Getting Tactical: Nightstalkers

The Nightstalkers are shipping out this week from Mantic HQ to spread their unique brand of cosmic horror across the galaxy!

If you’re list-building for a new Strike Force on the Mantic Companion, or working out the best way to build those lovely new miniature kits on their way to your door then check out some favourite Nightstalker tactics below from the Firefight rules committee and playtesters.

Early Considerations

The rules committee were aware that it was extremely important that the Nightstalkers did not play like a ‘close combat remix’ of what the Plague (the faction we currently have that is closest to the genre of ‘alien horror’) was already capable of on the tabletop. As such, they’ve been designed with their own unique and fun playstyle.

Some Nightstalker units from Kings of War didn’t make the jump into sci-fi where they felt intrinsically more ‘fantasy’. What did make it across evokes impressions of movies like ‘Alien’, or is reminiscent of the art of H R Giger, and can be easily imagined stalking through a flickering starship corridor…

While there was an early temptation to use ‘psychic’ attacks widely across the army, it was quickly realised that this would unbalance how the faction worked. It was important that they were not only fun to play, but fun to play against as well.

The Nightstalkers are also the first faction to be released post-Command Protocols, which has redefined how the second edition of the game plays, and has been built around the latest ruleset from the very beginning.

Keeping the Right ‘Feel’

‘Mindthirst’ and ‘Stealthy’ are both key elements of how the Nightstalkers play in Kings of War, and these principles appear in Firefight as well – although you’ll find they function differently.

Stealthy –  this is a keyword that means that both Shoot and Steady Aim actions suffer a -1 to hit modifier.

Mindthirst – while within 18” of an enemy commander, the unit’s nerve stat increases by 1. From a lore perspective, these commanders are blazing beacons in the consciousness of the surrounding troops and the frenzy drives them onwards.

The faction orders are also full of character and flavour, so let’s look at three and their impact on the game:

• Hunter’s Instinct – an order that increases the consolidation move after combat from 3” to 6”. If you can use this to get your unit back into cover, or out of line of sight, or back onto an objective, then you’re really starting to understand the power of this tactic. Thematically this helps to give the impression of creatures that burst out of the shadows, and quickly withdraw before a unit truly knows what hit it or why three of their soldiers are now gone…they’re coming out of the walls!
• Phase Distortion – an order that adds seismic to your assault weapons (or can be boosted to affect trademark weapons). This boosts your capability to attack vehicles and heavy armour without having the more traditional forms of anti-tank weaponry…watch out Forge Father players!
• Void Weaving – an order that allows a unit of Butchers, Specters, Scarecrows, or Void Mutants to recover 2 wounds. This represents the unit drawing more troops forth from the void, or at least the energy to patch up their twitching, scrambling bodies…

General Principles for New Nightstalker Players

The army has some fragile elements, but hits hard, and a good player will make clever use of rules like ‘stealthy’ and ‘elusive’ to cross the board effectively under fire. Making good use of terrain will massive increase your damage potential when your melee units make contact.

Wherever possible, you want to limit the enemy’s ability to take ‘steady aim’ shots, and use your ranged attack options to effectively ‘pin’ the opposing units.

What should you watch out for (or take in your list if you’re up against this new faction)? Well, for a start we’d recommend any weapons with ‘It Burns’ – which is a super-thematic counter to this new threat…

Taking Command

Command units are important in Firefight, both for their impact on your command dice pool and on the other units immediately around them in the heat of combat. Let’s take a look at some of the options open to the Nightstalkers:

The Dream Hunter is a unique command unit, and has an ability that allows ‘hunter’ units within 6” to add 3” to their sprint actions that round. This is a big deal for helping accelerate your already-fast melee units across open ground in the early turns of the game…the race is on to get them into cover before you start taking effective enemy fire!

The Banshee is a unique commander with a pinning attack, and can shoot twice thanks to its order. Use it to pin key enemy units with the psychic screech attack, thus protecting your own units from charges. If you’re playing against Nightstalkers, make sure to keep an eye out for this unit – and don’t underestimate them…

The Shade has a command aura that is useful for keeping units alive and healthy before they get into melee.

The Butcher Fleshripper is the most versatile command unit in the list. Pair it with 2 Butchers for a deadly melee frontline unit. Or…pair it with 2 Ravagers to have a stocky ranged unit. In addition, its ability to heal or remove pin markers make this an excellent choice that should not be overlooked…

Troop Tips & Tricks

Let’s look at some of your troop choices that make up the core of the army, and some cool ideas and inspiration on how to get the best out of them:

Reapers – these miniatures are iconic, deadly, but vulnerable if attacked first – so make sure you’re the one making the charge! Benefitting from the ‘hunter’ designation, they pair well with lists including the Dream Hunter. However, with 40mm bases as standard – it can become hard to keep all of them out of the line of fire, so making good use of terrain will be key to maximise their damage potential when they reach the enemy.

Spectres – try using these as a screening unit that’s capable of pinning with the ‘blaze away’ action. As the faction’s basic shooting troops they also combine excellently with reapers, who can then pile into melee with better charge options.

Scarecrows – while one of the most basic troops in the list, they are also some of the most deceptive and scariest chaff you’ll find in Firefight: on an unhindered charge, a 20-strong unit with upgrades can swing 24 dice (hitting on 4+). This is a frontline unit that your opponent will really want to put some time and effort into removing from the board.

Nihilitas Void Ray – this unit adds transport capabilities and has a pinning attack from its Shadowbolt Array. It also has a Seismic attack with its Crushing Tail – equipping it for grappling with and taking down nearby enemy vehicles and constructs. And what should you try putting in this transport? The rules committee thoroughly recommend experimenting with Ravagers…

Deadly at Mid-Range

The faction has plenty of mid-range weaponry, so as an opponent don’t let the lack of light vehicles deceive you!

Ravagers, Luctus Void-Rays, and even the Butcher Fleshripper can provide great support with their Blast weapons for fast but fragile melee units. Make sure to use ‘Etheric Charge’ (another faction order) to extend their range, and possibly pin a unit to cancel out your opponent’s assault reaction.

They Just Keep Coming

For a truly relentless onslaught – try out a list with a Butcher Fleshripper, Portal of Despair, and Planar Apparition (an upgrade for the Mind Screech). While this is all definitely a points investment, their abilities can work in tandem to give you a list that has multiple ways of healing units….

We’ve only just scratched the surface! There’s lots more fun to be had with this list if you get creative – so get out there, and unleash the terror of the void…

Start building a Nightstalker list HERE and order your terrifying new army HERE!