Mandrakes

InfiltrationRecon
KILL GRADE [9]
12345
24579

What to Know

Tactical Overview

Unleash the Mandrakes! This 9-op team (1 Nightfiend + 8 specialists) is a fast, shadow-dwelling nightmare. With 7" Move, they strike from darkness using SHADOW PASSAGE to teleport and WITHIN SHADOW for +1 Save. Favor melee with lethal blades, but their unique SOULSTRIKE rule makes shooting deadly against high-APL targets. They're fragile (5+ Save, 8-9 Wounds) but masters of hit-and-run, using ploys like Blade in the Dark to charge from concealment. Control the shadows, harvest souls, and vanish before your foe can react!

Core Abilities

Unusual Shooting ✓
Dirgemaw: Horrifying Scream [Seek Light]
Unusual Melee ✓
Firefight Ploy: Shadow's Bite: strike first when charged and in shadowStrategic Ploy: Blade in the Dark: charge while concealed in shadow
Super Conceal ✗
Out of Order Movement ✓
Strategic Ploy: Creeping Horror: free Dash after each enemy activationOperative: Haunting Focus: interrupt to activate during opponent's turn
Activation Manipulation ✓
Operative: Harrowing Whispers: prevent enemy activation with D6 roll vs APLOperative: Haunting Focus: interrupt to activate first against targeted enemy
APL Modifiers ✓
Dirgemaw: Horrifying Scream [Stun]Chooser of the Flesh: Soul Harvest: +1 APL to friendly operative.
Bitter Demise ✓
Shadeweaver: Weave Darkness: removes marker when operative is incapacitated
Block Rerolls ✗
Damage Reduction ✓
Operative: Oubliex: ignore damage on 5+ when activeOperative: Balefire: -1 damage from enemy ranged weapons with token

Faction Rules

  • SHADOW PASSAGE: Once per turn, reposition a Mandrake within Shadow without moving, cannot shoot or fight until next turn.
  • SOULSTRIKE: Defence dice success based on target's APL, 1 is critical success, 6 is always fail.
  • UMBRAL ENTITIES: Ignore Piercing when shooting Mandrakes, Mandrakes in Shadow get +1 to Save.
  • WITHIN SHADOW: Defined as near Heavy terrain, under Vantage terrain, or near a Shadow Portal.

Strategic Ploys

  • Creeping Horror: Mandrake with Conceal can free Dash within Shadow after enemy activation.
  • Gloaming Shroud: Retain one defence die as success when Mandrake in Shadow is shot.
  • Blade in the Dark: Mandrake with Conceal can Charge if starting or ending in Shadow.
  • Inescapable Nightmare: Reroll one attack die when Mandrake in Shadow is attacking or retaliating.

Firefight Ploys

  • Slither Out Of Sight: Change Mandrake order to Conceal after activation
  • Soul Feast: Regain wounds equal to APL times damage dice
  • Nowhere To Hide: Move through terrain during activation
  • Shadow's Bite: Defender resolves first attack dice in fight

Equipment

  • Chain Snare: Prevents enemy Fall Back action on a dice roll
  • Shadow Glyph: Makes operative untargetable while concealed in cover
  • Soul Gem: Adds Blast 1" to baleblast weapons once per turning point
  • Bone Darts: Provides a silent, rending ranged weapon once per turning point

Rules Commentary

5 Q&As
Q:
If a friendly MANDRAKE DIRGEMAW operative attempts to shoot or fight against the specified enemy operative in its Haunting Focus rule, but is prevented from doing so by an opponent's rule (e.g. SANCTIFIER CONFESSOR Commanding Declamation, NOVITIATE Blinding Aura) is the activation still cancelled?
A:
No. Continue its activation as though the requirements of the Haunting Focus rule have been fulfilled.
Q:
If a NIGHTFIEND operative incapacitates an enemy operative, then that enemy operative attempts to inflict damage as a result of being incapacitated (e.g. LEGIONARY Unending Bloodshed) and the NIGHTFIEND operative's Oubliex rule ignores that damage, does the oubliex become active again when the enemy operative is removed from the killzone?
A:
No. The enemy operative is already incapacitated when it attempts to inflict the damage, so the timing required for the oubliex to become active has passed.
Q:
If two MANDRAKE DIRGEMAW operatives select each other with their Haunting Focus rule, which operative activates in the following instance: Operative A is selected to activate normally, then Operative B would attempt to activate first as a result of the Haunting Focus rule, then Operative A would attempt to activate first as a result of the same rule?
A:
Operative B.
Q:
How does the Soulstrike weapon rule interact with rules that allow your opponent to retain defence dice results of 5+ as critical successes (e.g. ANGEL OF DEATH Hardy Chapter Tactic), or retain results of a specific number as a success (e.g. ELUCIDIAN STARSTRIDER Armoured Bodysuit)?
A:
The Soulstrike weapon rule takes precedence. For example, even with the Hardy Chapter Tactic, a 5 would be a fail not a critical success for that ANGEL OF DEATH operative, as it's higher than their APL stat (3).
Q:
When a MANDRAKE DIRGEMAW is shooting with its horrifying scream ranged weapon and negatively changes the target's APL as a result of the Stun weapon rule, does that change affect defence dice rolled for the target during that same sequence in relation to the Soulstrike weapon rule?
A:
No, as an operative's stats don't change during an action.