Blackbane's Ghost Raiders

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

The Ghost Raiders walk the ashen decks of the Atramentous as sinister blazing specters and over the centuries have reaped a terrible harvest of souls to increase their phantom ranks. When obliterated in battle, the ghosts’ curse draws their invisible essences shrieking back to the Atramentous’ endless flames. By the Dragonfather’s unending fire did their mortality end, and to that fire they will forever return.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Entire unit
  • Template:Undead
  • Template:Incorporeal
  • Template:Apparition

• Blackbane only
  • Blackbane has +1 MAT, +1 CMD and 5HP
  • Template:Officer
  • Template:Granted (Template:Reanimation)

Weapons

Cutlass
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				4				10
Template:Continuous Fire Template:Magical Damage

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Template:Ghost Fleet

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model/unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army.

Thoughts on Blackbane's Ghost Raiders

Blackbane's Ghost Raiders in a nutshell

Blackbane's Ghost Raiders are a weird utility unit. Incorporeal to keep them alive and give them Pathfinder, and then using their reanimation ability to come back from the dead. An incorporeal unit is rare enough that Blackbane's Ghost Raiders see play to test whether the enemy brought enough magic weapons.

Their stats on paper are average all over, but apparition makes them surprisingly fast with a 11.5 natural threat range that ignores rough terrain. While Blackbane is alive they can also bring back their dead, but this isn’t an ability you should count on as...

1) Blackbane is easily taken out in a single shot if the enemy get a bead on him

2) your opponents may not be playing large amounts of living infantry, especially in a mirror match, vs Convergence of Cyriss or even battlegroup focused armies you may not ever get a chance to bring anyone back.

Finally their swords set people on fire, this probably won’t be game breaking on its own but it does mean that the unit can trade into slightly harder targets quite well if their preferred target of infantry isn’t available.

Combos & Synergies

• Captain Rengrave has Veteran Leader for them
• Captain Aiakos can give them +2 MAT via Carnage

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They become a lot less useful if Blackbane dies.
• With the introduction of Archons and Infernals, there are more likely to face magical attacks. If they can't rely on Incorporeal for delivery, you have to be a lot more careful.

Tricks & Tips

• When giving the Run/Charge order it's frequently not worth attacking with Blackbane so the enemy can't kill him.
• Incorporeal effectively allows them to ignore free strikes from non magical weapons. (Sure they still take them - but they just phase through the weapons). Getting into the enemy's back arc is pretty common.
• They can be put in the frontlines to blockade charge lanes if the enemy lacks magical weapons. Enemy models can advance through them, but only if they if they can completely past them. Place them in positions where enemy models wouldn't have room. This is especially useful against large base models.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Sculptor: Mauro Gnani