Iona the Unseen
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Iona the Unseen
Circle Tharn Warlock
Though the Tharn possess their share of shamans, true warlocks are rare and revered, each a formidable leader, capable of unsurpassed feats on the battlefield. Iona the Unseen is among the rare few, a huntress whose fierce gaze can force obedience from both warbeast and subordinate Tharn alike. A fearless hunter, Iona draws on the predatory aspect of the Devourer Wurm, granting her forces speed and stealth as they surround her enemies like a pack of dusk wolves. She employs clever feints and decoys and relishes the sight of her enemies’ confusion as her pack slowly encircles them.
Basic Info[edit]
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Abilities[edit]
- Warlock - All warlocks come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome.
- Parry - This model cannot be targeted by free strikes.
- Pathfinder - This model treats rough terrain as open terrain while advancing. While charging, slam power attacking, or trample power attacking, this model does not stop its movement when it contacts an obstacle.
- Stealth - Ranged and magic attacks targeting this model from a point of origin greater than 5˝ away automatically miss. This model is not an intervening model when determining line of sight from a model more than 5˝ away.
- Dodge - When an enemy misses this model with an attack at any time except when it is advancing, this model can immediately advance 2" ignoring free strikes.
- Leadership [Tharn] - Friendly Tharn models in this model's command range gain Dodge.
- Overtake - When this model destroys one or more enemy models with a basic melee attack during its Combat Action, after the attack is resolved it can immediately advance up to 1".
- Preternatural Reflexes - This model can't be targeted by CRAs or CMAs, and enemy models can't gain the back strike bonus against this model.
Weapons[edit]
- Wurmtooth - 1" reach, POW 7, P+S 13 melee weapon
- Damage Type: Magical - This weapon deals Magical damage.
- Blood Boon - If this weapon kills an enemy, this model can cast a spell of COST 3 or less for free. Blood Boon can only trigger once per activation.
- Brutal Charge - This model gains +2 damage on charge attacks with this weapon.
- Fighting Claw - 0.5" reach, POW 3, P+S 9 melee weapon
- Damage Type: Magical - This weapon deals Magical damage.
Spells[edit]
- Abattoir - Cost 2, Target SELF
- Models in Iona's battlegroup currently in her CTRL range can immediately make one basic melee attack. Abattoir can only be cast once per activation.
- Hunter's Mark - Cost 2, 10" range, offensive spell that deals no damage.
- 1) Friendly models can charge or slam an enemy model hit by this spell without being forced or spending focus. 2) Friendly models that charge the model hit by this spell gain +2" movement. 3) Lasts for one turn.
- Phantasm - Cost 2, 6" range, Upkeep:
- When target friendly Faction model/unit is targeted by a ranged attack, the attack suffers -5 RNG. Models are not affected while out of formation.
- Pursuit - Cost 2, 8" range, Offensive Upkeep
- If target enemy model/unit advances during its activation, one model in the caster's battlegroup & CTRL range can immediately make a full advance.
- Sure Foot - Cost 2, 6" range, Upkeep
- Target friendly Faction model/unit gains +2 DEF and immunity to being knocked down. Models are not affected while out of formation.
Feat: Time of the Beast[edit]
This feat has two effects:
- While in Iona's CTRL range, friendly Tharn models gain +3 STR and ARM.
- While in Iona's CTRL range, friendly Circle warrior models can reroll missed attack rolls. Each attack roll can only be rerolled once as a result of the feat.
Lasts for one round.
Thoughts on the Iona the Unseen[edit]
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Recent Release Feel free to remove this warning if you, personally, have a good level of gameplay experience with the model, have reviewed this article, and either you A) agree with the content 100% or B) for the parts you disagree with, you don't strongly disagree; and it's more a case of differing opinions between you and previous editors rather than incorrect content / bad advice. |
Iona the Unseen in a nutshell[edit]
Iona is an aggressive infantry warlock made to play in Devourer's Host. Her entire kit is centered around delivering Tharn to the enemy, and her feat ensures they hit like trucks when they do. She's not exactly a frontline warlock, but her defensive and offensive stats let her play closer to the front. Although Abattoir is a battlegroup spell, her army should mostly be made up of Tharn.
Feat thoughts[edit]
Her feat is a massive force multiplier to Tharn. The STR buff and re-rolls will help Tharn of all types (including herself) break the hardest of bricks, while re-rolls help ensure they hit their targets. The ARM benefit is nice, but given the low base ARM of Tharn models, won't really help them brick up; at best, expect them to survive blast damage and low-POW attacks easier under the feat.
Spell thoughts[edit]
- Abattoir is melee Broadsides, allowing them an extra out of activation attack. It can be useful for getting one last attack in to destroy a model or clear off a jammer that went into your heavy. Don't depend on it to clear off high-DEF enemy models, but don't forget this as part of her kit, either.
- Phantasm provides excellent anti-shooting defense for a model/unit. -5 RNG means many ranged models will have to go into melee/engagement range of your melee units in order to shoot. It can't be ignored via Blessed and works against other abilities that normally counter defense against ranged attacks such as Eyeless Sight and Hunter. If you're worried about Iona being shot off the table, put it on her.
- Pursuit gives you some control against the enemy. It gives you out of activation movement for your battlegroup, allowing you to move them up for extra ground or move away from an opposing model. Remember that it's often better to take a single free strike from an engaging model while moving away from it instead of a whole barrage of attacks.
- Sure Foot is pretty good on just about everything Circle offers, though it really shines on any of the Warpwolves. They already have high DEF, so adding +2 more makes them damn near unhittable by anything without some serious effort (A Khador Juggernaut is on 9s to hit, and any heavy at MAT 6 is on 10s). Warpwolves are notorious for being susceptible to knockdown mechanics to bypass their absurd DEF; Sure Foot mitigates this nicely. It works well on Tharn units due to her giving them Dodge, and she can put it on herself in a pinch if you're worried about her being knocked down or hit.
- Hunter's Mark makes everything better. Frees up fury for buying/boosting, as well as gives you an edge with charge distances. Just when your opponent thought they were out of range, you channel Hunter's Mark through a Gallows Grove and wreck their faces with a heavy they never saw coming.
Drawbacks & Downsides[edit]
- The ARM/STR portion of her feat doesn't affect non-Tharn models. This also means she'll really only see play in Devourer's Host (not that she's not great in it).
- Has no battlegroup specific buffs besides Abattoir, although Hunter’s Mark and Pursuit offer movement and positioning opportunities that can be a side benefit to her battlegroup.
- Not particularly hardy - 16/14 with Stealth and Dodge are good, but there are some lists (Sloan, many versions of Primal Terrors) that laugh at that, though Phantasm does help improve her survivability against gunlines.
Tricks & Tips[edit]
- Remember that any buff to STR means the thrown damage output of the Tharn Bloodtrackers increases; they go from good to phenomenal under her feat, threatening all but the toughest of targets. Thrown weaponmasters (especially with Prey) is just horrifiying.
- Her feat applies on free strikes, too.
List Building Advice[edit]
Strategy[edit]
As of her release, the most common build strategy for Iona has included Tharn models that can leverage her FEAT to the greatest extent, namely Tharn Ravagers, Tharn Bloodtrackers, Brighid & Caul. The additional 3 STR and ARM and rerolls on attacks directly improve weapons that can be boosted through STR buffs. Placing Phantasm on Tharn Wolf Riders can drastically improve their survivability while they play the flanks in their hit & run style. Sure Foot can also improve the survivability of the Ravagers and free up points that might have been spent on the Tharn Ravager Shaman for other solos or support models.
As Iona lists will often bring either Brighid & Caul, the Lord of the Feast, or both, the Minion unit slot available through the Devourer’s Host theme is often used for the Boil Master & Spirit Cauldon to provide additional corpse tokens as well as Puppet Master and or the occasional drag through Spectral Lash.
Iona wants to support Tharn models more than she does a large battlegroup and will often only bring beasts whose animi directly support her or solve a problem faced by a particular meta.
Theme Thoughts[edit]
Various themes
She likes these support models, which are in all/most themes:
- Placeholder text inserted 2018.10.
The Devourer's Host
Given she's a Tharn model that was released in the Devourer CID, that's probably where she'll want to spend most of her time.
Other Themes
Although she can be taken in every other theme except for Secret Masters, Iona’s STR and ARM buff will not benefit wolds in Bones of Orobors, Wolfsworn in The Wild Hunt, or the beasts in Call of the Wild. The second half of her FEAT allowing for friendly faction warrior models to reroll missed attack rolls does allow for a single round of boosted accuracy for infantry models giving her the possibility of play in Wild Hunt.
Minions
Although Iona herself does not utilize corpse tokens, both Brighid & Caul and the Lord of the Feast want to make use of corpses and make for the natural inclusion of the Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron.
Battlegroup[edit]
Placeholder text inserted 2018.10. Lacking a toolkit that directly supports large battlegroups, since her release Iona has been generally played with a small warbeast package. Because she can mix it up in melee she often brings a Warpwolf Stalker for Sprint. As Sure Foot may be out on another model/unit, the remainder of her warbeast points are often used for a Gnarlhorn Satyr for the sake of Earth’s Blessing. These two beasts are 17 and 12 points respectively, going 1 point over Iona’s 28 point warbeast allowance. Iona does not offer a STR or MAT buff to her battlegroup but through Hunter’s Mark can increase their threat range and increase their fury efficiency, and Abbatoir allows her beasts to possibly become unjammed or make one last attack to finish an enemy model. Additionally, with a Gnarlhorn Satyr as a bodyguard, a shrewdly placed Pursuit can allow for a perfectly lined up Counterslam.
Those interactions aside, however, because Iona’s kit is tailored to supporting Tharn infantry she wants to spend as many points on them as possible to maximize the theme benefits of Devourer’s Host and therefore it seems unlikely she would pay the cost above and beyond her warbeast points allowance for either a Gorax or Feral Warpwolf for Primal.
As Iona is likely to see play nearly exclusively in Devourer’s Host, it should be mentioned that DH allows for both Ghetorix and Loki and further testing with those two beasts may be warranted.
Other[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- Spoilers revealed at Lock and Load (2018.06), beta rules in the Tharn CID (2018.08)
Theme Forces[edit]
Themes for any-and-all warlocks (Edit)
- The Bones of Orboros (Article) (Category)
- The Devourer's Host (Article) (Category)
- The Wild Hunt (Article) (Category)
- Call of the Wild - (Article) (Category)
Other Circle models[edit]
Rules Clarifications[edit]
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Rules Clarification: : Warlock (Edit) | |||
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Rules Clarification : Parry - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Pathfinder (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Stealth (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Dodge (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Leadership (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Swift Hunter and/or Overtake (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Preternatural Reflexes - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification: : Magical Damage (Edit) |
* 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)
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Rules Clarification : Blood Boon and/or Rites of Blood and/or Ritual Slaughter and/or Soul Food (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Brutal Charge (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Broadside and/or Abattoir (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Hunter's Mark - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Phantasm (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Pursuit (Edit)
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- Circle Orboros
- Tharn
- Model
- Warlock
- Parry
- Pathfinder
- Stealth
- Dodge
- Leadership
- Overtake
- Preternatural Reflexes
- Magical Damage
- Blood Boon
- Brutal Charge
- Abattoir
- Hunter's Mark
- Phantasm
- Pursuit
- Sure Foot
- Reroll Feat
- Recent Release
- Incomplete Articles
- Placeholder
- Placeholder 10
- The Bones of Orboros
- The Devourer's Host
- The Wild Hunt
- Call of the Wild