Tactical Arcanist Corps
As of 2022.08 Warmachine University has turned into an archive for Mk3 rules (3rd Edition). Refer to the Privateer Press website for all modern Mk4 (4th Edition) related content. This site has been kept online for any players who want to continue using Mk3 rules and/or anyone who wants to compare Mk4 Legacy models to Mk3 models. More information can be found on the Talk:Main Page area of this wiki. |
![]() |
Tactical Arcanist Corps |
Mark IV Status: Prime - This model is available in one Prime Army, Rhul 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.
|
The Tactical Arcanist Corps always work in threes. They undergo training and drilling together until they can meet and even exceed the exacting standards imposed by the Brand of Odom for Rhul’s elite battle mages. They defend those they are contracted to protect with scorching salvos of arcane fire, incinerating those that challenge them.
Basic Info
Tactical Arcanist Corps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mercenary - This unit will work for Crucible Guard, Cygnar, or Khador.
Abilities
-
Immunity: Fire
- Ashen Veil - This model has concealment. Living enemy models without Immunity: Fire suffer -2 to attack rolls while within 2" of this model.
- Battle Wizard - Once per turn, when this model destroys one or more enemy models with a melee attack during its activation, immediately after the attack is resolved it can make one Magic Ability special attack or special action.
- Righteous Flames - An enemy model that ends its activation within 2" of this model suffers the Fire continuous effect.
- 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.
Weapons
- Thermo Mace - 0.5" reach, P+S 13 melee weapon
- Flame Burst - When this model boxes an enemy model with this weapon, enemy models within 1" of the boxed model suffer the Fire continuous effect.
Spells
COST | RNG | AOE | POW | DUR | OFF | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flame Blast
|
(★ Attack) | 10 | 3 | 13 (Fire) | - | Yes | |
This spell causes fire damage. On a critical hit, models hit suffer the Fire continuous effect. | |||||||
Smoke Bomb
|
(★ Action) | - | 3 | - | Round | No | |
Centre a 3" AOE cloud effect on this model. This AOE remains in play for one round. |
Theme Forces
- Mercenary
- Hammer Strike. They gain Tough in this theme.
- Operating Theater (only if controlled by a Cephalyx Dominator)
- Other Factions
- Infernal players can use this unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Crosse2 is leading the army.
- Furthermore, Mercenaries can be hired by other Factions. Normally those Factions' themes will have a limit on how many models they can hire. Refer to #Other Theme Forces, below.
Thoughts on Tactical Arcanist Corps
Tactical Arcanist Corps in a nutshell
The Tactical Arcanist Corps are a very slow, very cheap unit able to create a smoke wall and that can shoot things with their POW 13 flame blasts. They die like flies but are so low threat that they do not draw much attention. With the Hammerfall Siege Crawler (that returns them to play) they have found a place in the Hammer Strike theme force as a source of clouds, blasts, and magic attacks.
Despite Battle Wizard they are a second wave unit, not a frontline unit. They use smoke clouds to block LOS to your more precious support pieces, and occasionally take potshots with Flame Blast. Late game, they can afford to go for broke in melee and trigger Battle Wizard.
Combos & Synergies
Within Mercenaries
- The Siege Crawler increases their survivability, as mentioned above.
Outside Mercenaries
- Cygnar: A unit can fill up Nemo1's Arcane Accumulator all on their own. They can also give a much-needed LOS block for that fragile caster. Taking them with Murdoch is strongly advised; his minifeat, combined with Nemo's Deceleration bubble makes them fairly resilient against shooting with an effective DEF 15 ARM 18, and blast immunity for a round.
- Khador: The Ranking Officer Valachev can give them Zephyr, letting them place a cloud then advance backwards and hide out of LOS.
Drawbacks & Downsides
- Too slow to get in front of most things that would like a smoke wall. (Unless it's Ossrum's feat turn.)
- Battle Wizard means you need to get into melee first. MAT 6 is not terrible, but also not great melee stats.
- A low speed also makes it more likely they will take a charge not give one.
- Low DEF and ARM that dies to direct fire.
- Righteous Flames only triggers once in a blue moon, and even then it only might cause damage a whole round after it is triggered.
- None of the current 3 Rhulic casters offer them that much. They are more focused on jacks or ranged support.
Tricks & Tips
- Put them in front of your caster to smoke wall.
- Keep one back so they don't all die and the Crawler can return them to play.
Other
Trivia
Released in Warmachine: Vengeance (2014)
Other Theme Forces
Cygnar (Edit)
Khador (Edit)
Crucible Guard (Edit)
Other Mercenary models
Rules Clarifications
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Flame Burst (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Ashen Veil and/or Swarm (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Battle Wizard (Edit)
|
Rules Clarification : Righteous Flames - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Magic Ability (Edit)
|
Rules Clarification : Flame Blast - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Smoke Bomb (Edit)
|
- Mercenary
- Rhulic
- Unit
- Model
- Does have Mk4 rules
- Crucible Guard Mercenary
- Cygnar Mercenary
- Khador Mercenary
- Fire Immunity
- Ashen Veil
- Battle Wizard
- Righteous Flames
- Magic Ability
- Flame Burst
- Flame Blast
- Smoke Bomb
- Hammer Strike
- Operating Theater
- Hearts of Darkness
- Gravediggers
- Heavy Metal
- Sons of the Tempest
- Storm Division
- Armored Korps
- Jaws of the Wolf
- Legion of Steel
- Winter Guard Kommand
- Magnum Opus