Captain Victoria Haley

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

A strong-willed woman capable of both grim resolve and singular heroism, Victoria Haley has risen from meager origins to become one of the greatest assets of the Cygnaran Army. A daughter to murdered parents, she has sworn vengeance against the Cryxians who killed her family. Where the armies of the Nightmare Empire assemble she is often found throwing everything she can muster toward the undead hordes.

Basic Info

Warcaster abilities:

• Focus Manipulation

• Battlegroup Controller

• Power Field

• Spellcaster

• Independent Model

• Leader

Feat : Blitz

Haley and friendly Faction models beginning their activations in her Template:CTRL can make one additional ranged or melee attack during their activations. Blitz lasts for one turn.

Abilities

• Template:Arcane Vortex
• Template:Set Defense

Weapons

Hand Cannon
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			1			Template:-			12
Vortex Spear
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				6				11
Template:Magical Damage

Spells

{{Category: Template:Arcane BoltTemplate:Arcane ShieldTemplate:Chain LightningTemplate:DeadeyeTemplate:ScrambleTemplate:Temporal Barrier }}[[Category: Template:Arcane BoltTemplate:Arcane ShieldTemplate:Chain LightningTemplate:DeadeyeTemplate:ScrambleTemplate:Temporal Barrier ]]

Theme Forces

• Template:Si
• Template:Gravediggers
• Template:Heavy Metal
• Template:Sons of the Tempest
• Template:Storm Division. In this theme this model gains Immunity: Electricity.

Thoughts on Haley1

File:Haley1.jpg

Classic Sculpt

Haley1 in a nutshell

Captain Haley is the easiest of the Haley's to manage as she has the fewest special rules, a straightforward spell list, and a simple feat. If you are new and looking for a spell-oriented Cygnar caster, Haley1 is a great one to start with. Her feat lets you hit a few more times, but still requires you to practice good target selection. To use her effectively in most situations, you need to bring naturally hard-hitting models. Haley1 primarily wants to sit back, cast Temporal Barrier each turn, upkeep Arcane Shield and fuel a strong ranged jack.

Feat thoughts

Your models each get an extra ranged OR melee attack. This can be devastating if you can attack with most of your army on the same turn. Since it is far easier to achieve this using ranged attacks, most Haley1 lists are heavily ranged focussed. Getting extra attacks is great, but be warned: extra attacks against the WRONG targets isn't going win you the engagement. For example, a unit with POW 10 attacks doesn't benefit much from an extra attack against an ARM 18+ target. However, if you've selected targets appropriately, the extra attacks can be very useful. The feat itself can help clench an assassination run or win your the war of attrition if you eliminate enough enemy models. Keep in mind that additional attacks can never be ★ attacks.

Spell thoughts

• Arcane Bolt - A no frills zap, with a superb range. You might consider occasionally arcing it, but will be among your least used spells due to it's low POW.
• Arcane Shield - Makes everything all the more survivable. Bring a Journeyman Warcaster, if you plan to shield two units at once or want to ease the focus burden on her.
• Chain Lightning - An excellent zap spell for clearing low ARM infantry.
• Deadeye - This one looks better on paper that it actually is. You almost never want to waste it on warjacks, unless you absolutely, positively have to kill something really elusive with a single big gun. It works real nice on units, like the Long Gunners or Gun Mages, but the former won't benefit on its second shot. Excellent on models with crit effects and assault.
• Scramble - Suitable to play dirty tricks with the enemy's key jacks, especially if the enemy has no way to clear Disruption.
• Temporal Barrier - Haley1's signature. An absolutely monstrous spell vs low-mid speed melee forces such as Khador warjacks or Man o' War. Cygnar generally lacks non-Warcaster speed buffs, so being able to out-threat more nimble factions such as Circle or Retribution can be huge. The DEF debuff is equally devastating into faster factions who often rely on their DEF to be able to get close but typically lack ARM (e.g. Legion). Despite its versatility, you still have to decide if you really need it each turn. It requires a lot of Focus, which can starve your own offensive output, especially if you are looking to cast Deadeye to fish for critical hits in Sons of the Tempest. It also leaves her defensive options far more limited for reducing damage or using Arcane Vortex (quite handy when fielding a colossal). Even worse, enemy models with extreme threat ranges or those who can move out of her control range before their activation won't be affected by the SPD debuff.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• She needs to play forward to catch the enemy in her control area for Temporal Barrier. Which can lead to an assassination if you don't protect her.
• Apart of her feat, there is no way to boost the damage level of her army or her battlegroup. Hence, you must bring naturally hard-hitting models.

Tricks & Tips

• Make sure she does as little personal work as possible. She has an expensive support kit that you should prioritize over trying to act as a spellslinger, even if her focus pool is huge. You should rather use that to camp and occasionally provide Arcane Vortex.
• Just because she has the Set Defense ability, it does not mean she safe if she gets charged.
• Arcane Vortex is a great counter play to enemy casters. Keep your battle group close to Haley and try to camp one or two focus at all times.
• Always consider models that can give out more Focus - Arlan Strangewayes, the Squire or Accumulator warjacks being the main examples - to be able to camp more.

List Building Advice

Strategy

File:Thorn.jpg

Thorn is her pet warjack that she can take in any theme.

Haley1's main way of winning is to clog the enemy up in Temporal Barrier, then destroy them by shooting them to death. She has strong tools on the defensive side in the form of Arcane Shield and can make the ranged elements of her army more accurate with Deadeye. Don't forget that you can cast Deadeye on multiple things a turn, as it's not an upkeep spell.

Theme Thoughts

• Squire gives her the extra control area to stay slightly safer as well as an extra bit of focus. A magic attack re-roll once per turn is nice too.
• Arlan Strangewayes - He can reduce your focus burden AND fix up your jacks.

Template:Header With the 2021 CID, she now can now play to her strengths in this theme. It offers strong shooting at a good range and caster independent damage buffs as well as options to help her already strong control game. Bring along a Hermit of Henge Hold for a 6 point damage swing.

• Silver Line Stormguard - Their abillity to deny charges combines well with Temporal Barrier.
• Stormsmith Grenadiers - Grenadiers are amazing under Haley as they allow you to double down on the SPD debuff and their Voltaic Vortex attack type can bring many models into the AoE. They also love Haley's feat.
• Firefly - Brings its ionization damage buff. As you have no way of saving it from its suicide run, you might want to consider bringing two. Also has Lightning Generator, for 2d3 electro leaps on feat turn.
• Stormguard Infantry - Their leader model can apply a second +2 damage buff for lightning attacks at 10" with a 5" AOE, twice on feat turn. Bring a minimum unit as you really only want them for the leader. That said, they can pitch in with some control and jamming if required as they can be moderately tough in melee and have 2" reach with electro leaps and CMA.
• Stormsmith Storm Tower - For 4 points (or as a requisition option) they bring a 14", 14 POW gun that ignores cover, concealment and stealth, benefits from all the damage buffs, disrupts on a hit and has Lightning Generator. Their only downside is RAT6 and having only a single shot, which Haley fixes.
• Stormsmith Stormcaller - A steal at 1 point. They can score flags, contest zones and in a pinch pitch in with their accurate POW10, critical disruption gun. They are the cheapest extra shot Haley can buy anywhere. However, they cannot use the additional ranged attack from Blitz to make Surge and Triangulation ★ attacks, so the most you can get for your 1 point is 4 shots.
• Storm Strider - One of your big guns, together with the Hurricane. Can quite reliably put out three boosted POW 19 shots on feat turn. Superconduction drives accuracy to absurd levels when combined with Temporal Barrier and Lightning Generator helps with chaff cleaning and support removal.
• Storm Lances - Though she prefers ranged models to more easily maximize her feat, Lances are by far the best melee unit to use with her. Temporal Barrier helps with their RAT 5 shooting and helps guarantee them to get the charge rather than having to take it. They are also good targets for Arcane Shield. Additionally with the feat they can take down hard targets very well, on the charge they have their assault shot, impact attack, cavalry charge, mount attack and then the feat attack follow up. This compensates for Haley's lack of damage buffs.

Template:Header She is one of the better casters for this theme because she can slow down enemy troopers so your vulnerable mages don't get charged to pieces. She makes your troops shoot more accurately and more often with her feat!

• Arcane Tempest Gun Mages really love Deadeye to help trigger their crits.
• Arcane Tempest Rifleman - The are excellent at hunting solos, CAs or just shaving boxes off of harder targets. More shots mean they do more of that.
• Rangers and Gun Mage Captain Adepts ensure the other Gun Mages will basically never miss.
• Arcane Shield doesn't have many viable targets here, so put it on a jack, like a Hurricane.
• The many damage buffs in this theme make the most of your consecutive feat shots. Falk and Hermit make for an easy +2 to damage. Note that Rune Marked also affects Haley's spells and melee attacks.

Template:Header She doesn't really have a home here due to there being vastly better casters (i.e., Siege1), but since most Trenchers are self-reliant troops, her feat can help them out a lot. Take Trencher Commandos for example. With their anatomical precision ability, they can wipe out a full unit of high ARM targets on feat turn. It's not unreasonable to take Haley in a Gravediggers list if you want to counter a strong enemy caster with Arcane Vortex.

Battlegroup

• Thorn - Since he has the bond with her, he can be taken in any theme with her. This jack is seriously good and very durable when Arcane Shielded. Although not necessarily as good as with the other two versions of Haley, Thorn is still an excellent warjack simply for it's disruption capabilities, but she prefers a jack with guns for her feat.
• Hurricane - It's an arc node and big enough for her to stand behind to stay safe. It likes Arcane Shield, Arcane Vortex and even Deadeye if you want both Storm Emitters fully boosted. It even likes Temporal Barrier due to its fairly mediocre (by Cygnar standards) MAT/RAT 6. It's got excellent guns though, so it can bring the feat with her feat.
  • If you are going to stand Haley right behind it, just remember that some abilities can still chain damage from the Hurricane on to Haley (e.g. Trick Shot or Ashes to Ashes).
• Defender - It's got an excellent long range boomstick for the feat and Cortex Damage on the hammer.
• Centurion - The most durable Shield Guard you can get in Cygnar, so it loves Arcane Shield to be ARM 24 against shooting, and with Imprint: Polarity Shield and Temporal Barrier it poses a real conundrum for your enemy, as it cannot be charged and enemy models will move at -2 SPD as well, so engaging it will be very hard for many lists.

Other

Trivia

• Captain Haley was one of the three Cygnar warcasters in the first-ever Warmachine rulebook, Warmachine: Prime (2003)
• Temporal Barrier has slowly been toned down in each edition; in MK1 and Mk2 it prevented people charging.
  • It was toned back up in the October 2021 to reduce SPD across her control area instead of command area.
    • And now the loss of a single WJP doesn't seem so bad...

Video Battle Reports

• 2018.07 Feat Fetish 75 points vs The Child
• Template:VBR