Liber Mare Sanguinus Page LXVII- Hate Engine of Khorne

 
The Lord of the Skull Throne (cursed be his name) is ever vigilant for warriors who will butcher with abandon.  The eye of the gods pays no attention to station and so the Blood God’s favor may fall upon the lowest levy or the greatest warlord.  All that matters is that the miserable heretic be driven to slay without the slightest hesitation.  When no enemy presents itself then allies and even one’s own limbs may be abused.  This is the dedication to destruction that calls His attention.

At times a Warrior amongst the teeming Plague Fleets may meet these terrible criterion.  But even then the chaos gods are fickle.  The newly born Unhallowed may burst from his former flesh as a prince among the Damned, or he may be bound fast to his former conveyance, flesh melted into deck plates. 

Thus is a Hate Engine born.

The once man grows to an enormous state, arms fusing with weapons or changing into strange new terrors, until his torso looms over the prow of his ship-body.  From his chest sprouts an assembly of cannons like mushrooms from a corpse.  These cannons are not entirely unlike the Empire’s own Volley Guns in arrangement, although I admit that the mysteries of the masters of Nuln are not mine.  In one respect at least there is a grave difference; these guns seem to grow their ammunition, a process which is slow, and evidently painful for the Hate Engine. 

No follower of the Skull Lord can be said to be in the least measure gentle, yet the Hate Engine seems uniquely possessed of a purety of malice even amongst its fellows.  Perhaps it is the ultimate betrayal of their god, who at the culmination of their trials, at the very instant they thought to have gained the ultimate freedom from mortality, entombs them into a mere ship.  I could not say for sure, but the Hate Engine is well named.  It is fueled by a ravening hatred and will not tolerate any other presence.  Any crew unfortunate to be present for the Daemon Vessel’s creation are torn to pieces an instant later. 

In combat Hate Engines give no thought but to slake their bloodlust.  This focus can be used against them, as guile can overcome a wound maddened boar.  But beware the tusks!  The Hate Engine will attack with cannonades as it closes.  Once it can reach its foe it will rend the enemy ship’s hull and reach through hatches to mutilate such crew as it can.  And yet I can say I pity this thing, as I might pity a rabid dog, or the aforementioned boar.  

The destruction of a Hate Engine serves not only Justice but also mercy.

 
 

Hate Engine

Khorne Independent Daemon Vessel

100 points

 
Crew- 0.  Hate Engine may not carry crew.  If for any reason there are friendly crew aboard during the Hate Engine’s turn it must conduct a boarding combat against them after moving and firing.  

 
Move- 6” Cilia.  Cilia follow the same rules as oars but may move backwards at full (not half) rate.  Use normal turn template.
 

Hit locations:
3: Arms. Save 3+. Two hits.  First hit- Saw may not attack.  Second hit- Claw may not attack. 
4: Death Dealer. Save 3+.  Fusillade may not fire.  
5: Deck.  Save 4+.
6: Cilia.  Save 4+.  Immobilized
 

Stability: 3.  Save 4+. Treat as BTW hits with one exception- when all stability is lost the ship implodes (rather than sinks) as the possessing Daemon is hurled back into the warp. No wreckage remains.
 

Weapons:

1 Fusillade, forward arc.  The Fusillade has six shots at the start of the game.  Each shot follows the rules for cannons.  The Hate Engine may fire up to three of the shots in a single turn (and at a single target).  Fusillade may not be reloaded during battle.

1 Saw.  If in direct contact with an enemy ship or monster to the front or sides of the Hate Engine then this arm may attack.  It rolls a two dice attack with normal saves.  

1 Claw.  If in direct contact with a ship or flyer to the front or sides of the Hate Engine then this arm may attack.  It rolls like a boarding action.  The Claw gets 1d6+3.  If the enemy wins then nothing happens.  Otherwise the enemy loses one crew (flyers take a wound).


Special Rules:

Daemon Vessel- Daemon Vessels are living ships created by the fusing of a Daemon from the warp with a mundane ship. Daemon Vessels do not need crew to operate. Any "crew" on board are actually just warriors riding the Daemon into battle. A Daemon Vessel may not board other ships but may attack enemy boarders getting +1 for each remaining stability point (in addition to any friendly crew on board). If the enemy crew wins the combat they must first kill off the Daemon Vessel's crew as per normal boarding actions. If the Daemon Vessel has no more crew then they may damage the ship itself and the Daemon Vessel loses one stability. In case of ties the enemy boarders lose one crew and the Daemon Vessel loses one stability (assuming it has no friendly crew to lose).
Daemon Vessels implode upon losing all stability. If this is during a boarding action then roll for each enemy boarder. On a 4+ they are sucked into the warp as well.

Angry- The Hate Engine is very very angry.  The Hate Engine must be the first squadron moved on your turn and must charge an enemy if this is possible.