THRACKCrimson Veil
A caste of gene-engineered aristocrats who treat combat as proof of superiority, backed by loyal retainers and expendable Thralls.
The bloodlines of the Veil
The Crimson Veil trace their origins back to the final centuries before the Collapse, when gene-crafting had become sophisticated enough to reshape entire bloodlines. Their ancestors were selected and altered for strength, speed, appearance and longevity, and the surviving Veil houses have continued that practice ever since.
They regard themselves as the natural heirs to Nova Eden, but there is no single ruler or unified Veil court. Each house has its own ambitions, alliances and grudges, and disputes between them can last for generations. Some are settled openly through duels. Others end with an inconvenient rival disappearing or a carefully built reputation collapsing overnight.
Veil society is rigidly divided. True Veil sit at the top, followed by the Veilbound retainers engineered to serve them. Thralls occupy the bottom and are treated as possessions rather than members of the household. Even their equipment reflects that hierarchy: old weapons are repaired and passed down, blades may carry generations of kill-marks, and the finest pieces are regarded almost as part of the bloodline itself.
"To face the Veil is to face the patience of a predator that has already decided how the hunt will end."
How the Crimson Veil plays
Crimson Veil warbands rely on a small number of very capable fighters supported by cheaper Thralls and Veilbound Retainers. The Thralls screen important models, occupy space and, when necessary, become resources the True Veil can spend to trigger their more powerful abilities.
The Red Rites reward careful timing. Each one responds to something happening in the battle, such as a fighter falling nearby or a True Veil being wounded, and can turn that moment into healing, movement or another advantage.
The faction works best when you resist committing the elite fighters too early. Let the rest of the warband create the opening first, then use the True Veil to exploit it.
The Red Rites
True Veil fighters only. Each True Veil model may perform one Rite per round.Select a Rite to view its trigger and effect.Rules of Blood
During its activation, a True Veil fighter within 2" of a Thrall may remove that Thrall from play to immediately perform a Rite even if the normal trigger has not been met.
This gives the Veil a way to force the moment they need rather than waiting for it to happen naturally. The price is paid by the Thrall.
Select an enemy fighter within 10" and line of sight of a True Veil. That fighter must immediately take a Nerve Test at −1.
Some predators do not need to touch you to hurt you.
The ranks of the Veil
A Crimson Veil warband reflects the hierarchy of the faction itself. True Veil provide the killing power, Veilbound Retainers protect them and Thralls perform whatever work their masters consider beneath them.
Four units are currently available during the Open Alpha, with more of the Veil court still to be revealed.
Veil Ascendant
Veil Ascendants are among the most dangerous fighters the Crimson Veil can produce. They are fast, exceptionally capable in melee and accustomed to treating a fight as something to control rather than simply survive.
Predator’s Flow lets an Ascendant reposition after bringing an enemy down, allowing them to move through a broken line or immediately threaten another target.
Predator's Flow: on downing an enemy in melee, may be placed anywhere within 2" of them. The hunt continues.
Veilblade Initiate
Veilblade Initiates are True Veil who have yet to earn the standing of their more experienced peers. They enter battle looking for opportunities to prove themselves, particularly when somebody important might be watching.
They are dangerous melee fighters, but Jealous Rivalry makes them less effective when another True Veil gets too close. Recognition is difficult to earn when someone else keeps stealing the attention.
Jealous Rivalry: −1 FHT within 3" of another True Veil. Sharing a stage was never in their nature.
Veilbound Retainer
Veilbound Retainers are engineered guardians whose loyalty to the True Veil has been reinforced as carefully as their bodies. Their place is usually close to the fighter they have been assigned to protect.
Bodyguard to the Veil allows a Retainer to put itself in the path of incoming fire, making them particularly useful for keeping expensive True Veil alive while they move into position.
Bodyguard to the Veil: when a True Veil within 3" is hit by a ranged attack, the Retainer may swap places and take the hit instead.
Thrall
Thralls occupy the lowest level of Veil society. They have little status, little freedom and are expected to spend their lives whenever a member of the household decides it is necessary.
On the tabletop they are cheap bodies for screening, objectives and Red Rite sacrifices. Other Veil fighters gain no Nerve when a Thrall is Downed.
Disposable: allies do not gain Nerve Tokens when this model is Downed. Nobody grieves the furniture.
More of the court remains unseen
More Crimson Veil units will be revealed as the Open Alpha continues.
House Sanguine
Two True Veil models means two Rites per round. Rite of Grace chains one kill into the next, and Rite of the Silken Veil banks DEF when you are out of sight.
Thralls stay 2" ahead of the Ascendant at all times. Screening and sacrifice is their whole purpose.
Retainers hold within 3" of a True Veil so Bodyguard is always live when the shooting starts.
| Unit | Role | Thracks |
|---|---|---|
| Veil Ascendant | Combat Leader | 58 |
| Veilbound Retainer | Core Fighter | 26 |
| Veilbound Retainer | Core Fighter | 26 |
| Thrall | Core Fighter | 14 |
| Thrall | Core Fighter | 14 |
| Thrall | Core Fighter | 14 |
| Veilblade Initiate | Specialist Skirmisher | 38 |
| Total | 190 ₮ |
Mustered: 1 Leader, 5 Core, 1 Specialist. 190 of 200 Thracks spent, 10 left for gear.
Why these fighters
FHT 3 and a damage 2 Duellist blade. Aura of Supremacy is a standing −1 to enemy Nerve Tests within 5".
Bodyguard to the Veil swaps places with a True Veil model that has just been hit. One shot a round, absorbed.
Fourteen Thracks of ammunition. Sacrifice one to fire a Red Rite whose trigger has not happened yet.
A second True Veil, so a second Rite each round. Keep it more than 3" from the Ascendant or Jealous Rivalry costs it 1 FHT.
Opening three rounds
- Round 01
Thralls move forward as a screen. The Ascendant and the Initiate stay more than 3" apart and out of line of sight.
- Round 02
Rite of the Silken Veil for +1 DEF while you close. Retainers tuck in within 3" of each True Veil model.
- Round 03
Charge with both True Veil models. Sacrifice a Thrall to fire Rite of Grace and chain straight into a second kill.
The sacrifice rule: a True Veil may remove a Thrall within 2" to perform a Rite off-trigger.
Watch out: Thralls are HP 1, cannot generate Momentum and gain no Experience. They are a resource, not really part of the warband.
Choose when to commit
The Crimson Veil is strongest when the enemy has already been forced into awkward positions. Use Thralls and Retainers to restrict movement, absorb attacks and create opportunities before exposing your expensive True Veil.
Once the enemy line starts to break, commit the elites quickly. Red Rites can keep them moving, restore lost HP or turn one successful attack into a much larger swing.
The difficult part is judging when that moment has arrived. Sending the True Veil in too early gives the opponent time to surround them; waiting too long can leave the supporting fighters doing all the work without enough killing power to finish it.
True Veil are dangerous fighters, especially once an opening appears. Red Rites can extend a successful attack, recover HP or create extra movement, while Thralls give the warband cheap bodies for screening, objectives and sacrifices.
The Veil has fewer fighters it can afford to lose, so mistakes hurt. If the Thralls disappear too early, the elite models can be exposed before they are ready, and the warband becomes much less forgiving when forced to react.
Use Thralls to control space and protect the True Veil. Do not sacrifice them simply because you can. Hold them back until a Rite or key moment is worth more than the body you are giving up.
Building a Crimson Veil warband
The clearest visual contrast in a Crimson Veil warband should be between the ruling caste and the people serving them.
True Veil suit finely made armour, high collars, layered coats and clothing that still looks expensive even after years on Nova Eden. Their features can be almost unnaturally composed, with small details such as elongated fingers, sharpened teeth or unusual eyes hinting that their appearance is as engineered as the rest of them.
Their weapons should receive the same attention. Curved blades, duelling weapons and ornate pistols work particularly well, especially when decorated with engravings, jewellery or markings recording previous kills.
Thralls should look noticeably less cared for. Ragged clothing, crude masks, chains and remnants of old household livery can make the hierarchy visible before anyone knows the rules. Using the same basing across the warband can tie the two groups together. Cracked marble, worn tiles or the remains of once-expensive buildings all work well.
What to hunt for
Elegant fantasy nobles, duellists and lightly armoured aristocratic figures make useful starting points for the True Veil. High collars, capes, jewellery, rapiers and ornate pistols can all help establish the look.
For Thralls, look for worn civilian bodies, prisoners, cultists and anything that feels deliberately less impressive. Chains, crude masks and damaged versions of the colours used on their masters can make them feel like property belonging to the same household.
Paint can do as much work as the conversions. Rich crimson, ivory, gold and dark metals draw attention to the Veil, while duller cloth, dirt and faded versions of the same colours keep the Thralls visually connected without giving them equal status.
"Each motion is measured, each death serving purpose. The hunt does not end until the last heartbeat stills."
Get the Full Faction Rules Includes rules and fighter profiles for all six factions.New to Thrackdown? Play your first game with the free Crimson Veil Quickstart Warband. Play Your First Game →