=][= E Tenebrae Lux III =][=

[Captain Semper]

+++E TENEBRAE LUX III+++

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/ETL_2014_Poster_V6.jpg

Captain Semper was looking at the glowing green panel in front of him. On the bridge of the Lion’s Resolve, a Consecrators’ destroyer, a number of bright bleeps were gathering towards the center of the screen, and more were becoming visible around the edges.
The robed figure of Veteran Sergeant Neria of the 6th Company approach the Command Throne
- Are they all here Master?
- Yes… Yes they are Neria. More than ever before.
- This is it then? The time for the ultimate test?
- Turn on the vox Neria, I need to welcome our visitors according to the correct protocol. And then…
- Then what Master?
- Then it begins!

OVERVIEW

Welcome to the third consecutive E TENEBRAE LUX, the PCA Forum Challenge!

E TENEBRAE LUX (ETL) is an open-for-all event that aims to motivate the frater to build up their armies in solid blocks while cultivating member interaction within individual forums as well as on a cross-forum level. ETL is designed to play down the inherent disadvantage of low traffic of some forums, levelling out as much as possible the chance of victory for all.

The challenge is to paint legal units for your preferred army over a three month period and to the best of your ability. The reward is twofold: a personal and a collective one. On a personal level everyone who completes his/her vows will receive the “Custos Fidei”, the ETL badge of honour – a glorious distinction as veterans of previous ETLs will testify. On a collective level, the faction that cumulatively has the most points painted (as per relevant Codices and Army lists) wins and becomes “Primus Inter Pares” i.e. ETL Champion! In the first ETL the Black Templars emerged victorious totalling 45k pts, while last year, in the second ETL, the Dark Angels took their revenge totalling 58k pts! So who will take title this year? Remember: even a last minute hero may tip the balance!!!

For the newcomers, if you want to get a flavour of what happened in the past, here are the final reports for the two previous ETLs:

ETL I Final Report
ETL II Final Report

And for the veterans, welcome back!

THE RULES

1. ELIGIBLE FORUMS: This challenge involves all the forums and sub-forums of Bolter & Chainsword that are associated with a specific 40k Codex. Note that some forums are grouped together to form one faction for the purposes of the ETL while Horus Heresy armies can also participate as a separate faction (see “Forums and Factions” section below).

2. VOWS: Each participant MUST declare the forum (and hence the Codex/army list to be used) in his/her vow. That’s how the participants’ allegiance is defined. One cannot pledge for the Blood Angels sub-forum for example and use Codex: Space Wolves units as a vow. A choice has to be made - it’s all about faction loyalty! So make your choice and support your preferred faction to the bitter end! The vow must be officially submitted in each faction’s Strategium (see “Strategiums” section below) and will require at least two pictures: one “before” and one “after” (see Evidence of Progress in “Important Stuff” section below).

3. UNITS: Each vow should contain one or more legal units from your chosen Codex (or associated army list – more on that later). Units may be upgraded with any legal upgrades but WYSIWYG is required. Also note that upgrades that cannot be physically represented on the miniatures are not worth any points for the purposes of ETL. If in doubt of whether your vow is legal or not, feel free to raise the question (publicly or through PM) and you will receive my ruling before you commit (also see “Legal entries” and “FAQs” section below). VOWS CANNOT BE ALTERED ONCE SUBMITTED! So make sure this is what you want to do before you make it official.

The format of the vow should be the following:

I [insert name here] answer the call of E TENEBRAE LUX and vow to complete [insert units here] from [insert Codex or army list here] of total value [insert total point value here] on or before August 1st. Success will bring eternal glory to [insert Chapter/Legion/Warband/Regiment] and failure will doom me to bear the Badge of Shame until the year-end

4. TAKING FURTHER VOWS: Once a vow is complete (and not before), a new vow with additional units may be submitted but they should also be legal entries in their own right chosen from the same Codex/army list as described above, i.e. a participant cannot change allegiance during the Challenge. Each participant can make up to five (5) vows in total including the first (see “FAQs” section below). Each new vow must be clearly made according to the same format of the original vow. It should be stressed that a participant is liable for all the vows he/she makes – failing one is failing all! So think carefully before stepping-up your commitment, if you fail on the second or any subsequent vows all previous ones are lost too and will count for nothing!

5. THE WINNERS: Participants who successfully complete ALL their vows will be eligible to wear the badge of honour the famous Custos Fidei! On the badge there will also be a representation of the number of vows completed. Moreover, the faction with the most completed points (as per relevant Codex or army list) in the end of the event becomes Primus Inter Pares i.e. ETL Champion! (see “Awards” section below).

TIMING OF THE EVENT

OPENING DATE: May 1st

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING: June 1st @ 17:00 GMT. Participation is declared by submitting your first vow.

ENDING: August 1st @ 17:00 GMT

All participants MUST make their first vow by June 1st (17:00 GMT) the latest. People that have not submitted a vow by June 1st cannot participate in this year’s ETL unless as an out-of-competition entry.

It goes without saying that the final deadline will be strictly observed, so make sure you get your final touches done before that to avoid frustration.

Please note that GMT does not change from winter to summer time. Also note that deadlines will be strictly observed and the only clock that counts is the B&C clock!

FORUMS AND FACTIONS

The Factions are the teams of the ETL. Each participant must choose a Faction and stay with it throughout the event. A participant cannot join more than one Faction and cannot change Factions during the event!

The Factions of the ETL consist of either a single Forum or groups of Forums and are based around the official Codices (and units and other official lists associated with them – more on that later). In some cases this means that each B&C Forum that is associated with a Codex is a Faction in its own right. However this could create imbalances given the low traffic of some forums, thus penalizing them in a way that makes it impossible for them to win. In order to make the event more balanced and give all participants as much an equal chance to win as possible, we grouped certain forums together in forming a single Faction as shown below:

+Angels of Death Forum including ALL its sub-forums will count as one faction for the purposes of the ETL since they all use Codex: Space Marines. Collectively they’ll be known as “Angels of Death”. This reflects the developments in the hobby and the fact that Black Templars now officially use the Codex: Space Marines. HOWEVER I will record the sub-forum of origination of each vow so we’ll see which Chapter contributes the most in the Angels of Death effort. So not everything will be merged – individual sub-forums will get the opportunity to shine and make their presence felt and possibly becoming the leading element in this large and diverse Faction. Furthermore Codex: Legion of the Damned also falls in this Faction.

+Blood Angels forum is a Faction in its own right and uses Codex: Blood Angels

+Dark Angels forum is a Faction in its own right and uses the Codex: Dark Angels

+Space Wolves forum is a Faction in its own right and uses the Codex: Space Wolves

+ALL sub-forums of the Realm of Chaos Forum (i.e. Chaos Ascendant, Legio Morbidus, Throne of Skulls, Planet of Sorcerers, Legion of Excess and Liber Malificorum) will count as one faction for the purposes of the ETL. This faction utilizes two Codices: Codex: Chaos Space Marines & Codex: Chaos Daemons. These sub-forums will be collectively called “Realm of Chaos”. Participants are invited to dedicate their entry to a Chaos deity (or to Chaos Undivided) – this has no real bearing in the mechanics of the event but I’m going to record it just for fun and see how much the followers of each God contribute to the Faction’s final result! Last year the Undivided was more than 2/3 of the total pledges/completions with the remaining 1/3 divided between the deities. Will this change this year? Let’s see…

+ALL the sub-forums of the Forces of the Imperium forum AND Grey Knights forum will be counted as one faction for the purposes of the ETL, given their loose connection as non-SM Imperial forces (yes, I know GK are technically SMs). So Grey Knights, Sisters of Battle, the Mechanicum and Imperial Guard will be one faction. That Faction can draw upon five Codices: Codex: Astra Militarum, Codex: Militarum Tempestus, Codex: Grey Knights, Codex: Adepta Sororitas and Codex: Inquisition as well as any Mechanicum entry from the Horus Heresy books and/or Forge World books. They’ll be collectively known as “Forces of the Imperium”. In order to preserve individuality and honour, the origination of each vow will be recorded so the relevant contribution of each sub-forum can be measured. Unlike the Realm of Chaos faction though, the frater cannot jump from one Codex to the other. If someone makes a vow for the Imperial Guard, he/she cannot switch to Grey Knights in a subsequent vow – he/she has to stick to his/her original choice (or I’ll go crazy try tracking everything down).

+Horus Heresy forum is a standalone faction irrespective of participants’ Legion (or other faction) of choice. The defining factor here is that the units are chosen from lists in Betrayal, Massacre or Extermination books and of course any other Forge World official Horus Heresy book or supplement that may come out during the life of the event.

+Codex: Imperial Knights: This is Codex can be used by ALL Factions! Yeap, you read correctly. Every faction (including Chaos) can use Imperial Knights if they so wish. Good luck with building and painting your Knights!

To recap please see table below:

E TENEBRAE LUX III – Forums & Factions

ForumAssociated Codex FactionAngels of Death forum and ALL its sub-forums Codex: Space MarinesAngels of Death Blood Angels Codex: Blood Angels Blood Angels Dark Angels Codex: Dark Angles Dark Angels Space Wolves Codex: Space Wolves Space Wolves ALL Realm of Chaos sub-forums Codex: Chaos Space Marines & Codex: Chaos Demons Realm of Chaos Grey Knights Codex: Grey Knights AND Codex Inquisition Forces of the Imperium Sisters of Battle Codex: Adepta Sororitas Forces of the Imperium Imperial Guard Codex: Astra Militarum & Codex Tempestus Militarum Forces of the Imperium Adeptus Mechanicus HH books: Betrayal, Massacre & Extermination (Mechanicum lists) Forces of the Imperium Horus Heresy HH books: Betrayal, Massacre & ExterminationHorus Heresy

And remember: Codex: Imperial Knights can be used by all factions!

LEGAL ENTRIES

In the origins of the ETL things were simple. Each faction had one Codex to work with and that was that. However, in this day and age, there are tons of official supplements, data slates and other add-ons that demand a deferent approach. Also there was always demand to use FW army lists in the ETL, so now is the time to address them all!

GW Supplements
The factions that take part in the ETL will still generally be defined by one (or more) official Codices as mentioned above. On top of that, ANY UNIT FROM AN OFFICIAL GW SUPPLEMENT THAT EXPLICITLY STATES IT CAN BE USED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED CODEX IS ALLOWED. So Escalation, Stronghold Assault, Death from the Skies or Data Slates (Cypher, Tyranic War Veterans, etc.) are all allowed to be a part of one’s vow provided it is explicitly mentioned that the unit/item can be used in conjunction with the Codex that defines the faction. So yes, Lords of War are in!

Apocalypse
Given that formations do not cost extra points anymore and that most super-heavies are covered above, there is no restriction in using Apocalypse-only units. This is an important change compared to previous ETLs and reflects the changes in the hobby – especially the plethora of super-heavies provided by FW and GW alike as well as the clarifications on use with the various lists. So go all out if you want, but keep in mind that WYSIWYG principle applies and the units pledged should be legally used by the Codex that defines the faction! That means the units must still explicitly say in their rules that they can be used with your chosen Faction in some official GW/FW publication.

Allies
Allies are NOT allowed in the ETL. This has little to do with technical issues and more to do with the feel of the event. ETL is supposed to pit forum vs. forum and Codex vs. Codex. Since Xenos are out of the question, allies will translate mostly in mixed marine armies. So we may get to a situation where participants may use their rival armies as allies which feels totally wrong. So no allies – ETL is about making a hard choice and sticking to it until the bitter end!

Forge World
Here we have three major categories: i) vehicles that are described in Imperial Armour books 1 & 2 (second editions) and are supposed to be used as part of the Codex’ army lists, ii) FW minis used to represent alternative versions of standard Codex units and iii) the FW Imperial Armour army lists that stand apart from any particular Codex. So here is how to deal with the above:

i) Forge World has produced the Second Edition of the first and second volumes of Imperial Armour (Imperial Guard and War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes respectively) as well as the various Apocalypse supplements. These books cover all the issues with vehicles that participants may want to use along with their Codex force i.e. point values and compatibility with certain Codices. Relic vehicle rules means that, vehicles that would otherwise be reserved for the Horus Heresy setting can now be used in the 40k context and to support your preferred faction!

ii) Using Forge World minis to represent alternative versions of standard Codex units is no problem at all. Feel free to use the DKoK to represent standard Guard if you want or the various SM armour marks (even those designated “Legion”) with the standard Codex of choice. Straight forward, no?

iii) For FW 40k army lists, things are a bit less straight forward – especially given that some armies integrate elements of various factions (as per ETL definitions). As such I have worked out a table where for each list presented in the Imperial Armour series is allocated to an ETL faction. The table is based on theme rather than play style or the actual miniatures used to represent said army – i.e. The Defenders of Vraks can be viewed as predominantly an Imperial Guard list which however is allocated to the Realm of Chaos faction.

So here goes:

E TENEBRAE LUX III – FW army lists compatibility

FW publication Army list FactionImperial Armour Volume 3 – The Taros Campaign (2nd Ed.) Elysian Drop Troops Army List Forces of the Imperium [iG] Imperial Armour Volume 4 – The Amphelion Project Detachment D-99 Elysian Drop troop VeteransForces of the Imperium [iG] Imperial Armour Volume 5 – The Siege of Vraks – Part 1 DKoK Siege Regiment (6th ed. pdf update) Forces of the Imperium [iG] Imperial Armour Volume 5 – The Siege of Vraks – Part 1 Renegades and Heretics – The Defenders of Vraks Realm of Chaos Imperial Armour Volume 6 – The Siege of Vraks – Part 2 Renegades and Heretics - Servants of Slaughter Realm of Chaos Imperial Armour Volume 7 – The Siege of Vraks – Part 3 DKoK Armoured Battlegroup Forces of the Imperium [iG] Imperial Armour Volume 7 – The Siege of Vraks – Part 3 Renegades and Heretics - Servants of Decay Realm of Chaos Imperial Armour Volume 8 – Raid on Kastorel Novem Elysian Drop Troop Army List Forces of the Imperium [iG] Imperial Armour Volume 9 – The Badab War - Part 1 The Tyrant’s Legion Realm of Chaos Imperial Armour Volume 10 – The Badab War - Part 2 Space Marine Assault Vanguard Angels of Death Imperial Armour Volume 11 – The Doom of Mymeara n/a n/a Imperial Armour Volume 12 – The Fall of Orpheus The Minotaurs Chapter Angels of Death Imperial Armour Volume 12 – The Fall of Orpheus DKoK Assault Brigade Army Forces of the Imperium [iG]

The various Special Characters are allowed but please take a look in the “Special Characters” paragraph of the “Important Stuff” section.

STRATEGIUMS

Each faction will have its own dedicated thread called the “Strategium”. The Strategiums are situated in all the relevant forums and serve two purposes: The official and the unofficial.

The official purpose of an ETL Strategium is for participants to submit their vows and for me to post the tables with the list of names of said participants, links to their vows, their points’ total and their status. I will also post the weekly updates that will help everybody to monitor the overall progress of the event.

The unofficial purpose is to serve as a place for participants to encourage each other, discuss developments, devise strategies and even for espionage! Experience showed that the more such threads are utilised, the more motivational they become!

For easy access the links to all the Strategiums can be found below:

Angels of Death
Blood Angels
Dark Angels
Space Wolves
Realm of Chaos [located in the Chaos Ascendant forum]
Forces of the Imperium [GK]
Forces of the Imperium [soB]
Forces of the Imperium [iG]
Forces of the Imperium [AdMech]
Horus Heresy

So choose the faction you want to join, click on the link of the appropriate Strategium and submit your vow!

AWARDS

All participants who make their first vow until June 1st will be eligible to wear the Oath of Moment found below:

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/ETL_2014_Banner_V2_01_Oath_of_Moment.jpg

Those who complete ALL their vows successfully (irrespectively of which faction they pledged for) will be awarded the prestigious Custos Fidei declaring their success in ETL with the amount of completed vows clearly depicted on the badge! Those that vowed for the winning faction will additionally get the Primus Inter Pares banner and will be declared Champions for 2013! Winners can wear their honour badges with pride until the end of their days!

Those who fail to complete any of their vows however will be branded with the “Badge of Shame” until the year-end! See below:

http://fortressofunforgiven.homestead.com/ETL_2014_Banner_V2_02_Oath_Breaker.jpg

Apart from the above there are some other badges collectively known as “Badges of Excellence” which will be awarded to certain participants in addition to the ones mentioned above. These are:

Badge of [Faction] Champion: This badge is awarded to the participant with the most completed points within each faction – so each faction will have its own champion!

Badge of the Hero: This badge goes to the participant who successfully completed the single largest vow in the event.

Badge of the Martyr: This badge goes to the participant with the largest total amount of points in the event (adding up all his/her vows).

Badge of the Artisan: This badge goes to the entry that impressed us the most in terms of painting quality and modelling complexity. It is based on subjective criteria and can be claimed by out-of-competition entries as well.

IMPORTANT NOTE: MANY FRATER ALREADY DISPLAY A NUMBER OF BADGES THAT MAKE FOR VERY LARGE SIGNATURES. BEFORE YOU ADD MORE MAKE SURE THAT YOU COMPLY WITH THE B&C SIGNATURE RULES. FOR OPTIMIZING THE SIGANTURE SPACE, WE WILL PROVIDE THE CUSTOS FIDEI ALSO IN MEDALLION FORM AS WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.

IMPORTANT STUFF

Conversions
ETL wants to encourage creativity so conversions are generally accepted. One has to keep in mind though that the conversion should be easily recognizable as the unit it is supposed to represent. Remember a level of WYSIWYG must be preserved.

Scratch-builds
Following the above line of thinking and for the sake comparability, scratch-builds are not valid entries and are not allowed. Although some might be excellent representations of the GW originals others might be completely off and, with no intention of passing judgement on modelling ability or aesthetics, it’ll introduce an element of subjectivity that would be open to dispute. Such disputes we can do without and therefore we disallow scratch-build items altogether. See “Out-of-competition entries” later on.

“Count-as” units
“Count-as” units are allowed and could be the ticket many of you need in order to paint stuff not included in your selected army list. When making a “count-as” entry, the point cost of the unit will be taken from the Codex’ army list while the model itself could be something different. However please note that this is not a window for gaining easy points… It could be OK to paint a BA Librarian Dreadnought that counts-as a DA venerable dreadnought for example (as the models require roughly the same effort and they are both dreadnoughts after all) but you will not be allowed to paint a standard Marine that counts-as a Contemptor! In fact participants must be prepared to end up worse-off in the value-to-effort ratio but never the other way around – not in a significant manner anyway...

Special Characters and “count-as” Special Characters
Special Characters are kind of a problem for ETL. They usually cost more than normal characters of similar stature due to their special rules or stats – both of which have no bearing in the ETL. However, such Characters exist in all factions so the effect is averaged out while the extra detail on the miniatures themselves ensures the effort to paint them is worth the premium. But what about Special Characters that do not have an official miniature out (tons of them in FW lists) or what if participants want to make their own version of a Special Character that may already have an official miniature out?

In that case we expect people to play in the spirit of the ETL and do the extra effort to present a miniature that will unmistakeably represent the Special Character in question. Kit-bash/convert the mini to the best of your ability not only with the correct loadout but with the extra attention that will make them stand out as true heroes of the faction. You also need to comply with the “irregularities” that certain Special Characters have. For example a DIY Azrael is expected to have the Watcher (apart from a combi-plasma and a cool sword) and Redmaw must have both the Werewolf and the “normal” version… If in doubt feel free to raise the issue with me before you commit.

Out-of-competition entries
There could be cases that what people want to build/paint cannot be reconciled with the ETL rules. It’s just one of those things. For example, some might want to do crazy conversions or scratch builds; others might want to paint miniatures for other B&C compatible gaming systems (BFG, Epic, etc.) or some might miss the deadline for joining in. It’s also a possibility that new models are produced by either Games Workshop or Forgeworld that have yet to become official or legal for the purposes of this event.

We would like to offer motivation for those who want to work on non-ETL compatible projects by allowing out-of-competition entries. These entries would be recorded in the progress tables, they can be freely shown on the ETL official threads and will be eligible to carry the Badge of Honour if they meet the deadline or carry the badge of the Oathbreaker if they fail. Out-of-competition entries are treated exactly like normal entries but no points will be awarded for them and therefore they would not contribute to their faction’s total. But other than that we welcome all members of the community to join the party – no matter how crazy their project may be!

Please note that even the out-of-competition entries should adhere to B&C forum rules i.e. be B&C-legal – if I see any Xenos I’ll have a stroke and it won’t be good news for you either…

Evidence of progress
Only two pictures are required for each vow – one in the beginning (minis unpainted or primed or in very early stages of painting) and one for the finished vow. You are of course welcome to post as many pictures as you like in your WIP thread (or your Strategium thread) – but just two (one at the start and one at the finish) will suffice! Please make sure that all the models of each vow get a “before” and “after” picture, either individually or as a group.

NOTE: YOU MUST START WORK ON YOUR VOW AFTER YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY SUBMITTED IT. That means that vows should be unpainted or primed or in very early stages of painting at the moment of vow submission. Also you can never make a new vow while the previous one is pending!


So this is it! Keep in mind that whatever you do the B&C rules must always, ALWAYS be observed and the Moderators stand ready, meltas at hand!

Good luck to all!

FAQs

These are the FAQs based on previous years’ experiences and of what else I could think of at this point. However it is possible (inevitable?) that new issues may arise that would require a ruling. In that case, once I make a ruling I’ll add it here under a different colored font so that all participants can be updated simultaneously. So before you ask a question check back here first – it might be already answered.

Q: Can Characters who are squad upgrades for units become legal entries in their own right?
A: Yes they can. However they are only worth the “upgrade” points i.e. do not add the points of the miniature they replace when used in a squad. This of course is waived if you do paint an entire squad with the special Character upgrade in which case normal rules apply!

Q: Are dedicated transports legal entries in their own right?
A: Yes they can be entered as standalone entries for the points mentioned in the relevant section of the Codex.

Q: How far do we go with WYSIWYG?
A: As much as you can. Equipment that goes at the basic price of the mini is not really required (but they are most welcome - I love those frag grenades) but everything from the options list MUST be represented in order to count.

Q: What about allies? 40k rules now allow them.
A: But not ETL rules... This event is about faction loyalty and sticking with your faction to the bitter end. In other words, if it’s not in the Codex (or other legitimate army list) , it’s not ETL-legal.

Q: How about special rules or items that cannot be physically represented? Some of them are even compulsory like Daemon Princes’ allegiances…
A: Only upgrades that can be physically represented on the miniatures earn you points for the ETL! So Psychic Powers, extra Mastery Levels, Tank Hunters and such will not be counted. Now Marks of Chaos can in principle be represented on a mini through appropriate painting and modelling. So Marks of Chaos are allowed BUT bear in mind that the overriding principle of the ETL is to avoid “getting something for nothing” so you really need to make an effort an produce a convincing effect of the Mark you’re aiming for. We need some common sense and goodwill for that to work – it did work before, so let’s hope it will work again this year…

Q: Can I vow alternative load-outs and earn the extra points for them?
A: No. You must pledge a particular configuration – so choose carefully. There is no benefit from magnetizing, not-gluing or blue-tacking alternative bits on the mini.

Q: I’m vowing for HH and want to use units from the Mechanicum list. Is it possible or do I need to vow for the Mechanicum forum to have access?
A: Strictly speaking, the Mechanicum list is in the HH books so it is definitely legal to use it as part of your vow in the Horus Heresy Faction. However, given the lack of lists and support for the Mechanicum by GW, I wanted to give incentives to Mechanicum fans to do their own thing. Yes they have the Titans, but if they want they can have the HH books lists too. So these particular lists can be used by two different factions: HH and Mechanicum.

Q: Can my second vow be an expansion of my first vow? For example if I vowed and completed a 5-strong tactical squad can I then vow for another 3 to bring it to a total of 8?
A: No. Each entry should be a standalone legal unit from the list of your choice. No add-ons on previous vows.

Q: I vowed for Chaos and dedicated my vow to Nurgle. Can I change deity in my next vow?
A: Yes! Chaos is fickle and such swings are allowed. However you have to remain true to the two Chaos Codices that comprise the Chaos faction (i.e. Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Daemons) or the relevant FW lists until the end of the event. Also EACH VOW MUST BE DEDICATED TO ONE DEITY (OR UNDIVIDED). YOU CANNOT SPLIT THE SAME VOW BETWEEN TWO GODS. Pledging your vow to a Chaos deity has only “fun” value and plays no real part in the ETL mechanics.

Q: I made my first vow for Salamanders (Angels of Death faction). Can I change Chapter for my subsequent vows while staying within the Angels of Death forum?
A: No. You can only vow for one sub-forum within the AoD faction. However you can paint your minis any colour you like, so feel free to paint Salamanders and Ultramarines if you like – there is no problem since they are both priced from the same Codex. However they will still count towards your original sub-forum.
Q: I vowed for a faction that has more than one Codices / Army lists. Can I change Codex/Army list for my subsequent vows provided I stay within the same Faction?
A: Yes.

Q: Why a limit of only 5 vows?
A: The ETL is not so much about number of vows but number of points. Last year the average vows per participant stood at just 1.54. I believe 5 vows to be adequate to capture the zeal as well as to deliver the points that the participants plan to complete. Also (and this is important) the limit of 5 vows creates an additional strategic consideration. Participants need to think ahead, discuss with each other, review their stash of miniatures and decide on their commitment when the time comes. I think this adds another dimension to the ETL!

Q: Penance Vows? What is this?
A: Penance Vows is an unofficial part of the ETL. These are mini-challenges that can be issued directly by one frater to another (within the same forum or across forums) or from one frater to another Forum or Faction. It usually means that if some condition is not met then the individual that takes the vow need to do something to atone.
For example:

I Captain Semper vow that if the Dark Angels forum scores less than the Chaos forum I’ll paint Cypher!

Obviously the more “painful” a penance vow is, the more meaningful it is. By painful, I do not mean large (necessarily). Could be a Special Character of the arch-nemesis or a unit that you’ll never use in a game or ever plan to build an army around…

[Jolemai]

 

I Captain Semper vow that if the Dark Angels forum scores less than the Chaos forum I’ll paint Cypher!

 

Can we hold you to that?

[Captain Semper]

Yes you can! :P

[WarriorFish]

GW Supplements

The factions that take part in the ETL will still generally be defined by one (or more) official Codices as mentioned above. On top of that, ANY UNIT FROM AN OFFICIAL GW SUPPLEMENT THAT EXPLICITLY STATES IT CAN BE USED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED CODEX IS ALLOWED. So Escalation, Stronghold Assault, Death from the Skies or Data Slates (Cypher, Tyranic War Veterans, etc.) are all allowed to be a part of one’s vow provided it is explicitly mentioned that the unit/item can be used in conjunction with the Codex that defines the faction. So yes, Lords of War are in!

It begins...

[Captain Semper]

It does indeed! :D

[Acebaur]

[Liberame]

If I pledged to imperial fists, can I still do crimson fists since they use the same chapter tactics? AOD

[Chaeron]

The eternal war continues!

[Captain Semper]

If I pledged to imperial fists, can I still do crimson fists since they use the same chapter tactics? AOD

 

Yes. You can even do Ultramarines but they will still count for the Imperial Fists sub-forum. ;)

[Ace Debonair]

Hmm. So would it be OK for two of my five Terminators to have Assault Cannons that count-as Stormbolters to go with the Cyclone Launcher I plan to vow?

[Forté]

Why do I have an evil grin on my face?

[Uprising]

 

I Captain Semper vow that if the Dark Angels forum scores less than the Chaos forum I’ll paint Cypher!

 

Can we hold you to that?

Semper I hope you have a cypher mini, chaos winning this year! 

[Son of Carnelian]

EDIT: Wrong place for vows. Whoops!

[Grotsmasha]

Two quick questions,

 

1- Penance Vows here or the Stratagems?

2- Dark Angel Relic The Shroud of Heros. It's a blood-stained cloak, since a cloak/cape can be modelled, and if it's painted suitably blood-stained, will it be allowed?

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Captain Semper]

Hmm. So would it be OK for two of my five Terminators to have Assault Cannons that count-as Stormbolters to go with the Cyclone Launcher I plan to vow?

Yes. As long as you resign from claiming 5 assault cannons I'm perfectly fine with it!

Two quick questions,

1- Penance Vows here or the Stratagems?

2- Dark Angel Relic The Shroud of Heros. It's a blood-stained cloak, since a cloak/cape can be modelled, and if it's painted suitably blood-stained, will it be allowed?

Cheers,

Jono

1. Strategiums

2. WYSIWYG: If I see a Shroud of Heroes, a Shroud of Heroes it is! :D

[Slave to Darkness]

is codex crimson slaughter allowed?

[Maelarion]

So stoked.  Time to crack on with my DIY Imperial Guard and =I= warband :).

[Liberame]

Whats the status on fortifications?

[FashaTheDog]

Whats the status on fortifications?

Slaanesh is all about it.

Oh you said fortifications...still you should vow for Chaos, we have all the fun .

[Liberame]

its tempting, knock out some demon lords for some quick easy mega points

[Retaliation]

What's the status of legacies of glory? If I were to hypothetically represent say the Thramas Crusade on a relic vehicle through heavy use of DA iconography would that get a clear?

Hypothetically of course .

[Ekim_Trub]

Do DIY Chapter count towards the Faction whose gene-seed they use? Or are they a Faction in their own right?
For example, my Sable Hawks are Sons of Corax, so would they count towards the Raven Guard total if I entered?

[Grotsmasha]

Do DIY Chapter count towards the Faction whose gene-seed they use? Or are they a Faction in their own right?

For example, my Sable Hawks are Sons of Corax, so would they count towards the Raven Guard total if I entered?

The Codex who's points you use is what counts, paint them however you'd like.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Captain Semper]

is codex crimson slaughter allowed?

What Codex Crimson Slaughter? Last I checked it was a Codex Supplement! :P

Seriously though, the Crimson Slaughter gives you some rules and background but no new units... If you're talking about the "Relics" described there, the answer is yes, you can use them but WYSIWYG must be observed. That means you have to do the extra work to get the extra points! ;)

Whats the status on fortifications?

Yes they are allowed. Feel free to use Stronghold Assault all you like! :)

What's the status of legacies of glory? If I were to hypothetically represent say the Thramas Crusade on a relic vehicle through heavy use of DA iconography would that get a clear?

Hypothetically of course .

If you want to use a vehicle that is described in IA2 2nd ed. and falls under the Relic Vehicle rule, it's perfectly fine to use it with the Dark Angels forum.

Do DIY Chapter count towards the Faction whose gene-seed they use? Or are they a Faction in their own right?

For example, my Sable Hawks are Sons of Corax, so would they count towards the Raven Guard total if I entered?

DIY Chapters get the best of all worlds! :D

What I mean is, it's totally up to you. If your Chapter is a Successor to one of the First Founding Chapter then you may want to play for the parent. So if your Chapter is say an Imperial Fists successor and you want to play it that way, then you price your units from the C:SMs and you pledge for the Angels of Death forum, Imperial Fists sub-forum. Alternatively if your Chapter is affiliated to say BAs you then can price your units from the C:BAs and pledge for the BA forum.

If on the other hand you chapter does not have strong ties with the parent or don't know who the parent is, it can play for the Index Astartes faction (pricing the units from the C:SMs).

You can even go Chaos if you like! :lol:

[Mike Zulu]

Semper, can I run something by you?

 

I want to vow a character to represent a Black Templar called Cyneric, a Chaplain-in-training under Grimaldus. Based on the book he has the Skull Helm (Mk 6 of all choices) but does not have the Crozius, instead wielding a Chainsword.

 

If I vow him as a Chaplain with the Teeth of Terra (which can replace the Crozius), would that be acceptable or too ambiguous?