Trench Crusade Warband Focus: War Pilgrimage of Saint Methodius

Welcome Pilgrims to another Trench Crusade Warband focus article. Today, we are taking a look at the War Pilgrimage of Saint Methodius, a Variant focused on the hulking mechanical behemoths known as the Anchorite Shrines. Grab your wrench and WD40, for it's time to tinker.

Credit: H.P. Hatecraft

The Lore

After the monastery of Velehrad in Great Moravia fell, naught but a single monk remained. Brother Akakios took the books and teachings of Saint Methodius and fled to begin a new monastery in the Theocratia of Hellas, quickly gaining followers as news of his deed spread. It was not only the Eastern Orthodox teachings Brother Akakios preached, but the means to adapt the Shrine Anchorites, elevating their capabilities, which even Saint Methodius envisioned. It is with fire and faith that the Pilgrims of Saint Methodius march, preserving the Orthodox way of worship and shunning the Martyrs and Communicants that have tainted the other processions.

We covered the general aspects of the Trench Pilgrims and the St. Methodius variant in this article, but for this article, we want to get deep into the engine of this variant. We’ll take a look at how the general variant changes mix up the formula on playing Pilgrims, as well as taking a look at some of the unique Battlekit options, and how they work with your units. Lastly, we’ll take a look at a top-tier list from the winner of the Trench Crusade Competitive event held at Adepticon recently.

The Variant

So we’ve covered the lore, let’s refresh ourselves on the changes this variant brings:

Anchorite Armoury: Your Anchorite Shrines have a Ranged characteristic of 0 and may take Anchorite Ranged Weapons and Anchorite Battlekit.
Anchorite Cloister: Bring another Shrine!
Chaste Order: Can only take up to 3 Stigmatic Nuns, and they must be fielded with Standard Armour.
Communicant Heresy: No Communicants, Ammo Monks or Communicant Anti-Tank Hunters
Mortal Sin: Ecclesiastic Prisoners cannot take Martyrdom Devices, and no model can be Broken on the Wheel of an Anchorite Shrine.
Treasure in Heaven: Trench Pilgrims cannot be resurrected as Martyr Penitents.
Followers of Saint Methodius: Your Patron has to be a Learned Saint.

So we’re losing quite a bit across various aspects of what makes Pilgrims tick and getting very focused buffs that target the Anchorite Shrine(s) only. So your Shrines really need to put in the work to make up for the lack of variety. Luckily, you can get up to two Shrines, so it’s definitely possible!

What really powers your Shrines, though, is your unique Battlekit that your Shrines are now allowed to take. Your Shrines can take a number of Ranged Weapons, both weapons we’ve already come across, as well as unique Ranged Weapons. There are also a number of upgrades that your Shrines can take, allowing them to be further enhanced exactly as you wish.

Ranged Weapons

Whilst your Shrines get the bulk of your buffs, there are a few Ranged Weapons your army in general may take:

Automatic Rifle: Limit 1, 40 Ducats
Machine Gun: Limit 2, 50 Ducats
Submachine Gun: Limit 1, 30 Ducats

As you are probably starting to understand, this variant is much more reliant on Ranged Weaponry, which is very different to the usual playstyle (losing access to cheap Nuns and the slab of beef that is the Communicant will do that). Getting access to these via Ducats is a nice little bonus, allowing your units to make up for your dampened melee capabilities.

Anchorite Ranged Weapons

When it comes to the Anchorite, it’s important to know that any Ranged Weapon you take will replace your Catherine Wheel. That is a pretty big hit, as losing your best Melee Weapon is rough. Luckily, there are some great weapon options here that can more than make up for it. Let’s take a look at the Anchorite Ranged Weapon Options:

Anti-Material Rifle: 40 Ducats
Heavy Flame Thrower: 45 Ducats
Punt Gun: 10 Ducats
Gas Censer: 50 Ducats
Auto Cannon: 55 Ducats
Trench Mortar: 40 Ducats

So you’ll notice right off the bat that the first three options are weapons we already know, whilst the latter three are unique to the Shrine. The Gas Censer is a unique Ranged Weapon that hits all models (including friendlies) within 6” of the Shrine (but not the Shrine itself). Not only does the Shrine not need to make a Success Roll thanks to the Gas and Ignore Armour Keywords, but it is also a great way to take down clumped-up models. However, it does have the Reload keyword, meaning once you’re done with the Ranged Attack, the activation ends, so don’t expect to follow up with melee afterwards. The Trench Mortar is exactly as you would expect, acting as a long-range artillery piece, with a whopping 6-36” range, with the +1 Injury Dice, Blast 3”, Fire, Heady, Ignores Cover and Scatter keywords. +1 Injury Dice and Blast is already great, but adding in the Fire Keywords makes this a very tempting weapon to take. Without access to long-range shooting, thanks to the lack of an Anti-Tank Hunter, getting another option for that much-needed 36”+ is very, very welcome here, and if you’re building towards a duo shooting Shrine list, this is definitely one of the options you should be looking to. The Autocannon comes with a flat 48” range, and has two modes, burst and Full Auto. The former grants Automatic 3 with +1 Injury Dice, and the latter grants Automatic 5, but comes with Reload and Risky on top. The Full Auto mode needs to be declared when you define the model's shooting action, meaning that you can completely whiff on your first shot in full auto and end your activation right there (more on that later). However, the standard burst mode is still fantastic as a standard mode of shooting, with 3 shots at +1 Injury Dice being able to dish out a lot to those out of position.

You can certainly build some budget shooting options if you are strapped for Ducats by taking the Punt Gun, but investing those extra Ducats to get some powerful shooting platforms is definitely worth it, and is one of the scariest parts for your opponent to face on the battlefield. The AMR, Autocannon, and Mortar are solid choices for that. There’s potential for the Heavy Flamer for the Armour Ignore on two models as well, but here you’re going to be getting in closer than you maybe want to be.

Credit: Gobkikass

Anchorite Battlekit

For the specific Anchorite Battlekit, we have a wide selection of unique kit that benefits not just the shooting build we already have come to know from this variant, but also for your standard melee Shrines as well.

Gas Filters: 5 Ducats
Piston Legs: 10 Ducats
Grand Anchorite: Limit 1, 15 Ducats
Hallowed Anchorite: Limit 1, 10 Ducats
Holy Diesel Engine: 10 Ducats
Sacred Geometry: Limit 1, 10 Ducats
Wrathful Cherub Face: 20 Ducats

Gas Filters, as you can probably get, grants the Negate Gas keyword. Easy peasy. Piston Legs grants the Shrine a Melee Attack (not using a Melee Weapon), as long as it targets an enemy model on a 32mm or less and is Down. Grand Anchorite grants the Shrine immunity to melee attacks when it makes a retreat action. Secondly, the Shrine can move or charge if it starts within 1” of a model. Hallowed Anchorite allows a Shrine the chance to be promoted during a campaign (this is huge!). Holy Diesel Engine grants an extra +2 Dice to the Risky Success Rolls when making a Dash action, but at the cost of gaining +1 Blood Marker if you do choose to use this ability. Sacred Geometry grants a Shrine +1 Dice to the Ranged Characteristic. Lastly, the Wrathful Cherub Face causes enemy models within 1” of the Shrine that do not have the Fear Keywords to be unable to use actions that require Risky Success Rolls whilst within 1” of the Shrine.

So there are a lot of options here, and all have a place, but there are a couple of standout picks that I want to highlight. First, Sacred Geometry combined with an AMR or Autocannon is some serious spice mélange. The extra +1 Dice will make all the difference to ensure those shots hit, negating any long-range penalties or cover bonuses. The second is certainly Holy Diesel Engine for your melee-focused Shrine. The reliability that comes with a +2 to your Dash action (before any instrument bonus) is fantastic. What is particularly great about it is that it’s a simple, cheap upgrade that fits perfectly with an already great profile that supports what it does best, i.e. getting up the board and bonking people on the noggin. Sure, gaining a Blood Marker isn’t ideal, but keeping your Shrines happy and healthy is what the War Prophet is for! Lastly, let’s talk about Hallowed Anchorite, which is a must-have for campaign play. Getting one of your Shrines on the experience ladder and getting extra skills is really going to elevate your Shrine into something truly formidable. Whether you choose to put this onto a ranged or melee Shrine is up to you, of course. The fact that either can work well shows the strength of this variant's customisability.

The Other Units

Despite the big focus of this variant being on the Anchorite Shrines, they alone can't win games. Your other units are really going to have to pull their weight in games to make up for the low model count this army is asking of you. Two stacked Shrines are going to eat into your Ducat limit in the early campaign stages, coupled with a base increase cost for your Nuns and no Bodyguarding Communicant, your other units will need to play carefully, yet efficiently.

War Prophet and Castigator

Credit: H.P. Hatecraft

At only two Elites, you’ll most likely be taking both at the beginning, to get those juicy Skills as soon as possible. As you’re most likely going to want to grab two Shrines asap, you’ll be slimming down what your War Prophet and Castigator can purchase, opting for the essentials. That means Anti-Tank Hammers. Grab an Anti-Tank hammer for both, as well as Molotov Cocktails for some cheap Assault shooting, topped off with Reinforced Armour as a core. As these are going to be your only Elites to start, you will most certainly need to grab Martyrdom Pills to ensure they are kept alive for as much as possible. You can swap the 2nd Anti Tank Hammer for a Punt Gun for your Castigator, if you are looking for a more shooty list, but be sure to grab Zealot Strength to ensure you can wield it effectively.

Troops

Given that your Nuns are more expensive and your Prisoners can’t use Martyrdom Devices, you’ll be leaning on your Trench Pilgrims for cheap shooters, and Prisoners for cheap activations. A single Trench Pilgrim can get a Punt Gun if you want to, but again, remember to get the Zealot Strength. If you have the funds, you can dish out the extra Ducats for nuns, but when Ducats are already tight, those extra 15 Ducats will make the difference.

Credit: Gobkikass

The Lists

First up, we have the winning list from the recent Goonhammer competitive event:

Adepticon Winning List

Trench Pilgrims - Adepticon Methodius - [6 Glory Points, 800 Ducats]

++ Warband ++ [6 Glory Points, 800 Ducats] Configuration Campaign Rules: Disabled Warband Variant: War Pilgrimage of Saint Methodius

Elite [364 Ducats] Castigator [177 Ducats]: Zealot Strength [5 Ducats], Anti-Tank Hammer [35 Ducats], Trench Shield [10 Ducats], Molotov Cocktail [5 Ducats], Reinforced Armour [40 Ducats], Iron Capirote [7 Ducats], Medi-kit [5 Ducats], Martyrdom Pills [20 Ducats]

War Prophet [187 Ducats]: Anti-Tank Hammer [35 Ducats], Molotov Cocktail [5 Ducats], Reinforced Armour [40 Ducats], Iron Capirote [7 Ducats], Martyrdom Pills [20 Ducats]

Troop [1 Glory Points, 436 Ducats] Anchorite Shrine [170 Ducats]: Catherine Wheel, Holy Diesel Engine [10 Ducats], Wrathful Cherub Face [20 Ducats]

Anchorite Shrine [170 Ducats]: Catherine Wheel, Holy Diesel Engine [10 Ducats], Wrathful Cherub Face [20 Ducats]

Trench Pilgrim [48 Ducats, 1 Glory Points]: Pistol [6 Ducats], Troop Flag [1 Glory Points], Iron Capirote [7 Ducats], Medi-kit [5 Ducats]

Trench Pilgrim [48 Ducats]: Bolt Action Rifle [10 Ducats], Trench Knife [1 Ducats], Iron Capirote [7 Ducats]

Mercenary [5 Glory Points] Observer [3 Glory Points] Sister of Saint Cosmas [2 Glory Points]

Trench Pilgrims Castigator - Credit Bair

This list perfectly shows that despite all the amazing ranged options, this variant is still very solid in melee, utilising the melee upgrades to do what Pilgrims are known for instead. So we have a double Shrine one-off list, but opting to keep the Shrines bare bones and simply giving each of them a Holy Diesel engine. This affords the elites to be kitted out a little more, with both the War Prophet and Castigator getting an Anti-Tank Hammer, Molotov, Reinforced Armour, Iron Capirote and Martyrdom pills, ensuring there is a solid Melee support line for Shrines. Lastly, we have a couple of Pilgrims with bolt-action rifles for the activations and plinking off a couple of shots here and there. Rounding it out with Mercenaries, we have the Observer (which is probably going to get more expensive soon enough), for activation shenanigans, and a Sister of Saint Cosma, which, along with the War Prophet, will be used to keep those Shrines healthy. All in all, it’s light on bodies, but two of those bodies are hulking metallic behemoths that your opponent has to deal with, and those are two very important reasons as to why this list won the Goonhammer Adepticon event.

Akakios, Let's Cook

## Akakios, Let's Cook ##

Faction: War Pilgrimage of Saint Methodius Rating: 700 Ducats | 0 Glory Patron: None

## Elites ##

War Prophet - 202D Automatic Pistol, Anti-Tank Hammer, Iron Capirote, Martyrdom Pills, Reinforced Armour

Castigator - 93D Zealot Strength Punt Gun, Trench Club, Standard Armour

## Troops ##

Anchorite Shrine (War Pilgrimage of Saint Methodius) - 200D Anti-Materiel Rifle, Bonebreaker Mace, Combat Helmet, Hallowed Anchorite, Sacred Geometry

Trench Pilgrim - 55D Zealot Strength Punt Gun

Trench Pilgrim - 40D Flail / Scourge, Molotov Cocktail

Ecclesiastic Prisoner - 20D Iron Capirote

Ecclesiastic Prisoner - 20D Iron Capirote

Ecclesiastic Prisoner - 20D Iron Capirote

Trench Pilgrim - 50D Flail / Scourge, Musical Instrument

This is a starter 700 Ducat list that focuses more on the shooting side, with a double Punt Gun, but opting for just the single Shrine to start off. Ideally, you'll want to grab a melee Shrine asap. That is a little tricky, however, coming in at 150 with Holy Diesel Engine. Still, it's certainly doable, and I opted for a few chaff units to help not only with activations but, should they perish, at least pad out the threshold limit for you. Your War Prophet is going to be working overtime, needing to deal out as many Blood Markers as possible, so your Punt Guns can punch through tougher targets, whilst also ensuring they survive long enough to do so. Since we have no bodyguarding Communicant, Martyrdom Pills are a must-have. The two Pilgrims are to back up your Prophet and run interference where needed.

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