THRACKAshen
Covenant
Fanatical believers, disciplined and utterly devoted, waiting for His return.
Why the Covenant believes
The Ashen Covenant believes the Collapse was a judgement on a civilisation that had lost its way. Humanity placed too much faith in machines, altered flesh and technologies it barely understood, and Nova Eden paid the price when those systems finally failed.
At the centre of the faith is Regent Gideon Varr. His final journey into the unknown has become the foundation of Covenant belief. To the faithful, Varr did not simply disappear. He left Nova Eden with a purpose, and one day he will return to lead those who remained worthy through whatever comes next.
Until then, hardship is treated as a test. Pain can be endured, sacrifice can have meaning, and those who die in service to the Covenant are remembered as martyrs. Mutation is regarded with suspicion or outright hatred, while intelligent machines are seen as creations that were allowed to stray far beyond their proper place.
Keys are worn throughout the Covenant as symbols of Varr and his promised return. Some are old industrial or household keys, while others are made specifically for the faithful and inscribed with prayers or names. Warriors may carry dozens of them tied to armour, weapons and belts, producing a distinctive rattle as a Covenant warband approaches.
"He watches from the void. We wait in the fire."
How the Ashen Covenant plays
Ashen Covenant warbands become increasingly dangerous as a battle puts them under pressure. Their fighters are built around commitment, aggression and supporting one another, with several abilities becoming more useful once the fighting gets close and casualties start to mount.
Before the battle begins, the warband also swears an Article of Flame. Each Article changes how the Covenant approaches the fight, granting a benefit while placing a restriction on the warband in return. Choosing the right vow means thinking about the scenario, the opposing faction and how much risk the warband is willing to accept.
Their strongest turns often come from pushing forward when another faction might start pulling back. The Covenant rewards players who can judge when to commit and who are prepared to accept losses if those losses create an opening elsewhere.
The Articles of Flame
Before battle, swear one vowSelect an Article to view its effectRules of Faith
Ashen Covenant fighters gain +1 to FHT rolls if they themselves have any Nerve Tokens. Their fervour grows when tested, driving them to strike harder.
When a Covenant model is reduced to 0 HP, spend 2 Momentum to allow that model to immediately make one free Shoot or Fight action before resolving its Injury Roll, even if it has already activated this round.
Who answers the call
A Covenant warband is built from fighters with very different roles, but all of them serve the same faith. Prophets direct the faithful and help keep the warband moving, Cinderguard provide disciplined ranged support, Knight-Militants take the fight directly to the enemy, and Flame Deacons bring fire into places where the opposition would rather stay comfortable.
Four units are currently available during the Open Alpha, with more of the Covenant roster still to come as testing continues.
Prophet of the Regent
Prophets lead Covenant warbands through a mixture of authority, faith and battlefield experience. Their presence helps nearby fighters keep moving when Nerve begins to build, and they are capable combatants in their own right when the fighting reaches them.
They are at their best near the centre of the warband, where their abilities can support several fighters at once and where their loss would be felt most keenly.
Firebrand: force a visible enemy within 10" to take a Nerve Test.
Cinderguard
Cinderguard form the dependable ranged core of many Covenant warbands. They support advancing fighters with disciplined ranged fire and keep pressure on enemies trying to reposition.
They are straightforward to use, but become much more valuable when positioned to support the rest of the warband rather than fighting on their own.
Disciplined Volley: +1 ACC against an enemy already targeted by a friendly shooting attack this round. Prayers, answered in sequence.
Knight-Militant
Knight-Militants are heavily armed fighters expected to meet the enemy at close range. Their shields and weapons allow them to push into dangerous positions, protect nearby fighters and force opponents to deal with them before they can reach softer targets behind the line.
They are especially useful when the Covenant needs someone to break a defended position or hold an enemy in place while the rest of the warband closes in.
Paired in Faith: fights harder beside their sworn Squire Bearer. The Squire has not yet arrived. The Knight waits.
Flame Deacon
Flame Deacons carry some of the Covenant's most feared weapons. Their role is less about carefully picking targets and more about making parts of the battlefield extremely uncomfortable for anyone standing there.
They are particularly effective against clustered fighters or enemies relying on cover, but their weapons come with risks of their own. A Deacon pushed too far forward can cause almost as many problems for the Covenant as for the enemy.
Aura of Immolation: enemies within 3" count as Exposed.
More of the faithful will answer the call
More units will be revealed as the Open Alpha continues.
The Ninth Vigil
Swear Searing Judgement. Any hit leaves a Nerve Token, so the first shot switches +1 ACC on for the rest.
Disciplined Volley rewards follow-up fire: once another friendly fighter has shot at the target this round, the Cinderguard gain +1 ACC against it.
Nerve fuels the Covenant, and Fanatical Zeal makes shaken fighters stronger. Save Firebrand for a fighter on two or three Nerve Tokens that hasn’t activated: a failed test costs them an activation.
| Unit | Role | Thracks |
|---|---|---|
| Prophet of the Regent | Combat Leader | 55 |
| Knight-Militant | Core Fighter | 28 |
| Knight-Militant | Core Fighter | 28 |
| Cinderguard | Core Fighter | 20 |
| Cinderguard | Core Fighter | 20 |
| Cinderguard | Core Fighter | 20 |
| Flame Deacon | Specialist Disruptor | 26 |
| Total | 197 ₮ |
Mustered: 1 Leader, 5 Core, 1 Specialist. 197 of 200 Thracks spent, 3 left for gear.
Why these fighters
Firebrand forces a Nerve Test at 10" with no roll to hit. It adds no tokens, so save it for a target that already has some.
Blessed Maul stacks an extra Nerve Token on a win. Shield of the Covenant means it never counts as Exposed.
Twenty Thracks for a 15" Scrap Repeater. Disciplined Volley pays out every time they shoot second.
Aura of Immolation makes every enemy within 3" Exposed. Walk it forward and your whole line gains +1 ACC.
Opening three rounds
- Round 01
Advance in two clumps. The Deacon goes down the centre, the Knights on the flank the enemy has to cross. Nobody shoots yet.
- Round 02
One Cinderguard opens up. The others follow at +1 ACC, then the Knights go in.
- Round 03
The Prophet joins the melee. Spend Martyr’s Stand on any Knight that drops so it swings once more on the way out.
Swear one Article of Flame before the battle. Searing Judgement suits this list.
Watch out: Searing Judgement forces you to target the nearest valid enemy.
Turn strain into zeal
Covenant warbands excel when pushing the battle toward close engagement. Apply Nerve pressure early, then commit your Knights and melee specialists once the enemy line begins to falter.
Strong melee fighters, powerful morale pressure, strong leader synergy, and flexible doctrine through the Articles of Flame.
Limited long-range threat, reliance on key leaders, and some situational or fragile units.
Use the Cinderguard and Knight-Militants to pin the enemy in place, then let Nerve pressure force their mistakes. Pressure first, judgement second.
Building an Ashen Covenant warband
Ashen Covenant models should look like fighters who have turned survival into religion. Armour and practical equipment are still important, but it is layered with robes, scripture, charms, relics and signs of personal devotion.
Keys are one of the easiest ways to make the faction immediately recognisable. They can hang from belts and weapons, be tied to armour or appear as symbols worked into shields and banners. Different fighters might carry them in very different ways, especially if the warband has gathered its members from several settlements or congregations.
The Covenant should not look clean or ceremonial. Cloth can be scorched, armour can be repaired and weapons can show years of use. Ash, soot and smoke staining all fit the faction well, particularly around fighters carrying flame weapons.
What to hunt for
Fantasy zealots, pilgrims, flagellants, knights and robed fighters can all provide useful starting points for an Ashen Covenant warband. Mixing those parts with post-apocalyptic equipment, military weapons and improvised armour helps keep the faction rooted in Nova Eden rather than making them look like a purely medieval force.
Look for keys, chains, censers, wax seals, scripture plates, braziers and small religious trinkets that can be added to otherwise practical equipment. Shields and armour give plenty of space for painted prayers, faction symbols and hand-written markings.
The models do not need to match perfectly. Shared robes, repeated symbols and similar weathering can tie the warband together even when individual fighters have very different armour and equipment.
"The world was broken by the faithless. It shall be cleansed in faith and fire. And when the ash settles, He will walk among us again."
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