board all game, targeting your opponent's troops.

And that's the jist of it. This will need tweaking and tuning, but I think it's fairly solid out of the gate...