Sub Factions
Underdark
Unit Codex
PLAGUE HOUND
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Overview
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Role: Plague Hounds are the fast-moving hunters of the Plague Bearers. While much of the Undead Court advances slowly or relies upon overwhelming numbers, Plague Hounds race across the Vortex in pursuit of vulnerable prey.
Their speed allows them to rapidly capture ground, hunt isolated enemies, and spread the Plague deep within enemy lines. A single Hound is dangerous, but multiple Hounds become increasingly effective when hunting the same prey.
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Core Information
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Summon Points: 1 (Companion, x1 per slot)
Alignment: Dark
Affiliation: Plague Bearers (Undead Court)
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Keywords
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Companion
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Plague Bearer
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Hound
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Statistics
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Health: 5
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Armor: 1
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Speed: 6
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Defense: 7
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Dodge: 6
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Willpower: 6
Special:
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Universal Rules
This unit gains the following Universal Rule:
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Plague
(See Plague Bearer Universal Rules.)
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Natural Armor
The Plague Hound's hardened and diseased hide provides it with natural protection.
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The Plague Hound's Armor is considered Natural Armor.
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Natural Armor cannot be repaired but may be increased or enhanced by other abilities and effects.
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Stride
Plague Hounds possess unnatural speed and can rapidly cross the battlefield in pursuit of their prey.
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When the Plague Hound performs a Run Action, it automatically adds 6 inches to its movement instead of rolling for additional Run movement.
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Pack Instincts
Plague Hounds instinctively become more dangerous when hunting together.
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When a Plague Hound attacks an enemy unit that is currently in Melee combat with another friendly Plague Hound, the attacking Plague Hound gains +1 to its attack roll.
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Plague Hounds are otherwise independent units and are not required to remain within coherency of one another.
Abilities:
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Plague Bite
Type: Melee (M)
Mechanic: Fate vs. Defense
Damage: Light Damage
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The Plague Hound sinks its diseased teeth into its victim, tearing flesh and exposing its prey to the infection carried within its corrupted body.
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Special Rules:
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If Plague Bite successfully deals damage, gain 1 Fate Token.
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Plague Bite may generate a maximum of 1 Fate Token each round.
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Damage caused by Plague Bite applies the Plague Universal Rule.
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Feral Launch
Type: Special Ability (SA)
Range: 6"
Mechanic: Fate vs. Dodge
Cost: 1 Fate Token
Damage: Light Damage
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The Plague Hound lowers its body before violently launching itself at its prey, slamming the victim to the ground and tearing into it with infected jaws.
Choose an enemy unit within 6 inches.
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On a successful Fate vs. Dodge roll:
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Move the Plague Hound directly into Melee combat with the target.
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The target suffers Light Damage.
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The target becomes Pinned.
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Feral Launch counts as Plague Bite for purposes of applying the Plague Universal Rule.
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At the beginning of the Pinned unit's activation, it may attempt to escape as a
Free Action.
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Make a Fate vs. 6 check.
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On Success:
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Remove Pinned.
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The unit may act normally.
On Failure:
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The unit remains Pinned for the remainder of the round.
Tactics and Strategies
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Plague Hounds provide the Plague Bearers with something many of their other forces lack: speed.
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With Speed 6 and Stride, a Plague Hound can rapidly cross the Vortex, contest Pillars of Fate, pursue vulnerable enemies, or carry the Plague into areas that slower Plague Bearer units may struggle to reach. This preserves the original unit's role as one of the Undead Court's unusually fast attackers.
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Feral Launch allows the Hound to rapidly engage an enemy and attempt to pin it in place. This makes the ability useful for catching ranged attackers, support Characters, or enemy units attempting to reposition.
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A single Plague Hound can operate independently, but Pack Instincts rewards multiple Hounds for hunting the same prey. Instead of forcing Hounds to remain together, the rule allows the controlling player to decide whether spreading the Hounds across the battlefield or combining them against a single target provides the greater advantage.
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The Plague Hound should not be treated as a disposable horde unit like Zombies. Only one Hound is gained for each Summoning Point, making positioning and target selection considerably more important. Its original profile reflects this tradeoff with strong Speed and defensive statistics for a single Companion model.
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Used effectively, Plague Hounds can race ahead of the slower Plague Bearer forces, infect enemy units, pin important targets, and create openings for the rest of the faction to exploit.
ZOMBIES
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Overview
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Role: Zombies are the shambling backbone of the Plague Bearers. Individually weak, slow, and mindless, they become increasingly dangerous as their numbers grow. Driven by an insatiable hunger for the living, Zombies are difficult to control once prey is nearby and can transform their fallen victims into new members of the swarm.
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Unlike the Bone Horde, which replenishes its forces by reforming destroyed skeletons, Zombies grow their numbers by consuming the enemy and spreading their infection.
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Core Information
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Summon Points: 1 (Companion, x4 per slot)
Alignment: Dark
Affiliation: Plague Bearers (Undead Court)
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Keywords
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Companion
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Undead
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Plague Bearer
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Zombie
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Statistics
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Health: 3
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Armor: 0
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Speed: 4
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Defense: 5
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Dodge: 4
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Willpower: 4
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These retain the original Zombie profile.
Special:
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Universal Rules
This unit gains the following Universal Rules:
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Undead
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Plague
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Controlled Unit
(See Universal Rules.)
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Mindless Dead
Zombies possess little understanding beyond their endless hunger for living flesh.
Zombies cannot perform Run Actions.
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BRAINS!
The hunger of a Zombie can overpower any attempt to direct it.
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If an enemy unit is within 6 inches of the Zombie unit at the beginning of its activation, the Zombies must use their Movement Action to move toward the nearest enemy unit.
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If the Zombies can enter Melee combat with that enemy using their Movement Action, they must do so.
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If two or more enemy units are equally close, the controlling player chooses which enemy unit the Zombies pursue.
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If no enemy unit is within 6 inches at the beginning of the Zombies' activation, they may act normally.
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Swarm
The true danger of Zombies is not the creature standing before you. It is what happens to those who fall to them.
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When an enemy unit is defeated by a Zombie's Bite, place a marker at the location where that enemy unit was defeated.
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If the defeated enemy has not been restored to play by the end of the round, remove the marker and create one new Zombie model.
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The new Zombie:
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Is placed at the location where the enemy unit was defeated.
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Immediately becomes part of the Zombie unit that defeated the enemy.
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Does not activate during the round in which it is created.
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Must begin moving toward unit coherency during its next activation if it is outside the normal Controlled Unit coherency range.
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A Zombie unit begins with 4 Zombie models but may grow to a maximum of 8 Zombie models through Swarm.
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If the Zombie unit already contains 8 models, no additional Zombie is created.
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An enemy unit transformed into a Zombie through Swarm cannot subsequently be resurrected
Abilities:
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Bite
Type: Melee (M)
Mechanic: Fate vs. Defense
Damage: Light Damage
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Zombies claw at their victims and sink their rotting teeth into exposed flesh, driven entirely by an uncontrollable desire to feed.
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Special Rules:
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If Bite successfully deals damage, gain 1 Fate Token.
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The Zombie unit may generate a maximum of 1 Fate Token each round from Bite.
Tactics and Strategies
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Zombies are an inexpensive horde unit whose threat increases as the battle continues. A starting group of four Zombies is individually unimpressive, but allowing them to defeat enemy units can cause the swarm to grow rapidly.
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Their BRAINS! rule is both an advantage and a weakness. Once an enemy comes within 6 inches, the Zombies become fixated upon the nearest available prey. This can pressure nearby enemies, but an experienced opponent may deliberately use expendable or durable units to lure the Zombies away from more important areas.
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Because Zombies cannot Run, their initial advance is slow. Players should use positioning and other Plague Bearer units to create opportunities for the Zombies rather than expecting them to chase fast opponents across the battlefield.
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Swarm is their defining mechanic. Every enemy defeated by Bite has the potential to become another Zombie, allowing a four-model unit to eventually grow into an eight-model horde.
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Opponents therefore have an incentive to rescue or restore fallen allies before the end of the round rather than simply allowing the Zombies to claim them.
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The Plague Universal Rule further reinforces their place within the Plague Bearers, while Undead represents what Zombies actually are.
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The longer Zombies are allowed to feed, the more difficult the infestation becomes to contain.