RabiTampa
11-23-2009, 08:11 PM
Another great Lord Xayls' threads :D
Hi community,
The third instalment has arrived, this time about the Stormfall Archers (thanks to DarkLegacy). This unit is fairly unique in its capabilities, quite like the Gorgon really. The Stormfall Archers are one of few small-based unit that comes in 4 models, which I found pretty surprising when I first read about them. Later on I realised that this is due to the fact of them being our light artillery. Having a unit of archers as our ordnance is another thing that sets the Retribution apart from the other factions.
Here we go!
Stormfall Archers
?Fundamentally the marksman aims at himself.?
http://scienceblogs.com/isisthescientist/upload/2009/04/dr_isis_i_only_need_a_minute_o/explosion.jpg
Stats
Stormfall Archers resemble Houseguard Riflemen the most when it comes to stats. They have one less SPD unfortunately, but the fact that our artillery can move-and-fire is actually downright awesome.
Their DEF and ARM are decent for light infantry, and they could actually survive a stray AOE blast. Still, these guys are obviously meant to keep a distance between them and the enemy. Don?t tempt fate by walking them into a Deliverer barrage or something like that.
Their RAT of 5 is where some people start to discount this unit. Yes, I would have loved to have it one point higher as well, but seeing as what kind of ammo they fire you should actually praise Scyrah that they didn?t get the Inaccurate rule! Also, as the only ?light artillery?, Stormfall Archers can get the aiming bonus for an effective RAT of 7 (ehich they should always strive to get). Combined with Snipe (see Weapons & Attacks) they are far more accurate than you?d think.
One unit of Archers costs 5, which is as much as a Gorgon, Skeryth Issyen or a minimum unit of Riflemen/Mage Hunters. I?d say they?re pretty cheap for what they provide. They are also FA2, meaning eight AOE?s per turn. When you?re facing a swarm of Mechanithralls, you wish you had two units of these guys bolstering your lines.
Weapons & Attacks
The Great Bow is where you took these guys for, right? It is basically a Handcannon at a RNG and POW of 12, which essentially makes it the most powerful ranged weapon an infantry unit can have. But it doesn?t stop there, no: the Great Bow also has a 3? AOE! After all, Stormfall Archers fire grenade-tipped arrows. Think of this unit as having RPG launchers and you?d be getting real close. And POW6 blast damage kills light infantry on average rolls. Deviations can even work to your advantage, like when firing at Stealthed models like Striders. This means the Stormfall Archers are one of the few options the Retribution has to deal with Stealth.
The very best thing about the Great Bow though, is that it is able to use three great attack types to augment their firepower with. See Skills & Abilities below!
The Stormfall Archers also have a sword for use in melee, with which they are actually just as good at hitting with as with the Great Bow. These guys should always be shooting, in a position away from the enemy lines, but it could come in handy when an annoying solo comes flanking your firebase (but personally I?d rather have a Soulless Escort using Flank to dispatch such a foe).
Skills & Abilities
As has already been mentioned, the Stormfall Archers have three attack types from which they can choose when making a ranged attack: Brutal Shot, Snipe and Star Strike.
1) Brutal Shot adds an additional damage die to the damage roll suffered by a target that is directly hit by the attack (so by the POW12). This attack type is obviously meant to damage harder targets. Also, as the legendary adagium goes, ?boosted POW12?s kill ?casters?.
2) Snipe is simply brilliant, and I?m stoked that the Retribution has access to this time-honored spell. It adds 4? to the Stormfall Archers? already decent range, giving them more opportunity to reach across the board and thin out light infantry hordes early in the battle, and/or have them use the aiming bonus more often.
3) Star Strike is a unique attack type. It deals no damage itself, but instead sets everything under the AOE ablaze (continuous effect: Fire) on a direct hit. Caveat lector! It specifies ?direct hit?, meaning that on a miss absolutely nothing happens. Use this preferably on a low(er) DEF target with multiple soft targets near it. A unit of Bile Thralls is an excellent target for this attack, as POW6 blast damage won?t kill them on average but a POW12 fire damage roll will (if it doesn?t expire that is). Setting Shield Walled troops on fire is also great, seeing as how Shield Wall expires before the fire damage roll. It is also an interesting way to get around enemy abilities triggering on you doing damage to them.
Synergy & Sample Tactics
? Vyros does not have much to offer the Stormfall Archers, but they do have something to offer him: crowd control. A typical Vyros army (with Dawnguard and myrmidons) will be able to deal with single hard targets quite effectively, but could be swamped by hordes of light infantry. Stormfall Archers alleviate this problem (they can also be taken into his tier lists). They are also awesome to fuel his ?jacks during feat turn, as every enemy model killed by an attack generates a focus for Vyros: this means that the AOE?s can kill multiple models and thus provide multiple focus points!
? Rahn can make good use of the Stormfall Archers to provide ranged support to his melee to short range oriented Battle Mages. Force Field also keeps the Archers relatively safe from enemy AOEs. Rahn also adds some much needed knockdown to take advantage from (see also the Hydra below).
? Garryth can appreciated some long range fire support as well, and Mirage only adds to their threat range (also remember that Apparition placement enables them to gain 2? of threat range while retaining the aiming bonus if they don?t move in their own activation). Death Sentence is also a great spell to compensate for the Archers? standard RAT, letting them re-roll every attack under an AOE.
? Kaelyssa has more subtle ways to help Stormfall Archers, mostly in terms of denial. She can keep them quite safe from magic thanks to Banishing Ward or Whiplash, from melee thanks to Rift (somewhat) and from ranged thanks to her feat.
? Ravyn is the absolute queen when it comes to Stormfall Archers! Casting Snipe on them enables the Archers to use Star Strike or Brutal Shot at 16?, Veil of Mists keeps them out of sight without hampering their own shooting and her feat is a total godsend: boosted ranged attack rolls and redeploying 2? after a kill? Yes, please! And while it will most probably never happen, I still like the idea of firing a Brutal Shot arrow into the Vortex of Destruction (POW12+4d6)?
? Battle Mages with their Force Barrier can laugh off the Stormfall barrage, so when they get in melee with squishy (maybe even Stealthed) infantry the Archers can rain down AOE's to free them up.
? While it is only situational, using one of your own high-ARM models to act as a ?homing beacon? for the Stormfall Archers could come in handy. Shooting a myrmidon in the back to set its assailants on fire might come up once or twice (DEF14 with backstrike bonus and melee penalty might be preferable to trying to hit a DEF18 Sorscha).
? The Hydra has some nice synergy with the Stormfall Archers due to Chain Attack: Grab and Smash. The Retribution has very little access to knockdown effects so far. The way I see it, throwing a model where it can be hit by 4 Brutal Shots never hurts.
? The two Houseguard units and the Stormfall Archers can work well in tandem. The Archers can fire safely from behind the Shield Walled line of Haberdiers, and they can take down softer targets while Riflemen concentrate on harder targets with their CRA.
? Lady Aiyana & Master Holt can greatly add to the Stormfall Archers? lifespan and damage output. While Holt provides two additional POW12?s, Aiyana can make our RPG-arrows magical (Shielded ?jacks and Incorporeals beware!) or add +2 to their damage rolls. The latter not only allows for effective POW14 Brutal Shots, but also an effective POW8 blast damage (which is a significant increase in troop killing capability).
Captain Darshyvin and his squad walked silently forward, almost completely hidden from the enemy?s eyes by the shields of the Halberdiers in front of them. Two tight lines of Khadoran pikemen advanced on their position, shields interlocked just like the Iosans. When they were barely in range, Darshyvin gave the order. He pulled back on his bowstring and launched his grenade-tipped arrow. His three compatriots followed suit. Moments later, a massive explosion blasted the lead Khadoran apart, thereby exposing the officer behind him. The rest of their frontline then burst into flames, throwing the formation into disarray. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Halberdiers charged.
Cheers,
LX
Hi community,
The third instalment has arrived, this time about the Stormfall Archers (thanks to DarkLegacy). This unit is fairly unique in its capabilities, quite like the Gorgon really. The Stormfall Archers are one of few small-based unit that comes in 4 models, which I found pretty surprising when I first read about them. Later on I realised that this is due to the fact of them being our light artillery. Having a unit of archers as our ordnance is another thing that sets the Retribution apart from the other factions.
Here we go!
Stormfall Archers
?Fundamentally the marksman aims at himself.?
http://scienceblogs.com/isisthescientist/upload/2009/04/dr_isis_i_only_need_a_minute_o/explosion.jpg
Stats
Stormfall Archers resemble Houseguard Riflemen the most when it comes to stats. They have one less SPD unfortunately, but the fact that our artillery can move-and-fire is actually downright awesome.
Their DEF and ARM are decent for light infantry, and they could actually survive a stray AOE blast. Still, these guys are obviously meant to keep a distance between them and the enemy. Don?t tempt fate by walking them into a Deliverer barrage or something like that.
Their RAT of 5 is where some people start to discount this unit. Yes, I would have loved to have it one point higher as well, but seeing as what kind of ammo they fire you should actually praise Scyrah that they didn?t get the Inaccurate rule! Also, as the only ?light artillery?, Stormfall Archers can get the aiming bonus for an effective RAT of 7 (ehich they should always strive to get). Combined with Snipe (see Weapons & Attacks) they are far more accurate than you?d think.
One unit of Archers costs 5, which is as much as a Gorgon, Skeryth Issyen or a minimum unit of Riflemen/Mage Hunters. I?d say they?re pretty cheap for what they provide. They are also FA2, meaning eight AOE?s per turn. When you?re facing a swarm of Mechanithralls, you wish you had two units of these guys bolstering your lines.
Weapons & Attacks
The Great Bow is where you took these guys for, right? It is basically a Handcannon at a RNG and POW of 12, which essentially makes it the most powerful ranged weapon an infantry unit can have. But it doesn?t stop there, no: the Great Bow also has a 3? AOE! After all, Stormfall Archers fire grenade-tipped arrows. Think of this unit as having RPG launchers and you?d be getting real close. And POW6 blast damage kills light infantry on average rolls. Deviations can even work to your advantage, like when firing at Stealthed models like Striders. This means the Stormfall Archers are one of the few options the Retribution has to deal with Stealth.
The very best thing about the Great Bow though, is that it is able to use three great attack types to augment their firepower with. See Skills & Abilities below!
The Stormfall Archers also have a sword for use in melee, with which they are actually just as good at hitting with as with the Great Bow. These guys should always be shooting, in a position away from the enemy lines, but it could come in handy when an annoying solo comes flanking your firebase (but personally I?d rather have a Soulless Escort using Flank to dispatch such a foe).
Skills & Abilities
As has already been mentioned, the Stormfall Archers have three attack types from which they can choose when making a ranged attack: Brutal Shot, Snipe and Star Strike.
1) Brutal Shot adds an additional damage die to the damage roll suffered by a target that is directly hit by the attack (so by the POW12). This attack type is obviously meant to damage harder targets. Also, as the legendary adagium goes, ?boosted POW12?s kill ?casters?.
2) Snipe is simply brilliant, and I?m stoked that the Retribution has access to this time-honored spell. It adds 4? to the Stormfall Archers? already decent range, giving them more opportunity to reach across the board and thin out light infantry hordes early in the battle, and/or have them use the aiming bonus more often.
3) Star Strike is a unique attack type. It deals no damage itself, but instead sets everything under the AOE ablaze (continuous effect: Fire) on a direct hit. Caveat lector! It specifies ?direct hit?, meaning that on a miss absolutely nothing happens. Use this preferably on a low(er) DEF target with multiple soft targets near it. A unit of Bile Thralls is an excellent target for this attack, as POW6 blast damage won?t kill them on average but a POW12 fire damage roll will (if it doesn?t expire that is). Setting Shield Walled troops on fire is also great, seeing as how Shield Wall expires before the fire damage roll. It is also an interesting way to get around enemy abilities triggering on you doing damage to them.
Synergy & Sample Tactics
? Vyros does not have much to offer the Stormfall Archers, but they do have something to offer him: crowd control. A typical Vyros army (with Dawnguard and myrmidons) will be able to deal with single hard targets quite effectively, but could be swamped by hordes of light infantry. Stormfall Archers alleviate this problem (they can also be taken into his tier lists). They are also awesome to fuel his ?jacks during feat turn, as every enemy model killed by an attack generates a focus for Vyros: this means that the AOE?s can kill multiple models and thus provide multiple focus points!
? Rahn can make good use of the Stormfall Archers to provide ranged support to his melee to short range oriented Battle Mages. Force Field also keeps the Archers relatively safe from enemy AOEs. Rahn also adds some much needed knockdown to take advantage from (see also the Hydra below).
? Garryth can appreciated some long range fire support as well, and Mirage only adds to their threat range (also remember that Apparition placement enables them to gain 2? of threat range while retaining the aiming bonus if they don?t move in their own activation). Death Sentence is also a great spell to compensate for the Archers? standard RAT, letting them re-roll every attack under an AOE.
? Kaelyssa has more subtle ways to help Stormfall Archers, mostly in terms of denial. She can keep them quite safe from magic thanks to Banishing Ward or Whiplash, from melee thanks to Rift (somewhat) and from ranged thanks to her feat.
? Ravyn is the absolute queen when it comes to Stormfall Archers! Casting Snipe on them enables the Archers to use Star Strike or Brutal Shot at 16?, Veil of Mists keeps them out of sight without hampering their own shooting and her feat is a total godsend: boosted ranged attack rolls and redeploying 2? after a kill? Yes, please! And while it will most probably never happen, I still like the idea of firing a Brutal Shot arrow into the Vortex of Destruction (POW12+4d6)?
? Battle Mages with their Force Barrier can laugh off the Stormfall barrage, so when they get in melee with squishy (maybe even Stealthed) infantry the Archers can rain down AOE's to free them up.
? While it is only situational, using one of your own high-ARM models to act as a ?homing beacon? for the Stormfall Archers could come in handy. Shooting a myrmidon in the back to set its assailants on fire might come up once or twice (DEF14 with backstrike bonus and melee penalty might be preferable to trying to hit a DEF18 Sorscha).
? The Hydra has some nice synergy with the Stormfall Archers due to Chain Attack: Grab and Smash. The Retribution has very little access to knockdown effects so far. The way I see it, throwing a model where it can be hit by 4 Brutal Shots never hurts.
? The two Houseguard units and the Stormfall Archers can work well in tandem. The Archers can fire safely from behind the Shield Walled line of Haberdiers, and they can take down softer targets while Riflemen concentrate on harder targets with their CRA.
? Lady Aiyana & Master Holt can greatly add to the Stormfall Archers? lifespan and damage output. While Holt provides two additional POW12?s, Aiyana can make our RPG-arrows magical (Shielded ?jacks and Incorporeals beware!) or add +2 to their damage rolls. The latter not only allows for effective POW14 Brutal Shots, but also an effective POW8 blast damage (which is a significant increase in troop killing capability).
Captain Darshyvin and his squad walked silently forward, almost completely hidden from the enemy?s eyes by the shields of the Halberdiers in front of them. Two tight lines of Khadoran pikemen advanced on their position, shields interlocked just like the Iosans. When they were barely in range, Darshyvin gave the order. He pulled back on his bowstring and launched his grenade-tipped arrow. His three compatriots followed suit. Moments later, a massive explosion blasted the lead Khadoran apart, thereby exposing the officer behind him. The rest of their frontline then burst into flames, throwing the formation into disarray. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Halberdiers charged.
Cheers,
LX