Strider Deathstalker

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

Some few striders rise above the ranks of their peers as precision instruments of death. Deathstalkers range ahead at the vanguard of Everblight's armies and regularly embark on extended scouting missions where Legion warlocks entrust them to their own supervision and the leadership of subordinate striders.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Advance Deployment
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Stealth

Leadership

While within {{{d}}} of this model, friendly [[{{{model}}}]] models gain [[:Category:{{{ability}}}|{{{ability}}}]].

• Template:Swift Hunter
• Template:Marksman
• Template:Sniper

Weapons

• Nyss Longbow - 12" range, POW 10 ranged weapon.
  • Template:Snap Fire
• Sword - 0.5" reach, P+S 9 melee weapon.

Theme Forces

• Template:Ravens of War

Thoughts on Strider Deathstalker

Strider Deathstalker in a nutshell

It's a ranged combat solo. It excels vs single-wound infantry and is okay vs harder targets. The Strider buff is helpful, too.

Do you like killing infantry? Do you like doing it from 19" away and then skate back out of threat range? Do you want to do it with extreme accuracy and ignoring tough? Did you leave that pesky warjack on one box of cortex and really really need it to not counterattack effectively? If you answered to yes to any or all of the above of these questions, the Strider Deathstalker is for you. Probably a pair of them.

Deathstalkers are among the best and brightest of Legion's ranged solos at what they do, and really are a high contender across all factions at eliminating single wound troopers with little effort. With Advance Deploy, high SPD, and exceptional RAT, anything that a Deathstalker can get to, it will hit (as long as it doesn't have stealth, or extremely high DEF that any model would struggle to hit). Anything a Deathstalker can hit that only has a box left will also die, because Marksman and Sniper allow it to always ensure a point of damage is dealt regardless of the target's ARM; to top it all off Sniper also ignores tough.

It doesn't stop there of course - after the first shot, Swift Hunter and Snap Fire both trigger, allowing you to do it again to another nearby target, and after that Swift Hunter triggers yet once more, so at the end of the day a Deathstalker can easily end up 14-16" away from any threats (depending on how you positioned yourself for the first shot compared to the enemy - 14" is going to be typical).

Like many Legion models Deathstalkers sport high DEF and Stealth to preserve their lives. As is also common, their ARM pales in comparison, making them dead meat if anything can is accurate or lucky enough to connect. Unlike their less elite Strider Scouts, they at least have a few boxes of HP to ward off a blast damage that scattered their way, but try to leverage their long range and mobility before their DEF and Stealth to keep them going turn after turn.

Combos & Synergies

Deathstalkers are self-sufficent murder machines that can go into basically any Legion list that wants some spot removal against single wound warriors, and just about any Legion list wants just that, as there's always enough troopers around to justify at least one, if not usually two (max FA) - a pair of Deathstalkers can remove almost half an average unit's worth of models from the table with no outside support. Unfortunately they are only allowed in the Ravens of War Theme Force.

• They can crank Scouts' mobility up to 11 by granting them Swift Hunter within their CMD, but Scouts tend to spread out very far thanks to their command attachment, so it's hard to catch them all in the Deathstalker's CMD bubble. Additionally, Scouts tend to have trouble actually killing what they shoot without CRA, so Swift Hunter has limited value for them. To counter that, shoot targets in the Blight Storm template of a Sorceress.
  • Remember, in case of CRA only the model conducting the attack will get the Swift Hunter move, not the ones contributing to the attack.
• Bog Trog Mist Speaker - Might be a stairway to the support bloat, but if your targets rely Stealth, and you really want to remove them from afar, Guidance is extremely helpful.
• Rotwings and Golab - They have Finisher and Sniper is a great way to get a damage point in to trigger it.
• Harriers in Raven of War gain Mark Target, helping her hit.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Easily jammed - beware fast melee infantry that can run to engage and force a free strike and prevent them from going full Legolas with their bows.
• Very vulnerable to boostable blast damage.
• Can't see through clouds and can't ignore Stealth without outside help.
• Useless against anything with even a modicum of armor unless you're fine with a single damage (in the case of trying to cripple a warjack this can be corner case valuable).

Tricks & Tips

• You can forfeit movement to aim but still get Swift Hunter; the aiming bonus also carries to the next shot. This can be useful if your opponent forgot to or mismeasured your bubble of arrow death and want a little extra accuracy, or late in the game when engagements are closer quarters.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Hordes: Metamorphosis (2009)
• According to the fluff, the feathers on their cloak are from ravens and each feather denotes a kill-shot.