Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Rogue Traders(8E)

Rogue Traders are truly a take-anything force among the Imperium. They're perhaps best compared to the Inquisition, which also has several weaker minions to bolster an incredibly powerful Leader and can attach various Special models to influence how the build goes. The difference is that your lackeys are more like Guardsmen and the option to hire xenos mercenaries to support your forces.

Your common keywords are Imperium, Rogue Traders, <Dynasty>. You will also find plenty with the tag of Dynastic Advisor, which is reserved for your Leader and certain Special models.

Rules

• Xenos Hirelings: You can buy Xenos mercenaries for your team, all with their own special allotment, but they can never be a team leader. If you want more xenos, you'll need to offer up Special Slots.
• Hot Lead or Cold Steel: Similar to the Arbites and Inquisition, you have plenty of lackeys and specialists that are specialized for either melee or shooting. Remember that this choice is permanent for each model.
• Rouge Trader Dynasty: Unlike any other army (except the Opus-exclusive Guard tactics), where your wildcard keyword tends to have a special rule, yours locks you into certain philosophies. You can pick one of the following:
  • Militant: Your troopers add +1 to Leadership and can re-roll charges while within 6" of an Advisor. You can also buy a bonus Errant Astartes/Arch-Militant.
  • Forge-Blessed: Your entire army can use a Canticle from the AdMech for one turn. You also remove the hardcap on the Explorator, an oddity since most just let you add an extra advisor of the appropriate type.
  • Expeditionary: Terrain no longer bothers your boys while moving. You can also deploy up to 4" away from the edge of the table for some extra infiltration room.
  • Missionaria: Your force get a bonus attack while within 6" of an advisor. You can also add a bonus Missionary for more face-beating.
  • Xenophilic: Your xenos-loving ass can grab hirelings as core.
  • Crusade-Era: You have 2 extra special slots and can buy an extra model of any advisor you wish, but you lack any ways to change your gameplay.
  • Reaver: Now this is scary. +1S on the charge isn't much, but being in cover while within 3" of an objective does make you tough to shift.

Intervallum Discipline

Your psyker has a unique discipline that's probably meant to reflect being a Navigator as opposed to using Telepathica like the IG Astropath.

• Void Stare (7+): One target within 18" that isn't a character takes -1 to hit for the entire turn and then eats a wound if they're still within the psyker's LoS at the end of the turn.
• Through the Void (7+): Teleport your psyker and d6 other models in a ghetto Gate of Infinity.
• Void Predator (6+): One model within 12" gets a bonus +2 attacks, which is a better boost for close combat.

Equipment

Xeno-Tech Gear: As is wont for the exotic rogue trader, several of your models can opt for some unique weapons from across the many codices for xenos weaponry:

Xeno-Tech Rifles: Pulse Blaster, Pulse Rifle, Splinter Rifle, Shuriken Catapult, Pulse Carbine

Xeno-Tech Weapons: Agonizer, Shuriken Pistol, Pulse Pistol, Splinter Pistol, Blaster Pistol

• Boarding Shields: These grant your model a +2 to their armor, but they can no longer advance or benefit from cover. In short, rely more for a bulwark of CQC.
• Naval Shotguns: The classic troop armament. 12" Assault 2 S4 AP- D1 makes it about as good as a bolter, but adding +1 on overwatch makes it a better fit for intercepting oncoming mobs.

Wargear

• Bionics: A 6+ save-after save for 3 points? Nice.
• Void-Hardened Armor: Know how Houseguards get force re-rolls on randomized hits? While they get it as part of their base loadout, other officers can also grab this for protection at only 2 points.
• Digital Weapon: An extra attack is something to never ignore.
• Grapple-Whip: Terrain no longer impedes movement, as you can move through difficult terrain and vertical movement is for free.
• Refractor Field: Enjoy your 5++ save, as all Imperials can!
• Targeting Cherub: Explorator only. Allows one servitor within 6" to use his BS, which can be really fun with a BS-centric techie.
• Power Armor: 3+ save for not-marines.

Captain's Reserve

• Beloved Mascot: Unlike the Guard Opus, your pet isn't an actual model. Instead, yours acts as an ablative wound. You need to be careful with this in campaigns, as you can risk permanently losing that pet.
• Treasure Map: How totally stereotypical. This map won't fix objectives, but it will make your officer count as five when capping, freeing your men to go take other ones.
• The Carnodon: While being Heavy 1 makes this unwieldy to shoot, 36" S6 AP-3 S3 is an incredibly potent combination capable of wiping off even marines with a clean hit.
• Wogdan Dueling Pistols: A pair of beefed up pistols at S5 AP-1, these things rely on you dancing around as you shoot at anything.
• Gellar Scope: a bit of a utility tool, though needing to trigger on a 3+ makes it a bit dicey. Upon activation, you can either expose an enemy within 24", re-roll a random objective/setpiece, or let one model within 18" ignore all terrain. The fact that this doesn't take an action on any phase makes this more useful than you think.
• Navigator's Eye: If you wanna be gross, you can throw a mummified Navigator's eye at someone. It acts as a grenade dealing d3 hits, each one dealing d3 mortal wounds.
• Linteum's Tricorne: Lets the user auto-pass the first Leadership check in the game.
• Aguilaron Nimbus: You get a jetbike! YES! 16" movement while ignoring difficult terrain makes you really fast, and you get a double bolter as a bonus. IF there's a drawback, it's that you lack any turbo-boosting gimmick like any skilled bikers.
• Aguilar Lone Eagle: A heavy pistol, but a damn good one. S5 AP-2 D1 would be enough for most, but when you then add on the ability to ignore any model-based penalties to hit (e.g. Venomthropes, Raven Guard), you have something truly remarkable for removing enemies.
• Vicentio's Rapier: The sword itself's basically an S+1 power sword, but if you pack a second melee weapon or a pistol, you can add +1 to your save against any attacks that don't auto hit, which is a neat way to avoid power armor.
• Fusion Blade: A true fucking behemoth. S8 and AP-4 pretty much DELETES anything from existence, and rolling 2d3 damage and taking the highest is just a cherry on top of a rape sundae. The only drawback you have is that a 1 to hit is a mortal wound.
• Void Cloak: You get a bat-cape! No, seriously, it's pretty much Batman's cape. Your guy get a 10" flying speed and acts like they're in cover at all times.

Weapon Upgrades

Since your entire basis is being the army of a rich fop with a ship, it comes as no surprise that you can slap on some upgrades to certain weapons (Nothing on the reserve, no combis, and no drone-bombs).

• Master-Crafted Weapon: No Heavy Weapons. Adds +1 to a weapon's damage, which is a simple but effective boost.
• Overcharged: Incompatible with Plasma, if only because this does what plasma guns can already do.
• Collimated: Adds +6" to a gun, which can go a ways into making an impromptu sniper.
• Powered Feed: Assault or Rapid Fire weapons without random hits only. This adds an extra shot on a weapon, which can be useful for guns that you're really counting on.
• Vengeful: Adds +! to hit on overwatch, which can make the shotgun the alpha on intercepting.
• Enlarged Frame: Adds +1 to the weapon's strength or strength mod. Now, I don't know how may times you'll really need a Power Fist with Sx3, but a Chainsword with S+1 is something to get behind.
• Seeking: Negates cover against guns, which is incredibly helpful if you plan on wiping things without concern. You are still subject to the closest target however.

Augmetics

Same as the Mechanicus, Marines, and Inquisition, you have the means to improve your guys by sticking machinery in them.

• Mobility: +1 Movement and ignoring difficult terrain is all well and good, but you still have to sacrifice movement to climb, something the Grapple-Whip ignores.
• Strength: Fire heavy weapons and swing Power Fists without penalty. Definitely good for your artillery and beatsticks, especially that marine there.
• Dermal Armour: Grants a 4+ save against mortal wounds, which you'll absolutely need against snipers.
• Combat: Adds two CCW attacks, which...well, it's iffy unless you're already doing quantity over quality with attacking.
• Repair: Allows a model to recover wounds, which is wicked.

Philosophies

• Xenophobic: +1 TP for a team bereft of Xenos Hirelings.
• Suffering with the Alien: +1 TP for having 4+ different models of Xenos Hirelings, which can be doable even without a Xenophilic Dynasty.

Tactical Actions

• Hefty Bribe (1 TP): In the event that you want to wave wads of cash in front of an enemy's face. On a 3+, you can shove a unit beck to reserves, but this is only usable during the first three turns.
• Swashbuckling Rogue (1 TP): In the event that your Officer is caught in a mob, you trigger this to let them swing a sword/shoot a pistol at anyone within 1", which is only worth it towards trash.

Unit Analysis

Your FOC is as follows

• 1 Leader
• 1-25 Core
• 0-5 Special
• 0-6 Xenos Hirelings

Leader

• Rogue Trader Officer: Your basic Platoon Commander with carapace and an aura for re-rolling 1's to hit for allies within 6", as befits your only leader. The fact that he's bare naked stock is proof enough of where he's meant to be, but he has a smattering of tools available to him from both the imperial and xeno armories that lets him do whatever you need him to.

Core

• Voidsman: Your basic conscript for a dirt-cheap 3 points. Their only options for equipment are the basic las/autogun, a naval shotgun, or a chainsword+autopistol and the option for a shield, meaning their use hinges upon where you want them to end up.
  • Armsman: For 2 points you can make your voidsman more like a guardsman than a conscript. These guys can actually grab grenades and special weapons per five models.
• Houseguard: Your Veterans, now provided WS or BS of 3+ and armour that lets them re-roll randomized hits against them. These guys can buy up quite a lot, including a banner for a turn of re-rolling hits and power armor for a 3+ save.
  • 0-5 Houseguard Outrider: Your elite men get to buy a few bikes. Though their loadout is reduced, they still possess plenty of ways to fit whatever role is desired thanks to the bike's twin bolter.
• Servitor: Your cheapest distractions, they're the same as you remember in the marines and AdMech codex. Don't expect them to be good Heavy Weapons platforms, just expendable ones that need a Techpriest to oversee.

Special

• 0-1 Arch-Militant: This guy is an elite trooper, and thus has the option to be practically anything you need for the sake of killing. Helping matters is that he has an aura to re-roll 1s to wound, which complements the Officer's aura nicely.
• 0-1 Psyker: He's not a lot to look at, but he offers a precious psyker to use. He has a limited loadout, but he can get Carapace for a 4+ and comes stock with a 5++ invuln.
• 0-1 Ministorum Priest: These are the ones you take for melee slamdowns. On top of all his basic benefits, fit for guiding men to victory, he also gets plenty of weapons usually seen on the Minstorum and Inquisition lists, including the Psyker-fucking Condemnor.
• 0-1 Techpriest Explorator: He's better compared to the AdMech's lesser Techpriest than any Enginseer, especially considering he can take up to three augmetics. His usefulness in healing Sentinels and Servitors is only part of his value, while the rest is based on his specialty:
  • Professio Secutor: Your bot-boy can take up to two special weapons and gets a 5+ save.
  • Professio Meteorologica: Your explorator throws up an aura of smoke, dealing -1 to hit anyone within 3" of them.
  • Professio Linguistica: Your Explorator foils Tactical Actions on a 5+ unless another TP is wasted.
• 0-1 Voidmaster: A Rogue Trader's version of Master of Ordinance. While he maintains a Drone Bombardment (d6 S4 AP- D1 shots that ignore LoS), he's far from defenseless as he can buy upgrades for his shotgun as well as a shield or power armor. He also has his own specialties:
  • Master of Shuttles: Up to 7 (8 with a certain Dynasty) can be dropped like grav-chuting guardsmen.
  • Master of the Air Wing: Deals -1 to an enemy's reserve roll, which can potentially be crippling for a reserve-heavy army like Genestealers.
  • Boarding Master: Anyone within 3" acts as if their shotguns are Assault 3, which gives a strong argument for a shielded Voidmaster.
• 0-1 Seneschal: Your basic specialist and know-it-all. They're exclusively in team shooty, with their specialties being more support-based than offensive.
  • Medicae: Healing on a 2+? Enjoy a pack of nigh-unkillable armsmen!
  • Master of Whispers: Lets you recover a TP on a 5+ when you use an action, which is nifty for those who make heavy use.
  • Acquisitions: In the event that you need a team to cap a spot immediately (With Exploratory or Reaver especially), you can have this model and any friends within 3" move/advance instead of shooting. Unfortunately, this precludes charging, so make sure they're well protected from anything.
• 0-1 Errant Astartes: Your lone Spehss Mehren. He acts as your one-man kill team with a bevy of upgrades familiar to any marine player. However, instead of a chapter, you get one of two specialties:
  • Engage and Destroy: He can advance and shoot or advance and charge. Pretty easy to see why this is a good deal for him.
  • Hold Ground: In case you need a strongpoint, this allows him to add +1 to hit on overwatch. He also counts as two models when contesting objectives.

• 0-1 Expeditionary Sentinel: Cannot be chosen alongside the Exo-Armour or Houseguard Sentinel. A lightweight unit to kite with. Aside from the standard weapons, it can also take an S+2 AP4 Rending melee weapon, but that's not highly advisable for it.
  • 0-1 Houseguard Sentinel: Cannot be chosen alongside the Exo-Armour or Expeditionary Sentinel. While identical to the base Sentinel, this one does possess the armor of a Houseguard and can add +1 to WS or BS depending on what you need. And only for two points? Nice!
• 0-1 Exo-Armour: Cannot be chosen alongside any Sentinel. In the event that you wanted to bring in Ellen Ripley, you have this behemoth. While cheaper, it can never advance and only has servo arms to protect itself. However, you also have a heavily-armored suit that can fire heavy weapons (Heavy Bolter, Multi-Melta or Heavy Flamer) without a care. Your only other choices are buying that floating WS/BS bonus Houseguard get (As well as the keyword) and the ability to fly.

Xenos Hirelings

• Eldar Shadow Walker: Your Dark Eldar merc. This one can carry Succubus weapons or the basic Warrior loadouts. Fortunately, the flimsy armor is compensated by both a 5++ invuln and a constant -1 to hit.
• Aeldari Wanderer: Your Craftworld merc. Their role as a scout's a lot clear with a camo cloak and the ability to infiltrate as needed. Their weapons are a lot more limited, but you get a sniper rifle.
• Kroot Mercenary: Pretty much as taken from the Tau Opus, except they can buy a melee weapon separate from their rifle.
  • Kroot Hounds: Two of these chicken-dogs can be taken per Kroot. They're lightweight and mobile, and their ability to re-roll a charge against a wounded model makes them great for tying up a unit.
• Krootox Rider: He's big and beefy. If you don't like what they have, you can buy a burst cannon or frag projector for something different.
• Shas'Ar'Tol Advisor: A mercenary Crisis Suit Commander. Though he can only take one support system and three guns, that's still damn scary on a sturdy platform like a Crisis Suit, and unlike the Tau Opus these guys lack a damaged statline!
• T'au Farsight Mercenary: A fire warrior as a merc. He comes with the Farsight propensity for combat by bringing their own chainswords. Additionally, they can shoot and charge after falling back, which is wicked when combined with HLoCS's bonus on either side of the equation.
• Freeboota: A Nob mercenary. He's got plenty of things to buy, but with a middling leadership and only an optional Cybork body to protect himself, expect to bring several for the sake of getting one of them to do something.
• Skyboota: A Stormboy mercenary. His flight and risky full-advance make him great at capping, and he comes with plenty of melee.
• Flash Git: They're already Freebootaz. Since they have the biggest gunz, they're not worried about morale. However, they lose everything else except their chance to shoot twice in a turn.
• Sslyth Bodyguard: As effective as they are for Dark Eldar, they're a good wall of attacks/wounds for an Officer who's bound to get on the front lines.