The Angrier Initiative

What is this? This is a set of Stratagems that is meant to replace Chapter Tactics (and their equivalents) as well as Stratagems found in the codices. You pick five Stratagems when making your list and those are the only ones you can use, the chapter(s), dynasties and regiments you pick have no influence on what Stratagems you get, an allied force would have to pick which things best define their army, is it a Blood Angels army or is it an Astra Militarum army? Do you want Stratagems for melee or for Shooting? Chapter Tactics forces you to either use allies or to focus on a very narrow definition of what a certain army is if you don't want to be horribly inefficient.

Stratagem List

Adamantium Will

1 CP: Use this Stratagem when an enemy unit manifests a Psychic power. One of your units within 24” may attempt to deny that Psychic power as if it was a Psyker or can deny one additional psychic power this turn if it is a Psyker.

Armourbane

1 CP: Use this Stratagem before shooting with a unit, add +1 to the Damage of that unit’s weapons against VEHICLES.

Counter-attack

1 CP: This Stratagem is used right after an enemy unit that charged has fought. Select one of your own eligible units and fight with it next.

Deep Strike

1-4 CP: You can put a non-Titanic unit into Deep Strike reserve. At the end of any Movement phase after the first the unit can arrive anywhere on the table more than 9” away from enemy models. The first time you use this Stratagem it costs 1 CP, otherwise it costs 2 CP. If the unit is transporting other units then this Stratagem costs an extra CP. If the unit has 15 or more wounds total this Stratagem costs an extra CP.

Eternal Warrior

1 CP: You can re-roll any single dice.

Fearless

1 CP: You can automatically pass a single Morale test (this Stratagem must be used before taking the test).

Feel No Pain

1 CP: Use this Stratagem at the start of any player turn. Select one of your units currently on the battlefield, whenever that unit suffers a Wound this turn roll a D6. On a roll of 6+ the Wound is ignored.

Fleet

1 CP: Use this Stratagem after a unit has moved that unit may move and Advance again this turn, but it may not Shoot or Charge this turn. The unit cannot be made to move a third time through any means.

Fleshbane

1 CP: Use this Stratagem before shooting with a unit, add +1 to the Damage of that unit’s weapons against MONSTERS.

Hatred

2 CP: Use this Stratagem after a unit has finished shooting in the Shooting phase, choose one of the targets of the unit’s shooting that suffered a wound, all units with exactly the same faction keywords add +1 to their hit rolls when shooting at that target this phase.

High Command

1+ CP: Use this Stratagem before deployment, you can generate Warlord Traits for any number of CHARACTERS in your army. Each HQ and Elites unit that generates a Warlord Trait costs 0.5 CP (rounding up) each Lord of War costs 1 CP. For the purpose of the Warlord Trait the model that you generated the Warlord Trait for counts as your Warlord.

Hit & Run

2 CP: Use this Stratagem after falling back with a unit, that unit can still Shoot and Charge this turn.

Infiltrate

1/2 CP: Use this Stratagem when deploying an INFANTRY unit that unit may Infiltrate instead of setting up normally and arrive at the start of the first Battle Round. The unit may deploy anywhere on the battlefield more than 18” from enemy models, but if it does it may not charge during the first battle round. The first unit must pay 1 CP to do this, every unit after the first must pay 2 CP.

Look Out Sir

1 CP: Use this Stratagem when a CHARACTER would lose its last wound, each time this happens for the rest of the phase roll a D6, on a roll of 2+ the wound is ignored, instead a friendly unit within 3” of the model takes a Mortal Wound, if no such units remain then the model suffers the wound as normal.

Sniper

2 CP: Use this Stratagem when a unit from your army fires in the Shooting phase, until the end of this phase the unit does not suffer any penalties to its Hit rolls and they can target CHARACTERS with fewer than 10 Wounds but if they are not the closest enemy unit the firing unit only hits on a 6+ regardless of modifiers unless the unit already has an Ability that allows them to do this.

Outflank

1 CP: Use this Stratagem at the end of your Movement phase. Select a unit from your army that has been completely destroyed. Add a new unit that is identical to the one that was destroyed and set it up as reinforcements wholly within 6” of any board edge, more than 9” from enemy models. This Stratagem may not be used in games which do not use the rules for Reinforcement Points.

Preferred Enemy

1 CP: Use this Stratagem when a CHARACTER unit from your army kills a ‘’’CHARACTER’’’ in the Fight phase. Gain D3 CPs.

Mastery Level 2

1 CP: Use this Stratagem when a Psyker from your army has manifested the last psychic power they can manifest in their Psychic phase, that Psyker can immediately attempt to manifest one more psychic power this turn.

Rage

3 CP: Use this Stratagem at the end of your Fight phase. Choose a unit that has already fought this phase, it can fight again.

Unique

1/2 CP: Use this Stratagem before the battle. Your army can have one extra Relic, but a single model cannot have more than one Relic. The first time you use this Stratagem it costs 1 CP, otherwise it costs 2 CP.

Shrouded

2 CP: Use this Stratagem when a unit from your army is targeted for a Shooting attack, until the end of this phase your opponent suffers a -1 to hit while firing at that unit.

Slow and Purposeful

2/4 CP: Use this Stratagem at the end of your Shooting phase by choosing a unit which did not move or arrive from Reserves this turn. The chosen unit can shoot again. If the unit is a TITANIC this Stratagem costs 4 CP, otherwise it costs 2 CP.

Stubborn

1 CP: Use this Stratagem when a model from your army regains a wound lost earlier in the battle, it immediately regains another wound lost earlier in the battle.

Necrons

Warlord Traits

Cryptek Warlord Traits

CRYPTEKS can choose to generate their Warlord Traits from this table.

• Arch-Cryptek

Increase the range of all abilities on your Warlord’s datasheet by 3". Only increase the range of your Warlord's Technomancer ability, not that of all other CRYPTEKS in your army. If a Cryptek with a Canoptek cloak has this Warlord Trait, this does not affect the distance the cloak allows the model to move in the Movement phase.

• Harbinger of Despair

Subtract 1 from the Leadership characteristic of enemy units that are within 6" of your Warlord.

• Harbinger of Destruction

Each time you roll a wound roll of 6 or more for a friendly <Dynasty> unit within 6" of the Warlord in the Shooting phase, the Damage characteristic of that attack is increased by 1 (i.e. D1 becomes D2, Dd6 becomes Dd6+1).

• Harbinger of Eternity

Roll a D6 before deployment, that dice is your Eternity dice, once per turn before rolling a dice you can use your Eternity dice instead of rolling when you do generate a new Eternity dice.

• Harbinger of the Storm

When an enemy unit arrives from Reserves within 12" of your Warlord your Warlord can immediately shoot at them.

• Harbinger of Transmogrification

Friendly DYNASTY units within 6" of your Warlord that are receiving the benefit of cover add an additional 1 to their saving throws against attacks with an AP characteristic of -1.

Lord Warlord Traits

LORDS can choose to generate their Warlord Traits from this table. All <DYNASTY> CHARACTERS within 6" a member of a Royal Court become members of that Royal Court and in turn make all <DYNASTY> CHARACTERS within 6" of themselves members as well and so on.

• Animator

This model is a member of a Royal Court. Friendly <DYNASTY> units within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court can re-roll a single Reanimation Protocol roll each turn.

• Executor

This model forms a Royal Court. Friendly <DYNASTY> Lychguard units within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court can re-roll failed charge rolls.

• Herald

This model forms a Royal Court. Friendly <DYNASTY> units within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court add +1 to their Ld.

• Praetor

This model forms a Royal Court. Friendly Triarch Praetorian units within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court add +1 to their Hit rolls.

• Tetrarch

This model forms a Royal Court. Friendly <DYNASTY> CHARACTERS within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court add +1 to their Hit rolls.

• Vargard

This model forms a Royal Court. Friendly <DYNASTY> CHARACTERS within 6" of a model from your Warlord's Royal Court add +1 to their Sv against Shooting attacks.

Example Armies

Craftworlds (Biel-tan) - Storm of Blades

Biel-tan’s forces favour an overwhelming show of force putting the enemy at an immediate disadvantage, they are unyielding and stubborn.

• Counter-attack
• Eternal Warrior
• Fearless
• Rage
• Slow and Purposeful

Drukhari (Poisoned Tongue) - Fortune Favours the Depraved

The forces of the Poisoned Tongue kabal never fare well in even engagements, but only because they only face their opponents where they know they will win.

• Adamantium Will
• Eternal Warrior
• Fleet
• Infiltrate
• Rage

Space Marines (Ultramarines 2nd Company) - Guardians of the Temple

Most honoured among any Ultramarine battle company, the forces of Ultramarines 2nd Company value honour and a steadfast resolve.

• Counter-attack
• Eternal Warrior
• Fearless
• Feel No Pain
• Preferred Enemy

Space Marines (Ravenguard 1st Company) - Blackwings

Not much is known about the Ravengaurd 1st Company, the Ravenguard remain secretive about their most honoured company and few live to tell of the Blackwings.

• Eternal Warrior
• Fleet
• Preferred Enemy
• Rage
• Shrouded

Blood Angels and Astra Militarum (Flesh Tearers and Cadian alliance)

The Cadians are steadfast and skilled, the Flesh Tearers are brutal yet noble close combatants.

• Eternal Warrior
• Fearless
• Preferred Enemy
• Rage
• Slow and Purposeful

Building Lists based on Stratagems

Example list #1A: 23 PL 4 CP

Captain with jump pack (Vykar Kaed Lord of Deliverance) - 6 PL

Company Champion (Rostue Actas) - 3 PL

Apothecary (Arvin Gregoris) - 3 PL

5 Company Veterans (Mortal Screams) - 8 PL

Rhino (Gregor Minimus) - 4 PL

In this list you would put Vykar Kaed high in the skies, while putting the rest of the infantry inside Gregor Minimus. On turn 1 you would drive up Gregor Minimus to the enemy’s front line with the Fleet Stratagem. Then Vykar Kaed can arrive behind Gregor Minimus and be relatively safe from enemy fire. Vykar can attempt to charge and since he’ll be invisible behind Gregor Minimus he won’t be suffering Overwatch. Whether you get first turn or not, the Shrouded Stratagem is sure to come in handy for Gregor Minimus which will be the only unit your opponent can target.

Example list #1B: 100 PL 6 CP

Captain with jump pack (Vykar Kaed Lord of Deliverance) - 5 PL

Apothecary (Arvin Gregoris) - 3 PL

5 Company Veterans (Mortal Screams) - 8 PL

10 Vanguard Veterans with jump packs (Black Murder) - 16 PL

Chaplain (Kyabek the Absolution) - 5 PL

10 Vanguard Veterans (Exosus Eviscero) - 14 PL

Company Ancient (Jadyr the Grim) - 4 PL

Company Champion (Rostue Actas) - 3 PL

Lieutenant (Eitath Ekvinus) - 4 PL

Rhino (Gregor Minimus) - 4 PL

Techmarine (Evtor Klexus) - 4 PL

Repulsor (Gregor Maximus) - 16 PL

Vindicator (Factorem Exitium) - 7 PL

Vindicator (Exocis Ruinas) - 7 PL

We’ve built up the initial force, this force like the original is based around transports with elite melee units, this time it is backed up by mobile firepower. We’ll put Black Murder high in the sky along with Vykar Kaed, all the other characters in the list go with Mortal Screams inside Gregor Minimus, Exosus Eviscero go inside Gregor Maximus. Eternal Warrior is going to come in handy when we fire our Vindicators if we roll a low number of hits or when we attempt to charge with our melee elements. Fleet, isn’t as essential in this list as it is in the first, but being able to rapidly move one of our jump pack units 24” in one turn could come in handy when taking an objective or after clearing out one part of the table. Preferred Enemy is nice because we have relatively few CPs from our formations, our wealth of characters are sure to generate more. Rage is essential in a melee list such as this, especially for Exosus Eviscera, Shrouded is awesome for protecting our transports until they can spit out the elite assault units close to the enemy.

Taking Stratagems Based on Your Army

Canoptek Wraiths and C'tan

Instead of building an army around a set of five Stratagems you might build a force and then select suitable stratagems.

Catacomb Command Barge with warscythe and tesla cannon - 162 pts

C’tan Shard of the Deceiver - 225 pts

C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer - 210 pts

6 Canoptek Wraiths - 330 pts

6 Canoptek Wraiths - 330 pts

5 Canoptek Wraiths with particle casters - 295 pts

Transcendent C'tan - 225 pts

Transcendent C'tan - 225 pts

1997 pts - 4 CP.

The Catacomb Command Barge and The C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer can both shoot, but ideally, they want to be in close combat, we can discard Slow and Purposeful. We don’t have any psykers so we can discard Mastery Level 2. All our units have high Leadership and our unit sizes are small therefore we can discard Fearless. Sniper could work well with the C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer, but the usage is very limited. We only have one non-unique character, so taking more relics is not going to be an option, Unique goes out the window. Outflank is best if your list includes slow units since this list is composed entirely of fast units we will not be having problems getting around the table, we are better off just taking more units on the table at the start of the game instead of tying up points in Reinforcement Points.

This list offers very few CP and some strong melee characters, Preferred Enemy seems like a good idea. We have lots of big tough units, making them even tougher with Feel No Pain seems great. Eternal Warrior is going to be essential in case we fail a charge or fail to activate Antimatter Meteor on 2+ to do D3 Mortal Wounds or fail a Wound roll for the Nightbringer, with an AP of -4 and a Damage of D6 we would be remiss not to take Eternal Warrior. Rage in a melee list like this is a must.

Adamantium Will, Counter-attack, Hit & Run, Infiltrate and Shrouded could all become useful and are all equally valid. Because the army relies on invulnerable saves it would be a good idea to take Adamantium Will to protect the expensive units from the Smite psychic power.

Adamantium Will, Eternal Warrior, Feel No Pain, Rage and Preferred Enemy are our final selections.