Cypher

Cypher, the Fallen Angel. Is rumored to have descended from Desmond Miles.

HE'S COMING, HE'S COMING, HE'S COMING!... Yeah, Right. He came. He's here.

Cypher is a pretty impressive Independent Character who Games Workshop neglected releasing rules for despite his model being available for fucking ever and being referenced every 12 seconds in Dark Angels fluff. He was originally notable for having a 4+ on 3D6 completely unmodifiable proof against everything bullshit saving throw on death that served no function but to prevent the other player getting the victory points for killing him since he was still removed even if he passed it. Thanks, Second Ed Codex: Chaos! With the Dataslate from Digital Editions, nearly everyone can now field this bastard in their 6E army.

He's basically a Fallen Dark Angel who dual-wields pistols - one Plasma, one Bolt, and both possibly archaeotech - and wears a sweet bone white hoodie over his power armor. Whenever he pops up on the Dark Angel radar, the Inner Circle loses its shit and dispatches the Deathwing and Ravenwing to bring the fucker in but they never can. They've claimed kills, but he always fucking shows up again. Cypher is as elusive as Robert Denby, a living urban legend who either has the patronage of a Chaos god, granting him immortality until he finishes his long mission, a title passed down among agents of the Fallen, a son of a bitch who sold us out the Machines, or a bunch of random dudes pulling the Spartacus Maneuver. The issue of his identity becomes even more complicated after recent revelations from the dataslate that "Lord Cypher" was a title used by the Order (and in extension, the Dark Angels) who was assigned to embody their traditions and customs and ensure that they would be adhered to at all times. It was specifically mentioned that the Lord Cypher was to completely abandon his old identity upon assuming his position and was given a cloak and hood to keep his appearance concealed at all times- given the nature of this role, it is possible that there has been more than one "Cypher" since the Horus Heresy, with each new one inheriting the equipment and personality of his predecessors.

His actual allegiance is a mystery- he's been just as likely to fight Chaos as he is to assist it and there have been multiple incidents where he showed up to save an otherwise doomed Imperial force or even turn on the very cults he helped create. (He even managed to steal the identity of an Inquisitor at one point without anyone noticing until he had long since gotten away with it.) His intentions regarding the Dark Angels are equally schizophrenic; for every time the Dark Angels have been led astray by him, there's another time where Cypher's trail just happens to lead to the capture of one of the other Fallen or even the discovery of a new recruiting world. Some members of the Inner Circle even theorize that he may be an emissary sent by the Emperor himself to test the Dark Angels' resolve (which is supported by several of Cypher's own statements, including a message he sent to Azrael).

Either way, he is slowly heading in the direction of Holy Terra, a bizarre mission that has the Dark Angels worried as hell. He may even want a word with the God-Emperor. "OH SHIT HE'S GONNA TATTLE ON US!" In truth it's believed that he has the Lion El'Jonson's sword, which got broken, and that he intends to fix it and return it to the Emperor, ergo earning his absolution. Or maybe he's going to assassinate the Emperor. Or maybe both somehow. Either way, the Dark Angels want him dead before they can find out.

During Abaddon's 13th successive failure, he had the balls to walk onto his capital ship, talk shit, and shoot the only friends Abaddon made in ten thousand years. This happened when Abaddon blinked. As in, closed his eyes and when they opened, corpses. Then he walked out again. Clint Eastwood ain't got shit on this motherfucker. Thus it is now a known fact that Abaddon also fails at blinking.

Or so the rumors go.

This would be an intriguing, suspenseful plotline if Games Workshop ever fucking bothered to progress the storyline.

Also, he is sometimes depicted with green armour even though pre-Heresy Dark Angel armour was black...and oh fuck it who gives a shit. Why did the Dark Angels change their colors, anyway? Only the legions that fell to Chaos did that, it's almost like The Fallen are the real loyalists and these black and green dicks are trying to cover it all up. That would at least explain why he shows up all over the place, dressed exactly like a Dark Angel, rustling their collective jimmies. Inquisitors, and practically anyone for that matter, who turn their heads too far in regards to the Dark Angels' history have a tendency to disappear and never be seen again. It's pretty clear why nobody's ratted out the DAs yet. (Well Eldar and Grey Knights know about it, but they just don't give a shit.)

His last known appearance within the fluff was being pursued by the combined efforts of a single Black Templar vessel and a Dark Angel fleet. Even though the Black Templar single-handedly managed to apprehend Cypher because they get shit done, the Dark Angel fleet threatens to destroy the Black Templar ship if they won't hand over their prisoner. Begrudgingly, the Templar ship hands over Cypher, starts to send a short message to their High Marshal and then "mysteriously disappears without a trace". Likely into a thousand tiny pieces because the Dark Angels are dishonest, team killing fuck-tards who commit treason to hide evidence of their treason. The smug Dark Angels then proceed to fly back home, thinking mission accomplished until they arrive and find the cell containing Cypher to be empty. Poof motherfuckers.

6th Edition

His Dataslate comes with some insane changes.

For one, he can be a non-FOC HQ (But never Warlord) for a Sisters of Battle (eh?), Blood Angels, Grey Knights (Meaning that Kaldor Draigo's even more of a dick than Azrael thought), Imperial Guard, Chaos Space Marines, Space Wolves (How?), Vanilla Marines and Inquisition (WOT) army. I mean seriously, how would even HALF of these armies accept this bastard as an ally? And the kicker is that he'll cost -1 Ld on your real warlord. He can't join a Dark Angels army, and if he's up against Dark Angels, everyone with Inner Circle gains Zealot.

As an Independent Character, he gets ATSKNF, Fleet, Hit & Run, frag & krak grenades and Infiltrate. His sword also gives him Eternal Warrior and Shrouded. Also note that he has BS 10. THE SHIT, GEEDUBS.

	Pts	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
Cypher:	190	7	10	4	4	3	8	3	10	3+

Also, that old rule about his daring escape is around again with three modes:

• If a Dark Angel is within 6" when he goes down, he's worth 3 flippin' Victory Points for being caught alive.
• If anyone else is within 6" when he goes down, he awards no extra Victory Points for his capture. If there's both a Dark Angel and another dude around when he drops, it becomes a random roll who gets him.
• If nobody's around 6" when he goes down, he'll just leg it and nobody wins a Victory Point.
• If Cypher's still alive at the end of a game, his side wins d3 extra Victory Points.

His guns manage to gain some major use, as his plasma pistol ignores Gets Hot! and they allow him to overwatch at full BS. He can also shoot both pistols twice or shoot them once each before or after running. In assault, he'll also make half his attacks (rounding up) at S4 AP5 (using his bolt pistol) and the rest at S7 AP2 (using his plasma pistol).