Black Book - Insurrection (PUBLISHED)

[Big Bad Squig]

 

 

Alright, I've reviewed all of the Godslayer wargear and relic. I'm going to stop here and wait to see if Squig wants to debate the costs, make some revisions, or affirm the calculations.

 

Zbruchan Fire and the shotgun are fine, but is 5+ rending really 30 points?  Would it be alright to drop it at least a little for the Glaive, given that it won't matter against power armour?  In regards to the knife, I'll remove some rules.  How much would the knife be if it were AP - and only Rending (6+)?  If you think the price of the Glaive isn't debatable, I'd be happy to drop its rending down to 6+ as well, like the knife. 

[bluntblade]

Just waiting on Slips' thoughts on war disposition for the Scions

[simison]

 

 

 

Alright, I've reviewed all of the Godslayer wargear and relic. I'm going to stop here and wait to see if Squig wants to debate the costs, make some revisions, or affirm the calculations.

 

Zbruchan Fire and the shotgun are fine, but is 5+ rending really 30 points?  Would it be alright to drop it at least a little for the Glaive, given that it won't matter against power armour?  In regards to the knife, I'll remove some rules.  How much would the knife be if it were AP - and only Rending (6+)?  If you think the price of the Glaive isn't debatable, I'd be happy to drop its rending down to 6+ as well, like the knife. 

 

 

I rate Rending at 15 points because it is an auto-wound and AP2, the only reason is that it avoids being any more expensive is because it only happens on 6's. By increasing it from 6 to 5, that doubles the numbers in which the effect occurs, which is quite powerful. So, double the cost. 

 

If the Knife were AP - & normal Rending, I'd rate it at only 15 points, purely for the Rending. 

 

I'd think that'd be the wiser thing to do, to make Rending standard. At which point, the glaive becomes 45 points = a Power Sword with Rending.

[bluntblade]

Ta-da:

 

War Disposition

 

On the Day of Revelation the Scions stood at 160,000 Astartes, dispersed across several fleets. Typically Pionus kept three captains of the Déka at his side, rotating them as circumstances dictated. The rest all led individual Expeditionary Fleets, often delegating command of smaller branches to less senior captains. It is noted that, although no Legion did not boast any official bodies larger than companies, each Déka captain maintained a core group of trusted companies at his side.

 

The size and composition of each company varied somewhat according to the preference of its leader. For example, Diokles commanded more armoured units than any of his fellows, while Bepheros was known to make use of an unusually large number of sharpshooter companies. Antonidas preferred to command a relatively small fleet, a result of his penchant for flexibility - pronounced even by the standards of his Legion - and his frosty demeanour.

 

These fleets were augmented by Praevian attachments directed by Arkytes, the “Atsakyrios” who commanded the Legion's Cybernetica cohorts. Similarly, Inna Santor commanded a fleet of her own, usually alongside her brother, overseeing Apothecarion detachments to all other Expeditions undertaken by the Scions. These were usually despatched to any theatres where particularly dangerous or otherwise “interesting” enemies had been encountered. The Master of the Forge, on the other hand, remained on Iona unless he was required on active duty. This only occurred in especially drawn-out campaigns such as the Qarith War.

 

The thinly spread nature of the Legion would save them from total devastation on the Day of Revelation. Although The Drowned took a murderous toll on the force that accompanied Pionus to Untara, less than half the Legion was present. Other ambushes were devised, but most were foiled by the Scions. Antonidas was targeted by a cell of Dune Serpents who had pledged themselves to Icarion,only to overcome his attackers. Realising the situation, he swiftly rallied the various fleets and took charge of the Legion while Pionus was incapacitated. Over the following decades, they would make the enemy rue their failure.

Edited September 8, 2016 by bluntblade

[simison]

War Disposition 

On the Day of Revelation the Scions stood at 180,000 Astartes, dispersed across several fleets. Typically Pionus kept three captains of the Déka at his side, rotating them as circumstances dictated. The rest all led individual Expeditionary Fleets, often delegating command of smaller branches to less senior captains. It is noted that, although no Legion did not boast any official bodies larger than companies, each Déka captain maintained a core group of trusted companies at his side. 

The size and composition of each company varied somewhat according to the preference of its leader. For example, Diokles commanded more armoured units than any of his fellows, while Bepheros was known to make use of an unusually large number of sharpshooter companies. Antonidas preferred to command a relatively small fleet, a result of his penchant for flexibility - pronounced even by the standards of his Legion - and his frosty demeanour.

These fleets were augmented by Praevian attachments directed by Arkytes, the “Atsakyrios” who commanded the Legion's Cybernetica cohorts. Similarly, Inna Santor commanded a fleet of her own, usually alongside her brother, overseeing Apothecarion detachments to all other Expeditions undertaken by the Scions. These were usually despatched to any theatres where particularly dangerous or otherwise “interesting” enemies had been encountered. The Master of the Forge, on the other hand, remained on Iona unless he was required on active duty. This only occurred in especially drawn-out campaigns such as the Qarith War.

The thinly spread nature of the Legion would save them from total devastation on the Day of Revelation. Although The Drowned took a murderous toll on the force that accompanied Pionus to Untara, less than half the Legion was present. Other ambushes were devised, but most were foiled by the Scions. Antonidas was targeted by a cell of Dune Serpents who had pledged themselves to Icarion, only to overcome his attackers. Realising the situation, he swiftly rallied the various fleets and took charge of the Legion while Pionus was incapacitated. Over the following decades, they would make the enemy rue their failure. 

 

[The only note I have is that the legion size appears to come from the early days of the project, back before we decided that the Great Crusade had lasted an additional 40 years. Is it alright if I bump up the number of marines to 180,000?]

Edited September 8, 2016 by simison

[Slips]

Sure, thats fine with me.

[simison]

Sure, thats fine with me.

 

Excellent, I've gathered the entire Org chapter and sent it up to Grifft. That just leaves the Exemplary Battles, which just need an editing run. Ideally, by the end of the day, the Scions' fluff will be done.

[Big Bad Squig]

 

 

 

 

Alright, I've reviewed all of the Godslayer wargear and relic. I'm going to stop here and wait to see if Squig wants to debate the costs, make some revisions, or affirm the calculations.

 

Zbruchan Fire and the shotgun are fine, but is 5+ rending really 30 points?  Would it be alright to drop it at least a little for the Glaive, given that it won't matter against power armour?  In regards to the knife, I'll remove some rules.  How much would the knife be if it were AP - and only Rending (6+)?  If you think the price of the Glaive isn't debatable, I'd be happy to drop its rending down to 6+ as well, like the knife. 

 

 

I rate Rending at 15 points because it is an auto-wound and AP2, the only reason is that it avoids being any more expensive is because it only happens on 6's. By increasing it from 6 to 5, that doubles the numbers in which the effect occurs, which is quite powerful. So, double the cost. 

 

If the Knife were AP - & normal Rending, I'd rate it at only 15 points, purely for the Rending. 

 

I'd think that'd be the wiser thing to do, to make Rending standard. At which point, the glaive becomes 45 points = a Power Sword with Rending.

 

 

Alright then I'll make the knife just Rending and Murderous strike, and the glaive can change to the version you've suggested, at which point the wargear is all fine.

[simison]

Alright, I've sent the Godslayer wargear up to Grifft with the latest changes:

 

"Ripper Glaive - Normal Rending, Cost: 30 points

 

Kingslayer Knife - Normal Rending, Cost: 30 points

 

Zbruchan Repeater Shotgun - Cost: 2 points"

 

And the Zbruchan Fire priced at 60 points.

 

The Goliaths will be featured in my next post.

[simison]

Goliath Terminator Squad

 

Comparison Base: Terminator Squad (175 pts)

 

Attributes

• +1 UNIT LD: 10 points
  
• +1 SGT LD: 5 points
  
• +1 SGT WS/A: 10 points
  

Total: 25 points

 

Wargear

• Ripper Glaive x5: 55 pts (25% 'bulk' discount)
  

Total: 55 points

 

Special Rules

• Stubborn: 20 points
  
• Monster Hunter: 20 points
  

 

Total: 40 points

 

Total cost: 120 points

 

Weargear Suggested Price: 295 Points

 

Notes: 

• I'm unsure of this price tag. The sheer bulk of it is coming from the Ripper Glaives, but is that enough combined with their special rules to make them on par with the IW's Tyrant Terminators?
  

[bluntblade]

 

Sure, thats fine with me.

 

 

Excellent, I've gathered the entire Org chapter and sent it up to Grifft. That just leaves the Exemplary Battles, which just need an editing run. Ideally, by the end of the day, the Scions' fluff will be done.

Whoop

[Grifftofer]

Alright, I've sent the Godslayer wargear up to Grifft with the latest changes:

 

"Ripper Glaive - Normal Rending, Cost: 30 points

 

Kingslayer Knife - Normal Rending, Cost: 30 points

 

Zbruchan Repeater Shotgun - Cost: 2 points"

 

And the Zbruchan Fire priced at 60 points.

 

The Goliaths will be featured in my next post.

Hate to keep being that guy, but the Ripper Glaive is now horribly overpriced. It is now identical to the Nostraman Chainglaive in profile, which means that it should be the same price. And a Chainglaive is a straight swap for a power weapon. The Kinslayer Knife also costs too much as it is more expensive, but significantly worse than a Paragon Blade (-1S & Rending rather than pure AP2).

[AlphariusOmegon108]

I agree with grifft, the ripperblade is REALLY not worth that many points

[simison]

*scrambles to investigate*

 

Yep, thanks for pointing that out Grifft. 

 

Alright, Squig, FW has waylaid my best plans. You get the Ripper Glaive for free. 

 

The Knife, on the other hand, pretty much breaks my calculator, so I'm stuck relying on instinct. A combat blade with both Rending & Murderous Strike. Essentially trading AP 2 & Specialist Weapon for Rending. 

 

Grifft, what do you think?

[Grifftofer]

My problem is that I'm not sure which is the best to start the comparison from? Either a power maul or the Alphas's Power Knife..

(+'s are positive aspects, even where a rule have been removed)

 

Knife: +1S, +Murderous Strike, -1AP, +Specialist Weapon.

Maul: -2S, -Concussive, +Murderous Strike, +Rending.

 

Looking at these comparisons both are leading me to say that the knife is roughly comparable to a power weapon in points. It is more usable (no specialist) than the knife as well as being better able to wound and having the chance of killing something outright. Which means it should be more expensive. Compared to the Maul it wound much less often and can't knock enemies down to I1, but has the chance of ripping through armour and killing the enemy in one blow. I would probably make it a 15 point weapon so that it is more expensive than a power weapon for sergeants (who could kill most characters outright with it if they are lucky), but is the same cost as a power weapon for ICs who are much more likely to be able to deal with those threats anyway, so don't need  the extra cost.

[simison]

I'm a little iffy on 15 points, prefer 20, but after my screw-up, I'll defer to your judgement. 

 

So, Squig, 15 points for the Kingslayer Knife & 0 for the Glaive. What do you say?

[Grifftofer]

Though the Glaive is a power weapon trade and the Knife a combat blade trade.

[Big Bad Squig]

@simison yeah that looks fine- is it an issue that the ripper is the same rules-wise as a chain glaive?

[simison]

@simison yeah that looks fine- is it an issue that the ripper is the same rules-wise as a chain glaive?

 

Oh no, I don't mind if profiles match between canon and BotL. Given how diverse the legions have become under FW's guidance, it'd be impossible to not have some overlap. 

[simison]

Grifft, remember that brief chat we had on 'Primarch discounts'? The chainglaive brings it back to mind. How can it be free when it is clearly superior to any of the power weapons? Why wouldn't you take it if you were going to buy a power weapon anyway? 

 

I'm wondering know if legions get something high-quality for free, a 'legion discount'. 

[simison]

Goliath Terminator Squad

 

Comparison Base: Terminator Squad (175 pts)

 

Attributes

• +1 UNIT LD: 10 points
  
• +1 SGT LD: 5 points
  
• +1 SGT WS/A: 10 points
  

Total: 25 points

 

Wargear

• N/A
  

Total: 0 points

 

Special Rules

• Stubborn: 20 points
  
• Monster Hunter: 20 points
  
• Rending: 20 points
  

 

Total: 60 points

 

Total cost: 85 points

 

Weargear Suggested Price: 260 Points

 

Notes: 

• Given the Ripper's new cost, I opted to just assign a cost to Rending for the whole squad. What do people think?
  

[Grifftofer]

 

Grifft, remember that brief chat we had on 'Primarch discounts'? The chainglaive brings it back to mind. How can it be free when it is clearly superior to any of the power weapons? Why wouldn't you take it if you were going to buy a power weapon anyway? 

 

I'm wondering know if legions get something high-quality for free, a 'legion discount'.

If you compare it to the sword it is an improvement (+1S, Rending, but Two Handed), but to an axe it is more equal (Not Unwieldy, -1AP but Rending, Two Handed). It is definitely better than a power weapon, if you would otherwise not be able to have an extra attack (such as being a Terminator). But in some cases have the extra attack will be more useful. Also swords are not taken very often anymore, due to the proliferation of Artificer Armour through the Legion list, making AP2 a near requirement. Thus the having 'only' rending as opposed to permanent AP2 is a relative weakness. Also if you were to have to pay for the upgrade it would need to be less than a 5pt upgrade as it is a lesser weapon than a powerfist, which is normally a 5pt increase over a power weapon.

[simison]

Fair points. What do you think of the Goliaths?

[simison]

The Deusurga Evacuation 

One of the XIX^th Legion's most celebrated actions was not really a battle. It took place on the world of Deusurga, a Forge World lost to religious madness. In their lunacy, the rulers of the world bound their consciousnesses together, hoping to create the Omnissiah of the Machine Cult. This fervour infected the common people, and they slaved themselves to their “god”.

Unsurprisingly they did not take well to the arrival of others, and the Expeditionary Fleet that first made contact with them soon found itself mired in battle with the “Heretechs” of Deusurga. As they fielded all the standard weapons of the Mechanicus, it promised to be a brutal invasion and requests were immediately made for reinforcement from the Adeptus Astartes. The Scions Hospitalier were first to answer and devastated several armies of Skitarii within hours of their arrival.

Recognising the Scions’ overwhelming strength, the Heretech order opted for mass suicide, believing that their “god” would arise from the destruction to rule over all machines. In keeping with their bizarre creed, they had rigged up a series of warheads between the planet's tectonic plates to destabilise the entire surface. Salvaged data comms demonstrate that they believed this would spell the doom of the Imperium, as every device would be turned against their owners. Naturally this proved to be nonsense, but the Imperial force was sent into a desperate evacuation.

Disaster was averted, however, by Pionus Santor. Analysing the situation in seconds, he began issuing orders before any mortal officers could fully comprehend the situation. Every transport the combined fleets over Deusurga possessed was scrambled. Some of the most remarkable episodes involve Stormbirds brought down to hover just above the ground and being loaded with people and material whilst still on the move.

The Primarch had meticulously determined which assets to prioritise for extraction. There was insufficient time to rescue every unit and no time was wasted on the uncooperative. While all of the Scions were rescued except for six squads, several platoons of Army troops were lost along with every abhuman and penal regiment committed to the surface, as well as large amounts of weaponry and vehicles. Nonetheless the operation was hailed as a masterful undertaking, and earned the Scions acclaim from officers and common soldiers alike.

The planet itself, with its crust ravaged by the Heretechs’ mass suicide, was deemed unsuitable for the usual colonisation process. The Mechanicus, despite retrieving some precious Standard Template Constructs, disdained the idea of rebuilding a Heretech Forge World. Instead, Deusurga became a world of penal colonies, where the condemned toiled to feed the Great Crusade’s appetite for munitions.

 

The Malacos Purge

The discovery of Argynguilla in 894.M30 was greeted with pleasure by the Scions Hospitalier, as they saw so many parallels with Iona. Records indicated that it too had been an undersea community of scientists before the Age of Strife, and on approaching the planet they found signs that this civilisation remained intact. An awful revelation, however, awaited beneath the surface.

Argynguilla had taken a far darker path than Iona, its scientists embracing the perversion of the human form that so appalled Pionus. Integrating xenos material into their genomes, they succeeded in wiping out the monsters that dominated the seas, only to take their place. The population were hardly recognisable even as abhumans, and were dubbed the Malacos. They had become crustacean horrors of chitin and claws, and responded to any intrusion with murderous violence. In a cold fury, Pionus assembled almost his entire Legion to cleanse Argynguilla.

This was somewhat complicated by the imperative to take the strongholds intact. This world had excellent chances of harbouring precious technology, and Pionus would not risk destroying it. At the same time, while his reforms to the Legion had been successful, he was aware that some of the Legion's Terran elements were still struggling to adjust after the reunion. He had no desire to lead a divided army, and planned to remedy the situation.

The Malacos cities clung to the ceilings of vast, under hanging caves, the entrances of which were heavily fortified. To aid in their capture, Pionus called upon the Scylla Cohort, the aquatic specialists of the Legio Cybernetica. With their automata fighting alongside his warriors, Pionus won several crushing victories, seizing Malacos strongholds and ravaging the armies they sent to challenge him. The modified Collossi, led by their Primus Heracleion and commanded by Legion operatives known as Praevians, proved especially devastating.

Having fought several underwater actions, Pionus was pleased with the chance to test the Scions' methods on such a large scale. Emboldened by their success, as the campaign advanced and targeted more elaborate fortresses, he and his captains opted for less conventional strategies.

Extensive research had yielded a number of biochemical options for destroying the Malacos, and captured schematics revealed that the cities' filtration systems were located in the rock above the strongholds. It was a weakness that, exploited properly, could destroy the top echelon of the Malacos hierarchy.

Modified automata were set to digging tunnels out of the rock above the largest city, allowing access to the caverns that riddled the rock strata. Into these, Pionus sent First Captain Antonidas with several squads of Terran marines. Meanwhile the bulk of the Legion assaulted a nearby fortress as a distraction.

Antonidas’ men descended through the caves, using sonar to locate the filtration systems. These men had learned their first lessons in combat among the alleys and tunnels of Mariannan, and overcame the Malacos guards with ease. Simultaneously they released a cocktail of toxins into each of the supply tanks, wiping out almost all the inhabitants. Descending into the city, they set about eradicating the remnants and falsifying distress signals.

Believing that their “capital” was under attack, the Malacos sent out a large army and found the city apparently under siege. When they approached the enemy scattered but, as they neared the city itself, the defences suddenly targeted them. With the enemy in disarray the Scions enveloped and destroyed them. All that was left was to seize the remaining, sparsely defended strongholds.

The war was a major turning point for the Phantom Squads. Having found a balance between their old methods and the ways of Iona, they carved out a niche for themselves within the reformed XIX^th Legion where their skills were appreciated. Scylla also earned plaudits from much of the Legion for their aid, with the Scions going so far as to name Heracleion an honourary battle-brother. In years to come, with the careful oversight of the Praevians and Magos, Scylla would become an indispensable asset to the Scions Hospitaller.

 

The Conquest of Punicia 

In 922.M30, two battalions of the Scions Hospitalier were called to aid a campaign against the Punicia system. Having received the request from an Army fleet, the Scions were perturbed to find the Berserkers of Uran present. However, having not yet fought beside the "new" VII^th Legion, Pionus resolved to give them the benefit of the doubt. A small but powerful stellar empire, the Punicians resisted Compliance with a system of fortifications and mechanised armies. These armies were the first target identified by Raktra, and Pionus devised a strategy to cripple them.

The Scions initially fought for a month alongside the Imperial Army, capturing lightly defended, mountainous territory on which to base themselves. This drew the enemy out, and for two days the Imperials engaged them, gradually falling back through the valleys. To their credit, the Punicians advanced cautiously, but unbeknownst to them a second Astartes force had been lying in wait. Emerging miles behind enemy lines, squads of Berserkers hit HQs and communication facilities.

Crippled, the Punician regiments faltered, and were suddenly attacked by the Scions and Army. Although their opponents fought fiercely and resisted for some hours, the Imperials managed to capture the lion's share of the opposing Army. Pionus now intended to take the fortresses incrementally, using the fair treatment of his prisoners as a bargaining chip. With the VII^th Legion harrying their exposed units, he reasoned, Punician morale would collapse as their fate became clear.

However, having only served alongside the Berserkers' previous incarnation, the Scions did not understand their cousins’ attitude towards non-Compliant worlds, and Raktra responded to his brother's gradual approach with the same disgust he had shown the Shepherds of Eden.

Instead, as the Scions began their attacks on outlying fortresses, the Berserkers converged well behind the Punician lines and laid waste to a regional capital. Army officers were puzzled by the strange lights on the horizon, but Pionus and his lieutenants immediately recognised the signs of phosphex and nuclear weapons, and raced to the city, leaving a few companies to secure the gains they had made.

In the ensuing standoff in the ruined city, Captain Epinondas almost came to blows with Dominator Guarrig. Both were restrained and the Primarchs managed to remain more or less civil, but the two sides could not reach agreement. Pionus argued that excessive, even cruel violence would prevent an orderly Compliance. Moreover the Destroyers’ weapons had tainted the very earth on which the city had stood, leaving it uninhabitable.

Raktra however, castigated his brother for, as he saw it, prioritising enemy lives over the proper goals of the Crusade. The Punicians should be punished for their defiance, whereas Pionus’ strategy would be perceived as showing weakness. Any man who considered rebellion would have the remains of the fortress to remind him of the consequences. He would not be dissuaded from launching similar assaults on other cities until the Punicians submitted.

Troubled by this development but unwilling to deviate from his own course, Pionus set out to end the conflict as quickly as he could. To achieve this he hatched an audacious scheme and, without informing Raktra, led a strike on the planetary capital. It was a brutal battle that claimed over a thousand Scions’ lives, but after a day's fighting the Legion had control of the city. Taking control of the media apparatus, Pionus swallowed his disgust and broadcast images of the Berserkers’ atrocity, promising that more would follow if the planet failed to surrender. To show that he was appalled by their actions would harm the Legions in the enemy's eyes.

After a few desultory battles the defenders’ morale gave out, and they submitted to Compliance. Raktra and his Legion moved on while the Scions remained, doing their best to heal the damage and ease the planet's integration. However, irreparable damage had been done to relations between the two Legions and they never cooperated on a large scale again. Indeed, when the Shepherds of Eden broke away from the VII^th, Pionus was one of the foremost advocates for their rehabilitation as an independent force.

 

[i've cleaned them up. Only one question before I submit them to Grifft, what's the proper order? I'm thinking the Malacos Purge -> Punicia -> Deusurga]

[Grifftofer]

 

Goliath Terminator Squad

 

Comparison Base: Terminator Squad (175 pts)

 

Attributes

• +1 UNIT LD: 10 points
• +1 SGT LD: 5 points
• +1 SGT WS/A: 10 points

Total: 25 points

 

Wargear

• N/A

Total: 0 points

 

Special Rules

• Stubborn: 20 points
• Monster Hunter: 20 points
• Rending: 20 points

 

Total: 60 points

 

Total cost: 85 points

 

Weargear Suggested Price: 260 Points

 

Notes: 

• Given the Ripper's new cost, I opted to just assign a cost to Rending for the whole squad. What do people think?

Fair points. What do you think of the Goliaths?

I'd probably put their costs closer to that of the Lernaean Terminators. The Goliaths have +1Ld, but -1WS on the basic guys; they lose the Volkites, but have Ripper Glaives; and swap Implacable Advance for Monster Hunter. So overall I'd put them as pretty close in terms of points.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Grifftofer