Convergence Tactics: The Gun Line

The gun line army is an archetype that is fairly popular in WMH right now. Changes to ROF and pre-measuring have made this type of list feasible in most factions, and Convergence offers up some potent gun lines. In today’s post, I’ll break down the Chain Attack podcast on gun lines to see what a Convergence gun line would look like, and how fellow gear-heads can beat back gun lines in other armies.

What does a gun line look like?

The defining trait of most gun lines is, well, the guns! Most models in a gun line army will have some sort of ranged attack, and ideally you’ll know going in what those guns are best suited for (more on that later). Not all guns are equal though, and there are some that you’ll want to prioritize in your list:

·      Boost-able guns: in the Convergence, this means guns that come from your vectors. Boosting allows you to reliably hit and damage tougher targets, and can help some models (like the Monitor) activate special critical effects.

·      Infantry clearing: There are a lot of AoEs in the Convergence that allow you to clear masses of ill-positioned troops, though some work better than others. POW 13 sprays from Reductors can also clear the chaff easily!

·      CRA: Only the angels are capable of this, though not to great effect (POW12 at the most). Aurora’s Transference can allow you to dent heavier targets, but there’s better ways to spend those points.

Which Convergence casters are best at running gun lines?

Iron mother is the premiere gun line caster in Convergence. Her average RAT (relative to other factions), Fire Group spell, and Feat allow her battlegroup to put out high quality shots that can bring down almost any target. Plus, her servitors can increase the damage of those shots, which can lead to wrecked heavies and crippled colossal targets. As of this writing, one of the most popular Convergence lists is an Iron Mother gun line.

Syntherion is a good second choice due to his Feat and Hot Shot. Auto-boosting shots from the Monitor, Assimilator, and Axiom are good ways to bring down heavier targets. Syntherion’s gun line can get a lot of additional threat range from his Feat. Simply charge/trample your gun in, and you have an extra 7-8” threat on your gun (more if you charge a Beacon/Magnetic Hold target)!  It’s a good way to snipe an unsuspecting target or sneak in an assassination.

How does the Convergence beat gun lines?

There are two things that let Convergence lists thrive against gun lines: Lucant and the Destruction Initiative theme. Between Lucant’s field marshal [Shield Guard] ability, his Deceleration spell, and Feat, few guns are going to truly threaten you. Conservators and Reciprocators can reach a staggering ARM 26 against shooting on Lucant’s feat, though a list that includes both is somewhat pillow-fisted. Lucant’s mitigation is turned up to 11 when it is part of the Convergence theme. With the theme, Lucant can control more area on the board and gets 13-16 points worth of shield guards. This allows Conservators to activate Hand of Vengeance, which makes them more formidable (especially with Positive Charge).

More generally, you’ll want to play smart against gun lines. Utilize terrain when you can, and consider going second so that you only have to suffer one round of shooting before scoring begins. It takes getting used to, but you’ll need to realize that gun lines will inevitably bring down models before they have a chance to contribute to the battle. Do not get discouraged!

Gun lines by faction

Here, we’ll cover the casters that can lead gun lines, and how their respective faction can counter a Convergence gun line list. Remember: regardless of opposing faction, Lucant is your best defense against gun lines!

Cygnar: The gun line faction unsurprisingly has a lot of casters that can lead ranged-focused armies. Watch out for Sloan, Siege, Caine(s), and Maddox. Aside from being a solid shooting army, Cygnar can stop your shooting with a skewed Centurion.

Menoth: Kreoss, Severius2, and Reznik2 are the most likely to lead a holy gun line. When shooting at them, be sure to pick off the Choir when you get a chance. Also watch out for Vigilant and Devout.

Khador: Butcher1 and Sorscha2 have good options for gun lines. Khador can be very resilient against Convergence shooting, so watch out for Kayazy infantry, Irusk, and Vlad1&2.

Cryx: Denny1, Skarre2, and Goreshade1 typically helm gun lines. Other than high DEF, Stealth and the Witch Coven, not much protects Cryx units from guns.

Retribution: Ossyan, Kaelyssa, and Ravyn are good shooting casters, and Helynna and Vyros2 are good shooting counters.

Convergence: The mirror match is going to be Iron Mother, or possibly something weird with dual TEPs. Of course, watch out for an enemy Lucant that will stop your shooting cold.

Mercenaries: Bart, Magnus, Ossrum, and Durgen are great shooters, and Bart (again!) and Thexus are good counters to shooting.

Trolls: Grim1&2 are powerful shooting warlocks, and Trollbloods in general are very resilient to opposing firepower. Ragnor and Gunnbjorn are strong counters to shooting lists.

Circle: The druids have lots of tools for a good gun line, and units like the sentry stones make it easy to increase threat range. Tanith is the premier ranged caster, and she can make units such as Reeves very dangerous. Wormwood, Kaya, and Baldurs1&2 excel at countering shooting attacks.

Legion: Lylyth1 is probably the best shooting caster in Legion, with her third incarnation a close second. Aside from high DEF and movement tricks, Vayl1&2 will be able to counter most shooting.

Skorne: Rasheth can lead Reivers and Titan Cannoneers in a gun line list to great effect. Aside from Makeda1&2, there’s not much Skorne can do to avoid being shot (aside from skewing).

Minions: Not many Minion warlocks can leady a shooting army, but Farrow Brigands and Gun Boars can put out decent shots on their own. On the other hand, Minions does have a good capability to resist ranged attacks with Rask, Wrongeye & Snapjaw, and Swamp Gobbers (the latter two can be found in most other Hordes lists as well).