Steelhead Mortar Crew

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Mercenary Logo.jpg Steelhead Mortar Crew

Mercenary Steelhead Weapon Crew Unit

Mk4 icon.png
Prime
This model is available in one Prime Army, Soldiers of Fortune. 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.

Each piece of artillery employed by the Steelheads has a distinct role, directed by veteran gunners to exploit that artillery’s strengths. Mortars fire in high soaring arcs, directing explosive payloads onto the heads of distant targets, even those otherwise shielded from direct fire by intervening walls or warjacks. While such firing arcs make it difficult to aim with pinpoint accuracy, the size and impact of mortar blasts makes up for this. Mortar fire obliterates infantry and leaves the ground pocked with craters.

Basic Info

Steelhead Mortar Crew
Missing Info
Steelhead Mortar Crew.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
Gunner / Grunts
BASE Large / Small
SPD 2 / 4
STR 6
MAT 5
RAT 5 (1) (★)
M.A. N/A
DEF 13
ARM 13
CMD 5
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS N/A
FURY N/A
THRS N/A
HP 1
F. Field N/A
WJP {{{wjp}}}
WBP {{{wbp}}}
IHP {{{ihp}}}
FA 2
UNIT SIZE 1 Gunner 2 Grunts
COST 5
N/A
N/A
(★) Effective RAT 1 because of Inaccurate
Warcaster 1
COST N/A
N/A
Understanding
the Statblock

Mercenary - This unit will work for Crucible Guard, Cryx, Cygnar, Khador, and the Protectorate.

Abilities

  • Gunner
    • Officer symbol.jpg Officer
    • Man-Sized - This model is treated as a small-based model and occupies the space from the bottom of its base to a height of 1.75".
    • Mobile Artillery - When this model advances as part of its Normal Movement, it gains +1" movement for each Grunt in this unit within 2" of it at the start of its advance.
    • Take Up - If this model is destroyed, you can choose a Grunt in this unit within 1" of it to be destroyed instead. Effects on this model expire, and it gains the effects on the chosen Grunt. Remove the Grunt from the table instead of this model. This model has the same number of unmarked damage boxes as the chosen Grunt.
  • Grunts
    • None

Weapons

  • Gunner
    • Mortar - 18" range, 4" AOE, POW 15 ranged attack
      • Arcing Fire - When attacking with this weapon, this model can ignore intervening models except those within 1" of the target.
      • Crater - The AOE is rough terrain and remains in play for one round.
      • High-Explosive - Blast damage caused by this weapon is POW 10.
      • Inaccurate - This model suffers -4 to attack rolls with this weapon.
      • Minimum Range [ 8" ] - Attacks made with this weapon cannot target models within 8" of this model.
    • Sword - 0.5" reach, POW 3, P+S 9 melee attack
  • Grunts
    • Sword

Theme Forces

  • Other Factions
    • Infernal players can use this unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Crosse2 is leading the army.
    • Furthermore, Mercenaries can be hired by other Factions. Normally those Factions' themes will have a limit on how many models they can hire. Refer to #Other Theme Forces, below.


Thoughts on the Steelhead Mortar Crew

Steelhead Mortar Crew in a nutshell

The Mortar is intended to clear out infantry that could potentially jam up the Steelhead infantry lines. Thanks to High Explosive and Arcing Fire, mortars can fire past your own lines and decimate light infantry. Against heavier targets, it leaves behind rough terrain for some board control.

If your opponent has a lot of medium or small base infantry and no blast-immunity, this piece can do some work. If not, it might be dead weight, hence the lower price tag than the other pieces.

Combos & Synergies

  • Played in the Steelhead theme with Mark Target on solos it gets more accurate. Not that RAT 3 is good - or even RAT 5 if aiming
  • Captain Damiano's Money Shot makes its blast damage POW 12 and ups it to RAT 3.
  • The Steelhead Gunner can grant an additional damage dice against huge bases though this is not the preferred use for this piece. He also adds Veteran Leader to help with the low RAT.
  • The Steelhead Arcanist grants it magic weapon and deals with clouds.
  • Durgen Madhammer appreciates this piece more than most thanks to his feat. Boosted attack rolls mean it can actually hit something, and boosted damage rolls on high explosive shots are surprisingly effective
  • Knock something down with a Quake shot from the Steelhead Cannon Crew, then follow up with a direct hit from this (that will only miss on snakeeyes)

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • It has very little value into armies with lots of high ARM and pathfinder.
  • Even though it's pretty easy to engineer +5 RAT even without Damiano, Inaccurate still sucks.

Tricks & Tips

  • Aim for the middle of the enemy - that pie plate has to land somewhere.

Other

Trivia

Released at Adepticon 2019.03

Other Theme Forces

Cryx (Edit)
Cygnar (Edit) Khador (Edit)
Protectorate of Menoth (Edit) Crucible Guard (Edit)

Other Mercenary models

Mercenary Logo.jpg       Mercenary Index       (Edit)
Mercenary 'Jack Controllers (Human) (Edit)
Warcasters

Ashlynn1 - Ashlynn2 - Aurora2 - Blaize - Caine3 - Crosse2 - Damiano - Fiona - Macbain - Magnus1 - Magnus2 - Montador - Rahera - Shae

"Juniors"

Asphyxious4 - Crosse1 - Nemo4

'Jack Marshals

Colbie Sterling - Dirty Meg - MacHorne1 - MacHorne2 - Raluk Moorclaw - Rutger Shaw - Steelhead Ironhead

Mercenary Warjacks (Human)   (Edit)
Light Buccaneer - Renegade (Magnus only) - Scallywag - Swashbuckler - Talon - Vanguard
Heavy Freebooter - Gallant - Mangler - Mariner - Mule - Nomad - Rocinante - Rover - Toro - Swabber
Colossal Blockader - Galleon
Rhulic 'Jack Controllers (Edit)
Warcaster Durgen Madhammer - General Ossrum - Gorten Grundback
'Jack Marshal Thor Steinhammer
Rhulic Warjacks (Edit)
Light Blaster- Gunner
Heavy Avalancher - Basher - Driller - Rockram
Colossal Earthbreaker
Cephalyx Warcasters (Edit)
Warcasters Cognifex Cyphon - Exulon Thexus
Cephalyx Monstrosities (Edit)
Heavy Subduer - Warden - Wrecker
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Warcaster attachments

Doctor Stygius - Madelyn Corbeau - Reinholdt - Wyshnalyrr

Lesser Warlocks Rorsh & Brine (Farrow) - Wrong Eye & Snapjaw (Gatorman)
Non-character Units

Cephalyx Mind Bender - Cephalyx Mind Slaver - Cephalyx Overlords - High Shields - Artillery Corps - Forge Guard - Idrian Skirmishers - Kayazy Assassins - Kayazy Eliminators - Legion of Lost Souls - Ogrun Assault Corps - OoI Resolutes - OoI Vigilants - Precursor Knights - Press Gangers - Sea Dog Pirates - Deck Gun - SH Cannon - SH Halberdiers - SH Cavalry - SH Mortar - SH Riflemen - SH Volley Gun - Tactical Arcanist Corps - Thorn Gun Mages
Special CA: Cephalyx Dominator (small or medium based units) - Special WA: Morrowan Battle Priest (Morrow units)

Character Units

Alexia1 - Asphyxious4 - Croe's Cutthroats - Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters - Blythe & Bull - Boomhowler1 - Herne & Jonne - Lady Aiyana & Master Holt - Lynus & Edrea - MacHorne1 - The Commodore Cannon - The Devil's Shadow Mutineers

Non-character Solos

Cephalyx Agitator - Death Archon - Gobber Tinker - Menite Archon - Morrowan Archon - Ogrun Bokur - Powder Monkey - SH Arcanist - SH Ironhead - SH Gunner - Swamp Gobber River Raider Thamarite Advocate - Thamarite Archon - Void Archon

Character Solos

Alexia2 - Alexia3 - Alten Ashley - Anastasia Di Bray - Balthazar Bamfist - Black Bella1 - Black Bella2 - Bloody Bradigan - Boomhowler2 - Boomhowler3 - Bosun Grogspar - Brun Cragback & Lug - Captain Crawtooth - Colbie Sterling, Captain of the BRI - Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath - Dez1 - Dez2 - Dirty Meg - Doc Killingsworth - Doctor Stygius - Eilish1 - Eiryss1 - Eiryss2 - Eiryss4 - First Mate Hawk - Flubbin1 - Flubbin2 & Dreyfus2 - Flugwug the Filcher - Crosse1 - Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One - Gorman1 - Gorman2 - Grand Master Gabriel Throne - Gubbin1 - Gubbin2 - Gudrun1 - Gudrun2 - Harlan Versh, Illuminated One - Harlowe Holdemhigh - Hermit of Henge Hold - Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter - J.A.I.M.s - Kell Bailoch - Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - Lord Rockbottom - MacHorne2 - Major Harrison Gibbs - Malvin2 - Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile - Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor - Princess Delores Graciela - Ragman - Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger - Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - Rorsh & Brine - Rutger Shaw, Professional Adventurer - Savio Montero Acosta - Saxon Orrik - Scythe - Sergeant Nicolas Verendrye - Stannis Brocker - Taryn Di La Rovissi, Llaelese Gun Mage - Thor Steinhammer - Tubbin - Underboss Vizkoya - Viktor Pendrake - Weird Wendell - Widget1 - Widget2 - Wrong Eye & Snapjaw

Battle Engines

Hammerfall Siege Crawler - Nemo4

Independent Warjack

Malvin1 & Mayhem1

Theme Forces (Edit)
Flame in the Darkness - Hammer Strike - Llaelese Resistance - Operating Theater - Soldiers of Fortune - Strange Bedfellows - The Irregulars - The Kingmaker's Army - The Talion Charter
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

RC symbol.png

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.
RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Man-Sized      (Edit)

  • Despite being mounted on a large base, the model counts as a small-base for any and every rule. (Infernal Ruling)
    • This includes Ranking Officers being able to join them. (Infernal Ruling)
    • This includes being able to take them as a Requistion Option (if you have a Man-Sized solo in a theme that allows free solos). (Locked Thread)
    • This includes abilities that only work vs small-based models (such as Consume, Trampling over them, etc). Those work just fine vs Man-Sized models.
  • When drawing LOS it blocks LOS across the full width of its base (some players think you should swap it for a small proxy base when trying to draw LOS past the edge of its base ... don't do that).
  • Since it only counts as a small-based model, it only blocks LOS to other small-based models. You can see medium and larger bases through it just fine.

Rules Clarification : Mobile Artillery - None yet. (Edit)

RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Take Up      (Edit)

  • If you use Take Up the attacking model cannot trigger anything that needs the attacker to "Destroy" a model (such as Alpha Hunter, Killing Spree, Berserk, etc). Although the model that was attacked reached the Destroyed step of the timing sequence, Take Up negates that entirely. (Infernal Ruling)


RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : Arcing Fire      (Edit)

  • Arcing Fire lets you ignore models but not terrain. You don't ignore clouds, forests or buildings.

Rules Clarification : Crater - None yet. (Edit)

RC symbol.png

Rules Clarification : High-Explosive      (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Inaccurate - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Minimum Range - None yet. (Edit)