Rules Questions

[Omar]

I didnt see anything for rules related questions, so I figured I would post. I imagine I still need to sit down and re-read the rulebook again...

- A caster may cast any number of a specific spell, depending on focus? So, lets say I have Lt. Caine, and I want to cast snipe on two units. I spend 3 focus for each, and then 1 focus each every turn after for upkeep. Is that allowed?

- You can only have a number of jacks under a warcaster equal to their focus, correct? So, technically, a 5 focus caster could have 5 jacks?


Thanks!

[Rorschach]

- A caster may cast any number of a specific spell, depending on focus? So, lets say I have Lt. Caine, and I want to cast snipe on two units. I spend 3 focus for each, and then 1 focus each every turn after for upkeep. Is that allowed?

A caster may only have ONE of each Upkeep spell in play at a time. So when you cast your second Snipe, the first goes away. Otherwise, casters can recast a spell as often as they like and have Focus for.



- You can only have a number of jacks under a warcaster equal to their focus, correct? So, technically, a 5 focus caster could have 5 jacks?

I've never seen that before. AFAIK, there is NO limit to warjacks. Hence the U under field allowance, and the once fielded Deneghra list with 11 bonejacks.

[Edge]

I didnt see anything for rules related questions, so I figured I would post. I imagine I still need to sit down and re-read the rulebook again...

- A caster may cast any number of a specific spell, depending on focus? So, lets say I have Lt. Caine, and I want to cast snipe on two units. I spend 3 focus for each, and then 1 focus each every turn after for upkeep. Is that allowed?

- You can only have a number of jacks under a warcaster equal to their focus, correct? So, technically, a 5 focus caster could have 5 jacks?


Thanks!

Casting the same UPKEEPABLE spell twice negates the first, however with said snipe, cast it one round, next round upkeep it then active the unit with it on. Then before the next ranged unit you would like to unit it on activate Caine and cast it on them. Just repeat the upkeep/recast each round.

There is no number limit to the amount of jacks you can have, just practical ones. Take as many jacks as you wish points allowing, just remeber that spreading your focus too thin can hurt the armies performance.

[Omar]

Thanks for the info. You can still have several upkeep spells active at the same time, just not two of the same one, correct?


Thanks!

[Rorschach]

Thanks for the info. You can still have several upkeep spells active at the same time, just not two of the same one, correct?

Yes..BUT, a Model/unit may only have ONE upkeep on it at the same time. Some spells only last for 1 Round, so its easy to have these and an Upkeep on the same unit. But no 2x upkeep on one unit.

-Dale

[Omar]

I had got that much. I wanted to see if I could have arcane shield on a few different units at once.

The limits on models is based on warcasters. So, in a 750pt game if I had two casters (which is allowed, right?) I could have double the 'allowed' number of models? Bring caine and haley, have six stormsmiths or two journeyman warcasters?

[Rorschach]

Yep

[Omar]

Outstanding. I am getting it. Now, a bit more practice with close combat to get out of my 40k/WFB mindset and I should be good to go.

Thanks for your help!

[Omar]

What is the range from an Arc Node? Provided the jack with the node is in the control range of the caster, how much further from the jack can the spell reach?

[Edge]

What is the range from an Arc Node? Provided the jack with the node is in the control range of the caster, how much further from the jack can the spell reach?

An arc node can be used so long as 1) the jack is not in combat 2) the node still got damage boxes left and 3) the jack is in the casters control range. You can then use the jack as the originating point for LOS and range as if the jack cast the spell. HOWEVER keep in mind that the caster is still the one casting the spell in case an effect comes up.

[Genestealer]

750 is only 1 caster as well, every 500 points adds another caster. Though at 1000 points you could use one epic caster and one regular caster (as long as they are not the same person).

[Blackraine]

A few things to add:

1. Arc Nodes don't increase range directly, they simply act as the casting point of the spell... so if the spell has a 10" range, then you can cast it on anything within 10" of the Arc Node. As stated earlier, the Arc Node cannot be stationary (or knocked down, whcih makes them stationary), engaged in melee, or disabled if you want to use it to cast spells.

2. A unit may have one friendly and one enemy upkeep spell on it simultaneously... so enemies casting upkeep spells on your units doesn't auto-dispel the upkeep spell.

3. Activating your units in the right order is probably the hardest and most important aspect of Warmachine. When you have a plan, you may want to write it down on a notepad or something (which I'm going to start doing) so that you have a checklist to go down... that way, you don't end up activating something out of order and screwing over your whole plan (like the Longunners w/ Snipe, Caine casting Snipe on Unit #2, Longunners 2 w/ Snipe deal... activate one of those units out of order, and you don't get your 2 units with 5" snipe.)

[LordKroeker]

1. A clarifier on the Arcnode casting spells also. Some arcnodes (your Cygnar for example Omar) have reach. If the arcnode is engaging another model in melee, but is NOT engaged in return...you may still channel spells through it. If however the jack is ENGAGED (i.e., an enemy model has the jack in its melee range) then you may not channel spells.

2. A clarifier on upkeep spells: a specific model/unit may only have one FRIENDLY and one ENEMY upkeep spell on it at any given time. So your arcane shielded Ironclad can have 21 ARM rather than it's normal 18, and ALSO be under the effects of Crippling Grasp.

3. Arcane shield is unique in that there are three models out there that have access to the spell. In a 500/750 point game you could have 2 copies of Arc.Shld. in play simultaneously. One from your warcaster (either Stryker or Haley) and one from your Journeyman Warcaster. So consider that a 1000 point game where Stryker AND Haley were the warcasters in use...you could have 4 copies of arcane shield in play. One from each of the casters and 2 from the allowable 2 JWCs you could bring along as well. As far as I know Cygnar is the only faction that has an upkeep spell that can be duplicated so much. But I'm sure others might find some similarity with the other factions that just can't happen with the same ease as Cygnar's JWC presence.

R

[Omar]

So, if a spell has the range of 'control', can you extend that through the arc node?

[LordKroeker]

Unfortunately no...you'll notice that Spells that have a range of CTRL are usually caster specific....they can only be centered on the warcaster or they're cast as a pulse or aura effect radiating out from the caster. All of those spells (Temporal Barrier, Goreshade's Mageblight, etc.) can only ever be centered on the caster. Great question to ask here though. Also Omar are you looking at an old copy of prime or the new remix? Some of that wording was cleared up a lot in Remix...but I understand how easy it is to forget something after just a "First time through" read of the book. I'm constantly going back and reading/re-reading stuff...

R

[Omar]

I have both, actually. I have only read remix though.

Not sure if someone answered this... if I have a jack marshal with a jack with an arc node, can a caster use spells through that node?

[LordKroeker]

I have both, actually. I have only read remix though.

Not sure if someone answered this... if I have a jack marshal with a jack with an arc node, can a caster use spells through that node?

Another excellent question I remember asking early on. The answer is no. The arcnode must be directly controlled (in the same battle group) as the caster who wants to channel through it.

Some examples:

1. Your journeyman warcaster controls a lancer. Stryker could not channel spells through it.

2. A 1000 pt game with Stryker and Caine. Each have a lancer of their own. Caine's lancer is destroyed during the game, Caine could not channel Thunderstrike through Stryker's Lancer. If during the game Stryker is destroyed, and his lancer goes inert, however, and Caine manages to reactivate it, the lancer now falls under Caine's battlegroup and can use it as an arcnode.

3. A unit of sword knights is marshalling a lancer, no warcasters or journeymen warcasters could use the arcnode. Note that jacks that fall to Jackmarshalls never go inert, but instead become autonomous. Because of this you'll never be able to "reactivate" the jack with a warcaster and have use of it's arcnode per the example above.

Hopefully this makes a point that if you want to use your arcnode it's a waste of time to assign it to anything but the warcaster who'll be using it.

[Omar]

That helps alot. Thank you.