Jonah Orion
A Blood Ravens Librarian, Jonah Orion first appeared in Dawn of War II. He's notably one of the only non-Salamander marines who is black, leading to a variety of race-based gaiety made by the elegan/tg/entlemen at his expense. The most common explanation for his difference is that Jonah is a highly accomplished Blood Magpie in the force, leading to a reward of excess melanin. That or they looted him from were "gifted" the Brother Librarian by the Salamanders.
In all seriousness, Jonah did not make an appearance during vanilla Dawn of War II, but was noted by Gabriel Angelos to be playing a game of mindfuckery against the Tyranid Hive Mind in order to allow Gabe's fleet to navigate back to realspace. He wasn't alone in the endeavor, unlike SOME mary sues, as it took all of Gabriel's psykers in his fleet to mentally battle the hive mind, but only Jonah remained alive and not driven insane during their mental mindfuckery. He replaced Isador Akios, Gabriel's former librarian buddy, who was unceremoniously BLAM'd by Gabriel on Tartarus.
Dawn of War II[edit]
- – Jonah's parting message if he's the traitor
Jonah becomes a member of Hairgel's squad in Chaos Rising, appearing in the second mission and melting some twinkly faggots with brain-lightning. If he is corrupted, Jonah gets possessed by a daemon, who notes that the psychic damage caused by the battle with the hive mind weakened his psychic defenses, a fact not helped by Azariah Kyras selling off the cheat codes to bypass the psychic hoods. However, this does mark Jonah as being the only marine who remains pure throughout, and his betrayal is one of the best-written in the whole series. And while the daemon possessing him blusters about damning his soul to the Warp if you kill him, the relic you receive after giving him the only help you can implies that he was wrong, and that Jonah is still able to help you from the other side of death, having grown strong enough to kill daemons just by being in their psychic presence. Not surprising since he fought off the Tyranid Hive Mind, a feat that only one other person can brag about doing.
His body was recovered and placed in stasis, and soon after the Blood Ravens stole- were gifted the knowledge of how to build Librarian Dreadnoughts by the Blood Angels Chapter. The Blood Angels have no record of this happening.
He's also notable for completely shutting down Thaddeus's reason for betrayal, leaving the assault marine without a reply. On the whole, even not taking into account the fact that essentially a psychic Samuel L. Jackson, Jonah is one of the most epic Blood Ravens in the whole series, alongside Tarkus, Gabriel, and Davian Thule.
Jonah is playable in the prologue mission of Retribution, but not in the main campaign itself. He accompanies Gabriel on Cyrene, heading down to Kyras's crater to confront the chapter master. The player's force can find his body next to the building closest to the site of the final battle, Despite all possible evidence to the contrary, he survived the ordeal and recovered.
Dawn of War III[edit]
While many believed (one of them Martellus) that his injuries were lethal, Jonah survived the event with some scars in his face and psychic hood and was present in the purge that followed. For his troubles and aid to both Angelos and The Nameless, Angelos decided that he was going to be awesome that day (and almost all days after that) and elevated Jonah to be the head of the Blood Ravens' Librarium, effectively succeding Kyras in that regard. Chief Librarian Jonah Orion. Sounds cool, isn't it? Jonah is confirmed as present in Dawn of War III as a hero Librarian unit. Jonah keeps his old armor, but with a new backpack with burning baziers; totally convenient with all the parchment he carrries. He also got a new Psychic familiar in the form of a nightmarish cherub like the one used in the newest Librarian model.
With the release of Dawn of War III, Jonah stands strong as one of the go-to elites. His abilities include:
- Channeled AoE that blinds enemies and buffs the damage of allies.
- A stone wall ability, which creates a circular wall that blocks all projectiles (both incoming and outgoing).
- A psychic strike ability that damages enemies in a line and buffs the speed of his allies. If Jonah is inside the stone wall, the ability's aoe is changed to strike all targets inside instead.
Gameplay[edit]
In gameplay terms, Jonah is relatively varied, being able to act as a healer or toss out lightning and fire in bulk quantity, abilities counterbalanced by his fragility and one-man status; both of the other single characters, Hairgel and Davian Thule, are far more hardy. He can also be specced to allow infinite Rosarius spam, by virtue of making it energy-based, or act like a better version of Neroth by throwing free soulfire and smites as part of his ranged attack. Of note is the hilarious combination of empower, which removes cooldowns and energy cost from abilities, with Davian Thule's multi-melta sweep. Powers are acquired by obtaining tomes and psychic hoods, which are tied directly to the perks he has active.
Once you have Jonah there is very little reason to bring Avitus onto the field due to his ludicrous firepower. Jonah is the artillery of your force and is entirely capable of reducing entire armies of Chaos Space Marines to so much sizzling mulch on the field at a speed basically nobody else can match. He is a glass cannon sure, but you've got the Commander, Tarkus, and/or Thule to tank for you so this doesn't matter too much. Not when the DPS of dead enemies is zero.
Corruption is interesting for Jonah, gradually making him into a Chaos Sorcerer. He becomes more and more vulnerable to enemy fire, but unlocks astonishing levels of power. He gains some Sorcerer-type tomes like Subjugate and Chains of Torment and finally obtains a Mark of Tzeentch, trading away his soul for even more mind-bullet dakka-power.
Codex Jonah[edit]
If you ever wanted to include this bro of a versatile Librarian into your Blood Ravens army, then here is your chance to do so.
Pts | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jonah Orion | 150 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 3+ |
Unit Type:
- Infantry (Character)
Unit Composition:
- 1 Unique
Wargear:
- Blade of Displacement: Can be swapped for Might of Moriah for 15 pts.
- Hivekiller Bolt Pistol: Can be swapped for Daemonbane for 15 pts.
- Storm Mantle: Can be swapped for the following psychic hoods for 15 pts:
- Armor of Faith
- Mantle of The Codicier
- Coronet of Ice
- Crown of The Martyr
- Diadem of the Untouched
- Halo of Fury
- Hood of Alacrius
- Tigerian Halo
- Warp Crown
- Obsidian Raven: Can be swapped for Sigil of The Watchman for 5 pts.
- Psychic Tomes
- Frag Grenades
- Krak Grenades
Special Rules:
- And They Shall Know No Fear
- Chapter Tactics (Blood Ravens): As per the rules for all Chapters who do not know their primogenitor Chapter, the Blood Ravens do not have a unique Chapter Tactic. Instead, the player can elect to use any existing Chapter Tactics from Codex: Space Marines and any Forge World supplements.
- Independent Character
- Psyker (Mastery Level 3): Jonah Orion generates powers from the Biomancy, Daemonology, Divination, Pyromancy, Libarius, Fulmination, Geokenesis, Technomancy, Telekinesis and Telepathy disciplines.
- Adamantine Will
- Purify: Unique psychic power used by Jonah that he can cast either on himself or any friendly squad (including Battle Brothers), or Chaos models. If the first two, then it grants them the Feel No Pain USR (if the unit already has FNP, then it instead gets a +1 to it) and removes any Poison effects or Malediction psychic powers and lasts for one turn. If the latter, then a model/squad suffers automatically a S5 AP5 To Hit attack, yet can still take armour saves. This power costs one Warp Charge.
- Obsidian Raven: Azariah Vidya himself formed this obsidian Raven from the blood of his enemies. It grants its wielder an unusual connection with the Warp, they will recover energy whenever attacked or after casting a spell, greatly increasing their longevity in battle. The Obsidian Raven grants a Warp Charge for every successfully cast psychic power (up to two charges), yet can be used in the next psychic turn along with the ones generated by Jonah. If Jonah gets hit and suffers a wound, then he gains a Warp Charge for every wound lost.
- Sigil of The Watchman: When erecting a Telekinetic Dome, any unit that has the stench of Chaos will take damage and be unable to see. When a Chaos model is in base contact with a model affected by Telekinetic Dome, then said Chaos model will suffer a automatic S4 AP- To Hit once per turn, and will be under the effects of the Blind USR. Stacks with Diadem of The Untouchable and with the Tome of Force.
- Psychic Tomes: Tomes allow Jonah to use enhanced versions of the psychic powers he can use. These can be used with specific psychic hoods to further enhance these powers. Some stack with the psychic hoods and weapons. Jonah may choose one of them during deployment. The tomes are as follows:
- Tome of Barriers: (Coming Soon TM)
- Tome of Displacement: This tome empowers its user with a power over time and place. It grants the Temporal Displacement ability which allows Jonah to teleport himself inside the physical space of an enemy infantry unit, killing them instantly. Jonah may cast the Temporal Displacement psychic power once per game. This ability causes Jonah to go into reserve and to Deep Strike in the next turn. Jonah must come in the next turn after casting this power and is not affected by mishaps. When coming via Deep Strike, Jonah must be put in base contact with an enemy model/squad. Put a Large Blast marker over Jonah. Every model inside the blast marker sans Jonah is automatically hit by a single S8 AP1 attack. The models can still make armour saves. If Jonah was part of a squad before casting the power, then he leaves it. This power costs three Warp Charges.
- Tome of Fire: Outlining the complex pathways of psychic energy through flesh, this tome allows the Librarian to convert that power into consuming fire within an enemy, Igniting their Soul. Jonah gains a +1 to Psychic Test rolls while casting powers from the Pyromancy Discipline.
- Tome of Force: Filled with innumerable diagrams of the psychic architecture holding back the Warp, this tome allows a Librarian to better erect a mighty Telekinetic Dome. Jonah gains a +1 to his rolls when casting Telekinetic Dome.
- Tome of Might: With this tome, the Librarian may gift an ally with the Might of the Ancients, making them nigh-unbeatable in close combat. Iron Arm and/or Hammerhand become Might of Ancients. Might of Ancients is a Blessing that grants Jonah and any squad he's joined with a +3 to S, T and A. This power costs one Warp Charge.
- Tome of Mist: The pages of this tome appear blank to all but those ready to understand them. Using these veiled rites, the Librarian may cause a person to Vanish from sight. The Invisibility psychic power is enhanced with this tome. Now enemies additionally must re-roll once per turn successful To Hit and To Wound rolls against models affected by Invisibility.
- Tome of Power: Written in characters that glow with psychic power, this tome allows the Librarian to Empower his allies, so they may use their abilities at an increased rate. Jonah may cast the Empower psychic power. Empower is a Blessing that grants the Shred USR to any model/squad, while also allows them to re-roll any failed To Hit and To Wound roll. However while the ability is active, Jonah is immobile and cannot act at all. Empower lasts for one turn and costs one Warp Charge.
- Tome of Time: Using this ancient tome, the Librarian may lift the Veil of Time itself, allowing his abilities and allies to move and act far faster than their enemies. Now both Jonah and any squad he's part of are affected by Warp Speed when cast. Stacks with Blade of Displacement and Hood of Alacrius. Note that Blade of Displacement only affects Jonah (so no squad-wide Hammer of Wrath).
- Tome of Wrath: Constantly alive with psychic electricity, this revered tome allows the Librarian to Smite his enemies with bolts of power. The Smite psychic power becomes S5 AP2 Assault 6 with this tome.
Name | Range | Strength | AP | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blade of Displacement | - | +2 | 3 | Melee, Force, Rending, Master Crafted, Enhance Warp Speed |
- Blade of Displacement: This relic allows a Librarian making use of Warp Speed to project a distortion field that knocks back and damages any enemies he passes near.
- Enhance Warp Speed: When Jonah casts Warp Speed, he additionally gains the Hammer of Wrath USR.
Name | Range | Strength | AP | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Might of Moriah | - | 2x | 3 | Melee, Concussive, Force, Master Crafted, Inspirational Aura |
- Might of Moriah: Said to have been the personal force staff of Azariah Moriah, this blessed weapon thrums with the power of the martyred Chapter Master. The current Chapter Master sent this weapon away three centuries ago, but has never said why.
- Inspirational Aura: Models in 12" of Jonah can use his LD when taking LD based tests. Additionally it grants a +1 to To Hit and To Wound rolls in either melee or while shooting.
Name | Range | Strength | AP | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hivekiller Bolt Pistol | 12 | 1 | 5 | Pistol, Poisoned (2+) |
- Hivekiller Bolt Pistol: Astartes Mk IIIt bolt pistol modified to fire Hellfire toxin rounds especially effective against Tyranids. Also features the Apothecary's Oath of Service emblazoned near the barrel.
Name | Range | Strength | AP | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Daemonbane | 12 | 7 | 2 | Pistol, Master Crafted, Gets Hot!, Daemon's Bane |
- Daemonbane: Lord Inquisitor Sylan Lukasz of the Ordo Malleus affixed his personal seal to this pistol, calling on its wielder's to drive the daemons of Chaos from every corner of the Imperium. Daemonbane is a Plasma Pistol.
- Daemon's Bane: Models with the Daemon USR are subject to the Pinning and Blind USR when hit from this pistol.
- Storm Mantle: Centuries ago, Librarian Braden weathered an Eldritch Storm and turned its psychic energy back to his Eldar foes. Since then, the armor has resonated with psychic energy. The Storm Mantle is a psychic hood that doubles the user's Toughness against Witchfire, Focused Witchfire, Beam and Nova type psychic powers.
- Armor of Faith: This revered armor is today fitted with a master-crafted psychic hood, but is said to have once formed the core of Chaplain Sonorth's power armor. Blessings of the Chaplain's holy Rosarius are said to resonate still in the psychic chambers of the armor. The Armor of Faith is a psychic hood that grants a 4++ Inv Save.
- Mantle of The Codicier: The crystals of this psychic hood amplify the negative emotions of its wearer in such a way that they will often discharge themselves violently upon an attacker. The Mantle of The Codicier is a psychic hood that grants a +1 to WS and BS.
- Coronet of Ice: This psychic hood allows the Librarian to shroud an enemy in the Warp, temporarily freezing them in stasis - invulnerable but unable to act. Shrouding can be used as a malediction psychic power that causes enemies to take a LD test with a -2 modifier. If failed, then the model/squad is immobilised until the next turn. They cannot attack, nor be attacked. This affects any unit with a LD stat.
- Crown of The Martyr: Once worn by Chapter Master Moriah, this hood extends the effects of a Librarian's psychic healing. The Crown of The Martyr grants the Endurance psychic power additionally the It Will Not Die USR.
- Diadem of the Untouched: This mighty hood creates a passive Telekinetic Dome around the Librarian, knocking back any enemies who get close to him. The Diadem of The Untouched grants the Telekinetic Dome psychic power the ability to knockback enemy models that try to hit Jonah or anyone under the effects of this power. Enemies are treated as if they were affected by the Strikedown USR.
- Halo of Fury: Using this hood, the Librarian may channel the Hammerhand into an enemy, driving the target into a rage and forcing him to attack his own companions. Hammerhand can be used as a Malediction psychic power on enemy models. A model/squad affected by it must assault the nearest model/squad if they are in range. All missed melee attacks are relocated randomly towards the nearest allied models in base contact. If models in a squad are affected, then any missed melee attack is relocated among their squad mates.
- Hood of Alacrius: This psychic hood allows the Librarian to passively trigger Warp Speed when charging into combat or when severely wounded. If Jonah is equipped with the Hood of Alacrius, then there is a chance that he will activate Warp Speed when charging the enemy or when he loses one wound (even if he didn't generate the power from the Biomancy Discipline). In order to activate it, Jonah must take a LD Test. On a 6, he casts Warp Speed without spending a Warp Charge. This can be cast before charging in the Assault Phase, or in combat if Jonah is in base contact with an enemy model and only before combat. If Jonah already has Warp Speed, then he gains a +1 to Psychic Test rolls while manifesting this power.
- Tigerian Halo: Said to be derived from the works of Tigerius (NOT Tigurius) of the Ultramarines, this relic enhances the use of Pyromancy powers. All Witchfire, Focused Witchfire, Beam and Nova powers from the Pyromancy Discipline gain a +1 to S. The Fire Shield and Fiery Form psychic power affects now a whole squad when Jonah is part of one.
- Warp Crown: This hood forms a field of warp energies about the Librarian. When under close combat attack, this field often sends attackers through the Warp, teleporting them away a short distance. Models in base contact with Jonah have a chance to get teleported away. If an enemy model succeeds in hitting Jonah in combat, the he must pass a LD test with a 1d6. If he rolls a 3 or less, then the model (or entire squad) disappear into reserve of the enemy player. The models may enter back the battlefield via Deep Strike, yet 18" away from Jonah, toward their original Zone of Deployment). The enemy models that reappear always arrive without Deep Strike mishaps.
External Links[edit]
Jonah shuts down a honky.
Even the man who has nothing...