Mage Hunter Strike Force

Mage hunters are expected to function in extreme circumstances, such as surviving hand-to-mouth deep in enemy territory while isolated from friendly support. At home in any environment, they learn to scavenge and improvise, and to kill without hesitation. Their first priority is always the elimination of enemy arcanists and mechanikal constructs—which they believe harm Scyrah.

Veteran teams led by senior commanders are well versed in advanced Retribution techniques. Slipping past the outer defenses of an enemy base, they fire bolts through intervening walls to kill without a trace. Working alongside other soldiers in the Retribution military, these teams apply similar methods to erase vital targets before they can even join battle.

After years of hunting human spellcasters and gathering intelligence on the armies of mankind as a mercenary, Eiryss has returned to her proper place as one of the foremost leaders of the Retribution. Now she takes to the field leading other mage hunters, inspiring them to feats of incredible bravery and peerless precision while lending her own deadly skills to rid the world of humanity’s blasphemy against Scyrah.

Basic Info

Strike Force

Abilities

• Template:Advance Deployment
• Template:CMA
• Template:CRA
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Stealth
• Template:'Jack Hunter

Weapons

Crossbow
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			1			Template:-			10
Template:Blessed Template:Magical Damage
Saber
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				4				9
Template:Blessed

Strike Force Commander (CA #1)

Abilities

The Commander has the same weapons & abilities as the main unit (as above), plus:

• He gains +1 MAT, RAT, CMD, and 5 hitboxes.
• His crossbow has Dispel
• Template:Officer
• Template:Phantom Barrage
• Template:Tactics (Template:Reposition 3-alt)

Weapons

Crossbow
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			1			Template:-			10
Template:Blessed Template:Magical Damage Template:Dispel
Saber
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				4				9
Template:Blessed

Eiryss3 (CA #2)

Retribution of Scyrah Shadows of the Retribution Command Attachment (Mage Hunter)

Model stats and abilities

Model Statistics

Base size = 30		SPD	MAT	DEF	ARM
Health = 5
FA = C
Cost = 4		7	9	16	12
-
-

Model Advantages and Abilities

Command Attachment	This model is a Command Attachment. It can be added to the following: Mage Hunter
Stealth	Ranged and magic attacks targeting this model from a point of origin greater than 5˝ away automatically miss. This model is not an intervening model when determining line of sight from a model more than 5˝ away.‎ No errata for Stealth (Create)
Pathfinder	This model treats rough terrain as open terrain while advancing. While charging, slam power attacking, or trample power attacking, this model does not stop its movement when it contacts an obstacle. No errata for Pathfinder (Create)
Dual Attack	This model can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. When this model makes its initial melee attacks, it can also make its initial ranged attacks. A model with Dual Attack can make its initial melee and ranged attacks in any order you choose. This model cannot make ranged attacks after making a power attack.   Errata-Dual Attack and Unit Charges (2023-10-27) Question: If a unit with Dual Attack charges a single model, are all placed in melee range, and the first model kills the charge target, can the remaining members of the unit make ranged attacks, or do they forfeit their Combat Action because they don't have any enemy models in their melee range? Answer: The check for melee range is done at the end of movement. If you kill the targets before they attack, they can still do their ranged attack. (Malkav13) Explanation: This post is correct. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum   Errata-Dual Attack and Special Attacks (2023-08-10) Question: Can a model with Dual Attack make any combination of ranged special attack and normal melee initial attacks, or its melee special attack and normal ranged initial attacks? (Example: Bison Both Barrels and Ram, or Mariner Thresher and gunshot). Answer: No. Explanation: The bison can not use dual attack and also make a special attack. That is correct in that (Thresher) example too. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum
Quick Work	When this model destroys one or more enemy models with a melee attack during its Combat Action, immediately after that attack is resolved, this model can make one basic ranged attack. No errata for Quick Work (Create)
Granted	While this model is in play, models in its unit gain the following: Advance Deployment - In most scenarios, this model can be deployed after normal deployment, up to three inches beyond the established deployment zone. Reposition - At the end of this model/unit's activation in which it did not run or fail a charge, this model can advance up to 3 inches, then its activation ends. No errata for Granted (Create) No errata for Advance Deployment (Create) No errata for Reposition (Create)

Weapons

Crossbow
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	12	1	-	10	-
Blessed	Attacks with this weapon ignore bonuses from spells, including animi, that add to a model's ARM or DEF. No errata for Blessed (Create)
Pistol	A model making an attack with this weapon targeting a model it is in melee with ignores the Target in Melee bonus when resolving this attack.   Errata-Pistol (2023-09-17) Question: Does the pistol benefit apply to models not in melee with the attacking model when the pistol is on a spray? Answer: No, it only applies to models with which the attacking model is in melee. Explanation: The intent is that a model only ignore the penalty for being in melee with the models that model is in melee with. Pistol only works against the models in the melee with the attacking model. Infernal Ruling: Dark Legacy - PP Community forum
Weapon Master	When resolving an attack with this weapon, add an additional die to damage rolls. No errata for Weapon Master (Create)
Dispel	When this weapon hits a model/unit, upkeep spells and animi on that model/unit immediately expire. No errata for Dispel (Create)

Saber
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	1	-	-	9	-
Blessed	Attacks with this weapon ignore bonuses from spells, including animi, that add to a model's ARM or DEF. No errata for Blessed (Create)
Weapon Master	When resolving an attack with this weapon, add an additional die to damage rolls. No errata for Weapon Master (Create)
Dispel	When this weapon hits a model/unit, upkeep spells and animi on that model/unit immediately expire. No errata for Dispel (Create)

Bayonet
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	1	-	-	7	-
Blessed	Attacks with this weapon ignore bonuses from spells, including animi, that add to a model's ARM or DEF. No errata for Blessed (Create)
Weapon Master	When resolving an attack with this weapon, add an additional die to damage rolls. No errata for Weapon Master (Create)

Command Attachment Rules

This model is a Command Attachment. It can be added to the following:

Changes and Updates

Release Trivia

• Released in the Warmachine: Vengeance expansion (2014)

Lore

From Eiryss, Angel of Retribution: Eiryss has spent years cutting down humans who would profane Caen and her goddess with foul sorceries, but she has seen first-hand that the wars and magics of mankind threaten to destroy her people and her gods. Eiryss has returned to her lonely fight with renewed conviction and new tools to hunt and slay human spell-casters and their perverse machines.

Eiryss, Mage Hunter Commander: After years of hunting human spellcasters and gathering intelligence on the armies of mankind as a mercenary, Eiryss has returned to her proper place as one of the foremost leaders of the Retribution. Now she takes to the field leading other mage hunters, inspiring them to feats of incredible bravery and peerless precision while lending her own deadly skills to rid the world of humanity’s blasphemy against Scyrah.

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios Loyal only to her own convictions, the Mage Hunter character sells her sword and crossbow to any army that provides an opportunity to eliminate a Warcaster from her world.

Soulless Escort (WA)

The Strike Force may take up to 3 Soulless Escorts as a Weapon Attachment. Its weapons & abilities have been omitted here for the sake of brevity.

Theme Forces

• Template:Shadows of the Retribution - This unit gains "Optional Take Down" in this theme.

Thoughts on the Mage Hunter Strike Force

File:MageHunterStrikeForceCommander.jpg

Force Commander CA

Mage Hunter Strike Force in a nutshell

An elusive ranged unit, with good abilities against warjacks, but unfortunately rather flimsy and expensive. Once a near-mandatory choice in every Retribution player's arsenal, the MHSF changed quite a bit throughout the years. Anyone who faced them earlier would rightfully fear their Tactics: Phantom Seeker, which along with Arcane Assassin made them the bane of squishier casters. Thanks to Blessed they can still bypass most of the defensive magic, and able to demolish lighter jacks or scratch heavier ones. However, since battlegroups went up in size, and their hitting power decreased, they are not the first choice anymore to look to, serving more as up front threats, taking out support pieces and occasionally intimidating key enemy warjacks.

Thoughts on the CA & WA

• The Commander grants them reposition which allows them to be 15" away from what they just shot, which is pretty good. She also randomly has Dispel on her crossbow which is great for stripping pesky upkeeps. While the Strike Force will ignore ARM or DEF buffs from spells baseline, but not everything in your list will be so privileged so remember it as a tool in you arsenal. Her mini feat also makes it very difficult for you opponent to hide from your crossbow totting elves for one turn.
• Eiryss3 is decidedly better on Infiltrators or Spears.
• Soulless Escort - They offer some spellhate, but Stealth already petty much covers this and worse yet; escorts do not have stealth themselves meaning they can be targeted by guns and spells with unit wide debuffs.

Combos & Synergies

• Ravyn: Snipe gives them a respectable threat range, and is one of the best reasons to attach Eiryss to them, as she will be affected by Snipe, too.
• Ossyan: His cannon eases their average RAT, while under his feat they can decimate all but the heaviest enemy jacks. With slightly above average rolls, their 10+4D6 damage crossbows can easily one-round a Colossal. Quicken makes them near-unassailable against conventional shooting, while Shatter Storm helps them clearing infantry.
• Elara2: With Scything Touch these light skirmishers can hit surprisingly hard (especially against jacks). Under her feat they can end up in really unnerving places.
• Anything that can knock down or make stationary their targets
• Issyria: Her feat helps them like it helps everything else, while Blinding Light means they can shoot without fear of a ranged retaliation.
• Garryth, Blade of Retribution: Crippling Grasp is great, both to deny a counter response with the speed debuff and mirage to improve threat ranges.
• Garryth 2: Mortality let's them start hitting above their weight class, and his feat gives them a chance to hurt whatever charges in to kill them.
• Anything that can increase their damage output.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Jack hunter doesn't help against warbeasts and non-jack targets
• Tissue-paper armour - AOEs, fire, blast damage and electro leaps decimate them.
• Elite infantry cost, chaff infantry defenses.

Tricks & Tips

• You'll get the Jack Hunter bonus for your melee attacks too - if you want to rely on 9+4D6 charge attack rolls to remove the last boxes of a heavy jacks.
  • Take Down from their Theme force makes charging all the more appealing, if you have the chance to remove a jack under the Reconstruction spell.

Other

Trivia

• The main unit and regular CA were both released in Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah (November 2009)
• The alternate CA, Eiryss3, was released in the Warmachine: Vengeance expansion (2014)

Rules Clarifications

Template:RC Eiryss3