Post by spideredd on May 26, 2018 14:44:11 GMT
So what is the Redeemers role? On paper, it looks like it's weak and inaccurate and that's never a good thing for a ranged warjack, especially one that costs more than the cheapest heavy in the faction.
Like most Protectorate light warjacks, the Redeemer is a a niche light that is great in its niche, but not so great outside of its niche. It's not a durable light, with DEF 12 ARM 17 it's among the least durable lights in the faction. Nor is it a flashy light, with only one rule on the back of its card and that rule has a negative impact on the Redeemer.
The main feature of the Redeemer is the RNG 16 POW 12 ROF 3 rocket. While not particularly powerful on its own, when taken with buffs, this can start to damage models with surprising high ARM and with three shots, any buff applied is applied at least three times, or more if the AOE can hit multiple enemies.
The main point against the Redeemer is that it has inaccurate, effectively giving the Redeemer a RAT of 1. This means that it can struggle to hit even a DEF10 model reliably without boosting, aiming or buffing. Its range is long enough that it can aim for a round in most situations. Aiming and boosting to hit will allow the Redeemer to hit a model with DEF 13 around half of the time. Applying buffs can improve this further.
The range is something that should not be ignored; it's among the longest unbuffed ranges in the game, out-ranging even our colossals, and allows the Redeemer to threaten a total of 21". Positioned correctly early on, this warjack can threaten most of the board and still be able to aim. Because of it's extreme threat, it's possible to get two or even three volleys off against most melee oriented units.
Sadly, we cannot increase the range of the rockets, but we do have a couple of casters that speed it up, and increase that potential threat to 23", but only when it's taken as part of their battle group.
Surprisingly, it can hit above it's weight in melee, thanks to the Choir giving it P&S 15 and other buffs that are available can make it higher still. That's not why you decide to spend the points on it though, as other warjacks take the same buffs for melee and be more effective.
Synergies
Like most Protectorate jacks, it needs the choir to function properly, that helps to bring the POW of the rocket up to 14, enough to damage most heavies on average with two dice and enough to threaten casters.
It also likes the Deliverer Arms Master, as this will grant all three shots from the Redeemer arcing fire, which increases the assassination potential.
Rhovan and his bodyguard allow the Redeemer to choose better targets, though these are better applied to a Reckoner so that flare can be applied to the target instead.
Mitigating Accuracy:
Because of its ROF of 3, it's a great jack to marshal out. A marshal can help with this jacks accuracy.
This is a jack that works well with a Reckoner. If the Reckoner can flare a target for a Redeemer, it takes the effective RAT of the Redeemer up to 3. While this may not be much, when coupled with the aiming bonus, it becomes something that always misses to something that misses sometimes. The issue with this is when the opponent shieldguards away the Reckoners shot.
Boosting is the best way to mitigate the accuracy of the warjack, but that does make this warjack very focus hungry.
Mitigating Focus Hunger:
This is a warjack that loves the Vassel. It tends to be a focus hungry warjack, needing to boost to hit three shots will do that, and the Vassel helps to mitigate this somewhat.
The best synergy is with a journeyman. Most journeymen tend to be a bit squishy and ours are no exception so they have a natural tendency to keep back and are great to give a Redeemer that they can fully fuel, or even two.
Ultimately, if you are able to create a list that layers buffs, the Redeemer can be very effective.
Casters:
The casters that best use this jack are either the ones that speed it up or the ones that fix its accuracy.
In terms of speed, there is only really one good option and that is Feora2.
Amon1 can speed the jack up, but he tends to want jacks that are more melee oriented thanks to synergy and doesn't really have the focus to power a Redeemer in the way that it wants to be powered.
Feora2 on the other hand has firestarter, which is perfect for this jack in her list, she wants a warjack that can light a fire from a long way away and can set fire to multiple targets.
In terms of accuracy, the jacks there are a surprising number of options.
Malekus1 has scourge to knock down a Redeemer's target and he does have open fire. Open fire is not actually that significant for a Redeemer as it already has three shots without it, and scourge can be expensive to apply. Open fire is actually more significant to a Redeemer when it's aplied to a Reckoner as it allows the Reckoner to tag more than one target with flare.
Reznik1 has brand of heresy which allows models in his battlegroup to gain boosted attack and damage rolls against the model that has it applied. Because of the number of shots, this is a great force multiplier for a Redeemer, but again, is an expensive spell.
Reznik2 has spellpeircer, which is a great way to ignore defensive buffs, and curse[battlegroup], which will allow any Redeemers in his battlegroup to add +2 on rolls to hit against a single chosen model/unit in his command range. For Reznik2 to apply curse to a target, he has to play forward and this can put him at risk.
Feora3 looks like the perfect choice for a Redeemer thanks to incite and redline, with incite boosting the attack and damage rolls and redline increasing speed, but in order to apply incite well, Feora3 needs to play quite far forward, putting her at risk. It's worth taking her with a Redeemer.
Severius1 is an obvious choice. Eye of Menoth helps the Redeemers accuracy and damage output, much like it does for any Protectorate model. It may be an obvious combo, but it is effective. Severius1 also has death sentence, which allows misses against the model/unit it's been applied to be re-rolled.
Severius2 has awareness. While awareness may not directly improve a Redeemers accuracy, it does allow the Redeemer to choose its targets better.
Kreoss1's feat is great for a turn of Redeemer shooting. DEF 5 is much easier to hit when the Redeemer's RAT is effectively 1.
Kreoss3 has death sentence. He also has force hammer, which causes a slam which will knock a model down, or two if angled or targeted correctly.
Tristan2 has field marshal[true sight] which allows the Redeemer to choose a better target.
A suggestion for use
I have found that using a pair in Tristan1's battlegroup with their own choir in a Severius1 Creators Might list is very effective.
Having a Reckoner on Severius1 can help increase the accuracy of the Redeemers. It'll then be worth boosting every roll to hit, as every direct hit is at POW 15 and your caster won't be supplying that focus. If you feel that the odds of hitting on two dice are good enough, it may be worth boosting the damage instead. With the volume of shots that can be leveraged, missing once or twice is not an issue because there are four or five shots remaining. You could place them on a flank and use them to destroy incoming fast units, so long as they are within Eye of Menoth.
Like most Protectorate light warjacks, the Redeemer is a a niche light that is great in its niche, but not so great outside of its niche. It's not a durable light, with DEF 12 ARM 17 it's among the least durable lights in the faction. Nor is it a flashy light, with only one rule on the back of its card and that rule has a negative impact on the Redeemer.
The main feature of the Redeemer is the RNG 16 POW 12 ROF 3 rocket. While not particularly powerful on its own, when taken with buffs, this can start to damage models with surprising high ARM and with three shots, any buff applied is applied at least three times, or more if the AOE can hit multiple enemies.
The main point against the Redeemer is that it has inaccurate, effectively giving the Redeemer a RAT of 1. This means that it can struggle to hit even a DEF10 model reliably without boosting, aiming or buffing. Its range is long enough that it can aim for a round in most situations. Aiming and boosting to hit will allow the Redeemer to hit a model with DEF 13 around half of the time. Applying buffs can improve this further.
The range is something that should not be ignored; it's among the longest unbuffed ranges in the game, out-ranging even our colossals, and allows the Redeemer to threaten a total of 21". Positioned correctly early on, this warjack can threaten most of the board and still be able to aim. Because of it's extreme threat, it's possible to get two or even three volleys off against most melee oriented units.
Sadly, we cannot increase the range of the rockets, but we do have a couple of casters that speed it up, and increase that potential threat to 23", but only when it's taken as part of their battle group.
Surprisingly, it can hit above it's weight in melee, thanks to the Choir giving it P&S 15 and other buffs that are available can make it higher still. That's not why you decide to spend the points on it though, as other warjacks take the same buffs for melee and be more effective.
Synergies
Like most Protectorate jacks, it needs the choir to function properly, that helps to bring the POW of the rocket up to 14, enough to damage most heavies on average with two dice and enough to threaten casters.
It also likes the Deliverer Arms Master, as this will grant all three shots from the Redeemer arcing fire, which increases the assassination potential.
Rhovan and his bodyguard allow the Redeemer to choose better targets, though these are better applied to a Reckoner so that flare can be applied to the target instead.
Mitigating Accuracy:
Because of its ROF of 3, it's a great jack to marshal out. A marshal can help with this jacks accuracy.
This is a jack that works well with a Reckoner. If the Reckoner can flare a target for a Redeemer, it takes the effective RAT of the Redeemer up to 3. While this may not be much, when coupled with the aiming bonus, it becomes something that always misses to something that misses sometimes. The issue with this is when the opponent shieldguards away the Reckoners shot.
Boosting is the best way to mitigate the accuracy of the warjack, but that does make this warjack very focus hungry.
Mitigating Focus Hunger:
This is a warjack that loves the Vassel. It tends to be a focus hungry warjack, needing to boost to hit three shots will do that, and the Vassel helps to mitigate this somewhat.
The best synergy is with a journeyman. Most journeymen tend to be a bit squishy and ours are no exception so they have a natural tendency to keep back and are great to give a Redeemer that they can fully fuel, or even two.
Ultimately, if you are able to create a list that layers buffs, the Redeemer can be very effective.
Casters:
The casters that best use this jack are either the ones that speed it up or the ones that fix its accuracy.
In terms of speed, there is only really one good option and that is Feora2.
Amon1 can speed the jack up, but he tends to want jacks that are more melee oriented thanks to synergy and doesn't really have the focus to power a Redeemer in the way that it wants to be powered.
Feora2 on the other hand has firestarter, which is perfect for this jack in her list, she wants a warjack that can light a fire from a long way away and can set fire to multiple targets.
In terms of accuracy, the jacks there are a surprising number of options.
Malekus1 has scourge to knock down a Redeemer's target and he does have open fire. Open fire is not actually that significant for a Redeemer as it already has three shots without it, and scourge can be expensive to apply. Open fire is actually more significant to a Redeemer when it's aplied to a Reckoner as it allows the Reckoner to tag more than one target with flare.
Reznik1 has brand of heresy which allows models in his battlegroup to gain boosted attack and damage rolls against the model that has it applied. Because of the number of shots, this is a great force multiplier for a Redeemer, but again, is an expensive spell.
Reznik2 has spellpeircer, which is a great way to ignore defensive buffs, and curse[battlegroup], which will allow any Redeemers in his battlegroup to add +2 on rolls to hit against a single chosen model/unit in his command range. For Reznik2 to apply curse to a target, he has to play forward and this can put him at risk.
Feora3 looks like the perfect choice for a Redeemer thanks to incite and redline, with incite boosting the attack and damage rolls and redline increasing speed, but in order to apply incite well, Feora3 needs to play quite far forward, putting her at risk. It's worth taking her with a Redeemer.
Severius1 is an obvious choice. Eye of Menoth helps the Redeemers accuracy and damage output, much like it does for any Protectorate model. It may be an obvious combo, but it is effective. Severius1 also has death sentence, which allows misses against the model/unit it's been applied to be re-rolled.
Severius2 has awareness. While awareness may not directly improve a Redeemers accuracy, it does allow the Redeemer to choose its targets better.
Kreoss1's feat is great for a turn of Redeemer shooting. DEF 5 is much easier to hit when the Redeemer's RAT is effectively 1.
Kreoss3 has death sentence. He also has force hammer, which causes a slam which will knock a model down, or two if angled or targeted correctly.
Tristan2 has field marshal[true sight] which allows the Redeemer to choose a better target.
A suggestion for use
I have found that using a pair in Tristan1's battlegroup with their own choir in a Severius1 Creators Might list is very effective.
Having a Reckoner on Severius1 can help increase the accuracy of the Redeemers. It'll then be worth boosting every roll to hit, as every direct hit is at POW 15 and your caster won't be supplying that focus. If you feel that the odds of hitting on two dice are good enough, it may be worth boosting the damage instead. With the volume of shots that can be leveraged, missing once or twice is not an issue because there are four or five shots remaining. You could place them on a flank and use them to destroy incoming fast units, so long as they are within Eye of Menoth.
