Warband Variant: Guardians of the Cedars
When the gates of Hell opened and the demonic legions poured out, the population of the Levant faced utter extermination. While the followers of the Prophet found refuge behind the great Iron Wall, their Christian compatriots were left without a homeland, at the mercy of the invading hordes.
Most were killed, or worse, in the first few weeks of the invasion. Many of the lucky survivors fled to Byzantium or across the sea to Europe, following the surviving crusaders. A few, however, remained to fight behind enemy lines and have never left. Maronites and Greek Orthodox alike set aside their differences, picked up what weapons they had, and waged a brutal shadow war in the mountains of Lebanons and the wastes of Syria for centuries with little support.
These bands of near-crazed survivalists hold a long-standing grudge both against the Sultanate and the Church who abandoned them before New Antioch was established, but accept adherents of all stripes who are mad enough to join them in the worst parts of No Man's Land.
Today they form a Pilgrim Procession only in the broadest of senses, offering no official allegiance to the Church but fighting their own long war with little support. Often stranded and surrounded by enemy forces, they have learned to melt into their misty forests and barren wastelands, striking without mercy and making the heretics pay for every unwary step.
Special Rules
- Far From the Church: This warband cannot recruit Communicants or Shrine Anchorite, as they do not have the support of the Church nor the supply lines to support these heavy units.
- From the Mountains: Any model in this warband can gain the INFILTRATOR or SKIRMISHER keyword. Each of these keywords increases the cost of the model by 5 Ducats. A model in this warband with either of these keywords can take a RISKY ACTION to hide itself if it is touching a piece of scenery that would provide it cover. On a success, this model increases the Enemy behind Cover penalty on ranged attacks against it to -2 DICE until it moves from this exact position, makes a ranged attack, or an enemy model is within 1.5" of it.
- Stylites: Stylites began as religious hermits who sat atop tall pillars in defiance of the heretic hordes and vowed to only leave them to enter paradise. This warband can recruit Sniper Priests (limit 3) renamed as Stylites. The Sniper Priest's Aim ability is modified for Stylites: As part of taking this action, they erect a 2" pillar to stand upon. The Aim bonus remains until they leave this position instead of until the end of their Activation.
- Fanaticism: Martyr Penitents automatically gain the Strong keyword when they are resurrected.
- Veils of Faith: The guardians prefer a smaller and lighter version of capirotes, capped with prayer-inscribed veils, over the bulkier model that would limit their ability to move unseen. Iron capirotes used by this warband do not negate additional Blood Markers from Shrapnel.
Special Equipment
Mountain Mists 5 Ducats
In conjunction with the Jabirean alchemists, the guardians of the Cedars have perfected a concotion that allows them to summon a cloud of mist to obscure their position or cover their retreat whenever needed
Rule: This item can be used to create a cloud of fog or smoke in a 10" radius around the model who uses it, for the remainder of the Turn. Models in this cloud benefit from STEALTH. CONSUMABLE