Codex: PDF

[commissargaunt]

I'm putting this in the allies of the Imperium forum because PDF are separate from the IG and so this mini-dex will represent those differences instead of just being a simplified or cut down guard dex.

If you want to comment or critique a unit then feel free to.

This first section operates in a similar way to the old Ig doctrine system but with a few nifty twists.

6 "Planetary Advancement Points" to spend on weapons sets, units and Military traits:

Select ONE Weapon set:
*Primitive weapons-free
**Gunpowder weapons-1
***Las weapons-2
****Advanced weapons-3

Units:
Leman Russ Main Battle tank-1
Veteran Troopers-1
PDF levies-1
Support teams-1
Specialists-1
Engineers-1

Military Traits:
Combat hardened(+1 Ws)-1
Battle Hardened(stubborn)-1
Grizzled leaders(+1 wound to officers)-1
Well Drilled(+1 Ld)-1
Artillerymen(+1 Bs to artillery)-1
Expert Tankers(Ignore crew shaken results)-1
Valiant Warriors(+1 Ws +1Ld)-2


HQ:

PDF commander
25 points

Ws Bs S T W I A Ld Sv
3 4 3 3 2 3 2 8 6+

Wargear-
close combat weapon

options-
Primitive weapons:
close combat weapon-1pt
Bow-1pt
shield (+1Ws 4+ armour save in close combat)-2 pts
steed (counts as cavalry)-10 pts
lance (+1 Str)-5pts
Heavy armour (5+armour save, 4+ if mounted)-10pts

Gunpowder weapons:
Autopistol-1 pt
Autogun-1pt
Hunting lance-5pts
steed (counts as cavalry)-15pts
Autogun with Auxiliary grenade launcher-5pts
Plate armour (5+armour save, 4+ if mounted)-10pts

Las weapons:
Laspistol-1pt
Lasgun-1pt
Lasgun with auxiliary Grenade launcher-5pts
Flak Armour-5pts
Carapace armour-10pts

Advanced weapons:
Bolt pistol-2pts
Bolter-2pts
Power weapon-10 pts
plasma pistol-10pts
power fist-15pts
Flak Armour-5pts
carapace armour-10pts

Skills:
Combat hardened(+1 Ws)-5pts
Battle Hardened(stubborn)-10 pts
Grizzled leader(+1 wound)-10pts
Well Drilled(+1 Ld)-15pts
Valiant Warrior(+1 Ws +1Ld)-20pts

Special Rules-
Independent character

leader of men-
all models within 12" may use the officer's leadership for morale and pinning tests.

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

WHile I agree that PDF are different from the guard itself I don't agree with the use of another codex (Not saying yours isn't good because it is balanced and looks great). However, hear me out.

The guard are only chosen from the top ten percent of the PDF force, it doesn't mean that the entire top ten are taken though. So, you are still going to have guard trained abilities within the PDF not to mention more conscripts.

Also, the PDF are going to be augmented by more equipment that the Guard don't have. PDF bases will have multiple quad guns, bastions, tarrantula gun mounts, all the toys available for planetary defense.

I think you can combine the two into something that has much more merit of what the PDF represents.

Again, don't take this the wrong way as some of the stuff you have written is really good, but I personally feel you are headed in the wrong direction.

[commissargaunt]

Thanks for the pointers. However I was thinking more along the lines of the more wacky PDFs and those that don't use Guard issue equipment.

You may have noticed the "primitive" weapons set. This is going to basically allow you to make an IG army that has swords and bows!

Also I am going to include some funky new fixed artillery pieces ranging from basic cannons to guided missiles.

this will eventually allow you to make a completely malleable GEQ force with an almost infinite number of builds available to better represent the almost infinite variations throughout the Imperium.

[commissargaunt]

HQ
0-1
PDF Commissar

80 points

Ws Bs S T W I A Ld Sv
5 4 3 3 3 3 3 10 5+

Wargear:
Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon

Options:
Plasma pistol-10
Power weapon-10
power fist-15
carapace armour-10

Special Rules:
Impressions:
All PDF troops near to the Commissar will fight even harder to try to attract favorable attentions, an possibly a place in the next Imperial Guard Founding. This combined with The Commissar's fiery oratory drives the troops onward. All PDF troops within 6" of the Commissar gain the furious charge USR.

Summary Execution

Stubborn

[Colonel Grammissar Azalar]

Usually, the Commissar is put there, along with a Junior Commissar, to train them.

That is my understanding at least.

(Circa, one of the Gaunt's Ghost Novels, where some Commissar fears he will drafted to "some backwater PDF")

[commissargaunt]

okay I'll include that Thanks for that Idea CGA!

[commissargaunt]

Troops

PDF Troopers

40 points

Ws Bs S T W I A Ld Sv
2 3 3 3 1 3 1 6 6+

Unit Composition:
1 Troop Leader
9 Troopers

Equipment:
Close combat weapon

The squad MUST choose one weapon set and may choose one additional special weapon.

Primitive weapons:
Shields(+1 Ws 4+ armour save in close combat)-free
2H Bows-free
2H Spear (+1Str)-10pts for whole squad
2H Halberd (+1 Ws whole squad gains Furious charge)-10pts for whole squad

Gunpowder weapons:
Autoguns-5 pts for whole squad
Flak Armour-5pts for whole squad
Grenade launcher-8pts
Flamer-8pts

Las weapons:
Lasguns-5 pts for whole squad
Flak Armour-5pts for whole squad
Grenade Launcher-5pts
Flamer-5pts
Meltagun-10pts

Advanced weapons:
Lasguns-5 pts for whole squad
Flak Armour-5pts for whole squad
Carapace Armour-15pts for whole squad
Grenade Launcher-5pts
Flamer-5pts
Meltagun-10pts
Plasma gun-10pts

Military Traits:
Combat hardened(+1 Ws)-10pts
Battle Hardened(stubborn)-15 pts
Well Drilled(+1 Ld)-10pts
Valiant Warriors(+1 Ws +1Ld)-20pts

Special Rules:
Only Human-
PDF Troopers Ws characteristic may never exceed 4 regardless of upgrades.

[xthetenth]

Very interesting, but I'm worried about the viability of primitive weapons armed PDF at ws2. Maybe for them let a sword and shield equipped model get a +1 ws to represent how easy it is to fight with those compared to a knife or small axe (and because they can't shoot at all, a pretty serious drawback) while the bowmen keep ws2? Also, I'd absolutely love to see rules for each type of equipment an empire free company (or whatever it is, I'm terrible with wfb nomenclature) can get. But first and foremost, I don't want to see sword and shield men getting hit on a 3+ by a guy with a combat knife.

[commissargaunt]

yeah the shield gives them +1 Ws and a 4+ armour save in close combat.

Remember though that you can give them military traits to make them WS 4. I am going to rectify that certain units cannot increase their stats past a certain threshold, so no Ws 5 Troopers unfortunately

[Makarova (M.I.A)]

Jul 29, 2009 21:01:59 GMT -5 xthetenth said:

Very interesting, but I'm worried about the viability of primitive weapons armed PDF at ws2. Maybe for them let a sword and shield equipped model get a +1 ws to represent how easy it is to fight with those compared to a knife or small axe (and because they can't shoot at all, a pretty serious drawback) while the bowmen keep ws2? Also, I'd absolutely love to see rules for each type of equipment an empire free company (or whatever it is, I'm terrible with wfb nomenclature) can get. But first and foremost, I don't want to see sword and shield men getting hit on a 3+ by a guy with a combat knife.

The Free Companists only get two close combat weapons in vanilla WHFB (called handweapons, same rules as ccw's in 40K) to represent the mix of weapons they really carry, like side swords, axes, clubs, knives, halberds, bows, arquebuses, crossbows, spears, claymores, falchions, maces and wet fish.

I don't think you should bring in individual rules for medieval melee weapons in 40K, it makes things a bit too complicated and isn't necessary when almost no teams have access to them. Just keep everything CCW's and have the shields either count as combat shields or give you a total armour save of 4+.

[xthetenth]

I meant more like 2-3 options, so you could have sword and shield and another option or two, because otherwise it might get a bit bland with the lack of special weapons in a primitive list. Or maybe throw in some options for a special weapons squad equivalent, so you can at least have some specialist troops other than cavalry.

[commissargaunt]

thanks for the tip, I was in the process of thinking up some new specialist CC weapons for the primitive weapons set anyways.

How about these:
2H Spears: 1pt per model (+1 strength)
2H Halberds: 1pt per model (+1 Ws Furious charge)

[Makarova (M.I.A)]

A spear wouldn't allow a human to strike with the same force as a Space Marine really. A halberd would, but they're not overly effective in an assault (don't get me wrong, a Swiss halberd is probably the most perfected melee weapon in European history, but they're not better at assaulting than they're better at anything else) so they shouldn't have Furious Charge.

Personally I think you should just count them as close combat weapons. After all PDF regiments, even primitive ones, can carry very different equipment and I feel that the only way to represent it all in a simple way in a firearms-dominated sci-fi game is to streamline them into CCW's. Primitive human melee fighters is such a small group after all, and they can be assumed to be roughly equally effective in an assault as long as they're armed with sensible weapons.

Note that I'd say something VERY differently if this was WHFB.

[Hanska]

I like that people make their own codexes...
But..
Nearly all of them are totaly unbalanced(this seem to be rearly balance though) and they are almost always unplayable.
The only playable playermade codex I've seen is the Kompletely Kroot codex: Kroot mercenaries 5th ed, And not because I play the army. But 'cause it's made of 95% official material modified to 5th ed and run trough people that don't play them for reference.
So I'd do the same if I were you. Base the codex in mostly official material and run it trough some forum that is not IG-based. See what they say and modify by that.

I myself would do a PDF from the IG codex but as your going for the "outer rings" you can go as you please as long as it's in balance.

Oh, and I think the primitive weapons is a kick ass return for those barbarian planets of the imperium.

EDIT: a hellova typos

[Makarova (M.I.A)]

If you want to focus on primitive wargear, maybe a Codex: Savage Worlds would be a better idea?

And I agree with Henska. Rule number one when you're writing your own codex, use official rules and units, then modify and change them. Don't invent new crazy things to begin with. I'm not saying you did as your codex was pretty sensible from the start, but the notoriously bad homemade codexes are usually written by over-creative amateurs creating things the game doesn't really need whilst not having the experience to balance them.

[commissargaunt]

In fact Marakova You've given me a fantastic idea. I can now see that This codex is going to get horribly complicated and difficult to use very fast simply because I've tried to work in TOO MUCH variation and possibilities.

I am However Re-starting this as Codex: Feral Worlds!

[Makarova (M.I.A)]

Glad to have helped. =)

The codex could be really interesting too, looking forward to seeing how it progresses. If you need my help with anything, just ask. I know a fair deal about medieval warfare and wargear.

Though I'd appreciate if you spelled my name right.