The Knight-Questors are those Stormcast Eternals heroes hand-picked by Sigmar for the most delicate missions where a single man can reach further than an entire army. While often working individually, at times they need to form a group to compensate each other weakness and accomplish greater feats of heroism: that’s when the Questor Soulsworn warbands are born.
Background and Lore of the Questor Soulsworn Warband
The Stormcast Eternals are the almost immortal warriors that Sigmar, the God-King, gathered collecting their souls a moment from their death to reforge them in Azyr as his vengeful army. Every time they fall in battle, their soul returns to the Realm of Heavens for another reforging, a process that has a cost on these men’s souls as the more they go through it, the more humanity they leave behind.
While all Stormcast Eternals are excellent warriors, scholars, engineers, etc., some individuals manifest different traits that Sigmar is quick to recognise and employ in those tasks where an entire army is not suited. These heroes, whose feats are remembered in legends and songs, are called Knight-Questors.
Occasionally, the task at hand requires different levels of expertise and therefore various individuals are required. When Sigmar requires such a group, he tasks one of them to recruit such warband by giving him or her a relic lantern that will guide the group through their mission. This Questor-Prime has also the job to make all other elements of the warband coexist and work together.
Usually a Questor Soulsworn warband is accompanied by a Knight-Relictor, a mysterious figure expert in divining the power of Azyr and able to support his team in all matters concerning souls. All the other Errant-Questors are chosen from different chambers and stormhosts, gathered for their specific expertise but is not unusual for them to come from the Paladin conclaves.
Dracothion himself warned Sigmar of the danger besetting the Realmshape Engines of the Eye of Chotec, the Seraphon void-ship that fell in the Gnarlwood long ago and whose machines have been terraforming the landscape around the terrible and dangerous forest. Sabotaging those engines is a good recipe for disaster and so Sigmar tasked his Questor Soulsworn to enter the Gnarlwood to protect any further damage.
But how does a warband full of so many individual heroes, work together? Let’s find out.
Fighters in the Questor Soulsworn Warband
Nota: si no has leído las reglas básicas de Warcry antes de leer este artículo, puede serte útil saber que las habilidades del juego se activan usando 6 dados que tiras al principio de tu turno.
Si dos de los dados muestran el mismo valor, pueden utilizarse para activar una habilidad Doble. Si tres muestran el mismo valor, pueden utilizarse para una habilidad Triple, y así sucesivamente.
Por lo tanto, cuando este artículo se refiere a que una habilidad es Doble, Triple o Cuádruple, se refiere a este sistema. Puede parecer un poco confuso, pero no tardas nada en acostumbrarte cuando empiezas a jugar.
The Questor Soulsworn warband is made of 7 different fighters, all have the Hero runemark and can be leader, so the warband has a special rule that allows to bypass the limit of heroes in the warband. The limit of 2 heroes as allies is still valid, however.
Questor-Prime: 170 points
While the Questor-Prime would be the ideal candidate to be the leader of this warband, he doesn’t have to be. Actually he can also not be in the warband at all, as anyone else can be the leader.
HIs base stats is the same across the entire warband: 4″ movement, Toughness 5 and 20 wounds. What differentiates them is the weapon profile and their abilities. The Questor-Prime has access to Searing Light, that for a Triple does 3 damage to all visible enemies within 3″. As it’s not value-dependent, is a good ability, but it assumes you are going to be surrounded because with 4 attacks at Strength 4 for 2/4 damage, you have high chances to do 3 damage without the use of a Triple.
The other abilities shared by all Soulsworn are Thundering Strides that for a Double allows another fighter within 6″ to perform a bonus move, You Won’t Even Slow Me Down, that for a Double allows the fighter taking down an enemy to perform a bonus move or attack and the warband reaction, Swift Retribution, that allows another friendly fighter, anywhere on the battlefield, to perform a bonus move or attack action after one of his comrades is taken down.
The latter is an extremely powerful reaction. While on one side with a limited amount of models you don’t want to lose too many fighters, it will unavoidably happen. If it happens before you had a chance to activate, you get a free action anywhere on the battlefield immediately on top of your normal activations compensating a bit losing a model.
Soulsworn Knight-Relictor: 165 points
En Soulsworn Knight-Relictor is the priest of the army with an 8″ ranged attack for 3/6 damage but also a melee profile that hurts with 3 attacks at Strength 4 for 3/4 damage. His main ability is the warband Quad that allows the teleport any friendly fighter within 3″ anywhere on the battlefield as long as it then stays 4″ away from any enemy unit.
This ability is on paper extremely strong, but it does require a Quad and the proximity to the fighter you want to move. It can be useful to double down on an enemy, move to an objective further out or chase an enemy that is quicker than your Questors. The 4″ gap from an enemy can be easily covered with a move, or one of the abilities that allow another fighter to perform a bonus move like the reaction or Thundering Strides.
Errant-Questor
- Errant-Questor with Grandhammer: 165 points
- Errant-Questor with Grandblade: 165 points
- Errant-Questor with Grandspear: 170 points
- Errant-Questor with Grandaxe: 165 points
The core of the army is made of Errant-Questors who distinguish themselves from their weapon profile:
- En Grandhammer has 3 attacks at Strength 6 for 3/4 damage.
- En Grandblade increases the number of attacks to 4 at the cost of damage (2/4 at Strength 5).
- En Grandspear has 3″ range, 3 attacks, Strength 5 and 2/5 damage.
- En Grandaxe has the same profile of the Grandspear but 2″ range.
Overall the Grandhammer statistically performs more damage with the Grandblade slightly behind but more consistent on lower Toughness (4 or less). The other 2 are less damaging but introduce that range distance that is important to avoid immediate retaliation, forcing the enemy to spend a move action to get close.
All of them, except the Grandspear, have access to the Double With the Force of a Thunderbolt, that grants a bonus attack action as long as they conclude a move action within 1″ of 2 or more enemies. As they have high resistance, connecting 2 or more horde units is not a problem for them, and a free attack at the mere cost of a Double is a bargain. In that case the Grandaxe is the great loser as it can’t use the ability if it wants to maintain distance and if they go in melee, they perform worse than other weapon options.
Errant-Questor Duellist with Twinblades: 160 points
En Duellist with Twinblades is an outside on the Errant-Questor profile. They have less Strength and damage (4 for 2/3 damage) but many more attacks (5) that makes them much more efficient against low Toughness (3 or less) fighters.
In addition, their Triple, prevents disengage options against them but more importantly any movement away from them if the model starts their activation within 3″. This can block a horde army forcing few fighters to direct towards the Duellist that in the right circumstances could even get behind an obstacle and prevent being surrounded effectively paralysing a portion of the enemy army. It’s a rare occasion, but since it doesn’t have a terrible melee profile and is even cheaper than the rest, why not adding one?
Abilities for the Questor Soulsworn Warband
- Thundering Strides (Double, everyone): A friendly fighter nearby performs a bonus move action.
- With the Force of a Thunderbolt (Double, Errant-Questor with Grandhammer, Grandblade or Grandaxe): Perform a bonus attack action if finishing a move within 1″ of 2 or more enemies.
- You Won’t Even Slow Me Down (Double, everyone): Perform a bonus move or attack action after taking down an enemy.
- Searing Light (Triple, Questor-Prime): 3 damage to all visible enemy fighters close-by.
- Face Me, Cowards! (Triple, Errant-Questor Duellist): Enemy fighters close-by when they start their activation, cannot disengage or move further from the Duellist.
- Translocation (Quad, Soulsworn Knight-Relictor): Teleport a close-by friendly fighter anywhere on the battlefield 4″ away from enemy fighters.
Reaction for the Questor Soulsworn Warband
Introducido en la nueva temporada de Warcry, Reacciones son cosas que se pueden hacer en determinadas circunstancias, pero siempre durante el turno enemigo. Cuestan una acción, por lo que sólo pueden usarlas los cazas que aún no se han activado o están esperando. Hay 3 reacciones universales y una específica para cada banda de guerra:
Swift Retribution (Everyone)
- En: A melee attack does enough damage to take down a fighter.
- Qué: Pick another fighter to perform a bonus move or attack action.
Battle Trait for the Questor Soulsworn Warband
El rasgo de batalla es un añadido introducido en Briar and Bone que añade una regla opcional extra que afecta a todos los personajes con la misma marca rúnica, sin usar ningún dado de habilidad. Cada facción tiene el suyo propio, pero en su lugar se puede usar el de la Gran Alianza:
- Pida - Defensores valientes: Al utilizar Cúbrase reacción el golpe crítico se convierte en golpe normal con un 3+ en vez de 4+.
- Caos - Aspirar a la gloria: Una vez por asalto de batalla, suma 1 al primer golpe crítico de un ataque cuerpo a cuerpo de un luchador cuyo coste sea de 125 puntos o menos.
- Death- Deathless Minions: Una vez por ronda de batalla, un golpe crítico a un súbdito de un ataque de disparo se cuenta como un golpe normal en su lugar.
- Destrucción - Destructores implacables: Durante los ataques cuerpo a cuerpo, el objetivo no puede reclamar el bonificador +1 de dureza de la cobertura.
Heroes Without Limits: Fighters from this warband can use multiple abilities in the same activation.
Strategy and Tactics for the Questor Soulsworn Warband
The Questor Soulsworn are an atypical warband, with so many heroes each striving to be the Leader. Remember that for a Triple they can all use the universal Triple Inspiring Presence that allows to chain activate another fighter within 6″ immediately after.
If you add this to all other abilities that allow coordination between the team members, you have a cohesive force that will grind anything on their path. They have brutal attacks, including some ranged potential and the 3″ of the Grandspear that enables attacking without engaging, and a defence that many warbands will struggle to overcome.
They are also not too expensive, meaning that usually a warband will be composed of 6 fighters who can cover quite some ground going in pairs.
Paradoxically, the Knight-Relictor Quad teleport, that normally would have been considered a great ability, here is just another tool in your arsenal. The Questor-Prime Triple that allocates a fixed damage in a short area, would be for many warbands the objective they built up for. Here is just another ability that you may consider only in the right circumstances.
So what do you have that the others don’t? The Duellist opportunely placed can literally break other team activations forcing them to get closer to him, and if they can’t, their activation is wasted. Even if they can, they have to waste a move action towards him and not towards an objective or anything else. Would he had Toughness 4 and lower wounds, that wouldn’t have been much, but 20 wounds on Toughness 5 can be above 50-60 points range troops paygrade…
They have few abilities that grant free actions, that would normally be distributed sparsely between warbands. Here for a Double they can ask a comrade at 6″ to perform a move, and with the 4″ movement, extra moves are always good. Comparing this with ignoring vertical distance while climbing seems unfair…
Engaging more than one enemy? As a reward you get a free attack (for a Double). Taking down an enemy? As a reward you get a free move or attack (for a Double). Even if you die before activating you grant a bonus move or attack to any fighter still on the battlefield. Basically anything you do can provide rewards.
The Questor Soulsworn can’t control the entire board because of the limited number of models and the 4″ movement, but they can take over whichever objective they desire. They also suffer super-elite fighters like the Iron Golem Ogor Breacher that can literally take one of them down with 2 punches so don’t go heads on and avoid retaliation. That’s what Grandspears and Grandaxes and their ranges are for.
Narratively or just for occasional matches, this warband is fun, probably needs to be balanced a little but is ideal for beginners that are learning the game. And if you are building your own narrative, it can be extremely satisfying seeing this warriors grow or be reforged!
Pros and Cons of the Questor Soulsworn Warband
Pros:
+ Strong fighters with good attacks and defence
+ Strong abilities that require coordination
+ Strong reaction
Contras:
– Nothing?
Some thematic warbands for the Questor Soulsworn
Sólo por diversión aquí presentamos algunas bandas temáticas, pensadas más para la diversión o el contexto narrativo que para el juego competitivo. Ten en cuenta que en el juego narrativo necesitas completar una misión que te permita reclutar un Héroe antes de poder añadirlo a tu lista.
Fuera de la caja: 1 Questor-Prime as leader, 1 Knight-Relictor, 1 Duellist, 1 Grandblade, 1 Grandspear, 1 Grandhammer.
How to buy a Questor Soulsworn Warband
The warband was initially released as part of the Nightmare Quest set, but is since available as an individual box.
There are two identical sprues in the box, each allows you to build a combination between this:
- 1 Knight-Relictor or 1 Grandblade or 1 Grandhammer
- 1 Questor-prime or 1 Grandaxe or 1 Grandspear
- 1 Duellist or 1 Grandhammer or 1 Grandaxe
So in total you can build 6 models, meaning that at least one of the options is unavailable from a single box (unless you magnetize). Grandhammer and Grandaxe have 2 different poses available.
Tips on painting a Questor Soulsworn Warband for Warcry
Questor Soulsworn belong to the Stormast Eternals army and as such there are plenty of colour schemes that you can adopt as the main stormhosts have been depicted in multiple medias. You could even have each Questor coming from a different stormhost (as per background) and have a colourful warband.
For some inspiration, Warhammer Community has several painting tutorials, mostly using the Hammers of Sigmar stormhost, like this Vindicator tutorial that shows the new armour and style.
Here some other tutorials from other artists:
- Peachy gives us his speed painting tips for two different colour schemes on The Painting Phase channel.
- Cult of Paints gives us some tips for a Knight Excelsior theme.
- Sonic Sledghehammer Studio shows us how to make Anvils of the Heldenhammer.
- And if you are undecided, McNeilly Co. shows us how to colour 6 different stormhosts.
