The Red Brigade
The Red Brigade is made of volunteers who have lost someone close to them in the battles of the Great War. The unit was founded by St. Ernest, the sole survivor of the second battle of Acre; where he lost his brother Wilhelm to the forces of the Heresiarch Berenguer.
It is said that when his brother fell in comabt Ernest donned the blood-stained helmet of Wilhelm and returned to the fray to kill Heretics until there were no more left to slay. As silence finally fell over the battlefield, Ernest was the sole survivor of either side. Seeing this as an ordained miracle by the Almighty, he gathered the rest of his brother's bloodied armour and returned to the Principality of New Antioch. There he began recruiting volunteers for his vendetta. As a gifted orator driven by the anguish of his loss, Ernest soon gathered a following of many bereaved soldiers like himself. Thus the first Red Brigade was formed and Ernest led his unofficial warband into the No Man's Land on a hunt for Heretics, through ambush and deep strikes at the vulnerable enemy supply lines. His bloodsoaked warriors soon began to resemble their leader in appearance which earned the unit its name.
Their skill and cunning on the battleifled caught the attention of the thrine of New Antioch and the Red Brigade was recognised as an official unit in the ducal armed forces. Since those times the Red Brigade has been used as the personal special operations force by the Duke of New Antioch. These driven soldiers undertake the most dangerous missions where unsustainable casualties would make it impossible to use the regular units. To join the Red Brigade a soldier has to volunteer, bringing to the recruiting officer a piece of kit tarnished by the blood of fallen comrades as proof of their right to serve as a 'Blood Pledge', as the soldiers of the Brigade are known.
As a unit under the direct command of the Duke, the Red Brigade is granted many privileges while garrisoned within the city, in addition to arms and provisions from the city's stores. Their barracks are located at the ducal palace, and before the Red Brigade leaves for a mission they dine at the table of the Duke and his closest officers, in a lavish banquet known as the Feat of the Dead Men.
Due to their propensity for hunting high-value targets, the Red Brigade is supplied with warhounds from the kennels of the Duke. These loyal beasts give solace and companionship to the troopers and have been trained to provide the soldiers with grenades in the heat of battle when the Red Brigade strive to take heavily defended enemy stringpoints and trenches. Malinois, wolfhounds and mastiffs are especially popular and much-loved by the soldiery of the unit.
The Red Brigade are a grim and silent unit, haunted by their losses and long patrols in enemy territory. Often yearning to be reunited with their lost ones; they are willing to accept missions where death is almost certain. This self-destructive attitude chafes many members of the clergy, who do not condone the existence of the unit; as suicide is a motal sin. However, the Brigade has proven itself to be so useful to the Duke that the red-armoured troops have seen continuous service for decades.
After each fray it is the task of the Quartermaster of the Brigade to gather the arms and red armour of the fallen and redistribute it so new recruits will have a real, tangible link to the fallen. But when faces with a battle where the commander of the Brigade sees there is no hope of survival, it is customary to dispatch one of their soldiers back to New Antioch in order to notify the Duke of the unit's demise. This messenger is chosen by drawing lots and the selected soldier takes the dogtags of the entire unit back to the Home of All Our Hopes, to be hung from the walls of the Chapel of Remembrance; there to join the thousands that have given their lives for the Brigade before.
The last member of the Brigade then asks for a personal audience with the ruling duke or duchess. The traditional greeting in such circumstances by the survivor is as follows:
"The Red Brigade has fallen"
To which the rule of New ANtioch solemnly answers:
"And the Red Bridage will rise anew"
And thus the recruitment of the new Red Brigade commences and the cycle of violence, revenge, and blood begins once more.
Faction Rules
Your warband may have up to two Fireteams. These Fireteams may consist of any two models from your warband. Models in Fireteams gain the Keyword
FIRETEAM: This model is part of a
Concentrated Attack: If a model in the
Captains
Lieutenants are leaders of small squads or platoons of New Antioch’s soldiers, playing a fundamental role on the distant frontlines of the Trench Crusade, displaying unwavering resolve in preserving the unity and morale of their troops. Lieutenants might be the favoured son or daughter of a noble family or gained their rank by impressing their superiors with their exceptional strategic acumen and audacious bravery.
In addition to their command role, they are also responsible for acquiring new weapons, arms, equipment and food for their troops. All too often this requires looting the battlefields of No Man’s Land or even raiding settlements, since resupply can be sporadic at best.
Having rightfully earned their position, Lieutenants enjoy the privilege of selecting their preferred arms and armour, often with the pick of the rarest battlefield finds. It is not uncommon for a Lieutenant to wield a distinctive weapon, perhaps a family heirloom, an idiosyncratic affectation or an ostentatious piece providing some much-needed swagger
Elite
Atonement Bell
| Hands | 1 Hands (Ranged) 1 Hands (Melee) |
This bell always takes the use of one hand of the Communicant. The Communicant can make an off-hand attack with the Bell. It causes no damage, but any enemy on a 40mm base or smaller hit with an Atonement Bell can be moved D3 inches from the Communicant into any direction the Communicant chooses. This can break them out of melee combat (allowing free attacks), trigger Falling damage, into dangerous terrain, etc. It cannot be made to move the model into another Melee combat, however.
A Crimson Communicant can channel the sorrow of the Second Meta-Christ through the sound of the bell, causing all to flee in despair.
Wracked with an aching sense of loss and despair, the Crimson Communicants find solace to their pain in the company of the grim Red Brigade. Numb to lesser physical sensations, they actively seek grevious wounds on the battlefield to forget their mental anguish. As a parting gift when leaving the Mendelist monastery, they are each gifted an Atonement Bell.
These devotees of the Church blind themselves ritually as a devotion to God and use only their faith to strike the enemies of the Church. During the Siege of St. Lux stories were told of a sniper priest killing a target three miles away.
A holy warrior who looks after the souls of the soldiers in the company, the cleric chants inspiring battle prayers and can perform various miracles such as healing or even smiting the enemy. A cleric often carries a portable shrine on his back to denote his faith in the company’s Patron, be that one of the Saints of their homeland, a mighty Arch-Angel or the Lord himself.
Infantry
Combat Engineers are equipped with a Shovel and Engineer Body Armour. This equipment and armour can never be removed. A Combat Engineer can be equipped with any weapon or equipment from the
Engineer Body Armour
Grants a -2 modifier to injury rolls made against the Combat Engineer (this is included in the Combat Engineer’s profile). All weapons with keyword
Shovel
| Range | Melee |
| Modifiers | Wielding is Optional |
A model equipped with a shovel always starts the game in cover if deployed on ground level, even if placed in open terrain. As soon as the model moves, it is no longer in cover. A model that is covered in this way retains the benefit of Cover even if the attacking model has an unobstructed view of it. If a model equipped with a shovel has two hands free, it can use it in Melee Combat as if it were a Trench Club.
Battlefield shovel allows troops to dig in and fight from cover in virtually any battlefield.
The combat engineers specialise in destroying bunkers, discovering minefields and building battlefield emplacements. Casualties are extremely high in the combat engineer units, but they consider it an honour to fight and die for New Antioch and the Church.
Due to their knowledge of anatomy and physiology, medics are experts at inflicting debilitating injuries and excruciating pain. Unless the target has the Keyword
The Medic adds
The medic is immune to
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
Ignores additional
Mustard Gas, phosgene, chlorine as well as noxious fumes from the bolgias of Hell plague the battlefield. The Gas Mask allows soldiers to withstand such attacks.
Standard Armour
-1 to all Injury Chart rolls against the model. Can be combined with any shield.
With the advancements in metallurgy and technology, both Faithful and Heretic armies are well-equipped with suits of alloy armour that can withstand an impact from a bullet or turn aside the sharpest of blades. Standard armour is usually mass-produced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Medi-Kit
Models with a Medi-kit can take a
Battlefield first aid has brought many soldiers back from the brink of death. Blessed ointments can seal fatal wounds completely, while the black blood of demons used by twisted heretic medics allows mangled troops to return to the fray.
Misericordia
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Melee) |
| Modifiers | Ignore Armour when down |
Ignores the armour of opponents that are Down.
The misericordia dagger is designed to put enemies out of their misery by finding chinks in the armour: eye slits, neck joints and so forth.
The Sisters of St. Cosmas are a highly trained elite medical corps, specialising in battlefield first aid and surgeries on the front lines of the Great War.
The Sisters take a modified Hippocratic Oath that compels them to help any wounded soldiers of the Faith, no matter how dire the circumstance, as well as dispatching heretics and other enemies they find on the battlefield without pity or mercy.
Armed with a combat surgical knife that doubles as a Misericordia, they are as equally adept at saving lives as taking them from those they find lying wounded in No Man’s Land. They carry medical kits with a plethora of battlefield drugs that are especially useful for nullifying the pain of even the most ghastly wounds, and getting soldiers back on their feet and back into the fray, even if just for a few moments so they can accomplish their mission or die trying.
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.
Well-armoured, large soldiers who wield the heavy weaponry of the company. They are selected from amongst the best and given heavy chemical enhancements.
A Shocktrooper can be equipped with any weapon, armour and equipment from the
Assault Troops that specialise in attacking enemy defensive positions. They are masters of rapid assault and melee combat. Experts at combined arms and Fireteam tactics.
Medi-Kit
Models with a Medi-kit can take a
Battlefield first aid has brought many soldiers back from the brink of death. Blessed ointments can seal fatal wounds completely, while the black blood of demons used by twisted heretic medics allows mangled troops to return to the fray.
Each yeoman is equipped with a bolt action rifle at a reduced cost of 5 ducats. You can swap this rifle for another ranged weapon of lower, equal or greater cost. If the cost is greater, you must pay the difference in ducats.
Yeomen can be equipped with any weapon, armour and equipment from the
Bolt-Action Rifle
| Range | 24" |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Ranged) |
BAYONET LUG
The workhorse of the Great War. Sturdy, highly reliable and reasonably accurate, it is no surprise that most of the infantry of the Great War carry this battlefield classic.
A basic trooper of New Antioch. Brave men and women who have received standard training and sworn an oath to the Duke of New Antioch. What they lack in combat skills compared to more elite troops they more than make up with their numbers and wide selection of weapons available to them.
Mercenaries
Whenever a Combat Biologist is part of your Warband, you can add the following Glorious Deed in addition to those normally available in each Scenario you play
Battlefield Vivisection
Standard Armour
-1 to all Injury Chart rolls against the model. Can be combined with any shield.
With the advancements in metallurgy and technology, both Faithful and Heretic armies are well-equipped with suits of alloy armour that can withstand an impact from a bullet or turn aside the sharpest of blades. Standard armour is usually mass-produced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
Ignores additional
Mustard Gas, phosgene, chlorine as well as noxious fumes from the bolgias of Hell plague the battlefield. The Gas Mask allows soldiers to withstand such attacks.
Vivisector
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
CUMBERSOME, BLOCK
This weapon offers both excellent protection by keeping the targets at bay, and its haft incorporates a trigger that injects a horrifying cocktail of holy ointments, chemical toxins, nerve agents and micro-shards of holy relics into any open wound, causing pain that is unbearable to even supernatural enemies. It can also be used to quickly dissect fallen enemies so their organs can be preserved by the Combat Biologist.
Combat Biologists are members of the Pontifical Office of Biological warfare, or in the case of the Sultanate, the Al-Bisţāmī School of Ninety-Nine Names, which trains some failed Alchemist apprentices in a similar fashion. These scholars specialise in battlefield vivisections and collecting samples of the most powerful servants of Hell so they can be studied, in the hopes of finding ways to develop weapons capable of driving the servants of the Pit back to the darkness.
Due to their training, hypnotic conditioning and constant exposure to captured specimens, the Combat Biologist enters a battle trance when faced with creatures that normally induce fear in ordinary troopers. They wield vivisectors, polearm blade weapons that combine sophisticated biological warfare agents and the functional brutality of trench warfare.
At the start of each of their Activations, the Communicant can remove one
Trench Club
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Melee) |
Trench Clubs are one of the most common weapons of the Great War, as melee combat is frequent and brutal. Usually made of wood with a metal tip from iron, lead or steel, trench clubs often feature spikes and hobnails. Most designs have some form of cord or leather strap at the end to wrap around the user’s wrist.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
Ignores additional
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Anti-Materiel Rifle
| Range | 36" |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Ranged) |
| Modifiers | Ignore Armour, +1D to Injuries |
HEAVY, CRITICAL
Ignores armour. Add
Enormous long rifles designed to take out heavily armoured targets, vehicles and strongpoints. With the powerful armour available to the armies of the Great war, these terrifying weapons are much in demand. A downside is their enormous weight and terrifying recoil, and thus they are most often used by Communicants or Anointed who possess the supernatural strength to wield such weapons.
Communicants are partakers of the experimental Chemical Communion – the blood and flesh harvested from a Meta-Christ by the Mendelist monks and applied to the genome of volunteers. The most holy and pious of the Church are chosen to partake of the experimental communion, going through many biological changes to become larger and more durable, greatly enhancing their effectiveness on the battlefield. Their divinely-enhanced strength allows them to carry and shoot massive anti-materiel guns as easily as a normal soldier would wield a simple rifle. The process is uncertain, however, with the possibility for unpredictable side effects. Some lose their ability to speak or their higher brain functions become distracted by the heavenly choir only they can hear, requiring exact commands from their handlers.
Because the Church consistently needs funds to sustain its military operations, Communicants are frequently allocated to the highest bidders among the armies affiliated with New Antioch. Their services are in constant demand as they are able to take out enemy fighting vehicles, heavily armoured troops and strongpoints with a single shot.
Jezzail
| Range | 18" |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Ranged) |
These long arms are by far the most common weapons carried by the soldiers of the Sultanate of the Great Iron Wall. Their barrels are smoothbore which limits their accuracy at range, but this is more than made up for by the fact that this allows them to be loaded with different types of alchemical ammunition made by the Jabirean Alchemists.
Alchemical Ammunition
Adds
Jabirean Alchemists craft these Jezzail bullets from the slivers of the Iron Wall. Each such shot is carved the Seal of Solomon, guiding them during their path through the air.
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.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
Ignores additional
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
| Choose One of the Following |
|---|
| Trench Polearm and Trench Shield |
| Sword / Axe and Pistol / Revolver |
| Mamluk Greatsword |
As a
Bullet of the Guided Path: Whenever this model makes an Attack with a Ranged Weapon, add
+1 Diceto hit.Cartridge of His Wrath: Add the Keywords
ShrapnelandBlast2” to every Ranged Weapon this model is equipped with.Echo of His Word: Whenever this model makes an Attack with a Ranged Weapon, add +1 to injury rolls caused by that Attack.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
Ignores additional
Mustard Gas, phosgene, chlorine as well as noxious fumes from the bolgias of Hell plague the battlefield. The Gas Mask allows soldiers to withstand such attacks.
The Order of Mendelist Monks is entrusted with the design of divinely enhanced items and the creation of the Communicants, devotees who have undergone Chemical Communion with an infusion of the synthesised blood of a Meta-Christ.
The Brotherhood of Blessed Munitions is one of the sub-sects of the Mendelist Order, whose duty is to provide the faithful with various types of ammunition treated with the chemically altered blood of a Meta-Christ. Such solutions are highly unstable and difficult to handle, and the secrets of their various formulae are jealously guarded.
On the battlefield, the monks brave enemy fire and infernal terrors, committed to their holy task of bringing the Wrath of the Lord upon the heretics. Their patron, St. Barbara, is said to lift those who die on the battlefield to Everlasting Glory.
Standard Armour
-1 to all Injury Chart rolls against the model. Can be combined with any shield.
With the advancements in metallurgy and technology, both Faithful and Heretic armies are well-equipped with suits of alloy armour that can withstand an impact from a bullet or turn aside the sharpest of blades. Standard armour is usually mass-produced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
Ignores additional
Mustard Gas, phosgene, chlorine as well as noxious fumes from the bolgias of Hell plague the battlefield. The Gas Mask allows soldiers to withstand such attacks.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
Ignores additional
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Trench Polearm
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
| Modifiers | -1D to hit for Chargers |
CUMBERSOME, SHIELD COMBO
Polearms take two hands to use. Melee attacks made against this model are made with
Trench pikes, billhooks, spears and other long polearms are excellent defensive weapons, but are cumbersome and heavy. They are often used to deal with barbed wire.
Medi-Kit
Models with a Medi-kit can take a
Battlefield first aid has brought many soldiers back from the brink of death. Blessed ointments can seal fatal wounds completely, while the black blood of demons used by twisted heretic medics allows mangled troops to return to the fray.
When the need is great, the Synod of Strategic Prophecy sends Observers to support the war effort. This order of warrior monks lives a life of absolute solitude, sharpening their minds and bodies, making of themselves living weapons in the Hands of God.
Once a soldier joins the order, they never leave the Temple of The Word. The slightest disturbance to their prayers and training interrupts their ability to commune with the Lord of all Creation. Thus the days of the Observers are spent in secluded, cloistered cells, when not practising their martial or mental disciplines.
The rare exception is when they are summoned to the battlefield. Here, amidst the chaos and carnage, their unique abilities can decisively shift the balance in favour of the faithful. Observers wear a specially crafted helmet enabling them to attune to the Voice of God. This remarkable connection grants them the capacity to simultaneously perceive the immediate past, present and future, to a degree. This allows them to perform unrivalled martial feats.
But a living human is not meant to hear the Holy Words, so it comes at a cost. Since the Voice of God never decays, they must concentrate with superhuman focus to extricate the righteous guidance amidst the narrative spanning from creation’s inception to the present moment. The ceaseless resonance of the Divine Echo ringing in their ears renders sleep impossible. Therefore they must resort to potent sedatives and mind-altering drugs for them to endure the heavy burden of their battlefield role for any length of time.
The Observers diligently practice the recitation of the Words of God, granting them the power to issue commands to anyone they address, friend or foe. The special metal of their helmet allows them to replicate the Holy Word as closely as it is possible, compelling any creature in creation to obey them momentarily.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
Ignores additional
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.
The Witchburner can select any model in the opposing warband within 24” (even if hidden or out of sight) and bring the Judgement of Heaven upon them with a Litany of Condemnation. This is a
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
Ignores additional
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.
Gavel of Justice
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Melee) |
If the Witchburner hits an enemy with the Gavel of Justice, the target of the attack automatically sustains Divine Judgement as explained in the Witchburner’s Abilities, even if the attack did no damage otherwise. This does not count as the Witchburner having used the Divine Judgement
The staff of the Witchburners is both a mark of their office and a weapon imbued with the wrath of God against those who have broken Divine Law. It dooms the souls of those found guilty to burn in flames for all eternity.
The Witchburners are the field officers of the Inquisition. They are tasked with hunting down and punishing witches, warlocks and heretics that cannot be brought to face justice by conventional means.
On the battlefield they have the power to channel divine retribution on those deemed to have transgressed against God, causing sinners to burst into flames with mere words of condemnation. Since none are sinless, none are safe from their words of condemnation.
Armoury
Base Faction
Promotions
