Codex Supplement: Exorcists (9e) (homegrown) (Downloads)

[Brother Tyler]

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?app=downloads&module=display&section=screenshot&id=679

 

File Name: Codex Supplement: Exorcists (9e) (homegrown)

File Submitter: Brother Tyler

File Submitted: 15 Feb 2021

File Category: Warhammer 40,000

 

 

The original version created for 4th edition is v 4. This version includes the original three characters that I created, pre-dating the Badab War campaign books and the introduction of Silas Alberec.

 

V 5 was a revision for 5th edition and saw the removal of Chapter Master Leopoldus Kane (my homegrown character), replaced with Silas Alberec.

 

V 6 was a revision for 6th edition.

 

V 9 is the current revision for 9th edition, pre-dating Index: Exorcists in issue 462 of White Dwarf Magazine.

 

 

Click here to download this file

[Brother Tyler]

Presented here are the 9th edition rules for the Exorcists Chapter, updated from the 4th, 5th, and 6th edition versions I previously developed.

 

The first two pages are a summary of official lore about the Exorcists.

 

The actual rules take four pages and include Chapter Tactics, Relics (2), Warlord Traits (3), Stratagems (2), and two special characters. The first is my revision to the official character, Silas Alberec, and the second is a homegrown character I've preserved since the 4th edition version of these rules, Acton Idomenes, the Chapter Champion.

 

The last five pages consist of designer's notes explaining my interpretations of the official lore and rules, explanation of my methodologies for developing and updating these rules, and some graphics of interest to fans of the Exorcists Chapter.

 

I've been conceptualizing this update since late 8th edition and was spurred into action a few days ago when MECHFACE presented his own version of the Exorcists here. I wanted to finish my version before I reviewed his, hoping to avoid poaching any of his ideas. I had just wrapped up this draft of my update when I saw the news (rumor) that the Exorcists would be receiving an official article in an upcoming issue of White Dwarf Magazine. Seeing that news, I decided to put the finishing touches on my first draft and present it here for your entertainment. I'm very curious to see how much my own version differs from the official version.

[Brother Tyler]

Skipping the commentary, here are the rules I developed (you can download the file if you'd like to read all of the commentary):

CODEX SUPPLEMENT

This section presents the rules for fielding an army formed from the Exorcists Chapter, a Chapter whose lineage is a closely guarded secret. If your army is Battle-forged and includes any EXORCISTS units, the rules in this section can be used in addition to those presented in Codex: Space Marines.

Designer’s Note: The origins of the Exorcists are a closely guarded secret, but they are known to have been operating throughout the galaxy since M36. An Exorcists force is excellent against Chaos Daemons, but the Chapter can be adapted to any opponent. The Chapter is known to have Primaris within their ranks.

CHAPTER TACTIC

The Chapter Tactic (see Codex: Space Marines) gained by EXORCISTS units is Secret Battle Doctrines.

EXORCISTS: SECRET BATTLE DOCTRINES

Undergoing unorthodox rituals and training regimes, the Exorcists are rendered resistant to the taint of Chaos and its debilitating effects. The Chapter’s dangerous training methods and secretive arts of war enable flexible doctrines.

• Units with this tactic may re-roll any failed Deny the Witch tests they are called upon to take.
• Each time a model with this tactic makes a melee attack against a DAEMON, re-roll a hit roll of 1.
• Before deploying, you may choose one additional Successor Chapter Tactic from pages 96 and 97 of Codex: Space Marines (you may not choose Inheritors of the Primarch).
• EXORCISTS LIBRARIAN models may take any of their psyker powers from the Sanctis discipline (See Codex: Grey Knights), replacing the GREY KNIGHTS keyword with EXORCISTS.

RELICS OF BANISH

If your army list led by an EXORCISTS WARLORD, you can, when mustering your army, give one of the following Chapter Relics to an EXORCISTS CHARACTER model from your army. Named characters and Vehicle models cannot be given any of the following Relics.

Note that some Relics replace one of the model’s existing items of wargear. Where this is the case, you must, if you are using points values, still pay the cost of the wargear that is being replaced. Write down any Chapte Relics your models have on your army roster.

ICON OF THE TOWER

Pentagrammic wards inimical to daemonkind are inscribed in silver upon this ancient halo device, creating a psychic field that protects the wearer from daemons.

Model with iron halo only. This Relic replaces an iron halo. This model has a 4+ invulnerable save. Any Daemon models within 6” of the wearer have their WS and T reduced by 1. If the wearer is targeted by a psychic power during your opponent’s Psychic phase, roll one D6; on a 6+ the power does not affect this model.

SHROUD OF AUGUSTA

When Captain Augusta fell in battle fighting back a daemonic incursion, his personal standard was used to shroud his body. Upon the return to Banish and the removal of the shroud, Augusta’s image was born upon the cloth. In the millennia since, the shroud has been carried into battle to invoke the ferocity of this famed warrior.

ANCIENT model only. Add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of models in friendly EXORCISTS units whilst their unit is within 6” of a model with this Relic. Friendly EXORCISTS units may re-roll failed Morale tests whilst they are within 12” of a model with this Relic.

WARLORD TRAITS

If an EXORCISTS model is your WARLORD, you can use the Exorcists Warlord Traits table below to determine what Warlord Trait they have. You can either roll one D3 to randomly generate one, or you can select one.

1. HEXAGRAMMATIC WARDS

Exorcists warlords often inscribe their armour with esoteric symbols and wards that disrupt the manifestation of psyker powers nearby.

This Warlord can attempt to deny one additional psychic power in your opponent’s Psychic phase in the same manner as a PSYKER by taking a Deny the Witch test, if that model is within 12” of the enemy model manifesting that psychic power. When taking that Deny the Witch test, if this model is not a PSYKER, roll one D6 instead of 2D6; the psychic power is resisted if the roll is greater than the result of the Psychic test that manifested the power.

2. IMPLACABLE DISCIPLINE

This Exorcists warlord is a beacon of martial virtue, inspiring his battle brothers to greater fortitude in battle.

All friendly EXORCISTS units roll an additional D6 and keep the two lowest dice when making Morale checks while within 12” of this Warlord.

3. ORISON LORE

Exorcists warlords are well-versed in the Codex Astartes and the books of lore maintained by each of the Orisons.

Whilst this Warlord is on the battlefield, you can roll one D6 for each Command Point you spend to use a Stratagem; on a 5+ that Command Point is refunded. You can only have 1 Command Point refunded per battle round by this Warlord Trait.

STRATAGEMS

If your army includes any EXORCISTS Detachments (excluding Auxiliary Support, Super-heavy Auxiliary or Fortification Network Detachments), you have access to these Stratagems and can spend CPs to use them.

CRUSH THE UNHOLY - 1 CP

Exorcists – Battle Tactic Stratagem

In the presence of daemons, Exorcists battle-brothers experience heightened levels of aggression and combat effectiveness.

Use this Stratagem in the Fight phase, when an EXORCISTS unit from your army is chosen to fight with. Until the end of that phase, when you resolve an attack made with a melee weapon by a model in that unit against a DAEMON unit, on an unmodified roll of 6 you can make one additional attack against the same unit using the same weapon. This additional attack cannot generate another attack.

FALL BACK AND RE-ENGAGE - 2 CP

Exorcists – Battle Tactic Stratagem

The Exorcists know precisely when to give ground in order to leave their enemies floundering before surging back into the fight and driving them from the field in disarray.

Use this Stratagem when an EXORCISTS unit from your army Falls Back. That unit can shoot and charge this turn.

CHARACTERS

(click on the images below to see full size versions)

POINTS VALUES

Captain Silas Alberec

Unit Size - 1 model

Unit Cost - 115 pts

Acton Idomenes (Elites)

Unit Size - 1 model

Unit Cost - 85 pts

Acton Idomenes (Troops)

Unit Size - 1 model

Unit Cost - 35 pts

I was working on some revisions and expansions to the above, but the impending article makes it all moot. I figured posting this draft would be a fun exercise, however, in speculation.

Edited February 21, 2021 by Brother Tyler
See below

[Brother Tyler]

I made one change to the rules, allowing Exorcists Librarians using the [Grey Knights'] Sanctic Discipline to replace the GREY KNIGHTS keyword with the EXORCISTS keyword. This forced me to reduce the Designer's Note and shift the CHAPTER TACTIC portion into the left column in order to preserve page formatting.

[MECHFACE]

So there we have it - Imperial Fists!!!

 

Lore wise I'm actually not totally disappointed. I think with further examination of the references you drew upon in your own Index I was also leaning away from the thought of the Exorcists as being a straight Grey Knight Gene-Successor. I was going more towards that the fact that the Ordo Malleus and GK's were acting more in the manner of a mentor in the Chapters Founding. So in fact actually fluff wise I think the Exorcists Chapter can work really well with this!

 

However, crunch-wise, I think the Chapter Tactic of Stalwart + Warded is rubbish. It's like they made a mash-up of Blood Ravens and Black Templars, with the worst bits to mash together. If they are going down the route of 'Heretical Templars' then it would make way more sense to have either one of the defensive ones and then and the Prefered Enemy (CHAOS DAEMONS) or the half of the IF chapter tactic for 'Each time a model with this tactic makes attack with a bolt weapon, an unmodified hit roll of 6 scores 1 additional hit'.

 

But I reserve judgment until I see the rest of the article. However, if they get rid of the 'ritual possession therapy' of the Ordo Malleus links for Banish then that's too far a retcon for my tastes!

[Brother Tyler]

Bringing the below over from the discussion in the Imperial Fists forum...

 

 

It doesn't matter what Chapters/factions GW chooses to feature in these Index Astartes articles - someone is going to question why they were chosen and why others weren't. Similarly, someone is going to take issue with whatever rules GW provides (for example, I would have given the Exorcists completely different Chapter Tactics without changing their gene-seed). The best thing that we can learn to do is to cope effectively with GW not doing the things we want them to do and/or not doing things the way we want them to do them. Ultimately, if this article and its rules inspire any players to collect Exorcists forces, it's a win.

 

So if you could choose the traits from the big successor list (or half from this / half from the examples of Imperial Fists) which would you choose?

 

I've been thinking on this and I would alter it slightly for the below:

 

CHAPTER TACTIC - EXORCISTS: BY MY WILL I DENY THEE

Deep within the soul-seared hearts of the Exorcists lies a hidden brutality which emerges when faced by the warp-spawned horrors of the immaterium. Through ritual and inherent resistance this chapter possess an unbreakable strength of will that allows them to face the mental and physical horrors of the galaxy and emerge victorious.

 

Each time a model with this tactic makes a melee attack against a unit with that DAEMON or PSYKER keyword, re-roll a hit roll of 1 and wound roll of 1. Each time a model with this tactic would lose a wound as a result of a mortal wound, roll one D6: on a 5+, that wound is not lost.

 

Which rules to use/create really depends upon what you're trying to represent.

 

The rules in the update I created for 9th edition (the one linked in this discussion) are meant to represent a combination of two things and serves as a compromise - it's not exactly how I envision the Chapter (explained below), but mixes part of my vision with the rules that were given for the Chapter in the wake of the Badab War campaign books. The first portion is my interpretation of their expertise against DAEMONs, and that compromises by being only one portion of what I envision. The second portion is the "choose a Chapter Tactic from Codex: Space Marines.

 

My own vision of the Chapter draws almost exclusively from the Third War for Armageddon mini-article, with a bit of extrapolation...

 

The basic potency against daemons would be suitably represented by the Preferred Enemy Chapter Tactic, but only against DAEMON models.

 

Added to that is the frenzy that Exorcists exhibited when in the presence of daemons. That might be represented by a variation of either Born Heroes, Hungry for Battle, or Whirlwind of Rage Chapter Tactics, or perhaps something drawing from the Blood Angels Death Company's rules (I've always envisioned the Exorcists becoming like the Death Company when in close proximity to daemons).

 

The extrapolation draws upon the 1st edition lore about the Illuminati. If that concept remains valid, then all Exorcists that have been subjected to the possession/exorcism ritual are effectively Illuminati, becoming invisible to creatures of the Warp (daemons, obviously, but also to psykers when using their psychic senses). In this, a quasi-Deny the Witch rule is appropriate. Knowledge is Power sort of works, but only for psykers. A truer representation would be something like what the Black Templars and Adepta Sororitas have enjoyed in previous editions, where psyker powers directed at them might fail.

 

Personally, I was never a fan of the "choose whatever Chapter Tactics you want" tack that was taken. It seemed to me to be a cop out. The only real benefit from it was that it allowed players to have Chapter rules that were relevant regardless of the opponent (which is actually pretty potent). The rules I would have chosen (above) would have been of very limited value, being effective against armies with Chaos Daemons (most effective against a true Chaos Daemons army, less effective against another army that simply included some Chaos Daemons) and of limited use against armies with psykers - armies like the Grey Knights and Thousand Sons would have suffered, and the Craftworld Eldar would likely have suffered, but other armies might vary depending upon the reliance upon psykers.

 

When you examine the rules from that perspective, however, you can see why the "choose whatever Chapter Tactics you want" tack may have been beneficial. Going with a set of rules that was absolutely true to the Third War for Armageddon lore would have severely limited the appeal of the Chapter (for those looking for tabletop effectiveness).

 

If I were limited to the Chapter Tactics in the current edition of Codex: Space Marines (and I couldn't modify Preferred Enemy) I would go with Knowledge is Power and either Born Heroes, Fearsome Aspect, Hungry for Battle, Indomitable, Stalwart, Stoic, or Whirlwind of Rage. None of the second choices are perfect, each potentially representing a varying interpretation of some aspect of the Exorcists' representation in lore and rules prior to now.