Dozier: House Rules for playing Word Bearers in the Dozier System

For those that have always thought it would be cool to make up their own rules to go along with the fluff they have crafted for their minis, we say, “Why not?  There has never been a better time than the Forge the Narrative era we are currently in.”  With that in mind, this post includes one of our WiJ Homebrews.  We make no claim of balance, but we’ve tried this stuff out.  They are in no way legal, but wargaming has always been an agreement between two folks.  Rather than RAW or RAI, go for RAC, Rules as Cool.

Word Bearers

One of the original twenty legions, the Word Bearers are best known as zealous worshippers of Chaos.  They are committed entirely to the downfall of the Imperium which betrayed them so many millennia ago.  They prosecute an endless war, knowing that someday, they will stand on Terra again, this time as it burns to cinders. 

The Word Bearers often consort with daemons, making dark pacts with the Princes of the Warp.  They utilize lesser daemons as shock troops, while their sycophantic army of cult followers is herded forward to protect the Traitor Brethren.   The Marines themselves are resolute in battle, steeled by their faith and the exhortations of the Dark Apostles that lead them.  Their fury is seemingly boundless.  Many garrison worlds have fallen in the teeth of the Word Bearers’ initial assault.

Fielding a Word Bearers Army
Chaos Space Marine armies that are fielded as Word Bearers have the following rules.

Legion of the Word:  All units that have the ability to take an icon of some kind must do so.  All units that have the ability to take Veterans of the Long War must do so, and these units gain the Stubborn USR in addition to the normal benefits.

Glory to the Pantheon:  The number of units with a specific Mark of Chaos may not exceed the number of different marks in the army (i.e. to include three units of marines with the Mark of Khorne, you might also add units with the Mark of Tzeentch and the Mark of Nurgle.).  A Word Bearers army may include Possessed units in compulsory Troops slots of their force organization.  Cult Troops are limited to one selection per primary detachment.

In the Author’s Words:  Continuing a tradition of silly design, it seems a bit daft that my warp-dwelling evil paladins go from hero to zero when you kill their magic stick.  I wanted a way to represent the piety and resolve of the Word Bearers, so I thought if they showed their dedication to the Dark Gods, we could reward them for it.  Regarding the Pantheon rule, while aligning oneself for the patronage of a particular God is not explicitly frowned upon, the Word Bearers have always served the Powers Undivided.  Thus, a rule that forces a diversity of devotion and reflects their relationship with warp entities.

Dark Apostle Antisthenes

HQ

200 Points

Antisthenes is a Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers, as well as commander of the 24^th Grand Warhost.  He is one of the longest serving members of the Apostolic Brotherhood and is considered a master of rituals specifically related to minor deities.  Despite that specialization, Antisthenes consistently has pacts he has worked with the greater powers as well, which has led to cataclysmic events for the Imperium, such as the Magdalis Atrocity and the loss of Porthos VI to the warp.

Antisthenes is like the eye of a hurricane.  His almost preternatural calm seems to amplify the fervor that his troops fight with.  He has also mastered the art of binding, and his blasted crozius contains the essences of several daemons, which makes him fearsome in combat.

Antisthenes,	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
Master of the 24th	5	5	4	4	3	5	3	10	3+

Unit Composition:  1 (Unique)                                                 Unit Type:  Infantry, Independent Character

Wargear:  Accursed Crozius, Power Armor, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades, Sigil of Chaos

Special Rules:  Beseech the Dark Gods, Demagogue, Veteran of the Long War, Champion of Chaos

Accursed Crozius	S	AP	Special Rules
Melee	User+2	4	Concussive, Daemon Weapon, Legion

                Legion:  On a turn in which the Daemon Weapon does not rebel, roll an additional d3.

D3	Result	Effect
1	Unholy Zeal	May re-roll failed to hit and to wound rolls.
2	Vorpal Edge	Melee attacks count as AP2.
3	Strands of Fate	To wound rolls of a 6 have the Instant Death USR.

In the Author’s Words:  Dark Apostles have always struck me as underwhelming in terms of being the beast to lead a Chaos Army.  They’re exceptionally cool characters in the fluff, but their stats are sidekickesque.  I am stunned that they’ve never done a special character for one, so I built my own to reflect my choice of legion.  And what’s more awesome than a Daemon Weapon?  A Daemons Weapon.  It seemed appropriate for a legion with a soft spot for the warp dwellers.  Antisthenes feels like someone who could lead a legion of crazies.

The Suns of Colchis

Fast Attack

240 Points

The Suns of Colchis were an order of Templars on the Word Bearers home world.  At one time, they were a traveling order that enacted the charity of the religious factions and offered protection to the weak.  As time passed, they became more and more obsessed with martial perfection.  Protecting the less fortunate became a forsaken practice as the brotherhood devolved into fighting countless honor duels.  

Now the Suns regard themselves as beatific visions of Chaos, arriving to battle on the wings of angels.  Their leader, Phaethon, is the epitome of arrogance.  He covets Antisthenes' position as head of the XXIVth.  

The Suns of Colchis	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
The Brothers	5	4	4	4	1	5	1	9	3+
Phaethon	5	4	4	4	1	5	3	10	2+

Unit Composition:  5 Suns of Colchis and Phaethon (Unique)                              Unit Type:  Jump Infantry

Wargear:  Power Armor, Dueling Saber, Bolt Pistol, Jump Pack, Frag/Krak Grenades, Mark of Slaanesh
         Phaethon:  The Morning Star, Plasma Pistol, Storm Shield, Fleshmetal, Jump Pack, Frag/Krak                                       Grenades, Mark of Slaanesh

Rules:  Daemon, Veterans of the Long War, Damnation of the Day, Champion of Chaos (Phaethon)

The Morning Star	S			AP	Special Rules
Melee	User+2			3	Specialist Weapon, Rending
Dueling Sabers		S	AP		Special Rules
Melee		User	3		Poison (4+)

Damnation of the Day:  If the Suns of Colchis arrive via Deep Strike, they will begin rolling to do so at the beginning of turn 3.  If they successfully arrive within 6” of an enemy HQ or Monstrous Creature, they may attempt to assault it during the following Charge sub-phase.

In the Author’s Words:  I’ve always thought the practice of trying to deep strike super close to an enemy unit so that I could immediately assault them created some of the tensest moments in the game.  If it comes off, you’re a genius.  If it doesn’t, you’re suddenly scrambling.  This is my interpretation of a unit of “look at me” types.  Arrogant, they risk the commander’s plan for their own vanity.

Daemon Deacons

Elite

225 Points

The practice of cohabiting a suit of armor is common amongst the Word Bearers.  When combining a warp entity with the power of Tactical Dreadnought armor, the effect is truly terrifying.  These individuals make up the cult of the Daemon Deacons. 

Aggressive on their own, the will of the daemons drive the Terminators on at a speed that should not be possible in a suit of armor so large.  This means that the brotherhood is often the tip of the spear, striking the enemy line with a fury that drives a wedge into it. Many defensive positions have simply been overrun, and those that are not are inexorably pushed back by the weight of the Possessed Terminators, while the closely following assault troops stream into the gaps created. 

Daemon Deacons	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
Brother Deacon	4	4	5	4	1	4	2	9	2+
Deacon Champion	4	4	5	4	1	4	2	10	2+

Unit Composition:  5 Daemon Deacons                                                                        Unit Type:  Infantry

Wargear:  Terminator Armor, Power Weapon, Icon of Vengeance

Special Rules:  Veteran of the Long War, Fearless, Daemon, Vessels of Chaos, Champion of                                   Chaos(Champion)

Vessels of Chaos:  At the beginning of each assault phase, roll a d3 and apply the result below.

D3	Result	Effect
1	Fury Unbound	Models gain +1 Attack and the Shred USR
2	Dark Strength	Models gain the Smash USR.
3	Unnatural Quickness	Models gain +2 Initiative, and re-roll failed Daemon saves.

In the Author’s Words:  It surprises me greatly that there isn’t a Possessed Terminator option.  I mean, I guess there are Mutilators, but the models and the rules are both terrible.  I mean I guess the rules are.  The restriction to three models means there’s hardly any damage output.  These guys are obviously a bit more fragile, only having the one wound, but losing one dude doesn’t make them largely combat ineffective.  While random doesn’t equal fun, the current incarnation of Possessed means a D3 table, and since I’m going for a like for like, I’ve tried to make a table on which all results are simple and viable.