40K: Chaos Legions – Quick and Dirty
We all had a great time brainstorming the Chaos Legions and how we wish we could bring them back to the tabletop. Here’s a baseline set of rule ideas that could get us halfway there. Read on…
Design Goals:
1) This is a “quick and dirty” ruleset. It will not attempt to create new units, new wargear and such. The goal is not to create a totally new codex from the ground up – that is the GW Design Studio’s (save us Phil Kelly, you’re our only hope) job. The overall goal of these is a “less is more” mindset.
2) The goal here is to use lifted units from other codices, and some quick unit restrictions and Force Org shifting to get us halfway to our goal fast.
3) Narrative wise, these rules reflect the Legions as they exist in the 40th Millennium. These are NOT Heresy era forces.
Legion Generic Rules:
1) The rules are all based on Codex: Chaos Space Marines
2) Units imported from other codices retain their original Force Org categorizations.
3) Icons are purchased for squads as normal (with Legion Restrictions), but their effects are permanent until the unit is destroyed. The loss of the Icon bearer only limits the beneficial effects on daemonic summoning and deepstriking units reserving onto the table.
4) All summoned daemon units from C:CSM work exactly as stated in that codex.
5) All units from C:CD work exactly as stated in that codex, with the following exceptions: Units from C:CD are all held in reserve at the start of the game. These units enter play via deep strike using the reserves rules listed in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. When entering play via deep strike, these units will scatter 2d6 as normal. They cannot charge on the turn they enter play unless a ‘hit’ was rolled on the scatter die. These units may avoid scattering if they enter play within 6” of an Icon (per C:CSM). If they enter play within 6” of an Icon, roll a scatter die, ignoring any other roll than a ‘hit.’ If a ‘hit’ is rolled, the unit does not scatter, and may charge on the turn it enters play.
Legions:
Emperor’s Children – Legion III
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Slaanesh.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Fabius Bile, Lucius, 0-1 Keeper of Secrets
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought, Fiends
Troops: Chaos Marines, Noise Marines, Daemonettes
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn, Seekers
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Iron Warriors – Legion IV
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Chaos Glory.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Master of the Forge (C:SM – loses ATSKNF & Combat Tactics)
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Dreadnought, Techmarine (C:SM – loses ATSKNF & Combat Tactics)
Troops: Chaos Marines
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider, Ordinance Battery (C:IG)
Night Lords – Legion VIII
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Chaos Glory.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought
Troops: Chaos Marines
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn, Furies of Chaos
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-All non-vehicle units have the Acute Senses USR
-Chaos Lord or Sorceror mounted on a bike can make Chaos Bikers troops or FA.
-Chaos Lord or Sorceror with a jumppack, or a Winged DP, can make Raptors troops or FA.
-Raptors and Chaos Bikers bought as FA choices gain the Scout USR
World Eaters – Legion XII
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Khorne.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Daemon Prince, Kharne, 0-1 Bloodthirster
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought, Bloodcrushers
Troops: Chaos Marines, Berserkers, Bloodletters
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn, Fleshhounds
Heavy Support: Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Death Guard – Legion XIV
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Nurgle.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Typhus, 0-1 Great Unclean One
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought, Beasts of Nurgle
Troops: Chaos Marines, Plague Marines, Plaguebearers, Nurglings
Fast Attack: Bikers, Spawn
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-Chosen, Chaos Marines, Havocs may not be equipped with the following weapons: Lascannon, Missile Launcher, Autocannon
Black Legion – Legion XVI
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Summoned Greater Daemon, Abaddon
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought
Troops: Chaos Marines, Plague Marines, Noise Marines, Berserkers, Thousand Sons, Summoned Lesser Daemons
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-Disciplined: Icons and Marks of Chaos Glory additionally grant Combat Tactics (C:SM)
-Speartip: 1/2 of teleporting and deepstriking Black Legion units (chosen by the Black Legion player) will arrive from reserve on turn 1. The remainder arrive normally.
Thousand Sons – Legion XV
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Tzeentch.
Allowed units:
HQ: Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, Ahriman, 0-1 Lord of Change
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought, Flamers
Troops: Chaos Marines, Thousand Sons, Pink Horrors
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn, Screamers
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-Chaos Sorcerors (not Aspiring Sorcerors) may select from any of the powers in C:CSM, including those that normally require other marks.
Word Bearers – Legion XVII
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Chaos Glory.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince, 0-1 Bloodthirster, 0-1 Great Unclean One, 0-1 Lord of Change, 0-1 Keeper of Secrets
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Possessed, Dreadnought, Bloodcrushers, Fiends, Flamers, Beasts of Nurgle
Troops: Chaos Marines, Conscripts (C:IG), Daemonettes, Bloodletters, Pink Horrors, Plaguebearers, Nurglings
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors, Spawn, Fleshhounds, Seekers, Screamers
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-Lords gain Litanies of Hate (C:SM) for +15 pts.
-Conscripts are taken as stand-alone units as seen on p.97 of C:IG (ie, no Command Squad)
Alpha Legion – Legion XX
All units must be unmarked, or bear the mark of Chaos Glory.
Allowed units:
HQ: Lord, Sorcerer, Daemon Prince
Elite: Chosen, Terminators, Dreadnought, Guardsman Marbo (C:IG)
Troops: Chaos Marines, Special Weapon Squads (C:IG)
Fast Attack: Bikers, Raptors
Heavy Support: Havocs, Obliterators, Predator, Vindicator, Defiler, Land Raider
Unit Notes:
-Well-trained: Non Daemon, Non-vehicle units gain Combat Tactics and ATSKNF (C:SM)
-Special Weapon Squads are taken as stand-alone units as seen on p.97 of C:IG (ie, no Command Squad), and gain the Infiltrate USR.
~By all means try these out on the tabletop. Our number one goal for these is to have each Legion be fluffy, and equally cool and unique (no over the top, or dull ones). We want some quick rules to let you Legion fanatics get you favorite toys on the table, and have FUN. I know I would be ecstatic if a little 2-page article along these lines came out in White Dwarf to hold us over until the Legions really arrived in codex form. Have at it folks!
