Beasts, oh my god the beasts!

So, posted on general discussion about my intention to build a couple of beast units to represent my Haemonculi menagarie. The thing I wasn't sure about is, where it says "beasts are not slowed by difficult terrain,even when charging", does this mean they suffer no initiative penalty either? If so, where have they been all my life! Also, would be cool if anyone could check out my other post about Beastmaster Builds.

Sorry but they do indeed suffer the initiative penalty. It's just the roll 2d6 rather than 3d6 pick the 2 lowest

Can you please indicate where it clarifies that in the rulebook, is it just in the assault phase section? I suppose that's the benefit of using the full variety of different Beasts together, unlikely to lose too many even at I1. I guess model placement becomes very important in such circumstances, right?

Any unit not equipped with assault grenades loses their initiative when charging through cover. Take the baron to run with them he will give them assault grenades.

From the Rule Book FAQ.

Q:Do models that ignore difficult terrain when moving or
charging still fight at Initiative step 1 if they charge through
dif icult terrain? (p22)
A: Yes.

Sorry,I can't bring myself to run the baron, Hmm, maybe I can devise some fluff for another sort of Dracon level character, maybe the son of my Archon, who he indulges by letting him hang out with the Haemonculi and his beasts? Something's coming together in my mind to do with hunting and an aristocratic young Archons son who can't bear to go into any raid unless accompanied by his faithfull hounds and manservants (beasts and Masters) By jingo! I think this may just work. I'm envisioning him as a sort of Lockhart Flawse character, for anyone who's read The Throwback by Tom Sharpe. Maybe he could have stim-injectors and twin swords to represent his Hellglaive, that would be pretty cool. The idea is definitely forming......

people take special charatcers and make them there own all the time. to represent something that they would prefer. So yeah the Baron does not have to be the Baron. He can be a famous beast tamer and is known through out commorragh as collecting the craziest beast or something.

my beastmaster have been converted without the riders on the skyboards. I gave the skyboards the pain engine tenticles for tails. molded green stuff flesh under the board with the little talos pain insterment hands for a semi organic look. and Have thie master beastmaster (baron) guy riding around with the beasts. the beastmasters help him control the pack.
It's lame, but I like it more.

Far from lame , really creative and unique I'd say,bit gutted I built on eof my Engines as a cronos now! That would suit my Coven look really nicely, semi-organic sentient 'helper boards' sounds bang on the money to me, I'm wanting my beastmasters to look a little Wrack-ish to fit the coven theme, not Wych cult arena beasts but semi-experimental, counts-as beasts, thanks for the food for thought.

No prob. Think of nightmare creation beasts for a coven