Mage Hunter Strike Forces are a unit for the Retribution of Scyrah faction in Warmachine MkII.

Background and Description

Mage Hunters are the zealous troops recruited to serve as secret agents and assassins against humanity.^[1]

Special Abilities and Weapons

• Combined Melee Attack
• Pathfinder
• Stealth
• Arcane Assassin
• 'Jack Hunter: This model gains an additional die to its melee and ranged damage rolls against Warjacks.
• Weapons
  • Crossbow (ranged)
  • Saber (melee)

Attachments and Options

• Unit Size: 6-10
• Escort Weapon Attachment
• Commander

Theme Armies

• Garryth, Blade of Retribution, Assassins Theme Force
  • Tier 1: Unlimited Field Allowance and adds to Mage Hunter Assassin Field Allowance
  • Tier 3: Requires three units each with a Soulless Escort
• Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper, Shadows of Retribution Theme Force
  • Tier 1: Unlimited Field Allowance
  • Tier 2: Requires two units, gains one free Commander
• Ravyn, Eternal Light, Will of the Nine Voices Theme Force
  • Tier 1: Unlimited Field Allowance
  • Tier 2: Requires three units

Strengths

• Anti 'Jack Abilities: The additional damage die from 'Jack Hunter can add up on a Combined Melee Charge. If attacking in twos, charging Mage Hunters in the Strike force are rolling 4 dice at P+S 10. If attacking in threes, they're rolling 4 dice at P+S 11. If you put five or six into a single massive charge, you are rolling 4 dice at P+S 14 or 15. With the Crossbows you're rolling 3 dice at P+S 10 but getting at least two shots in against a warjack as it seeks to close in.
• Anti Spell Ability: Mage Hunters in a strike force can whittle away at infantry models buffed with DEF/ARM effects with their Arcane Assassin Ability. Things that make a regular infantry model difficult to hit are suddenly ignorable.
• Can't Really Hit Them: DEF 14 is high enough to make average melee a chancy prospect. Stealth and Pathfinder makes it even more difficult to get at them as they will be moving swiftly from cover to cover.

Weaknesses

• Paper thin Armor: Blast templates can and will ruin this unit.
• Anti 'Jack?: 'Jack Hunter is difficult to leverage. Charging a full 8 point unit up against a 8 or 9 point warjack will mean that the 'jack will take a big hit, but probably not enough to remove a system. Using these abilities might best be saved to soften up a warjack or to finish off a warjack teetering on the edge.

Synergies

• Adeptis Rahn: Rahn's upkeep spell Force Field protects a large area and will easily keep the Mage hunters safe from deviating area attacks.
• Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper: The spell Backlash only damages the warjack's controller when the warjack itself is damaged. Mage Hunters gain an additional die on all damage rolls against a warjack. Charging Mage Hunters against a warjack suddenly doesn't seem so crazy as they can Combine Charge Attacks to create enough damage to pierce warjack ARM and send the controlling an enemy warcaster a nosebleed to boot. If the target is a lightly armored warjack, the Mage Hunters can shoot at it from range for the additional damage die and generate many more backlash wounds against the warcaster.
• Ravyn, Eternal Light: Snipe a full unit of Mage Hunters to give them a 16" shot against annoyances such as spell buffed units and slow moving warjacks.
• Manticore: Protect the lightly armored Mage Hunters from runners by placing a Covering Fire template in their path.
• Houseguard Halberdiers: Target enemies without Phantom Hunter and use Ranked Attacks of the Halberdiers to open up LOS opportunities instead.
• Houseguard Riflemen: Stop infantry cold as Stealth allows the Houseguard to draw LOS through the Mage Hunters.

Articles

Notes

1. ¹ Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah. 2009