Adeptis Rahn: an in-depth discussion

[Lord Xalys]

Hello people,

Well, my newest installment is the first on this new forum. It?s subject? None other than Adeptis Rahn Shyeel, probably the most anticipated warcaster in the Retribution. Rahn has some cool abilities and a ton of uses for his spells. Let?s see what we can do with him, shall we? Beware, being about a ?caster this article will already be longer as usual but Rahn has so many uses that it?s hard to stop writing. I say enjoy while you can still manage to read...

Here we go!


Adeptis Rahn

? Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.?

http://privateerpress.com/files/products/adeptis-rahn.png


Stats
Adeptis Rahn has some very decent stats in his line. While his SPD of 5 is a tad lower than our fleeter ?casters, it is on par with that of Dawnlord Vyros and is offset by a higher then average ARM of 16. This makes Rahn quite survivable in combination with his 16 hitpoints, especially when you consider his Force Barrier ability (see Skills & Abilities below).
His (in this faction) lower then average DEF of 14 still requires FOC/MAT7 to hit him on average rolls, but it is obviously his biggest weakness (comparatively low DEF against melee and magic attacks). Against ranged attacks his DEF jumps to 16 due to Force Barrier, which is very nice indeed.
Rahn is also quite the potent leader: CMD9 grants him good control over our non-fearless infantry units, being outclassed in this department only by Vyros (as it should be, being Dawnlord and all).
Of course the Adeptis? most prominent stat is his FOC8. This man is our premier spell caster, with the best chances to hit with offensive spells and an accompanying CTRL area of 16? that is unparalleled in the Retribution. Arc nodes only enhance this threat range: in my honest opinion Rahn?s 6 warjack points should be immediately spent on a Chimera. A large CTRL area not only equals more range to his spells through arc nodes though, but also a longer leash on ?jacks in general and the ability to stay out of the CTRL area of an enemy ?caster/?lock (much appreciated when e.g. Kreoss starts slinging Lamentation or pops his feat). FOC8 also means more resourced to distribute amongst ?jacks if needed.


Weapons & Attacks
Rahn has but a single physical weapon, but its has some interesting tactical applications. His quarterstaff Balance hits at a respectable P+S12, and is a Magical Weapon with Reach.
A whack with this staff also enables Rahn to Beat Back the guy on the other end, granting a 1? push with subsequent follow-up move (even if the target is destroyed by the attack) just like the Battle Mages and Magister. It?s a Mittens thing? While extremely situational, this means Rahn could Beat Back an enemy ?jack nine times, thus moving 9? during his combat action. It just goes to show what options there are with this ability.
What is even more fun is Balance?s Critical Smite: on a critical hit the target can be slammed d6? (halved when hitting a larger-based target) directly away from Rahn. This is one of the Adeptis? means to achieve a direct knockdown, the other being the spell Force Hammer. Both hit with the same damage, but Force Hammer is better in several ways (see Spells below). Still, it?s a good ability to have on one?s melee attack and it will certainly come in handy on some occasions.


Skills & Abilities
The Adeptis has one innate ability, which is shared with his House Shyeel companions (Battle Mages and Magisters): Force Barrier. This ability grants Rahn +2DEF against ranged attacks, which leads to a very respectable DEF16/ARM16 ratio against these assaults. It also shields him completely from blast damage. While this is less effective at first glance than on the low-ARM Battle Mages and Magisters, it enables Rahn to get bombarded by things like Holy Zealot firebombs and emerge unscathed.


Spells
Adeptis Rahn arguably has the most flexible spell list of all Retribution warcasters: every spell has its own merits, and Rahn?s FOC8 enables him to hit with offensive more often then not. Let?s have a quick rundown of his myriad means of magical mayhem:


Chain Blast is one of Rahn?s two purely offensive spells, and is meant to clean house among enemy light infantry. It has a medium cost of 3 focus points, and produces a POW12 with an AOE3 at a maximum of 10? (when not channeled). After you determine the point of impact of this AOE, you can roll deviation for a second AOE3 from that point. Chain Blast allows Rahn to cover quite a large area with POW6 blast damage hits, thus mitigating the primary defense against AOEs: spreading out with your infantry. Of course you?re still somewhat reliant on the whims of your dice, but the potential of annihilating more than half of a Strider unit before they get into CRA range is terrific.



Force Blast is the Adeptis? single battlegroup-only spell, so it works on himself as well. It costs a medium 3 focus points, and can either target Rahn or one of his ?jacks within CTRL (so within 16?). When cast, enemy models that are within 2? of your target are pushed 4? directly away from it in an order of your choosing. The main use of this spell is to extricate the target from melee, even if it?s mobbed by an entire unit. When this mobbing entails multiple rows of enemies, remember to push models in the back line away first to prevent models in the front line to stop cold after hitting their buddies behind them. A well-placed Force Blast can free your Chimera or Phoenix from such a mess, thus enabling to make full use of their arc node again (and follow up with a Chain Blast for instance). It also enables Rahn to charge a model he was in melee with beforehand (works on a ?jack too, but it might as well walk over and spend that focus point to boost damage).



Force Field is one of Rahn?s two upkeep spells. It has RNG SELF, AOE CTRL and costs a medium 3 focus points. Frankly, it should be cast on turn 1 and kept up the entire game (unless a Feral Warpwolf with Arcane Killer is bearing down on him, then - please Scyrah - drop it fast). Force Field grants Rahn immunity to blast damage (moot point, considering Force Barrier), to collateral damage (great) and to knockdown (superb). Basically this allows the Adeptis to constantly hide behind the biggest myrmidon he can find: it can be slammed over him, but only said machine will suffer any damage or effects from it (and not even that if it?s affected by Polarity Shield, see below). But wait, there?s more! Force Field also allows Rahn to manipulate AOEs from enemy (!) ranged attacks: after your opponent has rolled the deviation distance, you can choose the direction. Particularly handy if you field other units than Battle Mages (Force Barrier again), or one of our squishy solos.



Force Hammer is Rahn?s second offensive spell. Its cost is at the high end at 4 focus points, has a decent range of 10? and a POW of 12. Force Hammer?s secondary effect makes it Rahn?s premier assassination spell: a non-incorporeal target hit is slammed d6? (regardless of base size) directly away from the spell?s point of origin. Do not be fooled by the lower POW: Force Hammer is Rahn?s equivalent of Caine?s Thunderstrike. The latter costs its ?caster roughly 66% of his focus, even before boosting. Rahn on the other hand needs ?only? 50% and thus could cast it twice if he wanted. His feat even grants free boosts, which you should always use on any half-decent assassination run. While Force Hammer could kill a (wounded) ?caster/?lock, it sees better use as a setup tool for a kill by something else. Every model loves a good knockdown! Remember that the collateral damage from this spell is also POW12, do by all means go for it if it?s easier/needed to slam something else over the primary target. Also, two knocked down enemies for the price of one is good in my book. Also consider ?odd? slam angles by positioning an arc node behind a target and slam it towards Rahn or something else that wants to deliver the coup de grâce.On a final note (yes, this spell is just that flexible), Force Hammer can also be used to disrupt your opponent?s plans by regularly slamming away hard threats during the battle. Even if the target can Shake it Off, you?re still forcing him to spend a focus that could have been used to (boost an) attack with.

[Lord Xalys]

Polarity Shield is the Adeptis’ second upkeep spell, and a great one it is! It has a low cost of 2 focus points and a non-channeled range of 6”. A friendly model/unit affected by Polarity Shield cannot be targeted by a charge (and therefore neither by a slam) made by a model in its front arc. This spell used to be an ability of the Cygnaran Centurion heavy ‘jack that gave it its famed survivability. Negating a charge not only means denying an automatically boosted charge attack, but also denying that extra 3” movement (or even more in some cases). Models that can charge for free and don’t have access to boosted damage otherwise, suffer the most against this spell: infantry, solos, warcasters/warlocks and cavalry. The latter group loses the most, as they’ll miss out on the +2 to hit of their Cavalry Charge and might not even be able to attack at all (a Lance for example can only be used on a charge). Abilities like Brutal or Powerful Charge are also negated this way. People who played against the aforementioned Centurion also eventually found the weakness of Polarity Shield, and this should be remembered when playing Rahn: an opponent can still charge something without Polarity Shield that is near a model that does have it. This way, the charge attack will be ‘wasted’ on the secondary target, but the assailant still gets the 3” (or more) extra movement if it needs it. A tried tactic, when you don’t provide that secondary target yourself, is to run something sacrificial near the model with PS on it and charge it. The following attacks can then be used on the shielded model. Watch out for this! Also, keep in mind that Polarity Shield does not protect from charges made from an affected model’s back arc.



Telekinesis… The multitude of applications that this spell alone offers is almost all you need to validate the use of Rahn. The flexibility of this spell, with a low cost of 2 focus points and a non-arced RNG of 8, resides in the fact that it can be used either on your own models or offensively on those of your opponent. The model that this spell is used upon can be placed completely within 2” of its current location. Really, if it was not ‘limited’ to one casting per model per turn, it would be broken. Telekinesis is obviously best use on single models, so myrmidons, solos and small sized units (i.e. Destors) are prime friendly targets.


Some of the uses of Telekinesis on a friendly model:



Extricate a friendly from melee (push effect, so no free strikes);



Give a friendly extra movement and thus more threat range;
Make a friendly shooter move while still being able to claim an aiming bonus in its own subsequent activation;
Give a move to a friendly that had to forfeit its own movement for some reason, thus potentially letting it (re)engage;
Turn a friendly, so a charge/slam lane comes into existence where there wasn’t one moments before;




Some of the uses of Telekinesis on an enemy model:




Put an enemy into melee with a friendly;
Turn an enemy around to deny it a charge and/or give an attacking friendly a backstrike bonus;
Move an enemy towards you (and turn it around as mentioned above), thereby indirectly increasing your own threat range.




The list above is by no means exhaustive, and you will probably come up with more applications during actual play. Suffice to say that Telekinesis is the ultimate setup toolbox spell. It can be cast on 4 different models during Rahn’s activation, and when you start combining offensive castings with castings on your own models, its scope increases even further. Granting a model an effective 4” extra threat range and +2 to hit (TK on your own model, TK on the desired target with a turnaround) is only the beginning.


Feat
Arcane Alignment, Adeptis Rahn Shyeel’s feat, ties in directly with his phenomenal spell list. When used, this feat grants boosted attack and damage rolls to all spells cast by a friendly Faction model (so not to Lanyssa or Aiyana!) in Rahn’s CTRL area. It also grants +2” RNG to those spells, as long as they’re not channeled. This latter part might not be much of an issue while Rahn has still access to an arc node on the field, but in all other instances it can work wonders.
So who benefits from this feat? Rahn of course is the prime candidate, but as all magic attacks are considered spells it affects House Shyeel Battle Mages and Magisters as well. Arcane Alignment obviously is most potent on offensive spells, and between the aforementioned models this means Force Bolt, Whip Snap, Chain Blast and Force Hammer benefit tremendously (Telekinesis less so, but free boosted attack rolls never hurt). Arguably the Battle Mages and Magister love this feat even more than Rahn, seeing as how they don’t have access to boosted magic attack/damage rolls otherwise. Also, the +2” RNG is a considerable increase on their RNG 10 Force Bolt and RNG 8 Whip Snap.
The feat can be roughly used in two ways: assassination or ‘hammerfall’. The first revolves primarily around making more efficient use of Rahn’s focus, enabling him to cast e.g. two fully boosted Force Hammers. The latter focuses more on the Battle Mages and Magisters, who can take out a good portion of the enemy army early with a flurry of fully boosted Force Bolts. In this mode Rahn acts more as support, using multiple boosted castings of Telekinesis and a well-placed Force Hammer to screw with high priority targets early on.

[Lord Xalys]

Theme Forces
Rahn?s tiered theme force, ?Charge of the Battle Mages?, focuses primarily on the core forces of House Shyeel. I?ll give a quick rundown on each tier, with its requirements and benefits.


Tier 1:

Requirements: you can only use Adeptis Rahn, non-character myrmidons, House Shyeel Battle Mages, House Shyeel Magisters, Arcanists and Houseguard units.
Benefit: Battle Mages become FA:U (instead of FA:2) and Magisters gain +1 FA for every Battle Mage unit in the army.
Musings: the first tier grants you as many Battle Mages as you can stuff in your army, and a lot of Magisters. Arcanists are great to keep your myrmidons alive and kicking. Balancing Houseguard with Battle Mages is a very good idea, so you don?t go overboard on Mittens. Halberdiers also have great synergy with Rahn and Battle Mages (see Synergy & Sample Tactics below).


Tier 2:

Requirements: on top of the Tier 1 requirements, you need to have two heavy myrmidons in your army.
Benefit: you can add a free Arcanist to your army, which doesn?t count against the FA limit (so you can have a total of three).
Musings: the second tier focuses on ?jack support. Rahn loves arc nodes, so one of the two required heavies should be a Phoenix in my opinion. The other choice is up to you, it?s all good really.


Tier 3:

Requirements: on top of the Tier 1 and 2 requirements, you need to have at least three Magisters in your army.
Benefit: Battle Mages and Magisters gain Advance Move (a full advance after deployment, but before the first game turn).
Musings: the third tier, to me at least, gives the most bang for your buck. You?ll probably have two or more Magisters already at this point, and the ability to give the majority of your army a chance to redeploy or take the initiative is simply terrific.


Tier 4:

Requirements: on top of the Tier 1, 2 and 3 requirements, you need to have at least four units of Battle Mages in your army.
Benefit: friendly models/units can begin the game affected by Rahn?s upkeep spells, Polarity Shield and Force Field. Declare the use of these spells and their targets before setup. You don?t have to pay focus to upkeep these spells during your first turn.
Musings: the fourth tier is really for the hardcore Battle Mages fan. Up until this tier, ?Charge of the Battle Mages? is pretty balanced. Four units of Battle Mages are quite a hefty investment though (even though Arcane Alignment becomes more efficient with every extra unit), and in my humble opinion need either careful balancing with Houseguard units or a sleek and focused play style when going balls-to-the-wall with Battle Mages. The benefit of this tier isn?t as tactically flexible as Advanced Move, but it still amounts to an effective 5 extra focus points on turn 1: free castings of Polarity Shield and Force Field. This means Rahn can retain all his focus on the first turn and use it to fuel myrmidons, move four models with Telekinesis, etc.





Synergy & Sample Tactics


Rahn is the undisputed master of magic in the Retribution. When striving to create a balanced list, I would first include models/units that cater to the other two modes of attack (melee and ranged). The two Houseguard units provide both for relatively few points. Halberdiers in particular benefit greatly from Polarity Shield, while Riflemen will appreciate the AOE redirection of Force Field. The Ranked Attacks ability of both units also make for a great screen for Battle Mages: a line of ARM18 Halberdiers who can?t be charged and who don?t block LOS for Force Bolts? Nice!



If you want to step it up a level, Dawnguard Invictors and/or Sentinels also work well with Rahn. Both the flexibility of the Invictors and the potent melee punch of the Sentinels can add to a good list. Again, Polarity Shield negates charges on your elite infantry. Force Field won?t add much to the Dawnguard?s ARM15-17 though, as they aren?t very susceptible to blast damage anyway.



A Mage Hunter Strike Force can be used as Rahn?s alpha strike unit. Force Hammer is nice here to knock down a ?jack, ready to be pelted by POW10+3d6 crossbow bolts or to be taken apart by a few CMAs. Force Field works great for the Mage Hunters, as they don?t take well to blast damage.



Stormfall Archers can provide decent artillery support for Rahn. Force Field again keeps the safer from enemy AOEs, while the Archers? AOEs can be lobbed in fierce melees provided the friendly component therein has Force Barrier (Rahn/Battle Mages/Magisters).



Destors provide a far-reaching, hard-hitting melee unit for Rahn that can operate fairly independently. They are capable of even higher ARM as their non-mounted brothers, so Force Field won?t help them much. Their small unit size, in particular that of a minimum unit (3), does make them fine candidates for Telekinesis, adding another 2? to their already impressive threat range.



On the issue of myrmidons, Rahn has a use for almost every type we have so far. Not being able to get charged or slammed is good for every ?jack, while Telekinesis adds 2? to the threat range of each one. In a ?jack VS ?jack situation, you could even move both your myrmidon and its target closer together: this gives a Phoenix for example an effective threat range of 15?! Force Blast then gives a ?jack more freedom of movement, even when it is set upon by a multitude of enemies.



The Phoenix and the Chimera are Rahn?s best metal mates. Both have the longest effective threat ranges between Telekinesis, Reach and Apparition and are able to hit at POW16-17. They also have arc nodes, which makes Rahn all the more dangerous: being able to reach 26? across the field from where he stands and hit something with Force Hammer is downright scary in my book.



While Rahn lacks the LOS ignoring abilities of Vyros and Kaelyssa, the Adeptis still has his wellspring of focus to donate to the Hydra. He basically always has a point to spare in order to keep it fully fueled. Our real ?focus hog? though, the Manticore, benefits even more from Rahn?s excess focus: this big boy really wants 3 focus points whenever it commits to an attack.



The Griffon and Gorgon don?t have as much synergy with Rahn himself, but can be very focus-efficient by being assigned to a ?jack marshal. Still, Polarity Shield makes the ARM18 of a Griffon even harder to crack and also protects a Gorgon well when it can?t fire its Polarity Cannon. Take note: Force Blast overrules the Gorgon?s Force Lock (it?s a push, not an advance) and thus helps your enemy out of that myrm?s loving embrace.



The Arcanist is the perfect little helper for the Adeptis? myrmidons, and if you want the guy to stay alive for a longer time Force Field is ubiquitous. Being able to hide behind a ?jack with Polarity Shield on it, so it doesn?t get slammed over him, can be a godsend. Getting one for free on Tier 2 is very nice, and you might want to take all three slots if you focus upon ?jacks (and you?ll have two heavies in Tier 2 anyway).



Nearly every offensive solo works well with Rahn, as they add ever more threat vectors to his battle plan. Force Field in turn heightens their survivability (we have very few solos that can take decent blast damage on the chin, including our three-point character mage hunters), Telekinesis increases their threat range and Force Hammer (and again Telekinesis, on a lesser level) can give them better chances to hit. No one wants to have a TK?ed Mage Hunter Assassin bearing down on their TK?ed, knocked down light ?jack, to give just an example.


Further reading
Rahn has sparked a great deal of interest on the boards, and I'm by no means the only one who tried to write a tactical article about him. Below are some links for those that can't get enough of the Adeptis:


Mittens for Kittens (http://www.privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?t=1564)


Adeptis Rahn savored the staccato bursts of light that originated in the periphery of his enhanced vision, produced by the Houseguard Riflemen with their combined fire. Waves of raw kinetic power billowed out like spectral clouds from his contingent of Battle Mages. The discharge of a fully energized Hydra lanced through the dusk like a spear hurled by the sun itself. Kaleidoscopic chaos. It was beautiful. With a minor surge of his own prodigious power, Rahn picked up the lone Mage Hunter Assassin as if she were a piece on a game board. The woman?s chain weapon leapt forward like an uncoiling snake, making ripples where it traveled through the air. The ensuing physical confrontation of the blade and its target brought a faint smile to the Adeptis? face. Onward now, and on forever. All great things to come.

Cheers,
LX

[Demeritus]

Another great writeup LX, I look forward to getting this guy painted up with a more varied army so I can give him a spin, he is definitely a caster I'm looking most forward to using.

[thecsharian]

No complementary link to Mittens for Kittens (http://www.privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?t=1564)?


...*cries* :(

[thecsharian]

?Skip? a friendly over a friendly/enemy intervening model, thus making it able to move and/or attack: bypass the enemy (Shield Wall) line and go for a juicy target, activate in the enemy?s back arc, retreat behind your own (Shield Wall) line after an attack, etc. The possibilities are endless!

...
Pluck an enemy from behind its defensive (Shield Wall) line...
Unfortunately, it's worth noting that the "completely within 2 inches" requirement prevents you from being able to 'leap frog' over models - the minimal move distance required put you out of completely within 2 inches.

oh how awesome it would be if you could.

[FranzGrenstein]

Nice write up, it gave me some things to think about.

[greff]

Thanks for another great writeup. Something about Rahn before never appealed to me, but now I guess I have something to chew on and may have to proxy him into a game or two to see if I like him or not.

ps - I won't lie, but some of your first writeups may or may not have influenced me into playing the Angry Elves. Good thing I've had no reason to look back yet :P

[Wickedstormy]

Once again, thank you for sharing your wisdom. I am concentrating on Kaelyssa for the moment, but I think I may try Rhan out next!

[Lord Xalys]

Unfortunately, it's worth noting that the "completely within 2 inches" requirement prevents you from being able to 'leap frog' over models - the minimal move distance required put you out of completely within 2 inches.

oh how awesome it would be if you could.

Bloody hell, you're right! :confused: I guess that's what you get for running sumulations in your head when you're ought to be asleep... I'll amend it right away!

P.S. and I'll link to the Mittens for Kittens as well, it's the least I can do for a fellow tactician.

LX

[TacCom]

Very well done Xalys. You have a habit of bringing quality articles to the table, even if you're half asleep while writing them ;)

Rahn is a very versitile and fun caster to play. Time and time again he has come through for me in various and interesting ways and I believe it will be some time before I get even remotely bored of playing with him. The amount of control he gives you almost means that you get to play with your models and your opponant's to a large degree.

I've put most of my comments about Rahn in the mittens for kittens so you'll find most what I have to say about him there. (albiet it talks about the tiers but there is still heavy discussion about Rahn himself too).

[WombatJuggernaut]

Bloody hell, you're right! :confused: I guess that's what you get for running sumulations in your head when you're ought to be asleep... I'll amend it right away!

P.S. and I'll link to the Mittens for Kittens as well, it's the least I can do for a fellow tactician.

LX

Worth noting that while you may not have the movement to jump directly over a whole model, that doesn't mean you won't be able to get past a unit. If they are spaced apart at all, you may be able to make it past them into that gap. You can also create a space like that with slams or spells... such as telekinesis.

For example...

X = myrmidon
O = trooper

...OO.....
....X......

can't go to

....X.....
...O....

but

..O..O....
....X.....

may have room to get to

....X....
..O..O..

If he snugs up close enough to their bases, and they are spread apart enough. That is, you aren't jumping over the whole diameter of the base base, just part of each model's side. The same is true for an enemy jack...

X = myrm
Y = enemy jack

...Y...
...X...

could jump to

.....X..
...Y....

Where you may be able to sneak into his back arc, even though you couldn't jump directly over him. Facing, base size, and distance between models would all play a large part here.


Sorry to go a little overboard with that, I'm sure we could explain tactical options of that spell forever, but I just didn't want anyone going into a battle thinking i can't ever jump over an enemy unit, and giving up some good opportunities.

[thecsharian]

Worth noting that while you may not have the movement to jump directly over a whole model, that doesn't mean you won't be able to get past a unit. If they are spaced apart at all, you may be able to make it past them into that gap.Yes, just so everybody knows (the actual numbers)


...O.O...
....X....
where X is touching both Os.

can go to
....X....
...O.O...




(X moving with telekinesisIF:

X and O are small based models and the O models are 0.9637mm (0.0379inches) apart
X is small based, O are medium based and the O models are 4.0799mm (0.1606inches) apart
X is small based, O are large based and the O models are 5.9005mm (0.2323inches) apart
X and O are medium based models and the O models are 10.9005mm (0.4292inches) apart
X is medium based, O are small based and the O models are 9.0799mm (0.3575inches) apart
X is medium based, O are large based and the O models are 12.1462mm (0.4782inches) apart
X and O are large based models and the O models are 18.0679mm (0.7113inches) apart
X is large based, O are small based and the O models are 15.9005mm (0.6260inches) apart
X is large based, O are medium based and the O models are 17.1462mm (0.6750inches) apart
(these are all minimum distances.)

In this case though:

The same is true for an enemy jack...
X = myrm
Y = enemy jack
...Y...
...X...
could jump to
.....X..
...Y....
Where you may be able to sneak into his back arc, even though you couldn't jump directly over him. Facing, base size, and distance between models would all play a large part here.You aren't likely to get into the back arc - large based models have to be pretty much in B2B with their original position, and medium bases have to be within 10.8mm (0.4252inches) from where they started, that really isn't much room.

[Lord Xalys]

As I'm a little more visually inclined, I'll try and figure out what the hell you guys are saying above when I get the time. :P Still, good to see that my idea of skipping over models wasn't a complete loss after all...

LX

[theorymachine]

being able to reach 26” across the field from where he stands and hit something with Force Hammer is downright scary in my book

this

With boosted attack and damage at magic ability 8 under feat conditions wins games.

Also, some abilities can deny slam movement if one is in base to base contact with another model, if one finds this to be a problem, add a boosted attack roll telekinesis for two focus first and then force hammer.

Finally, nothing like slamming a warjack over the caster it was obscuring for four focus and a boosted power 12 damage roll followed by slamming the caster into the jack that just knocked it down for an additional die for a total of 4 dice damage roll power 12 hit for the remaining four focus. Add in some fully boosted Magister force blasts and the caster is likely ended.

[chrsjxn]

Another Telekinesis use, now that the Hordes MK2 Field Test is upon us, is that you can turn around enemy warbeasts who seem likely to frenzy. And potentially push them closer to prime frenzy targets, like squishy support solos.

[Lord Xalys]

this
Finally, nothing like slamming a warjack over the caster it was obscuring for four focus and a boosted power 12 damage roll followed by slamming the caster into the jack that just knocked it down for an additional die for a total of 4 dice damage roll power 12 hit for the remaining four focus. Add in some fully boosted Magister force blasts and the caster is likely ended.

Unfortunately you can't move a model that's already knocked down with a slam (MKII rules, p. 63). So, you either 1) slam the 'jack over the 'caster or 2) the 'caster against the 'jack. Of course they depend on the relative position of the models involved, but in general you'd want to use 1) when a 'caster has exceptionally high DEF (Rahn can hit a lot with FOC8 and a boost, but there are comfort zones and limits). The use of 2) obviously yields more damage (12+4d6), but requires a direct hit on said target. Still, you're absolutely right in that these moves kill 'casters!


Another Telekinesis use, now that the Hordes MK2 Field Test is upon us, is that you can turn around enemy warbeasts who seem likely to frenzy. And potentially push them closer to prime frenzy targets, like squishy support solos.

Nice one! Hadn't thought of that yet. Good to remember indeed.

LX

[theorymachine]

Unfortunately you can't move a model that's already knocked down with a slam (MKII rules, p. 63).

Curses! Foiled again!
~even theory engines are fallible

[Lord Xalys]

Curses! Foiled again!
~even theory engines are fallible

No sweat, happens to me too. We're both running on theory engines most of the time, right? ;)

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to try Rahn out in a 15pts all-'jack list. In lower points games, his control of the field increases significantly. Less models to block LOS, means less models to move aside with Telekinesis/Force Hammer. You also get more mileage out of Force Blast. Should be fun!

LX

[karn987]

Nicely done again! Great right up man, keep it going. Who's the next person on your writing block?

[Lord Xalys]

Nicely done again! Great right up man, keep it going. Who's the next person on your writing block?

Thx! Check the sticky on top of the community page; it always lists both the article I'm currently writing and the one that's due after that. Right now I'm working on the Manticore, after which I'll tackle Vyros. :cool:

LX

[Ptemplarcrish]

Also, with TK, you dont have to worry so much about getting the right line set up for a Force Hammer slam through their caster, you just put their jack/caster in the proper place before doing it...:D

[Bl00dw0lf]

Quick question:

Rahn's feat reads that it adds plus 2 inches to spells and boosts all magic attack and damage rolls.

Our Myrmidon's weapons are MAGICAL WEAPONS, so does Rahn's feat boost them as well?

From reading the description in our forces handbook, I think I am right. Can someone confirm or deny?

[Draekon Darkstorm]

Rahn, is by far my favorite caster for the Retribution.

Draekon

[Stachelbaer]

@Bl00dw0lf:
Magical Weapons are no Spells... Rahns feat only boosts Spells. They only get +2 RNG if they are not arced.

[Bl00dw0lf]

It doesn't say spells.

It says spells get +2 range and their magical attack and damage rolls are boosted...

So I guess the real question is:

If a model attacks with a magical weapon, is that attack considered "magical" in nature...

[Mod_Redphantasm]

It doesn't say spells.

It says spells get +2 range and their magical attack and damage rolls are boosted...

So I guess the real question is:

If a model attacks with a magical weapon, is that attack considered "magical" in nature...

Rahns feat boosts spells only. If you're going to ask questions like this, then post the exact wording of the ability in question, not the abreviated version you remember. While under the effect of Rahns feat, models gain boosted magic attack and magic damge rolls. This applies only to spells, which are magic attacks. Magical weapns, like those on Myrmidons, do not make "magic attack" or "magical attacks" they make magical ranged attacks. These attacks are still ranged attacks though, and gain all the benefits and detriments based on that.

[Bl00dw0lf]

Rahns feat boosts spells only. If you're going to ask questions like this, then post the exact wording of the ability in question, not the abreviated version you remember. While under the effect of Rahns feat, models gain boosted magic attack and magic damge rolls. This applies only to spells, which are magic attacks. Magical weapns, like those on Myrmidons, do not make "magic attack" or "magical attacks" they make magical ranged attacks. These attacks are still ranged attacks though, and gain all the benefits and detriments based on that.

Posting the exact wording is not allowed on the forums as I understand the rule. All you had to say was "no" and then give me a reason why as it is stated somewhere in the rules. I thought my paraphrasing was clear enough to convey my question....

I was away from my rulebook (in a doctor's office waiting) and had the thought, so I came online and asked.


I think people like you are the reason new players are timid about posting their questions. All you had to say was no and tell me why from the rules' perspective. Don't lecture me about posting nomenclature.

The Battle Magister's Force Bolt is a Star Attack. It doesn't say that it's a "spell." It says it's a range ten magic attack.

To say the same of the Hydra's Force Cannon, which is A RANGE 12 ATTACK FROM A MAGIC WEAPON, wouldn't be that far of a leap in logic.

They are both ranged attacks, but one is rolled from a Magic Ability rating (7 in the Magister's case) and the other from the Hydra's RAT.

The Hydra's weapon itself is magical. I was wondering if the shot or blast was in nature magical as well, and could thus be used with Rahn's Feat allowing boosted attack and damage rolls.

Again, for the record, Rahn's feat says, and I AM paraphrasing, " models gain range from non channeled spells and those models' MAGIC attack and MAGIC damage rolls are boosted.

I just got home, where I could access my rulebook, and I see that on page 69 of the MK II rules that attacks made by magical weapons are not magical attacks.

And to correct you, Magic ranged weapons make RANGED ATTACKS.

[Mod_Redphantasm]

Posting the exact wording of abilies is absolutely allowed, otherwise we would be unable to answer rules questions. As your misunderstanding about rahns feat shows perfectly, smallthings in the wording of abilies can vastly effect their use. Your paraphrasing in this case was enough for me to understand the question, but without the exact wording posted its hard to show the reasons why you were wrong.


Now, to correct you: there is no such thing as a magic range weapon. There are, however, ranged weapons with the magical weapon ability. These weapons make ranged attacks that are magical. Worded another way, they make magical ranged attacks as I said.

Again, there is a difference between magical attacks and magic attacks. One is a normal attack with a special type, the other is a spell.

You are right on the magister, it does not say its a spell. The rulebook however goes over the details of magic abilities. They are spells, and anything that effects or stops spell casting will do so to those using magic abilities.

My apologies if I seem blunt, but straight questions get straight answers. I am most certainly not "stopping newer players from asking questions". Any trip to the rules forum will show you just how many of those there are. I'm blunt because most questions are easily answered with "read it again" , "No/yes, Prime pg XX" or "the ability does what it says it does, nothing more"

[FearLord]

A magic attack is a spell (as per the rulebook). A Magic ability *Action/*attack is a spell (as per the rulebook).

Weapons with Magical advantage make magical ranged or melee attacks, but are not "Magic attacks" (as these are defined as spells).

Rahn's feat only boosts Magic Attacks (i.e spells).

[hausdorff space]

All you had to say was no and tell me why from the rules' perspective. Don't lecture me about posting nomenclature.Bear in mind that Stachelbaer did give you the answer and you tried to correct him.

[jandrese]

Also, if a Warlock has run a beast right to the edge of their control area, you can TK it out of the control area to greatly increase the chances of it frenzying next turn, just don't forget to point it at some enemy model if you can. This also denies the warlock their fury.

[dicegod]

Also, if a Warlock has run a beast right to the edge of their control area, you can TK it out of the control area to greatly increase the chances of it frenzying next turn, just don't forget to point it at some enemy model if you can. This also denies the warlock their fury.

Or use force hammer, because they won't be able to shake the knock down.
(if the chance of a frenzy is low).

[Bl00dw0lf]

OK, so can someone tell me what makes Rahn our most competitive caster?

Is it his feat turn when used with like four squads of Battle Mages?

Is it his movement shenanigans?

Is it his high focus?

I can see how moving my enemies units out of objective zones could be a boon, but aside from that, I think I am missing the point.

Don't get me wrong: I am NOT knocking Rahn. I LIKE him. I am about to play a 50 point tourney and I am seriously considering ordering 2 more units of Battle Mages to supplement the two I have just to have a great chance at winning.

But what makes that Rahn, kittens with mittens list so effective in tournament play?

Can any Rahn gurus give me some advice?

[Mod_Redphantasm]

It is Rahn's spells and feat that make him so powerful. The feat gives himself the equivalent of several extra focus, and turns all battle mages around into force-bolting murder machines.

Rahn is first and foremost a control caster. He can slam things around, pick them up and move them (or turn them around), redirect AOEs as he pleases, prevent key units from being charged, lay down his own AOEs, and is very resistant to things which try to make him easy to hit. His feat also combos well with Battle mages, allowing for even more control, movement, and knockdown on the board. His high focus is another boon, allowing him to run Myrmidons very heavy when he wants.

That said, an army that tries to maximize the use of Rahn's feat (ie, one that fills up with battle mages), has some very distinct weaknesses. Battle mages have a lot of trouble against stealth, cannot take any sort of damage, have a small footprint on the table, and are very susceptible to magical immunity, or other things that punish spell casting.

[jandrese]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be fielding an all-battlemage army and then see Orin Midwinter walk onto the field on the other side.

[hausdorff space]

But what makes that Rahn, kittens with mittens list so effective in tournament play?Nothing really. They are great at control, which is important in Tournament play, but very easily neutered.

As others have alluded, Rahn is at his strongest with things other than Mages
- you still want a unit and solo or two to capitilize on the feat, but when you add knock down, charge denial and place effects to Assassins and Dawnguard... then it becomes powerful.

[NaZ]

Rahn is an incredibly potent warcaster.

I use him as my primary in an A/B setup, with kalyssa being there for matchups that are troublesome.

So here is my 35pt tier 2 list:

Rahn
Phoenix
Discordia
Battle mages
Battle mages
Houseguard Rifleman (small)
arcanist (free)
3 magistars

on feat turn, unloading multiple chain blasts (all damage rolls are boosted) and massed spellfire from the mages and magistars levels quite a few foes.

his technical spells provide a lot of tactical flexibility and zone control, incredibly useful for scenario play!

why the rifleman? I find the long guns VERY helpful especially against warjacks. if they can get a bead on a knocked down warcaster its usually game over

NaZ

[sassmaw]

My favorite application of force hammer is slaming a jack into my opponents castor an then throwing 1-2 MHA at it :) It's only ever worked twice but still......... it's an awsome feeling when it does

[sassmaw]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be fielding an all-battlemage army and then see Orin Midwinter walk onto the field on the other side.

Or a thrulg, that absolutly destorys the mittens list

*Sorry for double post*

[NaZ]

armies like that are why I have kalyssa as a backup ;)

orin doesn't seem like that much of a problem, but things like this are why I take rifleman.

I generally don't take rahn at all against cryx to avoid an asphyxious hosing. there are a few other times where he is not that good, but even still can be a potent warcaster.

NaZ

[Bl00dw0lf]

Thanks to all who answered my questions about making a great Rahn tourney list.

I don't own any of the Houseguard models yet (no plans for ever owning the Halberdiers, but those Riflemen are looking better and better for their CRA into melee).

So, how about a list like this:

(Discordia isn't allowed in my tourney in two weeks. Nobody in my local META will be playing Druids that I know of, and I am the only one in my local META to have bought a couple of Thrullgs (for my Trollz).

Army:
Type: Skirmish (1 caster, 50pts)
Points: 50
Adeptis Rahn Shyeel (*6pts)
* Chimera (6pts)
* Phoenix (10pts)
* Phoenix (10pts)
Dawnguard Invictors (Leader and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
* Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard (2pts)
* Soulless Escort (1pts)
House Shyeel Battle Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
House Shyeel Battle Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Arcanist (1pts)
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (3pts)
Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios (3pts)

I almost want to drop the Chimera and add the Fane Knight to help with Endgame/Caste/lock kills...

[NaZ]

personally I don't understand not playing tier 3, advance move for the battle mages and magistars is just incredible.

If you can trade the invictors for rifleman or halbradiers, add their UA and a magistar that leaves you 2 points for escorts or another solo, etc

this would let you run at tier 3

just my .02

NaZ

[hausdorff space]

If you can trade the invictors for rifleman or halbradiers...
...problem
I don't own any of the Houseguard models

T3 Rahn is pretty awesome, and oh so easy to achieve, but in a truly competitive environment I do think you really want epic Eiryss in there.
I would also consider Sentinels over Invictors, and/or two Magisters and a second Arcanist over a second unit of HSBMs... as Magisters are awesome.

[Bl00dw0lf]

...problem

T3 Rahn is pretty awesome, and oh so easy to achieve, but in a truly competitive environment I do think you really want epic Eiryss in there.
I would also consider Sentinels over Invictors, and/or two Magisters and a second Arcanist over a second unit of HSBMs... as Magisters are awesome.

As always, your insight is appreciated. Why E Eiryss over P Eiryss though?

[hausdorff space]

As always, your insight is appreciated. Why E Eiryss over P Eiryss though?eEiryss removes upkeeps (and hinders focus allocation).
Just as Rahn's Polarity Shield can cause huge issues for enemy armies, enemy upkeeps can cause huge issues for us
...and Rahn is our only Warcaster without the ability to ignore something (even Vyros at least ignores LoS).

[TotalGee]

Also eEiryss removes animi from a model hit, things like defense and armour buffs from shredders, armour buffs and stuff from the Carnivian and Typhon, Elemental communion from troll bloods....etc

eEiryss works for her points every turn

[Woahorse]

Well done! Excellent Write up!