Journeyman Warcaster
From LOS Warmachine University
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Journeyman Warcaster |
 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. |
Though only a field apprentice, the Journeyman Warcaster adds much needed focus and spell support to the Cygnar front lines.
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Basic Info
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Abilities
- Battlegroup Controller - (1) This model is not a warcaster but has the following warcaster special rules: Battlegroup Commander, Focus Manipulation, Power Field, and Spellcaster. (2) This model must have at least one warjack in its battlegroup at the start of the game.
Weapons
- Handcannon - 12" range, POW 12 ranged weapon.
- Mechanika Blade - 0.5" reach, P+S 10 melee weapon. You should never use this.
Spells
| COST | RNG | AOE | POW | DUR | OFF | ||
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| Arcane Bolt
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2 | 12 | - | 11 | - | Yes | |
| This spell has zero special effects. | |||||||
| Arcane Shield
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2 | 6 | - | - | Upkeep | No | |
| Target friendly Faction model/unit gains +3 ARM. Models are not affected while out of formation. | |||||||
Theme Forces
- Cygnar
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Gravediggers - Heavy Metal - he gains Reposition 3" in this theme.
- Sons of the Tempest
- Storm Division - he gains Immunity: Electricity in this theme.
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- Other Factions
- Infernal players can use this unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.
Thoughts on Journeyman Warcaster
Journeyman Warcaster in a nutshell
The Journeyman Warcaster is a support solo - basically Arcane shield on a stick. A +3 ARM boost is enough to bring up average armor level to "actually tough", and allow your most prized elements to live a bit longer. He also comes in a package with a mandatory warjack, something you want to keep as cheap as possible thanks to the average defensive stats and the poor combat capabilities of the Journeyman. Keep him safe, away from combat or his battlegroup warjack will become inert.
Despite having many common abilities with a warcaster, the Journeyman is not an actual warcaster as per the rules, so things that affect "non-warcaster" models (like the Blight Bringer spell) may affect him too.
He is available in the basic Cygnar themes save the Gravediggers, making him a worthwhile first purchase for beginners.
Spell thoughts
- Arcane Shield - This is the main selling point of the Journeyman. Whether you want to pay a minimum of 8 points for this ability (if you bring the Journeyman for free) greatly depends on your overall army composition and your enemy. Natural counters are the armies with easy access to lots of Blessed weapons, spells that cancel Arcane Shield (Purification, Chasten, etc.), or abilities like Dispel. Also watch out for models who get bonus for hunting models with upkeeps on (Purgation and the like).
- Arcane Bolt - Basically a dead spell on the card. Due to the extremely low FOC stat of the Journeyman you may cast this spell only on stationary or knocked-down enemies with any real hope of hitting them. Boosting either the attack or damage roll means that you'll eat up the entire FOC stack, and wont have anything left to upkeep Arcane Shield or reduce damage.
Warjacks to consider
- Charger - The most common choice, this one pairs a powerful gun with optimal Focus efficiency. After upkeeping Arcane Shield and allocating 1 Focus to fully boost both shots (thanks to Powerful Attack), the Journeyman will still have 1 Focus remaining for reducing damage from incoming attacks.
- Hunter or Minuteman - With extended CTRL range, they can operate at 12" away from the Journeyman, and the Hunter is always satisfied with a single allocated Focus. Minuteman is a bit trickier, but between Jump and Flak Field it can help to liberate flanks and hunt down solos.
- Firefly - A great tool for any lightning themed army for its ionization boost, and has some nice anti-infantry tech on its gun. With the powerup focus to boost the hit it can deliver up to four POW10 damage rolls (12 if within Ionization range) that can neuter half of a light infantry unit.
- Sentinel - a bit of a focus hog but shield guard can keep the journeyman safe and if there is no better target arcane shield puts him up to armour21
Combos & Synergies
This model is great with focus-starved warcasters (Caine2, Darius), doing some of the army support in their stead. The following models/units are good targets for Arcane Shield:
- Your Warcaster, primarily if you want them close to the fighting.
- Your colossi and battle engine (Stormwall, Hurricane, Storm Strider)
- Jack with shields (Centurion, Lancer, Thorn) or buckler (Stormclad, Ol'Rowdy)
- Already tough units like Storm Lances, Precursor Knights or Stormblade Infantry
- The latter can reach a respectable ARM swing by stacking Arcane Shield, the Unyielding theme bonus and their minifeat.
- Stryker1 already has access to Arcane Shields, meaning that with his feat you can achieve a whooping +8 ARM bonus for 2 separate models/units.
- Stryker2 or Nemo1 - You can have a unit at +5 ARM against ranged and magic attacks thanks to the combination of Arcane Shield and Deceleration.
Drawbacks & Downsides
- Support bloat - You'll basically pay 7-12 points for bringing Arcane Shield onto the board. Always ask yourself whether this is an acceptable price for a single spell in your list, and if there's something else you could bring with more impact on the game.
- Any jacks you'll place under him won't benefit from the nice bonuses your warcaster provides to his/her battlegroup.
- 5 health boxes means the Journeyman is vulnerable to being killed by weapons or spells with Feedback that attack the Warjack they are controlling.
- He's strongly contested by other Journeyman warcasters, each having at least 1 more FOCUS than him:
- Caine0 - With Spirit Door, Fire for Effect and Trick Shots he's much more versatile on the battlefield. His bond with Ace is just the icing on the cake.
- Jakes1 - If you want to actually do something with your Journeyman and her battlegroup, Allison is a much better choice (and better defended thanks to Sidekick).
- Trencher Warcaster Lieutenant - You have to worry less about his safety thanks to Dig in + Tough, and Fire Group allows him to play safer with the ranged jacks under his care. Also, he's a Trencher, so a Grenadier has natural synergy with him.
Tricks & Tips
- Always hug cover / be in concealment, and leave a FOCUS for overboosting. It is usually easier to kill the Journeyman than the jack under his care, or the target you protect with Arcane Shield.
- In the late game, he can be an excellent flag grabber or speed bump.
- Though you won't keep him around for combat, his Hand Cannon can yield surprising amount of damage - and should be the main source for offensive output, since his RAT is higher than his FOC stat.
- He also has a magic sword (something to consider against incorporeal solos), but that should only be a backup plan.
Other
Trivia
- The Journeyman Warcaster is often referred to as "JWC", "Junior" or just "Jr."
- Released way back in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
Other Cygnar models
Rules Clarifications
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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 : Battlegroup Controller (Edit)
Inert warjacks
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Rules Clarification : Arcane Shield - None yet. (Edit)
