Prime
This model is available in one Prime Army, Legions of Dawn. 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.
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Built expressly to serve as an armored assault platform for the Dawnguard, the Trident unleashes a blistering barrage of fire. Utilizing advanced gravity-mitigating fields first developed by House Shyeel allies, the arcanist guiding the Trident can impel it forward at great speed, also accelerating accompanying myrmidons or warcasters, before delivering its weight with ramming force. It follows this crushing assault with an onslaught of its primary weaponry — a trio of heavy thresher cannons, each crewed by an expert gunner.
Basic Info
| Dawnguard Trident |
| Missing Info |
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| COST |
{{{cacost}}} |
| UNIT SIZE |
{{{casize}}} |
| FA |
{{{cafa}}} |
| Warcaster 0 |
| BASE |
Huge |
| SPD |
7 |
| STR |
12 |
| MAT |
6 |
| RAT |
6 |
| M.A. |
N/A |
| DEF |
12 |
| ARM |
18 / 20 (★) |
| CMD |
N/A |
| ESSENCE |
{{{essence}}} |
| FOCUS |
N/A |
| FURY |
N/A |
| THRS |
N/A |
| HP |
30 |
| F. Field |
N/A |
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| WJP |
{{{wjp}}} |
| WBP |
{{{wbp}}} |
| IHP |
{{{ihp}}} |
| FA |
2 |
| UNIT SIZE |
N/A |
| COST |
16 |
| N/A |
| N/A |
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| (★) 20 including the Shield bonus |
| Warcaster 1 |
| COST |
N/A |
| N/A |
Understanding
the Statblock |
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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
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Construct
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Flight
- 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.
- Coordinated Movement - Friendly models can ignore this model when determining LOS and can advance through this model if they have enough movement to move completely past it.
- 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.
- Psycho Matrix - This model can spend power tokens to use one of the following effects:
- Force Shield - At any time during its activation, this model can spend one power token to gain Force Barrier for one round. (Force Barrier - A model with Force Barrier gains +2 DEF against ranged attack rolls and Blast Resistance.) (Blast Resistance - A model with Blast Resistance gains +4 ARM against blast damage.)
- Telekinetic Wave - When this model ends its Normal Movement, it can spend one power token to use Telekinetic Wave. When it does so, choose one non-huge-based friendly Faction model within 2" of it. You can place the chosen completely within 2" of its current location. A model can be placed as a result of Telekinetic Wave only once per turn.
- 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.
- Shooting Gallery - This model gains +2 to ranged attack rolls against models within 5" of it.
Weapons
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| Thresher Cannon (×3)
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RNG
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ROF
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AOE
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POW
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10
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d3
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13
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| Ram Prow
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RNG
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POW
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P+S
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1
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4
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16
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 Shield
- Smite - A model directly hit by this attack can be slammed d6" directly away from this model. If the model hit has a larger base than the attacking model, it is moved only half the distance rolled. The POW of collateral damage is equal to the STR of this model (12).
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Theme Forces
Thoughts on the Dawnguard Trident
Dawnguard Trident in a nutshell
The Trident is a floating gun platform with some added utility. Not all of the battle engines are capable of boosting attack or damage rolls, but the Trident's Build Up Power solves this issue easily.
With its Psycho Matrix it can reach very high DEF against shooting for a huge based model, and can still teleport friendly units, if has enough tokens to do so. With an adequate ARM20 on the front and 30 damage boxes it can stand up to some heavy brawling and can still respond in kind - though a fully loaded heavy may still like to thrash it.
Normally huge bases can be difficult to maneuver around the battlefield and will often get jammed in place by opposing troops, but between Dual Attack, Shooting Gallery, Coordianted Movement and Flight jamming the Trident is anything but easy.
Typical Activation
There's quite a lot going on with all those special rules, so to break it down this is what it normally does:
- Move with your Normal Movement
- Generate 1 power token thanks to Build Up Power
- Finish movement, and trigger Telekinetic Wave (if you want to)
- You can only use Telekinetic Wave once per turn.
- Roll all 3d3 ROF at the start of your Combat Action
- Make all your ranged attacks, and your melee attack, in any order
- Dual Attack allows you to shoot before melee even if you charge (if you want to).
- You don't have to 'complete' a gun before switching to the next one. You could shoot once with the left gun, then with the right gun, then switch back to the left gun (if you want to).
- Cast Force Barrier at some stage (if you want to).
- Finish all attacks, and Reposition 3".
- You can't trigger Force Barrier after Reposition, because Reposition causes your activation to end.
Combos & Synergies
- Adeptis Rahn - The Trident is an excellen target for Polarity Shield as it keeps it save from charges which are the main way to deal with high ARM models such as the Trident. Telekinesis is also a great way to extend its threat ranges and MAT.
- Lord Arcanist Ossyan has three great upkeeps for it. Fortune is great on any model (but can eat huge portions of your clock), Shatter Storm combined with its high fire rate makes it an infantry blender and Quicken gets it up the board real fast. Remember that a model can only be affected by one upkeep, so you have to choose between them wisely, e.g. use Quicken to get to the frontlines faster, then swap to Detonator if the enemy brought many soldiers. If he has an army with a lower body count use Fortune instead. Lastly, his feat puts its damage potential through the roof, as with any ranged model.
- Elara, Death's Shadow - Main synergy here is the feat. Charging 12" through enemy lines without provoking free strikes is great, especially if you can smite something into the enemy caster and for setting up shooting gallery (which also stacks with Marked for Deathfor effective MAT 10).
- Lord Ghyrrshyld, the Forgiven - Let's see: A RAT fixer, anti-stealth, an ARM debuff AND ghostly? Yes, Tridents are great with the top most caster of the Retribution.
- Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn - Blinding Light is another RAT fixer, while Crusaders Call speeds it up. The Feat is also great on the Trident, solving Stealth issues and upping hitting and damage. Also it can be ARM 22 under Inviolable Resolve, though you might want to put that on a unit.
- With her character jack Hemera's Mark Target Shooting Galery and Blinding Light it can shoot at RAT 12! Add in her feat and you will comfortably hit Def 20 models.
- Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper - Banishing Ward can keep it save from spells, while her feat keeps it save from shooting and charges. Alternatively, Refuge can be great on the Trident, allowing it to ferry into relative safety after shooting. Blur also makes it DEF 17 against shooting and magic.
- Ravyn, Eternal Light also has a slew of great tools for it. Snipe means it can shoot something from 21" away, which will only matter in earlier turns though, given that you want to make use of Shooting Gallery. If you are close enought for Shooting Gallery though, you are also close enough to Countermeasure, which can be great on a huge base. Veil of Mists also gives it effectibe ghostly again, so if can phase through enemy models without provoking free strikes. And lastly, the Feat (Ret has a lot of feats adding die to guns). With Swift Hunter and its high RoF it can potentially move 18" in all directions.
- Thyron, Sword of Truth - Spellpiercer is decent on any ranged model so they can shoot Gremlin Swarms and the like off the table, and blessed is never a bad thing to have either. Since you can't put Storm Rager on it, the synergies end here, unfortunately.
- Vyros, Incissar of the Dawnguard - It's the only piece which can benefit from his Veteran Leader, which he can also take into multiple themes, like his favourite, the Forges of War. MAT 7 is very good and the Trident is an excellent shooting and scenario piece for his game plan. Deceleraition is also very good on it, of course.
Drawbacks & Downsides
- You cannot run and use its supporting abilities.
- Though it has one of the highest DEF against shooting among the Battle Engines, ranged magic attacks may still easily hit it.
- Like all battle engine, it is not part of your battlegroup, thus cannot be enhanced by those spells.
- Guns with random rate of fire can let you down in the worst possible moment.
- Your damage output is tied to your combat action, while Power token gathering is tied to advance. Watch out for - the fortunately few - things that counters either one or both of them like Shadow Bind, Blind, Blinding Light, Deadweight, Haley2's feat, etc.
- This model is a BAHI model. It is not available in stores, it can only be purchased directly from PP's online store (or 2nd hand).
Tricks & Tips
- You don't have to spend all your power tokens. They don't expire, so unspent tokens will be kept for your next activation.
- The timing on Build Up Power vs Telekinetic Wave is a bit easy to misintrepret, but the end result is you generate new Power Tokens before you can spend any on Telekinetic Wave.
- Forfeiting your movement to aim is rarely worth it; Shooting Gallery means that often you don't need the aiming bonus and also, somewhat more importantly, if you aim then you won't generate power tokens.
- Thanks to Dual Attack you can charge in, slam your target, then pepper the now knocked-down target with all of your shots.
- Note that the slam doesn't get the extra 2" slam distance (mentioned in the huge base rules) because that extra 2" only applies to a Power Attack Slam.
Other
Trivia
- Released in 2018.11
- Nicknames: Dawnmower, Lawnmower, (Dawn)sled
- Nickname for the 'Telekenetic Wave'-ability: Shipstream
Other Retribution models
Rules Clarifications
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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)
- 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.
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Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification: : Flight (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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- Flight doesn't ignore:
- Impassable terrain.
- Most hazards. The exception is they do ignore Acid Bath and Burning Earth as long as they don't land in them.
- Templates that stay in play and do damage to models moving through them (such as a Scather).
- Free strikes.
- Trampling with a flying model (Edit)
- Flight allows you to trample "over" medium- and larger-bases.
- Although you trample "over" them, you don't get to make a trample attack vs them and you don't ignore their free strikes. Refer the core rulebook.
- Unless, of course, you have an exception like Blade Rush.
- Flight on a Cavalry model (Edit)
- Although flyers can move over obstacles/models, and horses can pause to do impacts while charging, flying horses cannot make impact attacks while overlapping models/obstacles. You need to pause in a legal position.
- Charging through models (Edit)
- You can't charge all the way through your charge target, with the intention to turn around and face them once you're on the other side.
- Because you aren't able to satisfy the "must keep the charge target in melee range" clause at the point after you are through the model but before you turn to directly face. At that point the target is behind you, not in your front arc, and thus not in your melee range.
- Your melee range only extends to your front arc. Refer to the latest errata.
- You can still "skim" through the edge of their base, if you're careful and smart with your positioning.
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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)
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Rules Clarification : Coordinated Movement (Edit)
- The "can ignore for LOS" is not optional. You cannot opt to "turn off" your ability to see through models, in the hope of getting a free strike or some such. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification: : Dual Attack (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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* 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)
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Rules Clarification : Psycho Matrix - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Force Shield (Edit)
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Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities ( Edit) [Show/Hide]
- "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
- Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include:
- Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam.
- Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport).
- In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
- In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
- When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
- When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved".
(Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.)
- Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
- Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running.
- Units: See below.
- In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't).
- If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- Units with "Any Time" abilities
- You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active.
- You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Telekinetic Wave (Edit)
- This is similar to Slipstream, but one important difference: Telekinetic Wave only lets you place someone who is within 2" of the Trident's end position.
- You can only use Telekinetic Wave once per turn, because you can only finish your Normal Movement once per turn.
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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.
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Rules Clarification : Shooting Gallery - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Shield and/or Buckler (Edit)
- The only time you lose the Shield bonus is when the weapon is crippled, or if the attack originates in your back arc. (Infernal Ruling)
- In other words, you still get the Shield bonus while knocked down or stationary.
- You don't get the Shield bonus vs stuff originating in your back arc. This includes stuff that "leaps" off models in your back arc, such as Electro Leap. (Locked thread)
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Rules Clarification : Smite (Edit)
- This rule changed in Mk3 to no longer say it "adds the weapon's POW". It still does add the POW, however, because the whole section on calculating Slam damage was reworded in the main rulebook.
- Smite is not a Power Attack Slam, it is just an attack which causes a model to be slammed. As such, you can smite friendly models.
- You can trigger Critical Smite on a free strike.
- If you Smite on a charge, then the slam damage will be boosted.
- Chain Attack Smite only - Unlile the other versions of Smite, a Chain Attack one doesn't have the distance halved when a smaller base model smites a larger. The Knights Exemplar Seneschal is just that awesome.
- See also the clarifications on being slammed
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