Liberator

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Liberator Crucible Guard Light Warjack

Crucible Arms ’jack mechaniks have taken the reliable Vanguard chassis and subjected it to systematic reconfiguration to produce several variant models, most notable among them the Liberator. To preserve the rare cortex materials required for traditional arc nodes, the Liberator is instead outfitted with an experimental new alchemical powered variant employing a formula of arcanely sensitive compounds. This apparatus is easier and cheaper to produce, allowing the Crucible Guard to deploy the machine in great numbers.

Basic Info

Liberator
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Medium SPD 6 STR 9 MAT 6 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 17 / 19 (★) CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 26 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA U UNIT SIZE N/A COST 10 N/A N/A (★) 19 when you include the Shield Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warjack - All warjacks share the same set of special rules. Most notably being big and stompy. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Abilities

• Arc Node
• Construct
• Ashen Veil - This model has concealment. Living enemy models without Immunity: Fire suffer -2 to attack rolls while within 2" of this model.
• Alchemically Treated - When this model suffers a corrosion damage roll and/or fire damage roll, roll one less die. Additionally, this model never suffers the Corrosion continuous effect or the Fire continuous effect.
• Experimental Arc Node - This model's controller can channel spells through it even if it is engaged.
• Node Capacitor - When a spell is channeled through this model, after the spell is resolved roll a d6. On a roll of a 1, this model suffers 1 damage point to its first available Arc Node system box.

Weapons

Thurible
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				4				13
Chain Weapon
Shield
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				2				11
Shield

Theme Forces

• Crucible Guard
  • Magnum Opus
  • Prima Materia. This model gains Cutting Edge in this theme.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Lukas is leading the army.

Recent Changes

NO changes since 2021.04

Thoughts on Liberator

Liberator in a nutshell

The Liberator is a combat light warjack based on the Vanguard chassis that also sports a prototype Arcnode. It has basic combat abilities and has the best defensive statline for a light in the game thanks to its Ashen Veil and Shield rules.

The Experimental Arc Node is more reliable than you may expect the chance of burning it out with 2 spell casts is 1:36 and with the mechanics (and Cutting Edge) the advantage of being able to cast spells while engaged outweigh the potential damage you may suffer.

You should take the Liberator only if you need the arcnode, as for the same price you get the Vanguard, which is more flexible due to having a gun, Shield Guard, Assault and extra POW on its weapon. On the other hand between a shield and Ashen Veil as light warjacks go it is extremely tough, making it effectively a 15/19 against most shooting and almost all living enemies.

Combos & Synergies

• Aurum Legate Lukas di Morray is the obvious Crucible Guard spellslinger, overdosing on drugs to increase his FOCUS. Every Lukas list should start with a Liberator (after Alyce).
• Aurum Lucanum Athanor Locke has the excellent Jackhammer spell but bringing her near the front lines is risky, so a Liberator is a must-have with her.
• Syvestro is a spell-slinger who has plenty of good opportunities to use a melee arc node. Not a "must-have" for him but VERY good, especially for offensive Transmutation and Stygian Abyss.
• The Liberator has more niche use with the other CG casters. Benett for example has multiple 6” range spells she’d like to be able to reapply forward, but she is very mobile.
  • Specifically with Bennet, there is a bit of skornergy with the Liberator. Benett really wants to cast spells forward, but she has such good mobility & DEF she can usually just do the same job by herself without needing a Liberator.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• The Liberator is not a cheap light, and can struggle to provide output equivalent to its cost. Both the Retaliator & Vanguard are better value propositions for most lists.
• POW 13 makes it weak into armor so its more of an infantry and cavalry slayer that can help out with Shield Wall/Shield models here and there.
• There’s almost no reason to take a Liberator with Prospero since he only has the one spell that can be channeled. If you’re just buying into the faction, it’s usually better to get two Vanguards first.
• Models that ignore concealment or have fire immunity ignore Ashen Veil, models who circle around its shield or can turn it around with a spell ignore the shield, which results in a big dip in it's survivability.

Tricks & Tips

• Thanks to its quirky arcnode you can still charge in, maul what you can AND still channel that spell you wanted on that unit so badly.
• Provided the Arc Node is not crippled by incoming damage, you only have a 1/9 chance that the node will burn out in two spells (this means an 8/9 chance you get a minimum of three spells, sans repair). For Mackay, Locke, Gearhart, and Syvestro, three spells is often more than enough to justify the presence of a melee arc node. Lukas may want to consider a second Liberator or a Mechanic.

Other

Trivia

Released with the Faction launch (2018.06)

Other Crucible Guard models

Crucible Guard Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Benett - Gearhart - Locke - Lukas - Mackay - Syvestro
Warcaster attachments	Aurum Legate Alyce Marc (Crucible) - Sylys Wyshnalyrr (Mercenary) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Prospero (BGC)
Light	Liberator - Retaliator - Vanguard
Heavy	Suppresor - Toro - Vindicator
Colossal	Vulcan
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Combat Alchemists - CG Assault Troopers - CG Infantry - CG Rocketmen - CG Storm Troopers - Dragon's Breath Rocket - Failed Experiments Ranking Officer : Doctor Alejandro Mosby
Solos	Ascendant Mentalist - CG Mechanik - Gorman1 - Gorman2 - Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter - Prospero - Rocketman Ace - Trancer
Battle Engines	Railless Interceptor
Theme Forces
Magnum Opus - Prima Materia
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Crucible Guard Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.05

Rules Clarifications

Note to self: I need to update this rules section after the rules are finalised - juckto.

Rules Clarification : Shield and/or Buckler     (Edit) The only time you lose the Shield bonus is when the weapon is crippled, or if the attack originates in your back arc. (Infernal Ruling) In other words, you still get the Shield bonus while knocked down or stationary. You don't get the Shield bonus vs stuff originating in your back arc. This includes stuff that "leaps" off models in your back arc, such as Electro Leap. (Locked thread)

Rules Clarification : Chain Weapon - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Warjack      (Edit) The Cortex/Induction core rule means a warjack cannot have more than 3 focus at any time (maybe 4 if they're really special). Many abilities give out focus and don't state an upper limit (such as Convection and Empower). Despite not stating an upper limit, they are always "hard-limited" by the core rule. A warjack can have more than 3 focus during a turn, though. For instance, a knocked down warjack can Power Up and be Allocated 2 focus, then spend 1 to shake knockdown, then another model could Empower it back up to 3. Warjacks cannot spend focus outside of their activation. For instance, they can't boost free strikes or trigger Powerful Attack on Broadsides. (Infernal Ruling) 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 : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Channeler  and/or Arc Node     (Edit) General It is possible to channel a spell with a range of CTRL. The control range is still measured from the caster though, so channeling it has zero effect ... unless you've got something like Empowered Arc Node or Reaction Drive. Stuff like that can trigger. (Infernal Ruling) Channeling in melee A channeler that is engaged by an enemy model can not channel. A channeler that is engaging an enemy model can channel. (For example, the channeler is standing in the enemy's back arc.) Channeler - LOS You use the channeler's abilities when determining LOS (such as whether you can see your target through a forest). If the channeler has an ability to ignore LOS or DEF bonuses (such as Eyeless Sight), then you only apply that "ignorance" to LOS (but not to the DEF bonus). Caster - Attack roll You use the caster's abilities when determining attack roll modifiers (such as whether a target standing in a forest gets +2 DEF or not). If the caster has an ability to ignore LOS or DEF bonuses (such as Eyeless Sight), then you only apply that "ignorance" to the dice roll (but not to the LOS). Stealth - It affects both LOS and the attack roll Since Stealth has both a LOS modifier (stealth models more than 5" away aren't intervening models) and an attack roll modifier (stealth models more than 5" away are auto-missed) things get a little complicated. If only the channeler ignores stealth, then all stealth models count as intervening models and block LOS, but the caster will auto-miss models more than 5" from the channeler. If only the caster ignores stealth, then only models within 5" of the channeler block LOS, but the caster won't auto-miss no matter what you target. If both channeler and caster ignore Stealth, it works as you'd expect. Stealth Examples     [Show/Hide] Caster has Eyeless Sight, channeler does not. Stealth model is within 5" of channeler LOS - The model counts as an intervening model, as per the normal Stealth rules Attack roll - If you attack it then you don't auto-miss, as per the normal Stealth rules Stealth model is more than 5" away from channeler LOS - The model does not count as an intervening model, as per the normal Stealth rules. Attack roll - If you attack it then you don't auto-miss, as the attacking model has Eyeless Sight. Stealth model is more than 5" away from channeler, and you want to target a model behind it. LOS - The front model doesn't block LOS Attack roll - Doesn't auto-miss   Caster hasn't got Eyeless Sight, channeler does. Stealth model is within 5" of channeler LOS - The model counts as an intervening model, as per the normal Stealth rules Attack roll - If you attack it then you don't auto-miss, as per the normal Stealth rules Stealth model is more than 5" away from channeler LOS - The model counts as an intervening model, because the model drawing LOS ignores Stealth. Attack roll - If you attack it then you will auto-miss, as the attacker doesn't ignore Stealth. Stealth model is more than 5" away from channeler, and you want to target a model behind it. LOS - The front model blocks LOS, so you can't target the rear model. Attack roll - N/A

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 : Alchemically Treated - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Experimental Arc Node - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Node Capacitor      (Edit) If a channeled spell is cancelled by something like Arcane Vortex, it doesn't count as being channeled, so the channeler can't trigger stuff like Reaction Drive or Spell Martyr. (Infernal Ruling)