Minuteman

The Minuteman is a product of numerous advances in mechanikal warfare. Utilizing an exactingly designed series of compression chambers, the warjack can launch itself short distances by venting its heartfire through a special propulsion system. It is well suited to annihilating entire swathes of infantry with its short-range grenade launchers upon landing, clearing its line of sight to an intended target. The Minuteman can then unload its dual slug guns into harder targets.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Advance Deployment
• Template:Construct
• Template:Extended Control Range
• Template:Gunfighter
• Template:Bounding Leap
• Template:Flak Field

Weapons

Slug gun (x2)
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		4			1			Template:-			14
Open fist (x2)
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				2				10
Template:Open Fist

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Flames in the Darkness
  • Template:Gravediggers
  • Template:Heavy Metal
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest
  • Template:Storm Division. This model gains Immunity: Electricity in this theme.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use it in Hearts of Darkness, but only if Sloan is leading the army. This model gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Mercenary and Khador players can use it Flame in the Darkness
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use it by putting it under the control of Nemo4 in various themes.

Thoughts on Minuteman

Minuteman in a nutshell

A mobile, combined arms warjack, the Minuteman is an odd design. It has a light warjack's frame, but wants to be up close to the enemy. If you want to apply high POW shots into the enemy and don't really care about your warjack, the Minuteman is for you. Thanks to Flak Field it can clear out infantry quite easily, especially high DEF, low ARM models who tend to be worried by POW6. This can give it some additional utility if you want to play with lots of Warjacks and very little infantry of your own. Just remember that although its DEF is good, once it does get hit it tends to lose effectiveness very quickly.

Combos & Synergies

• For the ultimate in Warjack mobility, take them with Captain Jeremiah Kraye. Between advancing, bounding leap and reposition, you can have a Minuteman 16" up the table with very little effort. The reposition can also take you into safety, once you delivered your shots.
• Siege1 - Under his feat even high armor infantry squads evaporate from Flak Field, while the slug guns can now seriously damage any heavy in the game. They're also excellent targets for Explosivo, while a Foxhole can put up its DEF to insane levels.
• Warcasters with Blur or Bullet Dodger give them a chance to escape being shot to pieces.
• Nemo1 - additional inches from Locomotion, as well as the STR bonus from Lightning Shroud aren't negligible. The expandable CTRL area helps, if the Minuteman ended up outside your CTRL area with bounding leap.
• Caine0 can be horrifying with a minuteman, but doesn't have the FOCUS to fully load it and keep it alive. Sending it forward to smash an enemy, Caine can then Spirit Door it back to him; since his CTRL is doubled due to the Extended Control Range, Caine can stand a significant distance away and still turn his warjack loose on the enemy.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• If a model is immune to Blast damage, it is unaffected by Flak Field.
• With its thin armour and short range it is usually used for suicide missions. If you manage to get one good round of damage output from it, consider anything else a bonus.

Tricks & Tips

• Make good use of the Bounding Leap. It's great for getting into the back arc of models, getting the back arc bonus.
• Using a two-handed throw sometimes can be worthwhile - though it demands quite a lot of FOCUS to pull off reliably. But if it knocks down a warcaster, why not? Jump behind, grab it, and throw it toward your lines. Pop flak field before, just for some extra cruelty.
• Flak Field is neither a melee, nor a ranged attack - perfect for circumventing restrictions about them (Vindictus1's feat, Countermeasures, Blinding Light, Swamp Pit, etc.). On the same note, it is not suitable to trigger spells and abilities which are tied to melee/ranged attacks (Refuge and the like).
• Read the rules clarifications about triggering Flak Field, as it is an "any time during its activation" ability. Also, read the clarifications about Bounding Leap - it is slightly different from Jumping, but still allows you to be used if you can advance only 0" (like under Shadow Bind, or Force Lock). if you are under an effect that denies placing completely (like Garryth's feat, or the Lock the Target spell), you cannot use it.

Other

Trivia

• Released in the Warmachine: Wrath expansion (2011)