Codex: Spyrer Hunting Party

[Ambience 327]

I've always been interested in the Spyrers from Necromunda - they are such a unique group with a fantastic background and reason for being. The idea of snobby rich kids donning powered armour bristling with advanced weapons, then descending into the Underhive to hunt the dregs of their society in order to prove their worth is very appealing - at least as part of the grim, dark future of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

I decided that it is likely that nobility from numerous hive-worlds might take up such an idea and send their own heirs into the crucible of battle that exists in the lowest levels of most hive cities. That being said, in a galaxy torn apart by war it is not unlikely that these hunting parties might sometimes find themselves smack dab in the middle of a planetary invasion, a mutant uprising, a political coup or some other conflict - forcing them to fight their way to safety, or to battle for their lives and the freedom of their hive or world.

I figured it was also possible that some of these nobles might get bored, secure passage on a merchant ship and seek out new challenges to test their skills and the limits of their equipment.

I also thought it might be fun to throw the little brats into battle with the most dangerous foes available and see how they fare...

All of this is why I have created the Spyrer Hunting Party army list, presented here in .pdf form for your enjoyment, and especially for your comments and constructive criticism. I have tried to stay true to the nature of each Spyrer, though a few concessions had to be made to make them competetive in the larger Warhammer 40,000 Universe. I also created a list of "Helper Drones" available to the Spyrers (based initially on the "defense systems" the Spyrers have access to in Necromunds, but much expanded), which should help bulk out the numbers a bit to prevent them getting slaughtered too quickly.

Keep in mind that this list is written with games of roughly 500-1000 points in mind. Anything larger would probably not work out so well.

So - what do people think?


EDIT: New version of Codex uploaded 12/7/09.

[Ambience 327]

46 views and no replies?

Is nobody interested in the Spyrers?



...am I...that old...?

[puppetmaster24]

the spyers concept does not work as an army.
do you really think the imperium is going to let these guys just walk abot the place hunting marines and imperial guard regiments.

[wolf40k]

I don't know what to tell you. Necromunda was just being pulled from the stores when I started, so I never really got to play. could be a cool idea though.

[Ambience 327]

the spyers concept does not work as an army.
do you really think the imperium is going to let these guys just walk abot the place hunting marines and imperial guard regiments.

Well, this isn't meant to represent a standing army that travels all over the Imperium stamping out heretics, aliens and mutants. It is meant to be a group of Spyrers that find themselves faced with something out of the ordinary, and deal with it as best as they can - or who get bored and pay some rogue merchant to take them on a "safari" into wild space to tackle something a bit bigger and more dangerous than your average ganger.

I don't expect the Imperium's official position on Nobles hunting working class stiffs would be very positive, but they do it all the time. They get away with it because they don't cause too much trouble for the local Arbites, PDF or the ruling house. If they did, the can expect to get into trouble and possibly have to fight their way through an ambush (which could be well represented by an army fielded using this Codex fighting an Imperial Guard force...)

It isn't meant to be used in anything but friendly games, and then only in small battles of 1000 points or less. I'm just looking for people's thoughts on the codex itself, not whether or not it should exist. I don't need anyone's permission to play the game my way (except my opponent's of course), I'm just hoping to get some feedback on whether these rules work or not, and maybe some suggestions to improve them, or pointers to any glaring mistakes/loopholes that exist in the rules as I've written them.

[Thanghul]

I'd recommend a serf type troop to go along with the hunting parties. (Say IG Storm Troopers).

Otherwise in normal games, there is going to be too many spyrers.

[Ambience 327]

Interesting concept, and that is sort of the reason behind the "Helper Drone" idea. However, I don't know if I see the Spyrers bringing their servants along on a hunt - they would only slow them down. Also, keep in mind that this Codex is written with games of 1000 points or less in mind. You can field a maximum of 22 Spyrers in a 1000 point army, but they would have no Power Boosts, and give out up to 11 Kill Points if you kill them all. In a more reasonable force (i.e. each Spyrer is given some Power Boosts, and some are accompanied by an appropriate Helper Drone or two), you're going to see maybe a dozen Spyrers total.



I had a chance to do some playtesting over the holiday weekend using an army of 2 each of the four primary Spyrer types with a Combat Drone attached to each Malcadon. Each Spyrer was given some but not all of their Power Boosts. The grand total came out to 500 points.

The first game was against a 500 point Tyranid army with lots of Termagants and Genestealers, plus a trio of Warriors, a Zoanthrope and a Biovore. It took a while to whittle down the broods, and I lost half of my Spyrers and both Combat Drones, but I managed to table the 'Nids on the 6th turn. (It was really tense there in the mid-game, and could have gone either way depending on the dice.)

The second game was against a 500 point IG army fielded as a "counts as" Genestealer Cult - just the sort of thing the Spyrers might accidentally bump into when they are out hunting. The army was very Infantry heavy, and for the first few turns I was afraid I wouldn't be able to kill enough models, but a few lucky dice rolls (mostly Invulnerable saves from my Jakara and Orrus) saw me beat back the rolling tide and eek out a slim victory.

My opponent and I agreed that none of the Spyrers seemed overpowered, and that both games could have ended quite differently with different choices made or different dice-roll outcomes. (Which, of course, is what a balanced rule set should really come down to - strategy and luck!)

[natsirtm]

Taken a quick peek at it, as spyrers are near & dear to my heart.

Some ideas;
* shouldn't give the jakara 2 saves - either leave it as a 5+ inv which will help against high AP, or have it increase the general save. I would just leave it as 5+ inv. Nobody in 5th edition gets two chances to save.

* why the dual configs for the orrus & yeld weapons? to be honest I don't see how this fits in, especially the yeld at S7 when counted as a heavy weapon? too powerful.

[drmarco]

I actually love the effort you've gone to with this, and like the idea immensely...

The spyrers are close to my heart too, and Necromunda in general added some nice dimensions to the background of the 40k universe, but a few unresolved issues make me shy away from what is, on first reading, a brilliant home-grown, fluff rich 'codex'.

The first is the inability to make it tourney legal...

I would LOVE to see a points heavy tourny legal 'counts as' list of a handful of spyrers...There is already scope for this in the guise of Inquisitor retinues and, heavens forfend, with 'counts as' tau lists

The second is the 'Tau conundrum'...

One postulated theory is that the spyrer rigs are actually prototype or blackmarket acquired tau prototypes, and that the reason they had such extensive recording/broadcasting tech was to feed information back to the Tau empire...This was heavily alluded to in the original tau codex, especially when you look at the Tau language section - j'kaara is tau for 'mirror', mal'caor is tau for 'spider', or'es is tau for 'powerful' and Yeld'i means 'Winged one'....Perhaps you should consider looking at the current Tau codex and seeing if existing battlesuit heavy lists could be rule-matched with existing spyrer types?

As it stands, the effort you've clearly put in makes the local game-group gamer in me exceptionally happy...but the world dominating megalomaniac says that if you made this a 'counts as' list, then you could REALLY have something that could shake up some tournaments...

Cheers,

Marco

[Ambience 327]

@ natsirtm

Thanks for taking a look, and especially for the feedback. As to your specific comments...

* shouldn't give the jakara 2 saves - either leave it as a 5+ inv which will help against high AP, or have it increase the general save. I would just leave it as 5+ inv. Nobody in 5th edition gets two chances to save.

One reason I did it is precisely because nobody else gets two chances to save - it makes for a unique mechanic. Of course, if you negate her Armour Save, she only gets the one chance, but still...

Also, one of the goals was to make the list actually playable. When you are dealing with 2-wound models that operate by themselves (or in small units filled with fragile drones), you often need something extra to survive. The Orrus has high Toughness and a Power Field, the Yeld has his Chameleon ability, the Malcadon...well he has to stay out of sight, and the Yeld gets an extra chance to save.

My Jakara were pretty resilient to enemy fire in playtests, but they do have their vulnerabilities - such as Flamers and AP5 or better Blast Weapons, which ignore both of their saves. Of course, if the enemy decides to shoot a Lascannon at the Jakara, they'd better be prepared to suffer the effects of a reflection!

* why the dual configs for the orrus & yeld weapons? to be honest I don't see how this fits in, especially the yeld at S7 when counted as a heavy weapon? too powerful.

This decision was purely one of artistic license made for gameplay. I know these dual-mode weapons don't represent the Spyrers as they are in Necromunda, but in my opinion at least, they allow for a more fun game overall. (And I thought people would have more issues with me giving the Orrus a Power Fist!)

As far as the Yeld goes, the list was severely lacking in anti-tank ability, with only the Orrus really being able to do anything to them, and that up-close. I figured that the Yeld are using laser weapons, which could be overcharged to fire something a bit more potent, but taking time to properly charge and aim the blast. They wouldn't bother with this kind of attack in Necromunda, since they are shooting at squishy gangers rather than battle tanks, but here it makes sense.

The Orrus, on the other hand, was basically a single-minded steamroller in his first draft - he would simply run forward shooting at the enemy (since his weapon was purely an Assault weapon at the time), then smash into them in brutal close combat. He had no real tactical choices to make. His Power Field meant that cover wasn't important, and his equipment made movement toward the enemy the only reasonable thing to do. Adding in an option for sitting back and shooting at greater range and to greater effect means the Spyrer player actually has to make decisions with him - i.e. "Is it worth it to miss out on the extra range and extra shot in order to close with the enemy and deliver some Power-Fist hurting a bit sooner, or should I hang back for a turn or two and soften them up first?"



@ drmarco

Thank you as well for taking a look and taking the time to comment.

As far as tournaments go, I'm afraid they are a bit outside of my gaming horizon for the time being. I've participated in the past, and wouldn't mind doing so again, but as a father of two young children (1yr &2yrs), with another due in May, travelling for a tourny isn't really an option, and the scene in my local area is pretty much non-existent.

On the other hand, I have a few people (mostly friends and family) with whom I can get a few games in on occasion, and they are all more than happy to allow me to use house rules and such, and help me playtest them to find a good balance. So for me, the rules as I've presented them are by far the better option.

On the issue of the "Tau conondrum", I'm well aware of the implied connection given in the earlier Tau Codex, and I've even subtly played to it with the inclusion of my "Helper Drones" - which can easily be imagined to represent additional Tau technology sold the the Spyrers. Again though, as I only use the list for friendly games, I'd much rather have my Spyrers be represented by these rules than to try and shoe-horn them into a Tau or Inquisition list, with half-fitting rules and gear.

[Vermin-thing]

Very nice. It should make for an interesting mini molding project.

I'm going to go for a eldarish theme for the models.

Now to make up a 1000 point list. I'll post it when I'm done.

Oh no there's a typo! The rules for the combat done says that it increases it's A to 1, not 2.

Okay here's the list:

Spyrer Hunting Party 1000 points (1000)

HQ:
Patriarch: 60 (Iron will (10), Adrenaline Drone (10), Combat drone (15), Medicae Drone (15)) 110
Matriarch: 60 (Silent stalker (10), Combat master (10), Demolition drone (10), Gun drone (15), Seeker Drone (15)) 120

Elite:
Jakara: 45 (Enhanced mirror shield (5), Sharpened Mono sword (5), Adrenaline drone (10), Flachette Drone (10)) 75
Jakara: 45 (Enhanced mirror shield (5)) 50
Jakara: 45
Jakara: 45
Malcadon: 45 (Enhanced venom (5), Razor claws (5), Reinforced Webbing (5), Combat drone X 2 (30)) 90
Malcadon: 45 (Razor claws (5)) 50
Malcadon: 45 (Increased Motive Capacity (5)) 50

Fast Attack:
Yeld: 45 (Accentuated Maneuverability (5), Boosted Laser power (5), Medicae drone (15), Combat drone (15)) 85
Yeld: 45 (Accentuated Maneuverability (5), Boosted Laser power (5)) 55
Yeld: 45

Heavy support:
Orrus: 45 (Power field Strengthened (5), Medicae Drone (15), Combat drone (15)) 80
Orrus: 45 (Heavy Bolt Ammo (5)) 50
Orrus: 45 (Advanced Target Analyzer (5)) 50

[Ambience 327]

Thanks Vermin-thing. You've given me the ultimate compliment in actually trying out the list. Let me know how any games you might play go.

As far as the typo, thanks for pointing it out. I'll get it fixed as soon as possible and upload a new version.


I've got a question on your propsed list though - why did you put a Combat Drone with the Yeld? They are the weakest of my Spyrers in close combat, and the ones easiest to keep out of it (thanks to being Jump Infantry). Why would you give him a Combat Drone when a Gun Drone or a Seeker Drone would be so much more beneficial to his role?

Your choice of the Gun Drone & Seeker Drone for the Matriarch is a bit more understandable, but I wonder if they might not be more useful attached to one of the Yeld or Orrus, as the Matriarch has no shooting of her own. Of course, having this little unit infiltrate and benefit from the Chameleon cover save improvement could be quite interesting.

[Vermin-thing]

Thanks Vermin-thing. You've given me the ultimate compliment in actually trying out the list. Let me know how any games you might play go.

As far as the typo, thanks for pointing it out. I'll get it fixed as soon as possible and upload a new version.


I've got a question on your propsed list though - why did you put a Combat Drone with the Yeld? They are the weakest of my Spyrers in close combat, and the ones easiest to keep out of it (thanks to being Jump Infantry). Why would you give him a Combat Drone when a Gun Drone or a Seeker Drone would be so much more beneficial to his role?

Your choice of the Gun Drone & Seeker Drone for the Matriarch is a bit more understandable, but I wonder if they might not be more useful attached to one of the Yeld or Orrus, as the Matriarch has no shooting of her own. Of course, having this little unit infiltrate and benefit from the Chameleon cover save improvement could be quite interesting.

Hmmm as it's a first draft list I still have to work out the kinks in paper. I think I wanted to give the drone that takes wounds to the yeld but I can't seem to find it in the list. The Ablation Drone. How many points is it?

I was thinking the Matriarch could use some fire support for things she wouldn't be able to kill in close quarters. Take for example some Devs or rangers.

[Ambience 327]

Ok, Vermin-thing, thanks for pointing out a few additional mistakes. You are now my official proof-reader.

I've just uploaded a revision of the Codex, changing the Attacks on the Combat Drone from 1 to 2, bolding the Ablation Drone on the Helper Drone page and adding the cost for it to each Spyrer's Options list (it's 20 points, by the way). I also added a note that each Drone was equipped with a basic close combat weapon as standard, so that no confusion would arise as to how they fight in close combat. You'll find the revised version in the first post, right where the first version was.

While I was at it, I added an option to give one Combat Drone per Spyrer a Rending Weapon in place of their Close Combat Weapon for +5 points. I thought they might need a bit more punch to really out-shine the other Drones in close combat, but I didn't want to just hand it to them (they already get 3 Attacks on the charge, as compared to 1 for all other Drone types). I figured a small additional cost, and a limit of 1 per Spyrer, would make it a tactical choice rather than a compulsory upgrade. It also makes the Combat Drone that much more attractive to the actual close-combat Spyrers, giving them just a bit of extra punch. (The only other Rending weapons in the Spyrer list being the upgraded version of the Malcadon's claws.)

I see where you are going with giving the Matriarch some fire support, but that can also be done simply by supporting her with another Spyrer. It really comes down to personal choice (which, in my opinion, means I've done a good job of making the Drones equally attractive), but I think my own Matriarch will be accompanied by Drones that will help her do her primary job even better - i.e. getting into close combat and tearing things apart. With that in mind, I'll probably give mine an Adrenaline Drone (to get there quicker), a Combat Drone with a Rending Weapon (to chew through the enemy faster) and a Frag Drone (to make sure cover isn't an issue). The Adrealine Drone would be the first to go casualty-wise, unless the enemy just isn't using any cover (or doesn't have much available). The Combat Drone would be last, as it is the most expensive, and also the most useful once I get her into charge range.


One thing I failed to mention in reply to your first post - you said you were going to go with an "Eldarish" theme for your models. Well, I've been hard at work converting up a group of Spyrers for myself. So far, I've got two of each - one male and one female - of the four main types. Most of them use Dark Eldar Warriors and Eldar Guardians as their main parts source (torso, legs, arms, heads). Really, only my male Orrus uses anything substantially different (Space Marine body). Once I get this first group to a presentable level (I'm really just short one set of Yeld wings which I'll be finishing very soon), I'll post them in the modelling section with a link in this thread. I would love, however, to see what kind of conversions you can come up with as well.

(As a side note, I'm getting together parts for my various Drones as well, and will start working on them soon, as well as another 1 or 2 of each main Spyrer type and my Patriarch and Matriarch. For most of my Drones, I'll be making them using a Space Marine Jump Pack as the primary body.)

[Vermin-thing]

At this stage it's hard to tell where to put each drone. This can be solved by a few games I guess.

My biggest predicament is by far what models to use as a base, namely drones as I don't want to use tau drones.

So far I've decided that:

Idea one:

Malcadons= Striking scorpions with claws.

Jakaras= Howling banishes/Harlequins.

Yelds= Swooping Hawks.

Orus= Dire avengers with duel power fists.

Matriarch= Harlequin troop master converted with a long cloak, and scythe weapon.

Patriarch= Heavily converted dire avenger.

Idea two:

Use only the harlequin models, and apply the necessary conversion, and paint job to each model.

Edit:

Version .02:

HQ:
Patriarch: 60 (Iron will (10), Adrenaline Drone (10), Combat drone (15), Medicae Drone (15)) 110
Matriarch: 60 (Silent stalker (10), Combat master (10), Demolition drone (10), Gun drone (15), Seeker Drone (15)) 120

Elite:
Jakara: 45 (Enhanced mirror shield (5), Sharpened Mono sword (5), Adrenaline drone (10) Ablation Drone (20)) 85
Jakara: 45 (Enhanced mirror shield (5)) 50
Jakara: 45 (Enhanced mirror shield (5)) 50
Malcadon: 45 (Enhanced venom (5), Razor claws (5), Reinforced Webbing (5), Combat drone X 2 (30)) 90
Malcadon: 45 (Razor claws (5), Adrenaline drone (10)) 60
Malcadon: 45 (Increased Motive Capacity (5)) 50

Fast Attack:
Yeld: 45 (Accentuated Maneuverability (5), Boosted Laser power (5), Medicae drone (15), Combat drone (15)) 85
Yeld: 45 (Accentuated Maneuverability (5), Boosted Laser power (5)) 55
Yeld: 45 (Accentuated Maneuverability (5), Boosted Laser power (5)) 55

Heavy support:
Orrus: 45 (Power field Strengthened (5), Medicae Drone (15), Combat drone (15)) 80
Orrus: 45 (Heavy Bolt Ammo (5)) 50
Orrus: 45 (Advanced Target Analyzer (5)) 50

[Ambience 327]

I can't really help you with your model choice, as it really sounds like it would be down to personal choice. I think the first option would probably be easier, as it involves less conversion, but that doesn't make it better or worse - just more effort involved.

I do hope you'll come back and share your experiences with them once you've given them a go. I plan to do some more gaming with them over the Christmas holiday when I'll have a bit of free time due to being off work a few days, so I'll try to share my additional playtesting notes.

For reference, here is the 500 point list I've used for playtesting thus far:

Jakara (Sharpened Mono Sword, Enhanced Mirror Shield, Imrpoved Motive Power) - 60
Jakara (Sharpened Mono Sword, Enhanced Mirror Shield, Imrpoved Motive Power) - 60
Malcadon (Enhanced Venom, Increased Motive Capacity, Combat Drone) - 75
Malcadon (Enhanced Venom, Increased Motive Capacity, Combat Drone) - 75
Orrus (Heavy Bolt Ammo, Power Field Strengthened, Sustained Fire Control) - 60
Orrus (Heavy Bolt Ammo, Power Field Strengthened, Sustained Fire Control) - 60
Yeld (Boosted Laser Power, Enhanced Chameleon Ability) - 55
Yeld (Boosted Laser Power, Enhanced Chameleon Ability) - 55

Total - 500


And here is my current planned expansion to 1000 points:

Patriarch (Iron Will, Marksman, Ablation Drone, Gun Drone, Seeker Drone) - 110
Matriarch (Combat Master, Silent Stalker, Adrenaline Drone, Rending Combat Drone, Frag Drone) - 120
Jakara (Enhanced Mirror Shield, Improved Motive Power, Sharpened Mono Sword) - 60
Jakara (Enhanced Mirror Shield, Improved Motive Power, Sharpened Mono Sword) - 60
Jakara (Enhanced Mirror Shield, Improved Motive Power, Sharpened Mono Sword) - 60
Malcadon (Enhanced Venom, Increased Motive Capacity, Rending Combat Drone, Demolition Drone, Medicae Drone) - 105
Malcadon (Enhanced Venom, Increased Motive Capacity, Rending Combat Drone) - 80
Malcadon (Enhanced Venom, Increased Motive Capacity) - 60
Orrus (Heavy Bolt Ammo, Power FIeld Strengthened, Sustained Fire Control) - 60
Orrus (Heavy Bolt Ammo, Power FIeld Strengthened, Sustained Fire Control) - 60
Orrus (Heavy Bolt Ammo, Power FIeld Strengthened, Sustained Fire Control) - 60
Yeld (Boosted Laser Power, Enhanced Chameleon Ability) - 55
Yeld (Boosted Laser Power, Enhanced Chameleon Ability) - 55
Yeld (Boosted Laser Power, Enhanced Chameleon Ability) - 55

Total - 1000

(I am, however, thinking of tweaking the 1000 point list a bit, in order to use more of the Power Boosts. I just need to figure out how to put them together in order to give each model specific roles. For example, I might move the Demolition Drone to an Orrus, and swap out his "Sustained Fire Control" for an "Advanced Target Analyzer" to make a dedicated tank hunting team.) There really is a lot to think about here, and an ability to tailor the force according to your play style and needs. I consider that a success.

[Vermin-thing]

I've decided on using only the Harlequin models as it will be considerably cheaper $$$ wise, and I wont have allot of models left over. Plus how can you go wrong with those models? The death jester would work perfectly as the Matriarch with minimal conversion.

I'm still stumped for what to do for the drones.

Depending on if I can get something together for the drones I might be able to get a game in this week.

[massey]

If you want to flesh it out to a more complete list, what if the Spyrers were bored, and decided to accompany a Rogue Trader or some sort of mercenary outfit (or perhaps they hired a bunch of underhive guys to accompany them as meatshields)? You could have a small group of Spyrers acting as a squad in a larger force, sort of like how Harlequins are for the Eldar. I know that's a totally different take on the concept than what you've been going with here, but it popped into my head when looking over your codex.

[Ambience 327]

While that is certainly one way to go, I don't think I'll be running with it - for a few reasons:

1) One of the reasons I built the codex the way I did is because I like the idea of a small group of elite warriors/hunters who operate independently (or mostly so - see the Drones) but in concert with on another. It is like taking the idea of a Deathwing army and boiling it down even further. Rather than a squad of Assault specialiests and a squad of Shooting specialists, I have a single model as an Assault specialist and a single model as a shooting specialist. (Plus, I can play a small "Elite" army in very small games, without it being overpowered or unplayably crippled.)

2) Each type of Spyrer is suited to a particular battlefield role. (i.e. a Jakara charges forth heedless of cover, and cut down even the most heavily armoured foes, whereas a Malcadon slinks through difficult terrain and picks off isolated targets, while the Yeld flits around from one hidey-hole to another, zapping his enemies and deftly avoiding their return fire.) Putting them all together in one big squad would just result in a unit that has no defined purpose, and whose special rules clash with one another. For example, the Orrus and Yeld might want to stand and shoot, while the Jakara and Malcadon would be urging them forward so they can get to grips up-close. They just don't mesh well together.

3) Combatting #2 above would mean fielding small squads of different types of Spyrers. They would basically be filling the roles they do now, but in larger groups of the same. Each squad type would fill a particular niche, and they would have to work together to accomplish their goals. If kept at their current power levels, squads of these guys would probably be over-powered. If you lowered their power levels a bit, you'd basically have Eldar Aspect Warriors with slightly different rules and gear. Why not just field an Eldar army and be done with it? I think the flavor the Spyrers have in my list makes them very disctinctive from any other 40K army out there, rather than just being "Eldar in different clothing" or something like that. If that was what I was going for, I'd just do a "counts as" army and be done with it.*


*Note, I'm not wholly against the idea of "counts as". I use it for my Adeptus Arbites and Genestealer Cult armies. I just think the Spyrers deserve a bit more than that, or at least that they cannot be fielded quite as satisfyingly in such a manner as armies such as the Arbites or Genestealer Cults can.

[Toe Cutter]

Just out of interest, are you playing games with your spyrers with necromunda amounts of terrain or 40K amounts of terrain?

Can't help feeling that in the necromunda setting, the spyrers would be able to ambush and pick of a much larger points sized 40k army.