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[Brother Tyler]

File Name: Codex Supplement: Fire Claws (v 3.9)(homegrown)

File Submitter: Brother Tyler

File Submitted: 22 Feb 2021

File Category: Warhammer 40,000

Presenting the Fire Claws (otherwise known as the Relictors) for your gaming enjoyment.

This is a preliminary version, presenting the 3rd edition rules updated to 9th edition format/conventions.

Click here to download this file

[Brother Tyler]

Some of you have been here long enough and seen enough discussions to know that I’m a big fan of the Relictors Chapter (evidence: 1, 2, 3), with some very strong opinions about this wayward Chapter. My own vision of this Chapter focuses on them as the Fire Claws (their original name, and some of the ideas in that discussion have changed a bit). Spurred on by MECHFACE’s excellent work with the Exorcists and Red Hunters, I kicked my own ideas about both the Exorcists and Fire Claws (ahem…Relictors) into motion.

Presented here are the preliminary rules for the Fire Claws/Relictors. At this point, these rules simply update the 3rd edition rules that were published in White Dwarf Magazine. Most of the weapons and icons have had their phrasing and stat lines brought into line with 9th edition. Most of the icons, standards, and banners that were previously available have been turned into their 8th edition icon counterparts and some of the weapons were similarly adjusted, realigning them with the various Chaos codices (Chaos Space Marines, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, Chaos Daemons) as well as the Psychic Awakening updates. The named weapons that were unique to the Relictors remain (with updates). I didn’t add any new Chaos relics (though that might happen with the full codex supplement). I did remove the Needle of Desire because it's difficult to imagine the Relictors actually using that item the way it is described in the 3.5 Codex: Chaos Space Marines (i.e., the part about sticking one needle into the arm of the bearer to collect fluids from his body for injection into a victim via the other needle - the Relictors aren't Slaaneshi Chaos Champions and would create those foul fluids).

In addition, I’ve included two named characters, both derived from the official lore. Chapter Master Artekus Bardane is featured in the 3rd edition Index Astartes article, though no description of him (in terms of rules, armour, and weapons) was provided. I’ve taken the “Artekus Scourge” that was allowed in the Index Astartes article and made it specific to the Chapter Master under the other name given to it in that article, the “Screaming Flail.” I deliberately sub-optimized him in terms of his combi-flamer (a pistol would be better). Chief Librarian Decario has been a pivotal figure in the Relictors Chapter, being the catalyst for the Chapter’s practice of using the weapons of the Great Enemy in the war against Chaos. We originally developed him as part of the Traits/Chapters of Legend Project in which we sought to expand the range of options in the 4th edition Chapter Traits system (which has since been revamped into the Chapter Tactics). The character’s equipment is based on the original description of him in the 3rd edition article (Terminator armour, force sword, power fist), with the power fist being slightly out of the norm for a Librarian in TDA. We added the pentagrammic wards as a nod to the Chapter’s focus on fighting Chaos and making in a little more different from the norm. Aside from their unique widgets, each of the characters follows the normal rules for a Captain-Chapter Master/Librarian-Chief Librarian from the current Codex: Space Marines.

Lastly, I included recommended Chapter Tactics, recommending those that fit my vision of how the lore describes the Relictors. The combination is definitely sub-optimal – not one that will give you the most oomph on the tabletop. As with some other Chapters that have been featured in White Dwarf Magazine Index Astartes articles, however, I didn’t feel it was necessary to dictate a specific combination, instead giving players freedom to use whatever Chapter Tactics they wanted.

This version doesn’t include Warlord Traits, Stratagems, or any of the Crusade Rules that other Chapters might get in a full codex supplement. As a preliminary version that seeks to translate the 3rd edition rules into 9th edition, I didn’t feel those were necessary at this stage. I’m working on the full codex supplement for later. The core of the Chapter (to me) is that it uses the weapons and icons of Chaos against Chaos. Aside from that, it might be fairly representative of an otherwise “Codex” Chapter.

As far as using the “Fire Claws” moniker goes, that’s solely because my own use of the Chapter (a Kill Team) is under that identity, using the colors described in the Angron’s Monolith novella (without any specification on how/where they appear on the armour). While my personal vision of the Chapter is X, other players’ visions might by Y and Z. With these rules, I’ve sought to allow any vision of the Chapter. So while I’ve used the FIRE CLAWS keyword, most players will replace that with RELICTORS. In fact, the next update will include guidance to that effect. By using FIRE CLAWS, however, I think it’s clear that these are fan-made rules (I can’t conceive how anyone might mistake these for official, after all).

With regard to future expansion, the Chapter’s quest to secure Chaos relics provide a clear path for agendas and what-not. I’d love to see the Chapter’s lore expanded to cover more of its pre-Relictors history (including Chapter Approved images of its original heraldry). All of this and more is being worked into the full 9th edition Index Astartes/codex supplement article. For now, though, you can take the 3rd edition version of the Chapter and, with your opponent’s consent, play the Fire Claws/Relictors in 9th edition.

Any feedback on what I’ve presented here will help; and ideas for things to include in the full blown 9th edition rules will be appreciated.

The rules are in the post below.

[Brother Tyler]

CODEX SUPPLEMENT

This section presents the rules for fielding an army formed from the Fire Claws Chapter, a Chapter thought to be created from the mixed gene-seed of the Ultramarines and Dark Angels Legions. If your army is Battle-forged and includes any FIRE CLAWS units, the rules in this section can be used in addition to those presented in Codex: Space Marines.

I recommend that the Fire Claws use the Indomitable and Knowledge is Power Successor Tactics, as described in Codex: Space Marines.

RELICS OF THE FIRE CLAWS

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

If your army list includes any of the Relics below, the army may not include any ADEPTUS MINISTORUM or GREY KNIGHTS units.

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 Chapter Relics your models have on your army roster.

BANNER OF RAGE
The Banner of Rage contains the bound souls of the most bloodthirsty of Khorne’s servants. It radiates palpable waves of anger and lust for slaughter which beat upon the minds of those nearby, driving them into a killing frenzy.

ANCIENT only. This Relic replaces the bearer’s Astartes Banner (Aura). Once per battle, at the start of the Fight phase, a model with this Relic can unfurl it. If they do, add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of models in friendly FIRE CLAWS units whilst their unit is within 6” of that model.

ICON OF DESPAIR
The Icon of Despair is a hideous fabrication of rotting hides which flap in a pestilent wind.

ANCIENT only. This Relic replaces the bearer’s Astartes Banner (Aura). Units that are within 6” of the bearer must subtract 1 from their Leadership characteristic.

ICON OF EXCESS
The Icon of Excess jingles with the sound of distant chimes and carries the scent of forbidden pleasure.

ANCIENT only. This Relic replaces the bearer’s Astartes Banner (Aura). If a unit has this Relic, an enemy unit within 6” of this unit must roll two D6 for its Death to the False Emperor ability keeping the lowest result.

ICON OF FLAME
Riddled with the power of change, the icon’s design shifts constantly through the battle. Energy and power growl through it and when an enemy approaches it the energy is released in a blinding roar.

ANCIENT only. This Relic replaces the bearer’s Astartes Banner (Aura). At the start of your Psychic phase, roll a D6 for this unit. On a roll of 6 inflict 1 mortal wound on the closest enemy unit within 12” of the model carrying this Relic.

ICON OF VENGEANCE
A Chaos Icon is a powerful focus for the energies of Chaos Undivided.

ANCIENT only. This Relic replaces the bearer’s Astartes Banner (Aura). Add 1 to the Leadership of all models in a unit that has this Relic.
 

RELICS OF THE CONCLAVE

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

If your army list includes any of the Relics below, the army may not include any ADEPTUS MINISTORUM or GREY KNIGHTS units.

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 Chapter Relics your models have on your army roster.

Many of the Relics used by members of the Conclave are Daemon weapons. All Daemon weapons use the following rules in addition to their own rules:

DAEMON WEAPONS

Forged in the flames of darkest evil, Daemon swords, blades, and axes are amongst the most potent of weapons. Each weapon contains the bound essence of a denizen of the Warp, whose terrifying powers may be employed by a bearer strong enough to gain mastery over it. But even the strongest may be forced to pay a price, for should the blade still thirst for souls when all enemies lay slain, then it may just turn its attentions on the one who wields it.

Unique Weapons: Daemon weapons are much sought after weapons. You may only include a single Daemon Weapon in your army.

Daemon Weapon: In the Fight phase, when this model is chosen to fight with for the first time that phase, roll one D6. On a 1, the model suffers 1 mortal wound and cannot use this weapon further that phase. On a 2+, the model can fight with the weapon as normal.

AXE OF KHORNE
The Axe of Khorne is imbued with the insatiable bloodlust of Khorne.

CAPTAIN or LIEUTENANT with relic blade or power axe only. This relic replaces the model’s relic blade or power axe and has the following profile:

Axe of Khorne | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +2 | AP: -2 | D: 1

Abilities: Hits from this Relic ignore armour saves. In addition, any to hit roll of 6 allows the model to make an additional attack. As long as you keep rolling 6s you can keep making additional attacks.

BLADE OF PHAEDRON
Inside the Blade of Phaedron lies the seething soul of a Daemon with a great enmity for all its kin. Although the weapon is unremarkable when employed against a living thing, against a Daemon, the blade will blaze white with the pure heat of the captive Daemon’s rage.

CAPTAIN with master-crafted power sword or relic blade only. This relic replaces the model’s master-crafted power sword or relic blade and has the following profile:

The Blade of Phaedron | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +1 | AP: -3 | D: 1

Abilities: This Relic wounds all DAEMON models on a 2+, and adds +D3 to the Bearer’s Attacks characterisitic when charging a DAEMON instead of the usual +1.

The Blade of Phaedron is a Daemon weapon.

DARK BLADE
The Dark Blade is jet-black, no reflection or mark mars the perfect satin darkness of its blade although the hilt, pommel, and grip are often richly embellished. The Dark Blade is a hungry killer that feasts on the souls of the slain and urges its bearer on to further acts of barbarity until it is sated.

CAPTAIN with master-crafted power sword or relic blade only. This relic replaces the model’s master-crafted power sword or relic blade and has the following profile:

Dark Blade | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +3 | AP: -3 | D: 1

The Dark Blade is a Daemon weapon.

DREAD AXE
The Dread Axe contains an entrapped entity with a vampiric thirst for souls that is especially partial to destroying daemonic rivals. This blade is death to all who oppose its bearer.

CAPTAIN with relic blade only. This relic replaces the model’s relic blade and has the following profile:

Dread Axe | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +2 | AP: -2 | D: 1

Abilities: No hits made with this Relic will ever need have a To Wound roll of worse than 4+ regardless of relative Strength and Toughness values. Wounds from this Relic ignore invulnerable saving throws (but not armour saving throws). It has no special abilities against vehicles.

The Dread Axe is a Daemon weapon.

GRIMOIRE PANDAEMONICA
This daemonic Grimoire weighs heavily with the sacrifices made in its name and had the power to augment the power of dark ritual. When read backward, passages from within its pages can cause tidal waves in the ether and disrupt control over daemonic summoning.

LIBRARIAN only. The bearer can force an enemy character within 12” to reroll all of the dice for a Daemonic Ritual each game turn.

PANDEMIC STAFF
This rune-engraved artifact is long and pitted, mouldering with a visible miasma of plague and entropy. Every one of its odd dents and holes harbors a deadly strain of contagion, one of Nurgle’s old favorites, tried and proven. Collectively, the grotesque diseases that riddle the Pandemic Staff have seen trillions of lives ebb away to nothing, reduced to little more than fodder for the Grandfather’s Garden. When waved expansively, the staff can conjure forth a tide of hyper-toxic fluids.

LIBRARIAN with force stave only. This relic replaces the model’s force stave. The bearer of the Pandemic Staff adds 1 to their Psychic test when attempting to manifest the Smite power.

SHARD OF THE MONOLITH
Recovered from the twisted, debased Monolith at the heart of the Equatorial Jungle on Armageddon and set into an ornate chain of consecrated lead, this shard of obsidian imbues the wearer with great speed and strength, but at a price.

The bearer gains +1 Strength and +1 Initiative. He must always move toward and assault the nearest enemy if possible and must always perform a sweeping advance if at all possible.

SWORD OF ST. AQUITAINE
The Sword of St. Aquitaine was recovered by the Fire Claws immediately prior to its debasement and subsequent possession by a daemonic entity and it contains a nightmarish creature of such power that it can turn day into night.

CAPTAIN with master-crafted power sword or relic blade only. This relic replaces the model’s master-crafted power sword or relic blade and has the following profile:

Sword of St. Aquitaine | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +1 | AP: -3 | D: 1

Abilities: If this Relic causes a Wound and the bearer passes his Mastery test, he may force the entirety of the next game turn to be fought with the Night Fight rules.

The Sword of St. Aquitaine is a Daemon weapon.

WARP BLADE
Gifted to the mightiest sorcerers and most devious of plotters, the Warp Blade has the power to dissipate and scatter psychic energy aimed at its bearer. This tends to attract the denizens of the Warp who hungrily sniff out the source of the power.

LIBRARIAN with force sword only. This relic replaces the model’s force sword and has the following profile:

Warp Blade | Range: Melee | Type: Melee | S: +1 | AP: -3 | D: 1

Abilities: Any enemy psyker using a psychic power when within 12” of this Relic must roll a D6. On a 4+ the power works normally, otherwise they will sufer an immediate Perils of the Warp attack and the power will fail to function. If an enemy is killed in this way, it does not count as being killed by the daemon weapon for mastery purposes.

The Warp Blade is a Daemon weapon.

CHARACTERS

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

Note that none of this has been playtested. Everything here is the preliminary version and further adjustments will be made (especially after seeing that two of the Daemon weapons are virtually identical in terms of their rules, which was an accident).

[Brother Ramael]

SHARD OF THE MONOLITH mentions Initiative as a stat for the rest thumbs up;)

[Brother Tyler]

SHARD OF THE MONOLITH mentions Initiative as a stat for the rest thumbs up;)

D'oh! That's still in there because I hadn't figured out how to change it and forgot that I hadn't not changed it yet. So while I'm wracking my brains (and looking at other fast armies), are there any suggestions?

[Brother Ramael]

Well, seeing the emphasis on aggression, maybe a +1 to hit on charge would feel good, since the S bonus is already there.

[Brother Casman]

[snip]
D'oh! That's still in there because I hadn't figured out how to change it and forgot that I hadn't not changed it yet. So while I'm wracking my brains (and looking at other fast armies), are there any suggestions?

If the bearer is in Engagement Range of an enemy model in the Fight Phase, the bearer fights first in that phase?

[Brother Tyler]

Neither of the above suggestions has been ruled out...

The Shard of the Monolith is a shard of Angron's Monolith on Armageddon, so the effect I've inferred is that it confers a quasi-Khorne Berzerker mode upon the bearer. I'm looking at Codex: Chaos Space Marines and Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury to see if anything there might work (and for all I know, one/both of the above might be in either of those books).

[Brother Tyler]

The obviously starting place is the Khorne Berzerkers entry in Codex: Chaos Space Marines:

Blood for the Blood God: This unit can fight twice in each Fight phase, instead of only once.

While that isn't unbalanced for the 2/3 Attack Khorne Berzerkers, I'm not sure opponents would like it if your 5 Attack Primaris Captain was fighting twice.

All of the Warlord Traits in Psychic Awakening: Faith and Fury are workable, but probably a bit too potent (i.e., those Warlord Traits are for those truly dedicated to Khorne whereas the Shard of the Monolith should only grant a fraction of that power). Those Warlord Traits might be made to work if they were watered down. The one I like most is Violent Urgency:

VIOLENT URGENCY
...

When an Advance or charge roll is made for a friendly WORLD EATERS unit within 6" of this Warlord, add 1 to the result.

There are a few other (sub-)factions that have berzerker-type rules, so I also checked Codex: Space Wolves (8th edition since I don't have their new 9th edition codex supplement), Codex: Blood Angels (also 8th edition for the same reason), and Codex: Orks.

The obvious counterpart for the Blood Angels is the Death Company:

BLACK RAGE
...

You can add 1 to this unit's Attacks characteristic for the duration of the Fight phase if it charged in the preceding Charge phase. In addition, roll a D6 each time this unit loses a wound. On a 6 the wound is ignored and has no effect.

And there's also the below from the 9th edition codex supplement:
 

The Space Wolves are renowned for their savagery, so I looked at their 8th edition Warlord Traits and found:

SAGA OF THE WOLFKIN
...

If a unit is affected by this saga in the Fight phase, add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of all its models if it made a charge move, was charged, or performed a heroic intervention earlier in the same turn.

And then there are these two rules from the 9th edition codex supplement:
 

The Orks have a very simple Warlord Trait:

MIGHT IS RIGHT:
...

Add 1 to your Warlord's Strength and Attacks characteristic.

Looking at the original lore/rules for the Shard of the Monolith:

SHARD OF THE MONOLITH
Recovered from the twisted, debased Monolith at the heart of the Equatorial Jungle on Armageddon and set into an ornate chain of consecrated lead, this shard of obsidian imbues the wearer with great speed and strength, but at a price.

The bearer gains +1 Strength and +1 Initiative. He must always move toward and assault the nearest enemy if possible and must always perform a sweeping advance if at all possible.

I'm just thinking out loud at this point.

[Brother Tyler]

I'm leaning towards two effects to replace the 3rd edition initiative bonus...

When an Advance or charge roll is made for a friendly WORLD EATERS unit within 6" of this Warlord, add 1 to the result.

While the Assault Doctrine is active for your army, each time a model in this unit makes a melee attack, an unmodified hit roll of 6 scores 1 additional hit.
 

SHARD OF THE MONOLITH
Recovered from the twisted, debased Monolith at the heart of the Equatorial Jungle on Armageddon and set into an ornate chain of consecrated lead, this shard of obsidian imbues the wearer with great speed and strength, but at a price.

The bearer gains +1 Strength. He must always move toward and assault the nearest enemy if possible and must always perform a sweeping advance if at all possible. When an Advance or charge roll is made for the bearer or a unit he has joined, add 1 to the result. When this model makes a melee attack after charging, an unmodified hit roll of 6 scores 1 additional hit.

Still thinking.