Meet the Deadeye
“Which one should I shoot first?”
This week (after a slight delay – sorry!) we set our sights on the sniper hidden in the trees: the murderous Deadeye.
Background
Traditional marksmanship is certainly not what it used to be. These days, it is almost considered a low art in comparison to the ways of Wizards and other masters of destructive magic.
Yet it is not so: in truth there has never been a better time to be a crack shot with a long-range weapon. Such a sharpshooter is usually referred to as a “Deadeye”.
Wherever there is a fireball-spewing Wizard, a Deadeye can put an end to their mayhem. Wherever there is a rampaging Warrior, a Deadeye can snipe them before they even charge.
And always from a safe distance, with very little mess, for a quite affordable fee.
Tales of duelling snipers are the stuff of romantic legend on the borders of Tempestia. Who are these mysterious far-seeing killers? What led them into conflict with each other? And which of them will emerge victorious?
Appearance
Anything is a deadly projectile if you can fling it fast and accurate enough. As such, there are few assumptions one can make about the armament of a Deadeye. From the most arcane, inscrutable hand-cannon imaginable, to the humble slingshot, no ranged weapon should be underestimated when placed in the hands of such a sharpshooter. What may seem like the least-threatening shortbow in the world can, with the right attunement and a skilled marksman’s aim, take an unwary foe’s head clean off.
Some Deadeyes do not need a typical projectile weapon at all. Such magi are able to use channelling devices like staves, wands and magic amplifiers to hurl objects at unstoppable speeds exactly where they need to go.
Deadeyes tend to be lightly armoured, in both physical and thaumaturgical terms, so as to have some protection from retaliation, but not so much as to impede their ability to rush to a vantage point or, more importantly, run away.
Rules
The Deadeye is a simple fighter type with no magical abilities and one straightforward job: hang back and eliminate the enemy, from far enough away that they can’t do anything about it.
At Toughness 5, they are a little bit easier to kill than most 2-Slot fighters. However, they have a few good options for dealing with enemies before (and indeed after) they enter threat range.
First of all, they have the Quick Shot missile attack:
| Range | Power | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| 2 - 9 | 4 | 4 |
This ain’t much to write home about, but sometimes it gets the goods. The Deadeye shines when they take the time to Take Aim:
Place a marker on a visible point within 10”. In this fighter’s next activation, they may make an Aimed Shot attack on a fighter within 2” of the marker. Remove the marker at the end of that activation.
Aimed Shot has a longer range (+3) than the Quick Shot attack, and is more powerful (+2) and more precise (+1). The aim marker can also be used to frighten enemies out of entering an area. And it persists into the next round!
Finally, when things get tough and the enemy closes the distance, the Deadeye has a perfectly serviceable melee attack.
Conclusion
The Deadeye is a good inclusion in most warbands. It can sometimes be tricky to get them into position, but when they arrive they become a threat that has to be dealt with.
Next time on Meet the Fighters we’ll go back to basics and meet the humblest figher of all: the Militia.