Strider Blightblades

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

In the arena of reconnaissance and assassination, few can compare with the blighted Nyss striders. Their incredible speed and elusiveness are gifts of their draconic master that cannot be duplicated through mere instruction and training. Strider rangers silently stalk their prey with longbow and sword. Strider blightblades eschew the longbow in favor of a pair of wicked blades infused with blighted energies to infect any that suffer their touch.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Advance Deployment
• Template:Combined Melee Attack
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Stealth
• Template:Ambush2

Weapons

Blade (x2)
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				3				9
Template:Critical Grievous Wounds

Theme Forces

• Template:Ravens of War

Thoughts on Strider Blightblades

Strider Blightblades in a nutshell

Blightblades are the close-combat version of the Strider Scouts. They eschewed the use of bows, and picked up two dagger-like weapons instead. That might look like a seemingly bad trade, but unlike the Scouts they can operate completely on their own. Their job is to cause mayhem among the back lines of the enemy picking off isolated units, artilleries, and solos; simply put, Blightblades serve to put pressure on the enemy flanks. They have two initial attacks that, combined with CMA, allow them to scale their damage output according to the selected target. Thanks to Stealth and an above average DEF, they are very hard to be dispatched of at range, and can sometimes escape retaliation if they fail to terminate their targets on the charge.

They achieve all this with their bread and butter Ambush ability. While Ambush is generally a gimmick or Cute trick, Blightblades have the mobility to get into position, and cause some actual harm for your opponent. Thanks to this, they can contest or even control zones and flags quite early. On their own, they can run up to 17" from any table edge (except the back of your opponent's deployment zone), or deliver a charge up to 13.5" away - almost the size of the Killbox in Scenarios. They won't do much against heavies - though some well-placed CMA on the charge can surprise some targets.

While Critical effects are not often a good mechanic to form a game plan around, each Blightblade has two chances to apply Grievous Wounds to their targets, an effect that, depending on the target, can have a significant impact against Hordes armies, opposing infantry that rely on tough, and certain warmachine armies with easy access to repair effects.

Combos & Synergies

Blightblades are usually operate way too forward from your own lines to rely on support from warlocks, and other units can rarely keep up with them. However, Legion sports plenty of other extremely mobile assets that can be used to put further pressure on the enemy's flanks, complementing the Blightblades or even forcing the enemy into pincer tactics:

• Kallus1 arguably helps Blightblades more than most Legion warlocks, and their penchant for digging into inconvenient places serves him well in return. Dark Guidance boosts the Blightblades' accuracy and critical rate with the additional die, and their Ambush and SPD allow them to get into dangerous places to spawn Incubi for the enemy on Kallus's feat turn.
  • Bear in mind these tactics may require Kallus to play uncomfortably far forward to tag the Blightblades in his control area, so be careful not to rely too heavily on this.
• Blightblades can become uncomfortably hard to hit during Fyanna2's feat, and if they're in range she can keep them safe from blasts with Iron Flesh.
  • Like Kallus, this can be a little risky due to her smaller control area, so this may not always be the most reliable of strategies, but when it works it works well enough.
• Raptors and Annyssa Ryvaal - with a near-unparalleled movement, they can be in the position early enough to help your Blightblades. Tagging their (preferably Tough) targets first with a few Grievous Wounds can make their attacks all the more deadlier if you're lucky enough to land criticals.
• The Hellmouth and its tentacles are all about board control and limiting the opponent's movement options in the field. Adding Ambush from the Blightblades to the mix will likely to force your enemy to make mistakes.
• Afflictor and Angelius are both fast and maneuverable flight models, and offer board control animi to help force flank engagements that benefit Blightblades. Just make sure to not fly out of their warlock's CTRL area, or have a Shepherd handy nearby.
• With their high SPD and DEF, Raeks often operate at the front of your main army, so they can team up nicely with the Blightblades to harass the flanks or enemy frontrunners.
• Not much can be said about the Harrier, but if you manage to get one near the Blightblades' (living) target, they become essentially DEF16 - something that causes trouble even for elite troops.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They can hardly do anything against tough targets even with a full unit CMA.
• Usually operate way too far for direct support.
• Die to any form of retaliation that can bypass their DEF and Stealth. Beware AOEs and blast damage.

Tips & Tricks

• When Ambushing, go for back strikes. Effective MAT 8 will hit even the most nimble troops on average, and with the number of attacks you can roll, it will often eliminate the need for CMA to boost your odds to hit.
• CMA lets you to scale your damage output - do your math, whether you need more attacks, or more damage from fewer strikes.
• CMA on a unit with multiple initial attacks is a very flexible asset. You are no bound to make both of your initials as CMA - you can charge in and make the individual models' first attack as a normal charge attack (thus, take advantage of the extra damage die) then make a full-unit CMA for your second initial, if needed.
  • Conversely, any models that make it to the same target and moved far enough to get the charge bonus can CMA together to make the charge attack much more powerful (for a unit of their stature). Or both can be giant CMAs. Or you can pair up some and do single attacks with others. Or you can adjust your CMA ratios on the fly based on how your rolls are going.
• Critical Grievous Wound is best considered as a nice bonus rather than a reliable strategic asset. If you really need it, just deliver your basic attacks without CMA; the more you attack, the greater the chance is to cause a critical hit.
• As with most Ambush units, Blightblades also have Advance Deployment. If you don't expect your opponent to fall for the Ambush tactic, or you play against a theme list that forbids Ambushing entirely, you have the option of deploying as normal and going for similar tactics or just using the Blightblades as fast jamming bodies.

Other

Trivia

Released in Hordes: Exigence (2014)