APPENDIX I: BATTLEGROUP ALLEGIANCES

In Organised Play, players must declare their battlegroup’s allegiance on their battlegroup roster. The rules for battlegroup allegiances were first presented in the Adeptus Titanicus: Defence of Ryza supplement and are presented here for ease of reference.

TITAN LEGIONS AND ALLEGIANCE

When building their battlegroup, a player can declare their battlegroup as Loyalist, Traitor or Blackshield – this is as simple as making a note of it. Regardless of a battlegroup’s allegiance, a player can choose to draw their forces from any Titan Legion; though some are widely known for being dedicated to a particular cause, it is entirely possible that detachments had broken off or another Legio favoured similar tactics. The declared allegiance of a battlegroup determines which Stratagems the battlegroup is able to purchase and can impose further restrictions and special rules as follows. All allegiances can purchase Stratagems available to any player (i.e., those that do not specify a player type, for example, Thermal Mines). Each allegiance also has access to a specific allegiance ability, as described in the relevant section.

LOYALIST TITAN LEGIONS

Though amalgamated under the rule of Mars and bound through the Red Planet to Terra by the Treaty of Olympus Mons, the Mechanicum was far from united. Divisions, whether motivated by ideological differences or perceived slights, were rife in the Cult Mechanicus and many a Forge World vied for greater power amongst the changing face of the Imperium. When Kelbor-Hal, Fabricator-General of Mars, declared himself for the Warmaster, disunion in the Mechanicum gave way to warfare. Even Mars, the cradle of the Mechanicum, was no sanctuary from the loathing harboured between both magi and Titan Legions, for its sands were amongst the first to be set alight by the fires of treachery.

The decision to remain loyal to the Imperium was individual to each Princeps, motivated both by the inclination of the Forge World they called home and the brotherhoods forged over decades of warfare at the forefront of the Great Crusade. It was not uncommon for Princeps to remain isolated from the rest of their Legio, spread across the galaxy in support of the Imperium’s forces. Such isolation created instances of incompatible loyalties, where Titans daubed in the same colours marched against one another, one side unwilling to shed the camaraderie they held for those they had bled with, for a lord and master far removed. Countless records, both verified and otherwise, speak of Princeps who turned against their own, from those of Legio Tempestus who fell defying the minions of Kelbor-Hal upon Mars, to the Hounds of Night, a force of Legio Audax Titans that dedicated themselves to hunting down Traitor Titans across the fields of Beta-Garmon.

Regardless of their provenance, the support of Loyalist Titans was eagerly accepted when offered, for the strength of their engines proved vital in securing victory in numerous battles. From the cataclysm of Beta-Garmon to the warfore on Paramar V, Loyalist Titans stood as beacons of hope for many, determined to show that, when the Traitors had fallen, the true inheritors of Mars’ legacy would remain standing beside the Emperor.

Loyalist Titan Legion Battlegroup

A Loyalist Titan Legion has the following special rules:

All Titans within a Loyalist battlegroup are referred to as Loyalist Titans and the player a Loyalist player.
A Loyalist battlegroup can include Psi-Titans and Loyalist Titans of Legend.
A Loyalist battlegroup can purchase Stratagems available to any allegiance or any Loyalist player.
A Loyalist battlegroup cannot include any Corrupted Titans or Renegade Knight Banners.
A Loyalist battlegroup cannot include any Traitor Titans of Legend or Blackshield Titans of Legend.
A Loyalist battlegroup cannot purchase Stratagems available to any Traitor or Blackshield player.

Loyalist Titan Allegiance Ability: Adaptive Tactics

Once per game, at the end of the Damage Control phase, a single Loyalist Titan that has successfully been issued an order (other than an Emergency Repair order) that round can immediately be issued a different order (other than Emergency Repair), without the need to make a Command check. This order replaces any order previously given. Titans within a Squadron that have been issued orders via Squadron orders that round can all benefit from this rule, so long as all Titans are issued the new order.

Traitor Titan Legion

The scale of division that sundered the Collegia Titanica speaks to the charisma possessed by the Warmaster, for even the towering god-engines of Mars bowed to his command. Like all Traitors, the reasoning for betrayal differed greatly amongst the Traitor Legios, and often relied upon promises of knowledge or power offered by the Warmaster and denied to them by the Emperor. For many, siding with Horus promised a new age of prosperity for their Legio, one that would see them rise above all others if they had the strength of arms to seize such a future. For others, the act of betrayal gave them the opportunity to indulge in their basest urges, unleashing the power of their god-engines without fear of reprisal from those far removed from the field of war.

For the Warmaster, a Traitor Titan Legion was the ultimate weapon of suppression, capable of levelling entire worlds resistant to his ideals, and as a warning to others who dared defy his rule. Faced with surmounting two centuries of fortifications raised in the wake of the Great Crusade, the Traitor Titan Legions served as the Warmaster’s hammer, breaking apart all the Imperium had built as they marched on Terra. It was they who conquered Beta-Garmon, opening the doorway to the Segmentum Solar after years of warfare that forever depleted the might of the Collegia Titanica, and it was those loyal to Kelbor-Hal that secured Mars, holding its surface until the Warmaster made his final move upon the Emperor.

Of all the Legios to turn their hand to the war between kin, it was the Traitors that suffered the most radical of changes, for they were exposed to both the malign powers of the Warp and the perversions of the Dark Mechanicum. The waning years of the Horus Heresy saw corruption take root within many a Titan Legion amongst the Warmaster’s forces, from the magnification of degenerate humours to subversion of the god-engines themselves; once great machines becoming warped by mutation and piloted not by noble Princeps but entities dragged from the Warp and housed within metal flesh.

Traitor Titan Legion Battlegroup

A Traitor Titan Legion has the following special rules:

All Titans within a Traitor battlegroup are referred to as Traitor Titans and the player a Traitor player.
A Traitor battlegroup can include Traitor Titans of Legend.
A Traitor battlegroup can include Corrupted Titans and Renegade Knight Banners.
A Traitor battlegroup can purchase Stratagems available to any allegiance or any Traitor player.
A Traitor battlegroup cannot include any Psi-Titans, Loyalist Titans of Legend or Blackshield Titans of Legend.
A Traitor battlegroup cannot purchase Stratagems available to any Loyalist or Blackshield player.

Traitor Titan Allegiance Ability: Unbridled Hatred

Once per game, during the Movement phase, a single Traitor Titan can add 2" to both their default and boosted Speed characteristic and add 1 to the Dice value of all weapons with the Melee trait that the Titan is equipped with. This lasts until the end of the round.

Blackshield Titan Legion

Many were the Princeps abandoned by the maelstrom of war, left to defend a far-flung edge of the Imperium now superfluous in the face of the Warmaster’s advance, while others were presumed dead and stricken from records of their Legio. These forsaken souls found themselves trapped between legacies, returning to find a galaxy riven by treachery and mistrust. All too often they were deemed foes of either side, presumed agents of the enemy and marked for death. Forced to accept destruction or seek their own path, many of them sought a new life upon the fringes of the war, ushering in the advent of the first Blackshield Legios.

There lay no unifying purpose amongst those Princeps devoid of Legio, and their past heritage offered little but a mark of shame. Varying in strength and disposition and often forged from multiple Titan Legions, these Blackshields defined their own legacy. Some, like the Pretermitted Brotherhood, watched over the burnt remains of their once-home, striking down all who dared sully its memory with their tread. Others, like the Cleansing Flame, sought more martial goals, descending upon worlds fresh from battle between Loyalist and Traitor to conquer for their own purpose.

Regardless of their goals, the methods employed by a Blackshield Legio were reliant upon the nature of their supplies, for the attrition of war was a greater burden on those without the backing of greater powers. Accepting any who believed in their cause, it was not unheard of for a Blackshield Legio to favour a single pattern of Titan, adapting their tactics to overcome the deficiencies presented by lack of reserves. Rarely able to reinforce or grow in number, many a Blackshield Legio burnt bright but fell quickly, crushed upon the anvil of war and doomed to obscurity.

Blackshield Titan Legion Battlegroup

A Blackshield Titan Legion has the following special rules:

All Titans within a Blackshield battlegroup are referred to as Blackshield Titans and the player a Blackshield player.
A Blackshield battlegroup can include Blackshield Titans of Legend.
A Blackshield battlegroup can purchase Stratagems available to any allegiance or any Blackshield player.
A Blackshield battlegroup cannot include any Psi-Titans, Corrupted Titans, Renegade Knight Banners (see future supplements), Loyalist Titans of Legend or Traitor Titans of Legend.
A Blackshield battlegroup cannot purchase Stratagems available to any Loyalist or Traitor players.

Blackshield Titan Allegiance Ability:

Decentralised Command

Once per game, when a Blackshield Titan fails a Command check when being issued orders, Blackshield Titans not part of a maniple may still be issued orders.

KNIGHT HOUSEHOLD ALLEGIANCES

Like the Titan Legions and Legiones Astartes, the Questoris Familia found their loyalties divided between the Emperor and Warmaster, becoming embroiled in bitter, ideological warfare. Upon the field of battle, each Household, regardless of loyalties and traditions, employed tactics of a similar nature, separated only by the demeanour of their commanders and the virtues, or lack thereof, espoused by their Households.

On the battlefield, the difference between a Household's allegiance is represented by the access each has to Stratagems and certain units or unit upgrades. However, there is no defined measure of who is a Loyalist and who is a Traitor, for it is up to the player to decide who they side with. Presented here is a set of rules for declaring one's allegiance and the options available to each allegiance. A Household force can only declare for a single allegiance.

KNIGHT HOUSEHOLDS AND ALLEGIANCE

When building their Knight Household force, a player can declare their Household force as Questoris Imperialis, Questoris Mechanicus, Questoris Traitoris or Questoris Oblitus – this is as simple as making a note of it. Regardless of a Household force's allegiance, a player can choose to draw their forces from any Knight Household; though some are widely known for being dedicated to a particular cause, it is entirely possible that detachments have broken off or another Household favoured similar tactics. The declared allegiance of a Household force determines which Stratagems the battlegroup is able to purchase and can impose further restrictions and special rules as follows. All allegiances can purchase Household Stratagems available to any Knight Household force player (i.e., those that do not specify a player type, e.g., Plasma Mines). Each allegiance has access to a specific allegiance ability, as described in the relevant section.

A player can take Freeblade Knight Banners as part of a Knight Household force. Freeblade Knight Banners are not part of the Household force's allegiance and cannot be affected by any ability, special rule, or Stratagem that affects a particular allegiance (e.g., a Freeblade Knight Banner in a Questoris Imperialis force is not considered a Questoris Imperialis Knight Banner, and therefore cannot be the target of a Stratagem or ability that specifies choosing a Questoris Imperialis Knight Banner). Despite not having a specific allegiance, the Household force must still follow their restrictions.

KNIGHT WORLDS

The terminology of Knight World, as classified in the Cartograph Galaxia, referred, in the broadest of sense, to a world where the ruling class consisted of one or more Knight Households, each capable of securing their position through force of arms and the strength of their Scions. Such a distinction was the sole common link between disparate Knight Worlds, for the traditions held by each Knight Household and the numbers they could call upon vastly differed across each one.

In acknowledgement of the eclectic nature of the numerous Knight Households, each was afforded a designation that reflected the complex nature of the oaths a Household held. Though all were bound to the Imperium, and by extension to the Emperor himself, through oaths sworn when their worlds were ushered into Compliance, many were bound further to a particular liege, whether by choice or by circumstance. Beyond binding oaths, informal allegiances were forged through blood and battle, cementing bonds stronger than those sealed by words alone. To ensure clarity when dealing with Knight Households, Imperial records separated them into distinct categories based upon the degree of independence afforded to them. Of these, two remained the most prominent: Questoris Imperialis and Questoris Mechanicus; distinctions assigned based upon the influence the Mechanicum held over a Household.

QUESTORIS IMPERIALIS

In deference to the value many Knight Households placed upon their own independence, the Imperium was quick to establish a precedence of self-sufficiency where a Household held prominence over a world. Indeed, many Knight Households were loath to sacrifice the traditions their ancestors had bitterly defended before the Imperium had discovered their world. Where the temptation of fealty to a powerful Forge World was of no consequence to a Household, the Imperium instead titled them Questoris Imperialis, requiring oaths of service to the Emperor in return for acknowledgement of their self-rule.

Such an agreement was far from beneficent for it placed demands upon the world related to the level of support given to the Great Crusade, while placing onus on the Household to secure the means to achieve such demands. Those Households shepherded by a deft political hand found this situation prosperous, able to leverage valuable resources native to their world in return for periodical supply shipments from other Imperial powers.

However, not all Households were so fortunate and the pressures of the Great Crusade saw many of them begin to flag, their worlds incapable of meeting the escalating calls for warriors to aid the Expeditionary fleets. In the direst of cases, mounting casualties drove Households to the edge of extinction, forcing them to renegotiate the agreements they had sworn and sacrifice further portions of their independence in return for continued existence. In this manner, the number of Questoris Imperialis Households dwindled as the Great Crusade progressed, with many turning to the Mechanicum to secure their Household’s future.

It would be remiss to assume those granted the mantle of Questoris Imperialis shared common traits beyond the measure of independence granted to them. In truth little beyond title bound them, for each clung to their own traditions and heritage shaped by the trials they had weathered during the Age of Strife. In the purest, and perhaps most quixotic view, Questoris Imperialis Knights were paragons of honour committed to the defence of innocents and steadfast in the face of overwhelming odds. In reality, though the foundation of all Knightly tenants was based upon such ideals, much had changed in the interceding years, the personalities of many Households having strayed from such virtues. For every House Terryn, rich in tales of glorious conquest, there were Households more akin to House Orhlacc, who existed under a perpetual shroud of suspicion and fear.

Questoris Imperialis Household Force

The following rules apply to a Questoris Imperialis Household force:

All Knight Banners within a Lance as part of a Questoris Imperialis Household force are referred to as Questoris Imperialis Banners and the player a Questoris Imperialis player.
A Questoris Imperialis Household force can purchase Stratagems available to any Knight Household and to Questoris Imperialis Households.
A Questoris Imperialis Household force can include Loyalist Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Imperialis Household force cannot include any Corrupted Titans or Renegade Knight Banners.
A Questoris Imperialis Household force cannot include any Traitor Titans of Legend or Blackshield Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Imperialis Household force cannot purchase Stratagems specific to Questoris Mechanicus, Questoris Traitoris or Questoris Oblitus Households.

Questoris Imperialis Allegiance Ability: Valorous Charge

Once per game, during the Movement phase, a single Questoris Imperialis Lance of the player’s choice can add 2” to their Speed characteristic for the remainder of that phase.

Allegiance Specific Knightly Qualities

A Questoris Imperialis Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 38 of Adeptus Titanicus: Doom of Molech, from their Household Knightly Quality table or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Master of War: The Seneschal is a talented strategist, having won many battles during the Great Crusade through daring plans and brilliant tactics. If the Seneschal’s Lance benefits from the Valorous Charge ability, Banners within the Lance add 4” to their Speed characteristic instead of 2”.
2	Hunter of Traitors: A renowned hunter, the Seneschal has turned their talents in the woods and wilds of their home world to the task of stalking traitors to the Imperium, wherever they might be found. Attacks targeting the Seneschal’s Banner suffer an additional -1 penalty to their Hit rolls while the Banner is in cover, i.e., a Banner with at least 25% cover would be -2 to hit, while a Banner with at least 50% cover would be -3 to hit.
3	Courting Death: The death of loved ones and honoured friends has left the Seneschal bitter and broken, hoping to salve the pain of loss with the blood of their enemies, or should that fail, their own life. Once per game, the Seneschal’s Banner can choose to activate a second time during the Combat phase. If they do, the Banner immediately suffers a Critical Hit, ignoring ion shields.

Questoris Mechanicus

The term Questoris Mechanicus holds its roots in a time before the Imperium, when Knight Households were conceived as protectors for Mankind’s colonists as they spread across the stars. It is this role that saw many a Household ascend to prominence upon a newly settled world, for they served as first, and often sole, protectors against the dangers of an untamed galaxy. Yet not all stood as masters of their new worlds for they were but one weapon in the arsenal of the Cult Mechanicus, inducted into their rites and bearing traditions far divergent from others of their kind. In these instances, the incorporation of a Knight Household into the Imperium was rarely negotiated with the Household directly, both parties relying on the word of their patron Forge World to secure the House’s service to both Mars and the greater Imperium. To overcome potential disharmony and clashes of authority on newly Compliant worlds, each Forge World was given leave to remain regent over all under their domain, and thus the first Questoris Mechanicus Households were formally recognised.

Though alluding to eternal ties to the Cult Mechanicus, the title of Questoris Mechanicus was not exclusive to those established upon a Forge World. Many were the trials humanity faced during the Age of Strife and though they wielded strength capable of shattering worlds, many Households suffered greatly in isolation before they were rediscovered by the Imperium. To such Households, the arrival of the Imperium was a welcome respite and many were eager to change their fortunes. To facilitate this, the Mechanicum were given remit to act as regent for acquiescing Knight Households, each given patronage by a Forge World deemed capable of revitalising a broken House. In return for such aid, new oaths of fealty were sworn, pledging the Knight World in service to the Cult Mechanicus and their patrons, becoming known, by virtue of their new liege, as Questoris Mechanicus.

Though the loss of independence rankled many amongst their number, a Household gained much from its service, swelling in both number and knowledge until they no longer stood destitute. In truth, the changes wrought upon these Households ran deeper than mere resources. Though such changes were subtle and often took generations, in time Questoris Mechanicus Households fell into the practises of the Cult Mechanicus, their demeanour drifting from the traditions they once held dear. After generations, the oaths of fealty offered to their Forge World all but superseded their oaths to the Emperor, a circumstance that proved instrumental at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. Frequently the loyalty of a Questoris Mechanicus House was decided almost entirely by the allegiance of their patron, leading many into betrayal without full knowledge of the scale of their actions.

Questoris Mechanicus Household Force

The following rules apply to a Questoris Mechanicus Household force:

All Knight Banners within a Lance as part of a Questoris Mechanicus Household force are referred to as Questoris Mechanicus Banners.
A Questoris Mechanicus Household force can purchase Stratagems available to any Knight Household and to Questoris Mechanicus Households.
A Questoris Mechanicus Household force can include either Loyalist Titans of Legend or Traitor Titans of Legend as Reinforcements, but not both.
A Questoris Mechanicus Household force cannot include any Psi-Titans, Corrupted Titans or Renegade Knight Banners.
A Questoris Mechanicus Household Force cannot include Blackshield Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Mechanicus Household force cannot purchase Stratagems specific to Questoris Imperialis, Questoris Traitoris or Questoris Oblitus Households.

Questoris Mechanicus Allegiance Ability: Targeting Solutions

Once per game, all Banners within a single Questoris Mechanicus Lance can be issued a Coordinated Strike, Split Fire or First Fire order without the need to make a Command check. Each Banner can be given a separate order.

Allegiance Specific Knightly Qualities

A Questoris Mechanicus Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 38 of Adeptus Titanicus: Doom of Molech, from their Household Knightly Quality table or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Survivor of Betrayal: Betrayal has forever scarred the Seneschal, forcing them to kill members of their own Household when they made the choice to turn against them in support of their chosen liege. Once per round, when the Seneschal’s Banner suffers damage, one damaging Armour roll can be reduced by one level, i.e., a Critical Hit becomes a Devastating Hit, a Devastating Hit becomes a Direct Hit, while a Direct Hit becomes a Superficial Hit.
2	Favoured by Mars: The Seneschal is a rare Scion of Mars, having trained in the use of Knight armours under the forge lords of the Red Planet, skills they now bring to the liberation of the Imperium or in support of the Warmaster’s forces. The weapons carried by the Seneschal’s Banner are of higher quality than normal. Increase the Strength value of any weapon in the Seneschal’s Banner with a starting Strength value of 4 or higher by 1, to a maximum of Strength 8.
3	Faithful Servant: The Seneschal and their ancestors have forever remained faithful to their Forge World and will never stray, no matter the path they are led down. Once per game, the Seneschal’s Knight Household can reuse a Stratagem that costs 2 or fewer Stratagem points and has been used earlier in the battle. The Seneschal must be on the battlefield to use this ability. If the Stratagem is one that can already be used more than once (i.e., Artillery Bombardment), it may instead be used twice in one of the Knight Household’s Strategy phases.

Questoris Traitoris

To most, the Warmaster’s perfidy was an unprecedented revelation, yet scattered reports deemed unfit for the eyes of most offer hints of disregarded knowledge that warned of the impending cataclysm soon to be unleashed upon the galaxy. Whether such accusations are merely hindsight offering enlightened perspective or a glimpse as to the disbelief that the favoured son would stray is unknown, and speculation fosters little but further distrust. Regardless, that the Warmaster himself could turn against his father and drag so many down alongside him forced the revelation that none could be trusted until their loyalty had been deemed unyielding.

The scale of treachery revealed the stark need for all strength still loyal to the Imperium to be tallied in preparation for a war that promised no easy resolution. Confirmation of any who had shed their loyalties was of paramount importance, so that no loyal servant of the Emperor provided aid to those instead deserving nothing short of annihilation. In this vein, those Knight Households who had strayed from their purpose were named Questoris Traitoris, a title laced with shameful implications of dishonourable intent and notification to all that diplomacy with such Households was deemed an unviable path.

Like the honorifics the Houses had once held, Questoris Traitoris was a term holding only the slightest detail, for the motives and nature of Traitor Households were far from absolute. Indeed, great variance emerged amongst their number as the Horus Heresy progressed, with many devolving into crude parodies of their former selves, or becoming twisted by profane experiments conducted upon them by the Dark Mechanicum, whom many a Household found themselves pledged to. As the Warmaster descended upon Terra, many Households were but pale shadows of themselves, moulded by hands possessed of sinister purpose that cared little for the virtues of nobility and honour that had once served as the foundation for all Knight Households.

Questoris Traitoris Household Force

The following rules apply to a Questoris Traitoris Household force:

All Knight Banners within a Lance as part of a Questoris Traitoris Household force are referred to as Questoris Traitoris Banners.
A Questoris Traitoris Household force can purchase Stratagems available to any Knight Household and to Questoris Traitoris Households.
A Questoris Traitoris Household force can include Traitor Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Traitoris Household force can include Corrupted Titans or Renegade Knight Banners.
A Questoris Traitoris Household force cannot include any Loyalist Titans of Legend or Blackshield Titans of Legend.
A Questoris Traitoris Household force cannot purchase Stratagems available to Questoris Imperialis, Questoris Mechanicus or Questoris Oblitus Households.

Questoris Traitoris Allegiance Ability: Lust for Blood

Once per game, during the Combat phase, a single Questoris Traitoris Banner can add 1 to the Dice value of a single weapon with the Melee trait of their choice for the remainder of the phase. All Knights in the Banner are affected by this rule. Only one weapon may be chosen for the entire Banner, and all Knights with this weapon add 1 to their Dice value for this weapon; if a Knight is equipped with multiple copies of the same weapon, add 1 to the Dice value of each weapon.

Allegiance Specific Knightly Qualities

A Questoris Traitoris Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 38 of Adeptus Titanicus: Doom of Molech, from their Household Knightly Quality table or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	From Darkness Born: The Seneschal craves the darkness of night and fights expertly within its comforting shroud, to the point that they lead their banners into battle in the stygian hours, the better to dispatch their enemies. Weapons targeting Banners within the Seneschal’s Lance reduce any positive Acc modifiers gained from a weapon’s range by 1, to a minimum of 0.
2	Battle Madness: Where once sense and honour guided the Seneschal, now the sound of guns and the roar of the chainblade bring only screaming madness and homicidal impulse, the lord transformed by battle into a beast. Once per game, at the start of any Strategy phase, the Seneschal’s Banner may work themselves into a Battle Madness. When they do, for the remainder of the game reduce the Ballistic Skill of the Seneschal’s Banner by 1 (to a minimum of 6+) and their Command value by 4 (to a minimum of 10+). However, increase their Speed characteristic by 3".
3	Warmaster’s Chosen: The Warmaster favours the Seneschal and their Household, providing them with a greater portion of his armies’ ordnance, and the soldiers with which to use it. Once per game, the Seneschal’s Banner can load Improved Ordnance. When it does, until the end of the round, all weapons without the Melee trait carried by the Seneschal’s Banner gain the Ordnance trait. If they already have the Ordnance trait, then they may re-roll any Armour rolls that fail to cause damage.

Questoris Oblitus

The classification of a Knight House as Questoris Traitoris cared little for establishing the goals and motivations of a wayward House, presuming all who sided against the Emperor did so at behest of the Warmaster. Yet the reality of the matter was that, like those of the Legiones Astartes, the divide between Loyalist and Traitor was far from clean. Indeed, though the Horus Heresy was born from conflict between two leaders, smaller conflicts were driven by all manner of reasons. Of those who did forsake their oaths, not all were convinced of the Warmaster’s goals, for many still seethed at the notion of divesting control to one far removed from their world. These Questoris Traitoris became collectively known as Questoris Oblitus, roughly translated as ‘Forgotten Scions’. Such a title did not stop many from naming them as they did others of their ilk – Blackshield.

This distinction meant little to many within the Imperium, for in spite of supposed justification, any deemed Traitor were destined for punishment no matter who they now served. Individually however, Blackshields were devoid of uniting purpose, each a separate entity far removed from one another and driven by their own motivations. Many sought to rebuild empires lost to them when the Imperium claimed their allegiance, striking down any who dared object. Of these, some were Households newly brought into Compliance, seeking to utilise the chaos engulfing the galaxy to re-establish their autonomy.

Tragically, some that became Blackshields did so out of circumstance rather than choice. Faced with the overwhelming confusion perpetrated by constant betrayal, many were denounced as Traitors based upon rumours and fragmented information rather than objective fact. For some this meant a falsehood was thrust upon them and it was not unheard of for a Household to fall victim to the fury of the Loyalists upon reconnecting with the wider Imperium or for crusading Knights to return home only to find their world burnt by decree of the Emperor. Overcome by sorrow or anger, these Knights had no recourse but to fight for survival against those they had once wished to serve, some turning to the Warmaster for vengeance, others seeking a new home free from the influence of all who would claim dominion over their lives.

Questoris Oblitus Household Force

The following rules apply to a Questoris Oblitus Household force:

All Knight Banners within a Lance as part of a Questoris Oblitus Household force are referred to as Questoris Oblitus Banners.
A Questoris Oblitus Household force can purchase Stratagems available to any Knight Household and to Questoris Oblitus Households.
A Questoris Oblitus Household force can include Blackshield Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Oblitus Household force cannot include Loyalist Titans of Legend or Traitor Titans of Legend as Reinforcements.
A Questoris Oblitus Household force cannot include any Psi-Titans, Corrupted Titans or Renegade Knight Banners.
A Questoris Oblitus Household force cannot purchase Stratagems available to Questoris Imperialis, Questoris Mechanicus or Questoris Traitoris Households.

Questoris Oblitus Allegiance Ability: Firm Resolve

Once per round, a Banner within a Questoris Oblitus Lance that must take a Command check to see if they become Shaken can choose to pass the Command check instead of rolling.

Allegiance Specific Knightly Qualities

A Questoris Oblitus Seneschal Knightly Quality can either be generated from the table on page 38 of Adeptus Titanicus: Doom of Molech, from their Household Knightly Quality table or by rolling a D3 on the table that follows:

D3	Knightly Quality
1	Giant Killer: Countless great beasts have lain broken at the feet of the Seneschal, each one brought low by the skilled giant killer, as adept at felling xenos monsters as they are at bringing down Legio Titans. Banners within the Seneschal’s Lance ignore the penalty for making Targeted attacks against enemy units with a Scale of 8 or higher. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with Coordinated Strikes.
2	Xenos Sympathiser: Centuries of isolation have turned the Seneschal and their people to making alliances with alien empires and xenos lords, the Knights trading in forbidden technologies to augment their war machines. The Seneschal’s Banner can re-roll failed ion shield saves. In addition, their ion shield saves cannot be reduced to less than 6+ by the Strength of a hit.
3	Freeblade King: The Seneschal is an infamous exile from a great Knight Household, having fled their home world with their closest retainers to set up a splinter kingdom on another continent or even another world. Lances in the Seneschal’s Knight Household can be made up of Freeblades. Freeblades may only be issued Coordinated Strike orders if all Knights in a Banner are armed with the same weapons and must follow all other rules for Lance composition (e.g., must have two Banners of the same type in a Lance).