Cold Traders

RAW ✔️ Source: House of Blades

Benefits

Criminal Allies: Any gang may form an Alliance with the Cold Traders provided it is an Outlaw gang. The nature of their operations makes Cold Traders deeply distrustful of Law Abiding gangs.

Strong Alliance (House Escher): The first time a gang belonging to House Escher is required to Test the Alliance with this ally, do not roll. Instead count the result as Disquiet.

Xenos Artefacts: For as long as a gang is allied with the Cold Traders, any fighter with the Gang Hierarchy (X) special rule that is a member of that gang may add the following items to their Equipment list:

Basic Weapons

• Sling gun 55 credits

Armour

• Armourweave 20 credits

Voidborn Bounty Hunters: In the pre-battle sequence, the gang may add a Smuggler Shore Party (see page 82) to their gang for the battle. These Hired Guns do not cost a gang any credits to hire, but if chosen they must be included in the gang's crew, even if crew selection is normally random. However, when selecting the crew for a battle, the Smuggler Shore Party counts as only one fighter, effectively allowing the crew to include two or three more fighters than the crew size may allow.

If the gang is playing The Hit, Escort Mission or the Last Stand scenario as a result of the Press Ganged rule (see below) then a Smuggler Shore Party must be included unless the gang rolls to Test the Alliance.

Drawbacks

Press Ganged: During the pre-battle sequence, if the gang has the option of choosing the scenario to be played, roll a D6. On 1, 2 or 3, the gang must choose The Hit, Escort Mission or Last Stand scenario and take on the role of the attacker. On a 4+, they can choose any scenario as normal. Instead of rolling, the gang can choose to play any scenario, but if they do they must Test the Alliance.

Imperial Entanglements: During the post-battle sequence, if the gang fielded a Smuggler Shore Party they must randomly select one of their fighters who is not in Recovery to be subjected to investigation. This fighter is lying low and must miss the next battle. Instead of choosing a fighter the gang can choose to ignore this drawback, but if they do they must Test the Alliance.

Smuggler Shore Party

Composition

A Smuggler Shore Party consists of one Cold Trader, one Bosun and two Void Born Scum.

Smuggler Shore Party Special Rules

A Band Apart: Members of the Cold Traders take care of their own, especially valued representatives and their favoured attendants. A Smuggler Shore Party will remain separate and aloof from the gang they are working beside, disappearing during the post-battle sequence to tend to their wounds. If a Smuggler Shore Party fighter goes Out of Action during a battle, there is no need to roll for Lasting Injury; they are considered to have rolled 12-26 Out Cold.

"Here to Help": Unlike other fighters, a Smuggler Shore Party is not counted during the Choose Crew step of the pre-battle sequence. Instead, at the end of this step, these fighters may (and, in some cases, must) be added to the crew, regardless of the crew selection method in use. This may take the number of fighters in a starting crew above the number specified by the scenario.

Cold Trader

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
4"	4+	3+	3	3	2	4+	2	7+	6+	6+	6+

Weapon	Rg S	Rg L	Ac S	Ac L	S	AP	D	Am	Traits
Sling gun	6"	12"	+2	-	4	-2	1	5+	Esoteric, Rapid Fire (1), Scarce
Stiletto knife	-	E	-	-	-	-	-	-	Melee, Toxin

Skills: Step Aside, Overseer Wargear: Armourweave and a bio-booster Special Rules: Smuggler Hierarchy (Leader), Group Activation (2)

Special Rules

Smuggler Hierarchy (Leader): During a battle, should this fighter pass a Bottle test, friendly Smuggler Shore Party fighters without this special rule that have not already taken a Bottle test this round and that are within 12" of this fighter will automatically pass their Bottle test for that round.

Group Activation (2): When a fighter with this special rule is activated, their controlling player can choose to activate a number of additional Ready friendly Smuggler Shore Party fighters equal to the number shown in brackets that are within 3" of this fighter as part of a 'Group Activation':

• The controlling player must nominate all of the fighters who will be activated in this way before any of them is activated.
• Once all participants of the Group Activation have been nominated, the controlling player selects one and activates them as normal, fully resolving their activation before selecting and activating the next. Each fighter activates individually; groups do not activate simultaneously.

Additional fighters with this special rule activated in this way may not use this special rule themselves.

Equipment

The Cold Trader is armed with a sling gun and stiletto knife, and is equipped with armourweave and a bio-booster.

Skills

The Cold Trader has the Step Aside and the Overseer skills. They may, however, only use the Overseer skill to Order another member of the Smuggler Shore Party.

Source: House of Blades

Bosun

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
4"	4+	4+	2	3	1	4+	1	8+	7+	6+	6+

Weapon	Rg S	Rg L	Ac S	Ac L	S	AP	D	Am	Traits
Shotgun
- solid ammo	8"	16"	+1	-	4	-	2	4+	Knockback
- scatter ammo	4"	8"	+2	-	2	-	1	4+	Scattershot
Fighting knife	-	E	-	-	S	-1	1	-	Backstab, Melee

Skills: Dodge Wargear: mesh armour Special Rules: Smuggler Hierarchy (Champion), Group Activation (1)

Special Rules

Smuggler Hierarchy (Champion): During a battle, should this fighter pass a Bottle test, friendly Smuggler Shore Party fighters without this special rule that have not already taken a Bottle test this round and that are within 12" of this fighter will automatically pass their Bottle test for that round.

Group Activation (1): When a fighter with this special rule is activated, their controlling player can choose to activate a number of additional Ready friendly Smuggler Shore Party fighters equal to the number shown in brackets that are within 3" of this fighter as part of a 'Group Activation':

• The controlling player must nominate all of the fighters who will be activated in this way before any of them is activated.
• Once all participants of the Group Activation have been nominated, the controlling player selects one and activates them as normal, fully resolving their activation before selecting and activating the next. Each fighter activates individually; groups do not activate simultaneously.

Additional fighters with this special rule activated in this way may not use this special rule themselves.

Equipment

The Bosun is armed with a shotgun with solid and scatter ammo and fighting knife, and is equipped with mesh armour.

Source: House of Blades

Void Born Scum

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Cl	Wil	Int
4"	3+	4+	5	5	3	4+	2	8+	7+	7+	7+

Weapon	Rg S	Rg L	Ac S	Ac L	S	AP	D	Am	Traits
Autopistol	4"	12"	+1	-	3	-	1	4+	Rapid Fire (1), Sidearm
Fighting knife	-	E	-	-	S	-1	1	-	Backstab, Melee
or
Laspistol	8"	12"	+1	-	3	-	1	2+	Plentiful, Sidearm
Fighting knife	-	E	-	-	S	-1	1	-	Backstab, Melee

Wargear: Flak armour Special Rules: Bodyguard, Indentured Fighters

Special Rules

Bodyguard: If the Cold Trader is hit by a ranged attack, the controlling player may choose to transfer the hit and all of its effects onto a Void Born Scum within 2" of the Cold Trader.

Indentured Fighters: If both the Cold Trader and Bosun are removed from play for any reason, any Void Born Scum, without guidance, will automatically behave as if the crew they are part of had failed a Bottle test, regardless of how many fighters in total have been removed from play.

Equipment

A Void Born Scum is armed with either an autopistol and a fighting knife or a laspistol and a fighting knife. Each may be armed differently. Both are equipped with flak armour.

Source: House of Blades