Scion:
I really liked the Idea that Tommy H said about mini weapons supporting CD units. I think that would fit the fluff in an awesome way. Can you imagine mini-bolt throwers , swivel guns, small cannon and flame throwers accompanying warriors. I’ll try and come up for some rules for them, but would be quite interested to here your own ideas.
Thoughts?
Thommy H:
My idea was really very much along the lines of Skaven weapon teams. Essentially, you buy a Core unit and as an upgrade they can take a mini-war machine that has to stay within a certain distance of them. Warriors would get mortars, Blunderbusses would get bazookas and Slaves/Hobgoblins/whatever would get mini-bolt throwers. I also briefly toyed with the idea of having them actually inside the units, like unit fillers. I have a feeling that would become very complex though.
My concern was that, combined with the Daemonic Engines I had in my list, it would lead to an incredibly powerful gunline being possible and I didn’t really like that. It would probably work with something more similar to the Ravening Hordes list though.
Scion:
I guess you could limit it in certain ways. Make it so they have to stay within 5" and they have to take part in combat with their parent unit. Also make it so only larger units of core could take them, making it less economical to get lots of them. I don’t think slaves/hobgoblins should be able to take them, would you trust someone who you have tortured for their whole life with a gun to cover your back, oh no.
That gives me another idea. Maybe a rule which means a Chaos Dwarf unit will not move into a position where a hobgoblin unit or slave unit are facing their rear or flank arcs. This doesn’t count if a champion is in the slave unit, as the champion would be there slave driver. Maybe even extend that to missile troops. Slave or Hobgoblin missile troops cannot shoot if there is a CD unit in their front arc.
Thommy H:
I think that would be a very complicated rule to implement. Also, since slave units already have access to their own war machine and are able to take bows, I’m not sure there’s a lot of fluff support for “Chaos Dwarfs wouldn’t trust them not to shoot them in the back”. It’s not like the enemy army would treat them any better if they won, after all…
Scion:
No but the slaves would want to escape, to taste that dangerous elexir - freedom. Wouldn’t you after a life of slavery and as to slaves already having a war machine, that could be changed. But as an idea it would be coll to implement. Make them so they could only operate within 2". Then give them powered down weapons as the batteries.
Also maybe war machine batteries. Able to take more than one cannon at normal cost as one special choice?
Thommy H:
Wouldn't you after a life of slavery and as to slaves already having a war machine, that could be changed.Why introduce a new rule or limitation to explain something that would require altering something that already exists? If it ain't broke don't fix it, you know?
Grimstonefire:
A ‘weapon battery’ is an odd combination of ideas.
I would class ‘weapons’ along the likes of warpfire throwers, ratling guns and the rumoured lightning gun.
A battery would be more like a group of mortars etc.
So that would be like 3 ratling gun teams that form a skirmishing unit of sorts and fire at the same target. Which would be a novel idea, and could be interesting to develop rules for. I keep coming back to the idea that the CD could operate a bit like Tau, whereby their artillery is used in very close to units as covering fire and can be directed quite accurately. The weapon battery thing could do this potentially.
Thommy H:
I think Scion’s title was just arbitrary. I don’t think I ever used the exact term “weapon batteries” to describe my idea. I would prefer something like “support weapons”.
Scion:
Yeah. Support Batteries does sound more like what I meant. And I agree with Grimstonefire, I could see Chaos Dwarfs with guns real close to the enemy. Just to put it in perspective, It would be like having a couple of heavy bolters supporting your Khorne berserker’s from about 5". Deadly. Also make them able to fire into combat with slaves only in it. Randomize the hits etc. and you have a formidable and previously unseen unit type.
Thommy H:
Yeah, something like the way 40K units have a heavy weapon each would be an interesting idea.
Scion:
Hmm, I was thinking two man teams carrying a portable bolt thrower or swivel gun. Make smaller versions (less powerful) and put them next to a unit and bamm. Interesting idea, interesting to fight against too.
Pyro Stick:
Hmm, I was thinking two man teams carrying a portable bolt thrower or swivel gun. Make smaller versions (less powerful) and put them next to a unit and bamm. Interesting idea, interesting to fight against too.If you want to try out using a swivel gun in a cd unit then you could try it using these rules:
Scion
Scion:
Nice rules, I might include them. Thank you.