A Discussion on Chapter Rules

[Iron Father Ferrum]

So there's a discussion on the IH Facebook page about submitting updated rules and a detachment concept to GW for the Iron Hands. I'm a pessimist so I don't particularly think we'll see much traction, but I figured I'd try to pull that discussion here (frankly, I dislike FB for these kinds of talks). So this is what I came up with. It's fairly minimalist, mostly because I'm afraid that submitting uber-awesome proposals are a great way of having them rejected out of hand.

 

 

Iron Hands Chapter Tactics: The Flesh is Weak: Roll a dice each time an IRON HANDS model with this tactics loses a wound. On a 6, the damage is ignored and the model does not lose a wound. When rolling for CHARACTERS and VENERABLE DREADNOUGHTS, add +1 to this roll.

 

Warlord Trait: No change.

 

Machine Empathy: No change.

 

Relic: Replace the Axe of Medusa with the Gorgon's Chain.

 

Gorgon's Chain: IRON HANDS non-VEHICLE CHARACTER only. This model receives +1 Wound. In addition, add +1 to any rolls made to ignore damage when rolling for The Flesh is Weak.

 

Iron Father Kardan Stronos.

M WS BS S T W A Ld Save

5" 2+ 2+ 4 5 6 5 9 2+

 

Keywords: ADEPTUS ASTARTES, CHARACTER, HQ, IMPERIUM, INFANTRY, CAPTAIN, TERMINATOR, TECHMARINE, CHAPTER TACTICS, UNIQUE.

 

IRON HALO: This model has a 4+ invulnerable save.

 

MORE MACHINE THAN MAN: Roll a die at the end of your turn. On a roll of a 6, this model regains a wound it lost earlier in the battle.

 

RITES OF BATTLE: You can re-roll hit rolls of 1 made for friendly IRON HANDS units within 6" of this model.

 

TELEPORT STRIKE: During deployment, you can set up this model in a teleportarium chamber instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement Phases this model can teleport into battle - set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models.

 

BLESSING OF THE ONISSIAH: At the end of your Movement Phase this model can repair a single IRON HANDS VEHICLES within 3". That model regains D3 lost wounds. A model can only be repaired once per turn.

 

This model is equipped with a servo-harness, a master-crafted Boltgun, and the Axe of Medusa.

 

Relic: AXE OF MEDUSA:

 

S+2. AP-2. D2. Any wound rolls of 6+ made by this weapon inflict a mortal wound in addition to their normal damage.

 

 

 

Specialist Detachment: Fist of Medusa Strike Force.

 

FIST OF MEDUSA ATRIKE FORCE (1 CP): Use this stratagem when choosing your army. Pick an IRON HANDS Detachment from your army to be an Iron Hands Fist of Medusa Strike Force Specialist Detachment. CHARACTERS, THUNDERFIRE CANNONS, and VEHICLES in that Detachment gain the FIST OF MEDUSA STRIKE FORCE keyword.

 

 

INVIOLABLE ARMOR (1 CP): Use this stratagem when a FIST OF MEDUSA STRIKE FORCE unit is chosen as a target in the enemy Shooting Phase. Until the end of the phase, shooting attacks resolved against that unit receive a -1 to their wound rolls.

 

INTERLACED TARGETING MATRIX (1 CP): Use this stratagem when an enemy unit is damaged by a FIST OF MEDUSA STRIKE FORCE unit. For the remainder of that phase, other FIST OF MEDUSA STRIKE FORCE units gain +1 to their hit rolls when targeting the damaged enemy unit.

 

Warlord Trait: MASTER OF THE FORGE: Characters with this Warlord Trait gain the Blessing of the Omnissiah special ability (see: Techmarine). If this character already has the Blessing of the Omnissiah rule, then when repairing a VEHICLE, they can restore d6 wounds instead.

 

Relic: THE IRONSTONE: TECHMARINE only. While within 6" of the bearer of the Ironstone, FIST OF MEDUSA STRIKE FORCE VEHICLES count as having the Chapter Tactics (Iron Hands) rule. If an affected VEHICLE already has Chapter Tactics, it receives +1 to its roll to ignore damage when rolling for THE FLESH IS WEAK.

 

 

So that's my idea. It draws heavily on what we had in 6th/7th Edition, and I tried to keep the bonuses from being too crazy. It focuses on vehicles intentionally; because Space Marine vehicles have inexplicably not received Chapter Tactics, but we're the vehicle chapter, I wanted to reinforce the theme that our vehicles are better by making ours more durable than everyone else's.

 

Let me know what you think.

[Dumah]

I like it a lot. I think you did well to work around rules that already exist out there so it isn't quite so far-fetched that something like this could become a reality. Honestly can't think of anything I would change - it's all just so dang reasonable... Alas, reasonable doesn't always go hand in hand with GW. I will temper my expectations.

[Bryan Blaire]

I think you are on to something here, these look decent (I.e. you hit the nail on the head in keeping from going over the top).

 

Something you may consider with submissions is that you might need to have some kind of signed waiver/statement saying that you are turning over all rights to GW for their own use in any fashion - they may not even be able to look at them otherwise because it’s an unsolicited submission and could carry legal weight later otherwise, similar to how authors have to be very, very careful or won’t even look at unsolicited manuscripts.

[WarriorFish]

Agreed this looks solid and characterful, useful without being too strong :tu: In particular I miss the Gorgon's Chain so would love that back again. How many points would you put Stronos at?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

That...I was unsure of. Frankly I don't even want a character and especially not *him* but this is a product of the FB group, and the prevailing opinion there was "yes, we want a character."

[lhavoc]

There is so much new material in the novels too such as:

 

As we have seen in the latest books there are some interesting ideas. Such as:

 

1. A model for Kardan Stronos. (Oh! Please!)

2. A model for Iron Father Kristos ???

3. A model for a Helfather

4. Some form of datalink capability between squads and support elements that allow + to hit or extra damage caused by superior Targeting capability.

5. Upgraded toughness

6. Upgraded Feel No Pain

7. Superior Armour (such as “It Will Not Die” and/or Relentless/Fire on the Move)

8. Increased Invulnerable Saves for Dreadnoughts and Terminators

9. Upgraded/More devastating Artillery.

10. A Unique “Iron Father” model.

11. A Death Cult dedicated to Ferris Manus

 

What more source material do they need to do a supplement?

[Dumah]

I highly doubt we would see both Kristos and Stronos - odds are on the current, living Warleader.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

You can list all the fluffy stuff you want, but you'll only get a fraction of it (if anything). That's why these rules are comparatively lean: if Primarchs are killable on the tabletop by scrubs with autoguns, then everything else needs to be scaled appropriately as well. Might we get a Helfather? Sure. Will we? Highly unlikely. Will we get superior armor or squad data links? Doubtful. At the scale of 40K, such things don't make enough of a difference to matter.

 

Compare power armor marks. MkIII is significantly thicker in and thinner in back than other marks, but there's no tabletop effect. Mk.IV has superior auto senses. Mk.VI is quieter and reflects auspex better. But they're all the same on the tabletop.

[lhavoc]

If GW is out of ideas, (like Hollywood) then you can at least point out that the above list also shows 7th Ed tricks such as “Feel No Pain” for Infantry and “It Will Not Die” for vehicles. Both of these have no need for new models. The Squad/Clan datalinks also require no new models. Now including Medusa’s as a Iron Hands unique variation (Space Wolf Leman Russ’s anyone?) is also fluffy yet requires no new models and could be done with a White Dwarf “Chapter Approved” article. Kardan Stronos could be modeled as Techmarine with Captain stats. Again, no new model and could be done with one data sheet in a White Dwarf article.

 

Just one Chapter Approved

Just one ounce of effort

Too difficult?

Too much to ask?

 

Seriously?

[CCE1981]

April 15th is when you drop this in GWs feedback stuff. I was taken aback when it seemed they adressed some of my radical critiques. Critiques such as there sre no GW events near me, and now they are asking for areas to host GW events.

[NovemberIX]

I'll preface this by saying crunch isn't one of my stronger points, and while I've been using Iron Hands CT's since 6th, it's been for my DIY army, but I have a somewhat self serving suggestion or three to add.

 

•  Master of the Forge: Generic HQ type, starts the game mounted in ground vehicle unit, 3-6 inch bubble of +1 to hit, can D3 self repair it's mount. NOT smashy in anyway whatsoever (though servo-harnesses are a little punchy). Overrides the Relic of the Armoury FW rule. 
   
• Some sort of dreadnought specific stratagem buff, maybe something like the old It Will Not Die, cost it like 2-3 cp, it could apply specifically to dead dreads with a deteriorating profile by allowing them to pop wounds back up to d3+1 (i.e. max it could regen would be back to mid level, and it can't be further repaired that turn) can make it extra situational by requiring a nearby "blessing of the omnissiah" character if a straight 2-4 wound recovery seems OP.
   
• Dreadnought HQ: pretty self explanatory, dreads are cool, and being able to run a full dread list is even cooler. Maybe a furioso counterpart that can take a pair of CCW and magna-grappler, admittedly I think HQ style dreads (chaplain & librarian) should be available to all SM factions, but IH especially.

Compared to Ferrum's well developed ideas, I can't say whether or not mine are good, but these are the kinda things I'd love to have access to. As the basis of these conceptual ideas are things GW have done previous I make no claims other than GW should show Iron Hands some love.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

CCE1981 makes a good point. The community survey is an awesome chance to get GW to address this (and maybe the rest of the chapters) with an Angels of Death-esque supplement, or at least chapter approved.

 

I think that'll be one of the main ideas I hit (along with some necron stuff), and maybe some generic space marine strats that are a little more flavorful/powerful. Astartes are too weak for their lore, esp. compared to other editions. Giving everyone chapter tactics really hit us hard, since it was our unique thing for a long time.

[Harrowmaster]

One thing, would it not be more fitting to give stronos chapter master instead of rites of battle?

 

Otherwise I really like it, well done