SLANN WARBANDSA WH40K Conversion Forcelist for Vor: the Maelstrom Ahh... the Slann. My favorite race from my old Rogue Trader book. When I first started playing Warhammer 40,000, I tried to convert every fantasy amphibian model I could for my Slann Warbands. Eventually, I ordered a bunch of Fantasy Slann figures from GW UK Mail Order. That was my first Warhammer Fantasy Battles army (back for the 3rd edition game!) Eventually I re-based them for Hordes of the Things, but realized I had no opponents after moving to Las Vegas. So I finally broke down and stripped the paint from them and converted them to a real live Slann Warband for Warhammer 40,000. I even wrote an army list for them in the second edition of that game, as an "ally" list for the Eldar. And then 3rd edition came out and I just lost interest in GW games....Which brings us to Vor. Using the Custom Force rules, I have developed a new army list for my old Slann Warband figures, and the various vehicles and robots I have built for them over the years. This list draws heavily on the old Rogue Trader rules, and where I've quoted them I have appropriately referenced them. This list is not meant to challenge any intellectual property of Games Workshop, or its copyrights and trademarks. This list is to be used for recreational purposes only.
BACKGROUND"The Slann evolved, matured, and spread throughout the galaxy many hundreds of thousands of years ago. During the heyday of their empire they discovered and nurtured many primitive creatures, encouraging the evolutionary process on countless worlds, eradicating or moving dangerous species, and seeding many planets with promising stock. For millenia they experimented and played with the galaxy, possibly creating many of the races of modern times in the process. But their empire dwindled, the pace of their civilisation slowed, and their genetic experiments were largely abandoned. The Slann retired from an active role in galactic affairs, falling into a long dream of indolence and introspection. They do not seem to have suffered from any physical conflict, there are no records of destructive wars or disasters. Instead, their racial motivations appear to have undergone a sudden and drastic change, so that they have lost interest in material conquest and power. Perhaps the Slann discovered something yet unknown to other races, some secret of the universe, a spiritual path or supreme mystical insight. In the realms of psychic-philosophy and mystic-technology the Slann certainly have no equals, fufilling themselves by study of spiritual life-forces and the secret power of other realities.The Slann originally evolved from amphibian stock, and even today traces of their ancestry are not hard to distinguish. Their hands and feet are long and webbed, their skins are cool and moist, and their heads large with protruding eyes. They are quite at home in water, and are capable of breathing oxygen from water (or other poorly oxygenated atmospheres) directly through their skin. Slann vary in color a great deal- green and blue are common, yellow is fairly well represented, and there is a scattering of other, rarer colour morphs as well as albino and melanistic forms. Brighty pigmented Slann are often extrovert, talented, or especially noteworthy in some way. Skins are someties mottled, striped, or otherwise marked. On some Slann worlds, and especially amongst primitive Slann, these markings represent tribal divisions. Height is fairly constant, with adult Slann reaching 2 metres, females are slighlty larger and bulkier."1
SLANN FORCES OF WAR"Slann warriors are called Braves, and a number of Braves plus a leader makes up a warband. A senior officer called a warleader commands a group of warbands. Where armies are large it will have many warleaders, all of whom will meet before a battle to make plans and exchange ideas with experienced warleaders, warchiefs, and mages."2
Mage-Priest"The greatest and most respected individuals in Slann society are the Great Mages. Their aid would be sought in battle, for their knowledge of magic, philosophy, and the arcane sciences is formidable. Slann society is tribal, and the leader of each tribe is known as the Mage Chief."3MP:9 CC:8 RC:3 POW:5 BOD:6 BRN:7 GUT:9 LIF:3 AR:2 S:M
Point Value: 53
Aura of Invulnerability (+20 PV): the Slann has tapped into mystic forces to deflect damage to itself. It now has an AR:5 and does not modify this armor for the AM of a weapon being used against it.
Warleader"Defeat is not a Slann concept. Slann fight for love of fighting not to win or lose, and a gallant defeat is just as good as a glorious victory. Many Slann believe that they are fated to die as warriors and are happy to do so."3MP:9 CC:7 RC:3 POW:5 BOD:6 BRN:5 GUT:8 LIF:3 AR:2 S:M
Point Value: 49
Aura of Protection (+10 PV): the Slann has tapped into mystic forces to deflect damage to itself. It now has an AR:3 and does not modify this armor for the AM of a weapon being used against it.
Great Warrior"Once a Slann feels the call to become a warrior it joins one of its tribe's warbands or forms one of its own. Because of this unpredictable recruiting process, warbands change all the time."4MP:9 CC:6 RC:3 POW:5 BOD:6 BRN:5 GUT:7 LIF:2 AR:2 S:M
Point Value: 39
Hammerhand (+9 PV): the Slann may use this ability only once per game, and the player must announce the use of Hammerhand when the mdel is activated. All melee attacks made by the Slann during the turn it uses Hammerhand cost only 1 MP.
Warband"The concept of the warband is important to the Slann attitude to life. Every Slann is expected to live its life according to a strange, mystic, and largely unfathomable ritual, as part of which the individual passes through life-stages."5
Point Value: Varies depending on composition of unit. See individual Forcelist entries.
Braves"The calling to a life-stage would seem a real and almost unstoppable thing to a Slann, and can happen at any time, so that a peaceful technician may become a wanderer, a warrior, a hermit, etc."6MP:9 CC:5 RC:3 POW:4 BOD:5 BRN:4 GUT:6 LIF:1 AR:2 S:M
Point Value: 24
HummingStrikerThe HummingStriker is fairly typical of Slann automatons. Essentially a self-aware battle robot, they are built in many different varieties.MP:11 CC:6 RC:4 POW:6 BOD:6 BRN:4 GUT:6 LIF:3 AR:5 S:L
Point Value: 66
Individual: The HummingStriker is a sophisticated self-aware robot. It does not require the support or direction of a leader. The HummingStriker does not need to maintain coherency with its Warband.
Skimmer Transport"Slann use vehicles entirely of their own design... the Slann maintain vast reserves of vehicles which are available to those forming warbands. All Slann vehicles have [complete auto-systems], making them independently operating members of the warband."7MP:20 TC:2 RC:4 POW:7 BOD:6 LIF:3 AR:5(2)
Point Value: 110
Vehicle: The Skimmer is a sophisticated self-aware vehicle. It does not require the support or direction of a leader. The Skimmer does not need to maintain coherency with its Warband.
SLANN ARMOURY"Every tribe maintains a huge stock of weapons and equipment- tribes often exchange items as gifts, and many pieces are of incalculable age. Some equipment kept in this way derives from ancient alien cultures now dead or forgotten. However, very little of this equipment ever filters down to the Braves, most of who use weapons similar to those employed by humans and other races."8
Melee WeaponsRelic Weapon: [MPC:3 POW:POW+1 AM:0 DAM:1 Mode: none] pv2Sacrificial Dagger: [MPC:6 POW:POW+2 AM:-2 DAM:2 Mode: none] pv16 Sonic Blade: [MPC:5 POW:POW+3 AM:-1 DAM:1 Mode: none] pv8 Staff of Power: [MPC:6 POW:POW+4 AM:-2 DAM:3 Mode: none] pv30
Ranged WeaponsFire Spear:[MPC:4 UPT:1 POW:4 AM:0 DAM:1 Mode: splash] pv9Arc Projector: [MPC:4 UPT:1 Range S: 5/- M: 10/+1 L: 20/- POW:4 AM:-1 DAM:1 Mode: 1" blast] pv9
Heavy WeaponsGrav Inducer: [MPC:6 UPT:1 Range S: 10/0 M: 20/+1 L: 30/0 POW:5 AM:-2 DAM:2 Mode: 2" blast] pv32Maser Spike: [MPC:5 UPT:1 Range S: 15/+1 M: 30/- L: 45/-1 POW:5 AM:-1 DAM:1 Mode: full auto] pv18 Void Lance: [MPC:8 UPT:1 Range S: 10/- M: 20/+1 L: 30/- POW:7 AM:-2 DAM:1 Mode: indirect, 1" blast] pv41
SLANN MODELLING GUIDEI am really lucky. I have a bunch of Slann fantasy figures from GW that I got back in 1989 (right around the same time as Chernobyl... my Geiger counter shows them to be "hot" but not alarmingly so!) They are SO easy to convert to sci-fi figs. But now those figures are SO unavailable. So I suggest using the current range of GW Lizardmen and Skinks. The plastic Saurus models are perfect... just put an alternate weapon in the left hand instead of a shield. Use some metal Champion figures for the leaders. It's like $18 for a basic Warband, plus the cost of new weapons. Any weapons will do, the Slann have a myriad of technologies availabe. As long as the guns look consistent within a Warband, it's fine. In fact, maybe they'll look good with totally different guns. About the HummingStriker, I recommend anything robotic looking within the 2" to 3" tall range, whether it be Battletech figs or Star Wars toys. They shouldn't be quite as big as an Ares or Ursa, but that's just my opinion. The important thing is that it's big and mechanical looking. The obvious choice for the Skimmer is the GW Dark Eldar Raider, but I like to use toy jet bikes and spaceships. They are about the right size, and you can make each Warband look distinct. I like to think each Warband will have an internal consistency with the guns and such, but that different Warbands will have a totally different feel from each other.
SLANN PAINTING GUIDE(The SHORT Guide)Painting Warbands is similar to modelling them. I see internal consistency within a Warband; if all the Slann have red skin, then go ahead and paint the HummingStriker and Skimmer red as well. I helps unify the Warband on the table and helps to differentiate it from other, alternately colored Warbands participating in the battle.
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