Steelhead Heavy Cavalry

Steelhead Heavy Cavalry Mercenary Steelhead Unit

Steelhead Mercenary Companies often include hardened horsemen, providing the speed and power of heavy cavalry at a reasonable price. Though they demand more than Steelhead infantry, employers consider the horsemen a bargain. The cavalrymen have a reputation as tough veterans who seek out the greatest risk because it brings them the best pay. Though some citizens in war- torn areas accuse them of banditry and looting, Steelhead officers insist their men are professionals who take only the normal liberties expected of any red-blooded soldier in a time of war.

Basic Info

Steelhead Heavy Cavalry
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Large SPD 8 STR 6 MAT 6 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 17 CMD 8 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE 3 / 5 COST 11 / 18 3.6 each N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

• Mercenary - This unit will work for Crucible Guard, Cryx, Cygnar, Khador, or Protectorate.

Abilities

• Cavalry
• Flank [ Steelhead Halberdier ] - When this model makes a melee attack against an enemy model in the melee range of a Steelhead Halberdier, this model gains +2 to attack rolls and gains an additional damage die.
• Error: Use {{Reposition 3}} or {{Reposition 5}} instead.
• Relentless Charge - While advancing as part of a charge, this model gains Pathfinder.

Weapons

• Blunderbuss - 8" range, POW 12 ranged attack
  • Point-Blank - During its activation, this model can make melee attacks with its ranged weapon, with a melee range of 0.5". Do not add this model's STR to damage rolls with ranged weapons. Charge attacks made with ranged weapons are not boosted.
• Cavalry Axe - 1" reach, POW 5, P+S 11 melee attack
  • Brutal Charge - This model gains +2 to charge attack damage rolls with this weapon.
• Mount - 0.5" reach, POW 12 mount attack.

Theme Forces

• Mercenary
  • Operating Theater (Only if a Cephalyx Dominator is attached)
  • Soldiers of Fortune. They gain Bulldoze in this theme.
  • The Kingmaker's Army. Steelhead Heavy Cavalry gain Feign Death in this theme.

• Other Factions
  • Hearts of Darkness. They can only go in this theme if Crosse2 is leading the army. Steelhead Heavy Cavalry become Infernals in this theme.
  • As a merc model they can also be taken in a bunch of other Faction's themes. See #Other Theme Forces.

Recent Changes

2019.03 Steelhead Errata

• Swapped Assault for Point Blank
• Gained Relentless Charge
• Mount attack POW increased by 2.
• Get a buff when taken in the new Soldiers of Fortune theme force.

Thoughts on Steelhead Heavy Cavalry

Steelhead Heavy Cavalry in a nutshell

Steelhead Heavy Cavalry will test your skill with model positioning. If (and it's a big if) you can charge, impact and trigger Flank, you're looking at:

• Impact Attack(s): MAT 8 + 2d6 to hit, POW 12 + 3d6 damage
• Cavalry Axe charge attack: MAT 8 + 3d6 to hit, P+S 13 + 4d6 damage
• Blunderbuss Point Blank: MAT 8 + 2d6 to hit, POW 12 + 3d6 damage

Running a Steelhead Halberdier into position to flank is simple, however, putting it where you can get 2 or more Heavy Cavalry models onto the target where they can either impact or use the Blunderbuss without potentially killing your halberdier with an impact attack requires careful planning.

Thus, the heavy cavalry is best used charging onesy-twosey at several targets for maximum impact as it is hard to get more than two onto anything but a large base. Few Mercenary casters can deliver them effectively.

Despite all the drawbacks, when they do hit, they hit like nothing else in Mercenaries. Tack on Bulldoze in Soldiers of Fortune and suddenly they are board control pieces as well.

Combos & Synergies

• Steelhead Halberdiers - the Heavy Cav do not function without them.
• Stannis Brocker so you can ride through the halberdiers and the other horsies.
• Captain Damiano gives them Money Shot and his feat makes their attacks much more effective.
• Lieutenant Crosse can provide Dauntless Resolve, Ghost Walk (which works a treat with Bulldoze), a turn of stealth, and shield guard halberdiers. He runs them better than most. Possibly better than anyone.
• Fiona the Black Can cast Occultation on them and put -2 ARM on their charge target, Befuddle it into optimal position for a charge, then protect them with her feat.
• Use Bulldoze in combination with Power Lifter from the Steelhead Ironhead for some serious threat extension.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They're a special order model.
• Despite a 1" melee range, they ideally want to be within 0.5" (or base to base) to use all of their attacks, and need flank to be worth their cost - this means you will struggle to get more than 1 or 2 of them onto a target at any one time. It's even hard to get more than 2 on a colossal with all the potential obstacles.
• They force you to bring Halberdiers, though Halberdiers are great so it's only kind of a drawback.
• They will charge once, then die, if they don't die first.
• It's possible to jam yourself, though Stannis helps with this.
• If they aren't flanking their hitting power is extremely mediocre
• ARM 17 and 5 wounds on a large base is easy to kill
• Anti-infantry tech cripples them by neutralising the halberdiers

Tricks & Tips

• Run Halberdiers into position to get the Flank attacks working. Flank works on Impact attacks as well.
• Take Drake Macbain, feat on them and Greygore Boomhowler. If they get knocked down, have Boomhowler stand them up and charge.

Other

Trivia

Released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)

Other Theme Forces

Cryx (Edit)

• Black Industries
• Dark Host
• The Ghost Fleet
• Scourge of the Broken Coast

Cygnar (Edit)

• Gravediggers
• Heavy Metal
• Sons of the Tempest
• Storm Division

Khador (Edit)

• Armored Korps
• Jaws of the Wolf
• Legion of Steel
• Winter Guard Kommand

Protectorate of Menoth (Edit)

• Exemplar Interdiction
• Guardians of the Temple
• The Creator's Might
• The Faithful Masses

Crucible Guard (Edit)

• Magnum Opus

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Powerful Charge  and/or Brutal Charge     (Edit) If you declare a charge but move less than 3", then the attack doesn't count as a "Charge Attack" and you won't get the bonus.

Rules Clarification : Point-Blank      (Edit) Number of attacks Point-Blank gives you an extra initial melee attack (even though, RAW, it doesn't meet the criteria). (Infernal Ruling) If you can make additional melee attacks, these can be Point-Blank attacks regardless of the weapon's ROF. (Locked Thread) If you have the option of choosing between ranged or melee attacks (for instance you combined Point-Blank with Gunfighter), then you need to declare whether you're making melee or ranged attacks this activation, then declare the weapon and the target. (Infernal Ruling) AOE Point-Blank AOEs work just fine, because the AOE template isn't tied to the range. You make a melee attack roll then if you hit you centre the AOE template, or you miss and deviate the AOE template (it can only deviate 0.25"). If you have a buff to melee damage rolls (such as Flaming Fists) then it will affect the blast damage rolls too. Sprays Point-Blank sprays don't really work. The spray template is intrinsically linked to the attack's range, and Point-Blank overwrites the range. You still get one attack tho - you make the melee attack roll, then go straight to the melee damage roll. You never put the spray template down. Other Since Point-Blank only works during your activation, you can't use it on free strikes or other out-of-activation melee attacks. 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.

Rules Clarification : Relentless Charge      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Flank      (Edit) You can gain the Flank bonus vs knocked down/stationary models (refer to the latest Errata). Melee range is measured from your front arc so you cannot trigger Flank on models in your back arc. The target enemy doesn't need to be in the Flanker's LOS, just their melee range. Most of the time if something is in your melee range then it is so close it's in your LOS too, and the difference is meaningless. But if you have 2" reach and you're jammed up in B2B with a bunch of closely-spaced enemies, you'll find your LOS is blocked. In this case, you might be able to trigger Flank on an enemy model that is "hiding" behind that front row of jammers, even though you don't have LOS to it. Flank is not tied to a specific weapon, so Mount attacks and Power Attacks can benefit as well. If you have two sources of Flank they are still giving you the bonus from the Flank rule so do not stack. (Infernal Ruling) If the target moves in/out of the Flanker's melee range between the attack roll and the damage roll (for instance if you throw it) then you need to reassess whether you get the Flank bonus for the damage roll. (Infernal Ruling)

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.