Ancestral Guardian

The Ancestral Guardians are elite Exalted walking statues of the Skorne animated by the spirits of dead and venerated ancestors who died gloriously in battle and have had their souls saved by Extollers.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Defensive Strike
• Template:Resonance
• Template:Gatekeeper
  • Template:Soul Powered
  • Template:Spirit Driven
  • Template:Strength of Death
• Template:Soul Vessel
• Template:Steady

Weapons

• Halberd - 2" reach, P+S 14 melee attack
  • Template:Magical Weapon

Theme Forces

• Template:Masters of War. He gains "Optional Take Down" in this theme.
• Template:The Exalted. Ancestral Guardian gains Immovable Object and starts the game with one soul token in this theme.
• Also, Zaal1 can take Ancestral Guardian in any theme force he likes.

Thoughts on Ancestral Guardian

Ancestral Guardian in a nutshell

The Ancestral Guardian might be a solo on paper but its ability to buy and boost and effective melee weapon means that it has the offensive combat profile of a light warbeast. Indeed when compared to an Enraged Cyclops Savage, they both have the same threat range and the effective damage after charging is different only in that a couple of points of MAT are counterbalanced by STR from the Enrage buff. And although not nearly as resilient the Guardian is only 2/3 the cost of the Savage. Generally however the Guardian is used in a finesse role, taking advantage of its superb MAT to poke solos who think their DEF is high enough.

It also serves a support role by increasing the speed and threat range of Immortal models.

Combos & Synergies

• Any cheap infantry - for that matter expensive infantry also power it up. It only needs three dead models.
• Supreme Aptimus Zaal can feed it souls - and turn it into a Kovaas when it dies.
• Zaal the Ancestral Advocate has a feat that gives it a massive ARM buff.
• Extoller Novititate - MAT 8, Pow 16, three souls is better than most light warbeasts.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Low DEF
• Low basic speed and no Pathfinder mean a predictable threat.
• Hakaar the Destroyer, the character Ancestral Guardian, is only a little more expensive - and has a far more powerful threat profile.
• The Guardian doesn't crack armour - and for infantry smashing the Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor is normally quite a lot more effective and a bit cheaper.
• It will almost never matter - but Resonance doesn't say it only applies to friendly Immortals. So opposing Immortals can Resonance off Ancestral Guardians.

Tricks & Tips

The Ancestral Guardian is a counter-puncher with a very high MAT, and that needs other models to fuel its soul collection. It then gets an excellent frenzy of death if it's fuelled up, with MAT 8 and POW 13s. But you need to use it as a cleaner, and as something to unjam everyone.

Other

Trivia

File:AG Alt.png

Ancestral Guardian Angel, Limited Edition Sculpt (Mini Crate)

• Template:LES
• Released way back in Primal Mk1 (2006)