Cephalyx Agitator

Cephalyx Agitator Mercenary Cephalyx Solo

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Dark Operations. 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.

Agitators are the surgical knives of a Cephalyx force. These sinister specialists hover across the battlefield to apply precise pressure to the enemy in order to ensure their enslaved drudges and monstrosities are performing to the utmost of their capacity. An agitator can determine the necessary course of action in the heat of battle, whether it be stirring their drudges to a fever pitch, controlling the minds of the enemy, or blasting those minds with cruel psychic force.

Basic Info

Cephalyx Agitator
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 6 MAT 6 RAT N/A M.A. 7 DEF 14 ARM 13 CMD 5 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 2 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Mercenary - This model will work for Cryx

Selective - This model can be included in a Mercenary army only if the army is made using a Cephalyx theme force.

Abilities

• Pathfinder
• Stealth
• Anatomical Precision - When this model's melee damage roll fails to exceed the ARM of the living model hit, that model suffers 1 damage point. A model disabled by a melee attack made by this model cannot make a Tough roll.
• 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.
• Sacrificial Pawn [ Monstrosity ] - When this model is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack, you can have one friendly, non-incorporeal Monstrosity model within 3" of it directly hit instead. That model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects. The Sacrificial Pawn special rule can only trigger once per attack roll.

Weapons

• Prosthetic Blades - 1" reach, P+S 11 melee weapon.

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Influence	(★ Attack)	10	-	-	-	Yes
Take control of target enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock warrior model. The model immediately makes one basic attack, then Influence expires. A model can be affected by Influence only once per turn.
Instigate	(★ Action)	-	Command	-	Turn	No
While in this model's command range, friendly Monstrosities gain +2 on attack and damage rolls. Instigate lasts for one turn.

Theme Forces

• Mercenaries
  • Operating Theater

• Cryx
  • As a Mercenary model it can be included in any Cryx theme, but because it isn't a Partisan it'll use up your "Up to one Merc" slot.
  • Black Industries
  • Dark Host
  • The Ghost Fleet
  • Scourge of the Broken Coast

Thoughts on Cephalyx Agitator

Cephalyx Agitator in a nutshell

The Cephalyx Agitator is a cheap solo that buffs your Monstrosities and, as every Operating Theatre list has at least two monstrosities, the question for the Cephalyx player isn't whether you want any Agitators but how many agitators you want (1-3). It also has the Influence attack but this is considered very situational.

Combos & Synergies

• Monstrosities. (Naturally). It buffs them and sacrificial pawns to them.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Not much use if not near a monstrosity.
• Can be outrun by monstrosities.
• Only protected from ranged attacks by sac pawn.
• Unlike other Mercenary models, they can't go in most themes. So your list-building options are limited.

Tricks & Tips

• Use the blades to scratch up a monstrosity to put Focus on it.

Other

Trivia

• Released in a digital-only faction book Forces of Warmachine - Cephalyx expansion (2014)
• Reprinted in the Warmachine: Reckoning expansion (2015)

Rules Clarifications

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

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.

Rules Clarification : Selective      (Edit) The Selective rule only restricts which Mercenary armies this model can be included in. It doesn't limit what other Factions this model can work for. Also, when taken outside of Mercenaries this model can go in a non-Cephalyx theme. When working outside of a Mercenary theme, Cephalyx warcasters can have non-Cephalyx attachments (eg Madelyn). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Blight Storm and/or Anatomical Precision and/or Affliction     (Edit) With an AOE, only the model directly hit by the AOE will take auto-damage, other models in the AOE take normal damage. You don't get auto-damage on stuff which isn't an attack, like Electro Leap and Flak Field. If someone is immune to damage, you can't trigger the auto-damage vs them. Because you never got a damage roll in the first place. (Infernal Ruling) When this ability is triggered by a spell (ie Blight Storm or Affliction) then that does not change the source of the damage to the caster, nor change the damage type to magical. It merely changes the result of a damage roll. (Infernal Ruling)

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 : Influence      (Edit) Taking Control of an Enemy Model (Edit)   [Show/Hide] General Several abilities start with the sentence "Take control of a model" then a full stop, then a bunch of stuff you can do with that model. You can't uncouple the first sentence from the rest of the "do stuff" sentence(s), in other words if you want to "do stuff" then you have to "Take control". (Infernal Ruling) Taking control of a model means it is now friendly to you, and will immediately be engaged by it's erstwhile allies. This will limit your ability to make ranged attacks. If you get to make an advance with the controlled model, this can allow the original owner to take free strikes against his own model. He doesn't have to take these, of course. The controlled model does not have a proper Activation, so stuff like Chain Strike won't apply. You can use abilities on the controlled model, as long as they're not restricted to "during its activation" or "during its Combat Action". For example, you can use Mental Force. (Infernal Ruling) Buffs and effects: The controlled model counts as a "friendly model" and will benefit from any "while within" (aura) buffs that your own models are handing out (such as Mark Target), (assuming the controlled model meets the criteria for the buff). If the controlled model has already been hit by a "currently within" (pulse) debuff, then it will keep that debuff while under your control. Even if that pulse only affected enemy models (such as Deneghra1's feat) - temporarily changing who is friendly/enemy doesn't change who was/wasn't affected by the pulse. If your opponent is the same faction, then the controlled model will count as a "friendly faction model" and even more buffs are potentially available (such as Veteran Leader). Theme abilities: If a model gains an ability via a Theme Force rule, and then the opponent takes it over, it keeps the theme ability. (Infernal Ruling) Movement You can advance a model into an area and force them to take damage (like an acid cloud, or a Razor Wall template), but they only take damage once per advance (ref Prime rulebook pg 65). Thus you cannot keep moving them micro-millimetres in and out of said area to inflict infinite damage. The model is friendly while under your control, so you can't force free strikes by walking it past your own models. You can, however, walk it past your opponent's models and politely ask if they want to take free strikes against their own model. Attacks Many "Take Control" abilities allow a basic melee attack. Some allow a basic attack. Gunfighters cannot make a ranged attack unless they're allowed the later. Point Blank attacks cannot be made with temporarily controlled models, as Point Blank is only allowed 'during activation.' With reference to the attack sequence (appendix A) your control of the model doesn't expire until after Step 14. So you can potentially trigger abilities like Snacking (Step 11.4). As long as it's not limited to "during combat action" or "during activation". Destroying the Controlled model If the model is destroyed or RFP'd while under your control (for instance you walked it into a hazard), this has two consequences: It is considered to be under your control at the moment it is taken off the table: Your opponent can't reave fury off a warbeast destroyed this way, because it is an enemy warbeast when it is taken off the table. Your opponent can't trigger stuff that depends on a "Friendly model" being destroyed (such as Righteous Vengeance). You can't trigger stuff that depends on an "Enemy model" being destroyed (such as Cull Soul). It returns to the original owner once it's off the table: Your opponent can use Spirit Bond to get fury from the dead warbeast. Your opponent can use Return To Play abilities to get it back on the table (assuming it wasn't RFP'd). Taking control of an enemy Trooper (member of a unit) A trooper you take control of becomes an independent model. Thus: It will not benefit from any bonuses that it gets from its comrades (such as Gang, Shield Wall, etc). It will not benefit from any bonuses that rely on the trooper being "in formation" (such as Granted and Tactics abilities). Spells on a unit are considered to be on the "unit", not on the "models that make up the unit". So a controlled trooper will not benefit from any spells on the unit. If you take control of the last survivor of a unit then the "unit" ceases to exist for the duration of the control. This means that any spells on the "unit" will expire. Woo, free dispel! (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Instigate - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification:  : Sacrificial Pawn and/or Sucker! and/or Grim Salvation     (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

Differences Sacrificial Pawn is optional. Grim Salvation and Sucker are not optional. Grim Salvation only works vs basic attacks, not special attacks, power attacks, chain attacks. Spells are not basic attacks, because they are not "made with a weapon". (Infernal Ruling) CRA and CMA are basic attacks. (Infernal Ruling) If a Special Attack generates an additional attack (such as Multi-Fire), the second attack will be basic and as such can have Grim Salvation used vs it. (Infernal Ruling) Sacrificial Pawn & Sucker! don't work against melee attacks. None of them work vs magic attacks (spells). All of them work against Magical Ranged attacks, though. The model the attack is transferred to is always hit, even if they have an ability that makes them automatically get missed (such as Stealth). Automatically missing is determined earlier in the timing sequence than when the attack is moved. (Infernal Ruling) From here down, the terms Sacrificial Pawn, Grim Salvation, and Sucker! are interchangeable Using Sac Pawn moves all damage and effects onto the other model. Including stuff that triggers "on hit" (such as Blind) (even though the Pawn kinda wasn't "hit"). (Infernal Ruling) Because the other model counts as the one "hit", it can break a Chain Attack. (Infernal Ruling) The new model hit may use any abilities that trigger on being hit/damaged by an enemy attack (such as Vengeance and Shock Field). Sprays and AOEs With reference to the timing chart in Appendix A: placing a spray template down occurs at Step 3. Using Sacrificial Pawn occurs at step 6. Placing an AOE template down occurs at step 7. Therefore if you use Sac Pawn vs a spray, the placement of the spray template does not change. If you use Sac Pawn vs an AOE, the placement of the AOE template does change. A model indirectly hit by an AOE attack cannot use Sac Pawn vs it. Since a spray template doesn't move, it may cause the Pawn to be hit twice by the same spray. So you then resolve two damage rolls against it. When/if you shift an AOE template, the original target may be clipped by the edge of the AOE anyway (depending on how far apart the original target and Pawn are). Quick Draw vs Sacrificial Pawn (Edit) If enemy "Model A" shoots you, and then you use Quick Draw against "Model A", but they use Sac Pawn to move your Quick Draw attack to "Model B" then ... Quick Draw has no effect (or rather, it affects "Model B" who isn't currently shooting you so is irrelevant). Point is, "Model A" can continue shooting you. This won't happen with Shield Guard though (outside of a very low-probability scenario) because Shield Guard can only be triggered during an enemy turn.