Twilight Sisters

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Grymkin Logo.jpg

Twilight Sisters
Grymkin Character Unit

"Make your deal, but be ye warned; There’s nothing worse than a witch that’s scorned."

The Twilight Sisters offer grim bargains to those they meet on the perilous roads of the Iron Kingdoms. As these enigmatic witches travel, they offer aid to their grymkin fellows, all while serving their own ends and punishing the wicked for their folly. Those who renege on a pact made with the sisters quickly see their lives end amid unimaginable torment.

Basic Info

Twilight Sisters
Missing Info
Twilight Sisters.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
Warcaster 0
BASE Small
SPD 6
STR {{{str}}}
MAT 6
RAT N/A
M.A. 7
DEF 14
ARM 11
CMD 6
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS N/A
FURY N/A
THRS N/A
HP 5
F. Field N/A
WJP {{{wjp}}}
WBP {{{wbp}}}
IHP {{{ihp}}}
FA C
UNIT SIZE 2
COST 5
2.5 each
N/A
N/A
Warcaster 1
COST N/A
N/A
Understanding
the Statblock

Abilities

  • Both
    • Pathfinder symbol.jpg Pathfinder
    • Magic Ability [ 7 ] - This model can cast spells. Normally this uses up the model's Combat Action and as such is limited to one spell per activation, but exceptions do exist.
  • Heidrun only

Weapons

Spells

COST RNG AOE POW DUR OFF
Death Rattle

(★ Attack) 8 - 12 - Yes
When Death Rattle boxes a living or undead non-warcaster, non-warlock enemy warrior model, you can immediately take control of the model. The boxed model immediately makes one basic attack, then is RFP'd.
Grim Returns

(★ Action) 5 - - - No
Target friendly Faction trooper model. If the model is in range, return one destroyed Grunt to its unit. The model returns with 1 unmarked damage box. Place the returned Grunt in formation and completely within 3˝ of the target trooper model. Returned Grunts must forfeit their Combat Actions the turn they are returned to play.
Heal [d3+1]

(★ Action) B2B - - - -
Target friendly living Faction model. If the model is in range, remove d3+1 damage points from it.

Theme Forces

Recent Changes

2021.10 Mega Update

  • -2 points

Thoughts on Twilight Sisters

Twilight Sisters in a nutshell

The Twilight Sisters are a utility unit focused around recursion. They will spend the early to mid game abusing Grim Returns on high value targets before they become personally involved with their high quality zap spell, and their surprisingly adept melee.

At 2.5 points each these ladies are a steal and if you don't know who your opponent is going to be their flexibility speaks for itself.

Combos & Synergies

  • Neigh Slayers are extremely good targets for Grim Returns thanks to their high hitting power and relative frailty. An effective strategy is to charge with only part of the unit, with the expectation that they will die. The other member(s) hang back and provide a target for Grim Returns, lengthening the effective lifetime of the unit substantially.
  • Piggybacks are the most expensive revivable models in faction (at 3 points a mode), and the more that are on the field the more effective Shield Wall is at providing defence. Bulldoze (provided by the Officer) is extremely effective at opening up lanes for fast targets (such as Rattlers or Gorehounds) or when bullying zones. It's worth noting that Bulldoze can be used the same turn as reviving a mdoel.
  • Old Witch3 can bring back grunts too with Hell Hole; that means 3-5 returned grunt every turn for your army with the Sisters' help. Old witch also provides them safety under her windstorm.

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • Fairly expensive, and have tissue-paper ARM - They have to get value from Grim Returns or else they are not going to be worth their 7 points
  • RFP effects invalidate Grim Returns, and Grievous Wounds cancel Healing.
  • Healing requiring them to be base to base with the target can be awkward at times. Especially if not anticipated.

Tricks and Tips

  • They are actually good at melee in the late game. Mat 6 P+S 12 Grievous Wounds is not to be passed up. Applying grievous to certain targets can also be extremely valuable. They are built to charge!
  • Their offensive spell is quite powerful, try to hit targets who can easily be killed and then kill someone else. The Sisters can potentially kill 4 models in one turn this way.
  • They can speed your models up on turn 1 using Grim Returns. Grim Returns requires them to target a model within 5", and then place the returned model completely within 3" of them. A Cage Rager or other beast can trample two neigh slayers to death. Then the neigh slayers position one or more models within 11" (walk 6, cast 5) of the sisters, who walk and cast grim returns. This places a Neigh Slayer up to 14" from the starting line. Netting you a small benefit in run distance. Its not game breaking by any means, but free distance is free distance. Especially on Neighs with their very powerful charges.
  • They can score circular zones very easily being a 2 member unit.
  • Don't be afraid to return "Low Value" Models. Having two models return to play consistently every turn adds up. A good example is sometimes even returning the grunts to a unit of Mad Caps can be quite effective as they have good guns that can contribute.

Dark Menagerie vs Bump in the Night

When constructing a list, a player will note that the Twilight Sisters are available in both themes. So the question is why would you take the Twilight Sisters in each theme? Generally there is no situation where they are worth the 7pts in Dark Menagerie. This is due to:

  1. Grim Returns is useless in Dark Menagerie. it only allows you to bring a single unit (Dread Rots). That unit is usually only brought as fuel for the death knell.
  2. Healing d3+1 for 3.5pts (the cost of one witch) is an incredibly steep price to pay. There is a large array of situations where you will face anti healing, or get your beast killed in one round. On top of that, the sacrifice arcana provides the opportunity for significant healing. Furthermore, Skin & Moans have an inbuilt healing ability where they can heal potentially 9d3 per turn. Overall, healing is basically already covered.
  3. The fact their spell RFPs actually annoys the knell a bit, which is a staple of the Dark Menagerie theme

Conversely, the Twilight Sisters are a staple of the Bump in the Night theme. They should be considered any time you want to skew your Bump list towards having a recursion angle. This means they are very often one of the first units removed in a list once the local meta has additional Remove From Play effects however.

Other

Trivia

  • There was/is a lot of confusion on who's who. Heidrun is the younger looking one/the officer.
  • Released with the Faction release (2017.06)

Other Grymkin models

Grymkin Logo.jpg       Grymkin Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup
Warlocks

The Child - The Dreamer - The Heretic - The King of Nothing - The Wanderer - Old Witch 3
Arcana
Warlock Attachment: Baron Tonguelick

Warbeasts

Lesser: Crabbit

Light: Frightmare - Gorehound - Rattler

Heavy: Cage Rager - Clockatrice - Skin & Moans

Gargantuan: Slaughterhouse

Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units

Dread Rots - Hollowmen - Mad Caps - Malady Man - Murder Crows - Neigh Slayers - Piggybacks - Twilight Sisters

Solos

Baron Tonguelick, Lord of Warts - Cask Imp - Defiled Archon - The Four Horseymans - Glimmer Imp - Grave Ghoul - Gremlin Swarm - Isiah, Dread Harvester - Lady Karianna Rose - Lord Longfellow - Trapperkin - Weird Wendell - Witchwood

Battle Engines Death Knell
Theme Forces Minions
Dark Menagerie - Bump in the Night Refer to Category: Grymkin Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.08

Rules Clarifications

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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.")
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Rules Clarification : Powerful Charge  and/or Brutal Charge     (Edit)

  • If you declare a charge but move less than 3", then the attack doesn't count as a "Charge Attack" and you won't get the bonus.
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Rules Clarification : Grievous Wounds      (Edit)

  • GW prevents "repairs" as well as "heals".
  • It does not stop a warlock transferring damage, or stop the wounded model from being able to 'heal' someone else.
  • Does not affect models with the Massive rule.


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Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Magic Ability      (Edit)

  • Combat Action
Nearly all Magic Ability spells require the spellcaster to use their Combat Action to cast the spell. As such it is not an "at any time" ability (like it is when warcasters/warlocks cast spells). This means ...
  • You must complete your movement before you use a MA.
  • A model in a unit cannot use its Combat Action to cast a spell until all members of the unit have completed their movement. (Infernal Ruling)
  • You cannot make initial ranged or initial melee attacks on the same turn you use a MA.
  • You cannot buy additional melee/ranged attacks after using a MA special attack. Refer to the core rulebook, "Special attacks listed as a rule of the model itself are neither melee attacks nor ranged attacks. The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any."
  • You cannot use a MA on the same turn you charge. Because a charge must (almost always) be followed by a melee attack.
  • Non-Combat Action
There are a few models that can use a Magic Ability without using their Combat Action. These models get around all the restrictions listed above.
  • Models with Geomancy or Necromancy can use a Magic Ability at "any time" just like a warcaster/warlock.
  • Models with Battle Wizard or Necrophage can make melee attacks then get a bonus "free" spell.
  • Models with Combat Caster can cast a spell before charging, then do a normal charge + melee attack.
  • Note that Battle Wizards, Combat Casters, etc have the option to use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Their special rule is in addition to the normal spell casting, not instead of.
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Rules Clarification : Death Rattle      (Edit)

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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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 : Grim Returns - None yet. (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Heal and/or First Aid     (Edit)

  • This ability doesn't target, so you can use it on models behind you.
  • When Heal is used as a magic ability, it bypasses anti-spell stuff that hinge on the word "target" (such as Spell Ward or Arcane Vortex).
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Rules Clarification : Officer      (Edit)

  • Even if they're not on the Officer's card, an Officer can give (and benefit from) any non-standard orders that are on the unit's card (such as Shield Wall). Refer main rulebook.
  • When the Officer dies, the Leader model becomes the new Unit Commander (you don't get to choose).
  • But if your unit doesn't include a Leader model, then you do get to choose any of the remaining models to be the new Unit Commander. You don't swap the model, but it may be worth putting a token down so you can tell that grunt apart.