Piece examination - - - Justice archon

Submitted by: Adkainen (Tuesday, August 09, 2005) - 812 views
Rating: 5.0 from 1 votes

Justice Archon
#5/60; LG; Angelfire; Uncommon; 32 pts
Lvl 6; Spd F6; AC 19; HP 65
Melee: +10/+5 (10 magic or Justice Strike)
Type: Outsider
Special Abilities:
- Flight
- Bold (Has Fearless when under command)
- DR 5 (Takes 5 less damage from nonmagical melee and ranged attacks)
- Immune Electricity
- Justice Strike (Deals damage equal to the printed damage of the targets first melee attack)

First of all let me start and say that i do believe that the justice archon has become the best mini in a point by value ratio from all the sets so far. The arguments:

* first the most important one: Win the tournaments by countering the often played squad hitter bands and deal their amount of damage (25 for the orc champ f.e.) with "justice strike". You will mostly win against any three or four hitter bands including: frenzied berserker, goliath barb., ogre ravager, orc champ, eye, red samurai.
* you get a fearless mini with high AC and high 65 hp for only 32 points.
* you get important dr (to avoid damage from graycloaks f.e.).
* the justice archon has got multiple combination possibilities because of its fly speed (f.e. flanking partner for Ulmo or the possibility to reach the "back lines" of your opponent).
* in combination with CoDA (cleric of Dol Arrah) your AC improves by two and in combination with "dwarf artificer" you get 2 more AC as well. (You need a good (tough) commander to use the "bold" ability).

Here is just an example. Just think about which 200 band (that has got a good chance in tournaments against other bands like go-go-goliaths, squads, dragons) would win against this one:

Cleric of Dol Arrah 45
3x justice archon 96
dwarf artificer 21
2x dwarf phalanx 24
3x men at arms
azer

or (not this strong, just to show another example):

cleric of Dol Arrah 45
2x justice archon 64
Ulmo 77
3 men at arms
azer

Comments

Posted by Fitzchiv (Tuesday, August 09, 2005)

My feelings on the JA are that it will have a huge impact on tournament play. The impact is going to be on those hitter bands and their thought process. "Am I going to face 3 JA's today?" If you go thinking you will face Inspired Frenzy or the CE Squad bands AND you do, well, you will do quite nicely. What if you don't? With 2 or 3 JA's in a band that does not have to face those hitter bands you might be in some trouble with close to a half or third of your point total only dealing 10pts of damage.

Even if you do face a hitter band, the JA better put the run to whichever hitter it is facing because it still holds the short end of the HP stick against a Ravager, Champ or Red Samurai.

That said, if you are going to run LG at a tourney, I would agree that you need to run at least two of these puppies.

Posted by Merric Blackman (Tuesday, August 09, 2005)

What makes the Archon interesting is how much less effective it is against high HP, low damage figures. The Zombie White Dragon would prove an interesting opponent...

Posted by DriderSorcerer (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)

Indeed it would, as well as the ArchMage... hehehe...

How about something like this:

ArchMage 98
Goliath Barbarian x2 62
Inspiring Marshall 29
Elf warrior x2 8
Xeph Warrior 3

7 activations isn't too much, but I think this could be fine... maybe use another commander, a cheaper one, like the CCleric of Corellon Larethian in order to raise activations. This band could have a chance in a tournament and certainly would be a problem for the archons...

Posted by warchief1000 (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)

Yeah, I've not thought of that at all, Merric's comment I mean. Hey, I brought dual-ZWD. Hey, now you might as well scoop. I'm kidding; never scoop at the tourney unless you're left with nothing but a single Man-at-Arms pitted against a Ravager, in which case you should still probably slog it:)

Posted by Nobody Important (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)

Actually Drider the JA would do fairly well agianst most of that Archmage band. The Goliaths suffer from Justice Strike just as badly as most CE pieces do and the elf warriors can't touch the JA. The Archmage is a problem but then he is for many bands. As Merric points out the JA is weakest in mirror type matches where its low attack doesn't hit and 10 damage is the norm. Two JA should help deter CE/CG hitters but they need help against others like the LSD. While not optimal I like the Skullclan Hunter instead of a JA or perhaps a Dwarf Samuari for better attacks and use against the JA's weeknesses.

Posted by Adkainen (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)

drider, as nobody said, goliaths do pretty bad against JA and archmages deal problems to most bands, but you pay a price for one archamge higher than 3 JAs together.
The ZWD seems really the best counter against JA as well as miniatures with cones or other special abilities like steel predator, beholder, elf pyro, destrachan, green dragon.

Posted by Thrace (Wednesday, August 10, 2005)

The JA runs into problems with a number of figures, the main problems are creatures that force saves. While JA may be extremely effective at scaring off the squad/FB bands, we would see the metagame flooded with bands featuring harpies and Thri-Kreen Barbarians, which absolutely mutilate figures with such low saves. While it is highly unlikely, the mind flayer telepath might actually see some teir one play, due to the fact it can render them un-fearless for a round. If the JA does its thing and makes it to the top, it will definately bring a lot of interesting warbands with it.

Posted by DriderSorcerer (Thursday, August 11, 2005)

I can see what you say about the goliaths but they are in the band for backup and considering the pre requisite Adkainen imposed:

"Just think about which 200 band (THAT HAS GOT A GOOD CHANCE IN TOURNAMENTS AGAINST OTHER BANDS like go-go-goliaths, squads, dragons) would win against this one"

Besides, I think the archmage would be quite enough for the three JA if the GBs are used as bodyguards long enough, afterwards the JA are gone, the rest of the band is fodder for the AM.
The idea I had when I posted this band was something like: take a position and wait while shoting with the ArchMage and the warriors (just in case they hit something), when the JA come near the GBs you can use Banishment and almost for sure, one of them is gone (DC 20 and lvl 6 don't seem good for the JA), then, use Mordy's swords and afterwards concentrate in the other JA, I think that with a GB with half HP (supposing it's already badly hurt and the other is gone already) and an ArchMage it shouldn't be that hard to take care of the third JA, although I know the CoDA can help keep the JA a bit longer. Anyway, I'm not saying it is an autowin, but certainly don't think it would be near a dissaster to use the band I mentioned against Adkainen's.
Nobody Important, the Xeph and the Elf Warriors are there as fillers to raise activations, not to hurt the JA (but I'm sure you already knew, just wanted to clarify).
Cheers.

Posted by DriderSorcerer (Thursday, August 11, 2005)

Aditional notes:
1- Use both Mordy's swords in the same JA.
2- Maybe time would be a problem in a tournament in this match, maybe no.

Posted by Nobody Important (Thursday, August 11, 2005)

Drider, I'm aware that your Archmage band uses the small fry as fillers. I was only saying that I'd bet on the JA over the GB most of the time and that the filler poses no threat to the JA at all. The Archmage is a threat to almost everything (but at almost 100pts it should be) and could take JAs 3 on 1. This article focuses on the JA (or at least that's what the title implies) which is strong against pieces like the GB but at disadvantage over hit AC/hp targets with low damage such as the Zombie White. Incedently Adkainen's second band would give the Archmage band a lot more trouble.

Posted by Adkainen (Saturday, August 20, 2005)

drider, i would like to see a "piece axamination of the archmage". Go for this article, because i personally believe:
1. The archmage is a strong and great mini with lots of potential but
2. Its overcosted!

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