Apocalypse Unit + Formations

A friend and I were making some apocalypse rules recently so I though I would post them here to see what you lot think, might use them in a local store apoc battle soon if it gets green lighted.


Using Battlescribe if you're wondering.

Formations


Webway Raiding Party (100 + models)

1 CÆLOTH

0-5 Dark Eldar units in an embarked Dedicated Transport.

Special Rules

Webway Raid: All units bar the CÆLOTH must be placed in reserve, roll a single dice for all units in reserve, if they enter the game they can use different portals but must all arrive that turn. Use the normal rules of the webway portal and arriving from reverse in regard to movement, shooting and assault.

Distortion energy: All transports, receive a 4+ cover save no matter how far they moved if they arrived via a webway portal for the following turn.


Haemonculi Torture Coven (100 + Models)

1 Haemonculus Ancient

3+ Haemonculi

3+ Talos Pain Engines and/or Cronos Parasite Engines

Special Rules

Overseer: An engine must be within 2” of a Haemonculi for the Reconstituting Engines rule to be active and all units must be within 12” of the Ancient also. Also any Grotesques that are within 12” of a model in this formation do not use the Bezerk Rampage rule.

Reconstituting Engines: Enemy units (excluding vehicles) killed within 12” results in a roll on the table below. For every Cronos Parasite Engine in the formation an extra 12” is added to this. For every Talos Pain Engine you may add one to the number of models made and also reroll on the table if you choose. You may use any model, hint use the models you just killed, you and your opponent(s) deem appropriate for the models created.

D6 Roll Effect
1 - No effect.
2 - D3 Wracks.
3 - D6 Wracks.
4 - D3 Grotesques
5 - D6 Grotesques
6 - D6 Wracks + D6 Grotesques

Pain Network: Any wounds affecting any models in the formation may be allocated as though the formation is a single unit, this can be used for wound allocation purposes only.


Thoughts

CÆLOTH: Not too sure if the webway cannon is too powerful or not, as it uses the normal rules only Dark Eldar units may use so no allies (unless they are DE ofc) however 4 webway portals within 48" per turn may be a bit much so may change the shots down a bit. Other than that I think its fairly balanced considering it only has two destroyable weapons and such but feedback is very useful.

Webway Raiding Party: Makes up to 5 transports be able to go through a portal as they are not normally allowed and also get a 4+ no matter what (haven't done the fluff yet). Also as going through a portal count as coming in form a board edge it does allow for assaults to happen he turn they arrive. But the opponent will have a turn to prepare for this as the portal is placed in your shooting phase. I believe this is OK maybe a bit too costly, 75 points perhaps?

Haemonculi Torture Coven: More complex but much more fun . Considering the advantages and disadvantages of this in an apocalypse game i think its balanced. As big blasts are very effective as they must be within 12" of the ancient. I think of this as the ultimate defensive for the army that cant defend as there are loads of high S and T models that can just build and build but not really attack too much. Adds a different flavour, any thoughts?

Quote :

Distortion energy: All transports, receive a 4+ cover save no matter how far they moved if they arrived via a webway portal for the following turn.

It categorically states in the Dark Eldar codex under the Webway Portal section (Pg62) that vehicles cannot enter the battle via a webway portal. Your own rule contradicts the WWP rule. I believe this is why they have the Retrofire Jets upgrade, to allow them to DS into play. You may face some opposition with this ruling.

Also in regards to your Webway Cannons rule I'd imagine 4 WWPs a turn is pretty over powered as you can create a wall of impassable terrain not to mention all sorts of other crazy antics. Perhaps it might be less insane to have it create a portal on the roll of a 5+ or 6+ when rolling to wound against infantry or something like that so it's sort of like the CW Eldar's D-Cannon rule.

Nice looking rules though but if your following the Codex's WWP rules then your Webway Cannon rule may need some re-thinking. I can't imagine GW staff will allow you to go against the codex quite that much but with your friends why not eh?

LordOfRuin wrote:

Quote :

Distortion energy: All transports, receive a 4+ cover save no matter how far they moved if they arrived via a webway portal for the following turn.

It categorically states in the Dark Eldar codex under the Webway Portal section (Pg62) that vehicles cannot enter the battle via a webway portal. Your own rule contradicts the WWP rule. I believe this is why they have the Retrofire Jets upgrade, to allow them to DS into play. You may face some opposition with this ruling.

Also in regards to your Webway Cannons rule I'd imagine 4 WWPs a turn is pretty over powered as you can create a wall of impassable terrain not to mention all sorts of other crazy antics. Perhaps it might be less insane to have it create a portal on the roll of a 5+ or 6+ when rolling to wound against infantry or something like that so it's sort of like the CW Eldar's D-Cannon rule.

Nice looking rules though but if your following the Codex's WWP rules then your Webway Cannon rule may need some re-thinking. I can't imagine GW staff will allow you to go against the codex quite that much but with your friends why not eh?

Thanks for the feedback, but you misread the Webway cannon rules, normally it uses the standard rules so no vehicles but the whole point of the raiding party formation is you can have up to 5 transported units go through for an extra 100 points.

I agree the cannon needs restraining but you have to consider the points cost for something that has 3 structure points at armour 13 and only 2 weapons, it is very easy to kill and is likely to only have one turn alive or at least able to fire. Still considering exactly how it should operate.

I would limit the raiding party to venoms, there fluff use to mention moving through webway portals when they were Harlequin units.

The corsairs list has a similar formation, 3-9 hornets and a free webway. That one allowed deepstriking a webway portal and placing vehicles within 6", or placing webway in deployment zone and units within 6" of it. Something like that would be better for the raiding party.

What about this
3-9 venoms(with troop onboard), one webway portal. Deploy webway anywhere outside of opponent's deployment zone during deployment phase, scattered as per deep strike, following turn venoms move table on from it, and have 4+cover save for turn. units+100pts (without extra webway, maybe 75pts)

The cobra is also 600pts with 2 weapons and worse armour. Make the front armour 12 so it isn't higher then eldar super-heavies. The weapons effect is similar to a d-cannon, other dimension is webway instead of warp.
range 48 str * ap2 apoc barrage 4, D-cannon, primary, webway portal, barrage
let it buy any number of webway portals, 1 may be placed under blast marker per shot.
I would put the cost at about 700pts, that triple shoot twin-linked void lance is pretty nasty extra 100pts over otherwise similar cobra seems about right. probably best to take 3-4 webway portals for turn 1-2.