Cygnar’s dashing gun mages are a unique breed of soldier-sorcerers who can weave devastating arcane power into their unerring pistol shots. With highly accurate magelock pistols, gun mages can snipe distant targets, cripple heavily armored foes, or knock enemies off their feet.
As battles intrude on Cygnar, the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest has stepped up to answer its nation’s call. Bringing an arsenal of arcane abilities together with deadly accurate magelock pistol fire, the order’s captains and their teams are highly prized for their versatile fire support.
Basic Info
| Arcane Tempest Gun Mages |
| Missing Info |
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| COST |
{{{cacost}}} |
| UNIT SIZE |
{{{casize}}} |
| FA |
{{{cafa}}} |
| Warcaster 0 |
| BASE |
Small |
| SPD |
6 |
| STR |
{{{str}}} |
| MAT |
5 |
| RAT |
7 |
| M.A. |
N/A |
| DEF |
14 |
| ARM |
11 |
| CMD |
7 |
| ESSENCE |
{{{essence}}} |
| FOCUS |
N/A |
| FURY |
N/A |
| THRS |
N/A |
| HP |
1 |
| F. Field |
N/A |
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| WJP |
{{{wjp}}} |
| WBP |
{{{wbp}}} |
| IHP |
{{{ihp}}} |
| FA |
2 |
| UNIT SIZE |
6 +1CA |
| COST |
11 +4CA |
| 2.1 each |
| N/A |
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| N/A |
| Warcaster 1 |
| COST |
N/A |
| N/A |
Understanding
the Statblock |
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Abilities
- Entire unit
- Officer only
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Officer
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'Jack Marshal
- Drive: Rune Shot - (1) While in this model's command range, the ranged weapons of a warjack under its control gain Damage Type: Magical. (2) When a warjack controlled by this model makes a basic ranged attack during its Combat Action while in this model's command range, you can choose one Attack Type available to this model to apply to the attack.
- Granted: Swift Hunter - While this model is in formation, models in its unit gain Swift Hunter. (Swift Hunter - When this model destroys one or more enemy models with a basic ranged attack, immediately after the attack is resolved it can advance up to 2".)
- Moment of Clarity [ Minifeat ] - This model can use Moment of Clarity once per game at any time during its unit's activation. This activation, models in the unit gain True Sight. (True Sight - A model with True Sight ignores cloud effects when determining LOS. A model with True Sight also ignores Stealth.)
Weapons
- Magelock Pistol- 10" range, POW 10 gun.
- Sword - 0.5" reach, P+S 7 melee weapon. Avoid using it.
Theme Forces
Recent Changes
No changes since 2017.11
Thoughts on Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages in a nutshell
Gun mages are trick-shooting elite troops who kill infantry stone cold dead - but against hardened targets are normally reduced to trying to push them back and out of range with knockback shots. A good unit at what they do - with an officer who is primarily an interesting Jack Marshal. In the early stage of Mk3 they were considered to be a marginally useful unit due to their limited utility against swollen battlegroups. Now, the 2018 SR scenarios and the growing popularity of the infantry oriented theme lists (Ghost Fleet, Legions of Dawn, Infernal Machines, Dark Host, Exemplar Interdiction, etc.) generates an increasing demand for them. Their theme force, Sons of the Tempest also offers excellent benefits beside a low free-card threshold, so at least one unit of them are almost always present in those lists.
Thoughts on adding the CA
The CA is a jack-marshal with some of the best drive for a ranged jack, plus also brings back some of the the old Mk2 utility of the Gun Mages against stealthy targets via Moment of Clarity (giving True Sight for a turn). At least he's also an extra gun for your army, so unless you really skim points, there's hardly any reason not to take this guy.
Combos & Synergies
If you're taking the unit attachment you can consider a warjack to go with it (remember that Warjacks don't count for free points in Sons of the Tempest). Three stand out due to their rapid-fire guns.
- Sentinel - the cheap and tough shield guard
- Cyclone - That's 2*D3 Rune shots this cheap heavy can make; does that sound good? Wait, there's more! Place a covering fire template behind an advancing enemy, and shoot them into it with the Thunderbolt rounds. Don't forget, the jack also gets magical shots, thus affected by Falk's Rune Marked shots.
- Grenadier - if you have the reloaders then the snipe shot and take aim combination on a three shot jack is nice. It even makes the blast damage pretty effective.
The Hunter is somewhat less appealing than it used to be, as the Jack Marshal rule no longer gives pseudo-focus. However, it still can be a valid choice, as Strike true and Take aim commands can make it hit DEF16 targets on an average roll. If you manage to put a focus on it from another source (like Captain Arlan Strangewayes), it can be pretty devastating for high DEF - low ARM targets.
- Avenger - On direct hit, Seismic Cannon will not only knockdown a 4 inch AoE, but under the Thunderbolt runeshot, will push all affected models back.
Drawbacks and Downsides
- Against tough targets the best thing they can do is knock them back or down - and that doesn't work against everyone.
- Armour like paper - even blast damage can cut a swathe through their ranks.
- Gunfighter somewhat mitigates their weakness in close combat, and their naturally high DEF gives them a bit of staying power, but that still shouldn't encourage you to linger too long in melee.
- Anything that forbids shooting will leave your Gun Mages with their ceremonial swords - which is the synonym of dead.
- Mind your deployment - the lack of Pathfinder may force you to run and give up a round of shooting, or risk getting locked out of scenario.
- Keep the Officer safe - enemy gunners tend to be pretty excited about the presence of a squishy jack marshal.
Tricks and Tps
- Unyielding is not effective against Gunfighter attacks. User this to your advantage, especially if fielding them in the Sons of the Tempest theme.
- Always look to clog the enemy with knockback shots.
- Thunderbolt rounds are powerful board controlling tools. Knowing their threat, the enemy will probably try to place their zone/flag contesting models closer than normally would; giving extra (fraction) inches for your melee units to counter-attack.
- Scattered around the 4 current theme forces, Cygnar offers a lot of tool for infantry cleaning, from jacks like the Cyclone to Trencher and Stormsmith weapon crews, as well as regular and trencher Long Gunners. Each have their own niche utility beyond killing infantry units, so choose according to your needs.
Other
Trivia
- The unit (not including UA) was originally released in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
- The UA was released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
- Arcane Tempest Gun Mages were the first Gun Mage unit and are therefore known colloquially as Gun Mages.
- They were renamed Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Pistoleers after the Tempest Blazers came out, and then re-renamed as Arcane Tempest Gun Mages after PP realised that the ATGMP name was a lost cause.
- In Mk1 Gun Mages didn't have Snipe, but instead had Cortex Damage along the lines of the Lancer's shield. They were too good at their job and warjacks were consequently rare. (For that matter in Mk1 Cygnar was an anti-warjack faction, with Disruption being much more common than Electroleap).
Other Cygnar Models
Rules Clarifications
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Rules Clarification: : Magical Damage (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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* 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.")
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Rules Clarification : Attack Type and/or Arcane Savant (Edit)
- If you forget to declare your Attack Type before rolling the attack, and you and your opponent can't agree on a fair fix, then the Judge's Policy is that the first listed Attack Type is the one that will be used.
- If your target can only be targeted by certain kinds of attack (ie a Menoth warjack with Passage), you can first choose the correct Attack Type (ie Magical Damage vs Passage) and then that allows you to target it. The Attack Type selection and target declaration both occur at Step 1 (Refer Appendix A). (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Brutal Damage and/or Brutal Shot (Edit)
- Brutal Damage/Shot only applies to the damage vs the model directly hit.
It does not affect blast damage.
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Rules Clarification : Snipe (Edit)
- Although Snipe the spell and Snipe the Attack Type are two different "sources", they are multiple instances of the same effect. As such, they're not cumulative. Refer to the "Rule Priority" section of the core rulebook.
- Snipe does not affect the range of weapons that use the Spray template, or one's which have RNG = CTRL.
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Rules Clarification : Thunderbolt (Edit)
- If you have multiple effects that resolve on "hit" (such as Thunderbolt & Electro Leap), then you get to choose the order.
- Thus, you could trigger Electro Leap first (and bounce from their initial position), then move them via Thunderbolt.
- Or trigger Thunderbolt first, move them, and then Electro Leap (and bounce from their final position).
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Push - General ( Edit) [Show/Hide]
- Pushed models do not change their facing.
- Pushed models move at half rate through difficult terrain. Also, Pathfinder doesn't apply during pushes.
- Pushed models stop if they contact anything - a model of any size, or any obstacles or obstructions.
- You don't get free strikes against pushed models, because it is "involuntary movement" and therefore does not count as an advance.
- Pushed models suffer the effects of anything they move through (such as acid clouds).
- If you use a Push vs a charging model (via a free strike for example), this will stop the charge movement (refer core rulebook).
- However, if the pushed model is in melee range of its charge target after the push, then it is considered a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
- In that scenario, you measure whether the charging model moved 3" or less excluding the push distance. (Infernal Ruling)
- If you push a model to a position where it regains Incorporeal (for instance you push it out of range of an Exorcist) then what happens is (Being Checked by Infernals)
Knockdown (Edit) - Remember, knockdown only prevents what it says it does. Refer to the Knockdown page for a recap of what a model can/can't do.
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Rules Clarification: : Gunfighter (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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General
- You cannot Aim if you start your activation in melee. (Infernal Confirmation)
- A free strike with a ranged weapon still gets the +2 to hit and boosted damage (I'm pretty sure - I'd like to double check it though).
- If you have a Gunfighter stuck in melee and the Gunfighter wants to shoot a friendly model, then you can only do so if that friendly is within the Gunfighter's melee range. Also, if that friendly model is engaged by an enemy, that friendly model will always get the +4 DEF bonus (because the point of origin of the attack, the Gunfighter, is not "in melee" with the friendly model).
Targeting
- Outside of melee
- If the Gunfighter isn't in melee, and didn't charge this turn, then it shoots just the same as a normal model.
- In melee, but didn't charge
- If it didn't charge, it can target anyone it's "in melee" with.
- This can be any model in the Gunfighter's melee range, plus any models that have the Gunfighter in their melee range.
- If a Gunfighter kills all the enemies it is in melee with, and still has the ability to make more ranged attacks, then those attacks just follow the normal Ranged Attack rules. (Infernal Ruling)
- Charged into melee
- If it did charge, its initial attacks can only target models that are in the Gunfighter's melee range.
- If all models in the Gunfighter's melee range are killed before it makes its initial attacks, it loses any unspent initial attacks. (Infernal Ruling)
- However if it can purchase additional attacks (via Reload for instance) and/or get free attacks (via Black Spot for instance), then those non-initial attacks can target anyone it's "in melee" with, as per #2 above.
- Other targeting notes
- Remember, you can never be "in melee" with a friendly model, so a Gunfighter can pretty much never choose to target a friend while it's in melee.
- If the gunfighter is unengaged, it can still shoot a friendly model, which would just be a normal ranged attack.
- Gunfighter doesn't change the RNG of your gun, it just provides you an ability to use it while in melee and imposes some targeting restrictions.
- If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 1", that will further limit who you can target.
- If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 0", you cannot make attacks (refer 'Weapon Statistics', page 19 of rulebook).
Attack Roll
- You use the Gunfighter's RAT for the attack roll.
- Gunfighters do not ignore the Cover/Concealment bonus. (Infernal Ruling)
- How the +4 DEF bonus for "being in melee" works with Gunfighters is:
- they always ignore it vs enemies, because the "point of origin of the attack is in melee with the target".
- they never ignore it vs friendlies, because you cannot be in melee with a friendly target.
Incorporeal Gunfighters
- Note that enemy models without magic weapons can't hurt you in melee, but they can engage you.
- If they engage you then you're in melee and your target selection is limited to just models in melee (as explained above).
Gunfighter + an AOE weapon
- If you miss then the AOE will deviate as per the normal AOE rules. Not very far, though, considering the max distance you'll be apart is 2".
- If you use an AOE weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the blast template.
Gunfighter + a spray weapon
- Who you can target with the spray is limited as described above, but you get to put the whole spray template down and potentially hit models well outside the melee.
- If you use a spray weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the spray template.
Units of Gunfighters
- If a unit of Gunfighters successfully charge, but someone else in their unit kills their charge target before they get a turn to attack, then they may redirect their attack.
- Redirected attack:
- If they're still engaged, their initial attack (s) must be vs someone in their melee range.
- If they're still engaged, but no one is in their own melee range, they don't get any initial attacks.
- If they're unengaged, they are now free to shoot anyone within the gun's normal range.
Other interactions
- Gunfighter vs Point Blank (Edit)
- If a model has both Gunfighter and Point Blank, then you should declare whether you're using it as a ranged attack or melee attack whenever you shoot the gun. Because that can limit what other initial/additional attacks you can make. (Infernal Ruling)
- These two abilities are subtly different, but it's an important difference.
- Gunfighter allows you to make ranged attacks while in melee.
- Point blank allows you to make melee attacks with your ranged weapon.
- Since you can't make both ranged and melee attacks in the same turn, a Gunfighter model has a choice of either initial melee attack(s) or initial ranged attack(s). (unless it has Virtuoso or something).
- Whereas a Point Blank model chooses to make initial melee attacks, and then gets to make attacks with both weapons.
- Furthermore, the types of bonuses, penalties, and special effects you (or your opponent) can trigger will change dramatically:
- Any buffs/triggers on ranged attacks (such as Evasive, Shield Guard, Deadeye, etc) will affect Gunfighter attacks, but not Point Blank attacks.
- Any buffs/triggers on melee attacks (such as Battle Lust, Riposte etc) will affect Point Blank attacks, but not Gunfighter attacks.
- Gunfighter & Cavalry ( Edit )
- A cavalry model that charges then makes a Gunfighter attack will not gain a boosted charge attack roll, because a ranged attack is not a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- You also won't gain a boosted charge damage roll, as per normal for a Gunfighter.
- Gunfighter vs RNG modifiers (Edit)
- Unlike what most people might tell you, Gunfighter doesn't have a "range", it just lets the model make ranged attacks while in melee. The gun's actual RNG is unaffected though, until you put something like Windstorm (-5 RNG) on it. Then what happens is:
- If the gun is RNG 7, Windstorm will reduce it to 2". Thus it won't affect any Gunfighter attacks.
- If the gun is RNG 6, Windstorm will reduce it to 1". Thus you can only make Gunfighter attacks vs models within 1" (if you can - charging Gunfighters may be more limited).
- If the gun is RNG 5, Windstorm will reduce it to 0". Thus you can't make any attacks as per 'Weapon Statistics' (page 19 of the core rulebook).
- (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Officer (Edit)
- Even if they're not on the Officer's card, an Officer can give (and benefit from) any non-standard orders that are on the unit's card (such as Shield Wall). Refer main rulebook.
- When the Officer dies, the Leader model becomes the new Unit Commander (you don't get to choose).
- But if your unit doesn't include a Leader model, then you do get to choose any of the remaining models to be the new Unit Commander. You don't swap the model, but it may be worth putting a token down so you can tell that grunt apart.
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Rules Clarification : 'Jack Marshal (Edit)
- If a warjack gets a marshal benefit (such as Crush) but then moves out of the marshal's CMD range, it keeps the benefit. (Infernal Ruling)
- Marshals can control character warjacks. (Closed thread)
- Although they never get the Power Up bonus, a marshaled warjack can gain focus via other means (such as Accumulator, Empower, Spirit Harvester, etc).
- They can do this even after the Marshal dies and they become autonomous.
- 'Jack Marshal & Ranking Officer (Edit)
- If a Ranking Officer joins a unit with the 'Jack Marshal ability, then they can still only take Mercenary warjacks - they don't gain access to Faction warjacks. (Infernal Ruling)
- They can control that mercenary warjack as normal, even though they're technically no longer the same faction as the jack. (Infernal Ruling)
- See also this article for the Autonomous warjack rules and how to re-control them.
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Rules Clarification : Drive (Edit)
- If the Drive is on an Officer model, and that model dies, then the new unit commander does not inherit the Drive.
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Rules Clarification : Tactics vs Granted (Edit)
- Granted = The unit loses the ability as soon as the model that grants it is taken off the table. (think "G for Goes away")
- Tactics = The unit keeps the ability for the entire game, regardless of who dies. (think "Tac-Tick = K for Keeps")
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- Granted [ Vengeance ]
- If the model granting Vengeance dies, the unit will not get any Vengeance attacks.
- It is "If you have Vengeance, and you were damaged last turn, you get a move+attack."
- It is not "If you get damaged, you get Vengeance next turn."
- If you lose Vengeance halfway through resolving Vengeance, then you stop resolving Vengeance immediately. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Swift Hunter and/or Overtake (Edit)
- The free move must be resolved before other abilities that involve attacks (such as Quick Work or Berserk). Refer Step 12 vs 14 in Appendix A.
- This ability does not trigger off special attacks, only basic ones.
- An important difference:
- Swift Hunter can be triggered by any attack, including out-of-activation attacks.
- Overtake only works on attacks during your Combat Action. Even stuff like Impact Attacks won't trigger it.
- If you make a free strike during your Combat Action (for instance the enemy used a special rule to move during your Combat Action) you can trigger Overtake on that free strike. It still counts as being during your Combat Action. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Practiced Maneuvers - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Moment of Clarity (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 : True Sight (Edit)
- You only ignore clouds for LOS. Models can still get the concealment bonus, trigger Prowl, etc from clouds. (Infernal Ruling)
- A model that ignores Stealth must ignore both aspects: both (1) the auto-missing, and (2) the 'not counting as an intervening model' parts.
- This can have some strange interactions with casters & channelers, if one has True Sight and one does not. There are examples on the Category:Channeler page.
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Note to Editors
To edit the CA's tagged abilities, Click here
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Damage Type: Magical
