X-MEN 40K 6TH ED: BRAWLERS:

Here’s the line-up everyone’s been waiting for, the down and dirty fighters of the X-men.  These are the models that mix it up at close range and leave piles of broken badguys in their wake.  And in addition to the previous rules I invented for my x-roster, here’s a third special superheroic rule:

Powerhouse:  A powerhouse character has superhuman strength and stamina, able to tear down buildings in a single pound...ing.  Pounding.  In 40k terms, they are almost a monstrous creature squeezed into a tighter, spandex-wearing package.  The Powerhouse special rule is actually a bundle of other rules that all go together: Smash (including that their melee attacks are AP2), Hammer of Wrath, Strikedown, and Move through Cover (cuz they smash their way through).  Powerhouse characters also commonly have an invuln save.

1.  Colossus  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	3	8	7	3	3	3	8	2+/4+

SuperHeroic Recovery (SHR), Independent Character, 

Powerhouse:  Colossus is the strongest of the X-men and has all of the abilities listed in the Powerhouse collective rule. 

Osmium Steel:  Colossus is made of living steel.  As such he has a 2+ Armor Save and 4+ Invuln save.

Fastball Special:  If Wolverine is in coherence with him, they can make their signature move.  This counts as both Colossus’s and Wolverine’s Move for the turn, so they do not actually Move.  Instead Wolverine is thrown 3D6” in the assault phase; this should be at an enemy but doesn’t have to be—if Wolvie just needs to be thrown over obstacles that’s fine too, and he is moved up to the distance thrown whether he makes contact with the enemy or not.  These 3D6” count like jump infantry and go over terrain, other models, etc, and he may reroll one of the three dice for better distance if needed.  In addition, when thrown into combat this way Wolverine makes D3 Hammer of Wrath impact hits instead of one.  Colossus, however, cannot charge in the same turn.  He is essentially a mutant catapult for his turn.

2.  Wolverine

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
7	4	4	5	3	5	D6+1	9	6+

Independent Character, Super-Spandex, Acute Senses 

Adamantium Claws:  Wolverine’s infamous claws are paired close combat weapons (A+1 already in profile) with the Shred (reroll to wound) and Rending special rules.  In addition, being Adamantium, he rends on rolls of a 5 or 6 (not just a 6), and when Rending against vehicles and buildings he adds an extra D6 for penetration (not a D3).

Adamantium Skeleton:  His heavy, unbreakable bones give him Toughness +1 (already included in his stat line) and allow him to inflict a Hammer of Wrath impact hit on the charge.

 

Berserker Rage:  When in close combat, Wolverine rolls D6 for his number of attacks.  His extra hand weapon is included in his stat line (thus D6 +1).  You then any charging or special bonuses on top of that.  His fury also makes him Stubborn.

Healing Factor: Wolverine heals at an incredible rate, making him nearly impossible to kill.  Against wounds suffered he makes Feel No Pain rolls for 4+ and can do so even against Instant Death.  He also benefits from the It Will Not Die rule, regaining a wound on a 5+ per turn.    

SuperHeroic Recovery (SHR):  Because of his mutant healing factor, Wolverine makes his first SHR roll for a 4+ instead of a 6.  If he is then killed a second time he makes it on a 6.  After that, even his body can take no more—there is no third try to recover. 

Black Ops:  Logan’s history as a special forces operative and give him the Stealth, Infiltrate, Scout, and Move Through Cover special rules.  He also has Acute Senses.

3.  Thunderbird  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
5	4	5	5	3	4	3	8	4+/6+

SHR, Independent Character

Power House:  His Strength, Toughness, and Saves reflect his role as a powerhouse and he has all the special rules associated with it.

Totem Spirit:  Thunderbird emulates the animal world.  As such, he counts as Beast in all respects and likewise Moves 12” and has Fleet and Move Through Cover.

4.  Rogue  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
5	4	6	6	3	4	3	8	4+/5+

SHR, Independent Character, Psyker (mastery level zero)

Aggressive Flyer & Power House:  Rogue is one of the X-men’s most aggressive brawlers and her temper often results in destruction. 

Absorption:  Rogue’s true mutant ability is to absorb the powers and abilities of others (and in game terms, she counts as a level-zero Psyker).  When she inflicts unsaved wounds in close combat, Rogue makes a Ld check.  If she passes then she absorbs a random ability or special rule from one model she wounded.  If more than one model was wounded and they have different abilities or rules, randomly choose which model, then randomly choose which ability.  Rogue will have this new power until such a time as she absorbs a new one and as she cannot control this power she must always test to do so when she inflicts melee wounds.  If the model she absorbed from survived the attack it loses the ability for the rest of the game.

5.  Psylocke  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
6	4	3	3	2	5	3	9	6+/*

SHR, Independent Character, Psyker (mastery level 1), Super-Spandex

Ninja:  In close combat Psylocke benefits from a 5+ Invuln save due to her agility.  She also has the Stealth, Scout, Infiltrate, and Move Through Cover special rules. 

Psi-Screen:  Psylocke telepathically hides herself and any unit within 6” – they all count as Shrouded against ranged attacks.

Telepath:  Psylocke is a level 1 Psyker and knows two powers from the Telepathy list.

Psi-Knife:  “The focus total of her telepathic powers,” in close combat her attacks are resolved using her Ld as Strength (9) and the targets’ Ld in place of their Toughness (so check to wound with Ld vs Ld).  As such her psi-knife can only effect targets with a Ld value.  The psi-knife acts as an AP2 force weapon, so if she expends her Warp Charge into the knife her attacks cause Instant Death.

**Note that my model for Psylocke is an older one.  Below is a Heroclix image stolen from the internet that would be more appropriate.

And here's a few bonus Heroclix images for the fanboys.

***Please also note that I’m an X-fan from way back and haven’t been following them in recent years.  My interpretations may be dated.  I make no claims to “nail it” for any of these guys.  I’m just having fun here.

Scary Clown

My second story to enter the cyber-verse has now been published.  MIME is a short-short story, only about 1000 words, that mixed mobster crime and horror into a fun little story of murder and mayhem.  Well, more murder than mayhem, but still a lot of fun!  And it's FREE to download in any medium on Smashwords.com right now.  Smashwords offers it in formats readable for Kindle, Nook, PC, Mac, iPad, cellphone, and smoke signal devices.  To jump to that page now, just click here.  Or maybe you prefer Barnes & Noble?  And did I mention it was free...?

For more on MIME and my other writing ambitions, feel free to check out my writer's blog at Fugitives of Purgatory (click here or on the side bar).

Oh yeah... BOO!!!

X-MEN 40K, 6TH ED: TACTICAL:

These four X-fighters bring special abilities to the table that can be used in more creative ways and to strategic benefit. 

Last X-entry (leadership) I introduced a new special rule, SuperHeroic Recovery.  This time I have another special rule:

Aggressive Flyer:  The hero can not only fly, but can streak through the sky like a thunder bolt.  An aggressive flyer can operate in two modes, similar to a flying vehicle.  The model must decide at the beginning of their turn what mode they will operate in:

    * Jump Mode – the model acts just like Jump Infantry, except they aren’t Bulky.

    * Meteoric Mode – the model boosts to greater speeds to cover more ground (or sky) or attack Flyer vehicles or other Aggressive Flyers in Meteoric mode.  They must move at least 12” and up to 24” in the movement phase.  In the shooting phase they can make a shooting attack with the Relentless rule: fire normally against flyers, snap shots only against ground targets; or they can turbo-boost in the shooting phase, up to 24” more.  If they turbo-boost they cannot assault or shoot that turn.  In the assault phase they can charge flyers at 2D6” and may reroll for distance, inflicting a Hammer of Wrath hit on impact and successfully hitting another flyer/vehicle on attack rolls of 4+.  (Imagine a superhero streaking right into an enemy jet and bursting out the other side of the fiery wreckage—that’s where we’re going with this.)  While in Meteoric mode they can only be hit by Snap Shots from the ground and have a 4+ Jink cover save.

     Among the X-men in this series, Sunfire and Rogue are aggressive flyers.  (See Rogue in the next installment.)

1.  Jean Grey  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	4	3	3	2	4	2	10	6+/--

SuperHeroic Recovery(SHR), Independent Character, Psyker (Mastery 2)

Super-spandex: Armor save of 6+

Telekinetic Shield:  All units within 6” of Jean (including her) always count as having a 5+ Cover Save.

Psychic Gifts:  Jean is a psyker of Mastery Level 2 and knows three powers taken from Telekinesis and/or Telepathy.  Treat all TK powers as having a more psychic flavor to them—for example, Gate of Infinity isn’t so much a “teleport thru the Warp” power but more like Jean projecting a force bubble around her unit and hurling them into the sky. 

2.  Sunfire  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	4	3	3	2	4	2	8	6+/--

SHR, Independent Character, Psyker (Mastery 1)

Super-spandex: Armor save of 6+

Aggressive Flyer (as above)

Flame Projection:  Treat Sunfire as a psyker of Mastery level 1.  He knows 2 powers from the Pyromancy discipline.

Hot to the Touch:  Against vehicles Sunfire may treat his melee attacks as a MeltaBomb, but as with grenades, he makes only one attack if he does so.

3.  Shadowcat  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
3	3	3	3	2	4	2	8	--/3+

SHR, Independent Character

Spy:  Kitty literally moves ahead and through the enemies’ facilities.  She has the Infiltrate and Scout special rules, as do any unit she joins.

Incorporeal:  Her phasing powers allows her to ignore Difficult, Dangerous, and Impassable terrain and even allow her to move through models, though she must end up at least 1” away.  She also benefits from a 3+ Invuln Save. 

Electronic Disruption:  When she moves through or assaults vehicles and walkers, Shadowcat’s out-of-phase body wreaks havoc on their systems.  Her melee attacks have the Haywire special rule.  If Shadowcat moves through a vehicle in the Movement phase she immediately deals D3 automatic Haywire hits as well. 

**Notice this model is not of Shadowcat or Kitty Pride.  I got it in a box of heroclix and just figured it's a "counts as".

4.  Iceman  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	4	3	4	2	4	2	8	4+/--

SHR, Independent Character, Psyker (Mastery 1)

Ice Armor:  Coating himself in ice, he has a 4+ armor save and Toughness +1 (making it T4).  

Vulnerable to Fire:  Against flame-based and melta attacks he gets no Armor save.

Ice Slides:  Iceman moves as Jump Infantry but doesn’t have to take Dangerous Terrain tests for starting or ending in Difficult Terrain, as he’s stabilized by his constructs.

Cold Blast:  This is a ranged shooting attack he can make at will (no psychic test needed, this is his standard shooting attack):

     * Template       S4        AP5     Assault 1

Winter Wonderland:  Iceman can create barriers as a psychic conjuring-type effect.  With a successful Psychic Test, he creates a D3”-wide icy barricade and can place it anywhere within 12” and LOS (use suitable terrain or markers).  This can be used to provide troops with cover, place an obstacle in the path on the enemy, or slow entry into a doorway.  These barricades are treated as Difficult Terrain to cross and provide a 5+ cover save to those behind them (the usual rules for assaulting thru cover apply).  If a flame or melta attack is used to shoot at someone hiding behind them, take the cover save as normal and then remove the barricade, as it has now melted.

Flash Frozen:  Iceman may attempt to freeze a unit in place as a malediction.  He chooses a target unit within 12” and makes a Psychic test.  If successful the target then makes a Strength test with 6s always failing and 1s always passing.  Monstrous creatures and Vehicles fail only on a 6.  If frozen the unit cannot move, use psychic powers, shoot, or assault, nor be assaulted or shot at: for all intents and purposes it is locked in ice and ignored for one full turn.  At the beginning of the target’s subsequent turns (after they have been frozen for one turn), the unit makes strength tests with S+1 for each turn spent frozen, representing the thaw over time.  Once it breaks free it acts as normal.  As no wounds are caused no saves apply.  

     For example, a Dark Eldar Wych unit is targeted.  On the turn they are hit, they need to roll a 3 or less to avoid being frozen.  After being frozen for one full turn, they make another S-check for a 4 or less.  Next turn they break free on a 5 or less.  If still frozen at the beginning of their next turn they thaw automatically (6 or less).  

    You might also consider marking the affected unit with a gently placed layer of cellophane.

Cosmic Deal:Free Download!!!

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I have two more stories planned for release in the near future:
   Mime: a horror-noir piece of flash fiction (meaning really short story)
   The Prince of Luster and Decay: a sword-and-sorcery-type piece of military fantasy

And One-Eyed Jacks, a full-length e-book featuring four stories of crime-noir and dark fantasy, which each of the above will give you a small teaser sample of to read.

Of course real life and the day job always seem to get in the way, but rest assured, they are on the way!

Thanks and enjoy!

P.S. -- If for some reason the coupon doesn't work please let me know.  And the story, at this point anyway, is only available in English.  Sorry.
 

X-MEN 40K: LEADERSHIP:

In honor of my newly released superheroic short story I have decided to run a series of 40K X-Men posts, using Heroclix models as the inspiration for making 40K stats.  You may have seen my Avengers run in the same vein (and if not check 'em out under the AVENGERS label, though I may redo a few of those for 6^th ed just for fun too).  I haven’t come up with point values or anything for these guys, it’s just fun to imagine what the X-Mn and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants would be like in the 40k game system.  So here we go, episode one: Leadership.

Part One features the three leaders of the X-Men: Professor X, Cyclops, and Storm.  Each of these characters are elligible to be selected as a Warlord for the “army”, and at least one of them is required to lead the team (if more than one is taken, choose one as your Warlord).  The chosen character would then also get a Warlord Trait rolled at the beginning of the game.

But before I get into their stats, I am also going to invent a new rule.  I will invent a few more in the course of this superheroic trek, rules more befitting the comicbook characters we are trying to represent here.  The first is SuperHeroic Recovery, which pretty much all of them will have. 

SuperHeroic Recovery (SHR) – To represent the uncanny ability of superheroes to take an apocalyptic beating and get back up five minutes later to save the day, I have invented a new rule.  When a character with this rule is reduced to zero wounds, do not remove them from play.  Instead lay them on their side.  At the beginning of each of your turns, roll a die.  On a 6 the character gets back up with 1 wound remaining.  Treat as if they’d just regrouped and continue playing.  If they are again reduced to zero wounds, remove them from play: they are officially a casualty of war.

Super-Spandex – Most superheroes wear tights, though these are no ordinary leotards we are talking about.  Super-Spandex gives the wearer an Armor Save of 6+ (not great, but hey, it’s just spandex).

1. Professor X

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
2	2	2	3	3	1	1	10	6+

Rules:  SHR (as above), Independent Character, Psyker (mastery level 3), Warlord option

World’s Greatest Telepath:  The Professor knows all the Telepathic psychic powers in the 6^th Ed book and has Mastery Level 3.  Therefore he can use up to three powers per turn, though none twice in the same turn.

Wheelchair Bound:  Professor X gains a small measure of defense from the chair, resulting in a 6+ armor save.  He does, however, treat open ground as Difficult and all Difficult as Dangerous.  He also counts as Bulky.   

Dedicated Protectors:  Those at his side are so determined to protect him that Look Out, Sir rolls made on his behalf succeed on a 3+ instead of the normal 4+. 

The Ultimate Intelligence Collection:  Having a man who can read the enemy’s mind has its advantages.  Before the game begins but after Infiltrators are placed, your army can redeploy D3+1 units.  Prof X also Steals the Initiative on a 4+ instead of a 6.

Telepathic Link:  All friendly models within 18” of the Professor can reroll failed Leadership tests (including psychic tests as he guides their power use--except for Perils of the Warp on double-ones, as the extra telepathic help makes successful overload a bit more likely).

2. Cyclops

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	5	3	3	3	4	2	10	6+/--

Rules:  SHR, Independent Character, Warlord option

Super-Spandex

Ruby Visor:  The visor controls Cyclops’s mutant power.  With it he may vary the focus of his optic rays, allowing him to choose one of the following options in each of his shooting phases:

            * Optic Blast:        Template      S5        AP4     Assault 1

            * Optic Burn:         12”              S8        AP 1    Assault 1, Melta,

            * Optic Beam:       24”              S7        AP4     Assault 1, Beam

Natural Leader:  All X-men (and units they have joined) use Cyclops’s Ld for all Morale and Pinning tests while he is alive.

3.  Storm  

WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
4	5	3	3	3	4	2	10	6+/--

Rules:  SHR (as above), Independent Character, Psyker (mastery level 2), Warlord option

Super-spandex

Flight:  Storm counts as Jump Infantry.

Mistress of the Elements:  Storm is a Mastery Level 2 psyker and may choose three of the following powers drawn from the rune priest lore found in the Space Wolves codex: Thunderclap, Living Lightning, Storm Caller, Tempest’s Wrath, and Murderous Hurricane.

Morlock Leader:  When Storm won command of the mutant Morlocks in single combat she proved her true grit and mettle as a leader.  Friendly units within 6” of her count as Stubborn.    

*

Next round will include four more x-heroes...