Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)

[Melcavuk]

Some basic warscroll revisions as I work on the Weld Guard models.

The Weld Phalanx is now armed with Halberds (not pikes)
Owing to this they now hit on 4+ rather than 5+ to match their freeguild equivalents, and wound on 4+ instead of 3+ again made to match
Weld Phalanx points cost dropped to 90 to come closer freeguild guard (both have different abilities but are comparable)

(Photo size limited by forum)

Other Warscroll revisions:
Coghauler anchor regained its Steam Cannon but lost its Steam Gun and Longrifle - This is due to the logistics of modelling it made most sense to remove the entire turret section to mount the arcane reality anchor to the tank rather than remove a hard to see component inside of the cannonade. 

Weld Militia pistol reduced from 3+ to 4+ to wound, this brings them in line with the Weld Rifles and also makes them less of an auto include in the force. 

So who are the Weld Guard?

Not all of the commoners who work for the Ironweld spend all day stoking the furnaces or hauling cog or coal across the landscape of the factory cities, though it is oft assumed so by those who live outside of the Weld Districts in the cities of order. Other instead are tasked with the security of the Weld, be it in the districts, cities or the vast caravans of arms that travels the realmscapes to supply the armies of Order, it is these Weld Guard that are responsible for ensuring that interlopers, thieves and spies do not breach the security of the Weld. Some of the Guard are simply following in the footsteps of their parents, to serve in the Weld Guard means for a time escaping the choking smog and clinging soot of the Weld Factories, indeed many equate the life expectancy of a Guardsmen who takes to battle to be equal to those labourers who inhale the fumes of the factory day and night. Others are chosen from refugees inducted into the Weld, the strongest and most stawalt are taken not to the factories but to the barracks of the Weld that they might be trained in the manner of the Guard. Whilst respected by their less fortunate peers there is a degree of fear over the presence of the Guard, it is they who are set to enforce the will of nobles within the confines of the cities of the Ironweld, anyone caught stealing or hording materials vital to the pursuits of the Weld face justice at the hands of the Weld Guard.

Comprised of two schools of training the Weld Guard consist of the Phalanx and the Rifles each of which bringing a vital skill and armament to the field of battle, it is the Phalanx who provide a living wall against any who would seek to engage the armies of the Weld in melee. Their heavy coghewn armour consists of ever moving gears to aid movement despite its sheer weight, able to lock the gears in their extremities when recieving a charge to reinforce the armours resilience. Their Phalanx Halberds are true works of the Weld ingenuity, able to collapse to more deft axes in the confines of close quarters or extend telescopically into the long Halberds they need to protect against oncoming charges.

The Weld Riflemen are the long reach of the Ironweld Guard, a mobile gunline using reliable blackpowder rifles to spit volleys of burning metal down the field at any foe the Nobles wish to see destroyed. Whilst lacking the artistry of the weaponry of the Nobility their rifles are able to puncture the crude armours of the rabble of the realm all the whilst keeping the user at a safe distnace. 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Melcavuk

[khadgar567]

okay, weld guard kinda solves every faction gets guns issue but still, fluff can be tightened a bit more to ensure we don't have great alliance iron weld on next years generals handbook giving morharti chaos marauders for cheep cheep price of putting cog fort in your army.

[Gecktron]

11 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

Their heavy coghewn armour consists of ever moving gears to aid movement despite its sheer weight, able to lock the gears in their extremities when recieving a charge to reinforce the armours resilience. Their Phalanx Halberds are true works of the Weld ingenuity, able to collapse to more deft axes in the confines of close quarters or extend telescopically into the long Halberds they need to protect against oncoming charges.

I like this bit especially! A clockwork version of the 40K power armor works great for the Ironweld and helps separating them from the other High-Tech factions. 

[Melcavuk]

2 hours ago, khadgar567 said:

okay, weld guard kinda solves every faction gets guns issue but still, fluff can be tightened a bit more to ensure we don't have great alliance iron weld on next years generals handbook giving morharti chaos marauders for cheep cheep price of putting cog fort in your army.

I’m not quite sure I understand this? It’s a 16 warscroll faction many of which share the same origin scroll (3 are Steamtank, 2 Templar variants, 2 cog strider variants, 2 Weld Guard variants) which is a long distance away from being a grand alliance as they are inherently order (they make the weapons for sigmars armies)

i don’t get the morathi/chaos marauder reference at all and neither get the Cogfort as it is faction specific scenery which necessitates Army Allegiance: Ironweld Arsenal in the same manner all faction scenery is tied to allegiance. 

[khadgar567]

the point is currently i feel ironweld feels more shooting focused resource gatherer/ supplier  army where any order faction might want to allegiance with and your fluff gives enough open back door to turn this army in to chaos supporting one as half of the core fluff only requires duradin of some kind to work to change it into chaos ironweld army. you just need to change core duradin focus to a legion of azgoth and voi the f ing la you have same order army now works as chaos based faction with no legitimate reason to  break fluff 

[Melcavuk]

Working on unit descriptions (Engineer schools left to do):

THE NOBILITY AND IRONSWORN

 

To be born into the Noble Houses of the Weld is to live a life of affluence and splendour, even the poorest of Guilds have wealth the likes of which few mortals will ever enjoy, and yet there is a sheer cost born of such wealth. War is the industry on which the Ironweld has grown, it is the art of war that fills the coffers of every Noble House, and the traditions of the Nobility is that every child of the house must experience war when they come of age. When they hit maturity every child of the Weld serves with the vast armies of their House, to some this slight experience of war is enough to spur them to seek other pursuits to fulfil their noble lineage. But to many the field of battle becomes the only place they feel truly at home, never is their mastery of cog and blade more appreciated than in the body strew battlefields, never do men listen more keenly to their orders than then the thunderous rapture of shot rings out, and never do they feel more accomplished than when iron forged blade fells ungodly beast. It is these battle hungry nobles who taken on the vow of the Ironsworn, to be the executors of the will of the Iron Council on the field of battle, it is they who are willing to give their all for the pursuits of the weld ultimately to meet death or glory admits their lesser.

 

THE TEMPLARS
A Comparatively new invention within the Weld it has barely been a century since the innovation of the Templar harnesses saw the field of battle. Born of the House of Oran these titanic war harnesses raise the bearer to the size of the monstrocities that they might face on the field of battle, that Nobles might stand eye to eye with their brutish lesser and bring the civility of the Industrial Weld to lands dominated by thugs.  Forged of the finest steel and equipped with its own personal steam engine the Templar Harness raises its bearer to near fifteen feet in height, its wearer strapped into the very heart of the machine pulling on a series of valve relays and pedals to convey movement to the long striding legs of the Tempar or perform monolithic swings of its arms.

 

The heat of the boiler and strain of the ever working relays takes a toll in its bearer, to spend hours on end with the beating heat pulsing behind their head, every muscle and sinew straining against resistant cog and gear powering the harness is an exhausting unlike any other. Yet to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Gods and Titans of the Realm, to be no more a lesser but equal to them is a prize no man or woman in the Weld could deny.

 

Each Templar harness costs a small fortune, as such their numbers swell only in the most established of houses adorned with their heraldry to inspire the Brigades to fight all the harder. No cost is spear in the armament with the vicious valve lance being designed alongside the harness, an ironbark impaling implement supplemented by a vat of ever heated oil to pour over a foe allows these inspiring fighters to fell beasts previously unassailable by mortal arms.

 

To many in the Weld the Templars allow them to truly go where only magic and monster has been able to walk before, no longer must man cower when treelord protests their presence, nor fear the thunderous hooves of the mammoths of the mountains. With these titans of war the Weld has stamped out mankinds place against the constant darkness seeking to push them back to Azyr.

 

THE PALADINS

Those Templars who survive long enough, falling neither to the exterion of their harness ravaging their form nor the blades of enemies seeking to fell the titans of the Weld, can reach the title of Paladin of the Weld. Such a mark of favour of the Council is a status few have managed to acquire, though many crave the grandeur it places upon their Household.

 

The Paladins are the voice of the Council upon the field of battle, they stand above all others in the Ironsworn in pursueing the agendas of the Ironweld. Throughout the years many have distinguished themselves by completing quests for the council that lead them and their Brigades far from the safety of the Cogforts boundries, crossing deserts and forests alike to gather relics for the Council never questioning their purpose.

 

It is in this way the Paladins are at once above and apart from even their Ironsworn kin, to question them would be to refute the will of the Iron Council itself, the shame of such an act likely to disbar a Guild from the council chamber for a generation. When they choose to mark to war it is in the finest of Templar Harnesses, each a work of art depicting the legend of its wearer, they carry with them mighty shields marked with the Heraldry of their forebears and the House from which they were born and the titanic Piston Hammers said to strike with the might of hammer of Grungi in his forge.

 

MASTER OF  SHOT

Venerable Nobles, the veterans of many a battle many in time assume the rank of the Master of Shot, this is oft as close to a retirement as any of the Ironsworn could hope for. Gone are the days of youth where galloping across the battlefield meant more than a week of sore muscle and bruised ego, so too are the years of straining flesh and sinew to move the gears of the Templar harness to titanic feats. Instead the Master of Shot is charged with marshalling the gunlines of the Ironweld, using his experience of battle and knowledge of every intricacy of the weapons brought to bear in order to utilise them to devastating effect.

 

It is the barking orders of the Master of Shot that call out across the cannonade, to his voice and his alone answer the lines of riflemen when facing an oncoming charge. Ultimately his voice rises followed by the rumbling thunder of the artillery, truly a voice of gods in the theatre of war. Many such Nobles march to war with a myriad of weaponry they have gathered over their years of service, usually they bring with them a long rifle that they could pick out foes from a distance, its telescopic sight tweaked perfectly that they and they alone know how to refine. Their sidearms are constructed of dozens of different weapons utilised over the years, the perfect barrel, the ideal firing pin, that artistic grip, each often as old as the Master himself and having more tales of the battlefield combined.

THE COGSTRIDERS
The stables of the Weld are packed with a myriad of designs to increase the mobility of the Nobility both in battle and beyond. Amongst the most commonly employed are the Cogstriders, elaborate Cogwork constructs utilising long gear laden legs beneath an armoured body to stride deftly across the battlefield. The Knights of the Weld ride on saddles mounted behind the metalwork body each adorned with their own personal steam engine plumbed into their mount to provide the power it needs to move onwards. It is the integration of rider and mount that provides mobility to these creations, should a rider find themselves unseated in the theatre of war they often shed the steam boiler as quickly as possible lest its weight drag them down into the mud.

 

The young Knight Errants of the Ironweld ride to battle atop their Cogstriders, often having designed and crafted the complex machinery themselves that they might known every gear and intricacy of the machine should they need to repair it on the field of battle. Some carry with them the heavy ironhewn lances, forming the beaten metal speartip of an Ironweld advance, striding ahead of the host to impale a foe or crush them beneath clawed metallic foot of the striders.

 

Other carry with them the enormous wooden Arbalesters of their Households, each capable of launching incendiary bolts down the field to set foes ablaze and spread anarchy throughout the enemy lines. These fusiliers form the flanking element of an Ironweld advance able to lock the direction of their cogstriders advance to free both hands to fire freely without need worry their mount might roam off into the wilderness. Many of these Knights ride to war with squires to tend to their mounts, whilst the nobility might know every detail of their Cogwork masterpieces it falls to less important hands to clean blood and bracken from the delicate gearwork of the machine.

 

THE IRONDUKE AND THE COGFLEET

When the Realms were young and the Ironweld was in its infancy it is said that House Rok first designed the Coghaulers that are now commonplace within the Realms. Smoke Belching Steamtanks forged of Wood and Iron, robust and enduring they soon became the workhorse of the Weld. Able to cross massive distances in the harshest of terrain without succumbing to ailment or illness like the traditional living mount utilised by other factions they could also bear incredibly payloads whilst only taxing the boilers within acceptable limits. As the Ironweld grew whole caravans of these Coghaulers were employed by the Nobles to carry their goods from settlement to settlement, each bearing its own defensive cannons and steamguns to rebuff any thieves or marauders that took it upon themselves to try and liberate some of the armament for their own nefarious ends.

 

When the Ironweld marched to war the Coghaulers formed part of the caravan and battleline, at once able to bear the supplies for an army on the move and when it came to battle a mobile cannonade able to crush a foe beneath wheel and iron plate. It came as no surprise then that the Nobility sought to utilise these steel behemoths as their own personal warhorses, not least of all for the joy of having hardened steel plate between them any any would be assassins on the field of battle. Many sought to upgrade their own personal Coghaulers with the finer boilers produced, adorning the outerhulls with the colours of their House that their deeds might be recognised amidsts the clamour of battle..

 

It is said one such battle hungry Noble took to the field having made a wager with his men, he vowed he would fell more foes with his Coghaulers cannons than any other in the fleet that his house might rise ascendant into the tomes of legend. Sadly such a feat was not to come to pass, between lashes of whips to his labourers crew he exclaimed that it had been their lacklustre efforts in the loading that had cost him considerable pride (not to mention the coin he had wagered). However from his ill temper one of the staples of the Ironweld was to come into fruition, desperately unwilling to lose such a wager again the young noble spent weeks within the stables of the Weld labouring over his Coghauler, though few know how much coin his House spent on such labours when he emerged the creation was resplendent.

 

Gone was the single steam cannon, such a pedestrian weapon never truly fitting a nobles steed, and in its place sat a triple barrels cannonade befitting a duke of the Ironweld. To this the moniker of the Dukes retort soon seemed to take, on the field of battle he could launch far more shot at the foe than the rest of the fleet though found none willing to embark on his wagers again. Given time the Ironduke Coghauler spread through out the houses of the Weld, each wishing to have such a staple of affluence and destruction amidsts their fleets when called to war.

 

Yet perhaps the most bewildering Hauler in the fleet comes in the form of the Coghauler Anchor. A recent innovation from the Argent Order these disturbing Coghaulers mount ever shifting Cogwork prisms housing a myriad of refined Realmstone, seemingly ever shifting to keep the Realmstone in flux the resulting arcane energies have been describe by the Colleage Arcane as an abomination. The engineers of the Weld have noted that when rotated at sufficient speed these elements can generate a field of interference to abate the arcane elements of the realms atleast temporarily. Initially designed to prevent scrying into the council chambers or the more sensitive projects of the Weld these innovations have since progressed to the field of battle. Reliant on the steamengine of the Coghauler to power their Reality Anchors if deployed in sufficient number these ironsteeds can shutdown the magical potential of nearby entities, or in some extreme cases cause feedback sufficient to terminate.

 

Such innovations are not without downsides however, the Pantheon of Order have forbade their use in the valleys of Ghyran beneath the floating islands after early testing sent a number of smaller islands dropping from the sky resulting in untold devastation. Worse still so severe is the interference that each Coghauler must be disassembled to pass through a realm gate safely to prevent their delicate instruments interfering with the activity of the gate itself.

 

THE COMMON FOLK

The Weld is built on the backs of its commoners, they are the beating heart of industry that carries the will of the Nobles forth. It is by their hand that the great works of the engineers are brought to life, labouring in the mines, forges and factories that they might one day achieve the vision of their betters. To be a commoner in the Weld is not a soft life of resplendent pleasure, but it offers food and safety, two of the most prized possessions in Realms ravaged by war. With the industry of war ever filling the coffers of the Ironweld to work within the Weld is to receive coin that might one day lead to possibilities beyond the life of smog and toil that forms their new reality.

 

WELD MILITIA
Stokers, haulers, craftsmen and labourers the populace of the Guild all serve function when they come of age, in the cities of industries there is no shortage of work to complete and many hands drive the cogs of progress ever onwards. The work may be hard but to serve in the Weld provides food and security that can be scarce in the greater expanses of the Realms. For many the idea of venturing out of the factory cities is a nightmare, for so long protected by the cannonades of their fortress like refuge to face the Realms feels entirely too vulnerable.

 

Yet when called forth all in the Weld heed the word of their noble masters, to the poorest a powder pistol is all they can afford to carry with them, issued by the quartermasters to all who will defend the product of the Weld in the field of battle. Others bring with their volley guns from their family arsenals, older weapons of antiquated designs but no less devastating to the foe. All those who are called up are skilled in manning the cannonade should be called forth, with many generals keeping stock of labourers nearby that they might change out maimed or killed cannon crews to ensure peak efficiency of the firing positions.

 

WELD GUARD
Not all of the commoners who work for the Ironweld spend all day stoking the furnaces or hauling cog or coal across the landscape of the factory cities, though it is oft assumed so by those who live outside of the Weld Districts in the cities of order. Other instead are tasked with the security of the Weld, be it in the districts, cities or the vast caravans of arms that travels the realm-scape to supply the armies of Order, it is these Weld Guard that are responsible for ensuring that interlopers, thieves and spies do not breach the security of the Weld. Some of the Guard are simply following in the footsteps of their parents, to serve in the Weld Guard means for a time escaping the choking smog and clinging soot of the Weld Factories, indeed many equate the life expectancy of a Guardsmen who takes to battle to be equal to those labourers who inhale the fumes of the factory day and night. Others are chosen from refugees inducted into the Weld, the strongest and most stalwart are taken not to the factories but to the barracks of the Weld that they might be trained in the manner of the Guard. Whilst respected by their less fortunate peers there is a degree of fear over the presence of the Guard, it is they who are set to enforce the will of nobles within the confines of the cities of the Ironweld, anyone caught stealing or hording materials vital to the pursuits of the Weld face justice at the hands of the Weld Guard.

Comprised of two schools of training the Weld Guard consist of the Phalanx and the Rifles each of which bringing a vital skill and armament to the field of battle, it is the Phalanx who provide a living wall against any who would seek to engage the armies of the Weld in melee. Their heavy coghewn armour consists of ever moving gears to aid movement despite its sheer weight, able to lock the gears in their extremities when receiving a charge to reinforce the armours resilience. Their Phalanx Halberds are true works of the Weld ingenuity, able to collapse to more deft axes in the confines of close quarters or extend telescopically into the long Halberds they need to protect against oncoming charges.

The Weld Riflemen are the long reach of the Ironweld Guard, a mobile gunline using reliable black powder rifles to spit volleys of burning metal down the field at any foe the Nobles wish to see destroyed. Whilst lacking the artistry of the weaponry of the Nobility their rifles are able to puncture the crude armours of the rabble of the realm all the whilst keeping the user at a safe distance. 

 

THE ARSENAL
The Cannonades and Artillery batteries of the Weld are perhaps their most widely spread innovations. It is the Weld who provide the mighty cannons that line the walls of Sigmars new cities, from the mundane through to the more exotic flame belching Iron Dragons, and to many throughout the Realms the Arsenal of the Weld are their truest line of defense against the tides of Chaos. Every cannon in the cities of order bears the crest of the Weld, iron forged works of art ready to leave many a scar upon the landscapes of the Realm, whilst many a man might go his entire life never seeing a Stormcast in the flesh they are greeted with the daily sight of the Weld forged cannonade high in the walls above their city.

 

Each engineers sees the Arsenal as an opportunity to explore new innovations in destruction, they employ a myriad of explosive payloads to bring to bear in increasingly bewildering cannon batteries, or bring exotic rockets that they might send apocalyptic barrages down the field to drown their foes in ordinance. Then come the lead belching clockwork monstrosities of the Helblasters, every crank of the level sending dozens of burning metal shot down the field to pierce their targets.

 

On the field of battle these destructive artillery pieces are crewed by skilled labours who seek to do their masters will justice with the cannons, under the watchful eye of the Master of Shot they know that their lives mean little compared to the wealth invested in the artillery around them. There is a competitive rivalry between the labourers crewing these new innovations, each seeks to push their artillery piece to deliver payload faster and better than their rival that they might soon ascend through the ranks of the Weld. Though they know all too well that should such childish endeavours bring harm to the Warmachine the consequences might well cost them dearly.

 

 

 

[Melcavuk]

Adding in some special characters. Three to be precise, here are the first two (Korvar, Patriarch of House Rok marching to war in an Ogor sized steam belching titan suit. Marucs Detorf, The Lone Knight of Oran, Plagued by visions of destruction)

 

KORVAR, TITAN OF THE MOUNTAIN

For many the legend of Korvar began when he was unceremoniously elevated to Patriarch of House Rok following his brothers treasonous abandonment of the Weld, though in truth his tale stretches far further back through the tomes of Esoteris. Free from the burdens of the heir as a young soldiers Korvar found himself most free within the heat of battle, inducted into the Ironsworn at an age younger than any other Duardin on record he established a fierce reputation as an uncompromising fighter on the battlefield, never willing to give even an inch to an unworthy foe. Whilst the Heir Apparent of the household spent his days in libraries poring over book and map to seek the Karak of Old it was Korvar who became his father uncompromising iron fist aacross the battlefields of the Realms, and yet he was ever caged by the Patriarch unwillingness to expand beyond the boundires of old. Too long had House Rok been mired by self doubt and rigid tradition, defending the same crop of land bearing ever diminishing ore deposits, too long had they been willing to let Duardin and man alike beyond their borders suffer rather than risk riding out and losing the lives of those born of Esoteris.

For the young general Korvar such knowledge weighed heavy, ever were his forces reaching the borders able to sight new lands to claim in the name of Rok, or plentiful new resources that could aid in the innovations of the Realm only to have his father minders order him to cease such childish thoughts and return to their mountain city. Such shameful rebuke infront of the men and women of his armies bore deep wounds upon the Noble, to be denied the prize of conquest and instead caught in the elaborate cage of his ancestors achievements was a torturous live. Ever was he surrounded by the records of the great feats of Rok in the days long since passed, titanic statues of his Forebears ever looking down upon him as though in silent judgement of his inability to forge legend of his own.

In the days and weeks he spent caged in the city of Esoteris Korvar set his engineers to task, turning their skill at constructing the robust Coghaulers of the realm to instead forging him armour not unlike the Templar plating that the humans found so much solce in yet distinctly Duardin in design. The end result was a brutal masterpiece of war, standing shoulder to shoulder with the monolithic stone statues of his forebears the massive Duardin harness had plate thicker than any Templar suit, and whilst lacking the speed its runic plating should shrug off even the most potent of arcane magics that his enemies might seek to throw upon him. From his enormous metallic helmet protruded a metallic beared hewn from seams of argent and gold, gouts of steam and flame belching forth from the grim façade, a true avatar of Grungi for his new conquest.

Summoning forth the Legions of Rok he once again made march upon the boundries of their homeland, striding now taller than any amongst his legions never more did he feel alive than when clad in his monolithic suit of armour. Yet this time when he reached the borders no ushering now heavy word from the minders could pull the Titan back from his advance, there was little he had left to fear but a life unfulfilled within the walls of Esoteris.

With a grinding of gears amists torrents of burning steam the Gargantuan Duardin avatar turned his gaze upon the Minders, ironhewn gauntlets gripping the haft of his piston hammer ever tighter, those present would claim even the metallic visor turned to a vision of barely contained rage as it glared down upon the minders. In the presence of such defiance there was little the minders could do, their words unheeded instead of risk the Patriarchs wrath by accompanying the young noble beyond the borders they made with all haste back to Esoteris that they might report his treasonous act. Behind his visor Korvars lips curled into a smile that had not reached them for many a year, that first step beyond the borders of Esoteris the more liberating he had taken in his lifetime.

Freed from the chains of Esoteris and his families stoic traditions the Legions of Korvar strode out upon the realms, marauders and beastmen who had for generations been free to pillage the lands around the volcanic mountain found themselves setupon with the unrelenting force of soldiers too long caged on the defense. Korvar himself leading many a charge into these unworthy enemies that he might carve legend of his own upon the very face of the realms, ever aware that his fathers legions could at any moment close in upon him and force him back to the city. In the years that followed Korvar carved out lands around the borders of Esoteris free from the corruption of chaos and wilds that had ravaged them for so long, and in doing so the peoples of the Realm began to return to farmland and village that had been abandoned in years long since past. Ever dogged by his fathers messengers Korvar kept his legion moving, never stopping long enough that the armies of his fathers Kingdom might catch them up.

So it was then that some time had passed between the death of the Patriarch of Esoteris and his sons return. Finally heeding the call of a messenger Korvar was rocked by the news, worse still finding the throne empty and his brothers abandonment of the ways of Rok dug deep into the defiant nobles soul. He had for years sought to traditions that caged him but upon his return found the city he had once loved in disarray, lesser nobles had sought to manage the kingdom in absence of a patriarch but infighting and defiant stubbornness native to their breed had simply led to the progress of the kingdom stalling.

Perhaps unwillingly Korvar took to the throne of Esoteris, crown the Patriarch of Rok, a title he approached with no less uncompromising wrath that he had led his men with upon the field of battle. Gone had the stoicism of his fathers reign, the unwillingness to expand and the acceptanace of the rule of others, instead the age of Korvar was ushered in with fierce expansionism and protection of all he felt lay within the birthrights of Rok, his generals taking on the role of Steamforged titans on the battlefields that he himself could not reach. Such a volatile young noble shook the Iron Council, Rok had long since been a stable backbone upon which the Cogfleets of the Weld could be maintained, never reaching beyond that which they had been designed. And yet with the ambitions of the new Patriarch many could see in Rok something that had been absent from the house for Generations, hope.

 

 

MARCUS DETORF III—KNIGHT OF ORAN

At the very heart of Cor Temporis, beneath shifting street and grinding gear lies the Vault, ever crawling toward destination unknown this arcane artefact seems to exist beyond time, beyond reality itself in its unrelenting advance. Scholars from the Temporal Libraries spend their entire lives poring over the unaging metallic shell of the vault, tracing its runes in ever failing attempts to discern some pattern or language to further their understanding over this enigma.

Marcus Detorf III was one such scholar, relatively unknown within the Noble houses his connection to the bloodline of Oran was tenuous at best, though his curiosity assured him a place within the Horological Apprentices. Day after day he would spend staring at the unknowable vault buried within the cities heart, turning over every possible book in the libraries stacks and beyond to try and discern just a sliver of its purpose. On the night of awakening he was alone deep within the bowels of the city, a vast array of prismatic lenses aimed at the vault to try and spy some sliver of the energies it radiated when the Necroquake rocked the Realms. As the wave of energies from Shyish struck the Vault it coursed and shivered with the oncoming energies, the power seemingly flowing waterlike across the engraved runic engrams that littered its surface.

Tantalised that for the first time in centuries the Vault had awoken Marcus leapt from his half dozing state, eyes trying to trace and map the route the energies took across the surface for later study, moving ever closer as the hum of power seemed to beckon him in. Whether through his own curiosity or some unseen force the young apprentice was powerless to resist the lure of the vault, if asked afterwards he would claim to bear no memory of reaching out to touch the rippling metallic surface, and yet the devastation when he did so stands witness to his act. As skin made contact with the enigmatic vault, the rippling energies coursing through it burst outwards flooding the workshop with a destructive wave that shattered bone and metal alike, Marcus himself flung the length of the workshop before striking his head on metalwork and slipping from consciousness.

When he awoke the young apprentice was much changed, his mind swam with the symbols of the vault though he could not understand them any more now than before his incident, more disturbing yet he could feel the very shift of the Realmscape beneath his feet, seemingly able to sense the very movement as though both dragging a second into eternity and feeling the rush of centuries passing by in a breath. His mind was wracked with the weight of such passing of times, clouded visions ever swimming their way across his thoughts confusing and riddling them with past and future unable to let the present simply abide.

After years of the Scholars of Oran poring over him as though he had replaced the once more silent Vault as the core of their study, only to find their labours on him just a fruitless Marcus found himself once more alone with his jumbled thoughts. So close to the vault he could not find resolve to pursue his studies, nor live a life with any measure of peace, instead with the blessing of the Matriarch he rode forth alone atop his Cogstrider, a lone figure clad in the colours of Oran yet seeking refuge as far from her borders as he could. To many that was to be the last to be seen of the young Detorf, alone against the constant threats of the Realms, neither Ironsworn nor Engineer there was little enough hope that could be spared for his unfortunate soul.

Yet of late rumours have surfaced of the Lone Knight of Oran, a single figure in tattered but recognisable Heraldry of the Household. They say it was the Lone Knight that bade the villagers to  flee the city of Marush days before it fell into the weeping sea. That when the roving tribes of Marauders set upon the farms of Ghyran it was the Knight alone that rode out to meet them, ever more these stories seem to be filling the libraries of Oran, that when disaster comes to ravage the peoples of the Weld it is he who rides forth to bear warning. Some scholars claim that the visions of the Vault have permitted him some insight into the futures to come, others that he is marked ever cursed by the Vault that it is disaster that follows him and not the other way around. All that is known however, is that when the House of Oran is ailing, the Lone Knight will tend her wounds. And with the line of succession so ravaged it is perhaps only a matter of time before this young apprentice returns home.

 

Edited February 12, 2019 by Melcavuk

[Melcavuk]

Alot of the narrative work for our Ironweld Arsenal fantome is still ongoing but if anyone fancies spending a few minutes reading over what we have so far, pointing out any mistakes or opportunities missed or giving feedback I'd be incredibly grateful. Here is the current standing point on the background and game mechanics

Ironweldtomevs0.8.pdf

[Aden]

The pdf is significantly more legible than the pictures. Thank you!

My hobby budget is stretched at the moment but when I get a chance I hope to take part!

[Melcavuk]

1 hour ago, Aden said:

The pdf is significantly more legible than the pictures. Thank you!

My hobby budget is stretched at the moment but when I get a chance I hope to take part!

When I upload the photos the site seems to cap the width at 500 pixels, which is rough when they're natively 2000 wide its why zooming in just results in blurring instead of clarity. But yeah the PDF actually shows things how they were originally composed.

[khadgar567]

korvar has inches away to make papa rage daddy Khorne proud gotta give duradin some credit he is stubborn as duradin gets now I want to build spoiled elven noble as his opposite number so we have an excuse to get him ironweld slayers oath.

 

okay, I am waiting for the Khorne 2.0 tome then I am writing the f ing standard intro for the ironweld so we have a proper introduction to the damn faction with the cannon writing style.

edit and really I mean really a slaneesh  symbol in order book  why I am not shocked enough is really interesting as far as I  f ing know this mortal faction needs to consider some way to reign in the "we  are the people and we are everywhere" focus since it doesn't help to keep them in order exclusive faction in order. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by khadgar567
rather then double post

[Melcavuk]

Korvar is just as volatile as any angered Duardin would be, he's not especially Khornate just mortal and fallible much like anyone, theres a whole area of grey between angellic and chaos and most of the living in the Realms live in that area of grey (a man losing his temper doesnt suddenly carve khornate scars and daub themselves with blood sigils). 

The Weld are as much "Everywhere" as any other faction, they specifically have 5 cities across 7 realms which isnt exactly a huge empire (each realm roughly the size of earth, having a city in 5 of 7 is somewhat lacking by most empire standards) admittedly assets such as Cogforts might well expand their area of influence beyond that but they are a massive spanning empire in terms of continent sized "safe" locations, but 5 very visceral strong points accompanied by districts of various sizes in the cities of Order (absent from the living city for philosophical reasons) two of the noble houses dont even have a city of their own instead they come from the Azyrite and Hammerhal Ironweld districts.

And yup Vivistus pages bear the mark of Slaanesh because thats how they fell, insidious corruption that rotted from the inside out, the story also serves as a show of how the Weld police themselves to ensure they are beyond reproach, they think little of eliminating a whole house should that house risk the safety of all within the Ironweld Arsenal.

[Melcavuk]

As I have hit my cap of 16 warscroll a I have got a conundrum. I have now worked out a way to make the Clockwork Automata as a melee resilient unit, doing so however requires that I free up a warscroll slot. To my mind the best way to do so is to combine the Ironsworn Templar and Paladin warscroll so it’s a single Paladin hero model with lance and option if either Signal Lantern or Shield. That way neither equipment choice is an auto include and I maintain a maximum 16 warscroll rota.

Would doing so add variety or simply muddy themes?

[Melcavuk]

Prospective combined paladin/templar warscrolls to free up roster space, along with a special Character the Midnight Aspirant

(Scrolls cropped as much as possible to hopefully be legible with picture upload size limitations

[khadgar567]

midnight aspirant looks good twin pistol wielding unit can help ironweld in interesting ways but I think they are a bit slow to in combat. I say ditch their shields and boost movement a bit more and we have a nice unit in our hands.

[Melcavuk]

A bit slow into combat is questionable, without run or charge then can focus down a 10 inch move per turn which is in line with smaller monsters or heavy cavalry. The shield as an option being dropped wouldnt increase speed without also binning the option of signal lantern otherwise one variant is flat improved which will boost the already hefty 260 point price tag.

Aiming for the army ready and painted for playtesting come april, initial 1500 points looks like the following:

THE MIDNIGHT TOLL

Allegiance: Ironweld Arsenal
House Allegiance: Midnight City

LEADERS

The Midnight Aspirant (220)

Ironsworn Templar (260)
General
Command Trait: Artisan Engineer (Can repair once a turn as though he were an engineer)

Master of Shot (80)
Masterwork Design: Refined Ocular Artifices (Friendly units nearby ignore cover save bonus on shooting attack)

Ironduke Coghauler (300)
Artificer Cogwork: Ironbark Bulwark (Ignores the first point of rend on any attack)

BATTLELINE

Weld Militia x 10 (90)

Weld Riflemen x 20 (200)

Weld Phalanx x 10 (100)

OTHER

Cogstrider Lancers (120)

ARTILLERY

Ironweld Helblaster Volleygun (120)

 

[khadgar567]

Well thanks to flesh eater courts newest battle to my single grip about opening put the rest have fun on playtest matches lets hope your math stays good.

[Melcavuk]

Unit balance question:

When putting together my Cogstrider Lancers the closest comparison is the Morrsar guard from the Idoneth Deepkin.

Running the numbers across both of them against an unarmoured target the Morsarr put out roughly 25% more damage in turns they complete a charge (taking into account the pistol from the Lancers in this). Whilst the damage of 3 on the charge from the Lance rs  lances puts out a little more damage it is the damage of the mount that puts Morsarr over the top significantly.
Morsarr are faster and have full fly rather than half fly granted to lancers.
Morsarr can deal mortal wounds.
Cogstriders add to the bravery of nearby Weld Guard.

Weighing this up with Morsarr sitting at 140 points I believe 120 is a good point for the Cogstriders Lancers to sit, it reflects their role within the force but with them being suitably compensated for the increased capabilities of the Morsarr.

Here is their current Warscroll, 

Thoughts/critiques on the points costs?

[Melcavuk]

Some changes to the Weld Riflemen scroll, in part to move them further away from handgunners both narratively and mechanically. The now bear pressure rifles powered by their personal boilers, able to launch devastating volleys down the field with shocking frequency.

Edited February 22, 2019 by Melcavuk

[Melcavuk]

Working on a series of articles that look at how the interplay between units and abilities in the battletome can reward those armies built with specific functions in mind, turning units that whilst good on their own into a synergistic organism that can be devastating on the battlefield:
 

Part 1 - Optimising Artillery

Part 2 - Immovable Weld Phalanx

Part 3 - Riflemen Volleys

 

[khadgar567]

hellblasters crew exchange ability looks awesome and makes ironweld key artillery to always work as long as you have laborers to replace fallen crew member. which is a briliant move. also, planx and rifleman i think can work together realy good as planx blocks the attack and rifleman in turn deal targets out of planxs ranges. 

[Double Misfire]

Blimey @Melcavuk- this and the accompanying modelling thread that I've run out of likes for are a bit good, 😳 I'm not sure how I've managed to miss them (yes I am, I've been crazy busy with real life recently and most of my hobby/internet time has been Necromunda focused) - do you mind if I add links to them to the OP of the Ironweld Arsenal discussion thread?  

[Melcavuk]

1 hour ago, Double Misfire said:

Blimey @Melcavuk- this and the accompanying modelling thread that I've run out of likes for are a bit good, 😳 I'm not sure how I've managed to miss them (yes I am, I've been crazy busy with real life recently and most of my hobby/internet time has been Necromunda focused) - do you mind if I add links to them to the OP of the Ironweld Arsenal discussion thread?  

Sounds good, its a slow progress but about a month away from playtesting so its exciting times.

[Turin Turambar]

 

I can see that a lot of thought and effort has gone into this, but it doesn't feel anything like what Ironweld are like as depicted in current lore.

 

for example, you make there quite clear class divisions, and the laborers seem expendable. while in the book Spear of Shadows by Josh Reynolds, all Ironweld are taught the language of the duardin, which implies a certain level of additional learning, which combined with the fact that they are supposed to be master crafters and smiths, who are never expendable, I doubt 'laborers' would be considered expendable. While nepotism and advancing due to family ties also seems to be seen as a bad thing in the Ironweld. In addition, they seem to recruit from the regular populous rather than interal families, that being said there are families that have a tradition of joining the weld. Further more those soldier’s who die maning cannons have their name enscribed upon that gun, which implies a certain level of importance and honor of being a gun crewman.

 

As for look, it seems the Ironweld is going to be the ones keeping the empire look (while free guild change) as the cover art has the Ironweld character in very empire-looking clothes while the freeguild character has a new look. Based on both spear of shadows and war claw.

In addition, I personally dislike mechs, but if Ironweld gets them then I would hope its more a walking tank then a strap-on exco-suit closer to this gie from Iron harvest...

 

I also feel your cavalry striders are too close to Admech dragoons. The lore calls their non-tank/copter mounts are gear-driven beasts, which i think means that they will look more like mechanical animals, likely with metal jaws and claws, then simply legged machines.

 

I also doubt Ironweld will be anything more then a sub-faction within the free peoples warscroll thus new (Ironweld) stuff will likely be limited. That being said I would love and hope they are expanded more upon to the point they can be played as pure Ironweld and do decently.

 

I personally think the Idea of big guns (and artillery), (steam/clockwork)tanks and (steam/clockwork)helicopters should remain the focus of the faction, everything else should be support troops (even if they are battle line) I think. I also think the Idea of mixed human-duardin should be important.

I'll go into detail in another post.

[Melcavuk]

Thanks for the feedback, personally I've moved away from an expanded the Weld as explored on the premise that the Ironweld we have seen so far are simply the Azyrite and Hammerhal houses, that is to say those houses whose practices were diluted and refined within the locked borders of Azyr during the seperate Age in which it was sealed

By looking at those kingdoms who were outside of the walls of Azyr during the seperation I looked into evolving the armies of these as seperate factions rather than simply one minor facet of the Azyrite armies.