Catachan Devils

Homebrew by TheCentaur

The natives of the death world of Catachan have been hardened by millenia of impossible odds, surviving some of the most hostile conditions known to the Imperium of Mankind. The toughest, wiliest, and most dangerous individuals in the ranks of the Catachan Jungle Fighters are known as Catachan Devils, elite special forces that can kill ravenous monsters ten times their size as well as they can sneak through a barren field lit by a thousand spotlights. These warriors take on the most dangerous and impossible missions with no fear and regularly come out on top.


Designer's Notes: This is a very popular kill team to design for! I decided that my version would focus on how the Catachans are able to hold their own in melee against much stronger opponents and still survive, with some emphasis on stealth and movement more so than raw kill potential. I used a lot of homages to the Rambo and Predator films with naming conventions and thematics, so it really should feel like you're commanding a team of capable veterans who can stand up to punishment. I've found during playtesting the unique Courage mechanic is best tracked by using a coin. Enjoy!

100% positive
Composition

Operative Selection

1 CATACHAN DEVILS COLONEL operative with one of the following options:

  • Auto shotgun; Power devil’s claw
  • Plasma pistol; Power fist

9 CATACHAN DEVILS operatives selected from the following list:

  • COMMANDO
  • CRACKSHOT
  • DEMOLITIONIST
  • GRUNT
  • GUNLUGGER equipped with an Autocannon and Catachan fang
  • GUNLUGGER equipped with a Heavy Bolter and Catachan fang
  • GUNLUGGER equipped with a Heavy Flamer and Catachan fang
  • MEDIC
  • PREDATOR
  • SIGINT
  • SLAB (counts as two selections)
  • TRAILBLAZER

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

Common Abilities and Options

Cold Steel and Courage:
You begin each battle with your Courage, which you have until you use it. Whenever a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative is fighting or retaliating and you strike or block, you can use your Courage to immediately block with another attack dice (before your opponent resolves their next attack dice). Your opponent must resolve their next attack dice or the sequence must end before you may use this rule again.

Once you use your Courage, you can't use it until you gather it again. You gather your Courage:

  • At the start of each Turning Point.
  • Each time a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative performs a Charge action.
  • Each time you injure or incapacitate an enemy operative.

*Venom:
In the Resolve Attack Dice step, each time you inflict damage with a critical success, the operative this weapon is being used against gains one of your Venom tokens. Operatives with a Venom token are considered injured even if they have more than less than half their starting wounds, and each time one would gain another Venom token, inflict 1 damage on it instead.

Colonel
A 3
M 6"
S 5+
W 10
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Auto shotgun (Rng 6", Ceaseless, Tor 1")
4
3+
3/3
Plasma pistol
Standard (Rng 8", Prc1)
4
4+
3/5
Supercharge (Rng 8", Hot, Prc1, Lethal 5+)
4
4+
4/5
Power devil's claw (Lethal 5+)
5
3+
3/5
Power fist (Brutal)
4
4+
5/7
Abilities
Cold Steel and CourageFearless Leadership1AP: Get to the Point!

Fearless Leadership: SUPPORT. Whenever you activate this operative or a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative within 3" of and visible to this operative, you gather your Courage.

Get to the Point! (1AP): SUPPORT. Select one objective marker, flare marker, or this operative. Each other friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative within 3" of that selection and not within control range of enemy operatives can immediately perform a free Dash or Fall Back action in an order of your choice, but each that does so must end that move within control range of that selection.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Leader, Colonel
Commando
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Scoped ripper pistol (Rng 12”, Severe, *Venom)
4
4+
3/4
Night reaper (Severe, *Venom)
5
3+
3/4
Abilities
*VenomCold Steel and CourageLike Fighting a ShadowLone Special Operative

Like Fighting a Shadow: This operative can perform the Fall Back action for 1 less AP.

Lone Special Operative: While this operative has an Engage order, it is considered visible to and within 3” of friendly COLONEL and SIGINT operatives for the purposes of their SUPPORT rules and actions. While it has a Conceal order, it is never considered visible to enemy operatives further than 6” from it.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Commando
Crackshot
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Custom Rifle
Concealed (Hvy, *Concealed Position, Sil, Dev 3)
4
2+
3/3
Mobile
4
3+
3/4
Stationary (Hvy, Dev 3)
4
2+
3/3
Catachan fang
4
3+
2/3
Abilities
*Concealed Position*VenomCold Steel and CourageRifle Customization
Options
Carbine ConversionHollow PointsFull Metal JacketKillshot ConversionPreciseSkeletonizedSilencedRipper Ammo

*Concealed Position: This operative can only use this weapon the first time it’s performing the Shoot action during the battle.

Rifle Customization: When you select this operative during the Select Operatives step, also select one rule from below that applies only to this operative's Custom Rifle until the end of the battle:

  • Carbine Conversion: All profiles gain the Ceaseless weapon rule and subtract 1 from both the Damage stats of each. This weapon now counts as a lascarbine.
  • Hollow Points: All profiles gain the Severe weapon rule.
  • Full Metal Jacket: All profiles gain the Saturate weapon rule.
  • Killshot Conversion: The concealed profile gains the Piercing 2 weapon rule and loses the Silent weapon rule.
  • Precise: When this operative selects a valid target for a shooting attack with its Custom Rifle, having other friendly CATACHAN DEVILS models within an enemy operative’s control range doesn’t prevent that operative from being selected.
  • Skeletonized: All profiles lose the Heavy weapon rule.
  • Silenced: All profiles gain the Silent weapon rule.
  • Ripper Ammo: All profiles gain the *Venom weapon rule.

Carbine Conversion: All profiles gain the Ceaseless weapon rule and subtract 1 from both the Damage stats of each. This weapon now counts as a lascarbine.

Hollow Points: All profiles gain the Severe weapon rule.

Full Metal Jacket: All profiles gain the Saturate weapon rule.

Killshot Conversion: The concealed profile gains the Piercing 2 weapon rule and loses the Silent weapon rule.

Precise: When this operative selects a valid target for a shooting attack with its Custom Rifle, having other friendly CATACHAN DEVILS models within an enemy operative’s control range doesn’t prevent that operative from being selected.

Skeletonized: All profiles lose the Heavy weapon rule.

Silenced: All profiles gain the Silent weapon rule.

Ripper Ammo: All profiles gain the *Venom weapon rule.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Crackshot
Demolitionist
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Lascarbine
4
4+
2/3
Hidden charges (Hvy(Dash), Blast 2”, Sat, Seek Light, Sil, Lim1)
4
3+
2/4
Catachan Fang
4
3+
2/3
Abilities
1AP: BreachCold Steel and CourageGrenadier

Breach (1AP): ▶ Place one of your Breach markers within this operative’s control range as close as possible to a terrain feature within control range of it. Whenever an operative is within 1" of that marker, it treats parts of that terrain feature that are no more than 1" thick as Accessible terrain.

▶ This operative can perform this action during the Shoot action if it is shooting with hidden charges, and it can do so for 1 less AP during that action. When it does, you must use the primary target’s control range instead of this operative’s control range it when placing your Breach marker before rolling attack dice.

◆ This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative, or if a terrain feature isn’t within its control range (unless using hidden charges).

Grenadier: This operative can use frag, krak, smoke and stun grenades (see universal equipment). Doing so doesn’t count towards any limited uses you have (i.e. if you also select those grenades from equipment for other operatives). Whenever this operative is using a frag or krak grenade, improve the Hit stat of that weapon by 1.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Demolitionist
Grunt
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Lascarbine
4
4+
2/3
Devil's claw
5
3+
3/4
Abilities
Cold Steel and CourageGung-Ho

Gung-Ho: Each time this operative finishes a Charge action, it can immediately perform a free Fight action.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Grunt
Gunlugger
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Autocannon (Hvy(Dash), Prc1, Severe)
4
4+
5/6
Heavy bolter
Focused (Hvy(Dash), PrcCrit1)
5
4+
4/5
Sweeping (Hvy(Dash), PrcCrit1, Tor 1”)
4
4+
4/5
Heavy flamer (Rng 8”, Hvy(Dash), Sat, Tor 3”)
5
2+
3/3
Catachan fang
4
3+
2/3
Abilities
Cold Steel and CouragePayback Time

Payback Time: Each time an enemy operative finishes shooting a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative and this operative has an Engage order, you can interrupt their activation for this operative to perform a free Shoot action targeting that enemy operative. No secondary targets may be selected for this Shoot action.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Gunlugger
Medic
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Lascarbine
4
4+
2/3
Devil's claw
5
3+
3/4
Abilities
Cold Steel and Courage1AP: Rub Some Dirt On ItWalk it Off

Rub Some Dirt On It (1AP): ▶ Select one friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative within this operative’s control range to regain 2D3 wounds. It cannot be an operative that the Nothing Is Over! rule was used on during this Turning Point.

◆ This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.

Walk it Off: Once per Turning Point, the first time another friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative would be incapacitated while visible to and within 3” of this operative and not within control range of an enemy operative, if this operative is not within control range of an enemy operative, this operative can revive it. That operative is not incapacitated, has 1 wound remaining, and if it was a shooting attack, any remaining attack dice are discarded. That other friendly operative can then perform a free **Dash **action, but must finish that move within 1” of this operative. Subtract 1 from both operatives’ APL.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Medic
Predator
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Autopistol (Rng 8")
4
4+
2/3
Knife (Lethal 5+, Venom*)
1
2+
5/7
Polearm
4
3+
4/5
Abilities
*VenomCold Steel and CourageFirst BloodWeathered

First Blood: STRATEGIC GAMBIT. Select an enemy operative within 6" of and visible to this operative. That operative gains one of your Venom tokens.

Weathered: Once per turning point, when this operative is fighting or retaliating, in the Resolve Attack Dice step, you can use your Courage to ignore the damage inflicted on it from one normal success.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Predator
Sigint
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Lascarbine
4
4+
2/3
Devil's claw
5
3+
3/4
Abilities
1AP: Bait and SwitchCold Steel and Courage1AP: Signals Intelligence

Bait and Switch (1AP):SUPPORT: Swap the orders of two other friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives visible to and within 6” of this operative.

◆ This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.

Signals Intelligence (1AP):SUPPORT: Select one other friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative (excluding SLAB) visible to this operative. If this operative has an Engage order, the selected operative does not have to be visible to this operative as long as it is within 6” of it. Until the end of that operative’s next activation, add 1 to its APL stat.

◆ This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Sigint
Slab
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 16
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
'Uge knife
5
3+
4/5
Abilities
BruteCold Steel and CourageLoyal ProtectorSlow-Witted

Brute: Whenever your opponent is selecting a valid target, if this operative has a Conceal order, it cannot use Light terrain for cover. Whilst this can allow this operative to be targeted (provided it’s visible), it doesn’t remove its cover save (if any).

Loyal Protector: Once per battle, when a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative within 3" of and visible to this operative is selected as the valid target of a shoot action or to fight against during the Fight action, you may have this operative become the valid target or to be fought against (as appropriate) instead, even if it normally would not be valid for this. If it is the Fight action, treat that other operative as being within the fighting operative's control range for the duration of that action. If it is the Shoot action, that other operative is only in cover or obscured if the original target was. This rule has no effect if the ranged weapon has the Blast or Torrent weapon rule.

Slow-Witted: You must spend 1 additional AP for this operative to perform the Pick Up Marker and mission actions (excluding Operate Hatch).

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Ogryn, Slab
Trailblazer
A 2
M 6"
S 5+
W 9
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Lascarbine
4
4+
2/3
Devil's claw
5
3+
3/4
Abilities
Behind Enemy LinesCold Steel and Courage1AP: Flare

Behind Enemy Lines: While this operative is wholly within your opponent’s territory, add 1 to its Move stat and both the Damage stats of weapons equipped on its datacard.

Flare (1AP): ▶ Place one of your flare markers within 6" of this operative. It must be visible to this operative or set on vantage terrain or a terrain feature visible to this operative.

▶ While an operative is within 1” of a flare marker, it cannot retain any defence dice from cover and cannot be obscured.

▶ In the ready step of the next Strategy Phase, roll a D3. Remove that flare marker once a number of activations equal to the result of that D3 is completed, or at the end of the turning point (whichever occurs first).

◆ This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.

Catachan Devils, Imperium, Astra Militarum, Trailblazer
Equipment

Bandoliers and Bandanas:
Whenever a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative is shooting or being shot, you can use your Courage to re-roll one of your dice.


Envenomed Blades:
Once per Turning Point, when a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative not equipped with a power fist is fighting or retaliating inflicts damage with a critical success, the operative it is fighting or retaliating against gains one of your Venom tokens. This can stack with the *Venom rule.


Spike Traps:
Before the battle, you can set up two of your Spike Trap markers wholly within your territory and more than 2" from other markers, access points, and accessible terrain. The first time a Spike Trap marker is within an enemy operative’s control range, remove that marker, give that operative a Venom token and it ends its action (if any), even if that action’s effects aren’t fulfilled. If it cannot be placed, move it the minimum amount to do so.


Underbarrel Munitions - Krak (X1):
This equipment allows you to select one frag, krak, smoke, or stun grenade from the explosive or utility grenades equipment (see universal equipment). You can also select that equipment as normal. When a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives equipped with lascarbine uses an explosive grenade, utility grenade, or flare action, add 6” to the Range rule of that explosive grenade or the distance requirement of that utility grenade or flare action.


Underbarrel Munitions - Frag (X1):
This equipment allows you to select one frag, krak, smoke, or stun grenade from the explosive or utility grenades equipment (see universal equipment). You can also select that equipment as normal. When a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives equipped with lascarbine uses an explosive grenade, utility grenade, or flare action, add 6” to the Range rule of that explosive grenade or the distance requirement of that utility grenade or flare action.


Underbarrel Munitions - Smoke (X1):
This equipment allows you to select one frag, krak, smoke, or stun grenade from the explosive or utility grenades equipment (see universal equipment). You can also select that equipment as normal. When a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives equipped with lascarbine uses an explosive grenade, utility grenade, or flare action, add 6” to the Range rule of that explosive grenade or the distance requirement of that utility grenade or flare action.


Underbarrel Munitions - Stun (X1):
This equipment allows you to select one frag, krak, smoke, or stun grenade from the explosive or utility grenades equipment (see universal equipment). You can also select that equipment as normal. When a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives equipped with lascarbine uses an explosive grenade, utility grenade, or flare action, add 6” to the Range rule of that explosive grenade or the distance requirement of that utility grenade or flare action.


Ploys

Firefight - Beat the Grass:
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative is selected as the valid target of a Shoot action. Until the end of the Turning Point, your operative is obscured from enemy operatives further than 8” from it while it has light or heavy terrain within its control range.


Firefight - Double Time:
Use this firefight ploy during a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative’s activation, before or after it performs an action. Until the start of its next activation, ignore modifiers to its Move stat and it may move through light and/or accessible terrain features as if they were not there, but must end those moves in a location it can be placed.


Firefight - Nothing is Over!:
Use this Firefight ploy when a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative is incapacitated during the Fight action. You can strike the enemy operative in that sequence with one of your unresolved successes before your operative is removed from the killzone.


Firefight - Mission Accomplished:
Use this firefight ploy when an enemy operative is incapacitated within 3” of a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative. That friendly operative can immediately perform a free Dash or Fall Back action (for the former, it cannot move more than 3"), even if it’s performed an action that prevents it from performing those actions.


Strategic - Bushmasters:
Until the end of the Turning Point, friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operatives can perform the Charge action while they have a Conceal order if you already had your Courage immediately before performing that action.


Strategic - Hellraisers:
Until the end of the Turning Point, whenever a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative has an Engage order, melee weapons equipped by it have the Balanced weapon rule and each time you use your Courage to block with a normal success, it can block one unresolved critical success (unless the enemy operative’s weapon has the Brutal weapon rule).


Strategic - No Time to Bleed:
Until the end of the Turning Point, each time you activate a friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative that is injured, choose one:

  • Gather your Courage.
  • Use your Courage to have your operative regain up to D3+1 lost wounds.

Strategic - Waiting Death:
When you activate the last ready friendly CATACHAN DEVILS operative this Turning Point when all others are expended, you gather your Courage, add 1 to its APL stat (to a maximum of 3), and weapons equipped by it have the Rending weapon rule until the end of the Turning Point.


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.


Recon: Flank

Reveal: As a STRATEGIC GAMBIT.

Additional Rules:

Divide the killzone into two flanks (left and right) by drawing an imaginary line that's just like the centreline, except it runs from the centre of each player's killzone edge. An operative contests a flank while both wholly within it and wholly within their opponent's territory. Friendly operatives control a flank if the total APL stat of those contesting it is greater than that of enemy operatives.

Victory Points:

  • After you reveal this op, at the end of each turning point after the first, for each flank friendly operatives control, you score 1VP.
  • In the fourth turning point, ff friendly operatives also controlled that flank at the end of the third turning point, you score 2VP instead.

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


Recon: Retrieval

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

Mission Action: Retrieve (1 AP)

  • If the active operative controls an objective marker that hasn't been searched by friendly operatives, that operative is now carrying one of your Retrieval mission markers and that objective marker has been searched by friendly operatives. Friendly operatives can perform the Pick Up Marker action on your Retrieval mission markers.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, while within control range of an enemy operative, or if it's already carrying a marker.

Victory Points:

  • The first time each objective marker is searched by friendly operatives, you score 1VP.
  • At the end of the battle, for each of your Retrieval mission markers friendly operatives are carrying, you score 1VP.

Recon: Scout Enemy Movement

Reveal: The first time a friendly operative performs the Scout action.

Mission Action: Scout (1 AP)

  • Select one ready enemy operative visible to and more than 6" from the active operative. That enemy operative is now monitored until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase.
  • An operative cannot perform this action while it has an Engage order, 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, for each monitored enemy operative that's visible to friendly operatives, you score 1VP. Note that it doesn't have to be a friendly operative that performed the Scout action.

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


Catachan Devils - KTDash