Some good old Skorne Homebrew!

[Beowulf99]

One thing that I feel is shamefully under represented in this homebrew community is the Mighty Skorne Empire, so to remedy this shortcoming, I've decided to begin throwing some Skorne Home Brew together! Let the good times roll!

Moloch the Flayed.

Among Nihilators, Pain is a fact of life. Adhering to the most strict interpretations of the Code of Hoksune, Few Nihilators survive long enough on the field of battle to advance through any sort of rank. This has not been true of Moloch. Born into a lowly house of the Warrior caste, Moloch found himself unable to achieve Praetorian status, dooming him to the life of the Hestation. Stripped of honor, and cast into the lowliest ranks of Skorne Warrior, Moloch fled into the dessert. The days swam by as Moloch wandered without even a cloak to protect himself from the savage dessert winds. Finally, finding himself unable to continue, he sank to his knees in despair and with one final scream of rage sunk his blade deep into his flesh, longing for the sweet release of death unto the void. But before completing his own vivisection, Moloch collapsed from exhaustion and pain. Lying there, exsanguinating into the sand, he was found by a wandering group of Nihilator supplicants. Seeing his tortured form, the Nihilators brought Moloch to a nearby Mortitheurge for healing.

Moloch awakened to the burning embrace of pain. It was an agony so deep, it seemed to rip into his very soul. He found himself adorned with newly applied flesh hooks and barbs, as well as all manner of torturous devices. Raksaa the Mortitheurge had bent to the task of healing only his most life threatening wounds leaving him to stew in his torment. She had immediately recognized the spark of talent that Moloch displayed for Mortitheurgy, and began instructing him in the most basic tenants of the art, a great honor for one such as him. Moloch seemed a prodigy, able to draw upon vast stores of pain for power.

Some weeks passed before the Nihilator supplicants returned to the Mortitheurge's lair. After questioning Moloch about his situation, the eldest Nihilator welcomed Moloch to accompany them, and seek redemption through battle. Since then, Moloch has been blessed with the honor of holding the title of Xaavaax, the progenitor of the nihilator cult.

It has been several long decades since Moloch became a Nihilator. He proudly displays his scars, both of battle and of self-flagellation. Wielding great power, Moloch can drive his brethren to new heights of blood lust. His very presence inures his fellow Nihilators to even the most terrible wounds, allowing them to continue fighting beyond the limits of other creatures. Now, known as Moloch the Flayed, he has bent his knee to Makeda, knowing that the surest path to his redemption, and possibly exaltation, lie in the Army of the Western Reaches.

Moloch the Flayed
Skorne Nihilator Warlock.

SPD: 6
STR: 8
MAT: 8
RAT: 4
DEF: 16
ARM: 14
CMD: 8
FURY: 6
Boxes: 16
WB Pts: 4
Weapons:
Cleaver of Xaalaax: POW 5 P+S 13
:Reach:
:Magic-Wpn:
*Attack: Thresher.
*Attack: Armor Piercing.

Abilities:
Tough
Berserk
Overtake
Elite Cadre [Nihilators]: Friendly Nihilator Models gain Steady. (This model cannot be knocked down)

Moloch the Flayed lives bathed in pain.
Feat: Wave of Agony
Non-Construct enemy models beginning their activations within Moloch's Control Range suffer -2 MAT, RAT, and DEF. Effected models cannot give or receive orders, effected warbeasts cannot be forced. Wave of Agony lasts for one round.

Spells:
Fury: As Xerxis.
Torment: as pMorghoul.
Carnage: As pMakeda.

Change Log! YAY!
Fixed some grammatical errors in Moloch's Fluff section, yay for drunken writing.
Upped Moloch's STR to bring his P+S to 13, added Reach to Cleaver.
Changed his feat to Non-Construct models, replaced the SPD debuff to a MAT/RAT/DEF debuff. Feat now also takes away Orders from models.

[simon sez]

I think his DEF and ARM need to be switched, if he is proudly displaying his scars, and is dressed like the lower ARM Nihilators, then logic would suggest he be more mobile but also more fragile.

The Cleaver could do really well with Reach and one more point of POW, and compensate for that by removing the Armour Piercing * attack.

Does 'Wave of Agony' really need to be living model exclusive? If you changed it to enemy non-Construct models, it would have a far more universal effect (Remember all Warjacks count as being Constructs) I'm not sure about the -2 SPD part either; it's very useful for denying charges, unless you're using a ranged-heavy list, that SPD debuff won't matter because you'll already be engaged in melee.

How about something like:
Torture Device- Enemy models currently in Moloch's control area suffer -2 DEF and cannot make initial attacks. Torture Device last's for one round.

That way you can still carve them up in melee and remain there virtually invincible for a turn, except against specific models like warnouns that can buy additional attacks, which damages them by sapping their resources.

I like his spells, all dedicated toward bringing the pain which is what Nihilators and Skorne in general are all about.

[Beowulf99]

"I think his DEF and ARM need to be switched, if he is proudly displaying his scars, and is dressed like the lower ARM Nihilators, then logic would suggest he be more mobile but also more fragile."

Hmm. Good point. I'm not sure why I ended up that way. Will change asap.

"The Cleaver could do really well with Reach and one more point of POW, and compensate for that by removing the Armour Piercing * attack. "

He was originally balanced around having EOD, but I decided to stay away from that tempting spell. I think I'll add another point of Power. Also, he was intended to have Reach with the rest of his Nihilator brothers. Don't know what happened to that. :)

"Does 'Wave of Agony' really need to be living model exclusive? If you changed it to enemy non-Construct models, it would have a far more universal effect (Remember all Warjacks count as being Constructs) I'm not sure about the -2 SPD part either; it's very useful for denying charges, unless you're using a ranged-heavy list, that SPD debuff won't matter because you'll already be engaged in melee."

You make a decent point. I'll re-balance the Feat, possibly making it a bit more multi faceted.

"How about something like:
Torture Device- Enemy models currently in Moloch's control area suffer -2 DEF and cannot make initial attacks. Torture Device last's for one round.
That way you can still carve them up in melee and remain there virtually invincible for a turn, except against specific models like warnouns that can buy additional attacks, which damages them by sapping their resources."

Not a bad idea, and it is pretty thematic. I would prefer to stay away from "Torture Device" as the name, as thats a bit more Paingiver than Nihilator.

I like his spells, all dedicated toward bringing the pain which is what Nihilators and Skorne in general are all about.

And that's what I was going for. Mission accomplished!

[Jaren]

Added to the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

[Beowulf99]

Tyrant Ataxes, Master of Hunters
Skorne Cataphract Character Unit attachment.
Can be attached to a unit of Cataphract Arcuarii

It is the sworn duty of the Arcuarii of House Halaak to hunt, and capture the beasts of the untamed Skorne wilds. Their arts have been perfected for generations, weapons and skills refined to bring even the most terrible beast to heel in the service of the Skorne Empire. Tyrant Ataxes exemplifies the Arcuarii discipline. Hailing from a long line of Arcuarii, Ataxes was a natural from the very earliest days of his life. As a young skorne, he wandered alone into the wilds with naught but a staff. Days turned into weeks, and his house thought him lost. One day, nearly a year later, he reappeared clad in armor fashioned from Titan bone and wielding a spear tipped with Ferox teeth. Bearing grisly trophies of his kills, and he was borne into his house with open arms. (WIP)

SPD 5
STR 7
MAT 8
RAT 7
DEF 12
ARM 15
LDR 9
DAMAGE: 8
FA: C
PC 3
Medium Base

Weapon
Needle of Rushalk
POW: 6
P+S= 13
:Reach:
:Weapon-Master:
:Magic-Wpn:

Thrown Needle of Rushalk
RNG: 8
POW: 6
Thrown
Magical Weapon
Drag as per Arcuarii.

Abilities:
:Officer:
Commander
Fearless

(Order): Reel em' In!
For one round, a Model hit by a Combined Ranged attack made by an effected model in this unit may be dragged regardless of base size.

Granted: Prey.

Tactics: Camouflage

[Beowulf99]

Any comments or concerns? Do you think these guys are balanced, or do they need some work?

[simon sez]

I'm not sure it's worth dragging something 2" or less, and Arcuarii don't scream camoflague to me with that medium base and bulky red armour, but Prey is a very nice addition along with his Order to make them a Heavy jack/beast threat.

[Beowulf99]

I'm not sure what you mean by 2" or less... A large base 7.5" from you will be dragged 7.5" until b2b.

Camouflage is supposed to represent Ataxes ability as a tracker in the field. Modern hunters are supposed to wear Bright orange vests, so I figured, eh why not. :)

[simon sez]

I'm not sure what you mean by 2" or less... A large base 7.5" from you will be dragged 7.5" until b2b.But, but the Needle is a melee weapon? It has no RNG or ROF.


Camouflage is supposed to represent Ataxes ability as a tracker in the field. Modern hunters are supposed to wear Bright orange vests, so I figured, eh why not.I... Have no argument for that, fair enough :D

[Beowulf99]

But, but the Needle is a melee weapon? It has no RNG or ROF.


Egads! i forgot his ranged weapon! How embarrassing. Once I have my book in front of me, I'll go ahead and add that in.

[Beowulf99]

Diverging from the other Arcuarii, I've made Ataxes' Needle of Rushalk a thrown weapon with Drag. New update should be coming somewhat soon. :)

[Jaren]

Ataxes now on the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

[Beowulf99]

Gladiator Slavers
Skorne Minion Ally Unit

Spd: 6
STR: 7
MAT: 7
RAT: 6
DEF: 14
ARM: 13
CMD: 9
Ldr and 5= 6 Pts.
FA: 2

Weapons:
Fighting Glaive
POW: 4
:Reach:
*Attack: Leg Sweep
This model makes an attack roll against all enemies in it's Melee Range and LOS. Models hit are Knocked down.

Unit Abilites:

Minion: Gladiator Veterans may be included in Minion armies.

:Fearless:

Parry

Ranked Attacks

Gang

[Jaren]

Veterans now on the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

[Beowulf99]

Among the diverse population of the Skorne Empire, there are few reasons for grand celebration. For most of the populace, their sole refuge from the struggle for survival lies in watching bloody gladiatorial events. In the beginning of this grand Skorne tradition, only those who failed not only their Praetorian Trials, but also showed a lack of skill as a Hestation were thrown into the pits with the crudest of implements. In modern times however, the Gladiator pits have been taken over by wealthy Skorne who inject their Gladiators with a sense of pride. These cruel figures often train their initiates themselves, clad in thick armor. Under handed dealings with Mortitheurges often bless Pit Bosses with uncanny strength to match their cunning. Another advantage taken by many Pit Bosses are weapons crafted with illegal obtained Sacral Stones, imbuing said implements with strengths no amount of tempered steel could match. A Pit Bosses Champion would wield the mightiest of these weapons, typically a long blade with an inverse curve called a Kopesh.

With the Campaign against the West well under way, many Pit Bosses are taking to the field in hopes of finding favor with the Tyrants of their cities, as well as the promise of exotic slaves for their spectacles of slaughter.

Pit Boss of Halaak and Scourge
Skorne Minion Ally Unit Attachment

Spd: 6
STR: 7
MAT: 8
RAT: 6
DEF: 13
ARM: 17
CMD: 10
PC: 3
FA: 1

Weapons
Pit Boss:
Slaver Whip
POW: 3
:Reach:
Anatomical Precision

Scourge:
Great Kopesh
POW: 5
:Reach:
*Attack: Backswing

Abilities:
:Fearless:
:Officer:

Granted: Shanghai: As Press Gangers
*With the exception of adding the models to an as yet unnamed unit... It would be hard justifying adding them to a Praetorian Squad or some such.

Tactics: Steady

[Beowulf99]

I've had these Gladiators on the back burner for some time, and they just don't feel... right. Any suggestions?

[Jaren]

Pit boss and Scourge added to the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

[Beowulf99]

Normally, when a Skorne warrior is Exalted to the status of Ancestral Guardian or Immortal, they lose many of their personal bonds to their fellow warriors. This was not so with the triplets known as Haniah, Myphael, and Azariah. The three brothers were inseparable on the battlefield. Azariah, the oldest of the three by scant moments, developed as a youth into a wise and powerful leader in combat. Such was his prowess in battle that he was known as a bastion in the most brutal of combats. Haniah and Myphael would capitalize on this, using their long chained flails to strike unwary adversaries from behind their brother's bulk.

Each of the three brothers earned their exaltation when against all odds, they chased a opposing Tyrant into his burning fortress. The flames brought down the fortress around the chamber in which their battle raged, yet still they fought on. Hours later, with the flames finally doused, the brothers emerged from the ruins battered, charred, and victorious. Many of the house Warriors had fallen that day, and one was hard pressed to find a warrior who was not worthy of exaltation. It wasn't until making their report to their Liege that they fell to their knees, sinking beneath the wait of their injuries almost as one. Thus the three were blessed with the honor of being exalted before their lord, and entombed in the Obsidian bodies they now inhabit.

Long the brothers lay dormant, waiting for the day that their house would need them again. That time has finally come to pass; the three brothers march indomitably ahead a column of their entombed comrades, great warriors all. Wherever they tread, carnage is sure to meet them.

Haniah, Myphael, and Azariah
Skorne Ancestral Guardian Character Unit

SPD 4
STR 9
MAT 9
RAT 6
DEF 12
ARM 18
CMD 10
FA: C
PC: 5
Base Size:
Azariah: Med
Haniah and Myphael: Small
Health:
Azariah: 10
Haniah and Myphael: 5

Weapons:
Azariah
Great Spear: POW 4
:Reach:
Set Defense

Obsidian Shield: POW 2
Buckler

Haniah and Myphael
War Flail: POW 2
Chain Strike: As Mage Hunter Assassin
Chain Weapon
Weapon Master

Abilites

Unit

Martial Discipline

Azariah
Construct
:Officer:

*Action: Aura of Destruction
Models suffering a damage roll while within 4" of this model suffer an additional damage die on all rolls. Aura of Destruction lasts for one round.

Soul Guardian

Spirit Driven

Haniah and Myphael
Construct

Resonance

Bond of Stone: This model gains +3 ARM when within 2" of another friendly Construct Model

[Jaren]

Haniah, Myphael, and Azariah linked to the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

[Beowulf99]

Fun fact: Hananiah (yeah I changed the name. To shorten it, and also to give it more oomph.) Mishael, and Azariah are actually the Hebrew names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego of Bible fame. That's where the similarities end however.

Still looking for commentary on the Gladiators, and now the Character unit. What do you guys think?

[simon sez]

I'm not working from my home, so I can't compare any of the stats, but I do wonder whether Ranked Attacks and CMA really fit with the theme of Gladiators? Gladiators are famous for (Unless the Skorne version is different) fighting to the last man standing on their own, while the abilities they have now make them seem like a well-drilled military unit. I would replace those two abilities with something that reflects their stubbornness, perhaps Self-Sacrifice, and reduce their points by one.

Shanghai and the Scourge look fine, but I wonder if there is a more useful tactic than Steady for them?

Silent Master doesn't seem that useful; it lets his troopers be up to 20" away, but they won't want to be further than 4" to benefit from his Aura of Destruction. Also Azariah is going to want to be near living friendly units for Soul Guardian and Spirit Driven, and the others are going to want to be near him and/or each other (AoD, Bond of Stone) it all feels a bit like a house of cards, you make a misstep and they lose their effectiveness.

[Beowulf99]

You know, I'm not sure where my train of thought was when I put Silent Master on Azariah... I think I was wanting to make it so the unit wants to split up to support the army, but then again the only model that does that well is Azariah, so moot point. I think I'll take it off.

The Gladiator Veterans are supposed to be a well drilled team of combatants who were hand picked to follow their leader into battle. Basically, rather than rushing into single battle, they would have learned to fight as a cohesive unit, almost riot guard like. I'm planning on releasing a cheaper unit of straight up gladiators, who will be more down and dirty self preserving pit fighters. I will take a second look at them though, because your right, they do feel more "Military" than I would want.

[iknowinternet]

They could possibly just benefit from a renaming. Save the Gladiator name for another unit.
Skorne Enforcers
Skorne Conscriptors
Skorne Slavers
Skorne Subjugators

just ideas

[Beowulf99]

Veterans now on the Locator (http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?39532-The-Homebrew-Locator-Thread-Link-your-Hombrew-ideas-here!).

The Veterans have been renamed to Slavers as per IknowInternet's suggestion. I think it fits better thematically.