Blackfrost Shard

Blackfrost Shard Legion Blighted Nyss Character Unit

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Ravens of War. It can also be used in the Unlimited game mode. You can view the other Mk3 models that made it into a Legacy Army at this page. Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

Sevryn, Rhylyss, and Vysarr are three blighted Nyss brothers, deadly warrior-sorcerers known as the Blackfrost Shard. Together, they bring to bear the ruthless martial prowess of the Nyss and the cold, merciless magic of ice and snow upon the enemies of their Everblight.

Basic Info

Blackfrost Shard
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR MAT 7 RAT N/A M.A. 7 DEF 14 ARM 12 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE 3 COST 9 3 each N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Everyone
  • Immunity: Cold
  • Pathfinder
  • Battle Wizard - Once per turn, when this model destroys one or more enemy models with a melee attack during its activation, immediately after the attack is resolved it can make one Magic Ability special attack or special action.
  • Combat Caster - When this model's unit receives the Press Forward order, before its Normal Movement, this model can make one Magical Ability special action or special attack. This model can then run or charge normally.
  • Magic Ability [ 7 ] - This model can cast spells. Normally this uses up the model's Combat Action and as such is limited to one spell per activation, but exceptions do exist.

• Sevryn only
  • Officer

Weapons

Nyss Claymore
		RNG				POW				P+S
		1				4				9
Weapon Master Damage Type: Magical

Spells

		COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Entire Unit
	Ice Bolt	(★ Attack)	10	-	12 (Cold)	(★)	Yes
	This spell deals Cold Damage. On a critical hit, the target becomes stationary for one round unless they have Immunity: Cold.
	Ice Cage	(★ Attack)	10	-	-	(★)	Yes
	This attack causes no damage. Instead, a model hit suffers a cumulative -2 DEF penalty for one turn unless it has Immunity: Cold. When a model without Immunity: Cold is hit with three or more Ice Cage attacks in the same turn, it becomes stationary for one round.
Sevryn only
	Unbinding	(★ Action)	-	(★)	-	-	No
	Enemy upkeep spells on models/units within 5˝ of this model expire. Models suffer d3 damage points for each of those spells they controlled.
Rhylyss only
	Kiss of Lyliss	(★ Attack)	10	-	-	Turn	Yes
	When a friendly Faction model makes a damage roll against a model/unit hit by Kiss of Lyliss, add +2 to the roll. Kiss of Lyliss lasts for one turn.
Vyssar only
	Cloak of Mist	(★ Action)	-	Formation	-	Round	No
	Models in this unit gain Stealth. Models are not affected while out of formation. Cloak of Mists lasts for one round.

Theme Forces

• Children of the Dragon
• Oracles of Annihilation. In this theme, enemy models that end their activation within 2" of this model suffer continuous corrosion.

Thoughts on Blackfrost Shard

Blackfrost Shard in a nutshell

The Blackfrost Shard ("BFS", "the Shard") is an incredibly useful and versatile unit, mustering 3 things:

• warlock-independent damage buff in the form of Kiss of Lyliss
• warlock-independent accuracy buff in the form of Ice Cage
• warlock-independent upkeep removal in the form of Unbinding

Whereas other factions have access to damage buffs in form of support units and non-self animi, Legion in general has few accuracy fixers, and even fewer damage fixing tools. They should be on the top of your buy list if you intend on playing the themes they're allowed in.

They can be considered as three solos priced at 3 pts each which is a very good deal for their toolbox. They have access to a decent variety of useful spells and have solid magic accuracy to back them up, and if need be they are weapon masters in melee with the added bonus of Battle Wizard. To further sweeten the deal they have Combat Caster so there will hardly ever be situations where they cannot do something useful.

The Shard is best used in the midline, keeping Cloak of Mist up, waiting for the right moment to tag an important enemy model with Kiss, or a combination of Ice Cages and Ice Bolts to improve the accuracy of the rest of your army. Usually, Sevryn will cast Ice Cage first, to help Rhylyss hit with the Kiss. Depending of the situation, Vysarr could also cast an Ice Cage (for assassination run), but the better option is generally Cloak of Mist, to keep them save. Used effectively, they will be able to cast several round and are great game ender to chase remains of unit or solo.

Sevryn with his Unbinding may come handy both if you plan on going all-in on an assassination and want to remove pesky upkeeps like Defenders Ward or Arcane Shield, or if the enemy has potent upkeep spells that might hider your unit (Parasite, Crippling Grasp, Rebuke, etc).

Combat Caster gives yet another layer of flexibility, allowing you to cast your spells first then dash to safety, or weaken a suitable target first to charge in, deliver their attack then trigger Battle Wizard to cause even more mayhem.

All that comes with a price though; their defense outside stealth is nothing to write home about and they are too valuable to be expended recklessly, while being important enough that the enemy will try to put them into early grave. Finding balance between offence and support duties while keeping them safe is a challenging - but nonetheless, rewarding - task.

Combos & Synergies

The Shard is self sufficient, and can slot into any list if you find your damage lacking or want some extra utility. If your warlock doesn't have a damage buff/ARM debuff, they're worth their weight in gold. If they do, you just get to double down on a really hard target, or spread the love in multiple places at once.

• Nephilim Bloodseer - Telemetry can help landing Kiss on important targets, just remember to keep the target in its 6" CMD bubble.
• Bethayne1 really loves them both for her feat and for Blood Thorn to support Battle Wizard.
• Any caster that already packs a DEF debuff helps make their job easier. Using your warlock to reduce the DEF of your Kiss target frees up the other BFS memebers to either stay stealthy, or use their Ice Bolts on other targets who you might want to hit, but don't need the extra punch to take out. The following models can help out in this respect:
  • Vayl1 - Frost Field, Incite. Her feat can help them get safely back after doing their thing.
  • Vayl2 - Icy Grip. Can use Deadly Storm to make LOS blocking clouds as well, and can target even the BFS, as they are innmue to the damage.
  • Lylyth1 - Feat. Parasite + Kiss makes most models dead.
  • Lylyth3 - Feat (stationary on hit).
  • Saeryn1 - Breath Stealer.
  • Saeryn2 - Marked for Death.
  • A Seraph shot.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Blast damage is very scary for them, especially if boostable, and stealth attracts blind fire. Keep Rhylyss safe at all costs.
• The Kiss of Lyliss is the only warlock-independent damage buff in the Legion, from which all of your unit can profit - they are pretty high on the target priority list. Even more so if your opponent has potent offensive upkeeps as Unbinding is a #1 weapon into these.

Tricks & Tips

• Combat Caster and Battle Wizard stack quite nicely. An ideal activation would go:
  • Issue Press Forward order
  • Use Combat Caster to cast spells
  • Make a charge move (which can be 0" if they're already stuck in melee).
  • Make their charge attack. Being weapon masters, even an average dice roll should kill an ARM 22 single-wound model on the charge.
  • Use Battle Wizard to cast another spell.

• Unlike ranged attacks, spells can be cast even if you're already in melee. Also, the spell can target anyone you have LOS to - it doesn't have to be someone within the same melee.
• As with every fragile unit, spread out as much as your tiny CMD range allows. It is your best defence against electro leaps, AOEs, etc.
• Combat Caster plus Unbinding does not work vs effects that stop you issuing/receiving an order (ie Rebuke). You can't cast Unbinding until you charge, and you can't get the order to charge until you get the order.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Forces of Hordes: Legion of Everblight (2010)
• How to tell them apart:
  • Sevryn, the leader: Sword guy in a commanding posture.
  • Rhylyss, the kisser: Sneaky guy with a face-plate that leaves only his mouth free.
  • Vyssar, the stealthy one: Sneaky sword guy in cloak and hood.

Other Legion models

Legion Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Absylonia1 - Absylonia2 - Anamag - Bethayne1 - Bethayne2 - Fyanna2 - Kallus1 - Kallus2 - Kryssa - Lylyth1 - Lylyth2 - Lylyth3 - Lylyth4 - Rhyas1 - Saeryn1 - Saeryn2 & Rhyas2 - Thagrosh1 - Thagrosh2 - Vayl1 - Vayl2
Other Warbeast Controllers	Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - Thagrosh0
Lesser	Blight Wasps - Shredder - Harrier - Mekanoshredder - Stinger
Light	Afflictor - Naga Nightlurker - Nephilim Bloodseer - Nephilim Bolt Thrower - Nephilim Protector - Nephilim Soldier - Raek - Teraph
Heavy	Angelius - Azrael - Carnivean - Golab - Neraph - Proteus - Ravagore - Scythean - Typhon - Seraph - Zuriel
Gargantuans	Archangel - Blightbringer
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Blackfrost Shard - B.N. Archers - B.N. Hex Hunters - B.N. Legionnaires - B.N. Raptors - B.N. Scather Crew - B.N. Swordsmen - B. Rotwings - B.O. Warmongers - B.O. Warspears - Chosen - Grotesque Banshees - Grotesque Raiders - Hellmouth - Ice Witches - Strider Blightblades - Strider Scouts - Spawning Vessel - Virtue Host
Solos	Ammok - Annyssa Ryvaal - Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - B.N Shepherd - B.N. Sorceress - B.N. Warlord - Craelix - Forsaken - Fyanna1 - Grotesque Assassin - Incubi - Spell Martyr - Strider Deathstalker - Succubus - Thagrosh0 - Virtue Champion - B.O. Warmonger War Chief - Yssylla
Battle Engines	Throne of Everblight
Theme Forces
Children of the Dragon - Oracles of Annihilation - Primal Terrors - Ravens of War
Minions
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Legion of Everblight Minion
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 : Weapon Master - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Battle Wizard      (Edit) A Battle Wizard doesn't have to kill a model to cast a spell. They can instead skip making melee attacks and use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Cavalry Battle Wizards can trigger it from their Mount Attacks. (Infernal Ruling) This does not, however, allow them to trigger it twice in the same turn. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Combat Caster      (Edit) The unit has to receive the order before you can trigger Combat Caster, so you cannot use it if you are suffering from "cannot give/receive orders" (such as Rebuke) or a "the order does not take effect" (such as the Pandemonium Arcana). You can still move and cast a spell normally, though. Special Mention: The Trollkin Sorcerer & Sevryn can't trigger Combat Caster while suffering Rebuke (even though one of his spells would make Rebuke expire).

Rules Clarification : Officer      (Edit) Even if they're not on the Officer's card, an Officer can give (and benefit from) any non-standard orders that are on the unit's card (such as Shield Wall). Refer main rulebook. A Ranking Officer can't do this, though. When the Officer dies, the Leader model becomes the new Unit Commander (you don't get to choose). But if your unit doesn't include a Leader model, then you do get to choose any of the remaining models to be the new Unit Commander. You don't swap the model, but it may be worth putting a token down so you can tell that grunt apart.

Rules Clarification : Magic Ability      (Edit) Using a Magic Ability counts as a spell, for effects such as Spell Ward, Witch Hunter, etc. Combat Action Nearly all Magic Ability spells require the spellcaster to use their Combat Action to cast the spell. As such it is not an "at any time" ability (like it is when warcasters/warlocks cast spells). This means ... You must complete your movement before you use a MA. A model in a unit cannot use its Combat Action to cast a spell until all members of the unit have completed their movement. (Infernal Ruling) You cannot make initial ranged or initial melee attacks on the same turn you use a MA. You cannot buy additional melee/ranged attacks after using a MA special attack. Refer to the core rulebook, "Special attacks listed as a rule of the model itself are neither melee attacks nor ranged attacks. The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any." You cannot use a MA on the same turn you charge. Because a charge must (almost always) be followed by a melee attack. Non-Combat Action There are a few models that can use a Magic Ability without using their Combat Action. These models get around all the restrictions listed above. Models with Geomancy or Necromancy can use a Magic Ability at "any time" just like a warcaster/warlock. Models with Battle Wizard or Necrophage can make melee attacks then get a bonus "free" spell. Models with Combat Caster can cast a spell before charging, then do a normal charge + melee attack. Note that Battle Wizards, Combat Casters, etc have the option to use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Their special rule is in addition to the normal spell casting, not instead of.

Rules Clarification : Unbinding and/or Dissolution     (Edit) The model that takes the d3 damage is the model that controls the spell (not the model that the spell is upon). In other words, the enemy warcaster/warlock. If you dispel two upkeeps, whether it is 2 separate d3 rolls or a d3 roll that is doubled is ... unclear. The answer will affect how much focus/fury the caster has to spend to avoid damage. (Infernal Checking) If the enemy caster has a way of redistributing damage (such as Egregore in the Coven), then you work out the total damage dealt from all upkeeps that expired, before dividing the damage. (Infernal Ruling) There is a discrepancy between the card database and Warroom for Unbinding (both are labeled 2017v1). (Infernal Checking) Unbinding vs Vital Magic (Edit) How Unbinding interacts with Vital Magic is being checked. (Infernal Checking) Anti-Upkeep vs a unit (Edit) If an upkeep is on a unit, then all you need to do is make it expire off any member of the unit and the spell will expire from the entire unit. It doesn't matter if the target is in formation or not. (Locked thread) However, if an upkeep is on a single model within a unit (such as Scything Touch) then you need to dispel it off that particular model to make it dispel. (Infernal Ruling) Unbinding as a spell Some models have Unbinding as a regular action, others have it as a magic ability thus it is a spell. Unbinding doesn't have a target so it gets around anti-magic stuff that triggers at "target" (like Arcane Vortex).

Rules Clarification : Ice Bolt      (Edit) Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Ice Cage      (Edit) Models with Immunity Cold can be damaged by this attack, they just ignore the DEF penalties. Remember, stationary only prevents what it says it does. Refer the recap on stationary for what models can/can't do. Abilities that say they cannot be used if the model is stationary (such as Shield Guard) cannot be used while a warjack is inert, either. Refer "Warcaster Destruction", page 59 of the core rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Kiss of Lyliss      (Edit) When Aiyana is taken with a Ranking Officer, Kiss of Lyliss affects models that are currently the same Faction as Lady Aiyana & Master Holt, not what Faction they were (or weren't) at the time of casting. (Infernal Ruling) Kiss of Lyliss affects any damage roll that is caused by a model, not just normal attacks. For instance, it can affect the damage roll when a Berserker explodes via Unstable. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Cloak of Mist      (Edit) Rules Clarification : Stealth      (Edit) Stealth models are not invisible and you can target them - you'll just auto-miss most of the time. You can target them with a charge. You can target them with an AOE, have it auto-miss and scatter, luckily land on top of them anyway, and that will hit them.