Using Reikenor as an Ally in LoN

[ianob]

6 minutes ago, Gumbalina said:

The only case you'd cast arcane bolt instead is the extra 6" range over wraithstorm.  

Extra range is a pretty common case. But it's far from the only case.

 

• Enemy hero with 1W left? Arcane Bolt as it's much more likely to cast.
• Enemy behemoth you just need to knock down to its next wound bracket? Arcane Bolt, more likely to cast.
• Reikenor low on wounds and can't afford to cut for +3? Arcane bolt again.
• Enemy Curseling in unbind range and you have a critical hero on 2W? Cast Arcane Bolt just in case he dispels Wraithstorm and throws it back at your hero for a kill.

And that's just quickly off the top of my head. Never say "only" in game like this, small decisions matter!

 

[Gumbalina]

In fairness I am a nub at this game.  Mainly you'd try for the wraithstorm except a few fringe cases.  

[Sception]

In terms of self wounding, its important to remember that, as with not getting faction spells, an allied reikenor doesnt get death saves, either.  So there's no chance of saving away the self influcted mortal wound.  As such, i'd be more conservative in using the ability than i would in a nighthaunt list.

That said, +3 to get off some big spells is still worth it, and yeah, eternal spells are the clearest examples.  Cogs can be utterly game changing in a LoN list that exploits gravesite deployment.  A pundulum cast in the second turn of any battle round is a guaranteed 2d6 mortals against any enemy unit it stops in front of (assuming unidirectional movement, which is what the text clearly says, despite that not being how a 'pendulum' works intuitively).  Geminids, while they can be turned back at you in subsequent rounds, just may decide the game on the round you cast them.

[Ove]

9 hours ago, Sception said:

In terms of self wounding, its important to remember that, as with not getting faction spells, an allied reikenor doesnt get death saves, either.  So there's no chance of saving away the self influcted mortal wound.  As such, i'd be more conservative in using the ability than i would in a nighthaunt list.

 

You dont get the plus to casting if you save it, right? 

If the mortal wound was suffered...

[Sception]

5 hours ago, Ove said:

You dont get the plus to casting if you save it, right? 

If the mortal wound was suffered...

Ha!  Good point.  That might actually make the ability better for LoN, depending on if the nighthaunt death save is phrased in a way that makes it optional or not.  If you have to attempt the save in a nighthaunt list, and succeeding kills the bonus, that could be rather frustrating.