Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Imperium (section)

===Rogue Traders/Elucidian Starstriders===

Found in the [[Rogue Trader]] Kill Team expansion, Elucidian Starstriders get 40k rules, introducing another long desired faction to the tabletop albeit in a very limited faction. While there is the opportunity for a great amount of narrative flavour in this group, it's unlikely to find much utility in competitive 40k owing to its small detachment size and GEQ-equivalent stats, but uses could be found as it is light on points and delivers more survivability than the average group of Guardsmen. The faction could also find a home in smaller games of 40k where the specialist nature of the troops could be more efficient with regards to their point costs.

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====Special Rules====
*'''Warrant of Trade:''' All the Elucidian Starstriders come with this rule that allows them to embark onto any {{W40kKeyword|Imperium}} transport despite restrictions based on Faction keywords; thing is, no transport in the game clarifies whether keyword restrictions are Faction or not, so while this rule clearly does ''not'' ignore non-Keyword restrictions, expect [[skub]] when trying to determine other rules interactions (e.g. a Land Speeder Storm only allows {{W40kKeyword|Scout Infantry}}, which ''presumably'' is non-Faction, but this is not clarified anywhere).  This will give the unit the extra survivability it desperately needs as a low model GEQ faction by allowing them to embark in almost any Transport from a Chimera to a Stormraven to a Coronus Grav-Carrier. 
*'''Rogue Trader Retinue:''' Requires Elucia Vhane in the army (not detachment!) for this rule to do anything; if included, all models with this rule must be set up at the same time, either within 6" of Elucia Vhane, or on the same transport as her.  If they cannot be set up, they count as destroyed, so if you were to come up with any other way to deploy them (such as holding them in reserve somehow), they would auto-destroy themselves.
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====Warlord Trait====
If Elucia Vhane is your army's Warlord, you gain access to the Explorator Fleetmaster Warlord Trait.
*'''Explorator Fleetmaster:''' If your army is Battle-forged you receive an additional 3 Command Points that can ''only'' be spent on {{W40kKeyword|Elucidian Starstriders}} stratagems. Probably unlikely to happen given the prevalence of CP factory armies, but could be useful in smaller games where CP is at a premium.
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====Stratagems====
*'''Combat Resuscitation (1CP):''' After the movement phase, you can attempt to make another heal with {{W40kKeyword|Sanistasia Minst}} on another or the same {{W40kKeyword| Elucidian Starstrider Infantry}} unit.
*'''Digital Laser Regalia (1CP):''' Used after resolving all close combat attacks with {{W40kKeyword|Elucia Vhane}}, make an extra close combat attack which if it hits, deals D3 Mortal Wounds.
*'''Executioner Shell (1CP):''' Used before Voidmaster Nitsch fires his Artificer Shotgun, makes a single hit roll with the weapon and adds 3 to-hit for the roll. (Voidmaster Nitsch has a BS 3+ so this is presumably to counter negative hit modifiers.) If you hit the target deal a Mortal Wound instead of normal damage.
*'''Killing Strikes (1CP):''' Used before {{W40kKeyword|Knosso Prond}} fights in the fight phase, the damage characteristic of her Power Blades is increased to D3 when targeting {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} units.
*'''Logis-Interrogator Scanner (1CP):''' A waste of a Command Point that allows you to reveal markers if you're using Concealed Deployment or identify a Mysterious Objective anywhere on the battlefield, OR marginally more helpfully allows you to ignore penalties to {{W40kKeyword|Larsen Van Der Grauss}}'s hit rolls this phase.
*'''One With The Electro-Motive Force (1CP):''' Before moving {{W40kKeyword|Larsen Van Der Grauss}}, you can deep strike him instead.  
*'''Personal Teleportarium Chamber (1CP):''' During deployment you can choose to put your entire {{W40kKeyword| Elucidian Starstriders}} detachment into deep strike.
**Remember, if you brought Elucia Vhane, using this will destroy your army - this technically has you set them up in a teleportarium chamber, which is not a transport, and while not on the table, nothing can be within 6" of anything else - Elucia can't even be within 6" of herself - so the entire unit will count as being destroyed.
*'''Recover Archeotech At Any Cost (1CP):''' Activated at the end of your turn, this stratagem gives {{W40kKeyword|Larsen Van Der Grauss}} some extra survivability on the enemy turn by giving him +1A and Sv until the start of your next turn while he's within 3" of an Objective.

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====Unit Analysis====
All units below include the stipulation that 'Only one of this unit can be included in your army.' so unfortunately you cannot spam a dozen Knosso Pronds to run around the field causing havoc. All are armed with Concussion Grenades that are like Frag Grenades but are Grenade D3, and add 1 Damage if the target unit is within 1" off a terrain feature.
=====HQ=====

*'''Elucia Vhane:''' Stat-wise a Guard Character with a 4+/4++, 3 Attacks, 4 Wounds and 6" move. Re-rolls hits of 1 for {{W40kKeyword| Elucidian Starstriders}} within 6", and once per battle at the start of a Fight Phase can deal D3 Mortal Wounds on a 4+ to an enemy within 1". Her Heirloom Pistol is a fancy Bolt Pistol with AP -2 and 2 Damage, and her Monomolecular Cane-Rapier is an AP -4 Power Sword. Includes the {{W40kKeyword| Astra Cartographica}} keyword, which is kinda fun.

=====Troops=====
*'''Nitsch's Squad:''' GEQ but with MEQ Movement, BS and Ld. Nitsch himself gets an extra wound and attack, along with his fancy shotgun that does 2 damage. Squad is also accompanied by the bestest boy in the Galaxy, Aximillion who moves 8", gets two attacks and is destined to make people cry when he's inevitably killed, just not on the tabletop as the pupper's death is ignored for the purpose of morale. The squad gets +1 Ld as long as the unit is within 6" of {{W40kKeyword|Elucia Vhane}}.

=====Elites=====
*'''Larsen Van Der Grauss:''' Your main source of survivability with the Starstriders, Van Der Grauss's main takeaway is that he provides units what are WHOLLY within 6" a 5++ save. No melee weapon and a Voltaic Pistol that's S5 AP0 and 1D, but scores 3 hits instead of 1 on an unmodified 6 to hit, means you should keep him out of combat.
**If and only if taken with an adeptus mechanicus detatchment he is a valid target for adeptus mechanicus and mars strategems such as dataspike to give some CC bite vs vehicles also (acquisition at any cost+recover archeotech at any cost) gives larson +2 to his saving throws and attacks if you have to hold that late game objective for a 2+3++ potentialy usefull given he can relocate.
*'''Sanistasia Minst:''' Your team's Apothecary, she does not take up a slot in any detachment that includes {{W40kKeyword|Elucia Vhane}}, restores wounds on a 4+ and can resurrect members of Nitsch's squad. Her Scalpel Claw is AP -1.
*'''Knosso Prond:''' The Death Cult Assassin, re-rolls failed hit rolls on the charge, Heroic Interventions or after being charged, her Uncanny Reflexes give her a 5++ so can be left out of Van Der Grauss's invul bubble.  Her Deathmask is a Pistol 1 S1, AP-1, D1 that always wounds on a 2+ unless you're shooting at a {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}} or {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}. Her power blade is AP-2.

====Tactics====
Vhane and her retinue, when it comes down to it, amount to an extra sticky squad of Guardsmen. Excellent Leadership, a 5++ save, the ability to gain back wounds/Voidsmen and enough close range bite to ward off all but dedicated melee units means they'll be difficult to dislodge without dedicating notable amounts of fire power towards them. This, combined with the amount of attention new models generate, means they can serve as a decently cheap Distraction Carnifex, less then 150 points for the whole gang. One good way to go about this is take advantage of their ability to pick and choose the best of the Imperium's transports, (see the Inquisiton section for more on that) run them up the field and plop them down in cover, ideally on an objective. The Assassin doesn't benefit much from being with the others, so she can run off on her own to support one of your melee squads. 

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