Armageddon Vanguard

Homebrew by BrotherMatthais

Lore The Armageddon Vanguard is a veteran Ultramarine strike force, formed from Vanguard Veterans whose mastery of aerial assault has been tempered across decades of war. Led by a Chaplain of the Reclusiam, the squad deploys when the Codex Astartes demands precision: the elimination of key enemy squads and commanders, the swift control of vital objectives, or the resolution of threats impeding the advance of the Chapter’s battle companies.

Leading the assault is a Reclusiarch Chaplain, his voice bellowing Catechisms over the roar of jump packs as he leads the descent. His litanies steel the resolve of the faithful and remind every battle-brother that courage, discipline and sacrifice are the foundations upon which the Imperium endures.

Descending from the skies with measured fury, the Armageddon Vanguard embody discipline in execution, relentless pursuit, and unyielding courage in the Emperor’s service.

Faction Rules Astartes: Operatives can counteract regardless of their order and perform 2 Fight actions or 2 Shoot actions (1 must use a bolt weapon.

Boost: Whenever a friendly ARMAGEDDON VANGUARD operative is performing the Charge, Fall Back or Reposition action during its activation, as long as it is not underneath Vantage terrain, it can BOOST for part or all of that move. If it does, the operative jumps that distance. BOOST cannot end in control range but the operative doesn't have to BOOST for the whole move. When BOOST is used in a charge move, this operative does not gain 2" to the move allowance. In close-quarters BOOST cannot be used through or over walls, or through a hatchway.

Boost Actions: Operatives have access to BOOST actions, performed during other actions when a boost is used. Each operative can perform one BOOST action per activation. Where a BOOST action refers to a boost zone, this is the horizontal area between the operative's current location and the location from which it used BOOST. Enemy operatives with any part of their base under vantage terrain are not considered within the boost zone.

Conviction Points: Generated by the Reclusiarch Chaplain, these points effect the Chaplain's ability but can also be used instead of command points to activate specific Firefight or Strategy ploys. Unless the ploy specifies Conviction Points can be used, only Command points can be used. A maximum of 2 Conviction Points per turning point can be used in this way.

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Composition

Ruleset Basis This Kill Team is based on the Murderwing ruleset, with the Chaplain taking the place of the Chaos Lord, the Vanguard Veteran Sergeant taking the place of the Chaos Champion and all Vanguard Veterans taking the place of the Raptors.

To accodomodate other murderwing special abilities, extra Firefight Ploys have been added, with the option to spend a Conviction Point (Proxy for Damnation Points) in place of a Command Point for Firefight ploys involving a Boost action.

Squad Composition 1 x Chaplain with Jump Pack, equipped with a bolt pistol and Crozius Arcanum. 1 x Vanguard Veteran Sergeant, equipped with a plasma pistol and Power Weapon. 4 x Vanguard Veterans, equipped with a bolt pistol and Power Weapon.

Common Abilities and Options

Astartes:
Operatives can counteract regardless of their order and perform 2 Fight actions or 2 Shoot actions (1 must use a bolt weapon).

Boost:
Whenever a friendly ARMAGEDDON VANGUARD operative is performing the Charge, Fall Back or Reposition action during its activation, as long as it is not underneath Vantage terrain, it can BOOST for part or all of that move. If it does, the operative jumps that distance. BOOST cannot end in control range but the operative doesn't have to BOOST for the whole move. When BOOST is used in a charge move, this operative does not gain 2" to the move allowance. In close-quarters BOOST cannot be used through or over walls, or through a hatchway.

Boost Actions:
Operatives have access to BOOST actions, performed during other actions when a boost is used. Each operative can perform one BOOST action per activation. Where a BOOST action refers to a boost zone, this is the horizontal area between the operative's current location and the location from which it used BOOST. Enemy operatives with any part of their base under vantage terrain are not considered within the boost zone.

Reclusiarch Chaplain
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Range 8")
4
3+
3/4
Crozius Arcanum (Lethal 5+, Rending)
5
3+
4/5
Abilities
AstartesBoostBoost ActionsRighteous Fervour

Righteous Fervour: Righteous Fervour: This operative starts the battle with 1 Conviction point. Each activation, you can attempt to use a Boon of The Emperor:

  1. Ignore damage equal to your Conviction point from an attack dice of 3+ damage.
  2. Inflict damage equal to your Conviction point when striking with an attack dice when fighting or retaliating To attempt to a boon, roll 1D6, compare the result to your number of Conviction point this operative has; if the result is:
  • Higher: Resolve the rule, then this operative gains 1 Conviction point
  • Equal: Do not resolve the rule.
  • Less: Take damage equal to your Conviction points. If you have 6 Conviction points, resolve the rule without rolling a dice.
Reclusiarch Chaplain, Adeptus Astartes, Imperium, Armageddon Vanguard, Jump Pack
Vanguard Veteran Sergeant
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 14
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Plasma Pistol
Standard (Range 8", Piercing 1)
4
3+
3/5
Supercharged (Range 8, Piercing 1, Lethal 5+, Hot)
4
4+
4/5
Power Weapon (Lethal 5+)
5
3+
4/6
Abilities
AstartesBoostBoost ActionsOathsworn ChampionPath to Glory

Oathsworn Champion: Oathsworn Champion: STRATEGIC GAMBIT. Remove your Challenge token from the enemy operative that has it (if any), then select one enemy operative to gain your Challenge token. Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating against the challenged operative, add one of these rules the their melee weapons: Balanced, Brutal, Punishing, Severe, or Shock.

Path to Glory: Path to Glory: Whenever this operative incapacitates the challenged operative token, you gain 1CP

Vanguard Veteran Sergeant, Adeptus Astartes, Imperium, Armageddon Vanguard, Jump Pack
Vanguard Veteran Warrior
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 14
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Range 8")
4
3+
3/4
Power Weapon (Lethal 5+)
5
3+
4/6
Abilities
AstartesBoostBoost ActionsThrill of Flight

Thrill of Flight: Thrill of Flight: Whenever this operative boosts, remove any changes to its APL stat and ignore any changes to its stats from being injured this activation.

Vanguard Veteran Warrior, Adeptus Astartes, Imperium, Armageddon Vanguard, Jump Pack
Equipment

Armour of the Angels:
Armour of the Angels: gives access to the boost action SLICE FROM ABOVE (1AP). Inflict D3+1 damage on one enemy operative within this operative’s boost zone. An operative cannot perform this action normally. Instead it performs this action during the Fall Back or Reposition action after setting up from a BOOST.


Vox Caster:
Vox-Caster: Once per turning point, one engaged friendly Armageddon Vanguard operative can perform the following unique action. Catechism Chant (1AP), Each enemy operative within 2" of this operative takes a stun test, roll 1D6, on a 3+ it is -1 APL till the end of its next activation.


Sacred Censer:
Sacred Censer: gives access to the boost action Righteous Charge (0AP). Inflict 1 damage on one enemy operative within this operative’s control range, then the Charge action ends. An operative cannot perform this action normally. Instead, it performs this action during the Charge action after setting up from a BOOST


Blessed Fuel:
Blessed Fuel: 1x per TP, when an enemy operative ends the Fall Back action during its activation, if at least one friendly Armageddon Vanguard operative was within its control range at the start of that action, you can use this rule. One of those friendly operatives can immediately perform a free 3" Reposition or 3" Charge action.


Ploys

Firefight - Unyielding Defiance:
Last to Yield: If only one friendly operative is ready, until the end of the turning point, so long as you have fewer ready friendly operatives than your opponent, delay the remaining operative's activation until the enemy has only 1 activation remaining. You cannot counteract until the remaining operative has activated.


Firefight - Manifest Wrath:
Manifest Wrath: Use this firefight ploy when an enemy operative ends a move within 3" horizontally and >2" lower than a friendly operative (in close quarters, within 2" and that enemy operative must be in a different room to where it started that action). Interrupt that enemy operative’s action and charge that operative.


Firefight - Martial Discipline:
Martial Discipline: When a friendly operative is fighting or retaliating, when resolving a critical success, instead of striking or blocking, end that sequence (discarding all remaining dice) and immediately Fall Back up to 3".


Firefight - Winged Zealots:
Winged Zealots: TP 2+ only When Boosting as part of a Fall Back or Reposition action, add 3" to the move distance. This operative cannot perform the Shoot, Fight or Carving Blow action this TP.


Firefight - Judgement of Damnation:
To use this Firefight Ploy, spend 1CP or 1 Conviction Point

Judgement of Damnation: Whenever an enemy operative would perform the Fall Back action while within control range of this operative, if no other enemy operatives are within this operative’s control range, you can use this firefight ploy. If you do, roll two D6, or one D6 if that enemy operative has a higher Wounds stat than this operative. If any result is a 4+, that enemy operative cannot perform that action during that activation/counteraction (no AP are spent on it).


Firefight - Veteran Duelist:
To use this Firefight Ploy, spend 1CP or 1 Conviction Point

Veteran Duelist: Grants the operative access to the following action.

Carving Blow (1AP): Inflict 2D3 damage on each other operative visible to and within 2" of this operative in an order of your choice (roll separately for each).

This operative cannot perform this action while it has a Conceal order, or during the same activation in which it performed the Slice from Above action (see Armour of The Angels faction equipment), the Righteous Charge action (see Sacred Censer faction equipment) or two Fight actions (and vice versa).


Firefight - Act of Holy Wrath:
To use this Firefight Ploy, spend 1CP or 1 Conviction Point

Act of Holy Wrath: Whenever this operative incapacitates an enemy operative while fighting or retaliating, select one other enemy operative visible to and within 3" of either this operative or the incapacitated enemy operative. Subtract 1 from that enemy operative’s APL stat until the end of its next activation.


Firefight - Only In Death Does Duty End:
To use this Firefight Ploy, spend 1CP or 1 Conviction Point

Only in Death Does Duty End: If this operative is incapacitated during the Fight action, you can strike the enemy operative in that sequence with one of your unresolved successes before this operative is removed from the killzone.


Strategic - Angelic Descent:
Angelic Descent: If an operative is least 2" higher than the killzone floor, or has done a boost, its weapons have the Balanced weapon rule for that activation.


Strategic - The Emperor's Mercy:
The Emperor's Mercy: Whenever an operative is shooting or fighting, its weapons have Punishing if the enemy target is 2" lower, or has reduced APL, or it was wounded at the start of the activation/counteraction.


Strategic - Shield of Faith:
Shield of Faith: Whenever an enemy operative is shooting a friendly operative that’s at least 2" higher than the killzone floor, or that did a boost this TP, you can re-roll one defence dice.


Strategic - Litany of Dread:
Litany of Dread: Whenever a friendly operative is fighting, Normal Dmg of 3+ inflicts -1.


Strategic - Catechism of Fear:
To use this Strategy Ploy, spend 1CP or 1 Conviction Point.

Whenever an enemy operative is within 3" of a friendly operative, 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 this operative. Note this isn’t a change to the APL stat, so any changes are cumulative with this.


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 at least one objective marker (excluding your objective marker) is cleared and enemy operatives do not contest that marker, you score 1VP. If that marker also has one of your Swept tokens, you score 2VP instead.
  • If friendly operatives control an objective marker that has one of your Swept tokens, you score 1 VP.

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 or two of your Dominate tokens if that enemy operative had a Wounds stat of 12 or more.

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.