The Household Marches

"Consider the scions and their Knight armours. Though they be far beneath the immortal gaze of a Titan, only the fool discounts their contribution to the titanic battlefield, for what they lack in stature, they more than make up for in courage and numbers."

Ur-Nungan, Princeps Seniores, Legio Fortidus

Formations of Knights fought for the Emperor and the Warmaster throughout the Great Crusade, bringing their might to bear against vile alien and wayward human civilisation alike. When the Warmaster rebelled, many Knightly Houses rallied to his banner even as others drew their ranks tight in defence of their Emperor and his hard-won domain.

When an army of Knights takes to the battlefield, it does so with tremendous fanfare; warhorns blare in triumph and bright heraldry flutters and billows. In battle it employs formations and tactics honed over the many millennia of war, from Mankind's earliest exploration of the stars, when Knights protected settlers from the hostile galaxy, through the long, dark aeons of the Age of Strife, when the Knight worlds stood alone against the horrors of Old Night arrayed against them.

Rarely was a Knightly Household mustered in great numbers, usually a single Banner or Lance of questing Knights was seen supporting elements of the Great Crusade. But the terrible wars of the Horus Heresy were to change that. During this dark time, many Households marched to war, their full might deployed and the very earth trembling beneath the march of serried engines. Many knew that they were marching to their death, walking alongside the massed ranks of the Legiones Astartes and Imperial Army into the terrible jaws of Ordinatus and the inconceivable might of the Titan Legions, forces that they had never dreamed of facing in anger, but that now were arrayed against them as the most bitter of foes. But march they did, their sworn duty to the Emperor or the Warmaster outweighing petty concerns for their own mortality.

Smaller and lighter than the god-machines of the Legio Titanicus, Knights are nonetheless mighty creations of the Omnissiah. a single Knight is capable of delivering enough firepower to annihilate an infantry platoon in an instant, massing sufficient might, speed and skill at arms to duel with much larger foes, and piloted by a noble warrior, the veteran of many campaigns and skilled beyond measure in the art of war.

Knightly Houses adhere strictly to their own martial traditions and chivalric dogmas, traits that often seem archaic to outsiders but that to the warriors of the Household form the code by which they prosecute war. When acting alone, the Scion that pilots each armour is prone to acts of great heroism and individual sacrifice. But when deployed in support of other forces, Knight pilots act with a staggering discipline that seems to many allied commanders in stark contrast to their bombastic nature and argumentative mien, traits that all Knight pilots bear and that, upon first meeting, make allied commanders dread the prospect of collaboration. Yet once battle is joined, well-drilled and practiced formations work in perfect unison with their comrades. As a massed force, Knights bring some unique abilities to bear, their choreography in combat and their precision-timed volleys of fire converging on a single point, enabling them to quickly overcome and conquer all but the mightiest of foes.

When deployed en masse, in sufficient numbers and with strong command, large formations of Knights can prove even a match for the forces of the Collegia Titanica. Against such mighty foes, a Knight army must act quickly. Massed firepower is employed from numerous vectors, converging in a storm to overpressure and collapse the heaviest of void shielding. Simultaneously, fast moving Banners in Lance formations will outflank the slower moving Titans, getting close and rendering carapace weapons futile, reducing the effectiveness of the largest of god-machines at a stroke, forcing them to shuffle backwards and turn ponderously as they react to the threats lest they find their weaker rear armour exposed or enemies within their void shields. Meanwhile, other flanking forces stream forward to separate out and surround smaller Scout Titans, cutting them off and bringing them down, much in the same way that the Knight's noble pilots would bring down the ferocious macro-fauna they hunt for sport on their home worlds. Once all of the elements are in place and the foe suitably disordered, the Banners will quickly close in for the kill, their massed attacks and firepower able to fell even the largest of god-machines.

And yet, for a Knightly Household to face the might of a Titan Legion is still more a gesture of defiance in the face of the impossible than a fair fight between equals. During the Horus Heresy, many Households were annihilated, their noble lineages wiped out in a single action, facing the unfettered power of a Legio of the Collegia Titanica marching to war. The Scions and Seneschals commanding such ill-fated actions knew that their forces would be lost, yet committed them to the fray regardless, honour demanding they fight and die to fulfil their duty.

Mustering the Household

In most battles, Banners of Knights act in support of a Titan Legion battlegroup. They fulfil the role of lightly armed and highly manoeuvrable skirmishers, harrying the flanks of enemy battlegroups, seizing important terrain features and objectives, and dealing directly with enemy Knights as they in turn attempt to fulfil the same roles.

When the forces of a Knightly Household march to war en masse, however, they do so with far more splendour and regimented discipline. Banners are formed up into Lances; formations of Knights, usually drawn from the same keep, used to fighting alongside one another under their High Scion. Sometimes several such Lances will be drawn together, fighting under the supreme command of a Seneschal - a high ranking noble, perhaps even the High King, given command in the field due to their long experience. To see the massed ranks of a Household march is a spectacle indeed, and an army of such might as to be nigh unstoppable. Even full maniples of Titans can be bested by the might of a Household deployed for war, able as it is to bring a devastating convergence of weapons that will fell even the mightiest of Titans when enough are used, combined with the speed and agility to keep larger Titans occupied and almost unable to retaliate.

Assembling a Household Force

In Open Play (see page 66 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook), assembling a Household is as simple as deciding which models from your collection you wish to use, taking a Command Terminal for each one and getting the battle started. In Matched Play (see page 84 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook) and Narrative Play (see page 67 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook), the rules for assembling a battlegroup are a little more structured. In either of these play modes, a Household must consist of at least one Lance, made up of three Banners, plus a number of reinforcement units as described as follows. Each unit (whether it is part of a Lance or chosen as Reinforcements) has a points cost, which is made up of the unit's base cost plus the cost of any weapons and upgrades it takes. The total points cost of all of a Household's units is referred to as the Household's "Battle Rating".

Household Force Roster

Players should record the details of their Household on a Household roster, which could be a piece of paper, an online document or anything similar. This should include details of each Lance - the Noble that commands it and each Banner within it, including weapon loadouts within each Banner - along with any reinforcement units. It should also include the Household's Battle Rating, as described previously.

QUESTORIS SUPPORT BANNER

ORDER

ION SHIELDS

SCALE: 3 (GRANDIS) 120 POINTS + WEAPONS

9-12: DIRECT HIT
13-15: DEVASTATING HIT
16+: CRITICAL HIT

BALLISTIC SKILL	WEAPON SKILL	SPEED	COMMAND
4+	3+	10"	6+

STRUCTURE POINTS

AVENGER GATLING CANNON
THERMAL CANNON
RAPID-FIRE BATTLECANNON
STORMSPEAR ROCKET POD
QUESTORIS MELEE WEAPON

[unreadable]

Each Banner has a Command Terminal, in the same way as a Titan. Most of the information on the Command Terminal will be familiar (Class, Scale, Order space, Characteristics, and so on), but as Knights are much smaller than Titans, they do not have multiple Hit locations. Instead, they have a single Damage table and Structure Points Status track. As such, it is never necessary to roll the Location dice when attacking a Banner. Also, instead of void shields, Knights have ion shields, which are described on page 177 and summarised on their Command Terminal. Note that Knights do not have plasma reactors, so can never make Reactor rolls.

A Banner is made up of a number of Knights acting as a single unit. The reverse of a Banner's Command Terminal describes its exact composition, along with any options. When a Banner is activated, all of the Knights within it act; individual Knights cannot be activated alone (unless of course they are the sole survivor of their Banner!).

Household Banners

Household Knights are formed into tightly-knit Banners that function as a highly effective fighting unit. Well-drilled warriors that act as one, such units share much in common with the mounted knights of Old Earth from whom their name and noble traditions derive.

Unlike Household Support Banners added to a Titan battlegroup, the Knights forming a Banner in a Household force must all be equipped in the same way.

For example, a Household Support Banner of Knights Questoris attached to a Titan battlegroup may consist of three Knights - one equipped with a thermal cannon, one with a rapid-fire battlecannon and one with an avenger gatling cannon. The Banners that constitute a Lance in a Household force must contain Knights that are armed alike, therefore, in a similar Questoris Banner in a Household force, all three Knights would have to be equipped with the same weapon, rather than a combination.

Where there are additional options, such as, for example, the stormspear rocket pod or meltagun upgrades available to Knights within a Questoris Banner, any number of Knights may take any or all of the options listed as the controlling player wishes - there is no obligation for all of the Knights in the Household Banner to take the same optional upgrades.

Freeblades

When a Household marches to war, it is not uncommon for it to be accompanied by ad hoc Banners of Freeblades. These might be questing Knights attached to local elements of the Great Crusade or, particularly during the brutal wars of the Horus Heresy, survivors of larger forces allying with another Household as they seek vengeance for their fallen brethren.

Units of Freeblades are added to the Household force just like Household Support Banners are added to a Titan battlegroup:

A Freeblade Banner consists of one Support Banner.
The Knights in a Support Banner can be armed in any combination.
A Freeblade Banner cannot join a Lance or benefit from any of the rules that apply to Banners within a Lance.
A Freeblade Banner cannot be given Coordinated Strike orders.
Freeblade Banners cannot be formed into Lances (see below).

Lances

By tradition, a Lance is made up of three Household Banners, with multiple Lances combining to form a Household force. Command of a Lance is generally granted to the most experienced noble present, the highest ranking Knight of the Household taking natural and easy command over their juniors. The commanding Knight is given the rank of High Scion, and is charged with dictating the Lance's strategic and tactical approaches. Their personality will shape the way that the Lance functions and fights, and such command is highly sought after by ambitious young Knight Scions who wish to prove their worth.

Where several Lances are brought together, the most senior noble will assume the rank of Seneschal and take command of all forces in the field. Their decades of experience as both a warrior and statesman prove invaluable in melding the forces under their command into a seamless and efficient fighting force. Knight Scions are bombastic and cantankerous, and Lances drawn from different keeps are often prone to letting competition and internal politics interfere. Without the strong leadership of a respected Seneschal, a Household army risks losing much of its discipline and martial might.

Designating Lances

When assembling a Household force, all Household Banners must be formed into Lances, which in battle operate much like a squadron of Titans would:

A Lance must consist of three Household Banners.
A Lance may not contain any Freeblade Banners.
At least two Banners within a Lance must be of the same type (for example, a Lance may contain two Questoris Banners and one Cerastus Banner, but not one Questoris, one Cerastus and one Acastus).
The Knights within each Banner must be armed alike, as described previously, but each Banner within the Lance may be armed differently.
One Banner within the Lance must be designated as the High Scion's Banner (see page 177).
All of the Banners within a Lance count as a single unit for the purposes of deployment and activation.

Activating Lances

Banners in a Lance are activated as a group, i.e., at the same time. In other words, when it is a player's turn to activate a unit, they will activate a Lance:

When a Lance is activated, each Banner in the Lance is activated in turn, in an order chosen by the controlling player.
The first must complete its activation before the second is activated, and so on.
The controlling player can change the order in which Banners in a Lance are activated each time they activate the Lance.
If a Banner in the Lance cannot be activated for any reason, this does not prevent the rest of the Lance from being activated.

The Strategy Phase

A Lance or an individual Banner can be issued orders in the same way as a Titan. Banners cannot be issued Damage Control or Shutdown orders. A Banner that is part of a Lance can be issued orders as part of the Lance rather than alone, as described below, and can receive a special Coordinated Strike order (see page 176), that is available only to the Banners that make up the Lances of a Household force.

Lance Orders

In the Strategy phase, all of the Banners that make up a Lance can be activated together and issued the same Order at the same time - this is referred to as a Lance order:

When issuing Lance orders, use the highest Command value of the Banners that are being issued the Order.
If the Order is successfully given, put an appropriate Order dice on the Command Terminal of each Titan that was issued the Order.
If the Order is not successfully given, each Banner within the Lance must act on its own initiative.

Note that not all of the Banners in the Lance need to be issued the Lance order. For example, within one Lance of three Banners, Full Stride could be issued as a Lance order to two of the Banners, leaving the third to act on initiative or be issued a different order as the controlling player wishes.

The Movement Phase

In the Movement phase, the Banners that make up a Lance are activated together and will move in turn, in an order chosen by the controlling player, whilst Freeblade Banners are activated alone:

When a Banner is activated in the Movement phase, it must move as a group, with each Knight moving up to the Banner's Speed characteristic in inches.
Knights are considered to have a 360° Front arc.
Unless acting under Charge orders, Knights can make as many turns as they wish when moving.
When a Banner has finished moving, it must form a group with every Knight within 3" of at least one other Knight within the same Banner - this is called Banner coherency. If anything causes a Banner to become split up, it must re-establish coherency the next time it moves.
Until Banner coherency is re-established, the Banner becomes Shaken (see page 177).
When all of the Banners within a Lance have finished moving, at least one Knight from each Banner must be within 6" of a Knight that is within another Banner that forms part of the same Lance - this is called Lance coherency. If anything causes a Banner to become separated from its Lance, it must re-establish coherency the next time it moves.
Until Lance coherency is re-established, any Banner that is out of coherency becomes Shaken.

Charge Orders

When a Banner of Knights moving under Charge orders activates, it does not act in the same way that a Titan would; Knights are smaller, lighter and are less able to use their momentum on a charge than a Titan. The following Charge order is for all Knight Banners and replaces the one on page 42 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook:

Charge: With warhorns blaring and battlecries on their lips, the Knight pilots rush forwards, seeking to engage the foe at close quarters.

In the Movement phase, all Knights within a Banner acting under Charge orders may move up to their full Speed and are considered to have a 360° Front arc as normal, but they cannot make any turns. However, once they have finished moving, each Knight that is within range can immediately make either a Smash Attack (see page 36 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook) against units that are of the same Scale or a smaller Scale than themselves, or an attack with a weapon that has the Melee trait regardless of Scale. For each full 3" that the Banner moved before attacking, one Knight may add 1 to the Dice value of one of its weapons.

For example, if a Banner of Questoris Knights moved 4", one Knight may add 1 to the Dice value of a single weapon. If, however, the Banner moved 6", one Knight may add 2 to the Dice value of a single weapon, or two Knights may each add 1 to the Dice value of a single weapon.

Note that this option exists because Support Banners, be they Freeblade or otherwise, may include Knights that are armed differently.

Note also that this does not stop the unit making a Smash Attack in the Combat phase.

Banners in the Damage Control Phase

Banners cannot be activated in the Damage Control phase.

Banners in the Combat Phase

When a Banner is activated in the Combat phase, it follows the Combat Sequence (see page 33 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook) as if it were a Titan. However, instead of attacking with each Knight individually, make an attack with each type of weapon within the Banner in turn:

Unless acting under Coordinated Strike orders (as follows), for each weapon, multiply the Dice characteristic by the number of weapons of that type within the Banner. For example, if a Banner has two Knights armed with rapid fire battle cannon (Dice 2) it would roll four dice when attacking with the battle cannon.
If some Knights are within 2" of the target and others are further away, roll using Ballistic Skill for those that are further away, and Weapon Skill for those that are within 2".

Line of Sight: When determining line of sight for a Banner, Knights within the Banner do not block the view of others. Also, remember that Knights have a 360° Front arc, so their weapons can fire in any direction. All of the weapons in a Banner must be fired at the same target, unless the Banner has Split Fire orders, at which point each weapon can be directed at a different target.

Smash Attacks: Banners can only make Smash Attacks against other units that are of the same Scale or a smaller Scale than themselves. For example, a Banner that is Scale 4 can make Smash Attacks against a Banner that is Scale 3, but the smaller Knights cannot retaliate in kind.

Note that this is a change to the rule in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook, introduced due to the presence of Knights of varying Scale within the game.

Coordinated Strike Orders

Knights are at their most effective when working in unison against the same target. Questoris and Cerastus Knights in particular are renowned for their prowess at operating in close formations, their rigid discipline enabling them to take on much larger foes. This is represented by the Coordinated Strike order:

When a Lance is activated during the Issue Orders step of the Strategy phase, Banners within it may be issued Coordinated Strike orders, either as a Lance order or an order issued to an individual Banner, as described previously.
If the Command check is successful, an Order dice is placed on the "Order" space on the Command Terminal of each Banner to receive the order. A Banner with Coordinated Strike orders is marked by using the Emergency Repairs symbol on the Order dice.

When a Banner with Coordinated Strike orders is activated in the Combat phase, the controlling player selects an enemy unit to be the target of the Coordinated Strike, following all of the normal rules as described in the Combat Sequence on page 33 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Banner makes one attack as described below. Weapons with the Melee trait cannot be used to make this attack:

When checking the Firing Solution, line of sight and distance is measured as usual for each individual Knight in the Banner. Any Knight that is within 2" of the target that does not have line of sight or that is out of range cannot participate in the Coordinated Strike.
When making the Hit roll, nominate one Knight within the Banner that is participating in the Coordinated Strike and roll a number of D6 equal to the Dice characteristic of the weapon being used for the attack.
When Resolving a Hit, add 1 to the Strength of the weapon for each Knight participating in the Coordinated Strike.

For example, a Banner of three Knights Questoris armed with avenger gatling cannon make a Coordinated Strike. All three are in range and have line of sight. The controlling player will roll 8D6, equal to the Dice characteristic of a single avenger gatling cannon. Five of these 8D6 score hits. These hits are then resolved at Strength 6 - this is the Strength of the avenger gatling cannon (3) plus 1 for each Knight that participated in the Coordinated Strike. If one of the Knights within the Banner had been unable to participate due to range or line of sight, the hits would be resolved at Strength 5.

In a Household force, the Emergency Repairs symbol on the Order dice is used to denote those Banners that have received Coordinated Strike orders.

Attacking Banners

When attacking a Banner, pick a single Knight in the Banner to be the target of the attack. This model is used for purposes of range, line of sight, and so on. However, any damage that is caused is applied to the Banner as a whole. As Banners do not have Side or Rear arcs, these do not cause modifiers to the Damage roll.

Ion Shields

When fighting in a Banner, Knights align their ion shields, granting them greater protection as a group than individually. Ion shields are different to void shields; if a rule refers specifically to void shields, it does not affect ion shields, but if it refers to Shield saves, it will affect both. Note that, unlike void shields, ion shields can be used against attacks that originate from within 2".

If a Banner is hit by a shooting attack, hits are resolved (at Step 5 of the Combat Sequence) as follows:

Target's controlling player makes Ion Shield saves.
The attacking player makes Armour rolls for any remaining hits.
To make an Ion Shield save, look up the Ion Shield level on the Banner's Command Terminal, which varies depending on the number of Knights currently in the Banner and the Strength of the attack. Then roll a D6 for each hit that was scored. For each dice that equals or beats the Ion Shield level, the hit is discarded. Then, for each remaining hit, the attacking player makes an Armour roll, as described on page 34 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook.

Damaging Banners

Direct Hits, Devastating Hits and Critical Hits affect Banners differently to Titans, as follows:

Direct Hit

When a Banner suffers a Direct Hit, it loses 1 Structure point. If this reduces the Banner to 0 Structure points, one Knight in the Banner is destroyed.

Devastating Hit

When a Banner suffers a Devastating Hit, it loses 2 Structure points. If this reduces the Banner to 0 Structure points, one Knight in the Banner is destroyed.

Critical Hit

When a Banner suffers a Critical Hit, the Banner loses 2 Structure points and one Knight in the Banner is destroyed. If this reduction in Structure points reduces the Banner to 0 Structure points, the Banner will lose two Knights simultaneously - one as a result of the Critical Hit, one from the loss of Structure points as normal.

Destroyed Knights

When a Knight is destroyed:

The controlling player chooses one model to remove.
If there are still models remaining in the Banner after destroyed Knights have been removed, the Banner's Structure points marker is then immediately reset to the first hole of the track.
If a Targeted Attack destroys a Knight, the attacking player can choose which model to remove instead of the controlling player.

Blast Markers, Flame Templates and Area Effects

When a Banner is hit by a Blast marker or Flame template, total the number of hits scored on the models in the Banner, then apply that many hits to the Banner as a whole. This also applies to attacks with an area effect - catastrophic reactor overloads, environmental effects, and so on.

Shaken Banners

Each time a Knight is removed from a Banner, the Banner must make a Command check. If it is failed, the Banner is Shaken. It immediately loses any Orders and an Order dice showing the Shutdown symbol is placed on its Command Terminal to show that it is Shaken. Shaken Banners subtract 3" from their Speed and will suffer a -1 modifier to all Hit rolls.

When the Banner is activated in the Issue Orders step of the next Strategy phase, make a Command roll for the Shaken Banner. If it is passed, remove the dice. Otherwise, it stays where it is. In either case, the Banner cannot be issued Orders.

Nobility

When a Household marches to war, it does so under the command of its nobility.

High Scions

Individual Lances are often drawn from a single keep. They will contain Knights that are accustomed to one another and that have trained and fought together for many years. The distinctions of rank and importance between the Banners are subtle, often all but invisible to an outsider, but of the utmost important to the Knightly Households themselves. a Lance is commanded by the most senior noble present, taking the title of High Scion in the field and commanding unswerving respect and duty from their underlings:

One Banner within each Lance must be designated as containing the High Scion in command of that Lance, rather than a Lord Scion.
The controlling player must make it clear to their opponent(s) which model represents the High Scion in command of each Lance.
While the High Scion is part of the Banner, add 2 to the result of any Command checks for it.

Strategist: Before forces are deployed, when choosing Stratagems, the Household force gains +1 Stratagem point for each High Scion present in the force.

Warrior Born: a High Scion is a mighty warrior. Knights in their Banner may re-roll Hit rolls of 1 when using their Weapon Skill.

The Seneschal

When several Lances form together, the most senior of the High Scions is awarded the honour of acting as supreme commander in the field. Such Seneschals, as they are called, are potent warriors with many years of experience, and are invariably accompanied by their most trusted and veteran of companions. The honour of such a prestigious command is a heavy weight, but one all Knight Scions aspire to one day achieve. In some rare cases, when the entire Household is arrayed in massed ranks for war, the rank of Seneschal may be foregone. There is little point nominating a Seneschal from amongst the Lord Scions when none other than the High King of the Household stands at the head of their loyal followers:

One Lance within the force must be designated as belonging to the Seneschal, rather than a Lord Scion or High Scion.
One Banner within this Lance must be designated as containing the Seneschal, in the same way as a Banner within another Lance would be designated as containing a High Scion.
The controlling player must make it clear to their opponent which model represents the Seneschal in command of the force.
While the Seneschal is part of the Banner, add 3 to the result of any Command checks for it.

Strategist: Before forces are deployed, when choosing Stratagems, the presence of the Seneschal adds +2 Stratagem points.

Warrior Elite: The Seneschal is the mightiest warrior in the force. Knights in their Banner may re-roll Hit rolls of 1 when using their Ballistic Skill or Weapon Skill.

The Baronial Court: Unlike other Banners that are part of a Lance in a Household force, the individual Knights within the Seneschal's Banner may be equipped differently, following the options available to a Support Banner of the same type of Knight. This allows the player to better represent the unique, elite warriors that make up the Seneschal's companions. However, if this option is taken, the Banner may not be issued with Coordinated Strike orders.

Noble Sacrifice: If the Seneschal is removed as the result of a Targeted Attack, the controlling player rolls a D6. On a 6, the Seneschal is saved by the sacrifice of one of the Knights in their Banner. The controlling player chooses one other Knight in the Banner to remove instead. If the Seneschal is the last remaining model in the Banner, this rule has no effect.

The Battle Standard: The Seneschal will invariably march to war in great splendour and accompanied by the most treasured battle standards of their Household. These honoured relics bear the heraldry of the Household and its home world, alongside campaign and battle honours beyond number. Their presence on the battlefield provides a rallying point for one and all:

One Knight within the Seneschal's Banner may be upgraded to carry the Battle Standard at a cost of 50 points.
The Battle Standard must be clearly displayed on the model that carries it.
As long as the Knight carrying the Battle Standard is part of the Banner, any Banner or Lance within 12" of that Knight may re-roll any failed Command checks to see if the Banner becomes Shaken.

Knightly Qualities: Each Seneschal has a Knightly Quality, a unique aspect of their personality which typifies their style of command. This quality is in effect for as long as they are on the battlefield. Immediately before deploying their force, the player controlling the Household force should roll a D6 on the table below to see what their quality is. If both players agree then they can each pick a Knightly Quality instead of rolling a D6.

If the Household is drawn from one of the Households covered in more detail later in this book, the Seneschal may instead roll on the appropriate Household Specific Knightly Qualities table.

D6	Knightly Quality
1	First Born: The Seneschal may issue Full Stride orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check. However, deduct 1 from the results of any Command checks to see if any Banner within the Seneschal's Lance becomes Shaken.
2	Elder Patriarch: When making a Command check to see if they become Shaken, all Banners within 12" of the Seneschal add 1 to the dice roll.
3	Young Blood: The Seneschal may issue Charge orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check.
4	Second Son: Any Banner within 12" of the Seneschal's Banner may re-roll results of a 1 when making a Ballistic Skill check. However, the Seneschal's Banner does not add 3 to the result of any of its Command checks, as described earlier on this page.
5	Former Freeblade: The Seneschal may issue Split Fire orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check.
6	Outcast Bloodline: The Seneschal may issue Coordinated Strike orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check. However, the Seneschal's Banner does not add 3 to the result of any of its Command checks, as described earlier on this page.

Household Rules

Household Stratagems

It takes more than weapons to win a battle. Stratagems represent the other elements that a Seneschal in command of a Household force may bring to bear when waging a war, such as support from ground units, emplaced weapons, artillery strikes and unusual strategies.

There are several categories of Stratagems. Each individual Stratagem costs a number of Stratagem points, as shown in brackets after its name. In Matched Play and Narrative Play, the mission that has been chosen will give each player a number of Stratagem points to spend, which are added to the number of Stratagem points generated by each High Scion and the Seneschal. In Open Play, players should decide before the battle starts whether they will have access to Stratagem points, and if so, how many. Stratagems are a good way to assist an outmatched force - in Matched Play, it is generally the case that the player with the lowest Battle Rating gains a bonus Stratagem point for every 200 points of difference in ratings, so a similar system could be used in Open Play.

Choosing Stratagems

Immediately before forces are deployed, each player chooses their Stratagems. They spend their Stratagem points secretly, either taking cards from the Stratagem deck with the relevant total, or choosing them from the lists of Stratagems that follow and writing them down. Unless otherwise stated, each Stratagem can only be taken once.

Stratagems are kept secret from the other player until they are used, at which point they are revealed.

Keen-eyed players will notice that many of the following Stratagems are similar to those available for Titan Legions. This is deliberate, as the Stratagems available to Titans of any Scale remain similar (and Knights are, after all, a type of Titan, albeit far smaller than those of the Collegia Titanica). The ones listed here have been modified to work in conjunction with the smaller Scale of Knights themselves and the larger numbers within a Household force. Note that Stratagems are not interchangeable - a Household force may only choose from the Stratagems listed here and a Titan Legion may only choose from the Stratagems listed in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook.

Noble Tactics

Vengeful (1): a player can enact this Stratagem during the Strategy phase. To do so, they pick a Banner from their force which has been reduced to a single remaining Knight. This Banner immediately receives Charge orders. When it charges, the Knight may make a Smash Attack, as described on page 36 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook, resolved at Scale x2. Once this is resolved, the Knight is removed from play. At the end of the battle, the enemy gains a number of Victory points equal to half the Scale of this unit, rather than the full amount.

Outflank (X): When this Stratagem is chosen, the player secretly nominates one of their Freeblade Banners. The cost of the Stratagem is equal to half of the unit's Scale, rounding up. Play this Stratagem at the start of deployment to set that unit to one side and state that it is outflanking (it is not deployed at the same time as the rest of the Household force). Write down which of the battlefield's neutral flanks it will arrive on, but do not reveal this to the opposing player. While the unit is not on the board, it cannot be activated, and so cannot be issued Orders.

At the start of the Movement phase of the first round, the Banner appears on long range auspex - reveal to the opposing player which neutral flank was chosen. During the Movement phase of the second round, the outflanking Banner can be activated. When it is, it is set up so that the bases of all models within the Banner are touching the chosen flank. It cannot move any further during the phase.

Interference (2): Play this Stratagem at the start of the Strategy phase. Pick a single enemy unit. This unit cannot be given any Orders this round and must instead act on its initiative.

Plasma Mines (2): Play this Stratagem immediately after an enemy unit finishes moving or making a turn. That unit suffers D3 Strength 10 hits. If the unit is a Titan, these will be to its Legs. Void Shield saves cannot be made against the hits, but Ion Shield saves can be made.

Voidbreaker Field (2): Play this Stratagem immediately after an enemy unit with active void shields finishes moving or making a turn. Roll a D6. On a 2 or more, the opposing player must immediately make a number of Shield saves equal to the number rolled on the D6. On a 1, nothing happens but the Stratagem is not discarded and can be played again in a subsequent round.

Ranged Support

Fire Support Bombardment (3): Play this during each Strategy phase. Place the 5" Blast marker anywhere on the battlefield then scatter it D10". Any unit touched by the marker where it eventually lands suffers a single Strength 8 hit, or 2 Strength 8 hits if the central hole of the Blast marker is entirely over its base.

Orbital Lance Strike (2): Once per battle, play this during the Strategy phase. Place the 3" Blast marker anywhere on the battlefield, then scatter it D6". Any unit touched by the marker where it eventually lands suffers D3 Strength 10 hits, or 2D3 Strength 10 hits if the central hole of the Blast marker is entirely over its base.

Smoke Screen (1): Once per battle, play this during the Strategy phase. Pick a single Banner on the battlefield. Any attacks that target it or are made by it suffer a -2 To Hit penalty for the duration of the round. When the attack is made with a weapon that has the Melee trait, this penalty does not apply.

Tertiary Objectives

These Stratagems can only be selected during Matched Play.

Fight for every Step (2): Play this at the end of the battle. Score 2 Victory points for each enemy Titan that has not been destroyed, but which is Structurally Compromised.

Decapitating Strike (2): Play this at the end of the battle. If the opposing player's Princeps Seniores' Titan has been destroyed, score Victory points equal to half its Scale (rounding down). Alternatively, if the opponent's Seneschal and their entire Banner have been destroyed, score 3 additional Victory points.

Vengeance (1): Play this at the end of the battle. At the start of the battle, secretly nominate one enemy unit and make a note of this. At the end of the battle, reveal the nominated unit. If the nominated unit is a Titan, score 2 additional Victory points if it is Structurally Compromised, 3 additional Victory points if it is destroyed. If the nominated unit is a Knight Banner, score 1 additional Victory point if it is below half of its starting strength (rounding up), or 2 additional Victory points if it is destroyed.

A Glorious Death (1): This stratagem can only be played on a Freeblade Banner. Play this card at the end of the battle. Nominate one Freeblade Banner that was completely destroyed. The opposing player gains no Victory points for this unit.

Battlefield Assets

These Stratagems are represented on the battlefield by models (as shown below) and give ongoing benefits to the owning player. a Battlefield Asset Stratagem can only be chosen by a player who has an appropriate model to represent it. a player with one or more Battlefield Assets sets them all up immediately before deploying their first unit at the start of the battle. Each one must be set up so that it is fully within the controlling player's deployment zone.

Battlefield Assets can be targeted by attacks, and are hit by Blast markers, Flame templates and area effects (such as exploding reactors) in the same way as a unit. Hit rolls against Battlefield Assets have a -1 penalty at Short Range and a -2 penalty at Long Range. Attacks against Battlefield Assets use the following Damage table:

12-15: Glancing Hit. Roll a D6. On a 5 or 6, the Battlefield Asset is destroyed.
16+: Critical Hit. Roll a D6. On a 3 or more, the Battlefield Asset is destroyed.

Units can move across Battlefield Assets without penalty. If the base of a Titan (but not a Knight) crosses a Battlefield Asset as it moves, there is a chance it will crush it underfoot. If it does so, roll a D10, or a D6 if the Titan's move ends with its base over the Battlefield Asset. If the result is lower than the Titan's Scale, the Battlefield Asset is destroyed.

Apocalypse Missile Strongpoint (2): In the Enact Stratagems step of the Strategy phase, the owning player can make an attack with the strongpoint's apocalypse missile launcher, using the profile which follows. The strongpoint has a Ballistic Skill/Weapon Skill of 4+ and a 360° firing arc.

Range (S)	Range (L)	Accuracy (S)	Accuracy (L)	Dice	Strength	Traits
30"	120"	-	+1	5	4	Barrage

Command Bastion (1): a command bastion allows the owning player to issue one more Order after they fail a Command check when issuing Orders in the Strategy phase. The Order must be issued to a unit within 18" of the command bastion. Note that this does not allow more than one Order to be issued to a unit.

Communications Relay (2): Subtract 1 from the result of any Command checks for units that are within 18" of a communications relay that is owned by the enemy.

Ion Shield Relay (2): Failed Ion Shield saves can be re-rolled for units that are within 2" of a friendly ion shield relay.

Macro Cannon Battery (2): In the Enact Stratagems step of the Strategy phase, the owning player can make an attack with the battery's macro cannon, using the profile that follows. The battery has a Ballistic Skill/Weapon Skill of 4+ and a 360° firing arc.

Range (S)	Range (L)	Accuracy (S)	Accuracy (L)	Dice	Strength	Traits
12"	24"	-	-1	2	10	Ordnance

Power Relay (1): When the owning player activates a unit within 1" of the power relay in the Movement phase, they can declare that it will draw power from it. The unit gains +D3" of Speed.

Macro Cannon Battery

Apocalypse Missile Strongpoint

Command Bastion

Power Relay

Ion Shield Relay

Communications Relay

Household Forces in Matched Play

Matched Play focuses more on introducing balance to battles. It is ideal for those who wish to play in a competitive spirit, and is also useful for those who wish to play against opponents they do not regularly play, ensuring a more-or-less fair fight. This makes it ideal for leagues and tournaments, but also for battles fought at gaming clubs and pick-up games in local gaming stores.

The full rules for Matched Play can be found on page 84 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The rules that follow here cover the areas in which a Household force differs from a Titan battlegroup.

Meeting Engagement

This is the standard Matched Play mission for Adeptus Titanicus. The players will decide a Battle Rating and plan their forces accordingly, as described previously in this book for a Household force, or in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook for a Titan battlegroup.

The first step in fighting a Meeting Engagement is deciding the Battle Rating, which will determine the size of the battle, the number of Stratagem points available to each player and how long the battle will last, as described on page 84 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook.

Selecting Mission Objectives

Once each player has assembled their Household force or Titan battlegroup, they will then each need to select a mission objective. In a Meeting Engagement each side has its own objective, and players must aim to achieve their objective while stopping their opponent from doing the same.

A player using a Household force rolls two D6 and looks their result up on the table below to see which objectives are available, re-rolling any duplicates until they have two different objectives available. The player then secretly writes down which of their two available objectives they will be attempting - the other is discarded, presumably to be handled by a different battlegroup. The objectives for Household forces are detailed as follows. The objectives for Titan battlegroups are detailed on page 85 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook.

The players then reveal their chosen objectives simultaneously, before choosing Stratagems and moving on to deployment.

D6	Mission Objective
1-2	Engage and Destroy
3	Glory and Honour
4	Valiant Defiance
5	Hold the Line
6	Protect the High King

Meeting Engagement Objectives

Engage and Destroy

Overview

An enemy battlegroup has been sighted on long range auspex. Your task is simple - seek them out and eradicate them, while suffering minimal losses to your own battlegroup, of course.

Scoring Victory Points

At the end of the battle, score Victory points for each enemy unit that is Structurally Compromised or completely destroyed. Structurally Compromised units grant a number of Victory points equal to their Scale. Destroyed units grant a number of Victory points as follows:

Scale	Victory Points
1-3	4
4-6	6
7-9	10
10+	15

Secondary Objective: Minimise Losses

At the start of the battle, each player calculates the total Scale of their units. If they still have at least half their starting total at the end of the battle, they score 5 Victory points.

Glory and Honour

Overview

Morale is as vital to the war effort as military might - arguably, even more so. Your battlegroup has been tasked with striking a blow to enemy morale by laying low one of their mightiest god-engines.

Scoring Victory Points

At the start of the battle, determine which enemy unit has the highest points cost. If two or more units are tied for the highest points cost, the opposing player must choose one of them when this objective is revealed. Score 20 Victory points if that unit is destroyed in the first round, 15 Victory points if it is destroyed in the second and 10 Victory points if it is destroyed in the third round or later.

Secondary Objective: Dominate

At the end of the battle, divide the battlefield into four 2'x2' quarters. The player with this objective scores 3 Victory points for each quarter which contains at least one of their units and no enemy units.

Valiant Defiance

Overview

During the dark days of the Horus Heresy, many Knight Houses were tested in ways they never had been before. Very few were found wanting and the tales of their noble sacrifice became legend.

Scoring Victory Points

Any Banner of Knights destroyed as a result of an enemy Titan rolling a 5-7 Wild Fire, 8-9 Magazine Detonation or 10+ Catastrophic Meltdown result on the Catastrophic Damage table scores 1 less Victory point for the enemy and 1 extra Victory point for the scoring player.

Secondary Objective: Reckoning

Any Banner of Knights destroyed as a result of an enemy Titan rolling a 2-4 Laid Low result on the Catastrophic Damage table scores 1 less Victory point for the enemy and 1 extra Victory point for the scoring player.

Hold the Line

Overview

The enemy has advanced into territory which they cannot be allowed to control. Your battlegroup will move out and either destroy the opposition's war engines or force them back.

Scoring Victory Points

At the end of the battle, score 5 Victory points if there are no enemy units within 12" of the scoring player's battlefield edge. Score another 5 Victory points if there are none within 18" of that battlefield edge, another 5 Victory points if there are none within 24" and another 5 Victory points if there are none within 30".

Secondary Objective: Reprisal

At the end of the battle, score Victory points equal to half the Scale of each destroyed enemy unit (rounding down).

Protect the High King

Overview

When the High King takes to the battlefield, their warriors will sacrifice everything for their protection. The death of the High King is a loss the Household may never recover from.

Scoring Victory Points

At the end of the battle, score 5 Victory points for each High Scion that was not Destroyed and is still on the battlefield. If the Seneschal has not been destroyed and is still on the battlefield, score 10 Victory points.

Secondary Objective: Vengeance

Keep track of enemy units destroyed or Structurally Compromised by an attack originating from the Seneschal's Banner. At the end of the battle, score 1 extra Victory point for units Structurally Compromised and 2 extra Victory points for units destroyed by the Seneschal's Banner.

Battle Standards

All Knight Households carry the banners of their House into battle. These sacred standards can come in many forms. Some bear the heraldry of the Households, inspiring all that see them to greater deeds while others bear the bloody marks of former campaigns, driving Scions to acts of vengeance and bloodshed. Nearly all have ancient technology woven into their threads to preserve the standard for future generations should the bearer fall in battle.

When assembling a Knight Household force, one Knight within the Seneschal's Baronial Court (see page 178) may be upgraded to carry a Battle Standard, purchased from the list that follows, at the associated cost. Each Battle Standard has one or more rules associated with it. At least one model within a Banner must be able to draw line of sight to the model carrying the Battle Standard for the Banner to be affected by it, and the range of the Battle Standard's effects are measured from the Knight carrying the Battle Standard. Unless otherwise stated, only a single Knight from a Banner has to be in range of the Battle Standard for the whole Banner to be affected by it.

A Battle Standard does not replace the weapons a Knight is equipped with (it is presumed the Knight carries the standard in such a way as to not impede their prowess in battle). a Battle Standard must be clearly displayed on the model that carries it. If the Knight carrying the Battle Standard is destroyed, choose another Knight in the Baronial Court to carry the Battle Standard. If the Seneschal is the sole remaining Knight in the Baronial Court then the standard is lost, and the Seneschal cannot carry it.

Finally, Knights only ever benefit from the effects of a Battle Standard carried by a member of their own Knight Household. a Lance Standard's effects do apply to a Banner containing a Knight carrying it. As Freeblades are allies from varying Houses, they can never benefit from a Battle Standard unless stated otherwise.

King's Standard - 35 points

The standard of the king reminds all those who fight beneath it of their duty, whether they fight for the Emperor or the Warmaster, their true lord's gaze is upon them.

Friendly Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard can re-roll any failed Command checks to see if the Banner becomes Shaken. Note, the King's Standard is the same as the Battle Standard rules in Adeptus Titanicus: Doom of Molech with an adjustment to its points, and replaces those rules.

Pennant of the Champion - 40 points

This is a champion's pennant, won through skill at arms on the tourney field, and a reminder to all Scions of the glory battle brings.

Friendly Knight models within 12" of this Battle Standard can re-roll Hit rolls of a 1 made with Melee weapons.

Hunter's Eye Standard - 40 points

Bold is the mark of the hunter, their eye always upon the prize, and this standard reminds Scions of this fact, lest they become distracted in the hunt for glory.

Friendly Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard can re-roll Hit rolls of 1 when making attacks at enemies over 2" away.

Stalwart Standard - 50 points

A Knight House is a bastion of strength amid weakness, the Stalwart Standard standing tall like the battlements of the Household's keep, and just as inviolable.

Friendly Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard count the first Critical Hit they suffer each round as a Devastating Hit instead.

Dragon Slayer Standard - 70 points

The names and images of great beasts adorn this standard, each one brought low by the Knight Household, be they creatures of flesh and blood, or plasma and steel.

Friendly Knights within 12" of this Battle Standard can re-roll Armour rolls of 1 when attacking with a Melee weapon against targets with Scale 6 or higher.

Colours of the Castellan - 25 points

Order is integral to the running of a Knight House, and the Castellan of the keep reminds Scions of the pride belonging to their House brings, no matter the foes they face.

Once per round, a single friendly Banner within 12" of this Battle Standard can re-roll one failed Command check made when issuing Orders. If this re-roll results in a previously failed Command check becoming a success, additional Orders can be issued to other units as normal.

Shielding Standard - 60 points

Ancient warding technologies are borne aloft within the Shielding Standard, its ionic weave resonating with the Knight's own shields to protect them from attack.

Friendly Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard reduce the Strength of hits from weapons with the Blast or Firestorm traits by 2, to a minimum of 3.

Gauntlet Standard - 30 Points

A clenched fist over a field of broken foes, the Gauntlet Standard is all about the brutality of the charge unleashed upon the weak, their remains driven into the dirt.

When a friendly Banner ends a move made as part of a Charge order within 12" of this Battle Standard, any enemy Banners within 2" of that friendly Banner must make a Command check to see if they become Shaken, just as if they had lost a Knight. Make this check after the charging unit has moved and has been determined to be within 2", but before any attacks are rolled.

Icon of the Emperor (Questoris Imperialis Household Force Only) - 40 Points

The Imperial Aquila is a light in the darkness wrought by the Warmaster, its spread wings bringing the promise of hope and vengeance to those loyal to the Imperium.

Friendly Questoris Imperialis Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard add 2" to their Movement characteristic while they are issued with a Full Stride order.

Mark of the Omnissiah (Questoris Mechanicus Household Force Only) - 40 Points

The Cog Mechanicum is a reminder that the Omnissiah is always watching and only through diligence and order will the Cult Mechanicus prevail.

During the Movement phase, friendly Questoris Mechanicus Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard may initiate repairs - this counts as their activation for the phase. If they do so, roll a D6 for each Knight in the Banner. For each 4+ that is rolled, the Banner recovers 1 lost Structure point. This cannot bring back a Knight that has been destroyed.

Eye of Horus (Questoris Traitoris Household Force Only) - 40 Points

Those who fight under the baleful Eye of Horus announce to their foes that they can expect no quarter should they dare stand against the Warmaster.

Enemy Banners within 12" of this Battle Standard must re-roll Command checks when testing to see if they become Shaken.

Raider's Flag (Questoris Oblitus Household Force Only) - 60 Points

Some Seneschals and their courts hail from raider houses, grown rich and powerful as reavers of their worlds, forever encroaching on the lands of others.

Attacks made against friendly Questoris Oblitus Banners within 6" of the Battle Standard suffer a -1 modifier to all Hit rolls if all models from the Banner are within the Short Range of the attacking unit, in addition to any other modifiers. If a Targeted Attack is made, only the nominated Knight has to be within Short Range.

Lance Standards

Every Household Battle Standard was a unique masterpiece, treated with a level of reverence that matched the care each Knight Scion lavished upon their armour, but it was not the sole banner a Household marched to war under. When assembled in full might, it was common for each Lance to carry a standard retrieved from the vaults of the Household. Though lacking the grandeur of the standard carried by the Baronial Court, each still served as inspiration for the Knights marching beneath it. Before battle, the House Sacristans would weave the heraldry of a High Scion into a standard, so all foes would know who brought death down upon them.

One Knight within each High Scion's Banner may be upgraded with a Lance Standard from the list that follows, at the associated cost. Each Lance Standard has one or more rules associated with it. At least one model within a friendly Banner must be able to draw line of sight to the model carrying the Lance Standard to benefit from its effects and the range of the Lance Standard's effects are measured from the Knight carrying the Lance Standard. a Lance Standard does not replace the weapons a Knight is equipped with (it is presumed the Knight carries the standard in such a way as to not impede their prowess in battle). a Lance Standard must be clearly displayed on the model that carries it. a Banner with a Battle Standard cannot have a Lance Standard.

If the Knight carrying the Lance Standard is destroyed, choose another Knight in the High Scion's Banner to carry the Lance Standard. If the High Scion is the sole remaining Knight in the Banner then the standard is lost, and the High Scion cannot carry it.

Unless otherwise stated, a Lance Standard's effects only apply to Knight Banners within the same Lance. a Lance Standard's effects do apply to a Banner containing a Knight carrying it.

Bloody Standard - 30 Points

When honour is done, and duty but a memory, the standard of the Household's lord counts for only one thing: a witness to the murder wrought by its Scions.

Once per game, at the start of the Strategy phase, the Knight carrying the Bloody Standard can activate it. If they do so, Knight Banners within 6" of the Lance Standard can be issued Charge orders without the need to make a Command check.

Standard of Valour - 40 Points

No matter how tall it stands, no matter how fearsome its visage, a Scion should never stray from their duty and never compromise their honour.

Once per game, at the start of the Combat phase, the Knight carrying the Standard of Valour can activate it. If they do so, Knight models within 6" of the Lance Standard can add 1 to the Dice value of a single weapon of their choice with the Melee trait for the remainder of the phase.

Standard of Defiance - 10 Points

None can claim to be courageous lest he has faced terrible things and refused to balk, no matter the fear held within his heart. Those are the deeds that will be remembered.

Once per game, at the start of the Strategy phase, the Knight carrying the Standard of Defiance can activate it. If they do so, all Knight Banners in the Lance that are Shaken are no longer Shaken, and can be issued Orders this phase.

Standard of Perspicacity - 35 points

Knowledge is power and many are the victories won by the Household through clarity of mind and sound tactics.

Once per game, at the start of the Movement phase, the Knight carrying the Standard of Perspicacity can activate it. If they do so, until the end of the following round's Movement phase, Knight Banners within the Lance suffer no penalties for being outside Lance Coherency. However, during the following round's Strategy phase, any Banner from the Lance that has not maintained Lance coherency cannot be issued Orders via Lance Orders.

Standard of Dawn (Questoris Imperialis Household Force only) - 50 points

The standard speaks not of past deeds but of future ones and the glory that awaits once the Warmaster falls and the Imperium stands tall.

Once per game, at the start of the Strategy phase, the Knight carrying the Standard of Dawn can activate it. If they do so, when a friendly Questoris Imperialis Banner within 6" of the Lance Standard suffers a Critical Hit, roll a D6. On a 5+, the Critical Hit becomes a Devastating Hit. Each Banner within the Lance can benefit from this ability once per round.

Blackened Standard (Questoris Mechanicus Household Force only) - 30 points

Some standards are weaved with esoteric technology from a bygone age, clear evidence of the pacts of knowledge the Household can call upon.

Once per game, at the start of the Strategy phase, the Knight carrying the Blackened Standard can activate it. If they do so, until the end of the round, friendly Questoris Mechanicus Banners within 4" of the Lance Standard always count as at least 50% obscured against attacks made against them.

Withered Standard (Questoris Traitoris Household Force only) - 35 points

This standard is no longer immaculate, bearing decades of apparent decay, sickening to all who look upon it.

Once per game, at the start of the Strategy phase, the Knight carrying the Withered Standard can activate it. If they do so, until the end of the round, subtract 2 from the result of all Repair dice rolled for all units (friend or foe) within 6" of the Banner.

Icon of Conquest (Questor Oblitus Household Force only) - 35 points

The strong will always rule the weak and the standard tells a tale of conquest that proves the Household is stronger than all.

Once per game, at the start of the Combat phase, the Knight carrying the Icon of Conquest can activate it. If they do so, until the end of the phase, friendly Questoris Oblitus Banners within 6" of this Standard add +1 to the Strength value of all their weapons.

High King of the Household

Whether they have but a handful of Knight armours, or hundreds of Knights wearing their colours, each Household has a hereditary leader for whom it is named. For Imperial Knight Households, i.e., those who are independent of Forge Worlds or the Titan Legions, regardless of their actual affiliation within the greater Horus Heresy, this is typically a High King. The names may vary, some Households led by Caliphs, Barons, Kaisers, Daimyos or any of a hundred other noble titles from Ancient Terra and beyond, but the role of the High King remains the same.

Any Knight Household force can, if it chooses, upgrade its Seneschal to a High King at a cost of 50 points. High Kings count as Seneschals in regard to any rules that reference a Seneschal, with the following exceptions:

Challenges: a High King's own Knight must make Targeted Attacks with Melee weapons against enemy High Scions, Seneschals and other High Kings.
Unshakable: a High King's Banner cannot become Shaken, and ignores any effects or rules that would require it to become Shaken.
Master of Battle: Orders can be issued to a High King's Banner without the need to make a Command check during the Strategy phase, even if a friendly unit has already failed a Command check while being issued Orders in that phase. Master of Battle cannot be used in conjunction with Lance Orders.
Warlord: a High King adds 3 Stratagem points to a Knight Household instead of 2 Stratagem points.

Knight Households

House Donar

Known as the Preceptor House, the Knight Household of Donar was the warden of the Western Marches since the time of the High Kings. The history of the House records that the first Donar Scions were descended from the Guardian Preceptor, bladesmaster to the High King. In those lost days, the people of Molechari were plagued by the beasts of Kush, the huge monsters ranging out into the Western Marches to hunt among the scattered human settlements. When the old High King passed, the Preceptor walked into the east to face these beasts. On the edge of the great jungles of Kush, the Preceptor planted his blade in the ground and vowed that as long as his House endured, the lands of Mankind would be defended.

Centuries later, the Scions of House Donar ruled over the Western Marches and the Preceptor Line. An ancient defensive wall erected against the jungle macro-fauna, it ran hundreds of kilometres from the peaks of the Untar Mesas in the south all the way to the storm-lashed Azure Coast in the north. Along its length, watch towers stood sentinel against the deep jungle beyond, while ramparts, each large enough to accommodate a Knight armour, provided firing platforms. It was a matter of pride for House Donar that as long as the wall had stood, the Western Marches lived free of the horrors of the savage mallahgra and other beasts that had once ranged deep into their lands.

Over the years, House Donar became one of the pre-eminent hunting Houses, often competing with House Devine for the vēnator's glory during Lord Cyprian's beast hunts. These hunts served a dual purpose, both honing the skills of the Scions and thinning the numbers of monsters living close to the edge of the Kush. Lord Balmorn Donar and his firstborn, Robard Donar, Seneschal and Lord Scion of House Donar respectively were principal among these hunters. They regularly sallied forth from their watch upon the Preceptor Line to exterminate nests of arcanodons or xenosmilus, dragging the creatures' carcasses back to their fortress as trophies, each kill having honoured the Guardian Preceptor's ancient oath.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Donar High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 178, or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Guardian Preceptor: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll any failed Command checks.
2	Kush Veteran: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance treat Deadly terrain as if it were Dangerous terrain. Note that even Banners with the Agile rule must test as if for Dangerous terrain should they move through Deadly terrain.
3	Beast Killer: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll Hit rolls of a 1 when attacking an enemy unit with a Scale that is higher than theirs.

House Indra

House Indra has a strange reputation among its kin, the other Knight Houses often wary of their far-southern neighbours. Hailing from the vast swamplands beyond the Tazkhar Steppes, the Indarii, as the swamp people are known, are far removed from the machinations of the other major Knight Houses. This distance, and the odd practices of those who live in the swamps, meant that their peers regarded them somewhat warily, and gave House Indra the rather unflattering moniker of the "Mad House". This name was closer to the truth than the Indarii liked to admit.

The ancient records of the House tell of a time when the 12 original Knight Houses ruled in the heartlands of Molechari under the High Kings. Before the coming of the Lord of Storms, these 12 Houses each held an office of the High King, one acting as his Oathward, another as his Preceptor, another as his Seneschal, and so forth. The Indarii House were given the honour of carrying the colours of the High King, and holding aloft the ancient royal standard. When the last High King died, and the Houses fractured, many retreated to the far corners of Molechari to make an empire for themselves. House Indra sought a home among the southern steppes, though was driven further south by the ascendant bloodlines of House Tazkhar. Ultimately, the High King's Bannermen, as the Indarii were known in that bygone age, carried their lord's colours into the uncharted southern swamps. There they forged a new settlement, defending the locals from the gigantic mire serpents who had for so long ruled the region uncontested.

Though centuries passed, and the bloodline of the Indarii was polluted by the fen tribes who ruled the swamps before them, the Knight House never forgot that they once carried the standard of the High King. Many of the traditions lost to the rest of the people of Molechari lived on among the Indarii, such as the Carnival of Killers or the Courts of the Bladedancers. A pale shadow of their former grandeur, the House held tournaments and festivals under the dripping boughs of their marshy forests. Dancing and duelling both on foot or clad in Knight armour, they honed their skills against the time when the High King would return.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Indra High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table under The Seneschal or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Dancing Blade: Knights within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll any Hit roll of a 1 when using a weapon with the Melee trait.
2	Forsaken Indarii: The Seneschal may issue Charge orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check. However, if a Banner within the Seneschal's Lance fails a Command test when being issued with any other order, it does not act on its own initiative; instead, it must act under Charge orders.
3	Banner of the High King: The Seneschal's Banner may include a Battle Standard for free. However, if the Banner is destroyed, the enemy will earn an extra D3 Victory points for claiming the Battle Standard.

House Kaska

On the westernmost point of Molechari, the Kasha Peninsula thrusts out into the northern ocean. a temperate wilderness, these heavily forested highlands are ruled over by House Kaska. The Scions of House Kaska are haughty frontiersmen and endure in rain-soaked keeps and overcast provinces, seldom making the trek down into the warmer climes of the Western Marches. Their halls are islands of civilisation amid forests filled with arboreal xenosmilus and massive gorzular, distant cousins to the mallahgra beasts of Kush. Houses such as Devine and Donar look down on the Kashaii, considering them drunkards and vagrants, barely worthy of their place among the Knightly Households. The reality is that the bearded lords of Kaska adhere to a different set of codes than their kin. It is not enough for them to just be a skilled Knight armour pilot, or exhibit a bond between human and machine. a Kashaii Scion must be able to climb the storm-slick peaks of Kasha, wrestle a xenosmilus cub to the ground and drink their weight in Kashaii ale. The Scions of Kaska also care little for the trappings of honour or nobility, bowing down to the rulership of House Devine only grudgingly, and only playing the games of the Knightly Houses when they are forced to journey to Lupercalia. To the Kaska, the only honour is victory and the only nobility are those who can prove themselves worthy to lead.

The story of the Kaska, at least as they reckon it to be, is carved in the rune stones of Caulder Keep, ancestral home of House Kaska. It recounts the journey of the Lord of Storms and how he came to the Kasha Peninsula years after the fall of the High King, when the Knightly Houses were as bandit lords ruling over scattered realms. At that time the wild walker tribes held sway, and thought to slay the Lord of Storms for trespass upon their lands. It was only the intervention of the then Seneschal of House Kaska who stayed the tribes' hand, though to placate them he bade the Lord of Storms complete a series of gruelling challenges. It was upon the recounting of these challenges, each one the Lord of Storms passed without pause or effort, that the tenets of House Kaska were laid, and to this day they strive to live up to the standards set down by this ancient and mysterious figure.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Kaska High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 178, or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Drunken Lord: When the Seneschal's Banner suffers a Direct Hit, roll a D6. On a 5 or 6, the hit is ignored. However, the Seneschal's Banner does not add 3 to the result of any of its Command checks, as described on page 178.
2	Lord of Rain and Ruin: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance treat Deadly terrain as if it were Dangerous terrain. Note that even Banners with the Agile rule must test as if for Dangerous terrain should they move through Deadly terrain.
3	Scion of the Storm: When making a Command check to see if they become Shaken, all Banners within 12" of the Seneschal add 1 to the dice roll.

House Kaushik

Beneath the towering Untar Mesas, hundreds of kilometres of caverns and caves twist their way through the ground. This cold under-realm is the domain of House Kaushik, who rules its depths from the Pyros Mountain. The arcology is a wonder of Dark Age technology, built by the first colonists to sustain them on a strange and alien world. Other arcologies, each one once a complete self-contained city, dot the surface of Molech, though most are little more than ruined shells, stripped for parts when the initial settlers built their first true structures. House Kaushik have, however, remained within the earth, and turned their gaze inward rather than out into the wilderness of Molechani, fighting the creatures of the deep earth, such as the maw-craggadon stone serpents or the arcanodons, which prowl the underground ways. These beasts are less common than they once were, the House having driven them off time and again, though the people of Kaushik still hunt them for both sport and food.

The people of House Kaushik are deeply insular, leaving the safety of their ancient fortress only to hunt or occasionally visit the capital of Lupercalia. Surrounded by artefacts of a lost age, they have also fallen into a debased form of tech worship, with little understanding of how the mechanisms of their technology work, only that they do - for the most part. The Knight armours especially hold a sacred place for them. However, House Kaushik Sacristans know little of the workings of the Knight armour, only that through prayer and ritual can they be awoken and maintained. As systems fail or are forgotten, other means of rousing the Knight to readiness are found, fusion cranks, muscle driven cog-generators and magma-pumps all means of keeping the Knight's power plant alive.

Of course, the true strength of a Knight is its pilot, and for Kaushik Scions, the bond between them and their machine is considered a spiritual pairing. In fact, the greatest state a Knight pilot can attain is known as the Great Quiet, when their soul has been cooled by its proximity to the dead whispers of the Throne Mechanicum and their emotions stripped away. The upper echelons of the House are ruled over by those who have succumbed to the Great Quiet, their emaciated faces and fever-bright eyes hinting at their discarded humanity. It is a quality that serves these lord Scions well in battle, and despite their poorly maintained armour, they fight with the fury of those who have cast off mortal fears.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Kaushik High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 178, or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Stoneblind: When rolling off to determine who will seize command of the battlefield, the Seneschal's controlling player may re-roll the dice.
2	Iron of the Earth: Knights within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll any Hit roll of a 1 when using a weapon with the Melee trait.
3	Hardened Soul: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance can never become Shaken. However, all Knights within the Seneschal's Banner have their Speed characteristic reduced by 1".

House Mamaragon

North of Molechari, thousands of islands are scattered across the vast Azure Sea. House Mamaragon claims dominion over these specks of land and all trade that passes between them. Much like their standing among the leaders of Molech, control of this realm is an ancestral right passed down from the days of the High King. In ancient times, the forefathers of House Mamaragon were explorers and seafarers, their ships responsible for reaching the shores of distant continents and charting Molech's vast oceans. Later they would become sea wolves, hunting the trade routes that they had a hand in creating, and targeting the realms of the other Knightly Households. When House Devine finally united the fragmented Houses and claimed Lupercalia as the world's capital, the Scions of Mamaragon were relegated to wardens of the outer reaches, the far lands and the open seas.

The Seneschal of House Mamaragon at the Battle of Molech was Lord Erol Vor Mamaragon. Afflicted with a monstrous arrogance and reckless nature, he was a constant annoyance to House Devine and House Donar whenever his retinue of Paladins made landfall. Whip-thin and wearing a perpetual sneer, Lord Erol enjoyed baiting his fellow Knightly Houses, making offhand comments over dinner about their ancestry, associations with the Serpent god or loyalty to the Emperor. Lord Erol and his Mamaragon Scions also mocked the hunting trophies of the land-bound Houses by displaying the carcasses of great, toothy sea beasts on their Knight armours. These massive coiling serpents are bigger than the largest of Molechari's macro-fauna and must be bested in gruelling deep-sea hunts that make the forays into the jungles of Kush seem simple by comparison.

Despite their irreverent nature, the Scions of Mamaragon were fiercely loyal to Molech, and held the safety of their world above their oaths of obedience to the High House. In the aftermath of the Warmaster's invasion, Mamaragon would be among the first to organise the surviving Houses against House Devine, continuing the fight even as the remaining Traitor forces spread out, first across Molechari and then out across the oceans. And, years later, when finally the Traitors' lash was lifted from Molech during the bloody years of the Scouring, the handful of surviving Scions of House Mamaragon would be there to meet their liberators, and rebuild the shattered remains of their world.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Mamaragon High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 178, or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Sea Lord: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll any failed Command checks.
2	Prince of the Waves: Banners within the Seneschal's Lance can never become Shaken. However, at least one Banner within the Seneschal's Lance must be given Charge orders in every round from round 2 onwards.
3	Reaver Lord: When making a Command check to see if they become Shaken, all Banners within the Seneschal's Lance add 1 to the dice roll. However, the Seneschal's Banner may not include a Battle Standard.

House Tazkhar

The savage nomads of Tazkhar are among the best fighters on all of Molechari. That their House has never claimed the position of High House of Molech speaks more to their fractious nature than their fighting ability or bravery. Life on the Tazkhar Steppe is hard, and breeds hard people as a result. Water, grazing and farming land are incredibly scarce, and most Kharii, as the people of the steppes are known, must remain on the move if they hope to survive. House Tazkhar is no exception, their Knight armours marching at the head of great desert caravans, weighed down with the Scions' baggage. Tribes gather around the Knight armours for more than just leadership, as they provide protection against the giant flying skyragg carrion beasts and the ur-lyons that burrow beneath the Tazkhari sands. Tazkhar Sacristans are among the few inhabitants of the steppe who hold permanent dwellings, their great stone temples acting in the same manner as wells or grass fields, and servicing the Knight armours of a Tazkhar caravan when it passes through their lands.

While many other Knight Houses sought to shake off the primitive practices of their ancestors, the Scions of House Tazkhar were little changed from ancient times. Their caravans were still led by the Dervish Lords and no single Seneschal had power over the tribes. These warriors claimed an ancestral link back to the champions of the High King, the seven legendary swordsmen who served as part of his inner circle, and these lords also had to prove their right to lead through feats of arms during the ritual combats of the Feast of the Storm Lord. This annual gathering of the tribes celebrated the Lord of Storms' journey across the steppes, when he gave his blessing to the Kharii tribes. At this great gathering, the leadership of tribes could change, with sons or daughters besting their fathers or mothers in single combat from the command throne of a Knight armour, or in the old way, unarmed save for shield and blade. The Scions were also invited to test their strength against each other, and the Kharii who could defeat all comers could claim the title of Vizier of Blades, mightiest warrior of the steppes, until the next gathering, when they had to test their right to hold the title once more. All of these reasons made House Tazkhar one of the most formidable Knight Households of Molech, rightly feared and respected in equal measure by the other nobles of their world.

Household Specific Knightly Qualities

A House Tazkhar High Scion or Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 178, or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Dervish Lord: The Seneschal may issue Coordinated Strike orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check. However, the Seneschal's Banner does not add 3 to the result of any of its Command checks, as described on page 178.
2	Kharii Savage: The Seneschal may issue Charge orders to Banners within their Lance without the need to make a Command check. Additionally, Banners within the Seneschal's Lance add D3" to their Speed when acting under Charge orders. However, Banners in the Seneschal's Lance cannot be issued First Fire orders.
3	Vizier of Blades: Knights within the Seneschal's Lance may re-roll any Hit roll of a 1 when using a weapon with the Melee trait.

The Household Marches