Homebrew: Slaanesh Daemonkin

Slaanesh Daemonkin Homebrew rules v 2.1

Very Much WIP

Designers Note: These rules were written for 7th Edition 40k. If GW release any 8th Edition Daemonkin books, I'll base a new version of these rules on that.

Revel in Excess

All models in a Slaanesh Daemonkin army have the Revel in Excess special rule. In addition to allowing them to generate and benefit from Excess, Characters with this rule may not decline a Challenge. If there are multiple Characters eligible to receive a Challenge the controlling player decides which one accepts. Note that Characters with this rule are not required to always issue Challenges, though they may if they wish. Models with the Eye of the Gods special rule must issue and accept Challenges as stated in that rule, but do not roll on the Eye of The Gods table. (They generate Excess instead) If a unit contains any models that do not have the Revel in Excess special rule then only those models who have the rule benefit from its effects. A unit will generate Excess points if any models in it have the Revel in Excess rule.

Gaining Excess Points

Like Khorne Daemonkin, Slaanesh Daemonkin generate Tithe points, in this case referred to as Excess. Disciples of Slaanesh revel in extreme sensory stimulation, martial pride and perfection, and the pain of their enemies. An Excess point is gained in each of the following circumstances, up to a maximum of 6:

• Fear: Whenever an enemy unit fails any kind of Morale or Pinning check caused by a model with the Revel in Excess rule, including Daemonic Instability. If the effect of the failed test is prevented by another rule (eg Mob Rule) a point is not generated.
• Exhilaration: Whenever a unit with the Revel in Excess rule passes a Leadership check, including if that check is automatically passed due to the Fearless rule.
• Despair: Whenever a unit with the Revel in Excess rule destroys an enemy unit in Assault, including by Daemonic Instability or Sweeping Advance. (Note that a Sweeping Advance will also generate a point for the failed enemy Morale check)
• Domination: Whenever a Character with the Revel in Excess rule slays an opponent in a Challenge.
• Pride: Whenever an opposing Character declines a Challenge from a model with the Revel in Excess rule.

Designers Note: Note that the Morale check for taking 25% casualties in a phase is taken at the end of that phase. A unit that is damaged enough to take a Morale test by one attack, but then destroyed outright in the same phase by a subsequent attack, will not generate an Excess point. If an enemy unit is damaged by multiple friendly units in one turn, or caught by a Sweeping Advance by multiple units at once, Excess points will be generated so long as at least one participating model has the Revel in Excess rule.

Spending Excess Points

Excess points may be spent at the start of the Daemonkin player's Player Turn, and the effects last until the start of that player's next Player Turn unless otherwise stated. When Excess points are spent in this manner, any points that are not spent are lost and the count resets to zero.

1: Mercurial Speed: Invigorating Warp energies flow through the veins and synapses of the Daemonkin. All friendly models with the Revel in Excess special rule gain +1 Initiative and the Fleet special rule, and count as having Assault Grenades when charging models in cover.

2: Maniacal Persistence: Whipped into a frenzy, the Daemonkin treat the most horrific of injuries as merely another experience to be savoured. All friendly models with the Revel in Excess special rule gain the Feel No Pain special rule.

3: Preternatural Agility: The Daemonkin begin to caper and dance with impossible speed, crossing the most treacherous terrain effortlessly and evading defensive fire or blurring into a mass of claws. All unengaged friendly models with the Revel in Excess special rule gain the Move Through Cover rule and may Assault after running, and enemy units Assaulted by them may not fire Overwatch. Engaged friendly units with the Revel in Excess special rule instead gain +1 Attack.

4: Handmaidens of the Dark Prince: Drawn by screams of terror and gasps of pleasure, the handmaidens of Slaanesh come to join the dance. A unit of either 10 Daemonettes or 5 Seekers of Slaanesh is Summoned within 6” of any unit with the Revel in Excess special rule.

5: The Reaping of Souls: The soul-scent reaches far into the Gardens of Slaanesh, and the fell denizens of its reaches ride, slither and skitter to war. A unit of five Fiends of Slaanesh, or an Exalted Seeker Chariot is Summoned within 6” of any unit with the Revel in Excess special rule.

6: Irresistible Apotheosis: Amused by the prideful boasts of His/Her Champion, Slaanesh favours their soul with the lightest of touches. Immortality or damnation are there to be claimed. Choose one friendly Character with the Revel in Excess special rule who does not have the Daemon of Slaanesh special rule. That character must make an immediate Leadership test. If the test is failed, a Chaos Spawn is summoned within 6” of that character. If the test is passed, one of the following may be summoned within 6” of the character:

• A Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (from Codex: Chaos Space Marines) with Warp Forged armour and up to 100 points of upgrades. If the Daemon Price has wings these must be paid for from this allowance. If the chosen character is the Warlord then the opponent does not score the Slay The Warlord secondary objective until the newly-summoned model is removed as a casualty. Furthermore, the Daemon Prince retains any Warlord Trait or Artefact that the Warlord had at no additional cost, but may never have more than one Artefact.
• A Keeper of Secrets with Psyker Mastery Level 3. If the chosen character is the Warlord then the opponent does not score the Slay The Warlord secondary objective until the newly-summoned model is removed as a casualty. Furthermore, the Keeper of Secrets retains any Warlord Trait that the Warlord had.

After the summoned model is placed, the chosen Character is removed as a casualty. This does not generate a Kill Point in missions that use them.

Summoned units

When a unit is summoned as a result of spending Excess points, a new unit under your control immediately arrives via Deep Strike within range of the specified unit on the board. If that unit's Army List Entry has the option to take a Rapturous Standard, an Instrument of Chaos and/or the option to upgrade one model as a Character, you may take that option for free provided you have the appropriate model available. Unless stated otherwise, a summoned unit cannot take any further upgrades or options. If you do not have enough models to place the entire unit on the board, place as many as you can- any excess are considered destroyed.

When a unit of Daemons is summoned as a result of a psychic power, those Daemons are summoned as per the usual rules. They do not gain the Revel in Excess special rule, even if they are Daemons of Slaanesh, and follow all the usual rules from Codex: Chaos Daemons. This also applies to models summoned through the use of a Portalglyph.

Unit Roster

A Slaanesh Daemonkin army is drawn from Codex: Chaos Space Marines and Codex: Chaos Daemons with the following conditions:

Codex: Chaos Daemons

Any unit with the Daemon of Slaanesh rule from Codex: Chaos Daemons may be used in its usual Battlefield Role. If a unit has the option to be a Daemon of Slaanesh, it may be used but must purchase this option (eg Soul Grinders). Daemon Princes may not be used (use the Codex: Chaos Space Marines version instead as detailed below). 4 Heralds may be picked in one HQ slot as usual. Any Icons purchased must be upgraded to Rapturous Standards.

All units taken from Codex: Chaos Daemons which have the Daemonic Instability rule replace it with the Fearless special rule.

Codex: Chaos Space Marines

The following units from Codex: Chaos Space Marines may be used in the following Battlefield Roles. If a model has the Daemon special rule, this is replaced with the Daemon of Slaanesh special rule at no additional points cost (Daemon Princes must still purchase this upgrade). All models which have the option must purchase the Mark of Slaanesh.

HQ: Chaos Lord, Chaos Sorcerer, Daemon Prince

TROOPS: Chaos Cultists, Chaos Space Marines, Noise Marines

ELITES: Possessed, Chaos Terminators

FAST ATTACK: Chaos Spawn, Chaos Rhino, Chaos Bikers, Raptors, Warp Talons, Heldrake

HEAVY SUPPORT: Chaos Land Raider, Forgefiend, Maulerfiend, Defiler, Helbrute.

Lords of War

In addition to these units, a Slaanesh Daemonkin army may contain a Daemon Knight of Slaanesh, or Zarakynel, Bringer of Torments, (subject to the usual rules of game point level).

All models in a Slaanesh Daemonkin army gain the Revel in Excess special rule at no additional points cost.

Weapons and Wargear

For simplicity's sake, models drawn from Codex: Chaos Space Marines (including Daemon Princes) use the Weapons and Wargear table from that book, and may purchase a single Chaos Artefact.

Heralds of Slaanesh may take Loci from Codex: Chaos Daemons. Additionally, Independent Characters taken from Codex: Chaos Daemons may carry a Hellforged Artefact from either the list in Curse of the Wulfen, or that in Codex: Chaos Daemons.

Warlord Trait

The Warlord of a Slaanesh Daemonkin army may either roll on the standard Warlord Trait tables, or may use the Slaanesh Daemonkin table below:

1 Nexus of Hysteria: This Warlord constantly emits a hideous, screaming din that distracts and disturbs their foes. Enemy models within 6” of your Warlord, or who are the target of an Assault from them, may not fire Overwatch.

2 Disciple of Slaanesh: This Warlord's shrieks of passion are infectious, whipping their warriors into a frenzy. Your Warlord has the Zealot special rule.

3 Exhibitionist: This Warlord is a whirlwind of claws and blades, killing with every caress. Add 1 to your Warlord's Attacks characteristic.

4 Favoured of Slaanesh: The artistry of this Warlord's kills is legendary, and they sit high in the Dark Prince's fickle favour. Your Warlord generates an additional Excess point each time they slay an enemy Character in a Challenge.

5 The Devil Who Knows: All the dark secrets of the enemy are known to this Warlord. Your Warlord has the Preferred Enemy special rule.

6 Destined For Glory: This Warlords destiny is set. It is only a matter of time. When resolving the Irresistible Apotheosis result on the Excess table, this Warlord will automatically pass the Leadership test if they are the chosen Character.

Artefacts of Slaanesh

An Independent Character who is eligible to carry any Artefact may instead purchase an Artefact of Slaanesh from the following list. Only one of each may be taken per army.

The Song of Fears Remembered. 30 points.(Models with the Daemon of Slaanesh rule only)

The Daemon is constantly accompanied by the half-heard songs of distant choirs. Those mortals who stray too close and make out the words are suddenly struck with the memory of every moment of terror, horror and pain in their lives. Even the boldest find their resolve weakening in such circumstances, all the more so should someone draw attention to their failings...

All units, friend or foe, within 6” of the bearer of the Song of Fears Remembered suffer a -2 Leadership penalty. If the unit has the Fearless and/or And They Shall Know No Fear special rules, they do not suffer this penalty but are otherwise treated as if they did not have the rule(s).

In addition to these effects, affected models who are also within 6” of the Masque of Slaanesh suffer an additional -1 Leadership penalty as the Masque dances to the song.

Models with the Daemon special rule are immune to all effects of the Song of Fears Remembered.

Blade of Pride. 25 points.

The bearer of the Blade of Pride considers themselves to be a warrior without peer. To prove their superiority, they allow their foes to strike the first blow in duels, expertly parrying and dodging every assault before slaying their hapless opponent with a single, precise strike.

The Blade of Pride is a Power Sword. In addition, when the bearer is fighting in a Challenge the Blade of Pride becomes AP2 and Unwieldy and gains the Instant Death special rule. The bearer has a 3+ Invulnerable save whilst fighting in a Challenge. When attacking in a Challenge, the bearer may add +1 to their roll To Hit or To Wound for every Attack on their opponent's profile, but may only make one Attack themselves.

If the bearer of the Blade of Pride slays an opponent in a Challenge, an additional Excess point is gained. The bearer must always issue a Challenge wherever possible.

The Wyrm of Screams. (One Use Only) 30 points.

This tiny, wriggling parasite looks disturbingly sensuous to the eye, at once repellent and alluring. It is rarely seen, however, for the thing is suffused in the energies of the Warp and can exist for only mere seconds outside of it without a host. When released from its vessel, be it a heretech stasis-ewer or arcane canoptic omnium, the Wyrm burrows into the nearest flesh and desperately sculpts it into a living warp portal through which to return home to the Orchards of Sins. Of course, such a portal is not one-way...

When the bearer of the Wyrm of Screams slays an enemy model in Assault, they may opt to release the Wyrm into the remains. If this is done, at the end of the Fight sub-phase a Chaos Spawn of Slaanesh with the Revel in Excess special rule and the Daemon of Slaanesh special rule under the control of the owner of the Wyrm is placed as close as possible to them, not within 1” of any enemy model. Whilst this Chaos Spawn remains in play, models with the Daemon of Slaanesh special rule entering play by Deep Strike within 6” of it do not roll for scatter. In addition, roll a D6 before moving the Chaos Spawn in each subsequent Movement Phase- on a roll of 4+, a unit of D6 Daemonettes of Slaanesh are Summoned within 6” of the Spawn. This unit has the Revel in Excess special rule and the Fearless special rule, does not suffer from Daemonic Instability, and may not have any upgrades, icons or characters.

The Chaos Spawn may not join, or be joined by, any other model or character of any sort, nor may it enter a transport vehicle or building. It may not make Assault moves, but will fight back in Assault if attacked. If it is slain, it awards a Kill Point as usual if this victory condition is being used. If the Spawn survives the battle, it awards one Victory Point to the controlling player, for the troubles of the foes of Slaanesh are only just beginning...