So the Crusade has decided to use the new custom character creation in the Maelstrom supplement. It managed to leak and I'm was able to look up what options are available for Votann. I had previously decided to make a character using the AoS Kharadon Overlords Codewright model, to make an explorer Ironkin who has come back and found his Kindred destroyed. Looking at my list and the character creation, that model would basically be a regular Kahl with some different weapons replacing Uthar in the list. That is....not ideal. I like the character idea and really want to use the model, but I just don't think it will work out how I want it on the table. So, time to look elsewhere. 

Steeljack Elder. Nice. That fits with the Gnostari Dominion's theme and I like Steeljacks. Looking at the Specialisms, none of them work for the Elder so I don't have to worry about that, but the Abilities have some interesting options. I was originally going to remove Uthar/Trokk from my list to fit in this custom guy, but seeing the Teleport Crest on the Abilities list changed up my thoughts entirely. If I remove my Einhyr Champion, I can basically fit in the Steeljack Elder for just 5 less points, which is ok. It changes up my later lists as well- if I attach my Elder to the melee Steeljacks, then I can't have them with a Memnyr. So at 1500pts I remove the Memnyr and will just eat the point deficit for those games, but at 1750 I can add in an Arkanist Evaluator to the list- which means I can use that custom Codewright guy as an Evaluator! 

For weapons I have decided to give the Elder a combo of shooty and smashy- a regular Heavy Volkite from the shooty Steeljacks and then a Graviton Hammer that the Brohkyr Iron-master normally carries. The melee option was the hardest part for me, as three options looked ok- the graviton hammer, a concussion maul, and a heavy plasma axe. All three have the same attacks, 3damage, and WS, while the hammer and maul both give out Anti-Vehicle/Monster 3+. The hammer is S9, -1AP with the maul S5, -2AP, and the axe S7, -2AP. So all are pretty decent, but I think the hammer's higher strength edges out the AP just slightly. The axe is a good mid-point (though doesn't have Anti-), but an additional downside of the axe is that I would have to buy a specific bit instead of using a spare hammer I have from the Einhyr champion model. So the hammer wins out. 

This does mean my 1k list is a bit weird- the Elder is just on his own because I can't fit in the melee Steeljacks, which is not great but I can have him hold my backfield objective if nothing else. Overall I've lost the CP reroll for YP that the Champion gave the Einhyr Hearthguard (and the melee smashing that the Champion does as well), but my Steeljacks now aren't just footslogging up the board and they'll have a little bit more damage against bigger stuff with the Elder's hammer. I like the flexibility of giving them Deepstrike, and even better at 2k I'll be able to put the Thunderkyn and the Evaluator in the Land Fortress to give them some protection. 

I think I'm happy with how this will turn out. I will have a pretty unique Evaluator, which wasn't a unit I was really expecting to get, and my Steeljack force gets even larger, as even modified the Steeljack Elder will be able to be used as a Theyn for a volkite Steeljack unit outside of this Crusade. Now I just need to order those two units at the end of the month and I'll be good to go!