Editing Warmachine/Tactics/Advanced Tactics (section)

====Special Rules====

And this is how you do it.

Barring the model in question just outright having whatever high stat you need it to, you'll have to rely on the unit's special abilities to make it work. In fact, even if it ''does'' have excellent stats, you probably ''still'' want it to have a couple special abilities to back those numbers up. Remember, average is bad. Everything that you have that sets you apart from the bog-standard vanilla is good, and some of the more common special rules are actually considered almost mandatory if you want to be considered good at what you do. 

So here is where we'll go over some of the more important special rules and abilities, and what they do to make your unit more effective. These aren't all the different special rules you'll find in Warmahordes, but they are generally the ones that you'll come across most often, and the ones that you'll care most about.

* '''ADVANTAGES'''

Advantages are special abilities that a unit or model has on itself. They are printed as a series of icons on the bottom of the unit's stat line. 

** '''Advance Deployment'''
This model or unit deploys ''after'' everything else has been put on the table, and gets to deploy up to 6" forward of the rest of the army. You'll usually find this on speedy, sneaky types, like Khador's Widowmakers or the Retribution's Mage Hunter Assassins. It isn't unheard of to find it on frontline infantry, though, such as Menoth's Exemplars Errant. It makes the unit much more mobile and is very important in scenario play, as it basically lets the unit reach the center of the table a turn faster, which can be vital for capturing and holding vital points. It can also be used to react to your opponent's deploy and place slippery units on an unguarded flank, to threaten his warcaster or warlock.

** '''Arc Node'''
This advantage is exclusive to warjacks. Even warbeasts don't have it, so Hordes armies will have to do without, which is a shame - it's one of the best advantages a warjack can have, and generally accounts for quite a lot of the 'jack's total cost. A warcaster usually has to cast spells from their own position, which means that they have to be fairly close to their target. This can be risky, since the warcaster is a priority target for your opponent. With an arc node on the field, though, this is no longer an issue: the warcaster can channel spells through the 'jack carrying the node. This can more than double the range of some spells, and allows your warcaster much more freedom of positioning while also increasing their battlefield presence by a ridiculous amount. 

Unfortunately, you can't channel a spell through a warjack that's engaged in melee, so be sure to keep the node carrier safe. Even if the unit it's engaged with is the most fucking abysmal melee combatant ever and stands no chance of actually killing it, a lot of node bearers lack the means to quickly clear tarpits, and you're taking that 'jack for the ability to throw spells from across the table, not for a subpar melee unit. Almost all arc node carriers are light warjacks, too.

** '''Combined Melee Attack''' and '''Combined Ranged Attack'''
These advantages are functionally the same thing, just for two different types of combat. You'll only ever find them on units, so no solos, warnouns, or whatever joining in, but a unit that ''does'' have it can be a real terror for your opponent. This lets two or more of your unit members call a combined attack on the same target, granted that they all have line of sight and are in range. In exchange for sacrificing their individual attacks, the one attack that these models make is extra-powerful: it gets +1 to both the attack ''and'' damage rolls for each participant, so even a minimum combined attack of two models is firing at +2. This makes combined attacks scarily accurate and capable of punching through much higher ARM values than the unit's normal POW would suggest. It's one of the most valuable combat abilities you can have.

** '''Eyeless Sight'''
True sight, basically. You ignore cloud effects (see [[Warmachine/Tactics/Gameplay Basics|The Basics]] on terrain for why that's important), forests, concealment, and Stealth when making ranged attacks. This is an excellent ability all around and makes it much harder for your opponent to avoid your ranged attacks. 

** '''Gunfighter'''
You can use your ranged weapons in melee combat. Really just makes it so that some models, like the Cryxian Pistol Wraith, are never caught unarmed. 

** '''Incorporeal'''
You ignore terrain and models when moving, so you can basically walk through anything you want, and only magical abilities (or weapons with Magic Weapon) can hurt you. Any time you attack, though, you lose Incorporeal for a round. This makes some units incredibly hard to deal with for certain armies, and is particularly important for Cryx, as it provides a lot of their survivability and mobility. It's a powerful advantage that should not be underestimated.

** '''Pathfinder'''
You ignore rough terrain penalties to movement and can charge across some obstructions. Simple, awesome. You want it.

** '''Stealth'''
Anything shooting at you from more than 5" away misses. Makes you pretty hard to remove with standard ranged options, but AOEs can still deviate onto you, so you're not invincible. 

** '''Tough'''
Functionally a [[Warhammer 40000|5+ invulnerable save]] when you die as long as you aren't knocked down. Sadly success knocks you down so it is rare to get a second roll on any given model. Handy, but not something to rely on too heavily.

* '''WEAPON QUALITIES'''

Advantages for your weapon. Printed on the weapon stat line, obviously.

** '''Blessed'''
This weapon ignores enemy spell effects that increase the targets Def and Arm. Really good for vs factions that rely on buffs like Cygnar's Arcane Sheild. 


** '''Continuous: [Effect]'''
You set people on fire or douse them with acid. Fairly straightforward, really. Handy for clearing infantry quickly on AOE weapons; even if the main attack doesn't kill them, the fire generally will.

** '''Critical: [Effect]'''
Same as Continuous, only it doesn't apply unless you roll doubles for damage.

** '''Damage Type: [Element]'''
Actually ''not'' something you want to see, since it doesn't actually do anything except make it so that a model immune to that damage type doesn't give a fuck about this weapon. The upside is that this is usually accompanied by some other special ability.

** '''Disruption'''
A warjack hit with this weapon loses all focus, does not power up in the next maintenance phase and cannot be allocated focus.

** '''Magical Weapon'''
You can hit Incorporeal models. One of the most important and widespread weapon properties in the game. Almost every warnoun has a Magical Weapon, and it's a rare army list that isn't packing it on at least a few other things as well. If you don't have it, expect to struggle hugely against Cryx.

** '''Open Fist'''
Warjacks and warbeasts only. Basically, the more Open Fists you have, the more special attacks you have access to. A great bonus if you can get it, particularly if you can get two.

** '''Reach'''
One of the most important weapon qualities in the game. Reach weapons have four times the melee range of standard ones: a whopping two inches, rather than the standard half-inch. This allows you to engage models without being engaged in return and greatly extends your charge threat range. You really, ''really'' want this on dedicated heavy-cracking melee units.

** '''Shield'''
A bonus to ARM against attacks from the front so long as the Shield weapon is still online. Very nice and makes a unit with it surprisingly durable.

** '''Weapon Master'''
Generally second only to Reach in terms of desirability for any given weapon. Weapon Master gives you a bonus die - not a boost, so you can still add more dice on the charge or by spending focus - to damage rolls made with it. This means you'll be averaging 10 on your damage rolls rather than 7, which makes you much more threatening.