Tempest Blazers

Template:Cygbox This model is playable only in an Unlimited format.

Tempest Blazers are the cavalry of the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest. From atop their mounts these pistol-attuned sorcerer-soldiers harry enemy formations with arcane firepower. Even at full gallop Tempest Blazers wield their magelock pistols with deadly accuracy and imbue their rune bullets with supernatural lethality to penetrate magical protections and wards.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Cavalry
• Template:Gunfighter
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Reposition 5

Weapons

• Magelock Pistol - 10" range, POW 10 ranged attack
  • delete

• • Template:Attack Type
    • Template:Brutal Damage
    • Template:Electro Leap
    • Template:Ward Breaker
• Mount - 0.5" reach, POW 10 mount attack

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest. You can upkeep spells on this unit for free in this theme. They gain Pistoleer in this theme.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.
  • Mercenary players can use this unit in the Template:Llaelese Resistance theme. They become Llaelese models and gain Pathfinder.

Thoughts on Tempest Blazers

Tempest Blazers in a nutshell

Do you want to apply some Brutal Damage or Electro-Leap shots from 19" away? Blazers are the unit you should call on. Their accuracy is good and have the tools to take on most units or models you are likely to face.

Blazers want to flank and generally disrupt your opponent. While they aren't particularly resilient, they can make use of terrain and ambush the enemy from behind terrain very easily thanks to Pathfinder. Despite their low ARM, they can generally attack most infantry units (and most cavalry units) and use reposition to escape any melee-based retribution. Brutal Damage will keep them in business vs heavy infantry and light Warjacks while Electro-Leap will take on any light units.

They're yet another one of Cygnar's great toolbox units.

Combos & Synergies

• Siege1 welcomes another source of Brutal Damage for his feat turn. With typically only a slight modifier to their damage rolls (and it will frequently be positive) they can destroy multi-box units with ease.
• Focus-hungry casters such as Captain Kara Sloan and Captain Allister Caine love units that need very little support from their spell list.
• Captain Jeremiah Kraye also likes their independence, and gives your army yet another chance for some Reposition shenanigans.
• Artificer General Nemo's feat allows you to have the equivalent of an Electro-Leap shot alongside a Brutal shot (a normal POW 10 alongside the Electro-Leap with the additional die).
• Snipe makes their threat range very impressive.
• Blur is another good way to keep them safe at range (which is where they should be for most of the game) and with pathfinder, they don't mind hanging around inside forests for a very respectable DEF19.
• Gun Mage Captain Adept. RAT7 is good, RAT8 is better.
• Rangers. RAT8 is better, RAT10 is betterer.
• Haley1's Temporal Barrier. RAT10 is betterer, RAT12 is...probably ridiculous.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Though they are in a theme with premium-priced infantries, their cost is still pretty high for five models.
• Frail, even when compared to other light cavalry units: boosted blast damage, POW10 attacks with only a slight modifier, or POW12 with average rolls will kill them outright

Tricks & Tips

• They can can often get Electro-Leaps onto important support models, even Warcasters/Warlocks before your opponent expects due to their speed. Be on the look out for suitable low DEF models to shoot and leap from. Also, mind the 2018.06 core rule change, which forbids lightning arc to and from models with immunity to electricity.

Other

Trivia

• They are often referred to as "Murder Ponies", generally far more often than they are called Tempest Blazers.
• Released in the Warmachine: Vengeance expansion (2014)