- Sep 23, 2009
- 2,714
This is the Homebrew forum for Age of Sigmar, right? It's kind of hard to tell with the non-descriptive forum names which also lack any sort of subtitle... Anyway, assuming I'm in the right place, I've been thinking recently on what the living civilizations of the Realm of Death might look like, and here's a sketch of what I've come up with, including a homebrew unit based on the idea, sort of a less offensive, more defensive counterpart to grave guard, emphasizing an alliance between the living and the dead with a bodyguard rule for vampires and the ability to fight on as zombies after their death.
DRAKKENHOLD
When chaos claimed the mortal realms and the gods withdrew - Sigmar to his Golden City, Nagash to his Underworlds, other gods to their own sanctums - there were some who fought on, pockets of resistance within the realms that managed to remain free from the depredations of chaos, whether through guile or strength of arms or both. In the ensuing age, most of these refuges were eventually hunted down and crushed by the legions of the dark gods, but a few managed to survive the centuries on their own terms, and now witness the return of the gods with a combination of relief and resentment.
One such bastion against chaos is the benighted land of Drakkenhold. It is a realm of contradictions, where the living and the dead live and work and fight side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Desperation and necessity have stripped from the human citizens of Drakkenhold all fear of the undead. Indeed, corpse-servants and laborers are a common and necessary part of Drakkenhold life, while the tithe of blood demanded by Drakkenhold's vampiric nobility is a paltry price to pay compared to the horrors of Chaos.
The human citizens of Drakkenhold are a grim lot indeed, and their soldiers even more so. These fearless men and women defend their homes whether in life or death. Every one of them is willing to lay down their lives for their vampyric masters, for without their power Drakkenhold would have long ago been overrun. Their dedication is not purely born of necessity, but rather out of genuine respect and gratitude as well, for when even the gods abandoned the Mortal Realms to Chaos, the vampires of Drakkenhold stayed to protect their flock.
The ruler of Drakkenhold is the ancient vampire Isabella Von Carstein, beloved by her servants whether mortal or undead. It is her power which shrouds Drakkenhold from the eyes of the dark gods, and ensures that it can never be found in the same place twice. As a result, while their land has had to fight off wandering armies of the enemy, in all the centuries of Chaos rule Drakkenhold has never faced a protracted siege.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DEATHGUARD
Whether in life or in death, the grim Deathguard of Drakkenhold will fight to defend their benighted homeland and its immortal aristocracy.
Wounds: 1
Move: 5"
Save: 4+
Bravery: 6
Melee Weapons
Drakkensteel Blades
Range: 1"
Attacks: 1
to Hit: 3+
to Wound: 4+
Rend: -1
Damage: 1
Drakkensteel Glaives
Range: 2"
Attacks: 1
to Hit: 3+
to Wound: 4+
Rend: -1
Damage: 1
DESCRIPTION
A unit of Deathguard consists of 5 or more models. The unit is armed with Drakkensteel Blades and Crypt Shields, or may instead be armed with two handed Drakkensteel Glaives.
SENESCHAL
The leader of this unit is a Seneschal. A Seneschal makes 2 attacks instead of 1 with their Drakkensteel Glaive or Drakkensteel Blade.
STANDARD BEARER
Models in this unit may be Standard Bearers. Add 1 to the bravery of the unit if it contains any Standard Bearers, or 2 if there is a friendly Vampire Hero within 12" of the unit.
HORNBLOWER
Models in this unit may be Hornblowers. If the unit includes any Hornblowers, it can always move up to 6" when it charges, unless its charge roll is higher.
ABILITIES:
HONOR GUARD
Whenever a Vampire Hero in your army with 5 or fewer starting wounds on its profile suffers a wound or mortal wound, you may nominate a unit of Deathguard within 3" of the hero and roll a die; on a 4 or more the Vampire ignores that wound and the Deathguard unit suffers a mortal wound instead.
EVEN IN DEATH
Whenever a Deathguard model in the unit is slain, roll a die. On a 2+, you may immediately add one model to a unit of Zombies within 9" of the Deathguard unit. The new model may be placed anywhere in coherency with the rest of its unit, and may act normally this turn. If you add a model to another unit in this way, then no other units or models can be created as a result of the Deathguard model being slain, and no effect may restore it to life later in the game.
CRYPT SHIELDS
You can add 1 to the save rolls for a unit carrying Crypt Shields against attacks that have a Rend of '-'.
KEYWORDS
Death, Human, Drakkenhold, Deathguard
EDIT (2/11/16): changed background to have Drakkenhold ruled by just Isabella, not Isabella and Vlad, in line with the fluff from my homebrew Isabella rules, reduced number of attacks, increaed rend, added a special rule for the Drakkensteel Blades.
Second EDIT (2/11/16) added 2 handed glaive variant that trades the shield for reach.
DRAKKENHOLD
When chaos claimed the mortal realms and the gods withdrew - Sigmar to his Golden City, Nagash to his Underworlds, other gods to their own sanctums - there were some who fought on, pockets of resistance within the realms that managed to remain free from the depredations of chaos, whether through guile or strength of arms or both. In the ensuing age, most of these refuges were eventually hunted down and crushed by the legions of the dark gods, but a few managed to survive the centuries on their own terms, and now witness the return of the gods with a combination of relief and resentment.
One such bastion against chaos is the benighted land of Drakkenhold. It is a realm of contradictions, where the living and the dead live and work and fight side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Desperation and necessity have stripped from the human citizens of Drakkenhold all fear of the undead. Indeed, corpse-servants and laborers are a common and necessary part of Drakkenhold life, while the tithe of blood demanded by Drakkenhold's vampiric nobility is a paltry price to pay compared to the horrors of Chaos.
The human citizens of Drakkenhold are a grim lot indeed, and their soldiers even more so. These fearless men and women defend their homes whether in life or death. Every one of them is willing to lay down their lives for their vampyric masters, for without their power Drakkenhold would have long ago been overrun. Their dedication is not purely born of necessity, but rather out of genuine respect and gratitude as well, for when even the gods abandoned the Mortal Realms to Chaos, the vampires of Drakkenhold stayed to protect their flock.
The ruler of Drakkenhold is the ancient vampire Isabella Von Carstein, beloved by her servants whether mortal or undead. It is her power which shrouds Drakkenhold from the eyes of the dark gods, and ensures that it can never be found in the same place twice. As a result, while their land has had to fight off wandering armies of the enemy, in all the centuries of Chaos rule Drakkenhold has never faced a protracted siege.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DEATHGUARD
Whether in life or in death, the grim Deathguard of Drakkenhold will fight to defend their benighted homeland and its immortal aristocracy.
Wounds: 1
Move: 5"
Save: 4+
Bravery: 6
Melee Weapons
Drakkensteel Blades
Range: 1"
Attacks: 1
to Hit: 3+
to Wound: 4+
Rend: -1
Damage: 1
Drakkensteel Glaives
Range: 2"
Attacks: 1
to Hit: 3+
to Wound: 4+
Rend: -1
Damage: 1
DESCRIPTION
A unit of Deathguard consists of 5 or more models. The unit is armed with Drakkensteel Blades and Crypt Shields, or may instead be armed with two handed Drakkensteel Glaives.
SENESCHAL
The leader of this unit is a Seneschal. A Seneschal makes 2 attacks instead of 1 with their Drakkensteel Glaive or Drakkensteel Blade.
STANDARD BEARER
Models in this unit may be Standard Bearers. Add 1 to the bravery of the unit if it contains any Standard Bearers, or 2 if there is a friendly Vampire Hero within 12" of the unit.
HORNBLOWER
Models in this unit may be Hornblowers. If the unit includes any Hornblowers, it can always move up to 6" when it charges, unless its charge roll is higher.
ABILITIES:
HONOR GUARD
Whenever a Vampire Hero in your army with 5 or fewer starting wounds on its profile suffers a wound or mortal wound, you may nominate a unit of Deathguard within 3" of the hero and roll a die; on a 4 or more the Vampire ignores that wound and the Deathguard unit suffers a mortal wound instead.
EVEN IN DEATH
Whenever a Deathguard model in the unit is slain, roll a die. On a 2+, you may immediately add one model to a unit of Zombies within 9" of the Deathguard unit. The new model may be placed anywhere in coherency with the rest of its unit, and may act normally this turn. If you add a model to another unit in this way, then no other units or models can be created as a result of the Deathguard model being slain, and no effect may restore it to life later in the game.
CRYPT SHIELDS
You can add 1 to the save rolls for a unit carrying Crypt Shields against attacks that have a Rend of '-'.
KEYWORDS
Death, Human, Drakkenhold, Deathguard
EDIT (2/11/16): changed background to have Drakkenhold ruled by just Isabella, not Isabella and Vlad, in line with the fluff from my homebrew Isabella rules, reduced number of attacks, increaed rend, added a special rule for the Drakkensteel Blades.
Second EDIT (2/11/16) added 2 handed glaive variant that trades the shield for reach.
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