Heretic Legion
A shroud of darkness blankets the world. Smoke and brimstone spews from the yawning gates of Inferno, enveloping the lands where people have abandoned God and openly wage war against His Creation. It is a grim reality that a full third of humanity has bent its knee before the idols of Hell. The main military force of Satan on Earth is the Heretic Legions, raised from amongst these citizens of the damned.
Under special absolution from the Cardinal Protector, many spies have been dispatched into Hell’s domains over the years. Most are caught, never to be seen again, save for some whose eternally screaming heads are returned to New Antioch, branded with bleeding runes that mock the Holy Trinity.
Against all odds some do make it back to the light, whispering of the horrors they have witnessed: of firstborn cast into the mouths of the burning statues of Baal and human flesh sold by the pound in dreadful markets. They speak of the great idols of the Golden Calf and rapturous men and women who prostrate themselves before them, carving off strips of their own flesh in ecstatic offering. Inverted pyramids and towers descend into the depths of these cities, built of iron and black stone. Within these pits stand sacrificial altars where weeping captives are slowly sliced to death over agonising days and weeks with wicked knives made of infernal basalt. Cathedrals dedicated to the Princes of Hell hang from great arches of volcanic stone, while condemned are crucified on hundreds of upside-down crosses.
Accounts speak of sprawling factories made of mutilated flesh and metal, their forges yielding endless munitions for the ongoing war. Guided by the teachings of Tartarus’ smiths, alchemists toil over colossal weapons and armoured behemoths, wielding the forbidden secrets of their patrons’ metallurgy to forge instruments of death and suffering beyond the grasp of any human engineer. These are once-proud cities of Earth, where churches have been toppled and entire populations are now dedicated towards bringing down the very Throne of Heaven.
Amongst the forsaken citizens enduring within Hell’s earthly domains, the greatest status is afforded to those who fight in the Great War. Most do this as Heretic Troopers who serve their liege lords in lieu of tribute. To join the army of damnation as a full-fledged Legionnaire is no easy feat. Those who wish to win a place amongst the Heretic Legions must make an unholy pilgrimage to the burning bronze gates of Hell where the infernal heat, felt from leagues away, sears both flesh and spirit until the torment becomes unbearable. Along the Valley of Tears, the great road that leads to the gate is paved with wailing souls and lamentations and littered with endless mounds of charred bodies. Many are still half-alive, writhing in agony, trapped in a grotesque twilight between life and death, their wickedness deemed insufficient. These discarded souls are doomed to suffer until the Day of Judgement.
Those who make it within sight of Hell’s Maw are considered worthy and are initiated into the Legions, taking unbreakable vows that chain them into darkness for all eternity, their bodies branded with the mark of the Devil Lord that has claimed them. Armouries of Hell equip them for battle and Heretic Priests beckon forth new supplicants as dictated by the whispers of their patron Archdevils. Thus a new Heretic Legionnaire is born. They hail Archdevils as their masters and are thus damned for all eternity.
There are some who push further on, to the Gate itself and beyond. Their very flesh ignites, never to recover, but those with the blackest souls can enter Inferno itself. Amongst those the Anointed are especially revered amongst the Legions. They are the paragons of unhinged brutality – men and women of colossal vigour and unyielding devotion. Having tread the accursed path to the shores of the Lake of Eternal Flame, where the damned wither and contort in ceaseless torment, the Anointed emerge forever scarred by the embrace of abyssal fires. The blackened and burnt flesh of the Anointed will never heal, but in exchange they are granted the right to wear Heavy Gehenna armoured suits and they gain strength to wield weapons that a normal man could barely lift. It is said that to gaze into their eyes is to glimpse the flames of Hell, forever etched in their vision.
Yet some who witness go even further in their depraved devotion. Suicide is a mortal sin and one eagerly embraced by many. Most cry out for devils to notice their final sacrifice in vain, as the Infernal nobles are capricious and delight in betraying their own as much as their enemies. But those with truly wicked and depraved souls are resurrected in contempt of the Redeemer, coming back as Choristers, horrific mockeries of Creation whose severed heads sing unholy hymns praising the Devil, their voices causing the ears of their enemies to bleed.
Though the vast bulk of the Heretic Legions are made of mortal humans, Hell often sends their own abhorrent progeny to reinforce their mortal foot soldiers: nightmarish War Beasts made of captured and possessed creatures and dreaded Artillery Witches who act as mobile artillery supporting lighting assaults. Thus, in this accursed theatre of war, mortals and abominations march hand in withering hand, bound by the suffering ties of damnation. The wails of tortured beasts meld with the shrieks of damned souls, while the skies rain down fiery retribution upon all who dare to oppose the Heretics’ ceaseless crusade for a demented parity with their Creator.
Captains
Select a target model, friend or foe (including the Priest), within 12”. As a RISKY ACTION you can move the model D6” in any one direction, including forcing it to jump/fall down or enter into melee combat with any enemy model (as if it had Charged), or leave Combat (as if it had Retreated, including granting any enemies within range free attacks).
Elite
As a RISKY ACTION with +1 DICE the Commando can hide if any piece of scenery the model is touching can block line of sight in any direction, even partially, regardless of whether an enemy currently has a clear LOS. If successful, enemies cannot target the Commando with ranged attacks or Charges. Weapons with the Keyword BLAST affect the Commando as normal if it is in the radius of the weapon. This effect ends if the Commando moves from its exact position in any way, it makes a Ranged Attack or an enemy model comes within 1.5” of it.
Ranged attacks against a Death Commando suffer -1 DICE to all the attack rolls.
All enemy models within 8” of the Chorister suffer an additional -1 DICE for all ACTIONS they attempt.
Suicide is a Mortal Sin, and sacrificing yourself to the glory of Hell is a yet greater affront to God. Some Heretics born with a gift of sonorous voice but little prospects of rising through the ranks but possessing a determination to excel may pursue the dark path of becoming a Chorister.
Such supplicants go to one of the black altars of Heretic abodes at the bottom of the deep inverted pyramid temples dedicated to the greatest of Arch-devils. There they are dressed in the robes of dark devotion, lie on the altar and mutilate themselves to death by carving unholy runes into their flesh. The more wounds they can suffer before perishing, the more pleasing it is said their offering is. The most devout slice their own throats, trying to cut as deep as they can before their miserable life leaves them.
Most such wretches go to their doom in the Lake of Fire, but some are reborn as Choristers after nine days. Their corpses lurch back to their feet, and finish their grisly beheading, and lift their severed heads that begin to sing hymns they have learned in the Inferno. From their self-inflicted wounds spurts cold blood that forms diabolic symbols and changes to match the words of their unholy chorale. They head towards the front lines driven by a call no living can hear and join the Heretic warband of their choosing.
As their severed heads sing their agonising hymns, the minds of their enemies are filled with visions from the Pits of Hell, weakening both the resolve and strength of those unfortunate enough to hear the dire song of a Chorister. Their hymns are often the first thing a fresh recruit experiences on the battlefield, as their unholy voice rolls across the trenches, proclaiming a never-ending prophecy of the final victory of Hell over Heaven.
Infantry
Infernal Brand Mark
Negates the extra BLOOD MARKER from attacks with the keyword FIRE. Any such attacks suffer -1 DICE penalty to all injury rolls.
A Heretic who has made a Holy Pilgrimage into Hell itself is branded by their patron devil with an ever-burning mark. Mortal fire no longer has the power to harm them.
Reinforced Armour
Grants a -2 modifier to all injury rolls against the model wearing this armour.
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
The Artillery Witch can Climb up without taking an ACTION and does not roll on the Injury Chart when falling.
Artillery Witches are not affected by FEAR. Additionally, attacks with the Keyword GAS suffer a -1 DICE penalty to injure the Witch and they do not suffer additional BLOOD MARKERS from the Keyword GAS.
Infernal Bomb
| Range | 36" |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Ranged) |
| Modifiers | Blast 3" |
BLAST (X), SHRAPNEL
This wicked infernal weapon is treated as a one-handed Ranged weapon with the Keyword BLAST 3”. Specify a 1x1mm point on the battlefield within 36” that the Witch can see and that you want to target. Next, make a Ranged Attack ACTION. If the roll fails (i.e. you roll 6 or less with the two lowest Dice), the bomb lands 1” away from its intended location, multiplied by the number representing the degree of failure (for example, if you rolled 5, the bomb lands 2” away, as 7 - 5 = 2). The direction is decided by your opponent. Roll on the Injury Chart for each model within the BLAST radius. If the bomb lands exactly on top of any model, roll with 3D6 on the Injury Chart and add the dice together! Other models hit by the bomb roll on the Injury Chart as standard. Any model hit, but not taken Out of Action, by this attack is blown D3” directly away from the point of impact (roll for each model separately), stopping if they hit other models, buildings or objects. This attack has the Keyword SHRAPNEL and therefore causes an additional +1 BLOOD MARKER. Cover, range and higher position do not affect attacks by the Infernal Bomb. Roll injuries for models that would benefit from Cover from the perspective of the BLAST point with -1 DICE. The Activation of the Witch ends immediately after using the Infernal Bomb.
Suicide is a Mortal Sin, and sacrificing yourself to the glory of Hell is a yet greater affront to God. Some Heretics born with a gift of sonorous voice but little prospects of rising through the ranks but possessing a determination to excel may pursue the dark path of becoming a Chorister.
The Heretic Trooper can be equipped with any weapon, armour or equipment from the Heretic Legion Armoury.
You can upgrade up to half (rounding down) of your Heretic Troopers into Heretic Legionnaires at the cost of +10 ducats each. You can select to upgrade either the Ranged or Melee characteristic of any of your Legionnaires by +1 DICE. You can choose a different bonus for each Legionnaire.
A War Wolf may take its Dash ACTION with +2 DICE. The War Wolf ignores movement penalties caused by Difficult Terrain.
Chain Maw
| Range | Melee |
| Modifiers | +1D to Hit, +1D to Injuries, Ignore Armour |
RISKY ACTION
The War Wolf treats its Chainsaw Mouth as a melee weapon with the Keyword RISKY that grants a +1 DICE bonus to hit (for total of +3D). Additionally, the attack ignores any armour worn by the target and has a +1 DICE bonus to injure. The Chainsaw Mouth does not take any hands to wield.
Shredding Claws
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
| Modifiers | +1D to Injuries |
RISKY ACTION, CUMBERSOME
The War Wolf treats its Shredding Claws as a two-handed melee weapon with the Keywords RISKY and CUMBERSOME. The Shredding Claws have a +1 DICE bonus to injure. Because the Shredding Claws are wielded alongside the Chainsaw Mouth, they are treated as an Off-Hand Weapon and suffer penalties accordingly.
If a Wretch manages to take any enemy ELITE model Out of Action or performs a Glorious Deed, it gains its freedom and is immediately removed from the battle and from your warband permanently. It does not count as a casualty, but your warband’s total size for this battle is reduced by one for purposes of Morale.
If a Wretch is taken Out of Action in battle, one of your models with Keywords HERETIC and ELITE gains one BLESSING MARKER.
Wretched can be sold at any time for their full ducat value between battles. Note that their weapons, armour and equipment still only fetch half price.
Many unfortunates fall into the hands of the Heretic warbands, either during one of their many raids or battles, or purchased from the slave markets within their own territories. Some are foolhardy adventurers who travel into the domains of the damned only to be caught by their watchful patrols.
Their lot is grim and terrible. They are worked to death in the factories of Sixty-Six Lords, butchered for meat, or worst of all, sold or offered to the agents of the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent to be used as raw power for Goetic Spells.
Yet one path to freedom exists: they can volunteer to serve in the Legions as the lowest of low, the most disposable of penal troops. For the law of Hell is clear: those who rebel against God can gain their freedom if they are deemed to have performed sufficiently great deeds. Thus it is no wonder that many Heretic warbands drive swarms of the Wretched ahead of them to blunt and slow down the enemy assaults.
Wretched are branded with cursed flesh-eating tattoos as a safeguard against escape and heavily drugged to degrade and dull their will, while still leaving their aggression intact. Heretic Elites discard the lives of the Wretched carelessly, as their sacrifice on the battlefield counts as a worthy deed which will be rewarded by their Patrons.
Mercenaries
As a RISKY ACTION with +1 DICE, the Warlock can Teleport up to 6” in any direction into a free space it can see, including into melee with an enemy model. The Warlock may bring a single enemy model that is in Melee Combat with it and has a base size of 32mm or smaller. There must be suitable space for the Warlock (and a possible passenger which must end the teleport in Melee Combat with the Warlock) at its target destination or this teleport automatically fails. It may not teleport out of the battlefield. It may teleport even if it is currently Down, but remains so after the teleportation.
Enemies cannot Retreat from the Goetic Warlock. Additionally, if a model is able to move out of Melee Combat with the Warlock because of a special ability (such as the Assassin’s Dagger), they cannot.
This is an ACTION which is modified exactly the same way as a ranged attack, executed against one enemy the Warlock can see within 24”. If successful, the model suffers one BLOOD MARKER. If the success is a Critical Success, the target suffers two BLOOD MARKER instead. This ACTION can be used against enemy models in Melee Combat without having to randomise the target.
Sword / Axe
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Melee) |
CRITICAL
Because of the martial traditions of many proud nations and due to the advances in armour technology, swords and axes are extremely popular, especially amongst elite units and officers. They are supremely useful for finishing off downed opponents and causing profusely bleeding wounds.
Reinforced Armour
Grants a -2 modifier to all injury rolls against the model wearing this armour.
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
Goetic Warlocks are horrific creations from the death factories of the 3rd Circle of Hell, manufactured from captured priests, prophets, vicars, rectors and monks. Fiendish machines first burn their flesh away with hellfire, encasing the still-living skeletons in an infernal suit of armour and stamping them with goetic runes. The process is so agonising that they consent to a demonic pact to bring end to their pain. Thus a new Goetic Warlock is born, ready to hunt the living they once swore to protect.
The mere gaze of the warlock causes necrosis and in close quarters they embrace unsuspecting enemies with their iron claws, using their goetic magic to gate themselves to a secluded location where they can finish their victim by slowly shredding them apart. Their favourite method is by skinning their victims alive and using their gruesome trophies as repulsive vellum to write grimoires and unholy religious texts, or wearing the faces of their victims to power their illusionary spells to confound their enemies.
Due to the rarity of victims required to create Goetic Warlocks, they are only assigned to the Heretic commanders with the greatest renown, need and with the right connections in the twisted web of Heretic politics. Mammon, the great devil of Greed, sells the services of his own personal battalion of Warlocks to the highest bidder.
Scripture Guardian has a halved Dash distance (i.e. 3”).
The Scripture Guardian reads words from the holy (or unholy!) text it carries. This is an attack ACTION with 18” range, and it can be used in either Melee or as a Ranged attack (though not both during the same Activation). Use Ranged and Melee Characteristics as appropriate. This attack ignores armour and cover. For each BLOOD MARKER the target has, add +1 to the Injury roll. Note that if armed with a melee weapon, both the Melee attack and the use of the Vengeageful Scripture can be used simultaneously.
Combat Helmet
Ignores additional BLOOD MARKERS caused by the Keyword SHRAPNEL.
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Reinforced Armour
Grants a -2 modifier to all injury rolls against the model wearing this armour.
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
As a RISKY ACTION, the Sin Eater can attempt to consume a model, friend (in which case the ACTION is not RISKY and is done with +1 DICE) or foe, that is on a 40mm or smaller base and is within 1”. If successful, remove the model from the table and set aside any markers that the model has (BLOOD, INFECTION, BLESSING etc.). While it is devoured the model cannot be targeted by any attack or ability. When Activated, the devoured model may make one melee attack ACTION available to it, but the attack suffers a -3 DICE penalty when rolling to hit. A devoured model counts as being Down for all rules purposes (including Morale) and, if it is still devoured at the end of the battle, it counts as being Out of Action instead.
Whenever the Sin Eater is activated, the devoured model suffers one BLOOD MARKER automatically that cannot be avoided by any means. If the devoured model suffers a BLOOD MARKER in this way when it already has six BLOOD MARKER, it is immediately taken Out of Action and it is no longer considered devoured. If the Sin Eater is taken Out of Action, the devoured model is placed Down where the Sin Eater was. The Sin Eater can only ever have one consumed model in its belly.
The Sin Eater attempts to purge a model it has devoured as an ACTION with +4 DICE. If successful, the model’s controller places the model within 1” of the Sin Eater. If no suitable space exists, the vomit fails and the model remains devoured. The vomited model is Down. The Sin Eater can only use this ACTION if it has a model devoured.
Tenderizer Maul
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
| Modifiers | +1 to Injuries |
HEAVY
Its huge reach means that the Sin Eater may make one Melee Attack ACTION against each enemy model it is fighting in Melee.
Reinforced Armour
Grants a -2 modifier to all injury rolls against the model wearing this armour.
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
Sin Eaters are horrific creatures: once they were mortal men and women, but their overwhelming greed and hunger for human flesh tainted with Sin, combined with the corrupting influence of the Hellgate, has turned them into a form that matches their inner foulness. They’re swollen into monstrous proportions and are always at a point of nearly bursting, yet forever ravenous for more flesh and human sins to devour.
The Sin Eater is one of the very few creatures that Beelzebub approves of outside his own followers due its insatiable gluttony.
