Ok, slight discrepancy here. Since Avenger works "Exactly like an Astartes Heavy Flamer", do you use it as you would a flame weapon against a horde, or does the rule "Psychic powers will hit a horde a number of times equal to psy rating used in the power, no matter what the power may be." (pg 360) still apply?

Using it as a heavy flamer is far superior for early characters, but it does say "no matter what the power may be," so how would you rule it?

Good question, I ran into this during the first session we played. I have been ruling this as using resolutions for Astartes Heavy Flamer in all regards, including Hordes. I basically read the rule about "hitting the Horde a number of times equal to Psy rating" as applying to the powers that do not explicitly state how they work with Hordes. Avenger spell on the other hand is resolved as a Heavy Flamer, which does explicitly state what it does to Hordes.

I can see where this might get abused then, since it can be cast at a fettered power level with little consquence to the damage done to hordes. Anything with less than 4 armor will be fully affected by this spell even when cast from a rank 1 librarian at the fettered level, since the pen is equal to 2 x the PR (rounded up).

Does Cleanse and Purge apply to Avenger? If not you're looking at PR + 1d10 vs 8 + 1d5. They average out to the same thing (at base PR), although the heavy flamer version has less variation and a higher min (9 vs 4)

True, I don't suspect that Cleanse and Purify applies to the psychic ability. The only real difference between the two then is minimum result, like you said. In fact, the PR method starts out weaker, but can go much larger with an increased psy rating. For example, Pushing (even at PR 3) results in 6+1d10 damage to the horde (or 7 minimum, 16 maximum), whereas treating it as a heavy flamer maintains a constant value of 8+1d5 (or minimum 9, maximum 12) no matter what level it is cast at. That makes the heavy flamer method more consistent and safer (can cast at fettered to reduce chance of phenomenon), while the other method has more room for advancement (which doesn't really fit with the psychic power, since against single targets it is the same strength no matter the PR).

To keep it clean and simple, I'd say to work it out as a psychic power. Just remember that Avenger is an area effect power, thus adding 1d10 to the damage amount.

Since the power doesn't intensify in damage as you go up in PR, I'd say it's to be treated as a Heavy Flamer. That is how I read it, that is how I shall rule it in my games. :3

CptCaine said:

Although it effects an area, it does not have the specific "Area" keyword. I would have to agree that it should be used as a heavy flamer, conferring 8 + d5 damage to a horde's magnitude.