The Principality of New Antioch
For over three hundred years, the Principality of New Antioch has stood defiantly as the focal point of the Church and the Faithful at the very edge of the shadow cast by the Gate of Hell. It is the Home of All Our Hopes, a bulwark against Heretic forces and the first defence against the Devil’s might. Should New Antioch fall, all of the Levant will be lost.
War has never left this corner of the world. The ancient city of Antioch was destroyed by a mysterious demonic weapon in the year 1545, but the Faithful never gave up their positions in the ruins. Despite the lethal demonic essence emanating from the crater that was left behind, the garrison held on, even as mighty Constantinople fell to the legions of Kimaris, Marquis of Hell.
Before it was destroyed, the ancient city of Antioch was always the first line of defence against the Heretic forces. Thus, it is no wonder that in 1559, the Sword Congress of Vienna decreed the reconstruction and fortification of the city, mandating that all Faithful nations deliver a yearly tithe to New Antioch.
This levy is rarely in the form of coin; instead, endless supply trains of foodstuffs, tools, ammunition, weaponry, machinery, skilled workers, and engineers arrive from across Europa and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the African dominions. Keeping the supply routes open is a constant game of cat and mouse, as Heretic infiltrators and raiders harry the caravans and ships that allow the Principality to exist.
New Antioch has grown to be the most vital fortress-city in the world, both the Sword and the Shield of Europa and Africa. Princes of the Church and leaders of the domains who oppose Hell understand that it is better to fight their battles against the Heretics far away from their heartlands. To this day, New Antioch has withstood eight great sieges, and its famed walls, with their seventy-seven mighty towers, have never been breached. This is partly due to hundreds of anchorites, metallic battle shrines with devotees entombed within them, embedded into the walls, keeping a vigilant watch day and night.
Above all, it is the volunteers who rally under the Banner of Christ that ensure the continuous existence of the Principality. The streets of New Antioch resound with hundreds of languages and dialects. Polish-Lithuanian hussars brush shoulders with the last remnants of the Varangian Guard. At the same time, street preachers from Éire exhort the soldiery of Abyssinia to lay down their lives for the cause. One might even witness the solemn procession of Church Engineers, carrying their latest invention to be tested on the front lines.
Factories belch out black smoke as newly constructed tanks roll out of the workshops. Day and night, foundries blaze with the fiery flow of molten metal to keep the artillery battalions, the pride and joy of New Antioch, at full strength. In the city’s techno-laboratories, the Church toils away creating superhuman Communicants empowered by the cloned flesh and blood of the Redeemer. Thousands of workers sacrifice their lives in horrific accidents and crushing overwork each year. Towering monuments honouring their sacrifices stand throughout the city.
Despite all these preparations, it is a grim reality that New Antioch could never withstand a full-scale onslaught from the combined Heretic forces. It is only thanks to the ferocious and bloody internal conflict among the devils that the Principality is still standing. The archdevils and princes of Hell constantly bicker and plot against each other. Rarely does one of them gain supremacy long enough to mount a full-scale invasion. The war has spanned centuries, with decades of uneasy lulls between great battles, yet the rulers of Hell are immortal, and to them the war is still in its infancy. They are beings that predate time itself and wish to savour the agony of the mortals who die in the millions. Thus, the Great War rages on, marked by long years of silence, only to be shattered by sudden, ferocious assaults.
In recent years, the Duke has dispatched small forces into the tortured landscape of No Man’s Land, the desolate stretch between New Antioch and the Heretic domains. There they seek to gather intelligence, search for artefacts of power, raid Heretic forces, secure strategic strongpoints, and loot the battlefields for the wealth of coin and weaponry lost over the centuries.
Granted only a commission from the Duke, these warbands must raise their own funds and muster their own forces. The lure of holy relics, vast riches, and worldwide renown ensures a steady supply of ambitious leaders willing to risk all in the crucible of war. Competition for loot, supplies, artefacts, and information is fierce. These warbands often come to blows, not just with Heretical forces, but also with rival factions and crazed Trench Pilgrims.
Faction Rules
A New Antioch Warband can include up to 2 Fireteams. Each Fireteam consists of any two models from the Warband. All of the models in the Fireteams are given the
Captains
Lieutenants are the leaders of small squads or platoons of New Antioch’s soldiers, playing a fundamental role on the frontlines. They are steadfast in their duty, preserving the unity and morale of their troops amid relentless conflict. A lieutenant may be a noble family’s favoured son or daughter, or have risen through the ranks by impressing their superiors with their exceptional strategic acumen and audacious bravery.
In addition to their command role, Lieutenants are responsible for acquiring weapons, arms, equipment and provisions for their troops. With resupply sporadic at best, they are frequently forced to loot the battlefields of No Man’s Land or even raid settlements to sustain their forces.
Having rightfully earned their position, Lieutenants enjoy the privilege of selecting their preferred arms and armour, often claiming the rarest battlefield finds. Many wield distinctive weapons, be it a revered family heirloom, an idiosyncratic affectation, or an ostentatious piece providing some much-needed swagger.
Elite
These devotees of the Church ritually blind themselves as a devotion to God, relying solely on their faith to strike His enemies. Stories have been told that during the Siege of the Monastery of Saint Lux, a Sniper Priest killed a target three miles away.
A holy warrior entrusted with the very souls of the soldiers in the company. The Cleric chants inspiring battle prayers and can invoke divine miracles, from healing the wounded to smiting the enemy. The Cleric often carries a portable shrine on their back, honouring the company’s Patron, be it a revered saint of their homeland, a mighty archangel, or the Lord himself.
Infantry
A Combat Engineer always has Engineer Body Armour (▶ see
Engineer Body Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER, NEGATE SHRAPNEL
New Antioch Combat Engineers are clad in specially designed reinforced armour.
Shovel
| Range | Melee |
Battlefield shovels allow troops to dig in and fight from cover in virtually any battlefield.
Combat Engineers specialise in destroying bunkers, discovering minefields, and building battlefield emplacements. Clad in steel body armour and armed for close combat, they brave the most perilous frontlines. Casualties within their ranks are exceedingly high, yet they consider it an honour to fight and die for New Antioch and the Church.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
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 INJURY MODIFIER
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 massproduced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Medi-Kit
- Remove 1 Blood Markerfrom the model or a friendly model within 1" of the model.
- Stand up a friendly model that is Down and within 1" of the model.
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) |
The misericordia dagger is designed to put enemies out of their misery by finding chinks in the armour: eye slits, neck joints and every other vulnerable seam.
New Antioch Combat Medics are highly-trained specialist troops. Many are devout followers of Saint Michael, the Archangel, revered as both a warrior-saint and the protector of medics, whom they believe steadies their hands and guides their blades. Combat Medics serve a brutal dual duty. They must deliver emergency battlefield treatment aimed at returning soldiers to the fight as swiftly as possible, while also standing shoulder to shoulder with them on the front lines. Their misericordia knives are equally useful for on-the-spot surgery and the rapid dispatch of fallen enemies.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
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, imposing soldiers, the Mechanized Heavy Infantry wield the heavy weaponry of the company. Selected from amongst the best, they undergo heavy chemical enhancements to maximise their strength and endurance.
A Shock Trooper can have any Battlekit from the
Highly trained in combined arms and fireteam tactics, these assault troops specialise in breaching enemy defences, and are masters of rapid assault and melee combat.
A Yeoman may be recruited with a Bolt-Action Rifle for a reduced cost of 5. The Yeoman can also have any Battlekit 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.
The basic troopers of New Antioch are brave men and women who have undergone standard training and sworn an oath to the Duke of New Antioch. Though they may lack the combat skills of more elite troops, they make up for it with sheer numbers and access to a wide array of weaponry.
Mercenaries
Battlefield Vivisection
Standard Armour
-1 INJURY MODIFIER
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 massproduced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Gas Grenades
| Range | 8" |
GRENADE, ASSAULT, GAS, IGNORE ARMOUR, IGNORE COVER, IGNORE LONG RANGE, -1 INJURY DICE, BLAST 3"
Gas grenades are insidious weapons, attacking the lungs and other internal organs with noxious fumes. Devil alchemists of the Fifth Circle are especially clever in creating these fiendish and hated weapons.
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.
Faith is not a passive instrument in the theatre of the Great War, rather it is one that is strengthened, sharpened by knowledge and experience. For the Faithful, Combat Biologists are one of the many whetstones upon which this sharpening occurs, travelling to the miseries of No Man’s Land to capture the enemies of the Almighty, or yield as much data as possible from their corpses. This research helps to manufacture new weapons to turn against the foes of the Church and the Sultanate, with no sinner or hellbeast being beyond the reach of the Combat Biologist’s toxinlaced vivisector.
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.
Trench Club
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 1 Hands (Melee) |
Trench Clubs are one of the most common weapons of the Great War, as meleecombat 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
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Anti-Materiel Rifle
| Range | 36" |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Ranged) |
HEAVY, CRITICAL, IGNORE ARMOUR, +1 INJURY DICE
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 forged through the experimental rite of chemical communion, in which Mendelist monks bond blood and flesh harvested from a Meta-Christ to the recipient’s genome. Only the most devout and pious of the Church are granted the honour of communion. Those who endure the ritual transcend their mortal biology and are granted immense size and resilience, making them formidable assets on the battlefield. Their divinely-enhanced strength allows them to wield massive anti-materiel guns as if they were no heavier than a standard-issue firearm. The process is far from perfected, however, with a high possibility of unpredictable side effects. Some unlucky subjects lose the ability to speak, others lose their higher brain functions, as they are distracted by the Heavenly choir only they can hear, and cannot function without exact commands from their handlers.
The Church, ever needing funds to sustain its military operations, frequently allocates Communicants to the highest bidders. Their services are in constant demand as they possess the ability to incapacitate 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 accurate 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
Jabirean Alchemists craft these jezzail bullets from the slivers of the Iron Wall. Each such shot is carved with the Seal of Solomon, guiding it with divine aim to its target.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
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
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 |
- Bullet of the Guided Path: Add +1 Diceto rolls for Ranged Attacks made by the model.
- Cartridge of His Wrath: Add the Blast2" andShrapnelKeywords to Ranged Weapons used by the model that do not have theBlastor FLAMETHROWER Keywords.
- Echo of His Word: Add +1 Injury Diceto rolls for Ranged Attacks made by the model.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
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.
The Brotherhood of Blessed Munitions is a subsect of the Order whose duty is to supply the Faithful with ammunition infused with the chemically altered blood of a Meta-Christ. These concoctions are highly unstable, dangerous to handle, and the secrets behind their formulas are fiercely guarded.
On the battlefield, the monks brave enemy fire and infernal terrors, unwavering in their holy duty to deliver ammunition and unleash the wrath of the Lord upon the Heretics. Their patron, Saint Barbara, is believed to raise those who fall in battle to everlasting glory.
Standard Armour
-1 INJURY MODIFIER
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 massproduced, but highly effective even against high-calibre weapons.
Gas Mask
NEGATE GAS
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
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Trench Polearm
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
CUMBERSOME, SHIELD COMBO, BLOCK
Trench pikes, billhooks, spears and other long polearms are excellent defensive weapons, but are cumbersome and heavy.
Medi-Kit
- Remove 1 Blood Markerfrom the model or a friendly model within 1" of the model.
- Stand up a friendly model that is Down and within 1" of the model.
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.
This order of warrior monks lives in absolute solitude, honing their minds and bodies to become living weapons of the Hand of God. Once a soldier joins the order, they rarely leave the Temple of the Word, the sole exception being when they are summoned to the battlefield, where their unique abilities can decisively shift the balance in favour of the Faithful. The slightest disturbance in their prayers or training could sever their connection to the Lord of all Creation. Thus, the days and nights of the Observers are spent in secluded, cloistered cells, when not practicing their rigorous martial and mental disciplines.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
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
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
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) |
CRITICAL
The staff of a Witchburner 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
Variants
Promotions
