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Command Squads (Bodyguards and Retinues for Small Characters)

A mod giving all roughly man-sized lords and heroes small, heroic retinues of bodyguards.

This mod is a compromise between the bodyguards of historical titles and the heroic single units of Warhammer, with squads being 12 strong on ultra unit size and using the models of lower ranked lords or heroes where possible. These replace the original units, and every foot/horse character is affected, player and AI.

Some semi-monstrous characters or units on larger mounts are 6 man squads while huge characters or characters on huge mounts, (eagles, dragons etc) are still single entities. Chariots are also still single entities due to technical limitations.

Stats are generated algorithmically or via an ability from the lord’s normal stats to maintain CA’s relative balance and where possible all models use the lord’s animations, taking on their personality. Eg, Tyrion has a bodyguard of high elf princes without shields and using his fighting style.

Stats wise I used champion units such as aspiring champions, Royal Pegasus knights and Doom knights as a rough guide and the adjustments are as follows:
HP = 10% (17% for 6 man units)
Melee attack = 80%
Melee defence = 90%
Mass = 80%
Weapon/missile strength = 25% (33% for 6 man units)
Missile penetration is roughly halved, and melee splash targets slightly reduced

These numbers may be subject to change and feedback is very welcome. Some effects were applied via a constant debuff, so will give a red decal to the stat text but it’s mildly easier for me to tweak that way and can affect items too (but I could be persuaded out of this solution).

Lords and legendary hero units now have a single model who, if killed, applies the battle wide morale penalty.

To balance this, the lord model has an extra 10% of their original hp and tend to be amongst the last to die. In a 12 man squad this gives the officer double the health of his bodyguards.

Bodyguard numbers will increase as the unit hp increases, such as due to skill points and items. Some cavalry are classed as war_beasts (typically Chaos/Kislevite Cavalry) and on their stat card they will have 1 less model and missing health equal to the officer. In battle however that extra model will be present, and they will not lose hp on the card until the unit has lost that hidden bonus health. Weird, but everything seems to work as intended in the end.

Many items giving increased weapon damage have been rebalanced to give +0 damage but percentage increases instead, or have been reduced in effect, but this is still a work in progress. Let me know when I might have applied this in error, such as to items unique to single entity legendary lords.

Missile abilities have also been modified as they would otherwise be cast by every model in the unit, obliterating any target. They are now technically bombardments but firing from the caster. I have tried to avoid affecting abilities only used by single entities but if you see any weird projectile behaviours that might be the reason and let me know.

There are some bodyguard pairings people might find strange, but it was important to me that the models fit the stats, so armoured units should have armoured bodyguards and appropriate weaponry. Some of the weirder examples are that Astrogoth Ironhand has shrunken Kadai Fireborn (unmounted Chorfs are otherwise slow, and both units both apply and resist fire damage), Morgur has shrunken Chaos spawn and the 3 flying lords Malagor, Valkia and Azazel have Harpies and shrunken Daemon Princes. I would love to be good enough at model editing to make more precise models to their abilities such as flying shieldmaidens of Khorne or winged Alluresses, but for now this is my solution.

I am also missing some of the DLC, so if someone could test all the lords and heroes from Thrones of Decay, that would be amazing.

Should actually be fine to turn on and off mid campaign, as all units replace the original entries rather than being additions.