The Saharduin control several worlds in the Ultima Segmentum. They are both hostile and powerful, and have technology roughly equivalent to that of the Imperium. A typical Piscean Warrior is armed with a boltgun-analogue and a power sword. The Imperium fought a long war against the Sarharduin, but were unable to eradicate them. The menace could only be contained. To this day, no known human has ever set foot upon one of the planets of Saharduin; they remain dark and unexplored.
-Citadel Miniatures March 1987 Mail Order Flyer
As an army, Saharduin are based around a single type of company card
Saharduin War School at 550 points consisting of a single as Piscean Mega as command, two Piscean Warrior Shivers, each consisting of six Piscean Warrior stands, and one Piscean Tiger Shiver, consisting of sic Piscean Tiger stands; the Saharduin War School has a Break Point of 10 and is worth 5 Victory Points
They have five types of support card
Piscean Warrior Shiver at 150 points consists of six Piscean Warrior stands; the Shiver has a Break Point of 3 and is worth 2 Victory Points
Piscean Tiger Shiver at 250 points consists of six Piscean Tiger stands; the Shiver has a Break Point of 3 and is worth 3 Victory Points
Sea Tank Shoal at 200 points consists of three Sea Tanks; the Shoal has a Break Point of 2 and is worth 2 Victory Points
Flying Squid Shoal at 200 points consists of five Flying Squids; the Shoal has a Break Point of 3 and is worth 2 Victory Points
Steel Urchin Shoal at 100 points consists of five Steel Urchins; the Shoal has a Break Point of 3 and is worth 2 Victory Points
and two types of special card
Piscean Mega at 50 points consists of one Piscean Mega worth 1 Victory Point
Saharduin Siren at 100 points consists of one Siren worth 1 Victory Point
The new units have the following rules:
Saharduin are Aquatic and ignore movement restrictions and other penalties for river and other water terrain, treating it as open ground for purpose of movement.
Some of their units enter a Blood Frenzy in close combat and roll one additional D6 for each close combat they fight in a turn, i.e., when faced with more than one enemy, they gain the same additional dice as their outnumbering opponents.
Piscean Warriors
Sineous aquatic humanoids, armed with bolt weapons and power swords.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Piscean Warriors | 10cm | – | +1 | Bolters | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | – |
| Notes |
| Type: Infantry, Morale Value 4, Aquatic, Blood Frenzy |
Piscean Tigers
Larger and of stouter built than the more common warriors, they are armed with heavier weapons for both shooting and melee.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Piscean Tigers | 10cm | – | +3 | Lascannon | 75cm | 1 | 5+ | -1 |
| Notes |
| Type: Infantry, Morale Value 4, Aquatic, Blood Frenzy |
Piscean Mega
Towering over lesser Saharduin these elder beasts are fearsome killing machines, commanding less by giving orders but by bloody example. A Mega is a command unit. They roll one additional D6 in close combat.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Piscean Mega | 10cm | 6+ fixed | +6 | Bolter | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | – |
| Notes |
| Type: Infantry, Morale Value 3, Command Unit, Aquatic, Blood Frenzy, Killing Machine |
Saharduin Siren
Rarely venturing from the depths of Saharduin territory, Sirens instead make opponents come to them. Luring them by unknown means to a terrible fate. A Siren is a command unit and a psyker. It has a unique psychic ability that automatically affects all enemy units within 75cm and line of sight of the Siren at the beginning of the Movement Phase. If affected enemies fail a Morale Test (and a psychic save if they have one), they must move their full movement directly towards the Siren, if their movement is sufficient to bring them into close combat with the Siren, they may not roll any combat dice.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Saharduin Siren | 10cm | – | +1 | None | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Type: Infantry, Morale Value 3, Command Unit, Aquatic, Psychic Lure |
Flying Squid
These suspensor-borne vehicles are controlled by Saharduin surgically implanted into their shells.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Flying Squid | 25cm | 5+ | +3 | Las cutter | 50cm | 1 | 5+ | -3 |
| Notes |
| Type: Walker, Morale Value 4, Skimmer, Aquatic |
Sea Tank
The Saharduin use these heavily armoured vehicles in amphibious assaults and general combat. Their interior is filled with water under high pressure, adding to the vehicles weight and making it slow to move, but providing a protected environment to Saharduin for overland travel. A Sea Tank’s armour save is not modified for side of rear shots. It carries two infantry stands.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Sea Tank | 15cm | 2+ all round |
+2 | Lascannon Boltcannon |
75cm 50cm |
1 4 |
5+ 5+ |
-2 – |
| Notes |
| Type: Vehicle, Morale Value 4, Aquatic, Reinforced Armour, carries 2 stands |
Steel Urchin
Steel Urchins are common artillery weapons of the Saharduin. They fire clusters of long reinforced spikes which double as kinetic penetrators and to create areas of difficult ground with the spikes acting as impromptu tank obstacles. After making an attack with a Steel Urchin unit, do not remove the barrage template. The area under the template is considered broken terrain for the rest of the battle.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Steel Urchin | 15cm | 3+ | +3 | Spike launcher |
75cm | 1 BP | -3 |
| Notes |
| Type: Vehicle, Morale Value 4, Aquatic, Lay Obstacles |
Modelwise, I am thinking of Darkest Star Games’ Khiff for the infantry, due to the elangonated heads. Vehicles might need some shopping around but vaguely bulbuous vehicles and mechanical cephalopods should not be too hard.
Some additional ideas, not included in the list above, were to turn the other fishman aliens of the early Rogue Trader days into another type of infantry (maybe ambushers and/ or short range shooting units) this gave birth to the Siren as – despite lacking a lantern – the sculpts give me a bit of a lantern fish vibe, to include flying submarines as transport flyers, and maybe mechanized versions of some formations (i.e., Piscean Warriors and Sea Tanks on one card).