and
Join me after the break for a brief analysis of these spoilers.
Of the two spoilers, one is easier to link to an upcoming model: Sky Fire was a rule listed as part of the SmogCon PP presentation. More specifically, it was listed as being a rule for the Storm Raptor Circle Orboros gargantuan. It seems certain that the Storm Raptor will have Sky Fire, either as an animus (this spoiler may in fact be for that animus, just with a typo in the header), or hell, even as a passive ability (it is an 18-20 point model after all).
What is an interesting possibility is that this spoiler doesn't have any typos, and is in fact a spell on an upcoming model. If that's the case, there are a couple of possibilities that spring to mind:
- Cygnar: Possible, but feels unlikely. Based on the word puzzle at the end of the most recent No Quarter, it seems very, very likely that the next Cygnar 'caster will be Haley3 (Major Prime Victoria Haley). I'd expect a spell like this on a Nemo (though it'd be scary to use with his semi-squishy stats), but I think it's unlikely that Haley will branch out that way (though she did originally have Chain Lightning...)
- Convergence: Quite possible. We have zero clue if Convergence is even getting a new 'caster in the next book (the Prime Conflux is the only confirmed new Convergence model), but if they do it's well within their purview to get a 'caster that fiddles with Electricity damage somehow. Still, pushing your 'caster up just to give out a +2 to a limited damage type is a little scary. This is the more interesting possibility to me, just because it'd be fun to see how PP would pull it off (or, equally likely, try valiantly but come up short).
I still think it is most likely that this is just a mis-labeled spoiler for the Storm Raptor. But it is fun to consider alternatives.
The other spoiler is more alluringly mysterious. This is the first spoiler from the vault that is for a feat, which is usually a key indicator of a 'caster's play style. As such, it's an exciting window into the possible playstyle of one of the upcoming 'casters. Plus it has redacted text, which adds another wrinkle to the guessing game.
My first reaction when reading this feat was that it would be for the new Protectorate 'caster (whoever that is). However, after thinking about it for a few minutes, I didn't like that idea very much. A few reasons:
1) This feat feels like something Thyra would have. That means the new 'caster is either Thyra2 (which shouldn't be the case, as I've read in numerous places that the new Protectorate 'caster is confirmed to be someone totally new), or they are stepping all over Thyra's toes. While I expect PP to have some overlap in their model designs, that would feel a little too much like a "do over" for it to be right.
2) The name of the feat seemed really familiar. Then I realized: it's very close to Garryth's current title. While that is no guarantee this feat is for, say, Garryth2, it feels like a pretty good clue.
3) Mechanically, this feat makes more sense in a faction like Retribution, which favors aggressive application of infantry. Not that this feat wouldn't work in Protectorate - Side Step'ing warjacks with boosted melee attacks would be brutal to deal with - but it feels more at home in Retribution. Especially if it is on Garryth2.
4) Finally, the redacted text. This isn't any great confirmation (they could have stuck an arbitrary black box in there) but that black box is big enough to comfortably fit "Garryth".
For those reasons, I'm willing to bet that this feat belongs to Epic Garryth, the Dream Killer. Partially because I think it fits based on what little clues there are to work with, and partially because I really don't like the idea of dealing with Kaelyssa2/Ravyn2/Rahn2 right now.
Or ever.
Regardless of whomever gets it, that's a pretty interesting feat. Mechanically it's borderline boring - "have some boosted attack rolls and a relatively well known melee special rule" - but that doesn't diminish the potential power or shenanigans it presents. Particularly in Retribution: Mage Hunter Infiltrators, Narn, and even Fane Knight Skeryth Issen could do fun things with that feat. Let alone what Garryth2 himself may be able to do with it.
Others have said it, and I agree: I'm a big fan of this approach to teasing model rules. It still leaves plenty to the imagination - for as certain as the Occult Whispers or even this Blades of Vengeance spoiler seem, they're not guaranteed to be on any specific model - while giving us a window into what some of the upcoming models are going to be capable of. It's a fantastic way to give the community something to debate and have fun with, while also not giving away all the goods (as is the case with the full model spoilers, which was the only method of getting any info in the past).
With Reckoning confirmed to be a June release (based on various stores reporting that as the solicited release month), we're only a few months away from seeing how accurate some of these guesses are. In the mean time, I'm looking forward to more Vault spoilers to keep us awake and excited.
The one thing I find most interesting is the fact that they had to redact text. Isn't it usually the case that feats read "this model" and not the real name?
ReplyDeleteLooking through just Khador's 'casters, most of them adhere to the pattern of "in 's control area", or something similar. And they use the name of the warcaster again in future references (a good example is Butcher2's feat).
DeleteThe redacted text is something I love about this kind of spoiler. It leaves a lot of room for debate and speculation, which is way more entertaining than if they just flat out told us who it was.
Even if I'm 99% sure this is Garryth2's feat, there is absolutely nothing preventing it from being, say, Denny3's feat. Or Zerkova2's. Or, etc.
Granted, it wouldn't make much sense in those contexts, but the fact that this feat isn't *absolutely* tied to anyone makes the lead up more entertaining. :)