Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber

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Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber Retribution Mage Hunter Character Solo - ("Junior Warcaster")

Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber, has been forged into the perfect instrument for the Retribution of Scyrah's war against human arcanists. She stands prepared to face any danger in service to the Retribution. As she darts from foe to foe, each kill imbues her myrmidons with power they in turn unleash against key targets.

Basic Info

Elara1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 6 MAT 6 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 15 ARM 14 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS 4 FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 4 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Parry
• Battlegroup Controller - (1) This model is not a warcaster but has the following warcaster special rules: Battlegroup Commander, Focus Manipulation, Power Field, and Spellcaster. (2) This model must have at least one warjack in its battlegroup at the start of the game.
• Apparition - During your Control Phase, place this model anywhere completely within 2" of its current location.
• Side Step - When this model hits an enemy model with an initial melee attack or a melee special attack, it can advance up to 2" after the attack is resolved.

Weapons

Sickle (×2)
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				4				10
Damage Type: Magical Extraction - When an enemy model is destroyed by this attack, one warjack in this model's battlegroup that is in its control range gains 1 focus point.

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Ghost Walk	2	6	-	-	Turn	No
Target friendly Faction model/unit gains Ghostly for one turn. Ghostly - A model with Ghostly can advance through terrain and obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past them. It cannot be targeted by free strikes.
Speed of Death	3	SELF	Control	-	Upkeep	No
When a model in the spellcaster's battlegroup hits one or more enemy models with a melee or ranged attack during its activation while it is in the spellcaster's control range, at the end of its activation the attacking model can make a full advance. The affected model cannot be targeted by free strikes during this movement.

Theme Forces

• Defenders of Ios - this model gains Reposition [3"] in this theme
• Forges of War
• Shadows of the Retribution - This model gains "Optional Take Down" in this theme.

Recent Changes

No changes since 2021.02

Thoughts on Elara1

Elara1 in a nutshell

Like the other junior warcasters, she can either act as a simple focus battery to let you put more jacks in your list without straining your main warcaster's focus pool, or you can build something interesting with her spell list.

Speed of Death is useful, but her main selling point is Ghost Walk, with it she can mitigate any terrain based issues for core models in your army. Her role on the battlefield is predominately support but when you reach the late game throwing her into the action is still very valid as she can do a lot to lightly armoured enemies. Her melee weapons come with the advantage of spreading focus to her battlegroup on kill reducing the strain on any Arcanists that may still be alive.

Warjack synergies

• Aspis
  • it’s the cheapest way to include her in a list and shield guard keeps her slightly safer as a 10point package they won’t crack armour but you are probably taking this option just for ghost walk anyway.
• Gorgon
  • It wants to shoot its gun and remain safe. Being able to back up with Speed of Death is very useful.
  • A common package is Elara with two gorgons. One focus for each Gorgon giving them fully a boosted shot, one focus to upkeep speed of death, and one to camp for protection. This package is especially good against lists that have a lot of heavies.
• Chimera
  • with it’s arc node you can use Ghost Walk more reliably.
  • using extraction you can send spare focus to the Chimera increasing its defence.
• Daemon a Hellmouth gun with Speed of Death is seriously potent.
• Discordia (Forges of War)
  • An accurate and powerful spray plus what amounts to a Refuge or Sprint move makes Discordia scary against infantry and spellslingers.
• Moros (Shadows of the Retribution)
  • Under Speed of Death he can use his short range gun to paralyse something, then back away (similar to the Gorgon).

Other synergies

• Magister Helynna’s feat still heals her Warjack and grants armour to them both, likewise deceleration doesn’t discriminate between battlegroups. Helynna also can Tune Up her jack. This is especially powerful on Discordia's spray.
  • Ghost Walk still effects the Rhythm of War movement. This can be useful to hide behind terrain.
• Narn grants her sprint - just be careful with your very small ctrl range and that you can’t double up with speed of death.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Even though she has the best defensive stats overall for a journeyman warcaster, Elara is still fragile and there is always the risk your jack would go inert if she is killed.
• In melee she doesn’t deal enough damage to hurt hard targets and she doesn’t have a high enough MAT to reliably hit infantry.
• She wants to cast ghost walk, get into melee and upkeep her spell, but doing all this will kill her with just a few dud rolls, so she mostly hangs back as a support piece until the late game.

Tricks & Tips

• Speed of Death doesn't have the "And then its activation ends" clause which means you can still use "at any time" abilities after the movement. ie you can cast more spells.
• Use side step and parry to get into back arcs and make up for her average MAT.

Other

Trivia

Kickstarter Exclusive sculpt

• Elara is one of the Journeyman Warcasters released as part of the WARMACHINE: Tactics videogame Kickstarter (2014)
• She has some backstory in the ebook anthology Rites of Passage, 2014.04, alongside the other Journeymen released in the Tactics game.
• There was a limited edition sculpt available for backers. There is now a non-limited sculpt for general purchase.
• Her rules were published in the Warmachine: Vengeance expansion (2014)

Other Retribution models

Retribution Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Elara2 - Falcir1 - Garryth1 - Garryth2 - Goreshade4 - Helynna1 - Issyria1 - Kaelyssa1 - Ossyan1 - Rahn1 - Ravyn1 - Thyron1 - Vyros1 - Vyros2
Warcaster attachments	Fane Knight Guardian (Retribution) - Sylys Wyshnalyrr (Retribution) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Elara1 (BGC) - Sentinel Scyir ('Jack Marshal) - Artificer ('Jack Marshal)
Light Warjacks	Aspis - Chimera - Gorgon - Griffon - Harpy - Siren Moros
Heavy Warjacks	Aeternae - Banshee - Daemon - Discordia - Hemera - Hydra - Hypnos - Imperatus - Manticore - Phoenix - Sphinx
Colossal	Hyperion - Helios
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Cyelna & Nyss Hunters - D Destors - D Invictors - D Sentinels - Heavy Rifle Team - H Halberdiers - H Riflemen - HE Swordsmen - HE Wardens - HS Arcanists - HS Battle Mages - HV Electromancers - MH Infiltrators - MH Strike Force - Ryssovass Defenders - Spears of Scyrah - Stormfall Archers Special: Eiryss3 (CA) - Soulless Escort (WA)
Solos	Aelyth Vyr - Arcanist Mechanik - D Destor Thane - D Sentinel Scyir - Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (1) - Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (2) - Eiryss, Fortune Hunter of Ios (4) - Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber (1) - Fane Knight Guardian - Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen - Ghost Sniper - Hermit of Henge Hold - HE Warden Executioner - HS Artificer - HS Magister - Houseguard Thane - Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress Lys Healer - MH Assassin - Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios - Nayl - Priest of Nyssor - Scythe - Soulless Voidtracer
Battle Engines	Arcantrik Force Generator - Dawnguard Trident
Theme Forces
Defenders of Ios - Forges of War - Legions of Dawn - Shadows of the Retribution
Mercenaries
Refer to Category: Retribution of Scyrah Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.04

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 : Extraction      (Edit) Elara does not actually allocate the focus, so this gets around stuff like Venethrax's feat.

Rules Clarification : Battlegroup Controller      (Edit) This model has a completely separate battlegroup to your main warcaster. Your main warcaster cannot allocate focus to warjacks under this model's control (and vice versa). Any spells/effects that apply to your main warcaster's battlegroup (such as Energizer) do not apply to warjacks under this model's control (and vice versa). This model is not a warcaster It is affected by stuff which specifies "non-warcaster models" (such as Seduction). It is not affected by stuff which specifies "warcasters" (such as Black Arts). Even if it has "Warcaster" in its name (such as the Journeyman Warcaster or Trencher Warcaster Lieutenant) it is still not a warcaster, and won't benefit from warcaster-only stuff (like free upkeeps in Sons of the Tempest). (Infernal Ruling) Warjacks this solo controls can still benefit from Power Up exactly as if it were a warcaster. (Closed thread) When this model dies, any warjacks they are controlling go inert exactly as if it was a warcaster. (Infernal Ruling) See this article for the Inert warjack rules and how to re-activate them. Inert warjacks Abilities that say they cannot be used if the model is stationary (such as Shield Guard) cannot be used while a warjack is inert, either. Refer "Warcaster Destruction", page 59 of the core rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Parry - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Apparition      (Edit) Apparition is an "Other" Control Phase effect, so it happens at Step 7 of the Control Phase. It happens after paying for upkeeps, Power Up, etc If you have another "Other" Control Phase effect, you get to choose the order to resolve them. If a model is B2B with you when you use Apparition then they will be exactly 2" away afterwards. So you'll still be in the melee range of anything with RNG 2 or higher. Unit members must always be placed in formation. Refer to the "Placed" section of the core rulebook. If a trooper can't be placed in formation (because it's more than 2" out of formation to begin with) then it can't be placed at all. The unit commander is always "In Formation" by definition, so can be placed where it likes.

Rules Clarification : Side Step      (Edit) You can't trigger Side Step by hitting friendly models. You can't trigger Side Step from additional attacks that you buy, or out-of-activation attacks (such as free strikes). If you have multiple initial attacks, you have to step after each one. You can't "save up" all your side steps then get a single big 4" or 6" move.

Rules Clarification : Ghost Walk      (Edit) Rules Clarification : Ghostly      (Edit) Ghostly doesn't let you move through other models, just terrain. Ghostly doesn't let you ignore damage from hazardous terrain. (Infernal Ruling) Ghostly ignores Windswept terrain penalties. A model with both Flight and Ghostly will move through Windswept terrain at full speed. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Speed of Death      (Edit) Battlegroup members (Edit) Spells that target/affect "models in the battlegroup" can also target/will also affect the caster, the caster's unit (if they have one), and the caster's Companion (if they have one). It won't target/affect models which are Attached, though.