Defiled Archon

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Defiled Archon Grymkin Solo

Above all things, the grymkin despise Menoth and his creations. When the infernals invaded and the gods of Caen began to unleash their Archons into the mortal world, it is no surprise that the grymkin viewed the Menite Archon with equal measures of contempt and sadistic curiosity. As the forces of Menoth were embattled, protecting the souls of the faithful from the infernals, the grymkin managed to capture a few Menite Archons and drag them down into their nightmarish reality.

Basic Info

Defiled Archon
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Large SPD 6 STR 9 MAT 7 RAT N/A M.A. 8 DEF 13 ARM 18 CMD 10 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 13 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 8 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Flight
• Divine Manifestation - This model is not a living model, cannot become knocked down, and never suffers Blind. Opponents cannot take control of this model.
• Gate Walker - Once per activation, immediately after this model casts a spell, you can place this model anywhere completely within 5" of its current location.
• Magic Ability [ 8 ] - 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.
• Torrent of Blasphemy - (1) This model gains an additional die on magic attack rolls and magic attack damage rolls. Discard the lowest die on each roll. (2) Additionally, when this model hits an enemy model with a magic attack, that model suffers Arcane Attraction for one turn. (Arcane Attraction - When a friendly model casts a spell targeting a model affected by Arcane Attraction, that spell gains +3 RNG.)
• Twist the Eternal - When an enemy model in this model's command range gains a soul token, it immediately suffers the Fire continuous effect.
• Unleash the Arcane - Once per turn, when this model hits an enemy with a Magic Ability special attack, immediately after the attack is resolved it can make one additional Magic Ability special attack or special action.

Weapons

Lawbreaker
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				5				14
Damage Type: Magical Dispel - When this weapon hits a model/unit, upkeep spells and animi on that model/unit immediately expire.

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Desecration	(★ Action)	CMD	5	-	Round	No
Place a 5" AOE anywhere completely within this model's command range. The AOE remains in play for one round. Enemy models treat the AOE as rough terrain. While within the AOE, enemy models suffer -2 to attack rolls.
Hellfire	(★ Attack)	10	-	14	-	Yes
Models disabled by Hellfire cannot make a Tough roll. Models boxed by Hellfire are removed from play.
Influence	(★ Attack)	10	-	-	-	Yes
Take control of target enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock warrior model. The model immediately makes one basic attack, then Influence expires. A model can be affected by Influence only once per turn.

Theme Forces

• Bump in the Night
• Dark Menagerie

Thoughts on Defiled Archon

Defiled Archon in a nutshell

The Defiled Archon is, unquestionably, the spell-slinging Archon. Thanks to the Gate Walker ability, the Defiled Archon has both a deceptive threat range and can use its spells while remaining relatively safe from the enemy should it wish to do so.

With additional die dropping the lowest magic attack and damage rolls and the Unleash the Arcane ability, the Defiled Archon is capable of dropping some serious damage with a pair of boosted Hellfires. Being a Grymkin model, the Defiled Archon also has some nasty tricks up its sleeve.

The second half of Torrent of Blasphemy causes an enemy hit by a Defiled Archon’s spells to suffer Arcane Attraction for one turn, which increases the RNG of all spells against that model by +3. This works on the Defiled Archon’s second spell! It also works on another Defiled Archon, if you’re running them in pairs. Every warlock in Grymkin can benefit from +3 RNG on their offensive spells, allowing you to pull off some offensive tricks (like a well-placed Gallows) that your opponent didn’t see coming.

Finally, the Defiled Archon does not protect souls (unlike most Archons). Instead the Defiled Archon punishes those who gather souls by corrupting the spirit and setting the harvester on fire!

Combos & Synergies

• Two Archons and the Labyrinth Arcana can spread around 10" of rough terrain and inflict a -2 speed penalty, which should shut down pretty much any army without rampant access to Pathfinder. Add in the Undergrowth animus from the Slaughterhouse and you can really control the field.
• The King of Nothing - arcane attraction is lovely for an aggressive spell slinger.
• The Heretic - Similarly, the extra range on Rebuke, Hex Blast or Gallows can be really clutch.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Anti spell casting abilities really hurt it’s effectiveness, it can whack people with the spear but it really shouldn’t.

Tricks & Tips

• You could cast an offensive spell, use Gate Walker to teleport 3" backwards, and still be in range for your second offensive spell thanks to Arcane Attraction.

Other

Trivia

• Released 2021.01

Other Grymkin models

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

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 : Divine Manifestation      (Edit) Archons are not living models, but neither are they constructs, undead, etc. They're just ... archons.

Rules Clarification : Gate Walker      (Edit) Gate Walker triggers after the spell is fully resolved. (Infernal Ruling) Gate Walker will not trigger if the spell is cancelled by Arcane Vortex. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Magic Ability      (Edit) Using a Magic Ability counts as a spell, for effects such as Spell Ward, Witch Hunter, etc. 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.

Rules Clarification : Torrent of Blasphemy      (Edit) Discard Die (Edit) If you're discarding lowest or highest, you have to discard even if you want it for a critical hit. For instance: if you discard "the lowest die", need 6+ to hit, and roll a 3, 3, and a 4 ... then you must discard one of the 3s, and you'll end up with a non-critical hit with the 3 + 4. Rules Clarification : Arcane Attraction - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Twist the Eternal      (Edit) 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 : Unleash the Arcane - None yet. (Edit)

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 : Dispel      (Edit) Dispel can't be used versus upkeeps that are not "on" a model/unit (such as Rock Wall, Void Gate, etc), because you can't "hit" them. Because Dispel causes spells to expire on a hit, it will prevent spells that trigger on a hit from triggering at all. For instance, the defensive animus Spiny Growth causes any model that hits the target to suffer d3 damage. This damage will not occur if it's hit by a Dispel weapon. Anti-Upkeep vs a unit (Edit) If an upkeep is on a unit, then all you need to do is make it expire off any member of the unit and the spell will expire from the entire unit. It doesn't matter if the target is in formation or not. (Locked thread) However, if an upkeep is on a single model within a unit (such as Scything Touch) then you need to dispel it off that particular model to make it dispel. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Desecration - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Hellfire - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Influence      (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: 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)