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For the past 6 months my gaming group and I have been playtesting a "mini-dex" for my Soul Reapers Chaos Marines. Included at the bottom is one of my custom Special Characters, he has been playtested in at least 30 games and seems balanced to my gaming group.
We have three more Special Characters written but they haven't been completely tested for balance. I will add them once they have been extensively tested.
Here is the preliminary list of changes to the CSM codex for my Codex: Soul Reapers
Looking at what the new 5th ed books are bringing us, it sure feels like GW have decided that the background/fluff is important to the army list entries now.
This will be more of a supplement than an actual codex, as I have no desire to breach GW IP. So unless I make a new unit all unit stats and upgrades will be referenced from the Codex: CSM.
I have waited until now to post this so we could have plenty of playtesting done, we have finally moved into the phase where I am now using my own army. In the early stages of playtesting I got to use my army in every 5th game, with me using my opponents army in the other 4.
I appreciate all feedback, if you like or hate something we've done let me know. All I ask is to please keep it constructive.
Thanks,
Jim
Soul Reapers Special Rules
The models in a Soul Reaper army use a number of special rules that are common to more than one unit, as specified in the entries that follow. Given here are either the details of those rules or where to find them.
Fear is for the weak: Soul Reapers have been in service the Chaos for ten millennia and know that the Dark Gods watch over them.
Soul Reapers never have their leadership reduced by more than –2 Ld as the result of losing an assault. If the Unit loses the assault by more than -2, then immediately take any remaining modifiers as armor saves. They may also attempt to regroup even if the squad has been reduced less than half strength through casualties.
Undivided We Stand: The Soul reapers detest the though of becoming single-minded minions of any particular Chaos God. Because of this the Soul Reapers do not use Cult marines dedicated to any particular God.
A Soul Reapers army my not contain any units of Berzerkers, Rubric Marines, Noise Marines, or Plague Marines..
Icons of Chaos: The Soul Reapers make no use of icons dedicated to individual Chaos Gods. They may only take the Icon of Chaos Glory as listed in the Codex Chaos Space Marine.
Listed below are the Units from Codex Chaos Space Marines with the changes to their entry. Any units not listed below are used as listed in their entry in the Codex Chaos Space Marines.
HQ
All the Special Characters and the Daemon Prince entry in the Chaos Space Marine Codex are not available to a Soul Reapers army.
Chaos Sorcerer: Gains Fear is for the Weak
Elite
Chaos Chosen Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Chaos Terminators: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Possessed Chaos Space Marines: Roll for their Daemonkin abilities at the beginning of the game before deployment.
Chaos Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Fast Attack
Chaos Raptors: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Chaos Bikes: Gain Fear is for the Weak, and the point value drops from 35 to 28 points per model.
Chaos Havocs: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Soul Reaper Special Characters
Titus the Butcher
The Daemon Prince Titus the Butcher started out as the second in command of the World Eaters seventeenth Grand Company. He was and is still the armored fist of Lord Krüg, when there is something impossible to do Titus is unleashed to resolve the problem.
Titus earned the title the Butcher and ascended to Princedom on the planet Lambosia on the far Eastern Fringe. It was during a campaign to reclaim one of the Salmora artifacts, that Titus was tasked with holding the Star Phantom Space Marines back while the Sorcerer Xusia preformed the rituals to locate the artifact. Titus lead an elite unit of Reavers from Lord Krügs handpicked Terminator bodyguard into a mountain pass to bock the path of the Star Phantoms. During the fight the Reavers were whipped out and Titus was left surrounded by the lackeys of the Emperor. He had already been mortally wounded, but refused to succumb to his wounds and fail Lord Krüg. Titus grabbed a second power sword from one of his fallen comrades and proceeded to charge headlong into the remaining Star Phantoms. When the dust settled the Star Phantoms were either dead or routing from the field, Titus collapsed knowing that his task was complete.
As he lay there dying he heard the whispers of the Dark Gods. They were pleased with his dedication and the carnage he had done to his foes. They offered him untold power and a chance to fight again exacting his revenge on the Imperium for the greater glory of Chaos. He accepted the offer and rose up as a mighty Daemon Prince of Chaos.
Since his ascension Titus is always found leading his troops from the front, rushing forward headlong into the enemy, he has been known to outpace the warbands transports and tanks. Unlike most Daemon Princes Titus has not been gifted with wings or psychic powers, instead he uses his powerful legs to rush across the battlefield with insane speed. The fusing of his flesh with his armor and his favor with the Dark Gods has made him extremely hard to kill, he is capable of shrugging off wound that would banish other Daemon Princes back to the warp.
Titus the Butcher
Daemon Prince: 200 points
War Gear:
Personal Icon
The Butchers Blade
Special Rules:
Fearless
Eternal Warrior
5+ invulnerable save
Feel no Pain
Fleet
The Butchers Blade is the massive sword carried by the Daemon Prince Titus. His brutality is know and feared throughout the Eastern Fringe. Titus can usually be found standing atop a pile of corpses in the middle of the enemy lines. He is very good at cutting large groups of his foes down with one mighty swing of the Butchers Blade.
To represent this in the game Titus may give up his normal attacks to make single strength 5 attack against all enemy non-vehicle models in base contact. This is an all or nothing attack with a single die roll to hit; if there are multiple WS’s involved the roll to hit is against the highest WS. If successful roll to wound; with the wounds allocated among those models in base contact with Titus.
We have three more Special Characters written but they haven't been completely tested for balance. I will add them once they have been extensively tested.
Here is the preliminary list of changes to the CSM codex for my Codex: Soul Reapers
Looking at what the new 5th ed books are bringing us, it sure feels like GW have decided that the background/fluff is important to the army list entries now.
This will be more of a supplement than an actual codex, as I have no desire to breach GW IP. So unless I make a new unit all unit stats and upgrades will be referenced from the Codex: CSM.
I have waited until now to post this so we could have plenty of playtesting done, we have finally moved into the phase where I am now using my own army. In the early stages of playtesting I got to use my army in every 5th game, with me using my opponents army in the other 4.
I appreciate all feedback, if you like or hate something we've done let me know. All I ask is to please keep it constructive.
Thanks,
Jim
Soul Reapers Special Rules
The models in a Soul Reaper army use a number of special rules that are common to more than one unit, as specified in the entries that follow. Given here are either the details of those rules or where to find them.
Fear is for the weak: Soul Reapers have been in service the Chaos for ten millennia and know that the Dark Gods watch over them.
Soul Reapers never have their leadership reduced by more than –2 Ld as the result of losing an assault. If the Unit loses the assault by more than -2, then immediately take any remaining modifiers as armor saves. They may also attempt to regroup even if the squad has been reduced less than half strength through casualties.
=”Our goal” said:We were looking to create a unique rule with a flavor of its own, not some cheap cliché rip-off of ATSKNF or Fearless. We ultimately determined after looking at the Space Wolves and the Codex Space Marines, the decision was made not to add any points to the units.
For example look at the Space Wolves Grey Hunter; they are 15pts each with the same weapons load out as the basic CSM, plus they have three Special rules, with a base Leadership of 8. So taking into account the basic CSM base leadership of 9, we have given the non-fearless models in the Chaos Marine army one special rule. We have no intention of messing with the points for special weapons, like GW did with the Wolves.
Undivided We Stand: The Soul reapers detest the though of becoming single-minded minions of any particular Chaos God. Because of this the Soul Reapers do not use Cult marines dedicated to any particular God.
A Soul Reapers army my not contain any units of Berzerkers, Rubric Marines, Noise Marines, or Plague Marines..
Icons of Chaos: The Soul Reapers make no use of icons dedicated to individual Chaos Gods. They may only take the Icon of Chaos Glory as listed in the Codex Chaos Space Marine.
Listed below are the Units from Codex Chaos Space Marines with the changes to their entry. Any units not listed below are used as listed in their entry in the Codex Chaos Space Marines.
HQ
All the Special Characters and the Daemon Prince entry in the Chaos Space Marine Codex are not available to a Soul Reapers army.
Chaos Sorcerer: Gains Fear is for the Weak
Elite
Chaos Chosen Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Chaos Terminators: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Possessed Chaos Space Marines: Roll for their Daemonkin abilities at the beginning of the game before deployment.
Troops=”Our goal” said:Possessed just make sense this way. I am also considering adding an upgrade for two models in the squad. Daemonic Fire: two models in the Possessed squad may upgraded to breathe unholy fire for 10 points. Daemonic fire has the same stats as a Heavy Flamer, found in the summary on page 104 of Codex CSM
Chaos Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Fast Attack
Chaos Raptors: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Chaos Bikes: Gain Fear is for the Weak, and the point value drops from 35 to 28 points per model.
Chaos Spawn: Gain the Feel no Pain special rule for no additional cost.”Our goal” said:This brings bikes more in line with other comparable units while still accounting for the extra CCW and increased leadership.
Heavy Support”Our goal” said:I have no idea what GW was thinking when they pointed the spawn entry. Feel no Pain makes these 40 point behemoths viable.
Chaos Havocs: Gain Fear is for the Weak
Soul Reaper Special Characters
Titus the Butcher
The Daemon Prince Titus the Butcher started out as the second in command of the World Eaters seventeenth Grand Company. He was and is still the armored fist of Lord Krüg, when there is something impossible to do Titus is unleashed to resolve the problem.
Titus earned the title the Butcher and ascended to Princedom on the planet Lambosia on the far Eastern Fringe. It was during a campaign to reclaim one of the Salmora artifacts, that Titus was tasked with holding the Star Phantom Space Marines back while the Sorcerer Xusia preformed the rituals to locate the artifact. Titus lead an elite unit of Reavers from Lord Krügs handpicked Terminator bodyguard into a mountain pass to bock the path of the Star Phantoms. During the fight the Reavers were whipped out and Titus was left surrounded by the lackeys of the Emperor. He had already been mortally wounded, but refused to succumb to his wounds and fail Lord Krüg. Titus grabbed a second power sword from one of his fallen comrades and proceeded to charge headlong into the remaining Star Phantoms. When the dust settled the Star Phantoms were either dead or routing from the field, Titus collapsed knowing that his task was complete.
As he lay there dying he heard the whispers of the Dark Gods. They were pleased with his dedication and the carnage he had done to his foes. They offered him untold power and a chance to fight again exacting his revenge on the Imperium for the greater glory of Chaos. He accepted the offer and rose up as a mighty Daemon Prince of Chaos.
Since his ascension Titus is always found leading his troops from the front, rushing forward headlong into the enemy, he has been known to outpace the warbands transports and tanks. Unlike most Daemon Princes Titus has not been gifted with wings or psychic powers, instead he uses his powerful legs to rush across the battlefield with insane speed. The fusing of his flesh with his armor and his favor with the Dark Gods has made him extremely hard to kill, he is capable of shrugging off wound that would banish other Daemon Princes back to the warp.
Titus the Butcher
Daemon Prince: 200 points
War Gear:
Personal Icon
The Butchers Blade
Special Rules:
Fearless
Eternal Warrior
5+ invulnerable save
Feel no Pain
Fleet
The Butchers Blade is the massive sword carried by the Daemon Prince Titus. His brutality is know and feared throughout the Eastern Fringe. Titus can usually be found standing atop a pile of corpses in the middle of the enemy lines. He is very good at cutting large groups of his foes down with one mighty swing of the Butchers Blade.
To represent this in the game Titus may give up his normal attacks to make single strength 5 attack against all enemy non-vehicle models in base contact. This is an all or nothing attack with a single die roll to hit; if there are multiple WS’s involved the roll to hit is against the highest WS. If successful roll to wound; with the wounds allocated among those models in base contact with Titus.