Fourth Company Librarium and Codicier Ignatius is back with the next Badab Characters 101. This time around it's the turn of The Mantis Warriors, I have to say this chapter has one of my favorite paint schemes and symbol. Now over to Codicier Ignatius:
"The Mantis Warriors are a White Scars successor that fought for the renegades during the Badab War. They are renowned for cunning hit-and-run tactics, and they proved to be continual threat to the Loyalists throughout the Badab War. Their ambushes almost wiped out the Marines Errant contingent, and only the Raptors were able to meet the Mantis Warriors on even ground. They were eventually brought to battle and defeated by the Carcharodons, who attacked the citizens under the Mantis Warriors’ protection in order to draw out the elusive separatists.
The Mantis Warriors were often under-strength and poorly supplied during their history, resulting most noticeably in a lack of heavy armor. They put their resources into maintaining the mobility necessary for their guerrilla warfare, including Thunderhawks and Land Speeders. This all changed when they were assigned to the Maelstrom Warders, as they gained access to the massive supply pool of the Astral Claws.
Ahazra Redth
Ahazra Redth is the Chief Librarian of the Mantis Warrior. He is a master of hit-and-run tactics, and his powers of divination only increase his abilities. Known as the Dust Prophet to the Mantis Warriors and the people of the Endymion Cluster, he preserved both his Chapter and people in the face of overwhelming odds.
Redth has all the standard stats and equipment for a Librarian, as well as the Epistolary upgrade. He also has the Talisman of Sundered Souls, which gives him a 5+ invulnerable save and allows him to re-roll a psychic test once per player turn, making his powers extremely reliable. He can take one of the standard Space Marine psychic powers as well as Mirage, which means that any unit he joins or transport he’s in have defensive grenades and must be targeted using the Night Fighting rules.
Redth also has a few army wide rules that really make the army play uniquely. All units not in terminator armor or without a dedicated transport gain Infiltrate. He allows you to re-roll failed attempts to Seize the Initiative and forces a -1 penalty on your enemy’s reserve rules.
A Mantis Warriors army with Ahazra Redth may be the most unique force one can field with the Space Marine Codex. It needs to be heavily infantry based, which is unusual enough, but it has tremendous advantages in deployment and slows down your opponent’s reserves (an excellent way to react to lots of infiltrators). In addition, Ahazra can make a firepower unit very hard to kill by protecting them with Night Fight.
I haven’t heard of anyone playing Mantis Warriors, but if you have, let me know how they work out."
Thanks Codicer Ignatius! Now Badab Vets, who has a mantis force? And more importantly wants to use Ahazra Redth all infiltrating foot army (I know I do!)?
Have your say below.
ps. more to follow shortly.