Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard

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Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard Protectorate Exemplar Character Unit

Visgoth Rhoven's leadership and prayers both support and inspire the faithful around him as he presses the attack against the enemies of Menoth. His tireless honor guard accompany him everywhere. These veteran exemplars bear consecrated halberds and rarely take to the battlefield, but the stakes in the current crusade have simply risen too high.

Basic Info

Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Rhoven / Guard BASE Small SPD 5 STR 6 MAT 8 RAT N/A M.A. 8 / - DEF 12 ARM 16 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 / 8 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 7 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Rhoven

Abilities

• Officer
• Battle Wizard - Once per turn, when this model destroys one or more enemy models with a melee attack during its activation, immediately after the attack is resolved it can make one Magic Ability special attack or special action.
• 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.

Weapons

• Staff of Sulon - 2" reach, P+S 12 melee weapon
  • Damage Type: Magical
  • Continuous Fire

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Cleansing Fire	(★ Attack)	8	3	14 (Fire)	-	Yes
Cleansing Fire deals fire damage. On a critical hit, models hit suffer continuous fire.
Menoth's Sight	(★ Action)	-	CMD	-	Turn	No
Choose a friendly Faction model. While in this model's command range, the chosen model gains Eyeless Sight. Menoth's Sight lasts for one turn.
Purifying Prayer	(★ Action)	-	Command	-	-	No
Animi and continuous effects on models/units in this model's command range immediately expire.

Honor Guards - Gius & Cassian

Abilities

• Set Defense - A model in this model's front arc suffers -2 on charge, slam power attack, and impact attack rolls against this model.
• Shield Guard - Once per round, when a friendly model is directly hit by a non-spray ranged attack during your opponent's turn while within 3" of this model, you can choose to have this model directly hit instead. This model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects. This model cannot use Shield Guard while it is incorporeal, knocked down, or stationary. The Shield Guard special rule can only trigger once per attack roll.

Weapons

• Consecrated Halberd - 2" reach, P+S 11 melee weapon
  • Weapon Master
  • Damage Type: Magical
  • Blessed

Theme Forces

• Protectorate
  • The Creator's Might
  • Exemplar Interdiction. They gain Aegis in this theme.

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

Recent Changes

No changes since 2021.10

Thoughts on Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard

Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard in a nutshell

The Honor Guard where for a time the cheapest Shield Guards in faction the Initiates of the Wall have now taken that from them however Visgoth Rhoven himself comes with a number of nice little tricks, most notably the ability to hand out Eyeless Sight.

At 2 points a piece (3 for Rhoven) they are all effective combat models in the second wave. All three are MAT 8, Rhoven has access to a M.A. 8 battle wizard and the honour guards are weapon masters. Even in match ups where Rhoven's tricks are not useful, they will perform adequately in combat.

This all adds to a unit that is versatile at every point in the game the sticking point is if you want to pay 7 points for the versatility they offer - or whether a dedicated specialist unit would suit your plans better.

Combos & Synergies

• Menoth's Sight is extremely useful on a Reckoner or Vessel of Judgement for removing any important enemy solo hiding behind a cloud effect.
• Gius & Cassian are not Grunts but they are troopers, so can be brought back by the High Reclaimer1's feat.
• A warcaster can receive Menoth's Sight behind your lines, and then arc spells at stealthed or concealed targets. However this doesn't work for seeing through clouds. Particularly useful for Severius1 and Severius2.
• all of the standard Exemplar support works on them Kreoss2 makes them tough etc
• A strong ranged model, like the Judicator, loves eyeless sight.
• Feora4's Death March can give them a fairly reliable Vengeance trigger thanks to Shield Guard. Just keep in mind that you only really want to shield guard shots that are not likely to kill Gius or Cassian.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They don't get much direct work done compared to Knights Exemplar - you're bringing them for the shield guards and Rhoven's tricks.
• Initiates of the Wall are better shield guards in other themes

Tricks & Tips

• Keep them in the second wave. Charging weapon masters hurt, but they're no good to you if they die in the first wave.
• You have to be in Rhoven's short (6") command range for Menoth's Sight to work - however you don't need to be in range when you select a model. This means you advance with Rhoven, cast his spell selecting something out of range or sight, and then advance into his command range with that model to shoot.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Sculptor: Todd Harris
• Cassian is the one holding his helmet.

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 : 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 : 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. A Ranking Officer can't do this, though. 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.

Rules Clarification : Battle Wizard      (Edit) A Battle Wizard doesn't have to kill a model to cast a spell. They can instead skip making melee attacks and use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Cavalry Battle Wizards can trigger it from their Mount Attacks. (Infernal Ruling) This does not, however, allow them to trigger it twice in the same turn. (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 : Cleansing Fire      (Edit) On a critical hit, all models in the AOE suffer continuous fire, otherwise none do. 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 : Menoth's Sight      (Edit) There is no range on who you can choose to get Sighted (they just won't get the benefit while out of CMD). You can also choose models you don't have LOS to. While in Rhoven's CMD, the target can't be Blinded. However if the target suffers Blind before it moves into Rhoven's CMD range, it will "keep" Blind but ignore the effects thanks to Eyeless Sight. But as soon as it moves out of CMD again, it will suffer Blind effects (again). (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 : Purifying Prayer      (Edit) This ability affects models/units. So if any model from a unit is within command range, then animi/continuous effects expire off every model in the unit. (Infernal Ruling)

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

Rules Clarification : Blessed and/or Creator's Wrath     (Edit) Blessed ignores spell buffs even if they're not directly on the target. (For example, Haley3's Temporal Distortion spell is cast on Haley and gives a DEF buff to everyone within 5". Blessed ignores it on everyone, not just on Haley.) (Locked thread) You only ignore the DEF/ARM buff if the spell directly adds to the stat (for example Arcane Shield gives +3 ARM). Whereas a spell which grants an ability, and the ability gives a DEF/ARM buff, would not be ignored by Blessed (for example Cloak of Ash gives a model concealment, and concealment gives +2 DEF). (Infernal Ruling) If a spell buffs DEF/ARM and [something else] then you ignore the buff but not the [something else]. (For example, the spell Death Ward grants +2 ARM and the defender chooses which column suffers damage. You would ignore the ARM bonus, but the defender still picks the column.) This ability only ignores buffs from spells, not buffs from feats (such as Stryker1's Invincibility +5 ARM) or abilities (such as Protective Aura's +2 ARM).

Rules Clarification : Set Defense - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Shield Guard and/or Shadow Guardian     (Edit) You can't use this ability vs spells. You shift all effects onto the new model, including stuff that triggers on "when this attack hits". When you use this ability vs an AOE attack, the template moves too. Because, with reference to Apdx A, the hit 'moves' at Step 6 and the template placement is determined at Step 7. This ability doesn't work vs Point Blank attacks. Because Point Blank attacks are melee attacks that are made using a ranged weapon. On the other hand, it will work vs Gunfighter attacks. Shield Guard only Since Shield Guard specifies "opponent's turn", it can't be used against stuff that shoots in your own turn (such as Watcher or Counterblast). The Shield Guard does not necessarily need to be in the attacker's LOS or range. The Shield Guarder is always hit even if they have an ability that makes them automatically get missed, such as Stealth. (Automatically missing is determined earlier in the timing sequence than the Shield Guard moving the hit.) (Infernal Ruling)