Astartes Crusader Squad

Homebrew by Elephantbat

Crusader Squads storm into battle with a blazing fury and zeal for the Emperor. Neophytes and Initiates hone their skills and sharpen their wits under the guaidance of a Sword Brother or Sergeant. Equipped with a holy arnsenal, these astartes crusade to cleanse the galaxy with steel and holy fire.

(This list is designed to work with the Black Templars Crusader Squad and Black Templars Upgrades kits but any marine and scout models could be made to fill the roles.)

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Composition

A CRUSADER SQUAD Kill Team is composed of:

  • 1 CRUSADER SQUAD LEADER operative selected from the following list:

    • SWORD BROTHER with one option from each of the following:

      • Crusader Pyre Pistol or Crusader Heavy Bolt Pistol
      • Power Sword or Power Axe
    • SERGEANT with a Crusader Heavy Bolt Pistol and one of the following:

      • Power Fist or Crusader Chainsword
  • 9 CRUSADER SQUAD operatives selected from the following list:

    • INITIATE GUNNER(counts as two selections)

    • INITIATE with one option from the following: (counts as two selections)

      • Auto Bolt Rifle; Fists

      • Heavy Bolt Pistol; Chainsword

    • NEOPHYTE with one option from the following:

      • Boltgun; Fists

      • Astartes Shotgun; Bolt Pistol; Fists

      • Bolt Pistol; Chainsword

Other than INITIATE and NEOPHYTE operatives, your kill team can only include each operative on this list once.

Your kill team can only include up to five NEOPHYTE operatives.

Your kill team can only include up to one INITIATE GUNNER operative.


Faction Rule - CRUSADER INSIGHT

You gain one Insight token whenever a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative that's Visible to another friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative:

  • Performs a Mission action
  • Performs a Charge action
  • Counteracts
  • Injures or Incapacitates an enemy operative
  • Becomes Injured

Once per activation, when you activate a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD INITIATE or LEADER operative, you may spend Insight tokens to do one of the following Crusader Insight actions that hasn't been performed this Turning Point:

  • 2 tokens: Raging Zealot - Until the end of the turning point, this operative's melee weapons have the Stun weapon rule.

  • 3 tokens: Fast Learner - Select one visible friendly NEOPHYTE operative. Until the end of that operative's next activation, add 1 to its APL stat.

  • 3 tokens: Emperor's Protection - The next time an attack dice inflicts Normal Dmg on this operative, half that inflicted damage rounding up. (eg. If the inflicted damage would be 5, it becomes 3.)

Common Abilities and Options

Astartes:
During this operative’s activation, it can perform either two Shoot actions or two Fight actions. If it’s two Shoot actions, a bolt weapon must be selected for at least one of them. This operative can counteract regardless of its order.

Crusader's Insight:
You gain one Insight token whenever a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative that's Visible to another friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative:

  • Performs a Mission action

  • Performs a Charge action

  • Counteracts

  • Injures or Incapacitates an enemy operative

  • Becomes Injured

Once per activation, when you activate a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD INITIATE or LEADER operative, you may spend Insight tokens to do one of the following Crusader Insight actions that hasn't been performed this Turning Point:

  • 2 tokens: Raging Zealot - Until the end of the turning point, this operative's melee weapons have the Stun weapon rule.

  • 3 tokens: Fast Learner -Select one visible friendly CRUSADER SQUAD NEOPHYTE operative. Until the end of that operative's next activation, add 1 to its APL stat.

  • 3 tokens: Emperor's Protection - The next time an attack dice inflicts Normal Dmg on this operative, half that inflicted damage rounding up. (eg. If the inflicted damage would be 5, it becomes 3.)

BASE SIZE 32mm:
32mm

Sword Brother
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Crusader pyre pistol
Standard (Rng 6", Saturate, Torrent 2")
4
2+
3/3
Holy Promethium (Rng 3", Saturate, Lethal 5+, 1" Devastating 1)
4
2+
4/4
Crusader heavy bolt pistol (Rng 8", Piercing 1)
4
3+
3/4
Power sword (Lethal 5+)
5
3+
4/6
Power axe (Shock)
5
3+
5/5
Abilities
1AP: Adept CrusaderAstartesBASE SIZE 40mmCrusader's Insight

Adept Crusader (1AP): Once per turning point this operative may perform a free Crusader's Insight action without spending Insight tokens. (This does not count towards your Crusader Insight "once per turning point" limit.)

BASE SIZE 40mm: 40mm

Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, Leader, Crusader Squad, Sword Brother
Sergeant
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Crusader heavy bolt pistol (Rng 8", Piercing 1)
4
3+
3/4
Crusader chainsword (Rending)
5
3+
4/5
Power fist (Brutal)
4
3+
5/7
Abilities
AstartesBASE SIZE 32mmCrusader's Insight1AP: Sergeant's Battle PrayerStrategic Crusader

Sergeant's Battle Prayer (1AP): This operative's melee weapons have the Balanced weapon rule until the end of the turning point and you gain one Insight token.

Strategic Crusader: Once per battle, as a Strategic Gambit you may use a CRUSADER SQUAD strategy ploy for 0CP.

Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, Leader, Crusader Squad, Sergeant
Initiate
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 14
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Heavy bolt pistol (Rng 8", Piercing Crits 1)
4
3+
3/4
Auto bolt rifle (Torrent 1")
4
3+
3/4
Chainsword
5
3+
4/5
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
AstartesBASE SIZE 32mmCrusader's Insight
Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, Crusader Squad, Initiate
Initiate Gunner
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 14
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Crusader pyreblaster
Standard (Rng 8", Saturate, Torrent 2", Lethal 5+)
5
2+
3/3
Holy Promethium (Rng 4", Saturate, Lethal 5+, 1" Devastating 2)
4
2+
4/4
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
AstartesBASE SIZE 32mmCrusader's Insight
Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, Crusader Squad, Initiate, Gunner
Neophyte
A 2
M 6"
S 4+
W 10
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Boltgun
4
3+
3/4
Bolt pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Astartes shotgun (Rng 6")
4
2+
4/4
Chainsword
4
3+
4/5
Fists
3
3+
3/4
Abilities
BASE SIZE 28mmBattlefield InstructionLone Disciple

BASE SIZE 28mm: 28mm

Battlefield Instruction: When this operative is within Control Range of a friendly INITIATE or LEADER operative, it has the following ability.

(Astartes - During this operative’s activation, it can perform either two Shoot actions or two Fight actions. If it’s two Shoot actions, a bolt pistol or boltgun must be selected for at least one of them. This operative can counteract regardless of its order.)

Lone Disciple: When there is only one friendly NEOPHYTE operative in the killzone, it has this ability:

  • This operative can perform a 1 AP action for free during its activation.
Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, Neophyte
Equipment

Divine Chapter Relic:
The first Firefight Ploy you use during the battle costs 0CP.


Purity Seals:
Once per turning point, when a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative is shooting, fighting or retaliating, if you roll two or more fails, you can discard one of them to retain another as a normal success instead.


Emperor's Banner:
In the beginning of the Strategy Phase, choose a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative to be holding the Emperor's Banner. That operative has the following abilities for the battle:

  • Bannerman - Whenever determining control of a marker, treat this operative's APL stat as 1 higher. Note this isn’t a change to its APL stat, so any changes are cumulative with this.

  • 1AP Squad Battle Prayer: Gain one Insight token.


Holy Bolter Rounds:
Once per turning point when a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative performs a Shoot action, that operative's bolt weapons have the Saturate and Punishing weapon rules until the end of its activation.


Ploys

Firefight - NEOPHYTE Onslaught:
Use this firefight ploy when you activate a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative. Select one other ready friendly NEOPHYTE operative visible to and within 3" of that operative. When the first friendly operative is expended, you can immediatley activate the selected friendly NEOPHYTE operative before your opponent activates. When that NEOPHYTE operative is expended, your opponent then activates as normal.


Firefight - Divine Light:
Use this firefight ploy when an operative is shooting a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative. That friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative is Obscured for that Shoot action.


Firefight - Spiteful Zealot:
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative is incapacitated while fighting or retaliating. You can strike the enemy operative in that sequence with one of your unresolved successes before it's removed from the killzone.


Firefight - For the Emperor!:
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative incapacitates an enemy operative. That friendly operative can immediately perform a free Charge action, even if it has already Charged this turning point, but it cannot move more than 2".


Strategic - AND THEY SHALL KNOW NO FEAR:
You can ignore any changes to the stats of friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operatives from being injured (including weapon stats).


Strategic - Crush the Heretic!:
When a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative fights during an activation in which it performed the Charge action, its melee weapons have the Severe weapon rule.

When a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative fights or retaliates, add 1 to both of the Dmg stats of its melee weapons(to a maximum of 7). If that enemy operative that does not have the IMPERIUM keyword, your friendly operative's melee weapons have the Balanced weapon rule.


Strategic - Holy Terror:
Whenever an enemy operative is within 3" of friendly INITIATE or LEADER operatives, your opponent must spend 1 additional AP for that enemy operative to perform the Pick Up Marker and mission actions. Whenever determining control of a marker, treat the total APL stat of enemy operatives that contest it as 1 lower if at least one of those enemy operatives is within 3" of friendly INITIATE or LEADER operatives. Note this isn’t a change to the APL stat, so any changes are cumulative with this.


Strategic - Vengeful Witnesses:
Whenever a friendly CRUSADER SQUAD operative, that is visible to another friendly operative, is incapacitated, friendly operatives' ranged weapons have the Accurate 1 weapon rule until the end of the Turning Point and you gain two Insight tokens.


TacOps
Seek And Destroy: Sweep & Clear

Reveal: The first time an enemy operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker, or the first time a friendly operative performs the Clear action (whichever comes first).

Additional Rules:

When an enemy operative that contests an objective marker is incapacitated, that objective marker gains one of your Swept tokens (if it doesn't already have one) until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase.

Mission Action: Clear (1 AP)

  • An objective marker the active operative controls is cleared for the turning point.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, or while within control range of an enemy operative.

Victory Points:

  • At the end of each turning point after the first, if friendly operatives control any objective markers that have one of your Swept tokens, you score 1VP.
  • If this is true and any of those objective markers are also cleared, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Seek And Destroy: Dominate

Reveal: The first time an enemy operative is incapacitated by a friendly operative.

Additional Rules:

Each time a friendly operative incapacitates an enemy operative, that friendly operative gains one of your Dominate tokens.

Victory Points:

At the end of the third and fourth turning point, you can remove Dominate tokens from friendly operatives that aren't incapacitated. For each you remove, you score 1VP.

You cannot score more than 3VP from this op per turning point.


Seek And Destroy: Rout

Reveal: The first time you score VP from this op.

Victory Points:

Whenever a friendly operative incapacitates an enemy operative, if that friendly operative is within 6" of your opponent's drop zone, you score 1VP; if this is true and that enemy operative had a Wounds stat of 12 or more, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Security: Plant Banner

Reveal: When you perform the Plant Banner action.

Mission Action: Plant Banner (1 AP)

  • Place your Banner mission marker within the active operative's control range, wholly within your opponent's territory and more than 5" from a neutral killzone edge. Operatives can perform the Pick Up Marker action on your Banner mission marker.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, while within control range of an enemy operative, or if a friendly operative has already performed this action during the battle.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if your Banner mission marker is wholly within your opponent's territory and friendly operatives control it, you score 1VP; if that's true and no enemy operatives contest it, you score 2VP instead. Note your Banner mission marker must be in the killzone (not being carried) to score.


Security: Martyrs

Reveal: The first time a friendly operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker.

Additional Rules:

Whenever a friendly operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker, that marker gains one of your Martyr tokens.
Note that this is only the first time each operative is incapacitated, so if an operative is incapacitated, set back up (e.g. HIEROTEK CIRCLE Reanimation Protocols) and then subsequently incapacitated again, a second Martyr token cannot be gained as a result.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if friendly operatives contest an objective marker that has one or more of your Martyr tokens, you can remove any of those tokens. For each token you remove, you score 1VP; if friendly operatives also control that marker, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Security: Envoy

Reveal: The first time you select an envoy.

Additional Rules:

As a STRATEGIC GAMBIT in each turning point after the first, select one friendly operative to be your envoy until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase. You cannot select an operative you selected during a previous turning point or an operative that's ignored for the kill op.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if your envoy is wholly within enemy territory and not within control range of enemy operatives, you score 1VP; if this is true and your envoy has not lost any wounds during that turning point, you score 2VP instead.