Adeptis Rahn

FACTION ARMY Warcaster

• • • • • • • • • • • • • LEGACY **********

Among the most powerful arcanists born in a generation, Adeptis Rahn Shyeel is a master of force manipulation and arcane science. His movements send ripples through the air, and with but a thought he can generate storms of kinetic force capable of rending metal and bursting flesh. With a wave of his hand men and machines alike are swatted aside as easily as gnats, and it is just as effortlessly that he brushes away entire volleys of incoming fire.

Basic Info

Warcaster abilities:

• Focus Manipulation

• Battlegroup Controller

• Power Field

• Spellcaster

• Independent Model

• Leader

Feat : Arcane Alignment

While in Rahn's Template:CTRL range, friendly Faction models gain +2" RNG to their non-channeled spells, and their magic attack rolls and magic damage rolls are boosted. Arcane Alignment lasts for one turn. Template:Tipbox

Abilities

• Template:Force Mastery

Weapons

Balance
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				6				13
Template:Magical Weapon Template:Beat Back

Spells

{{Category: Template:Chain BlastTemplate:Force BlastTemplate:Force HammerTemplate:Polarity ShieldTemplate:Telekinesis }}[[Category: Template:Chain BlastTemplate:Force BlastTemplate:Force HammerTemplate:Polarity ShieldTemplate:Telekinesis ]]

Theme Forces

• Template:Defenders of Ios
• Template:Forges of War
• Template:Legions of Dawn
• Template:Shadows of the Retribution. He gains "optional take down" in this theme.

Thoughts on Adeptis Rahn

Adeptis Rahn in a nutshell

Rahn is a flexible spell slinger that is one of the most fun casters to play with. He can really mess with your opponent's army, and with the combination of his spells it is easy to set up assassinations or stall the enemy until an opening appears. If you want a caster who can manipulate the battlefield and your enemy's figures too, have a good combination of offensive magic and defensive spells and innate abilities, then Rahn is your guy. Force Mastery is basically a Force Field spell, which is always on, and keeps him safe from most pop&drop assassination tricks. He can also keep the squishier (and usually elusive) elements of his army relatively safe from blasts, as you direct the distance of scattering to cause the least damage.

Spell thoughts

• Chain Blast - An expensive but strong spell. Retribution is full of Magical Damage sources, so this one will probably only be cast if there is a group of low ARM infantry clumped together.
  • With Arcane Secrets from Sylys Wyshnalyrr, this spell can put serious damage into infantry.
  • Also excellent on the assassination as it is possible to throw out 2 of these fully boosted after a Telekinesis.

• Force Blast - An excellent, though expensive, unjamming tool for your army.
  • If you combine it with other push tricks, like Repulsor Field on the Helios, enemy forces can end up way out ot their desired position.
  • The distance is a flat 4", not an "up to" amount, so watch out where the models will end up.

• Force Hammer - Another favoured tool for assassination. The spell's POW is not huge, but knocking down targets is always fun.
  • If the enemy doesn't provide you with suitable models for slamming, run up your own model, and sacrifice him for the greater good.
  • Slamming a model into a same sized or larger base makes them take an extra die of damage, meaning this POW 12 can put in some work.

• Polarity Shield - Cast on either hard targets that your opponent out-threats, like high ARM low SPD infantry, Trident or colossi.
  • On ranged units it can often give you another round of shooting, but chances that are the enemy will just run to jam you in then.
  • Low ARM high DEF infantry with stealth also like it - since Force mastery keep them safe from AOE's, they become unassailable by charges too.

• • Adjust a model's position to line up a perfect slam with Force Hammer.

Feat thoughts

Plain and simple: anything that casts spells will shoot farther, deadlier and more accurate. Even on Rahn himself that would be awesome, but considering that you probably built your army around spellcasters, even humble POW 10 attacks become quite threatening. When it comes down the table, the end-game is near.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Anti-magic abilities can pull the fangs out of his tricks. Be vary with Arcane Suppression, Arcane Vortex, or feats, like Reznik1's or Garryth's
• Magic-resistant enemies with Sacred Ward, Spell Ward, and the like will cause a lot of headache. Watch out for Doom Reavers or Protectorate jacks under Hymn of Shielding.
• Armies with Slam/Push/Place resistance are bad match-ups for him (Doomshaper3, Nemo3, Khador clamjacks, etc).

Tricks & Tips

• Cast TK on your arc node after you channel something, to keep it safe for next turn.

List Building Advice

Strategy

His main method of winning is assassination, with a back up plan of scenario if all else fails. With spells like TK and Force Hammer, Rahn can set up an assassination run like no other. His feat allows tons of boosted spells from him and his army of Battle Mages, Magisters, and Artificers. These spells hurt, and all have movement shenanigans that add to his own jank. Players can scalpel out a caster that was thought to be safe. Opening up LOS with TK or slamming a heavy over the caster, then pulling the caster in with battle mages and TK is the game winning combo that has made him feared. If your opponent is playing too carefully, you can also use the same tools, along with force blast to keep the zones clear for scoring.

Rahn shines with models that have magic attacks as they will get the most out of his feat. Otherwise he can provide lots of moving the enemy around that can create clear shots and charge lanes for the rest of the Retribution's arsenal.

Theme thoughts

Rahn will mostly be taken in this theme because it allows Battle Mages etc, who synergise with his feat.

• Battle Mages - the cornerstone of most Rahn armies, especially in Forges of War theme. Beside pushing around the enemy, their Force Bolt gets a good kick on Rahn's feat.
• House Shyeel Artificer - A good 'Jack Marshal that can keep their jacks shields topped off and can provide defensive buffs to nearby models. He also has a solid magic attack to benefit from Rahn's feat. Force Wall buffs Rahn's DEF to new heights against shooting.
• House Shyeel Magister - A grown up battle mage, with a few extra tricks. If you are building a Rahn list with intent to assassinate, the slams and 2" Whip Snaps these solos can provide are worth consideration.

Template:Header This is also a very good theme for Rahn. Unrestricted access to his favourite jacks, a few models to benefit from his feat and lots of excellent infantry. The squishy solos here will love the protection from blasts.

• Priest of Nyssor - The main model to benefit from his feat with a fully boosted spray on feat turn, other than Lanyssa and himself. They also grant pseudo Veteran leader to other Nyss in your amry.
• Ryssovass Defenders - They are already blst immune, but love being made unchangeable by Polarity Shield and a 10-man unit can apply it in ways sigular models or small units like Battle Mages cannot.
• Aelyth Vyr + 1 to hit for all your Nyss, stacking with the Priests buff.
• House Ellowuyr Swordsmen or House Ellowuyr Wardens have Cleave which can be potentially hilarious with Force Blast pushing enemy models into each other.
• House Ellowuyr Warden Executioners also have Cleave, but also have Chain Attack: Vortex Blast for extra placement effects.

Defenders allows unrestricted acess to Partisans, so condier:

• Hermit - Loves being TK'd forward to apply his debuffs, all of which Rahn loves.
• Lanyssa - Also benefits from priests and Aelyth here.
• Sylys - See below.
• Void Archon - Collects souls, protects souls, loves Force Plast and TK for excellent spray angles and applies an ARM debuff.
• Scythe - Goes solo or infantry hunting in a forest and does not need any input from Rahn, but loves the blast protection nonetheless. With the Nyss support solos she is also base RAT 9.

If you are willing to go outside of Forges of War, Mage Hunter's of both flavours can be utilized to good effect.

• They have weaknesses against AOE's, but with their innate stealth causing most AOE's to miss, and Rahn's force mastery's ability to determine with way the AOE will deviate, they will definitely be a lot safer.
• They are good targets for Polarity Shield, buying the MHSF another turn of shooting or making the MHI a fast moving anti-infantry jam unit.

• Sylys Wyshnalyrr - Free upkeep, boost to a magic attack & damage roll, bonus magic range - he fits perfectly in any Rahn list.
• Lanyssa Ryssyl. On a feat turn she has boosted Hunter's Mark to aid it sticking, plus an 18" threat range on the spell to help Rahn's jacks charge in from afar. Alternatively, she can Ice bolt from further and has more chance of landing the Crit Stationary on the feat turn.
• Elara1 - Ghostly on a stick is vital in almost any army and Elara runs Discordia better than Rann himself if you are in Forges. Otherwise give her Moros, two Harpies or a Gorgon.

Battlegroup

File:Retribution Discordia.jpg

Discordia is his pet warjack that he can take in any theme.

• He needs at least one arc node to make use of his spell list from afar.
  • Consider the Chimera and the Phoenix - or Hemera and Hypnos if you're willing to go out-of-theme.
  • Hemera gets special mention, as it can tame the cost of your expensive spells.
• Discordia is his pet warjack that he can take in any theme. It keeps on going until it is completely destroyed is the cornerstone of many defensive formation, especially for firebases made from shooty units.
• Sphinx - A great inclusion for him for extra spell range and it hits surprisingly hard in melee, too!
• Helios - Making one of the toughest colossals un-chargeable is a great anchor for scenarios. Plus, adding his tractor beam into his bag of battlefield manipulation is just more icing on the cake with the added bonus of having a heavy hitter. Using TK to open up LOS to a caster, then going fishing with his gun is a game winning tactic.
• Gorgon - a speed de-buff and force lock will ensure that the enemy will only go to places you allow them to do so. Force Hammering a heavy, then debuffing it's speed can great mess with it's fury economy and prevent it from getting its hands on something you care about.
• Manticore - Place a Covering Fire template, then have Rahn or his Battle Mage buddies push, pull, slam or place targets in to it to damage them.

First Purchases

Arc Nodes are just about essential to Rahn's game plan. He wants to have the ability to apply his spells wherever he wants, and to have access to many angles of attack for Force Hammer and Telekinesis. There are a few options for Arc Nodes in Retribution.

The Chimera is a fairly cheap and exceedingly mobile light Arc Node with Apparition. With the 2" place and a 12" run, you can apply Telekinesis 22" away from the Chimera's starting position, or 24" if you want to Telekinesis the Chimera itself after it runs. Apparition also helps to prevent the Chimera from being engaged before it makes its run.

There are some heavy Arc Node options available in the Phoenix, Hypnos and Hemera. Hypnos and Hemera are only available in Defenders of Ios and Legions of Dawn respectively, and heavy Arc Nodes are harder to apply than the Chimera, so a Chimera would be the best recommendation.

After that you will want to decide which theme you want to play him in: In Defenders you have access to less models benefiting from his feat, but more models that are good. A Sphinx and the Nyss boat (Lanyssa, Scythe, Ryssovass, Aelyth Vyr and a Priest of Nyssor) can be a good investment for Defenders. In Forges you will want House Shyeel Arcanists, a House Shyeel Magister, House Shyeel Artificer and a few units of Battle Mages.

Other

Trivia

Released in Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah (Novermber 2009)

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.07 Tactical Supremacy, vs Jalaam1
• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Kaya3
• Template:VBR