Post by SeBM on Mar 9, 2017 3:43:00 GMT
Overview: Kaelyssa, the Night’s Whisper is a strong generalist who can usually contribute directly to the game with her gun. She’s an upkeep heavy caster who makes self-sufficient modules shine thanks to her feat and spellist. Kaelyssa can play a strong caster kill game while also playing attrition or scenario.
Stats: Kaelyssa’s stats are very average for an elf. She does have a RAT 7 and DEF 16, which are her only above average stats. She is a FOCUS 7 caster, but since she is very focus hungry, she will usually want some very focus efficient myrmidons. She has native Pathfinder and True Sight.
Her gun is one of the strongest part of her kit. While RNG 12, ROF 1 and POW 10 might not seem like much, the fact that the gun is Reload (2) and the 3 different attack types you can choose from allow her to be relevant at all times.
Dispel: Upkeep spells and animi are dispelled on hit. Upkeep removal on a RNG 12 gun is simply fantastic.
Energy Siphon: You can steal one fury or focus point from your target on hit, provided your target had some fury or focus. This shot really enables assassination, especially when you consider the rest of her kit.
Mechanikal Seizure: A warjack hit by this attack becomes stationary for one round. It becomes a tool to control your opponent and a MAT/RAT fixer against warjacks.
Spellist:
Backlash: An offensive upkeep, it allows you to chip away at the enemy caster without having to commit your army early on, especially on big durable targets like Khadoran heavies or Colossals in general. While it is a very good and potent spell, you can play many games without casting it because it requires you to get pretty close to your target in order to cast it.
Banishing Ward: A defensive upkeep that protects you from enemy spells? This is a very strong spell that you will use often. Alongside the feat, it allows you to deliver units like Dawnguard Sentinels pretty reliably.
Blur: A defensive upkeep that boosts your DEF against ranged attacks and spells. It is a very strong spell on units like Houseguard Halberdiers or Mage Hunter Strike Force.
Phantom Hunter: This is one the best spell on Kaelyssa’s spell list. You can cast it up to three times since it’s a COST 2 spell. This spell allows target models from your battlegroup (Kaelyssa included) to ignore LOS when making attacks, as well as Stealth, concealment and cover. With this spell and her gun, assassination is ALWAYS on the table.
Refuge: A defensive upkeep that you will use every game. This spell allows a friendly faction model to make a full advance after hitting a target with an attack. You are immune ton free strikes while doing so. This enables the hit and run game that makes Kaelyssa such a fun caster to play. Most of the time, you will want this spell on Kaelyssa, but it can be cycled around since it is an upkeep and a myrmidon like Discordia can really do a lot of work while under the effect of this spell.
Feat: The Vanishing
While in Kaelyssa’s control range, friendly Faction models gain Stealth and cannot be charged or slam power attacked. The Vanishing lasts for one round.
This is an incredible delivery feat. It allows your army to make it safely across the table and ensures the alpha against a lot of casters out there. Be careful of gunlines with mass access to Eyeless Sight or True Sight. Kaelyssa can still be played against those armies.
General strategy:
Kaelyssa is a caster that I found myself winning with mostly on scenario. Her high mobility and the fact that she always threaten the caster kill forces your opponent to play an honest game, allowing you to capitalize on scenario. Against Warmachine factions, she can control the board with her stationary gun and it opens up attrition. There is pretty much always a way to win with Kaelyssa at the head of your army. She can adapt to many situations and can play into almost anything. She can be built to handle powerhouse casters such as Haley2 and Wurmwood.
Synergies:
Caster attachments: Sylys Wyshnalyrr is the best pick here. I usually don’t find the 4 points to include him into my lists.
Myrmidons: Kaelyssa likes very efficient myrmidons that bring a certain degree of control to the table, mainly because she will be going to keep most of her focus every turn. Discordia (on Elara1 or in her battlegroup), Hypnos and the Banshee are very strong choices for the first heavy in your list. The Hydra is also a very strong pick, because of Focus Battery and Focus Powered. I have seen lists with an Arc Node, usually a Chimera, to make good use of Backlash. While I am personally not playing that kind of Kaelyssa list, I can see it being very good as well. Kaelyssa also likes Hyperion a lot. While it does not benefit from the Stealth part of her feat, the fact that it can’t be charged on feat turn makes it very durable, especially since you can protect it from enemy spells AND cast Phantom Hunter on it to make the guns always relevant.
Units: You basically can’t go wrong with units with Kaelyssa. Her numerous defensive upkeeps and her feat allows you to deliver them safely in most cases. Double Dawnguard Sentinels is a very popular way to build a Kaelyssa army. I prefer to bring a single unit and to bring a Mage Hunter Strike Force Unit with Eyriss3. Houseguard Halberdiers, House Shyeel Battle Mages, Nyss Hunters and Electromancers are all very solid choices as well.
Solos: Let’s start with the obvious. I must say that 2 Arcanist Mechaniks is the base of every Kaelyssa list I have played because of her focus hungry nature and our myrmidons’ low P+S. Otherwise, there are a couple of solos to consider when building a Kaelyssa list. Elara1 is a very solid choice. With Discordia, you get another hit and run module that is very efficient a provides good utility. Bother Eyriss1 and Eyriss2 are great choices if you want to play for caster kill. Disruption is also a very strong control ability to have in your army. Lanyssa Ryssyl brings some form of threat extension that is very much welcome in a lot of matches. I can see Narn and Mage Hunter Assassins being considered as well, even if I am not a fun of such solos. The Houseguard Thane has his place if you want to run Houseguard Halberdiers, especially if you also run a Heavy Rifle Team.
Battle Engine: I have seen some lists with the AFG. I haven't had the luxury to test it myself, but the utility it brings and the fact that is a self sufficient module makes it a good choice with Kaelyssa.
Kaelyssa and Theme Forces: Right now, there is no incentive to run Kaelyssa in Theme, since Forges of War isn't a very good theme for her.
Sample lists:
My take on Kaelyssa
Kaelyssa, The Night’s Whisper (+29)
Banshee 18
Hydra 15
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber 4
Discordia 18
Arcanist Mechanik 2
Arcanist Mechanik 2
Max. Dawnguard Sentinels + CA 22
Soulless Escort 1
Max. Mage Hunter Strike Force 16
Eyriss3 6
This is the second iteration of my Kaelyssa list. It used to have Lanyssa and Moros in. I decided to get an Hydra in because I often found Moros not doing much. The list has a lot of hit and run between Kaelyssa herself, the Elara1/Discordia module and the Mage Hunter Strike Force with Eyriss3. The Sentinels and Banshee are there to do the heavy lifting against armored target while the Hydra is threatening the enemy caster and key solos with his RNG 15 POW 15 gun that ignores everything thanks to Phantom Hunter. The original list was designed to deal with Cygnar, specifically Haley2. The new version can still deal with Cygnar, but is probably a much more well rounded list. It has very good game into Menoth and Khador, can play into Wurmwood and a variety of other match ups.
Double Sentinels build
Kaelyssa
+29
Hydra
15
Hydra
15
Discordia 18
Sentinels with CA 22
Sentinels with CA and Soulless 23
Arcanist
Mechanik 2
Arcanist
Mechanik 2
Eyriss1 7