Maccabian Janissaries
"To morrow let them see our strength, and weep whilst they their want of losing blame; their valiant folly strives too long to keep what might be render'd without shame."
- – "Solyman" (Common western misspelling of the name"Suleiman the Magnificent") Seige of Rhodes (opera, 1656) by William Davenant,
The Maccabian Janissaries are the masked, pious fighting force of the Holy shrine world of Maccabeus Quintus. Zealous in faith and fanatical in war, the Janissaries are the elite handpicked guardsmen of the planet who seek to spread the imperial truth to all corners of the galaxy. Because of this, many see that becoming a Janissary is the best form of pilgrimage; to be a pilgrim in a vast and unenlightened galaxy.
While relatively few in number compared to other regiments, the Janissaries more than make up for their numbers by being some of the most finely equipped warriors in the imperium with Flak armour Mk1-NonCardboard, badass silver masks to prove their faith to their blessed saint, Drusus and a disciplined Napoleonic shoulder-to-shoulder fighting style similar to the Mordian Iron Guard.
Modeling
Currently there are no miniatures supplied from Games Workshop or Forgeworld to justify their awesome, making them one of the most underrepresented if not lesser known regiments in the Imperium. To be fair, this probably has less to do with GW/FW being lazy and more to do with the fact that Fantasy Flight Games invented them, and "core" 40k probably won't ever go anywhere near it for licensing reasons. Luckily, their appearance is similar to a Power Armoured Space Marine or Sister of battle, take a few tons in metal off the top and add a few purity seals for good measure.
Victoria Miniatures sells greatcoat legs, so grab some Cadian arms and the greatcoat legs. Then use the pilot torsos from the Valkyrie/Vendetta kit. Failing that, just some good old Cadian torsos (sand down the chest if you're willing to put the effort in). For the head you can try to find a samurai head from somewhere and sand it down (or just leave it). To finish it off add some kind of backpack. A Scion backpack would be preferable.
MODELING UPDATE
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! OUR REPTILIAN OVERLORDS HAVE COME TO THE RESCUE! They have just released Mask Helmets, which are pretty damn close to the Janissaries. Along with Anvil Industry bits and maybe so GW bits, should be able to convert your own force in no time.
You can also get Necromunda pattern lasguns at Shapeways which are pretty close to the art.
Sadly, the Reptilian overlords link is broken, meaning we ain't gonna get their masks for a while. We're sorry Janissary nibbas.
Fan Rules
8th edition
Faction Traits
- Here I Stand, and Here I Shall Die: For the God Emperor guides may actions.
- If your army is battle forged then MACCABIAN JANISSARY TROOPS gain objective secured. In addition to this any detachment in your army may contain a mix of MACCABIAN JANNISSARY units and DEATH CULT OF KREED units, despite them not sharing the same faction keyword. If so, all units may still benefits from their respective faction traits and orders.
- To the Last Man:
- A unit with this rule does not suffer morale casualties due to casualties inflicted during the shooting phase. In addition to this a unit with this rule re-rolls hit rolls of 1 if it lost a model during an earlier turn.
- Zeal beyond Reason:
- A unit with this rule ignores damage received on a 6+ on a D6. In addition to this, when a model with this rule is slain it may immediately make a single shooting attack if it is the shooting phase, or a single melee attack if it is the fight phase.
Orders
- Death March:
- Issue at the beginning of the movement phase. The chosen unit may not advance or charge, but instead adds 1 to its hit rolls in the following shooting phase and adds 1 to its rolls to ignore damage until your next movement phase.
- Hold that Position!:
- Issue to a unit during your shooting phase that is in cover. That unit adds 2 to its armour save for being in cover instead of 1 against shooting attacks, and counts as twice the number of models in its unit when contesting an objective until your next shooting phase.
Stratagems
- Martyrdom: No price so great, no foe so fierce or task insurmountable exists that can keep a Janissary from doing their duty.
- 1cp, use this stratagem during any phase when a MACCABIAN JANISSARY INFANTRY SQUAD containing at least 1 model with a Melta Bomb is slain. Each unit with D6” from that unit suffers D6 mortal wounds. If the unit contains at least 4 models in it equipped with Melta Bombs then every unit within 6” suffers 6 mortal wounds.
Units
HQ
Saint Drusus
| Name | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | A | Ld | Sv | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Drusus | 14" | 2+ | 2+ | 4 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 4+ | 350 |
| Weapon | Range | Type | S | AP | D | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Light | 9” | Assault D6 | 3 | -1 | 1 | During the shooting phase you may fire this weapon profile at every viable target within the weapons range. In addition to this you may fire this weapon even when an enemy unit is within 1” of the bearer and this weapon automatically hits its target. |
| Sword of the Saint | Melee | Melee | x2 | -3 | 3 | This weapon always wounds on a 4+ or better. |
Abilities:
- Living Saint:
- A model with this rule has a 3++ invulnerability save, ignores damage received on a 5+ on a D6 and friendly IMPERIAL units with 6” do not take morale tests, no matter how many models the unit has lost.
- Symbol of Devotion and Matydom:
- Friendly MACCABIAN JANISSARY units within 6” of this unit add 1 to their rolls when ignoring damage and reroll all failed hit rolls during the fight phase. If a unit effected by this ability has lost a model in a previous phase then you may add 1 to that units hit rolls in the fight phase as well.
Troops
Maccabian Infantry Squad
A Maccabian Infantry Squad is made up of 1 Janissary Sargent and 9 Maccabian Janissarys. Each model is equipped with a Maccabian Lasgun, Frag and Krak grenades.
| Name | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | A | Ld | Sv | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maccabian Janissary | 6" | 3+ | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4+ | 7 |
| Janissary Sargent | 6" | 3+ | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4+ | 7 |
| Weapon | Range | Type | S | AP | D | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M35 pattern Lasgun | 30” | Rapid Fire 1 | 3 | -1 | 1 | - |
Wargear:
- Any Maccabian Janissary model in the unit may take a Melta Bomb 5 points
Abilities:
- To the Last Man
- Zeal beyond Reason
- Melta Bomb Runner: The Janissaries have a very effective, if unusual, anti tank doctrine. It involves giving a soldier a melta bomb, pointing them in the direction of an enemy vehicle, and telling them to do their best to slap said melta bomb on the side of said vehicle. All soldiers who perform such a task receive an immediate promotion, although very few survive to enjoy said promotion.
- A unit with 1 or more models carrying Melta Bombs during the charge phase which is 12” or less away from an enemy VEHICLE mat declare that a bearer of a Melta Bomb will make a Melta Bomb run at the enemy vehicle. Before the unit decides to charge detach a single model from the unit which is carrying a melta bomb. That model may then charge an enemy VEHICLE and may reroll it’s charge distance (the enemy unit may still overwatch, and overwatching against this model does not prevent it from doing so later on). If that model succeeds the charge and is not slain by overwatch, then it and the enemy unit suffer D6 mortal wounds. If the model somehow survives then it is returned to its original unit, but upgraded to a Janissary Sargent (even if the unit already had such a model), and that unit may behave normally for the rest of the charge phase. If the model fails to make its charge then nothing happens.