Zuriel

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

Zuriel is the product of Saeryn’s attempt to create a spawn embodying her essence and that of her twin sister, Rhyas. Zuriel demonstrates the stealth and fighting prowess of Rhyas together with a unique receptiveness to Saeryn’s magic. In battle he soars through the sky on powerful wings as he searches out those his mistresses have marked for death. Targets who attempt to escape the reach of his blades find themselves engulfed by dragon fire from his fanged maw.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Eyeless Sight
• Template:Flight
• Bond [ Rhyas or Saeryn ] - If this model begins the game in Rhyas or Saeryn's battlegroup, it is bonded to that model. If it begins the game in a battlegroup shared by Rhyas and Saeryn it is considered to be bonded to both. This model is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While this model is bonded to Rhyas and in her Template:Control range, it gains Stealth. While this model is bonded to Saeryn and in her Template:Control range, Saeryn can channel spells through it.
• Template:Dual Attack
• Template:Kill Shot
• Template:Precision Strike

Weapons

Dragon Breath
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		SP 8			1			Template:-			12
Template:Fire Damage Template:Continuous Fire
War Blade (x2)
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				5				16
Template:Combo Strike

Animus

{{Category: Template:Elusive }}[[Category: Template:Elusive ]]

Theme Forces

• When taken in either Rhyas or Saeryn's battlegroup
  • Template:Children of the Dragon. Zuriel gains Unyielding in this theme.
  • Template:Oracles of Annihilation
  • Template:Primal Terrors
  • Template:Ravens of War

• When taken by anyone else
  • Template:Children of the Dragon. Zuriel gains Unyielding in this theme.

Thoughts on Zuriel

Zuriel in a nutshell

On a superficial look Zuriel seems like an expensive jack-of-all-tredes heavy who lacks both the hitting power of his beefier brothers and the elusiveness of the winged heavy chassis.

This is true - to some degree at least. If you plan to send in Zuriel on his own to get the job done, you will most likely have a bad time. However, Legion has some crucial support models with whom he becomes one of the best heavy warbeast in the faction. Despite his ubiquotus toolkit he is not a point-and-click solution, but with the right models he shines bright.

Combos & Synergies

To get the most out of Zuriel, you need to buff his hitting power and his survivability. Fortunately, there are several models in the Legion who can do just that.

• Mekanoshredder - Zuriel's toolkit is tailored toward fighting warjacks and warbeasts. Even if you just charge for free, that is one more Fury to buy attack with or boost a crucial roll.
  • The Blighted Nyss Sorceress can fill the same role to some degree with Aerial Coordination while Blight Storm will guarantee a damage from your attacks, but the Mekanoshredder's +2" charge range against Constructs often outshine her abilities.
• Blight Archon - The model that put back Zuriel on the map. And the main reason is Crimson Ballet. Despite the Dodge animus Zuriel has debatable defensive stats for a heavy - and even more so if you count his point cost. However, Sprint makes the set-up of favourable piece trades much easier. All you have to do is to kill a squishy(er) model beside your main target then run back to safety. Watch out that you're not immune to free strikes while doing so. Impending doom can set up excellent sprays both for Killshot and your ranged attack while Dragon's Blood will help Zuriel reach the battle whole against gunlines. It is not a cheap package by any means but can do a whole lot of job done.
• Precision attack worth only so much if your opponent can repair the damage. A source of Grievous Wounds and/or Entropic Aura is always welcome. This usually comes from character beasts and/or a certain warlock (Golab, Anamag's feat, Proteus with Absylonia, Scythean with his animus on), so consider these combos accordingly.
  • The only notable exception is the Grotesque Assassin in Ravens of War, but honestly, it is more of a curiosity than an actually advised list to go by.
  • Speaking of Grievous Wounds, Absylonia1's toolkit perfectly fits for Zuriel, be it Refuge or Playing God. It also delegates non-Horror heavies to fight with unboosted attacks against Zuriel if they are being caught in a Blight Burst patch.

'Warlock synergies'

• Rhyas1, Saeryn1, and The Twins offer Zuriel access to either of his bonds - both in the case of The Twins, as long as he is in both control ranges. Sadly, both bonds are inferior compared to the Archon's Sprint and since none of the girls bring any form of damage buffs, setting up favorable piece trades can be really difficult. The Twins also have lower-than-average Warbeast-Points, making the inclusion of Zuriel a challenging prospect.
  • Rhyas1 offers Stealth as long as Zuriel is in her tiny CTRL area, freeing Occultation (and due to his naturally high MAT, Rapport) to go to a second target of her choice.
  • Becoming a channeler for Saeryn1 offers her some good arcing options, allowing her to place Blight Bringer AOEs or Breath Stealers from relative safety. Saeryn can occasionally tag his targets with Grievous Wounds, drastically improving his survival against crippled targets but that may put her uncomfortably close to the frontlines.
• Abby2 turns Zuriel a reasonable threat on the feat just as any other Legion beast. Proteus can apply Grievous Wounds due to his bond and pull targets closer with his tentacles, making Zuriel more dangerous.
• Fyanna2, Thagrosh1, Kryssa1, Vayl1 and Lylyth1 can all pump up his offensive output without needing to be in their respective battlegroup.
  • Special mention to Bethayne1 and Bethayne2 who have ways to buff both the ranged AND melee damage with a single spell (Blood Thorn and Dissolve). Zuriel also loves Deceleration from the former and the feat's protection from the latter.
• Blackfrost Shard and Ice Witches/Yssylla - for damage/accuracy fixing, and for occasional Puppet Master.
• Thagrosh0 - If you happen to bring him with Rhyas/Saeryn in Primal Terrors or Oracles of Annihilation, Thagrosh can use Blight Burst to increase his durability immensely, especially if enemy heavies have only 1" melee weapons.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• If you use Combo-Strike, you cannot make ranged attacks (despite Dual Attack)

  Dual Attack only allows initial ranged + initial melee, or initial ranged + power attack.

• Expensive, especially with the support you must bring to make him work at peak efficiency.
• Average defensive stats
• Fairly uninspiring bond(s)

Tricks & Tips

• Dual Attack lets you Trample and then make ranged attacks. This is a great way to increase your effective gun range by 3".
• Try to set up your charge vector so that you may have a favourable angle for your Dual Attack/Killshot templates.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Hordes: Exigence (2014)
• In the Bible, Zuriel ("My Rock is God"), son of Abihailm was chief prince of the Merarites at the time of the Exodus.