So I've been working on a codex for the Thousand Sons as I'm pretty dissatisfied with how they're represented in the current chaos marine book, and I wanted to get your thoughts on my work thus far. A few preliminary notes:
* I'm torn on whether or not to include daemons. Khorne daemonkin makes me want to say yes, but daemons, while certainly tools of the Thousand Sons, aren't generally their go-to tool of choice. I feel like leaving daemons as just allies works better.
* This is shaping up to be more of a mini-dex akin to Codex Harlequins and Skitarii than a "full" codex, so please look at it with that in mind.
* In playtesting, the codex has worked pretty smoothly so far. Keeping track of multi-wound troops is actually pretty easy when they've only got 1 wound apiece. Their durability has been great with much of the army lasting through the game, but I've found that assaults tend to bog the game down against this army as they lack the close combat punch to end assaults. I've won about half my playtest games with these rules.
So, here's what I've got so far (somewhat abridged from my Word document).
SPECIAL RULES & TRAITS
Rubricae:[/b] Models with the rubricae rule will have +1 wound or hull point (already factored into their profiles) and the Fearless and Slow & Purposeful rules.
Rubricae units not within 6” of a friendly model with the Psyker rule must pass a leadership test at the start of the movement phase. Vehicle models count as Leadership 7 for purposes of this test. If the test is failed, the unit may not move, shoot, charge, attack in the assault phase, or fire overwatch and counts as Initiative 1 until the start of their next turn.
Arcane Training: Unless otherwise stated, models with Arcane Training rule may generate powers from any discipline in the Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook or from the Discipline of the Scarab. Models with a Mark of Tzeentch who also have this rule are not required to generate any powers from the Discipline of Tzeentch and may generate all of their powers from the Discipline of Tzeentch if they so choose.
Thousand Sons Warlord Traits Table
1. Master of Deception: See Codex: CSM
2. Arcane Duelist: Deny the Witch rolls made against powers targeting the Warlord or his unit receive a +1 bonus. Reroll this trait if your opponent’s army contains no psykers.
3. Master of the Arcane: When making a psychic test, the Warlord may reroll a single die.
4. Mystic Conduit: The Warlord generates 1 additional warp charge in the Psychic phase (including the enemy Psyhic phase).
5. Remember Prospero: Friendly units within 12” gain Preferred Enemy (Imperium of Man). Reroll this trait if you are not facing the Imperium.
6. Vigor of the Rubricae: Models with the Rubric rule in the Warlord’s unit gain Feel No Pain (5+).
ARMORY & SPELLS
DISCIPLINE OF THE SCARAB[/b]
Primaris Power
Tzeentchs’ Fire Storm Warp Charge 1
Tzeentch’s Fire Storm is a witchfire power with the following profile:
Range 24”, S 4, Ap 5, Assault 1, Blast, Hellfire
Hellfire: Improve the Strength or AP of this power by 1 (maximum 10 and 1 respectively) for each point of warp charge beyond the first successfully harnessed to cast this power. Warp charges denied by your opponent are not considered to be harnessed even if the power itself was not denied.
Curse of Transmutation Warp Charge 2
Curse of Mutation is a malediction that targets an enemy unit within 24”. Vehicle units targeted by this power treat their AV as 1d3 points lower on all sides while this power is in effect (minimum 10).
Non-vehicle units targeted by this power treat their armor saves as 1 worse than normal. Models with a 6+ armor save lose their armor save while this power is in effect.
Doom Bolt Warp Charge 1
Doom Bolt is a beam with the following profile:
Range 18”, S 8, Ap 3, Assault 1, Hellfire
Warp Gale Warp Charge 2
Warp Gale is a blessing that targets the psyker. This power may only be cast while the psyker is locked in combat. All enemy models in base to base with the psyker take a single Strength 1 Ap - hit with the fleshbane and haywire rules.
NEW GEAR
Talisman: When making a psychic test, a model with a talisman rolls one die separately from the others. This die successfully harnesses a warp charge on a roll of 3+ rather than 4+.
Fiendish Grimoire: The bearer of a fiendish grimoire is treated as a daemon when determining if he suffers perils while casting powers of the daemonology discipline.
Mage Weapon: A mage weapon is a force weapon that allows its wielder to generate an additional random power from any discipline they have access to before the game starts.
Arcane Scroll: A psyker with an arcane scroll generates one fewer random powers before the game starts. Instead, the psyker knows a single power of his choice with a warp charge of 1 from any discipline they have access to.
Protective Charm: A model with a Protective Charm receives a +1 bonus to Deny the Witch rolls made against powers targeting him or his unit.
Haunted Ammo: Models with Haunted Ammo may reroll to-hit rolls when firing boltguns or boltpistols. Models with both haunted ammo and inferno bolts may only benefit from one of these pieces of wargear each time they shoot (chosen before the weapon is fired).
Sigils of Protection: Models with a sigil of protection gain the eternal warrior special rule.
Inferno Bolts: See Codex: Chaos Space Marines
Teleportation Spell: Once per game, a model with a teleportation spell may instantly redeploy his unit as per the deepstrike rules. If the unit mishaps and enters ongoing reserves, it arrives the following turn via deepstrike.
Warp Cannons: Covered in occult symbols meant to harness and direct barely-contained warp stuff, warp cannons are among the most terrifying weapons in the arsenal of the Thousand Sons. Frequent exposure to the chaotic energies unleashed by warp cannons would cause rampant mutations among those still possessed of flesh, and channeling so much psychic power would be nearly impossible for anyone less accustomed to working with warp stuff than a Thousand Sons sorcerer. A warp cannon is a shooting weapon with the following profile:
36” Strength X, AP 2, Heavy 1, Blast, Warp Powered
-Warp Powered- A weapon with this rule is fired in the psychic phase. When firing a weapon with the Warp Powered rule, expend between 1 and 5 warp charges. The strength of the weapon is equal to twice the number of warp charges expended to fire it.
WEAPONS
Melee Weapons
Chainaxe…5pts
Lightning Claw…15pts
Power Weapon…10pts
Power Fist…25pts
Eldritch Wargear
Talisman …5 pts
Fiendish Grimoire…10pts
Protective Charm…10pts
Arcane Scroll…15pts
Sigil of Corruption…20pts
Sigil of Protection…15pts
Spell Familiar…20pts
Mage Weapon…15pts
Force Weapon…10pts
Haunted Ammo…5pts
Inferno Bolts…5pts
Teleportation Spell…25pts
Special Weapons
Flamer… 5pts
Meltagun…10pts
Plasmagun…15pts
Heavy Weapons
Autocannon…10pts
Lascannon…15pts
Missilie Launcher…15pts
-May also take flakk…10pts
Warp Cannon…25pts
Terminator Wargear
Combi-flamer, -melta, or-plasma… 5pts
Chainfist…15pts
UNITS
Unless noted otherwise, all units except cultists have veterans of the long war, and all psykers have Arcane Training.
HQ
High Sorcerer: Essentially a ML3 chaos sorcerer with an aura of dark glory and a mark of tzeentch. Has arcane training and access to eldritch wargear. 130 points base.
Eldritch Lord: Take a chaos lord. Give him ML2, a mark of Tzeentch, arcane training, access to eldritch wargear, melee weapons, and terminator options. Basically a slightly less psychic beatstick. I've found his extra BS is really important when using witchfires. Base cost 150 pts.
You can safely assume that Ahriman is a legal choice, but I haven't bothered with him yet as I wanted to make sure the rest of the book could function without him first.
TROOPS
Rubric Marines: 125 pts base for 4 rubric marines and a battle mage.
Rubric marines Are WS4 BS4 S4 T4 W2 I4 A1 Ld7 Sv3+ with mark of Tzeentch, fearless, and rubricae
Battle Mages are WS4 BS4 S4 T4 W1 I4 A2 Ld10 Sv3+ with mark of tzeentch, ML1, and arcane training
Rubric marines have boltguns and power armor. Battle mages have bolt pistols, power armor, plus frag and krak grenades.
You may include up to 5 additional rubric marines for 21 points per model.
For every 5 models, one model may take items from the special weapons table.
The entire squad may take Inferno Bolts… 5pts/model
The entire squad may take Haunted Ammo…5pts/model
The entire squad may be given an Aura of Dark Glory… 7 pts/model
The Battle Mage may take items from the melee weapons and eldritch wargear tables.
The Battle Mage may take meltabombs for 5pts.
The Battle Mage may replace his bolt pistol with a combi-flamer, -melta, or –plasma for 5pts.
Eldritch Cultists: 70 points base for 10 cultists.
Cultists are WS2 BS2 S3 T3 W1 I3 A1 Ld7 Sv-
Thrall Witches are WS3 BS3 T3 W3 I3 A1 Ld8 Sv- with ML 1
The whole unit has marks of Tzeentch and the dark magic ritual special rule. They are all equipped with a single close combat weapon.
You may include up to 25 more cultists at a cost of 7 points per model.
You may upgrade a single cultist to a Thrall Witch for 25 points.
The Thrall Witch may take items from the Eldritch Wargear table.
-Dark Magic Ritual: At the start of the Thousand Sons player’s Movement Phase, he may declare that a unit with this rule will perform a Dark Magic Ritual. If the unit does so, it may not move, shoot, assault, or fire overwatch until the start of the Thousand Sons player’s next turn. If the unit contains 10 or less models, the Thousand Sons player generates 1 additional warp charge in the following Psychic Phase. Otherwise, the Thousand Sons player generates 2 additional warp charges instead. Units that are falling back or have gone to ground at the start of the Thousand Sons player’s turn may not perform a Dark Magic Ritual.
ELITES
dread Mage: 160 points base. Basically a psychic thousand son inside of some dreadnaught armor. Take a hellbrute. Give it access to a hell brute's wargear at the same cost as a hellbrute. Give it ML1, arcane training, and a mark of Tzeentch.
You can give it up to 2 additional mastery levels at a cost of 25pts apiece.
You can give it an aura of dark glory for 15 pts.
You can replace one of its fists with a warp cannon for 25 points.
It may take items from the eldritch wargear table.
Sekhment Terminators AKA the Scarab Occult:
175 points base for 2 sekhmet terminators and a terminator mage.
Sekhmet terminators are chaos terminators with 2 wounds, Ld 7, fearless, rubricae, and marks of Tzeentch.
Terminator mages are WS4 BS4 S4 T4 W1 I4 A3 Ld10 Sv2+/5++ with terminator armor, mark of Tzeentch, arcane training, ML1, and a power weapon + storm bolter.
May include up to 7 additional Sekhmet for 46 points per model
Any model may replace either of its weapons with an option from the melee weapons or terminator weapons tables.
May take Inferno Bolts… 5pts/model
One in 5 models may replace its storm bolter with one of the following:
Heavy flamer for…10pts
Reaper autocannon…25pts
The terminator mage may take items from the Eldritch Wargear table
The Terminator Mage may take meltabombs for 5pts.
FAST ATTACK
Chaos Rhino as Codex: CSM. May be taken as a transport by rubric marines, pyrae, and rubric havocs.
HEAVY SUPPORT
Pyrae: 135 points base for 3 Pyrae. Basically, they're fireball-flingers. Blunt-but powerful. Like artillery without actual artillery pieces.
Pyrae are WS4 BS4 S4 T4 W1 I4 A2 Ld10 with a ML equal to the number of Pyrae in the unit (Max 3), brotherhood of psykers, and they always have the warpfire ritual powerin addition to any other powers they know. At least half their powers must be generated off of the pyromancy table.
-Warp Fire Ritual: The unit knows the Warp Fire Ritual power in addition to any other psychic powers it generates. The Warp Fire Ritual is a witchfire power with the following profile:
Warp Charge 1
48” Strength 6, AP 5, Hellfire, Heavy X*, Blast, Barrage
*Warp Fire Ritual fires one blast for each Pyrae in the squad
Options:
May include up to 5 Rubric Marines for 21 points per model
May include up to 2 additional Pyrae for 45 points per model
The entire squad may take Inferno Bolts… 5pts/model
The entire squad may be given an Aura of Dark Glory… 7 pts/model
Each Pyrus may take items from the eldritch wargear table.
Rubric Havocs: 134 points base including 4 rubric havocs and a battle mage.
Rubric havocs have rubric marine statlines (see above) and have bolt pistols and power armor.
Battle mages have battle mage statlines (see above).
May include up to 5 additional rubric havocs for 21 points per model.
Up to four rubric havocs may take items from the heavy weapon table.
May take Inferno Bolts… 10 pts/model
May take Haunted Ammo… 10pts/model
The Battle Mage may take options from the melee weapons and eldritch wargear tables.
The Battle Mage may replace his boltgun with a combi-flamer, -melta, or –plasma for 5pts.
The Battle Mage may take meltabombs for 5pts.
The entire squad may be given an Aura of Dark Glory… 7 pts/model
dustnaught: 170 pts. Basically they're non-psychic Thousand Sons who were entombed in dreadnauht armor before the Rubric of Ahriman happened. Take an Ironclad dreadnaught and give it a bonus HP thanks to the rubricae rule. Give it the same weapon options as a hellbrute and It Will not die.
It can take an Aura of dark glory for 25 pts or a sigil of corruption for 30 pts. It can take a warp cannon in place of a fist for 25 points.
