Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

Template:Cygbox2 This model is playable only in an Unlimited format.

Cygnar’s dashing gun mages are a unique breed of soldier-sorcerers who can weave devastating arcane power into their unerring pistol shots. With highly accurate magelock pistols, gun mages can snipe distant targets, cripple heavily armored foes, or knock enemies off their feet.

As battles intrude on Cygnar, the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest has stepped up to answer its nation’s call. Bringing an arsenal of arcane abilities together with deadly accurate magelock pistol fire, the order’s captains and their teams are highly prized for their versatile fire support.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Entire unit
  • Template:Gunfighter

• Leader & Grunts only
  • Template:Supporting Attack

• Officer only
  • Template:Officer
  • Template:Jack Marshal
  • Template:Drive Rune Shot
  • Template:Granted (Template:Swift Hunter-alt)
  • Template:Moment of Clarity

Weapons

Magelock Pistol
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		10			1			Template:-			10
Template:Magical Weapon Template:Attack Type Template:Critical Brutal Damage Template:Snipe Attack Template:Thunderbolt
Sword
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				3				7
Avoid using it.

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest. In this theme the unit gains Pistoleer, and you don't have to pay to upkeep spells on it.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.
  • Mercenary players can use this unit in the Template:Llaelese Resistance theme. They become Llaelese models and gain Pathfinder and Sniper.

Thoughts on Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

File:Gun Mage Officer.jpg

Command Attachment

Arcane Tempest Gun Mages in a nutshell

Gun mages are trick-shooting elite troops who kill infantry stone cold dead - but against hardened targets are normally reduced to trying to push them back and out of range with knockback shots. A good unit at what they do - with an officer who is primarily an interesting Jack Marshal. In the current stage of Mk3 they are in a catch-22 situation: they may shoot from afar which will not do much against anything above ARM17 and/or DEF14, or get up close to use their more specialized shots but risk retaliation next turn. Their "original" theme force, Sons of the Tempest offers OK benefits, but it is the mercenary Llaelese Resistance where they may truly shine.

The addition of Supporting Attack gives them a bit more play into higher ARM targets - Critical Brutal Damage becomes far more realistic, even more so with Deadeye casters. Similarly, getting the Critical Knockdown from Thunderbolt can scare those models that rely heavily on high DEF.

Thoughts on adding the CA

The CA is a jack-marshal with some of the best drive for a ranged jack, plus also brings back some of the the old Mk2 utility of the Gun Mages against stealthy targets via Moment of Clarity (giving True Sight for a turn). At least he's also an extra gun for your army, so unless you really skim points, there's hardly any reason not to take this guy.

His Drive means the marshalled 'jack gets to use the unit's attack types with its ranged weapons; enjoy Critical Brutal Damage, Snipe or Thunderbolt on your 'jack. It also makes the attack magical, so it gets buffed by Bastian Falk.

• Firefly - Cheap and tough, the firefly can make use of all Jack Marshal drives.
• Cyclone - 2*D3 Rune shots this cheap heavy can make, or place a Covering Fire template behind an advancing enemy, and shoot them into it with the Thunderbolt rounds.
• Hunter - Strike True! and Take Aim! commands can make it hit DEF16 targets on an average roll. If you manage to put a focus on it from another source (like Captain Arlan Strangewayes), it can be pretty devastating for high DEF low ARM targets.
• Avenger - On direct hit with Thunderbolt, the Seismic Cannon will knockdown and push back everything touched by its 4" AOE. However, Snipe is really what makes this combination worth considering at all, as the avenger is held back by the low range on its gun. Caine0 can upkeep Fire For Effect on it to make the AOE shot more devastating, especially combined with Take Aim! as both affect both the direct hit and all AOE hits as well.

• In Llaelese Resistance they can marshal a merc jack.
  • Swabber is the perfect choice for them as it protects them from blasts and really wants snipe.
  • Mule can go crit fishing with Thunderbolt AND Crit Devestation on Ashlynn1's feat turn.
  • Mariner, if you want a more conservative but consistent choice of firepower, is the best long distance shooter in mercs which makes excellent use of all 3 rune shots and all marshal commands.

Combos & Synergies

• Sons of the Tempest gives you free support solos, free upkeeps, and some extra punch for your gunfighter shots.
• Lieutenant Bastian Falk is their in-theme damage buff. Even their marshaled jack can benefit from his damage buff via their drive.
• Gun Mages are commonly seen with casters with Deadeye so they can fish for critical hits.
• They also get on well with assassin-casters (chiefly Captain Allister Caine and Lord Commander Stryker to open up routes to the enemy caster.
• With Fire for Effect from Captain Allister Caine or Journeyman Lieutenant Allister Caine you've got roughly 40% chance to achieve POW+4D6 damage with your Critical Brutal Damage shots against targets with DEF13 or lower.
  • Combine with Eilish1's Puppet Master for an even higher chance for criticals.
• In Llaelese Resistance the gain Pathfinder AND Sniper, turning them into excellent hunters of single wound models.
  • Ashlynn1 increases their MAT and with her Feat an Supportive Fire fishing for Critical Brutal Damage becomes trivial.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Against tough targets the best thing they can do is knock them back or down - and that doesn't work against everyone.
• Armour like paper - even blast damage can cut a swathe through their ranks.
• Gunfighter somewhat mitigates their weakness in close combat, and their naturally high DEF gives them a bit of staying power, but that still shouldn't encourage you to linger too long in melee.
• Anything that forbids shooting will leave your Gun Mages with their ceremonial swords - which is the synonym of dead.
• Mind your deployment - the lack of Pathfinder may force you to run and give up a round of shooting, or risk getting locked out of scenario.
• Keep the Officer safe - enemy gunners tend to be pretty excited about the presence of a squishy jack marshal.

Tricks & Tips

• Supporting Attack
  • Unlike a CRA, the models using Supporting Attack do not need the target in range or LOS.
  • The Officer cannot use Supporting Attack (he thinks he is too important to support someone else), but he can benefit from it.
• Unyielding is not effective against Gunfighter attacks. Use this to your advantage, especially if fielding them in the Sons of the Tempest theme.
• Always look to clog the enemy with knockback shots.
• Thunderbolt rounds are powerful board controlling tools. Knowing their threat, the enemy will probably try to place their zone/flag contesting models closer than normally would; giving extra (fraction) inches for your melee units to counter-attack.
• Scattered around the 4 current theme forces, Cygnar offers a lot of tool for infantry cleaning, from jacks like the Cyclone to Trencher and Stormsmith weapon crews, as well as regular and trencher Long Gunners. Each have their own niche utility beyond killing infantry units, so choose according to your needs.

Other

Trivia

• The unit (not including UA) was originally released in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
• The UA was released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Arcane Tempest Gun Mages were the first Gun Mage unit and are therefore known colloquially as Gun Mages.
• They were renamed Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Pistoleers after the Tempest Blazers came out, and then re-renamed as Arcane Tempest Gun Mages after PP realised that the ATGMP name was a lost cause.
• In Mk1 Gun Mages didn't have Snipe, but instead had Cortex Damage along the lines of the Lancer's shield. They were too good at their job and warjacks were consequently rare. (For that matter in Mk1 Cygnar was an anti-warjack faction, with Disruption being much more common than Electroleap).