+ inload: Arming the Phantom +

+ inload: Armed and dangerous +

+ Eldar Titan weapons for Adeptus Titanicus +

+ In yesterday's inload we looked at the Command Terminal for the Phantom Titan, so today we'll explore drafts of weaponry, which will allow you to try the Phantom on the field of battle. Codex Titanicus, the 1988 expansion that's providing the key background from which I'm working, says:

'hit-and-run tactics are normally employed, with the Phantoms using their speed and agility to manoeuvre into an opponent’s blind side before firing.'

+ The weapons should, to follow our design aims, therefore encourage or reward players doing so – and aim to discourage (though not prevent) players from playing in a different way. +

+ I noted yesterday that I feel Eldar weapons should – generally speaking – be high power, low shots to reflect the precision of the Eldar and to introduce a weakness against hordes. I also noted that weaponry is where the plasmaweave (the  playtest term for the Eldar plasma reactor) should be used – offering the Eldar player more options in terms of Draining weaponry to give a high reward for daring play – and likewise making them a bit pillow-fisted if they fail to moderate their plasmaweave effectively. +

+ ...And as a final note, I'll also be concentrating on the physical models available to me. +

+ With these thoughts in mind, let's look at what weapons are available to Phantom Titans, and how to translate or update them into the modern game. +

+++

+ Phantom weapons, past and present – a potted history +

[+ If you want to scroll past the designer's notes and get to the meat of the rules, look for the next red text +]

+ I want to make sure this fanmade expansion is as familiar and recognisable as possible to as many as possible, so I won't be creating anything whole cloth; instead sticking as closely as I can to current or previous material. Secondly, it's easy to get slavish to one particular edition. For that reason, I'll be trying to work from the colour text and descriptions (which tend to remain fairly consistent), and referring to various different versions of the rules to check which versions were egregious, and which support each other. Finally, of course, all this needs to be distilled into the modern ruleset – and fulfil the critical aims:

• To preserve the fun, tension and decision-making of playing the new Adeptus Titanicus.
• To allow players to use Eldar Titans that match the background.
• To create a balanced, interesting expansion that enhances the broader game and creates new strategic choices. +

+ First off, let's work out what we're dealing with. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Eldar Titan weapons have changed names, roles and specifics quite a bit, so a potted history is useful. Jes Goodwin's original Phantom Titan model [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] had the following options:

• Power Fist
• Pulse Laser
• Distorton cannon (D-cannon)
• Vibrocannon (V-cannon)
• Heat lance
• Psycannon (Warlock only)
• Lascannon (wing)
• Multi-launcher (wing)

+ The Heat Lance and Pyscannon were added after the initial release, so they're not in Codex Titanicus. Jes Goodwin's classic model was then a mainstay until the release of Dave Andrews' (brave, if ill-received Epic 40,000 redesign), which had a fixed loadout of a 'Pulsar' and 'Distortion Cannon'. It's fairly clear that these are existing weapons with minor tweaks. +

+ After that, the original model was reintroduced for Epic: Armageddon Swordwind – later made available (and readable here) for free download from Specialist Games. Its weapons were 'Pulsar', 'Power Fist', 'Twin Eldar Missile Launchers'; with the Warlocks 'Psycannon' being renamed 'Psychic Lance'. +

+ The 'shoulder pods' are the modern equivalent to the old wing weapons. +

+...and most recently, Forgeworld released a stunning redesign at 40k scale. It's one of my favourite models, and does great service in updating a classic, in my opinion. It's recognisably the same, but consolidates the old 'wing weapons' into a pair of 'pods' on the Titan's shoulders/chest.

+ The current official names for Eldar Titan weapons are:

• D-Bombard
• Phantom Pulsar
• Wraith Glaive
• Voidstorm Missile Launcher
• Starcannon (secondary weapon)
• Pulse Laser (secondary weapon)

+ Some of the name changes can be attributed to other weapons taking the name (the Psycannon, for example, was used by the Imperium, so was presumably renamed 'Psychic Lance' for flavour and differentiation; the Pulse Laser had become more familiar in 40k, so a new name was created for the heavy version etc.). Others are likely due to the Revenant (an Eldar Scout Titan) being released. I hope to tackle these in a future inload, so suffice to say the new Phantom weapons names help to avoid confusion. Officially, they're currently armed with:

• Revenant Pulsar
• Sonic Lance (AKA Tremor Cannon]
• Cloudburst Missile Launcher

+... so, with this info, here's what I'll be concentrating on:

• Phantom Pulsar – Clearly the current name for the original 'Pulse laser'
• D-Bombard – Likewise, the modern name for the original Distortion-cannon.
• Wraith Glaive – Arguably a re-think of the Power Fist as a more 'Eldary' style of Titan close combat weapon, I think there's space to give Phantoms two options for close combat.
• [Phantom] Power Fist – Distinct from the Wraith Glaive, this will allow people to use older models, if they prefer. 
• [Phantom] Sonic Lance – The nearest equivalent to the v-cannon is notable in its absence from the modern Phantom, but as I have the model, and it seems a shame not to use it, I'll be re-introducing this from earlier editions. The name potentially gets a 'Phantom' prefix to distinguish it from the smaller Revenant one, which will likely become the 'Revenant Sonic Lance' for consistency.
• Voidstorm Missile Launcher – The modern name for the larger shoulder  pod weapon that is new as part of the modern design.
  
• Heat Lance – A return for a very old weapon, and one much-needed to give some variety and options.

+ Note that the modern Phantom also has Starcannons and/or Pulse Lasers – These are secondary defensive weapons; equivalent to the Imperial Warlord's Ardex Defensor cannon that we removed in a previous step, or the non-functional Vulcan Megabolter on the Warlord Titan's Power Fist. For these reasons, they won't be 'statted up' here. +

+ The Revenant and Warlock will be dealt with separately – best, I find, to nibble away at these things and playtest to avoid any howling errors. +

+ ...and as a final note on naming, I'm on the fence about the bald 'Phantom [X]' naming. Seems a bit unimaginative given the 'Mori-Pattern Quake Cannon' style of the Warlord weapons, but – as noted above – I don't want to put people off with too many 'homebrew' changes. +

+++

[+ Rules text from here onwards – feel free to browse the history and reasoning above once you've enjoyed the cards! +]

+ Phantom Pulsar +

The pulse laser, or pulsar, is used exclusively by Eldar Titans.
No other race has the required level of technology to make such a
weapon. 

The pulse laser is a very heavy weapon. It fires a burst of rapid
laser pulses. Roll to hit once: a successful roll to hit means that the
target has been caught by a burst. Roll a D6 to see how many times
the target has been hit. Separate damage level and hit location rolls
are made for each damaging hit.

[Codex Titanicus]

+ The intention is to create the nearest thing to a generalist weapon that the Eldar have. In the old lore, this was the Phantom's default weapon, and it has remained the iconic weapon of the Phantom in every iteration. +

+ I used the Reaver Volcano Cannon as the basis for this (as the original Pulse Laser was effectively a rapid fire version of this Imperial laser weapon), and tweaked it upwards to create a weapon that's more equivalent to the Belicosa Volcano Cannon. 

+ The first main change is removing the Blast special rule, which doesn't match the precision we're after for Eldar weapons in general. To compensate, I've boosted the rate of fire (Dice) to 3. This makes it better at taking down shields than the Imperial weapon – three hits against two hits (assuming the central hole hits), and likewise delivering more of a punch once the shields are down as it can also target areas. +

+ It's not all good news for the Eldar. While a higher strength than the Reaver equivalent, the Belicosa Volcano Cannon has a higher Strength (12) – so the Eldar player will have to get into a side arc to have the same punch – and doesn't suffer from a -1 at range. I've introduced the negative modifier in order to encourage the Eldar to move and close, and also to make sitting the Titan on the back of the board and bombarding less attractive – though the latter remains an option in a pinch. +

+ The final tweak is to add Rapid as a Draining option. I noted yesterday that Eldar weapons should have risk and reward built into them, and this special rule seemed very fitting for the Pulsar. Hopefully it'll tempt the occasional Steersman into an attempt to strip six shields(!) +

+ Wraith Glaive +

+ The nearest equivalent to this is the Reaver Chainfist. I just don't see the Phantom having the same 'Oomph' as an Warlord's Arioch Titan Power Claw – and in any case the Phantom's improved WS will make it more effective anyway. +

+ Statwise, this sits somewhere between the Reaver Titan Power Fist and Reaver Titan Chain Fist. I've given it just a +1 to hit, as otherwise it'd be hitting on a 1+. Taking some inspiration from the Iconoclast's Desolator Chainsword, I've also increased the range to 3", which seems in keeping with the Eldar nature (and the length of the model's blade!). Interestingly, this means a Phantom knocked back by a Concussive hit from an Imperial Power Fist will still be able to strike back. +

+ Phantom with Wraithglaive and *squints* er... I'm not quite sure what the other one is. +

+ Phantom Power Fist +

+... and the other side of the melee options; here's the Phantom's Power Fist. Stronger than a Reaver Power Fist – but with less of an accuracy boost – and not coming close to the Arioch Titan Power Claw's strength, these apparent drawbacks need to be taken in context of the Phantom being much more likely to get a charge off than a Warlord. +

+ Phantom Sonic Lance +

Commonly known as the vibro-cannon or V-cannon, the

induction field projector is a very heavy weapon, which can only

be fitted to Eldar Titans; it requires a very precisely modulated

power supply, which is beyond the capacity of Human plasma

reactor designs 

The V-cannon causes a fluctuating electromagnetic field that

induces powerful interference in heavy-duty power transmission

systems. This is often compared to an electric current inducing

muscular paralysis in a Human. When two or more are brought to

bear on a single target the fields will interfere with each other. This

interference is modulated to induce resonant vibration in the

structure of the target, causing damage by literally shaking it apart.

The V-cannon can only be used with first fire orders. It has no

effect on infantry. A roll is made to hit as normal, but void shields

and power fields provide no protection; a hit always causes

damage to the target.

[Codex Titanicus]

The Sonic Lance is a sophisticated Eldar sonic weapon which uses resonant sonic waves, the same technology found in the smaller Vibro Cannon, to shake a target apart.

[Imperial Armour XI]

+ There's no obvious equivalent to this weapon in the existing game. It had some complex rules – too complex, I argue, for the modern game. We need to simplify things. The key elements seemed to be:

• It ignored void shields – so we give it Bypass.
• It disrupted the ground and slowed things down – so we give it Quake
• The description implies a constant beam effect – so we give it Beam.

+ Three special rules rings alarm bells, but I'd like to give it a playtest. The modern 40k Vibrocannon is relatively low strength and damage, so those are the balancing features. We also keep it low-range, as per the general aims; and we also need to make sure it's differentiated from the other weapons options for the Phantom. +

+ Bypass is the scary element here for Imperial Titans – but S5 is unlikely to give its Warlord equivalent much concern. The Strength is geared to allow a (low) chance of damaging a Warlord weapon from the front, but the Phantom will have to get into the side or rear arcs to do much more – or use it to bring down damaged Titans. S5 also allows this weapon to be a threat against smaller Titans. The Phantom, after all, is intended as a Warlord equivalent here. +

+ I gave Quake the Draining drawback to ensure there's a risk and cost to the Phantom – far too easy otherwise for the Eldar to shut down enemy movement. It's also short-ranged, and inaccurate further out, further increasing the risk. I'm picturing Eldar Titans usually being outnumbered, so there's a balance to be struck here. We don't want a weapon nobody wants to use. +

+ Beam also gives the weapon a role against Knights. As noted, I want Eldar to struggle to make their super-powerful but super-precise weapons to work efficiently against hordes – but it's no fun at all if you've got no options at all. +

+ Missile Launcher +

+ Rewarding the Phantom getting up close and personal, its short range reflects the usually defensive role this weapon plays. Lacking the Barrage rule of the Warlord's equivalent carapace weapon, it forces the Eldar to engage directly – meaning they have to use their speed and manoeuvrability. +

+ There are enough dice here to strip shields (modelled on a Gatling Blaster), and Ordnance means that a Phantom that has worked hard to get close gets a reward. +

+ I toyed with making this Front Arc, but decided Corridor was more fitting for the fixed appearance and, more importantly, I wanted to ensure placement was still important during the game. Had I made it Front Arc, it would have been too easy for the Phantom to have LoS on the enemy while angling itself so as not to expose its own weak side – not much fun for the other player. +

+ In order to provide at least some options for this weapon location, I've also written up the 'Starfall' missile launcher, equipped with haywire missiles that mean the weapon trades Ordnance for Shieldbane – giving the Eldar a reliable method to strip shields; something they otherwise struggle with. +

+ D-Bombard +

The distortion cannon, or D-cannon, is an exotic heavy weapon, particular to the Eldar. It operates using the same principle as a spacecraft’s warp drive, displacing the target into warpspace and then back again, usually with fatal results.

A D-cannon takes some time to set up and fire, and may only be fired with first fire orders. In addition, it does not receive the usual +1 modifier to hit - first fire orders are a necessity rather than a luxury, and give the crew no extra aiming time.

However, a D-cannon can be devastating when it hits a target. Anything other than a Titan is automatically destroyed, regardless of armor or saving throws. A Titan with operating void shields is completely unaffected - it does not even suffer a knocked-down void shield - but a Titan without void shields suffers one automatic critical hit for each successful hit by a D-cannon.

The grade of a Titan-mounted D-cannon is always one less than the heavy weapons grade of the hard point on which it is mounted; this is because of the necessity for additional stabilizing equipment to keep the weapon still for firing.

[Codex Titanicus]

+ Of course, why bother stripping shields when you can just (temporarily) open a portal into Hell on your target? This is a very simple, very brutal weapon that explains why Eldar don't bother with shields themselves – most of their own weapons can bypass them. +

+ The risk here is that it's short-ranged. Any Phantom that runs straight up and expects to kill its opponent face-on is likely to be disappointed – and stranded in front of a very angry Warlord. +

+ Better use of this is on a second-rank Phantom, which is able to land a killing blow on an already disrupted opponent. +

+ Heat Lance +

+ To round out the Phantom's armoury is a relatively cheap and straightforward weapon; one that I think ticks all the key design boxes. It's essentially a Reaver Melta Cannon with an increased long range. Note that Fusion only kicks in at the same short range as its Imperial equivalent. +

+ Being more tightly focussed means that it loses Blast, but in exchange it gets a slightly higher strength – making it a threat to even the biggest Titans up-close – and two shots. Critically, it fulfils that concept of 'Eldar precision' and allows for targetted shots. +

+++

+ Conclusion +

+ That's the armoury laid out, ready for playtesting. I've put some points values on the weapons, but would very much appreciate your thoughts on costs – and in general on theses rules. +

+ A playtest copy of the cards (and the Terminal above) is available for free download from the +Death of a Rubricist+ Facebook group files [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]. +

+ Time to get armed up! +