Soulless Escort

Soulless Escort Retribution Weapon Attachment

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Shadows of the Retribution. 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.

While Retribution handlers endeavor to train soulless as soldiers, some are destined to serve another function. Energy flows sent to destroy Retribution soldiers are siphoned into the body of the soulless. If they siphon too much it prompts complete organ failure. Heart and lungs burst from hostile energy pouring into the soulless, while leaving those allies around him untouched.

Basic Info

Soulless Escort
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 6 MAT 5 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 12 ARM 12 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 1 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA U UNIT SIZE N/A COST 1 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Attachment [ Retribution ] - This model can be added to a small- or medium-based Retribution unit.

Abilities

• Soulless
• Attachment Deployment - If this model is attached to a unit with Advance Deployment, it gains Advance Deployment. If it is attached to a unit with Ambush, it gains Ambush.
• Disbinding (★ Action) - Enemy upkeep spells and animi on this model and its unit immediately expire.
• Mage Static - While this model is in formation, enemy magic attacks targeting a model in its unit suffer -5 RNG.

Weapons

• Sword - 0.5" reach, P+S 9 melee weapon.
  • Damage Type: Magical

Theme Forces

Since the Escort can be attached to any unit, he can fit in any theme.

• Defenders of Ios
• Forges of War
• Legions of Dawn
• Shadows of the Retribution

Thoughts on Soulless Escort

Soulless Escort in a nutshell

The Soulless Escort makes units harder to hit by spells. Disbinding is a rarely used action to clear off pesky upkeep spells, but never hesitate to tell your opponent if they're playing to an early game debuff plan, 'cos when it's needed, it can be a life-saver. These guys are ideal choices to spend your last remaining point, but beware: they have some Skornergy in their stats and abilities. Though Attached Deployment would suggest you to field with stealthy units, like Mage Hunters, the lack of Stealth can invite pinpoint AoEs, and more important, electro leaps on these low ARM units if he stands too close. With the 2018 October update a unit of Mage Hunter Infiltrators can ambush the enemy in the Shadows of the Retribution theme, so the Soulless Escorts' presence won't deny you this theme bonus - just remember to keep your distance from the rest of the squad members.

Combos & Synergies

• As squishy units are mostly out of consideration, you probably want to include him in tougher units, mainly Dawnguards to be defended from magical attacks. They can live long enough, so you can remove enemy upkeeps with Disbinding. However, as it is an action, you can only use it in turns where your unit didn't run, or charged. If Disbinding would be an "any time during your activation" ability, it would have much more utility.
• Having mentioned Dawnguard... Dawnguard Sentinels like having a Soulless Escort in tow for the above reasons and Vengeance. As a member of the unit, though the Soulless Escort doesn't get to move and attack from Vengeance, lacking the rule, if it dies to an enemy attack, then the main unit has legitimate cause to get grouchy in return. And given that a Soulless Escort costs 1pt while a regular Sentinel costs the best part of 2pts, it's obvious who they'd like to die first!
• That said, squishy units can still benefit, making DEF debuff spells like Marked For Death much harder to nail, and Ret's squishy units like nothing more than to be kept free of DEF debuffs. And Vengeance also applies to the Spears of Scyrah, too.
• Kaelyssa doesn't overtly benefit, but her general anti-magic toolbox (Banishing Ward/Blur/Dispel) make Soulless Escorts a useful addition to her lists to make her army very annoying to play against for magic-reliant armies and spellslingers.
• Houseguard Halberdiers have to worry a bit less about spells like Rebuke with an Escort nearby. They can reach mid field in Shield Wall as quickly as top of turn 1 with Desperate Pace + Reposition. If enemies will try to remove their ARM bonus via Rebuke, they'll have to walk in (or send an arc node) within 5" - and even if they do, you can disbind it in the next turn.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Not much combat potential to talk about.
• Poor DEF in low ARM units, poor ARM in low-DEF units. And still worse in both for mid-ARM/mid-DEF units...
• Armies with not much magic basically makes these guys a waste of points. Know thy enemy!
• Marginally useful versus arced spells and completely useless against magical sprays.
• They don't have stealth so they can be used as beacons for e-leaps, AOE guns and the like, which can make them a hindrance more than a boon to units with native stealth

Tricks & Tips

• At the very least they are another body so there's blocking potential (though Voidtracers can also do that and are solos).
• Occasionally you can send them into position to trigger Vengeance or Righteous Vengeance. They might be your cheapest models for that role.
• You can attach these guys to a heavy rifle team. Very rare in Warmahordes to have WA for artillery - though it will be really high on the "top corner-case ever" list.
• Got a 74pt list with units? Problem solved.
• Always remember... they're an extra body for the basement bargain price of 1pt (a luxury that not many factions have, and in Ret's case, available in every theme and situationally useful irrespective of friendly circumstances), so don't complain if they end up not doing much, because chances are, they'll do more than they should, since most of what they do (and are good for) is passive.

Other

Trivia

Released in Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah (Novermber 2009)

Other Retribution models

Retribution Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Elara2 - Falcir1 - Garryth1 - Garryth2 - Goreshade4 - Helynna1 - Issyria1 - Kaelyssa1 - Ossyan1 - Rahn1 - Ravyn1 - Thyron1 - Vyros1 - Vyros2
Warcaster attachments	Fane Knight Guardian (Retribution) - Sylys Wyshnalyrr (Retribution) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Elara1 (BGC) - Sentinel Scyir ('Jack Marshal) - Artificer ('Jack Marshal)
Light Warjacks	Aspis - Chimera - Gorgon - Griffon - Harpy - Siren Moros
Heavy Warjacks	Aeternae - Banshee - Daemon - Discordia - Hemera - Hydra - Hypnos - Imperatus - Manticore - Phoenix - Sphinx
Colossal	Hyperion - Helios
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Cyelna & Nyss Hunters - D Destors - D Invictors - D Sentinels - Heavy Rifle Team - H Halberdiers - H Riflemen - HE Swordsmen - HE Wardens - HS Arcanists - HS Battle Mages - HV Electromancers - MH Infiltrators - MH Strike Force - Ryssovass Defenders - Spears of Scyrah - Stormfall Archers Special: Eiryss3 (CA) - Soulless Escort (WA)
Solos	Aelyth Vyr - Arcanist Mechanik - D Destor Thane - D Sentinel Scyir - Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (1) - Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (2) - Eiryss, Fortune Hunter of Ios (4) - Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber (1) - Fane Knight Guardian - Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen - Ghost Sniper - Hermit of Henge Hold - HE Warden Executioner - HS Artificer - HS Magister - Houseguard Thane - Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress Lys Healer - MH Assassin - Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios - Nayl - Priest of Nyssor - Scythe - Soulless Voidtracer
Battle Engines	Arcantrik Force Generator - Dawnguard Trident
Theme Forces
Defenders of Ios - Forges of War - Legions of Dawn - Shadows of the Retribution
Mercenaries
Refer to Category: Retribution of Scyrah Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.04

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Soulless Escort The Soulless Escort can be attached to an artillery unit, thanks to the Man-Sized rule. (Infernal Ruling) The Soulless Escort can be attached to Partisan Retribution units (ie Nyss Hunters). (Infernal Ruling)

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.")

Rules Clarification : Attachment      (Edit) You cannot field this model "just by itself". Adding an Attachment doesn't change the unit type for targeting purposes. For instance, if you add a Soulless Escort to a Houseguard unit, it is still a Houseguard unit and can still be targeted by stuff that only works on "Target Houseguard unit" (like the Houseguard Thane's abilities). (Infernal Ruling) If you can add an Attachment to multiple unit types (such as the Soulless Escort, Trollkin Sorcerer, or Ranking Officer) then there's a few weird interactions: The Attachment will benefit from any Granted abilities, and any Orders given. If the unit gets a benefit from a theme force, the Attachment will too. (Infernal Ruling) For example, a Trollkin Sorcerer will gain Serenity if its attached to a Dhunian Knot unit in a Power of Dhunia theme force. The Attachment can benefit from and/or trigger any "models in this unit..." style abilities that aren't actually on its card, but only if at least one model with that rule is still in play. Depending on the wording of the rule, the attachment may have restricted benefits. Example 1 "If a model in this unit is ... each model in the unit can ..." : an Attachment can benefit from a Vengeance move and attack. Or, conversely, its unit can get Vengeance if the attachment is killed. But if everyone except the Attachment is killed, the Attachment won't benefit from Vengeance. Example 2 "This model can ... to other models in its unit" : an Attachment can have damage assigned to it via Sanguine Bond, but if it takes damage it can't share it to the main unit.

Rules Clarification : Soulless - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Attachment Deployment - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Disbinding - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Mage Static      (Edit) Range Modifiers (Spells) (Edit) If a spell has RNG = CTRL then you can't add or subtract to that range, because CTRL is not a number. (Infernal Ruling) See also Range Modifiers (Weapons)