Factions of Zephrys
During the SoCal Open 2020 Narrative Event, players will be joining factions of their choosing, each with a unique goal. These factions do not represent in-game or in-universe factions such as <IMPERIUM> or <XENOS>, but a unique grouping of armies who share a shred of common purpose in the conflict. While a Strike Force of Ultramarines and Black Legion Warband do not share any common ideologies, they may both decide that conquering and holding ground is the best path to victory on Zephrys in order to stabilize the mysterious Blackstone pylons. With communications gone awry and the effects of the “stilling” causing mass confusion, in-fighting between fellows is commonplace.
One of the key reasons behind these unique groupings is allowing players to play amongst each other, regardless of faction. In situations where players must join factions based on their in-universe alignment, it becomes restrictive which armies might pair up or worst case, creates a very uneven field. We believe these narrative-focused factions will allow for the best play experience and most exciting storylines.
We’d like to give you a peek at these factions, their motivations, and how they might play differently from one another. Additionally, we’d like to give you some examples of armies who fit these motivations. This is not meant to be exhaustive or dictate which faction you pick – merely give some starting points for why your army is fighting here and what they seek.
Conquerors
Joining this faction means you have one goal, and one goal only – taking ground. You believe that conquering Zephrys by force is the path to victory and will stop at nothing in your goals. A relatively straightforward set of goals, Conquerors fit nearly every narrative. Their Faction Agendas consist mostly of gaining ground – taking over objectives that were previously held by the enemy, occupying multiple quadrants of the battlefield, etc.
Some ideas for how you could adapt your army’s narrative to fit these goals:
- A Space Marines Chapter seeking to make up for lost ground.
- A Necron Dynasty hoping to wrestle control over the planet for the Silent King.
- Tyranids trying to spread out as quickly as possible to consume the planet.
- Chaos Space Marines trying to take over the Blackstone Pylons.
Destroyers
If you’re a member of the Destroyer faction, your mission is to purge your enemies. From the devastation of your enemies comes victory, and those who step foot on this planet who would dare oppose you have no reason to live. This faction best fits an army with a more aggressive narrative or one trying to hide something. Their Faction Agendas include destroying enemy units, razing objectives, or killing enemy characters.
Some ideas for how you could adapt your army’s narrative to fit these goals:
- A Dark Angels Strike Force feels that the Fallen’s influence may be found here on Zephrys and wants to leave no trace.
- Drukhari Raiding Parties hunting for sport.
- Orks who are just looking for a fight!
Defenders
The Defenders of Zephrys believe, essentially, that everybody else has it wrong. They want to defend their turf by any means necessary and focus on defensive positioning. If your army were to join the Defenders faction, they might be best suited to gun lines or defensive play. The Faction Agendas of Defenders include goals such as holding objectives in your deployment zone, surviving battles, and utilizing cover for multiple turns.
Some ideas for how you could adapt your army’s narrative to fit these goals:
- An Astra Militarum force trying to defend the civilian population.
- Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests looking to protect and study the mysterious Blackstone incursions.
- T’au forces who seek to win via battles of attrition – grinding their enemies down with firepower and superior positioning.
Opportunists
Not all those who come to Zephrys come with clear intentions. Opportunists are those who may seek to cause chaos and discord – or have some sinister plan afoot. Alternatively, they could just be working under such secretive orders that they may turn against their own allies. The Faction Agendas for Opportunitists are diverse – they include some unique goals, as well as some shared with others such as assassination.
Some ideas for how you could adapt your army’s narrative to fit these goals:
- An Eldar strike force working towards some secretive goal…
- A warband of Thousand Sons sorcerers who seek to use sorcery to control the planet’s power.
- A Genestealer Cult uprising that may be awakening…
- Grey Knights on a secretive mission that not even other Space Marines may know about.
We hope you enjoyed this look at the event’s factions. Let us know if you have any questions on our Facebook page. We’ll be sharing more about the event in the coming weeks!
