First off, I'd like to point out that I didn't give them any extra special rules, neither self-made nor official.
There are guys around the world that came up with a variety of nice special rules from Feel No Pain vs flamer type weapons to thunder hammers without the Unwieldy special rule (striking at Initiative 1) or assault 2 multi-meltas. I really do like some of their ideas but as I find it quite hard to balance them correct, I decided to keep my hands off that realm. On the other hand I didn't want to mess around with the mechanik of the game too much, since I'm basically happy with the vanilla codex. So instead of messing around with special rules I just wrote an extended wargear list for the most part based on the old Codex Armageddon (3rd edition).
Because of their early training as blacksmiths, all Salamanders are fully capable of maintaining and performing moderate repair on their weapons and armour, leaving the Chapter's artificers with the free time necessary to create great works of technology and metallurgy. As a result, the Salamanders Chapter has an unusually high number of Master-Crafted Weapons, Artificer Armour and even Tactical Dreadnought Armour.
An extract from Codex Armageddon:
"The Salamanders have a deep knowledge of many technological marvels, and their Techmarines are the greatest artificers outside of the Adeptus Mechanicus. To represent this, the following changes are made to the Space Marine Armoury for a Salamanders force:
Master-crafted weapons cost +10 pts, rather than +15 pts.
Artificer armour may be purchased for non-independent characters (such as Apothecaries or Veteran Sergeants) for +15 pts, independent characters pay +20 pts as normal.
Any character may be given a signum, not just Techmarines (+15 pts).
Reinforced ceramite may be given to any Salamanders vehicles and Dreadnoughts, except Land Speeders. It costs +25 pts for a Land Raider to have reinforced ceramite, and +10 pts for all other vehicles."
In the current Codex: Space Marines artificer armour for IC's is +15 pts, so I decided to go with +10 for non-IC's. The only unit with a signum now is not the techmarine, but the devastator squad! The nasty thing is that the naked davastator squad is just as expensive as a naked tactical squad. Both with the same equipment save for the signum. The only difference is in the points cost of the heavy weapons (davastator slightly more pricey). The main reason for the difference in points should be the fact that you have the concentrated power of up to four heavy weapons in just one squad. So the signum wouldn't weigh that much. Additionally the rules for the signum have changed since 3rd edition and everything seems to have become much cheaper in points since then, that I can assume +5 pts for a signum in all conscience fitting.
That leaves the master-crafted weapons. With the reduction in points since 3rd I decided to allow master-crafted weapons for +5 pts in compliance with Codex Grey Knights.
Forge World picked the reinforced ceramite up for their Thunderhawk and later for the Land Raider Proteus. The Proteus lists it for +20 pts in current 6th edition; 1/5 less than in 3rd. That dropts the points for other vehicles down to +8 pts.
Codex Armageddon also lists the Salamanders Mantle as the very first ever available adamantine mantle for +35 pts (immune to instant death). Only with 4th edition it became available to other codex characters. Now, in 5th edition Codex Space Marines, the Salamanders Mantle came back from the dead as one of the relicts of Primarch Vulkan. It now confers a 3+ invulnerable save. In addition the fluff states that the entire 1st company (the firedrakes) and the heroes of the chapter are dressed in such cloak.
So I had to come up with an idea that's based on invulnerable saves and wouldn't change too much. I browsed in the codex an noticed a little piece of equipment, thats virtually never been used. I'm talking about the combat shield - it confers a 6+ invulnerable save. Bäm! That's it. What if the salamanders mantle would count as a compat shield for those who have no invulnerable save jet? And for those who have (iron halo, rosarius: 4+, termies 5+, storm shields 3+, combat shield 6+)?
I'm finally going with increasing the inv. save by +1 (to a maximum of 3+) at variable points cost. So for a model with no save it would effectively be a combat shield for +5 pts. For the few 4+ saves around there it is basically a storm shiel for +15 pts. I think there is only one model out there in first company that has a combat shield - the chapter champion. I think its not too unbalanced to upgrade his inv. save to 5+ for +5 pts. The only real problem are the regular terminators: they have a 5+ save but their brothers with hammer and shield are the same points (and 3+ save). Some chapters (DA for example) field their terminators equipped with storm bolter and power fist, allowing them to upgrade to hammer and shield for +5 pts (and getting a 3+ save).
This in mind I think it is quite fair to upgrade the salamanders terminator save from 5+ to 4+ for +5 pts. It would only affect a small number of terminators anyway, because I will field them mostly with hammer and shield.
Another way for the cloak to work would have been to just go to a maximum of 4+. This way the problem with the terminators wouldn't have been there, but to be honest I'd like to see that they have some effect on a model. They were the first adamantine mantles for vulkans sake! Worn by the heroes of the chapter! Take the chapter master for axample. He has an iron halo (4+) and with the mantle a 3+ save. Would I just have gone with the 4+ version of the mantle, than there wouldn't be a difference. The little Veteran on the other hand would get a benefit with a mantle. So the little hero would be favoured over the big hero. With the 3+ version I am able to differentiate between big heroes and little heroes without the need for a mighty salamanders malntle. So I am really pleased with this staggered solution.
By the way: this is the only piece of equipment thats home-made in this fandex.
So the Salamanders are some badass mechanics, loving flamers, meltas and every little technical gimmick. This screams for some nice equipment, that other chapters have, but every vanilla chapter has not. I mean the Blood Angels in particular. They field lots of nice hand flamers [Template | 3 | 6 | Pistol] and inferno (melta) pistols [6" | 8 | 1 | Pistol, Melta]. Say what?? Why the hell don't the Salamanders have access to these? Alright, this is indeed one of the things I have done in this fandex: giving nearly every model who has access to plasma pistols the chance to take a hand flamer or an inferno pistol as well (at moderate cost of corse).
Another little gimmick which was new to 5th edition are digital weapons (one re-roll to wound in close combat). Concealed lasers fitted into finger rings or the knuckles of a glove. I think these fit the Salamanders theme as well. Maybe not as often utilised as master-crafted weapons but more frequently than just for chapter master, captain and chaplain. So maybe sergeant of assault squads and some veterans. For the HQ choices digital weapons are +10 points in the current codex. So maybe +10 as well for a sergeant and +5 for a regular veteran. Hm maybe just some sergeants and the honour guard. Yeah I think this is good.
By the way:
I decided to note within the version number which codex and rulebook edition this extension uses. So this version is for the 5th edition Codex Space Marines and 6th edition Rulebook.
i havent read your fandex yet, but i struggle with your matle... i understand that you say a combat shield is 5 points for 6+ inv save and a storm shield with 4+ for 15 points, ergo a +1 on inv is 5 points(math behind is easy). but you have to keep in mind, that a storm shield is not just paying 15points for a 4+ inv, but also loosing one hand. as result the 4+ is not just paid with points but also with the loss of a possible weapon. your mantle keeps this possibilty and therefore is worth more for same costs. the combat shield for example can be handled with a boltpistol... lets take a look at the artificial armour: it increases armor save from 3+ to 2+ and costs 15/10 points. here increasing the armor save is more expensive than inv save. That is some kind of unbalanced for armour saves are less good than inv saves in my opinion.
ReplyDeletein general the idea of increasing the inv is nice, but i would recommend the following: 5 points for step from - to 6+, 10 points for step from 6+ to 5+, and so on... off course that favours the little hero, but making a super hero killing machine even more durable should be more expensive than making little miss sunshine a bit tougher.
greets hauke
Ah damn, I really forgot about the hand^^ A storm shield is 3+ and loosing a hand for 15 points, so maybe a 3+ without loosing the hand would be 20 points. I'm fine with that.
DeleteBy the way, you got confused there. I think you meant the right thing, but expressed it inaccurate. You said "a +1 on inv is 5 points" and compared this to +1 on armour is 15 points. Thats simply incorrect. With the inv you look at the difference in points between the single upgrade steps [- to 6+: 5 | 6+ to 5+: 10 | 5+ to 4+: 15 | 4+ to 3+: 20 | 3+ to 2+: 25] and with the armour you look at the points total [3+ to 2+: 15]. Comparing the points total, upgrading inv is actually more exppensive than the armour upgrade (even with the forgotten hand). But with factoring the hand in it seems more balanced, I give you that.
With this in mind I should probably have a second look at the Terminator issue as well. Power fist and storm bolter replaced with hammer and shield for 5 points (keep in mind that in codex sm both versions are available for the same points). The hand is factored out here, as both don't get an extra attack. A storm bolter is listed with 3 points, the TH is slightly better than a fist and is listed for 5 points more, so this is quite balanced. This leaves the 5 points entirely to upgrade the inv from 5+ to 3+. 5+ to 4+ for the same 5 points seems okay.
As for the sergeant and the power claws the hand is a foctor there. As stated above the hand is worth 5 points. This increases the upgrade from 5+ to 3+ to 10 points. Likewise 5+ to 4+ for 5 points seems to be okay, too.