Latest revision as of 04:53, 23 November 2022

Magister Helynna Retribution Shyeel Warcaster

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.

A theorist and unconventional freethinker, Helynna has dedicated her life to the advancement of myrmidon technology. The affinity that exists between her and the arcanikal constructs she commands transcends the normal bond between warcaster and myrmidon, a culmination of her understanding of the inner workings of these machines. Viewing each battle as an experiment, Helynna delights in sending Shyeel myrmidons crashing into enemy lines and unleashing their potential as only she can.

Basic Info

Helynna1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 6 MAT 6 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 15 ARM 15 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS 7 FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 16 F. Field N/A WJP +30 WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA N/A UNIT SIZE N/A COST N/A N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warcaster - All warcasters come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Feat : Arcantrik Aptitude

1. Remove all damage points from the force fields of friendly Faction warjacks in Helynna's control range.
2. While in Helynna's control range, friendly Faction models gain +3 ARM and do not suffer the effects of crippled systems.

Arcantrik Aptitude lasts for one round.

Abilities

• Field Marshal [Conveyance] - Warbeasts/warjacks in this model's battlegroup gain Conveyance. (Conveyance - Other friendly models gain +2 to magic attack rolls against enemy models within 5" of a model with Conveyance.)
• Repair [d3+3] (★ Action) - RNG B2B. Target friendly Faction construct model. If the model is in range, remove d3+3 damage points from it.
• Tune Up [ Faction Warjack ] (★ Action) - RNG B2B. Target friendly Faction Warjack. If the model is in range, all attack and damage rolls resulting from its next basic attack this turn are boosted.

Weapons

Redirection Blast
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			1			-			11
Damage Type: Magical Force Grip - Instead of causing damage, an enemy model hit by this attack can be pushed up to 3" in any direction.
Redirection
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				5				11
Damage Type: Magical Force Grip

Spells

Theme Forces

• Defenders of Ios
• Forges of War
• Legions of Dawn
• Shadows of the Retribution. She gains "optional take down" in this theme.

Thoughts on Magister Helynna

2016 Battlebox sculpt

Magister Helynna in a nutshell

Helynna is the Mk3 "battlebox caster" for the Retribution. As such she is designed to be relatively simple to learn and straightforward to use. If you're learning the game, it is best to use her vs one of the other battlebox casters because they're all designed to have roughly the same power level. None of them are top tier casters, but they are good, simple enough, casters to learn the ropes of the game with and they are still good-enough contenders for high levels of play.

She is the ultimate 'Jack master (well, maybe not ultimate, but as close as Retribution can get). Two of her spells are specifically meant for her battlegroup and affects all of them in all the ways Ret likes most (movement and bringing on the hurt). Deceleration also works on them and makes them a nigh untouchable delivery system, you might as well paint them with the UPS symbol on the ones in her battle group. After they have fought for a minute then she can feat and well, if you didn't finish them off when you had the chance you're gonna wish you did.

Feat & Spell thoughts

Feat Her feat can restore 22 boxes of shield health (theoretically, and that's just the battlebox). The Vyre heavies with their higher armour get more from the stat buff but can't benefit from the restoration. Remember that battlegroup isn't mentioned here so there is no disadvantage to taking a Jr or Jack Marshal.

Deceleration Coupled with her feat it's very difficult to destroy her battlegroup at range. Some models in the eleven arsenal (such as mage hunters) get very little from this spell but anyone with average + armour benefits.

Force Strike Knock down is a great way to set up destroying key targets, especially if boosted by something like Hand of Destruction, the key issue with this spell is that you will rarely have the focus to cast it.

Hand of Destruction A great battle group damage boost... when it hits. Think of it as a poor woman's Signs and Portents.

• • Use before your 'jacks engage a target in melee.

Obliteration It's high power and AOE does make it a useful spell but Helynna just doesn't have the focus to spend 2/3 of her stack on this 1 attack.

Rhythm of War A unique spell for Helynna, because it triggers at the end of the turn it offers a lot more opportunity to disengage and avoid free strikes than Reposition3, it also stacks with Reposition and Sprint (not that this exists on Retribution jacks currently)

Battlebox Fights

In a battlebox fight, two players who bought nothing but their Faction's starter set use everything in that box to play a game.

In these battles you have a heavy, a jammer, and an arc node. Helynna herself gets to dance; the redirection blast can frequently be used to keep the enemy heavy out of action for a round. And you need to wrong-foot the enemy and possibly feed the griffon to the enemy heavy to beat up their other jacks.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• She is very focus hungry running all those jacks and keeping up with her spells.
  • This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that her favorite theme, Forges of War, comes with plenty of Arcanists to fuel her jacks for her.
• She has no support for troops aside from Deceleration so if you take units or solos take the ones that are self sufficient or ones that support jacks.
• Never leave her alone, if you find her without an Aspis or something to guard that sweet, sweet bald head of hers she will die in combat. The most she can do to save herself is push things 3" out of the way but if nothing is there to take whatever is threatening her off her mind then she will surely fall.
• Just like with Darius' or Absylonia1's feat, smart enemies won't leave many half-wrecked battlegroup members around for you.
• Her RAT is awful, no you're not really going to use it often but it is a good positioning tool . . . if it hits. This coupled with her being a focus starved caster means you shouldn't boost to hit with it either.

Tricks & Tips

• Though she's got very average stats all-round except perhaps her FOC, taking her in Forges means she is virtually immune from a ranged assassination, with loads of Shield Guards and ARM stacks.
• Because of said bevy of Shield Guards, it is worth keeping up with the reserve line of jacks in her army, not least because her late game repair can come in quite handy, and at d3 + 3, it is very reliable, just look out for Grievous Wounds and similar effects (Entropy, Mortality etc.).
• Neither her feat or Tune Up specify BATTLEGROUP meaning that if you want to Marshal a ranged Warjack you have plenty of options.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Helynna is at her core a one trick pony: skew armour, scalpel out things which can counter armour if you can, then shove it down your enemies throat with the aid of the feat until you out attrition them or they do something stupid trying to stem the attrition loss. Usually this means warjacks and dawnguard for the bulk of the army. She handles gunlines extremely well between the feat and deceleration, can win melee alphas with the feat and rhythm of war (watch for follow up when it falls off, ret jacks are relatively squishy) but struggles more against control effects due to no pathfinder and lower model counts.

Theme thoughts

As a battlegroup caster, Forges of War is tempting, allowing you to squeeze more points into the list then other options and spread gun damage around to maximise survivability. Alternatively the infantry options enabled by Defenders of Ios and Legions of Dawn let you up the bodycount on the board.

    Forges of War    
This will be her main theme as her only infantry support is her field marshal and deceleration, the jacks that she is restricted to are also a bit of a non issue because they are all the jacks that benefit from her feat fully.

• Discordia - With its imprint and Deceleration added on and you can create a brick wall with Griffons. Its also the best target for Tune Up. A POW 14 RNG 10" Spray fully boosted is a thing of beauty. If you want to go all in on this combo, put Discordia on Elara1 for the Speed of Death spell.
• House Shyeel Arcanists - all of a sudden this Requisition option becomes very accurate with their magic attack - and it’s not like you need the extra repair on feat turn often.

    Legions of Dawn    

• Dawnguard naturally skew armour and have some potent offensive abilities. Sentinels get to extreme armour levels when all the buffs are stacked together and deal significant damage to anything they can get in melee contact with. Invictors are a little squishier (though still resilient to most anti infantry weaponry), but high power and accuracy guns combined with a once per game range extension make them a scalpel compared to the rest of the lists bludgeon.
• Imperatus - Taking a jack with naturally high survivability and pairing it with Helynna's defensive capabilities can be a real headache to deal with. Helps that he hits hard and accurately as well, and side step can provide some interesting assassination and scalpel possibilities.

    Defenders of Ios    

• Priest of Nyssor - one of the few models outside of forges that benefits from her field Marshal.
• House Ellowuyr Wardens - As multi wound infantry they are very big fans of Deceleration and her feat.
• Aeternae - They accumulate off of Wardens and being able to back off 3" after shooting is very nice with such a long range gun. Armour Piercing guns with HoD are also silly.

    Support models - Various themes    

• Sylys Wyshnalyrr - Always going to be a focus a turn, and the extra dice allow for reliable application of Hand of Destruction when it matters.
• Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - Free charges and threat extension gives more potent and reliable alphas. Her changes have only improved this synergy as Lanyssa has a really accurate Hunters Mark.
• Hermit of Henge Hold - Her field Marshal stacks with Telemetry making most models MA 10 at least in Forges.

    Mercenaries    
Because Conveyance says ‘friendly’ not ‘friendly faction you have some interesting options here.

• Eilish1 - Bleed at MA8 boosted is hard to avoid at the best of times.
• Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr - An accurate wind blast can be very handy vs the right enemy.

Battlegroup

• Chimera, Phoenix - What do you do when you have a spell you really want to cast but are too squishy to get in range safely? Use an Arc Node of course! Rhythm of War makes them a little safer then most casters. Of the 2 the Chimera can get the most interesting places ideally to shoot a Conveyance enhanced magic attack.
• Griffon - they are a brick wall and an amazing jack for all intents and purposes gonna clog up anything you want. With feat turn you now have a lot of cheap unbreakable jacks.
• Gorgon - Rhythm of War lets you retreat from the models who’s speed you have reduced and tune up on the spray is fantastic.
• Hydra - Helynna has less focus to throw around than many jack casters, having a jack that keeps itself topped up is useful even if you seldom want more than 1.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2021.05 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. It was then updated for the 2021.10 errata. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here.

Theme - Forges of War

Helynna1: [+30 WBP]

• Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker: [4 pts]
• Manticore: [14 pts]
• Sphinx: [13 pts]
• Gorgon: [8 pts]

House Shyeel Artificer: [3 pts]

House Shyeel Magister: [3 pts]

Arcanist Mechanik: [2 pts]

House Shyeel Arcanists: [Free] (6 pts)

House Shyeel Battle Mages: [8 pts]

For more Brawlmachine list ideas, see Category: Brawl List

Other

Trivia

• Released in 2016.06 in the battlebox set
• Resculpted in 2021 as a standalone model.
• Her surname is 'Vahr', but she is still part of the Shyeel family as a not-so-distant cousin of Rahn.

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.11 Arcane Assist, vs Kallus2
• 2019.06 Tiny Men, vs Old Witch1
• 2019.06 Encounter Wargaming, vs Malekus1
• 2019.05 Encounter Wargaming, vs Maddox1
• 2019.05 Encounter Wargaming, vs Agathia1
• 2019.03 Tiny Men, vs Harkevich1
• 2019.01 Guerilla Miniature Games, vs Harkevich1
• 2018.11 Tactical Supremacy, vs Absylonia1
• See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.

Other Retribution models

Retribution Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Elara2 - Falcir1 - Garryth1 - Garryth2 - Goreshade4 - Helynna1 - Issyria1 - Kaelyssa1 - Ossyan1 - Rahn1 - Ravyn1 - Thyron1 - Vyros1 - Vyros2
Warcaster attachments	Fane Knight Guardian (Retribution) - Sylys Wyshnalyrr (Retribution) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Elara1 (BGC) - Sentinel Scyir ('Jack Marshal) - Artificer ('Jack Marshal)
Light Warjacks	Aspis - Chimera - Gorgon - Griffon - Harpy - Siren Moros
Heavy Warjacks	Aeternae - Banshee - Daemon - Discordia - Hemera - Hydra - Hypnos - Imperatus - Manticore - Phoenix - Sphinx
Colossal	Hyperion - Helios
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Cyelna & Nyss Hunters - D Destors - D Invictors - D Sentinels - Heavy Rifle Team - H Halberdiers - H Riflemen - HE Swordsmen - HE Wardens - HS Arcanists - HS Battle Mages - HV Electromancers - MH Infiltrators - MH Strike Force - Ryssovass Defenders - Spears of Scyrah - Stormfall Archers Special: Eiryss3 (CA) - Soulless Escort (WA)
Solos	Aelyth Vyr - Arcanist Mechanik - D Destor Thane - D Sentinel Scyir - Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (1) - Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (2) - Eiryss, Fortune Hunter of Ios (4) - Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber (1) - Fane Knight Guardian - Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen - Ghost Sniper - Hermit of Henge Hold - HE Warden Executioner - HS Artificer - HS Magister - Houseguard Thane - Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress Lys Healer - MH Assassin - Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios - Nayl - Priest of Nyssor - Scythe - Soulless Voidtracer
Battle Engines	Arcantrik Force Generator - Dawnguard Trident
Theme Forces
Defenders of Ios - Forges of War - Legions of Dawn - Shadows of the Retribution
Mercenaries
Refer to Category: Retribution of Scyrah Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.04

Rules Clarifications

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 : Force Grip      (Edit) An enemy model can be pushed multiple times by this weapon, if it is hit multiple times. 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)

Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

General Damage from a feat is neither an attack nor Damage Type: Magical (unless the feat says it is). FOCUS (uppercase) is the stat printed on the warcaster's card. Focus (lowercase) refers to focus points a model currently has. Your CTRL area is double your FOCUS stat, not double your focus points. (Infernal Ruling) Casting spells or using feats is an anytime ability with the added restriction that you can't use them on the same turn you run even before you run. See also the clarifications on Any Time abilities (below). Some warcasters are also Battle Engines and thus follow all the Battle Engine special rules. There is no particular interaction between the Battle Engine rules and the Warcaster rules. Work out all damage modifiers (such as Decapitation doubling the damage that exceeds ARM) before reducing it with the Power Field. (Infernal Ruling) 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) Warcaster/Warlock Cavalry ( Edit ) Warcasters/Warlocks can't cast spells or use their feat while resolving Impact Attacks. Because Impact Attacks occur during movement - you can use spells or feat before moving, or after moving, but not during movement. Exception: If your Impact target(s) include your charge target, then your movement has ended (refer rulebook, last paragraph of 'Impact Attacks') and thus you're fine to use "any time" abilities before starting the Impact attacks. Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster Unit or Warlock Unit     (Edit) (Click Expand to read) This summary is specific to Warcaster/Warlock units. You may also want to check the Warcaster and Warlock pages respectively, for the "regular" rules clarifications. All models in the unit count as part of the battlegroup. So, for instance, Butcher3's argus can be moved via his Energizer spell. Warcaster units can have attachments. They can even attach units (such as the WSC). (Infernal Ruling) The non-caster models are trooper models but are not normally Grunt models. Therefore they're not normally eligible for stuff like Revive. If any member of the unit start to do their reposition movement, the warcaster or warlock in the unit would no longer be able to feat.(Infernal Ruling) Press Forward Order vs Spells cast at Any Time (Edit) You must issue orders before anything else. If you issue a Press Forward order, you must run or charge. If you cast spells before moving, you can't run so you must charge. If you cast spells before moving, then start the spellcaster's Normal Movement but have no valid charge targets, you are in a situation where you must charge but cannot charge. In this situation the spellcaster must either: forfeit their Combat Action, use their Normal Movement to make a full advance, then their activation ends. (Note that you cannot cast more spells after the full advance). forfeit their Normal Movement, then their activation ends. (Infernal Ruling) Steamroller 2018 The non-caster models can contest scenario zones & flags. The caster model cannot contest. The caster model can control zones and flags by itself, but: to control a zone, the entire unit remaining in play needs to be in formation. to control a flag, the entire unit remaining in play must be within 4" of the flag. Units Buying Attacks (Edit) If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because: A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action. A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA). Rules Clarification : Unit of Warcasters or Warlocks     (Edit) Even though they're warcasters, if they're out of formation they suffer the normal penalties (can't make attacks, actions, spells, etc). They can't upkeep each other's spells. They can only dominate one SteamRoller scenario element at a time. Each warlock/warcaster can have different upkeeps on them if those upkeeps are "target SELF" or "target model". If you cast an upkeep that is "target model/unit", that is the only upkeep any of them can have. Units Buying Attacks (Edit) If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because: A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action. A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA). The Legion Twins Rhyas cannot dominate a zone while out of formation. Rhyas can use the feat while out of formation. Haley3 Only Haley Prime is an 'actual' warcaster model, and as such she is the only one that can dominate a scenario element. The echoes can Control/Contest scenarios like a normal unit. Haley Prime can dominate an element even if the echoes are out of formation.

Rules Clarification : Repair      (Edit) When repairing warjacks, you can choose which damage boxes to heal - they don't all have to be the same column. If you get a +1 bonus to a repair roll, that is one extra hitpoint healed. Not +1 to the number of pips showing on the dice.

Rules Clarification : Field Marshal      (Edit) Field marshal only grants the ability to warjacks/warbeasts in the battlegroup, so (normally) the caster does not have the Field Marshal ability. However if it is listed on the caster's card separately, such as on Magnus2, then they do have it. (Closed thread)

Rules Clarification : Conveyance - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Tune Up      (Edit) Power Attacks are not basic attacks. If the next basic attack generates multiple basic attacks (i.e. High-Impact) then only one of those generated attacks will get the Tune Up buff. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Deceleration      (Edit) Deceleration works vs blast damage. Deceleration works vs special effects on the gun/spell that cause "direct" damage. For instance, the Throw damage caused by the White Squall spell. Deceleration doesn't work vs 'secondary' damage that is 'not considered to be an attack' (such as Electro Leap). Deceleration doesn't work vs hazards that are put into play by spells/guns (such as the Stormwall's Covering Fire). Deceleration doesn't work vs non-offensive spells that also do damage, such as Blazing Effigy. (Locked thread)

Rules Clarification : Force Strike      (Edit) 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.

Rules Clarification : Hand of Destruction      (Edit) Discard Die (Edit) If you're discarding lowest or highest, you have to discard even if you want it for a critical hit. For instance: if you discard "the lowest die", need 6+ to hit, and roll a 3, 3, and a 4 ... then you must discard one of the 3s, and you'll end up with a non-critical hit with the 3 + 4.

Rules Clarification : Obliteration      (Edit) The text description has no in-game effect. It's just for flavour.

Rules Clarification : Rhythm of War      (Edit) You cannot move colossals with it. The movement will trigger free strikes.