A single Demagogue in any Renegade Command Squad may be upgraded to have one following option. A demagogue upgraded as such must be the Warlord, regardless of leadership value.
Primaris Rogue Witch- 35pts
Demagogue gains Psyker (mastery level 1) and fearless. Disciplines available: daemonology (malefic), biomancy, pyromancy, telekinesis.
Note: may be upgraded for +25 to mastery level 2
-may not take a covenant of khorne
-rogue psyker covens may be elite choices, as well as hq choices
Mutant Overlord- 15pts
Demagogue must roll three times on the following table, and demagogue and unit gain curse of mutation.
1- Reduce either the demagogue's I or A by -1. If rolled again re-roll the result.
2-3- +1 to either the demagogue's WS or BS
4-5- +1 to either the demagogue's S or T
6- +1 to the Demagogue's W and it gains the slow and purposeful, bulky.
Note: must contain at least two renegade mutant rabble units and may select a single unit of renegade chaos spawn as a non-compulsory troop choice.
-may upgrade an ogryn brute unit to have curse of mutation for 15pts
Master of the Horde- 20pts
Essentially, a Renegade infantry squad numbering at least 15 models that is removed from play or flees of the table, can be brought back on a 5+, sitting in reserve. This does not include dedicated transports that originated with the unit.
Note: Army must contain at least two Renegade Infantry Platoons and increase the maximum size of Renegade Infantry Squads to 30 models.
Arch-Heretic Revolutionary- 25pts
Gains zealot special rule, and may take any covenant of chaos for no additional point cost. Any unit of renegade infantry or veterans may be upgraded with Fanatic for 20pts, and any Enforcer cadre may include up to 10 enforcers rather than the usual limit of 5.
Heretek Magus- 30pts
Demagogue gains a 3+ armour save, +1 toughness, and FNP 6+
Note: May take defilers as heavy support choices and decimators as elite choices, and any units from the following list may take FNP 6+ for 10pts per unit:
-Command Squad
-Infantry Platoon
-Veterans
-Disciples
-Heavy Ordnance batteries
-Support Squads
-Rapier Laser Destroyer batteries
-Field Artillery batteries
Blood-Handed Reaver- 20pts
Demagogue gains a refractor field and krak grenades, may replace autopistol, laspistol or stub gun with a hot-shot laspistol or hotshot lasgun for 5pts.
Note: Veterans upgraded to grenadiers for 15pts, +1 BS, lasguns replaced with hotshot pistols/lasguns. For every 5 models, 1 may replace weapon to hotshot volley gun for 10pts.
-Must purchase militia training upgrade for all units able to purchase it, and may upgrade to flak armor on these units for 10pts
-Infantry platoon
-Mutant rabble
-Heavy ordnance battery
-Support squads
-Rapier Laser Destroyer batteries
-Field Artillery batteries
Renegade Warlord Traits
1-Fanatical Convert
-Any unit with uncertain worth that is destroyed, within 12" of warlord rolls a d6. On a 5+ gain an additional victory point.
2-Iron-fisted Tyrant
-At the start of the army's turn, you may remove d3 models from the Warlord's unit from play. A single fleeing friendly unit with uncertain worth immediately regroups.
3- Prophet of Doom
-Beginning of any turn, reserve roll may be changed to succeed on a 2+ regardless of the current turn or to succeed on a 6+ regardless of the current turn or any modifier.
4-Artisan of Undeath
-Essentially cause str 3 ap2 hit with poison (4+) to any enemy model within 3" (if not in direct combat).
5- Blasphemous Iconoclast
-Every turn may nominate one friendly unit within 12" of the warlord, the chosen unit rolls an additional d6 when rolling on the building damage table and uses the highest result.
6- Soul-scarred Terror
-At I1 of any fight sub-phase, roll a d6 for each enemy model in base-to-base contact with this warlord, on a 6 the model suffers an automatic wound. Warlord also has fear.
Concluding Thoughts
As later reviews will show, the Renegades and heretics army lacks significant armor saves of any kind. The best the army can hope to achieve is throw bodies at the opponent and hope that you get good morale checks and not flee. How do you solve this problem?
Stack FNP wherever you can. Annoying yes, but it will definitely help keep bodies on the table than without it. Give your arch-demagogue Heretek Magus and see those blob squads of infantry sit on objectives longer. For a mere 10pts per unit, it is absolutely worth the 30pt initial upgrade. I think the real winner though is the fact that you can put FNP 6+ on rapier laser destroyer batteries and field artillery pieces, keeping your guns in the fight longer, and making it just a little harder to take out those heavy hitting guns.
Stick 6 rapier laser destroyers behind an aegis defense line with a 4+ cover, and 6+ FNP. That's a tough nut to crack, and incredibly cheap. Overpowered? Not at all, the opponent will make them a target priority due to their firepower, and they are susceptible to anything that ignores cover. Still, it would be highly effective for the few points invested, the return could be huge!
I'm kind of underwhelmed by the warlord traits, getting victory points for friendly units with "uncertain worth" could be helpful in maelstrom missions, but that is far too situational. I really enjoy Prophet of Doom, especially if you are playing a heavy flier list and want to keep them off for as long as possible, that is the best way of getting it done. I would probably stick to the BRB warlord traits, as they seem to be better and less hit-and-miss.
