Greater Daemons and Possession
An alternative means of remaining in the real universe requires the Daemon to take possession of a living body. A single model in the army will be acting as the vessel for the Greater Daemon (known as the Daemonvessel). The Daemonvessel must be an independent character from the HQ section of the army list (or a Captain or Colonel in any of the Imperial Guard army lists) and cannot be a Monstrous Creature of any kind.
The exact model should be noted down before the game and there is no requirement to identify it specifically to your opponent.
Until the Daemon manifests, the Daemonvessel will fight with the Strength characteristic of the Greater Daemon itself (note that whatever wargear the model may have, its effective Strength can never go above 10).
At the start of each turn after the first that the Daemonvessel is on the battlefield, the owning player chooses either to resist the possession or invite it. Roll a D6; if the choice was to resist, then the Daemon only takes possession of the vessel on a roll of 6. If the choice was to invite possession then the Daemon possesses the vessel on a roll of 4 or more. When this occurs replace the vessel model with the Greater Daemon model. If possession occurs while the vessel is inside a transport vehicle or bunker it is assumed that the vessel staggers out screaming before the nightmarish transformation occurs. The model it has replaced is treated as a casualty – any points spent on this model count as Victory Points earned by the opposing player.
If the enemy kills the vessel before possession occurs, the Daemon will automatically take possession of the vessel's body at the end of the player turn in which its vessel is killed. Place the Daemon model in the position occupied by the late vessel, in contact with the same enemy models (if any).
The possessed flesh of a dead vessel will not sustain a Greater Daemon forever, so at the end of each Chaos turn that the Greater Daemon has started on the battlefield after possessing a dead vessel, roll a special Instability test for the Daemon using 3D6 added together. If the sum of the three dice is greater than the Daemon's unmodified Leadership it suffers the difference in wounds with no save of any kind possible. A Daemon that is lost this way is considered to be dead for Victory Points purposes.
Note that the price of the Greater Daemon of Chaos is 100 points, in addition to any points spent on the nominated Daemonvessel. Remember that when the Greater Daemon emerges, the Daemonvessel is removed and counts as a casualty.
If you are using a specific Greater Daemon from Codex: Chaos Space Marines, simply add that Greater Daemon's points value to the points value for the Daemonvessel instead.
HQ
0-1 Greater Daemon of Chaos
Note: Roll to determine the Greater Daemon's profile and abilities before deployment.
Greater Daemon
| Pts | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +100 | D6+4 | 0 | D3+5 | 6 | D3+2 | D3+2 | D3+2 | 10 | 4+ |
Number/squad: 1
Weapons: Although they may carry weapons, the effectiveness of Greater Daemons is exactly as shown on the profile above.
Options: Roll a D6; on the roll of a 4-6, the Daemon has the Daemon Flight special ability, on a 1-3 it does not.
Character: Each Greater Daemon is an independent character and follows all the Independent Character special rules as given in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook except those relating to being shot at. Because of their sheer size it is always possible to fire at a Greater Daemon even if it has joined a unit or is within 6" of another viable target.
Transport: A Greater Daemon may not ride in a transport vehicle.
Special Rules
Possession: A Greater Daemon must possess another model to enter the battlefield. See the special rules on Daemonic Possession for more details.
Fearsome: Greater Daemons have the Daemonic Visage ability (see Daemonic Special Abilities).
Fearless: Greater Daemons automatically pass all Morale and Pinning checks and will never fall back.
Monstrous Creature: Greater Daemons are huge and powerful opponents. They roll 2D6 for armour penetration and ignore their opponents' Armour saves in close combat.
Invulnerable: Greater Daemons are unnatural creatures, made from the very stuff of Chaos itself and are therefore very difficult to destroy. They may therefore make an Invulnerable save against all wounds they take.
Living Icons: Such is the power of Greater Daemons that each counts as an icon of the deity they serve so Daemon Packs can be summoned adjacent to them.