In the spirit of learning one model at a time , I’m diving into the Frustrum Locus. I’ve just started testing the model, and playing a few games at low point values to see how it feels.
Why low point games?
A low point game has a lot of advantages when learning about a game, whether it’s learning your model, list, a scenario. A small point game puts those models up front. The small number of models means something under test is pushed to perform under stress. It has very little room to be forgotten about. It can’t hide behind other models, or be ignored by your opponent. It sees more action in a small game.
Testing list combinations at small point values illustrates the extreme performance limit of the combination. It can illustrate the complexity of synergy spin-up, highlighting the inefficiencies of the combo, or emphasizing its power. A small game has fewer turns, so a multi-turn combination doesn’t have time to sit idle; it must execute quickly.
Learning a scenario with fewer models than a full point game yields the same results. A smaller game starts with less ablative armor (in the form of troops or armor), and so the game can quickly spiral out of control when scenario is neglected.
All this to say, a smaller point game is better at testing a model’s value.
Frustum Locus
The model in question, the Frustrum Locus presents as an interesting solo. Its model doesn’t exactly correspond to its abilities. It looks like it may have been conceptualized to use servitor drones, then edited during early development while the model designer continued as planned. Its two dormant servitors in the shoulders remain vestiges of possibility.
The Frustrum doesn’t have a ton of support material, or fluff, to illustrate its workings. Its design came about during a flury of activity at Privateer, quickly dampened by the COVID-19 catastrophe. The Mark 3 Warmachine era suffered several false starts, manuals that were partially written, a magazine that fell through, and a lack of written fiction or articles to make the models come to life.
Only the original developers know how the prototype Frustrum Locus looked before release.
Mk3 vs Mk4
The Frustum didn’t change between Mk3 and Mk4, but the definition of Mage Static did. Mage Static now acts as a proximity effect. While within 10 inches of a model with Mage Static, enemy models casting spells pay an extra point of COST for each spell, and suffer a -3 RNG.
A sideways debuff, the Frustum can’t be used to dispel upkeeps or animi on your own models, since it can no longer target friendly models. This is a game-wide change from Mk3 to Mk4.
Stat Line
It’s a moderately mobile gun platform, sporting a SPD 5 and Pathfinder. Its defense is low, but it’s heavily armored, at an 18. That’s pretty tanky for a solo. It also boasts 10 boxes, a little higher than the usual 5 to 8 for most solos.
Phase Singularity (the gun)
While the gun isn’t top-tier in terms of range, it is better than average. At RNG 12, it exceeds the lesser RNG 8-10 pistols and rifles, and packs a POW 12 punch of a good quality hand cannon. On top of that, it ignores magical defenses, like Deflection. It shoots incorporal models dead, and if a spell is on a model or unit, it cancels that spell on a hit. Anything 17 inches away is at risk.
Additional Damage Output
The Arcane Pattern Array allows the Frustum Locus to collect power tokens, which it spends to boost its ranged attack or damage rolls. A boosted RAT 6 turns hitting a DEF 14 from a 40% chance to an 80% chance. A boosted POW 12 raises average damage against ARM 16 from 3.1 to 6.5 (basically doubling the average).
Special Tech – Void Generator
The Void Generator separates the Frustum from the rest of the army, giving it a unique and powerful ability. Aside from using the Arcane Pattern Array to gain power tokens for increasing damage output, the Frustum can use power tokens to give a friendly Faction model/unit Mage Static. The target has to be within 5 inches of the Frustum, but can then run out and do what it needs to do. All while carrying a bubble of anti-magic tech.
Combined with the Dispel ability on the Phase Singularity gun, the Frustum Locus could shoot at something, removing an upkeep, and use the Void Generator to make it nearly impossible for an enemy caster to place the spell back on the model. Either the caster has to get closer, becuase of the -3 RNG, or it has to spend more resources (Focus/Fury/Essence, whatever). Of course, this assumes that a model with Mage Static can get within bubble-range of the caster, and that the model with Mage Static is difficult to remove.
Clockwork Angels, with reposition, are typically difficult to remove, provided there are no enemy models in melee threat or with AOEs. Other good options are the flying warjacks, again for mobility’s sake, or heavy warjacks for their durability. Options that force an opponent to spend resources on removing a model or group of models they’d otherwise ignore helps you control their game, and presents a better set up for a scenario win.
Recent Games
In my first few test games, I mainly focused on the Frustum’s gun. I’m able to pick off solos when they’re in the open, but not if they’re well defended. Shield Guards, as expected make life more difficult for the Frustum. Shield Guards in my army, however, help keep it alive. The Frustum’s boosted gun makes it more reliable than the Destructotron 3000, both in accuracy and ability to punch armor. It enjoys all the buffs that the clockwork army can give, as is expected.
Great offensive piece
I most often ran only a single Frustum, not trusting its abilities, but more recently expanded to a pair. I’ve tested with Iron Mother, Orion, Syntherion and Axis. In my most recent game, with Axis, the highly accurate guns in the melee army were appreciated. Sometimes the gun pair would remove a solo, and sometimes they’d just whittle away at a jack.
New strategy led me to test the Mage Static. I played two units of Clockwork Angels, and positioned them on the other side of a building after doing a little bit of work. The bubble reached Thorga Boomhowler and her warbeasts, forcing my opponent to handle the angels before doing anything else. She quickly dispatched two with AOEs from a cannon and chain shot wielding troll, and had her balloon finish off the last with a well placed bomb.
The struggle
And that brings up a weakness of the Convergence army. Our warcasters don’t have very many defensive buffs. There aren’t many ways outside of a unit’s own resiliency to prevent the from dying. Putting Mage Static out is a risky venture. If the unit is needed to do something else, why make them more of a target?
I think it depends on your opponent’s army, whether or not the Magic Static is useful. I feel like I get more work from it when facing a warbeast heavy army, since they all seem to want to use their animus, and the extra 1 point of cost usually pushes them into the limit of what they want to spend.
Comparison
For eight points, you get potentially two boosted attack and damage roll gunshots with a 17 inch threat and some Magic Static shenanigans. The closest model in-faction to the damage output is the Tesselator. It has potentially 4 shots, unboosted. Its threat range is a little shorter, and POW starts lower. While its defense is higher, it lacks some armor, which isn’t really made up by the extra 2 boxes.
Two solos have the potential to threaten more of the board than a single jack. The two Frustum might be a better way to spend 8 points than the flying jack, especially considering the utility of the Magic Static.
There are exceptions. Iron Mother appreciates the warjack’s utility as an arcnode, taking advantage of her field marshal ability. Archnumen Aurora might also benefit from the warjack as opposed to the Frustum pair, as her Hand of Destruction Spell, Battle Plan and Feat all lend themselves to buffing the warjack. However, her Ascension Command might help her Magic Static angels survive blasts, provided they are within 8 inches of her. It’s possible that the pair could find their way into her army with other trade-outs.
Conclusion
I really like the Frustum Locus. I wish it had a Servitor mechanic, like spawning some drones that were the source of Magic Static, or spawing a choice of drone by burning a power token as another option. It might prove more expensive, however. And I’m not certain I want to spend more on this pair. Still, it seems like the design of the solo’s model doesn’t quite match the abilities it has on the table. Shed a tear for the missed opportunity.
As it stands, I’ll probably try squeezing them into different lists. I’d like to test them with Locke, throwing around her feat to dispell upkeeps and then force the issue with the Frustum making spells cost more. It could help, but I’m a little down on her, since her feat is so reliant on my opponent to gain any benefits, and doesn’t really work into armies that don’t need to use their focus/fury.
Bottom line, the Frustrum is in a good place, and I look forward to fielding it.
Thanks for joining me for some hobby time. May your dice spike when it’s needed.