Difference between revisions of "Legion of Everblight"

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===[[Theme - Children of the Dragon|Children of the Dragon]]===
 
===[[Theme - Children of the Dragon|Children of the Dragon]]===
 
[[File:71307 CraelixFangofEverblight WED.jpg|thumb|[[Craelix, Fang of Everblight]]]]
 
[[File:71307 CraelixFangofEverblight WED.jpg|thumb|[[Craelix, Fang of Everblight]]]]
A theme where all the light infantry choices are available, and the Nephilim (warbeasts created from said infantries), but mainly revolves around the 2 heavy, character beasts, [[Azrael]] and [[Zuriel]].
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A theme where all the light infantry choices are available, and the Nephilim (warbeasts created from said infantries) get some buff in close combat, but mainly revolves around the 3 heavy, character beasts, [[Typhon]], [[Azrael]] and [[Zuriel]].
  
 
{{CotD models}}
 
{{CotD models}}
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===[[Theme - Oracles of Annihilation|Oracles of Annihilation]]===
 
===[[Theme - Oracles of Annihilation|Oracles of Annihilation]]===
 
[[File:ThroneOfEverblight.jpg|thumb|[[Throne of Everblight]]]]
 
[[File:ThroneOfEverblight.jpg|thumb|[[Throne of Everblight]]]]
This theme force features your magic-wielding infantry and battle engine, coupled with the broadest selection of the Legion's warbeasts.
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This theme force features your magic-wielding infantry and battle engine, coupled with a broad selection of Minion choices beside the Legion's warbeasts.
  
 
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{{OoA models}}
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===Official Short Story Series: Blight Also Rises===
 
===Official Short Story Series: Blight Also Rises===
[[File:Forsaken.jpg|thumb|[[The Forsaken]]]]
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See [[Lore - Source Material#Short Stories]]
In an Insider series entitled "Blight Also Rises," PP explore the pivotal events surrounding the unexpected emergence of the dragon Everblight as a major player in the conflicts of western Immoren. From the outset of the dragon attaining freedom from imprisonment, it defied all expectations and predictions and was soon perceived as a unique threat to the region.
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* Volume One: [https://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/the-fire-the-forge '''The Betrayer''', by Douglas Seacat 2018.08]
 
* Volume Two: [http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/the-fire-the-forge-blight-also-rises-2 '''The Threat Unveiled''', by Douglas Seacat 2018.10]
 
* Volume Three: [http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/the-fire-the-forge-blight-also-rises-3 '''In Darkness Bound''', by Douglas Seacat 2018.12]
 
  
 
[[Category:Faction Overview]]  
 
[[Category:Faction Overview]]  
 
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
 
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Revision as of 21:30, 11 September 2019

CommandBook Legion.png
Steeped in the blighted energies of it's namesake, the Legion of Everblight sweeps down out of the northern reaches doing the bidding of a near-incorporeal master...

Everblight is one of the dragon "children" of Toruk who rebelled against him at their birth millennia ago. Slightly weaker than his brethren but more cunning, he worked in the shadows until things changed forever several centuries ago. At that time his hiding place under an Iosan city was discovered and the elves destroyed his corporeal form and imprisoned his athanc (a crystal heartstone containing his essence) on a desolate mountaintop in north Khador. Decades later he was freed but instead of returning to a corporeal form he has split his essence and mastered the effects of his blight. Now the northern tribes of Ogrun and Nyss elves are fully under his sway and comprise his Legion. They march to war alongside powerful dragonspawn. The Legion is a small but rapidly growing force intent on spreading Everblight's control across all Immoren.

For more backstory, refer to Lore - Everblight

Legion for beginners

Aesthetic

Evil dragon-like creatures; blighted elves and ogres with horns and hooves where they should have heads and legs; and tentacled monstrosities.

Playstyle

At its core, Legion is a fast paced, warbeast focused faction. Legion's rule and keyword laden warbeasts are embodied by their Eyeless Sight - a trait allowing these expensive warbeasts to ignore the defensive tech from clouds, forests, and Stealth, which many armies may rely on to remain safe. On top of that, Legion warbeasts and even infantry boast some of the highest concentration of native Pathfinder and Flight, allowing Everblight armies to maneuver unhindered by terrain. What draws many to the faction are these large and focused battlegroups comprised of fast and flighty dragons. It is not uncommon to see an army of Everblight composed of a warlock, a few heavy warbeasts, and support models to keep the massive amount of FURY in check. Indeed, Legion has near unmatched support for removing excess Fury from the board after a turn of heavy boosting and buying.

Many will call Legion the "alpha strike" or "glass cannon" faction, and while these monikers are somewhat true, they are not fully accurate. Legion's offerings are certainly "glass" when you look at their defensive parameters, but they are no more "cannon" than any other faction in Warmachine or Hordes. In fact, often other armies can well exceed Legion's hitting power after you factor in support buffs! Additionally, on paper many factions look slower than Legion, but in reality many of these armies can buff themselves up to Legion's higher raw speed with common support pieces. Rather, Legion relies on its mobility and warlocks (instead of independent support models) to outmaneuver the enemy and pick them apart while controlling their losses carefully.

Don't let this discourage you. Instead of treating Legion as the "alpha strike" or "glass cannon," it can be better thought of as the "piece trade" faction. While this is a little less glamorous to say, it is far more representative of the faction's focus. While some forces may be able to suffer a blow and soldier on, the Legion of Everblight must engineer clever play to trade low value models for high value models. These sorts of tricks are quite viable thanks to the tools at Everblight's disposal, such as the dragging capabilities of the Hellmouth or Proteus and place/push effects from animi like Slipstream and Repulsion. In many ways Legion is more about disrupting your opponent's plans by snatching key models out of position or dealing a poweful blow and retreating to safety; these sorts of plays set up favorable "trades" that let you get ahead of the enemy with little reprisal.

Of course, striking first and striking hard is definitely still an aspect of these draconic swarms (especially warlocks like Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight), but this plan won't always work every time. A successful Legion player is a crafty Legion player, much like Everblight himself in the lore. Sneaky tricks, creative counterplay, and movement shenanigans will serve you just as well - if not better - as a big meaty beatstick.

Starting Advice

The Legion of Everblight can be a tricky faction to pick up initially, espcially if you're coming into an established gaming area with veteran players. It also can be an incredibly easy faction to pick up if most of your fellow opponents are also new players. As stated above Legion is less the faction that does hit first, but more the faction that must hit first. Against well practiced players, many of the easier tricks and traps Legion employs will be harder to execute. Additionally, due to the "glass" nature of the faction, mistakes on your part are much more costly compared to some other factions; even Legion's hardest armor has relatively little staying power against many other armies, which is why this alpha strike is so important. Conversely, against other newer players, their own mistakes when playing against Legion can be just as costly for them, as it will be much easier to find "gotcha" moments where their key centerpiece model is dragged completely out of position and you get to eat it for "free." Your first warlock can also greatly influence your learning curve coming into the faction, and who you choose will depend on your playstyle as well as your familiarity with Warmachine and Hordes as a whole.

Like every other faction in the game, the Legion is also dominated by the theme forces, and it is likely to remain so in the foreseeable future. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, here is a quick rundown about them. Beside choosing your first warlock it is also advised to find a theme force that appeals to you. If you are clueless at first, don't despair. Choose a few models that are aesthetically appeasing to you, and check the available theme forces for them - most likely you'll find a common denominator.

Starter Sets

Starter Set

Mk3 Battlegroup Set

Contents: Kryssa, Conviction of Everblight warlock, a Neraph heavy warbeast, a Nephilim light warbeast, and two Shredders lesser warbeasts. Plus a bunch of peripheral stuff (see picture).

This is a solid starter package and a great value to money deal for new players just getting into the scene.

It features a straightforward warlock with simpler rules and battlegroup, and is intended to play against the other starter boxes as a complete army in small games to learn the rules.

Theme Force Starter - Primal Terrors

Contents: A unit of Blighted Ogrun Warmongers and their character command attachment Gorag Rotteneye, a unit of Blighted Rotwings, a Warmonger War Chief solo, and a Forsaken solo.

This one is designed to be an add-on to one of the other starter sets, rather than be one all by itself - you'll note it doesn't include a warlock or any warbeasts. It is roughly 35 points.

The Mk2 Battlegroup Set (limited availability)

Contents: Lylyth1 warlock, 4 Shredder lesser warbeasts, and 1 Carnivean heavy warbeast.

You may not be able to find this any more, as it has gone out of production. While not technically ok for "Battlebox Fights" because changes to points cost means it is now 4 points over your "0 point allowance", it is still good value for money when starting an army.

As with the mk3 version, it features a straightforward warlock with simpler rules and battlegroup.

2017 Legion Army Box (limited availability)

Contents: Thagrosh1 warlock, a Carnivean heavy warbeast, a Scythean heavy warbeast, a unit of Blighted Nyss Swordsmen with their command attachment, a unit of Strider Scouts with their command attachment, a Blighted Nyss Shepherd solo, and 5 Incubus solos.

You may not be able to find this any more, as it has gone out of production. This box unleashes the whole rulebook upon you - from units to power attacks and solos. Its 50 points limit is slightly behind the most popular 75 pts tournament formats, but prepares you well for such a challenge.

Other worthwhile early purchases

For new players who have their first army and want to expand their army (especially those starting with the Kryssa box):

New players will want to get some of the important faction staples as soon as they are ready to expand their battlegroup or learn to use solos and units in concert with their beasts.

  • Legion falls flat without its incredibly valuable and relatively low cost support solos. They're also cheap (in cash as well as PC) ways to improve and expand your army.
    • Shepherds, Forsaken, and Deathstalkers are all highly universal solos that almost any Legion list can use no matter which warlock is in charge
      • Kryssa especially needs the fury management and spot removal in her army that these choices offer.
  • If it's more heavy warbeasts you want, there are no shortage of good beasts in Legion.
    • For a centerpiece model, look into Typhon. He's Legion's most expensive warbeast, but is incredibly potent and self sufficient, meaning he plays well with pretty much every warlock.
    • At least one or two heavy warbeast kit - a multi-model box that can build a Carnivean, Scythean, or Ravagore - are great early buys for aspiring Everblight players.
      • If you pick up this, look into "magnetizing." With a few magnets and a dremel this lets you field whichever of the three beasts the box builds with only one kit. If you get more than one, magnetizing both allows you to mix and match as well, giving you great value to money and list variety.
    • A Seraph is also a very valuable support warbeast that many lists will want, although players starting with Kryssa probably want a hard hitting heavy first.
    • If you're looking for raw speed, an Angelius is a decent choice. They require a bit more finesse to use, but they do embody the fast flyer side of Legion, and many popular casters like at least one in their list to soften or finish off key targets.
  • If you want to expand your light warbeast collection, consider looking into the Raek and Naga Nightlurker. If you started with Kryssa's box, consider grabbing those support solos or heavy warbeasts first.
    • Raeks are a fast and stealthy melee beasts that can get behind enemy lines and sow discord.
    • A Naga Nightlurker is a valuable support beast with a decent gun who lets your army ignore many enemy defensive buffs with its animus.
  • If you want to try out units sooner rather than later, there are a few standout choices. The examples below all play with Kryssa well to boot.
    • The Hellmouth is easily Legion's best unit in terms of utility and piece trading. If you're ready to break into units, put a Hellmouth (maybe two) at the top of your shopping list. They can grab models out of position and make them very out of position, giving you free kills, hold zones, and just be a general nuisance. Worth their weight in gold.
    • Blighted Nyss Swordsmen are a go-to pick if you're preferring a unit that dishes it out directly. While the Hellmouth will cater to sneaky and crafty players, Swordsmen are a zero learning curve "apply directly to the forehead" beatstick. Kryssa supports them well.

Some more advanced options

For veterans looking to start Legion as a second (or third) faction, brave newbies, or newer players looking for a new warlock:

  • Thagrosh1 is a fairly forgiving warlock for those who are coming from Warmachine, or those coming from hardier factions like Trollbloods or Skorne (or those having trouble mastering a more fragile Legion list). He's a bit slower than most Legion warlocks, and much tankier. He has a flexibility for large beast bricks or mixed arms with heavier infantry. As a bonus to Warmachine players, his Athanc rule can get you out of a tight spot while you get used to using enough Fury each turn.
  • Absylonia2 is a good starter warlock for those who want to embrace the warbeast fully and immediately. Her lists tend to run low in the model count department, meaning you can build a functional Abby2 list for relatively cheap, and she is going to feel very distinct from a typical mixed arms list, if that is something you came to Legion looking for.
  • Kallus2 comes with Overrun and a threat extension feat, which simultaneously makes him among Legion's best hit and run and longest potential threat range warlocks, so if these Legion overtones attracted you, Kallus2 will likely not disappoint. Incoming Menoth players will appreciate his "burn everything" flavors as well.
  • Vayl1 also typifies much of the movement shenanigans Legion has become known for with her feat, and she comes packing Incite for a huge force multiplier. Her lists are flexible and varied, so players looking to go beast heavy or infantry heavy will feel right at home with this incarnation of Vayl.

Starting a Theme Force

Players can use the Theme Force rules to construct their army list once the game size reaches 25 points. Themes restrict which models from your Faction you have access to, with different models being "locked" into different themes. In return, playing a theme force gives you multiple benefits in return. Also, models in a theme force normally have natural synergies with each other - synergies they can't use if they're paired with models from outside the theme.

Themes are considered the default way to play Warmachine and Hordes (although technically they're optional).

Regardless of whether you're starting at 25 points or lower, as a new player you have two options:

  1. Ignore themes to begin with, buy a couple of things you like the look of, and later on figure out if they work together in the same theme.
    With this approach you run the risk of buying models from a hodge podge of different themes. At some point you'll end up choosing one theme to use and expand, and shelving your models that don't fit the theme.
  2. Figure out which theme contains models you like the look of, and limit yourself to just buying models from that theme.
    This approach has the benefit of not shelving any of your purchases and you're more likely to have models that have natural synergies with each other (even if you buy things completely at random).

If you're on a bit of a tight budget, you'll want to buy stuff that can fit into more than a single theme. Mostly this is just the support models, so I'm not suggesting you should buy all the models in the list below, but rather they're worth looking into.


Legion Theme Forces

Children of the Dragon

A theme where all the light infantry choices are available, and the Nephilim (warbeasts created from said infantries) get some buff in close combat, but mainly revolves around the 3 heavy, character beasts, Typhon, Azrael and Zuriel.

The models allowed in Children of the Dragon are:   [Show/Hide]

Oracles of Annihilation

This theme force features your magic-wielding infantry and battle engine, coupled with a broad selection of Minion choices beside the Legion's warbeasts.

The models allowed in Oracles of Annihilation are:   [Show/Hide]

This list was last updated: 2021.10   (Edit)

Warlocks

  • All Legion warlocks

Warbeasts

  • All non-character warbeasts
  • Proteus
  • Other character warbeasts can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.

Battle Engines

Units

Solos

Minions

  • Any number of units
  • Any number of solos
  • Any number of battle engines

Primal Terrors

Another infantry theme, this time with the Blighted Ogruns (being heavy infantry) and Blighted Rotwings.

The models allowed in Primal Terrors are:   [Show/Hide]

This list was last updated: 2021.10   (Edit)

Warlocks

  • All Legion warlocks

Warbeasts

  • All non-character Legion warbeasts
  • Golab
  • Other character warbeasts can be taken, but only if they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.

Units

Solos

Minions

  • Up to one solo
  • Up to one unit

Ravens of War

A combined arms theme that focuses on the Striders, Raptors, and Grotesques, the Legion's fastest infantries, complemented by the swift, flying heavy warbeasts and their lighter ilk.

The models allowed in Ravens of War are:   [Show/Hide]

This list was last updated: 2018.03   (Edit)

Warlocks

  • All Legion warlocks

Warbeasts

  • All non-character Legion warbeasts
  • Golab
  • Other character warbeasts can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.

Units

Solos

Minions

  • Up to one solo
  • Up to one unit

Legion Models and Units

Warlocks

Absylonia1 Absylonia, Terror of Everblight
Absylonia2 Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight
Anamag1 Anamag, The Doom Feaster
Bethayne1 Bethayne, Voice of Everblight
Eiryss -1 Eiryss, Echo of Everblight (Not tournament legal)
Fyanna1 Refer to Legion solos, below
Fyanna2 Fyanna, Torment of Everblight
Kallus1 Kallus, Wrath of Everblight
Kallus2 Kallus, Devastation of Everblight
Kryssa1 Kryssa, Conviction of Everblight
Lylyth1 Lylyth, Herald of Everblight
Lylyth2 Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight
Lylyth3 Lylyth, Reckoning of Everblight
Rhyas1 Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight
Saeryn1 Saeryn, Omen of Everblight
Rhyas2
Saeryn2
Saeryn & Rhyas, Talons of Everblight
Thagrosh1 Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight
Thagrosh2 Thagrosh, the Messiah
Vayl1 Vayl, Disciple of Everblight
Vayl2 Vayl, Consul of Everblight

Warbeasts

Battle Engines

Units

Solos

Other

Minions that work for Legion

Refer to Who works for Whom and/or Category: Legion of Everblight Minion

Designer's Notes 2016

Legion Insider Preview 05-02-2016

Official Short Story Series: Blight Also Rises

See Lore - Source Material#Short Stories