Star Bearers houserules

[ShasVa]

I'd like advice on the status of the houserules I've got for my DIY chapter, the Star Bearers. They have a link to an article in this forum: Star Bearers

 

Now for the houserules. I've tried to make them as not-OP as possible. Exact points costs have not been calculated yet (feel free to guess or whatever).

EDIT: Here is a link directly to the Fandex -> Star Bearers Fandex

 

Chapter Master Astrum Ferre

WS6/BS5/S4/T4/W3/I5/A4/LD10/SV2+

Wargear: Articifer Armour, Frag and Krak Grenades, Digital Weapons

- Adamantine Mantle: Confers 3+ Invulnerable save

- Star Flare: Combi-Plasma with Hellfire Ammo, plasma can fire more than once per game

- Star Sword: master-crafted Relic Blade, to-wound of 6 ignores Invulnerable saves (this was gonna be "successful wounds ignore Invulnerable saves, but would this have been OP??)

Special Rules: IC, ATSKNF, Combat Tactics, Orbital Bombardment, Relentless, Eternal Warrior

- Chapter Tactics: Replace all Combat Tactics with Stubborn

 

Chief Librarian Kel'Turr

WS5/BS4/S4/T4/W2/I4/A2/LD10/SV3+

Wargear: Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades

- Armour of Argus: Power Armour with a Psychic Hood

- Dawn Hammer: MC Force Weapon, attacks are treated as those of a Thunder Hammer

Special Rules: IC, ATSKNF, Combat Tactics

- Psyker Mastery Level 3: Knows all SM Codex powers, can use up to 3 per turn

 

Chief Reclusiarch Xurien Tahl

WS5/BS4/S4/T4/W2/I4/A2/LD10/SV3+

Wargear: Crozius Arcanum, Rosarius, Power Armour, Frag and Krak Grenades, Jump Pack

- Fist of Eredur: master-crafted Power Fist

Special Rules: IC, Combat Tactics, Liturgies of Battle, Honour of the Chapter

 

Fortrass Master of the Forge

WS4/BS5/S4/T4/W2/I4/A2/LD10/SV2+

Wargear: Articifer Armour, Conversion Beamer, Power Weapon, Frag and Krak Grenades

- Reconstructor: Allows Fortrass to re-roll failed BotO attempts

Special Rules: IC, ATSKNF, Combat Tactics, BotO, Bolster Defences, Lord of the Armoury

 

Achinon and Atrox, the Champion duo

WS5/BS4/S4/T4/W2/I4/A4/LD10/SV3+ (Achinon)

WS4/BS0/S5/T5/W3/I5/A4/LD8/SV3+ (Atrox)

Wargear (Achinon): pair of Lightning Claws, Power Armour, Frag and Krak Grenades

Wargear (Atrox): teeth and claws, Rending

Special Rules (Achinon): IC, ATSKNF, Combat Tactics, Fleet, Counter-Attack

Special Rules (Atrox): Counter-Attack

 

Note: Atrox is the largest of the Krugeri creatures native to the Star Bearers' homeworld of Pantheros. Achinon tamed him after a lengthy fight with the beast, and they became as much brothers as Achinon is with his fellow marines. The idea in their creation was to have the two of them play the role of handler and companion, much like the relationship between a cop and police-dog in real-life.

[Coryphaus 101]

The rules aren't too bad. They aren't too OTT/OP which is good although a few things are a little too good. Your chapter master needs a toning down, even if only removing the special thing on the relic blade. Relic blades are one of, if not the best close combat weapon available to Space Marines. It really doesn't need an extra buff. Also, you chief librarian is a bit too powerful. He's pretty much Tigirous who instead of Gift of Presience has a Thunder Hammer FW. Tigurous is supposed to be the best Space Marine librarian (at least among the codex chapters, BA and DA all have Psykers that can take him on). Apart from that, all's good.

[Oiad]

Yeah, have to agree, though I have no such qualms with DIY librarians who nearly rival Tigurius. The one isssue is the Invulnerable save part on the Star Blade. You don't really get weapons that ignore them anymore, unless they're attacks that ignore everything on something like an Initiative test. Instead make it like Astorath's Executioner Axe: Enemies must re-roll successful Invulnerable saves.

 

Otherwise little problem with the rule. The chapter master looks as kitted out as possible, while everyone else is very 'by-the-numbers'. Taking into account the critique above, at a guess on the points I'd go for:

 

Chapter Master Astrum Ferre: 250pts+

Chief Librarian Kel'Turr: 220pts

Chief Reclusiarch Xurien Tahl: 150pts

Fortrass Master of the Forge: 140pts

Achinon and Atrox, the Champion duo: Undecided

[ShasVa]

Thanks for the advice so far.

 

1) I agree with the change to the Star Blade. Forcing Inv. saves to re-roll is fairer than outright denying them. Star Blade is so-called because it is allegedly powerful enough to slice through almost anything (including force-fields).

2) What if Kel'turr knew select powers, could only use two per turn, and still had his Dawn Hammer?

3) Krugeri Packs are a unit specific to the Star Bearers. They'll essentially be "counts-as Fenrisian Wolves", and will have the same stats and rules. Obviously though, I'll be using actual lion minis and not the wolves (providing I find such minis).

[voi shet magir]

No, they are overpowered. They aren't game breaking: they just have over the amount of powers they can really have.

 

All Masters of the Forge are good at fixing things, that's how they became /Masters/ of the Forge. Why is your guy good enough to have a special rule?

 

Relic blades are exactly what their name implies. They are a Chapter's equivalent to the Dark Angel's Sword of Secrets, An Emperor's Champion's Black Sword, or a Space Wolves' Frost Blade. You can give yours special rules to make it less generic, but any relic blade already gets the point across that he's been trusted with some sacred artifact that has a whole story behind it. There is no reason to say it's more relic-y then other relics. The weapon itself is a gine rule, I just wonder how playing with this guy is different from using a generic Chapter Master.

 

When would you fire the hellfire bolts instead of plasma? If the answer has anything to do with 5+ armor saves or another part of a stat line, you're being disingenuous about why you actually made the rule in the first place.

 

Apart from Sicarius, the codex special captaind get one buffed piece of wargear, one special effect, and a chapter tactic. Kantor, the Chapter Master, has two special effects. His special storm bolter is barely worth noticing, and he doesn't even have artificer armor. None of the SCs do, not even Calgar's PA is artificer armor.

 

I have a special character. He kind of bogarted two other companies which he puts in grandiose campaigns, and he likes to zip around overseeing multiple battles in a land speeder. So he can use land speeders as open-topped transports. He's got a powerfist and a plasma pistol, and the land speeders have no special effects. He doesn't have any way to capitalize on his special rule by hitting the side armor of tanks with a combimelta, or taking on whole squads with artificer armor.

 

Lysander effectively came back from the dead, and Calgar is made entirely out of bionics. What's so Eternal about your Warrior?

 

The Librarian and Chaplain's weapons are perfect. They are throwbacks to when special characters were regular guys with one special thing that wasn't even that helpful.

 

The champion at least has some novelty. Explain atrox's armor save, though.

[ShasVa]

1) Atrox's Armour save can be represented by his size and his tough hide. Is 3+ too unrealistic even for a "giant cat"? Might end up dropping it back to 4+.

2) Fortrass "Reconstructor" was an attempt to copy the Astral Claws MotF, and/or the same power avaiable to GK Techmarines. Perhaps a bad addition on my part.

3) Hellfire was only put there because Plasma isn't always safe to use.

4) Is your suggestion to make the Chapter Master's Star Sword a regular MC-Relic Blade with no other effects?

5) With regards to the Star Flare, what if it was dropped back to Strength 6 like Tau weapons, and had an option to be used at Strength 7, but naturally incuring the risk of Gets Hot?

 

EDIT: Made some revisions to the fandex. Should check it out at my Google Docs page