Azrael

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Azrael Legion Nephilim Character Heavy Warbeast

A marriage of blighted blood and Nyss flesh, Azrael is the personal warbeast of Kryssa, Conviction of Everblight and manifests the greatest qualities of the nephilim. He possesses a cunning intellect and wields more power than most of his kin. A muscular, serpentine body and full, leathery wings propel Azrael through the sky, and his ash and flame scour the battlefield of all who would oppose the Legion of Everblight.

Basic Info

Azrael
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Large SPD 6 STR 12 MAT 7 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 12 ARM 18 CMD 5 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY 4 THRS 9 HP 32 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 17 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warbeast - All warbeasts share a huge stack of special rules. The short version is they're big, furious, and beat stuff up pretty good. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Abilities

• Eyeless Sight
• Flight
• Immunity: Fire
• Bond [ Kryssa ] - If this model begins the game in Kryssa's battlegroup, it is bonded to them. This model is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While this model is bonded to Kryssa and in their control range, it gains Ashen Veil. (Ashen Veil - A model with Ashen Veil has concealment. Living enemy models without Immunity: Fire suffer -2 to attack rolls while within 2" of a model with Ashen Veil.)
• It Burns! - If this model is hit by a melee attack, immediately after the attack is resolved the attacking model suffers the Fire continuous effect, unless this model was destroyed or RFP'd by the attack.
• Serpentine - This model cannot make slam or trample power attacks and cannot become knocked down.

Weapons

Thrown Spear
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		10			1			-			17
Continuous Fire Thrown - Apply any modifiers to this model's STR to the POW of this weapon. Reload [1] - This model can be forced to make one additional ranged attack with this weapon during its Combat Action. Critical Smite - On a critical hit, the model hit can be slammed d6" directly away from this model. If the model hit has a larger base than the attacking model, it is moved only half the distance rolled. The POW of collateral damage is equal to the STR of this model.
Spear
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				5				17
Continuous Fire

Animus

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Vortex of Fire	1	SELF	-	-	Round	No
(1) The spellcaster gains Immunity: Fire. (2) Fire continuous effects that affect enemy models in the spellcaster's command range cannot expire. Vortex of Fire lasts for one round.

Theme Forces

• When taken by Kryssa
  • Children of the Dragon. Azrael gains Unyielding in this theme.
  • Oracles of Annihilation
  • Primal Terrors
  • Ravens of War

• When taken by anyone else
  • Children of the Dragon. Azrael gains Unyielding in this theme.

Recent changes

2021. October

• Dropped 2 points (from 19)

Thoughts on Azrael

Azrael in a nutshell

Azrael is an expensive beast that packs a reasonable stat line and decent abilities along with one of the highest POW guns in the game - only Colossals can hit harder at range than this beast. While the POW of the gun is mitigated somewhat by its lower range, Azrael himself has okay RAT and with SPD6 and Flight, he can probably make it in range what he wants to hit, and he has a solid chance of hitting it when he does. As usual with Legion beasts, his Eyeless Sight goes a long way to making his ranged attacks even better. Critical Smite is nice to have, but don't bank on this effect.

Not only is the POW of his spear really impressive, it also has the very valuable Thrown rule which is what really makes his package complete.He can be taken with a much larger variety of warlocks, as many of them pack STR buffs rather than general damage buffs or ARM debuffs. Finally, while his spears have Continuous Fire, they do not have fire type damage, something that is incredibly valuable when building a Legion gunline and raises his stock against factions like the Protectorate of Menoth or other lists that have easy access to fire immunity.

His animus is quite unique, though very situational. He can keep enemies within 5" of him or 8 - 12" of his warlock burning all day long. Not terribly useful against enemy jacks and beasts, but may have a place against enemies with a handful of lower ARM infantry, or a low ARM caster that you just barely failed to assassinate but did manage to light ablaze.

Combos & Synergies

Azrael can be a very solid gun with many casters due to it's best in class POW, Reload, and ability to be buffed by STR spells/upkeeps.

• Kryssa isn't most everyone's first warlock choice, but she does offer Azrael a lot, which is good considering he's her personal beast.
  • Her feat is a STR buff which works well with his gun.
  • Tactical Supremacy gives him some much needed hit and run capability to offset his shorter range.
  • Ashen Veil from their bond gives her essentially two copies of the spell out, keeping him safer at range and against living melee threats, and letting her cast Cloak of Ash elsewhere in her army.

• Thagrosh1 can buff his STR with Draconic Blessing
  • His feat can bring Azrael back and allow him to still shot something. Remember that you can't reload to make another shot, as feat prohibits forcing.
  • Fog of War gives concealment to all models in Thags CTRL range. Azrael can benefit from it while completely ignoring FoW bonus on enemy models thanks to Eyeless Sight.

Children of the Dragon Combos

Any model can take Azrael in this theme, which opens up a few more combos:

• Saeryn1 makes Azrael an impressive zone-denier during her feat. Even though sitting at 21 Arm with a nasty P+S 17 Retaliatory Strike, the enemy will have no choice but to engage him or face numerous warlock-threatening shots during his next turn.
• Thagrosh1 keeps Azrael safer in melee and against shooting, and can get his spears to POW19 with Draconic Blessing. He's also pricey which lets you get more value out of the feat.
• Fyanna2 works very well with Azrael, as Serpentine pairs perfectly with her DEF feat, making him hard to hit and impossible to knock down. The Dodge aspect (and/or Admonition) can allow him to disengage from melee for more shooting if so desired (though at that point you may be better off meleeing your enemy).
  • Unfortunately, Fury is only a buff to melee damage rolls, so it doesn't buff his ranged attacks. If he has to commit to melee he is certainly a decent target for the spell.
• Lylyth1 offers him the option of effective POW20 (Parasite -3ARM), and saves him FURY on boosts with her feat or lets him hit very evasive targets if he also boosts during the feat. Four dice to hit (feat + boost) is actually decent odds at landing Critical Smite as well.
• Lylyth2 gives Azrael a much welcomed accuracy and damage boost with Pin Cushion, and lets him fire three times on the feat (with Gunfighter to boot, if he's been jammed up).
• Kallus2 loves Azrael's automatic continuous fire and Reload[1] to ensure a few targets are burning for his feat.
  • Overrun lets him move up and shoot something twice from 16" away, and move back if he or another battlegroup friend kills something else (depending on who the spell is cast on). This gives him impressive hit and run capabilities.
• Abyslonia2 can't buff his RAT, but her feat is a STR buff if you want to have a decent ranged presence in your list. Despite one initial melee, he's not a complete waste in close combat if you need it on feat turn as well.
• Absylonia1's - Azrael is often dogged by his short range on his otherwise formidable gun. Not with Refuge, any more. If you don't have to worry about retaliation, try to exploit the possibilities with Playing God's +2 STR and an effective 17" threat range. You can even replicate its bond with Kryssa for "free". Azrael is the cornerstone of the Children of the Dragon theme, consider bringing a Sorceress for Fury management.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• High points cost
• Only one initial melee attack.
• Serpentine is a boon and a bane, as it prevents him from slamming.
• Fury hungry. If you're firing twice you'll max out his stack if you try to boost everything.

Tricks & Tips

• If you get Critical Smite by chance on your first shot, you can choose to let it not trigger. This way you don't slam your target out of shooting range by accident.

Other

Trivia

• Released 2017.02
• "Azriel" is the name of an angel in Jewish and Muslim tradition who separated the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.

Other Legion models

Legion Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Absylonia1 - Absylonia2 - Anamag - Bethayne1 - Bethayne2 - Fyanna2 - Kallus1 - Kallus2 - Kryssa - Lylyth1 - Lylyth2 - Lylyth3 - Lylyth4 - Rhyas1 - Saeryn1 - Saeryn2 & Rhyas2 - Thagrosh1 - Thagrosh2 - Vayl1 - Vayl2
Other Warbeast Controllers	Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - Thagrosh0
Lesser	Blight Wasps - Shredder - Harrier - Mekanoshredder - Stinger
Light	Afflictor - Naga Nightlurker - Nephilim Bloodseer - Nephilim Bolt Thrower - Nephilim Protector - Nephilim Soldier - Raek - Teraph
Heavy	Angelius - Azrael - Carnivean - Golab - Neraph - Proteus - Ravagore - Scythean - Typhon - Seraph - Zuriel
Gargantuans	Archangel - Blightbringer
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Blackfrost Shard - B.N. Archers - B.N. Hex Hunters - B.N. Legionnaires - B.N. Raptors - B.N. Scather Crew - B.N. Swordsmen - B. Rotwings - B.O. Warmongers - B.O. Warspears - Chosen - Grotesque Banshees - Grotesque Raiders - Hellmouth - Ice Witches - Strider Blightblades - Strider Scouts - Spawning Vessel - Virtue Host
Solos	Ammok - Annyssa Ryvaal - Beast Mistress - Blight Archon - B.N Shepherd - B.N. Sorceress - B.N. Warlord - Craelix - Forsaken - Fyanna1 - Grotesque Assassin - Incubi - Spell Martyr - Strider Deathstalker - Succubus - Thagrosh0 - Virtue Champion - B.O. Warmonger War Chief - Yssylla
Battle Engines	Throne of Everblight
Theme Forces
Children of the Dragon - Oracles of Annihilation - Primal Terrors - Ravens of War
Minions
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Legion of Everblight Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Thrown      (Edit) You do not add the model's base STR to the thrown spear, just modifiers. The base STR is already included in the POW of the weapon. (Locked thread)

Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) If you deploy in fire hazard terrain (Burning Earth), then you get set on fire before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge 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 : Smite      (Edit) This rule changed in Mk3 to no longer say it "adds the weapon's POW". It still does add the POW, however, because the whole section on calculating Slam damage was reworded in the main rulebook. Smite is not a Power Attack Slam, it is just an attack which causes a model to be slammed. As such, you can smite friendly models. You can trigger Critical Smite on a free strike. If you Smite on a charge, then the slam damage will be boosted. Chain Attack Smite only - Unlile the other versions of Smite, a Chain Attack one doesn't have the distance halved when a smaller base model smites a larger. The Knights Exemplar Seneschal is just that awesome. See also the clarifications on being slammed

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

See also the Warbeast page for a recap of the core warbeast rules. Forcing If an ability doesn't specify how much it costs to force, it costs 1. (Infernal Ruling) Animi A single Animus can be on several models at the same time. (Infernal Ruling) Unlike in Mk2, in Mk3 if a model has an animus on it from any source and then another animus is cast on that model, it will lose the first instance of an animus and will be replaced by the second. It does not matter if either the first animus or the second animus is from a warlock or warbeast. (Infernal Ruling) An animi cast by a warlock is an animi and a spell. (Infernal Ruling) Transferring Damage If both the warlock and the warbeast are damaged by the same attack (such as an AOE), then you need to apply the 'normal' damage to the warbeast before the transferred damage. This distinction can be important when you're working out who/what actually destroyed the beast. (Infernal Ruling) Frenzy (Edit) You cannot trigger optional abilities (such as Cleave or Sprint). (Infernal Ruling) You must trigger compulsory abilities (such as Consume) ... except for compulsory abilities that also generate an extra attack (such as Berserk). In that case, you don't get the Berserk attack. (Infernal Ruling) A warbeast may not make an Assault shot as part of a Frenzy activation. If the closest target to a warbeast resolving a Frenzy cannot be charged, then the warbeast will forfeit movement and action (as per the rules of having to charge and not being able to). (Infernal Ruling) If a frenzying warbeast can't reach its charge target (because the charge lane is blocked by terrain, etc) then it will make a failed charge and end its activation. (Locked thread) If a frenzying warbeast has two melee weapons with the same POW, it can choose which one to use. (Infernal Ruling)

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:  : Flight      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

Flight doesn't ignore: Impassable terrain. Most hazards. The exception is they do ignore Acid Bath and Burning Earth as long as they don't land in them. Templates that stay in play and do damage to models moving through them (such as a Scather). Free strikes. Trampling with a flying model (Edit) Flight allows you to trample "over" medium- and larger-bases. Although you trample "over" them, you don't get to make a trample attack vs them and you don't ignore their free strikes. Refer the core rulebook. Unless, of course, you have an exception like Blade Rush. Flight on a Cavalry model (Edit) Although flyers can move over obstacles/models, and horses can pause to do impacts while charging, flying horses cannot make impact attacks while overlapping models/obstacles. You need to pause in a legal position. Charging through models (Edit) You can't charge all the way through your charge target, with the intention to turn around and face them once you're on the other side. Because you aren't able to satisfy the "must keep the charge target in melee range" clause at the point after you are through the model but before you turn to directly face. At that point the target is behind you, not in your front arc, and thus not in your melee range. Your melee range only extends to your front arc. Refer to the latest errata. You can still "skim" through the edge of their base, if you're careful and smart with your positioning.

Rules Clarification : Serpentine - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : It Burns! - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Bond      (Edit) Bonds are ineffective while the model is under your opponent's control. Refer the core rulebook. Bonds & Themes If a warjack/warbeast with a bond is in that caster's battlegroup, they can be taken in any theme force. Refer the core rulebook. This is true even if the caster isn't a full warcaster or warlock (this interaction changed as of 2018.06).

Rules Clarification : Ashen Veil and/or Swarm     (Edit) The concealment bonus and the attack roll penalty stack with each other. If a living model targets you with a gun/spell, and they're within 2" of you, they effectively suffer -4 to the attack. The attack roll penalty applies to all types of attacks. The attack roll penalty applies even if the enemy model is trying to target something completely different.

Rules Clarification : Vortex of Fire      (Edit) Only models that in command range when you are checking whether fire expires are going to be affected by the "cannot expire" portion of this animus. Who is in command when you are casting it and/or moving around don't matter.