Railless Interceptor

Railless Interceptor Crucible Guard Battle Engine

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Crucible Guard. 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.

The Railless Interceptor is an advanced new type of military hardware, representing an evolution of armored transportation. Weighing in excess of 150 tons, the Railless is a rolling fortress of weapons and armor plating. It is crewed by a dedicated team of warriors who must serve as a hybrid of traditional crew, artillerists, and field mechaniks in order to keep their vehicle at peak operation during the course of a battle.

Basic Info

Railless Interceptor
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Huge SPD 6 STR 15 MAT 6 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 9 ARM 19 CMD 10 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 36 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 16 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Battle Engine - All battle engines share the same special rules, most notably being immune to a bunch of stuff. Click here for the long version.

Abilities

• Construct
• Pathfinder
• Build Up Power [1] - If this model advances during its Normal Movement, it gains 1 power tokens. This model can have up to three power tokens at any time. During its activation, this model can spend power tokens to boost one attack or damage roll for each token spent.
• Bulldoze - When this model is B2B with an enemy model during its Normal Movement, it can push that model up to 2" directly away from it. A model can be pushed by Bulldoze only once per turn. Bulldoze has no effect when this model makes a trample power attack.
• Dual Attack - This model can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. When this model makes its initial melee attacks or a power attack, it can also make its initial ranged attacks. This model can make ranged attacks even while in melee.
• Exhaust Fumes - When this model advances during its Normal Movement, for one round other friendly Faction models gain concealment while within 3" of this model.
• Reposition [3"] - At the end of an activation in which it did not run or fail a charge, this model can advance up to 3", then its activation ends.

Weapons

Alchemical Cannon
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		14			1			4			15			-
Scather - This attack's AOE is a hazard that remains in play for one round. Models without Immunity: Corrosion entering or ending their activations in the AOE suffer 1 point of corrosion damage.
Antiminator (×2)
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		SP 10			1			-			14			1 Each Side
Damage Type: Cold
Flame Thrower
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		SP 8			1			-			12			-
Damage Type: Fire Continuous Fire
Bash
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		0.5				0				15				-
Ram - When an enemy model is hit by this weapon during this model's Combat Action, it becomes knocked down and can be pushed 1" directly away from this model. If the model hit is pushed, this model can immediately advance 1" directly toward it.

Theme Forces

• Magnum Opus
• Prima Materia. This model gains Cutting Edge in this theme.

Thoughts on the Railless Interceptor

Railless Interceptor in a nutshell

The Railless Interceptor is a mobile gun platform. With its high power cannon and multiple strong sprays the Railless threatens models of all types. When combined with the damage- and accuracy-increasing effects in faction, the Railless Interceptor is able to threaten a myriad of targets. The Interceptor functions well with almost any caster and has become almost ubiquitous with Syvestro.

Build up power has helped erase one of the Railless weaknesses, now with a built in boosting mechanic you can land those essential shots.

Combos & Synergies

• Aurum Adeptus Syvestro - Super Fuel makes the Railles SPD8 which provides significant scenario pressure (especially with Bulldoze on a huge base). Explosivo works well on three sprays and the Railless makes great use of his feat.
• Captain Eira Mackay - Under her feat their damage output is brutal, and Return Fire is a cheap way (in terms of focus) to punish enemy shooting.
• Gearhart - Gearhart loves a heavy gunline, and has a lot of ways to maximize the units operating around a Railless. He almost always wants one as a result, as it can typically anchor an entire flank.
• Locke - While seemingly an exclusive battlegroup caster, Locke actually runs the Railless extremely well thanks to Road to War & Sentry. She can use them like a unit of infantry to contest scenario elements while her battlegroup runs behind and mops up the enemy army.
• Lukas - Lukas seemingly has little synergy with the Railless. However he can give it Apparition, and TK is forward, so he runs the fastest Railesses.
• Tubbin - It can Tune Up a railess and fully boost its next attack, which is marverlous on sprays.
• Retaliator - It can Oil up targets for the flamethrower.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• It's a Battle Engine - in other words a big target
• It is not good at melee, but hits very hard. Of course with four sprays and a scather it's better than any heavy at shooting.
• 9/19 with 36 boxes is fairly soft for battle engines, especially when you consider the dearth of Crucible Guard defensive buffs. For players from other factions, expect the Railless to take one to two fewer dedicated attacks (such as from a Weapon Master or a Gang + Prey Ambusher) than you are used to.

Tricks & Tips

• Look to exploit dual attack allowing you to first charge and then line up sprays straight down enemy lines.
• With SPD 6, Bulldoze, Ram, and Reposition 3", you can plunge this battle engine into opposing lines of troops, kill lots of them, then reposition further into them to prevent them from charging and getting the alpha. Watch out for opposing 'jacks/beasts and weaponmaster units that can clear a Railless Interceptor in melee.
• Screen it so the enemy can't charge it. Alternatively, have it screen for smaller bases which can be crippled such as your heavies.
• Scathers are excellent at restricting your opponent's movement. Even if you're out of range or your opponent's DEF is too high, consider shooting the cannon so they have to work around your Scather template(s). An expert placed (or lucky) Scather template can cause serious problems for damaged or single-wound models.
• Use Bulldoze to clear out jamming models or line up your opponent's models for devastating sprays.
• They have a massive number of potential attacks - don't let your clock run out!
• Consider using Combat Alchemists in conjunction with your Railless Interceptors. They give the Alchemists concealment on the approach, and the Alchemists can apply Ice Cage to the enemy so your Railless Interceptors can hit more consistently.
• Don't let Exhaust Fumes be a trap, use it judiciously. While it provides concealment to friendly models, those models can get in its way causing order of activation issues, and the Railless is a huge, easy target for things like electro-leaps and trick shots.

Other

Trivia

• Released with the Faction launch (2018.06)
• The calculated ground pressure of a 150-ton Railless Interceptor is approximately the same as an elephant walking on stilts.

Other Crucible Guard models

Crucible Guard Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Benett - Gearhart - Locke - Lukas - Mackay - Syvestro
Warcaster attachments	Aurum Legate Alyce Marc (Crucible) - Sylys Wyshnalyrr (Mercenary) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Prospero (BGC)
Light	Liberator - Retaliator - Vanguard
Heavy	Suppresor - Toro - Vindicator
Colossal	Vulcan
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Combat Alchemists - CG Assault Troopers - CG Infantry - CG Rocketmen - CG Storm Troopers - Dragon's Breath Rocket - Failed Experiments Ranking Officer : Doctor Alejandro Mosby
Solos	Ascendant Mentalist - CG Mechanik - Gorman1 - Gorman2 - Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter - Prospero - Rocketman Ace - Trancer
Battle Engines	Railless Interceptor
Theme Forces
Magnum Opus - Prima Materia
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Crucible Guard Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.05

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Scather      (Edit) The AOE that remains in play is not a cloud effect. 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.

Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) If you deploy in fire hazard terrain (Burning Earth), then you get set on fire before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Ram and/or Batter     (Edit) Push - General     (Edit)   [Show/Hide] Pushed models do not change their facing. Pushed models move at half rate through difficult terrain. Also, Pathfinder doesn't apply during pushes. Pushed models stop if they contact anything - a model of any size, or any obstacles or obstructions. You don't get free strikes against pushed models, because it is "involuntary movement" and therefore does not count as an advance. Pushed models suffer the effects of anything they move through (such as acid clouds). If you use a Push vs a charging model (via a free strike for example), this will stop the charge movement (refer core rulebook). However, if the pushed model is in melee range of its charge target after the push, then it is considered a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling) In that scenario, you measure whether the charging model moved 3" or less excluding the push distance. (Infernal Ruling) If you push a model to a position where it regains Incorporeal (for instance you push it out of range of an Exorcist) then what happens is (Being Checked by Infernals) Knockdown (Edit) - Remember, knockdown only prevents what it says it does. Refer to the Knockdown page for a recap of what a model can/can't do.

Rules Clarification : Battle Engine      (Edit) The main differences between battle engines and the other huge bases are: They can be placed, and they can move outside their Normal Movement (such as Dodge). They can benefit from Advance Deployment, Incorporeal, and Stealth. They can't make ranged attacks while in melee. At least not by default; but many battle engines have Gun Platform, Dual Attack, or similar. Unlike Colossals and Gargantuans, your opponent can take control of your battle engine. There are very few such abilities that work on this model type, though. Being a huge-based model, a Battle Engine can never gain the DEF bonus from concealment ... but it can still have concealment and thereby trigger Prowl. Huge Base (Edit) You can draw LOS from your Left arc to a target in your Right arc (and vice versa). See also this diagram Huge-based models get bonus distance if they do a Power Attack: Slam or Power Attack: Power Strike. But this bonus doesn't apply to slams triggered by normal attacks (such as Critical Smite or the Hurricane's Thunder Charge ability). Also, simply being on a huge base triggers a bunch of rules scattered throughout the rulebook, click to read them.   [Show/Hide] From the 2020.02 edition of the core rules (Edit) Fields of Fire Page 37 A huge-based model’s front arc is marked on its base. Its front arc is further divided into two 90° fields of fire. These fields of fire determine which models a huge-based model can target with its weapons, depending on the location of those weapons. Weapons located on a huge-based model’s left side (L) can be used to target only models in its left field of fire, and weapons located on its right side (R) can be used to target only models in its right field of fire. Weapons with locations “S,” “H,” or “—” can be used to target models in either field of fire. If any part of a model’s base is on the line separating the left and right fields of fire, the model is considered to be in both fields of fire. Concealment, Cover, LOS Page 49 Concealment & Cover - Huge-based models never gain the DEF bonuses from concealment or cover. Page 60 Clouds - Cloud effects do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Page 87 Forests - Forests do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Huge-Based models in melee Page 54 - Huge-based models never gain the Target in Melee DEF bonus. Page 65 - Combined Ranged Attacks cannot target a model in melee unless it has a huge base.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

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

Rules Clarification : Build Up Power      (Edit) You roll Build Up Power after you have declared you are going to advance, but before physically moving the model. (Infernal Ruling)

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

(A) People think Bulldoze works like a bowling ball hitting tenpins. But this is wrong because the models haven't been moved DIRECTLY away. (B) Whereas if you move models DIRECTLY away, you bulldoze the first guy okay, but then the next one's path is blocked (shown in red), and you get stuck. Bulldoze - General Models are pushed directly away from you at the point of contact. Some players do this incorrectly, refer to the section on moving models, below. You cannot cast spells or use any other "any time" abilities when you 'stop' to resolve the Bulldoze movement. It's just a pause, not a stop. The size of the Bulldozer vs the Bulldozed does not matter. A small model bulldozes a large model just fine. (Just don't expect to move a Colossal etc.) Bulldoze only works during your Normal Movement. This includes full advances, runs, charges, and slams, but doesn't include stuff like Reposition or Energizer. You can't make free strikes against models you Bulldoze (because for them it is involuntary movement). Enemy models with 2" melee range will still engage you after being bulldozed. Because they will be exactly 2" away and thus still within 2". An enemy model can only be pushed once by the Bulldozer, but if you have multiple Bulldozer models then you could push the same enemy multiple times. If you contact a model you want to Bulldoze while overlapping another model or an obstacle, then you can "pause" on top of that other model/obstacle while resolving the Bulldoze, then continue your movement off the other model/obstacle. (Locked thread) Bulldoze - Charges / Slams If you attempt to Bulldoze a model out of your charge lane but it does not move far enough, you can't Bulldoze again. You will continue your charge, contact it again, and stop. You can use Bulldoze to get the charge bonus against models between 1 and 3" away. Simply move into B2B, bulldoze them 2" to make some more room, then you can move 2" further forward to get to the "moved at least 3 inches" requirement. Similarly for Slams vs models within 1-3". If you Bulldoze your charge target out of your melee range, this doesn't break the "once in your melee range the target must stay in your melee range" rule. Bulldoze is an exception. (Infernal Ruling) Bulldoze - Moving the models A lot of people think they can bulldoze straight through the enemy lines, like shown on Image A. But what actually happens is more like Image B. This is due to 3 important factors you need to apply: Bulldoze pushes models directly away from your base. Not at an angle. Directly. Away. If there is a model behind the bulldozed model, the model will STOP. And in this situation, a model beside the pushed model is effectively behind it unless you're pushing at a perfect tangent. A model can be pushed only one time via Bulldoze. Push - General     (Edit)   [Show/Hide] Pushed models do not change their facing. Pushed models move at half rate through difficult terrain. Also, Pathfinder doesn't apply during pushes. Pushed models stop if they contact anything - a model of any size, or any obstacles or obstructions. You don't get free strikes against pushed models, because it is "involuntary movement" and therefore does not count as an advance. Pushed models suffer the effects of anything they move through (such as acid clouds). If you use a Push vs a charging model (via a free strike for example), this will stop the charge movement (refer core rulebook). However, if the pushed model is in melee range of its charge target after the push, then it is considered a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling) In that scenario, you measure whether the charging model moved 3" or less excluding the push distance. (Infernal Ruling) If you push a model to a position where it regains Incorporeal (for instance you push it out of range of an Exorcist) then what happens is (Being Checked by Infernals)

Rules Clarification:  : Dual Attack      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* If you fail a charge, then you do not get to make ranged attacks. If you have multiple ranged attacks and/or melee attacks, you can intermingle them in any order. (Infernal Ruling) You can charge, make a ranged attack, then make your charge melee attack. Even though you made a ranged attack, that doesn't change the fact that your first melee attack is the charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) You must complete all initial attacks before buying attacks. You can't go: Make an initial melee attack, then buy a melee attack, then make an initial ranged attack. (Locked Thread) Dual Attack doesn't let you mix initial attacks with a (★) attack. Dual Attack only lets you make either: Initial melee attacks and initial ranged attacks. Power attack and initial ranged attacks. Any other combination of (★ Attack) and initials is disallowed. See this thread for full explanation and links to relevant Infernal Rulings. You could theoretically make a special melee attack and then buy additional ranged attacks (or vice versa) ... but the core rules say "The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any" so the special attack would have to explicitly allow a swap - and I'm unaware of any that do so. There is no penalty for shooting an enemy you are in melee with. Your ranged attack(s) can target a model you are not in melee with. (Infernal Ruling) Dual Attack & Drag ( Edit ) This is pretty-much limited to just the Prime Axiom under Syntherion, or the Swabber, Galleon or Prime Axiom under Aurora2 If you charge model A then utilise Dual Attack to make a ranged attack vs the same model, then you would get the free melee attack from Drag. The Drag attack is a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) If you charge model A then utilise Dual Attack to make a ranged attack vs a different model, then you would lose the free melee attack from Drag. Your first melee attack must be versus the charge target, and you cannot save the Drag attack for later. (Infernal Ruling) If you didn't charge then ... just go nuts. There's no restrictions that I know of. Dual Attack & Slam/Trample ( Edit ) Power Attack Slam and Trample combine your Normal Movement and Combat Action, and how this works with Dual Attack is: Slam: You must resolve the movement, the attack, and moving the slammed model. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. Trample: You must resolve the movement, the attacks, and the free strikes. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Exhaust Fumes - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Reposition      (Edit) Models out of formation cannot move via Reposition. Refer to the "Out of Formation" rules in the core rulebook. 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.