Redemptionist Zealot

Oldschool Zealot model.

Little Timmy's first foray into pyrophilia.

Zealots are the crazed Juve followers of Necromunda's Redemption Cult members of House Cawdor gangs.

Overview

Like their seniors, Zealots are the Yin to the Cawdor Bonepicker's Yang. Extremely new and easily impressionable members of the Redemption Cult, Zealots think nothing of expending their lives in a blaze of righteous glory and are often armed with their gangs most dangerous and destructive weapons. In battles, Zealots are primed with a rousing speech from their Redemptor Priest before being sent screaming into the lines of their enemies. Once there, they are ensured to inflict the most damage possible to their gang's foes.

Despite being newbies, they can be equipped much better than their poorer counterparts, being armed with a selection of Autopistol, Stub Gun, a Fighting Knife, a Two-handed Axe or Hammer with exterminator and a freakin' Eviscerator. They used to be identifiable by their lack of any noticable headgear or spike collar, but the new models makes them harder to differentiate from their senior kin.

In a Redemptionist Gang troupe, each troupe usually consists of one Zealot so that he can more efficiently learn the know hows from his seniors.

Crunch

On Necromunda, Zealots are unfortunately twice the cost of a Bonepicker. What do you get for 40 credits instead of 20? Well, a WS of 4+ and slightly better Cool. That’s it! Zealots don’t even have Devout Masses, but they do have access to all the fun and expensive Redemptionist close combat weapons.

Unfortunately, these fighters are firmly within the “thematic but not at all good” zone along with the Redemptionist Brethren. You can’t protect them like you can Deacons and Redemptor Priests, so if you do take one, it’s best to keep them cheap. Zealots in “Oldcromunda” were frenzied combat monsters, but nowadays, they have been nerfed to oblivion. The only way to efficiently field one of those (and, indeed, the reason to keep a painted model on your shelf) is rolling Blessed of Cawdor on a Cawdor House Favours table during campaign. In this case you receive a Juve that plays a role of a Gang Leader for a week, which was hilariously bad with a Bonepicker. However, this Juve's equipment is free, and if he's still alive at the end of the week, you get to keep him. In case of a Zealot you can get up to 360 points of free equipment, and if the "chosen one" dies, all the better - everything except the armour is going into the Stash!