Vigilant

Vigilant Protectorate Light Warjack

Prime This model is available in two Prime Armies, Final Interdiction and Temple Guardians. 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 Vigilant’s twin fist-mounted shields make it an incredibly durable light warjack. The tremendous area covered by its towering shields provides nearly unassailable shelter from even the most devastating of enemy artillery fire. Warcasters favor the Vigilant for its great utility, not only is it like a small, mobile battlement but since it carries no weapons its hands are free to hurl enemy combatants about like ragdolls. The ‘jack’s unsophisticated weaponry and cortex make it easy and inexpensive to manufacture, ensuring its place among the Menite crusaders for years to come.

Basic Info

Vigilant
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Medium SPD 5 STR 9 MAT 6 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 12 ARM 17 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 26 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA U UNIT SIZE N/A COST 8 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warjack - All warjacks share the same set of special rules. Most notably being big and stompy. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Abilities

• Construct
• Girded - This model and friendly models B2B with it do not suffer blast damage.
• Roadblock - This model provides cover to friendly models as if it were an obstacle. This model loses Roadblock while it is incorporeal or knocked down.

Weapons

Shield Fist (x2)
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		0.5				2				11				Left+Right
Shield Open Fist

Theme Forces

• Protectorate
  • Exemplar Interdiction. This model gains Blessed melee weapons in this theme.
  • Guardians of the Temple
  • The Creator's Might
  • The Faithful Masses
  • Warriors of the Old Faith

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can take this warjack in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Feora is leading the army. It gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Khador players can take this warjack in the Warriors of the Old Faith theme.

Thoughts on Vigilant

Vigilant in a nutshell

The Vigilant is a light warjack with two shields, and is exactly as annoying to remove as that would indicate. Girded and Roadblock allows for some minimalist support for squishy solos like the Vassal of Menoth

Beyond that there isn't much to say about the Vigilant it offers minimal anti ranged protection to support the army and it hits pretty averagely but that armour value is superb.

Combos & Synergies

• Anything that gives it an ARM buff. Making it even harder for the enemy to kill.
• Initiate Tristan Durant in particular runs it well - Fortify isn't that useful on the ranged jacks he prefers but it's excellent on one that's bodyguarding your caster, providing knockdown and push immunity.
• Placing one in Durst's battle group and keeping it B2B with him makes both seriously hard to kill, as it goes to DEF 14 and ARM 25, and Durst can pass damage onto it if he's hit
• Thyra - If the table layout is not in your favour, bring a Vigilant as literal mobile cover to Gates of Death and hide behind!

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Low damage output.
• Anything with chain weapons or that can get into its back arc. (Or that can turn it round)
• The enemy can jam it in melee.
• Cover counts only for ranged and magical, but not for melee attack rolls
• Ultimate issue is his cost. While it provides interesting utility, he cost 1 point more than the Devout and ultimately offers more narrow use as a defensive piece, offensively the Crusader is 2 point more
• there are a lot of things that can bypass his defensive tech
• pillow fisted with lower MAT than its competition in faction

Tricks & Tips

• Use it to tank the charge. Its main benefit is being hard to kill.
• One of the few jacks in faction with two open fists - always keep throws in mind. Just remember, you cannot target a model on a larger base.

Other

Trivia

Released in Warmachine: Protectorate of Menoth (April 2010)

Rules Clarifications

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)

Rules Clarification : Open Fist  (aka, Power Attack Throw)     (Edit) Throw ( Edit ) See also the Throw article for a recap of the core Throw rules. If a model is somehow thrown at itself (which can happen with Durst1's feat) it would not move, it would be knocked down, and it would take a standard power attack damage roll but it would not take an additional die for colliding with itself. (Infernal Ruling) Because you move the target model between the attack roll and the damage roll, you can get different buffs applied to the two rolls. For instance, if you throw the target in or out of a Flanking model's melee range. Incorporeal vs Slammed/Thrown models ( Edit ) Incorporeal models cannot be moved by someone trying to slam them. Slammed models can move through Incorporeal models. If they have enough movement to get past them, no dramas. If they land on them, you move the Incorporeal model out of the way as per the Rule of Least Disturbance. If the Incorporeal model cannot be moved (i.e. it's a flag) then you move the slammed model out of the way, also by the rule of Least Disturbance. For the purposes of Collateral Damage, only the model(s) you contacted before you applied the rule of Least Disturbance count as contacted. The same logic applies to Throws. Collateral Damage Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered damage from an attack or model. Refer page 33 of the 2021.08 version of the rules pdf. As a result: It doesn't trigger stuff that relies on being hit by an enemy (such as Shock Field) or damaged by an enemy (such as Vengeance). It doesn't get bonus damage from stuff that adds to a model's damage roll (such as Signs & Portents or Prey). It doesn't matter if the attacker has crippled weapon systems or aspects. Throw - Power Attack When you make a Throw Power Attack, no other abilities of the Fist weapon (such as Chain Strike) are applied unless they specifically mention Throws. (Locked Thread) If you do a Power Attack Throw and you choose to throw the target directly away, no deviation is rolled to determine the final position of the model. (Locked thread) A model that cannot be targeted by melee attacks (such as Una2's feat) cannot have models thrown at them, either. (Infernal Ruling) Since throwing Model [A] at Model [B] involves making a melee attack roll vs Model [B] which is out of your melee range, it technically breaks a whole bunch of core rules. (Infernal Checking) Even though you make a "melee attack roll" vs Model [B] you don't actually make a melee attack vs it. Also, the damage it suffers is from Collateral damage, not from the original attack. So you can't trigger stuff like Snacking from damage you did to Model B.

Rules Clarification : Warjack      (Edit) The Cortex/Induction core rule means a warjack cannot have more than 3 focus at any time (maybe 4 if they're really special). Many abilities give out focus and don't state an upper limit (such as Convection and Empower). Despite not stating an upper limit, they are always "hard-limited" by the core rule. A warjack can have more than 3 focus during a turn, though. For instance, a knocked down warjack can Power Up and be Allocated 2 focus, then spend 1 to shake knockdown, then another model could Empower it back up to 3. Warjacks cannot spend focus outside of their activation. For instance, they can't boost free strikes or trigger Powerful Attack on Broadsides. (Infernal Ruling) Inert warjacks Abilities that say they cannot be used if the model is stationary (such as Shield Guard) cannot be used while a warjack is inert, either. Refer "Warcaster Destruction", page 59 of the core rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Girded - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Roadblock      (Edit) A Roadblock model does not count as intervening terrain for melee attacks. A model does not provide Roadblock itself. A model cannot be an intervening model to itself. (Infernal Ruling) Shadow Fire vs Roadblock (Edit) If you use Shadow Fire vs a Roadblock model then the Roadblock will still grant cover to nearby models; even though you can "see right through it". Because the rule for getting cover from an obstacle is simply: does a line pass between the attacker and target that goes over/through the obstacle? Is the target within 1" of the obstacle on that same line? In other words, whether the obstacle actually blocks LOS or not isn't relevant.