The Wastelander

99% of this website is about Mark 3 (mk3), which is the previous edition of the game (2016 to 2022). The reasons for this are explained here. 1% of the website is about Mark 4 (mk4), but only in regards to which mk3 models are useable in mk4 Prime and which are mk4 Unlimited. See Legacy Armies for more detail.

The Wastelander Minion Efaarit Character Solo

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, The Thornfall Alliance. 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.

From beyond the Stormlands comes the Wastelander. He is a ronin efaarit who has traveled to the ruins of western Immoren from the void-cursed nightmare that is the fallen Skorne Empire. The Wastelander cares not about childish ideals such as "good" or "evil"; he will work for anyone and for any reason - if the pay is good. Charging into battle with his massive mekitana, the Wastelander deflects bullets, blades, and bombs back at his assailants before slicing into them and carrying on to the next enemy in his sights.

Basic Info

The Wastelander
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 7 STR 5 MAT 8 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 15 / 17 (★) ARM 13 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 5 N/A N/A (★) DEF 17 vs ranged attacks Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Riot Quest - Although this model has rules which allow it to be played in Warmachine and Hordes, it was primarily designed for the Riot Quest boardgame. RQ is set in an alternate and/or future timeline where the Infernals won the war. Some of the RQ models are slightly more goofy than their WMH equivalents.

Minion - This model can work for Circle, Grymkin, Legion, Skorne, and Trollbloods

Abilities

• Parry
• Pathfinder
• Blade Shield - This model gains +2 DEF vs ranged attack rolls.
• Deflect - When an enemy model misses this model with a non-spray ranged attack, the attacking model becomes the target and is automatically hit by the attack. AOE ranged attacks that miss are centered on the attacking model. This model is the point of origin for all these attacks.
• Sprint - At the end of an activation in which it destroyed or removed from play one or more enemy models with melee attacks, this model can immediately make a full advance, then its activation ends.
• Take a Bullet - Once per round, when a friendly model is targeted by a non-spray ranged attack during your opponent's turn while within 3" of this model, you can choose to have this model become the target instead. If you do, this model is considered to be in the attack's RNG and the attacker's LOS for this attack. This model cannot use Take a Bullet while it is incorporeal, knocked down, or stationary.

Weapons

Mekitana
		RNG				POW				P+S
		1				5				10
Damage Type: Magical Weapon Master Decapitation - Damage exceeding the ARM of the model hit is doubled. A model disabled by this attack cannot make a tough roll.

Theme Forces

• Minions
  • The Thornfall Alliance
  • Will Work for Food

• Other Factions
  • Minion models 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 The Wastelander

The Wastelander in a nutshell

Ridiculous DEF coupled with Take a Bullet and Deflect, which means you can force the enemy to make an attack roll vs DEF 17 and, when they inevitably miss, they end up shooting themselves. As a result, he spends most of the game hanging around your high-value, low-DEF models (like gargantuans).

Mid to late game he can be used offensively, darting out and chopping someone's head off before sprinting back.

Combos & Synergies

• Anything that increases his DEF against shooting or gives him stealth so he is always missed by ranged attacks. Primus Jalaam has Scavengers Blessing and various casters can create clouds to hang out in.
• If any shot ever hits him you can still Shield Guard it with another model. Farrow Valkyries come to mind.
• Jaga-Jaga - Grave Wind and Signs and Portens should work very well on him. if you expect him to die the next rurn, he can also be a very decent feat target that is able to go pretty much anywhere with Pathfinder, Sprint and Parry.
• Helga2 and the Meat Thresher both have Exhaust Fumes he can hang out in for concealment. They will both appreciate him taking some shooting directed their way away from them.
• Wurmwood's Morvahna1's and Baldur1's Forest creating abilities also offer a way to up his DEF against shooting.
• Malvin & Mayhem have the Roadblock ability, granting nearby models cover. Park your Wastelander next to them to divert a shot and most likely deflect it at DEF 20 due to cover.
• Gudrun the Wasted - Another source of extra DEF against ranged attacks. It even stacks with cover or concealment.
• Swamp Gobber Bellows Crews, Rask, Kolgrimma and Jarl all have ways to drop clouds for concealment.
• Azazello loves a good Storm Rager target a high DEF model benefitting from Ripose and Duelist. Phantasm, Valkyries and Take a Bullet also make shooting based armies cry.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• If he is knocked down he is dead
• Boostable guns makes using Take a Bullet very risky.
• Decapitation looks amazing on paper; but at POW 10 + dice it has limited return on heavy targets.

Tricks & Tips

• Don’t overestimate his melee prowess. Decapitation + Weapon Master is amazing but starting at only POW 10 he needs to be vs the right target to actually kill it.
  • Say you charge, POW 10 + 4d6 will get you a 24 on average dice.

  Versus an ARM 18 (typical heavy warbeast) that means you'll deal 12 damage on average and maybe take out one aspect.

  Whereas versus an ARM 16 (typical light warbeast) you'll get 16 damage on average and that will likely be 2/3 of the target's hp.

• The timing sequence on Deflect is very confusing and needed multiple Infernal Rulings to clarify - refer the #Rules Clarifications section for details.

Other

Trivia

• Released 2020.04

Other Theme Forces

Circle Orboros (Edit)

• Secret Masters. This theme doesn't have a limit on how many Minion solos you can take. Also, you can spend Requistion Points on Minion solos.
• The Bones of Orboros
• The Devourer's Host
• The Wild Hunt

Grymkin (Edit)

• Bump in the Night
• Dark Menagerie

Legion of Everblight (Edit)

• Ravens of War
• Children of the Dragon
• Oracles of Annihilation. In this theme (1) There is no limit on the number of Minion solos you can take, (2) Minions become Blighted models, and (3) enemy models that end their activation within 2" of a Blighted model in this theme suffer continuous corrosion.
• Primal Terrors

Skorne (Edit)

• Disciples of Agony. There is no limit to the number of Minion solos you can take in this theme.
• The Exalted
• Masters of War
• Winds of Death

Trollbloods (Edit)

• Band of Heroes
• Kriel Company
• Power of Dhunia
• Storm of the North

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Parry - None yet. (Edit)

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

Rules Clarification : Blade Shield - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Deflect      (Edit) Deflect thoroughly messes with Steps 6 to 8 of the Attack Sequence. With reference to the 14 steps of the Attack Sequence: Case A: Target the Wastelander with a non-spray (not using Take a Bullet) Target the Wastelander Resolve effects that occur when a model is targeted by an attack. Check the range between attacker and the Wastelander. If it's out of range, it auto-misses and that will trigger Deflect. Check for other auto-misses (for example if the Wastelander currently has Stealth). If the attack auto-misses at either Step 3 or 4, that will trigger Deflect. (Infernal Ruling) Make an attack roll vs the Wastelander. If it misses, that triggers Deflect. Despite the wording of this step, Deflect does not occur at Step 6. Step 6 is actually for stuff like Sucker! and Shield Guard. Instead Deflect happens at Step 8. (Infernal Ruling) Skip AOE deviation. Deflect makes it centred on the attacker at Step 8. (Infernal Ruling) Assuming you triggered Deflect, the attacker is now auto-hit by their own attack. You cannot use stuff like Shield Guard to save yourself from your own attack, because Shield Guard is resolved at Step 6. (Infernal Ruling) The attacker is hit regardless of range, LOS, and even if the attacker has Stealth. (Infernal Ruling) There is one exception however: if the attacker is not a valid target of their own attack, Deflect does nothing and the attack fizzles. (Infernal Ruling) If you are not a valid target for your own attack, and you're shooting an AOE, then it does not deviate. It just fizzles and nothing happens. (Infernal Ruling) For instance, a Protectorate warjack with Passage cast on it can only be targeted by magical guns, so if it misses the Wastelander with a non-magical gun it cannot auto-hit itself. Anything else that triggers when the Wastelander is missed will still trigger, even though the attack now auto-hits the new target. (For instance, if Jaga-Jaga gives the Wastelander Poltergeist.) Steps 9 onwards (damage etc) are worked out normally. Case B: Target someone else with a non-spray, and the Wastelander uses Take a Bullet Target someone else The Wastelander declares he is using Take a Bullet. Do not check range. Take a Bullet makes it "counts as" in range. Check if the attack auto-misses for a different reason (for example if the Wastelander currently has Stealth). If the attack auto-misses, that will trigger Deflect. (Infernal Ruling) Step 5 onwards work the same as Case A.

Rules Clarification : Sprint  and/or Run & Gun     (Edit) You cannot use this ability after an out-of-activation attack (such as Countercharge), only during real activations. (Locked thread) Run & Gun won't trigger if you RFP the model, but Sprint will. 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.

Rules Clarification : Take a Bullet      (Edit) Apart from the fact that this triggers on "target" instead of "hit", this is the same as Shield Guard, so ... Rules Clarification : Shield Guard and/or Shadow Guardian     (Edit) You can't use this ability vs spells. You shift all effects onto the new model, including stuff that triggers on "when this attack hits". When you use this ability vs an AOE attack, the template moves too. Because, with reference to Apdx A, the hit 'moves' at Step 6 and the template placement is determined at Step 7. This ability doesn't work vs Point Blank attacks. Because Point Blank attacks are melee attacks that are made using a ranged weapon. On the other hand, it will work vs Gunfighter attacks. Shield Guard only Since Shield Guard specifies "opponent's turn", it can't be used against stuff that shoots in your own turn (such as Watcher or Counterblast). The Shield Guard does not necessarily need to be in the attacker's LOS or range. The Shield Guarder is always hit even if they have an ability that makes them automatically get missed, such as Stealth. (Automatically missing is determined earlier in the timing sequence than the Shield Guard moving the hit.) (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 : Weapon Master - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Decapitation - None yet. (Edit)