Arcane Tempest Rifleman

99% of this website is about Mark 3 (mk3), which is the previous edition of the game (2016 to 2022). The reasons for this are explained here. 1% of the website is about Mark 4 (mk4), but only in regards to which mk3 models are useable in mk4 Prime and which are mk4 Unlimited. See Legacy Armies for more detail.

Arcane Tempest Rifleman Cygnar Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Solo

Limbo This model has not (yet) been updated with Mk IV rules, as of 2022.11. Privateer Press have promised it will get updated ... eventually. You can view the Mk3 models that have been updated on this page. Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

These highly skilled marksmen serve as an expansion of the armed might of the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest. Armed with steely nerve, long-ranged magelock rifles, and witheringly effective combat magic, arcane tempest riflemen operate autonomously to neutralize enemy officers or to help bring down hard targets. Training alongside CRS scouts affords them greater awareness when navigating battlefields, able to identify enemy forces attempting to move unseen.

Basic Info

Arcane Tempest Rifleman
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR {{{str}}} MAT 5 RAT 7 M.A. N/A DEF 14 ARM 11 CMD ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 3 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Arcane Precision - If this model uses its Normal Movement to aim, it ignores Stealth that activation.
• Marksman - When this model damages a warjack or warbeast with a ranged attack, choose which column or branch suffers the damage.
• Reposition [3"] - At the end of an activation in which it did not run or fail a charge, this model can advance up to 3", then its activation ends.

Weapons

• Magelock rifle - 14" range, POW 10 gun
  • Damage Type: Magical
  • Attack Type - Each time this weapon is used to make an attack, choose one of the following special rules:
    • Deadly Shot - Instead of making a damage roll to resolve an attack with this weapon, you can choose to have a model hit by this weapon suffer 3 damage points instead. A model disabled by this attack cannot make a Tough roll.
    • Snipe - This attack gains +4 RNG.
    • Ward Breaker - When resolving this attack, this weapon gains Blessed.
• Sword - 0.5" reach, P+S 7 melee weapon.

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Sons of the Tempest. In this theme you don't have to pay to upkeep spells on this model.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.

Thoughts on Arcane Tempest Rifleman

Arcane Tempest Rifleman in a nutshell

The Arcane Tempest Rifleman is the cousin to the Gun Mage Captain Adept, slightly cheaper and giving up the ability to pick two different magical shot types in order to gain an extra 4" of range. And with shot types more focused on killing than the sheer utility the Captain Adept brings.

Combos & Synergies

• Unsurprisingly for a Cygnar model with a gun, the Rifleman doesn't mind anyone adding some DEF de-buff for his target (like the Gun Mage Captain Adept's Flare shot, or the same effect from Kraye's feat.
• Haley1 allows them to burn through models, especially solos, under her feat.
• A second Rifleman lets you take out an arc node or kill a solo in a turn. Combine them with Eiryss1's Death Shot to take out 9 boxes even on the heaviest target.
• Combining multiple Deadly Shots with Alten Ashley against a Warbeast means that you can likely cripple its Spirit aspect reliably, and your opponent has no reply thanks to Grievous Wounds.
• The Hermit of Henge Hold and the Covenant of Menoth have the annoying Ancient Shroud rule which would otherwise save them from quite a few attacks (in case of the Hermit it is 5 with Mad Visions, 4 if he's in an Infernal list). Deadly Shot circumvents this rule as you choose the 3 damage instead of a damage roll, so 2 shots from him can bring down this important support piece for good. Watch out as it is still an enemy attack, and thus can trigger Dark Prophecy.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• His DEF is good, but not outstanding; while his ARM is basically a sheet of paper. If he gets hit, there is an excellent chance he will die.
• For an extra point the Gun Mage Captain Adept can bring nearly the same destructive potential against all but the hardest targets, with the added support toolbox.

Tricks & Tips

• You've an incredible range between the long rifle range and Snipe - easily catching models from turn 1 with a single advance, if going second.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Prime Mk3

Other Cygnar models

Cygnar Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Caine1 - Caine2 - Caine3 - Constance - Darius - Haley1 - Haley2 - Haley3 - Jakes2 - Kraye - Maddox - Nemo1 - Nemo2 - Nemo3 - Sloan - Stryker1 - Stryker2 - Stryker3 - Siege1 - Siege2 - Sturgis1
Warcaster attachments	Squire (Cygnar) - Madelyn Corbeau (Merc) - Reinholdt (Merc) - Wyshnalyrr (Merc)
Other Warjack Controllers	Battlegroup Controllers: Caine0 - Nemo4 - Jakes1 - Journeyman - T. Warcaster Lieutenant 'Jack Marshals: Runewood - Strangewayes - Anson Hitch - Stormblade Captain - T. Master Gunner - Gun Mage CA - Stormblade CA - Sword Knights CA
Light	Charger - Firefly - Grenadier - Hunter - Lancer - Minuteman - Sentinel Ace - Thorn
Heavy	Avenger - Centurion - Cyclone - Defender - Hammersmith - Ironclad - Reliant - Stormclad Brickhouse - Dynamo - Gallant - Ol' Rowdy - Thunderhead - Triumph
Colossal	Stormwall - Hurricane
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Arcane Tempest Gun Mages - Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Field Mechaniks - Legion of Lost Souls - Long Gunner Infantry - OoI Resolutes - OoI Vigilants - Precursor Knights - Rangers - Silver Line Stormguard - Storm Lances - Stormblades - Stormguard - Stormsmith Grenadiers - Storm Tower - Sword Knights - Tempest Blazers - Tr Cannon Crew - Tr Chain Gun Crew - Tr Commandos - Tr Express Team - Tr Long Gunners - Tr Infantry - Tr Mechaniks Special CA : Captain Jonas Murdoch (Mercenary unit) - Special WA: Morrowan Battle Priest (any unit)
Solos	Arcane Tempest Rifleman - Archduke Runewood - Captain Arlan Strangewayes - Captain Maxwell Finn - Commander Anson Hitch - Dreyfus1 - Dreyfus2 & Flubbin2 - Grand Master Gabriel Throne - Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One - Gun Mage Captain Adept - Journeyman Lieutenant Allister Caine - Journeyman Warcaster - Harlan Versh, Illuminated One - Lieutenant Allison Jakes - Lieutenant Bastian Falk - Lieutenant Gwen Keller - Major Katherine Laddermore - Major Harrison Gibbs - Morrowan Archon - Savio Montero Acosta - Squire - Stormblade Captain - Stormcallers - Tr Buster - Tr Master Gunner - Tr Patrol Dog - Tr Warcaster Lieutenant - Viktor Pendrake
Battle Engines & Structures	Nemo4 - Storm Strider - Trencher Blockhouse
Theme Forces
Flame in the Darkness - Gravediggers - Heavy Metal - Sons of the Tempest - Storm Division
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cygnar Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification:  : Magical Damage      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling) All spells have "Damage Type: Magical" (refer errata). This is inherited by "immediate" secondary damage (such as Eruption of Spines). (Infernal Ruling) and might be inherited by "lingering" secondary damage (see below). If a spell leaves a template in play that does damage to models that walk around in it, then: if it is not described as a hazard it will do magical damage to models that walk around in it. (Example: Razor Wall) if it is a hazard then it will not do magical damage to models that walk around in it. Instead, it does whatever damage type is specified by the spell description. (Example: Breath of Corruption). (Infernal Ruling) If a weapon/spell includes Magic Damage and another kind of elemental damage it will still damage Incorporeal models. Incorporeal models are not affected by the rule "if an attack does multiple types of damage and a model is immune to at least one it is immune to the entire attack." The phrase "immune to non-magical damage" should be interpreted as "immune to damage that doesn't include Damage Type: Magical" (not interpreted as "has immunity to Corrosion and Electricity and Cold and etc.")

Rules Clarification : Attack Type and/or Arcane Savant     (Edit) If you forget to declare your Attack Type before rolling the attack, and you and your opponent can't agree on a fair fix, then the Judge's Policy is that the first listed Attack Type is the one that will be used. If your target can only be targeted by certain kinds of attack (ie a Menoth warjack with Passage), you can first choose the correct Attack Type (ie Magical Damage vs Passage) and then that allows you to target it. The Attack Type selection and target declaration both occur at Step 1 (Refer Appendix A). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Deadly Shot - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Snipe      (Edit) Although Snipe the spell and Snipe the Attack Type are two different "sources", they are multiple instances of the same effect. As such, they're not cumulative. Refer to the "Rule Priority" section of the core rulebook. Snipe does not affect the range of weapons that use the Spray template, or one's which have RNG = CTRL.

Rules Clarification : Ward Breaker      (Edit) Rules Clarification : Blessed and/or Creator's Wrath     (Edit) Blessed ignores spell buffs even if they're not directly on the target. (For example, Haley3's Temporal Distortion spell is cast on Haley and gives a DEF buff to everyone within 5". Blessed ignores it on everyone, not just on Haley.) (Locked thread) You only ignore the DEF/ARM buff if the spell directly adds to the stat (for example Arcane Shield gives +3 ARM). Whereas a spell which grants an ability, and the ability gives a DEF/ARM buff, would not be ignored by Blessed (for example Cloak of Ash gives a model concealment, and concealment gives +2 DEF). (Infernal Ruling) If a spell buffs DEF/ARM and [something else] then you ignore the buff but not the [something else]. (For example, the spell Death Ward grants +2 ARM and the defender chooses which column suffers damage. You would ignore the ARM bonus, but the defender still picks the column.) This ability only ignores buffs from spells, not buffs from feats (such as Stryker1's Invincibility +5 ARM) or abilities (such as Protective Aura's +2 ARM).

Rules Clarification : Arcane Precision      (Edit) A model that ignores Stealth must ignore both aspects: both (1) the auto-missing, and (2) the 'not counting as an intervening model' parts.

Rules Clarification : Marksman and/or Precision Strike     (Edit) These abilities do not get around Retribution Force Fields. The attacker's ability assigns it to a column, and Force Field reassigns it. Versus a Colossal or Gargantuan, you don't get to choose which grid is damaged. That is still governed by which Firing Arc the attacker is standing in. Attacker chooses column vs Defender chooses column (Edit) When both the attacker and defender have an ability that lets them choose the column that gets damaged, the attacker gets to choose. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Reposition      (Edit) Models out of formation cannot move via Reposition. Refer to the "Out of Formation" rules in the core rulebook. End of Activation (Edit) You cannot resolve two end-of-activation movement effects (refer to "End of Activation Movement" in the core rulebook). For EOA stuff that doesn't involve movement, though, it gets a bit more murky: Some EOA abilities explicitly state your activation ends as part of resolving the ability (like Reposition), and some don't (like Refuge). Whether it is explicit it or not, by definition an EOA ability is the last thing you can do for that activation. For instance, if you resolve Refuge and then continue your activation to cast more spells, then you have not used Refuge at the end of your activation. You cannot do an "at any time" ability during or after triggering an EOA ability; you cannot cast spells, purchase additional attacks, use a mini-feat, etc. If you start resolving an EOA movement (such as Reposition) then you cannot trigger abilities that occur "at any time" (such as Go To Ground). Because you can't trigger it while resolving the EOA movement, and after the EOA movement your activation has ended. (Infernal Ruling) For units: if any model in the unit starts resolving the unit's EOA movement, then no model in the unit can trigger an any-time ability. (Infernal Ruling) See also the training article: LPG - End of Activation.