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THE ORDO SINISTER

The Ordo Sinister

‘There are monsters, and then there are the monsters we make to fight them. Both are the same. The difference is simply a choice of

how we see ourselves.’

The Emperor, in His will and reason, divined and designed weapons for every possible threat humanity might face upon taking to the stars. One such creation, wrought by the hand of the Emperor Himself, was forged from experiments with weaponry long deemed forbidden. Thus was the Ordo Sinister born. The exact time of the Ordo’s creation lies shrouded in secret, with some scattered records suggesting their foundation was laid during 967.M30, when the Emperor issued a Writ of Compulsion to Mars, requiring the deliverance of 25 Warlord Class Battle Titans. Though the intended purpose of these Warlords was not recorded, those scholars aware of the Writ’s existence reason that such Titans were, if not the genesis of the Ordo, a new generation of the Emperor’s creations.

– The Emperor, at the Massacre of Angorite, late Unification era

The Titans of the Ordo Sinister possess undeniable strength, for they combine the might of a god-engine with the power of psykers locked in place and bound to the will of the Preceptor- Intendant, who stands as the Titan’s Princeps. Each Preceptor- Intendant is an ‘Untouchable’, a psychic blank immune to the vortex of aetheric forces generated by the Titan. Operated by such individuals, the engines of the Ordo Sinister were capable of harnessing psychic power on the grandest of scales, from eradicating their foes to mending damage as if it had never been inflicted. Even their weapons were of unique design, each capable of unleashing devastation that dwarfed those unleashed by their Mechanicum mirrors. The power of a single Psi-Titan could bring a world to heel simply by walking upon its surface, for its very presence instils terror in the hearts of all who perceive it.

Official reports, sworn before the Council of Terra by an officer of the Order named as Prefect Kelner Anahat, placed the numbers of the Ordo Sinister at 20 modified Warlord Titans, divided into four self-contained fortress-crypts on Terra at the start of the Horus Heresy. By their own words, the Order were to remain on Terra until called upon by the Emperor Himself and thus few records speak of their conflicts across the galaxy, both during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy that followed. Claims of their inactivity are to be taken with some scepticism, for reports speak of unsettling Titans walking upon battlefields across the galaxy during the Horus Heresy, silent god-engines striking against the servants of the Warmaster. The strength of the Ordo Sinister also stands in doubt, for scattered tales speak of Titans forged in all manner of designs unleashing powers far beyond mortal ken.

+++ACCESS GRANTED+++ ++Ref: ORDO SINISTER: COMPOSITION++

+CHAMBER: Occedentalis+ Occedentalis-Damysus [STATUS: DATA DENIED]

Occedentalis-Chirion [STATUS: ORION]

[DATA DENIED] Occedentalis-Sabaktes [STATUS: ORION]

[DATA DENIED] +CHAMBER: BOREALIS+ Borealis-Thoon [STATUS: CTHONIC] +++ERROR: INTRUSION DETECTED.

Access Denied. Intrusion

Protocols Engaged+++

Using Psi-Titans A Psi-Titan is a rare creation; few have seen one and even fewer understand their workings or know their provenance. The presence of a Psi-Titan is an ill-omen for the battle to come for it speaks of threats that even god-engines are endangered by.

Players can include one or more Psi-Titans in their battlegroup. In Open Play (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook) using Psi-Titans is as simple as deciding which models from your collection you wish to include, taking a Command Terminal for each one and getting the battle started. In Matched Play and Narrative Play, the rules for using Psi-Titans in a battlegroup are a little more structured. A player can include one or more Psi-Titans with the following restrictions:

  • A Psi-Titan is an Auxiliary Titan, meaning a maximum of one Psi-Titan (or other Auxiliary Titan) can be included for every maniple in a player’s battlegroup.
  • Psi-Titans cannot be included as part of a maniple or form squadrons with any other Titan unless otherwise stated.
  • A battlegroup which contains one or more Psi-Titans cannot include any Corrupted Titans or Traitor Titans of Legend.
  • A battlegroup which contains one or more Psi-Titans cannot include any Renegade or Corrupted Knight Banners.
  • A battlegroup which contains one or more Psi-Titans cannot use Traitor Legion Stratagems or Stratagems usable only by a Traitor player.
  • A player cannot declare that a Psi-Titan is part of any particular Titan Legion and thus a Psi-Titan cannot gain any Legio Specific benefits.

Psi-Titans on the Battlefield As befitting the esoteric powers a Psi-Titan possesses, they are subject to a number of additional special rules. All Psi-Titans have the following special rules:

  • A Psi-Titan does not follow the Issue Orders step as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook, and cannot be given Orders by any means unless stated otherwise.
  • Psi-Titans have access to a number of Psychic Powers which are determined by the Psi-Titan’s class. Psychic Powers follow the rules presented below.
  • A Psi-Titan can only ever use their own Command Value, regardless of any special rules.
  • All units, friend or foe, within 10" subtract 1 from the result of any Command check. Any Corrupted Titan within 10" subtracts 2 from the result of any Command check instead. Psi-Titans are not affected by this rule.

Psychic Powers Each Psi-Titan houses a Ciricrux Anima, a psychic amplification matrix device conceived by the Emperor Himself. It is to this blasphemous artifice that the Titan’s crew are bound, fed by psykers left slumbering until purpose calls. Controlled by the Preceptor-Intendant, an Untouchable immune to their powers, a Psi-Titan harnesses their ‘gifts’ on an unprecedented scale.

Each Psi-Titan has access to Psychic Powers, the nature of each is dependent on the Titan’s class and is described in detail in its relevant supplement. Psychic Powers are Channelled in the Strategy phase during the Issue Orders step. During this step, a Psi-Titan can be activated as normal. When a Psi-Titan is activated in this step, the controlling player can choose to either Channel a Psychic Power from the list available to them or issue the Shutdown order, then make a Command check.

If the check is successful, an Order dice, representing the Psychic Power or Order, is placed on the Order space on the Titan’s Command Terminal with the chosen ‘Order’ showing. If the check is failed, the chosen unit does not receive the ‘Order’ but Orders can still be issued to other Titans in the battlegroup. In addition, if the Psi-Titan attempted to Channel a Psychic Power and the check was failed, the Psi-Titan suffers a Psychic Malfunction. During the End phase, all Channelled Psychic Powers come to an end and their dice are removed from any Command Terminals.

Psychic Powers are not Orders and are unaffected by rules that remove or affect Orders such as the Vox Blackout Stratagem. If the Strategy phase ends before a Psychic Power has been channelled, any Psi-Titans may still Channel Psychic Powers before the start of the next phase.

Order Dice and Psychic Powers For ease of play, a Psi-Titan makes use of the standard Order dice to represent Psychic Powers. Each Psi-Titan will have access to a number of Psychic Powers and each will be assigned to a symbol on the Order dice. When issued a Psychic Power, simply place that Order dice with the appropriate face showing. As all Psi-Titans have access to the Shutdown order, this is used as normal.

Psychic Malfunction The powers unleashed by a Psi-Titan do not come without a price. Though the psykers are bound to the Ciricrux Anima and controlled by an Untouchable, such safeguards cannot prevent every misfortune. The dangers are only heightened when the Psi-Titan is in close proximity to the raw power of the Warp or its fragile machinery has been damaged.

A Psi-Titan suffers a Psychic Malfunction if it fails its Command check while attempting to Channel a Psychic Power. Make a Command check for the Titan. Subtract 1 from the result if the Titan’s Head has suffered Critical Damage. In addition, subtract 1 from the result if the Titan is within 6" of a Corrupted Titan (Corrupted Titans will be explored in a future supplement). If the Command check is successful, nothing happens – the Preceptor-Intendant has managed to gain control of the wayward powers. If the check fails, roll a D6 on the Psychic Manifestation table. If, however, the Titan’s Head has suffered Critical Damage or is within 6" of a Corrupted Titan, roll a D10 instead.

Psi-Titan Psychic Manifestation Table

D10 Result 1-2 Preternatural Stillness: The Preceptor-Intendant succeeds in dissipating the excess psychic energies and those nearby feel the sinister touch of the Warp for the briefest of moments. Remove all Orders from any Titan, apart from Corrupted Titans, within 15" of the Psi-Titan that have already been issued an Order. For the remainder of the round, all Titans (other than Corrupted Titans) that are within 15" of this Titan cannot be issued Orders. 3-4 Psychic Overload: Unable to control the energies they have summoned, one of the psykers expires, hollowed out by the strain placed upon them. Add 1 to any dice roll made on the Psi-Titan Psychic Manifestation table for the remainder of the battle. This effect is cumulative. This can be tracked with a D6 on the Titan’s Command Terminal. 5-6 Choir of the Damned: The Titan temporary falls silent as its psykers are ushered into sleep once more to avoid the maddening voices of the Warp that now assail them. This Titan cannot be activated during the Movement phase of this round or the Strategy phase of the next round. 7-8 The Smallest of Cracks: Though the Preceptor-Intendant wrestles with the powers under their control, they cannot prevent damage to the Ciricrux Anima. The Titan suffers Critical Damage to its Head – this can result in Catastrophic Damage. 9-10 The Emperor’s Mercy: As the power of the Warp overcomes the psykers, the Preceptor-Intendant initiates the fail-safes that will see them put to rest. For the remainder of the battle, the Titan cannot Channel any Psychic Powers. In addition, any Psi weapons it is armed with are Disabled, if they are not already, and cannot be repaired. Place the Order dice showing the Split Fire order to denote this.

Warlord-Sinister The Warlord-Sinister is a thing that should not be. A fusion of one of the mightiest god-engines with the ‘weaponised’ power of numerous, bound alpha-grade psykers, and crewed by a soulless Untouchable, a Warlord-Sinister was constructed with methods only the Emperor Himself could permit. For a Warlord-Sinister, fear is its constant companion, bleeding those around it of hope and joy with its very presence.

Roused to anger a Warlord-Sinister is a terrible beast, able to project psychic phenomena on a truly gargantuan scale. Despite this, the most devastating power a Warlord- Sinister can draw upon rests in its left arm. Known as the Sinistramanus Tenebrae, literally the Left Hand of Darkness, each Warlord-Sinister possesses such a weapon, more akin to a weaponised warp engine than any conventional armament. With it, a Warlord-Sinister spits forth a bolt of darkness that disassembles any matter it touches, casting it into the Empyrean molecule by molecule.

Warlord-Sinister Psychic Powers

Necrotechica: Ghostly light courses across the Psi-Titan’s hull, re-knitting shattered armour and broken machinery.

As soon as the Necrotechica Psychic Power has been Channelled, make a Repair roll for the unit, rolling a number of D6 equal to its Servitor Clades plus 1. Add 1 to the result of each dice. The Titan can spend dice to recover lost Structure points (5+) on any location that has no Critical Damage, in addition to any other Repair Actions. Disabled Weapons with the Psi trait cannot be repaired by Necrotechica. If a unit that has Channelled the Necrotechica power is activated in the Movement phase, it cannot be activated in the subsequent Combat phase.

Death Pulse: A seething pulse of energy is unleashed from the Titan that assails the very soul of anything it touches.

When a unit that Channelled Death Pulse is activated during the Movement phase, it cannot move or make turns. Instead, resolve a weapon attack against every unit, friend or foe, within 8" of the unit using the following profile:

Attacks made with Death Pulse automatically hit – no roll is needed.

Warlord-Sinister Titans Any Warlord Titan can be designated as a Warlord-Sinister at a cost of +300 points. All Warlord-Sinister Titans are Psi-Titans and as such follow all rules that apply to Psi-Titans.

All Warlord-Sinister Titans are equipped with a Sinistramanus Tenebrae on their Left Arm and an Arioch Power Claw on their Right Arm. A Warlord-Sinister must purchase a Carapace Weapon and can replace their Right Arm weapon with any weapons available to a Warlord, at the appropriate cost.

All Warlord-Sinister Titans have access to the following Psychic Powers. Each Psychic Power has a corresponding Order dice symbol used to denote which Psychic Power the Titan has channelled.

Quickening: Aetheric conduits in the Titan’s limbs glow with power, driving the god- engine forwards at an unnatural pace.

When a unit that has Channelled Quickening is activated during the Movement phase, it can move a number of inches up to its boosted Speed, can make a number of Manoeuvres equal to its boosted Manoeuvre characteristic and can pick one of its weapons that does not have the Psi trait to attack with.

Antipathic Tempest: The Titan’s head is crowned with a halo of unhallowed lightning and hurricane-force winds that, when unleashed, scatter man and machine alike with ease.

When a unit that has Channelled Antipathic Tempest is activated during the Movement phase, it cannot move or make turns. Instead, pick a point on the table that the Titan can see. Resolve a weapon attack against any unit within 3" of that point

using the following profile:

Attacks made with Antipathic Tempest automatically hit – no roll is needed.