Codex: Xenarch

[wibble]

Range:24" S3 Assault 2 sounds good.
How about the special weapon Death Arc? How about:
Range:18" S5 Assault 1 causes pinning

They're sounding good fluff-wise so far! A great idea

[Antaeus]

Sounds interesting. Any monkey business with me email address and I send the boys round

Yup, I agree on S3. People often forget that S3 is average, not weak, it only seems weak when compared to Bolt weapons-which is as it should be, what with Bolters being baby missile launchers...

For the basic Arc rifle, looks nice. R24 S3 Ap6 Assault 2 maybe? Thought about Pinning for this as well, but might be too powerful.

For the full-blooded Death Arc: Crazy idea, what about...

R24 S- Ap5 Assault 3/Pinning. Electrical discharge*: Instead of rolling To-wound with the Death Arc, targets must make a Toughness test or suffer a Wound with Ap5. A roll of a 6 always fails, regardless of Toughness.

*Rubbishey name.

Makes it a bit different, but still utterly lethal, especially to light troops, but capable of hurting anything.

[x-esiv-4c]

Ok, I like the idea...Good looking stat-lines indeed. The assault 2 Arc-rifle should mean that troop squads should be small, otherwise you're looking at 40 shots from a 20 man-squad...Dangerous.

perhaps their FOC should be similar to the guard. Such as one troop choice on the FOC would encompass something like 1-3 squads of Xenarch troopers, 1 special squad and 1 Command squad or something like that....Does it even fit in the fluff?...wait...what fluff...we're writing it!

As for the trooper:
Ws: 3 Bs: 3 S: 3 T: 2 A:1 I:2 W:1 Ld:7 Sv: 4+ thoughts?

[x-esiv-4c]

I was also thinking that the walkers could be automated in a way that a Xenarch controller has to be within a certain range of the walkers for them to function at maximum capability, Say the controller has a mind-link interface with 3 walkers, the walkers would have to remain within 12" of the controller or else face a massive drop in leadership and move as it through difficult terrain....

[Antaeus]

That's weird, I was thinking T2 as well...rest of it looks fine. The FOC thing sounds fine in principle, hadn't given it too much thought. Only thing is "shadowy" suggests to me a lack of numbers, and the IG chart encourages big armies...this is open to interpretation though, and obviously there would be times when they took to the field in force.

Ooh, remote control walkers. I like it Immune to Stunned and Shaken results then? Perhaps different classes too: for example, 1 Fast Attack choice buys you three Quicky Walkers (not going to be called that obviosuly) and one Independent Character Controller with an Arc rifle.

[x-esiv-4c]

Bingo Antaeus. Toughness of 2 makes them really weak against lasguns ...But given other advantages might be pretty cool. I concur with you on the whole FOC issue. A lack in numbers would have to be balanced out by something else...

The walkers would encompass all sorts, fast attack, heavy etc etc but all with the "Controller" connection. Wargear for controls may increase the sphere of influence they have or something like that.

So as we have it:
Ws: 3 Bs: 3 S: 3 T: 2 A:1 I:2 W:1 Ld:7 Sv: 4+ ok?

[nurgle_boy]

what about other weapons and troopers?
it may sound a bit crazy, bit how about a heavy weapon which fires something magnetising(?) the air so electricity can travel through the air with ease.

it fires a single shot at a resionable strength, the hits another unit memberwith a lower strength on a 2+, then another on 3+, then 4+, 5+, then a 6.

this represents the shot hitting one target, and splitting into multiple bolts...
does it make sense/sound cool, or am i focusing too much on the electric part?

if im not, heres another!
think long barreled taser type weapon, fires a microthin wire, whic then has billions of volts pumped through it. use in a sniper type unit?

a plasma blasty type thing would be nice as well....

[x-esiv-4c]

I like the idea of charge arcing from one unit to another. The mechanics of it would have to be well thought out to avoid ambiguity or fromage. For a heavy weapon / tank / walker mounted i'm seeing some kind of Tesla thing...

[Antaeus]

One thing I was wondering is about the I2...I'd have thought that a lean, fast-moving creature would have a decent I. Or is it their heavy armour?

For the Troops unit as they are, I'd guess around 8pts/model - how does this look?

Xenarch Infantry - 8pts/model

WS3 BS3 S3 T2 W1 I2 A1 Ld7 Sv4+
Size: 6-10 models
Equipment: Arc rifle. Up to 1 model may take a Death arc (+7pts) (maybe other weapons later)
Special Rules: Concealment: All Xenarch gain +1 to Cover saves.

[Antaeus]

Other random thoughts:

Xenarch Shadowwalker (Elites)
WS3 BS3 S3 T3 W2 I3 A2 Ld8 Sv4+
Size: 6-10 models
Equipment: Death arc
Special rules: Concealment, Infiltrators, Hit and Run, 12" charge move

-Slightly bigger, tougher Xenarch with extra limbs - either organic or mechanical. We haven't really thought much about their appearance apart from the number of limbs - are we going quadruped or biped? And do they have bionics technology? I have a cool mental image of their armour having transparent piping glowing with electrical discharges...

New weapon: Rip-laser. First non-electrical weapon, utilises a pair of laser beams to rip a target in two. S8 re-rolling unsuccessful armour pen rolls maybe?

[x-esiv-4c]

Let me mull over what we have so far and make some suggestions. As for now it's looking pretty damn good.

[Lady Bastet]

I have an idea for a weapon- a gun that allows lightning to arc from one target to another. Sort of like the Axe of Khorne only a gun.

[Antaeus]

Sounds like fun. Any further specifics? Assault or Heavy?

[Lady Bastet]

I picture a sort of flamer myself, so assault I guess.

[x-esiv-4c]

Antaeus, did you manage to see that video I sent you? Bastet, I like the idea about the assault weapon...Can you come up with a stat-line or something?

I'm working on the "Walkers" that are controlled by a "Connector" Essentially a Xenarch with an MIU link that controls several robotic walkers....call them golems or something.

[Antaeus]

I did indeed. Lovely. I like magic (if I don't understand how it works, it must be magic) You should do it again, replacing the lifter with a Falcon Grav Tank or something...

[x-esiv-4c]

Hehe, The lifter itself is only around 6 grams however If I could rig up several corona wires and perhaps an airfoil, then maybe I could get a grav-tank to lift off.

While on the subject, does anyone have an idea what kind of HQ unit the Xenarch would have? I was thinking of calling an HQ unit: Prophetic Deep. Something strange like that.

[Antaeus]

Sounds promising. A psyker? Or maybe it gives nearby troops some kind of bonus, like enhancing their Cover save.

Again, crazy brainstorm mode engaged.

Prophetic Deep: Xpts
WS3 BS4 S4 T4 W2 I1 A2 Ld9 Sv3+

Equipment: Death arc, Power weapon.
Special Rules: Infiltrators, Shadow: all Xenarch units within 12" gain +2 to Cover saves and enemies need to test for Night Fighting.

Very different from fighty or leader-y commanders *shrug*

[x-esiv-4c]

Ohhh I like that a lot, very nice. Not sure about giving it a death-arc, perhaps we need to come up with some other weapons. Some pistols or something. I like the Night-fighting thing.

As for pistol:

Charge-Pistol ( change name ) Range: 12" Str: 3 Ap: 5 Pistol (Low setting)
Range: 12" Str: 4 Ap:5 Pistol ( high setting / gets hot )

Prior to rolling to hit, player must choose a charge setting.

[Antaeus]

Interesting. Just said a Death arc since we didn't have much else yet I gave it I1 because I had the idea that it wears much heavier armour (hence its high Toughness and better save.)

The pistols...fine idea, though I'm not sure S4 Ap5 is worth the chance of it overheating. Maybe the low setting always fires 2 shots, the high setting 1 shot?