Rath and Storm Mages
Another preview of upcoming reinforcements
For this week's preview, first we get Rath, another of the 4 Mercenary Champions in Saella's Precision:
Where Saella is apparently a rogue Phoenix Elf, Rath is a representative of yet another minor non-human race, many of which are like large intelligent animals. We have seen Khan Queso from the Dugalla or Vermin (rats), Khexhu from the Vekkids (lizard-men), Bounders from the Saliens (frogs), and Sairook from the Ornithians (birds). Now we have Rath, a hawk-like being. I don't know if Rath is an Ornithian, since Sairook looks like a raven, not a hawk, so this may be yet another race.
More important for gameplay, Rath has an interesting new ability. True to his predatory nature, he swoops down on the weak and wounded: he can move next to a wounded enemy Common Unit, no matter where it is on the Battlefield. This is not universally usable, since many Commons have only 1 Life Point, so they are destroyed with any damage. But clever players can probably figure out ways to make their enemies curse Rath's presence.
The preview from Bellor's Retribution is especially exciting. In the Master Set description, it says you can "command the Vargath, mountainous goatfolk who call lightning from the heavens!", but there was only one lightning-oriented Vargath Unit in the set: the Champion Quen. However, their reinforcements will include 5 Common Units who literally have the ability to Call Lightning.
And its lightning is as fearsome as it sounds. It can automatically give 2 wounds to any adjacent Unit, which is as bad as Prince Elien's Fire Blast or Greater Burn, though it has a shorter range. It also has a cost -- the lightning also wounds the Mage who calls it. But the Vargath are fearless and willing to sacrifice themselves in battle when necessary, and that fact can't help but strike some fear in opponents who face several Storm Mages on the Battlefield at once.
Until next week!
