Sacral Vault

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Sacral Vault Minion Gatorman Battle Engine

A massive edifice dedicated to ritual sacrifice, the sacral vault is constructed to harness and store the energies of death, literally housing the souls of those killed around it to power the dark rituals of the attending bokor. The souls trapped within are unleashed to rend enemies to bloody rags, but not before their bodies are turned against their comrades.

Basic Info

Sacral Vault
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Huge SPD 4 STR MAT {{{mat}}} RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 9 ARM 20 CMD 10 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 30 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 17 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

• Minion - Works for Circle, Legion, and Trollbloods.
• Battle Engine - All battle engines share the same special rules, most notably being immune to a bunch of stuff. Click here for the long version.

Abilities

• Construct
• Eyeless Sight
• Gunfighter
• Pathfinder
• Soulstorm - While this model has one or more soul tokens, enemy models entering or ending their activations within 2" of it immediately suffer 1 point of Magical Damage.
• Telemetry - Other friendly models gain +2 to magic attack rolls against enemy models in this model's command range.
• Soul Taker: Crypt of Souls - (1) This model can gain soul tokens. When a living model is destroyed in this model's command range, this model gains the destroyed model's soul token. (2) At the start of each of your Control Phases, this model receives d3 soul tokens if it does not have any. (3) This model can have up to five soul tokens at any time. This modle can spend soul tokens for the following:
  • Arcane Vortex - This model can immediately negate any spell that targets it or a model within 3" of it by spending 1 soul token. The negated spell does not take effect, but its COST remains spent.
  • Strength of Death - During its Combat Action, this model can spend soul tokens to boost one attack or damage roll for each token spent.

Weapons

Spectral Fury
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			1			-			13
Damage Type: Magical Deathly Domination - When this weapon boxes a living or undead non-warcaster, non-warlock enemy warrior model, you can immediately take control of the enemy model and make a full advance with it followed by a basic melee attack, then the boxed model is destroyed. The boxed model cannot be targeted by free strikes during this movement. Reload [2] - This model can spend soul tokens to make up to 2 additional ranged attacks with this weapon during its Combat Action. It can make one additional attack for each soul token spent.

Theme Forces

• Minions
  • The Blindwater Congregation
  • Will Work for Food

• Other Factions
  • Unlike Minion units and Minion solos, Minion battle engines cannot normally be taken in other Factions themes. The exceptions are:
  • Legion players can use it in Oracles of Annihilation. It becomes a Blighted model, but stays a Minion model.
  • Circle players can use it in Secret Masters. It stays a Minion model.

Recent Changes

No changes since 2019.08

Thoughts on Sacral Vault

Sacral Vault in a nutshell

The Sacral Vault is an extremely effective anti-infantry battle engine, with its soulstorm to keep it safe from weapon masters, collecting souls from friendly and enemy warrior models, and taking over useful enemy troops. With a sizeable CMD range and telemetry it can provide crucial bonus for your warlocks, and your magic-wielding solos.

Combos & Synergies

• Any cheap infantry to feed it souls
• Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers One gets the souls, the other the bodies. Waste not, want not.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Does little against bricks apart of removing critical unit leaders/solos.
• It is slow, and anti-shooting tricks nullify its combat output.
• Like every battle engine, it is not benefiting from battlegroup spells.
• Soulstorm does almost nothing to slow down a heavy warjack / warbeast intending to destroy it. And its gun is not much to be relied on against heavy targets.

Tricks & Tips

• Your opponent can't promote a Grunt if their Leader dies under your control (instead they pick a Grunt to become a unit commander). If your opponent has some "Leader-only" abilities/wargear (such as Revenant Crew, Croe's Cutthroats, or Stormblade Infantry) then using Deathly Dominion can be a good way to snipe out that Leader and eliminate that ability/wargear.
• Placing models within 2" (usually with Telekinesis, Apparition or Slipstream) will not trigger Soulstorm.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Hordes: Exigence, 2014 September

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification:  : Magical Damage      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling) All spells have "Damage Type: Magical" (refer errata). This is inherited by "immediate" secondary damage (such as Eruption of Spines). (Infernal Ruling) and might be inherited by "lingering" secondary damage (see below). If a spell leaves a template in play that does damage to models that walk around in it, then: if it is not described as a hazard it will do magical damage to models that walk around in it. (Example: Razor Wall) if it is a hazard then it will not do magical damage to models that walk around in it. Instead, it does whatever damage type is specified by the spell description. (Example: Breath of Corruption). (Infernal Ruling) If a weapon/spell includes Magic Damage and another kind of elemental damage it will still damage Incorporeal models. Incorporeal models are not affected by the rule "if an attack does multiple types of damage and a model is immune to at least one it is immune to the entire attack." The phrase "immune to non-magical damage" should be interpreted as "immune to damage that doesn't include Damage Type: Magical" (not interpreted as "has immunity to Corrosion and Electricity and Cold and etc.")

Rules Clarification : Deathly Domination      (Edit) Say the Vault shoots enemy model [A] For the attack roll, they are enemy models (so stuff like Shield Guard will trigger). For the damage roll, they are enemy models (so stuff like Vengeance will trigger). When model [A] is destroyed, it is friendly to the Vault player. Stuff that triggers on "destroyed by an enemy attack" won't work (such as Righteous Vengeance). Soul and Corpse tokens will be collected by the reverse of what it would normally be. After model [A] is destroyed, ownership returns to the original player. So [A] is eligible for 'Return to Play' stuff. Taking Control of an Enemy Model (Edit)   [Show/Hide] General Several abilities start with the sentence "Take control of a model" then a full stop, then a bunch of stuff you can do with that model. You can't uncouple the first sentence from the rest of the "do stuff" sentence(s), in other words if you want to "do stuff" then you have to "Take control". (Infernal Ruling) Taking control of a model means it is now friendly to you, and will immediately be engaged by it's erstwhile allies. This will limit your ability to make ranged attacks. If you get to make an advance with the controlled model, this can allow the original owner to take free strikes against his own model. He doesn't have to take these, of course. The controlled model does not have a proper Activation, so stuff like Chain Strike won't apply. You can use abilities on the controlled model, as long as they're not restricted to "during its activation" or "during its Combat Action". For example, you can use Mental Force. (Infernal Ruling) Buffs and effects: The controlled model counts as a "friendly model" and will benefit from any "while within" (aura) buffs that your own models are handing out (such as Mark Target), (assuming the controlled model meets the criteria for the buff). If the controlled model has already been hit by a "currently within" (pulse) debuff, then it will keep that debuff while under your control. Even if that pulse only affected enemy models (such as Deneghra1's feat) - temporarily changing who is friendly/enemy doesn't change who was/wasn't affected by the pulse. If your opponent is the same faction, then the controlled model will count as a "friendly faction model" and even more buffs are potentially available (such as Veteran Leader). Theme abilities: If a model gains an ability via a Theme Force rule, and then the opponent takes it over, it keeps the theme ability. (Infernal Ruling) Movement You can advance a model into an area and force them to take damage (like an acid cloud, or a Razor Wall template), but they only take damage once per advance (ref Prime rulebook pg 65). Thus you cannot keep moving them micro-millimetres in and out of said area to inflict infinite damage. The model is friendly while under your control, so you can't force free strikes by walking it past your own models. You can, however, walk it past your opponent's models and politely ask if they want to take free strikes against their own model. Attacks Many "Take Control" abilities allow a basic melee attack. Some allow a basic attack. Gunfighters cannot make a ranged attack unless they're allowed the later. Point Blank attacks cannot be made with temporarily controlled models, as Point Blank is only allowed 'during activation.' With reference to the attack sequence (appendix A) your control of the model doesn't expire until after Step 14. So you can potentially trigger abilities like Snacking (Step 11.4). As long as it's not limited to "during combat action" or "during activation". Destroying the Controlled model If the model is destroyed or RFP'd while under your control (for instance you walked it into a hazard), this has two consequences: It is considered to be under your control at the moment it is taken off the table: Your opponent can't reave fury off a warbeast destroyed this way, because it is an enemy warbeast when it is taken off the table. Your opponent can't trigger stuff that depends on a "Friendly model" being destroyed (such as Righteous Vengeance). You can't trigger stuff that depends on an "Enemy model" being destroyed (such as Cull Soul). It returns to the original owner once it's off the table: Your opponent can use Spirit Bond to get fury from the dead warbeast. Your opponent can use Return To Play abilities to get it back on the table (assuming it wasn't RFP'd). Taking control of an enemy Trooper (member of a unit) A trooper you take control of becomes an independent model. Thus: It will not benefit from any bonuses that it gets from its comrades (such as Gang, Shield Wall, etc). It will not benefit from any bonuses that rely on the trooper being "in formation" (such as Granted and Tactics abilities). Spells on a unit are considered to be on the "unit", not on the "models that make up the unit". So a controlled trooper will not benefit from any spells on the unit. If you take control of the last survivor of a unit then the "unit" ceases to exist for the duration of the control. This means that any spells on the "unit" will expire. Woo, free dispel! (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Reload      (Edit) You cannot mix melee attacks and ranged attacks in the same activation unless you have a special rule (such as Dual Attack). Reload does not get around this restriction. A Trample Power Attack is a melee attack, even if you don't actually trample over anyone and make zero dice rolls. So you can't trample then Reload (unless you have something like Dual Attack). You can use Reload to make additional attacks after a Special Ranged Attack. (Infernal Ruling) If you have (x2) of a weapon with Reload (such as Caine1), the special rule will only be written on the card once. But you can reload both weapons to the max limit. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Battle Engine      (Edit) The main differences between battle engines and the other huge bases are: They can be placed, and they can move outside their Normal Movement (such as Dodge). They can benefit from Advance Deployment, Incorporeal, and Stealth. They can't make ranged attacks while in melee. At least not by default; but many battle engines have Gun Platform, Dual Attack, or similar. Unlike Colossals and Gargantuans, your opponent can take control of your battle engine. There are very few such abilities that work on this model type, though. Being a huge-based model, a Battle Engine can never gain the DEF bonus from concealment ... but it can still have concealment and thereby trigger Prowl. Huge Base (Edit) You can draw LOS from your Left arc to a target in your Right arc (and vice versa). See also this diagram Huge-based models get bonus distance if they do a Power Attack: Slam or Power Attack: Power Strike. But this bonus doesn't apply to slams triggered by normal attacks (such as Critical Smite or the Hurricane's Thunder Charge ability). Also, simply being on a huge base triggers a bunch of rules scattered throughout the rulebook, click to read them.   [Show/Hide] From the 2020.02 edition of the core rules (Edit) Fields of Fire Page 37 A huge-based model’s front arc is marked on its base. Its front arc is further divided into two 90° fields of fire. These fields of fire determine which models a huge-based model can target with its weapons, depending on the location of those weapons. Weapons located on a huge-based model’s left side (L) can be used to target only models in its left field of fire, and weapons located on its right side (R) can be used to target only models in its right field of fire. Weapons with locations “S,” “H,” or “—” can be used to target models in either field of fire. If any part of a model’s base is on the line separating the left and right fields of fire, the model is considered to be in both fields of fire. Concealment, Cover, LOS Page 49 Concealment & Cover - Huge-based models never gain the DEF bonuses from concealment or cover. Page 60 Clouds - Cloud effects do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Page 87 Forests - Forests do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Huge-Based models in melee Page 54 - Huge-based models never gain the Target in Melee DEF bonus. Page 65 - Combined Ranged Attacks cannot target a model in melee unless it has a huge base.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Eyeless Sight      (Edit) A model that ignores Stealth must ignore both aspects: both (1) the auto-missing, and (2) the 'not counting as an intervening model' parts. This can have some strange interactions with casters & channelers, if one has Eyeless Sight and one does not. There are examples on the Category:Channeler page. Blind vs Eyeless Sight (Edit) If a model is Blinded, and then given Eyeless Sight, then that model ignores Blind ... but it is technically still Blinded. So if you somehow later lose Eyeless Sight (for instance walking out of the range of Menoth's Sight), it will immediately go back to suffering the effects of Blind. (Infernal Ruling) Also this means stuff that only works vs Blind models (ie Hidden Blade) will still trigger vs a "Was Blinded but then got Eyeless" model. Anti-Cloud abilities vs Burning Earth (Edit) If you make a piece of terrain "Burning Earth" it counts as a cloud effect in addition to it's original type. This has 2 odd rulings: If any part of the terrain piece is "hit" by an ability that makes clouds expire (such as Gale Winds) then the entire terrain piece is taken off the table. (Infernal Ruling) If a model can ignore clouds but not the original terrain type, they don't ignore the terrain. For instance if you have a burning forest, then Eyeless Sight can't see through the forest. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification:  : Gunfighter      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

General You cannot Aim if you start your activation in melee. (Infernal Confirmation) A free strike with a ranged weapon still gets the +2 to hit and boosted damage (I'm pretty sure - I'd like to double check it though). If you have a Gunfighter stuck in melee and the Gunfighter wants to shoot a friendly model, then you can only do so if that friendly is within the Gunfighter's melee range. Also, if that friendly model is engaged by an enemy, that friendly model will always get the +4 DEF bonus (because the point of origin of the attack, the Gunfighter, is not "in melee" with the friendly model). Targeting Outside of melee If the Gunfighter isn't in melee, and didn't charge this turn, then it shoots just the same as a normal model. In melee, but didn't charge If it didn't charge, it can target anyone it's "in melee" with. This can be any model in the Gunfighter's melee range, plus any models that have the Gunfighter in their melee range. If a Gunfighter kills all the enemies it is in melee with, and still has the ability to make more ranged attacks, then those attacks just follow the normal Ranged Attack rules. (Infernal Ruling) Charged into melee If it did charge, its initial attacks can only target models that are in the Gunfighter's melee range. If all models in the Gunfighter's melee range are killed before it makes its initial attacks, it loses any unspent initial attacks. (Infernal Ruling) However if it can purchase additional attacks (via Reload for instance) and/or get free attacks (via Black Spot for instance), then those non-initial attacks can target anyone it's "in melee" with, as per #2 above. Other targeting notes Remember, you can never be "in melee" with a friendly model, so a Gunfighter can pretty much never choose to target a friend while it's in melee. If the gunfighter is unengaged, it can still shoot a friendly model, which would just be a normal ranged attack. Gunfighter doesn't change the RNG of your gun, it just provides you an ability to use it while in melee and imposes some targeting restrictions. If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 1", that will further limit who you can target. If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 0", you cannot make attacks (refer 'Weapon Statistics', page 19 of rulebook). Attack Roll You use the Gunfighter's RAT for the attack roll. Gunfighters do not ignore the Cover/Concealment bonus. (Infernal Ruling) How the +4 DEF bonus for "being in melee" works with Gunfighters is: they always ignore it vs enemies, because the "point of origin of the attack is in melee with the target". they never ignore it vs friendlies, because you cannot be in melee with a friendly target. Incorporeal Gunfighters Note that enemy models without magic weapons can't hurt you in melee, but they can engage you. If they engage you then you're in melee and your target selection is limited to just models in melee (as explained above). Gunfighter + an AOE weapon If you miss then the AOE will deviate as per the normal AOE rules. Not very far, though, considering the max distance you'll be apart is 2". If you use an AOE weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the blast template. Gunfighter + a spray weapon Who you can target with the spray is limited as described above, but you get to put the whole spray template down and potentially hit models well outside the melee. If you use a spray weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the spray template. Units of Gunfighters If a unit of Gunfighters successfully charge, but someone else in their unit kills their charge target before they get a turn to attack, then they may redirect their attack. Redirected attack: If they're still engaged, their initial attack (s) must be vs someone in their melee range. If they're still engaged, but no one is in their own melee range, they don't get any initial attacks. If they're unengaged, they are now free to shoot anyone within the gun's normal range. Other interactions Gunfighter vs Point Blank (Edit) If a model has both Gunfighter and Point Blank, then you should declare whether you're using it as a ranged attack or melee attack whenever you shoot the gun. Because that can limit what other initial/additional attacks you can make. (Infernal Ruling) These two abilities are subtly different, but it's an important difference. Gunfighter allows you to make ranged attacks while in melee. Point blank allows you to make melee attacks with your ranged weapon. Since you can't make both ranged and melee attacks in the same turn, a Gunfighter model has a choice of either initial melee attack(s) or initial ranged attack(s). (unless it has Virtuoso or something). Whereas a Point Blank model chooses to make initial melee attacks, and then gets to make attacks with both weapons. Furthermore, the types of bonuses, penalties, and special effects you (or your opponent) can trigger will change dramatically: Any buffs/triggers on ranged attacks (such as Evasive, Shield Guard, Deadeye, etc) will affect Gunfighter attacks, but not Point Blank attacks. Any buffs/triggers on melee attacks (such as Battle Lust, Riposte etc) will affect Point Blank attacks, but not Gunfighter attacks. Gunfighter & Cavalry ( Edit ) A cavalry model that charges then makes a Gunfighter attack will not gain a boosted charge attack roll, because a ranged attack is not a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) You also won't gain a boosted charge damage roll, as per normal for a Gunfighter. Gunfighter vs RNG modifiers (Edit) Unlike what most people might tell you, Gunfighter doesn't have a "range", it just lets the model make ranged attacks while in melee. The gun's actual RNG is unaffected though, until you put something like Windstorm (-5 RNG) on it. Then what happens is: If the gun is RNG 7, Windstorm will reduce it to 2". Thus it won't affect any Gunfighter attacks. If the gun is RNG 6, Windstorm will reduce it to 1". Thus you can only make Gunfighter attacks vs models within 1" (if you can - charging Gunfighters may be more limited). If the gun is RNG 5, Windstorm will reduce it to 0". Thus you can't make any attacks as per 'Weapon Statistics' (page 19 of the core rulebook). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Soulstorm - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Telemetry - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Crypt of Souls - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Arcane Vortex      (Edit) Warjacks and warbeasts can spend focus or fury, outside of their activation, to use Arcane Vortex. (Infernal Ruling) Mulg spends fury to use it, he is not forced for fury. (Infernal Ruling) Arcane vortex can be used to counter spells with "Range: Self". (Infernal Ruling) Some spells do not have a target, mostly CTRL area spells (such as Siege's Foxhole) but also some (★ Action) (such as Ragman's Death Field). These cannot be cancelled by Arcane Vortex. Infernal Ruling) The "Cost" for non-warcaster models includes stuff like "using your special action" or "killing a Mind Bender Drudge." Arcane Vortex triggers at step 3 of the spellcasting sequence. (Resolve effects that occur when a model is targeted by a spell.) (Infernal Ruling) If a channeled spell is cancelled, it doesn't count as being channeled, so the channeler can't trigger stuff like Reaction Drive or Spell Martyr. (Infernal Ruling) There are a couple of odd spells: (Primal Shock and Essence Blast) - Both these spells "Choose" model A, then gets to "Target" model B with an attack. In this case you can trigger Arcane Vortex only when model B is targeted. (Crevasse) - This spell attacks model A, then gets to use model A to make another attack vs model B. In this case you can trigger Arcane Vortex only when model A is targeted. (Infernal Ruling for both of the above.)

Rules Clarification : Strength of Death - None yet. (Edit)