Captain Allison Jakes

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Cygnar Logo.jpg Captain Allison Jakes

Cygnar Morrowan Warcaster

Mk4 icon.png
Unlimited Only
This model can only be used in the Unlimited game mode. You can see the other models with / without mk4 rules on this page.

Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

The transition from journeyman to full-fledged warcaster is never easy, but Captain Allison Jakes earned her promotion through circumstances far beyond the scope of any ordinary trial. She now carries herself with the confidence of one who has seen the ravages of war, moving across the battlefield with a grace expressed through acrobatic stunts, nimble parries, and cunning dodges. Wielding a pair of swords, Jakes cuts through the opposition with a fluidity that speaks of her skill as a duelist and the innumerable hours she has devoted to mastering the art of close combat. As she advances downfield, she freely lashes her foes with deadly voltaic strikes, and those who fight alongside her find themselves moving with the speed of a swiftly approaching storm. With each new battle her reputation grows, and despite her youth she commands the respect of any fortunate enough to serve under her command.

Basic Info

Jakes2
Missing Info
Jakes2.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
Warcaster 0
BASE Small
SPD 6
STR {{{str}}}
MAT 7
RAT 6
M.A. N/A
DEF 16
ARM 14
CMD 9
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS 6
FURY N/A
THRS N/A
HP 14
F. Field N/A
WJP +31
WBP {{{wbp}}}
IHP {{{ihp}}}
FA N/A
UNIT SIZE N/A
COST N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Warcaster 1
COST N/A
N/A
Understanding
the Statblock

Warcaster - All warcasters come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Feat: Powerhouse

Captain Allison Jakes channels a surge of voltaic energy through the forces under her command. Armed with galvanic weapons spouting tendrils of lightning, her soldiers and warjacks thunder across the battlefield to deliver leaping arcs of electricity deep into enemy ranks.

While in Jakes' control range, friendly Faction models gain Immunity: Electricity & Parry. Affected models' melee weapons become RNG 2 and gain Electro Leap (as below). Powerhouse lasts for one round.

Abilities

  • Parry symbol.jpg Parry
  • Acrobatics - This model can advance through other models if it has enough movement to move completely past their bases. This model ignores intervening models when declaring its charge target.
  • Sprint - At the end of an activation in which it destroyed or removed from play one or more enemy models with melee attacks, this model can immediately make a full advance, then its activation ends.
  • Field Marshal [Sprint] - Warbeasts/warjacks in this model's battlegroup gain Sprint.

Weapons

Hand Cannon
Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW 
12 1 - 12
Feedback Blade
Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S 
0.5 7 12
  • Magical dam symbol.jpg Damage Type: Magical
  • Feedback - If this weapon damages a warjack that is part of a battlegroup, the warjack's controller suffers 1 damage point.
Bayonet
Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S 
0.5 7 12
  • Magical dam symbol.jpg Damage Type: Magical
  • Electro Leap - When a model is directly hit with a basic attack made with this weapon, you can have lightning arc to the nearest model within 4" of the the model hit, ignoring the attacking model. The model the lightning arcs to suffers an unboostable POW 10 electrical damage roll. Lightning arc damage rolls are not considered to have been caused by an attack. Resolve lightning arc damage rolls simultaneously with the damage resulting from the attack that caused the leap.

Spells

COST RNG AOE POW DUR OFF
Bullet Dodger

2 6 - - Upkeep No
Target friendly Faction model gains +2 DEF and Dodge.
Dodge - A model with Dodge can advance up to 2" immediately after an enemy attack that missed it is resolved unless it was missed while advancing. It cannot be targeted by free strikes during this movement.
Escort

2 SELF Control - Upkeep No
Warjacks in the spellcaster's battlegroup beginning their activations in its control range gain +2" movement when advancing as part of their Normal Movement. The spellcaster gains +2 ARM while one or more warjacks in its battlegroup are within 3" of it.
Lightning Storm

3 8 3 10 (Electric) - Yes
Models hit suffer a POW 10 electrical damage roll. This spell's AOE is a hazard that remains in play for one round. Models entering or ending their activations in the AOE suffer a POW 10 electrical damage roll.
Positive Charge

2 6 - - Turn No
Target friendly Faction warjack gains +2 to melee attack and melee damage rolls. While within 3" of the affected warjack, friendly Faction models gain +2 on melee attack and melee damage rolls. Positive Charge lasts for one turn.

Theme Forces


Thoughts on Jakes2

Jakes2 in a nutshell

Jakes likes to blitzkrieg with warjacks. Hit hard, hit fast, and try to sprint clear for the counter-attack. Despite that, her feat and Positive Charge rewards you for using a combined arms approach too. Among the current themes, you should shy away only from the Sons of the Tempest, as they have very few direct synergy with her. All other lists can work very well. Her melee prowess, though not stellar, shouldn't be completely ignored. Of course, she's not Rhyas, but Acrobatics and Parry can lead you to normally unreachable places and angles. Screening models can't do anything to her, so you can easily reach crews behind a warjack or charge through a defensive screen. Your blades can cause all kinds of trouble by tagging an enemy warlock with Feedback damage or by unjamming your own warjacks with the Electro blade to remove chaff infantry with the electro leaps.

Feat Thoughts

Have you ever thought: "This unit would be so nice if it could threaten models just a bit further away!" or "I'd really like to trample through these Swordsmen, but they'll thrash my jack with the free strikes."? Well then, Jakes is a good solution to these scenarios.

Parry is neat on your arc nodes, since engaged arc nodes normally can't channel spells, but with Parry they can just walk away from the problem.

An increased melee range not only adds extra threat distance, but also interacts with quite a lot of rules.

  • Your "free strike range" covers a lot more area ... but models can walk a long way around you without triggering a free strike.
  • Units with Flank (notably Trench Busters and Sword Knights) can activate their bonus damage from further away.

Electro-Leap, as always, is great for dealing with high-DEF low-ARM targets, like support solos hiding in the back lines or enemy Trenchers with Dig In.

  • Mount weapons have an Infernal Ruling that says they're melee weapons, so her feat does work with Impact Attacks.

Don't forget it's an aura, not a pulse, so you must stay in her CTRL area to use its benefits.

Spell Thoughts

  • Bullet Dodger - Usually it will be on Jakes or on a valuable solo, like Laddermore to protect them from shooting attacks. Putting it on an elusive jack, like the Grenadier or the Hunter will also be effective.
  • Escort - One of her a bread & butter spells, you'll cast it on turn 1 and won't let it drop throughout the game.
  • Lightning Storm - A board controlling Zap, but incredibly expensive for your tight focus pool.
  • Positive Charge - Her second go-to spell. Cast it once you want to get stuck in.
    • Mastering its use is essential to play with Jakes effectively. See Tips and Tricks for its application.

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • Jakes provides very little direct support for models outside of her battlegroup.
  • She can become focus strapped with large battlegroups.
  • You support melee engagements through your spells. Things that forbid melee attacks, charges (or worse, advances, like Magnus2's feat), as well as anti-magic stuffs (Lamentation, Arcane Suppression, or even Arcane Vortex) can hurt you a lot.
  • Despite being a duelist, her melee package is underwhelming. Lists with few "soft" targets will leave you with few opportunities to trigger your Field Marshal ability.
  • As every high DEF-low ARM caster, she is pretty vulnerable to pop-and-drop assassinations.
  • Despite all her ninja-chick flicks she lacks Pathfinder and can't provide it to her army via spells either.
  • She doesn't have the reliable movement shenanigans game of Kraye or the attrition power of Stryker2, both of which overlap to some degree with how she wants to play.
    • She now also competes with Sturgis1 as another Positive Charge 'caster. Since he brings a lot of Cygnar's signature tools, such as Arcane Shield, this forces Jakes2 into an even more crowded field.

Tricks & Tips

  • Outside of her feat she has no Electricity immunity. If you want to throw around lightning, your best option is to bring her in the Storm Division theme force. With a default electricity immunity, you can swing around with your Electric Blade without fear of arcing a lightning into your own troops.
  • Many careless casters has been shot down by a fully boosted volley from Jakes' handcannons. Not your first line of attack, but not something to forget about either.
  • Sprinting past infantry prevents your jacks being charged by them, keeping them weirdly safe.
  • Killings from Electro Leap (or Feedback) won't trigger Sprint, as they are not melee attacks. On the flip side they won't trigger attack-related abilities like Swift Vengeance.
  • Sprint can get the Positive Charge bonuses in interesting places. Use it to kill a heavy model and then sprint over toward another target to spread the bonus for other parts of your army to use.

Positive Charge 101

  • It is not an upkeep, thus resists most of the anti-upkeep techs like Purification, Dispel, Purgation, Hex Blast, etc. You can also have it beside an upkeep like Arcane Shield, or while being effected by another effect, like Arlan's Arcane Reinforcement.
  • It lasts throughout the turn, so your free strikes won't benefit from it.
  • Your warjack can receive it even while it is Disrupted, Stationary, Knocked Down, or has crippled systems and also broadcasts the respective bonuses.
  • Only damage rolls from melee attacks will get the bonus, collateral damages won't.
  • Just like with Ragman, use base length and melee range to spread its effect from afar. Cast it on a colossal and charge in with your Storm Lances to reap the benefit up to 7" away.
  • If needed, you can cast it on two, or even three separate jacks in a turn (which will leave you woefully exposed, so use sparingly).
  • The recipient warjack doesn't have to be in your battlegroup. Marshaled jacks, as well as ones in a Journeyman's battlegroups are all valid targets.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Jakes' army's superior mobility enables strong scenario pressure, while her feat can swing an attrition fight to your favour. It also enables nasty assassinations against careless opponents. Overall, keep looking for suitable targets to activate your sprint from Field Marshal.

As for units, any self-supporting infantry screen works well with her.

Theme Thoughts

    Support models - Various themes    
Jakes likes these solos, which can be in various themes:

  • Squire - Gives an extra focus, spell attack rerolls, and larger control area.
  • Captain Arlan Strangewayes - Can give extra focus to hand out and repairs.
  • Aiyana with Murdoch, Gorman or Ragman - Positive Charge stacks very well with damage buffs and ARM debuffs. With Aiyana and Death field it will yield a whooping +6 swing on your damage rolls, even before counting the units' innate damage bonuses.

    Flame in the Darkness    

  • Swabber - The best Escort buddy available for her, as it can stay close to her and give her +2 ARM as well as Lash and Girded. Shield Guard is the cherry on top. With its drag gun it an also reel in targets for the Positive Charge buff.
  • Toro - It packs a nice P+S 18 whack-stick (POW 20 with Positicve Charge), which it can use to wreck something then Sprint away and threaten Counter Charges on the enemies' turn.
  • Freebooter - PC makes it less flimsy with its clams and Jury Rigged and Escort lets it charge 12", then you can back up 7" thanks to Sprint (provided you kill something).
  • Blockader - With POW 24 under Positive Charge and a 14" threat range (SPD 5 + Charge + Escort + 4" melee), it can bully a sizeable chunk of the board. Positive Charge extended from a huge base should make follow ups easier for your infantry.
  • Black Bella - Bella is essentially what happens when Savio and Finn have a baby. Killing Spree + feat induced reach and electro leaps will clear chaff. Duelist, Riposte and Bullet Dodger make her really hard to remove.
  • Precursor Knights - With a 2" melee range during your feat they can form a surprisingly effective Shield Wall.
    • Precursor Knights can go in other themes, but you need to use up your "Up to one Mercenary" slot if not taken in heavy metal.
  • Malvin & Mayhem - Berserk is no Killing Spree, but it's as much as you can get. You can also put Positive Charge on them as they are, in fact, a Warjack.
  • Savio - Bullet Dodger puts him at DEF 17 and Positive Charge makes him hit like a load of bricks. 2" reach and e-leaps on his glaives are also always nice.

    Storm Division    

  • Thunderhead - This guy fares pretty well under Jakes being an already electro-infused jack.
  • Stormblade Infantry - Being your hardest hitting infantry, a minimum unit can efficiently trade with any ARM 20 heavy if given Positive Charge and Electrical Arc.
  • Savio can be here, too, and he even get Force Barrier from Keller for DEF 19 under Bullet Dodger.

    Heavy Metal    

  • Thunderhead - He can be taken here too.
  • Precursor Knight - These guys are also available in this theme, but don't use up your merc slot.
  • Sword Knights - Cheap infantry who are enhanced by warjacks' presence and even more so from Positive Charge and Jakes' feat. If you fancy them, definitely go for the Heavy Metal theme force. If you keep them in Defensive Line, they can effectively screen you from pop & drop tricks too.

    Gravediggers    
This list kind of works with Jakes and you may have hilarious moments with Captain Maxwell Finn on your feat turn. You can support your Trenchers only by casting Positive Charge upon your jacks before they get stuck in. This theme doesn't favor non-trencher models, so jacks will usually be your battlegroup members. Occasionally you'll bring some extra Grenadiers if you need more infantry clearing power. But overall, the toolkit that Jakes brings, doesn't enhance the things that makes Trenchers good at capturing objectives nor does she shore up their weaknesses. She primarily just provides them with ability to hit harder.

  • Trencher Infantry - Unless you dug them in, they can form screen for your jacks and provide light arms fire to clear off annoying infantry which might block charge lanes or Sprint escape routes. Also, with Positive Charge plus Brutal Charge on their Bayonet they can reliably dent ARM 18 heavies - something you wouldn't expect from a P+S 9 melee weapon.
  • Captain Maxwell Finn - The toughest man in Immoren gets even tougher. Overtake and Killing Spree are usually kept in check with his 0.5" melee range. Well, Jakes2 busts that can wide open allowing him to target troopers in much wider area. Also, he's a great target for Bullet Dodger. Keep a Positive Charge enhanced jack near your target unit to ensure that your killing spree won't get interrupted by some bad rolls.
  • Trencher Warcaster Lieutenant - He can run and reload a Grenandier for Jakes. Trencher Mechaniks help load it up as well if you want some repairing abilities.
  • The Patrol Dog during your feat can knock down a target on a critical hit from 11" away and electrocute someone with the electro-leap.

    Mercenaries    

  • Lanyssa - She allows your jacks to make focus-free charges which leaves Jakes with more focus to boost an important attack or damage roll to trigger Sprint. Add in her Escort ability's extra movement and you can charge from quite the distance.

Warjacks

  • Sentinel - Jakes is short on focus and she prefers heavy melee jacks, but one Sentinel to give her the ARM buff and a Shield Guard is never a bad choice.
  • Minuteman - With its ability to leap, it can be an ideal target for Positive Charge. It can leap in, kill, and then sprint away.
  • Hammersmith - Sprint helps this jack not get stuck far out in front after beating back targets. Escort fixes it's low speed, Positive Charge boosts its hitting power, Jakes' feat keeps it from taking free strikes while following up and amends their short melee range. Jakes turns this decent jack into a monster.
  • Centurion - Charge in, kill, back up, then use Polarity Shield to keep a safe distance from your enemy. It can safely stay close to Jakes so she can enjoy the bonus ARM granted by Escort, whilst the extra speed allows it to keep up with her.
  • Stormclad - It's got an accumulator which is a really useful ability when Jakes is focus strapped. Don't forget to bring a Storm Knight model to fuel it.
  • Ironclad - Kill or knockdown someone important with your Tremor attack then leave the rest behind with Sprint.
  • Stormwall or Hurricane - A seemingly odd choice, but stacking Positive Charge, Escort, and Arcane Shield on a colossal is downright mean.
  • Firefly - These guys are great on feat turn because of their Ionization buff.

Other

Trivia

  • Jakes is the epic version of Lieutenant Allison Jakes - a solo.
  • We first saw the Lieutenant in the computer game Warmachine Tactics.
  • Originally released in Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar Command (2017).
  • In the lore she has two named warjacks: a Charger named Bandit in the videogame, and an Ironclad named Bunker in the Rites of Passage anthology. Despite this, she has no bonded character 'jack on the tabletop.

Other Cygnar models

Cygnar Logo.jpg       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

Video Battle Reports

Rules Clarifications

RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Feat - Powerhouse

  • Since Electro Leap is only applied to melee weapons, it doesn't apply to Power Attacks.
  • It does apply to Impact Attacks, though. (Infernal Ruling)


RC symbol.png

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.")
RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Electro Leap      (Edit)

  • Electro Leaps are optional.
  • Electro Leap is a weapon property. As such, it doesn't apply to Power Attacks at all.
  • A Steamroller flag can be hit by Electro Leap (if it's the nearest model). (Infernal Ruling)
  • Not considered an attack & "Non-attack damage roll" (Edit)   [Show/Hide]
    • There are two ways you can get these "non-attack" damage rolls.
      • Type 1 - A secondary damage roll that is not considered to be an attack. Some attacks create a second damage roll that is explicitly "not considered an attack" (such as Electro Leap).
        (Note that although the secondary damage roll is not an attack, the original attack certainly is and will trigger stuff normally. These clarifications don't apply to the original attack.)
      • Type 2 - A damage roll that's not from an attack. Some special abilities & special actions tell you to make a damage roll without mentioning whether it is considered an attack or not (such as Vent Steam and Flak Field).
    • When it comes to other abilities that trigger on damage (such as Vengeance) both types function the same way. For brevity we'll refer to both as "Pure Damage".

    • Pure damage is not an attack, so doesn't trigger stuff like Vengeance.
    • Pure damage is not an attack, so doesn't benefit from stuff that affects 'attack damage rolls' (such as Bethayne1's feat). (Infernal Ruling)
    • Pure damage (normally) doesn't actually hit the model(s) it damages, so doesn't trigger stuff like Shock Field. (A few of them do specify they hit, though, like Warhead.)
    • Pure damage is not from an attack, but it is (normally) damage from the original model. This has two implications:
      1. It's not an attack from a weapon so:
        • it won't gain damage buffs from the weapon (such as Poison).
        • it won't gain any Damage Types from the weapon. (Infernal Ruling)
      2. It is a damage roll from a model so:
    • Exception: Some damage is not from an attack and not from a model (for example, Collateral damage). In this case, you should reverse the stuff listed under #2 above.
RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Feedback      (Edit)

  • Feedback only triggers on damage, not on hits. (Infernal Ruling)
  • Feedback doesn't affect 'Jack Marshals, because they don't have a battlegroup.
  • If Feedback is on a CMA, it will only be triggered once (not once per participant). Because it's only one attack.
  • Warcasters can spend focus to negate Feedback damage.
  • Backlash + Feedback (Edit)
    • If you stack Backlash and Feedback on the same enemy warjack, then the warcaster will take two damage every time the warjack is damaged.
    • Furthermore, the warcaster has to spend two focus to negate this damage.
      Because it's two different effects which are both resolved at Step 10a of the Attack Sequence (Apdx A of core rulebook) but have to be resolved one at a time (refer 'Triggers' in the core rulebook).


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Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster      (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)

 
  • General
    • Damage from a feat is neither an attack nor Damage Type: Magical (unless the feat says it is).
    • FOCUS (uppercase) is the stat printed on the warcaster's card. Focus (lowercase) refers to focus points a model currently has.
    • Your CTRL area is double your FOCUS stat, not double your focus points. (Infernal Ruling)
    • Casting spells or using feats is an anytime ability with the added restriction that you can't use them on the same turn you run even before you run.
      • See also the clarifications on Any Time abilities (below).
    • Some warcasters are also Battle Engines and thus follow all the Battle Engine special rules.
      • There is no particular interaction between the Battle Engine rules and the Warcaster rules.
    • Work out all damage modifiers (such as Decapitation doubling the damage that exceeds ARM) before reducing it with the Power Field. (Infernal Ruling)


  • Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities     (Edit)         [Show/Hide]
    • "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
    1. Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    2. After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include:
      • Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam.
      • Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport).
    3. In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
    4. In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
    5. When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
    6. When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved".
      (Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.)
    7. Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
    8. Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running.
    9. Units: See below.

    • In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't).
    • If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling)

    Units with "Any Time" abilities
    • You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    • A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active.
      • You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however.
    • A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling)
  • Warcaster/Warlock Cavalry ( Edit )
    • Warcasters/Warlocks can't cast spells or use their feat while resolving Impact Attacks. Because Impact Attacks occur during movement - you can use spells or feat before moving, or after moving, but not during movement.
      • Exception: If your Impact target(s) include your charge target, then your movement has ended (refer rulebook, last paragraph of 'Impact Attacks') and thus you're fine to use "any time" abilities before starting the Impact attacks.


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Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster Unit or Warlock Unit     (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)

This summary is specific to Warcaster/Warlock units. You may also want to check the Warcaster and Warlock pages respectively, for the "regular" rules clarifications.
  • All models in the unit count as part of the battlegroup. So, for instance, Butcher3's argus can be moved via his Energizer spell.
  • Warcaster units can have attachments. They can even attach units (such as the WSC). (Infernal Ruling)
  • The non-caster models are trooper models but are not normally Grunt models. Therefore they're not normally eligible for stuff like Revive.
  • If any member of the unit start to do their reposition movement, the warcaster or warlock in the unit would no longer be able to feat.(Infernal Ruling)
  • Press Forward Order vs Spells cast at Any Time (Edit)
    • You must issue orders before anything else. If you issue a Press Forward order, you must run or charge.
    • If you cast spells before moving, you can't run so you must charge.
    • If you cast spells before moving, then start the spellcaster's Normal Movement but have no valid charge targets, you are in a situation where you must charge but cannot charge.
      In this situation the spellcaster must either:
      • forfeit their Combat Action, use their Normal Movement to make a full advance, then their activation ends. (Note that you cannot cast more spells after the full advance).
      • forfeit their Normal Movement, then their activation ends.
      • (Infernal Ruling)
  • Steamroller 2018
    • The non-caster models can contest scenario zones & flags.
    • The caster model cannot contest.
    • The caster model can control zones and flags by itself, but:
      • to control a zone, the entire unit remaining in play needs to be in formation.
      • to control a flag, the entire unit remaining in play must be within 4" of the flag.
  • Units Buying Attacks (Edit)
    • If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because:
    • A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action.
    • A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA).
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Rules Clarification : Unit of Warcasters or Warlocks     (Edit)

  • Even though they're warcasters, if they're out of formation they suffer the normal penalties (can't make attacks, actions, spells, etc).
  • They can't upkeep each other's spells.
  • They can only dominate one SteamRoller scenario element at a time.
  • Each warlock/warcaster can have different upkeeps on them if those upkeeps are "target SELF" or "target model". If you cast an upkeep that is "target model/unit", that is the only upkeep any of them can have.
  • Units Buying Attacks (Edit)
    • If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because:
    • A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action.
    • A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA).
  • The Legion Twins
    • Rhyas cannot dominate a zone while out of formation.
    • Rhyas can use the feat while out of formation.
  • Haley3
    • Only Haley Prime is an 'actual' warcaster model, and as such she is the only one that can dominate a scenario element.
    • The echoes can Control/Contest scenarios like a normal unit.
    • Haley Prime can dominate an element even if the echoes are out of formation.
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Rules Clarification : Sprint  and/or Run & Gun     (Edit)

  • You cannot use this ability after an out-of-activation attack (such as Countercharge), only during real activations. (Locked thread)
  • Run & Gun won't trigger if you RFP the model, but Sprint will.
  • 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.
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Rules Clarification : Acrobatics      (Edit)

  • Charging through models (Edit)
    • You can't charge all the way through your charge target, with the intention to turn around and face them once you're on the other side.
      • Because you aren't able to satisfy the "must keep the charge target in melee range" clause at the point after you are through the model but before you turn to directly face. At that point the target is behind you, not in your front arc, and thus not in your melee range.
      • Your melee range only extends to your front arc. Refer to the latest errata.
    • You can still "skim" through the edge of their base, if you're careful and smart with your positioning.

Rules Clarification : Parry - None yet. (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Field Marshal      (Edit)

  • Field marshal only grants the ability to warjacks/warbeasts in the battlegroup, so (normally) the caster does not have the Field Marshal ability.
  • However if it is listed on the caster's card separately, such as on Magnus2, then they do have it. (Closed thread)


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Rules Clarification : Positive Charge      (Edit)

  • Positive Charge does not stack with itself. A warjack will only gain +2 attack/damage from the spell. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Escort and/or Battle Host - None yet. (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Bullet Dodger      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Dodge      (Edit)

  • Dodge triggers after any missed attack - melee, ranged, or magic.
  • An enemy model with 2" melee range that is B2B with you before you Dodge, will be exactly 2" away afterwards, and thus will be able to attempt a 2nd melee attack.
  • If you're missed by an AOE attack, but it doesn't deviate very far and still hits you then: Dodge still triggers, but the AOE does damage before you get the Dodge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
  • If an enemy can attack you when you advance and then stop moving (such as Countercharge or Defensive Strike) and they miss you, then you can trigger Dodge (because you're no longer advancing).
  • Dodge plus Riposte (Edit)
    • If a model has both Dodge and Riposte, you can choose whether to dodge or riposte first. Appendix A Step 13 applies here, because the controller of the model being attacked is not the active player.
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Rules Clarification : Lightning Storm      (Edit)

  • Not blast damage (Edit)
    • Due to the way it is worded, this spell/weapon does full POW to all models in the AOE. It is not blast damage and it is not halved.
    • For the same reason, it doesn't do "two damage rolls to the model directly hit". (Infernal Ruling)
    • Models that are immune to blast damage have no defence vs this spell/weapon.
  • Templates that do damage (Edit)   [Show/Hide]
    • Most templates that do damage to models that walk into them are defined as "Hazards" (such as Burning Ground) but there are a few that aren't Hazards (such as Creeping Barrage and Wall of Fire). The differences are:
      • A hazard is a terrain element
      • Damage from a hazard template is never considered to be from the model or weapon/spell that put it into play. So hazards never gain special rules of the weapon/spell (such as a Damage Type or Poison), nor does it gain special rules of the model (such as Hand of Fate).
      • Damage from a non-hazard template is considered to be from the model that put it in play. So non-hazards do get stuff like Hand of Fate. (Infernal Ruling)
      • Damage from a hazard is not from an attack (so won't trigger stuff like Vengeance)
      • Damage from a non-hazard is also not from an attack. Instead it will be a Special Action (Covering Fire), or a "instead of making an attack, place a template" (Creeping Barrage), or etc.
     
    • Damage templates from spells is complicated:
      • (Infernal Ruling)
      • Spells that leave templates that are not hazards (such as Razor Wall) do Damage Type: Magical.
      • Spells that leave templates that are hazards (such as Breath of Corruption) follow the rules for hazards, which are most likely not magical damage but it varies by the hazard.
      • The initial damage when you place the template, if any, is Damage Type: Magical.
      • For example, Breath of Corruption's initial POW 12 corrosion damage roll is Damage Type: Magical in addition to Damage Type: Corrosion. But the hazard that is put into play from Breath of Corruption is not Damage Type: Magical, just Damage Type: Corrosion.
     
    • By default, when you put a template into play it doesn't do damage to models they overlap. The exceptions are templates that are created by an AOE weapon, and templates that explicitly say they do damage when they're placed.
    • A model which is "placed" also counts as "entering" an area, so the template will damage any one who teleports/spawns into it, too.
    • If two templates are overlapping, a model that enters them will take two points of damage.