PIRATES IN BATTLEFLEET GOTHIC

Written By Harlock

Pirate Special Rules

Leadership- Due to the recklessness of pirates their leadership skills tend to be greatly varied. Some with great initiative, some with great guile. Pirates use the following table, roll a d6.

A Pirate ship may only ever use its own Leadership and rerolls.

Pirates may form squadrons, but each ship will still only use their own Ld.

Greyhags- Pirates can use close range heavy fighters to attack ships. Heavy Fighters have the fighter’s manoeuvrability and can stop ordnance as fighters do but they can also attack ships in an attack run. Heavy Fighters only move 25cm instead of 30.

Vs Ordnance – The Heavy fighters engage the enemy craft then return to the mothership for refuel.

Vs Ships, Defences – The Heavy fighters may perform an attack run against the enemy if they do so choose a location to attack and roll to hit. If successful apply the listed effects. Escorts that suffer a hit in this way are automatically destroyed.

Any location damaged by Heavy fighters may not be repaired until after the game.

Heavy Fighters Attack run

Normal Ships

Eldar Ships

Defences

Boarding Actions- Pirates are great close combat fighters and as such add +1 to their boarding actions. If a ship is reduced to zero points due to boarding then the pirates have captured the ship, reduce the pirates ships damage by one and add one to the captured ship. The ship is now under the pirate’s control and the pirates may disengage with the ship. The ship counts as destroyed and as a captured hulk for the purposes of Vp’s.

Boarding Pods- Some pirate ships are fitted with special boarding systems contained in pods usually the main system is an Umbilical Harpoon. Each pod can be emptied to add 1 point to a captured ship instead of using the boarding ships crew, but if you do so the pod may no longer be used. Each boarding pod adds +1 to the boarding action in addition to the normal modifiers. This allows the pirates to easily overwhelm enemy ships.

Fleets- Due to the wide expanse of ships that that pirates capture they may use any ship from the Imperial, Chaos, Ork, or Eldar list, but must pay an additional 10% when purchasing.

The vessels are no longer of their original race so any racial abilities are lost.

Ordnance- Because the pirates have a limited supply of attack craft and torpedoes at their disposal they must pay an extra 10% for ships fitted with Torpedoes or Attack craft. If the ship is fitted with both then they must pay an extra 20%. (Eg. A pirate Dictator costs 286points = 220 + 10%pirate + 10% torpedoes +10% attack craft)

Also pirates tend to run low on Ordnance quickly in a battle and to represent this they run out of ordnance on a double or if the dice roll is a 7.

Any ship with launch bays may be equipped with fighters, fighter-bombers, heavy-fighters, bombers, assaultboats for free. Any Ship with Torpedo launchers may have Boarding torpedoes, and normal torpedoes for free.

Skills/Refits- Pirates tend to have odd or better ships or crew than the norm. Roll once on this table for each ship. If the rolled choice is incompatible then the skill/refit has no effect. Roll a d6.

1-2 Modified Ship - Roll once on the refits table to see what has been modified. (P156 Rule book)

3-4 Pirate Fitting – The Ship has extra Pirate equipment. Roll a d6 to see what it is.

1-3 Boarding Pod – The ship has a boarding pod, a ship may have more than one boarding pod.

4-5 Well Equipped – This Ship has a lager supply of ordnance and as such does not run out of Ordnance on a 7.

6 Modified weapons – Choose one weapons system on a ship (Lance or Battery) That weapon either has its range doubled and strength halved or it’s strength doubled and range halved.

5-6 Crew Skills – The crew is skilled in some form. Roll a d6.

1- Extreme fighters, +2 to boarding actions. (Instead of the pirates normal +1)

2- Close quarter combatants, +1 to hit and run attacks, -1 to enemy hit and run attacks.

3- Supreme manoeuvring skills- This ship may always turn twice in a single turn.

4- Excellent pilots- Attack craft may reroll their to hit rolls and get a 4+ save against being removed.

5- Expert Gunners- If this ship is not on special orders they may reroll their to hit rolls with lances, and batteries.

6- Elite Crew – Once per battle this ship automatically passes a Ld test or Command Check.

 

Captains Table- Captains roll a number of times on this table depending on their ability.

1- Ex Chaos- This Captain has a blessing of Chaos. You may give this captain any one mark of Chaos for free.

2- Leadership- This captains ship receives +1 Ld while he is on board.

                                        3- Initiative- The captain has a reroll for his ship.

4- Personal Crew- This captain’s crew is elite. Roll once on the Crew skills Sub-table above to see what skills they have.

5- Pirate Refit- This captain’s ship has an extra pirate fitting. Roll once on the Pirate fitting sub-table to see what it is.

6- Ex-Marine- This Captain was Ex-Space Marine and when he left took some space marine equipment with him. You may choose to purchase one of the following items. If you do purchase a ship then the captain must be on board if possible.

• Battle Barge – 550
• Strike Cruiser – 175
• Terminator Boarding Party - 50

Pirate Captain

You may include a Pirate Captain in your fleet who must be assigned to a ship. If more than one Pirate captain is present then you must choose one to be the fleet commander.

SHIPS

Pirates may use any Imperial, Chaos, Ork or Eldar craft but must pay an additional 10% when purchasing. If the ship has torpedoes you must pay an additional 10% on the cost. If the ship has Launch bays you must pay an additional 10% on the cost.

ORDNANCE

Any ship with launch bays may be equipped with fighters, fighter-bombers, heavy-fighters, bombers, or assaultboats for free. Any Ship with Torpedo launchers may have Boarding torpedoes, and normal torpedoes for free.

Campaign

Pirate Captains

Pirates captains other than you can gain and lose levels for participating in battles. After the battle roll a d6 and consult the pirate captains’ table.

• - Add 1 to the roll if your fleet won, or you captured an enemy ship through boarding.
• - Take 1 if your fleet lost, or his ship was destroyed.

Ship Experience

Pirate Ships Increase Leadership as normal but do not gain skills.

Appeals

Pirates have no-one to appeal to so they must make their own way. If they capture a ship through boarding then they may add it to their fleet list for free. (You must have an available model if you wish to use it).

After each battle you win, you gain d6 resource points. These points can be saved for later.

For each point you may

• - Repair D6 damage.
• - Roll once for a ship on the Pirate Skills/Refits table.
• - Attempt to recruit a Pirate Captain lvl 1. On a 5+ one joins you.

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