Firefly

The light warjacks commissioned by the Cygnaran Armory set the standard by which all light ’jacks are judged. The original Charger chassis has proven an excellent platform for versatile and deadly machines. The Firefly is the most recent variant of the Charger chassis and possesses cutting-edge electro-mechanika capable of frying opponents to a crisp.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Immunity: Electricity
• Template:Ionization

Weapons

Storm Blaster
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		10			1			Template:-			10
Template:Electricity Damage Template:Lightning Generator
Electro Glaive
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				4				13

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Flames in the Darkness
  • Template:Gravediggers
  • Template:Heavy Metal
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest
  • Template:Storm Division

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use it in Hearts of Darkness, but only if Sloan is leading the army. This model gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Mercenary and Khador players can use it Flame in the Darkness
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use it by putting it under the control of Nemo4 in various themes.

Thoughts on Firefly

Firefly in a nutshell

The Firefly's huge selling point is that it buffs the electrical damage rolls of other models like the Storm Strider and the Hurricane. In some armies this buff is amazing and in others pointless, but at the very least it can always buff it's own gun at short range and many Cygnar warcasters have electrical offensive spells. It's also the joint cheapest jack in faction and a moderately competent all-arms combatant compared to the much more specialized Sentinel.

As an individual, it can deal serious damage to infantry at range and light jacks up close, but don't expect too much out of it alone; it's cheap for a reason. However because it synergises with itself, Fireflies benefit from being taken in multiples far more than most jacks and won't cost you the earth should you choose to do so.

Combos & Synergies

• Anything with lightning attacks. It is nearly an auto-include in a Storm Division theme force.
• Nemo1 has a lightning damage feat. Nothing wrong with extra damage on that
• Nemo3 also buffs lightning damage (in his case via feat). They stack.
• Nemo4 - Giving him a Firefly is one of the cheapest ways to bring Nemorb into your list and with Ionisation its a walking damage buff to Nemos own guns and any other convergence models with electric weapons. Boostable POW 16s with Signs and Portens do hurt! Under Lightning Shroud the Firefly also hits a P+S 15 in melee and buffs the damage on its own e-leaps, which is extremely amicable for an 8 point light.
• Jakes2 loves a firefly on her feat turn and having sprint may make the firefly actually consider melee every once and a while.
• Stormguards add further to the hitting power. If you manage to capitalize it further with other solos, like the Hermit, or Gorman, then even the humble POW10 lightnings will hit harder than the Defender's heavy barrel.
• Sword Knights flank off friendly warjacks and their CA is a jack marshal. If you want to run something in concert with them that has a 2" melee range, the Firefly is your cheapest choice.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Works well with a lightning themed army, but pretty much not at all otherwise. (If for some reason you want a 7 point ranged infantry cleaner light in a non-lightning army get a Sentinel; it's tougher and has Shield Guard).
• Ionization's wording means you need the Firefly standing near the enemy to get the damage benefit, which is a risky position to put a light warjack in. It is not always a bad trade-off though, see Tips section.
• Ionization doesn't differentiate between friendly and enemy - if the Firefly is standing in the middle of your army and the enemy has electrical attacks, you've just handed a damage buff to your enemy.
  • Of course, if you're taking a Firefly you're probably taking a whole bunch of other Immunity:Electrical stuff, but still.

Tricks & Tips

• Ionization works on the Firefly's attacks, too. It's nearly always worth moving closer before firing.
• Don't be afraid to run the Firefly on a suicide mission to get the Ionization bonus. He is a cheap jack, and +2 damage can be huge for things like Dynamo's gun, the Storm Strider, the Thunderhead's Sustained Attacks, or the Hurricane's Storm Emitters.
• Ionization also effects Electro-Leaps. The difference between POW 10 and POW 12 when picking off support solos is big.
• You almost certainly didn't bring it for it's melee weapon, but by Light Jack standards it actually has a pretty good one.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar (February 2010)