The Upcoming Crusader Model

[ThePenitentOne]

So I put it in a thread where it shouldn't have been, but last weeks release of the Imperial Agents datasheets for Apocalypse got me asking questions about the new crusader, which I understood would be released as part of a Blackstone expansion. I have since found more information, and I thought I'd create a thread to share what I've learned.

 

The game is called Combat Arena, and it's not so much a Blackstone expansion as a prequel. My source [exclusivelygames.com] says it's a 40k version of Gorechosen, so it's actually a standalone game. And yes, Neyam Shai Murad IS the Rogue Trader model included with the game. The Crusader that I'm so anxious about is named Gotfret of Monbard. He would be one of the members of Murad's Blackstone Explorers in the Apocalypse data sheet from Imperial Agents.

 

Now I'm 100% certain that ALL of the models in this game will have 40k datasheets. I'm less certain about whether their base rules will be compatible with the existing Blackstone rules or whether those will be released as a download. There's also no word on whether we'll get Kill Team rules for them like we did with other Blackstone Explorers.

 

Finally, I confirmed that one of the Kill Team Rogue Trader models is a Death Cultist, though they call her an Executioner as opposed to an Assassin. Her name is Knosso Prond. 

 

Now if they just release an Arcoflagellant character, we'll have one for each of the battle conclave units. 

[A.T.]

Finally, I confirmed that one of the Kill Team Rogue Trader models is a Death Cultist, though they call her an Executioner as opposed to an Assassin. Her name is Knosso Prond.

Prond is the previously released assassin, part of Vhanes unit. She had ministorum as a keyword rather than a faction word making her unusable in a sisters army.

2 wound death cultist with a ranged attack and a stratagem to do d3 damage in close combat.

[ThePenitentOne]

By unusable, you mean that if she's in a detachment with sisters they can't take an order trait?

 

If so, I'd just include her in a ministorum detachment, which wouldn't have an order trait anyways as it wouldn't include sisters.

[A.T.]

No, unusable in that the ministorum isn't a faction tag for her, just a general tag, which means she can't be fielded with ministorum forces at all.

[ThePenitentOne]

Okay, rules clarification time. Here's the text from CA 2018:

 

All of the units in each detachment in your battle forged army must have at least one faction keyword in common.

 

I interpret this to mean that if all the models in Knosso's detachment share a faction keyword with her, the detachment can be used in an army with other detachments, as long as all of the models in each of those detachments also share a Faction keyword with each other.

 

I think if every detachment had to share keywords with each other, the rule would say, "All of the units in every  detachment..."

 

Space marines, I'm assuming, have Adeptus Astartes and Imperium; Imperial guard have Imperium and Astra Militarum. Of course, Imperium doesn't count for this purpose. By my interpretation, these guys can fight together in a battle forged army, as long as all the models in each detachment are either Astartes or Militarum and no detachment includes models from both.

 

But if I'm interpreting you correctly, it seems to me that you are saying that they can't be used in the same army because the Militarum Detachments won't share any keywords with the Astartes detachments. I can't imagine this being correct.

 

Caveats:

 

1/ Of course I may have misinterpreted you.

2/ GW may have clarified this in a FAQ I haven't read; the battle brothers rule was originally in the 2018 Big FAQ, and I'm sure the original text was longer and clearer; there may have also been an errata on the big FAQ. Sadly, both are no longer available for download since the 2019 FAQ was released.

3/ Knosso may not have a faction keyword other than Imperium and Euclidian Starstriders; if not, I'd have to be able to field enough Starstriders to form a full detachment, meaning at least one HQ and 3 elites for a vanguard. If I did so, the detachment should be usable alongside pure Ministorum or pure Sororitas detachments.

 

4/ Even though the Battle brothers rule doesn't actually say anything about detachments having to share keywords with each other, I always make sure they share at least one of the big broad faction keywords, just because the army doesn't feel fluffy if they don't. Having said that, there are documented cases of the Imperium allying with the Eldar against a common foe.

 

I am sad to say, however, that this means I can't field Janus Draik, because right now, I don't have enough models from the Astra Cartographa faction. I know some of the Starstrides also have this trait, so there probably are enough models for a vanguard, but I don't have them yet.

 

Locarno is worse off- I don't think any other model has Navis Nobilite.

 

Sigh... Thanks for including 40k rules in the box GW. It would be nice if we could use them.

[A.T.]

All of the units in each detachment in your battle forged army must have at least one faction keyword in common.

 

I interpret this to mean that if all the models in Knosso's detachment share a faction keyword with her, the detachment can be used in an army with other detachments, as long as all of the models in each of those detachments also share a Faction keyword with each other.

 

Knosso has the following faction keywords: Imperium, Euclidian Starstriders

 

'Adeptus ministorum' is included only as a non-faction keyword, so she can benefit from things that target ministorum units but cannot be part of a ministorum detachment.

[Aqui]

Hopefully, she'll get a clarification in the eventual Codex, one way or another.

[ThePenitentOne]

Yeah, this occurred to me too- I've posted in a few places about how I love GW's trend of introducing characters via the mini-games, and for us they've likely already released the characters. I'm positive Taddeus will be released as a solo model or as part of a set that includes him and Vorne. I'm 90% sure Taddeus will be in the dex, 75% sure we'll see Vorne, but I haven't read Knosso's fluff or seen her data sheet, so I can't really speculate.

 

I did confirm my interpretation of Battle Brothers at my GW store today though. Faction keywords are not required to be shared between detachments, as long as the models within each detachment are internally consistent.

 

Detachments do have to share one of the broad faction keywords with each other [imperium, Chaos, Aeldari, Ynari and I think Tyranid counts too].

 

Which makes Knosso usable in a Euclidian Starstrider vanguard detachment, provided you can find a leader and two other elites that have that keyword. Assuming Euclidian Starstriders have the Imperium faction keyword, this detachment would be usable in conjunction with any other detachment who, internally had a common faction keyword in addition to the Imperium faction keyword.

 

Of course, I concede that this is not an ideal solution, as I'm not really interested in including any of the other Starstrider models [although I do like their dog].

[A.T.]

Which makes Knosso usable in a Euclidian Starstrider vanguard detachment, provided you can find a leader and two other elites that have that keyword. Assuming Euclidian Starstriders have the Imperium faction keyword, this detachment would be usable in conjunction with any other detachment who, internally had a common faction keyword in addition to the Imperium faction keyword.

 

The minimum buy-in for Prond is her, Elucia Vhane, and either the voidsman squad or the techpriest. (as the adept doesn't take up an elite slot). Around 100pts in total.

 

Prond can join squads of death cultists, ride in transports with them, etc (actually the wording of the rules allows any starstrider unit to jump in a sisters transport).

[ThePenitentOne]

Poor Espern Locarno, however, is a sad chump of a mini- no other navis nobilite model in the entrire game. Unfieldable.

 

[Technically he could be his own auxiliary support detachment, but that's so not worth it]