Castellum Stronghold

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A Space Marine sand castle.

A combination of both a fortress and a landing pad, Castellum Stronghold was a prefabricated quickly-assembled base and defensive strongpoint used by the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.

Overview

Consisting of interlocking modular fortifications, the Castellium Stronghold was intended for frontline use after being quickly deployed from orbit by landing craft. The base could be quickly assembled, even under enemy fire. The individual components were deployed in drop cradles clad in ablative armour, the remnants of which are jettisoned at the moment the sections landed. The Iron Warriors and Imperial Fists, both having a natural hard-on for fortifications and siegecraft, were known to take pride in their ability to quickly assemble the stronghold. Skillful Space Marine forces could have the base completed in as little as 30 minutes.

Castellum Strongholds were deployed for short-lived but high-intensity operations where the Space Marines needed to establish a fortified base in highly contested warzones. It served as a firebase, artillery redoubt, strongpoint, command centre, and mustering station. Sometimes the bases would be dropped far to the rear of enemy lines, causing confusion and forcing their foes to divert forces from their frontline to protect their rear.

The Stronghold itself consisted of a primary bunker and three bunker annexes. Each point was equipped with weapons emplacements equipped with Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers, Lascannons, Hyperios Missile Launchers, Whirlwind Multiple Missile Launchers, Multi-Meltas, or Quad Guns. Heavier weapons such as Icarus quad Lascannons and Battle Cannons were also deployed. For support systems, the bunker was equipped with shielded gate barriers, a comms relay, and a signal-jamming array.

Crunch

In case you want to play an army comprised of buildings instead of tanks and soldiers. 3 bunkers and a bigger bunker, with T9 and a total of 56 wounds (3x12 and 20). This realm of battle tile (yes, it is 2' by 2') is fairly indestructible and can pack up to 5 heavy weapons, from anti-tank guns to AA or troop mulchers. The tacticus bunker has transport space for 30 guys, and the bunkers for 12 each.

Up to 15 and 10 models can shoot out of each of the bunkers. If your army doesn't fit inside completely, they can man the battlements for a cover save. And until the big bunker is destroyed all infantry, bike and dreadnoughts get a 4++ against shooting attacks while inside the stronghold. Oh, and one stratagem per turn costs 1 less CP if your warlord is embarked.

Each of the small bunkers can take one of: Twin Heavy Bolter, Twin Heavy Flamer, Twin Lascannon, Multi-melta, Twin Assault Cannon, or Air Defence Missiles. The big bunker can take up to two of: Twin Heavy Bolter, Twin Heavy Flamer, Twin Lascannon, Multi-melta, Twin Assault Cannon, Castellum Air Defence Missiles (d3 shot krak missiles with the AA rule and the ability to fire at units it can't see), Whirlwind Castellan Launcher (2d6 frag missiles at S6 with no need for LoS), Castellum Battle Cannon (nicked from the Leman Russ), Icarus Quad Lascannon (4 lascannon shots with the AA rule), or the pointless Communication Relay (FW meant that the -1CP to strats bonus only occurred when you took this, but they named the special rule "Command Relay" instead of "Communication Relay" so it comes as standard instead). All these guns must target the nearest enemy unit unless there's a friendly unit embarked within. At 550 points without guns this is something of an apocalypse thing.

Forces of the Imperial Fists
Command: Apothecary - Brother-Captain - Brother-Sergeant
Chaplain - Chapter Master - Command Squad
Huscarls - Librarian - Techmarine
Troops: Assault Squad - Centurion Squad - Chapter Serf - Devastator Squad
Scout Squad - Tactical Squad - Terminator Squad - Veteran Squad
Great Crusade-era: Breacher Siege Squad - Templar Brethrens - Phalanx Warders
Structures: Castellum Stronghold
Walkers: Dreadnought (Castraferrum - Contemptor - Deredeo - Leviathan)
Vehicles: Bike Squad - Imperial Jetbike - Javelin Attack Speeder
Land Raider (Land Raider Achilles) - Land Speeder - Predator Tank
Razorback Transport - Rhino Transport - Vindicator
Ordnance: Hunter Multi-Launcher Vehicle - Legion Arquitor Bombard
Rapier Armoured Carrier - Stalker - Thunderfire Cannon
Whirlwind
Flyers: Caestus Assault Ram - Storm Eagle - Stormhawk
Stormtalon - Stormraven - Thunderhawk
Special Vehicles: Ætos Dios
Spacecraft: Drop Pod - Boarding Torpedo - Space Marine Landing Craft
Allies: Fallen Angels - Space Marines - Primaris Marines
Forces of the Iron Warriors
Leaders: Chaos Lord - Chaos Champion - Lord Discordant
Sorcerer - Warsmith - Warpsmiths
Troops: Chaos Chosen - Chaos Raptors - Chaos Space Marine Squad
Chaos Terminators - Cultist - Havocs - Mutilators - Obliterators
Tech-Assassin - Heretek
Great Crusade-era: Breacher Siege Squad - Iron Havocs
Tyranthikos - Tyrant Siege Terminator
Structures: Castellum Stronghold
Legio
Cybernetica:
Domitar-Ferrum Class Battle-Automata
Walkers: Chaos Dreadnought (Hellforged Deredeo Dreadnought
Hellforged Leviathan Dreadnought
) - Helbrute
Vehicles: Bike Squad - Chaos Land Raider - Chaos Predator
Chaos Rhino (Castellan Rhino) - Chaos Vindicator
Infernal Relic Predator
Ordnance: Legion Arquitor Bombard - Legion Basilisk
Legion-pattern Medusa Siege Gun
Flyers: Harbinger - Hell Blade - Hell Talon
Storm Eagle - Stormbird - Thunderhawk
Superheavy Tanks: Typhon Heavy Siege Tank
Special Vehicles: Tormentor
Daemon Engines: Decimator - Defiler - Forgefiend - Heldrake
Maulerfiend - Venomcrawler - Helstalker
Allies: Chaos Space Marines
Forces of the Codex Compliant Astartes
Command: Apothecary - Brother-Captain - Brother-Sergeant - Chaplain - Chapter Master
Command Squad - Honour Guard - Librarian - Techmarine
Troops: Assault Squad - Centurion Squad - Chapter Serf - CATs - Devastator Squad
Scout Squad - Servo-skull (Data Skull - Skull Probe) - Tactical Squad
Terminator Squad - Veteran Squad
Great Crusade-era: Breacher Siege Squad - Consul - Despoiler Squad - Destroyer Squad
Legiones Decurion - Legion Herald - Legion Outrider Squad - Legion Vigilator
Moritat - Master of the Signal - Praetor - Reconnaissance Squad - Seeker Squad
Sky Hunter Squad - Tactical Support Squad - Inductii
Structures: Castellum Stronghold
Walkers: Dreadnought (Castraferrum - Contemptor - Deredeo - Leviathan)
Transports: Land Raider - Mastodon Heavy Assault Transport - Razorback Transport
Rhino Transport - Spartan Assault Tank - Termite
Vehicles: Bike Squad - Javelin Attack Speeder - Jetbike - Kratos Heavy Assault Tank
Land Speeder - Predator Tank - Sabre Tank Hunter - Sicaran Battle Tank
Vindicator
Ordnance: Hunter - Legion Arquitor Bombard - Rapier Armoured Carrier - Stalker
Thunderfire Cannon - Whirlwind
Flyers: Caestus Assault Ram - Fire Raptor - Orgus Flyer - Storm Eagle - Stormbird
Stormhawk - Stormraven - Stormtalon - Thunderhawk - Xiphon Interceptor
Superheavy Tanks: Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer - Fellblade Super-Heavy Tank
Typhon Heavy Siege Tank
Spacecraft: Boarding Torpedo - Drop Pod - Space Marine Landing Craft
Allied Space Marines: Fallen Angel - Primaris Marine - Blood Angels - Dark Angels
Deathwatch - Grey Knights - Space Wolves - Black Templars