Talons of the Emperor

Homebrew by pino

Talons of the Emperor was the name given during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy to the elite and specialised Imperial military forces who drew their commands directly from the Emperor. These forces serve the Emperor as emissaries, bodyguards and destroyers and among their number they include the Legio Custodes, the superhuman companions of the Emperor who served as His "right hand" and His sworn protectors, the witchseekers of the Sisters of Silence, who represented His "left hand" and act as the harvesters of the Great Tithe.

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Composition

A TALONS OF THE EMPEROR KillTeam is composed of 3 TALONS OF THE EMPEROR operatives selected from the following list:

  • CUSTODIAN with one of the following options:

-Bolt Caster; Guardian Spear

-Bolt Caster; Castellan Axe

-Sentinel Bolt Caster; Sentinel Blade and Praesidium Shield.

  • SISTER OF SILENCE PROSECUTOR (1)
  • SISTER OF SILENCE WITCHSEEKER (1)
  • SISTER OF SILENCE VIGILATOR (1)

(1): These operatives count as a third of a selection each.

You must select at least one friendly CUSTODIAN operative

Common Abilities and Options

Creeping Dread:
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA operative within 88" of it, worsen the Hit stat of the enemy operative's weapons by 1.

Psychic Null:
PSYCHIC ranged weapons cannot inflict damage on this operative. For the effects of PSYCHIC actions, this operative cannot be selected and is never treated as being within those actions’ required distances. Whenever an operative is within 6" of this operative:

That operative cannot perform PSYCHIC actions or use PSYCHIC additional rules. That operative cannot use PSYCHIC ranged weapons. PSYCHIC melee weapons have no weapon rules and cannot have Dmg stats higher than 3/4.

Custodian
A 4
M 6"
S 2+
W 21
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Caster (Piercing 1)
4
2+
4/5
Sentinel Bolt Caster (Piercing 1; Rng 8")
4
2+
4/5
Guardian Spear (Lethal 5+)
5
2+
5/6
Castellan Axe (Lethal 5+, Brutal)
4
3+
6/7
Sentinel Blade and Praesidium Shield (Lethal 5+, Shield*)
4
2+
4/6
Abilities
Martial Ka'tahsPerfect CreationsShield*

Martial Ka'tahs: The first time each friendly CUSTODIAN operative activates during each turning point you can choose for one of the Martial Ka'tah rules below for that operative to have until the end of the turning point. You cannot choose a Martial Kat'ah you have previously selected for a different operative during the turning point.

Martial Ka'tahs:

  • Callistus: Add 1" to this operative's Move stat.

  • Salvus: Whenever this operative is shooting an operative more than 6" from it, its weapons have the Rending weapon rule.

  • Dacatarai: Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating, enemy operatives cannot assist.

  • Rendax: This operative's melee weapons have the Shock weapon rule.

  • Conservai: This operative can perform the fallback action for 1 less AP.

  • Kaptaris: Whenever an enemy operative would perform the Fall Back action while within control range of this operative, if no other enemy operatives are within that friendly operative’s control range, you can use this rule. If you do, roll one D6, If the result of the roll is higher than that enemy operative's APL stat, that enemy operative cannot perform that action during that activation or counteraction (no AP are spent on it).

Perfect Creations: -You can activate this operative twice during the turning point as long as it has AP to spend (it stays ready while it can still be activated a second time). You cannot spend more than 3 AP during each activation, and you cannot activate this each operative a second time until all your other CUSTODIAN operatives have been activated at least once. Per turning point it cannot move more than 12" and you cannot spend more than 4AP in total for it.

-During each friendly CUSTODIAN operative's activation, it can perform either two Shoot actions or two Fight actions.

-Each friendly CUSTODIAN operative can counteract regardless of its order.

Shield:* Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating with this weapon, each of your blocks can be allocated to block two unresolved successes (instead of one).

TALONS OF THE EMPEROR; IMPERIUM; ADEPTUS CUSTODES; CUSTODIAN
Sister Of Silence Vigilator
A 2
M 6"
S 3+
W 8
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Executioner Greatblade (Lethal 5+)
4
3+
4/6
Abilities
Creeping DreadPsychic Null
Talons of the Emperor; Imperium; Anathema Psykana; Sister of Silence; Vigilator
Sister Of Silence Prosecutor
A 2
M 6"
S 3+
W 8
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Boltgun
4
3+
3/4
Gun butt
4
4+
2/3
Abilities
Creeping DreadPsychic Null
Talons of the Emperor; Imperium; Anathema Psykana; Sister of Silence; Prosecutor
Sister Of Silence Witchseeker
A 2
M 6"
S 3+
W 8
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Flamer (Rng 8"; Saturate; Torrent 2")
4
2+
3/3
Gun butt
4
4+
2/3
Abilities
Creeping DreadPsychic Null
Talons of the Emperor; Imperium; Anathema Psykana; Sister of Silence; Witchseeker
Equipment

Auric Boltshells:
Once per Turning Point, whenever a friendly CUSTODIAN operative is performing the Shoot action and you select a Bolt Caster or Sentinel Bolt Caster, you can use this rule. If you do, until the end of that action, that weapon loses the Piercing 1 weapon rule but has the Blast 1" weapon rule.


Voidsheen Cloak:
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA operative, if you can retain any cover saves, you can retain one additional cover save.

This is not cumulative with improved cover saves from vantage terrain.


Misericordia:
Once per turning point, when a friendly CUSTODIAN operative is fighting or retaliating and you strike with a critical success. Inflict D3 additional damage with that strike.


Aquilon Teleportarium:
Once per battle, when a friendly CUSTODIAN operative is performing the Charge or Reposition action during its activation, it can TELEPORT. If it does, don’t move it. Instead, remove it from the killzone and set it back up wholly within a distance equal to its Move stat of its original location, measuring the horizontal distance only.

Note that it gains no additional distance when performing the Charge action. It must be set up in a location it can be placed, and unless it’s the Charge action, it cannot be set up within control range of an enemy operative.


Ploys

Firefight - Null Maidens:
Use this FIREFIGHT PLOY when a friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA operative that has a Conceal order is activated. Until the end of the turning point, as long as that operative has a Conceal order and is in cover, it cannot be selected as a valid target, taking precedence over all other rules except being within 2".


Firefight - Superhuman Reserves:
Use this Firefight Ploy when you activate a friendly CUSTODIAN operative, it regains up to 1D3+3 lost wounds.


Firefight - Martial Mastery:
Use this Firefight Ploy during a friendly CUSTODIAN operative's activation, before or after it performs an action. Change the Martial Ka'tah rule you selected for this operative.


Firefight - Strategical Superiority:
Use this firefight ploy when it’s your turn to activate a friendly operative. You can skip that activation.


Strategic - Arcane Genetic Alchemy:
You can ignore any changes to the stats of friendly CUSTODIAN operatives from being injured.


Strategic - Unleash the Lions:
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly CUSTODIAN operative that is more than 6" away from other friendly CUSTODIAN operatives, you can re-roll one of your Defense dice.


Strategic - Radiant Mantle:
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly CUSTODIAN operative, weapons with the Piercing X weapon rule have the Piercing Crits X weapon rule instead (This means that a weapon with the Piercing 2 weapon rule has the Piercing Crits 2 weapon rule instead).


Strategic - Taloned Pincer:
- Friendly CUSTODIAN operatives' weapons have the Balanced weapon rule if another friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA operative is within 9" of that operative.

  • Friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA operatives' weapons have the Severe and Accurate 1 weapon rules if another friendly CUSTODIAN operative is within 9" of that operative.

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.