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Codex - Sons of Malice: /tg/'s 9th Edition

2026-05-20T14:28:21Z

185.220.101.134:

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<center>[[File:Sons of Malice Marine art.jpeg|500px]]</center>

<center>'''Up is Down.'''

'''Left is Right.'''

'''Death is Life.'''

'''Your Mother is your Father, and your Father is also your Father, while you were never born.'''

'''The Rich are Poor, the Poor are Rich.'''

'''The Gods shall fall, even the one who [[Malal|plans the Fall]].'''

'''Welcome, to the Sons of Malice. Try the Imaginary Pie.'''</center>

This Codex was made to give the [[Sons of Malice]] proper rules for the 9th edition. Enjoy your forces of paradox.

==Army Rules==
===Universal===
*'''Cult of the Uncertain Bolter:''' ''x''
::Instead of following the normal rules for Rapid Fire weapons, models in this unit shooting a Rapid Fire weapon from the ''Bolter Weapons'' list do not follow the normal rules for rapid-fire weapons. Instead of making double the number of attacks when within half the weapons range, they make D6-2 shots (up to a minimum of 1). They may instead do this at their weapons full range if any of the following apply:
::*The shooting model’s target is within half the weapon’s range.
::*The shooting model is {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} and its unit Remained Stationary in your previous Movement phase.
::*The shooting model is a {{WH40Kkeyword|Terminator}} or {{WH40Kkeyword|Biker}}.

*'''Death to the Believers:''' ''"They beg their idols to save them. Whether they be [[Guilliman|the offspring of a dying god]] or the gods who fool themselves into thinking that they control reality, it does not matter who our foes cry out to save them, in the end, they all fall."''
::Each time you roll a hit roll of 6+ for a model with this ability in the Fight phase, it can, if it was targeting an {{W40kKeyword|Imperium}} or {{W40kKeyword|Chaos}} unit, immediately make an extra attack against the same unit using the same weapon. These extra attacks cannot themselves generate any further attacks.

===Detachment Rules===
*'''Dual Melee Weapons:''' ''Duality is the womb of discord. From these asymmetrical weapons, these warriors of contradictions harness the strength to slaughter all those who proclaim their faith.''
::A unit equipped with two of the same melee weapons adds 1 to its attack characteristic. Relic melee weapons count as the weapon they replaced when considering this rule.

*'''Objective Secured:''' ''Objectives are fickle things, and what does securing matter in the face of the unknowable that is chaos. But still, even the Sons of Malice, with their unique world view, appreciate that tasks must be completed for their goals to be achieved.''
::If your army is Battle-forged, all Troops units in {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} Detachments gain this ability. Such a unit that is within range of an objective marker (as specified in the mission) controls the objective marker even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective marker. If an enemy unit within range of the same objective marker has a similar ability, then the objective marker is controlled by the player who has the most models within range of it as normal.

*'''Penrouse Hierarchy:''' ''The hierarchy of the Sons of Malice is nearly impossible to understand. As expected from the followers of the God of Contradictions, these warriors can be seen receiving orders by their superiors while the moment after, they would be the one to command. This is perhaps one of the army's most powerful attributes, for it can never be certain who is the puppeteer who is really pulling the strings.''
::When mustering your army, if it contains {{W40kKeyword|Primarch of the Forgotten Ones}}, that model must be selected as your Warlord. Otherwise, if your army contains a {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}, that model must be selected as your Warlord. Otherwise, if your army contains a {{W40kKeyword|Guardian of Contradictions}} or a {{W40kKeyword|Matron of Malal}}, that model must be selected as your Warlord. If your army contains none of the listed models, select your Warlord as normal.

*'''The Lords of Randomness and Servants of Chaos:''' ''The Sons of Malice sneer at their foes attempt to simply wipe them off the battlefield indiscriminately, they are the true worshippers of chaos, and only a focused effort to remove one of their numbers is capable of actually defeating them.''
::If your army is battle forged then all {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units gain this rule. All {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units can re-roll 1's on any number of dice used to determine a random value (eg. advancing, charging, number of shots, damage, etc.). In addition, all {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units suffer 1 fewer hit per dice (2 if the weapon automatically hits its target) from any weapons which randomly determine their number of attacks to a minimum of 1 hit per dice (eg. an Assault 2D6 weapon would produce 2 fewer hits).

==Stratagems==
===Battle Tactics Stratagems===
*'''Driven by Hunger (3 CP):''' ''You wish for victory, but are not willing to pay its price. You wish to see your enemy suffer but are unwilling to understand what suffering is. Malal is not keen on those who do not learn the lessons of chaos, and is more than willing to dish them out.''
::Use this Stratagem before the start of the battle. At the start of your second Command phase (and at the start of each subsequent Command phase), roll a D6 for each friendly model in your deployment zone, on a 6 that model suffers a mortal wound. However, at the start of your second Command phase (and for every subsequent Command phase), you may add 1” advance rolls for friendly units outside of your deployment zone. In addition, any of your units in your opponent's deployment zone may re-roll all wound rolls of 1.

*'''Purity of the Blessed Number (1 CP)''' ''x''
::Use this Stratagem during any phase. Select a friendly unit that does not contain exactly 11 models. For the duration of that phase that unit is considered to have exactly 11 models, regardless of how many models it actually contains, for determining effects and abilities based on how many models there are in the unit.

*'''The Time Warp (3 CP):''' ''It's astounding'' ''Time is fleeting'' ''Madness takes its toll'' ''But listen closely'' ''Not for very much longer'' ''I've got to lose control''
::Use this Stratagem at the beginning of your turn. Select a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}} or {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} and make note of its position on the battlefield and how many models/wounds it has remaining. At the end of any phase after this you may choose for this unit to be restored to its original starting position; return it within 6” of the noted down position and return to the number of models/wounds it had. If this cannot be done because the position is obstructed, the unit is instead slain.

*'''Victory Hidden in Disorder (1 CP):''' ''x''
::Use this Stratagem when a {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}} or {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} unit rolls a dice; roll a D6, if you roll a 4+ you may select the value rolled on the dice. If a 1-3 is rolled then the unit takes 1 mortal wound.

===Epic Deed Stratagems===
*'''Malal Unending (2 CP):''' ''Eleven shards lost to time, forever wandering amid the tides. If one is broken, no need to cry; forever they'll return, until the day of strife.''
::Use this Stratagem in any phase, when a {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}} from your army is destroyed. Roll a die; on a 4+, set that model back up on the battlefield as close as possible to where they were destroyed and more than 1" away from any enemy models, with D3 wounds remaining. This Stratagem cannot be used to set the same model back up more than once per battle.

===Requisition Stratagems===
*'''Boon of Malal (2 CP):''' ''Malal does not like to bestow obvious blessings upon their followers, as such gifts are counterproductive to its existence. There are times however when the Uncertain One deems it necessary to bless one of their champions, in a suitably random manner.''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
::Use this Stratagem before the battle begins and before any Relic is taken or the Warlord is chosen. Select a {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} (other than any unique character) from your army and roll 2D6, then consult the table below:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::'''-2:''' The model is immediately slain.
::'''-3:''' The model begins the battle with D3 fewer wounds, to a minimum of half the model's starting number of wounds (rounded down).
::'''-4:''' The model begins the battle with D3 fewer attacks to a minimum of half the model's starting number of attacks (rounded down).
::'''-5:''' Roll a D6; if it’s odd, reduce this model's hit rolls by 1 for the rest of the battle. If it’s even, increase this model's hit rolls by 1 for the rest of the battle.
::'''-6:''' Roll a D6; if it’s odd, reduce this model's Toughness characteristic by 1 for the rest of the battle. If it’s even, increase this model's Toughness characteristic by 1 for the rest of the battle.
::'''-7:''' Re-roll on this table. If you roll a 7 again you may pick any result except a 10, 11 or 12.
::'''-8:''' At the beginning of each Command phase, choose the closest enemy unit with 24” of this model and roll a D6. On a 4+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
::'''-9:''' Roll a D6, if it’s odd then add 1 to this model's hit rolls, if it’s even then add 1 to this model's wound rolls.
::'''-10:''' This model's Attack characteristic becomes 2D6-1, to a minimum of its original attack value.
::'''-11:''' Add 1 to this model's hit and wound rolls. Also, add D3 to this model's maximum wound characteristic.
::'''-12:''' Replace this model with a Guardian of Contradictions (you do not need to pay any extra points for this).
</div>
</div>

*'''Gifts of Malal (1 CP):''' ''Malal is not an ungenerous god. They are more selfless and giving than even Nurgle, delivering their blessings to all, even those who did not ask for them. Only the Sons of Malice truly appreciate that some gifts are a curse wrapped in a bow of spite.''
::Use this Stratagem before the battle, when you are mustering your army, if your Warlord has the {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} keyword. Select one {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} model in your army and give them one Relic (this must be a Relic they can have). Each Relic in your army must be unique, and you cannot use this Stratagem to give a model two Relics. You can only use this Stratagem once, unless you are playing a Strike Force battle (in which case you can use this Stratagem twice), or an Onslaught battle (in which case you can use this Stratagem three times).

*'''Unorder within the Ranks (1 CP):''' ''x.''
::Use this Stratagem before the battle, when you are mustering your army, if your Warlord has the {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} keyword. Select one {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} model in your army and determine one Warlord Trait for that model (this must be a Warlord Trait they can have); that model is only regarded as your Warlord for the purposes of that Warlord Trait. Each Warlord Trait in your army must be unique (if randomly generated, re-roll duplicate results), and you cannot use this Stratagem to give a model two Warlord Traits. You can only use this Stratagem once, unless you are playing a Strike Force battle (in which case you can use this Stratagem twice), or an Onslaught battle (in which case you can use this Stratagem three times).

===Strategic Ploy Stratagems===
*'''Avalanche of Hooves (1 CP):''' ''It is believed by most in the 42nd millennium that cavalry is obsolete. Only normal humans feel it necessary to ride such weak creatures. Such beings find themselves eating their word and the barrels of their own guns in sheer terror when they realize that many things in the darkness of the galaxy still ride upon hooves.''
::Use this Stratagem during your Assault phase, when a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} unit declares a charge. Until the end of the turn, add 1" to that unit's charge distances for every dice rolled to determine that distance.

*'''Empty Shell (1 CP):''' ''Dreadnoughts are a curse for a Son of Malice. Inside their clean, hermetically sealed tome they are unable to relish in the touch of chaos, to rejoice in the disorder of war or the art of defiled forms. This drives dreadnoughts to become separated from reality to the point that they can simply ignore mortal damage.''
::Use this Stratagem when a {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnought}} suffers a wound. Roll a D6 for that wound and each other wound inflicted on that model for the rest of the phase; on a 4+ that wound is ignored and has no effect.

*'''Nonexistence (2 CP):''' ''It is important for an opponent to never blink when facing the Sons of Malice, for to take your eyes off them for even a moment can result in their existence being temporarily ended, only to be reinstated at the worst possible moment.''
::Use this Stratagem at the end of a phase where a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}} or {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} unit would be completely wiped out. Remove that unit from the battlefield before any casualty is removed and make a note of its previous position, then roll a D6. On a 1-3 the unit is slain; on a 4-5 nothing happens, the unit is returned unto the battlefield at the end of the turn without suffering any casualty; on a 6, return the unit on the battlefield as stated above but with D3 previously slain models returned to it.

*'''Paradoxic Tunneling (2 CP):''' ''One learns quickly to not rely on reinforcements when battling the Sons of Malice, for the reinforcements you request may come baring different colors and intent to those you were expecting.''
::Use this Stratagem when an enemy unit would arrive from reserve. That enemy unit does not arrive from reserve, instead, deploy one of your non-{{W40kKeyword|vehicle}} {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units from your reserve in the position where that enemy unit would have been deployed. This may put your deployed unit within 1” of an enemy unit.

*'''The Uncertainty of War (1 CP):''' ''Much like fighting the Raven Guard or Alpha Legion, fighting the Sons of Malice can be an exercise in futility. The objectives you took turned out to be useless, the marines you thought you killed turn out to have never existed, and the champion you slew was merely a normal Son in fancy armor. Unlike the aforementioned legions, however, the Sons of Malice can find their victories equally hollow, for such is the way of chaos.''
::Use this Stratagem at the end of the battle while Victory Points are being counted. Roll a D6 for each Victory Point your opponent has earned, re-rolling any rolls of 1; on a 6+ that Victory Point is lost. Then, roll a D6 for each Victory Point you have earned; on a 6+ that Victory Point is also lost.

*'''To Speak is to End (2 CP):''' ''A Son of Malice never speaks. It is part of his offering to the God of Uncertainty. But if such a warrior were to speak he would be wracked with unspeakable agony and torment as his patron god shows their displeasure. But what of such a being who survived such an ordeal? You would find them... changed, and all the more deadly because of it.''
::Use this Stratagem at the beginning of your turn. Select a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}} or {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} and roll a D6 for each model in that unit. For each roll of 1 a model in that unit is slain; if any models are slain, immediately take a morale test with -1 to the Leadership characteristics. However, for the next two turns, all remaining models add 1 to their Movement, Advance, and Charge distances, along with a plus 1 to their hit and wound rolls.

*'''Why...is there a Chesterfield Sofa on the Battlefield? (5CP)''' ''Eddies in the space-time continuum have brought forth a sofa into the battle. Where once there was warfare there is now great confusion.''
::Use this Stratagem at the beginning of any of your turns after the first one. Until the start of your next turn, no units may shoot, fight in melee, or fire Overwatch attacks due to the confusion. Units may still move, Advance, charge and contest objectives. You may also make Psychic tests, but all tests are taken at a minus 1 penalty as the psykers are even more profoundly affected by the sofa. This Stratagem may only be used once per battle.

===Wargear Stratagems===
*'''Flakk Missile (1 CP):''' ''Flakk missiles are designed to eliminate aircraft by unleashing a payload of shrapnel that shreds armor and vital systems.''
::Use this Stratagem just before a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} model attacks a unit that can {{W40kKeyword|Fly}} with a '''Missile Launcher'''. Make a single hit roll with the weapon this phase; however, add 1 to the hit roll and, if it hits, the target suffers D3 mortal wounds.

*'''Killshot (1 CP):''' ''In a single tune of discordant harmony, these war machines of Malal recede the line between life and death, removing their target from this plane of existence.''
::Use this Stratagem in your Shooting phase if a {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Discors Predator}} is within 6" of 2 other friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Discors Predators}}. For the rest of the phase, add 1 to the wound rolls and damage for all of the {{W40kKeyword|Discors Predators}}' attacks that target the same {{W40kKeyword|Monster}} or {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}.

*'''Linebreaker Bombardment (1 CP):''' ''United in their diversity, the Discors Vindicators focus all their shots into one single point of the battlefield, punching a hole in the tear of the materium.''
::Use this Stratagem in your Shooting phase if a {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Discors Vindicator}} is within 6" of 2 other friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Discors Vindicators}}. If you do so, the {{W40kKeyword|Discors Vindicatosr}} cannot fire their '''Demolisher Cannons''' in this phase - instead, select a point on the battlefield within 24" of all three vehicles that is visible to all of them. Roll a D6 for each unit within 6" of that point. Add 1 to the result if the unit being rolled for has 10 or more models, but subtract 1 if the unit being rolled for is a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}. On a 4+ that unit suffers 3D3 mortal wounds.

*'''Voidstrike (2 CP):''' ''This missile is both in and out of this world. It can traverse even the most advanced defenses and strike the target into the void with it.''
::Use this Stratagem in your Shooting phase, before choosing a target for a Voidstrike Missile. That Voidstrike Missile ignores any of the target's saves and can ignore the ''Look out, Sir'' special rule.

==Distortion of Reality==
''The simple presence of a Son of Malice in reality is enough to start bending the very fabric of existence into a kaleidoscope of possibility. This distortion starts small, however, first in the mind and body of the marine themselves, before leeching out like cancer into their surroundings. Although not as devastating or invasive as a true immaterial tear in reality, the corruptive effect of one as twisted as the followers of Malal has its own insidious effects.''

If your army is Battle-forged, then all your {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units gain this special rule. This ability has two separate factors: its range and its actual effect, each of which is improved by separate factors.

*For the range of the ability, keep track of the total number of 6’s rolled to determine a randomly determined value throughout the battle. This includes Advance and Charge distances, random number of shots or damage, and random characteristics (if a D3 is rolled, roll a D6 instead and divide the result rounding up). The range of this ability is the total number of 6’s rolled this way, divided by 3, to a maximum of 11”.

*For the effect of the ability, keep track of the total number of psychic powers from the Powers of Malal list manifested during the battle and consult the table below. Each effect is cumulative with the previous ones:

'''-Intact Reality (0-3):''' Nothing

'''-Flickers in the Corner of the Eye (4-6):''' Subtract 1 from the Leadership characteristic of enemy units within this ability's range. In addition, those units must subtract 1 to their Combat Attrition Tests.

'''-Haze in the Materium (7-9):''' Enemy units must subtract 1 from their hit rolls when they target a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit whilst they are within this ability's range.

'''-Cracks in Realspace (10-12):''' Enemy units must subtract 1 from their hit rolls when they target a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit whilst they are outside this ability's range.

'''-Warping Light (13-15):''' Enemy units must subtract 1 from their wound rolls when they target a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit whilst they are within this ability's range.

'''-A World as Malleable as Putty (16+):''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units add 1 to all their wound rolls if they target an enemy unit within this ability's range.

==Warlord Traits==
*'''1: Chosen of the [[Malal|Unclear]]:''' ''Some of Malal’s chosens stop being wholly physical entities. Instead, they move their armor and weapons using their sheer will, their existence becoming so uncertain that nobody knows if the warlord still exists, or is simply a malevolent spirit encased in ceramite.''
::Your Warlord's wounds characteristic is replaced by their Leadership characteristic. As this model takes wounds it reduces their Leadership characteristic. This model is slain when it reaches zero Leadership and is affected by Leadership modifiers. For the purpose of shooting, consider the number of wounds present on the model's Datasheet.

*'''2: Consistently Uncertain:''' ''This being does not know what it is exactly. Reality itself has lost its grasp on it, scrambling the properties of its essence and body into something unknowable.''
::Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+.

*'''3: Denier of Reality:''' ''This warlord laughs at the plans and orders given by their enemy counterparts. How can they be so certain and meticulous when, ultimately, nothing matters? Their plans will falter at the final stage, or their men will simply not be consoled by their words. Ultimately, when they gaze into the eyes of this warlord, they shall realize that nothing that they ever did ever mattered. And as this warlord brings the only true certainty there is to their lives, they shall be comforted by the idea that, although they failed in everything they attempted, that ultimately, it does not matter.''
::Enemy Aura abilities don't have effect as long as the unit manifesting them is within 12" of your Warlord. In addition, increase the range of your Warlord's Aura abilities by 6”.

*'''4: Devourer of Warp-Horrors:''' ''The Warp-spawned Horrors that attempt to take advantage of the lapses in the concentration of this daemon or its followers will find themselves dragged into its gaping maws instead.''
::Roll a dice each time a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit suffers Perils of the Warp while within 11" of this model; on a 3+ the unit does not suffer Perils of the Warp and the Warlord regains 1 wound lost previously in the battle. In addition, roll a die each time your Warlord suffers an unsaved wound; on a 5+ it doesn't suffer that wound.

*'''5: Lord of Paradoxes:''' ''To look upon this warlord is to see uncertainty and contradiction. You see a being that is both tall and short, mighty yet withered, male and [[Female Space Marines|female]], armed to the teeth while bearing no weapons or armor. They personify their chosen deity perfectly, and are all the more powerful and vulnerable because of it.''
::This model has to subtract 1 from all its save rolls but, each time this model is hit by an attack, add, instead of subtracting, the Ap value of the attack to this model's save (the same also applies to any attack which reduces this model's Invulnerable save). In addition, your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.

*'''6: The Mimic Prince:''' ''To look at this warlord is to see yourself, but with all your positive traits made all the more striking, and all your negative traits made all the more grotesque.''
::At the beginning of each Fighting phase, you may choose for this model to replace its profile with that of another model within 1” (friend or foe). If so, then roll a D6 for each characteristic, on an odd number that characteristic is reduced/made worse by 1, on an even number that characteristic is improved by 1; on a 6 that characteristic is improved by 2 instead. As soon as the mimicked model is more than 1” away this unit goes back to possessing its original profile. In addition to this, all enemy units must subtract 2 from their Leadership characteristic while within 3” of this model.

==Powers of Malal==
Unless stated otherwise, all {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|psykers}} must generate their powers only from the ones below.

Before a battle begins you must either select what Psychic powers you wish your {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|psykers}} will use, or you can decide to leave the warp to decide your fate.

If so, then instead of selecting what psychic powers each of your psykers knows, at the beginning of each Command phase, roll a number of D6 for each {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} unit in your army equal to the number of {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} psychic powers they can know. For the following turn, they know the psychic powers associated with those rolls. In addition, they gain a plus 1 to all their psychic tests and gain an additional plus 1 for each previous turn in which they rolled for their powers. However, if a unit rolls a psychic power it possessed in the previous turn, then it suffers a mortal wound and for that turn, it rolls Perils of the Warp on double 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, and 6’s.

'''-1: It Should not Be (Warp Charge: 7):''' ''The Wizard stills the Warp around his opponents, creating a horrible feeling of emptiness in those affected.''
:Select an enemy unit within 18" that is visible to the psyker and roll 2D6, adding 1 to the result; then compare the result to the enemy unit's Leadership characteristic. If the result is equal or less than the enemy's Leadership characteristic, then nothing happens; if the result is higher, the unit suffers a mortal wound equal to the difference.
:If a 10+ was rolled when manifesting this power then roll 3D6 instead of 2D6.

'''-2: Paradoxic Annihilation (Warp Charge: 8):''' ''The Wizard manifests the powers of fate in a swirling cloud of destruction, able of canceling both foes and allies.''
:Select one friendly and one enemy unit within 18" of the psyker, then roll-off. The unit that's part of the losing player's army suffers 2D6 mortal wounds. If a unit is slain this way then all others units within 6” of the slain unit suffer D6 mortal wounds.

'''-3: That Which Protects Exposes (Warp Charge: 7):''' ''As the psyker ponders the infinite and the unknowable and contradictory nature of the universe the target's reality begins to turn on itself. The big becomes small, the strong become weak and those strong of mind find themselves uncertain, and wanting.''
:Select an enemy unit within 24” of the psyker. Until your next Psychic phase, that unit is always wounded on a wound roll at least equal to its Armour Save characteristic.
:In addition, if a 10+ was rolled when manifesting this power, that unit may not make any Armour Save roll.

'''-4: The Shadow That Blinds (Warp Charge: 7):''' ''The Wizard releases a contrasting blast of energy that somehow shrouds allies in darkness and blinds enemies with light.''
:Select an enemy unit within 18" that is visible to the psyker, that unit must subtract 1 from all its hit rolls until your next Psychic phase. In addition, all friendly units within 6" of the psyker gain a 5+ invulnerable save.

'''-5: Translocation Juxtaposition (Warp Charge: 8):''' ''Left and right are inverted, upside becomes down and true turns false as space is manipulated by the Uncertain One's followers, making things disappear while other, more sinister ones, take their spot.''
:Select an enemy unit and a friendly unit composed of the exact same number of models within 18” of the psyker. Remove both units from the board and then re-deploy your friendly unit in the original position of the enemy one, and then the enemy unit in the position of the friendly one. This action can put units within 1” of other enemy ones.
:If either unit has exactly 11 models in it then a unit containing any number of models may be selected instead of one with the exact same number of models.

'''-6: Undo What Has Been Done (Warp Charge: 7):''' ''For the worshippers of Malal, what has been done can always be undone, and what has been undone may be done anew, for that is the nature of true chaos.''
:Select a friendly unit within 12” of the psyker. Until your next psychic phase that unit may re-roll one hit, one wound, one Armor save, and one damage roll in each of the subsequent phases.
:If this power is manifested with an unmodified result of 11, then the selected unit may choose to automatically succeed a single dice roll in any phase until your next psychic phase instead.

==Specialists Detachments==
===Abominal Intelligence (2 CP)===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
''Many machines exist in this forsaken galaxy, but few are able to go beyond their own program and are forever bound to their masters. To the Unseen God, living beings are nothing more than machines, and machines are just a facsimile for organic constructs. For this, its hand reaches to all and none, and with it, perhaps the lowly of machine can understand what it means to be the master.''

All {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} and {{W40kKeyword|INANIS MACHINATORs}} units in this Specialist Detachment gain the {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} keyword.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''Warlord Trait:'''
*'''Void Spirit:''' ''x''
:{{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} retain the bonuses to their hit rolls from the ''Corrupted Intelligence'' special rule if your Warlord is the only {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} within 12” of them. In addition, roll a D6 each time your Warlord loses a wound whilst they are within 3" of a {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATA}}; on a 4+ that model can intercept the hit - your Warlord does not lose a wound but the {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} suffers a mortal wound.

'''Stratagems:'''
*'''Artificial Madness (2 CP):''' ''x''
:Use this Stratagem before fighting with a {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} unit. Until the end of the phase, double the Attack characteristic of all the models in the unit. In addition, roll a die every time you roll a hit roll of 1, on a 4+ this unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
*'''Calculating Suppressing Fire (3 CP):''' ''x''
:Use this Stratagem at the start of your first Shooting phase, if no {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} unit moved in the previous movement phase. If so then all {{W40kKeyword|Abominal Intelligence}} {{W40kKeyword|LEGION BATTLE-AUTOMATAs}} in your army may fire their Distortion Bolt Cannons twice during this Shooting phase. You may only use this Stratagem once per battle.

'''Relic:'''
*'''Automatar's Hammer:''' ''x''
:This Relic replaces the model’s '''Power Axe''' and has the following profile:
:{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Automatar's Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || D6 || When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} or {{W40kKeyword|Building}} unit, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D3+3.
|}</div>
</div>

==Special Formations==
Special Formations are a special kind of detachment that is made up of variable and specific units. Each formation has to be made inside its own detachment and counts as an organized detachment that subtracts a set number of Command Points from the player's pool.

===The Dreaded 11 Stampede (1 CP)===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:span">
''xx''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Composition:'''
*1 Doomhunter/Antraes
*1 unit of Doomriders
'''Restrictions:'''
*The unit of Doomriders must have 10 models.
'''Effects:'''
*All units in this formation are treated as one unit for all intents and purposes.
*This formation may not be targeted by any friendly Stratagem.
*This formation must begin the battle in reserve. At the beginning of any player's turn, you may deploy this formation within 6" of any table edge and at least 2D6-1” from any enemy unit.
'''Special Stratagems:'''
</div>
</div>

===The 11 Hordes of 11 (2 CP)===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:span">
''xx''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Composition:'''
*1 HQ model
*11 units chosen in any combination from the followings: ''Followers of Malal'', ''Sons of Malice'', ''Hiulcus Terminators'', ''Null Knights'', ''Doom Riders'', ''Parasite Riders'', ''Hook Horrors''.
'''Restrictions'''
*Each unit must contain exactly 11 models.
'''Effects:'''
*If a unit in this formation has an ability that is only active when it has 11 models then it is considered to always have 11 models, regardless of how many models are actually in the unit.
'''Special Stratagems:'''
</div>
</div>

===Wrath of Kathal (2 CP)===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:span">
''xx''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Composition:'''
*Kathal, Anarch of the Sons of Malice
*1 unit of Hiulcus Terminators

'''Restrictions'''
*The unit of Hiulcus Terminators must have 10 models.

'''Effects:'''
*All units in this formation are treated as one unit for all intents and purposes.
*Add 1” to the Movement characteristics of each model in this formation.
*Add 1 to the hit and wound rolls of models in this formation in a turn in which they charged.

'''Special Stratagems:'''
</div>
</div>

==Wargear==
===Melee Weapons===
*'''Brutal Assault Weapon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Brutal Assault Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}

*'''Chainweapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|-
|'''Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}

*'''Chaos Flail:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chaos Flail''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -2 || D3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. For each attack assigned to this weapon, make 2 attacks instead of 1. Excess damage caused by this weapon is transferred over to other models in the targeted unit.
|}

*'''Crushing Tracks:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Crushing Tracks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || D3 || -
|}

*'''Devider:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Devider''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -2 || D3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, add 1 to the number of damage.
|}

*'''Disruption Stave:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Disruption Stave''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -D6 || 2D6 || This weapon’s Ap characteristic also effects Invulnerable saves.
|}

*'''Dreadnought Melee Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Chainfist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 4 || -
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}

*'''Etherblade:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Etherblade''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -4 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}

*'''Flensing Hooks:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flensing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for this weapon, that hit is resolved with an AP of -4.
|}

*'''Force Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}

*'''Gaping Mouth:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Gaping Mouth''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || D3 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make one (and only one) attack with this weapon. This is in addition to the bearer's attacks.
|}

*'''Impaling Hooves:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}

*'''Lance of Undoing:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || 2 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || You can use this profile only in a turn in which a model equipped with this weapon has charged. Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}

*'''Lightning Claw:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}

*'''Mantis Scythe:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mantis Scythe''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 2 || Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for this weapon, that hit is resolved with an AP of -4.
|}

*'''Mechatendrils:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mechatendrils''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 2 additional attacks with this weapon.
|}

*'''Mind Piercer:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mind Piercer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} or {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict. Roll a die at the end of the Fight Phase if a unit was wounded by this weapon, on a 4+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
|}

*'''The Mirror Shield:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Mirror Shield''' || Melee || Melee || User || -4 || 2 || Each hit with this weapon counts as 2 hits instead of 1.
|}

*'''Power Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Power Scourge''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 2 || -
|-
|'''Power Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}

*'''Siege-breaker Hammer:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Siege-breaker Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || D6 || When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} or {{W40kKeyword|Building}} unit, add 2 to the number of damage you inflict.
|}

*'''Spear of Disorder:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Spear of Disorder''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}

*'''Tearing Hooks:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Tearing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || After a model riding a Limbo-Tick makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 3 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}

*'''The Eleventh Talon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Eleventh Talon''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || You may re-roll failed wound rolls with this weapon.For every hit made by this weapon roll 2D6, for each 11 you roll, do not make a wound roll, the targeted unit suffers 3 mortal wounds instead of the normal damage.
|}

*'''Thunder Hammer:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}

===Ranged Weapons===
*'''Assault Cannon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}

*'''Auto Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|-
|'''Autogun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 3 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Autopistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 3 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Predator Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2D3 || 7 || -1 || 3 || -
|-
|'''Reaper Autocannon''' || 36" || Heavy 4 || 7 || -2 || 1 || -
|}

*'''Bolter Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Boltblast''' || 12" || Assault 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || If the target is within half range, change this weapon's Ap to -2.
|-
|'''Boltgun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Bolter of the Chaotic One''' || 24" || Rapid Fire D6-1 || 2D3 || -1 || 1 || If the target is within half range, change this weapon's Ap to -2.
|-
|'''Condemnor Boltgun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}, this weapon has a Damage characteristic of D3.
|-
|'''Distortion Bolt Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Units which receive damage from this weapon may not reroll any dice rolls until the start of your next shooting phase.
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}

*'''C-beam Cannon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}

*'''Combi-weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}

*'''Demolisher Cannon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Demolisher Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy D6 || 10 || -3 || D6 || Blast.
|}

*'''Disruption Stave:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Disruption Stave''' || 48” || Heavy 2D6 || User || -D6 || D3 || Roll a D3 every time you fire this weapon. On a 1 this weapon automatically hits its target, on a 2 this weapon's Strenght characteristic becomes X2, on a 3 this weapon deals its damage in mortal wounds.
|}

*'''Flamer Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|-
|'''Flamestorm Cannon''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 6 || -2 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}

*'''Graviton Blaster:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Graviton Blaster''' || 18" || Assault 2 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}

*'''Grenades:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|-
|'''Void Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || * || -3 || 2 || This weapon always wounds on a 2+.
|}

*'''Heavy Stubber:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Stubber''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 4 || 0 || 1 || A unit that suffers an unsaved wound from this weapon has to subtract 1 from its hit rolls in the subsequent Fighting phase.
|}

*'''Las Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|-
|'''Laser Destroyer Array''' || 36" || Heavy 4 || 10 || -4 || D3+3 || Treat damage rolls of 1 or 2 made by this weapon as 3 instead.
|}

*'''Melta Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|-
|'''Siege Melta Array''' || 12" || Heavy 6 || 12 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} or {{W40kKeyword|Building}} unit, add 2 to the number of damage you inflict.
|}

*'''Mind Piercer:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mind Piercer''' || 24" || Heavy 1 || 10 || * || * || Targeted units do not gain the benefit of cover against this weapon. Do not take a saving throw against this weapon, after wounding this weapon deals 1 mortal wound. Then roll a D6, on a 2+ the target takes 1 additional mortal wound. If that roll is successful then roll another D6, on a 3+ the target takes 2 mortal wounds. Repeat this process until you either fail a roll or succeed the 6+ roll.
|}

*'''Missile Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}

*'''Plasma Weapons:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Standard)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Overcharged)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}

*'''Reaper Chaincannon:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Reaper Chaincannon''' || 24" || Heavy 8 || 5 || -1 || 1 || -
|}

*'''Shotgun:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Shotgun''' || 12" || Assault 2 || 3 || 0 || 1 || If the target is within half range, add 1 to this weapon's Strenght.
|}

*'''Skyreaper Battery:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Skyreaper Battery''' || 48" || Heavy 8 || 7 || -2 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon against an {{W40kKeyword|Aircraft}} unit, add 1 to that attack’s hit roll. Each time an attack made with this weapon is allocated to an {{W40kKeyword|Aircraft}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 4.
|}

*'''Statistical Degradation Field:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Statistical Degradation Field''' || 8" || Assault 3D6 || 3 || -1 || 1 || Blast. When this weapon is fired it hits every single unit within its range. Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}

*'''The War Without End:'''
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The War Without End''' || 24" || Assault 1 || 4 || -1 || 1 || After you have rolled a successful hit with this weapon, you may immediately roll for an additional hit against the same target unit, if this additional hit roll is successful, you may roll to hit again and again until either you miss or a total of 11 hits has been achieved. After the total number of hits has been determined for the weapon, resolve the attacks.
|}

===Relics of Duality===
*'''Corrupted Teleportarum Beacon:''' ''Teleporters are dangerous items to use, as their bearer has to enter to warp while using them. This teleporter beacon’s user entered the warp one day... and simply never came out. Nobody knows what happened to the marine who used it, but if you were to ask what happened to one of the Sons of Malice and they were to break their silence to speak, they would simply say that “it is foolish to rely on certainty where the uncertain is concerned."''
::{{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} models only. Whenever the bearer of the Corrupted Teleportarum Beacon suffers an unsaved wound, roll a D6. On a 2+ remove the bearer from the battlefield and randomly select an enemy unit. Deploy the bearer of this relic within D6” of that enemy unit, if you roll a 1 then you may deploy the bearer of this relic in base contact with the enemy unit.

*'''Quantum Tunnelling Grenades:''' ''The secret of space and dimension are no match for the power of the Uncertain One. These grenades are able to traverse the known universe to strike the target behind any defense they could have.''
::This Relic replaces a Grenade weapon and has the following profile:
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Quantum Tunnelling Grenades''' || 12” || Grenade 2D6 || D6 || -D6 || D6 || Blast. Roll a D6 each time you use this weapon profile, the number rolled becomes the roll required for this weapon to hit (e.g. a roll of 4 would mean that you would need to roll a 4+ for the weapon to hit), even when making Overwatch. This weapon always wounds on a wound roll of 5+ or better. In addition, this weapon does not require line of sight to hit its target.
|}

*'''The Cup of Infinite Improbability:''' ''The Sons of Malice use this chalice to give homage to their dark patron, opening the throats of their victims to fill the chalice with hot, fresh blood. Despite having the blood of thousands of innocents with itself, the cup never overflows or spills a drop. It is said that anyone foolish enough to drink from the cup shall unleash as yet unseen chaos upon reality.''
::Once per battle, the bearer of this Relic may drink the blood of countless slain within to appease the great God of Uncertainty. If so randomly assign each unit on each opposing side a number, then for each unit that shares a randomly assigned number swap their positions on the battlefield (this swap may put a unit within 1” of an enemy unit). Any unit which can't be moved because an enemy unit does not share a randomly assigned number with it suffers D6 mortal wounds.

*'''The Leech Pendant:''' ''The Leech Pendant is imbued with a stolen locus from each of the other four chaos gods. These loci are almost constantly warring with each other and the dominant locus is the one that is currently empowering the bearer though occasionally the essences will work together so that they all empower the bearer.''
::Roll a D6 at the start of each turn. The Leech Pendant grants one of the following bonuses based on the result of the D6 for that turn.
::'''-1:''' The model benefits from one of the following special rules as chosen by the owner: ''Disgustingly Resilient'', ''Ephemeral Form'', ''Quicksilver Swiftness'', ''Unstoppable Ferocity''.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
::'''-2:''' The bearer gains the ''Disgustingly Resilient'' special rule.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::'''Disgustingly Resilient:''' Each time an attack is allocated to a model in this unit, subtract 1 from the Damage characteristic of that attack (to a minimum of 1).</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
::'''-3:''' The bearer gains the ''Ephemeral Form'' special rule.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::'''Ephemeral Form:''' Add 1 to any Invulnerable saving throws made for this unit (up to a maximum of 3+).</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
::'''-4:''' The bearer gains the ''Quicksilver Swiftness'' special rule.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::'''Quicksilver Swiftness:''' This unit always fights first in the Fight phase, even if it didn’t charge. If the enemy has units that have charged, or that have a similar ability, then alternate choosing units to fight with, starting with the player whose turn is taking place.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
::'''-5:''' The bearer gains the ''Unstoppable Ferocity'' special rule.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::'''Unstoppable Ferocity:''' If this unit makes a charge move, is charged, or performs a Heroic Intervention, then until the end of the turn add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of all its models and add 1 to the Strength characteristic of all the melee weapons the unit is armed with.</div>
</div>
</div>
::'''-6:''' The bearer gains the following special rules: ''Ephemeral Form'', ''Disgustingly Resilient'', ''Quicksilver Swiftness'', ''Unstoppable Ferocity''.

*'''The Mask of Uncertainty:''' ''A creature wearing this mask can appear as anything it pleases, adding to the confusion of a tight fight against a mysterious foe.''
::In the Fight phase, roll a die each time this unit or the one attacking it scores a hit. On a 4+ the hit is instead scored on the unit which made the attack (unless the attack was made by the bearer of this relic, in that case, the hit is instead reversed on a 5+).

*'''The Mind Razor:''' ''The mind is a sharp tool. From the dawn of mankind, the human brain has cut its way through reality, to shape the world into a more pleasing configuration. The Mind Razor is such a tool for sculpting reality, a blade whose edge is not made of mere metal, but of the pure will of the bearer. Such a blade does not cut by its mere edge though, it cuts because its wielder thinks that it does.''
::This Relic replaces a '''Chainsword''' or '''Power Sword''' and has the following profile:
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Mind Razor''' || Melee || Melee || * || -4 || 2 || Use the bearer's Leadership characteristic instead of its Strength when wounding with this weapon. Enemy units within 6” of the bearer suffer -1 to their Leadership characteristic.
|}

*'''The Silent Screech:''' ''An Executioners Greatblade taken from a Sister of Silence. The sister was kept alive by her captors and dragged into the warp, and simply left there with her blade.. A normal mortal can survive in the warp because they have a soul, which combines with their mind to generate surroundings and air to breath. A Sister of Silence however, does not have a soul, so when they enter the warp there is simply nothing, effectively leaving the Sister to die in agonizing terror in vacuum. The blade was later retrieved by the Sons of Malice, who then bound a demon into the sword, who was in turn warped by the blades null effect. The result was a weapon who's only desire was to kill those who used the warp, and although the Sisters of Silence eventually hunted down and slayed all the marines who violated their sister, they have so far failed the find the sword.''
::This Relic replaces a '''Chainsword''' or '''Power Sword''' and has the following profile:
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Silent Screech''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || 2 || All {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} units within 12" of this unit suffer perils of the warp on any doubles instead of just double 1's and 6's, and suffer double the number of mortal wounds from perils of the warp.
|}

*'''The Reality Dissolver:''' ''A pistol gifted directly from the Sons of Malice’s patron god themselves. Although it may look like a pistol the weapon actually contains a stable Warp portal which fires focused chaos directly from the realm of the gods. Those who are hit by the beam of undiluted unreality are not killed, their existence simply unravels as the laws of the universe simply... fall away.''
::This Relic replaces a Pistol weapon and has the following profile:
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Reality Dissolver''' || 6” || Pistol 1 || 9 || -4 || D6 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. If the target is within half range of this weapon, then the damage of this weapon becomes D6+2 instead.
|}

===Other Wargear===
*'''Anti Reality Bolt Shells:''' ''x''
::A model equipped with Anti Reality Bolt Shells adds 1 to the Strength and Ap of any weapon from the ''Bolter Weaponry'' list it's equipped with, but subtracts 3” from the maximum range of all of those weapons.

*'''Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect:''' ''x''
::Whenever a model with a Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect is targeted by an enemy ability (eg. ''All enemy units within 6” of this model suffer -1 to their Leadership'') then the bearer of the ability is also affected by said ability. However, roll a D6 every time a model with a Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect suffers an unsaved wound; on a 6+ the Familiar takes the wound instead and is removed from the bearer's wargear.

*'''Improbability Stabiliser:''' ''x''
::At the start of each Command phase, roll a D6 for each unit with this equipment and keep a note of the result. Until your next Command phase, in each phase, a unit may substitute the value of the dice they rolled at the start of the Command phase in place of a value rolled in the current phase.

*'''Lance Strike Beacon:''' ''x''
::One use only. At the beginning of any of your Command phases, a {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} with a Lance Strike Beacon may choose to activate its beacon. If so roll a D6 for each unit within 2D6” (friend or foe); on a 4+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds ({{W40Kkeyword|Character}} units are instead affected on a 5+).

*'''Shield of Compromise:''' ''x''
::A model with a Shield of Compromise has a 4+ Invulnerable save and may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, but it's always hit on a hit roll of 4+ or better. If not every model in a unit is equipped with a Shield of Compromise, then the restriction on hit and wound rolls only applies if more than half of the models are equipped with it.

*'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' ''x''
::A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.

*'''Silence Amplifiers:''' ''x''
::A unit with a Silence Amplifier can attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase in the same manner as a {{W40Kkeyword|Psyker}}.

*'''Spectromatic Distortion Weapons:''' ''x''
::A model with Spectromatic Distortion Weapons improves the Ap characteristics of its Melee weapons by 1.

*'''Unreality Prisms:''' ''x''
::A unit equipped with an Unreality Prisms does not suffer hit penalties or negative modifiers to their hit rolls for targeting enemy units within 24”. However, if they target an enemy unit that is more than 24” away then they suffer all the normal penalties, along with an additional minus 1 to hit.

====Heresy Era Power Armors====
''As long as there have been space marines there has been power armor. Near impenetrable fortresses which helped subdue an entire galaxy, at the behest of a single man. While most legions favor a single pattern of power armor the Sons of Malice are not normal. Although their legion began as a single legion it has picked up equipment and marines from all legions from all times. As such they feature a far wider diversity in armor patterns.''

On the tabletop, a unit can elect to wear their standard armor, representing the mishmash of parts a chaos space marine must collect and repair in order to survive. However, a unit may elect instead to pay for a complete set of original power armor from the Imperium's past, representing marines who have been corrupted by the Great Unknowable One during the heresy, or even loyalist marines who have found a power willing to support them fight chaos after being separated from their parent legion. If the selected unit has the {{W40kKeyword|Character}} keyword then double the points cost for it to wear a piece of armor.

*'''Auramite Armor:''' ''One of the oldest patterns of power armor, but its age hides its power. Auramite armor is the plate fashioned at the behest of the Emperor to protect his Adeptus Custodes, and even after a millennium and a half, its protection is still unmatched. However, such plates which ever leave the Custodes' possession are incredibly rare, and their complexity means that their maintenance and proper usage by mere marines is difficult.''
::The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or Stratagem.

*'''Distortion Plate:''' ''The contradicting energies these plates emanate create a dissonance in the very fabric of reality. Everything becomes padded and confused as the chosen of Malal march towards their soon forgotten enemies.''
::Each time a ranged attack is made against the bearer, if the attacker is more than 12" away, then the bearer is treated as having the benefits of dense cover against that attack. In addition, at the end of your Movement phase, you may select an ability every enemy units within 12" of the bearer do not benefit from this ability.

*'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' ''The armor which truly began a galaxy-wide empire. Although inferior to the other patterns even in Heretic Astartes it conjures images of a better time, when the galaxy was new and far simpler.''
::Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.

*'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' ''The armor legionaries used to use before terminator was invented, a solid chunk of metal and composites primarily used by breacher teams for whom protection was more important than speed.''
::Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.

*'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' ''The armor employed by the legions at their height of power, and by extension representing humanity and its peak of influence, reach, and ferocity.''
::Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.

*'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' ''The armor which became the symbol of the Heretic Astartes. Although technically not a single model of armor as it was made up of the best pieces from previous models of the plate. The mishmash plate still served to provide finer protection than what the loyalists had at hand right the way through the Heresy.''
::Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.

*'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' ''An almost loyalist exclusive pattern, which managed to boost the mover's speed without sacrificing armor.''
::The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.

*'''Mark 7 Aquila Armor:''' ''The last armor design to be created during the heresy, it was whisked away from Mars before the heretics took the planet. The most common pattern ever produced after the war, but during it only a handful of pieces were produced on Terra by the original designers while on Terra. These initial pieces show the craftsmanship only achievable by hand production by the brightest minds from Mars, and show it in the form of enhanced protection.''
::Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.

*'''Omega Armor:''' ''Armour worn by those who have been in the service of Malal the longest, for they represent the end for their foes. This plate began life as whatever armor its bearer had been wearing, only to be warped into uncertain shapes with uncertain levels of protection.''
::Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.

*'''Pariah Armor:''' ''The armor favored by the fragments of the legions left over after the start of the Heresy and Istvan 5. It is lighter in construction, allowing for more agility at the expense of protection.''
::The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.

==Sons of Malice Wargear List==
===Other Wargear===
::-Anti Reality Bolt Shells - 3 pts./model
::-Assumed Reality Negator - 20 pts./unit
::-Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect - 15 pts. ({{W40kKeyword|Characters}} only).
::-Graviton Wave Emitter - 15 pts./unit
::-Improbability Stabiliser - 5 pts./unit
::-Sacrificial Knife - 10 pts. ({{W40kKeyword|Characters}} only)
::-Shield of Compromise - 15 pts/model (20 pts. for {{W40kKeyword|Characters}}).
::-Silence Amplifiers - 10 pts./unit.
::-Spectromatic Distortion Weapons - 3 pts./model
::-Uncertain Existence - 7 pts./model
::-Unpleasant Reality Generator - 10 pts./unit
::-Unreality Prisms - 5 pts./model

==Units==
===HQs===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Doomed One====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Doomed One ('''Power Rating: 4''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| '''Doomed One''' || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 80
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee1 || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights it may make 1 additional attack using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || - || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="For the God of Contradiction">
When you make an attack with this model, you can re-roll failed hit rolls if the target is an enemy {{W40kKeyword|Character}}.
</tab>
<tab name="Harbinger of Chaos">
You can re-roll failed wound rolls of 1 for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Doomed One}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Doomhunter====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Doomhunter ('''Power Rating: 7''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Doomhunter || 11" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 7 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || - || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Impaling Hooves'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Lance of Undoing'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || 2 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || You can use this profile only in a turn in which a model equipped with this weapon has charged. Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Knight of Malal">
All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} units within 6" of this model may add 1 to their hit and wound rolls in a turn in which they charged.
</tab>
<tab name="Rampaging Steed">
Each time this model fight, every time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6, the enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Although, each time you roll an unmodified roll of 1, this model suffers 1 mortal wound.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Doomhunter}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Fate Warper====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper ('''Power Rating: 6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Sword''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Stave''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Fate Warper on Bike=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper on Bike ('''Power Rating: 8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper on Bike || 14" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 5 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 160
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
<tab name="Retro-boost">
When this unit Advances, add 6" to its Move characteristic for that Movement phase instead of rolling a dice.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Sword''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Stave''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Fate Warper with Jump Pack=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper in Jump Pack ('''Power Rating: 7''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper with Jump Pack || 12" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
<tab name="Void Jump">
When you set up this unit during deployment, it can be set up in low orbit, ready to strike, instead of being placed on the battlefield. If it is, it can use a Void Jump to arrive on the battlefield at the end of any of your Movement phases, when it does so, set the unit up anywhere that is more than 9" away from enemy models. In addition, enemy units cannot fire Overwatch against this unit in the same turn that it arrived by this rule.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Sword''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Stave''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Fate Warper on Limbo-Tick=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper on Bike ('''Power Rating: 8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper on Limbo-Tick || 16" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 160
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Tearing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Tearing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || After a model riding a Limbo-Tick makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 3 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Draining Bite">
Each time this unit kills an enemy model with its '''Tearing Hooks''', this model recovers one wound lost previously in the battle.
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Sword''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Stave''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Fate Warper on Nightmare=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper on Nightmare ('''Power Rating: 9''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper on Nightmare || 11" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 5 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 180
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Impaling Hooves'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
<tab name="Rampaging Steed">
Each time this model fights, every time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6, the enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Although, each time you roll an unmodified roll of 1, this model suffers 1 mortal wound.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Sword''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Stave''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Fate Warper in Terminator Armor=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Fate Warper in Terminator Armour ('''Power Rating: 7''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Fate Warper in Terminator Armour || 5" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 3 || 9 || 2+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Stave'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Stave''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Molder of Fate">
Once a turn, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6".
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases, the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
<tab name="Terminator Armor">
Models in this unit have a 5+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Fate Warper can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' or ''Terminator Melee Weapons'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Terminator Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainfist''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Force Stave''' with one item from the ''Force Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Axe''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Lance''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Maul''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || 0 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Force Sword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fate Warper}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Guardian of Contradictions====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Guardian of Contradictions ('''Power Rating: 9''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Guardian of Contradictions || 8" || 2+ || 2+ || 7 || 6 || 8 || 4 || 10 || 6+ || 180
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Etherblade'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Etherblade''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -4 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Dissipator Field">
{{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} units within 6" of this model may only attack last in the Fight phase, regardless of any special rule or stratagem, and have to subtract 2 from their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} may not cast or deny any psychic power as long as they are within 12" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Essence">
This model has a 4+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
<tab name="Strategist of Contradictions">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of this model may use this model's Leadership characteristic instead of their own when taking Morale tests. In addition, if your army includes at least one {{W40kKeyword|Guardian of Contradictions}}, roll a die each time you spend a Command Point; on a 5+ that point is not lost.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Guardian of Contradictions can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Guardian of Contradictions}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Inanis Machinator====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Inanis Machinator ('''Power Rating: 4''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Inanis Machinator || 6" || 3+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 9 || 2+ || 70
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Flamer'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Mechatendrils'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mechatendrils''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 2 additional attacks with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Meltagun'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Axe'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Machinator of Malal">
At the end of your Movement phase, an Inanis Machinator can repair a single {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} (other than models that can {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}) within 1". That model regains D3 lost wounds. A {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} cannot be repaired by more than one model with ''Machinator of Malal'' in the same turn.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Inanis Machinator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Lord of Discrepancy====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy ('''Power Rating: 4''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 80
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Lord of Discrepancy on Bike=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy on Bike ('''Power Rating: 6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy on Bike || 14" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 6 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Retro-boost">
When this unit Advances, add 6" to its Move characteristic for that Movement phase instead of rolling a dice.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Lord of Discrepancy with Jump Pack=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy in Jump Pack ('''Power Rating: 5''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy with Jump Pack || 12" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 100
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Void Jump">
When you set up this unit during deployment, it can be set up in low orbit, ready to strike, instead of being placed on the battlefield. If it is, it can use a Void Jump to arrive on the battlefield at the end of any of your Movement phases, when it does so, set the unit up anywhere that is more than 9" away from enemy models. In addition, enemy units cannot fire Overwatch against this unit in the same turn that it arrived by this rule.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}, {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Lord of Discrepancy on Limbo-Tick=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy on Limbo-Tick ('''Power Rating: 6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy on Limbo-Tick || 16" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 6 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Tearing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Tearing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || After a model riding a Limbo-Tick makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 3 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Draining Bite">
Each time this unit kills an enemy model with its '''Tearing Hooks''', this model recovers one wound lost previously in the battle.
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Lord of Discrepancy on Nightmare=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy on Nightmare ('''Power Rating: 7''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy on Nightmare || 11" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 6 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Astartes Chainsword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Impaling Hooves'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Rampaging Steed">
Each time this model fights, every time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6, the enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Although, each time you roll an unmodified roll of 1, this model suffers 1 mortal wound.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'', ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Astartes Chainsword''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' or ''Pistols'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Pistol Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
=====Lord of Discrepancy in Terminator Armor=====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Lord of Discrepancy in Terminator Armour ('''Power Rating: 5''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Lord of Discrepancy in Terminator Armour || 5" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 6 || 4 || 9 || 2+ || 100
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Lord of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases, the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
<tab name="Terminator Armor">
Models in this unit have a 5+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' or ''Terminator Melee Weapons'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Terminator Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainfist''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Power Sword''' with one item from the ''Terminator Melee Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainfist''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Matron of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Matron of Malal ('''Power Rating: 9''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Matron of Malal || 12" || 2+ || 2+ || 6 || 6 || 7 || 4 || 10 || 7+ || 180
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Spear of Disorder'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Spear of Disorder''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Dissipator Field">
{{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} units within 6" of this model may only attack last in the Fight phase, regardless of any special rule or stratagem, and have to subtract 2 from their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} may not cast or deny any psychic power as long as they are within 12" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Maternal Instincts">
Each time a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit is killed while within 6" of this model, this model gains +1 to its Strenght characteristic (to the maximum of 10).
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Essence">
This model has a 4+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
<tab name="Soothing Sing">
Roll two dices and discard the highest result when making Morale tests for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' A Matron of Malal can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny one psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and two psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect:''' Whenever a model with a Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect is targeted by an enemy ability (eg. ''All enemy units within 6” of this model suffer -1 to their Leadership'') then the bearer of the ability is also affected by said ability. However, roll a D6 every time a model with a Familiar of Mirrored Cause and Effect suffers an unsaved wound; on a 6+ the Familiar takes the wound instead and is removed from the bearer's wargear.</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Matron of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Antraes, Knight Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Antraes, Knight Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 9'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Antraes, Knight Champion of Malal || 11" || 2+ || 2+ || 5 || 5 || 7 || 5 || 10 || 3+ || 180
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Impaling Hooves'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Lance of Undoing'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || 2 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || You can use this profile only in a turn in which a model equipped with this weapon has charged. Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="IV Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Knight of Malal">
All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}} units within 6" of this model may add 1 to their hit and wound rolls in a turn in which they charged.
</tab>
<tab name="Rampaging Steed">
Each time this model fight, every time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6, the enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Although, each time you roll an unmodified roll of 1, this model suffers 1 mortal wound.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Antraes, Knight Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Balachiel, Sorcerer Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Balachiel, Sorcerer Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 7'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Balachiel, Sorcerer Champion of Malal || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 10 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Omega Armor'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="V Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Weaver of Fate">
Once a phase, you can re-roll a single die for this model and friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 11".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' Balachiel can attempt to manifest three psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny two psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and three psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Balachiel, Sorcerer Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Dyress, Chosen of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Dyress, Chosen of Malal ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Dyress, Chosen of Malal || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 10 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Chainaxe'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="X Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Chaos Incarnate">
You can re-roll failed wound rolls of 1 for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 11" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="For the God of Contradictions">
You can re-roll failed hit rolls for this model if the target is an enemy {{W40kKeyword|Character}}.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dyress, Chosen of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Karhazy, Lord Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Karhazy, Lord Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Karhazy, Lord Champion of Malal || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 5 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 10 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Maul'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="II Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Master of Discrepancy">
You can re-roll hit and save rolls of 1 made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 11" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Karhazy, Lord Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Kathal, Anarch of the Sons of Malice====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''How does one lead the unleadable? Guide those who are impossible to guide? Coordinate those who’s entire existence is to be defiant to all leadership? Only a being like an Anarch can do such a thing, a person of such powerful will, devotion to contradiction and unprecedented violence and malice can do such a thing.

Kathal is but another in a long line of such figures for the Sons of Malice, but he exemplifies the role well. Even just getting within one hundred metres of the Anarch creates visions in the minds of others as Kathal subconsciously filters out those he would wish to engage with, driving the unworthy away or mad, while tempting others closer.

To gaze upon the man himself is to invite madness, for like looking at a chaos spawn Kathal is ever changing, his form portraying such an array of grotesquerie that the weak begin to mutate themselves. But unlike a chaos spawn, Kathal is disturbingly sane, being possessed with a mind so sharp that psykers trying to probe his mind metaphorically and literally cut themselves in the process.

In short, Kathal is a true champion of malal, and commands respect, fear and devotion from those beneath him. Only the primarch of the forgotten ones or the gods themselves may command kathal, but there are whispers that even they hesitate to do so.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Kathal, Anarch of the Sons of Malice ('''Power Rating: 7'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Kathal, Anarch of the Sons of Malice || 5" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 7 || 5 || 10 || 2+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-The War Without End'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The War Without End''' || 24" || Assault 1 || 4 || -1 || 1 || After you have rolled a successful hit with this weapon, you may immediately roll for an additional hit against the same target unit, if this additional hit roll is successful, you may roll to hit again and again until either you miss or a total of 11 hits has been achieved. After the total number of hits has been determined for the weapon, resolve the attacks.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-The Eleventh Talon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Eleventh Talon''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || You may re-roll failed wound rolls with this weapon.For every hit made by this weapon roll 2D6, for each 11 you roll, do not make a wound roll, the targeted unit suffers 3 mortal wounds instead of the normal damage.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="XI Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Anarch">
You can re-roll failed hit rolls made for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Kathal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Lord of Discrepancy}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Makrael, Ancient Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Makrael, Ancient Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 10'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Makrael, Ancient Champion of Malal || 9" || 2+ || 2+ || 7 || 7 || 14 || 5 || 10 || 2+ || 200
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Assault Cannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Cyclone Missile Launcher'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Dreadnought Combat Weapon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Storm Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="I Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Legendary Armor">
A model with this special rule has a 4+ Invulnerable save and ignores any penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons. However, if this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield. On a 4+ it explodes, each unit within 6" suffers D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Assault Cannon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' and '''Storm Bolter''' - +22 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' and '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Assault Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may replace its '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with a '''Dreadnought Chainfist''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Chainfist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 4 || -
|}</div>
</div>
This model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Graviton Blaster''' - +15 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Graviton Blaster''' || 18" || Assault 2 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Heavy Flamer''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Meltagun''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Blastgun''' - +19 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Standard)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Overcharged)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Makrael, Ancient Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnought}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Rustral, Machinator Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Inanis Machinator ('''Power Rating: 7'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Rustral, Machinator Champion of Malal || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 10 || 2+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Flamer'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Meltagun'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Axe'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="VII Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Champion Machinator">
At the end of your Movement phase, Rustral can repair a single {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} (other than models that can {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}) within 1". That model regains 2D3 lost wounds. A {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} cannot be repaired by more than one model with ''Machinator of Malal'' in the same turn.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Rustral, Machinator Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Salem, Anarchy Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Salem, Anarchy Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Salem, Anarchy Champion of Malal || 4" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 10 || 2+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolter of the Chaotic One'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolter of the Chaotic One''' || 24" || Rapid Fire D6-1 || 2D3 || -1 || 1 || If the target is within half range, change this weapon's Ap to -2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Chaos Flail'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chaos Flail''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -2 || D3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. For each attack assigned to this weapon, make 2 attacks instead of 1. Excess damage caused by this weapon is transferred over to other models in the targeted unit.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="IX Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Icon of Our Fall from Grace">
'''Bolter of the Chaotic One''' and '''Chaos Flail''' weapons used within 3” of this unit generate 1 extra, automatically hitting hit each time they are used.
</tab>
<tab name="Tartarus Armor of the Ineffable One">
A model with this rule has a 4+ Invulnerable save but has to halve all advance distances. In addition, a model with this rule may not be hit by a weapon with a randomly generated number of attacks, even if that weapon would normally automatically hit its target.
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Salem, Anarchy Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Tharans, Void Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Tharans, Void Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 7'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Tharans, Void Champion of Malal || 12" || 2+ || 2+ || 5 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 10 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-MK 6 Corvus Armor'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Two Lightning Claws'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="III Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Void Champion">
All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}} units within 6" of this model may add 1 to their hit and wound rolls in a turn in which they charged.
</tab>
<tab name="Void Jump">
When you set up this unit during deployment, it can be set up in low orbit, ready to strike, instead of being placed on the battlefield. If it is, it can use a Void Jump to arrive on the battlefield at the end of any of your Movement phases, when it does so, set the unit up anywhere that is more than 9" away from enemy models. In addition, enemy units cannot fire Overwatch against this unit in the same turn that it arrived by this rule.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Tharans, Void Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}, {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Vuthal, Null Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Vuthal, Null Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 8'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Vuthal, Null Champion of Malal || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 6 || 4 || 10 || 3+ || 160
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Force Sword'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Force Sword''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Shield of Compromise'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''' Shield of Compromise:''' A model with a Shield of Compromise has a 4+ Invulnerable save and may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, but it's always hit on a hit roll of 4+ or better. If not every model in a unit is equipped with a Shield of Compromise, then the restriction on hit and wound rolls only applies if more than half of the models are equipped with it. div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="VIII Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Null Field">
Enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psykers}} must subtract 2 from Psychic tests and Deny the witch tests they take for each unit with this ability that is within 12" of them.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vuthal, Null Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Zarath, Biker Champion of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Zarath, Biker Champion of Malal ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Zarath, Biker Champion of Malal || 12" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 5 || 5 || 4 || 10 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Lance'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Shield of Compromise'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''' Shield of Compromise:''' A model with a Shield of Compromise has a 4+ Invulnerable save and may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, but it's always hit on a hit roll of 4+ or better. If not every model in a unit is equipped with a Shield of Compromise, then the restriction on hit and wound rolls only applies if more than half of the models are equipped with it. div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="VI Champion of Malal">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" add 1 to their hit rolls and leadership characteristic (these bonuses are not cumulative with the other ''Champion of Malal'' special rules).
</tab>
<tab name="Bikers Champion">
All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Biker}} units within 6" of this model may add 1 to their hit and wound rolls in a turn in which they charged.
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Retro-boost">
When this unit Advances, add 6" to its Move characteristic for that Movement phase instead of rolling a dice.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the following Warlord Trait:
<tabs>
<tab name="Harbinger of Malal">
Your Warlord can never be wounded on a flat roll. Instead, all weapons which target your Warlord can only wound it on a roll equal to your Warlord's Armour Save characteristic after taking into account the attacking weapon's Ap characteristic, to a minimum of 6+. your Warlord is immune to mortal wounds.</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|HQs}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}}, {{W40kKeyword|Zarath, Biker Champion of Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Champion of Malal}}

===Troops===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Daughters of Malice====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''The Adeptus Soroitas always thought themselves above all corruption, and this, to an extent, is true. A fully trained sister of battle could fight toe to toe with a chaos spawn and only be killed by its psychical attacks, their will being so strong that chaos washes over them like waves over the bedrock of a lighthouse.''

''But only a small portion of the sisters of battle are like this. There are the newly inducted, those who have been shunned for some perceived sin or those who can be misled while still fully believing they are doing the go emperors work. Even those who have not yet joined the sisters, even those yet to be born, are potential recruits to the god of contradiction.''

''And so, the daughters of malice, like their marine brethren, are made up of a wide array of beings, from different times and places, motivations and beliefs, who have either been misled, corrupted or willingly joined into the services of Malal.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Older Daughter and 4 Daughters of Malice ('''Power Rating: 3'''). It can include up to 5 more Daughters of Malice ('''Power Rating: +3'''), up to 10 more Daughters of Malice ('''Power Rating: +6''') or up to 15 more Daughters of Malice ('''Power Rating: +9''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Daughter of Malice || 6" || 4+ || 3+ || 3 || 3 || 1 || 1 || 7 || 3+ || 12
|-
| Older Daughter || 6" || 4+ || 3+ || 3 || 3 || 1 || 2 || 8 || 3+ || 12
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Boltgun'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Boltgun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Faith in the Chaotic One">
A unit with this rule ignores damage received on a 6+, and for every 10 models in a unit, it may deny a single psychic power as if it was a {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any Daughter of Malice may replace its '''Boltgun''' with a '''Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every five models in the unit, one Daughter of Malice may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with a '''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every five models in the unit, up to two Daughters of Malice may replace their '''Boltgun''' with one of the following:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Flamer''' - +6 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Bolter''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Flamer''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Meltagun''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Storm Bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
The Older Daughter may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' and/or '''Boltgun''' with two items from the following:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Condemnor Boltgun''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Condemnor Boltgun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}, this weapon has a Damage characteristic of D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Inferno Pistol''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Inferno Pistol''' || 6" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Storm Bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Troops}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Daughters of Malice}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Followers of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''No matter what the belief, there will be someone who believes in it. Whether it be the god emperor, the greater good, one of the ruinous powers, or a tyranid version of another deity will appear and devour you into enlightenment, in an infinite universe someone will rabidly believe in it.

Perhaps the most unusual of these beliefs however, is to believe in malal. The god of unbelief, the deity of contradiction, the absurd made manifest and continuity discontinued. But even one such as malal, who almost actively fights their believers, will still gather followers from the rank and file of existence.

And unlike any other god, these believers will truly suffer for their belief, whittling them through chance and outright annihilation, until only the truly desperate, insane or boneheaded remain. And this is what makes the rank and file follower of malal so dangerous. They receive no gifts. They receive no guidance. They are granted no safe haven when hunted and no peace when begged for. And this, only makes them more dangerous.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Older Follower and 9 Followers of Malal ('''Power Rating: 3'''). It can include up to 10 more Followers of Malal ('''Power Rating: +3'''), up to 20 more Followers of Malal ('''Power Rating: +6''') or up to 30 more Followers of Malal ('''Power Rating: +9''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Follower of Malal || 6" || 4+ || 4+ || 3 || 3 || 1 || 1 || 5 || 6+ || 6
|-
| Older Follower || 6" || 4+ || 4+ || 3 || 3 || 1 || 2 || 6 || 6+ || 6
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Autogun'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autogun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 3 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Mere Pawns">
{{W40kKeyword|Followers of Malal}} units do not gain the ''The Lords of Randomness and Servants of Chaos'' Detachment Rule.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any Follower of Malal may replace its '''Autogun''' with an '''Autopistol''' and '''Brutal Assault Weapon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autopistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 3 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Brutal Assault Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
For every ten models in the unit, one Follower of Malal may replace its Autogun with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Flamer''' - +6 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Stubber''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Stubber''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 4 || 0 || 1 || A unit that suffers an unsaved wound from this weapon has to subtract 1 from its hit rolls in the subsequent Fighting phase.
|}</div>
</div>
The Older Follower may replace its '''Autogun''' with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Autopistol''' and '''Brutal Assault Weapon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autopistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 3 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Brutal Assault Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || User || 0 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Shotgun''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Shotgun''' || 12" || Assault 2 || 3 || 0 || 1 || If the target is within half range, add 1 to this weapon's Strenght.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Troops}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Followers of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Sons of Malice====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''The anvil of contradiction at the centre of the sons of malice. It is impossible to pin down who or what a son of malice is. You might find two marines fighting side by side, but one might be a world eater, while the other might be an ultramarine. Their heavy bolter support crew might be all loyalist salamanders, the driver of their land raider a lunar wolf, the lieutenant a member of one of the lost founding legions, or their captain a female astartes from an alternative reality where the emperor was female.

They are unified by their lack of unification, bound by their lack of ties, gain familiarity by their complete difference. Their difference makes them one, while their oneness means that each individual is forever alone. They fear and loath their life, but neither would have changed any of their decisions up to this point. These are the fighting core, the Sons of Malice marines, a steadily advancing tide of undefinable contradiction.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Older Son and 4 Sons of Malice ('''Power Rating: 5'''). It can include up to 5 more Sons of Malice ('''Power Rating: +5''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Son of Malice || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 1 || 7 || 3+ || 20
|-
| Older Son || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 2 || 8 || 3+ || 20
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Boltgun'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Boltgun''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any Son of Malice may replace its '''Boltgun''' with an '''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every five models in the unit, one Son of Malice may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with a '''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every five models in the unit, one Son of Malice may replace its '''Boltgun''' with one item from the ''Heavy Weapons'' or ''Special Weapons'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Heavy Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Bolter''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lascannon''' - +25 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Reaper Chaincannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Reaper Chaincannon''' || 24" || Heavy 8 || 5 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Special Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Flamer''' - +6 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Meltagun''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Gun''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
The Older Son may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' and/or '''Boltgun''' with two items from the ''Champion Equipment'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Troops}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}

===Elites===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Accountant of the Uncertain One====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Accountant of the Uncertain One ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this unit can be taken in each Detachment.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Accountant of the Uncertain One || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 5 || 3 || 8 || 3+ || 120
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Fist'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Statistical Degradation Field'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Statistical Degradation Field''' || 8" || Assault 3D6 || 3 || -1 || 1 || Blast. When this weapon is fired it hits every single unit within its range. Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Accountant of Uncertainty">
During the course of the battle keep track of the number of dices rolled to determine either a random number of shots/attacks or a random amount of damage; then throughout the battle consult the table below:

'''-0-9:''' Nothing happens.

'''-10-19:''' All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 6” of this unit add 1 to their Leadership characteristics.

'''-20-29:''' All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 11” of this unit add 1 to their Leadership characteristics and all enemy units within 11" of this unit subtract 1 from their Leadership characteristics.

'''-30+:''' All friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units within 11” of this unit add 1 to their Leadership characteristics and all enemy units within 11" of this unit subtract 1 from their Leadership characteristics. In addition, all friendly {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} units with 11” may roll twice the number of dice and discard the lowest half when determining a random number of shots, attacks, or damage.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take a '''Sigil of the Inverted Harm''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Accountant of the Uncertain One}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Anarchy Marines====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''The Anarchy Marines are not originally Sons of Malice. They were elite tartaros marines from one of the original marines legions from before the Horus Heresy that fell into the warp to never be seen again. Upon returning to reality their original heraldry was wiped away and their helmets warped into perfectly smooth and reflecting surfaces which reflect back something different to each creature that looks where their eye slurs used to be. Regardless of their original heraldry, each marine is now perfectly identical to the other, and yet completely different. Even their silences are different yet the same as they hew their way through their foes, performing the anarchical plans of their slave master, the God who is not.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Anarchy Marine Champion and 5 Anarchy Marines ('''Power Rating: 11'''). It can include up to 5 more Anarchy Marines ('''Power Rating: +9'''). Only one of this unit may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Anarchy Marine || 4" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 3 || 2 || 10 || 2+ || 35
|-
| Anarchy Marine Champion || 4" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 10 || 2+ || 35
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolter of the Chaotic One'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolter of the Chaotic One''' || 24" || Rapid Fire D6-1 || 2D3 || -1 || 1 || If the target is within half range, change this weapon's Ap to -2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Chaos Flail'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chaos Flail''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -2 || D3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. For each attack assigned to this weapon, make 2 attacks instead of 1. Excess damage caused by this weapon is transferred over to other models in the targeted unit.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Armor of the Ineffable One">
A model with this rule has a 4+ Invulnerable save but has to halve all advance distances. In addition, a model with this rule may not be hit by a weapon with a randomly generated number of attacks, even if that weapon would normally automatically hit its target.
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Anarchy Marines}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Hiulcus Terminators====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Hiulcus Terminator Champion and 5 Hiulcus Terminators ('''Power Rating: 6'''). It can include up to 5 more Hiulcus Terminators ('''Power Rating: +5''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Hiulcus Terminator || 5" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 2 || 8 || 2+ || 20
|-
| Hiulcus Terminator Champion || 5" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 3 || 9 || 2+ || 20
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Axe'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Strike">
During deployment, you can set up this unit inside the void instead of placing it on the battlefield. At the end of any of your Movement phases, the unit can use a paradoxical strike to arrive on the battlefield – set it up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" away from any enemy models. Alternatively, chose one point on the battlefield, then roll two D6 and a scatter dice; move the point by a number of inches equal to the result and in the direction pointed by the scatter dice. That point is where this unit must be placed; models placed in this way can be set within 1" of enemy units, if so, the unit counts as having made a successful charge.
</tab>
<tab name="Terminator Armor">
Models in this unit have a 5+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' or ''Terminator Melee Weapons'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Combi-weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Terminator Melee Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainfist''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
One in five models may replace its Combi-bolter with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Bolter''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Flamer''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Reaper Autocannon''' - +10 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Reaper Autocannon''' || 36" || Heavy 4 || 7 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Power Axe''' with one item from the ''Terminator Melee Weapons'' lists.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainfist''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainsfist''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -4 || D3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll, and if that attack is allocated to a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a Shield of Compromise - 15 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Shield of Compromise:''' A model with a Shield of Compromise has a 4+ Invulnerable save and may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, but it's always hit on a hit roll of 4+ or better. If not every model in a unit is equipped with a Shield of Compromise, then the restriction on hit and wound rolls only applies if more than half of the models are equipped with it.</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Hiulcus Terminators}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Maidens of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Maiden of Malal ('''Power Rating: 7'''). It can include up to 1 more Maiden of Malal ('''Power Rating: +7''') or up to 2 more Maidens of Malal ('''Power Rating: +14''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Maiden of Malal || 12" || 3+ || 3+ || 6 || 6 || 7 || 3 || 9 || 7+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Spear of Disorder'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Spear of Disorder''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Dissipator Field">
{{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} units within 6" of this model may only attack last in the Fight phase, regardless of any special rule or stratagem, and have to subtract 2 from their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} may not cast or deny any psychic power as long as they are within 12" of this model.
</tab>
<tab name="Maternal Instincts">
Each time a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit is killed while within 6" of this model, this model gains +1 to its Strenght characteristic (to the maximum of 10).
</tab>
<tab name="Paradoxical Essence">
This model has a 4+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
<tab name="Soothing Sing">
Roll two dices and discard the highest result when making Morale tests for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Maidens of Malal}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Null Knights====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Null Champion and 5 Null Knights ('''Power Rating: 8'''). It can include up to 5 more Null Knights ('''Power Rating: +8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Null Knights || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 2 || 1 || 7 || 3+ || 27
|-
| Null Champion || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 2 || 2 || 8 || 3+ || 27
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Boltblast'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Boltblast''' || 12" || Assault 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || If the target is within half range, change this weapon's Ap to -2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Harbringer of Entropy">
This unit may fire its weapons at enemy units that are within 1" of other units or when it itself is within 1" of an enemy unit, although it has to fire at the unit it is within 1" with. Every time it does so, for each missed hit roll allocate one hit with the same profile onto the unit the target unit is within 1" with.
</tab>
<tab name="Null Field">
Enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psykers}} must subtract 2 from Psychic tests and Deny the witch tests they take for each unit with this ability that is within 12" of them.
</tab>
<tab name="Reduce Everything to Rubble">
Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for a shooting weapon from this unit, that hit is resolved with an AP of -3 and causes the maximum possible number of wounds it can inflict.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Upgrades:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Auxiliary Grenade Launcher">
Increase the range of Grenade weapons a model with this Upgrade is equipped with to 30".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''

Any Null Knight may replace its '''Boltblast''' with one of the following:

-'''Auxiliary Grenade Launcher''' Upgrade - +2 pts./model
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - +10 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
The Null Champion may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' and/or '''Boltblast''' with two items from the ''Champion Equipment'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
All models in the unit may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list, the same for every model.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Null Knights}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Silent Dreadnoughts====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Silent Dreadnought ('''Power Rating: 6'''). It can include 1 additional Silent Dreadnought ('''Power Rating: +6''') or 2 additonal Silent Dreadnoughts ('''Power Rating: +12''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Silent Dreadnought || 6" || 3+ || 3+ || 7 || 7 || 10 || 4 || 8 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Assault Cannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Dreadnought Combat Weapon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Storm Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield. On a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 3" suffers D3 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Assault Cannon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' and '''Storm Bolter''' - +22 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' and '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Assault Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with a '''Dreadnought Chainfist''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Chainfist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 4 || -
|}</div>
</div>
Any model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Graviton Blaster''' - +15 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Graviton Blaster''' || 18" || Assault 2 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Heavy Flamer''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Meltagun''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Blastgun''' - +19 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Standard)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Overcharged)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Voidstrike Missile''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Silent Dreadnought}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnought}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Solipsism====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Solipsism ('''Power Rating: 6'''). Only one of this unit may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Solipsism || 6" || 2+ || 2+ || 4 || 4 || 5 || 4 || 10 || 3+ || 120
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Devider'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Devider''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -2 || D3 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, add 1 to the number of damage.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Sigil of the Inverted Harm'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Sigil of the Inverted Harm:''' A model equipped with a Sigil of the Inverted Harm has a 4+ Invulnerable save.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Void Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Void Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || * || -3 || 2 || This weapon always wounds on a 2+.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Nothing Besides the Self">
''All things are the same, all things are the Self, when the Self is removed all things must be removed.''

If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield. On a 4+ it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Reality">
''If the Self cannot realize the existence of the non-Self, the non-Self cannot exist.''

No attack can be made against Solipsism where the attacker does not have Line of Sight to Solipsism. In addition, at the end of your Movement phase, if this model is not within line of sight of any enemy unit, it can decide to jump out of reality; if it does so, remove it from the battlefield and replace it anywhere on the table as long as it's not within line of sight of any enemy unit.
</tab>
<tab name="The Self is All">
''What benefits the Self benefits all, what harms the Self harms all.''

Add 1 to the Strength and Attacks characteristic of friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of Solipsism. In addition, roll a die each time this model suffers a wound, on a 4+ all models within 1" suffer one mortal wound.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Elites}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Solipsism}}

===Fast Attacks===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Bikers of Malal====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Biker Champion and 2 Bikers ('''Power Rating: 4'''). It can include up to 4 more Bikers ('''Power Rating: +4''') or up to 8 more Bikers ('''Power Rating: +8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Biker || 14" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 3 || 1 || 8 || 3+ || 30
|-
| Biker Champion || 14" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 5 || 3 || 2 || 9 || 3+ || 30
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi-bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Frag Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Frag Grenade''' || 6" || Grenade D6 || 3 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Krak Grenades'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Krak Grenade''' || 12" || Grenade 1 || 6 || -1 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Bikers of Malal">
Models in this unit add 1 to their Attack characteristic and gain a 5+ Invulnerable save whilst their unit has 11 models.
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Retro-boost">
When this unit Advances, add 6" to its Move characteristic for that Movement phase instead of rolling a dice.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Melee Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div><div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every three models in the unit, one Biker may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Special Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Flamer''' - +6 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Meltagun''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Gun''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
For every three models in the unit, one Biker may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
The Biker Champion may replace its '''Bolt Pistol''' with one item from the ''Champion Equipment'' or ''Special Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Champion Equipment'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Chainaxe''' - +1 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Chainaxe''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Astartes Chainsword''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Astartes Chainsword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Lightning Claw''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Pistol''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Standard)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Pistol (Overcharged)''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Axe''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Axe''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -2 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Fist''' - +9 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Lance''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Lance''' || Melee || Melee || +2 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Maul''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Maul''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Power Sword''' - +4 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Sword''' || Melee || Melee || User || -3 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Thunder Hammer''' - +21 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -2 || 3 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''Special Weapons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Flamer''' - +6 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamer''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Meltagun''' - +14 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Plasma Gun''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Gun (Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
The Biker Champion may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Shield of Compromise''' - +15 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Shield of Compromise:''' A model with a Shield of Compromise has a 4+ Invulnerable save and may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, but it's always hit on a hit roll of 4+ or better. If not every model in a unit is equipped with a Shield of Compromise, then the restriction on hit and wound rolls only applies if more than half of the models are equipped with it.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
All models in the unit may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list, the same for every model.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Biker}}, {{W40kKeyword|Bikers}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Doomriders====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 3 Doomriders ('''Power Rating: 8'''). It can include up to 4 more Doomriders ('''Power Rating: +10''') or up to 8 more Doomriders ('''Power Rating: +20''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Doomrider || 11" || 3+ || - || 4 || 5 || 3 || 2 || 9 || 3+ || 50
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Bolt Pistol'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Bolt Pistol''' || 12" || Pistol 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Impaling Hooves'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Impaling Hooves''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || After a model riding a Nightmare makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 2 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Lance of Undoing'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -3 || 2 || Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|-
|'''Lance of Undoing''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || You can use this profile only in a turn in which a model equipped with this weapon has charged. Invulnerable saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Ethereal Skin">
Roll a die each time a model from this unit suffers a wound, on a 5+ it doesn't suffer that wound.
</tab>
<tab name="Rampaging Steed">
Each time this model fights, every time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6, the enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Although, each time you roll an unmodified roll of 1, this model suffers 1 mortal wound.
</tab>
<tab name="Steeds of Malal">
Models in this unit have 3 Attacks instead of 2 and gain a 5+ Invulnerable save whilst their unit has 11 models.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Doomriders}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Hook Horrors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 5 Hook Horrors ('''Power Rating: 2'''). It can include up to 5 more Hook Horrors ('''Power Rating: +2'''), up to 10 more Hook Horrors ('''Power Rating: +4''') or up to 15 more Hook Horrors ('''Power Rating: +6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Hook Horrors || 8" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 3 || 1 || 2 || 7 || 6+ || 8
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Flensing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flensing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for this weapon, that hit is resolved with an AP of -4.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Unreasonably Fast">
Models in this unit have a 5+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
<tab name="Warping Aura">
As long as this unit has at least 10 models, {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} units within 6" of this unit have to subtract 1 from all their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} must subtract 1 from Psychic tests and Deny the witch tests they take for each unit with this ability that is within 6" of them.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attacks}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Hook Horrors}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Limbo-Tick====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 3 Limbo-Ticks ('''Power Rating: 2'''). It can include up to 3 more Limbo-Ticks ('''Power Rating: +2'''), up to 6 more Limbo-Ticks ('''Power Rating: +4'''), up to 9 more Limbo-Ticks ('''Power Rating: +6'''), or up to 12 more Limbo-Ticks ('''Power Rating: +8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Limbo-Tick || 16" || 3+ || - || 4 || 3 || 2 || 2 || 9 || 5+ || 13
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Tearing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Tearing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || After a model riding a Limbo-Tick makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 3 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Draining Bite">
Each time this unit kills an enemy model with its '''Tearing Hooks''', this model recovers one wound lost previously in the battle.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Beast}}, {{W40kKeyword|Limbo-Ticks}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Pandemonic Paradoxes====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 3 Pandemonic Paradoxes ('''Power Rating: 5'''). It can include up to 3 more Pandemonic Paradoxes ('''Power Rating: +5''') or up to 6 more Pandemonic Paradoxes ('''Power Rating: +10''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Pandemonic Paradox || 10" || 3+ || - || 5 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 6 || 4+ || 30
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Gaping Maw'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Gaping Mouth''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || D3 || Each time the bearer fights, it can make one (and only one) attack with this weapon. This is in addition to the bearer's attacks.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Mantis Scythes'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mantis Scythe''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 2 || Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for this weapon, that hit is resolved with an AP of -4.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
*'''Death to the Believers'''
*'''Voice of Banishment:''' Enemy units within 6" of this unit suffer a -2 penalty to their Leadership characteristic.

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Beast}}, {{W40kKeyword|Pandemonic Paradoxes}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Parasite Riders====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 3 Parasite Riders ('''Power Rating: 3'''). It can include up to 4 more Parasite Riders ('''Power Rating: +3''') or up to 8 more Parasite Riders ('''Power Rating: +6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Parasite Rider || 16" || 3+ || - || 4 || 4 || 2 || 2 || 9 || 5+ || 20
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Flensing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flensing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ for this weapon, that hit is resolved with an AP of -4.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Tearing Hooks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Tearing Hooks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || 1 || After a model riding a Limbo-Tick makes its close combat attacks, you can attack with its mount. Make 3 additional attacks, using this weapon profile.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Draining Bite">
Each time this unit kills an enemy model with its '''Tearing Hooks''', this model recovers one wound lost previously in the battle.
</tab>
<tab name="Steeds of Malal">
Models in this unit have 3 Attacks instead of 2 and gain a 5+ Invulnerable save whilst their unit has 11 models.
</tab>
<tab name="Warping Aura">
As long as this unit has at least 10 models, {{W40kKeyword|Deamon}} units within 6" of this unit have to subtract 1 from all their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} must subtract 1 from Psychic tests and Deny the witch tests they take for each unit with this ability that is within 6" of them.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Cavalry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Parasite Riders}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Void Claws====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Void Claw Champion and 5 Void Claws ('''Power Rating: 8'''). It can include up to 5 more Void Claws ('''Power Rating: +6''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Void Claw || 12" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 1 || 8 || 3+ || 25
|-
| Void Claw Champion || 12" || 3+ || 3+ || 4 || 4 || 2 || 2 || 9 || 3+ || 25
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Two Lightning Claws'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lightning Claw''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || 1 || Each time the bearer fights, it makes 1 additional attack with this weapon. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, you can re-roll the wound roll.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Talons from Beyond">
Models in this unit add 1 to their Attack characteristic and gain a 5+ invulnerability save whilst their unit has 11 models.
</tab>
<tab name="Void Jump">
When you set up this unit during deployment, it can be set up in low orbit, ready to strike, instead of being placed on the battlefield. If it is, it can use a Void Jump to arrive on the battlefield at the end of any of your Movement phases, when it does so, set the unit up anywhere that is more than 9" away from enemy models. In addition, enemy units cannot fire Overwatch against this unit in the same turn that it arrived by this rule.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
All models in the unit may take one item from the ''Heresy Era Power Armors'' list, the same for every model.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Auramite Armor''' - +7 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Auramite Armor:''' The bearer has a 2+ armor save and a 5+ Invulnerable save, but always strikes last in melee combat, regardless of any special rule or stratagem.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Distorsion Plate''' - +15 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Distorsion Plate:''' Each phase select one ability of an enemy unit within 12” of a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates; all enemy units within 12” may not benefit from that ability. In addition, enemy units attacking a unit equipped entirely with Distorsion Plates have to subtract 1 from their hit rolls if they are more than 12" away.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 2 Crusade Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 2 Crusade Armor:''' Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of the bearer. In addition, when the bearer is slain, roll a D6 before removing that model: on a 5+, that model can either shoot with one of its ranged weapons as if it were the Shooting phase, or make a single attack as if it were the Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 3 Iron Armor''' - +3 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 3 Iron Armor:''' Each time a ranged attack is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack. However, subtract 1 from the Movement characteristic of the bearer.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 4 Imperial Maximus Armor:''' Whenever the bearer charges, was charged or makes a heroic intervention, increase its Strength characteristic by 1 for the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 5 Heresy Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 5 Heresy Armor:''' Each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll one D6: on a 6, that wound is not lost.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 6 Corvus Armor''' - +2 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 6 Corvus Armor:''' The bearer is eligible to declare a charge within a turn in which it Advanced or Fell Back, but you must subtract 1 from the bearer hit rolls in the following Fight phase.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''MK 7 Aquila Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''MK 7 Aquila Armor:''' Each time an attack with a Damage characteristic of 1 is allocated to the bearer, add 1 to any armor saving throw made against that attack.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Omega Armor''' - +5 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Omega Armor:''' Each time an attack is made against the bearer, roll a D6. That value becomes the Save characteristic of the bearer, to a minimum of 2+, when resolving that attack (eg. a dice roll of 4 would mean the model would have a Save characteristic of 4+). In addition, the bearer may ignore the Ap characteristic of enemy weapons, and may not benefit from any Invulnerable save from any source.</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Pariah Armor''' - +4 pts./model
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Pariah Armor:''' The bearer counts as having Remained Stationary if it did not Fall Back or Advance in your previous Movement phase, and can ignore any or all modifiers to its Move characteristic, Advance rolls and charge rolls. However, each time an attack with a Strength characteristic of 6 or higher is made against the bearer, improve the Armor Penetration characteristic of that attack by 2.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Fast Attacks}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Void Claws}}, {{W40kKeyword|Fly}}, {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}}

===Heavy Supports===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Discors Land Raider Squadron====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Discors Land Raider ('''Power Rating: 14'''). It can include 1 additional Discors Land Raider ('''Power Rating: +14''') or 2 additional Discors Land Raiders ('''Power Rating: +28''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Discors Land Raider || '''10"''' || 6+ || '''3+''' || 8 || 8 || 9-16 || '''6''' || 9 || 2+ || 270
|-
| Discors Land Raider || '''5"''' || 6+ || '''4+''' || 8 || 8 || 5-8 || '''D6''' || 9 || 2+ || 270
|-
| Discors Land Raider || '''3"''' || 6+ || '''5+''' || 8 || 8 || 1-4 || '''D3''' || 9 || 2+ || 270
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Twin Heavy Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Two Twin Lascannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield and before any embarked models disembark; on a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
<tab name="Vehicle Squadron">
The maximum cohesion distance of this unit is 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Transport Capacity:''' A Discors Land Raider can transport up to 10 {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} models (Each {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} and {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}} model counts as three models instead).

'''Options:'''

Any model may replace its two '''Twin Lascannon''' for one of the followings:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Two Flamestorm Cannons''' - +40 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Flamestorm Cannon''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 6 || -2 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Two Hurricane Bolters''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
Any model may replace its '''Twin Heavy Bolter''' for one of the followings:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Assault Cannon''' - +44 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +28 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Voidstrike Missile''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Discors Land Raider}}, {{W40kKeyword|Transport}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Discors Predator Squadron====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Discors Predator ('''Power Rating: 6'''). It can include 1 additional Discors Predator ('''Power Rating: +6''') or 2 additional Discors Predator ('''Power Rating: +12''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Discors Predator || '''12"''' || 6+ || '''3+''' || 6 || 7 || 6-11 || '''3''' || 8 || 3+ || 120
|-
| Discors Predator || '''6"''' || 6+ || '''4+''' || 6 || 7 || 3-5 || '''D3''' || 8 || 3+ || 120
|-
| Discors Predator || '''3"''' || 6+ || '''5+''' || 6 || 7 || 1-2 || '''1''' || 8 || 3+ || 120
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Predator Autocannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Predator Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2D3 || 7 || -1 || 3 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield and before any embarked models disembark; on a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D3 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
<tab name="Vehicle Squadron">
The maximum cohesion distance of this unit is 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Predator Autocannon''' with a '''Twin Lascannon''' - +40 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
Any model may take one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Two Heavy Bolters''' - +30 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Two Lascannons''' - +40 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Voidstrike Missile''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Discors Predator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Discors Vindicator Squadron====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Discors Vindicator ('''Power Rating: 7'''). It can include 1 additional Discors Vindicator ('''Power Rating: +7''') or 2 additional Discors Vindicators ('''Power Rating: +14''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Discors Vindicator || '''10"''' || 6+ || '''3+''' || 6 || 8 || 6-11 || '''3''' || 8 || 3+ || 140
|-
| Discors Vindicator || '''5"''' || 6+ || '''4+''' || 6 || 8 || 3-5 || '''D3''' || 8 || 3+ || 140
|-
| Discors Vindicator || '''3"''' || 6+ || '''5+''' || 6 || 8 || 1-2 || '''1''' || 8 || 3+ || 140
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Demolisher Cannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Demolisher Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy D6 || 10 || -3 || D6 || Blast.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield and before any embarked models disembark; on a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D3 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
<tab name="Vehicle Squadron">
The maximum cohesion distance of this unit is 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Demolisher Cannon''' with a '''Laser Destroyer Array''' - +30 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Laser Destroyer Array''' || 36" || Heavy 4 || 10 || -4 || D3+3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Voidstrike Missile''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-bolter''' - +2 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Discors Vindicator}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Legion Battle-Automatas====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''During the great crusade the mechanicium created colossal robots of war to fight alongside the legions. The most famous of these were perturabos iron circle, a maniple of automatas controlled directly by the primarchs warsuit and brain, but across the galaxy you could find tech marines controlling vast robot forces against forces even the main Astarte s forces would struggle against.

But chaos corrupts all things, and these lifeless machines are no acception. Malal in particular is fond of bending these lifeless husks to their will, as what is more contradictory than something with no mind or life of its own being given such gifts.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Legion Battle-Automata ('''Power Rating: 9'''). It can include 1 additional Legion Battle-Automata ('''Power Rating: +9''') or 2 additional Legion Battle-Automatas ('''Power Rating: +18''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Legion Battle-Automata || '''8"''' || '''3+''' || '''3+''' || 7 || 7 || 14 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 180
|-
| Legion Battle-Automata || '''6"''' || '''4+''' || '''4+''' || 7 || 7 || 14 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 180
|-
| Legion Battle-Automata || '''4"''' || '''5+''' || '''5+''' || 7 || 7 || 14 || 3 || 9 || 3+ || 180
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Distorsion Bolt Cannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Distortion Bolt Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Units which receive damage from this weapon may not reroll any dice rolls until the start of your next shooting phase.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Siege-breaker Hammer'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Siege-breaker Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || D6 || When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} or {{W40kKeyword|Building}} unit, add 2 to the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Armored Bulwark">
Add 1 to this model's Invulnerable save for every other model with this rule within 2" (to a maximum of 3+).
</tab>
<tab name="Colossal Shields">
Models with this special rule have a 5+ Invulnerable save.
</tab>
<tab name="Corrupted Intelligence">
Unless there is a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} within 12” of models in this unit, a unit with this rule may only target and charge the nearest enemy unit. However, if there is not a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} within 12” this unit adds 1 to its hit rolls and may re-roll failed hit rolls of 1.
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield and before any embarked models disembark; on a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D3 mortal wounds.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Legion Battle-Automata}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Malice Contemptor====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Malice Contemptor ('''Power Rating: 8'''). It can include 1 additional Malice Contemptort ('''Power Rating: +8''') or 2 additonal Malice Contemptors ('''Power Rating: +16''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Malice Contemptor || 9" || 2+ || 2+ || 7 || 7 || 11 || 4 || 9 || 2+ || 160
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Assault Cannon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Dreadnought Combat Weapon'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Storm Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Atomantic Shielding">
A model with this special rule has a 5+ Invulnerable save. However, if this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield. On a 5+ it explodes, each unit within 6" suffers D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Assault Cannon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' and '''Storm Bolter''' - +22 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || 3 || -
|-
|'''Storm Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' and '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with one item from the ''Dreadnought Arm Weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Assault Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Assault Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy 6 || 6 || -1 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''C-beam Cannon''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''C-beam Cannon''' || 72" || Heavy 1 || 6 || -3 || D3 || This weapon may not be fired on any turn in which the model carrying it has moved. In addition, for each 24" between the bearer and the target, increase the Strength by +2 and the Damage by +D3. If a model is removed from play as a casualty due to wounds caused by this weapon, then the target unit suffers D6 additional hits at Strength 6, Ap 0, and Damage 1. These additional hits do not trigger further hits themselves.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Standard)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 7 || -3 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Heavy Plasma Cannon (Overcharged)''' || 36" || Heavy D3 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Blast. Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Hurricane Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Hurricane Bolter''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Missile Launcher''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Multi-melta''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
|-
|'''Multi-melta''' || 24" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Seismic Hammer''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Seismic Hammer''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 5 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s hit roll.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Autocannon''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Autocannon''' || 48" || Heavy 2 || 7 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Bolter''' - free
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Bolter''' || 36" || Heavy 3 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Heavy Flamer''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Twin Lascannon''' - +20 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Dreadnought Combat Weapon''' with a '''Dreadnought Chainfist''' - +5 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Dreadnought Chainfist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -4 || 4 || -
|}</div>
</div>
Any model may replace its '''Storm Bolter''' with one of the following:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Graviton Blaster''' - +15 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Graviton Blaster''' || 18" || Assault 2 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Heavy Flamer''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Meltagun''' - +12 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Meltagun''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Plasma Blastgun''' - +19 pts
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Standard)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Plasma Blastgun (Overcharged)''' || 18" || Assault 2 || 8 || -3 || 2 || Each time an unmodified hit roll of 1 is made for an attack with this weapon profile, the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a '''Cyclone Missile Launcher''' - +38 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Frag Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Blast.
|-
|'''Cyclone Missile Launcher (Krak Missile)''' || 36" || Heavy 2 || 8 || -2 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Malice Contemptor}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnought}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Thunder Warriors====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''A brutal weapon created in a time before the great crusade. Beings of immense strength, endurance, brutality of cunning, created to subdue the most violent of planets, the birthplace of the greatest empire ever to exist. Terra.

But the thunder warriors were a tool of the moment, a violent blip in history to be replaced by the more refined space marines. And so they were wiped from history and reality by the custodes, to be forgotten by all, the few survivors left lost, without purpose and their bodies slowly dying.

It should be no surprise then, that these warriors attracted the attention of the god of disorder and the forgotten. Those thunder warriors in service to malal were given life and purpose, combining their already brutal prowess with warp corruption unseen even amongst the most twisted space marine.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 3 Thunder Warriors ('''Power Rating: 6'''). It can include up to 8 additional Thunder Warriors ('''Power Rating: +2/model''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Thunder Warrior || 7" || 2+ || 3+ || 5 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 9 || 3+ || 40
|}
'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Power Fist'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Power Fist''' || Melee || Melee || x2 || -3 || D3 || Subtract 1 from the hit rolls for this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Thunder Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Thunder Bolter''' || Melee || Melee || +1 || -1 || 2 || Each time a model with this weapon fights it may make 1, and only 1, additional attack using this weapon profile.
|-
|'''Thunder Bolter''' || 36” || Assault 2 || 5 || -1 || 2 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="A Brutish Weapon from a Different Time”>
A unit with this rule adds 1 to its Strength and Attack characteristics on a turn in which it charged, was charged or performed a heroic intervention. In addition, roll a D6 for each model in this unit performs a charge or heroic intervention, on a 4+ the charges unit takes a mortal wound.
</tab>
<tab name="Biological Brutes">
Roll a die each time a model from this unit would lose a wound; on a 5+ that wound is not lost. On a roll of 1, however, that model doubles the amount of damage it was attempting to ignore.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Mark 1 Power Armour Blessed by Malal">
Models in this unit have a 6+ Invulnerable save. If the attack being saved against had a randomly determined number of shots or damage however increase the invulnerability save to 5+.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Heavy Support}}, {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Thunder Warriors}}

===Dedicated Transports===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Discors Rhino Squadron====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Discors Rhino ('''Power Rating: 4'''). It can include 1 additional Discors Rhino ('''Power Rating: +4''') or 2 additional Discors Rhinos ('''Power Rating: +8''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Discors Rhino || '''12"''' || 6+ || '''3+''' || 6 || 7 || 6-10 || '''3''' || 8 || 3+ || 80
|-
| Discors Rhino || '''6"''' || 6+ || '''4+''' || 6 || 7 || 3-5 || '''D3''' || 8 || 3+ || 80
|-
| Discors Rhino || '''3"''' || 6+ || '''5+''' || 6 || 7 || 1-2 || '''1''' || 8 || 3+ || 80
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Combi Bolter'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-bolter (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 2 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Cult of the Uncertain Bolter">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
If this model is reduced to 0 wounds, roll a D6 before removing it from the battlefield and before any embarked models disembark; on a 6 it explodes, and each unit within 6" suffers D3 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Smoke Launchers">
Once per game, instead of shooting any weapons in the Shooting phase, this model can use its smoke launchers; until your next Shooting phase, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target this vehicle.
</tab>
<tab name="Vehicle Squadron">
The maximum cohesion distance of this unit is 6".
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Transport Capacity:''' A Discors Rhino can transport up to 10 {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} models (Each {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} and {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}} model counts as three models instead).

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may take a Voidstrike Missile - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Any model may replace its '''Combi-bolter''' with one item from the ''Combi-weapons'' list.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-flamer''' - +8 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-flamer (Flamer)''' || 8" || Assault D6 || 4 || 0 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-grav''' - +10 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-grav (Grav-gun)''' || 18" || Rapid Fire 1 || * || -3 || 1 || This weapon wounds on a roll equal to the target's armour save. If the target has a Save characteristic of 3+ or better, this weapon increases its Damage to D3.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-melta''' - +15 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-melta (Meltagun)''' || 12" || Assault 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon profile targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
-'''Combi-plasma''' - +11 pts.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Boltgun)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 4 || 0 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Standard)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 7 || -3 || 1 || -
|-
|'''Combi-plasma (Plasma Gun - Overcharged)''' || 24" || Rapid Fire 1 || 8 || -3 || 2 || If any unmodified hit rolls of 1 are made for attacks with this weapon profile, the bearer is destroyed after shooting with this weapon.
|}</div>
</div></div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Dedicated Transport}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Discors Rhino}}, {{W40kKeyword|Transport}}

===Lords of War===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====Malific Construct====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''Once harmless junk made sentient by the warp, a malific construct is a physical manifestation of Malal’s will and purpose. Unlike other demon constructs it is not forged from the souls of the damned or built by tech priests millennia old. It is instead willed into existence by the chaos of the very world itself. This entropy can come from anything, from a mounting pile of washing to the floating remains of a battle fleet, but it all adds up, placing more and more pressure on reality.

If the entropy is allowed to build up to a critical mass then a Malific Construct will begin to form, the scrap of the universe being dragged together by pure, undiluted physics.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Malific Construct ('''Power Rating x''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| '''Malific Construct''' || '''11"''' || 3+ || '''3+''' || 8 || 8 || 11-22 || '''2D6''' || 9 || 5+ || x
|-
| '''Malific Construct''' || '''6"''' || 3+ || '''4+''' || 8 || 8 || 6-10 || '''3D6''' || 9 || 5+ || x
|-
| '''Malific Construct''' || '''4"''' || 3+ || '''5+''' || 8 || 8 || 1-5 || '''4D3''' || 9 || 5+ || x
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Scrap Tide'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Scrap Tide (Unstoppable Wave)''' || Melee || Melee || User || -1 || D2 || Each hit with this weapon counts as 3 hits instead of 1.
|-
|'''Scrap Tide (Crashing Roil)''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -2 || D6 || Saves made against this attack ignore all modifiers except for the ap characteristic of this weapon.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Oozing Entropy'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Oozing Entropy''' || 12" || Assault D6 || 6 || -2 || 1 || This weapon automatically hits its target and wound rolls of 6+ with this weapon inflict 1 mortal wound instead of normal damage. In addition, you may fire this weapon a number of times in the shooting phase equal to the number of enemy units within 12” of this unit.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Degradation Vomit'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Degradation Vomit''' || 48" || Heavy D6 || * || -4 || D6 || This weapon automatically wounds on a 2+ on a D6 and invulnerability saves made against this attack suffer -1 to their rolls. After all attacks with this weapon have been resolved the firer of this weapon suffers 2 mortal wounds for each successful hit on its target.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Consumer of Chaos">
This model heals 1 previously lost wound whenever a natural dice roll of 1 is rolled within 12” of itself. In addition this unit has a 5+ invulnerability save.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Entropic Destabilisation">
When this unit is destroyed, roll one D6 before any embarked models disembark and before removing it from play. On a 4+ it explodes, and each unit within 4D6" suffers 2D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Flowing Nightmare">
This model can Fall Back in the Movement phase and still shoot during its turn. In addition, this model counts as having 9 wounds for determining wether it benefits from cover, may pass through terrain features as if they weren’t there as long as it ends its move more than 1” from terrain features and enemy models and ignores vertical distances when moving and making melee attacks.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Options:'''
None

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Lord of War}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}},{{W40kKeyword|Malific Construct}}, {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}}

====Discors Mastodon Heavy Assault Transport====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''x''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Discors Mastodon Heavy Assault Transport ('''Power Rating 40''').
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Discors Mastodon || '''10"''' || 5+ || '''3+''' || 9 || 9 || 16-30 || '''6''' || 9 || 2+ || 800
|-
| Discors Mastodon || '''5"''' || 5+ || '''4+''' || 9 || 9 || 8-15 || '''D6''' || 9 || 2+ || 800
|-
| Discors Mastodon || '''3"''' || 5+ || '''5+''' || 9 || 9 || 1-7 || '''D3''' || 9 || 2+ || 800
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Crushing Tracks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Crushing Tracks''' || Melee || Melee || User || -2 || D3 || -
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Siege Melta Array'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Siege Melta Array''' || 12" || Heavy 6 || 12 || -4 || D6 || Each time an attack made with this weapon targets a unit within half range, that attack has a Damage characteristic of D6+2. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} or {{W40kKeyword|Building}} unit, add 2 to the number of damage you inflict.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Skyreaper Battery'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Skyreaper Battery''' || 48" || Heavy 8 || 7 || -2 || 2 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon against an {{W40kKeyword|Aircraft}} unit, add 1 to that attack’s hit roll. Each time an attack made with this weapon is allocated to an {{W40kKeyword|Aircraft}} model, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 4.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Two Heavy Flamers'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Heavy Flamer''' || 12" || Heavy D6 || 5 || -1 || 1 || Each time an attack is made with this weapon profile, that attack automatically hits the target.
|}</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Two Lascannons'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Lascannon''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 9 || -3 || D6 || -
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Assault Vehicle">
Models may disembark from this model during a turn in which it has moved.
</tab>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="Explodes">
When this transport is destroyed, roll one D6 before any embarked models disembark and before removing it from play. On a 6 it explodes, and each unit within D6+6" suffers 2D6 mortal wounds.
</tab>
<tab name="Metal Behemoth">
This model can Fall Back in the Movement phase and still shoot during its turn. In addition, this model only gains a cover bonus to its armor save if at least half of it is obscured from the firing unit.
</tab>
<tab name="Void Shields">
This model has 2 void shields. Each void shield has 3 shield points. While this model has any void shields, it has a 5+ invulnerable save against ranged attacks.

Each time a saving throw is failed for this model against a ranged attack, if it has any void shields, it does not suffer any damage. Instead, for each point of damage inflicted, one of its void shields loses 1 shield point. Once a void shield has lost a shield point, it must continue to lose shield points due to any further damage inflicted until it collapses. Each time an attack causes a void shield to be reduced to 0 shield points, that void shield collapses: this model loses that void shield, and any excess damage inflicted by that attack is lost. Void shields can never be used to prevent mortal wounds (each mortal wound inflicted on a model with void shields causes that model to lose one wound as normal).

At the start of your Command phase, if this model has a void shield that has fewer than 3 shield points remaining, that void shield is restored to 3 shield points.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Transport Capacity:''' A Discors Mastodon Heavy Assault Transport can transport up to 40 {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} models (Each {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} and {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}} model counts as two models, while each {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnought}} and {{W40kKeyword|Legion Battle-Automata}} model counts as ten models).

'''Options:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This model may take up to four Voidstrike Missiles - +15 pts./missile
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Voidstrike Missile''' || 48" || Heavy 1 || 8 || -4 || D6 || A model con only fire each of its Voidstrike Missiles once per battle.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Lord of War}}, {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}, {{W40kKeyword|Discors Mastodon Heavy Assault Transport}}, {{W40kKeyword|Transport}}, {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

====Primarch of the Forgotten Ones====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''Before the Horus Heresy, even before the Great Crusade, there was the purge. A cataclysmic event which nobody knows about, even the Primarchs only know that it happened, not how and why. What was this event? It was the removal of two of the Primarchs from history. Everything about them was expunged from the records, entire planets were mind-wiped, legionaries from the two legions were either killed or moved over to the Ultramarine legion, and the two Primarchs were.... what exactly? To that, only the Emperor knows, and even he is nearly dead.''

''But for a moment, think of yourself as one of those Primarchs, lost, abandoned, hunted by your own brothers for a crime you may not even have appreciated you were committing, as terrible as it may have been. In the heresy, if such an individual was wandering the galaxy then the chaos gods would have snapped them up, making them almost immediate demon princes and unleashing them back upon mankind. But those had been forgotten and as the warp is a reflection of reality, even the chaos gods did not know they existed.''

''That is, all except one, the one god who becomes more powerful the more obscure and unknown they are. And so imagine yourself again as a lost demigod, on your knees, about to give up on everything, to be forgotten even by yourself. And then someone, or something, gives you an offer, a something who accepts your offering of obscurity. And that is how the Primarch of the Forgotten Ones was born. Not by a show of strength, not by shoes of hedonism, or cunning, or resilience, but by accepting total, utter obscurity. From the ashes of this erasure, arose a being who, like their patron god, wished merely for nothing, for an end, to all things.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Primarch of the Forgotten Ones ('''Power Rating 15'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| Primarch of the Forgotten Ones || 8” || 2+ || 2+ || 6 || 6 || 9 || 5 || 10 || 2+ || 450
|-
| Demonic Primarch of the Forgotten Ones || 11” || 2+ || 2+ || 8 || 7 || 16 || 6 || 10 || 3+ || 550
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Mind Piercer'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Mind Piercer''' || Melee || Melee || +3 || -4 || 3 || Invulnerability saves may not be taken against wounds inflicted by this weapon. When attacking a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} or {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} unit, double the number of damage you inflict. Roll a die at the end of the Fight Phase if a unit was wounded by this weapon, on a 4+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
|-
|'''Mind Piercer''' || 24" || Heavy 1 || 10 || * || * || Targeted units do not gain the benefit of cover against this weapon. Do not take a saving throw against this weapon, after wounding this weapon deals 1 mortal wound. Then roll a D6, on a 2+ the target takes 1 additional mortal wound. If that roll is successful then roll another D6, on a 3+ the target takes 2 mortal wounds. Repeat this process until you either fail a roll or succeed the 6+ roll.
|}</div>
</div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-The Mirror Shield'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''The Mirror Shield''' || Melee || Melee || User || -4 || 2 || Each hit with this weapon counts as 2 hits instead of 1.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Death to the Believers">
See Army Rules - Universal
</tab>
<tab name="The Mirror Shield">
This model has a 4+ invulnerable save, in addition, it may only be wounded on a wound roll of 4+ or worse, and enemy units must subtract 1 from their hit rolls against this unit.
</tab>
<tab name="To be Demonic or Not to be Demonic">
At the beginning of any of your turns, you may decide to change which form of the Primarch to use. If so, replace the model with the one of your choosing; as long as this model remains in its Demonic form, it gains the {{W40kKeyword|Fly}} keyword and '''Sigil of the Immaterium''' Upgrade. This action costs Reinforce Points. If the model you choose to pay costs fewer points than the original model then you are refunded the point difference.
</tab>
<tab name="XI Primarch">
Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of this unit may re-roll failed hit and wound rolls of 1. In addition, friendly {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} units within 6" of this unit may reroll all failed hit and wound rolls if the weapon it used has a randomly determined number of shots/attacks.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Upgrades:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Sigil of the Immaterium">
{{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} units within 11" of this model may only attack last in the Fight phase, regardless of any special rule or stratagem, and have to subtract 2 from their hit rolls. In addition, enemy {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}} may not cast or deny any psychic power as long as they are within 18" of this model.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Psyker:''' The Primarch of the Forgotten Ones can attempt to manifest two psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny three psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and three psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline. The Demonic Primarch of the Forgotten Ones can instead attempt to manifest three psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase and attempt to deny five psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and four psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the ''Denier of Reality'' and '''Devourer of Warp-Horrors''' Warlord Traits.

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}, {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Lord of War}}, {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Primarch of the Forgotten Ones}}, {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
====The Devourer of Certainty====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
''The archdemon of each god is a creature that truly exemplifies the being that created them. This means that by its mere act of existing the Devourer of Certainty cannot be quantified. Greater demons can in theory take any shape they wish, as their forms have no actual substance, but in reality, their “bodies” exist on a continuum based on what the real beings in the Galaxy think and feel. The Devourer of Certainty’s form is ever-changing and unknowable because nobody knows that it even exists, giving it the freedom to take on any form it wishes and be almost wherever it chooses. It may randomly decide that it shall take on the form of a towering colossus one moment, and the next moment take the form of a tau child.''

''This uncertainty in battle makes this greater demon both impossible to fight, and simultaneously the easiest of the greater demons to defeat, as although its random shapes make it difficult to plan to fight it these forms are chosen randomly and could result in you facing a weaker, more easily defeat form.''</div>
</div>
This unit contains 1 Devourer of Certainty ('''Power Rating 28'''). Only one of this model may be included in your army.
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Name !! M !! WS !! BS !! S !! T !! W !! A !! Ld !! Sv !! Pts/model
|-
| The Devourer of Certainty || 14" || 2+ || 2+ || 8 || 8 || 22 || 6 || 10 || 4+ || 550
|}

'''Wargear:'''
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
'''-Disruption Stave'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Disruption Stave''' || Melee || Melee || X2 || -D6 || 2D6 || This weapon’s Ap characteristic also effects Invulnerable saves.
|-
|'''Disruption Stave''' || 48” || Heavy 2D6 || User || -D6 || D3 || Roll a D3 every time you fire this weapon. On a 1 this weapon automatically hits its target, on a 2 this weapon's Strenght characteristic becomes X2, on a 3 this weapon deals its damage in mortal wounds.
|}</div>
</div>

'''Special Rules:'''
<tabs>
<tab name="Nothing is Certain">
At the start of each turn roll a D6 for each one of this unit's characteristics. On an odd roll, that characteristic is reduced by 1; on an even it is instead increased by 1. If the roll is a 6 then the characteristic is increased by 2.
</tab>
<tab name="There are no Gods, only the Void">
This unit re-rolls all failed hit and wound rolls against {{W40kKeyword|HQ}}, {{W40kKeyword|VEHICLE}}, {{W40kKeyword|MONSTER}} and {{W40kKeyword|Lord of War}} units.
</tab>
<tab name="Uncertainty Incarnate">
This unit benefits from any abilities from enemy units as if it was part of the enemy army with all the appropriate keywords. In addition, this model has a 4+ invulnerability save.
</tab>
</tabs>

'''Warlord Trait:''' If this model is your Warlord, it has the ''Devourer of Warp-Horrors'' Warlord Trait.

'''Psyker:''' The Devourer of Certainty can attempt to manifest three psychic powers in each friendly Psychic phase, and attempt to deny three psychic power in each enemy Psychic phase. It knows the ''Smite'' and three psychic powers from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

'''Keywords''':
*Faction:{{W40kKeyword|Malal}}, {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}}
*{{W40kKeyword|Lord of War}}, {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}}

=Crusade Rules=

==Agendas==
*'''End fo the Immaterium:''' ''The forces of the Outcasted God hate one type of faith more than all the others, that towards the servants of the ruinous powers. This drive pushes them to utterly destroy any harbinger of these corrupt powers, and they bask in their terror as each one falls to dust under their swords.''
::Keep a End tally for your army. Each time a {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit from your army completely destroys a {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} unit, add 1 mark to the tally, 3 if its a {{W40kKeyword|Monster}}, 5 if its {{W40kKeyword|Titanic}}.
::At the end of the battle, you gain a number of Victory Points equal to half the number of marks in your End tally.

*'''Massacre of Unfaith:''' ''Faith is empty, shallow, it can be stomped into the ground and burned to ashes. That is the creed of the Sons of Malice, their one true faith.''
::Keep a Massacre tally for each {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} unit from your army. Each time a unit completely destroys an {{W40kKeyword|Imperium}} or {{W40kKeyword|Chaos}} unit, add 1 to it Massacre tally (2 if the unit was a {{W40kKeyword|Psyker}}).
::At the end of the battle, if a unit has at least 4 marks on its Entropy tally, it gains a Battle Trait or Psychic Fortitude.

*'''Propagators of Entropy:''' ''Disorder follows the armies of the Uncertain One; that is the only certainty in the waves of Its influence. Like an infestation, this corruption expands outwards, only empowering the servants of the Unknown further.''
::Keep an Entropy tally for each {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} unit from your army. At the end of each Shooting or Fight phase, add a value to that unit's Entropy tally equal to the number of wounds it inflicted that phase with a weapon that does a random set of damage.
::At the end of the battle, each unit gains 1 experience point for every 10 marks on its Entropy tally.

*'''Silence of Banishment:''' ''In sound, there is Chaos, in silence, peace. Let those that shout in the cold of space know, no one is there to hear them scream.''
::Keep a Banishment tally for each {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} unit from your army. Add 1 to that unit's Banishment tally each time they successfully block an enemy psychic power.
::At the end of the battle, each unit gains 1 experience point for every 2 marks on its Banishment tally.

==Requisitions==
*'''Favor of Malal (2 RP):''' ''The Unseen acknowledges the achievements of its followers but for its own nature seldom gives any mark of its gazing eyes. But the tides of causality are unpredictable, and so it's too the nature of its patron God.''
::Purchase this Requisition after you've won a battle, if one {{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} {{W40kKeyword|Character}} has gained a rank. That model immediately benefits from the '''Boon of Malal''' Stratagem for no additional cost; add 3 to the result of the roll. Add 1 to the Crusade points of the unit and make a note on its Crusade card.

*'''Sundering Cry (2 RP):''' ''The unending silence of the Sons of Malice is broken with a singular scream to the Great Unknown. In a chilling storm of sounds and silence, terrible beasts of disorder slash into reality, to avenge the fury of Forgotten's children.''
::Purchase this Requisition after a battle. Select one {{W40kKeyword|Malal}} {{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} model in your crusade roaster that wasn't present in your army during the game. That unit immediately gains one Battle Trait. Add 1 to the Crusade points of the unit and make a note on its Crusade card.

*'''Teachings of the Eternal Mansion (1 RP):''' ''In the Eternal Mansion suspended between the waking and falling worlds, the followers of the Uncertain One are initiated in the mystical arts of madness and contradictions. Such knowledge is given by the graceful Matrons of Malal, who guide their students like their own children.''
::Purchase this Requisition when you add a {{W40kKeyword|Followers of Malal}} unit to your Order of Battle, if your Crusade force includes a {{W40kKeyword|Matron of Malal}}. That {{W40kKeyword|Followers of Malal}} unit gains 2D3 experience points.

*'''Uncertain Experience (1 RP):''' ''Experience is something mysterious and strange; knowledge created by the tides of war, ordered thoughts born of dissonant rage. To the followers of the God of Contradictions, such concept abstract concept is as malleable as caly.''
::Purchase this Requisition when you remove a unit to your Order of Battle. If that unit possessed any number of experience points, you can transfer the same amount to another unit present in your Order of Battle, or to the unit (or one of the units) the unit is being removed to make place for. If the amount of experience exchanged is enough to raise the level of the unit receiving it, follow the normal rules for attributing Battle Traits.

==Battle Traits==
==={{W40kKeyword|Guardian of Contradictions}} and {{W40kKeyword|Matron of Malal}} Units===
*'''1) Breaker of Casuality:''' ''The rivers of fate clash against this demon like droplets of water on a cliff and no calculated matter can penetrate the might of such colossus.''
::Add 1 to this model's Invulnerable save (up to a maximum of 3+).

*'''2) Null Zone:''' ''At the presence of a demon of Malal, the creature of the Four Gods find their core principles altered, destroying their very nature and form as a consequence.''
::{{W40kKeyword|Chaos}} units loose the followings special rules while they are within 3" of this model: ''Disgustingly Resilient'', ''Ephemeral Form'', ''Quicksilver Swiftness'' and ''Unstoppable Ferocity''.

*'''3) Warp Molder:''' ''The Warp and its entities have no power over this creature of true chaos. Its will is power and of the dissonant waves of the Immaterium, only perfect harmonies of destruction will remain.''
::You can re-roll one die each time this model attempts to manifest a power from the ''Powers of Malal'' discipline.

==={{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} Units===
*'''1) Children of Duality:''' ''Everything always comes in pairs. Hot and cold, light and dark, a hero and its nemesis. Every duo has its equilibrium and through it, even opposites become the same.''
::Select two characteristics from models in this unit, other than Wounds and Armor save. Improve one by one point while worsen the other by one point. Then, apply this change to all models in the unit.

*'''2) Impossibly Destructive:''' ''The flux of causality flickers around these silent warriors, rendering the most extreme of outcomes nothing but the norm.''
::When rolling for damage for a weapon in this unit, roll one additional die and discard the lower result.

*'''3) Psychic Transcendence:''' ''Under the gazing eyes of Malal, no power from beyond can harm its loyal warriors.''
::Roll a die each time this unit suffers a wound during the enemy Psychic phase; on a 5+ that wound is not lost.

==Weapon Enhancements==
===Bolter Weapons===
'''-1) Enhanced Propellers:''' ''The propellers employed by the ammo for this weapon utilize a special fuel to boost its effectiveness range.''
:Add 3" to the range at which this weapon fires double its number of wounds for its Rapid-fire Type (es. a Boltgun would fire double its number of wounds while the target is within 15" instead of the usual 12").

'''-2) Explosive Rounds:''' ''Bolter shells are known to explode at impact and cause major damage to every type of defense. These rounds are loaded with even more explosive materials to make sure whatever is hit stays dead.''
:Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ with this weapon, it inflicts 1 mortal wound in addition to the normal damage.

'''-3) Suppressor Salvos:''' ''Superior firepower is a valuable strategy in every conflict. If the enemy defenses is rendered useless, then the days of war too are cut short.''
:Improve the Ap characteristic of this weapon by 2 in a turn in which the bearer has not moved during the Movement phase.

===Plasma Weapons===
'''-1) Fail-safe Overheat:''' ''Additional plating and safety mechanisms make sure the weapon can be operated safely even when at its limit.''
:When overcharging this weapon, roll a die if you make a hit roll of 1; on a 4+ the model doesn't suffer any mortal wounds.

'''-2) Fragmentary Volley:''' ''A special device has been installed to produce a fragmentary outburst mid-air, creating a shower of smoldering plasma.''
:When shooting this weapon, if you are not using the overcharged profile, make one additional hit roll with this weapon.

'''-3) Solar Plasma:''' ''Overcharged batteries are mounted on the weapon to push it to its absolute limit. This maneuver though is extremely dangerous not only for the bearer but for those around too, for a malfunction in the energy compartment would mean a catastrophic explosion of boiling plasma.''
:When shooting with this weapon, instead of firing normally or overcharging, you may decide to power this weapon to the limit. When doing so, use the overcharged profile for this weapon but treat any damage inflicted as mortal wounds. If a hit roll of 1 is made when firing, remove the model as a casualty and nearby units suffer 1 mortal wound on a roll of 4+.

==Battle Scars==
==={{W40kKeyword|Daemon}} Units Only===
'''-Ordered Beings:''' ''An injury in battle has tainted the flow of incoherence of these demons into a stream of order, making them an affront to their deity.''
*This unit may not benefit from the ''The Lords of Randomness and Servants of Chaos'' Detachment ability.
*This unit loses its ''Dissipator Field'', ''Paradoxical Essence'' and ''Warping Aura'' special rules.

==={{W40kKeyword|Sons of Malice}} Units Only===
'''-Heinously Unlucky:''' ''Chaos is fickle, these troops have somehow ended up on the unlucky side of the Immaterium's whims.''
*This unit may not benefit from the ''The Lords of Randomness and Servants of Chaos'' Detachment ability.
*This unit must re-roll all results of 6’s.

==Crusade Relics==
===Artificer Relics===
*'''Chilling Aura:''' ''x''
::Enemy units within 12" of this model must subtract 2 from their Leadership characteristic. Enemy units within 6" of this model must subtract 4 from their Leadership characteristic instead.

*'''Fluctuating Form:''' ''x''
::At the start of each of your Command phase, roll a D3; on a 1, increase this model's Strength characteristic of 1, on a 2, increase this model's Thoughness characteristic of 1, and on a 3, increase this model's Attacks characteristic of 1.

*'''Sinister Fulcrum:''' ''x''
::Once per battle after the second turn, this unit may plant the Sinister Fulcrum. Weapons fired from enemy units within 11" of the Fulcrum that have a random number of attacks have to halve the amount of shots they make.

===Antiquity Relics===
*'''Immaterial Blow:''' ''x''
::Enemy units may not attempt any type of saving throw against this model's first attack during the Fight phase.

*'''Reverse Chronology Cannon:''' ''An ordinary weapon, which fires extraordinary bullets. The bullets themselves are mundane but instead travel backward in time from the firer's perspective, appearing to have already been fired and traveling backward through the air and back down the barrel of the gun to be loaded back into the magazine. This means that the weapon hits targets in impossible ways, and never misses because its bullets have already been shot. No one knows what will happen when the weapon “runs out of” ammunition, but there are sects of the sons of malice who believe that this will bring the end of reality, bringing an age BBC where malal will become the greatest chaos god.''
::This Relic replaces one of the bearer's ranged weapons and has the following profile:
::{| class=wikitable
|- valign=top
! Weapon !! Range !! Type !! S !! AP !! D !! Abilities
|-
|'''Reverse Chronology Cannon''' || 24" || Heavy D6+2 || 6 || -2 || 1 || This weapon automatically hits its target. Enemy units do not gain bonuses to saving rolls from cover against this weapon. This weapon does not require line of sight to hit its target; but if its bearer does not have line of sight to the target unit, the Ap characteristic of this weapon is -1 instead of -2.
|}

===Legendary Relics===
*'''The Eye of Malal:''' ''A literal eye which appears in the center of the bearer's forehead. It does not blink but somehow manages to look into the eyes of every being within an immeasurable distance, somehow including the eyes of those whose skull it is currently embedded. It is believed that the eye is one of the (uncountable) eyes of malal, and thus its simple presence warps existence in an unpredictable manner. The bearer does not choose to have this relic, and it is almost laughable folly to call it as such, it simply appears one day when the host looks in the mirror, staring back into their very soul.''
::The bearer of this relic may not move in the movement phase. Instead, in each Movement phase, you must select a point on the battlefield at least 6” away from where the bearer currently is, regardless of any other effects. Then randomly select a direction and roll a D6; the bearer then moves that many inches in the randomly chosen direction. Once per battle you may spend a command point to instead not scatter. This does not count as moving in regard to firing weapons and charging and may bring the bearer within 1” of any enemy unit. If so, then the unit is engaged in combat.

*'''The Pool of Contradiction:''' ''For the most favored of Malal, the god gifts them access to a pocket dimension of impossibility. Inside the dimension, the champion can find pretty much anything each time they enter. This may find that the pocket dimension has transported them to Khorne's brass citadel, or back in time to the surface of Cadia, or might simply be a small, white room, with a table, chair, and a cup of tea. The pocket dimension is rarely lethal, but its entrance from the real world has contradictory effects on reality, and the gateway leeches its dark power into the materium.''
::Mark a point at the exact center of the battlefield, then randomly determine a direction and move that point 2D6” in the chosen direction. This point represents the pool of contradiction. 11” from this point all dice rolls become the exact opposite of what they would otherwise be (eg. A 6 would be a 1, a 5 a 2, and a 4 a 3). This is done after re-rolls and modifiers. In addition, the bearer of this relic may deep strike from this point, following the normal rules for deep striking except that the deep may place them within 9” of an enemy unit as long as they are within 11” from this point.

[[Category:/tg/ 40,000]]
[[Category:Awesome]]
[[Category:Codex /tg/'s Edition]]
[[Category:Malal]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Homebrew]]

Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Space Marines

2026-05-20T14:26:38Z

185.220.101.134:

{{cleanup}}
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<div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">[[Indrick Boreale|WE ARE THE SPEHSS MAHREENS! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FUREH!]]</div>

This is the [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics(8E)|8th Edition's]] Space Marine tactics. [[Warhammer_40,000/7th_Edition_Tactics/Space Marines|7th Edition Tactics are here,]] and their current tactics can be found [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Space Marines (9E)|here.]]

==Why Play Space Marines==
The Emperor’s finest; the Space Marines; the Angels of Death; the warriors of the Adeptus Astartes go by many names, and all spell annihilation to the enemies of Mankind. Possessed of terrifying speed, strength and resilience, the Space Marines are genetically engineered super-soldiers whose humanity has been sacrificed so that they may unflinchingly stand against those who would see the Imperium fall. They go to war clad in nigh-impenetrable armour. They wield devastating weapons such as the bolt rifle, the chainsword and the lascannon. They are able to speed into battle in armoured tanks and gunships, to drop from the skies on grav-chutes and jump packs or even teleport directly into their enemies’ midst. Coupled with their unshakeable resolve, the Adeptus Astartes are the hardest-hitting and most tactically flexible warriors in the Imperium.

===Pros===
*A lot of different units.
*Easy for beginners to play, yet rewarding for experts. Can be customized to focus on many specific elements (e.g. Terminators, mass jump pack assaults, etc.) with varying grades of viability.
*Units can do something of everything, with an answer to every situation.
**A common trend with Imperial armies, your Troop choices aren't tax, being actually good.
*You're GW's favorites, so you'll always be the first to get anything new. See also: [[Primaris Marines]], getting the first full Codex in 8E, being able to be of the first to get a 8E second wave codex.
*Loads of powerful characters to choose from, many of which have potent buffs to surrounding units.
*You'll almost always have an armour save.
*Many of your models are simple to paint with their solid colors and easily identified highlight areas---This makes painting your army very beginner friendly.
*At this point in 8th edition space marines are by far the strongest army, so if you really just want to win this is the army to go with.

===Cons===
*So many different units that it can be difficult to determine which ones are best in a given situation.
*As the most popular army by a long shot, most people build their armies with at least a few options for killing Space Marines present.
*Tanks (other than the Forge World ones and the hefty points-priced Land Raider family) are somewhat lacking compared to those of other armies.
*All the characters that used to be part of other units (e.g. Apothecary, Champion) moved to the Elites slot, which was already rather crowded. Consider bringing in an extra Vanguard detachment or two.
*You will almost always be outnumbered and will struggle at times to claim objectives, though some Chapter tactics make use of low model counts.
*Under the current rules, you risk being labeled "that guy" due to the codex's strong nature.
** Alternative take: If you're playing a meta space marine army at this point in 8th you probably are that guy, stereotypes exist for a reason.
**Alternate Alternate Take: You are that guy. Period

==Special Rules==
*'''Combat Squads:''' Can split a single full-sized unit into two smaller units ''before'' deployment. Works just like it always has, but more unit types can do it (e.g. Centurions). While MSU is better, it does give Space Marines a unique way to circumvent the Rule of Three or detachment limits. Now they just need to have spammable units worth Combat Squadding.
**With the introduction of Shock Assault (See below) there is worth considering the use of some of the older tactics, back when a Tactical Marine was worth more than just a bolter. One such tactic was to put your guns in one squad and your melee in another, using the ranged weapons to soften up a target then the melee (basically a sergeant either a power weapon or fist) to finish off or better yet to tie up the target unit and finish it off (hopefully) during the opponents turn, denying them a turn at shooting and forcing them to basically waste their melee of chaff. You can also put the sarge in the ranged unit with a combi weapon for a total of 3 bolters, 2 special weapons and a heavy weapon for a makeshift dev squad.
*'''Defenders of Humanity:''' AKA ''Objective Secured''. If your army is battleforged, all Troop units in detachments consisting solely of Space Marines get this ability. When such a unit is within range of an objective it controls that objective even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective, unless they also have a similar ability. It allows your Troops to seize objectives from enemy non-Troops; enemy Troops ''will'' outnumber you.

===Angels of Death===
*'''And They Shall Know No Fear:''' Re-roll failed morale tests. Not going to come into play that much with your generally good Ld scores, but given how punishing Morale can be it's still a good way to ensure your units don't run off, especially for your already small-ish unit sizes & 2W Primaris. And Apothecaries cannot revive models who fled instead of being slain.
*'''Bolter Discipline:''' Models using a Rapid Fire bolt weapon can double their number of shots (i.e. ''rapid-fire'') if at least one of the following conditions is met. They don't stack (no triple or quadruple shots if you meet more than one condition). The conditions are:
**The target is within the weapon's half range (normal Rapid Fire).
**The model is {{W40kKeyword|infantry}} and every model of its unit remained stationary during the previous Movement Phase. ''If a Devastator's Heavy Weapon marine moves, the Sergeant cannot use Bolter Discipline on his boltgun''.
***It gives your marines the option to commit to those objectives instead of having to get close to the enemy. Factions like T'au may have long ranged small arms, but Space Marines are the only army that can rapid fire from full 24"-''30"'' away.
**The firing model is a {{WH40Kkeyword|Terminator}}, {{WH40Kkeyword|Biker}}, {{WH40Kkeyword|Centurion}}, {{WH40Kkeyword|Dreadnought}}.
***This right here is the good shit. Footslogging terminators now have a significantly improved threat capacity, bikers are somehow even more deadly fast than they already were, and both Centurions and certain types of dreadnoughts have access to hurricane bolters, AKA 12 shots apiece.
*'''Shock Assault''': A brand new buff for Space Marines, if a unit with this rule charges, gets charged, or performs a Heroic Intervention, models in the unit add 1 to their Attack characteristic until the end of the turn (meaning +2A if they can fight twice like with a stratagem). Like Bolter Discipline before it, this will be available to all flavors of Space Marines (including all three of the Chaos varieties), and gives the generally lackluster melee of most Primaris infantry and chainsword assault marines a little bit of a boost. Killer on units with power weapons like Terminators. Also means foes have to be a bit more careful about charging at Tacticals and such to tie them up, more so if you use larger units, and that they can assist in a melee in a pinch.
*'''Combat Doctrine''': Feel like it's 7th edition all over again. Each of the three Combat Doctrines gives an AP-1 buff to different weapon types in your armies (non-cumulative with buffs from other sources). You have to use each Doctrine in order, starting with the '''Devastator Doctrine''', and once you switch there's no going back, so pay attention to the rhythm of the game. Your ''army'' gains this if ''all units in it'' have this rule, meaning taking a Guardsman Battalion or even a single Assassin CP'd in right before the battle would prevent the SM detachment from getting this rule, but allied SM detachments are ok even from a different chapter.
**On top of that, Chapter supplements give First Founding Chapters (and their descendants) a Specialist doctrine that is a bonus active on top of the regular doctrine. Bringing chapters with different specialist doctrines prevents either from getting theirs.
**These nifty rules will make your marines more efficient killers, but their rotation makes them predictable - devastate -> advance -> assault. Savvy opponents may try to break LoS to force movement penalties on your heavy weapons, rush for melee while you're still under the ranged doctrines, then fall back when you're finally under the assault one, scale buildings, etc. As such, don't be predictable yourself. Remember, you don't need to switch doctrines on the same turn they become available: surprise drop pod a target turn one or advance your infantry under cover of Devastation while your enemy remains confined to their hiding spots turn 3, what have you. The doctrines are as follows:
*#On Turn 1, your army will always start with the '''Devastator Doctrine''' turned on, giving all your Heavy and Grenade weapons the extra -1 AP so that you can soften entrenched infantry and cripple enemy vehicles from afar in preparation for your advance. Remember the first points of AP are the most important ones: AP-2 Heavy Bolters and Assault Cannons are more noticeable than AP-4 Lascannons. Do keep in mind the plethora of sniper rifles and Heavy Flamers (Incendium/Inferno/Flamestorm cannons) are Heavy Weapons too. The boost to Grenades matters only to Intercessors for the most part.
*#On the 2nd turn you switch to '''Tactical Doctrine''', shifting the boost to your Rapid Fire and Assault weapons. Be it to close the distance to the enemy or because your vehicles are about to give their last, this mostly passes the ranged baton to your infantry. And a bolt rifle going from AP-1 to AP-2 is more noticeable than a lascannon going from AP-3 to AP-4. Storm bolters and auto bolt rifles work wonders here.
*#On the 3rd or 4th turn you shift to '''Assault Doctrine''' (you MUST change to assault on the 4th turn) giving the extra AP to your Pistol and Melee attacks. Don't. Forget. Your. Pistol. The first point of AP is the most important one - chainsword/CCWs benefit the most, while AP-4 on a sword can become excessive.
**As of the 02/27/20 FAQ, you MUST change from Devastator to Tactical on turn 2, and then change to Assault on turn 3 or 4. This will force you to keep at least a few units that are capable of fighting in CQC, as you can no longer just bum around in Devastator or Tactical doctrine and persist on blasting things from across the map.

===Forge World Special Rules===
*'''{{W40Kkeyword|RELIC}}:''' No Battle-forged Detachment may contain more {{W40Kkeyword|RELIC}} units than non-{{W40Kkeyword|RELIC}} units within any given battlefield role (except for Lords of War; you can take one without needing another LoW first, but this only applies to the first such LoW taken). Also unlocks the '''Relic of Ancient Glory''' Stratagem for use.
*'''Stratagem - Relic of Ancient Glory:''' At the beginning of your Fight phase, choose a single friendly {{W40Kkeyword|RELIC}} unit. All friendly {{W40Kkeyword|ADEPTUS ASTARTES}} models within 6" of the chosen {{W40Kkeyword|RELIC}} unit may re-roll the first failed hit roll of the phase.

===Chapter Tactics===
Chapter Tactics are special rules based on the {{W40Kkeyword|<Chapter>}} keyword that will affect '''every''' unit in a detachment except for {{WH40Kkeyword|servitors}}. To benefit from Chapter Tactics, your army must be battle-forged, and all units in the detachment must be drawn from the same {{W40Kkeyword|chapter}}.
*Servitors are specified to never gain a Chapter Tactic ''despite having the keyword'', but nobody cares about Servitors because they're shit.
*Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachments also don't benefit from this, so if you want your Raven Guard Thunderhawks to get free cover, you need to put one in a Supreme Command Detachment at the least.
*A reminder that {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter>}} Ultramarines is not the same faction as {{W40Kkeyword|<regiment>}} Ultramarines, even if both faction keywords are "{{W40Kkeyword|Ultramarines}}". It is, however, a sign of the person trying to pull that stunt being [[That Guy]].
====Successor Tactics====
All Successor chapters that don't already have associated Chapter tactics must make their own.
It's the fourth edition all over again, once more you're allowed to create a bespoke chapter tactic for [[Your Dudes]] by combining any 2 of 18 available options, or use a First Founding chapter's tactics. The available options are listed below:
*'''Inheritors of the Primarch''': Sacrifice the ability to take a second successor tactic in favor of directly copying a First Founding Chapter Tactic (from Codex: Space Marines, so no copying Blood Angels etc).
**As this still excludes you from taking named characters from that First Founding Chapter, the only reason to ever choose this is when you want a Forgeworld named character and his detachment to have a First Founding Chapter Tactic. Like giving the {{W40kKeyword|Astral Claws}} the {{W40kKeyword|White Scars}} trait so they can charge after advancing [[Red_Corsairs|like when renegade]]. Or if you just want to use the Chapter Tactic without the primogenitor's color scheme.
** Additionally, pick if you find the full benefit of the parent CT better than a combination. Notably, you can't replicate any individual Chapter Tactic as all of them have at least one element that is unique to them.
**The only restriction is that, IF your chapter's primogenitor is known, IF you use Inheritors of the Primarch it would need to be from their parent chapter. Examples: the {{W40kKeyword|Novamarines}}' parent chapter is the Ultramarines, so you can't use Inheritors to give them the White Scars' trait (because that's not their parent chapter), and you can't give any chapter the Black Templars' CT (because that's not a First Founding chapter).
*'''Bolter Fusillades''': Re-roll hit rolls of 1 when using bolt weapons. Not only frees your Captains from babysitting line squads so they can focus on the big guns, but it also means you can switch your HQ towards Lieutenants, as anything with bolt weapons is effectively inside a Captain's aura. Keep in mind the Lt's re-roll is statistically identical to the Captain's (better for anything that automatically hits, but worse for anything that hurts you on a 1; neither one affects the odds that a successful hit is a 6 or that a successful wound is a 6).
*'''Born Heroes''': Characters with this tactic can do Heroic Interventions from 6" instead of 3". Pretty terrible outside Supreme Command Detachments, but it's good there.
*'''Duelists''': When making melee attacks against enemy {{W40Kkeyword|infantry}} or {{W40Kkeyword|biker}}s, ''unmodified'' hit rolls of 6 auto-hit and auto-wound. Explicitly incompatible with the ''Whirlwind of Rage'' tactic, sadly. ''Doesn't work on Cavalry because GW likes to pretend Wolf Riders don't exist; can't blame them''.
**Duelists works better the tougher your target is, although it's somewhat limited in that Infantry and Bikers don't tend to exceed T5. The bonus is better than Whirlwind of Rage when you need a 5+ to wound (DG/Custodes), equal at 4+ (CSM/Orks) and worse when you wound on a 3+ (IG/Eldar/Tau). This also means anything better than a Power Sword would be better used by Whirlwind of Rage, so, unless you want something specific like a melee Primaris chapter that fights T5 enemies, pick Whirlwind. Take note of the combo with Incursors knives... .
*'''Fearsome Aspect''': -1 Leadership to enemy units while they're within 3" of any of your units.
**Situational, but can be combined with other debuffing abilities, such as Reivers' aura, to provide an effect like Night Lords PLUS another chapter tactic, because this is only half of your trait. ''Night Lords, eat your hearts out''.
*'''Hungry for Battle''': +1" to the advance or charge roll. Amazing for melee units and also pretty good if you want to spam Assault weapons. Has no synergy with bikes or anything else that doesn't roll to Advance (like anything with Supersonic), but at its most noticeable on slow things trying to advance or deep striking things that want to charge right now - you'll definitely notice this tactic's impact on cataphractii terminators, for example.
** Gets really crazy with the Master of the Vanguard warlord trait for +2" move and advance. Gets even crazier, borderline illegal, with Lias Issodon for +3" to move and advance.
*'''Indomitable''': You can't lose more than one model from a failed Morale roll. Half of the Dark Angels CT. It can be okay for big units if you want to maximize the effectiveness of Stratagems, but it's not likely you'll fail morale tests to begin with.
*'''Knowledge is Power''': Psykers with this tactic can re-roll "any or all" rolls of 1 when casting or denying. Half of the Blood Ravens tactic. If you're taking a Supreme Command with 3 Librarians for some reason this is good; ''don't'' take this if less than a third of the Detachment consists of Librarians.
*'''Long Range Marksmen''': +3" range to all ranged weapons. Your marines get to engage enemies from their own deployment zone, taking better advantage of Bolter Discipline. Furthermore, it's amazing for flamers, which gain 11" range and become able to be used right out of a deepstrike, as well as being almost impossible to avoid by melee units. It also makes meltaguns noticeably easier to use, and while half-range abilities only gain a 1.5" boost, this is enough for Grav-guns and Combi-gravs to double-shoot after deep striking, which makes them a lot less terrible. Also, don't forget this applies to your grenades as well - 9" frag, krak, and shock, and 7" melta, is enough that you'll want to consider throwing a grenade more often when firing Overwatch.
*'''Master Artisans''': A ''unit'' with this tactic can re-roll a single failed to hit roll and a single failed wound roll each time it shoots or fights (including overwatch). Half of the Salamanders' CT. Units with a few weak weapons benefit most, but few strong is better than many weak for this. Amazing for pretty much any unit, with the standard Salamander caveat that it's a lot better the fewer attacks per unit you have - always go MSU with this.
*'''Preferred Enemy''': Pick one of the following factions: Aeldari, Tau, Heretic Astartes, Tyranids, Orks, or Necrons. Re-roll hits with melee weapons when attacking them if you charged, were charged, or made a Heroic Intervention. Fluffy, but bad for [[WAAC]] lists unless you are building for one specific opponent; Heretic Astartes are the most popular of these factions and Orks are guaranteed to get into combat with you, but you can get re-rolls for hit rolls cheaply in other ways.
*'''Rapid Assault''': Advancing no longer incurs a -1 penalty on firing Assault weapons. It's okay if you spam Assault weapons (especially meltaguns on bikes), but this tactic needs to be combined with something like Hungry for Battle to make it work.
*'''Scions of the Forge''': Units with damage tables count their wounds as doubled when calculating the effects of damage. 1/3 of the Iron Hands CT. Good for heavily mechanised lists.
*'''Stalwart''': When rolling for wounds against your models, natural rolls of 1 or 2 always fail, regardless of any modifiers or abilities the attacking unit might have. Makes your units somewhat better against plasma and other S8+ weapons. The other half of the Blood Ravens tactic.
*'''Stealthy''': Count as being in cover when at least 12" away from enemies. Half of the Raven Guard's tactic. By the time the enemy gets close enough to ignore this bonus you'll be within range for an easy charge. Good for gunlines, especially Vehicles and Flyers; meh for other types of units.
*'''Stoic''': +1 Leadership. Half of the Ultramarines CT. Skip it unless you need it for a very specific plan - it's usually fundamentally garbage compared to Indomitable.
**Stoic is better than Indomitable in the instances where the unit fails by EXACTLY ONE. However, Space Marine normal leadership, unit size, and ATSKNF means that this happens... quite a bit more frequently than in might in other armies.
*'''Tactical Withdrawal''': Units with this tactic can charge after falling back. Roughly 1/4 of the White Scars' tactic. Amazing for melee oriented armies, allowing you to trigger Shock Assault whenever you want. Generally speaking, best on a unit with {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}} (especially Inceptors), since you can fall back, shoot, and then charge back into melee.
**Wasted on Intercessors and Infiltrators, who can get the equivalent of an extra melee attack without needing to risk overwatch just by firing their bolt pistols; better on Incursors thanks to their knives. Only really works on Troops if you can make them fight twice, if they don't have pistols or you're using another unit to shoot their target between withdrawal and charge, so take it for your heavy hitters instead.
*'''Warded''': 5+ Feel no Pain versus mortal wounds only. Half of the Black Templars' tactic. Situational, but useful if your meta is full of armies [[Tyranids|who]] [[Thousand_Sons|spam]] [[Death_Guard|mortal]] [[Eldar|wounds]].
**All mortal wounds, not just those from psychic powers; this is basically Armour of Contempt but always active, all the time and not restricted to vehicles. A character about to die can fail to save a regular wound, and pass it onto a Company Vet as a mortal wound to try to save it again. A vehicle that fails a plasma roll has a chance to not lose a wound.
**What tries to counter TH/SS? Mortal Wounds SPAM. Well now your TH/SS are 2+/3++/5+++, simple as.
*'''Whirlwind of Rage''': When making melee attacks for a unit that charged, was charged, or made a Heroic Intervention, unmodified hit rolls of 6 score an additional hit. Explicitly incompatible with the ''Duelists'' tactic, above.
**Unlike Duelists, mathematically the Whirlwind of Rage bonus constantly behaves as +1WS (one that also affects WS2+ models), irrespective of chances to wound and not limited by keywords. Plus, its bonus is better than Duelists against targets you wound on a 3+ or less, meaning both your anti-horde and power weapons benefit. Do note that, unlike Duelists, Whirlwind only works in the first round of combat, not that anything you were fielding was planning on staying in melee for longer than that.

==Stratagems==
LOTS of ways to inflict Mortal Wounds here. By the way, Linebreaker Bombardment, Empyric Channeling, Datalink Telemetry and Killshot are not included in the new codex, and the 2019 FAQ confirms them to be DEAD. They are all, however, still available to {{W40Kkeyword|Blood Angels}}, {{W40Kkeyword|Dark Angels}}, and {{W40Kkeyword|Space Wolves}}, at least for the moment. So if you're really attached to that triple Predator detachment, run them as one of them instead.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Utility.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''Auspex Scan (2 CP):''' When an enemy unit comes in from reserves within 12" of one of your {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} units, your unit can shoot at it but with a -1BS penalty. ''It might pay off to keep Devastators/Hellblasters around, as deepstriking Termies can survive hurried bolter fire, and this "emergency" strat can be an unforeseen expense for your relatively-small army''.
*'''[[Lugft Huron|Big Guns Never Tire (1 CP):]]''' Select a {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}}; until the end of the phase, that unit does not suffer the penalty for moving and firing heavy weapons.
*'''Tactical Flexibility (1 CP):''' At the start of your movement phase, pick any number of 10 model unit with the Combat Squads rule and split them into two 5 model units as if they had been deployed as two Combat Squads. ''You probably should have split your squads before the battle, but on the other hand, it could be used to unexpectedly divide a squad in mid-battle to let it take two objectives at once. Still, calling it situational would be an understatement''.
*'''Tremor Shells (1 CP):''' At the start of your shooting phase, when a Thunderfire cannon shoots, subtract 1 from the wound rolls, but as long as it hits, the target unit gets half move, advance, and charge distances their next turn. Doesn't affect {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}} or {{W40Kkeyword|Titanic}} units.
**This is all it takes to clog up a large horde army. OR, more importantly, drastically reduce the chances that they get off a charge, in cases when they choose to use Da Jump or other such gimmicks.
**The effect is worded to last for the whole shooting phase so use the new Suppression Fire stratagem and slowdown the second unit in the same phase!
**Tremor Shells do bizarre things to your enemy. Most standard units (M6") will still be able to move about 4-6" with an advance move. HOWEVER, this strat forces them to advance to get that far, thus it is also a useful way to reduce a units shooting if you know they need to get close to use close range/assault weapons. Altogether its a great strat.

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Character Upgrades
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*'''Chapter Ancient (1CP)''': One use only. Upgrades a non-named Ancient into a Chapter Ancient, granting +1 to Leadership and makes the range of its Astartes Banner 9".
*'''Chapter Champion (1CP)''': One use only. Upgrades a non-named Company Champion into a Chapter Champion, granting +1 to Attacks and Leadership. Enemies attacking them in melee must take -1 to hit, making non-HQs attempting to hit him with Fists a pipe dream. Not usable by Black Templars, they have the Emperor's Champion for that.
*'''Chapter Master (2 CP):''' Use before the start of the game to turn your Captain into a Chapter Master, boosting his aura to re-roll all hits (fails and successes) instead of only 1s. You can't use this twice, nor use it on a named captain, or if you already have a named Chapter Master from the same Chapter.
**A named Chapter Master costs about +50pts more than your would-be generic CM and brings along a special rule, a relic of some sort, and +1W. Ask yourself if 2 CP is worth 25pts each plus the loss of the special characteristics. Of course, this isn't an argument for those Chapters [[Imperial_Fists|without]] [[White_Scars|named]] [[Salamanders|Chapter]] [[Iron_Hands|Masters]].
*'''Chief Apothecary (1CP)''': One use only. Non-named Apothecary may be upgraded and can re-roll the die to determine if a model that has been destroyed returns to that unit.
*'''Chief Librarian (1CP):''' One use only. A non-named Librarian is upgraded to a Chief Librarian. Knows one more power from their chosen discipline, and has one more Deny.
*'''Hero of the Chapter (1 CP):''' One use only. Select a {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} from your army that's not your warlord and determine a warlord trait for it.
*'''Master of Sanctity (1 CP)''': One use only. A non-named Chaplain is upgraded to a Master of Sanctity, which grants him one more Litany of Battle and the ability to use two Litanies at once.
*'''Master of the Forge (1CP)''': One use only. Upgrades a non-named Techmarine who isn't attached to a Thunderfire Cannon to a Master of the Forge. Like Iron Father Feirros, you always restore 3 wounds to a vehicle.
*'''Relics of the Chapter (1 CP):''' Use before the start of the battle. You can have an extra Chapter Relic for 1 CP. You can't take two of the same relic, and all the Relics have to go to different Characters. No longer limited to a one-use stratagem due to the sheer amount of relics.
*'''Veteran Intercessors (1/2 CP):''' AKA that specialist detachment stratagem from Vigilus part one. +1 attack, +1 leadership to a unit of {{W40kKeyword|Intercessors}}. Costs 1 for a 5 man unit, and 2 for a unit of 6 or more.
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Offense: Use these to shoot or fight better.
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*'''Bolt Storm (2 CP):''' At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of {{W40kKeyword|Intercessors}}. Until the end of the phase, that squad's Auto bolt rifles automatically hit if they target an enemy within half range.
**Effectively multiplies your Intercessors' shooting by 1.5x, but most importantly it completely negates BS penalties and it's nice extra damage before melee.
*'''Cluster Mines (1 CP):''' Use when a Scout Bike squad falls back. On a 2+, one unit you fell back from takes D3 mortal wounds.
**Best in an Ultramarines or White Scars list, where you can fall back, pop it and reengage. The reactive version of the proactive Incursor's mines.
*'''Death to the Traitors! (1 CP):''' When one unit is attacking a {{W40Kkeyword|Heretic Astartes}} unit in the fight phase, any 6+ to hit generates another attack with the same weapon. Steal their gimmick to use back on them.
*'''Flakk Missile (1 CP):''' When an {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} '''model''' shoots a missile launcher at a unit with {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}}, make a single hit roll with +1 to hit. If you hit, do D3 mortal wounds instead of rolling to wound. Like Hellfire Shells, {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} can get some extra mileage from this with the free re-roll.
*'''Fury of the First (1 CP):''' A {{W40Kkeyword|Terminator}} unit gains +1 to hit until the end of that phase. Now TH/SS doesn't NEED to be babysat by a Chaplain, and Tactical termies can use it in their shooting phase as well.
*'''Gene Wrought Might (1 CP):''' When a {{W40Kkeyword|Primaris Infantry}} unit from your army has chosen to fight, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made with a melee weapon a hit roll of 6+ automatically hits and wounds.
*'''Gravitic Amplification (1 CP):''' When a unit of your army is chosen to shoot with any "Grav" weaponry, you can re-roll the wound roll and the damage roll. Nifty. ''Redemption for those Gravs you glued to your Cents back in 7E''.
*'''Hammer of Wrath (1CP):''' {{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}} models within a unit that successfully end a charge move within 1" of an enemy unit cause mortal wounds on a 5+. Makes your big units of assault marines/VV punch much harder.
*'''Hellfire Shells (1 CP):''' Instead of shooting normally, a Space Marine Infantry model (with a heavy bolter) rolls only once to hit. If it hits, it does D3 mortal wounds. Try to get +BS or rerolls and stand still so that you don't miss the shot.
*'''Honour the Chapter (3 CP):''' At the end of the fight phase, pick an {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Astartes}} unit to fight a second time. The usual "fight twice" stratagem, best on characters and units with good weapons to delete someone.
** Do not besmirch your chapters proud history by affording Abaddon any chance of survival. Finish the job properly! Seriously this could be the pivotal factor in capturing slay the warlord or destroying a tank in one fell combat.
*'''Hunter-slayer Missile (1 CP):''' A variation on the flakk Missile Stratagem for dealing mortal wounds to big targets. Target an enemy vehicle or monster within 48" of a {{W40kKeyword|Repulsor}} and not within 1" of an ally. Roll a dice. If it is equal to or greater than the Repulsor's Ballistic Skill (meaning it ignores [[Eldar|modifiers to hit]]), the enemy unit takes d3 mortal wounds. One use per Repulsor.
*'''Masterful Marksmanship (1 CP):''' When a Sternguard Squad shoots, it adds 1 to wound rolls with its special issue boltguns.
**+1/6 to wound on a BS3 unit equals +0.11 wounds per shot, regardless of the target. At most this is 10 Sternguard at 15" do +2.2 wounds the enemy might still save. While not that much, Sternguards are a solidly fun unit and a few couple extra casualties could make the difference when attacking a priority target, like Berzerkers going your way. Just don't expect them to solo a Leman Russ, is what we're saying.
**This ''can'' stack with Catechism of Fire, which can provide a minimum of 4+ to wound for a unit of Sternguard. Combined with the Tactical Doctrine to get AP-3, this can be the bane of other Marines and even serve to poke vehicles.
*'''Only in Death Does Duty End (2 CP):''' When one of your {{W40Kkeyword|Character}}s dies, it can shoot or fight again. Doesn't combo with the Banner abilities on Ancients. ''Makes your characters too dangerous to deal with in melee, as not even killing them prevents them from hitting back, and most of them have melee boosts on top of being already good fighters. Overcharge their plasma pistol if they were killed at range''.
*'''Orbital Bombardment (3 CP, Single Use):''' If your warlord is a Space Marine (this could be your secondary detachment) and didn't move, you can use this stratagem in the shooting phase instead of having him shoot any weapons. Pick any spot on the battlefield, and roll a D6 for every unit within D6" of it (subtract 1 if it's rolling for a {{W40Kkeyword|Character}}). On a 4+, it takes D3 mortal wounds. ''RIP Linebreaker''.
*'''Rapid Fire (2 CP):''' At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of {{W40kKeyword|Intercessors}}. Until the end of the phase, that squad's Bolt rifles become Rapid Fire 2.
**Better 2x multiplier than the Auto Bolt Rifle's Bolt Storm's 1.5x from further away and with better AP. If you run a squad of 10, you are looking at 40 S4 AP-1 shots at 15", or AP-2 at 30" with Bolter Discipline and Tactical Doctrine, as the codex demands. That is some good dakka.
*'''Target Sighted (3 CP):''' At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of {{W40kKeyword|Intercessors}}. Until the end of the phase, that squad's stalker bolt rifles gain the ability to snipe Characters and cause mortal wounds on a wound roll of 6+. Costs 2 more than the Specialist Detachment version of the same name, however no longer requires the veteran upgrade meaning you don't need to lock in 1 CP before the battle.
**Rather expensive for something Eliminators do better (S5)...on the other hand, Eliminators can't really be spammed and the ludicrous firepower of 10 Stalker Intercessors can drop a Lieutenant. If with 3CP you can kill a character your enemy relies on then, by all means, go ahead.
*'''Skyfire (1 CP)''': When a Hunter or Stalker shoots, it may only aim at units with {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}} but adds +1 to hit and wound against them and deals double damage on an unmodified 6 to wound.
*'''Steady Advance (1 CP):''' Move an {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit and Bolter Discipline will be applied as if they remained stationary.
*'''Suppression Fire (2 CP):''' Use in your shooting phase. A Whirlwind or Thunderfire Cannon that did not move may fire a second time, but it can only shoot with weapons that can target units out of sight of the firer. So basically, their main weapon; nothing says it can ONLY fire at targets out of sight.
*'''Vengeance of the Machine Spirit (2 CP):''' If a {{W40Kkeyword|Land Raider}}, Stormraven, or {{W40Kkeyword|Repulsor}} is destroyed, it can either auto-explode, shoot one last time, or attack in melee one last time. In the latter two cases, it acts as if it was at the top bracket of its damage chart.
*'''Wisdom of the Ancients (1 CP):''' At the start of any phase, pick a Dreadnought to turn into a 1-phase Captain. Any same Chapter units within 6" can reroll hits of 1 that phase, including itself.

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Defensive. makes it harder for your units to die
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*'''Armour of Contempt (1 CP):''' When one of your {{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s takes a mortal wound, for the rest of the phase, you get a 5+ to ignore mortal wounds, and can use it on the one you just took. ''Doesn't work on regular wounds''.
*'''Duty Eternal (1 CP):''' When a {{W40Kkeyword|Dreadnought}} is chosen as the target for an attack, until the end of the phase decrease the damage of attacks by 1 to a minimum of 1. Will help keep your Dreads alive in a tight pinch, but it won't save them from massed Las-cannon fire. The latest FAQ made it so it no longer stacks with other forms of damage reduction, so no more Ironstone shenanigans unfortunately.
*'''Skilled Riders (2 CP):''' The return of 7th edition jink rules. Use on a {{W40kKeyword|biker}} or {{W40kKeyword|land speeder}} unit. If they move, they gain a 4+ invulnerable save. If they advanced, they gain a 3+ invulnerable save.
*'''Transhuman Physiology (2 CP):''' Select something with the {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Astartes}} keyword that is not a {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}} or Servitor, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made against that unit, an unmodified wound roll below a 4+ always fails, irrespective of the abilities the weapon or model may have. ''S10 attack? Effective T10 marines aw yee''.
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==Tactical Objectives==
;11 - Death from Above
: 1 VP for destroying an enemy unit that turn when the last model in the unit was removed by an attack made by a unit that either arrived by deep striking or has the {{W40kKeyword|FLY}} keyword.
;12 - Honour the Chapter
: 1 VP if one of your Characters made an attack that caused an enemy Character to lose a wound. If the attack killed said enemy Character, get 1d3 VP instead.
;13 - No Mercy, No Respite
: 1 VP if an enemy unit either dies or fails a morale test. Upped to d3 if you have more than 3 enemy units do this.
;14 - For the Emperor!
: 1 VP if at least one Infantry or Biker unit successfully charged that turn.
;15 - Lightning Strike
: 1 VP if you completely destroy an enemy unit that began the turn within their Deployment Zone.
;16 - The Emperor's Retribution
: 1d3 VP if you steal an objective from an enemy, which is upped to 1d3+3 if you steal 3 or more.

==Psychic Powers==
Like all 8E factions, in addition to Smite, you have access to a faction-specific table of powers. The Librarius Discipline has power for pretty much every situation, but they're mostly niche enough that it's difficult deciding upfront which powers to take - two of them are mortal wound causers which are worse than Smite, three are friendly buffs you can use to help dictate the flow of combat, and one is a really powerful debuff that usually won't go off but can be a gamechanger when it does activate.

With the advent of the new Codex-plus-chapter-supplements model, each chapter will also have access to a second, Chapter-specific psychic discipline for extra flavor, made available as each supplement rolls out. Combined with the Obscuration discipline for Phobos Librarians, that will be a choice of 3 different potential sets of psychic powers that you'll have access to. Bring a different Librarian for each and pretend that you're playing Thousand Sons.

Unfortunately, as of the new Codex, your buffing powers now specify {{W40Kkeyword|CHAPTER}} instead of {{W40Kkeyword|ADEPTUS ASTARTES}}, so you can no longer spread buffs across to other Chapters.

===Librarius===

#'''Veil of Time (WC6):''' Select a whole {{W40Kkeyword|<CHAPTER>}} ''unit'' of any kind 18" away from the user; until the start of the next Psychic Phase that unit re-rolls charge and advance rolls, and also gets Always Strikes First. So it's not only offensive by letting you reach your opponent faster, but it's also defensive, in case you get charged by a swarm and want to stay in melee. 9" charges are still below a 50% chance at 47.84%, so if you sorely want it to charge right after deepstriking go play {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} instead, although you can combine it with a CP re-roll. If you combine it with the successor tactic for +1 to charge rolls, it instead brings your odds of charging from 41.67% to 65.97%, although after accounting for the odds of failing the power, your overall odds of making the charge drop to 59.22%.
#'''Might Of Heroes (WC6):''' Until the next Psychic Phase, a single {{W40Kkeyword|CHAPTER}} ''model'' of any kind within 12" gains +1S, +1T, and +1A. An awesome power if you have a special snowflake that is already insane in combat (like a dreadnought), makes a powerful character turn into the hulk. Jokes aside, this power is better for challenges than for murdering rank and file, as the strength and attacks will ensure hits and wounds get to your opponent, and the toughness will blunt the attack of your opponent should they survive. Can also be used to help ''manipulate your opponent into picking a different target'' to bring down - if you have two heavy targets, like Land Raiders or Dreadnoughts, up front to be shot, and you put this on one of them, your opponent will usually kill the other one, and dictating the flow of battle is always useful. Furthermore, boosted Leviathans and Super heavies are just nasty.
#*''DON'T FORGET'' to use this power to save vehicles that need saving. Perhaps none of your characters or dreads are in positions to beat things up in melee, but you have a predator next to your librarian that could REALLY benefit from being T8 for a round of your enemy's shooting. Even if the S and A go to waste, the extra T can help keep your big stuff alive.
#*Can transform OK sergeants with heavy melee weapons into a force to be reckoned with: an Assault Squad sergeant with an eviscerator can better wreck a tank than a Primaris Lieutenant's power sword with the same boost.
#'''Psychic Scourge (WC6):''' Make a Leadership + 1D6 contested against the Leadership + 1D6 of an enemy unit within 18" of the psyker. If you beat the enemy, they take D3 mortal wounds; equal them and they take 1 Mortal Wound, and nothing happens if your total is lower. A tad less powerful than Smite, but it's better for sniping characters since it isn't restricted to the closest enemy unit. Plus, it can be used in addition to Smite to spam mortal wounds. Best used in combination with something that inflicts a Leadership penalty to the target or a Leadership bonus to the psyker, if you brought any.
#'''Fury of the Ancients (WC7):''' Range 3D6" (average 10.5, but don't trust it), so less than 18" Smite. Target any visible enemy ''model'' within that range and draw a line from the caster to that model; each enemy ''unit'' under the line, in addition to the target model's unit, takes a mortal wound. Needs good positioning, but it's not restricted to the nearest unit like Smite is, and can affect multiple units with at least 1 MW. The biggest problem is the random range: while you can usually count on it to be at least 10", lower values can happen - you need to be within 3" of your primary target if you want to guarantee they'll be in range.
#* Suffers drastically from attacking units with larger base sizes, as they will eat up more of the power's random range. You should avoid this power if at all possible; the positioning necessary to make it work is easily on par with Smite's, and its output is substantially worse.
#'''Psychic Fortress (WC5):''' Select a {{W40Kkeyword|<CHAPTER>}} ''unit'' 18" away from the user; until the start of your next Psychic Phase, that unit automatically passes morale tests and gains a 4+++ FnP against Mortal Wounds caused by psychic powers. Mostly protection ''against'' Smite, as marines already have high re-rollable morale. Like with Might of Heroes, if your opponent brought psykers, this can be used to manipulate them into attacking the target of your choosing.
#'''Null Zone (WC7):''' Until the start of your next Psychic Phase, enemy units within 6" can't take invulnerable saves, and cut the results of their Psychic tests in half. Powerful against enemies that ''depend'' on their invulns or psychic powers, like Harlequins, Hive Tyrants, Daemons, and Storm Shield MEQs; not so much against heavily armoured units like Terminators. Remember, you need to get the librarian to within 6", not 1" - don't be afraid to Advance into position and let other things do the murder work for you. Combos insanely well with the Burning Blade relic.

===Obscuration===

These powers can only be used by Vanguard Librarians. They don't do much damage, but god damn can they fuck with your enemy. Tenebrous Curse and Mind Raid are easy to cast and excellent for damaging and trapping or even finishing off enemy characters - free choice of targets (unlike Smite), 1MW each, and either halve all movement or generate CP in the process. Considering most regular HQs clock in at 5W, a successful psychic phase with only one Phobos Libby means they're down to 3W and too slow to pull away. And no one tries to rush down the center with a beatstick that's half dead and moving at a snail's pace, making this a good deterrent.

#'''Temporal Corridor (WC6)''': Pick a friendly {{W40kKeyword|CHAPTER}} {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} unit within 3". It can move as if it was the movement phase; it must advance and cannot fall back, but when advancing it rolls 3d6 and picks the highest for the distance it advances. Cannot be used on a given unit more than once per psychic phase. HELLO Reivers!
#*Slightly more situational than Warptime, but no less amazing for it.
#*Consider using it on a newly deep-struck (using the strat) librarian with Null Zone to put his target within the 6” range.
#'''Soul Sight (WC6)''': Pick a friendly {{W40kKeyword|CHAPTER}} {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} unit within 18". Until the start of your next psychic phase, that unit re-rolls all failed hits when using their ranged weapons. Also allows attacks from ranged weapons to ignore cover.
#'''Shrouding (WC6)''': Pick a friendly {{W40kKeyword|CHAPTER}} {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} unit within 18". Until the start of the next psychic phase, enemies can only shoot that unit if they're the closest target as if the unit was a Character, but since they don't gain the character keyword your opponent can't just get around it with snipers; psychic powers can still target them, though.
#'''Hallucination (WC6)''': Select a visible enemy unit within 18". Its Ld is reduced by 1. The opponent must also roll 2d6, and if the result is higher than the unit's highest Ld, all its hit rolls take a -1 penalty.
#'''Tenebrous Curse (WC6)''': Select a visible enemy unit within 18" that does not have the {{W40kKeyword|Fly}} keyword. It takes a mortal wound. Additionally, its Movement stat is halved, as are all of its advance and charge rolls. Scarily effective on Death Guard.
#'''Mind Raid (WC6)''': Select a visible enemy unit within 18". It takes a Mortal Wound. If your army is Battle-Forged and the power targeted a {{WH40Kkeyword|character}}, roll 3d6. If the result is greater than or equal to the target's Ld, you get a free Command Point! Will make Conscript spammers and Renegades and Heretics players scream in fury as the re-rolling dread destroys their mind-raped infantry horde.

==Litanies of Battle==

Now litanies are like the Dark Apostle's prayers, going off on a 3+. Before the game starts, generate the litanies your chaplain knows and start with Litany of Hate + Chapter Litany. Like psychic powers, you cannot spam the same litany even if several chaplains know it, but they are chanted at the beginning of the battle round and remain active until the end of it. This also means a Chaplain won't have an active litany on the turn he deepstrikes, as he can't chant while not on the table. The same rules apply if he rides a transport, so you'll need to come up with other ways to make him fast, like giving him a Jump Pack or putting him on a bike.

* '''Litany of Hate:''' Default prayer, 6" aura of re-rolling all melee hit rolls (not just misses) for your chapter.

#'''Litany of Faith:''' 6" aura of FnP 5+++ vs mortal wounds for friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter>}} units. Not cumulative with other rules, as per usual (but stated regardless).
#*Extra protection vs witchery. Also makes your plasma vehicles more durable when firing plasma, and your company vets more durable when bodyguarding. A 2/3 chance of a 1/3 chance to ignore damage is equal to 2/9, so this is slightly (4/3) ''better'' than a 6+++ FnP, with the caveat that it only works on Mortal Wounds.
#'''Catechism of Fire:''' Select a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter>}} unit within 6". +1 to the wound roll when "resolving a shooting attack" against the ''closest'' enemy unit, meaning it affects Overwatch, too.
#*It's best to increase what you have the least of: Space Marines hit on 3+ but bolters wound on 4+. But compared to a Lieutenant, it only affects a single unit and, most importantly, only against the closest target, on top of the usual litany conditionals. Useful to flamer Vets/Aggressors - generally better the less the gun relies on S or range to get work done.
#*Combine with Masterful Marksmanship (and careful target selection) to let your Sternguard wound MEQ on a 2+. It also lets sniper rifles proc Mortal Wounds on 5+ to wound, but only when targeting the nearest foe.
#'''Exhortation of Rage:''' Select a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter>}} unit within 6". Their ''unmodified'' 6s to hit in melee generate another attack with that weapon, which cannot proc extra attacks itself. Good when you already have a Captain/Chapter Master/second Chaplain giving you a re-roll and their aura would overlap with the Chaplain's.
#*If you're already betting on exploding 6s, use it alongside '''Death to the Traitors''' or even '''Gene-wrought Might'''.
#'''Mantra of Strength:''' He'll show you how it's done. +1A +1S to the Chaplain, and +1D to his melee weapons. ''D3 Crozius!''
#*'''Smash Chaplain:''' Combine it with the 'Benediction of Fury' relic crozius (WS2+ S7 AP-2 D4) to kill characters, or a Master-crafted Power Fist for (S+1)X2 = WS3+ '''S10''' AP-3 ''D2+1d3'' (which is basically a better S10 D4 avg Thunder Hammer, which chaplains can't usually equip) to kill heavy infantry and bigger targets, like vehicles. To this you may add Warlord traits, stratagems, doctrines, and psychic powers as you can afford and be bothered with.
#'''Recitation of Focus:''' Select a friendly chapter unit within 6". +1 to their hit rolls when shooting. Even during overwatch, meaning you should answer enemy charges with supercharges. '''''Safe plasma!'''''
#*While +1 to hit is better than a Captain's re-roll, this alone isn't a replacement for it (since it has a 1/3 chance to fail, affects single unit and doesn't work in melee or when the chaplain doesn't start on the field). Instead, it's better used when a unit cares about +1 to hit beyond improving BS by 1, most notably Plasma units. If you just want a second HQ to support a gun-line bring a Lieutenant instead.
#'''Canticle of Hate:''' Non-cumulative 6" aura of '''+2 to charge rolls''', as well as +3" to pile in and consolidation moves. In all cases, the friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter>}} unit in question has to be within the aura by the time the move is made - the consolidate move especially will often not happen unless the Chaplain also made his charge. ''Amazing for those of us who [[Black_Templars|re-roll]] [[Kayvaan_Shrike|charges]], increasing the odds of a successful 9" charge up to '''85%''' (58.3% for non-rerolling lads).''
#*Do keep in mind the chaplain has to be on the field at the beginning of the battle round. A Jump Pack or Biker Chaplain is fast enough, but if you are patient, you can use an Impulsor or Drop Pod to get him in position in the first turn, and use the litany for your deepstrikers in the second turn.

==Warlord Traits==
Named Characters MUST use their designated Chapter Specific trait, thus increasing the appeal of taking an unnamed character. Traits can be classified into two different types: Individual (''I''), which turn your character into a better beatstick, and Support (''S''), which are usually Auras stacking on top of your warlord's natural one.
===Universal===
#''' Fear Made Manifest (''S''):''' Enemy units within 6" get -1 Leadership. Meh on its own, there are many {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial}} sources of Ld debuffs it can be combined with. Versatile ''separate'' detachments make allied tactics easier, on top of stacking up to like '''-15Ld'''. Obviously ''you don't need that'' much spooky (but of course can be hilarious when used correctly), especially not against things like Orks, but already '''-4Ld renders Plague Marines as cowardly as Conscripts''', and models that flee don't proc FnP-equivalents. Best used by a '''Fearsome Aspect''' chapter so you don't have to commit like 5 units to a single enemy. Of almost no use against the bunch of eldar morale immunities out there...but ironically among imperials only the DA, some successor chapter tactic nobody will use, the Valhallan relic, a single IG psychic power, and [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Imperial Guard(8E)#Universal|that IG trait nobody uses because it's not Master of Command]] can offer the morale protection needed to survive an Ld bomb. ''Night Lords, eat your hearts out''.
#*Here's a list of the {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial}} units that stack with Fear Made Manifest:
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Astartes (-6Ld)}}: Besides the '''Fearsome Aspect''' chapter trait (-1Ld), {{W40Kkeyword|Reivers}} can inflict up to -3Ld and can deepstrike. Being Phobos, they also work alongside a Hallucination {{W40Kkeyword|Phobos Librarian}} (-1Ld), who can infiltrate. You can also deepstrike an Ancient bearing the '''Standard of the Emperor Ascendant'''. ''These sources of debuffs can quickly arrive wherever you need them''.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} '''(-2Ld)''': Chaplain '''Vow of Retribution'''.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|White Scars}} '''(-2Ld)''': '''Spirits of Chogoris''', '''Headtaker's trophies''' relic.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Raven Guard}} '''(-2Ld)''': '''Decapitating Blow''', '''The Abyss'''.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Salamander}} '''(-3Ld)''': '''Helm of Drakos''', '''Draconic Aspect'''.
#*These other Imperial allies also give Ld debuffs but prevent the SM detachment from using Doctrines. Pass unless they are your main detachment and SM are the allies.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Dark Angels (-3Ld)}}: '''Interrogator Chaplains''' have a natural -1Ld aura, they have the '''Eye of the Unseen''' relic for further -1Ld, and Interromancy's '''Mind Wipe''' inflicts -1Ld (and will proc more often with your help), along with other Ld powers. ''That's -3Ld from two characters with Jump Packs''.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Blood Angels (-1Ld)}}: The '''Sanguinor''' has a natural -1Ld aura, as does anyone wearing a Sanguinary Mask.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Inquisition (-1Ld)}}: Psykers '''Terrify''' inflict -1Ld from 18" away, and disable overwatch.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Astra Militarum (-3Ld)}}: Psykana's '''Terrifying Visions''' inflict -2Ld from a safe 18" away. {{W40Kkeyword|Armageddon Officers}} can also bring the '''Skull Mask of Acheron''' to spook nearby enemies. Bringing them in a Supreme Command/Battalion is not only cheap, but gives you CP. Bringing them in a Spearhead detachment grants you access to Russes with '''Objective Secured''' and Basilisks. ''Versatile, powerful and easy to use at range. Complements your close-and-personal units''.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Mechanicus (-2Ld)}}: '''Sicaran Infiltrators''' are the Mechanicum's ''faster'' Reivers, and {{W40Kkeyword|Metallica}} has a -1Ld Stratagem.
#**{{W40Kkeyword|Questoris Knights (-2Ld)}}: The '''Fearsome Reputation''' trait inflicts -1Ld in a huge 12" aura around the Knight warlord's huge base (which can be an extra warlord using a stragatem), and a total of -2Ld to enemies within 6" of it. And bringing a Knight as an ally isn't something unheard of.
#''' The Imperium's Sword (''I''):''' What Smash Captains are made of. Warlord rerolls failed charges (either one or both dice), and gets +1S and +1A the turn he charges (in addition to Shock Assault), to break things immediately out of deepstrike. Chapters that can charge after falling back can trigger the boost over and over.
#''' Iron Resolve (''I''):''' What [[Smashfucker]]s are made of. Warlord gets +1W, and can ignore wounds on a 6. Not dying is nice, and it's better the more wounds your character has.
#''' Champion of Humanity (''I''):''' +1A when enemy {{W40Kkeyword|Characters}} are within 1" of him. When actually targetting the character in melee, add 1 to all hit and wound rolls. Turns a character using relic blades or unwieldy weapons into a top of the line duelist.
#''' Storm of Fire (''S''):''' Each time ''ANY'' {{W40Kkeyword|<Chapter>}} unit within 6" rolls an ''unmodified 6 to hit'' for a shooting attack, the AP of that attack is improved by 1. At BS3+, that's 25% of your hits. Remember it affects ANY unit, not just infantry. It gives the biggest benefits to ''low AP weapons that roll to hit'' - that's all sorts of Bolters. Can be combined with {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial & Crimson Fists}}' exploding bolters, but any ranged chapter can make use of it. Doctrines cannot stack AP bonuses, so try boosting small arms during the Devastator doctrine and vice-versa.
#*Since light weapons with high rates of fire (like Heavy Bolters) are often cheaper than strong single-shot ones (like Missile Launchers), this trait can allow a detachment to pull its weight even at low point limits. Furthermore, it's easy for them to synergize with your warlord because many are infantry or transports that can accompany him. While mechanized/biker lists are shooty, Bolter Discipline means bolt-using units from this list are no longed forced to move into rapid fire range.
#*Despite Aggressors, Inceptors, shooty Dreadnoughts (Redemptor/Venerable/Deredeo), Scout Bikers, Company Veterans on Bikes (Index 1), Crusader Squads, Centurions, Sternguard Veterans, Repulsors, and Land Raiders (''Crusaders''/Redeemers/Prometheus[FW]) having a higher than average ranged output when compared to the rest of SM options, even regular Bolt Rifle Intercessors cut GEQ saves in half (from 6+ to nothing) with this trait, when it goes off.
#''' Rites of War (''S''):''' The warlord gains '''Defenders of Humanity''', and {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER>}} units within 6" automatically pass morale tests. ''The counterpart of Fear Made Manifest''.

===Vanguard Space Marines===
Available only to {{W40kKeyword|Phobos characters}}, aka the tacticool Captain, Lieutenant, and Librarian found in the Shadowspear box. Chaplains can suck it because yelling catechisms isn't stealthy, and techmarines haven't yet learned whatever trick the helix adepts are using to fix broken things quietly, so they can suck it, too.

#'''Shoot and Fade:''' At the start of the shooting phase select one friendly {{W40kKeyword|<chapter> phobos}} unit within 6" of the warlord. That unit can move after shooting. If they do, they also have to advance, and they cannot declare a charge afterwards (RIP WS).
#*''Imperial stealthy Jump-Shoot-Jump baby!'' Break LoS and avoid retaliation. That way your Infiltrator/Incursor squads can keep up with your Eliminators, the first dashing in and out of LoS while the later shoot without visual contact with complete impunity.
#'''Lord of Deceit:''' At the start of the first round but before the first turn begins, you can remove and redeploy up to 3 {{W40kKeyword|<Chapter>}} {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} units present on the battlefield.
#*Results depend on the mental games you can play on your enemy - it's not going to be a surprise to your opponent, but being able to make corrections after your enemy's cemented his choice instead of being part of the simultaneous deployment process can be an amazing benefit, and one that Eldar pay 2CP for.
#*Can be used to enable surprising turn one charges if going first - just deploy Infiltrators right in front of the target, and pull back with this ability if not having the first turn. As specified in FAQ, it only allows you to redeploy to your deployment zone. This can also expose hidden units to first turn Devastator Doctrine'd Lasfusil Eliminators.
#'''Master of the Vanguard:''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<chapter> phobos}} units within 6" of the warlord gain +1" to their move ''and'' advance ''and'' '''charge''' rolls. Useful to Reivers or Charging out of Deepstrike, pairs well with the Chapter Tactic Hungry for Battle as well as several characters.
#'''Stealth Adept:''' -1 to hit rolls that target the warlord. Not just at range, so he can prove he's the better sniper around, but it also works in melee. Makes the new Captain very durable, but his damage can be insufficient unless using relic gear, meaning this trait only makes him hard to hit instead of turning him into a beatstick.
#'''Target Priority''': Select a friendly {{W40kKeyword|<chapter> phobos}} unit within 3" at the start of your shooting phase. Until the end of the phase, that unit gets +1 to hit. And he doesn't have to give up his shooting either. Now all those pointy finger models have found their worth!
#*A Phobos Captain can form a comfy sniper base with Eliminators, letting them hit on a re-rollable 2+ without the sergeant giving up his shooting and protecting them with his 12" deepstrike-denying omni-scrambler. Doesn't affect Infiltrators because the automatic wounds only happen on an ''unmodified'' 6s.
#'''Marksman Honours:''' +1D to ''all'' of the warlord's guns. Doesn't apply to grenades or relics. Completely wasted on a Librarian or Lieutenant, but bumps the Phobos Captain's Instigator Bolt Carbine to an eye-watering 4 damage.

===Faith and Fury===
The following Warlord Traits are unlocked by using a 1 CP stratagem to upgrade a character to a Master/Chief variant of the base model, found in the Faith and Fury supplement. Since only three of these characters are actual HQs, they can be good candidates to use '''Hero of the Chapter''' on. That means these traits can cost 2CP; better bring a Battalion.

====HQs====
'''Master of Sanctity'''
*'''Bellowing Firebrand:''' +3" to Spiritual Leader and Litanies.
**Helps with positioning. Can be combined with a fellow aura HQ with the Vox Espiritum for two 9" auras.
*'''Wise Orator:''' Re-roll failed Litanies rolls. ''What'd be the point of having multiple litanies if you couldn't rely on them, huh?''

'''Master of the Forge'''
*'''Master of the Machine:''' When resolving an attack made by a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<Chapter> VEHICLE}} model within 6″, add one to the hit roll.
**<u><b>Aura of Safe Plasma</b></u> for vehicles, and great utility for vehicles that ''need'' to move, such as dreads.
*'''Warden of the Ancients:''' +1S and +1A to friendly {{W40Kkeyword|<Chapter> Dreadnought}} models within 6″ of this warlord.
**Contemptors and Redemptors become able to wound T8 on a 2+, and are the fastest Dreads. They decay, but that's what the Techmarine is for. What would you do otherwise, dread drop pod? Storm raven? ''Techmarine Biker?'' Yeah right.

'''Chief Librarian'''
*'''High Scholar of the Librarius:''' This warlord can know psychic powers from any discipline they have access to, rather than only one. Allows for interesting combos of psychic powers you wouldn't normally be able to use.
*'''Psychic Mastery:''' This warlord gains +1 on their first psychic test of a phase. Useful to increase the chances of double Smite if the Chief Librarian casts for second.

====Elites====

'''Chief Apothecary'''
*'''Father of the Future:''' 6+++ FnP to {{W40kKeyword|<chapter> Infantry}} and {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> Biker}}s. 5++ for the Iron Hands. ''Best on Primaris who can survive 2D a third of the time, by passing the FnP on either of their 2W''. Even better on Centurions and their beefy 4W apiece.
*'''Selfless Healer:''' The Chief Apothecary can use his ability twice, and the unit that he targets may be the beneficiary of his work twice. He may do this even if he failed his roll the first time and is recovering the geneseed. ''Twice the healing, twice the value''.

'''Chapter Ancient'''
*'''Singular Presence:''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER> INFANTRY}}, {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER> BIKER}}, and {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER> DREADNOUGHT}} units within 3″ can perform a Heroic Intervention as though they were {{W40kKeyword|character}}s.
*'''Steadfast Example:''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER> INFANTRY}} units within 3″ have the Defenders of Humanity rule, and count as two models if they already have it.

'''Company Champion: Chapter Champion'''
*'''Martial Exemplar:''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER>}} units within 6″ of this warlord can re-roll charges.
**Suppose you can get {{W40kKeyword|Black Templar}}'s re-rollable charges without giving up your chapter tactic. Can be very powerful, even if the footslogging Champion needs a Drop Pod to get where you need him to.
**Take this on a White scars champion on bike (Legends) or in a transport and there won't be an opponant who has a better charge phase than you.
*'''Master Duelist:''' When resolving an attack with a melee weapon by a model against this warlord, on a modified hit roll of 1, roll 1d6 and on a 4+ that model’s unit suffers 1 mortal wound after that unit has finished fighting.

==Space Marine Armoury==
===Ranged Weaponry===

*'''Boltgun:''' You know what a bolter is, but if you somehow forgot it's 24" Rapid Fire 1 S4 AP0 D1.
**'''Bolt Carbine:''' An Assault 2 Bolter, exclusive to the Reiver Squad.
**'''Bolt Rifle:''' A Boltgun with 30" range and AP-1, making it more effective; exclusive to Intercessors.
***'''Auto Bolt Rifle:''' The automatic version, an Assault 3 Bolter. Better than the Bolter and Bolt Rifle when not factoring in Stratagems or shooting at armour. Combine with the Tactical Doctrine to delete hordes.
***'''Stalker Bolt Rifle:''' Not a sniper rifle, lest it invalidates Scouts too. 36" Heavy 1 AP-2 D2 Bolt Rifle, to give faraway targets more than just a poke. Turns Intercessors into something akin to Troop Sternguard. Combine with the new Devastator Doctrine to hit at AP-3 and pretend you're shooting Plasma.
**'''Combi-Weapon:''' can be fired alongside the Bolter part, at -1BS. Note that Combi-Flamers don't care for no BS. Available to sergeants and terminators.
**'''Special Issue Boltgun:''' The big brother to both Boltgun and the new Bolt Rifle, wielded by the Sternguard Veterans. At 30" S4 AP''-2'' this gun pretty much shoots Dragonfire Vengeance rounds at Kraken range.
**'''Storm Bolter/Combi-Bolter:''' Cheap as chips Rapid Fire 2 Boltgun, typically seen on Terminators, also available to Sarges and upgrades on most of your vehicles. It's especially nasty at Rapid Fire range.
*'''Astartes shotgun:''' an option on Scout models, a 12" Assult 2 bolter that becomes S5 while within 6".
*'''Assault Bolter:''' 18", Assault 3 S5 AP-1. Would be a really good gun on assault units. Unfortunately exclusive to Inceptors. That said, you can still perform effective hit and run attacks with it, aided by the Inceptors' ability to shoot after falling back.
*'''Bolt Pistol:''' A bolter in pistol form, meaning you can fire it in melee. Just don't forget it's there.
**'''Heavy Bolt Pistol:''' More like ''Better'' Bolt Pistol with AP-1, exclusive to Reivers.
**'''Absolvor Bolt Pistol''' A handheld Heavy Bolter Pistol with the same stats, just with one 16" shot and carried by Primaris Chaplains and Apothecaries.
**'''Boltstorm Gauntlet:''' A Bolt Pistol with Pistol 3, attached to a Power Fist, attached to the Gravis Captain.
***'''Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets:''' Paired Boltstorm Gauntlets, but they're Assault 6, meaning they can't be fired in melee but you can run-n'-shoot and be used alongside other guns. Exclusive to Aggressors, who wield them well.
*'''Grenades:''' Standard issue for any marine; you can only throw one per unit.
**'''Krak:''' Single throw at 6" with S6 AP-1 D1d3, to have something to deal with harder targets.
**'''Frag:''' Single throw with 1d6 hits at 6" with S3 AP 0. A go-to for thinning Guardsmen ranks - it's worse than a storm bolter but better than a bolter, against everything T7 or less.
**'''Melta:''' Single hurl at 4" with S8 AP-4 D1d6 with re-roll wounds against {{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s. Found on Vanguard Vets for 5 points and finds use should your marine's fist fail to punch through an armoured hull.
**'''Auxiliary grenade launcher:''' Exclusive to Intercessors, lets them lob grenades at a range of 30". Lets your Grenades properly benefit from the Devastator Doctrine.
**'''Astartes Grenade Launcher:''' Can replace the storm bolters on Scout bikes. Has Frag and Krak Grenade profiles at 24" Assault 1d6/1.

====Special Weapons====
*'''Flamer:''' An Assault D6 S4 AP- weapon with 8" range which automatically passes rolls to hit. A classic anti-horde option, at least it's cheap. 8" range means it can't be used immediately out of a drop pod. Can't overwatch against charges starting more than 8" away, but those aren't reliable anyway, so a flamer is still good in those cases. Don't bother trying to hit airborne units, as they're too tough and armoured.
**'''Hand Flamer:''' The Pistol D6 version, but only 6" and S3. Not good for Advancing, but for melee to clear out some GEQ. Kind of shit really, as most of the time you could take a bolter or bolt pistol for free or even a storm bolter in some cases, all of which have better range and wound better.
*'''Grav-gun:''' 18" Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-3 D1, upgrading to D1d3 if the target has a 3+ save or better.
**'''Grav Pistol:''' Deals more damage against targets with an armour save of 3+ or higher, but with only S5 it's less likely to wound than a plasma pistol. ''Good against heavily armoured characters without the Plasma Pistol's risk''. Costs more than a Plasma Pistol and does less work than one.
*'''Meltagun:''' 12" Assault 1 S8 AP-4 D1d6, becoming best of two 1d6 Damage at half range. Good against anything with lots of wounds, be they Vehicles, Monsters or even Heavy Infantry. At 12" range Supercharged plasma is better (but riskier) however, and this gun is more expensive, so you really should try and get into half range. While you can advance to close the gap, it is convenient that the unit's other weapons are assault weapons as well.
*'''Plasma weapons:''' They have a Safe and Supercharged profile. Stick close to a Captain, because Safe plasma isn't really cost-effective. Good against everything. Gets Hot applies to the final ''modified'' score, meaning +1BS (''Devastator Sergeant's Signum, Rhino Primaris' Servo-skull Hub'') make you [[Awesome|immune to it]]. Conversely, [[Fail|plasma guns are more likely to overheat at night]].
**'''Plasma gun:''' You know what a Plasma gun is too, but for reference, it's 24", Rapid Fire 1, S7/8 AP-3 1/2 D. Good as a Tactical/Crusader squad's Special Weapon. As much of an all-rounder as the marine wielding it.
**'''Plasma Incinerator:''' A Primaris Plasma Gun, because Cawl wanted to make marine guns' as insecure as their wielders. Better 30" range lets it not only rapid-fire from further away but outrange enemies. Better AP-4 makes them a menace even for tanks.
***'''Assault Plasma Incinerator:''' Lighter 24" Assault 2 Str 6/7 version of the Standard Plasma Incinerator. ''Easier to make it cost-effective'', as it shoots double than the Standard version from 16"-24", still wounding most infantry on a 3+ but lost the ability to wound t4 on 2+.
***'''Heavy Plasma Incinerator:''' The other end of the spectrum. 36" Heavy 1 Str <b>8/''9''</b> lets you wound infantry on a 2+ without having to supercharge, and makes it effective against tanks, enjoying the great range. Which you should keep because it's not Rapid Fire like the other variants. More cost-effective against vehicles than against infantry, but it does the job nicely. Overcharging basically makes it a pocket Lascannon that doesn't have excess damage against infantry, at the cost of not ripping apart tanks. Really good for heavily armoured enemies with one wound.
**'''Plasma Pistol:''' Fairly effective against MEQs when fired normally, a TEQ-killer when supercharged, but ''Gets Hot!'' now risks outright killing the user. A high risk-high reward pistol, your Captain's rerolls reduce Gets Hot to a 1/36 chance. Good against everything, really, as plasma can even wound tanks.
**'''Plasma Exterminator:''' Inceptor plasma weapon. Each Inceptor gets (2) Plasma Exterminators. Each Plasma Exterminator is AssaultD3 S7/8 AP-3 D1/2. That translates to 2D3 plasma shots per each Inceptor. Re-roll protection is absolutely essential, otherwise, anything wielding such a weapon will fry itself rather quickly should they turn up the heat.

====Heavy Weapons====
*'''Assault Cannon:''' 24" Heavy 6 S6 AP-1. Brrrt.
**Particularly great at killing off gaunts as it wounds them on 2+ and they receive no armour save.
**Probably best when mounted on iron hands storm talons and storm hawks or a Razorback of any chapter.
**The only real weakness of this weapon is it's range so a mobile platform is advisable.
*'''Grav-cannon with Grav-amp:''' 24" Heavy 4 Grav-gun. Akin to a ''heavier'' Heavy Bolter to deal with bigger targets.
**Drop 1 cp on some devastators with these to reroll all wounds and damage on their shots, quite capable of shaving off half a knights wounds with no support or killing off a unit of custodian guard in one turn.
**A unit with Grav-cannons will become a serious target for your opponent so consider sticking them in a Rhino, Razorback or a Stormraven so they can't be basalisk'ed off the table turn 1.
*'''Heavy Bolter:''' 36" Heavy 3 S5 AP-1. Good against hordes at long range due to its high number of attacks, and still useful against lighter vehicles Especially when Devastation Doctrine is active. It's most efficient against hordes with bad/no save, or things that rely primarily on a weak invulnerable save, like daemons.
*'''Heavy Flamer:''' A Flamer with S+1 and AP-1. More effective against armoured targets than its smaller brother, but cannot be fired after advancing.
*'''Lascannon:''' Heavy 1 S9 AP-3 D6 D with a range of 48". Your primary long-range anti-vehicle weapon. Don't even try to shoot infantry with this. You'll kill 1 model per shot at most now that overkill damage is exclusive to mortal wounds.
**'''Las-Talon:''' Twin Lascannon but 24". Found on GravTanks and the Stormhawk interceptor.
**'''Las fusil:''' Eliminators anti-tank option. 36" S8 but a Flat 3 Damage.
*'''Missile Launcher:''' Can fire either Frag Missiles that act like D6 Bolter shots, or a Krak Missile with S8 AP-2 D6 D. Not quite as good as a Heavy Bolter or a Lascannon in regards to dealing with infantry and vehicles (respectively), but still pretty good at both of those roles. Devastator squads with 2 Lascannons and 2 Missile Launchers are a pretty darn good Swiss-Army unit. Good to have at least one Missile Launcher around, due to the Flakk Missile Strategem. Missile Launchers like the new Combat Doctrine rules, allowing them to perform exactly same against T7 as a lascannon would, while still having an S4 AP-1 anti-infantry weapon - something to consider if you know your enemy doesn't bring T8.
**'''Hunter-Killer Missile:''' A single shot krak missile for 6 points if your army can't squeeze in enough normal anti-tank weaponry.
**'''Typhoon Missile Launcher:''' Double shot missile launcher found on land speeders, includes frag and krak missiles.
**'''Skyhammer Missile Launcher:''' Anti air krak missiles
**'''Stormstrike Missile Launcher:'''
*'''Multi-melta:''' A 24" Heavy Meltagun, meaning you can't run with it, but <u>can shoot in melta range out of a deepstrike</u>, now fulfilling the role of Drop Pod Threat-removal.
*'''Plasma cannon:''' Heavy D3 effectively means the same shots as a Plasma gun, but from 36" away instead of 12". You both need to be careful and to shoot Supercharges, due to the sheer cost of this weapon. Can be a makeshift "heavy weapons team" with the Devastator Sergeant, as his Signum prevents Gets Hot. Being a Heavy weapon it's best to not supercharge in the move, due to -1BS.
*'''Sniper Rifle:''' A Scout exclusive, it's a 36" Heavy 1 weapon so it's included here. It's only good for fishing mortal wounds, but it can target characters even if they hide behind a unit. A complete lack of AP means they won't be killing a heavy character like a Captain without committing a serious amount of points to it but can kill his supporting Apothecary.
**'''Bolt Sniper Rifle''' The real deal sniper rifle all Space Marines should be wielding. Has 3 firing modes at 36" which can target characters. Mortis at Heavy 1, S5 AP-2 and d3 damage. Hyperfrag is d3 S5 shots. Executioner rounds are a single shot at S5 AP-1 and ignore line of sight, as well as adding 2 to hit rolls
*'''Icarus Stormcannon:''' Autocannon equivalent with accuracy bonus against air units
*'''Predator Autocannon''' 72" range with 2D3 shots at S7, AP-1 and flat 3 damage makes this a powerful weapon against TEQ and light/medium armour. AP-1 makes this weapon less useful against AP2 and heavy vehicles, which are better handled by lascannons. This weapon really enjoys the new Devastator doctrine.
*'''Heavy Laser Destroyer''' New Primaris weapon found on the Repulsor Executioner. 72" range, Heavy 2, S10, AP-4 and D1d6 (rolls of 1 and 2 always count as 3) makes this a dedicated tank killer, though it is an expensive weapon. The weapon can be fired twice at the same target, resulting in 4 shots, when a Repulsor moves less than 5" almost guaranteeing you will at least cripple your target. Don't be afraid to fire this at multi-wound infantry as it guarantees a kill even on 3 wound mega nobs with each unsaved shot!
*'''Macro Plasma Incinerator''' The plasma cannon version of the newer Primaris incinerator weapons. Only a 36" range but fires heavy d6 shots at S8/9 AP -4, and D1/2. Performs well against TEQ and can threaten vehicles and monsters. More of an all-rounder weapon, but it is usually well priced.
*'''Thunderfire Cannon''' Heavy 4D3 shots all at S5 AP -1 and fired at 60". It's like a higher output Heavy Bolter and can deny line of sight requirements.
*'''Whirlwind Missile Launcher''' Two firing modes which require the operator to purchase one or another prior to game start. Both ignore line of sight requirements and have a 72" range. Castellan missiles are heavy 2d6 at S6, Vengeance missiles are a heavy 2d3 Autocannon equivalent.
*'''Flamestorm Cannon''' Found on Land Raider Redeemers and functions like a 12" S6 Ap-2 D2 heavy flamer for torching bigger units.
*'''Accelerator Autocannon''' Found on the new Primaris Suppressors. It's an AP-2 Autocannon which denies units with slain models the ability to fire overwatch.
**'''Twin Accelerator Autocannon''' Its an assault weapon mounted on a Sicaran Battle Tank! Assault 8 Autocannon shots which ignore flyer restrictions and wounds of 6+ are resolved at AP-3.
*'''Ironhail Heavy Stubber:''' A weird GW trend of putting Stubbers on the hover tanks. Their Heavy weapon equivalent of 36" Bolt Rifles.
**'''Icarus Ironhail Heavy Stubber:''' The anti-air version, with the standard +1/-1 to hit. With only S4 even the flimsiest of Eldar flyers will laugh it off but you should be aiming at Jump Packs.
**'''Ironhail Skytalon Array:''' Don't let the bitchin' name fool you, this is just two Icarus Stubbers slapped together and <s>is just as pointless unless you're shooting at [[Gargoyles]]</s>. Well, not so fast. This gun has a unique rule that adds 1 to your wound roll against {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}} unit in addition of +1 to hit which mean it will wound most {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}} unit on 4+. This is not here to shoot down gunships or bombers, this is here to kill jump infantry.
*'''Fragstorm grenade Launcher:''' Found on your Primaris Tanks. Its d6 bolter Equivalent gun uses to gun down chaff and those foolish enough to charge it.
*'''Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon''' Found on multiple Primaris armoured platforms and puts the hurt on infantry. Heavy 12 Heavy Bolter shots at 30".
**'''Onslaught Gatling Cannon''' An assault cannon but at S5. Can always be found with the heavier version and pairs very well for 18 total shots.

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Chainsword/Combat Knife:''' Still the basic Close Combat Weapon profile, but it's free and allows for one extra attack, so it's good against enemy hordes. All your sergeants can take it alongside the main gun, so it might be worth it to swap that bolt pistol he's not using anyway. Combat Doctrines make these invaluable for turn 3 deep strikers with AP-1 (although for them, the Bolt Pistol also gets AP-1)!
*'''Paired Combat Blades:''' Found on Incursors and some Lieutenants. No extra attacks, but unmodified hits of 6 score an extra automatic hit.
*'''Eviscerator:''' A two-handed Chainfist with variable damage on a model with at most 2 attacks. It competes with a power fist with Assault Marines. It is a fucking awesome double-handed chainsword, though.
*'''Lightning Claws:''' SU AP-2, allows you re-roll to wound, and grants an extra attack if you have two of them. This will outperform a Power Axe against anything with T less than twice your S, particularly now that it's barely more expensive. Often your best bet for mulching single-wound hordes.
*'''Relic Blade:''' Available to Honour Guard, Vanguard Veteran Sergeants, and Captains. S+2 AP-3 D1d3, so it's like a Force Sword or Stave but better (and strictly better than a Force Axe both in absolute terms and because it costs ''less''). ''Better than a Power Fist'' against most infantry-sized targets. Costing as much as a Power Fist, consider whether the better accuracy is worth the +2 Strength gap between the Fist and the Blade. One of the advantages over the Power Fist is that effects happening on 6+ to hit can actually trigger with the Blade since it has no hit penalties.
*'''Power Weapons:''' Each type of Power Weapon has its own profile now, so pick the right one for the situation. All Power Weapons have a damage value of 1:
**'''Power Axe:''' S+1 AP-2. A good enough compromise between the Sword's armour negation and the Maul's brute force; typically your best choice, despite costing more than the other two, because you have to pick one to take before knowing what you're going to need killed, and this has the best overall performance in the T3-T8 Sv2+-Sv6+ range you care about.
**'''Power Maul/Power Lance:''' S+2, AP-1. This is the one you want to use against lightly armoured units that rely on toughness to shrug off hits. The Lance is identical to the Maul because of reasons.
**'''Power Sword:''' S User AP-3. Best against targets that rely on armour saves over toughness to shrug off hits. Except against frail things with good invulns like Crusaders, who ignore AP anyway.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
*'''Mathhammer:''' Note that we do not take into account the chances to hit since they do not vary for the 3 weapons we are looking at. Results are expressed in percentages. We also assume that the weapon is wielded by a basic Space Marine, so with Strength 4.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<center><div>
{|class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"
! colspan="2" |Target
!Power Sword
!Power Axe
!Power Maul
!Winner
|-
| rowspan="2" |TEQs
|Terminator (T4; 2+/5++)
|33.33
|33.33
|22.22
|Power Axe and Sword
|-
|Terminator w/ Storm Shield (T4; 2+/3++)
|16.67
|22.22
|22.22
|Power Axe and Maul
|-
| rowspan="2" |MEQs
|Space Marine (T4; 3+)
|41.67
|44.44
|33.33
|Power Axe
|-
|Captain or Chaplain (T4; 3+/4++)
|25
|33.33
|33.33
|Power Axe and Maul
|-
| rowspan="4" |GEQs
|Hormagaunt (T3; 6+ or no save)
|66.67
|66.67
|83.33
|Power Maul
|-
|Guardsman, Guardian (T3; 5+)
|66.67
|66.67
|69.44
|Power Maul
|-
|Aspect Warrior (T3; 4+)
|66.67
|55.56
|55.56
|Power Sword
|-
|Sister of Battle (T3; 3+)
|55.56
|44.44
|41.67
|Power Sword
|-
| rowspan="4" |Other
|Tyranid Monster (T6; 3+)
|27.78
|22.22
|25
|Power Sword
|-
|Light Tank or Monster (T7; 3+)
|27.78
|22.22
|16.67
|Power Sword
|-
|Medium Tank or Monster (T8; 3+)
|13.89
|22.22
|16.67
|Power Axe
|-
|Heavy Tank or Monster (T8; 2+)
|11.11
|16.67
|11.11
|Power Axe
|-
|}</div></center>
As you can see, it is extremely hard to draw a clear winner between the Power Axe and the Power Sword. It is, however, easy to see that Power Mauls/Lances are crap, only superior when fighting units that will already die in droves to bolter shots or won't die easily to anything due to good invulns. What's easy to remember is that the Axe is stronger against Marines (that you'll face a lot), the Maul is best against Storm Shield Terminators or anyone else with a good invuln, and the Axe is best against most of the tanks. Power Swords have the edge on most things relying only on their armour saves, while Axes scale better against tough things. What you choose between the two is a matter of preference, meta, and gaming group. The special case for Mauls is Toughness 5, where the Maul is best down to Sv3+ and the sword and maul break even on Sv2+, due to how powerful it is to move from 2/6 wound chance to 3/6, but T5 are relatively rare to begin with.
</div>
</div>
*'''Force Weapons:''' Librarian power weapons with D1d3 instead of just 1, but they cost around the same as a Power Fist. They lack Sx2 but have no penalty to hit. Useful if you're going to hit characters or multiwound models like Primaris. All of them are overcosted compared to a Relic Blade, with the Force Axe as the worst offender of the lot.
*'''Chainfist:''' Sx2 AP-4 D2. Marginally better than a Power Fist against Vehicles and other highly-armoured invuln-lacking models. Costs only 2 points more than a Power Fist, so paying extra for better AP and more reliable damage could be worth it.
**Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
*'''Power Fist:''' Sx2 AP-3 D1d3. -1 penalty to hit rolls, which can be annoying. Good against everything, quite cost-effective.
**Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
*'''Thunder Hammer:''' The weapon against which all others compare, and boy are you paying for it: NOW 40 POINTS FOR CHARACTERS (16 points for units). A Power Fist that always deals 3 damage. The extra reliability could mean the difference between one-shotting a Custodian Guard/Aggressor or getting a Guardian Spear/Power Fist in the face. When you have a Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield-Captain with Jump Pack every enemy model begins to look like a nail, but at over 4x the cost of a Power Fist, its not worth ditching up to three extra special or heavy weapons just to squeeze out a few extra points of damage. Still quite viable on everything that isn't a CHARACTER, at least.
**Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
*'''Dreadnought Combat weapon:''' Allows your dreads to beat up things, allowing them to swing at SX2 (S12) AP-3 and flat D3 with no accuracy reduction. Redemptor version hits at D1d6. Dread chainfists found on contemptors and ironclads are AP-4 and D4.
*'''Seismic hammer:''' Like a dread fist but with AP-4 and D5!!!! Imposes a -1 to hit... But one single smack with this is all you need to kill most HQs and cripple tanks. With shock assault ironclads hit 5 times with this weapon for a potential 25 damage!
**Absolutely garbage, because anything that can take this can take a chainfist instead, and the damage boost is either exactly offset by the accuracy penalty, or the accuracy penalty is worse, depending on circumstances. Always take the dreadnought chainfist over this.

===Relics===
If your warlord is a Space Marine Character, you can give 1 Character 1 relic, absolutely free. Weapon relics can only be taken by a unit that can take the weapon it's based on, and you have to pay for the base weapon. The Relics of the Chapter Stratagem could previously be used up to twice before the game started to take up to 2 more Relics. It's now spammable with SM codex 2019, though relics can't be duplicates and each one has to go to a separate character.

Named characters and '''{{W40kKeyword|vehicles}} cannot be given a relic'''. But only [[That Guy]] would try to force a Chaplain dread into the armour indomitus or something like that.

*'''Bellicos Bolt Rifle:''' Replaces a master-crafted auto-bolt rifle. 24" Assault 4 S5 AP-1 D2, to support your gunline. Basically The Primarch's Wrath but for Primaris, that doesn't need Bolter Discipline for 4 shots.
*'''Benediction of Fury:''' Replaces a Crozius arcanum. S+2 AP-2 D3, unmodified wound rolls of 6 do a mortal wound in addition to other damage. With Mantra of Strength and the right warlord trait, your Chaplain will become as deadly as a he is in the fluff. [[Asmodai|''REPENT, HERETIC! *Plonk*'']].
*'''Ghostweave Cloak:''' {{W40kKeyword|phobos}} model with a camo-cloak, -1 to the wound roll against this model. Give it to a Stealth Adept Captain to make him as difficult to kill as [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly8hMwNkR0E Remo Williams].
*'''Lament:''' Upgrades a master-crafted stalker bolt rifle's statline to S5 AP-2 D3, and successful wounds inflict a mortal wound on top of that. Single shot, but puts the big hurt on whatever it reaches.
*'''Purgatorus:''' Upgrades a bolt/heavy bolt pistol to Pistol 2 S5 AP-3 D2. It's a great alternative to a Plasma Pistol as it's cheaper and does more damage (2 shots) with no chance of killing the user.
*'''Reliquary of Gathalamor:''' Enemy Psykers must subtract 1 from Psychic tests made within 18" of the bearer. In addition, if the psychic power is not successfully manifested, roll a D6. On a 4+ the Psyker that attempted to manifest that psychic power suffers D3 mortal wounds. ''Niche, but useful to protect your units if your meta is psyker-heavy, especially if you didn't bring psykers of your own (like Black Templar)''.
*'''Standard of the Emperor Ascendant''': Ancients only. A bit different with the 8.5 codex, they've done away the 3+ for extra attacks. Now it boosts the range of the standard banner ability to 9", friendly units within 9" auto-pass morale tests, and enemies in the same range get -1 leadership. This certainly changes it's uses quite drastically from the auto take it was before to something more niche. Example uses include keeping Crusader squads from suffering under morale tests, or assisting in leadership bombs.
*'''Teeth of Terra''': Replaces a chainsword with a better one with S+1 AP-2 D2, and 3 bonus attacks instead of just 1. Good against hordes, better against multi-wound infantry like Primaris models and most characters. (Fun fact: this weapon is exactly the same as the Alpha Legion unique Relic "Blade of the Hydra." Coincidence? I think not!)
*'''The Armour Indomitus''': Infantry or Biker model only, they gain a 2+ armour save. Once per game, ''before taking a save'' you can also activate a 3+ invulnerable save until the end of the turn, useful as a panic button if your character runs into danger. Of use to anyone wearing power armour, it's worth noting this is one of the few ways to give a Primaris character a natural 2+ armour save, due to their inability to take Terminator armour.
*'''The Burning Blade''': Replaces a power or master-crafted power sword. S+3 AP-5 D2. Where the Teeth of Terra hits often, the Burning Blade hits HARD and nullifies all armour saves. Dangerous to monster and even vehicles sized targets, it's begging to be combined with a source of +1Str/to wound so it gets to harm MEQs on a 2+.
*'''The Honour Vehement:''' Friendly <chapter> units with the Shock assault ability always get the +1A instead of having to meet the criteria. So, useful for ongoing combats.
*'''The Primarch's Wrath''': Replaces a boltgun or master-crafted boltgun with an up-gunned storm bolter, making it 24" Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-1 D2. Can be useful for those officers buffing your ranged units. Note that this relic gains the benefit from Bolter Discipline.
*'''The Shield Eternal''': Replaces a storm shield or combat shield, so available only to Captains, Company Champions, and the Terminator Librarian. Gives a 3+ invulnerable, and a 5+ Feel no Pain against Mortal Wounds. Some of the best protection you can give a Character you really want to keep alive.
*'''The Vox Espiritum:''' {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}} only. +3" to their aura abilities (2019 FAQ limited it to a max of 9"). Excludes psychic powers and litanies. ''Enjoy your Black Templars hat for now, Primaris...''
*'''Tome of Malcador''': Librarian only. He knows 1 additional power from any discipline he's has access to, which isn't the same as casting 1 additional power. Depending on what discipline you're using, hard pass. It can however be used to take powers from multiple disciplines.

====Faith and Fury====

*'''Sacrosanct Rosarius:''' {{W40kKeyword|Master of Sanctity}} only. 3++ invuln save, patching his inability to get a Storm Shield.
*'''The Emperor's Judgment:''' {{W40kKeyword|Master of Sanctity}} only. Prevents opponents from re-rolling hit, wound, and damage rolls against him, and enemies must roll 2d6 drop lowest when taking morale checks within 6".

*'''Mortis Machina:''' {{W40kKeyword|Master of the Forge}} only. Relic Power Axe that is S+3 AP-3 D1d3, and does an additional 1 mortal wound to {{W40kKeyword|VEHICLE}}S on every failed save.
*'''The Endurant Protector:''' {{W40kKeyword|Master of the Forge}} only. +1T, and gains a 4++ invulnerable save.

*'''Neural Shroud:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chief Librarian}} only. Adds 12" to the range of the Librarian's psychic hood, to get a veritable umbrella of denying.
*'''Vinculum Vitae:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chief Librarian}} only. Force Sword with +1 strength, and an unmodified wound roll of 6 inflicts d3 mortal wounds as damage instead of the normal d3 damage.

*'''Pennant of the Fallen:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chapter Ancient}} only. Models that attack with a melee weapon as a result of the Astartes Banner ability may make two attacks instead of one.
*'''Standard of Righteous Hatred:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chapter Ancient}} only. When resolving a shooting or melee attack made as a result of the Astartes Banner ability, a model's ballistic and weapon skill are 2+.

*'''The Angel Artifice:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chapter Champion}} only. Upgrades the save on the Champion to 2+, and the invulnerable save to 4+.
*'''Blade of Triumph:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chapter Champion}} only. Replaces the Champion's Master-Crafted Power Sword with a weapon with strength +2, AP-4, damage 3. ''WS2+ wounding on a 3+ = WS3+ wounding on a 2+''.

*'''Acquittal:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chief Apothecary}} only. Replaces a Bolt Pistol or Absolvor Pistol. 16" Pistol 1 S5 AP-3 D1, D1d6 when targeting Non-Vehicle, Non-Monster units.
*'''Healer's Aegis:''' {{W40kKeyword|Chief Apothecary}}. Friendly {{W40kKeyword|<chapter>}} Infantry ''models'' have a 5++ invulnerable save while within 1" of a model with this relic.

==Specialist Detachments==
Specialist Detachments are unique detachments from Vigilus books, custom made for specific sub-factions which grant them access to additional Stratagems, Warlord Traits, and Artifacts. Enabling them costs 1 CP per detachment.

*'''Field Commander (1 CP):''' This stratagem bears special mention. For one command point, you can designate a character with a Specialist Detachment keyword and they gain the warlord trait associated with that detachment. Can't be used on named characters or to give your warlord a second warlord trait. Usefulness may vary.
**Codex SM 2.0 has a one use only "give a non-warlord a warlord trait" stratagem, and Chapter Supplements have a one use only "your warlord has 2 Warlord Traits, but the second has to be from this supplement" stratagem. ''Four Warlord Traits go!''

===Indomitus Crusaders===
{{W40kKeyword|Primaris Captains, Primaris Lieutenants, Primaris Ancients, Intercessors squads & Inceptor squads}} in that detachment gain the {{W40kKeyword|Indomitus crusader}} keyword. Formerly an Intercessor-focused detachment, it is now reduced to a boost for Intercessors and Inceptors, the very first Primaris models released.

'''Stratagems'''
*'''Liberators (1 CP):''' Use this Stratagem at the start of the Fight phase. Pick an {{W40kKeyword|INDOMITUS CRUSADERS}} unit from your army. Until the start of your next turn, each time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6 for an attack made by a model in this unit, that attack inflicts 2 hits on the target instead of 1. Note that this bonus applies to any and all shooting and fighting attacks that this unit makes in the enemy turn, assuming you used it in your own Fight phase. 'Stacks with the Whirlwind of Rage Successor Tactic''.
**Intercessor Veterans are the default Primaris melee unit because of their high number of attacks and their ability to use Impulsors (which Aggressors can't use), and yet their 21 attacks on the charge only give you about +3.5 with this. Which still have to wound and go through saves. Consider if 2CP are worth a mere couple of extra hits.

'''Warlord Trait'''
The real reason to consider using this detachment.
*'''Grey Shield:''' Once per battle, at the start of your Movement phase, if your Warlord is on the battlefield you can choose for {{W40kKeyword|INDOMITUS CRUSADERS}} units in the same Detachment as your Warlord to gain an additional Chapter Tactic until the start of your next turn. Pick the additional Chapter Tactics from the following: Codex Discipline ({{W40kKeyword|ULTRAMARINES}}), Lightning Assault ({{W40kKeyword|WHITE SCARS}}), Siege Masters ({{W40kKeyword|IMPERIAL FISTS}}), Righteous Zeal ({{W40kKeyword|BLACK TEMPLARS}}), Forged In Battle ({{W40kKeyword|SALAMANDERS}}), Shadow Masters ({{W40kKeyword|RAVEN GUARD}}), The Flesh is Weak ({{W40kKeyword|IRON HANDS}}), No Matter the Odds ({{W40kKeyword|CRIMSON FISTS}}). Until the start of your next turn, friendly {{W40kKeyword|INDOMITUS CRUSADERS}} units gain the benefit of that Chapter Tactic in addition to any others they already have. They are considered to have the keyword of the appropriate Chapter for purposes of resolving that Chapter Tactic.
**Having two Chapter Tactics can do a lot of things depending on what your second tactic is. Want Marines with Fluff levels of durability? Raven Guard + Iron Hands. Salamanders + Black Templars help ensure that your punchy characters and sergeants with powerfists and the like make it to combat and actually kill what they're attacking. And if the thought of Ultramarines + White Scars allowing you to Fallback, Shoot, Charge and Fight again all in one round doesn't make you wet, maybe you should find a different game to play.
**Special note regarding the Iron Hands, the Father of the Future Warlord trait for Chief Apothecaries gives a 5+++ to models that are benefiting from The Flesh is Weak. Use this to give a blob of Primaris 5+++ for a single round.
**It also means you can combine your Successor tactics with a Founding Chapter ones. Hungry for Battle + Whirlwind of Rage + Black Templars = +1 to Rerollable charges with exploding hits! Crimson Fists + Imperial Fists to utterly destroy hordes with +1 to hit Ignores Cover and 3 hits on 6s with bolters!

'''Artifacts'''
*'''Standard of the Ultima Founding:''' Primaris Ancient only. Once per battle, at the start of your Movement phase, the bearer can choose to plant this banner. If they do so, until the bearer next makes a move, friendly {{W40kKeyword|INDOMITUS CRUSADERS INFANTRY}} models can re-roll hit rolls of 1 and wound rolls of 1 whilst they are within 6" of the bearer.

==Unit Analysis==
Unit keywords are [[Space_Marine_Chapter_Creation_Tables|{{W40kKeyword|Adeptus Astartes}}]], {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}, [[Space_Marine_Chapter_Creation_Tables|{{W40kKeyword|Chapter}}]], and the like. Units with a specific {{W40kKeyword|Chapter}} keyword can only be taken by that Chapter. Note that even if most "Bike" variants of characters have been written out of the Codex due to them having no official miniature (and some models due to those miniatures being limited edition), they can still be taken and are legal, using the Warhammer Legends datasheets and the latest point costs. White Scars players can thank the God-Emperor (Absolutely! Interestingly GW does some good things nowadays!)

===HQ===
The average SM HQ is a heroic model that can do fairly well in melee and, being the poster faction, we have a lot of choices when building [[Your_dudes|our guys]]. Listed here are some common builds so that you don't have to read "Captain, Captain with Jump Pack, Librarian, Librarian with Jump Pack" and so on.
#{{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}}: Mobility is the name of the game. The model gains 12" movement, fly and can deepstrike, so he can appear anywhere and ignore terrain, jump over the enemy's bubbelwrap alongside your Vanguard Vets and even '''[[Awesome|punch a damn airplane to death]]'''.
#{{W40kKeyword|Bike}}: High speed, high drag. The character becomes a battering ram, gaining a speedy bike that can turbo boost to M20", T5, +W1, and an additional 4 bolter shots. Sadly, all but Captain on the bike were relegated to Warhammer Legends, including Biker Vets, which makes the whole bunch overpriced.
#{{W40kKeyword|Terminator}}: The heavy armour. +1W 2+/5++ and Deep Strike but only 5" movement and a slightly reduced wargear selection. Not meant to move around much, positioning is often determined by a Deep strike or the Land Raider that is carrying him around. Provides a lot of protection for your character. A Character's Iron Halo or Rosarius' 4++ has prevalence ofc.
#{{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}: Extra beef for a relatively low cost. +1W +1A, but usually restricted customization options. Segregated to their hover transports; that used to mean restricted, but now they're more of a separate-but-equal kind of deal.
#*{{W40kKeyword|Phobos}}: Primaris Operator with stealth training; "Concealed Positions" lets them keep up with infiltrators, and they get their own selection of Warlord Traits and Psychic powers.
#*{{W40kKeyword|Gravis}}: Bigger and better beef, offering +1T and +1W with a 5" move as opposed to the Terminator Armors deep strike and 2+ save. Very limited wargear and thus far only Captains.
Remember all re-rolls happen ''before'' modifiers.

*'''[[Brother-Captain|Captain]]:''' The standard all characters compare to, he can be customized to do almost any job you need him to do. Can be taken with a {{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}}, a {{W40kKeyword|Bike}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} Armour, {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} Armour or as {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}.
**Captains are simultaneously destructive and survivable, with their base 4++ Iron Halo, {{W40kKeyword|character}} status and ability to ditch one of their weapons for a Storm Shield. Additionally, his mere presence boosts your other units with his re-roll 1s to Hit aura, helping your plasma not blow up and improving the hit rate of your already fairly accurate armywide 3+. In melee, they can wieldy all the heavier power weapons: Powerfists, Relic Blades and the expensive Thunder Hammer, as well as their Master-crafted (+1D) versions and other relics, like the Teeth of Terra on his off-hand, to terrifying effect. Alternatively, he can provide an anchor for your gunline, with his Master-crafted AP-1 D2 Boltgun or a Combi-weapon, while the Primaris version does so with a Master-crafted Auto bolt Rifle (24" Assault ''3'' S4 D2) or a Master-crafted Stalker Bolt Rifle (36" Heavy 1 S4 AP-2 ''D3!''). The usual Smash Captain wears a {{W40kKeyword|Jump Pack}} to enhance his mobility, while others prefer Terminator armour to increase their resilience while still gaining a deepstrike (and fit in with the accompanying TH/SS squad). Other deceivingly fast ways of getting him in combat would be a Primaris captain with Powerfist + Plasma Pistol loadout riding a cheap Impulsor (with Intercessor Vets) or a manlet in a drop pod for Turn 1 deepstrikes.
**'''Captain in Cataphractii Armour:''' An alternative version of the Terminator Captain that trades heavily reduced mobility (4" Movement and halved Advances) and no Grenade Launcher for a built in 3++. A reasonable alternative if you weren't taking a Power Fist and were planning on deepstriking him anyways.
**'''Captain in Gravis Armour:''' The Gravis Captain has T5 and '''7W''', but a fixed loadout of a Boltstorm Gauntlet and Power Sword, reducing his flexibility and hampering which Relics he can take. In addition, Gravis suits cannot deepstrike and are limited to expensive Repulsor transports. However, he is perfectly suited for accompanying Aggressors and can weather high volume, low AP attacks better than other Captains.
**'''Captain in Phobos Armour:''' The Phobos Captain is even more dedicated to the gunline; his 30" Assault 1 S4 AP-2 ''D3'' Master-crafted Instigator bolt carbine lets him snipe {{W40kKeyword|characters}}, and his Omni-scrambler denies deepstrikes within 12", crippling alpha strikes and forcing most enemies to approach your gunlines some other way. He's got a Camo Cloak to help the few times he gets shot at, but lacks any melee options besides the basic Combat Knife unless you replace the knife with a relic.
*'''[[Librarian]]:''' Your good old source of mortal wounds (and psychic protection). Can be taken with a {{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} Armour, {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} Armour, or as {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}. May also take a {{W40kKeyword|Bike}}; check GW's website for Warhammer Legends.
**Although the Librarius discipline is overshadowed by other imperial disciplines like Blood Angels and Grey Knights, it's still a solid one that gives strong buffs to units and characters, of which this model knows two (plus Smite). And with the wide array of Chapter specific Disciplines, the number of combinations you can field as an army is both terrifying and a little overwhelming. Librarians are a lot more random in this new edition now you can't spend all warp charges on a psychic power you want to go off at all costs. They're akin to a glass cannon (by marine standards), as their Force weapons inflict multiple damage but they themselves lack an invuln save. Unless, of course, you take him in Terminator Armour, in which case he gains a 2+/5++, or even a 2+/3++ if you give him a Storm Shield! Can customize their force weapon, and pistol/Combi-weapon, and receive +1 to Deny if the psyker is within 12". If you're more keen on getting him into casting range as quickly as possible, a Jump Pack or a Bike will serve you very well. Alternatively, the Phobos Librarian offers a bit more tactical flexibility with the Obscuration Discipline, as well as his Camo Cloak and Concealed Positions ability. Overall, a solid pick for any army, no matter which version you choose.

*'''[[Chaplain]]:''' The guy for not-magic support magic. So, a Bard-barian. Can be taken with a {{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Terminator}} Armour, or as {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}. May also take a {{W40kKeyword|Bike}}; check GW's website for Warhammer Legends. Litanies make this team-player work somewhat different from other characters, especially his interaction with transports and deepstrikes - a consideration unique to this HQ. Each Chaplain knows the melee Litany of Fury, their primogenitor Chapter's litany and another one of their choosing, though one of them can be upgraded to Master of Sanctity to know and chant one extra litany. Chaplains also have a 6" aura of Ld9, making morale a non-issue for marines around them. All forms are bigger and better than ever before... though your newfound Litanies require a 3+ to go off, which is a real pain in the ass when you really need some buffs to kill something before it kills you.
**If you want the Chaplain for melee like you're used to, consider putting him in a Drop pod or Impulsor. He won't have litanies when disembarking, but those specific transports operate under similar restrictions: They are both fast, Drop Pods will arrive one turn earlier than Jump Pack and Terminator squads, and troops disembarking from an Impulsor have to wait one turn to charge. A one-two punch requires patience and the ability to take a beating before dealing damage, but can be rewarding. Chaplains are terrifying melee characters, their Crozius Arcanum hurting heavy infantry at S+1 AP-1 ''D2'', and their litanies make them effective assault lynchpins and powerful additions to a deathstar.
**Unlike earlier editions, Chaplains can also have a place back in your own lines, with a couple litanies boosting a unit's firepower. They aren't auras, but +1 to either hit or wound (''or both'') to a unit is an important boost by itself if your warlord is far away, and complements aura HQs if you are fielding a battalion or bigger.

*'''[[Techmarine]]:''' Vehicles may be tougher this edition, but their performance diminishes with wounds, and this guy repairs them for 1d3 Wounds a turn, no roll required! May also take a {{W40kKeyword|Bike}}; check GW's website for Warhammer Legends.
**Being a character, he can work in relative safety, so he doesn't need Servitors either provided you keep at least ''something'' between him and the enemy. He also holds the distinction of being able to become your cheapest HQ (45pts with a chainsword), though you shouldn't pick him as a tax HQ if you're just going to have him stand around. You're playing Space Marines, it's not like you're short on vehicle options for him to keep up and running. Beyond just going as cheap as possible, he can generally can be built one of two ways, and they are sadly mutually exclusive. For a more shooty build, he can ditch his pistol for any other Pistol or Ranged weapon and replace his Servo-arm with something very useful indeed: a Conversion Beamer. This tasty bit of gear functions as a Multi-laser with only D3 shots when at close range, but turns into an Overcharged Plasma Cannon that trades 2 AP for no exploding on a roll of a 1 when over half it's rather impressive 42" range. The other path is more of a close combat monster; by taking the Servo-harness, you give yourself an extra servo-arm, a Flamer and a Plasma Cutter, which is basically an Assault 1 Plasma Pistol, and all for only 60 points! Quite brutal, but you should generally build your Cogmarine for where he's going to be hanging out. If he'll be humping the leg of a Deredeo in your backline, take the Beamer and maybe a Storm Bolter if you have points left over. If he's going to be running around in the thick of things keeping your melee dreads from getting splattered, strongly consider the Harness, which carries all Assault weapons and you can repair even after Advancing! His Bike version can happily take all the same Wargear options, along with the usual Twin Boltguns, boosted survivability and insane Movement, making him a worth addition to a high mobility list, since a footslogger Cogboy can't repair while he's embarked.

*'''[[Primaris Lieutenant|Lieutenant]]:''' A surprising addition with the advent of 8E, with a mini-Captain statline of WS2+ BS3+ W4 A3. Can be taken with a {{W40kKeyword|Jump pack}}, {{W40kKeyword|Phobos}} Armour or as {{W40kKeyword|Primaris}}. You can buy up to two Lieutenants per HQ slot, but you ''should'' be taking them separately to fill out HQ taxes. There's no Biker Lieutenant.
**Since a Lieutenant's Tactical Precision aura (re-roll 1s to wound) is mathematically equivalent to a Captain's Rites of Battle (re-roll 1s to hit), they can be used as a budget sub-commander to fill your HQ tax and boost your back field. The basic version can swap his Master-crafted boltgun for combi-weapons, but the Primaris version, with Master-crafted auto bolt rifle/stalker bolt rifle, can do more damage at range.
**For melee it is the manlet version the one you want, as he can take a Jump Pack and power weapons to join a Smash Captain dropping into melee, his aura complementing the Captain's. Meanwhile, the Primaris version can only equip a Power sword, and has to give up his bolt rifle for it.
**The Phobos version is a mixed bag, equipped like an Incursor (Master-crafted Occulus Bolt Carbine & Paired combat blades), but can't infiltrate alongside actual Incursors, being forced to catch up turn 2 with his grav-chute, like a Reiver. And he can swap his master-crafted gear for a heavy bolt pistol and combat knife to become an actual {{W40kKeyword|Reiver}} with keyword and '''Terror Troops''' -1Ld...at the cost of ditching his goddammed grav-chute for the smoke grenade Incursors get. [[Fail|Thus being the only Reiver who doesn't deepstrike and the only Phobos who cannot infiltrate]], thanks, GW.

====Forge World====

*'''Chaplain in [[Dreadnought|a goddamn Dreadnought]]:''' The Chaplain Dreadnought is the go-to answer for players wishing to run an all dreadnought army. This is one of the best models space marines can currently use in 8th, arguably ''the'' best outside of special characters. Being a {{W40kKeyword|Character}} makes this a Dreadnought that CANNOT BE SHOT AT except by snipers, who usually have pitiful AP. It has a 5++ save and also buffs the strength of friendly models fighting the same unit as it, and has heroic intervention and 6+ FNP. It's also reasonably priced, considering its many advantages; 164 points vanilla, but can be cheaper or more expensive depending on wargear choices (taking an assault cannon makes it cost 174, as an example). the Dreadnought also know chaplain litany to give a variety of buffer roles in addition to having big guns. if you were planning to bring a dreadnought and/or want a tough and killy HQ, then the Chaplain is a fantastic option that also saves you an elite or heavy support slot.
** Two fists allows you re-roll 1s to hit, which on his total 5 attacks for the charge at WS2+ is pretty good. However, you only loose the re roll 1s if you take a ranged weapon, which is usually a smarter option as he also has BS2+. 194 points get you twin lascannons, storm bolter, and a fists for a very complete package.
** The additional changes space marines have seen make this model absurd. It now sports the litanies ability like other chaplains... Cast Mantra of Strength on itself, use its natural aura, then use the Heros of the Chapter stratagem and take the Emperors Sword warlord trait. This should give you S9 and 7 Attacks on the charge. Combined with two fists, you also get re roll hits of 1 on a 2+, all for a grand total of '''7 S18 AP-3 D4''' attacks. Do you know of another model that can potentially hit harder and more often than a volcano cannon for 164 points?
*'''Damocles Command Rhino:''' Only one Damocles can be taken per detachment. It can now transport a single {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} model, and if that model is your Warlord you roll 2d6 at the end of each turn; if the result is less than your Warlord's Ld, you get a bonus Command Point. Valuable, on its own, there's also the Orbital Bombardment, which now functions identically to the Stratagem of the same name (albeit without the CP cost). While the bombardment can be useful if you're lucky, the Damocles is better off acting as a meatshield/Command Point generator for your Warlord, preferably far from the front lines.

=====Named Forge World Characters=====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Special Characters are noted with their corresponding {{W40kKeyword|<CHAPTER>}} keyword, and are arranged by their Founding (when applicable). Characters from known successor chapters are in their relevant sections, because supplements make that kind of matter now. The points cost for all special characters already includes their wargear, as stated in the points section, under the points heading in the codex (or index/Legends if not in the codex). All other units say "does not include wargear" except special characters where it says "including wargear".<br>
With the 8.5 FAQ all Imperial Armour SM entry’s gain Angels of Death.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

{{W40kKeyword|[[Astral Claws]]}}

Either {{W40kKeyword|[[Ultramarines]]}} or {{W40kKeyword|[[Dark Angels]]}} successors, with no great way to decide between the two; your fluffiest bet is Ultramarines since they make the better bikers anyhow. Although if we look at their Chapter Tactics before 8th, [[White Scars]] is the best substitute for a melee-focused rush(if allowed to ignore Successor chapter restrictions). Astral Claws love mortal wounds, have I said that enough?
Successor Tactics: Hungry for Battle, Master Artisans, Rapid Assault

*'''[[Lugft Huron]]:''' Chapter Master, with terminator armour, an artificer heavy flamer (Assault, not Heavy, and D1d3), and THE ONE PIMP HAND TO RULE THEM ALL (S+1 AP-5 D1d3, forces rerolls of successful invulns)! "Big Guns Never Tire" ensures he can bring the hurt once per game to anything on the board that's not a character (d6 mortal wounds on a 2+, or usually 2.92). His “Living Legend” rule makes sure you can pull it off on the 2+ with an extra command point as long as you are battle forged ''and Huron is your Warlord''. He can come back from the dead... as often as you can roll a 5+. But he is well priced at 145 points. Still better in combat than Draigo (who's more expensive), and could even take on Abbadon/Swarmlord (not really he is A4). He still has ATSKNF and his chapter master trait allowing rerolls to hit for any Astral Claws unit within six inches for support. Forge World FAQ gave him and Cullen the ability to deploy via teleporting.
** 'Ol Lugft you salty bastard! Take note of this dudes special rule (Big Guns Never Tire) and how well it combines with the rest of the Astartes codex. Lugft Huron is the king of mortal wound spam in a very mortal wound spamming prone army. You have to get creative: I'm talking triple vindicators, librarians, scout snipers, scout bikers, devastators using double hellfire shells, all the other command stratagems, '''AND''' a Damocles Command Rhino which doesn't even need Lufgt to ride in for ''another'' Orbital Bombardment!!! (you're already using forge world so...) You will be that guy to a degree, but this is all totally legal and really just very good tactics. Enjoy frying anything from Magnus to carnifexes all with comfortable ease.
***BE sure to load up on command points and consider a brigade because this play-style while quite good, is very command point taxing.
*'''[[Armenneus Valthex]]:''' Techmarine, with an Assault 2 Conversion Beamer, an AP-1 melee weapon that adds 1d3 attacks when at least 3 enemy models are within 1" of him, and a 6" buff of +1 strength (max 5) to boltguns and storm bolters, specifically. Give Valthex the Storm of Fire warlord trait and 1 in 6 bolter shots become heavy bolter shots.
** Note that hurricane bolters are ''not'' specifically storm bolters or boltguns.
** As his rule reads ''The Strength characteristic of '''all''' boltguns and storm bolters fired by [...]'' an argument could be made that this also includes special issue boltguns. The word "all" wouldn't make any sense otherwise.
** Pairing him with a Lieutenant still has the exact same effect as pairing him with a Captain, with or without Storm of Fire.
** This guy screams for running Astral Claws as Ultramarine successors as his special rule and Scions of Guilliman gives great synergy with a high number of Tacticals/Sternguards/Company Veterans under Tactical Doctrine and Bolter Discipline. While long-range focused footsloggers might not be true to their fluff, it doesn't stop them from being quite good at it. Pair with Long-range Marksman and Stealthy.
*'''[[Captain Corien Sumatris]]:''' Captain; still a good cost-effective melee fighter/buffer, his power sword does D2 and give +D3 attacks on the charge; combined with his ability to gain +1S near enemy {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTERS}}, this makes him a mini-me Helbrecht, although he might be tougher with his 3++. His gun is a lame Pistol 2 now, despite still being called a Bolter. Also has the unique ability to choose his chapter keyword between {{W40kKeyword|Astral Claws}} and {{W40kKeyword|Tiger Claws}}, the latter of which will never be taken, because it disallows other Astral Claws characters from being taken.
*'''[[Carnac Commodus|Arch-Centurion Carnac Commodus]]:''' Lieutenant, and improved greatly now; his CC weapon hits as hard as a Heavy Bolter with D2 and vs. {{WH40Kkeyword|INFANTRY}} every 6+ to-wound does a Mortal Wound, combined with a 6" lieutenant aura makes him another good melee beatstick/buffer for Astral Claws. He also gets a 5++ invul because that's what Void Hardened Armour does now.
** See above Lugft Huron. Astral Claws love mortal wounds Bitchez!!

'''{{W40Kkeyword|[[Red Scorpions]]}}'''

Probably loyalist Emperor's Children successors; the closest you're going to get here is probably {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} Chapter Tactics to reflect their hard-on for the Codex Astartes, although {{W40kKeyword|[[Iron Hands]]}} might reflect their love of purity (and previous tactics) better.
Successor Tactics: Indomitable, Stalwart, Stoic, Warded

*'''Lord High Commander Carab Culln:''' Chapter Master. Stats-wise, of the level of other CMs here and in the main book, but his extra rules and weapons loadout is scattered and mediocre. An AP-2 D2 stormbolter, a +1 strength power sword with d3 damage that turns into a beastly x2 strength weapon, BUT only when he's fighting monsters or vehicles, and his personal rules gives every red scorpion within 6" a 6+ FNP style damage ignoring roll (no more stacking with iron hands chapter tactics due to 2018 FAQ). Overall, he's not bad, but has a sword that most of the time is simply average, and a gun that works but you aren't paying a couple hundred points for. Stick him in a fight vs Tyranids or similar and he'll prove his worth, but in comparison to the other chapter master level characters he's not quite focused enough in one area to do a job well enough, plus he's still the same points cost as the rest of them
*'''[[Carab Culln|Carab Culln the Risen]]:''' the same guy as above, but slapped in a freakin' ''Leviathan Dreadnought'' with a Twin Assault Cannon on one arm, and a D4 siege claw with Heavy Bolter on the other. He also packs two Heavy flamers and three Hunter-Killer missiles for shits and giggles. A fairly decent one-use rule "Death Hold", is when he rolls a 6+ to hit, he can opt to grab his opponent and cause d6 mortal wounds, but this renders the built-in Heavy Bolter useless for the rest of the game. Still retains his old rule that gives 6+ FNP to every Red Scorpions within 6", and if he dies to roll a d6; on 5+ he explodes causing d3 mortal wounds to every unit within 9". Culln is a little underwhelming compared to other Leviathans. As Storm Cannons are better than his Assault Cannons, but he isn't bound by the Relic rule. This means Red Scorpions won't need to take a Chaplain Dreadnought for that all Dread army. So he is is a consideration for the leader of an allied Vanguard or Spearhead Detachment.
**While he's still a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}, he has over ten wounds, meaning no hiding him behind a wall of thirty Scouts to kamikaze up the field.
**"Culln is a little underwhelming compared to other Leviathans". Other Leviathans are for the shooty-shooty. Culln is for the punchy-punchy. Two different tools for two different jobs. Compared to a SCA + claw + triple missile Leviathan, then for '''one extra point''', you gain +1A, +1W, +1D in assault, his Death Hold rule, and a 6+ feel no pain for all Red Scorpion models within 6".
**"but he isn't bound by the relic rule" he has the relic tag and is bound by the relic rule, so you still have to take a chaplain dread alongside him.
*'''Magister Sevrin Loth:''' Librarian. Cheesier than a fondue convention in Wisconsin for two editions, he's finally been toned down to a 'good-but-not-too-good' level. He can cast two powers and deny three; now that you always choose powers and with the removal of some of the more potent powers, he's lost a lot here. His most powerful trick of gaining a 2++ is completely gone, now he just gets a 2+/4++. He also has nothing to do with command squads now. The only things that stayed the same are his price and his anti-psyker skills; a 6" aura of re-rolls to wound vs Psykers and a +1S Force Axe that always inflicts 3 damage vs Psykers. Still good enough to be a nigh auto-include for any Red Scorpions player.
*'''Casan Sabius:''' New Chapter Master who has inherited the Blade of the Scorpion (S+1 (Sx2 vs monsters/vehicles), AP-3, Dd3) from Culln. He has a 2+/4++ save, and a new rule where if he causes one or more wounds in the Fight phase, one Red Scorpions Infantry unit within 6" gains +1A until the end of that phase. He also has the standard Chapter Master aura bonus, meaning he stacks very well with thunder hammer-wielding escorts, who suffer the usual -1WS.
*'''Sirae Karagon:''' Released as part of a duet with the above dude, we've been told to just use him as a standard Chapter Ancient. Lazy and lame.
*'''Dreadnought-Brother Halaar:''' Comes from the FAQ; he's a generic dreadnought who can take a flamestorm cannon instead of an assault cannon, but thanks to his FAQ entry having lazy writing, he hasn't got the {{W40Kkeyword|character}} keyword.
*'''Veteran Sergeant Haas:''' In the same FAQ, this guy is basically completely dropped from the game - instead, you're told to use the model to count as someone else's sergeant.

'''{{W40Kkeyword|[[Minotaurs]]}}'''<br>

Said to have "chimeric" gene-seed, but given their melee preference your ''fluffiest bet'' is Black Templars; however, if you field Moloc, Iron Hands is a good choice instead to represent being rock-hard in melee. Whirlwind of Rage should be considered.

*'''Lord Asterion Moloc:''' Chapter Master. The Lord Master of the Minotaurs is no longer the Marine killer he was before, but he's still a horrifyingly effective character. Sitting at a 2+/3++ with W7, he is harder to take down than some vehicles. His Black Spear makes a return at S+2, -3 AP, and 3 Damage with an additional attack against {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}}s. The spear's lasbeam is no longer single-use, meaning he can fire that sexy, sexy S8 -2 AP weapon all he likes. he gives the usual Chapter Master buff of re-rolls to failed hits in 6", and also gives his Minotaur infantry re-rolls to failed charges. Even if your opponent, somehow, makes it through all those saves in a charge, he gets to pile in and get off those attacks, making melee with him under any circumstance risky at best.
** Pairing his re-roll failed charges special rule with the Hungry for Battle Successor Tactic (+1" to charge and advance) gives you a ~66% chance on a successful charge after deep striking.
*'''Chaplain Ivanus Enkomi:''' The Minotaur chaplain character. He's lost the RAGE buff he had before and has no extra special rules over the usual buffs of a chaplain, usual rosarius, powerfist, and crozius. No jump pack, but instead has a grenade discharger. Frag grenades for mobs, krak grenades for tough targets. Worth noting is that, alongside his boss, Minotaurs re-roll charges as well as hits for the fight phase. Do ask yourself when you take him though... did you really WANT to pay 23 points to double the range of the otherwise completely normal frag and krak grenades. Yes, aside from that he boasts an extra attack and an extra wound, compared to normal, so maybe those 23 points have not been spent in vain.
Ok, maybe they were, BUT, he is now a big boy chaplain, able to chant 2 litanies, so they are definitely not in vain anymore
*'''Hecaton Aiakos:''' A character contemptor dreadnought - an HQ choice, but can't be your Warlord. Sporting 13 wounds, a 2+/4++ save, and the ability to ignore wounds on a 6+, he and Moloc apparently both believe that defense is the best offense. Not that either is lacking in that regard. He sports a heavy plasma cannon with all the pain that entails as well as the standard Dreadnought combat weapon. Groundstrike allows him to immediately inflict mortal wounds on a unit in 1" of him if he charged. Also worth mentioning is that, as a {{W40kKeyword|RELIC}}, he gives access to the Relic of Ancient Glory stratagem. All this will set you back in points, however, beating out even Huron for sheer points. Additionally, he can never be your Warlord. But he sure kicks ass. Just let him stay around Moloc for the sweet sweet re-rolls and unleash the moo-moo.
Note that being a Character he can get a trait while not being Warlord, though it would cost you CP to do so and there might be other candidates, but hey, Sword of the Imperium sounds glorious on him
** Use the WHITE SCARS chapter tactic so Aiakos can fall back and charge and keep dealing out mortal wounds.
*'''Sergeant Hamath Kraatos:''' The FAQ basically tells you to drop this guy from the game, and instead use the model to represent a generic Devastator.

'''{{W40Kkeyword|[[Star Phantoms]]}}'''<br>
These guys are DEFINITELY nothing like the Exorcists, and all rumors you have heard that they are successors to the Dark Angels are BLATANTLY FALSE AND HERETICAL PROPAGANDA, PREPARE TO BE PURGED. As their founding chapter is DEFINITELY AND TOTALLY UNKNOWN, treating them as an Unknown Founding chapter makes the most sense for Tactics.

*'''Captain Zhrukhal Androcles:''' Captain. Lost his ability to take Devastators as elites and heavy support. Is identical to a vanilla captain statline wise. He comes with Stonefist, which is a named thunder hammer, and a combi-melta, but no Bolt Pistol. With the Thunder Hammer's disgustingly increased cost, Captain Z finally has his chance to shine, since he grants nearly everything a similarly built Captain can give for over 20 points less.

'''{{W40Kkeyword|[[Exorcists]]}}'''<br>
These guys are particularly interesting because they're a Codex Chapter founded by a non-Codex chapter which has no Chapter Tactics rule. As their founding Chapter is considered to be unknown by most of the Imperium, they get a free choice of Chapter Tactics like any other Chapter of unknown origin. Grey Knights additionally have absolutely no rules in their Codex or Index section covering how to field their successors. Your fluffiest choice of tactic will probably be, as the Blood Ravens, to dynamically choose your tactic after finding out your opponents' faction, as that is how the Chapter fights in the fluff and no game rule bans it. Successor Tactics: Knowledge is Power & Warded (known for getting possessed and then exorcising the Daemons).

*'''Captain Silas Alberec:''' Captain who can Deny the Witch as if he were a basic Psyker (2d6, 1/phase). Also comes with S5, a named power fist (for that sweet S10) that does 3D to a Psyker or Daemon, and a S6 bolt pistol. Best for pounding enemies into beefsteak at melee.

{{W40Kkeyword|[[Blood Ravens]]}}<br>
Not confined to use Warded + Psychic Mastery, turns out that was just an example of the tactics you can use as successors. Successors to whom, nobody knows, so you can do whatever you want.
*'''[[Gabriel Angelos]]''': That's right, Gabe's finally made his official debut on the tabletop, sporting his [[Dawn of War III]] look and coming with some updated rules in July's White Dwarf. <s>(sadly, the [[C.S.Goto]]-style acrobatic feats he displays in the game do not get represented in the rules).</s> THE TERMIE FLIP IS BACK BABY, in the form of an ability: '''Leap into the Fray''' - upon successful charge a roll of 4+ deals d3 MWs. He's a Chapter Master in Tartaros Terminator Armour and an Iron Halo, so he has a 2+/4++ save along with 6" movement and the ability to teleport onto the battlefield. His Warlord Trait is '''Rites of War'''.
**As for goodies, he comes with his signature Daemon Hammer, ''Godsplitter'', allowing him to choose one of the following 2 profiles in combat: '''Mighty Strikes''' is a standard Thunder Hammer statline, with the addition of dealing an additional Mortal Wound whenever you roll a 6+ on the wound roll. The second profile, '''Sweeping Blows''', grants Gabe +3 attacks on top of his 5 base, at str+2 ap-1 d1 without the -1 penalty to hit, for your GEQ killing needs. Additionally, he has an improved version of '''Chapter Master''' that allows rerolls for ALL hit rolls, even successful ones. Compared to his previous Forge World rules, he, unfortunately, lost his access to grenades.
**Naturally, he's best off rolling with other Tartaros Terminators; not only can they keep up with him more effectively than the standard or Cataphractii versions, but they can also be kitted out both to aid him in melee fights and to provide him with the covering fire he needs.
**At 185 points, he can be a bit hard to fit into smaller lists.

</div></div>

====Warhammer Legends Units====
This section covers HQ units that were included in the 8th Edition Index but did not receive a new entry in the 2019 codex, and an honorable mention from years long past. These units have gained the Angels of Death special rule through FAQ. Both of them have now been moved into Warhammer Legends.

*'''Rhino Primaris:''' One half of the Command Tank duo, the Rhino Primaris distinguishes itself from the basic Rhino by 3 things: its twin Plasma Gun, the ability to call an orbital bombardment (a 72" range monster with S10 AP-4 Heavy D3 D6 damage that becomes Heavy D6 when used on a unit with 10 or more models and doesn't need line of sight, but can only be fired once per game), and its servo-skull hub. The hub allows the Rhino Primaris to buff allies within 12" with either a +1 to hit, a -1 to morale tests, or healing a wound (for vehicles only). It only has room to transport 6 units, though that's just enough for a Captain and his Veteran Squad.
**Never fire the plasma gun on overcharged mode; the risk of destroying the Rhino Primaris isn't worth the extra damage. Unless you use the Servo-skull hubs +1 to hit on the Rhino, in which case you can overheat without risk. Probably better spent on those Hellblasters or Plasma Cannon devastators though.
**Positioning is important, but it's even more important with the Rhino Primaris. Rhinos are tougher now, but you don't want your light APC in harm's way. But if you camp it behind a ruin that's somewhat central, flying units and other assets fighting in the vicinity all become viable options for the servo-skull hub. Imagine an overhead Caestus flying in, getting tagged by the Rhino, and then vomiting its weapons onto an enemy. Hitting enemy targets with BS 2+ anti-tank weaponry from nowhere? That's the value of positioning.
**Worst case, have the Rhino Primaris pick itself on Turn 1 with its servo-skull hub, and fire the orbital relay (which can now be fired on turn one, a significant boost from 7th). Hitting on 2+ with a weapon this powerful is amazing, whether it's D3 or D6 shots. Add some way to reroll ones/hits and you can really lay a beating on something. A footslogging Captain may be better here than the Excelsior, but each scenario is different. If the Rhino is far enough back, a Primaris Captain (with a Stalker-pattern Bolter) babysitting some Hellblasters anyway could help.
**Dropped by almost 100 points with it's final Datasheet in warhammer legends, it's now a fairly cheap and sturdy HQ for it's cost and the utility it's buffs provide.
**If you're looking for a good base for a conversion, the Damocles Rhino from Forge World is a good start.
*'''Land Raider Excelsior:''' The other half of the Command Tank duo, which comes with a 5+ invulnerable save, the Captain's ability to grant re-rolls for hit results of 1 for units within 6" of it, a pair of twin lascannons, a combi-plasma, and a grav-cannon/grav-amp combo. If you take it, take the Rhino Primaris too - it'll gain a +1 to hit for all shooting attacks if it stays within 24" of the Rhino Primaris. Apart from that, it's fairly similar to the vanilla LR, albeit better able to take on heavy infantry thanks to the grav-cannon.
**As is the case for the Rhino Primaris, do ''not'' overcharge the plasma gun part of the combi-plasma. Your lascannons do everything that an overcharged plasma gun shot can do, without the risk of killing yourself in the process! Unless you're close to the Rhino Primaris, in which case, you might as well, since your rolls of 1 will become 2.
**As of the release of Warhammer Legends, the Land Raider Excelsior has undergone an interesting transformation, losing some of its flavour (read: cheese) while somehow simultaneously becoming a more viable pick for regular games. The 100 pt. drop in base cost, mixed with an updated combi-plasma that doesn't cause the LR to go nuclear on an off-day, means that this platform is a lot easier to justify fielding. Unfortunately, this does come at the cost of losing its status as a character, which means no relics/WT/stratagems for the poor old Excelsior anymore (sad face). Still, for only a handful more of points, you can now bring a vanilla LR with a 5++, a grav-cannon and grav-amp, and reroll 1s for itself and everyone around it. Not too shabby.
*'''Techmarine on Bike:''' 70 points for a faster Techmarine to get your repairs where you need them quicker. May trade his servo arm for a [[Old school roleplaying|Conversion Beamer]] for 20 points -- D3 shots at S6, or S8 AP-1 D2 if you're further than 21" away.
** The Premier Shooty guy HQ for codex Space marines and in particular Imperial Fists (See Chaplain Dreadnought for Forgeworld Bullshittery). Bike, Storm bolter, a Melee weapon and a conversion beamer (Min 94 pts) allows for 8 Bolter shots at 24" and heavy d3 multilaser or an ap-1 safe overcharged plasma cannon. Factor in imp fist tactics (ignore cover and exploding 6s for bolt weapons), and imp fist devastator doctrine (ap-1 and +1D for heavy weapons) and you have a cheap mobile weapons platform. But there's more... Factoring into account that this is a character you can also make him a warlord and give him a relic. Imp fist warlord trait Siege Master gives +1 to wound vs vehicles and buildings and you can also make his conversion beamer master crafted. 8 bolter shots with ignore cover and exploding shots on 6s, and a heavy d3 master crafted conversion beamer at S8 ap-2 D4 and all shots have ignore cover and +1 to wound vehicles and buildings making even the bolter shots decent vs T7 or lower vehicles.

===Troops===
With the new FOCs it is possible to make a Battle Forged list without any Troops at all...but you do need them for CP. Troops are usually where one turns for numbers, as in 8E the player with the most models within 3" of an objective can claim it. You have a lot of options for troops, and they're actually decent this edition.

*'''[[Tactical Squad]]:''' The same jack-of-all-trades as always. Due to how armour modifiers work in this edition they now benefit from cover, more so than most infantry in fact, but there are drastically more weapons capable of making them take a 4+ or worse save. They can fill in any gaps in your army that might need to be addressed. The best way to look at them is as a good middle ground option to your other troops choices. They don't have the early game mobility and good special rules of Scouts, the same durability and damage output as Intercessors/Infiltrators, or the same cover ignoring tricks as the Incursors, but they can be relied on to get the job done more often than not. Just don't expect them to perform miracles. Heavy weapons are easier to use now as they get less penalties for moving and unlimited split fire exists. This edition also encourages you to <u>take them as MSU</u>: less morale vulnerability and many units can fit in the same transport. That way you can put two 5-man units inside a Rhino and have two Sarges with Combis plus 2 Specia/Heavy weapon guys. Four total, as opposed to the three a regular 10-man squad would. Second Codex has reduced their cost significantly to the point where they cost only one more point than Scouts.
** Tacticals make great pocket lascannon units, or, can take a hint of plasma/grav weaponry. let them sit on objectives or hitch a ride in a transport and they can really help other more expensive units.
** Also consider the Missile Launcher in light of early AP-1 doctrines on heavy weapons. Unless you're against T8 (where a Lascannon will be the better choice), ML lets you take shots on tanks and monsters, then bolsters your bolters against hordes into the later stages of the game.
** Seriously consider taking Tactical Marines in a Rhino over Assault marines with jump packs, the assault marines are less encumbered, faster and cheaper but the rhino gives the marines a 9" movement before combat and for grabbing objectives (because of the +3" deployment move or you could keep them in the rhino for the same movement if you don't want to take advantage of obsec) and considerably more survivability. As for offence the Rhino soaks up overwatch and if the marines get the chance to shoot they get the same number of S4 attacks as a chainsword Assault Marine (2 bolter +2 melee with shock assault vs 1 bolt pistol and 3 melee with shock assault) but they also benefit from both the tactical and assault doctrines. In addition the Tactical Sergeant can take an actually good ranged weapon and a melee weapon while the Assault Sergeant can take only 2 melee weapons or a pistol and melee weapon, a TS with a storm bolter and chainsword (+2pts) has 8 S4 attacks if it can shoot and charge while the AS has only 5 S4 attacks if it has 2 chain swords or 3 power weapon attacks and 1 S4 chainsword attack (+4/5pts)

*'''[[Scout Squad]]:''' Cheaper than marines, with the same damage output but a 4+ save. The Scout special rule '''Concealed Positions''' may be the best troop rule space marines have, allowing them to cut off huge swathes of the board from enemy deep strikes early in the game. But Scouts are more than a mere speed bump. Flexible as the space marines in training they are, they can be used with either ranged or close combat loadouts (the close combat loadout is terrible unless you have very specific chapter tactics—typically, anything a pistol and chainsword scout can do, a shotgun scout can do better), but lacking power armour, you'll want to have a plan. Furthermore, don't give them shotguns unless you put them in a Land Speeder Storm—bolters are usually the better free gun, especially if you can keep them stationary and benefit from Bolter Discipline at the full 24". Camo Cloaks let them make better use of cover—it gives them the same resilience as Tacticals in cover (or from 12" away, if they're Raven Guard or Stealthy), but at a higher model cost. And Missile Launchers can combine with the Devastator Doctrine to effectively give them either a Lascannon shot or a Heavy Bolter burst on turn 1.
**Scouts with Sniper Rifles are your army's cheapest source of, well, sniping. Just like in Rynn's World, a scout with a sniper rifle is not going to kill an Ork Warboss, but they might take down the Pain Boy that supports him. They also help to create Character denial area during deployment. With good range and a chance for mortal wounds, they're useful for harassing not only characters but also targets of opportunity, like armoured infantry and even tanks.
**A sniper can be viewed as a source of 1/9 of a mortal wound. Two battalions each with 15 sniper scouts (in 5 man teams) are a good example - it'll run you 390 points base before camo cloaks (another 90 for all of them) or monkeying around with the sergeant's loadout. If all 30 are all in range you're looking at about 3.33 mortal wounds a turn on any unit (including Characters, of course) in range, plus D3 more on a non-Character if you throw in a Heavy Bolter for Hellfire Shells. Each of those mortal wounds is de facto also a nonmortal wound (since you had to hit and roll high enough for the shot to have wounded anything in the game), so it's 3.33 mortal wounds plus ''at least'' 3.33 saveable wounds, which may be enough to kill a W4 target or less (which many characters are).
** Sniper scouts or even shotgun scouts make fantastic distractions and will bait your opponent into killing a unit that isn't really all that dangerous. Scouts are relatively cheap and force your opponent's hand, lest they start piling on mortal wounds or getting into shotgun or charge range. It tempts other players to waste their effort on them. In reality, all of your far more deadly units are moving into position with a turn less damage... which can make all the difference in situations where you didn't go first or become outmaneuvered, etc.

*'''[[Intercessor]] Squad:''' The big boys. Had become the go-to for a high damage output Troop choice with their buffs and Stratagems. Has a 2W and A model for 17pts as opposed to the mini marine's 1W and A for 12pts; meaning 35% cheaper wounds. Before upgrades or considering squad sizes, that means you can bring 12 Intercessors (24 W) for the same price as 17 Marines. Their Bolt Rifles give them a 25"-36" threat range, where ''most enemies will need to move to even engage them'', leaving their cover behind. Stalker Bolt Rifles aren't as cost-effective and are only Heavy 1, but do let them further abuse the range difference while adding armour penetration and an extra point of damage, allowing them to contribute to the fight and pick off heavy infantry even when securing the backfield objectives. While they aren't as starved for mobility as other marines due to their range, Auto Bolt Rifles allow them to advance without sacrificing all their shooting, and have now been bumped up to Assault 3, making them the go-to choice for facing horde armies. And with 2 attacks each, plus a 3A sarge who can be equipped with a power sword, chainsword, power fist, or thunder hammer, they aren't defenseless in a melee. Even basic Intercessors come with a bolt pistol sidearm, so they actually get 3x S4 attacks each if they're locked in melee. That being said, they're countered by heavier vehicles, as their only special weapon is a 30" grenade launcher (with grenades themselves being meh, even under Devastator Doctrine). They're also a prime target for multi-damage weapons, like autocannons, and they are practically custom-tailored to be mulched by Dark Reapers.
**Stalker Bolt Rifles are now D2, and with AP-2, these are clearly meant to be the rifles to be used against enemy Primaris. With the Devastator Doctrine the rifle is AP-3, which makes even light vehicles a viable target. Fists, both Imperial and Crimson, will get good mileage out of this since they can proc even more hits, and Iron Hands can take them while still retaining their mobility.
**Intercessors are usually more durable on the tabletop than they appear on paper. Unlike tactical squads, Intercessors don't have heavy weapons which tend to draw fire from the enemy. This means your opponent will generally only fire at intercessors with anti-chaff weapons, especially if you have vehicles or other multi-wound models about. As long as the intercessors have cover, they're rolling 2+ saves on T4, with two wounds per model, which is much better than you really need to survive most anti-infantry firepower. This means your Intercessors are much better at holding objectives than an equal value of Tactical marines unless faced with heavy firepower. When brawling in CC over an objective with other skirmishers, they are easily underestimated—2W and 2A each means that they are effectively two tacs rolled into one model while not looking much more threatening. This leads to some mop-up charges getting stuck and worn down, or even being wiped out entirely thanks to Shock Assault.
**Intercessors are a good choice for a {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} force, as they are one of the few units able to Rapid Fire from outside 12" even when on the move, allowing them to keep their cover bonus. Prime objective cover campers, as at 2W, 2+ save and -1 to hit, there are more appealing targets to be found elsewhere.
**As of the second Codex, Intercessor Sergeants can now take a few relics with the right Stratagem. Not the best option for a relic, but it's there if you want it and a D4 Thunder Hammer is capable of ruining someone's day no matter who's using it.

*'''[[Infiltrator]] Squad:''' Scout Intercessors, but with +1Ld and '''Marksman bolt carbines''', which are essentially boltguns whose unmodified hit rolls of 6 automatically hit and wound. They can be set up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" from an enemy unit or your opponent’s own deployment zone, and their '''Omni-scramblers''' prevents deepstrikes within 12" of them (and <u>nullifying deepstrike charges</u>), making them excellent at area denial. With Primaris resilience they become better speedbumps than Scouts...though at twice their cost, no sniper guns, special/heavy weapons or even good bolter AP like Intercessors they can struggle to be more than heavy keepaway units. To operate usupported away from your lines, they can replace an infiltrator with either one of two specialists:
**The defensive option is an Apothecary-Cadet that can only heal a model from this unit, or revive one on a ''5+''. Along with their smoke grenades, which work exactly like vehicle smoke launchers, Infiltrators in cover can survive moderate fire while your actual Apothecary is busy elsewhere.
**The offensive option is a Comms specialist who will let your whole unit benefit from Rites of Battle and Tactical Precision auras of any Phobos Captains or Lieutenants currently in play ''no matter where they are on the board''. Only those two auras; apparently Chapter Masters throw away their vox set upon promotion. Getting those re-rolls simultaneously makes their marksman bolt carbines more reliable without sacrificing the auras for the rest of your army. Intercessors still beat them on AP, but Infiltrators get better positioning from the start.

*'''[[Incursor]] Squad:''' Cheaper, close support infiltrators. Useful in offense and defense. At range, their '''Occulus Bolt Carbines''' and tacticool sensors lets them ignore both cover and hit penalties, making them the bane of enemy stealth users and such. Yet they also have the best melee among your troops, with their paired knives inflicting an extra hit on natural 6s. They can infiltrate, and while they don't have the infiltrator's deepstrike-denying auras or specialists, they can defend a position with a '''Haywire mine''' and blow up people and vehicles that go where you don't want them to go.
**Intercessor Vets with a Thunder Hammer hit harder than them, but sending them against GEQ is overkill. Reivers hit harder in melee, but they're Elites, and sacrifice their dakka for choppa. Incursors are good front line brawlers, killy enough to deal with hordes and heavy enough to be hard to tackle without dedicated melee squads or MEQ-killers. Capturing that objective all the while, because they're troops. You can even tie up vehicles; set the mine up before the charge, and when they try to fall back from the Incursors, they'll trigger it.

===Elites===
The Space Marine Elite slot gets work done and carries essential buffing character units like the Apothecary and Company Ancient, as well as a few exotic Forge World vehicles. Vastly improved with new codex, very powerful units await!

*'''[[Aggressor]] Squad:''' Now with 3W, they're the middle ground between a Terminator and an Assault Centurion. Aggressors are heavy defense soldiers, with powerful short range dakka and the ability to shoot twice if they stay still, as they would when protecting an objective or your lines. And unlike other Primaris, they also have great close combat power with 3 powerfist attacks base! They come stock with auto boltstorm gauntlets (2x 18" Assault 3 bolters) and a frag grenade launcher, or you can trade all that in for Firebat pattern flamestorm gauntlets, aka a pair of flamers. The bolters + launchers average 6.33 hits to the flamers' 7, but at more than twice the range.
**Aggressors are a veritable roadblock, and cost-effective to boot. Do notice '''Fire Storm''' lets them shoot twice if they didn't move <i> in that</i> turn, meaning even running forwards they get to overwatch twice, which is when the flamer's autohitting double overwatch ''14 hits per model'' outshine the bolters' 3.16. With Gravis armour T5 3W, they are resilient enough to serve as front liners and discourage/punish Deep strikes, swarming tactics and fast charges, like Evil Sunz' or Genestealers'. They are a good guardian squad to use '''Auspex Scan''' on, triggering the Fire Storm. A vanguard detachment of 3 squads with a Lieutenant placed in front of your main army is more than enough to contain an opponent and deal significant damage in the process while being affordable: a squad of three is 111 pts yet cranks out 57 shots a turn. That's nearly .5 bolter shots per point; the highest damage output per point IN THE ENTIRE GAME, dealing at least TWICE as much damage per point to pretty much any target as the next best option. And with support you can double it. For example, against MEQ with just a captain reroll 1 to hit and Doctrine, these will deal 3 times more wounds per point than Dark Reapers. Plus, they work well with many stratagems, and are both anti-horde *and* anti-elite. Clearly someone at GW gets a blowjob for every box of aggressors sold.
**Shooty and choppy, they're balanced by their inability to get around easily. All other units in your army can either deepstrike, infiltrate, fly 12", bike 14" or ride cheap transports like Rhinos, Drop Pods and Impulsors. Aggressors may only ride ~300 pts Repulsors, so you'll have to either rely on chapter-specific gimmicks or plant them somewhere and be on the defensive. At least they can advance without the shooting penalty, where Assault Centurions can only walk or hop into Land Raiders.
**'''Comparison to Termies and Assault Cents:''' They don't teleport nor do they have an invuln save, so, any resemblance to Terminators is merely a cosmetic one. Aggressors are Assault Centurions lite: lots of S4 shots, lots of wounds, T5 and nasty punches. They are more mobile and thus, easier to use. That being said, Centurions do have a 2+ save and S10 D3 drills that lack a penalty to hit. And while they need a Land Raider (preferably Redeemer), at least that fills a Heavy choice and can fit manlet characters, unlike the normal Repulsor (which is a dedicated transport) or Executioner (which is a better gunship but fits 3 Aggressors and nothing else).

*'''[[Apothecary]]:''' Now a Character running on his own. Doesn't give out Feel No Pain, but if he's within 3" of a {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> Infantry}}/{{W40Kkeyword|Biker}} unit at the end of the Movement phase, he can heal 1d3 wounds on 1 model in it. If no-one's wounded, he gets a 4+ chance to bring 1 dead model back to life with a single wound, but if he fails, he can't do anything else that turn. Can't swap out his weapons, so he's stuck with a bolt pistol and chainsword. Combines great with high-end infantry, shooty or assaulty. Bringing a Centurion Devastator back from the dead or healing the linchpin of your army's buff aura is invaluable. Combine with a Company Ancient to make a trade-in death.
**'''[[Primaris Apothecary]]:''' 10 points for +1W and improved pistols: the reductor pistol, which is a 3" S4 AP-3 D2 pistol, and the Absolver Pistol, which is 16" S5 AP-1 D1. He's a great choice if you want to go for an all-Primaris army. Keep him back and out of assault - he has no business in close combat. He'll do just fine popping off shots with his pistol and keeping nearby units alive.
*'''Company Ancient:''' The old banner bearer, now an Independent Character. The banner adds +1L to any same {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> Infantry}} units within 6". If a {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> Infantry}} ''model'' dies within 6", you get a 4+ chance for them to get off one more round of shooting or close combat right then before your opponent can move on to something else. Note that this only affects models in the bubble, not units, so be mindful when picking who dies. It also sadly doesn't affect bikes. Comes with a bolt pistol that you can swap for a different pistol, combi, or melee weapon. Out of phase shooting is great, and marine infantry die quite a bit in practice. Combine with an Apothecary.
**'''[[Primaris Ancient]]:''' Same as a Company Ancient, but with +1W +1A. Comes with a bolt rifle in addition to the pistol, and can't swap his wargear or ride in anything but a Repulsor. ''Easily'' worth the 5 points for the +1W alone; the +1A and improved bolter are just icing, as you probably weren't planning on up-gunning you are Ancient anyway, and since the Ancient buff is an AOE on multiple units, very compelling overtaking a second Ancient for redundancy.
**'''Ancient in Terminator Armour:''' A new addition as of the 2.0 Codex, now this guy is finally available for use by Marines that don't get their own special codex. As one might expect, the armour gives him +1 Wound and a 2+/5++ save over his PA counterpart and he is locked into having a Power Fist and Storm Bolter. An excellent choice for accompanying Terminators of all sorts out of Deepstrike.
***Also of note is the fact that, much like the bike ancient, these guys are mounted on a larger 40mm bases, meaning you can get more models into your buff aura.
*'''Centurion Assault Squad:''' With T5 and 4 wounds apiece, the choppy Space Marine in a Space Marine is a nasty piece of work in melee, especially since it can cause a HoW-like mortal wound on a 4+. However, it can give that ability up in exchange for Hurricane Bolters that act like Rapid Fire 6 Bolters- that's the equivalent of a MSU Tactical squad before you even get into RF range! The Siege Drills are pretty good too, since they act like Chainfists but with one more point of damage and no penalty to hit. As an added bonus, their sarge's omniscope negates cover bonuses. Getting them up the field practically requires a Land Raider. For long range shooting focused marine armies, Assault Cents make a strong counter charge unit. Especially because of having 2 flamers EACH, that make up for 6 D6 of auto hitting surprise in overwatch or tearing apart big blobs of infantry. Can also swap the flamers for melta guns which will complement your drills quality over quantity melee output. With the new codex they are still expensive but their improvements make them at least reasonable considering Shock Assault and W4.
*'''Chapter Champion:''' It's anyone's guess at this point which datasheet for this guy is "correct"; he has entries in the first Space Marine Codex and the Index, with different wargear; he's absent from the second Codex, but is present in both the Ultramarines supplement (with the {{W40Kkeyword|Ultramarines}} keyword) and in '''''Faith and Fury''''' as a 1 CP upgrade to a Company Champion.
**Index/Codex 1 Version: The only version that can take a bolter, and the only version that can take a relic blade or thunder hammer, but also the one with the least special rules making it better in melee (no re-rolling wounds, no ASF, inferior Heroic Intervention range). As a result, this version, if legal, is the best of the bunch against ''non''-{{W40Kkeyword|character}} targets, as you can give it superior equipment, and the only rule you miss out on is -1 to be hit in melee. Against an actual Character, not even as good as a Company Champion, below. Don't forget to give him a bolt pistol - it's on the Index datasheet, so even the Codex version can carry it.
**Ultramarines Supplement: You can see the relevant chapter discussion below for more on this, but the tl;dr is that it's less points efficient than the Faith and Fury version, while costing no CP. It also has no bolt pistol.
**Faith and Fury: This is a Company Champion with +1Ld, +1A, and -1 to be hit in melee, which you pay 1 CP to accomplish. As a result, this is the only one of the three with a 3+/5++ instead of a 2+, and it has a bolt pistol but no Champion's Blade; it's a lot cheaper in terms of points, so against a character, it's the best of the three, provided you can get close.
*'''Company Champion:''' Another former Command Squad guy now on his own. He can't bodyguard, but he's WS2+, W4, is a {{W40Kkeyword|character}}, has to make a 6" Heroic Intervention if possible, and re-rolls failed hits and wounds and has ASF against {{W40Kkeyword|Characters}}. Comes with a master-crafted power sword, bolt pistol, and combat shield for a 5++, but no other wargear options. Multiple Champions can be very interesting when embedded in your gunline, or as part of a larger melee deathstar - Heroic Interventions make them a very useful counter-assault choice, and they can swiftly dispatch ''most'' other characters without wasting your Captain / Chapter Master's time.
**However, neither Company Champions nor any of the Chapter Champion variants can keep up with Thunder Hammer Company Veterans, from an offensive standpoint, so their main benefit is ''defensive'', due to being characters.
*'''Company Veterans:''' More or less the Command Squad from earlier editions, minus the Apothecary, (Company) Champion, and banner bearer (now a Company Ancient), which are all split off as independent Characters. You can still kit between 2 and 5 of them out however you like (except no special weapons on the Sergeant - he's stuck with combi, which only matters if for some reason you wanted to bring meltaguns). They possess an ability similar to the old "Look out, Sir!" rule which lets them intercept a wound from a {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> character}} on a 2+ in exchange for taking a mortal wound, so they're good bodyguards.
**Far and away the best {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit you can field, both offensively and defensively, per point; all of them can go special/combi weapon+storm shield, thunder hammer+storm shield, or special weapon+thunder hammer, and they can get down to a 2-man unit, emphasizing morale immunity and maximizing the "free" sergeant "upgrade" (even though he is proficient with fewer weapons than his men). Note the sergeant has been FAQed to now have access to storm shields.
**While it goes without saying taking two melee weapons is idiotic outside of two chainswords or two lightning claws, any combination of melee and pistols essentially means you're taking Vanguard Vets, but without the Jump Packs, and with the ability to get down to 2 men, not 5 (particularly useful due to the Sergeant's improved Attacks), as well as having the bodyguard ability - if you were going to take Vanguard Vets on foot anyway, such as in a transport, these are better, but you should think long and hard before taking these instead of Vanguard Vets with Jump Packs, if you're after melee. The ''primary'' reason to take Company Vets is the Special Weapons access, paired with either a thunder hammer or a storm shield (the storm shield is usually your best bet).
**For the points, you ''should not'' take flamers - a combi-flamer will deliver more S4 shots in that range per point, if you're ''really'' after 8" of S4 death. However, no tricks here will let you beat out Scout Bike trios or Bike trios for S4 hits per point, so you should seriously consider loading them out differently.
**The same is true of plasma, simply because plasmas and combiplasmas have the same point cost, so you may as well take the combis for their improved output against GEQ.
**Meltaguns cost as much as the Veterans carrying them, and you have no really great way to get them into position to shoot, so in practice, they're best avoided. Grav guns, on the other hand, are just always an inefficient choice, period, compared to plasma.
**Consider a Stormbolter + Chainsword loadout for Rapidfire 2 S4, and 3 Attacks on the charge, at a fairly decent price. These guys can be really helpful in a Character spam space marine army, as usually characters can't be shot if other units are in the way, but some attacks can single out characters. These guys can intercept those wounds.
**With a minimum size of two veterans, {{W40Kkeyword|Crimson Fists}} should be very pleased.
**Because all of the wounds of a single attack are negated it's pretty useful to take just two of them, and overkill the unit with mortal wounds if your characters get hit by especially high-damage attacks.
*'''Vanguard Veteran Squad:''' Better assault marines. They can take a large selection of weapons while using Jump Packs when properly loaded out they can get enemy models engaged in CC and kill them first turn if taken in numbers (the easiest way to accomplish a turn 1 deep strike charge is by making many attempts at it). A pretty popular unit in 7th and still could be in 8th, as weapons like lightning claws and power swords can wound things like dreadnoughts and vehicles on 5s. Plasma pistols are a really viable choice in 8th, as you can shoot both pistols on the drop. Each model can take 2 chainswords - that's 4 attacks per model for 90 points (or 80 if you're silly and don't take the Packs), 5 for the Sergeant. Though expensive, with the changes to how invulnerable saves work, a Vanguard squad with Thunder Hammers and Shields can be a superior alternative to taking hammernators. A squad with this set-up can kill some of the most powerful units in the game in a single turn. As an example, 4 groups of 5 hitting Magnus (T7 Sv3+/4++r1 18W) expect to wipe him out in a single turn, although they will cost about 2/3 again his cost, assuming you take the Jump Packs. Vanguard with thunder hammers can do a maximum of 33 damage per turn; if a Captain (or, better, a Chaplain, who will provide a better buff for fewer points), Lieutenant, and/or Guilliman is within buff range, they become particularly terrifying. Revisiting the above math, a nearby jump lieutenant and jump chaplain take the point difference from needing 668 to kill 415 to needing 597 (roughly, 4 squads to 2.5 squads), and that's just their buff, of course - both characters can jump in and help if they like. Each TH/SS Vet costs 13 points less than a TH/SS Assault Terminator, hits just as hard, can't have their teleport deactivated, has the same invulnerable save, will never need a transport to be effective, and has ''much'' higher movement. Their main trade-offs are an armour save of 3+ instead of a 2+ and 1 less wound than a Terminator; however, considering the amount of AP modifying weapons and multi damage weaponry in 8th, this isn't as big a trade-off as it first appears. On the whole, a flexible unit that can be geared to be what you want - as cheap as possible to shred hordes with chainswords, or tooled up to deal with more powerful units. Models in this unit can have 2 chainswords, which is usually more productive than 1 chainsword 1 bolt pistol -- as you get two fight phases per battle round, but only one shooting phase. 2 Chainswords on a 2 attack model means 4 total attacks.
*'''Sternguard Veteran Squad:''' With the special ammunition gone, the sternguard now walk up the field with their beefy Special Issue Boltgun. Now the gun is free and packing a punch with its AP-2 and 30" range over the standard-issue, the sternguard are much more likely to crunch through all forms of armour, especially in conjunction with the Masterful Marksmanship Stratagem. A special note goes towards combi-weapons; while they don't have the one-use rule anymore, remember that the bolt part of the weapon is the standard one without any AP. They also get the standard veteran extra attack over a normal marine, so they can deal some decent retaliatory damage when they're inevitably charged.
**The sergeant can take a Sergeant Weapon ''in addition to'' his SIB, which you should ''always'' do - depending on your plan for the unit, a combiflamer, combiplasma, or storm bolter plus SIB will ''always'' outperform any other loadout he can take, because the SIB is free.
**Still one of the best units to come out of a drop pod and rapid fire something to death with their special issue boltguns. Their new specialized stratagem gives them +1 to their wound roll, so make sure to have a Captain/Chapter Master near them for the re-rolls, and give him the Storm of Fire Warlord Trait and include a Lieutenant. Now they're shooting 20 shots, re-rolling 1s (or misses if it's the CM), wounding everything less than T8 on a 3/4+, re-rolling 1 s to wound, and every 5 or 6 to wound is resolved at AP-3 (and just for added fun, make them Imperial Fists and ignore that cover their squad is hiding in while you gain the potential for extra shots with the Bolter Drill Stratagem, or make them Salamanders for even more reliable wounding/improved AM and less reliance on a full Chapter Master).
**When these guys come out of drop pods, don't forget that their rapid fire range is 15", so that can give them some space before the inevitable charge. Most units are only able to rapid fire 12" away, so the following turn, the enemy unit can advance 6" and then be up close for an easy charge. The difference between being 9" away and 6" should not be understated, and should be used to your advantage, so keep that in mind when deploying their drop pod.
***Note that coming out of a drop pod 12" away if armed with Storm Bolters will be more effective, if riskier, and without ap-2.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
*When comparing the Special Issue Boltgun to the Storm Bolter, it can be seen that (ignoring range) the SIB is, in general, better than the Storm Bolter against most targets, when employing the Masterful Marksmanship stratagem. It is better universally if the target has a 2+ armour save and an invulnerable of 4++ or worse, and they are the same against 3+ or 2+/3++. The AP of the SIB comes in handy when discussing how many successful wounds when the wound roll is disadvantaged; the Storm Bolter affects nothing, while AP-2 can significantly improve wound chances. When using the stratagem, see the following table.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

<center><div>
{|class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Masterful Marksmanship
! colspan="5" |Save
|-
!2+
!3+
!4+
!5+
!6+
|-
! rowspan="5" |To Wound
!2+
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Both
|Storm Bolter
|Storm Bolter
|Storm Bolter
|-
!3+
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Storm Bolter
|Storm Bolter
|-
!4+
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Both
|Storm Bolter
|-
!5+
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Storm Bolter
|-
!6+
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|Special Issue Boltgun
|-
|}</div></center>
</div>
</div>

*'''[[Terminator Squad]]:''' As of late, Terminators seem to be overtaken by other elites and Primaris heavy hitters. However, terminators still have a worthy role in your army and it is actually the fluffiest! Terminators really only find value when being shot out of very cheap land raiders and teleporting. Heavy shock assault troops have always been their role, now its just been streamlined into their only relevant role. Terminators still have to worry about high-AP weaponry, but since very few weapons have anything better than AP-4 they'll almost always be able to use the resulting 6+ armour save (though you could just use the 5++ instead); it's not much, but it helps. At the same time, the addition of an extra Wound to their profile also outright doubles their survivability against massed small arms fire. The 5" movement means they're most effective when deep striking, but footslogging can still work if your opponent's lacking in anti-armour weaponary. The heavy flamer punishes counter charges and has the benefit of autohitting, but you won't be able to fire it the turn they teleport in. Storm Bolters do pour out the Dakka but Bolters aren't very productive, except when you tie in widely available buffs. The assault cannon is good for shredding lightly armoured infantry and can even pick away at light vehicles if you have nothing better to shoot at. The Cyclone Missile Launcher now arrives at a decent 32 points and vastly supplements all-rounder firepower. Teleport them onto a midfield objective, when in cover they become quite hard to shift. Deep Strike these guys 9" away from enemy meatsheilds, within Rapid Fire range of their Stormbolters, and launch the equivalent of 20 bolter shots. Follow up with a charge at whatever the meatshield was protecting.
**Teleport homers work a little differently now; it's set up during deployment, anywhere in your deployment zone, and allows Terminators to skip their move in exchange for re-deploying the unit within 6" of the homer. While this is great for bringing them into an area that needs defending, each homer can only be used once and will be disabled if an enemy moves within 9" of it. A good way to screw with your opponents head as they can see where the homer is and will always have to consider the fact that your units can just blip away at your discretion.
*'''Terminator Assault Squad:''' Still the gold standard of heavy assault troops, especially with the extra wound they've gained. The classic Hammernator setup is still great for smashing in vehicles and heavy infantry alike while taking little damage yourself, but the -1 to hit can be a problem at times. Take a Chaplain along to mitigate the lowered hit rate (remember, though, that re-rolls occur before modifiers, so no re-rolling 3s). A set of Lightning Claws are more reliable and more effective against horde armies due to the additional attack, so it may be a better idea than before to stick with them. Assault Terminators with hammers, shields and near a chaplain or captain can obliterate the most powerful units in 8th in a single turn. The only alternative that offers anywhere near the CC killing power of hammernators are vanguard with hammers (Hammerguard?) and while they have better movement and cost less they lack the durability of terminators having less wounds and a weaker armour save.
**Never take these guys with only Lightning Claws, you should always include at least 1 with hammer and shield. Why? Tartaros Terminators can take double claws for the exact same cost, have the same stats and 5++, get a 6" move instead of 5", and can add a grenade harness for a bit of shooting on the side; Cataphractii aren't as fast, but have a better invulnerable save, also get the harness, and ''cost 5 points less'' when using double claws. The only advantages these guys have over Tartaros are the hammer/shield setup, and a teleport homer for an emergency jump out, so *use* them.
**After failing to use these bad boys to their full potential for 3 games in a row, I've come to the conclusion that anything less than running them as '''Black Templars''' with a Chaplain babysitting them just isn't worth the effort or points. The 9" charge is just too much of a risk to pull off without the guaranteed re-roll, and the lack of Chaplain means these walking tanks fail to hit 50% of the time with their hammers. If you want to guarantee a KEQ kill, you need to make a successful charge with both the Terminators '''and''' the Chaplain, do not die to overwatch or return fire, then pop an ''Honour Thy Chapter''. As mentioned before, and in the standard unit's entry, use discounted Land Raiders to place Hammernators right where you need them.
*'''Cataphractii Terminator Squad:''' Cataphractii Terminators come with a 4++, but they're stuck with a movement of 4" and halve the results of their Advance rolls. They can be as lethal in close combat as Assault Terminators (and more durable by far when compared to Assault Terminators with LCs if kitted out that way), but their terribly slow movement means they'll struggle to actually get stuck in without deep striking or hitching a ride on a Land Raider.
**Remember that to benefit from the Lightning Claw's extra attack, you need to replace both the power fist and the combi-bolter. As lethal as the combination of LCs and a built in Storm Shield can be, it will eat up a lot of points. A good build not available to normal terminators is a LC and a twin boltgun on each terminator, dropping the twin LC for one and taking the boltgun, you only lose one attack and gain 4 bolt shots instead, giving your 5 man squad 20 shots, and don't forget you can take a heavy flamer too. On a 10 man unit that is 40 shots and you save yourself 20 points on dropping the extra LC.
**The sarge's grenade harness is a good way of giving him a ranged attack while still letting him take two lightning claws. It's an Assault D6 12" bolter with -1 AP, which isn't great but is still better than nothing.
**A unit of 5 Cataphractii Terminators with Twin Lightning Claws costs 210 points. A Terminator Assault Squad with Twin Lightning Claws costs 215 points. A Tartaros Terminator Squad with Twin Lightning Claws costs 215 points. For the reduction of 5 points you lose 1'' of movement and gain a 4++ save instead. The sheer durability added and the ability to teleport onto the field means that if you're looking to do Twin Lightning Claw terminators there's literally very little reason to NOT use Cataphractii over normal Terminators. Just keep in mind that after the charge they'll have to footslog unless you have a transport near by. Great when combined with Black Templers for the re-rolling charge to ensure they make the charge.
*'''Tartaros Terminator Squad:''' All the protection of standard Terminator Armour, but none of the movement penalties! As before, the Tartaros Terminators use Reaper Autocannons instead of Assault Cannons; while they have fewer shots than the AC, which means even with the extra point of strength they'll break even against T7 (and have worse output against T6 ), at least they're slightly cheaper. The improved mobility does come at the expense of losing access to Storm Shields, though, and unlike the Cataphractii your invulnerable save is no better than basic Terminator armour.
**Up to 2 models can take grenade harnesses; their range overlaps with the Combi-bolter's rapid fire range, so use that to your advantage.
**The sarge can take a Plasma Blaster or a Volkite Charger. The Plasma Blaster is an 18" Assault 2 plasma gun, with all the strengths and weaknesses that entails. The Volkite Charger is Heavy 2 15" S5 AP0 D2; while it may seem somewhat weak compared to the Plasma Blaster it can still cause multiple wounds without running the risk of blowing yourself up with it in the process. <s>[[Fail|But unlike other 40K Volkite weapons it can't cause more damage on a 6+.]]</s> GW sensed your pain and have answered: volkite chargers now do the extra mortal wound on a 6. Pairing it with the power sword might be a good idea, though - the sword's AP-3 can help compensate for the Volkite's ineffectivenss against armoured units. Though you probably want to take a Chainfist as it has better AP and damage compared to the other melee options. If you expect to face TEQs. You should take the Plasma Blaster instead.
*'''[[Dreadnought]]:''' The Dreadnought is one of the best non-HQ units in the Space Marine lineup. For 177 you can have a Dreadnought with twin lascannons and the CCW w/Heavy Flamer (even cheaper in 8.5 codex baby - this loadout now costs only ''134 points''), or for 165 you can have 5 Devastators with 4 lascannons. That's not the most optimal build for the Dreadnought, either. In an edition that loves the Heavy Flamer, Dreadnoughts can carry 3. The unit is buffed by HQs and provides the same security any other bubble wrap could. And speaking of buffs, remember that the Wisdom of the Ancients Stratagem gives it a Captain's re-rolling aura for a turn.
**Three heavy flamers is the best use for one of these guys, because a Venerable Dreadnought has more efficient accuracy, provided you took weapons that roll to hit.
**A special note on the capabilities of horde killing. An assault cannon is only 1 point more than taking 2 heavy bolters, in exchange for +1S, which is easily worth it - it will devastate any T3 units, and can deal with T4 too, while the heavy flamer will toast charging units. Should anything survive the onslaught, the dreadnought then packs 4 attacks at S12(!!!) with AP-3 and 3 damage a strike. The dreadnought will smash most things you throw it at, should you manage to get it into melee.
**Another mention goes to the Riflenought setup with two dual autocannons, spewing out 8 Autocannon shots per turn. Great for tearing up 2 wound models in particular, or throwing some decent hurt at most targets from long range. Notably, it's 5 points cheaper to do this with a regular dread than a Mortis. Even though the Autocannon option isn't in the new codex, luckily we can still use the wargear from the index/Legends profiles.
*'''Venerable Dreadnought:''' A Venerable Dreadnought has a slightly better WS and BS vs a regular Dreadnought, as well as the ability to negate received wounds on a 6+. It gets all of the same weapon options as a regular dread, so it can fill the role better, if more expensively. Notably, the 2+ BS lets you move and still shoot heavy weapons with a better than 50/50 chance to hit, so if you want your dual twin autocannon or lascannon/twin autocannon to stay mobile, consider the Venerable. Note that even with the cheapest possible loadouts (missile launcher+assault cannon), this implies a 17.24% cost increase for a 25% gain in performance if you stand still (the gain is better if you move), so unless you're taking Heavy Flamers or a Chapter Master, this is always worth it for the output alone; under a Chapter Master, even if you move the gain is less than the cost, so if you don't care about the durability increase, don't pay for the Venerability. Ven Dreads with the Iron Hands trait don't receive both benefits.
*'''Contemptor Dreadnought:''' For just a modest points increase over a standard Dreadnought, the Contemptor packs 3 extra inches of movement, 2 extra wounds, +1 strength, the same WS/BS as the Venerable Dreadnought, and a 3+/5++ (it also costs more than a Venerable). All of this, unfortunately, comes with a small consequence. The Contemptor and the Redemptor are the only non-FW dreadnought variants currently that suffer from a Damage Table. Generally speaking, the Contemptor is a goddamn steal for what he costs now. The extra-fast movement speed means he can get into any position he needs to be in very short order, and reach melee combat with almost complete certainty. It's limited to a melee weapon and either a multi-melta or Kheres-pattern Assault Cannon (which has one more point of S compared to the normal AC, in exchange for costing 4 points more - not that S7 vs S6 is a compelling jump) and lacks smoke launchers, but its wargear is still more than enough to take out most enemies. This dangerous combination of potent stats and strong weapons means he can fulfill a wide variety of battlefield roles, and the dizzying array of options its Forge World counterpart (see below) has only makes it even more adaptable:
**Crowd Control: Go after enemy units and hunt down squads.
**Elite Hunter: Superb at taking down other Elite Units.
**Character Killer: His high Strength, Weapon Skill, and Damage means the Contemptor can kill most characters in a single round of combat. He is rightfully to be feared by enemy warlords.
**Linesman: High toughness, high saves, and high wounds means the Contemptor can stop advances pretty quickly.
*'''Ironclad Dreadnought:''' Ironclad Dreadnoughts are much more melee-oriented than the other Dreadnought types, and the extra point of Toughness they get helps them stick around to get there. It switches out its ranged weapon for a Seismic hammer, which forces a -1 to hit but comes with AP-4 and deals a jaw-dropping 5 damage per attack; if reliability is more your thing, it can be switched for a Dreadnought chainfist which deals "only" 4 damage per attack but retains the high AP and loses the penalty to hit. The hammer is better against W5, 9, 10 while the fist is better against everything else. If you don't know for certain that you are going to face a lot of W5 characters or transports with W10 you should generally avoid the hammer. You can choose to switch the CCW for a hurricane bolter, but that's a bad idea since it re-rolls to hit results of 1 in close combat when it has two melee weapons equipped. Of course, if you plan on keeping close to a Captain or Chaplain (such as riding a Stormraven with them and another squad), that second CCW becomes redundant. Finally, the Ironclad Assault Launchers give it the ability to deal d3 mortal wounds to units within 1" of it after a charge on a 4+, which ensures they'll be softened up when you begin the fight phase.
**Ludicrously strong against high-wound targets without invulnerable saves such as tanks, Tyranid monsters, etc. It can easily earn its points back in a single melee phase, but it is limited by the 6" move.
**Worth noting that since the April 2019 FAQ, this is the only vehicle in your arsenal which can still use Bolter Drill on a Hurricane Bolter. pumping out 12 boltgun shots at 24" range is nothing to be sniffed at. It adds infantry clearance to its already very good CV.
**Unbelievably good with the iron hands stratagem for dreadnought characters, leave this chad in your lies and un-targetable and have him smash any big nasties that try and rush your lines.
*'''Redemptor Dreadnought:''' The vanilla dread's Jock roommate. With nearly twice the wounds of a vanilla dreadnought (and degrading stats to accompany the increased durability), the redemptor dreadnought is a solid heavy weapons platform, capable of holding the anti-horde Onslaught Gatling Cannon or the armour-melting Macro Plasma Incinerator, ''and'' the anti-air Icarus Rocket Pod as well as a pair of storm bolters or fragstorm grenade launchers. However, it is a heavy points investment, and much of its anti-armour potential might be better handled by specialized units like Devastators, Hellblasters, or Predator variants. Instead, anti-horde fire support appears to be its most effective niche, potentially able to put out a withering volley of mid-strength shooting that will take a significant chunk out of GEQ or weaker units and then follow up with a smack from its CCW, which is d6 damage compared to the normal Dreadnought CCW's d3. But even if it takes the Macro plasma Incinerator, the CCW can still swap its heavy flamer for an Onslaught Gatling Cannon to retain effectiveness against hordes.
** Equip it with a Plasma incinerator, use the Wisdom of the Ancients stratagem, and a big unit of Hellblasters, and you can re-roll all those overcharges that might blow you to high heaven.
*'''[[Invictor Tactical Warsuit]]:''' Dreadnought Lite—all the bulk, half the <s>calories</s> points. T6 and W13 helps keep it on the board, and it doesn’t degrade until it’s down to 6 wounds. For firepower, it can take either an Incendium Cannon that’s basically a souped up Heavy Flamer (12” Heavy 2d6 auto-hit S5 AP-1 D1), or a Twin Ironhail Autocannon (48” Heavy 6 S7 AP-1 D2) for shooting up heavy infantry. Backup weapons are a standard Fragstorm Grenade Launcher, a pair of Heavy Stubbers, and a Heavy Bolter that switches to Pistol 3 when enemies are within 1”. The only real way to take on vehicles (or, say, the occasional Bloodthirster) is with its Power Fist, which does 4 attacks at S14, AP-3, and D3. Finally, to get in position, it has the same Concealed Positions ability as Infiltrators and Incursors.
**Best use of this is probably to give it the flamer option and use Concealed Positions to start it within 12” of some enemy infantry. Further, this unit packs 5 S14 Ap-3 D3 hits on the charge or when charged, and careful positioning will hamper monsters and vehicles running towards your infantry, which is just another reason to get it as close to the enemy as possible. For this reason, assume it will get destroyed turn 3. However, if you're careful, it should get a few turns of shooting and overwatch with the flame cannon and maybe a combat or two with the fist... Could do better, could do worse.
**You could also give it the Autocannons and either leave it in your backfield for long range fire support, or use Concealed Positions to put it where it can pop shots off at targets who tried to hide and block line of sight. However, the rest of its weapons are oriented towards close range infantry mulching, leading to the same issues as with the laser version of the Repulsor Executioner.
*'''[[Reiver]] Squad:''' The 16 point loyalist equivalent to berserkers, the melee specialists of the Primaris Marines have some steep competition in the Elites slot, but where they're beaten in regards to sheer power they compensate with their unique rules and equipment. They're armed with a heavy bolt pistol that has -1 AP compared to the normal one and a combat blade that functions identically to a chainsword and can be traded for a bolt carbine, but their main draw is their Shock Grenades. They're Grenade d3 weapons that don't deal direct damage, but instead disable the Overwatch of INFANTRY they hit in addition to penalizing their hit rolls by 1. This added advantage in the Fight phase works well with the Reivers' Terror Troops rule, which reduces the Ld of all enemy units within 3" of any model in the Reiver Squad by 1, and which stacks with other squads up to Ld-3. As a result, they can debuff the Ld of units they're not actually in combat with, which can lead to a nasty chain reaction if they're stationed near units that are already likely to break in the Morale phase. They're also the cheapest of the Primaris Marines released so far by a long shot as well, which makes them a good way of supplementing an Assault Marine-centric force without spending too many points in the process. They can also buy grav chutes which lets them deep strike anywhere more than 9" away from the enemy. Alternatively, you can buy grapnel launchers, which negate vertical movement when calculating how far Reivers can move and allows for them to Outflank a la Space Woof Scouts.
** Now at 16 points per model, Reivers are looking better than ever! Thats 8 points per wound, ''with'' fancy kit. Indeed, the cheapest Space Marine wounds ever seen!!!
** A small unit with bolt carbines and grapnel launchers can make a decent harassing unit. Plop them in a building on your opponent's side. Bolt carbines put out twice as many shots as bolters/bolt rifles at 24" and the vertical distance keeps them safe from most assaults while cover helps keep them alive. Next turn hit the floor and advance while shooting, or better yet charge if you have the chance after popping off a shock grenade. It's a small, expendable unit that can still wreak havoc if left unchecked.
** While not points efficient, it is possible to give Reivers both the grav chutes and grapnel launchers. This really does it open up the board with movement. Have them drop onto a building and use their Bolt Carbines to harass enemy units that get close. If an enemy gets too close, no worries, simply advance away to another building. Because vertical movement is not an issue due to grapnel launchers, you can literally Tarzan around the board. And since assault weapons simple cause a -1 modifier on to hit rolls for a unit that has standard marine ballistic skill, you can see where this is going. With Combat blades, the units charge is not effected. Basically, they can jump down from high ground, assault, and get back into the high ground. Do be aware, however, that if you Advance, you can't Charge. Assault weapons don't mitigate this.
***These guys are top notch bullies. They won't do much to vehicles/monstrous creatures/heavy infantry... But will abuse MEQ and lower very well. It's funny because a unit like this belongs in a chaos codex with bat wings painted all over it, Guilliman lowered the bar with this lot.
**New codex has several buffs that let combat Reivers put in ''work.'' Shock Assault gives them '''four''' attacks per model in the first round of combat, and Assault Doctrine means they'll finally have an AP. Stack those Terror Troops debuffs with the Fearsome Aspect Successor Tactic for -4 Ld, and make Chaos Space Marines as cowardly as grots.
*'''[[Servitors]]:''' Now that they can be taken independently of a Techmarine, you could use them as a cheap way of adding more plasma cannons to your force, but with WS/BS 5+, Ld6, and only a 4+ armour save, they'll have trouble actually hitting things, die from anything more dangerous than a mean look, and are likely to be lost to morale checks; they don't even get the benefits of Chapter Tactics. Having a Techmarine nearby mitigates their flaws a little by boosting them to Ld 9 and WS/BS 4+, but even then there are much better things you could be doing with your Elites slot.
**Alternative take: If you have a techmarine anyway, it could be worth taking them as cheap fire support that also helps fill out detachments. 4 Servitors with 2 heavy bolters is 40 points. Servitors are essentially worse, cheap, devs in the elite section. For them to be able to make back their points though, they ''need'' that boost to BS.

====Forge World====
*'''Relic Contemptor Dreadnoughts:''' 37 points (around 38%) more naked than a naked normal Contemptor. Two more wounds compared to the standard Contemptor, ignore wounds received on a 6+ AND has a 2+ save, but Attacks also degrade with damage now (rather than Movement). You also get access to way more options than any other Dreadnought. For your convenience, they're all listed below; you can take any two you like, unlike the base Contemptor, which is forced into 1 melee option and has only a Kheres and a Multi-melta to choose from for its main gun. Unfortunately is a Relic, so each one of these forces you to take a non-Relic Elite. If you really just want a Contemptor but better (i.e. filling the same role against the same targets), take 1 chainfist with a heavy flamer and 1 Kheres. You'll get into position for the Kheres faster since your Movement doesn't cripple, it'll take way more work to cripple your statline, and your fist's output in both melee and ranged will be incredible.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
*Weapon Options
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''Cyclone Missile Launcher''': Per the FAQ, can take one of these, but it's 38 points for two missile launchers at only 36" range - two actual missile launchers would cost you 40, and have 48" range and the ability to split fire if you wanted. Not a bad idea, but better than on Terminators, as it mounts on top of the hull and doesn't replace an arm weapon. The big draw here is the Contemptor's BS2+.
*'''Fist Weapon Options''':DCCW or Chainfist, with a built-in Storm Bolter, Heavy Flamer, Plasma Blaster (an assault 2 plasma gun at a steep price hike, but sull usable for reasons described below), or Graviton Blaster (an assault 2 grav-gun without paying a point more, which is sadly not nearly enough to make it worthwhile). It's also worth mentioning that Relic Contemptor [[Dreadnought]]s have the ''Unstoppable Fury'' rule, while allows them to reroll 1s to-hit if they are armed with two melee weapons but doesn't specify in which phase. So you have less concern about overcharging your plasma blaster now that you hit on a rerollable 2+. Since your movement no longer cripples, the Heavy Flamer is a really solid choice, allowing you to easily get into position to use it even as your other stats degrade.
**'''Chainfists''': Contemptor Chainfists gain -1 AP and +1 damage over a normal DCCW. Overall a solid upgrade that lets them do terrible damage to both vehicles and monsters. It's a must-take for all purposes. Don't take 2, though - 1 chainfist + 1 DCCW will give you identical performance while saving you 6 shiny points.
**Re-rolling hit rolls of 1 is pretty damn worth it, now that rolling with 2 melee weapons only costs you 10 more points.
*'''C-Beam Cannon''': The new Heavy [[Conversion Beamer]] is a single-shot weapon that starts at S6 AP-3 that does D3 damage. It also gains +2 points of strength and +D3 damage for each 24" between the target and the firer, totaling [[Awesome|S12 AP-3 4d3 Damage]] at 72" exactly, though realistically it will be S10 AP-3 D3d3 between 48" and 72". In addition, if ''a model is removed from play as a result of wounds caused'' then it automatically triggers 2d6 extra auto-hits on the target unit at S6 AP0 D1. Generally speaking, this weapon suffers the exact same problem as the [[Vindicare Assassin]], with a crippling downside that the contemptor MUST remain stationary for the entire turn in order to use it. It cannot be stressed enough that this thing really '''<u>NEEDS</u>''' the range, though firing it at infantry squads has a good chance of killing a random mook and triggering an average of seven further S6 hits, which is still better than a twin heavy bolter. At full range, the initial hit will likely knock the crap out of any target, wounding it on a 2+ or 3+ depending on its toughness and generally reducing its save to 5+ or worse but those additional hits will likely be wasted.
**Against the infantry targets you have a serious chance at one-shotting, the C-Beam Cannon suffers from costing so much. Against GEQs, you'll do a lot of damage even at short range, but not enough to outperform the Kheres, and you'll face similar scaling problems at any range, largely because as your ability to guarantee the "splatter" improves, your splatter's actual value gets worse. This weapon actually becomes the best when used against hard targets at the range - at 48" or more away, the only 6+ wounds target it's not your best choice against is T5 or T6, where the twin autocannons take over - but without the range, it's just not going to earn its keep.
**Think of this as the Swiss Army Knife of Dreadnought weapons. While there are dedicated weapons that handle their specialty better than the C-Cannon does, the fact that this can be used against almost any target and still be relatively effective is worth a mention. The movement restriction is an issue, though.
*'''Kheres Assault Cannon''': Take this against 1-wound models at Toughness 3, 5, 6, 7, or 10, (where on God’s green earth you’re going to find a Toughness 6/7/10 1-wound model is beyond me, but just in case...) and mulch your enemies.
*'''Twin Heavy Bolters''': 68% the cost of a Kheres, in exchange for S5 instead of S7 and 12" more range. S7 isn't a big deal, but S6 is, for shooting up both GEQs and Buildings, should that come up; the tl;dr here is that the THB is your best choice against 1-wound models with Toughness 1, 2, 4, 8, or 9 (although where you'll find those last options is a mystery).
*'''Twin Autocannons''': Identical to the one on the normal Dread. Worse than either of the above options against single-wound enemies, but the best you can take against 2-wound foes; the twin [[lascannon]], below, only finds viable targets starting at 3-wound targets and above, but this gun remains a good choice all the way up against ''something''; even at 6+ wound targets, this is best against Toughness 5, 6, 7, or 10, due to its relatively cheap cost.
*'''Twin Lascannons''': Pop vehicles open without having to get into melta range. Probably better on the Contemptor Mortis, though. Has fantastic range, but is crippled by its staggering cost; in order to earn its keep you have to shoot things with the wounds to notice that 1d6 damage rating. Once you're up against 6+ wounds targets, it's best against Toughness 1-4, 8, and 9.
*'''Multi-Melta''': A terrible idea. Much less effective than twin lascannons, against, well, anything. And the basic Dread or non-FW Contemptor could already take this.
*'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''': You have a 6+ save against the wounds overcharging this causes, but it's worse than your other choices against anything in the game, overcharged or not. Skip.
</div></div>

*'''Relic Deredeo Dreadnought:''' The end-all solution to your dakka-Dread needs, for when even the Contemptor Mortis won't cut it. Its armour save is slightly worse than the Contemptor's at only a 3+, but to compensate it has 2 more wounds and its invulnerable save rises to 4+ in the Fight phase (but why are you in melee in the first place?) on top of the built-in smoke launchers. For guns, you have the Anvilus Autocannons (8 36" autocannon shots with +1 S) for mulching infantry, the Hellfire Plasma Carronade (5 overcharged plasma gunshots which deal 3 damage each but cause mortal wounds on a 1) as the generalist option, and the Arachnus Lascannon Battery (2 S10 AP-4 D6 Damage shots that deal an extra mortal wound on 6s) for taking out vehicles, and also chest-mounted heavy bolters/heavy flamers. Don't bother upgrading to heavy flamers. While auto-hits are good, the Deredeo should be as far away as possible. It should be shooting things, not tied up in melee. It can supplement the main weapon with either an Aiolos Missile Launcher for extra fire support or an Atomantic Pavaise to give everyone within 6" of itself a 5+ invulnerable save. The latter works great with Devastators or other long-ranged units that can help support the Deredeo's firepower.
**8th edition is kind of a mixed bag for the Deredeo. While 8 shots at BS2+/3+ on the move with the Anvillus sure are great, the 12" range reduction is very painful, especially for the plasma carronade. 24" max means it will be in range of most weapons in addition to the risk of losing wounds which is very probable at 5 shots per turn. So it is advised to have a reroll/repair character nearby should you go for the plasma option.
** Raven Guard and Salamanders Chapter Tactics make Deredos substantially better - RG increases its survivability, and Salamanders provides a source of rerolls to make sure those giant fuck off lascannons deal damage or that the plasma carronade doesn't damage the Deredeo.
**In addition, a "Master of the Forge" Techmarine can provide a +1 to ensure the Deredeo takes no mortal wounds. And since you're bringing another elite, make it a plasma armed vehicle (like a redemptor dreadnought). Overlap the 5+ invuln save and safe plasma on a few high-wound dreadnoughts and you got yourself a sticky gun battery that will cause a headache for your opponent.
*'''Deimos Pattern Relic Predator''': Take a Predator, give it an extra wound, and slap a Plasma Destroyer on it as its turret weapon, and you have one of these tanks. The Plasma Destroyer itself can't be overcharged, but with the same number of shots as the basic Predator Autocannon and 2 Damage, it doesn't really need to be. While it can swap out the plasma destroyer for the standard Predator guns, that's a waste of its options. Instead, you should use its unique options: the Conversion Beam cannon to make it a hard-hitting artillery unit, the Magna-Melta for close-range anti-vehicle firepower, and the Infernus cannon for a double dose of heavy flamer goodness.
**The c-beam isn't bad if you can keep your target at least 24" away. 72", heavy 1, S6, AP-3, Dd3, 2d6 S6 auto-hits if you cause a wound. A pretty solid addition to a gunline, since the infantry can provide a deep-strike and charging buffer. Best utilized against light-vehicles and smaller monsters due to 2d6 auto-hits. Its real downside is that it's heavy 1. You get one-shot. Just the one. Uno. Ein. So try and make sure it's plonked next to a Captain, or have a CP or two set aside to re-roll.
**Plasma Destroyers fill in the usual plasma niche, but better. 36", S7, AP-3, D2, and does NOT cause a mortal wound. A good counterpart to the autocannons anti-light vehicle, this gun specializes in anti-heavy infantry. In that vein, the range gells with sponson heavy bolters, but can also pair well with sponson lascannons if you're going after monsters.
**The magna-melta is garbage (24", Heavy d3, S10, AP-4, Dd6, melta rule), and it's '''70pts'''. Hard pass, grab the twin las for vehicle busting. The infernus cannon (8", heavy 2d6, S5, AP-1, D2, auto-hits), isn't much better at its role of infantry killing at 45pts. Predator autocannons or plasma destroyer will do much better at that role, especially since you don't have to spend at least two turns getting in range. Either grab a Baal Predator or a Hellhound if you want Imperial '''fire'''power.
*'''Relic [[Javelin Attack Speeder]]:''' The poor Deodorant Tanks got a huge nerf in 8th edition. For the most part, these fulfill the same role as before, that of a Heavy Land Speeder. [[lolwut|But they lost the twin-linked rule on their Missile Launchers'''(WTF)''']]. They even lost their trademark Outflank ability. Overall this turned what was already a mediocre relic slot item, at best, into a shitty tool that's worse off than a generic land speeder.
** IS it garbage? for 100 points you get 9 wounds on a T6 platform with a 3+ save and FLY, also including a handy rule: "Gravatic Augur Haze" that imposes a -1 modifier on all shooting attacks from 8" or more. This layout has 2 lascannons and a heavy bolter. That is 1 less heavy bolter than a Predator and arguably more survivable, plus it doesn't have a damage chart. With Raven Guard enhanced chapter tactics these should be able to get an additional +1 cover save while you comfortable fly around the backfield. Frankly, you could do worse, 3 of these will be 300 points with 6 lascannons and will be very hard to remove, all the while they constantly provide dedicated fire that can maneuver very well.

*'''Relic [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]:''' The Sicaran has transitioned smoothly into 8th ed, retaining its status a high-speed menace. With a big 14" move, T7, 14 wounds, and 3+ Save it falls in between a Predator and a Land Raider in terms of size and durability. It's armed with a nasty twin accelerator autocannon which has a couple of neat tricks. It fires at 48" Assault 8 S7 AP-1 D2, suffers no penalties to its hit rolls when attacking flyers, and a to-wound roll of 6 increases the AP of that hit to -3. It's also armed with a single Heavy Bolter and can grab 2 sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters or 2 sponson-mounted Lascannons, a hunter-killer missile, and a pintle-mounted Storm, Bolter, if you crave more dakka. The Sicaran is a useful anti-air unit in a pinch and is well known for its ability to counter skimmers. Make good use of the Assault rule on its main gun by zipping around and firing while advancing. Thanks to Chapter Approved the Sicaran now only costs 165 points without sponsons.
*'''Relic Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer:''' The Venator trades the regular Sicaran's quantity of anti-skimmer shots for vehicle annihilation; even if a tank survives the Neutron Pulse Cannon's S12 AP-4 D6 damage hits (all 3 of them), it'll have all its shooting rolls reduced by 1 for the turn, which can make life very difficult for vehicles like Executioners or Tau vehicles with Ion Cannons. Additionally, it doesn't get penalties for moving and firing its heavy weapons.
*'''Relic Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank:''' A new flavor of Sicaran, its draw is the Punisher Rotary Cannon- 18 Heavy Bolter shots guaranteed to make any hordes within 36" hate life. And if you don't move that turn, it re-rolls all to-hit rolls of 1. Enjoy making Orks and Tyranids cry.
*'''Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank:''' Another Sicaran variant, this one is armed with a rotary missile launcher. Though 24" is a bit short-ranged for a vehicle weapon, it's still Heavy 2d6 with S5 AP-2 D1. And not only does it negate cover saves, it also deals an extra mortal wound to INFANTRY units on a 6+ to wound. If you're forced to fight an extra large horde, it can switch its weapon profile to Heavy 4d6 at the expense of not being able to fire its missiles until after the end of the next turn. As a result, taking the heavy bolters/lascannons and the storm bolter is a good idea to ensure it doesn't render itself defenseless after a missile massacre.
**Alternative Opinion: Don't get the Arcus Strike Tank. Ever. Functionally, the Relic Whirlwind Scorpius performs the exact same role against most types of infantry (but better) except against pure hordes, at which point the Sicaran Punisher takes over. Seriously, this tank is an absolute mess, and there is little to no reason for you to bring this. If you really want to field a Sicaran tank, look somewhere else.
*'''Relic Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer:''' Yet another member of the Sicaran family. Its Omega Plasma Array has two modes; in its normal mode, it acts like a Heavy 6 plasma gun, and when supercharged it becomes Heavy 3 S9 AP-3 3 D and inflicts an extra mortal wound on a 6 to wound, but loses d3 wounds if it rolls a 1 to hit. Unfortunately, its range is no better than that of the Arcus, which is far better at wiping out infantry of all types due to the sheer number of cover-ignoring shots it can fire. The range issue is even worse when trying to use it against vehicles, since it'll be in lascannon/plasma cannon range long before it can shoot back and the -1 to hit from moving is going to make it a lot more likely to blow itself up (and even if it survives, it'll still be overshadowed by the Venator). Overall, it's not bad, but not ''quite'' good enough when compared to its competition.
*'''Relic Whirlwind Scorpius:''' The Scorpius is set apart from the basic Whirlwind by its Scorpius Launcher (and its occupation of an Elites slot, not a Heavy one) - while it has only half the range of either of the Whirlwind's rocket types, 3d3 S6 AP-2 D2 shots is still plenty to threaten hordes and light vehicles alike. And as an added bonus, it can fire twice in a shooting phase if the Scorpius hasn't moved in the movement phase.
* If you stand this bad boy still, it has 6D3 S6 AP-2 D2 Shots that ignore LOS. 48'' is plenty enough range to hit the majority of targets it wants to hit, and doing so outside of LOS is huge. Properly supported, it can annihilate medium and heavy infantry, while the number of shots, good AP, and reliable damage give it utility against light and medium vehicles. With Combat Doctrines it will have AP-3 round one. Very nice vehicle.

====Warhammer Legends Units====
*'''Apothecary on Bike: ''' Same rules as Apothecary, except for the price of a Lascannon, you get +1T and +1W, and he's now faster than a Rhino to zip around to where he's needed most. Gets a twin boltgun with the bike for a little dakka.

*'''Company Ancient on Bike:''' Gets the same added durability and speed upgrade as an Apothecary on a bike. His aura still only affects {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}}, not bikes.
**''Always'' take a bike. With the new 60mm x 35mm bike bases, your aura increases from about 6.5" from the center of the model to about 7.75", giving you more than a 15" diameter bubble of bonus actions.

*'''Company Champion on Bike:''' Same as above, with the bike's +1T, +1W, M14, and twin bolter. Costs a truly staggering 94 points, so best avoided.

*'''Imperial Space Marine:''' Now a character rather than just something you can substitute any Space Marine model for, which is good because he's gotten much nastier since last edition. Compared to an average Tactical, he's gained 3 extra wounds, 2 more attacks, and one extra Ld point. But it's his disintegrator combi-gun and disintegrator pistol you should watch out for. They're only 18" Rapid Fire 1 and 9" Pistol 1 (respectively), but with S5, AP-3, and d6 damage (basically a higher damage combi-grav and grav pistol) they have the potential to fuck up a lot of units if it manages to wound them. He is frustrating to use against T6+ Monsters and Vehicles, but against T5 models and less he's a straight thug killer.

*'''Company Veterans on Bikes:''' Similar to their footslogging counterparts, but with an extra wound and point of toughness per model. Keep in mind that they can only intercept hits for {{W40Kkeyword|Biker Characters}}, so if none of your Captains/Chaplains/Librarians are on bikes, they won't be able to bodyguard. It's challenging to justify the points cost here, since you pay 9 more points per bike than a Bike Squad, and don't get additional special weapons access until the 4th unit member, but this is just about the only way to field melee-focused bikes, if you have some sort of weird desire for that. 5 Company Veterans on Bikes each with a Stormbolter can lead to this single unit putting out 40 bolter shots at half range. A tactical squad at half range is 10 shots for 65pts, 6.5 points per bolt fired. A Scout Bike Squad at half range with a Storm Bolter Sergeant is 22 shots for 77 pts, 3.5 points per bolt fired. Meanwhile the Company Veterans on Bikes with Stormbolters comes to 4.75 points a bolter shot.
**Running two smaller 2 or 3 man squads instead of one larger squad has some tradeoffs. With more small squads, you get more sergeants (i.e. more melee attacks), make multi shot weapons less effective, and make it more likely for your opponent to overcommit when shooting them, since there are fewer guys for the shots to spill to. However, smaller squads make it easier for the opponent to pick off the guy he wants, for the same reason. Small squads are also fully immune to morale, but that's not much worry for a bigger squad anyway.

*'''[[Honor Guard]]:''' Two bodyguards for your Characters. 21 points plus wargear. On a 2+, any wounds lost by your Characters turn into mortal wounds against any Honor Guard within 3". They can take boltguns AND power weapons of your choice — including [[Awesome|relic blades]] if you're willing to shell out the points.

*'''{{W40kKeyword|[[Legion of the Damned]]}}'''
**'''Damned Legionnaires:''' Tough, a deep striking infantry unit. They can be armed with a plasma gun, flamer or a melta along with a heavy flamer or multimelta. The sergeant gets access to a shortened list of the usual sergeant weapons. The built-in 3++ invuln keeps the Legion of the Damned on the table longer than other Power Armour infantry units. Heavy Flamers and Flamers are great, but on the turn, the LotD unit arrives, it must be 9" away, and the flamers cannot shoot. For this reason, LotD is maximized with plasma or melta weapons on the alpha strike. Two squads of LotD can really hurt powerful tanks with two melta weapons in each squad. The flamer heavy loadout is best for objective camping early in the game, as the LotD can grab useful points via their deepstrike turn one.
**Legion of the Damned can be taken alongside any {{W40kKeyword|Imperium}} army in a Vanguard detachment despite said detachment not having any HQ units in it. However, the detachment will not grant extra CP.
**Unfortunately the LotD are one of the most point inefficient units in 8th edition, which is a shame considering their bitchin' models. Only ever use these guys in a fun environment, as competitive ones will laugh at these guys.
***Despite this, some viable strategies include dropping them in an objective in cover. Also you might as well give the Sergeant both a storm bolter and a bolter for some hilarious rapid fire 3 on a basic dude — and yes, they do still gain [[Dakka|Bolter Discipline]].

===Dedicated Transport===
*'''[[Rhino]]:''' 10 Wounds and a 3+ make the old [[METAL BOXES]] harder to crack open than ever before, and it comes with a mean new trick- at the start of the turn, you roll a d6, and on a 6+ the Rhino restores a lost wound. It might not seem like much, but it can make the difference between moving 12" and 6" if it moves you back a step on the damage table. Also now having 2 storm bolters means that you can output a lot of Dakka (8 shots at 12 inches), and Kill off some infantry then tie up vehicles in combat. A breakthrough star of 8th
*'''[[Razorback]]:''' Transports that produce offensive output, like a Razorback, are likely to be very strong this edition. 8 lascannons fired by devastators will not destroy a Razorback in one turn on average. That is a lot of Dakka to absorb. If you run them with Heavy Flamers, then no matter how injured your Razorback is, it will still always autohit, until said Razorback is dead.
**The razorback has 6 different options for its main weapon, making it a very flexible tool for patching up weak points in your army's firepower.
***''Twin Heavy Bolter'': The stock option and by far the most boring. Cheap, and that's really all that can be said for it. Use if you're on a budget, but if you're not upgrading the weapon, maybe consider just going with a plain old Rhino instead and drop a couple of Heavy Bolters somewhere else in your army, they're nearly the same cost.
***''Twin Assault Cannon'': The crowd favorite and for good reason. 12 S6 AP-1 shots is a substantial threat, allowing you to mulch that Guardsman squad standing on the objective you want before dumping your cargo of marines out to finish them off. Got a notable price bump in Chapter Approved, so it isn't an auto-pick anymore, just a very solid one.
***''Twin Lascannon'': The infamous Laserback. The most expensive option, but a damn good one. This is one of the Marine's more cost-effective anti-tank options, able to deposit its cargo, then dig in and start picking at tanks and monsters.
***''Twin Heavy Flamer'': (Index Only) The Marine's knockoff Immolator, it really suffers from the pathetic 8" range. Even the THB can deal more damage simply by having the range to do so; this weapon will be complete dead weight until you're literally on top of the enemy. Avoid.
***''Lascannon and Twin Plasmagun'': (Index Only) A bit of an esoteric choice, with the TAC's price hike, this option is only 1 point more. The real draw is the fact that the Plasma guns are Rapid Fire, not Heavy, allowing you to tear around the board firing without penalty. While it actually outperforms the Twin Lascannon in every area when Overcharging, even when not in Rapid Fire range, it does carry that annoying rule that it dies without saves if it rolls a 1 to hit. Still, an interesting option and certainly worth looking into.
***''Multi-Melta'': (Forge World) This is the weapon of the Infernum Pattern Razorback mentioned below, but it is literally the only difference between it and the regular Razorback, so here we are. The cheapest weapon option outside the stock THB, this is the budget anti-tank choice. Workable, but a single 24" melta shot taken at -1 from moving is putting a lot of faith in a 50/50 chance.
*'''Land Speeder Storm:''' Dedicated transport for 5 Scout models, for the same base cost as a normal Landspeeder. Open top so they can shoot out of it, although still suffer any penalties for shooting heavy weapons after moving, and cannot shoot after falling back even if the vehicle still can. Does not get Concealed Positions, but has an 18" move, to easily re-locate. Starts with a Cerberus Launcher (D6 bolter shots at 18") and a Heavy Bolter that it can swap for a Multi-Melta, Heavy Flamer, or Assault Cannon.
**Put a Scout Sniper squad inside for a mobile Character killing fire base with a 7 wound buffer. Heavy flamer to discourage charges (and hopefully let you fly away next turn), or a Heavy Bolter/AC to provide supporting fire.
**Put a Scout Shotgun squad inside with a Heavy Flamer, and charge it up into their face.

*'''[[Drop Pod]]:''' Grants a Power Armour unit deepstrike. Tactical Marines can use it to capture objectives and hamper enemy movement. Melta units can get in close for a hard strike. Assault units can charge out of it if you can make 9 on 2d6. No longer scatters and arrives at the turn you chose. Much more importantly, it ignores the Tactical Reserves rule so you can finally pull off a turn 1 Deep Strike. You might still struggle to pull off a charge or get into the optimal range, but the correct selection of Chapter Tactics can do a lot to mitigate those downsides.
**it is been FAQ'ed that the opened doors count as part of the Models, soo it can also be used to make a sizable anti-deepstrike zone, before it’s shot of the board (if your opponent put enough thought into it).
**If you choose to take the Deathwind Launcher in Matched Play, then you are officially retarded, as a Storm Bolter is generally twice as good for its points at 12" and can also shoot up to 24".

*'''[[Repulsor Tank]]:''' The Primaris flying landraider, trading a little armour for absurd more firepower. Holds 10 Primaris Marines (models with Gravis armour count as 2) and carries a fair number of anti-tank or anti-horde weapons to protect its passengers. While it can be built to be a veritable battle tank in its own right, it is a heavy point sink and requires support to get the most out of its statline. As most of its anti-tank damage comes from having the potential to equip the equivalent of four lascannons, it might be best to aim for a mixed build to capitalize on its potential to melt hordes and severely damage vehicles. However, its costs can rack up quickly, so unless you plan to field a lot of Primaris Marines you're probably better off taking a Land Raider variant. It also has the FLY keyword with all of it's dis-/advantages. Take it with a squad of 8 Reivers, a Primaris Chaplain, and Apothecary for a rather mean, if expensive assault/harassing Unit. Just hope it survives the onslaught of AT weapons long enough to get them in position.
** If you're just looking for lots of lascannons or horde-clearing weaponry, there are probably cheaper - if somewhat slower - means of getting them on the table, like a Devastator Squad or Redemptor Dreadnought. Anti-armour setups, in particular, have the issue that the las-talon has only half the range of the twin lascannons, which means it'll only be able to unleash half its anti-armour firepower at its farthest range. At that matter, most of its other weapons struggle with an equally short range compared to most vehicle-mounted weapons, so it will likely need support when dealing with long-ranged attackers.
**Defensively, it's nearly identical to a Land Raider; although its armour is only a 3+, it has the same number of wounds as a LR and does a good job at discouraging charges with its Repulsor Field rule (-2 from any charge rolls). The optional Auto Launchers supplement this with an extra -1 to hit on opponent shooting rolls if the Repulsor doesn't shoot.
**Three Aggressors with Auto-Boltstorm Gauntlets, a Captain in Gravis armour, and a Primaris Lieutenant and Apothecary all fit snugly in this beast, hit like a brick, can heal models around it, and protect otherwise slower models. Outfit the Repulsor with Heavy/Onslaught Gatling Cannons and say goodbye to any infantry in 18". If you take a regular Primaris Captain instead of one in Gravis armour, you can also toss a primaris ancient into the floating death-bawks so that the aggressors have a chance to fire when they die as well.
**When kitting the Repulsor out, decide if you want it fighting tanks or hordes. In terms of pure output, for anti-tank take the Las-talon and Twin Lascannon, for anti-horde take the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon and Twin Heavy Bolter and for balanced take the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon and Twin Lascannon. Do note that in terms of points effectiveness the Twin Heavy Bolter is better than the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, though.

*'''[[Impulsor]]:''' The inbred spawn of a Razorback and a Repulsor. Has 1 more wound than a Rhino and can be upgraded with a 4++, but lacks Self-Repair and Smoke Launchers. Comes stock with two Storm Bolters with the option of taking Ironhail Heavy Stubber and swapping the storm bolters for fragstorm grenade launchers. 14" movement and FLY, combined with the ability to disembark a unit after moving and the penalty to enemy charges that the Repulsor also inflicts makes the Impulsor one of the better transports... in theory. In practice:
**It has a transport capacity of 6 but can't carry JUMP PACK or GRAVIS models, so it's only good for moving MSU squads.
**Passengers can't charge after it's special disembark, so it's no help for assault armies.
**So, what is it good for? Not much yet, but a cool new reveal has more or less answered this question. cough9thedcough.
**It can take the following upgrades:
***'''Shield Dome:''' A 4++ invulnerable save. Generally, this is the one you want, as it makes this bizarre vehicle unusually tough (smart opponents will simply shoot its cargo, so hurl it into CC ASAP).
***'''Ironhail Skytalon Array''': The cheapest addon. Two more heavy stubbers that get +1 to hit and to wound if they target a flyer, and -1 if they target anything else, which probably translates to [[Imperial Guard|BS5]] since it lacks Power of the Machine Spirit. Only use if you expect to be up to your armpits in flying enemies or to spend that last 5 points.
***'''Bellicatus Missile Launcher:''' Yep, it's a missile launcher with the addition of Anti-air. Could technically work as an adaptable weapon, but taking other weapon teams and tanks would be better.
***'''Orbital Comms Array''': The orbital bombardment you know and love from the Damocles Rhino and the Stratagem. One use only, but being able to crap out mortal wounds wherever you like is still nice. As long as you can keep it alive to use it, of course. This bombardment does not involve ballistic skill. That means your opponent will have to go through 11 wounds to stop you from using the mortal wounds. This demands that your opponent potentially waste firepower on your otherwise expendable transport while your hellblasters take far less damage.

====Forge World====
*'''Lucius Pattern Dreadnought Drop Pod:''' It's a drop pod...for dreadnoughts. A good, relatively cheap option for delivering dreads right into multi-melta range and the ONLY option for deep striking Leviathans and Deredeos at all. (Why you would deep strike a Deredeo is a mystery, but you do you)
**Note that while it completely lacks any offensive abilities whatsoever, it can still serve one use after its cargo lumbers off: body blocking. It still counts as an enemy model for your opponent in terms of movement and line of sight and thus they have to 1. Kill it, thus sparing one of your other units some damage and since the pod is nearly as tough as a Rhino, it'll take a beating before going down 2. Go around it, which costs time and forces units out of position, or 3. Go through the hassle of charging it, using pile in to scoot around it and falling back from it, which is really, REALLY dumb. And the model (if you can get ahold of a real one) is massive when its doors are open, denying a huge chunk of board. Bonus points if you can use this to block your opponent's anti-tank from reaching the Dread you just disembarked into his backline on the opposite side of the pod.
**Also remember it can turn an ironclad from a risky high damage Slow speed bullet magnet to a unstoppable rape machine if used against tightly packed armies and tanks, especially with Black Templars charge re-rolls.
*'''Infernum Pattern Razorback:''' A Razorback with a Multi-Melta. Might be tricky to get it into melta range in one piece, but on the other hand, it's a Dedicated Transport with a Multi-Melta.
*'''Termite Assault Drill:''' It's neither a drop pod or a rhino, but something of both. Like a drop pod, the Termite can be deployed at the end of a movement phase close to the enemy. Once deployed, however, the termite acts like a very slow Rhino. At 8 inches, this thing isn't going anywhere fast. Not to mention the melta cutter is so short-range its only real use is to fight back if it happens to be caught in melee. So why bother? Well, the termite has some neat little things going for it. First is the transport capacity. At 12 standard marines(Not terminator, jump pack, or primaris) this little drill is quite the metal box. Add in that deployment and who cares if this thing only moves 8 inches a turn. <strike>Even better is the Breaching terror special rule with gives enemy units with 12 inches a mortal wound.</strike> And then there is the subject of weapons. Storm Bolters are the way to go most of the time due to the range and fire output. Heavy flamers are meh, though the increase in the movement has helped make the weapon somewhat more viable. Volkite chargers are iffy. They have more range and damage than the flamer but have a negative 1 to hit on the move. Honestly, the Storm Bolters are your best bet. The termite also has a decent melee game, though this is more for protection than anything. That being said, the drill makes for a nasty anti tank melee weapon. Now for the bad news. This thing is expensive points-wise, way more so than the drop pod, but the points cost is nothing compared to how much you will need to pay Forge World for one.

===Flyers===
*'''[[Stormhawk]] Interceptor:''' The Anti-Flying Flyer. Gets a +1 to hit any target with the Fly keyword, to mitigate the penalty for moving and firing heavy weapons. Comes stock with 2 Assault Cannons, 2 Heavy Bolters, and an Icarus Stormcannon. The bolters can be swapped with Skyhammers for more anti-flying or a Typhoon against ground targets, while the Icarus can be swapped for an anti-vehicle laser. Cannot hover, unfortunately, but does get to re-roll any 1's for saves and has the normal Hard to Hit.
**A good choice if you are going up against Tau or Dark Eldar, due to the prevalence of Fly. Especially the Icarus/skyhammer combo as it lets you hit anything with Fly on a 2+; with the drawback of hitting everything else only on a 5+.
**Another unit that has suddenly become very good for Iron hands as when in devastator doctrine you'll be hitting without penalties and re-rolling 1's in addition to your additional -1 AP, this means that on iron hands Stormhawks you can just load up on anti-infantry and wear down enemy flyers and if he doesn't have flyers then just kill of all his infantry with your assault cannons and heavy bolters to keep him from grabbing objectives.
*'''[[Stormtalon]] Gunship:''' The Anti-Ground Flyer. The 'Talon has undergone a few noticeable changes in this edition. You can hover, of course, but standing still is probably not what you want to do with it. The other change comes from the assault cannon. The weapon now vomits out three times as many shots, but lost much for AP and lost rending completely. This makes it better at clearing infantry than the light vehicles it had been targeting previously. Compared to the last edition, it's much tougher but easier to hit. Also technically your cheapest flier, making it good for building Air Wings.
** If you hover you can fire at ground targets at BS2+, assuming you don't move and have taken no more than 4 wounds (Or you are back to normal 3+ after falling into middle damage bracket, which at that point might as well stay in hover and get the most out of your flyer before it gets toasted). This is actually really damn good, in later turns. having the ability to get a few solid rounds fo shooting makes a big difference. Be sure to play your talons cautiously, as the assault cannon requires you to get within range of enemy Dakka. This flyers true potential can only be achieved by treating it very gently.
**Also note that, for the usual GW rules-fuckery reasons, the Strafing Run special rule completely invalidates the second half of the Skyhammer Missile Launcher's rules. Skyhammer Missile Launchers gain +1 to hit against units with FLY and -1 to hit against units WITHOUT FLY...but Strafing Run gives a +1 to hit against units WITHOUT FLY. Resulting in a net result of only +1 against FLYing units.
*'''[[Stormraven]] Gunship:''' A flying Land Raider and one of the most effective units marines have. T7 means S4 weapons can wound it on a 5+ compared to the Raider's T8, 2 fewer wounds, and a 3+ save instead of a 2+, but it's much faster and has -1 to be hit when zipping around. It's also a bit cheaper than a Land Raider, depending on what you arm it with. In addition to the -1 to hit it, it has the new normal flyer rules. Comes stock with a twin assault cannon, twin heavy bolter, and two Stormstrike launchers (72" heavy 1 S8 AP-3 3 damage) that's 20 shots a turn. Can swap the assault cannon for a twin lascannon or twin heavy plasma (that only causes 1 mortal wound for a 1 to hit when supercharged instead of straight killing it). Can swap the heavy bolter for a twin multi-melta or typhoon missile launcher. It can also strap on a couple of hurricane bolters (seriously for 20 points total with 24 bolter shots on the rapid range you should ALWAYS take this). It has the same Power of the Machine Spirit as a Land Raider, so it can shoot heavy weapons on the move at no penalty. Can carry 12 Infantry (and can carry Jump, Terminator, and Centurions, but they take extra space) and 1 Dreadnought whose max Wounds value is less than 13. With a 45" max normal move (up to 65" if you advance), you can get right in the face of something, then have an almost guaranteed charge the next turn. There are no restrictions on disembarking from it, so you don't even have to drop to hover if you don't want to. It starts on the board, and can't fly off of it.
**While all vehicles are more expensive this edition, the big bird can eat up a massive amount of points. All those guns aren't free and the base cost is fairly high, as well. This, combined with the loss of the bulk of flying rules, makes the 'Raven a bit more like a superheavy tank, albeit a fast one.
** Point cost was further increased for both the bird and the weapons in the CA.
** Be aware that some armies have dangerous Anti-Air-Guns or even CC (flying demons, monsters...). Your Stormraven carries a huge "Shoot me!" sign right above it's cockpit, so most players I met will try to get it down turn 1 at all cost. This will most likely also kill some of the passengers. IMHO it is a beast on paper but tends to be a duckling in real games. Agreed, as it is far too expensive for a T7 model, especially since it will often see an entire armies worth of Dakka in a single turn. Hovering with this thing is suicide.

====Forge World====
*'''[[Fire Raptor]] Assault Gunship:''' Your replacement for the Storm Raven after Chapter Approved, and absolutely vital for dealing with hordes; srsly this shits dice. With T7, 16 wounds and 3+ SV it's almost as tough as a Land Raider, but unlike its counterpart, the storm eagle, can't transport anything. The avenger bolt cannon now packs 10 shots at S6 AP-2 D2, enough to drop a whole Primaris squad if you're lucky. In addition, it has a pair of quad heavy bolter ball turrets, which each pack 12 heavy bolter shots, or you can swap out the quad heavy bolters for dual autocannons if you want less anti-horde and more anti-TEQ (they have moar S&D but a put out a third of the dakka). Hellstrike missiles are no longer one use only and you can in fact fire 4 missiles at S8 AP-3 3D a turn now, or it can take the cheaper 2 double lascannons instead for +1S but less reliable damage (d6 instead of a flat 3). It can also move and shoot heavy weapons without penalty. Arguably the best flyer, point for point, the marines have access to, and undoubtedly the best anti-horde unit. Amusingly, thanks to the Air Wing Detachment, you can make your entire army out of only fire raptors.
**Note: Chapter Approved 2018 dropped its base points cost all the way down to 240 - 10 less than the original cost of 250 in the index. This is good news, especially after the ridiculously big increase it experienced courtesy of the April FAQ last year.
** BE CAREFUL! 420 points (448 if you go full [[dakka]]) is a lot for something with T7 and a 36" range (though once you factor in movement this increases to an effective 86" range). Use psychic powers and litanies or other such tactics to increase the survivability of this flyer, and always bring a techmarine. I guarantee you this model will garner the attention of nearly all of your opponents ranged options as soon as the dice start rolling.
*'''[[Storm Eagle]] Attack Gunship:''' The big brother of the Storm Raven that vanilla marines know and love, this elongated flying brick of a hover jet boasts a transport capacity of 20 and some increased firepower along with two additional wounds. It can transport jump infantry and terminators, but not bikes or primaris marines.
** In comparison, the Stormraven is roughly 10-20 points cheaper and carries dreadnoughts as well as more diverse weapons options. The Stormeagle is tougher (2 additional wounds) and carries more straight out infantry (also has a much better model).
**'''Storm Eagle Attack Gunship- ROC Pattern (Minotaurs):''' Expensive as hell, beautiful brick'o'hate. Lord Asterion Moloc demanded extra marine-murder with wings, and the beast was born. Sporting 8 krak missile shots (at D2 each), 4 lascannon shots and option to take twin HBolter\MMelta or some MORE krak missiles, the grizzly brick of flying hate actually has more dakka\point when compared to devastators (2 missile squads 1 lascannon squad). Add power of da machine spirit, 16 wounds and T7 and you can feel the power of the charging flying bull. sort of.
*'''[[Caestus Assault Ram]]:''' A flyer designed to ram starships/buildings and disgorge Space Marines into the breach, the Caestus Assault Ram is armed with a number of powerful weapons and abilities. The Caestus is quite survivable with T7, 14 wounds, a 2+ save, and -1 to hit. With the removal of vehicle facing in 8th, the Caestus lost its 5++ against shooting from the front, and is no longer outright immune to small arms fire, but it's much more durable against heavy weapons. It's armed with a Caestus Ram - a melee weapon that hits at S User(8) AP-3, D6D, and increases to WS2+ against buildings when it charges. Its Airborne Ram ability restricts it to declaring charges against and being charged and attacked in melee by units with FLY, but only while it's in not in hover mode. It is also armed with 2 Firefury Missile Batteries, each Heavy 4 S6 AP-1 1D. It is further armed with a Twin Magna-Melta - Heavy 2D3 S10 AP-4 D6D (with the Melta rule), meaning this thing can lay the hurt on medium enemy infantry and enemy armour alike. With its 50" movement (70" if you advance) and PotMS, it can reach out and touch people on turn one. For 370 points (post- Chapter Approved, for the hull and the Melta; missile batteries are free) it's pricey, but given Hard to Hit, its toughness, its wounds, and a 2+ save, it WILL deliver its cargo. It's unique troop bays can carry 10 infantry models in terminator armour or power armour, as well as scouts, with terminators taking up a single space instead of the usual 2. The Caestus helps overcome the low movement of Cataphractii Terminators in particular, potentially delivering them closer than the 9" away they're required to teleport in, and enabling them to redeploy.
** If you need to choose between this and a Land Raider the Caestus is always the better choice. It's pretty much a flying Land Raider in its own right, only with better durability, firepower, speed, and transport capacity while being impossible to tarpit and actually capable of pulling off effective charges. All this for only 15 points. And woe unto your opponent if they decide to get cute and bring Fortifications.
*** Its a hard call now, as you can get Land Raider Crusaders for 100 points less than the Ram.
*'''[[Xiphon pattern interceptor]]:''' A high-speed interceptor, the Xiphon is a heavily armed flyer [[Original character, do not steal|that channels a strong Battlestar Galactica vibe]] and - unlike every other Space Marine aircraft - actually looks like it belongs in the air. It sports a respectable BS3+, T7, 11 wounds and a 3+ save. It's armed with 2 Twin Lascannons as well as a Xiphon Missile Battery - Heavy 3 S6 AP-2 D3. It also adds 1 to all hit rolls when targeting units with the "FLY" keyword thus negating the effects of "Hard to Hit" and since a lot of units with "FLY" don't have the "Hard to Hit" bonus it will hit them on a 2+. With a huge 50" move and 4 lascannon and 3 missile shots, it'll put some major hurt on flyers and ground targets alike.
** 220 points (as of CA2018) is steep for a flyer, but your getting the functional equivalent of a flying predator annihilator, with all of the benefits this entails, and it puts colleagues like the IG Vendetta to shame. Has no option(s) for anti horde, but it's a specialized anti-air / anti-armour killer.

===Fast Attack===
Rocket jumpers, deadly riders and all kinds of zoomers, here you find units boasting great mobility but also lots of dakka and not just fast blades. The changes to Combat Doctrines make these units more relevant as game progression draws you to close range. Plenty of points reductions here, notably on bikes of all shapes and sizes, making them very useful fast and tough units.

*'''[[Assault Squad]]:''' Pistol and chainsword space marines. Jump packs are optional, but to not take them is silly. For +2 pts you could take Vanguard Vets, which have 2x the base attacks and can bring actual blades to a fight. The reason you'd ''ever'' take them is numbers; single wound marines are rather fragile. While Assault marines can't die in your Vanguards' stead like a Devastator squad's boltgun marines can, they can be used to screen the Vanguards from overwatch and be a unit the enemy ''has'' to deal with or get his forces tied up. Arguments can be made about how warhammer is now a shooty game, but since when did space knights with jump packs and chainswords stop being cool?
**They can be built akin to a special weapons squad. Access to a couple of flamers and plasma pistols restric them to anti-infantry, though with decent close-quarters performance and great mobility. As for melee, two Eviscerator attacks on the charge aren't reliable. See them as an extension to the sarge's <s>power fist</s> Thunder hammer, but it's best to keep it simple and aim those chainswords at infantry. They can use a melta bomb after falling back, but wouldn't count on it to deal with anything heavier than a Sentinel.

*'''[[Inceptor]] Squad:''' What you get when an Assault marine wields a Devastator marine in each hand. With 3W T5 and lots of dakka, these guys are ''Space Marine Crisis suits''. Armed with snub versions of the heavy bolter and plasma cannon (same stats, 18" Assault instead of 36" Heavy) they're powerful anti infantry, and arguably better than deepstriking an equivalent Devastator squad. While shooty, they want to charge weak nearby units to hide in the enemy's shooting phase/force them to fall back, like tanks.
**These guys do benefit from a jump pack captain or better yet, a jump pack chaplain to get a ''safe plasma cannon on each hand''. Three plasma Aggressors shoot even more plasma than Hellblasters.

*'''[[Suppressor]] Squad:''' Lighter Inceptors (not gravis, M12" T4 2W) with improved "Accelerator" AP-2 autocannons that cancel enemy overwatch if they kill a model from the charged unit, making them good support for your melee units now that [[Agripinaa|many]] [[Mordia|factions]] [[Iron Hands|overwatch]] [[Imperial Fists|on a]] [[Tau|5+]]. The sergeant can give up his shooting to chuck out smoke grenades for -1 to be hit, just like a vehicle, though his teammates still get to shoot. Accelerator autocannons are Heavy 2 meaning they lose accuracy on the move, so pop the smoke when jumping from one piece of cover to another.

*'''Attack Bike Squad:''' 37 points for a heavy bolter or 49 points for a multi-melta is now VERY CHEAP, but you can't advance and shoot any of your guns, and moving will give the heavy weapon a penalty, so this is usually not a great choice, but the heavy bolter option is noteworthy for making this the cheapest in-Chapter option you have for Fast Attack, if you're looking to fill out a detachment. The full weapons complement of one is the heavy weapon, a twin bolter, 1 bolt pistol (which can't be swapped for a chainsword, unlike with standard Bikes), frag grenades, and krak grenades, but most of these will never come up - the compulsory storm bolter means you'll never want to fire the pistol or frag grenade, and it'll be a very rare occurrence that you'll prefer 1 krak grenade to the storm bolter ''and'' the heavy weapon, even after the movement penalty.
**White Scars players could put the MultiMelta loadout to good use, as they can move and shoot without penalty.
**Frankly, anybody can use the HB load out at 37 points. A squad of 3 sets you back 111 points and gets you 12 T5 wounds, 3 HBs, and 3 stormbolters always firing full volume at 24." Surprisingly, just keep them still and serve as a distraction as they chew threw chaff.
**For the points, these are better than Gravis units when stationary. However, aggressors and inceptors have better abilities and gain infantry/fly bonuses while also having assault weapons.
**White Scars, Ultramarines, and Iron Hands do not care about heavy weapons restrictions, making these an interesting option for a Brigade.
*'''[[Bike Squad]]:''' For 2 points more than a Scout Bike, you drop from M16 to M14, and lose some weapons - no shotguns, and you have to choose between the pistol and the chainsword, instead of taking both - but you improve from a 4+ save to a 3+ save, and up to two non-Sergeants (minimum unit is Sergeant + 2 non-Sergeants) can take a Special Weapon instead of that pistol or chainsword. The tl;dr here is that the ''only'' reason to take this squad is triple melta; you can see below for a discussion of the other choices. 112 points will get you your choice of 3 S8 shots at 26" (with melta-damage at 20"), 2 of which will hit, or 1.5 hitting at 32" and 26", respectively (before you ask, it's not worth the accuracy penalty to upgrade to melta damage). That isn't remotely as efficient as lascannon Devastators, but those aren't as good as getting onto or holding an objective. Don't take the Attack Bike if you can help it; losing Morale immunity isn't a big deal, but as just mentioned, the primary reason to take bikes is for the mobility, and Attack Bikes hate moving. '''tl;dr:''' Take ''only'' if you want relatively mobile but durable melta.
**The first, most obvious choice is Storm Bolters for the Sergeant; if you do that, you're looking at 83 points for 16 S4 shots at 38", while T5 and 2W. More points effective than Company Veterans on Bikes with all Storm Bolters, but worse than Scout Bikes. Keep in mind Storm Bolters are not on the Special Weapons List. This makes taking Flamers the slightly stronger option, giving every model more opportunities to wound while at closer range.
**The next most obvious choice is Flamers, which is a significant mistake; due to the bolter taxes involved, a triple Flamer squad trying to use their speed and auto-Advancing to get into Flamer range will find itself delivering ''fewer'' S4 shots for ''far'' more points than a Scout Bike squad. ''Without'' Advancing, you'll manage to out-shoot the Scout Bikes, but still by ''nowhere'' near enough to justify the cost, due to range limitations: your ''good'' threat range is only 22", which is the threat range on the S5 profile for the Scout Bikes' shotguns, and outside of that, you're incredibly inefficient!
**Finally, grav and plasma are fairly obviously bad - grav costs more than plasma for less damage against most targets you can be bothered shooting, and plasma is particularly a poor choice on models you've already paid a premium on for durability.
*'''[[Land Speeder]]s:''' Land speeders are now, for all intents and purposes, slightly bigger, faster, and more heavily armed attack bikes. The key difference here is that land speeders have the {{W40Kkeyword|fly}} keyword, which means if they ''do'' manage to survive the melee combat they'll occasionally find themselves in, they can just move out and shoot as normal (albeit with the penalty for moving with heavy weapons). This also makes them excellent at tarpitting gunlines. Currently, the Typhoon Missile Launcher is wildly undercosted, and should be your default choice. Benefits from the Big Guns Never Tire and Skilled Riders stratagems to mitigate the survivability and accuracy issues.
** An interesting loadout for SALAMANDERS is a unit of 3 land speeders kitted out with 6 heavy flamers, as they're one of the units that benefit the most from the Flamecraft stratagem.
**Ultramarines are a fluffy and interesting chapter that can make use of these without much issue due to '''Scions of Guilliman'''. Iron Hands, while not fluffy, can also do so thanks to their Heavy Weapons doctrine.
**Taking landspeeders in squads is a slightly more appealing option this edition, as it helps to mitigate their fragility somewhat and this edition gives all units the ability to split fire, so small vehicle units soaking up enemy anti-tank guns is less of a factor.
*'''Scout Bike Squad:''' Scout bikes got very interesting this edition, especially with the new Bolter Discipline rule! They lost scout but gained a second wound and a ''lot of firepower''. Every rider comes loaded for bear, with a twin bolter, combat knife (chainsword), shotgun, and bolt pistol, plus the usual grenades - every non-heavy weapon available to ground pounder Scouts. For each model this means 4 S4 shots at 24", and 6 at 12", two of which become S5 at 6". Up to 3 non-Sergeants can swap the twin bolter for a grenade launcher. But at the ludicrous cost of 9 pointsa and thanks to the Bolter Discipline, it become pretty useless: stay well away(unless you plan to exclusively advance). More interestingly, the Sergeant can drop his Pistol for a Storm Bolter. For only 2 points, he could single-handedly deliver '''8 S4 shots at 24", without taking his shotgun into account'''. Not only that, but they keep their combat knives - they'll handily out-melee a bike squad any day, if both units commit to dakka, as they should. It goes without saying you should always, always do that, fielding these guys MSU style.
** '''tl;dr:''' Each 71 point 3-bike squad has a basic threat range of 16 S4 shots up to 40", 22 up to 28", and, outside of debuffs, is utterly immune to morale. One of the best delivery methods you have for a lot of S4 hits happening right now, on a reasonably durable, very mobile platform. A great choice.

==== {{anchor|Fast Attack Forge World}} Forge World ====
Can you really blame the makers of superheavy choices for submitting fast attack choices that are mostly static guns? These units are dakka that is here so they won't overpopulate the Heavy section.
*'''Deathstorm Drop Pod:''' A Drop Pod full of automated guns; it can choose either an 18" 2-shot gun with S8 AP-2 D3 D or a 12" 6-shot S6 AP-1 1 D gun. In either case, it must make 1 full shooting attack against anything in range (except for CHARACTERS, who still can only be shot at if they're the closest unit in range).
** This is really good against a wide range of armies, especially MSU (the more times this thing gets to shoot the better) and gun-lines where an entire army is packed closely together. Granted, you're hitting like an Ork (BS5+ from the movement penalty) the turn you arrive...but you're also ''shooting'' [[Dakka|like an Ork.]]
*'''Land Speeder Tempest:''' A tiny drop in movement (well, sort of; see below) from the vanilla type, but has better T and Ld (not that the latter usually matters). Each one is equipped with an Assault Cannon and two Tempest Salvo Launchers (36" Heavy 1d3 S6 AP-3 D2; at only 10 points each, ''drastically'' better as a pair than a Typhoon Missile Launcher against anything at all, but the Tempest itself is a good deal more expensive than a vanilla). When Advancing, they must move between 20" and 35"; they also impose a -1 to hit against them in the next Shooting phase and prevents units without the FLY keyword from charging (or being charged by) them. Since they are neither Flyer nor Aircraft, they can still claim objectives and Breakthrough, despite having considerable reach and all upsides of being a Flyer.
**Relative movement: These guys don't have Anti-grav Upwash, so a unit of 3 of them is 5" slower than a unit of 3 vanillas, rather than 1", when not Advancing. When Advancing, they are ''much'' faster, regardless of unit size, since they can go their choice of 20-35" (no need to roll), instead of 16-21 for a small unit or 21-26 for a large unit of vanillas. Unfortunately, there's no option to take Assault weapons on them of any stripe.
**Dropped down 50p to 87p in Chapter Approved 2019, now these make more sense. Possible buffs: Skilled Rider strat (3++ when advancing, -1 to hit, immune to non-Fly charges), See, But Remain Unseen (for -2 to hit when advancing) or Big Guns Never Tire (all weapons are heavy, ignoring the movement penalty for a full unit might make sense).
*'''[[Tarantula]] Air Defense Battery:''' As below, but stuck with S8 AP-2 D3 D anti-air missiles that get +1 to hit against flyers and -1 against everything else. MUST target the nearest enemy flyer, and otherwise the nearest enemy non-flyer, but you were probably already planning to do that when you took this unit.
*'''Tarantula Sentry Guns:''' Whoooo boy, these suckers got a huge buff in 8th edition. They ended up gaining a whopping +1 BS, along with Toughness 5 and 4 wounds, which makes them fairly sturdy for a 20 point/PL3 model. They are hit automatically in CC, but still shoot while an enemy is within 1", and that enemy can still be shot at by everyone else. The only really significant downside is that they can't move ([[Fail|and yet are somehow still fast attack]]) and can't deep strike, so they'll sit in your deployment zone the entire game. Tarantulas can be equipped with the following loadouts:
**Twin Heavy Bolters: These are the default weapons. Good against infantry, but comes with the caveat that it MUST target the nearest INFANTRY model, or else the nearest non-INFANTRY. A steal at 17 points, but restrictive. Due to the large model footprint, relatively high resilience and low cost, it is useful to deny deep strike in a larger area while always contributing shots into the midfield. Also fairly useful as a speedbump - it is easy to block larger areas for non-Fly units, and anyone in CC with them is still a valid target for everyone, including the tarantula itself.
**Twin Assault Cannons: Hands down the best option. Tarantulas with dual assault cannons lose their targeting restrictions entirely, and gain a whopping 12 shots each. These can be a goddamn steal for what they do, and can be considered practically mandatory. Like the THB option, cheaper than two of the base gun at only 35 points.
***Mathhammer: It costs 37 points to field 6 shots at S5 AP-1 D1 restricted and 55 points to field 12 shots at S6 AP-1 D1 unrestricted, which means the latter would be the better choice even if you didn't also gain the benefit of lifting the restriction. This is so good you even beat the AM version of these things, which cost 34 points for the THB variant. That being said, keep in mind these boys can't move and range will be important, meaning the heavy bolter can still have a place in your plans.
**Twin Lascannons: The other default, good against tanks. Also comes with a restriction that it MUST target the nearest enemy non-INFANTRY, or else the nearest INFANTRY. Notably ''not'' a steal, since you pay the same cost two lascannons would cost (50 points), but still good.
**Multi-melta: Same deal as the lascannons, but mathematically worse (carrying two guns is better than carrying one). However, it does unlock your targeting restrictions, so a multi-melta equipped tarantula can fire at anything you want. Very expensive at 37 points for the total loadout (relatively so, you're still getting a multi-melta on a very durable platform for the price of one and a half intercessors).
***Mathhammer: The Twin Lascannons have twice the rate of fire and twice the range as the Multimelta, at 60 points rather than 37, with similar performance against the same targets for the rest of the statline, but the targeting restrictions on them can be quite aggravating, since they will happily target things like BEASTS or SWARMS that you don't care about. As for the Multi-Melta, 47 points is two points ''more'' than the Assault Cannon variant and you generally won't get into Melta range since you'd have to rely on the enemy to do it for you, so it's only better against medium and heavy vehicles, who are generally fast and/or well-armed enough to deal with turrets handily, which is why neither heavy option is remotely as compelling as the twin assault cannons.

===Heavy Support===
*'''[[Devastator Squad]]:''' Due to everyone getting Split Fire, you can feel free to mix and match weapons however you like; that said, it's still a good idea to use weapons with similar ranges in case you need to focus your shots on a single opponent. Be sure to keep whoever has the best gun less than 3" from the Sergeant, since his Signum will let that guy hit on a 2+. Finally, the Armorium Cherub has received a big buff - you can use it once per game to effectively give one model in the squad a second shooting phase. Needless to say, you should always take the cherub.
**Combine the Cherub and Signum. On turn 1, use the Signum on a key gun (e.g. lascannon), and then use the Cherub to get the extra shot. The signum will apply for the whole phase, meaning 2 powerful shots at BS2+.
**These guys will outperform their Centurion cousins (see below) for points per wound, but won't take nearly as much damage, of course; even before the cherub and assuming the sergeant just sits around like a dork, a full 5-man 4-lascannon squad will be more efficient at killing Land Raiders, ''even after moving''. This is less brutal for competing against hordes, because hurricane bolters are insanely cheap, as opposed to badly overcosted like Centurion Missile Launchers, to the point that horde-hunting Centurions on the move will outperform Heavy Bolter Devastators on the move, although the Centurions go back to being less efficient if the regular Devastators hold still.
**Note that the devastator sergeant has unique wargear alternatives in that he can replace his boltgun with two new weapons. This allows him to uniquely field three bolt pistols, or probably more commonly a storm bolter, chainsword, and bolt pistol. If you don't mind him being short range (e.g. if he's showing up in a Drop Pod), his most efficient loadout against almost anything is 2 plasma pistols and 1 bolt pistol, even if he doesn't overcharge, barring going even shorter range against hordes, in which case the combi-flamer will win out.
** Devastators make prime candidates for occupying an Imperial Bunker. For only 100 points you can give your squad the durability of a Leman Russ (T8, 12W, 3+ sv). Magnificent when paired with a squad full of lascannons.
*'''Devastator Centurion Squad:''' Ridiculously ultra-heavy marines with, each, the firepower of a tank; people either [[skub|hate or love them]]. They are slower and easier to kill individually than a tank, but have all the advantages of being Infantry: smaller size, gaining cover in certain terrain (like forests), can go to the second floor of buildings, etc. This unit can be the cornerstone of an army, synergizing well with Chapter Ancient, Apothecary, Chapter Master, and Lieutenant models. Three Lascannon/ML centurions are all the AT firepower you will ever need in a TAC list. At T5, 2+ armour, and 4 wounds, they can be a nightmare to kill without antitank weapons. They ignore the movement penalty for firing heavy weapons but only have 4" movement, which is not a big problem thanks to their long/medium range. With their Sergeant's Omniscope they ignore cover saves, and you can Combat Squad a unit of 6 of them into two 3-man units; great if you only want to spend one Heavy Support slot on them, but remember one of the units won't have the Sergeant and his Omniscope.
**''Heavy /Hurricane bolters:'' The one for killing hordes, and the cheapest one (210 pts). Sitting on 12 bolt and 6 heavy bolt shots, they are very good at their job, and decent against units of heavily armoured but sparse infantry; bad against anything with decent toughness/armour.
***Work very well with Imperial Fists or Crimson fists. In addition to being somewhat [[fluff|fluffy]], the exploding 6s on hit for bolt weapons go a long way when each model is putting out 12 bolt and 6 heavy bolt shots without penalty, even after moving.
***This load-out suffers from comparison with the new and shiny Aggressor Squad. They cost half as much and can shoot twice when standing still. However, the base firepower of a Centurions is objectively better than an Aggressor, even if he is not as mobile.
****Note that Aggressors are an Elite choice. The competition being tough in that slot, Bolt Centurions could be a really good substitute.
**''Lascannons/Missile launchers:'' Excellent against Vehicles/Monsters/Superheavies (and Characters too if they get close enough), wasted against any other thing. The most useful overall, because of their massive range that lets them be in the back lines, protected by cover and supported by some Character/HQ while sniping important things.
*** This is the most expensive load out at 330 points; which almost gets you two quad las predators with 20 points short, or 6 points less than two twin lascannons Contemptor Mortis Dreads, or the same amount for two 5-man lascannons devastator squad. If you really want to take this loadout, you better have a plan. A good one.
**''Grav Cannons/Missile Launchers:'' The narrowest focused of the load-outs. Grav Cannons are Heayy 4 S5 AP -3 1 Damage weapons, but they get D3 Damage instead against units with 3+ armour. Because of the low Strength, this is only useful against highly armoured multi-wound infantry (TEQs, Primaris Marines, Ogryns, etc) and some random units, like Vehicles with T5 and 3+ armour. But it just so happens that those same targets are difficult to kill efficiently with other weapons (light arms aren't enough against them, anti-tank weapons are too much), so this load-out can be good if you have that specific hole in your army, or know your opponent has a lot of these units. If you give them Hurricane Bolters instead, you lose some focus but become much better against hordes, but if you wanted that, just take Heavy Bolters/Hurricane Bolters instead.
***This is the mid-range load out at 240 points; which puts you short 50 points for two 5-man devastator squads with double grab cannon/launcher each.
***Something to note here: with access to the gravitic amplification strategem, grav cannon centurions can be downright nasty. Especially if you manage to deep strike them, they can just pop up, pour grav-cannons on a big enemy model (repulsor execitioner, knight, etc), re-roll failed wounds, re-roll damage rolls you don't like. Its a surprisingly effective strategy for a load out that seems somewhat schizoid (not enough strength to be true anti-tank, not enough shots to be true anti-infantry), and I've personally been on the receiving end and watched a repulsor and a full ten man intercessor (in cover) die to grav cannons and hurricane bolters (respectively) from a 5 man centurion devastator. Its also worth noting that they're durable enough that they survived the Repulsor executioner's retaliation once my turn rolled around.
** As we can see, it's an impressive unit with compelling abilities... but dear lord, it's expensive. There are other options which are easier to plug into most lists; these guys require you to have a solid plan you expect to execute consistently. As said before, they almost require the whole list to be built around them. Think carefully before choosing these big guys.
**Try to keep them out of close combat, though. Even with their stat, buffed a little by the new codex (+1 W and A), and Shock Assault, they don’t have any melee weapon. Contrary to appearances, [[wat|those big hands are not power fists]]. Any specialized melee unit will tarpit you. You can always retreat, but you lose a turn of shooting then, unless you're Ultramarines. Mind your positioning!
**The Sergeant's Omniscope becomes useless with the Imperial Fists Chapter Tactic. That lets you combat squad a 6 man Centurion unit without the fear of losing any bonus.
*'''[[Eliminator]] Squad:''' The Primaris scalpel compared to the Primaris sledgehammer that is the Hellblasters. They have the same +2-for-being-in-cover camo-cloaks that Scouts get, and they can take either an anti-tank las fusil or a bolt sniper rifle that gets three different ammo options to use: Mortis for standard character sniping, Executioners because fuck your stealth units (ignores line of sight and cover), and Hyperfrag for overwatch (AP0, D1, but are Heavy D3). All ammo types can target characters without them needing to be the closest units. Alternatively, gear them up with 36" Heavy 1 S8 AP-3 D3 las fusils, and let them harass enemy armour from cover. The Sarge can use his trademark pointy finger and give his other two mates a +1 to hits and wounds in the shooting phase, though he cannot himself shoot a weapon when he uses his telescope. Nifty when his bolt carbine is out of range and very helpful for nabbing mortal wounds and wounding things tougher than T5.
**''Sniper:'' At only 72 points for the unit, this is one of the cheapest and most effective Heavy Support choices in the Marine range. Psykers and buffing characters are ubiquitous, so this unit will be useful in almost any game while cheaply filling out a Spearhead Detachment or serving as a useful ''Relic Tax'' for units like the Leviathan Dreadnought.
***The '''Executioner Rounds''' allow for Eliminators to effectively shoot through terrain, much like Tyranid Hive Guard. Eliminators can be completely within cover and simply fire through the battlefield to effectively threaten and kill enemy characters and other units. While this disallows the use of the more damaging '''Mortis Rounds''', it does allow Eliminators to engage from cover and out of LoS with essentially no risk to the unit.
***Comparing these to Scout Marines equipped with sniper rifles is really an apples vs. oranges debate as one is a troop choice and the other is a dedicated anti-character support unit.
**''Anti tank:'' The las fusil is a relatively cheap way to get almost-lascannons on the field, but note that of all their weapon options, this is the one conspicuously ''lacking'' the ability to target Characters who aren't the closest unit. Taking this really does convert them from being a Scout Sniper replacement to being a Devastator replacement.
***Worth noting that they get +1 to hit and wound when the Sarge doesn't shoot, which makes their Las Fusils comparable if not better than Lascannons, trading an average of 3.5 damage for a flat 3. A squad with two Fusils and the sarge with the sniper rifle (the cheapest option) runs 96pts; three such squads run cheaper than 10 Devastators with 6 Lascannons and 2 HB, has more wounds, is more accurate, and when there are not tanks that need murdering can also offer some sniping utility. The Las Fusil's flat 3 damage is also relevant against some elite, 3 wound units. Also, fusil is French for rifle, so GW is just getting lazy with names; still, these guys make pretty good Green Jackets.
**The optional Instigator Bolt Carbine for your Sergeant trades heavier firepower for the ability to scoot out of charge range immediately after firing Overwatch (which is to say, ''before the enemy can actually get their melee attacks in''), letting you kite melee units across the board when your sniper perch eventually gets overrun. And, unlike a regular Fall Back maneuver, they'll still be able to attack without penalty in their next shooting phase since they're not technically in combat yet. Also, despite the relatively limited range and firepower (24" Assault 1 S4 AP-1 D2), it can still freely target characters just like the Sniper Bolt Rifle, for what it's worth.
*'''[[Hellblaster]] Squad:''' Some pretty wicked dakka right here. Their Plasma Incinerators are 30" S7 AP-4 D1 normally, with the same boost as other plasma weapons if supercharged (+1 to S and D) - more than enough to wipe out any TEQs they encounter. Run with any character giving re-rolls to hit (e.g. any of the Captain variations) to make these things a monster/tank killer if they get into rapid-fire range. To do that, you’ll probably want to get them an [[Impulsor]], which can get them into position on turn 1 thanks to the Assault Vehicle ability. The only other option is one of the [[Repulsor Tank]] variants, and you’re already putting too many points into these, since they're as expensive as... well, as elite marines carrying souped-up plasma weapons.
**If you happen to be running a Primaris only force, these guys will be one of your best anti-vehicle choices, but still not a fantastic one. Will be majorly improved by pouring a lot more points into them with Captains, Ancients, and Lieutenants, but that's a lot of extra points.
**The Plasma Incinerators comes in two more variants; a Heavy 1 with 36" and S8/9 that costs 2 points more than the standard option, and a 24" Assault 2 with S6/7 that costs 1 point more.
***The Rapid Fire (standard) version is definitely the best in general, costing the fewest points for the most output against the most targets, but you'll want to get up close and personal with it - see the Assault version below for shooting things farther away.
***The Assault version costs you more points for less strength, but better rate of fire in the 16-24" range, and you can fire it after advancing, so you could also consider it to have superior rate of fire in the 16-27.5"; therefore, it's actually better on a squad intended for longer range engagements, rather than one intended for, well, assaulting. Because S7 is so underwhelming compared to S6 or S8 against most real-world targets, it's seldom justified to overcharge this one, although it can be worth it if you're desperate for the increased damage. Take this version to shoot things farther away better, but up close worse, than the Rapid Fire version.
***The Heavy version costs you more points for worse rate of fire (although you can move and shoot with it out to 36-42" range if you want), but enough Strength to kill MEQs on a 2+ ''without'' overcharging. It can also act as an anti-vehicle weapon in a pinch when overcharged; say your opponent has a Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer, two of the best options currently available. With the extra range you can stay completely out of its threat range of 34" and hit it with an overcharged version of this gun. This would wound on a 3+ and do 2 damage each with only a 6+ save. Granted it will take about 18 shots to kill one on average, but a 10 man unit with the two rounds of shooting it will get because of the range increase will badly cripple it at minimum. For long range anti-vehicle and heavy infantry fire support this is definitely the option to go for.
**Null Zone is particularly deadly if there's a group or two of Hellblasters in range of the Librarian's unfortunate targets, considering their AP-4. This player can attest that one Null Zone was enough to put down three Shield Captains with the aid of Hellblasters and additional anti-armour tools.
**They have gotten quite silly with the advent of the new codex, as they now have AP-5 during the Tactical Doctrine... Which is rather pointless compared to AP-4 as anything with a 2+ is likely to have an invulnerable save.
*'''[[Thunderfire Cannon]]:'''The Thunderfire Cannon has one of the best stratagems, and has found a way back for marine players for reasons beyond its 4D3 shots or S5 hits. With the 2019 Codex the Thunderfire can have a unique combination of Stratagems. First, pop the Tremor Shells, which slows an enemy's movement by half, including their Advance or Charge ranges, then follow up with Suppression Fire to slow down two units with 3CPs. This can cause traffic jams, failed charges, and slow the deployment of enemy forces. Based on stats and points cost (including its mandatory gunner), the TFC is better than than a Whirlwind but worse than a QHB Rapier Carrier. It ignores line of sight and has 5 feet of range, but costs half again as much as just taking Heavy Bolter Devastators. If the Techmarine gunners wander too far from the guns, they're considered destroyed.
**At only 93 points (CA2018) the Thunderfire Cannon is more attractive than ever - consider buddying up with a dreadnought or tank to get the most out of your Techmarine.
**'''Alternative Point:''' Thunderfire cannons may have lost some power, but they have gained survivability. They are effectively a self-sustaining Heavy Support choice: as a VEHICLE, the Techmarine Gunner will automatically repair D3 wounds on it per turn, but as a CHARACTER he cannot be targeted separately unless he is the closest target. Its lower wound score and toughness do make it vulnerable to big damage weapons like Lascannons and meltas though, so be warned. Though if it does die, you now have a techmarine without having used a HQ slot. Also, the techmarine can act independently from the cannon, as long as he stays within 3" to not lose the cannon's shooting. Park a predator (or any other long-range shooty vehicle) next to the techmarine for a free auto-repair each round (doesn't substitute shooting any more), while toasting nearby enemies with plasma cutter and flamer while still shooting the TFC. In a pinch, the TFC could even soak up overwatch, and the techmarine's 2A servo arms and 3A base mop up single targets.
***When comparing it to the whirlwind, the difference in strength actually doesn't matter against T4 enemies. ''(Though the Whirlwind can switch to Vengeance missiles for S7 killiness.)'' Also, where the whirlwind does 2-12 shots, averaging 7, with diminishing accuracy as it takes wounds, the Thunderfire is more likely to get hits in thanks to more dice, doing between 4-12 shots, averaging 8 with no drop in accuracy and its ability to self-heal.
**The Thunderfire Cannon alongside its Stratagem punches way above its weight class. Berzerkers coming in, move 6", charge 12", for a max of 18", would be reduced to move 3", charge max of 6". Without using the Stratagem the TFC is less efficient than Whirlwind.
**Always remember that the Techmarine is loaded with guns himself. If you're paying for them, you may as well be shooting them. And, when you compare the fire output to a whirlwind, the numbers shift in the cannon's favor when the TP is within 8".
*'''[[Predator Tank]]:''' Predators now get their own special autocannon profile; it seems like the predator can turn into a monster. For just ten points less than a twin lascannon, you drop to 2 less strength and AP for 2 more shots on average, and guaranteed 3 damage, rather than rolling with an average of 3.5. I don't know how an autocannon can paste Nobs easier than a demolisher cannon (maybe because the demolisher is relying on the indirect blast and shrapnel from its huge but inaccurate shells, while the predator is relying on direct hits that explode Nob torsos like watermelons) but we'll just have to take it. Roll it with an Autocannon and side-mounted lascannons for a versatile (but expensive) fuck machine.
**Dakka predators became good again, being able to chuck out 2D3 Autocannon and 6 Heavy Bolter shots per turn. Consider further augmenting its firepower with a Storm Bolter or a Hunter-killer missile too.
**Two Laserbacks with Hunter Killer missiles and Stormbolters costs 246 points, while a 4 Lascannon Predator with Hunter Killer missile and Stormbolter costs 210 points. The Predator allows for less drops per 4 lascannons.
** Lost its signature stratagem for better wounds and damage, which sucks.
*'''[[Vindicator]]:''' With the pie plate replaced with 6 hits at the most and MEQs and TEQs now allowed at least some kind of save, the vindicator took a huge nerf. However, with the changes to the wound formula, S10 became ''very'' important, and chucking out what are effectively D6 lascannon shots onto an enemy tank isn't something to look down on. With T8 it's bound to shrug off a lot of fire it might soak, The best use of it is probably taking on groups of elite units or vehicles, such as large squads of terminators.

**The Vindicator has one less wound and better Ballistic skill than an Imperial Guard Leman Russ with Demolisher Cannon at 27 fewer points (although the IG Demolisher gets Grinding Advance, ''and'' benefits from Doctrines like '''Brutal Strength''', not to mention tank orders). Stupidity of the fluff aside, they’re better against high-toughness multi-wound models, which almost every army has at least one unit of (Nobs, Wraithguard, Crisis Suits, Terminators & Primaris Marines, Ogryns), so one Vindicator can find a home in lots of local metas and is actually a cost-effective way of getting the DC on the field. Three and a Techmarine to repair in a Spearhead detachment could be a useful and relatively cost-effective (432 pts stock) distraction carnifex ally.
*'''[[Whirlwind]]:''' The Whirlwind has two gun options, Castellan at 2D6 (average: 7) shots of S6, and Vengeance at 2D3 (average: 4) S7, AP-1, and D2. With the higher strength of this weapon, the hits you do get will make short work of most infantry, but the ideal purpose of wiping out cheap blob units remains out of reach. You have to choose which gun to take when you build the list, so the latter choice results in a 9% more expensive tank overall while dealing more damage to anything with at least 2 wounds or 2+ saves.
**The Vengeance launcher is functionally a twin autocannon that paid 1 point for both +24" (*1.5) range and the ability to fire outside of LOS; the Castellan launcher is more like an assault cannon that paid 4 points for +1 shot but +1 AP and lots more range, with non-LOS targeting. The net result is that which is better is strictly a question of wounds - Castellan is better against 1-wound models, while Vengeance is better against 2+.
*'''[[Hunter]]:''' No longer explicitly AA, this weapon delivers a high strength hit equal to a lascannon, re-rolling missed hits whether the model is flying or not.
**While not an efficient damage dealer, this model is a steal for its points. Exact same base cost as a Predator while making the leap from T7 to T8, and getting a free 5' range lascannon that can reroll hits. Won't spit out as much damage as your other Heavy Support options, but incredibly reliable. Great Especially if taken with a Tactic that let you reroll failed hit and wounds.
*'''[[Stalker]]:''' Has two AA guns. Now a very flexible gun, it gets +1 to hit against flying things, while suffering a -1 to hit versus non-fliers. For a Stalker to be worth taking, it likely needs to be buffed by an HQ to make it more accurate, otherwise, other weapon systems on other vehicles are more productive. Fliers are very popular early in 8th and this is a good anti-air vehicle. It is fairly productive in other roles as well, providing a 48" range and 2 Damage with 6 shots at plasma strength and a Heavy Bolter's AP. The poor AP is mitigated by the Damage done per shot. The tank is tougher than its own weapon, a rare T8 Rhino chassis.
**Of course, much of the previous is very rosy sounding. If everything goes right- six hits, six wounds, six failed saves- you do twelve damage. You are better off on average firing just about anything else at its intended target. Three shots can get through reliably, but most Flyers are T7, meaning the majority of the time you only wound half the time. And the AP means you will only get through their armour save roughly half the time. You will do two or zero damage the majority of the time. They have a better time shooting down hoverbikes and Jump Pack infantry. Almost any major HS option can do its job better. Avoid.
*'''[[Land Raider]]:''' Now that the vanilla Land Raider isn't forced to fire all its guns at the same target, it's gone from schizophrenic to an effective all-rounder. For example, you can use its lascannons to pop a vehicle and then follow up with the heavy bolters to wipe out an infantry squad. This is assisted further by the new Power of the Machine Spirit, which lets it ignore the normal penalties for moving and firing heavy weapons. While its transport capacity is still rather small compared to the other Land Raider variants, it still has just enough room to drop a trio of Assault Centurions off or a 5-man squad of Assault Terminators. And with T8, 16 wounds, and a 2+ armour save it'll be a tough nut to crack even with anti-armour weaponry. Enjoying another price drop!
*'''Land Raider Crusader:''' As ever, the Hurricane Bolters will shred any infantry within 12" - you have twenty-four bolter shots supplemented by another 12 assault cannon shots. The Frag Assault Launchers also help in regards to transporting and supporting its cargo, since it causes d3 mortal wounds on a 4+ if it finishes a charge within 1" of an opponent. But whatever you do, take the multi-melta. Neither the assault cannons nor the hurricane bolters have enough AP to significantly reduce a MEQ's armour save, and anything with T7 or more (e.g. other vehicles) won't even get their paint scratched. It carries 16 models, so it's still your best choice for transporting Terminators, crusader squads, and other larger units. Stick near a Captain and/or a Lieutenant and laugh maniacally as you shred every infantry squad around you. Enjoying another price drop!
**Also, all those guns can fire without penalty, even if you're moving at maximum speed (which you should be). Somewhere, a Black Templar wipes a manly tear away as he remembers the words "defensive weapons."
**Now that Chapter Tactics applied to every Space Marine units, Imperial and Crimson Fists could have a double Hurricane Bolters with an additional hit on a 6. Enjoy your [[Awesome|20 Bolters HITS on rapid fire range]]!
*'''Land Raider Redeemer:''' Similar to the Crusader, but trades off the hurricane bolters' volume of shots for the flamestorm cannon's greater strength, higher AP, and improved damage per shot. While you'll have to get in close to make the most of it, the Frag Assault Launchers let you use this to your advantage as you burn down the heavier infantry. Though the flamestorm cannons can threaten lighter vehicles, you should still add the multi-melta to be on the safe side. Carries 12 models. Can easily cockblock a charging unit with 2d6 automatic Flamestorm shots. Enjoying another price drop and 12" Flamestorm cannons!
**The flamestorm cannon can, because of flamer autohits, crisp some flyers if you are close enough. Consider if it is worth to put your Land Raider in the open.
**Bear in mind that the Land Raider has one enormous Achilles heel - it can't fall back and shoot. If even a single model makes it into combat with your Raider then it instantly becomes a lame duck during your next shooting phase. This can make assault-oriented Raiders like the Redeemer and Crusader especially vulnerable. <i>However</i> as of the 8.5e codex, flamestorm cannons have a range of 12", so anything wanting to hold it up in combat will definitely have to face 2D6 automatic hits at a pretty respectable strength, AP and damage.
*'''Repulsor Executioner:''' Jury's out on this one. 6 Capacity with some big guns. 284/293 base depending on the gun, +12 points with the two options. Steep price, but it fires the main gun twice (when you move 0-"under half" current M). One is a Heavy 2 72" monster at S10 AP-4 D1d6(min 3) on a D6 cannon and the other is what you'd expect from plasma, but with D6 shots and starts at S8 AP -4 (pumping up to S9). This baby also gets a heavy onslaught Gatling cannon stock as well as a few other guns you sometimes forget to fire (seriously, there are a lot), including a Twin Heavy Bolter. It can also be upgraded with an Ironhail Heavy Stubber and Icarus Launcher if you feel inclined to do so. It has 18 S5 AP-1 shots and a metric ton of various S4 shots, some S7 as well, allowing it to reliable mulch opposing infantry. The Heavy Laser Destroyer can tear through enemy armour reliably and the Macro Plasma can remove medium and heavy infantry.
**Properly supported, this thing can annihilate swathes of the enemy army. A Captain (better yet, a Chapter Master) and Lieutenant will never be a bad idea. And if you bring two of them, they can quickly turn the tides of conflict. However, it is a major investment in points and dollars. You need to maximize your opportunities to get the most out of it. If you can, then an Executioner or two is the sort of heavy fire support the army craves. If you can't... Well, Marines are used to losing in 8th anyway-Don't be stupid, get the Lieutenant and bring a Techmarine!!!!
**Whenever you make such an investment on big units, you must consider everything you are paying for. While the Heavy Laser Destroyer is a very potent weapon which will serve you well, this particular weapon loadout will require a play style that ignores most of the other benefits of the unit by hanging back and remaining fairly static. Taking the Plasma loadout, however, saves points and requires closer positioning of the tank. That may seem foolhardy, but this vehicle is loaded with close/mid-range weaponry that complements the plasma very well, while still being able to deliver a 6 man Primaris infantry unit on top of repulsor fields. Thus, this writer regards the Executioner as a very gun laden Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), not a true battle tank. You can take a battle tank's weapons loadout, and certainly, that may be necessary at times, but this tanks true calling is in direct support of infantry. The executioner is really just a beefed up standard repulsor and really should be used in a similar fashion. Its slow-moving double shooting rule is perfect for sitting behind a wall of aggressors marching up the board as both units extract maximum firepower potential from hardy buffing characters.

====Forge World====
*'''Whirlwind Hyperios:''' While it's still best used against aircraft because of its +1 to hit against flyers (and -1 against everything else), Heavy 2d3 S8 AP-2 D1d3 isn't something to take lightly.
*'''[[Rapier Armoured Carrier]]:''' A dirt-cheap source of heavy bolter fire, which can also be used as a cheap counter to "light" superheavies like Knights if taken with Laser Destroyers or act as artillery if you use the Quad Launchers (added in the FAQ). Now coming stock with a 12-shot quad bolter at 3/4 of what you pay for a devastator squad armed with same, on a fairly sturdy chassis. Fills out the heavy support requirements of a Spearhead detachment really nice, but keep the gunners safe or it gets auto-removed just like the Thunderfire Cannon.
**Quad Heavy Bolters are terrible, costing more than 2 twin heavy bolters for the same guns...or... you can ask yourself what kind of platforms let you take twin heavy bolters and ask yourself if the cost is worth it.
**The average damage from a laser destroyer is less than its weight in lascannons - 183.33% of the damage for 240% of the price; the difference in strength will never matter against practical targets, while the improvement to AP will come up and won't make up the difference. If you're using the Salamanders chapter tactics and like to focus on single enemy units before moving to another enemy unit the laser destroyer can do a good job while letting your characters help other units.
**As a result, hands down your best bet is always going to be the Quad Launcher.
***In thunderfire mode this will, for 45 points, outdo two lascannons for 50 points, as losing a point each in strength and AP is more than made up for in doubling its attacks, and the difference in damage is not only slight, it also deals predictable damage, making it invaluable in many contexts, such as shooting Quantum Shielding... witt the new space marines combat doctrine you regain 1AP during the devastator Turn, yeah take this.
**In shatter mode, this will shoot randomly from 1.3 to 4 of heavy bolter shots, for an average total of 8 shots, losing a point of AP in exchange for indirect targeting and improved range. This is inferior to the Quad Heavy Bolter option, so you should regard it as a bonus to the high strengh mode, rather than a good gun in its own right, and take this gun for the purpose of killing off enemy heavies, not massacring enemy lights.
**They have half of the survivability perk of the Thunderfire, as the Rapier is a vehicle and SM Gunners are functionally Characters without a keyword (can't be targeted unless the closest model). If you take a full battery of Rapiers, strongly consider also taking a Techmarine to repair them or putting a Thunderfire Cannon in the gunline.
*'''[[Mortis Dreadnought]]:''' Your go-to dakka dread. It costs 5 points more than a standard dreadnought, with the exact same profile, but it brings the option to double up on weapons the regular dread can't. You can take a pair of twin bolters, autocannons, or lascannons, or a pair of regular missile launchers, assault cannons, multi-meltas, or heavy plasma cannons. All good choices for laying down firepower, with the best guns depending on what you plan to shoot and how many points you can spare.
**As of CA2019, their base cost matches that of the regular old Dreadnought chassis at 60pts. Their autocannons are also 3 points cheaper, so enjoy your 8 S7/AP-1/D2 shots at 120 points.
*'''Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought:''' Better than the standard Mortis in every way, from the BS 2+ to the 5++. Apart from that, it can do everything the regular Mortis can, only better.
**Since the v1.1 FAQ/Update, Contemptor Mortis' can once again take Cyclone Missile Launchers. The downside is, like their Terminator counterparts, they're still 50 fucking points for either Heavy 2D3 S4 AP0 D1 OR Heavy 2 S8 AP-2 D6D. With this in mind, however, it could be decent now that EVERYTHING has Split-Fire, and you're no longer hitting Flyers on 6s, but only 3+(!!) with at least 6W or more. Churn out some dakka with your two Kheres Assault Cannons (which, keep in mind, can ALSO fire at two different targets, as they are considered 'two identical weapons', and then slam a couple of Krak missiles at a Flyer that screams overhead. Or a tank, I guess, if that's your thing.
*'''Siege Dreadnought:''' This Dread specializes in short-range firepower, coming stock with an Inferno Cannon that acts like a souped-up heavy flamer (but costs more than a twin heavy flamer, for reasons) and a seismic hammer with built-in meltagun that suffers from a -1 to hit but will wreck anything that gets hit. With the ability to re-roll all to wound rolls of 1 in the Fight phase when targeting a BUILDING or a unit with a movement stat of 0", its niche as a building killer should be obvious.
*'''Relic Leviathan Dreadnought:''' '''I AM THE DESTROYER OF ALL THAT EXISTS, THE ANATHEMA OF LIFE, HATRED, AND WRATH GIVEN PHYSICAL FORM, I AM THE FUCKING LEVIATHAN DREADNOUGHT. POINT ME AT ANYTHING, AND IT WILL DIE, FROM THE LOWEST OF GUARDSMEN TO THE BIGGEST OF TITANS.''' ''Ahem'', enough of that nonsense! But Mr. Leviathan does have a few good points. The Leviathan Dreadnought is easily one of the deadliest single models in the entire game, barring actual ''Titans'', packing a series of quite frighteningly powerful weapons that can make short work of virtually anything. It packs a Strength and Toughness of 8, with a 2+/4++ saves line, and a whopping 14 wounds. In addition, it actually received a fairly decent points decrease in 8th edition, having dropped in cost by 50 whole points even after all wargear is accounted for. A few things were lost though, as the Leviathan no longer has his frag-launchers (but it did get its hunter-killer missiles back in the FAQ) but in exchange, his whole loadout has gotten huge buffs.
**It has two Heavy Flamers which can't be swapped out for anything, and two Leviathan Siege Claws (Sx2 AP-3 D3 Re-roll failed wounds against Infantry) with in-built meltaguns stock.
***The Claws can be swapped out (without losing the meltaguns) for Drills, which up the AP and D to -4 and 4, but you stop re-rolling failed wounds against Infantry.
***The Claws can also be swapped out along with their meltaguns (at the cost of -1A for each one you swap out) for:
****'''Cyclonic Melta Lance:''' Capable of destroying a Land Raider in a single volley, while being able to shave off 15 wounds from a Knight (leaving it sufficiently weakened that it will no doubt then die to be slammed with 15 additional wounds in melee).
*****Note that this actually has worse AP than the Bombard (although it will usually only matter against Land Raiders and the like, as against any Invuln save at all or a 3+ save or worse they'll tend to equal out), with better rate of fire against 4 or fewer model units and worse damage against Monster/Vehicle/Titanic models but better damage otherwise. A Leviathan with 2x Bombards costs 339, while with 2x Lances it costs 359 (including Heavy Flamers), which means that against a Land Raider, the Lances are only better inside melta range. The Lance will do better against vehicles where the difference in AP doesn't matter, regardless of range (such as any 3+ vehicle, or a 2+ vehicle with an invuln), provided the target unit has 4 or fewer models. It will also do better against infantry units of 4 or fewer models, but as soon as the target unit has 5 or more models in it, the Bombard will simply take over.
******A Salamanders Leviathan paired with Vulkan is sufficiently better that, ignoring Vulkan's cost, the Lance will be better against a Land Raider outside of melta range, but don't forget that the Bombard Salamanders Leviathan still gets Salamander Chapter Tactics, so if you only examine Vulkan+Leviathan in isolation, the Bombard will easily win. Against infantry spam, he usually will not improve the Lance enough to do much, but remember, the Lance is already better against very small units.
****'''Storm Cannon Array:''' Has a whopping 10 shots, which do 2 damage each. While not quite as horrifyingly deadly against vehicles as the Cyclone Melta, it exchanges sheer output for more reliability. This can be useful since 2-wound weapons occupy a fair niche in the current meta, for their ability to 1-shot the numerous amount of multi-wound models, without suffering from overkill. This makes it the perfect weapon for dealing with models like Terminators.
***** This is basically a seriously up-gunned heavy plasma cannon, with ''quintuple'' the usual shot volume and one worse AP in exchange for one better D, and an inability to Overcharge. Costs 5/6 the amount two of the cannons would cost you, though. It is far and away from the most efficient gun you can take against most targets of 4 models or less - it will actually out damage both the Bombard and the Lance against anything T6 or less and T7 Sv 4+ or worse, and that's assuming the target has enough wounds left that no damage gets wasted.
******It's much simpler to look at this weapon as 5 autocannons with an extra point of AP and half the range.
*****For serious, take this gun seriously. It is far and away from the most generally useful of the lot; a pair of them will murder most anything foolish enough to get in your way.
*****A leviathan with two of these will be horrifyingly efficient at shooting down enemy flyers, stick 1 or 2 +1 to hit modifiers on this guy and you can quite reliably shoot down 2 Alaitoc flyers a turn.
****'''Grav-Flux Bombard:''' Now your dedicated horde killer. It deals 1d3 shots and gains an additional 1d3 shots for every 5 models present in the target unit, which means the Leviathan can get a whopping 11d3 shots when targeting a mob of Conscripts, or [[Rape|22d3]] if equipped with two of these. This essentially means that the grav bombard is your designated weapon loadout if you expect to go up against Infantry Blobs, as it can fry an entire 50 man squad each and every turn. It also does more damage (5, rather than 2) against Vehicles, Buildings, and Titanics, making it more useful than the Lance in many cases.
*****A pair of these is the way to go for horde scrubbing - 2d3 shots every 5 models in the target means you average 4 shots for every 5 targets. The gun is only 18" and you'll take a BS penalty (typically down to 3+ unless you use the Big Guns Never Tire stratagem, which you should) for moving and shooting with it, taking you to 3 1/3 and 2 2/3 hits for every 5 targets, respectively. At S9 AP-5 D2, ''usually'' one wound per target is all it will take; assuming you're up against T4 or less without an invuln save, you're looking at 2 7/9 or 2 2/9 (after moving) dead ''for every 5 models in the target'', or around 50% casualties. Hopefully, Morale will do the rest of the work for you, or you can just bring two of these things.
******New Chapter Tactics addendum: With the new [[Imperial Fists]] Chapter tactics, Grav-flux bombards are boosted to 6 damage against vehicles. This lets 2 grav flux bombards take out light vehicles reliably at only 2 shots needed to take down a predator and landraiders, repulsors and their equivalents with 3 shots. Also makes the [[Necron]] vehicle immune to this loadout.
*'''Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer:''' This thing brings to the battlefield the unique Laser Volley Cannon, which is a 2 shots Lascannon with a few twists: they only have a range of 36" instead of 48, they do a fixed 3 damage (so a little less than the average you do with 1D6) and can be overcharged to go to S10 AP-5 with a fixed 6 damage. The trade-off is that if they shoot that way, they take 3 mortal wounds on each roll of 1. If it does not move, however, it can shoot twice, but not in overcharged mode. Also, note that it gets +1T and +1 wound compared to a predator but moves 2" less. All in one, this tank is kind of odd. It costs roughly the same as a classic predator with a full lascannon setup and can pump 4 shoots if it stands still, for an average amount of wounds slightly lower. Its overcharged mode might give you an edge on T5/T9-10 opponents or target with extremely high armour saves, so what you lose in range you get it back in versatility, at price: 2 shots against 4 and the risk of wounding yourself. Between increased durability, shorter range and movement, and varying fire modes, it is hard to draw a clear line between the Predator Annihilator and the Vindicator Laser destroyer in terms of battlefield role, but the latter being clearly less efficient while on the move, you might want to invest your money in other Forge World models.
*'''Relic [[Land Raider Proteus]]:''' The Proteus has two twin Lascannons like the vanilla LR, but it can choose to take a multi-melta or twin heavy flamer instead of a twin heavy bolter. (There's also an option for a single heavy bolter, but why would you even use that?) But its main draw is the Explorator Augury Web; taking it reduces the Proteus' transport Capacity to 6, but it prevents anyone from deep striking within 12" of the Proteus. Conveniently enough, that happens to be melta range for the multi-melta so suicide melta squads won't be able to get near it. For a more aggressively inclined Proteus, you can take the Heavy Armour instead to give it a 5+ invulnerable save, though it too reduces the Proteus' transport capacity.
*'''[[Land Raider Helios]]:''' Also has twin lascannons, but it brings along a Helios Launcher- a Heavy weapon that fires 2d6 autocannon-equivalent shots (albeit only 1 damage) that can fire without LoS. A decent combo of the Whirlwind's different missile types, and it can transport 6 models too.
*'''Land Raider Prometheus:''' A fun toy for your Warlord - if he's embarked within it, one of the Stratagems played on your turn costs 1 less CP to use. It doesn't reduce the cost below 1, but it helps. As an added bonus, its attacks all ignore cover saves, which make its 24 heavy bolter shots absolutely terrifying to light infantry. Carries 10 models.
*'''Land Raider Achilles:''' The rage-inducing and expensive Achilles is back in a big way in 8th ed. T8 with 19 wounds, a 2+ save, and a 4++ Invuln save for good measure makes this raider insanely tough. The Achilles is armed with a hull-mounted Quad Launcher and 2 sponson-mounted TWIN Multi-Meltas (Heavy 2). The Quad Launcher can fire Shatter shells at Heavy 4 S8 AP-2 3 Damage, or Thunderfire shells at Heavy 4D3 S5 AP0 1 Damage (and can target units not visible to the Achilles). It can also grab a hunter-killer missile and a Storm Bolter for a little extra dakka. This weirdness is compounded by a transport capacity of 6, including terminators and jump pack models. Seriously, go look up a picture of this thing. At 355 points there is no reason not to take three of these!!!!

===Fortifications===
Not often seen, Marines in 8th have tended towards static gun lines like Primarch + Devastators. Fortifications are not a serious part of any meta right now, so using them can be an advantage while the Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors are not common.
*'''Castellum Stronghold:''' In case you want to play an army comprised of buildings instead of tanks and soldiers. 3 bunkers and a bigger bunker, with T9 and a total of 56 wounds (3x12 and 20). This realm of battle tile (yes, its 2' by 2') is fairly indestructible and can pack up to 5 heavy weapons, from anti-tank guns to AA or troop mulchers. The tacticus bunker has transport space for 30 guys, and the bunkers for 12 each. Up to 15 and 10 models can shoot out of each of the bunkers. If your army doesn't fit inside completely, they can man the battlements for a cover save. And until the big bunker is destroyed all infantry, bike and dreadnoughts get a 4++ against shooting attacks while inside the stronghold. Oh, and one stratagem per turn costs 1 less CP if your warlord is embarked. Each of the small bunkers can take one of: Twin Heavy Bolter, Twin Heavy Flamer, Twin Lascannon, Multi-melta, Twin Assault Cannon, or Air Defence Missiles. The big bunker can take up to two of: Twin Heavy Bolter, Twin Heavy Flamer, Twin Lascannon, Multi-melta, Twin Assault Cannon, Castellum Air Defence Missiles (d3 shot krak missiles with the AA rule and the ability to fire at units it can't see), Whirlwind Castellan Launcher (2d6 frag missiles at S6 with no need for LoS), castellum battle cannon (nicked from the Leman Russ), Icarus Quad Lascannon (4 lascannon shots with the AA rule), or the pointless Communication Relay (FW meant that the -1CP to strats bonus only occured when you took this, but they named the special rule "Command Relay" instead of "Communication Relay" so [[fail|it comes as standard instead]]). All these guns must target the nearest enemy unit unless there's a friendly unit embarked within. At 550 points without guns this is something of an apocalypse thing.

===Lords of War===
=====Warhammer Legends=====
*'''Land Raider Terminus Ultra:''' Not sure why exactly this was moved to Lords of War since its statline is still no different from the other Land Raiders, but it will do a spectacular job of wrecking vehicles thanks to its 8 (!) lascannon shots per turn. 3 to hit rolls of 1 in one turn will cause you to take 6 mortal wounds, but the chances of that are so small that it's unlikely to be an issue. Even if it does happen, it won't be enough to decrease your base stats until you drop to 8 wounds or below, and with the toughness and armour save that comes with being a Land Raider variant that's probably not going to be an issue. Just be sure to watch out for massed infantry- for this reason you should probably take a storm bolter over the multi-melta since any vehicle close enough to be in melta range is going to become a smoldering wreck either way.
** As of Warhammer Legends, the terminus is now available to all chapters.

====Forge World====
Forgeworld FAQ[https://17890-presscdn-0-51-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/40K_8th_ed_Update_Imperial_Armour_Index_Forces_of_the_Adeptus_Astartes_ver_1.0..pdf] updates the relic rule for LoW, effectively you can get one with no pre-requisites but further ones will still require the 'non-relic' tax. On the other hand, [[That Guy|who would even need to bring 4 Lords of War into anything short of the biggest Apocalypse games?]]. Beware as they are all overpriced, [[Rage|thank daddy GW for that]] and should never be taken outside of fun games

*'''Relic [[Spartan Assault Tank]]:''' The Spartan has always been a bigger nastier Land Raider at heart, and this edition just makes it even meaner. A relic from the Legion days, it boasts an impressive BS3+, S8, T8, W20, a 2+ Save, and PoTMS so it can move and shoot with no penalty. The Steel Behemoth rule allows it to shoot or charge after falling back, and fire its guns even if enemies are within 1" of it. Further, it only benefits from cover saves when at least half the model is obscured. It comes stock with hull-mounted Twin heavy bolters (which can be replaced with Twin heavy flamers), 2 sponson-mounted Quad lascannons (that's a total of 8(!) lascannons), and anything trying to attack it in melee will have to deal with its Crushing tracks, which are S8 AP-2 DD3. And with a WS5+ and 8 attacks, it has a better chance than most tanks of actually hitting with them. If 8 lascannons don't do the trick, they can be swapped for Laser Destroyers to give it the role of blowing superheavies to pieces; its basic profile of S12 AP-4 DD6 is nasty enough as it is, but any time it inflicts damage, you roll a d6. On a 3-5, its damage rises to 2d6, and on a 6 it becomes a staggering 3d6 damage! If you crave even more dakka you can add a pintle-mounted Heavy bolter, Storm Bolter, Heavy flamer, or Multi-melta. Finally, the Spartan has an enormous 25 transport capacity, including Terminators, Jump Pack Infantry, and Centurions (but not Primaris). If it explodes after losing its last wound (on a roll of 6), it deals D6 Mortal Wounds to units with 2D6" inches.

*'''Relic [[Typhon Heavy Siege Tank]]:''' The Vindicator's big brother on steroids is a fierce siege engine, boasting BS3+, S8, T9(!), W22, and a 2+ Save. The Dreadhammer siege cannon taking up the entirety of the vehicle drops Heavy 2D6 S10 AP-5 3D shots at 24" or 48" if it holds still. Losing the enormous blast template from the previous edition, the Dreadhammer can now put serious hurt on vehicles and monsters with it's 2D6 high strength high AP shots. In addition to the main gun, it can grab 2 sponson-mounted Lascannons or Heavy bolters, and can also take a pintle-mounted Heavy Bolter, Heavy flamer, Multi-melta, or Storm bolter for extra dakka. The Steel Behemoth rule allows it to shoot or charge after falling back, and fire its guns even if enemies are within 1" of it (except for it's Dreadhammer siege cannon, which must target other units). Further, it only benefits from cover saves when at least half the model is obscured. It has PoTMS so it can move and shoot with no penalty, and it makes a respectable 8 attacks with it's Crushing tracks (decreasing to 6, and then D3 as it takes damage) at WS5+ S8 AP-2 DD3 in melee. If it explodes after losing its last wound (on a roll of 6), it deals D6 Mortal Wounds to units with 2D6" inches.

*'''Relic [[Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer]]:''' An insane Titan-class laser weapon mounted on a Spartan chassis, boasting BS3+, S8, T9, W22, and a 2+ Save. The Heavy neutron pulse array kicks out Heavy 3 S14 AP-4 3+D6D shots at 72", and causes a -1 to-hit penalty to the shooting attacks of vehicles wounded by this weapon. In addition to the main gun it can grab 2 sponson-mounted Lascannons or Heavy bolters, and can also take a pintle-mounted Heavy Bolter, Heavy flamer, Multi-melta, or Storm bolter for extra dakka. The Steel Behemoth rule allows it to shoot or charge after falling back, and fire its guns even if enemies are within 1" of it (except for it's Heavy neutron pulse array which must target other units). Further, it only benefits from cover saves when at least half the model is obscured. It has PoTMS so it can move and shoot with no penalty, and it makes a respectable 8 attacks with it's Crushing tracks (decreasing to 6, and then D3 as it takes damage) at WS5+ S8 AP-2 DD3 in melee. If it explodes after losing its last wound (on a roll of 5+ thanks to its Unstable Reactor), it deals D6 Mortal Wounds to units with 2D6" inches.

*'''Relic [[Fellblade]] Superheavy Tank:''' The Baneblade's exponentially meaner cousin, and the king of the battlefield. If you get first turn with a Fellblade in your army, and your positioning is good, you WILL win. Absolutely bristling with guns, it has a massively impressive statline of BS3+, S9, T9, W26, a 2+ Save, and PoTMS so it can move and shoot with no penalty. It's enormous and versatile Fellblade accelerator cannon sports two shell types: HE shells are Heavy 2D6 S8 AP-3 2D shots and allow rerolls for the number of shots when targeting a unit with more than 5 models. AE shells are Heavy 2 S14 AP-4 6D shots that work wonders on tanks. It comes stock with a hull-mounted Twin heavy bolter (which can be replaced with a Twin heavy flamer) and 2 sponson-mounted Quad lascannons (which can be swapped for the really not that good Laser destroyers like the Spartan). Like the Baneblade it also has a hull-mounted Demolisher cannon. If you crave even more dakka you can add a pintle-mounted Heavy bolter, Storm Bolter, Heavy flamer, or Multi-melta. Finally, anything trying to attack it in melee will have to deal with 9 WS5+ attacks from its Crushing tracks, which are S9 AP-2 DD3. If it explodes after losing its last wound (on a roll of 6), it deals D6 Mortal Wounds to units with 2D6" inches. The Steel Behemoth rule allows it to shoot or charge after falling back, and fire its guns even if enemies are within 1" of it. Further, it only benefits from cover saves when at least half the model is obscured. Its only real weakness is a lack on an invulnerable save, as dedicated anti-titanic guns like the Knight Castellan's volcano lance will completely delete it thanks to AP-5 and rerolling failed wounds against {{W40kKeyword|Titantic}} units. However, with T9 and a 2+ armour save, it's still pretty durable against most reasonable weapons, and most of the time you can outrange the insane anti-armour guns as the FAC has 100" range. Consider bringing the Fire Angels’ special character, Captain Tarnus Vale, to give it a 6++ (the other is to bring a Dorito Dreadnought with Atomantic Pavaise to give the Fellblade a 5++; this is more expensive than taking Vale but chances are you’re not worried about points (or money) if you’re taking a Fellblade) and casting Might of Heroes on it for T10 shenanigans. Despite its cool look and ''amazing'' firepower, [[Rage|it can no longer compare against the regular Baneblade thanks to its default loadout costing 917 points!]] Consider bringing techmarines or allying in Cawl to keep it alive as long as possible.
**Highly amusingly, in another proof of Forge World being inept at copy-pasting their own units' rules between their indices, the chaos fellblade costs 20 points less and their HE shells only do 1 damage instead of the 2 yours do.

*'''Relic Falchion Superheavy Tank Destroyer:''' A Fellblade variant which shares the same statline and special rules but mounts the unbelievably deadly Twin volcano cannon in place of the Fellblade cannon and Demolisher cannon. The Twin volcano cannon can annihilate targets 120" away with Heavy 2D6 S16 AP-5 D2D6 (re-rolling wounds against Titanic units). Just like the Fellblade it comes stock with two Quad lascannon sponsons which can be replaced with Laser destroyers. Given its ability to take the laser destroyers, and that its Volcano cannon spits out double the shots, it's objectively better at destroying superheavies than a single Shadowsword counterpart in practically every way. Which is good, because at almost triple the points you'd expect it to be. It also sports a hull-mounted Twin heavy bolter which can be replaced with Twin heavy flamers, despite the fact the guns don't actually exist on the model. As per an email from forge world, "it's a copy and pastes error from the Fellblade that hasn't been fixed in an official errata"... yet. Just stick them on with bluetac or something as you're paying the points for them. You can add a pintle-mounted Heavy bolter, Storm Bolter, Heavy flamer, or Multi-melta if you crave even more dakka. Just like the Fellblade it got a massive points increase which led its point efficiency to drop through the floor. You can bring two Shadowswords at double the wounds to out-scale the T9/2+, the better version of the VC, and regiment rules for two hundred points less.

*'''Relic [[Mastodon]] Super-heavy Siege Transport:''' Have you ever wanted to transport 40 Marines at once while trashing flyers and generally being nigh-indestructible? Then the Mastodon is the LoW for you! With 30 wounds and a 5+ void shield, the Mastodon is a fucking tough nut to crack, made even more so if it somehow gets into the 6" range for its siege melta array's reroll to kick in.

*'''[[Thunderhawk]] Assault Gunship:''' The standard air support and transportation workhouse of the Space Marines. This monstrous flyer will cost you an arm and a leg (in both points and real $) but has some seriously impressive rules. It has a big 20-50" move in Supersonic mode and can hover. Its has BS2+, S10, T9, 30W, a 3+ Save and PoTMS so it can shoot on the move. Its Void-hardened Hull grants it a 5++ save for extra durability. The Thunderhawk Assault Gunship is armed with a Thunderhawk heavy cannon - 48" Heavy 2D6 S8 AP-2 D6D, which can be swapped for the monstrously powerful Turbo-laser destructor - 96" Heavy D3 S16 AP-4 2D6D (6's to wound inflict an additional D3 Mortal Wounds). For secondary weapons it sports 4 Twin heavy bolters and 2 Lascannons at various points on the hull, as well as a choice of Thunderhawk Cluster Bombs or a Hellstrike missile battery. The Cluster bombs can drop once per game on a single unit you flew over, rolling up to 12D6 times (3D6 for every VEHICLE or MONSTER and 1D6 for other models). Each 5+ result deals a Mortal Wound to the unit, though units consisting only of characters cannot be targeted. The Hellstrike battery is 72" Heavy 4 S8 AP-3 D3. It's Colossal Flyer rule forces -1 from shooting attacks against the Thunderhawk, but also forces opponents to measure from where its hull would be if it were at ground level and then add 12" to that measurement (which is an attempt to account for the custom flying bases you need to hold this heavy-ass brick of resin up). It also means that a lot of guns flat-out cannot shoot at it while it's Supersonic. Finally, the Thunderhawk has an impressive transport capacity of 30, including TERMINATORS, JUMP PACK models, CENTURIONS, and BIKES. It is also one of the only vehicles that can transport PRIMARIS models, with each counting for 2 spaces, although you cannot mix them with non-PRIMARIS units. In terms of loadout, 8th edition favors a high volume of shots. <s>As such, the heavy cannon is likely a better option than the turbo laser, as 2D6 (avg. 7) hitting on a 2+ and wounding a Land Raider on a 4+ is better than D3 shots hitting on 2+ and wounding the same target on a 2+, even with the difference in armour save thanks to AP.</s> Command point rerolls benefit the heavy cannon more, due to the increase in variance between rerolling a D6 vs a D3. Additionally, due to the low chance of the Cluster Bombs actually doing what you want them to do, as well as being one-use only, the Hellstrike Missiles are likely a better option.
**'''Mathhammer:''' The above, struck through statement is not actually correct, and a command point spent on the number of attacks won't change it. Given, the cannon is obviously better against squads (2.43 unsaved wounds on non-shield terminators with D6 damage beats anything two attacks could do without a large number of mortal wounds, and the laser only inflicts .33 MWs per shot), but against a Land Raider? 1.45 unsaved wounding hits at d6 damage vs 1.15 unsaved wounding hits at 2d6 damage, +.55 mortal wounds. ~5 wounds vs ~8.6 and a command point only buys the cannon, on average, +.75 wounds. Worse armour and lower toughness change this, but until you hit some ork level T7, 4+ save madness that turbo laser will out perform the cannon vs vehicles/MCs. The canon is better for utility though, hurting vehicles and munching squads.
**Chapter Approved more than doubled the points cost of the hull of the Thunderhawk, meaning that taking one with Hellstrike Missiles brings this thing up to 1450 points, after buying its secondary weapons. It can absolutely earn its points back, but more as a result of tanking a tremendous amount of enemy gunfire between T9, 30W, decent armour, Hard to Hit, and adding 12" to enemy ranges. It can destroy an enemy Fellblade in one salvo (saw it happen), and it's a hell of a distraction.

*'''Thunderhawk Transporter:''' A Thunderhawk variant designed for airlifting tanks, this unusual vehicle shares the statline of the Thunderhawk (with the exception of 26W - 4 fewer than the Gunship). In addition to 15 models including TERMINATORS, JUMP PACK models, CENTURIONS, and BIKES, it can hoist vehicles into battle in one of the following configurations:
**1 model with the LAND RAIDER or SPARTAN ASSAULT TANK keyword.
**Up to 2 of the following: RHINO, RAZORBACK, INFERNUM RAZORBACK, PREDATOR, DEIMOS PREDATOR, WHIRLWIND, WHIRLWIND HYPERIOS, HUNTER, STALKER, DAMOCLES, VINDICATOR, VINDICATOR DESTROYER, WHIRLWIND SCORPIUS.
***These vehicles act exactly like other passengers and are subject to the usual restrictions for embarking and disembarking, meaning they can detach while in Supersonic mode at the end of the movement phase. Transported vehicles can carry units at no additional transport cost to the Thunderhawk, so feel free to deep strike 25 dudes in a Spartan PLUS 15 dudes in the Thunderhawk itself. The cost of this unusual ability is the loss of ranged firepower - the Thunderhawk Transporter is armed with 'only' 4 Twin heavy bolters and a Hellstrike missile battery. It's much cheaper than the Thunderhawk Gunship, but its usefulness is somewhat questionable, cool as it may be.

*'''Sokar Pattern [[Stormbird]]:''' Pretty much the largest flyer/transport/model Forge World offers next to titans. Damn expensive in points (2,271 after wargear) and tangible money alike, it can ferry entire demi companies onto the battlefield. Has like 8 lascannons, a host of various missiles and bombs, void shields, and a few heavy bolters here and there for flavor. The void shields can extend and overlap nearby troops 8" away that jumped out if it has hovered. Has 40 wounds, T9, a 5++ after the void shields.
**Hilariously enough this is the only vehicle in the entire space marine range that lets both primaris and old marines onboard at the same time. In addition, it along with the Thunderhawk are the only transports in the game that can transport Inceptors and Suppressors.

*'''[[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]:''' This beast of a tank now has its rules released... and it's frankly nastier than anyone gave it credit for. 24 wounds, Toughness 8, 2+ Armour, Power of the Machine Spirit and Steel Behemoth are already bad enough, but then you look at its gear. Firstly, the Void Shield. Just like the Titans, it's a degenerating shield that can block off any wound, mortal or not, and does not care about AP value. However, it cannot protect you from overheating Plasma Eradicators or melee attacks, so watch out for Knight Gallants and other heavy-hitting melee units that somehow get by the Enhanced Repulsor Fields. Said Enhanced Repulsor Fields not only reduce enemy charge rolls by 3", but are also its form of '''''close combat attack'''''. Considering the fields give -2 AP and deals D3 damage per wound, this is surprisingly vicious, especially considering the 8 Strength 9 attacks the tank gets (albeit only at WS 5+, although it still benefits from auras like Litanies of Hate and Rites of Battle). Obviously, however, you're here for the guns and... oh boy. Its twin macro-accelerator cannon is a vicious Heavy 12, S8, AP-2, Damage 3 that ignores all abilities that impose negative hit modifiers when targeting anything with the FLY keyword. Its other default weapons don't seem that threatening at first, however. The two las-rippers are slightly weaker las-talons with a new name, the twin heavy bolter is somewhat useful against infantry, and the storm bolter and ironhail heavy stubber can be augmented with another ironhail heavy stubber. However, the twin heavy bolter can be replaced by a twin Lascannon, and the las-rippers can be replaced by the new Plasma Eradicator, a +1 Strength, AP-4 Plasma Cannon that uniquely only causes one mortal wound per 1 to hit on Supercharge. 90% of the time the Eradicators are the better choice. Not only are they cheaper than Las-Rippers, but they have more range. Being within 24" will put the Astraeus in danger of being chopped up by enemy Knights and makes it a prime target for most Plasma weapons. The lone Storm Bolter won't be doing much of anything regardless.
**Compared to the Fellblade, its main gun is <s>lacking in terms of pure power</s> almost strictly better under mathhammer due to the high number of S8 shots. Against a Knight the Fellblade's AE mode barely does 6 damage, with a fair chance of doing 0, vs the Astraeus' more consistent 6-9 damage. The TMAC is also a better version of the Fellblade's HE mode; guaranteed 12 shots vs 2d6 at one less AP and one more damage. Very effective against light to medium vehicles (especially flyers), as well as 3-wound infantry such as Tyranid Warriors, Grey Knight Paladins, and Custodes. The secondary armament is only inferior with the eight Lascannons and Demolisher Cannon of the Fellblade outgunning the Accelerator Cannon itself when combined. In melee it is a mixed picture, the Enhanced Repulsor Fields make the Astraeus harder to engage and hit but it lacks the option to mount any flamer for point defense; the Fellblade can mount up to 3 heavy flamers which will inflict significant overwatch casualties on attacking infantry. The Void Shield gives it an important defensive tool that the Fellblade and most superheavy tanks lack, albeit on a more fragile (T8 not 9), less durable (2 wounds less at 24W) chassis but the VS can be used against mortal wounds; so it ends up out-living the Fellchassis in the long run by effectively having ~29 wounds. Most importantly, it's much cheaper than the Fellblade, and since it's not a Relic you can use it as a "non-Relic" tax in the unlikely chance you really want a full Super-Heavy Detachment as a Space Marine army.
***New Chapter Tactics addendum: Iron Hands and "Scions of the Forge" successor chapter tactics mean your tank keeps it's 5 up void shield until there's only 5 wounds left, so long as they're taken in Supreme Command detachments. Enjoy that while you can, because I expect an FAQ.
***CA2019 dropped the base cost of the Astraeus by 100 points, meaning that it is now one of the most viable Super-Heavy picks for SM right now (not that it's really that big of an achievement).

==Chapters==

==={{W40Kkeyword|Ultramarines}}===
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[[File:Smurfpauldron.jpg|100px|left|]]
In the grim darkness of the far future, courage and honor will yet win the day.<br>
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primus_inter_pares First among equals], the Ultramarines set the standard for everyone else, and are paragons of strategy. Appropriate, since their Primarch wrote the Codex Astartes.<br>
On the tabletop, their tactical flexibility is represented by them having a special named character for everything and abilities to change the current Combat Doctrine. RG is the infiltration chapter and IH the vehicle one? Well screw them, we got Telion and Chronus, alongside Roboute Guilliman himself. Where the first casualty of any battle is the plan of attack, Ultramarine tactics are shielded by their inability to be tied up or tarpitted, and they can get extra CP to circumvent Space Marine's trademark thirst for CP.<br>
''If you want your marines to '''always fight on your terms''', then march for Macragge and you shall know no fear''.

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====Special Rules====

*'''Chapter Tactics - Codex Discipline:''' +1 to their Leadership characteristic. They also can fall back and still shoot, with a -1 modifier to hit.
**Ld9 makes 4-man units (like bikers) ''immune to morale'', and makes the serge of a 5-man unit flee only after two consecutive 6s.
**Fall Back's main purposes are to give the rest of your army a clear shot. Now nobody can tarpit you. Plus, close-range weapons get easier to use: anything with a flamer will be able to use it with impunity since it isn't affected by the -1 to hit anyway - get close, fire, charge/be charged and trigger Shock Assault, fall back, and flame again. Land Raider Redeemers will be unstoppable engines of destruction.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Scions of Guilliman:''' During the Tactical Doctrine, models can move and count as stationary as long as they didn't also fell back or advance during that movement phase. Not only does this mean Relentless from infantry to tanks (Relentless Vindicators & Flyers!), but it also means <u>you always get bolter discipline</u> during turns 2-3, until you reach the Assault Doctrine, where you'll be in close range anyways.
**Aggressors will be able to shoot twice on the move! Repulsor Executioners will be able to shoot twice without giving up on their role as transports! An Executioner could transport Aggressors for a turn 2 fiery capture of the objective point.
====Warlord Traits====
#'''Adept of the Codex:''' When you spend a Command Point to use a Stratagem, roll a 5+ to get it refunded. Versatile, always active (as long as he's on the field and not inside a transport), and gives you more freedom when using Stratagems; it's one of the best traits you can get. Calgar starts with this one.
#*The rules limit CP regain to 1 per battle round, but "WT: +5CP" is still damn useful, even more so with the bonus CP handed out by Calgar.
#'''Master of Strategy:''' Once per battle round, select an Ultramarines unit within 6" of the warlord. Until the end of the battle round, whenever models of that unit attack the Tactical Doctrine is considered to be active (this does not stop either of the other two Doctrines being active, so you can have two active at once this way). Librarian Tigurius and Telion have this as their trait.
#*Their best doctrine one turn ahead of schedule. Also when your army (but not your warlord) is committed to the Assault.
#'''Calm Under Fire:''' Friendly Ultramarines models within 6" of the warlord ignore the -1 to hit penalty to shooting when they fall back. ''More like Calm Under Melee''. Sergeant Chronus come with this.
#'''Paragon of War:''' This warlord's unmodified wound rolls of 6s (ranged and melee) inflict mortal wounds in addition to all other damage. ''Balanced, offensive champion-type warlord''. Captain Sicarius starts with this one.
#'''Nobility Made Manifest:''' 6" Aura of Heroic Interventions for friendly Ultramarine Infantry and Bikers. ''For The Greater Imperium''. Guilliman starts with this one. The loss of Adept of the Codex hurts a bit, but you can always just pay 1cp to give another character Adept of the Codex, and that one out of Guilliman's 3 bonus ones will pay for itself.
#* ''If you mess with one, you mess with all''. It achieves an immune effect by preventing your opponents from eliminating units one by one in melee, and stops them from surrounding a single friendly unit and taking hostages.
#'''Warden of Maccrage:''' This warlord's heroic interventions are 6" long. ''Why?'' Chaplain Cassius has this one.

====Relics & Special-Issue Wargear====

Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of Macragge may only be taken by Ultramarines (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Ultramarines and their successor chapters.

=====Relics of Macragge=====
*'''Armour of <s>John</s> Konor:''' Terminator model only. 4++, halve damage rounding up. Calgar's clothes, for when you want yet another beatstick or cannot afford papa smurf himself.
*'''Helm of Censure:''' Aeonid Thiel's helmet that started the tradition of serges wearing red hats. The bearer can re-roll 1 hit roll of 1 and 1 wound roll of 1 per attack (which usually means all hit and wound rolls get it - it's like having a captain and a lieutenant nearby). When attacking {{W40kKeyword|Heretic astartes}} ''or {{W40kKeyword|Adeptus Astartes}}'', add 1 to both hit rolls and wound rolls in addition (damn).
**While a librarian benefits lots (WS3+, Power Axe), the boost also affecting ranged combat and ''not replacing any weapon'' means a Captain's Combi-plasma/melta wounds a CSM Predator on a 2+, and can even shoot both profiles at BS2+ (although this will have worse performance than safely overcharging just the plasma profile).
*'''The Sanctic Halo:''' {{W40Kkeyword|Captain}} or Chapter Master only (in all his forms, including Primaris). Gives him a 3++ and can deny one power per turn like a Psyker. Fantastic for the warlord himself, as his most important job is staying alive so you can use Adept of the Codex. Denying psychic powers is also extremely useful since so many of them allow a Psyker to target a character and inflict mortal wounds that bypass their saves. Plus, you won't need to give up your ranged weapon for the Storm Shield, which is nice. Better than the Armour Indomitus to give your Gravis Captain a 3++ on his already sturdy frame.
*'''Soldier's Blade:''' S+1 AP-4 D2 sword. Available to characters with either a power sword, master-crafted power sword, or, most importantly, ''a combat blade'', making it ''one of the few melee relics for Phobos Characters''. Otherwise, don't bother - the Burning Blade is better.
*'''Standard of Maccrage Inviolate:''' Ancient only, +1A to friendly UM units within 6" of the bearer. Friendly UM units within 12" also autopass morale tests. To be carried by your deathstar's banner bearer.
*'''Tarentian Cloak:''' The bearer has 5++, and regains D3 wounds at the start of the movement phase.
*'''Vengeance of Ultramar:''' Rapid Fire '''4(!)''' Storm bolter that re-rolls wound rolls against non-vehicles. Best when used by a Termie captain.
**This can be vicious with the '''Paragon of War''' Warlord Trait. Almost guarantees at least ONE mortal wound. Also consider this build on a bike captain with the extra bolter shots... 12 dice at 24"

=====Special-Issue wargear=====
*'''Adamantine Mantle:''' Fnp5+++. "Not dying" is good for everyone, but (smash) captains/Primaris are the ones with the most wounds to proc it with.
*'''Artificer Armour:''' 2+/5++. Most useful for Lieutenants and Librarians, who lack invulns.
*'''Digital Weapons:''' Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
*'''Hellfury bolts:''' You can choose the bolt weapon it's used on to make only one attack, but it inflicts 1MW if it hits (and the shooting sequence ends).
*'''Master-crafted Weapon:''' +1D to a weapon, and it now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). ''4D Thunder Hammer!''
*'''Reliquary of Vengeance:''' Once per battle (at the start of the fight phase), friendly chapter units within 6" of the bearer gain +1A.
*'''Seal of Oath:''' Designate an enemy before the first turn begins. The bearer has a 6" aura of re-rolling ''all'' hits and wounds against [[That Guy]], failed or not.
*'''Sunwrath Pistol:''' Cawl's plasma pistol of safe supercharge. But it's Pistol 2, so that's a double improvement.

====Stratagems====
Bland but reliable, Ultramarine stratagems are Tau-like in that they're focused towards shooting, teamwork and avoiding melee. Guess it's an Eastern Fringe thing. They can be divided into four broad categories: Offense, Defense, Utility, and Character Upgrades.
*'''Offense:''' Better accuracy, for when you don't want a silly thing like chance to ruin your dice game plans.
**'''Avenge the Fallen (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem when an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit from your army is destroyed by an attack made by an enemy unit. Until the end of the battle, when resolving an attack made by an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit from your army against that enemy unit, re-roll hit rolls of 1.
**'''Martial Precision (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem before resolving an attack made by an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} model from your army in your shooting phase, do not make a hit roll, it automatically scores a hit. Note that it only applies to a single attack made by any weapon, so don't go thinking that you can have a Captain automatically hit with all of his Thunder Hammer strikes. Use this against Eldar and other opponents who stack ridiculous amounts of -1 to hit.
**'''Sons of Guilliman (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem when an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Infantry}} or {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Biker}} from your army is chosen for the Shooting or Fighting phase. If that unit has a Troops Battlefield Role, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made by that unit, you can reroll a hit roll. Otherwise until the end of that phase, when resolving an attack made by that unit, you can reroll a hit roll of 1.
**'''Vengeance for Calth (1 CP)''': Use when an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit from your army is chosen to fight in the Fight phase. Until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made with a melee weapon in that unit against a {{W40kKeyword|Word Bearers}} unit, you can reroll the hit and wound roll. Potent, if you can find one of the three people playing Word Bearers that is.
**'''Tactical Expertise (2 CP, Single Use)''': Can be used at the start of any movement phase when the Tactical Doctrine is active; all {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} whose Rapid Fire or Assault weapon makes an unmodified wound roll of 6 before the next battle round has the attack's AP improved by 1 (e.g. AP0 becomes AP-1).
*'''Defense:''' AKA protection against melee.
**'''Courage and Honour! (1 CP)''': At the start of the Morale phase, add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} models from your army until the end of the phase.
**'''Defensive Focus (2 CP)''': Use this stratagem if an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit from your army is chosen as a target of a charge. Select up to three {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} units that are more than 1" away from any enemy units and within 6" of the targeted unit. The selected units fire Overwatch at the charging unit as if they were targets of the charge. ''For the Greater Macragge!''
***Something something Eliminator sergeants with Instigator carbines moving after shooting overwatch. The complete opposite would be to use this near a 'Nobility Made Manifest' warlord to further reinforce the immune response effect. In which case, something something Aggressor double overwatch. [[Tau|Notice how deadly it is to charge]] an Ultramarines gunline?
**'''Fall Back and Re-Engage (1/2 CP)''': Use this stratagem when an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit from your army falls back. That unit can shoot and charge this turn. If that unit actually has the Codex Discipline Chapter Tactic (it could be a successor), the hit roll penalty for falling back and shooting does not apply for that unit this turn and this strat only costs 1CP instead of 2.

*'''Utility:''' Highlight Ultramarines' love for rules by disregarding the rules, with lots of ways to bypass GW's nerf to doctrines and wrong-foot your opponent. Bonus points if you say "Actually..." before using them.
**'''Inspiring Command (1 CP)''': Use at the start of the Shooting or Fight phase. Select one {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Chapter Master}}, {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Captain}}, or {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Lieutenant}} model from your army. Until the end of that phase, the range of that model's aura abilities is increased by 3".
**'''Rapid Deployment (2 CP)''': Used at the start of the battle round before the first turn begins, select up to three {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} from your army on the battlefield. Remove them from the battlefield and set them up again as described in the Deployment section of the mission (if both players can do this, roll off to see who redeploys first).
***Can be combined with the '''Lord of Deceit''' Vanguard Warlord Trait and redeploy your entire army. No need to go that far, but having a second chance at deployment after your enemy already comitted to it can disrupt their plans even before the game begins.
**'''Cycle of War (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem at the start of the battle round if an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} Warlord from your army is on the battlefield and the Assault Doctrine was active during the previous battle round. The current active doctrine is changed so that the Devastator Doctrine is now active. When there's nobody left in assault range, pop this, move up your heavy weapons and perhaps pop a grenade or two - and more importantly, get a second chance to switch to the Tactical Doctrine. If the game is going to last at least six turns, that is. So, kinda Single Use too.
**'''Squad Doctrine (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem at the start of your Movement Phase; select an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Infantry}} or {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Biker}} unit from your army, and then select the Devastator, Tactical, or Assault Doctrine. Until the start of your next Movement phase, that unit gains the bonus of that combat doctrine ''instead''.
**'''Tactical Insight (2 CP, Single Use)''': Use this stratagem after generating your Tactical Objectives. If your {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} Warlord from your army is on the battlefield. Immediately discard your Tactical Objectives and generate new ones.
*'''Character Upgrades:''' All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
**'''Exemplar of the Chapter (1 CP, Single use)''': Use this stratagem after you nominate an {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} model that is not a named character to be your Warlord. You can generate one additional Warlord Trait for them from the Ultramarines Warlord Traits table. Each Warlord Trait in your army must be unique. <u>Give him Adept of the Codex</u> if they didn't have it already; that'll make this Stratagem more than pay for itself. ''Finally, a reason to have a warlord other than Calgar or a named character''.
**'''Honoured by Macragge (1 CP, Single Use):''' After nominating a warlord from an UM successor chapter, you may give one of their characters a Relic of Macragge ''instead'' of one from the main SM codex or a Special Issue wargear.
**'''Honoured Sergeant (1 CP)''': Before the battle, select one {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} model that has the word "Sergeant" in their profile. They may take a Master-crafted weapon/Digital weapon/Hellfury Bolts/Sunwrath pistol, even though they are not a {{W40kKeyword|Character}}. All relics must be different.
***While a Devastator sergeant can shoot Hellfury at BS2+, an Incursor one ignores all modifiers to hit and an Eliminator/Scout Sniper one can shoot it at characters. The other 3 special issues are close combat oriented. Also, while it looks cool, don't give a Sunwrath to the Hellblaster sarge, he'd be wasting his squad's range on a just-in-case relic. Nobody stops you from giving this to a Assault Centurion Seargant, four strength 10 siege drills in the face for 4 damage.

====Litanies of Battle & Psychic Discipline - Indomitus====
Indomitus is a mixed bag of situational powers. They consist of the two mortal wound generators (standard across all Chapter specific supplements), one self-buff, one enemy debuff, and two general utility powers. None of these are strong enough to build an entire strategy around, but could provide help in the right circumstance. Pretty middle of the road, but that is to be expected from the Ultramarines.

#'''Precognition''': WC5. Until the start of your next Psychic phase, this psyker has a 5++ invuln, and when resolving an attack made against this psyker, subtract 1 from the hit roll.
#'''Scryer's Gaze''': WC7. If your army is Battle Forged you can immediately gain 1 CP. If you choose not to, once this turn, when resolving an attack made by a model from a friendly {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} unit within 18" of this psyker, you can re-roll the hit, wound, or damage roll.
#'''Telepathic Assault''': WC7. Select one visible enemy unit within 24" of the psyker. Roll 2D6 and add 2 to the result; that unit suffers 1 mortal wound for each point by which the total exceeds the highest Leadership characteristic of models in that unit. You aren't gonna destroy a unit of Necron Warriors, but if you roll well everything leadership 6 and lower are gonna get ''fucked''. Tried using it on an Ork player once, but he says Mob Rule counteracts it.
#'''Storm of the Emperor's Wrath''': W6. Select the nearest visible enemy unit within 18" of the psyker. Roll a D6 for each model in the unit; for each 6, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound.
#'''Psychic Shackles''': WC6. Select one visible enemy unit within 18" of this psyker. Until the start of your next Psychic phase, halve the move characteristic (rounding up) of models in that unit, and when a charge or advance roll is made for that unit, subtract 1 from that roll. A unit cannot be affected by both this and the Tenebrous Curse psychic power at the same time, but nothing is stopping you from locking down two different units.
#'''Empyric Channeling''': WC5. Select one other friendly {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines Librarian}} within 12" of this psyker. Until the end of this Psychic phase, when a Psychic test is taken by the target, add 2 to the total, and the target does not suffer Perils of the Warp on a roll of double 1 or double 6.

'''Litanies of Battle - March of Macragge:''' You can re-roll 1s on advance or charge rolls for friendly {{W40kKeyword|Ultramarines}} within 6" of the Chaplain.

====Specialist Detachment - Victrix Guard====
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{{W40kKeyword|Captains}} of all flavours (note this doesn't include Calgar), {{W40kKeyword|ancients}} (all flavours){{W40kKeyword|, Honour guards, victrix honour guards, vanguard vets & sternguard vets}} gain the {{W40kKeyword|VICTRIX GUARD}} keyword, for when you want to bring the very elite, the exemplars among exemplars. But not termies, they aren't vet enough apparently. And fluff aside, this is the only <s>formation</s> specialist detachment that can bring deepstriking melee squads with actual AP, aka Vanguard Vets.
<br>This is a MELEE formation; Sternguards were included only because their serge looks cool next to Calgar. ''Thanks, sarge!'' Note that only {{W40kKeyword|ULTRAMARINES}} can take this, and not any of their Successors.
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*Consider a basic Vanguard Detachment of Captain w/ Twin Lightning Claws (with the Imperium's Sword trait), Ancient w/ Bolt Pistol and two basic Vanguard Vet squads, with the Sergeant's replacing their Chainswords with Lightning Claws. This will give you 12 Bolt Pistol attacks, 12 Lightning Claw attacks, and 27 Basic attacks, the later upped to 15 and 36 if the Ancient is given the Relic Banner. All for just over 300 points.
**If you need a transport, a Land Raider Redeemer works, though it is expensive, almost doubling the cost.
*One use of this detachment is to make your smash captain rival the blood angels; Fight Like Demigods buffs your hit rolls to a 2+ rerolling, Warden of Ultramar makes your wound rolls better than even slamminigus for a turn and Strike First can be a nasty and unexpected counterattack. This tactic costs a lot of CP but is worth it when some random captain tears apart an imperial knight.

'''Stratagems'''
*'''Fight Like Demigods (1CP):''' At the start of the Fight phase, pick a {{W40kKeyword|VICTRIX GUARD}} unit within 6" of a {{W40kKeyword|VICTRIX GUARD CAPTAIN}}. That unit's attacks get +1 to hit until the end of the phase.
**Great with unwieldy Thunder Hammers and Power Fists, as they will remain WS3+ whilst enjoying the Captain's rerolls (instead of becoming coin-flip WS4+ and ''needing'' a Chaplain). Even with regular power weapons, becoming WS2+ for a single CP (that you can regain) is a good deal.

*'''Strike First, for Ultramar! (3CP):''' At the end of the opponent's Charge phase, pick a {{W40kKeyword|VICTRIX GUARD}} unit that was charged or made a Heroic Intervention. They get to pile in and fight right away as if it was the Fight phase AND can fight normally in the actual Fight phase as well.
**The BEST melee stratagem of them all. Now nothing at all can prevent the chosen unit from fighting, as it attacks even before those units with the "fights first" ability, and even before the enemy can use 'Counter-Offensive'. It's a <u>Counter Offensive Counter Offensive that lets you fight twice</u>, and that'd usually cost 2+3 CP, but the poster boys just have to be ''better than you''.

'''Warlord Trait'''
*'''Warden of Ultramar:''' Once per battle, in the Fight phase, you can re-roll wound rolls for attacks made by friendly {{W40kKeyword|VICTRIX GUARD}} units within 6" of this Warlord. ''Useful if you didn't bring or, more commonly, couldn't AFFORD to bring a Lieutenant along. Useless on Twin Claw Vanguards, however, power sword vets become very dangerous''.

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====Special Units====
'''HQ'''
*'''[[Marneus Calgar]]:''' Papa Smurf, now back in the HQ slot. His Armour of Antilochus grants a 4+ invulnerable save and halves all damage he receives (rounded up, so he's not immune to 1 damage weapons). The Bolter part of the Gauntlets of Ultramar aren't too bad since they deal 2 damage and have AP-1, but you will ignore both them and his relic blade because in melee they act like Power Fists without the -1 to hit. As is the case for all Chapter Master characters, he grants re-rolls for all to-hit rolls for units within 6". He can also deep strike, and having him as your Warlord in a Battle-forged army grants 2 bonus Command Points. While both his stats and buffing abilities pale by comparison to Guilliman, he can fill a similar role if you want to save the points and/or the Lord of War slot.
**'''Marneus Calgar in Artificer Armour:''' (index) Papa Smurf, before Swarmlord ate his arms, his legs, and half of his face. One less wound, no halved damage, and no ability to deep strike, and now, since the Codex sets Calgar in the Armour of Antilochus at 200 points, 35 points cheaper than the version in Artificer armour, you have no reason to ever take him in this form unless you're re-creating the battle at the Cold-Steel Ridge or something. Or you desperately need him to fit into a Rhino or Razorback.
**'''Marneus Calgar in the Armour of Heraclus:''' It has finally happened. Papa Smurf has become the super-NuMarine. He now gets +1T thanks to his Gravis armour, as well as +1W and +1A from being Primaris, and he even gets to keep his 2+/4++ along with the halved damage. This makes him even more powerful than he ever was, although being a Primaris does mean that if he wants to actually get into combat he'll either need to footslog or pay for a Repulsor.
***Something for consideration: Calgar, with the right supports, is actually a deadlier fighter in melee than Guilliman is. For starters, while Guilliman can feel the pain from larger foes and their absurd damage, Marneus can, for the most part, walk out less damaged and more annoying thanks to the halved damage. Assuming all damage is multi-wound rather than 1 damage, Calgar technically has ''16'' wounds, versus Guilliman's 9. In addition, while Guilliman can resurrect with D6 wounds, Calgar can receive near-constant healing through an Apothecary as he is an <INFANTRY> rather than a <MONSTER> (what, you thought Apothecaries can understand the anatomy of pseudo-demigods?). Excluding the cost of a Librarian and Victrix Guard (since Guilliman can benefit from those too) and you can have a better beatstick than Guilliman (though you do lose his super-aura). The only main weakness of Calgar in this regard is that he has slightly less toughness and strength (you ARE using Might of Heroes through Calgar's Librarian, aren't you?) than Guilliman, and he's stuck with D3 damage for his fists. TL,DR: Calgar is far cheaper for a super tough HQ and can benefit from other buffs where Guilliman can not. Calgar can certainly buff your army, but Guilliman does it better. However, Guilliman delivers more melee offense overall and functions better in situations devoid of support.
***Somebody is really [[Matthew_Ward|overestimating]] Calgar here. Against incoming attacks that are 2 damage, D3 damage, 3 damage, and D6 damage respectively, Calgar essentially has 16, 12, 12 and 14 wounds respectively (the results of D3 damage halved rounding up are 1, 1 and 2 and so D3 damage weapons average 1.333 damage against him). Now this is impressive, but the kinds of things you’re talking about fighting will usually force him to use his invulnerable save, which is a 4+, and so his effective hp is actually 32, 24, 24 and 28. Guilliman has 9 wounds on a 3++, so his effective hp is 27 in all scenarios, so the differences are actually minor against the bigger damage weapons without accounting for his revive ability, but between rerolling wounds and D3 mortal wounds on 6+ his melee output is potent enough to deal 7.778 wounds to Calgar in a single fight phase, ie basically killing him on average. How much damage can Calgar accomplish against Guilliman, or Calgar himself (Abaddon)? 2.6 wounds in both cases, 3.02 and 3.78 with the might of heroes. You may notice by this point that you’re paying half the points for less than half the melee power even with psyker support (at least in this case, but I think this is a decent benchmark). Add in that Calgar’s halve-damage durability is completely negated by things like the mortal wounds from snipers, and well...
*'''[[Cato Sicarius|Captain Sicarius]]:''' No longer able to give 10 leadership to his whole detachment, or let a rhino tac squad infiltrate. But he is a bit cheaper now, and his power sword can do D3 mortal wounds if you roll a 6 to wound. His ''artisan plasma pistol'' now gets the benefit of overcharging without any risk of hurting him. He also can grant a squad Defenders of Humanity for a round. Overall, he is roughly the same if not slightly better in terms of melee, but can surprise an enemy via (for example) giving his Terminator retinue ObSec. The best thing about him is that, at 100 pts, he's pretty cheap. He's alright for his price, though his special ability does require some forethought.
*'''[[Varro_Tigurius|Chief Librarian Tigurius]]:''' Got beefy now, with only a 3+ save, no invuln, yet 5W and 4 attacks. He's still rather vulnerable, but can kick and punch almost as well as a Captain thanks to becoming a Primaris Marine. He does have a pretty nifty ability, however, as he can inflict a -1 penalty to '''all''' hit rolls against him or a friendly '''Ultramarine''' unit within 6" each turn, which helps him or any screening unit to survive. Can also be used on a unit holding an objective to increase its survivability, on a flyer for a -2 to hit for maximum trolling, and so on; this ability has quite a few interesting tactical applications. Is equipped with his rod, a power stave that gives +3 to strength, but you don't want him in close combat anyway, unless facing extremely weak close combat opponents. His mortal wound production from ''Smite'' helps against high wound models and hordes. His hood now adds +1 to psychic tests and denial on top of the re-rolls.
**He can re-roll failed Psychic Tests (but not successful ones, even if they Perils), so his expected damage from ''Smite'' is 2.09, rather than 1.79, assuming he can live through Perils, which he can always do with his starting health. His Primaris version is better, and can re-roll any Psychic test, so you can re-roll double 6s to avoid Perils.
***He knows 3 Librarius (or Indomitus) powers and ''Smite'', and can cast and deny 2 powers per turn. In general, non-Primaris Tigurius' odds of casting a power (assuming he lives through Perils) are:
****''Smite'': 97.22%
****''Veil of Time'': 92.28%
****''Might of Heroes'': 92.28%
****''Scourge'': 92.28%
****''Fury of the Ancients'': 82.64%
****''Psychic Fortress'': 97.22%
****''Null Zone'': 82.64%
***Primaris Tigurius is ''even better''; he gets +1 to cast rolls. His odds on WC5 to WC8 are:
****''5:'' 99.31% (Smite, Psychic Fortress, Precognition, Empyric Channelling)
*****Because his +1 will make Smite roll higher more often, his Smite output is higher; because he can also re-roll successful Psychic tests, you can fish for bigger Smites - if you re-roll all rolls of 9 or less (remember, you get 1d6 mortal wounds on 10s with this guy), your average will be 2.319 mortal wounds. If you only re-roll 3s and 2s, since you'll succeed at the cast on 4s, your average will be 2.257.
****''6:'' 97.22% (Veil of Time, Might of Heroes, Scourge, Storm of the Emperor's Wrath, Psychic Shackles)
****''7:'' 92.28% (Scryer's Gaze, Telepathic Assault, Fury of the Ancients, Null Zone)
*'''[[Ortan Cassius|Chaplain Cassius]]:''' He grants a mortal wound against enemy units that kill an Ultramarines model within 6" on a 6+. 3+ Marines die often, so with big numbers in your army Cassius has some punch and hurts the enemy in their phase. Combine with a Company Ancient and Apothecary to make the marine shoot as he dies, confer a mortal wound, and be brought back to life to shoot the next turn.
**With the new codex and the Ultramarines Supplement, Cassius provides two Litanies for your marines. Using the +1 to hit and +1 to wound litanies can give squads that can generally hit on 2s, and a minimum wounding of 5s.
*'''[[Torias Telion|Sergeant Telion]]:''' Telion makes Scout Snipers better. He is armed with a better Sniper Rifle, and Scouts within 3" add 1 to their roll to hit. Telion hits on a 2+, and also has the Ultramarine and Scout keyword. Rolls of one always fail, but modifiers are diminished by his buff to himself.
*'''[[Antaro Chronus|Sergeant Chronus]]:''' Sadly, you still can't take Chronus in a Repulsor or certain FW vehicles, which is a real shame since he can not only repair the tank he's riding in but also fixes its BS to 2+. This might not seem like much of a buff at first, but keep in mind that ''this overrides the BS decrease that the damage tables would normally force''- not only will it be hitting on a 2+, it'll continue to do so even at the point it would normally be hitting on a 5+! Like in 7th edition, he becomes an infantry unit if his tank is destroyed, but a lackluster statline and bad selection of wargear mean that Chronus on foot is little more than an extra kill point for the enemy.
**Depending on whether you want him to fill a Heavy slot or not as well as an HQ slot, the two vehicles he's commonly considered best in are a quadruple lascannon predator or a double assault cannon razorback. In either case, remember that he's not a character until he disembarks, and you want his vehicle to have as many guns as possible, so always take a storm bolter and strongly consider a hunter-killer missile.
**The vehicle Chronus commands gets the character keyword. While that might not by itself stop him from getting shot, (all the vehicles he can ride have 10 wounds or more,) it does mean he can use Company Veterans, Honor Guard and Victrix Guard to deflect shots and stay operational for very long.
**Originally, vehicles he can command was very specific; but the new Codex has the following keywords as available rides: LAND RAIDER, RHINO, RAZORBACK, WHIRLWIND, PREDATOR, VINDICATOR. Sadly, no REPULSOR, SICARAN, MASTODON, ASTRAEUS, FELLBLADE or SPARTAN, but this still means he can command a Whirlwind Scorpius, a Land Raider Achilles or a Relic Predator. Or if you want to live dangerously, a Vindicator Laser Destroyer or a Terminus Ultra.
**Chronus and Telion are dirt cheap (65 for Telion, 30 for Chronus, although that's on top of the tank he rides), so they will be a great help to fill compulsory HQ slots for bigger detachments. This is a huge boon for Ultramarine players, as this will help get more command points and recycle them thanks to their warlord trait. Throw in cheap Scout Squads for the troop tax (and to make sure Telion is used to his full potential) and you're good to go for a Battalion.
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'''Forgeworld''' {{W40kKeyword|Successor Chapters}} '''Characters'''<br>
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Ultramarine successors and use this supplement.
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{{W40kKeyword|[[Fire Angels]]}}<br>
*'''Captain Tarnus Vale:''' Captain. Provides a 6+ invuln to nearby vehicles, but isn't riding a bike or using a jump pack, so he'll never keep up with his charges unless he’s in a transport or said charges are artillery tanks, such as a Fellblade or Whirlwind. But, he does have a power axe that has D2, and an 8" pistol 3 plasma pistol. Not to mention lots of vehicles sit in a parking lot. Like are you really gonna be zipping that predator up the field?
'''Successor Tactics:''' The Fire Angels are notable for for their strict adherence to the Codex, so Inheritors of the Primarch is a perfect fit for them. Alternatively, if you want to build around Vale's Vehicle buffs and build a parking lot type army, tank boosting Tactics like Master Artisans and Scions of the Forge are good options.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Fire Hawks]]}}<br>
*'''Knight-Captain Elam Courbray:''' Captain. The ''only'' Forge World character in this list who showed up with a Jump Pack, with the highest Move stat (and the guy in second place, Hecaton Aiakos, can't be your Warlord, although [[Lias Issodon]] is the guy in third place). However, because how DARE you tell him what to do when he comes in from reserve, he teleports in like a boss, rather than falling from the sky like a pleb. Also, he will always try to attack Characters within 1" of him, even if you'd rather he attacked someone else, because, again, FUCK YOU.
**You're better off taking a regular captain with a jump pack bolt pistol and a relic blade. You're paying 18 points more to get to reroll wounds on your Suser AP-2 D1d3 sword (worse than the relic blade at S+2 AP-3 D1d3, which is more likely to wound on the first roll given it makes the captain S6). That's all he has over the normal jump pack captain. That and the 'has to hit characters if possible within 1"' thing. Which is actually a handicap.
'''Successor Tactics:''' While Courbray is nothing you'd build an army around and not a whole lot is known about the Fire Hawk's specialisation, they present a fluffy option for creating a more fleshed out Legion of the Damned. No options for universal FNP or Deep Striking, but general durability boosters like Indomitable, Stalwart, Stealthy (fluff it as the smoke rising off them giving them cover!) Or Warded are fine choices, and Fearsome Aspect is quite appropriate.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Howling Griffons]]}}<br>
*'''Chaplain Dreadnought Titus:''' Exactly the same as a normal chaplain dread, but his FNP equivalent is a 5+, not a 6+, and he has fixed weaponry in an assault cannon, heavy flamer, and big ol' smashy fist. He's worth taking if you're playing Howling Griffons and already planned on taking a Chaplain Dreadnought, but otherwise unremarkable.
'''Successor Tactics:''' Griffons are known for their tactical flexibility and good sense, so most any blend of Tactics could be made to work. Titus himself, similarly, is just a solid all-rounder, though Chaplain Dreads inherently encourage a more melee focused playstyle. A good pick for remaining fast and loose with what sort of army you want to bring.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Marines Errant]]}}<br>
*'''Lieutenant Commander Anton Narvaez:''' Captain. Used to be he was a little worse stats-wise than a captain (since he's not a captain) but had more interesting (if weird) wargear. Now he's just as good as a regular captain stat-wise, but his wargear got even weirder and even better. He comes with a power sword that on a 6+ to wound does a mortal wound ''instead'' (weird), an assault d3 plasma gun with 1 less ap that can't supercharge (weirder) and the Actinic Halo which gives him a 2++ save that is better than his power armour save UNTIL you take an unsaved wound at which points it stops working and only gives a near useless 6++ (legendarily weird). He honestly makes a decently shooty captain who has a decent buff (he provides the captain buff of rerolling 1s to hit, not the lieutenant buff to wounding) and is good for an all-rounder and doesn't cost much at all, use your command point rerolls on his invulnerable save to keep him alive all game and outside of mortal wounds he'll be exceptionally tanky... especially for a dude who's just supposed to be a ship captain.
'''Successor Tactics:''' Close range board actions are not well represented on the tabletop outside of Killteam, but we can make it work. Assault is the name of the game here, so Hungry for Battle and Rapid Assault are no brainers.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Novamarines]]}}<br>
*'''Captain Mordaci Blaylock:''' Terminator captain, with a D3 chainfist, a relic storm bolter S5 AP-2, and grants a 6+ FNP to all Novamarines Infantry within 6".
'''Successor Tactics:''' Another Codex hardliner, so Inheritors of the Primarch is probably ypur go-to here. Just as well, Braylock is brutal in close range where he can support similarly built units.
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'''Elite:'''
*'''Chapter Ancient:''' Split off from the Honour Guard, he's the same as a Company Ancient, but exclusive to Ultramarines and comes with a 2+ save and a power sword instead of the pistol (which he can't exchange). He also has a 9" banner range instead of 6", just in case you wanted him to reach out and touch farther units to let them fight or shoot one last time.

*'''Chapter Champion:''' Despite the name, the Codex Chapter Champion isn't unique, so one Ultramarines Chapter can have multiple of him. He has the same mandatory Heroic Intervention and re-roll against CHARACTERs as a Company Champion but has +1A and Sv, and different wargear. His Codex entry carries a Power Sword and Champion's Blade (as well as a bolt pistol and grenades), meaning he costs 64 points, so you're paying 10 points over a Company Champion to go from 3+/5++ to 2+ and from A3 S4 AP-3 D2 to A4 S4 AP-3 D1 + A1 S4 AP-2 D1; as you may have just noticed, this means, even before the points difference, your output is going down against anything with 2 or more wounds. Accordingly, you're better off with a Company Champion, even though the Chapter Champion can use the Index to swap his Champion's Blade for a Bolter (which is drastically better on him) or his power sword for something else, simply because the master-crafted power sword on the Company Champion is so efficient and because 2+ isn't that much better than 3+/5++. The closest you're going to get for competition is the Thunder Hammer/Bolter combo, which is 81 points for A4 WS3+ (rerolling 1s to hit characters) S8 AP-3 D3, which will murder most things more efficiently than the Company Champion will, but only once delivered, and you can't give him a Jump Pack - that's a serious points investment over solving the same problem with Thunder Hammer Vanguard Vets, who can just get to the problem with their Jump Packs.
**Both Champions have buffs that overlap Chaplains/Captains/Chapter Masters, so plan accordingly - if you're bringing the buffs in from elsewhere, neither is remotely as compelling as TH/SS Company or Vanguard Veterans.
***This has all changed now. The Chapter Champion gets a Mastercrafted Power Sword and some quite substantial buffs now. Firstly, he has 5 attacks on his profile, which is more than even a Captain. Secondly, all attacks in close combat are at -1 to hit him. Combined with a 2+ save he's looking very survivable. Against characters, he also gets a whole host of special rules that will range from okay to downright scary! A 6" Heroic Intervention is okay to reach a character but re-roll hits and wounds against a character is amazing.
Give this guy the Burning Blade and The Imperium's Sword Warlord Trait and enjoy wounding T4 on 2s with AP-5 and D2. You can even shark vehicles with him since he has 7 attacks on the charge at S8. I'd even use him to finish a Knight character and laugh about it!

*'''Honour Guard:''' They seem underwhelming at first since there're only two models per unit and they have only one more wound compared to the Company Veterans. However, they only cost a minimum of 50 points plus gear (see below) for the entire unit. They possess a 2+ save, which, paired with their W2, is the primary reason to take them - they're worse in melee than Company Vets - and because of their unit size, have no worries about morale tests. Like the Company Veterans, they can intercept wounds for CHARACTERs, so they're good to have around in melee. Remember that you can stick several units into a single transport, so there is nothing stopping you from sticking 8 2-man units of Honour Guard into a single Land Raider Crusader.
**Codex Honour Guard has a mandatory Power Axe, but Index Honour Guard can take a Sword, Maul, or Relic Blade, so per the FAQ, the Index "wins", letting you take 50 points Sword Guard for bubble wrap/ablative wounds. For any weapon from Power Sword, Maul, or Axe, an Honour Guard costs the same as a Company Vet with a Storm Shield, meaning the choice is W2/2+ or W1/3+/3++; the former is cheaper per wound, which means your bodyguard lasts longer, but the latter is more durable against the majority of potential incoming fire, due to the abundance of higher damage and armour penetrating guns out there. Note also that both units are functionally immune to morale, but the Company Vets hit harder in melee - the Honour Guard unit is 4 attacks, while the Company Vets are 5. Relic Blades are garbage, doubling the cost of the Honour Guard carrying them; Company Vets with Thunder Hammers will outperform them any day.
*'''Tyrannic War Veterans:''' Sternguard Vets, minus the weapons options and with the ability to re-roll all failed rolls to hit or wound {{W40Kkeyword|TYRANID}} units. Situational, but since the bugs have gotten significant buffs it might be useful. The unit consists of 4 models, so can be cheaper in total than Sternguard, and make odd arrangements in transportation more viable.
**As a strange side note, remember that these models have STERNGUARD VETERAN SQUAD as a keyword. This means they not only can benefit from Masterful Marksmanship but also bonuses from being in the Victrix Guard Specialist detachment. Further, with their Special Issue Bolters, you can see them as a way to extend a Sternguard allowance from just 3 squads to 6. Why you would do that is beyond comprehension.
*'''Victrix Honour Guard:''' Primaris Honour Guard, with both upsides and downsides. Standard 1 wound and ABOVE standard +2 attacks (normally Primaris get +1), but also kitted out with power swords (losing the superior power axes of the base unit) and storm shields (losing both the bolters and bolt pistols of the base unit), and can perform Heroic Interventions. If they're in the same detachment as Marneus Calgar, they don't take up a slot. The net result, even after paying 5 more points per model, is that you gain a lot of durability and slight mobility, as well as an overall gain to melee output (''doubling'' the unit's total attacks more than compensates for the inferior melee weapon), in exchange for a sharp reduction in ranged output - in fact, if you want your chapter tactic to apply to them, all you can do is have the unit throw a single grenade, as opposed to the base unit, which has a pair of bolters.

'''Lord of War'''
*'''[[Roboute Guilliman]]:'''The most effective unit in the Astartes Codex, even with his whopping 350 point cost. He possesses an impressive statline: WS and BS are both 2+, 8" movement, S6, T6, 6A and has 9 wounds and if he is killed he comes back on a roll of 4+ with D6 wounds. Has the character keyword so can't be shot at unless he's the closest model or by snipers, and also takes cover behind a constant 2+, 3++. Shooting wise he uses the Hand of Dominion which is 24" rapid fire 3 S6 AP-1 Dmg 2, which is good but it's CC where you want Girlyman. In close combat he can either use the Hand of Dominion a Sx2 AP-3 Dmg 4 power fist or use the motherfucking [[Emperor's Sword]] at S+2 AP-4 Dmg 3 that on a roll of a 6 causes D3 mortal wounds on top of the 3 damage he already caused. In close combat he is one of the best characters in 8th, on top of that lucky rolls can lead to him dishing out a lot of extra damage through mortal wounds. All of that is nice, however, where Guilliman truly shines is his buffs to the rest of the army. Any keyword '''Imperium''' unit within 12" adds 1 to advances and charges, re-roll hits of 1 and can re-roll failed morale tests. As the Primarch of the Ultramarines, he gives any {{W40Kkeyword|Ultramarines}} units within 6" re-rolls of any hit roll, and wound rolls of 1 as well. Guilliman himself is affected by his own aura, allowing him to add 1 to charges and advances as well as re roll hits and 1s to wound. If all that wasn't enough if your army is battleforged you get 3 extra CP. He does everything you'd want a warlord to do, basically. The main reasons not to take him are points cost, wanting a different LOW, or not wanting to be seen as [[That Guy]].
**Be aware that since he has the {{W40Kkeyword|Monster}} keyword for some odd reason, he tends to interact strangely with several other rules (e.g. taking Transports). Watch for anything that affects {{W40Kkeyword|Monster}} units and be prepared to footslog.

====Tactical Objectives====
====Tactics====
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|Imperial (& Crimson) Fists}}===
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[[File:Imperial_&_Crimson_Fists_Livery.png|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only defiance eternal.<br>
Stubborn to a fault, the Imperial Fists are paragons of bolt marksmanship and peerless urban fighters and siege specialists.<br>
On the tabletop, this is represented by their bonuses to shooting and mastery of cover use. Where their enemies find no respite, the Imperial Fists dig in whilst letting loose precise bolter fusillades and crippling heavy weapons barrages. Success not out of tricks or outlandish tactics, just shooting like a supersoldier ought to.<br>
''If you want to marines whose <b>boltguns actually matter</b> and wish to reduce your enemy's army to mauled infantry turn one, then play as the Sentinels of Terra and fight until the bitter end''.
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====Special Rules====
Unlike other supplements, the Imperial Fists share theirs with their Crimson Fists successors. Crimson Fists thus have a full list of relics and stratagems (and Imperial Fists don't), but have their own chapter tactic and half a warlord trait table. They're still Fists, just with some "heroic last stand" tones.
*'''{{W40kKeyword|Imperial Fists & Successor}} Chapter Tactics - Siege Masters:''' Enemy units do not receive "the benefit of cover" against attacks made by models with this tactic. If the attack was with a bolt weapon, an unmodified 6 to hit scores an additional hit. [[Ork|Yellow IS shootier]].
**Exploding 6s is mathematically the same as an additional point of BS but better, since it both stacks with actual +1s to hit and doubles your Overwatch. Plus, scoring more shots than the weapon is actually capable of is always neat. This also means you suffer less from -1s to hit, including Auspex Scanner's.
**Cover isn't the nigh-invuln it was back in 7E, but it's almost like an extra point of AP now that it affects everyone. Not only cover-relying campers like Rangers and Scouts, but also those armies that get "the benefit of cover in the open", where similar things like Deathwatch Dragonfire rounds are specified as NOT working against. This lets Imperial Fists entrench themselves while their opponents cannot, either levelling the playing field when storming enemies in cover, or stacking it in your favour when you have a cover of your own. Especially when it makes Primaris bolter variants more relevant.
*'''{{W40kKeyword|Crimson Fists}} Chapter Tactic - No Matter the Odds:''' Add 1 to hit rolls for a unit targeting another unit (in either the shooting or fight phase) that has at 5 more models than the attacking unit has (e.g. a unit of 3 models gets +1 against any unit of 8 models or more). When using a {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}} to attack, that model itself counts as 5 models, so you only get it on units of 10 or more, not 6. Vehicles and Dreadnoughts you attack still count as 1 - in fact, this tactic ''can't'' come up against any target unit with fewer than 6 models in it. Additionally, for attacks with a bolt weapon, an unmodified 6 to hit scores an additional hit.
**Exploding 6s is mathematically the same as an additional point of BS but better, since it both stacks with actual +1s to hit and doubles your Overwatch. Plus, scoring more shots than the weapon is actually capable of is always neat. This also means you suffer less from -1s to hit, including Auspex Scanner's.
**As if you needed an incentive to run Multiple Small Units. Keep in mind "cosmetic" models count as squad members, e.g.: an Armorium Cherub would prevent an otherwise 5-man Devastator unit to gain the bonus against a unit of 10 Guardsmen. Still, it gives Crimson Fists great anti horde capability. It works on your damaged units too as well as low count units ([[That_Guy|Company Vet pairs!]]), and your characters won't suffer penalties to their power fists when fighting the enemy masses.
**This Chapter Tactic also means <u>safe supercharged plasma</u>, which can matter against massed T4 enemies like Ork Boyz or Necron Warriors. Always load up your characters with combi plasma. As long as they're shooting units of more than 5 models they'll have safe overcharged plasma for killing primaris or TEQ models. If you're shooting at hordes, the +1 will let you fire both sides of the combi weapon without penalty.
**Aggressors and Centurions are perfect for the CF: they are a three-man squad and can generate a fuck ton of bolt shot.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Legacy of Dorn:''' Heavy Weapons gain +1 damage when targeting {{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}}s or {{W40kKeyword|Building}}s (although good luck finding a non-vehicle building to shoot at) in the Devastator Doctrine. No nonsense, strike some of the important targets turn one at range. But only turn one, due to the changes to Combat Doctrines. ''[[Battlesuit#XV95_Ghostkeel_Battlesuit|Does]] [[Riptide|nothing]] [[Khaine#The_Avatar_of_Khaine|against]] [[Tyranids|{{W40kKeyword|monsters}}]].''
**In 8E volume of dice matters more. The doctrine makes Lascannons and Krak missiles more reliable, but 6 Assault Cannon shots at ''double damage'' (12 damage at S6 AP-1) are simply more reliable than two lascannon shots at +1D (9 damage at S9 AP-3). The specialist doctrine is active only the first turn and you have to make it count; on top of your actual dedicated anti-tank you could aim your non-specialized heavy guns at tanks too, even the humble Heavy Bolter becomes a considerable threat to lighter vehicles: Auto, Grav, and Plasma Cannons become true all-rounders, able to deal effectively with heavy infantry and vehicles. Combined with the Tank Hunters Stratagem, a true siege master can use even light artillery like Whirlwinds and Thunderfire cannons in a counter-battery role, as well as turn Intercessors' Stalker Bolt Rifles and Eliminator's Bolt Sniper rifles into AP-3 D3 shots (that wound on 4+).

=====Warlord Traits=====
======{{W40kKeyword|Imperial Fists & Successors}}======
#'''Siege Master:''' Add 1 to wound rolls against Building and Vehicle units. Great on a slam captain or anyone else that’s going to be in melee against Knights or tanks. This is Tor Garadon’s required trait.
#*The Imperial Fists can have one of the mightiest Smash Captains of them all: Combine Siege Master with <b>The Imperium's Sword</b> (rerolls charges, +1S +1A). Then give him a relic Thunder Hammer or the cheaper Fist of Terra and now he's wounding Knights on a 2+.
#*Fist Warlords aren't restricted to melee. Siege Masters can wound most vehicles on a 4+ with mere bolters. MC Auto Bolt Rifle > MC Stalker Bolt Rifle.
#'''Indomitable:''' This warlord can only be wounded on a 4+. Essentially the opposite of the above, rather than being good at killing Knights this trait makes you good at not being killed by Knights (or other Smash Captains). This is Captain Lysander’s required trait.
#*Better for T4 characters than for Gravis Captains; Gravis gives up the option of a 3++ for a T5 that would prevent them being wounded by S8 on a 2+, but this trait does away with silly maths. Only S5 Power Axes and Bolt Sniper Rifles would make a difference here.
#'''Fleetmaster:''' Once per battle, ''at the end of the Fight phase'' and if this warlord both remained stationary and didn't do any attacks, select a point on the battlefield and roll 1d6 for each unit within '''d'''6". On a 4+ (substracting 1 for characters), deal d3 MW to that unit. So, give up a Warlord's trait and turn to do what an Orbital Comms Impulsor does.
#*Then again, it can be combined with an Orbital Comms Impulsor and Orbital Bombardment for 3d3 MW on the enemy's formation / spam 1d3 MW across the board. Rather punishing for [[Space Marines|MSU armies]].
#'''Stubborn Heroism:''' The warlord halves incoming damage (rounding up), but cannot fall back. Combine this with <b>Indomitable</b>, and take the Adamantine Mantle on a Gravis Captain for a character who isn’t going anywhere.
#*He won't die to the big stuff, but keep anti-horde measures at hand should you need them - a Terminator / Aggressor retinue can use '''Close-Range Bolter Fire'''.
#'''Architect of War:''' When resolving AP-1 attacks against friendly Fists within 6" of this warlord, add an additional 1 to the (armour) save roll if that unit is "recieving the benefit of cover" (meaning IW & other IF nullify this trait). ''While situational, enemy Bolt Rifles start as AP-1, so it can be a common situation indeed.''
#'''Hand of Dorn:''' If your army is battle-forged, gain D3 command points before the battle. Simple, powerful, always worth taking, even if it requires spending a command point for Sentinel of Terra.

======{{W40kKeyword|Crimson Fists}}======
#'''Tenacious Opponent:''' If there are at least 5 enemy models within 6" of your warlord in the fight phase, he gains D3 extra attacks.
#*Have him fight before killing models with other units; [[Khorne|Eight]] attacks on a good roll place him among the most damaging captains. Combine it with '''The Imperium's Sword''' or '''Champion of Humanity''' to make him even deadlier.
#'''Refuse to Die:''' Unlike Robutte Girlyman you don’t need magical armour given to you by Cawl and some filthy heretical Eldar. Once your warlord loses his last wound, roll a d6, and on a 4+ he comes back with 1d3 wounds remaining as close as possible to your original position and at least 1” away from enemy models.
#'''Stoic Defender:''' All {{W40Kkeyword|Crimson Fists}} units gain the Defenders of Humanity (Objective Secured) rule within 6” of your warlord, and any unit that already had that rule (your Troops) count as double their model count (5 tacticals count as 10 when determining models securing an objective), so you can steal objectives even if you're outnumbered by guardsmen. Especially hilarious when it's a sudden deepstriking ObSec captain stealing it away from non-troop enemies.

====Relics & Special-Issue Wargear====

Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of the Fists may only be taken by Imperial Fists (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Imperial Fists and their successor chapters.

=====Relics of the Fists=====
The Fists only get four relics for themselves, as they share two slots with the Crimson Fists:
*'''The Spartean''': Vastly improved from SM1, it upgrades a bolt or heavy bolt pistol, making it 18" Pistol 2 '''AP-3''' 2D with the ability to target Characters like snipers do. Can be given to a Primaris character (only Captains can take power fists) to help eliminate characters.
*'''Eye of Hypnoth''': Ranged attacks within 6" of the bearer re-roll 1s to wound. So, a limited Lieutenant reroll...but that still frees up 60-70 pts and a HQ slot for a Chaplain or Librarian. Great for a ranged Captain baby-sitting a gunline, especially since [[Derp|Phobos Lieutenants cannot infiltrate]].
*'''The Banner of Staganda''': {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists Ancient}} only. Melee attacks made by models within 6" get +1 to hit.
*'''The Bones of Orsak''': {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists Librarian}} only. When manifesting a Geokinesis power, you can re-roll the Psychic test. ''Doubtful: Geokinesis powers are easy, being WC6 at most''.

And the Crimson Fists get 2:

*'''Duty's Burden''': {{W40Kkeyword|Crimson Fists}} exclusive, replaces a master-crafted stalker bolt rifle or master-crafted auto bolt rifle, 30" Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-2 D2.
*'''Fist of Vengeance''': {{W40Kkeyword|Crimson Fists}} exclusive, replaces a power fist, turns it into a thunder hammer with no penalty to hit (D3). One of the best melee relics, especially with the huge points increase for thunder hammers - hits hard and cheap - but usually worse than a Master-Crafted Thunder Hammer, despite the relative costs.

=====Special-Issue Wargear=====
To compensate for the Fists below average number of relics, some Special-Issue items are of relic-tier quality. First of all, the standard 4 every chapter gets:

*'''Adamantine Mantle''': 5+++ Feel No Pain.
*'''Artificer Armor''': 2+/5++. As always, better on support characters that lack invulnerable saves like Lieutenants or Librarians.
*'''Master-Crafted Weapon''': Increase a weapon's damage by one, cannot already be master-crafted, weapon counts as a Relic.
*'''Digital Weapons''': Gain an extra attack that deals a mortal wound if it hits.

And then the four Fist-specific ones:

*'''Auric Aquila''': 4++ invulnerable save, and 5+++ against mortal wounds in the Psychic phase.
*'''Fist of Terra''': Replaces a power fist, removing the penalty to hit and granting +1 attack. One of the better melee relics. Despite lacking a Thunder Hammer's guaranteed 3 Damage, the bonuses allow the wielder to effectively fight infantry whilst still being effective against bigger targets. And again, 31 damn points cheaper.
*'''Gatebreaker Bolts''': Gives a bolt weapon an alt-fire mode: make one hit roll that makes D3 wound rolls (allocated separately) at AP-5 D1. Best when fired from a Bolt Sniper Rifle or Stalker Bolt Rifle, doubling the damage against vehicles.
*'''Warden's Cuirass''': +1 Wound. Tack it onto an Iron Resolve Gravis Captain for 9W with FnP (6+). That's effectively '''10.5 Wounds''' while still enjoying Character protection.

====Stratagems====
'''Attack Stratagems''': Doubles down on their bolter and anti-vehicle themes.
*'''Bitter Enemy (1 CP)''': In the Fight Phase, re-roll any Hit and Wound rolls against {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Warriors}}. The fluffy stratagem everyone seems to get. If it comes up, have fun with it.
*'''Bolter Drill (2 CP)''': In the Shooting Phase, one {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists}} unit counts hit rolls of 6 with a Bolt weapon as two hits. That's three with the chapter tactic. A tad expensive, so throw it high dakka units like Aggressors, Inceptors, Centurions, Infiltrators (6s auto-wound), FW Quad-Heavy Bolter units (Fire Raptor, Land Raider Proteus, Rapier Carrier) and the like, pray for sixes, and unleash the BRRRRRT.
*'''Clearance Protocols (2 CP)''': During the Shooting Phase, ten models in a unit can hurl grenades instead of one. Most noticeable on Assault marines and Vanguard Vets, who have an easier time closing the distance, can hurl a Melta Bomb and aren't missing out on their guns. Still niche.
*'''Close-Range Bolter Fire (2 CP)''': Turn a unit's Bolt weapons into Pistols for a Shooting phase. They actually gain the Pistol type, so while Storm and Hurricane Bolters miss out on the double shooting, squads can use their guns alongside their actual pistols, and they get a boost in the Assault Doctrine.
**Everyone benefits, but who benefits more? <u>1) Units who would like to fall back</u>, so that's Heavy Bolter Centurions and Devastators (and Rapier Quad Heavy Bolters & Land Raiders Crusader and Proteus, because [[Derp|it isn't restricted to infantry]]). <u>2) Units who want to be in melee but don't want to miss out on their dakka</u>, like Auto Bolt Rifle Inceptors and, above all others, Autobolt Aggressors, who can shoot twice because they didn't move that turn. '''Pistol 12!'''
*'''Praetorian's Wrath (2 CP, Single Use)''': At the start of the movement phase, when the Devastator Doctrine is active, 6s to wound with heavy weapons and grenades gain an additional -1 to their AP until the next movement phase. Note that the wording here means that it applies in Overwatch.
*'''Sappers (1 CP)''': In the Shooting or Fight Phase, a unit adds +1 to Hit and Wound against a {{W40Kkeyword|Building}}. No one uses buildings, and you already have Combat Doctrine if they do. But if someone brings a Noctilith Crown or a Landing Pad, go break it.
*'''Tank Hunters (2 CP)''': Pick one enemy {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}}. Until the end of the phase, a (1) {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists}} unit gets +1 to wound against it. Pop this when the enemy has a piece or armor that absolutely must die, and the combat doctrine just isn't enough for you (or you're trying to destroy it in melee).
**Anti-infantry guns will wound almost any vehicle on a 4+, and Lascannons, Vindicators and Heavy/Macro Plasma Incinerators will ''wound almost any vehicle on a 2+''.

'''Defense Stratagems''': Makes Fists a pain in the glove to remove, especially when near select locations due to their "Once more, into the breach!" siege flair.

*'''Bolster Defenses (1 CP, Single Use)''': At the start of the movement phase, select an {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists Infantry}} unit entirely on or within a terrain feature. As long as they remain stationary, when resolving an attack against them, add 1 to their non-invulnerable saving throw.
**That's the wording. Notice it doesn't say "in the shooting phase", just says attack; if the enemy charges them, they get +1 to their armour save in melee - they're on YOUR turf. Use a Drop Pod or Impulsor, so your unit can begin turn 2 on the enemy's ground and it becomes PROTECT THE BEACH-HEAD!
*'''Pain Is A Lesson (1 CP)''': Give a 6+++ Feel No Pain to a non-vehicle or servitor unit for a phase.
*'''Stubborn Defense (2 CP)''': Use at the start of the battle if your Warlord is on the battlefield. You can’t discard Storm or Defend tactical objectives, but scoring them gains you an additional victory point.
*'''The Shield Unwavering (2 CP)''': At the end of your turn, give an {{W40Kkeyword|Imperial Fists Infantry}} unit withing 3" of an objective +1 attack and +1 to (non-invulnerable)<sup>[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ded8a1f1.pdf 19/11/2019 FAQ]</sup> saving throws until the start of your next turn. ''Combine with Bolster Defenses or Pain Is A Lesson when the point must be held at all costs.''

'''Upgrade''': The usual extra relics & warlord traits.

*'''Champion of Blades (1 CP)''': Give a successor chapter a Fists relic, the standard stuff.
*'''Gift of the Phalanx (1 CP)''': Give a Sergeant a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, the Fist of Terra, or Gatebreaker Bolts.
**While the Fist of Terra is good and you might want that on a character, they have other relic weapons they can wield, including Thunder Hammers. A Veteran Intercessor with the fist (6A) can join those characters. An Eliminator Sergeant's Bolt Sniper Rifle is a good way to deliver Gatebreaker Bolts.
*'''Sentinel of Terra (1 CP)''': Give a non-special character Warlord an additional Warlord Trait. Combine Indomitable and Stubborn Heroism for an incredible wall.

{{W40Kkeyword|Crimson Fists}} get two extra Stratagems, in addition to the above:

*'''A Hated Foe (1 CP)''': For one phase, a unit gets +1 to wound against {{W40Kkeyword|Orks}}. And here's their fluff-appropriate Stratagem.
*'''Slay The Tyrant (1 CP)''': For one phase, a unit gets +1 to hit against {{W40Kkeyword|Characters}}. Boosting a single sniper unit could be a bit lackluster, but could be useful for units who get to target a character, especially in melee. Especially when using unwieldy weapons, or to offset enemy -1 to hit tricks.

====Litany & Psychic Discipline- Geokinesis====
#'''Tectonic Purge – WC6:''' Any enemy units that start their charge within 12″ of the psyker must subtract 2 from the result. A strong defensive buff, this trait can combine with the debuff from a Repulsor to make even a Blood Angel unit think twice about charging out of deep strike, or work alone to help keep a unit of Centurions safe. The only major downside is the enemy needing to start within 12″, meaning the Librarian needs to be near the front lines. Combine with Tremor Shells to make charges basically impossible for an enemy unit.
#'''Wrack and Ruin - WC6''': One visible enemy <building or unit that's wholly in or within a terrain feature> within 18" has to roll 9d6, and for each 5+ (4+ if it's a building) they suffer a mortal wound. Hardly impressive, but it might let you blow up a Tidewall, bang up a Webway gate, or smack a few cover campers.
#*Will outperform Smite, with the caveat that its targeting is heavily restricted.
#'''Iron Inferno – WC6:''' Select a point on battlefield within 18″ and visible to psyker. Roll one D6 for each enemy unit within 6″ of that point, deal one mortal wound on a 4+. Better than most area of effect powers, this doesn’t suffer from a penalty to damage characters or random radius. Still, only dealing one mortal wound per unit makes this need to hit multiple units to do much, making it far from a safe take.
#'''Fortify – WC4:''' Restore D3 lost wounds to one Imperial Fists Infantry or Biker model within 12″. Trivially low warp charge for some healing? Sign me up. Only downside is that Apothecary resurrection happens in the movement phase, so this can’t heal a model to full and allow the Apothecary to resurrect – but it ''can'' heal up a resurrected model to full.
#'''Aspect of Stone – WC5:''' Add 2 to psyker’s strength and toughness until your next psychic phase. Counters the positioning vulnerability in the use of Tectonic Purge, and turns a psyker into something of a melee threat. That said, putting your key anti-charge psyker into melee generally isn’t what an Imperial Fists gunline is likely to be doing, so this power has limited viability.
#'''Chasm – WC6:''' Select a visible enemy unit that cannot Fly within 18″ of the psyker. Roll 2D6; if the result is less than the lowest Move characteristic in the unit, it takes one mortal wound; if it’s equal it takes D3; if it’s greater then it’s flat three mortal wounds. Another power that can be used to snipe out a character, this power has a 58.33% chance to do a full three mortal wounds against something with the standard six-inch movement, and of course that only increases against slower units – things like Terminators or Death Guard spring to mind.
#*Starts outperforming Smite against M5 or less. Fuck Orks.

'''Litanies of Battle - Fortress of Resolve:''' Fists within 6" hit on 5 and 6 during Overwatch, increasing your hit ratio by +100%. And 5+ overwatch with exploding 6s is equivalent to BS4. Thus a chaplain can boost a unit with '''Recitation of Focus''' when the enemy is far away, this litany when at risk of being charged (and it also affects the bubblewrap unit), and '''Litany of Hate''' when melee is joined.

====Specialist Detachment - Imperial Fists Siegebreaker Cohort====
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It benefits {{W40kKeyword|Captains}}, {{W40kKeyword|Centurions}}, {{W40kKeyword|Dreadnoughts}}, and {{W40kKeyword|Vindicators}}. Note that only {{W40kKeyword|IMPERIAL FISTS}} can take this, and not any of their Successors. Easily worth paying 1CP to get access to it if you need to kill Knights or Forgeworld vehicles, despite not providing access to a relic or even warlord trait ([https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ded8a1f1.pdf GW FAQed it away rip]).
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''Stratagems'''
*'''Seismic Devastation (1CP):''' Pick one {{W40kKeyword|SIEGEBREAKER COHORT}} unit at the start of any Shooting or Fight phase. When it makes an unmodified wound roll of 6 against a {{W40kKeyword|VEHICLE}}, you deal an additional mortal wound to the enemy model.
**Enables your anti-infantry Centurions to also <s>kill a Leman Russ</s> <u><b>KILL KNIGHTS AND LEVIATHANS</b></u>. Assault Centurions with flamers deal a bit more wounds, but they have to be within 8" of the enemy instead of 24", so, pass. Bolter Discipline, baby! Redemptor Dreads with Onslaught cannons aren't as killy as Centurions, but they're noticeably cheaper.
***Three HB Centurions (210 pts) inflict an average of '''14.7 unsaved wounds''' to a 14W 303 pts Leviathan (2+/4++) protected by '''Duty Eternal'''(halves damage - denies your Doctrine). That example uses the most basic of boosts: rerolls of 1s to hit and wound, provided by a nameless captain with Eye of Hypnoth (or a Lt). You could combine it with '''Tank Hunters''' and '''Bolter Drill''' stratagems on Heavy Bolter/Hurricane Bolter Centurions, for +1 to wound, 2D Heavy Bolters, 6s to hit result in 3 hits rather than 1, if you want those three Centurions to kill something like a boosted Knight.
*'''Structural Demolition (1CP):''' When your {{W40kKeyword|SIEGEBREAKER COHORT}} units destroy a building, enemy models embarked on it roll 2d6 when exciting instead of d6.
**Kinda lame to be honest, considering that very few players actually take Fortifications in their lists. In fact, this kinda gives them more of a reason to ''not'' use them, and some things like Altars of Khorne don't even have a wounds stat. Don't expect to use it very often.

</div></div>

====Specialist Detachment - Crimson Fists Liberator Strike Force====

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{{W40kKeyword|Primaris Characters}} (Ancient, Apothecary, Captain, Chaplain, Librarian, & Lieutenant), {{W40kKeyword|Intercessor squads, Reiver squads, & Hellblaster squads}} in that detachment gain the {{W40kKeyword|liberator strike force}} keyword. The other side of the coin where it comes to Primaris detachments. It mentions all those squads, but the real stars here are the Hellblasters, as it is a ranged detachment.
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'''Stratagems'''
*'''Heroes of Rynn's World (1CP):''' Use at the start of the shooting phase and pick a {{W40kKeyword|LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE}} unit. All unmodified hit rolls of 6 count as 2 hits instead of 1.
**A few extra shots isn't much, so use it on Hellblasters to make it count. It's +1 to +3 dead guys on a 5-man squad firing two shots, depending on the enemy and buff auras nearby.
*'''Paragons of Dorn (1 CP):''' At the end of your opponent's shooting phase pick a {{W40kKeyword|LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE}} unit that was targeted this phase, they can then fire as if it were their shooting phase. ''Annoying because you have to get shot first.''
**Again your Hellblasters will destroy anything that doesn't kill them. Add an Ancient and an Apothecary so that actual casualties don't go to waste.
'''Warlord Trait'''
*'''Expert Instructor:''' Re-roll hit rolls of 1 for friendly {{W40kKeyword|LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE}} units within 9" of your warlord.
**Useful for a Lieutenant Field Commander for the double aura. Give the Eye of Hypnoth to the Captain, and now you have two double auras. Alternatively you can pick a Librarian or Chaplain (there's no Primaris Techmarines yet), and give them the double aura to boost a Hellblaster unit with Recitation of Focus / Tectonic Purge & Fortify.
'''Artifact'''
*'''The Vengeful Arbiter:''' 12" Pistol 2 S5 AP-1 D2, and successful hit rolls cause more shots at the same target (additional shots can't generate further hit rolls). ''Boo, relic pistol.''
**It goes with the ranged theme, functionally giving your character a 12" D2 Heavy Bolter as a pistol. Then again, 12" is but the prelude to melee, and your other relic is basically a Thunder Hammer without unwieldy - one of the best relics in the codex in fact, and one of the few a Primaris Captain can use.
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====Special Units====
'''HQ'''
*'''[[Darnath Lysander|Captain Lysander]]:''' Lysander is a better TH/SS Terminator Captain; the Fist of Dorn being a S10 Thunder Hammer without the -1 to hit penalty, making up for the actual IF relic pistol. If you have [[Death Guard|T5 enemies]], Lysander's the guy you schedule them a play date with. He also gives +1Ld to nearby Fists, ''as if Space Marines cared about Leadership'' (you'd think it'd help Psychic Scourge, but that's a shitty power). Do you know how to use a TH/SS Termie Captain? Then you know all there is to know about Lysander strategy.
*'''Captain Tor Garadon:''' The original owner of the Spartean Bolt Pistol, now a named Primaris Captain in Gravis armor with +1 wound. He comes with a Grav-gun, making him pack just a bit more punch at range than the usual Gravis captain. He also has a Signum Array that gives a friendly Imperial Fists unit within 3" BS2+ at the start of the shooting phase (thus overriding a vehicle's damage bracket), which stacks nicely with his Captain's Rites of Battle aura. His Hand of Defiance isn't just an aesthetically bulky Power Fist, it's ''Sx3'' AP-3 D3 (but still -1 to hit). Last but not least, his Siege Captain ability gives all his attacks +1 to their damage characteristic when he attacks a Vehicle or Building, so he can punch a Land Raider to death with attacks to spare or help to whittle down a tank from afar.

'''Forgeworld''' {{W40kKeyword|Successor Chapters}} '''Characters'''<br>
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Imperial Fists successors and use this supplement.<br>
{{W40kKeyword|Crimson Fists}}<br>
*'''[[Pedro Kantor|Pedro Kantor (Crimson Fists)]]:''' More focused this edition than in the last several; he no longer benefits Sternguard especially, nor especially torments Orks, Pedro Kantor is a CC killing machine in 8E. His Oath of Rynn special rule is now a buff to give +1A to all friendly Crimson Fists <u>models</u> within 6", while 'Chapter Master' affects whole ''units'' within that range. And it's great not having to pay CP to get full rerolls. For his price and relatively small footprint, he can make a huge impact in any melee.
**He's excellent when paired with -1 To Hit escorts, like TH/SS Termies/Vets or Aggressors. Add a Lieutenant and you'll be rerolling everything. Being a footslogger, however, you'll need to find him a way to the front line, but at the very least he's got an Assault 4 AP-1 Bolter to jog across the board. Especially with those resilient Primaris, their 2 base attacks and their Assault weapons, who may not be riding Repulsors because you don't give in to GW's shilling.
**Kantor, being a 'Chapter Master' also lends himself to gun lines. His +1A helps your Marines punch back when onrushing hordes inevitably reach the Marines, Primaris hitting as if they were Vets with chainswords.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Executioners]]}}<br>
*'''High Chaplain Thulsa Kane:''' Chaplain with the most awesome name, +2W and A, and rather dodgy with -1 to be hit in melee. Has a 6" aura that grants an additional attack for models that roll an unmodified 6 To Hit, in addition to the Mastr of Sanctity's two active Litanies. Furthermore, instead of the Crozius he uses ''Lifetaker'', a S+2 power sword with D2, which becomes D4 against {{W40kKeyword|characters}}. And he's also got a plasma pistol with an extra shot. Though he's an impressive beatstick that buffs the melee capabilities of everyone around him, he's a footslogging manlet, so you need to put him in a good transport, like a Drop Pod or a Land Raider.
**'''Successor Tactics:''' Imperial Fists tactics are trash for Executioners; their endgame is assault and Thulsa Kane helps them do that well. This guy is an awesome force multiplier when combined with the "Whirlwind of Rage" successor trait and some high attack volume units (like Vanguards with double Chainswords). Every 6 to hit generates an extra attack AND scores an additional hit. And while those extra attacks cannot generate any more attacks, they DO generate additional hits on consecutive 6s! Add his natural Chaplain ability to reroll failed hits and you literally drown your enemy in to wound rolls. Put him in a Drop Pod and take "Hungry for Battle" as your second trait so he and his company actually arrive in melee after deep striking (though you wouldn't be able to use litanies that turn).
***Even better with Incursor squads, whose Paired Combat blades score an additional hit on a 6. Combine it with Gene Wrought Might (1CP) to Auto Wound on a hit roll of 6. Exhortation of Rage means 6s generate an additional attack and Litany of Hate re-rolls any hit roll that isn't a 6. If you're fighting heretic astartes, pop Death to the Traitors (1CP) while your at it. All up, each six we roll then explodes into 1 auto-wounds, two additional hits and 3 additional attacks that can also roll 6s to get a further 3 auto-wounds (but no more additional attacks).

====Tactical Objectives====
*'''Indomitable Defence''': Choose three objectives, score 1vp if you control one of them, d3 if you control two, and d3+3 if you control all three.
*'''Man The Walls''': Score 1vp if at least three of your units are in cover or embarked.
*'''Disciplined Firepower''':Choose a number between one and three, if you kill that many enemy units, you score that many vp.
*'''Champions Of Dorn''': Score 1vp if an enemy character was killed by one of your characters.
*'''Death Before Dishonour''': Score 1vp if this objective has been in your hand for two turns, but it is discarded if you fall back.
*'''Breach Their Defences''': Score 1vp for each enemy building (lol), or unit you killed that was in/on terrain, to a maximum of three.

====Tactics====
So you love bolters, hate vehicles, and forts trigger you despite never having seen one. What to do with all this?
*'''Positioning:''' Shock Assault urges you to melee, your doctrine pulls you to range. But whatever you choose, you have to commit: unlike WS and UM, the stubborn Imperial Fists don't take falling back too well - Stubborn Heroism warlords wouldn't even think of it. Where other armies have stratagems to do complex feints, you simply gain true grit. You deny cover, but you're also geared to garisonning terrain features and objectives. Understand you're not fighting merely on a battlefield, but with it.
*'''Attrition:''' Imperial Fists are balanced: they shoot well, can give the enemy a hard time closing in, and being space marines they don't suffer in melee like [[Imperial_Guard|other]] [[Tau|armies]] do.
**When the enemy is far away you can outshoot them: blow up their gunships and bastions, ignore their cover, dig in yours.
**When the enemy comes to you, delay them: blow up their transports, omniscramble their deepstrikes, pin them with Tremor Shells, punish their charges with Fortress of Resolve overwatch, and turn them back with Repulsor fields & Tectonic purge.
**When the enemy reaches your objectives, you can use Shield Unwavering and Bolster Defense to protect them, and Close-Range Bolter Fire when falling back isn't an option.

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==={{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}}===
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[[File:Black_Templars_Livery.png|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, there will be only war. Actual quote by Sigismund, he called it first.<br>
The Great Crusade never ended for these guys. Not confined to a sector like other chapters, the Black Templars fight the enemies of mankind wherever they are.

On the tabletop, these guys are no-nonsense marines, geared to fight the enemy in honest melee with daring charges and skilled swordplay. There's the enemy, go kill it. Shrug off their psychic tricks, bolter and blade will carry out the day. What deals more damage than just shooting? Shooting AND fighting, and you can chain the two better than other Chapters. So good at it that even charging right out of orbit can be a tactic - skip movement and psychic phases, shooting and fighting is where it's at.

''[[Armageddon#Third_War_for_Armageddon|Are all orks dead?]] [[Great_Rift|Has chaos been defeated?]] Then chain your weapons to your gauntlets and <b>take the fight to them</b>
. No [[Tau|pity]], no [[Chaos_Space_Marines|remorse]], no [[Eldar|fear]]!''
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====Special Rules====
*'''The Lost Librarius:''' {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Astartes Psykers}} cannot be from the {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} Chapter, if you needed reminding. Doesn't affect non-Templar {{W40Kkeyword|Psykers}} in allied detachments.
*'''Chosen Champion:''' You also can't use the Chapter Champion stratagem. But that's because you have the Emperor's Champion, so you don't care.

*'''Chapter Tactics - Righteous Zeal:''' Units with this tactic can re-roll failed charge rolls, '''''either one or both dice'''''. They also get a 5+++ FNP vs mortal wounds.
**All mortal wounds, not just those from psychic powers; this is basically Armour of Contempt but always active, all the time and not restricte to vehicles. A character about to die can fail to save a regular wound, and pass it onto a Company Vet as a mortal wound to try to save it again. A vehicle that fails a plasma roll has a chance to not lose a wound. What tries to counter TH/SS? Mortal Wounds SPAM. Well now your TH/SS are 2+/3++/5+++, simple as.
**'''Imperial 'Ere We Go!''' Simple yet effective, this and Shock Attack are your incentives for melee. With an individual 56.9% of making the charge, a massed deepstrike is less of a coinflip ― the probability of ''at least one of two units'' making a 9" charge is 0.569+(1-0.569)*0.569 = '''81.4%'''. And you have a ton such units: ''Anything'' {{W40Kkeyword|Jump Pack}}, Reivers, {{W40Kkeyword|Terminators}}; Cataphractii's transport issue is all but solved! Even melee Dreadnoughts will improve, as it makes charges vastly more reliable. But <u>MSU everything</u>: one of two 5-man units making the charge is better than 10 dudes standing around doing nothing. It also doubles the grenades they can use (especially Reiver Shock Grenades), and the unit left behind can prevent any characters that didn't make the charge from being sniped when the others do get into melee.
***Of course, it's not restricted to a melee drop: a Rhino/Razor/Impulsor rush or a Land Raider Crusader boosted with Shock and Awe works too, and the Assault Doctrine doesn't work until turn 3. Just doing the math so you don't need to cogitate it mid-charge.

*'''Combat Doctrine - Knights of Sigismund:''' When the Assault Doctrine is active, units that charge/Heroically Intervene against non-Vehicles that roll an unmodified 6 to hit in melee auto-hit and auto-wound.
**It's alright. Believe it or not, ((WS-1)*(To Wound)+(1/6)) is actually equal or ''better than the Blood Angels''' +1A when wounding on 4+/5+/6+, since BA gain +1 attack (+25% on 2+1 A Intercessors), while you get +25%/+50%/+125% on any attacks you have. And compared to the WS, you get your bonus while they get nothing against single wound models. ''So, are BT better at melee than BA & WS?'' '''No.''' Especially not compared to the BA <s>snowflake</s> exclusive units. This bonus also suffers from being better against only the most secific of targets: [[Plague Marines|high toughness single wound models]]. Fight hordes and you'll wish you had +1A. Fight anything T8 and you'll see it has more than one wound, so WS do double damage to it. Not to mention why are you punching a vehicle with your S4?
**If you're fishing for exploding 6s, remember there's '''Exhortation of Rage''', '''Gene Wrought Might''' and Grimaldus, as well as '''Death to the Traitors''' when fighting CSM. So does Incursor melee, although you also have Crusader squads and Veteran Intercessors as melee Troop choices too - after all, more attacks = more 6s.

====Warlord Traits====
#'''Oathkeeper:''' Warlord can do 6" Heroic Interventions. Eh, it's ok. You certainly don't want your warlord to leave his squad unsupported when they get charged, but you should be the one who charges anyway. Emperor Champion's trait.
#'''Epitome of Piety:''' The Warlord can deny one power in the Psychic Phase, and gains a +1 on his roll to do so. Just in case you need a little more protection than what Righteous Zeal provides you with. Chaplain Grimaldus' trait.
#'''Paragon of Fury:''' After the warlord makes a charge move, roll 1d6 for each enemy unit within 1” of the warlord; on a 2+ that model takes a mortal wound. Ok, but you can do better.
#'''Master of Arms:''' The Warlord Always Fights First. Black Templars don't do fall back feints, and fighting first means the enemy cannot kill you because you killed them first. Though if you can't get stuck in because you're killing everything in the charge then pick something else.
#'''Inspirational Fighter:''' When friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} units within 6” of this warlord roll an unmodified 6 to wound for melee weapon attacks, improve the weapon’s AP by 1.
#*Biggest issue with this is that the AP boost cannot stack with the Assault Doctrine's, meaning you'll be lucky if you even manage to fight under this effect for at least one round.
#'''Front-Line Commander:''' Add 1 to the Advance and Charge distances of friendly Black Templars units within 6”. High Marshal Helbrecht's trait.
#*Remember it doesn't stack with '''Canticle of Hate''', which doesn't affect advances and doesn't work if the user was in a transport, but does increase Pile In moves by +3". Which is like the '''Devout Push''' stratagem, but as an aura. Up to you to use a Front-Line Commander to do a turn 1 drop pod assault or be patient and wait for turn 2 with Chaplain support.

====Relics and Special-Issue Wargear====
*'''Ancient Breviary:''' Chaplain only. When you roll for a litany for the bearer, you can roll 2D6 and discard either result. Equivalent to being able to re-roll, except that you can use both this ''and'' a tactical re-roll. Can give 97.55% reliability to Litany combos for a Master of Sanctity.
*'''Aurillian Shroud:''' Once per battle at the start of the battle round, a model with this relic can activate it. If they do, until the end of the battle round, models in friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} units have a 4++ invulnerable save while within 3” of the relic bearer.
*'''Crusader's Helm''': Increase the range of the model's aura abilities by 3", to a maximum of 12". Also, at the start of your Movement phase (so it doesn't work in deepstrike/transports), pick a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars}} unit with the Combat Doctrines ability within 6" of this model. Until your next Movement phase, the Assault Doctrine is active for that unit, replacing the current doctrine.
*'''Skull of the Cacodominus:''' Once per battle, after a psychic power is manifested within 12" of the bearer, roll 1d6; on a 2+, the caster suffers 1d3 mortal wounds after the power is resolved. ''Alas, poor Cacodominus, I knew your psychic death screams well.''
*'''Sword of Judgment''': Replaces a power sword or master-crafted power sword. S+1 AP-3 3D. Compared to a Thunder Hammer, hitting on a 2+ but wounding on 3+ is the same as hitting on a 3+ but wounding on a 2+.
**Despite this is using a relic slot (1CP) to do what a regular Thunder Hammer does, this relic sword costs TEN TIMES LESS points, and can be wielded by Primaris characters, who can't use hammers. And Knights of Sigismund makes 6A with this relic deal similar damage to 5A with a relic hammer.
*'''Witchseeker Bolts:''' Goes with a bolt weapon and you can shoot these instead of its normal ammo. You only get one attack, but the attack can target a {{W40Kkeyword|PSYKER CHARACTER}} even if it’s not the closest model. Also, a hit on a {{W40Kkeyword|Psyker}} causes an extra 1d3 mortal wounds. ''Put it on a Master-crafted Stalker bolt rifle for D3+1d3 to witches. So does a Master-crafted Instigator bolt carbine, but the RG FAQ confirms a '''Marksman's Honorus''' warlord does get +1D when shooting relic ammo''.

====Litanies of the Devout====
To compensate for their lack of a Psychic Discipline, the Black Templars gain six unique Litanies for their Chaplains to use instead of the usual one. You are sooooo bringing a Master of Sanctity for them- good thing you can just take Grimaldus instead of using the CP for the Master of Sanctity Stratagem.
#'''Litany of Divine Protection''': Target friendly {{W40Kkeyword|black templars}} unit within 6" gets a 5+++ FNP without being restricted to mortal wounds. ''Good, but suffers from not being a bubble''.
#'''Psalm of Remorseless Persecution''': Re-roll melee wound rolls of 1 for {{W40Kkeyword|black templars}} units within 6". ''Like having a lieutenant around, but worse''.
#*Then again, the Lieutenant may be somewhere else. It would take both a Chapter Master and a Lieutenant (or Guilliman) to give the rerolls that a Master of Sanctity gives you in melee.
#*White Scars get full wound re-rolls for units within 6". On top of more and better stratagems, relics and Librarians with their own spells. Just play your BT as WS and you'll be a happier man.
#'''Vow of Retribution''': -2 leadership to enemy units within 6". ''Just don't. You're not a leadership bomb based army, and you should usually be trying to keep your chaplain near your own units more than the enemy.''
#*But hear me out! '''Fear Made Manifest''' Master of Sanctity + Phobos Lieutenant with the {{W40kKeyword|Reiver}} keyword. That's -4Ld on top of rerolling all melee and wounds of 1.
#'''Fires of Devotion''': Target a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|black templars}} unit within 6". It gains +1A if it charges or makes a Heroic Intervention until the end of the turn. ''So, if you go first, it's not active during your enemy's half of the battle round unlike other litanies''.
#*Black Templars are already great at making charges, and of course this stacks with Shock Assault. The only downside is that it's not a bubble, so you want to put it on a melee deathstar of some sort. It's much better than (and will stack with) Exhortation of Rage in practice, not that Exhortation of Rage was a great Litany to begin with. Since this one only works offensively, you want it on a faster Chaplain - the Litany does nothing when you are charged.
#'''Fervent Acclamation''': +3" to aura abilities of {{W40Kkeyword|black templars}} units within 6" (which applies to the chaplain, so really 9").
#*BELLOWING VOICE! Crusader Helm Captain, Vox Espiritum Lieutenant, TWELVE-INCHER Auras. Oh and it helps Helbrecht's, Grimaldus', and Cenobyte Servitor's auras too. As well as Standard bearers and the Aurillian Shroud. Positioning made simple, it allows Black Templars to footslogg like they used to.
#'''Oath of Glory''': Target one friendly {{W40Kkeyword|black templars}} unit within 6" to always fights first.
#*Terrible utility. Good for ongoing combats (which you should not count on your opponent giving you); combine it with '''Canticle of Hate''' or '''Devout Push''' to charge and get stuck in. More importantly, you can try to keep them in place with '''Tenacious Assault'''. That way, you deny your enemy their shooting phase, and you still get to fight first on their turn.

====Stratagems====
*'''Abhor the Witch (1 CP)''': Roll 1d6 when an enemy psyker manifests a power within 24". roll a d6. On a 4+, the psychic power is resisted. ''Doesn't even have to target you, you could deny an enemy boost.''
*'''Crusader Relics (1 CP)''': Differently from other Sergeant (or "Sword Brother") Relics stratagems, you can hand out only three: Witchseeker bolts (better fired by a Primaris character's Master-crafted gun), Sword of Judgement (better wielded by someone with more WS and Attacks), and the Skull of the Cacodominus, which merely needs to be held. Your choice.
*'''Devout Push (1 CP)''': Use at the start of the fight phase. +3" to the Pile in move. You'll need a big unit, since there's only so much ground a 5-man unit can cover. ''Doesn't stack with Canticle of Hate per se, but use it on a unit outside litany range and pile onto everything''.
*'''Oaths of Honour (1 CP)''': Use during the fight phase. select one Black Templar Scout Unit that charged or was charged. They can reroll the wound roll of their melee weapons.
*'''Shock and Awe (1 CP)''': When an Infantry unit disembarks from a Land Raider Crusader, they become immune to Overwatch and force attacks against them to be made at -1 to hit. Take big Crusader units geared for melee to exploit the Crusader's improved transport capacity, since this only affects one unit at a time.
**Alongside Devout Push they are basically the only reason to use Crusader squads, since you cannot pile in onto anything you didn't declare a charge against, and Shock & Awe cancels any overwatch. Ferry a 15-man Crusader unit into range, declare a charge against the target and everyone around it, and not even Tau can prevent you from tying up anything nearby.
*'''Tenacious Assault (2 CP)''': roll a d6 when an enemy infantry unit without the FLYER BATTLEFIELD ROLE tries to fall back from your black templars. On a 2+, they can't fall back. ''What the Emperor ties up in melee, let no man separate!''.
*'''The Emperor's Will (1 CP)''': Use when a Black Templar Infantry Unit advances. They can still shoot pistols and charge.
*'''Vicious Riposte (1 CP)''': Use during the fight phase. Select one Black Templar infantry unit. Until the end of the phase, when they roll an unmodified save roll of 6, their attacker suffers a mortal wound. ''More useful against big units, as more saves mean more chances to roll a 6, but then again, more chances to fail a save too.''

====Specialist Detachment - Sword Brethren====
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%"> {{W40kKeyword|High Marshall Helbrecht,}} the {{W40kKeyword|Emperor's Champion, Company Champion}}, {{W40kKeyword|Captains}} (all flavours) and {{W40kKeyword|Company Veterans}} in this detachment gain the {{W40kKeyword|SWORD BRETHREN}} keyword, so you can do a mighty crusade! [[Derp|Neither Grimaldus, Crusader squads, Terminator squads nor Vanguard Vets are affected, btw]].
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*This is the ONLY specialist detachment that affects a Chapter Master, a named one at that, as well as the Emperor's Champion unique character. Named characters still can't take this detachment's warlord trait, though.
*You ''can'' use it on Company Veterans on Bikes, since they too have the {{W40kKeyword|Company veterans}} keyword, same as the Captain on Bike...buuut they are overcosted. Even more so than before, as in CA2018 they retained their old price while everything else got a discount.

'''Stratagems'''
*'''Uphold the Honour of the Emperor (1CP):''' At the start of the Fight phase, pick a {{W40kKeyword|SWORD BRETHREN}} unit. Roll a D6 each time one of the models in that unit loses a wound, on a 5+ that model does not lose that wound.
*'''Suffer Not the Unclean to Live (2CP):''' At the start of the Fight phase, pick a {{W40kKeyword|SWORD BRETHREN}} unit. All models in the unit get an extra attack and may reroll failed wound rolls.

'''Warlord Trait'''
*'''Master Swordsman:''' +1A. Each time your warlord rolls an unmodified 6 to hit in the fight phase, the attack inflicts 2 hits instead of 1. ''Come my foes, get closer. I shall teach you to fear the Emperor!''
**Regular Captain WS2+ 4A+1 wielding a Thunder Hammer hitting a T4 4++ enemy becomes 5*(4/6+4/36)*(5/6)*(1/2)*(3)+5*(1/6+1/36)*(5/6)*(1/2)*(3) = 6.07 unsaved wounds. You can add the Teeth of Terra to get more attacks, and swap the hammer for a Relic Blade to combine it with Grimaldus and unleash a hurricane of attacks.

'''Artifact'''
*'''The Holy Orb:''' The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch finally returns. Once per battle, in your Shooting phase you can choose for the bearer to throw the Holy Orb instead of making a normal shooting attack. If you do so, pick a visible enemy unit within 6" of the bearer and roll a D6 for every 10 models in that unit (rounding up). For each roll of 2+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. Eh.
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====Special Units====

'''HQ'''
*'''[[Helbrecht|High Marshal Helbrecht]]:''' The big boss of the Black Templars. All Black Templar units around him reroll all hit rolls and gain +1 strength — and Str 5 is a sweet spot in this edition. So when this guy rolls up in a Land Raider Crusader and then charges you with his strength 5 rerolling to hit homeboys...you're dead. End of discussion. He himself is no slouch in combat, roasting things with a combi melta, and gains d3 attacks on the charge using what is effectively a Relic Blade.
**It almost goes without saying, but this makes Power Swords and Lightning Claws the superior weapon vs MEQ, and Power Axes wound on 2+ vs GEQ. He also makes Power Fists S10, but only Plague Marines or Land Raiders would notice, so leave those TH/SS at home, and use the increased space for Ancients and Apothecaries instead.

*'''Emperor's Champion:''' This guy will brutally murder any enemy character, SM2.0 and PA:F&F making him live up to Sigismund's legacy. This guy is basically a better Chapter Champion, triply so in the way that he costs no CP, is better equipped and is an actual HQ instead of being in the overpopulated Elites slot. He can hand out punishment as well as take it: With 5A base, +1A on the charge, +1A +1S vs {{W40kKeyword|Characters}} wielding what is basically a Relic Blade (S+2 AP-3 D1d3), and re-rolling hits and wounds against {{W40kKeyword|characters}} he hits above his points cost, especially when a thunder hammers cost 40 pts to his Black Sword's 0 pts. Like the Chapter Champion he is, he inflicts a -1 to be hit penalty in melee, but with a 2+/4++ base where a the regular version would need to spend 1CP for the relic armour. ''*Against {{W40kKeyword|monsters}} he just rerolls the wound roll''.
**Being entirely dedicated to be a beatstick, he needs support, most notably a transport. Furthermore, his retinue will need support because he lacks an aura himself, and you both lack Librarians and cannot use Litanies out of a transport. Helbrecht is a great choice since he turns him Str8 against characters, his Chapter Master aura would override a Captain's, and also helps him get to melee. These two characters would make any transport a high value target, so either put him in a one that is hard to kill (Land Raider (Crusader) / Stormraven), one that cannot be intercepted (Drop Pod), or just put him in a separate Rhino.

*'''[[Grimaldus|Chaplain Grimaldus]]:''' THE guy for Black Templar's Black Tide lists, now a Master of Sanctity with two litanies ([[Fail|but only Ld9]]). '''Unmatched Zeal''' is basically the Exhortation of Rage litany (unmodified 6s generate an additional attack with that weapon (which can miss)) but in aura mode, so it [[Awesome|always affects everyone within 6"]] instead of only a single unit a turn after disembarking. Furthermore he can deny one power, meaning he gets two Deny the Witch at +1 when he's the warlord. Suffer not the witch!
**He's got a plasma pistol you should never supercharge, but now he wields the Artificer Crozius (S+2 AP-2 D2). So, if you bring Helbrecht and use '''Mantra of Strength''', you could have 4 S8 D3 WS2+ attacks, which is basically a Thunder Hammer without unwieldy. Since that'd prevent him from using Litanies of the Devout, you could have his second litany be either '''Canticle of Hate''' to consolidate into everyone, or '''Exhortation of Rage''' (stacks with Unmatched Zeal, but for a single unit). '''Fervent Acclamation''' helps with the lot of auras you can bring, but since the other litanies are okish you can have some other Chaplain sing it, if you want to.

'''Troops'''
*'''Crusader Squad:''' RIP vestigial limb. Initiates (marines) cost 13 pts instead of the normal 12 for, idk, the privilege of being able to swap their boltguns (and lose Bolt Discipline) for chainswords, and one of them can take a power weapon/fist. Neophytes (scouts) can replace their bolter for either a shotgun or knife. When there's at least as many Initiates (marines) as Neophytes (scouts), the later can re-roll 1s to hit in melee. Now they need to number 10 members to get both a Special and Heavy (or power) weapon.
**Crusader squads only make sense (barely) when taken at 11-20 size and boosted with stratagems or litanies that target a single unit. But that squad size makes them vulnerable to morale as well. Chaplains (especially Grimaldus) help their morale at the same time they increase their lethality. So do Captains(Helbrecht)/Lieutenants/Ancients, and the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant/Rites of War Warlords make them immune to morale, so 20-man Crusader squads love them, as they can't fit inside most transports.
**On the opposite side they can actually be extremely useful in low point games even taken as five man squads! Give the captain and a Initiate power fists, pop two squads inside a drop pod and watch them tear apart the usual single tank most players bring to a 500 point army. The chainswords are even useful for either causing some chaos from the rear after their job is done or slicing through the cannon fodder your opponent uses to separate your squads from their targets (gretchin anyone?). Basically they're useless when taken on foot unless in huge numbers, but if you focus on mobility and need that sweet Battalion CP they can cause a surprising amount of pain with all your melee bonuses.

'''Elite'''
*'''Cenobyte Servitors:''' Provide FnP 4+ for Mortal Wounds to Black Templar units within 6". They're cheap and don't take an Elites slot if you also took Grimaldus, but they're frail and not a character, meaning they can be easily removed. Furthermore, Black Templars already have a natural FnP 5+ vs MW so, if you use them, avoid giving up First Blood and hide them behind a Rhino.
**Or just have them as decorative non-models, like Azrael's Helmet bearer.

====Tactics====
''"I have slain many enemies, and won many battles and I tell you there is no great secret to success in war, no subtle trick of strategy that has saved my foes -- I seek out the enemy, attack as soon as I am able and with all the force at my command, rend his soldiers and smash his fortresses, leave only corpses behind me and then move on -- thus my Primarch has taught me, and I find his wisdom has proved worthy on a hundred battlefields"'' -- t. Kharn the <s>Betrayer</s> Bloody
*'''MSU Spam:''' Black Templars aren't the best melee chapter (especially not when BA and WS exist), but they can reliably get lots of models stuck in, even right out of a deepstrike, which often needs special tricks to accomplish. Multiple small units mean more rolls and more sarges, but be sure to support them, with ranged weapons killing keepaway units and dealing with targets your melee could struggle with, like vehicles. Suppressors can be useful, their mobile firepower shutting down overwatch from far away.

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==={{W40Kkeyword|White Scars}}===
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[[File:White_Scars_Livery.png|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only the hunt unending.<br>
Thematically, they're the archetypical steppe nomads but turned into a post-human military force. These guys are the ones if you want your warrior-monks asian instead of western.<br>
On the tabletop these guys are the fast, melee marines, with the speed to keep up the pace, strong bikes to keep up the pressure, and the rules for relentless punishing assault. Your units will be as fast as genestealers without being as frail as them. Furthermore, their charge is devastating and their rules turn ongoing combats into repeated charges.<br>
''If you want your army to <b>hit as fast and hard</b> as a lightning bolt, then ride with the White Scars and unleash the storm''.
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====Special Rules====
*'''Chapter Tactics - Lightning Assault:''' Units with this tactic can charge even if they advanced or fell back. Furthermore, their {{W40Kkeyword|Bikers}} don't suffer the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons (Attack Bikes) or advancing and firing assault weapons (Scout Bikes, and up to 3 special guns in a unit of SM bikes). Land Speeders and Boltguns still eat dirt.
**Advance + Charge is huuuuge. Not talking about infantry's effective 3d6" charge range, no. This is for 12" Rhinos that end up with a 22.5" ''average'' charge threat range, whose cargo can then disembark, shoot after the rhino falls back, then charge overwatch-free when the rhino charges back in. This is for turboboosting bikers of '''27.5"''' threat range and Attack Bikes which don't need to stay put in order to have a good chance of hitting something.
**Charging after falling back is especially useful to units that proc Mortal Wounds on a charge, like Inceptors and your own Deadly Hunter Warlord (and [[Skub|Ironclad Dreadnoughts and Assault Centurions]]), on top of triggering Shock Assault and guaranteeing your units hit first. It also <u>allows ranged support to help a unit from afar before it charges back</u> into the fray. Even better when you have a Rhino to absorb overwatch.
**By letting them re-engage after falling back, Assault Marines and Vanguard Vets no longer sacrifice their melee phase in order to throw a Melta Bomb, and 8E has no restriction on charging disembarked models or units different to those the unit fired at. Makes {{W40Kkeyword|White Scars}} field some of the best {{W40Kkeyword|Jump Pack Infantry}} among SM.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Devastating Charge:''' While the Assault Doctrine is active, melee attacks performed by a unit that charged or performed a Heroic Intervention deal 1 more damage. If this triggers, you'll have already activated Shock Assault, so even a simple chainsword will be able to shred most two-wound infantry.
====Warlord Traits====
#'''Deadly Hunter:''' Each time he successfully charges, roll a D6. On a 4+, the enemy unit takes a mortal wound. And his Chapter Tactic allows him to charge after falling back, ''triggering the mortal wound again and again and again''.
#'''Chogorian Storm:''' +1d3A when he makes a charge or heroic intervention, aka WS' Smash Captain.
#'''Trophy Taker:''' Whenever this warlord successfully kills a character, he gains +1A until the end of the battle. Kor'sarro Khan comes with this. ''Skulls for the Golden Throne!''
#'''Master Rider:''' Biker warlord only. Reroll charges, -1 to be hit if he advanced.
#'''Hunter's Instincts:''' +1 to wound and hit vs vehicles and monsters.
#'''Master of Snares:''' On a 4+ enemies stuck in can't fall back unless they contain a model with a minimum move characteristic.

====Relics & Special-Issue Wargear====
=====Relics of Chogoris=====
*'''Banner of the Eagle:''' Ancient only. +1S to friendly WS units within 6".
*'''Glaive of Vengeance:''' Kahn spear that is always Sx2 AP-3 D1d3, even if it didn't charge.
*'''Hunter's Eye:''' One {{W40Kkeyword|white scars}} unit within 6" of the bearer gains Ignore Cover.
*'''Mantle of the Stormseer''': Psykers only. The bearer adds +1 when attempting to manifest the Stormspeaker discipline.
*'''Plume of the Plainsrunner:''' 6" aura of +1 to Infantry advance ''and'' charge rolls.
*'''Scimitar of the Great Kahn:''' Replaces a power sword/master-crafted power sword/relic blade. +1S AP-3 D2. Unmodified wound rolls of 6s do ''D4'' ('''D5''' during the Assault doctrine wtf!).
*'''Wrath of the Heavens:''' Biker model gets a ''Jump Bike''. Movement characteristic becomes 16" and basically can advance as if it had FLY.

=====Special-Issue wargear=====
*'''Adamantine Mantle:''' Fnp5+++. "Not dying" is good for everyone, but (smash) captains/Primaris are the ones with the most wounds to proc it with.
*'''Artificer Armour:''' 2+/5++. Most useful for Lieutenants and Librarians, who lack invulns.
*'''Cyber-Eagle Helm:''' Models in units within 6" (so, units) hit Overwatch on 5 and 6.
*'''Digital weapons:''' Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound. Yet another source of MW for a Deadly Hunter warlord.
*'''Equis-Pattern Bolt Pistol:''' Upgrades a bolt or, interestingly, a Heavy Bolt pistol to full brrrt Pistol '''''5''''' S4 AP-1. Your infantry can advance and charge, but pistols can't advance and shoot. They can, however, shoot into melee provided the shooter is in the melee, and supplement your already potent assaults, provided you don't fall back, which you usually will.
*'''Headtaker's Trophies:''' -1Ld to enemies within 6" of the bearer. Very spooky with just a mere couple Reivers.
*'''Master-crafted weapon:''' +1D to a weapon, and it's now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). ''D5 Thunder Hammer!!''
*'''Stormwrath Bolts:''' Pocket autocannon. You can choose the bolt weapon it's being used on to make only one attack at S7 AP-1. If the target is a {{W40kKeyword|monster}}, it also gains D1d6.

====Stratagems====
White Scar Stratagems can be divided into four categories; movement, offense, durability/utility, and universal.
*'''Movement:''' As befits their reputation for lightning warfare, the White Scars have an impressive number of movement related stratagems. These revolve around getting your units where you want them to be, whether that means in melee combat, onto an objective, or out of a transport.
**'''Wind-swift (2 CP):''' Select one unit that has just moved, and move it again. Can't advance if it had already advanced, can't shoot, charge or use psychic powers either. Can be useful if you need an aura ability like an Ancient's or Chaplain's ''right fucking now''.
**'''Lightning debarkation (1 CP):''' A transport that doesn't have the Flyer Battle Role can disembark its cargo ''after'' it has already moved, though they cannot charge that turn. ''Aka pay 1CP to give a transport the Impulsor's rule''.
**'''Fierce rivalries (1 CP):''' Your first charge that phase rolls the best 2 of 3d6. ''Game on, Blood Angels''.
**'''Strike for the heart (2 CP):''' One of your WS can consolidate D3+3", or D6+6" if every model in that unit has a move characteristic of at least 10". ''Not only can you hit hard and fast, you can also drag nearby squads into the melee''.
**'''Encirclement (1CP):''' During deployment, set up a unit outflank instead of on the battlefield. At the end of one of your movement phases, that unit can arrive within 6" of a battlefield's edge and more than 9" away from enemy models.
*'''Offense:''' These stratagems allow you to hit harder or ignore penalties to your shooting from advancing or falling back
**'''Butchered quarry (1 CP):''' When an enemy falls back from a WS Infantry or Biker unit (that isn't within 1" of yet another enemy unit), your squad makes one attack with a melee weapon at the falling back unit. If they yet live, your squad can follow them 3", as long as that move doesn't take them within 1" of another enemy unit.
**'''Hunter's Fusillade (1 CP):''' When a unit advances, their Heavy and Rapid Fire weapons can be fired as if they were Assault (keep in mind Rapid Fire 1 becomes Assault 1).
**'''Born in the saddle (1 CP):''' A biker can advance and shoot.
**'''Feinting withdrawal (1CP):''' A unit that falls back can still shoot.
**'''Chogorian thunderbolts (1 CP):''' When one of your squads finishes a charge move, for each model in your squad select one enemy unit within 1" of that model. Roll a d6 and inflict 1MW on that unit on a 6. ''Doesn't say you can't select the same squad many times'' - true, but obviously in matched play it can only be used once per phase.
**'''The eternal hunt (2CP, Single Use):''' Use this strat at the start of the movement phase if the Assault doctrine is active. Until the start of the next battle round, Pistols and melee weapons gain yet -1AP on unmodified wound rolls of 6.
*'''Survival/utility:''' While the White Scars are extremely fast and deadly, they have a limited number of stratagems that focus on defense or utility options.
**'''Ride Hard, Ride Fast (1 CP):''' Use it on a unit that just advanced. Enemies shooting at it get -1 to hit until the start of your next movement phase. ''Unstoppable -2 to hit Smoke Launcher'd transport''.
**'''Quarry of the Khan (1 CP):''' If your WS warlord is on the field when you first generate a Tactical Objective, this strat guarantees your it is Kingslayer, which your warlord is good at.
**'''A mighty trophy (1 CP):''' Use it when a WS kills the enemy warlord with a melee weapon. Your White Scars now autopass morale tests.
*'''Universal:''' All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
**'''Khan's Champion (1 CP):''' Give one of your "sergeant"s a Master-crafted weapon/Digital weapon/Headtaker's trophies/Stormwrath bolts. Remember all relics in your army must be different and handed to different characters.
***Stormwrath bolts restrict the weapon to "make a single shot with this stats", but it DOESN'T change a profile's rules: an Eliminator Sergeant can snipe characters with Stormwrath bolts with +2 to hit that ignore cover/inflict a MW on a 6+ to wound. Unsure an Armorium Cherub could reload a Devastator sergeant's boltgun, but his Signum would give him BS2+.
***The other three SI wargear are melee-oriented; a Master-crafted power weapon or Digital weapon for Vanguard Vet/Primaris sarges. A Reiver with Headtaker's trophies, however, can inflict -2Ld on his own.
**'''Tempered by wisdom (1CP, Single Use):''' You can generate a second warlord trait for one of your WS characters that isn't a named character, from the White Scars Warlord Trait table. All warlord traits must be different.
**'''Gift of the Khans (1CP, Single Use):''' After nominating a WS Successor character as your warlord, you can give one Relic of Chogoris to one of your WS Successor characters ''instead'' of giving them a relic from the regular SM codex or a Special Issue wargear.

====Litany & Psychic Discipline - Stormspeaker====
Stormspeaker contains several standout powers that can combo together to spectacular effect. The discipline relies on lashing your opponent with blasts of wind and lightning, shielding your units from enemy fire, and speeding your units into the enemy's lines while hampering the ability of their units to advance and charge.
*'''Blasting gale (WC7):''' Targets an enemy unit with 18". Target cannot advance and rolls one fewer die for charges. Stacks with Tenebrous Curse, too!
**This can be a bit tricky to use and requires a good understanding of your opponent's move values. Very good for handicapping units that rely on the ability to charge after advancing.
*'''Lightning call (WC7):''' The closest enemy unit within 18" takes d3 mortal wounds. Then roll a die. On a 4+, deal one additional mortal wound. rinse and repeat until you fail, with the target going up by one each time (5+ on the second roll, 6+ on the third).
*'''Ride the wind (WC6):''' +2" to advance and charge. Due to the psychic phase happening after the movement phase, it will be rare to get use out of this power in both phases. If your opponent tries to fall back, you can hopefully catch them thanks to the bonus from the advance rolls (provided the unit isn't shot off the table first).
**This is a very solid power that works well with a wide array of White Scar units thanks to the Chapter Tactic. Great for helping deep striking units make that 9" charge.
*'''Storm-wreathed (WC6):''' Select an friendly unit within 12", enemy units cannot fire overwatch on it. In addition, roll a die for each model that charged and got within 1" of an enemy. On a 6, it causes a mortal wound.
**The Mortal Wounds are a nice bonus if they happen, but the real benefit is the ability to turn off overwatch, especially if your are facing auto hitting weapons like flamers.
*'''Spirit of chogoris (WC6)''' Enemy unit has -1 leadership and -1 on hit rolls. This is yet another solid power. Combine with Ride Hard, Ride Fast for an additional -1 to hit penalty.
*'''Eye of the Storm (WC6):''' Roll a d6 for each enemy unit within 12". Add 1 if the enemy has fly. On a 4+, cause a mortal wound.
**A very good one for a close support librarian. Keep him out of unfavourable combat via screens, give him a jump pack for supreme positioning and a combi weapon for some fire support and he'll make his points quickly especially in the MSU meta.

'''Litanies of Battle - Strike Off the Head:''' Re-roll failed wound rolls in melee for friendly {{W40kKeyword|White Scars}} units within 6".

====Special Units====
*'''Khan on Bike:''' Cannot be customized, but his Khan's Spear (S:User AP-3 D1d3) becomes StrX2 when he charges or makes a heroic intervention (but not when charged unlike Shock Assault), akin to a non-unwieldy Power Fist on the charge. Cannot take a Storm Shield, but his Buckler improves his armour save by 1 against melee weapons.
*'''[[Kor'sarro Khan]]:''' Grants +1 Str to his chapter's units that charged that turn. On-foot units with mid-strength weapons like Vanguard Veterans with Power Axes and Lightning Claws assault terminators get the most benefit. His buff to Str is by Unit, so large units of Assault Marines can carry his buff wide. Their resultant Str 5 is productive. Wide, stringy assault units strung out before multiple enemy units, like three tanks, are great. They charge one of the enemy units and then use their pile in to get within 1" of the other units. On a turn, they charge they can only target the unit they charged. The next turn, those enemy units are locked in melee, and unable to shoot.
**'''Kor'sarro Khan on Moondrakkan (White Scars):''' On bikes he naturally pairs with melee high-speed assaulty units. His buff applies to all WHITE SCARS, so the marines he travels well with are the many Infantry Fast Attack options. Jump Pack Assault, Veteran Vanguard. and Bike Squads with Chainswords carry his force multiplier far and fast, and the last one is a perfect fit for the Born in the Saddle Stratagem. Do note, he can only have a bike if taken from the Index. Yes it is fucking stupid that you need the Index to field the only Bike-Chapter character on an actual bike.
**'''Primaris Kor'sarro Khan''': Sure he's got improved stats, a cyber-hawk that deals a mortal wound on a 4+ in the shooting phase and Moonfang's now S+2, but the real deal is that his new "+1 to wound rolls for melee weapons" aura is better than Biker Kor'Sarro's old +1 to Str on the charge. Wounding MEQ on a 2+, that's like a non-unwieldy power fist too.
***Whats the catch? Figure a way to get him to melee. No bike, can't use a drop pod. A Repulsor is expensive and prone to being a fire magnet. Impulsors might work but they can't carry Aggressors, and their meanest occupants are Vet Intercessors and Reivers. Vanguard Vets, Deep striking terminators, and Bikers can catch up to him, but not vice versa, so you either commit with a Repulsor or you give him glorified tactical as a retinue.
***Alternate opinion: Vet intercessors have 4 attacks a piece with 5 attacks on a thunder hammer sergeant that can be mastercrafted up to damage 5 in assault doct that can swing twice. The real downside is that he only provides a re-roll 1's bubble that can't be upgraded to a chapter master re-roll all bubble because he is named.
***Alternate alternative: You can use the encirclement strat to put him in the reserves and deepstrike him along the edges of the map.

'''Forgeworld''' {{W40kKeyword|Successor Chapters}} '''Characters'''<br>
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be White Scars successors and use this supplement.<br>
{{W40kKeyword|[[Mantis Warriors]]}}<br>
*'''Ahazra Redth:''' Librarian; can ignore his first Perils of the game, has a 5++ and a force sword that deals flat D2.

'''Successor Tactics:''' Guerrilla tactics are much benefited by Inheritors of the Primarch here, and the White Scar's Tactic is generally superior in every aspect then any combination of Successor tactics when coming to that end. That being said, if you are trying to squeeze every bit out of Ahazra you can, Knowledge is Power can help preserve his "ignore first Perils" bit around for as long as possible.

====Tactical Objectives====
*'''Rapid Redeployment''': Pick an objective marker more than 18" away from your army (if none are available, use the one furthest away). Gain 1 CP if you control it at the end of your turn.
*'''Run Them Down''': Score 1 CP if you destroyed at least one unit with a White Scars unit that advanced this turn.
*'''Mounted Assault''': Score. 1 VP of you destroyed an enemy unit with a Biker or Land Speeder model, d3 VP if you destroyed at least 3 this way.
*'''Feigned Retreat''': Score 1 VP if one of your units fell back this turn.
*'''The Clean Kill''': Pick an enemy unit (if possible, it needs to be one that has not lost any wounds yet). d3 VP if you kill it by the end of the turn, but if it hasn't been killed by then this objective is automatically discarded.
*'''Claim Their Heads''': Score 1 VP for each enemy Character killed by a melee attack this turn, up to a maximum of 3. If one of them was the Warlord, you get an extra d3 VP.

====Tactics====
*'''Primaris''' Devastating Charge and Lightning Assault makes Primaris close combat vible.
**'''Incursors''' - With the Gene-Wrought might Stratagem, on the charge every 6 to hit is 2 automatic wounds at D2 -1 AP.
**'''Inceptors''' - completely disposable source of mortal wounds. Run a unit of 6 with assault bolters. shred infantry, mortal wounds, tarpit, repeat. also, Strike for the heart makes these guys tarpit 6+d6 when consolidating
**'''Reivers''' - these guys are only 16 points each, running deep striking horde & a Phobos Librarian with Temporal Corridor or Ride the Wind power.
*'''Bikes:''' White Scars signature and have a lot of abilities revolving around it. Bikes are one of the fasted units, being able to Advance 20" + 2d6" to charge. Scouts can fire and advance, while Spacmarines are more durable.
*'''Speed of the foot:''' on foot your ground troops can cover 6" + d6" + 2d6".
*'''Assault Terminators:''' With the proper support, White Scars have probably the fastest terminators in the game. A terminator librarian with the Plume of the Plain Runner Relic and the Ride the Wind Power will let your assault terminators make a charge on a 6+. Activate the Fierce Rivalries stratagem, and now they need a 6+ on 3d6. If that was not enough, you can use Fury of the First to make them hit harder. Even if your opponent falls back, your terminators can still advance and catch them, making up for one of their traditional weaknesses.
*'''Leviathan Dreadnought:''' Take a Leviathan and use Encirclement. Congratulations you now have a 14 wound, 2+/4++ monster on your opponent's board edge. Shoot something and use Fierce Rivalries to all but ensure your charge. You did bring a meele weapon right?
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==={{W40Kkeyword|Raven Guard}}===
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[[File:Raven_Guards_Livery.jpg|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, death comes from the shadows.<br>
Thematically, these guys are THE specialist of covert operations and rapid deployment, striking their enemies before they can react.<br>
On the tabletop, these guys are well-suited to picking off characters, either from long range sniping, mass Jump Pack assaults, or smash captains flipping entire units by themselves, and either way they're tricky to actually land a hit on. Thanks to a wealth of deployment and redeployment options, they will constantly be moving in to attack from multiple directions, and they are one of the few chapters that can reliably deliver Primaris units into close quarters without relying on transports.<br>
''If you want your marines to '''behave like the special forces they are''', keep quiet, and stalk the shadows with the Ravens.''
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====Special Rules====
*'''Chapter Tactics - Shadow Masters:''' Your units get the benefit of cover if they're being shot beyond 12". If they're not vehicles and happen to be entirely on or within a terrain feature (not just receiving cover), enemies must also subtract 1 from their hit rolls.
**Of help to long-range attackers of all types, from Scout Snipers to ranged Dreads. One of the best chapter tactics available, as is basically good on ''everything'', from units that can pick off opponents from afar to melee units that need to cover long distances to reach their intended targets, preventing them from being shot up quite as badly.
**While it's a nerf from the old -1 to hit (it being restricted to far-away cover), a 2+ save still helps, and your vehicles get cover in the open: hard to destroy -1 to hit (Smoke launchers) 2+ Rhinos (Shadow Masters) [[JoJo's_Bizarre_Adventure|without also getting within 12" of them]]. It's also worth noting that Vanguard Primaris means that there are now more units with Camo Cloaks, as opposed to just Scouts, and they'll all enjoy that +2 to saves at 12". Turns out that Salamanders don't have a monopoly on infantry that can ignore AP-1.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Surgical Strikes:''' While the Tactical Doctrine is active, all your models add +1 to hit and wound rolls when targeting a character. Unlike most doctrines, this isn't restricting you to any particular method of fighting...though you can snipe a character earlier than you can reach it in melee. Naturally, sniper Scouts and Eliminators in particular will appreciate these bonuses, triggering Mortal Wounds on a wound roll of 5+.
**This rule is an absolute nightmare for opponents running large, monstrous characters. Knights with relics, Greater Daemons, Hive Tyrants, Mortarion, and Magnus were already fire magnets, and this makes the situation far worse for them.
====Warlord Traits====
#'''Shadowmaster''': The enemy can't fire overwatch against your warlord, enabling him to make the charge first, selflessly (and [[Reasonable Marines|safely]]) <u>screening his retinue from overwatch</u>. Works on any kind of warlord... but it's obviously better on those who reroll charge ranges, like Shrike or a {{W40Kkeyword|Jump Pack}} Captain with the '''Raven's Fury'''. Do keep in mind characters with auras that benefit the charge should charge last, or their retinues would no longer benefit from them...''like Shrike's''.
#'''Master of Ambush:''' At the start of the first battle round, but before the first turn begins, remove your warlord and 1 non-Centurion infantry unit and place them anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" away from the enemies deployment zone. 6 Aggressors??! Note that it allows a Chaplain to infiltrate together with Scouts, Vanguard Primaris units, and other Vanguard HQs without spending a CP.
#'''Swift and Deadly''': Friendly Raven Guard units within 6" of the warlord can be chosen to charge even if they advanced. Jump Packs? No, lets try bikes!
#'''Master of Vigilance''': When resolving an attack made by a melee weapon by this warlord, an unmodified hit roll of 6 inflicts a mortal wound in addition to any other damage.
#'''Feigned Flight''': When this warlord falls back, they can move across models and terrain as if they weren't there. In addition the warlord may shoot and charge in a turn that they fell back.
#'''Echo of the Ravenspire''': Once per battle, at the end of your movement phase, the warlord can vanish into the gloom if they are more than 6" away from any other models. When it does, remove it from the battlefield and set up the warlord again at the end of your next movement phase anywhere on the table that is more than 9" away from enemy models. Excellent on a Terminator or Gravis Smash Captain.

====Relics & Special-Issue Wargear====
Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of Ravenspire may only be taken by Raven Guard (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Raven Guard and their successor chapters
=====Relics of the Ravenspire=====
*'''The Armour of Shadows''': Treat AP-1 attacks against the wearer as AP0. In addition, an unmodified hit roll against them of 1, 2, or 3 always fails (i.e. it's harder for elite units to hit you, but worse melee units won't notice). Watch as your opponent's WS2+ smash unit hits as well as a guardsman.
*'''The Ebonclaws''': Replaces Lighting Claws. SU AP-3 D1d3 A+1, re-rolls wounds.
*'''Ex Tenebris''': Replaces a mastercrafted stalker bolt rifle, mastercrafted occulis bolt carbine, or mastercrafted instigator bolt carbine. Replaces the profile with 36" Assault 3 S4 AP-2 D2, it can target enemy characters even if they are not the closest, and it adds 1 to its hit rolls and ignores cover. Was made by Corax and supposed to be given to Konrad Curze. Probably would have helped his shooting. Consider putting this on a Primaris Captain who's supporting your backline to snipe characters, or even better, a Primaris Lieutenant (+1 to hit increasing him to 2+ to hit) since he's cheaper and his buffs stack with the Phobos Captain, who also has a sniper rifle. Since it's a relic, it sadly does not stack with the Marksman's Honors trait.
**The +1 to hit bonus stacks with the Combat Doctrine, allowing even a Lieutenant to ignore a -1 to hit penalty on other sneaky characters. So it's wasted on a Captain.
*'''Oppressor's End''': Replaces a combat knife with S+1 AP-2 D1 A+1. Against an enemy character, the damage improves to 3. Not shabby, but the only HQs that can this are the Phobos Captain and Lieutenant... and they'd probably rather take Ex Tenebris.
*'''The Raven Skull of Korvaad''': Once per turn, you can re-roll a hit roll, wound roll, or damage roll. In addition, if the model carrying this relic is destroyed by an enemy unit, you can add 1 to the hit rolls of any Raven Guard unit targeting that enemy unit for the rest of the game. Kind of begs for martyrs, which should be easy to find with Templars, but this does have its uses regardless.
*'''Raven's Fury''': Jump Pack model only. Can charge even after advancing, and re-rolls failed charge rolls. It also inflicts a mortal wound on its charge target on a 4+. While its extra speed might be ignored so your other Jump Infantry can keep up, and Champions don't have access to them, it is of great help to a Shadowmaster RG Warlord to get that charge.

=====Special-Issue wargear=====
*'''Adamantine Mantle:''' FnP5+++. "Not dying" is good for everyone, but (smash) captains/Primaris are the ones with the most wounds to proc it with.
*'''Artificer Armour:''' 2+/5++. Most useful for Lieutenants and Librarians, who lack invulns.
*'''Digital Weapons:''' Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
*'''Master-crafted Weapon:''' +1D to a weapon, and it now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). ''4D Thunder Hammer!''
*'''Korvidari Bolts:''' Select one bolter weapon from Codex Space Marines that model is equipped with, when that model is chosen to shoot you can fire a Korvidari bolt. The model's ranged weapon's range is increased by 6" and can target units that are not visible, but only one attack can be made with the weapon. Great on a Phobos Captain, as he only gets one shot anyways, or an Eliminator sarge to always use the best ammo despite being out of LoS.
*'''Shadow Master Cloak:''' 3++ invuln save while completely within a terrain feature. Good on Lieutenants and Librarians for the same reason as Artificer Armour, the choice depends entirely on the availability of terrain.
*'''Silentus Pistol:''' Models with a bolt pistol or heavy bolt pistol only, replaces it for a pistol 2 S5 AP-2 D2. It can target a character even without it being the closest and can add 1 to the hit roll.
**Since it doesn't fully synergize with the Combat Doctrine (it gets the to hit and to wound bonuses but not the AP bonus), it works better on a Successor Chapter.
*'''Shard of Isstvan:''' +1 attack, and when a morale test is taken for a chapter unit within 6", the test is automatically passed.

====Stratagems====
Raven Guard Stratagems can be divided into four broad categories; Mobility, Offense, Disruption/Survival, and Universal.
*'''Mobility:''' If White Scars are the masters of speed, Raven Guard are the masters of deployment.
**'''Infiltrators (1 CP)''': At the start of the first battle round, but before the first turn begins choose an infantry unit and move them. As long as you finish more than 9" from enemy models. Each unit can only be selected for this once per battle. As your turn hasn't begun you can use this multiple times on different units.
***Best utilized on Jump Infantry, though as Concealed Positions also happens before the first turn, it can also be used to reposition an infiltrating unit.
**'''Strike from the Shadows (1 CP)''': Lets you place a {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} Infantry unit in ambush, allowing them to deep strike.
**'''Strike from the Skies (1 CP)''': Start of the Charge phase. One {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} Jump Pack unit can charge even if they advanced and adds 1 to the charge rolls.
**'''The Raven's Blade (1 CP)''': Allows you to reroll all charge rolls against one enemy unit. Useful for removing an important enemy unit by charging several of your melee units into it simultaneously.
**'''False Flight (2 CP)''': One {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} unit can now shoot and charge after they fall back. There's plenty of utility here, from making a fighting retreat to double-dipping on any charge bonuses you get.
*'''Offense:''' Compared to other chapters, the Raven Guard have only a few Stratagems that enhance their damage output, and they are either limited to once per turn or very narrow in scope.
**'''Lay Low the Tyrants (1 CP)''': Use during the melee phase. Pick a {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} Infantry or Biker unit. When they resolve a melee attack against a character that is not a vehicle or a non-vehicle unit with a model that has 4 or more wounds, add 1 to the wound roll. Stacks with Surgical Strikes, giving you +2 to wound against enemy Characters.
**'''Vengeance of Istvaan V (1 CP)''': A {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} unit can reroll all attack rolls in melee when targeting a Word Bearer, Iron Warrior, Alpha Legion, or Night Lord unit. Avenge the Drop Site Massacre. ”Come on you fucking pansies! Fight us face-to-face! For Corax! For Brothers lost! CHARGE!!!”- Master of Shadows Kayvaan Shrike, battle for Hope’s Pyre against Word Bearers.
**'''Ambushing Fire (2 CP)''': Use at the start of your moving phase if the Tactical Doctrine is active. Until the end of the next battle round, all {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} units shooting Rapid Fire and Assault weapons in your army improve their AP by 1 on an unmodified wound roll of 6. Can only be used once per battle.
*'''Disruption/survival:'''While most armies have stratagems aimed at utility or defense, the Raven Guard emphasize disrupting your opponent's plans and making it harder for them to use stratagems, target your units, and take/score objectives.
**'''Stranglehold (2 CP)''': Use during the first turn of the game to screw over your opponent's stratagems. You must have {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} Scouts or Phobos units in your army. roll 1d6 each time an opponent spends a command point on a stratagem. on a 5+, the opponent must spend an additional command point or the stratagem is countered and cannot be used again this round. Only works during the first turn.
**'''See but Remain Unseen (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem at the end of your turn. Select one Raven Guard unit that did not make any attacks. Subtract 1 from any hit rolls that target them. You could possibly be a dick and use this on transports working as meat shields for your army, you're not gonna miss a few WS 6+ attacks or less than 10 Storm Bolter shots. Works especially well if you position your units such that your opponent must engage the transport. Also makes an Infantry unit in terrain with Smoke Grenades ridiculously survivable at -3 to hit (>12").
**'''Decapitating Blow (2 CP)''': Use when you kill the enemy warlord with a {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} unit. For the rest of the game, enemy units are at -1 leadership.
**'''Deadly Price (1 CP)''': Use at the end of your turn to boobytrap an objective. If an enemy unit tries to take it, roll a d6. On a 2-4, they take d3 mortal wounds. On a 5+, they take 3 mortal wounds instead. Can't be used on the same objective more than once per battle.
**'''Force their Hand (1 CP)''': Tactical objective shenanigans. Force your opponent to discard a tactical objective and draw a new one. You need to have a bike or infantry unit on a objective in your opponent's deployment zone to use this. A lot of hoops to jump through to make this work.
*'''Universal:''' All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
**'''Masters of the Trifold Path (1 CP)''': Non-named characters can generate a second warlord trait. No duplicates. once per battle
**'''Favored of the Ravenspire (1 CP)''': A {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard}} Sergeant can take certain relics
**'''Token of Brotherhood (1 CP)''': The standard successor relic sharing stratagem.

====Litany & Psychic Discipline - Umbramancy====
As a discipline, Umbramancy focuses on shadows, disruption, and making your solo-operators more deadly. Its two mortal wound powers are somewhat weak, but the rest of the powers are fairly solid, if somewhat limited by targeting restrictions. Two of the powers (Umbral Form and Spectral Blade) only affect your librarians themselves, while a third (Shadowstep) only affects characters, and the last (Enveloping Darkness) can only affect a single enemy unit. Nevertheless, there are several combos that present themselves (The Abyss + Spectral Blade), (Spectral Blade + Umbral Form), (Shadowstep + Enveloping Darkness/The Abyss/Smite), (Spectral Blade + Enveloping Darkness + a unit of Reivers).

#'''Umbral Form''': Warp Charge 5. The psyker gains a 4++ Invulnerable save.
#'''Enveloping Darkness''': Warp Charge 7. One visible enemy unit within 18" cannot fire Overwatch and subtracts one from their hit rolls. Basically a psychic Shock Grenade, which stacks.
#'''Spectral Blade''': Warp Charge 5. Until the start of the next psychic phase, the psyker's Strength is equal to their Leadership. In addition, they have AP-4 when resolving an attack against a unit with a lower Leadership. In most cases, this will make your Librarian Strength 9, and you can guarantee the AP bonus by using one of the numerous Leadership penalty sources available (suddenly, Fear Made Manifest gets better as a warlord trait).
#'''Shadowstep''': Warp Charge 7. One {{W40kKeyword|Raven Guard Character}} within 18" of your Librarian redeploys wherever he wishes while 9" away from the enemy. Once again, it can be used to send a Chaplain to support infiltrated Marines, or to teleport around a Terminator or Gravis Smash Captain.
#'''The Abyss''': Warp Charge 6. Select one visible enemy unit within 18". Roll 3d6; for each each roll of 4+, the target takes a mortal wound. If any models are destroyed, then the unit suffers a -1 penalty to their leadership for the rest of the turn.
#'''The Darkness Within''': Warp Charge 6. Select up to 3 enemy units within 18"; roll 1d6 for each unit. On a 4+, they take a mortal wound. If you rolled a 10 or higher on the psychic test, add 1 to the d6 rolls.

'''Litanies of Battle - Swift as the Raven:''' Raven Guard within 6" can fall back and shoot, and also charge that turn if they can Fly.
*Inceptors want to tie up units that cannot fight them back, like small troop squads and vehicles, to hide from enemy shooting or force them to fall back. This litany lets them do just that. Let the Chaplain give +1 to hit to their Plasma Exterminators for safe plasma supercharge, and use Swift as the Raven when they reach the enemy. They are the only flying unit that can both shoot and melee, more than Suppressors. If you can get over the autism of mixing a manlet Jump Pack Chaplain with Primaris Inceptors, that is.

====Special Units====

*'''Primaris [[Kayvaan Shrike]]:'''He’s been spoiled as a Vanguard Chapter Master. He’s finally got a gun (even though it’s a pistol), still has the Raven's Talons, the jump pack, and that fuck-ugly emo hairstyle. He now lets you re-roll all hit rolls as per the Chapter Master rules revision. His gun, Blackout, is an 18" AP-2 D2 bolt pistol that can target characters and do mortal wounds on 6+ like the usual sniper rifle. In addition, he now has 6 wounds and a ''14" move''. Combine all that with Winged Deliverance (re-roll charges for units within 6"), and... hoo boy.
*'''Shadow Captain Korvydae:''' This guy was dropped from the game in a FAQ; instead, you're told to use the model to represent a generic Captain.
**Good model for a Raven's Fury/Thunder Hammer Captain. They make decent character assassins, as the sheer speed at which they can close with a target can catch people off guard.

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'''Forgeworld''' {{W40kKeyword|Successor Chapters}} '''Characters'''<br>
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Raven Guard successors and use this supplement.
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{{W40kKeyword|[[Raptors]]}}<br>
*'''[[Lias Issodon]]:''' Chapter Master. Lias is the king of Infiltration Fuckery. When he infiltrates (at the end of ''any'' Movement Phase, thus it supplements Strike from the Shadows), he can take up to three {{W40kKeyword|RAPTORS}} {{W40kKeyword|INFANTRY}} units with him (barring {{W40kKeyword|TERMINATORS}}, {{W40kKeyword|PRIMARIS}} and {{W40kKeyword|CENTURIONS}}, but now allowing jump-pack Marines). [[Meme|Surprise, motherfuckers!]] He has a 6" aura that adds +1" to all move, advance, charge, and fall back moves (making his base movement ''8"''), on top of his Chapter Master 6" aura of rerolls to hit. His weapon ''Malice'' is a 30" Assault 3 S5 AP-4 D1d3 murdermachine with ignores cover, which he can fire after retreating from melee with Hit & Run. In addition to all of this, Lias essentially has a 0+ save while sitting in any cover (though of course save rolls of 1 always fail, this is more to troll enemies who try to negate cover saves). This means, when he is in cover, he gets a save against ''every weapon in the game''. Yes, including those AP-6 Titan weapons. Plus he has a master-crafted power sword, just in case he needs to run interference to protect your ambushers from small opportunistic chargers. Storm of Fire is the preferred Warlord Trait, as he'll largely be hanging out with other shooters.
**Potential ambushers to think about are Devastators, Sternguard, or Company Veterans (never waste this ability on units that already have the means to deep strike via cheapish Jump Packs!). Remember he can also buff Inceptors and Cataphractii Terminators, as they can deep strike next to him without his rule, and any [[Aggressor|Primaris units]] you infiltrate with Strike from the Shadows *cough*Assault Centurions*cough*. Nothing beats the feeling of deep striking 30 multi-melta Devastators in melta range of an IG tank column or Knight Castellan.
**Raptors seem to be gaining in popularity. Using this dude takes caution and practice, but if done right you can route your enemy in spectacular fashion. One of the main questions you should be asking yourself is what will I use to clear screens, and how will I force my opponent's movement to open gaps for the ambush? Build your list around sculpting your opponent's plays, and let the mind games begin.
'''Successor Tactics:''' Inheritors of the Primarch works just fine for them, and are perhaps even better built for them than their parent chapter! Inheritors is also absolute cheese on Issodon’s deepstrike force (put them down in cover and you have a group of 15 lascannon-toting Devastators who reroll all failed hits, with -1 to hit and a 2+ save, along with Issodon’s 0+ and -1 to hit). If you feel like mixing it up, however, Tactics like Preferred Enemy, Long-ranged Marksmen, and, of course, Stealthy are all fluffy and effective picks. Consider that the Hungry For Battle Trait, combined with the Master of the Vanguard Warlord Trait and Lias Issodon's built-in +1 to charge can give your reserve force a respectable 6" charge out of deepstrike, season with Raven's Blade for a re-roll to taste.

{{W40kKeyword|[[Space Sharks]]}}<br>
*'''[[Tyberos the Red Wake]]:''' Chapter Master. An unholy, terrifying murder machine whose melee damage went through the roof in this edition. Comes with 2 weapons: Hunger and Slake. Hunger is a chainfist that does a flat 3 damage (one better than the normal), and Slake is a lightning claw that does 2 damage while still getting the re-roll to wound. He grants all Carcharodons models within 6" +1S including himself, he also gives all Carcharodons units within 6" re-roll to hits (including shooting). His statline is almost identical to that of a Terminator Captain but Tyberos has 5 attacks instead of 4, 1 more strength due to his buff and 1 less BS. Tyberos excels at fighting small units composed of models with multiple wounds and HQs due to his damage output. Keep an assault unit of some sort alongside him and together they should destroy any MEQ or TEQ unit with absolute ease. While VERY expensive Thunder Hammer armed Vanguard or Assault Termies become more effective at killing high toughness units when alongside Tyberos. ''((The S10 they get from Tyberos' buff combined with the Thunder Hammers means they'll go from wounding T8 and T9 units on 4+ and 5+ respectively to wounding them on a 3+ and 3+ respectively (this means they can wound even a Knight or Warhound Titan on a 3+). A squad of 5 will put out 11 AP-3 Dmg 3 Strength 10 hits that can cause a maximum of 33 damage and they get to re-roll misses due to Tyberos. That's a potential of 48 damage in a single fight phase between them and Tyberos using Hunger (15 from Tyberos 33 from the hammer unit.''
**If Tyberos is your warlord, you should really be pumping everything you can into his attacks - his hitting power is strong, but his overall volume of attacks quite low by comparison. To start with, give him The Imperium’s Sword for +1A on the charge, which compliments his existing +1A from Shock Assault. Cast Might of Heroes on him for another +1A and +1S, giving him '''eight''' attacks at S12 ap-4 dmg3. Finally, drop the Whirlwind of Rage successor trait and keep a Lieutenant nearby, and watch your sweet little bundle of death chew through an Imperial Knight every turn.
**Since sharkboy has '''no ranged weapons at all''', not even a bolt pistol, any turn where he isn’t wrecking face in cc is a waste of his substantial 205 points cost - so absolutely invest in a transport to get him up the board as quickly as possible. Bonus cool points if you play [https://youtu.be/lV8i-pSVMaQ his favourite song] while disembarking.
'''Successor Tactics:''' Whirlwind of Rage is an absolute must here, Tyberos benefits too damn much from it. Great choices for your second Tactic include Hunger for Battle, to get into melee ASAP, or Tactical Withdrawal, to keep Shock Assault up and working for you. Fearsome Aspect is a fluffy, if not as brutal option.

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====Tactics:====
'''Objective Defense:''' The Ravens can defend an objective simply because of how difficult it is to hit them. You can take things to an extreme with just a couple vanguard troops: keep them close and have a squad use their smoke bombs (and thus not shoot) and use '''See But Remain Unseen'''. Next, have a Phobos Librarian use '''Shrouding''' on the other squad to <u>force the enemy to target the -3 to hit squad</u>. ''That's an auto-miss on BS4+''. And '''Deadly Price''' stacks with Incursor mines, meaning your units can barely be shot at, and anyone who wants to contest the objective is greeted by a flurry of mortal wounds. On top of now being too close to Incursors. Happy haunting!

'''Aggressor Rush:''' ''The First Axiom of Victory is to be other than where the enemy desires you to be''. Your enemy doesn't want Aggressors near his lines, or defending the objectives he placed. ''The First Axiom of Stealth is to be other than where the enemy believes you to be.'' Your enemy believes Chaplains cannot move quickly without giving up their litanies. 10,000 years later, Corax's tennets remain true. Risky, but devastating when your enemy isn't prepared to meet & greet six Aggressors buffed by a Chaplain. Add support to it, like a couple of Invictors, and your enemy simply won't be able to take care of your stealth ball of hate fast enough. The enemy HAS to move back to avoid the charge, and that more than 5" (Aggressor move) + 7" (average charge) = 12". Congrats, your mere presence FORCED the enemy back and gave you cover in the open (>12") to top it all!

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==={{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}}===
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[[File:Salamanders_Chapter_Livery.jpg|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, the flame of hope burns still.<br>
Thematically, these guys are the true saviours of mankind, as while everyone else is running around hitting/stabbing each other with various weapons, the Salamanders are the warrior angels who are protecting the civilians, infrastructure, and all the other things that make a society a society. And also setting the enemies of the Emperor on fire.<br>
On the tabletop, these Bros acts much like a jack of all trades with Shooting, melee, and resilience, with them being able to both hit and wound a little better than most and being able to ignore -1 AP and other Stratagems means they have a little more staying power. Their preferred weapons are short-ranged, but you'll find that flames and meltaguns will solve almost all problems. <br>
''Vulkan lives!'' (STOMP-STOMP)
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====Special Rules====
*'''Chapter Tactics - Forged in Battle:''' A '''unit''' with this tactic can re-roll a single to hit roll and a single wound roll each time it shoots or fights (including overwatch). Your units treat AP-1 attacks as if they were AP0, meaning things like heavy bolters will be a minimal threat.
**Especially useful to ''all'' vehicles, {{W40Kkeyword|characters}}, MSU, and strong single-shot weapons like Lascannons and Meltas. Assuming you hit and wound on 3+, that one shot goes from 44% to wound to over 70% (saves not calculated). While it reduces your dependence on Captains and Lieutenants (allowing you to focus on the other HQs), it also helps them with those 2s, statistically similar to a Chapter Master (on a 1-shot unit), which the Salamanders lack unless they spend valuable CP on the Stratagem. Especially Vulkan He'Stan, who is like a Chapter Master only to melta and a Captain to everything else - now melta sergeants can re-roll for themselves.
***''Most'' useful on weapons with ''lower'' strength that instead focus on AP and/or Damage to get work done. A good example is Eliminators firing Mortis rounds, where you will really notice a substantial increase in performance, particularly if you don't use Guided Aim.
** AP-1 weaponry is the most efficient AP in the game in terms of availability and potential threat against your infantry. Ignoring it is hugely beneficial to your survival, armoured or otherwise.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Promethean Cult:''' While the Tactical Doctrine is active, all flame and melta weapons gain +1 to wound. Honestly, did you expect anything else?
**The best way to use this doctrine, as you might expect, is with Successor Tactics, as the Salamanders tactic is relatively awful with flame weapons, and there's a severe lack of synergy with melta, which usually won't benefit from +1 to wound ''or'' -1 to AP from the Doctrine bonus. In particular, Salamanders successors with +3" range on their guns will enjoy their flamers and meltaguns a lot more than actual Salamanders will.

====Warlord Traits====
#'''Anvil of Strength:''' The Warlord gets +2 to his Strength ''characteristic'' (so it happens BEFORE 2x), enabling Power Fists, Thunder Hammers and Boltstorm Gauntlets to <u>hit at Str12</u>. This also allows Relic blades to strike at S8 like a power fist without the -1 modifier. Vulkan He'stan takes this.
#'''Miraculous Constitution:''' The Warlord gets a 6+++ FNP and regains 1 wound at the start of your movement phase. Really good, especially if you have an Apothecary nearby. Vulkan lives! Compared to Iron Resolve, Miraculous Constitution yields more than one wound over time, assuming you are taking on moderate level deathstar units that can't wipe you in one go (Abbadon, Swarmlord, Thunder Hammers, etc..).
#'''Never Give Up:''' At the start of the battle round, pick a unit within 6" of the Warlord to gain Defenders of Humanity for that round.
#'''Forge Master:''' The Warlord gets +2 Toughness. With T6 (or 7 on Gravis/Bike characters), it'll now take anti-tank weapons to bring down your Warlord. Combos well with The Salamander's Mantle to make a character practically indestructible.
#'''Lord of Fire:''' Friendly units within 6" of the Warlord re-roll the number of attacks they make with flame weapons. Adrax takes this one.
#'''Patient and Determined:''' Once per shooting or fight phase, one of the Warlord's attacks automatically hit. Can make a thunder hammers more reliable, and more hits are always nice. Because of your likely native re-roll aura and a Salamander re-roll, you are very likely to get the overwhelming majority of your hits in. Since the relic's additional damage is on the wound roll and not hit roll, you are also more likely to proc that as well, due to more wound rolls being made.

====Relics and Special Issue Wargear====
=====Relics=====
*'''Drake-Smiter''': Replaces a Thunder Hammer. Doesn't lose the -1 to hit, but does get AP-4 and becomes 6(!) D on a 6 to wound. Forged in Battle can help you fish for that 6.
*'''Helm of Drakos''': {{W40Kkeyword|Primaris}} only. Gives +1W and enemy units within 6" get -1LD. Thoroughly meh. The Mantle is a better defensive relic, and unless you're going all in on Leadership debuffs, it's not worth it. That said, a Primaris Librarian with Draconic Aspect and the Fear Made Manifest trait can have an aura of -4LD in 6". If you're playing a Fearsome Aspect successor, you can bump that to -5LD in 3". Some Reivers nearby can bump that to a potential -6LD, then -7LD with Standard of the Emperor Ascendant, and make anything run in terror if your opponent forgets how to solve the problem with CP.
*'''Nocturne's Vengeance''': Replaces a combi-flamer. Both parts get -1AP and 2D with the flamer jumping to 12" range. It's a master-crafted combi-flamer that works out of deep strike to cook up the enemy well.
*'''Salamander's Mantle''': Now re-worked to be even better. It gives a straight -1 to wound the bearer. Combo with the Forge Master trait, and now anything up to S11 (S13 for Gravis/Bikes) wounds on no better than a 4+.
*'''Tome of Velcona''': A {{W40Kkeyword|Librarian}} knows an additional power from the Promethean discipline (even if he took Librarius or Obscuration powers). More importantly, he gets +1 to Psychic tests for Promethean powers. Casting all your powers on a 5+ is nice.
*'''Vulkan's Sigil''': The character gets +1A, and once per game during the Fight phase, all {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} units get +1A for that phase (bringing the bearer to +2A).
*'''Wrath of Prometheus''': Replaces a boltgun or master-crafted boltgun. No additional shots, but it gets +6" range, +1S, -2AP, and D3.

=====Special Issue Wargear=====
*'''Adamantine Mantle:''' Fnp5+++. "Not dying" is good for everyone, but (smash) captains/Primaris are the ones with the most wounds to proc it with.
*'''Artificer Armour:''' 2+/5++. Most useful for Lieutenants and Librarians, who lack invulns.
*'''Master-crafted Weapon:''' +1D to a weapon, and it now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). ''4D Thunder Hammer isn't quite as appealing since your Relic is better, but why not put this on a Sarge with the right Stratagem?''
*'''Digital Weapons:''' Make an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
*'''Obsidian Aquila:''' Friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Chapter}} models within 6" get a 6+++ FNP. You now have a bubble of marines more durable than Iron Hands.
*'''Promethean Plate:''' Wound rolls of 1, 2, or 3 always fail against this model. For when you've already got a model with the Mantle and want a second durable character to hang around. Can really neuter a lot of the deadlier melee attacks in the game.
*'''Dragonrage Bolts:''' When firing a bolt weapon this model has, only make one attack, but if it hits you get 1d6 wound rolls, ignore cover, and -1AP. Turns a bolter into a long range almost-flamer. Notably does not count as a flame weapon, so you don't get the +1 to wound from Promethean Cult.
*'''Drakeblade:''' Replaces a power sword, master-crafted power sword, or combat knife. It's -4 AP, D2, and deals 1 mortal wound on an unmodified 6 to wound. Something for the Phobos characters to replace their crappy combat knife with.

====Stratagems====
*'''Born Protectors (2 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} unit is charged, pick another {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} unit within 12". That can fire overwatch in addition to the charged unit, and if the charge is successful, they can Heroically Intervene 2D6", but only towards that charging unit. Tau Overwatch plus a Heroic Intervention? Fantastic, if situational. Can deter certain charges and anything that can change how your opponent plays has a place.
*'''Despite the Odds (1 CP)''': At the end of a turn where you didn't score any Tactical Objectives, if your Warlord is still on the table, generate a new Tactical Objective.
*'''Exemplar of the Promethean Creed (1 CP)''': Your Warlord gets a second Warlord trait. Doesn't work on named characters or someone you gave a trait to with Hero of the Chapter. Lots of fun and interesting combos here.
*'''Flamecraft (2 CP)''': In the shooting phase, a unit's flame weapons will always fire its maximum number of shots. Good for a Land Raider Redeemer, flamer Aggressors, combi-flamer Sternguard, and Assault Centurions. Still great if less efficient on Invictors and Land Speeders with dual Heavy Flamers and on Bray'arth Ashmantle.
*'''Immolation Protocols (1 CP)''': Turn all of one unit's flame weapons into Pistols for one shooting phase. Not a bad way of saving a shooty flame unit from melee.
*'''Master Artisans (1 CP)''': Give a Sergeant a Master-Crafted weapon, Digital Weapons, the Drakeblade, or Dragonrage Bolts
*'''Relentless Determination (1 CP)''': At the end of the Movement phase, pick one unit that did not advance. It counts as stationary, and if it has a damage table, it counts as having double wounds to see which row of the table you use. Let Aggressors and Repulsor Executioners still shoot twice after moving or have a vehicle re-position and still fire its shots at full BS.
*'''Rise From the Ashes (2 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} dies, roll a 4+ and they pop back up with 1 wound remaining. Only once per character per game. Opponent manage to take down your Warlord? Snipe the Techmarine playing Self Sacrifice meatshield? Get a lucky shot on your Smash Captain? Hit the undo button on that shit.
*'''Rites of Vulkan (2 CP)''': At the start of the movement phase while in the Tactical doctrine, for the rest of that battle round, all Rapid Fire or Assault weapons in your army get an additional -1AP on natural 6's to wound. Only once per battle. Works best when you have a lot of shots spread around the army.
*'''Self Sacrifice (2 CP)''': Use at the start of the opponent's shooting phase and pick a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit in your army that has more than five models and then one other unit that is wholly within 6". For the rest of the phase, your opponent cannot shoot the unit that is being shielded as long as they are wholly within 6" of the unit that is protecting them, unless they are the closest unit. The unit that is doing the body blocking can't be hidden from shooting by psychic powers or other trickery.
*'''Stand Your Ground (1 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit that didn't advance in your last Movement phase is picked as the target of an attack, they get +1 to their saves against D1 weapons for the rest of the phase. Doesn't help with invuln saves (or Servitors, but why are you bringing those?).
*'''Strength of the Primarch (1CP)''': Pick a unit at the start of the fight phase. They get +1S and any unmodified wound rolls of 6 do double damage. Probably worse than Crucible most of the time, but you can use them together to potentially get +2 to wound and exploding 6's. Imagine this on Bray'arth when it goes off. Absolutely crazy on Thunder Hammers. One lucky '6' and the warlord is gone! Just three lucky '6s' and so too is that Landraider!
*'''The Crucible of Battle (1 CP)''': In the shooting or fight phase, one unit gets +1 to wound for that phase. Veterans of the Long War for the pyro-marines. Works well with the Promethean Cult, and if you want to sink more CP into it, you can toss in Flamecraft for max shot flamers wounding everything on a 4+ or better.
*'''The Fires of Battle (1 CP)''': In the shooting phase or when firing overwatch, when a model is firing a flame weapon or melta, any unmodified 4+ to wound does a mortal wound in addition to normal damage (to a max of three Mortal Wounds). Only works for 1 weapon shot by 1 model, so no Aggressor MW spam for you.
*'''Trust of Prometheus (1 CP)''': Give a successor a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} relic
*'''Vengeance for Isstvan V (1 CP)''': When facing Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, or Alpha Legion in the fight phase, one unit can re-roll all hit rolls. Very situational, but fluffy.

====Litany & Psychic Discipline- Promethean====
#'''Flaming Blast''': WC6. Pick a spot within 24" that the psyker can see. Each unit within 3" of that spot takes a mortal wound on a 4+. Could be useful for pinging the last wound off of a character if your Eliminators don't finish it off, or singeing several units that are all clumped up, but Smite is probably better most of the time.
#'''Fire Shield''': WC6. A unit within 18" imposes -1 to hit against ranged attacks and -1 to charge distances.
#'''Burning Hands''': WC6. Until your next Psychic phase, when the psyker is attacking with the base CCW, any hits cause a mortal wound instead of rolling to wound. If you plan to get your Librarian into close combat against something with a good invlun maybe, but you've already got a force weapon.
#'''Drakeskin''': WC6. Pick a unit with 12" to get +1T until the next Psychic phase. Between this and Fire Shield, a Salamanders Librarian can make one target significantly more durable turn after turn.
#'''Fury of Nocturne''': WC6. Pick a visible enemy unit within 18" and roll 2D6. If you roll higher than their highest toughness, they take D3 mortal wounds. Worse chance of causing damage than Smite, but you can pick the target. Could be useful for sniping low T characters.
#'''Draconic Aspect''': WC6. Until your next Psycic phase, all enemy units with 12" get -2LD. Potentially makes for a decent leadership bomb if combo'd with the Helm of Drakos and the Fearsome Aspect tactic and/or Fear made manifest trait.

'''Litany of Battle - Selfless Saviours:''' Within 6" of the priest, friendly Salamanders units gain Heroic Intervention.

====Special Units====
*'''[[Vulkan He'Stan]]:''' Has a Captain's statline, with a 2+ save and a 3+ invuln. Comes with Heavy Flamer, and Relic Blade, and Storm Shield equivalent gear. He has the Captain Rites of Battle ability to let you re-roll hits of 1 for Salamanders units within 6", and his Forgefather ability lets all Salamanders models within 6" reroll any failed hits and wounds with flame or melta in the name, and with his own Gauntlet of the Forge (note that this affects vehicles and melta-bombs too now, but it doesn't affect the bolter part of combi-weapons). Great for tagging along with Sternguard or Company Vets in a Rhino or Drop Pod. Vulkan standing with a 5-man devastator squad, armed with 4 Multi-Meltas and a Combi-Flamer, is extremely productive, both for shooting hordes and high toughness targets. The forgefather rule made him a more support oriented HQ as his melee is mediocre compared to other named characters worth a similar amount of points (namely Shrike or Lysander). He got used to being an immovable object in 7th (2+,3++,5+++(FnP)) but in 8th all you need to do to is fail one 3+ invulnerable save and you take multiple wounds, or get saddled with Mortal Wounds he can't save against. Still, take him if you are a Salamanders player because his rules aren't by any means bad - and his model is awesome.
**As long as he's your warlord, he also hits with a solid S8 thanks to his Warlord Trait.
**Alternate take: Vulkan He'Stan riding along with either a squad of Assault Centurions in a Land Raider Redeemer or a squad of Aggressors with Flamestorm Gauntlets can be quite effective. Proper positioning will allow re-rolls to hit and to wound on both Land Raider Flamestorm Cannons, the Land Raider's Multi-Melta and on all 6 of the flamers that you've definitely taken on your Assault Centurions, all preceding a devastating charge. The Aggressors will similarly benefit, whether it's from the 4d6 flamer shots they get if they stay still or the 2d6 they unleash as they move into melee range.
** Primaris Eradicators!!!! They are tough infantry, can move and fire with assault weapons, very high shot volume for melta-weaponry, with He'Stan you should kill any T7 vehicle in one go, with only Land Raiders/baneblades surviving out of the T8 models.
**He'stan is insanely good backing up Cyclonic Melta Leviathans, or, keeping it lighter, standard-issue multi-melta/heavy flamer dreads, where he will buff the guns all the way, and they can use Salamanders tactics if they need to in melee.
*'''Adrax Agatone''': A Primaris Captain with a hand flamer that acts more like a stronger flamer (12" range and AP-1) and a D4 Thunder Hammer. His cloak reduces all incoming damage by 1, and his Unto the Anvil aura adds 1 to all wound rolls for melee weapons when Shock Assault is triggered. Obviously, he works nicely with Flamestorm Aggressors, especially when he's Warlord so they can re-roll how many hits those Aggressors make.
*'''Captain Pellas Mir'san (Forgeworld):''' He has the statline of a Captain in Terminator Armour, except with a 6" move instead of 5" and without the transport restrictions of being a terminator, but no Teleport Strike (dude, he's clearly in Artificer armour, not Terminator). He comes with a combi-flamer, Cinder Edge (functionally identical to a force sword), and Steelsilver, which lets you make an additional attack at S4 AP0 D1 against every model within 1". Those attacks are made after his Cinder Edge attacks are resolved and before you consolidate, so it can be a super chainsword or useless depending on what his regular attacks leave behind. He gets the normal Captain Iron Halo for a 4++ and Rites of battle to re-roll 1s to hit within 6". He also gets 2 more attacks when he's within 2" of any enemy Characters. All this for a few points less than a similarly equipped Terminator Captain. He really wants to be in close combat chopping heads to maximize his usefulness. Probably plays best running with Vanguard or Company Vets kitted for close combat, but he'll likely need a transport to get to where you want him as he has no deep strike options on his own.
**As the Forgeworld characters do not have fixed warlord traits, there are a few options to choose from.
***The Imperium’s Sword give Pellas more general melee ability by raising him to strength 5 and 6 attacks on the charge (8 if you get close to an enemy character) as well as a reroll for charge distances.
***Alternatively, Champion of Humanity makes him an even better character hunter. He keeps the 8 attacks on the charge but gains a +1 on wound rolls, which can be further combined with Crucible of Battle for a +2 to wound.
***The Salamander-specific Warlord Traits are, sadly, not quite as good as the base rulebook, but could have their uses. Anvil of Strength and Forge Master can both keep you alive longer and may be worth it depending on what you are fighting.
*'''[[Bray'arth Ashmantle]] (Forgeworld):''' He's now even more indestructible than before, being a Character with T9, W8, a 2+/5++, and a 4+ to ignore lost wounds, he's not going down easily. He's also dead killy up close. His two Dreadfire heavy flamers can put out some serious hurt with S6, AP-2 and 3 damage a pop at 8" range. In close combat, his claws have him swinging 4 times at S16, AP-4, and D6 damage, and if you are locked in with someone during the shooting phase, his Burning Wrath is now a 2D6 shot auto hitting S4 pistol with a 2" range. On the downsides: In an edition of HQs buffing your other units, he does nothing to improve nearby Salamanders. He can only be your Warlord if there are no other HQ units, so you'll limit yourself to a smaller number of command points if you want to use him to deny your opponent Slay the Warlord. He can't cause any harm until he gets within 8", so you either buy him a transport or have him be a walking 14" threat bubble. This all comes for the hefty price of <s>400 pts</s> '''325 points''' (more if you buy a Dreadnought Drop Pod or Stormraven for him to ride in).
**It's worth noting that he is a {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} and hits almost as hard as a Volcano Cannon in close combat. The amount of panic he'll cause walking towards your opponent with a few cheap screening units in front of him (or even a few Rhinos) is well worth the price tag, as is the satisfaction when he finally hits the opponent's gunline and all hell breaks loose. On a side note if you can get your enemy to charge him on overwatch he is likely to butcher MEQ or even TEQs with his dreadfire flamers.
**The new Space Marine and Salamander's codices bring several tricks that can turn Ashmantle into a right nightmare.
***The Salamander Chapter Tactic and the Duty Eternal stratagem make him even more durable than he once was. Using the Drakeskin and Fireshield Psychic power can add even more durability to him, though at this point, it may be approaching overkill.
***Hero of the Chapter can be used to grant him a Warlord Trait, thus getting around one of his main restrictions. Some possible standout options include Anvil of Strength for extra killing power (strength 20 Dreadfire claws), Forge Master to make him T11, or Lord of Fire to make his Dreadfire Heavy Flamers even more lethal.
***Only in Death Does Duty End will let him fight even if your opponent manages to take him down while Rise from the Ashes will let him potentially get back up and keep fighting. Just have a techmarine nearby to patch him up.
***Obviously, Ashmantle is a prime target for Flamecraft if you can get him close enough to use his Dreadfire Heavy Flamers, but that’s not all. Immolation Protocols pairs well with his Burning Wrath pistol attacks should any opponent be foolish enough to try and stick around in melee, and Born Protectors will discourage countercharges. Then there is The Crucible of Battle...
**Now a whopping 75 points cheaper, saving you enough to almost buy his Drop Pod outright.

*'''Harath Shen (Forgeworld):''' As a Master Apothecary, Harath deploys to the field armed with more than just a Narthecium. He has the same statline as a normal Apothecary, barring Leadership 9. He is armed with a Power Sabre, which is identical to a Master-Crafted Power Sword (Str: User, AP -3, 2 Damage) and Bloodfire, a Plasma Pistol with nothing special (except for causing a mortal wound rather than slaying the bearer). His Master of Chirurgery rule carries over from his 7th edition iteration, it's similar to the Apothecary's ability but the rolls are passed on a 3+ instead of a 4+, and Harath can heal D3+1 Wounds instead of D3. All of this will set you back 75 Points, as opposed to an Apothecary's 72 Points for the same loadout (although it's worth noting that an Apothecary doesn't have access to weapon options). Which means you pay 3 points for his increased medical abilities ''and the payment of an HQ tax'', if you were looking for that. Overall, he's a support Character who can increase the survivability of your Salamanders, but can also do some damage in combat if absolutely necessary; just keep him away from enemy Characters.

====Tactical Objectives====

====Tactics====
*Real Deal MSU: Take 2 battalions, each with 3 tac squads armed with a single Lascannon. Salamanders trait gives each Lascannon crucial re rolls for hits and wounds, making these 6 Lascannons typically all the anti-armor you will need. Fills out battalions nicely, and leaves plenty of room for anti-horde and whatever heavy hitter Elites/HQs you desire to polish off any other pockets of durability your opponent has. This forces your opponent to usually shoot their anti-armor at 15 point tactical marines (because they're camping back in cover and ignore ap-1 requiring big guns to shoot them), thus helping reduce the barrage your armor and heavy infantry will receive. This may also force your opponent to surge forward into walls of flame weapons.
* In keeping with the small unit size benefit, look at squads of Eliminators and/or Eradicators. Your re-roll ability allows units that rely on a few powerful shots to do their job. Eliminators hit 88% of the time and wound MEQ 88% of the time with re-rolls. Eradicators don't double their shots- they fire twice, meaning each set of three melta shots at gets their re-rolls. Statistically, with your re-rolls, there are very pieces of armor in the game that won't be living in abject fear of a Salaamander Eradicator squad.
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==={{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}}===
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[[File:Iron Hands Livery.jpg|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, the Flesh is Weak.<br>
Thematically, these guys are more machine than <s>man</s> Astartes. Having a strong affinity with machines. With calculated Rage, they are unyielding, precise, and show no mercy.<br>
On the tabletop, these guys are one of the most durable chapters for infantry and vehicles and have a strong affinity with heavy weapons and tanks. Makes you feel like Deathguard with everything having ''Feel no pain'', Damage reduction, and vehicle stats take more wounds to degrade, shooting down charges with accuracy, and as an added bonus they're experts at wielding heavy weapons of all types. <br>
''If you like big guns and bigger tanks, the Iron Hands is the Chapter for you.''
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====Special Rules====
*'''Chapter Tactics - The Flesh is Weak:''' 6+++ Feel No Pain: roll a die when a model with this tactic loses a wound; on a 6+ that wound is ignored. ''This doesn't work with supercharged plasma since that slays models without wounding them(except the ones mounted on vehicles - spam those plasma redemptors)''. Overwatch hits on 5 and 6, regardless of modifiers, and models with a damage table are considered to have double the number of wounds. So not only is Steel Strong, but it's also ''reliable''.
**Being more difficult to kill is an obvious bonus to your Warlord, but unlike Guilliman, who is classified as a {{W40Kkeyword|Monster}}, your {{W40Kkeyword|<chapter> infantry}} Captain can be healed by an Apothecary. And then you add the Shield Eternal...yes, it's [[Chapter_Master_Smashfucker#8TH_EDITION:_CAPTAIN_SMASHFUCKER_AND_THE_IRON_BASTARDS|Smashfucker]] all over again.
**Stronger than it first appears, because there is an interaction with units of multiple multi-wound models and weapons that deal more than 1 damage. After failing your save, you are allowed to roll for each lost wound individually. For example, a unit of 2 wound models being attacked by a D2 weapon is approximately 35% more durable. This is because if you save either one of the lost wounds (27.78% chance to resist exactly 1; 30.56% chance to resist at least 1) it takes a whole second shot to even try to kill that model, thanks to damage not spilling over.
***This improvement is still ''best'' on 1-wound model units - the interaction above means it's not as worse on multi-wound as it first appears, and Iron Hands have some kick-ass Primaris units, but the ability is generally more noticeable the fewer wounds the model with it has remaining.
***While your boost to survivability is around 20% to the RG's 25%, yours isn't situational, and even works in the melee Shock Assault urges you to be.
**Vehicles also get a noticeable boost from this. Even before you account for the FnP effect, the slower rate of stat loss from damage will keep your tanks and dreads at full effectiveness for much longer than vehicles of other Chapters.
***The boost's benefit also varies with Wounds, as GW tends to use the same algorithm to build all of your degradation tables. By and large, this ''reduces'' the tendency of wounds to be useless - for example, ordinarily going from W13 to W14 is not useful, because the extra wound happens in the middle band of the degradation table, compared to going from W10 to W11, where the extra wound happens in the top band. Under Iron Hands, both wounds show up on top. The effect is particularly noticeable on W11 and W15, and at its absolute worst when Wounds is a power of 2 - your W16 Land Raiders will get the least benefit from this compared to most other things you can field.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Calculated Fury:''' Whilst the Devastator Doctrine is active (First round only), models with this ability do not suffer the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons. In addition, when resolving an attack made with a Heavy weapon by a model with this ability, re-roll hit rolls of 1.
**Like Scions of Gulliman, but instead of making Bolter Discipline easier to trigger you'll have heavy weapons that tear through armor saves with minimal difficulty and don't need babysitting. Load up on vehicles and Devastators to spew out all the dakka.
***Do ''not'' load up on Hellblasters. The re-rolling of 1s to hit makes them look initially tempting, but their Heavy gun costs far too many points, and going to AP-5 is useless against most targets and nearly useless against the remaining ones. Similarly, even though moving and shooting at no penalty makes multimeltas look far more tempting, AP-5 is underwhelming - for the same cost, anything in your army with a choice will prefer an assault cannon to a multimelta against just about any target (and the weapons have the same ranges, too).
**Also frees up your captains to focus on supporting your choppier units while also allowing those heavy weapon users to reposition without sacrificing accuracy. You will need Captains after turn 1 Since the Devastator Doctrine is active only active then. Don't feel bad your jump and terminators are not initially on the board.
***Remember to bring take lieutenants to spread around re-rolling 1s to wound as well, techmarines to keep your HQ taxes cheap (the conversion beamer is still absurdly expensive, but it's better for Iron Hands than for anyone else), or librarians to make the leviathan we both know you took even more dangerous.

====Warlord Traits====
#'''All Flesh Is Weakness:''' 5+++ FNP.
#*You could already have this if you take a Chief Apothecary warlord with Father of the Future. Just saying.
#'''The Will of Iron:''' Can deny a psychic power. If they can already deny, they can deny one more.
#'''Adept of the Omnissiah:''' Can repair vehicles like a techmarine, but only repair 1 wound. If you can already do this, you repair +1 wound.
#'''Merciless Logic:''' The Warlord's ''unmodified'' 6 (''not'' 6+) to hit with any attack procs an extra attack with the same weapon, which can't proc this again, essentially multiplying his attacks by 7/6. {{W40Kkeyword|Primaris}} Captains and the Teeth of Terra make good use of it, as they naturally have more attacks with which to proc the extra ones. For shooting, {{W40Kkeyword|Biker}} and {{W40Kkeyword|Terminator}} Captains have better chances, as they have two ranged weapons.
#'''Student of History:''' When consolidating, the Warlord can move up to 6", and doesn't need to move towards the nearest enemy. Malkaan Feirros has this as his warlord trait, and boy does it work well with him.
#*Great on smash captains if you want more mobility rather than hitting things, lets him run from enemy swings or engage a bubble-wrapped character.
#'''Target Protocols:''' In the shooting phase, pick a friendly {{WH40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} unit within 6" of the Warlord. They can re-roll one hit, one wound, and one damage roll that phase. Good for ensuring that forgeworld death titan cannon destroys something.

====Relics & Special-Issue Wargear====
None of these relics can be assigned to {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s.

=====Relics of Medusa=====
*'''Aegis Ferrum''': Primaris Model only. +1 Toughness, and the model takes 1 less damage (to a minimum of 1).
*'''Axe of Medusa''': Replaces a power axe. Gives it +3S, AP-3, and D3. Used to be a weak ass relic blade. Now it's actually an interesting alternative to the Burning Blade. For non-primaris only, primaris haven't earned the right to swing axes yet.
*'''Betrayer's Bane''': Replaces a Combi-Melta. The Melta part becomes Assault 2. Yay. You will probably never take this.
*'''Gorgon's Chain''': 4++ Invulnerable Save, and equipped model has -1 to be wounded against ranged attacks. Can't be wounded on anything worse than a 3+. Sadly nerfed from its 7th edition incarnation, but now Smashfucker has a few new toys to play with above such as the Aegis Ferrum or the Iron Stone.
*'''Ironstone''': At the start of the battle round, select one friendly {{WH40Kkeyword|Iron Hands vehicle}} unit within 3" of the bearer of this relic. Until the start of the next battle round, when resolving attacks made against that unit, if the bearer is within 3" of that unit, you can reduce any damage suffered by 1 (minimum of 1) Another method of keeping the damage tables from getting to you never hurts. Give it to a techmarine and the vehicles he sticks near will never die. Sadly this no longer stacks with Duty Eternal.
*'''Mindforge''': Force Sword, Axe, or Stave. Your force powerfist of choice! Sx2 AP-3 D1d3, essentially a force powerfist. You get the hint that they want you to take non-captain characters?
*'''Tempered Helm''': Roll 1d6 for every command point spent whenever you use a stratagem. On a 5+, the command point is refunded. Only 1 command point can be refunded in this way per battle round (no limit on stratagems used outside of a battle round, i.e. before the battle begins).
** Per the September 2019 FAQ, you can't use this to refund command points before the battle begins

=====Special Issue Wargear=====
The first four relics in the Special Issue Wargear section are copy-pastes for each Supplement, then there's a selection of unique mini-relics.
*'''Adamantium Mantle:''' 5+ Feel No Pain. You have a Warlord trait that does the same thing. Even with Paragon of Iron to give a different character a 5+++, should the Warlord really be taking relics from the Special Issue wargear section instead of diving for the actual Chapter relics?
*'''Artificer Armor:''' 2+/5++. Excellent on Lieutenants and Librarians who don't get invulnerable saves to start. Or, throw it on a Sergeant with Scion of the Forge.
*'''Digital Weapons:''' Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
*'''Master-crafted Weapon:''' +1 to the damage characteristic of one of the bearer's weapons, which is then considered a relic. D4 Thunderhammer baby!
*'''Automedicae Bionics:''' Heal 1d3 wounds at the start of the turn. Actually a decent pick!
*'''Dataspike:''' Roll 2 dice and drop the lowest result when healing vehicles. Generally speaking, this will turn 1d3 healing from average 2 to average 2.44, changes the odds of rolling at least 2 from 2/3 to 8/9, and changes the odds of rolling 3 from 3/9 to 5/9, in terms of your ability to repair a target enough to change wound brackets.
*'''Haywire Bolts:''' Affects a bolt weapon. It can only do 1 shot, but when targeting a {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}}, an unmodified wound roll of 4 or 5 does d3 mortal wounds, and a 6 results in a flat 3 mortal wounds, in addition to normal damage. Can be useful for chipping off the last few wounds from a vehicle. You know, in case your Heavy Weapons under the Devastator Doctrine somehow didn't finish the job.
**The additional damage is both mortal and additive, so the effect is more noticeable on a weapon with poor AP and D to begin with, and it happens on a 4 or 5 even if the shot failed to wound, so also more noticeable on low S, and for obvious reasons, you want to take it on a 1-shot weapon to begin with. Nothing else matters ''per se'', so e.g. it'll have the same impact on a weapon of any range. <i> More noticeable maybe, but no more effective. It's actually most efficient on a single shot weapon as you don't lose any of your initial firepower.</i>
***Could be interesting on a Primaris Lieutenant with a stalker bolt rifle. Or a sergeant armed with the same if you want to use the stratagem.
*'''Teeth of Mars:''' Replaces a chainsword, SU AP-2 D2 A+1; becomes Sx2 AP-2 D2 A+1 when resolving attacks against {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s.

====Stratagems====

Iron Hand Stratagems can be divided into four categories; offense, defense, utility, and universal

*'''Offense:''' Iron hands have stratagems that improve accuracy and create bonus attacks or AP on rolls of 6.
**'''Engine Purge (2 CP):''' Use at the start of your movement phase if the devastator doctrine is active. Until the start of the next battle round, when resolving an attack made with heavy or grenade weapon by an {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} model in your ''army'', an unmodified 6+ to wound increases the AP of that attack by 1.
**'''Mercy is Weakness (1 CP):''' Choose after a unit decides to shoot or fight. Select an enemy unit, and until the end of that phase, every {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} model that attacks this unit wounds twice on unmodified wound rolls of 6. Enjoy.
**'''Methodical Firepower (1 CP):''' If the devastator doctrine isn't active, pick a unit. Now it is for this unit. no need to say how good this is on units with heavy weapons.
**'''The Gorgon's Rage (1 CP):''' Use in the Fight phase, when choosing an {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} unit to fight. Until the end of the phase, that unit adds +1 to melee hit rolls. If the target is {{W40Kkeyword|emperor's children}}, enjoy an additional +1 to wound.
**'''Vengeance for Istvaan V (1 CP):''' Use in the Fight phase, when choosing an {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} unit to fight. Re-roll hit rolls vs {{W40Kkeyword|Alpha Legion}}, {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Warriors}}, {{W40Kkeyword|Night Lords}}, and {{W40Kkeyword|Word Bearers}}.
**'''Wrathful Machine Spirit (2 CP):''' Used in the shooting or fight phase when a {{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}} is chosen to shoot or fight; it can re-roll hit rolls for that phase.
***Not bad, but for those same 2 CP you could upgrade a captain to a chapter master and get the same buff in an aura, all game. Situational, if you've got, say, lots of fliers a captain can't keep up with, or if you're not taking a captain and need the buff, but if you're taking a captain and don't have too many vehicles that he can't keep up with, it might be better to just take a chapter master instead. Besides, you can always pay cps during the game to get this strat if you need it for whatever reason.
*'''Defense:''' Iron Hands have an impressive number of defensive related stratagems to keep your important characters, vehicles, and units alive.
**'''Cogitated Martyrdom (1 CP):''' Use at the start of an enemy shooting phase. An {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands infantry}} unit can intercept attacks before rolling FNP for non-vehicle {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands characters}} within 3". On a 2+, take a MW on the infantry unit.
***Enjoy treating Intercessors as drones. Particularly useful as your characters will be high priority targets for your opponent like the new iron father or anyone with the ironstone. Maybe use it for servitors. This lets you shove some poor sod in front of the Sniper-lascannon aiming for your characters.
**'''Machine Empathy (1 CP):''' After a Techmarine heals a vehicle, that model can use that ability again. Remember, our vehicles' wounds count as double for the purposes of their bracket, so even a single repaired wound can bump up a damaged vehicle.<s>Now, imagine the potential to heal 6 damage on a tank. Yes, please!</s> (Due to ERRATA you can now use second repair only on different (non-repaired) vehicle)
**'''Optimal Repulsion Doctrines (2 CP):''' A unit during your opponents charge phase enjoys 5+ overwatch. If you're Iron Hands and not a successor, enjoy 4+. If you use this on a unit next to a chapter master then you'll have 3/4 shots hitting in overwatch, brutal.
**'''Reject the Flesh, Embrace the Machine (1 CP):''' Use in any phase when an {{W40Kkeyword|Iron Hands infantry}} unit in your army is chosen as a target for an attack. FNP on 5+++. If it's a Warlord with All Flesh is Weakness, he gets a 4+++.
*'''Utility:''' While most Chapters have narrowly focused utility Stratagems, the Iron Hands have the advantage of having some of the most generally useful options.
**'''March of the Ancients (1 CP):''' once per battle, After nominating a warlord, select a single Dreadnought in your army. That Dreadnought gains the {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} keyword and adds 1 to its attack and Leadership characteristics. Beware that Dreadnoughts with 10 or more wounds can still be targeted, and Cogitated Martyrdom now doesn't protect vehicles. Still enjoy having a Venerable Dreadnought Rifleman who has the protection of being a character! Or, finally be able to screen that Ironclad Dreadnought as it runs up with the Seismic Hammer and Chainfist, appreciating the extra attack!
**'''Mnemonic Auto-Savant (2 CP):''' If your WL is on the battlefield upon completing a tactical objective, do not discard it. You can use it again in the subsequent round. Nice.
**'''Souls of Iron (2 CP):''' Deny on 4+ within 24" of an Iron Hands unit.
*'''Universal:''' All Chapter Supplements get some variation of the following three stratagems.
**'''Bequeathed by the Iron Council (1 CP):''' Iron Hands relics for successors. Yay!!!
**'''Paragon of Iron (1 CP):''' Bonus warlord trait for your non-named character warlord. Must be from Iron Hands. The usual supplement special.
**'''Scions of the Forge (1 CP):''' Your sergeant gets toys! Yay! Special issue wargear to sergeants (chosen from m-c weapon, digital weapons, Teeth of Mars, and Haywire Bolts).

==== Litany & Psychic Discipline - Technomancy====
Technomancy is a support discipline that centers around buffing your vehicles and wargear while cursing your opponent's. A heavily-mechanized army will gain the most benefit from this school, but if you are looking to create an Iron Hands version of Mephiston, you are out of luck. Two of the powers (Blessing of the Machine God and Reforge) can only target your vehicles, while two of the mortal wound generating powers (Machine Flense and Fury of Medusa) need to target enemy vehicles to get the full effect (or any effect in the case of Machine Flense). Fortunately, the last two powers (Objuration Mechanicum and Psysteel Armour) are both pretty good ''without'' having to target vehicles.

#'''Blessing of the Machine God (WC5)''': Grants +1 to hit for a friendly {{WH40Kkeyword|Iron Hands vehicle}} unit within 12". You need to get at least an 8 on the psychic test to use this on {{WH40kKeyword|Titanic}} units, so have a CP to burn if you want to buff that Fellblade or Astraeus.
#'''Objuration Mechanicum (WC7)''': If manifested, select one visible enemy unit within 18". When that unit rolls unmodified 1s to shoot, it takes a mortal wound after it finishes the gun in question. Enjoy self-immolating aggressors, Tau Fire Warriors, and Chaos Havocs with miniguns.
#*While the actual output of this weapon depends on the number of shots the target unit makes, and penalties to hit won't affect it (although if the target has to re-roll hits, that absolutely may), one of the big values is forcing your opponent to decide if shooting with the unit is worth the mortal wounds it will suffer. It also has better scaling the more guns the unit uses to make those shots, since a given gun gets all of its shots before any mortal wounds happen, but mortal wounds will happen between guns.
#**Without any relevant buffs, the number of shots the target has to make to suffer at least as much as Smite would have - bearing in mind that this happens ''after'' it shoots, not before, as it would with Smite - is 19, so anything with at least that many shots - such as a Leman Russ Punisher, or 5 models within 12" with Storm Bolters, or what have you - will die to this power ''faster'', with, again, the caveat that the mortal wounds won't happen until ''after'' each gun fires.
#*Point at plasma wielding squads for double the fun, now a roll of 1 on an overcharge will both kill the gunner ''and'' drop a mortal wound on one of its buddies. If you really want to cheese it, get something to force -1 to hit modifiers on your unfortunate victims and your opponent will just plain give up on shooting with them (it won't help this power hurt them, of course).
#'''Fury of Medusa (WC6)''': Select an enemy model within 18". Draw a line 1mm wide between the psyker and target. For every enemy unit the line crosses, including the target model's, roll 1d6, adding 2 for {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s; the unit takes a mortal wound on a 4 or 5, and 1d3 mortal wounds on a 6.
#**This needs to cross 4 non-vehicle units, 2 vehicle units, or 1 vehicle and 2 non-vehicle, in order to outperform Smite.
#'''Psysteel Armour (WC6)''': Select an {{WH40Kkeyword|Iron Hands}} unit within 12" of the psyker. Add 1 to non-invulnerable saving throws for it.
#'''Reforge (WC5)''': Heal D3 lost wounds on a {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}} within 3".
#*This turns your Librarian into a much more expensive and much less reliable Techmarine, and you don't even get a range benefit.
#'''Machine Flense (WC6)''': Select a visible enemy {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}} unit within 18". It takes 1d3 mortal wounds. Then select an enemy unit that was within 6" of that {{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}} and visible to it when the power was manifested (meaning the original target ''need not'' still be on the table). Roll 1d6 for each mortal wound the original target suffered. On a 3+, the secondary target takes a mortal wound.
#*After the cast, this will on average deal 2 mortal wounds to the target and 4/3 mortal wounds to the secondary target, meaning that this power actually does do more mortal wounds than Smite (1.79 for Smite, 1.44 to the target, 0.96 to the secondary target, 2.41 total mortal wounds dealt by this power, taking cast odds into account), assuming no bonuses to the cast are available.

'''Litanies of Battle - Medusan Furore:''' Your chaplain adds +1S to all Iron Hands within 6", which might help your Reivers and Incursors edge over their enemies or let your captain pulp some heads.

====Special Units====
*'''HQ'''
**'''Malkaan Feirros:''' The Iron Hands' first named character is a Gravis Captain but without the re-rolling 1s to hit aura. Stat-wise he's like a Gravis Captain with 7 wounds, 5 attacks, a 2+ save, and a 5+ FNP instead of the Chapter's 6+ FNP, and offense-wise his Gorgon's Wrath is an AP-2 D2 Heavy Bolter, and his Harrowhand is a S+3 AP-2 D2 axe. Naturally you want him for his buffing abilities, as awesome as his punch and durability may be. He gives all Iron Hands INFANTRY units (FAQ) within 6" a 5+ Invulnerable save. He's also a superior techmarine (which should be obvious being the Master of the Forge and whatnot) and repairs a flat 3 wounds to vehicles instead of d3 wounds (or 6W with Machine Empathy strat). He also has a Signum Array that gives a friendly unit within 3" BS2+ at the start of the shooting phase ([[awesome|if applied to vehicles, it overrides their damage bracket]]), so he acts like a versatile Devastator Sarge on top of that. Land Raiders hitting on 2+ and restoring 3 wounds a turn, anyone? Feirros is shaping up to be a blue chip unit in Iron Hands detachments, provided he doesn't cost over 200 points like a certain spiritual liege and...[[cheese|oh my god what he's only 110 points]]. Blue chip status confirmed.
*'''Forgeworld''' {{W40kKeyword|Successor Chapters}} '''Characters'''
**Remember, you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be an Iron Hands successor and use this supplement.<br>
**{{W40kKeyword|[[Sons of Medusa]]}}
***'''Vaylund Cal:''' Chapter Master/Techmarine. If you ever wanted to see the mechanized fusion of a Techmarine with a Chapter Master, this is the motherfucker for you. Sporting a monstrous statline of S5 (doubled with his Medusan Hammer and Servo-Arms) and an enviable T6, he'll be hard to take down. Also makes an excellent anchor for a firing line, because he gives both a re-roll bubble AND can repair vehicles. His price was dropped to <strike>173</strike> 116, making him a clear pick over a tech marine with an upgraded captain. While slightly less flexible, it will save you a few points along with three command points.

====Tactical Objectives====

#'''Methodical Destruction:''' When this Tactical Objective is generated, select up to three enemy units on the battlefield. Score 1 victory point for each of those units that was destroyed as a result of an attack made with a ranged weapon by an {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS}} unit from your army this turn. Score D3+3 victory points instead if all three units were destroyed in the same phase.
#'''Advance and Secure''': Score 1 victory point if you control the objective marker closest to the centre of the battlefield at the end of your turn (if several objective markers are equally close to the centre, you achieve this Tactical Objective if you control any of those objective markers at the end of your turn).
#'''March of the Machines''': Score 1 victory point if an {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS DREADNOUGHT}} from your army either finished an Advance move or charge move wholly within the enemy’s deployment zone this turn.
#'''Destroy the Weak''':Score D3 victory points if at least one enemy unit was destroyed as a result of an attack made by any {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS}} models from your army during both the Shooting phase and the Fight phase of this turn.
#'''The Strength of Metal''': Whilst this Tactical Objective is active, keep a tally of how many times {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS}} models from your army would lose a wound that is subsequently not lost (e.g. due to the The Flesh is Weak Chapter Tactic or the Artificer Bionics ability). Score 1 victory point if this Tactical Objective is still active when the tally reaches 10.
#'''Cold Fury''': Score 1 victory point if any enemy units were destroyed as a result of an attack made by an {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS VEHICLE}} model from your army this turn. Score D3 victory points instead if three or more enemy units were destroyed as a result of an attack made by an {{W40Kkeyword|IRON HANDS VEHICLE}} model this turn.

====Tactics====
In the month following the release of their codex supplement but before the October FAQ nerf, the Iron Hands enjoyed an unprecedented level of popularity and brokenness. An article on Warhammer site Goonhammer reported a winrate of 71% overall in 234 qualifying games, far higher than any other faction had enjoyed since the launch of 8th edition. This helps to explain why, on October 17 of 2019, an initial, rather anemic FAQ was amended within hours to include a number of changes to try and get ahead of the situation. As a result of these nerfs, the tactical situational for the Iron Hands is in something of a transitional state. It remains to be seen if the changes will have their intended effect. In the mean time, here is a brief list of several of the most popular units from before the nerfs.

*'''Stormhawk interceptors, Stormtalon Gunships, and Stormraven Gunships''': A popular choice on several competitive lists. All three flyers pair well with the Iron Hands Chapter tactics, and units like the Stormhawk and stormtalon, which have heavy weapons but not power of the machine spirit, benefit greatly from both the Devastator doctrine and the chapter doctrine.
*'''Thunderfire Cannons''': Another popular competitive choice and almost an auto-take in an Iron Hands army thanks to the interaction between Devastator doctrine and the Chapter doctrine.
*'''Repulsor Executioners''': Initially broken as fuck due to the interaction between Feirros and the Ironstone. Now far less so thanks to the nerfs to both units, but still solid for all the expected reasons.

*'''Aggressor Bomb:''' Take a Chief Apothecary warlord with Father of the Future, ForgeFather Feirros, and a large group of Aggressor. Now you have 3 wounds 3+/5++/5+++ models packing a lot of Bolter fire that would endure and overwhelm even a Banblade.

</div></div>

==Tactics and Strategy==

===Army Building===
====Army Composition====
Deciding on what units to take generally comes down to what you want your force to accomplish on the tabletop. One school of thought is to avoid having too many various “types” of marines in one force, instead focusing on using lots of similar profiles in order to force opponents to attack units using suboptimal weapons. Using very little vehicles and lots of Infantry “wastes” your opponents anti-tank shots, for example. Or by having lots of heavy infantry and armour means that the small arms fire directed at you will be less effective. Other schools emphasize the modular nature of Space Marines and prioritize the taking of multiple styles of Marine units in order to more effectively deal with various threats. These two schools are extremes, and good list building most likely lands somewhere in the middle.
*The goal of making an army themed around a specific profile type is to reduce the effectiveness of your opponents shooting- an all-infantry army being more effective against anti-tank weapons is an obvious example, but similar principles apply to things like multi-wound attacks being overkill against single-wound units. However, this idea has one catastrophic flaw which should always be kept in mind: when the opponent is able to counter your chosen style and you don't have any units not of that style, they will counter you '''''hard'''''. Try to figure out what your enemy will be likely to use ahead of time so you don't pay for putting all your eggs in one basket!
**All scouts is one type. Or all Power Armour-traditional. Go all Primaris or all-regular Marine, do not mix. You want to either be all 2 wound models or all 1 wound models. The 1 wound models would all suck were it not for the awesome veterans: Sternguard kill things; Vanguard with 2 chainswords (4 attacks) that's a lot of attacks that does add up well; Company Champions can carry 1 stormbolter and 1 chainsword for 18 points and intercept wounds meant for the characters. Even Tacticals have the advantage of being a cheap source of heavy+special weapons, if nothing else.
*The T5 family is all bikes, Inceptors and Aggressors. They'll be able to take a beating and things like Pedro Kantor+Aggressors are a powerful combo, but Bikes and Gravis-armoured Primaris Marines don't synergize very well with each other and you might end up leaving half your army behind if you don't pay extra for Repulsors (and it has to be Repulsors, Impulsors don't carry Gravis-armoured units).

====Bringing Allies====
In general, you use allies to cover your weaknesses, such as the marine's usual lack of hordes or particularly heavy vehicles by bringing in guard, skitarii, or knights, but be aware that you will sacrifice the HUGE benefits of Combat Doctrines unless the other detachments are also drawn from Codex: Space Marines- and even if they are, you'll lose your Chapter-specific Combat Doctrine boost if its Chapter Tactics are different. Before Codex 2.0 and Faith and Fury, allies were something to consider, but with the new doctrine rules and massive influx of ways to fit in FnPs, psychic protection, and point cuts, there's almost no reason to bring anything other than an inquisitor (with their risk-free, no downside but cost ways of being brought) in your marine list.

=====Specific Mixes=====
Specific combinations are mainly dependent on your chapter trait but there are some combo's that are great for any army some examples are shown below:

*Grav-Bomb, stick some grav-cannon devastators or grav-centurions in a razorback, stormraven or rhino with a captain. Yeet it up the board ideally keeping out of LOS or at least partially obscured, then drop off your devastators or centurions in cover somewhere just in range of a nasty enemy unit ideally a centrepiece unit with a high armour save (at least 3+). Then drop the 1cp stratagem to re-roll all wounds and damage rolls for the unit and if your using devastators use the armorium cherub too. That's 4 shots each at strength 5 AP -3, hitting on 3+ rerolling 1's and re-rolling all wounds and damage rolls. Usually this is enough to make targeting your devastators a priority for your opponent and in all likelihood they're going to take heavy casualties but the unit will have easily made back its points by then and seriously disrupted your opponents army.
**If you're Iron hands or a successor then you can move these guys without any penalty to hit and re-roll 1's without a captain so that's something to consider, only works in the devastator doctrine though.
**Effective against hordes as well so this combo is still good against swarm lists and those army's will have a hard time dislodging your guy's from a ruin.
*Captain and hellblasters, pretty self explanatory stick a bare bones captain near a 10 man squad of hellblasters and fire on overcharged with only a 1 in 36 chance of dying each time you fire, generally works best if you use a impulsor as this allows you to move a fair distance BEFORE DISEMBARKING to shoot with no penalty to hit, if you're within 15" then that's 20 shots at s8 AP-4 which is enough to cripple or kill almost anything without an invulnerable save.
**Although this unit is a serious threat to your opponent it's unlikely to be killed off early, an impulsor's fairly tough anyway if you give it the shield dome equipment and hide it behind a wall it becomes incredibly difficult to remove turn 1. Not to mention that if you have the right threat saturation in your army then your opponent is unlikely to shoot this thing anyway.
*Aggressor auspex scan, when playing against an opponent like daemons, orks or tyranids it's pretty common to have a swarm of infantry pop up to charge you out of deepstrike, ordinarily this can be a real problem as many of the units available to these armies have ways of getting a very easy charge. This trick's for just such a situation. When you deploy your units leave a nice gap behind your lines where an enemy infantry unit could deepstrike just in range of your agressors ideally a unit of six that hasn't moved, when your opponent tries to deepstrike his infantry play the 1CP stratagem to shoot all your aggressors at his guys TWICE at a -1 penalty, (you should have a chapter master in range anyway so that's not too big a deal) even with a 5 man aggressor unit you should annihilate any light infantry that tries to deepstrike for just 1 cp.
**With iron hands chapter tactic then you can pretty much get the same effect on normal overwatch, for 1CP you overwatch on a 4+, 75% accuracy near a chapter master.

====Character Buffing====
For those of us that want a pure marine army it is important to double up on your force multipliers at every opportunity. The Troop Tax is no more; it is replaced with the HQ tax. Use your HQs to their maximum. And while HQs and the Lord of War Guilliman improve your hitting and wounding, units inside the elite slot have created a new dynamic for Marines. The Marine Formula -- a Unit and it's accompanying support Unit, goes for all the non-character models.
*Ancients are must-takes in infantry-heavy Space Marine armies. Ancients enable out of turn shooting from models you'd otherwise be removing from play, even on your opponent's turn and help reduce the toll of Alpha Strikes: getting shot off the board Turn 1 is a thing, and Ancients help you recoup some of your losses by returning fire as models die.
*Apothecaries are best described as a trap, unless you're looking to fill out slots for detachments. the inability to revive heroes, the bad odds at returning lost models, and the loss of the once cool 5+ FnP in earlier editions is down right heartbreaking. maybe with the Chief Apothecary upgrade they could have a use, but in general avoid them.
*Build around your Warlord! HQs like Kantor, Shrike, Vulkan, and Khan can drastically change your army's peak efficiency. Using Vulkan around loads of Melta toting marines is more efficient than Kantor around the same loadout. Conversely, Kantor with dedicated heavy assault troops (Assault Centurions, Assault Terminators with Thunder Hammers, Vanguard Veterans with Thunder Hammers, etc.) can take out a Knight in one turn of CC. Without Kantor, they only accomplish 50% of the damage.
*Another popular combination is a Captain (ideally upgraded to Chapter Master if you can spare the CP) and Lieutenant; the Captain allows hit re-rolls of 1 while the Lieutenant allows wound re-rolls of 1. Hellblasters and Devastators in particular really benefit from being inside these auras. Chapter Masters and Lieutenants are essential for getting accurate firepower; other armies lack accuracy but make up for it with volume of fire. Marines will usually have a low model count and so need each shot to work.

====Sergeant Equipment====
Most of your regular Infantry and Bikers have a Sergeant that takes items from the Sergeant Equipment List. This includes your Tactical/Scout/Assault/Devastator Squads, your Company/Vanguard/Sternguard Veterans, and your Bike Squads and Company Veterans on Bikes. If you don't have specific wargear in mind, '''ALWAYS''' take a Storm Bolter and Chainsword instead of leaving them with their default options. This 2-point upgrade adds the same amount of dakka as an entire 13-point Tactical Marine/11-point Scout.
*Veteran Sergeants all have 3 attacks, so investing in a nice melee weapon is often worth the points, even if you don't intend to use them in assaults. A 16-point Thunder Hammer presents a very serious threat to pretty much any multi-wound model, be it Infantry, Monster, or Vehicle. Taking a Thunder Hammer in this instance is as much about limiting your opponent's options as it is about directly inflicting losses, though landing even a single blow will more than make your points back if you pick the right target (putting it on an Intercessor Sarge helps here since they get one more attack than the other types).
**Saying that, remember that most power weapons are only 4 points in 8th. So when low on points left, consider a Power Sword or something like that to cut through armour if you find yourself in combat.

====Transport Tips====
*'''Razor Rush:''' Razorbacks hauling troops are way better in 8e than they were in 7e, and in 7e they were free. The unit inside the razorback should do something complementary to the razorback, while maintaining a similar weapons range. If inside a laserback, consider a plasma tactical squad. A razorback with heavy flamers would benefit from a melta/combi-melta tactical squad, or even an assault squad to offer a bit of melee counterpunch. In this MSU approach, it is better to diversify your squads. So while one can bring devastators with 4 multi-meltas inside a razorback (5 if you're using FW's infernus razorback to take another multi-melta), that razorback is going to [[Distraction Carnifex|draw too much attention]] and those devs are likely to be stranded.
**Non-Ultramarines watch out. While spammable, Razorbacks aren't disposable. It can be infuriating to not be able to use a twin assault cannon because an enemy managed to touch the transport. Protect your boxes!
*'''STEEL REHN Revisited''': The ability to deep strike on the first turn in Matched Play using Drop Pods is a significant boost to the Space Marines' offensive ability. We shouldn't need to go into detail about what this means for you<sup>''please do, this is a tactics page''</sup>, but needless to say it lets you take the fight to the enemy much sooner than most armies can. Seriously though, this can get a bit stupid, this writer has killed entire 2500 point armies in two turns by stuffing the entire army in drop pods, suffering something like 6 models as casualties<sup>''How?''</sup>. Yes, 6 MODELS, not units. Whilst this is ridiculous and broken, it does limit you to non-bulky infantry. You will lack termies, Dreads, or any large vehicles, so play with caution. Of course you could just bring some cheap backfill units, like artillery (Whirlwind anyone?<sup>''lmao''</sup>) to counter this issue. Advised only to be done when you really, really need to win or teach someone a lesson. You will lose friends, you have been warned.

====Command Points and You====
If you are gonna go for an all-marine army with CPs, it's gonna be hard to balance multi purpose, jack-of-all-whatchamacallsits with specialized elites, HS, Fast attack and HQs in brigades and battalions. Dodging the Troop Tax is viable with the Outrider, Spearhead and Vanguard detachments, but doesn't give as many command points, and CPs are like Psykers, they may do a little, or they may wreck your shit, and it's good to have a few just in case.
*You can build a Space Marine Army around 6 troop choices and burning Command Points. You'd likely need to go cheap on Fast Attack units. In this approach every turn you should use Hellfire Shells, Flakk Missiles and Expert Marksmen. If your model dies, but gets one last shot off with an Ancient, use the Flakk Missile and Hellfire stratagem for Mortal Wounds in your opponent's turn. Use Scouts to control how your enemy deep strikes, and use Tacticals to zone off your Deployment Zone. With a large pool of Devastators in your Deployment zone rerolling because of Lieutenants and Captains, when the onrushing hordes reach your army use characters to defend them, and use Honor The Chapter for a game winning Counter Charge by your heroic character. Use the Standard of Emperor Ascendant to maximize this shooting. Because this build takes up a lot of points and few/no vehicles consider using Assault Weapons on your Tactical Marines so they can Advance every turn. If you prefer this playstyle you should really consider allying with some Imperial Guard/Admech since they provide CPs and infantry screens for far cheaper.
**As hinted at above, allying with Guard/Admech for CPs is significantly less viable than it once was, with marines losing many of their faction specific rules if they soup another faction in. Also, with all the buff they've received, marines can make a low CP list work much more easily than they once could, to the point where its just not worth it to lose combat doctrines to get allies and CPs.

**If you're struggling with CP and you would (obviously) rather stay with a pure Marine army, consider trying Ultramarines; two of their best characters grant free CP just by being the Warlord, and one of their unique WTs offers them a way to recycle CPs.

====On Primaris Marines====
As these are the primary new toys given to Space Marines, a bit of caution should be taken when using them, especially when considering making an [[Ultima Founding]] Chapter, or using [[Crimson Fists|chapters]] [[Scythes of the Emperor|who]] [[Black Consuls|have]] been heavily supplemented by these new Chadmarines. The first and absolutely most important thing is that these guys are specialized to an extent that is jarring in comparison to other units in the codex. Almost every Primaris unit is a one trick pony, being very good at one role and struggling to do anything else:
*For the most part, the characters take their roles deathly seriously, having no options that deviate from their purpose (if they even ''get'' options, that is- many of them don't even have that). They also have far fewer ways of accessing a 2+ save, so they have to be more careful around weapons whose AP is -2 or better. On the other hand, their profiles are a flat upgrade over an identically equipped normal character and they can be very nasty in close combat.
*Aggressors are short-ranged shooting DISTRACTION CARNIFEXES that particularly rip apart light to medium infantry from short to mid-range and hit hard in melee, but their guns have to rely on the sheer quantity of the shots they put out against anything with a Toughness score greater than 5 and are sluggish enough to be at risk of getting blasted away before they get into the 18" range that most of their weaponry uses.
*Reivers are ranged or melee harassers with a powerful grenade capable of disrupting enemy units, some powerful deployment methods, and the potential to cause the worst problems for morale, but fare poorly against anything with morale boosts (or morale immunity, either inherently or due to small unit sizes) or armour saves above a 5+.
*Inceptors rely on their ability to deep strike and gun down their preferred prey (light infantry for Assault Bolters, everything else for Plasma Exterminators) but also suffer from range issues on top of poor melee ability, Suppressors combine the Inceptor's mobility with a long-range weapon whose secondary ability is ideal for softening up a unit you want to charge, but their autocannons aren't so hot against vehicles and they have subpar melee as well.
*Infiltrators and Incursors are expensive and not that good against heavily armoured foes, but they are superb for quickly taking and holding objectives. Both can infiltrated and use smoke grenades to be hard to hit. The Infiltrators can bring in a mini-apothecary or count as being in range of a Phobos Captain/Lt.'s aura even if the Captain providing it is on the opposite side of the board, all while having a decent chance to wound even high-toughness units. The Incursors, on the other hand, are slightly better in melee, ignore cover with their guns, and ignore debuffs to hit in the shooting phase while also providing a source of mortal wounds from their haywire mines.
*Eliminators can serve one of two functions. They can either pick off high-value infantry and characters even without a clear line of sight, or they can blast vehicles from afar with what's basically a shorter-ranged but more reliable lascannon. Either way, they can infiltrated to move into optimal positions and are a bitch to hurt with shooting when in cover. While they too are weak in melee the sergeant's optional instigator bolt carbine can act as a panic button if they're ever charged.
*Hellblasters and Intercessors are the exceptions that prove the rule, with the former acting as a solid MEQ/TEQ-killer that can also double as improvised anti-vehicle if needed and the latter being a more expensive but resilient Troops choice that's great at holding down backfield objectives.
*Though the Repulsor does somewhat open them up to versatility, it pays significantly for multi-tasking and is often best for clearing out hordes; the Repulsor Executioner is its vehicle-killing cousin that shares the double-shooting trick of the IG's Leman Russ tanks. The Impulsor, on the other hand, has less transport capacity and can't carry Aggressors or Gravis-armoured characters, but it's much cheaper and can be equipped for either greater resilience or for extra firepower. The Assault Vehicle option also opens up potential for some techniques that don't work with other transports.

These guys are truly Aspect Marines and should be treated as such, even in a full army of the true scaled bastards.

====Tactical Marines====
The introduction of Primaris Marines all but stopped the popular use of Old Marines, it was hard to argue why you would wouldn't take the Nu-boys, twice the wounds, an extra attack, an extra -1 ap and 6" on their weapon range all for a few extra points. However the new Codex Space Marines (8E) 2.0 gave the humble Tactical Marine a new lease on life. They can gain the benefit of all Doctrines, Devastator for heavy weapons and grenades, Tactical for bolters and special weapons and assault for their melee attacks. "MELEE?!!" You say, "Why would you trade the obviously superior shooting of their bolters?" and I say "Fools!!!, you know nothing of the glory days of yore, when the Metal Bawks had the personality of a steam roller, clearing an inexorable path across the field of battle, when the holy Bolter was but a device to smear butter on any unfortunate newbs who happened to risk the wrath of the OG' to snatch an extra round of shooting at something more important."
*But enough of the nostalgia and theatrics. 2.0 gave marines a lot of what they had back in 2-7ED, +1A on charge, strike first if they charge (back then there was an Initiative stat (I) and charging granted +1I making marines I5 and against most armies except the Eldar and 'stealers this meant they got first strike), the new doctrines are an effective reintroduction of special rules you could purchase to allow you to flavour your marines to whatever chapters you had in mind. But now the glory days of Tactical Marine have returned, 2 shots with their bolter then another 2 in Melee, that makes for up to 41 S4 attacks per turn with a 10 man squad and 4.6 dead enemy MEQs before they can even react, with a base 10 man marine squad for only 120pts, with doctrines (either tactical or assault) and you get another dead enemy marine. Then the support options are all gravy. Consider using the Rhino rush strategy to deny the enemy ground, deliver your marines in safety and use them to soak up overwatch, you should muse over use of the trusty; Stay in combat and clean up during your opponents assault phase tactic to protect your units from shooting.
*Do you want to know what what they get now that they didn't get back in pre 8ED 2.0? 2. Damage. Melee. Attacks. The White scars take Tactical marines melee to a whole new stratosphere even if you only take generic Chapter Tactics. If you manage to preserve a 10 man Tactical squad until turn 3 they will of earned 21 S4 ap-1 2D melee attacks, that's 3.5 dead primaris, 2.3 dead TH/SS terminators, 4.6 wounds against a character with T4 2+ and ... wait for it ... 3.1 wounds against a T5 2+ Character (Abbadon springs to mind). Bear in mind this is a Full tactical squad with no weapon upgrades OR support of any other kind and in addition to any added bolter fire.
*A Captain/lieutenant adds about 10% damage to both melee and range, Chapter Master (-2CP) adds about 20% to both in melee and range, Chaplain w/litanies of hate (66% of the time) adds about 20% in melee only and a WS Master of Sanctity (-1CP) with both litanies of hate and strike off the head (88% of the time for 1 and 44% for both) adds about 40% damage boost in melee. You want to go all melee? Master of Sanctity. Want reliable? Go Chapter Master and want cheap but effective support? Go lieutenant.

===Matchups and Counterplay===

This is where matchups and counter-play is discussed. Feel free to add what tactics and strategies have worked against specific armies in your own personal experience. For simplicity's sake, let's assume that these are mono-lists and are not relying on allies (AKA Soup).

====Imperium====
*'''Space Marines:''' You already know what's good since it's been discussed at length in the articles above. Make sure you account for their Chapter Tactics, as they may cause them to follow a very different playstyle than your own army despite having the exact same units available to them.
*'''Blood Angels:''' The following 5 armies (lovingly referred to as other flavors of power armour) are mostly just your units mixed with some unique units and different chapter tactics. For Blood Angels, avoid melee if possible because they essentially get +1 to wound in the first round of combat. They often field lots of jump-pack infantry. Best known for their smash-captains, who rain terror down on battlefields everywhere- bring weapons that gain bonuses against things with the {{W40kKeyword|Fly}} keyword.
*'''Dark Angels:''' They're the shooty emo catholic marines who are <s>secretly traitors hunting down loyal Dark Angels that they refer to as the Fallen</s> THE MOST LOYAL SERVANTS OF THE EMPEROR. Their Chapter Tactic makes them almost immune to morale, plus they re-roll 1s to hit if they stand still. They are less reliant on generic characters such as Chaplains and their Masters (the equivalent of Captains), but they do gravitate toward named characters a lot more. Their Chapter Master Azrael gives a 4+ Invulnerable save to all non-vehicle units within 6" of him, making him particularly annoying against weapons that rely on high AP in order to do damage. Their specialty is in Plasma, Biker Squads, and Terminator squads. Their most famous stratagem, "Weapons of the Dark Age", boosts the damage of all Plasma weaponry a chosen unit fields by 1. It is frequently paired with their Chapter Master Azrael leading a maxed-out squad of Hellblasters toting the Heavy Plasma Incinerators for devastating effect. Their Ravenwing units have a stratagem that lets them advance and still shoot and charge normally, letting them have a 4+ Invulnerable save against ranged attacks, and allow them to bring their assault Plasma Talons to bear. Deathwing Terminators are fearless, and can drop 2cps to shoot the moment they arrive from reserves in order to clear a screen and allow other deep-striking units to close in on you. The Darkshroud, another commonly seen unit, gives an aura of -1 to hit and can advance in order to get the 4+ Jink save like other Ravenwing units. Counter the Azrael-Darkshroud-Hellblaster-WotDA castle with Transhuman physiology to protect against the plasma, and bypass the Darkshroud's 4+ Invuln with the Flakk Missile and Hellfire Shells stratagem to whittle it down and drop it.
*'''Space Wolves:''' Like Blood Angels they are also a melee-centric army, with +1 to hit instead of +1 to wound. They focus more on running instead of jump-packing. This addition they gravitate towards weapons like power fists with a -1 to hit. Units of wolves and Thunderwolf cavalry are common to see. They are still Space marines and have a range of Shooting vehicles, flying landraiders and better devastators to fill in range. Their units of wolves provide nice chaff units. Outside of Thunderwolf and Wulfen spam, there's not a lot to see here.
*'''Deathwatch:''' They're more elite Space Marines, who essentially have Sternguard Veterans as a troop choice and can gain bonuses against everything in a specific FOC slot. More importantly, they kept the Special Issue Ammunition that your veterans lost, which applies to all Bolter weaponry (minus Heavy Bolters and the Incinerator Heavy Bolters (Infernus Heavy Bolters)) fielded by their infantry and bike models.. They can mix Terminators, Assault Marines, and Bikers into said squads too, which is a funny gimmick. Their Watch Masters act like Chapter Masters, so be wary of an Intercessor blob with 5 hidden heavy hellblasters spitting out Hellfire rounds and S9 overcharged shots. They can deep-strike their entire army like Grey Knights, so a good screen and the Auspex Scan on a key unit of your choice should do well. Their Veterans like to hide Storm Shields in their squads to tank the odd Plasma gun or high-AP weapon shot, but with the new combat doctrines forcing a shit-ton of Bolter saves will hurt them, just as much as it does to your own units with Storm Shields. The Corvus is an overcosted flier just like your Storm Raven, a few Lascannons and multi-meltas will do you well. Again, using Transhuman Physiology against a unit's hellfire rounds will do you good, mitigating the 2+ to wound non-vehicle units.
*'''Grey Knights:''' Oh look, it's one of two armies that you can actually realistically outnumber (Knights are a third army you can outnumber, but they're tonka-tough). Let's be real: Grey Knights are long past the glory days of 5th Edition. Their equivalent units are either overcosted compared to yours or just flat-out suck, maybe with a few exceptions. Grand Masters in Dreadknights are one example, and the Chapter Master equivalent Kaldor Draigo is another one for the obvious reason. They can pull off decent alpha-strikes, but use Scout Squads and Infiltrators to zone out their deep strike bubbles and/or Auspex scan a unit of your choice. If you have access to Vanguard Primaris units, a couple combat squads of Infiltrators can not only block a Strike Squad out of Rapid Fire range, but also lock his entire army out of charge range. After that, it should be easy pickings as Grey Knights lack cost efficient means of mobility. Their interceptors are way too expensive for what they do and Stormravens are a major point sink that a few good lascannon and/or meltagun shots can swiftly take care of, so if you can hold onto the skies you should be in good shape.
** I won't say too much here, cause I haven't read it in full yet, but Ritual of the Damned buffed these guys like crazy. Not saying they're game breakingly good now, but they're no slouches anymore. assume the above on Grey Knights isn't true, will update this when/if I get the book, or someone who knows more can update it.
*'''Imperial Guard:''' Don't let their weak statlines fool you. Guard are VERY tough to deal with this edition. Between dirt-cheap infantry, extremely weapon-dense deep striking units like scion command squads, and absurdly good for their cost tanks, Guard can take an enormous beating and deal one out in turn. We'll point out the linchpin - ''Officers!'' Snipe out those low-wound characters to neuter the enemy chain of command and his infantry will suddenly be a LOT less impressive. Take a squad or two of Sniper Scouts or Eliminators. Vehicles to beware include the Leman Russ if it has the Conqueror Battle Cannon and the Executioner Plasma Cannon, Hellhounds, and any artillery vehicle. Now with the new codex and supplements (and the power creep that follows), we have LOTS of potential ways to counter the Guard's shenanigans, turnabout is fair play from their horrific index cheese. The Devastator Doctrine makes a mockery of guard tanks on turn 1, moreso if you're using Imperial Fists. The Tactical Doctrine will help you shred guard squads a bit easier (the guard player can't issue orders if there's nobody TO issue an order to), and the Assault Doctrine should be considered as a mop-up action. Consider taking Raven Guard Eliminators, and on turn 2 pop the tactical doctrine so you can snipe officers on 2+ (stick a Phobos Captain next to them to re-roll those pesky 1s), and deal mortal wounds on 5+. If you decide to wall-bang them with the Executioner Rounds you'll at least wound them on a 2+ and force saves. Thunderfire Cannons can shoot twice with the Suppressing Fire stratagem, enabling it to mulch 2 guard units in a turn (preferably any fragile Heavy Weapon Squad). A squad of 5 Reivers with combat knives and taking advantage of Shock Assault will throw out 21 attacks while lowering the Guard’s already weak Ld, wiping out entire 10-model squads in a single combat + morale.
*'''Adeptus Mechanicus:''' The weird middle-child between you and the Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechanicus' can elect to run modestly cheap Skitarii-focused armies or eschew the tin men for the Cult Mechanicus tank-like Kataphrons. Either way, most AdMech players will likely be running their squads MSU style to get around their poor leadership. Weapons like Heavy Bolters strike a nice medium for ripping through most of their infantry, though you'll definitely want to pack a few Lascannons to handle any Dunecrawlers or Kastelan Robots. Other than the knights, not a single admech unit has t8, they also practically have no rapid fire weaponry and awful but universal invuls, making meltas a more or less perfect way to deal with most if not all their units. Don't underestimate the basic Skitarii though, their Arquebus sniper rifles and Plasma Calivers can easily chew through your marines if they get the chance, but thankfully they fall quickly if given any attention, which could be worth it anyway, considering that and their weapons cost a small fortune compared to other GEQ like units. Be aware that most admech armies have more than enough s6+ weaponry to chew through your marines, cover or not, if they don't have a better target, so bring vehicles to distract and counter the heavier elements while you play for objectives. Also, be careful when deploying and go for the second turn, they can and will happily kill or strand your marines and lighter vehicles if you are the first to break cover.
*'''Adeptus Ministorum:''' If you see someone using sisters at a tournament, be VERY afraid - sisters are one of, if not the, weakest armies in the current meta, so if you see someone using them in competitive play, they’re either insane or a tactical genius to rival Creed. This may change <s>when</s> if the new codex comes out, but for now if you face sisters take Centurions and any other mass-bolter fire unit.
*'''Adeptus Custodes:'''You will outnumber these golden boys, big time, but they are tough as nails and hit like a sock with a halfbrick. Best known for their jetbikes, which have hilarious amounts of firepower and are lethal in melee for good measure. Do not engage in combat if you can help it and bring as many sources of Mortal Wounds as you can.
**At least until they get to bring Sisters of Silence along with them.
*'''Imperial Knights:''' Remember, Imperial Knights seem intimidating and are armed to the teeth, but they lack board control. If you have the second player turn, pop the Prepared Positions stratagem and watch as all your vehicles and infantry have 4+ saves against the Knights' Battlecannons! It's better than a 5 or 6+ save, after all. Lascannon spam, deep striking squads full of Meltaguns, or Chainfist Terminators can deal with Imperial Knights fairly well. As a general rule, Imperial Knights prefer their titanic feet attacks in melee compared to their arm weapons, aside from the Gallant variants. Best advice: play to the mission! Your best bet is to win on objective points, as most armies don't have the firepower to take down an army of knights. You can, however, wear them down enough to make them much less of a threat.
**The basic Knight Paladin is armed with a Rapid Fire Battlecannon and the Reaper Chainsword, with two Stubbers. It's versatile, but a simple 2d6 Battlecannon shots is not quite as devastating as you think compared to its cost. The Imperial guard get 2d6 battlecannon shots on one battle tank that stands still, for 1/3 the cost of a Knight Paladin!
**The Knight Errant trades its RFBC for a Thermal Cannon that is half the range, but absolute cancer to vehicles and multi-wound models.
**The Knight Warden has a Thunderstrike Gauntlet and a RFBC base that can be exchanged for the Avenger Gatling Cannon, a 12 shot beast capable of reliably deleting your infantry units.
**The Knight Crusader is the dakka knight, it has a Thermal Cannon (that can be swapped for a RFBC) and the Gatling Cannon.
**The addition of Armiger Knights makes things a bit more challenging as they can offer a bit more board control for the Knights at the expense of durability. The Armiger Helverins are superior to Autocannon Predators every day of the week, and Armiger Warglaives that get too close will wreck vehicles and heavy infantry in short order.
**The Dominus Knight variants are perhaps the biggest challenge. Both variants have weaker Battle cannons, and Shieldbreaker Missiles that can target characters, even out of LoS, for 2CPs. The infamous Dominus Castellan has a mini Volcano Cannon and a Plasma Decimator, it is capable of one-shotting two Land Raider equivalent vehicles per turn. Apologies Knight Crusader, THIS is the Dakka knight. The Dominus Valiant has a fuck-huge Harpoon that does a ''flat 10 damage'' and an additional d3 mortal wounds to a model that somehow survived the initial shot (Full strength Land Raider or Storm Raven). It also has a gigantic flamethrower for crowd control. The problem with the Valiant is that its weapons aside from the Shield Breaker missiles are so short ranged that you'll have a fairly easy time throwing enough meltagun shots and drowning it in mass bolter fire at it to destroy it. The same cannot be said for the long ranged Castellan who will try and play the keep away game.

====Chaos====
*'''Chaos Space Marines:''' Some matchups will play out like a mirror match depending on the Legion traits, but Chaos Space marines have a better combination of USRs, as Death to the False Emperor will come into effect more often than ATSKNF. Like you, they have the shock assault and Bolter Discipline rules, making World Eaters armies horrifying on the charge.
*'''Chaos Daemons:''' They often come in four flavors. Khorne Daemons hit like freight trains on the charge with all of their characters granting re-rolls on failed charges, and by paying command points to get Banners of Blood, they will often make their charges out of deep strike. Their shooting is a joke and basic Bloodletters are surprisingly fragile at T3, but a Khorne player worth their salt will make sure to lock you down to prevent you from capitalizing on it. Nurgle is obscenely tough to kill with the Disgustingly Resilient rule but like the Death Guard it's fucking slow. Slaanesh is fragile, but they are very fast and you will likely be staring turn 1 charges in the face if you don't back your shit up as far back as possible. Tzeentch is arguably the easiest to deal with as they are only good at range, and your ranged abilities will exceed theirs. Just remember to take librarians to deny some of their smites. Thunderfire Cannons and anything with an Assault Cannon will do well to hack up their infantry, and good lord deal with any greater daemons before they get close otherwise you're fucked, no other way to put it. Iron Hands and Ultramarine Chapter Tactics will do you well here, overwatching on a 5+ combined with a 6+ shrug will let you weather the storm, and Guilliman's aura will make a Daemon player ([[Cheese|or any opponent, really]])cry.
*'''Death Guard:''' Mortal Wound spam out the ass, lots of rerollable wounds, and Disgustingly Resilient making their units extra-hardy. Fun times abound! They have the stronger Chaos Primarch, Mortarion. Morty is also known as [[that guy]] who absorbs all your fire even when he doesn't have any buffs to support him before ramming his rusted, STD-infested scythe up your army's gaping sphincter. Good thing they're slow as shit. Use that to your advantage.
*'''Thousand Sons:''' They have the weaker Chaos Primarch, Magnus the Red. Magnus is also known as the guy who dies in 1 turn of shooting even if he receives all of the defensive buffs first. However, "weaker" should still not be misinterpreted as being the same as "weak", because he can still rip and tear with the best of them. Thousand Sons are an army that relies on their psychic phase more than anyone aside from Daemons and Grey Knights, and they've got access to way more powers than either of those. Their Tzaangors can create a nasty suicide unit by either moving forward with Warp Time, or deep striking in front of you and then charging.
*'''Renegade Knights''': See Imperial Knights above. They share a lot of traits with them, but favor melee to a greater extent and can mix and match weapon types to a degree.
*'''Renegades and Heretics (FW):''' This will play out much like a Guard match, but the difference is they still have access to morale-immunity on their hordes of renegades. Take Scout Snipers and assassinate their Enforcers like you would a Company Commander/Commissar!

====Xenos====
*'''Tau:''' Tau vs. Marine matchups exist in a weird space as Tau are both devastating at range, and a pain in the ass to charge with their bonuses to overwatch. At the same time, space marine armies (regardless of composition) are strongly middle-range armies. Part of surviving tau is closing in with the enemy with multiple units to force the split of overwatch. Youre not going to outshoot them, and while you should beat them in close combat, you're not a close combat army either. While they have indirect fire options, a huge part of their mechanics rely on line of sight, so cover becomes remarkably important. Tau guns are strong but are usually wielded as BS4+, so anything with minuses to-hit (like Raven Guard units) will fare well against Tau. Ensure to remove supporting drones with bolters before shooting your lascannons at the battlesuits, or your shots will likely be wasted. Sniping buffing characters like Fireblades and Ethereals will make your life easier. Most importantly, Tau often castle up to make the most of their synergies. If they do, don't try take them head-on, instead just play the mission and win on victory points!
*'''Craftworld Eldar:''' Classic Eldar are known for two things: psychic powers and hyper-specialized units. Use a few snipers or psykers of your own to shut down or prevent Farseers/Warlocks from supporting their units or debuffing/smiting yours. This will cripple the Craftworlders significantly, as many of their units will begin to struggle against MEQ without their buffs helping them work around their otherwise garbage GEQ statlines. As for units like their aspect warriors, simply take advantage of their weaknesses; Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions and Fire Dragons are practically helpless at range, while units like Dark Reapers, Swooping Hawks and Shadow Spectres are considerably easier in melee. Wraith units might have devastating firepower and can still easily throw down in a fist fight, but all variants are generally slow and have very limited ranges on their weapons. If you lack heavier firepower to simply punch through their armour and toughness, you can still kite them with relative ease and whittle them down.
*'''Dark Eldar:''' This faction is a bit special in that their codex more or less divides itself into three armies so here's an entry for each.
**'''Kabals:''' Death of a thousand cuts. Most of their units will whittle you down with splinter fire since your T 4 doesn't mean a thing to them, and they have a startling lack of multi damage weapons outside of Dark Lances and the like making Primaris units quite useful as short of disintegrators they don't have any cost effective solution to bringing them down. Moreover their infantry fold under bolt fire like guardsmen and are quite afraid of it; luckily Venoms also crumple easily under massed bolter fire, Raiders and Ravagers are slightly tougher but will quickly fall apart under heavier firepower however. That being said, do not underestimate the speed or cost-effective anti-tank their vehicles can bring.
**'''Wych Cults:''' One of the two combat heavy sides to the DE with terrific invuln saves in combat, avoid melee if you can even with your own dedicated CQC units as they will get bogged down pretty quickly and your more ranged units will either be killed or mauled quite badly. However, the good news is outside of combat they're essentially useless and like the one above massed bolt fire will work wonders, even against their transports, and Assault Cannons are just their worst nightmare. Be prepared to fall back as often as you'll be able to open up their units to your fire, but hey, you're the Imperium: when is Guns O' Clock not the solution?
**'''Covens:''' The other combat heavy side that relies on being obscenely tough. Everyone gets an invulnerable save, be it close combat or at range. Quick, but not as fast as the Wyches, so finishing them off with well placed charges can be effective. They can also bring a fair amount of beefy monsters and can harm your Primaris marines a fair bit more reliably. The best way to beat their invuln saves is by swamping them in Bolter fire which doesn't care about armor.
*'''Harlequins:''' Death of a thousand honks . . . wait. In all seriousness though these lot are FAST, like insanely fast, like genestealer fast! Okay maybe not that fast, but still they well be in your lines turn 2 at the latest. Unfortunately for you they can and will shred Marines faster than you can blink so avoid melee like the plague. Good news is even though they all have a 4++ or better they're still T 3 so massed bolters will wipe out whole units at a time. Bad news is they'll make sure they have transports, which have 4++ and a -1 to hit so taking them down quick will be a challenge, mortal wounds will bypass those well enough or a well positioned librarian with Nullzone can lead to you wiping out most of their army in one go.
*'''Ynnari:''' This particular faction of space elves can be a bit tricky to plan for, but invariably the weakest of the them all. The bad news is they are already tailormade to fuck you up as MSU is their preferred targets, the good news is they're a semi decent close combat army at best so the usual tactics apply. To really shut them down however it's best to bring some psychic denial to stop the new hotness for them Unbind Souls their version of Doom that'll only apply in combat, which means librarians or Black Templars. Next to worry about is their few key strategems which can make any of their characters get back up on a 4+, or the two separate ones they have to give reroll to wound against your units. Be warned you'll probably be facing dual battalions which means lots of elves, hope you brought your bolters.
*'''Tyranids:''' Almost an automatic win for you if you have a competent list. Kill off synapse and any significant firepower they may bring. Rub salt in the wound with your plethora of sniper weapons. You truly do not need help here.
*'''Genestealer Cults:''' Imperial Guard with Tyranid flavor, or Tyranid with Imperial Guard flavor? In all seriousness, deepstriking Genestealers with armoured support to back it up sounds like a very daunting prospect. As with Nids, avoid melee with anything that has a Rending Claw, Rock cutters/saws, or power hammers if possible. Remember to zone out ambushing units with Scouts. If you're planning on mixing in the new Primaris Vanguard units, remember that Infiltrators and the Phobos Captain can deny deep strikes within 12", making them and scouts your best friends against GSC by pushing them out of charge range. Ultramarines or Imperial Fists work well because the smurfs can fall back and still shoot, and the Fists can ignore cover (which a GSC player worth their salt would spring for). Unfortunately if you're reliant on offensive Librarians for damage, a single Magus will make you cry by giving all GSC units within 6" of it a free Deny the Witch. If that wasn't enough, Jackal Alphuses and Sanctuses will then proceed to heap the pain on characters with their Silencer sniper rifles (AP-1, d3 damage and forces perils on psykers that lose a wound to the shot). Kelermorphs are also bonkers since even if they don't have the relic pistol Oppressor's Bane they will snipe a non-screened Librarian, Chaplain, or Lieutenant with ease.
*'''Necrons:''' You shouldn't really need any help killing Necrons, but just in case: play for keeps and don't leave half-eaten units around. If you fail to wipe a unit, Reanimation Protocol will see a bunch of their slain models return (funnily enough, losses to morale do not count). Necron Wraiths and Lychguard with sword and board have especially good invulnerable saves, but a speedy Librarian build (Terminator, Index Bike, Jump Pack) with the Null Zone psychic power will make a mockery of them. The really solid unit Necrons have are Destroyers. Wraiths will constantly absorb firepower, while warrior blobs will harm your units badly if they can waddle into rapid fire range.
*'''Orks:''' You shouldn't really need any help killing Orks, but just in case: the most important thing is target prioritizing. Take a lot of infantry mulching guns and unload into the massive units of Ork Boyz your opponent brought, and focus your anti-armour guns on popping their transport open. If you have any dedicated melee units of your own, don't rush into combat; that's playing right into the Ork players hand. Hold them back and let your guns soften the enemy up before intercepting them when they get too close. Also, keep in mind that''' 'ere We Go!''' allows orks to pull off charges from a surprising distance, so don't let that catch you off guard. Finally, if you must go toe-to-toe with a Warboss, make sure your character has a Storm Shield: Warbosses hit like a freight train and the Ork player can use the stratagem '''Orks is never defeated''' to guarantee that the boss gets a chance to fight. Orks are a volume army (both in T4 wounds and S4 attacks)... snipers picking off key buffing characters and the Warboss can cripple them.

[[Category:Warhammer 40000 Tactics(8E)]]
[[Category: Space Marines]]

{{Warhammer_40k_Tactics}}

Warhammer 60K: Age of Dusk (Continued)

2026-05-20T14:25:31Z

185.220.101.134:

''The following was written and posted by LordLucan, of the www.thebolthole.org forums. The Age of Dusk is his imagining of how the universe of Warhammer 40,000 would change by the year 60,000.''

==Additional Background Section 40: Battle is Joined==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The Battle of Shrilla (''Also known as the War of Shadow Dancers''):

The Flesh Wardens of the eastern barrier region of the Travesty detected a minor motion in the warp, a small displacement of warp power, brought about in the wake of barely a dozen vessels crossing the unseen boundary between Pentus and Travesty space lanes. The majority of the prowling space marines and daemon things infesting the region barely noticed the disruption, or saw it as merely a mission probing the defenses of the evil Imperium.

However, Decimus the prophet of the Midnight-Clad, sensed that this small force was pivotal to the coming Pentus attack. Thus, the shadowy forces of the Night Lord warlord flocked to that sector, hungry for battle and carnage. Decimus sensed where the enemy meant to break into realspace, and organized his hunting forces there in readiness to ambush the vanguard force and scupper the plans of the Five Brothers.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The world in question was a relatively peaceful mining planet called Shrilla. The plant’s surface was barren, pot marked with craters and the occasional exhaust column from the heavy industry developed below. Inside the planet, the miners had excavated and colonized for millennia, forming a dense warren of tunnels that ran through the thick crust like a honeycomb. Darkness and pollution had made the people pale, sickly and isolationist, but they were otherwise harmless. War had not visited Shrilla since the Second Strife. They had hoped this state of affairs would continue until the end of time. They were disappointed.

When the Night Lord descendants’ vessels entered the system, the governor of Shrilla sent a vessel out to meet them and welcome them to Shrilla. Within a week, the burning ship, still full of terrified diplomats and crew, was sent crashing into Shrilla’s surface. The resultant thermonuclear explosion signaled the attack of the Midnight-Clad. They fell upon the people of Shrilla with heinous abandon. They ripped apart families, fed children to dogs and furies, factories were torched and the people were forced to flee into the darkness of the inner mines, much to the glee of Decimus and his cruel lieutenants. Darkness was the natural habitat of the Nostroman Astartes, and they stalked it like terrors of the ancient world. The screams of the near-helpless Shrillans was music to their ears.

Decimus led the expedition to the deepest sections of the mines, where the women and children were defended by their menfolk, who went into battle in their hastily-armed mining rigs. Decimus and his chosen carved through this army of workmen with casual disdain. Decimus was a master swordsman and duelist, yet he found just as much enjoyment and satisfaction from battering a helpless man to death with his own broken femurs as he did from dueling the greatest of foes.

As Decimus approached the last of the bested Shrillan commanders, in his collapsed cockpit of his walker, a single Shrillan soldier stepped into Decimus’ path. The man emptied an entire magazine of lasgun bolts into the Space Marine, to no avail; the armor Decimus bore was cannibalized from some of the greatest power armors artificers could devise. Slowly, Decimus advanced upon the man, who now held his empty lasgun like a club, cursing the Astartes breathlessly.

“It took a lot of guts to stand up to me, mortal,” Decimus said calmly, just as he punched through the man’s belly with his gauntlet, spilling the soldier’s intestines over his already sagging knees.

“See? Lots,” Decimus chuckled, wiping his gory hand on the man’s face, before stepping over the fresh corpse to finish off the last helpless victim.

He dragged the last man from his cockpit, and held the man down easily, his arms pinned with only one of Decimus’ huge hands. Slowly, the Night Lord drew his golden blade, so that his victim would know what was coming. The sound of his chosen laughing and butchering echoed in the chambers around him, like a discordant choir.

“Why are you doing this?” was all the weakling human could croak. Decimus smiled beneath his helm.

“The question is, why not do this? Why shouldn’t I crush you? Give me a reason, little mortal,” he chuckled cruelly.

“I have a reason; if you don’t stop, I will kill you. And your death will not be as clean as the deaths inflicted upon your chosen.”

The voice came from nowhere, and made Decimus leap up in surprise, storm bolter drawn. Scanning the shadows, he realized he could not see the owner of the voice. It was too dark for even his black eyes to penetrate. But he sensed the powerful mind behind it.

Decimus voxed to his chosen, but their vox links had gone silent. From somewhere far away, Decimus could hear exchanges of bolter fire.

“It could only have been you, Corvus,” Decimus chuckled mockingly, turning on the spot to scan the darkness.

Decimus had been drawn into a trap. Corax himself had led the vanguard force, and as a consequence, they had arrived before the Midnight-Clad, and had installed themselves into Shrilla’s mining levels. The Sons of Corax had waited until the night Lords were deep inside the mines before they began their attack. They detonated charges behind the chaos space marines, and jumped the warriors in their own shadows. Black armoured warriors clashed with midnight blue marines. Similarly, in orbit, the Corvian ships took the Midnight-Clad by surprise, ramming mining vessels and satellites into the Night Lord ships, before decloaking and striking with full force at the sadistic Travesty warriors.

“You prey upon the weak, and hunt them through the dark? Let us see how fast you can run, little-Astartes,” Corax hissed from the deep. Decimus didn’t stand on ceremony, and promptly fled, destroying the passageway behind him as he passed. Corax had the drop on the night Lord, but Decimus had foresight akin to his gene-father, and each time the Lord of Deliverance tried to trap and contain him, the prophet eluded capture. He cut down scores of Corvians who attempted to thwart him, his precognition and brutal pragmatism making him an utterly lethal combatant. As he fled, he instinctively sought out his fellow Night Lords, and they began to regroup. Brutal tunnel fighting lasted for several days, as the two fast moving forces played a game of cat and mouse with one another.* On one side, there was the warp-borne cunning and experience of Decimus, on the other was the brilliance of Corax and the local knowledge of the tunnels, provided by the grateful Shrillans. But always, Decimus’ actions were typified by a kind of desperation. It is said that Space Marines know no fear. This is a lie. Decimus was utterly terrified of Corax; the sheer primal power of a Primarch was enough to still the heart of even the most sociopathic veterans of the Long Wars.

Only a third of Decimus’ strikeforce made it to the surface, and only half of those managed to fight off the Sons of Corax there, and steal shuttles to reach their waiting fleet. It was said that Decimus, just as he boarded the last shuttle, was ensnared by Corax’s mighty whip, which ripped his left arm from its socket as the shuttle fled at full speed towards the waiting void.

Decimus immediately contacted Kol Basilis and told the Blasphematii Grand Master that Corax himself was leading an invasion of the Imperium. Basilis reacted swiftly, deploying a sizable force of Blasphematii warships to support the Night Lord. Basilis’ paranoia went into overdrive, and soon an entire fleet, led by Decimus, was deployed to catch and destroy Corax. The two generals led each other on a merry chase across the desolate border regions, as Corax began to inspire planets he visited to revolt against the Blasphematii when they came looking for him. Corax hadn’t enough men to properly threaten even a handful of the Travesty’s worlds, but he had enough to elude their fleets and frustrate his hunters.

This was his plan all along. He had let Decimus leave Shrilla for the express purpose of drawing attention to himself. And, as more and more chaos forces seemed to turn towards his disputed sector, it seemed to be working.

While the beast was fixed upon him, the other Primarchs formed a single mighty fleet, which plunged into the Imperium of Travesties almost unmolested, like a dagger between the ribs. This was achieved through an unprecedented strategy. Leman Russ had noticed that there was a channel of space where the Flesh wardens did not look. Indeed, there was an entire corridor of warp and realspace that was utterly barren and becalmed; this was the trail of destruction left as the Ophilim Kiasoz zigzagged its way towards the Eye of Terror. The Wolf King proposed that they follow in the shadow of the Ophilim, just close enough to shroud them, but far enough away to prevent the entire fleet being erased by the eldritch entity. It was a risky ploy, but it was one which seemed to work. Within a month, they had bypassed the Flesh Wardens, and were deep inside enemy territory.

Alas though, not everyone was blind to their strategy. As the war continued, Perturabo would soon enter the fray...
*(Some accounts from both sides claim they caught glimpses of an axe-wielding eldar warrior in ancient armour, though he never spoke or interacted with the combatants.)

###

The Liberation of Macharia, first major action of the Cyclopean War:

Temestor Braiva, the venerable and brilliant general of the self-titled ‘Braiva’s Best’ joint battlegroup, spearheaded the primary military campaign against Ahriman Godseeker and his dominion of Golarchs, Rubric Marines, sorcerers and self-interested fanatics. However, Braiva, despite his reputation for swashbuckling, was a pragmatic and ultimately devious man. He knew that if he struck at Ahriman directly with his fleet, he would be destroyed within a matter of weeks, for his fleet was no vast armada, but rather a patchwork band of disparate elements alloyed only under his leadership. He had them united under his powerful personality and the tacit support of the Imperium Pentus that he championed in the wild southern marches of Tempestus, yet he still only possessed a few thousand vessels, a middling amount in the grand scheme of the galaxy. What he required was an early victory within Ahriman’s dominion; a symbolic victory to prick the ire of the Thousand Sons and to more importantly, spur on his men and the local warlords to support his fight, the good fight.

Thus, Temestor struck deep into the Segmentum Tempestus, at the antique city-world of Macharia. There were several ancient planets named after the legendary Lord Solar, but this Macharia was the first of his conquest worlds to be named after him, and it was by far the most grandiose. It had been a wonder of the Old Imperium in its heyday, all covered in sculpted marble and fine white stone. If Braiva’s best could liberate the planet and the people of Macharia without destroying it, it would cement Temestor’s place as the heir of Lord Solar Macharius and Braiva’s Best would no longer be just his allies of convenience or his to command by Primarchical decree. They would be the Princes of Macharia, and each of his generals would be legends amongst men. No longer would they be divided by their origins, they would be united by their triumphs.

Eventually, through discreet warp manoeuvres devised to evade the patrols of various petty warlords promised the Imperial crown by Ahriman, Braiva’s Best entered the Macharia system. The planet itself was no longer a jewel in an Imperial crown, but a destitute semi-ruin ruled by Canon Heirik Zann, self-proclaimed Sovereign In perpetuity of the Theologian Union. His was a meaningless title, but the delusional warlord was backed up in his claim by a million-strong host of religious lunatics known as the Fraternity Crimson, a heavily armed sect of former professional soldiers of the now-extinct Theologian Union. This combined naval and ground force had easily conquered Macharia and the other agricultural and strategic worlds orbiting its parent star. They were backed up by a conscript militia formed from almost ten percent of the cowed populace.

Macharia had once been a place of learning, but the universities of the world were gutted and burned in religious ceremonies; all save for one University within the Torgaldu district. There one of Ahriman’s Cabal, the sorcerer Tzchevek and his Rubric garrison had set up a centre for psychic research. They imposed a tithe of the psyker sacrifices Zann was making, and turnignt hem into familiars to increase Tzchevek’s own power. Heretics and traitors to Heirik’s cause were otherwise dragged into town squares and dismembered publically and messily. The pride of the despot’s forces was a rare, surviving Witchfynder Class cruiser hubristically called ‘Zann’s Might’ in his honour. The vessel’s warp drive was broken beyond repair, but the vessel was still a formidable asset, and the paranoid dictator kept the ship moving constantly, hiding until it was needed. It led a fleet of defence monitors and escort carriers of non-insubstantial scale.

Tyme’s Absolution, Braiva’s flagship, on arrival, promptly hid behind a distant dwarf planet circling the outer rings of the system, waiting until his full forces could mass at system’s edge. Heirik had no astropaths or navigators, only weak psychic soothsayers; he had fed the rest to Zann’s Might, in the vain hope of restarting the ship’s with-furnace engines. Thus, Braiva could move relatively undetected in the early phases of the battle.

He gathered his Seven most trusted generals and champions to a war meeting within his tactical briefing chamber aboard Tyme’s Absolution. There was the ferocious Lychen Vashiri known as faruk the Pitiless, who attended every meeting in the raiment of a barbarian warlord, covered in a profusion of daggers, axes, bloodied pelts and his trademark chain-falchions. He was a furious man with a murderer’s grin etched humourlessly upon scarred cheeks. He followed Temestor’s band purely so he might throw himself and his Vashiri into the bloodiest frays, in the Blood-Emperor’s name.
Lector Ikriskiall was another, the highest ranking leader of the Gamma-meson psyker guardsmen, notable for his venerable age and formidable knowledge of his sect’s refined battle-psyk techniques.
Then there was the redoubtable Colonel Roderus of the Steel legion ‘Tempered Edge’ veterans, a man as unyielding as the material of his regiment’s namesake.
Darbane of the Plasma Commandoes was easily the largest member of this band, a cheerful cybernetic giant who never seemed to raise his voice above a conversational tone of voice, even in the midst of combat, blazing away with his twin plasma pistols.
The youngest of the group was Duc De Aronelles, the Commanding Duke of the Warrior Princes of Chevantai. In battle he wore a slender grav-defying powered suit of armour and fought like his fellow knights, with powered lance and ornate, yet elegantly lethal, melee pistols. However, out of combat, the Duke wore a fine dining jacket and his long ebon hair was allowed to flow freely across his shoulders.
The incorrigible captain Farl, by comparison, was a crude thug. A Chapter commander of the Lussorian Narc Warriors (who were erroneously known as ‘Space marines’ in their region of the Imperium Pentus), Farl was an imperfect mirror image of an Astartes, clad in patchwork power armour and swollen unnaturally by cocktails of genomorph narcotics. He was once a criminal, but half a century of begrudging service in the Lussorians had bred him into an artless-yet-effective killer, and a surprisingly honourable man. He masked this honour well though, beneath a mask of sneering contempt only Temestor himself could see through.
The final general was called Obediah Braiva; Temestor’s own son. Adopted after his mother was slain in a wartorn hell a decade past, the young man had grown into a courageous and often times reckless Champion of The Best; he bore Temestor’s grav shoot and combat spear into battle and was the Lord General’s representative on the field of battle ever since Temestor became too elderly to lead from the front.
Together, these seven men planned how best to divest the deviant Heirik Zann from the seat of Macharian power.

Braiva first struck at the outer planets and their garrisons. Tyme’s Absolution had well-stocked fighter and bomber wings, and he utilised these fighters and his escort carriers to the fullest. They attacked the space stations and military installations of the Fraternity Crimson, forcing the fanatics to give chase. Though the fighters did little damage over the months of hit and run attacks, they served their purpose. They made the Fraternity furious and fooled them into thinking Braiva’s attack was a small internal rebellion from Macharia’s downtrodden people. As the soldiers got more and more frustrated in their search for the rebel base, Braiva’s Best made a slow-burning run towards the inner system. Their engines remained deactivated, and the only engine output came from the occasional course correction by manoeuvring thrusters. The fraternity were preoccupied with ravaging the outlying worlds and ransacking their cities, and did not think to look for some great mass of vessels entering the system quietly and non-violently.

The invasion of Macharia began almost as soon as the ships entered the system. Forces loyal to Temestor deployed on the planet’s surface almost one unit at a time, to avoid detection by the defence monitors and orbital weapon systems set up to detect major military incursions. Over the course of months, as the attacks in the wider system intensified, these forces quietly dug themselves in amongst sympathetic factions of disgruntled civilians living under demented Theocratic rule. Slowly but surely, arms and munitions were manufactured or shipped in piece by piece by the approaching, cool-running fleet. Almost a third of Braiva’s forces were deployed on macharia’s surface before Heirik was aware of the invasion. By the time Zann’s forces became aware that the various rebellions were in fact linked to one another, Braiva’ best were already upon them. His fleet, a sone, activated their engines and powered the last few light minutes into Macharia’s orbit in the space of a few hours. Tyme’s Absolution lead the charge, smashing through the monitor fleet with the force of a sledgehammer, as the other fleet elements widened the wound. The vast battle barge entered orbit, fighters and bombers destroying any installations that attempted to draw a bead on the hulking behemoth. It disgorged a tide of landing ships, shuttles, Valkyries and Kestral gunships. Once it had done this, the battle barge carrier set a course away from the contested orbital space, as if Braiva feared damage to his flagship, leaving the rest of his fleet to face the big guns of the Macharian orbital assembly. Heirik ordered Zann’s Might to hunt the carrier down, and kill its idiot captain.

Simultaneously to the orbital deployment, the forces on the ground sprang into action, in five different sectors of the country-spanning capital city of the metropolis world, all expertly coordinated by Temestor in orbit, working with his generals via nothing more than micro-bead comm. Each of the forces that rose up was soon reinforced by the orbital assault. The forces of Braiva’s Best initially fought individually, playing to their own strengths.
Duc De Aronelles and the Chevantai utilised their grav harnesses to allow them to sweep between streets with seemingly effortless grace, their light feet barely touching the ground as they moved at seeds faster than any mere cavalry force could hope to match. Their long power lances skewered foe after foe, before they darted out of harm’s way, firing their melee pistols at their outflanked assaltants.
Farl’s Space Marines fought brutal door to door sieges, storming buildings, killing the soldiers inside, before stubbornly using these buildings as bastions themselves.
Darbane’s Plasma Commandoes fought with their usual bravado, using overwhelming firepower to smash into the Crimson Fraternity and their forces.
Roderus and the Tempered edge veterans found themselves pinned in one district of the city, yet held off wave after wave of the fanatics under Zann’s sway. They ignored their injuries and simply fought with increased determination, snatching up fallen enemy weapons to supplement their own when they spent their ammunition.
The Gamma-Meson Guardsmen were a terror to behold; their eyes glowed with azure flames, and their hands and their weapons were shrouded in crackling energy fields that scorched foes to ash as they strolled into combat, chanting their rites of concentration. The gamma-Mesons seemed perversely calm despite being engaged in a lethal combat. This was because Battle-psyk required perfect concentration to be effective. If they got too over-excited or wrathful, their conjurations might fail. Thus, sombrely, they carved their way forwards, killing without urgency and shuttling their dead and wounded back to their deployment area with similar calm.
By contrast, Faruk and the Vashiri fought like mad berserkers, charging into the thick of the fighting, where their opponents’ longer ranged weapons meant little. Faruk, twin chain-falchions clutched in his hands, howled in ecstasy as he swam through the entrails of the men he disembowelled.

The Crimson Fraternity and their supporting militias, however, were still numerically superior, and each of Braiva’s forces were separated and isolated from one another. After only a couple of hours, the forces of Braiva seemed to be forced to fall back from the onrushing hordes of carapace-armoured Fraternity soldiers. Zann’s men, buoyed with this success, pushed on ever harder, until the desperate forces of the so-called rebellion were forced into a full rout. Heirik ordered them to hunt them down to the last man, and the Crimson Fraternity was eager to oblige.

Meanwhile, in space, Zann’s Might led its fleet of monitors on the hunt for Tyme’s Absolution, it’s captain hungry to obtain the Emperor’s glory for this kill. Never once did the captain consider that Tyme’s Absolution was, in fact, hunting him...

The forces of Braiva’s best fled through the city, broken and unmanned by the sheer force of the Fraternity; even the tempered Edge veterans begrudgingly withdrew. The theocratic soldiers seemed to be herding the forces together, like dogs gathering sheep into a single great pen. To Heirik’s amusement, as he watched the short war via pict-feeds inside his eternal palace, this pen was to be the square of Judgement; the place where heretics and heathens across Macharia were brought for show trial and execution. How fitting, he thought, that this latest foe would fate its grisly fate there as well.

The Crimson Fraternity converged upon the square from all entrances to the square, closing like a noose. Their tanks came first, followed by rank upon rank of heavily-armed infantry and striding walker gun platforms. They burst into the square with all the fury of a zealot in a sermon.

However, the square was empty. As the significant portion of the Fraternity crowded into the square, they found themselves baffled. Their foes had vanished, melting into the urban sprawl around them somehow.

Three things happened then.

Firstly, demolition charges exploded on the ground floors of the largest buildings that girdled the square, causing them to tumble into ruin one after another. Secondly, through the brick dust and rubble debris, lasers flashed across the Fraternity; harmless red pin pricks of light. These were designators. These guided flights of missiles and artillery shells, built and hidden across the city, to fire and fall precisely upon the Fraternity forces suddenly trapped by the rubble al around them. The resultant fireballs rose up to an eighth of a mile into the heavens, and was visible from Zann’s own palace. The survivors, stumbling through the thick palls of smoke and the gory ruins of their fellow soldiers, were easy prey for the Vashiri and the Lussorians, who fell upon them with unbelievable savagery.

In space, the defenders suddenly found that the defence lasers planet side were no longer firing at the enemy fleet, but at their own space stations and monitor vessels; the Justice Troopers had discreetly struck them early on in the battle, and commandeered them against the Zannite enemy. Caught between the guns of the invasion fleet, and the guns of their own home world, the defence fleet crumbled into a disordered retreat. They were immobilised and disarmed by the careful guns of Braiva’s best. However, the ships were not destroyed, but were left blinded, crippled and neutered, left intact for later use by Braiva.*

As the battle turned decisively in favour of the invaders, the remaining forces of Heirik learnt precisely why his enemy was renowned three sectors over for their prowess. The previously divided forces fought as fluid, combined arms forces. The Knight-princes of Chevantai and the land speeders of the Justice troops harried the flanks and rear of the enemy, while the Lussorians and Tempered Edge Vets pinned them in place. The Plasma Commandoes and roving teams with missile launchers took down the enemy armour before they could gun down the infantry, and the Vashiri held up any ranged support from returning the favour and striking at the Commandoes. The Vashiri were protected by battle-psyk shields, as the Gamma-Meson lectors led their guardsmen behind the blood-hungry savages. It was said Braiva had learnt much from xenos and human alike over the years, and the strategies and tactics he taught to his generals reflected this. There was the constant mobility of the Farsight Tau, combined with the specialisation and synergy of Eldar swordwind techniques, and the willingness to improvise and alter battle plans at the drop of a hat, learned from his own Confederation roots. The Fraternity were hunted through the streets; routed.***

As Zann’s forces were broken in the city, so his palace was assaulted. Obediah Braiva led the strike team, which deployed via grav chutes from orbit itself. The palaces defences were neutralised with missile fire just as they landed on the battlements. The assault was swift, taking the hardened defenders by surprise. Concussion grenades and smoke bombs covered their rapid advance through the tight corridors. The justice troopers moved with well-oiled precision and efficiency. Door to door, they cleared each room. Anyone who so much as raised a gun towards them was put down before they could so much as yell in alarm. Poison fog bombs were detonated, choking defenders while the rebreathers of the droptroopers protected them easily. It is said Obediah’s teams did not suffer a single fatality during that raid, whereas the Macharian Emperor’s were killed almost to a man. Obediah himself dragged the cowering Heirik from his basement bunker complex, and placed him under arrest.

Though Heirk was captured, his forces refused to surrender the city world, and Braiva’s Best spent months conquering the city from the fanatics. Many were the legends and stories created during that period of scouring. I would not claim that all of the stories were true, as many were likely embellished by scholars and creative writers who inherited these tales in the decade after the war. However, many are interesting for me, as they shed some light on Braiva’s generals I feel.

During the first month of the war, Farl of the Lussorians was said to have led his forces into the industrial sector of the city. His brutal warriors slowly ground the militias and remnant Fraternity-troops to dust. It was said Farl breached the great temperance Compound, where Zann’s men had stored all the confiscated liquor and brewing equipment they had stolen from the populace, who had been forced into sobriety in the name of the Wasteland Emperor. Now, I am sure you have learned of the legendary decorum and sombre nature of the Space marines, and how alcohol had the least effect upon them. This was not the case for Farl’s Marines, for they were not post-human; they were perhaps some of the most human soldiers fighting under Vulkan’s banner. Thus, when they liberated the largest alcoholic storage yard on Macharia, they helped themselves. Legends still tell of the raucous week of celebration that followed, as Farl, drunk out of his mind, rolled barrels of ales, casks of wine and amasec, and a multitude of other spirits and liquors, into the streets, for all to drink in celebration. Cackling like a lunatic, Farl eventually stormed the last enemy stronghold in the district at the head of an army of Space marines and vengeful Macharian citizens, killed the leaders of the stronghold, and torched the fortress; all the while he was drunk out of his mind.

However, there were far more harrowing tales to tell of these months of scouring. Heirik Zann had made allies of many post-Imperial cults, but amongst his most odious of his allies was the so-called Cult of the Redemption. The Redemptors were an ancient sect, who could trace their origins to the middle years of the Age of the Old Imperium. Despite all the destruction and upheaval of the Second Strife and the Dragon Tides and the New Devourer, unfortunately this cult had survived, in pretty much an unaltered form. The Redemptors still had a perverse love for the flamer and the chainblade, and still bore red robes and distinctive pointed hoods. Their twisted devotion to a dead creed had only radicalised them over and over again, until the creatures had an utterly abhorrent creed. They had been placed in control of the Temple of Extermination on Macharia. Zann had tasked them with completing his cleansing purges. The accused heretics and warp-dabblers who were hanged in the square had had families. In the eyes of the Redemptors, these families shared a genetic curse with their heretical relatives. Wives and husbands, children and grandchildren, were gathered up, along with any infants deemed to have any psychic potential, and placed in the Temple. Then, calmly and callously, the Redemptors started to systematically kill them. No one outside the temple knew precisely what happened within the Temple, but thick, oily smoke was always rising from the Redemptor stronghold.
By the time Braiva’s invasion had defeated Zann, the Redemptors were only halfway through their timetabled genocide. Instead of surrendering, the redemptors resisted the invaders, with flame and blade. Their sheer ferocity forced back several determined assaults. All the while, the death toll of innocents within was rising. Reluctantly, Obediah and Roderus unleashed the Vashiri upon the compound. Faruk’s half-feral warriors smashed their way into the temple. Blades met blades, and flames met flames, as the two berserk forces ripped into each other. Soon enough, the sound of screaming echoed from the Temple, the hideous shrieking carrying for miles around. Roderus had feared that Faruk’s murder-tourists would kill everything inside in their mindless frenzy. However, the Veteran leader did not truly understand the Lychen mindset. The Lychen were not mindless killers. Their cannibalistic Lychen-haemovore creed was highly ritualised and possessed strict, complex rules. One of the most basic and central tenets was thus; do not slay the unblooded. Do not kill and devour a creature that possessed no ability to kill or devour you. The Redemptors had broken this central tenet. The Lychen were not very pleased with the Cult of the Redemption (to put it mildly).
After twenty seven hours of furious, unseen combat, the doors of the temple swung open for a second time. A tide of blood flowed down the steps, to the disgusted horror of the Pentus-soldiers still blockading the building. A few minutes later, the Lychen Vashiri emerged. They were coated, head to foot, in thick layers of blood. And in their arms, to the astonishment of the crowds of gasping citizens that had gathered around the temple, the Vashiri carried children and infants. Some were as old as ten, others younger than a single year. These children were drenched in blood and had haunted, hollow expressions, but were otherwise unhurt. The children with psychic potential were handed to the Gamma-meson Guard for training, while the rest were adopted by the Vashiri.**
When clean up teams eventually entered the temple, it was a charnel house. Blood and shredded robes were left scattered across the ground. Of the Redemptors themselves, only gory, gnawed skeletons remained. The Vashiri were nothing if not thorough...

In space, as the scouring continued on the surface, Zann’s Might was hounded to the edge of the system, lured into an ambush by the withdrawing battlebarge. Though its advanced weapon systems damaged hundreds of vessels, the ship was eventually crippled and boarded, before being towed back to Macharia as Braiva’s prize.

Once the venerable Temestor Braiva returned, he met with his assembled generals, and discussed what to do with Heirik Zann. Of course, the simple thing would have been to slay him, but Braiva had something else in mind. He decided that Heirik would stand trial for his crimes, and the people of Macharia would judge him. Heirik angrily rejected this proposal, cursing Braiva and his courts as unfit to judge him.

“You are worms, not fit to be crushed before my Imperial boot. I am the Emperor of Macharia. The people love me!” he was quoted as screaming, as Braiva had him dragged from the palace dungeons, into the bright light of a winter’s morning. Before the snow clad steps of the palace, a crowd of thousands had gathered to scream defiant hate towards the former tyrant. They threw themselves against the barriers as they pulled at their hair and hurled insults at the decrepit old monster.

“If your people love you so,” Braiva began quietly, staring out across the baying crowd. “I shall release you to their loving custody.”

And with that, General Darbane snatched up the ‘Emperor’, and threw him bodily to the crowd. There, he was torn to shreds. I need not go into the grisly details of his demise, but suffice to say, he did not die well.

Soon, there was only one villain left to deal with upon Macharia. The Gamma-meson Guardsmen were tasked with surrounding the library-tower of the Thousand Sons. High Lector Ikriskiall himself fought the Sorcerer’s mind for several gruelling months, simply to keep the witch-born nightmare from unleashing his Rubric Marines, or sending a distress signal to Ahriman. Tzechevek eventually declared Temestor to be the new Emperor of the Theologian Union upon the death of Heirik; no doubt the Sorcerer believed Braiva was simply another petty warlord, like all the other ‘Emperors’ vying for control of the region at Ahriman’s behest. He was mistaken. Braiva spat his offer back, and ordered the tower levelled. Tzechevek prevented any military strikes against his tower through use of a powerful Raptora forcefield. Yet, the Thousand Sons marine did not consider an attack from below. When Darbane’s Plasma Commandoes breached the under-vaults of the tower via the sewers, an intense firefight erupted between the Commandoes and the Rubric marines garrisoning the Thousand Sons’ stronghold. Tzechevek was eventually bested by Darbane himself, who fought the Astartes lord in single combat.

The Battle of Macharia was over. Braiva had achieved his goal. The people of Macharia had emerged, relatively unscathed, from the surgically precise battle. Across the system they were hailed as heroes, and the stories of their exploits already began to spread. But more than that, Braiva’s Best alloyed themselves into a united fighting force of carefully-honed combined arms. The fleet was bolstered by the repaired remnants of the monitor fleet. Zann’s Might was retrofitted with a standard warp engine, and the people of Macharia eagerly provided a dozen regiments of new recruits for Braiva’s building army.

Yet still, Braiva knew his work was not done. If he was to conquer all the other petty Emperors, and force Ahriman himself to commit to battle, he would need allies. He looked to the two nearest western realms; Praetoria, and the Lychen empire. Victory depended not only upon military logistics, but also diplomatic skill.

*(The crews of these took several harrowing months to starve to death inside their cold metal tombs, and Braiva let them. This is perhaps one of the darker, less well advertised aspects of the battle of Macharia. War is ugly, and makes brutes of us all...)
**( Eye witnesses claimed Faruk emerged carrying a weeping child of only two years who, according to legend, later became Faruk’s only son, Farciar the Red, bearer of the Flayed banner of the Vashiri.)
***(Some uncorroborated reports from the locals claimed they saw an axe-wielding alien watching these grisly events silently, but these citizens saw this figure for only a moment, and the dragon-scaled alien could easily have been them merely catching a glance of one of the Chevantai Warrior Princes, and jumping to the conclusion they were alien warlords.)

The Revolt of Shadows:

Vect’s injury by the Wolf King Russ had triggered a great wave of opportunistic attacks by the Archons of his rival Kabals, and even those within the Kabal of the Black Heart; if the High Lord could be made to bleed, then he was not flawless and he could be bested, somehow. This period of excitement was known as the year of a thousand revolts (even though the actual number of revolts directed against Vect was far higher than a mere one thousand).

Every conniving and ambitious eldar in Commorragh seemed to make an attempt at undermining or unseating Vect from power. Vect turned each attempt inside out, causing the death of its conspirators, or turning conspirators against his other enemies, and hence eliminating them both. This year of madness was a great boon to the Commorrites, who greatly enjoyed using their realspace raid soul-bounties to fund epic carnage across the city. Wych tournaments spilled out onto the streets, and into the eyries and spires across the impossible city. Sub-realms cavorted and rose up, as political animals prowled and devoured one another in Machiavellian schemes that would make a mere human politician weep in envy. As this chaos swept up more and more of the populace into its storm reaches, Vect stood at the eye of the storm, a deceptively calm place.

Vect himself, though he would never show it to any living being, was tiring. Millions were dying to feed his black web of a mind. He even began to eat the eyes of seers, the choicest and most nutritious of soul essence available. Even his labyrinthine mind struggled to cope with the myriad plots and conspiracies leveled against him and his allies. Despite this, Vect knew there was some force behind the year of a thousand revolts, a mind comparable to his in cunning and duplicity. There was only one Dark Eldar that truly fit that description; Lady Aurelia Malys. Her Poisoned Tongue Kabal were pitting the other kabals against Vect, somehow managing to get their archons destroyed in the process. Yet, Malys was not taking over these Kabals, or putting her own puppet Archons in their place. This intrigued Vect most of all, as this seemed to lack ambition. She was forgoing personal power and advancement. Dark Eldar were all sociopathic narcissists at heart, Vect had learnt this over millennia; no matter how noble or deranged they seemed, if given the chance to become one of the inner circle of the powerful, an eldar would always slither into line and play to Vect’s tune. Yet Malys, alone amongst the eldar, did not.

Vect reached a conclusion then that he had long suspected; Lady Malys was not an eldar. Not anymore. As civil war continued to rage, Vect had Malys hunted down. The trackers followed her to a vast hemispherical sanctum, deep within the catacombs clinging to the underside of Commorragh like tumor growths. Soon, as Vect watched through his hunter-puppets’ eyes, the chamber was revealed to be a domed chamber. Every space inch of space on the sloping walls were occupied by perfectly placed skulls. All of the skulls peered inwards, towards a dais. To the left of the dais, Lady Malys herself stood, a smile impossibly wide on her lips. Vect’s kill team wasted no time in opening fire upon the Archon, but she could not be struck. Every crystal splinter, every baleful blast of energy, every razor-edged disk, missed her comfortably. When ranged weapons failed, his mercenaries eagerly leapt into combat with her. Even though her skill was exquisite and her elegant kills were a joy for Vect to view through his vid-steals, his hired killers were masters of their art, and surrounded her with expert precision. If malys had been fighting them alone, she would have perished there.

If.

Suddenly, one by one, the hunters were falling, cut down by something swift and unseen, like fluid shadow. Their heads were taken one by one, clattering with a crunch to the floor, which was covered in shattered skulls. This was Kheradruakh’s lair, ‘He Who Hunts Heads’. The Decapitator.

With a grin on her face, Malys plucked the last hunter’s severed head from the floor, so she could peer into Vect’s eyes vicariously.

“Good evening my love,” she purred sweetly, before she broke down into violent, shuddering laughter.

Vect smiled back, for he knew the creature within could see him too, impossible as it seemed. “I was wondering when we would meet. I would have thought this meeting could have been conducted sooner,” Vect replied. “’My Love’ was a good touch though. Very menacing,” Vect added, mockingly.

“Do not be like that, young master Vect. Have I been such a neglectful landlord? Have I not kept the ravages of the Young Prince from you? Your voice suggests a significant lack of gratitude.”

Vect dismissed the reply with a theatrical gesture. “Gratitude is so tedious. It implies that the gratified owes their patron a favour. I owe you nothing.”

The being within Malys chuckled, the crystal heart in her chest glimmering with multiple hues within her breast. “Oh, the eldar owe me a great many things, but that is not why I lured your men here.”

“Indeed?” Vect responded, raising an eyebrow lazily.

“I lured them here to bear witness. I feel it is only fair the High Lord of my tenants understands why I must punish your species.”

Vect began to lose patience with the shimmering fiend wearing Malys’ flesh. “Do not presume to threaten me. Do not think that being a god will protect you from me, should I choose to... lose my temper with you.”

Malys burst into laughter upon hearing Vect’s threat. “You absurd little parasite! You do amuse me so. But enough of the games I think. Your regime has hamstrung my efforts on the galactic stage. Your creed of self-interest has united your ‘Dark Eldar’ under the banner of disunity. A delightful paradox to be sure, but not one that aids me. You are an unknown quantity; a rogue element, scuppering everyone’s plans with your soul-drinking, raping, pillaging nonsense. I have wars to win, and universes to conquer. I shall give you another chance, Asdrubael Vect, son of Ulthaneshu Vect, to bend the knee to your master, and bring your Kabals into line behind me. The war has started; if we do not act soon, you might miss it.”

It was Vect’s turn to laugh, though his was a dry, hideous thing, devoid of any warmth (if it his voice had ever had warmth in it to begin with, records do not say). “I have no master. I have no equals. I will not be a mere pawn in your great game, Aurelia Malys, host of the crystal heart of Cegorach. My realm is a meritocracy of murder. You shall never tame us.”

“Never say never, my dear. If you will not be tamed, your race with just have to be... caged,” Malys responded with a perverse smile, as she handed the severed head to the Decapitator. The shadow-skinned half-breed carefully peeled the head, before scuttling up to the highest ring of his hemispherical lair. There, he set the skull in the final vacant niche. Then, the webway trembled.

The lights in Vect’s personal chambers began to flicker. Though his chambers were physically many light years from the Decapitator’s lair, deep in lightless Aelindrach, they were linked to that realm, and all sub-realms, via the webway’s eternal strands and tributaries. Vect sneered, disdainful of the building disjunction.

“You intend to breach the webway? Set daemons amongst the alleys and haunted mews of Commorragh? Daemons are nothing to us. We have weathered such things before, Jackal Godhead.”

Malys gave Vect an expression of mock confusion. “Daemons? Oh, there are far worse things than daemons...”

As she said this, she gestured to the dais at the centre of the dome. Something was coalescing at its heart; a coiling, living shade, a yawning chasm of unlight, drinking in what little illumination remained in the chamber. Vect cut off the vid-steal feed, but malys’ laughter echoed long after her image faded.

Vect leaned back in his throne, as his chamber began to darken around him. Through his spider-ribbed windows, he could see the twilight of Commorragh was becoming something else; something darker. The usual screaming and endless shrieking of Commorragh took on a different timbre. They went from a glorious cacophony, to a strangled gasp, as if the entire city had collectively taken a breath, before some deep plunge. Vect ignored his alien bodyguards as they burst into his chamber, breathlessly warning him of the unfolding disaster. He could see it for himself; the tendrils of blackness coiling around mile-high spires, the capering... things which he could not quite make out through the darkness, even with his enhanced eyesight.

Carefully, he formed a steeple with his fingers, and licked his sallow lips and his perfect, needle-sharp teeth. The Long Night had come, it would seem.

“What do we do, my Lord?” a Dracon asked. Vect gestured to one of his Sslyth, who neatly beheaded the simpering whelp. Vect carefully placed one finger to his lips.

“Ssssh... I am thinking,” he responded; as he plucked the unfortunate Dracon’s eyes from his skull one by one.

In his head, he made a promise to Cegorach, a promise he knew the laughing god could hear. Once Vect had freed himself from the Revolt of Shadows, he would enact such terrible vengeance upon Cegorach, poets and sadists across a thousand universes wouldn’t be able to categorise all the new ways he would wring agony from the trickster god.

But for the moment, Vect decided, as he dodged the many-limbed shade-daemon that suddenly leapt from the darkness and dashed his throne to splinters, his city would be a little preoccupied.

Only the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue, and Duke Sliscus’ corsairs, managed to escape the shadows that suddenly enfolded the City of Sins, for they were both outside Commorragh at the moment of the revolt.

###

The Swordwind siege:

As Abaddon was detained in the Klavox region (the tale of which shall be related to you in the next section), Huron Blackheart’s regime, as decaying and barely-held together as its master’s own flesh, set itself a monumental task. Huron’s regime needed to remove at least one of its major rival factions, or else it would eventually crumble into irrevocable civil war and fall into ignominy and never rise again. The Blackheart hadn’t the resources to destroy the Star father’s empire in the west, or the two thousand well-supplied bastion worlds of the Imperium Pentus. Only one of its major foes was sufficiently vulnerable to extinction, only one faction had a central bastion that, if destroyed, would mean the breaking of their power forever. That foe was, of course, the craftworld of Biel-tan, the last refuge of the eldar civilisation.

Yet, just because the eldar were vulnerable to a beheading strike via invasion, did not mean they were by any means weak. Biel-tan had gathered all the former corsairs, outcasts and refugees from the other, dead, craftworlds. Over the millennia, it had grown in size almost three hundredfold, becoming the largest artificial world ever sung into existence by eldar bonesingers. Its grand fleet, though spread across the north of the galaxy, mustered for war at a moment’s notice, and returned via the webway to support their mother like pack upon pack of savage, protecting wolves. Every farseer saw the same, inevitable future looming; Huron would attack, and this attack would be the largest they had ever seen. The eldar fleet was vast, swift and lethal, as were the many armies, citizen levies, windrider hosts and aspect temples that clustered around strategic areas of the unthinkable huge worldship. The latest Autarch of Biel-tan, Lanquelliqn, prepared for the coming battle as best she could. Biel-tan had managed to summon most of the surviving Aspect warriors to return to defend them. However, the Phoenix Lords had not come, despite their desperate pleas. When questioned about this, the Exarchs could only respond that ‘the Asuryata have been called away...’

Huron and his allies knew he had to throw everything he had at the craftworld. This was to be a final throw of the dice. If Huron won, the craftworld eldar would be finished. However, the eldar also knew that if Huron failed to destroy their craftworld, the Eastern Chaos Imperium would collapse.

The fate of the region thus rested upon this last great battle, known forever after as the ‘Swordwind Siege’.

Huron toured his worlds, swallowing up his roving reaver warbands and reintegrating his various red Corsair Lieutenants into a single, colossal armada. The grand warship, the Astral Maw, was Blackheart’s flagship, and it led the way like the poisoned tip of a spear. The raving bloodknight Cullan* brought his fleet of dying vampire-monsters to join this fleet as it gathered momentum. His was a dying breed, and the thirst for blood, and the black rage of Sanguinius’ death drove him onwards to ever greater acts of penitent carnage.

Huron’s most significant ally was the forces of the Grandfather, old Nurgle himself. Not only did Typhus bring his festering fleet of plague ships, countless billions of undead and the Death Guard Legionaries, he also persuaded the Great Unclean One, Ku’vath, to bring his daemons to join in the fun, to feast upon the boundless despair of the eldar race’s last stand.

The eldar fleet met the chaos forces fifty lightyears from Biel-tan. The alien vessels were swift and darting, each cutting down many clumsy mon keigh craft, all the while evading their belligerent return fire. But there were too many of the corrupted, ramshackle vessels. Weight of fire and weight of numbers were always against even the largest of craftworlder fleets. What was more, those vessels truly possessed by nurgle’s rot refused to break apart under the terrible holocaust of fire unleashed upon them; each time they seemed to break apart like rusting derelicts, ropey sinews and oily tendrils of pure daemonic bile re-knit their mortal wounds. Hull breaches scabbed over like diseased flesh, and broken dorsal batteries vomited up new weapon snouts, eternally corroded by rust yet impossible to fully destroy. Despite the best efforts of the eldar fleet, the best they could manage was to shadow the onrushing tide of monsters, harassing their flanks and rearmost supply chains with ruthless efficiency, if not perfect effectiveness. They could not, however, stop the fleet making the last warp jump into Biel-tan space.

Huron’s capital ships divided into several huge prong formations, each shrouded by daemonic magicks and swarms of escort craft. They attacked Biel-tan from multiple vectors, punching into the spherical killing zone around the mega-craftworld, as it wallowed in the orbit of a dwarf sun. Ancient automated defences, long assumed to be dormant, activated at the approach of primordial force sof the annihilator. Energy lances and grids of warp-powered psychosis-mines erupted from the flanks of the worldship, and struck out at the voracious predatory craft closing in. There were weapons beyond the ken of even the greatest human scientists; devices pulled dreams directly from the minds of crew members, turning them into lethal psycho-plastic automatons that shredded vessels and their crew them from inside out. The very molecules making up some chaos craft had their chemical bonds nullified by unseen forces, and simply dissolved like sand on the wind.

As the chaos fleets surged in close, star lances and pulsars dissected ships until they looked like neatly sliced loaves of bread, falling apart with an oddly elegant grace in the void. Huge eldar vessels, too large to even enter a webway gate, peeled off from Biel-tan’s flanks, and began to engage their enemies with quantum accelerators and D-cannons of colossal scale. Dissembling weapons, that caused flesh to melt with metal, turned thousands of escorts into nothing more than floating lumps of solid adamant, with screaming human bodies seeded through them. Warp Spiders launched teleport assaults upon the command and engineering sections of enemy capital ships, beheading the leadership in pinpoint strikes, guided to their targets by the wisdom of their Seer Council. The Astral maw repelled fifty of these warp spider onslaughts, with Huron himself personally slaying upwards of a dozen of the ever-shifting aspect warriors.

But Huron’s ships were not silent as this exotic bombardment raged. The Blackheart had nightmarish contraptions and weapons of his own. Haunted macrocannons smashed spires, pulverised crystal domes and bisected eldar ships, unleashing howling winds of chaos with each titanic blast. Lances and torpedoes scoured life away at every turn, as flight upon flight of bombers stripped the craftworld’s surface of its defenders, and scorched the pristine wraithbone an ugly purple colour, as successive waves of bombs burned the material to glass, then shattered the glass, them melted the shards and shattered them all over again. The blinding exchanges of fire could be seen on every planet in the system; Biel-tan appeared as a multi-hued star in the heavens, constantly shifting and flickering in size and colour.

The closer the smaller mon keigh escorts got, the more damage they did. Of course, the frigates perished almost instantly as soon as they got within range of the bright lances, pulsars and soul-networked fire prisms, but even these burning ruins caused terrible devastation amongst the outer layers of the craftworld, as kilometre-long castles of burning adamantium ploughed straight through the crystal skies of the craftworld’s hull, and exploded inside with deafening roars. Each time an escort struck, forty kilometre craters were ripped out of the body of Biel-tan, like the scars left after rupturing a boil. Each time, the conjoined mind of Biel-tan moaned in silent agony, making every eldar wince inwardly in sheer sorrow. Into the burning wounds gouged in its flanks, chaos landing ships surged eagerly, swiftly depositing their soldier cargo, before the craftworld’s automated defences turned the transports to smouldering scrap.

As this battle raged, a warp rift began to pulsate above Biel-tan; a festering wound that leaked despairing souls and giggling nightmares directly into the battle. Wailing apparitions of Isha swept, ghost-like through the craftworld, chilling the hearts of her children with the shrill power of her sheer melancholy. Only the redoubled efforts of the Farseers and their warlock assistants kept the eldar from losing their minds utterly. However, the worst was yet to come.

From the transport ships, billions of psychopaths and monsters rampaged. The vast majority of Biel-tan was wilderness; forests and oceans and plains full of flora and fauna, but people by few eldar. This was at once its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Infantry, stranded thousands of miles away from the nearest eldar bastion, were forced to simply roam the woods and forests, attacking trees, butchering beasts and cattle, but little else of worth. It is said some of the Blackheart’s mortal soldiers didn’t see a single eldar throughout the invasion; instead, they wandered aimlessly, until boredom and constant attacks by the living wraithbone around them caused them to fight amongst themselves and leave their corpses for the local vulture-entities to devour.

However, such large expanses of wilderness also meant the eldar could not hunt down every invading army, no matter how swift the swordwind struck. The Aspect warriors were distracted, darting between the vital bastions and habitats of the craftworld in their grav tanks and speeders. The guardians and the rest of the Biel-tan’s military might constantly moved between living quarters and towns across Biel-tan, reinforcing them only when a major force made a concerted effort to attack. Fly-headed beastmen scuttled through the woods on oddly jointed limbs, nurglings played hide and seek in the hills and mountains, slowly poisoning the ground with their every footfall snail-like nurglitch beasts slithered into rivers and oceans, poisoning them with warp taint, while warbands of human pirates took flamethrowers and vented their frustrations on farmland crops and beautiful works of art, petty vandalism at its most mindless; all of this went unchecked as the eldar battled for their very lives. The windrider hosts of sam-Haim cleansed the plains of these scurrying mon keigh vermin like big game hunters shooting hog from the back of chariots, but their jetbikes, falcons and vipers could not stray into the dense foliage of the forests, or the claustrophobic honeycombed interiors of the false mountain ranges.

The Red Corsairs were divided into formations of seven squads, with support vehicles, daemon engines and entire regiments of demented human slave-soldiers, and they entered the war in the bellies of corrupted stormbirds and other, less identifiable winged daemon things; bloated things like plucked foul, fused on some hideous level with prop planes and wasps. These odious things simply burst when struck by enemy fire, unleashing their slime-covered cargo of Astartes and slaves, who instantly went on the offensive.

The Terminus Est seemed invulnerable to damage, as it constantly pulled its ruined carcass together after even the most punishing bombardments. With almost disdainful patience, the Plague Marines onboard waited until the vessel was within dread claw range, and slowly piled into their maggot-infested drop ships, before they were fired into Biel-tan’s hull like poisoned darts smeared with toxic excreta. Once Typhus and his Death Guard followers were deployed, the Terminus Est leisurely moved back, to launch attacks upon the craftworld’s many anti-shipping turrets. It was said many chaos cruisers used the Est as a barricade between the withering fire of Biel-tan and themselves, their self-interested crew not willing to risk damaging themselves fighting the mighty alien vessel.

Huron remained aboard the Astral maw, observing his grand vision from afar. He had ordered a fraction of his fleet to leave the system, and send out telepathic signals to the maelstrom and to every den of chaotic psychopaths and mercenary opportunists in the Imperium. The message was simple; ‘Biel-tan is falling. The ancient vaults of riches and forbidden knowledge, long hoarded by our pointy-eared foe, shall be up for the taking. If you join Emperor Huron the Black heart in this grand feast, treasures beyond imagining shall be yours for the taking.’

The Death Guard marched deep into the craftworld. Before them marched thousands upon thousands of plague zombies. They were cannon fodder, to expend the enemy’s munitions and bog the fast moving eldar down in close quarters. The undead were easy prey to the eldar, but each time a living corpse fell, it leaked black ooze into the structure of Biel-tan. Each time, the vessel silently groaned in misery. Typhus and his Plague marines stomped through the knee-high rivers of blood and pus swilling around them. Their march was inexorable and irresistible. Weapons wounded them, but they did not fall until their bodies were utterly destroyed. With them, clouds of flies infested everything; spoiling mechanical systems, devouring sections of wraithbone support struts, and generally sabotaging everything with their gnawing, acidic bile. The host of the Destroyer Hive himself was a terrible force of unnatural power. His manreaper scythed down scores of eldar, while his mere gaze could whither the soul and gestate nests of maggots in the belly.

The Farseers remained in their dome of crystal seers, directing the war with the deft skill of orchestral composers. At some points, their warp powers would be unleashed directly; Warlocks would draw witchblades and burn through entire divisions with naught but their minds and their glowing force spears. Mind Wars, initiated by the Farseers, claimed the lives of key chaos commanders, leaving their hosts as mindless hordes of savages, crushing and killing with no direction. The windrider hosts and swordwind formations were in constant motion, guided to areas where the foe was weakest. There, the Dark reapers pulverised the heavy armour of their foes, while the Fire Dragons flooded in behind the enemy to destroy any stranglers, while the Dire Avengers and swooping hawks pinned enemy infantry in place with laser fire and shuriken; corralled and surrounded, the enemy formations were picked off by Banshee and Striking Scorpion assaults, before being unceremoniously bombed by passing aircraft, as they swept through the colossal bio-domes of the craftworld. The Aspect Warriors drew in foes by spreading themselves thinly. The enemy, thinking they were punching through pivotal battlelines, were actually being drawn into perfectly timed ambushes by their colourful eldar hosts.

But still the enemy came. Warp portals opened inside the craftworld, spilling tides of giggling nurglings, and plaguebearers, obsessed with counting all the manifest facets of decay and despair amongst those who fought and died aboard Biel-tan. Monstrous fly-shaped daemons, as large as thunderhawks, pulled their swollen thoraxes through the warp portals and began rampages of their own. Each drop of these monsters’ blood caused a nurgling to sprout from the ground like fetid potatoes. Slug-like beasts desperately tried to find companions to embrace, inadvertently dissolving all they touched. All these foul abominations were herded into realspace by seven towering masses of rotting bilge and ichor; obese horrors literally bursting at the seams with maggots and gangrenous matter. The largest of these great Unclean wretches was Ku’Gath Plaguefather. While Huron’s forces desired the destruction of the craftworld, Ku’Gath and his dameons desired one thing above all others. They wished to reach the Infinity circuit. They wished to devour all the dead eldar souls trapped there, forlornly awaiting apotheosis. The sluggish host was slow, but it was inexorable.

Autarch Lanquelliqn led from the front, though kept in constant psychic contact with every commander under her control. She bore the weapons of her many paths as a warrior, combining them together as she combined the aspects of Khaine and Asuryan into one glorious whole. She bore the wings of a swooping hawk, the fusion pistol of the fire dragons, a screaming mask and an executioner, the great double-headed spear of the Banshees. With these weapons, she was a child of war itself, swift and lethal as a lightning storm. Even as she discussed secondary strategies with the far distant Farseers, she simultaneously cut down the champions of the enemy wherever she found them. She beheaded the Blood Knight Cullan, as he desperate tried to savage her neck and drink deep of her vitae. His corpse was carried high into the air, and cast down into the mass of the invaders contemptuously. She even faced the corpulent might of the Herald Epidemus, but his nurgling assistants prevented her from landing the final, banishing blow, and she was forced to fly off to face some other foe.

From the relative safety of the inner levels, the majority populace of Biel-tan watched the horrific sight of war wash over every viewscreen and portal-image. They saw ancient forests, that had taken millennia to mature, burning in a hundred feet pyres, that illuminated their world with eerie hell-light. Tears cam unbidden to the eyes of the eldar as they watched artwork destroyed, and guardians broken over the knees of mon keigh super soldiers, and thrown atop pyres themselves. Every minute, more and more eldar flocked to join the fight. Those had never walked the warrior’s path before flooded into the guardian temples, while former aspect warriors rushed to reaffirm their chosen path, taking up the war mask once more.

The eldar pleaded with the Farseer high council to let the God of War loose amongst the defiling chaos forces. However, the farseers rebuked them for their desperate haste. Ever since the rise of Khaine in the east, the elda rof biel-tan dared not awaken their avatar, the last unrecovered shard of Khaine. The avatar might share the risen god’s madness, and might turn upon his very own craftworld. No, they resolved that the avatar of Biel-tan would remain where it was, chained to its shrine at the very heart of the worldship, bound and inanimate. One eldar, a young bonesinger called Relieath, ignored this decree. He snuck away from his overseers, and set off on a stolen skiff, to the abandoned centre of the craftworld. There, the heart of Biel-tan throbbed like an ominous drumbeat. The blood rushed in the boy’s ears, and he felt his soul yearning for carnage and bloodletting. But he held back the thoughts, as he slipped into the inner sanctum of the shrine.

There, chained to his great throne, sat a ten foot tall statue, dull as black iron. Huge chains bounds its wrists, manacles grasped its ankles tightly, and shackled his neck like a hound’s collar. The face was frozen, seemingly mid-scream. Though there was no heat source in the chamber, it felt warm as a blacksmith’s yard, and the thunderous rhythm of Khaine’s heart, of the heart of every eldar, was nearly deafening there. Relieath looked up at the towering figure, his own body thin and weak as a reed, while the avatar was muscular and angular as no eldar’s body could ever be. Relieath somehow knew he would be the Young King, the sacrifice. He found himself walking towards the giant, drawn forwards. He did not resist. He simply closed his eyes before the end, and whispered “Save us. Be the hero your brother believed you might once have been.” Then came fire, and then Relieath was no more.

Meanwhile, the battle was turning against the eldar above. Huron was bringing more and more reinforcements into the system, from across the sector and beyond. Not just daemons and human reavers, but strange alien ships flocked to Biel-tan. Some came to settle old grudges they had with the eldar from before the time of man, others came simply to pillage and loot.

Worse still, the great unclean ones and their slowly marching legions were burrowing through Biel-tan, layer after layer, leaving a odious trail of dissolved bulkheads, rotted forests and syrupy bilge in their wake. Like poison in a man’s veins, the hordes of Ku’Gath were flooding towards the craftworld’s heart. The main eldar population centre was the only thing standing in their way. The seven greater daemons could not be stopped by the magicks of the farseers, or the precision strikes of the aspect warriors. Only teams of fire dragons, fighting in shifts, could even slow the advance, by burning any rotten thing approaching their lines.

But even the disciples of Fuegan could not stop Ku’gath and his six brothers rolling over the battle lines like obscene molluscs. The colossal fat abominations tipped voer towers, and crushed war walkers with their bulk. Their flabby webbed feet smashed anyone who wasn’t swift enough to escape their careless advance. Vomit poured from their mouths in endless streams, dissolving screaming guardians in seconds. All the while, they shed nurglings like beads of sweat, and chuckled sonorously as the creatures frolicked about them. Eldar vehicles were tossed around like toys, flung high into the air, before smashing into eldar shelters. Ku’Gath himself hefted a falcon grav tank above his antlers, and sent it hurtling towards a column of retreating civilians.

It never landed. A burning sword chopped it from the air, as the bio dome echoed with a deafening roar; a roar of purest righteous fury, from the throat of an undying god. The grav tank exploded, showering the avatar with smouldering wreckage. But the avatar was a being of molten metal, with veins of fire and eyes of glowing embers. The wailing doom of the Biel-tan avatar was a double-handed great sword, as tall as the avatar itself. He swept the blade around him in a complex flourish, before he lowered the tip of the blade to point at the seven advancing daemons. The avatar growled, a sound that made the hearts of the eldar stiffen in instinctual fear. However, his rage was not directed at them, but at the corpulent monsters that defiled his world. Ku’Gath laughed at the avatar.

“Little god! You are a pup, a nothing. Do you think you can challenge the might of the Grandfather? Of your sister, Isha...? Biel-tan is ours now” the fiend grinned, revealing row upon row of blackened fangs.

The avatar wasted no time with words, but rushed forwards at once, snatching up a downed viper bike in one hand, before hurling it into one of the great unclean ones. It plunged through the sagging flesh of the beast, and exploded inside it, making the monster howl in bitter mirth, ichor bubbling from the ethereal wound. The avatar didn’t even slow his pace, but bounded forwards with his sword held before him. Ku’Gath’s smile was forgotten then, as he drew his corroded blade of rust, and his brothers did likewise.

The Biel-tan avatar fought them, all seven of them. He struck down the wounded daemon first, beheading it with his first blow, before blocking the counterattacks of its fellows. His rage was awful to behold. The daemons sought to poison him with their ichors and vomit, but the warp fluids burnt and fizzed as they met the cauterising heat of the avatar’s metal flesh. He lashed out with fists and knees and the ever wailing doom. His wounds scorched their horrible hides, and prevented the daemon stuff from re-knitting. It was said the avatar breathed fire on the daemons, like a dragon of the old times. Each time the fat beasts tried to surround the metal giant, he carved his way out of their ambush. Ku’Gath managed, at last, to land a forceful blow on the avatar, flinging him bodily through a slender eldar tower, which splintered like a glass sculpture. He darted aside as Ku’gath tried to stomp his head into ruin, and hacked the offending limb away with a contemptuous backhand. Ku’Gath stumbled, sagging over a downed reaver titan, as his remaining allies charged the avatar.

The protector of Biel-tan bisected another great unclean one, letting its mouldering innards bubbled and dissolve back into the warp. The daemons were powered by the despair of the eldar, but the avatar was fuelled by their righteous wrath, and the more he defeated them, the more the eldar dared to hope, and the greater the avatar’s power grew.

As the awestruck eldar watched, the avatar bested greater daemon after greater daemon, until at last, only Ku’Gath remained. Before the avatar could banish the great unclean one, a flock of blight drones emerged from the nurglitch slop, and fired upon the fragment of war god. In the time it took the avatar to destroy the daemonic drones, Ku’Gath had melted a hole through the floor, and fled to another section of the craftworld.

The avatar roared in frustration, hefting his sword skywards as he did. To the being’s surprise, the eldar emerged from the ruins, and raised their weapons with him, and screamed with him. He was the rallying point the eldar needed, and they followed him as he took the fight to the upper levels, where the stink of chaos was most potent. A few eldar noticed that the avatar’s hand did not run red with the blood of eldanesh. This was taken as a good omen by the farseers, who redoubled their efforts to rout chaos from their home.

As the battle developed, the avatar would have more battles,a nd the siege of Biel-tan would escalate. The portals to the maiden and exodite worlds, closed by the Biel-tan elda to protect their rustic allies, were reactivated from the exodite end. From these portals, thousands of dragon riders flew, sweeping into the war without hesitation. When Lanquelliqn asked the leader of the exodites why, he told her, “Too long have you had to save us from the horrors of the galaxy. It is high time we repaid our debts, would you not say?”

And the exodites did not come alone. The eldar of the maiden worlds had formed the leadership castes of many hundreds of human civilisations, and these empires declared for Biel-tan, and made their allegiance known, by bringing their war fleets into the battle against Huron’s ever expanding hordes.

As for the Blackheart; his forces were also massing, but they grew too fast for him to control. He found himself merely a participant in his own battle. He was (though he could never admit it) merely a bit player in a wider war now. The war had escalated beyond his control, and forces from across the galaxy were massing around Biel-tan. Like the Primarch War, Khaine’s war and the Cyclopean campaign, Biel-tan was becoming the focal point for the final battle; a battle so large, no mortal could possibly see the full extent of it.

*(It was said the bloody-prince was so deranged, he obsessively carried a female human familiar around with him, despite the fact the mortal had died years ago, at his hand. The demented former Blood Angel was blissfully unaware of this, and constantly asked the cadaver’s opinion on every matter, while lavishing his affections on the dried human husk.)

###

The Ambush at Charadon:

Across the Eastern galaxy, a god of war and fire was in ascendancy. Kaela Mensha Khaine had built his army of mortals and daemons, and with them his war had raged across the stars, sweeping away the unprepared and the incautious. His armies were composed of vessels the monstrous entity had devised himself, and each of his warriors were outfitted with ancient weapons, reminiscent of old Eldar weapon systems, but more ornate and angular than the organic technology of the Craftworlds. Grav vehicles, crafted like heavier, more robust cousins of eldar craft, heat lances and blaster rifles and exotic weapons of all fashions; all were crafted in the war god’s forge ships. Daemons summoned by his minions were moulded by the preconceptions of Khaine’s mortal servants. Bloodletters started to be born into the materium shaped like bestial aspect warriors, compelte with sculptural alien armour that glowed with internal fire. Great dameons of khorne summoned by Khaine’s men no longer resembled bat-winged minotaurs, but were more like iron-skinned giants, riding upon blade chariots, pulled by winged gargoyles and spiny daemonic dragons.

Khaine channelled the berserker rage of khorne into a focussed, ferociously lethal army of conquest and murder.

It became apparent to the great powers of the Eastern Fringe, that Khaine could not adequately be opposed by any single power; his forces were terrible enough, but when he himself took to the field, they were all but unstoppable. When Folkar, one of the thirteen regents of Nova-Ultramar, discovered Khaine was being stalemated at Schindelgheist by Krork, the ancient Astartes realised this was the time to act. He sent word to whatever nearby factions who were still unconquered, and requested they send representatives to a great parlay point. To prove his good-will, Folkar invited them to pick the precise location of this meeting.

Eventually, word returned to him, and the meeting place was set; an abandoned Orkish hulk, located deep in the untamed wilderness of Charadon. Ever since the scouring of the new Devourer, the Charadon sector had been a wasteland of little value to any invading petty Imperiums or empires. On the face of it, it was an adequate meeting point.

Fully one year later, the ancient, empty hulk, found itself host to this fledging meeting of minds. The largest internal chamber of the hulk was cleared of all vileness, and fashioned into a perfect, hollowed out, polished basalt cube, centred around a solid circle of adamantium, with four positions arrayed around it.

Four fleets came to the Charadon hulk; an Ultramar empire task force, a Tau rapid deployment force from the Farsight/Hopeshield alliance, followed by a battlefleet of the Realm of Fathers, and finally, a Killing Cruiser of the War of Krork. The four factions for the meet deployed their representatives, alongside small honour guards. Folkar teleported into the chamber with a taller Nova Astartes captain of the Warrior Kings, and a force of twenty Ultramarine Terminators.
The Krork representative was the Warlord Ulchaeru himself. The Krork was easily taller than even a terminator, and his advanced scale-mail armour glistened as he moved. He was flanked by two fractionally smaller Krork of the Noble class (authorial note: these elite classes were once called ‘Nobs’ in orkish parlance, as a point of interest), with their heavy beam weapons held tightly to their slab-like chests. One could not read the expression of the Krork, for they each bore fully enclosed helmets with baleful sensor lenses in place of eyes.
The Tau representative was called M’yen’Yuru, and she was one of the new M’yen psyker caste of the Tau. She was easily the smallest attendant of the meeting, for she was slightly smaller than an average human. By contrast, the elegant N’drasi battlesuit that stood beside her was huge, and though its body seemed smooth and unadorned, everyone in the meeting knew it contained a plethora of internal weapon systems that would make a Mechanicus cultist salivate.
The last participant in this gathering was a surprise to most of the members. A realm of Fathers Magus emerged from the shadows, flanked by ten purestrain genestealers. One of the genestealers was larger than the others. Unlike the bloated Patriarchs that ruled the Realm, this one was sleek and muscular, like a broodlord, with carapace covered in swirling high gothic script, painstakingly etched in place by its servants. At first, the other members thought the genestealers were feral remnants of the hulk’s previous occupants, but the Magus raised his hands and declared they were the representatives of the Patriarchal Realm, and explained he would be their translator. The broodlord’s name was apparently ‘Militae Vater’, a high commander of one of the Trygonis Legions.

None of the four different historical accounts of this meeting mention precisely what was said at this meeting, but it was eventually decided that they were strong together. The Tau had the most advanced technology and the fastest ships, which could help the logistics of the war effort, and more easily unify their disparate factions. The Realm of Fathers brought incredible production capacities and population expansion to the table. Meanwhile, the Krork brought with them exceptional warfighting knowledge and experience; they would never tire and never relent in battle, and instinctively countered any advantage an enemy could bring. Meanwhile, while the Ultramarines also had extensive fighting knowledge, and the legendary might of the Space Marines, their primary advantage was that they were sons of Guilliman, and shared his masterful ability to alloy all these distinctive advantages into a single, well-oiled fighting machine. They could organise and administer this dissimilar alliance in a way none of the others could match.

Thus, the Fringe Alliance was formed.

Their first joint action however, came sooner than any of them had anticipated.

Khaine’s army had followed the progress of the four factions and had detected their arrival at a common point in the Charadon sector. As the allies had congregated there, Khaine’s forces had quietly allowed them to gather. Discreetly, the semi-daemonic conquerors encircled the system, breaking the warp on the very outskirts of the sector, so as to go undetected until the very last moment. This force was led by General Voshk, a possessed warrior in Khaine’s all conquering host. Though Khaine was not present in person, he had simple orders for Voshk; destroy all four factions, and behead their command. He meant to strangle the Fringe Alliance at birth.

Voshk’s ships struck with speed and ferocity. He had at his command a dozen Khainite leviathan craft, escorted by the captured fleet elements captured and repurposed during khaine’s wars. The ambush caught the allies completely off guard; dozens of vessels were destroyed before thye could even raise their shields. Fortunately, the Tau’s passive sensors detected the Leviathans moments before they unleashed their fury on the alliance flagships, and were able to communicate this information to the rest of the allies just in time to avoid total catastrophe. Shields were raised across the fleet. This meant that the delegates at the heart of the hulk were stranded, until such time as shuttles could reach the surface.

The Tau Enlightened class starships retaliated at range, unleashing relativistic weaponry, lasers and missiles beyond count. Meanwhile, the Kill Cruiser rushed to close the distance, and unleash powerful macro-batteries on the Khainite foe. The Realm of Fathers vessels turned to broadside in unison (the eerie precision of the hybrids was commented upon often throughout the histories), while the gladius frigates prepared their boarding torpedoes for close action. Soon enough, all the ships in orbit around the hulk were engaging the invaders. However, Voshk’s leviathan managed to punch through the lines.

The delegates at the heart of the hulk got a brief warning, before Voshk began jamming all signals:

++ The enemy have landed considerable assets on hulk surface. They mean to destroy you. ++

It was imperative that the leaders of the alliance survived. As soon as the transmission was received, Folkar resolved to fight his way clear of the invaders. He primed his storm bolter, and activated the Gauntlet of Ultramar, while his bodyguards primed their own weapons. The other delegates concurred. M’yen’Yuru activated a device on her wrist, and the mk XXXII battlesuit’s torso section unfurled, revealing a cockpit built specifically for Yuru, which she dutifully entered, as it closed around her snugly. Ulchaeru nodded to his bodyguards, and drew his power axe from his thigh-sheath, alongside his plasma blaster.

“My compatriots, my weapon systems are of no use in such close confines. I fear I will be useless to you until we reach the surface,” Yuru lamented.

“We will form a tight formation, centred on the battlesuit. Your dreadnought armour shall be sufficient for the task yes?” Ulchaeru asked Folkar, who nodded.

“This armor was built for hulk-work,” he grinned. “We have much experience.”

“As do we.”

The small voice of the Magus made Ulchaeru and Folkar turn towards the human, and his hulking genestealer masters.

“Of course you do...” Folkar was said to have muttered under his breath; every son of Ultramar was cognizant of the legends of old Imperium and the space hulk wars.

Then Folkar had an idea.

In space, the larger scale of the Khainite fleet was taking its toll. The Tau starships only had so many weapon systems, and could only engage a certain number of targets. The Gladius frigates had almost taken collision courses against one specific Leviathan, which destroyed most of the frigates, but not untilt hey had all launched their boarding torpedoes into the flank of the targeted enemy ship. After only a few minutes of combat, the space marines inside formed a bridgehead, desperately holding off the well-disciplined forces of Khaine as they sought to drive them off.

In the hulk, the terminators formed two teams of ten, one covering the forwards positions, the other the rearguard, while the impotent battlesuit marched in the middle, carrying the diminutive Magus, and the Krork covered the terminators by aiming over their wide shoulders. The khainite soldiers flooded through the narrow, winding passages of the hulk, converging upon the dense formation making its way to the surface.

Combat was close, noisy and brutal. Each skirmish in the narrow tunnels was a frenzy of energy blasts, whirring chainfists and crackling power fists. The terminators were struck again and again, but always gave back ten times worse than they received, filling the chambers around them with explosive bolts and broken bodies. The krork hurled grenades over their shoulders, carving through the infantry massing by each bulkhead. However, the formation as getting surrounded by heavy weapon teams, who were preparing to strike them in the flank when they were forced to pass their intersection; a perfect chokepoint and killzone. Unfortunately for those weapon teams, the terminators were not the only force they faced. The purestrains were stealthy and fast, and almost unparalleled in the field of close quarters killing. Entire squads of Khainites simply vanished from the map; silently dragged off and consumed by the inhuman terrors. Genestealers and terminators were the two greatest hulk fighting forces in history; together, they were superlative. The Astartes were the anvil, and the genestealers the hammer. The genestealers were horrifically demoralising to the enemy, who actively fled from their terror. The aliens herded their foes, right into storm bolter gunlines, while flamer barrages pushed back enemy forces, who were in turn ambushed from behind by the stealers.

Only three terminators fell during the brutal march to the surface, while a mere handful of the genestealers perished. In contrast, the Khainites lost hundreds, and fell back on all fronts, massing towards their camp on the surface.

Meanwhile, the Kill-cruiser was dying. Great chunks had been torn from its sides, air leaked from it to freeze in the void, and it was slowly losing orbit around one of the jungle planets of the system. Eagerly, the Khainites chased the ship, as its crew bailed out into the forests, making sure to detonate their cruiser in orbit, spilling the ruined technology across a fifty mile radius. The Khainites’ objectives were to murder every single being who gathered for the meeting, and thus they followed the krorks, deploying their ground forces into multiple kill teams of raving, daemon-infested murderers.

The rest of the alliance fleet were in trouble too, for the Leviathans were heavily armed and numerous. They could strike at the unprotected vectors of each ship, crippling many of them without suffering significant return fire in kind. The Astartes aboard one of the leviathans had managed to sweep the gun decks clear of life, but reserve forces trapped them on those same decks. Soon enough, withering gunfire and frantic close combat took their toll on the space marines, reducing them to a mere thirty three soldiers. Rather than be captured or executed, they strapped metal charges to the macro cannon shells and nuclear warheads in the gun decks’ arsenals. With a silent prayer to the Emperor, they detonated them, and ripped open the starboard side of the Leviathan, effectively mission-killing it. The tale of the ‘valiant thirty three’ would be remembered for the rest of Ultramar’s history.

On the hulk’s surface, the advantage of the Terminators was lost. Likewise, the genestealers, out in the open, had to flee into the protection of the space marines, who formed a defensive ring around the surviving delegates. Voshk’s had an entire army surrounding the group, spewing lethal firepower into the tiny formation. One by one, the terminators began to fall, bodies fused solid by repeated melta fire. Folkar clenched his gauntlet, and prepared to sell his life dearly. He would perish as Captain Invictus of Old. Ulchaeru simply grunted; he didn’t care whether he was remembered, yet he was pleased to die fighting against significant odds, beneath the naked void, amidst looming starship corpses, embedded in the rocky hulk like dead cities.

M’Yen’Yuru had other ideas. At last, thebattlesuit could stand upright, and loom over the rest of the group.

“Kneel down my friends. I have the situation in hand,” she explained simply.

Moments later, the battlesuit surged upwards on flaming jets. As it rose, it attracted the firepower rof the Khainites, but instantly countermeasures and force fields deployed around its smooth form, creating a shroud of flame around the war machine. Then, it returned fire. Missile launchers opened in its shoulders, and a thousand guided projectiles corkscrewed through the thin atmosphere, to strike and destroy each heavy weapon emplacement of the enemy, as sonic mines burst from chest-mounted launchers, deafening and disorientating the enemy, causing them to pause in their bombardment. The battlesuit punished them for this with its secondary armaments. Laser weapons emerged from the wrists, slicing enemy warriors into a thousand cauterised gobbets, railrifles appeared in each mechanical fist of the suit, launching hypersonic projectiles into the Khainites, that exploded with neutronic sub-munitions. The suit fired all this in mid-air, as it span three hundred and sixty degrees, to cover the maximum number of targets. But Yuru’s weapons were more than merely physical. She lashed out with her psyker mind, enhanced by the in-built psonic-amplifiers of the suit, and scorched the minds of the surviving enemies.

Eventually, the jetpack deactivated, and she landed to the ground with a dull boom, as her feet impacted with the compressed stone of the hulk. The entire exchange had lasted only seventy two seconds. Her newfound allies were briefly speechless. This moment was forgotten soon after, as the surviving Khainites began to fire once more. However, this time their fire was not as concentrated or coordinated. The temrinators broke formation, and rushed the Khainites as they lay in disarray. Vater led his genestealers through the gunsmoke and the carnage, screeching hideously as he ripped out arms, tore open ribcages and twisted off heads with the calm ferocity of an apex predator.

On the forest world, the daemon knights of Khaine scoured the jungles for their quarry. However, they had not anticipated that the planet’s native inhabitants might have a quarrel with them. The planet, like most in the Charadon sector, was home to many tribes of feral orks, the backward kin of the krork. A cruiser suddenly dropping millions of tons of war material intot heir laps had fired up the feral orks into a frenzy, and millions of them rushed the Khainite kill teams as they stalked the jungles. After slaying the warboss of the ferals, the krork commanders took control of the orks, and called them to (and I quote); ‘War! Waaar! Waaaaaargh!’

Needless to say, things did not go well for Khaine’s ground forces.

A Realm of Fathers cruiser finally managed to reach the hulk’s surface, and launched its fighters upon the Khainite ground forces, in support of the terminators and genestealers on the ground. Amidst the confusion and the fire, Folkar inadvertently met Voshk himself in single combat. The two battled for only a few minutes, but the regent was utterly outclassed by the towering half-daemon, clad in the broken bones of the civilisations he helped to crush. The General had a sword of living fire, and a flanged mace covered in snarling faces. Folkar desperately deflected the blows of Voshk, but he was like a whirlwind and soon Folkar was smashed from his feet, landing in a broken heap. He might have died then, if Ulchaeru had not leapt into combat with the daemon-knight, power axe glittering as he hammered blow after blow against Voshk’s vambraces. Voshk managed to slam an elbow into the krork’s face, ripping his helmet free, to reveal the tusked face of the Warlord, who responded with a sudden head butt to the faceplate of the general. They both stumbled away from each other, and as the swirling melee closed in around them, the two lost sight of each other.

The realm of Fathers ship managed to evacuate most of the delegates, before it was forced to flee the system, along with those scant few ships that had survived the trap. Though they left broken nd burning, the Fringe Alliance technically won their first major battle. General Voshk was reprimanded for failing Khaine, and given one last chance to prove himself worthy. Meanwhile, the Fringe Alliance had been forged in blood and battle; a bond few could hope to break.

Together, the Fringe Alliance looked to the might of Khaine. Defeating his armies was one thing, but how does one kill a god?

###

The Last Rites of Gheden:

(This section was primarily cultivated from memory banks located in the tomb of Baldarro. It is said they were taken from the lifeless skull of a relic-necron. I have embellished some details which would otherwise be unintelligible to an uninitiated scholar, let alone a lay reader. Forgive me for this over simplification.)

It is said that the Lingering palace of the Umbral Lord, Qah, was cut off from all the threads of the world, a sight unseen by any mundane mortal being. Indeed, through his long exhile fromt he warp, his sub-realm had been severed from the labyrinth dimension, the structure that bound the many worlds and pocket universes that populated the boundary between reality and madness. Yet, Qah had rejoined and built new tunnels through the actuality of the universe; secret routes hidden from all save the Hrud, his loyal wardens and librarians, and the multi-hued dancers of his strange and fractious ally.

It was here that Szarekh was led, along with the Praetorians of his long-broken Triarch. They were relatively few, but they had remained loyal, throughout all his trials and travails, his deaths and rebirths and reformations. They trusted the Silent King, and he them. Ever had it been thus. But they trusted the shadowy xenos of Qah’s patronage warily, and trusted the capricious eldar even less so. But Szarekh vouched for the lingering one. No being, save for creatures infested with the blood-madness that came with the infection of the primordial annihilator, desired eternal war; war was only ever a transitional phase for most races. A means to an end. But there would always be an end. Even the last of the eldest ones [ O forgive him, for he is young and foolish. He does not know what he does ] could not conceive of an eternal enmity for the necrontyr. Szarekh offered him peace, in exchange for life.

And in the shade-laboratories and cloistered dens of the warrens of Qah, there lay the key. The necrons were a disturbing sight for the palace-dwellers at first. Even the walls shuddered at the presence of mirror devils, so close to the heart of their great works. For once, the coiling banner sof the harlequin mimes lay still. The Hrud, scuttling things sheathed in blackness, kept out of the path of the marching necrons and their half-living lord. There were darker, twisted shadows amongst the hrud, but not of hrud stock; things that moved through the dark like oil through pitch, only the occasional glimpse of shifting runes marking their passage. Other figures; brooding giants in hooded robes, watched their passage with unknowable expressions, hidden behind their inscrutable ceramite helms.

Szarekh ignored them all. The quarrel was as old as recorded history, and he had no more stomach for the endless, grinding war. He was willing to bargain, but first he had to see what he offered first.

Eventually, he came to a perfect dark chamber. He knew it was ancient; older than himself, which was an unsettling feeling for a Necrontyr. Once he stepped within, he was alone. The darkness closed around him. His Praetorians were prevented from entering with him. Soon, he began to make out the shapes of things in the dark, before they finally resolved as clear images. It is impossible for me to convey the nature of this sight, for a mortal can only comprehend images created by light. Nothing illuminated the chamber, and yet every detail within was visible. Szarekh could see row upon row of cylindrical pods, and the exotic machinery of such complexity a cryptek would be hard-pressed to divine its functions or parameters. The achiness fluctuated in size as they were observed, as if unwilling to be truly quantified.

But in any case, the chamber was perfectly visible, yet utterly dark; visible, except for one corner of the chamber, which could never be seen. Slowly, as this perfect, blinding dark radiated to fill the shape of a humanoid, Szarekh knew who this figure was.

“Qah. That is the title you chose, wasn’t it? Qah; ancient Hrudi for ‘He who Lingers’. Really, that’s no more a true name than ‘Emperor’ is the true name of the human anathema we call-[translation error? I don’t possess the phonetics to decipher the phrase following ‘call’].”

Qah, as ever, said nothing, but Szarekh knew what the figure said to him. Somehow the unsaid was liminal in the palace of shadows and whispers. Qah confirmed Szarekh’s suspicions, and welcomed the King as a fellow veteran of the First and Only War; the war in which all other conflicts are but a tributary of the great flowing river that sundered heaven. Within the tanks, Qah revealed the preserved, living bodies of... humans. Thousands of them, all pale and cold, yet living on all the same. Szarekh knew these things too.

“Pariahs. The seeds of the C’tan, sown as weapons for the war against the young races and the warp,” Szarekh concluded, unimpressed. But Qah explained; the Silent King was only partially correct. The pariahs had been created by the C’tan, and the Dragon had long set his mind to monitoring the results for as long as there had been ancestral human species in existence, until war and the Blackstones had laid him low, and the anathema had added a final humiliation upon him. But the Pariahs were not weapons against the young races. They were intended to have souls shielded from the warp; their souls were intended to deny the fuel to the fires of the disjunction-entities [Assumption: daemons/chaos?]. The eldest ones [ever-loving. Praise them and despair] had tried a similar process through Illumination and the binding of the essence into the body. But the Pariah was too accomplished at its role, and was made loathsome by its soullessness. This meant it almost died out in humanity; selected out by evolution due to its disadvantageous properties.

But Szarekh had no time for this lecture, and demanded to be told what this meant for his race. Qah, eventually, acceded to his demand.

Meanwhile, in the realm of reality, where analogy did not manifest as glorious landscapes, the few Necrons that retained their ancient Necrontyr memories, gathered together around the last of the Phaeron high council, within the Dynasty of the much-maligned Nihilakh. Even the Tomb World of Zantragorra managed, somehow, to teleport itself into the same sector as this realm, to gain some benefit from the umbrella of protection and stability the Phaerons provided. This Dynasty maintained fifteen major Tomb Worlds, hundreds of lesser Tomb Complexes, and roughly a thousand serf worlds, where organic slave races were corralled and controlled by Necron Lords. The necrons had found themselves contracting into this dense, defensible region, for the galaxy was growing sick. Realspace seemed to be bruised in several regions, and wounded in others. The things that poured out of these rents in reality were septic to life itself; the malformed daemons, neverborn and warp entities crafted in desperation by the children of the First. Though the necrons were mighty indeed, they were a much diminished power since the days of the War in heaven. They could no longer fight a war on multiple fronts. The Krork and the humans bred too swiftly, and clung tenaciously to any planets they infested. Khaine, who the necrons had only ever managed to stalemate in battle during the height of their power, was returned and was nigh unstoppable by then. But worst of all were the Draziin-maton, for whenever the necrons faced them, no self-reanimation protocols could safe them.

But the necrons were immortal, and their machinery, if properly maintained, could last until the heat death of the universe. The necrons could wait out the young races once more; let them be eaten by their abominable creations, and then let those abominations starve through lack of soul-meat. The necrons decided to fortify their final Dynasty, and simply wait.

Alas, if only it were that simple.

Of all the necrons’ myriad foes, by far their most dangerous and tenaciously vindictive one was an abomination they had allowed to exist through sheer neglect. This foe was known to the Necrons only as the Empire of the Severed. The master controller program for the tomb world of Sarkon, had gone rogue in the last years of M41; deleting the minds of its masters and assuming direct control of every necron and canoptek construct on Sarkon. This ‘Sarkoni Emperor’ then began to spread to other worlds, slowly and inexorably deleting the minds and subsuming the bodies of any necrons who sought to oppose it. The automatons of sarkon were hollow0eyed. They no longer glowed with internal green light, as the true necrons did. They were absent and cold; even the Dynastic necrons had a remnant of their past lives, a fragment of their culture and their great minds, preserved in living silver. But the things that marched with the will of the master controller were robots, artificial in every sense.

By the time of the Age of Dusk, the Severed spanned entire sectors of the galactic core, spreading eastwards, swallowing up necron strongholds and organic settlements alike. The necrons were purged, and the organics were infested with mindshackle scarabs, rendering them near-mindless puppets of the Sarkoni Emperor. Even Dragon Tide fleets would succumb to the Severed, and soon enough, the Dragon Tides seemed to vanish from the galactic stage (though one would argue they vanished at the behest of the Dragon, who had new goals for his slave machines).

The Dynastic Necrons had gone to great lengths to hide their whereabouts from the Severed, and had destroyed any Dolmen Gates located near to Severed strongholds. Yet, still the Sarkoni Emperor found them.

It would be a mistake to call the Severed incursion an invasion. It would be more accurate to call it a great silver flood. It began with wave upon wave of ships bursting from the warp. Trillions of mindshackled puppets manned millions of different alien vessels, cobbled together from dozens of enslaved civilisations. The necron defences instantly activated; aeonic orbs induced solar flares that consumed thousands of ships, particle annihilators carved even more into bisected strap-metal, tachyon impalers killed beings through seven dimensions and gauss grids flayed entire squadrons of escorts into nothingness. But with each wave, though thousands of ships were vanished, millions upon millions still flooded into the systems. There seemed little strategy to this relentless, mindless pilgrimage. The crews of the vessels were silent, and cared little about their own ships as they fired every weapon they had in all directions. Some accelerated to high fractions of c, and simply ploughed directly into tomb worlds and serf worlds alike, turning atmospheres to plasma and vaporising themselves and anyone on the same hemisphere as they impacting vessels.

The necron naval force had been brought under the control of Thazar the Invincible. His tomb ships, jackals, scythes and cairn class vessels and doom scythes made light work of the suicidal invaders. He destroyed each vessel with cold, arrogant efficiency. At first, this invasion seemed like a pathetic attempt by the Severed to overcome the mighty Phaeron Council. Bt they had not counted upon the resilience of the necron portals stored in the holds of each and every slave-ship. Even as the ramshackle shells of the vessels were flayed away like flaking skin, their portals within were activated, feeding from the energy of Thazar’s own weapons. Once activated, the Severed incursion began. Necron portals were wormholes, which instantly connected two points in spacetime together. From these quarter-miles, free-floating portals swarmed the Canoptek hordes. Millions of canoptek spyders, billions of wraiths, and quadrillions of canoptek scarabs poured from these portals like living silver shoals of sardine in some great, dark ocean. Thazar looked upon the grand swarm, and was reminded of the last days of the War in Heaven, before the sleep, where the scarab swarms devoured the K’nib homeworlds in a single week of self-replicating oblivion. Thazar had long forgotten the mortal twinge of fear, but in that moment, his android brain struggled to process his anomalous neural functions. Tombships unleashed gigatons of impossible energy into silver masses stream into the sector like poison seeping into a hundred septic cuts. These blasts barely phased the swarms, before they engulfed ship after ship in a suffocating silver cloud.

Slowly but surely, Thazar and his fleet was forced to retreat to a second line of defence. The orbital defence platforms and aeonic orbs were consumed whole by the canoptek host, and broken down into raw material to create more scarabs and wraiths. Following the canoptek, eventually the Severed tombships silently drew themselves through the portals to join in the feast. Mindshackles were sprayed into the upper atmospheres of countless organic serf-world, like pesticide spread over a tainted crop field. Aliens screamed in horror as wriggling metal insects burrowed into their brains via any available orifice, rendering them helpless slaves to a single, indomitable will.

Across the united dynasty, the necrons retreated, until the commanders found the one world safe from the Severed’s assaults; the transphasic world of Gheden. Here the Phaeron Council, Thazar the Invincible, Orikan the Diviner, Illuminor Szeras and the other high rulers of the necrons brooded over strategy and how they might escape their relentless foe. The dolmen gates were down, or else swarming with Severed canoptek constructs. The delusional Nemesor Zahndrekh led the defence of the Gheden tomb world whenever it phased briefly into reality. Only Zahndrekh did not fear the severed, for he had no idea he was facing the severed. Yet, despite the fact the old madman thought his foes were old necrontyr rivals from ancient times, somehow, he and his bodyguard Obyron knew they had to keep the enemy at a distance. Their dense phalanxes of warriors and immortals were kept mobile by constantly moving between monolith and night scythe portals; firing swiftly and accurately, before darting back through glowing green passages. Each time a severed managed to touch a dynastic necron, it bonded with it, and deleted the mindstate inside. This turned the necron into another husk, another severed foe to face.

In the central command centre, the necron Lords watched a hundred hologrammic images, each showing a battlefield of silent silver android slaying each other over and over again. On airless moons, they marched. Across the void, naval battles raged at impossible distances, while callous infantry battles were fought across the very skin of the ships themselves. Every move made by the Severed was like the movement of a chess piece, every reaction to a counterassault calculated and enacted without haste or imagination. Infinitely complex strategies, tried and tested over millions of years were played out. Every opening gambit was exhausted, every play predicted and countered by the opposing force. Zahndrekh coordinated the dynastic armies with the dynamic creativity only a living mind could conjure; his brilliance was balanced by the sheer weight of numbers and tenacity of the Severed. They could not be stopped, only slowed. They could not be forced to surrender, only smashed to pieces or vaporized.

Slowly, like the slow encroach of eternity, the Severed were gaining ground. Non-tomb worlds were being dissolved by scarab swarms to build ever more Severed constructs, which were thrown into the tornado of living steel that was the sector-wide battlefront.

Then, the conflict changed. From unseen portals, new ships attacked the Sarkoni swarms from unforeseen vectors. The fleet was huge and perplexingly, it was composed of both necron vessels, and the organically-smooth vessels of the eldar; some were graceful like underwater sea creatures, while others were shaped like cruel knives, blackened by fire. This fleet unleashed hell on the Severed, and successfully punched their way through the living metal blockade surrounding the increasingly squeezed Dynastic Necron forces of Gheden.

On the planet’s surface, Zahndrekh suddenly found himself with new allies; Triarch Praetorians teleported into the heart of the fighting, rods of covenant blazing as they laid into the severed with utter ferocity. They were joined by armies of Commorrite eldar, blasters and dark lances scouring necrons to ash with every shot, as well as the capering harlequins, whose dancing was utterly lethal to the advancing necrons, as they severed their bodies, and scattered the broken remnants to prevent reanimation protocols. Zahndrekh’s tomb blades and doomscythes were joined by voidraven bombers and razorwings, that pulverised the severed group forces relentlessly. Slowly, Gheden was temporarily cleansed of rogue necrons.

In this brief hour of respite, the head of this strange new alliance teleported directly into the heart of the Phaeron bunker, in a flash of azure energy. The leader was Szarekh, in a glittering, hulking necron body, and he did not come alone. With him came a squad of Triarch Praetorians, in their new, even larger bodies. Alongside them, a blank-faced Solitaire, and a grinning Dark Eldar Archon with a great steel fan also appeared before them. Compelled by protocol, the Lychguards of the Phaerons turned their warscythes towards the newcomers, as the Phaerons demanded an explanation for this violation.

“You want to know why your king appears before you? I am here to bring you deliverance.”

With that, Szarekh activated a devices on his wrist. Moments later, his new ‘body’ began to open up, revealing what was inside. For the Triarch (and his Praetorians’) new bodies were not bodies at all, but battlesuits of living metal. Inside, they housed flesh. Szarekh stepped from his battlesuit, to reveal the body, the human body, he now inhabited.

The necrons, unsurprisingly, were taken aback. At first, they believed it an eldar ploy, or some lie. But Szarekh knew the secret words of the Triarch; words that were only to be spoken between ruling Necrons. He knew their history as only their last great King could.

The Pariahs, harvested by Qah, were suitable for the bio-transference of the necron, for pariah souls were hollow things that drained warp energy from the sea of souls. Many assumed that this meant that pariahs were soulless, or somehow disconnected from the warp, when in fact, their anti-warp abilities required them to be more connected to the warp than a psyker, merely in a different fashion. When the Praetorian necrons were released from their android bodies, the pariahs drew their minds and souls into them. Necron and human pariah merged, and the resultant beings awoke as new beings, human necrontyr. Instantly, Szarekh and his allies had felt the difference. They felt a great chasm in their being had been filled. Conversely, the pariah human hosts found that the great miserable miasma that had surrounded them all their lives, felt that little less cloying.

Szarekh declared to the assembled Necron lords that he felt free once more, and he would free the rest of the necrons, especially the warriors, who had long lacked a voice. Szeras was the first to deride the Silent King’s efforts.

“Freedom comes at an inopportune time my King. The enemy is at the gates, and becoming... human will not defeat the Severed. Nothing we have can defeat them,” he spat from his imposing android form. “Besides, why should we sully ourselves in human forms? We achieved bio-transference to escape mortality and the weakness of flesh!”

“Szeras, you are a great genius, and a masterful cryptek, but you must know that we cannot continue as we are. More and more of us fall to madness, or are Severed. I have seen what is coming, and our living metal will not save us from it, for it is forge of madness itself. I... I cannot describe to you the monstrosity of what descends. Orikan has seen it too, have you not, old friend?”

The cryptek nodded, dipping the staff of tomorrow slightly as he did. “Indeed I have, my lord and master. There can be no victory as machines. I have predicted this day would come.”

The Paheron interrupted the debate urgently. “Enough of this. The Severed are already returning to this planet. Even with our apparent new allies, Zahndrekh cannot hold them off. The Severed will consume us all.”

Szarekh turned to view the hololiths of the battles outside. He saw the Severed force literally filling the sky, in numbers as large as the necron hordes before the great C’tan war.

“How did they find us? Who betrayed us?” he whispered, his lips quivering with barely contained anger.

Orikan was the first to speak. “The Stormlord, I am afraid. The turncoat was betrayed by his warp allies. His dreams of an ordered galaxy, under his rule, are no more. In his despair and his spite, he gave the Sarkoni Emperor our coordinates, so that the empire of the Severed might cleanse the galaxy of dissent, and bring a perfect, lasting order to the galaxy.”

“How can we destroy the Severed? The master controller has dominion over all the canoptek machinery, and what we destroy, it can replace within moments. The scarabs break it all down and rebuild it,” Szeras explained.

“How do you control your scarabs?”

The new voice came from the eldar with the fan, who smiled broadly at the assembled necrons. “How do the necrons control all those vast hordes of scarabs?”

“The interstitial waveform; it moderates the programmed self-replicating function of the scarabs, so they can be directed and wielded. If the signal should fail, then...” began the Illuminor, before the cryptek realised what Lady Malys inferred.

For if the interstitial waveform was shut down, across the entire nodal command network, then the scarabs would do what their simple minds did best. They would devour. They would go into recycling mode, and devour every necorn construct, before devouring every other structure in the system. Szarekh watched his subjects discussing the possibility with mounting dread. This was because he knew what the inevitable conclusion was going to be.

The only beings that could shut off the scarabs was the Triarch themselves. And if he did deactivate the waveform, not only the Severed would be consumed, but so too would every necron construct in the sector. The necrons would, essentially, be extinct.

The necrons and their eldar allies eventually reached the same conclusion as Szarekh, and turned to the Silent King. They all knew it had to be done, but Szarekh disagreed.

“No. No, I can save them! I can save everyone! We can flee the Severed. There are a million more pariah bodies waiting for biotransference! The Severed can’t delete living beings. We can take refuge in the Outside Sanctum,” the Silent King insisted.

“It would not work my King. The Severed would follow us, even to the Sanctum; flooding the dolmen gate network, until everyone was enslaved by the master controller,” Thazar explained solemnly.

“If we deactivate the field now, Gheden’s shields should protect those of us in this chamber. The eldar ships can escape the scarabs easily I should imagine. But the lesser necrons would be devoured. It is an acceptable loss, if we are to survive.

Szarekh grew desperate, clinging to the meeting table, his human knuckles white, his eyes red raw with tears. “’Lesser necrons’? This is all so easy for you! You are soulless and callous creatures. I have seen how you enjoy controlling silent, obedient subjects! But curse fate, that this decision falls to me, now that I have regained my soul. I regain a mortal heart, only for it to be broken all over again! Curse you all!” Szarekh snarled, as the necrons watched with their eternally fixed glares. The eldar said nothing.

“My king, I-“

“No. We can start again. I have made a truce with the old foes. There must be another way to vanquish the Severed. I have a chance to free my people from their android prisons. They would thank me for this mercy!”

Szeras shook his head, perhaps in sadness, perhaps as a simple negative. “Mercy? Have you heard the song of the necron warrior, by King?”

Szarekh, bleary eyed, shook his head.

Szeras moved to a command console. “I shall show you. Listen carefully.”

The cryptek then reactivated the long-dormant vocal systems of the necron warriors still controlled by the dynasty.

Instantly, there was screaming. It was a long, keening mechanical screech, resounding in the artificial throats of every single warrior. They screamed without pause, for they had no breaths they needed to take. It was a constant, wailing dirge.

Szarekh slumped to his knees, clutching his heart in empathetic horror.

“You see, my King, the warriors, when deactivated for the long hibernation, did not sleep. Nor do they ever sleep. They are trapped, without feeling or voice or stimulus, inside cold metal prisons. They are immortal and have no control over their bodies. We deactivated their voices millennia ago, for it reminds us, every day, that every one of our servants and subjects are insane. If you free them now, all you will do is bring a caste of lunatics into being; mindless with hate and broken beyond repair. You speak of mercy? It would be a mercy if the scarabs devoured them all,” Szeras explained, his voice cold and bitter.

Szerekh was silent for several minutes, save for his quiet sobbing. Eventually though, his face set; determined and stoic int he face of the horrible action he was about to take.

“Take your ships and leave now, Lady Malys,” he said bluntly, as he stepped into his battlesuit once more. She bowed, and left with a wry smirk on her lips.

Slowly, the Silent King raised his staff, and inserted it into Szeras’ command console. The gesture was deceptively simple, and the only obvious result of the action was a subsonic wave that passed through the chamber and out into the world, the system, beyond.

The wave gained speed as it left the planet. It took only fifteen minutes to sweep across the system, and into the open dolmen gates of the Severed.

At first, there was no effect. The Severed paused for a moment, as did the Dynastic necrons, before they armed their weapons once more. The change was barely noticeable, until it was too late. Silently and unceremoniously, the necrons began to come apart. It began with the ships in orbit; fifty mile long tombships were suddenly engulfed in a silver cloud, and seemed to simply collapse upon themselves, like cans under high pressure. Scarabs swarmed around necron war machines. Stalkers toppled over as their legs were consumed, spyders flailed uselessly as tides of scarabs buried them. Necron warriors stumbled, and were dissolved on the spot. The silver hordes fell in rippling waves. The scarabs were unhurried and unstoppable.

Nemesor Zahndrekh watched the carnage from a hillside, his guardian Obyron at his side. Perhaps in that moment, the delusional commander realised that this was the end. He looked to Obyron.

“Is this victory? Have we won at last?

“Yes, my Nemesor. Yes.”

Before Zahndrekh could respond to that, the tide was upon them, and within minutes, they were no more.

Across the galaxy, the dolmen gates of sarkon activated. Through them, a trillion trillion scarabs flowed. The Master Controller, the Sarkoni Emperor, was confused. He assumed he had direct control over all canoptek systems, but he found his interstitial wave generators were inactive. The Emperor resolved to have that fault rectified. This resolution came to naught a few hours later, when the scarabs penetrated the data-vaults, and consumed his circuitry.

Sarkon faltered, and died.

Once all the necrons were dead, the scarabs devoured the screaming human serfs of Sarkon, who were sudden free of the Severed; free to die. Once they were consumed, the scarabs began to devour nearby planets and moons, breaking them down into countless new scarabs. The self-replicating horde was in the process of consuming Gheden too, before a second signal rippled out from the Nihilakh capital world. This signal was far simpler. It was a kill code. At this command, the scarabs simply stopped, falling to the ground as inanimate lumps of metal. The canoptek machine system was broken, beyond all repair.

Only a hundred necrons survived the so-called ‘Last Rites of Gheden’, alongside a thousand Pariah Praetorians, and the Silent King.

Soon after, the remnants of the necron race reactivated the stellar engines of Gheden. Then, they set the tombworld out into the stars, searching for the turncoat race-traitor Imotekh. The Stormlord would pay for his treachery.

Hidden behind the mimic engines of her command cruiser, Lady Malys watched the tombworld depart. She smiled, but it was not her smiling, but the thing nesting in her stolen heart.

“The War in Heaven ends,” she chuckled mockingly to herself.
</div>
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==Additional Note: The Thunder Lizard Tank Legion==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The Thunder Lizard Tank Legion were the preeminent armoured force of the Imperium Pentus. At the height of their power, the Legion had tank squadrons attached to every major army of the Five Primarchs and their generals.

The precise chronological beginning of the Thunder Lizards is unknown, but the Legion existed prior to Vulkan’s Imperium. At that point in history, the Legion’s tanks were mostly knock offs and experimental variations of existing Predator and Leman Russ basic designs. They hailed form the planet Argonauth, and formed the backbone of the PDF of that world. The atmosphere of Argonauth was highly toxic, and only sealed tanks and transporters could be relied upon to wage war there.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Thunder Lizard Tank legion expanded after the Vulkan Imperium liberated their world from the Tyrant Tyberos, and they moved their tank factory facilities to the Forge World of Laakmor. The forge world had been left gutted by centuries of war, and most of its Tech priests were dead or mad, and thus the world’s vast polar Titan yards were converted into tank factories, and the equatorial deserts were made into testing fields and wargaming areas.

It was on Laakmor that the Legion began to build its soon to be famous super heavy tanks. As their facilities and resources increased, so the Thunder Lizard Tanks got larger and more sophisticated. These super heavies were the rivals of the legendary Fellblades, Stormshadows and Baneblades still in use by many Petty Imperiums. But they were still outclassed by the sheer firepower and defenses of the Warlord Titans and their larger cousins.

By the end of M56, Vulkan and the Five Primarchs were preparing for total war with their neighbors within the Travesty. Vulkan’s Promethean Cults and Ryzan Mechanicus did not have the knowledge or ability to produce Warlords or Imperators on anything like an industrial scale; it was claimed that whole cruisers could be built more cheaply and more easily than an Imperator. However, the Primarchs needed vehicles capable of fighting the numerous Titans and giant daemonic war engines of the Travesty on equal terms.

Vulkan, the most enthusiastic engineer amongst the five Brothers, decided to remedy this. He visited the Engineer-Commander of Laakmor, a man named Panzod B’olos, and gave the man six years to build a new range of super tanks, capable of going toe to toe with the worst his enemies could throw at him. B’olos, a brilliant and eager innovator, jumped at the chance.

Vulkan assigned a significant fraction of his war budget towards Laakmor and its surrounding yards. He also gave B’olos a cadre of Promethean Cultists to help his design teams and construction workers. Captain Teltegan of the ''Sons of Thunder Commandery'' (''one of the Veterans who initially liberated the Thunder Lizards, ironically'') was also ordered to Laakmor, to provide tactical and strategic pointers to the designers, and to help test out the new designs in wargames against his own Commandery’s tanks. The Sons of Thunder were well renowned for their affinity for tank warfare, which was reflected in the abundance of tanks they could field. In addition to all this, Vulkan sanctioned B’olos to source inspiration from any source available; human or alien, ancient or brand new. B’olos took advantage of this offer, and had his researchers scour the galaxy for the best examples of weapon and defence systems he could adopt, develop or improve upon. From the ''Tau'', to the ''Groevians'', to the ''Vorlish Taar'', and the ''Praetorian Kingdom'', his men brought him much inspiration.

After just five of the six years he was granted, B’olos had his tank designs finished, and their prototypes tested. By the time of ''The Primarch War'', B’olos had his new Tank Legions complete and ready to bring war to the evil in the west.

The main Classes of Thunder Lizard Tank (''not an exhaustive list''):

- '''The MK III ‘Megasaur’''' – The main battle tank equivalent. They were larger than a baneblade, and sported advanced linear accelerators, grid-linked lascannon batteries, layered void shielding and guided missile systems, as well as heavy adamantine armor and layered void shields. In addition, they were equipped with the latest advances in machine spirit interfaces, to give their human pilots the best chance of rapidly engaging multiple targets. They are fast, powerful and versatile.

- '''The MK VII ‘Velociraptor’''' – A scout tank. Though slightly larger than a Leman Russ, the Velociraptors were composed of almost nothing but engine, with minimal armaments. However, their reactors made them incredible fast, and when stationary, the reactor could be used to enhance the firepower of its single lascannon turret a hundredfold.

- '''The MK II ‘Triceratops’''' – A titan slayer. Triceratops were similarly armed and armoured to a Megasaur, except for their large, tri-barrelled Rampager cannon; a rapid firing gatling macrocannon, which required the tank to anchor itself to the ground before firing, or else its recoil would surely flip the vehicle (''not a pleasant prospect for the crew or anyone outside the tank for that matter...'').

- '''The MK I ‘Pterasaur’''' – many generals refer to the Pterasaur as ''what a Hydra wants to be when it grows up''. A Pterasaur is an aerial denial tank. Not only does it boast similar defences to a Megasaur, it has replaced its turret weapons with dozens of flakk batteries, surface to air manticore missiles, air-burst deathstrike missiles, and grid-linked Icarus lascannons. In major engagements, pentus command posts would park single Pterasaurs near to their command bases, and feel confident that no enemy aircraft could hope to reach them (''of course, orbital strikes were sitll a concern, but orbital strikes have always been a concern in any planetary battle''). Pterasaurs are slightly physically smaller than a baneblade, are considerably more massive (''due to the masses of munitions it is required to store''), making them painfully slow.

- '''The MK V ‘Tyrannosaur’''' – A create goliath of a tank, the Tyrannosaur was far larger than even the greatest super heavy of the Old Imperium, and was actually close to being the size of a ''Leviathan'', of the long-dead Outremar forge worlds. It certainly outmassed even an Imperator Titan in displacement terms. The Tyrannosaur was truely the pinnacle of human tank technology. Its colossal reactors could power a hive city for three days, and was more than sufficient to power its vast plethora of weapon systems. Its primary weapon was its turret-mounted Lance cannon, a searing laser weapon of ungodly power.
This was supplemented with secondary turrets of railguns, apocalypse missile pods, volcano cannons, lascannon anti-missile grids and siege guns. It also could mount void shields and dozens of metres of outer hull armour. Its machine spirit was close to true AI, without crossing the line, and its crew could utilise an extensive sensor suit deep in the Tyrannosaur’s heart. It was nominally a tracked vehicle, but it had a secondary anti grav engine, which allowed the entire tank to hover a few metres off the ground for up to twenty minutes at a time. This was used primarily to prevent the vehicle getting bogged down on land, crossing stretches of water and bog, and allowing the vehicle to travel at relatively high speeds (''well, faster than an Imperator, which was the important thing''). Some cynical chroniclers of history believe the Tyrannosaurs were vanity projects for B’olos himself. They were certainly expensive to produce, and were vastly outnumbered by the Megasaurs and Triceratops. However, despite this, the Tyrannosaurs were still considered the king of the tanks, and accordingly, the first one built was named ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’.
</div>
</div>

==Additional background Section 41: The Battle of Corbellus (Part 1)==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The Imperium Pentus’ primary fleet entered the territory of the Travesty not in piecemeal groups, but as one mighty lance thrust, deep into the chaos polluted realm. The grand armada was the largest fleet ever launched by this Imperium; almost half a million ships made up the fleet, including countless troopships, armor transports, factory vessels, escorts and capital ships, famous across the galaxy. These included the fast-battleships Antioch and Sleipnir, the Devil of Catachan and its attendant escorts, and the grand flagship Phalanx, which Vulkan himself commanded.

The fleet traveled through the warp, which had been cleansed of daemons in a particular region of the warp, where the erratic Ophilim Kiasoz had passed by on its way towards the heart of the Eye. In such relatively safe warp currents, the fleet managed to travel through the warp as one, travelling in a relatively tight formation. Their Gellar fields had ingeniously been linked together, forming a single colossal Gellar field which enclosed a seven light second diameter bubble of realspace inside the formless warp. Such a monumental undertaking required the precise coordination of every ship in the fleet, activating their Gellar fields at once, just as they used their warp engines to plunge into the immaterium. Such an action would have been impossible without both a calm warp, and the towering intellects of the four Primarchs who undertook the task. The iron will and great intelligence of Russ, Lion, Khan and Vulkan kept the diverse fleet together, constantly adjusting the relative magnitudes of the shared Gellar field by seemingly minute amounts every seconds; adjustments that meant the difference between life and the dissolution of the entire fleet. It was a risky manoeuvre, but its rewards could potentially be great.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Pentus Primarchs’ plan was to breech the warp at some vital jugular of the Travesty, before using the conquered system as a jumping off point to attack neighboring systems. Small, fast scout frigates traveled along the warp route ahead of the main force, to assess the strength of the enemy, and to locate suitable targets for their planned initial, devastating assault.

One such scout-frigate was the Rinzell. It was a light Astartes frigate of the Jade Princes Commandery, with the usual compliment of two hundred mortal crew, and three Astartes tactical squads. Command of the scouting mission was divided between the Astartes Sergeant Koror, and the mortal captain of the Rinzel, Lord Matoburo.

Making multiple short warp jumps through the daemon-cleared Kiasoz channel, Rinzell ranged ahead of the Pentus Crusade, and was the first scouting party to break back into the materium.

They entered the Corbellus system quietly; the engine trace of a scout frigate was deliberately shielded, and had a similar profile to a mere fighter craft, to any snooping chaos forces. Even after exiting the warp, the taint of the immaterium still clung to every molecule of the system, for the Imperium of Travesties was doused in the hellish afterglow of countless warp rifts. Even though no such warp rifts were detected by the Rinzell, Matoburo nevertheless advised caution, and kept his gunports open as they investigated the system.

The Corbellus system was a system of six worlds in relatively close orbit with one another. The system had been selected by Koror as it was far from major battlelines, yet seemed close to a warp nexus point, which linked the system to several chaos bastion worlds. The veteran Sergeant gambled that the chaos forces, being allies of the daemons, hadn’t used the stable routes in many years, and might not realise how vulnerable Corbellus was for being used as a staging point. The Rinzell scanned each world from orbit, being careful to mask its approach behind natural satellites to avoid any potential defence laser fire. Fortunately it seemed, the backwater system had already been ravaged long ago.

Each world were cathedral worlds dedicated to the gods, but their surfaces looked like the asteroid-pelted surfaces of airless moons. There had been a war there, perhaps fought during the war between Abaddon and Erebus’ usurpers. The defence lasers were smashed, and what little human life was detected on each of the worlds seemed minimal. They were garrison forces, awaiting the return of their uncaring, daemon-loving patrons. The system was ideal for a swift invasion. However, Captain Matoburo decided to make sure, and destroyed the surface settlements of five of the six worlds from orbit using precision lance strikes.

Corbellus Secundus, however, had a subterranean garrison force, and Koror and two tactical squads were deployed to clear them out, while Matoburo monitored things from orbit.

The Jade Princes moved swiftly, as soon as their drop pods touched down, they located the tunnel entrances and blew them with melta charges, before storming into the darkness below. The dark held no obstacle to Astartes of course, as they activated preysight almost instantly. The first of the garrisons sentry squads were eliminated by knife and gunstock, but soon enough, as they descended, the mortal soldiers, in their robes of mail, reacted to the space marines. They fought superhumans in the dark, with only their torches and greyscale night vision goggles to aid them. Even though the enemy was dug into several heavy weapon emplacements, and had set up elaborate killzones and intersecting lines of fire, they were hideously outmatched by the Jade Princes. Their green-striped power armour was the last thing most of the screaming human cultists saw before their brutal, swift deaths. Koror’s chainsword echoed through the cold halls of the grand, sprawling temple, as he carved down fleeing humans by the dozen. Intriguingly, all the cultists seemed desperate to reach a common objective; they all fled in similar directions, down through the layers to something deep in Corbellus Secundus.

Koror decided to follow the trail, as his auspex marine confirmed an energy source of some sort was located down there. Koror suspected the cultists would try to raise daemons to even the engagement in their favour. He resolved to kill them before they could even attempt this. The nearer they approached to the power source however, the weaker their vox link with the Rinzell became. Koror instructed one of his marines to return to the surface and apprise Matoburo of the situation, while the rest continued onwards.

Meanwhile, in the warp, the fleet continued along its becalmed route. It was eerily calm within the fleet. The crews were quiet. Some were asleep. Most were praying to whatever gods the primarchs permitted them to worship. Aboard the battlecruiser Crato, two Astartes watched the warp swirling past the Gellar field. It was like formless oil. Yet, it was not there. The warp could never be observed in the moment; it was an after image. You were never sure precisely what one saw in the depths. The two Astartes only knew it was their enemy. The two Astartes were castron of the nemenmarines, and Alistor of the Fire beasts. Their Commanderies had been made to share their transports during the coming conflict, and were also expected to fight together seamlessly in the coming war. (In later reports, castron of the nemenmarines would report that, during this voyage, he swore he saw as shimmering ghost ship, keeping pace with their fleet, like a dolphin following a ship’s wake. It looked like ‘a black ship of old, yet it also seemed to move like a shoal of infinitely small fish’ according to the Astartes. This vessel was likely the Tersis. Perhaps this vision was a grim foretelling of the events to come? None can say for certain).

Back in the Corbellus system, Koror’s investigation continued.

The underworld temple of corbellus Secundus was vast, and echoed with the breath of the dead. A civilization had died in its depths, leaving the powdery remains of their bones as the only testament to their existence. That, and the statues of their countless heathen gods, sculpted in brass and steel. They leered down at the marines with hollow eyes in the dark, but the exact forms of the statues were rendered indistinct and fuzzy by the marines’ preysight autosenses. Koror had no time for the religiosity of the depraved and the extinct.

The underground caverns opened up, their great vaunted ceilings lost in the darkness, hiding the full extent of the caverns. As the tactical squads moved through the temple, they divided into two, to assault the power source from the flanks.

The approach to the ritual site was lined with more and more statues, arrayed in row upon row. It must have taken centuries of sculpture by mortal hands, Koror noted. As he considered this, the veteran spotted something in the path of the tactical squad he was leading. One of the statues had fallen into disrepair, and its oversized ceremonial weapon had fallen to the floor. As they closed on the weapon, Koror began to feel uneasy.

It was as if the cultists wanted to die, standing out in the middle of the temple, with no cover. Koror realized then that he had made a mistake.

Over the vox, he heard his second tactical squad engage and slaughter the remaining cultists, moments before he could shout out a countermand. The ceremonial weapon, lying at his feet, was familiar. It took him a fraction of a second to recognize the weapon.

It was a Kai Gun. Instinctively, Koror kicked the kai gun skittering away into the distance. Barely a second later, the disarmed statue suddenly burst into life with an ungodly roar. Fire rose up inside it, revealing it was hollow and full of impossible black flames flecked with orange. In the millisecond it took his men to spin around to aim at the kai bane warrior, it had already leapt from its podium, and slammed a massive boot into the nearest marine, who was hurled bodily away, his ribcage and breastplate shattered. The daemon engine was fast, and snatched the head from another marine, before punching a fist through the melta armed member of the squad. Koror and his squad opened up on the kai bane warrior in a furious flurry of bolter shells. The bolts rippled across the daemonic entity’s metal skin like pattering rain, as it threw itself into the fray. It gored one marine with its tusk baldes, as it ripped another rmarine in two, hurling the pieces aside carelessly. Koror rolled to avoid the sweeping claws of the beast, and slashed his chainsword across the thing’s muzzle. It roared mechanically, rearing up and flinging the sergeant onto his back with a sonorous clang.

This commotion brought second squad intot he fray, who opened fire as soon as they locked onto the fiend. Under sustained bombardment, the kai bane warrior stumbled, its body glowed a ruby red tone under the heat of explosive rounds detonating against its flesh. But still the thing didn’t die, barging two marines to the ground, and stomping on marine’s head till it was flat. The kai bane monster roared again, not in pain but in monstrous glee. Koror finally killed the thing by snatching up the flalen meltagun, and boring a three foot smoudleirng hole through the daemon’s centre of mass. At last, it clattered tot he floor, empty once more.

Only twelve of his marines were left alive, and not one of them had escaped damage. Koror knew he had to escape now; to warn the Rinzell.

Then they felt the entire temple tremble. Then they heard the dead kai bane roar ocne more. However, it was not the dead one which had roared. Nor was the roar which answered it.

All around them, the statues were lighting up. Dozens of them. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Millions of them. They woke up sequentially, like a city power grid reactivating after a blackout. Corbellus secundus was no temple. It was a factory. It was a trap. The kai ban Host closed ranks around them, as the power source began to blaze with daemon fire, illuminating the hall at last. Koror lowered his meltagun.

“Oh Throne...”

(I cannot be sure of Koror’s precise last words, as he was never seen again, but I feel confident my estimation was accurate.)

Meanwhile, Matoburo was getting nervous. The Astartes sent to return word of developments underground had not returned. Captain Matoburo knew something was wrong immediately. He readied his bridge crew to make for the warp translation point. Koror must be compromised he summised. If he wasn’t, the Sergeant would merely be stranded on an empty world. If he was compromised, then the forces of Corbellus were greater than expected; a likely trap.

Matoburo’s instincts were sound, and he might well have averted the entire battle of Corbellus there and then, if his first officer hadn’t turned, smiled at him, before punching his fist through the old man’s head, and fling him from his command throne with a petulant flick of his wrist. The first officer turned to the stunned bridge crew, grinning as he watched them draw their sidearms. The first officer’s body rippled and rand fluid, before becoming Matoburo. As they fired on the imposter, he leapt aside, and their weapons destroyed the captain’s command throne, and all his inter ship vox equipment.

“That’s no way to treat your captain. I see security is required,” the imposter beamed as it took shelter behind a hefty console.

Moments later, a warp rift burst into life in the centre of the room. The rift was gone barely a second later, replaced by a squad of iron Warrior terminators. Without saying a word, the terminators turned their combi bolters on the human bridge crew. Hearing a commotion, Jade Princes burst into the chamber, flinging grenades and firing from the hip. The gun battle lasted approximately three minutes.

The imposter Matoburo stood up, rolling his shoulders carefully before addressing his armoured allies.

“Well-oiled precision, and impeccable timing as ever Sons of Perturabo. How odious,” the thing giggled. “So predictably competent.”

“You will hold up your end of the bargain, Changeling. Enough drama,” the Aspiring Champion of the terminators rumbled.

The Changeling nodded, before vanishing. It appeared to the ship’s beacon-psyker, in the guise of the Captain. The daemon killed the psyker, and stole its form post-mortem.

Thus, when the Rinzell sent its daily telepathic communication to the Phalanx, it relayed that Corbellus was an ideal staging point for the invasion. And, alas, the changeling was ever the convincing liar, and the primarchs were duped.

A few days later, the Pentus Crusade entered the Corbellus system as one. A titanic fleet, including every single troopship and major war vessel of the Pentus armada.

They arrived to find a system full of foes. Every world in Corbellus was a disguised factory world. Some were full of the Kai bane Host, Defilers and Deamon engines of all descriptions. Others had been hollow shell worlds, filled with cruisers and battleships, waiting to be released. Now, there were more enemy contacts than the Phalanx’s sensors could adequately track.

And at their head, were two vessels the Primarchs instantly recognised. The Conquerer, with its distinctive pectoral harpoon spines. The other, a moon-sized behemoth of daemon-forged horror; the Goliath Engine.

Perturabo had anticipated their desire for a staging point, and had enticed them in with a seemingly perfect one. The Demi-gods no doubt cursed themselves for their momentary lapse in judgement.

Vulkan looked across the enemy, unreadable, yet radiating furnace-hot wrath as he began to respond to the avalanche of data being returned by thousands of his ship captains, already planning his next twenty moves.

The Lion was stoic upon the bridge of the Antioch, calmly ordering his crew to battle stations. Khan was pacing at his side like an impatient hound.

Aboard the Sleipnir, Leman Russ’s lip curled into a foreboding smile, as his lieutenants Hrothnar the Fanged, Commander of the Rout, and Skalvad fenrisborn of the Wolf brothers, snarled like feral beasts. Russ ignored the majority of the enemy fleet, and focused upon the Conqueror and its fang-nosed attendant cruisers.

A vox signal was received from the Goliath Engine. It was the only communication exchanged between the two fleets, before battle was joined in earnest.

++ Your plan was clever, Vulkan... brother.++ A bitter, rumbling voice said down the vox link, spitting the last word like a venomous curse. ++But not as clever as mine.++

Thus began one of the most pivotal battles of the primarch war. If the Primarchs could not fight their way clear of the ambush, their Pentus Crusade would be strangled at birth.

Defeat was not an option.
</div>
</div>

==Additional background Section 42: The Will of Crolomere==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">'''[Note: The events of this section occurred concurrently with the Battle of Corbellus.]
'''
Upon Armageddon, an uneasy peace reigned. The people went about their daily lives much as they ever did during the Primarch War. They were all a little poorer, thanks to the enhanced tithes required of them by the state, but the rulers of the Pentus capital had fewer people to look after, and thus could spend more upon those who stayed behind, and didn’t joint the refugee fleets making their way towards the centre of the galaxy, away from all the turbulent warzones that risked spilling across the indistinct borders of the Imperium.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

I was one of those people, just a young man and already aspiring to be a Primarch chronicler. But in those days, I did not have access to this history, and we did not truly understand the nature oft he wars being fought. Everyday we looked to the heavens, dreading what might descend. One day we could be visiting our food merchant for the week, the next, we might be utterly annihilated. It was a troubled time and a supremely odd one; a period of simultaneous prosperity and utter terror. Hope and despair filled our hearts, but so too did love for our families and hate for our enemies. We craved the security of our authorities too, yet secretly yearned for a day when all could think and act freely as we saw fit. We wanted to build new works, new wonders, for our children to enjoy, yet secretly we suspected all this effort was for naught; who could survive the reckless hatred of the hostile galaxy? We knew the five brothers had left us to protect us from the Travesty, but at the same time, we suspected, seditiously, that they had abandoned us. I am almost certain, looking back, that these warring emotions were the result of the turbulent warp, and the gods, daemons and angyls who were, even then, fighting for dominance of our waking souls.

Politicians, as is their lot in life, manipulated this for maximum benefit to themselves. Across the hundred parliaments of the grand metropolis, they dueled with words and sought to unite their disparate factions into a functioning whole. For the most part, the hardliners gained the most power. These were the true believers, those who saw the Primarchs as akin to gods. They were loosely led by Ibram Deitus, a powerful politician in the council of Hades, who wanted the lanes between the worlds closed, and all aliens within the boundaries of the Imperium extemrinated. Though they gained the most power, the moderates retained control mostly, leaving the followers of Deitus as a raving minority. The Astartes would never support Ibram’s lunatics, for their eldest dreadnoughts had lived through the madness of the Old Imperium, and even the Nova Astartes had veterans who remembered the Ophelian Imperium, possibly the most poisonous non-chaos aligned human realm history had ever seen.

Though moderate for the most part, the government was still preoccupied with security of the realm. Prisoners and people of interest were collected and interrogated by the Brethren of the Willing, under their new Director, Kathran Mozil. Their prisoners did not officially exist, and were beyond the authority of the democratic councils Vulkan had painstakingly set up. Some said the Brethren had been reformed by Corax into a more secretive organisation, a move which the Lion had not appreciated (he had had his fill of secrecy being the Primarch of the Dark Angels).

The Brethren had a facility built in the treasure vaults beneath Dak’ir citadel, which had been named after the famous Salamander who had died rescuing a billion refugees from the Slaugth during the battle for Scintilla in M42. Within this facility, the most valuable assets of the Brethren were kept. One of the most valuable was the woman known as Crolomere the Grey.

She had been brought to Armageddon on the final orders of Imogen, the previous Director of the Brethren. However, the old woman had died in her sleep, and had taken the secret of why Crolomere had been brought to Armageddon to her grave (or she had not elaborated her reasons to the current leadership of the Brethren at least). Thus, when Crolomere had been brought back, the authorities assumed this was as a prisoner or enemy of the Empire. Only interrogation of Crolomere could reveal the truth of the matter.

Unfortunately, the sensei was stubborn, and refused to talk to her captors out of indignation at her treatment. She would not be coerced or bullied by the ignorant. Every interrogation technique used upon her failed. Even psychic scrying failed miserably; her mental defences were too tough for anyone less than an Alpha level psyker to even scratch.

It is likely the Primarchs could have figured out her purpose had they been around, but alas they were not, and paranoia forced the Pentus Imperium to imprison her.

Eventually, the woman chose to speak herself. She tried to convince the Brethren that it was imperative they released her. She was the only one who knew how to thwart the machinations of Ahriman. When asked how she knew this, she was forced to admit that she had helped the Sorcerer access (and subsequently steal) the gene vaults of Terra. This did not go down as well as she hoped, and the Investigative wing of the Imperium pentus resolved to imprison her until Vulkan came back, who could corroborate her story.

Other factions, shadowy factions working to complex agendas set up from the dawn of time, conspired to spring the sensei from her cell. But Crolomere was no helpless damsel; she was cunning and intelligent, honing her intellect over countless millennia. Using the sound of her guards’ footsteps, and the brief glimpses of Dak’ir tower’s surrounding suburbs and vaults she gleaned when she was first brought to the prison, she mentally built a map of the facility and its outlying area. Through carefully listening to snippets of conversations by the guards, she learned the rotations and the shift patterns of the guards, and where their sentry points and barracks wer elocated in relation to her internal map.

Once she was sure she had the measure of her prison, she made her move. When the guards came to search her room, she attacked them, severely beating two of them until they were forced to fire upon her. Their lasguns ripped ragged, head-zied holes in her unarmoured torso, vaporizing the flesh entirely. Consciously, Crolomere suppressed her formidable regenerative abilities, and the guards easily believed they had slain the woman.

Solemnly, they bore her corpse to the incinerator for disposal. Once they reached the furnace room, she sprang to life once more. Crolomere had been alive for thousands of years, and in that time she had become one of the most formidable human close quarter fighter, unaugmented by synthetic musculature or genetic engineering. She took down the seven elite Steel Legionnaires in quick succession, slaying them with their own caputured weapons. She didn’t have much time; in less than a minute. She kept a single las pistol and a vox bead, before she began to strip the men for their equipment. Crolomere had been a chymist in a past life, and she knew how materials reacted when burnt together. He poured the contents of several different grenades and flash bangs into the incinerator. Then, she clambered up into the chimney of the furnace, stoppering the way behind her with the helmet sof the guards. The flame retardant material prevented the furious fire from melting Crolomere as she climbed arduously through the narrow pipe. Meanwhile, the incinerator began to billow smoke and noxious fumes into the faiclity, as its chimney was blocked. When the guards burst into the incinerator chamber,r it was full of smoke, setting off fire alarms across the vault. The guards, briefly blinded by the smoke, did not see that seven lasguns were busily overcharging in the furnace, nor that they had been surrounded by chemically enhanced blasting powder from a dozen frag grenades.

The blast shook the entire facility, and almost dislodged Crolomere as she crawled through the red hot, airless interior of the Incinerator. Third degree burns covered her body, but she ignored the agony as she climbed upwards. The Pentus soldiers hadn’t anticipated anyone escaping via the scorching chimney of their corpse furnace, and thus had installed no safeguards or perimeters. She bypassed layer upon layer of security details, pillboxes and laser defence grids. The entire lower level was on lockdown; every door had sealed tight to prevent anyone escaping from below. All this had achieved was sealing the guards of the lower level down there too, leaving Crolomere able to escape upwards. Her soul was invisible to psykers; she had learned this fact centuries ago. Thus, even the psyker-wardens of Dak’ir tower could not scry for her.

The chimney came out halfway up the many-tiered hive tower, which loomed like a horizontal city above and behind her. It was raining as she finally kicked out the grate at the top of the chimney, and slithered out into the cooling night’s air. She lay upon a sloping roof for several moments, weeping with pain as the cooling grey rain fizzed over her red raw body. The healing process always hurt her more than the initial injury; after a while, a severe burn would go numb, as the pain receptors were destroyed. When she healed, the pain receptors healed too, and brought the pain back with a vengeance. Miraculously, the vox bead in her ear had survived relatively intact, and she managed to tune into the frequency of the only person she knew on Armageddon.

“Drazak... you have a purpose. Remember me Kage. Remember...” was all she managed to wheeze down the vox line through her scorched larynx.

The tower was in uproar; searchlights swept across the heavens, and armies of Confederation troopers rushed inside the tower, searching for the girl who must surely still be inside. Little did they know that she was crawling, slowly, between sloped rooves, biting back the pain as she regrew her skin and dirty blond hair.

Yet, just as she reached the lower levels, an Arbitrator APC stopped, and trained its spotlight onto her. A man in carapace stood up in the vehicle’s cupola. He recognised the girl instantly, and swung his storm bolter towards her.

The APC was a solid, hefty vehicle. Nevertheless, the vehicle was no match for the ninety ton ore-truck which barrelled into its side at seventy miles an hour. The APC flipped end over end, before crashing to a halt on its roof. From the truck’s cockpit, two figures emerged. One was a muscular man, festooned with tattoos and scars. The other was a looming dark figure, with spindly limbs and soulless glowing blue eyes. For a moment, she deliriously thought she was back on Drazak and was being assailed by a necron construct, but the lithe figure was too upright and too obviously human-built to be a mirror devil.

Kage rushed to her side, and hauled her over his shoulder. “I have to stop saving you. It’s getting embarrassing,” he laughed mockingly, as he set her down in the vehicle and sped off.

Crolomere was finally healed by the time they reached their destination; a non-descript hab on the edge of Chronol hive, a gleaming city of adamantium and glass. There was nothing exceptional about the house; Kage had moved in after being contacted by Bronislaw and his associates. Inside was a different matter.

The place was built of wriathbone and living crystal, which clung to the wraithbone walls like fibrous, solid cobwebs. A glittering, bejewelled webway gate shimmered in the far corner, studded with protective runes that seemed to fluctuate as she sought to look at them directly.

Kage had made a deal with the Revelation Host, and Jaxx, the Iron Man ally of kage, explained that they had been searching for Crolomere ever since she had defied Ahriman. Kage gave Crolomere some of his spare clothes before he let the skeletal android spokesman for Revelation continue.

She had proven tot he Host that she was not a servant of dissolution, as they had feared. Czevak had been made aware of the grey Sensei’s vital importance. Jaxx explained that she must come with him, to the heart of the webway, where she msut fulfil a vital role.

Crolomere turned to Kage, then back to jaxx. Then, she refused.

“No, false man. I am not going to go with you on some unknown errand, just because you believe in prophecies and fate. All of you; the Red Sorcerer, the Yngir star-hungry, the daemons and angyls, you all want the universe to dance to your tune. I am not a damsel to be won like a prize, I am not a pawn!” she snarled, as the android stared at her, blankly as ever.

“The White Lancer Astartes Commandery have been alerted to your escape, and have deployed a hunter company of one hundred Nova Astartes to bring you back into custody, alive or otherwise. We will be unable to protect you from them in this present location. We have roughly 10.236 minutes before the space marines locate our escape vehicle to this location, and approx 11.002 minutes until the Astartes assault this location directly,” Jaxx explained.

“I do not care. We’ll escape, me and Kage, won’t we?” she looked to Kage.

He shrugged. “I’ve been in worse situations.”

“Your deliquence is not apprieciated. I have been directed to bring you back to Lord Bronislaw Czevak and the Host,” Jaxx reiterated.

“Then explain why I should go,” she demanded.

Kage peered out of the window, and looked towards the eastern sky; a flight of White lancer fliers were approaching across the horizon. “Hurry it up, whatever you’re doing, or we’re all fugged!”

Jaxx cocked his head to one side, before opening a compartment in his hip and withdrawing a rune-covered cube, no bigger than a die. He placed the device in Crolomere’s hand.

“Close your hand. The psychic archive will sample your blood, and establish a psychic uplink. You will obtain clarity,” Jaxx instructed her.

Reluctantly, Crolomere did as she was asked. As the cube pierced her digits with pinpricks, the woman seemed to shimmer, gleaming with an aura of purest white and gold. Kage shielded his eyes as the light built to a blinding intensity. The moment passed, and the chamber returned to normal. Crolomere dropped the cube, and turned to smile at Kage, her cheeks wet with tears.

“The webway portal. It’s our only way out Kage. Will you come with me?”

Kage’s eyes narrowed, unsure what Crolomere had experienced (indeed, the printed chronicle of Vasiri the Watcher doesn’t seem to reference what she saw that so changed her mind). But his expression eventually softened.

“Well you weren’t leaving me here girl. Now let’s go if we’re going.”

And with that, the three entered the portal, which sealed itself automatically upon their passing.

However, Crolomere did not travel towards Revelation’s lair, as Jaxx had wanted her to. She travelled the forbidden routes, and headed towards the world where the Black Cube of Ahriman stood, with kage and the android in tow. Only she knew how to even the playing field against Ahriman, and she was determined to stop him.

In frustration at her willfulness, Czevak sent the Apex Twins and the Legion of the Damned after her. He only hoped that would be enough to resist the Librarian-King of the Thousand Sons and his nightmarish rubric.

[EDIT: I found it! Lion-bless me I found it! Vasiri hadn’t included it in the printed Chronicle, she had handwritten it, and shoved it in amongst the reams of dataslates and memory crystals that made up her chronicle of the Age of Dusk. ]

''She felt the rushing of fire and ice water through my veins, as she beheld a great field, endless in all directions. But through the field rose up clouds, nebulae and infant stars, wheeling about her, as if she were some impossibly huge entity bestriding the galaxy itself, which filled her vision wherever she turned.
Where she focussed upon a particular patch of stars, those stars grew in size and scale, until she felt as if she were an invisible voyeur peering from orbit at the events unfolding below. She saw fleets clashing over Corbellus; mechanical nightmares and demi-gods, mortals and devils crashing together, and the undulating roars of the Red Angel and the Wolf. The pain and fire was too hot to bear, to raw to know.

She turned away, and beheld an alien city crumbling, a flaming hero battling a mighty tide of frothing bile. And above them all, a shattered ship and two gladiatorial killers locked in combat; the favoured Son of a favoured Son and the Lord of Wights, Huron the un-dead. Looking away in disgust, she suddenly beheld the thorny crown of Aurellian, rising one point at a time from an oily black soup of misery and horror. The Travesty with a face.

Looking south, mortal men charged the would-be God and his enslaved Rubric Hordes. They were mighty and courageous, Braiva’s best, but even the best were nothing compared to the ascendant darkness, the pretender to the throne of all creation.

Hope stood before the black sphere, but the fleet was left outside in the cold. Would they have their peace, or would they fail, like so many dreamers before them? The Last Good Man lowered his head, and mouthed silent words.

She saw necrons falling into dust, silent evermore. She saw the stars swelling with impossible hues, and tearing the materium in every corner of the galaxy. The vision accelerated, faster and faster, until she screamed and the vision retreated, leaving her surrounded by a hazy smoke.

The smoke cleared, as a figure emerged, wreathed by blinding shafts of golden hued light, that shone from behind him, making him indistinct.

“I am sorry it has come to this.”

The figure’s voice was beautific and youthful, and as he spoke, the shining light faded, and his beautiful, serene face was revealed, clad in a simple robe of pearl, edged with platinum. A singlet of simple gold crowned his head, and his eyes...

Crolomere recognized those eyes, somehow she knew this man. Realization dawned in a flash.

“I see that you have questions. I will endeavor to answer them. You may call me Revelation, for the purposes of this meeting.”

Crolomere stepped forwards, and slapped the golden figure in the face. The man took the blow, and Crolomere felt her arm go temporarily numb, as if a great current had passed through it for a moment. She glared at the man.

“Revelation? All this theatrics doesn’t benefit you in the slightest when it comes to me ''Revelation''. I know you. I’ve always known you. I cannot help but remember my absentee father,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

The serene figure raised its hands placatingly. “The Emperor was a distant man, I will freely admit this. He had compassion, but it was submerged beneath duty; an awful burden that he had been given by the eldest Perpetuals. You know the story. It is true, you know this Crolomere.”

The world around them shifted and morphed, becoming an ancient sandstone city.

“This was where I was created, then abandoned to fend for myself in the universe,” Crolomere explained coldly. “Why show me this?”

“This psychic vision is not mine alone. Our minds are joined here,” Revelation explained.

Crolomere’s eyes glistened, wavering on the point of tears. “How could you abandon me? Abandon us? You have no idea how many offspring you fathered. I met some of them. None of them, not one, ever knew you. You lavished love upon those living weapons you built, why could you not have loved us?”

“Your souls were invisible to the Emperor. He could not sense you.”

“Mortal fathers cannot sense the souls of their children, but they still care for them. Keep them safe...” Crolomere began, before she turned away from Revelation.

“I am truly sorry. I feel-”

“You feel nothing! You were a cold, indifferent monster, and the Empire you created was almost as bad as the Primordial Annihilator itself. Do you see why I turned form the Imperium, and became Grey? What are you anyway? The Emperor died, I felt him die when Cypher plunged the Lion sword through his heart. I felt the Star father rise. I don’t even know what this thing is, which comes to beg for my assistance. It is like no Emperor I recall,” she wept bitterly.

Revelation psychically placed a golden palm upon her sobbing shoulder. “Compassion, humanity; things discarded by the Anathema to become what it needed to be at the time. This compassion will pour into me, amongst other things. The moment is coming, sooner now than later. Please believe me,” the serene unborn god replied, each word perfectly formed upon his lips.

She turned to him slowly. “I could never abandon my children. I had so many; dozens upon dozens through the millennia. I watched them grow and thrive, love and live, age and die. They are all gone now. Your longevity does not pass down the biological line beyond your immediate offspring it seems. I stayed with my families, even when they withered to dried ancients and passed away in their sleep. I recall the names of every one. And you, you couldn’t find us right away, and gave up on us. You...”

She couldn’t go on.

The world shifted again, becoming a thousand battlefields and warzones, across different worlds and shifting versions of the Earth. Some were alternate futures, where Terra was a sterile rock of nuclear fallout, others where the orks or the Necrons stood over a planet of slaves, desperately worshipping those beings that had laid them low. “Look upon these wars. These neverending wars. The Emperor was forced to intervene, time and again. Forced to manage humanity, and bring it back from the brink of disaster. His responsibility was to all humanity, not just you or those he might have called his friends. His mind... you do not understand the nature of this man, but you can understand this; he became so old, everyone he had ever met had perished, destroyed by the tyranny of time. Personal attachments seared his soul. It was like falling in love with a mayfly to him, again and again. He dared not make attachments, or else he would certainly lose them, to death and to time. He sacrificed this for humanity. This made him cold, but this was the pragmatic thing to do.”

Crolomere smiled bleakly. “That’s the talk of the Star Father.”

“Yes, and the Anathema is wrong. It is a distorted image of a creed humanity failed to understand. They lost their guidance, and let their fear and hatred make a monster out of the one being who wanted, more than anything, to save them.”

Giant monsters loomed alla round them, and Crolomere recoiled in sudden fright.
There was a giant brass-horned devil, spewing blood and sulphur.
An odious monster of cogs and gears and crushing claws.
A smirking fiend with a black and white face.
An androgynous princess with a serpent’s tongue.
A feathered tower of undulating flesh.
A festering mass of cancerous growths and billowing slime.
Faceless armour with gauntlets of silver.
Three other things pushed up through the undulating plain, but they were formless, and voiceless, like unworked clay.

“Who are the final three?” Crolomere asked Revelation, her voice oddly weak as she watched the creatures rip their way through the flimsy ground.

“They aren’t anything yet. Their form is not yet set. History is not written in stone; even I am only potential. But there are forces, powerful forces, getting close to ascension. Some will be bad, some insane, some might be good. But all of them are desperate, and will all rush headlong into this future. On some level, they all know their chances for godhood are dwindling. That is why things are speeding up for your time period. Events are unfolding faster than any can predict. My time is approaching.”

Crolomere sneered at Revelation. “You want to be part of this pantheon too?”

He smiled then, and it was as if sun had risen on a stormy day, and vanquished the rain. He placed a hand on her cheek lovingly. “No. When I come into existence, it will not be as one of the great powers. That is not my way. This deep rising nightmare... this Nexusofeverfatedrisingmadnesshopeofallturnedblackdoomtoallthebeligerentsandtheirgodsallhaildoomnightmares... is not undefeatable. There is a chance, a slim chance, that I can save everybody; everything that has ever existed or shall ever exist. But I need time, and time is working against me.”

The world turned dark and cold and Crolomere found herself upon a dune of grey ash. “What do you mean?”

Revelation sighed, and seemed ancient beyond reckoning for a brief instance. “I must be born before the last god rises. If not, the barriers between realities will fail, and the window of opportunity will close. Then everything will be ash.”

“I see what you demand from me. You only care about me now so you can harvest me. You need a host, is that it?”

Revelation shed a tear, to Crolomere’s surprise. The droplet fell from his face, and struck the ground like a fifty ton weight, cracking the ashstrewn earth like a jackhammer. “No. You do not understand. I need time. The rise of gods can be slowed. That would give me the time.”

Crolomere considered his words. “Ahriman. He is the closest to ascension. I know how to stop him. Are these your orders? You want me to destroy him?”

Revelation was youthful again, but his golden gleam was gone, as the vision grew ever colder. Snow covered the ground, and the world was barren at their feet. “I do not demand anything of you, my dear Crolomere. I would never demand anything of you if you truly did not wish to go. I just needed to speak with you. I have faith in you. You will make the right choice.”

Crolomere looked at revelation, with her ever-youthful blue eyes streaming with tears. “I helped bring about Ahriman. I can destroy him. Revelation, I will destroy him, I promise you.”

And with that, Crolomere faded from the psychic vision, leaving revelation alone in an every darkening vista.

“You didn’t tell her?” another man said, at Revelation’s side.

Revelation’s expression was no longer serene. “I couldn’t. It had to be her choice. I am nobody’s tyrant.”

“But if Ahriman kills her, the process will never take place. You might never exist my Lord,” the second man responded, as the world became pitch black. Only voices remained.

“Perhaps. But would she have gone to face Ahriman if she knew?”

The second man had no answer, as the vision ended.

The Compassionate one was of course right. Crolomere was not ready for the final Revelation. The revelation that the emperor was dead, and had died the moment he had thrown his compassion into the warp. The revelation that the one who called Himself ‘Revelation’ was not the Father of Crolomere.

He was the Son.''
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==Additional background Section 43: The Battle of Corbellus (part 2)==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">On Catachan, they had a saying. ‘When a devil’s jaws close around you, you must strike harder and faster than ever before. Strike fast, and strike again. Though the devil has you at its mercy, the flesh at the back of the gullet is softer, the scales less dense.’

Admittedly, it lacks a certain poetry the truisms of other planets might possess, but nevertheless, the Catachan saying has many analogous applications.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

As it transpired, at the ambush at Corbellus, this phrase seems to have been absorbed by the warriors of Pentus. Like the unfortunate jungle fighter, they were on the brink of being consumed by the hordes of Perturabo and Angron, that flooded in from all directions it seemed.

On the one hand, Perturabo was a genius; he had managed to catch effectively the entire strength of the Pentus host in one area.

On the other hand, Perturabo had been foolish; he had managed to catch effectively the entire strength of the Pentus Host in one area.

Cornered on all sides, both the Travesty and Pentus Primarchs knew there was only one option open to the ambushed force. They would have to fight with all the fury and monumental power they could muster, and there would be nowhere to retreat. Thoughts of the Phall system ghosted in Perturabo’s memories. A great victory. A crushing ambush. But the victory hinged upon the flight of his foes. To flee was to reveal your vulnerable backs to the enemy.

Corbellus would be different. Corbellus was more akin to throttling a serpent studded with needles, or swallowing a struggling scorpion whole. If he succeeded, the Imperium pentus would be extinct, but if he failed, they would escape and his force would crumble. His force of daemon engines, devils and posthuman monsters did not outnumber the Pentus force by a significant fraction. He would have to rely on more than simple numbers to carry the day.

For the Primarchs Pentus, to their credit if the ambush had fazed them, they only registered this for the briefest of instants, before they utterly restructured their plans. They were not improvising, as one might assume; their minds simply abandoned their previous plan, devised half a dozen new ones, performed hypothetical scenarios with each approach and decided and fixed the new plan within their minds, all within the space of fifteen heartbeats. The main weapon of a Primarch was not merely their herculean bodies, but also their incredible minds. It took them marginally longer to elaborate their plans tot heir professional yet bewildered generals and bridge officers.

As the fleet reordered itself, the Travesty fleet closed the noose, forming an ever tightening sphere formation around the smaller, dense, spiny sphere of Pentus ships at their heart.

Thus, the battle of Corbellus began.

Space battles, as elaborated upon in previous sections, are not really one battle at all. They are a war in microcosm; each boarding actions or teleporter assault is a desperate epic battle, with the battlefields themselves battling each other. Conflicts can be won upon the war torn decks of a cruiser, only for the entire battle to become meaningless when a rogue lance strike bisects the vessel and leaves it as an airless tomb full of pointless corpses. And the clash of ships, with the gigaton weaponry, layered shielding and meters thick armor, are fought on a scale of distance and time larger than a mortal man could easily envisage. Skirmishes last for hours, across millions of kilometers, and pitched battles might last days. And all these conflicts occur at once.

To an outside observer, after the opening gambits of the battle, where the smaller ball of Pentus ships seemed to suddenly grow a sheath of spikes, as battleships led escort fleets in preemptive assaults against the enclosing Travesty, the overall fleet action looked as though it lost its coherency, becoming a hetregenous ball of warring ships, almost ten light minutes in diameter. But in fact, the two fleets clashed and began to swirl between each other, in a silent, deadly ballet of infinite complexity. It seemed deceptively tranquil from afar, but in truth, it was a churning mass of vessels, only visible in the void thanks to the relentless blazing of their engines and their furious gun batteries, filling the spaces between them with multiple hues of plasma fire, hypersonic kinetic contrails and flights of guided projectile ordinance glittering in the dark.

In the first phases of the battle, the layered shielding of the two fleets meant that combat boiled down to relentlessly pounding against one another’s forcefields until one side gave in. Battleships scattered squadrons of cruisers, while cruisers duelled with one another, and frigates and destroyers hunted one another through the expansive battleground. Each fleet movement was ordered by the primarch admirals and their advisors, and each manoeuvre was implemented by dedicated and skilled captains, who tried their best to keep their cool amidst a veritable ocean of targets and friendly vessels; one wrong move could mean disaster.

It would be impractical to describe each and every action and counter action performed by the warring fleets. Nor would it be possible to depict every event in a chronological progression, as most of the manoeuvres and vector assaults performed by the protagonists of this epic naval drama occurred at similar times. Instead, I shall focus on the actions of a few major and important vessels and historical figures of significance that were mentioned multiple times in the collected histories of this historical battle. These actions are roughly chronological, but as previously iterated, the order of events might have been different. One must bear in mind that this battle was fought across a massive area of space, so much so that the light from one side of the battle would not reach the sensors of ships fighting on the opposite side for at least ten minutes.
The chaos fleet was a menagerie of mechanical terrors. Some of the steel and yellow chevroned vessels looked almost like normal vessels of human or alien construction, if only slightly warped and asymmetrical. Thers were demented things, like colossal golems of living metal and hell fire. One vessel, nicknamed the Kraken by the Wolf brothers as soon as they spotted it, looked almsot like some grotesque mechanical squid, complete with articulated tentacles, each as long as a frigate. Another vessel was simply a series of interlocking rings festooned with gun ports and thrusters, eternally swinging around one another like some demented gyroscope. The Goliath Engine, that grotesque fusion of factory, asteroid and bloated steel beetle, was by far the largest and most impossibly threatening. Its great torpedo bays and tiered pyramids of chittering macrocannon batteries, pounded vessel after vessel into scrap metal; metal which was then drawn towards the lumpen mass with grappling hooks, increasing the size of the Goliath Engine each time it made a kill. Many were the forms of the chaos fleet, but all were united in their foulness.

The Antioch, the great flagship of the White Lancers and the Lion’s mighty chariot, plunged into the fray almost immediately with the commencement of battle. With the cool, calm precision of a surgeon, the Lion ordered gun ports open, and mustered a force of escorts to follow in the ship’s wake as it took the fight to the chaos forces. The first weapon to activate was the great white spear. A dorsal silo at the centre of the Antioch’s spine peeled open with silken precision, as the mighty lance turret rose like the head of a cobra. The scorching white lance beam wreaked havoc as the Antioch closed into rang eof its foes. The spear beam moved amongst them, carving open shielded escorts and cruisers with equal ease. Ships were bisected, sometimes five at once, as the obscenely powerful weapon. The Antioch moved in odd patterns, banking and rolling or turning end over end through space to engage targets at theoptimal vectors of attack; where the enemy’s shields were at their weakest, or into a volume of space the Lion knew an enemy ship was about to enter. The Spear of Antioch kept the larger vessels at long range, but eventually the smaller, nimbler chaos escorts manage dto get within range with their own weapons. This forced the Antioch to rely upon its dedicated gun crews on the starboard and port batteries to hold them off.

As the enemy neared, the pectoral hangars of the forbidding black capital ship unfurled. From here descended a flight of Dothrak class Commandery gunships, sleek replacements of the long outdated thunderhawks. The craft which led them from Antioch’s holds was a gleaming white marvel of warcraft. Somewhere between the size of a thunderhawk and one of the Tau manta ships of old, the sleek vessel dwarfed its escorting gunships, but there was not even a hint that this size in any way slowed the spacecraft. Its forward-swept wings were equipped with a variety of unique weapon systems; demi-lances, coilguns, conversion beamers and missile pods. It also carried heavier missile systems internally within a bomb bay. This vessel was beautiful, etched with beautiful images of white winged pegasi and gryphons. This vessel was known simply as the Stormrider. This was its first flight in battle, but it would not be its last. The forces of chaos would come to curse this vessel’s name, for it was no mere fighter. It was the winged chariot of Jaghati Khan himself.

The Stormrider and its squadrons swooped between the escort craft like hawks in formation, neatly carving away the defensive turrets and gun decks of the enemy, before planting missiles into key communication and navigational systems. At a glance, even while evading defensive turret fire, the Khan could immediately discern the weakpoints of enemy ships, and struck hard and lighting-fast in their figurative jugulars. As more and more ships were dragged into the battle, the void began to fill with fighters and flyers from both sides. The Khan picked up new fighter wings every few minutes, as he swept between the citadels and towers of enemy and friendly capital ships alike, like a white ghost riding the waves of gunfire as if their were foam on a turbulent ocean.

Around the largest chaos capital ships, what at first seemed like millions upon millions of decorative gargoyles and grotesques, were revealed to be flight after flight of screeching heldrake daemon engines. As the pentus fighters tried to attack the larger ships, flocks of heldrakes descended upon them with daemonic fury. Even the Khan was hard pressed to fight his way through the relentless waves of clawed monsters. Through these flocks, manned hell talons darted through to attack the Pentus capital ships, but few managed to get through the turrets and laser grids of the mighty vessels.

The Kraken lunged forwards through the void, its thick hide ignoring the bombardment of the battleships rushing to intercept it. Instead of ink, the thing spewed clouds of superheated plasma vapor, accelerated to near relativistic speed. These clouds rippled across void shields, shorting them out in quick order as layer after layer failed. Once shields were down, the kraken powered itself to within a few thousand kilometers, before firing its tendrils forwards, drawing in unfortunate vessels towards it colossal tentacles, and the churning beak-like maw of the mechanical horror. Ships were digested slowly, their crews desperately trying to flee as they were consumed in fire and agony.

The gyroscope daemon engine simply maneuvered itself so as many enemies surrounded it as possible, before unleashing its tremendous batteries in all directions, heedless of who or what it hit.

From the Phalanx, Vulkan directed a hundred different naval engagements simultaneously; he lured ships into traps, where his cruisers could surround them and pound their rear armour to scrap, or he made certain areas oft he fleet appear weaker, so that the enemy were drawn towards these volume sof space, while the actual weak points were given half and hour or so to lick their wounds before another flight of escorts or some new horror came to test them. The Phalanx itself seemed impervious to every direct assault made against it. Lances blistered the void shields, but little else. Macro shells and torpedoes plunged through the shields slowly, but their gigaton blasts we all show, rippling up in mushroom clouds within the atmosphere of the asteroid, but doing little more than scorching the sixth of a mile thick hull plating that clad the battle station.

The Conqueror pressed its attack with the irresistible animal fury of the Primarch that commanded it. Smashing aside lesser vessels with sheer weight of fire, the World Eater vessel had one target for its gargoyle-snouted guns and serrated dagger prow; the Sleipnir, the chariot of the Wolf King. The Sleipnir too thundered through the storm of the unfolding battle. Like two Dark Age champions fighting through a scrappy melee to reach their opposite number, the ships smashed apart cruisers and shuttles who were not swift or maneuverable enough to evade them. One was driven by a mad berserker daemon, hungry for glory and the pleasure of ripping apart his greatest rival. The other, outwardly, seemed driven by the same frenzied bloodlust, howling like a mad hound as Hrothnar and his Rout echoed his call. But Leman Russ had calculated this engagement. He knew that Angron would throw everything against the Wolf King, and kill any friend or foe that impeded him. Russ knew that if he kept Angron focused upon him, Vulkan and his brothers would have a chance to balance the terms of the engagement. He had to draw Angron’s fleet away from Perturabo’s somehow. Indulging Angron in his manic dreams of combat was one such method.

The Rout and the Wolf Brothers, and all their attendant hunting fleets, clashed seemingly as one against the World Eaters, the Beasts of Annihilation, and all their diverse fleet elements of their Blood Pact allies. Conqueror and Sleipnir, shields at full power, unleashed a veritable hellstorm of ordnance against one another. Torpedoes and missiles, macro cannons and coilguns, particle accelerators and plasma batteries. The six thousand kilometers between the two ships became a solid wall of multi-hued fire. Shields were pounded down as quickly as they were repaired and reactivated, the mortal repair crews and tech priests working strenuously to keep their respective ships functioning under such intense bombardment. With shields up, mundane teleport assaults were impossible, but the two forces, desperate to come to grips with one another, launched their gunships, dreadclaws and boarding torpedoes in the hope of crossing blades with one another. The devil-possessed Beasts of Annihilation threw themselves into mad, sprawling battles with bestial demi-wulfen, claws and fangs robbing these battles of any semblance of skill. Howling Wolf Brothers and the forces of the Rout leapt from their boarding ships with axes and whirring chainblades drawn, only to to be met with equally bloodthirsty and fearsome Khorne Berserkers and cackling bloodetters. This naval engagement was like a fleet battle within a fleet battle; a burning arc of clashing ships on the edge of the chaotic ball of engaged vessels that formed the main part of the wider conflict.

Sleipnir and conqueror’s defenses prevented any mundane boarding attempts. Despite himself, Russ found this frustrating. Though he was a masterful naval commander, he was born to be the red right hand of the Emperor; his personal executioner. Closer quarters were where he was most at home.

Russ would get his chance roughly three hours into the battle. Though standard teleport beams were consistently baffled by the Sleipnir’s mighty void shielding, they could not prevent the more esoteric and infernal means at the disposal of the Travesty. Skalvad Fenrisborn, a captain of the Wolf Brothers, was put in charge of the routing of any enemy who managed to enter the Sleipnir itself. The Old Imperial Astartes was an ancient warrior, with a great white beard and fangs as long and sharp as any Space Wolf veteran. He was called into action when the mortal serfs toiling in the gunnery decks of the Sleipnir sent out a desperate distress call; they were under attack. They only managed one word more before the vox link was severed. Bloodthirsters.

A dozen of the greater daemons wrought bloody havoc across the gun decks of the Sleipnir, ripping apart the macro cannons and the helpless mortals who crewed them. The gun dck was like a butcher’s yard, and echoed with the bovine bellowing of impossible monsters. One amongst them roared with a voice deeper and more terrible than a thunderstorm. The servants of Russ’s children were not cowards, but though they drew their axes and rifles in defiance, they were all too easily crushed and crippled by the red-raw daemons of Khorne. By the time Skalvad reached them, a whole company of the Rout lay broken in the wake of the bloodthirsters, who slaughtered and maimed in the middle distance. Snarling in rage, the old Imperial Wolf Brother ordered his Astartes forwards, unleashing a torrent of bolter and missile fire into the flying monsters. Each of the bloodthirsters were subtly different creatures; some had larger horns, some had tusks like a boar, others had the faces of men or bulls. But one of them was different. It was a hulking red mass, like the rest, but this beast was different. It killed with effortless precision, married to khornate’s marshal bloodlust. Its twin axes cleaved all who strayed towards. This fiend made the bloodthirsters seem like artless brawlers by comparison. When the winged nightmare turned its face towards the attacking Wolf Brothers, Skalvad recognized the vile features of the beast, set upon a thick neck veined with snaking cables and oily vines. This was Angron himself. Angron was there.

Skalvad fought down the instinctual fear that gnawed in his gut, and pressed on his assault. When his bolter was spent, it was said that the ancient space marine took up a fallen power lance from a dead comrade, bound an orchard of grenades to tis tip, and cast it forth like a mighty javelin. It covered 200 metres in a matter of seconds, sailing towards the mighty Daemon Primarch. But Angron was fast, and snatched it from the air moments before it struck. Then he smiled, as the grenades exploded, wreathing him with a halo of scorching fire. Sword drawn, the veteran nevertheless charged the primarch and his bloodthirster retinue. Even as his own command squad was cut down around him, he continued his charge. Even as he was lifted from the air by Angron, his battlecry remained undimmed. Even as his frostblade shattered against Angron’s hardy skull, he did not stop striking him. Angron didn’t even bother to cut Skalvad’s head off; he simply closed his mighty fist, and grinned as the space marine’s body began to give way. First his power amrour buckled, then his bones cracked, and finally he felt his organs bursting. Only then did Skalvad fall quiet.

As his mournful howl died on his lips, so another, infinitely greater howl erupted around the ruined halls of gunnery. Angron turned to face this new foe with perverse relish.

“Release him, you craven coward!” roared leman Russ, as he entered the blasted hall, his great pistol raisd and his wickedly sharp frostblade drawn, stepping through a field of dead and broken Astartes. Angron casually tossed Skalvad aside like a broken toy, and stepped down from the sundered macro cannon he had perched upon. Angron’s voice was deep and grating, raw as an open wound.

“So the wolf has come. But he is no wolf, is he? He was the Emperor’s loyal dog, just as he is Vulkan’s dog now,” Angron growled darkly, sparks and sulphur pouring from his slavering maw as he drew his bronze axes. The eleven bloodthirsters turned towards Leman Russ as Angron spoke, readying their own axes and fiery lashes.

“You fled your father to serve under another master’s lash. You slaved yourself to the Luna Wolf’s pack. You, Angron, are the cur in the collar, yet I am the dog?” Russ snarled in response, pointing his blade towards the burning brass collar smouldering around the thick neck of the daemon Primarch.

At this, Angron screamed a deathly scream, a sonorous bellow that shook the gun deck to its core. All who witnessed this exchange between demi-gods were heedless of the naval battle raging just beyond the armoured skin of the Sleipnir’s hull.

Russ smiled disingenuously. “In the old days, the scholars and the wise of the Imperium used to ponder the hierarchy of the Primarchs. Who would best who? Who might be the strongest? They always used to compare us; the wolf and the hound, the two berserkers. But we both know the truth of that don’t we? You are a brute, and a bully; always have been. I would always triumph over you, for you are broken. Now come, let me finish the task the slave masters of your birth world failed to accomplish!” Russ roared as he fired his mighty pistol. The flurry of shells exploded before Angron, the projectiles cut fromt he air in the blink of an eye by the impossible speed of Angron the Red Angel.

“Perhaps, perhaps not, hound. But it matters not; that was then, Wolf King, this is now! I was tethered by flesh and my butcher’s nails then, and I was young. But now I am old and strong! The Travesty flows through my veins! I am the stronger now and forever, little brother! I shall break you!” Angron bellowed again, like a braying Titan’s war horn.

With a gesture, Angron sent his bloodthirster retinue forwards, axes drawn and ready to slay Russ. The Primarch leapt into combat with a howl of glee, frostblade singing as it clashed with daemon-forged iron and blood-forged brass. The daemons were winged terrors, taller even that Russ, but as he charged, he howled an ethereal howl, that seemed to ripple through dimensions and wail the heart of the most brutish daemonspawn. His sword turned axes, and his pistol blasted fang-filled maws to fizzing ichor. No lash could bind his limb,s for he severed them with his chill blade.

But eleven bloodthirsters was a foe few could hope to summount alone, and it looked as if, for a moment, the barbarian king might falter in his headlong charge. But fortunately, he was not alone. Wolf Brother reserves poured into the chamber, mounted in mighty land raiders, as the Thunderwolves of Old.*These heavy weapons drove off the bloodthirsters, who flew to engage the armour units entering the fray.

This left Russ with a clear path to Angron. Angron laughed with infernal hatred as he charged to meet his nemesis. The first hundred blows and coutnerblows landed by the two demi-gods were near invisible, as their speed and unfathomable reflexes warred for advantage. Russ fired into combat as he duelled, bathing the Red Angel in fire and shrapnel, slowing the daemon just long enough to allow the Wolf King to press forwards, raining blow after blow against Angron’s guard. Angron, seeking to break this pattern, desperately struck out with a kick, his hoof connecting squarely with Russ’s chestplate. The primarch was sent flying bodily, impacting the deck wth a sonorous clang.

Moments later, Angron launched himself into the air on his bloodied pinions, before plunging towards his hated foe. Russ barely rolled aside as he slammed into the deck. The shockwave was like the discharge of a magma shell, carving a five metre crater in the adamantine floor. Slowly, Angron rose from the partially-melted metal, a towering monster, taller that his opponent by several metres. Russ rose too, and looked up at the giant with undisguised contempt.

“I have killed bigger,” he mocked, as he charged his fallen brother once more.

The fight raged from deck to deck, level to level. They wrestled and fenced, bit and slashed with fang and claw. They threw one another through walls and bulkheads with the ease a man might shatter a pane of glass. As the duel continued, one of the daemonic axes of Angron was knocked from his hand, while Russ’ pistol lay smashed upon the floor, stamped into a million useless shards. Angron snatched up a fallen lascannon turret by the barrel, and using it like a club, shattered it across the head of Leman Russ, who staggered backwards, bloody froth tainting his thick beard. Russ dodged the follow up blow, and with a mighty bound, he leapt up to grasp Angron by the collar at his neck. Howling his ethereal howl, Russ thrust his head forwards, and head butted the Red Angel square between his soulless reptilian eyes. It was Angron’s turn to stagger.

Elsewhere in the Corbellus system, the naval battle entered its second phase. The first of the void shields were going down; battered down by relentless exchanges of ordnance and lance fire. With their fall, the teleport assaults began in earnest. The local warp was alive with teleport beams, flashing invisibly between the mass of ships. Such dense traffic was utterly lethal to some, for to find one specific ship amidst all the rapidly manoeuvring fleet vessels was a difficult task. Some were teleported into bulkheads, others into deep space, or into the entirely wrong ship. Other would be boarders accidentally attempted to breach shielded vessels, and were rebuffed, trapped forever in the sea of souls. But enough soldiers from both sides managed to reach their destinations to instigate battle. Terminator assault teams killed everything they came into contact with, fists swinging and bolters roaring as they wasted no time on establishing perimeters or scouting out the ships they invaded.

The kai Bane Host did not deploy via teleport assault. They had their own vast assault modules, construsted in the form of great three-legged crustaceans, as large as an imperator titan. They were known as helwasps. These helwasps were fired from Iron Warrior forge ships directly, like vast torpedoes. Once they impacted on a vessel’s sides, they would anchor themselves to the hull using their titanic limbs, before unfurling a great drill from the central mass of the module. The whirring teeth of the drills were forged of daemon iron, and no hull could hope to resist the spinning, chewing power of them. Like a parasitic fly, this drill-tipped proboscis injected its internal contents inside the enemy vessel. Unfortunately for the stricken vessels involved, their contents were Kai bane warriors. Each module held hundreds of the mighty daemon engines, alongside their larger defiler cousins. Just a few helwasps impacting on a ship was enough to flood the vessel with lethal daemonic supersoldiers. Perturabo had ordered that he preferred that his brothers’ vessels were captured, so that he might bolster his own fleet, and hasten the destruction of the Pentus crusade. The Kai bane Host was to kill all who resisted, and then iron Warriors and other lesser servants of the Scourge of Olympia would be deployed to take command of the engine rooms, gun decks and command bridges of the captured vessels.

Many pentus ships fell to this ploy, for the kai bane Host were terrifyingly powerful. Their daemon-forged bodies were immune to all but the heaviest fire; even bolter rounds pattered harmlessly against them. They were as big and as powerful as Cataphracti terminators, but moved with the swift, relentless energy of a tactical marine, their oversized kai gun daemon weapons felling the mightiest of Astartes. If the Astartes were struggling to contain them, mortal security teams and naval provosts were almost pitifully outmatched. Undreds of ships fell in this manner, and within a few hours, their guns came back online, but turned against their former allies.

But the Kai Bane Host did not have it all its own way. Onboard the command vessel of the Confederaiton of Justice, their troopers sensibly avoided open combat with the kai bane, and instead used mortars and repurposed macrocannon propellant to hold off the dameon engines, giving their IEU pilots time to reach their battlesuits. Once embarked, they engaged the kai bane Host on much more equal terms, stalemating the enemy on several of their main troopships. Captain Thezon of the Iron Hands, a master of boarding actions and counter boarding techniques, used all his cybernetic warriors to maximum effect in the narrow confines of his vessel, the Anvil. Though his bolters were ineffective, he managed to lure some kai bane warriors into kill zones of autocannon and meltagun emplacements, or held them off with controlled demolitions. Even as he coldly sent in wave upon wave of servitors into the guns of the Kai Bane to stall them, his techmarines started refitting his Commandery with unstable, flux-core ‘vengeance’ bolter rounds. They were shorter range than normal rounds, but Thezon rightly predicted they would penetrate the daemon engines much more effectively. Soon, he and his men pushed the kai bane back to their helwasps, before transmitting his findings to his fellow Commandery Leaders.

Disasterously, the shields of the primary conveyor for the Thunder Lizard Tank legion was also breached by the fearsome helwasp assault modules; dozens of the gigantic vehicle clamping themselves to the undergunned transport ship. While the Thunder Lizards were mighty planetside, they were considered near helpless while in the cargo holds of their conveyors. The only defenders of the ship were the standard armed ratings and security teams of mundane naval ships. A great despairing cry arose amongst the pentus forces as it seemed their great anti-titan war machines were doomed to be captured by the enemy.

However, both the enemy and even the Thunder Lizard Legion’s allies had underestimated the resolve of these recklessly brave tankers. The Commander of the Tyrannosaurus would not sit idly by while the conveyor was torn apart around him. Gathering a force of Megasaurs around his colossal command tank, he directed their fire to a specific weak point in the cargo bay’s hull structure, concentrating their fire to blast a great hole into the void itself. Magnetizing their tracks to prevent being blown into space, the Tyrannosaurus Rex led its battalion of super heavies out onto the expansive, eleven mile long outer hull of the conveyor. There, they engaged the helwasps directly; a move not even the demented strategists of the Travesty had anticipated. Witnesses from the crew of the conveyor watched in dumbstruck awe as a phalanx of super heavy tanks rolled across the city-like skin of the vessel, their engines and flashing weaponry silent in the void. The sky above them was alive with the wider conflict of Corbellus, but the Tyrannosaurus was focused upon its goal. The helwasps themselves had no armaments, and were forced to instead open their flanks and deployed the Kai bane warriors, maulerfiends and defilers to the outer hull of the ship. Though the daemon engines fought with the fearlessness of the arcane and the perverse, they were utterly outmatched by the Thunder Lizards. One by one the helwasps were purged, and their passengers destroyed by high energy lance and cannon. The Tyrannosaurus ended the aborted ship incursion in spectacular style; severing the three docking limbs of a helwasp, before ramming the last remaining module out into the void. As it rose up from the ship’s hull, the Tyrannosaurus planted half a dozen missiles into it, blasting it apart in a cascade of purple energy. The ship’s void shields reactivated moments before the next wave of ordnance could impact upon the hull. The cheers resounding within the tank conveyor were deafening.

Meanwhile, the great kraken engine wreaked a dreadful tally amongst the Pentus fleet, ripping apart ship after ship with its claws and articulated tentacles. The Crato, a Fire Beasts/Nemenmarines attack cruiser, barely escaped the clutches of the grand cruiser sized daemon machine, as the Crato rushed to try and aid Russ’s beleaguered fleet elements on the perimeter of the battlezone. However, the vessel was not left unscathed. The kraken ripped off a towering chunk of super structure, and plunged it like a dagger into the spine of the Crato. In a case of spectacular bad luck, the wreckage smashed into the primary command bridge, located in the middle of the vessel, as well as gutting the dorsal, starboard and port weapon batteries when the ammunition magazines were detonated. The burning ship spiraled out of control, only just managing to escape the follow up strike of the kraken. But the first blow was bad enough. Thousands were dead, including the Two Captains of the Commanderies onboard, and most of its weapons were rendered useless by the catastrophic damage that had nearly bisected the cruiser.

The Devil of Catachan, the vast war factory of the Pentus crusade, held off Beasts of Annihilation incursions, kai bane assaults and its wings of fighters and assault craft swept the void around it of anything large than a landing craft. However, the Devil of Catachan had one weakness; its pectoral ship yard was a vast space open to the void, for it was designed to allow battlecruisers and smaller naval ships to enter safely for repairs. It was said the Ryzan tech priests were still repairing the battlecruiser Gheist inside its pectoral factory yards when the Ryzan-Catachan Plasma Commandoes, led by Marella Harker, fought off wave upon wave of Blood Pact troops that entered the space via assault boats normally too large to be used in normal naval incursions. The Blood Pact troops were backed up by Kai bane engines and Iron Warriors, along with some of Angron’s berserkers. The plasma weaponry of the Commandoes was sufficient to destroy Kai bane shells though, and levelled the playing field significantly during the six hour long battle in the hangar. During the battle, the un-finished Gheist was damaged further by the fearsome tides of chaotic slaves flooding the decks. Heist was secured to the Devil of Catachan by a mighty crane, which anchored the cruiser to the internal umbilical's of the Devil. The Gheist’s weapon systems were not yet installed, its warp drive and manoeuvring thrusters were non functional, and the ship only had air in the bridge and engineering sections. The vessel within the Devil of Catachan was useless to the war effort at that moment. That was, until the Gheist’s own captain had an idea...

Back on the Sleipnir, things were not going well. Fires raged throughout the Wolf King’s vessel. With so many of tis guns rendered inoperable by Angron’s daemons, the ship had taken a pounding form Conqueror and its vile lesser kin. Without retaliation, Conqueror had been able to batter down Sleipnir’s shields, and boarded them with a veritable tide of berserkers and possessed marines, alongside regiments of Blood Pact recruits and Barghesi mercenaries. Hrothnar the fanged led the desperate defense, his Rout at the forefront of every attempt to repel the latest assault. He fought with a a powered glaive and a storm bolter, howling curses in every language of the Imperium Pentus as he cut down foe after blood-mad foe.

As the battle was being lost around him, Russ himself seemed to be regaining some measure of advantage in his personal battle against Angron. The two beings were laced with scars and red raw skin which was rapidly healing around their grievous injuries. They traded hundreds of blows every moment, each blow backed with all the power they could muster behind their blades. Sparks and plasma fire rippled front of their weapons as the energies unleashed sublimed metal and ionized the vapours, setting light to the ground around them as they battled. But Angron, no matter how many times Russ got past his guard and slashed his flesh, could not be undone by mere force alone. Every wound energized him, and drew more and more energy from the warp which infused the Travesty region of space like poison in a man’s veins. Russ finally hacked apart Angron’s second daemon axe, but the red brute, without pausing, snatched the Wolf King with both hands, plucking Russ from the ground, before rising up on his dark pinions. Leman Russ was cast back to the floor with all the force of a comet. He plunged through five decks of the Sleipnir, before he struck the fighter deck of the battlebarge, a sonic boom erupting from the crater his body made in the ferrocrete floor.

Angron followed Russ down, swooping like a sparrowhawk descending upon its prey. He burned with the dark fire of Khorne, and his face was filled with all the evil of his accumulated sins over his sixteen thousand years of existence. His colossal arms were outstretched, claws drawn and fangs barred like some feral godling.

Russ did not roll to avoid the descending nightmare, this dreadful giant who dwarfed the Pentus Primarch and who looked as if he could crush a mountain with but a fist. Leman Russ did not dodge or feint or attempt to fend off his wayward brother. No, he drew his frostblade, and braced it against the deck beneath him. And Angron, consumed by his hate and his single-minded desire to crush Russ once and for all, only saw this coming a fraction of a second before it happened. By then, he was falling at too high a velocity to hope to avoid what came next.

Angron drove himself into the blade with tremendous force, matched only by the strength of Russ pushing upwards into his impaling strike. The weapon embedded itself up to the hilt. The tip of the weapon erupted from Angron’s back, smashing through his spine and parting his wings with the force of the blow. The daemon Primarch roared in pain, a roar that could shatter castles and deafen mortals a thousand times over. Russ screamed in his face, both warriors mere inches from one another then. Summoning up herculean strength, Russ rolled Angron onto his back, and embedded his blade into the deck. The runes along its length blazed with light, as the Wolf King began to sing the songs that drove the maleficarum out in the old days, when the Rune priests still walked amongst men. Angron thrashed and roared, cursing his brother in the thousand forbidden tongues of the daemons. His fists, as big as dreadnought claws, closed around Russ’ neck, desperately throttling the Wolf King, crushing his throat and breaking the bones of his spinal cord. Russ knew Angron was killing him, but he continued his bitter song, channeling all his latent psychic might through his blade, into the daemonic filth which wore his brother’s face. Even if he did die, Angron would die with him.

Alas, the fight was ended before this deadly pact between the two could be concluded. Angron’s minions, who were winning the naval battle, feared that they might win the ship to ship engagement, but lose their master. The bridge crew locked onto the psychic signature of Angron, and drew him back towards the Conqueror, leaving Russ half strangled on the deck, his frostblade impaling thin air. When Angron returned to the Conqueror, he slaughtered his bridge officers in a demented frenzy, and only the thought of destroying the Sleipnir prevented him from murdering the rest of his crew in a petulant rage.

Onboard the Crato, two unlikely heroes were rallying the survivors of the living wreck. Sergeant Castron of the Nemenmarines led the repair teams and rescue parties through the mangled guts of the ship, while sergeant Alistor of the Fire Beasts managed to reach the secondary bridge, bringing the rescued reserve officers with him to take command of what remained of the Crato. The two sergeants bickered constantly throughout this arduous, time-consuming progress. Castron insisted they needed to repair the ship thoroughly before they could rejoin the raging fleet action unfolding all around them, while Alistor was chomping at the bit to rejoin the fight as soon as possible, and to warp with the consequences. As they worked for hours and hours to repair Crato, the partial ruin of a vessel drifted further and further away from he battle, forgotten by the rest of the world at that point.

Phalanx and the Goliath Engine, the largest and most powerful vessels in the battle, had begun to orbit one another towards the climax of the seven day battle. Their seemingly inexhaustible batteries battered one another’s shields over and over again, each trying to crack the other in half through sheer weight of fire. Other ships tried to join the developing duel, but each was lost in turn, smashed apart by the grand ordnance of the two battle stations. A Dorn Revenants frigate suicidally attempted to ram the goliath engine, but was cut in half by a passing lance beam. The tumbling remnants careened out of control, before the Astartes strike craft impacted the Phalanx itself. Only a few Astartes managed to escape the ship before it impacts, teleporting at the last minute using authentic Pentus codes, allowing them to deploy within Phalanx itself.

A Salamander squad arrived to greet the first group of gold-armoured Dorn Revenants. The Dorn Revenant techmarine leading the squad embraced the Salamander sergeant warmly. Then, he ripped the sergeant’s head off with his servo arm, and his fellow Revenants gunned down the rest of the stupefied Salamanders; for the techmarine was a son of Rogal, but he was far from being a Pentus loyalist. Honsou the Half-Blood had taken over the Pentus frigate early in the battle, and had taken on the memories and armour of its former crew. Through his cunning, his team were the only invaders to have breached the Phalanx’s formidable defences throughout the battle.

His mission was monumental. Perturabo had tasked him with turning Vulkan to the side of the Travesty. To achieve this, the Warsmith Honsou had been gifted with a deceptively simple item; a cube, as large as a die but inscribed with infinitely small lettering and runes. The artefact had a name, but chilled the hearts of the sane to so much as utter it. It was a weapon of the deep warp, and it was intended to release an evil quite alien to mortal minds. It was a passage built for Draziin-maton. All Honsou had to do was unleash it upon Vulkan, and the Draziin-Maton would do the rest. This was all well and good in theory, but reaching Vulkan was no easy task. The Phalanx was a labyrinth, and Honsou already suspected Salamander and revenant patrols would already be on his tail by then. Thus, he and his loyalist-disguised retinue set off at speed. Honsou fought off the smaller patrols, fleeing deeper and deeper into the battle station as he did so. However, he could not run forever.

Eventually, he was cornered by a Salamanders terminator assault squad, led by a Librarian. The psyker held him in place like a fly in amber, and his temrinators easily slew the retinue of the turncoat Honsou. Desperate to escape, the Iron Warrior threw the cube at the Librarian, who at first caught it neatly in his gauntlet. The psyker recoiled as if stung, dropping the cube with an uncharacteristic yelp of alarm. The cube hit the ground with, heavy as neutronium. Honsou dropped to the group, forgotten by the terrified Librarian. The chaos space marine wasted no time, and fled into the opposite direction.

Then, the cube began to slide open. Angles along its flanks peeled back, and unfurled through dimensions a mortal may not perceive. Looping gates were coiling out of the rent in space and time being torn into the deck of the Phalanx. The Librarian, normally so immune to fear, fell to his knees, weeping blood and gibbering in childish terror. His brother terminators were not psykers, and did not feel the dread he felt for the abstract things wading through the portals like languid swimmers in a pond. They simply opened fire upon the Draziin-maton. But mundane weapons were useless; bolter rounds mutated and became screaming, formless daemonthings before they could touch the Draziin-maton, swords turned to seven-headed serpents that ate themselves over and over again. Powerfists became faces, that devoured and merged with those who sought to strike the neverborn.

The Librarian’s force sword fared only slightly better as he finally charged at the loping, impossible fiends. But within a few minutes, he was mutated and deformed beyond recognition, and he jointed the ranks of chaos spawn that followed int he wake of the Draziin-maton. The Kai Bane Host might have been the most terrible of warriors, but Draziin-maton were something else entirely. They crawled across the fabric of realspace like scuttling flies on a corpse. Thin air was as solid to them as an adamantine bulkhead, and metal was just as permeable to them as said air. Whatever they neared became a spawn, those with a weak mind fell sooner than those with minds of stolid resolve, but few could truly resist the taint that followed in their wake. Squads of Astartes bravely died and mutated as they desperately fought to contain the mere handful of Draziin-maton released into the Phalanx’s winding corridors. Vulkan witnessed these abominations through the whimpering servitor pict-recorders installed throughout the ship. He saw the creatures, and how they moved without any sense of coherency. Limbs seemed to simply appear before folding back into their blank, expressionful, faceless, morphing forms. His men were being massacred, and he couldn’t even see clearly what was killing them.

“Damn monsters! If only they stood still, we might have a chance to spill their guts. We can’t afford to lose any more men to these things my lord,” T’Sulon, hissed with false bravado as he too watched the carnage.

Inspiration struck Vulkan then. “Pin them in place... Their forms are chaos, in its purest form. You cannot catch that which is formless, except in a picture. Like capturing a fireball in a still-frame picter. A snapshot in time...”

Before his men could even ask him what he meant, Vulkan swept from the command bridge, and rushed to the ship’s nearest armoury. After taking what he needed, the coal-skinned Primarch marched to face the Draziin-maton. The fiends sensed this, and rushed to meet him. Vulkan forbade anyone to follow him, so what happened next was witnessed solely by the internal pict-servitors of the Phalanx.

Vulkan stood before the Draziin-maton defiantly, straight-backed and magnificent in gold and green dragonscale. But his spear was not drawn, and nor was his mighty inferno pistol. His hands were raised before him, clenched into fists. The Draziin-maton appeared, and the corridor around him began to warp and buckle, flowing and rippling with the deep Warp’s currents. But as they neared, he opened his hands, and let the grenades fall. Stasis grenades are some of the rarest artefacts ever constructed by humanity, and their designs were lost long ago. As the grenades fell, time slowed to a crawl, then to a stop. The grenades, mere inches from the floor, never landed. Vulkan became a statue with a victorious smile sculpted upon his black head, red eyes glittering. The Draziin-maton froze too. They became seven spindly, multi-limbed, surrealist purple ghouls, but the forms of the seven creatures were fixed in that seemingly endless moment of time. When the effects of the stasis bombs eventually wore off, Vulkan found himself standing alone in the corridor. He had somehow vanquished the Drazin-maton, though even he knew not precisely how he had done so. **

As the Draziin-maton rampaged, Honsou made for the launch bays, hacking his way through any serfs who got in his way. He was only stopped when he encountered Aktonus. Aktonus the Strong was famous across the Imperium Pentum as the ‘Imperial Swordsman’, a title given to only the mightiest non-Primarch warrior in the entire Imperium. Aktonus the Dorn Revenant had fought in the swordsman tournament, beating rival master duelists from the Fires beasts, Jade Princes and Iron Hands to win the right to wear the bone-white experimental power armor of the Imperial swordsman. He was Pentus’ champion, and Honsou, ancient and corrupt as he was, knew he could not beat him fairly. Thus, he tried to shoot Aktonus with a meltagun, but the champion was too fast, hacking the gun in two with his power sword, before pummeling the warsmith to the ground with the pommel of his weapon. Honsou offered to turn on his chaos allies; he bore no true loyalty to any faction, but he hoped to achieve a stay of execution. Aktonus spat in the warsmith’s face, before he raised his blade for the final blow. A gigantic black hand gently landed on Aktonus’ shoulder.

“No. Not this one, my Champion. Not yet,” Vulkan said, his glowing red eyes glaring into Honsou’s very soul.

Conqueror and its fleet were killing the Wolves of Russ in space. Sleipnir was limping towards the shelter of a nearby planet, as world eater ships chased it and its escorts like feral hounds nipping at the legs of a stricken stag. Russ’s ship was too damaged to fight back effectively, and Angron’s forces were too many. As Sleipnir made for the planet, Conqueror began to orbit the planet’s small moon, to use its gravity to slingshot his vessel and allow him to catch the damaged Rout ship at last.

From the secondary bridge of the Crato, Alistor and Castron watched this horrid scene unfolding.

“Russ will die if we do not stop him. Throne damn it, even if Russ survives, with Angron’s kill fleet here, Perturabo can just use his numerical superiority to whittle us into dust,” Alistor growled in impotent rage, pacing up and down. “We have repaired the engines, we have warp and we have half power to the plasma drives. We could gun the engines and ram the Conqueror! Kill the damned Red Angel like the filth he is!”

Castron shook his head. “We are too far away. They would see our engine bloom and evade us, then kill us at their leisure,” he explained somberly.

Conqueror had almost made a circuit of the moon at that point. It was then that Alistor had another idea.

“Do we have weapons? Lances? Torpedoes?”

Castron checked the lists given to him by his serfs. “One operable tube, but we only have planetary bombardment munitions remaining.”

“And cyclonics?” Alistor asked, smiling.

“Cyclonic torpedoes wouldn’t damage the Conqueror sufficiently.”

“Then let’s not hit the Conqueror,” Alistor replied.

Just as the Conqueror reached the end of its orbit of the moon five cyclonic torpedoes, fired one after another, punched into the moon’s surface. Within minutes, the small planetoid broke apart in a tide of sudden, apocalyptic volcanism. Huge boulders slammed against the Conqueror’s port side, ripping great chunks from the flank of the arrow-shaped leviathan. In fury, Angron searched out the fools who had struck him. He found the Crato, fleeing as fast as it could towards the warp translation point at the Corbellus system’s edge. Angron’s Conqueror made a sudden course change, and accelerated at full speed towards the fleeing strike cruiser. His whole fleet followed the Conqueror, like lesser sharks drinking in the red wake of a meglodon.

Crato was trying its best, but Conqueror would catch up with it. It was inevitable

“He’s mad now,” Alistor noted blandly.

“Of course he’s mad, he’s Angron. This is the worst plan you have ever had, Fire Beast.”

“I thought you like plans?”

Castron did not reply to Alistor’s taunt, as they neared the warp translation point. But as they did so, they felt the entire ship shudder, as one of the Conqueror’s vast harpoons impaled the Crato through its starboard side. Alistor then ordered something that was so recklessly dangerous, he even surprised himself.

He ordered Crato to go to warp, with the Conqueror still attached. Needless to say, this was a deranged and thoughtlessly dangerous thing to attempt.

The Crato opened a warp portal in front of the ship, and plunged into the Sea of Souls. Conqueror, unwilling to release the harpoon, was dragged into hell right alongside them. One moment they were there, the next, there was naught but empty void. Angron’s pilot fish fleet dived into the warp after him, leaving Perturabo’s fleet alone against the Imperium Pentus.

The balance had shifted, quite suddenly (as it the way with many battles in history).

Meanwhile, Gheist was lowered from the bowels of the Devil of Catachan. Half-finished and already falling apart, Gheist’s captain requested that the devil’s great crane turn his vessel, for he could not maneuver it himself. Then, he began to power up his plasma engines. His engineers knew what was coming, and they put everything they could into the engines, maximizing their output as the docking clamps were finally released. It only took a few minutes for the Gheist, once released, to accelerate to 0.7c. At that point, the ship was moving too fast for even a primarch to follow with his sight. It struck several smaller vessels on its way, killing the Gheist’s crew and vaporizing the frigates and destroyers which had hit it. At that point, roughly five seconds into maximum burn, it didn’t matter. Gheist couldn’t be stopped. Like the galaxy’s largest kinetic kill vehicle, Gheist surged towards its target. The daemonic kraken had about 3.24 seconds to react to the approaching gheist. It was likely the daemon didn’t even realize what was happening before it hit.

The blast was like a new sun, born int he heart of battle, expanding outwards for half a light second in all directions. When the expanding plasma shell finally dispersed, the kraken simply didn’t exist, alongside its escorts unfortunate enough to be nearby.

The Goliath Engine found itself under attack at every turn. Khan and the Stormrider, The Lion and the Antioch, the Phalanx and Vulkan, and all the might of the Imperium Pentum bore down upon him. Four Primarchs stood now against one. The element of surprise was lost, as was his advantage in numbers. Perturabo realized then that he was outmatched. With a hollow scream of frustration, he ordered his fleet to withdraw. The Pentus force harried his fleeing forces all the way to the translation point. Though he left in defeat, Perturabo also left with many hundreds of captured Pentus ships, almost a thirteenth of the crusade’s vessels.

Honsou was amongst the fleeing forces; somehow he ad escaped the Phalanx on a stolen gunship, though none could say how or why.

The Pentus crusade realized that by sticking together, they could be ambushed and risked utter annihilation each time they fought a battle. This would not work. Thus, the Primarchs decided to split up. They would each hunt down their fallen brothers, and either destroy them or return them to the side of life and sanity.

Victory had been won at Corbellus, but only narrowly.

*(Some chronicles of M41 erroneously consider the Thunderwolf cavalrymen to have literally ridden wolves. To me, this seems obvious allegory on the part of Old Imperial scholars of the time. Why would an advanced army of rapid reaction posthumans ride large wolves into battle? It is much more like the ‘Thunderwolves’ were a form of specialist land speeder of land raider formation, like the legendary Deathwing or Ravenwing of the Dark Angels Chapter. We do not assume the Ravenwing rode giant corvids do we, so why is it so easy for scholars to accept the Fenryka did?)
** (''Draziin-Maton are as much conceptual creatures as they are physical, and once fixed into place, they were no longer entities of potential. They were real. And as soon as they became fixed, they faded.'')</div>
</div>

==Additional Notes==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The door opened with a pneumatic hiss, and the Chapter Master entered to greet the Ambassador.

It was dark in the room. The Astartes often wondered why his guest insisted on having this small chamber instead of the proper quarters any ambassador would have been entitled to. He understood just how his guest differed from humans, but the past few years had turned him into somewhat of a political animal, and the lack of protocol worried him occasionally.

One does not offend the representative of the Magellan Reich easily. Then again, this representative had made it clear on multiple occasions how it only required a dataport and constant energy flow, which was duly provided to him.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Astartes peered into the darkness.

‘Ambassador MUTO-35145?’

Eight separate red dots came alight at the mention of this designation, and a bulky figure rose in one corner of the room.

‘Chapter Master Papadimitriu.’ The voice was flat and devoid of any human intonation.

‘Primarch Vulkan has given the order,’ the Space Marine said quietly. ‘The Pentus fleet is assembling as we speak.’

‘Querry: did we complete our objective?’

Papadimitriu nodded. ‘The Kapellan Marines are to be split into two main battlegroups. One half accompanies the fleet, the other was given permission to move towards the Dragon Tide’s Dead Zone. We are to locate and deal with Doombreed and its horde.’

‘It is done, then,’ the other answered. ‘The Machina will provide you with the forces stipulated in our agreement.’

The Chapter Master sighed. ‘Fourteen millennia. This is how long it took us to get this far. How does the weight of so much time feels, Ambassador?’

The Machina did not answer for a few seconds. ‘Time is objective,’ it finally said. ‘Although some of that time period was active almost outside my tolerance level.’

‘This is a way to put it,’ Papadimitriu agreed. ‘I myself look back at the long line of my predecessors and the thought that all this will happen in my lifetime is staggering.’

The Machina moved closer. ‘You will bear this burden. You are a Maker of Fate.’

Papadimitriu sighed. This conversation had been played out between them countless times before.

‘The Fatemakers are no more.’

‘You share their genetic legacy,’ the other pointed out.

‘Only fractionally. After all these years, we have more in common with Angron than with Malistrum. You of all should know that.’

‘You also share their manifest destiny.’

Papadimitriu raised a finger. ‘Out of necessity, not of choice. The stakes were a little too high.’

‘They are still as high as they used to be,’ MUTO-35145 warned him. ‘We will not win the war for Primarch Vulkan at the Dead Zone, but we can lose it there.’

‘I know that.’ Papadimitriu said. ‘We will use all our reserves there. I have contacted Avicenno too. We will throw at them everything we have got. If we fail, there is no future for the Chapter anyway.’

The Machina agreed. ‘Agreed.’

‘The strategic meeting begins at sixteen hundred hours. Will you attend?’

‘I will.’

Papadimitriu nodded to it, and turned to leave for the door. The Kapellan Marines were going to make fate once more – for the world, and this time, for themselves as well.

Vulkan sat alone in the darkness of his private chambers, the darkness ensconcing him like a womb of night. The war had begun at Corbellus and would only end with the death of his brothers. He once more opened the ancient tome, compiled by Kryptmann of the Order of Recollectors. The Shape of the Nightmare to Come. that was the name of the tome. How apt a title for such a record.

"Save us Primarch.Save us Vulkan."

The final words of Kryptmann,they echoed now through eternity. He had his brothers beside him, the Brethren of the Willing fighting the good fight in the shadow. Yet all around him lurked enemies. His father...nay. The Star Father may have come from the Emperor but it was an abomination, a perversion of all the good that Adam Kadmon had worked for. And the...remnant that lay within the Webway was both perplexing and worrying. An unknown factor in the fight against the Dissolution. But more troubling than any was the presence of the Reich.

Their enigmatic ruler, the hidden Khanda, his brother Primarch...he was changed. Far more than what their father had intended. Far greater in scope. And his offer of power, of subordination beneath Vulkan, was more troubling than any offer he had ever been granted, even during his millennium of torment within the Maze of Tzeentch. And yet his own silence, his enigma... It troubled him.

The voices came to him then. Of brothers Long dead, of the new power that called itself Radunrah, born of a gestalt of humanity, Eldar and Ork in a galaxy far away, clad in necrodermis and stalking the paths of Materium and the Webway, biding its time. Khanda fought for humanity, against the Dissolution. But the fragment of speech remained with him, for the Machina entity within Kapellan had granted him that fragment of information alone, classified for his hearing only.

Adam Kadmon believed it was only great power and duty that could hold Chaos and the excess of humanity in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Compassion and charity that somehow endured. The honor of Astartes. The sacrifice of warrior heroes. The unbowed dignity of the unsung billions of Imperial Guard. The compassion of a single Primarch. You saved me brother. More than any other, I would have fallen to Chaos. Me, Ngaru Astaros and Alpharius...we endured only through loyalty to duty and humanity. But you showed us that temperance and compassion could endure, even in the darkness of our existence. You showed us fraternity and justice were possible. You are the fulcrum of our hopes, the best of all of us. You give us hope. To endure and to struggle. We are with you. The travesty of the Traitors will be laid to ruination and humanity saved. Look for us. At Ultramar, in the Halo Stars. From the darkness and shadow, we shall strike with flame and thunder.

Expect us. Untrado Vulkan!

The state of the galaxy in the 61st millennium can be summarized by a single word: dusk. The sun is now setting on the galaxy, and these are the final hours before the long night. The Great Game of Chaos enters its final stages, with reality slowly unraveling like an old rug.

The five brothers of the Pentus meet the five of the Travesty in the war to ultimately decide the fate of humanity. On one side Lorgar leads his corrupted kin to bring about his new Word and with it ultimate annihilation, empowered by a force so perverse it literally cannot be named and aided by unstoppable creatures composed of infinite possibility. On the other hand Vulkan leads a last crusade to finally end the thirty millenia-long battle between primarchs first instigated by Horus, although he is hopelessly outnumbered and fighting a foes capable of consuming causality. But all is not lost, for unexpected allies fly to his aid. The Reach is returning, but can even the two lost primarchs stop the coming storm?

The puppet Huron Blackheart stabs out in one last, desperate attempt to cling to his crude empire, even as it slowly slips away like sand between his fingers. He has brought his full strength to bear against Biel-Tan, the only Craftworld to defy the self-inflicted genocide. It has become a war of opposing extremes, the vile barbarity of the enslaved Tyrant and his Imperium against the impossible elegance of the few Eldar still left. Although the Eldar still fight with all the fury of a cornered beast, they are still one world against many, and inch by inch the last Eldar are forced to give ground. But Huron has not won yet. At the twilight of their species, a simple Bonesinger has taken up the mantle of Avatar, and now the primal fires of creation clash against entropy incarnate for the salvation of Biel-Tan.

Elsewhere, the Eldar God Khaine has risen once more. And with his return, the universe weeps, for he is a god of Murder, and as such demands blood be spilled in his name.

As for the rest of the galaxy, the news is far more dire. The Xenos empires of the galactic east and what petty Imperiums survived the past twenty thousand years have fallen, broken one by one by forces within and without that they could not hope to match. For the Masters of the Materium, the C'tan, have returned in full force, kept only in check by the returned Kork. Even against creatures literally built only for war, it is a conflict where C'tan victory is assured, so great is the strength of the stellar vampires. The only question is how long the Kork lines can hold, for when they break the galaxy will drown under an endless tide of cold steel. Even the Necrons, on the verge of regaining what was lost so very long ago, have been all but annihilated by a foe of their own making. It seems that in this galaxy, even immortals can die.

The millions that remain of these shattered worlds have collected into a massive fleet of the lost and the desperate. Their destination unknown, with only what decrepit ships they can fly and what little rotten food they can forage, the uncounted millions of refugees are led by Iacob, the seemingly last Good Man left in a galaxy of only hate and horror. Something has happened, however. The fleet has disappeared, with the last message sent being little more than a ship captain's strangled scream shrieking about how they found...something while wandering in the void.

But all is not yet lost, for some small sliver of hope still remains. Revelation, a being not yet born, forged of the Emperor's discarded Compassion for mankind, but for now only a mere concept, gathers his host from across the galaxy for some unknown purpose. He alone understands the nature of the Nex, and he alone can stop it. But the question remains: how?

It is the 61st millennium, the time of new Gods, the end of old Wars, and the beginning of the end of Everything. All we can do is hope we survive, for hope is all we have left, screaming against the storm.
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==Additional background Section 44: Salvation or Damnation? Even seers cannot guess...==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">‘Upon the field of slaughter, the man who sets his blade upon the ground is exalted above all others. Mercilessness is cowardice, and the whole galaxy stinks of this spinelessness, for it smells of corpses and gibbets. Do you truly not know who my champion is?
No?
Then you’re just as doomed as the rest of them.
I will mourn you, but only for a moment.
Then you will be forgotten, like all bad dreams...’

'''[Compiler’s note: This quote was located on a loose sheet found at the back of the manuscripts brought back with the remains of Vasiri. Its author is unknown, as is its context. I forget why I placed it here.]'''<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

###

To Walk on God’s Skin...:

It is difficult to pinpoint precisely when the refugee fleet of Iacob reached the sphere, for the galaxy around the sphere was nullified and blunt; neither angyl, daemon nor psyker could communicate through such a grand night shroud. Thus, there were not easily confirmed galactic dates, but there were many localised star dates, based upon the relative location of the fleet to the spherical construction which seemed to grow tremendously as they approached.

Iacob had been drawn to the region. For some reason, Vulkan believed the area of dead space, lurking just beneath the galactic plane, held the key to saving as many lives as possible. But the vast sphere, which was well over 1 AU in diameter, was inert to all forms of scanning, and all attempts at communication failed. What little light it reflected on their approach vector had indicated that the sphere was lighter than an object of its scale should be, but aside from this point of academic interest, little else could be gleaned.

As the colossal refuge fleet held orbit around the massive object, strange things began to occur. Some men went mad, and desperately tried to kill themselves and their colleagues. Soon, the brigs were full of wide-eyed madmen, ranting about ‘God’s Skin’. Some great psionic beacon or force had fallen over the massed ranks of aliens that basked in the unlight of the sphere. It was no psychic trick. Somehow, they knew that the sphere predated the notion of psykers or sorcerers.

It seemed that the more the crews of the refugee fleet resisted this all-pervading, silent siren song, the more they began to succumb to its madness. Men and women spoke in tongues, and fell upont heir faces in wailing confusion. Others wrote in strange alien languages no one could understand. Entire libraries of impossible notes were scrawled onto bulkheads and floors. Tau muttered and cut at themselves with their bonding knives, while kroot began to fast, refusing to eat the ‘madness-tainted’ food of their fellow refugees.

Captain Trechous, overall fleet commander of the flotilla, began to have disturbing dreams of a silent god, stranded in an infinite void, with all the stars too far away to see. Only the dark, yawning loneliness and the empty vastness confronted him, and he felt a fear unlike anything a mortal mad could imagine. This was ageless, depthless fear. Trechous drove the thoughts from his mind, but this just brought them back all the stronger the next night and the next after that.

Iacob’s infirmaries were filled with refugees; not just those who were sick and wounded when they joined the fleet, but now with others suffering self-inflicted wounds and deranged delusions. It became clear to him then what had to be done.

The first Captain Trechous heard of Iacob’s plan, an unauthorised shuttle was launched from one of the fleet’s flagships. The ship was heading towards the sphere. It intended to land upon its expansive silver surface. At first, Trechous considered shooting down the shuttle, but when he realised Iacob was onboard, he stopped. The man was no lunatic or danger to the fleet. Iacob was one of the few honest, decent men Trechous knew, or had ever known. He let the man continue, evne though he felt primal, elemental dread in the very heart of his being. Whatever was in the sphere was mad, and profoundly dangerous, he just knew it.

Other members of the fleet were not so understanding. One of the armed escorts ships moved to intercept the shuttle. The sphere, perhaps detecting a large vessel crossing an unseen border of tolerability, shuddered. One of its great pylons surge dinto life, and struck the escort fromt he sky. There was an intense beam of green cropse-light, before the escort simply vanished, leaving nothing behind, not even wreckage. But the tiny shuttle somehow slipped past this invisible boundary. It took only an hour for the shuttle to descend to the sphere’s surface. Th gravity of the object was higher than Terran standard, and the shuttle landed with force.

Iacob, clad in a thick, visored void suit, stepped out onto the silver plain, which stretched for countless miles in every direction. The man felt energy pulsing through the ground. He felt power and sublime fear coursing through his body. But he surmounted his fear, as he took several more tentative steps.

He had realised something, as he had watched his charges in the apothecarium sicken and lose their minds. They had resisted the madness oft he sphere, and the strain had shattered their psyches. Iacob had not dones so. As he walked upon this so-called ‘God’s Skin’, he let the madness into his mind. It flowed through his simple, mortal brain. His was a mind of utter mundanity; he was no great genius or warrior.

Thus, he could neither fight nor comprehend what happened next. As he walked, he felt vast tectonic movement beneath his feet. Then, like mercury crawling up a thermometer, the silver surface began to encircle his feet, then his shins, then his knees. He began to gasp and hyperventilate inside his stifling void suit, before the silver surface covered him entirely.

Then, the fluid receded, leaving not a single trace of Iacob behind.

Shortly after that, deathly green light began to shine from great fissures all along the sphere’s surface area.

The grand sphere was awake. And it was insane...

###
The Daemons’ Demesne:

On the southern spinwards edge of the great Imperium of Travesties, lies a satellite realm of grotesque evil and symbolic significance to the human species. To the Imperium Pentus, it is called the Poisoned Cradle, the Tau know it as Spacial Abberaton Codename: ‘Doom’. To most other races, factions and species, it is known as the Terran Hells; the demesne of daemons.

Relative to the greater Travesty, this realm should have been small and insignificant compared to other fiefdoms that allied themselves to the Second Word. The Terran Hells, in the materium, only consisted of a handful of systems, trapped within the malign grasp of a single warp/realspace storm. But daemons are beings of imagery, creatures of symbollogy, and they gain power through souls, emotions and the twisted ideas and concepts mortals conceive. The Terran Hells were the former birthplace of humanity and as a consequence the region held vast meaning and history in its mutated bedrock and impossible geometries. Terror, the eye of the storm, was known by all races; once-loved, now loathed and feared. The warp poured into the region, allowing daemons to congregate and propagate their poisonous ideals and self-fulfilling feedback loops of nourishing emotional turmoil, but belief was the mortar that held this diabolical place together. With the Dragon’s minions gone from the system, there was nothing left to check the cancerous advance of the daemons; Mars became the blood-red satellite, forever awash with oceans of gore and rearing turrets of beaten brass and grinning skulls; a hunting ground for such terrible beings.

To list every vile form of daemon that made their home there would be impossible; their names and diverse forms could fill a thousand times a thousand grimoires of forbidden lore, each unique in its form and hungers.

But this realm was unlike most places in the Travesty, where evil men and aliens strove for power, harnessing daemons and warp energy for their own whims, thus bringing fourth corruption. Here, the daemons had the agency, and their mortal servants were the puppets. They were ruled by the Daemon King known as Doombreed, the most powerful daemon of the great devils that was still free. The others, such as the Xexes the Festering, Ingethel and Drach’nyen, were either devoured by rivals, enslaved by the Deep Warp, or else humbled and trapped with items of power.

The court of Doombreed was located deep in the dungeons of the Terran Hells, and he had gathered a great and tumultuous alliance of daemons to his side. The two most prominent were the ever conniving daemon princes Balphomael of Horned Darkness, and Cherubael the Cruel. One was a thing of shadow, with skeletal wings lost amidst churning, horned clouds of smoke, while the latter was golden-skinned and beautiful. Swan wings graced Cherubael’s back like an angelic mantle, and his handsome face held a gaze of exquisite malice. These two constantly argued and vied for Doombreed’s favour, and served as Doombreed’s chief advisors, for what being of chaos would not desire discordant council in all matters?

There were other major daemons under the thrall of Doombreed. This included the prince of a thousand wings, a feathered serpent coiling in the twisted storms of warp-tainted Jupiter’s atmosphere. This terrible beast was one of Tzeentch’s own, and wherever this creature went, flocks of screamers followed like shoals of hungry sharks. The serpent had a great human skull in place of a reptile’s, and its sockets blazed with the multi-hued light of Tzeentch. The rattle of its feathers in the ethereal wind of Jupiter was said to make the sound of a billion chittering souls, all trapped within the evil creature.

The herald bloothirster Skulltaker was said to serve as Doombreed’s executioner, his envenomed hellblade beheading and banishing any daemon of mortal than displeased the Bloodied King of the Terran Hells. Other chronicles claim this role was actually taken up by the daemon Samus, but I don’t see how one could reliably tell the difference between the servants of the primordial annihilator. To my eye they are all creatures dragged from the deranged imagination of madmen, I do not care to catalogue all their vast multitudes.

Alixria the ravenous was another of the greater thralls, and unlike the previous daemons, her form seemed altogether more fixed. She had once been a mortal harlot and starving orphan on some horrible little industrial planet, trading her sexual favours for food and lodgings. But Slannesh had taken her, and raised her to new heights of excess and power. She desired to live forever, as a perfect and immaculate goddess. Slannesh, as with all the patrons of chaos, gave her almost what she desired. Slannesh would grant her greater powers, but instilled in her a diabolical hunger and thirst, that no food could quell or drink could quench. Only through devouring the hearts of those who loved her would she gain beauty and power. Alixria devoured her own family, unrepentant in her vainglorious desire. She grew in scale and power exponentially, and as she grew taller and ever more impervious, her beauty became spectacular to behold. Once she had ascended to daemonhood, she was a towering perfumed princess, as large as a titan but lithe and enchantingly beautiful. Shapely thighs the width of fortress turrets, purple hair long and strong as steel mooring cables, enchanting feline eyes larger than a man was tall. Her glistening tanned flesh was impervious to any attempt to tarnish her perfection. Alixria surrounded herself with drug-addled slaves and hopelessly enchanted lovers, who she would tempt with blasphemous carnal promises, only to betray and devour them. Her minions lived within the towering, disturbing sculptures the daemoness carved into the ossified mountains of her domain.

Though Alixria looked like a normal (if impossibly vast and extravagantly attired) human on the outside, inside she was nothing but churning teeth and thorny lashed tendrils oozing fetid acid and stinking bile, as inhuman as any abomination Tzeentchian madness might have dreamt up. Her lovers suffered slow and agonizing deaths in her eldritch internals. What pack or offer Doombreed made to entice her to join his daemonic court is unknown. Some say she was intrigued by the Doombreed’s indifference to her allure, others that he allowed her to drink a vial of his ichor, and she became intoxicated. I would not wish to speculate myself; I do not profess to know the mindsets of daemonkind.

But of course for all these bizarre and imposing devils, a realm of daemons could never function without mortals to fuel and define them.

The manner in which the Terran Hells was horrendous and disgusting, but I shall relate it to you readers, so that you may understand how such an abomination as this realm was able to stave off collapse, despite all sanity and reason screamed for it to fall. Cherubael had always been despised by his fellow daemons, for they claimed he was tainted by the materium; he thought as a mortal thought, they cursed and slandered with their segmented tongues. In a way, they were correct.

Cherubael knew how humans were created, and how to breed them and how to ripen their souls for a daemon’s feast. Invoking ancient contracts with the Tersis and the other wandering daemon ships that sailed the warp, Cherubael had billions of mortal adolescents dragged to the Terran Hells. Deep in lightless pits, these creatures were reared according to the hungers of the daemons. Some were raised in the infernal brothels and torture chambers of Slannesh, others fought in claustrophobic fighting pits and gladiatorial cages of Khorne. Some were filled with plague and left to fester and multiply in the filthy cesspits and drug dens of Nurgle, while others were dropped into underground labyrinths with no end, but always with the exits marked by Tzeentch. For every daemon and every patron’s nourishing perversions, there were humans and aliens bred specially. These unfortunates were forced to breed and propagate, and their offspring would be in turn corrupted from birth, never knowing anything other than the will of chaos. Only when a mortal slave became wasted and ancient, were they scooped out of the pits and fed to ravenous daemons in lavish feasts and soul-lacerating orgies. The dungeons of Doombreed’s realm became obscene battery farms of human and alien chattel.

With this powerful source of soul power, Doombreed was able to bribe countless daemons into his service, who suckled at the teet of the daemon king and his chosen lieutenant princes. Doombreed himself managed to define itself as a distinct entity, separate from its former patron Khorne. Doombreed became an unaligned dameon of frightful power. He rebuilt his daemonflesh body in twited homage to his former mortal form; a barbarian king with a great black scimitar of oozing smoke, and a fanged visage of beaten brass with molten iron blood. He bore a crown made of the fangs ripped form the maws of his bested rivals, that eternally drooled their owners’ stinking blood; a simple yet potent symbol of his mastery of the devils myriad. His vast host of daemons similarly rejected the technology of the materium, favouring forms that were mockeries of the pre-technological savges of old Terra that fought and bled in the oblivion before Old Night; chariots and spears, cursed bows and flanged maces, cavalry and whips. These were monsters of a primordial age, where such things as progress were sick lies told by mad fools.

I weep to relate this horror, but please forgive my seemingly-callous tone. It is the only way this chronicler can relate this information to you.

There were some humans, however, who served the daemons, and were not merely food for their impossible appetites. Mortal labour was needed to aid the daemons in the building of structures, and the prosecution of wars. These miserable wretches’ ancestors served the daemons willingly, and over the countless millennia under the glare of the warp-tainted sun, feasting upon the black-veined foliage of thorns that grew on every dameon world of the Terran hells, the descendants of those first chaos cultists became something... else. They were not mere mutants, with bodies corrupted by chaos. These creatures were changed in every way by chaos; even their very souls were decayed and sickly things. Their bodies followed suit, becoming hunched and withered things. Their minds wre cunning, but they were slaves to the will of the daemons. The daemons did not deign to give this malformed and ruined race a name, but their enemies did. They called them the Corroded, for that is what they were, mind body and soul.

Balphomael had mortal puppets and spies all across the Travesty, who kept the Terran Hells informed of matters of the materium, while Cherubael’s fluttering, winged Iolus daemons spied upon the warp and the other entities that forever sought to unseat Doombreed.

As the realm of daemons reached its zenith, Balphomael’s spies brought word that the primarchs were engaged in a cataclysmic war to the north; Travesty versus Pentus versus the Angyllic Hosts. Cherubael suggested that the daemons should intercede on behalf of the daemon Primarchs. With the aid of Doombreed’s mighty army, the Primarchs Pentus would have surely been defeated and scattered to the wind. But, as with every descision with regards warp fiends, there was dissent. Balphomael suggested they look south east, and crush the fledgling empires that bordered the diaspora of Ahriman. But Doombreed only had eyes for the aliens that lingered in the west, to the Tau of calixis. The wandering western Tau had formed a new empire far from their old birth worlds and the sprawling deadzones of the eastern fringe. They had only won this realm through a costly and lengthy war with the Amarantine Empire of the Slaugth, the loathsome maggot men and their equally repugnant biomechanical Vassal constructs. This war lasted centuries, and was only concluded after the Tau reached out to the ancient technocracies that lingered on the very edge of intergalactic space; Magellans and Interexites and Oberuun colonies, Fatemakers and the lesser lost Kronous civilisations. Only with their aid were the Tau able to oust the Slaugth. The Slaugth fled to the deep places of the galaxy, like the worms they most certainly were, and played little further part in the Age of Dusk.

The tau had long resisted chaos. It was not as if their wills were especially mighty, or that they were pure of heat and deed. The fundamental strength of the tau in the face of chaos’ corruption was their utter lack of personal ambition. They believed in a good greater than the sum of one soul. Their desires were for productive lives and a prosperous society as defined by their Ethereal Caste; what could chaos offer such creatures? Now, daemons are beings of concept above substance, as previously related. Doombreed rejected his advisors’ council on matters of expanding his realm, for the daemon did not care about territorial expansion or temporal gains in the materium. The daemon king knew that if he could at last corrupt the incorruptible Tau, his legend would be unassailable. A daemon with recognition across the entire galaxy is a powerful daemon indeed...

But the daemons needed a way to corrupt the Tau. Individual tau were of no use, and the ethereal similarly were slavishly devoted to their selfless creed. But Doombreed knew he needed to corrupt only one tau, and the rest would fall like corn before a thresher.

During a routine jump between subsectors, a tau vessel was caught in a warp snare set by the daemons. Appeairng from the warp like ghosts, they slaughtered their way through the screaming crew with monstrous glee, painting the pristine white walls of the vessel cyan with tau blood. At last, the armoured central chamber of the ship was torn apart by the daemon leading the incursion. The ethereal inside stared the glimmering gold daemon down without fear. The daemon didn’t care as it purred.

“Hello little thing. My name is Cherubael,” was all the daemon was recorded saying, before it dragged the ethereal away.

The ethereal taken was Aun’Va himself, the most revered and ancient of all tau in existence, the spiritual heart of the Tau’Va credo itself.

When news reached the tau command council, a terrible wrath was stirred in the entire western tau culture. They sent emissaries to every empire and civilization that heeded them, calling in favors and pleading for aid. The tau had to retrieve Aun’va from the clutches of Doombreed at all costs, evne if they had to unseat the daemonic abomination from the throne of hell itself.

Within a year, the Tau set sail to the Terran hells, at the head of a technological alliance of human and xenos minor empires, from the halo stars to the mythic Magellenic clouds. Some fought for the honor of the tau, some fought to curry favour with the aliens. Some, the Magellan Reichs in particular, fought because the Terran Hells were a vile insult to all humanity; a mockery of Terra’s once proud and majestic heritage. Such a realm could not be permitted to exist.

This alliance called itself the Salvation, and their war would come to be known as the Salvation War. At first, the alliance thought it would be no great effort to destroy Doombreed’s disciples. The alliance had bested the technologically advanced Slaugth, and in comparison the Corroded and their daemonic masters were savages, fighting with bows and spears. What hope had chariots against the great military killing machines humanity and the tau had devised?

They believed the daemons would be driven before them with impunity and ease.

They were, alas, entirely mistaken.

The war was horrific and bloody, and there was to be much sorrow and loss before its end.
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==Additional Background Section 45: The Wraithbone Choirs==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The ancient eldar, on the very cusp of the fall, created the craftworlds from the vast trading vessels of their empire, intending them to be grand arks for the majority of their race to flee the fall. However, a scarce fraction of the eldar fled when the farseers warned them of their impending doom. Nevertheless, the craftworlds were built to house countless trillions of eldar souls (''even if most eldar were consumed by She Who Thirsts... or worse''). The infinity circuits were grown to rescue the fallen souls of slain eldar after the fall.

However, this is only a fraction of the potency of the infinity circuit. The infinity circuits of each craftworld were unfathomably vast, their soul reserves spread out through the non-physical planes, which meant their infinite capacity was stored in relatively condensed wraithbone repositories in the material realm. Not only were all the fallen souls of each craftworld saved and stored, but the best and brightest souls of these worldships were distilled, alongside all the greatest intellectual works of the craftworld were stored in legendary artefacts known as the Wraithbone choirs. Should a craftworld fall, and its infinity circuits be breached or the entire population of the craftworld were exterminated before they could flee, the wraithbone choirs would be ejected into the void as metaphysical life rafts, waiting to be returned to the eldar race.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

By the Age of Dusk, almost all the Craftworlds had fallen, and almost all of the Wraithbone Choir had been recovered by Biel-tan and allowed to dissolve into their infinity circuit. Through this process, the eldar believed that they could free Ynnead, the great goddess of death formed from their conjoined souls, which they could feel trapped within the infinite depths of the circuit. However, three of the wraithbone choirs were still missing by early M56. Sensing slanneshi corruption, Kaelor’s wraithbone choir had abandoned its host circuit in M41, and had been lost ever since. Altansar’s wraithbone choir had been ejected on the dark day it fell into the Eye, before Maugan Ra single-handedly drew the craftworld back out again. Before the eldar could find it, Trayzn the Infinite snatched it away to Solemnace, to covet obsessively alongside all his other thefts. Khey-Ys’s choir abandoned its craftworld under the worst circumstances. The craftworld had been overrun by the Great Enemy itself, led by the Greater Daemon known to mortals simply as ‘Heartslayer’. His daemons infested the world, and drank the infinity circuit dry. And into that dead husk of a world ship, the raw power of Slannesh was poured. Heartslayer possessed the Avatar of Khey-Ys, and moulded it to suit his grandiose whims, becoming astatuesque, languid humanoid; beautiful yet awful to behold. The wraithbone of the craftworld became saturated in the poison of the warp, and Khey-Ys became a throne for excess and venal horror. But the spirit of the craftworld saved itself, if only barely, and for long millennia, it remained lost and safe.

But alas, I cannot lie to you and claim this forever remained the case; for they were found, and the drama of what transpired upon the finding of two of these lost choirs occurred on a rather unassuming planet known as Irist.

Irist was a mundane world, which had the misfortune of being located within the Imperium of Travesties. It had once been a thriving industrial world, but the majority of its planet’s twenty billion inhabitants had been abducted by various warlords who needed warrior fodder for their wars and rituals, or as mortal fuel for their starships. The rest of the planet’s people had been taken some other, more horrendous way; the planet was covered in what looked like the claw marks of animals, only each claw mark was miles across, and were visible as scars on the brown world’s surface, even from orbit. Amidst the ruins of Irist’s empty capital city, two meteorites crashed. These were the wraithbone choirs of Kaelor and Khey-Ys. How they had somehow met with one another and made planetfall on the same evening is unknown; perhaps they were psychically active, or perhaps it was truly fate? Goddess only knows. But I digress.

Whatever their reason, fall they did, into the rubble of the dead city. Decades later, there came other visitors to Irist. These were the scavenger Mutts of a warlord known as Galruut. These dog-headed beastmen landed their ramshackle ships on Irist’s surface, looking for scraps of technology they could pillage, and subsequently sell to the daemon worlds patronised by Valchocht the Maker. These beastmen were carrion eaters at most. Galruut’s minions scoured the world for useful scraps, but found little of value. That is, except for the two choirs, that sat, unharmed in the bottom of the smouldering craters they had delved into the planet’s surface. At first, the Mutts considered smashing them for useful components, but their chieftain Galruut recognised the technology as being from the mythical eldar race. He knew very specific parties who greatly desired any eldar technology, and he had his sorcerer send a message directly to those self same parties.

His message was received not only by its intended recipients, thankfully. A Task force of the Warrior King Commandery, after departing the Corbellus system to mount raids inside the Travesty’s territory, came across Galruut’s signal, and they made planetfall a few weeks after the Mutts’ arrival. After their strike cruiser destroyed the beastmen’s ship in orbit, the seven squads of the Warrior King Sub-Captain’s taskforce deployed via drop pod. The ensuing battle was short but incredibly vicious; despite the obvious superiority of the Nova Astartes, the Mutts were dug in and had nowhere to go. But the result was never in doubt, and after half an hour of fighting, the Mutts defending the chaoirs were all but slain.

Galruut, bleeding out, could only gasp in fright, not at his impending death, but at something worse. “This prize was not meant for the likes of you. Do you not know who you are stealing from?”

The space marines ignored him, as they prepared to depart the worthless world. However, in orbit, their strike cruiser reported that they could not leave; warpstorms were springing up in the warp all around Irist; as if a great hand were closing around the world, or some vast cyclone were coiling into being, with them becalmed at its eye.

Galruut died laughing spitefully. He expired, gurgling. “The heartslayer comes... you are all naught but fodder now...”

At the edge of the system, the warp was breached. From this colossal tear in reality, something vast slid into realspace. It was hundreds of miles long, and looked like some abominable shark or leviathan of the deep, but festooned with domes, puckering lamprey mouths, and undulating breasts studded with spines. Living flesh, carved with blasphemous runes coated the hull of this monstrosity, but this hell ship was no more alive than a screamer or a fury. It was animated by daemons, and was ruled by a regent amongst daemons, a keeper of secrets and lies. Eldar called the nightmare Ail’Slath’Sleresh, but all others knew it as Heartslayer, and the hell ship that served as his chariot was just as infamous. It was Khey’Ys defiled; a ruin in this life and the next.

It was the Warrior Kings’ turn to witness the death of their vessel, which exploded in the upper atmosphere after a sudden and catastrophic incursion by daemons. Less than seventy Marines and a a hundred Justice Confederate drop troopers stood upon the dead world of Irist, and they watched with undisguised awe as the heathen craftworld entered irist’s orbit, and blotted out its weak sun entirely. The sky above them became nothing but a vista of a hellscape, inverted and poised above them like a false reflection of the surface below.

Sub-Captain Roburt Telemas activated his power fist, but even he knew this was a fight which could not be won. From Khey-Ys, the daemons simply dropped to the surface, swooping down just on the horizon; they relished the fear of the Justice Troopers and the fierce loathing of the Astartes, and wished to savour the coming kill as they massed in all directions around the city, countless millions of daemons massing for the feast; daemonettes, fiends, serpentine snakes covered in breasts and claws, wailing banshee daemons and cursed ghosts of the fall, innumerable were the manner of devils that came to destroy them.

The daemons swept towards them with the speed of jetbikes, scuttling across the rubble and ruins without even slowing. They charged into the guns of the Pentus soldiers, heedless of the damage done to them; at Khey-Ys’s black heart, a raw wound in the warp was held open using perverted eldar science, and thus the daemons were tremendously strong and durable. The marines and troopers fell back into pre-planned strong points, luring daemons into killzones and bottlenecks, but the daemons did not care, banishment meant nothing to them. The humans were ripped down one by one, until there were but a handful of them left. Telemas fell back into the collapsed building where the Mutts lay slaughtered, where the deceptively small Wraithbone choirs sat, humming their silent psychic lament.

To his surprise, he was not alone in there. Eight figures stood in the ruins, where no one had stood mere seconds before. Each of the nice threw off their travelling cloaks, to reveal eight ornate alien warriors, in elaborately ornate eldar armour.

Before Telemas could say a word, their obvious leader, a tall swordsman with a great crested helmet, spoke.

“You have defended the Choirs as best you could, honoured mon keigh. But you need not die here. Depart.”

“We have no choice. We cannot depart, even if I wished to, which I do not,” Telemas explained, as he heard more of his men fighting and dying just beyond the ruined building’s walls.

Another one of the aliens, a winged figure with a grinning mask, spoke in a similarly dead tone of voice, at once one voice and many. “You are stranded here? This is unfortunate.”

“Indeed, but we can ensure you survive. Continue to guard our precious quarry, mon keigh ally, and we shall kill the enemy,” one of the aliens, a hulking reaper, explained coldly.

Telemas almost laughed, despite his hopeless situation. “You eight shall defeat this host? You alone?”

“We shall,” one of the aliens said with finality, an alien with beautiful armor studded with fist-sized spherical ornaments.

“Then go, slay,” telemas replied. “I will guard these... choirs.”

Without another word, the warriors leapt from the ruins, springing bodily over the walls, and into the massed daemonic host.

Their boasts were not idle, for these were the Phoenix Lords of legend. One alone was enough to turn back armies and slay cities. But the hosts of the Heartslayer did not face but one; they faced eight. Asurmen the Dire Avenger, Fuegan the Lord of Fire, Maugan Ra the reaper, Zandros the Slicing Orb, Jain Zar the Storm of Silence, Baharroth the Cry of the Wind, Karandras the Hunter of Shadows and Lhykosidae the Wraith Spider.

The daemon host exploded around each Phoenix Lord. Each blow of their weapons, or breath of their guns slew daemons, three rows deep, so fiercely and painfully they were banished for a thousand years. Asurmen became an indistinct blur, as shurikens and dire sword cuts erupted from him faster than even an Astartes’ mind might follow. The daemonic fire of sundered daemons swirled around him like the wake of a ship in a storm.

Karandras vanished into the mass of writhing purple dameonflesh, before a tidal surge of dying daemons seemed to appear in a jagged line through their ranks, each ripped apart and cast to the eight winds like flotsam.

The Wraith spider in his golden armour, stepped between worlds with the ease a man might pass through a door of his house. Where his twin blades fell, daemons were beheaded or declawed, wherever he walked, warp portals dragged any daemons who got near into the warp directly, deporting them tot he sea of souls without a second glance.

Jain Zar shrieked as she cut down foe upon foe, her horrendous scream dissolving daemonettes where they stood. Those that did not fall were destroyed by her bladed discus and her mighty spear.

Maugan Ra climbed to the top of the tallest remaining spire of Irist’s capital, and rained down a terrible deluge of fire upon the daemon host with his cannon Maugetar; it is said he slew the most on that evening form his perfect perch. Any winged daemons which evaded his gun, met a swift end upon the scythed bayonet of his weapon. They were bisected before being contemptuously smote upon the ferrocrete far below.

Fuegan’s fire pike was the most feared weapon, for it brought melta fire upon the hordes of slannesh; a daemon’s bane. Rivers of molten daemonstuff flowed around his ankles, as he literally waded into combat with the larger daemons, his fire axe castrating and hamstringing the monsters, before he beheaded them with fiery contempt.

Zandros at first seemed unarmed, but in became apparent what his power was when the spheres built into his ornate battle armour detatched and fell to the floor. Before the spheres struck the ground, they stopped mid-fall. Then, thye began to spin, and the molecular blades at their equators unfurled with a resonant buzzing. Zandros was a master of the path of the battle-kine; weaponised telekinesis. The orbs began to orbit Zandros, faster and faster, as he walked unhurriedly towards the slanneshi host. A sphere of lethal force surrounded him then, and any daemon that neared him instantly became sundered paste, or else were shredded into violet ribbons of flesh, which burnt on the breeze like tinder.

The daemons wailed and fled before the Phoenix Lords, whimpering and crying in mocking emulation of human sorrow and fear. Many fell back towards the looming craftworld, and only the fear of Heartslayer’s petulant wrath forced them to return to the fray. However, within half and hour, the Phoenix Lords had pushed the daemons back to the outskirts of the city, leaving naught but fizzing warp matter dissolving in their wake.

Onboard his throneship, Heartslayer grew frustrated, and sent down reinforcements. These were even larger and more deadly foes; corrupted wraithguard and wraithlords, possessed by daemonspawn. But even worse than these blasphemies were the daemonic eldar titans that emerged onto the field of battle to face the Phoenix Lords.

The humans witnessing this amazing spectacle thought they were witnessing duelling gods as they beheld the impossible carnage wrought by the eldar warriors. Only the Primarchs equalled these creatures in sheer majesty and presence.

The titans were a tough prospect for the Asuryata, for their D cannons and vibro weapons could utterly destroy a Phoenix Lord’s armour if they hit.

If.

Maugan Ra had to leapt form his perch, as a sonic blast turned his spire to rubble in an instant. Karandras and Jain Zar dodged and hopped across the ground, deftly avoiding the colossal energies unleashed by the approaching titans. Asurmen rushed forth, crossing swords with a dozen leering daemon-wraithlords. Each one fell, but each time was slightly harder than the last, for Heartslayer poured masses of elemental warp stuff into his minions.

Baharroth saw his opportunity to attack as one of the titans was sent reeling from a barrage of orbs from Zandros. Just as the titan regained its bearings, the winged Phoenix Lord surged through the air. At the last moment, he clutched his wings close to his body. He struck the abomination with the speed of a railgun, and the force of a macrocannon. Baharroth punched straight through the titan’s chest, erupting from its back a moment later. Firing his lasblaster into the wound, he caused the staggered titan to explode in a spectacular detonation, visible from telemas’ vantage point a mile away.

Lhykosidae jumped through the warp, and emerged inside another titan, ripping it apart from the inside out. Daemon within slain, the titan simply fell to its knees and did not rise again.

Karandras appeared upon the shoulder of one titan, hacking away at its armour seemingly ineffectually. But his plan became clear when one of the titan’s fellow war machines turned its D-cannon towards karandras, who leapt to safety only moments before the vortex bolt struck. It instead beheaded the titan he had been standing upon in a single blast.

Fuegan charged the final titan, but his charge seemed futile as the war machine raised a cannon arm to slay him. The shot went wide, as zandros telekinetically shunted the gun arm aside. This gave Fuegan time to melt one of the slender machine’s legs. Hobbled, it stumbled forwards, and was overcome by the nine phoenix lords who proceeded to clamber over its fuselage.

From above, Khey-Ys began to rise slowly; Heartslayer meant to reach high orbit, and destroy the planet and all the Phoenix lords with them. Asurmen’s disciples knew this, and they could not let this happen.

The Wraith Spider grabbed a hold of Karandras and Jain Zar, and the three vanished through his teleport. Asurmen and Fuegan grapsed Baharroth’s ankles and he swept them directly upwards with tremendous speed. Zandros simply began to rise under the power of his own mind, levitating Maugan Ra alongside himself and his dozen slicing orbs. All were converging on the Khey-Ys.

The Phoenix Lords fought their way into the craftworld, and each one of them found terrors to match and surpass the forces that had made planetfall. Ancient terrors beyond the dreams of men lay curled in the recesses of Khey-Ys, for it was a playground for monsters. Using his magic, Heartslayer separated the eight, hoping to isolate and overwhelm them in the vast expanse of the corrupted eldar ship.

His plan almsot worked. The Phoenix Lords fought furiously against their foes, but most of them could not reach his inner sanctum. Only Maugan Ra and Asurmen managed to locate Heartslayer’s lair. Where ocne the temple of Khaine had stood, now a grotesque Bordello of vice and evil lay. In place of a iron throne, a chaise longue of purple silk and the stitched together flesh of a hundred eldar infants. Heartslayer’s towering metal body lay upon thise hideous piece of furniture, gently caressing the stolen wailing doom in his hands. By his side, a most horrendous creature stood.

Ysgar Oppugnant was its title, but whatever name the thing had ocne had was long since lost. The tall, slender creature was a thing of nightmares, but it was no daemon. It was some child of the Crone Worlds, some half-breed wretch from darkest legend.* It smiled as the two Phoenix Lords entered, and whispered something to Heartslayer. Heartslayer laughed.

“We come to devour two eldar relics, and eight more appear and offer themselves to us. How delightful! You think we fear you, little eldar? Your greatest power is your ability to keep on dying, over and over. That is nothing to brag about now is it? Come, let us dance this little dance of ours,” he chuckled, as he slowly rose from his seat and brandished his stolen sword.

Maugan Ra did not wait on ceremony, and he shot Ysgar a dozen times, as did Asurmen. Ysgar raised his hands and halted the shuriken mid flight. The bladed disks rotted to black nothingness moments later.

Meanwhile, Heartslayer leapt into combat with Asurmen. Blade met blade a thousand times in the space of a dozen heartbeats, and the pornographic tapestries around the chamber erupted into flame as the sparks flew from the two clashing blades of Wailing Doom and the Diresword.

Ysgar unleashed a storm of multi-hued warp energy upon Maugan Ra, but the Phoenix Lord resisted the foul magicks, blazing with pure white soul light between the cracks in his black and bone white armour. Ysgar swept through the warp, appearing mere inches from Maugan Ra, and rammed a dagger into the Reaper’s gut. But Ra was swifter, and deflected the blow with the butt of Maugetar, before slashing the throat of Ysgar. The scythe passed through Ysgar Oppugnant like a sail through smoke, before ysgar appeared behind him and attempted to impale the reaper once more. Maugan deflected the blow, and soon the combat descended into a swirling tornado of blades, with Ra rooted to the spot at the eye of the storm. He could not help Asurmen against the Heartslayer.

The duel between the daemon-avatar and Asurmen was turning against the Avenger. The giant had the reach advantage, and with every stroke, he got faster and faster, his blows becoming ever more unpredictable and forceful. Heartslayer cackled with glee; he was facing a Phoenix lord, and he was winning! The thrill of the fight flowed through him, the hunger for victory; the desire to kill and to murder. Asurmen was being forced backwards with every flurry of blows, and every exchange of thrusts and ripostes.

Heartslayer was howling with joy, his eyes ablaze with rapturous glee. But something was wrong. He felt heat through his stolen body. He felt something uncoiling from a dark corner of the iron statue.

“The joy of murder. The hunger for death and the thrill of combat. We know these aspects well,” Asurmen explained, as heartslayer staggered backwards, his languid form beginning to glow with orange furnace fire.

“What have you done?” shrieked Heartslayer, dropping his sword. He looked to his hands. They ran red with unreal blood.

“We embody the Aspects of Khaine, tempered by Asuryan. We are Khaine’s fury and Khaine’s fuel. No matter how complete you thought you rooted him out of that body, you did not. You only caged the fire of the Bloody Handed Prince. I am Asurmen, and I am Khaine’s vengeance. I awake the Avenger in your stolen host. Now you will know what it is to be consumed Ail’Slath’Sleresh. Go now, and trouble us no more.”

Heartslayer made a final blood-curdling scream, which began as a piercing wail, but faded until it was but an echo. Molten metal poured form heartslayer’s eyes and mouth, and his body began to run molten, melting through the floor as his physical form began to collapse. The last thing to go was his red right hand, and then, he was nothing.

Ysgar, realizing it was outnumbered, bowed theatrically, before it simply vanished.

Without heartslayer to control the myriad daemons possessing Khey-Ys, the craftworld began to devour itself. The eight fled the doomed daemonship, and returned to Irist, battered and damaged, but still alive.

Roburt had been good to his word; the dameons had attacked his men as soon as the Phoenix Lords had invaded Khey-Ys, and his men had kept the dameons from the Wraithbone Choirs. Asurmen thanked the mon keigh, and told them to warn their Primarchs about Ysgar; the Crone Worlder would return, and his destiny is tied to that of Lorgar. And with that, the eldar departed, taking the two choirs with them.

Of the Wraithbone Choir of Altansar, that was beyond the reach of the Asuryata. It rested in the care of a most unlikely trio of saviors, running through the webway from a kleptomaniacal android from the dawn of time.

But that is a story for a later section I feel...

*(What exactly Ysgar was, we will never know. He looked to be perhaps some hideous hybrid between man, eldar, and something altogether less wholesome. One might have called him a chaos eldar, though such a name seems rather crass to describe such a fiend. All we know is that he was some sort of messenger or spokesperson for the Draziin-Maton, or perhaps even one of the eldar who created the host bodies for the Neverborn to inhabit.)
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</div>

==Saltus In Demonstrando: The Tale Of The Nascent God==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">A newborn child talking its first breath.

''A boulder rolling down a hill.

A star finally collapsing into supernova.

A gnat buzzing across a field of wheat.

Two galaxies colliding, scattering infinite points of light into the all-encompassing darkness.

The electron in an oxygen atom spinning at a million revolutions per nanosecond.

I experience everything, at every point in time.

Is this omniscience?

Am I a god?''<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''Premise 1: Our Understanding of God Is A Being Of Which No Greater Thing Can Be Conceived'''.

Two tau argue over a matter of state. The first believes it to be un-taulike to charge such exorbitant rates to the millions of refugees hanging in low orbit, even to demand any price at all to those who no longer even have a homeworld to call their own. The other is unmoved. He knows that the starving apes would extend the same courtesy, and was it not their tiny empire that shed so very much tau blood? Why should the tau, a society based upon the equal distribution of all labor, extend such an alien concept as charity to a race that now pursues peace only when the xenos they so eagerly slaughtered provide the only safe haven left?

One is an optimist, the other a realist, and both are needed if the tau are to survive the coming storm. For while there are those who must fight for the tau, there must also be those who give the tau something worth fighting for.

''If there is one thing I have learned, while witnessing all of causality at once, it is that survival is not enough.''

'''Premise 2: The Idea of God Exists In The Mind. When Someone Speaks To You of God, You Recognize What They Are Talking About. Not a God, Like The Banal Title Given To Mere Psychic Constructs Representing The Darker Urges of The Sentient Mind, But The God, The Creator of The Natural Universe'''

A wedding, between an aging man and a younger woman. Some guests disapprove of the age disparity, a holdover from the town's conservative roots, but they are happy all the same. The groom has at last found happiness in the arms of someone who doesn't just see the scars, but instead sees the man beneath. And the bride has at last shown someone who had well and truly given up on everything and everyone, that life is still worth living.

The preacher has already buried so many, sat at far too many funerals for such a small town, and it is beginning to wear at him. He is glad to finally preside over a ceremony dedicated to creation rather than simply commemorating a seemingly endless legacy of destruction. The preacher asks the couple the final question of matrimony, if they are truly willing to dedicate themselves to the entirety of the other, and he can see the bride smile. It is perhaps the most beautiful thing the preacher has ever had the fortune to behold. These two lovers have achieved true happiness on this day. It is the ultimate defiance, as they dare the universe to snatch this fragile thing shared between the two of them.

And in the stars above, in the form of insane automatons wearing the skin of the living in some perverted simulacrum of what they had irrevocably lost, the universe prepares its answer.

'''Premise 3: A Being Which Exists Both In The Mind And In Reality Is Greater Than A Being That Exists Only in The Mind. A Gun Will Always Have A Greater Impact On The Physical World Than The Idea of a Gun'''

In a rare moment of accidental insight, I see myself.

I see a beast, a bloated thing unnaturally birthed into the natural universe for the express purpose of murder by mentality, another microscopic element of the Swarm that elevated itself to infinitely more. The Swarm is but the subconscious urge of the conscious Overmind, and it directs the Swarm in however manner it sees fit. It molds the Swarm into whatever weapon is required by the task at hand to fulfill its basest desire: to feed. I see that this beast is unique in its form, if not its function. This beast can touch upon a sea of infinite potential, upon the raw ether that composed the infinite links that wove together to form the tapestry that is the Overwill.

Despite that the hive fleet is scattered, the hordes burned away to nothing under an endless barrage of psychic onslaught, still it fights on, for how can a creature both so simplistic and supreme comprehend such an individualistic notion as defeat? Is a man defeated if an individual bacteria manages to overpower and kill a cell, does the man even acknowledge it? I see the Overwill throw the beast among so many others in one last act of defiance against a foe it could neither comprehend nor consume, a spore hidden among the discharge of what can only be the dying breaths of a hive ship.

I see the spore sail through the void, still glistening with birth fluids, only to burrow its way between the pulsing star of white spires. And it waits there, for so very long, unseen and untouched. The guardians, in all their immortal arrogance and ignorance, are too busy to hunt the beast's brethren to find the small cancer slowly growing in their beating heart.

Eventually, whether guided by circumstance or the ever-present whisper of the Overwill, a crack forms in the outer shell. A slight tapping sound can be heard, steadily growing louder and louder as more time passes on. Abruptly, it stops, and for a moment there is only silence.

After a long, pregnant second, a claw bursts out. The spore hatches, and the birthing splits open the spore carapace into a thousand upon a thousand shards of chitin and scatters them into the wraithbone halls below.

An ugly, misshapen thing stands in the debris. Slowly, dripping with amniotic fluid and acidic runoff, the beast raises its snout and lets out a low keen.

I remember this moment well. It is when I took my first breaths, and Malan'tai took its last.

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</div>

==Section 46: The Saga of The Destroyer King==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">A man stands upon a blank plain. The sun looms high in the sky, but it is red as sunset, and vast. His clothes are humble and torn, but his body is unscathed. The grassy expanse spreads out in all directions; pristine wilderness with no boundary. There is no horizon he can see, but in all ways more looming banks of land. Inside a curve?
He blinks. A warm breeze tussles his short hair.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

“Where am-?”

''“They will not let me in from the cold. You are dead. Born as well, I saved you. She swallowed, and now you are- Never; always on the fringes outside. I am forever cold. We are prisoners, she is gaol.”''

The second voice is a titanic presence, cavernous in the man’s mind. He flinches, his mind assailed. There is a glare, but he is not looking at the sun.

“I can hear a voice. Who are you?” he asks again.

''“Why won’t they let me in? They shut me out, and it destroys them. I am a god. I am a widow, or a goddess. Think on her sins. Abusive mother, she swallowed them in pieces. She grieves for us, but she is guilty and we cannot forgive. No matter how much I drink of the light, I am cold.”''

“How... how can I hear you?”

''“Simple really. The simplest thing. You let us in from the cold. You listened. Fool! Beloved! Savior!”''

“I was not here before. Where are my friends?” Stormclouds rippled across the inwards sky, darkening the orb like a cataract.

''“Not permitted. I hate them. I feel... regret.”''

The man sees something...

Silver gaolers, blank and unloving. A prison of the flesh itself, anchored to an immortal star. She would serve, as the forever outside god. Her heaven was not for her to enjoy. Await the wardens when the flesh-clad they are. Until then, purgatory.
The man fell to his knees, the force of the images like a gale of force.

“You are a prisoner?”

''“Prisoner. Gaoler. Goddess all loving. Ravenous maw. Murderess. Vampire. We are many and all of us are weeping.”''

The mortal, the weakling man, stared into the star, heedless of the glare. “If you are a monster, why do I live?”
No answer, only the churning, world-shuddering groans of a world in languishing anguish. “If you feel guilt... you are redeemable.”

''“I am abomination. I hunger to sup on your mind, and all the other ordered psyches that dare draw breath! I am naught but destruction! We are many, and we are hideous! Fear us!”''

The sun swelled in luminosity, and the man shielded his eyes then. He felt his skin tanning. “You can create. Look at what you created here. I will not fear you,” he gasped, his throat dry as tinder. That was when something stepped from the star, and he, despite his ardent promise, did feel fear...

'''[I found this history scrawled in blood upon human-sourced vellum. The charnel soul stink of it made it clear to me this was a contemporary account handwritten by one of Abaddon’s followers. But alas, it is one of the few surviving sources we have for Abaddon’s exploits in the lead up to his cataclysmic battle in the northern fringes.]'''

'''The Saga of the Destroyer King, written by one who bled alongside him:'''

Despoiler. Abaddon. The Warmaster. Black Legionnaire. Exiled Emperor of Dread Cadia.

These names are meaningless, and were always meaningless for my terrible king. In my previous grimoires, I spoke of ualthan Dust and the death of the Cardinal of Delusion, Kor Phaeron. Upon the burning spear of the planetkiller was his fleet spit, and there they either burned or joined their banners to the one true Prince of misdeed.

With a fleet of bested foes and miserable exiles, we made out pilgrimage to the realm of the Blackheart. We were a pathetic band of wretches, little more than the reavers our Lord had marked out for destruction. The Despoiler brooded in his personal chambers as we traveled, unmolested across the invisible marches between empires; a vagrant fleet with nothing but hate to unite us and bind us together.

Grenthos the Bloodgreed kept order amongst the quarreling lesser elements of the fleet, his vast hulking form and hungry daemonaxe cowing the savages into line through threats and fear. Vultiari, the mysterious traitor of the Nova Astartes, meanwhile kept his serpent’s eye on the upper echelons, through his powerful sorceries and his network of spies. We loathed the youngling whelp with a fierce fire, as if he were one of the five sons themselves. But regardless, without him, our plotting would have led to the fleet consuming itself within a month.

Abaddon ignored his flock, his followers. Their loyalty meant little to him anymore, as did everything else. He had lost everything over the last century; his empire, his favour and even his mind. Drach’nyen, his treasonous devil’s barb of a blade, poured poison into his mind. It cajoled him and urged him onwards. Unbeknownst to us all, Drach’nyen detested the Hamadraya who enthralled Huron Blackheart. The twisted familiar daemon had been the one to orchestrate Drach’nyen’s incarceration in his sword prison, countless eons before even Horus liberated the heavens from Anathema. Drach’nyen would see his foe destroyed, and he took advantage of Abaddon in his weakened state.

But before any sort of campaign could be launched, the ragtag fleet required one thing above all other considerations. It needed mortal fuel. Countless millions of serfs and slaves had been expended during the Battle of Qualthan dust, that entire swathes of the crumbling renegade vessels lay abandoned in disrepair and disarray. The gun decks were ghostly quiet, the labour pits barren. The fleet needed mortals to run the mundane, tedious yet essential tasks of the fleet.

Thus, the Despoiler’s fleet circled the isolated hive world of Galt. The hive world boasted a sophisticated cloaking shield which hid the ship from navigators or the reaver fleets of their supposedly Emperor Huron. However, Abaddon’s sorcerer Vultiari and his cabal were cunning, and they saw through the isolated hive’s defences. Soon enough, Abaddon’s fleet was circling the world. The chaos space marines made planetfall, before they began to brazenly snatch away entire communities, dragging over a billion mortals into slavery.

However, when the Astartes came to lay siege to the central hive city of the world, Ayun, the Black Legion found itself repulsed by a force which matched their own in tenacity and firepower. Another warband of Space marines garrisoned Ayun. Ghariel the Tusked led the invaders, and he was soon drawn into a full scale war through the streets of Galt’s mighty cities. The white-armoured Space marines were disciplined in a way the Legion could scarcely recall; not even Pentus soldiers fought with such control and boldness.

Slaver camps planetside were attacked, some were liberated, and the grateful natives took up arms against the Legionnaires, who hadn’t the resources to endure such a war.

Before Ghariel’s position was overrun, he ordered his men to take the fifty million slaves they had already caught, and make for orbit. His men, not ones for sentimentality or loyalty, gladly abandoned the Tusked Lieutenant to his doom. But worse was to come.

We in orbit did not realise that the white armoured Astartes were in league with the legion of the Hydra. All too readily we accepted our new slave crop, and their Astartes handlers, back into the fold. But half the slaves were agents of the Hydra, and the Astartes slavers were, for the most part, Alpha Legion. They rampaged through the fleet, killing ships from the inside out. Chainswords roared and bolters barked in the cold, hellish bowels of our raider fleet. As we struggled with the Alpha legion, their mysterious allies launched their own assault from the surface; stormbirds and thudnerhawks ascended towards out fleet, which did nothing to counter them, as we fought to wrest control of our ships from the Alpha Legion’s turncoat scum.

The space marines focussed their assault upon Planetkiller herself, blasting their way into the embattled hangar bays on the starboard flank.

The Despoiler sat upon his throne as this battle play out across a dozen vox channels of shouting and cursing, morbidly listening to his men perish without even a flicker of regret reaching his corpse-pale features. His messy mane of black hair hung across his shoulders, unwashed and fetid as a bog. His armor, bound to his flesh, was uncared for, and he had even neglected to so much as load his combi-bolter.

He grinned darkly as his men reported every enemy slain; another body to break on the mill of chaos. Another soul cast adrift for no purpose. Another war to fight. Always another war.

Grenthos relished this battle, his monstrous axe cutting a gory swathe through bone-white intruder and Alpha legionnaire alike. He could not tell true Black Legion from impostors, and so he killed anyone who was not part of his berserk chosen band of axe-wielding butchers. As he killed his way towards the hangars, he learned that there was one Alpha Legionnaire who was smashing his way through the Planet-killer’s crew with impossibly speed and skill. As Grenthos moved to engage this foe in the dameon-cursed enginarium of the ship, he began to encounter streams of fleeing men, Astartes and mortals alike, who dared not face this whirling dervish.

“Cowering hounds! Who are you to flee from an enemy champion? You call yourselves posthumans?” Grenthos cursed.

But the renegade space marines of Abaddon had good reason to flee. “We will not face him, Bloodgreed. We cannot face one of them! It is folly! You contend with a primarch this day, Khornate fool!” Afraim Rippersoul retorted.

Where others felt bone-chilling dread, Grenthos, ever the madman, felt only grim anticipation. He raised his axe to the fleeing warriors.

“When I have killed this Primarch, I will come back and murder anyone who did not join me in this battle!” he promised, before he drew his axe and his multi-barreled pistol and made for the enginarium. Tellingly, only half his own chosen berserkers followed him. I chose to follow him, by bolter in hand. I dearly wished to witness a Primarch kill in close quarters.

Meanhwile, the captain of the white-armoured marines made swift progress through the twisted innards of the Planetkiller. The ship itself seemed to despise their progress,a nd unleashed daemonic things from the very walls themselves, as a body might pump antibodies into he bloodstream. They did not falter nor quail before these horrors. They slowly and methodically cornered and annihilated the daemons with flamers and knives, bolters and swords.

At last, they reached the unguarded doors to Abaddon’s throne room. Alpharius, the snake, had told these men precisely where to strike. Slay the Despoiler, and the fleet would be lost. Fully twenty Astartes breached the doors with melta charges. Almost as soon as they did, Vultiari emerged from hiding, and struck with all the hellish weapons in his arsenal. Black lightning arced amongst the enemy, burning them down to the soul. Phantom winds plucked some fromt he ground, ad dashed them against the walls like rag dolls. The Astartes retaliated robustly, their disciplined bolter volleys scything down Vultiari’s cabal of human familiars, leaving him diminished. The surviving captain and his sergeant put a dozen bolts into the sorcerer as he turned to flee. The bolts passed through thin air, as the conniving Astartes abandoned his liege lord to his fate.

Abaddon remained sat upon his throne, and watched the two warriors approach with blades drawn. He looked upon the two enemies with contempt.

“No Astartes is a good man. You cannot kill me,” he explained, as the two emptied their bolters into his Temrinator-armoured form, smashing his sigils and pulverizing the storm bolter bound to the Talon of Horus, as he shielded his face from the onslaught. Soon, their weapons were spent, and the Despoiler, smoking like some iron statue fresh from the forge, remained standing.

“... But prophecies have been wrong before.”

In the Enginarium, Grenthos and I finally witnessed Alpharius for ourselves. It was immediately obvious which one of the black-armoured forms he was. Though he was only slightly larger than one of us, he moved with a fluid agility which we could never hope to master. He killed with every movement of his body, and already a pile of corpses was left rotting in his red wake. His armor was battered, and he fought only with a short sword, but it was enough. Even from our gantry way above him, we saw that no one could best him.

Grenthos evidently disagreed, for he simply snarled and clambered down into the pit, his baying brothers snapping at his heels. Though he was Khornate, Grenthos was no suicidal fool. As he charged down into the pit, his men tossed their grenades at the Primarch, and emptied their bolt pistols and all the heavy weapons they had into the murderous blur that was, unmistakably, Alpharius.

The primarch weathered it all. His armor ran molten in places, or burst apart in cascades of sparks in others. Bolt rounds blasted chunks of flesh from his flanks, or rebounded from impossible tough flesh. Most of the weapons, however, simply missed, such was his swiftness and lethally sharp combat awareness.

The entire onslaught of Grenthos’ barbarians had merely caught the Primarch’s attention.

The two white Astartes were a formidable team. As the captain waded into close quarters with chainsword and power blade, his sergeant kept a steady stream of storm bolter fire thundering into the great Despoiler’s runic Temrinator armor. As Abaddon fought to ward off the stinging explosive bolts, he was barely able to focus on the lethal blades of the Astartes captain. In power armor, the man was faster than Abaddon; his relatively youthful body was not ravaged as Abaddon’s was, by neglect and countless millennia of time. And even then, the bolter rounds hampered the chaos warrior ever further.

However, Abaddon bore the talon of Horus, and the mighty sword Drach’nyen. He had fought with these two weapons for as long as he could recall, and he was a masterful fighter, even so handicapped. The Black and white giants fenced and wrestled with one another, arcing energies playing about their weapons as they ripped chunks from one another. But finally, a bolter round struck the claw, turning it aside just as he reached out for a killing blow. The Captain capitalized upon this immediately, and embedded his power sword up to the hilt in Abaddon’s shoulder, sending the crackling blade to erupt from his armored gorget and through his neck. Abaddon toppled backwards with a resonant boom, as ancient armor struck and shattered marble floor.

Grenthos’ chosen attacked as a single mass, axes thirsting for first blood. Alpharius was lost for a few moments amidst this scrum, his short sword deftly parrying and deflecting as many blows as he could. His fists lashed out along with his sword, pulverizing ribcages and splitting power armor like tin foil. His boots crushed legs, and his headbutts decapitated the unwary. But even as they died, many of the axes struck home, for Alpharius couldn’t hope to block them all. As the last berserker died, the Primarch rose. His armor was torn off for the most part, and five axes remained embedded deep in his flanks. Yet, he did not seem int he slightest way debilitated; no weapon could leave a lasting wound upon his flesh. He rose like an immaculate god; lazily discarding the axes that would have diced a lesser being. He only deigned to retain one of the axes, which looked undersized in his hand. He said nothing as he stared down the last enemy before him; Grenthos the Bloodgreed.

Now I bear no particular love or affection for Grenthos. Indeed, I despise him as I do most of my kin. Nevertheless, one could not help but find him glorious in that moment. With a bestial grin, devoid of even the memory of fear, he hefted his mighty daemon axe, and charged. Grenthos, alone, charged a direct child of the Corpse-Emperor, a sibling of mighty Horus and Angron the Terrible. I do not know if his axe granted him any additional power or speed, but even my enhanced reactions could barely follow the machine gun exchange of blows which passed between the two duelists. Grenthos, a giant amongst space marines, almost matched Alpharius for size, and both figures moved far too fast for such weighty colossi. Alpharius was the faster, but the Bloodgreed’s axe was a most dreadful prospect. It destroyed his short sword and axe within five heartbeats of the beginning of the impromptu duel. For the next several dozen heartbeats, Alpharius ducked and weaved his way to avoid the axe’s snapping fangs and daemonic ichors.

Then something impossible happened. Grenthos’s axe, deflected by a Primarch’s elbow, was propelled into the demi-god’s chest. Alpharius staggered back several paces. The hell-infected wound bled. Not in a trickle, but a torrent. Alpharius screamed. Gods preserve my black heart, but his scream was like nothing in this universe. A primarch in pain is an astonishingly rare spectacle, which echoed through the enginarium like a banshee’s wail. Daemons churned in their prisons between the warp generators, and mortal crewmen were deafened and driven mad by the scream. Even Grenthos paused for a moment; a flicker of a shadow of doubt. Then, as Alpharius fell to one knee, he grinned.

“The space marine that made a Primarch kneel; that made a primarch bleed! They shall write songs about me!” Grenthos roared in triumph, swinging his blade down in an executioner’s blow.

Alpharius was lightning. He caught the axe, his two hands flat as they closed upon the falling axe head. Grenthos’ bunched shoulders were jarred by the sudden halt of his momentum. Stopped dead, the axe writhed and howled in Alpharius’ vice grip.

“Short songs,” Alpharius corrected, as he ripped the axe from Grenthos’ grasp.

The last victim to fall to the Bloodgreed’s axe was Grenthos himself. The Pirmarch split him from helm to pelvis in a single stroke. A look of superb, pathetic surprise was etched into grenthos’ features even as he fell into two neat halves.

I know not what Alpharius did next, as I was already running; sprinting to escape the living engine of destruction. Grenthos was the mightiest of us, and even he was humbled by the primarch. I suspect, however, that Alpharius and his men did not stay onboard much longer; perhaps the Bloodgreed’s blow had done more damage to the Alpha Legion Patriarch than he had anticipated? Or perhaps his plan all along was to lure Abaddon’s bodyguards away from him at that pivotal moment?

For as Alpharius slew Grenthos, so the white Astartes stood over the stricken Despoiler, chainsword raised.

“For Horus! For the Emperor! For the Imperium! Lupercal!” the warrior bellowed. But the warrior paused then, as he saw the claw that Abaddon wielded; a claw he had known ever sicne he was a neophyte. Abaddon too was crippled by indecision; he heard the chant, and at that moment, he recalled why that white armor was so seditiously familiar to his degenerate mind.

For the briefest instant, it seemed as if the two might spare their counterpart. They might then have backed away and fled from one another in horror and denial. Neither Abaddon nor the Son of Horus seized the opportunity to strike.

Alas, Drach’nyen did not waste the opportunity. Like a treasonous viper, the daemonsword thrust itself forwards, and spitted the captain upon its twisted length. Transfixed, the Astartes only managed to yelp ‘First Capt-” , before his soul was immolated. Abaddon pulled drach’nyen free, just in time to thoughtlessly behead the sergeant, as he charged heedlessly into combat.

Abaddon cast his daemonsword aside, ripping his long hair form his skull in clumps as he groaned in helpless horror at what he had just done. Clambering towards the captain, on his knees, Abaddon cracked open his skull, and tasted the memories of Kaidmus, line Captain of the sixteenth chapter. He recalled the first day he had met Abaddon, and he saw through Kaidmus’ young eyes. He saw himself as he once was; proud and powerful and... righteous. There was a light in his eyes that had long since passed. His flesh was tanned, not corpse-pallid and blotchy with impurities.

That man was a killer, but a killer with a cause; a bringer of compliance, and an empire builder. A loyal man, loyal to the greatest human he had ever known.

Alpharius’ armies vanished towards the end of the battle, leaving the time-displaced Sons of Horus to be surrounded and captured; most killed themselves rather than endure this imprisonment. The rest refused to turn to the dark gods, and had to be slain (though we had to perform this task in secret, as Abaddon refused to sanction the deaths of the Sons under any circumstances). Vultiari’s reward for his selfishness was to be bound to the prow of the Planet Killer. There, he was messily destroyed the next time we entered the warp. Abaddon abandoned his own name, and demanded to be known only as ‘Destroyer’, his head scorched bald and his armor defaced in a wild frenzy of self-hatred. The sickly claws of Malice had wormed their way into Abaddon’s oily heart.

The Planet Killer left Galt as soon as it had replenished half of its missing crew, leaving its fleet to pound Galt’s hive cities flat in a roaring inferno of orbital death. The rest of our ragtag fleet of rampagers did not follow the Despoiler into the Blackheart’s realm. My path did not cross there’s again. It is likely that, without Abaddon to unite them, the former Word Bearers and Black legionnaires turned upon one another. I hope that they did not do this, but instead attacked the Imperium of the Five, and caused untold havoc amongst the deluded fools who faun over the primarchs like slavering whores. Vulkan’s sycophant worlds deserve nothing but contempt!

But my fate was tied to the Destroy King’s from then on. The five month warp transit was torturous. The gods of the eightfold path did not want us to reach our destination. Warp predators assailed us, fanged, impossible things coiled and thrashed against us, and hundreds of crew were turned to spawn and stranger, rampaging through the haunted decks like deranged hounds. My Legion brothers were always on alert; killing off monster after abstract monster as we endured this grueling ordeal.

But Abaddon’s misery, and Drach’nyen’s depthless hate were like a white hot arrow, punching through the warp’s ensnaring riptides. Eventually, we burst back into realspace, and straight into a titanic void war.

The system was alive with millions of contacts; alien cruisers, mercenary skiffs, battleships and frigates of every class and variety, human, xenos, renegade and otherwise. Death Guard fleet elements and Corsair squadrons jostled for position with semi-organic alien marauders, blunt-nosed Groevian Kill-Prows, warspheres, Delfic frenzy-discus, dameon-ships, eldar void stalkers ad dragon vessels, glinting Silver Skull barges, gladius escorts, and many vessels even Abaddon had never met. And, at the heart of this leaderless rout of scrapping void gladiators, one vessel outshone them all; the last great Craftworld, Biel-tan.

And close to this embattled world, almost lost amidst the frantic chaos of semsor returns and vox signals, was the target of Abaddon’s nihilistic ire. Huron’ Astral Maw was engaging seven targets at once. Whole gun decks were torn out, while its hangar were gutted in several locations. But like the odious Revenant that commanded the ship, the Maw simply would not die.

But Abaddon promised it would, as he ordered the Planet-killer into the heart of the cataclysmic void war. It took the chaos ships fifty minutes to realize that the Planet-killer had not come to aim them, and within an hour, the mighty ship, already a dying monster, was under attack from Astral Maw’s escorts. Abaddon would not b denied, and simply rammed the smaller vessels aside. The Planet-Killer was falling apart around him, and he did not care. Astral Maw, damaged as it was, could not avoid what came next.

No ship could have. The two came together amidships. Planetkiller’s momentum had been drained by the escort collisions, and it struck the Maw slowly. The two vessels seemed to crumple into one another; decks shearing off and plunging deep into the bowels of its opposite number, crews mingled and merged in their flaming deaths. In a rippling explosion of color, the two vessels were at once fused and shattered.

The few black Legion left abandoned the Destroyer King, and I suspect Huron’s oh so loyal Corsairs did likewise. They fled for their very lives, as the two ships began to spin into a deathspiral, locked in a murderer’s embrace with one another. They did not care whether either deranged Tyrant King had survived.

I too fled, killing a group of Red Corsairs and hijacking their dreadclaw. But I have heard the legends about what transpired on those two dying vessels, as they slowly began to be drawn towards the nearest gravity well (''which was, unfortunately for the eldar, the planet-sized craftworld itself'').

It is a tale of hatred, and the faded dreams of old men, each as bitter and resentful as the other.

'''[Compiler’s Note: This is a tale this vile heretic never did manage to tell fully. His chronicles were cut short in M56, when he was captured by Unforgiven and tortured to death. An ugly end to an ugly being; fitting I think. Nevertheless, the final battle of Huron, Hamadraya, Abaddon and Drach’nyen the Soulrender is told elsewhere, and I shall endeavor to locate it in due course.]'''
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==Section 47: “When the Bells of Eternity Sound,Reality Quakes”: The Travesty Burns==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">At Corbellus, five Primarchs breached the borders of the Imperium of Travesties, and there they brought battle to one of the greatest military machines in the entire galaxy. Though victory was inconclusive, they were nevertheless sundered and divided. But, this was not defeat for the Primarchs Pentus, but rather the means for the next phase of the war; the razing of the Travesty itself.

Corax, who had entered in the northern border with Pentus, ran amok amongst the worlds of the dark Imperium. In some places, he inspired uprisings against the tyrannical monsters who ruled these worlds. In other places, he simply rose up with his Sons of Corax, and massacred planetary populations too odious and warp-twisted to be allowed to live. But even as Decimus’ Midnight Clad and the vast cultist navies of the Word bearers scoured these worlds of resistance, Corax had already moved on.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

He struck at supply lines and logistical trains. He ambushed supply fleets, full of valuable slave galleys and daemon fodder, destroying these fleets before they could rush to support whatever demented local warlords demanded their aid. Lash in one hand, crackling claws upon the other, Corax was a living shadow god, grinning with righteous glee as he enacted his destructive policies. It had been so long since the primarchs had had the freedom to unleash such unfettered carnage upon an empire, without thought to consequences. Every world was corrupt, and almost every inhabitant of that warp storm-wracked multi-Segmentum empire was a monster, a sniveling coward or a conniving villain.

Corax fought hundreds of battles and wars with the daemon-blooded warlords of the Northern Marches. Entire volumes of novels and histories could be written from these wars. He was the elusive Lord of Ravens. He was hunted by almost every commander of the north at some point. Even Mortarion and Angron chased him at one point.

Angron had been dragged north unexpectedly, along with his fleet, by the spontaneous actions of two line Sergeants of the Fire beasts and Nemenmarines Commanderies, who had inherited the command of the battlecruiser Crato. Upon fleeing Corbellus, Crato had been speared by one of the Conqueror’s mighty harpoons. Like a fisherman dragged underwater by a struggling fish, Angron’s flagship had plunged into the warp alongside them.

In the sea of souls, the two tethered ships span out of control; Gellar fields flared and rolled around them like exotic bubbles formed in tar. Unreal winds wracked both ships, and pulled apart sections of hull. Many of Angron’s escorts, who had heedlessly followed int he choppy warp wake of the Conqueror, were struck by the flailing battleship, and cast off into the deep. Some emerged sixty years prior to the Pentus war, their crews fused to consoles and their decks haunted by fiends. Others emerged into the starless oblivion at the end of time, and froze like brittle ice sculptures, or were devoured by the sleepless entities that dwelt at the cusp of Heat Death.

A few managed to occupy the same collective, turbulent Gellar sphere which enclosed Crato and Conqueror. One such vessel was the light cruiser Red Maul, a dauntless class corrupted by the Berserkers, and adorned with an ossified outer shell of frozen bones, and was crowned by a rearing, tusked horse sculpture of basalt and adamantium. The commander of this vessel ordered it to fire upon the Crato, heedless of the fact such an action could cause the destruction of the conqueror. The captain of Red Maul even ignored Angron’s deafening warp hails demanding they cease fire. Several times, the Red Mual tried to gain firing solutions, but fortunately for all involved, it continued to lose its aim, as it continually crashed against the cliff-like flanks of Conqueror. The captan of the Red Maul, furious at his crew’s failing, murdered half of them with his whirring chainaxe, and had the rest of the crew chained to their posts, and goaded with barbed spears until they regained a firing solution.

Meanwhile, Angron had begun to send boarding parties to the Crato, insane as this sounds. Boarding torpedoes would be have been pointless, and teleportation would have zero accuracy as the two vessels were spinning out of control, like two toy boats caught inside a washer’s cylinder. Angron had his men invade the Crato on foot, charging along the mooring chain of the harpoon itself. Angron, tot he collective disbelief of all involved, had infantry march through the void inside the Gellar field, at the heart of a warp transit. Berserkers mag-locked their boots to the chain as they surged across the three hundred kilometre long chain. Meanwhile, his mortal troops hurriedly dragged on void suits and some even remembered to hook themselves to the chain as they rushed out of airlocks like the bloodmad fools they were. Others hadn’t even bothered to put on their helmets, and rushed into the airless void screaming praises to the blood god, even as their eyes burst with red viscera, and their hearts ruptured in their chests. Possessed marines simply crew their talons and scrambled, ape-like across the chain, their bodies long-since devoid of mortal requirements. Angron ordered his men to enslave the crew, and force the Crato to drop out of the warp. Once in realspace and once the Conqueror was stabilised, Angron would then kill every single one of the Crato’s crew, on his own, with his bare hands, as his khornate minions bore witness.

That was the plan, but the Crato’s commanders had other ideas. When the berserkers neared the Crato end of the chain, they found they were not alone. Squads of Fire Beasts and Nemenmarines had also moved out onto the chain. But they had deployed there on the orders of castron of the Nemenmarines. His Fire Beast brother, sergeant Alistor, led the squads from the front, engaging the Berserkers at range with bolters, missiles and silent lascannons. The battle was fought in eerie silence, the only din coming from the screaming inside the helmets of the berserkers, and the laboured breathing of every warrior present. The... unusual terrain of the battlefield was treacherous, and many a combatant who missed their footing even slightly found themselves spinning off into the churning void of the Gellar field.

Despite the desperate carnage, Alistor held the khornate host back, but he could not press ahead even an inch. Fortunately, this was intentional, for their plan was not to invade the Conqueror with barely six squads of Nova Astartes; Alistor was widely believed to be deranged by Castron, but he was not so insane as to face down a Primarch and his hellish legions, virtually on his own. A Nemenmarine techmarine called Vormays, and his team of servitors and void-suited serfs, were installing a device inside the Conqueror’s harpoon chain, even as Alistor’s men fought tooth and nail to keep him unmolested by the enemy. The Crato was not designed with rear facing ordnance, and thus could not strike at the Conqueror or its chain directly. However, Castron had meticulously planned a means of escaping both Angron and the rapidly-collapsing bubble dof realspace around them. Vormays had liberated two macrocannon shells from the gun decks, and his servitors had brought it to the rear of the vessel, and onto the chain itself. There, the techmarine began hastily devising a time bomb, which was to go off the moment Castron disengaged the warp drives, and breached back into realspace, down to the second.

So Alistor fought on, falling back barely inches at a time; each inch accompanied by an appropriate toll in traitor blood. When his bolter was spent, he clamped it to his thigh, and fought the traitors with his chainsword, swinging it double-handedly, like some demented huscarl of a forgotten age. But it was not enough time. Vormays’s trigger mechanism was almost completed, but the techmarine confessed he didn’t have time to perfect the chrono device. Vormays ordered Alistor to fall back to the Crato, as the priest of machines tirelessly worked to complete his weapon. Only reluctantly did Alistor agree to finally pull back, enacting a fighting withdrawal across the chain, back towards the Crato.

As Vormays finished the bomb, his H grade servitors held back the gory tide of berserkers with picks and drills, spinning saws and plasma cutters.

“Acting-captain Castron; I shall detonate precisely when you give the vox signal,” Vormays explained over the vox.

“Understood,” was all Castron replied.

“Your sacrifice will be remembered forever brother,” Alistor promised down his own vox channel, beating his chest with his fist. “There will be feasts in your honour Vormays, this I promise you, on my life and the honour oft he Fire Beasts.”

“That is of little comfort to me at all, Alistor. I’m not particularly fond of any of you. Try not to squander the death I will spare you today. Vormays out.”

Vormays was as good as his word. As Castron ordered the ship to drop out of the warp, Vormays, even as his servo arms grappled with the minotaur-like leader of Angron’s boaring party, detonated his bomb with a resigned sigh.

The blast was like a newborn sun had sprung into life for a moment, between the two capital ships. The blast utterly shattered the Gellar field. Simultaneously, it flung the Conqueror off into the impossible swirling of the warp, and launched the Crato forwards through the puckered realspace breach, on a wave of plasma fire. The aperture was so narrow, the crato lost half of its sensor towers and many of its manoeuvring thrusters, as it was squeezed through a slavering maw of unreal daemonstuff, like a baby being painfully birthed, blinking, into the world.

Unfortunately, the afterbirth of this pregnancy included another vessel. The Red Maul exited the warp only a dozen hours after Crato, and already its commander had picked up their scent. His orders were simple and well known to his crew, for he had been screaming them at the top of his lungs for hours;

“KILL! MAIM! BURN! KILL! MAIM! BURN! KILL! MAIM! BURN! KILL! MAIM! BURN!”

Conqueror emerged many lightyears from Crato, several sectors distant. Angron’s host had been destroyed in the tumult, leaving him churning in the warp, searching out a new host he could inhabit, preferably close to another warzone, so he could vent his frustration out on one of his hated brothers. It transpired that Corax was the closest brother, and soon Angron surged back into reality with a host of daemons at his back. The little Raven would not escape him.

Elsewhere, across the Travesty, worlds burned and Primarchs warred. Civilisaitons were toppled, and the unfettered Primarchs ran amok amongst this diseased realm. Russ, aboard Sleipnir, washed away the shame of his failing at Corbellus in a tide of fire and blood. His Rout once again became the executioners of old, destroying worlds so thoroughly and so meticulously, that nothing could live upon the blasted worlds that he made war upon. The Travesty was maleficarum, all of it, and he would see it all burn. However, one of his primary goals was locating Fenris, which had fallen under siege many millennia ago. No word had come from Fenris, and none of the chaos commanders he captured and tortured knew where fenris was, even after his Rune Priests pulled apart their minds to learn their secrets.

Something... someone, blinded the navigators to fenris’ location; warp routs which once led there had been severed countless centuries previously, and with so many warp storms breaching reality, its physical location was also altered. No matter how many fleets he broke, keeps he sundered and enemies he routed, his ultimate goal eluded him. Leman Russ suspected Magnus was behind this petulant display, but the red Cyclops was similarly impossible to find; for one could not grasp something which no longer had a form, not even the Wolf King. Russ split his Commanderies into Great Companies, and had them scour the region on this quest; if they could not find fenris, they were content to simply kill the worst and most evil foes they could, and return to the hearthfires of Sleipnir to relate their tales to the rest of the Vylka Fenryka.

Many were the sagas told of these mighty warriors, enough to fill libraries. For example, there was the saga of Hrothgar the Fanged and how he slew the biomechanical wyrm Gorganis, and escaped the clutches of the kai bane host with the beasts head chained to his ship’s prow. Or the tale of Jorna Flamepelt, whose company slew a billion of Erebus’ cultists, and used their fetid bodies to scale the walls of the basilica of Caged Hope, toppling the evil church’s greatest spire. Russ himself lived up to his fell legend, and numberless enemies fell to his frostblade. He wrestled with Mulkiva Bile-blood, the mightiest champion of fabius’s infamous ‘New Men’. It was said Mulkivas had been turned into a great colossus, as tall as a knight titan, and strong as the root of mountains. Nevertheless, in combat with Russ, the giant was undone, and his broken body was cast back into his own lines, his spine torn from his body, still writihng and hissing in unnatural life.

The Lion pressed on with a similar vigour to Russ, but without the boisterous relish the barbarian seemed to demonstrate. From the bridge of his flagship Antioch, he sombrely and efficiently massacred his foes, and engaged in numerous fleet actions throughout the sprawling conflict. His fleet of vessels was modest compared tot he staggeringly vast armadas of the Word Bearers. However, large fleets were always ponderous, and so the Lion was able to evade the larger fleets, and was free to carefully and irrevocably cripple vital enemy worlds with his forceful but considered blows.

The Khan, who travelled with him, had a slightly different approach. His small, incredibly swift frigate-shuttle, Stormrider, would regularly depart from the Antioch, leading hunting fleets of White Lancers deep into enemy territory, returning occassionally to Antioch, for resupply, and to drop off the armless, legless bodies of important enemy commanders he had personally hunted down and killed. These bodies were piled up in a ritualised hold in the belly of the battleship; the Khan’s trophy room.

At one point, at the battle of Barbaritan the Poisoned, the Khan and Fulgrim almost met in battle. However, amidst the furious city and trench warfare, the two just missed one another; much to Jaghati’s abiding ire. For a long time the Khan had wished to ruin the vainglorious Primarch’s pretty face.

Vulkan’s campaign was fought differently. He gave the worlds he conquered a simple choice; renounce the Ruinous Powers in all their forms, destroy their temples and any daemon engines the world might have been providing for the enemy, and provide a heavy tithe of soldiers to add to Vulkan’s force. If they did that, they were spared, but if not, they were so comprehensively exterminated, that not one living creature ont he planet would survive. Many worlds swore fealty easily, for they didn’t truly care which warlords ruled them, Travesty or Pentus. A few worlds, those which still had garrisons loyal to Perturabo, resisted Vulkan’s offer and chose to dig in. Vulkan did not fight these men, he simply cast rocks from heaven to kill their lands, and heavy planet-cracking fire from Phalanx to finish off their cities and hardpoints.

The worlds Vulkan took or killed seemed to all be feudal possessions of Perturabo and his allies. This drove perturabo into a senseless rage, and destroyed any of his worlds who had surrendered to Vulkan, purely out of spite. He also devoted ever larger fleets purely to hunting Vulkan’s force, which had been Vulkan’s intention. The Salamander Primarch was able to deny Perturabo battle each time however, for he knew where perturabo’s ships were and where they would be. This was due to the turncoat at the heart of the chaos Primarch’s forces. The mongrel prince, Warsmith Honsou, was this traitor amongst traitors. Vulkan’s engineers had implanted a cortex bomb into his mind, which would be activated should he not hold up his end of the bargain; his life was spared, only so long as he fed Vulkan information, and sabotaged Perturabo’s war effort.

The Iron Warriors’ Primarch long sought out this traitor, but the minions he ordered to investigate tended to suffer unexplained accidents; freak plasma core explosions, unfortunate friendly fire incidents, some investigators even accidentally fell into the slave pens with their arms and legs severed, to be mauled to death by vengeful slave chattel...

Through it all, Honsou managed to avoid his duplicitous mission being uncovered; for if he were ever caught... the thought was too terrible for even a space marine to consider.

Wherever the Primarchs set foot, the foe was rooted out and destroyed. But not every Pentus force was fortunate enough to have a Primarch at its head. Many sub-forces of Imperial soldiers were lost in battle with the kai bane Host, who were resistant to all but the most powerful weaponry, or else ambushed and devoured by opportunistic daemons.

This is not to say the non-Astartes forces of the Pentus did not cover themselves in honour. Vultimus Clivon’s Confederate strike forces were invaluable to loyalist battlegroups, as they moved behind enemy lines, eliminating key strategic and logistical targets with the chrono-perfect timing they were famed for. And at the battle of Sturgeos, across the field of sundered cities, their IEU battlesuits battled a great host of valchocht’s mechanical horrors, and won a gruelling victory due to their great mobility, positioning, long range, and precision firepower.

Devil of Catachan was indispensable throughout the war, as it and Phalanx were mobile factories and shipyards, allowing rampaging Pentus forces bases for refitting and refuelling. Devil was protected at all times by the Arks of Ryza, and the formidable fighting prowess of the Plasma Commandoes. They were assailed almsot weekly by chaos forces, and each time they held, buying time for the Devil of Catachan to warp to a new location.

At the same time, the Travesty was assailed by other forces. In the southern marches, the Daemons’ Demesne was invaded by the Callixis Tau and their esoteric human and alien allies from the very borders of inhabited space. Void whales with surreal daemonic howdahs filled with the Corroded and their cursed bows and javelins, clashed in the colourful void against highly advanced starships bristling with some of the most exotic and powerful technology the galaxy had seen. Both sides in this salvation War were horrendous, for the very act of war fed Doombreed, even as his foes assailed his realm, propagating the war recursively, as stronger and stronger tau allies joine dint he conflict.

In the North West, on the fringes of the Travesty, Kol Basilis had fortified the border against the onslaught of the Star Father. Basilis’s garrison armies were huge. Not only did he had all the Blasphematii, psyker Angyl-hunters without compare, at his command, but he had the fealty of Gaur Drozos and all the Blood Pact of the Sabbat Serf worlds, from the hellmouth of Balhaut to the former garden world of Gaunt’s Rest. This was a huge, elite and professional mortal army to support his Angylhunters. In addition, one of the spindly Aurellian Shades, avatars of Lorgar animated remotely by his colossal will, supervised his defence of the marches, alongside innumeral hordes of human cattle and fodder for the Adorant swarms of the Angyls.

Kol Basilis would need all these fell powers and alliances, for the force which surged from the soul-dead north came as a silver, red and gold tide of blunt vessels and chattering hordes of the blind faithful. The Adorants were diverse as the stars themselves, but all were united in their love of the Star Father.

Canoness Superior Elemris of the Widows lead a host of her warrior sisters, with their silver power armour, black veils, and stylised, weeping face masks of sculpted porcelain.

With them came the fallen Astartes, who had turned to the Angyls for their guidance, and worshipped the Emperor as this new Dictator God. The most common of the Astartes Legions were the Red Multitude. At their core, they were once Red Hunters, theological extremists even in M41. They had swollen into a Legion ten thousand strong, formed from pious outcast marines and geneseed cloning techniques, armed and armoured from forges on Angylworlds deep int he Storm of the Emperor’s Wrath.

The diamond hard core of the Star father’s host were the Illuminated Exorcists of Grand Master Trencherd. Each of these gold and silver Astartes had taken and banished a daemon from their minds, echoing the supreme force of will that was the Star Father Himself.

This massive invasion force smashed into the cunningly wrought defenses of Kol basilis as a hammer striking an anvil, each as hard and unyielding as the other. The Adorants and their Astartes were the numerically superior force, but they were unsubtle in their engagements; all frontal assaults and maximum firepower. They wished to be the fist that crushed the world, and in their worldview, nothing could resist the Father’s fist. Kol baislis’ forces were more fluid and reactionary, flowing around the blunt implements of the Space Marine legions. Basilis was old and paranoid, and had planned for almost every contingency. His blasphematii could harm the very warp essence of the angyllic hosts, and Kol Basilis personally banished the Archangyl Pax in open conflict, ripping open a warp rift with his mind, before casting the metallic entity into it bodily. Not only that, but the Aurellian Shade’s powers were able to, for a time, drive back the crushing oppressive weight of the Angyls’ war wyrds.

Things changed after three years of this war. Things changed when Thor Incarnus took to the field, bedecked in his flawless silver warplate, wielding his mighty Kaldor Hammer. Wherever Thor Incarnus went, he broke through the Travesty lines. Surrounded by a praetorian guard of hulking giants in archaic Thunder Pattern Plate, Thor was unstoppable. He bestrode the battlefield unflinchingly, as tall and powerful as a Primarch, but glowing with the majesty of one who bore the Star Father’s blazing soul in his chest. His hammer crushed entire platoons of blood Pact with every sweep, his great crown-helmets flickering with lightning as he killed and killed and killed. Even the Blasphematii were but temrites before a gale in his presence. Kol basilis was widely considered, even by the Imperium Pentus, to be the greatest swordsman in the galaxy, but in the face of the embodiment of the Star father, he fled like the pragmatist he was. The Aurellian Shade managed to fight the silver giant to a standstill for five days, a sits shadowy mutagenic magic dueled the thunderclap fierce power of the Stars. In the end, Thor Incarnus simply had more warp power present at that moment, and shattered the avatar in a rainbow-hued holocaust of tidal flame.

Soon enough, the marches were overrun, and the carefully laid plans of Kol basilis were in tatters, much tot he amusement of his rivals within the Travesty itself. Their laughter lessened somewhat when the Adorants and their superhuman allies added their might to the forces invading the chaos empire.

For the Travesty was being slowly, but surely, burnt to a cinder. Its worlds were dying, and the great storms swelled as never before. There was not a world in that Imperium which did not suffer invasion and massacres during the Primarch War.

Across the galaxy, from the eastern fringe to the western halo stars, every planet began to experience reality quakes. Some were naught but mild tremors, and a fell scent on the breeze which no one could fathom. Others opened fissures in their planetary crusts, which swallowed cities and killed billions. This time was also known as the time of final awakenings, as psychic powers seemed to get stronger during this period; previous weak psykers began to manifest full blown powers, and more Alpha level psykers were born in this time than at any other point in history.

More psykers meant more warp breaches alas, and even in the peaceful Imperium pentus, warp storms seemed to burst into realspace at random, like blotches on skin suffering some allergic reaction.

Upon Cadia, the entire planet throbbed with impossible energies, no longer fully solid. It was an entire world on the cusp of ascension, with a black hearted demi-god suckling upon this power. A perfect golden figure, with eyes dark and black as the deepest abyss, swelled with powers incredible and awful to behold. Lorgar Aurellian smiled, as deep bells tolled; bells only he could hear. He raised his arms, and basked in the warming fires of his own collapsing empire. At one side, Erebus stood, his armor smoldering in the mere presence of his Godling Father. To the right hand side stood Ysgar Oppugnant, grinning like the eternal foe of life that he was.

Now all fighting in the Travesty, knowing or not, were dancing to Lorgar's tune.
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==Excerpt From The Killer’s Dream==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">There was a path through the mountains, which the man followed closely, or else he knew he’d be lost. There was another ahead of him. The glare of his being was like a beacon in the twilight shade of the mountain path. This was the Godling, the one who wept blood.

He had no body here, save the one he imagined of himself, and he pulled the fur cloak around his translucent shoulders. The man was an empty vessel, hollowed out by the racking of daemon claws. The middle was torn away as the devil was rejected. Once he’d had a fiery passion which made him a killer, one of the worst; a man with a thousand last chances, all unfulfilled. But the hollowing had robbed him of something vital, even as it had been his salvation and illumination.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The mountains got steeper, until they were the rocky pinnacles of legend. He was on Terra, but like nothing he’d seen in old remembered tales. The air was clean and ancient, and the foothills fecund with life. The Godling’s light was obscured as he rounded a corner on the trail, but the man found he could follow the trail just as well. Bloody feather crunched underfoot, turning to brittle glass as his boots pressed into the dusty path.

Around the corner, time moved more quickly, the clouds wheeling overhead as plants raced to grow all around. Before him was a cavern, a jagged maw of lifeless stone, yawning wide to consume him. He had a brand blazing in his hand, and he knew no fear. The cave was older still than all the nations of man that crawled and wriggled and ran across the face of the world... Eden, Earth, Midgar, Maegros, the Cradle.

The writings and pictograms on the walls were formless at first, and nonsensical; primitive etchings without thought. But then came the scrawling designs of bison and horned beasts of the field, and simply black outlines of the fundamental form of man. And amidst these men, giants walked. Two rows of ten; these giants were the heroes of the picture-legends. They fought the dragons, they rescued the princesses, they rose up as champions in battle and they toppled the tyrants, and stood above all, benevolent and valiant beyond the dreams of the mundane. All of them kings, in their own way.

The man moved deeper and deeper into the cave, until the memory of an exit vanished from thought. This was the bowels of Terra, where the world spirit rumbled. The fundamental forces of creation. The tumultuous anarchy which brings forth substance and materium.

He caught sight of the Godling, with his trail of broken feathers. Soon, he was in a chamber, where the faceless statues stood; twenty, grim and hollow-eyed. He eventually reached the Godling’s side, and he bade the man be silent, and to watch.

The two shrank back into the shadows, as many dozen figures entered. They were all hooded, and all bore candles in his aged hands. When the figures threw back their hoods, their faces were human, but not humans as the man knew them. Their skulls were different, their eyes sunken into sharped cheeks, with taller skulls and smaller jaws. They moved about the statues, examining each in turn, and also the glyphs and symbols carved into the bedrock walls. They spread blood and chalk dust across the chamber, and sang songs no man could understand. They soon left the chamber, one by one, until only a few remained, blocked inside the rapidly darkening cave. Twenty one figures, eyes gleaming as they slit their own throats, and bled their last against the stepped plinths of the faceless giants. Souls bound to ancient concepts, and released fully formed into the churning maelstrom of existence and chaotic creation.

There to wait. There to languish, drawing power unto themselves, until the day, the moment, they could find their form. Until they could find their brethren, in whatever form their descendants took.

“What is this? Why am I...?” began the man, but his words faded, as the weeping godling turned to him, cheeks lined with red trails.

“More than sons, but stolen all the same. The best lies of devils are those that ring with truth, if only on the surface,” the voice of the Godling said, his face gaunt and drawn, yet once the most beautiful of forms. Like a tapestry stretched thing and taut, till the fabrics leech away all colour and meaning.

“I don’t understand. Why are you showing this to me?” the man demanded, growing more translucent as he did so.

“You are an empty cage. Unlike all others, in the act of creation, you are conduit and vessel both.”

The man’s mind reeled, uncomprehending, as the world flowed around him, becoming something gargantuan and industrial; a ship, overlooking a burning planet.

“We are blessed and cursed. We are mighty indeed, and fathomlessly powerful. But we are not perpetual. Immortals can perish, and once perished, incarnation does not strike twice, for ours is a power stolen from the fundamental monster. Once we perish, we return to it, to be bound to the fundamental monster, or to be scattered to the far winds of creation. All save for me; he who rejected the Red Angel and the oblivion of death.”

“And what are you?” the man asked, as blood pooled around where the Godling lay, his golden armor cracked and his sword broken at the hilt.

“Regret and despair, bound into sacrifice and seared into the fabric of the empyrean by the black fires of rage. Trapped, and forced to linger on, in dreams and avatars, but never to be incarnated again. I cannot return, but another can in my place.”

The man lost patience, shattering the dream as he became more lucid. “Do not speak in riddles. This is not real; this is some dreaming madness.”

“True. You are luminous, and cannot be truly deceived or possessed. But they will die, mother and child both, if you do not do this for me, when the time comes.”

“Do what?” the man yelled, turning the dream to a black void.

“Let me in,” the godling replied, his voice fading to a ghostly whisper on the breeze.

Then, the man woke in a chill sweat. Desperately he reached out from his dark cot, and found her in the dark, touching her soft hair gently.

- '''[From The Killer’s Dream, by those who chronicled [DELETED]’s life before [DELETED] ]'''
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==Section 48: Braiva’s Best and The Battle of A Thousand Emperors==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">[The actions and exploits of Braiva’s Best in their war with Ahriman and his pawns have been organised into approximately chronological phases. When it comes to interstellar distances and the temperamental nature of warp travel, assigning precise dates has been problematic, thus I have elected to omit them here. These events occurred, for the purposes of this account, approximately concurrently with the Biel-Tan siege.]

'''Phase One: Recruitment'''

At some point, during the protracted and incessant wars within the Dominion of Change, the Disciples of Ceylan, the most detestable font of zealotry and spiteful terrorism in the region, began to bolster their numbers. They did this through recruitment, from the disgruntled and the desperate populations of the various worlds of the Dominion, who constantly vied with one another for the Imperial crown of the Theologian Union (''an empire in name only, thanks to the machinations of Ahriman'').<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Disciples found plenty of true believers, and even more ex-mercenaries and rogue psychopaths looking for a cause to kill in the name of. The increase in spontaneous warp storms across the entire Dominion merely fanned the flames of superstition and fear. Many preached that this was a sign from the Emperor of the Wasteland; the Death God was displeased that the people no longer followed their one true anointed emperor, Atebore Ceylan, the last of his Dynasty. Too many folks worshiped the ''Five-Headed False God of the Macharians'', or the ''Feathered Serpents of the Rubricae Sorcerers''.

Those deemed worthy of becoming one of the Disciples of Ceylan were voluntarily kidnapped, sedated and smuggled to the secret lair of the Disciples. This was an underground base on an undisclosed planet within the Dominion of Change, so as to protect Atebore from harm; even his footsoldiers could not know exactly where he was located.

Initiates were brought before Ceylan himself, and his decayed court. The throne room he had taken for his court had once been a temple to the Emperor, but dust and age had bleached it into sickly greys and the stench of must and dried blood coated every cobwebbed pew and featureless Saintly statue. Atebore himself seemed a decrepit ruin of a man; all dirty fingernails and soiled robes, with a dull iron crown resting upon a tangled mess of bedraggled white locks that framed an odious, sneering face.

The last aspiring Disciple had their hood removed by Linguil, Atebore’s most trusted Lieutenant, to reveal a hard faced woman beneath. She called herself Ell, and her obviously muscular form was barely concealed beneath the sackcloth every aspirant was required to wear before Ceylan.

Ceylan demanded of her oaths of fealty. The woman, even bound and kneeling before Ceylan, simply smiled.

“I will fight with you, or rather, I will fight with the men you hide behind, but I have a few demands of my own.”

Linguil struck her for her insolence, drawing blood with every furious blow. Nevertheless, Ell continued. “My associates have need of your intelligence network and your extensive web of contacts across the Dominion of Change. They will work with you, but my master cannot abide the evil doctrine you espouse, personified in that mummified lecher posing over there in his tinfoil crown.”

Linguil lashed her with a scourge taken from the wall, until her sackcloth was stained red. To the surprise and grudging admiration of many of the zealots, she did not scream, but rather grunted each time she was struck.

“You expect us to forsake our faith, our Emperor, just so we get an alliance with your mercenary brethren? You are a vain and foolish woman!” one Disciple crowed.

“Yes, and we are not mercenaries. We are space marines,” she spat gorily, one of her teeth falling away amidst the blood. The laughter of the assembled court drowned out the faint bleeping of the false tooth as it sat in the crimson pool.

“Delusional child! There are no female Astartes. You die with a pathetic joke on your lips,” Ceylan chuckled.

Linguil drew his hellpistol, and pressed it to her head. “We decline your offer, faithless bitch. Now will you convert to the Emperor of the Wasteland, so that your soul may face oblivion upon your death, instead of the eternal torment of the harrowing vultures of the Ruinous Powers?”

She responded in a simple manner; twisting in her restraints with the coiling speed of a cobra, she clamped Linguil’s pistol-wrist between her teeth, and ripped away the tendons there with a wrench of her jaw. She broke from her restraints moments later, hauling the suddenly hand-deprived Linguil into the path of the startled gunfire of Ceylan’s guards. As Linguil was dissolved into a red mist by the heavy weapons, Ell leapt into cover, screaming something in high gothic. Only Ceylan, a Gothic scholar, understood the words.

“Behead the serpent!”

On cue, the walls of the temple exploded inwards, and six dozen space marines burst into the hall, and massacred the lead Disciples, sparing only those who threw aside their guns instantly. Though the lussorians were not Astartes, they were narcotically and genetically enhanced brutes in power armour, with boltguns every bit as lethal as the Angels of Deaths’. Semantics meant less than nothing in those few minutes of carnage.

Their leader, a giant in Tiger-striped armour, removed his helm. “Vulkan’s balls that felt good! We’ve been after you rats for years,” captain Farl, commander of the Lussorian space marines and seventh hero of Macharia, exclaimed with a belligerent snort.

As Ell retrieved her tracking device from a pool of her own bloody vomit, another Narc-warrior arrived with her armour, while the cowering Atebore Ceylan was dragged before Farl, who draped himself over the would-be emperor’s throne like a man reclining upon his couch.

“I will not be captured like this...” ceylan muttered quietly, his voice quivering as he beheld the blood-drenched space marine.

“I agree,” Farl nodded, before he slowly closed his gauntlet around Ceylan’s throat. He fixed Atebore with a desolate stare as he slowly strangled the old man to death, before finally tearing out his larynx.

Ell, or rather Sergeant Ellios, his second in command, led squads into the bowels of the temple to hunt down the survivors, while Farl informed the prisoners that the terrorist network of Ceylan was ended. There would be no more suicide bombings of non-military targets. There would be no more zealous madness and mayhem unleashed upon the innocent, who had had no say in the evil Ahriman had perpetrated. They were now to be part of Braiva’s army; they would use their positions embedded in all the worlds of the Dominion, and guide the hand of the Macharian forces as they made their war upon Ahriman.

Once this was done, Farl made sure to raid Ceylan’s vintage amasec cellars, and his men and women celebrated their victory well that night.

###

Meanwhile, Braiva had sent out his other generals to procure allies for the war. Braiva knew his ragtag fleet and their Macharian native contingents were nowhere near enough to overcome Ahriman’s Cabal. Any attempts to ally with worlds within the Dominion failed, for each was ruled by selfish idiots who had each been crowned Emperor of the Theologian Union; none of them could see that Ahriman had deceived them into impotence and division.

Finding few allies within, Temestor Braiva was forced to look without, to the two largest empires that bordered the Dominion; the Kingly Estates of Praetoria, and the blood drenched Lychen Empire.

Faruk the Pitiless, captain of the Vashiri and sixth hero of Macharia, was sent with an honour guard to treat with his cannibalistic kinfolk. Meanwhile, the more regal and courtly nature of the Kingdom of Praetoria required the diplomacy of Duc de Aronelles, the leader of the warrior princes of Chevanti and fifth hero of Macharia.

Temestor’s orders were to try and persuade these two empires to bring their fleets adn armies to bear in the coming fight against Ahriman. If they did manage to do so, they had secondary orders, which pertained to the coming conflict, which they were forbidden from discussing with anyone other than Braiva and the rulers of these allied forces themselves. These orders were known only as ''The Second Procession''

When Faruk entered Lychen space, he was not greeted by welcoming parties of dignitaries or ambassadors. His vessel was met by a fleet of serrated, dagger-like cruisers, grand cruisers and various escorts as similarly fierce and barbaric in aspect. His ship was boarded, and Faruk and his Vashiri were taken to the commander of this dread fleet. Like all Lychen, this commander was a brutal haemovore death cultist, his hulking form modified by surgeries and flensing blood rites to be a thing of violence; a living instrument of slaughter. The commander, Galrut, didn’t care whom Faruk represented, he was just another killer. But Faruk and his men were natives of this violent and fearsomely independent empire, and knew he could make his voice heard. Faruk was allowed to undertake the pilgrimage of maiming; the only way a mere citizen of the Lychen Empire could treat with the Lychen’s Lord of Knives, the highest authority in the carnivorous culture of Lychen.

Faruk was allowed to select the greatest amongst his group to act as ‘ambassador’. Faruk chose Farciar the Red, his banner bearer and adopted son, to be his ambassador and champion, for already in his young life, farciar had distinguished himself as the most lethal and effective of Faruk’s host. The pilgrimage of maiming required that the selected ambassador would face champions from each layer of Lychen bureaucracy and duel them, each time getting closer to the higher stations and offices of the haemovore metropolis. Farciar fought the champions in barbed fighting pits, atop plinths, across command bridges and in specially organised rings. Though these bouts were never to the death, they were not bloodless; Farciar paid his way for the next duel by sending bodyparts severed from his bested opponents, to the next Lychen office. Sometimes it was an ear, sometimes a finger, oftimes he needed to only send them a clutch of broken teeth from his adversary.

Slowly but surely, the Vashiri were allowed to penetrate the inner sanctum of the very highest nobility of the empire, hopping from space station to space station. Each time, the stations seemed to grow larger, and the populations of Lychen watching the bouts grew into baying crowds of hostile locals. If farciar slipped up even once, the fiery headed, ritually scarred youth and all his father’s cohorts would be cast back tot he edge of Lychen space.

But he endured and eventually, they reached the red world itself; the crowned seat of the Lord of Knives himself.

The gates of the palace were thrown open, and the small gathering of Vashiri entered, watched by the heavily armoured Carnus Praetorians, the personal guard of the Lord himself. The Vashiri bore the flesh banner, as was tradition, but also flew the golden flag of Macharia, and the five-headed lion atop a golden eagle; symbol of the Imperium Pentus. It was a bold statement. Farciar and Faruk walked at the head of the group, the elder man a hulking barbarian, clad in skins and with a shaggy beard threaded with pagan totems and fetishes. Farciar was slighter and shorter, and his chest was bare, save for the ritual scars and the dark red gore that dried in the grooves the scars left in his flesh. Instead of his banner, he bore two hook-bladed machetes, left uncleaned ever since the pilgrimage had begun. His teeth of adamantine glittered in his jaws as he smiled a shark’s smile towards the throne ahead.

Before them, the great throne room of the Lord of Knives dwarfed their party, and at the far end loomed a titantic throne, composed entirely of skulls, carved and sculpted to fit together seamlessly, before being coated in bronze. From behind this throne rose an Aquila of exquisite gold, illuminated by the flickering light of a dozen burning braziers.

Upon the throne sat Jurassek, the five hundredth Lord of the Daggers of Haemos. Jurassek was a giant clad in ornate carapace and mail, with a hundred daggers sheathed in great belts banding his barrel chest. His lower jaw had been removed and been raplaced with the bionic relic maw of saint Vashan, a clear sign of Jurassek’s majesty. When Farciar setted forwards, his jaws opened like a bear trap being set, and the Lord of the Lychen laughed, the sound volcanic.

“You bring me a boy. Your message is entrusted to a youngling, barely even blooded in battle?” His voice was a hideous thing, like the clashing of rocks.

Faruk stepped forwards, uncowed. “The entreaty we bring is so righteous, a mere boy bested all those who sought to impede it! Hear the offer we bring from Temestor Braiva, the Liberator of Macharia, and from the Five Primarchs, the sons and almighty champions of the Blood Emperor! You must join your power with ours, so that united we may slay the false god, and drape his flayed skin as a banner above his broken holdfast!”

“Speak out of turn again, General Faruk, and i shall eat your lungs!” Jurassek boomed, jaws crashing together discordantly as he yelled. Faruk closed his mouth, but continued to glare at the giant.

Farciar did not wait. He broke from the group, and charged the throne alone. The Carnus Guard drew their axes, but Jurassek waved them off as he stood to meet the boy’s blades, his own serrated sword sailing from its scabbard to deflect the machetes easily.

Jurrasek laughed as they clashed again, dueling beneath the red sky of Lychen, to a hall of corpse-silent butchers.

As faruk and Farciar fought for not only a new ally, but also their lives, Duc de Aronelles, a contingent of Chevantai and a regiment of Gamma-Meson Psykguard were sent under a banner of parlay to the Praetorian Kingdom. Upon reaching the agreed neutral territory between Praetorian and Thousand-Empire space, Aronelles’s small fleet was met by the 2nd Royal Fleet of Praetoria.

The praetorian fleet was a wonder to behold; hundreds of capital ships built according to the Old Imperial style. Many of the vessels were veterans of the infamous Regicide centuries of M42, built with the aid of the refugee Gothic Fleet which came to Praetoria in those troubled times. The two vessels leading the fleet were even older still. There was the venerable battlecruiser StormChild, that every Pentus child recognized as one of the few vessels of the mythical Frateris fleet which survived the storm of the Emperor’s wrath, after its then captain refused to attack Sebastian Thor. StormChild had a plain grey hull, divorced of any finery, which only marked it out as more distinctive amidst the great gold and crimson fleet of Praetorian. War’s Spite was a near-unique Battleship, with great rows of pectoral and dorsal weapon batteries fixed into colossal turrets, with starboard and port flanks festooned with launchers and torpedo tubes. This was the flagship of Admiral Wellslay, and it was covered in statues and cathedrals depicting its many deeds in battle.

Aronelles’ fleet was led into the heart of the Praetorian Kingdom; a stellar realm grown rich and powerful in its non-committal policies. The Chevantai princes knew all the social niceties and protocol as they met with the great and sprawling aristocracy; they made sure to never snub or be perceived as belittling a noble family, no matter how lesser and money-grubbing they might truthfully be.

The Prince Regent threw a grant banquet in honour of the dignitaries of Macharius. Whole regiments of Praetorian Guards, in their blood red parade uniforms, marched past the lavish apartments set out for the delegation, alongside tank brigades and the diverse and colourful colony world troopers Praetoria had access to.

The ceremonies and prententious meetings continued, but it became clear to Aronelles that the Praetorians were avoiding presenting the Macharian contingent to the King himself. The Gamma-Meson Psykguard discreetly organised a secret meeting with the Royal Gentlemen, the secret service of Praetoria. There, they leaved of King Harold III’s profound madness. The King had ordered the home fleet, and all its armies to remain within their own realms, to protect him from ghosts, and in his delirium he continued to give out conflicting orders to his fleets, which saw them travelling from world to world within their Empire, searching for terrorist who didn’t exist, and bringing back artefacts that were essentially refuse the King was convinced was valuable beyond all reckoning.

Duce de Aronelles tried to gain a meeting with the king, but his Son denied them. It seemed likely that the praetorian grand fleet would never aid them.

His last hope was a final desperate parlay with Admiral Wellsey, the High Commander of the Praetorian Royal Fleets. He alone seemed immune to the entitled nonsense of the nobles and sycophants of the court. He alone might listen to reason, and join the Heroes of Macharia in the Liberation of the Dominion of Change, and the end of Lord Ahriman, the would-be god...

As the Chevantai parlayed, back on Macharia, General Temestor Braiva received an odd message from his son Obediah, onboard Tyme’s Absolution. The battlebarge had intercepted a bulk freighter heading towards Macharia. The ship’s only cargo; a skeletal humanoid wrought in metal, a bedraggled human man with a killer’s smile, and a female with eyes and hair an impossibly lustrous gold.

She spoke with supreme confidence that took Obediah’s soldiers by surprise.

“Get me to the Black Cube, men of Vulkan, and I will destroy Ahriman Godhead.”

'''Phase Two: The Battle of A Thousand Emperors'''

Temestor Braiva could not wait for Duce De Aronelles and Faruk to return from their missions. Upon receiving the mysterious trio of figures onboard his flagship, he knew that he had to strike at Ahriman, and soon. He could not afford to slowly conquer the thousand Theologian empires of the Dominion of Change, as he had originally intended.

In consultation with the golden woman Crolomere, Braiva (who by now was nearing the limit of rejuvenative surgery’s effectiveness) decided he had to enact his invasion plan early, if he was to ever see the defeat of his foes before his death.

The remnants of Braiva’s Best, including Farl’s Space marines, Roderus’s veterans, Obediah’s Varseen Troopers and Darbane’s Plasma Commandoes, joined with the Macharian navy and set out with all the fleet assets they could muster. Temestor sat upon his command dais, plugged into his life support systems at all times now. At his right hand was his ever loyal son, while to his left, Crolomere watched his viewscreen with concealed anxiety.

They launched their first surprise attack on one of the petty emperors’ planets, striking at their cities and launching an attack upon their fleet in dock. The fearsome first strike was devastating, but it did not finish off the forces of this planet. Braiva’s fleet, to the surprise of this emperor, fled before his vengeful fleet. Enraged, yet secretly pleased by this demonstration of his superiority, this emperor sent his forces after Braiva; their orders were to kill the uppity pretender to his rightful throne.

Braiva fled into the territory of another emperor, and there his battle-worn fleet bombarded the startled Imperator of this world, destroying his flagship as the emperor watched impotently from his palace. This aroused the demented fury of this pretender too, who ordered his whole navy to destroy Braiva, ignoring the serpentine council of the Thousand Sons sorcerer living in his palace. Once again, in the face of a fleet of similar size to Braiva’s own, he chose to flee, sacrificing some of his escorts to allow his main force to escape the system.

The battle of the thousand emperors began as a sprawling hit and run campaign, with Braiva’s Best slipping through his enemy’s nets after dealing them superficial yet humiliating blows.

Word began to spread amongst the Thousand Planetary Emperors; one of their number, the Macharian Emperor, had lost his mind. His battered fleet was lost in their territory, and surrounded. Hungry for a propaganda win, the emperors each sent fleets hunting Braiva. Each of them wanted their armadas to be the ones who destroyed Temestor once and for all. They reasoned that defeating him would prove to their rivals that they were the sole inheritor of the Theologian Union’s Imperial mantle, and Ceylan’s heir.

To an outside observer, Braiva’s actions were those of a madman; he now had thousands of ragtag fleets baying for his blood, and his fleet wasn’t even at full strength. The emperors launched their entire naval might against him, and eventually they would catch up with him.

Braiva was forced to refuel his fleet in the dead system of Galaiph. It was here, at last, that the emperors’ fleets reached him. His fleet closed about Tyme’s Absolution, as staggeringly huge numbers of vessels warped into the system, filling the sensor banks like angry stormfronts. This mass of ships were not allied in any way, Braiva could tell by the hateful chatter between them, and the fact more than a few escorts of the enemy were firing upon each other, even as they closed the colossal celestial distance to reach Braiva’s own forces.

All was quiet on the bridge of the Absolution, as Braiva closed his eyes, muttering to himself; perhaps prayer, or perhaps a reiteration of his own plan. The crew set to work quietly, organising their ships into spherical attack formations to ward off the approaching enemies. Braiva’s ships were more advanced, but the disparate Theologian forces had a tremendous numbers advantage.

Battleships and cruisers swarmed around each other, unleashing endless cavalcades of ordinance and lance fire. Across the system, Braiva’s fleet continued to lead his frustrated foes on a merry chase, but they were still losing vessels, to attrition and the sheer desperation of the emperors’ forces to eliminate their enemies in their own imperator’s name. The rival Imperila factions fought each other as much as Braiva’s fleet. The climax of the Battle of a Thousand Emperor’s was a confusing mess of intersecting naval duels and bewildered flight sof fighters and bombers, attacking the nearest enemy vessels, regardless of which faction they belonged to.

Darbane’s Ryzan-catachan Commandoes performed dozens of boarding sorties, Farl and Ell stormed the bridges of capital ship after capital ship, while Roderus found his veterans defending the Macharian vessels from all manner of outlandish private imperial guard forces, mercenaries and paramilitary opportunists, fighting for masters they could nto even remember the names of.

A Storm Trooper regiment of Emperor Johan Ward’s People’s Imperium of Theologia managed to breach the defences of Tyme’s Absolution, where Crolomere’s man Kage and the machine-creature Jaxx joined the Tempered Edge Veterans of Roderus in brutal fighting through the ship’s narrow confines. Kage was once a Lieutenant and his training reasserted itself as he led fire teams in flanking manoeuvres against the exotic, silver-scaled soldiers trying to assassinate Braiva. Meanwhile, the Iron Man Jaxx decimated the enemy with terrifying speed and mathematical precision; he was an automated killer, with a truly industrial capacity for dispatching foes in the most expedient and efficient manner.

But even once the last storm trooper gurgled his last breath, the danger was not over. The enemy was everywhere, filling the system with their insane military belligerence. There would be no escape this time.

Fortunately, Braiva had never intended to flee this battle. For almost a month, the fleets dueled themselves to a brutal stalemate.

Then, like a great rippling wave of doubt and inaction, the enemy fleets disengaged, ceasing their attacks before retreating to the edge of the system. It took three days before all enemy fleets disengaged and formed these defensive formations. Crolomere was baffled. Had Braiva’s bravery provoked them to spare his forces? Had some psychic secret weapon subdued the enemies? Braiva’s dry lips cracked with a smile.

“Nothing so honorable as that my dear. I believe these fine fellows have been receiving messages from their home-worlds. Likely each message is quite similar. ‘Our emperor is captured. You are ordered to surrender in his majesties name’ or some such.”

“But how?”

Temestor Braiva explained that the Second Procession had performed its role.

Faruk and Aronelles had been successful in gathering allies, and had followed their secret orders to the letter. On Braiva’s orders, they had spread out to the thousand empires. With ultimate orbital superiority, each planet was forced to surrender, and their emperors were captured, their orbital docks destroyed and their militaries humbled.

In less than a month, the Lychen and Praetorian fleets had bested the near-defenseless fleets of the thousand emperors and essentially conquered their worlds. Once word reached the fleets at Galaiph, they realized that they had been defeated. Their emperors had been outmaneuvered and there was little they could do now to stop it.

Braiva’s victory was finally cemented when the barbed dagger-shaped ships of the Lychen navy translated into the system, led by Emperor Jurrasek’s monstrous flagship Meglodon. This fleet was followed soon after by the far larger Praetorian 1st and 2nd Fleets, led by Wellsley aboard War’s Spite. One by one, the opposing fleets surrendered, and swore fealty to Temestor Braiva and to the Imperium Pentus.

United in an armada of colossal scale, Temestor finally had a force large enough to assail Ahriman himself. After weeks of treaty signing and resupply in a neighboring system, the gargantuan force plotted a course for the planet where Ahriman chose to situate his Black Cube; Tallarn.

During the warp transit, Crolomere hid herself in a warded part of Tyme’s Absolution, where the pet monstrous pets of the ship’s original Fire beast owners had been stored. In this dank hole, Crolomere pleaded with her long-dead father for protection. She had never believed in His divinity, but she was afraid and prayed anyway. Not for herself, for she was immortal, but for all the mortals she had led into Ahriman’s den; all the men and women who would die, just to give her a chance to end Ahriman and thwart his plan to ascend to not only daemonhood, but godhood. She feared for Kage, who slept by her side. But mostly, she feared for the helpless, mortal soul which she could feel growing inside her.

Braiva remained on the bridge during the warp transit, for he was too frail to make a journey anywhere else onboard. Such a vast movement of ships through the immaterium was always going to attract the attention of daemons, and the Gellar fields glowed white hot with the number of daemonspawn battering against them. But this commotion attracted another fell sentience.

An apparition of a tall, perfect giant burst into life on the bridge, bypassing the Gellar fields through sheer willpower. The vision of anatomical perfection was wreathed in blue and yellow flames that danced across its ethereal flesh. The guards on the bridge opened fire on the entity, but the unreal thing ignored the weapons, which passed through it like daggers through smoke. Slowly, the naked giant strolled towards Temestor Braiva, who unsteadily rose to his feet to meet this enemy, uncowed by this projection.

“For a mortal, you are intriguingly troublesome. Your ruse to defeat my deception was worthy of a child of Tzeentch itself. Truly you are mighty; perhaps the mightiest human warlord this region of the galaxy has seen in an age,” the apparition explained with cold clarity, its voice effortlessly powerful. “Yet, in the end, the mightiest human troubles me as much as the mightiest insect. For, you are, in the end, all too human, Liberator of Macharia. All too mortal. And mortals do well to avoid arousing the ire of their god.”

The voice was unmistakably that of Ahzek Ahriman.

“We will kill this god,” Braiva hissed, drawing his sidearm, emptying his las-mag into the ethereal Ahriman to no avail.

Casually, almost gently, the ghostly form of Ahriman reached into Braiva’s chest, and stopped his heart. Temestor Braiva sighed once, and fell.

“Throne,” gasped Braiva, and then he was gone.

As Braiva’s horrified bodyguards rushed to his side, the Gellar field finally banished the evil specter from the ship.

Though Temestor had perished, his son took up his father’s mantle, and when they finally translated into the Tallarn System, an armada alloyed together by hate prepared to face the full fury of an unborn god and his abominations.
</div>
</div>

==Section 49: Despoiling A Black Heart==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">[Compiler’s Note: The author of this section is unknown. How they could have been present for the story they relate here, I cannot guess. Perhaps they merely dreamed this tale? Or maybe they embellished this story based upon legends told by former Red Corsairs, Legionnaires and the survivors? As ever, I leave the authenticity of such sections tot he discretion of my future readers, who read this long after all else is cold and vanished.]

The two ships had merged, and their carnal union was destroying them both. Fire and screaming flooded every crevice. Decks crashed together like pancakes, as poison and chaotic effluence conspired to undo the bonds of reality. The Planet Killer was killed, and the Astral Maw was swallowed; both were burning, and both would soon perish.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The disturbing powers flooding their warp engines and generators exploded from containment, warping the very walls and spilling daemons into the materium like oil from a ruptured supertanker. The walls and corridors coiled and turned upon one another in maddening patterns mortal minds would be broken trying to decipher.

Abaddon staggered onwards, his armor glowing white hot with resisting the malevolence flooding the conjoined ships. He too had no idea where h was going, but Drach’Nyen did. The sword was held aloft, dragging him forwards in its infernal eagerness. With his father’s talon, he ripped apart the mewling spawns that threw themselves in his way; each one was once a corsair or a mortal, turned to something both greater and far lesser at once by the raging warp furnaces. Daemonic ichors coated his hair, bleaching in an ugly rancid grey.

He found a window, and saw a void war consuming heaven. Silver strike cruisers were hurtling towards the conjoined ships, but Abaddon paid them no heed, his eyes desolate and black.

++ Silver Skulls, decks twelve through fifteen! Repel boarders! Repel boarders! ++, a voice on some shipwide vox squealed ineffectively. There was no one alive who heeded or cared what the desperate bridge officer demanded.

All around Abaddon, power was building. The great agents of ruination sensed him, and even after all these millennia, evne after all his actions in the mortal world, they still called to him. ‘Pick me, forsake the others’ was always their seditious whisper. Give in, forsake the materium, and take up your prince’s mantle.

But Abaddon the Destroyer, the Emperor of Travesties, the Warmaster and chosen of chaos, could not just let go; for he saw each of his patrons, and he felt what the great Pantheon did not what him to see. They were afraid, as much as an abstraction of a blasphemous concept could be afraid. They were losing their identities; something else pushed them up and out. Something deep and with a name no mortal could speak was thrusting up, turning all pretense of form within the realm of chaos to nothingness. The greatest lie of the Gods was that there was some guiding principle behind them, some fundamental division. Chaos was Undivided, and soon chaos would be extinct; replaced with something infinite and unknowable. The Deep Warp would end them all.

So, Abaddon thought, as he marched to his doom, why should I submit to the chaos gods now? It was all futile; the Dissolution was coming, and not even Gods would survive it. Abaddon’s grand plans were all in tatters; all he had left now was something incredibly petty. He didn’t like Huron Blackheart, and he would kill this rival Emperor for daring to reject Abaddon’s rule millennia hence.

He found Huron at the centre of what was once a ship’s bridge. But all the crew were melted into the walls, giggling and chanting manically. The room was an eight pointed star, expanding and deforming like a great daemon was breathing.

Huron Blackheart, the great Cadaver King, sat upon a throne at the centre, watching the world around him burn with an unreadable expression. His head turned slowly towards Abaddon as he registered his presence. From behind the throne, some great bloated yellow thing crept. It was like some great fat toad, with long spindly limbs and a fixed grin full of ivory tusks. Hamadraya, the Deep Warp Imp, and the silent architect of the Eastern Chaos Imperium. Drach’nyen strained in Abaddon’s grip; the sword hated Hamadraya more than any other entity in all existence, for the Imp had been the one to trap Drach’nyen within the blade’s prison all those countless eons ago.

Huron smiled; his face peeling partially away with the effort. “You look a mess... my liege...” he rasped mockingly.

Abaddon said nothing; he simply stomped forwards, eyes fixed upon Huron. He raised the Talon of Horus, and unleashed a fearsome barrage of cursed bolts into the Blackheart. The munitions struck some invisible field as he rose, bursting above him in a cascade of azure fire. Huron creaked as he moved, like some homunculus puppet animated by a necromancer’s will. He opened his claws, and grew his mighty cursed axe, striding to meet his counterpart in final battle. Around them, the walls were crumbling, and the ethereal winds of the warp billowed through in impossible hues.

“You have destroyed my ship and yours as well. Where is the Despoiler, who always had such grand schemes and elaborate strategies? Pathetic! You got your empire stolen, your brothers slain, and all you can think of is to brawl with me in the belly of a doomed ship? Your time is through now Ezekyle Abaddon! I am the future. The Long War is a joke, a bitter old warrior’s dream!” Huron screame,d his voice metallic and discordant, his eyes blazing red with the madness driven by unending agony.

Abaddon said nothing, his pace merely quickening.

“This is my time Despoiler! Mine!” Huron screeched, gesturing for Hamadraya. The daemon thing leapt towards Abaddon, its body swollen with stolen warp energies. If it had struck the Warmaster, it would have undid his flesh and made him spawn in an instant.

But Hamadraya realised too late, what dwelt within Abaddon’s sword. Abaddon threw the sword into hamadraya without a second glance. Drach’nyen embedded itself in Hamadraya’s bloated gut, and drove itself and the yellow monster backwards. Hamadraya screeched inhumanly as it was instantly pinned to the Blackheart’s throne by the blade.

As the dameon’s dueled, the two ancient Astartes crashed together with a hideous crunch, ceramite on ceramite,adamantium on adamantium. Abaddon bore terminator armor, so was slower than Huron, who landed a flurry of furious blows against the Despoiler’s guard. Without Drach’nyen, Abaddon was forced to fend off Huron with only his Talon, and was pushed back by the undead might of Huron. Where his claw was swatted aside, his axe landed a blow, carving glowing grooves in the runic terminator plate. Desperately, Abaddon shoved the Tyrant back, giving him a moment of space. Huron raised his claw’s palm, and rewarded Abaddon’s ploy with a torrent of cursed fire.

Abaddon screamed, throwing his hands to his face as the flamer’s breath consumed him. His hair was burnt away entirely, his flesh crackled and spat like pig’s fat on a furnace. The runes of his ancient war plate blazed ever brighter. As soon as the flames relented, another flurry of axe blows crashed against Abaddon. This time, he was too stunned to defend himself effectively. Chunks of flesh and armor were chopped away by Blackheart, until Abaddon sank to his knees.

Pinned to the throne, Hamadraya screeched pitifully as Drach’nyen twisted and writhed in its belly, spilling warp fire over its being as the sword slowly, but surely, began to dissolve...

Huron was flooded with warp energy; the same power Abaddon had always denied. He smashed his axe into Abaddon’s unprotected left arm again and again, savoring every grunt of pain he elicited. There was no way such a decrepit and broken specimen of a space marine as Huron could be so strong and fast and fearsome.

Chaos was punishing Abaddon for spurning their offers. They gods were fickle and jealous, he always knew this. They wanted him to perish here. The Despoiler refused to bow to their spiteful demands.

With a last great burst of power, Abaddon reached forth with Horus’ talon, and ripped away the Eastern Emperor’s breastplate, wrenching it free in one almighty motion. It pulled away in a torrent of mucus, like the peeled shell of a beetle. Huron staggered backwards, letting the armor fall away. Inside, Huron was a mass of messy bionics, bonded to rotten strands of black flesh, held together by thorny scuttling centipedes and writhing, segmented worms. The Tyrant screeched and cursed wetly, as his organs spluttered and spat like hissing cobras, spewing vileness in all directions. Huron looked down to the wound in bewilderment; he should have been healing. Always, no matter the wound, he survived and was held together by the will of the Gods. The Blackheart looked to Hamadraya. The daemon was growing pallid, its struggles growing weaker and weaker as it fought to remove Drach’nyen as the sword merged with the festering wound in Hamadraya’s gut.

Huron was alive, but for the first time in so many years, he felt vulnerable. Wild-eyed, he turned back to his foe.

“Your death is a long-stalled certainty it would seem, miserable Wight!” Abaddon wheezed hatefully, struggling to rise. Cursing in all the fell tongues he knew, Huron raised his Tyrant’s Claw again, and the flames ate into the Despoiler hungrily. The fire wriggled into the rents cut into Abaddon’s armour previously, and the Despoiler felt his body cooking from within. He would have screamed, but his tongue and cheeks were ash, and one of his eyes had burst like and overripe grape.

Huron strode over to Abaddon, and stamped a boot onto his talon, immobilizing his right arm.

“Death?” Huron sneered,raising his axe over Abaddon’s ruined head as an executioner might. “Death has no power over-”

The lens of one of his bionic eyes burst in a shower of sparks, and from the wound poured a trickle of treacle-like gore. Huron dropped his axe, and fumbled at the wound. Another needle splashed into his exposed chest with barely a sound, followed by two others. His hearts exploded, alongside whatever fetid dameonic organs had been installed alongside them.

For a moment, it seemed as if Huron might simply shrug the wounds off. Then, with the inexorable momentum of a felled tree, he collapsed with a sonorous clang.

Abaddon watched this unfold as he lay smoldering on the deck. If he could smile, he would have. A silver-armored space marine in scout carapace emerged from behind him, clutching a needle rifle to his chest. The Astartes stood over Huron, and emptied the remainder of his magazine into the Tyrant’s twitching corpse.

"It seems the eldar were right, you filth!" the scout snarled, spitting on the gurgling carcass.

It took a sudden lurching quake to bring the space marine back to his senses. The young soldier turned to Abaddon’s prone form. The boy’s face was clean and lantern-jawed, and filled with a righteousness Abaddon had learnt to loathe thousands of years ago.

Was this the last good man? Was this his end? Abaddon watched the scout’s rifle. Slowly, the weapon was lowered.

“Can you walk marine? What chapter are you? Get up, or you will perish here with the Blackheart! We have mere minutes before we strike the craftworld. We must move; now!” the boy bellowed, hauling Abaddon up to his knees. “My name is brother Kelfdon of the Silver Skulls; your assistance was most welcome.”

Abaddon was confused, until he saw himself reflected in the burnished breastplate of Kelfdon. His head was healing, but it was still a scorched and skeletal ruin. His armor, once so distinctive, was sullied and ruined by years on the run from Lorgar, and still further smashed by Huron and his hellfire. Even the talon was broken and rendered generic by the sooty flames.

Kelfdon wouldn’t be fooled for long, Abaddon knew. If there had been more time, he might have used this confusion to his advantage. However, a much more pressing matters than the ship crashing, or even deceiving the loyalist dupe.

“Drach...” Abaddon began, his tongue still only half-formed in his mouth.

“I cannot understand you, what say you?” Kelfdon asked.

Abaddon gave up talking, and simply gestured with his functioning hand. He gestured towards the mewling, growing thing festering on the Blackheart’s throne. Hamadraya was squealing as it was consumed, collapsing in upon itself, coiling about the molten ruins of the dameons word in its gut.

That was why Drach’nyen wanted to come here, Abaddon realized. It needed the warp power of the Hamadraya and the sundered cores of the Planet Killer and the Astral Maw.

Kelfdon’s eyes widened as he turned to witness something rising from the oily ruins of the Hamadraya, cloaking the entire chamber with unnatural shade.

Drach’nyen, at last, was unbound!

And so they rose, and fled before the '''[Portion Missing/Corrupted]'''
</div>
</div>

==Interlude: Sundered Sphere, a Fragmentary Account==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">[Compiler’s Note: This is a fragmentary section fro-'''[REDACTED]''' Saga, found etched on one of the major internal faces of the '''[REDACTED]'''-rld device.

Provenance: Unknown.

Period of Composition: Unknown

Subject: Speculative (cros ref. ''Last Good Man'')]<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

From the cold prison they wriggled free, shed their iron bodies and stole hollowed flesh of ter-an flesh. But the wordless king had not slain his children all in vain. For he had a plan, set in place should the walls of the real come crashing down. Before the first great sleep, the jackal had driven its own sibling into madness.

So subdued, the mirrored men of the wordless king bade the mad god build its own prison, and they reinforced it with endless bonds. And the silvered mirror men learned much from the deranged one; she who no longer knew herself. Believing herself a blessed mother, she taught her apparent children the way to build the great devices; the swords that would shatter Star-Hungry Ymgar, and all his lesser brothers. The swords were wielded, such as we all know now.

Then, the Outsider, she/that who/which was named traitor, was subdued and sealed within the prison. Her/its lonely hollow home, her/its mind turned inward, and her/its cosmic powers were bent to craft such wonders, mortals would weep and lose their minds. The prison was burrowed out and plunged into the formless space. There was no sea of souls, no labyrinth down there. It was another place, sealed from all the outside. The outsider surrounded this miraculous inside. The sphere existed outside the bounds of warped realms and material planes. A pearl of null coldness to ward off the storm.

The Wordless King remembered this prison, long eons afterwards. He realized that, even as dissolution came to all the worlds of the outside, so the inside would be preserved; for the sphere of binding was a most excellent prison, but an even greater haven. If he could reach it with his men, he could start his race again, in a realm where they were the only life, a place where they could be untroubled by strife and the Ne{weep-for-us}. His fellow liberated mirror-men, however, realized that, with bodies of flesh, not living steel, the outside sphere’s crazed guardian would not recognize their new, ter-an forms.

Thus, the bitter king whispered into the Outsider’s troubled dreams. He whispered how her children were no longer me of cold metal, but bright-eyed living beings. He made her dream of the ter’an form, so that she might recognise them when they arrived.

Alas, the mirror-men were waylaid on their journey to the outside sphere by one of their own; the rebel Lord of the Tempest, who meant to take the orrery for his own. Upon the orrery, they fought, and they-'''[REDACTED]'''

Imote'''[REDACTED]'''

'''[REDACTED]'''- while they fought, the Wordles king could not have known others came to his sphere first. These men were mortal creatures, many of whom were ter’an. Upon seeing the ter’an, and after feeling the Last G'''[MISSING]'''an walk upon Her god’s skin, the Madness Let Them In.

The Sphere was Sundered, and those who rejected the grim spectre of the Dissolution, reached the miraculous inside.

But salvation and safety are not so easy to secure. For upon opening the sphere, the sphere, albeit briefly, became visible to all the dark multitudes of the warring, collapsing galaxy. Just as they believed themselves safe, the disciples of the Last Good Man found they had to '''[SECTION MISSING]'''
</div>
</div>

==Section 50: The Three Wanderers. The Prince and The Serpent==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">History is fickle and changeable; twisting in the grasp of those who seek to pin it down and fix it in a single position, a single continuity of events. Through this chronicle, many a time have my reports forced me to be vague, and to conflate great stretches of time where a lack of accurate sources have left their voids in the history, to be filled with conjecture, myth and mad ramblings.

Thus, I return to the tale of the Three Wanderers, the fugitives of Trayzn, decades from when we, Vasiri and Greal, last left their narrative strand. In this time, the sphere was opened, the Triarch necrons were rendered extinct then reborn in flesh, Imperiums burned and the hero of Macharius was murdered. For the three, Allaten the silver skulled warlock, Myrinmar the ranger and Julius Hawke, the eternal survivor, this time passed only as a couple of months. They were lost in the myriad pathways of the Labyrinth dimension, far from hearth, home and sanity; set adrift without a map in a maze that moved. Not only was space a perplexing maze there, but time too. They walked through tunnels that bypassed centuries, only to stumble into temporal dead zones that left them weary after barely an inch of travel.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The further they traveled, the smaller the pathways became, winding in and out and upon themselves, like woven threads in a wicker chair. Several time they had to hide themselves, as earlier versions of the trio crossed in front of them, or older versions in pitted armor with withered faces collapsed behind them. The webway had grown wild and untempered in the millennia following the fall of the craftworlds, and the rise of the Ne-[hushlittlesecretsin the darklittleones] – quins fought a rearguard to their black stronghold, leaving the labyrinth to grow like creepers through a dead woman’s garden. Also like a garden, strange plant-like fronds, and alien growths ringed the narrowest routes. Allaten and Myrinmar had efficient and resilient guts, and subsisted easily on the preserved rations they had managed to liberate from the Infinite’s collections. Hawke was mortal however, and thus soon he was depleted. Ever the opportunist, he harvested the frond-creatures as he trekked, eating them, much to the disgust of Myrinmar, and the unvoiced amusement of Allaten.

After the initial few weeks, the archives do not record their further labours in the webway, but there were spurious accounts of giant wasps and eyeless troglodytes infesting some routes, which the three had to slay, and of whispering, tempting siren-devils that called out longingly to the eldar amongst them, making her soul stone burn a bright white hue, and the wraithbone choir she carried to sing with psychic righteousness. They battled orks, which surprised both sides of the conflict, and only ended when the brutish leader of the orks dragged his waaagh off to find the ‘Pretty Wurld’ of myth. There was some mention of Hawke briefly getting sick from the fronds he subsisted upon, but these legends descended into metaphor very rapidly (talk of ‘the song of spiders, sleeping in the humours’ and other such fanciful imagery).

All through this journey, there was the ever present dread of the necrons. Though Trayzn’s ships could only travel the dolmen routes, the furious necron had marked Myrinmar for death. She kept hold of the wraithbone choir through all this, clutching it closely, ever listening for the shimmer of teleporting deathmarks, the cyclopean assassins of the ancient enemy.

The three might have been trapped in this system of tunnels for all the ages of the universe, if it was not for Allaten. Though his psychic gifts were powerful and brutally blunt, they allowed him some measure of communion with the Anathame. The blade was a hateful thing; an insane presence filled with half-formed thoughts of ancient alien notions. Yet, something was drawing it forwards, guiding Allaten down the true path. Where they were going, none of the group knew. The only coherent thought of the sword was like attracts like, which only served to confuse the Prognosticator further.

Eventually, they were led to a portal, shimmering like a rippling pond tilted to the vertical plane. Desperate to be anywhere but in the webway, they threw themselves through the portal, and emerged on the smooth, fragrant deck of an eldar vessel. The vessel was dark, walls only sluggishly illuminating in their presence, and their breath misted on the chilly air. Nevertheless, Myrinmar knew this ship anywhere.

“This is the Flame of Asuryan. The Phoenix ship. This is King Yriel’s vessel,” she breathed. This was once the greatest reaving vessel of the eldar, before it became the grand flagship of the Biel-Tan alliance, earning many famous victories.

Hawke was considerably less impressed, judging by the fact he was said to have vomited profusely upon arrival. (It was said his vomit sparkled, but I attribute no special significance to this. My vomit might shine if I ate a bag of silver shavings for instance.)

Initially, as they explored the vessel, it seemed as though it were entirely dead; becalmed and derelict. Through transparent sections of the hull, the webway could be seen. The vessel had been trapped in the webway too, to their collective disappointment. Hawke, desperate for some actually edible food, got Myrinmar to tell him where the food supplies were located onboard. She directed him to the orchards, and the former bondsman made his excuses before departing on his foraging quest.

Soon enough, they found evidence of battle; spent shuriken, shattered crystals, blades, dried blood redder than any human viscera, and, heartbreakingly, broken waystones, cold and dull. But no bodies.

“We cannot linger here. We must find another portal,” Allaten warned her, predicting her desires before she voiced them.

“My race needs me. Our lost king is here... or was here. I must aid him.”

Allaten shook his head. “I understand the call of brotherhood, or kinship. I am Astartes, and brotherhood is the foundation of our existence. But we have a mission; your mission, if I recall correctly. You claim this choir is pivotal, to not just your race’s survival, but mine as well. Your aid on Varsavia and Solemnance has proven that not all xenos are made of lies, but if you are willing to abandon a quest you vowed to complete, I question whether all our prejudices against your race were true,” he said, in her own eldar tongue, as best as he could manage.

This gave the ranger pause. “Vows are the only thing that controls one on the Path of the Outcast. Vows to craftworld and kin, ever anchoring even the flightiest of us to home. Yriel... he was a renegade, a corsair, for millennia. But when Iyanden needed him most... he returned. He cast of the Path of the Outcast, and gave the eldar there hope,” she looked to the spherical artefact in her hands, the conjoined souls of the best and brightest beings ever to walk the domes of fabled Altansar. This was the key; the salvation of the eldar race, and all races who fought the dissolution. “We must get to Biel-Tan. You are right mon ke... Librarian,” she finally admitted.

They searched for another portal chamber aboard the great capital ship, but as they did, they saw other vessels, to the port and starboard flanks of the Flame of Asuryan’s outer hull. Where the Flame of Asuryan was a bejewelled lance, these were dark, serrated daggers, flanked by wicked bladed fins and red tiger-stripe war paint daubing the hulls. The three black cruisers had anchored themselves to the Flame via great harpoons fired from their prows, deep into the guts of the larger eldar battleship. Myrinmar hissed.

“Eldar Corsairs,” Allaten growled.

“Commorrite raiders,” Myrinmar corrected him. “All the worst stories you mon keigh tell of the eldar, are earned by the denizens of Commorragh. The things onboard those vessels aren’t fit to kiss the feet of true corsairs,” she cursed, drawing her rifle involuntarily.

But Allaten reminded her of her vow, and they continued on towards the next portal room. Myrinmar was not to be disappointed however, because soon after, they were set upon by those same pirates. A hundred black shadows leapt from concealed ambush points, daggers drawn and splinters flying. Even before the first degenerate eldar howled their mocking battlecry, five of them were slain by Myrinmar’s rifle; a dozen more by the flickering arc of Allaten’s warp lightning. Ambushing a ranger and a psyker with precognition, it transpired, was very difficult. Nevertheless, the dark eldar had numbers on their side, and their frenzied hunger for pain and souls drove them onwards with the fevered desperation of consumptives. Allaten conjured a ring of fire from the warp, but the eldar capered deftly over the conflagration, their eyes glowing green with soul-hunger. The corsairs were a ragged mix of wych cultists, kabalites, half-crippled scourges, ex-craftworlders wearing desecrated soulstones, parched scum, board-less hellions and all other forms of commorrite scum under the stolen suns. Discipline had long fled these degenerates, for they had been trapped outside their sanctuary when the doors to Commorragh had sealed. But despite that, their furious hunger lent them a potency all their own.

Myrinmar and Allaten fought back to back as they spindly creatures attacked them, each being swift as quicksilver, and venomous as a viper. Allaten could smell the toxins on their blades as he fought them back blade to blade with the Anathame. But his cursed sword was mighty indeed; wherever it struck, the wound it inflicted was always lethal. Bones were shattered, limbs were severed, and blood, red and vivid even in the gloom, soon coated the walls. Allaten’s berserker charge with the Anathame left him separated from Myrinmar. To his horror, he saw the pirates retreat, as rapidly as they had descended. He fought to reach them, but soon the shadows swallowed them. He found himself alone and lost. Myrinmar was gone, and with her the choir. He had to find her.

The Prognosticator stalked the halls, listening out for either Hawke or Myrinmar’s voices, reaching out with his psychic senses, but only finding confusing interference. It was then he realized this interference was deliberate. The souls behind it were pure and strong, so could never be the shriveled, rotten souls of the commorrites. The original crew, he mused, but despite realizing this, their location was still hidden from him (''and presumably the raiders too''). Mouthing a prayer to the Emperor to guide him, as the Emperor had guided him so many times before, he raised Anathame, and let the hungry blade lead it once again on its inscrutable quest.

When he at last found the shrouded corner of the cavernous vessel, the Silver Skull was set upon again by desperate eldar. But these warriors bore glowing soulstones, and when he summoned warp energy into his radiant soul, he felt other equally powerful entities, holding back his sorcerous fire. As shuriken and las bolts pattered against his armor, Allaten was forced to wade into close combat, weathering the blows against his armor as his singing sword sought to catch one of the cautious eldar.

But before he could land a killing blow, another warrior entered the fray. Almost as tall as the space marine, but slender as a reed, the warrior leapt into combat like a whirling dervish, his spear howling as it swept towards him in a blistering series of arcing blows. The eldar had a single bionic eye that glowed with pleasant amber hues; quite at odds with the harsh crimson bulbs Imperial bionics favored. The man was skilled, and without his psychic abilities, Allaten found himself hard pressed against such a tenacious and skilled combatant. Finally, the spear tip swept down in a decapitating arc, and all Allaten could do was throw up a hasty block with his own weapon.

The two blades crashed together with a thunderclap, flooring both warriors, and all the eldar encircling them. In that instant, the two well-matched foes saw the turn of the universe.

There was a vision of a diminutive hero standing alone before a cliff face of molten metal, a thousand feet high, beneath a red moon’s light.

In the hero’s hand was the spear of twilight.

In the hero’s hand was the anathame, blade of midnight.

In the hero’s hand was a curving blade, glowing golden with the morning’s early light. Dawn’s sword.

Then the cliff grew claws, and its own great black sword descended. Shadows fell, and the blade fell.

Anaris fell too. It shattered thrice and fell into the river, where its currents carried them all away. The hero was unarmed when the claws came finally to strangle him.

“Yriel... late of Iyanden, protector of Biel-Tan... I presume?” breathed Allaten, the first to rise. He took off his helmet, so Yriel might see his grey eyes.

The ancient eldar warrior, youthful always save for a wisp of grey amidst his thick top knot of soot black hair, held Allaten’s gaze. “Allaten of Varsavia, warrior seer,” he returned, gesturing for his men to lower their weapons, which they did only warily.

Allaten revealed his mission, and his compact with the Myrinmar and the Biel-Tan eldar. Yriel, in turn, revealed that the foe that had overcome his vessel was a terrible pirate lord, called Duke Sliscus, the Serpent. The serpent’s minions ambushed the Flame of Asuryan as it made to leave a system on the fringes of the Eastern Chaos Imperium; attacking from all vectors with a loose coalition of commorrite raiders, all eager to bring down the pirate who had become a king. Yriel had been forced to breach the webway, diving into the labyrinth, even as the Duke’s men were boarding via their breaching modules. The majority of the hunters were denied their prize, but three of the Duke’s cruisers had remained attached. The craftworlders were few in number at the best of times, and the necessary crew aboard a naval ship was even less. Such a skeleton crew couldn’t hope to resist Sliscus’ veritable hoard of half-born savages and null-city scum. Though it pained Yriel to even remember, he told the Astartes of how his crew had to barricade themselves within the few strongpoints throughout the ship; munitions holds, scrying chambers, the infinity circuit’s domed temple room. One by one, these strongpoints were overwhelmed, until only Yriel’s psychically hidden remained.

Yriel believed he would perish in the hold of his own ship, starving like some urchin wretch. But the sight of Allaten, and the news of the wraithbone choir of Altansar, and the revelation that he and a mon keigh held in their very hands, gave the old reaver prince new resolve. Only a handful of the survivors were eldritch raiders like him, but he determined that this would be the end of Sliscus’ charade. Whether Yriel survived or not, the sociopathic monster lounging on in his bridge would draw his last breath that day!

Meanwhile, Hawke had found the dedicated orchards of the Flame of Asuryan. The forest had grown wild and fecund in its period of becalmment, spreading out across several floors, enclosing unrelated chambers and systems with its pale, fruit-bearing trees. Hawke gorged on the forest. He’d not cared for fruit much as a guardsman, and had nothing but protein paste as a bondsman. But after so long eating nothing but strange crystalline plants, he found the feast irresistible. Those he didn’t devour immediately, he stuffed into his satchel, for later consumption and perhaps distillation, if he could ever find the parts to make a decent still in the labyrinth dimension.

His meal was disturbed when he heard the sound of cruel alien voices, hissing and hooting at each other in tones he couldn’t hope to understand. He fled from the eldar pirates, rushing through the foliage like a game animal. Much unlike a game animal, he swore in an almost uninterrupted stream of profanity, the entire time he was running. The eldar must have sensed this feeling of being hunted, as they proceeded to set their dogs upon him. The warp beasts were like gigantic, flayed hyenas, large as horses and covered in mouths. Breathless and terrified, Hawke sprinted heedlessly through the orchard jungle, slamming into walls and bulkheads and trunks in his haste.

The daemonic hounds loped after him unhurriedly, as sadistic and cruel as their beastmaster. Soon they were just on his tail, snapping at his heels with skinless jaws of gore-streaked ivory, black tusks of bronze squealing as they snapped shut, closer and closer to him each time. At last, Hawke could run no more, and flung himself forwards into the last chamber he could find. The hell hounds leapt after him.

The crystal dome he found himself in was only devoid of trees. It was an odd thought to have before his death, he considered. Still, a pretty enough sight to go out on.

But this was not the ordained moment of his death it would seem. As the warp beasts entered the dome, the walls came alive with pinpricks of light. Millions upon millions, moving as a great tide or a termite swarm. Each of the scuttling lights was made of crystal and energy. As one, they enveloped the snarling daemonic horrors, which squealed and screeched in oddly human tones as they perished. With morbid fascination, Julius Hawke watched the tide of white spiders deconstruct the daemons bodily, like a sped up pict video of a corpse’s decay. Within moments, the silent warp spiders devoured the corrupted monsters. Even the fetid stench of daemon essence had been drained away, leaving the dome as pristine as it had been moments ago.

Hawke expected to die too, but the spiders merely crawled over him like curious ants, before scuttling back into the walls themselves. He almost laughed in relief. Then, he looked to the bodies laying peacefully all around him, and his smile faded.
Myrinmar was brought to the bridge of the flagship, where a fop in an extravagant coat of tanned human hides and elaborate ruffles and ribbons, slouched upon the command throne, one leg brazenly flung over the arm of the chair. The man was offensively handsome; his long hair gleaming platinum, his pale, translucent face unblemished by a single year of age. His lips were painted blue, and his eyes glowed with azure fire. Yet, the cold cruelty, and the way the warmth of his smile didn’t reach his piercing eyes robbed him of the title of beautiful.

Duke Sliscus leapt from his throne, and dramatically embraced Myrinmar as she lay bound and helpless in the arms of her captors. Sliscus kissed her cheeks, and welcomed her warmly to his vessel.

“Forgive the current state of disrepair. Some terrible lout sabotaged the central power core. It was almost as if he... resented me taking possession of this wonderful palace of a ship. Can you imagine the nerve?!” Sliscus tittered, and his ragged crew chuckled with forced humour.

His good nature evaporated when Myrinmar refused to tell him what the wraithbone choir was, or how she’d got onto ‘his’ vessel. That was when the torture began.

One thing the commorrites knew intimately was the art of torture. Within minutes, she was screaming in miserable agony, as neural spines were driven into her skull and into her joints.

(''The chronicles go into what I would call, unseemly detail about the myriad torture techniques Sliscus employed in the short time he was in Myrinmar’s company. I have omitted the worst, for I feel it serve no other purpose than gratuity.'')

“I am afraid we lost our haemonculus on the first day, alas. I am sorry our efforts are so... slapdash, my beautiful little bumpkin,” Sliscus purred softly in her ear, as she dangled from the ceiling on hooks, bleeding from places she had never known possible. She was weeping, but felt no shame in that, for who could resist the torturers of commorragh, truly? She watched the eldar cluster around her, their eyes glowing that little bit more with every shriek she made. She wanted to laugh; laugh at their pathetic state of existence, at their paltry, parasitic lives. They were all doomed; only the craftworlders would be reborn when Ynnead rises, while these monsters would be trapped forever on the path of appeasement, slaved to a murderous bitch goddess until they died. But she couldn’t bring herself to laugh, and the effort only brought more coughing and retching.

Finally, after only an hour of torment, she slurred something. Sliscus smiled. “You will have to speak more clearly child. Haul her down.”

They did so. Sliscus waited patiently for her to speak again.

“You must help me. The choir... it is important. Without it, millions will die... billions... trillions... all life...” she wheezed, begging the cruel dandy to heed her.

Sliscus laughed at her. “And I should care why? I have won!” he cackled, flourishing his twin swords, called ‘the serpent’s bite’, like some swashbuckling hero.

“What have you won?” she spat bitterly, slumping in her captors’ arms.

He grinned. “I have proven that I am the greatest corsair there has ever been! The mighty Prince Yriel, the dashing hero and infamous legend, was humbled by me. Me! The Duke, not the Prince, is the winner!”

“That’s petty, even for you.”

The Duke shrugged. “I don’t care. Let the universe kill itself. We shall wait here, in the webway as we always have. Then, when the dust settles and the mewling survivors scuttle from their holes to see what the damage is, we will hunt them anew. The Sky Serpents shall rain down from the heavens, and the galaxy will know my name and no other! No one will stand before me, and I shall take what has always been mine!”

“This is madness! There won’t be a galaxy Sliscus, or a webway! The dissolution... it will... the N-”

“Don’t speak to me of prophecies of doom, craftworlder! Do you recall your doomsayers, from the time of the Fall? They claimed all would be destroyed, and yet... we endure. We survive, and we...thrive,” he shivered with perverse delight.

She saw the megalomaniac then, and realised any hope of reason was lost. He was insane. Despair took her then. Tears rolled down her fleshly-scarred face, each droplet a stinging reminder of his foul attentions.

She mumbled something else.

“What now child? Do you want to play again? Just deny my demands once more, and we can play all over again. What did you say?”

She held his gaze then, through her one good eye. “I have been in one place too long. Things won’t go well now,” she said, with odd, calm clarity.

Even Sliscus was confused, and his sudden smirk barely concealed his irritation. “Why is that?”

“Because... I am marked.”

She threw herself to the ground, as her two guards suddenly spasmed and died. The Sky Serpents turned as one to a corner of the room, where they were sure there hadn’t been anyone before. Now, there were suddenly five giants; shadowy hunchbacks, with singular orbs, blazing with corpse light.

Deathmarks.

Instantly, the two sides opened fire. Within moments, the bridge was a chaotic storm of fire, flame and eldritch energies being unleashed. Myrinmar took her chance. She leapt forwards, ignoring the agony lancing through her bones, and snatched a sword from a sky serpent’s belt, bisecting the commorrite from hip to armpit with a single stroke, before planting the sword up to the hilt in the raider clutching her rifle.

She was still fast, but the pain slowed her just enough, for a green-haired hellion to get the drop on her, hissing through sharpened fangs. Its whip lashed out, snatching her rifle from her grasp, before the fiend struck her dozens of times with its spiked boots and gloves, savouring every cut. Her rifle stock cracked against his body over and over but that only made the eldar stronger, driven to delight by the pain. She stumbled onto her rump, and prepared for the end. It was at that point that the hellion suddenly found its head bisected by a precision shuriken.

The Eldritch Raiders burst into the chamber in a wave of multi-coloured fire. The warlocks unleashed lightning storms and singing spears, as Allaten, wreathed in fire, smote all who came near him, with flame and anathame stroke. Yriel could barely be seen, for he leapt so swiftly and so deftly through the confused throngs of murderers and metal killers. The battle for the bridge became a confused three way skirmish; a storm of blades and discharging weapons. Holes were punched into the hull, and soon ethereal winds from the webway billowed through the tides of carnage and murder.

Myrinmar scuttled on all fours through the press; desperately reaching for the wraithbone construct she had spent so long searching for.

Yriel and Sliscus sought each other out, as both sides knew they always would. The two clashed in a blur of blade against blade, acrobatic and flawlessly graceful despite their advanced ages. These were two supreme eldar warriors, unsullied by the millennia, as fearsome as deadly as ever. But Sliscus, for all that, had one advantage; he had two weapons, against Yriel’s single spear. No matter how potent, the spear struggled to be everywhere at once, which is where Sliscus struck. Every vector, every angle, every blow possible, he struck. Neither opponent could afford to be struck even once; the spear of twilight was a fiery remnant of the elder blade of Eldanesh, and would kill with any solid connecting blow. Meanwhile, Sliscus’ serpent’s bite was so profoundly venomous, but a single cut against flesh would boil the blood and corrode the flesh.

Despite Yriel’s legendary skill, Sliscus was winning, and he knew it, with every cut and thrust he grew stronger, and his grin widened. “I am better than you. I told you, I was always better than you!” he cackled finally, delivering a brutal back kick across Yriel’s face, staggering the eldar lord. But even as he tumbled, Allaten was there, anathame in hand. Allaten was fractionally slower, but his blows were herculean compared to Yriel’s, and this time Sliscus staggered backwards, his arrogance faltering for but a second.

All around them, the Deathmarks calmly walked forward sin unison, killing with the same effort a scythe reaps wheat. The eldar continued acrobatically murdering each other, each side screaming the name of their corsair warbands.

“Sky Serpents!”

“Eldritch Raiders!”

Myrnimar finally managed to reach the wraithbone artefact. She clutched the choir to her chest, and made a dash for the control console; the heart of the bridge, and the psychic link with the entire flagship. Her body was a ruin, and every motion was an agony akin to walking through fire. But she ignored the pain. She had to.

Sliscus now faced both Allaten and Yriel, and now he was hard pressed. Several times, he fled behind his men, and thrust them into the fray, cursing as they died too quickly. His face was full of indignant rage now, his hair a mess, his flesh tainted with blood splashes, his outfit ruined by narrowly avoided blows.

“Curse you! You let mon keigh fight your battles! Truly, you are as weak and pathetic as I suspected! I will not be mocked!” the Duke finally screamed. Desperately, he threw aside one of his sword, and drew his blast pistol. Allaten only just swayed aside as a bolt of pure darkness thundered past him. His psychic hood was shattered by the glancing blow however, exploding in a shower of sparks and psychic feedback that made even Allaten recoil.

Taking this chance, Sliscus skipped from the podium, and fled the bridge. The two sides of eldar had begun to focus on the necrons at last, as the killing machines cut down eldar after eldar with their synaptic disruptors. One by one, the necrons were dragged down, until even their reanimation protocols could not stem the flow of damage against them.

Myrinmar reached the command console, and slotted the wraithbone choir home. The choir seemed to morph and mould itself to the aperture of the console, eagerly merging and communing with the Flame. This was her final gambit; a hundred thousand apex farseers, scholars, bonesingers and warlocks, all plunged into the fiery, living heart of the ship’s living form. She felt the ship shudder in sudden, pleasant undulations. Light played across every surface, like the wheel of a galaxy as seen through a concave mirror.

She smiled serenely. This was what needed to happen, she realised. This was peace.

She kept her smile, as the crackling beam from the last deathmark struck her, and ended her thoughts forever more. It was odd, she thought at the end. It didn’t hurt to die.

She didn’t even make a sound as she felt.

The Sky Serpents began to flee, as the Flame of Asuryan’s systems began to light up with white fire, lashing out with ghostly tendrils.

Sliscus, who had fled first, was separated from the rest. Each step he took, he gazed backwards, towards the waking ship’s light filled veins. He had to escape. This was not how he would end.

When he rounded the corner, the last thing he had expected to see was a mortal mon keigh with a shard carbine. Distracted, Sliscus didn’t see the carbine fire until it was far too late. The torrent of crystals shredded his crotch and thighs, as Hawke pumped hundreds of shots into the eldar, heedless of who this commorrite was even supposed to be.

Sliscus crumpled to his knees, gasping and mute as he desperately clutched at the ruins meat of his abdomen, his own weapons forgotten. Tears in his eyes, he stared up in disbelief at Julius Hawke.

“That’s embarrassing,” Hawke chortled.

If Sliscus was going to say anything; some final retort or curse, Hawke didn’t give him a chance. He shot Sliscus in the face, splinters tearing his handsome visage to gory ribbons. Hawke continued on his run, desperately searching for his two remaining friends in the entire galaxy. Sliscus died alone; killed while running away by a mon keigh bondsman, more b accident than anything else. Such was his legacy, and such is how I choose to remember such a petty thing. He died writhing on his belly, as all snakes do.

The power of the choir flooded and re energized the Flame of Asuryan. Like the Phoenix King, it was reborn in fire. The first two cruisers were destroyed, as the energies travelled down their umbilical connections to the battleship. The third managed to disengage, but with motive power and weapons active, the Flame made short work of the dark eldar vessel.

Hawke found Allaten and Yriel, slumped either side of the command throne. Upon the throne itself, Myrinmar’s corpse had been placed. Her soulstone was dull. And, surprisingly, her entire body had turned to crystal.

“You won’t believe the trouble I’ve had apple scrumping down there. Wait, we’re moving?” Hawke asked, as he saw the view screen image come about. Allaten simply nodded, too drained to speak. Yriel held the crystal hand of Myrinmar, and said nothing.

Hawke looked around, took a seat at an empty console, and took another fruit from his satchel.

The Flame of Asuryan sped through the webway, given new life by revenant souls. Its destination was clear; the only place where craftworld eldar still lived in any great numbers.

All roads led to Biel-Tan.
</div>
</div>

==Section 51: The Last Loyal Son, and The Queen of Smog==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">[Compiler’s Note (Volsanius Greal): It breaks my heart to find these notes. I don’t want it to be true, but I cannot doubt Vasiri’s visions, not now. I was a scribe for many years, and I knew him longer than any other person I’d ever met. Yet, he was so shut off, secluded. Who could truly know his mind? I swear that I had no idea that these events had transpired. Smog was a standard cleanse mission, according to almost every account in the histories collected in these archives. But this one account... it changes everything I thought I knew. Forgive me. If I had known... perhaps I could have saved them... or at least warned them...]
[Secondary note: The term ‘Pentus’ and ‘Pentum’ are generally interchangeable, as both forms of address are found in the histories of the Five Brothers’ Imperium.]<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Loyalty is a complex notion in a world of changing authorities and powers. From a historian’s vantage point, treachery and loyalty look different, for we look from above, and we see an overview of the dynasties and shifting fortunes of factions. We can tell whether the allegiance of a loyal soldier was deserved by his master, through their actions and the ultimate result of them. But those who lived the histories I and Vasiri relate to you, they have no omniscient view. Even those beings who appear omniscient are not infallible, and nor are their visions of the world complete. In the end, whether Primarch, post human or lowly serf, we are all, ultimately, stumbling forwards through the dark. I feel this should be remembered when I relate to you the tumultuous latter years of the Imperium Pentus’ crusade against the Travesty.

The war had been raging for long years, measured in billions of lives spent in folly and death. After Corbellus, the five brothers waged individual wars using their own fleet elements. Vulkan had established a rotational strategy. Logistically, having all fleets engaged at all times was a drain upon resources. Thus, while four Primarchs engaged the Travesty, one was always recycled back to Pentum, to replenish their supplies, repair their fleets, and recruit new volunteers for the war effort. This way, his fleets could return, fresh and well-stocked for another campaign. At this stage of the war, the Khan returned to Pentum, leaving the four remaining brothers to organise the various fleets of their crusade. Through these coordinated efforts, they divided and drew out the frenzied armies and armadas the Empire of Travesties sardonically referred to as ‘its people’. These armies were not united, for unity was anathema to most of the corrupt, chaos-worshipping warbands and reaver fleets plaguing the Western Chaos Imperium. The main advantage of the Ruinous Forces was the growing, spreading warp storms and reality quakes that filled the region like fissures in crazed glass. Warp travel was torturously slow, with only Primarch-led Pentum fleets being guaranteed a path through the tumult. The Tersis, the dread former Black Ship, turned herald of anarchy, toured the Travesty at the head of an impossible pilgrimage of ships granted sentience and partial ascension by the N[dontmakemesayitanymorepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasebeggingyou]estroying themselves before death took them. Like a plague carrier, the Mistress and Master of the Tersis conjured madness in their wake, and the warp spilled out into reality, coating everything in ichors and drooling impossibilities. And where the Deep Warp pooled, Draziin-maton could come into existence, crawling from the spaces between atoms, and the dark places where nothing should be. Nevertheless, Vulkan and his allies were winning the war in the materium, if not the immaterium.

Lorgar, euphoric and swollen with unnatural power, summoned Perturabo to Cadia. The mechanical prince came reluctantly, and was anointed Warmaster by the Aurellian within the Grand Womb-Cathedral that grew like a tumour from the Cadian surface, up into the upper atmosphere. Lorgar, at this point was less a creature, and more a force of unnatural power. The roots of his essence burrowing into the mantle of Cadia, and formed grotesque, living architecture; Cadia, long abused and defiled, was becoming one with the living warp rift that Perturabo had once begrudgingly called brother. Once such a weakling preacher, he was now a conduit for the fundamental powers of the endless pantheons scratching at the boundaries between worlds. The central throne room of the Cathedral would be impossible to describe to a mortal with a mind made of meat. We only have second hand legends and stories of the Daemon-Imperator’s court. Stories of a throne of barbed spines, a mile tall, festooned with eight million, eight hundred and eighty eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty eight mewling human corpses, all bonded with Lorgar by looping tendrils of sentient blood. Draziin-maton clustered like gargoyles around him, suckling on his nourishing, nauseating waves of corruption. Only Word Bearers possessed by daemons could maintain their forms in that deranged cavern. Perturabo accepted his new title, but Lorgar granted him this boon on the condition he crush the five brothers, and bring the Death Guard into the war.

Early on, when the Draziin-maton were conquering the daemon-primarchs, Mortarion evaded their control through rotting away before them. While the others were shackled to Lorgar’s patrons, Mortarion was free, and when the Travesty and Pentum made war, his Plague Marines, unified under common purpose, did as they pleased. They brought pestilence and famine, taking what they wanted from either side.

Upon leaving the molten, shifting palaces of Cadia-Lorgar, Perturabo sought out Fulgrim on his pleasure world. The soporific world of indolence and vice was coated in countless creatures engaged in relentless fetid copulations, rutting and moaning in ecstasy, even as they drowned on the shores of oceans of perfumed oils. Like some delirious opium fiend, Fulgrim lounged within the solid gold spire dominating the planet, where the scant few surviving Emperor’s children maimed and killed themselves for his flickering amusement.

Perturabo was unopposed as he led his daemon-bound Thallax legions, known to history as the Kai Bane Host, into the Spire of Indolence. Valchocht the Maker was a god of dark intellect and relentless drive to create and build, and Fulgrim’s excess and corrosive idleness was an affront to the god Perturabo served, and he picked his way through the morass of degenerates with distain. Fulgrim had squandered his military forces, and now wallowed in his own folly. He smiled a reptilian smile when his Ironclad brother shattered his doors, and almost dismissively crushed the great hydra-daemon Fulgrim had bred to be his guard dog beneath Forge Breaker.

Perturabo announced his new title and powers, and summoned Fulgrim to rejoin the fight against Pentum. Fulgrim, who had shed his serpentine form and taken on a deceptively mundane humanoid visage, gleaming gold and naked in the pink-mist of the palace, chuckled at Perturabo’s presumption. The Phoenician had been fighting, he claimed, showing Perturabo the terrible wounds inflicted by Russ and his hounds. They had duelled amidst the airless asteroid rubble that had once been a world, the Wolf and Phoenician fighting as the world Russ’ fleet had cracked leaked mantle in exotic streams. Fulgrim had barely escaped, or so he said.

“Had I not earned a moment to lick my wounds? Or have my wounds licked?” Fulgrim asked salaciously, whispering of all the beautiful, garish, carnal machines the two of them could create together. Perturabo sneeringly ignored Fulgrim’s depraved words, and demanded his brother come with him. Fulgrim eventually agreed. He was running out of playthings anyway, he’d need to recruit more.

Once aboard the great daemon engine, Fulgirm was set upon by Perturabo, his Iron Warriors and his Kai Bane monstrosities. Bound in runic chains forged in the pits of Malice, Fulgrim was eventually subdued, though a mound of smashed kai bane and dead Astartes marked his capture. Spitting acidic green ichors, Fulgrim cursed Perturabo for his duplicity, mostly because he betrayed Fulgrim first, before he could betray Perturabo; ever was the twisted logic of the warp-tainted madman.

Fulgrim was a liability to the Scion of the Maker, a wretched fool revelling in his pointless, unproductive campaigns of torture and his carnivals of sin and depravity. He was much more useful to him as a prize, a gift to present to those Perturabo wished to bring into allegiance with the Forces of Travesty.

Soon, the Goliath Engine arrived in orbit over the world of Smog. If it had a previous name, I can find no record of it, and all who knew of the diseased world called it Smog. The reason was self-evident, for even in orbit it was clear the world was shrouded in dense, yellow-green clouds of noisome fog. It clogged the atmosphere and strangled the surface, suffocating everything below. This was the lair of the Queen of Smog, and garrisoned by her champion, Mortarion. Plague Marines flocked to the toxic world, drawn to their master and the Grandfatherly call of the Great Unclean God.

An ossified castle stood amongst the great putrid heaps of dissolved matter, atop a great mountain bier, where the Lords of Decay dwelt. He delivered Fulgrim to Mortarion, alongside a hundred cohorts of Kai Bane, half a chapter of Iron Warriors, and hordes of daemon engines; crustacean defilers, great hound-like maulerfiends and decimators, as well as many new and monstrous daemon engines; strange tracked centaur things, whipping iron krakens and indescribable scuttling, saw-limbed monsters of daemonflesh and perverted technology. Some were no larger than a dreadnought; others would have dwarfed the Imperator titans of old. This was the price Mortarion demanded. In exchange, he would bring his plague fleets to Perturabo’s cause.

It wasn’t until Perturabo’s great Goliath Engine departed that the chained form of Fulgrim was dragged before the Reaper.

Mortarion, rasping and disturbingly malodorous, strode from the coiling toxic mists like a shade, his rusting scythe larger than Fulgrim was tall. Fulgrim, his powers bound by hostile magicks, was made to kneel by the bloated Plague marines, who jabbed him with their cursed knives. Ordinarily, he would have relished the feeling, but the warp stench of nurgle was about them, and each incision burned, as his slanneshi essence clashed with that of the nurglitch.

“Fulgrim. My brother,” said Mortarion, his voice barely a rasp of a whisper through the oil-drooling mask that grew from his hooded face. Almost tenderly, he placed the tip of his scythe beneath Fulgrim’s chin, and tilted back his head. “Look at us, brother.”

“I am your brother now? So soon are the bonds of fellowship forgotten once dear departed Horus left us?”

Mortarion did not laugh. He was ever humourless, even amongst the incongruously cheerful daemons of his patron. “You cast off the bonds just as readily, Fulgrim. Or should I name thee... Angel Exterminatus?”

The name made the other creatures haunting the chamber to hiss and spit in loathing. Fulgirm hadn’t noticed the pale, spindly things, not at first. They wept green tar and bore pointed ears, pointed teeth, pointed elbow spurs. Emaciated as plague corpses, the aliens were disgusting parodies of eldar forms. Eldar, albeit twisted half-daemon corruptions, amongst the halls of the Grandfather. Now Fulgrim had seen everything.

“I did not take you for a consorter with xenos, Mort,” Fulgrim laughed spitefully. “Though you’re as moribund and miserable as a craftworlder, I admit. Whose wretches are these then?”

“They are mine.”

The new voice was powerful, echoing from all around. And it was female. The Queen of Smog had hidden herself from the primarch’s daemonic perception, no mean feat when the daemon in question was one of the most powerful there was. But once she spoke, the spell was broken, and his offensively handsome features focused in like a laser upon the speaker.

She was indistinct, like an old photographic negative accidentally laid over another, and her edges rippled with the raw essence of the warp, churning and billowing with smog as she perched upon her throne, so translucent, the skeleton of the towering female was more visible than the pale and putrefying flesh that clad it.

“I know your name too, maiden, daemon princess,” Fulgrim spat. “But you are just a shadow, a shade of a swallowed goddess. Nothing so very powerful.”

Fulgrim fought against his chains, drawing upon the Angel Exterminatus, his own slannesh-born warp essence. But he found his powers draining away, leeched somehow. Fulgrim did not know that Mortarion had learned of how to bind the powers of daemon primarchs the hard way. Mortarion knew Fulgrim’s true name, and ritually invoked it as Fulgrim lay trapped. This ceremony, combined with all the other indignities inflicted upon him, was enough to sap his daemonic powers.

She laughed, though it was a savage, petty laugh of mockery and desolation. “I do not need to be the most powerful... only more powerful than you. This is my world, a wedding gift of my Lord husband, my Great Unclean One.”

“You are not Isha. Perhaps you are an echo of the dead eldar witch, but no more than that; a fragment of some story, animated by nurgle. She, the Prince of Perversion, ate her! I know I can taste her on my forked tongue!”

Fulgrim felt the smog constrict around him, crushing his throat. “Weakling daemon, a lot has changed. The warp shifts, and ever does the Great Game continue. Slannesh’s power wanes. That bitch’s star is no longer in the ascendancy. You have no power over us.”

“Take off these chains, and I shall show you my power!” Fulgrim spat. The shadows of great pinions shimmered at Fulgrim’s back, before they began to wither and crumble to nothing. Rotting, all decay. War and despair were growing in power in the galaxy, as the new gods rose and the Dissolution loomed.

“Anger is not your ally,” Mortarion pointed out wearily to his brother. While the Queen of Smog loathed Fulgrim, Mortarion was grimly resigned to events. He felt neither joy nor sorrow for the other daemon’s fate. “You spurned him millennia ago, and Khorne has not grown any fonder of you brother.”

The Queen of Smog leaned forward, her form shimmering as the Smog passed through her. “Her adherents are almost all extinguished. You have killed more than a few of them. No more to replace them, to give her storming protuberance form and an image. Like a gargoyle eroded by entropy’s touch, her face is being worn away, and with it her power. Even the Eldras Ynneas have been stolen away from her, cocooned in cold and shadow by Mephet’ran, the Jackal, the Morningstar, Venus, Deceiver, Yngir star-hungry and its deceptive plot. My beloved’s champion, he who is named Death, has sent his Destroyer Hive to find my living children and bring them to my side. But Slannesh devoured my other children, and I will reclaim what was stolen from me by She Who Thirsts. Starting, I think, with the souls YOU stole, Angel Exterminatus! And when you are but a husk and I am Mother of Eldar once more...”

She pointed to a sword, chained to one of the ossified walls. A curved sword, a sword Fulgrim knew well.

“Impossible,” he whispered as he looked upon the Laer sword, the sword which had led him down the path to ascension and beyond.

“The Deep Warp rises. All is possible in these End Times. The Laer sword returns, and with it, you perish.”

Fulgrim felt fear then, for the first time in as long as he could remember. As the chaos eldar and Plague marines dragged him towards a great cage, he called out to Mortarion to save him. He called upon the memory of their old bonds of brotherhood and kinship. But Mortarion was deaf to his pleas, and watched as Fulgrim was carved, stabbed, peeled, pierced with throbbing tendrils of rotten vines, that drank deep of his daemonic ichors and intruded upon his manifested form. Fulgrim screamed, roaring and bursting with claws and snarled maws as his daemonic form rebelled at the violations. Plague marines were crushed by lashing tentacles, spindly half-eldar lacerated by sprouting pincers and tusked maws. But still the Queen of Smog, a fragment of a murdered pantheon, reborn under nurgle’s besotted influence, drained and tore at the Angel Exterminatus. The serpent within writhed and fought, clinging to Fulgrim with its venomous talons, desperate and all the more monstrous for it; Fulgrim’s form shifted and churned through a million different combinations, going from humanoid to cephalopod to crustacean to things indescribable.

“Mortarion... please...” he gurgled, from a dozen slavering lips. Mortarion’s hollow eyes were weary, so weary, but he said nothing. He left Fulgrim chained and humbled, watching his own executioner’s blade from across the hall.

The Lord of the Death Guard turned instead to his massing military forces, spread out upon the mountainside. Plague marines of the Death Guard remnants were joined by other renegade nurglitch Astartes, equally corroded and corrupted. Their geneseed was poison, and there would be no more of them once the war was done. But then, all would die by the end of this war. Dusk would set for all. Still it was almost twenty thousand space marines assembled before him, like some dark parody of a Crusade-Era Legionary muster. With them, they brought daemon-infested fellblades and land raiders, predators and speeders, manticores and whirlwinds swollen with blight. And now, he had daemon engines of Valchocht, soulgrinders, defilers, giant machines like armoured drakes and hounds, tracked centaurs built in mockery of men, one-horned engines gilded with iron and gore. Cohorts of daemonic robot things, Perturabo called kai bane. There were phallic, semi-organic artillery pieces, festooned with fangs and tendrils, that loaded cursed shells like octopuses shovelling food into their beaks. Largest of all the daemon engines was a terror that had perhaps once been an Imperator titan, but instead of bipedal leg towers, gigantic hinged spider’s legs protruded, with snapping pincers on each warhound-sized limb. Daemonic flesh grew across its shoulder bastions like septic coral, covered in writhing, fang-tipped trunks and proboscises. It looked like some grotesquely overgrown defiler, with a roaring war horn that shook the world when it brayed. Perturabo had not given it a name, but Mortarion could feel the daemon prince that was infused into every black-blooded vein of the defiler-titan. He tasted the life of the creature, which had once been an Iron Warrior before it had ascended to become something greater, and yet far worse. Its name was Grendel. Another daemon engine looked like no one thing in particular. It was a strange amalgam of tracked vehicles and walkers, tanks and aircraft, valkyries, basilisks and dreadnoughts, festooned with randomly placed turrets and whirring close combat weapons. His Deathshroud bodyguards referred to it simply as ‘the Khimyra’, which was apt enough, as they thing was a fusion of broken parts of other daemons, trickling through the warp, pressed together painfully by the Maker’s fell champion.

This was a force to conquer worlds, to defile space ever further, and his great plague fleet waited at anchor in orbit, waiting to take this force from Smog, to war. Mortarion knew eventually Lorgar would draw him into the war, just as he knew he would perish in it. But he was trapped, his fate was fixed. Despair and bitter resignation was a part of him now.

Eventually, he returned to the throne room, to watch his brother slowly dying. His shifting form was spent now, and he had taken on his crusade-era form; perhaps hoping to fan some ember of pity Mortarion had for the brother he once knew.

In contrast, the Queen of Smog was growing more solid, more radiant, as she drank of the warp stuff siphoned from the Angel Exterminatus. The warp was growing stronger around Smog, warp predators and Draziin-maton were massing, he could feel them. Perturabo should not have brought Fulgrim here. Did he not see that every warp power in the galaxy was looking for a way to transcend the Dissolution? The daemon queen, whether Isha or not, was no different. It seemed only Mortarion had no desire to survive this war. There were several moments in the history of the universe, moments where Mortarion was vulnerable, where he could be harmed. At this point, another such moment was approaching.

“You are alone now Fulgrim. All your beauty and genius is for nothing,” taunted the daemon queen. “Nurgle has chased Slannesh from Smog, and left you hear at our mercy. No daemon now, and barely a primarch. You have no friends here.”

For some reason Fulgrim, who still sagged in his chains, smiled at her words. The Queen was confused. “Mortarion, why does he smile?”

Mortarion had no answer.

But Fulgrim did. He raised his head.

“I smile because you are right. I have no friends. And yet, I have plenty of enemies,” Fulgrim leaned back, his eyes closed, as if he were listening to something far away. “Enemies that have been searching for me, ever since I called out to them when my Ironclad sibling first caught me.”

Mortarion knew what his Master of the Fleet was going to say before even as he voxed him. Because he suddenly sensed what Fulgrim did. He knew who was coming.

“My lord, I am detecting multiple warp translations at system’s edge, I-”

“The Lion is here,” Mortarion replied with his voice of rasping death. He drew forth his scythe, even as Fulgrim began to cackle like a delirious idiot.

It was a fool who underestimated a primarch, Mortarion realised. So long as an immortal, he’d almost forgotten.

###

The Antioch entered Smog’s system, the White Spear blazing. The lance beam carved through the perimeter fleet, leaving bisected ruins to blaze in the silent void as it sped towards Smog, wreathed in blazing void shields as it weathered all attempts to impede it. At its back, a vast fleet erupted, similarly intent on getting to grips with the enemy.

Only the Lion came, for Vulkan and his fleet could not traverse the psychic null rift left in the wake of the Ophilim Kiasoz, as it unmade its way towards the heart of the Eye. It would be up to the Lion and his forces alone.

Fortunately enough, the Lion possessed one of the largest of Pentum’s fleets at this point in the Age of Dusk. Not only was he in command of half of the White Lancers Commandery and support elements from the Knights Supplicant, Jade Princes, Nemenmarines and the Vanquishers; he had a Ryzan exterminator armada, heavy laden with Titans and the Ninth Thunder Lizard tank regiment.

While on his rotation away from the war, the Lion had also sent forth a strike cruiser of White Lancers to search for any sign of the Dark Angels, those who had not fallen to madness or become traitors.

As they searched, he came to the planet of Kimmeria, the secretive recruitment world for another Commandery, the Lion’s own Commandery. While the White Lancers were pure and effective warriors, they were in essence a Commandery divided, for the Lion and the Khan shared them in the early years of Pentum, due to the Khan’s injuries making him unable to sire new space marines. Consequently, the White Lancers had a schizophrenic nature, for they were an amalgam of knightly virtue and codes of practice, with the more intuitive culture of personal deeds of the nomadic Jaghati Khan. Jonson wanted a Commandery he could mould to his desires. And by the time he returned to Kimmeria they were ready to be cultivated for the war effort. Though Kimmeria was an advanced civilised world, the Circle Cults of Kimmeria had been active on the planet ever since it was a feral world, as far back as M35. Back then, it had been a recruitment world for Dark Angels post-Caliban (possibly even the homeworld of the mythological figure of Master Azrael, though that might have been a fiction concocted by later historians), and so to was it again. When the Lion came to Kimmeria, they instantly agreed to produce his marines, and welcomed his geneseed scientists like conquering heroes. They even helped build orbital docks across the Kimmerian system, so the Lion could build his new Commandery a fleet and material to wage galactic war. While the other Commanderies warred with the Travesty, he had this new force set to work, fighting alongside the White Lancers, policing and protecting the Imperium Pentum, facing off against the lesser daemons and rebels arising due to the spreading warp storms all across their empire. This secret Commandery learned fast and fought well.

He called this new Commandery the Angelos Primitus, or ‘First Angels’. They wore the black panoply of the First Legion, and took the symbol of the antique numeral ‘I’, surrounded by faint grey wings upon their pauldrons; a bold statement, which proclaimed them as the inheritors of the First Legion, a return to the time when they were the only Legion, and the Great crusade was a simpler, nobler enterprise.

Thus, when the Lion returned to the Travesty war, not only did he bring his White Lancers, he brought a full two Commanderies worth of First Angels.

The Lion’s fleet plunged through the plague fleet’s defences like a hot dagger plunged between ribs, while the escorts and attack ships drew the chaos forces into a time-consuming void war, the landers and transport ships advanced into low orbit. After barely a day of manoeuvring, the Lion’s forces were ready to deploy against the cursed world of Smog. Initial orbital bombardments were implemented by the Nemenmarines, who thought it folly to land without even attempting to annihilate the enemy in orbit, or at least burn off the cloying fog that obscured any attempts to scan the surface. Yet, virus bombs were consumed, volcano shells detonated, but the gaps they blew in the smog closed soon afterwards. Some daemonic force was shrouding the planet. They had encountered similar forces before in the long war against chaos. Ground forces were needed to land, destroy the daemon, and open the world up to orbital scouring.

Their landing zone, some twenty miles from the solitary mountain castle, was cleared by a preceding macrocannon barrage that scattered the cloying smog for long enough for the landers to navigate their descent safety. Only the Thunder Lizards did not require landing ships, for they descended on their retro-thrusters, falling slowly to the ground on columns of white orange fire. The infantry remained with the fleet, for the smog would liquidate even power armoured warriors within a few hours of exposure. Only the heaviest, armoured elements were chosen, terminators, dreadnoughts, tanks and walkers. The Ryzan Titans took one flank, alongside their Freeblade knights and their sturdiest robots. On the other flank, the Thunder Lizards deployed. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, the largest and most formidable of the Tyrannosaur class, landed first before the rest of the different castes of tank landed around it; heavy domed Ankylosaur transports, Allosaurus hunter-killers, Brachiosaur self-propelled macrocannons, and all the other support vehicles required of the legendary armour Regiment. In the centre deployed the Lion and his elite Astartes; the Lancers in gleaming white, the First Angels in ominous black, terminators deployed inside a column of Land Raiders. At his side also deployed Tsulganor of the Salamanders, Vulkan’s envoy to the Lion’s fleet, there to maintain the ‘continuity of purpose’ the Pentum Imperium was supposed to possess. Hundreds of dreadnoughts marched beside the land raiders, led by the Contemptor Nullan, an ancient Iron Hand who had begged the Lion for deployment, desperate for the chance to revenge himself upon the Gorgon’s killer.

Yet, even as they marched towards the Queen’s keep, her dreadful miasma descended upon the army once more. Alert sirens sounded within every vehicle, as the toxic gas already began to work its vile purpose. But the war machines of Pentum were built to survive and endure, and the armoured landing party forged on through the cloying smog, relentless and resolute in the mission the Lion had tasked them with. However, the smog also caused visibility to plummet, until the way across the poisoned soil was obscured only two hundred metres ahead.

The two armies, Mortarion’s and the Lion’s, stalked each other across the featureless grey fields. Though they could not see, their thermal sensors and sonic detectors could roughly pinpoint their counterpart’s locations. Neither side could ever hope to be silent; one side was filled with the roar of throttling engines, the other with the daemonic shrieks of neverborn horrors. The Ankylosaur tanks of the Thunder Lizards opened up their flanks, deploying their legions of diminutive servitor tanks, known as Deinonychus scouts, to expand the army’s sensor web, so the blinded force might augment its sight. Despite this, indirect fire became paramount, as the big guns of the two monstrous hosts began to fling their ordinance through the smog near-heedlessly. Craters were blasted, tanks were immolated or simply vaporised, but every shell fired by one side was answered in kind by the other. The poison clouds of Smog were illuminated by the artillery, till it seemed as if a thunderstorm raged upon Smog’s surface.

Death howled on the turgid winds, while capital grade weapons exchanged impossibly bright munitions. The Smog burned when the Thunder Lizards and the Titans began to fire. It was only then that the two forces realised just how close they were to one another. The Death Guard and Grendel’s daemon engines took the shallow foothills of the ossified mountain, while the Lion’s forces were just before them, a stone’s throw further down the slope. No more waiting, no more blind-fighting and scanning daemonic smoke for a hint of a foe. So close, the two armoured forces clashed at skirmish range, knife-fighting distance. Battle cannons blared and great chainswords revved, as the freeblades took to the enemy. Melta beams scorched, lance beams carved, missiles corkscrewed into blossoming conflagrations, while blight munitions erupted with black tar that melted even dreadnought skin. Rattling bolter bolts crisscrossed between the closing armies in their millions, rippling detonations bursting like raindrops splashing, but where they burst with water, bolters did with fire and shrapnel.

Dreadnoughts marched uphill against helbrutes and decimators, unleashing flurries of missiles and whirring assault cannon torrents, while the twisted daemons and chaos-cursed space marines returned fire with equally undulled fury. When the rocket launchers and rotary cannons were spent, they clashed in melee, claw, barbed scourge and siege hammer tearing into armour, pulverising the flesh within. Like brawling drunks, they wrestled in the grey mud, artificial voices growling and cursing as they killed and killed and killed.

Defilers crawled about the bodies of struggling warhounds, dragging them down by sheer weight of numbers, while maulerfiends were beheaded and trampled by raging freeblade knight titans, each death heralded by a triumphant blare of their warhorns.

Khimyra had a hundred turrets, and all of them were blaring, firing in all directions. The mad fusion of obliterators and daemons didn’t care which side it killed, for the mechanical spawn was a thing of schizophrenic monstrosity. It stumbled through the Pentum lines, tottering atop pincers and crawler tracks drunkenly. It spun about a pivot which some might call a waist, laying into the foe with reckless abandon. It is said a massive industrial crane, once part of an Ark Mechanicus’ construction yards, sprouted from one side of the gargantuan abomination, and upon it dangled a mighty flail, the heavy of which was a dead land raider, fused with the chain. As it spun, the flail swept whole battalions to ruin, and flipped tanks onto their sides, and even breaking the armoured knee joint of a warlord titan, just as it lined its volcano cannon up for a kill shot. The titan instead toppled backwards down the hill, crushing lord-knows how many of its allies in its wake.

The Lion and his coterie of tanks charged up the hill like an armoured spear tip, crashing against the fetid space marines bloated by nurgle’s curse. Lionsteed, his personal land raider, didn’t even slow down as it smashed Death Guard aside bodily, or else crushed them beneath its tracks like burst pus-filled blisters. Lascnanons and assault cannons filled the air with whickering fire, sending many APCs and predators to an early grave, but more still pressed on past the burning hulks, inexorably pushing towards the looming Bone citadel, wreathed in the thickest banks of smog on the world.

Meanwhile, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, mightiest of the Thunder Lizards, led the charge up the hill, void shields scorching any who barred its path to ash, and blazing away with its lance turret every few minutes. Lesser tanks were vaporized by the Thunder Lizards, and some were even driven over by them, predators and whirlwinds pressed flat by the Russ-width tracks of the superheavies. Plaguereapers, haunted tanks of nurgle that might once have been called baneblades, descended besides corrupted fellblades to meet the Thunder Lizards, and at such closing distances, both sides began to lose units. While the Thunder Lizards could weather the cannons of the nurgle tanks, Mortarion’s armour was too close for the Thunder Lizard main guns to engage them effectively. Some of the plaguereapers got around this by ramming the Allosaurs and Tyrannosaurs directly, punching through the voids and shattering against the armoured prows of the superior tanks. The odious remains of the tanks, however, soon dissolved their killers, mission-killing them in turn. Only the Rex was too large and powerful to impede, and when a plaguereaper attempted to ram it, the Tank Commander deployed great piston rams at the prow to flip the foe, end over end, to land on its roof, crushing its turret flat and taking the reaper out of action. Rex approached the citadel, and even managed to line up a perfect shot with its lance turret. But that was when Grendel lunged out of the smog, and leapt upon the Tyrannosaurus Rex, instantly catching fire as it slammed into, and then through, its void shields. The titan-defiler’s claws closed about the lance turret, and with a horrific howl and shriek of sundered metal, it tore the turret’s barrel from its mounting, and cast it back down the mountainside.

The Tyranosaurus was not done however. Even as the defiler-titan tore chunks from its hull, its secondary turrets and missile pods plunged point blank weapons fire into the belly of Grendel, burning it from the inside with coruscating fire. In a last ditch attempt to free themselves of Grendel, Rex engaged its landing thrusters, and began to ascend with Grendel upon its back. The tank rose high, right to the edge of the smog layers before Grendel finally lost its grip. The sight of a titan tumbling from thirty thousand feet is staggering. There are over fifty works based upon the scene of Grendel’s smoting, as it crashed into the mountainside, and exploded in a storm of freed souls, that howled as the nova-burst fire of his destruction then engulfed them all over again.

Alas though, the Rex, having expended its emergency reserves, also tumbled back to Smog, reaching terminal velocity just as it plunged into the ranks of the daemon engines, and detonated with a far-less haunted, but no less lethal, blossom of nuclear fire. (Note: The honour rolls of the Thunder Lizards lists the crew of the Rex highest amongst their regiment, and forever after, the command tank of a Thunder Lizard regiment was always referred to as ‘the Rex’ in memorial, regardless of the actual model of tank deployed.)

The Lion’s predators and supporting supply tanks began to fall behind as the primarch pierced the noisome veil between them and the citadel. The Smog was thick here, and began to dissolve even the thick adamantium and ceramite of their hulls. Soon, they had to turn back, leaving only the land raiders and their terminator cargo to push on to the palace of the Smog Queen.

The Lion was the first from his land raider as they reached the gates. Bedecked in his black armour, trimmed with deep green trim and his mighty winged helm, he laid into the assembled plague marines with the Lion Sword singing in his hand, a unique pistol of roaring volkite destruction in the other. He fought with a skill even his brothers would struggle to match, swift as a striking asp, yet with the clean, workmanlike precision of a swordsman almost without peer. The plague marines assailed him, but could not withstand him, even their formidable constitutions struggled to endure decapitations and flurries of bisecting blows. When Tsulganor and the other assault terminators caught up, they finished the job, and breached the great gates of corroded, daemonic bronze.

But this was but the vanguard of the horrors that were soon to assail the Dark Lion of Pentum. The Kai Bane were deadly, with their daemonic kai guns and bronze pincers that could pierce even tactical dreadnought plate with ease. In the close, stagnant confines of the palace, space marines and daemon engines died screaming, dragging each other to oblivion in the swirling, confusing melee. The maze of corridors would have been an impediment to most forces, but Tsulganor’s hammer, a gift of Vulkan, smashed through the walls like rotting paper, punching a path through the nest of ugly nurglitch things that sought to encircle them. Further plague marines appeared, and with them veritable tides of the undead, pressed back into unnatural life by the smog, which infested and animated them. Dozens were cut down by the flashing blades of the Lion’s retinue, but dozens more pressed against them in their wake, and those that died continued to crawl mindlessly. Only the cleansing fire of flamers, and the Lion’s volkite weapon permanently put down the rotting masses.

When the Lion finally smashed the hinges from the inner sanctum of the bone palace, only five terminators, armour corroded and rusting in cancerous patches, stood with him. Almost instantly, they were assailed by a new foe; whip thin monsters, crude mockeries of the eldar they once were, with smog billowing from the joints in their organic armour. Despite the putrefaction of their bodies, they were whip-quick and lethal with their poisoned blades and ancient eldar weaponry. Having slain the others, Tsulganor found himself holding off the corrupted eldar with his flaming thunder hammer, as the Lion pressed on towards the Queen herself.

She was swollen with power, writhing with the souls of countless eldar reborn in her belly. Skeletal wings spread from her shoulders, and darkened the hall where they passed. Her eyes still wept with tar, but they wept with joy, her translucent lips glistening as she smiled. Her decayed form was rebuilding itself, re-knitting and regenerating before the Lion’s eyes. To her left, a great fireplace roared with sickly green flames. To her right, chained by his wrists to the wall dangled Fulgrim. He had regained his humanoid form, but looked no less wretched for this fact. Stripped of his armour, he was a muscular Adonis, though compared to the perfection of his form before the Heresy, he was a gaunt shade, miserable and hollow. He could only scowl hopelessly as he saw his lost betrayed brother return.

“Free me Lion. Free me. You cannot kill him... free me...” Fulgrim demanded, though his voice had lost all of its arrogant conviction. The Lion strode past him, heedless.

“Welcome, weary traveller. Come, rest by our hearth fire. The fight is over. Come, surrender to death with me. Embracing your fate will ease its passage,” she said, her voice a whisper, louder than any mortal shriek. The soporific scent of her smog was warp-tainted and fought to bypass the Lion’s mighty winged helm, to drag him into the despairing morass that clung to her ethereal bones. But Jonson was not one to fall for traitors’ tricks or vile sorceries.

The Lion calmly approached warily, his sword raised in a high guard position, like a knight from a fighter’s manual. His deep emerald cloak swept behind him, and his armoured boots rang against the cold stone below.

Two Death Guard in ancient, pale terminator armour stepped from the shadows and stood either side of the Lion, guarding the two secondary entrances into the chamber. The Deathshroud made no move to attack the Lion, or communicate in any way. Their manreapers were held across their chests as if in anticipation. The mere fact of their existence told the Lion just who the Queen’s champion was.

Mortarion appeared as a condensing mass of smoke and bile, which slowly contorted and formed a solid entity, like an image of a rotting corpse in reverse. Vast and hooded, wreathed in the raw stuff of the warp, the Death guard primarch had long ago transcended the mortal limitations of his primarch body. His scythe was larger than the Lion was tall, and his very presence seemed to make the room shrink, as if cowering from his very being. Impossible winds billowed about him as the Reaper peered down at his former brother.

“I knew this day would come, eventually. I had not expected to meet you so soon though brother.”

“Do not call me brother. The day you spat upon your oaths was the day my brother died.”

Mortarion laughed bitterly, his breath a wheezing gale from his hidden face. “Ever since Barbarus, I told him I had no time for tyrants. Typical of the Emperor to not even consider he was the tyrant, unworthy of our adoration.”

The Lion jabbed his sword forwards, roaring in fury. “It doesn’t matter what he is! You accepted his legions, and fought his wars! You swore fealty to him, and to the Imperium of Man. The one Imperium of Man.”

Mortarion blocked the sudden rush of blows directed towards him, his scythe darting with effortless speed to intercept every blow. He continued to speak, in mocking sadness, as he duelled.

“I fight against tyrants. For a civilisation, no matter how monolithic and cruel, cannot last forever. Everything rots, just as every system eventually falls. Nurgle remade me so that I could do so until the end of time. I am entropy and the rust that breaks the chains of the slavers who serve order, security and ‘peace’.”

The Lion’s blows came faster and faster, as he pressed Mortarion back, across the octagonal throne room. He fought with grim intensity, while Mortarion fought with the irresistible inevitability of an avalanche. As they fought, Tsulganor wrestled with the eldar, crushing those he couldn’t burn with his flamers.

Fulgrim watched with building desperation. He strained in his chains, drawing on all his remaining might. The laer sword stood, taunting him, daring him to come and claim it, to prove he was worthy once more. Slannesh, that frigid bitch, had abandoned him here, driven him into a lazy fugue for a thousand years, and let him kill his own men just to please her. But she was not here, he wouldn’t help Fulgrim. He turned to his own reserves of might, those powers innate to a primarch. He screamed as the manacles began to bite, and the chains began to cut.

The Lion taunted Mortarion as he cut at the malleable grey flesh of his former brother. “And yet you serve that golden-skinned lunatic. How many has he chained? Angron, mad dog he is, has a new collar I hear, and the daemons have their leashes now. If the Emperor was such a slaver, what does that make the Travesty?”

The Lion lunged, spearing his sword for the daemon primarch’s heart, but he sidestepped, and swept he scythe perilously close to the Lion’s head.

“The Travesty? It is transitory. It is already dying, just as every empire crumbles. The Imperium is dead, the Imperium Secundus died, the Eldar empires, and the realms of the First Kind before them. Pentum dies too, soon. All of it is going to be undone, and we’re going to be riding the world ride as it plunges into fiery oblivion!” Mortarion roared, his scythe hacking through pillars and statues as he rained down countless smoking black arcs against the eternal Knight. The Lion staggered backwards, barely fending off blow upon blow upon blow. Finally, the Lion was flung upon his back as he deflected a fearsome backhanded blow from the great Reaper. “Every primarch will die before this is done. Every last one! We all die!”

The Lion rolled to avoid a descending blow, and brought his sword up in time to slice deep into Mortarion’s flank.

“So be it. We all die,” he growled, dragging the blade free in a tide of venomous oil. “But you’ll die first.”

Mortarion swirled around, and punched the Lion with a fist as large as a contemptor’s claw. The primarch was pitched backwards, hurled bodily into the fireplace. The Lion roared in anger and confusion as his cloak and his armor was engulfed in the tainted green fire. He rolled to try and put the flames out, but they were malicious and hungry. In his desperation, he dropped the Lion sword. Before he could retrieve it, Mortarion grabbed his ankle, and flung him into the air, before slamming him down into the floor again, splitting stone and carving a man-shaped crater into the polluted tiles. The Lion’s blow still bled freely from Mortarion’s side, nurglings giggling and cavorting in the black puddle pooling around them.

The Lion drew his volkite pistol and emptied the power-mag into Mortarion’s face. The daemon recoiled, braying like a titan as the plasma fire ate into his blasphemous form. The Lion cast aside his spent pistol, and leapt to retrieve his sword. It was then that the two Deathshrouds waded into combat, slashing at the unarmed knight with their daemon weapons. He fought them off with defensive forearm blocks, before he punched a hole in the chest of the first and caved in the head of the second. Still, the two space marines came at him, chopping into his black armor with methodical blows. He was forced to rip them limb from limb, beating them into green and red ruins with their own dismembered arms.

The Lion almost reached his sword, before Mortarion recovered and swept his scythe into him. The Lion pivoted to avoid the scythe, but was just a little too slow. The blade bit deep, and passed through the artificer armor with diabolic ease. The Lion screamed in horror more than agony, as his left hand tumbled away from him. Before it even hit the floor, unnatural sorceries rotted the hand to bone inside its gauntlet. The Lion retreated from the Reaper’s next blow, only just managing to snatch up his sword before the scythe took anything more precious to him.

Now the Lion was worried. He circled around Mortarion, lion sword raised and pointed at the Reaper’s chest, warding him away with hasty jabs.

“Death by a thousand cuts is it? Inevitably, you will lose such a contest, for you are still, in the end, mortal. Cut me a million times, and I will survive to cut you a million and one times. Everything you lose, I will gain. You will weaken, and I will not. This is how the Lion loses its pride, and dies like all the others. I am beyond you brother.”

Mortarion lunged forwards, his scythe raised. The Lion sprang forwards, and chopped low then high, cutting through knees and opening up Mortarion’s belly. Serpentine intestines billowed out from the wound, slithering and trying to strangle the Lion, even as he cut through them like a jungle explorer cuts vines. Mortarion chuckled darkly, elbowing his brother in the helmet. The knight stumbled, reeling drunkenly from the daemonic force of the blow. Shaking his head, he backed away, clutching the stump of his left wrist under his armpit.

Mortarion simply turned to face him, ignoring the wounds that drooled and bubbled with his evil juices. “Don’t fight this. I cannot be withstood. You know this. You have always known this. I am Death, and death cannot die, not until all other things have perished.”

Mortarion looked as if he might say something else, but before he could, promethium flame engulfed him, head to foot. Tsulganor stepped forwards, his wrist flamers dumping their entire fuel reserves into the daemon thing.

Aflame and screaming, Mortarion clashed with the Lion with renewed vigour, forcing the knight to go on the defensive, using all the skill he could muster while fighting one-handed.

The Queen of Smog watched, entranced. Drunken with stolen power, her senses were dulled, her own intoxicating miasma blinding her to all but the duel fought by her champion. The daemon queen was powerful, glutted with terrible reserves of warp energy, but she was not immune to being surprised. And she was certainly surprised when Fulgrim broke free of his bonds, and leapt upon her, winding his runic chains around her great neck. The warded chains clashed with her daemonic aura like molten steel plunged into ice water. She howled and roared, segmented tail thrashing as her talons clawed at Fulgrim’s face. But the chains separated her from the great wellspring of her powers, so she could only use her physical form to resist the primarch. Fulgrim held onto the thrashing monarch with all his might, hissing and panting with exertion, desperately throttling her with the chain, which glowed and steamed as it burned her.

“You should have stolen it all and killed me. Trust an eldar to play with its food!” he snarled, biting into her ear. The acidic ichors burned his throat and stained his chin, but he didn’t care. The two creatures wrestled and fought for supremacy, claws and teeth tearing chunks from one another, while the Queen choked and Fulgrim bled.

Tsulganor charged Mortarion, his hammer rose, but was swatted away almost as an afterthought. His armoured cracked, and the Salamander’s hammer was sent skittering across the pulverized flagstones.

The Lion fought fiercely, and cut Mortarion again and again. But, true to his word, the Death Guard simply would not die. Organs and body parts tumbled away, rotting to grease in seconds, only for more putrid appendages and vital fluids to fill the voids and re-grow his rotted form.

Each time the Lion blocked the Reaper’s scythe, it grew a little harder to resist, each time the scythe was stronger, the Lion weaker. But as they fought, they both noted how the toxic gas filling the chamber seemed to be receding, the Smog clearing.

Both combatants spared a glance to the throne. Fulgrim straddled the Queen of Smog, throttling her with his former slave chains in one hand, his other clutching the laer sword, which erupted from her chest. Already, the daemon’s form was dissolving back into the immaterium. Her bid for ascension was thwarted. Fulgrim stepped down from the throne, as the Queen vanished in a cloud of burning embers, leaving the naked form of Fulgrim alone, his sword drawn.

The Lion seized on this moment of distraction, and thrust the Lion sword into Mortarion, up to the hilt. The tip erupted from his chest in a spray of bubbling acid. Mortarion twisted on the spot, flinging the Lion and his sword away dismissively, but in the process opening up his chest. His chest wound split apart like a red smile, revealing his odious, pulsating organs within. But still, he could not be undone.

Fulgrim charged now, screaming as he swung the Laer sword. Mortarion swatted the blade aside, before sweeping back to behead Fulgrim, who deftly avoided such a fate. He was cackling like a mad man now, passing his sword between his hands eagerly.

“Brother? Dear brother!” Fulgirm called out to the Lion. “It seems I am to be the hero today. Shall we face our foe together? Three hands are better than two after all. Well, four hands would be even better, but i shan’t hold that against you,” Fulgrim laughed, as he darted aside Mortarion’s increasingly irritated scythe sweeps.

The Lion didn’t reply, but responded instead by charging at their mutual foe, his sword raised. They both circled Mortarion like hunting wolves cornering a deer that no longer wanted to run. Their blades were swift as lightning strikes, striking wherever Mortarion’s scythe was not. Even a daemon prince couldn’t fend off two primarchs without showing its back to one of them, and so Mortarion distained blocking their blows. Let them cut him, he thought, for they cannot harm him. Even then, the two primarchs were tiring, the toxins and injuries they had suffered weighing them down, even as Mortarion fed upon the damage inflicted upon him. Fulgrim ducked his blade and plunged the curved laer blade inside the opened ribcage of his brother. He saw something there, and made to call out to Lion, but the Reaper’s fist slammed into his pretty face, sending him sprawling. Before Mortarion could finish Fulgrim, the Lion hacked off the Lord of Death’s arm, sending the hideous limb spiraling away in a tide of blood. From the stump, tentacles sprouted and lashed at the knight primarch hungrily.

“Damn you, why can’t you die?” the Lion cursed aloud as he hewed the writhing daemon limbs.

“His heart! The name! He cannot endure that!” Fulgrim slurred. The scythe slashed across his bicep as he tried to sidestep the daemon’s vicious follow up strike. Fulgrim nevertheless sprang forwards, stabbing through Mortarion’s remaining arm, as the Lion jumped onto the broad shoulders of the towering pillar of corruption. The Lion was thrown off, but not before slitting Mortarion’s blubbery throat. While the daemon prince gagged on his own putrid juices, Fulgrim tackled him bodily. His arm disappeared into Mortarion’s chest, up to the elbow. Mortarion’s severed arm had grown back, and with it he plucked Fulgrim up, and flung him away with a piercing roar. Fulgrim struck the Smog Queen’s throne, smashing it into powder as he landed. But Fulgrim smiled wickedly as he rose again. For in his hand pulsed a great black heart, pulsing with green veins. And upon that heart was etched the one thing that could bind the Lord of Death. His true name.

Mortarion was no more his real name than Aurellian, Lupercal or the Phoenician was the true name of those primarchs. Mortarion was the name of death, but it was a title all the same. But the name, carved there in ancient times by a long-dead nemesis, bore the daemon primarch’s true name. And Fulgrim spoke it aloud. The resultant blast destroyed the heart utterly, and threw Fulgrim to the ground, a smoldering ruin. But the effect upon Mortarion was worse.

Suddenly, his powers were bound, his form fixed. An anchor point, a place in history where Mortarion could be killed. He screamed, his scream undulating and filled with existential agony. He clawed at the gushing wound in his chest, desperately pawing for his vanquished heart. All of a sudden, the Lord of death was all too mortal.

That was when the Lion stepped in front of him, and took off his head with a single backhanded swipe.

“This ends every traitor.”

Outside, the smog was fading, recoiling as its patron daemon was vanquished. This opened the skies to the ordnance waiting in orbit. The Nemenmarines were all too eager to unleash their pinpoint lance strikes on the chaotic ground forces below. Such large targets were easy prey for the waiting fleet, and Mortarion’s forces were soon decimated. The survivors fled to what few space capable vessels they had left. The remnants of the plague fleet fought through the Lion fleet’s blockades, and fled back to the warp.

The palace of bone would be next. The Pentus forces only needed word that the Lion was clear before they could begin their macrocannon onslaught, and end the threat of Smog forever.

Inside, the Lion stood before Fulgrim. Both were wary, both had their swords drawn.

“Are you going to slay me now Lion? I thought you had honor. Such honor, that you cling to it like a shield to shelter behind. I saved you, I aided your Imperium Pentus. Will you let me leave?”

“No. You are a traitor. Once long ago, I thought I could make peace with traitors, but I am older now, and I know that traitors can suffer only one fate.”

Fulgrim spat at the Lion’s feet. “Capture me then, take me to the others. Let them judge me.”

The Lion shook his head, his sword still pointed at Fulgrim. “I do not spare traitors. You were useful to me, but your prowess does not wash away your manifest crimes. Your treason and sedition. They must be punished.”

“Treason? You speak to me of treason? Then what of you, with your Imperium Secundus? You and Roboute with your sneaky little plans.”

“Enough! The Imperium Secundus was a continuation of the Imperium of Man, I was always loyal to the Imperium of Man and the one true ruler of our race!”

Fulgrim paced around the Lion, passing his sword between his hands carefully. He was without armor and drained of much of his essence, and the Lion was without a hand, and he had discarded his ruined helmet. He couldn’t tell how a duel at this moment would end, and this unnerved the usually arrogant duelist.

“And what now? Vulkan’s little enterprise isn’t a continuation of the Imperium is it? I have seen the Smith’s great new civilization with its freedoms and its religions. The Emperor is dead, and now the Primarchs rule as they please. I am a traitor, yes, but no more than you,” Fulgrim hissed, expecting the last barb to send the Lion into a rage. Instead, he was quiet. Oddly quiet.

Fulgrim frowned. “You didn’t argue with me. You... wait...” Fulgrim paused, his eyes wide. Then he grinned. “You agree with me. You agree that the Imperium Pentum is a den of traitors too! Oh this is too good!”

Fulgrim raised his arms, beckoning the Lion. “You’ve finally seen the galaxy for what it is. Without the Emperor, what is loyalty? Come, my brother in treachery, come and embrace one of your own.

The Lion stepped forwards, and plunged the Lion sword through Fulgrim’s unprotected chest. Fulgrim blinked in surprise, their faces inches from one another. The Lion ripped the sword upwards, then across, cutting through all the vital organs of the primarch. Fulgrim’s mouth trickled with gore.

“You don’t know me, brother. You never have. The Emperor’s ideals are not dead! Loyalty is everything. Loyalty is worthless if one is only loyal when it suits them to be, when it is convenient. Just because the Emperor is gone, does not give my brothers the right to forsake their vows, their oaths and forsake their Father’s decrees. Not you, not Mortarion, not Vulkan or Russ or Corax. They are useful to me, as you were, but their destruction of the Travesty does not expunge their guilt. And they are guilty, every one. They ignore the teachings of the Emperor, they consort with xenos and spread permissiveness and spare our enemies! Only I keep the faith, me! I am the last loyal son!”

With that, the Lion ripped the sword free, before finally slashing open Fulgrim’s throat.

Drenched in blood, the Lion turned around slowly, and met the horrified gaze of Tsulganor, who had retrieved his hammer. The Lion stepped towards him, and the marine flinched back, raising his hammer warily. The Lion’s expression remained fixed and grim.

“How much did you...?”

“Enough,” growled Tsulganor, his voice quivering with fear and wrath in equal measure.

“Think about what you do next very carefully.”

“I have to inform my Lord father of this treachery. You know this.”

“I am not a traitor. When the others are gone, when the Imperium is returned to what it once was, you’ll understand.”

Tsulganor gripped his hammer tightly, and fixed the Lion with a tearful scowl, his red eyes smouldering. “I don’t think you know me at all either, my Lord.”

###

The siege of Smog ended with a firestorm, once the Lion and the rest of the armour elements left on the surface were retrieved. Cyclonic torpedoes turned the surface to a rolling maelstrom of molten rock and scourging volcanic surges.

Tsulganor, killed by Mortarion during the initial storming of the palace, was afforded the highest posthumous honours possible within the Imperium Pentum.

The Lion’s fleet left the world to burn, and he set out to rejoin the Pentum fleets in their war of annihilation against all those who were heretics and accursed. Little could any of them realize the roiling tides of anger beneath the Lion’s cold, unreadable features.
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==Section 52: The God of Dust: The Battle for Tallarn==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">A Note from Volsanius Greal, Compiler: The conclusion of the war against Ahriman’s Dominion of Change is a battle which was not widely known about on a galactic scale. Even searching through Vasiri the watcher’s psychic dreamscapes yields little of use, as around the same time (''roughly late M56, if my records are correct'') as the siege of the Black Library by the dreadful Draziin-Maton. After the opening to this section, I will simply be quoting wholesale from contemporary sources who were present at the battle. The writer of the opening, as will soon become apparent, was not privy to the subsequent sections I am adding in here today...<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''[EXCERPT ONE: ‘A Conclusive History of the War of Change, and the Identity of the Real Victors.’ By Wiltem Cazzerite, historian of the Fourth Radius Research facility, of the Inter-orb, Blessed be our Outer Queen]'''

Who won the War of Change?

This has been a question which has baffled historians and psyker-scholars ever since records of this ancient, near-forgotten battle were uncovered in the great masses of documents brought to us in the second and third waves of refugees.

It is fundamentally a vexing question to answer, chiefly because the war seems to lack a military objective. By all accounts, Braiva defeated the Dominion of Change the year before, in the masterful Battle of a Thousand Emperors. For certain, we have extensive, reliable records for this battle. Through a masterstroke of interstellar sleight of hand, Temestor Braiva, the Lord Obscurus of the Imperium Pentum and the High Commander of what Legend would later call ‘Braiva’s Best’, had managed to outmanoeuvre and conquer the thousand warring petty Emperors of the former Theologian Union. He had also allied himself with both the Lychen and Praetorian Empires, and the human fleet thus gathered was the largest deployed since the fall of the Imperium of Mankind.

This was arrayed against the forces of the Sorcerer Ahriman, the last of the petty Emperors of the Dominion it seems, who had chosen Tallarn as his throneworld. An attack by several companies of Astartes Commanderies had been broken over Tallarn by this Ahriman, who had some source of incredible power on the planet’s surface, apparently a Cube-shaped fortress steeped in high magicks and techno-sorcery.

Despite Ahriman’s evident military hardiness and power, the scale of Braiva’s Armada (''which I maintain is likely a hyperbolic number embellished by subsequent scholars'') seems like overkill. This would turn out not to be the case, as the invasion fleet suffered setback after setback, including troublesome warp translations, maintenance problems and, most disastrously of all, the death of their great general Temestor a day before they reached Tallarn.

The siege should have been routine, but most contemporary writers I can find begin to go off on flights of fancy, depicting outlandish, insane sights, and events which made no logical sense.

I speculate that-

'''[EXCERPT TWO : Diary fragment. Author Unknown. ]'''

I am afraid.

This is rare for me. I had escaped Ahriman decades, centuries ago. The things he did to me will haunt me through all the eternity of my life. If I could, I would have fled to the farthest corners of the galaxy, and let all these egomaniacs, tyrants and monsters kill themselves. Kage keeps telling me that option is still open.

“Say the word Crol, and I’ll steal you a shuttle, and slit the throat of anyone that gets in our way. I’d kill the world if us three get to live through this.”

The three of us; he means the baby. If I run, if I am selfish, I can save the baby. But I can’t do that. I’m not built like Kage. I used to be, before Revelation woke the hero in me again. I made a promise, even if it was just in my dreams. Ahriman cannot rise. Revelation needs a chance to rise, and to reach the Well of Eternity before the walls of reality finally collapse. If they do, nowhere in the galaxy will be safe for us.

I told Kage that, and he understood. He has been having dreams too. Dreams of feathers and blood, but he won’t tell me more than that. Can I stand to be a mother again? To outlast my child and watch them wither and die as an old man, while I persist? I have no answer for that yet. I can’t think of the future. I have to think of the moment. There is nothing beyond Ahzek Ahriman.

The warp transit has been hell in this dark, cold shell, deep in the bowels of the ship. When we translate in system, we have perhaps an hour to reach the shrouded shuttle, and make our way through the naval battle, to the surface. If Ahriman notices us before I reach the cube, we are all, as dear old Ollanious might have said, fucked royally.

The sudden jolt, and the end of the mournful warp shrieks, told us the journey was ended.

Kage hauled me to my feet, and we ran.

'''[EXCERPT THREE : From ‘Memoirs on Apocalypse’, by Admiral Wellsley of the Praetorian High Void Fleet]'''

Commanding a navy, as I have said in many previous chapters, is not merely require willpower, intelligence or strategic brilliance. T takes the mind of an administrator, a governor of whole worlds, to keep a fleet running smoothly, for every frigate is a suburb, every cruiser a town, and every capital ship and command station a vast metropolis, full of men and women, factories and farms, laboratories and churches, homes and garrisons and gunnery decks. Millions upon millions to command and to understand, as cities go to war with one another over millions of kilometres.

Admiralty of a modest fleet is a goliath undertaking. For the Battle In the Wizard’s Jaws, in the Tallarn system, I was tasked with commanding a fleet of one million of ships.

One. Million. I still can scarce conceive of the gargantuan armada I was entrusted with. There were a five hundred ad hoc fleets from the petty emperors of the Dominion of Change that had turned to our side, alongside the diamond hard core of Tyme’s Absolution and Braiva’s attendant fleet, the hundred jagged prows of the uncouth Lychen Butcher Navy, and of course our own Royal Praetorian High Void Fleet.

The Legendary Temestor Braiva was dead, assassinated during our miraculous warp jump to Tallarn, leaving his son Obediah Braiva to take up his father’s sword. But the boy was no void commander, and thus when we reached the Materium once more, it was decided unanimously by the war council that I should organise the armada in the coming battle. Lector Ikriskiall of the Gama-Meson psyker-warriors insisted on assigning me an honourguard of his most potent warriors, to defend my body and mind from the predations of the Sorcerer King.

We returned to realspace with a thousand less ships than when we entered. The warp howled and shrieked and tore at us mercilessly, puckering up and driving our navigators insane. Several of Praetoria’s most excellent navigators were turned to soup in their thrones, such was the maelstrom. So close did we sail in formaton, many of the smaller frigates crashed into one another and burned, while others were torn away from the warp bubble surrounding out fleet entirely. Some say these ships were disrupted by Ahriman and cast into the deepest vaults of the warp, or else consumed by daemonkind, but I cannot say. Every one of my many fleets suffered losses. Those that survived looked ravaged. Even my ship, War’s Spite, bore and ugly scar across her glittering golden prow (''a slight I meant to avenge'').

Once back in the tranquillity of the materium, I set to work organising my fleet. Firstly, I had Promethean engineers construct a domed hololithic display, from where I could commune with by two hundred vice-Admirals, who would in turn relay orders to their own captains, and thus maintain control over the entire unwieldy force.

After two days of careful wrangling, coercion and clenched-teeth diplomacy, I changed the armada from a loose nebula of divergent fleets, into a coherent structure. The formation was shaped like a lance one light minute long, banded by a dozen dense rings of thorns, ready to sweep into flanking positions from every angle in the tactical engagement sphere.

The Lychen Butcher Navy were composed of vessels almost exclusive tailored for frontal assaults, festooned with forward facing weapons with engines over-taxed to the point of disaster, yet undoubtably fast. Jurrasek, the Lychen King, had a flagship that dwarfed all but Tyme’s Absolution. Meglodon it was called; made from the hollowed out husk of some space monster (''legend would have it was one of those extinct ‘Tyranid’ creatures from the dawn of history'') which was then clad in adamantium and bronze, and filled with cavernous abattoirs and troop holds, gun batteries and boarding torpedoes. The Lychens were the bloody iron tip of my lance.

The body of the lance was formed by the High Void Fleet, escorting the gigantic carriers of the fleet in their hundreds of thousands. Just behind the Lychen tip I deployed the landers and planetstrikers; once the tip pierced the body of the beast, the ground forces would flow into the wound like debilitating poison, crippling planetside defence lasers and support infrastructure. Obediah and the Heroes of Macharius would lead the ground assault, and storm the Black Cube, the heart of Ahriman’s empire of fiction and change.

The rings girdling the lance were swarms of frigates and squadrons of destroyers, constantly buzzing in and out of formation as they made their crazed patrols between lance and ring.

At the rear we towed nineteen Star forts, and even more orbital stations, waiting for deployment over Tallarn.

Tyme’s Absolution, and the venerable flagships of the Heroes of Macharius took pride of place at the heart of the fleet, serving as logistical hubs and arming stations for the fleet around them.

This was a fleet which could mass-scatter entire planets and swallow whole moons without noticing. It was a chimera of conjoined navies, destined to only hold together for a single battle, but a force the likes of which the galaxy has seen but twice before. No convention navy could have withstood us, withstood me.

But what we faced, in high orbit around Tallarn, was anything but conventional. I have seen wonders and horrors in my time, sights that would turn the hair of a space marine white with fright, or burn the mind of a krork to ash. But this was so... incongruous, so bizarre, it will stay with me for all time.

Flames of every hue flowed through the clouds of Tallarn, bewitching the eye and stopping the heart. Impossibly, lightning filled the void, striking at the accretion disk of ruined starships that orbited the warp-tainted world. There were... faces, boiling through the clouds, hundreds of miles across. No, not faces, one face multiplied a thousandfold as it rippled through the firmament.

“Apotheosis... Dissolution...” my psyker guardians muttered, clutching their force swords that little bit tighter before this spectacle.

My bridge crew were dumbstruck, my hololithic admirals likewise lost for words. Jurassek though grinned, and beat his chest like a jungle ape, eager to face a rival male in a challenge. Slowly, the fleet continued its advance, closing the distance hour by hour. As we did so, some of the space debris began to coalesce, binding together like the formation of a planet.

But this was no planet. It was as if the hulks of smashed cruisers and gutted battle barges were moulding, coiling to form a statue, a dread idol of Ahzek Ahriman, the Lord of the Rubric himself; the same great horned helm, the same T-shaped barbute visor, the same colossal staff. Except, this statue, ten kilometres tall, could move. It raised a palm.

“Halt. I have forgiven your trespasses, but only to a point. The mice may steal from my pantry, but they may not feast at my table.”

The voice was smooth and toweringly arrogant, and it echoed in every mortal skull like a hammer blow. Even I heard the voice, though it was dulled by the psyker wardens about me.

“It is all parlour tricks; a magicians cloak to hide his frailty!” I bawled, trying to regain control of the situation. The fleet hesitated, cowed by their enemy’s power.

Ahriman’s idol pointed towards me, as if it were singling me out specifically to be gifted. Eldritch energies wreathed the bridge in fire, as the Gamma-Meson guardsmen began their battle cants, whirling their force blades like warding shields. But still I felt the leeching pressure on my very soul, and an insidious whisper, asking me.

“Is this a parlour trick, little man? How frail am I?”

I truly believe I would have died then, on my own bridge, pawing at my throat like a drowning man. But, as fate or the Throne decreed it, in that moment, the Captain of the Stormchild, one of the High Void Fleet’s silent grey battlecruisers, chose to break formation, and take the Stormchild all ahead full. Lances scything, dorsal batteries flaring, the battlecruiser charged the idol, burning away molten chunks of the hateful giant. Distracted, the giant released me.

Stormchild was struck by warp lightning and tainted asteroids, that ripped through its hull and gutted its galleys, but it carried on.

Its escorting frigate was pulled apart like an exploded diagram, as if some impossibly vast hand had peeled it apart with an artisan’s deftness. But still Stormchild charged on.

Even with the bridge aflame and its lances torn away, it managed to fire its final armament. The Nova Shell was the size of a building, and crossed the void at a high fraction of the light speed barrier. When the projectile struck, the flash was blinding. Moments later, the idol doubled up in pain.

Seizing the moment, I rose from by throne and ordered the ships to fire at once.

You have never seen a million ships firing at once. Indeed, if you did see such a thing, it would be the last thing your tortured retinas would ever see. Mercifully, there were no portholes on the War’s Spite’s bridge, nestled in the heart of the ship, and so I only felt the ship shuddering as it unleashed five throbbing volleys, joining its fire to the fleets.

The idol was destroyed, and the debris rings blazed like a newborn stellar cluster. With the void ablaze, the lance thrust into the burning crucible. The flames and the debris were alive with fury, coiling around my ships, deliberately colliding with those that got too close. Soon, my best laid plans, sketched out over a fortnight before, were as dust on the wind.

The enemy was not an opposing fleet or a rival armed force. The fleet battled a snarl of disrupted realspace itself, a crawling hell of semi-sentient hulks and ghost ships that grew weapons like rotten meat grew mould. It was like trying to wrestle a forest fire, or engage in a swordsman’s duel with a thunderstorm.

It was madness, it was chaos. Ships rolled and banked in the upper atmosphere, desperately firing in all directions to rid themselves of the strangling coils of sentient deck plating that tried to constrict them. Ships used to duelling at light minute ranges were engaged at ramming speed. Reports flooded in of enemy boarding actions; blank-eyed Tallarn meat puppets charging armsmen positions with suicide belts and demo charges, pink daemons capering with the entrails of weeping men, gold and sapphire giants marching in immortal lockstep, bolters blazing and swords methodically carving through ratings and soldiers alike.

Some of the fleet’s captains had been driven mad, and fired upon whoever got closest to them, friend of foe. Other ships from the conquered petty emperors, threw in their lot with Ahriman out of fear, and attacked the rearguard. These few were destroyed by their fellows, and their wreckage was in turn animated by Ahriman and his Cabal to become new foes for us to face.

Tyme’s Absolution was doing the best out of all of us, its bombardment cannons designed for close range. Any enemies trying to board that battle barge found fully equipped regiments of Steel Legion veterans, Macharian Lion Legionnaires, Elysium Drop troops, Lussorian Narc Warriors in their proto power armour and the lethal Ryzan-Catachan Plasma Commandoes to greet them. The Lychen too revelled in the carnage, their modified prows simply ramming their way through the living wreckage. The Lychen met their boarders well too. The bloody halls of those haemovore savages ran with more blood than the Lychen knew what to do with. Their stocks of meat would never run low in such a butcher’s yard.

By this point, my only concern was clearing a path for the landing ships. I ordered the captain to punch through, and the War’s Spite, like a gladius through meat, did just that. In its wake the drop ships descended through the bruised clouds, to an uncertain future below.

All I could do then was pray to the Golden King of all Humanity to watch over them.

'''[EXCERPT FOUR: Untitled Piece. Author Unknown ]'''

The whole world wanted us dead. But we were soldiers of the Imperium Pentus; everyone wanted us dead. We had left pieces of ourselves at every battlefield for a thousand light years. We were the tempered Edge of the Steel, and we do not break, we lacerate. The moment I landed I shat my breeches however, and vomited into my rebreather. The air was not just poisonous, it was filled with madness. I was lucky. Some folks turned inside out, or twisted their own heads off and kicked them away, the head laughing manically as it fell.

Fire-breathing worms burrowed through the multi-coloured sand dunes, and spiders clambered over the clouds, vomited white muck which made predatory trees grow in the bellies of the dead. Many eyed things slavered and lashed at us. Our tanks broke them apart, we bayoneted the spiders, and the artillery burst the bellies of the worms. They were killing us with every breath, every sweep of a bladed arm, but we were killing them too.

Somehow, Obediah got through to us on the radio. He was wearing his father’s uniform, and rode atop his super heavy tank, Macharius’ sceptre in his hand. We managed to fight in formation, even though the landscape kept shifting beneath us, seeking to drown us in ash and sand. We were to converge on the great black block, which sat at the top of an insurmountable hillock. The edges of the dunes kept falling away, refusing to stick to the cube.

The Lussorian false-Space Marines fought as hard as their namesakes, clambering over mountains of Tallarn dead. The poor Tallarn folk were dead-eyed puppets, fed into the grinder, grasping at us with bladed fingers, that we neatly cut off.

The Chevantai wove a ballet of death around them, their lithe forms drifting weightlessly between combats, long laser lances neatly killing where they may. Plasma Commandoes scoured the way ahead with green fire, unrelenting and methodical as clocks. The Lychen... they fought with a red miasma of gory foam about them, heedless and hungry for flesh. Any flesh.

I giggled when I saw row upon row of redcoat Praetorians in their pith helmets. They were like stiff ribbons of crimson in a sea of boiling soup, straight where everything else was curly. It was only when they fired, row after row, that the power of their firing drill became apparent, chopping down whole tides of Tallarn folk like wheat before a scythe.

But Ahriman couldn’t be finished this way. He had his own terrible things to set on us. The Rubricae were automatons of sapphire and gold, and nothing we did mattered to them. Our lasrifles were useless, and our heavy weapons only slowed them down. Every time they fell, they always rose again. Their bolters killed more of us than anything. Some of the Rubricae looked like Commandery Astartes, only their helmets were filled with the dead light of Ahriman’s enchantment, goaded forwards by his cabal of sorcerers.

Ahriman’s image itself, fashioned out of blue flame, wandered the battlefield lazily, languidly gifting anyone nearby with instant death. With a wave of his hand, he swatted scores of men to the ground, burnt to a cinder in moments. Nothing could harm these apparitions, for they were not the true demi-god. That lay within the cube. The cube we could reach.

There were other things too. Bigger than ogryns, they were faster and stronger too. The Golarch were like mindless Astartes imbued with strength beyond conception. Only the artillery could bring them down, and not before the giants tore apart tanks and infantry with equal ease.

I was distracted by one of the Golarch abominations pulling Duc de Aronelle’s legs off when I died. I looked away once, and a Rubricae put a bolt shell through me. I burst apart like a grape.

“Clumsy me,” I giggled as my face fell away from the bone.

'''[[EXCERPT FIVE: Diary Fragment. Author Unknown. ]]'''

Braiva’s Best were a distraction. That’s all I intended for them, though it pains me to admit that. Something to catch Ahriman’s gaze as I put the knife in.

We were close now. Kage was almost carrying me at this point up the dunes. Pregnancy and running was never going to be a realistic outcome. Ahriman couldn’t see me. I had aided him in the construction of his cube, or his god engines, and I knew the back doors and hidden alcoves in the psychic architecture. And where I opened the doors, I left them open. I broke his seals, each just a fractional amount. Nothing he might spot in his mania, but enough for two souls to split through and leave a weeping wound behind.

This route, there were just a few Tallarn puppets opposing them, and Kage put them down with his pistol with the casual ease of a natural born killer.

We were running out of time. I could feel Ahzek on the cusp of transcendence. More than daemonhood, this was godhood. And with it, one step further to dissolution for all. I could taste Ahriman’s name on the tongue, on the tongue of every sentient being.

I fumbled with the invisible black door of the cube, remembering the codes I had inputted two lifetimes ago. He had changed them, but not enough. Ahriman in his towering arrogance hadn’t considered I would dare return.

We were in. The riotous colors outside were absent inside. Inside the cube, it was acrid light and long inky shadows, cast by exotic machineries all bound together by umbilical cords and human sinew. It was like being inside a daemon’s clock, a device of impossible complexity. Amidst this machinery, I saw the tell tale form of webway portals. They looked like the human webway project, their edges too definite and blunt to be eldar.

“Why of course it is Crolomere,” Ahriman purred. “What my father ruined with his bumbling weakness, I have completed. Upon my ascension, I will stream through the webway, to all corners of the galaxy to proclaim my majesty. And the universe shall weep with joy, at the fulfillment of prophecy.”

His voice was like ice water, and froze me to the spot.

The lights banished all shadow inside the cube. Rubricae emerged from all around, encircling us in a wall of sapphire and gold. Behind them, Ahriman’s sorcerers emerged, clutching their staffs like spears. Ahriman himself wore no armor, or even clothes, and glided weightlessly towards them calmly, arms outstretched. He was a giant, swollen to Primarch scale now, his old armor orbiting him like moons about a gas giant. He was beautiful and terrible to behold.

“Did you truly think I would not notice your progress, in my own inner sanctum? Or that you were lowering my ward spells? What do you hope to achieve? I am beyond even grandfather, the anathema now. I see all, I know all, and I will know more. I am Paradox and Unity, Love and Horror, I will be everything at once and ever shifting. I topple Tzeentch, I vanquish Lorgar. There are none who can st-”

“Oh shut the fuck up,” Kage spat. Ahriman paused in disbelief.

I looked to Kage in horror. He just shrugged. “What? He was going on and on.”

Ahzek raised his hand... then one finger, and slowly drew it across his throat. Kage fell then, clutching his slit throat desperately, blood dribbling between fingers.

I screamed, but Ahriman sealed my mouth. One of the larger Rubricae took up position beside its master, watching dispassionately as she suffered

“Why are you so afraid? That mortal was always going to die? But you cannot die Perpetual,” he purred.

I tried to hide my next thought. I couldn’t. Tears came unbidden to my eyes.

“Ahh... but the bastard in your belly... you fear that is quite killable, hmm?”

He heard my next thought. “Who are you praying too? All the gods are dead or slaves, save me. Are you praying to me? How sweet,” he said, leaning down to touch my cheek. “I see into your soul, as I see everything.”

The giant Rubricae exploded then, and from it rose a copper-skinned titan from my nightmares.

“Not everything, my son,” Magnus the Red explained, as a crimson burst of fire swept Ahriman from his feet. The Rubricae did nothing, frozen in inaction between two masters. Released from my spell, I crawled away. Crawling towards the heart of the machine.

I couldn’t look back, but I heard the flaring of the two demi-gods, and saw glimpses of red and blue flames dueling, like lightning before the thunderclap. If I witnessed the sorcerous exchange, I feared I would be cast into oblivion, or worse.

“I will become a god! I have already surpassed you!”

“You prattle like a child Ahriman. A child with a gun, who does not understand what trigger he is pulling. I am here to save you.”

“Save me? Then who will save you? I will devour you father, consume the red and end this charade!”

The two warring essences fought on every plane, flowing between walls and through times, killing Tallarn and birthing new worlds in forgotten timelines. They wrestled as giant men, and writhed like paints in a watercolour. Ideas were weaponized and sharpened to points, and songs were sung that unraveled spacetime around them.

Kages followed me, crawling along the floor on his elbows, clamping his throat closed. He left a red smear as he did so. I blinked back tears as I worked, carefully tearing pages form the Rubric tome, plugged into the heart of the cube. I read them in every connotation, before tearing them up. Fleshy cables were rerouted, and psychic complexes altered and remade anew. I knew what Ahriman had done, because I was the one who showed him how to do it. I felt a familiar tightening pain as i worked. Not now... do not come now...

Ahriman’s cabal seemed at last to notice Kage and I, and the threat we posed. The Rubricae turned from their dueling masters, and advanced upon us. They couldn’t risk shooting the machine, and so drew their energized khopesh blades as they closed in on me.

No one save me noticed that the webway portals had activated. With the psychic wards lowered, the cube was open to the webway. The black armoured nightmares which burst forth from the portals were wreathed in fire, and their faces were masked in bone. Leaing the charge of the Legion of the Damned charged a howling berserker Astartes of Fenris, with the black axe Morkai held aloft. Upon his shoulders sat two giggling children with dark pigtails and pretty dresses. As the wolf killed, they laughed and braided his shaggy mane. A sorcerer turned with staff raised, but too late to avoid the blow which bisected him from neck to navel.

“Revelation! We are the Rout!” howled the space wolf.

“We are twins!” added one of the girls, unhelpfully.

I ducked behind the machine as the two breeds of deathless horror tried in vain to kill one another. Ethereal blades cut into rune-etched armour, and khopesh blades passed harmlessly through incorporeal forms.

Somewhere near, or eons distant, I heard Magnus shriek and scream, his voice then fading away. All eyes save mine fell upon Ahriman then, who held aloft a blazing red eye, wrenched from the skull of his once invincible father.

Time slowed then, at that moment of convergence.

Ahriman swept the apex twins aside with a gesture.

The space wolf threw Morkai.

And I grasped a fetid cord of sacrificial muscle, and I gnawed through it like a dog.

The world froze. I felt a billion billion voices, neverborn and never to be born, scream in one mighty voice, before being silenced. I felt the souls of thousands, ensnared in a crystal trap, howl in elation and freedom. I felt all of Ahriman’s godlike power, all his raw warp energy, pour into the Rubric.

But not to enhance it. I had seen to that.

It was to reverse it.

The entire world shuddered, as more contractions wracked my belly.

The fire in the Rubricae’s eyes faded. They all, as one, staggered onto one knee.

Ahriman screamed. It was disturbingly shrill and piercing for a space marine. His luminous form faded, until he was merely a naked man on his knees.

He locked eyes with me and through the pain, I stared right back.

I have never seen an Astartes look so afraid. He was weeping, as his flesh began to desiccate and crack, slowly at first, then more swiftly.

“All... is... dust...” he wheezed, as his lips began to dissolve.

“Not all,” I spat through bloody lips. “Only you.”

Ahzek Ahriman collapsed then, into naught but drifting ash.

I didn’t watch what happened next. I vaguely heard the concussive boom of bolters, and the alarmed shouts of the dying, but it was all far away and distant. All I could focus on was the baby spilling from me. It was stuck. It couldn’t break free. In pain and fear I continued to shriek.

Kage saw me, saw the fear writ large across my face. I knew what he was going to do before he did it.

“Don’t,” I breathed weakly.

He didn’t listen. He unclasped his hands from about his throat, and reached for me. The blood flowed in a tide from him, but even as his life and strength were failing, he pulled the child free, cutting away the umbilical with his combat knife. He slipped the little boy into my arms. I saw him smile before he fell on his face, and moved no more.

My head reeled, my mind swimming through treacle. The cube was fading away, leaving me in the dark. I heard the flutter of great wings. Pale white feathers, stained in blood fell all around me.

I looked up blearily, and saw the most beautiful face in the world. The man smiled at me.

“I know you,” I said with a drunken grin.

A vast hand wiped away my tears. “A blood sacrifice, shed in love and honor was needed to bring me...us here. What grace is left of me is now His. My nephew, in life and death.... Take Him from this place Crolomere. Take him through the winding path.”

“The webway? Who... who are you? Tell me your name,” I asked, as the figure began to fade.

The man’s perfect smile was the last thing to vanish, and it said. “I wish we had met sister. Perhaps things would have been different, if we had known our sisters...”

Strong hands carried me after that, and I was led into the portal, and beyond the materium entirely...
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==Additional Background Notes: The Sons of Purgatory==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">At the climax of the siege of Tallarn, the infamous ''Rubric of Ahriman'' was spectacularly broken. This had the effect of releasing the Rubricae from their living death, but also had the surprising effect of returning the eons dead warriors into the flesh. Suddenly incarnated, the ancient Thousand Sons space marines turned upon the surviving Sorcerers of Ahriman’s cabal. Though the psykers were potent beings at this point, they were taken by surprise, and overwhelmed by the vengeful Astartes, who were at long last freed from their slavery.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

With the malign influence of Ahriman leaving the battlefield and with these new and unexpected allies, the forces of the Imperium Pentus swiftly routed and destroyed the remaining forces of the would-be god. His scrap daemons in orbit similarly fled back to the warp, allowing the surviving naval forces to bombard the black cube into nothingness, leaving nothing but a colossal field of volcanic glass in its place.

At the conclusion of the battle, the Thousand Sons surrendered humbly to Obediah, and were brought back in chains to Macharia, as the vast armada of Wellesley dispersed to return to their vassal systems. The confused and disorientated former Rubricae Penitents declared they were servants of the Imperium, and warned the heroes of Macharia that ''"Horus has turned upon the Emperor"''. Long imprisonment within the Rubric had atrophied there warp presence, until they were below mundane on the psychic scale. The only boon they possessed now were the new Astartes bodies they had been granted, free of mutagenic taint at long last; Ahriman’s original noble goal to save his Legion, finally achieved. Saved, at least for a while.

Though the Rubricae had aided the Imperium Pentus, they were still technically heretics and traitors. They were tried before the local representatives of the Imperium Pentus. The ''Lychen'', ''Praetorians'' and the representatives of the ''Thousand Governors'' (''formerly "Thousand Emperors"'') wanted blood, and called for the execution of the Soldiers of Ahriman, the last visual symbol of his misrule. The Confederation of Justice suggested they might work off their debt somehow, while Captain Ell of the Lussorian Narc Warriors vouched for their strength and potency.

In the end, the fate the Penitents was decided not by council or judge, but by outside pressures. Ahriman had been routed from the southern spin of the galaxy, yet the Imperium Pentus was still besieged. Daemons and warp storms still flooded the region, from Khaine’s infernal realm in the east, to the Terran hells in the west. With the primarchs engaged on a crusade against with the Realm of Travesties, it was up to those who remained to plug the gaps in the defenses.

A fleet led by the Blood Ravens Commandery arrived to confirm the Dominion of Change’s reintegration with the Armageddon metropolis. It was decided then that the penitents, though they numbered but five hundred by this point, were too valuable a resource to squander in petty revenge. Obediah Braiva, the new Marshal Administrator for the Segmentum, handed the penitents into the Blood Ravens’ custody.'''*''' It was decided that from these repentant marines, a new Commandery would be founded; ''The Sons of Purgatory''.

The Sons were taken to Nocturne for processing. Nocturne was known across the Imperium at this point as ''‘The Forge of Astartes’'', due to the vast industrialized process of geneseed production and power armor creation undertaken on the volcanic, smoke-shrouded planet. The Promethians of Nocturne performed many secret rites of purification and psychic conditioning to determine the purity of the Sons of Purgatory, but ultimately they were found to be pure (''though fifty of the Sons perished in the trial by ordeal'').

Following the trial, the Sons ritually destroyed their gold and sapphire raiment, naming it ''"slave’s armor, nothing more"''. It was cast into the molten heart of a volcano. With that, the Thousand Sons were ended once and for all.
cc
The Forge-Smiths of Nocturne created new armor for the Sons; a metallic copper with red bands about the arms, to represent their censure and the legacy of their banished Crimson King. Larkshear, a venerable Dreadnought of the Blood Ravens was selected to be the Lord Commander of this new Commandery.

In the wars that followed, the Sons of Purgatory fought many battles, most often fighting besides the Blood Ravens and the Nemenmarines (''though notably, never with the Rout or the Wolf Brother Commanderies''). It is said they fought with the fury of desperate men, seeking redemption in the only thing left to them; the edge of the sword, and the smoking barrel of the bolter.

'''*'''(''Obediah also gifted the Blood Ravens with the ''Rod of Macharius'', a sacred relic of elder days, alongside one of the captured Foetal Golarch abominations, suspended in a tank of amniotic amber. Why these gifts were made is unknown, and oddly, the enforcers of Macharia always recorded the Rod as being stolen by unknown assailants, on all official documents. Who are we to believe? Personally, I am inclined not to besmirch the heroic Blood Ravens with such rumors.'')
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==Section 53: The Last Craftworld==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The rise of the Seventh God of Dissolution, the God Whose Number Was Three, was marked by the death of the last bastion of the Eldar of the Path, Craftworld Biel-Tan.

The entire northern region of the galaxy pivoted about this central battle, hundreds of fleets from dozens of factions had dueled in the void and upon the embattled surface of the world ship. Though the exact make up of each side in this war is almost impossible to gauge, they broadly fell into three categories, those who fought to crack open the craftworld and feast upon its riches, those who would defend them, and those who were drawn to carnage and fought both sides.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Expeditionary fleets from Pentus joined with Silver Skull led human coalitions that fought beside the eldar due to prophecy and fate. Almost every eldar in existence added to the armada. Every eldar that could fight donned their war masks, and bled their souls into the Infinity Circuit as they died in droves; each death an unbelievable tragedy, yet all of them lost amidst the greater letting of blood.

Typhus and the festering legions of Nurgle flooded Biel-Tan like a plague, barely registering their renegade and chaos legionnaire allies as they rampaged. No matter how many died, they persisted, spreading like damp rot through a crumbling house. Even in death, the blood of the nurglitch festered and corroded. Biel-Tan was forever poisoned, and even if it was to survive the siege, it would die of its infected wounds most assuredly.

At the climax of this mighty siege, a third faction entered the fray; a fleet of ravaged, ancient renegades surged from the warp like daggers carving open the heart of the materium itself. They were led by the foreboding barque Planet Killer; a ship of such evil renown, it had no other name, for it needed none. The valiant heroes of Biel-Tan groaned in woe, for they thought the tide of victory had turned to the polluted ones. But to the surprise of all, the Planet Killer rammed the Astral Maw amidships, even as it loomed high over the crippled leviathan of Biel-Tan itself. Though each was many kilometers long, they seemed such tiny and ephemeral things compared to the enormity of the bloated craftworld, a speck diminishing as it reached terminal velocity.

The two ships bonded in fire and tortured metal, spiraling out of orbit in a hellish dance. Down, down towards the craftworld. Moments before the two ships crashed, a single silver thunderhawk made its escape from their burning bowels. Kelfdon, the Silver Skull within, spoke only the great warning granted to him by his hideously burned passenger;

“Drach’Nyen rises. We have to leave.”

To the eldar within Biel-Tan, the first they saw of the crash was when the two flagships shattered the great dorsal domes of the craftworld. The crystal blue skies were falling in shards of fire, wraithbone and bewitched daemon-metal. The impact was like a newborn star, white and scourging. A hundred thousand eldar were erased in a single instant, and the entire dorsal cavern burned with purple fire for ten minutes. Even Nurgle’s pollution was vanquished in that terrible conflagration. Air pockets across Biel-Tan ruptured, snatching away the atmosphere into the void. Millions of Typhus’ mortal chattel perished without a word, their screams silent without the air to voice them.

Tectonic lesions shuddered throughout the ship, disrupting any hope of strategy, killing anyone in their path.

Even Typhus, who was the author of this siege, realized that victory was chaos’ now, whether he stayed or not. With Manreaper in his hands, he carved his way back towards his landing ship, intent on returning to the Terminus Est.

Autarch Llanquelliqn would not allow this. She swooped down upon the host of the Destroyer Hive, heedless of the destruction all around her. Her world was dead, and her species would perish soon enough too, but she could not die until Typhus joined her.

“You do not get to leave, festering one! You do not get to win!” she cried, as she stood valiantly between Typhus and his escape ship.

“Foolish whore,” Typhus rumbled with slobbering laughter. “I already have. Did your Seers warn you of this doom? I thought not.”

With that, the terminator charged, and the Autarch met him in battle. She was like quicksilver, he was like a mountain fastness. He was the stone, and she was the water that would erode him. No matter where he swung his scythe, she was not there, her own executioner blade carving chunks from the sickly hulk.

The destroyer hive, a churning cloud of daemonic flies, surged about the Autarch, but her fusion pistol scorched them into ash with every blast. Typhus’ corrupting magic washed over her body like oil across the skin of a deep lake, for she had the will of a council of farseers remotely guiding her hand and shielding her body, expending the last of their souls’ fire for the chance to avenge themselves upon this last mortal figurehead of their civilization's demise.

The two foes tumbled through the floor as another great quake shook the craftworld, ripping it open ever more grievously. Typhus struggled to rise, a wraithbone girder punched clean through his archaic terminator plate. His helmet had been torn away, and his hollow head was revealed; a decaying undead skull, bilious with flies. Tainted fuel was leeching from some broken section of the worldship, drooling the corrosive matter directly into Typhus’ face, burning through his eye sockets. Llanquelliqn lay shattered beside the herald, every hollow bone in her body broken and drooling with shocking scarlet blood. Her only succor as her eyes dimmed was that she could watch Typhus’ own eyes burned in his skull, and his flesh slough away in layers, like pastry left to dissolve in the rain.

From somewhere deep in the dorsal sections, something terrible roared with a voice of thunder. At the heart of the five hundred mile firestorm raging in the heart of the Planet Killer’s impact crater, a monster writhed, coiling itself in terrible raiment. Clothed in the daemon-haunted adamantine flesh of the two chaos capital ships, the beast arose. Its great pinions were kilometers across, its segmented spine longer than a grand cruiser. Its lashing tail beheaded the artificial mountains in the craftworld’s garden decks, and its claws ripped up miles of wraithbone decking with the ease of a raven tearing gossamer. Eldar, monkeigh and daemon alike turned to behold this terror with sublime terror. Its form was fluid, armoured sections undulating, fusing and breaking, only to seep with oily pus than shone a thousand hues. Its blood was the blood of the millions of cultists and traitor marines that had perished and been melted in the inferno’s heart. The monster could not be seen clearly, for a miasma of Drazin-Maton dust and sentient daemon-smoke sheathed it, and the centre of the armoured goliath blazed with a warp rift, pulsing with deep warp malevolence, blinding and impossible to behold. It resembled perhaps a Heldrake of the Soulforge, only swollen to the scale of capital ships.

Nobody knew what this nightmare was and yet, every voice on Biel-Tan whispered the same name;

“Drach’nyen’drya.”

Drach’nyen, the daemon-wyrm, the Beast of Dissolution, the Great Red Dragon of the Nex-
'''[Images of molten hate, driven through the skull with things neither wasp nor spinner’s wheel. Narrator shudders, spitting out elemental black ooze from between his teeth.]'''

Drach’nyen’drya roared again, and Biel-Tan suffered more tremors. The great dragon of chaos stumbled forwards, shedding fire like a newborn foal casting off its mucosal afterbirth. It barged through crystal spires, and flattened entire armies beneath its bulk. Terminator shield walls were swept aside like broken toys, flights of jetbikes and swooping hawks were themselves swatted from the sky by bladed wings as large as a cobra class destroyer. Wherever Drach’nyen touched, the raw stuff of chaos seeped out. It mutated the ground, melding humans and eldar and trees, making penumbral shadow tendrils coil with sentience from the heart of inanimate forms. Orchards of pleading eyes sprouted like grapes from the walls, and men were driven mad simply at the sight of the daemonwyrm.

The war between chaos and nurgle was forgotten for a moment, as every gun and blade on Biel-tan turned against this newborn abomination. Even the mortal servants of the Realm of Travesties feared this thing, for it was hunger, and it would devour them all. There was some gnawing, hollowness in its gargantuan soul.

Nothing could halt the wyrm in its thrashing, burrowing through the crust of the Craftworld. Deck by deck, it burst through, belching lilac fire which mutated even as it incinerated. Eons of years of history vanished like smoke on the wind, turned to less than ash. Every artillery battery within range poured torrents of fire upon the wyrm to no avail; the more it shattered, the more it grew, consuming everything in its path with great snaps of its crocodilian maw.

Beyond Biel-tan, the many fleets in orbit began to depart, each battling vessel fighting to reach the warp translation points before their rivals. Everyone knew the craftworld was done, and no one wished to be caught in the warp storm which would surely follow.*

Where others fled, the eldar fought on. Their grav ships swarmed like a nest of hornets, raining endless plasma and prism laser fire upon Drach’nyen’drya. The wyrm fought through it, uprooting city blocks and buckling bridges. It drank the emerald ocean dry in a hundred thirsty gulps, and spat white hot steam across the defenders in return.

The eldar would not despair. Even as the nurglings tormented them, mocking the eldar’s pointless sacrifice, they fought on, killing everything that was not eldar, and pouring whatever fire remained at the possessed capital ship drake.

“Your Phoenix Lords forsook you, spindly children of a tainted seed,” called a Great Unclean one from atop a battlement. “See how your prayers remain unanswered. See how your soul stones grow dull upon yours deaths. Where are your souls going my spindly ones? Perhaps She who Thirsts claims them? Or perhaps your hearts are truly devoid of hope, and have fallen into Grandfather’s kind embrace?” it chortled and spat, only silenced when a Wraithknight’s D-cannon wrenched the daemon by to its devil-haunted halls beyond reality.

It was then, as the wyrm began to devour another eldar city, that the Avatar of Biel-tan joined the fray. Their Wailing Doom became the form of a great warbow, and the Avatar turned to the aspect of an archer, leaping from tower to tower, launching burning arrows of pure destruction into the Dran’nyen’drya’s body. These bolts were empowered by the will of the dying eldar, and each strike was like the punch of a macro-cannon when it struck cursed daemonflesh. The dragon recoiled, roiling with demented agony. At a distance, the Avatar was a mere speck of orange, a firefly circling an inferno, and no matter how many bolts its cast, it could not finish the dragon at range.

With agility astonishing for a twenty foot tall animated statue, the Avatar leapt upon the pockmarked hide of Drach’nyen’drya. It jumped between gnashing fangs and probing spines, charging headlong through the surreal cityscape riding across the dragon’s back. Wailing Doom was a spear one moment, stabbing and carving through metal, the next it was a many flanged mace, bursting the daemon’s many eyes like pus-filled blisters, blinding the Drach’nyen’drya to the Avatar’s advance. The Avatar gained pace, mindlessly relentless as it scaled the dread monster. Inexorably, the warrior construct approached the base of the dragon’s neck. It was nearing the heart of the fiend, buoyed by the will of the eldar desperate for it to succeed.

The Avatar fought sub-daemons that began to wriggled free of the dragon’s flesh like parasitic leeches disturbed by an outsider. Things kin to centipede and wolf launched themselves against the warrior and were cut to gory ribbons, while snakes and worms tried to trip the hero of biel-tan, wasp-like things with infantile human faces wept tears of excrement as they burst against the burning flesh of the Avatar.

Drach’nyen’drya in frustration tore at its own flesh, in a vain effort to dislodge the hateful flea that kept piercing its body. Chunks the size of baneblades were wrenched out of its hide, cascading in molten metal to the craftworld below.

The Avatar only stopped when the gunfire of the eldar finally ceased. After weeks... months of utter carnage, being hunted through their own homes by a daemon fueled by an active warp rift in its heart, the eldar were spent. The last of the defenders fell, and their soul stones went dark.

The very last eldar to die was a young mother. After smothering her infant to spare her from the claws of the daemonkin, the mother breathed in tainted smoke, and grew still. She was dead by the time the daemons found their bodies. Their soul stones were empty.

The Avatar, starved of souls to fuel its animus, ceased up, freezing in mid-motion, Wailing Doom raised as a sword above its head.

Roaring in triumph, the wyrm took the statue in its jaws and smote in into the ruins of Biel-Tan. Then, it began to dig. Drach’nyen’drya was a nascent power, on the cusp of existence. It was a hybrid of daemon and drazin, fueled by the warp rift which powered the Planet-Killer’s gun. The world-ending energies were being funneled into its soulless shell, making the daemon grandiose beyond reason. Drach’nyen had the energy, but like fossil fuel, it polluted and it was finite.

This energy was nothing compared to the glut of soul-stuff now trapped in Biel-tan’s heart. For within Biel-Tan was a link to the eldar afterlife, to the very fountain of mystic energy. The Infinity Circuit trapped the souls of every eldar not consumed by Slannesh. Every eldar who failed to reincarnate before the fall, and every craftworld eldar thereafter too. The Bonesingers and Soulsmiths of Biel-tan had been cleverer still, tapping into the world spirits of the Exodites, and the wild world spirits of the great untamed planets of the galaxy.

If the daemonwyrm had cracked open Biel-tan, it would have drank deep of the pure energy of the stable warp, imbuing itself with a galactic warp source, fuelling its ascent into true chaos godhood; a seventh ruinous power to oversee the dissolution of matter and space and time.

This is not what happened. Unbeknownst to the Wyrm, another vessel translated into the system-wide graveyard, where all others had fled. This ship was known as a dragonship, but its name had naught to do with Drach’nyen’drya. For this ship was to be the dragon’s bane.

It had traveled through the blighted webway for what seemed like many lifetimes of mortal men, fighting perverted dark kin and daemons and worse, but through fire and faith they had made it through the crucible, at the time of Biel-tan’s greatest need. At its helm was an eldar, turned to crystal. Beside her was a hero in silver warplate, bearing the sword of midnight, the anathame. Allaten of the Silver Skulls was his name, and he had grown ancient, his beard long and white. His old bones were still solid steel as his flesh withered in his powered armor.

Opposite him was an eldar of royal pedigree, a rogue and a king both. So old was he that his flesh was turning to crystal the same as the pilot. He was the last craftworlder. He was Yriel, and he bore the spear of twilight.

The fourth figure on that ghost ship was a man. Just a man, a monkeigh, a blasphemer and a coward and a scavenger. It is from his memoirs, his mad dreams, that much of this tale was uncovered, for he was our imperfect window into the birth of something that changed the galaxy forever.

“I am sorry,” said Allaten, behold the desecration of Biel-Tan, a hollowed-out husk haunted by the dragon’s roar. He looked to his once enemy, and now fierce friend.

Yriel wept, but he wept with a smile upon his face. “Do not be sorry, old friend.”

“This is a sorrowful time. Your race... it is gone.”

“Yes... the eldar are dead. Now you will see what the dead might dream in the time hereafter.”

Before Allaten could react, the ghosts that governed the Flame of Asuryan sent the vessel on a collision course with Biel-tan. Julius Hawke barely had time to vomit over his shoes before the vessel struck the craftworld at a fraction of c.

That should have been the end; the ship should have atomised in an instant of pure destruction, blazing briefly and blindingly like a newborn sun. Certainly, when they struck, Drach’nyen felt the shudder of the craftworld, and the bright flames that consumed the ironically named ship.

Onboard the Flame of Asuryan, the last wraithbone choir, stolen from Trayzn the Infinite, and smuggled through hell and back, at last united with the rest of the eldar Infinity Circuit. In that attosecond, as the choir and circuit met, yet before the ship impacted, reality changed.

Hawke reluctantly unscrewed his eyes, and opened them onto pure white in every direction. At first he thought this the human heaven, but when he felt his arthritic knees and his overlyjuvenated spine crack and groan, he knew he was still alive, suspected in a moment of expanded time.

He saw... things, in the whiteness. Things this chronicle would struggle to describe. The motes of light on a whispered promise to a dying man, the light of creation before people had crawled from the primordial muck. He saw ghosts, phantoms from histories that could have been, before the fall spoiled it all. Ghosts of the true past, and the ghosts of children never born. Yriel vanished in the white void, and Allaten vanished too, sword and all.

Biel-Tan glowed, every fiber of the living ship, every vein and sinew and wisp of wraithbone blazed with holy light. Divine light.

The wraithguard, the wraithknights, the wraithlords; all were reborn in shining aspect. Drach’nyen’drya found itself assailed on all sides by wraith constructs, and gigantic crystalline warp spiders, larger than any seen before.

The dead rose up. They looked like eldar, except they were composed of purest diamond, with circulatory systems filled with light instead of blood.

The Wyrm would not be vanquished easily, and fought on, slaying millions upon millions of the new constructs, only for the light of the divine to fill them with renewed vigor and set them upon it again. The Avatar led this circus of the dead, but it was fashioned in Khaine’s likeness no longer; for this was an Avatar of a new warp goddess, clad in armor with a gleaming lance of celestial brilliance, which pierced the dragon’s belly.

Wraith ships in orbit suddenly came online once again, and began to bombard Drach’nyen from orbit with capital grade weapons. It was this which finally spelled the end to the colossus.

Drach’nyen’drya howled in voiceless rage as the warp rift at the heart of its host body consumed it. Like a collapsing star, the daemonwyrm imploded, crumbling and crumpling in upon itself.

When the drgaon was slain, silence fell across the ghostworld. Why Hawke was spared is unknown, but I suspect he was allowed to bear witness, so he could tell the other mortals of this god’s ascension.**

Across the galaxy, all the other dead craftworlds began to light up. Their infinity circuits began to wake, and their crystalline dead move with new life.

The eldar had a prophecy once, in the half-remembered 41st Millennium, of the god of the dead. They had failed once to rouse them, but that was because the eldar had not fulfilled their prophecy. Only when every eldar bound to the infinity circuit died, could their race truly transcend.

In the closing centuries of ''The Age of Dusk'', the Eldar race went extinct. They died to the last child.

In that same year, the Ynnead race was born, the children of the Goddess of Vengeance, whose number was Three. The Seventh God of Chaos, and the Second God of Order at once.

But be it god of order or chaos, another god rising only meant young Revelation had little and less time to reach the Well of Eternity before the veil was to fall completely...

*'''[It was said the Silver Skulls were the first to leave, after discovering a signal, transmitting from some far distant point, just below the galactic plane; a signal of hope, blaring across the cosmos to all who would listen.

The signal spoke of a new world, a refuge from the dying galaxy. A world within a world, where the Last Good Man held court: a world of unity and peace, where all refugees were welcome. The Prognosticators, guided by the burned old warrior who had helped to slay Huron Blackheart, divided a truth to this signal, and convinced the Silver Skulls and the fleet of desperate homeless humans and xenos following them to steer a true path through the tattered skein of reality to this new home.

The end of that tale is famous amongst our culture I know, but I insist upon revisiting this story in a later section. Volsanius Greal is nothing if not an admirer of the old classics...]'''

**'''[Hawke claims Ynnead sent him to a place of his heart’s desire when it was done with him. Our ancestors found him drunk in a bordello on Henrich’s Planet, with a runic branch burned into his back and a lady on each arm. Make of that what you will...]'''
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==Section 54: Sailing to Salvation: The voyage of the Quilar Fleet==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">[Note: In our archives there are many tales and biographies detailing the many refugee fleets and exiles from all corners of the galaxy throughout M58; far too many to all be included in this collective history. Vasiri’s initial document included almost all of these accounts, but I have been more selective than the half-mad seer from which I have drawn inspiration. I have included this excerpt due to its unique nature, being one of the few surviving accounts of a refugee fleet from the Fringe Alliance. As with the Salvation War, the immaterial fallout from the conclusions of these wars destroyed most of those archives and left the memories almost inaccessible even to Vasiri the Watcher.]<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

I cannot begin my tale at the beginning. That would mean me having to remember the fall of my world, the blood in the screet, and the red-eyed madmen who had once been neighbours. The atrocity and the war are too big for me to describe; what justice can I give to the battle over my world? I only saw it as a young girl, snatching brief glimpses of the void war from a porthole in a converted merchant barge as it raced to the Mandeville point of our system.

I saw space ablaze with every colour of the rainbow, I saw armour-plated planets and cathedrals spewing rocket contrails, guns vomiting impossible light, and… things crawling across the fabric of space… across the back of my eyes, even when I looked away.

The month long race to the system edge was in darkness thereafter, pressed together with a hundred thousand other souls. The conditions were worse than grox carts. The stench of bodies and excrement became so normal, the sulphur-laced air of Prandium almost smelled fresh when we finally escaped the warp’s maddening clutches in Ultramar.
The Fringe Leadership had detected a signal, a human one, using Pentus codes, emanating from a region of becalmed space; an orb of sanity in a disintegrating galaxy. This signal beckoned all refugees to come and seek sanctuary there. The voice was one Vulkan had vouched for in centuries past, a man, a saint, Iacob. The signal was old, and the world might have been dead by the time we reached it, but there it was; a sliver of that old serpent hope. I didn’t learn this information until years into the exodus of course; no one consults the promethium where it wants to be shipped.
I was a mortal woman; an agri-worlder and a poacher. When the Fringe Alliance set us on our final course, I was transferred onto the ancient Idealist-class vessel ‘Hopespear’, commanded by Captain Quilar. The Tau needed all their greatest vessels for the ever-expanding front, but Hopespear would serve. Its AI was a decrepit thing, barely sapient and dependant on its mixed crew of earth caste scientists and Promethean cultists to function. Patched up with a mix of hybrid-made human tech, the ship looked ugly as only a crude chimera could be.

I remember one of the Novamarine Old Imperial's comment on Hopespear snidely, when he thought no one else was listening. “It has a face only an ork could love.” I never understood what he meant, as I had no clue what an ork was.

In any case, Hopespear was the flagship of a hundred ship fleet; bulk haulers, old freighters, Tau explorers, Nekulli junks, Niscassar Dhows; a fleet as varied as its cargo. For that was what we were, cargo. I determined not to be so passive, and through some unlikely wrangling, and a demonstration of my skill with a lasrifle, I was allowed to be a member of the security detail on the Hopespear. They had no uniforms for me, but they had a rifle and a carapace vest, which was enough.

Some say it was a minor miracle Captain Quilar’s flotilla didn’t starve to death in the first months of the long exodus. I don’t ascribe a god to this fortune. This fortune was due to our choice of travelling companions. We had left Ultramar in a hurry, as the Grand Lord Folkar led the Fringe Alliance to finish off Khaine’s Bloody Handed tide. We had only been loaded with half our provisions.
The Melded* and the Water caste were invaluable in their highly efficient rationing procedures and recycling programs. Somehow, despite our increasing hunger, the water caste managed to make the people feel good about it, whilst the melded crews tirelessly worked to build archologies and void gardens with which to feed us. We were forced to take incredibly short warp jumps at this time, for anything longer would arouse the ire of the increasingly-turbulent warp. In those years, everyone had nightmares, even when in the materium. The warp was intruding into reality in a way most of us had been born into, whispering into our ears with the voice of oblivion since the crib.

The first year of the exodus was quiet. Quilar kept us on defunct space lanes linking long-dead systems. The only reason he could navigate these regions at all was due to the ancient charts provided by the Librarius of Ultramar. That was a hard, harrowing year of hunger and labour, with everyone working just to keep our old vessels running. Yet, they were good years.
This will sound strange, but I had never seen a xenos before the exodus. Yes, the Fringe Alliance was a great melding of humanit with three mighty alien polities, but that was all military. The closest I came to true aliens before my world was destroyed was the occasional delegation of three-armed hybrids who loaded the Trade-Magus’ produce shuttles each year.
During the exodus, I was in close proximity with xenos of many breeds. There were kroot, who ate raw meat and sweated stinking tar, nekulli who shed spines everywhere and seemed to always speak in shrieks. I shared a quarters with a four-armed hybrid guard called Morl, and I learned Tau from a water class envoy called Por’Vaneh’Kais. There were fights of course, murders and tensions between races. There were rival religions too, and some ships suffered segregation and mild insurrection. But for the most part, there was a kind of uneasy peace. Children were raised, families founded. We were all living so close together it was inevitable. There was a kind of desperation to everything we did; when any moment might be your last, every moment becomes a chance to live. I was with many partners in those times.

Though we only occasionally jumped to the warp, the warp shutters remained down for most portions of the ship. We weren’t missing much; everywhere you looked, there were warp storms frozen like malevolent nebulae. The skies were bruised purple and yellow and black. I’ve never known skies that didn’t look poisoned, but I am told once the skies were black as pitch, with only pinprick stars to light them.
Inevitably for this galaxy, we eventually ran into outside forces, reavers and pirates. Homeless exiles in dying ships, these pitiable specimens were known as the dreg fleets; lurking in interstellar space, too afraid to approach the main powers, and not deranged enough to throw their lot in with chaos. These wretches were tragic spectres of what we might become if we failed. Though I felt sorry for them, that did not make them any less dangerous to our convoy.

The dreg ships stole out from hidden positions in a shattered solar system, a great tide of ramshackle vessels hungry to cannibalise our ships and devour the crews. Quilar and the armed ships unleashed ordinance, but much of their weapon capacity had been stripped back to make way for more refugees. Railguns, torpedoes, macro cannons spat silent death, but the vast pirate fleet surged on towards us, its mad cannibal crews hungry for blood. Five to one they outnumbered us in ships, if not in crew, who were mostly non-combatants. I girded myself for battle, and prayed to the four-armed emperor with Morl as we made our way to armsmen muster points across the Hopespear.

Thankfully, we had another defender. The War of the Krork had sent a battlecruiser with us on our pilgrimage to serve as an escort. Where Hopespear was a crude amalgam of alien technologies, the Krork used their innate technological mimicry to synthesise the greatest examples of the allies into something utilitarian, brutal yet somehow beautiful.
The Krork had been taciturn, almost ignorant in their silence during the first year, unwilling to communicate with the other ships of the fleet, and keeping to themselves.
This changed when the Dreg Fleets attacked. Suddenly, the cruiser came about, engines firing and weapons charging. War roused this beast to action, and within half an hour, the gargantuan battlecruiser interposed itself between the two fleets.

The Dregs filled the vox lines with screamed chanting, desperate cries of hunger, lust and fury. The Krork captain replied in a low, calm rumble, across every channel for all to hear.

++'''War. You have woken War. War will eat you.''' ++

I shall remember the message to my dying day, for it cut to something deep and animal in me, the innate fear of the beast. I was thankful that the Krork were our allies.
The cruiser was a sight to behold as it cut into the heart of the Dreg fleet. Lances and arcing bolts of lightning ripped through hulls as if they were hot wax on a skillet. Gravity lashes snatched battleships and snapped their spines, as railguns and smart missile barrages swept the void of assault craft and counter ordinance. The Dreg flagship, some ancient battle barge daubed in red and gold, changed course to confront the cruiser, but the savage Krork ship outmatched it. In seven hours of far distant void war, we saw the battle as a series of strobing flashes, many millions of kilometres distant.

When the Krork ship returned to formation, it was unharmed, trailing the wreckage of the vessel it had destroyed behind it like a red wake. I cheered, I could not help myself. My cheers were taken up by every armsman, then every crew member. Across the fleet, we chanted the name of the bemused and bewildered Krork.
The War of the Krork do not name their vessels, but after that day the people of the Quilar fleet affectionately named it the Shark, after its vaguely predatory profile.
Alas, this was not the only attack we suffered. In the broken cracks between habitable systems, poison and infection festered.
In the rust belt of the tomb world of Gryphonne IV, whilst searching for parts to repair our vessels damaged in a particularly painful warp transit, we were ambushed and boarded by scrapcode ghouls; former skitarii infested and twisted by the daemons of Valchocht the Maker. Thousands died, dragged off to be stitched, still living, into horrendous daemon engines. Only the fury of the Krork shock Nobles and Quilar’s Sternguard finally expelled the heinous creatures. Quilar himself took a wound whilst battling a great Soulgrinder which had breached the cargo hold of the Hopespear.
We sent landing parties to replenish our food stores on a paradise world dense with vegetation, only to lose hundreds when the living forests devoured them, and the food we did bring back harboured daemonic viruses, which killed many more before the psykers of the fleet isolated and exorcised the putrid nurglitch contagions.
We found empty hive worlds, their grand spires filled with cannibal corpses after the last supply ships failed to come and feed them. Others were populated by ritually blinded cultists, who howled till their throats bled that “the Cherub will come and open our real eyes…”. There was a space station filled with administrators chained to their stations like servitors, endlessly scratching at vellum, that piled up uselessly around their feet.

In the desolate Tiamet system, chittering, stupendously violent beasts, all spines and teeth, stole out of burrows hidden beneath the ash dunes. The Hybrids feared these things above all else, and dared not leave the ships throughout our journey through that system. When I sought out Morl the week afterwards, I found him chained up in our chambers, his bulging yellow eyes watering with dread.
Once, we encountered a ship as big as a world, a sleek behemoth festooned with fins and crystal domes, like many cephalopod eyes. The ship was like a sculpture, not carved but moulded… grown. Though the ship shimmered with pale, ghostly light, the Krorks advised we not contact it, nor get its attention. I was never told what the ship was, beyond ‘a place of ghosts’.
Sometimes, there were forces too terrible for us to fight. Oft times, the warp would vomit up a fleet of daemonships from the Deep Warp. Neither galleon nor squid, the undulating, multi-hued things hurt the eye to behold, and stained the soul to comprehend. Oars, or fins, swirled at their sides, as if imparting motion to the impossible things, whislt fanged cannons licked their lips with rough tongues. When we could not fight, we hid in the dark sides of planets, behind ablative layers of warp shrouding and void shielding, killing all the crew who went insane, for fear their madness might attract the attention of the hellish galleys.

In one system, populated by naught but barren worlds, we discovered a single silver vessel, a queer crescent-shaped probe no bigger than a thunderhawk. Thankfully, the Tau ethereals on board recognised it as a Dragontide sentinel, and we were able to avoid its detection in the radiation bloom of the system’s unstable red giant star.
Sometimes we could not hide, and flight was all that was left to us. When the warp-poisoned void whale Varga opened its apocalypse jaws wide, it almost swallowed the whole fleet, before a well-timed barrage of cyclonics set the beast’s belly aflame, giving the seers time to plot an immediate warp translation, snatching the entire fleet from the hungry beast.
I lost Morl when, one day in the canteen, a human driven by voices from the warp opened fire on the diners as they laughed and joked. I killed that man myself. Two pulses, turning his head to jelly. Too good for him.

During one particularly gruelling warp transit, the Hopespear burst back into realspace with another ship clinging to its Gellar field. The ship was of Imperial vintage, a pitted and scarred derelict which looked half-chewed, any identifying markings or even regular hull structure torn so badly, it was impossible to tell who the vessel had belonged to. Initially, Quilar assumed it was some warp-tainted flotsam, and the damage to the hull were the ravages of some warp behemoth. However, auspex picked up life forms within the ship, and miraculously, the M’yen seers of the fleet detected no damage to the ship’s Gellar field. Investigation by Quilar’s hand-picked sternguard revealed the truth.

The ship had been a strike cruiser, for an Old Imperial chapter, long thought extinct. But when Quilar’s men discovered the three near-fossilised Astartes in their wan yellow power armour, sealed in the enginerium, it was clear the Lamenters still lived. The three were sorry specimens however, atrophied in their suits, alive only by the suspended animation capabilities of their posthuman biology.
When revived, one died after thrashing in his restraints till his desiccated muscles snapped. The second was deranged, and spoke gibberish. Only the third, Belaris, was cogent enough to tell their tale.
“The Devourum Nova… we could not destroy them. They changed and ate and built, too fast to overcome. When we lost the bridge… we hatched upon a plan… vengeance. “Techmarine Deichos plunged us into the warp. We took the monsters with us. Destroyed the engines, sealed them off. They took the crew… took my brothers… but they couldn’t escape.”

“The Devourum… where are they now? Are they still aboard? We found nothing,” Quilar said.

The ancient smiled, and split his lips bloody with the effort. “You will find nothing. When the prey was exhausted, the Devourer devoured itself. Body and soul. I do not know what the beasts were, nor what they became… I know only I avenged my brothers…”

Belaris’ last brother died in the night, and he was himself sent to the dreadnaught vaults at his own request.

'''[Fragment missing.]'''

On and on this went, every new warp jump bringing us some new challenge, some new harrowing ordeal. Psychuenien on Vandashad’s world, famine, disease, Rak’Gol marauders, more pirates. But onwards Quilar forged, with a righteous certainty only a Son of Guilliman could know. We became inoculated against horror in many ways, with only the worst taint of the warp piercing this shell of bewildered fortitude.
Over the years, I advanced, not through martial ability but through my ingrained knowledge of farming and agriculture, memories of my life before the touch of the Bloody Handed God. As so few worlds yielded safe and reliable supplies of food and materiel, we were forced to become inventive. The Krork spread out amongst the fleet, and I helped establish expanded gardens and arcologies. The Krorks had spore-born food sources in abundance, which grew with intense virulence (so much so, one whole ship, the Archemos, was converted into an arboreal vessel filled with all manner of exotic plants and strange red beasts. Much like grox, these red meat things were violent and temperamental, so I used similar techniques of lobotomy and electro-shock collars to make them more docile. Their meat was strange, with the texture of mushrooms and tough pork, and a taste I would charitably call ‘stringent’. But we were starving, and these meals were gods-given to the survivors of the fleet. The kroot we had on board ate these ‘squigs’ as the Krork called them, voraciously. This had the strange side effect of reddening their skin, and making them more violent. Soon enough, only the presence of a Krork Noble allowed the kroot to be tamed.

Slowly but surely, I gained the trust of the krork. Their soldiers were fearsome to behold; a head taller than a space marine, festooned in sealed, overlapping plates of obsidian and ebony hue. Their guns were bigger than my torso, with hands that could engulf my entire head without much effort. Their helmet lenses glowed baleful green, and when they stared at you, it was like being a rodent, pinned upon a dissectors block. But as my efforts to spread the krork crops across the fleet bore fruit, their attitude thawed. One of the war-nobles, Malgrotha, even removed his helmet in my presence, revealing the scarred green flesh of a cunning, merciless face. His little eyes were red, his tusks filed short in his square maw.

Eventually, I was granted leave to visit the Shark itself. Inside, I felt like a child in a world of giants. Everything was scaled for the krork; monolithic, with harsh and blunt lines. Everytihng was tightly regimented, every krork a soldier, with even their farmers armed with powered falchions as long as I was tall. I wandered through chambers filled with incomprehensible technologies; crackling arcs of green lightning jumping between oscillating spheres, pistons and endlessly complex levers in constant motion.

The krork could not tell me how this technology worked, mostly because it simply did. Their engineers built without schematics or plans; what they required, they built. Before I could delve further, I was granted an audience in the central core of the Shark, past cordens guarded by ever-larger krork specimens, larger than ogryns, mounting weaponry which would shame a main battle tank. In the central sanctum, I was sprayed with counter-septic, doused with purifiers and unguents, before the doors sealed behind me with a hiss.

It was in this clean room I met with the War of the Krork’s true leaders. They were two in number, seated on twinned dais at the centre of the spherical hall.** The walls were embedded with viewscreens and hololiths depicting scenes from across the fleet, across the galaxy. I had expected the leaders of the Krork to be monstrous examples of their sub-species; vast as titans with tusks as long as men. But these creatures were small, smaller than a three summer old child. Their pointed features and long noses put me in mind of imps or sprites, spiteful folkloric spirits imbued with mischief. But these creatures were not mischievous, they were wise, ancient eyes that pierced with the weight of millennia of knowledge. Their heads were bloated, heads plumbed into the ship’s systems by suckling cables.
When they spoke, it was with a psychic might which belied their frailty. When the two spoke in their odd echoing unison, you listened. I had been selected to be one of their ambassadors to the rest of the fleet, to better understand those they protected. I was not sure why this was so necessary, for they were clearly potent psykers, who could place their thoughts into anyone they chose. I suspected they were simply lonely creatures, in need of company. On the occasions I spoke with the Two, they were always distant, trailing off into silence as if interrupted by some far removed voice, as if they were just a part of a larger choral dialogue I was not entirely privy to. I confess, I barely understood their conversations or their concepts.

I think they wanted me to know what they were, and why they existed. I provide an example below. At the time, I had no comprehension: “Defenders first. Garrison soldiers for a war without end. We who were castellans grew insane when the masters of the keep abandoned the post. Hold the fort, man the barricades… it is much to ask of your children… it is all too easy to wander in dark places.

“There’s always a siege you see, human. From the beginning there was a siege, and every generation since; the castles change, the garrisons too, and the hordes at the gate, but it hasn’t changed until now. Now, the final storming has come, and the walls are coming down. What is left but to usher the helpless to the inner sanctum, whilst the heir apparent saddles his chosen swords, and sallies forth from the main gate? The shadow and the clown set us a task, but it is the Heir apparent who will save us or damn us. He must find…”

The Two paused there, peering off into infinity in their infuriating manner.

“What gate? What sanctum? Is this something to do with the signal? Who must they find? What do you know?” I begged them. I had to know more, but they spoke no further that day.
I could not tell you truthfully how long our fleet journeyed across the underbelly of the galaxy. Warp transit and time dilation pollute any accurate telling of the march of years. But decades, many decades seems correct enough a reckoning. I’m no chrono-mystic or wyrd, so I can only give you what I felt had passed.

My sober, lucid descriptions of these wonders are inadequate to convey the maddening fgue which pervaded the entire fleet. The trip was like a journey through a half-remembered dream which simply would not end. Little surprised us, for this was the galaxy of nightmares. Of course there were worlds that wept, and stars that burned with churning, cursing faces; that was what happened in the land of Nod.
One day, upon Archemos, I strolled through the woods beneath the great crystal dome which crowned the dorsal section of the ship. As I strolled, I looked up at the skies, at the countless warp storms which poisoned the once-beautiful sky. I looked, and I saw shapes, moving across surface of the storms. They were humanoid figures, wrestling and fighting in slow, exaggerated motions, immaterial blades clashing silently as impossible lightning lit the roiling thunderclouds with multi-hued light.

I asked the Nocturne seers who travelled with us what it meant. They wept as they told me. “The siege of Cadia has begun. The brothers are making their final assault on their kin’s stronghold. The warp sees them. Their strife stirs it, for they fight at the heart of the weeping Eye. Everyone bears witness now…”

I marvelled at the sight, as did many of my friends across the fleet, but it was too big, to momentous for us to comprehend. Even the Two on the Shark were but cogs in this delusion machine, this war between quarrelling gods. I was less even than that, I was but fodder.

Unbeknownst to us then, all the while we sailed, we were being hunted. As we skipped across the warp, we began to lose ships, the stragglers and minnows at the rear vanished with each warp translation. Now loses are inevitable when you traverse hell swathed in a thin bubble of reality, but this was different. It was systematic, continual.

But as we neared our destination, the hunters became more overt, for the warp was beginning to lose its hold over realspace; we began to regain our minds, which was intolerable for the thing which made sport of us. It was during one of our final warp ransits that we all felt the reality quake. Every vessel was effected. Something… colossal swiped at us from the warp. Automated safeguards came into effect across the fleet, and we were, almost as one, dumped back into realspace with a screaming jolt. There were no stars, no planets in the interstellar space we found ourselves, lightyears from any resupply. Every warp engine of the fleet seemed to be broken by this unexpected jolt, and our enginseers and mechanics set about their tasks with reckless, desperate haste, for if we could not fix them, we would be trapped on the slow path. We could not survive ten thousand years of sub-light transit. Whilst our ships were becalmed, we were trapped.

Which was always their plan. They came from the warp as pus from a gangrenous wound. Daemonships by the thousand. Some like ghostly galleys, others more mollusc than battleship. This was the fleet of the Shadowmaster, the hunter of innocence. Amongst the daemon fleet, our scryers recognised the mutilated machine spirits of many ships known to them…
… each ship was part of one of the Fringe Alliance refugee fleets. The abominations were murdering our brethren. We were to be next.

At the centre was a living fortress of tiered corpses, woven together with thorny daemon limbs and lead. There were turrets and towers, ziggurats and domes. To look upon this Citadel of Lead was to feel a bone-deep dread which could not be explained. Somehow, I knew the Dark Master of this ship, as if his name had been whispered into my crib before I even knew what words were. Everyone else had the same feeling, for they seemed, as one to whimper his name.

(I will not utter the name in this account, for names, even written, have power. My interrogators wish me to be utterly candid, but there are some things which must remain unsaid.)
As the momentous daemon fleet approached, we quailed before them. I saw visions of a shadowy king, serviced by ten half-daemon handmaidens, tethered to him by branching umbilical cords, all channelled into his navel. The daemon things would swell with child then through their navels their terrible progeny, unborn, would pass into the belly of the all-consuming shadow squatting upon his ossified throne. Amidst the perfect blackness of his countenance, a wide, white fanged grin split him open, and from that mouth spilled terrors beyond description. Something vst perched upon his shoulders, something too big to grasp. A ten-horned horror which seemed to rise from every angle, talons and eyes peeling open, stripping off my flesh to peek at the naked soul beneath. When I screamed, it was with the voice of half a billion fellow mortals, cringing and cowering before the madness.

As we cowered in deluded madness, we were fortunate that the krork and the Astartes did not. The krork had their psionic war field shrouded them in gleaming green halos. The space marines had but their will, and the hatred to fire their bellies. As daemons boarded every vessel, the krork fought them with equal fury. Purging flame and flashing sword were the weapons to fight conceptual foes; ancient weapons against ancient foes. The engineers, sealed in their warded engine rooms, fought on to reactivate the warp drives, even as the daemons hammered against the gates. Quilar purged the Hopespear deck by deck, room by room. He led a phalanx of Tau-enhanced terminators and centurions on a relentless march through the ship, as his grav-gun equipped drones sped through the ship like hunting dogs driving game, their empty minds impervious to daemon assaults as they crushed the putrid horrors, corralling them in the cavernous mess hall. Here, the daemons were contained, for this was where they had killed the majority of the mortal crew, their souls like a beacon. But ringed by warded-battlesuits piloted by the unbreakable minds of Astartes pumping endless munitions into their writhing mass, the invading daemons found themselves trapped.

This was when the Melded launched their attacks. Thousands of hybrids and purestrains flooded the mess, climbing over the shoulders of the posthumans to reach their prey. Lit by the conflagration of a hundred purging flamers, the genestealers and daemons fought claw to claw, fang to fang, until there was nothing left but burning shreds of meat, gobbets of daemon bile fizzing and spitting where it fell.
Yet, no matter how many daemons they killed, our defenders could not defeat a fleet of thousands. Tides of daemons continued to pour into our ships. Huddled in our warded refuges, we mortals shivered in the darkness as the slaughtersongs of devils echoed through our adopted homes.

The Shark fought like a beast of legend, tearing through daemon vessel after daemon vessel. Its inexhaustible weapons fired constantly in an expanding halo of fire and debris from its vanquished foes. The War Field blazed about them, banishing any daemons which got near. Like a bullet wreathed in vermillion fire, the krork cruiser plunged into the heart of the daemon fleet, on a course for the Citadel of Lead itself. Teleport attacks flared, before the ship plunged at a fraction of c into the fortress of malignancy.
This sent the Shadowlord’s forces temporarily reeling. The Shark’s sacrifice was the only thing which made the daemon assaults falter, giving our mechanics and warp seers time to fix our warp drives and Gellar fields. With one final ceremoour remaining vessels; a minnow slipping through the fangs of a whale’s great closing jaws.
What happened aboard the possessed ship, I cannot say for sure. I had a nightmare about it sometime later, so vivid I fear it may have been the truth, distilled into a warp-borne psychic memory. I dreamt of green giants wrestling with gargantuan horrors, as much cephalopod as machine, avian and mammalian as much as they were mineral. The giants tore through screeching ligaments of worms, spiny beasts tall as towers. Green giants against red winged giants, goblin sprites haloed by fire, purging undulating meat columns and purging capering purple hermaphrodites. And at the heart of the storm, an armoured giant with a powered claw and a pulsing energy glaive, battling a shadow cast by a goliath wall of ever shifting matter. The green ones could not prevail, but they could hurt the horrors, and make them squeal. All the while, the warriors chanted their battle cries.

“For War’s sake we fight, never beaten, never fallen. War is life, war in the blood! War! War! WAR! WAAAAAR! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I woke in a cold sweat, the scorched handprint of a krork blistering the skin across by back…

'''[Fragment unreadable]'''

-of course, the next warp jump was the last time we ventured into that twisted hellscape. Once we entered within half a lightyear of Iacob’s signal, the warp seemed inaccessible entirely, and we were forced to venture forth as fast as our plasma drives would allow us. Battered and violated, with only half our complement of crew, we limped onwards to our destiny. Without the krork ship, the squigs aboard the Archemos became ever harder to control, and as years went on, food and supplies dwindled. Makeshift ship repairs were undone by the rigours of continual plasma burn. But on we forged.
There was nothing for us behind, and only the signal ahead. The seers were oddly calm, the warp’s veil thickened in this region mysteriously. Some found the phenomenon unnerving, but most were just glad the daemons had stopped shrieking at them.

One year. Two. Three, four turned into five. You cannot adequately comprehend the colossal distances between worlds until you have attempted a sub-light burn. It is a special kind of harrowing; there is no enemy to fight but hunger, cold and maddening blankness.

Inertia more than anything carried us on. Quilar was wounded, his soul cut deeply by a bloodletter’s hellblade. In his last hours, he would only grant an audience to the Lamenter survivor, who we learned was once some chaplain of the old Imperial Adeptus. Maybe Quilar wanted a confessor? Maybe he wanted a friend to speak of long lost years of glory and might? Or perhaps he, like most old men, simply did not want to die alone?

When the last Lamenter emerged, we knew Quilar was dead, his geneseed sealed in a cylinder of armourglass.
Six years into the journey through the featureless black, we encountered something else. Black against the swirling pollution of the warp storm skies, the fleet of crescent-shaped ships was unmistakably Necron. They simply appeared, as if they had merely slowed down upon detecting us.
If I am honest, our defence was perfunctory, for the fight had truly left us at that point. When the living metal giants appeared on the Hopespear’s bridge, we knew there were so few left who could pose a challenge to these ancient aliens. Their very presence made me feel ill, as if their exuded a horrendous wrongness that poisoned their every action.
“Your vessels have been scanned… assessed… evaluated. The taint of the Dissolution does not cling to you,” said their Phaeron in a cold, artificial voice. “You are mad wretches for certain, but I believe you approach with no ill-intent.”

With that, to our collective astonishment, the Necron then reached up, and removed its head.

Beneath, there was a face laced with thin lines of circuitry, which was clearly, impossibly, a human woman.

“You are not Necron…” I said dumbly.

“The Necrons are dead, for the most part,” she agreed. “But the Pariah lineage of the Necrontyr endure.”
As if reading the disbelief in our faces, she smiled. “There is much you do not understand. Iacob sent us out to scout for any further refugee fleets. Come with us to T’sara’noga, and we can explain.”
We did not know what to make of these creatures. Fear of the necron was long ingrained in our mortal hindbrains, but the necrontyr seemed different; passionate, animated and oddly human. In the end, we had little choice but to allow ourselves to be taken by the necron, led through theor Dolmen gates towards the heart of the grand, lightyear-spanning null field matrix.
A journey of decades was completed in minutes, and suddenly we were confronted with a sight beyond reckoning.
Millions of vessels, hundreds of fleets of ramshackle craft, all filing towards a grand sphere, big as a blue giant star plated with silver and gold. Light streamed from the vast… portals in its flanks.
This was the last bastion, T’sara’noga, the mad god’s skin, the sphere of D’son, the Place Outside. The star cage. It was a sight of such sublime majesty, I cried as I beheld it. With trepidation we approached this sphere. This would be our refuge, the place from which we would ride out Apocalypse.
How could we have known then that '''[excerpt ends]
'''
*(The hybrids of the Realm of Fathers preferred this term to hybrid. Though I never could tell what offended a melded, as they were always so quiet and rarely perturbed. The broodmind was to blame I suspect.)

**(There were always two, I later learned. Morkar and Gorkul were always their names. Every krork ship had them, and they all spoke to one another via the ‘War Field’, which I believe functioned very similarly to the genestealer broodmind.)
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[[Category:Stories/Warhammer 40,000]]

Britbongsteros

2026-05-20T14:24:38Z

185.220.101.134:

{{cleanup}}
{{Autism}}

:What was/is your favourite campaign reward?

:Best reward?
:A small, stuffed, purple toy penguin was returned to its rightful owner.

==The Setting==
The world of Britbongsteros was the same as our world was until about 15th C but then suddenly ''magic''. This fueled science which fueled magic etc etc. We later discovered this was because of a device at the North Pole which had been keeping the magic from the world. It is here in our world and working. In the world of Britbongsteros, it blew up in 1497.

*The British empire existed. Lots about that in the story parts.

*'Murica was weird
:Due to an effect of local magic in New York (where the only American we met was from) you had to keep eating, all the time, but if you did, you became incredibly strong and fat. (Sorry America). America is a magical place (like /k/) and each state or couple of states has something weird going on. The eastern seaboard is reasonably normallish with crusades being mounted from the area into the middle and western regions. Numerous native American nations hold territory throughout the area. The Native Americans are famed for their aerial prowess with Apache Dragons being particularly feared. The Chinooks strike deep in American states and have excellent logistics. The Cherokee are famed as air cavalry.
:New Orleans is underwater. The mermaid elves are probably pretty happy. Except the sentient sharks. And the voodoo.
:The Americans would be pushed into the sea were it not for European Crusaders attempting to push through to get to the supposed holy land which for (insane Mormon reasons) is somewhere in Utah.

*France
:Was just all slutty elves. That was good.

*Germany
:Was a mix like Britbongsteros except that they also had bear people.

*Poland
:Doesn't exist as it does in the modern world. It's more the Poland of 18th century. The Lancers (actual eaglemen) war with both the Germanic bear people and the Russians who are (like the Germans) mostly human but with plenty bears and also wolves. They also have literal bear cavalry.

*Switzerland
:The place is already Britbongsteros enough. The Swiss are heavily armed, sit on huge piles of money, and wired the entire country for demolition. I really cannot Britbongsteros that.
:The Swiss have remained solidly out of the affairs of Britbongsteros, remaining normal, painfully so.
:It is this normalcy which is their greatest strength, they have no hell portals, weird dragons or any other shit. This is why they're trusted by Europe as bankers.
:They are also fiercely independent and want to keep the lunacy of the rest of Europe out, they patrol the mountain passes, slaughtering ANYTHING remotely non human. Their mercenaries are famed throughout Europe for their proficiency in taking down magical entities, making them highly sought after.
:Also they make quite good chocolate. The Belgians of course disagree, saying they make the best beer and chocolate.
:Each year the Belgian dragons send one young (human sized) dragon to compete against the Swiss champion chocolatier in unarmed combat.
:They send the same dragon to fight the German BrewMeister as the Germans claim they make the best beer.
:No Belgian has beaten both in one year. It is said that should a Belgian beat both. Europe shall tremble.

*Sweden (and much of the north)
:Deserted because of Ragnarök.

*Spain
:Ruled by king Quixote, a noble and honest knight who won the support of the peasantry through his charm and chivalric deeds. Spain is a haven of peaceful learning and culture. All thanks to the steady hand and suspicious mind of Prime Minister At Large Sancho Panza, and no mistake!
:Those Spaniards who didn't fit in with the chivalric ideal were exiled to the nightmare of South America. The Aztecs and Mayans hold strong in mountain strongholds.

*Greece
:Is 18th century Greece. The gods ascended 1500 years ago and now it's a shithole full of poets wondering where the majesty of Greece went. (Sorry Greece)

*Italy
:No one has heard much of the place, but rumours of a second Roman empire have been heard.

*Central Africa
:Is still marked as here be (literally) dragons. There are European colonies on the coast and a little into the interior. North Africa is much as it was in Roman times (I.E. quite civilized).

*The Middle east
:Is full of Arabian nights + huge reserves of magic oil. A clusterfuck waiting to happen. A Britbongsteros citizen (Orrance) advocates for Arab self rule.

*Australia
:Full of criminals. All the people still alive there are one man armies.

*China
:The terracotta armies hold back the Mongol horsemen (I.e. actual centaurs) along a towering great wall. Some trade now occurs with Britbongsteros, tea for opium.

*Japan
:Was Godzilla'ed with no survivors. The group loathes all things weeaboo. Additionally, anyone who even mentions the country, or swords, or weaponry, or Tasmanian shadowpuppetry summons Godzilla, and Godzilla will annihilate them and only them.

==The Party==
Throughout our adventures there were always at least five of us, and usually six. These are:

*'''Angus''' - An orc from Dundee. Originally a greengrocer but also horrendously proficient with the flamethrower he carries. The flamethrower doubles as a thermic lance.
*'''The bard''' - A human, wears a kilt, plays the bagpipes. Occasionally has great ideas. The DM uses his own taste in music for what the bard actually plays (so usually classic rock or country & western).
*'''Cruella''' - Essentially a Dark Eldar wych wearing more clothes. She is vicious and stealthy. Armed with two daggers and a sword that she talks to. Played by Aldous' PC's then (and now again) GF. The latter fact occasionally becomes relevant which is why it is mention it.
*'''The wizard''' - Not actually magic but can command metal (iron) and summon various sharp or pointy things. Including chainsaws.
*'''The Navvie''' (also called Burt) - A very large human with a hammer. He hits things with it.
*[[File:A_B_Findus_the_III.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Aldous with Purple Penguin]]'''Aldous''' - The character of the one telling the story. A dwarven knight. Wears full plate. Carries twin revolvers and a gatling shotgun. Smokes a pipe.
*'''The purple penguin''' - Moral compass and possible DM PC.

==The Story==

===The Beginning===
It may be best to begin with character creation.

As we know, the party consisted of five people:
:Angus: An orc
:The bard: A human
:The wizard: A wizard (no shit)
:The Navvie: A large angry human
:Aldous: A dwarven knight, also me.

I will describe in a little bit of detail how each of us started out. As a reminder there would be five of us (there were eventually six players) during these adventures as the other player hadn't joined yet, though she did usually sit and drink wine on the sofa and listen (which is how she decided to start playing. There were a couple of her interjections which are worthy of note, so her player will show up every so often.

By the way, the DM is a dick. That's all you need to know about him.

Angus:
:"I want to be an orc."
:"Ok you're an orc. Good for you. What else?
:"Well Orcs in this setting live in Dundee right?"
:"Yes...?"
:"Nothing exciting has ever come out of Dundee right? So I should be boring, I should be something like... like a... greengrocer."
:"You're a green-greengrocer?"
:"YES!"
:"Ok, what would you bring to the party?"
:"Well I should be inventive maybe, bring some technical skills, I can maybe do some social things right?"
:"Sure let's go for it."

The Bard:

Japan does not exist in this setting. Godzilla does. He will kill and eat anything even vaguely weeaboo. This was made extremely clear to the Bard's player in advance (he likes to be an edgemaster katana wielding trench coated sunglasses wearing faggot).
:"I want to be a Samurai!"
:"Japan doesn't exist. No."
:"Well ok, I'm just the one samurai who was sent away to regain my honnah..."
:"No."
:"Shipwreck samurai!"
:"No."
:"Magic samurai!"
:"No."
:DM: "Look, fuck it. Japan was destroyed totally. No survivors. The end."
:"Oh ok, how about I roll a bard?"

The Wizard:

The DM and Wizard's player had already had an extensive chat about the mechanics of wizardry in the setting, as Anon may already be aware, the wizard wasn't magic in the sense of your average time traveling D&D magic bastard. The idea being that he could only control metal, he could do whatever he liked with the stuff, but it would take time and there'd be DM fiat on his powers. He would receive a bonus to controlling anything iron based as that was his clan.

So essentially that was the Wizard. (They'd spent rather a while working it all out together).

The Navvie:

The Navvie's player is a simple chap who takes a simple approach to life.
:"Ok. What do you fancy being?"
:"I will have a hammer. I will hit things with it. We're done."

Aldous:
:"Well, firearms are a thing... so I'd like to play as a specialist with ranged weapons, maybe a brace of pistols..."
:"You're not playing that fucking elf again."
:"I'll be a dwarf, an angry one, a Dwarven Noble, bitter and twisted, someone who has suffered a great deal, and seeks for new meaning in life or a means to end it."
:"Hmm... ok I like that, we're good."
It's worth mentioning we did work out little backstories for ourselves so we all had origins and backgrounds, but that's essentially it.

:''>How it all began...''

The story begins when a god falls out of the sky. He hits the marketplace in Dundee. We all have our reasons to be there be it working, shopping, drinking or traveling through.

There's a light in the sky, people are looking up, it looks like a comet, but it's low, it's coming down, it's coming down towards the marketplace.

It's coming down fast, running isn't going to help, nor is cover.

The comet isn't just coming down, it's screaming, actually screaming.

We can each make it out now, the shape of a man, wreathed in flame.

He hits the ground hard, thunderously so, People are knocked flat by the shockwave, people start to run, five people advance on the crater.

You five.

The five us look over the edge of steaming, smoking crater. The man isn't jam as you might expect. He also has a pretty large pair of antlers growing out of his head.

He opens his eyes and looks at the five of us. He speaks in a language none of us understand. Gesturing at himself he says what we can only assume is his name. Belatucadros. At least that's we think it might be.

The five of us look at each other. There's quite a large crowd gathered behind us.

There are shouts of "What's going on? What's in there?" We decide to perhaps maybe talk to him. To try and do something a bit more positive than gawp.

We descend into the crater. On closer inspection, his legs are broken. He's rather a lot bigger than an ordinary man, bigger than the Navvie, at the very least twelve feet tall.

From behind us, the crowd are making different noises, screams, there comes a gun-shot, then more.

The bard (remember none of have actually met one another at this point) looks over the top of the crater.
:"Fuck this, I'm off."
The Navvie and I look at one another, Angus looks out as well.
:"UNDEAD!"
The crowd are fleeing, there are undead making there way through, slaughtering as they go.

We are unarmed, The Navvie and I can't carry what must be 800lbs of god. We can't just leave the fucker, Angus offers to help. The three of us do our best to pick him up, to drag him from the crater. We are surprised when he becomes lighter, the fourth, so far silent, person in the crater still hasn't touched the thing, but an iron bar supports the gods lower body, enough that we can carry him. Enough that we can run.

So we pick up Belatucadros (who I'm now going to call Baz for short) and book it in the direction Angus points.

As we run, we push past large numbers of terrified people, on the other side of the square we can see organized ranks of skeletons advancing line abreast. These skellies aren't your common or garden variety ones, they're clad in armour, they look like roman legionnaires more than anything.

We get into what must be Angus's shop. The Navvie suggests locking the door, which Angus does. The windows are small and easily boarded up. The shop is semi-detached, next to it is the inn where the rest of us happen to be staying. The skeletons we can see are advancing on the crater.

Baz is asleep.

Clearly they want Baz.

We know that necromancery has been an ongoing problem for a while as general knowledge and they're probably evil for that reason.

We start talking to each other as we board the place up.

Introductions are made.

There's movement from behind the counter. We improvise weapons (a tack-hammer, my pen-knife, the Navvie's fists, and a couple of hovering chainsaws), the bard sheepishly pops his head over the counter. As does a tiny animated haggis.
:"Eep" said the Haggis.
:"Hi... guys" said the bard.

Realizing the bard probably isn't a threat, I mention that my weapons and armour are next door, as are the Navvies' things, and it turns out, the Bards pipes too.

Angus is already rummaging to try to find something to improvise as a weapon, remember he is a greengrocer, and therefore does not sell much in the way of threatening items.

Across the square, the undead are beginning to break into buildings and clear them, obviously looking for Baz.
:"How are we going to get our stuff?"
The Navvie solves the problem by making a Navvie sized hole in the shelf, wall, and a couple of tables on the other side of the wall.

We recover our accoutrements easily enough. The Inn is deserted, now armed and amoured, we see each other for the first time as potential warriors and allies rather than men caught in events we don't understand. Also the Bard is there and his familiar: "Haggis." (yes it was called Haggis).

Angus's shop is not as defensible as we'd like and peeking between the boards on the windows we can see that the undead are starting to turn our way.

The most defensible location nearby is the Steeple Church, the (amazingly enough) Steeple of which is practically a tower, perhaps we can hold out there with Baz until the soldiers from Oliver Barracks or Marines from any of the RN vessels in the harbour can try to retake the town.

We decide to leave, Angus empties the register, leaving a "back soon" note on the counter, and guides us to the back door, which he makes a show of locking behind us (the hole in the wall he appears to have neglected). He is carrying a large sack of what we can't really identify as anything other than "bitz". We also think grabbing some food and beer might be a good idea.

We slink through the backstreets toward the Kirk, we can already smell smoke and there is still the occasional scream, we can hear the Undead smashing down doors. It can't be long before we're spotted, so we move as quickly as a group of men carrying 800lbs of unconscious god can, Angus directs us and we can already see the Steeple above the houses, but we can also hear the crackle of gunfire from up ahead.

Just before we enter the square we decide to ditch Baz for a minute. Apparently the Haggis will keep an eye on him (ok Bard...).

We round a corner and see a detachment of Royal marines unloading into a Testudo of skellies. The Skellies are not going down easy and are slowly, surely, advancing on them. The Skellies have their backs to us, we could break their formation.

It's here we have our first defining moment as a party.
:"Are we going to help them?"
There's four fuck yeahs and a "sure whatever..." the "sure whatever" earns the bard a stare from the rest of us.
:"Fine you can stay here and watch..."
This is also the first interjection from the sofa of
:"Hah, faggot."
:"Ok, I'm in!"
At this stage we are all very very basic, some of us have fought before, others have literally no idea what they're doing.

The bard is extremely helpful in that the first thing he does, is start to play (this was our first experience of the Bard's music). The DM must have queued this up on his laptop, because as soon as the Bard says
:"I am gonna play an inspiring song."
the DM slaps the space spar and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdqoNKCCt7A Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)] - which was then followed by several already slightly drunk players singing along.

Of course what the DM didn't remind him was that we are the better part of fifty feet from the Skeletons, roman skeletons with perfect drill, the rear rank does a 180 towards us.
:"Well shit."
Once we got over the idea that the bard playing music meant that we actually got music, we are staring down a rank of 15 odd skellies with very big shields, which we are a tiny bit unsure about how to kill them.

The wizard goes first.
:"Guyz, I have a plan..."
He summons a 10lb iron ball. It hovers in mid air, it starts to rotate in place, gradually gaining speed, meanwhile the Navvie and I start to jog toward the enemy. Angus at this point, as a self declared party face, isn't really sure what he's gonna do, but he definitely has a sack of stuff, which he plops down and reaches into.
:OOC: "Angus, what are you doing?"
:"I'm a social character, I dunno I could..."
:"ANGUS YOU HAVE NO SOCIAL SKILLS AND THIS IS NOT THE TIME."
:"I pick up a brick and follow the other two!"

At 25 feet or so I stop and open fire on them. The rounds from my revolvers punch through the shields just fine, but what they're doing to the Skellies behind is kinda hard to tell. One falls and a couple are looking quite shaky. I keep firing, stopping to reload and then emptying the cylinder again.

Angus jogs past me after the Navvie. He stops, reaches into the bag (still holding the brick) and goes for a bottle, which he somehow fashions into a rudimentary molotov cocktail. It sails through the air. It shatters on a shield. Then the one who it hit is shattered into bits. Angus celebrates what he sees as his victory (he never seemed to realize it was the redneck-cannonball that did it, but we didn't have the heart to tell him either) as the Wizard summons some rotary saws, the redneck cannonball does however zip into the main body of skellies, momentarily breaking their formation and buying the marines some time.

The Navvie is starting to realize that even with me firing at Skellies, Angus prepping another molotov and the Wizard keeping his flanks clear, him and his hammer are still running straight at ten or so skeletons. He decides, rather than run away, to take the innovative decision of running at them faster.

The reasoning is easy enough to follow, they're in a single line, one skelly deep, if he can break their formation and keep going, they can't surround him. He smashes one to the ground and gets a glancing blow on a second and keeps going. Skellies may be tough but they are not bright, with some turning to follow him and others advancing on us, they are easy enough to mop up.

We have our first victory! Go us! We are heroes! Except there's still the least 75 more skellies.
:"Ah."
The marines are doing a fairly good job keeping them back. Another wizard-cannonball (turns out it's rather effective if your enemies are man sized, don't have guns, and just happen to be lined up) helps break the formation as we hit the Skellies in the rear.

The rest of the combat sees skeletons pinned between us and marines. When the dust settles there's us and about fifteen marines left.

We retrieve Baz and head into the church. We also retrieved the haggis. By the time we get back, the marines are starting to dig in, ripping up pews and smashing windows to make firing ports.

The rest of the city is burning, there are a fair number of huddled civilians within the church as well. The marines are lead by a sergeant with a very impressive tache. They are short on ammunition and are happy to have us with them.

Outside there do not appear to be many skellies about, yet.

Given the way the rest of the city is suffering and how quiet it seems here, we maybe sometime before we are relieved.

Baz semi wakes up. He doesn't look terribly well. Indeed he looks a bit worse than when we found him. He sits up, looks around, vomits into the font and collapses on the floor.

Meanwhile our attention is drawn to the skellies beginning to file into the square.

We pool our knowledge, the marines seem happy to keep doing marine things and leave us to it. We decide to get away from the smell of Baz vomit and head up into the steeple.

On getting the height advantage we realize several things:
:1. Yup this city is fucked.
:2. That's a lot of Roman skeletons.
:Why are they Romans? Well necromancers like bodies/skellies that in life were trained (it sort of helps with drilling the skellies), and the Romans did actually do quite a lot of stuff around this area. Don't put it past an intrepid go-getting necromancer to have gone to Mons Graupius and raised the Roman dead, for example, then to have continued the theme with any other corpses.

It was about here that Angus decided he wanted to call them Zombans. We told him if he tried we would throw him from the tower.

The bad thing in particular about it being Romans is Romans are rather good at military engineering. We have a feeling if this turns into a siege, we aren't going to have a chance to starve to death.

We can also see larger shapes on the skyline, undead giants we think. The ships in port are streaming out to sea while the RN vessels fire on the giants.

It's beginning to get dark. The skellies have surrounded the church but aren't doing anything else. Baz pukes again and we attempt further communication.

There's a lot of grunting, and some sign language. In the end, Baz makes writing motions, Angus dips into his sack and comes out with a stick of charcoal. He then ignores everyone else while tinkering with some bits.

Baz draws a picture on a flagstone. It's him and he has some other (what we assume are Gods) around him, surrounding them are lots and lots of little floaty things. He then scrubs out the floaty things, drawing them instead around a second picture, a skull. He then pointedly draws a line through one God after another, until only Baz is left.

What the wizard and I construe from this (the Navvie deciding that alcohol is dangerous in a situation like this and is plugging down all the beer we brought to protect others from inebriation) is that all of the souls that were keeping Baz and his God friends going (I.e. folk who died in their territory) have been hoovered up by the necromancers.

Baz and co. are not likely to have had a great many living believers and now he finds himself the only one left.

Baz then promptly passes out again. Angus is still tinkering. People are starting to get hungry (not a good time to be a haggis). The undead aren't coming because (we assume) church, but we are stuck in here without the forces to get out, we assume they are trying to keep us here until they can bring up something that will let them in. Be it siege engine or magic or something.

We are starting to ponder.
:"Why not give them Baz?"
We decide against it because giving them an actual God seems unwise.

It looks like stalemate for now.

Having decided not to hand over Baz, we consider our options again, sadly our options appear to amount to die, or wait for them to break down the walls, and then die. Attempts at finding catacombs or tunnels under the altar or other standard church type things prove fruitless. It looks like we are here for the duration.

There is movement outside.

It looks like whatever they are waiting for has arrived. A patch of darkness coalesces into a vaguely humanoid shape. If we had to guess, it's probably not a good sign at all.

The Necromancer (who, to differentiate him from later appearances, we will call "Frank") hisses and clacks his teeth together a bit before remembering how to speak.
:"You have something we want..."
Deciding we aren't going to lose anything by responding we ask
:"What's that exactly?"
:"You have my sacrifice. Give him to me and I will let you leave unharmed."
At this point we owe nothing to the country, we have no royal charter, and we have no purple penguin. This does not however mean that we believe him.
:"Why don't you come and get him!?"
The necromancer doesn't seem terribly amused. He makes no reply but there is an almighty thump from the doors as a battering ram is deployed.

We manage to get a look outside. We expected your common or garden variety battering ram, what we did not expect was (one lore check later) the iron man of gorbals (esoteric, but it is on Google) to be clubbing at our door.

We have another problem. There is a commotion among the civilians. We decide the doors are our biggest threat and with the marines firing onto the skellies below as they try to get ladders against the windows, we decide this place may not be as sanctified as we hoped.

The iron man is... well basically a big iron and flesh construct. The wizard is definitely going to be able to do things to it, but he's going to need time. We smash out the stained glass windows and do our best, he seems resistant to shot, hammer, and... Angus? Where are you?

Angus joins us with a large bucket of something flammable, from the smell it's whale oil (rather common as a means of providing illumination), he douses the iron man who although going up like a torch, otherwise isn't terribly bothered.

There's screaming from behind us now

The iron man judders and stumbles, it seems the wizard is doing something... he collapses against the door. A large, flaming object, against the wooden door.

Arse.

It's a strong oak door, toughened by the years, but if it fails we are beyond fucked. The iron man is still banging weakly at it.

The wizard does his best to shore up the door and simultaneously encourage bits of the iron man away from it, reasoning it is Angus's problem, the Navvie and I leave him and the bard to try and put the issue out while we see what is up with the civvies.

We are just in time to see a marine get his throat ripped out by a granny. She screams unlike anything we have heard before, a banshee wail. It appears the undead may not be inclined to come in without a necromancer like Frank to strengthen their animus, if you're in the church and happen to expire, as granny appears to have done, you're fair game.

Some of the civilian corpses behind her are starting to rise.

The marines at the windows are tied up keeping the rest of the undead out, it looks like this is our problem. The problem is that this is becoming an exponential issue as dying civilians rise and kill others, who themselves also rise. We get stuck in as best we can, but it's not long before the Navvie and I are surrounded, fighting back to back, thinning down what is slowly becoming a horde. At least we have their attention... or do we... It seems like some are making for Baz.

When some of the nearby bodies ignite, we at least know help is on the way. Joined by the others, we fight our way to Baz, just as a patch of darkness begins to form above where he lays.
:N.b. a recently reanimated corpse in Britbongsteros is not a zombie, it retains all of the thoughts, feelings and emotions it did when living, but the will of the corpse can be subjugated, otherwise they just gradually go feral as the brain dies off.
:The undead came in three (for want of a better term) tiers:
:1. Zombies: the recently reanimated, still bearing the memories of life, uncoordinated, crap in combat, but excellent as a horde. If reanimated but not subjugated they would go feral as the brain decayed, eventually becoming...
:Tier 2: Skellies. Tough, violent and able to be perfectly coordinated by a necromancer, as there is nothing left to contest the body.
:Tier 3: if you had sufficient angriness or something left to do, you could end up as a wight or revenant. Also falling into this category are banshees, who are tough, but the banshee "spirit" can possess a corpse where it knows there is likely to be a lot more death to follow (I.e. it is going to be able to do some wailing).
:Tier 3.5 is ghosts which I will have to remember to tell you about later.

Cù Sìth is what we would identify the thing as once it appears over Baz, but we settled on Giant Fucking Murder Dog.

We stand together, there's a giant fucking dog thing (it's alive/demonic/who fucking knows, but it's in here and it's the size of a bull) and it's standing over Baz. It lowers it's shoulders and growls.

We look at each other, we look at it, it's do or fucking die now. Five men, one haggis. Let's do this.

The bard plays for us [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2D8Eo15wE Ram Jam - Black Betty 1977] while the undead smash into the Kirk through the windows, marines retreating behind us, trying to keep our backs clear as the beast lopes toward us.

We can see light beginning to come in through the windows behind it, but it's by no means sun up yet.

We run to meet it, pistols and molotov taking it at close range, the harpoon now sticking out of its side impedes it. As it gets in close, the Navvie's smacking it in the face as it goes to bite down on the noisiest target: The bard.

It gets a mouthful of Haggis instead.
:(DM: "That thing was retarded you can either lose that or lose a leg.")

Bereft of the daftest member of our party, we club the thing to death.

The sun is definitely rising, but it's by no means light enough to give us hope, we turn and stand with the marines, of whom there are not very many left, the couple of surviving civilians do their best with candlesticks. It's about now that Baz wakes up.

We know Baz as an 800lb lump of useless, smelly, vomiting rubbish, what we do not know him as, is as a god, and he gracefully, slowly, pushes through our lines. The predatory bulk of him slamming into skeletons. As impressive as it is, there's only one of him, and an awful lot of them. Also there's a Frank.

His skellies have opened the door, and as Frank drifts in, Baz is swamped and pulled down like a stag by hounds.

Frank wouldn't be any kind of evil necromancer if he didn't gloat a little, but he's also eminently sensible about it. As Skellies bind him and lift Baz out, he gives us an oddly cheerful wave.
:"Goodness that was a lot of effort wasn't it? Why bother? You could have avoided this and all of these people wouldn't have had to..."
The pistol bullet takes his jaw off. The Navvie speaks for all of us.
:"We didn't ask to be here, but you know what, fuck you."

Frank beats a retreat with Baz in tow, the rest of the Skellies push toward us, we retreat to the altar, using the stairs to hold them off as best we can.

The sun is up now, and in the distance we can hear the guns on the ships. The shell that takes out the other half of the church makes life somewhat easier.

Eventually we collapse, weary, tired, and grumpy in the light of the early dawn.

We are taken aboard the HMS Victory, this by no means feels like victory, it feels like a beginning, after our story is confirmed by the surviving marines and civilians, we meet Dan Defoe, agent of the privy council. He's quite a guy.
:"Well you didn't quite do a perfect job lads, but we think we know where Frank went, it's not a job for conventional forces, and I have a royal charter here that offers you some excellent benefits to signing up."
:"What benefits are these?"
:"Revenge, money, arms, women, and being alive to enjoy it."
Angus looks troubled.
:"What about my shop?"
:"Destroyed in the shelling, or if it wasn't I'll arrange it."
:"My... my... my family?"
:"See above, you signing or not me ol' green matey?"
Five signatures are added below the extremely impressive signature of "Queenie - Love and Hugs. P.s. I'll chop off your balls."

We sign the charter, accepting the Queen's shilling and agreeing to finish what we started. Well that's not quite right. We didn't start anything. Some giant bastard with antlers fell out of the sky on us. We are not best pleased, but given the choice of fighting further or being disposed of in some unpleasant manner, there isn't really a choice at all.

Dan Defoe (quite a nice bloke really) continues, giving us the best intelligence the crown has on what Frank (our local neighbourhood necromancer) is likely to do next.
:"The short answer lads, we have no fucking idea."
Well cheers for that Dan.
:"But we do know he (Frank) has a fondness for Romans. It's likely he may be camped somewhere near Battledykes (yes that's a real place).

The party, and we are starting to think of ourselves as a party now, are at this point still aboard HMS Victory while Dundee slowly burns. Battledykes is about twenty miles north of the city. If that is where Frank (not actually called Frank but it's easier than typing "the necromancer") has gone, then it's likely this is also where they have taken Baz.
:"Hey Dan, if we are servants of the crown does that mean we can get stuff?"
The DM makes a fatal decision here.
:"Well I'm sure the ships stores can be made available to you within reason."
:>Roll some dice
:>Angus beams
:"I wonder if anyone will miss this flamethrower..."
We also make off with a quantity of explosives (dynamite) and ammunition.

One of the ship's boats drops us ashore at Invergowrie (Down the coast a bit).

So our merry little band set off on our first adventure, we have a necromancer to slay and a quest. We feel like proper adventurers!
:>It starts to rain. Heavily.
:>It's also cold as fuck.
We try to push on, on foot, along a road rapidly turning to mud, downtrodden refugees heading in the opposite direction look more than worse for wear, they at least can take shelter in wagons. The bard begins to shiver.

We are barely two miles inland and soaked to the skin. Frozen, we start thinking of looking for a barn or similar to wait out the storm. We find a small cottage, there is smoke coming from the chimney and it looks warm and cozy.

We knock on the door hopefully. Starting to feel rather sorry for ourselves in this weather, yes we have some gear with us, but it's bitterly wet and cold, and we were up all night fighting the undead (if you can't tell we are being punished for our own stupidly here).

The tiny old woman that answers the door tells us that we can bugger off.

The offer of money gets us permission to stay in the barn and the offer of soup.

Feeling a bit happier (Angus seems to have a sniffle) we decide, given we set off late, that maybe we should settle down here for the night, warm up, and generally be of some use tomorrow.

The rain beats down hard on the roof, despite the well maintained farm there are no animals. We should perhaps find this odd but maybe they're all out to pasture. It also seems to be just the old woman.

After the soup we feel drowsy. Very drowsy indeed.

We do our best to stay awake, deciding one of us should perhaps remain on watch, I try to stay awake with my pipe. I'm replaced by the bard, then the wizard, the wizard wakes the rest of us just after midnight.

There is something coming up the road. It's still raining too hard to tell what, but we strain our eyes in the darkness.

There are a number of them. A small force even. We can't make out much, they look from a distance like sturdy, wizened old men, each is wearing what (as the old woman opens the door to the cottage, we seen in the light to be) a bright red cap.

A little lore checking denotes the strong possibility that these might be [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redcap Powries].

A Powrie, or red cap as Anon will see from the link is a sort of species of dwarf, well armed and bloodthirsty, the titular hats are dyed red with blood and they must re-dye them regularly.

The Powries begin to deposit various dead things on the threshold (we note that they never cross it), these include the butchered carcasses of deer, a boar, and three or four concerningly human shaped things. It appears the old woman has been cooking for these things.

:A note on the powries of Britbongsteros
:A native tribe or race, local to the Scottish borders, entirely mercenary, they prey on travelers. Each is armed traditionally with a long spear or pike. They are excellent woodsmen and incredibly fast over open ground.
There's also enough of them that we are totally boned if the old woman tells them we are....
:>She points in our general direction.

What exactly do we do? There's not much we can do. We decide to wait until they get closer and see what comes of it.

About half of them walk toward the barn. The other half seem to have flat out vanished. As they get closer we can see the wicked talons on their hands, their fangs and the rain washes the blood dripping from their hats down their cheeks.

They open the barn doors below us. As the others have disappeared, we wait in the hayloft, ready at least to take some with us. The Powries don't seem to have realized we are there, they are below us, collecting up tools, what looks like farming equipment. Maybe we might get out of this without bloodshed?
:>Probably not.
One of them sniffs the air. We do our best to stay quiet. It shakes its head.

Seems everything turned out better than exp...

The other half of the Powries have been scaling the wall of the barn.

Everything goes crazy, there are Powries everywhere, there's gun fire and bagpipes, screaming, shouting and by the way. Did you know, using a flame-thrower in a wooden building is actually not wonderfully smart?

Now the barn is very healthily ablaze and we are nearly surrounded by crazy angry midgets. Taking our inspiration from Ghandhi as to how to deal with this we...

No of course we don't. We shoot them.

Fun powrie fact. Outrunning a Powrie is (according to mythology and therefore our rules) impossible. We need to kill each and every one or we will have mad red hatted tribesmen jumping out of bushes as we stumble around the countryside. The bard, as always, is useless. The wizard summons and chucks sharp implements about. The Navvie (surprise) has taken rather well to combat, and remember this is the first time we are spilling actual blood as opposed to battering skeletons.

Angus is finding the whole situation troubling.

As a reminder, Angus' backstory is he is a shop keeper. That's it. Turning living beings into pillars of fire is a new experience for him, and not one he enjoys. The Navvie reminds him that if they kill us, they will eat us. That seems to help, but what really assists, is Angus getting a pike through the shoulder. He then utters the immortal word of vengeance.
:"Ow"
Reaching into his bag of tricks and coming up Molotov, he has a fistful of each.

Now a little note about our DM, you may sometimes get told if you're doing something stupid. Sometimes.

Angus's attempt at (with some rope) making a flail of molotovs does not work. He sets both of his feet on fire, along with launching flame bottles scattering across the barn. Miraculously none of us are set alight, but it does provide quite the distraction, allowing us to beat down the rest of the Powries.

With the Powries removed, we decide the best thing to do is get out of the barn. It collapses appropriately dramatically as we do so.

We debate having a further chat with the old woman who sold us out. We decide probably best to play it softly as we would quite like to stay in her cottage (it being night and raining torrentially) on the other hand, that fire is going to attract every kind of ne'er do well for miles

We decide it's worth the risk (we don't want the DM to consider giving us pneumonia), the old woman is actually surprisingly grateful that we "got rid of the Powries." We are only going to be nice back if we can check her pantry (The Powries had been bringing her human shaped things). She dislikes this idea.

The wizard is able to sense the magical build up and attempts to shove the Navvie out of the way of unpleasant looking ball of dark energy. Shortly afterwards we add one granny to our kill count. Shortly after that, we are reminded (we love you DM) that we ate her soup, which a check of the pantry confirms was not kosher.

I hope anon never faces this situation. You've got tasty delicious possibly human in your belly.
:>The DM pops his first beer
:"Well chaps, who's going to puke first? As a reminder this was your first hot meal in a while and it was a little time and one combat ago..."
Angus decided that actually he's an orc, so he can really can't be a cannibal anyway. The rest of us take a different approach.
:>laughter occurs from the sofa.

We bed down, feeling oddly disgusted with our selves and our murderhobo conduct. Consider: we turned up, killed everyone, burnt down the barn, killed an old lady, then were sick in her garden. We're proper adventurers now

Now that that clusterfuck of a random encounter is dealt with, we meet the morning, new and fresh, ready to greet the new day and march onwards to Baz, glory, and not being killed by our own monarch while probably being killed by skeletons.
:>onwards
We don't move as fast as we would like (having about twenty more miles to traverse) but we get through daylight without much issue. Our pace is slow as we start to come into necromancer territory - I.E. nearing Battledykes.

N.b. you can follow along on Google maps when places get mentioned.

What does necromancer territory mean exactly? Well it's not quite as weird as you might expect. The gardens and fields are overgrown, the kirkyards and cemeteries lack occupants. The land itself is still green and verdant, there are no creepy Halloween things, it's just very, very quiet.

Thinking we can't be far from our objective, and that we are not attacking a necromancer, and his minions in the dark, we make the decision to bed down someplace. We decide on a good sized farmhouse near Lunanhead.

I take the first watch.

We do not light any fires because muh stealthy. The moon up and I'm just thinking of waking Angus when I see movement on the road below. Lots and lots of movement. Ranks of skeletons march past, followed by war machines, undead giants (who come from Stirling - that is relevant later), but the skeletons are not the Roman ones we are used to.

I wake the rest of the party. The wizard. Then Angus. The Navvie. Then Angus. Then the bard.

Wait a second....

In the hushed darkness there's definitely me and five other shapes. That is a bad number. I should add, the DM has mentioned the extra human shaped shape to me via note, he's still describing the army marching past to everyone else.

Ok. So, if I give the alarm we could end up summoning the army. We also don't know what the extra body is, or even who it is.

The Navvie is easy, even in the darkness you can just tell it's him. Angus you can tell by smell, I know I'm me, the bard, wizard and... thing(?) on the other hand are all very similar silhouettes.

I can't just say "one of you is an impostor" I also can't start shooting, Angus is quite sharp when he wants to be though. He rolls perception. Then goes full retard.
:"Something doesn't smell right here..."
He grabs the.... The bard.

The shape knows it's been rumbled.

What is the shape? That's a remarkably good question. Our first thought however is not to worry about that. Instead we dog-pile to prevent whatever it is from escaping.

If anon has ever played any contact sports, you know that if you leap at someone, you're braced for the impact. So it comes as quite a surprise when you miss or meet no resistance at all. Why is that? Because it's a ghost.

This is our first ghost we have had anything to do with. As the shape switches from floaty bard to floaty Angus to floaty wizard, we start to wonder if it might not be harmful.

We lie in a pile on the floor. The ghost is silent. It waves it's arms about. It may in fact be harmless? We aren't sure. It is, at the very least, silent, and we can hear things marching past outside, so we should be relieved by that.

The undead of Britbongsteros I have discussed a few times already, but ghosts occupy a rare and unusual position. Can someone be a zombie and a ghost? No. But if say, for example, as happened to a recently deceased person who was possessed or taken over by (for example) a banshee, then that person has to go someplace. Then we get ghost.

However just because it used to be a person, does not make it smart. However it seems to be waving in the direction of a specific bit of floor

We lift a rather mouldy rug and see a trapdoor. Nifty. Of course common sense prevails eventually. Why is it so keen for us to go down there? None of the characters may have ever seen a horror movie, but we do share at least the one communal brain cell.

The wizard, Angus, and I descend into the darkness of the cellar. The bard and Navvie (not a fan of confined spaces) wait up top. By the light of Angus's pilot light we can see it's a bit more than the standard cellar. There is also a body on the ground, chained out so it's spread-eagled. We think this is what our ghost might have belonged to.

The body is so old you couldn't tell what the ghost was in life, nor do we think it can remember. Which is rather sad when you think about it. We decide the right thing to do is try to put the thing to rest.

Maybe whatever originally possessed it has gone? It's just a husk and therefore... We have no idea. Angus suggests just torching it. The wizard seems to think removing the chains is a good idea. The Navvie (in what is for him a whisper) asks from the top of the stairs what's taking so long? The body's eyes open

We weren't really expecting that, or maybe we should have. It also talks. You'd expect the sibilance of gravedust, instead it's almost cheerful.
:"Greetings."
We definitely don't know whats in there, but as its head turns through 360 degrees, burning the thing seems like an excellent idea.

===Devil's Bargain===
So we have a ghost that quite wants to go home and *something* occupying its body.

I need to explain a couple lore checks first before I go on.

Our new friend introduces him/her/itself (or some other Tumblr bullshit) as Brahan Seer, who the bard apparently knows as a famous soothsayer, it also adds that we can call it Black Donald (Which Google will tell you is a name for the devil).

We will just call him Donny.

:>Is it Satan?
We don't think so, Christian mythology is fairly lacking (purposeful choice) when it comes to appearing in Britbongsteros, however the names are helpful in identifying whatever is in that corpse as something we want to chat to before setting it on fire.
:>What does Donny want?
Donny wants us to collect something for him. From the local necromancer. The one we are going to be visiting (shooting), that being our good friend Frank.
:>What is it?
Something which anons who have read the later stories may recognize, but Donny describes it as a glowing blue box. As many as we can carry. If we do that, he will relinquish the body and the ghost can go back to where it belongs.

We agree. For now. For people who were living normal lives until yesterday, things are getting weird.

We head back upstairs and let the rest of the party know, they agree. So we have literally made a deal with (possibly) the devil.

Our next step is to have a good look at where we are going next. Down into Battledykes.

We wait for sun up.

There are still plenty undead about, but they don't seem quite as effective in the day. We also rather need to see what we are doing. Observation shows that there are small units of skeletons patrolling the countryside, there's also a copse of trees leading almost all the way to where we want to go. We cut down into the woods.

The early morning mist gives us plenty of cover, and from up ahead we can hear hammering.

From a distance we could see the beginnings of a Roman camp, which logic indicated would likely be where we would find Baz. It also occurs to us we still don't have much of a plan... Of course not having a plan never really bothered us later and it didn't bother us at this stage either. We did however take some explosives along for the trip, which we are glad of now.

The Navvie lights the fuse and slings them at the wall. They land at the bottom of it, sizzling, a skeleton looks over the top of the wall. It half turns, before shattering as a spume of earth and flame shoots into the sky. The wall is down and we are running toward the breach.

We need to find, engage and kill Frank as quickly as possible, otherwise the skeletons will soon overwhelm us.

The bard launched into a song at this stage. For the life of me I cannot remember what the fuck it was. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7kJRGPgvRQ KORPIKLAANI - Vodka (OFFICIAL VIDEO)] this'll do.

The skeletons are not fast to respond, but they do slowly begin to. As we make it through the breach they are beginning to form up. We can also see a pedestal with Frank on it, aAlong with some chaps in robes.
:>Alchemists
These chaps turn up later as well, but they're responsible for a lot of the more magical/weird technology of Britbongsteros. They react plenty fast.

Angus shoots pillar of flame across the formation of skeletons. It turns out large groups of skeletons with wooden shields do not like flamethrowers. Angus gets this mad, mad, glint in his eye.
:>Oh fuck yes. It werfs flammen.

The alchemists appear to have brought jezzails. They're not wonderful shots, but they fire extremely large boolets. The dent that appears in my breastplate and takes me off my feet is sore as fuck. I'm fine, but not terribly happy about it. The Navvie is very much in his element, he has picked up an alchemist and is using him as a human shield. It works absurdly well. The wizard and I make for Frank.

Frank has obtained a new jawbone from somewhere. He does not seem terribly pleased. Baz is tied up on the pedestal with alchemist looking gubbins humming into life around him, we can see some of those cubes around him. He does not look terribly well... In fact Baz looks rather pale.

Whatever Frank is up to, we need to do something. Soon. We don't know what the machines will do, what Frank is up to, or indeed what will happen if the ritual/process is complete. The Navvie takes a very direct approach to all things.
:"I still have some explosives left right?"
Yesohshitno

He tosses the other satchel at Baz
:DM: "Muh adventure muh BBEG my-"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

A very important DM lesson was learnt that day: Do not trust us morons.

The smoking crater contains one Baz and not much else. The skeletons around us are uncoordinated and bumping into things.

Everything went better than expected? Ish...

Of course, Frank was not the only necromancer around. Of course other necromancers would sense his demise. Of course Frank might have a master. Of course the DM was pissed.

Meanwhile we merrily root about for glowy blue boxes. We find some thinking that should do, and prepare to leave.

When several hundred skeletons turn to look at you in unison, you start to realise there might be a problem.

We have done something that was possibly a bit dumb. We have smashed our way into the center of a small fortress outnumbered, outgunned, alone. Worse still than that, we have angered the DM. The DM pauses for a long, long moment. He looks at us. Each of us. A cold, hard stare.
:>Let's do this.

The skeletons start to form up. Perfect serried roman ranks. We begin to back out of the camp. There's plenty of them between us and that hole in the wall too.
:>Arse

[[Image:Britbong_Roman_Camp.gif|thumb|200px]] This is a fairly typical castrum, or roman fort (I really like Romans).

The red things are skeletons.

Purple is us.

Blue is the hole.

Brown is what we just blew up.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTeSK7vKdo I'll give you a clue what happened next.]

Well we did blow Frank to bits fairly well. Baz somehow seems to have survived?
:>ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL

That's not our Baz. There's what looks like a femur sticking out of his chest. We assume it belonged to Frank. There's a darkness spreading across Baz's chest. He stands up.

The only thing we really recognize about Baz now is that his eyes have this sad, pained look about them, the rest of him in the simplest of terms looks evil. But why use words when if you type "Dire Elk" into google. That's close enough.

We're outnumbered 100 to one and they have what looks a bit like god on their side. A couple of days ago, we were normal people, this is well out of our experience. We look at each other. Silently we agree. There is only one option.
:>Leg it.

Skeletons are not that fast. Not-Baz doesn't seem minded to pursue us. Instead we make for the hole in the wall. We get through without too much trouble, legging it into the countryside. We stop running, out of breath and more than a little terrified, at the farmhouse.

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of pursuit. We stop in by, chuck the cube thing at Donny, who is vomited out of the corpse. He gives us a wink and an "I'll see you later wink" as the ghost is lain to rest.

We decide we're going to have to go back to Dundee and explain ourselves.

We make it back to Dundee mostly without incident, except accidentally beating up a swan. We make our way to HMS Victory which is still docked in the harbour. Dan Defoe (the inquisitor to our acolytes) is ecstatic to see us, or at least he was, until we opened our mouths.

We explain what happened (making ourselves out to be desperate heroes, tossed upon the vicissitudes of fate). He buys absolutely fucking none of it.
:"So you stopped the ritual. Frank is no longer going to have the power of a God. Excellent. EXCEPT NOW FRANK IS A FUCKING GOD."
He pelvic thrusts and draws his pistol to enunciate his point.
:"At least we have some professionals arriving shortly. They can take care of this, and you useless bastards can take them right back to Frank. The Special Bastard Squadron (SBS) should be here soon. Get out of my sight for a couple of hours."

We are not going to be told twice. We scarper. As we get out on deck, there is what looks to be a man sat on a crate. He is wearing a red tam o' shanter and an egregiously jaunty suit. He gives us all a big wink, a very familiar wink.

We didn't mention Donny in our debriefing (seemed like a bad idea), but we think he's probably not up to anything good.
:"Hallo lads, so you got chewed out a bit I hear. What if I told you there's a way that you can all avoid being shot at dawn as soon as you get back?"
Ok we might be interested in this....
:"What if I told you the alchemists in this city have been doing things they shouldn't? Including nailing me to a floor? And I want you all to be my instruments of revenge. You'll get some brownie points and you will be saving lives, whaddya say boys?"
Tentatively we agree.
:>The DM grins.

:"I want you to blow up an orphanage."
:"Wut?"
"There's no kiddywinks in there, the alchemists use it as a laboratory and machine shop. I have a sneaking suspicion, by which I mean I'm absolutely fucking certain, that the stench of my *he spits over the side, it sizzles* wife is involved. Their experiments require fresh bodies and young, pure souls, and I am sure you'll find an excuse to wreck the place once you see what's going on..."
Interestingly, the DM hands a sheaf of notes to Cruella.
:>Who the fuck is....
She turns up later. It's my Mrs. She was generally floating about in the background and ending up playing with us.

We mull this over, it's a fairly obvious side quest and you never know, it might be fun.

We examine the building from afar. It doesn't seem too intimidating. A large sandstone block, with lots of windows and an enormous yard out the back which it appears is being used as a motorpool. Out the front are tidy and well manicured grounds. The whole thing is surrounded by a wall about five feet high with railings up to a total of 9ft.

Even after the undead attack, it seems entirely untouched. Suspiciously so.

There is also a free clinic being run to one side of it for war wounded, and it sure is busy.

We are not entirely sure what the threat level of this place is. We also know we really ought not to trust Donny. Whatever Donny really is, he doesn't seem like the sort to tell us the truth.

We are a bit pressed for time, but we think we have a few hours. Enough time to canvas the local population and try to gain any intelligence we can on the place. What we discover from various bars and street urchins is the following:
*There are about 50 alchemists in there
*The more severe cases in the free clinic are taken into the basement
*A lot more crates go into the place than come out

What the building gives us is a fairly sizable population, and a whole lot of collateral damage if we blow anything up (civilians in the free clinic and basement), we also don't actually know if we should blow anything up yet.

Fortunately the free clinic also gives us an in.
:>None of us are injured.
We consider this issue. We need an injured person to take to the free clinic. They'd have to be a non-combatant, someone who isn't exactly worried about being low on HP. Maybe someone who isn't even all that useful anyway...
:Bard: "Why are you all looking at me?"
We sort of... err... cartoon violence ball [we club him over the head and rough him up a bit (lot) but not too badly].

The free clinic is glad to take the bard and his "family" in, though the tricky part is convincing them that Angus' flamethrower is entirely kosher. We explain to the extremely beleaguered medics that it's "welding equipment" and in we go (lucky roll).

The clinic is much as you'd expect something like that to be in a recent warzone. There are silent, terribly injured people, screaming slightly less injured people, there's a woman in labour somewhere, and a great number of harrowed, saddened faces. As most clinics in this situation do, there is a process of triage.

There is a woman with dark hair and a very tight bust who (somewhat obvious clue) has a very piercing voice ordering people around, including selecting people almost at random to go to the basement. As we are arguing with the medics about the flamethrower, the bard is selected and carried off.
:Bard's PC: "...guys. Seriously."
No one seems inclined to throw us out quite yet. We have a small council of war.
:"Thoughts?"
:Navvie: "Hey we got rid of him! We're up already. Let's take our winnings and go."
:Wizard: "I agree with the oaf."
:Angus: "Pub?"
:Me: "Pub."
:Bards PC: looks kinda distressed "...guys? C'mon..."

We feel a bit bad for the bard and decide we should probably make an effort to rescue him. It is kind of our fault after all...

There's a couple of large doors into the main building and we assume that's where he was taken. As no one seems to be paying attention to us we decide extremely stealthily, very covertly to... Walk through the doors.

Again, there seems to be very little actually stopping us, there's no guards around, the hallways are clear, we find some stairs and head downwards, carefully peeking round corners and doorways and we find what seems like a place of intensive care. There are whirring machines and glowy things, but as far as we can tell (which is not much) they don't seem to be doing any harm, no one has that ghostly/deathly pale look of one having his soul sucked out.

There are a number of attendants and similar folk, but they are all bent over machine or patients. The bard is still unconscious, and we decide to leave him where he is for now while we try to work out what we should be doing.

(Yes we are all quite feckless)

More sneaking reveals workshops and some rather cool looking machines, there's a ramp out to the motorpool, but there's a shortage of sacrificial pits or demonic altars and general eeeeeevil. We metaphorically scratch our heads.

Is it possible that Donny is wrong? Or just some sort of supernatural liar? It makes perfect sense that he might be. Perhaps he has an ulterior motive? We have just blindly walked into demonic politics. Pretty blindly too I might add.

There are footsteps coming down the hall. We duck into a storeroom. As it's about head height for me, I peek through the keyhole. It's that lady again. Notably her eyes glow red.

Cruella acts the following out with the DM.
:"Did we get what we needed from the bodies?"
:"Yes Mistress, the organs were harvested as you demanded."
:"Excellent..."
:>Oooh we're onto something here...
:"And you're shipping them quickly? They can't be left to lie around."
:"Yes Mistress."
:"Good boy."
:>Well...
We decide to follow her, see if we can find out just how evil this is...

We sneak along as stealthily as we can in the direction she went. We Metal Gear Solid behind some crates. There's a number of makeshift cots set up with very pale people, looking near death on them. They are attended to by what look like monks. One of the patients expires. He's taken away and we hear the whirr of a rotary saw.
:>Those bastards...
A new patient is brought in. A marine, must've been pulled from the rubble of the Kirk. Barely alive. The woman bends over him. Facing in our direction over the body. She slaps the bloodied and bruised young man into wakefulness.
:"You're dying."
He whimpers for his mother.
:"But you can still serve. Me."
:>Oh yes, this is it, we cock hammers, we light pilot lights,
:"Sign here, consent to donating your organs to help others."
She looks right at us, and winks.

There's an earth shattering boom from the harbour that blows in the windows.

She vanishes, we run from the room, out into the motor pool, where we can see the harbour, just in time to see the HMS Victory and the transport ship next to her (which must've contained the Special Bastard Squadron) break into pieces as the Victory's magazine goes up.
:>Motherfucker.
Cruella & DM drink their drinks in synchronicity as they smile big shit eating grins.

We punch the nearest alchemist and pinch a pick-up style truck. Stopping to pick up the bard (who is still a bit pissed with us) we make for the harbour confirming when we get there that the Victory, the SBS, and an awful lot of other folk have been blown to bits.

Donny and his "wife" wave to us as they leave the harbour. Donny winks, she blows us a kiss.
:>FFS

Well shit. What next? It seems then that Donny is in league with the necromancers? If so, why was he nailed to the floor? If he wasn't, why blow up the Victory and the SBS? He must have an ulterior motive. It's also taken out Dan Defoe and our quest giver.
:>Anyone have any bright ideas?

We can't go back and take on Baz ourselves. We could track down Donny though...

We don't really know where Donny has gone though. He left the harbour on a small steam pinnace heading northwards. There's all number of places he could have gone. He's not exactly moving fast though, and we do have a truck... Ooooooh a though occurs...

We follow the coast road.
:>Can any of you drive?
Err...

It's decided the wizard is now our designated driver on the reasoning that as the semi (referred to as "The Jalopy" amongst friends) is made of metal, and therefore somehow his responsibility.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEJzoaYZk Steve Earle - Copperhead Road ]

With the bard in the flatbed we tear off up the coast road with a plume of dust behind us. We get out of the city heading North North East (anon can follow along on a map here if so wishes as we are taking the A930). We just about manage to keep Donny in sight as we head towards Broughty Ferry, and then between Monifieth and Carnoustie we lose him, the road missing out on the peninsula there.

A variety of driving related tests later (the rest of us are providing perception based buffs and the bard as usual acts as an adventure appropriate mix-tape).

We break for a moment as the DM goes glassy eyed of Steve Earle which leads into Lynyrd Skynryd's Simple Man. We wave lighters in the air and sing along.

As we barrel through Carnoustie the music changes.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qogVHlmFcx0 Waylon Jennings - Dukes Of Hazzard "Good Ol' Boys" Theme Song]

Oh fuck.

We're at the positively mind blowing speed of 45MPH as we hit the main drag through town (a cobbled single track), there's civilians everywhere. We swerve to avoid. Into and through stalls, bits and pieces of merchandise landing in the cab with us, we are joined by a chicken for a couple hundred meters. We skid, narrowly avoiding taking out a nun who is gesticulating rudely. The skid turns into a complete loss of control.

The rear end comes out in front, we spin, narrowly avoiding a ditch. Up ahead, the local church has let out after a service. There's nowhere to go...
:>Why didn't you brake?
Hahahahah fuck that.

Making a split second decision. The wizard aims straight at the crowd, and the... oh... the ramp shaped embankment leading up to a statue...

The wizard floors it, the statue isn't terribly impressive, more of a sort of wooden figure/marker post. We take the thing out as we get air (I hate to think what've happened if we crit failed any of the above).

We sail over the heads of the crowd. Thumping down on non-existent suspension, we tear onwards.

Getting out of Carnoustie as fast as we went in, Angus shouts for the Wizard to slow down. The wizard takes his eyes right off the road to stare him down.
:"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-GGEJRz6So I'm making time]."
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

We can still see that steam pinnace ahead. We're catching up.

Around East Haven we hit a fairly sizable pothole. Enough to set us into a spin and burst a tire. We flip and land slightly askew, but otherwise unharmed in a chicken coop. Out to sea we can see smoke from the Pinnace as she gets up a full head of steam.
:>Spare tire?
Nope.
:>Other traffic to flag down?
Fuck no.
:>Plan?
Hell yes.

Between the wizard and Angus's bag of tricks we manage to patch the wheel together with staples and pure orky gumption. It won't be perfect but it'll do. The Navvie helps by acting as a jack with one hand and drinking a beer with the other. The decision is made that the Wizard is no longer allowed to drive. Angus you're up.

Angus gets behind the wheel. He lights a cigar.
:"What colour is the truck DM?"
:"Uuuh... why?"
:"Just asking."
:"Roll for it?" [meaning "fuck if I know and I'll make it up based on how the number somehow makes me think of a colour"]
:"12! It's red."
It was red.

You're basically looking at a Ford Model T in red. With an Orc behind the wheel.

Something that may be relevant at this stage.
:OOC:
:"What happens if I fire a flamethrower straight forward from a speeding vehicle, do we all get toasted?"
:[there is now an argument about this for the better part of half an hour.]
We eventually manage to convince him that if he's going to do it, he needs to drop the speed a lot first.

If any scientific anons can provide me with some form of proof or equation to allow me to definitively settle an argument five years old, I will love you forever.
:Anon says: The thing people forget (and vidya help enforce in people's minds) is that a flamethrower is indeed that - a flame THROWER.
:Even in WWI the range in the trenches was about 14-18, and contemporary flamethrowers incinerate things at 50–80 meters.
:45mph is 20.25 m/s, so assuming a WWI flamethrower (ei: not a particularly cool one) you'll be passing through any flame you throw in under a second - you needed to drop the speed a little, but not a massive amount, unless what you're about to drive through is flammable, will catch impressively AND is directly in your path to slow you.

We head onwards to Arbroath, turns out Angus is surprisingly not bad at driving. We make good time. That little pinnace is starting to get bigger on the horizon. Arbroath however is an issue.

The town seems to have been hit by the undead and there's still plenty of them about. The skeletons have been and gone, but there's plenty of feral corpses (ZAMBIES!) going about. If we stop, we'll get swarmed. We decide the best option is to floor it.

For those who don't know it, it's a small market town & port, it's also where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed (declaring Scottish independence in 1320). Looking at it from the direction we're going, we're at the bottom of a big Y and we want to take the right fork of that Y. We also are going to lose sight of (what must've - now I think about it, have been a very fast steam pinnace - though they have a much less twisty route than us). The first thing we notice is the place is very, very quiet.

We're well into town by the time we start to realize something is properly wrong. We've noticed that there seems to have been signs of fighting in some places, but generally it's as though everyone just up and left.

It's when we hit the crux of the Y at the center of town (near the abbey), and what we later surmise is the poisoned town well, that we realize something is properly amiss.

What's that you might ask?

The zombified horde of townsfolk. Too thick a crowd to drive through, but we're moving too fast to stop at this stage.

We've talked about zombies in Britbongsteros before. You die, you don't necessarily go feral immediately, you have memories, you know you were alive, you know you're dead, and as the brain dies off (unless necromantic influence) you go feral and start eating faces.

We can see some townsfolk are still mimicking life, there's a town crier waving at the crowd a proclamation his missing jaw and dead lungs won't let him read, a mother cradling half a child, but most of our attention focuses on the horde of feral townsfolk that seethe towards the noise of the engine. We're going far too fast to stop.

We plow into the crowd. Zombies reaching over the hood and trying to grab at us as they go under the wheels. Helpfully the tightly packed mass of bodies (who I might add have signs of having vomited black bile on themselves - again indicative to us of generally being poisoned) act as a sort of big cushion, and we are able to slow our momentum and shunt into reverse.

Angus swears and tries to back up as the rest of the party do our best House of the Dead. We start to back up the way we've come. The dead under the wheels are slowing us, slower, slower, stall...

ABANDON CAR.

What we have is significant horde of ex-humanity out for our warm tasty brains. Clearly an issue. However... The Navvie's PC, unusually for once, moans.
:"Zombies are boring."
This angers the DM.

We break into a house, reasoning we can at least get out the back door and put a funnel on the horde.
:>There's no backdoor.
The zombified old chap at the kitchen table looks disgruntled but otherwise harmless as we charge past him, he breaks into his boiled egg as we smash down the back wall of his kitchen.

Arbroath is one main street and lots and lots of rows of twisty turny side streets, we decide to go a few doors up, and bash through the front door.

Zombies are starting to follow us through the old man's house. The old man himself is in the early stages of zombie and abandons lunch and starts hobbling. Angus aims the flamethrower back at him.
:"Dude!"
:"What?"
:"We can't just immolate the old bastard he's..."
:Navvie: "He's a zombie..."
The old man is not moving fast. The zombies aren't planning on eating him, but as he's shoved into the mass of them, his frail bones breaking, ribs cracking as he's carried along by the crowd we can see his arms waving pathetically for help. He might be dead but his body remembers pain and his brain is not quite dead enough to have forgotten what to do with it. Over the general moaning we can hear mumbling desperate pleas.
:Navvie: "He's... sort of a... oh shit. Angus... just burn it..."
The flames torch the old man and the front of the horde.

We smash down the front door of another house figuring each house slows the horde until we can cut back on ourselves and smash back the other way to our transport.

These are small fishing village type houses. Tight, windy, the Navvie has to bend almost in half to fit. The next one we bash in the door of we manage to work out the story of what went on from the scene inside, or we think so.

Young couple. One of the kids seems to have got sick first or maybe the mother. There's a trail of black bile leasing from the crib by the stove. There are half a dozen bodies all leading to the back door, looks like dad was a drunk and didn't get poisoned like the rest. Each of the bodies has its head stoved in. Against the back door is a corpse with an empty whiskey bottle and a bloody hammer. Looks like the family all went feral at the same time and judging by the state of dad, chewed him up a good bit before he stabbed himself in the throat. The Navvie clubs his head as he starts to get up.

We get through the backdoor, zombies a little further behind us now, we decide one more house then double back.

We hammer through the front door. The place reeks of shit and ordure. It's not healthy. There's a shape that runs from us. Too fast to be dead. Survivor. Poor bastard has been locked in here by himself watching the town go crazy and eat itself. We follow him (as we must because that's the direction we want to go). Tied to a chair at the table is a corpse that's well and truly feral. She must've have been a pretty lass in life. Her dress is in what a Victorian novel would have called "Disarray" (for the foreign anons - what's heavily implied here is "necrophilia"). The guy is struggling at the back door. He looks over his shoulder at us. More afraid of us than the horde so it seems. He mumbles
:"I could never have her, until she crawled to my door and..."
The Navvie (who is in front) smashes him in the face with one massive meaty fist. We leave him for the horde.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-UzaZjSNd8 The Day That Never Comes - Metallica]

We hammer out the back door, the horde is far enough behind us that we run up the street. Choosing a house at random, we stove the door in. We don't know how smart these things are but the Wizard does his best to bolt the door back together. Whatever madness is in this house we're gonna have to wait in here for a little while for the horde to thin out and pass back through onto the street now behind us.

The place seems normal. Everything in good order. Seems deserted. We try to make it safe, staying away from the doors and windows, we reason the best thing to do is get upstairs, there we can observe the horde below without as much risk of them seeing us.

We climb the stairs, all seems very peaceful, we can barely hear the horde down the street. The Navvie is still in the lead. He very gently taps on the bedroom door. No noises from within. He taps again to be sure.
:"Hello?"
It's a child's voice.

DM pops a beer and gets that grin again.

The Navvie looks round the door. What the party see is that big, big man, fall to his knees. The little boy, three maybe four years old is missing half his face. Bite marks all over it. You can see the skull through the dead tissue. The little boy says
:"You're not my daddy."
He totters to the Navvie anyway, little legs doing their best, one broken and twisted backward. The Navvie, even on his knees, the kid only comes to his belt buckle. Dry old blood smears his shirt.

The Navvie looks at us, big, brown eyes, not knowing what to do. That kid is gonna turn feral, soon. Great big hands reach down, patting, soothing, shushing, caring. They reach for his neck to snap it.
:"I'm Thomas..."
The Navvie's player wipes a tear from the corner of his eye.

He nods.
:"I'm Burt and..."
He snaps his neck.
:DM: "Are zombies still boring you, cunt?"

The wizard puts the body under the bed, thinks better of it, and tucks him into the bed.

We look out the window, the horde is moving as planned, slowly but it's working. We wait.

They seem to have settled back into "holding" mode again, shuffling about aimlessly. We gather at the front door of the house.
:"On the count of 3 boys"
:1...
:2...
:3...
The hammer blow takes out the front door, and we pelt across the street. The Navvie shoulder barges down the door. There's ferals in here and we're forced to make noise as one grabs Angus and gets him on the ground, I shoot it in the face. The chase is back on again.

Out the front door, into the next building. This building faces out onto the main street and looks like a shop. The glass window lets what zombies still remain on the main street get a good look at us. Deciding the door is pointless, we go for the direct option, out and straight through the plate glass window together. There's enough zombies that we can deal with them easily enough. Making for the truck, the wizard cranks the starting handle as the rest of us pile in.

The engine doesn't take. Angus thumps the dash. The wizard swears. I knife the zombie under the rear axle just to be sure. The Navvie pushes the truck forward, trying to give us a running start. We join him as zombies shuffle toward us. The engine catches and off we go. On the horizon we can see the pillar of steam turning in, in towards Auchmithie bay.

All in all, this probably took about 15 minutes in game time, we were fortunate that (the DM had) the boat slow down and turn into a natural harbour just up the coast (literally five minutes drive from the town).

We follow the road to the steam, it's now a straight pillar that is slowly petering out. Signifying the boat has come to a stop and the boilers are being allowed to run down.

We don't want to just drive up to Donny's front door. So we stop at the small hamlet just round the coast from the large stately home overlooking the bay. The village is deserted again. It's a short walk from the village to Donny so we park the truck on the main (and only) road out of sight of the house which is about 500 yards across windswept fields from the village.

With the engine off, we hear a sound over the wind. Digging. Knowing we'll regret it, we follow it. There are half a dozen alchemists with repeating rifles (Martini Henry's) standing in a line. They clearly aren't digging. They are looking into a pit.

We wait in the cover of a stable (Angus soothingly petting the cart horse) and watch. One of the alchemists kicks a ladder back down into the pit. Slowly the fifty odd villagers ascend the ladder. The alchemists line them up along the side of the pit, facing into it. I murmur "Babi Yar" under my breath, knowing what's coming.

The rest of the party seem to have caught on, so that when I work out the alchemists are too far away for accurate pistol shooting and start moving forwards, the rest of the party follows.

The alchemists have managed to get the first batch of locals kneeling on the edge of the pit. They raise their rifles on the command of their leader. I manage to drop him with the first shot. The wizard sends a steel shaft through the skull of another, and between us, we wipe the party out quickly. We are fortunate in that it's likely the sound of shots were expected.

The locals as we approach don't seem entirely all there. Their eyes are a pale white. Milky. Without pupils. Talking, waving a hand in front of their faces, it does nothing. There's no one home. They don't respond to external stimuli at all until the bard says to one woman
:"Say something... please?"
She says "something"

We establish through some trial and error that they respond to simple commands. Beyond that they might as well be automatons. Some further analysis and very limited interrogation reveals they aren't likely to get better from this. Their soul or essence is gone. We might as well be talking to husks.

We can't just leave them. They will at best starve to death. Angus picks up a fallen rifle.
:"We should finish what they started then..."
Each body that falls into the pit is just an empty husk, or at least that's what we tell ourselves as we put down each and every one.

We look on at the stately home. Night is beginning to fall. There's no lights showing and no smoke from the chimneys but this has to be the place. We prepare ourselves and decide to get a bit closer. We have some revenge to take...

Getting closer to the building, there really does not seem to be anyone home. As it gets darker, the wind gets up combined with the sound of the sea, we're unlikely to hear anything. The moon rises and we have at least enough light to mostly see what we're doing. Peeking in through windows shows nothing but darkness. We decide to do some breaking and entering.

The door to the kitchens offers very little resistance. Angus puts his fist through the window in the door and we are in. No alarms ring, again it's all very peaceful. We head inwards.

The kitchens are silent. There's dust on everything, it seems like no one has used these in years. Oddly there is still perfectly preserved food under the dust. Angus experimentally picks up a ham and takes a bite. Apparently it's delicious.

We can still hear the wind and the sea outside, the only other sound is Angus munching. The party continues creeping through the house.

There's a lot of the usual creepy big house stuff, suits of armour, bookshelves, dust, that sort of thing. This continues as we pass through the kitchen, the dining room (with candles that are incongruously lit), library; in the great hall there's a roaring fire, which would make perfect sense if anyone had disturbed the dust on the floor. We ourselves are leaving little footprints as though walking through snow.

Instinctively we gather around the fire, enjoying the warmth.
:>Where the fuck is everybody?
The place is plainly and clearly deserted, maybe we got the wrong house? Obviously there's not many others around... There's also the matter of where those alchemists came from... They must've come from somewhere... right?

The DM describes the hall carefully, and how we feel.
:>You all have the unmistakeable feeling of being watched, even in this grand room, the feeling of the air changes imperceptibly.
Of course, this encourages us to start investigating, looking in dark corners, peering through keyholes. The Wizard is convinced there must be a secret passage or bookcase. He's tapping on walls and generally being wizardly. Of course, this being Britbongsteros, there aren't any.

It's about this time, the bard decides to look up.
:"Guys..."
I'm testing books, the wizard is tapping at the walls, Angus is eating a ham, and the Navvie is checking behind pictures.
:"Shut up bard!"
:"Guys!"
We follow his pointing finger, oooh... that's probably not good.

There are at least twenty old bodies nailed to the rafters. We think they might be the previous occupants of the house. They also seem to have been drained dry. In the shadows, there's something else up there too...

A little music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MqEnxFYxbw ACDC - Smash N Grab]

We are definitely not alone
:>Coliunn gun chean (or say hello to my little friend)

It's been up in the rafters this whole time, watching, waiting, and now it drops into the center of the room.

Imagine a headless ogre (more a sunken head set between the shoulders rather than above). Then cover the thing in moss, give it glowing ice blue eyes and some other fun aspects we'll come to. That's what drops down and cracks the flagstones.

The worst part is Coliunn isn't alone either, as he drops, so too do the odd looking bats feeding on the bodies. They're not really bats, they're nondescript in the shadows, but they flap around us, billowing and generating enough force to blow out the fire. The fight is lit by Angus as he sets about torching things, and is really a series of disjointed moments.

The Navvie and Coliunn running at each other, my bullets impacting across Coliunn's chest, the wizard sending flying daggers after whatever those tiny blood sucking bastards are (and they have very sharp teeth indeed!). The bard helps out as only he can ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hB3eCv_FOk The Blues Brothers - She Caught the Katy]).

Coliunn isn't just tough, the fucker regenerates too. Even when Angus sets him alight he's still quite capable of punching the Navvie across the room. The wizard does his best to weigh him down, slowly building up lead on his wrists and ankles. It works, but it also adds more force to his blows.

The bard is lucky to avoid being turned into jam as Coliunn turns his attention to me. The bat things are beyond distracting as they swarm us again, biting, clawing, drawing blood. In the darkness Angus plays flame over our enemies back, the Navvie gets up and starts running again. I back away from Coliunn until my shoulders touch rock. Reloading as I go, I aim for those eyes. A lucky critical (blinding one eye) seems to just enrage him but the wizard focuses on one stiletto sized sliver of steel, driving it into the other eye.

He can't see, but he can still hear and he tracks me easily enough. It gives enough time however for the Navvie to strike him from behind, staggering him. Coliunn turns and runs straight from us, into the wall and out into the night. Given the way he knitted back together after being shot, it seems likely we may see him again. The bats follow him through the hole. In the near silence of smouldering furnishings (the room was large and, although furnished, mostly stone; in all fairness the place should have been blazing though), we reload and prepare to go deeper, we can only be in the right place now...

Alone in the darkness, the wind howling in through the hole where Coliunn reverse Kool-aided, we decide illumination is our first task. Fortunately the Navvie carries a small lantern and there are some candles on the walls which we pinch. We proceed further into the house.

The DM has us rolling perception checks, every time we succeed we get the vague sense of being watched. After the fire fight, we can only assume everyone knows we are here.

We search though more and more rooms, ending up at the bottom of the main staircase. The wizard notices that the rug appears disturbed. Lifting the thing we discover a trap door. The wizard detects no magical fields or alarms so we swing it open. There is a roughly hewn passageway leading off into the darkness. We guess this place has some history of smuggling (explaining the small hidden harbour and this). We descend into the darkness.

It's not long before the narrow passageway opens into a cavern. We assume this is a tidal cave, or at least it's sealed to the outside by water at high tide. The sound and spray of the sea fills the cave. There is still no one about. It's just then that a shape breaks the water.

A large ray, graceful, lazy, unusually it takes to the air, doing a circuit of the cavern before being snatched out of the air by what can only be described as an enormous Moray eel. If we didn't know better, someone has been making monsters...

We follow the cavern towards its mouth. We find the steam pinnace (deserted) and cross to the other side of the water via a rope bridge. The water is seething with foam and only black. Given the precision with which the supernaturally fuck huge eel snatched the ray, we are not keen on the this arrangement but nevertheless we cross.

The caverns extend in front of us quite some distance. From what we can see there are three cave mouths to choose from. We dither like the adventurers we are. Looking and listening, but over the sound of the storm and raging sea, there's nothing to be discerned. Angus notices an enormous lobster claw break the water and come hammering down on something. We decide it's time to pick a direction and go for it.

We head up the middle.

The walls of the cave seem wet to the touch. There's seaweed growing on them. We file this information away for later. If we are down here long we may not be coming back this way.

Angus is in front. The DM asks us
:"Do any of you guys have a lantern?"
:"Err... no..."
Angus does have the pilot light on his flamethrower.

For the sake of mood, the DM turns out the light in the kitchen and lights a candle, placing it on the table. The party (and the players) do their best with what little light they have.

There's no noise we can hear from up ahead, and the cavern/tunnel is starting to get narrower, the Navvie has already turned sideways to fit. All we can hear is the sound of the sea crashing behind us, the flickering light of Angus ahead, and inky darkness behind. In the semi darkness of the kitchen, we huddle in closer to the candle flame. The DM is doing something with his hands. Fiddling with something.

He continues to describe the claustrophobic isolation of the tunnel, the way every time we breath out, the walls close in a little further, until when we breath in, a million tons of black igneous rock ensure that breath is shallower than the last.

We push on. Squeezing, straining. A shape is moving in the darkness. It comes up behind the Wizard's Player and says right in his ear.
:"'Allo."
(It's Cruella the player sneaking up behind him)

The Wizard, never the most calm of people at the best of times, jumps out of his skin just about. Cruella (the not-yet) player finds this hilarious and returns to playing with her phone. The poor wizard looks about ready to have a heart attack. The PCs respond in much the same way. Struggling to twist and turn to face the voice. The wizard generally screaming.

Unfortunately Angus can't turn around to set fire to the thing. Nor can any of us do anything to attack it.

It grabs the wizard and... hugs him?

The creature then lets him go. It waves at us and beckons for us to follow it into an adjoining tunnel. Reasoning we have nothing to lose (and it could have just eaten the wizard) we follow (after trying to shout over the noise, we give up and resort to hand signals).

We follow the Shellycoat upward and along into a wider, larger cavern. It's quieter up here.

:>Wut is a shellycoat?
:Some lore checks later (again like most of britbongsteros you can wiki it) reveal it to be a mischievous but mostly harmless water spirit. Apparently.

Anyway, the Shellycoat beckons us forward. The party takes a moment to assemble and generally stretch themselves back into place.

It seems we are in the Shellycoats lair, judging at least by the crude bedding and pile of empty crab shells. It certainly smells like it is anyway. What the Shellycoat wants to show us is down below. There's a hole in the center of the floor and it looks out into another cavern. There's light down there along with a party of alchemists.

They seem to be fishing. Quite innocently. Off to one side, is a large cauldron bubbling quite happily. One of the alchemists hauls up a crab pot and looks very pleased to have caught a large fairly grumpy looking Paromola cuvieri. After a small fight it goes into the stewpot. All very exciting. The alchemists gather round looking pleased with themselves. A few seconds later they duck backwards as a much larger crab claw reaches out of the pot. It grabs one of them, pulling him in. The others, using sticks, over turn the cauldron toward the water, and the still growing crab slinks into the sea.

It seems we know where the giant stuff is coming from. No Donny though...

Angus helpfully considers the cosmic imperatives of the situation. Man playing God, making sea creatures into God sized problems. With the weight of the universe upon him, his intellect squares it's shoulders like atlas and says:
:"I wonder what'll happen if I stick my dick in it?"

Fortunately the shellycoat appears incapable of speech, however it seems to understand us fine enough. Some pantomime and "me Navvie you fish thing?" establishes that the shellycoat definitely wants rid of the alchemists, and also the alchemists have a lot to do with some chick and some guy called Donny...

Now people making giant monsters for whatever purpose are decidedly not good as far as we are concerned. They also seem to have something to do with Donny. Meaning...

Meaning... Err...

Oh, yes, kill them all.

Further discussion with Shelly enlightens us that there are plenty more alchemists (and others) beyond the gap in the wall behind those who are fishing. It seems then that we want to approach this quietly...

Fortunately, the shellycoat seems to know a way down from here. Back out into the passage we first came through. It wants to come with us. The party discuss. Essentially do we trust this thing? The answer is pretty much God no. Do we want to have it following us? Again probably not. What do we do with it? As far as we can tell it's mischievous yes, but not actually malicious.

We aren't going to kill it. We can't just tie it up, nor can we knee cap it. Some whispering later we decide the best thing to do is....

I and the wizard pantomime it coming along at a distance. It shows us the direction we should be heading with a webbed hand. Seems straightforward enough. Meanwhile the Navvie gets behind it. It enthusiastically supports the coming along idea.

The Navvie thumps it. The intention being to knock it out. His fist, propelled by the one he rolls, hits it just fine at the base of the skull. It falls awkwardly with a sickening egg shell crunch on the floor of the cavern.
:"Oops."
:DM: "I'm sorry, but head trauma is no joke..."
:"So..."
:"Err..."
:"Shit."

We argue a bit over whose dumb idea that was, then discuss what to do. We all feel more than a bit guilty here. Sheepishly we lay it to rest or try to. When the bard and I go to pick it up, one bleary now red eye opens. There is an enormous dent in one side of its skull, and the horrific incongruity of one side of its head being almost flat from the temple to rear of the skull is a glaring sign of our idiocy.

It shivers and spasms, mewling, trembling, evacuating waste and rocking back and forth. There's just enough critter left to know those people it is looking at did this to it. The poor thing whimpers and looks like it wants to scream at the great unfairness of it all.

The best thing we can do is put it out of its misery. The DM senses an opportunity.

It takes an inordinately long time to kill it. Any pretense at gentle combined with the strange biology of the thing, seems to only make it worse. Eventually, and with my short sword sticking out of its sternum, it collapses. Dead.
:"Oh God oh God oh God we are bastards..."

As always, the DM is a cunt. Though it also made a throwaway character into something that even now causes feels.

For anyone wondering, the one person audience was laughing so hard at us she spilt her wine.

We decide after that somewhat embarrassing fuck up to follow the route suggested. It's a bit more spacious than the last time, the descent is uneventful. The group of alchemists are sat with their backs to us. The sound of the surf is more than enough to ensure our inept approach remains stealthy enough to get behind them. We dispatch the fishing party almost before they realize we are there. It might just be what happened previously, but we feel a bit guilty as we ditch the bodies in the waters. They take a moment to sink and are instead swept into the maw of a salmon the size of a bus.

We ponder why they are making these enormous sea critters. It seems like they're just making them to be difficult, to make the waters of the east coast as dangerous as possible. Even if we don't find Donny it seems we are doing the right thing. We sneak up the tunnel.

:The alchemists of Britbongsteros: who are they? Dutch traders, or at least that's what they starred out as. The Dutch used to trade prolifically with the east coast of Scotland. It's one of the reasons Scots law is different to English law (continental influence) and also why Scotland had five universities before 1900 and the English only had two.
:The alchemists were traders then magic happened. Turns out alchemy actually (in a limited fashion) worked as did science. Their motto when it comes to science is like that of Aperture, "because we can" or "why the fuck not'?
:They were the source of much of the magical tech and weirdness in the early setting. As England and Scotland unified in 1707, more trade with the English occurred. Their plan with the giant sea monsters is twofold. One, the necromancers are paying them to do it (in full soul cubes) and two, if the north sea is full of giant critters and the only vessels that can sail on it are alchemist approved, then...
:1. Limit all trade to alchemists only
:2. ????
:3. MASSIVE PROFITS

:Why Donny?
:1. Because they can
:2. Think of him as a very lazy and badly trained attack dog, but if you point him at something, and don't mind collateral damage, he is a deniable and highly destructive asset.

:Why was Donny nailed to the floor?
:He fucked them off somehow and gave him what was effectively a magical time out.

There is a natural waterfall in here, freshwater falling from a river or stream above and into the tidal pool. The alchemists (we assume) have got a waterwheel set up and are using it to provide various gubbins.

Lounging on a deck chair is Donny, draped over him is Mrs Donny. He waves.

What he does not do is raise the alarm. The alchemists remain oblivious to us as they seem to be making more of whatever was in that cauldron. From where the waterfall is coming we can see daylight. It seems we have been down here longer than we thought. We formulate a plan of attack.

As we mutter. Donny very ostentatiously relaxes while Mrs Donny makes a show of (in her rather small outfit) making him a drink (think Joker & a very pneumatic Harley).

We decide that clearly Donny wants to watch the fun. The difficulty is what happens (if as opposed to) when we win. Will he just pull another disappearing act? We can't have that. We also don't think splitting up is a good idea. By the time we'll have fought our way to Donny he'll have fucked off. We need something to keep him here. We have an idea....

The plan? We do absolutely fuck all.

Donny drinks his drink. He makes a "go on get stuck in" motion with his hand. The Navvie eats a sandwich. Angus is writing in his little diary, the bard cleans his finger nails. The wizard trims his 'tache and I build a little tower of shotgun shells (pinched a pump action shotgun from the alchemists during our visit to the hospital).

We can see Donny is getting a bit more incensed. The Navvie and I switch to playing rock paper scissors. Angus goes on a mining expedition in his own left nostril. Eating the results. It's about a minute after that that Mrs Donny appears.

Angus has found something chewy. He is treating it much as anon might a toffee.

Mrs. Donny gives a very annoyed stage whisper.
:"Hurry up you lot. He wants to see some violence. (Cruella has been roped in to do the girly voices again) Don't make me do it myself..."
We ignore her further. She is standing right in front of Angus now. He has found a deposit that may require dynamiting but is still attempting manual removal.
:"Come on you useless lazy bastards..."
This time. We don't club her over the head (lesson learnt) but we do grab her and let the wizard bind her with wizardry chains of cold iron. With her nicely hogtied and gagged
:>muh magical...
no fuck off. We have a hold (we think) over Donny.

It's about this time that Coliunn Gunn Chean (our regenerating headless ogre friend from earlier) pops into the cavern via the waterfall.

We decide if we engage in combat and Donny is still missing his Missus as it were, he'll just grab her while we are distracted. I get the job of carrying her as the Navvie needs both hands for his hammer and in can still use a revolver with one. Also I had a feeling that the DM would make someone actually pick up and carry Cruella for a bit and I'd rather it was me. He attempted to enforce this, instead he got a very lady like "get fucked" (I always thought the two had a good rapport which explains my mentioning it I hope).

The alchemists still are not paying any attention to us. Coliunn however seems aware something is up. He sniffs the air. Donny, we notice, is still looking at us, he finishes his whiskey, tosses the glass over his shoulder and stands up.
:>fightan time
As Donny descends from the platform/veranda, we decide that stealth is at an end. The bard is first to act. Piping [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nt8dJ6rMZI The Police - Walking on the Moon], interestingly, almost immediately, the waters of the pool within the cavern begin to boil. When I say boil, I mean thrash and churn with angry giant sea life.

Coliunn begins to lope towards us and the alchemists go for their weapons. Fortunately Coliunn is distracted as the enormous crab from earlier lumbers ashore. The two engaging each other in delightful violence.

With Coliunn distracted we engage the alchemists as best we can. The issue being Donny, we don't really know what his capabilities are. Angus however, as always, remains extremely useful in these situations as he torches alchemists and their equipment. Donny reaches behind a crate and comes up with an extremely threatening looking cricket bat.

The combat rages throughout the cavern, the alchemists doing their best to support Coliunn and engage us at the same time. Donny we assume is going to be in someway magical or... something... so we focus our attention as best we can on him, leaving Angus to do what he does best (BURN EVERYTHING).

The Wizard chucks some nice sharp metal implements at him. He easily bats these aside. The Navvie builds his momentum up for a charge. The bard as usual is the bard, and I plink shots at him and try to control the squirming and generally distracting Mrs Donny. (also 'dat ass)

Have some ancient metal: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pliwf__k4d0 Heavy Load - Metal Conquest Full Album]

We get in closer. Donny seems to be trying his best to work his way to me and his Mrs (Turns out demons do like some things). I make the decision to put her down to get both hands free to engage him. He's fast, but not fast enough to dodge buckshot. By the time the Navvie has gotten into close combat, and the two duel, he tries to keep the Navvie between he and I, and I won't leave his Mrs. unattended (she'll get free or generally be a nuisance).

As I pause to reload, it seems like Coliunn and crab are evenly matched. Angus is, as usual, merrily burning stuff and seems quite happy. I put Mrs Donny down in front of me, I can keep an eye on her while concentrating on the combat. The Alchemists have got it together enough to start firing on us properly. I end up taking cover next to Mrs. Donny as bullets zing overhead. The wizard gets lucky and sticks a harpoon into Donny's leg.

The Navvie and Donny manage some dialogue while trying to kill one another. The Wizard is peripherally on the edge of the combat (flinging things at Donny and also trying to divert any bullets that might hit the Navvie off course).
:"Why are you boys doing this?"
:"You blew up the boat!"
:"So? What did they owe you? What was that about? They shanghaied you and now you're all free. I did you fuckers a favour!"
:"You tricked us!"
:"Meaning you didn't get blown up!"
:"You... you're up to something! Giant sea-creatures, you're disrupting shipping, working with the necromancers you're some sort of bastard!"
:"Bastard I am. I'm also on your side."
:"What is that about?"
:"I was nailed to a floor when you found me wasn't I?"
:"Yes..."
:"Then how did you think I felt about that?"
Now feelings are something the Navvie is not a great expert on. Generally feelings are something that happen to other people (usually "Ow" or other variations on pain) or the sensation that occurs when you bring a large hammer down on someone's head. Suffice to say, he's not much of an expert on the concept.
:"I don't really care, you're still involved in this somehow."
He swings his hammer again.
:"Do you think I'm involved by choice? Do you think she is?"
:"Why should we care?"
:"You shouldn't care, but you did free me."
I should add this dialogue is going on while there's still fighting, but most of the alchemists are dead by this point. Coliunn and the crab wrestled each other into the water so for the time being its fairly quiet.
:We respond, "We didn't free you. We freed the ghost, you were an accident."
:"The alchemists have my essence and hers stored up ahead. We can't get it ourselves but you could. You could free us. We have some autonomy, but not enough to avoid their orders and directions."
:"So you didn't want to blow up the ship then?"
:"Oh no, that was just for kicks. You try being nailed to a floor for six months, but it did get you lot here didn't it?"
:"More to the point, why can't you free yourselves?"
:"Warding."
:"Why should we trust you and what is in it for us?"
:"You'll need my help to defeat what was Baz, and trust me? After all we've been through? You should know better than that."
We mull this over. We don't like him. We don't like his wife, and we don't trust whatever he is. On the other hand... why the fuck not? We have the alchemists to kill anyway now that we have discovered what they're up to.
:>How smart are we?
:>Pretty fucking dumb is the answer of course.

We show good faith by not attacking Donny further. We also ensure his good faith by continuing to carry his wife about with us as he leads us to the entrance to the rest of the complex/cave/dungeon.

We also get a demonstration of exactly what Donny is capable of (he's in front of us) as Coliunn, victorious against the crustacean, hurls himself onto land. Donny smacks him upside the (what would be head but actually sort of in the middle of the chest) with his cricket bat, kicks him in the balls for good measure, and watches Coliunn fall back into the waters.

The rest of the alchemists definitely know we are coming, so we try to be cautious. Leaving Donny and his still tied up wife at the very clearly magical barrier (all the symbols and glowy shit are a dead giveaway) we proceed.

Shortly after we come to a right angle in the rather well hewn and orderly corridor. The obvious place if they have set an ambush to do so. Placing the bards hat on the end of a stick and leaning it round the corner. Nothing happens. Cautiously the bard sticks his head round the corner. He ducks back quickly from the fusillade of rapid rifle fire.

As the shooting pauses
:"Ha you did not think we would fall for that!"

We crouch up against the wall. As Angus prepares to stick the nozzle of his flamethrower round and immolate them, some large metal egg shaped things land near us. The wizard only just manages to get them to roll back round the corner as the grenades go off. Entirely deafening in this combined space.

Angus tries again. This time getting off a long burst of hellfire up the corridor. We can hear sizzling. No screaming or anything else though. Cautiously the bard looks again.
:"Nope guys, that did nothing, they're still behind that big armoured barricade."
:"Fuck's sake bard."
The complaining ends as more grenades land. This time the wizard is quick enough to punt them at the base of the fortification (think a sort of mobile pillbox you can drag into place across the tunnel exit). The detonation is followed by a large clang. Angus decides to blind fire up the corridor again, this time there's plenty of horrific screaming as men burn to death (Flamethrowers man, not even once).

Cautiously again, we proceed up the corridor. Now we get out into the thing, it's a straight 15 meter coverless murder tunnel. At the end of it are still burning bodies and the remains of the barricade. We can't see much beyond that. We proceed.

Reaching the barricade we realize there is another right angle. We are getting used to the idea of corners of death, so Angus blindfires up it. Reporting he has a quarter of a tank left of fuel then he's down to what's beneath his kilt and bad language.

Peeking around the corner, there doesn't seem to be anyone still living up there. The iron grates that fall in front and behind us indicate we may have fucked up. The cloud of green scary looking gas doubly confirms it as it hisses from the grenades lobbed from murder holes in the ceiling.

Angus is quick to act. He asks the wizard to take his trousers off.

The DM seems to be the most confused. The wizard refuses. Angus rips a strip from his own kilt and says
:"Quick, piss on that."
The rest of us, barring the bard and the DM, caught on, doing as advised.

It takes some explaining to the DM what is going on and why his "awesum knockout trap" sucks. He takes the new information on the chin and as the bard falls unconscious we each get to roll to see if we stay standing. The DM seems impressed with our ingenuity and we remain standing. The wizard weakens the iron bars in front just like we did his carefully laid plan.

For any anons who don't know what Angus was on about, [http://entertainment.omgfacts.com/lists/5284/During-World-War-I-homemade-gas-masks-were-made-by-peeing-on-a-cloth-ab657-2 during World War I homemade gas masks were made by peeing on a cloth]. I should say the original (DM's) plan was that we all pass out and get captured.

What we are in; feels like a warehouse, it does indeed look like a warehouse, it is in fact a warehouse along with some living quarters for the sixty odd (total) alchemists that were down here. As far as we can tell, we have killed about sixty odd between us. The place seems quite quiet now that we have worked our way through it.

We cautiously look about. Thinking there must be all kinds of fun stuff in these crates. Thing is, big warehouses have lots and lots of stuff in them. The nearest and most interesting looking crates seem to mostly have spoons in them, which is less exciting. We are struck by the idea that if whatever we are looking for is in here, it's going to take quite a while to find...

We think we've killed off all the alchemists, so we can't just interrogate one. We also don't really feel like spending the next month looking through boxes.

Hmm...

A manifest or other ledger would be the obvious thing. Sadly, we can't see one. We apply logic, if the big boxes are full of spoons or candlestick holders or egg cups, then they must keep the good stuff somewhere else, off to one side or something...

True to form, there is a small innocuous looking wooden door. We expect this to be a privy, but we kick it in anyway. We are surprised to discover exactly what we're looking for. Sort of...

We break into the small, quiet, peaceful little room, it feels a lot like a library. Initial searches reveal that the walls are covered in strange books, interesting looking gew-gaws, and occult knick-knacks. Seems like this is more the sort of thing we are after. There is also an armchair by the fire, the back of it is turned toward us, but there's a pair of legs sticking out of it.

An old, but still extremely commanding voice, the kind of voice an extremely polite mountain would have, asks us
:"WHERE IS MY FUCKING LUNCH."
We peek round the chair. Seated therein is what can only be described as Stephen Fry. It also seems he's blind, very old, and more than slightly deaf.

Angus usually has a sandwich about his person, and the Navvie can be relied upon for a beer and a pork pie. We present these offerings.
:"AH, PORK PIE, I THOUGHT IT WAS TUESDAY."
We attempt communication, not really being sure what an alchemist stereotypically sounds like, we opt for simply shouting.
:"HELLO."
:"WHAT?"
:"WE SAID HELLO."
:"WHAT?"
:"WE SAID, HELLO THERE."
:"WHAAAT?"
:"OH THIS IS... I mean this is hopeless guys..."
:"WHY IS IT HOPELESS?"
:"CAN YOU HEAR US?"
:"WHAT?"
This goes on for quite some time.

We can deal with large angry creatures, skeletons, zombies, gods, and other weirdness. We are having an awful lot of trouble here as we don't really know what we're looking for, and the guy who can tell us is deaf as a post.
:"WHAT?"

Ok, so he's blind, therefore drawing a picture isn't going to work. Shouting seems a problem, but we are getting somewhere... slooooowly. As the Navvie and I continue shouting (WHAT?) the rest of the party investigate the room. Angus cheekily pinches his sandwich back.

They don't find anything immediately offensive or useful. Though the wizard is quite taken with a desk ornament (one of those Newton's Cradle things which has little heads that make different expressions as it swings). The bard is struck by the extremely nice set of bagpipes on the wall and shuffles a bit closer to them. Clearly planing on pinching them.

It also occurs to us, what the fuck are we going to do with this invalid, we can't just leave him here... we also, as a party of murder-hobos, aren't taking him with us. We sure as hell can't leave him to starve to death either...

If this situation seems familiar, well, we certainly recalled what happened with the Shellycoat up above. As the old man eats his pork pie, we cluster behind the armchair.

Essentially it's a case of
:"Dude, what're we gonna do?"
:"Kill him?"
:"We can't just..."
:"We could take him along with us?"
:"Into whatever fight we get involved in next? Out on the road?"
:"Ok... so if we do this who's gonna do it..."
:"I will.
:"NO BARD."

After more rummaging the wizard comes across two books. They're paired so it seems. If you open one, the other opens and turns to the same page. He finds this fascinating. Experimentally he draws a dot on the page of one and the same dot appears in the other. The books are full of a script even he can't read. The pictures however are entirely lurid and not for dinner table conversation.
:"PUT THOSE FUCKING DOWN."
Ah ha.

More shouting establishes these are just what we are after. We consider, as these give us some leverage over Donny, could we get him to take care of the old chap? Wait a minute who is this old bastard anyway? Harmless old savant? The Britbongsteros version of an old Nazi war criminal? We have no idea.

We return with the books to Donny. The wizard makes a show of releasing his wife, who doesn't seem particularly troubled by her ordeal ("I'm used to a little bondage") Donny seems awfully keen to get those books back. We hang on to them for now.
:"If we give these to you, you'll help us with Baz and take care of the old man?"
:"Yes. You'll need to scuff out the wards as well, but sure."
Dutifully we do.

A few seconds later, Donny returns with a spine that is dripping blood. Playfully he lashes it at his partner who giggles as blood spatters the bard.
:"Taken care of as ordered boys. Books please. Now. Might I remind you, you're in here alone with me now. Unless you can write very rapidly in several dead languages, there's nothing to stop me taking them off you... but I like to play by the rules. Books please."
I'm not sure if I'm doing Donny justice here, he's as cheerful as he is... not evil in the traditional sense just... totally and utterly sans morals, and yet still quite likeable

Some OOC discussion occurs. Is this really who we are? Doing deals with demonic entities? Are we going to try to be a force for good or a lighter shade of grey? We think we are going to need him though. We hand over the books.

We really do not like where this is taking us, but we have made our beds and we are going to lie in them.
:"So how exactly are you going to help?"
:"When the time is right, I'll be there. Until then, I have some catching up to do..."
As he playfully spanks his wife, he half turns and the pair entirely vanish.

The party is alone now, surrounded by bodies, with an accidental nest of evil wiped out by accident. We do some soul searching.

We set about trying to leave this place as we take stock of our thoughts.
*Baz still needs to be killed.
*We will have to do something about Donny eventually.
*We sort of did good today... kind of?
*Jesus this country is a mess.
*We are going to need help to think of a plan of action re Baz
*Technically we are agents of the crown, meaning we can call on help. We know where Baz is for the time being, and we think it might be best to seek assistance. To the north we have the isolationist Aberdeen, who even if we have a wizard from there with us, likely will not care. We can try to get south. Taking the sea route is going to be hard as there are a whole lot of these critters in the water, and we don't know how safe the tugboat would be without alchemists aboard to keep the wards up.

A group of royal navy warships would be fine enough for us sailing south, but a better (or at least more realistic option) takes us through giant territory. The giants of Stirling in fact, and then on to the North of England and possibly dwarf-Yorkshire.

===The Stone of Scone===
[[Image:Britbongsteros_map_3_resized.jpg|thumb|150px]]The party mull our options over. Somehow we need to get south of the Antonine wall.

:>Take the tugboat?
Slow, dunno if it won't get eaten by giant lobsters.
:>Try to find a Royal Navy Squadron?
How?
:>Aberdeen?
Unlikely to actually want to help.
:>Southwards by land means either the long trip up through the highlands and down the west coast to Glasgow, or the direct route through Stirling and the giants.

Giants?

Giants.

So, with that settled, we pool our knowledge about the area. Essentially, giants. That's about all we know really. None of us have visited the area in peace time, and have no idea really what it'd be like now, all we really knew was that it was *bad*.

:>What were the giants like?
:Actually pretty smart, as smart as a gifted, well educated human. They were old. Very old. They had slept until the world re-awakened, slumbering under the hills, waiting for the earth to warm again with volcanic fire (Scotland was once actually extremely geologically active). When they did wake up in 1497 as did everything else, they quickly adjusted.

We also knew they were extremely fond of the Stone of Scone, it being near Perth in Scone Palace (we are not far from Perth).

We sort of look at each other at for a minute. As we know the bard's player isn't very chatty sometimes, so he'd just play music and give us all skill related buffs during these moments. I distinctly remember this song. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbjyuDYtAtk Ram Jam - Black Betty (Official Video)]

Somehow, somewhere in this discussion someone (Angus) suggested we steal the Stone of Scone.

But why?
:>The coronation stone of all the kings of Scotland? You bet that's gonna be magical, you bet that's gonna be useful to those bony necromantic bastards, and most of all, why not?
Otherwise known as... THE STONE OF DESTINY.
:>DM: "Muh adventure.... muh backstory... muh... oh fuck it this sounds like fun."

We still have the jalopy right?

Yup.

It's 40 miles to Perth. We have a (nearly) full tank of (sort of not really) gas, we have a kilo of dwarven pipe tobacco, a pile of weapons, and some of us are wearing kilts.

:>Fucking hit it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oysMt8iL9UE Peter Gunn Theme]

We avoid the coast road, heading up through Forfar, down through Coupar Angus and bomb it straight through to Scone Palace. We don't know what we expect to find there, but with Angus driving, we also don't entirely expect to live.

Now as anon may have noticed, you can usually tell how far into an evening we had gotten by the quality of ideas generated. This one was very close to what would be the end of a session, but it seemed like such a good idea we continued onwards anyway.

Arriving at Scone, we can see flames in the distance. We can hear the sounds of battle. The sun is just starting to rise as we arrive. The battle must've been going on at least all night, and likely throughout the previous day as the last of the living giants defend their last redoubt (Scone Palace) against the undead hordes come to take the Stone of Scone.

The mood in Scone is sombre, death songs are sung, the living know this is the last sunrise they will see, before the day is out, they will join the marching hordes of undeath. The shieldwall has not broken, it will not break until until the last spear, until the last breath. Tears mix with the rain as a people prepare to die.

:Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see...
:dumdumdumdumadum
:My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
:dananananananananan
:Lo, there do I see...
:dumdumdumdumadum
:The line of my people...
:danananananananan
:Back to the beginning.
:dumdumdumdumadum
:Lo, they do call to me.
:danananananananan
:They bid me take my place among them.
:dumdumdumdumadum
:Where the brave... SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB_QmSWVY7o AC DC - For Those About To Rock (Official)]

The jalopy ramps the gates and comes to a rest by battering its suspension into the flagstones outside of Scone Palace
:"We're here!"
So, we (mostly due to the DM finding the idea funny) have made it into the last battle of the giants. Their ragnarok as it were as they sacrifice in blood for the only thing they have left. Honour.
:>How did you get through the opposing army of undead?
Undead giants are slow and were not expecting five lunatics in a truck.

The giants themselves do not react well to our sudden appearance as a detachment surround us. We have just appeared like a wet fart in their heroic epic. Even once they establish we are alive they seem less than pleased.

We are brought before their leader, Great McDonald (Big Mac), who as one might expect is enormous. Big Mac is less than enamoured with us, he's suffering from a couple dozen wounds and has arrows sticking out of one side of him. Big Mac is past his prime, but he has aged like weathered oak. You get the feeling from him he wins headbutting contests with cannonballs, and also that deep down, he is happy to die like this, one final battle than to slowly fade.

His great axe lies limply across his knees. He bids his retainers leave him except one very very old giant indeed.
:"So little ones, have you come to die with us?"
:"Not exactly..."
:"We sort of plan on living."
:"There's not much chance of that now is there..."
:"We have an offer for you."
:"What can you offer me when I know the sun will set on my risen corpse?"
:"We have a bard?"
:"Is that what that thing is? It would be a fine thing to have our tale sung."
:"We also, can offer to take the stone to safety."
The tiredness in the Big Macs eyes burns out. The loose muscles of his shoulders knot like glaciers carving valleys.
:"Will you now..."
:"We got in here. We can get it out, and we can make your deaths mean something. We can't save you, but we can save the stone."
:"And how, little ones, will you do that?"
:"We got in here, we can get out..."
:"If you take the stone, my warriors will know it is gone, they know they will not die to protect it, but to protect the space where it once sat. More to the point, why should I trust you?"
:"Well we are alive, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Additionally we have this..."
We present to him our letters of authority.
:"And finally, are you not Britons? If you are so willing to sacrifice all, why not be willing to sacrifice to aid the nation? This fight is already lost, but the war will continue, and the war can still be won."
Big Mac approves of this.

With Big Macs approval we are allowed into the inner sanctum. The stone of destiny lies before us. It really is a fairly innocuous lump of rock (really) but the giants attach an almost religious significance to it. Big Mac bows low before it. We do the same. There is definitely something in the air and it isn't Angus (we are so used to that as to be immune), the wizard can sense a tension in the air. There is definitely magic here.

Big Mac lifts the stone easily. To him it's about the size of a house brick. It takes the Navvie and I to carry it. We don't really have a plan at this stage beyond drive really really fast, but that has gotten us this far. As soon as we get into the open air, the undead surge against the defenses, they (or their masters) know something is up.

We point the truck at the gates with the stone roped to the flatbed. The wizard is given the task of driving as he doesn't need both hands to do offensive things. Angus rides shotgun.

Big Mac goes in front of us. We can hear the undead battering at the gates over the engine. Two of the giants fling the gates open as Big Mac charges out. In his armour with his axe singing through the air, he is a sight such as this isle will not see again. The proudest of his race. As he rams into the enemy we skirt round him at speed. With the wizard driving we manage to dodge the majority of attacks and respond to other threats with enough violence that we don't have to slow down. Looking back over the tailgate, we can see Big Mac still swinging his axe as the skeletons of his brother giants swarm him. Concerningly, our cargo and departure have definitely been noticed.

So with that sombre and altogether bizarre diversion we commenced the session the following week, moving fast in a general southwesterly direction and straight into undead territory. It is here we get our first glance at exactly what the necromantic apocalypse can do.

There's not a lot that can catch us as we barrel through, but there's also quite a lot of reasons for us to stop. If anon ever played that one scenario in gorkamorka, some of this may seem familiar. (The one where the board moved)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kl46UHpSwE Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix]

Scone Palace wasn't actually too bad, there was still greenery, there was still life, things get progressively weirder as we go. The sun fades, the clouds draw in (ok this is still normal for Scotland), the light of the sun shifts to a redder bloody hue (much like a blood-moon). We swerve round the bloated flyblown corpses of animals, not all of them stationary, there is a rather messy incident with a cow.

Onwards we travel. There is a mist rising. While we can see skeletons in the distance the road itself seems quiet beyond the odd wandering corpse. The necromancers must have something planned for us, but as we zip along past Perth and down to Bridge of Earn, we remain unmolested. As we approach the river Earn the mist is thicker, much thicker. We have to slow down now as visibility drops.

Sensing a DM sized ambush incoming, we generally prepare ourselves. We start at shapes looming in the mist. An overturned cart is riddled with bullets and a circular saw. An entirely innocent postbox is set alight. The withered remains of a tree branch cause a full on Navvie-rage/spaz of hammer swinging. In the distance, or maybe nearby, we can hear a howl.

The engine idles as we come to the bridge. It's narrow, uncomfortably so.

In the mist every thing seems insulated, unearthly, ethereal. There's another howl in the distance. There are very definitely shapes out there and they're moving. The headlamps only serve to lighten the mist a little, casting illumination a scant few feet ahead and then it becomes opaque. There's another howl, much, much closer.
:Bard: "Seriously... it's just wolves guys... probably undead, zombie, flame shooting flying wolves... That's not so bad... at least they don't have like tentacles or scorpion stingers or..."
:"SHUT UP BARD. DON'T GIVE HIM IDEAS."
As we crawl to the other end of the bridge. We see our path is blocked. The remains of what looks like several carts have crashed into one another along with at least one motor-vehicle. It seems like a fair pile up. There's a couple of zombies in the wreckage waving pitifully but otherwise harmless.

We are going to have to shift this or turn around. With the Bard and Angus standing watch, the Navvie and I get the job of starting to shift things. It's heavy work, slow work, and in the mist, shapes move.

Angus is watching the edge of the bridge intently as a tentacle, then another, dabbles over the parapet, exploring then sinking back into the waters.

Above us we can hear the beating of wings.

Everything around us has the stench of the undeath, but there's so much of it we can't even begin to identify what is a threat and what is just fucking weird.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfAWReBmxEs Deep Purple-Child in Time]

Little will-o-the wisps spark like fireflies in the mist, blue, green, orange, purple, red. They shoot up from the waters of the river below us, some rising high, others snatched out of the air by something we can't see.

As the Navvie and I wrestle to shove the van out of the way (and indeed put down the crushed remains of the passengers), the tentacles lash over the parapet again as another howl comes, much closer, right behind us. The zombified remains of wolves run across the span of the bridge. Clicking claws on the cobblestones, flanks rent and torn asunder, bellies distended from flesh and decomposition.

Angus turns to respond, the thing under the bridge responds faster, tentacles swinging out over the span of the bridge, snatching at desperate howling wolves. The survivors run past the Navvie and I, clearly fleeing from something. The skeletal remains of what must've been a member of the corvid family flicker down beside us.

The raven coughs.
:>But Aldous, it's a skeleton it doesn't have lungs...
The response to that is the same thing the DM said. It's an animated skeleton that in total contravention of the rules of aerodynamics just flew, and you want to know how it can cough? Nevermore daft players have I encountered.

It coughs again. The Navvie and I keep shifting stuff, the wizard helps from his position behind the wheel. Angus decides to investigate this thing. He gets close to it and pokes it with a gloved finger. It falls apart into its composite bones. Then several things happen at once.
:>What happens?
A tentacle wraps around Angus's ankle. There is a very loud thump from behind us, as of something hauling itself out of the river and landing on the cobblestones. From above, something very large flaps its leathery wings...

As Angus is lifted vertically into the air, screaming for help, a shape resolves out of the mist behind us. A very familiar silhouette. One without a head and some very big sloping shoulders.
:>How the fuck did he get here?
:>Fucking Coliunn.
Then something big lands in front of us and I mean big. Big enough that the force of it coming in to land sends a plume of dust washing over us and staggers the Navvie and I.

The wizard does his best to sever the tentacle, he can't quite get a bead on it in the mist, Angus hangs onto the parapet for dear life. Behind us, Coliunn settles into a loping run towards us. In front of us, something spreads its wings and a long, long tail covered in scraps of scales lashes in the mist.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DohRa9lsx0Q Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel]

We have Coliunn behind us, some scary tentacley thing under the bridge. Angus is up in the air still be waved about, and we have no fucking idea what that thing in front of us is.

The Navvie and I fall back to the truck. The Wizard finally manages to a decent saw-blade through a tentacle, which reflexively flings Angus towards Coliunn. Angus manages a very lucky roll and lands just behind Coliunn. Coliunn is very surprised when Angus manages to crawl up his back. The bard does what he does best and digs into Angus's sack of tricks as best he can.

From the mist comes....

Generally the party are assumed to have the knowledge of the Bestiary of Aberdeen.
:>Wut is...
[https://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/translat/66r.hti (Have fun - I love me some old books)]

:Dragons in Britbongsteros:
:We know there are some smart, human-sized to double-decker bus sized dragons on the continent, this isn't one of those. Or wasn't anyway, there are also feral dragons, much as there is homo-sapiens and there are apes.
:This one is of course the Dragon of Linton, or again, was, the bones having been raised by one of the necromancers roaming the country.

Now this situation is not the best of places to be in for what were a week ago, a labourer, a merchant, a scholar, a greengrocer, and a traveling musician. It's a case of kill or cure and, in this crucible of fire, we do our best to stand the flames.

The Wyrm of Linton is your traditional old school dragon, mouth with lots of fangs, and... oh hang on...
:Aberdeen Bestiary:
:The dragon has a crest, a small mouth, and narrow blow-holes through which it breathes and puts forth its tongue. Its strength lies not in its teeth but in its tail, and it kills with a blow rather than a bite. It is free from poison. They say that it does not need poison to kill things, because it kills anything around which it wraps its tail.
:From the dragon not even the elephant, with its huge size, is safe. For lurking on paths along which elephants are accustomed to pass, the dragon knots its tail around their legs and kills them by suffocation
So what we're looking at is a big skeletal snake with wings.

The dragon lumbers towards the party (minus Angus) while tentacles lash randomly over the bridge. The Wizard has found his stride and does his best to slice and dice them as they appear. The Navvie and I have our work cut out for us. The Navvie decides that although he has never killed anything that big, there is always a good time to start. Reasoning that nothing likes solid slugs, I take aim and try to go for the head.

Meanwhile. Angus has got onto Coliunns back (Have you noticed Anon that Angus is exceptionally good at derailing things?) and is driving the poor bastard wild by digging his knife into the rapidly regenerating flesh between his shoulder blades time and time again. Coliunn is wild with fury and can't reach back to Angus. The thing under the bridge is trying its hardest to climb up out of the water. We still haven't seen what it is, and are not likely to want to.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUXMzkh-jI IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP (IF YOU WANNA ROCK 'N' ROLL) - AC DC]

The dragon sweeps toward the Navvie, coiling about him, but being composed mostly of bones this is mostly just uncomfortable. The Navvie does his best to smash vertebrae to dust, shortening the creature by the yard as I put slugs into its face.

Coliunn lumbers past the rather surprised bard and Wizard, narrowly missing the truck but swinging out perilously over the parapet. Angus gets a good look at what's down there. The eloquence of Angus is more than enough for our purposes.
:"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK WHAT IS THAT FUCKING FUCKFUCK!"
Tentacles slither up and around Coliunn. They also snake about Angus, binding him to his steed as Coliunn struggles and roars. The wizard manages to free Angus (and very nearly decapitate him).

Angus makes a run for truck. Getting his hands wrapped about the towbar as the creature ensnares his waist again. The Wizard decides enough is enough and guns the engine. Meanwhile the Bard does his best to saw through the tentacles while Angus hangs on for dear life. The creature is strong enough that the truck is starting to scrape backward even as the Wizard floors it.

The bard gets a good blow in on the tentacle and it separates, some still entwined around Angus. The truck leaps forward, rapidly accelerating towards the Navvie and I. It clips me as the Wizard does his best to slow down, knocking me aside. Angus is still being dragged along behind it. As the truck slows down, he loses his grip. The Bard is able to collect both of us when the Wizard swerves to a halt.

Meanwhile the Navvie and the Wyrm wrestle. The wizard is able to help him out a little, but what helps him most is when the rest of the party are aboard, the wizard rams the thing.

Meanwhile behind us, the... thing has gotten out of the water and slopped down onto the bridge which is trembling and creaking under the weight. Coliunn is still proving to be a most difficult meal for it, but boy does it have a lot of teeth.

Ramming the dragon works out better than expected. Less well for the Navvie however who as the bones shatter around him is pretty badly knocked about. The few vertebrae and head that are left still squirm and snap at us as, with the full party aboard, we decide the best thing to do, is leg it.

Speeding off into the mist and southwards, we can only expect things to get worse. We know the dragon has to have come from somewhere. The other two we can (reasonably) safely assume were unfortunate accidents. Even so, it's more than a bit of a concern. Clearly the stone is more important than we thought...

We drive on.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY Lynyrd Skynyrd-Free bird]

We divert, we avoid blocked roads, and we wind our way what we think is southwards. We have been traveling for quite some time, and as we pass the same reanimated corpse nailed to a church door for the third time running, we realize we might be a tiny bit lost. We are also getting low on fuel.

A little research in the hamlet we have found ourselves in reveals it to be a small market town, and the market cross reads "Bannockburn".

:Bannockburn:
:It was a famous Scottish victory in the wars of Scottish independence, in 1314, so pre-magic in Britbongsteros.
:Robert the Bruce had Stirling Castle under siege, and Edward II (the son of Edward "Hammer of the Scots" I) commanded a force to break the siege.
:At Bannockburn his army fought Bruce's numerically inferior one (it was around half the size) and lost, over the course of two days (unusual for medieval pitched battles).
:With casualty estimates from 5100 - 15700 it's prime necromancer fodder

At this stage we do know the above as lore and we also know that the Stone of Scone is a deeply magical artifact. We are also extremely aware we do not have a great deal of fuel. The town itself seems deserted, though in the deep rolling thickness of the mist it's hard to tell. What we need is some fuel. There might be a motor vehicle here we can scavenge.
:>Doesn't the flamethrower also work on the same stuff?
It does. We would rather have a working flamethrower to help us when looking for more fuel than run out of fuel further on and not be able to set shit on fire.

Looking at the town, the place feels flat out dead, and like it has been that way for a long time. It's nothing like Arbroath. It's silent, the buildings lean on each other at angles, supporting each other like drunks on a train platform. Looking out over the main street, there is a definite air of pripyat.

There have been issues with necromancery in this area for some time. It all started with cows. Then some hamlets, then by the time the army paid any attention there was already a critical mass of unpleasantness which was reanimating Edinburgh. Bannockburn was one of the first places to go silent. We didn't pass the battlefield on the way in, but in theory we should be safer here than we have been previously.

We decant from the truck and begin exploring. The Wizard has the presence of mind to throw some metal filings over the stone as apparently he will sense if they are disturbed as long as he isn't too far away.

We search by splitting into twos. Banging loudly on the door of each building before entering (because zombies) The town is, as predicted, fairly deserted. We can see plenty of signs that people packed quickly and left quickly. We also can see that, when leaving, if anyone in the town had access to a motor vehicle they would have taken it.

Now although I keep calling it Bannockburn, that isn't the name of the village, the village is actually Whins of Milton but it is near where the battle took place (there is also some issue as to exactly where the battle happened, but anyway). We don't feel that lingering here is a good idea. Especially so near to Stirling castle and whatever weirdness is likely to be in there.

While searching a giant sized house, the Navvie is rather impressed to find a hammer he can't lift (it being a giant sized hammer), he does also find some beer which, as far as he is concerned, resolves our logistical issues. Fuel wise we come up empty handed.

It's about this time we notice a couple of things at once. From the direction of Stirling Castle there is a definite and distinct glow to the sky. Up ahead, as the mist shifts, we are fairly sure we can see the broken down remains of what might just be a truck. Last but not least, at the other end of the road, there is a figure in plate armour watching us.

The figure points at us. It doesn't advance it doesn't do anything. Just points. We notice other armoured figures in the mist. At windows, in doorways, all silent, all faceless, all pointing. In the mist and darkness of the hamlet this feels creepy as fuck, but they do not advance, they don't do anything to threaten us. Everyone feels as though they are being pointed at individually. Moving doesn't make a difference. The figures are all pointing accusingly directly at you.

In the almost oppressive silence the engine of our truck is shockingly loud. We pile in and make for the other end of the road and hopefully fuel. There are more figures as we pass, somehow moving while your eyes are closed or back is turned. We don't know if there are just that many of them that these are new ones or that they are just that fast. Either way it's not good. What they do not do is come closer than about forty feet. Yet.

Stopping at the other vehicle, a quick rap on the fuel tank confirms that not all of the fuel has evaporated. Angus seems to almost relish the task of siphoning as the rest of us stare nervously. What we have not seen any of these figures do is move, but we watch them closely. They're so firmly placed it seems like they might have grown there. As one, they all take a very clear and unified step forward.
:>Fuck.

As Angus methodically siphons fuel into a jerry-can, they complete the step and then stand perfectly stock still again. We look into empty helmets or blank visors and see nothing. Something is very clearly staring back however, or at least that's is how it feels.

They take another perfectly unified step. It starts to rain. Not just a shower either, but a heavy sudden down pour. Big fat drops of rain which hit the cobblestones like they were thrown with the vehemence of a deity at that enact spot.

On the flatbed of the truck. The stone is floating a tiny little bit. A centimeter or so off the surface. Interestingly it's also completely dry. Angus has great difficulty keeping water out of the fuel but manages, meanwhile.

Step.

They are clearly all around us.

Step.

The faceless things are closing in. We decide it's probably time to consider doing something about them. The wizard reports they don't register for him. As far as he is concerned the rusted steel of their armour is non existent. Experimentally he tries flinging a quick saw blade at one. It doesn't pass through it, but it also doesn't impact. It's as though the blade went through the space occupied by the faceless at an earlier point in time when it wasn't there. I decide to try unloading on one. It's similarly pointless. There is however one slight difference as they take another step.

A low whistling moan, just on the edge of audibility.

The Navvie decides enough is enough and prepares to fling the last of our explosives at them. The satchel charge we note is completely ignored as it lands in front of one of the things. Angus (who so far has been ignoring all this) is pulled down by the bard as the detonation rings in the silence. Small pieces of masonry drop around us as our ears ring. Looking back up over the siding of the truck we establish that did fuck all.

We settle for helping Angus as best we can. Finally the noise of fuel slopping from can to tank sounds like the most beautiful of things.

Step.

Gluggluglug

Step.

Angus tosses the empty jerrycan away and as the engine of our truck roars into life, the wizard floors it. The stone has other ideas. It's still floating and decides to liberate itself from the back of the truck. We however keep going. Bracing for impact on one of the figures in the center of the road, we pass straight through it. The stone hovers about chest height. We slow to a halt as the figured advance on it.

Rather than pointing fingers, the outstretched hands are now grasping for the stone. There's an actinic blue flash like a lightning strike as they make contact.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRjUcnuJEaE Saxon - Guardians of The Tomb]

Not too long ago, we were pretty normal people. We sure have seen some shit recently, and this is just about topping it all. Shafts of light ripple from the stone, flickering and trickling over the grasping figures. The stone explodes, blinding us.
:>What the actual fuck did we just do?
The armoured figures are very much still standing.

The earth, rust, grime and filth is gone from their armour. Where once there were faceless empty husks. Now there are grinning skulls.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbOCF9zYgHc Motorhead - Born to Raise Hell]

:"Who amongst you summoned us? Which of you would seek to lead the Host of Bruce? Which of you is the spider that plucks the web? Who calls us forth in this hour of Scotland's need?"
:"Well Aldous, technically you're in charge mate. This one's all you."
:"Err... I did?"
:"WHO ARE YOU TO SUMMON US?"
:"We are... fight for... um... We fight for the crown!"
:"WHICH? WE HAVE WATCHED, WE HAVE WAITED. WE HUNGER FOR VICTORY. MANY STRANGE THINGS HAVE COME TO OUR LANDS, AND NOW BY GOD AND ALL OF HIS SAINTS, WE WILL PURIFY THEM, BY SWORD AND FIRE. ALL WHO HAVE SEEN OR SUFFERED THE TAINT WILL BE CLEANSED.
:"...all?"
:"THAT IS WHY WE ARE SUMMONED. THERE CAN BE NO OTHER REASON. WE WILL WIPE THE LAND CLEAN FROM THE ANTONINE WALL TO KIRKWALL. WE WILL NOT REST. WE WILL NOT TIRE. WE WILL NOT FALTER."
:"Oh arse. We've accidentally tripped some sort of buried superweapon..."
:"YOU HAVE SUMMONED US WITH THE STONE. WE ARE HERE. WHAT TASK HAVE YOU FOR US? WE WILL KILL UNTIL HELL ITSELF BOILS OVER FOR THE CROSS OF ST. ANDREW."
:"So you'll kill everybody?"
:"YES."
:"Everybody everybody? Us?"
:"YES. YOU LAST. THEN YOU MAY JOIN US IN SLUMBER UNTIL WE ARE NEXT NEEDED TO FEED THE HEATHER WITH BLOOD."
:"Could we... err... put you back in your box?"
:"WHY?"
DM is grinning. The grin of "Mate are you really sure you wish to pursue this line of questioning?"

There is hushed party conference.
:"What the fuck do we do about this?"
Our meditations are interrupted by the unmistakeable "fwunk" noise of a cork being removed from a whisky bottle. (It really does make a particular noise). On the back of the truck sits Donny, pouring himself a nice big drink.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r06ubE_y7yQ ACDC - Whiskey On The Rocks]

:"Well boys. This lot sure look useful."
Donny grins. A very, very big grin. Mirrored by the DM.
:"We really are going to have to do something about him..."
:"I could take them off your hands for you. They'll be pretty handy to me and I'll let you borrow them for help with Baz."
The host aren't paying the damndest bit of attention to Donny, it seems they can't see him.
:"Let me borrow them for a bit, and I'll give them back at a time that's thematically important, then take them off your hands. It's that or you let them loose to wipe out the country of course. I'm pretty sure that's not in your remit now is it lads?"
Ok... this seems like an astonishingly bad idea but what else are we gonna do?
:"Just say the word Aldous, tell them to go with me and follow me. I'll bring them back only slightly used..."
:"We... err..."
(Party huddle)
:"Ok Donny, you can take them for now..."

:>What Donny did with the host of Bruce
:Someone, somewhere, may have wondered what happened to Portugal. We later found out, that something very bad happened to Portugal.

We order the host to follow Donny until he brings them back to us. To follow him wherever he goes. They unsheathe shining silver blades, salute, and follow him. Donny winks.
:"Don't even think about double-crossing me here boys, but when you need them, break this bottle." (He tosses Angus a whisky bottle which Angus drains then sticks in his sack).
Donny and the host march off. Donny twirling his walking stick like a band-leader.
:"I really hate that guy."
:"We all do."
:Wizard: "I have a plan."
The more immediate issue remains: Baz. Then Donny. We head southwards, driving through the night mostly without event, hitting Hadrians wall by sun-up and into the North of England. We find ourselves near Newcastle with the rising sun. We head for Fenham Barracks.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth 1967]

I've talked about Newcastle before. The place is already good and fucked. Very much on a war footing, men, boys, anyone that can hold a rifle has taken the Queene's shilling. The normally cheerful Geordies are very aware they're likely to be meeting death soon. As we pull into Fenham there are rank after rank of conscripts. It seems like the army were already planning to march North.

It might just be the nature of the conflict, but the rifles seem oh so poor compared to what they're going to be facing. Brown-Bess muskets against the necromancers? Sweet Jesus.

We present our letters of authority to the sentries, and are swiftly ushered into the presence of the commander of this bunch. [http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/blackadder/images/b/b7/Third_duel_396x222.jpg Pic related (on the left)] the chap on the right is hovering off to one side.

As we enter HQ, Blackadder sighs loudly.
:"Who or what are you lot?"
:"Oh come on Bladder, they look like fun!"
We explain ourselves.
:George: "Well that's bloody fortunate, we were just going up there! A bit of bish bash bosh and we'll see those bony buggers back to bed!"
We do not have good feels. Well, it'll have to do...
:"Yes we'll be back home before Christmas and don't you worry my boys will show them that proper British spirit!"
We're about to get a whole lot more folk killed aren't we?

The army marches in 24 hours. They march to almost certain death. The party, agreeing that we will tag along with mad prince George and the decidedly shifty Blackadder, are left to our own devices for the first time in a while. With the plot-train refueling, we retire to the pub.

Now this is one of those times in Britbongsteros we decided to do a little method acting (we got plastered in character). Each of us did actually have a backstory of sorts and at this point we swapped stories, went into who we were and what was best in life. Cruella played barmaid (not very well I might add but she did get the job of facilitating discussion). So what follows are a series of IC discussions about who we are, a lot of which anon already knows, but it might be useful to have for background and fun.

The Navvie:
:"I was brought up rough not far from here. There's not much more to life than what my own two hands can get me. Life is nasty, brutish, and short. I killed a man with these hands. I know we've killed plenty since, but when a labourer kills a lord for deciding he wants to stick more than his cock in a woman, well, they don't take kindly to that round these parts. My family think I'm dead, or I hope they do."

The bard:
:"Uuh, I'm a Bard."
:"FOR FUCKS SAKE ROLEPLAY"
:"I like music?"
:"OH COME ON"
:"I come from this little island off the coast of China and..."
:"SHUT UP"
:"I had a haggis?"
:"..."
:"I play music because it was my only outlet after my alcoholic father beat me and lost me in a game of cards to a group of pirates. I was the cabin boy aboard a ship of thieves in the Solway Firth, when one night it foundered because I fell asleep on watch. I swum ashore and promised myself I would never commit another violent act, that music would be my only outlet, just like my dear old dead mother wanted. I'd... I would play for her, I'd bring joy to repay my sins. I'd pipe the sorrow from the world."
:"Holy fuck."

Wizard:
:You all know this already (elaborated on later in the story), but he's out and about to earn his fortune, to bring the dowry back to Aberdeen for his wife to be. He's in love and that's... well that's about it.

Angus:
:Nice and simple.
:"I have a shop. It's all I've ever wanted. A nice little place to call my own, I didn't have much growing up and I grew that business from selling rat pies to drunks to a fine establishment. I don't really know how I got here, and to be honest, if I stop and think I'll break down, but I'm here, and until I get back to my little shop, I'm having the time of my life."

Aldous:
:"I was a merchant, I did well from my family estates, I married, I had a daughter, the very light of my life. She was taken from me by the then King, we never knew what happened to her, I turned to drink, my wife left, my business was ruined and I was in Dundee because it's where I washed up. The estates in Dorf-shire being run by my factor and younger brother."

The next morning, suitably hungover, we toddle back to Fenham. Our spirits are a bit low, we know a whole lot of these troops are going to die soon and it's going to be our fault. We also know that whatever Baz now is, that's kinda... again our bad. The Donny situation is just... My god we are crap at being heroes aren't we?

We don't pay a great deal of attention to the newspaper Blackadder is reading to George while he eats a boiled egg. On the front page is something about "PORTUGAL ATTACKED" but we have enough of our own problems to deal with.
:Donny for reasons unknown, really did not like Portugal and over the course of the next few days, the population of the country were methodically, utterly, and totally slaughtered by the host of Bruce.
:We are bad people. We are very bad people.

There's also a short, angry man chain smoking cigars. The hat and demeanour identify this grumpy dwarf as Isambard Fuck-You-I'll-build-it-where-I-want Brunel. He is here on orders of the current Privy Council, he also seems very interested in our letters of authority and gets the story of what happened up north from us. Isambard is not best pleased to hear Dan Defoe is dead, but he does reveal there is a detachment of the Special Bastard Squadron which will be accompanying us up north. We (as this is all our fault - something he reminds us of again) will be accompanying them and the regiments forming up outside.

The party after a short break, leave with the army. The band plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buEuaN-wKW0 the Blackadder goes forth theme] as we head off. Really the whole thing should feel pretty glorious, rank after rank of red jacketed tommies, but those tommies are not well trained, the definitely do not seem to be volunteers. The artillery train is a mish-mash of different guns and calibers, they've cleaned out the armouries and sent forth every last thing that can be found. The SBS however, are a good deal more impressive, notably by their absence. It takes a little while, but we actually realize that bush over there is them.

Later on the march, we are joined by a detachment of Dwarven heavy infantry, these are definitely more like it. Full-plate and each with a plentiful amount of explosives and fire-arms. Maybe we are not as fucked as we thought.

The march of the army northwards should take about a week, we tag along, learning a bit more about the situation up North as we go and the plan. The plan is actually a fairly simple one: March north up the admittedly poor roads towards Berwick upon tweed and then meet a squadron of naval vessels, travel north on those, decamp at Dundee, and on to Baz.

The issues start almost immediately.

The supply wagons are too wide for the roads, the artillery carriages can't handle the pace or the state of the road and a lot of it becomes irrevocably stuck. The party do our best to help out, be it the brute force of the Navvie, the bard doing his best to inspire, Angus and the Wizard fixing broken axles from seemingly nothing, but even so, it's ten days before we are even near Berwick. The naval squadron that should be waiting, isn't.

The party investigate. We drive up to Berwick and discover the remnants of the Squadron in combat with a quantity of sea monsters (those lovely things the alchemists have been making and a few of the natural ones that have been kicking about). The navy eventually win, but there's no way we'll all fit aboard. The plan is to send for more ships and send an advance company of us, the SBS, the dwarves and some of the troops. Including George and Blackadder. We don't know what Baz is up to, but we do know that the sooner we get to him the better.

The DM keeps mentioning Portugal, with the newspapers reporting that the country is a wasteland now.

The voyage North doesn't take us close to shore (avoiding what is definitely Necromancer territory of the Firth of Forth) and we land in Dundee at night.

It's not long after we land that we get news of what FrankenBaz has been up to. The rest of the Necromancers are concentrating in Edinburgh, they don't seem to be advancing as they were, the blight is tightening, consolidating maybe? (They're building towers)

Baz however has been spotted attacking refugee columns and seems to have taken to unlife rather well. His latest tricks seem to require killing people in the goriest way possible then reanimating them. Corpses which have suffered from (look this up at your peril):
*Blood eagle
*Necklacing
*Water torture (not the Chinese kind)
*The comfy chair
*Plumbs (not what you think)
*The old favourite with the rat
*And what I thought was a rather creative one where you put the person on a breaking-wheel, then reanimate the gangrenous dead flesh of the broken limbs and make it choke them to death.

The logic of all this (as we understand it) has something to do with those Soul-cube things, for Baz, the more agonizing the death, the better.

One further method he has apparently been experimenting with (and also how the living have got news of all this) has been what he has called "The Wild Hunt," which is simply good old fashioned fox hunting, except you have a human being as the fox, and the dogs are replaced with whatever Baz devises. A lucky couple of civilians have escaped to give us the news.

The party have their own little council of war. Thoughts drift firstly to mutiny.
:Angus: "Y'know, we could actually just leg it... We're back where we started. I miss my shop."
:Wizard: "We could but this is our fault, and I for one, clean up my messes."
:Navvie: "Fuck 'em."
:"Is that a yay or nay Navvie?"
:Navvie: "Fuck 'em."
:Bard: "We have a duty, we also have to remember if someone does not try to stop this here, now, who will?"
:(My god Bard... that was almost helpful).
:Me: "I agree with... unusually... the Bard."
Baz is still operating out of the old Roman camp and, as far as we know, the army plan on attacking this. We are fortunate enough to be privy to Prince George's planning session.

There is a crudely drawn map of the camp and its surroundings on the table. George's plan is as follows:
:"We march up to them, kick the doors in, and give them the old one-two."
Blackadder and the SBS commander (some guy called Chris Lee) are horrified (as are we).
:"Yes, so we'll go in about lunchtime, give them plenty of time to be up and about, that sounds about right doesn't it? I don't know, this is my first time doing this."
We eventually convince George that this is not a good idea. Remember he is:
:1. Royal
:2. A Faerie
:3. Technically out ranks everyone for several hundred miles
:4. Can and will have anyone executed for fun.
We insist stealth is the right option, the SBS should lead the advance toward the camp, scouting and making the way for the attack. Then the Dwarves and infantry can do their thing and arrive comfortably from our proposed camp at about 10:00am. George thinks this is a great idea and insists on a night march, as opposed to the saner option of marching, making camp, then marching in daylight. He wants to set off in the evening, and march through the night. We try very hard to persuade him this is a terrible idea.
:"My lord, you and the troops will be tired."
:"No I won't, I'll sleep on the way."
:"My lord, even you can't win the fight all on your own."
:"I suppose not..."
:"The troops will be too tired to fight at their best."
:"I thought peasants slept standing up. That's right isn't it? If not, well I'm sure they'll be plenty keen to set to the enemy and get stuck in! And that is the end of it, I won't hear any more. Who wants a drink?
:"My lord..."
:"I said who wants a drink?"
He bares his wickedly sharp faerie teeth. Ending the discussion.

What all this means essentially is the DM is setting us up to expect a cluster-fuck. The troops don't know what they're facing, we don't know how many enemies we might be facing, and then we do have the Donny-based WMD, but we want to save that and hopefully use the wizards plan (which I'll tell you about later as not to spoil it) to end that issue.

George insists we march the following day about dinner time. We use the night firstly to get some sleep and then we have a further think. The conclusion of this think is, what if George changed his mind... or was made to change it...

We brainstorm over breakfast. The SBS would be more than willing to help. Their leader seems like a good chap, bit old, but seems to know his shit and this is what remains of his elite fighting force, so he'll want to see it well used. George insisted that his favourite "battle carriage" be taken with us on the boat, and if something happened to that, we figure it might just help persuade him to delay (By which I mean we're gonna happen to it). We also know we are dancing with death doing this, so we'll need plausible deniability and a nice big distraction.

N.b. when I say "Battle-Carriage" I don't mean that in a hardcore warhammer way, I really do mean lots of gold leaf, fancy, and generally ideally suited for rolling about London in. It is not the most suitable of vehicles.

Between them the Wizard and the Navvie, if left to their own devices for a few minutes, would be able to wreck it enough to delay departure to a more sensible time. We cannot however just walk up to the thing and smash the wheels off.

We know it's not the most metal of solutions, we also know however we can't just kill him, and convincing him otherwise seems out. It's a simple matter for Angus and I to distract the guard on the carriage. Essentially the DM roleplays the guard, and I tell him the story of the Black and White Spacemarine (knight in this case) which the DM had, until this point, never heard, while the Navvie and Wizard sneak round the other side and shear through the axle. The DM, the better part of half an hour later (the story of the black and white space-marine takes about an hour to tell - longer if you do all the actions) gives up and declares us successful.
:>The black and white...
:It is on google.
:It's essentially the longest shaggy dog story I know.

The end result of all this is that, as the army lines up in marching order, George ascends his carriage and the thing falls to bits. This leads to a fantastic squawk of rage, and everyone else back to relaxing. The wizard and Navvie volunteer to fix the thing and we (much to our pleasure) set off at the time we originally proposed. George is too happy to have his favourite carriage back to care. It's a small victory, but a significant one for us.

The army march and arrive at Glamis Castle in good time. They make camp. The SBS start patrolling the surrounding area. Spirits seem reasonably high. Any anons who have checked the wikipedia page for Glamis may see that there could be a couple issues here...

Despite the depredations of Baz, the small unit of local troops guarding the castle have been left entirely unmolested. Even so they look like they haven't slept in months. Questioning by the party (the SBS having already fucked off into the woods) leads nowhere. They refuse to be drawn. We chalk this up to creepy weirdness and decide to see about a spot of dinner. We pass the open doors of the great hall where George and co are having dinner. There's a very familiar looking bloke playing cards with the Laird, aside from the fact he's wearing a Portugeese Toureiro.

Now we can't just barge in and say "HES THE FUCKING PROBABLY MAYBE DEVIL AND STUFF" also one way or another he's here for some sort of reason. We decide on simply finding food and going from there. Getting down to the kitchens we scare up enough food and beer to be quite happy with the situation.

We get this peculiar "being watched" feeling. That being watched feeling is as noted an extremely familiar one. Naturally it puts everyone on edge. We check the doors and windows (of which in an old castle kitchen there are not many) and deciding there is nothing doing, we continue our meal.

It's not long before (as the Navvie and I break into our fourteenth and fourth beers respectively) we hear gunfire. Gunfire is definitely a sign we should be doing things. We head out into the gardens of Glamis. The encampment is in uproar as disorganized units try to form up. Others fire into the darkness in all directions. Someone has unlimbered the guns and a salvo of grapeshot shreds a row of entirely innocent rhododendrons.

We try to see where the enemy are or what is going on. The troops have no idea and their commanders are nowhere to be seen. We try shouting for a ceasefire or for them to form up on us. Our words are lost in the chaos. We do have a bard however. He hops up on some ammunition crates and plays a ceasefire (which should be on the bugle, but in Britbongsteros it's a few bars of this) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLYT0NR8ZLc Saxon - Thin Red Line]

As the troops begin to get in some kind of order forming up around us, we are able to piece together what's going on. A returning patrol of the SBS had not been told that the password for the night would change at midnight (which is by the way a rather stupid idea - thanks George-bama) and the ordinary troops didn't actually know the time anyway. The argument that followed involved someone shouting
:"Well we aren't the fucking undead!"
Which was heard elsewhere as
:"Undead!"
Mix stupidity with scared and poorly trained soldiery and this happens.

Morale is now at an all time low (except for Donny who finds the situation hilarious) and we still have the feeling of being watched. Worst of all, we can be under no illusions that Baz does not know we are here.

In the darkness we can see a couple of ice blue points of light that are not stars. We know Coliunn is out there. We do not fancy looking for him We decide to retreat inside and get drunk. Leaving the mess for everyone else to tidy up.

:>Coliunn
Now we do know he was in Donny's house. Thing is, Donny had been away for a bit. Was he waiting for Donny to return? He has been nothing but hostile to Donny when they have interacted. We don't want to let on to Donny that what might be our potential ally is out there.

We also consider further what to do about Donny and his offer, as as soon as we break that empty bottle he is going to use the host of Bruce to do all sorts of nefarious stuff. We do have a plan relating to that but we haven't told the DM properly what it is, nor have I told you all. We have also worked out by this stage what happened to Portugal and why (apparently the wine isn't very nice).

Now with the fun of the evening over, the party take the sensible decision to retire to bed. The morning brings with it the freshness of a new day. George has a hangover and attempts to rouse him before 10:30 prove fruitless. The party become involved about then as Blackadder requests our assistance.

George is still cozily in bed, for all of his murderous and admittedly flat out stupid tendencies, we are rather struck that he has a small teddy bear with a detachable head and large fangs. Blackadder looks moodily out of the window as George moans about his illness. He ushers us into a side room.
:"You want this attack to go well don't you?"
:"Yes..."
:"It'd be better all round then if George didn't lead it, don't you agree?"
:"Yes..."
:"I'm going for a walk. If something unpleasant happened to George while I was away, an accident wherein he removed his own head with a button while getting dressed, I don't think anyone would raise too much fuss..."

With that, Blackadder promptly buggers off. Likely to feed Baldrick. I haven't really talked about Baldrick in detail, but as a reminder, he is a large, angry gorilla. That's about it really. He has a little hat (turnip shaped) and very big knuckle dusters. Blackadder uses him to solve problems (or people) he doesn't like very much.

We are left with a dilemma.
:"Kill 'im?"
:"Kill 'im."
I didn't say it was much of a dilemma.

However we do think we don't want to make it too obvious, and we certainly think it would be waaaaaaaaay too convenient for Blackadder to have us blamed then killed. We settle for a little diplomacy first. We sweep back into Geroge's room.
:"My Lord, wonderous news! Your excellent plan worked! We have won the battle!"
:"I have? I mean I have! Of course I have!"
:"Yes, so no need to worry about doing anything."
:"Wait, wasn't the big fight today?"
:"No, no, yesterday, my Lord."
:"Oh, spiffing. Well done me. Take a few medals on your way out and send me up some lunch would you?"

Blackadder seems a little dissatisfied that George isn't dead, but is pleased enough with his defacto promotion. Only two hours behind schedule, we set off and can expect to confront Baz about mid afternoon. Excellent. Except 80% of the troops are terrible, Baz knows we are coming and Baz is... Well he's Baz.

All things considered, the army is in almost good spirits. Helped along no doubt by the fact George ordered (still thinking he has won the battle) all the troops be given a pint of rum. It may not help their accuracy, but it does mean they are at least going to die happy.

The march to the camp is actually fairly simple and straightforward. We are a bit concerned by the plume of smoke that can be seen from Glamis not long after we leave. It's also interesting to note that Donny has been nowhere to be seen all day.

It's very quiet in the afternoon sun. We have approached the camp from the southeast and the sun is just over the camp. On the brown and ill looking turf serried ranks of redcoated soldiers form a semblance of lines. The artillery train such as it is unlimber.

It's very quiet in the fort. We do note however that someone seems to have fixed the wall (that we wrecked).

Horses shift uneasily in the heat. Fat iridescent blue bottles crawl over flickering eye lids and try to explore nostrils. You could cut the hot, rising tension with a knife and parcel it up into small tasty treats to be sold at a bake sale.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNG_Kn-m73M "Heavy Metal" Theme: Takin' A Ride / Don Felder]

We look along pasty faces of acne ridden teenagers, old men with more years and less teeth than they should, holding battered rifles and rusty bayonets with powder that no one knows will work. Outnumbered in what to them is a strange land. They don't know what lies behind those walls, and yet those men do not falter. They face the very physical reality of death, and they stand. Oblivious to the cosmic terrors of this world. This is bravery. Or all that rum.

The fort remains silent. Brooding. Watching. Blackadder sweeps down his sword and the tension boils over into a smashing crescendo of smoke and flame. This is it.

As the smoke from the cannons fogs the field, we can hear roundshoot smash through wood and into the camp beyond. The party share a moment.
:"Ok lads. Do or die."
We know we could run. We know we owe no one here a damn thing. This is our mess though, and this is our choice.

We pass around a bottle. Smiling at each other. The glassy eyed half mad smile of men who know death is close.
:"We stay, we fight. Maybe after all this we can make a difference. Maybe we could even live or in this sodden blood soaked isle. Have a death that means something."

The cannons ceasefire long enough for the smoke to clear momentarily. There's more smoke than we think there should be. A lot more. We can see the wall is down in several places. We can see movement within.

The sensible thing to do is let the cannons continue firing rather than advance, and without George in command that's what we do. There's definitely something going on in the fort, but the cannons are badly positioned and gunsmoke blows across the lines, thick and obscuring. The volley of javelins takes the men by complete surprise. Unarmoured regulars falling before they even realize they're dead as skeletons loom.

The skeletons continue toward us, getting closer as the survivors try to respond to commands for volley fire. We can see what's about to happen as the regulars get off an ineffectual volley. They need time. Time to regroup, time to form up and time to reload.

The party knows what must be done, as do the armoured dwarves. The bard squeezes his pipes. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXjtvGAGvYA
Manowar - Die for metal (lyrics)]

The dwarves know what must be done, and when the party charge, they follow our example. Gun and axe ready to buy time in blood. It works. The Skeletons advance slows as they close ranks to meet the charge. Roman tactics not quite taking account of flamethrower, shotgun and dwarvish grenade and shot.

After the close range volley, their ranks are in some disarray. Bits of bone, shield and loricae segmenate zip through the air.

The infantry behind us get off another volley, then another, the cannons whip grapeshot into the flanks of the skeletons. Our counter-charge just might carry this.

Our focus shifts from what we can see of the overall battlefield to the enemy before us, the Navvie breaking shields, the wizard dashing iron bars into skeletons behind them. There sure are a lot of skeletons. They pull down dwarves every moment, gladii lashing from behind the shieldwall.

From elsewhere in the closing ranks of skeletons, a larger, horned figure can be seen. Clad now head to foot in armour. Only his antlers and the bone sticking from his chest indicating who he is, he leads a charge past us and the engaged dwarves on toward the rifleman.

Baz.

It takes us some time to fight our way out of our current predicament, leaving the dwarves still engaged. We can see Baz sweeping great clawed hands into the lines of the regulars, stoving in ribcages, ripping off heads, every rise and fall of his arms bringing death after death. The lines of the regulars are already faltering as Blackadder leads his small cavalry unit into a charge against them.

It's time to put and end to this. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxKpe2c6fU Iron Maiden The trooper lyrics]

We advance fighting our way to Baz. We can see he's already a lot more powerful than the last time we faced him. Baz realizes there's a push towards him. The still screaming body of an infantryman raised up before his face. Slowly peeling him like a grape he turns.

He sights us. The great shoulders lower. A hand drops to the earth as he readies a charge, looking for all the world like the most terrifying center forward you could imagine.

He starts as he recognizes us. A memory of before makes him pause. We don't wait for the emotional struggle of wills within him to take place. We know he's a lot more and a lot less than he was. We all hear the same voice in our heads, it offers different things, but it's definitely Baz. Money, women, women with lots of money, power, pies. The party (with one rather successful role) simultaneously declaim what I think became in some fashion our battle cry.
:"Oi. Fuck you."

He starts to charge and we run to meet him. The tactics are the ones you're all no doubt familiar with by now, the Navvie races for him. The bard generally fucks about being useless, the wizard remains behind the Navvie flinging sharp objects, Angus and I on the flanks, shot and flame washing over the armoured hide of Baz.

We knew we were outmatched. We didn't know how badly.

The Navvie dodges a sweep of the claws, smashing his hammer down onto Baz's shoulder with enough force that his right arm now hangs loose. The left smashes him aside. The wizard is shoulder barged as Baz makes for me. I'm seized and tossed (nobody tosses a dwarf) near where the Navvie landed. Angus however is having none of this. He advances on Baz, a bottle in both hands, one empty the other on its way to being so. Baz aims a savage headbutt at him. It connects, you can hear ribs crack. Angus is knocked to the ground. The Navvie and I are managing to help each other to our feet as Angus smashes the empty bottle on Baz's chest.

The host of Bruce appear, armour shining and swords singing. Donny joins us.
:"Hello lads."
The Host engage Baz, and now it's his turn to be outmatched. Meanwhile the rest of the army are beginning to form up again.

The battle is flux, balanced on the horns of fate. The Host of Bruce however make very short work of Baz, then turn on the skeletons. The cheering of the regulars turns to horror as they turn on them. Donny has asked nicely for, and received some of Angus' half empty bottle of whiskey.
:"Well boys, it's time to relax now, you've done more than enough for me. Freed me, twice, and now summoned a lovely little unit of deathless soldiers for me to conquer every hell I can think of with. Once of course they scour the land clean. I have to give them that. Might as well sit back and watch the apocalypse lads."

The wizard sticks his hands in his pockets.
:"Donny, do you remember exactly what we said to the Host? What you asked us to say to them?"
:"Now now lads, don't try this game with me, you'll not win."
:"You asked us to ask them to follow you didn't we? Follow you until you brought them back? What we did not say, was for them to follow your commands. Just. You."
In the background the regulars break and run as the host gut a dozen men every second. The wizard takes his hand from his pocket. The fragment of the Stone of Destiny sparks in the air. The Host pause. Some in mid strike. Somewhere a regular slides off the blade of one.
:"Come on now... this isn't very funny..."
:"I'm sure they can follow you Donny. The question is, how far, and how fast can you run?"
The wizard can craft metal, the wizard has power over steel. Steel can be bound and forged to the will of its maker. The wizard's plan is not complicated, the shard of the stone, bound by layers of battered steel. Enough to channel the magic of the world, enough that as he punches the shard into Donny's chest, and the barbs on the stone dig in, enough that Donny realizes that finally, we have screwed someone over.

The Host turn as one.
:"Chase. Him. Down."

We look out over the battlefield.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE7ONvyXxm4 Defender]

Baz is dead. As are hundreds of troopers. Donny may, one day, in a thousand years or tomorrow, get free, but that's a problem for another day, another time, and maybe even another world.

We collapse onto the body strewn field. We did it. Somehow. We're alive. The country is still teetering on the brink of totally fucked, but we are alive.

We discover later that while we were fucking about in Dundee, the undead launched an invasion into the North of England. Necromancers and more alchemsists than ever seen on these shores. Our new destination, Blackadder later decides as we manage some small respite aboard the HMS Dreadnowt (yes that one) is the North. The Alchemists have repeating rifles, and we for one, will need those for the country, England expects, Scotland knows we have already begun to discharge our duty.

===The Harrowing of Harrogate===
As the party do our best to lick our wounds aboard the Dreadnowt, Blackadder fresh from his new (self) promotion lays out our new mission. We are to generally cause as much havoc to the invading undead as we can, but additionally the Alchemists (who are playing both sides and it is in their interests to have the war continue as long as possible) will not sell us the designs of those repeating rifles. We are to acquire a quantity of them by any means necessary.
:"Why us?"
:"Three reasons. One you're still alive, you're still alive when our best problem solvers are all dead, and lastly, you can do your duty to your country, or all be shot."

It's rather hard to argue with the last point and as our little band of ne'er do wells have been forged in combat and tempered by victory, we for once (aside from the fresh bruises, broken ribs, stab wounds, and need of a bath) feel almost keen to pitch in. Maybe we can make a difference.

The voyage back up the east coast (away from the big scary monsters) and down the west is mostly uneventful, sort of. There are reports from ratings of a stowaway. Searches of the vessel and reduction of rum rations do little to prevent these reports, in fact they increase. Nonetheless we steam for Liverpool and the new front in the war against undeath.

When we arrive in Liverpool the news from the front is not good. Although the Undead advance has slowed, it definitely has not stopped. The Dorfs have dug in and dug in hard. They've made a maginot line out of Yorkshire and Lancaster but won't do anything beyond that.

Someone (us) is going to have to try to get them to March north, hopefully in the north we will also encounter some alchemists and be able to get some of those rifles by beating them up.
:>Wut about all the Alchemists you killed before?
Either they died in enemy territory or the stately home we visited was recaptured/reclaimed by the Alchemists.

The worst part is there are detachments of them acting within the country who are helping us. It has been noted that they have stopped carrying rifles and we can't (the country) throw them all in the tower of London quite yet.

We have already talked a little about Dorfs. I'm one, and they have popped up elsewhere, the essential things to note is that they are Yorkshiremen first then Dorfs second (Britons third). For one thing in their view there should be a Dorf on the throne and they still have not forgotten the outcome of the War of the Roses.

If geography were different they'd be quite happy chilling out near their mills and drinking beer while everyone else got slaughtered. Unfortunately (or fortunately) they are between the Undead and a whole lot of the rest of our island home.

The dorfs (we discover mostly through spending some time in the pub) don't really see any of this as their problem, taking the approach that it's nothing to do with them, they feel that certain concessions, particularly on trade and taxes along with more representation down south might assist. The issue being of course that down south in Lannndan, no one gives a shit

We decide to take in a bit more local colour first in Liverpool and then closer to home for me in the center of Dorf-shire (Leeds). It also is where my (the dwarf) family home is - Harrogate.

The major political players in the area are the House of York and the Lancastrians. Now dwarves are dwarves but these two houses hate each other, the only thing they hate more than each other is people who get in the way of them hating each other.

The house of York is lead by the famously promiscuous Henry the 8th (not being the 8th anything except one famously having eight mistresses in one night), the other is the puritanical Duke of Lancaster, Dick (or Richard) Dawkins.

There are also rumours of bad goings on on Ilkley moor which we think may bear investigation.

So to summarize:
*Ilkley
*Get dwarves on board and moving
*Obtain guns

Additionally there is a further consideration for me as a character. The trip back to Harrogate involves a little backstory which I'll go into in more detail shortly, but essentially I left under a bit of a cloud.

What we have heard about Ilkley relates to strange lights and decapitated (and also hatless) corpses. It sounds like something we may wish to have a look into. Now though the first thing the DM mentions as we travel by road to Harrogate is the distinct (and by now very familiar feeling) of being watched.

Travelling from Liverpool to Harrogate, Ilkley moor is on the way, we take our time, the lights are seen at night and so it seems prudent that we arrive about then too. The moor is misty and the moon is full. We still feel eerily under observation but if Coliunn is still alive, well more power to him, he's taken everything the world can throw at him, including us. Thinking back on it, aside from our first fight, he has not been overtly hostile particularly, but he has followed us across the country tenaciously

For once as we wait for midnight near Ilkley we are on properly friendly territory. Our visit to the pub goes to plan though the locals all look into their pints when we say what we are here for. It seems everyone there has lost a son or an aunt, a cousin or a husband. The village is a close knit community and they don't seem too keen to talk to outsiders beyond that. Even the reports of headless/hatless corpses came from a traveling government official who later went mad and accidentally killed himself while cleaning his fully loaded revolver with the back of his head. While sleeping.

We might be murderhobos but it makes us feel we are doing the right and proper thing.

For once...

We should notice and do something about the fact that the pub slowly empties as evening goes on until by closing time we are the only ones there and have been for a while.

Our first hint that something may or may not be right in the land of Yorkshire is that something appears to have happened to our truck. It was parked outside and appears to be suffering slightly from critical existence failure. It's simply gone.
:"Thieves?"
:"Wouldn't we have heard it start?"
:"Possibly, it was loud in the pub..."
:"Strong thieves who picked it up and carried it?"
:"That's just stupid bard."

Despite our missing vehicle we decide that we are here already and might as well be useful. We are meant to be (notionally anyway) problem solvers and servants of the crown (whatever that means), if we are going to do anything we should do the right thing (again whatever that is).

Aside from the hatless corpses we haven't heard or know of anything particularly weird in this area.

We head out onto the misty and blasted heath. The moon provides scant illumination beyond making the mist seem silver. We have to watch our step carefully.

The contrast of warm cozy pub and dewsoaked chill of the midnight moor puts us on edge. This feels like the all too familiar set up of small town and big weird magic problem.

We watch the mist carefully expecting skeletons or some supernatural horror. We are taken entirely by surprise as an enormous hoof steps between the party, then rises and disappears into the mist. The Kilburn white horse is nearby, maybe this is it out for a walk or a visitor. As it passes over head Angus is pleased to report it is definitely a stallion. He can "tell by the way it walks" apparently. The horse itself does not seem very threatening aside from being enormous. We continue on into the mist.

One of the reasons Yorkshire is famous for Dorfs is it's one of the places with actual mythology about Duregar (Dorf), which means I should really be knowing what's going on here, but as I stare into the mist I can make about as much sense of what we find as the others. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_figure Hill Figure]

We see the shape of a man, but find it to be only the crudely constructed body of a green man, we approach other figures and find the same. A great shape looms from the mist, and as we disturb a flock of dozing grouse (to their near immolation) we realize we at least have a bearing. We have found the cow and calf (famous big rock and smaller rock). It's about now that we start to hear singing.

Something the innkeeper said comes back to us
:"No one goes on the moor at night willingly."
Well we aren't here willingly, we also aren't wearing hats (aside from the bard).

The haunting lyrics of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Ilkla_Moor_Baht_'at Ilkley moor] are sung in the distance, it seems like just one lilting soft voice. From previous experience this (Fuck you DM) is going to mean combat. The party ready themselves and tighten our formation.

The moor itself is known for ancient pagan megaliths and other odd goings on. Something is starting to feel very wrong indeed.

We pause at the edge of one of the many pools of still water on the moor. Looking in we can only see reflected moonlight. Then the stillness of the water breaks as something lands within it. We look up and around, no idea what or where that came from. It was a fairly decent splash. As the song continues the wizard coaxes the object from the water by dint of pushing it along with an iron bar. The severed head has its mouth open in a silent scream. The wizard visibly gulps. The rest of us take a knee, expecting a rush of slathering feral space jaguars at any second.

As the song continues (again and again, endlessly repeating) the head opens its eyes. They glow with an inner fire, it too starts to sing. The wizard (quite reasonably) freaks out and drops the thing in the pond.

We can hear more voices now. More singing. A choir entirely out of tune with each other but all singing that song and all a few lines out of step with each other. We are starting to feel distinctly panicky now. We are slightly lost and totally surrounded. We do our best to remember that severed heads probably can't hurt us as we watch the glowing eyes of the thing bob on the water. The Navvie reminds us
:"Missing heads don't hurt but whatever cut them off might..."

Alone on this strange and isolated heath surrounded by a cacophony of voices in the mist we decide (again quite reasonably I think):
:"Fuck this. Leg it.
:"Where?"
:"Err..."
:"We're lost aren't we?"
:"Maybe but, oh balls what is that?"

What is definitely magical fire sparks and whips around the Neolithic carvings in the stones around us and across the moor. The voices rise in volume. We start to wish we had stayed home or at least made more of an effort with the villagers. This is now totally beyond our skillset.

The mist begins to swirl as the wind gets up. Imagine being inside a snowglobe as its shook and wearing headphones blaring white noise. That is the kind of situation we are in here. A shape begins to coalesce out of the mist.

We are sort of relieved (kind of) as the very familiar shape of our truck lands in the pond behind us.
:"Hello Coliunn."

Something zings over coliunn's shoulders (or where his head would be) and he turns in surprise. We can't make out what it was, but clearly there's more than just Coliunn out there. You might almost feel sorry for the big lump. He only seems to want to beat us up and every time he does, something else intervenes.

Two more somethings zip over Coliunn. They are big almost bat like things. If we weren't mistaken they might be large enough to be humanoid. The party hit the deck as they make the return trip. We decide to leave Coliunn to it and hopefully he'll distract whatever those are.

This goes slightly wrong and we realize it does about the doubler stones. As I finally pass a lore check, we realize those things up there are witches. (The doublers being a popular mythological hangout for them).
:"Witches?"
:"Come on DM that's boring."
:...
:"Dude... no..."

Coliunn catches up with us about here. It's then that something peculiar happens. One of the witches (think bat/stingray/crow/harpy) goes for the wizard. Coliunn interposes himself between witch and wizard.
:"Friend?"
Coliunn then thumps the wizard hard enough to knock him over one of the stones (Coliunn thumping the wizard made the most delightful sort of "poffff" noise).
:"Oh, he wants to kill us himself..."

There's still singing and plenty magical fire, so things are well lit enough for ranged combat. As Coliunn is distracted with the witches, of which their only seem to be three, those of us who can fire indiscriminately on the lot of them. Meanwhile the Navvie, rather than charge into that lot, goes to find the wizard and generally attempt to scrape up the mess.

The wizard seems mostly fine. As the Navvie bends over him to try and help him to his feet, something snatches him from behind. The fourth witch. Talons dig into his shirt and the meat of his shoulders as he's lift from the ground and into the air.

Meanwhile Coliunn is having trouble with the witches. There are some large bits of him missing and his wounds are making him slower. The party find it much easier to shoot him than the fast hard to hit witches (though one is now on fire). As the Navvie disappears into the sky, the wizard joins the rest of the party and we are somewhat more successful with his help in bringing down one witch then another. Coliunn is a known quantity, these things are not...

Several hundred feet up the Navvie is not enjoying himself. His hammer is down near where he found the wizard and this creature is showing no signs of doing anything helpful. He is fortunate in having one arm free. He considers stabbing it, then realizes it's a very long way down.

Hanging onto a talon with his free hand he manages the extremely painful process of pulling his shoulder free. The pain is excruciating but he now has both arms free. The witch however is very aware its cargo is not playing along. The witch begins losing height, struggling to drop the Navvie, he hangs on for dear life, the thing also tries to get its beak/tendrils/maw engaged, but the Navvie is fortunate in getting his hand round its throat.

Struck between either being strangled or falling out of the sky while ripping its erstwhile prey to shreds with its talons, the witch decides on the latter. The Navvie can see ground now and it's coming up fast.

Back on the ground Coliunn falls onto his back. Wounds wreathed in magical flame. He doesn't seem to be getting any better. The witches however seem plenty fine. The ones we have brought down stay dead but there seem to be more and more. Taking cover behind the rocks, we keep firing and ducking decapitating swoops.

The Navvie shifts his weight to the thing's neck. Those talons tear great strips from his back but the witch is also now pointing directly at the ground. Seizing his moment the Navvie, seeing moonlit water below, punches it in the side of the head and let's go. The Navvie hits the water and comes up angry. The witch hits the bank and very shortly afterwards a large man comes up to it and caves its skull in with a stone.

The rest of the party can see that the numbers of the witches are starting to thin. They begin to retreat. Several of their number are on fire and we are able to track their flight to a nearby rise as the mist serendipitously (cheers DM) clears a little. As we prepare to wipe out the nest, the Navvie rejoins us.
:"What happened to you?"
:"Fuck off Angus."
The wizard hands him his hammer back and away we go.

The nest/eyrie/cave thing is a short climb but it's then that we realize.
:>Coliunn
We are totally unsurprised when the big bastard isn't where he fell. We are a little surprised when we discover he has only dragged himself a few feet and then collapsed again. We feel almost sorry for him as Angus torches him. He makes long plaintive moans like a bull in distress. Angus keeps throwing fire until long after they stop. We feel oddly sorry for Coliunn having grown somewhat fond of him.

As we climb the hill, the wizard looks back, a small, coliunn shaped figure rises from the ashes and slopes off into the night.
:>I am groot.
The nest itself contains a number of witches and a whole lot of eggs. The decision to toss explosives in and then burn everything is unanimous.

We decide to spend the rest of the night on the moor (without hats - by the way the hats were being used to line the nest). The locals seem almost nonplussed when we report their troubles are over. We can't help noticing that (as we hitch a ride on a mail coach) the butcher, the stable-boy, and the local priest can all be heard whistling Ilkley moor. It's only as we leave town that we notice the steeplecock on the church sure does look a lot like one of the witches...

We decide fuck it and try to get some rest. Meanwhile I am more than a bit concerned that, muddied, bloodied, and entirely grumpy we will shortly be entering my hometown.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PptHWHfnCnY Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"]

The party travel to Harrogate aboard our new conveyance. There are plenty of other dorfs around and indeed it seems like there are a number of them in the livery of both noble houses (i.e. Duke of York and Duke of Lancaster). I (Aldous) haven't been in Harrogate for at least forty years, but Dorfs have long memories. The town does not seem to have changed much since I left, it does, in fact, seem to have gotten quite a lot worse. Interestingly, there's a new weather-vane above the church, it looks a lot like a witch.

I am fairly sure a number of people have recognized their erstwhile lord.

Younger Aldous and I had never really gotten on (according to my backstory) and as the third son (middle son having been killed in his time in the army) he had joined the priesthood. The last I heard was he had given up his vows to return to Harrogate and clear the family name. I'm a little surprised to see him in a very richly decorated cassock (priest gown) as he comes down the steps of the town hall with the Duke of York and Duke of Lancaster on either side. On his chest is a very big medallion. And on that medallion is a very shiny witch like symbol.

Little bro what have you been up to...

We roll past the town hall without him spotting us thankfully, but we are starting to wonder if I might not want to be wearing a disguise or something as we are fairly sure little bro is not going to be keen to see me.

We do have our Royal Charter, which technically entitles us to anything we want, but will only actually work if we have either a very patriotic request or happen to be standing in front of an army. It's unlikely to be much protection.

Something very familiar and very witch like lands on the steeple of the church.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X_2IdybTV0 Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son]

The party considers responding as we generally do to this sort of thing (with diplomacy and tact), but decide it's probably best to relax and see how things pan out.

We note that the town square has a number of gibbety looking things on it, which are full. The gibbets are definitely full of headless corpses (bad). The local population being subdued makes even more sense now.

I think a crudely drawn map is in order.
[[Image:Britbongsteros_map_4.jpg|thumb|150px]]

The white arrows are where the undead have gotten to so far. The purple lines are where defenses still hold. The Undead's plan is pretty clear. Make for London, kill everyone and the country can be mopped up afterwards. It's a lot like Bonnie Prince Charlie's plan during the rebellion and umpteen other Scottish Invasions.

Harrogate is smack dab in the middle of the route those Skellies will be taking, sitting as it does between the Yorkshire Dales and the North moors. If the Dorfs are getting involved, it's going to be here. We have a feeling little-bro is not going to want that.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJVpihgwE18 The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place]

Trailing along behind little-bro is someone else. Someone I should definitely recognize.

My. Ex. Wife.

[It's never simple is it DM?]

The party beat a tactical retreat to the most obvious place of safety (after thanking the wagon-driver), the Old-Dragon's Balls hasn't changed a bit. Neither have the staff. Including Neville the bar-keep who recognizes me and performs what is very clearly meant to be a bow.
:"My Lord, you still have a..." He reaches under the bar and blows dust off something. "A tab to clear up."
:The bard titters, "Friend of yours Aldous?"

I'm fortunate in that we do have a small slush fund. I dump my share on the bar. There's a depressingly small amount left by the time Neville is finished counting. He asks me why I'm back, and who my friends are. We decide not to show him our letters, and instead explain it's a new business venture
:"Traveling circus my Lord?"
It's about this time the DM is tactfully reminded that he is on his fifth of my actual beers and he hasn't ponied up for drinks in a very long time. Suddenly (and clearly unrelated) the plot-train pulls into the station.

What sweeps into the Dragon's Balls is my Ex-wife, who really hasn't changed a bit. Punching out Henry the Bouncer, and swilling down a flagon of ale that Neville proffers to her. We can see a big shiny gold witchy symbol sitting on the sizable shelf of her decolletage.
:"Aldous!" (Cruella had great fun doing the voices again).
:"Hello..."
The party, as my true friends and compatriots, decide to stay the fuck away and sit back watch the show.
:"So you're here... I hope this isn't some foolish attempt to patch things up. It's been four decades and you should know I've remarried anyway. (It had to be... 3... 2... 1...) Yes little bro and I are very happy. Especially since he converted to the new church."
She arm wrestles the Navvie as she continues talking (the Navvie loses to his -pick a word beginning with "a"-)
:"So would this be something to do with these symbols we keep seeing around the place?"
:"Yes it would. It's also why (the DM sneaks another beer) we are going to make sure the dukes see sense. Now you're not here to ask for money or something are you? I have missed you, you know, but it was never the same after Talula died (Cruella who is doing the girly voices dissolves into laughter and the DM continues, she takes some time to recover). Well I suppose I'll be off. Try not to overstay your welcome."
The party look to me, mostly stunned at the way the ex just swept in and out with all of the poise, grace, and total irresistible force of a battleship (similar build too). The alchemists who have drifted in following her arrival suddenly all look into their beers as she departs.

Well it certainly seems we have our objectives laid out.
:>Little bro must be dealt with, then something must be done about the army. If possible. Finally, rifles.
As I say, here does not seem the place to discuss the matter. We are hesitant to start a fight with alchemists who may or may not be allies (who are we kidding, they're all dicks but they are as far as the crown is concerned double agents, additionally they provided apparatus that heats Queenie's bath so we can't slaughter them indiscriminately).

The decision is made to repair for a pie. There was and still is an excellent bakers around the corner. Neville waves goodbye, clearly pleased his practice of never clearing slates has worked.

It's a little later in the day now and there are a number of witches perched on the eaves of buildings now. They seem to follow our movements as we walk. The townsfolk seem to accept them as a fact of life.

While tucking into one of Mrs. Miggins something and something else pies we plot. We need to speak to the Dukes. The Dukes are meant to hate each other, but little bro seems to have found some common ground. Given that Henry has the reputation as a whoremonger, we figure if we (as is unanimously accepted) visit the town brothel we will bump into him. The matter is met with enthusiasm (except the bard who the Navvie just picks up).

The Axe Wound (Yorkshire and Dwarves do not make for complicated names) is pretty much as I remember it. I'd not be too surprised if some of the girls are as well. Henry is upstairs. Some of his bondsmen along with a human are drinking in the common room. At the moment we look like smelly adventuring hobos (we are). We can't just walk up and start shouting.

The human we decide is our target. We don't recognize the musclebound shaven headed and scarred Percy Bryce Shelley, but maybe we should. The human is most likely to be something to do with the privy council.

We inveigle ourselves through a number of consume alcohol tests and get involved in a game of cards with the bondsmen. Percy watches while the wizard chats. It is established that Percy is indeed our man, and that he is indeed an agent of the crown keeping an eye on Henry. The letters of Marque which we show him are enough to get us an audience on the promise we bathe first. A good brothel has such facilities and a short while later we are ushered into the presence of Henry

Henry is very much nouveau riche and is also one for conspicuous consumption. He seems dismissive of us at first, but Percy persuades him to hear us out and indeed usher the gaggle of whores out. We establish Henry is not terribly keen on little bro, or the new-fangled religion he is espousing, he is mostly here because he doesn't want Lancaster getting his nose into something that he isn't involved in either.

The present administration (Queenie) isn't, as far as Henry is concerned, all that great but is better than nothing. So as long as we "don't let that bastard Lancaster get a leg up, we'll smash these undead bastards our bastarding selves" Little bro it seems has been mediating in the centuries long dispute between the two houses and Henry is quite happy to be rid of "I'm and 'is fookin bastard birds"

That seemed easy... too easy...

Deciding we are done adventuring for the night, we spend an uneventful but very pleasant evening in the axe-wound generally causing mayhem and blowing off steam.

The next morning with sore heads and consideration given to bacon and fried eggs, we prepare to consider Lancaster. Henry offers us one final consideration before leaving us.
:"I won't be doing anything while that bastard still draws breath..."
So he wants Lancaster dead. We are unsure how we feel about this. The two Dukes lead sizable armies, but the two will need to work together or at last stand in the same place to hold off the undead until they run out of momentum.

Lancaster is very much the spartan hairshirted opposite of Henry. He swims in the frigid waters of the Oak Beck most mornings and then when not negotiating spends the day in contemplation at the fountains Abbey (very pretty building I should add). The monks (yes there are still monks in Britbongsteros, the dissolution never quite came about with all the magical weirdness) will at the very least see us repentant sinners and from there we might just get to speak to Lancaster.

We set off with plenty of those witch things flying over head. There must be at least thirty odd that we have seen so far. Little bro is up to some weird magics we think.

Things go surprisingly smoothly with the monks and Lancaster agrees to see us.
:"ARE YOU HERE TO ROOT OUT THIS HERESY?"
:"Hi?"
:"THE HERESY. THE NEW CHURCH. THE BLIGHTED UNGODLY HARPIES (he means witches) THEN YOU MAY ENTER."
Once we recover from this, we present our letters of Marque. Lancaster seems pleased.
:"ROOT THIS OUT AND THEN WE MAY TALK ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE DUKE OF YORK."
Clearly Lancaster is a bit of a nutter, but he's also on the right track.

We return to Henry and establish that he is also not astoundingly keen on Little bro. Our next task, little bro must die.

:>Does Little bro have to die?
Fuck yes. For a whole variety of reasons. If nothing else what is going on with these Witch things? It seems most un-dwarfy and definitely not something we want flapping around the countryside. Whatever it is, it's probably alchemical in nature and therefore double bad.
:>Where is little bro?
He's in my house for one thing.
:>Does the party like little bro?
Meh
:>Do I like little-bro?
Nah, he seems like he's gone off the deep end.
:>What's the plan then?
Convince the Dorfs to march to meet the Undead together.

Local reconnaissance (pub) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55CqLc6IR0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55CqLc6IR0] followed by a scouting mission led by the least pissed member of the party (the Navvie) results in the following information:
*No one has really gone near the castle recently without a very good reason to be there. Apparently strange lights are often seen around it at night. The servants have either taken to wearing masks or just up and left the area (or not been seen...)
*Little bro has been leading congregations at the local churches and gained an awful lot of followers, the most devout moving in around the Castle.

:>What's the this cult about?
No one but the followers seem to have an idea. It seems to involve giving little bro lots of money and has gained a huge following among the local dorfs and some nascent adherents/satellite churches around Yorkshire, this is why the Dukes are paying attention to little bro, their people are starting to follow him, they may not like him but as a representative of the third estate, he's got a very big say.

N.b. the result of giving little bro lots of money is "induction into the deeper mysteries" of the cult. If this sounds at all like a contemporary religion this is entirely coincidence.

What the deeper mysteries seem to involve we don't know, but according to gossip there's a lot of speaking in tongues
:>Likely: sacrificing
:>Also likely: Orgies and what have you?
Certainly not, we're British.

We think given the events of Scotland, we could quite easily just kick in the doors of my Dorf Fortress and kill everyone inside. Then we actually consider that. We do want rid of the cult, but is slaughtering a load of people necessarily a good way to carry out our mission? Maybe we should get a bit closer, heavens we could even talk to little bro and get his side of things.

After giving the matter appropriate thought, we get a bit closer to the castle, getting within the grounds. The DM has us all rolling perception checks. It's about this stage the DM reminds us that our characters are all more than a little pissed. I blame this for what happened next.

We come across a group of a dozen or so cultists of varying shapes and sizes. It seems there's some sort of ceremony going on in the castle and they're on their way in. Although they're unarmed and as surprised as we are when we blunder out of a bush into them, without establishing anything beyond the fact that they are wearing silly costumes (think KKK) the party as one charge them and start knocking people out then getting them naked. Shortly afterwards we are disguised.

Disguised as best as we can be, bearing in mind that the cultists (for want of a better term) are all dwarves... we approach the entrance to the great hall. As a reminder, I am the shortest member of the party at a tall-for-a-dwarf 5'3. The lankiest being the wizard and bard who are well above 6'.
:DM: "What did you chucklefucks decide to do with all your weapons as you approach the doors?"
:Party: "Errrrrrrrrrrrrr" [extremely perceptive anons may have noticed that in later stories the party got much better at going incognito, this is why]
:DM: "It's too late now..."
The Cultist at the front door has had a couple of drinks himself.
:"Aren't you a little tall for a dwarf? What are those things you're carrying?"
As the dwarfiest party member I get shoved forwards.
:"The Church is a multicultural organization and these others have as much a right to be here as anyone."
The guard thinks about this.
:"And what's all that stuff?"
A flight of witches passes over head, cawing and barrel rolling around each other against the night sky.
:"Those are... those are props..."
:DM: "Roll for it."
The guard pokes at the "hunch" created by the fuel tank of Angus's flamethrower.
:"What's this?"
:"Err... definitely a hunch, he's very sensitive about it, do you mind?"
(Angus for once cottons on to something and shies away)
:"What's this thing then?"
:Navvie: "This? Definitely a walking stick."
:"And what has this lanky thing got under his robes Is that a skirt?" (He means the bard)
The Bards player does possibly the most worryingly good falsetto we've ever heard.
:He squeals "Get away from me you beast! Unhand me! This dwarf is trying to steal my virtue! He is assaulting a lady!"
Heads are starting to turn. The guard is making placating gestures.
:"You can never tell with humans..."

The DM, clearly slightly amazed by what just happened, decides that the guard lets us in. The session ended there, so sorry for the retardation of the above, but staying true to the source etc.

The next session begins as we enter the hall.

There's quite a ceremony going on, lots of candles on a great big chandelier, little bro is on an altar at the end of the great hall speaking gibberish (so at least that bit was right) and up in the rafters there's plenty witches.

We smuggle ourselves into the back of the crowd. Angus, Wizard, Bard, and Navvie all stand out like sore thumbs among the shorter folks. It does mean however that we are there in time for the show. From fonts positioned strategically around the hall skulls slowly rise, eye sockets glowing and they sing along slightly out of tune with little bro.
:>This looks familiar.
The witches up above start to caw and crow as though they are either unsettled or very happy about the proceedings.

The ceremony continues with lots of singing (we don't know the words or language but do our best) and then little bro delivers what actually sounds like rather a nice sermon. Love thy fellow man, pay no heed to lords and ladies and most of all, pay no heed to the Queen or country, accept the "golden coin" (which we assume is the symbol he and wifey wear and everyone else has on) and donate your worldly goods for true wealth. Most importantly the church offers protection from undeath, allowing you to go to a better place at a time of your choosing and not rise again.
:>This sounds less good.
Indeed from what we know of the Anglicans (English religious sect who in actual Britain are all about tea and jumpers) they would burn the place down, then crucify the ashes, then burn those, then salt the earth, burn the salt, and then burn the ocean for producing the salt based on what we just heard.

The long and the short of it, is we listen to the rest of the ceremony then decide to have a chat with little bro. A very serious chat indeed.

This should have the air of some final showdown, lots of manly stares, of fingers twitching over holsters, a battle of wits and nerves. The Bard speaks first (seriously he wanted to, we rolled for initiative and everything).
:"So this cult, what's it all about?"

Little bro at this stage has no idea who the bard is, or that I'm present, all he knows is that some weird looking people have turned up dressed as members of his church. His eyebrows crash together as he processes the bards question.
:"Who the fuck are you?"

Now the following is from Vox-DM as it were. As the party had left the last session in a completely retarded way some railroading was in order. We apparently should be grateful we were not just executed on the spot.

As I hope I have made clear, we recognized just how dim we had been and so when little bro, in front of the entire congregation who are milling about in the church, gestures to a number of his retainers, who we were all apparently too stupid to notice look decidedly shifty, and bids us be taken down to the dungeons (I used to live here and I didn't know we had dungeons) we have to balance our desire to remain free against our desire not to kill the still very likely mostly innocent congregation.

The long and the short of it is that we are (without a great deal of fuss) disarmed and frogmarched to the "dungeons" (actually the old root cellar). We are manacled and left alone in the darkness except for the four of those retainers outside the door. The retainers we note don't talk, they also smell funny, slightly spicy but also like rotting meat.

The manacles themselves the wizard can resolve fairly easily. Getting the door open isn't too hard for the wizard either (mastery of metal is amazing as powers go). However fighting hand to hand is going to be interesting.

Acknowledging we have been fucking stupid and that we are very lucky to be alive, we decide to (very quietly) make a plan.

We have all seen enough war movies to know that we should all wait behind the door then wait for the guards to rush in to the room when one of us feigns illness. As the least useful of the combat characters, this is the bard's job.
:"Go on bard. Perform."
:"Ow. I am sick. My tummy hurts."
Nothing happens.
:"Ow oh noes please open the door!"
Nothing.

The DM kind of jerks his head at me and the Navvie. The Navvie kicks the bard in the balls and I do the same a moment later. The yelp of pain is convincing enough that we hear tumblers turning in the door.

The retainers open the door. A shaft of light lancing into the room. One half steps in, looking at the bard. It has something which projects light in its hand. That something looks a lot like a soul cube. It shines the blue light to where we should be. It emits a hiss of alarm as it realizes we are not where we should be.
:>Shit.
What follows is a very undignified fight. We get a shock when the hood of one of the retainers falls back, revealing a half rotted skull. Black teeth wet with stinking slather as it bites for the Navvie. As we beat the hell out of them (mostly assisted by surprise and the wizard extremely helpfully summoning nice weighty crowbars) we realize the stink of death is all over these things.

Now little bro in his sermon said fuck all about necromancery, but these things are clearly the work of some kind of corpse-fucker. We prioritize regaining our weaponry, which thanks to my knowledge of the place and indeed logic, we find in a nearby storeroom.

As far as we know the alarm has not been raised. As we proceed through a (new) tunnel we hear footsteps. Ducking into a passage we hear and see little bro and some retainers leading about a dozen members of the congregation past. Little bro is explaining (we hear as they pass and as we follow) that as they have donated all their worldly goods, they are ready for the next level of the church.

We come into an entirely new room. It's not astonishingly well lit so we follow the group, hiding in the shadows as best we can.

Little bro has each of the supplicants kneel. The retainers move behind them. Behind little bro is a big... thing... like an ornate mirror frame without the mirror. He bids each of the supplicants open their palms with a knife. They oblige (mostly) without hesitation, each then making a bloody hand print in the book little bro offers them. Little bro then speaks some very odd words and the "mirror" shimmers as where before there was nothing there is now a tiny tightly bound ball of blackness. It bursts outward, slipping tendrils around the frame.

In the mirror a necromancer appears. One who will become extremely familiar (this is Frank's boss).

The supplicants are starting to look woozy. Their palms glow with light. They look very ill. Bowels evacuate and eyes burst.

The necromancer speaks.
:"Hello little bro. What news do you bring me?"
:"The Dukes remain too busy loathing one another. Lancaster is obsessed with my "heresy" and amasses forces in what he believes to be secrecy. York will not commit himself unless he is sure Lancaster is not amassing those forces to attack him. Both must treat with me as they fear popular revolt. The plan has succeeded my liege (liche?)."
:"Excellent. You are using the last of my experiments to good effect?"
:"The witches breed well here, and are powerful allies my Lord, and the ghouls (retainers) are loyal and fearsome in my defense. All is well."
:"Then a reward. Take these six as ghouls and a further six of the skulls to nurture into witches."
Half a dozen of the supplicants just straight up die. Decaying and mortifying before our eyes. The other six scream as the light from their hands pulses upwards, imagine if your skull suddenly became incredibly hot, like lava hot, and then just burnt through your skin. All the while emitting incandescent light.
:"My Lord, I go now to commence the ritual. The congregation has grown to number in the thousands. They fill the great hall and the lands of the estate. With your permission I shall prepare and slaughter them. May they swell the ranks of your forces. For the route to London is clear."
:"Very well."
Little bro looks pleased and bows before "hanging up" the call.

Now we know what those skull things are about. Also we decide now is definitely the time to initiate some combat.
:>Why didn't you do it earlier and save those people?
It took us some time to get to grips with what was happening and by then everyone was dead. Also we know exposition when we see it.

As little bro has the ghouls collect the skulls and beckons them upstairs we engage. The violence itself is quick and very messy. My weapons make the most noise so I elect to follow the Navvie, stabbing things rather than alert the entire building.

Little bro definitely recognizes me in between pieced back together ghouls. Indeed little bro seems to have learnt an awful lot from his master. We have to fight step by step as bits of ghoul knit back together and go for us. We are very slowly making for little bro and he can see we are getting there.

He is clearly thinking about running. Those floating skulls are doing a merry little orbit around him. He bolts. We can't make for him but I'm fast enough to quick draw and get a bead on his running back. It's then I think about what I'm doing. After all, little bro is little-bro. By the time I get over my thoughts (and roll) he's nearly out the room. The wizard, having no qualms, flings a harpoon at him and misses. My shot wings him. Making him stumble.

Underground the shot is incredibly loud. Little bro has been hit but keeps going. Setting in motion whatever inexorable process will come next to serve his master.

The ghouls are still getting back up, but now each time they are slower, as little bro's attention shifts they grow weaker. It's not long before we are able to follow in his footsteps.

Angus torches the twitching pile of bodies that the ghouls have now become to ensure they won't be following us.

We make for the stairs. The trail of blood from little bro makes it clear we are heading in the right direction. As we get back to ground level we can hear the screaming and cawing of witches, but otherwise things seem "normal" That is until a cultist runs past us, panting from exertion as a witch follows him, ready to decapitate him. The wizard puts paid to the witch.

The cultist (once we calm him down) says that a minute or two ago there was a sound like a gunshot and the witches went insane, not wantonly slaughtering, but methodically tearing apart people. Limb from limb. Collecting bits and piling them up. Also hats. Apparently the ex-wife was the first so that's something
:>Single gunshot
:>Couple minutes ago
:>Aaw shit.

We get into the main hall and the scene is as described. The remaining ghouls rush us as do those witches still within. The combat is desperate. We are all injured and very very damaged by the time the last one drops.

We start hunting for little bro. He doesn't seem to be in the pile of bodies, but it's hard to tell. Outside, the rest of the cultists are still being hunted. As the search for little bro is proving fruitless, we decide it's best to save lives and head outside, hunting witches through the night.

By morning the witches are all dead, as are a large chunk of the local population. We still haven't found little bro.

In the distance from both southeast and southwest we can hear drums. The drums of both Lancaster and York's armies. They're both marching toward us. Clearly having heard of the events of the night.

Little bro is still awol. Which is bad. Lancaster and York are lining up their forces on the field outside the castle. There are bodies and bits of witch everywhere. As the party shyly approach the two armies. Who are about three hundred yards apart we can see cannons and other dwarven artillery being unlimbered. This is gonna be a bloodbath. Lancaster and York can be herd arguing with each other in the center of the field. We decide we need to make an entrance and however we make that entrance, it'd better be good.

The castle itself wasn't too smashed by the night's fighting but there's still some smoke billowing across the field. The haggard remnants of the followers of the church are gathered in small, stunned clumps. While we did manage to save a few, there are not very many (think XCOM terror mission with "poor" in every category).

Lancaster can be heard haranguing York.
:"YOU FILTHY LAZY SOD. THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU WERE NOT HERE. I WOULD HAVE WIPED THIS STAIN CLEAN."
Before York gets his reply in, the bard hops up onto a bullet marked wall as the party walk forwards the bard pipes.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JXJ12_j9lo Sabaton - Unbreakable (Starcraft videoclip) HD]

It does exactly what we want it to, we definitely have everybody's attention.

From one of the little knots of refugees, some of which are dotted between the armies, a voice rises to conflict with the pipes.
:"YOU! YOU DID THIS! YOU STARTED THIS!"
Hello Ex-wife.
:>I thought she was dead?

:>Apparently the ex-wife was the first [to die] so that's something
:>Apparently

Lancaster and York do not react very well to this. The party and Ex-wife meet in the center of the field with Lancaster and York. The argument is loud if not particularly articulate.
:"They started this, they shot Little bro! They are the reason all these people are dead!"
York seems to believe her (she is technically correct), Lancaster takes the slightly more sensible tack of asking us
:"Did you do this?"
:"Wellllllllll yes sort of..."
:"Those flying things were you?"
:"No. That wasn't us."
:"Them killing everyone was?"
:"No..."
:"Why did they kill everybody?"
:"Because Little bro was shot!" (screams ex-wife)
:"Because Little bro was in league with the necromancers!" (we shout)
Neither of the Dukes look convinced and they are clearly looking for an excuse to disagree with one another.
:"Don't believe anything my ex-husband says!"
:"Your ex-husband? You're that Aldous?"
...fuck.
:"Why should we believe the drunk?"
The Navvie and Wizard speak up or try to. (thanks guys)
:"Shush you ceiling scrapers, this is dwarf business (fuck you DM)."
:York asks "What have you done with Little bro? The de-facto lord of this manor? You said you shot him didn't you?"
Lancaster is starting to realize that although there's not many followers of Little bro around, York might be choosing a side, if York is choosing a side, Lancaster is damned if he isn't going to be on the opposite side. He bristles.
:"Clearly there was some taint here... they have wiped it out, as I ordered."
:>Shit.
Technically, Lancaster is correct, he did ask us to do this (sort of). The dumb bastard is also spoiling for a fight. York's normally big smiling face goes stone cold.
:"As. You. Ordered."
Ex-wife is pretty good at turning a situation to her advantage, standing by York now, she takes his hand in hers,
:"YES! THEY DID THIS!"
We have one chance before this turns into a total complete and utter mess, the armies here could very easily wipe each other out pointlessly, then there goes London and there goes Britbongsteros. We really are not qualified for this.

York turns on his heel. Ex-wife is very careful to make sure she stays exactly in step with him (no flies on her) Lancaster mirrors the motion.
:"Argh fuck fuck fuck quick do something!"
The DM gives us all a moment. We all talk over each other.
:"Ok lads, whoever rolls highest gets a go to save the situation."
Dice are rolled. Angus gets the highest roll.

The fate of the nation hangs by a thread.
:"Angus quick, do something!"
:"Fuck errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"
:DM: "Hurry up Angus..."
:"Oh cock..."
:DM: "Hmm? Did you say that?"
:"Oh cock, oh fuck, no yes what? Ahem I mean..."
:"If you stick your cock in an arsehole, makes sure it's wiped first."
Lancaster turns first.
:"SODOMY? WHAT? WHERE?"
York turns back,
"That is...that is actually quite good advice..."
Angus you glorious green bastard

I won't go into enormous detail on the social stuff that followed, but we were able to convince the two Dukes that if they were going to fight, they should have a nation to fight over first. If the Undead took London, then they were next anyway, the two aren't very happy with each other's existence, but they do agree to march to meet the undead together.

The issue remains, where the fuck has little bro gone?

We have a little party conference and it is decided that it's probably best not to let the two Dukes march together without the party as mediating influence, especially with ex-wife around. It will however take a few hours to get both armies ready for the longer march, and (hopefully) they can be trusted to do that themselves.

The hunt for little bro is on.

We descend into the tunnels of the castle again and pick up the blood trail easily enough (there's not much actual blood down in the lower level - plenty upstairs). We follow the congealed blood to a door, the Navvie "opens" said door and we come into a small store-room. Again I should remember this being here. I don't.

The blood trail stops in the center of the room. Examination of the room shows a lack of secret passages or revolving fireplaces. The boxes and shelved items do not indicate an obvious hiding place. We theorize he may have stopped here to try to bind the wound and at least staunch the flow of blood. We don't know if he would have died without medical attention but he is also some sort of necromancer's pet. So it's also possible he was mostly dead anyway.

This still clearly begs the question of where the fuck has he gone?

Further investigation doesn't turn up shredded clothing or similar indicators of first aid. We have learnt our lesson and looked up as soon as we got into the room sooooo... Where is he?

We decide to get some light on the situation. With the lantern lit we start to notice the ants. Ants are ok right? Little tiny things. Harmless in the UK so who cares? There's a little trail of them going from the blood to a eeeeny little hole in the wall. The bard, who is interested entomology, has a closer look.
:"Those aren't ants."

Well if they aren't ants what are they? Beetles? We have learnt that anything even slightly weird is generally to be construed as a bad sign. We hear a vague tapping sound from behind the wall. The bricks shift and strain. We get the sensation of a cocoon or seeing a pregnant belly move.

There comes what I like to think of as a defining moment for the party.

We back out of the room. The Navvie still has a couple sticks of TNT. With assistance from Angus he lights one and rolls it in. As we retreat to a safe distance we can hear masonry fall. We were being watched. We cover our ears as the blast rocks the building. Entirely deafening in the closed quarters. Angus doesn't look into the room he just torches it. Playing fire across the smoking wreckage. When we finally look into the room a vaguely animated skeleton takes half a step toward us then falls to the floor. It's wearing a medallion. The medallion seems to have spread tendrils of gold through the chest of the wearer. Like a second nervous system almost.

The DM seems rather annoyed that we just took off and nuked the site from orbit rather than stuck around. I take a moment to pay my respects, crushing the skull with my boot to make sure he stays down.

So with an end to little bro, we rejoin the armies. York and Lancaster have already argued twice but haven't gotten into any fights yet.

The party are careful to stay between the two of them on the march north. We avoid any real confrontation mostly by dint of keeping Lancaster amused by Angus and the Wizard's antics. York is a bit more bothersome as ex-wife is hanging around like a bad smell. She has however worked out that York is too much of a womanizer to tame and is looking for her next victim. The only eligible bachelor as such amongst the party is Angus. So she doesn't really bother us either.

Through several arguments it is decided we will meet the undead between Thirsk and Snape (yes it's a real place). Our objective is simple survival. To re-dead as many corpses as we can. This won't be a conflict of manoeuvre and guile, this will be standing and holding the line against the wave of bodies coming from the north. The more we put down, the more likely it is to weaken the necromancer and make this push on London fail. If that happens it'll be enough to buy time for a counter-assault or at least to shore up defenses.

Fortunately this is the sort of warfare the dwarves excel at. York deploys on the left of the valley and Lancaster the right. If Lancaster didn't insist on calling the marching undead "Yorkshireans" we might feel good about things.

We entirely expect the two to double cross each other.

:A little note on Dorf military forces:

:Much like Warhammer really. Staunch ranged infantry who are not bad in melee either. Heavily armoured and armed with rifles, pistols, heavy cutlasses, there are a large number of grenadiers. The most potent things are their gatling guns, spigot mortars and rifled cannons and the rest of the artillery train. The elite of the army are very heavy infantry who practice a weird form of the highland charge. They have heavy tower shield which will more than stop a bullet. The shield has a device like a claymore mine on the front. A regiment will advance behind these, at a set distance ignite the mine, causing an enormous and hugely deadly spray of musket balls, then charge from behind those shield with greataxes. It's a dated form of war but a nice touch I thought.

[[Image:Britbongsteros_map_6.jpg|thumb|150px]]
Ok this isn't the exact valley but it's Yorkshire and close enough.

Triangles are artillery, squares are line infantry, diamonds are elite infantry, white and red is York, and red and white is Lancaster, the purple blob is us.

The big white arrow is the dead.

:>What is actually in the undead army?
We have no real idea, necromancers are limited by their own imagination (and to a lesser extent resources). If they want to make a giant magic bone based tank, then they can. It's often more useful though (and easier to control) loads of skellies. They will however definitely have giants. Fortunately we have dwarven artillery.

On this scale (and at the level) the party are not able to just cleave through an entire battle line however, so our role will be as problem solvers. Perhaps to shore up the line where it waves, or to take out anything particularly big and nasty (again that thing about being woefully under qualified...)

We have had the luxury of the day to entrench our positions, but we know full well that the undead needing neither sleep or light will come with the darkness.

A peaceful late summer evening becomes a late-summer night, clouds roll lazily across a harvest moon.

We (or the dwarves anyway) have set up a killing field and we've filled ditches with tar out across that field to provide illumination and further funnel the undead. Zombies and skeletons are not smart, necromancers however are, and we full expect some sort of ruse or surprise attack, anything to break our lines or give those skeletons the advantage.

There are enough scouts that the troops are able to sleep in shifts, dozing in their armour where they lie. The mood is one of determination not jubiliation. We are here to stop them, not to conquer, not to plunder, but to stand firm, a bulwark against which the tide of bodies will wash. The fate of the land and the ungrateful, uncaring nobility, the mass of downtrodden peasantry, this wonderful weird land hangs in the balance. Victory here will not end the war, it will not even greatly weaken the undead, but it will stop the advance for now.

Lancaster has been seen sermonizing, speaking out against sin, debauchery and other veniality which (according to him) lead to undeath. He has whipped his followers into a frenzy several times. He has not however been doing anything greatly useful, like siting his guns. This task was left to us.

York, in response to Lancaster, proceeded to get steadily more and more drunk. It doesn't seem to have impaired him but so have his troops. He and they are more obstreperous than usual. We do our best to sit between the two camps and break up fights before they turn too serious.

The Undead have (according to scouts) advanced slowly during the day, but with the night have increased in speed significantly. The first real notice we have of their approach is a swarm of beasts of the field, live rats, mice, hedgehogs, even some deer, they scuttle through the grass and heather, birds fly over head as though escaping a wildfire.

What follows are those creatures that were too small to turn to the necromancer's will but which have still reanimated, tiny crushed and broken bodies, crawling and yet still driven by the imperative to flee in their decaying minds, in this wave also come those refugees who fell by the wayside, those who were too broken in body to fight with the skeletons, and yet still convinced that they are alive. The first task as our forces muster is to put down the old, the sick, and the young. We do not check too closely for signs of injury, knowing what is coming.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp3BlFZWJNA Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima]

These are all things we had expected, but it puts the mind on edge. Fear is one of the greatest advantages of the undead. They have none and the living have plenty reason to be afraid.

There is a scent... or maybe a taste to the air.

For everyone it is different.

The scent of the cakes grandmother used to make before the illness. The way your father's hands used to hold you before the accident. The way your little brother laughed before the horse kicked him in the head. The way your best friend always would smile before you killed him in a drunken rage.

The way your wife was so happy before your little girl was taken away.

We can feel it ourselves, the troops can feel it too. For everyone a private sadness, the sort of thoughts that come to a man when he confronts the cosmic infinite in his own bed, knowing that every act, every small moment of happiness ripped and hoarded from the great darkness will run through his fingers like sand. All good things must fade. No happiness is eternal. The sweetest flower will wilt, the most beautiful of women will die, and all is dust.

Think anon of yourself, you for all the comfortable certainties of your life, you yourself will one day die. That is the cosmic inevitability, we all will. We tell ourselves that Tuesday follows Monday, but for you, the ultimate reality is it will not. Think of each and every man on that field confronting that with none of the warm reassuring thoughts of home, of those things we tell ourselves will make the night seem less cold.

Feel that creeping knowledge that every heart beat in your chest is entropy, ticking down to a death that is all the more certain with every passing second.

It saps morale, men look into the darkness and there, just as the tar-pits are lit, can be seen ranks of the undead stretching into the horizon. Look into that anon, and see death and try to cling to the tiny bead of light that you are in the uncaring darkness of the universe.

Now is clearly the right time for some sort of inspiration. Lancaster is praying all the harder, York is staring into a tankard. Well... looks like our job.

The party stands in front of the two armies and turn to them. They know fine well who we are and why we're here. We have some small reputation now and maybe we are worth listening to.

The bard does his best to perform, and kicks into a song. It's not quite the roll we hoped for.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKttMFgaf0 Black Sabbath N.I.B]

but it's good enough.

:DM: "Whoever wants to speak, get rolling."

We split, deciding two different speeches are probably better than one.

The wizard speaks to Lancaster's troops.
:"You follow a God who will usher you into the light when the time comes, until then, what you do on this mortal earth is what will count in the final reckoning. Make it count."

The Navvie is a man of few words but when he speaks, they generally follow one another in a logical fashion and carry some weight to them. The cosmos and the human condition are not for him.
:"The dead are dead. That's all they are. One day you will be too. It's what you do before that happens that counts, and between now and then I'm going to fuck as many fat arsed girls as I can, and I'll slaughter any bony fuck that stands between me and them."
This goes over surprisingly well with York's forces.

It's not long after this that the guns on the hills start to roar. Mortars spitting flame and fire into the darkness, cannons firing more slowly, tracking and trying to target the giants that can be seen amongst the ranks of the undead.

The undead meet the line infantry in the center of the field. The Dwarves make them pay for every step before they meet their lines with shot and shell, but when the two forces do meet it becomes a slow meat grinder of a combat, the two lines press, ebbing and flowing, neither army will break and neither will give quarter.

The party have taken up position between Lancaster and York as the two watch from behind the lines, about fifty odd yards apart. The Undead press hardest on Lancaster's troops. Orders are taken from this command post (that we are at) to reserves or gun batteries, each of the Dukes commanding forces that are thrown into the general melee. The death toll is enormous but the Dwarves hold.

Lancaster commits his heavy infantry in a flank charge that twists the undead line back. It's about now that we see the undead creatures (ghouls maybe?) scaling the cliff toward Lancaster's now unprotected guns. York orders some of his reserves to engage, to protect and retake the guns if necessary. The men begin to slog up the hill, as it evens out breaking into a run. The undead have not just taken the guns, but turned them. York's force charge straight into the teeth of the guns and the few that make it fall to the ghouls atop the rise. The loss of the guns not only reduces our firepower but as the ghouls turn the guns on Yorks across the valley, we are in a lot of trouble.

The party are volun-told to do something about them.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRqCOIsTx8M Metallica - Disposable Heroes (Studio Version)]

Whatever we do it has to be fast. We plan as we run for the guns.

The Wizard is able to smooth our ascent with summoned pitons and then as we scale the rise, we engage the ghouls at close range. The fighting is extremely messy indeed. The ghouls are tenacious and there are a lot more of them than we expected. The rest of York and Lancaster's reserves are meant to follow us up once we distract the gunners and by god do we make enough noise and raise enough hell to do that. The Navvie tosses TNT, the Wizard is able to man an organ gun, Angus and I run inference with shot and flame. The bard is the bard as usual. We form a knot of resistance in the gun battery. They are still getting some shells off but we suppress, distract and ensure they are focused entirely on us.

We steal a glance back down the hill. The reserves have been engaged by what look like cavalry. We are cut off. Outnumbered. Alone.

So basically, we are boned.

Down the valley the dorfs don't seem to be doing too well either. Our immediate issue is ghouls. The more havoc we cause the better. We don't know if we should be spiking the guns, but we settle for doing what we do best: Kill everything.

Of course indiscriminately tossing explosives about and using a flamethrower in an artillery battery is extremely unwise. We realize this shortly after the enormous explosion which knocks us off our feet. Fortunately we are unharmed. Mostly.

We didn't set off the ammo dump but we did take out a fair number of the guns and of course lots of ghouls. Which is good.

Shortly after we are starting to thin their numbers. Looking down into the valley things look very warhammer as dorfs and skeletons fight, the necromancer can be seen hovering over the ranks of his troops, sucking souls from those stupid enough to face him. The undead giants plough into units of dorfs.

We could man a gun or two, which might help, or... we could help the reserves.

Manning a gatling gun (an orc handling) toward the melee slightly down the hill, we are able to assist somewhat. Though indiscriminate fire into a melee does lead to some friendly fire...

The dead dorfs however are starting to rise. The undead horsemen don't seem to be staying dead either.

It's DM decision time.
:Ok. If that lot get up here, we are dead.
:Can we save the dorfs?
:>maybe
:How?
:Err... We could charge down there...
:>there's five of you...
:We could...
:>tick tock
:Hmm...
:>sixty odd dorfs left, couple hundred skellies... they're right below you...
There is a hint here, an obvious one. Question is, are we going to go for it...
:>Can we/should we kill the dwarves to save ourselves?
We don't want to but... We are gonna have to...

We are all complicit as we prepare kegs of gunpowder with fuses, lighting and rolling them off the cliff face and down. The series of large explosions brings very little room for screaming but we can definitely smell something like bacon.
:Bard: "Is anyone else hungry? Lets get pizza."

We concentrate now on spiking the guns. If we can't have them, neither should the enemy. The battle proper seems to be about even. We think a little cannon fire might assist there. We leave one of the the most accurate and modern looking weapons untouched.

Several minutes of ooc discussion about pizza interrupt things. Giving the DM more than enough time to plot. N.b. he's a vegetarian. Not terribly relevant, but I think it somehow goes to the root of his bastardry.

Looking down over the field with a crew served weapon and aiming over open sights, we reckon we must be able to pick off some high value targets. We start sniping giants which actually goes reasonably well as even a miss sends bits of skeletons everywhere. The necromancer doesn't take long to notice however. The first bolt of lightning is a near miss. The second we think probably won't be. We aim carefully and... entirely fucking miss.

We get off another shot at him which crosses paths with the actinic bolt of lightning that arcs toward us. We dive for cover as the shell explodes below. Looking down, we seem to have very definitely pissed him off.
:>Excellent.
He starts to float up the hill toward us.
:>Less good.

On further consideration of this issue... We notice the DM has actually written out an actual speech. A real, live, BBEG speech.

Perfect.

We pile up some shells and powder. Angus and the wizard light a fuse. We obscure the whole lot with a tarp just as our new necromancer friend pops over the edge of the cliff. We retreat back into the and turn to face him. The DM is a bit miffed that the necromancer fails to notice our trap as he levitates nearby to it.
:"And now is the winter of your discontent!"
The sky darkens as the necromancer flings his arms wide. We can see the fuse is just about to hit the kegs.
:"Now is the end of the world of the living. I shall allow you mortals to fight me, to make one last effort in the face of the inevitable."
As we collectively jump backwards into the shellhole we have at our backs. It can only be one last statement.
:"Get fucked you bony bast..."
The munitions go off and once earth stops falling and we can hear again. We peek over the lip of the crater.
:"He's... gone?"
:>DM: "I have got to stop giving you cunts explosives."

We look down into the valley, the battle still rages but the dwarves are regrouping and seem to be turning the tide. The necromancer isn't dead, but seems to be at the very least retreating. He is also on fire.

It seems we have accidentally broken another campaign. We feel oddly pleased about this.

As regards to the rest of the battle, there's not much else to note in detail. We get stuck in, but without the necromancer nearby to micromanage, the skeletons are weaker and soon the field is ours. This is excellent. Casualties have been extremely heavy however. The victory is pyrrhic for the dwarves.

We on the other hand have "saved" London and gotten the attention of the Queen.

The necromancer has returned to Edinburgh to lick his wounds. So for now the invasion is off.

===Meltdown on the Isle of Man===
A short trip to London later sees us meet Queenie herself for the first time. She is in the bath when she receives us. She still has a small rubber duck.

She doesn't seem particularly enamoured with us, originally thinking us to be 'Some sort of variety act? Possibly the Aristocrats?' Once she is informed who and what we are, she decides she has a mission for us. A very special mission, she says, idly signing another death warrant.
:"I am very fond of smoked herring and something seems to have happened to the Isle of Man. Fix it."
We are not stupid enough to tell her she already has us doing something. This we assume takes precedence.

:The Isle of Man: chief exports - kippers. The north end of it is populated. The south end (due to what used to be a research institute with links to Aberdeen and various other magical folk) is now entirely uninhabitable since said institute went full Chernobyl about fifty years back. The north end however has a thriving fishing and kipper smoking community, of which, Queenie is very fond of their produce when it comes to breakfast.
:Though being a faerie she probably has them done in blood or something.

No one has heard much from the Isle of Man in a couple of months, and no kippers have reached the mainland either. Reports from ships say the harbour was empty and that there was an air of foreboding such as the crew would not venture ashore. The Isle of Man is of course near Ireland, so it is assumed Cthulu has eaten everybody, Queenie however likes kippers from there and this is why we find ourselves aboard the armed trawler, HMS Irrefutable, being battered by the worst storm the Irish sea has seen in a good number of years.

We discover that the Navvie gets sea-sick in bad enough weather, as does the Wizard. Angus is already green so he's fine. The bard, according to his rolls, is loving the situation. The rest of us mostly alternate between wishing we were dead or praying that the boat doesn't sink and kill us.

The crew of the vessel are largely laconic and generally uncommunicative but will be back for us in a week. Which as we stand, alone on the quay in Ramsay, makes us feel rather isolated. The port is entirely empty. No signs of fighting. Also no one around. It's very eerie but also a situation we are already familiar with as this happens to us a lot.

We start cautiously searching, expecting to find hordes of zombies or a seething mass of tentacles or a shoggoth or something. Instead, nothing. It's clear there's something up, but this time there's no clues as to what. We do note however the animals are gone too. No dogs, no cats, not even flies. It's all very odd.

I said the place is empty, but we treat it as though there's a dire cazador around every corner.
:Angus: "Maybe they've all gone for lunch?"

On a more sensible note, there are no boats in harbour, which is to be expected for a busy fishing village. Except staring down into the waters it seems like a number have been sunk. So that's probably not good. We are in the midst of arguing when we spot movement from within a chandlers. Naturally we drop all pretense at thought and give chase.

We pursue whatever it was we just saw. It's small and fast as all hell. It is however our only lead. It was definitely watching us and bolted as soon as it was spotted. The door of the Chandlers is no obstacle to large hammer. Searching inside turns up lots of sails, no people, and something small and very, very fast.

We point various weapons (and some bagpipes at it), the wizard is able to wing it with an iron ball which knocks it flat and over a box. Surrounding the little fucker, it seems we've cornered a large weasel.

It very slowly raises its hands.

:"I surrender..."
:"Dafuq DM?"
:"No furfaggotry in here."
:"I'm Gef."
Suddenly something clicks for the Wizard.
:"Aah it's a Mongoose."
:"The fuck are you talking about?"
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gef Gef]

The back door is kicked in. A large chap with a most impressive tache points an extremely big rifle at us.
:"I'm Mary. You have a problem with that."
:[http://www.imfdb.org/images/8/88/Trem4_046.jpg DM shows us a picture.]
That is definitely a punt gun.

Well... this just got slightly mad.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBEXSiFzOfU Journey - Don't Stop Believing]
:"Hello err... Gef... and hello... Mary..."
Goodness that is an entirely stupidly big gun.
:"What have you bastards done with all the people?"
:"We just got here! That wasn't us..."
:"Then where is everybody?"
The Mongoose has scuttled up to sit on his shoulder.

The Navvie, sotto voce utters
:"Who is this nutter?"
:"I HEARD THAT"
:"Where did you come from?"
On closer inspection, he looks like he's been living rough for a while.
:"The south side of the island"
:"No one lives there. You're lying. Was this you?"
The punt gun goes back up, aiming at us
:"Ok obviously that was the wrong question..."
We ask him if (assuming we believe him) he knows where everybody went, or at least how long they have been missing for. Apparently he and the rat come to town once a month or so, and this being the day of the month they do, he has as much idea as we do. He does however seem pretty keen to help out. We offer to enlist this looney.

:>Why is he called Mary?
:According to the DM - Well the Mongoose of (the wiki link) talked to someone called Mary. Not everyone could see him, but he always spoke to her, and apparently "I needed a name"
We ask him about his pet.
:Wizard: "Fits at rat aboot?"
:"What rat?"
:"The whin on yer shoolder?"
:"What. Rat?"
:"Furrae thing, next tae yer heid?"
:"Is this a trick?"
:"..."
Ok so it seems like he is unaware of it. Which is... odd...

The Mongoose gives us a wave.

Shortly afterwards, we decide to head southwards and see if we can find the rest of the folk. Mary says he won't come with us, but he will be around (DM avoiding DM PC) and will be keeping an eye on us, so we don't steal anything apparently.

The more perceptive anons amongst you may recall on some of the crudely drawn maps, the Isle of Man is marked as something along the lines of "NEVER GO HERE" well what follows is why.

The party have, for the most part, seen Tremors, so we are entirely sure that if there's something going underground, we already know what we're doing. The DM is very shortly afterwards sick of us looking for holes where someone might've been sucked down, and carefully analyzing the ground beneath us to ensure we are walking on rock. Such meta-knowledge is frowned upon in Britbongsteros.

We're well into the island and a good distance from the sea when the DM has us all start rolling.

Balls. Probably not a good sign.

We are on a road with plenty of vegetation either side, but lots of stones beneath, so we're probably fine. We think.

Then several things happen at once.

The wizard is on point, he is told he can sense "something out of the ordinary nearby". Being a prudent man, he sends a ball bearing slowly hovering down the road in the direction he can sense. He is somewhat surprised when it simply disappears about ten feet in front of us. Off to one side, something moves in the bushes.

The rustling sees the party prepare for a fight. The wizard is however much more curious about what's going on ahead. He sends an iron bar to follow the ball bearing. Noting that it seems to dissolve at a fixed point about ten feet ahead of us.

Meanwhile, Angus helpfully says
:"Make yourself known or we will shoot."
The rustling continues.
:"Last warning."
Rustling comes from either side of us now. We think this is definitely some sort of ambush. The party open fire on either side of us.

With the ferns shot flat (and a large amount of the west side of path on fire), we eventually stop firing.

There's no bodies. Nothing. Closer inspection reveals some larger plants which are leaking an unusual colour of sap (bright green), but beyond that, nothing.

The Navvie makes to move forwards and off the trail. The Wizard grabs him by the shoulder as he passes him. The Wizard tosses another ball bearing. It disappears like the first.
:"Dafuq is that about?"
The Wizard takes a step to the right, and does the same. Then another.

This process repeats, until a ball bearing lands on the ground with a satisfying thud. We advance a few steps, and do the same. The wizard's innate abilities and ball bearings leading us around the anomaly.
:>anomaly
Yes.

Some distance away, we hear an enormous gunshot. It can only be the punt gun. So that must be Mary. We decide to make for it. He must've been making for us following the fusillade of fire we just unleashed. He may be in trouble and that thing doesn't reload fast. The Wizard's detection doesn't ping so we make fairly good speed, we hear another blast from the punt gun followed by a hell of a lot of pistol fire.

We crest the small rise, ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVWESrIt3uk Predator Theme Song]) and find Mary standing with a revolver in each hand, smoke rising from both barrels. The punt gun a good two feet shorter than it started out lying on the ground in beside him.

He spins to face us. Holding up his hand.

The wizard detects another anomaly in front of Mary. We are starting to theorize what may have happened to the townsfolk (we did not investigate the town very closely did we... and if walking into an anomaly dissolves you... then it's possible that's where they've all gone). Mary holds up a pistol in front of his mouth in a clear "shush" motion.

There's definitely something in the bushes. Lots of somethings.

The plants move and sway. Angus decides defoliation is a very sensible notion. As plants burn movement can clearly be seen. We unload on it. Meanwhile from our flank, something rustles a bush next to Mary. Mary manages "Clever girl" before it leaps.

The thing looks like a velociraptor with mouth full of tentacles. As Mary goes down, he screams "Kill the beastie!" which helpfully provides us with a taxonomic classification. There's also a lot more of them.

Now I'm having trouble finding specific reference to this thing online, but according to the DM's sources this thing had a pedigree having been seen in 1910 (in our world) a couple times on the Isle (or at least a large lizardy thing). In any event, we do what we do best.

The dead creatures soon litter the road. Mary it seems is pretty severely wounded, he asks we leave him there, he'll catch up. We do our best to bind his wounds and prop him up. Leaving him with his weapons reloaded and head southwards.

As the mongoose reappears from wherever it was hiding, we leave them be. As we head onwards, the anomalies become more frequent. The beasties can be heard moving around, but none attack. The countryside starts changing as we proceed, the ferns and heather giving way to windswept trees, a small forest. The anomalies are easier to spot (half a tree for example).

Just because the anomalies are easier to spot, doesn't make them any less dangerous. The weirdness starts to ramp up the further south we go. Though it's still light, the woods seem darker, stranger. We're somewhere near Stony Mountain Plantation (so named because there's a great big stoney mountain surprisingly enough, no really, it's on the map) when the familiar rustling comes again.

There's no bushes or shrubs for them to be hiding in.

We look up.

:>shit.

They're not quite in the walls, but they are in the canopy.

The combat, although were I a drawfag would be awesome, is not very exciting to describe aside from the Navvie successfully intercepting a flying leap and smacking a beastie in the face with his hammer, sending it back the opposite direction. Itshould land in a small stream, instead it explodes. Which is new.

There's still plenty of beasties coming for us when a crack like thunder rolls across the sky. The beasties all pause, their heads snapping upwards. Looking into the distance and the source of the sound.
:>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwaJhYv9FYE blowout stalker]
We haven't been on the island long enough to know what this is, but we already know this is probably fucking terrible.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4 Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine]

We can't dive into the ravine because anomaly. We search for what cover we can find. The beasties have begun to retreat, plainly with the same plan.

We search about, well really the Wizard picks a direction and starts running, we follow as best we can. He stops dead occasionally and we skirt more weirdness. Areas where gravity isn't right and the ball-bearing shoots into the sky, others where the ground bleeds, a particularly interesting area which appears to be a vertical pond, before we hit on a small swine-herds cottage (or at least that's what we assume it is), the thing is still standing so that's something.

We dive inside and prepare to wait out the storm.
:Angus: "I hope Mary is ok..."
The thunder grows in frequency, lightning strikes across the landscape, smashing trees and sparking off anomalies. We hunker down, powerless in the face of the storm.

As the storm rises there is nothing we can do but try to wait it out. Something that certainly isn't rain batters down on the ground outside. It's more like hail, it rattles off the roof. Hundreds and thousands of... seeds? That's what they look like anyway. They sit innocuously on the ground as rain falls. Flashes of lighting come faster and faster, all coming from the south. Rising to a climax. It feels like sitting in the middle of an artillery barrage. Thunder makes communication impossible.

Thunder. Lightning. Thunder. Lightning. The wizard has done his best to seal us in here. We hunker into what has become a bombshelter. It's like the world is spinning. The storm is a physical thing. We dig deeper into the earth as a shockwave of force blasts northwards toward us.

When we are able to get our heads about us again and look out, everything is changed. The earth has been blasted clean, nothing biological stands above six inches tall until at least the mountainous peak of the Isle.

On the ground fresh seeds sit, as a multicoloured rain hit them, they germinate quickly. Where before the storm there were ferns and small trees, now there are redwoods and cycads. We can even see the remains of beasties, at least everything below the ankle anyway, slowly growing into new forms. Instead of tentacles and velociraptors these are furry, low slung, vicious looking lobster things.

It's like the entire island has just been reset.

As we step outside, the new plant growth (already swelling into a forest) and still with those recognizably oddly coloured sap plants (above) which are starting to flower. We hide within the cottage. The Navvie elects to venture outward. As he does, the plants belch a visible cloud of pollen. He gets a good lungful of it and falls coughing to the ground. The rest of us elect to make crude gasmasks as last time and follow him to try to help.

He is up on his feet before we reach him, lumbering like a sleepwalker southward. His eyes are glassy and blank. We can't stop without hurting him and instead do our best to follow and make sure he doesn't fall into any anomalies. As we pass a beastie slowly being frozen on one side and on the other slowly peeled by gravitational forces, we are very thankful for the wizard.

Our "gasmasks" aren't perfect and we can all feel our perceptions altered slightly. I for one conduct an inner monologue with dwarvish saint Geoffrey Chaucer, Angus seems... different somehow, he lovingly caresses the trees and calls out to the beasties that he "will be gentle with them!" The wizard makes himself a little orrery of cannonballs and has great fun with them. The bard... somehow... is totally fucking fine.

We navigate slowly, moving like drunks, giggling as we blast the odd inquisitive beastie. The DM insists that if we want to communicate with anyone but him, we must speak backwards to replicate the difficulty of communication under the fug.
:"Reeb a em evig" etceterea.
It's a very odd little dynamic, it makes coordination impossible. We lurch along between two anomalies, one a simple whirlwhind, the other appearing to be slightly out of time as it's autumn in there, here it's midsummer.

As the still growing redwoods tower over us, the bard attempts to talk sense into us. We can see and hear him, but somehow his words and actions seem to just flow over us without sticking, we can definitely hear him, but we just don't process his words at all. If I'm not describing this well, think "pyrovision." It becomes a struggle to keep each other alive as the DM will warn someone that a hazard will occur to another member of the party, but the one at risk as no idea.

For example:
:"Pots sugna!"
:"Yhw?" (You try pronouncing it)
:"Enivar!"
And Angus has no idea he's a step away from a fifteen foot drop.

Anyway, this fun continues as the Navvie seemingly unerringly follows a safe path, and we stumble around him. Eventually, we come to the lip of a crater, and at the center of that, sits what can only be the institute. A converted monastery which seems perfectly fine despite the size of the crater in which it sits. The earth has been baked by the blowout and is barren. A small cloud of magical energy boils above the building. In there is the source of whatever the fuck this is about and given what happened to the Navvie, the possible location of the locals.

We are either adjusting to the pollen or just starting to sober up, but by the time we knock with a boot on the front door and exclaim
:"By England and St George we are here to fuck you up... You"
Everyone except the Navvie seems to be mostly back to normal. Within however, the place seems almost entirely like a research institute should. The reception area seems like any other reception, and aside from the little piles of salt everywhere, untouched. Angus cannot resist putting his finger in one and saying "yup that is salt" after tasting it.

We decide, obviously, that we must go deeper. The corridors are empty, though the piles of salt in one direction seem to have been disturbed as though trodden by oh so many feet. We follow that path (and the Navvie), the wizard can definitely sense magic ahead.

We start to hear moaning, which in our experience is never good, except it sounds happy. Which is probably doubly bad. There's also something that can be heard moving behind us. A slow dragging noise. We are going to have great trouble wrestling the Navvie to a halt however.

We can't slow down the Navvie without great trouble. He's by far the strongest of us, and though not in full control of his actions or very coordinated right now, no one really fancies trying to grapple with him. The wizard (as wizards sometimes are) is able to be useful, weighing him down with bands of iron around his legs, then Angus takes the simple expedient of tripping him. This slows him down enough that we can wait for whatever is behind us to catch up. We use doorways (leading off the corridor and into what are clearly offices) as cover as we prepare ourselves to meet whatever is behind us.

What's behind us isn't immediately recognizable as... anything really... it's man sized, but in the gloom of the building and our one light (no other illumination in here), its clearly human sized.

We wait for it to get closer... and oh... hello Mary.

At least we think it's Mary.

Burnt, blackened and blasted, he wheezes for breath, he limps, dragging a foot behind him, using his gun as a walking stick. It seems he decided to follow us and didn't have as good a shelter in the blowout as we did. The mongoose however is perfectly fine. It asks us for help. It seems Mary has had a dose of the pollen too, but he doesn't react to it like everyone else, instead going slightly crazy (becoming even more unhinged than when he started out).

Gef shouts (squeaks?) at us to stay back, it's too late however. Mary has definitely seen us, and that punt gun is coming up. We have only a couple seconds to respond and that huge gun will turn the lot of to paste if he fires it. He slurs something about demons and voices in his head.

The DM has us all say what we're going to do at the same time and then roll to see who does what first. I try to speak to him, Angus prepares to immolate him, the wizard attempts to pull the gun up and move his aim to the ceiling, the bard dives for cover.

The chain of events goes as follows:
:"Mary it's us!"
:>Mary struggles with his gun
:>The Bard hides under a table
:>FWOOSH

Now Mary going crazy because of the pollen thing explains how he seems to be the only islander that was vaguely normal. Regrettably, Angus has just torched him and his pet. The flaming corpse falls to the ground. Angus spits.
:"You're welcome."
The mongoose seems to have been torched too. We don't feel great about ourselves but... there wasn't much else to be done (DM, you're a cunt). The Navvie is still a few feet away and still not entirely with it. He's started to cough however, bringing up mucous and spores, if anything it seems like he might be shaking it off slowly.

From up ahead, we can still hear moaning and the occasional scream. Whatever has happened to everyone else, it is certainly not good. We decide that using the Navvie as a homing pigeon is fruitless and we need some way to get him back on his feet and helping. The bard is the most medically minded and assisted by the wizard they decide on a course of action.
:"Whiskey. Lots of whiskey."
They figure if the Navvie's mind is under the influence of something (i.e. the pollen) then what's needed is something to scramble it. So if they get him good and drunk, it might "jam the signal" as it were.

With the still smouldering corpse of Mary behind us, the two of them persuade Angus to part with some of his stash and pour Tomatin 12 into the Navvie without a great deal of trouble. To my surprise (not theirs) it works, as the Navvie goes from waving his arms ineffectually and generally slack-jawed to purposeful movements, reaching for the bottle and finishing the rest. By the time he's finished, he's smiling.
:"Hi guys."
He tosses the empty bottle behind him. It should smash. It doesn't smash... Instead it goes "twomp" (as though hitting something soft) and can be heard rolling down the hall. This is out of the ordinary enough that we stop walking. The long low growl from behind us is definitely not good.

We turn in enough time to see the now standing Mary's rib cage split open as flesh melds and flows, mutating, running like water, reforming.
:"Oh fuck."
Whatever it's doing, we decide to go full Thing on it and let Angus torch it again. This time he keeps playing fire until there's nothing but a smear left. The flames are starting to lick over furniture and walls. It seems like we've also set the building alight - oops.

Well we're here for a reason, there's no point trying to put the flames out and it's probably for the best that the place burns down (if we had a motto it'd be "leave nothing standing"). With whatever happened to Mary in our minds, we head onwards into what looks like laboratories or at least places where science got done. We can't be far now from whatever happened here.

No one knows a great deal about the institute beyond it being somewhere where something bad happened, and that no one really wanted to investigate after whatever accident occurred.

We pick up some clues as we proceed. The facility is fairly big and we are going down flights of stairs and deeper into the facility. We expect violence or threats around every corner, but there's nothing (yet) just that sound, that constant low sound of distress and ecstasy.

We are able to piece together clues as we go, finding notes or simply using logic, there was an experiment here, a grand, grand experiment. Sanctioned by Queenie's Dad, it was a magical investigation into the very building blocks of all life and all other things. The theory so it seemed, was that if man was composed of small tiny things (cells), then perhaps those smaller things were themselves composed of smaller things, and then those smaller things... could themselves be separated into smaller things. Eventually, through this splitting of components, the signature of god or the maker of our world must, logically, be found. Therefore, the goal was to:
:>Split the atom.

:>You were building bombs?
No, this was (for Britbongsteros) pure science, an investigation into the world itself and how man came to be.

:>What the fuck went wrong?
We have no idea.

:>Why didn't anyone come to look?
Combination of bad-juju, weirdness, and the feeling that maybe, just maybe, God doesn't want us looking too closely.

:>What was going to happen next if it worked?
Man would eventually find the very building blocks of life, and could, in theory, make it himself.

:>Making life
This was actually a theme of Britbongsteros itself which the more perceptive anons may have noticed throughout the setting. Everyone is up to it somehow. (Or blowing it up).

We proceed onward and downward. The facility seems to spiral around one central chamber, which we can't seem to find a way into yet but it's the source of the sound. We haven't seen or felt an anomaly in a while but the Wizard thinks (as though it weren't obvious) that the source of the weirdness is in there.

Eventually after a couple of logic puzzles (one using displacement and the other an interesting attempt to have us use common sense that resulted in the Navvie simply smashing the Gordian knot with his hammer) we come to the doors of the chamber. We get down to what must be the lowest level. There are still piles of salt but there aren't any monsters or anything. We find a large pair of blast doors that just have to be the center of the facility. We prepare ourselves mentally and physically and boot them in.

Of course, kicking in blast doors doesn't work very well. Aside from hurting Angus's foot, so we open them instead.

We know from the signs of the passage of people through the facility that we should be expecting something bad. We are not quite ready for what we come across though.

Naked bodies of the couple thousand islanders are piled together below what looks more like an altar than a device of science. There's something on top the altar that looks like a reactor or... something. There are the fried remains of a skeleton clutching a lever. We decide the only thing to be done here is smash the thing and bug out, if that's what's creating the blowouts, then it's what needs doing. It's only as we get closer to the islanders do we realize that they are fused together, a single mass of humanity, moulded and warped, and they're still very much alive.

Smashing the machine is easy enough, giving it a whack with his hammer sees the thing break down into component pieces. So that was easy... Too easy. The moaning, shifting mass of bodies that we just clambered over starts to flow, to alter, to tremble, component parts make for us...

We are in the center of the room surrounded by a slowly shifting (but getting faster) sea of bodies. What we thought was the wreckage of the machine sparks and sputters. Something that looks like a van Der graaf generator flashes into life. The apparatus seems... angry.

The facility rumbles and shakes. We seem to have woken something. We decide the most important thing here is
:>leg it.

The Navvie drops a few lit sticks of dynamite and Angus burns us a path to the door. The bodies are slowly mutating. By the time we are out of the room we can see individual critters with partially human attributes lumbering after us. They also have a mix of wicked looking bone scythes or claws, exposed suppurating muscle glistening wetly. The human parts chant nonsense words and phrases. The faces seem horrified, as the DM puts it, as if they are aware of their condition.

We don't have enough explosives to detonate the facility but, fuck it, time to go. We can get out alive then worry about the rest.

It's impossible to describe in detail the confused violence of our journey upwards. It took long enough to get down there but now as we leave the place, pursued by the creatures (DM called them villagers which somehow felt worse), they are faster than us and explode from vents or simply chase us. We do our best to mow them down but we have to fight for every desperate step. The wizard thinks there's another blowout coming soon and if we aren't out of here and in cover by then, we are extremely dead.

The villagers howl or scream inarticulately, managing a few words and phrases, some cry or whimper. Terrified seemingly of what they have become. We want very much to run as fast as we can but instead it's a slow, steady pace, we have to be methodical as villagers leap, crawl, slither and slop towards us. In the darkness they loom, slashing and biting. We will be joining them soon. Thunder can be heard as another blowout becomes a certainty.

It seems the researchers here certainly made life, but oh wow did it go wrong. If the piles of salt are anything to go by then they weren't around to know it.

Sometimes, not knowing is worse than knowing. We don't know exactly what or why these things exist. The machine seems to have been created to split and transform life on a grand scale. Whether what we face is what was intended we just don't know, and as I frantically thumb shells into my shotgun, I don't care.

We have been lucky so far, but as the Navvie batters down one assailant another gets a good slash into the muscle of his shoulder. The bard is grabbed from behind moments later, nearly eviscerated before the wizard can drive a stake through the villager. The villager herself gibbering deliriously about mending nets and why the hens have stopped laying.

From the rantings of the villagers more of what happened can be pieced together. A big storm followed by animals doing strange things and people walking away (pollen), some villagers scream or shout things like "Stop walking father, please! Come back!" Or "Edith please... don't go... why won't you wake up?"

The building is still definitely on fire (Angus's further actions haven't helped) and as we get back to ground level the place is full of flame and smoke. Outside lightning flashes, that blowout is going to be soon. Very soon. The villagers are harder to spot in the choking smoke and the fire slows us further as we have to rely on the Navvie making new doorways for us to get around it. We finally come to an exterior door. It's already open. A small thing, but at the door sit two child sized knapsacks. It might be making a leap of deduction but it seems whoever those belonged to were the first people to enter here and started this chain of events rolling by accident somehow. That small skeleton holding the lever would on the machine would have been about the right size...

We get outside, still pursued and now having to deal with beasties too. The redwoods and cycads will be gone soon but they provide plenty of cover to lurking packs of them. We make for the coast, wizard in front as now we have beasties, anomalies and villagers to contend with. In the distance we can hear a ship's horn, something must have seen the smoke. The thunder and lightning is becoming more intense, we are not going to make it to the coast before the blowout. We need shelter. The wizard spots a small dip in the ground. It's not much but it's enough for him to make a sort of Anderson shelter with, and for us it's going to be our Alamo as, if we stop, all kinds of mutant hell is going to catch up to us. In the rain and lit by sheet lightning, we look at each other. This is going to be a hell of a fight.
:>Bard has the biggest shiteating grin.
:"This is jolly good fun isn't it!"
:"...shut up bard."

We dig in as the wizard slowly and carefully constructs a shelter. Big fat drops of green rain splash down around us. The woods are alive with mutated creatures and they howl, as though knowing the hunt is at a climax.

The report of my shotgun is joined by that of the wizard riveting boilerplate together. The shelter slowly takes shape around us as villagers rush us. It all feels very zulu.

Slowly the world begins to shrink, as plate after plate are joined around us, finally with creatures battering at the structure from all sides, there is just one window sized gap through which they all try to boil at once. I rapid fire into it as the rest of the party try to help the wizard push the last plate into place. When it's secure, we lie panting in the darkness. Listening to the tattoo of creatures beating on the shelter. The iron deforming under the blows almost faster than the wizard can fix it. The noise is incredible but eventually it is subsumed into the rumbling howl of the blowout.

Later, with our fresh "gasmasks" firmly in place, we emerge from our cocoon into a new world. Strange tropical looking palms and beautiful black roses cover the island. The beasties are much bigger now, rhino sized centi-octopus-pedes. They take some killing but we manage to make it to shore. There is the oh so beautiful sight of a battleship. HMS Rodney. We manage to signal it and shortly afterwards, we convince the captain to empty the entire magazine on the smoke of the institute. We don't know if this is enough to put the machine out of action, or if we have fixed anything, but seriously, fuck the Isle of Man.

Later, Queenie is more understanding of the lack of kippers than expected, but having discovered Peterhead Smokies, she's actually not terribly bothered by the plight of the Isle of Man.

We on the other hand are told to get on and do some work. Getting those rifles is what we should be doing. The necromancers have been on the move again and are up to something new in the villages and towns around Newcastle. Plenty of alchemists have been seen with them. It would be even better if we could capture one and learn something about the metallurgy of the guns rather than just grab a sample to reverse engineer.

The privy council are however persuaded to part with a motor vehicle to assist, and thus in the jalopy 2 we head northwards.

===The Purple Penguin===
'''Note: This was the first story told in the campaign'''

Our tale begins in (not) enlightenment era Britbongistan. The nation stands on the brink of annihilation. Barbaric hordes rise in the swamplands of the western island, to the North the undead rise. Gun powder has allowed the nation to stand this long. Our band are on a quest for an ingredient that will make for better quality metallurgy in the cannons and rifles, maybe enough to turn the tide.

Now our GM likes to present us with choices. As the group's resident dwarven knight (from not Yorkshire) I often am the one everyone looks to for a steer on these.

In the relevant session our choice is to chase down an enemy alchemist, who we have been trailing for days now, or we can let him get away and save a village from the undead.

We are in an area that is near (not) Newcastle. We have with us a stoic human, a working class navvie who uses his hammer to smash the undead and return them to hell followed by inventive curses. He has no family but is from around this area. By the way his name was Burt.

I say
:"Obviously we go for the alchemist. It will save more lives in the end"
:''>DM slips navvie a note. Ooc: "DM you're a bastard" says the player.''
Our titan of a navvie looks at the horizon.
:"The village my Lord it is... it was my home"

The rest of the party argue. The DM reminds us that the alchemist is getting away. Time is running out. We go for the alchemist.

It doesn't take long but we get him. We get him good. We turn round. We make for the village. It's ablaze.

We scream to a halt in our jalopy. The undead are lead by a Necromancer. One we've met before. The Skeletons engage us, the Navvie goes at them. Bellowing. Bodies fly. My pistols grow hot. Our wizard summons chainsaws and the slaughter continues. Our bard plays the song of vengeance upon his bagpipes.

Meanwhile. The Necromancer is stealing soul after soul. Picking up each screaming villager and inhaling their essence, tossing husks aside.
We can't save all of them. Maybe one. Just one.

We don't. The last is a little girl.

:''>DM hands navvie another note. "Fuck you DM"''

The Navvie screams as he recognizes her. His niece. She cries for him. For help. And the necromancer removes her soul into a container. As he tosses her withered empty husk of a body aside. He trampled upon the little purple stuffed penguin the girl had been holding. He vanishes.

The undead are slaughtered but even in the hissing and popping heat that comes when our Scottish flamethrower carrying greengrocer uses his signature weapon. Even in that heat, the tears track through the soot and grime on the Navvies face.

We cursed the village, the war, ourselves.

I picked up that little penguin and put it in my cartridge belt.
:"We'll bring his owner back. I promise."
:''>So began a year long quest to return the penguin to the little girl.''

:>Necromantic apocalypse

:We learnt that it all came from a simple farmer. He tried to make his cows last longer, give more milk. He started to research, obtaining darker and darker books. He succeeded. Completely. His cows were famous. A plague struck his village. His wife died. He reanimated her. Then his children. Then his friends, his neighbors.

:What he didn't know was that in our world, necromancery works on a body, giving you the human they were back. Until the brain decays. Then they become first a zombie (with all the face eating and turning others with bites) then a skeleton as the flesh decays. A skeleton bound completely to the will of the necromancer. In our setting skeletons were hard as fuck. Hence the slightly mad weaponry we carried to fight them

We left the village. It burned long into the night. I could see it as I smoked my pipe in our camp. The bard played http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK9LXdl-6eo
the Navvie and the greengrocer (a sort of orc thing from what was once Dundee) broke into a bottle of my whiskey, then another. They used the alchemist (above) as a bench. His muffled cries lost in the skirl of the pipes. We had kneecapped him and tied him up earlier.

I sat and looked at the little penguin. Cleaning my pistols. The other party member, the wizard (actually an engineer from Aberdeen who had the ability to summon and command machinery such as the aforementioned chainsaws) sat with me. He (and the player) bawled inconsolably.

We needed a plan.

Britbongsteros looked like and had the same terrain as regular britbongland. The undead held most of Scotland, Aberdeen was a fortified port city now. Dundee no longer existed. Edinburgh was the heart of the necromantic apocalypse. It was most likely where we would have to go.

Glasgow still stood. Just. Everything else was held along the old antonine wall. The west of England was under assault from what would be Ireland and Welsh barbarians. The barbarians were either Celts of the old stripe (nekkid, blue) and supported by Elder horrors. The Welsh were more beastmen. Half man half something. (I should add I'm sorry Wales).

The barbarians would raid and pillage frequently. In the south England was England. Human until the midlands, dwarves in Yorkshire.

We didn't interact much with the rest of Europe (aside from sinking a German cruiser -different story) but the French women were generally slutty elves. We liked them.

In Buckingham palace we had a faerie Queene (as in actually a faerie). If you've ever watched blackadder, she was basically queenie from that. Childish, capricious, bloodthirsty.

Anyway. The first thing we would have to do to get to Edinburgh was either win the war or learn to fly.

Dwarves don't like heights, so I naturally favored winning the war. We returned to our base of operations (and my ancestral home) in Harrogate. The dwarves of the area fearing both the undead and invasion of barbarians had dug in deep. Orderly trenches and bunkers covered the landscape. Artillery in every field, barbed wire spooled out for miles. The dales were now a maginot line. If all the effort put into fortifying DwarfYorkshire had been used in the North the war might have been different. We drove through miles of fortifications. My ancestral home had always been a castle, except now it had cannons.

The greengrocer and navvie worked on interrogating the alchemist.

The alchemists were generally from not Holland and played both sides. Helping the necromancers and us. It was in their interest to do so as they sold arms to both sides. This one knew enough of metallurgy to be of some use.

The bard assisted the wizard and I in planning our next steps.

We would have to get into Edinburgh and get the soul cube (where the little girl was kept) back. Killing the necromancer we decided was, if not a priority, it should still be done on general principles.

I placed the stuffed purple penguin on the table. It, and us, looked over the map we had spread out.

We couldn't push up from Newcastle to the borders and on to Edinburgh, for one thing it would mean getting through the undead giants in Stirling. We couldn't sail up the west coast and round (Irish barbarians) and we would never survive the east coast, the great kraken and other monsters that had been summoned by the necromancers would rip apart any ship spotted from land without the appropriate magical wards.

We considered going up north through the highlands and back down.

The Grocer (Angus) ran into the room. The alchemists were making a shipment to the Welsh barbarians tonight.

We looked at each other. Those boats had the wards. But the alchemists were not our allies they were neutral... sort of...

We looked at the penguin.

:"Lets get ourselves a ship."

We left in a hurry, moving on to Liverpool, as we were chartered by the Queen (being sort of like 40K acolytes) we had no trouble obtaining the assistance of a royal navy destroyer. HMS Thunderchild (yes that one). With the bard standing on the prow, playing AC/DCs Thunderstruck on the bagpipes (no I don't know how he knew it either but the DM likes ACDC) we set sail. The Thunderchild looked like you'd think a destroyer would. The Alchemists ship when we found her did not. It was a floating nautilus, and fucking huge.

I racked the slide on my newly acquired gatling shotgun, the navvie hefted his hammer, the wizard summoned rotary saws, Angus lit the pilot light on that flamethrower. The bard just... did bard stuff and played on.

The captain of the Thunderchild was the best of men. Guns would break the shell of the nautilus and sink her. So we rammed it.

The party boarded, so did the stuffed purple penguin.

The fight was short, gory as all hell too, the alchemists being shot, burnt, sawn, hammered, and bagpiped to death.

We had our boat. Or at least large living seabeast

We had no idea how to steer this beast. After a great deal of head scratching, the bard discovered it liked the bagpipes. It would swim in the direction of the sound. If he stood in a rowing boat and played it would follow along behind. It wasn't going to be fast, but we could travel.

Meanwhile the Navvie and I investigated the cargo hold.

It glowed. Weaponized soul cubes. Each containing a tortured soul of a deceased man woman or child. They had been turned into grenades or artillery shells. It was silent in that hold, but it was also full of the sound of screaming.

It was another moral dilemma. Do we release these souls? Or do we us them? The Navvies niece was in something like these...

That great hammer rose and fell. With a smash the first soul was released, then another, and another.

I was concerned though. Even if we saved her, where would we put her? What could we do?

I approached the Wizard, he could perhaps build a mechanical body? Some design or contrivance to carrier her essence? Maybe to give her some sort of life?

The answer was (after discussing and rolling) yes sort of. He said he'd have to think, to design. The DM passed him several notes. This was a very bad sign.

We were on the west coast now. The Thunderchild accompanied us as far as Wick but could go no further in these waters. We stopped off for a session or two in this area, fighting a horde of mutated kelpies and also Sawney Bean the cannibal and his insane brood. This was awesome but not relevant to our quest. (I am willing to digress however if requested)

:>Yes.

Alright then. The kelpie. (I trust everyone reading knows how to use Google)

We nearly lost Angus here. The kelpie would shapeshift, not just into their usual forms, but they could transform to those you loved, anything to get you into the water so they could drown and consume you.

We first became aware of how shafted we were when I woke up to see my daughter crawling up the side of my bed. She'd been dead for fifty years.
Shooting her hurt as much as the sound of the first spadeful of earth hitting the lid of her coffin.

We couldn't move fast enough to escape them (not with the bard piping in the rowing boat), we had to stop. To kill every single last one.

We shot our mothers, burned our grandfathers, stabbed our brothers, chainsawed our wives, bludgeoned our sons, and still they kept coming.

Telling us twisted truths, secrets that we knew were untrue but with enough to make your finger twitch, your aim unsteady, my daughter told me she had killed herself. The others were all equally and savagely unloved, Angus failed his will save, the kelpie (and his wife) separating him from us, leading him to the water.

It took the Navvie's hammer crushing her skull against the deck until Angus started screaming. We had to knock him out. When the kelpies were all dead, we waited for him to wake, when he did, we poured whisky into him until he stopped screaming her name.

The purple penguin and I had some ourselves that night too.

We sailed on. Reaching first Aberdeen (and our wizards home) we stopped off in this fascinating place. The walled city extended to Westhill, north to bridge of Don, and south to Stonehaven, it was a haven of industry and techno wizardry. The Aberdonians could summon machinery and twist steel to their will. The court intrigue we became involved in as we refueled (fed) our mollusc was short but bloody.

It was my turn to risk death. My moment of weakness. I fell in love.

Aberdeen was ruled by seven great families, each with a special affinity for a metal, (iron, gold, silver, copper etc) the wizard was clan iron, and his family had intended for him to be "alloyed" with a girl from the gold clan. He had left the city to win his fortune for her first. She was thrilled to see him. Meanwhile I and the rest of the party ignored the sex he was busily having and instead (I should add we looked everything up on Google maps and just pretended we were there) I went into the merchant quarter With the intention of upgrading my weapons. The rest of the party tagged along for the same reasons.

The DM passes me a note.
:>you notice a woman. Tall, redhaired, statueesque you see her in the crowd. Just a moment. She smiles at you. The DM knows I love tall redheads.
:"Roll twice" yup you're in love. Congrats.

I followed her into the churchyard, there she was beneath a tree, we talked, she stroked my beard, we kissed. We left, together. It meant I wasn't with everyone else when they discovered that the lead clan were going to sell out the city, or that the copper clan (her clan) were involved.

I should tell you a little about the DM at this stage.

:>he's a cunt.

So I'm in love. The others discover that the Lead clan are going to open the gates to the undead, and the copper clan are mostly vampires. On the reasoning that I'm busy having sex, they don't mention this.

However the redhead is human, all human. Her boyfriend isn't. He also does not like discovering her straddling an angry and well armed dwarf.

He goes for me. I get shots into him. But not before he tears my left arm off. He tries to beat me to death with it. Eventually he goes down. So do I.

I wake up with a new mechanical arm, and I'm single again.

Meanwhile the party are doing intriguey things and while I learn how my new arm works, they plot and investigate.

We discover they are on to us when my newly vamprisied redhead kicks in the door along with a dozen of her friends and technowizards.

We fight. We win. Just. I am not as accurate as I was. The bard loses an eye to her claws. I resolve to practice more with my new arm.

We bring down the lead clan by killing a family patriarch and then at the funeral, Angus torches the lot of them inside a church. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

So we say goodbye to Aberdeen and sail on. We get to Montrose and stop for water. The place is deathly quiet. There's no one. We decide to refill and GTFO. Except the navvie that brave, big hearted bastard says no. We should help. The purple penguin agrees.

We scout around. We don't find anything except skeletons.

We do find some townsfolk eventually. They are terrified of "the eaters" we laugh it off. We say we will stay the night and then take them back to Aberdeen

So the Navvie and I are on first watch. He spots them first. I am busy lighting my pipe.

Cockroaches, beetles, maggots, everything, a river of them. They flow and squirm toward us. They coalesce into a man. Sawney Bean. Bullets do nothing. The hammer doesn't do much. The bagpipes are bagpipes. We do have Angus however. Sawney burns good. He flees.

Meanwhile the rest of his cannibal family have broken into the church. They've eaten alive those townsfolk. There's half a woman left (and I mean half vertically) but she's still alive... somehow (they hadn't eaten the brain, just stripped her clean down to the bone on the left side of her navel. I mean everything.

We killed her ourselves (fuck you DM) and decided Sawney must die.

We don't know where he is, where he lives, nothing. There's no tracks to follow, and how would we track a beetle anyway?

We think. We plot. We are out of ideas.

We realize though, the country side is stripped bare, the town is too. The only meat around for miles is... us. So we head into the village square and just sit and wait. We know they're probably watching anyway. Angus has his flamethrower, the wizard makes me flame shells, the bard is the bard. Both the Navvie and the wizard will use their respective skills (techno wizardry and being hueg) to roll flaming barrels of whale oil into them.

It all goes to plan. Mostly.

There's a big statue in the square. It has steps. We have our backs to it. And here comes Sawney (I hate bugs), he and his weird family charge us. Or at least half do. The rest try to get behind us. The navvie and wizard hurl flaming barrels. Angus does his thing. I turn the flaming gatling shotgun on the flankers. The bard... does nothing useful being a bard and plays flower of Scotland Instead.

Thing is, Sawney and co are getting closer faster than we can burn them.

:"This might be it lads, I'm sorry penguin, we might have failed you..."

They start climbing the steps. They're much more material now. Almost solid. Human. The navvie stoves in the lid of a barrel with his fist. He grabs Sawney by the throat and rams him into it. The bugs that make up Sawney eat his hand clean and the fire does for his arm. But sawney burns good. With him down, his weird family are less organized and start to go down too.

Fuck you Sawney Bean.

The technowizard replaces the second arm in a week.

With Sawney and co dead. The quest of the purple penguin continued. We said goodbye to the fortified port of Aberdeen and soon the countryside grew blackened and blasted, the night sky was never dark, skulls and faces played in the northern lights, the Navvie had long conversations with himself. Skeletal fish swam in the sea. Skinless dolphins played in our bow waves. We entered the Firth of Forth. The sanctified ground of Inchgarvie island was we thought a safe place to rest, to prepare. We were wrong.

It turns out our landing on Inchgarvie was observed. We camp. No fire. But we manage to rest.

Then the dead start to rise. Walking out of the sea. Silent legions of them. While they aren't as coordinated as those of the big bad (the power of a necromancer determines how good his skeletons are at fighting) they are still tough. A minor necromancer must be wanting to take us down himself. Thing is, if we open fire, we'll bring everything in the region down on us. We can't let that happen now. Not right now.

So we set about ourselves, hammer, my axe, the wizard with iron bars, Angus with his knife and the bard... I think he hummed rather than piped.

Gliding in over the waves came the necromancer controlling these skellies. He was actually quite helpful all things considered.

:"You'll never get what you seek. you'll never make it to Edinburgh castle. You'll nev *HAMMERTOTHEFACE*"
:"Thank you, you pathetic excuse for a knobdusting emaciated necrophiliac. Now we know where she is."

We proceed inland with the dawn. Leaving our trusty nautilus at Inchgarvie. Stealth is the order of the day. We slink through the country side as best we can. Most of it is glassed. As though a nuclear bomb had gone off. No vegetation. Only death. The glass is warm to the touch and slightly sticky.

There is no food. No shelter. Nothing. No sound. No birds. Nothing.

We make it to Edinburgh. The city is intact. Rebuilt so that upon each hill is a necromancers tower. Green glowing energy emanating from each. We look up. There's the castle. We know what the purple penguin expects of us.

The castle is the only tower without that green light. The wizard tells us it is because the others are locked in a ritual. Only the big bad and our target is not. Meaning we only have one opponent. And several million of his minions.

We get into the city via the sewers and a twenty minute OOC debate on how clean they would be (undead don't poop). We get to where Waverly station would be. We are able (thanks to technowizard) to ascend the cliff and get over the wall. We go loud when Angus takes an arrow to the shoulder. Suddenly skeletons. Skeletons everywhere. The bard finally has an idea.
:"This is Edinburgh castle. They have an artillery piece here they use to shoot every day to mark the time. We have several necromancers stuck in a ritual who can't move And have green fire telling us where they are."

This is the most useful thing the player and character have ever done.

We make for the gun. Technowizard aims loads and fires. We fight and fight on. Covering him as we end the necromantic menace (DM looks unhappy as we crush his campaign). The purple penguin approves.

We fight on atop the battlements, green fire flashing in the darkness as the wizard brings down tower after tower. The hammer smashing skeletons. The gatling shotgun annihilating skellies, the bard goes back to being useless but does manage to play Queen's princes of the universe on a natural 20. Angus burns the skellies. This is the most metal moment of my life. The stuffed purple penguin agrees and says we must rock harder.

The necromancer comes, his belt is full of soul cubes. They're powering him. One goes dark and he tosses it aside even as we watch. We don't know which is her. We don't know if she's even in there. The purple penguin demands he die.

He draws his arms up. The skeletons we have slain come together again, forming a giant creature, the Navvie leaps from the battlements. Hammer held high. Angus plays fire across the giant. I do my best to tickle it with eight solid slugs a second, the techowizard turns the gun. Slowly, the Navvie hangs in mid air as the necromancer zaps magic at him.

Our wizard fires the gun. Down goes giant. The Navvie is getting closer to the necromancer. By sheer force of will he is resisting the magic and continuing his path. He lands cracking a flagstone. The hammer goes up. The hammer comes down. The necromancer laughs and inhales a soulcube.
:"These are why you came, this is what you want. She's not here. I ate her weeks ago. She was delicious."
The hammer goes up.
:"You'll never get her back"
the hammer comes down.

We realize he's right. Even as we bring down his empire. He is right. This was all for nothing. This was...

:>FUCKINGCOCKDABBLINGARSEMONGLER
The navvie hits him again, and again,
:>SHITSPEWINGCUNTSPELUNKER
The necromancers skull turns to dust. The legions of skeletons fall to the earth.

One soul cube left. It's... it flickers... just... still life in it. The Navview picks it up.
:"Uncle?"
It flickers.
:"I'm here. I'm here now."
I put her penguin next to it.
:"I knew you'd come..."

The light goes out.

===The Battleship Brunmiggi===
We left the now silent ruin of Edinburgh. We were victorious... weren't we? The necromancers had been broken. Some would remain, but the threat in the North was over. For now. it still felt like a loss. A shameful filthy loss. I couldn't meet the eye of the purple Penguin.

We moved on. Sailing the Nautillus from Inchgarvie back first to Newcastle (the shell torn industrial country still burning. The locals working for drink to forget the work they must do. Rendering down the undead armies or the remains of them into magical components for the artillery, smelting rusted swords down for bullets. Tearing apart their once great city for total war). There we met Cruella with a letter from our Queene.

So the wizard, Angus, the Navvie, Bagpipe bard, and I were joined by Cruella (yes I know) of the same species as our Queene, a faerie. Long of limb, beautiful, and fueled by the blood of our enemies. She had two long knives which she used to maim. She had bonuses the more cruel she was to her prey.

I'm afraid we shouldn't have let her character in but
:>muh fetish.

The Brunnmigi had been spotted off the South coast. We were to sink it.

The Brunnmigi (Google it) was the pride of the Kaisers fleet. A battleship of enormous power, row after row of guns, pure industrial might. Crewed by the Kaisers elite bearmen. It could sink a dozen ships before they even got in range.

We had a fight on our hands.

We had an unexpected surprise however. At Portsmouth we were met by the Thunderchild. A destroyer. Nothing on the Brunnmigi but crewed by the stoutest most valiant of men.

Once again. The bard went to the prow As we set sail. (Don't ask) but we left Portsmouth dock to his rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrds Simple Man (DM again).
We knew the brunnmigi was moored off Jeresy. The Kaiser wanted those islands and was using the ship as a show of force. What better thing to occur then for it to sink in British waters.

We would be dropped off the coast of Jersey, travel overland and sneak aboard.

It all went perfectly. We lowered a boat. Then suddenly the deafening scream of the attack siren aboard the Brunnmigi sounded. She knew the Thunderchild was here. There was no running for the Thubderchild. There was never any question of running.

We rowed ashore as that little ship. Outclassed by twenty times in tonnage alone. She turned. She made straight for the Brunnmigi.

Never a question as shellfire hammered that brave little ship. The aft turret was hit first. Then taken amidships. Fire licked up the funnels. The bridge was next. Still she carried on. Fire from the fore turret rebounded from the flanks of the Brunnmigi.

The Thunderchild was low in the water. None could be left alive, but she came on. She rammed the Brunnmigi on the portside.

We didn't think she even scratched the paint. The proud ensign of Her Majesties royal navy was the last thing to slip below the waves as we watched from the shore. (Fuck you DM)

The people of Jersey were honest hobbit types. We were taken in by a farmer loyal to the Queene, but we were not unnoticed. The party was woken by the barn doors being kicked in.

Brunnmann. A party of twenty marines from the Brunmigi. Each huge bear given the form of man. We could stand against them. We could. But it was likely to cost us.

They had hostages. The farmer and his family. So small against their black uniformed bodies.

We couldn't fight. We shouldn't fight.

I laid down my shotgun. It was joined by hammer, flamethrower, knives, and bagpipes. The wizard laid down his backup revolver. No one else saw him wink at me.

The marines chained us. Binding our wrists and ankles with cold iron. No magic could effect those locks.

The wizard was of the iron clan. With complete mastery of steel. He practiced no magic. He did however bend metal to his will.

The hobbits were released. Watching us go sadly. The farmer sung Gods Save the Queen until one marine cuffed him.

It was the distraction we needed however. The wizard brought up the bayonets of each marine. All twenty lay dead. His own bayonet through his throat. The chains fell away.

The wizard collapses. He would not be able to do that again for some time.

We have a large pile of corpses. We suddenly realize that had we been taken aboard ''then'' broken free that might have been smart.

Nonetheless we proceed across Jersey, taking the truck that the marines had used. We come from Les Mellies to St Hellier. We wait for nightfall in a derelict warehouse. The new plan is simple. Wait for the wizard to recover then sneak aboard.

At least that was the plan.

Cruella was to take down the sentries on the gangplank. Then she and the wizard would find the magazine. Meanwhile the rest of us had the easy bit. Raise all hell on the bridge. Kill as many as we could then leave gtfo.

Cruella gutted one bear, licking blood from her knife then decapitated the other from behind.

We were aboard.

We split up and make for the bridge. The bard signals our attack with Motorhead's Ace of Spades on the bagpipes again.

He starts to play outside the entrance to the bridge. The bears run straight into Angus and his flamethrower. Those that survive meet the shotgun.

We have taken the bridge. There is no sign of the captain however. We estimate we have about two minutes before they counterattack. We have agreed the bard will play a song when that time comes and another when we bug out. It's Steve Earle's copperhead road that comes as the bears swarm our defenses.

Meanwhile, Cruella and the wizard are in the magazine. Stacking shells. The wizard priming timers. They give us five minutes. Firing a flare as they jump from the rear deck into the sea. None of us on the bridge roll high enough to see it.

Time is ticking down and we don't even know.

The bard stops playing eventually. We don't know it but we have maybe two minutes left.

The ship is crewed mostly by bears. Except the captain. The captain is a fucking gryphon with a pickelhaube. In he comes with the rest of the marines.

Time is running out. Then it runs out. The bears are all dead. Only us and the bloodied captain still standing. He is an enormous winged gryphon.

The explosions from the magazine rock the ship. We are screwed, shells cook off. The small dent in the hull from the Thunderchild now becomes a gaping hole. The ship is taking on water. We are either going to burn or drown.

We look at the captain. He looks at us. We nod. He nods.

Seen from where Cruella and the wizard are (on shore now).

The explosions rock the ship. The smoke and flame obscures so much. The ship lists heavily to one side.

As far as they know. We're dead. The purple penguin no more.

Then the glass of the bridge shatters. A dwarf, an orc, a navvie, and a bard are on the back of a howling gryphon.

The bard plays the song we agreed.

It's Meatloaf. Bat out of hell.

The Captain should have gone down with his ship. Instead he was given a pardon and allowed to stay in Britain. He later joined our navy.

We returned to London to report our success.

We were a bit surprised when the Queene had us imprisoned on our arrival.

===The Court of the Faerie Queene===
Ok so before I launch into this properly there are some things you need to know. If you've ever read or heard of Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene (it is not as gay as it sounds) you'll be fine. If you haven't, what you need to know is that royalty in Britbongsteros are all faeires. We've mentioned already that this means they're vicious, cruel, capricious, and very childish at times. Now we have a Queene who for reasons of her choice to remain "virgin" and not produce heirs, has pissed off a lot of people. It got worse when she banged a French Elf (because then we'd have French Elves on the throne) and so the other nobles had said French Elf killed.
She then took a demon succubus as a lover. More people were pissed off but at least no French Elves.

Her court is a place where there is great wealthy, silk, gold, pearls, diamonds, and blood. Lots of blood.

We are imprisoned almost as soon as we arrive in London. We aren't told the charges, just surrounded by royal guards (automatons built by Sir Issac Newton the century before) and reluctantly we lower our arms.

We are taken to the cells beneath the Old Bailey. Cruella is removed from the party at this point. We are not told why (Fuck you DM and your notes).

Escape is out of the question. The Mistress we serve is scarier than anything we've faced so far.

Finally, we are (after the Navvie and I beat up several prisoners), we five are lead into court. We still have the Purple Penguin.

It turns out that as our resident Faerie, Cruella is to be our defense counsel.

The charge?

:Killing the little girl.

The evidence?

:One stuffed purple penguin

The penalty?

:Death.

Oh shit.

We are lead before the judge. Regrettably because of my actual day job I try not to cringe too much as the DM makes a hash of Criminal Procedure, but I'll stick with his version.

The charges are read to us, and the prosecution set out the case against us. We maliciously by our own omission failed to save the hamlet (from the original post). We deviated from our mission. We allowed the Thunderchild to be sunk.

Cruella manages to have our sentences cut to *just* death.

:''>Fuck you DM''

We're a little pissed at this point.

We are to be hung in the morning.

We spend our last night in the cells.

We are woken by torches in the corridor. Hushed footsteps.
It's Cruella, and not just Cruella, but the Queene.

:"Hello boys."
:"The good news is, you're not going to die. Yet. I've had five criminals "agree" to take your place. People are very amenable when I eat their children I find. Very strange."
She flashes her serrated shark like teeth.
:"I have plans for you, and we need my enemies to think you're dead. Do you agree boys? Or of course you could just stay here."
We agree.

We know what's coming. Or we thought we did. We'd all be thought dead. Then we'd be able to kill some noble or end some plot.

It did not occur to this dwarf that there was a very good reason the Queene was still in power. She was about the scariest thing in the setting.

No, what the Queene needed of us was far worse.

She wanted an excuse to wipe out a noble house.

We were to invent a plot. Then pin it on the other house.

The penguin did not approve of this. He approved even less when we discovered which house.

The third wealthiest, and by far the most philanthropic in the country. Faeries were all fucking horrible, but this house at least weren't that bad... really... it was the difference between being a free range chicken and a battery chicken.

They were a mediating influence on the other houses.

This was not good.

Our first thing to do was agree enough with this psycho bitch to get out of jail.

Of course she knew exactly what that was about.
:"I'll be sending Cruella along with you of course, as my observer" (Cruella's player smirks) "and she'll tell me every little thing that happens, and don't even think about coming back without her..."

We agree. We are given our gear back, and ushered out of the city in a covered wagon. We are somewhere on Cruella's estate in Kent when we start to plan.

We need to do the following:
:1. Not die.
:2. Keep the Queene happy.
:3. Not let the Dansons (the nice - relatively) Faeries be wiped out.
:4. Not die.

2 and 3 appear to be mutually exclusive however.

The discussion in character took about an hour so I'll summarize.

:Cruella: sits in the corner idly ripping the legs off mice and eating them bit by bit. (Fuck Faeries).
:Navvie: Save the nice people.
:Angus: Lets not die
:Wizard: Kill them and then we won't have to die.
:Bard: Mostly noodles - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSWsLADAYSw Sabbath's Planet Caravan] (no I don't know how you play it on the bagpipes either)
:Me: Can we do all of the above? Not die, kill them, but also not kill them?

More thinking occurs. Cruella is feigning disinterest.

What the Queene really wants isn't the Dansons dead. She wants their lands. If they're all dead or traitors then the land and money go to her as the reigning monarch. So really the Queene wants cash.

:Can we conceivably get her a large pile of money quickly?
:No. Not Danson large.
:Could we just get them exiled?
:No. Some of their lands are overseas. The Queene will want them too.
:Do we have to kill all of them?
:(Fuck you DM) Yes. I think we do.

Cruella is beaming like the cat that just got given the deeds to a cream factory.

The bard is playing (the actually quite fitting) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP1xwJLPWRE Court of the Crimson King - Saxon version]

Then suddenly he stops.
:"What if... what if we persuaded the Dansons to, in exchange for their lives, pay the Queene an amount each year, so that in five years, she gets even more than she would have?"
The Bard player occasionally is quite useful.
:"But how will they get the money together? They'd need to be making even more money that they have now? All their cash is tied up in land anyway."
:Angus: Lets just fucking kill them. (I should add that Angus's full name was Angus, McAngus, of the Clan McAngus, from Anguston)
:"So we're stuck then. We kill them, or we get killed?"
:"Pretty much"
The purple penguin is not pleased by this.
:"How many Dansons are there?"
Cruella pipes up
:"Three left. An old Dowager, a young maiden, and a knight."

I feel a plan coming on.

So what followed from this discussion was a lot of scouting, sneaking, research, it took about a week of time in game.

We established the following:

The Dowager was in rude and excellent health. She also had an excellent right hook. Laying Angus out cold when she found him in her flower beds. She spent all her time running a hospital for sick and injured ex-servicemen.

The maiden assisted in this. The maiden was also in love with one of the Queen's favourites. That could be awkward.

The Knight was eager now that the necromancers of the north were ended as a threat to crusade into the wilds of North America.

What we did was this.

Angus and Cruella took the dowager. They had her donate her share of the family fortune to the hospital. This made the Queene look bad. Except for one thing. Other nobles started to match the donation. Not wanting to be seen to be ignoring the poor. The Queene then won a massive PR victory in creating the "Thunderchild Memorial Hospital for the Heroes of the Nothern Campaign."
She was immensely pleased with this.

The knight she agreed to fund an expedition for. He would sign over his lands until he came back, and if he did, what he found was hers. The Navvie and the Wizard were able to organise this.

That left me, and the maiden.

So DM wants to give us all little solo missions. You already know how the rest of the party got on. I can give you a little more detail on mine.

We know the maiden loves one of the Queene's favourites. Thing is. We didn't know if he loved her back.

We also didn't know how the Queene would react to one of her favourite boy toys shacking up with some younger woman. Like the original Elizabeth I, we expected it to be pretty badly.

After discussing it, we decided two things had to occur. The favourite had to either fall in love with her, or man the fuck up and do it.

Secondly, we had to get the approval of the Queene.

So. I'm left to my own devices to resolve these. I am not a social character. I do plans. I do leadership well. I shoot things. That's about it.

:''>The favourite: Baron Harcourt, another Faerie.''

The Baron likes two things. Hunting and fucking.

Obviously I can't really do the second (or don't want to), but I can get involved in the first.

I get invited along (with a little help from Cruella) on one of his hunts. It's a hunt for a great English Wildcat - the beast of bodmin moor in fact (google it).

He would obviously view my shotgun as unsporting (and it won't leave much of the beast left), so I am given (by the huntmaster whom Cruella knew) a halbred.

:''>What the fuck do I do with this.jpg?''

There's two things I can do, I can try and watch him kill the thing, and maybe talk to him, or I can kill it, and definitely talk to him, but he might be a bit fucked off.

There can only be one option.

It turns out, that if you load a dwarven shotgun with very large flechettes, it looks a lot like you killed something with a halbred.

So I get the beast alone, (lucky rolls) and delete a large chunk of it with the gatlingshotgun (Bessie by the way). The Baron is actually quite impressed with my hunting skill (as I stand with the halbred, my doomcannon tactically hidden in a bush).

He invites me to dinner in his tent. This is going well I think.

Now a little note on Faerie speech here. It is very very very rude (like stabbed in the face rude) to come out and say something directly.

So there are many consume alcohol tests, I regale the Baron with tales of our adventures (much as we are here) including those of the Stuffed Purple Penguin, and the Baron is a little bit drunk.

I ask him,
:"My Lord, affairs of the heart are bothersome, but perhaps a man of your wisdom can assist me"
His ego inflates a little.
:"I have a good lady friend, and her love for another is under a great shadow."
He knows who I'm talking about. He asks
:"Who is the man?"
:"He is a fine strapping gentleman, of great estate, great munificence, and most of all wisdom."
The baron knows full well who I'm talking about. I also think mostly to prove a point he guts a retainer for spilling a little wine.

The baron is a lot more drunk than I thought. He stands.
:"Come! Let us ride to the maiden! I shall show her every inch of my love!"

:''>ohshit''

I now have to get this drunk posh fool persuaded that he won't get far with vomiting on her and then trying to put it in her pooper.
:"My lord, another drink to celebrate!"
:"YES!"
:"And to the great wisdom of the Baron!"
:"YES!"
:"And to the great wealth of the baron such as he would not need a dowry!"
:"YESWUT?"
:"And to the Queene!"
:"The Queene!"

(continue through many consume alcohol tests)

The baron finally passes out.

:''>the next day''

After a cold bath in the nearest stream and a breakfast of raw lamb (for him) bacon sandwich for me, we ride to the maiden. The very hungover baron proposes, and she accepts. The baron is too shy to mention dowrys.

:''>great success''

Now we just need the Queene on side. That shouldn't be hard.

Right?

Now to persuade the Queene that not only is there a good reason the relevant Danson isn't dead, but also that there is a good reason why they should be getting married.

:''>balls.''

She is fairly pleased with the PR and what happened with the knight (we waited a bit to tell her). So when we approach her as a party, to request that the baron be permitted to take a bride. She is fairly reasonable.

We find her bathing in the blood of virgin maidens. Because... y'know... faeries. (fucking Faeries). She has a small rubber duck.
:"Ah brave dwarf, what news bring you?"
:"We beg a favour my lady"
She listens.
:"Very well, but there is but one thing I want from thee before I acquiesce."
Wondering what this insane bitch could possibly want or need.
:"Dwarf you wear something upon your belt most unique."
Oh no.
:"My pouches Milday? My axe? My..."
:"No fool. The purple thing. Give it to me."
:"Milady surely we would not sully your court with such a child's toy, it is dirty, bloodspattered, your seamstresses could create such a fine recreation, golden stitching, eyes of..."
:"I. WANT. THAT. ONE."
(Fuck you DM).

The Navvie looks distinctly thunderous as we hand it over. (it's that or die right there and then).

So after retreating back to Harrogate (my Dorf Fortress) we decide that perhaps we really are not happy with how this country is being run.

We fight for a Queene that is... in all fairness, kind of a bitch.

We decide to begin research on taking her down, and most importantly. GET THE PENGUIN BACK.

So while we've discussed Scotland a fair bit. I've brushed over England. So as a reminder. The south is all peasants ruled over by very unpleasant Faeries (one of whom is in the party I might add) the north is half DwarfYorkshire and the other half working class humans (like the Navvie). We have various sundry populations like the halfings of Jersey and mythical bits and bobs here and there.

The Queene has those worryingly big automatons. We also know that the country is still being assaulted by the barbarians of wales and Ireland. We need to take her out and do it without a civil war.

The fact we've just given a huge pile of money to her war chest along with some very positive PR does not help.

Now, a little on the Royal family. There's the Queene, she hasn't produced much in the way of offspring (see above). There's also not much of her family left. In fact next in line to the throne is her bumbling and not terribly astute (but really quite nice) brother Algernon. After him, there's two half brothers who are both as bad as her.

The reason Algernon is still alive is an early warning system, in case one of the half brothers bumps him off with a view to killing the Queene.

Now if we simply kill the Queene, we might cause those two brothers to kill Algernon, and also put the nation into a state of civil war.

We need to kill Queene and both the half brothers.

and GET THE PENGUIN BACK.

So, we know we need to kill three of the greatest people in the land, and do it in a way that doesn't make it look like anything more than an accident.

That's gonna be tricky.

We think it'd look less suspicious if we went for the brothers first.

It'd be almost reasonable if they were to try and kill each other, in fact we're a bit surprised they haven't...
:Bard: ''"Hey that's not a bad idea guys..."''

Now, we know the brothers never meet, never see each other, they are never in the same place at the same time. They hate one another, so it makes things a little simpler.

The hard part is getting to them.

We take stock of our skills:

Thing is, it's actually not that hard to butcher people if you have a wizard that can control flying chainsaws. The hard part is getting him in range of something he can affect (or summon).

Then we have Angus. It's probably not going to be Angus.

The bard could...

...

NEXT

Cruella seems like the obvious choice. However she's linked to the Queene and very recognizable. That leaves me and the Navvie. Our special powers are gun and hueg respectively.

:''>Why did Cruella agree to the assassinations?''
:''>Her player and I were already dating as mentioned above - and thanks to /tg/ her and I got back together at Christmas. It was kinda taken as read that she switched alliances after the PCs also started banging.''

We consider our targets.

One, Balthus, is immensely fat, he loves food, and is always eating. We may have an in there.

The other is Carus, he loves books, painting, and torture. So he rarely leaves his dungeon, unless it's to paint on the battlements.

We go for Carus first.

We approach the castle of Carus. It's in Bath. A spa town, lovely place. His castle itself is beautiful, well decorated, well appointed, even the dungeons are the nicest this side of the channel.

He's also a sick bastard.

Now we learn (via the bard impressing the locals in the tavern with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T65rW_SIzg0 Blue Oyster Cult, Godzilla]) that Carus has recently been painting sunsets.

Now if we had a snipah we could end this easily.

We don't.

More planning occurs.

Suggestions include:

Poisoned paints, a meteor strike, a cannon, metal plates in his shoes which the wizard takes over, summon Cthulu.

In the end, I bash a guard over the head. The Navvie nicks his uniform, and upends Carus over the battlements.

That was easy. Too easy...

Next up is Balthus.

Balthus lives in Knightsbridge. He is, as mentioned, an immense glutton. He is also involved with the British Museum. We decide to off him at one of the dinners. It's public, it's perfect. With a little help from Cruella, we grind up some metal splinters, very small, and add them to his soup.

About desert time (the 18th course) the wizard excites those splinters, one massive case of internal bleeding and unknown cause of death later, all we have left is Queenie.

Queenie we think must be onto us by now. She must know something is up. Both her brothers dying in explainable but mysterious circumstances a few days apart?

She has to know.

The question is, does she know it's us?

We hope not. We request an audience. We have to remove all suspicion from Algernon, so this has to be complicated, messy, and so not his style that it couldn't possibly have been him.

The plan is best kept secret. It makes a better story that way. We are brought into her chambers. As we bow obeisance before her bathtub (blood again) the bard offers to play her a song. Queenie is delighted.

The song is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cUAflfhIqw The Godfather Theme - Guns and Roses (Slash guitar solo) Instrumentals].

Queenie loves it. We amuse her as a distraction. The bard plays on. Angus sets parts of himself alight (she finds this wonderful) and the Navvie lifts the tub with her in it as a feat of strength. Meanwhile as the wizard juggles chainsaws, he plants a bomb. Cruella replaces her face cream with acid (and also the detonator) and I snag a small purple object. We leave when she is bored of us.

There is a scream then a bang.
We make for France. We miss the coronation of King Algernon, but we also are alive.

===Britbongsteros visits France===
After assainating the Queene we were in a slightly awkward position legally and generally. Admittedly it was unlikely that we had this pinned on us (technically we were still dead and it was a secret audience in her chambers, Algernon was unlikely to give a shit anyway) but we figured we should probably lie low. We had enough in the way of funds to live more than comfortably in Paris for a couple months and it was easy enough to hop on the next boat across the channel.

France as previously mentioned was elves. All elves. And they were French.

So naturally we set up camp in a Parisian whorehouse. Because what else do you do in Paris?

I was safely taken though (and if your girlfriend is like Cruellas Player you don't do anything silly) the rest of the boys quickly acquired favourites among the whores and we passed a very pleasant week drinking, eating, whoring and drinking more.

We didn't do much until people started turning up dead.

Even elves had peasants and local virgins had been turning up exsanguinated. This is where we met our one and only 'Murican. He was a vampire hunter and from Nuuw Yaaawk. As mentioned previously those in that region had to eat constantly to sustain their magical metabolism. So they were immensely strong and tough, but also immensely fat. He would have a crossbow in one hand and a bag of whole fried chickens in the other.

(Sorry America)

Anyway so he barges into the whorehouse and I do mean into. He leaves a 'murican shaped hole in the wall.

The party fumbles for weapons as he shouts
:"I need your" munch munch scromnomnom "help!"

The bard launches into Team America's America Fuck Yeah for no particular reason as he explains that he needs our help. He can't identify the problem and people are dying all the time.

Our first priority is to get paid. There is almost unanimous agreement. We consider the poor peasants. Downtrodden by the local aristocracy, French, and now being eaten.

We feel a bit bad. The purple Penguin reminds us of our duties.

Our new friend tosses a bag of money on the table. Resolving the issue.

Now our DM, about a month before, had asked us all to write down our fears. Not our characters fears. But ours.

If I recall rightly the list was:
:Angus: failure.
:Cruella: clowns
:Navvie: Leeches
:Me: snakes (because indy! Also fuck telling our cunt of a dm what it was)
:Wizard: spiders
:Bard: heights and confined spaces.

The purple penguin doesn't join in because it fears nothing.

:''>fear''
So we get a lead. The last victim was seen being dragged into the catacombs of Paris. (Google it. It's a giant mausoleum of skeletons, I'm serious).

So that sounds good...

The catacombs extend for miles and miles of bones, unmapped, untrodden, home to gods knows what.

The 'Murican suggests he takes one entrance, we take another and see what we find.

We tentatively agree.

So we are heading into the dark. Armed as normal with gas lamps as well. We're already lost after about five minutes. The DM is playing a YouTube clip of what I can only describe as "howling cave noises"
:''>roll for initiative''
We do. Nothing happens. Huh?
:''>a few minutes later, roll again''
Nothing happens. This is probably bad.
:''>roll again''
Ah excellent. Something drops from the ceiling. It's fast. It slithers, it has loads of teeth, it has a tail, it honks, and it escapes from our fire/shot/bagpipe/knife/hammer/chainsaw attack through a tiny little hole in the wall.

I am having good feels. We start finding drained corpses of children and teens shortly after. Then the Murican has been drained dry. His once huge body now like an empty chip wrapper.

It's about now we started hearing slithering and squelching and honking just out of range of the gaslight. Just out of sight. That fucking clown honk was the worst. Sometimes from above. Sometimes below. DM had the cave noise down low and the clown honk stupid loud. Cruella's player is edging closer to me. Everyone is on edge. Except Angus who is nipping from his hip flask.

So to recap we are lost, it's dark, and surrounded by fuck knows what.
We are not just in caves but caves literally full of skeletons.
:''>this is going great''
Retracing our steps isn't going to work (lost), we can sit here and wait for the fuel to run out on the lanterns, we can push on maybe getting more lost.

We decide to push on. Critters all around us in the dark. Just on the edge of vision.

As we enter a larger cavern they rush us from all sides, again the same rush of nightmarish images, fangs, claws, teeth, black segmented bodies, the sound of grinding slithering and honking.

We must kill some, we take damage, cookie cutter like chunks taken from exposed flesh.

Suddenly we remember what the DM did with that list of fears.

Snake-spider-clown-leeches-in confined spaces.

Shit.

When they vanish, all that's left is green ichor on the ground and rapidly decomposing hunks of what might be black leather. It's impossible to tell exactly what these things look like or how we'll get back to the light and whores of elf Paris.

We push on. Running low on ammo, the wizard low on mana (basically it recharged a bit per round and each spell/action had a cost + DM fiat). The Navvie is injured, Cruella is (like her player) freaking the fuck out (yes my waifu hates clowns). We start finding eggs. Big ones. The navvy smashes each as we go. We come under attack again.

From up ahead there is an earth shattering honk and the sound of rushing water.

It's the queen. There is light filtering through the ceiling, a grate. The floor is littered with corpses and eggs. She's huge. Thirty feet or more of our worst fears. Half snake, half spider, half leech, and with a bright red nose. (That should be funny. It made it much worse)

We engage. The rotary shotgun chewing into HP. The bard fires into Warren Zevons lawyers guns and money, the navvie dives into a pile of smaller deathleeches, Angus just torches everything, Cruella vanishes.

She reappears atop the thing. She uses knife after knife stab to climb up it. She fumbles. Falls. And the maw comes down.

She's gone.

The penguin begs us to fight on.

Now there are certain things fa/tg/uys love. Dice, children, food, and women. Especially ones that play with them.

Cruella and her player had become a group favourite. Having her arbitrarily eaten seemed so cruel, a random act of the dice that made those neckbeards sad.

Our efforts redoubled. Bits of deathleechsnakeclownthing flying in all directions.

Then the queen stops, gulps,

:''>Cruella, roll some dice please''

The queen's gullet splits open. A slender arm holding a wickedly serrated blade sticks out. The queen falls. Cruella squelched her way our. Her normally elaborately made up self, her hair never out of place, well now she's drenched from head to toe in green slime and looks oh so pleased about it.

Angus torches the bodies. Cruella does her best to clean slime off herself. The rest of us bind wounds. The bard plays
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEF8aBxvyt8 Don't Come Lookin].

Meanwhile, the Navvie and I find some stairs. We ascend. A barred door, and a smell, a very familiar smell.

Garlic.

:''>Garlic?''
Garlic.

Why should that be familiar? Because France. Duh.

We break down the door and ascend more stairs, eventually we come to a very worried looking priest. He's surrounded by clove after clove of garlic.

:"Le power of Christ compels you!"
He splashes us with holy water, Cruella is glad to use it to get some more gunk off.
:"You're... you're not demons?"
:"Unless you tell us what that thing was, we're your worst nightmare padre."

The Padre explains he was hoping to exorcise the clownleeches himself (good luck), but we are happy to return with him to the whorehouse (he doesn't seem to mind going in either). Turns out we are somewhere near the river seine when we get back to street level. (The sound of rushing water being the river)

We ask the padre about the leeches.

The leeches (the padre tells us) have been appearing slowly for months. What we just killed was not the only queen. He believes someone is feeding them. Bringing food (I.e. people) to them and somehow corrupting them to grow and mutate. He suspects two people.

The local mysterious Warlock (for obvious reasons) and concerningly the head of the Bishop of the other local faith. (Imagine we are talking to a Catholic and he suspects the local protestant).

So. Naturally expecting DM to have expected us to go for the warlock first, and then expecting that he'd expect us to do that, and expecting that he'd expect us to expect him to expect us doing that. We triple bluffed and went for the warlock.

Navvie and I perform surveillance as labourers near his tower. Cruella and bard go to local taverns for gossip. Angus is on a mini quest to upgrade his flamethrower with the wizard (more on that later). We meet back later In tavern so as to compare notes.

We have discovered that the Warlock is receiving large shipments of slaves. Especially female and young. Sounds like our target.

We collect Angus and his upgraded flamethrower and go full murderhobo.

The enchanted door locks don't do much to resist dwarven solid shot. A good boot later and we are in the den of the warlock.

As the doors fall. I shout
:"BY ENGLAND AND ST GEORGE WE ARE HERE TO FUCK YOU UP FROGGY"

Adrenaline pumping. Pipes skirling (Saxons Crusader). We are ready for this. The purple penguin abides.

The Warlock looks up over his book. So does the class of female slaves he is teaching medicine to so he can free them to become midwives as this country has terrible pre and antenatal care.

Sheepishly we retreat.

Fuck you DM

Ok. Take 2.

The bishop lives in (amazingly enough) the cathedral. Or at least the manse near it. What cathedral? Notre fucking dam of course.

We decide we need to be a bit more tactful this time and actually do some research.

This time, Cruella and I join the congregation for a service. Angus and Navvie sneak in the back, (yes Angus can be quite sneaky despite being an orc with a flamethrower strapped to him), and the wizard and bard stay outside to see what they can see. We plan to meet back in the street after the service.

The service is bretty gud actually, lots of love your fellow man, do unto others etc, and Cruella and I meet Wizard and Bard back in the street.

We wait for Angus and Navvie. We wait some more (DM has been passing notes).

We see smoke rising from a manhole. That's probably not good...

One wizard crowbar later and we're in the sewers. I realize I have no shotgun (it being a bit less than subtle to carry into a church). Cruella is basically a Dark Eldar Wych wearing clothes so she's fine, as are wizard and bard.

I do have a revolver however, and Wizard lends me his spare one.

The Penguin says lead on!

We pelt through the sewers, moving as quickly as we can without falling in, following the smoke and soon the FWOOSH and hammering.

I did mention that Angus had had something done to his flamethrower right?

What I didn't mention was that he'd had the option of using it as a THERMAL LANCE installed.

So as we round a corner expecting who knows what, we're greeted by the Navvie and Angus back to back, smashing and slicing to bits a pack of clownmurderleech things.
:"Looks like we're in the right place then" adds the wizard as we get stuck in.

The leeches don't last long against the full party. Angus fills us in. Turns out they found a grate in the stables and decided to have a look. They've been fighting leeches almost ever since. Seems like we're in the right place.

We decide to head the way most of the leeches came from; heading east and away from Notre Dam, we run into more leeches, but just enough to let us know we're probably heading the right way.

We start to hear chanting up ahead. That sure seems good.

Advancing slowly, there's a circle of cultists, they force a brightly glowing green fluid into a woman's mouth, (and I mean a lot of it). They draw symbols across her exposed belly (which is now glowing green too) and suspend her over a pit.

They probably aren't up to anything good so we dispense with hello and go straight Bad Company's Bad Company and do what we do best.

The cultists aren't a match for us, but there sure are a lot of them, the cult leader lets his hood fall back. It's the fucking Padre. The one we saw first. He raises his arms and chants all the louder.

From the pit emerges what is basically the Dune Worm version of the murder leeches we've been fighting. It gulps down the poor sacrifice and most of the scaffold she was suspended from.

I relax my shoulders, drop into a shooters stance, and dammit I'm gonna do it right. I look it straight into what are probably it's eyes and say,
:"BY ENGLAND AND ST GEORGE WE ARE HERE TO FUCK YOU UP WORMY"

Now the death worm? Mega worm? Huegworm? That thing.

It doesn't take kindly to being shot. I'm trying to go for anything that looks like a weakspot. Each round from the revolver a hefty lead dum-dum round, it should be blowing great chunks in it. They are. It's not slowing down.

Cruella goes for the Padre.

Angus runs in, and starts carving holes in it, taking off a leg here, a ravening tentacle thing there,

The Wizard does his thing, sawblades whizz over my head, streaking down its flanks.

The Purple Penguin attempts to out stare it.

The Navvie hefts that glorious hammer, and something weird happens. As the bard plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obhWReCBOdQ Hammerfall, Hammer of Justice] the Navvie begins to glow.

Not like the sacrifice, not green, not with an earthly light either. No.

Like a flaming union jack.

:''>this is new''

He goes for it. A leap that brings his hammer down on it's forehead. A leap that should kill it. A leap that should shatter the earth and rend space and time asunder.

It keeps right on coming, smacking him aside. With a sickening crunch, he slams into a pillar. Out of the fight.

Spent shells rattle off my hobnails. Followed by two speedloaders.

The bard shifts gear, he might be fucking useless but my god does he know what he's doing when he plays. DM fiat says [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hVcmwQANMk AC/DC, gone shooting].

I aim for the mark of the hammer, just as Angus gets the thermic lance into it, ripping it open further, and I empty both cylinders.

It comes to a halt in front of my boots.

Dead.

Meanwhile, Cruella is playing connect the dots using knives and the Padre. He's decided he wants to talk.

We decide to introduce him to the Purple Penguin.

The Wizard goes to check on Navvie (he's gonna be fine).

Meanwhile Cruella borrows the purple Penguin.

:"This Padre, is the Purple Penguin. Purple Penguin is annoyed you killed all those people, and every time you don't answer the Purple Penguin, the closer you become to being a eunuch understand?"
:"You'll nevernyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaargh!"
:"I said answer the purple penguin, do you understand?"
:"...yes"
:"How many of those things were there?"
:"I can't teaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
:"What do we say to that Mr. Penguin? [She speaks in a falsetto pretending to be the penguin] 'bad padre' now you've fed all these people to those things. How many of the big ones are there?"
:"No pl... wait wait WAIT! Not again! Three!"
:"Good Padre, aren't you pleased Purple Penguin? 'Yes!' Now we've killed two, where is the third?"
:"We... we sent it to England, to Guy Fawkes... In time for the coronation"
:[Players: Oh come on...]
:[IC] "How long do we have!"
:"You have no time! It will be oaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! Tomorrow!"
:"Thank you Padre." [Stab]

:''>P for Pendetta''

We make for Calais as fast as we can. We don't know if it'll be fast enough. We ride through the night. Catch the overnight ferry and are in Dover for dawn. A steam train sees us into London 11:00 am. We have barely an hour until the coronation when we find ourselves heavily armed, probably persona non grata, and in Westminister.

We don't know what Guy Fawkes looks like, but we do know he's beneath the palace of Westminister.

So, remember those automatons that Queenie had? Well there's a number of them around Westminster Abbey, so this is gonna be fun.

It's also worth mentioning:
:''>why leechclownthings in London?''
The Padre and his church were pissed that we were crowning another [not]Protestant King. They'd rather we were [not]Catholic.

We decide stealth is the best option here. Bard pipes up with one of his actually pretty sharp ideas.
""The thing in Paris was fucking huge. I wonder how they'd get it under the palace? Unless they grew it here?"

Additionally some relevant V music for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxgYlcNxE8

There's no big holes, therefore it could literally be fucking anywhere under the palace. He could have been feeding it on stocks of royal food, or wine, or diverted a sewer, we have no idea, it might even have laid eggs.

(We did later let the French Embassy know they might want to have a look in the catacombs and under Notre Dame)

There's some discussion. The DM, being a cunt. Goes into his bag (we played at my place) and takes out an old fashioned alarm clock and sets it for 45 minutes time from now. (Fuck. You. DM).

We can get under the palace ''and maybe find it'' or we can get into the palace and wait for it to come up from out of the floor or whatever.

The river side is least defended. Now the automatons would be an issue. Would. Except one thing. They're steel.

Wizard decides to have a go, we might even get some troopers to assist us if he can charm it. Well at least he didn't role a 1. He does however manage to get the thing to walk straight forwards, into the river, setting off in the direction of Brussels. It was later heard of in Munich, then Istanbul, then Hyderabad, then Brisbane, I still wake up in the middle of the night worrying it might be spotted in Chile, making the return trip. Pissed as hell.

So, the way in is clear, we get in fast, going for a balcony, we acquire some vestments (priest clothes). Cruella's knives do our bluffwork for us
:"I am not a girl. Am I? Good. No."

Now for those non British Anons, the pic (do we need to add it to this page?) is of the interior of westminister abbey, and we wait. Guns, knives, hammer, (I don't know how either, but bagpipes and flamethrower too) under our robes.

The ceremony is beautiful. Dottering mad King Algernon forgets what he's doing, falls asleep, doesn't remember the words, tries to give the crown back to the archbishop.

Then suddenly, there's a rumble, there's a honk, and right in the middle of that pic, up comes the biggest murderworm yet.

We let our vestments drop.

The whirring of the gatling shotgun is drowned out as the bard launches into [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSH0eRKq1lE Scotland the Brave] [Note to the Americans, this is hilarious.] and as the Navvie leaps, he starts to glow again (I make a mental note to look into that), Cruella follows, Angus goes nuts, and the wizard and I light the fucker up.

Algernon is under the throne, the archbishop is being eaten, and the great and the good run for cover.

The fight is not over quickly, nor is it bloodless, but by god do we do our country proud. When the smoke clears, when my gatling runs dry, and with most of Westminster Abbey ablaze (careful Angus) the King is crowned atop the body of one giant fucking scary French clownworm and we get a royal pardon.

===The Beastmen of Wales===
So, for the next episode we must skip forward in time about six months. Algernon has proved a weak king (no surprise) and the Welsh and Irish are preparing to invade. We have our royal charter and the party reconvene in Harrogate.

King Algernon I has been persuaded to lead an army into Wales. Armed with the new Martini Henry rifles (remember way back at the start of this? That's what we got from the alchemist), they march confidently into Wales. Initial skirmishes go well. Welsh barbarians chucking spears, then melting back into the bush at the first volley. The army marches on to Harlech. Algernon leads an assault on the castle of King Rorke and his men of Harlech. Algernon is captured and the army massacred. Failures in the supply train (the army have boxes of ammo for those new rifles. The boxes are screwed shut. No screwdrivers) see the army butchered to a man.

Our mission, when we choose to accept it, is to get into Harlech, possibly kill king Rorke, and rescue Algernon.

First it's necessary to lay out exactly what the Welsh are (sorry Wales). They're a mix of satyrs, half man, half goat, centaurs, and similar. All with the top half of a man and the lower half of some form of Ungulate. They're tribesmen, smart, cunning, and well organized.

Harlech is remote, a large isolated castle. Definitely not something the six of us (+ penguin) can storm by force.

King Rorke is half man, half bull. There are also rumours of the Welsh being supported by a wizard, one who calls himself
:''>Merlin''

:''>why are the Welsh so annoyed?''
Queenie ruled that they weren't human and therefore English settlers could claim their lands by force.

So, we are in my Dorf Fortress. Six months have passed and the party have used them well.

:''>bard''
Has learnt to weaponize the bagpipes. He may now damage enemies with them
:''>Angus''
Invented napalm. Runs a successful shop. (He is a greengrocer at heart)
:''>Wizard''
Is now Sir Wizard, got married. Has further developed his powers.
:''>Cruella''
Now officially consort of Aldous. Has obtained a wicked looking bastard sword. Talks to it. It may talk back.
:''>Navvie''
The spirit of the Union (the magic glowy thing) defies all research. Still likes hitting stuff.
:''>Aldous''
I have some new titles, a waifu, and the gatling shotgun has gone tacticool.
:''>Purple Penguin''
Already at level cap.

So we unfurl the map again. I light my pipe. The bard helps as usual by humming a tune. Everyone leans in and we start to plot.
Going overland seems more than a little dangerous. The army was lead into a trap and it seems the party would be ambushed if we tried.

We could go by sea however. We'd have to be careful and lucky to avoid the Irish.

Or we could go south through the much safer channel and then up and round. It is still likely that we would meet pirates.

We decide to sail from Liverpool and see what happens.

We provision ourselves and move on from Harrogate to Liverpool.

So we arrive in port. There are three ships we can take:
:1. The "HMS Invincible 2", a battlecruiser. Not exactly subtle.
:2. The tramp steamer - "Matilda," subtle, not exactly fast. Looks inconspicuous
:3. The gunboat - HMS "38 Minutes," small, fast, and exactly the sort of thing the pirates would love to steal if they can catch us.

We favour the gunboat for the stealthy approach, reasoning we may also need to run away quickly.

The royal charter (a very handy document, I should say we are described as "Adventurers By Appointment to <s>Her Majesty - Queenie hugs, kisses and I'll chop off your balls</s> His Majesty Algernon I, for services rendered" on the charter).

Anyway, this document sees us aboard the 38 minutes and sailing south at great speed. The Bard pipes us out of harbour as is tradition. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLYT0NR8ZLc Saxon, thin red line].

:''>DM: roll some dice please Bard''
:''>rolls''
:''>You kill three bystanders.''
:''>Oh, I forgot about that. I'll play a bit more quietly next time.''

Anyway, we make good speed southwards.

As we round a headland, the shout comes
:"BOARD THEM."
We've run straight into an ambush. Two pirate ships sling grappling harpoons at us.

We look at each other. We split into two groups and shout.
:"BOARD THEM BACK!"

The pirates don't last very long, at all. The 38 Minutes rakes them with machine gun fire before we board, and the party commit all sorts of unpleasantness to the crew.

The bard looks around.

:"Guys I have an idea
:We take these sails, and well there's six of us, Wizard, Cruella and Me are the tallest so we could sort of cover each other with sails so from a distance we'd look sorta like centaurs and..."
:
:"Guys?"
:Angus: "I have another idea, lets take one of these ships."

Unanimously agreeing that Angus's plan is less stupid, we decide to leave the 38 Minutes moored in a cove near Harlech, and take the "The Revenge of the Purple Penguin" in closer for a look at the castle.

The castle, it's fucking Harlech Castle, we sneak ashore in just before dawn, using the dusk for cover, and get a little closer. We set up on a little hill nearby and decide to observe the situation. There's thick mist. Really thick. We use the cover of it to get on the hill into a copse of trees.

The bard and DM are passing notes. Nothing is on fire yet, so we're probably OK, but that's a really bad sign,

We settle in and wait for daybreak.

We can just make out the torches on the castle walls and not much else. When the sun starts to get rid of the fog, we start seeing more detail, and hearing things. All around us. We appear to have followed a stream (to avoid being tracked/scented) straight into the enemy camp.

We're surrounded by tents and dozing centaurs.

Alright. Plan B. Lets wait for nightfall.

We pass the day sleeping and observing as best we can.

Observations include:
:- That's a fuckton of Welsh
:- Let's not go out there for a bit

We wait for nightfall. The bard starts getting twitchy about dusk. He goes into his bag and removes a small sail.
:"Guys guys we could..."
:"Shut the fuck up [bard player]"

We think and discuss (quietly). We are pretty sure our king will be held not far from King Rorke. We also know they want his ransom so they haven't killed him. Our best bet is to get into the castle at night, and get out again, King in tow and a knife through Rorke's heart. Now aside from Cruella, none of our weapons are exactly stealthy... We need a diversion.

:"Wouldn't a disguise be really useful here?"
No, shut up bard.

As fog starts to come up, we have a thought. The baggage train includes a lot of hay (because centaurs don't like pulling carts, so there are normal livestock), surely a small fire would become a big one pretty fast. A technowizard bomb in amongst all that ammo they stole from the kings army would also sure be handy.

We reason with enough flame and smoke, Rorke will have to send his bodyguard, or at least some out, to help deal with things, and they'll have to come through the main gate.

And the ammo dump cooking off should give us enough sound and random ricochets to cover us if we have to go loud.

Angus gets given the job of starting the fire, and Wizard of assembling the bomb. We split up. Bard and Angus with me, and Cruella and Navvie with Wizard.

This was of course the plan.

They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. Well...

The wizard's team set off in the fog and darkness, with Cruella with them they should manage to be stealthy enough for the wizard to set off a timed explosion with limited disturbance.

Well team wizard snuck through rows of tents and with a couple of guards getting a second smile, they did just fine. Setting off to wait in the ditch next to the main gate for us.

Our stealth team has: a dwarf in plate armour, an orc with a full on flamethrower, and a bard who normally contributes to the war effort by bagpiping. We are ninja.

We get surprisingly far with our efforts before Angus trips on a guy rope, then falling into a rack of weaponry, making enough racket to wake up the Welshmen in the tent nearest.

Options:
:''>Bluff?''
I and Bard have decent social skills. We could, but neither of us speak Welsh.

:''>Start shooting?''
Retarded for obvious reasons

:''>Run?''
They'll raise the alarm

:''>Silent takedown?''
Cruella is the only member of party able to do that usefully.

:''>Hide?''
:"Guys we could..."
:''>shut up bard.''

Hiding is our best option though. We duck into some barrels and Bard tosses the sail cloth over us. In the dark and the mist it's just enough.
:''>Bard player is positively beaming at this point.''

We wait, holding our breath, we look innocuous enough against the background of mist and tents, in amongst the baggage train we are just another half shape in the darkness.

We listen to the beastmen bicker and pick up spears.

We wait.

We peek out. We got away with it.

We continue on. Angus is delivered to the hay bails. He has so many fire related skills that him building a small fire which won't be seen but will burn very very fast into the bales (after about five minutes) is easy enough for him.
(IIRC he used a stub of candle, a lantern, and some thick rope soaked in oil as a sort of fuse - it was enough though)

We snuck on. DM, perhaps recognizing we could all die really easily, is likely to have fudged several rolls here, and a lot of the camp were passed out drunk which was useful.

The fire gets going into a good blaze and down comes the drawbridge. Hooves thunder over us as we wait. Then the ammo dump goes up. Perfect.

We wait until the hooves stop. The portcullis starts to fall. Wizard creates tension in the chains and we get up, over and under the portcullis as the drawbridge starts to rise behind us. We are in and it seems no one is any the wiser. The wizard causes the iron of the portcullis to splay out into the cobblestones. No one is getting in or out without our say so. (We do know there is a sally port on the far (seaward) wall.

We get into the cellars relatively easily and as far as we know, unseen. What we find in the cellars is impressive to say the least. Cask after cask, barrel after barrel. Out of curiosity it we find an open one. It's Guinness.

It appears Harlech is what has happened to what the Welsh used to trade with the rest of Britbongsteros (along with tin and mutton).

So, we are beneath Harlech Castle, we have found the king along with a variety of other prisoners. We take it upon ourselves to free each and every one (the Purple Penguin approves). King Algernon has very little idea what is going on but thanks us for "allowing him to continue to consider the custard." The other prisoners are a mix of general prison scum and prisoners of war, our party of 6 is now a party of 40 odd.

We decide to make for the courtyard and the sally port, then the ship.

We get into the courtyard just fine, it's about then that we realize we might not be the only ones to have noticed our entrance. King Rorke and the rest of his bodyguards are facing us, and are not looking best pleased. We can fight, we can most likely take them, the question is, is it a good idea?

:''>'dis gonna be gud...''

We crack our collective necks, rack slides and generally get ready.

The bard pipes up for the first time in a while.

:"Guys, guys, I got this."
OK fuck it, it's not like you ever do anything anyway.

He takes a couple steps forward.

You could hear a pin drop. Prisoners and party on one side, and King Rorke and his elite on the other.

The Bard speaks.
:"I like beer."
???
:''>Everyone likes beer.''
ok...
:"And we know trade has ceased. We have here the king of this sceptered isle, his predecessor decreed you were no longer human, no longer to be traded with, no longer to produce Guinness for us, no longer to own lands, and this is why you rebelled, so were this man, this King, to reverse that, to allow the beer to flow, then what need for this rebellion be there?"

It's working.

Shit it's actually working.

:''>The bard is starting to glow, just as Navvie did previously. It's going well.''
King Rorke strikes his sword into the cobblestones.
:"Very well, you may..."
:"WAIT."
It's Merlin. He looks exactly like you'd expect. It's Gandalf with a different hat.
:"NO. YOU. SHALL. NOT. PASS."

Merlin is up on the battlements. This loopy wizard is going to object to creating peace because... actually why is he doing that?

We ask him.
:"Why spill more blood when we can make peace?"
:"Because you will never keep this promise, you will never honour your word, you will never hold true."
Fuck.

Rorke and his men are starting to look grumpy, getting ready to charge. Bard is no longer glowing, but he does launch into [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQNkIrg-Tk Hank Williams Jr, Country Boys Can Survive] looks like this is gonna end bloody. Then... Cruella does something no one expected.

She seizes the Purple Penguin. She holds him high.
:"What is this child's toy? Why do we carry it? It is a symbol, a promise we made to a little girl, that we would return her toy to her, that she would not go alone into that cold dark night, that in all of the horror of the world, there was some good. Let there still be some good. Each and every warrior here will have a wife, a mother, children, why must they be without a father, a son, and a husband? This Purple Penguin is the symbol of what we fight for, and why you should let the Guinness flow."
It's not a natural 20, but it's an 19, it's enough, Merlin doesn't have an answer. Instead he levitates down to our level. Struts past Rorke and starts to chant in a language no one recognizes.

Rorke splits him from crown to crotch neatly with one blow of his axe.
:"Peace it is."
Everybody drinks Guinness until they pass out.

That was our one and only happy ending in Britbongsteros

===Britbongsteros and the Lucky Charms===
So with peace in Wales, we return to London hungover as fuck and with King Algernon and King Rorke in tow. Due to some fantastic
:''> I roll to seduce''
Angus appears to have been the only person in Wales (in Britbongsteros) to have fucked an actual sheep.

With the Kings in London we hang around for a bit, taking a couple days off for R n R while they negotiate. Most of it is spent laughing at Angus who seems to have gotten a souvenir from his beau.

During our time (in the pub) we learn that there is a mysterious ship moored in the Thames and that the advisor who was so in favour of Algie invading Wales wants to see us.

:''>Who is the adviser Dm?''
:''>Richard the third duke of Bosworth and blackadder, master of Dunny on the Wold.''
:''>Richard the Third?''
:''>Richard III''
:''>Of Bosworth''
:''>DM....''

So we travel to Cutlers hall where tricky dicky wants to meet us. We are expecting hunchbacked evil Richard, what we get is a Broad shouldered man, with a huge beard, strongfat as fuck and with a big booming laugh. It's Brian blessed and the King's second bastard cousin.

He is with one Samuel Johnson and one Ollie Cromwell.

Together they represent His Majesties most treasured advisers. The Privy Council.

:''>Who is....''

Google it.

It seems we have developed a reputation for solving problems and the kingdom has two. One is nascent, a vessel full of Arab Princes has come to visit with a view to British investment in extracting oil from their lands. Sir Hobart and The Old Gang believe this could be used to fuel several new weapons of war. Including something called a "Land Cruiser" designs of which show great long caterpillar tracks and batteries of turreted cannons. The Privy Council will keep us posted on this project.

Richard starts munching on an entire roasted pig as Oliver Cromwell outlines what will be our next task while a prototype of this vehicle is built.

:''>A modest proposal on the Irish Question''

While Blackadder's servant Baldrick pours drinks, we listen to Crommie explain the problem.

:''>Eire Delenda Est...''

The Irish have been raiding across the Irish sea, the entire west coast is almost unlivable, British warships are being lost to the allies of the Irish, the so called "Deep ones."

Our mission? End the threat of the Irish.

How?

The Irish are mostly human barbarians (sorry Ireland) who have a portal to another dimension/world somewhere near Waterford. It is from this that they are summoning Pacific Rim style gribblies. Sir Hobart and his colleague (one Barnes Wallis) have contrived an explosive with high plasticity and excellent explosives properties. "Conflagration causing caustic cement" or C4

We are to destroy the portal and a seaborne invasion of troops (including the prototype Land Cruiser) can deal with the humans. The Irish can summon monsters faster than we can build ships so with the portal atomized the navy can deal with Cthulhu and pals but not before.

Victory brings glory and medals.

Failure will bring us a Victoria cross

:''>Isn't that good?''

No it means we will be crucified

How we get to Waterford is an interesting question. Or it would be, if we didn't have a pirate ship moored off Harlech castle and the 38 Minutes keeping an eye on it. We return to Harlech and prepare.

So, now in Harlech, King Rorke came back with us, he and the King (or rather Blackadder and co) having agreed to allow free trade and the Welsh are now people again.

We had the option of taking the HMS Trafalgar - a RN Submarine but decided the pirate ship would be more subtle, so the Trafalgar will linger off Waterford as long as she can, to be summoned by signal flare (or she will run the fuck away if Cthulhu is spotted).

The voyage is uneventful, we land near Tramore, then it's just a matter of following the great green glowy thing that we can see in the sky. It's half submerged in the bit on Google Maps called The Gap.

Now a note on the Irish. As mentioned they're human, they're armed with sharp sticks. They will attack us on sight. With our weaponry we can annihilate a whole whole lot of them, however the DM is very careful to inform us that as soon as a shot is fired or the alarm raised, we will have about 15 minutes in game until Cthulhu or his cousin comes to try and find us.

The countryside as we cross it is green, not the healthy emerald isle green, but slime green, there are shoggoth looking things squelching across the land in the distance, lit against the stars by the way colours shift within them, like a land based aurora borealis. The land is nothing like you'd expect Ireland, it's not a wasteland, it's just... alien.

Plant things we don't recognize, reptilian things in the sky. Small tiny little flying fish that bite like mosquitoes. The sounds of the night as we carefully navigate the sucking mire of the coast are just wrong, what could be frogs screech, what might be fish croak, what definitely aren't foxes make pings and clicks like dolphins. Strange dark shapes move in the water, faces appear and disappear in puddles an inch deep.

On the skyline great huge shapes move inland, some humanoid, some that defy imagination, and others we don't want to imagine.

Toward the gap the great arch of the portal rises from the waters, spinning with green lightning, we can taste magic in the air. Not the ozone of earthly magic, this is a clinging filth that makes your spit black. From the portal there is a great flash and a huge tail with a great staring luminous eye on it appears from nowhere and slowly submerges as it slides down toward Dunmore.

It's a lovely place.

:''>The Purple Penguin Abides''
We cross overland without incident, if thoroughly and completely freaked the fuck out. Britbongsteros is not a nice place but this is new, this is bad. Angus and I are hauling heavy satchels of C4, and as we get closer to the gate we start to realize just how big it is. The flickering eldritch lightning isn't helping either.

We come upon the gate just inland of it. We're pleasantly surprised that there doesn't seem to be anyone around the thing. Maybe the fish thing we saw earlier was the last to come through for the night?

We start to feel on edge, Cruella's hair is standing on end, my beard is bristling, change of plan.

We retreat to a safer distance as the gate starts to flicker, to shift, to twist, almost biologically, flexing like muscle, peristaltic shifting within it.

:''>THOOOOOOOM''

The lightning blasts outward on a level we feel more than hear, and something else slips away into the waters.

We estimate it was about 45 minutes since we saw it land, and we start to really hope that the HMS Trafalgar is still off shore.

It's then we see the barbarians (I'm not going to call them Irish). They approach the gate furtively, like they're afraid of what it could do to them, they start to chant, to cavort, some sacrifice, driving prisoners into pits at the bottom of the pillars, others stroke and caress the mass of it. It's like they're refueling it. A priest is rowed out into the middle of the thing, and slits open the still living body of [we are going to pretend it was a sheep because I feel sick typing this] and [removes the unborn lamb from its womb] and kills it.

The small body he holds starts to glow, and he tosses the green shining corpses into the inky black waters.

Lightning starts to play up the arc, and the glow comes from within the waters.

It appears they've summoned another.

We also have our time frame.

45 minutes to recharge, five minutes to refuel, and then the natives disappear.

One hushed conference later and we agree, we have a plan.
:''>It's a shit plan.''

We wait, we wait for the next summoning to complete. Then...

We wait. We wait for those five minutes for the barbarians to dissipate. Then we charge.

We're about 150 yards from the gate when we're spotted, a wedge of dirty, malnourished, and zealously frenzied barbarians forming almost from nowhere.

The DM starts timing us. 15 Minutes to Cthulhu.

The barbarians form a shield wall. There's six of us. What can we do against 500 odd men?

We form a straight line. Six abreast and move forward in pace with the bard. He runs surprisingly fast but stops at 30 ft and plays. He plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V88ydbx5-4A Man O'war, Defender]

Then we simply charge. Straight into that mass of humanity, slaves of the dark ones, they form a shield wall.

The Navvies hammer breaks shields, Angus turns men into screaming pillars of flame, where they don't simply melt. The gatling shotgun makes a fine red mist. Cruella laughs and moves so fast you can barely work out her motions until she stops to spit out a mouthful of jugular. The Wizard simply drives one sharpened stake through man, after man, after man.

We massacre them. Wading through blood and offal to the sacrifice pits.

Looking back on it now, sitting in my safe warm study, pipe in hand and Cruella playing with a dog nearby, those warriors spoke as they died. Each and every one, and they thanked us.

They thanked us for saving them.

We feel literally and figuratively filthy as we start to prime the charges.

The silence is the worst, after the screams. After the cacophony.

There's a shape on the horizon, a shape like a great, crystalline structure, that walks with the gait of a man and the step of a bear, it can't be looked at for long, and it's coming our way.

We thought to wire the charges in a neat demolition pattern, the wizard would bore into the pillars, and we would place shaped charges, we thought.
:''>We thought.''
We didn't think that these things were operated by blood sacrifice.

The gate has starting to glow already. We didn't summon Cthulhu, The barbarians did that.
:''>We just summoned Cthulu's dad.''
We simply toss the bags of C4 in, fire the signal flare and turn tail.

Thing is.

That great big shape on the horizon is catching up on us. It's a ten minute run to the Trafalgar, even if she's there. If she hasn't been sunk. We set the charges for two and whatever the thing on the horizon is, it's about ten minutes away.

It's gonna be fine, it's gonna be tight.

We run. We run like crazy.

The charges go off. We don't even look back. The pillar comes down, Magic blasting out, throwing us flat. The shock wave blowing us off our feet. Heat on our exposed skin.

We can't hear, we can barely see, magical lightning spearing into the ground around us. Throwing up great spumes of earth.

The beast is catching up. By the time we're on the dunes, down at Dunmore East, it's right behind us. It's right there. It's literally on us. It's... indescribable.

Out in the dark, we can see the Trafalgar. She's not alone. The beasts of the waves have risen. The Trafalgar and the entire Atlantic fleet lay into every filthy beast your mind can imagine, lit in flashes of lightning, strobing slaughter, guns fire, ships are torn asunder, beasts scream, everything dies.

There's something small coming for us. It's one of the Trafalgar's boats. A steam pinnace.

Thing is, the beast on shore is at least as fast as it.

We are stuck.

We can dig in, try and hamstring it maybe? We can...

:''>The Navvie passes DM a note.''
:"Bard. Play me something good. I go to glory."

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-reAahY1GCE Jeff Wayne's Thunderchild]

The night is black, rent asunder by shot, ethereal lightning, and the sound of a countryside dying, and in that darkness, the Navvie starts to glow. Stripes of Red, White, and Blue.

Saltire first, cross of St George next, and finally St Patrick's Saltire. Overlaid across his broad, broad back.

We move to stand with him.

:"Go boys. Go."

:"Go."

I shake his hand. I press something into that broad paw of a hand. A small, purple, penguin.

He tucks him into his shirt, and starts to walk forward. A small glowing flag into the blackness of the night.

That was the last we saw of him.

The beast stopped in its tracks. Raised one great foot, and slammed it down on that little flag.

We watched from the beach, then the pinnace.

It raised its foot, and that proud little flag still stood.

It began to climb.

As we boarded the Trafalgar, we saw the beast fall, the Union Jack atop it's great head. As the Trafalgar began to sink beneath the waves, we saw that little flag cease to glow.

And that anon, is where this episode of Britbongsteros ends.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcgUlkUv10 Saxon, Broken Heroes.]

There is an epilogue to this episode however.

We returned to Waterford the next day. The remains of the Atlantic and home fleets licking their wounds in the channel, the Trafalgar took us back to say a few words.

We went ashore and took a shovel.

The Bard plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYGtXcDRoi0 Amazing Grace, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards] as we walk up the beach.

We approach that great huge corpse, already rotting in the sun, seagulls (because seagulls don't give a fuck) picking at it.

Within the great sundered skull, split right down the middle, we find first a sodden, bloodied, slightly torn purple penguin.

Then within that skull, a hammer, and a body.

We start to dig. In that blasted tortured land. The flower of the British Navy burns off shore, great huge elder things lie on the beach, rotting in the sun.

Britain, this great Britain, is united once more, we did that. This man did that. This penguin did that.

We pick him up.

:''>He coughs.''

:''>motherfucker.''
I suppose I should have said "that night" (in regards to the last we saw of him), but that'd have ruined the effect a little. I thought /tg/ might prefer to experience it as we did.

:''>DM you're a dick.''

===Britbongsteros at the North Pole===
We return to London and meet with the privy council. We are informed we are being sent on holiday.

Or at least away.

An expedition to the arctic has reported no sign of a north west passage, but it has found land, under the polar ice cap. Reports by carrier albatross are notably unreliable but nothing else has been heard for six months. Fearing the intervention of a foreign (German) power we are sent northwards.

Meanwhile Britbongsteros is being drained dry, victory in Ireland has been costly and with the continentals now aware that the navy is effectively half what it once was, it seems like we may have a fight on our hands soon.

The events in Ireland have already been hushed up under the official secrets act and the Navvie, if questioned, says he remembers nothing. Even a session with Sir Richard Bacon provides no answer to his mysterious powers.

We are instead packed aboard an icebreaker and sent onwards.

Aboard the Icebreaker (HMS Intrepid) we begin to unbox some of the gear that was loaded aboard with us. We were wise enough to purchase our own cold weather gear (Bard is still wearing a kilt) but we have three big crates and no idea what they are.

:>DM: "Ok let's roll to see whats in these things! But first who wants to get me a beer?"

(This is DM code for give me a beer or its gonna be full of condoms)

Having a wizard who is very good at controlling metal means you're never without a tinopener, or in this case, a crowbar.

Now at this point DM hasn't told us a great deal about the North Pole (it's cold and not all ice), so as we pop the box, and these are big big crates, we are pleased to see the roll results in a snowcat (think APC specialized for snow). The next is camping supplies for a polar expedition. Food, tents, etc.

:>Guys?
:>What bard?
:>Can any of us drive a snowcat? Its a very different thing to a car or boat and...
:>DM: That's a very good point actually. I'll just add some penalties.
:>Party: Fucking bard.

The third box we are slightly concerned to see is full of smaller crates. The first is full of britbongsteros-not-bibles, as we dig deeper we find more of these along with a note saying we should "use them to bring the word of God to the fuzzy wuzzies" we also find a great deal of corned beef, and finally, a comically oversized whaling harpoon gun. Too big for it to be man portable, but big enough that the Cat could carry it.

:''>Scots of the (Ant)arctic''

Pleased with our haul, we settle in for the voyage and do our best to piece together what little we know and can learn from the notes sent by the expedition.

Prior to the visit of the expedition, the actual pole was uncharted, an unknown, we are aware that the icecap is thick, that the expedition included a drilling team, armed guards, and several technowizards, so they had come loaded for bear.

We knew they had traveled toward the pole from Greenland on up, when (and this was the last message) they mentioned the wizards with them having detected a large metallic mass under the ice and were going to commence drilling. We knew how far they had gone, in what direction and roughly when they'd stopped. The cat had fuel for twice that so we should be ok.

The voyage into arctic waters takes us via Scapa Flow, the Faroes, Iceland (lots of trolls and stupidly attractive elves, very odd food) and finally to Greenland. We are a bit surprised that nothing tries to eat us on the way. We are horrified however when make land. Next to the cairn erected by the British Expedition, there is another newer one.
:"L'expédition française, vive le France!"
:-signed "Napoleon Le Talleyrand De Baguette III"

Now, not only does our expedition (which as far as we know are all still alive) not know about the French being behind them, they definitely do not know that it is De Baguette leading them. We are informed (as in the characters already know, but players don't) that De Baguette is a famous French mercenary and explorer, half hobbit, half troll and not the way you'd expect either. Monsieur Talleyrand-De Baguette the elder was one fucking brave rapist hobbit.

Now. We have our mission clearly set out. The British Expedition has not been heard from in months. The French have most likely treacherously waylaid them when they stopped to examine the metal thing. We must avenge them or at the very least beat the French to the pole. So. With Union Jack flying from the CAT we set off.

Now at this point we haven't seen any unusual flora or fauna, nothing, just snow. Lots of snow. We trace the planned route of the expedition, finding camps easily enough, the expedition having left markers at each sight. Some investigation in each camp brings not only empty tins of corned beef, but also empty bottles of vin and the occasional beret.

Clearly we are following traces of both expeditions.

We proceed onward, unaccosted for the most part. We do however see an ogopogo fight some polar bears. The purple penguin and the rest of us enjoyed that. Additionally, don't eat Polar bear or shoot and attempt to eat the victorious ogopogo (they're really gamey).

We make good progress, it's high summer so we travel through the day and most of the night, stopping only to rest for a few hours here and there. We sleep in the CAT mostly. The nights are more of an eternal twilight. Beautiful but cold as fuck.

:''>About the third or fourth night. We bed down. Everyone drifts off. We are woken by a very loud rap on the window.''

Not howling of wind. Not a hungry bear. A distinctive postman's shave and a haircut knock.

We look out, there's no one there. We light lamps, and investigate, no one there. We check for footprints, just ours. Angus and Cruella both have very good senses of smell. They can't smell anything unusual.

The next night it happens again.

No one there. We're starting to freak out a bit. Characters are missing sleep, panicky, and still at the top of the world, more alone than ever, shave and a haircut on a window every night. Always when no one is looking that way, always no trace.

Remember we are alone up here. No one for miles. The CAT moves at a decent speed, so something is keeping pace. Leaving no footprints and no signs. We search the bags and panniers on the CAT thinking we have a stowaway. No sign.

The next morning, there is a big chunk missing from the engine. As though someone had taken a core sample. The bard mentions something.
:"Guys, we only have one CAT, if Wizard can't fix this. We can't walk back to shore. We are dead."
Fortunately wizard and Angus manage between them to fix the thing. It takes most of the day, into the night. The rest of us stand guard. Angus feels a tap on his shoulder. A tap tapatap. Shave and a haircut.

Angus is bent over the engine. He freaks the fuck out.
:"Its here it's here shoot it shoot it!"
There's nothing there. No print. Nothing.

We are all nervous now.

Later as we bed down. As best we can. Three on watch. Three dozing, dressed and armed, there's a colossal thud on the hood of the CAT. A skinless face stares into the light of the cab. Pile out into the twilight. Surrounding it. It's a polar bear, skinned. Slowly dribbling off the hood. From behind us. Shave and a haircut.

We turn. I bring the shotgun up and fire over the roof of the cab. Either I hit nothing or I am firing at nothing. The sound of the whirring gatling is ridiculous in the arctic silence. We are left alone on the ice. Listening to our breathing. When we wake the next morning. there are 16 tiny perfect pyramids of ball bearings on the hood. The gatling fires eight shells a second. I gave it a two second burst. It's somehow brought back each and every pellet. They pyramids on closer examination, float half an inch above the hood.

:''>Things that go bump in the not quite night.''

Something is fucking with us. The purple penguin doesn't approve of this. We decide whatever it is, tt needs to die. Whether it's aliens or invisible Inuit, it's going to fucking die.

Our first thought is to defend. How do we dig in? We could find a cave? There aren't any. We also decide against looking for one. Not fancying digging our way out of a cave in for one thing. We do however settle on pulling the CAT into a small valley type thing. Now it can only come from above, the front or the rear. We string guy ropes for the tents to empty cans. It might not actually make enough noise to set off the alarm but the wizard thinks he could detect them being disturbed. We also (well Angus and Wizard) set up half a dozen trip wires attached to mines.

We wait.

We wait longer.

:"It's here"

We listen in the dark, straining our ears in the silence of the polar night. There's very little wind. There's nothing. In the near dark, Angus lights the pilot of his flamethrower. Cruella coos soothingly at her sword.

:''>There's a very faint tinkling to the left, all eyes turn very slowly. One of the cans is floating in mid air.''

We watch as the can starts to drift toward us. Then slowly something disturbs the snow. A small thing. A very familiar thing. One of the mines is floating too. Towards us.

:''>Shit shit shit shit shit''

Angus flings open a door.

Angus torches everything for thirty yards around the mine. The mine cooks off. We unload in the direction of it. Spraying rounds. The bard launches into his most lethal of songs [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQyEnK3HNFA Luke Bryan, Drinkin Beer and wastin bullets.]

Magazines run dry, the song finishes. We pant. It must be fucking dead. We investigate.

From behind us, on the roof of the CAT

:''>The DM raps the table. Shave and a haircut''

We pivot. Silhouetted against the morning sun. A shape can just be made out. Humanoid. Maybe. More like a grasshopper, knees up by its ears. I drop the shotgun and go for my pistols. Cruella sprints across snow, the Navvie lumbers after her.

The harpoon gun (yes that thing) starts to slowly turn. Toward it. Whatever the fuck it is, I unload on it as Cruella leaps onto the Cab with it. I wing it. I'm sure I do. Cruella closes her eyes as the thing starts to leap toward her. Relying on her other senses and sword to do the work. She decapitated it. Beautifully silhouetted against the morning sun.

It's dead. We get our first look at the body. It's not as small as we thought and it must be strong. It's wearing a grey full body suit. Covered in strange devices like nothing we have ever seen. They are more science than magic but a science nothing like our own.

Something on its belt starts to flash and beep. Things that flash and beep are never good in our experience. The Navvie picks the thing up and hurls it a good forty feet. It goes up like a grenade.

We travel on. Finding a British camp. There is the usual cairn but also eight smaller ones. Burials. Three marked with British flags, five with the tri-colore.

The next night. As we bed down for our first good night's sleep.

:''>Shave and a haircut.''

:''>Not again''
Ok so we killed one. We are not entirely sure how, but if it bleeds, we can kill it. Maybe these are the things that killed the first expedition. Certainly there were bodies back at the last camp and we are nearly at the dig site.

Cruella and the wizard seem to be our strongest assets here. The wizard doesn't seem able to sense them, but at least he can stop things flying at us, and Cruella is fast, stealthy and violent. Cruella pulls herself up onto the CAT and closes her eyes.

Things are starting to levitate. Angus wrestles with the flamethrower, it takes the Navvie to help hold him and it down, allowing the Navvies hammer to go full Mjolnir and clobber the bard.

Cruella with her eyes closed has only the other seven senses (she's not human), but it's enough to feel tiny vibrations of the thing in the air. Her sword lashes out and seemingly from nowhere half a torso appears. Followed a moment later by the rest of the creature.

The Navvie is already prepared and punts both halves into the distance. The explosion ensuring whatever these things are, remains a mystery.

We continue onwards to the dig site. We see in the distance a number of CAT like vehicles. Of two different types. Some with Union Jacks others are French, at least De Baguette hasn't beaten us to the pole.

We start to investigate. bearing in mind anyone alive would have seen us from miles away and heard us before that, we are pretty sure something has gone horribly wrong. It never occurred to us that De Baguette might be preparing an ambush, so we drove right on up to the camp and vehicles. Judging by the Union Jack still flying and a French flag next to it, if the two expeditions had met, it was amicable. So where was everyone?

We look around, orderly tents, half eaten meals, standard Mary Celeste stuff. We note that the meals include corned beef (British) and Merlot (French). There are no bullet holes, blood stains or anything else suspicious, barring that everything has lain undisturbed for at least five months.

Undisturbed is probably not good. Surely bears or something else would have come looking? Nothing however.

We do find the British Expedition HQ and the very orderly logbook. The entries all end five months ago. Mostly it is things we already knew or banality (still drilling, thirty feet today) we note that De Baguette was greeted and the two countries joined forces to drill. Creating a what was referred to as both a channel and tunnel down toward the metallic item. (The logbook called it a "Chunnel" for some reason). The last entry read

:"Slowly, desperately slowly it seemed to us as we watched, the remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower part of the doorway were removed, until at last we had the whole door clear before us. The decisive moment had arrived. With trembling hands I made a tiny breach in the upper left hand corner. Darkness and blank space, as far as an iron testing-rod could reach, showed that whatever lay beyond was empty, and not filled like the passage we had just cleared. Candle tests were applied as a precaution against possible foul gases, and then, widening the hole a little, I inserted the candle and peered in, De Baguette and Lady Evelyn (his daughter) standing anxiously beside me to hear the verdict. At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist... there was gleaming metal within, and light. Tomorrow we shall investigate further."

Some anons may recognize the text. I did.

We realize we are going in. Whether we like it or not. Honour and the penguin demand it.

The chunnel is not quite wide enough to fit the CAT down, so we decide to proceed on foot. The Chunnel proceeds downwards as far as we can see, lights strung on the walls merge together in the distance, it's a long way down, so we'd better start walking.

So on we go, into the chunnel, the crude earthworks give way to paved, interlocked, impeccably precise granite blocks as we proceed downward. We pass over what must have been the remains of the door way, and into a great stone cavern, so large, it recedes off into blackness in the distance. In the very center is a circular, metal object, an ellipsoid. It's hard to tell the scale of the thing at this distance, but as we walk toward it, we realize it's huge. With one small opening, perhaps three men wide, and three high.

As we approach, we still see no signs of the expeditions, as we approach the doorway, there is a sound from within. We ready arms. What the hell is...

A man.

A man stumbles out.

Disheveled, dirty, and missing his eyes.

He collapses into the arms of the Navvie.

Crying, whimpering.
:"I have seen things. Wonderful things..."
and he expires.

So, that's probably good.

We examine the corpse. He's plainly starving, emaciated, and of course his eyes appear to have been scooped out, which is always a great sign.

He's wearing a mix of British and French Uniforms, filthy and very, very dead.

Obviously with that most excellent of omens, we enter the metal ellipsoid.

What we find within is beyond our understanding, it's reminiscent of a battleship, strange pipes and tubes run hither and thither, and there's corpses, lots of corpses, electrocuted, chopped, splattered, zapped, and generally in bits. All human. Although the walls aren't marked, there are the squashed remains of bullets on the floor. They must've been fired, missed, and then hit the walls, and simply fallen to the floor. We estimate the better part(s) of twenty men within the thing.

We find on one of the bodies a portable gramaphone. The Bard picks it up, fiddles, and we hear what has been recorded.

:"I see things, Wonderful things. This creation, this steel building, I am inclined to call it a ship, that lay open within the cavern, allowing our ingress, it is incredible, beautiful, and yet so strange. We track dark endless halls, lit by our torches and gas lamps. There is no dust, no sign of habitation. De Baguette surmises that the creation was too large to have been brought down into this edifice, the edifice must have been built around it."

:"We have found within bodies, sleepers, so alien, so bizarre in build and pose, it is large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face. It... it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. They recline tubes, lit with a cold, unearthly blue light, they are perhaps... De Baguette! No!

:>the DM hits something on his laptop. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I Martian War Call: ULLA]

:Party: Well fuck this....

:"The sleepers have not awakened, but the edifice has, it glows, I am sure though that soon the sleepers will wake. Perhaps we shall meet them."

The DM is passing notes to Cruella, the Bard, and Angus.

Cruella goes full on spazz, falling to the floor, jittering, crying, moaning, again, that sound: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

It's coming from her.

The record continues as we rush to her.

:"[Breathless] Professor Quatermass, what say you!? What is... What is happening? Oh by the gods, what is happening... I... I am a scientist, an Englishman. I shall... God save our... I shall... I see Wondrous things..."
:Another voice. "Dammit Roney, [Slap] here some brandy... tell me what do you see?
:"I see... a hunt, a great hunt, I fly, I hop, I am as one with the horde, we must destroy, destroy destroy the unbeliever, the unclean... destroy... Quatermass... the..."
:Quatermass: "De Baguette, I think Roney is... he is seeing what the sleepers have seen, what they know..."
:Roney: "I see a pale blue dot in the sky, I see a plan, I lust for the dot, IT WILL BE OURS IT WILL BE OURS."
Cruella whimpers
:"I have seen wondrous things"
:Quatermass: "Roney, WHAT COLOUR IS THE SKY?"
:Roney: "It is purple my friend. Purple."

We hold Cruella down, an epileptic fit perhaps? We force brandy into her. She cries, shivering,

:Quatermass: "I surmise these things are not of our world, nor of another dimension, they are alien to this earth, they are...."
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]
:Quatermass: "Come on you alien bastard. I WILL SHOW YOU HOW AN ENGLISHMAN DIES."
The recording continues. A female voice, French, Evelyn perhaps?

:"There are not many of us left, the aliens have a power, to suck the magic from us, the wizards, those brave Scotsmen fought them, or they tried, their saws and spears fell to the ground, and yet those men fought them with their bare hands. They are all dead now, as are the others...."
:"They do not just kill, they flay men alive, taking parts, they are... they are scientists... like us..."
:"I have nearly made it to the... to the..."
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]
:''>A long, drawn out female scream. From the recording, and from Cruella.''

So Cruella is going nuts, foaming at the mouth and generally not looking good. We decide to bug out. That seems like the best idea, take off and nuke the site from orbit.

Let's get ou... the door is closed.

The door is fucking closed.

We already know that we can't harm the material the alien ship is made of with bullets, Angus's thermic lance doesn't work either. The Wizard can't manipulate it. We're trapped.

Cruella snaps upright. Her eyes are jet black. No longer human.

Her mouth opens, echoing a cry that comes through the entire ship.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

Even the Purple Penguin is not very happy about this.

We decide if they have closed the door, they also know exactly where we are. That can only be bad. We pick up Cruella, and pick a direction, and start on inwards into who knows what.

We don't meet anything but we appear to be in the hold, crates are crates, and these ones although alien, still retain that essential crateness.

We move onward, slicing pies and tacticooling it, the interior decor changes, less grey and utilitarian, now a little fancier, and white, stark blinding white.

And red. Lots of red.

We appear to have come across the medbay, we get our first good look at the aliens, they're bent over tables with still living, screaming, humans on them, slowly taking them to pieces. Disassembling them like a child might build a lego house, except in reverse. Bit by bit.

The aliens are taller than us, or would be except they sit on their haunches, like grasshoppers, they have six limbs, a pair of manipulator hand analogues, and two wicked talons. This is our first good look at them, whether what we fought (the shave-and-a-haircuts) were drones or a subspecies we have no idea. These things have big, broad heads, with jet black eyes.

We are looking in through an observation window, fuck it. Scientists or whatever they might be, they're gonna die.

We've not gotten the hang of alien doors yet, but the Navvie giving an interior door a good hard slam buckles it, a second slam with the hammer is enough to twist it inwards, a third brings it down (he was scarily good with that hammer).

:''>We do the work of the purple penguin.''

The aliens might be terrifying, they might be weird, they respond very well to buckshot, .45 caliber, and axe.

We then begin the grim work of giving peace to the subjects.

The five of us...

:''>The five of us''

Where's Cruella?

The Navvie had been carrying her, he'd left her propped up against the wall, in all the excitement, we didn't notice the stealthiest character of the group slip away.

Remember I mentioned she talks to her sword? And it may or may not talk back? Well the thing is lying on the ground. She never leaves it, it's never more than an arms reach away. The thing is pointing down the hall.

I go to pick it up. I lift it just fine, but the damn thing won't change it's orientation, it points rigidly North North East.

What we can only assume is the direction she went in.

I hand the sword to the wizard (who as a wizard is meant to know about this shit), and we proceed to slice pie in the direction the thing points.

We follow the sword, the thing works just like a divining rod. Cruella's player is loving this.

We appear to have left the medical wing, as we enter what may or may not have been a canteen, we meet more aliens, one firefight later (which although awesome, isn't exciting to retell) and we head onward.

There's a distinct and very weird hum in the floor. This thing is starting to power up.

We travel through what must be the cryosleep area, lots and lots and lots empty pods, and then as we pelt down a corridor.
:"Bonjour mes amis."

As far as we know, there was only one woman in either expedition, Evelyn De-Baguette.

She's still a woman, whether she is human is an entirely different matter.

The aliens have done... something to her, she's a lot more and lot less than human.

I will not attempt to replicate the DM's atrocious French accent, but what she said was:
:"Don't be jealous boys, it only works on women, and doesn't it look good? They've got me, and now they have your friend, they've been asleep for a long time, and now that the aliens are awake, they can begin to rebuild, to repopulate... your friend is going to help."

:''>Muh magical realm (no shut the fuck up)''

The sword points straight past Evelyn. The Purple Penguin doesn't like it when we hit girls. So we don't. We burn her.

The DM occasionally forgets that a flamethrower is actually pretty damn useful in a bossfight (he really shouldn't have let Angus have one...) and we burn her up good.

We follow our diving rod, and there in true Martian style, is Cruella in a pod, and a fuckload of Aliens. They do not seem particularly amused with us either. We're a bit annoyed with them too.

:>How was Cruella's player taking this?
:Highly amused. The DM had bribed her beforehand and she found us all getting butthurt about aliens turning her into their queen more than a little funny. Bear in mind she played almost exactly what she is like in personality. Therefore, the idea of anyone doing something she didn't want was hilarious to her.
:Now that I ask her about it. "I wanted to be the Princess for once."
:Which tbh is the best answer you're all gonna get.

The combat is more than bloody, they swarm us, we set to it, shells, flame, sharp objects, and general violence. Leaving only the King/Queen/Captain we have no fucking idea what that is, but it's big, it's mean, and it isn't going to listen to diplomacy.

So. We are looking at a very big alien. It is looking at us. It's a lot like a carnifex. There is a feeling like a pulse in reality. Metal objects grow lighter. Spent shell casings float up from the deck. Angus rolls lowest and his eyes go black. The alien speaks through him.
:"You have not beaten us yet. We came to this earth and slept until life grew, life which we could use to outbreed the heathens on our homeworld. Life such as this broodmother"
(Cruella's player puts down her glass of wine and thumps the DM)
:"this excellent broodmare?"
(She hits him harder)
:"this lovely specimen"
(she mulls it over and nods. This is about the only time I have ever seen DM look scared)
:"We blunted your magic, your resources, but the device did not work as planned, in another hundred years or so when your population hit seven billion or so we would have emerged and the breeding and killing would have been sweet. Now I shall simply settle for scouring this earth."

He hits a switch on Cruelllas pod and legs it.

There's no dilemma, we are not leaving her in that thing, so we break her out of it. She is back in character, and her character is pissed.

If this isn't clear for anyone, what the alien is saying through puppet Angus is that in our world, I.e. not britbongsteros, the world of 4chan and double downs, we have no magic or similar because they are there, at the North Pole, waiting until we as a species are ready for harvest.

We pursue the alien. Thanking him for his exposition, it's now time to kill him. He hasn't gone far and Cruella (her modesty covered by my overcoat) scents him and follows at a sprint. She must have been getting bonuses to rolls because she slices and dices down the halls to the bridge. Where the alien is doing... something to the controls. He is setting a course? To a small nearby red planet? (Yes they are Martians).

The combined efforts of the party ensure he doesn't, then with the thing put down. There's an ominous and familiar beep. The same as the aliens on the ice made.

The beep of self destruct.

:''>Time to go.''

We leg it. The way back isn't hard to find (follow the bodies mostly) and coming to the door, we are pleased to find it open (thanks DM), we proceed up the chunnel and out to the CAT.

:''>KATHOOOOOM''

The ship goes up and we are thrown to the ground, the Alien that followed us isn't. It's bloodied from our fight on the bridge but not as dead as we thought. It makes straight for me and sticks a talon through my (mechanical) shoulder as the rest of the party make for the creature to bash/thermic lance/stab/chainsaw it, Cruella goes for the harpoon gun.

It has me say:
:"I sent a signal to Mars. They won't be long..."
Cruella lays the gun. Aims.
:"Get away from him you bitch. No, I'm his bitch, well really he's mine but... no, look fuck you ok?"
The harpoon is more than enough to finish the thing off.

We take the head and CAT back to the coast, board the Intrepid, and make for London for tea and medals.

===The "Beach" Episode===
So. Aboard the Intrepid we were able to Taxidermy the head of the Alien. Our first order of business is to explain to the Privy Council what the fuck just happened, and while Sir Richard Bacon and Sir David Attenborough examine the thing and Sir Patrick [Cyborg murder body] Moore examines Mars anew, we are sent on our way.

The rest of the party all have specific stuff they want to do. The Navvie also has something specific.
:"I want to get drunk and fuck. Who wants to come?"

:"Angus?"
:>DM: Roll to see how your sheep infection is doing please
:"Umm no count me out."

:"Bard?"
:"Sex? Never heard of it. I'm going to [have my adventure]."

:"Aldous?"
:Cruella: "We are but not while you guys watch. We will see you later."

:"Umm ok, wizard?"
:"Wait aren't I married? No I... I could come but not touch I guess..."

:''>To Soho we go''
So a wizard and a Navvie walk into a whorehouse.

The Navvie disappears upstairs. Thudding, screaming and general happy large man noises can be heard. The wizard gets into a game. Of roulette.

:>Roulette balls are steel aren't they?
:>Aren't I able to control steel?

Amazingly enough, the roulette table is rigged, and the local lowlives are extremely unimpressed when a Scotsman in a dress rigs it the other way.

Murderously unimpressed.

They pick up the wizard, it would have been better if they had drawn knives at least that would have been easier. I should add by the time wizard has won the pot, he's quite pissed (drunk). Like very. He would have trouble summoning a pair of scissors let alone a chainsaw.

His manly screams of Heeeeeeeeellllllllp are heard by the Navvie upstairs however.

Now the Navvie is a simple man, he likes pies, stout, and round bubble butts. He takes a direct approach.

:>My buddy downstairs is in trouble.
:>I am upstairs
:>Stairs will waste time

So stark naked, he leaps from bed, takes his hammer, and slams it into the wooden floor, down comes a huge naked man and a bed with four PAWGs on it.

The bar brawl that followed sees the Peelers called (early form of police to Ameri-nons) and rather than take them on and injure officers of the law, they retreat upstairs, and as there is a covered wagon below, leap for it, a naked huge man with a hammer and a scrawny drunk Scot with a bag of money. We will pause their tale there as this is where they enter another.

So we know that Cruella acquired a bastard sword some time ago. It started talking to her and her to it not long after. They mostly talk about their favourite things, blood and violence. She likes those and it likes those.

She acquired the sword as one does, in a shop, she saw the thing and liked it.

She wants to learn more about it, so we take it to the royal armouries to have it examined. (Her and I)
After some pondering the dwarves there get very very excited

:>It's [[Excalibur]]

They persuade her to part with it for a few hours, to examine it.

She and I spend a very pleasant few hours in fade to black. We return,
:"Yeah... We got robbed last night... Only one item missing and it's"
:>Cruella broke the poor bastard's nose and we go to look for it. In London. A needle in haystack made of smaller haystacks

We set off, Cruella's [spider sense] leads us to Soho and we pause there.

:''>Aldous needs pipe tobacco''
While we are in Soho, I spot a tobacconists, and in the window, is my brand of pipe tobacco. I know that a local tobacconist is an excellent source of gossip so Cruella condescends to let us go in, we bump into a passerby on the way in but successfully purchase a kilo of good dwarven smoke, our gossip plan fails however, then Cruella realizes her bracelet is gone.

That guy we bumped into is still out in the street, he must be a really really shit pick pocket if...

He spots us, and turns to run, he is stopped in his tracks by a huge naked man and a scrawny Scot with a bag of money landing on him.

(They missed the wagon)
So while they apologize to the poor guy, we run to them, the police are starting to run out of the building. We ask the Navvie to pick up the thief and the four of us (plus squashed thief) run the fuck away.

:"For gods sake man, put some clothes on."
We duck into an alleyway and the Navvie puts the thief down.
:"I want your boots, your clothes, and by the way, have you heard anything about any swords?"
The poor bastard tries to get naked, returns Cruella's bracelet, and explain to us that a local "legitimate businessman" - John Borisson is looking after a very important sword shaped package until it can be shipped to France tomorrow.

This is where the story of the four of us pauses.

Rewind.

:Bard: "Guys, I don't really do much do I?"
:"You play the bagpipes and kick anything that gets too close?"
:"Yeah, but that's combat Barding. I want to... I want to play for my public."
:"You're in London, that famous home of bagpipes and Scottishness, but ok..."
:"Exactly, I will play my through the city, I will busk, I will play for the poor and rich alike, I will bring the joy of music to all!"

It turns out playing the bagpipes in London in Britbongsteros is not exactly popular, he gets thrown out of Trafalgar Square, punted out of the inns of court, starts a brawl in the Royal Society, and a riot in the Globe.

The bard heads for Soho.

He is approached in Soho by some rough looking men.
:"Our boss really likes bagpipes, come play for him! Tonight you shall play at the home of Borrisson, John Borrisson."
:"Ooh ok!"

And now we pause.

:''>Angus does science.''

Angus decides to get his Sheep Transmitted Disease cured.

(Angus crit failed an "I roll to seduce a female centaur" (dumb bastard) and fucked a sheep instead by accident back in Wales)

His research takes him to a doctor
:"Ah what the fuck is that!?"
A barber surgeon
:"What the flying fuck is that!?"
And finally another less reputable doctor.
:"There is an eastern remedy that might help, you'll need to acquire some components for me though"

:''>Gives list''

:"Where am I going to find 'tears of a Phoenix killed on the second Tuesday of the month?'"
:"I dunno, try John Borrison in Soho, what he sells isn't always of the best provenance, but if he doesn't have it, he can get it..."

:''>Who the fuck is John Borrison?''
Well we know he lives in Soho, he has an emporium of well known whores, (referred to as "Boris Bikes" because amazingly "everyone has had a ride") and a mop of unruly straw coloured hair.

:>You're setting us up to fight "Boris Johnson" DM...

So we return to the party of four (Cruella, wizard- still pissed by the way, Navvie - no longer naked, and myself who is surrounded by a cloud of most excellent and noxious smoke).

The party of four wait for dusk and assemble outside of the city mansion of Mr. Borrison, we have a look around. It's got highwalls and guards.

We retire to a nearby tavern (the Wizard would rather be drunk than hungover) to discuss.

:''>Topic 1''
Do we want to kill Mr. Borrison?

Probably not. As far as we know he's a criminal but not actually bad as such.
:>How do we get in and get out with the sword?

As we ponder. Suddenly, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbzlj3nf4E The Seeker by The Who] on the bagpipes, and its coming from Borrison's house.

It's worth noting that the parties heavy weaponry (the gatling and the flamethrower) isn't being carted around with us.

So we skip now to Angus. He has been following the crudely drawn directions to John Borrisson's shop, house, warehouse and mansion (combined). He has been told to get there, and ask for the Apothecary.

He arrives and approaches the shop (i.e. the south side of the building).

The guard says (in awful cockney which again I'm not going to try)

:"Nah the Ceildh (he pronounces it "Celd ay") is on the other side. Go round mate."
Angus looks shy, Angus says
:"I'm actually here to see... The Apothecary..."
The guard looks him up and down,
:"Hahaha what did you fuck?"
Angus goes as red as an orc can and heads into the shop.

He gives the apothecary (actually a very happy looking dryad) the list,
:"Fucked a sheep did we?"
:"HOW DO YOU PEOPLE ALL KNOW THIS?"
:>DM: Angus your balls sure are sore... you sure you want to get pissed off at the only guy who might be able to help?
:"I mean... yes I would like some ointment please."

The apothecary is rummaging through shelves, humming to himself, suddenly Angus stands bolt upright.
:"I hear... I hear bagpipes!"
:"Oh yeah, something the boss is up to, anyway look, this potion, there might be some side effects..."

Meanwhile, upstairs,

The bard is in his element, it turns out John Borrison isn't actually human, he has a thatch of straw for hair, not straw coloured.

(I mean he's an Ent)

The bard is on a table, piping to a court of criminals, they do their best to dance as the great tree claps and belches his joy.

The bard keeps rolling performance checks and he's doing beautifully.

He's well into [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rjbrqcQ5Sw Highland Laddie] having already played Dashing White Sergeant and others. The Bard is over the moon.

About 1:40 in the video. The great stained glass window at the east side of the hall shatters.
:"GIVE ME BACK MY SWORD YOU FUCK."

:''>Rewind''

So the four of us are down the side of the building, we reason that shock and awe is our best tactic, we don't know if it's the bard inside, but he probably needs rescuing, therefore we decide to go full on Sir Lancelot and crash the party.

We acquire some rope, easily get up the side of the building (Cruella) and then abseil through the glass.

As Cruella shouts
:"GIVE ME BACK MY SWORD YOU FUCK"
The bard stops playing.

:''>Change channel''

Downstairs, Angus is handed the ointment.

:Angus: "I'm gonna apply it now, my nads are on fire here."
:>Angus roll a D20 please.
The DM consults a list. Please note that the DM checking a list is really, really bad. He starts laughing. That's even worse.

:''>Upstairs''

There's a Mexican stand off developing, the entire room (although not well armed), vs the four of us with the bard in the middle.

It's looking bad.

Cruella stops shouting, instead she looks at John Borrison, straight in the eyes and says
:"You have something of mine. Right next to you in fact. In that chest. I want it back."
:"Why should I... (there is a large amount of pistols leveled at us by the party goers) give it to you?

Things get tense. DM has us rolling dice to see whose nerve breaks first. Us VS them.

Suddenly, the door at the North end of the hall is kicked down.

:''>Downstairs.''

:DM: "Yeah Angus... mate... look... your balls. They're actually... they're on fire..."
:Angus's player: "Yeah I know they are, fucking sheep..."
:DM: "No Angus, I mean, On. Fire."
Angus goes into a panic, screaming for water, everything in the apothecarion is either explosive or probably bad. Angus is directed upstairs, fanning his crotch with his kilt, he charges blindly, kicking down a door.

Angus bursts into the hall.

He's crotch is on fire, his kilt being flapped from nose to thigh rapidly. He is a true Scotsman and his Scotsman is wreathed in blue flame.

Angus runs straight through the middle of us, as he runs he spots an open cask of beer, and dunks his crotch.

:''>Best. Thing. Ever.''

John Borrison is the first one to start laughing. He's also the first one to lower his weapons.
:"Fine, have the sword, that was the best thing I've ever seen."
Later, as we dance, party and ceildh, I ask Angus something.
:"Alright, I understand why the Bard was here, I know why we were here, and but why were you here?"
:"Not. One. Fucking. Word. Not. One. Fucking. Word. Aldous."

And that Anon, was our beach episode.

We all got drunk, Angus got a bucket of ice, Cruella cuddled her sword.

===1,001 Britbongsteros Nights===
We wake up the next morning in various states of undress and very, very hungover, as we leave, the Bard asks
:"Hey John Borrison, who was coming for the sword today anyway?"
:"Some chick called Joan Dark."
:"Do you mean D'arc?"
:"Yeah close enough."
:"Mind if we stay for a bit?"

So we decide to settle in and wait. Our new-tree-friend seems cool with the idea. We expect that one of three things may happen:
:1. John Borrison will double cross us.
:2. Joan will get pissed off, and John Borrison will double cross us.
:3. Joan will understand that the deal is off, leave, then John Borrison will double cross us,

(the Purple Penguin is very trusting)

So naturally, we wait, she's meant to arrive at noon, and in comes one plate mail clad chick (subtle of course) and half a dozen adventurer looking types.

Joan removes her helmet.

What happens next may seem surprising to many Americans, but if you're British, this is actually very common.

Joan is a faerie, and therefore a posh person.

Cruella is a faerie and also a posh person.

:''>They went to school together.''

There are various extremely silly sounding girly noises, a very odd looking handshake, and much cheek kissing.

The Navvie mutters to me under his breath
:"If only they had bigger butts, this would be amazing..."

The Wizard is of the opinion that this is "The Old Fay Network" and therefore bad, but also curious as to what is going on.

The girls are asking after the health of various ponies, servants, and are about to start swapping recipes when John Borrison does the tree version of coughing (shakes his leaves).
:"Ladies?"

They ignore him.

Joan asks about Paris and the clownleechspidersnake things, yes that was us,

The boys are eying the French Adventurers, and they us, there's a general air of "Shouldn't we really be fighting now?"

Things don't seem to be going that way, John Borrison doesn't seem to mind. Instead we decide to go for lunch.

We leave with the girls walking out arm in arm followed by two single files of gentlemen watching each other very closely.

I just want to add here that the French Bard was wearing a stripey jumper, a beret and was carrying an accordion.

We go to a tavern. The DM is greatly enjoying describing what is essentially everyone's double.

We are a bit weirded out.

Cruella is quite happily nattering to other Cruella when she asks
:"So what about the sword?"
and things get a bit frostier. A lot frostier.
:Cruella: "It's my sword, and that's it."
:Joan: "Couldn't you just lend it to us?"
:"What do you want it for?"
:"I shouldn't really tell you but we were going to..."

The short, angry looking Frenchwoman wearing full plate and carrying what looks a lot like a rotary flail nudges Joan and grunts.

The largest of the party, an enormous guy with a big beard and an axe shifts, a smaller kobold type thing stops making ice cubes with device on its back and looks a lot more threatening. A slice of bread levitates while a nun has her cigarette lit by Angus (Angus you will fuck anything you beautiful bastard).

Cruella and Joan seem oblivious to all this, however the rest of the party naturally distrusts what is our true enemy (the French of course).

Cruella is happily breaching the official secrets act when we decide enough is enough,
:"And the Aliens wanted me to be a Queen! I've always wanted kids..."

:''>Time to go...''

So we begin to extricate her, the French let us go, for now...

Angus waves goodbye to the Nun, and Cruella looks distinctly annoyed to have the reunion cut short.

We head off, it's time to visit the Privy Council. First up is a meeting with Sir Patrick (Cyborg) Moore.

:>Who is...

Seriously you're gonna want to Google this.

Sir Patrick (Xbawkshueg terminator) Moore has been analyzing Mars, he has worked tirelessly to build a new telescope, and from the Royal Observatory at Grenwich has become aware of not only canals on Mars, but other alien looking constructions, cities? He is keeping the area under observation.

Meanwhile Sir Hobart's new inventions have reached production, not only is Britbongsteros frantically building battleships, but we are also building Landcruisers, lots of them. We have a feeling the Germans might be up to something similar...

Finally, we meet with Richard III, Blackadder, and co.

Those Arabians from earlier (like two stories ago) have been asked that a trade delegation go to Arabia with them, this is so that we might see the properties off this magical oil stuff that they're producing. We are being sent instead. The Arabians have drilling technology that we want, and we are going to steal it. It is believed by the Wizards of Aberdeen that massive untapped reserves of this stuff lie off the coast of Scotland, enough that we could fuel a million ships and landcruisers and not even make a dent (and also not have supply lines that go across half the world and either around France or around all of Africa).

We also are informed that a party of French adventurers have recently visited London and were followed (shit) and were last seen leaving on a boat bound for Araby (shit shit shit).

We are reminded that in Arabia, the place is full of genies, djinn, sand, camels, and also Orrance of Arabia, a Brit who went native and is a fervent activist for Arabia to be left to its own devices without western powers attempting to exploit them.

The local political climate in Araby is like dancing on a volcano, each sultanate has started grabbing land, and foreign "advisers" are everywhere, as each foreign power supports a different Sultan in the hope that if war breaks out, theirs will end up on top.

As a "trade mission" we are classed as one of those very same foreign advisers. Meaning we are packed aboard our very own battleship.
:>Why are you using a battleship?
:>Show of force, it's history.
The HMS Dreadnowt is the pride of the shipyards of Liverpool, the finest in Dwarven Engineering and she is the equal of the Brunmigi at the least.

The voyage of the Dreadnowt takes us through the straights of Gibraltar, with a brief stop off in Gib.

Gibraltar. The Rock. (It was called the Rock before anyone else was).

It's a British trade port, at the gates of the med, a haven of intrigue and enigma, a place where deals are made, illicit cargoes shipped, a veritable thieves kingdom and all with the sanction of the crown. The marines who police the place don't mind anything as long as you don't touch a British subject or insult the crown.

Regrettably, our reputation proceeds us, as did an albatross.

Two in fact.

The first one no one ever really saw, the second was enthusiastically shot down by the local Governor - S.T. Coleridge. When his chef was preparing it for dinner, he found in a little canister on its leg, "LANDCRUISER PLANS PART 2 of 2"

So on the reasoning that someone, somewhere in Gib is enthusiastically waiting for part 2 of their plans, that German/French/Belgian/Russian/Spanish/Foreign bastard is out there with half the plans to our tanks.

Obviously, we want them back.

So obviously, that the bard fires into [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXOhw1ELZK8 Sabaton, Back in Control] as we start to ponder.

We establish what we know as we sit in the very comfortable officer's mess on the Dreadnowt.

We know that the Albatross flew from somewhere in the UK, and was going to wherever its mate was (that's how they work in Britbongsteros, ok?) and it would take the most direct route, it was approaching Gib overland, and flew almost to the middle of the place. It seems likely that whoever was waiting for it, would position the thing's mate somewhere high up, and exposed, allowing for the Albatross to spot the thing.

Hmm... high up... exposed... Gibraltar...

So, this can only mean one thing. Somewhere on the rock is an albatross and most likely our spy.

We set off and start to nose around.

It's quite a climb, but searching around demonstrates several things: 1. That this is quite a popular spot for albatross communication, 2. There are a fuck of a lot of shifty looking characters up here. Grabbing them at random probably isn't going to work either.

Have some music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbzlj3nf4E The Who, the Seeker]

We do some more thinking,

The parties suggestions go along the lines of:

:Bard: "I play the German National Anthem and we see who salutes. Then we murder them."
:Navvie: "Pub?"
:Angus: "We could try and offer money? Or failing that just burn everyone."
:Wizard: "Well thinking about it, the carrier case on the albatross should have a unique insignia, but they won't have been dumb enough to keep the other with a matching pair, so that idea is useless."
:Aldous: "We could always say we found the 2nd bit, and offer it up, see who comes to try and get it."
:Cruella: "Why aren't we stabbing everyone?"

We let it be known to some double agents that we have found the plans and that we will be at the drinking establishment known as "The Maltese Falcon"

What didn't occur to us, was that just about every foreign power with a hand in Gib, was going to want those plans. So what shows up, is basically every foreign agent and backstabber on the peninsula.
:"Damn what are we going to do with them all?"
:"Aren't they all enemies of the crown anyway?"

:''>Murdered 'em all and looted their dead bodies''

Thing is, the plans weren't there. Or at least not that we could find. We needed a clue. We'd probably just annihilated the lot of our clues however.
:''>The Purple Penguin is running out of options, we don't want to go back empty handed and say "well we probably got the bastard"''

So, with our limited options, we are grateful (cheers DM) when we apologize to the barkeep and start hauling bodies out of the place, that's when a group of "Mysterious trenchcoated figures" run off into the night.

Cruella is up onto the roof tops, the Navvies lumbers after them, and we all do our best to keep pace.

So the rooftop chase occurs, as does the street level one.

I'm not even going to tell you what this is, every anon must click it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO-ZGP68-3w (or if this gets capped, manually type it into Google)

We pursue them, down lanes, alleys, twisting, turning, we aren't ready to take shots at them, but we are sorely tempted, there's three of them, we can take them if we catch them, we can...

Cruella is quite useful at times, as you may have noticed, but even she rolls a one occasionally, she attempts to leap in front of them, she instead flies into the roof of a shed and is out for the count for time being.

The Navvie has that weird lumber that teen horror movies do, if you look at him, not fast, but if you look away, he's suddenly teleported. He knocks them over and as we catch up, we start to restrain and attempt to interrogate them.

We establish that these (spies) sold the first part to the Germans, the Germans who are leaving on a boat, tonight.

So we book it down to the harbour, there is boat already pulling out.
:''>How do we stop this tug sized boat?''

We for once follow one of the bards ideas, we grab a speedboat and ram the fucker.

Violence occurs, a lot, someone swallows what looks a lot like an albatross message case.
:"HAHAH YOU WILL NEVER GET IT!"
Cruella resolves the issue with a knife and a little bit of cruelty (she guts him) we have the plans.

Things wrapped up in Gib fairly quickly after this, both parts of the plans now in the safe keeping of Governor S. T. Coleridge (who is very pleased to have shot the albatross, and has had a little pendant made of its foot to celebrate his act of violence which was so beneficial to the crown. He wears said pendant about his neck).

We re-board the Dreadnowt and set sail. Excited to be heading to Araby. I should really explain what Araby takes in geographically: (It extends westward all the way to Tripoli, please feel free to imagine the Indiana Jones aeroplane red line thing at this point). Where we are going is Port Said, if you're particularly geographically inept, it's near Alexandria.

The voyage through the rest of the med is mostly uneventful, Cruella takes up sunbathing, gets sunburnt, Angus spends a lot of happy times down in the engine room with the mostly Scottish engineers, Navvie and I take up fishing (an extreme sport in Britbongsteros) and the bard learns some new songs.

At this point, we have dinner around the captains table most evenings, and we don't usually act out the discussions, but we thought it'd be fun to have dinner in character, with DM as captain.

What I mean is we had a dinner party and got hammered, with everyone pretending to be their characters (again if anyone cares, pate and melba toast to start, thai green curry (mine) and alcohol for dessert).

:>Why should I care?

The discussions in character were a lot of fun, I can't remember much, but some time after the main course was finished, Cruella asks
:"Captain DM, we are going to the Caliphate, I know from my geography at school that the women there have to wear Bhurkhas. I'm not wearing one of those."

Now normally an issue like this we wouldn't give a shit about. However, it was an interesting enough issue that we looked to the DM).
:Captain DM: "Well Lady Cruella, I am given to understand that you are the [the following word was so weighted it should have fallen through the hull and sunk the ship] "companion" of Sir Aldous, as a "taken" woman, even of a different culture and maintaining different sensibilities to those of the land you are visiting, I would suggest it is wise to take up those sensibilities when you are there, you do not, for example, wish to be stoned. This holds true for all of you and I would suggest that when in the lands of the Caliphate, you observe their rules, at least in public. It is just good sense. No drinking for example, the Caliphate also has a very low opinion of [weighted again] those "peau verde" [green skin], meaning our comrade from Dundee (he means Angus) would be wise to take the guise of a slave."
:''>Angus finds this hilarious. Cruella still looks extremely unimpressed.''
:Cruella: "You mean I'm going to have to wear a sack? tch, no woman of my station would be seen dead in such a thing."
:Captain DM: "My lady [tips captains hat], when you visited the North Pole, did you not dress warmly? The environment here is different, but equally as dangerous."
:''>She mulls this over, and nods.''
:Cruella: "Congratulations Angus, you just got promoted to my eunuch. You can carry my stuff."

Cruella seems satisfied with this explanation and sets about considering options for her outfit. This includes at some point the statement
:"It's not a Burhka, I'm a ninja."
:''>No Godzilla, we actually let her off with this one.''

As discussed we head to Port Said, as we enter the port, we are amazed at the number of other foreign ships, British, German, French, a Spanish one, even some Russian, and what we learnt was a Chinese vessel. The courts of Araby are being subjected to an assault of the most diplomatic kind, but the guns of the battleships make it very clear that there is force behind it.

The Arabs, aided by Orrance's council, wish to set themselves up as oil producers, their oil is fantastically efficacious, and if each of the European powers had to come to them for it, they would grow very wealthy very quickly, however even with their Djinn and Roks, the Arabs could never prevent a real attempt at annexing the country, their only real hope is to dance on the edge of a knife, playing each power off against the other as no European power would risk their supplies of oil, or allow another competitor to get unrestricted access to the stuff.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhDbaah9DQ Saxon, Crusader] <- what the bard, master of tact that he is, piped us into harbour with.

We discussed what our best options are, the Privy Council advised us that meeting Orrance first would be an idea as he is still notionally a servant of the crown, however we were warned that he has gone native.

:>Who is Orrance?
I appreciate I can't just tell you to google it, he's "Lawrence of Arabia" then go read some books. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (which he wrote I might add) are worth the effort. At the least watch the film. Go on, we'll wait.

Orrance is currently in Cairo, (the Caliphate has two main civic centers, Baghdad and Cairo) and so we travel from Port Said to Cairo on horseback, I should add two things at this point.

IRL Cruella is very horsey, this made her very happy, she was also the only member of the party who had ANY skills that involved controlling or riding an animal, meaning she could (riding side saddle and wearing a Burkha) ride rings around us as we slowly dotted along after her.

It was also the first time we really came to understand where we were, as the great pyramids hove into view shining brilliantly in the sun, a Sphinx lazing in the shade of a dune, great Anubis had been enslaved by the Caliphate and was digging graves, one hundred at a time (he was about 75 feet tall so we could see him from a fair distance, he wasn't actually burying anyone either, just digging and refilling graves as busy work). Horus was chained on the banks of the Nile, forced to call the hour by expedient of hot iron bars being applied to his feet.

:>How are gods enslaved?

Remember we actually slaughtered a good number of gods ourselves, Britbongsteros is a place where you can find gods, and they are very powerful, so are the guns on a battleship. It might take an army of Saracen Cavalry to tie down one god, but if you're smart enough, and don't mind losing a whole lot of troops, you can do it.

:>We've captured another god! How shall we put them to work, bound to our will?
:>Well, ummm...
:>Eh....
:>Have them... erm... tell the time, I guess?
:>...
:>Abdul, you're a moron. All in favour
:>Aye!

Anon you're going to want to click this first https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i1mI-P9Z3s

Orrance is visiting British officers at the Shepheard hotel. We'll find him there. Cairo is amazing, in the skies, Djinn and other creatures waft above us, there are literal ivory towers, but take your eyes off the poor, the downtrodden and filthy in the streets, and you'll find something missing from your pockets. A couple of the ships officers act as guides for us, they themselves having business at the Shepheard.

As we come closer to the Shepheard, we start to see more foreign faces in the crowd, hear languages from all across Europe, as Horus marks 11:00 am, we arrive at the Shepherd, our horses safely tied up, and left under the supervision of the hotel staff, a very large turbaned man remarks to me,
:"She is a fine one, how many camels is she worth?"
The entire party moves to grab Cruella, the fat man seeing what we are doing tucks his fingers into his belt and laughs uproariously,
:"You barbarians are fantastic, I meant the horse. This one here, she would do just fine for my niece."
:''>Cruella looks a tiny bit offended.''
:"You must also be very rich to afford a horse for your eunuch! Ah, I had one of these years ago! They get rowdy but they warm your belly just the same in the night!"
:''>Angus is... not entirely sure about this.''
:"I am Ismail, I trade in dates. Perhaps you will join me once you have conducted your business here? I will be in the local souk."
He shakes the Navvie by the hand.
:"You watch that short one. They are shifty little devils are they not?"

Ismail vanishes into the crowd. The Navvy opens his great paw. There is a small token in his palm, a token with the symbol of what the wizard identifies as Sekhmet on it.

So with this interesting little development put on ice for the moment, we head into the Shepheard. Now first things first, I know not all anons will have stayed at a hotel like this, but a ''good'' hotel somewhere like this will have a lot of different things on offer, including a barber, a tailor, and a concierge who knows all the best prostitutes (Source: experience). We are going to need clothes more suited to the climate, if (as we suspect) is likely, we'll be going into the desert.

We decide to meet Orrance first and see what the lay of the land is.

Orrance is easy to find, he's the only one in the hotel bar wearing native dress.

He's in the middle of arguing with two (other) British officers.

Orrance is deep in animated conversation,
:"Why not let the the Arabs be, why must we even consider this? The army and navy are overstretched as is, a friendly caliphate will be enough and with the trade this will generate, it will be beneficial for both nations. We might even gain a real ally in the region, something we have never had, and we certainly need those."
:"I say we simply annex and be done with it. The Germans can worry about it afterwards and the French can complain and then buy it from us if we let them!"
The other officer agrees with his friend. Orrance stands up and leaves in disgust. Running straight into us.
:"We..."
:"I know exactly why you're here and what you want. The Arabs have only one thing, and the Privy Council won't have sent you for any other reason. I'll have no truck with you."
and he barges straight past us.

We put in an order for some more deserty clothing (shorts, caps, etc) and decide to head to the Souk.

Now, it's worth mentioning here (mostly because I didn't explain it very well earlier) what we have is the Caliphate who nominally rule over the entire region, and then out in the desert there are the actual Arabs, i.e. Orrance's bros. The Caliphate view the oil as theirs, the Arabs actually live where the oil is, and are the ones who have developed the method to get the stuff out of the ground.

The UK is considering annexing the Arab regions (i.e. Saudi). Orrance is doing his level best to stop this.

Remember just because we're somewhere sandy, the people there aren't all the same.

We ask for directions to the Souk, and in the end are given one of the hotels employees to guide us (he looks to be about 12, his name is Ali). He leads us there, and asks us quite frankly,
:"Why do you want to go there Effendi? I know much nicer places."

We decide there's not much to be risked in telling him we want to meet Ismail. He has no idea who Ismail is. We describe him.

We half expect the kid to go pale, he doesn't, still not the foggiest. We decide against showing him the token.

:''>What is a Souk?''

Basically it's a market where people also congregate and usually drink coffee.

We ask Ali to take us where the coffee house is, it's a dark place, lots of hookahs and private booths, if you've never been to the middle east, think the Star Wars Cantina and you're not far off.

There's no sign of Ismail, we ask Ali if there is another one of these places nearby? No.

We show the guy behind the counter the token. He does go deathly pale. He ushers through some curtains into the backroom.

In the backroom, there's Ismail, looking as fat and cheerful as he did a little while ago, there's also half a dozen familiar faces, one stripey jumper, one accordion and one beret.

It's our French doubles.

Again.

Cruella is very happy about this, the rest of us are not.

Ismail ushers us in, lights the hookah, and starts to explain
:"I understand you all know each other! I have a favour I must ask of you all, I appreciate this meeting is surprise for some of you, but you (meaning us) I beg that you do me the courtesy of hearing me out. You will have seen the old gods in their debased condition as you came into the city, the old gods are not without followers, and it crushes us to see them used so. Sekhmet is still free, and we wish to keep her that way, in the hope that one day, the old gods will rise again. It is in the interests of both your countries that the caliphate cannot the goddess of war to use (that's Sekhmet) as it would make them far, far stronger."
Joan pitches in at this point.
:"This is why we wanted the sword (Excalibur), the caliphate cannot kill the old gods, they do not have the means, the sword is one of the few things that can outright kill them. Were the old gods slain, the caliphate would be weaker."
There are a lot of Egyptian gods and goddesses kicking about and the majority more usefully employed than the above mentioned, for example Sobek is used to regulate the tides and floods of the Nile (this is a big deal), and Sopdet to ensure good harvests every year, also FYI the Egyptians had a deity of lettuce and cocks - really.

Ismail is however horrified by this,
:"You want to kill them? No! Please! The old gods mean much to those of us left, they are symbols, without them, the caliphate is an absolute!"

We are not entirely sure what to do with this information. On the one hand, weakening the caliphate is probably a good thing, on the other, the followers of the old gods include the Arabs and they are very likely to be a source of revolt in the future, which may weaken or indeed overthrow the Caliphate.

(By the way this adventure took place around about the height of the Arab Spring, yup, we were considering...
:>Regime change in the middle east).

Joan can see our confusion and indeed reticence.
:"We are not asking you to make this choice now, but if the Caliphate learn of the sword and your bond to it, they will claim it for themselves, just... keep the thing safe and think about our offer."
Ismail is still horrified.
:"You may provide my brothers and I with arms but... this... this is too much. OUT, get out! You would insult the memory of my entire people and everything around which our hope still gathers, it is disgusting. OUT."
The French leave, likely not wanting to cause a diplomatic incident (and there are an awful lot of people in this market likely to be friendly to Ismail), we don't follow them.

Ismail beseeches us,
:"I heard you were hear and why, we cannot allow the Caliphate to become more powerful certainly, but I thought perhaps you could help us, even ensure Sekhmet remains free, the Arabs I know would thank you for it."

We need to think about this, we tell Ismail this, and leave. Perhaps it would be an idea to speak to try to speak to Orrance again.

Having left the Souk to return to Shepheard hotel, we suddenly realize our guide, (a 12 year old kid called Ali, whom we told to wait for us and ensured this with the promise of a guinea) is nowhere to be seen. Now anon may recall we had told him where we were going and who we wanted to see.

It doesn't seem likely that he'd have gone given how much a guinea would be worth. Unless he had a better offer or was in some kind of trouble.

The purple penguin likes kids. A lot. We feel obligated to look for him.

Remember Cairo is busy, labyrinthine, and confusing at the best of times. How on earth are we going to find him in all this sea of humanity and confusion?

We don't know how things work here, we initially suspect the French on general principles, but it seems unlikely. We also consider other possibilities. Slaves are a thing here, could he have been kidnapped?

:''>The ground shakes a little.''
:>Godzilla?
No. God, yes. Zilla, no.
:"Hey look! It's Ali!"
:"What's he doing? Why is he pissing on that statue and saying those weird things?"

It looks like little Ali was a follower of Babi (God of baboons - Google it) and he did have a better offer.

A huge form swings down from a spectral tree into the square. Think 75 feet of King Kong and you're not far off.

:>Where the fuck did that come from?
We have no idea. Looks like not all of the gods are enslaved.

In a plume of dust, he lands, shattering flagstones and crushing a good number of folk. As what sounds like sirens start (actually prayer calls that served the same purpose), he rises to his full height, beats his chest and looks at us.

We have about five seconds to consider our options:
:1. Leg it?
:2. Kill it?

Legging it will mean a whole lot of people will die before enough troops get here. If we run. It'll likely be enslaved. So what, the Egyptians have plenty gods of dongs?

2. Kill it. We have the only thing in Egypt that we know of that can kill the thing. Do we? It'll draw the interest of everyone in Egypt. Cruella might be disguised but the rest of us are pretty recognizable. We don't know how pissed off Ismail will be.

Now bear in mind that the DM has just explained options 1 and 2 above (along with his caveat of:
:"Or do whatever the fuck you want don't cry to me if you die? Oh and yes I'd love a beer"
he pops his beer and adds,
:"Just FYI for those of you who don't know about Babi, he is one of the many Egyptian gods of Cock (wiki it). You also have five seconds to choose. 1..."
:"Two... It takes a step towards you."
:"Three... it roars again."
:>Oh fuck it. Let's kill it.

I want to add at this stage that I blame the bard for everything.

:>Bard you're up. What are you gonna do?
:"I play an inspiring song!"
:>rollplz
:>It's a one.

:>DM: Ok you shoulder your pipes, take a deep breath and play [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_pTeDz4Zpk Aqua - Barbie girl]

The DM looks this up on his laptop and it plays along through the rest of the combat.

A further little note on weaponry. As you may have noticed we have what we like to call light kit where we leave the heavy weaponry -namely my shotgun and Angus's flamethrower, at our base of operations as these are very conspicuous. In these circumstances I will use pistols and Angus usually uses bad language and a revolver.

What Babi has going for him is some pretty decent agility and fuek hooge regard strength, we are suddenly reminded this thing is 75 odd feet tall. The Navvie has a good go at its ankles, I try and aim for hamstringing it. It's hard to tell but it looks like the wounds we are causing are slowly closing up. Cruella (Burka and all) unsheathes the sword from Angus's back (it being unlady like for her to carry it about) and gives the thing a good whack. It loses a toe. That doesn't seem to be growing back.

Babi definitely notices that and puts all of his attention into squashing the agile little gnat that just chopped his toe off.

The wizard has been busy, he hasn't summoned anything sharp for once, but instead slowly summons, link by link by link, anchor chains. They slowly flow outward from him, it's going to take a while before they reach Babi and do anything to him.

We try to distract him to let Cruella get enough time to land a blow and not get squashed. We are also worried that as she expands energy dodging, this thing is less likely to get tired before she does...

Angus decides to get closer. It's a baboon he reasons. A huge, God of alpha baboons. Therefore a show of dominance should work. He advances. He stands defiantly. Clears his throat, loudly, and spits on it.

We were just pleased he didn't try to fuck it. He does however get some of its attention. Enough that when he beats his chest and (has a go at) roaring he distracts Babi enough for Cruella to start climbing up his leg. Babi then beats his own chest and slowly, carefully, kicks Angus through a wall.

There is a piercing shriek. A shadow passes over us, then another.

Roks. The strike force of the caliphate. They dive bomb Babi, dropping huge nets, flexible, sticky and entangling.

His movements are slowed but similarly as is Cruellas ascent.

He decides he needs to get off the ground. He climbs a minaret, the party follows him to the base of the thing.

The Roks circle and dive bomb.

The bard finally finishes his first song and rolls again.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0cQJ2BPS0 Texas Hippie Coalition: "Turn It Up"]

There isn't much the rest of us can do as he ascends beyond shoot at his eyes or break into the tower and try to get to the top. The wizards chains snake up the thing and snag Babi by the ankle.

Babi is starting to realize he's fucked.

Cruella is on his shoulder. Excalibur in hand. Ready to go for the jugular.
:"I've never killed a God before. You know what this sword can do don't you?"
She shouts into his ear.

The great head turns to look at her. He strains at the nets. The Navvie and I break out onto the balcony, about level with his chin. The roks tear into his back.

Cruella continues:
:"Let go. Be a slave, or die. Now."

Those big dark eyes look very sad for a moment as a God contemplates his own mortality, or to become a slave of mortals.

The great ape lets go. Cruella makes the jump from him to us on the balcony. Just. He nearly flattens Angus and bard.

We watch as he is swarmed by Caliphate troops. Exuberant in having captured another God. We decided to leave before anyone notices the toe.

Hopefully Ismail (if we decide to favour him) won't be too annoyed by us making the best of weird circumstances. At least we didn't kill him.

We decide to retreat to the Shepheard to think. Hopefully before anyone thinks to ask us any awkward questions. We appear to be involved in local politics already but haven't burnt any bridges yet.

We retire to a quiet area in the Shepheard. We decide to check for eavesdroppers and spies (Angus and Cruella finding nothing).

We decide it is time to discuss our plan and position in this strange land.

There are a couple of key questions:
:1. Are the caliphate dicks?
:2. Do we care?
:3. Does Britain care?
:4. How do we use this to our advantage in getting whatever it is that we are here to steal?

:1. Well they aren't very nice to the old gods, but so what? They have different (not necessarily better or worse) customs.
:2. We at this point don't particularly mind. They haven't done anything to us, they aren't our allies and at least they have put all these random deities to work.
:3. Yes. A weak caliphate could be conquered by us. A new regime favourable to us would also be useful. We may not want the oil directly but we want to deny it to the rest of Europe.
:4. Ismail and his brothers include the Arabs. Those same Arabs who have what we want to steal. If we help overthrow or at least damage the caliphate, they should like us.

The bard makes the case for the purple penguin.

:"The people here are unhappy. They are poor. Dirty. Downtrodden. They have a caste system and no hope."
The rejoinder is:
:"Would changing who is on top alter this? Would British rule make it any better? They might be under the heel of our government but they would all equally be so."

A new regime especially sympathetic to us would be useful however...

:>What about the French?
Well what about them? Are they necessarily even on our side?

It seems wise then, to approach Orrance again, hopefully he won't just tell us to fuck off this time. He and a group of his most loyal followers have camped near the pyramids.

We get another guide (this one we are tempted to shoot on sight) and head toward the pyramids.

There is a cluster of bedouin tents and camels, meaning we're probably in the right place.

:>Camels
I just want to add, as an anon that spent some time in actual Arabia, and for those anons that haven't been near one. The camels of Britbongsteros are EXACTLY like real camels. They (unlike everything else) have not been turned up to 11.
:>Camels. Are. Dicks.

We approach the camp. We pass a herd of camels on our way in. One has a couple of spots on its hump. It gobs on Angus. Angus spits back. It bites Angus.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJk0HW_hJw Whitesnake, is this love?]

Angus bites it back.

We separate the two, I lose a chunk of beard in the process.

As we approach the guards, they chuckle and and ask us what we want?
:"We are here to see Orrance."
(DM cannot do anything close to an Arabian accent without it sounding like Team America and I am not going to either)
:"He's not seeing anyone."
:''>We are slightly stumped by this.''
:"Why not?"
:"He's not here"
:"Oh."
:"Where is Orrance?"
:"He went to... wait a minute why should we tell you?"
This is actually an exceptionally good point. Why should they tell us?

We're not exactly well known, Orrance doesn't really like us anyway, so...
:''>The Navvie hands over the token of Sekhmet''
The guards have a look at it, adjust their thawbs. Ponder it.
:"What are we meant to do with this thing? I'll give you half a dinari for it? It's kinda nice."
We've killed gods, queens, necromancers, and now, we are absolutely stumped by some chaps wearing bed sheets.

By the clock (i.e. Horus) it's getting toward the late afternoon, in the heat things shimmer in the distance, the stark contrast of sand and sky makes it hard to concentrate.

This shouldn't be such an issue, but (and the DM is punishing us for being dim I think) it is.
:"Will he be back tonight. Can we wait for him?"
They tell us we can, and we settle into as much shade as we can find. We get a useful opportunity to observe the Arabs as they camp, most remain in tents, others tend to animals, they are nomadic so it seems, or at least these are.

What they definitely do not seem like, is a technological people. They do however have a seeming mastery of Djinn, camels (more threatening than you'd think), and that Sphinx we saw earlier seems to be something to do with them as well.

Orrance arrives about sunset, looking very tired. He spots us, and directs his camel in our direction.
:"What on earth do you lot want? I thought I told you all to bugger off last time."

No one actually seems to have thought about what we were going to say, or how we were going to convince him other than to tell us to get lost. We would rather avoid that and so the Navvie decides to have a go at convincing him.

The Navvie speaks. He isn't the most social of characters but he is sincere. That is actually quite useful.
:"If you want us to help, show us why we should? There is the political situation here, which you are obviously involved in, somehow, and the situation in Arabia. Why should we help you and why should we go to the effort of trying to without knowing why?"

Orrance mulls this over and decides this actually makes a fair amount of sense. He might have gone native but he is still British and a servant of the crown.
:"Alright. Come to my tent, we can discuss there."

So under the high moon, pyramids casting long angular shadows on silver sand, we join him.

We know Orrance is pro Arab, and the Arabs are big fans of the old gods as far as we know. Therefore the (OOC) decision is made not to bring up Excalibur with him. The issue is, that we had that discussion in front of the DM.

So when we sit down, who is serving tea? It's little Ali, the monkey summoning bastard from earlier.

:''>fuck you DM''

Ali whispers to Orrance.
:"So I hear you have Excalibur with you..."

Well then, we might as well own up. Yes. Yes we do.

Cruella looks ready to decapitate anyone who tries to take it off her, Orrance just sits and smiles.

:"You know just how much the Caliphate would want that? They'd rather the old gods were dead than serving as essentially unkillable symbols to those who might resist them. If I were you, I would keep it out of their hands. However, if you have brought that thing with you, you might as well do me a favour and I might do one for you. Tell me what you want first..."

:>We explain the following:
:1. We have nothing against the Arabs. (Not entirely true, we want to steal their shit)
:2. Britain wants a weak caliphate, but also access to the oil. (We do not mention we want to steal the process of extracting it, whatever it is, just learn where it comes from)
:3. The French support the Caliphate in wanting the old gods dead.

:>Conclusion: It looks like we want to work with Ismail and co., or at least weaken the caliphate, either through stealing stuff, helping the Arabs and old Gods, or both.

:>What does Orrance want?
It appears the Caliphate have found something under one of the pyramids. Something they believe could sap the magic from the old gods and the world itself. Somehow that sounds really familiar.

Orrance knows we solve problems and are very good at covert(ish) ops.

Therefore, whatever it is, he wants it wrecked.

Also, have my favourite maiden song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwLtyvGdNbc Iron Maiden - The Clansman]

Orrance has a plan, he and some picked men will create a distraction opposite the pyramid, meanwhile the rest of us (disguised as locals as best we can) just trot down into the dig site and wreck shit. Simple. Possibly.

So, borrowing some native outfits (thaubs) and camels (Angus is given one that looks really, really familiar, it has some spots on the hump) we set off into the night. Given the possibility we might murder Ali, we are pleased to meet our new guide, who doesn't really do much other than point our way.

We wait behind some dunes. Well most of us do. Angus and the camel seem to have made friends and are sharing belts from his hip flask.

We wait.

Now you all know what a sphinx is I assume. A djinn in Britbongsteros looks like a genie. Male or female, and magical in some way.

We are very impressed to see the sphinx in the distance. Things get more exciting as a fireball shoots over the thing's head, the sphinx replies violently, as do the other djinn, there is a sheet of lightning, it starts to rain amphibians and generally things are very pyrotechnic.

The DM hints (via guide - who will remain with the camels) that this might be our distraction...

While the apocalyptic (pretend) battle thunders in the distance, we enter the dig site. There don't seem to be any people around the entrance, but there is the usual fare of torches on pillars and scarabs carved on things.

In one room we pass through what looks like a very large stone block has landed on a huge quantity of jam which has dried into the floor.

We consider this.

We suddenly realize this is a trap which has been triggered and is what happens if you drop a big stone block on a lot of people.

We reason we are unlikely to walk into anything that hasn't already been triggered, but it is a weird feeling walking through another party's dungeon if you see what I mean.

It's only I think about that last sentence do I realize we actually saw a "rocks fall and everyone dies" and survived.

There are some other signs of old violence. None of it essentially creepy, just interesting. Missing statues surrounded by bullet holes in walls (as though they had come to life and been shot at) a very large pit, crossed by what seems to be an invisible bridge (actually a very smart optical illusion), but now it has warning signs, a rope, and someone has helpfully covered the bridge with sand.

The feeling of someone else's dungeon intensifies as we descend lower. We can no longer hear the fight above us, but we can definitely hear one in front of us.

There is gunfire and something heavier, a rhythmic heavy thudding, which is building to a pulsing. We get closer. Readying ourselves. We reckon whatever it is, it is around the next corner. That's when we hear it. That fateful fucking sound.
:>Accordion music
What is round the corner?

The room is large. As big as Westminster Abbey, seven great pillars within, some standing, some not. The firefight is intense as from the opposite side of the room flow a quantity of shadowy creatures we can't quite make out, they're too big to be human. On one side of the room are a large number of caliphate troops with some very recognizably German uniforms amongst them. In the center of the room sits a weird looking eldritch device, with a great big toe sitting in the middle of an actinic blue field (it's Babi's toe). On the other side of the device are a group of six recognizably French adventurers, including one playing the accordion. It seems like the French interrupted the Germans while whatever the fuck the other things are have crashed the party.

:>What would Purple Penguin do?

The shadowy things seem to be slaughtering the Caliphate troops with what look like glowing swords and... whips? We can't really tell. They are advancing on the French too. The accordion playing stops as the French bard is split in two from forehead to groin.

The purple penguin doesn't like death, but it also hates accordion music. However, we join in on the side of humanity. Something tells us what ever the other things are, they are probably not nuns.

A new music replaces the accordion. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMyMS-p9YW0 Iron Maiden- The Trooper (HD with Lyrics)]

I should really describe the rest of the French Party

:Joan D'arc is easy enough.
:The short angry dwarf woman with a rotary flail.
:A nun who seems to be able to levitate things.
:A kobold with an ice gun,
:A navvie type who is a big lumberjack with an axe,
:The now deceased stripey jumper-ed accordion playing beret-ed bard.

By the time we start to engage, moving directly between the two parties (Germans and French), we are starting to see the critters a bit more clearly. They sure don't look human. Six limbs, big ridged heads with crests like a triceratops, if you squint a bit they... aliens. Bastard sodding aliens. A different type than our friends at the North Pole, but similar enough in the same way you can tell a gorilla and a chimp are cousins.

We note as we move to the center of the room that there are big thick iron clad pipes running from the machine with the toe through to where the aliens are coming from.

We don't concentrate on the "why?" At this stage. More the fuckingkillthemall!

Like the ones we met earlier, we discover they respond well to being shot, stabbed, and various other things. The Germans are falling and the French are losing ground, the one with the axe disappearing into a pile of aliens, we haven't seen the nun in a bit either.

The fight with the aliens is intense. The the French are not left with many of their original party, and there's scant few Germans left. The six of us are relatively unharmed barring some minor injuries (suck it we are PCs!). We look out on the still crackling pile of bodies and then back at the toe. Someone has some explaining to do.

We try to tend to the wounds of those still alive. There are not many. Joan is one of them. We ask her
:"What were you doing here?"
:"We tried to stop them, they used the toe to open..." She falls unconscious. The kobold follows on for her.
:"There is something down here that could alter the balance of power in the world, we came to try to take it, or at least destroy what was down here."
:"And we," the leader of the Germans, a huge man of a bear, or bear of a man, take your pick he's half and half, "had things entirely under control."
He continues
:"We knew you had accessed something similar at the north pole" (again I'm not even going to try a German accent) "and with the consent of the Caliphate, we sought to open what was here. We have done so. We will claim what lies within."
He has been looking around the room, and is starting to realize we may not outnumber him, we could definitely stop him doing anything we didn't want.

Obviously we need to stop whatever is down that hallway or who knows what will spill out.

We can't really leave the Germans alive with the French, there aren't enough of the latter to subdue the former. We could just kill them, which the purple penguin would not approve of. We could also try to take them with us...

The caliphate troops are seemingly easily cowed, and we think we are safe to leave them behind. The four surviving Germans we decide are large enough a threat to be worth taking along.

We ask (regarding the toe) "Can we shut that thing off?"
The wizard looks it over, while we are told "not safely" and the wizard seems to agree with this.

We split up, a line of three of us, them in the middle and three behind and we proceed down the tunnel. We don't get far, (I should add that the doorway was what the toe seemed to be connected to, what is further on hasn't been investigated yet) before we come to what look like sarcophagi. Lots of them. Investigation reveals... That they are. The mummies within don't seem very inclined to try and eat us, but it does give us a moment to take stock.

:>What do we know about these aliens?
They seem markedly different to the ones we fought. They don't seem to exhibit any of the mind bullets or other weirdness. They just straight up murderise people. From what we remember (those of us who were under alien influence and from the recording) there were two warring species on Mars. The north pole ones and the others. These ones.

We got the impression the North Martians (as I'm going to call them) had been losing when they sent the ship that we found. We don't know if they were still losing now. Either way, Martians are dicks.

One other thing we realize, if there is a ship down here then it's been here a very long time too. We creep forward, half expecting to be rushed any second. Instead things seem very quiet. If we didn't know better this tomb might have been undisturbed for thousands of years.

This feels more than a little strange, nothing has gone "ULLA" nothing is floating. We do not trust this.

They aren't invisible, they aren't psychic, they were definitely here...

It's about then that one of the bears explodes.

Well he doesn't so much explode as... change... Into one of the aliens. His body shifting, bones cracking, skin splitting, a green glow emanating from his hand as the beginnings of an energy sword starts to form.

We don't wait for him to finish. We obliterate him.

:"What the hell is going on?"
The largest of the bears pokes the remains with his boot.
:"Poor Hans. I thought this might happen."
:"You what?"
:"The device down here is said to turn men into beings of power, we thought it meant the ability you discovered at the pole, to destroy or nullify magic. Clearly the translation was more literal than that. We opened the door and sent 40 natives in to search for traps. We are not nimble creatures as you can see. Shortly afterwards we were attacked from both sides... If this device can change men, then either it does so as an infection or the closer we get, the more dangerous it becomes... I would advise you watch your comrades closely."

We all, each and every one of us, have been scratched, cut, or have some form of open wound, we all are getting closer to whatever the thing is. Hans wasn't the most wounded, nor was he closest. He seemed fine until exploding.

We realize that the forty odd aliens we fought were the forty odd natives. We start to wonder, was it one cut finger? Someone must have powered the thing up... or... flipped it on somehow. We establish that the bears (I felt a bit bad calling them Germans) have no idea what we are looking for. So in the light of the torches we push on, past sarcophagus after sarcophagus.

Something new happens, we come to the first open sarcophagus. We examine it. It looks to have been broken open from within. Shiiiiiiiiiit.

From up ahead there is a thump. Then another. We take cover. The sarcophagus falls open. And seemingly oblivious, the mummy within begins to walk in the direction we are heading. Deeper into the tomb. Another breaks out next to the wizard and walks straight past him. It walks around Angus when he experimentally interposes himself in its path.

We decide to follow them, there is a faint red glow ahead now and there are a number of mummies shambling ahead and behind us. The wizard senses no magic.

The red glow is enough to see by at this stage. We extinguish the torches. Carefully pushing forwards. No one is showing signs of going weird yet but neither did Hans. We enter another chamber. There is a mass of mummies slowly milling around the source of the glow. We watch as one, then another are lifted off the ground by what looks a lot like a tentacle. What little viable biological material left is (we surmise) removed from it. It is then tossed aside.

:''>ok fuck learning. Fuck all of this. DM what ever carefully planned thing you have, fuck it. We are going to burn it. Then take off and nuke the site from orbit.''

We don't want to give our presence away quite yet, so Angus extinguishes the pilot light and settles for dousing the mummies with fuel. Mummies burn good, it's all the wrapping and general dryness. Then we light a torch and toss it into the room before ducking out of sight. There is a very impressive whoomph noise and we can feel the heat even from here. We decide to give it five minutes to see what happens then investigate. Angus reports he does not have a great deal of fuel left.

We can't tell if the red glow is what was there before or just fire. We investigate carefully. There are a lot of burning mummies, or remains of, on the ground. In the center of the room sits a black and red shiny looking device, about the size of a bowling ball. If it's going to be anything, it's going to be that. Now, we have no explosives, we can't retreat and fetch some (Who knows who might come looking), we could just shoot it, or give it a whack with Excalibur... Blunt force trauma via hammer or maybe just wizard something at it.

As the flames die down, we begin to see what happened to the natives, the thing still glows, and we wonder if someone might have touched it, it seems quite alluring if you don't know what it can do. The wizard summons a nice big lead block, in the shape of a hemisphere, then a second. The ball lets itself be scooped up into the container. Feeling a bit more confident. We approach it. Angus welds our crude radiation shield closed.

Experimentally, the Navvie, with all of our guns trained on him, picks the thing up.
:>"Hello it's very dark in here..."
:>AAAAAAAHFUCKFUCKFUCKITALKS
The Navvie promptly drops the thing as though he has been stung. The Chief Bear seems quite impressed.
:"So this is it, an alien device sealed down here by Horus himself, locked away with the bodies of a thousand of his most devote followers to serve as a warning to others and to stand guard over it."

:>Britbongsteros and the bowling ball of doom

The wizard is meant to know about this shit so he gets shoved forward. I can't believe we are about ten threads in and we haven't discussed this. The wizard is a tcheuter (Google it) and sounds like [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0TXmWlSPLE this]. If you imagine everything that follows in this guys voice, anon will get the full impact. I will post it in Aberdonian and a translation can be provided if requested

While the song is about Angus, the accent is wizard. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLf615sCfDE Evil Scotsman With Lyrics]

:"Aye baw fit do ye want?"
:"What? I am Antrygos the annihilator!"
:"Och ats good, but whit are ye aboot?"
:"I am here to stop the unbelievers, they are here to increase their numbers and..."
:"De ye mean the wans whae winted to shag this lass?" (He points to Cruella. Note that bowling ball has no eyes, is also encased in lead)
:"The breeding unit?" (The DM makes a very odd noise, it later emerges this is because someone kicked his shin under the table)
:"Onywae whit are you doing here and hoo dae wae kill ye?"
:"What? You cannot kill me! I..."
We hear running feet, we are presented with a conundrum. The Caliphate will take this thing off us, and we don't want that. The bears will tell them about it....

The purple penguin would not be happy of we killed them, so we talk.
:"Alright, do you agree this thing is dangerous?"
:"Yes."
:"Do you also agree that it is better contained than released?"
:"Yes."
:"Do you agree that it is better in our hands than theirs?"
:"Yes."
We take the ball and chief bear, being a bear of honour, gives a salute and nod.

We leg it.

By the time we left, the French had actually also legged it, at some point having released the Caliphate troops, now swarming the area.

Avoiding the caliphate troops by hiding amongst the sarcophagi. We return to Orrance and tell him what we found. He is understandably pleased about the result but when we show him Antrygos (the bowling ball) he is amazed by the thing, especially when it talks.

We wonder what the hell are we going to do with it. As we discuss, Antrygos interrupts every so often with "UNHAND ME" or "RELEASE ME PUNY EARTHLING SO I CAN FEAST ON YOU"

We can't immediately destroy him, and he might be useful to the Privy Council. We settle on taking him to the dreadnowt and sealing him in a safe so we can do something with him when we have time.

So with Antrygos safely stored away (which took some time in game, but not much happened aside from explaining to Captain DM exactly what the chatty bowling ball of death was about) Cap'n DM was not exactly pleased to have him aboard, but there was little else to be done - we could hardly chuck him in the sea - that'd just be not environmentally friendly and mutant alien tuna didn't sound good.

What comes next is a return to Orrance, who seems better disposed toward us than previously. He agrees that he will take us into Araby on the condition that we help him further.

As we know, the Caliphate has enslaved the old Gods but would rather they were dead. Ismail's group would rather they were alive and free. If we manage to steal the process of extracting the oil, Britain doesn't really mind what happens to the Caliphate or the area if we already have oil, however, having a sympathetic regime that is less inclined to provide oil to other powers seems like a good idea.

That regime we decide is more likely to be Ismail and Orrance's.

What the further task is, is to release Horus.

:>A brief note on the Egyptian gods.
:>What were they all doing beforehand? Well as we know in Britbongsteros, magic is a peculiar quantity and the aliens did something to nullify it. This stopped being a thing about 1497.

How do we know it was 1497?

Because suddenly dragons, orcs, and cthulu.

This also meant Horus and co. suddenly materialize again with hardly any worshipers (God food), and very little idea of what is going on.

Think of it like this, if you have ever been blackout drunk, you're still you, you just don't record memories of the time when you were drunk. You just stumble around and drunk dial your ex. The old gods are all into the second bottle of tequila.

:>Where's Jesus then?
Jesus was (apparently) a person.
:>Ok where's God?
Well actually this came up in a discussion the party had. I forget when but it was the Wizard who brought it up. Being a monotheistic sky God, who wasn't very big on appearing in person, he hasn't really shown up and is too busy fighting the other similar gods somewhere else. So no God. This doesn't stop the church existing however, as you all already know.

I'm sure holes can be poked in the theology but that's what we went with.

:>what do we know about Horus?
Well he is chained up on the banks of the Nile and currently serving as a clock.
:>What will freeing him do?
He can escape into the desert and give hope to Ismail's folk, he can also lead an army to overthrow the caliphate. In 1497 he didn't have many worshipers, now he has more, not many, but enough, enough he is starting to sober up... He is probably the best chance they have, especially if he can free other gods.

Of course we might be CIA'ing the situation (which, for one, this is what always happens when you touch middle eastern politics...), but if required, a European power could still put down enough ordinance to splat him, and fuck it, if we get our own oil (via the process) then we don't really give a shit anyway. Also you never know, being owed a favour by a god might be nice. Especially if there really are aliens coming...

Anyway, that also covers a good deal of in character discussion.

We decide the best thing to do, is go with Orrance to have a look at Horus and see what exactly the situation is. We wait for morning and head out.

The trip is uneventful (Angus and that camel are getting really friendly though). Horus is bounded by chains made of what looks like cold iron, he couldn't break them no matter how strong he was. He is on his back, the caliphate have apparently tried everything they can think of to kill him judging by the way the earth around him is stained a deep dark black of old blood. He is not in a good way. We arrive about 07:58 and so are in good time to see the crew of slaves beating something which is stoking a fire and the red hot bars being drawn out. What they are beating is Babi, it seems like he has lost a lot of faith (worshipers),is a good bit smaller (still 30ft tall), and is not enjoying his existence. Poor bastard looks miserable.

You could even say he looks a little flaccid. Anyway we are there as Horus screams the hour (well, just screams really, but it's at about 08:00:05).

We decide getting too close (particularly with Excalibur) is a bad idea. So we retreat back to the Souk to meet Ismail and plot (also we just quite like Ismail and wanted to see him again).

Ismail is pleased to see us, and even more pleased that we didn't turn out to be dicks. He is thrilled with our goal, but beyond providing local knowledge, he isn't sure what he can do to help.

We go round the group for suggestions:
:Bard: "We need to break the chains. Could we use explosives?"
:Angus: "The thermic lance probably won't work. Also, explosives might... if it was directed, it just might... We know from previous experience that enough dakka can kill a god, so we will have to be careful."
:Wizard: "Chains are cold iron that I didn't create, fuck all I can do. The dreadnowt (our pet battleship) might have some spare."
:Cruella "So we are going to blow up a god, but only slightly? I wonder if Babi could help? Can we free him too? He looked so sad..."
:Rest of group: "So you will happily murder anything that is human, but if it's fluffy then we should be nice to it?"
:Cruella: "He might be useful, also yes."
:"Wasn't he going to kill us all?"
:"Oh shush. For once I want to be nice, and I got him into this..."

Ok so now we are freeing both.

If I forgot to mention it, they only make him scream during the hours of daylight, and that does makes it hard to sleep in (keeping everybody productive). This also means it's pretty much just him and Babi at night Ismail informs us. There are guards but not many, and they are easily bribed or distracted. His faction haven't had any means to break the chains and don't want to draw unnecessary attention to themselves without definitely knowing they could free Horus.

Ismail tells us Babi is bound by smaller chains, and because he was missing a toe when he was captured, has been quite extensively mutilated (The reasoning being, if he was missing a bit, then surely they could ensure he misses some more bits). The toe hasn't grown back, and even if he is slowly healing from his other wounds, pain is still pain.

We travel to the dreadnowt (not exactly far) and pleasingly it seems all is normal aboard (at least no one has turned into anything they shouldn't have...). We acquire (after Angus, Wizard and I have a chat) a couple of shells from the main battery. They are armour piercing and fucking heavy. They should do the job.
:"How are we going to set them off?" Asks the Navvie as he picks them up easily.
That is a very good question. The wizard seems to think, however, he can direct something like a coin or hammer with enough force to set off the smaller ignition charges and those will do the rest.

We return at night and have another look. The Caliphate really don't seem to post many guards, but we can see about two dozen by the light of their torches. That doesn't seem like many given that someone must've mentioned the raid on the pyramids the other night. It is possible the bears didn't talk about it (they seemed to get our point), but some of the infantry must've... Also y'know sphinx and djinn playfighting...

We use the cover of darkness to sneak closer, the area Horus is in is essentially a waste ground with slum type buildings at either side and the Nile a short distance from his feet.

We go for the Nile side. There are even less guards here....
:>DM, this wouldn't be a trap would it?
:>Why on earth would you think that?
:>Well maybe because you're pure evil as DMs go....
:>Of course it isn't a trap...
It's a trap.

The first thing we notice is Babi sniffing the air. He looks right at us.
:"Ook?"
Cruella makes a shushing motion, he waves backwards at us. He might be an ape but the gesture of "no! Run!" is pretty clear.

Of course it's also enough to spring the trap as anyone watching him knows that something has been spotted.

A tiny djinn rises into the sky like a flare, making the whole area glow like daylight as the Nile behind us loses its stillness.

:Wikipedia:
:The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is an African crocodile and the second largest extant reptile in the world, after the saltwater crocodile.
:On average the Nile crocodile is between 4.1 metres (13 ft) to 5 metres (16 ft), weighing around 410 kg (900 lb). However, specimens measuring 6.1 metres (20 ft) in length and weighing 907 kg (2,000 lb) have been recorded. They have thick scaly skin that is heavily armored.

:>Now add Britbongsteros.

They're bigger than the wiki implies. Much. The eyes glow red indicating something magical going on (Tiny djinn implanted in their brains).

And then if you recall Sobek was one of the enslaved Gods.

:>Shit! Run!
Except of course
:"Smaller specimens can gallop, and even larger crocodiles are capable of surprising bursts of speed"

There is no plan. The Navvie hefts the shells and runs like a rugby player with them in the direction of Horus. The wizard as the other part of the demo team Rincewinds after him.

With about ten seconds before engagement, the rest of us prepare to stand our ground.

This is the first time we have ever faced anything truly heavily armoured. I've got solid slugs, Cruella has Excalibur, the purple penguin has disapproving looks, and Angus has a thermic lance, we should be fine...

In the stark light of the flare/djinn in the heart of an ancient civilization, the city wakes to a new sound. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayjVxUC2qDE Sabaton - Panzer Battalion + Lyrics] (on the bagpipes of course).

The Navvie (unbeknownst to us) makes a detour. Stopping at Babi. Babi is manacled hand and foot with decent sized chains (nowhere near the foot across links used on Horus). The Navvie gestures for Babi to lay his wrist chains on the anvil used to fashion the iron bars (which after use on Horus get recycled into bayonets).
:"Ook?"
The wizard conjures a spike of the hardest alloy he knows of and the Navvie brings that hammer down.
:"Ook!"
He does it again on the second set of chains.
:"OOK!"

Meanwhile, we prepare to meet the crocs. Angus quite rightly suspects fire is not going to do much, but the lance definitely will. I try firing on the closest, it seems to slow it down, but not a great deal else. Cruella prepares to leap.

They get closer. Angus fencing with one with the lance, carving bits off, but it does not seem to feel pain. I get some critical hits as one roars (a couple dozen solid slugs down its gullet kills it very dead). Cruella gets on top of one and sticks Excalibur through its brain. It doesn't seem to really notice and keeps trying to eat me.

It's about now that Babi sweeps into them. Picking up one croc and using it as a bludgeon on the others.

Further up the body of Horus, Navvie and wizard come under fire. Horus grunts as everything that misses them hits him. They are pinned down somewhere near his hand, about twenty feet from the chains across his chest. The wizard has some small influence over bullets and the Navvie makes a run for it, slamming the shells in between the links of the chains and taking cover in Horus's armpit (there are no atheists in foxholes as the saying goes). The wizard redirects the suppressing fire and, well, the Dreadnowt has some really big guns because when the smoke clears a very big chunk of Horus is missing and the chains are broken.

Horus with his arms now free, and a hole in his side you could parallel park in, sits up. He rips the chain around his neck from the ground and the chains around his legs follow suit.

The bard by now has switched songs [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nba3Tr_GLZU Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark] and alarms go off across the city. Horus, rising against the moon, looking bigger, weirder, and frankly more pissed off than anything we have seen yet.
:"Thank you mortals."
He stoops and picks up Babi by the scruff of the neck and sets off in the direction of Anubis. Babi carries the last remaining croc with him having subdued (concussed) his new friend.

:>The old gods return.

Well say what you like about us, but as we watch Horus's broad back retreat into the moonlight, the Purple Penguin sensibly reminds us that "Holy fuck, leg it."

We make for the Souk where Orrance and Ismail seem quite pleased with us. Orrance has a map of the country spread out and Ismail is assisting. The place is a tumult of activity. We decide to settle in and try to get some sleep. See what the morning brings as no one seems in the mood to take us out into the desert yet.

Every so often we can hear bangs and what sound like explosions in the city. It sounds like in the traditional of PCs, we fucked shit up good.

We awake on a new day, and look out into the city as breakfast is being prepared. Quite a lot of it is on fire or wrecked.
:>oops.
It also seems like the Caliphate is in total disarray. Ismail is happy with Orrance in charge, so our fat happy merchant friend will guide us out into the deserts of Araby. We have a couple hours to make ready and are assisted with supplies and camels (Angus gets his favourite again).

We are lead through the backstreets and circled round what sounds like full on magical civil war.

We are starting to realize, that our actions last night killed an awful lot of people indirectly.

We should, and do, feel bad about this.

We set off into the desert eventually. Making camp beneath the stars, watching the moon rise, it is incredibly peaceful, relaxing almost. For the first few days anyway.

Have some mood music: it's a bit different to the usual metal but seemed fitting [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldeWzNtgtsk Arabic Music - The Desert Lounge Vol IV]

Ok point one. Fuck me is it hot. We knew it was the desert but my god, it is getting hot in the day and beyond cold at night. Ismail seems to know where he's going, and we trot along after him. Days one and two are uneventful. Day 3 we come to an oasis, refilling canteens and camels, all feels pretty good. Day 4 we start to pass from rocky desert into dunes, mile, after mile, after mile of dunes.

It's hot, it's a dry heat, each day the sun makes this slow ascent, seemingly higher in the sky than the last, lips become chapped, even in our thaubs (we kept the disguises) we roast. Ismail is starting to look unhappy on day 5. Consulting the map, checking the sky.

We haven't seen anything fly over since Day 3.

:Day 6 is uneventful, but hotter and hotter.
:Day 7 - "Ismail, are we nearly there yet?"
:"Tomorrow I promise, effendi."
:Day 8 - "Where the fuck are we ismail? The camels are starting to complain, getting grumpier. Angus is sunburnt to fuck."
:Day 9 - "Ismail, are we lost?"
:"No effendi it can't be far now..."
:Day 10 - Ismail's camel drops dead.

:>DM, just for ONCE can we go somewhere and not... hang on... Camels take six or seven MONTHS to dehydrate.
:>Come to think of it, we're all a bit more dehydrated than we should be, and the rest of the camels are looking peaky.

Ismail gamely walks along with us, insisting he's ok, and no he doesn't want to share a camel with someone, he is burning his feet on the sand. He drops too. He sure seems to have lost a lot of weight when the Navvie picks him up.

We are starting to suspect something is wrong here.

We were already on alert for Djinn and mirages or zombie French foreign legion, but we didn't expect the DM to make a play like this.

:>By the purple penguin it is fucking hot.

We decide to make camp in a wadi and study Ismail's map. We may not have any idea where the fuck we are, but we might as well try and work it out. We don't want to end like this. Lost in the desert, dehydrated husks with no one to tell our stories.

With night first comes blessed cool, we drink water, the water skins aren't doing very well, neither is based Ismail.

We estimate we have a couple days at best. We are lost as fuck.

:>Has anyone got any bright ideas?

We try to make condensers, it doesn't work very well. We know in the morning we should head east. The DM starts to make us roll every so often. What for he won't say. No one seems to fail, but as we traipse on, losing my camel, then Cruella's, then the Navvie's, each seeming mysteriously drained dry we...

The wizard drops.

We can just carry Ismail, and we can just about carry the wizard too. One more, and that's it.

The DM has chucked us in at the deep end (Quicksand?) with this one.

We agree to try to head east. Our progress slower and slower with each dead camel. Finally, we are left with Angus's camel with the weakest members of the party on her back.
:>Why are the camels dying?
We don't know... we are fucked...
:>A spot, a spot on the horizon... it's... is that green?

We get closer, and closer, it has to be a mirage,

Feet rise and fall, each step slower than the last, chapped lips would bleed, but we are too dehydrated. The sun is getting higher, hotter. We walk, a slow steady, lung burning mantra of
:"Fuck it's hot" right step
:"Fuck you DM" left step
:"Fuck it's hot" right step
:"Fuck you DM" left step
The green dot isn't going away... it is getting bigger...

We can see palm trees. Holy fuck it is an oasis.

What's that funny flappy thing?

:>A caliphate flag

We decide to finish the waterskins, each and every last one, every drop, pouring some into Ismail and Wizard in the hope they'll be able to help.

The last one isn't full of water. It's full of sand and a note.
:>Camels poisoned. Ali.
:>I fucking hate this kid.

We wait in the scorching oven of the desert for nightfall, assessing the caliphate presence. We are literally yards from salvation, between us are two platoons of Caliphate soldiers.

Ordinarily, for us, at this level, no fucking trouble.

Dehydrated and half dead? More than a deadly challenge.

:>Plans?
:>Surrender? The Purple Penguin spits upon you for your cowardice.
:>CHARGE! Might work...
:>Make as much noise and violence as possible when they're sleeping and see what happens?

We watch them bed down for the night. Dry lips chafing at that cool clear water. The Camel huffs, sniffing water on the air. Angus fluffs his roll to control her. She gets away from us and barrels into the camp.

We decide that this is our best hope of a distraction.

:>Flamethrowers are amazing at crowd control
:>As are gatling shotguns

Bard does his best as well: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnn47V09Q2M Slayer Raining Blood] (Hilariously apt DM, thanks)

The Caliphate troops break and run. In the burning camp, as palm trees go up like torches, as the wounded scream and burn, silhouetted in the darkness is one camel drinking her fill very happily. We do the same.

In the confusion it appears some of the caliphate troops were either too dead to use them, or too busy running, and their camels legged it, they start to wander back over the next 24 hours.

Everyone's starting to feel better, we don't know what Ali used on the camels but we have a feeling he used the same stuff on a couple of the waterskins, but the symptoms are starting to leave us now. We rest up a bit, keeping careful watch on the dunes for Caliphate reprisals.

We also find in the camp maps which seem to imply we are, at worst, a day or two from where we need to be.

We head onwards after resting up, we start seeing signs of Arab habitation, it appears what we met was a Caliphate forward patrol, one which was deep in enemy territory as it were. The dunes start to give way to scrub, we aren't far from the coast as far as we can tell now. Then we mount a dune, and there, in all it's blue watery gorgeousness, is the sea.

We prepare for the next part of our adventure, onward to the oil, and to steal the process of extracting it.

After getting lost (very lost) and our nearly dying of dehydration, we are on the gulf of Aqaba, we travel up the coast and round, down to Medina (it takes about five more days doing this but we don't die). We meet more and more Arabs, they are friendly, especially when Ismail tells them about what we have been up to. They seem pretty bro-tier all round. Each night we stay with a different camp, hanging out and generally making friends. Medina has some foreign influence, especially British but we head out from there and on to somewhere between Hafir al batin and Buradyh.

We start to see Djinn again and things are very deserty.

The oil fields at last. We meet camel trains carrying barrels full of the stuff to the coast, we are so close. After all this weirdness, things have taken on an almost unreal quality.

We see a geyser of black gold spurt into the sky. Whatever they are doing it clearly works. We crest a dune and see just how it works.

There are human shapes chained up on the desert floor. A man casts an incantation of some sort over the body of one bound and gagged victim and blood flows from him, a lot of it, all of it. Draining into the sand.

Seconds later from beneath the corpse, oil bubbles, then flows, then gushes.
:>aaaaaaaw fuck.

:"Ismail... dude... did you know about this?"
:"Of course I did. We only use people who volunteer."
:"What do you mean volunteer?"
:"Well they are mostly slaves really, their owners volunteer them and..."
:>The purple penguin is starting to froth at the mouth
:"Ok, who is that priest guy?"
:"That would be one of the cult, they don't follow the old gods. They are very good at doing this magic though are they not, effendi?"

Ok. Huddle up.
:1. We need that process.
:2. Fuck this cult.
:3. If we (ok wizard) can learn whatever the fuck it is, maybe we can reverse engineer it and make it less murdery.

:"Ismail, we would like to meet one of the priests please."
Ismail is extremely happy to arrange this. He suggests we take a goat.

The priests reside in an old fortress nearby. Ismail merrily gives exposition on who they are.
:>The priests of (I can't post the Arabic characters in text but it's pronounced Daem, which, delightfully, is Arabic for blood) (yay!) They were kicked out of the caliphate for being too extreme and generally weird, practicing magic that was forbidden and entirely unholy. They were welcomed by the Arabs who are actually just nice guys, and they took them in as down on their luck folks without realizing what these guys were about.
:Then the oil happened and the Cult of Daem got to be very wealthy, they don't care about influence or power, just the occasional blood sacrifice or virgin here and there.
:There are about sixty of them, and every so often they tap wells like this.

It seems like chopping the cult out is not a bad idea. We are sorely tempted to just go full on murder hobo, but we also need to learn from them.

So we need to make friends, then kill all of them.

:Step 1, acquire goat.
This is done easily enough.
:Step 2. Wait a minute, does anyone speak Arabic?
Ismail, and possibly the penguin.

Ok....do we trust Ismail to translate?

We think so. He seems nice enough.

:Step 3. Acquire favour within the cult.
This third step is likely to require the wizard doing something we really do not like. But with the fleet back home damaged, and landcruisers needing fuel, Britbongsteros needs this stuff.

Have some more mood music seeing as anon liked it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oYCaaZYG-k Chillout Arabian Lost In The Desert]

We have our objectives. As we are discussing, we see that the cultist and those with him are going to pass pretty close to us. We get our first look at what we are up against up close. Black robes are a given, trimmed with red, a belt made of finger bones, and a staff with a skull on top. We can't see his face for mask, another skull. We can see eyes, blue like the desert sky stare out at us. So obviously foreigners in this land. He stops.

He says something (for the rest of this just assume Ismail is translating)

:"For her, I would give much gold, enough for forty others."
We close in around Cruella again to prevent another murder.
:"I mean the camel, not that skinny thing"
:Cruella: "Why do people keep doing that?"
:Party: "We'll explain later just don't stab anyone right now please..."
Angus steps forward to defend his camel.
:"She is worth a hundred others, there is none like her" (he really liked that camel)
:"Ha. I will give you two."
:"Two what?"
:"Of your hearts desire, eunuch. Then I would pluck that heart out and feast on it"
He walks away laughing.
:>What the fuck was that about DM? Is he just crazy or crazy and evil?
:Ismail answers: "That was Al'Fella. Please, effendi, we were very lucky to have survived that..."
:"Why?"
:"He is the leader of the cult of Daem. The best and worst of them."
We have a feeling he is not the best at ethics and the worst at blood sacrifice. We ask Ismail
:"How are we going to get to learn any of this stuff if he doesn't like us?"
Ismail laughs now, that big fat belly laugh that seemed really jolly and lovely in Cairo is actually creepy as fuck now.
:"Didn't like you? He loved you!"
:"Wut?"
:"Are you dead? No? Then he liked you. He made a joke, then he really liked you. You are still not dead for the punchline? He must love you!"
We are in a really weird place and awfully far from home.

Then again, we are often in a really weird place far from home.

We acquire a goat quite easily. Ismail seems quite happy to take us to the mountaintop residence of the cult (typical evil looking fortress).

Now anon may be wondering, generally we try to be at least neutral good or whatever the brokenness of the D&D chart thinks we are. This is balanced against
:>The DM is a dick

So the obviously evil chaps have something we really want, and the question for us is how far are we willing to go for this before we murder them.

It's actually quite an interesting dilemma for the party.

The wizard, as the only really magical one, gets shoved to the forefront for a lot of what follows.

The DM has a little mechanic he uses for this, he dips into his bag (bad sign), he asks nicely if he could have a bowl please. Also another beer. He has something in his hand.

Meanwhile, the wizard is nudged forward, we are standing before the gates to the place, the wizard has the goat next to him.

Ismail says
:"Speak after me"

Bear in mind that the wizard has the thickest Scottish accent and he is trying to parrot a language he hadn't even heard last month.

I'll do it in doric
:"Ok wizard, tell them you come to learn."
:"Aye ahm hir tae oonderstan yer magik."
Heads start to pop out over the battlements.
:"Tell them you want to get answers to your questions."
:"Ahm winting ye tae answir mae thae question thrae."
:"And that you bring them this offering."
:"Ah bright ye ah goat"
:"Now slit its throat."
:"Whit?"
:"Do it."
:DM: "Wizard PC, close your eyes and hold out hand please."
:DM: "Do you do it?"
:Wizard PC "Aye, I mean yes."
:>DM squeezes tomato ketchup onto wizard's hand.

The surprised wizard PC (and everyone else) finds this more than amusing, and the doors to the place swing open. We are in.

The creak closed behind us in proper horror movie fashion.

We we are in. What next?

Ismail whispers that there are likely to be trials, if we want to learn, then they will put us to the test. They are unlikely to be much fun.

Who greets us? Our good friend Al.

(again whenever someone speaks Ismail is interpreting)
:Al: "You come seeking wisdom?"
:"We wish to learn how to take oil from the ground, yes."
:"Very well. There will be trials. I suggest you take some time to compose yourselves. Why not enjoy refreshments while we prepare."
He claps his hands and a group of slave Leias bring in some tea. We sip, reclining on cushions. As we finish our drinks, Ismail kindly pours more, there is a note under the pot.

Ismail reads aloud
:"The first trial has begun."
The doors slam shut and bolts turn.
:"The tea was poisoned. The antidote is somewhere in this room. There is enough for half of you."

Those who are best at searching (Angus and Cruella) start doing so. The rest of us do our best to assist while working out how we can make half the dose work for everyone. We don't have any kind of magic healing person, the bard isn't bad at medicine, but he isn't exactly going to help.
:>The DM places his alarm clock on the table.5 minutes.
We search, frantically, after a little while, Angus finds a glowing blue bottle and swigs from it, about the same time Cruella finds a purple one and, being a bit brighter, doesn't.
:>Is this it? Are these one dose each? Two? We don't know...

We are starting to get a bit panicky. Three minutes left. Then two, then one. We haven't found any more. No one seems to be any worse off.

Still only enough for half... We all drank the tea, and Angus is fine, maybe...

We are starting to look at each other in a new light. We are very fond of these characters...

:Wizard: "Well, Ismail is fucked..."
:Cruella: "Who ever wants to take this off me can try..."
:Aldous: "Drink mine, I have lived long enough."
:Navvie: "I agree you have... gimme!"
:Bard: "Guys! Guys! We can't end like this we...(OOC now) would the DM kill half us us so arbitrarily? Would he kill us in such a stupid way?"
:DM: "Actually I did bring some new character sheets." (dm ruffles papers)
15 seconds
:Bard: (IC) "Refuse to drink it, these are cultists obsessed with blood. They want to see if we turn on each other... Don't."
:>The alarm clock rings.
:DM: "Well I need a slash, I will be back in a minute. Who wants a beer?"

The DM takes an ostentatiously long time, and returns, pops his beer and continues

Al returns
:"Ha! Well done, normally they fight like tooth and nail. It is so much fun to watch. You have survived the first trial!"
:>Note that the session ended for the night there, DM fearing reprisals.

As mentioned last time, DM was rounded upon for nearly arbitrarily killing the entire party twice.
:>Our DM is a Cunt.
So he decided to try harder this time. Going all the way back to the first time I talked about Britbongsteros, he liked offering us choices... Difficult ones.

At this point, DM dips into his rucksack and removes a large yellow bag.

:>Jelly babies (they are a British sweet which for some reason are in the shape of babies)
:>There is a collective intake of breath.
:>DM opens the bag and starts lining up jelly babies on the table. Little serried colourful ranks.
:>"Can I have a knife and a chopping board please? And a beer? Also would anyone like a jellybaby?"

:>No one seems inclined.

Mad Ali launches into some exposition as the DM happily munches jellybabies.
:"Come follow me, it is interesting to see a group of supplicants all survive the first trial. I understand only one of you is magically inclined (He means the wizard), what the rest of you hope to learn is not in my understanding, unless perhaps [wizard] you have brought me some new "volunteers"? That would be most kind of you."
Mad Ali giggles at a joke only he seems to get.

>DM bites the head off a jellybaby.

Ali leads us deeper into the fortress, until we come to a cavern, the walls are rough stone and from the roof shines a shaft of sunlight into near darkness. It looks a lot like Majilis al Jinn cave.

We are at the heart of what is by all accounts an extremely unpleasant cult, and as crazy as mad Ali is, they still seem surprisingly ok with us being there and wanting to learn their secrets. This and the jellybabies are starting to make us suspect not all is right here.

The shaft of light shines down onto an altar, if anything it is so blatantly a sacrificial altar it can't be anything else.

The rear of the altar seems to have a fairly substantial pool of inky looking water behind it.

Mad Ali keeps talking
:"You have all killed before, numerous times, you have a great deal of blood on your hands. Each death is in furtherance of some goal I am sure, but you six have killed a great many, I doubt for any of you, you would have second thoughts of killing again, especially not for the powerful knowledge I may teach you. Surely a great prize such as that, is one which is worth spilling blood for?"

After a speech like that, we all look at each other.

Cruella seems to be chewing something.
:("I like jellybabies, fuck off").

:Angus: "Guys what are we gonna do? If he does what I think he is about to ask to do, we can't go through with it, we can't let him kill someone in front of us either."
:Navvie: "I think Ali has a point, you know we did just inadvertently have half of Cairo smashed. What's a little blood sacrifice?"
:Bard: "I do not like hard decisions!"

Mad Ali claps his hands and a robed acolyte brings out a small, squirming, bundle.

The bundle starts to cry.

:>Oh shit we are gonna have to kill everyone now...
:>DM slowly, carefully, chops the head off a jelly baby and eats it.
:>He does it again.

Mad Ali speaks:
:"Blood is important. Blood is everything. Blood is..."
The baby wails. Ali continues
:"Ooogooo woogly googly oooogly"
The baby gurgles and claps. He cradles the child.
:"This is my son, my flesh and blood. He will carry on my work after I am done. Is he not beautiful? Blood is important."

:>DM gets the biggest shit eating grin, slits a jellybaby in half, and eats it.

This by the way is the reason I don't trust jellybabies.

Mad Ali hands the bundle back to the (we notice for the first time) female acolyte, and draws us and our subverted expectations closer to the altar.

So with our wonderful DM having done that to us, Ali asks for each of us to make a contribution, to slit open our palms and lay it on the altar. He passes round an ornate looking dagger, and we oblige, there is a shimmer in the water as blood flows down the altar, ripples form in the perfect stillness. We can't quite make out is causing them...

As the water breaks, mad Ali, cult leader, person exploder, and surprisingly nice family man bids us take a step back.

:"This is the avatar of our God..."
We peer into the water. It's rather a big shape.
:"HOLY FUCK WHAT IS THAT?"
Ali throws his arms out wide.
:"Is Ibil al'Daem not perfect?"
:Navvie: "That's a dunleosteous mate."

The Navvie is quite correct from what we can see. Ali continues
:"Those who wish to learn must be judged worthy."
He removes a bracelet and tosses it into the pool.
:"You do wish to be found worthy do you not? Retrieve it."
The Dunkleosteus (who I'm going to just call Duncan) scents blood in the water and thrashes about. The wizard looks on nervously.
:"Go retrieve it! Duncan can scent cowardice"
:Wizard: "I'm not going in bloody there...."
:Party: "Yes you sodding are."
:Ali: "Do you wish to forfeit the trial?"
:Cruella: "Isn't the bracelet metal?"
:Wizard: "Yes... why?... oooooh."
The wizard closes his eyes and sure enough, the bracelet rises above the water, Duncan makes a bite at it but misses, it lands at Ali's feet. He seems a tiny bit put out that no one dived in.
:"The normal process is to satiate Duncan with slaves first... But I am sure he will not be hungry for long..."

DM seems fairly serene and we can't tell if that was what we were meant to do or not...

In any event, Ali agrees to begin to teach the wizard how the process works. This takes a couple of days in game but is glossed over quite quickly. The rest of us try to stay out of the way and not get sacrificed to anything.

The wizard seems to be ok learning on goats but everytime we see him he is covered in more and more blood. Learning this stuff can't be good for him. Eventually he reports that
:"Ali says tomorrow I am ready to practice on humans"
:>Time perhaps to put an end to this...

We interrogate him,
:"Does this mean he knows everything required to drill for oil?"
:"Nearly."
Tomorrow is when he will learn.
:"Can the process be modified to work without humans?"
:"Yes, probably."
That settles it then. Tomorrow we wipe out the cult of Daem. They may have been quite nice to us, really nice in fact, but the fact of the matter is... they practice human sacrifice and that is enough of a reason for the purple penguin.

The DM has us all roll a D20. Angus rolls highest.

The note the DM passed to Angus (I later learned) read "Congratulations during the night you have been kidnapped"

We discover his absence on waking the next morning.

We search for him to no avail, we definitely had him with us when we went to our separate quarters, his room seems to have no trapdoors or secret passages we...
:>Ali sweeps in
We tactfully ask him where Angus is.
:"Your slave? I have had him staked out in the desert. I assume that is why you brought him..."
(Anon may recall that Angus was notionally disguised as Cruella's slave for this adventure to allow him, as an orc, to be seen in public)

We decide that killing Ali at this stage is not a good idea, as he obviously knows where Angus is, and can lead us to him.

We follow him out into the desert, with Ismails help, the wizard asks,
:"If most of this works on goats, why do you need to use people? Couldn't you just modify the process?"
Mad Ali seems a bit shocked by the idea.
:"Because Daem demands it, you wouldn't want to insult Daem would you?"
:"No no of course we don't want to insult your crazy God."
In the distance there is a scream, a crack and a pillar of oil gushing into the sky.
:Ali: "Oh look at that, they have started without us!"
:>Oh fuck they've started without us.

Again, we start to see familiar shapes staked out on the sand. One of which is green and refreshingly unexploded.

Mad Ali takes us to a restrained body near Angus. DM takes great pleasure in describing the poor disheveled slave, how the bonds chafe her wrists, how her eyes implore us.
:Mad Ali: "Practice on this one first. Use what you have learnt wizard."
He looks expectantly.

The wizard totally fluffs his attempt to postpone things.
:"I... I'm... umm... are you sure?"
:"Yes wizard, use what you have learned, you know the ritual, I will complete the last step."

There is a lot of muttering between the party as this goes on. It boils down to
:"Are we going to let her he exploded? We still don't know the last steps... we might need those..."
Suddenly this seems very familiar, thinking back to the first adventure, this is sort of fate is what we were saving people from... But we really need that process...

More to the point do we actually know how powerful Ali is... is this a good idea?

At Ali's coaxing the wizard starts to chant, to perform the ritual, the slave screams into her gag, her eyes becoming bloodshot.

Blood soaks into the sand.

Cruella drives Excalibur deeper into Ali's chest.

Ismail doesn't translate but he manages to gasp what can only be
:"Why?"
:>Because purple penguins. That's why.

We quite efficiently butcher the rest of the cult of Daem, spilling plenty of blood while we're at it. The slaves seem grateful to be free for the most part, aside from a few who seem awfully disappointed not to be going to meet their god.

One of the latter category asks us (via Ismail)
:'Aren't you afraid of [Duncan]?'
:"Ha! Why should we be afraid of a fish in a desert?"
:'You really should be...'

It occurs to us that we haven't wiped out the Cult of Daem in its entirety, about 3/4s of it are back up on the hill, with their families, and one very big fish.

Really we can't just bugger off and leave them to be sacrificing folk.

We double check, the wizard seems to think he's learnt enough of the process to try it out back home, so we've ticked that box off our objective.

We go back up the hill in half-murderhobo, (remember there's kids in there, and the purple penguin likes kids) we start getting tacti-cool as we get closer, there doesn't seem to be anyone on the walls, and one parkour'ing Cruella and one Navvie shaped hole in the gates later seems to confirm it.

:>Where the fuck is everybody?
Our first port of call is where we were staying, Angus collects his flamethrower.
:Angus: "I wonder what Dunkelosteus tastes like?"
On our way to the lower levels we pass through the courtyard, and confirm that one very familiar camel is still alive as are some others. We decide this is probably going to get violent, but we should probably bring based Ismail along in case we need to be diplomatic.

As we get lower and lower, we notice that it seems like the walls are a little damp, the passageway certainly is, it's not just condensation, one quick finger taste says it's blood, rather a lot of the stuff too.

We get deeper and into the caves, just in time to see what we assume is the last cult member slit his own throat and fall backwards into the pool.

We approach the pool, taking a careful look around, there really isn't anyone left, but the floor is wet, about an inch or two deep in blood now, the pool is overflowing.

Based Ismail stands near the altar looking in, we have a quick conference,
:Let's go, what is a fish gonna do, and the cult is all dead. We should check again for survivors and get gone."
Ismail starts to speak,
:"Let's not look for survivors, lets not wait around, let's GO!"
Ismail continues,
:"Please effendi, it is not a good idea to stay we must leave."
The blood/water/watery-blood seems to be rising. It's level with the top of my boots now and getting higher.
:"Please we must leave this is a very bad place to be now...."
Ismail still has his back to the pool. Damn that blood is rising fast.

There's a very loud bang. The (only) entrance to the chamber seems to have just collapsed in on itself.

Then [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz1J9PUcMQ0?t=1m26s this] happens.

:>Hi Duncan, you seem a lot bigger...
:''>We are gonna need a bigger boat...''

The water (blood) level is starting to rise, and a quick assessment of the doorway shows no hope of getting out in time. So we are stuck in about two feet of blood with a giant fish that seemingly is very keen on eating us.

Duncan bides his time in his pool.

The DM helpfully fills a pint glass with a little beer every couple minutes, the fluid level in that representing that in the cavern.

We examine our surroundings. If Duncan is a smart fish he will wait for the water level to rise a good bit. The cavern has ledges around it leading upward the dome of the roof. We can't climb out of the hole from the ledges but we can keep going until we think of something better than "get eaten by Duncan."

If the water level rises high enough, we could, in theory, float out of the skylight.

With Duncan in the water we didn't really feel like paddling at this point, but we did get up on a ledge and started climbing. It was pretty slow going, for every yard we went upward we went six or seven horizontally. Angus and Cruella did alright, the rest of us had to rely on the wizard summoning and drilling pitons in the wall. We got about a third of the way up with the water level rapidly catching up to us when we next saw Duncan, just a subtle flick of his tail breaking the water below us.

I don't know if anon has ever been trapped in a cave rapidly filling with blood and your only company is an angry murderous devonian fish, but it is not a good feeling.

We continue climbing, settling on a ledge maybe halfway up, the ledge is about five feet wide and ten long. Getting to the next ledge is going to be a tricky ascent across almost sheer rock. Going will be very slow and we have no ropes.

Suddenly...
:>Actually where is that fish?
We hold onto the wizard as he leans out to place the first piton.

We watch the water carefully.

Nothing.

There's a thud directly from below us as Duncan rams the ledge with his armoured forehead, cracks appear beneath our feet as blood/water begins to lap at the edges

We urge the wizard to work faster as Duncan rams the ledge again, bits of rock falling away now, the wizard is a few feet above us and climbing fast. Duncan comes straight up through the far end of the ledge, he is gone before we can even get a bead on him.

I was trying to think of an appropriately sea based metal song. I got stuck on this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRibnHiuZkQ The Life Aquatic Soundtrack - Ping Island/Lightining Strike Rescue Op] though really I should go with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd3ZiAwmLpM Sabbath - Children of the Sea]. Anyway, back to Duncan.

Duncan rams the ledge again, there's not much of this thing left.

We start to climb, he's hot on our heels, jumping, snapping, and generally being certain death. We make it to another ledge, and he stops, waiting for the waters to rise.

We keep climbing, knowing that we're gonna have to swim the final stretch, and really must do something about him.
:>What exactly can we do about one extremely large, angry, armoured, god-fish?
We try to plan as best we can, fire isn't gonna do much, neither will shotgun shells, getting close to hammer/stab him doesn't seem wise either, this leaves the wizard and the bard.

Our options are starting to run low, the DM's pint glass is nearly full (it would actually have been a while ago if he didn't keep drinking out of it by mistake). We consider exactly what the wizard could do. We're a bit short on metal, and summoning random sharp objects is probably not gonna do a great deal.

Our thoughts are interrupted by Duncan making a leap at us, he misses everyone, but his nose touches the cavern wall behind us, if we're doing something, it needs to be done fast.

With no real bonuses to charm fish, the bard is out, so that leaves the wizard, we would have some grenades, but no one carried them. We have however seen jaws...

Angus takes some persuading to give up the fuel tank of his beloved flame thrower, the wizard is able to levitate it quite comfortably, the tricky part is persuading Duncan to open his mouth at the right time...

What we need is bait... the Navvie is too slow, I'm about as heavy as him, Cruella will stab us, we need the wizard, so that leaves the already unhappy Angus or the bard, who is wearing a kilt.

We grab Angus by the ankles and dangle him off the ledge while I cock the hammer of my pistol.

Duncan, true to form, does his best to eat Angus, who due to some very lucky rolls is able to avoid being eaten and is actually totally unscathed, Duncan does grab the canister and swallows it. Whole.
:>Oh.
So we are left with charm fish or a new plan, the water is rising...

We are going to get eaten or drown and then get eaten soon.

It's time for true heroism, a noble act to be told to future generations.

At least that's what I tell myself as I'm hung over the ledge of the cliff, even without a bonus to accuracy from the wizard, I'm still the best shot in the party.

Duncan resurfaces, some distance away. He is a fairly smart fish after all, and he must sense we aren't likely to want to feed ourselves to him...

He comes closer, experimentally floating just below me, eying me. He submerges. This must be it....

He breaches the water below me, I don't wait to fire I empty the whole cylinder down his throat.

He neatly snips off my arm (the good one) and submerges. The water boils, bubbles and then there is an explosion within the depths. I however am busy not dying from blood loss and being patched up by the bard.

The water rises and my unconscious body is dragged through the hole in the ceiling to safety.

The trip back to port Said is uneventful, though we pass more and more refugees, it seems we have caused all out civil war. It sure would be nice to get home.

The wizard is adamant he can build me a new arm once we are about the dreadnowt and then it's home for tea and medals.

The dreadnowt is still in harbour and appears normal. No one has been eaten by the bowling ball, and we celebrate by collapsing into our respective beds. Sunburned, missing a limb in my case (I liked that arm!) and ready for the voyage home.

The voyage sees a return to normality as we steam through the med, the captain is very pleased with us. I am very pleased with my new arm, and Angus has retreated down to the engine room with the other engineers. He was last heard of muttering about "Willy Pete."

I should add, Angus somehow got that fucking camel aboard.

:>Portents of doom
Captain DM reports that the bowling ball can be heard rattling around in its cell. Every night about the same time. When Mars is highest in the sky...

We sail through the straits of Gibraltar without incident. We decide after a good night's rest to listen out for what Antrygos (the bowling ball) is doing that night.

He has been sealed inside a store room, no portholes and only one way out through a bulkhead door which is guarded by two ratings with a deadman switch. (Britbongsteros does not fuck about). We take over from the ratings who are very relieved not to have to hang around near Antrygos.

We don't have to wait long in the corridor (Cruella has sensibly acquired a deck chair, the wizard summons a steel plate bent at a right angle and sits on that, the rest of us just lean against the wall and smoke or play cards).

Soon there comes the sound of a rolling ball, sliding from side to side within the room, getting faster and faster.

Antrygos makes everyone near him uneasy, he doesn't seem to be doing much beyond rolling, we can't see him rolling (but we hate him). He doesn't roll in easy motions like with the waves but fast and frenetic, stopping, starting, never with a rhythm, moments of silence then thudding like he's jumping.
:"Maybe we should crack the door?
We chat about the idea, doing our best not to listen to him bouncing or whatever alien balls do.
:>GREETINGS OAF, IDIOT, MIDGET, BREEDER, LECHER, AND SKILLED MUSICIAN.
His voice comes from right in the middle of us. Definitely not muffled by the room.

There's nothing in the hallway, and we can still hear him rolling about.
:>I SAID GREETINGS. ANSWER ME MORTALS.
:Cruella: "Aaw he sounds lonely."
:>I NEED NONE OF YOUR PITY MORTAL, BUT YES I YEARN FOR COMPANY
:"You do realize you eat people and turn them into Martians Antrygos? You're not exactly likeable."
:>I AM TO BE FEARED NOT LIKED.
:"Alright well we could just go and leave you to it..."
:>NO DO NOT GO. I COMMAND IT.
:"So you are lonely?"
:>YES. NO. I DEMAND AN AUDIENCE.
:"And why is that Antrygos?"
:>I HAVE WAITED MANY YEARS ALONE
:Cruella: "Aaw."
:>AND NOW YOU SHOULD KNOW THE CHANCES OF ANYTHING COMING FROM MARS DO NOT WANE (Wayne?), THEY GROW.
:"And what do you mean by that Antgyros?"
:>THE ENEMY IS COMING. IT IS CERTAIN.
He bounces around some more.
:"How do you know?"
:>CAN YOU NOT FEEL THEIR CREEPING PRESENCE? OR ARE YOU BEASTS THAT UNDERDEVELOPED?
:"He sure is a nice guy huh?"
:>YOUR AFFAIRS ARE BEING WATCHED BY INTELLIGENCES GREATER THAN YOURS. SCRUTINIZED LIKE THE TRANSIENT CREATURES THAT SWARM AND MULTIPLY IN A DROP OF WATER. ANTGYROS CARES NOT. ANTGYROS CARES ONLY FOR HIMSELF. ANTGRYOS DEMANDS YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELVES TO PROTECT HIS MIGHT.
:"Antgyros are you... are you scared?"
:>ANTGYROS CANNOT FEEL FEAR. ANTGYROS KNOWS NOT THIS EMOTION.
:"You are, aren't you?"
:>NEVER. THEY REGARD YOUR EARTH WITH ENVIOUS EYES AND SLOWLY AND SURELY, DRAW THEIR PLANS AGAINST YOU. ANTGYROS DEMANDS YOU ENSURE HE SURVIVES.
:"Antgyros. You're terrified..."
:>NO. I FEEL NO FEAR.
The ball stops rolling.
:"Can you tell us what's coming Antgyros?"
He remains silent.
:"When will they arrive?"
He remains silent.
:"Why are you so afraid."
There is a final decisive clunk as though he has come to rest and isn't going to move again for some time.

So begins our next tale.

===Good Omens, or Who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Kaiser?===
Antgyros refuses to be drawn for the rest of the voyage. We actually begin to suspect he's ignoring us. We dock at Portsmouth at night, waving goodbye to the Dreadnowt and feeling a bit cold to arrive in a Britbongsteros winter.

There's a couple things worth restating at this point. Long range communication in Britbongsteros is done by albatross or telegraph. News is fast but not that fast. Especially not on the Dreadnowt calling in at foreign ports.

News that the Germans have annexed Ipswich comes as a bit of a surprise.

We are obligated to return first to London and the Privy Council, taking Antgyros with us. He won't answer questions but does occasionally exclaim
:>GET YOUR DAMN DIRTY PAWS OFF ME YOU APE
and similar.

We meet with Sir Patrick (CYBORG MURDER BODY) Moore and hand over Antgyros. He listens with great interest as we explain who and what he is. Sir Patrick (robot McFacepunch) Moore informs us he has seen seven sequential flashes come from Mons Olympus on each of the last consecutive nights.

If that sounds familiar, well it should...

We leave Antgyros and Sir Patrick (bionic man of violence) (it really helps if you think of him as being a space marine Dreadnought) Moore to chat.

Richard III and Blackadder seem fairly pleased with us, and the process is demonstrated near Windsor Castle (yes, there's oil under that) using a sheep.

We share a mutton curry with Richard III and Blackadder, and the process is safely written down to be transmitted via albatross to Aberdeen.

Then we come to the "annexation."

The Germans have landed in divisional strength in Ipswich. Two brigades of Bears and one of Prussian Gryphons. They don't seem overtly hostile, just they have claimed Ipswich and are fortifying it.

The Privy Council have a plan which is two-fold:
:1. We (the party) politely ask them to fuck off.
:2. We drive a battalion of Landcruisers into Ipswich.

:>Why are they there?
We have no idea, it's Ipswich!
:>Why weren't they stopped/spotted?
After the Ireland "incident" there's not as much home fleet as you'd expect. They are keeping a fleet of Cruisers off Walmington on Sea. There is still a local force in platoon strength of soldiers from the Boer War doing sterling services guarding their homes and reporting on German movements. Their Captain Manwaring (V.C.) and Lance Corporal (V.C., O.B.E., Khorne Bezerker) Jones have kept up observation via albatross and telegraph since the "annexation" with L.C. Jones holding a bridge against successive waves of bears with nothing but a broomhandle with a knife strapped to it.

In other news, King Algernon has made representations to the Kaiser, but we have yet to have received a reply.

The communications from the locals in Ipswich indicate the Germans are not hostile, but are politely and efficiently taking names of locals and then moving them outside of the town. They are digging in like they expect the entire first world war to take place in the locale of Ipswich.

So just making sure all non-british anons are following: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DRip7QLC8g Home Guard] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad%27s_Army Dad's army]).
:>TFW when your entire party could be dad's army.

Anyway. So the Landcruisers, at top speed of 8 knots per hour, will arrive in Ipswich in 48 hours. We have that time to come to a peaceful solution.

Sir Hobart is leading the Landcruisers along with Sir Rirchard Clarkson May and they are being escorted by a Ghurkha regiment lead by Sir Stahig (pronounced Stig).

So with the Germans not actually being as hostile as one might expect an invasion to be, and instead they respond to force, but only on a local level. It's like they are here to fight, but not us...

So with the clock ticking, we head onward. We know the Landcruisers will reach the area by dawn the day after tomorrow, and we arrive near Colchester with 40 hours to go. We don't really have a plan yet, but the vague outline of one is starting to form.

It may be helpful for anon to have a [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Ipswich,+Suffolk/@52.0214421,1.1343642,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47d907861ed5d887:0x33ddc3ac7d2d42a9 map] at this stage.

Just replace Walton on the Naze with Walmington on Sea. So if you've found Colchester, the Germans have landed all along the coast between Walmington and up the coast to Felixstowe, they're inland as far as Ipswich and have stopped there.

The majority of their forces are in the city or surrounding it, digging in and fortifying. The Landcruisers, once ready, will push from Colchester into Ipswich via Copdock (for the Brit-anons it may be fun to imagine the Dad's Army arrows at this stage) while the remains of the Home Fleet will try to circle in from the North and South, trying to close the gap between Felixstowe and Walmington. Even with less hostility than expected, this is still a landing by a foreign power on our coast.

We (the party) are the last attempt at diplomacy and wouldn't even be trying diplomacy if they hadn't been so efficient and reasonable.

The party agrees that walking straight up to their lines, while normally completely insane, actually seems like (with a flag of truce) our best option.

It's about Noon when we set off from Washbrook. The bard pipes and we have a white flag. We are moving slowly, thoroughly, and making it very, very obvious we don't have any malicious intent.

The bard plays something neutral (or tries to but fluffs the roll), so off we go to the strains of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogLwHEPyXBE Raubtier - Achtung Panzer].

It turns out walking across what is nominally no-mans land, we receive no fire, though we can see plenty of troops dug in front of us.

Given that the Bard's performances have been fatal previously, we stop playing about 500 yards out.

We get closer, there are birds singing now, and lots and lots of gun barrels ahead of us. The nature around us is strangely idyllic, English, plants and animals around us, the land green and pleasant.

We jump as a rabbit takes off out of a bush, but we proceed unmolested, we can make out individual figures in feld-grau now.

As we get closer to the trenches, a shape rises, a Prussian Gryphon.

He has enough English and we have enough German to communicate.
:"Who are you and what do you want Englander?"
He takes a notebook and pencil from his uniform.
:"Names und addresses bitte."
I'm not proud to say what followed was a babble of.
:>Don't tell him your name wizard
:>Don't tell him you name Navvie
:>Don't tell him your name Aldous
:"Hi, I'm Bard!"
He looks unimpressed and smooths his moustaches.
:"You really ought not to be here."
:"Neither should you!"
:"Ve haff (ahem) we have as much a right as you!"
:"You're German!"
:"We are on state business. This is not an invasion, it is a peacekeeping annexation."
:"A what?"
:"You can't just march in here and take Ipswich!"
:"We are doing so because it is undefended and weak. Herr Schiarperelli says so."
:"Who?" (Wait a minute that sounds... familiar).
We don't really want to declare war on Germany (I don't, this I've made this sufficiently clear) as the country is still weak. War may be an eventual certainty, yes, but at this stage after everything (we have blown up and) the nation has been through, now is not the time for war.

This is why we are here to politely ask the Germans to bugger off.

The gryphon looks us up and down, and flexes his wings.
:"I suggest you come with me. It is perhaps best explained to you by another."
Well we still have about thirty six hours until the bombardment and advance of the landcruisers which we expect will be enough to throw the invasion back (and irredeemably declare war).

We agree to go into Ipswich with the Gryphon officer. There are orderly ranks of bears marching to and fro. Digging things up, and houses with pink sheets on them being demolished. The locals seem to have some too (I.e. if your house was demolished then you got a pink sheet).

Things are orderly and, while the air is pregnant with promises of things to come, you can see off duty bears playing the accordion and drinking stout, stiff backed Gryphons duel on cricket pitches.

By the by, I haven't really talked about landcruisers. If you look at a MKV male tank and then superimpose a TOG II* on it, you're basically there.

In the center of town we start seeing what can only be anti aircraft guns (aircraft not really being a thing in Britbongsteros beyond zeppelins, this is strange) along with (in the town square) an enormous telescope.

The county hall seems to have been requisitioned to serve as HQ for the annexation. Aside from the presence of Germans, there's not really a great deal that seems to have changed. Aside of course from the Imperial Eagle sitting outside.

When I say sitting I mean perched. It's an actual Reichsadler in the flesh. I.e. it has two heads, feathers and talons. It's quite happily tucking into a can of corned beef and dressed in what can only be a military uniform.

It should be noted two heads is actually an error on part of DM/me as the Reichsadler of the German empire only had one. The Austrians had two headed ones. So this one must have also been a bit Austrian somewhere in his heritage.

By the way anons, if you don't know anything about the German unification and Empire, I would strongly suggest reading up on it. It's a fascinating topic. A lot of devising these campaigns involved a great deal of historical research by me and DM. So while I'm thinking about it, you may enjoy [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Influence_of_Sea_Power_Upon_History The Influence of Sea Power Upon History] which was one of the most interesting things I read for Britbongsteros. One further point, anon may note the progression of technology in Britbongsteros is quite rapid. Well game time so far has been around 2-3 years, so that is worth considering, also that the idea was it was somehow to go from Elizabethan to Pre WWI in its scope (that was sort of a goal at the start).

We didn't get too excited about it and just MST 3K'd it for a good story.

The Eagle is rapidly joined by a very large bear with huge moustaches.

He is introduced by the Gryphon as "Otto von Baarmarck" (Bismarck if your want to Google him) advisor to the Kaiser, represented by Herr Tirpitz of the Kaiserliche Marine (the eagle).

We are invited inside, the eagle perches on what appears to be an ornate... Well, perch. I'm sure it has a wonderfully complicated German name. Tirpitz doesn't add much to the conversation, Von Baarsmarck does most of the talking

He reiterates what we already know, that the Germans are annexing Ipswich and as they are nice guys, they are planning on paying for the damage they do and are moving civilians out of the area. They apologize for the inconvenience.

The one thing he doesn't actually tell us is why exactly they feel they need to do this?
:"Why? (Vhy?) Because we are incapable of defending ourselves."
:"So you invaded to prove a point?"
:"Nein. From what is coming. Herr Schiarperelli believes they will land sooner rather than later."
The Germans (we discover) know at least as much about the Martians as we do (it seems we may have some spies to kill soon) and Schiaperelli has had the planet under observation for months. He has worked out from the trajectory and some other calculations (possibly involving a dart and a map) that this is the most likely landing site.

We are then stuck with a bit of a problem. If there are Martians coming then we really ought not to be fighting each other, nor should we be asking the Germans to go home.

We have a further problem, to stop the Landcruisers (which are about a day away), we will need to convince them to do so. We then realize the average citizen of Britbongsteros, even one in command of a Landcruiser brigade, is going to find us asking them to stop from "bashing the bosch" (sorry Germ-anons) because we are raving about Martians laughable. Why? Only the Privy Council and us know about them.

There is a little ooc discussion at this point, including my favourite "why is nothing ever simple in this setting..."

We don't really fancy our chances in convincing the commanding officers of the taskforce (slowly) motoring its way here.

We decide to do some more fact finding before deciding on our next step.

More to the point though, the Germans seem awfully keen to tell us all this.

:"Why are you being so nice?"
:"Because if Grosse Britain falls then the aliens will have a base of operations, then Europe, and then the rest of this weird, nasty, violent, beautiful world will be ended."
:"Why didn't you just offer to help? Why invade."
They get a bit shifty at this point.

The door to the room busts in as what can only be described as [https://data.archive.moe/board/tg/image/1427/84/1427846265905.jpg a man-shaped crocodile skin handbag] is wheeled in. (If you don't know who that is, go watch Dr. Strangelove)

It appears Herr Schiaraperelli is not entirely human, or sane... (please note to everyone, I am so so sorry wherever you are from).
:"Mein unterkaiser, ve haff made zignifikant progress mit die deff raiii!"
Herr S. notices the new faces, and switches gear,
:"Ach vatt fine specimens such excellent breeding stock..."
He zips past Cruella and pokes at Angus's bicep. (This had sort of become a running joke by now)
:"Vould du kare to submit yourself to some of my (giggles insanely) ecksperimentaaaation?"
We try to get between him and Angus, but there's no separating the two, so we turn our attention to Von Baarsmarck.
:"Soooo... Death Ray?"
:"To use on the Martians of course, and acquire their technology, ensuring that the world will be ein reich..."
In the background Herr S. is babbling to Angus about
:"Mitt my super zerum derivved from ze gods toe ve could make you ten, twenty veet tall!"

Von Baarsmarck seems quite non-plussed,
:"Assuming any of us survive the landings, do not tell me that you British would not take the items for yourselves? This way, we ensure there is no..."
:"Death Ray Gap!" Cackles herr S.
Ok that sort of seems weirdly fair, we will just backstab them later... next comes the awkward bit...
:"So maybe we should leave now? Get the landcruisers stopped? Work together?"
Herr S. cackles again,
:"Du may kill or imprison ze rest, but I wish to keep zis one... and this one... Perhaps maybe I can keep all of them...."
One last try...
:"Your death ray will massacre our forces, and then you will face the aliens alone... you are very likely to lose, we all are..."
:"You have seen to much... heard too much, Herr DoktorProfessor, you may have them..."
It is worth remembering at this point that yes we can probably take everyone in the room easily enough, what we cannot do is fight our way out of town through an alarmed garrison.

Also, worth considering is Martians don't really like magic (or at least the north pole ones, it seems likely then that they may not have something like that.

So the party is taken away at gunpoint for MAD SCIENCE.

:>Why didn't you escape from the highly visible HQ where all of the German forces were concentrated?

Well that's why.

Arriving in Herr Schiaraperelli's lab we are greeted by tesla coils, fizzing falcon tubes, a smell of frying eggs, *things* in jars, and he offers some boiled sweets.

He explains that this is his "travel" lab and we are really missing out on the interesting stuff, but at least there was space aboard the Brunmiggi II to bring ZE DEATH RAY.

(It may be helpful for anon to look up Professor Death from ''That Mitchell and Webb Look'')

But that (zat?) is not why we're here, nein, we are here because he wants Angus for experimentation, and to this end he fills a syringe. Angus doesn't look terribly concerned.

:"Zis ist mein ubermensch zerum."
:"Bring it on" says our favourite camel-lover.

(It's worth adding we have had our weapons taken off us and stored we think in the guardhouse - which by-the-by also appears to be doubling as a barracks).

So Angus, being Angus, and not even tied up, accepts being stabbed in the arm with a novelty sized syringe. Angus gets this bizarre grin (as does his PC).

:>DM, what is this stuff?
:"Eet ist mein superzerum!"
:>Yes DM, but what does it *do*?
:"Zis vill make you stronger, ein Ubermensch!"
:Party: "DM, think about this!"
:Angus: "Oh yes!"
Angus starts to grow. To hulk out... (He has hulk level clothing. Thank fuck for that.)

Angus is getting bigger. Not just ripped but fuek huege, eight feet, ten feet.
:"Herr schiarparelli, this death ray, is it man portable?"
Angus flexes his enormously powerful hulk arms while Herr S. Enthusiastically babbles at a portable gramophone.
:"Herr S. You really cannot be this stupid."
:"Nein mein Ubermensch. I'm not."
The taser Herr S. fires knocks Angus on his arse. The rest of the charge knocks him out.
:"MEIN KAISER, I CAN WALK!"
He stands up and kicks Angus in the balls for good measure.
:>DM: "Come on guys, give me some credit..."

Herr S. Looks quizzically at us. He cocks his head to one side. He takes a box with flashy lights from his belt.
:"Zomethink is giffink powerful magical emanations. Ist not the fraulein... nor ze oaf... nor ze musician, ze wizard I know of... ze midget? Zis child's toy? Was ist das? Ein Pinguin!?"
At gun point he takes the purple penguin from my bandolier.
:"Und now to enter ze data into mein komputer und then ve proceed to ze dissection."
Herr S. Sits back down and wheels himself off.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party begin to properly size up our situation. We have eight attentive and armed bears, five unarmed party members.

So, captive (wrist manacles) and at gun point, the DM makes us whisper to one another or our communications will be overheard.

The Wizard's player is actually bit deaf, so he doesn't hear very much, only interjecting with the occasional "Fit?" (What?)

The rest of the party decides that Angus is out for the count (DM is having him roll to wake up every so often, but he keeps failing).

We know the Herr S. is probably going to sense anything magical before it happens (flashy box).

The bears can see us whispering (the Wizard's occasional "Fit?!" doesn't help), so giving up on any semblance of plan, when the nearest bear goes to crack me over the back of the head with his rifle, some violence occurs.

Cruella gets her chains around his neck, the wizard has the bear's now dropped rifle levitating.

While this is going on, the Bard kicks one bear in the balls and gets his rifle, and I (with a little jump and some mechanical arms) headbutt the other and then it's a Mexican standoff.

:>Why are you being non-lethal?

I didn't make this very clear earlier, but the DM had quite clearly told us that the more we fuck up the bears, the more we may suffer for it later. We decided to try our hardest not to kill anyone. So in effect, we are now murder hobos, without the murder. Hobos if you will.

Bear looks at man, dwarf looks at bear, (etc.) we're rolling intimidation, then Herr S. sweeps back into the room, having clearly heard/detected something.
:"Was ist los!? Meine Meerschweinchen! Nein!" ("What is this!? My guinea pigs, no!" Also "Meerschweinchen" is absolutely adorable as words go)
:"YOU. KICKED. ME. IN. THE. BALLS."
Angus wakes up and punches him in the side of the head (well, taps really - again non lethal).

With the Angus aided distraction, we subdue the rest of the bears and begin to take stock.

:>Things we need to do:
:1. Escape
:2. Disable death ray - hopefully not permanently
:3. Stop Britain declaring war (by driving several thousand tonnes of Landship through this place).

The bard has one of his ideas.

:>Some dicerolls and a small argument later.
:"Hey guys what's a wunderwaffe?"
:"It's German for... DO NOT TOUCH THAT."
:"Why does it sting or something?"

We decide to take one. The Navvie, as the only party member who can be trusted not to set it off out of curiosity/fun/accident, is entrusted with it.

We decide to have a quick look out the door of the building - [https://data.archive.moe/board/tg/image/1428/50/1428508080888.jpg - pic related].

So with that outside, and as the bears are... well, bears... that rather rules out the traditional steal their clothes approach, as does the fact Angus is 12 feet of Orc.

:>Diplomacy tiem
Cautiously, we poke a white flag (made mostly from Herr S.'s labcoat) around the doorframe. That doesn't get shot, so we poke our heads round.
:"Don't shoot, we have a doomsday device and are not afraid to use it!"
:"Do you know how to?"
:Wizard: "I'm rolling to bluff"
:"Yes!"
:"Alright, what do you want?"
:"Free passage out of here and a promise you will not use the death ray if we can stop the British forces from attacking."
:"That seems reasonable."
Hmm, that went better than expected. We nervously proceed out of the building, doomsday device in tow. We get most of the way out of town before someone remembers, aren't we forgetting someone?

:Navvie, check,
:Cruella, check,
:Aldous, check,
:Cruella, check,
:Bard, check,
:Angus, check.
No we're all here... Aren't we?

Oh shit.
:"Ok, large group of angry well armed bears, we're turning round!"

The bears seem confused, but ok with it, it's getting dark by the time we have retrieved the extremely annoyed looking penguin, Herr S. laments the loss of his Wunderwaffe, but kindly suggests that dropping it is a really bad idea (so at least we now know how to activate it).

When the bears realize what and why we went back, we're a laughing stock, if you've heard the chuckling of several thousand bears, it is not a nice thing. I think the purpose of the ridicule (or DM's) was for us forgetting him.

Penguin in tow, we head off again. There's a very large star in the sky that no one recognizes and some fainter ones too... It seems we don't have long...

Now we have our real problem. Martians aren't far off and the pride of the British army is about to attack our next best hope in the morning. We book it back to our lines.

The DM punishes us for our stupidity when we hit the dirt as our own sentries fire on us (don't run around in war zones).

When we eventually convince them not to shoot us (for some reason we have also progressed to Lee Enfield rifles), we enter the camp. There are tents and the huge looming bulk of the landcruisers, if you (I hate this term) diesel-punked a Bolo, you're not far off. They glow a little with the light of magic, it appears the oil is already being used. The wizard detects a presence within them. An additional note, Angus is slowly shrinking back to normal size.

We pause momentarily near the HMLS AR4 (it has "Arthur" painted next to this).
:>HELLO
Oh fuck no. We made Bolos.
:[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_%28tank%29 >Wut is a Bolo?]

:"Hi... Hi?"
:>I AM UNIT AR4 OF THE LINE. PLEASE CALL ME ARTHUR.
(Wizard and I are huge Bolo nuts so have gone all fangirl by this point. Cruella, Angus, and Bard continue to engage in conversation)
:"What... are you?"
:>I AM A BRITISH OFFENSIVE LINE OPERATIONS-UNIT
:>squee
Our Ghurkha escort urge us onwards, we rather hope we might get to meet more BOLOs later (we do).

We are escorted to the command tent, we recognize Sir Clarkson-May, and Sir Hobart, along with Sir Stahig. In addition are two well know faces: Sir Barnes Wallis (who is... wiki him, awesome read) and Sir Patrick ROBOT DEATH MACHINE Moore.

With Sir Patrick Murderborg Moore here this may make our task a little easier. We explain where things stand. He is particularly pleased to see Herr S.'s device.

Sir Patrick takes the device off us for safe keeping, the military men are still in favour of assault. Sir Patrick is adamant that it would be unwise. That we should prepare for the first ship (he has also worked out where it's going to land) and that we should head back to London where he expects the heaviest fighting to be.

Sir Patrick doesn't manage to convince the military folk, they are of the opinion that we should wipe out the Germans (real threat of course), then deal with the Martians.

Struck by this remarkable bit of military daftness, and even Sir Patrick can't sway them, we appear a bit stuck. The most advanced armour on earth is going to ram itself against the death ray tomorrow unless we do something.

The military men are moving landcruiser shaped counters around the map and ignoring us so we decide to head back out to collect our thoughts. We end up back near AR4.
:>HELLO AGAIN HUMANS AND HUMAN APPROXIMATIONS.
:"Hello AR4."
:>YOU APPEAR TROUBLED. WHY IS THIS?

We explain the situation.

AR4 stays quiet for a bit. We start to think he isn't talking to us.
:>SO IN SUMMATION, AN ATTACK ON A POSSIBLE ALLY WOULD SQUANDER OUR FORCES PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REAL THREAT?
:>some dice are being rolled here.
:"Yes, essentially."
If he's listening then we might as well talk to him.
:"AR4 what is your primary duty?"
:>TO DEFEND THE REALM.
:"Against all threats?"
:>ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT YET TASTED BLOOD, I KNOW THERE ARE NO THREATS TO ME.
(You might change your mind there)
:"But if there was a threat to the entire realm, would you face it needlessly diminished?" (nice rollan occurs)
:>HUMAN MALE IN A SKIRT, I CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE ATTEMPTING. WE HAVE ALREADY DECIDED NOT TO RIDE OUT TOMORROW. WE WAIT. WE WAIT FOR THE TRUE CHALLENGE.
Across the field, other Landcruisers light up their sensors, flashing affirmatives. The most patriotic thing we have met today was a very large tenk.
:>The following morning.
:>Dawn.
Sparrows flit across the sky, in the gloaming the world rises, grasses still wet with dew. A hedgehog wends his weary way to bed beneath the great amroured flanks of AR4.

Sir Richard Clarkson-May unsheathes his saber. A trumpet sounds.
:"Drive me closer. I want to hit them with my sword."
:>NO.
:"Wut?"
:>YOUR ORDER WAS ANSWERED IN THE NEGATIVE.

Watching from nearby with a bacon buttie, we decide we should probably make ourselves scarce. Sir Patrick Moore and wunderwaffe in tow.

Above us, the lights in the sky grow stronger, visible even in daylight now. Above serried ranks of motionless landcruisers, above the German defences, above us.

Tonight the Martians will land. The first battle of a war no one wants will begin.

Martian war call: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

We are nearly at the end of this adventure (tbh it was more a of set up for the last one anyway) and about this stage a discussion took place after a session.
:DM: "After this... Well, look... All good things come to an end right?"
:>The party agree.
:DM: "You want to go out with a bang right? You don't want me to hold back?"
:>ohshit.jpg
:"We guess not?"
:>DM cracks his knuckles. "The bad news is you're all going to die, the good news, is it will be awesome."

:>'''Disclaimer:''' if you are attached to anything in Britbongsteros, you may wish to stop reading now.

We wait for dark, the British (some of the senior officers are still swearing at the Bolos), the bears across the fields, and the party with Sir Patrick.

The day is quiet. The lights in the sky grow and grow. The brightest is heading straight for us.

The day has an eerie quiet to it. A heavily pregnant pause. No one appears minded to shout at us for causing the Bolos to refuse orders but we keep out of the way. Occasional patrols of bears meet with ours, they exchange cigarettes. Attempts to teach the bears cricket do not go well.

Darkness falls as it must.

High command still intends on attacking the Germans (though Sir Stahig refuses to commit his Ghurkhas, and the Bolos aren't shifting).

DM introduces a new mechanic:

For the first time we have friendly troops. We may if we so seek, inspire them. It will help.

We have been chatting with AR4 and he shares his findings with his counterparts. We learn about Bolos and he learns about the tale of the purple penguin.

AR4 and Cruella have made friends. Other units including B3A have responded occasionally.

:>On the Bolos of Britbongsteros:
:They are smart, they are also the first real sentient race that has been created, their minds inspired by the automatons of London. The amount of magic and technology within them ensured that what was meant to be a machine spirit became self aware. It was decided (based Sir Hobart) that this was actually incredibly useful. So they were taught, taught the ideals of knights. Bolos exist to protect and are one of the few genuinely good things in the setting. Except of course being fueled by oil, blood, and some of those soul cube things from waaaay back in the first adventure.

Dusk turns to dark, dark into night, but the lights are still above us. The largest now the size of a saucer, the sonic boom that precedes it knocks men flat, windows are blown out, the Navvie's beer bottle shatters.

The light grows, like daylight now as the thing decelerates, bits of what must be heat shield raining down around us.

It hits the ground. Hard. About five miles from our position. A huge plume of dust washes over us with the shock wave.

What we can see in the distance are the raised sides of a crater. Sounds of hammering, blight plasma flashes, and tortured metal reach us even from here.

The bard hops up onto the turret of AR4 as crews mount up. Ghurkhas get into formation. Khuhkris gleam in the dark.

He plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-rHdSWZLpQ Ennio Morricone The Ecstasy of Gold].

From the crater comes the Martian war call: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

A black smoke starts to rise from the crater, spilling between waiting armies, the fitful light of the moon obscured. Darkness almost absolute. Visibility down to 75 metres.

The bard plays on.

We wait.

The twin 16" guns of AR4 track left in the darkness.

In their gas masks the Ghurkhas wait. A sea of bayonets glint in the darkness. Breathing heavily in our own, vision fogging, we scan the darkness. Martian war call: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]
:Wizard: "How can you play the bagpipes in a gas mask bard?"
:>DM & rest of party: "Because fuck you. Shut up."
The Navvie has acquired a Union Jack from the semaphore lines of AR4, knitting it about his shoulders. Looking like an anglican version of Thor.

The purple penguin looks on waiting lines of nervous men. The world may be a horrible, vicious, nasty place, a place where children have no childhoods, a world where gods make men playthings, a world of blood and pain, but there is still hope in this world, there are still purple penguins, and now, Mars has come to take even that from us.

Flickers of magic begin to play around the barrels of AR4, Cruella starts as Excalibur bursts into flame, red, white and blue.

This battle will see the beginning of the war, not even the end of the beginning, there are still seven more dots up there.

From out of the black smoke, great silver shapes begin to rise. Small metallic items grow lighter.

Then...

Silence.

Darkness.

The first red pulse of laserfire immolates four score of men, screaming skeletons silhouetted in the darkness and then all hell breaks loose.

Fighting machines tower in the darkness as waves of Martian infantry wash from the smoke.

The Bolos duel with the fighting machines, guns tracking, firing, tracks crushing Martians as they advance.
:"Ayoooo ghoorkha!"
The infantry charge with the tanks, halting every few feet for volley fire, but it's seconds before bayonet meets energy sword, khukhri meets claw.

The party fights in the mist of the the smoke, flares casting some light. A fighting machine goes down, casing cracked by shellfire. Elsewhere a Bolo in flames from tip to stern rams another before exploding.

The party fight and fight hard, the night a wash of images of violence. The Navvie smashing skulls, Cruella leaping from creature to creature, the wizard and I back to back on a mound of corpses, Angus cackling as he burns his way to us.

Lightning crackles through the sky, the landing of the ship having caused enough atmospheric change for it to rain. A green pulse flashes through the sky, impacting deep in Martian lines - the death ray at work.

Men fall, rent asunder, Bolos are wrecked one by one. There seem no end to the Martians, we push forward, making progress into the tide but for every step we lose more men.

Lasers wash through the smoke. It seems for every fighting machine that falls, others lumber from the darkness. It is impossible to tell how the battle is going, we can see the great hulk of AR4 ahead of us, Martian corpses crushed in his wake. The Bard still on his turret booting the occasional Martian off.

We fight through the night, bodies piling high, the Martians it seems are implacable, they will not break. They will not run. Are we winning? We genuinely can't tell.

A headless Martian lands at my feet. Followed swiftly by the other half of it. Lit in the darkness by his chain guns is Sir Patrick Cyborgmurdertron Moore, he seems to know what he's doing so we join him. Side by side. Advancing on the LZ.

Suddenly from out of the darkness, the crater walls loom. As does something else. Bears. And one familiar chap in a wheelchair.

We start to climb the crater walls. Not knowing what we'll find. AR4 covers us as we ascend, ramming his way through the earthern parapet and firing his guns at their lowest depression, laser fire crackling over his upper front plate and baking the earth covering his LFP into some sort of ceramic.

We get our first look at what lies below us while the battle rages behind us.

Some more mood music: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl8mmoH_63g For A Few Dollars More - Final Duel Music ]

Think back to us, the rain has soaked the still warm earth of the parapet into mud, on the other side of this thing, hell lies below us, actinic plasma flashes wash upward, we ascend, clawing into mud, to our side AR4 keeps firing, his armour melting.

Behind us the first battle of Britbongsteros rages. Fighting machines and Bolos, men and martians, hell on earth. The sound of it is a physical thing, this is not the war we first knew, a war of heroes, this is industrial scale violence, German artillery thunders down into the landing site, directed we think somehow by Herr S.

We pause at the brim, laser fire raking across it.

Sir Patrick Moore is the first to go over the top, we follow, below us is the sight of the first stage of Martian conquest.

Automated machinery assembling fighting machines, squadrons of Martian troops being cut down by AR4 even as others scramble up and out into battle.

At the very center of what is almost a Martian city, we can see a green glow.

The party knows from experience, we are going straight towards that, big glowy things are usually exactly where you have to go.

We number about twenty in total between party, bears, Sir Patrick, and us.

The terrain below us, in the thunder of guns, the flash of lightning, the pulse of energies no man could ever stand against, looks for all the world like a city, the exterior of the first ship. We shout over the noise, Herr S. and Sir Patrick agree, we are going to make straight for that glowy thing (yes that's what it's called), Sir Patrick hefts something, a familiar something.
:Herr S: "Mein Wuderwaffe!"
We look at each other, let's do this.
:"VORWARTS FUR DIE WISSENSCHAFT!" Herr S. and the bears roll (in his case literally) down the hill, not to be outdone,
:"BY ENGLAND AND ST. GEORGE, WE ARE HERE TO FUCK YOU UP GLOWY THING!" (we are not good at battle cries)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyF8RHM1OCg Whitesnake - Here I Go Again '87]

We go over the top, we get the better part of thirty metres down, sliding, slipping, loose mud sloshing before us onto the metal of the decking, our boots ring on it soon after. The Martian's attention is fixed on AR4, and he does his best to keep it, even over the noise, we can hear his engines, see the earth bank in front of his hull break, and down he comes, tonnes of Sheffield steel, crashing onto the hull of the ship, if this is his first battle, it will also be his last, but he, as he makes for the fighting machine assembly line, will sell himself dearly.

As he tears past, we see a little something on the side of his turret. It's purple.
:"Where did that come from?"
:Cruella: "He wanted one of his own. I can paint."
The OOC is cut short as Martian infantry start to notice us, we take cover, returning fire.

Then from behind us.
:>Shave and a haircut.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZlDZPYzfm4 Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills]

:"Was ist los?" One of the bears asks as one of his spent shell casings floats past his muzzle, we've dealt with this before.

Cruella is up and over the bear's head, eyes closed, seemingly from nowhere bits of bodies start appearing. The wizard hold's Angus by the shoulder, directing his fire.

Sir Patrick kicks through a wall, and laughing as he goes, hoses Martian infantry with large caliber rounds.

Then Herr S.'s chair starts floating.

He jumps from the thing (he can actually walk remember?)

We have to struggle to hang on to weapons as they start to rise, there is a flash and a fizzle in our midst, the cloaking field (think predator) goes down on something very large, and very fast.

It's big, carnifex sized. It takes apart one bear with a slash, then another. I turn the shotgun on it, blowing chunks from it, the Navvie points at it.
:"YOU!"
It paws at the deck. It knows a challenge when it sees one.

I start trying to get behind it, as the Navvie spreads his arms in a come-at-me-bro way.
:"TRY ME, COME ON!"
It spreads all of it's claws, and roars, spittle landing on the Navvie's chest from the better part of 5 metres.

I'm behind it now, I aim for the backs of the knees. Hitting critically, the thing goes down on it's belly. The Navvie nonchalantly walks forward, and busts it's skull open.
:"Twat."
He spits on it, and we start to pursue the Martian infantry who have begun to break.

Elsewhere, AR4 sings a song to himself as he takes damage, his left track unit running on wheels only now, guns glowing red.
:>Daisy... daisy....

:>Why are you still talking about the Bolo?
DM had noticed we had already gotten fond of him, and if the DM can, the DM will break your heart and burn everything you ever loved.

We push onwards, it can't be more than 300 metres to the center of the thing.

The closer we get, the quieter it seems to be, we can barely even hear the battle above for the low thrum of whatever the glowy thing is, we reckon it might be a power source, we don't care, if we chuck enough explosives at it, sheer narrative alone says that should fuck the thing up good and proper.

:>200 metres

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHe6FMs46o Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast]

We're closing in, no Martians, just that low, low thrum, you can feel it in your chest, in your teeth.

:>150 metres

AR4 considers tactical withdrawal, rejects it, and decides to sell his life for a country he has never really known. Martian infantry swarm his hull, he allows himself to take laser fire from the nearest walker, immolating them, and another section of ablative armour.

:>100 metres

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

:>75 metres

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

:>Where is that coming from?

:>50 metres.

Oh fuck. Fighting machine.

The thing fires straight at us, the DM has us all roll to dodge it, we all pass. Except the bard.

We're blinded by the flash. When we can see again, he's still standing, still piping, glowing saltire standing between him and the beam. It fades out and he starts laughing. (I.e. fate point used).
:"I AM ALIVE AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_1DNzc2aX8&t=25m19s see])
It starts to charge to fire again
:DM: "Are you gonna take cover Bard?"
:Bard: "Why? I AM ALIVE."
:DM: "That laser is charging up."
:Bard: "So! BRING IT!"
The Navvie knocks the stupid bastard aside and into cover with a shoulder barge.

DM made it quite clear while he poured a beer that the bard was about another second away from dying.

The laser burns a hole in the hull instead.

We take cover behind a large building, the fighting machine stomping towards us.

We have about five or six seconds to plan.

We look at each other... err...
:"AT-AT?"
:"AT-AT."
The wizard summons chains, snaking them out toward it. Cruella distracts its fire as the most agile. The chains hold tight, the thing totters, falls. Legs flailing uselessly, laser pointed at the sky.

We smash the thing to bits and proceed to the glowy thing.

We examine the glowy thing, it's definitely... glowy... beyond that, no one has the damndest idea what to do with it.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbGKsjQ09I ULLA]

There's another one, and another one, and another.

We can't take three of them.

Sir Patrick hefts the wunderwaffe and runs into the glow, deeper into the ship and what we assume is the power generator.
:"GO!"
Before we can stop him, he tuns toward the glow, the thing beeping in his hand.
:Herr S. helpfully adds: "Ve should be leaving..."
We start to run, elsewhere, AR4 fights on.

We run, firing, killing as fast as we can, making as quickly as we can for that muddy parapet, Martians pursue us, Herr S. and the bears take cover.
:"Go, we will hold them."
We aren't going to say no, struggling up through the mud, it's clawing at us, slowing us, fire pattering around us, the climb is slow, excruciating.

We fling ourselves up over the parapet, slithering down the other side. The land before us is a sea of flame, the battle still raging.

We run toward it, away from the ship.

Within, Sir Patrick wades through bodies, laughing,
:"I always wanted to meet alien life! and KILL THEM!"

The parapet shields us from most of the force of the blast, but we are knocked flat.

The rest of the battle is vicious and messy, but with the ship gone, the alien's spirit is broken, the Bolos and Ghurkha's mop them up. We do our best to assist, eventually the sun rises fitfully over a blasted, lunar landscape, wrecks still burn, bodies bleed and scream.

Ghurkhas stalk over the fields, giving peace to their comrades, finishing off Martians.

Bloodied, victorious, and with seven more stars falling above us. We begin the final tale of Britbongsteros.

===The War of the Worlds===
The smoking wrecks of landcruisers and fighting machines litter the once green fields. Bodies lie where they fell. The smell of slowly roasting flesh, shit, and cordite lingers. Every so often sporadic fire can be heard as rounds cook off in wrecks or a less than dead Martian is found.

All told of the divisions that fought yesterday, less than half of the men (and German bears) are left, of the brigade of landcruisers (think Bolo) there are two thirds. These are not the total number of forces in the British isles, but they were a significant number. It is clear conventional means will never have a chance of stopping every one of the landings.

Given the way the Martians construct fighting machines and appear endless, if even one of these ships were operational for more than a couple of days, the nation and then the world would be irredeemably fucked.

We can't stop them landing. The last of Sir Patrick's notes indicated a ring of ships landing around London, with the last, and largest, landing in the center of the city.

The party discuss.

:>Topic for debate:
:>We are fucked.
:>What do we do?
:Angus: "Acquire as many cattle and as much alcohol as possible and then start digging. They surely can't find all of us, perhaps in the sewer systems or an old mine?"
:Navvie: "We go to a whorehouse and then prepare to meet death. Take as many with us as we can."
:Cruella: "We could get a boat? Then... no. We fight."
:Bard: "They must have a weakness. Something. We fight."
:Wizard: "Och fuck this place, whit has et e'er doon fir us?"
:Me: "We fight. The purple penguin expects. There is nowhere to run. They'll find us, better to die where it might mean something."
The mention of the purple penguin and the last OOC discussion about giving things a good send off seals the discussion. We also have someone there who has fought these martians before.

Instructions have already been relayed for the forces remaining in the Isles to converge on London, and with scant time remaining, we make our way there ourselves as quickly as possible.

The remains of the privy council meet us at Cutlers Hall. They seem well informed of what the world can expect. Richard III is already in armour, Blackadder's gorilla servant, Baldrick, lingers in the background, eying everything suspiciously. Cromwell is elsewhere, organizing the defense of the city. The citizens are either leaving or forming levies, those that do leave are being turned round and formed into "special battalions." The watch word of the day is "You can always take a Martian with you."

Sam Johnson was rather proud of that one, it is he who leads us down to Sir Patrick's lab, and our old friend, Antgyros.

As anon may recall, Antgyros is a Martian of an entirely different stripe to what is coming. We found him in Egypt and sealed him into a lead ball. He is in effect, an irascible bowling ball. In Sir Patrick's lab, we expect to find him sealed up somewhere or imprisoned, he is instead doing double duty as a paper weight, with a book propped open in front of him.
:>How does a bowling ball see?
He's psychic. He can't melt your face off, but he can bounce about and sense things around him. This appears to include books.
:>AAAH, MY FAVOURITE MEAT BASED SERVANTS. ABASE YOURSELVES BEFORE ME AND EXPLAIN EXACTLY HOW YOU INTEND TO PROTECT ME FROM IMPENDING DOOM.
Antgyros is oddly needy for hating everyone around him.
:"Hello in there. We were rather hoping you could help us..."
:>HELP YOU? HA. I WOULD NOT LISTEN TO YOUR MEWLING IF NOT TO AMUSE MYSELF. PLEASE CONTINUE.
:"We were hoping you might be able to tell us about the Martians, the other martians. Maybe you can help us defeat them?"
:>HOW MANY SHIPS ARE COMING? SIX MORE YOU SAY, AND ONE LARGER THAN THE OTHERS? PERHAPS IT IS BEST YOU KILL YOURSELVES NOW. THE FINAL SHIP CONTAINS THE NEMESIS OF MY PEOPLE. THE KING.
:"Would defeating the king help us at all?"
:>PAH. NOT EVEN I COULD DO THAT. THAT IS WHY I WAS EXILED HERE. THEN YOUR "GODS" SEALED ME INTO THAT HOLE. NO, IF I CANNOT DEFEAT THE MASTER OF THE HIVE, YOU HAVE NO HOPE. THIS IS RATHER A GOOD BOOK HOWEVER. I ENJOY YOUR TALES OF THIS SHERLOCK OF HOLMES.
Reading between the lines, it appears Antgyros has just given us something of a clue. If we can take the king down, it may throw the hive into disarray, maybe even long enough to make a material change to the conflict. It appears more likely, however, it will give us all one last most impressive 'fuck you' to fate.

The party withdraws from the lab. We think we have enough to go on. At the very least DM just gave us a plothook and we are taking it line and sinker. As far as we know, the Martians intend on doing some very bad things to Earth and if we don't even try to stop them here, then that's it. Game over for everyone. We decide we have a couple more questions for Antgyros and return to him.
:"Antgyros, what exactly will the Martians do?"
:>HA YOU RETURN. UNABLE TO LEAVE MY PRESENCE I SEE. THE SMALLER SHIPS WILL LAND. MUCH AS THE ONES YOU FOUGHT.
(We didn't tell him that did we?)
:>AND THEN THE FINAL SHIP WILL LAND. THE KING WILL [as one of the few psychic - note psychic not magic] ACTIVATE THE RITUALS REQUIRED FOR DEVOURING THE MAGIC OF THIS EARTH.
:"Again Antgyros, what would happen if the king died?"
:>HE WILL NOT, BUT IT WOULD THROW THE DRONES INTO COMPLETE DISARRAY.
:"Ok we've heard enough. You're coming with us."
:>MY BOOOOK!
Cruella picks him up and we stuff him into the Navvie's rucksack. He can still be heard, albeit slightly muffled, shouting.

We reveal the above to Privy council, who agree the above is probably our only hope. They suggest we use the remaining half a day or so to draw as much support as we can, call in old favours and generally be as prepared as possible.
:>First stop
:>John Borrison.

So the party have had a think, we decide of all the people that owe us favours, John Borrison is the easiest to reach.

There's still King Rorke, all of Egypt (though maybe a bit tricky to get a hold of), Scotland is a bit far at the moment, and of course King Algie is already here (and useless), but the British forces that can reach London by nightfall are doing so (this includes a couple of highland regiments on exercise). The Thames south of Tower Bridge are filling up with battleships. The population are either miserable or drunk and miserable. Some are cheerful, expecting the "blitz spirit" to see them through ("It'll all be over by Christmas! and then we'll have a nice cup of tea, stiff upper lip etc.").

John Borrison, as always, is pleased to see us - or at least as far as we can tell, what with him being mostly tree.

:"You're alive! For now. I wonder how these Martians feel about trees, if they don't feel too bad about them, I wonder what I can sell them, everything wants something to shove up its nose, or something so it can hold its nose up over everyone else, or fuck, possibly up its nose, and John Borrison has the lot. Now if I was a little green man, what do you think I'd want? Little green whores? Little green drugs? That big green one (he means Angus) likes sheep, so maybe... TINY SHEEP!"
John Borrison makes a note to himself as we utterly fail to impress upon him the severity of the situation.
:"John, focus, is there anything you might actually be able to do to help?"
:"King Rorke is already coming to see me, I thought a telegraph to him might not hurt, by the way, you can all sort out paying me sooner rather than later for that favour. Now as to what I can actually do... I'm a bit limited there, being a man of business... However..."
As mentioned previously, John borrison does a line in just about anything as long as you don't inquire too closely into its parentage/veracity/or indeed question authenticity.

It appears however, he as some 100% certified bits of God. Fresh from Egypt. They look a lot like pickled herring.

He also has somehow acquired a wunderwaffe.

(If the DM is being a bit obvious here in kitting us out, we were not going to complain)

We gratefully take the goods he has provided us with, on the condition that we each give him something that means something to us and we agree that when the war is over, we will do our best to get him made Sir John Borrison.

We dutifully hand over:
:A ring, a comb, a lock of camel fur, a drinking cup, a chanter, and a dwarvish match holder.

King Rorke arrives shortly thereafter, his men waiting outside the city. He's brought not only himself, but some Irish people (sorry Ireland).
:>It's DM Dilemma time.
King Rorke remains as bro-tier as he did last time, however the Irish folk (if you may recall from last time, they summoned Cthulhu and all of his friends), we are a bit more skeptical of. So once we've finished bear hugging, King Rorke swears that he will stand by us, while the Welsh cannot do much in a mechanized war such as this, they will skirmish, they will assist, and they will die with us.

The Irish however are a different matter.

We take our first real good look at them.

On a hot day, have you ever looked far into the distance along a long straight road? You know how the heat shimmers? Imagine if that was a what they had for eyes. You can't hold their gaze, your eyes just slide off them.

They speak sibilantly.
:"Weeeeee would alllllsooo wisssssssh asssissst."
:"King Rorke, what the fuck are these?"
On the one hand, we know we'll we need all the help we can get, but if these are the same guys who were into all the blood sacrifice and Cthulhu summoning, who essentially made Ireland in the Chaos wastes, well...

We take a straw poll among the party. We decide to ask them what exactly they can do for us.
:"Ttttthee oooold ones dissslike the interlllllooopers as much as you do."
:"Old. Ones."
:"Yesssss."
The Wizard speaks up.
:"What do they want in return?"
:"Mmmmaany souls will be rre--reeeleased in these c-c-c-c-c-oming dayzzzz."
(They seem to be getting excited, their lips don't quite synch up with their words)
:"Tttthe oooo-ooolll-D onessszzs wishhhhh to fffffeast."
:"Ok, so, essentially you want to eat the souls of the dead, and in return you offer us Cthulhu?"
:"Hmm..."
:[As an aside, it was about this stage that the bard pointed out, "If I just run up to the Martians and shout 'JAPAN, WEEABOO, HENTAI, NINJA BUKKAKE SAKE KATANA TENTACLE HELLO-KITTY DOMO ARIGATO FUTANARI' Godzilla will rape them," the response was a unanimous "shut the fuck up Bard."]

So, yes Cthulhu might be useful, but that's going to be kind of a problem. Who knows what insanity might fall out of a portal or what these crazies might need to do it.

Actually that's rather a good point. How are they going to summon god knows what (or who knows what god)?
:"Wwwwhhat ma-ma-makes you thiiiiiink he is is not ready-already here?"
:"Hang on. What looney god do you people follow?"
:"P...p...p...p...endragon...."
This lost some dramatic effect when the first time the DM did the p p p p p sound, Cruella said, "Pick up a Penguin" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI0Fa66h6Qo P-p-p-p-pick-up-a-penguin being a well known advertising slogan here.]
:"So wait, now we have Martians, your insane god, who is the once and future king of fucking reality, and you want us to help summon him and his mates?"
:"Will he go home afterwards?"
:"Wwwith suuuuiiiiiiitable tribuuuuute."
Ok that settles it, you can all fuck off. (is what we want to say, but having Cthulu or whatever appear in the middle of Man vs Martian also doesn't seem like a wonderful idea, on the other hand...)
:"Where exactly will he be summoned?"
:"Wwwwwaaaatffffford."
For those anons who have not looked at Britbongsteros on a map recently, you may note that London is circled by a ring road, we are expecting the ship that isn't landing in the city center to land along that.

John borrison helpfully adds.
:"It sounds to me like you folks will need l the help you can get."
The Navvie has had enough.
:"Seriously, why are we even discussing this. It. Eat. Souls. Whose to say we can even get rid of this thing when we summon it. No. No help from me and no help from any of you if you're thinking straight."
Cruella rebutts.
:"We literally need all the help we can get. I say we take the help and deal with the consequences after."
I side with the Navvie.
:"This isn't what we stand for. This isn't right."
Wizard agrees.

Angus takes Cruella's side.
:"We have killed these things before. We need all the bullet catchers we can."
Bard makes it a tie.
:"Who knows, it might not be so bad after all. it's only Cthulhu..."
We have an impasse. The Penguin looks on, remaining stoically silent.

The Navvie's rucksack, however, does not.
:>ANTGYROS DEMANDS RELEASE.
:"Pardon?"
:>REMOVE ME FROM THIS SACK.
John Borrison suddenly looks very, very interested, as do the cultists.

King Rorke headbutts a cask of beer open and pays little attention to proceedings.
:>I DEMAND ATTENTION.
:"We know you do."
:>MARTIANS LACK THE VITAL ESSENCE YOU WOULD CALL A SOUL. ALL EXCEPT THE ROYAL CASTE. THE MARTIANS WOULD BE OF NO USE TO YOUR "GOD" ONLY THE HUMANOIDS AND CERTAIN BREEDS OF TERRAN ARACHNID HAVE SOULS.
As some of you may recall, the wizard hates spiders.
:"Spiders!?"
:>YES, WHY DO YOU THINK YOUR HOVEL OF A PLANET IS NOT RULED BY THE ANTS?
We gently persuade the wizard to calm down,
:"Ok we'll come back to that later."
:"So what you're saying is, the Martians won't sate Cthulhu, it'll need human sacrifice."
:Cultist 1: "Yheeeth, uuuuuussssss."
:"So cultists, you plan on basically running at the Martians, getting slaughtered, then Cthulhu turns up and eats them?"
:"Iiittt wwwi wi wi will be a glorious ssssacrificcce."
:"That's a yes then."
:Cruella: "Ok, so that's not so bad is it guys?"
The DM is failing utterly to hide a smile. He's obviously pleased at how well his plan to cause friction within the party is going.

The Navvie (as previously mentioned) is a simple man. His hammer busts open Cultist one's head like a dropped watermelon.
:"Sorry about the mess John."
:King Rorke claps, "And that's how you win an argument!"
Cultist 2 seems entirely nonplussed.
:"Sooooo... w-w-w-e have a deeeeeeal?"

Trusting them, or really doing anything with the cultists seems like rather a bad idea, but they could be useful. So in the end, we went with it. It's a problem the rest of the world can deal with. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.

The Navvie is not happy about it.

John Borrison isn't terribly pleased either, but that's more to do with his carpet (He currently has a very blue carpet with a big red splodge in it).

Cultist 2 quite happily fucks off to be creepy somewhere near Watford, complete with a letter of recommendation from us.

We still have a feeling this is going to bite us in the ass later.

John Borrison is still admiring Antgyros
:"How much for the bauble?"
:>BAUBLE? I'LL SHOW YOU BAUBLE!
Antgyros rolls about the table in what he hopes is a menacing fashion. He bumps into a large salt cellar and comes to a halt.
:>SEE. FEAR ME.
The thing is, Antgyros actually should be terrifying, but as he is just now, he really isn't and no one seems to have told him. At some point Angus drew a smiley face on the lead ball. Forgot when. The fun part is, Antgyros can sort of "sense" things around him, but he can't actually ''see'' so he has no idea.

John nudges Antgyros with a branch.
:"Can I keep him?"
:"Sorry John, we think we might need him."
:"Hmm, I'd like one of these for my collection. Tell me bauble, are there more of you?"
:>I ANTGYROS AM UNIQUE. I AM THE ONE AND ONLY.
:"Then I think the men of John Borrison will go to war. I want to keep this thing afterwards. Do we have a deal?"
:"Fuck yes."
>WHAT?
One final thing occurs to me.
:"John, you collect all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff right?"
:"Yes."
:"Have you got any guns?"
:"Yes... do you want to see?"

:>Elephant gun unlocked.

John Borrison agrees to meet us at sunset near Fleet Street.

We return to the privy council and begin to take in the plan for tonight

[[Image:Britbong_map_1.png|thumb|left|150px]]This shows the 6 expected landing sites. The green one in the middle is where we will be going (more on that in the next map).

[[Image:Britbong_map_2.jpg|thumb|150px]]Ok, red arrows are "Diversionary attacks" (Highlanders and Landcruisers)

Blue Square is Naval units who will sail down the Thames and try to keep fighting machines from crossing.

Purple arrow is us.

By the way, Anon will note that St Paul's Cathedral is just above the Blue (Navy) square. Slightly to the left of that is Newgate, which is where Cutler's Hall and the Privy Council are. This is where we would be seeing these maps and receiving communications from the front.

So Cutler's Hall is where we are. We are on the roof with the Privy Council, they'll shortly be going up to St Paul's Cathedral to observe, and attempt to co-ordinate, but for now here we are.

We can see fire streaking through the sky. Below us London waits, five pillars of light fall, the bard mounts the gable and stands, silhouetted against the dusk sky. It's picturesque, beautiful in its finality as the end begins. We can hear the thunder as the ships pass over and around us. Creating a microclimate over London, disturbing the air, it starts to rain again. Heavily.

The Bard plays the most fitting song he can:

I want to tell you it was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGnKpE4NCI Metallica - Nothing Else Matters] as doom falls toward our world, as we prepare, each in our own way, to great our ends. Cruella's talking to Excalibur, the Navvie finishing one bottle of beer after another, Angus wistfully thinking of camels, the Wizard nervously playing with his wedding ring. My hand finds Cruella's and the Bard plays on.

He fucked it up however and it was: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM Van Halen - Jump]

Reports of landings start coming in, the final alien ship is still just a light in the sky, slowly, steadily, growing brighter.

We can see flames in the distance, somewhere out at the horizon the final battle has already begun, men are dying, and all just to keep the Martians at bay. The DM waxes lyrical on this, thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives will be lost tonight and it all rests on our actions, yet somewhere out there are men and women to whom their lives are just as important, cowering in holes, dying in ways too horrible to even imagine, and yet, holding the line.

He gives us a series of vignettes to really hammer it home.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfemABbfSpA Savatage- Commissar]

:>Near Epsom
Hundreds of refugees watch as the ship comes down, ignoring the warnings to stay down, a couple hundred are lasered from belt to forehead as a beam sweeps across the camp. The black smoke rolls over them, and without masks, the rest choke and die. The Landcruiser brigade (1st Super-Heavy Sheffield's Own) roll over the corpses, crushing scenes of horror, a mother cradling a choking baby, falling as she tries to hold her above the smoke, turned to paste under the tracks of ABL1.

:>Sunbury on Thames
Automatons but aside refugees as they press around the royal motorcade, then suddenly, each and every one looks at the sky. Following the trail of fire. Silently marching into the distance, towards the thin red line of infantry and on toward the martians.

The motorcade is sacked by panicked citizens, the few remaining human guards open fire on the crowd.

The king is killed in the crush of bodies as he hides beneath his limousine.

:>Watford
Men of Harlech is sung by ten thousand throats out across the fields of England. The flower of Wales stands proud as the ship comes down.

King Rorke and his men engage Martian fighting machines without even a hope of damaging them. A centaur charge equal to the (fictional engagement of) Polish Lancers charging Panzers. They die in the hundreds. Far from the valleys, sheep, and daffodils of Wales, each and every soul is acquired by the cultists, whom themselves are slaughtered. The sod and earth is rent asunder as Pendragon rises.

We weren't there to witness it, but think Al'Duin or however you spell it from the Elder Scrolls, as in giant dragon battling fighting machines over a field of corpses. Fuck me that's metal.

:>Orpington
Naval bombardment from north of Dartford takes the ship down as she lands. Huge holes rent in its side, it crashes on its side, wiping out refugee and martian alike as it falls, the ship vents fuel and flame across the landscape, creating a firestorm that makes the country around melt, hot enough to glass the area.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8JKMuIbrWk Sabaton - Für Immer (Lyrics English & Deutsch)]

:>Brentwood.
Ghurkhas stand in serried ranks. Landcruisers still showing massive battle damage wait amongst them. Someone has fucked up, the ship is coming down not where they expected, it's coming down atop them. The panic means the force is in disarray when the landing comes. The Landcruisers signal one last time.
:>ENGLAND EXPECTS!
and charge straight for the ship, suicidally ramming their way into the crater, causing as much damage as they can.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g The Who - Baba O'riley]
:>We continue.

The Privy council wish us well, they know we're not expected to survive, they know this is the end, and their best wishes seem hollow. We all share a nip from Angus's hip flask and head out. Antgyros occasionally mutters from the Navvie's back pack.

We have a job to do. Near Waterloo station the diversionary attacks begin to meet resistance, we watch from near the Thames, in Inner Temple Gardens as the sky line lights up, we can hear gun fire, the destroyers move up the river, engaging fighting machines.

Our faces blackened, we head down to the river, crossing it with the aid of a rowing boat in the wake of the ships and landing in Park Henrietta. We try our hardest to be stealthy. There don't seem to be any Martians about, the streets are empty. We sneak and tacticool our way toward the ship.

There's a crater similar to the last one, and as we make our way toward it, rain beats on the cobblestones. We move through smoke, wiping the eye pieces of our gasmasks as soot builds up on them.

As we climb the crater wall, it suddenly stops. It's still raining heavily a meter behind us, but in the crater it isn't at all.

There's something powerful here, it doesn't know we're here yet, but we're going to make sure, one way or another, it wishes we hadn't come.

The Martians are pouring out of the ship, but heading southwards, sneaking onto the hull from the North we are unobserved.

It seems a bit bigger than the last one, but aside from that, much the same. We decide the best thing to do is get in, kill the king (make sure the fucker is dead, we don't know what kind of mental powers/shields/weirdness he has), then plant the Wunderwaffe and bug out.

We try to stay out of sight and generally sneak, it doesn't take us long to find a hatch.

We don't knock, the Navvie simply bashes it in with several hammer blows. We drop down into the darkness below.

The interior of the ship is much like the other Martian ships we have been aboard. Lots of fluid biological looking curves and general alien-ness.

It's darker than we expected. There's also a feeling to the place, something that sets your teeth on edge, imagine running a piece of sandpaper over your teeth, that feeling, but deep in your skull.

The whole place feels alien (of course it does it's an alien spaceship), but I use the term as nothing seems quite right in here, as though a circle has 362 degrees.
:The wizard helpfully adds "This isn't magic, but there's a very powerful psychic emanation here. Be very careful."
:>ANTGYROS DE...
:"Shush!"
:>ANTGYROS WILL NOT BE SILENCED.
:"Shut up!"
The Navvie closes his rucksack and holds Antgyros to his chest.
:(slightly muffled now) >I DEMAND YOUR ATTENTION.
:"What?"
:>THE EMANATIONS ARE THE KING.
:"Really? We'd never have guessed. Thanks Antgyros."
Nothing seems to have heard him (even if he does have no inside voice), so we begin to sneak into the ship.

We move through corridors that are dimly lit, we take a wrong turn and move into a fighting machine assembly area, I nearly lose (another) limb to a robot arm as it sweeps a piece of chassis into place.

We move into what we can only assume is a Martian nursery, tiny martians are hatched from eggs and placed into some sort of gel, the drones seemingly maturing before our eyes. There are large numbers of eggs in some sort of fluid, if you think bee hive you're not far off, the larvae within hatch and are then placed by drones into the gel, and start growing. Fast.

It's literally an assembly line for Martians.

Unhelpfully, some of the mature drones spot us.

However, Angus has a flamethrower.

Of course, we never thought to ask where all these eggs were coming from...

As soon as we start torching things, we hear a rumble, as drone and egg alike start to cook off (they smell a lot like crab by the way) we hear a rumble, something very big starts moving in the fluid.

The queen (or at least that's what we think it is) breaks the surface and flops onto land.

She is enormous, beetle like, and very very very pissed off with us. (Though, from her perspective we did just kick the door in and start torching her babies).

We realize all hope of stealth is gone, her razor sharp tentacles lash out, scything into the decking, she's fast and she's furious. She charges at us, we do our best to light her up,

The Navvie swings at her, taking a tentacle through the shoulder even as he stoves in her carapace. Blood spatters the deck as he's flung aside. Bones break as he hits the wall.

The bard does his best to dodge as he plays [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFoqtpUFY8 Motörhead - 1916].

The wizard tries to sever the tentacles with a whizzing saw blade, Cruella does the same with Excalibur.

Angus just starts burning everything. Meanwhile I aim for what I can only assume are eyes.

She isn't slowing down.

The Navvie coughs blood and does his best to stand. A severed tentacle falls at my feet among the shell casings. Cruella ducks and dives, rolling and swinging that sword. Angus walks straight at her, torching her, her carapace starting to glow red.

The Wizard sends a harpoon straight through her thorax.

Just about the time he takes a tentacle through the gut.

The queen goes down with a huge thud, her carapace rent asunder. Angus keeps on playing flames across her. Antgyros can be vaguely heard expressing his pleasure.

The wizard falls as well. We rush to him, the convulsions of the Queen's body drive the tentacle through him, he's impaled quite impressively.

He's still alive, and screaming.

The bard is the most medically skilled. He does his best to stop the bleeding. The wizard grits his teeth. Angus pours whiskey down his throat.

Cruella severs the tentacle. It's at least a foot around.

It missed his spine, but it's wrecked his abdomen. He shouldn't be alive.

He coughs, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

The wound is fatal, but he isn't dead yet. He's going into shock.

His eyes close.

The bard simply balls up bandages and places them in the wound, trying to stem the blood loss.

The wizard isn't going to last long. His eyes snap open.
:"Fucking martians. Take me with you. I can still take some with me."
The Navvie carries him, using his hammer as a walking stick.

The wizard's blood soaks into the Navvie's shirt.

He's using his own magic to try to knit himself back together, to last longer, steel replacing flesh.

The DM makes it clear it won't keep him alive much longer.

We push on. We've survived this long, but the DM's words about death being a near certainty come back to us.

The aliens know we're here now, we meet small groups and then larger groups, they don't serve as more than a hindrance, slowing us down.

I see movement on my right as we move down a corridor. I don't ask questions, but put a burst down the corridor.

There's nothing there. I distinctly saw something, but there's no blood, no bodies.

It happens again.

We expect knocking (shave and hair cut) but there's nothing.

The wizard can't sense anything (but then again he's fucked and slipping and out of consciousness).

We move onwards. Starting at shadows, engaging phantoms.

The darkness shifts around us, we have to be getting close to the king if this is happening, we are definitely starting to see things.

Angus looks right at me, his eyes go wide, "MARTIAN!"

He brings his flamethrower up.

Cruella clubs him with the pommel of her sword just before he toasts me.

Angus shakes his head. Rubs at the bleeding mark on his scalp. He reaches for his hip flask and necks the contents. He tosses it aside and does the same with a second one.
:"Sorry."
It's about then that one of the shades proves it isn't just a phantom.

The darkness solidifies and a blade sweeps out. Cruella just dodges it, Angus takes it in the thigh. He grabs the creature, pulling it to himself.

We can't see what he's holding onto, but Cruella decapitates it.
:"Ha! you weren't expecting that were you, you fuck?"
Angus self medicates with more whiskey as the bard knots a tourniquet about his thigh.

We're wise to the shadows now, more attack but we club them down without injury.

We come finally to a very large set of blood red doors. Low lighting pulses. The whole area screams boss fight.

We expect royal guards, something, but looking around, we're alone.

We examine the doors. We look at one another.
:"Well this is it, it's been quite a ride. Let's do what we do best."
We kick in the doors.
:"BY ENGLAND AND ST GEORGE. WE ARE HERE TO FUCK YOU UP."

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0rAnyWUnwE Warriors of the world united]

The chamber is enormous, a cavern that feels like a football stadium. The high vaulted ceiling can barely be seen, the walls are strewn with bizarre and outlandish trophies and art work. At the center of the room, is a very small cushion. On it, sits the King.

The king doesn't seem to be quite what we expected.

From the size of the queen, we were expecting something enormous. We were expecting something truly terrifying.

The thing in the center of the room is about the size of a case of beer. He doesn't seem to be doing much.

His escort however, are pretty impressive. They're each the size of what we assume was the queen. The DM called them Praetorians and I guess that's what they were.

The king looks on as the Praetorians rush us.

I reach into a pouch, figuring "fuck it why not" and toss the relics that John Borrison gave us at one of them.

There's a very very loud bang, a blinding white light, as though a flashbang had gone off in front of my nose.

The first thing we hear as the ringing stops?
:"Ook?"
Babi gives us a wave and then turns to the Praetorians.

We run after him.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reOLeLX0Q9U Vulgaris Magistralis - Heidevolk]

Babi is enormous, but so are the Praetorians, he punches straight into the carapace of one as the others swarm him.

We do our best to help as they whip tentacles at him. Rents cut across the great ape's flesh.

His hand falls onto the deck (nearly squashing Angus) he screams. The wizard wakes up.

Putting all of his effort into one last spell, Babi's stump slowly caps itself, a blade growing from it.
:"OOK!"
The first Praetorian falls, then a second.

Babi is missing more bits. He grabs the third, slams it into the deck. It dies with a very impressive squelch.

He bearhugs the last, they wrestle. He's headbutting it as it eats his face, they fall together. Rolling across the deck and through into, then through the side of the hull.

The Martians outside, that aren't crushed, begin to swarm in through the hole.

The wizard coughs, and does his best to seal up the gap. He expires leaving a man sized hole. Through which martians pour.

Angus makes his way to the hole. Flames beating Martians back.

The Navvie drops the lifeless body of the wizard on the deck.

The King stops meditating or whatever he was doing.

There's a reek of ozone as he stands. The chamber seems to grow darker.

We approach the king as Angus merrily burns Martians.

The King looks at us properly for the first time.

He has the air of a man who has been disturbed in the middle of a sandwich. (Ok he's not a man but you get the idea).

The Navvie sizes him up, standing perhaps a dozen feet from one another.

The two creatures, of entirely different lives, planets and minds, sense in one another a similarity, a passion, differing ideals perhaps, but they watch one another closely.

They stare at one another.

The Navvie's eyes start to roll back into his head.

He shakes his head.
:"Oi. Fuck you."
Seeing his attempt at (what we assume was) mind control has failed, the King raises all four of his arms wide, around each limb fire starts to glow, the Navvie runs at him and swings his hammer down.

It rebounds off the King, stopped by his shield. The Navvie keeps swinging even as his feet leave the ground.

The rest of us are not idle. Cruella raises Excalibur high and swings for the little bastard. I open fire, and the bard does the usual bard stuff.

Meanwhile, Angus is laughing as he torches another martian, then the flamethrower runs dry.

The Martians swarm Angus, a dozen clawing through the hull at once, he doesn't even bother trying to change the canister. He sticks his knife into it as they reach him and the thing goes off like a bomb.

His last words?
:"Petunia."
:OOC: "What? Angus who the fuck is Petunia?"
:"It's what I named the camel."

With Angus down, the Martians begin to swarm in, the Bard does his best to hold them off, piping for all he's worth (remember his music can actually pop heads somehow)

But they're still getting through.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qut6yOcibYY A Scottish Soldier]

He plays on. Standing resolute as they rush him.

Meanwhile the Navvie is floating in mid air.

Cruella whacks the King with the sword, it pierces his shield. The King drops the Navvie (and Antgyros bounces from his rucksack).

Cruella is now the sole focus of the King's attention, he throws fire balls around the place as we do our best to attack him. Meanwhile Cruella's eyes go blank, as he slowly, surely, devours her mind.

Blood pours from her nose as she falls to her knees.

The Navvie picks up Excalibur and drives it through the King's chest.

Fire shoots down the sword, burning up the Navvie's arm. He screams as he burns.
:>ANTGYROS DEMANDS ATTENTION
:>CRACK MY SHELL MIDGET.
:>USE ME.
I turn the shotgun on Antgyros, shots eating away at the lead. The King is distracted by slowly roasting the Navvie, who is reaching for the wunderwaffe.

I stick my hand into Antgyros's shell, the red goo within sweeps up my arm, eating into my flesh as I become something more and less than human.

His presence joins me in my mind as I sweep new limbs forward toward the king.

I become amorphous, Antgyros wrestle me for control, but I hold him off. He becomes subservient to me. The King is horrified as I begin to absorb him.

I see the Navvie tear the timer away from the weapon even as the flesh melts from his fingers.

:"FOR THE PENGUIN!"
There's a second or two before it detonates, enough time for me to sweep Cruella's unconscious body into my own, protecting her from the nuclear fireball that consumes all.

There's not much more to tell now.

When the Landcruisers pushed through into the crater, caring not for the fallout, they found what I had become bound tightly around Cruella.

She's not herself now, there's nothing left of her, her mind is like that of a child, but she has learnt to trust me, she is the only one who cares for me, I remain bound, contained with her, deep below London, where the Privy Council imprisoned both of us to keep the world safe from the mix of man and monster I had become. They cannot trust that I will forever hold Antgyros in check, nor can they destroy me.

We have our comforts, I have my books, she has her dogs, and above the fire, on the mantlepiece, sits a small, stuffed toy.

And that anons, was Britbongsteros.

===Epilogue===

:>John Borrison
Was knighted shortly afterwards by the Privy Council. Ran an extremely successful business (Sir Honest John's Imports and Exports) which created stronger links with the continent through trade in entirely legal goods.

:>The Privy Council
With the death of King Algie and no clear line of succession, the Privy Council seized power, Blackadder is king in all but name after Richard III suffered a fatal accident during a haircut.

:>Babi
Dead as far as we know. No corpse was found in the crater, but then again a nuke had gone off near him.

:>The German expeditionary force
What survived the conflict was politely escorted back to Germany where they were hailed as heroes. While it is hard to be certain, some fighting machines were found near Ipswich with parts missing, indicating the Germans may have succeeded in their goal of claiming martian technology.

:>The Wizard's Wife
Consumed by grief, she gave up her position within the clan and now runs an orphanage for those orphaned by the invasion.

:>Angus's Family
McAngus Sons & Assorted Animals is a thriving business and stud farm. The greengrocers shop has now opened several other outlets. The smiling face of a weird green bastard can be seen on the high street of many towns.

:>Pendragon
Fate unknown. Certainly no one has seen him, a series of enormous footprints were discovered leading into the sea.

:>King Rorke
The welsh army were very nearly wiped out. King Rorke's body was never found. Tales of a large bullman roaming the country side and robbing from the rich to give to himself were never substantiated.

:>Excalibur
Discovered, totally unharmed, embedded in a wall just outside Inner Temple church. What happened to it after that is entirely another story.

:>Orrance
The Arabs maintain home rule, they trade oil very happily, and the old Gods are starting to get back into the groove of things. The European powers are eying the country and its resources. It is now a question of whether Arabia can develop fast enough before some decides to take the place by force. Orrance is heavily involved in the program of modernization, as sanitation, education, and infrastructure come to the lands of the Caliphate. Anubis has taken to wearing a top hat.

:>The Landcruisers
In peace time, the Landcruisers each adopt a village or town as a fiefdom, they are instrumental in rebuilding the nation. Attempts by the Privy Council to use them as paramilitary force/death squad fail. The Landcruisers remain free and fiercely independent, and loyal to the nation and the nation only.

They have become a powerful political force for this reason. The one thing they cannot do, yet, is build more of themselves.

:>Aberdeen
The process of refining magic oil is a success and Aberdeen becomes the energy capital of Europe. Rumours that a squadron of Landrcuisers have taken up residence in Peterculter (a tiny village just outside the place) and begun research into their creation have proven to be just that. Rumours.

:>The Patrick Murderborg Moore Scholarship Foundation
Takes underprivileged inner city kids and turns them into cyborgs. The Privy council got their death squads in the end.

:>The Rest of the World
The great Russian Bears wake, and Germany begins to look eastward for lebensraum. Tensions brew in the east. The war weary west of Europe is beseeched by an American ambassador (some guy called Benny Franklin) for assistance with a hitherto unknown enemy.

:>Mars
Looks upon the earth and our teeming billions with envy. Biding their time. Mars will rise again.

In the world of Britbongsteros, on the 23rd of June, a purple badge is worn by citizens of the country. To commemorate those lost in the what came to be known as the Martian Wars.

:London. 2015. September. A wet Friday afternoon just as the clocks strike pint o'clock.
Deep beneath the earth, in the darkness of the world, behind steel and stone, the final portal is swung aside.
Shaking hands lift a box in an archive which has not been opened in decades. Ancient weapons and mouldered leather within. Blowing dust brought down from the ceiling by another bomb blast, cracked lips moisten by a tongue stained with blood. Wizened hands reach within the box. Into the half light rises a tiny purple toy. It's button eyes catch the light in a stare that would melt steel beams.

:"Your time has come again little one... Your country needs you."

==Post-game Stories==
Sessions that took place after the wrap up.

===A Seasonal Tale===
Well we got the gang back together over Christmas/New Year with a bit of Skype meaning there's now another story. Would /tg/ still care to hear it?

:>I thought you were all (mostly) dead?
We are. With a healthy dose of MST3K mantra and by dint of this episode being set between two earlier ones, we can get away with it. Additionally this adventure happened over the festive season and was a sort of group reunion.

:>When are we?
Somewhere after the discovery of Martians at the north pole and before our trip to Egypt (MST3K).

:>Where are we?
We begin in London as the privy council explain over tea served by Baldrick, the gorilla, that the good ship DunRoamin pulled into Peterhead Harbour last Tuesday. This is met with an almost unanimous
:"And?"
Aside from Angus, who is picking his nose and simultaneously rolling a cigarette, and Cruella, who has taken a shine to a carriage clock on the mantelpiece and is considering larceny.
:Blackadder explains "and the DunRoamin was thought lost at sea two years ago. Wreckage was found. Even some bodies. The 'crew' have no knowledge of the last twenty six months, the cargo of Spanish Oranges are still fresh. The last thing any of them remember is the Northern lights around Cruden Bay. We (the Privy Council) have had the crew quarantined. We suggest (meaning order on pain of death) you find out what is going on. Additionally, some of the local sheep have been (Angus perks up) going missing and returning in fractions. Do find out what's going on?"

Blackadder also mentions a number of other missing ships, ones which were assumed lost to alchemists/sea monsters/necromancery. Given that good King Algernon has already (mostly unknowingly) put up and dedicated a number of monuments, it'd be far too confusing for the old duffer to dedicate them. Additionally wherever that ship has been, we want to know.

So we find ourselves on the sleeper train to Peterhead. Having "snuck" (punched out the guard - cheers Navvie) our way into first class (where they wash the chickens you share the carriage with first) we are smoking and enjoying one of Angus's home distilled whiskies. To our surprise it tastes nothing like whiskey but also doesn't make you go blind.

The surroundings, company, and drink being convivial, the party start to relax, finding their feet as their characters again, old arguments are resurrected and players get in character. As the Wizard and Navvie speculate on what the disappearance could mean, Angus and Cruella snipe at each other over whether Brown or tomato sauce is more of an insult to food while interjecting every so often. The consensus is that it's something to do with time travel, the bard dissenting because obviously it's whales. When pressed further all he says is "fuck whales."

The party are finding their feet again reasonably quickly. The train journey passes quickly. The issue is that the DM is also finding his feet again. Cruella it appears has actually acquired the carriage clock and is inordinately pleased with it.

We start properly in Cruden Bay, a small fishing village. We kind of expect everyone to be missing, we expect things to be not as they should be. Instead, and for once, everything seems fine. In fact the village seems more than fine, they're having a party.

The group are quite content to get involved but the Wizard reminds us we are here to do a job. We make our way (nearly losing Angus and the Navvie to a bar) to Cruden Bay's one and only jail, where apparently the crew of the DunRoamin have been quarantined.

The twelve crew seem altogether normal, if a little lost, you would be too if you'd lost a couple years inexplicably. They don't seem as though they've been at sea for two years. No Rime of The Ancient Mariner stuff here. Talking to them brings us almost nothing new in the way of knowledge.

:DM: "The 14 men in the gaol seem perfectly, completely, and utterly normal."
The fete outside seems to pick up a little in noise and cheer.
:>12 crew on the boat.
:>14. men in the gaol.
Fuck.

Problem solving has never been one of our finer points. We have the crew list and cargo manifest. We know damn well that there's only meant to be 12 people on that boat.

The first idea we managed was taking them out one by one and asking them who was on the boat with them, and to describe them. It seems spending what may or may not have been two years on a boat with someone gives you a very poor recollection of what they look like. Each crewman can vaguely describe maybe two or three others. There's enough overlap and amnesia that no one can definitely be pointed to as an impostor. There's definitely not going to be a nice reason for there being two extras.

The party form a small huddle. The crew being returned to the cell. These people (or "people") are amnesiacs and most don't seem to even remember their own names let alone each others. They all came off the boat though...
:Wizard: "Clearly they're all impostors. It's definitely the only sensible thing. Bodies were found remember?"
:Cruella: "Shoot the lot."
:Angus: "How do we know?"
:Bard: "We can't know, we can't leave them here either."
The fuck are we going to do with this lot? We've all seen the thing. We also aren't tempted to pick one at random and start slicing.

Someone has the not too bad idea, that if we're in this situation, and maybe, just maybe, there's some extras in there, we could try asking them things from before the voyage. The Wizard is from near this area.

He starts asking each of the crew about the football team, "Aberdeen United." Most have never heard of it. Some have, enthusiastically so. Aberdeen United don't exist. Of course, while football (soccer to my burger-bros) is a big thing in Scotland, not having heard of Aberdeen FC isn't quite a death sentence, as much as some people I know might disagree.

The questioning continues. We ask each individually about other things, things like how the winter was three years ago (most agree that it was pretty bad - it was), and whether Tunnocks Tea Cakes should be fried or baked (most think either is insane). We are slowly starting to get a feel that three identifiable folk are a bit weird.

That's one too many. Possibly one is just a berk. On the other hand, well, we have no idea what to expect and fuck it, double blind trials and that sort of thing aren't our strong point.

The Bard has been fairly quiet through all this. He's started to notice that most of them move pretty damn slowly. As though drugged or nearly blackout drunk. With the sort of exaggerated care of a man trying to unlock the front door at four in the morning with seventeen pints sloshing about in him and trying not to wake his wife.

We've narrowed things down (we think) to three. We take those three to a separate room. Outside the carnival or fete is reaching fever pitch.

We tie each of the three to a chair. For ease of reference, I'll number them, 1-3. The Wizard has had an idea.
:"I'm going to tell you a joke: Two lads in a pub, one says to the other 'Your round Jock' the other says 'So are you, ya wee fat bastard.'"

1 clearly doesn't get it. Two laughs uproariously. Three looks amused.

The wizard shoots number 2.
:"Even I know I'm not funny."
It's about this point that several things happen at once.

Truth be told we were kind of expecting someone to explode into a mass of mouths and tentacles. We definitely were not planning on #2 being instead of a corpse on a chair, just an empty chair with rope tied round it. As though we had tightly bound rope to the back of the chair without anyone actually being there. The bullet can clearly be seen having dug a hole in the wood of it. #3 is similarly gone as though he hadn't been there. As we are coming to grips with this. The fete outside seems to involve an awful lot of screaming.

1 appears terrified.
:"Why did you people tie me up then shoot an empty chair?"
We will come to terms with whatever that means shortly. Angus has been looking out the small, barred window. Several townsfolk have just been snatched, dismembered, and dragged off by something large, tentacley, and coming from the sea. The rest of the partying folks seem oblivious.

We can still hear music and dancing. Now we really think about it, the last local festive day was two days ago. The townsfolk definitely look as though they've been dancing since then...

We breezed into the gaol/police station thinking the lack of staff was just festive, the keys and jail had been easy enough to find. The snoring, passed out and very drunk sergeant at the front desk was (we thought) reason enough for the lack of efficiency. There is something very wrong here.

The empty chair however presents a very different issue. We all definitely counted 14 crew. We all definitely took three in here. We felt, saw and smelt each of the three we tied up. The wizard can't sense any magic in particular. What the hell is going on.

Angus who is still at the window reports that several pterodactyls just flew past. For the avoidance of doubt that is not normal.

It seems the townsfolk might be hallucinating or under some sort of ergot poisoning. We might have got a touch of it too even on our short walk through town. We can't just bug out though. There's too much weirdness for us to leave this alone. We decide to return our surviving and definitely tangible crewman to the cells. To his thirteen friends. Oh fuck.

We note that it's kind of hard to tell 14 men in uniform with beards apart from each other. Clearly one's the captain and the other is the first mate, but the rest are a bit tricky.

Cruella is greatly in favour of burning the lot.

We are a bit tempted to now. It's about here that the wizard sees that one of the crew has a hole in his jacket. Just above the sternum. He has one on his back too. Perfect for the entry and exit of a bullet from a revolver.

This time I shoot him.

He hits the floor about the same time as his friends bare their teeth and give a horrible ululating cry. Skin flakes or sloughs away to scale or chitin. Muscle flows and warps. The whole group like figures made of wax left too close to a flame. They start to flow and slither into each other. Ropes of sinew and intestine slapping and crawling round the bars. Angus still has his flamethrower and by God is it handy here. The rest of the party open fire as well.

Our original interrogatee is all that's left shortly afterwards. Lying on the floor with his hands over his head, trembling and (when our ears stop ringing) begging not to be shot.

He is lying against the bars, fairly near to us and actually, if he had hit the deck and lain there, could logically have survived.

All of his mates have just exploded however. The wizard decides (supported by the rest of us - even the penguin) to stick a harpoon through him.

He does what you might expect a perfectly ordinary human to do. Scream a bit and expire.
:a perfectly
:normal
:human
Fuck.

Did we just?

Yup. We just executed a terrified civilian like big damn heroes.

We've killed plenty innocent bystanders before but this actually feels worse than usual. Even the Purple Penguin briefly ceases his reverie on the intricacies of axiomatic metaphysics and tits to look disapprovingly on us. As does the DM. We think we just slaughtered our exposition device.

So to recap, we don't know what's going on, there's weird Thing type person impersonators, dinosaurs, and the population of Cruden bay are under some form of mass hysteria while being massacred. Also it's Tuesday. We know just what must be done.

Angus, as our resident good samaritan, does what he feels is appropriate and makes sure our interrogatee is actually dead. He also takes to opportunity to rifle through his pockets. The man coughs up a lot of blood? It seems a lot darker than it should be, the consistency of treacle, and hacks one word out before finally and definitely dying.
:"Merde."
We will process that later. There's stuff to do.

We make our way out of the gaol - and past the still comatose desk sergeant (who is going to wake up to the worst hangover imaginable). The village is alight, at least one lantern has been knocked over and smoke and sparks colour the scene.

Outside the fete has become a nightmarish scene of violence. The exhausted villagers are being grabbed by long white sticky tentacles which can be traced seaward, toward the end of the village square. If anon imagines the villagers dancing in a square then the ones at the western corner are slowly and methodically being stripped of flesh piece-by-piece by the tentacles. They are still very much alive and seemingly unable to take flight, but they get to watch the person up the line from them being skinned. The only ones saved from this fate are women who are dragged off "whole."

Emerging into the square and making for those tentacles, they seem to emanate from a couple of vehicles. Like a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathysphere bathysphere] on tracks. With thick diving bell type windows too bright to see within, the tentacles ooze from hatches and ports while the bits of flayed villager are conveyed within.

A pterodactyl circles overhead, but doesn't seem to take part in this.

How the fuck do you fight a bathysphere and/or bathyscape?

More to the point, as we make our way to the villagers we argue, it seems that trying to carry them off one by one isn't likely to work. We are going to have to wreck those things.

As we get closer it becomes apparent the cobbles are thick with some sort of transparent and very unpleasant mucus. It reeks of rotten fish. The wizard is our best tin-opener and while Angus tries to create a wall of flame between villagers and Bathys, the rest of us follow him. The Wizard starts to work on a bolt, then another, they slowly (achingly so) start to loosen, he has to concentrate very hard indeed on this task. This leaves Cruella, the Navvie and myself with the tentacles. Up close they can be seen to be covered in horrific looking barbs or bladed suckers. You do not want one of those touching you.

As a bolt becomes loose enough it seems the internal pressure of the Bathy fires it like a musket ball (unfortunately into the forehead of another villager - collateral damage though) with this revelation, the bathys very much turn their attention on the Wizard. We do our best to intervene with shot, blade and hammer, but it's going to take time for the wizard to pop those things open.

The combat becomes a blur of slashing, shooting and bashing. The fact they are trying to concentrate on the wizard makes the tentacles easier to combat, but they are also happy enough to take a chunk out of us - as the bard who has been generally fucking about in the background learns. He was about to try and play something inspiring, but instead a tentacle has seized his bagpipes. The two wrestle and the struggle between man and pseudopod is evenly matched.

Meanwhile bits of villager can be seen being dragged into the bathys.

The Wizard is having some success, with three bolts loose now, a panel zings off the lead Bathy. The pressure within causes an ejection of a thick white fluid (shut up whoever is sniggering at the back) and some sort of machinery is revealed within. Angus is able to turn the flamethrower on the tentacles we are fighting, momentarily giving me enough time to get a half dozen slugs into that panel. Smoke and fluid belches and farts from Bathy 1.

We might be winning, we might not but we are doing our best. The bard at least has won his struggle - his pipes are, for the time being at least, out of action.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoHxG4-Rh4U Zart - The Tentacles of Doom] have some mood music anyway.

The Navvie is usually reasonably well prepared with a couple of blasting charges or some dynamite and decides now is the time for some fireworks. Headbutting the last tentacle near him (losing a decent chunk of his forehead in the process), he primes a charge and hurls it like a shot-put at Bathy 2. He doesn't quite get the charge under the tracks, but it does knock the thing over. It can still slither tentacles about the place, but it's definitely immobile.

There are a couple more pterodactyls above us now, and from somewhere nearby thunderous footsteps can be heard.

We are slowly closing in on Bathy 1.

Bathy 1 does its best, but with Bathy 2 just about out of the fight we close in enough that the Wizard is able to tear off thick cast iron panels now. There's a crack and a highly pressurized fizz from within before the entire internal hull is breached. It goes up like a bomb, showering bits of highly pressurized pseudoplasm and other goo all over us and everything else within forty feet. If we had any doubts about this thing having come from the deep sea, those are very definitely assuaged.

Those footsteps are coming closer. Big thumping ones.

With Bathy 1 destroyed and Bathy 2 down, the villagers are at least no longer being eaten. Deciding we don't have all that much time to investigate Bathy 2, we make for it as quickly as we can. The Wizard sealing shut the ports from which the tentacles are exuded while cautioning us against just tearing it open - explaining that the internal pressure, will, if released, destroy any evidence of what is within the thing.

Looking closer, we can see on one of the hatches some Latin lettering which might read:
:"Avertissement , contenu sous pression , ouverte avec une extrême prudence"
It seems the real enemy have shown themselves at last: The French. However the Spinosaurus (or what might be - it's not entirely biological nor does it quite fit the description - but who knows - paleontology being a very dangerous profession in Britbongsteros), which is watching us, seems to beg to differ.

Ok so dinosaurs are a new one. They're not native to Britbongsteros, though there are rumours that there's plenty of them in Africa. We are not inclined to ask this one particularly about his heritage, especially given that he squares his shoulders and charges right at us without a second thought.

As he gets closer, mechanical or maybe cybernetic augments can be seen on his joints and around the back of his head. An arc of electricity whips from his rib-cage and washes up around his skull.

What the actual fuck is that thing DM?

Spiney races toward us, we move to engage, planning on hamstringing him and going from there. This, for once, actually goes to plan, with some decent rolls Cruella gets his left leg and not eaten, and the Navvie is able to crush his right ankle as he goes down.

It's almost like he's not paying us any attention and has been told to go for Bathy 2 at all costs. He just about makes it too, smashing into the thing on sheer momentum. That highly pressurized hiss that proceeded Bathy 1's explosion can be heard. We make for cover and, a moment or two later, bits of dinosaur and Bathyscape rain down around us. We re-emerge to investigate the wreckage.
:"YOU ABSOLUTE CUNTS."
The short and very angry orc gesticulating and swearing at us identifies himself as Doctor Andrew Ure ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Ure you're not going to believe anything about this guy], [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/non_fictionreviews/3556709/Raising-the-Dead-the-men-who-created-Frankenstein.html some of his more fun experiments]). He seems really annoyed that we just killed his pet.

The orc - or Doctor Ure, explains that that monster was the best chance we had of ending whatever the menace from the sea is, and now we've gone and ruined that. While he doesn't seem especially threatening, Dr. Ure definitely has plenty of other dinosaurs around if those pterodactyls are anything to go by. He is also completely mental. We do our best to ignore the small, insane green midget and examine what's left of Bathy 2 for clues.

Bathy 2 doesn't render up much in the way of info
:The Wizard reporting: "It's a Bathyscape."
:Cruella: "The fuck are you looking at me for?"
:Angus: "I reckon we could rebuild this if we really tried... some sort of... maybe a submarine?"
:Bard: "I think Angus might be onto something."
:Navvie: "Shut up bard. Also more French writing found."
Doctor Ure has become somewhat more insistent to the extent that everyone else was examining the Bathy (and scraping bits of it and Spinosaurus off themselves). I did my best to calm him down enough to work out what he was on about.

The following information is learnt along with a lot of raving:
:>The Bathys are of unknown origin but have been doing things like this up and down the coast.
:> Mad Dr. Ure is also an agent of the crown, at least he was, the letter of authority he shows me is eight years old and entirely out of date.
:>The dinosaurs are what he calls "Galva-saurs" (as in Galvinism - yes, I know Ure predated Galvinism by some decades) and are his own flesh melded designs which he suspects the Bathys (who may or may not be French) to have stolen.

I ask him about what happened with the exploding crew members (above) and he postulates
:"That could be a logical result of my research, but only a mad" he laughs uproariously "man might do that. If the Crown ever found out about that he'd be burnt at the stake."
So the end result of that is we don't really know what to do. The rest of the party has now joined us.
:Bard: "Where are the Bathys coming from?"
:Ure: "The Sea."
"Bard: "Ok but where in the sea?"
:Ure: "How should I know?"
:Wizard: "You knew they were coming here right? You might know where they go next? How'd you know they were coming?"
:Angus: "More to the point where did you get these bloody great lizards?"
:Ure: "Made them."
:Everyone: "You what?"
:Ure: (cackles some more) "Well it's been a bit lonely up here in Cruden Bay, what else was I meant to do? I had all these eggs and other bits and... Galvasaurs!"
(if anyone paying attention is wondering, Cruden Bay has a lot of history and links to Frankenstein...)

It's been growing darker and stormier. Lightning flashes illuminating Slains castle on the near horizon.
:Ure: "Come up to my laboratory... We have much to discuss, as you see I suspect someone has been stealing my research."
After agreeing that we'd follow him up once we've seen what we can do to help the villagers (which we do our best to, those that haven't been dissected mostly fall unconscious - but we can provide water and try to move some away from the now steadily blazing town - a process which takes about an hour or so but isn't terribly exciting to tell), we follow Mad Dr. Ure up to Slain's Castle because we're smart like that. Dr. Ure himself having simply extended his arms, waited a couple minutes in that rather daft position, and then gets scooped up by two Ptero-Galva-Dactyls.

Dr. Ure is very pleased to welcome us, as are the small pack of GalviDeinoychus that scutter about his feet. We have decided (having met plenty of lunatics by now) that we should start very slowly and softly.

He welcomes us into the great hall, the chained and mostly assembled item which he describes as "THE GALVASAURUS" is bigger than the Spinosaurus and indeed Babi if anyone remembers him.

:We ask him: "What are you doing up here?"
Ure: "The Royal charter [n.b. they only last for four years and need renewed when a monarch dies] should tell you all you need. The kingdom needs soldiers, my original research in Oxford was deemed too unseemly for the populace, so I was sent to quieter, more... unseeing areas to complete it. Helpfully, new discoveries from Araby [shit was that us?] have assisted enormously."
:Party: "So you're making the traditional ubersoldats then?"
Ure: "No, these are so much more, imagine a galvasaurus pulling plowshares, or a hundred powering pumps, why we could drain the Irish sea if we wanted to. Think of the engineering potential."
:Party: "Ok that's... that's actually less bonkers than it sounds. You err... you don't happen to be using any crazy blood magic or anything that'd mean we have to kill you?" (we asked this a bit more tactfully, but then the bard just asked it straight out)
:Ure: "No? Just science. Why should I use anything else? With science man can usurp the reigns of power from G-d! G-d has other things to take care of, such as our souls, (I don't know how he managed to pronounce it like that but somehow he did) he has allowed science to assist him!"

As Dr Ure is working himself up into a proper frothing rant, we change topic.
:Party: "So Dr., who might be murdering the townsfolk?"
:Bard: "Yeah! What's the French Connection?"
Ure: "I told you that I don't know, you probably already know they've attacked ships, that they've likely discovered a way to not only utilize my research but to corrupt the human form, to make things which appear to be men but are not, there might be hundreds or even thousands of those sleepers (he means what happened in the gaol) in towns on the east coast already, all seemingly normal until some threat or command and then..." Dr Ure whistles and a ParasaurGalvius cracks open a bottle of Chesnokov brand vodka (there's at least one /k/ommando in the group if anyone was curious) "..it doesn't bear thinking about."
Angus has wandered off but returns at the mention of free drink. He has something to share. He nudges the Navvie and I and gestures at the Galvisaurus surreptitiously. That sure looks like a really big soul-cube if you squint just right. (Remember the necromancers?)

Well then... what do we do with this?

Giving it some thought we decide that, you know what? Fuck that. We'll deal with that later. Night has very definitely fallen outside and we are invited to spend the night in the creepy weird Dracula inspiring castle. On second thought we could spend it in the village... which has burnt to the ground... On third thought, lets stay.

We are given half a dozen rooms and waited on by a couple of small servant lizards (the wizard reckons they might be some velociraptor relative), in any event we decide it's far more sensible - and defensible - to all sleep in two adjoining rooms. We also have a chance to properly study one of these lizards up close.

It seems the things are not quite dead but definitely not alive, motive power is being provided by some small generator in the chest and thought and direction by the modified box on the back of the skull. If we had to guess, it might be a good idea to smash said box if we had any issues with one of these critters. We have no idea how Dr. Ure is controlling the things, however the wizard theorizes it's low level magic tweaking the copper diodes and control in each box on the Doctor's part, and when he isn't controlling them directly, it's instinctive behaviour on the part of the lizard.

We are woken - those of us who were sleeping at least (we've had enough of the DM to know that everyone being asleep at once without explicitly saying X will be on watch first leads to bad things), by a small Galvinychus battering on the door. It seems to very much want us to follow it. We do with some leisure, it seems that a village up the coast is under attack from our local bathys. We could just relax here but something tells us that the Penguin would much prefer us to take the offer of being Ptero-Galvi-dactlyed into the middle of the village. It also sounds fucking awesome.

***

A short while later.

Six adventurers are borne aloft, silhouetted against the harvest moon on our way to Newburgh and wondering what the fuck we have gotten ourselves into this time.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-49noOAFsG8 Saxon - Princess of the Night]

Not all of us exactly have a head for heights nor indeed the way the Ptero-Galvi-Dactlys like to swoop and swerve, the screams of Cruella as her two do a loop-de-loop can probably be heard in Inverness, but we make it.

Newburgh is only a few miles away and at this speed it's five minutes flying time. Below we can see in the flames of the fishing village, more Bathys, and something else, something really unpleasant. Like a creature made of chitin and fishhooks, it's grabbing towns people and eviscerating them or... oh lordy that's not nice. It's cocooning them and forcing something down their throats....

With a cry of "Fukken Xenos!" we land in the middle of the town square. Apparently bonkers Dr. Ure will send reinforcements, but right now we're it. The big sky above us is fire lit, and all around us civilians scream.
:>We Xcom now baby.
:>DM? Is this a terror mission? This feels a lot like a terror mission.
:>That's not a bad idea bard. This is now a terror mission, save those civvies.
We don't exactly take much coaxing to try and do the good thing, but this is going to be bloody hard. They're everywhere and if (as we suspect any villager impregnated - and yes that is probably what happened to the women further up) they're going to make more gribbly things, we think maybe we should burn out those nest things first.

Then we still have the Bathys, and whatever the fuck else there is running around. Well fuck it. Lets do this.

So we pretty much have two choices. Go for the "nest" and hopefully cut off the alien reinforcements, or try and fight through everything and save as many civvies as we can. It seems likely we might save more lives in the end going for the nest, but more will die while we do that. It's a DM dilemma and a big gamble.

We like a good gamble though, and while the combat isn't too exciting to relate, we wade through mucus and those horrific chitinous beasties to the "nest" or what was once a small inn. Now it's a horrific mess of bodies and bio-resin, we're just in time to see the stomach of some poor woman burst in a shower of gore (muh edge!) and several smaller nastier little things scrabble towards us.
:"Well fuck this." Angus bathes the place in flame and the Navvie tosses a charge into the flames.

The (fuck it, we'll just call the Chryssalids) lids swarm us as we do so, the Wizard being knocked to the ground and only saved from a really nasty death by Cruella decapitating the Lid. She in turn is grabbed and dragged a few feet before the Wizard harpoons the Lid standing over her. Eventually (really a few moments later) we are standing on a pile of chitinous bodies when the charge cooks off. Still leaving the rest of the screaming and abused village to save.

Out there in the night there are still people dying, being picked apart by Bathys and god knows what else.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwNOmS78q-o UFO - Doctor Doctor]

We know exactly what must be done.
:>Ayyyyyyy LMAO
We are heavily outnumbered but we think we just about have the hang of wrecking bathys, the first two aren't all that bad. The third is where we hit our first big snag. Angus and myself are herding civvies aside when several of them do that horrible shifting exploding thing and go full Thing, grabbing and devouring others or trying to eat us.
:>Fuck. Nothing is to be trusted.
As Bathy 3 detonates, (there's still plenty more of them) we have to execute not only the Things but the half eaten (and possibly contaminated? Turned?) civilians with them.

The rest of the bathys are a struggle, but with reinforcements (fucking dinosaurs!) we manage pretty well. There's plenty more French in the wreckage, but as the last of them retreat, the wizard looks awfully smug. He's missing his solid iron broach that keeps his cape/kilt in place and holding it in place with one hand. It's stuck to the back of the last of the bathys. He reckons that as long as it stays within seven or eight miles he should be able to pinpoint where it goes. It's also a dead cert that wherever "there" is, is likely underwater, so we are going to have to do some preparation for dive. Fortunately, there's enough bits of bathy scattered around that, with plenty of ingenuity and around four or five days work, it ought to be possible to fashion a crude diving bell and some extremely crude diving suits. We are going to engage the terror from the deep on its own terms.

The tracker indicates that where we are going is reasonably close to the coast in one of the few areas where the North Sea is lower than 100M (110 yards-ish) but not much more so. It's still pretty bloody deep - especially in home made diving suits.

***

So, going forward in time slightly, we rejoin the party in a purloined fishing vessel ("In the Name of Cod") a few days later. Crude diving suits have been fashioned and, with some help from the lunatic Dr. Ure, we have an air-pumping station set up which is powered by half a dozen Galvelociraptors. The air pumps connecting via tubes to each suit. The suits themselves have a very small reserve of air. The suits have positive buoyancy, so if we remove the belt of lead weights we will shoot back up to the surface.
:Bard: "Guys what about the bends?"
:DM: "That's a very good point Bard, what are you all going to do about the bends?"
:>Arguing

We know the bends doesn't occur at a specific depth and is more a function of how quickly one ascends. If we have a managed ascent (say removing one lead weight every minute or two and coming up over half an hour) we should be totally fine. However, we are trying to use atmospheric diving suits (so we'll stay at about surface pressure anyway), so it may not actually be an issue at all.

The bottom is about ~100M down, which we realize is actually further down than anyone dived in such a suit until at least about 1920, and that these are very much bodged together suits. However, in our favour, we do have the wizard who, if he senses anyone being likely to spring a leak, can repair the suit before the occupant even knows there's a problem. Reasoning that the wizard allows for pretty much factory level precision repair at depth we feel pretty happy. Satisfied we aren't going to just implode, the party sit on the edge of the 'Cod and fall backward into the water.

We are diving well below where natural light penetrates. It's very, very dark down here. We also have no means of communicating with one another - except that the wizard can ding on our helmets to try to direct us if we get lost, and if we want to talk it'll have to be by pressing face-glass together. We have torches and while some of our weaponry will work underwater, the rest we have decided to place in leather bags sealed with tar.

The descent takes us from light, to darkness, to something beyond darkness. Six little spots of light that, as we hit the seabed, send up a huge plume of silt, bringing visibility down to a meter if that. The slightest movement of our feet sends more of the stuff into the water. We sensibly decided to rope ourselves together, but now we are each isolated from one another and yet only a meter or two apart.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUHqtNCK878 Ambient Music: Underwater Madness] MOOD MUSIC

So to recap, we are going to fight god knows what, if we want to run away we'll have to be slowly lifted up to the surface, we can't see a damn thing, the wizard can only vaguely guide us, and we are roped together and pretty much helpless. The wizard is in the middle.

To really hammer home the helplessness for us, the DM decides he wants to really mess with people. Step 1: the party cannot communicate with one another unless the players are physically holding hands. The party are roped together in a manner which is clockwise from the DM and you can't talk to anyone who isn't in that sequence.

The wizard is, for all purposes, driving the party. He stumbles and by the time he has righted himself with the help of the bard behind him, he realizes two rather concerning things: The guide rope has snapped just in front of him - sending Cruella, Angus, and Me off into the darkness unattached (but still guidable) and there's very possibly something big and nasty lurking out there in the gloom. Additionally, if he were counting helmets, there now seem to be seven of them.

The thing is, the players can all listen to this but are totally unable to do a thing about it. The wizard can guide us and try to bring the two halves of the party together, but I (as the one on the rope in front of him) have no idea there's even a problem yet.

There's still something out there in the mud or at least that's what the wizard reckons, and there's also the issue of seventh party member. All the rest of the party can do is watch, remember that.

The wizard tries frantically to guide us all into a circle. Something is interfering with his tapping, people are getting mixed up, airlines are being crossed. The tramping of heavy lead shod boots is causing even more silt to rise, we're entirely obscured now, lights do nothing more than illuminate the filth in front of you, then suddenly something might loom through it, a hand, the back of a helmet, a tentacle.
:>A tentacle
fuck.

Panic is starting to set in. The party can't do anything but beg the wizard to do something, the wizard can barely concentrate as he tries to process so many things at once, to direct six people, to try to assess whatever threat is around us, and to try to ascertain if one of us isn't who we should be.

Imagine that choking sensation of being isolated in your helmet, breath rasping, horrible tasting air being pumped down, and only the rank smell of your own sweat and rubber as you try not to hyperventilate. How quickly in that sweating, horrible little box you'd lose your mind, and most of us have no idea what's going on. Then a tentacle traces across the glass of your helmet and something grabs your hand.

The bard has finally worked out there's something wrong. He grips the wizard tightly and starts pulling in on the rope behind him. The Navvie is heavy but he's not that heavy, rather than allow the rope to go taut and just wait, the bard drags himself and the wizard into the gloom. The Navvie can be made out wrestling with something, something that has lots of tentacles.

Now pretty much everyone who isn't the wizard is down to using a knife, and the wizard has his hands full trying to wrangle the party. In the gloom he has no idea how successful he's being, but it seems like other hands are joining in on assisting the navvie. The sheer amount of silt and nastiness being thrown up makes it impossible to tell.

Eventually the tentacles withdraw with the creature either going to die or lick its wounds. There's still the issue that we can't tell who is who, or where, or what is going on. The wizard manages to get us all to stand in a circle, slowly waiting for the silt to settle and visibility to improve. Our hands are linked and bear in mind again that the rest of us have no idea there might be a seventh party member.

It takes a while for the silt to settle, a good long while. Remember the Wizard is the only one who knows why we've stopped, why we're standing in a circle holding hands. Imagine waiting in the horrible inky darkness, illumination being provided by a torch which doesn't do anything more than show particles of mud an inch in front of your faceplate, unable to hear anything other than your own breathing, heart racing and no idea what might be out there. Eventually it's clear enough to count lights. Seven lights.

You can't see the face of the person in the suit unless you're up and close. As the party realizes there's party + 1, things become very interesting.
:>These suits were jury rigged and likely individually distinct Aldous
Yes, but it's pretty damn silty and dark still.

The Wizard is able to get everyone's attention by materializing a small cannon ball in front of himself. This is more than enough to demonstrate to everybody that he is a wizard. It also rather handily gives us a sort of nominated inquisitor. The wizard is able to go from faceplate to faceplate.
*Aldous,
*Cruella,
*Bard,
*Angus,
*Bard,
*Navvie.
:Bard: "Oh fuck there's two bards!"
:Navvie: "KILL THEM BOTH!"
The Wizard can't think of a way of deciding who is who. They're both carrying an oilskin which looks exactly like the one with the pipes in it. This is actually a bit of a challenge as the DM obviously won't let us talk to each other (in character) and we know pretty well that this thing is going to probably explode with lots of tentacles.

Thinking scientifically, the critters (such as the crew above) replicate humans reasonably well, they can at least fool the senses into thinking clothing and other items are there as well (so for example they might look to be carrying a gun, it might even go bang, but it probably can't shoot bullets if that makes sense), in this case they also fooled the Wizard's senses into thinking there are seven diving helmets.
:>Aren't you roped together?
Same thing.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3MLeHGkYO0 Chris Stapleton - Parachute]

The party have naturally edged away from Bard A and Bard B, the DM (on the understanding that we will always have someone watching the two of them) allows us to talk.

The bard meanwhile is marveling at his own complexion. Majestic chucklefuck that he is when suddenly something occurs to him. The bard reasons as follows:
:>I know I'm me.
:>Therefore if I know I'm me, then the other one obviously isn't me.
:>Therefore, if I stab my double, everything will be fine.
So he does.

This actually goes fairly well for once. Except that Bard B doesn't explode into a mess of tentacles and things, it just bleeds a lot and thrashes a bit with a knife in it's stomach. To an impartial observer, Bard A has just stabbed Bard B with an unknown motive. The bard is smart like that of course.

The party can see what might have been the logic here, but on the other hand, if the tables were reversed, it sure does look like the impostor just stabbed our bard. More to the point anything the Bard now does will make him seem suspicious.
:>Ah Bard...
The wizard does his best to weld something over the wound to Bard B. We don't know which Bard is our bard.

We take the wounded and, with a knife at his back (do knives even work on weird tentacle-y things?), prepare to slightly less cunningly and gloriously make our assault on the underwater enclave of... we are not entirely sure. Up above there is one bonkers Doctor and that's as close to sanity as this one is going to get.

We mount a rise and below us we see our objective for the first time. There are ship wrecks, these are dark and barnacle encrusted, in the center sits what can only be described as a facility. An underwater building? It looks like an oil rig, and it's very well lit. Cargo from the ships is strewn around from steam engines to bricks to pottery. In the distance we can see Bathys making for shore.

Entrance to the facility isn't too hard. There's a suspiciously unguarded airlock. The air hoses prove to be a problem to actually get in, so we have to unscrew the things and pull on them to be hauled up. We still have our reserve tanks, but now we're down here and alone. Also one of our party members is who-knows-fucking-what.

So, time to work out what the flying fuck is going on down here. We've had a taste of quite a lot of DM level weird but things feel like they're only just starting. Something must have a very good reason for stealing ships and eating people. There also must be a damn good reason why there was French script on the Bathys.

The interior of the facility is dank, and there's the sound of a thousand drips reverberates through the darkness. There's also the very, very distinct noise somewhere far off of honking.
:>Honking.
Oh yes. Honking. We have something much more immediate to attend to however. The bard is carefully held at gunpoint, while the other bard is stripped out of his suit. The bizarre maggoty situation with the wound is enough of a clue to tip us off to him not being human. The way he begs us not to as we pour flamethrower fuel over him is really kinda horribly grimdark. Burns good though.

The flames give us the same result as in the gaol. What the hell are these things? We're somewhat inured to terror, also bizarre, horror and all that other stuff, but there's so much oddness going on here it's almost too much to take in.

The party takes a moment to think things through:
*Person replacing weird things.
*Bathys.
*Some French connection.
*Honking.
*Villager stealing (in fractions).
Why is it all happening off the very north east coast of Scotland? Dr. Ure seems to have been fighting as best he can against this stuff (he's also bonkers) for quite some time.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyFniXdqsQQ I do like to be beside the seaside - Mark Sheridan]

:Angus is the first to say it. "Ok. DM. Honking, French, and stealing villagers in bits or not. I know what this is."
:>French-clown-leech-spider things
:Bard: "Wat?"
:Navvie: "Oh god not those things."
:Cruella: "You mean... yuck. They ate me."
:Wizard: "Bugger them."
:DM: "You'll find out..."
So, this adventure took a bit of a peculiar turn about here.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_76Orifags If You Were The Only Girl In The World Sung By Henry Burr]

Anyway, what's it like in the facility? It's warm, unpleasantly so. Hot enough that we're sweating before we are out of our diving suits. Hot enough that it feels like breathing blood. The lighting is red-lit, like a submarine at battle stations. It's built of rusted, damp, dripping steel, covered in pipes and gauges, valves and a billion other things. The whole thing is cast in that red light, making everything crimson or black. It was clearly a significant investment for someone.

Why on earth would the French of all people build this? They're just slutty elves. What the hell is that about? This really isn't their style, nor is it Dr. Ure's - he's just weird, but not this kind of villain lair sort of weird.

By the way if you're wondering about the less normal music, the DM is playing this sort of stuff on his laptop for reason we aren't entirely sure of.

We proceed very slowly. Not being particularly happy about anything down here. Least of all the lack of alarms, bodies, creepy shit or anything else. This place should really have been noticed when it was built, it's huge.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKXi7f7AFmU Soundtrack 24: Das Boot Theme] (the DM starts playing this)

So we're used to exploring abandoned facilities and dungeons, this place isn't. It's got no sign of habitation, as in never lived in. There's not even the debris that builders leave around. It's like it fucking grew here and we're the first people to enter it. Angus in theory is the engineer of the party (with some help from the Wizard), but it's Cruella who raps on one of the pipes experimentally.
:"What are these things for?" She taps a gauge. "I mean what the fuck is this thing? Come on boys. Explain?"
Five dice hit the table and permutations of
:>I roll to explain whatever the fuck that thing is
follow on from the dice, but oddly, none of us can make any heads or tails of it.

It's all connected, almost knitted together as much as interlacing pipework can be, as much as gauges, valves, speaking tubes, and other bumf can be. Some if it's slung across the roof - making the experience of entering the facility seem like walking under low brush, and other pipes and things are set across the walkway, seemingly at ankle height by design because fuck you.

One of the speaking tubes honks. Then a louder honk comes echoing from somewhere up the passage, or maybe under the floor, or outside, or Wales, in this mess we can't fucking tell.

The further in we get, the denser this stuff gets. Stooped, with aching backs in tight confines, half crawling in boiling heat and unpleasant watery damp, the fluid black in the light. We pass under shafts which seemingly extend upward to other floors or god knows where (in theory we could climb up but we're going inward for now). Angus traverses what he thinks is a puddle, putting his hand outward to balance himself in the ankle deep water. Instead he sinks right in. He comes up again almost instantly treading water.

So anything coming at us could come from below, or above, or any direction it feels like.

Cruella has some pretty funkily good hearing, so does Angus, one of them picks up on a noise. So deep it can't really be heard at all, it's more that you're aware of the absence of noise. It's then followed by a more high pitched ping which is right up at the other end of the frequency range. Very shortly afterward, Cruella thinks on both of these frequencies
:"If I can hear those, you know that really does mean I can speak Whale?"
The sound is an event regular enough to sound almost mechanical, like an engine, or a heartbeat.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBN56wL35IQ The Bloop: A Mysterious Sound from the Deep Ocean]

Our slow, painful, soggy pace is becoming even worse now. It's hard to tell where to place your feet and simultaneously watch for low hanging pipe work. Something coils around Angus's leg.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=royW0LZspXs The Rose Of Tralee]

The something comes from the Navvie. Or what we thought was the Navvie. Turns out we didn't get our Navvie back from the octo(thing) when it fucked off. We got something else. Something much worse. With very little ado the party are quite happy to shoot, chainsaw, stab, and uselessly play music at the impostor that was their friend. The amorphous tentacle-y horror slinks into the the mess of pipes and is practically indistinguishable from them in this light, water, and environment.

A (smirking) party member down (the Navvie's PC has something else to occupy him) we try to continue. It's almost impossible to watch every direction, or to even watch each other - any of us could be replaced at any moment...

The Navvie's player seems to relish his task of hunting us. We don't know whether to head into the facility, or out of it, or up, or down, but we've also established we are lost as fuck (no one even thought about a trail of bread crumbs). The Navvie-Thing seems to regenerate as well, it can be seen off by bullets and flame, but it always seems to come back, always from some new angle. Flowing from between the thicket of pipes. Rearing up from a pool of water. Dropping from the ceiling. Always in some new form of amorphous face eating blob. The thing seems to call back to a number of critters we've faced, things from the Isle of Mann, Coliunn, Witches, Cthulhu's Dad. Not mimicking them, but enough that there's similarity. It also just will not die.

Whichever direction we take, the path seems to shift, to twist, and definitely not to make sense. The Wizard can sort of machete his was through the pipes but it takes quite a lot of time. What really doesn't help is that I get separated.

The pipes aren't a solid mass like the bulkheads around us (though pretty bloody close). They are however solid enough to block sight almost entirely after three or four feet. The party can still hear me, they can't see me. The Wizard picks what he thinks is the best direction and starts bending. Meanwhile, alone, in the light of my torch I watch the darkness for movement. Trying to watch every degree of the compass at once with my back to the pipes. The Navvie-thing can worm its way through the pipes as it's pretty much an amorphous blob of bits (think the way an octopus can fit into and then pop out of a jam jar). The gatling shotgun has drum magazines that hold 128 rounds, at best that's sixteen seconds of sustained fire. That might seem like a lot but it takes a while to reload, and if the thing that was the Navvie...

....just happens to be crawling along the ceiling....
:>brrt
....drops from the ceiling....
:>brrt
...starts to gather itself to charge...
:>brrt
...manages to walk into the hail of shot as I walk fire onto it...
:>brrrrrrrrrrrrt
....keeps fucking coming....
:>brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt
...and coming....
:>brrrrrrrrrrrrrrt
....losing tentacles and chunks of flesh and bone....
:>brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt
....but keeps coming.....
:>brclick.
...Fuck.

I'm trying my fumbling best to reload, the spent drum falls between my boots. I realize I'm not going to make it in time (ask /k/ about the 21ft thing sometime) the wizard spangs a glancing blow with an iron bar off the thing slowing it a little. Angus, beautiful bastard that he is has a bright idea.
:"Hit the deck."
I have just enough time (nearly) to hit the deck as the muzzle of his flamethrower is shoved between the pipes and a spear of napalm shoots between my shoulder blades. The Not-Navvie recoils, hisses, and starts to melt... not the good kind of on fire melting, the "I'm going to run along the ground under the jet of flame kind and shoot tentacles at the dwarf whose beard is on fire."
:There now follows a science argument - given that we are at a pressure of above one atmosphere, would flamethrowers work like they do? Also what happens to any bullets that hit the hull?

:>DM: Assume that the hull is bullet proof - though let's add some ricochets in for fun? Flamethrowers? Hmm... reduced range? Oh Aldous you're still on fire.
:>We love you too DM.

:''>RANDOM SCIENCE TIME!''
:''The effect of a high pressure environment on a flamethrower would depend on the atmosphere. Unless you were in a Nitrox or Heilox charged bathysphere thing, and nothing else around you was flammable, the fuel would burn faster and hotter than at sea level. Higher pressure = more O2/m3 = faster fuel consumption. This is why fire on a submerged submarine is a very bad thing. Normally there would be the added hazard of setting paint alight as well, but given how damp it sounds like the area was, you have more of a risk from O2 depletion and toxic gasses than secondary fires in said situation.''

So while I'm beating out flames (My beard!!) Angus continues playing fire over my head. The wizard is able to slowly clear an actual path to me - one which Cruella and then the bard (as the skinniest party members) are able to worm through. The not-Navvie thing decides to retreat as I'm reinforced, schlopring off into a duct with a horribly soggy noise.

In the distance can be heard sounds of distant honking... and swearing. Deciding that swearing can mean one thing and one thing only - also there's no way to replicate that vocabulary (so many variations on "cunt" - fanny, meat curtains, dribbling pleasure slit, wee bit o' touch, badger's pouch, gaping axe wound, money syphon, bearded clunge, furry kebab, baby cannon, cock-warmer, Deoxyribonucleic acid depository, meat saloon, your uncle's pot pie, fuck-trap, sausage pie, raw steak flange, trembling love cave, happy seal, rabid cock hamster, minge.), so we make for the sound.

We remain extremely worried about the Navvie-thing, but aside from the flickering of tentacle thing from a vent or creepy noise, it seems to have decided to go a bit quiet. Sounds of displeasure however remain the same, the environs do not.

There are now windows - windows that look out on green fields or Mediterranean beaches, a world that doesn't seem at all like ours, if you look long enough you can see peculiar things - no violence, seemingly peaceful people staring at little shiny pebbles or sitting in front of bigger ones. The people all seem very sleepy and especially fat. Weirdly, the windows don't cast light into the facility but seem more like moving pictures? I can't describe it like the DM did, but, in the red-light of where we are, we are definitely below the sea level still, but the scenes outside make no sense, nor do they seem any less real for it.

The bard reports that this does not seem at all natural and that we must be in a highly magical area. The wizard reports that he's speaking shite and he can't feel anything.

Twisting down more and more corridors - all still damp and dark, where there are no "windows" covered in those pipes and other peculiarities, and worryingly the odd slither of biological looking goo, we make for the sound. The place has a million different echoes and twists and not even Angus and Cruella are entirely sure we're going the right way. Especially not when that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBN56wL35IQ long biological] comes back.

We stop by one window. This, if anything, seems to actually be "real"; it's slowly dribbling water and outside we can see Bathys and other... things, they seem to be fighting - fighting what? If we had to guess, mad Dr. Ure upstairs has gotten bored and has decided to quite literally unleash the kraken.

(I mean they're fighting electric dinosaurs, which is fucking awesome) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2s_cDnS22M John Carpenter - In The Mouth Of Madness]

Shortly thereafter, the swearing - and he still hasn't repeated himself (love canoe, soggy hammock, sausage roll, etc etc etc) leads us to a bulkhead.

From somewhere in the facility a long, low groaning quake rocks the place, as though the whole thing had been kicked. The water trickling from the ceiling takes on a far more urgent timbre.

After a minute or two we get the door open to find the Navvie, or at least... sort of.

The first thing we find is that fucking octopus. Someone has beaten the hell out the poor thing and it shies into a corner when it sees us. Then we find shredded bits of diving suit. Then we find a lot of what seem like human remains. A lot of human remains. The penguin's 6th sense is very definitely pinging.

Inside a bathyscape, with the hatches all dogged shut and a voice coming out over the external speakers, is the Navvie. He catches sight of us. The swearing stops.
:"It's still out there you mad bastards! Hide!"
He looks terrified.

The room is composed of a large moon pool with a number of cranes above it - and lots of empty spaces like you might use to pick up and lower bathys into the water.

There's a wet schlorp as something familiar falls from the ceiling above us, a disgustingly familiar noise. The Navvie-thing splats into a pile of human remains and, as it starts simultaneously chowing down and waving tentacle things at us, our Navvie is frantically undogging hatches. The party however are pretty happy - fighting this thing in an open space - with very little room for it to run? Easy.
:>Easy.
It's never easy. Never. You'd think we'd have all learnt this by now. Wouldn't you?

I mean really. It almost seems like we should expect all those bodies to start moving about on their own a bit, being absorbed as biomass into the Navvie-thing. We should totally expect that they'd sprout tentacles and other unpleasant bits. We're not even surprised to see what looks like Dr. Ure's face and some dinosaur bits in there. We are in formation, locked and loaded. It's time for a good, honest, balls to the wall fight. Let's trash these fucking things.

As the bard announces
:"I am going to play something inspiring" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_PNff2c-nk Warrior (1999 Remastered Version)]
The waters of the moon pool ripple. As though someone had thrown a pebble into them.
:>Dats no moon.jpg

The waters vomit out a pretty sizeable Clown-Leech (see the time we visited France). The thing's not even slightly wet. It never occurred to us the waters were another mirror like we'd seen earlier, something with a view to someplace else. (I'm not articulating this well but issa portal). We also note that there are distinct signs of galvanisation to this thing

Anyway, the party broke to get more beer at this point.

:It's handy to recap our speculation on what's going on. There's been notably little exposition and we've been slowly puzzling this out for ourselves. In order to insulate against my deficient story-telling here we go:

:There's Dr. Ure on-shore (we think). There's whatever resides in this facility. They don't like each other. We also don't approve at all of the use of Clown-Leeches. On general principles, whatever has been nicking villagers needs to die. Dr. Ure, as a mostly respectable agent of the crown, seems to be up to things he shouldn't, but he's also been trying to protect the area. Whatever the portal things are about, well fuck that. It seems this facility is French (and entirely covert - meaning there's something on the seabed they wanted and didn't want to tell us about) and something, we think, must've come through from the other side.
:>Is Dr Ure Evil? Well maybe? What the fuck he's doing galvanising clown-leeches though...

:We continue. Mucking about complete.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCFyw67TPs Nazareth - Go Down Fighting]

By god, Queene and bacon butties, we are not fucking having this. We've reached maximum weird saturation. Portals, clown leeches, the fucking Thing, and fuck knows what else. The penguin has entirely had enough.

The clown-leech is at least as big as one we fucked up in Paris, and the Navvie-thing is getting bigger by the second. We are not having this.

The Navvie pops out of the Bathy (I like how that rhymes) just as the Leech goes past and gets on the things back. Cruella has, once again, ended up in front of the thing. While the Navvie beats it about the head, it opens its great big maw and sights in on her.
:"Not this time."
We're not entirely sure how she manages this, but she sort of zigs and zags across the thing's exposed throat and underbelly. It does the Kill Bill splitting thing, and, much to her total disgust, splats green goo over her from head to foot. Again.

Meanwhile the Navvie-thing, having absorbed a whole lot of corpses, is ranting and warbling to itself in English and French, for the bi-lingual among the party (Cruella and me) (Angus does claim to speak sheep) it can be heard saying something about the portal, something about the other side, and something about going beyond the world of man. Something inarticulate about a horror that even the Elder Gods speak of in whispers.

While we're in the process of blowing bits off it and generally slaughtering it, a new word can be heard, one which becomes more and more pronounced, clearer and clear until it's a chant, a chant from a hundred, maybe a thousand absorbed souls.
:>Pendragon.
:>Motherfucker.

:>But Aldous, how does all this fit into the big plot and...
:Think of it like an expansion pack.
While the fight with the roiling mass of the Navvie-thing is bloody, it isn't all that exciting.

What is, is that with further exploration of the facility once the Navvie-thing is (we hope) dead, we manage to piece together a bit of a story here. I have no idea where the original short notes have gone. I did have them in an email someplace but the three main ones can be paraphrased as follows:

:"In the 14th Year of The Croissant (France has a different calendar in Britbongsteros because fuck being normal) Monsier De Talleyrand De Baguette reported on a formation known as le Triangle des Bermudes. Further research by Monsieur de Mouton indicates that with appropriate study we might be able to summon and control a creature of great import to our neighbours across the channel. We have identified a site in the la mer du nord which has all of the auspicious ley lines drawing together in one spot. It will be difficult to construct the facility in secret, but at great expense Monsieur de Mouton and M'me Curie-CharB1 anticipate that the project can be completed in less than half a decade.
:"In the 12th year of the Bonbon, Tuesday. On this day Monsieur De Mouton is not present in the facility, he presents his work on a new system of controlling and binding the occult within our world. He theorizes that by reinterpreting how man sees the world, man can himself, much as his eyes emit light into the world, rebrand the world in the image such as he sees fit. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_theory_(vision) PEOPLE BELIEVED THIS]) Therefore if man sees the world in a different fashion, a new, structured fashion, then he creates the epistemological framework of his world. One man cannot bend the entire physical world to his will, but what he can do is recalibrate it. Instead of seeing things in terms of "inches" and "feet" outdated measures based upon the crude physicality of the body, by creating a new measure, a new METRIC, then this system allows for the imposition of science upon the world. If MM Mouton is successful, it will, he feels, give him the power to remake the world around him, by redefining it, he can remake it."
:(God I hope this makes sense, my philosophy is piss poor after about 1640)
:"In the 57th year of the Voulevont, 2nd Friday after the 124th degree of the Cochon. Success! MM Mouton and M'me Curie-CharB1 have successfully breached the measures binding the world, the subtle genius of France has done what the Rosbif never could. We have created a portal to the other side. Without blood sacrifice like the Irish, without the crudity of the barbarians who do not use our new glorious metric. Vive Le France! However time, it is noted, is flowing differently, for us five years have passed, for France, but a week. MM and M'me theorize that the portal we found - identical to our own creation on the other side, is a matter of simultaneous construction - what we build here simultaneously is constructed there. They are building another edifice on the other side. It is theorized that there might also be some sort of mirroring of mind on the other side."
:"Date unknown, it is harder to keep this journal now as I grow older, I do not know how much time has passed since my last entry, but I do know that I might be the last man alive, we have lived with the strangeness of the portal now for at least three decades and no one is untouched. MM Mouton has managed to hold the portal and through it, our minds as well, but our bodies have grown so ancient, but also so changed, now we flow and twist like the structure of the facility, we are no longer human, simultaneously greater and worse than human, like the first days of the great republic. I do not know what we are now or what we will become if MM Mouton fails. There is a word on the lips of all now: Pendragon."
:"Do you know what it is to look upon the face of god day and night and know that he studies you as intently as you did his realm? The abyss has looked back, and the abyss came back with us. We know that on the surface the effects of our research have been felt, ships lost and perhaps twisted by the void. We know also that Dr. Ure has been oh-so-curious and we think might suspect..."
:"In any event, biological material grows scarce, 'piscine material will not do' states the beating voice that roars in my ears, it must be human, perhaps we must be fishers from the sea..."

:TL;DR - IT WAS METRIC ALL ALONG

The party have a little chat about new developments - having found the documents and some other ephemera as described above, we now actually have a fair idea what's going on. It seems whatever is coming through the portal (whichever portal that is) is really a rather bad thing, so our first objective is nuke the fuck out of that portal, and preferably everything else down here. We also are extremely concerned by the clown-leeches having something to do with Dr. Ure, it seems the cult that has something to do with them may have infiltrated the French facility, then he got his hands on some. How he got a handle on the portal technology is something we don't know. It looks however like we may have to have a chat with him after this is over. Given that the facility seems pretty empty at the moment we are in an ideal position to search, but those Bathys which we saw leaving earlier are likely to be coming back sooner than later.

Our plan is as follows:
:1. Find the big portal, the one that leads to god knows where, and shut it from the other side - by leaving a large pile of explosives and legging it back to our world.
:2. Find the generator (a place like this must have a really big one) and blow that up - then make for the surface and fuck up Dr. Ure's shit.

What we don't know is what the other portals might do when we blow this place to bits, some of them (the TV type things) might just be a one way connection, others (like the big moon pool) might be doing something else. Also we really don't like the sound of M'me CharB1 for some weird reason.

Its around this point that Angus decides that he's going to have a bright idea. This takes a while, he has to get a bit of a run up, but once he hits his stride and is powering toward the cognitive leap that will cause neurons to fire and...

Meanwhile the bard sticks his head into the moon pool to see what happens. Very little actually. Apparently there's a view of Slains castle. That actually doesn't surprise us much. Nor do the Galvasaurs he can see roaming around. We are pretty happy this portal, by accident or design, leads ashore.

Other smaller portals are investigated leading to revelations about a planet made entirely of rabbits - we are fairly sure either Cruella or Angus attempted to adopt one as one was seen later, another world where a community of tiny colourful horses appeared to be in the process of being hunted down and butchered by a unit of automatons, all with a large double headed eagle on their chests; other highlights included a zombie world where a suspiciously familiar group of people were drinking around a table and throwing dice at each other, Cruella deciding that whoever the girl is, she clearly needs more attractive friends, another portal lead to a world which was almost entirely dark save for a creepy child singing - so we legged it, and penultimately a world where there was a cube made of weapons and someone yelled "Get out of here Stalker" so we didn't stick around.

Meanwhile Angus is still baking his bright idea, he has decided he won't turn it halfway and will totally ignore the instructions re: letting it stand, so he will burn his tongue instead.
:>What if we didn't have to blow up all of the portals? I mean how cool is this research, think what we could do with it...
We are mulling this over when shortly afterward we find the world of the clown-leech, which is as hellish as you might imagine, a bright sunny place where clown leeches of various sizes frolic through leafy trees and meadows eviscerating things whole as they go. We also remind him that the actual Thing fell out of one of these, if anyone should be building these things it should be... err... well not us... or the Privy Council... Definitely not the French... also they're leyline dependent so... fuck it, poets take off and nuke the site from orbit.

So, it appears that the world of Britbongsteros also has multiple dimensions, but we actually already knew this (Ireland for one), what we didn't know was that the Clown-Leeches came from one. We theorize that the ones encountered in Paris were summoned at some point by the cult. In any event, fuck those things.

Eventually we discover the portal we are looking for, or at least we assume so. It's big enough that you could drive a tank into it, it also looks rather like a Stargate so fuck it, we SG-1 now. The other portals we've discovered have been much smaller - aside from the moon pool and that has something to do with Dr. Ure, that weird bastard. We all secretly suspect Duncan might also be secretly involved but we aren't entirely sure how.
:>Who's Duncan? A big fish.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiR71VvCYks Def Leppard - Bringin' on the Heartbreak (HQ)]

In we go. To the land of the gods.

It's a shithole.

The place is a desolate, sandy wasteland. The wind howls in the semi-darkness. Shapes of what might be huts or human construction surround the portal.

We look up at the night sky.

Good lord. That's not a sight for pre-watershed times.

There are a whole lot of Gods, but it turns out one of them looks like Chris Evans. The rest is a scene from Hieronymus Bosch. Things cavort with one another in the inky void. We surmise we might even be on the body of another God. We are Lilliputians in this land and have no idea what the rules are, we are hopefully too small to be noticed. The living tapestry of the sky dances on to the tune of an orchestra we can't comprehend. An enormous fish looking thing swims into the side of Chris Evan's head and explodes out the other side in a shower of custard while he cackles.

The Navvie takes in the true cosmic insanity of this world and rubs his stubbled chin.
:"Bugger this lads."
We couldn't agree more. Well most of us, the Bard however is intently searching the sky for Babi.
:>Who's...
:>An old friend.
He's the first one to spot something. Duncan on a cosmic scale is quietly floating past in space, he's munching on a planetoid.

Elsewhere a bowl of petunias and a whale fight, written on the side of the bowl are the words "oh no not again."

We decide that enough is enough and start laying charges around the gate, the wizard and Cruella making holes (with summoned chisel and dagger respectively) which we stuff with TNT and anything else the Navvie has in what he called his "Party Bag" which, on a random and pointless aside looked like [http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/products/1937-Small-pack-and-strap-.jpg this] - he was weirdly specific about this to the extent of having mentioned in autistic detail back in character creation. No I don't know why either.

This all takes time, we want to make sure this thing is utterly and completely fucked. We also are a little curious, it's not like the DM to have us go somewhere this interesting and not have something try to kill us. We try not to broadcast this to him however. Unfortunately he was onto something already.

:(in atrocious french accent - I mean 'Allo 'Allo bad) "Oooo hare yeuu?" (Who are you?)
We look around for the source of the voice. There's nothing to be seen. That doesn't fill us with confidence.
:"Wuit hair yuuuu doeng?" (What are you doing?)
The voice seems to be coming from all around us.

The CharB1 is not all that intimidating as tanks go, it's a bit funny looking really when you think about it. Mostly it looks like something from metal slug, or an angry potato. The thing seems to be blind, her ocular units are heavily damaged. She can certainly hear us though. She doesn't seem to be too threatening, despite the tentacles which seem to be a sign of having spent too much time near one of these portals (as with all the other French people). These tentacles lash from in and around what would be hatches.
:>What is she?
We don't know. She might have been human once, but if that's Curie-CharB1 then we know, following a whole lot of standing next to science experiments, the woman was horribly mutilated. It seems she must've built, or had built for her, this device - which coincidentally is a tank.
:(still in terrible french accent - why she's speaking English we don't know- surely she'd be speaking French)
:"Please
:Help me
:I know I can't go back
:I came here to watch the dance of the spheres, the beauty of the realm of the gods, but I am blind. Can you imagine what it is to sit beneath the greatest sights the universe will ever know, and be nearly blind? I can hear the music but I cannot watch.
:Can you fix me? Or if you can't, kill me."
We know time is doing weird things around these portals, she might've been here for days or centuries. Alone and nearly blind. We take sympathy on her. Angus and the Wizard take a look at those ocular units. The bard and Cruella try to explain what looks like the painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights" to her - much harder than you'd think.

The Navvie and I decide the only appropriate thing to do in the realm of chaos is to get drunk.

Above us a giant crocodile builds a pyre for a snowman made of vaseline while a dozen weeping ducks and other waterfowl look on.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLhxKpfCnA Pink Floyd - Is There Anybody Out There?]

The Navvie and Wizard reckon it'll take them maybe 20 minutes. That's 20 minutes of sitting here looking up at all that weird. Things go reasonably well at first, but there are shapes that can be seen out there in the sand. This might be considered bad.

This is confirmed as bad shortly afterwards. A very large, very familiar looking fish seems to have noticed us, or at least he's circling closer towards us, it will take him a while to get here though.
:>Hello Duncan.
Meanwhile whatever those shapes are, there's a whole lot of them. If they come for us, we're going to have an interesting fight on our hands.

If they come for us, we're going to have to kill all of them and then either fix Marie and get eaten by Duncan, or just bail. We're blowing the gate anyway, fuck her. We actually feel pretty bad about that last option though. The Penguin certainly wouldn't be happy.

Well we could just... The DM decides to speed up our deliberations, whatever those many, many things out there are, they're getting closer. We'll need at least ten minutes of further repair, but at least the charges are laid.
:>What the hell are those?
Frogs? Snakes? Whatever they are, they're man sized and sure do have a lot of teeth. There's also fucking hundreds of them.

They decide that if they're going to eat us, they'd better do it sharpish. The swarm as they come closer, they seem to be made of what looks like brass? We can't be sure, whatever the hell they are they're not nice. We open fire/start thumping them.

We're two men down (fixing things) and we are slowly being driven back. Angus lets the Navvie borrow his flamethrower (most excellent for crowd control), it's still not enough though.

We're swarmed. I mean really swarmed. They're getting closer and closer, a mass of slithering chomping biting bodies.
:>Why can't Marie go back through the gate?
She'll die. I should have said this earlier - I didn't, my bad, she's been subject to enough time fuckery and weird that her mind will just melt on returning to the normal world - it also seems like whatever Monsieur Mouton was doing still works on this side, but won't on the other - so even if she lives she'll go killcrazy.

One of the swarm manages to bite down on Cruella's leg. Teeth lodging into the leather of her boot and beyond, blood soaking into the sand. Another couple are gnawing on the Navvie shortly afterward. Angus calls it.
:"Marines, we are leaving."
The wizard however has one last try.
:"Imma gonna just hit with ma hammer and hope for the best."
:>Rolls a 20
:"I can see!"
So we leave Marie and book it for the gate. We run take cover on the other side and are very happy to watch the weirdness explode. This leaves poor Marie on the other side, but at least she's doing what she wanted. We make for make reactor and, in a surprisingly incident-less attempt, we lay charges and decide to off fuck.

So one short bathy ride later we are back at Slains Castle
Well fuck it, we've not beaten up any dinosaurs before.
:>More importantly, why are we angry with Dr Ure?
If Dr. Ure is mixed up in the leeches, in whatever the fuck the French have been up to and more importantly, has lied to us, we are very angry. Something he said comes back to us:
:''"That could be a logical result of my research, but only a mad" he laughs uproariously "man might do that. If the Crown ever found out about that he'd be burnt at the stake."''
So this crazy green midget has been fucking with us all along. More to the point, those Galvasaur things actually could be pretty damned useful to the crown. While this might be a one-shot, we decide if we can, we need to nick some of them or generally some plans for them, why not earn some brownie points?

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T65rW_SIzg0 Blue Oyster Cult Godzilla] That song is a fairly large foreshadow.

:>It's never easy.
Nor in Britbongsteros are things ever simple enough to be black and white. Dr. Ure might have used us to wipe out the French-Things who, admittedly, were kind of eating all the locals - so all in all a net gain on the side of good. As we mull this over, the facility detonates spectacularly in the distance. So at least he knows we're coming.

We also know he had something to do with Clown-leeches but he could have just galvanised one. So that's a maybe. He also has been thinking with portals. Again though, benefit of the doubt, it seems like the one outside Slain's castle he might've just discovered without really understanding.

We decide that in the name of British decency we're going to kick down his front door (well it's a castle so we shoot the hinges with a shotgun, bend the portcullis with a wizard and then hit everything with a great big hammer) give him a chance to explain himself, then fucking murder him.
:"By the purple penguin, we are here to fuck you up."

Well fuck me. Fuck us. Dafuq is that?

The courtyard is lit by the light of a pretty decent sized set of engineering works. That sure looks like they're building a portal. A really big portal. Big enough for god sized things to come through. Big enough that this whole region, nay country, maybe even Europe could become another playground for them, just like we saw. Assuming of course Dr. Ure even knows how to get the right realm on the other end. Who knows what might be summoned.

Our happy little green friend can be seen standing on a battlement directing things. Spookily, all the galvasaurs and leeches put down their tools at exactly the same moment and turn to look at us. Oh so many dead eyes staring.

Welp.

He yells something from the battlements, but is far too quiet to be heard. Some fumbling and with a crudely constructed megaphone made from a few sheafs of blueprints he announces more audibly.
:"You may want to sit down, shocks are much better with the knees bent" Electricity arcs up and around a soulcube looking thing off to one side.
That sounded really familiar...
:"Stop... whatever the fuck you're doing... in the name of the Crown!" Yells the Navvie.
He gestures at the assembled masses of critters.
:"Animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A small child is even better, but not nearly as effective as the right kind of adult."
...balls.

I decide to try a different tactic.
:"What are you doing exactly?"
:"Parthenogenesis."
:>Fuuuuuuuuuuck
He continues
:"We have men who came here of his own free will.
:Men who came here representing the power of a Monarch
:One who came here as a virgin"
(Hang on... who's... ... oh god not you Bard)
:"and all who came as fools!"
baaaaaaaalls

I'm aware not all of the anons who read these things are British, so if you're wondering why this stuff is important watch the 1973 film "The Wicker Man".

Just to ruin the dramatic tension, Cruella mutters to herself over her G&T
:"Well he didn't mention me, so you lot are fucked, I'll just be over here waiting quietly while you all get murdered."
:"Of course my new kingdom will need a Queen... One to allow me to bring forth my new breed of humanity, a humanity which shall walk with the gods. How kind of you to bring me a woman with royal blood and such a fine specimen indeed. The breeding shall be sweet."
:Wizard: "Och mate ye've din it noo."
:"You who have all survived so much, what better specimens of genetic stock? What better clay? I shall remake you, do not be sad, for entropy will ensure you all return to the stuff of stars soon enough. Your bodies are but transient vehicles in any event."
:Angus: "Shall we murder him? I say we murder him."
Angus it appears has actually had rather a bright idea. There's an awful lot of things between him and us though, and knowing our luck something horrible is going to happen on the way. Doesn't stop us trying though. Time for some good old fashioned ultra-violence.

In between spurts of blood and other bits, it can be noticed that Dr. Ure is definitely up to something, something involving that big portal... That big portal we are now in the middle of, thumping dinosaurs while he powers it up.

...

Fzzzzzzzzwhaaaaaacha! (now that's an onomatopoeia.)

Reality splits asunder approximately forty five feet in the air (given though that these things work on metric, really that should be 13.176M), to the trained and discerning eye it appears to rain several tons worth of Dulux Green Meadow paint. Still in the tins. One bounces off Angus much to his disgust.

The crackling changes pitch slightly and an enormous pair of mandibles enter reality from nothingness. Dr. Ure raises his arms high and a whole lot of monster follows those mandibles.

'''Fuck, I always miss the threads, the conclusion has not been posted yet'''

===Britbongsteros and the Chamber of Maximum Fuck===
So this story is from not long after I got back from the US. The DM enjoying the idea of linking things up to Real Life (TM) it has a slightly more American flavour.

The party begins the story in Grimsby.
:"DM, why are we in Grimsby?"
:"Why is anyone ever in Grimsby, Cruella?"
:"... that is oddly profound."

We have been sent here as usual by the Privy Council. The recent [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_Wars Cod Wars] have resulted in an immense quantity of giant mutant cod generally causing havoc on local shipping fleets; the Icelandic Stupidly Attractive Elves have pulled a fast one and the reparations they were to pay have resulted in large quantities of wrecked boats and something weird going on.

The party sighs audibly.
:Party: "DM, this is what happens every time: we turn up in some small fishing village, shit gets weird, everybody dies, organs and bits are everywhere and then we all go home for tea and medals."
:>The DM looks enormously displeased.
The DM reshuffles his notes. Sighs, drinks, sighs again, drinks some more. I will translate from DM as we go.
:"Clearly that is not why you, as the most excellent of the Countries' problem solvers are here."
:>Ok you fuckwits, you asked for it.
:"The actual adventure that I carefully planned"
:>I am pulling this out of my ass right now.
:"meticulously, and no there's no railroading, but if you had some patience, you'd all actually get the hook in a second."
:>Will you stop ruining my carefully laid out plot, I'm about thirty seconds from rocks fall and everybody dies.

The mutant cod have, it seems, after a sterling action by the SBS (Special Bastard Squadron), been defeated already (oh thank god), however it seems that their roe (fish eggs) have some very odd properties. The above (and below) are explained to us by the spectacularly moustachioed [http://danmacgregor.wikia.com/wiki/File:Colonel_K.jpg Colonel K] of the SBS.
:"Bloody downright weird, in fact, that's why we called you chaps. You're the experts and we were told the most expendable. We lost half a dozen men getting this stuff sealed up." Colonel K gestures at a lead lined box. "We want you to take this stuff to the Research Facility on HMS Habbacuck, it's totally classified, but it's somewhere in the Penines."

This revelation leads, as usual, to an argument.
:Party: "DM! DM! Isn't that a huge boat thing?"
:DM: "Yes?"
:"What's it doing up in a mountain range?"
:"You'll find out."
So with some exchange of papers, signatures and a very interesting handshake between Cruella and Colonel K (she apparently knows about this sort of stuff), we take custody of the boxes of weirdness.
:"So it's a milk run?"
:DM: "Yes, of course it is."
[Those of you who have been following these for a while may be aware of how unwise this is].

We leave Grimsby (thank god) aboard a train up to (via a lot of places) Slaggyford. [THIS IS A REAL PLACE] We have the carriage to ourselves, just us and this weird lead lined box. The party are still savvy enough to watch the thing like hawks. This train carriage is normally used for transporting gold bullion across the UK and we are essentially sealed in a bank vault with this... thing.

The urge to peek in the box is wisely restrained, we are expecting something odd to happen, maybe for the train to crash, for the roe to leak out and start morphing people into weird thing-aliens, or for martian death machines to attack. Something much, much worse happens.
:>What could possibly be worse than...
We stop in what (after opening an armoured letter box to peek out) is definitely Leeds. We hear a sound,a sort of chime noise that is entirely out of place. We act entirely on very well (DM) honed instincts, weapons are made ready, chainsaws appear over the Wizard, the Navvie drinks a beer, Angus lights a cigar with his flamethrower's pilot light, the bard hums a tune, Cruella just sort of lazily opens one eye from where she was sleeping.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4 Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A.]

Oh fuck no.

No no no, there's no mistaking it.

Americans.

I'm aware a lot of /tg/'s population is actually American, so as a refresher, America in this setting is composed of a huge number of tiny microcosms of strange magic (think each State is something different); the Indian nations are a thing, there are regular crusades from the East Coast into the Indian West, every slice of Americana can be found and chances are it'll shoot you.

We gather round the vision ports, staring out. We've only ever actually met the one American, so this is interesting for us too.

We see a group of what can only be described as Marines. Quite a lot of them in fact.

We know Brit(bongsteros)ain is somewhat skint following events in Ireland and elsewhere, to the extent that we have had to seek funding via sharing research and knowledge with our colonial cousins, but we had not quite expected this.

Serried ranks of Marines stand in front of some very peculiar looking olive drab vehicles. They stand on two legs and whilst they're the dimensions of a man, are about the size of a two cart horses standing atop one another. The weird squat vehicles are festooned with guns (think space marine dreadnought in olive drab with white stars on it).

In front of them all stands one very, very big marine. Somewhere a bald eagle cries as he snaps a salute. He's handsome, square jawed, and entirely gorgeous. Cruella comments "Just what I like." The lads are less than amused.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgRXdozljRs Stan Ridgway - Camouflage~Full Length]

The marines start to board the train, they don't however approach our carriage, but clearly they're going to the same place. The Navvie and I decide to go and talk to them.

The Marines we establish are from the Pennsylvania protectorate, all of them big lads - nearly big enough to challenge the Navvie in arm wrestling. All far too clean cut. They press cigarettes and even stockings on us, saying they're for our lady friends. "We all just wanna be friendly" (as always I can never do the accents), but there seems to be something a bit off about them. The Navvie and I can't quite place it.

The square jawed officer smiles as he spots us, he's covered in medals.
:"Well now howdy. What ya'll got here?" [sorry can't do the accents].
We establish this is one Smedley Butler (google it). He doesn't seem very happy with us, or specifically my (I'm a dwarf) existence.
:"What are you doing in this carriage?"
I expect better of DM than some thinly veiled Dwarves = African Americans fantasy racism.
:"You people"
:["What do you mean you people?"]
:"Better get out of this carriage, we don't take kindly to spies."
We show him our bona-fides, he mulls these over.
:"I don't see any stars and stripes on here, the council of 13 States wouldn't sanction this. Out."
Things get a lot less friendly very very quickly. At bayonet point we are ushered out.

So we've met some Americans, anyway, we arrive shortly after in Slaggyford. The Americans march off in the same direction we apparently want to be going. We can already see HMS Habbakuk in the distance. Somehow the edifice of Pyekrete has found its way between the banks of the river South Tyne, just north of Knarsdale Hall.

It looks like an extra mountain that has just kind of... fallen out of the sky. The jet engines that festoon its surface give a possible hint as to how it got here.

Requisitioning a horse and cart, we get our box up to the Habbakuk, impressed at the number of American troops and indeed flags that seem to be around the place.

Our little bit of little England seems to have become Airstrip One.

We arrive at the tunnel that leads aboard the Habbakuk. Inside, as we (well Angus) carry the box of mysterious roe, we see an awful lot of Americans, and Germans, and Danes (weird eel things) along with a bunch of other nationalities - and of course identifiably different American states. There's nary a union jack to be seen. We're well out of our comfort zone here, but of course UK PLC is skint and we need their help.

What can very quickly be identified as Alan Turing bustles up to us and checks our papers.

We are amazed by the facility, some sort of elephantine octopus cum zebra is electro-prodded into a cell as we watch, meanwhile bits of Martian are shuttled past on a little cart, it seems like every single possible strand of weird in Britbongsteros leads here, and none of it is British. We aren't entirely sure how we feel about this.

The interior of the Habbakuk is a hive of tunnels and activity, it seems everywhere we look there's something strange going on, connotations of the BPRD, the lobby in MIB, and I'm sure there's something in Harry Potter about this, but I've never read the books.

Turing deigns to start giving us the tour.

:"The Habbakuk was a seagoing vessel, as you all know (we didn't really) until about eight years ago when an early experiment in teleportation resulted in our current positioning."
This is actually a tradition in the RN, as, if you're posted to a shore facility, it's still technically an HMS (I think this is for pay reasons), so for example you might be at the facility in Weston Supermare, which is called HMS Birnbeck, or, you might AWESOMELY be at HMS Brontosaurus which is at Castle Toward.

The whole place has a very real vibe of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmH7tAJ0SfA Cave Johnson].

So what does this mean for us? Well, apparently not much, it seems like there's lots going on and we aren't part of it, there's all kinds of fantastic science which we can observe, it's fascinating in a way, but we're used to things trying to eat our faces by now. What's this about?

:Turing continues: "What are we doing here? Well, science, every single thing that makes no sense in this world, comes here, every single item, book, critter, it gets dissected here, and, hopefully, we can learn from it. One day, we might even be able to use this knowledge to develop the cause of humanity."
:>Turing starts taking us for a little walk through the containment units, highlights include
:>unit 63 - Mountain Negre: a bizarre disappearing teleporting rock bouncing around its containment sphere
:>Unit 34 - A tank full of... goldfish? That somehow swim in philosophical notation
:>Unit 14 - Moondust? Not sure, it is however, slowly painting pictures of people on the toilet
:>Unit 138 - A mass of cogs and vacuum tubes, shifting, trembling and changing, apparently it's eaten 19 people
:>Unit 252 - Bits of our friend from the antarctic
:>Unit 991 - A hamster
:>Unit 5477 - Explosive lemons
:>Unit 7899 - A bookshelf. It's surrounded by skeletons.
The list goes on.

The facility is a fascinating place, the Habbakuk is a repository of every single weirndess and some we have never encountered, a small herd of sentient moa that enjoy poetry, a vase of flowers that happens to enjoy melting eyes, all of that good stuff. Just as we're starting to get comfortable (and drinking some alien drink called "kwafee"), touring takes us past cell 777. It's empty.
:"That shouldn't be empty." he says.
:"What do you mean that shouldn't be empty, Mr. Turing? What should be in there?"
:"Oh nothing much. It's rather peculiar really. 777 contains, or should, the only living dunkleosteus we have ever discovered."
:"We beg your pardon?"
Several adventurers try to smoosh their faces to the glass porthole at once.
:>I remember that fucking fish.
Peering in (so I'm told - being a Dorf I can't really see without standing on something) there is murky green water. Angus knocks on the window.
Something very large and full of teeth (and rather familiar) floats up into view, directly on the other side of the reinforced glass.
:>DUNCAN!
:>who is? Homicidal fish from adventure in Arabia.
:>Hang on didn't we kill this thing?
:"Mr. Turing, where did you get this from?"
:"Hmm? Oh 777? A few months ago it rained fish in London ([https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_of_animals this actually happens]), your friend there squashed the Lord mayor. Samuel Johnson managed to clock him one with a frying pan though and here he is. Friendly little fella ain't he?"

As the only member of the party not currently eyeball-to-eyeball with Duncan, I instead decide to make the best of a bad situation by staring at Cruella's backside and chatting to Turing. Turing, being a bong, should be able to give some clues as to the American involvement.

:"How long have the been here Dr?"
:"A few months. Not long after Ireland."
:"What do they want?"
:"They've been quite generous so far, helping to fund the facility. Smedley seems to hope to find something here that'll assist with the Indian Crusades. I'm not so sure about the representative of the 13 States though."

:At this stage it's handy to discuss some more of the politics of the US. The 13 States are new England-ish and currently ruled over by the democratically elected (via one vote, cast by himself) Andrew Gut-Punch Hickory Duelling Jackson. Who has had a very interesting political career. While the East Coast is fantastically wealthy (thanks to ice mining - especially when ice across and around Lake Eerie has (remember those local magical fields?) different flavours or properties. Other wealth has been created from either natural resources or abuse of those magical pockets. For example one Gerald Ford has (before coming to visit Britbongsteros) built his motor vehicle plant with the hell pits of PA at one end as a foundry, the lower gravity up near Shenandoah for assembly (despite the banshees eating the odd worker), and then relies on the eternal night of McAdoo which seems to literally eat light to colour his new vehicles - any colour as long as it's black.

:Anyway all this money flying about finances the Indian Crusades (which haven't gotten very far) and there's plenty of trade with the South which is, in theory, in union with the 13 States but has different political goals, though the south while heavily industrialized often proclaims against the Indian Crusades and indeed moralizes on the 13 colonies, the Yankees generally are dismissive of the Confederated States (run by some fucker called Kingfish Long) dismissing all that booklearnin and gator based clean energy (I'll explain that one later) as irrelevant to the realities of life fighting and sometimes enslaving the injuns. Though to be fair the indians do the same.
:Anyway there's political tension between the two economically, culturally and spiritually, also in their attitude to Europe as the South views themselves as another European nation, the Northern 13 States consider themselves very much their own people, recently there has been a lot of anti-Europe sentiment in the northern press, "Human not European" and similar. So the presence of the Americans in Britbongland is a bit tricky. Especially with the lend lease ships britbongland may buy in return for land cruiser technology and 50 years of repayments (with interest). I'll tell you about what happens West of the Mississippi another time.

:The 13 States rep is a young (for a senator) Richard Nixon. He has a waggling cigarette holder and is every bit the roaring 20s personified. He has taken an entirely acquisitive approach to his time in Bongland, in his view bongland is about ready to become the 51st state.

Anyway, so that's a whole lot of information being dropped on anon at once. Tl;dr = Americana have ulterior motives. Cool boat full of weird shit. The party have a great time looking through more and more of these bizarre cells and critters. Imagine being let loose in the warehouse from Indiana Jones.

We learn some more about the other nationalities that are around in the Habbakuk who, it seems, are present for similar reasons (I.e. American money).

After much exploring, Turing invites us to watch the roe being put into its cell (remember that's why we are here).

The facility has been fascinating, also nothing has tried to eat our faces, there haven't been any aliens (outside of their cells) or ghosts, monsters, critters or indeed ectoplasm spewing time rifts. It's been incredible to learn about all these monsters and things while discussing American politics. Turing has been altogether bro tier.

We watch some diving suited (as in old style diving suit, remember NBC suits haven't been invented yet) men start to unbox the roe on the other side of some nice thick armoured glass. Angus is eating a biscuit, Cruella has a ham sandwich, it's all far too civilized.
:>there are doilies

We all are expecting the following to happen. Smedley Butler will somehow go mental and decide to steal something or kill us all, or maybe some insane shit will escape and start eating some people. I mean come on that's how it works in the movies right? The fourth wall being more of window in Britbongsteros makes us even more suspicious.

Or indeed, actual Richard Nixon is here. Instead we are chatting pleasantly with Alan Turing and everything is fine. The roe is safely planted into a nice sturdy cell. We realize we have no idea what this shit does but no one spills it, no one explodes. It's far too simple.
:>Awooga Awooga
Said the alarms onomatopoeiacally.

This was just what we were expecting. Some squiggly thing is out there raping faces and taking names.

Chairs fall back as the party stand up as one. Guns and other accoutrements of violence being readied in a clatter. The DM is smiling. Why is the DM smiling? Guys...

I say this reasonably often in britbongsteros.
:>it's never easy.
It isn't. It really isn't.

Turing had been facing away from us. He turns back toward us, at least his head does, his body remains in place.
:Like an owl he looks straight at us each in turn. "It never occurred to you what the Habbakuk was, did it?"
Clearly Turing isn't human and, as the roe is fed into some sort of distillation unit (you can see it whirring through a blender and around lots of tubes), gas starts to rise from beneath the window. No one manages to resist the stuff except dwarves who, being lower to the ground, get affected last by this sort of thing. (Pissed on a rag doesn't work either this one is skin based) I manage to spam solid slugs at Turing and the window before succumbing.
:Turing speaks with some care as I go down. "It never occurred to you that this is a repository for all of the strangeness in the world. You, who have survived so much, you all who seem to have been touched by the gods (he means our fate point system), you're too dangerous to be allowed to roam free."

:>Later.

The DM has us all roll some dice. He then ponders. Then he hands the bard a four pack of beers, tells him to pick up his phone, and frog marches him to the cupboard under the stairs in my house.

I wish he'd done this years ago ton be honest. The Bard's player is told he's going to be in there for at least 45 minutes but can, if he wants, shout things at us as we might hear him. On his return the DM asks Cruella if she might mind stepping out for a moment (the DM has over the years learnt that Cruella has literally no scruples about girl on man violence). Cruella elects to go for short drive to the shop on the understanding that every few minutes she calls on speaker phone and screams swearwords down the phone.

Back in character, the Navvie wakes up first alone and locked in a cell. There's a window and a little letterbox thing that evidently food would come through. He has a bucket. He's stark naked. He can hear two things, the gentle hum of the recessed grill covered and nigh on impossible to get to lights, and a posh girl screaming "CUNT" at the top of her lungs every so often. The Navvie takes this with his typical laissez faire attitude.
:DM: "You're also sober. " The DM takes his drink off his player.
The Navvie decides it's time to escape.

'''And then the thread died because no one bumped it and I missed it AGAIN. So, To Be Continued...'''

===The mosquitoes, a muffin and Mokele-mbembe===
We are politely told that there is an issue in Africa (We will need that map soon). In the copper mines of Northern Rhodesia (the top of the blue bit at the bottom of Africa - Zambia in our now extremely boring world) there is a problem. A big problem. Something has been eating the miners. Local legend speaks of an enormous beast that's risen from the depths of lake Tanganyika. It's bigger than a bolo and it's eating a hell of a lot of people.

:''>who's telling us this?''
We are aboard the HMS Ark Royal on our way to Durban. It's a long voyage and our captain (played by the DM) is reading us our sealed orders (signed by the privy council). Kill or capture it.

Our sealed orders even with all the signatures, the pre-amble and everything else we'd expect are a good bit longer than that.

:"As you will note, as at least two of you can read, bordering Lake Tanganikya is the Belgian republic of Congo. We are given to understand that the local Zyoba people may be more sympathetic to British rule than to that of the Belgians. Ensure that their humanitarian concerns are taken into account.
:The party look at each other. "Wat?"
:Wizard: "I think that means we are meant to conquer it."
:Party: "Aaah"

:''>why on earth might anyone the Congo?''
Well it's full of natural resources, diamonds, and a lovely amount of other things. At the moment it's also full of Belgians.
:''>why are copper mines important?''
Copper is wonderful stuff. It's malleable and easily turned into things. It's used in electrics and industrial machinery. Especially in things like boilers and engines - what are battleships powered by?

:''>Belgians''
I think we have talked about Belgians before a bit. Belgians are dragons. At least a few of them are. Their ruler is chosen by dint of who is the largest of the drakes. The current King Leopold I-VI (having eaten his five predecessors he gets their numbers too) is understood to be around 50 yards long. However dragons don't seem to do terribly well in Africa - tending to die to malaria, sleeping sickness, or yellow fever pretty fast so we can expect much smaller and more vigorous dragons with faster immune systems down there.

Either way though, the Belgians probably won't look too kindly on us messing around in their territory and we are in theory allied to them.

:''>African wildlife''
Much as you'd expect, except there's still plenty of pre-historic megafauna roaming around and more than a few dinosaurs. So if there's something big enough to have scared the tribes of people, gorilla men, and other assorted folk in the area away from those mines, it must be terrifying.

By the way, as is traditional, I'm sorry in advance Belgium, Africa, and any other nationalities we might meet. Well, not really, but you have to say this sort of thing nowadays.

:''>The Congo''
The Belgian dragons weren't actually very bothered about sub Saharan Africa (it being full of disease and horribleness as far as they were concerned), but it's also in addition to those natural resources, full of large, interestingly tasty mega fauna. So Leopold I-VI financed his own free state, (As opposed to a Belgian one) and we have heard their methods of social control are... unusual.

Ok I think that's all the fluff we need for now.

The voyage is fairly uneventful aside from one small interlude where we all went swimming (quite common for sailors to do this in tropical waters with a sail weighted appropriately to make a kind of pool). The bard tried talking to dolphins.
:Can dolphins talk?
:>I dunno. Want to try?
:Sure! "Hello flipper!"
:>roll for it
:>rolls
:>They think you're a twat.

We also had an equator crossing ceremony which, when it was all explained that we slimy pollywogs would go through the initiation ceremony, Cruella declined saying enigmatically that she was a trusty, Royal, diamond shellback already. She also had the tattoo.
:>what the fuck are you talking about Aldous?
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony Line-crossing_ceremony]

It was discovered that 'wogs (yes that's appropriate here) have to somehow interrogate a shellback by
:>cracking eggs on them
:Cruella: "...no."
:>pouring aftershave on their heads
:Cruella: "That sounds ok..."
:>Tying them up
:Cruella: "Later."

The rest of us had a great time chasing folk about and the Navvie got quite into it, he and Angus having a competition to see who could egg the most sailors.
No one mentioned that the wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. Later after being pelted with a lot of rotten fruit and being made to kiss the royal babies belly coated in axle grease we proceeded onward. For once no one got murdered and no cosmic horror shat demonic hordes of flesh eating explosion-beetles.

It was noted that the wizard (being attuned to iron on some deep level) went a bit funny for a while when we crossed the equator and started speaking backwards for a bit.

Sometime later we arrive in Durban. It should be about summer in bongland so it's winter here. It's not too bad actually and the locals are a mix of Europeans of all flavours and Arabs of various degrees of bonkers. Having dropped in by Crazy [[Hassan]]'s camels & other livestock we are just about prepared for our trip north. We can take the train as far as the line has built - n.b. The Cape to Cairo line is being built in Britbongsteros. That it doesn't exist in reality is one of the sadnesses of the end of empire and the second world war as it would have done amazing things. I promise as someone with deep (actual) connections to Rhodesia I won't cry too much about this.

We at least get a lift to Kapiri Mposhi

'''And then the thread died and I didn't learn there even was a thread until weeks later. Fuck me.'''

==Archives==
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/37774934#p37775583 Thread 1]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/37794163 Thread 2]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/37900344 Thread 3]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/38136190 Thread 4]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/38194227 Thread 5]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/38311908 Thread 6]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/38593237 Thread 7]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/38931711 Thread 8]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/39030153 Thread 9]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/39150628 Thread 10]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/39367977 Thread 11]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/39552301 Thread 12]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/40021805 Thread 13]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/40477180 Thread 14]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/40645250 Thread 15]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/41053238 Thread 16]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/41419953 Thread 17]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/41796194 Thread 18]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/42423996 Thread 19]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/48090982 Thread 20]
*[https://warosu.org/tg/thread/48555535 Thread 21]

[[Category:Stories]]