Warhammer Army Project/Araby/8th Edition

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Araby: Warhammer Army Project, 9th Edition Tactica

Created by Mathias Eliasson, this project was a homebrew attempt at giving many of the units, nations, and factions that never got Armybooks of their own (and those left behind and never got one in 8th Edition) such a thing.

It should also be noted that Eliasson is constantly updating his work, so don't expect this page to stay current forever. If anyone wishes to actually update this page and the items that need it, later on, go ahead.

Special rules

Zealotry: This lets your units add their Combat Resolution scores to their unit strength when determining how steadfast they are. They also roll 3d6 for break tests on the first turn, letting them stay in the fight despite any casualties.

The Lore of Desert

Attribute: Shifting Sands: Casting a spell on an enemy unit forces them to re-roll any 6s on charge, pursuit, and fleeing.

• Signature: Sand Blast: Magic Missile that deals 2d6 S2 hits and halves the target's movement, which drives home any advantage you have on the charge. Augmenting doubles the range.

1. Curse of the Genie: Your army can re-roll to wound one unit. Augmenting extends the range.
2. Mirage: One enemy unit that isn't immune to psychology must test Ld whenever they move or shoot or be useless. Augmenting extends the range.
3. Dancing Scimitar: Magic Missile that deals d6 S4 hits before rolling to see if it moves on to hit someone else. Augmenting doubles the damage to 2d6 hits and increases the range.
4. Quicksand: One unit that's not airborne must test Initiative. On failure, they must roll an armour save that kills on a success. Which is fucking nuts because this can kill any knights or monstrosities easily. Augmenting extends the range.
5. Sandstorm: Nobody within 12" of the caster can shoot and nobody inside it can be shot. Flyers are stuck with ground movement and enemies inside it cannot march on top of taking d6 S1 hits. Augmenting doubles the spell's range.

Items

Treasures of the Sands

• Blade of Holy Wrath: Gives hatred and frenzy on top of adding a bonus to Strength equal to the initial number of Wounds on a model. This is a hefty beast-killer, but it's on a hefty price.
• Martyr's Shard: You can sacrifice d3 wounds to insta-kill an enemy you wound.
• Bow of Seeking: S5 bow that ignores range penalties, making this ideal for a hero joining mamelukes.

• Shield of Faith: 5++ ward that also immediately breaks magical weapons that wound the wielder. This is some fucking choice shit.
• Armour of the Scorpion: Light Armour with 5+ Natural Armour and poisoned attacks, giving you more like a 4+ save.

• Ring of Divine Healing: Restores one wound each turn. For 40 points, isn't there better?

• Golden Caraffe: This robs an enemy unit's magical armour of any properties it has and forces a re-roll on all ward saves.
• Lamp of Al-Ha-Dean: This lets you make wishes like a genie without buying the genie. Which, for 25 points, is neat.
• Rope of Kadizar: Lets an infantry model vanish during remaining moves subphase and then reappear anywhere he wants.

• Sandstorm Staff: Bound CL5 item that stores Sandstorm and lets you re-roll one power die for each spell.

• Banner of the Desert: Enemies must re-roll to hit this unit.

Titles

Sultans, being the pompous gits they are, can buy titles. Unlike the Ogre Kingdoms, these aren't as grandiose and can't stack.

• The Conqueror: Lets a general expand the range of IP and his commands to 18".
• The Blessed: The sultan and his unit can re-roll saves. Unfortunately, this doesn't expand to any other characters.
• Patron of Science: Gains Regen 6+.
• The Fanatic: The sultan and his unit gets frenzy.
• The Tyrant: The sultan's now a BSB without the ability to nab magical standards. Thankfully, he doesn't die if his unit breaks.
• The Glorious: The sultan and his unit add +1 to all combat resolution checks.
• The Wealthy: The cheapest, but offers the biggest changes. Now all palace guards, mamelukes, and janissaries can take up to 25 pts of magic items while core units can take a magic standard worth up to 25 pts.

Artefacts of the Creed

Assassins, being the secluded society of cutthroats they are, are able to nab their own special tools. These aren't considered magic items despite pulling from the same budget and thus aren't exclusive on a per-army basis.

• Orb of Illusion: This Apple of Eden gives a 50/50 chance to negate all hits in close combat before saves. For 40 points, that's a pretty steal.
• Venom of the Desert Snake: Adds +1 to wound and forces anyone wounded to test T or eat another wound.
• Hidden Blade: The trademark weapon from Assassin's Creed offers KB for 25 pts.
• Shadowstrike: Gives Multiple Wounds (d3).
• Dagger of the Grand Master: A magical secondary weapon that wounds one designated enemy character on a 2+ and uses the enemy's strength to determine saves, which then must be re-rolled.
• Cloak of Shadows: Missiles take -2 to hit the wearer, but this only applies when they're alone.
• Code of the Creed: Re-rolls hits in challenges and forces enemies to accept a challenge.
• Nethertoxin: Poisoned Attacks that also always wound on a 4+.

Army Units

Lords & Heroes

Special Characters

• Sultan Jaffar: A truly wicked grand vizier, befitting the archetype. He's an L4 loremaster of shadow or death who is the mandatory general with the option of up to two djinns or efreets. While those within 12" can re-roll psychology, anyone outside that range takes -1 to Ld because of his dickishness. He has the means to mind-control a unit in b2b and make them betray allies. However, he is forced to cast each turn (or die) and every time he casts, he need to sacrifice d3 models and add that many dice to the power pool.

• Salah Ah-Din: A legendary hero and tactician among crusaders and Warhammer's version of the Saracen leader Saladin. He's a sultan that can issue two commands with an 18" range for IP, lets his unit re-roll psychology and adds +1 to their combat resolution. His weapon grants ASF and ignores armour and has medium plate that forces enemies to re-roll to wound.

• The Golden Magus: He's a Grand Vizier who can summon genies mid-game. He's protected by a 5++ ward that makes close combat attacks take -1 to hit him and his sword gives +1S and flaming attacks while insta-killing the flammable.

• The Prince of Thieves: The Prince of Persia from the pre-Sands of Time titles whom can never be the general. He hides in an army like an assassin, but his gimmick is stealing magic items and running over obstacles that aren't water. While he makes all close combat attacks against him re-roll to hit and has a badass weapon that wounds on a 2+ with re-rolled armour saves, he's the sort to keep mobile by bailing from a unit right after combat.

• Jasmine Silverveil: Princess of Araby (Gee, wonder why?) and super-fast mounted Level 2 wizard of light/heavens. She's a handy supporting leader, rallying all units within 12" under any circumstance. She's able to fight with a 4++ Ward and a sword that adds +2S on the charge and a bonus attack, but keep her alive - all losing her gives everyone is hatred for the unit who dropped her.

• Sinba'ahd: Corsair lord and totally not based on the comedian Sinbad. He lets all corsairs use his Ld8 and gives one unit of them ambushers. While his dual weapons that re-roll 1s to hit and +1 attack per model in b2b and 5++ ward don't look like much, he also has another rule: all units attacking him must test Ld or be forced to only hit him on a nat 6.

• Malik Ibn La'Ahad: Altair. No, seriously, he's freaking Altair. He's a super assassin with sniper that can make extra attacks for each missed attack an enemy makes at him and carries a magical damascus blade that adds +1S and can break magical weapons. This is on top of the Hidden Blade and Code of the Creed.

Generic Characters

• Sultan: You have fat bastards sitting on Slann palanquins, truly a worthy position for such a decadent folk. They can bark orders to other units that grant temporary perks.
  • Step of Ormazd: Re-roll charges.
  • Strength of Ormazd: Re-roll hit and wound rolls in close combat, which is a good thing since you'll be needing it a lot.
  • Fury of Ormazd: Gain an extra attack.
  • Faith of Ormazd: The unit gets Stubborn and Immune (Psychology) to foil any fear-based shenanigans.

• Caliph: Your classic foot commander. On top of his melee weapons, he can also grab a shortbow or a handgun or ride a War Elephant.

• Grand Vizier: Your wizard lord. He has access to the lores of Fire, Metal, Heavens, Light, and Desert.

• Djinn: Why yes, you can put a genie into your army! Though only a wizard with access to heavens lore, he's got quite a few rules from fly, magical attacks, fear, a 5++ ward, and immunity (psychology). He's also bound to a vizier, who can make up to 3 wishes to at the start of any turn with a Ld test on the sorcerer's behalf. The wishes are each rather decent though thay last for a turn. (IP and Hold Your Ground without being a general, 2++ Ward, Loremaster that can re-roll 1s to cast)
  • Efreets: Flaming djinns with legs and a hatred for everyone.

• Sheikh: Your classic captain and mandatory BSB if you don't make your sultan one.

• Vizier: The basic battle wizard.

• Hashishin: The Brotherhood of Assassins in Warhammer form. They're basic assassin fare, hiding in units before striking. They can carry crossbows that trade off with their piercing power for short range.

Mounts

• Arabyan Steed: These are warhorses that have M9, but barding makes them M7 like any other horse. Needless to say, you'd probably want to enjoy that speed.
• Camel: A slightly sturdier horse with M7 that can cause fear in horses.
• Flying Carpet: Pick this only if you like the idea of being friggin' Aladdin. These things can't fight and only offer flight.

Core Units

• Warriors of Araby: Your basic rank & file troopers. They can have an Imam to act as a secondary champion who gives Hatred in close combat. They can also buy a Dibbukim, yet another character that grants them all frenzy and forces enemies to re-roll wounds against them.

• Bowmen: Your basic Arabyan archers.

• Corsairs: Your skirmishing infantry, set with either shields or dual weapons. They have a nasty rule that makes enemies roll 3d6" for fleeing and drop the highest so they can trap any enemy they break and enslave them.

• Slave Guard: Your expendable army of meatshields that never count towards minimum core. Characters can't join them, they can never be resolute, and sultans won't command them. Their lone commander also hides in the rearmost rank and if he dies, the slaves panic.

• Desert Riders: Fast cavalry archers that can move and shoot without penalty. They can also shoot before fleeing a charge.

• Camel Riders: Fast cavalry ambushers skilled at hit and run. They can fall back after any combat where they charged, though they have to test Ld if the battle was a loss or a draw.

Special Units

• Palace Guard: If you take a sultan, you need these guys like Slann need temple guard.

• Janissaries: Hard troopers that never panic and roll 3d6 drop highest when testing for redirecting charges, restraining from pursuit, marching, and reforming. These guys are your elites, given shields, halberds, shortbows, or handguns.

• Mamelukes: Armoured cavalry with Devastating Charge. They can grab lances to be even more terrifying.

• Flying Carpet Riders: Now this is some silly shit. These guys are flying cavalry that drop d6 S2 poisoned shots over an enemy they fly over each turn.

• Nomad Hunters: Your lone shooters and they're skirmishers with scout. They have handguns with 30" but are move or fire.

• Nafftaun: Skirmishing grenade-chuckers. These bombs are S4 flaming attacks that ignore armour and force panic for any casualties, making them great for discouraging enemies from charging.

• Dervishes: Skirmishing whirlwinds of poisoned combat. They don't charge as normal, instead running through any units, dealing d3 S3 hits per dervish, so they can reach the full distance rolled. Those d3 S3 hits also apply when enemies charge the dervishes like impact hits and thy are always in soft cover.

Rare Units

• Blade Dancers: Harem assassins. They're protected by only a 5++ ward and select one stance each turn so long as nothing is repeated (KB, +1 attack, -1 to hit rolls against them).

• Basilica Cannon: A Great Cannon.

• War Elephant: A behemoth ridden by a crew of dudes with 1d6+1 impact hits and terror. If this big guy's shot, he has to roll Ld or move 2d6" in a random direction out of panic and deals impact hits towards anyone it runs over. It also has a list of upgrades to use.
  • Mahout: Re-rolls Ld tests for stampeding
  • Armour Plates: A 5+ save, which is good since it lacks any protection.
  • Spike Chain: Increases the Impact Hits to 2d6.
  • Spiked Tusks: Adds +1S to all attack.

• Sandglass of Time: This here's an oddball. It's a war machine that doesn't attack, but it instead gives magic resist 1 to units within 12" and gives a bonus channel/dispel die. However, breaking it deals 2d6" S4 hits to everyone within 12". It's means of use are in several bound PL5 spells, all of which remain in play.
  • Abeyance: Forces a unit to give up one of the following each turn: moving, casting, shooting, and fighting.
  • Recede: Gives a unit multishot 2 and adds a bonus attack. This at least gives it a use for every unit.
  • Gravedust: A death curse that robs -1 M/S/T/I from a unit until they die or the spell is dispelled.

• Roc: Giant eagles. Sadly unable to flock up.