Battlefield Bangkok

Talion Charter Tactica – Shae

INTRODUCTION

Self-proclaimed privateer and notorious criminal, Phinneus Shae led the so-called “Shae Mutiny” abroad the MLS Exeter some seven years ago. Since then, Shae has been the captain of the Talion and has preyed upon merchant and Cygnarian shipping along the Broken Coast. Captain Shae never enters battle without his crew of crusty sea dogs and the infamous Commodore cannon.

STATS -

Shae has fairly average stats for a warcaster with a bit better than average DEF and a low ARM. His SPD of 6 is in line with most of the privateer army and he can easily keep pace with them. Shae’s STR score of 6 generally doesn’t come in play as there is no need to throw him. Shae’s MAT of 7 means that he’s quite handy in melee and that can be boosted up to 9 with Storm Rager. His RAT is a disappointing 5, especially for someone who likes to use his hand cannon. Shae’s DEF is 16, which is pretty good but it is still best to keep him screened or behind cover. Being base-to-base with a Mariner or Freebooter for both the screening bonus and Lash (immunity to knock downs) is a toss up because his ARM of 14 means that he can take a pounding from blast damage. Shae’s health boxes of 16 and ARM of 14 generally means that if an enemy warcaster gets a line on him, he’s probably dead. Two good hits and it’s game over. Shae’s CMD is typical for Mercs at 8. He rarely needs to use his CMD to rally fleeing units though as most privateer models are fearless or Rockbottom can make them auto-pass CMD checks with coin (Bought Loyalty). Lastly, Shae’s Focus stat is an average 6. He usually doesn’t go jack heavy so he rarely has focus problems.

WEAPONS -

Shae is armed with a generic hand cannon and a mechanikal saber called Squall.

Hand Cannon – Shae’s hand cannon is typical. RNG 12, ROF 1, POW 12. Useful for taking potshots at opponents of mid to low ARM. With the Commodore slamming models around and Shae’s Blow the Man Down Spell, he usually doesn’t need to boost to hit with the hand cannon as there are plenty of knocked down models to shoot. Boost the damage roll instead.

Squall - Squall only has a P+S of 12 so, at first glance, it looks pretty pathetic for a warcaster’s main weapon. However, Storm Rager boosts it up to 14 which is respectable. Additionally, Squall has the Beat Back ability which can work great against infantry in conjunction with his Swashbuckler (described below). He can really cut through a mass of infantry in this way.

ABILITIES -

Amphibious Armor – This ability, when used, generally results in cat calls and insults from your opponent about playing without a pair. I don’t see it that way. I see it as using the strengths of your warcaster properly. Basically, this ability allows Shae to freely enter deep water where he becomes generally untargetable. Additionally, it also allows Shae to ignore movement penalties from both shallow and deep water so he can charge across both and take an opponent by surprise.

Dodgy - Dodgy allows Shae to move 2″ after being directly hit by an enemy attack. This is best used when he is shot or hit by a spell so he can then move 2″ into better cover (or under water, if possible) or even out of range of the enemies’ guns. It can also be used when hit by melee attacks but it will provoke a free strike so only move out if staying means death (like if you got a Deathjack with a bunch of focus down your throat!) Additionally, you could move just a bit to stay engaged but deny a charge from a different model.

Field Promotion – I always forget about this one and I don’t think I’ve ever used it. It allows you to promote a Swab in a Sea Dog unit to a Mate (if the Mate has been destroyed). The Swab to be promoted must be within Shae’s CMD range.

Ground Work – It’s not as good as Sea Legs but it’s close. Shae can be knocked down but, when he is, it doesn’t reduce his DEF nor is he auto-hit in melee. So boring “knock the caster down and kill him” assassination attempts are a lot harder to get off against Shae.

Swashbuckler – This is Shae’s infantry killer ability. Squall has a 360 degree front arc and Shae gets to attack every enemy model in his melee range for free. Too bad he doesn’t have reach. After all these attacks, he can then move 1″ from Beat Back, use a focus and attack all enemy models again. And continue on moving until he runs out of focus. Great for wasting troopers but you’d best be sure that you don’t leave Shae in middle of the enemy unsupported afterwards.

SPELLS -

Blow the Man Down – This is Shae’s only damaging offensive spell but it is a great one and often saves his bacon when he’s in danger. The RNG is 8, cost is 3 Focus, and POW is 15. The model damaged is knocked down or slammed if it’s a critical hit. With a POW of 15, it isn’t that hard to damage the target. If I am going to cast this spell, I will probably boost the hit (both ensuring I hit and hoping for a critical) and the damage (especially if against a high ARM warjack). This will suck up 5 focus but it could be a life saver. Slamming a jack back into another jack and knocking them both down is worth it. The Commodore does the same thing with its cannonball attack so that’s potentially 4 enemy jacks on the ground. Jack heavy Khador lists, for example, absolutely hate Shae and the Commodore.

Coup de Main – Shae’s “Helping Hand” spell is signature to his reputation of haste, mobility and sending his pirates down the enemy’s throat before they can react to it. Coup de Main, for a cost of 3 Focus, allows all friendly models/units in Shae’s CTRL area to charge at SPD +5 without spending focus or being ordered. This, in conjunction with his feat, really allows for amazing speeds out of an pirate army and generally ensure that they get in the first charge.

Phantasm – This spell is worth casting on the Sea Dogs or Press Gangers on the first turn and upkeeping until they are engaged in battle. Then you drop it. Phantasm is basically an anti-Snipe spell where ranged attacks against the unit are at RNG minus 5″. It’s another way of keeping the pirates safe before they get their charge off. It’s a cheap spell at a cost of 2 Focus. Other people may say to cast Phantasm on the Commodore and upkeep it the whole game but I’ve never seen that as useful because the enemy is usually moving away from the Commodore, not towards it!

Scurvy – Scurvy is great fun and best used against cavalry. Firstly, it stops a unit from giving or receiving orders (so no cavalry charge). Secondly, it drops the unit’s CMD by 2 and then forces them to make a CMD check or forfeit movement and then another CMD check or forfeit action. I’ve had Troll Long Riders sitting on spot and doing nothing for 3 rounds with Scurvy on them. Try to use against a unit which is outside its warcaster’s CMD range because the -2 CMD is on the unit, not the warcaster so the unit could use the warcaster’s full CMD to prevent the forfeited movement and action. Scurvy is RNG 10, costs 3 Focus and is upkeep.

Storm Rager – Storm Rager sees a lot of use. It gives a +2 MAT, STR, and ARM bonus to a warrior model and makes the model immune to CRAs and CMAs. If Shae is left with two focus, always cast Storm Rager on himself because it’s much better than camping focus. In best case scenarios, Storm Rager is best used on Hawk because it makes her extremely dangerous at MAT 9, P+S 11, Weapon Master, and 3 attacks. With her Acrobatics, she can get anywhere and it’s not unusual to see Hawk charging warcasters. With Storm Rager on her, she has a much better chance at assassinating. However, Storm Rager’s RNG is only 6, so that means Shae needs to be closer to the battle than he is usually comfortable with so I rarely put Storm Rager on Hawk because of RNG difficulties. In a 1000 point, Talion Charter army, putting Storm Rager on Bart is brutually effective as his own abilities of Blood Quench + Storm Rager can get his ARM up to 25 and his P+S up to 23 (as long as he killed a living model with each attack).

Torrent – Torrent is a strange spell that is hard to control and rarely used by me, mainly because it is useful against ranged-oriented armies (ie, Cygnar) which I rarely fight against. It creates a 4″ AOE that moves around the battlefield blocking LOS and preventing enemy models inside it from using ranged or magic attacks. Note that the torrent is NOT a cloud effect so things that ignore cloud effects (like Everblight Eyeless Sight) do not ignore Torrent. Those models’ LOS will still be blocked. Torrent is potentially useful but it really depends on the composition of your opponent’s army. Hiding key models behind the Torrent to avoid getting shot to death by the Black 13th from a million miles away would be a good use of this spell.

FEAT – Godspeed

When compared to some other feats out there (like eVlad’s or Darius’s), you look at Godspeed and wonder where the fairness is. However, Godspeed really isn’t all that bad and it is completely in character with Shae’s theme of speed and getting his army where it needs to be. Godspeed allows all friendly models in Shae’s CTRL area to immediately move up to 3″, ignoring rough terrain and free strikes.

What are the best uses for Godspeed? I can think of several. In scenarios where you need to be somewhere fast, pop Shae’s feat right away and move closer to your objective. Also use Godspeed when you are setting up the infamous Sea Dog charge and you need a couple extra inches to reach the enemy. As well, after a Sea Dog charge from the previous round (assuming enough of them are still alive and on their feet), use Godspeed to move them back 3″ and that will allow them to charge again. Lastly, Godspeed can move models here and there to either create good charge lanes or move models to safety and behind cover. Shae benefits from his own feat so he can jump into a lake with its allowed movement.

BATTLEFIELD ROLE -

Shae is primarily an infantry support caster. In his case, he supports pirate units with speed (ie Godspeed and Coup de Main) and protection (ie Phantasm and Torrent) as well as boosting solos with Storm Rager. Shae doesn’t really bring anything for jacks and has no jack-specific spells. Shae can play two roles – supportive or combative, depending on your playing style. With Storm Rager, 6 Focus and his Beat Back and Swashbuckler, he can bring the hurt himself but I really don’t think he should be on the front lines like that with his low ARM. I always use him in a supportive role and protect him with good use of terrain.

DEPLOYMENT -

If there is deep water on the battlefield, I’d personally gravitate towards that terrain feature with Shae. Between normal movement, Dodgy and his feat, he has lots of opportunities to jump in the water and go for a nice safe swim. Otherwise, deploy Shae central to your army but in the rear. He’s going to want to catch all models in both his feat and for the Coup de Main spell.

SUPPORT AND SYNERGIES -

One of the interesting and useful things about privateer armies is that the main unit, the Sea Dogs, rely on solos to support them, not the warcasters. So, generally, you don’t need to be using lots of spells to buff them up. This is good for focus saving.

One good support model to use in a Shae army is Dirty Meg jack marshalling either a Buccaneer or a Freebooter. Her Drives benefit the Freebooter almost as much as focus from a warcaster and the Buccaneer generally only needs to boost one attack roll anyway. Dirty Meg, basically, saves up some focus for Shae.

The other absolutely necessary model to include with Shae is the Commodore cannon, mainly because the Commodore can only be fielded if Shae is in the army and the Commodore is the best artillery in the game, hands down, so there’s no reason to not include it.

If you are going to go fairly jack heavy with Shae, then recommended jacks for him are the Freebooter (for its SPD and Hammerfist after Shae or the Commodore knocks something down), the Buccaneer (to net things so the Commodore can easily cannonball it) and the Mariner (for its Lash, great range on its gun and 2″ Tresher). The Mariner can easily hit things with its Ship Gun after the Commodore slams something down.

For infantry, it’s obvious – Sea Dogs and the necessary privateer solo support – Hawk, Doc, Rockbottom and Grogspar. If you got the points, throw in a unit of Press Gangers too. Many people prefer the Press Gangers over the Sea Dogs because they hit harder and are naturally Tough but I prefer the Sea Dogs for their versatilty and Mr. Walls. Mr. Wall’s No Quarter charge order will get the Sea Dogs farther than the Press Gangers and also give them Terror and Fearless.

FINAL NOTES -

Shae, and the privateers in general, takes quite a bit of getting used to and you may end up losing a fair bit when you start with them. But don’t lose heart. When you get the hang of them, a properly controlled privateer army under Shae is a force to be reckoned with and is easily a match for any Warmachine or Hordes faction. They have enough tricks up their sleeves to handle almost any situation.