HEAVY SUPPORT |
Trained Cult members are often assigned to provide long range support to the advancing forces. PDF members will usually have training for these common heavy weapons, and better yet easy access to them! Cults commonly send raiding parties to "liberate" stored weapons from local depots, often with the aid of recruited officers who provide security codes and other support. Unit: The unit is formed from 1-3 Heavy Weapons teams. Each team consists of 2 Brood Brother Comrades. Generally speaking one crewman carries and fires the weapon while the other member of the team carries the ammunition. In game terms the presence - or lack of it - of the ammunition carrier makes no difference to the way the heavy weapon is moved or fired. The ammunition carrier may shoot any weapons he is armed in the same shooting phase that the weapon carrier fires the heavy weapon. If either member of the team is killed, the remaining crewman can continue to fire the weapon as normal. The unit can be lead by a single Hybrid Acolyte or Neophyte (see below). Weapons: Each model is armed with a lasgun and wears Flak Armor (Armor Save 6+), and one Heavy Weapon per team: Autocannon (+30 pts) , Lascannon (+30), Heavy Bolter (+20), Mortar (+15), Missile Launcher (+20). The weapon cost is added to the 14 points per crew team to arrive at the total weapon cost (for example, a Lascannon team would cost 44 points). Hybrid Leader: The unit may be lead by either a single Hybrid Acolyte (+10 pts) or Hybrid Neophyte (+12 pts). The Hybrid Leader is with a Laspistol or Autopistol, wears well-made Flak Armor (5+ Save), and can select items from the Armory as normal.
Cult Tanks Once the Cult has infiltrated military units, the next step is to gain access to weapons depots and storage yards. Soon, local materiel officers find a dramatic increase in missing parts and vehicles "wrecked beyond repair" on remote exercises or transferred to other commands. All of these of course being siphoned to the growing Cult force. Many tanks are simply left alone in the depots, and stolen right before the Cult makes its bid for power. Other vehicles are salvaged in battle, or even built in secret using stolen Standard Template Construct (STC) data. The Cult rarely if ever gains combat access to the more rare and valuable tank types, due to higher security and scrutiny (and difficulty in operation too!), thus most Cults only can field the more common Imperial tanks. Cult Tank Options: All Cult Tanks listed below can take any of the vehicle upgrades from the Armory list except for an Armored Crew Compartment. Transport: Any vehicles listed below with Transport capability can only carry the Magus, Demagogue, Brood Brothers & Hybrids. They cannot carry Genestealers, or the Patriarch.
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrades Transport: Up to 10 Brood Brothers or Hybrids, plus a Unit Leader (Hybrid Leader, Magus, Demagogue) Weapon Options: The Chimera may be armed with a single turret mounted weapon for +10 points: Multi-laser, Heavy Flamer, or Heavy Bolter. In addition, it may be fitted with a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter for +5 points.
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrades Weapons: Twin-linked Lascannons in each Sponson and hull-mounted forward firing Twin-linked Heavy Bolters Transport: Up to 10 Brood Brothers or Hybrids + Unit Leader (Hybrid Leader, Magus, or Demagogue) Note: Most Space Marine vehicles would be very difficult for Cult forces to capture or steal; due to such rarity this vehicle counts as two Heavy Support choices
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrades Weapons: Turret-mounted Battlecannon. You must also equip it with a single hull mounted weapon for the following cost: Heavy Bolter +5 points or lascannon +15 points Options: You may upgrade the Leman Russ with a pair of sponson weapons at +10 points for either pair of weapons: Heavy Bolters or Heavy Flamers.
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrades Weapons: Turret-mounted Twin-linked Lascannons Options: You may upgrade the Annhilator with a pair of sponson weapons: Heavy Bolters at +10 points for the pair, or Lascannons at +25 points for the pair Note: Most Space Marine vehicles would be very difficult for Cult forces to capture or steal; due to such rarity this vehicle counts as two Heavy Support choices
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrades Weapons: Turret-mounted Autocannon Options: You may upgrade the Destructor with a pair of sponson weapons: Heavy Bolters at +10 points for the pair, or Lascannons at +25 points for the pair Note: Most Space Marine vehicles would be very difficult for Cult forces to capture or steal; due to such rarity this vehicle counts as two Heavy Support choices
Type: Tank Crew: Brood Brother Comrade Weapons: Storm Bolter Transport: Up to 10 Brood Brothers or Hybrids, plus a Unit Leader (Hybrid Leader, Magus, Demagogue)
Cult Support Weapons Cults can sometimes gain access (or get lucky and steal) Imperial Support Weapons. These are usually large stand-alone weapons, each with it’s own power source and often even self-propelled. The chances of it happening are very rare though. Cults which invest too much time in attempting to acquire them from their heavily guarded materiel centers usually wind up with little resources left to equip themselves with more conventional weapons.
Support Weapons Special Rules: Both the weapon and at least one Operator must have Line of Sight for non-Guess weapons. Support Weapons give any Operators within 2" of the weapon a 5+ Cover Save against all ranged weapon attacks, but cannot be targeted or harmed themselves in any manner. One Operator must stay within 2" of Support Weapon in order to operate it, but only one operator is needed for operation. Both Operators must stay within 2" of each other. If both Operators are killed, the Support Weapon is also removed from play. Assaulting enemy must attack the crew as they rush up to defend their weapons; enemy cannot Assault the weapon if the crew are present. If Support Weapon is attacked in close combat (operators dead, falling back, or not within 2" of their weapon), it is automatically destroyed & removed from play. Support Weapons cannot Assault and thus cannot move in the Assault Phase, though their crew can leave their weapons to Assault the enemy if desired. Un-crewed Support Weapons will not count towards Crossfire of enemy troops. Support Weapons cannot be transported. Multiple Support Weapons in a Battery will not fire together to create Salvos. Instead, make all range Guesses first as normal, then work out their firing effects one weapon at a time. Crew from one Support Weapon cannot be used to re-crew other Support Weapons, even those in the same Battery or of the same type.
Choosing Cult Support Weapons: Cults can form Support Weapons into Batteries of 1-3 Support Weapons. The Support Weapons in each Battery do not have to be the same weapon; you are free to mix weapons in the Battery as desired. However, obtaining Support Weapons for the Cult ties up many valuable resources that could have been spent in gaining other weapons. Due to this, each Support Weapon Battery selection counts as two Heavy Support choices. The points value per Support Weapon include the cost for the two Brood Brother Comrades serving as Crew.
Hybrid Leader: Support Weapon Batteries can be lead by a single Hybrid Acolyte (+10 pts) or Hybrid Neophyte (+12 pts). The Hybrid Leader is with a Laspistol or Autopistol, wears well-made Flak Armor (5+ Save), and can select items from the Armory as normal. Hybrids cannot operate Support Weapons; they simply do not have the training!
Tarantula Weapon Platform Cost: 35 points each + weapons cost Mounted on small anti-grav or hover skirts, Tarantulas are a widely used Adeptus Mechanicus weapon platform. Almost any Imperial weapon can be easily mounted to the chassis, and with the aid of built-in weapon-linking mechanisms they are very accurate. Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or laspistol and close combat weapon. Weapons: You must equip each Tarantula with one of the following Linked weapon mounts: Lascannon at +25 pts, Heavy Bolter at +15 pts, Autocannon at +20 points, Missile Launcher with Frag & Krak Missiles at +20 pts, Multi-Melta at +30 pts, Plasma Cannon at +27 pts.
Rapier Laser Destroyer Cost: 60 points each Rapier is the common name for a variety of small tracked engines mounting multiple lasers designed to all focus together as a single strike. Known primarily as a tank-killer, the high power beam also have give it a reputation for making sure that any enemy hit stays very, very dead! Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or laspistol and close combat weapon. Weapons: Multiple Rapier Lasers in "Destroyer" Configuration
Mole Mortar Cost: 60 points each Mole Mortars are odd devices much like regular Imperial Mortars, but they fire their shells under the ground rather than through the air. While often inaccurate, they can often catch the enemy unprepared, and the resulting underground explosion literally knocks them off their feet! Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or laspistol and close combat weapon. Weapons: Tunnel Torpedoes
Thudd Gun Cost: 65 points each Thudd Guns resemble Rapiers in many respects, but instead of tank-killing lasers Thudd Guns are armed with anti-personnel weaponry designed to lay down a salvo of explosive shells. Crew: 2 Brood Brother Comrades armed with lasguns or laspistol and close combat weapon. Weapons: Mark III "Punisher" class Quad-launcher
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