Unshackled from the trifling demands of nation-states and buoyed by alien technologies discovered in the Lost World of Antarctica, the Covenant of the Enlightened stands ready to protect its interests with arcane sciences and augmented soldiery.
Ranks of mirror-faced infantry march implacably forward, their ranks eerily silent, even in the thick of combat. Wheeled horrors and scuttling hordes, clad in shells of gleaming metal, race across the battlefield. Massive, stilted war machines, impossibly fast on slender legs, tower over tanks and infantry alike.
Be it with esoteric particle weaponry or industrial machinery capable of shearing flesh and steel with equal ease, the forces of the Enlightened lay waste to those who would defy the will of the Covenant.
The world must be brought into a new dawn of achievement and prosperity
Welcome, fellow Peers!
This blog provides an overview of how the Enlightened play on the Battlefield, including their key strengths and things to look out for, and provides insights into how to build an Enlightened Force, with example Force Lists for all three Force Scales.
How the Enlightened plays
The forces of the Enlightened are fast, potent and excel at close range. Their broad roster allows you to embrace a range of tactics, from infantry rushes to armoured assaults. With access to Rotorcraft, in the form of the Sickle Gyro CAV Cohort, the Enlightened can also severely punish any enemy General whose Force lacks anti-Aerial units. The faction’s two Behemoths, the powerful Wells Super-Heavy Surveyor and the fearsome Horsell Super-Heavy Extractor, possess impressive short-ranged capabilities. The former is capable of obliterating multiple units at once thanks to its powerful Coruscating attack, whilst the latter can tear apart even the most resilient enemy with its mechanised mandibles.
Additionally, the Peer Review special rule allows Enlightened Commanders to make nearby units practically fearless. Other abilities, such as the Locomotor Boosters special rule and the Overcharge weapon quality, can increase the potency of a unit to terrifying levels, albeit with the potential to go horribly wrong! Indeed, with the Enlightened, it often pays to embrace the risky and unconventional, as befitting the experimental nature of their technology.
Battlegroups
At the core of all Enlightened Forces is the Enlightened Faction Battlegroup, which allows you to Bolster a single Infantry unit and a single Rotorcraft unit, giving you access to a strong aerial presence. Its Commander Bonus, Uncanny Reconstruction, should not be overlooked either as it can be issued to a unit close to an Enlightened Commander to remove 1 point of Damage from that unit. Many Enlightened units have a Damage Limit greater than 1, so this is a useful way to prevent slow attrition over multiple rounds. It is also helpful for managing the self-damaging effects of a particularly bad Attack Roll when using the Overcharge weapon quality. Additionally, this Special Command can be issued to multiple units in the same Round, so it is only limited by the number of Command & Conquest Cards you are willing to burn.
The Enlightened C.R.A.B. Auxiliary Battlegroup significantly increases the number of war machines you can include in your Force, whilst its Commander Bonus, Let Slip the Leash, can allow an Armour or Artillery unit to pull off two attacks in a single turn. As units can usually only make a single Ranged or Close Quarters Attack each turn, this Special Command is perfect for finishing off a unit that has evaded complete Annihilation, or for keeping up momentum by immediately setting a powerful unit onto a new target. Indeed, a well-played Let Slip the Leash can turn the tide of an entire Clash. However, a unit that benefits from this Special Command gains the Suppressed status at the end of its turn, which can seriously hamper its capabilities in the next round and invite potential counterattacks.
Looking instead to overwhelm your enemies and swarm Strategic Objectives with a horde of horrific constructs? The Enlightened S.U.R.G. Auxiliary Battlegroup greatly increases the amount of Infantry and Cavalry you can field, whilst its Synchronised Assault Protocols Commander Bonus improves your chances of pulling off a potentially devastating Flank Attack. As many Enlightened units have Melee Attacks with the Suppressive weapon quality, a well-timed charge following such a manoeuvre can easily send your unsuspecting enemies running for the hills!
Boons
The Enlightened have access to two unique Boons that can really help them out in a pinch. Once per Round, Entropic Shielding allows an Armour or Artillery unit to temporarily gain the Durable special rule. Such a command can really help with keeping your expensive damage-dealers on the Battlefield should they earn the ire of enemy anti-Heavy specialists. Weaponised Hubris, on the other hand, is a Special Command that allows one of your stricken Behemoths to go down in truly spectacular fashion, turning your enemy’s triumph into their greatest misfortune. This can also help to deter enemies from getting too close to your Behemoths. After all, who wants to be standing nearby when your giant, mechanical arthropod is about to blow?
Key Strengths
Close-ranged Carnage
The Enlightened excel at short-ranged firefights and close-quarters combat, with the powerful particle weaponry wielded by Citizen-Soldier Contingents and Mars Battle Tripods packing a real punch if they can get to within short range of their target. Many of their elite shock troops, notably the Strider CAV Cohort, the Heavy Construct Devastator Cohort, the Phobos Assault Tripods and the mighty Horsell Super-Heavy Extractor, also possess powerful melee attacks that allow them to destroy Light and Heavy units with equal ease. Be sure to get these units as close to the enemy as early as you can for maximum effectiveness!
Lightning Assaults
Between the swift Mono CAV Cohort, the scuttling Strider CAV Cohort and the airborne Sickle Gyro CAV Cohort, the Enlightened have plenty of fast and manoeuvrable units that are perfect for harassing or running down enemies caught out in the open. The decent speed of their numerous Infantry options, notably the Hellion Cohort, the Seeker Outrider Cohort and the Heavy Construct Devastator Cohort, also allows Enlightened Generals to quickly rush their troops forward, ready to control and contest Strategic Objectives. Enlightened Behemoths and tripods have their own canny tricks, as they can simply step over more diminutive enemies thanks to their Stilted (X) Special Rule. Whilst the Enlightened lack the Transport options, some of your Infantry units, such as the Citizen-Soldier Cohort, the Brute Warden Cohort and the Brute Enforcer Cohort, may struggle to keep up with your faster units. Be sure to look out for Commands that increase these units’ Speed value to get them where they are needed as quickly as possible.
Murderous Marvels
With abilities such as Overcharge, Locomotor Boosters, Overrun, and Throw (X”), the Enlightened have plenty of opportunities to engage in various shenanigans surrounding Command & Conquest Cards. Whether you engage with these potent but unpredictable rules is entirely up to you. Will you take up the mantle of a careful and considered master tactician, or throw caution to the wind with brilliant displays of daring brilliance?
Watch out for…
Skittish Creations
The generally low Discipline of Enlightened units can make them difficult to control when far away from their Commanders. This is particularly true for units with the Construct special rule, which gain the Disordered status more easily than other units and have a harder time shaking it off. An astute enemy might take advantage of the Berserk special rule to bait Brute Enforcer Cohorts, Brute Warden Cohorts or Heavy Construct Devastator Cohorts away from Strategic Objectives. Be sure to keep such units close to your Commanders and have contingencies ready should a brittle battleline begin to falter.
The Cost of Greatness
Whilst the Enlightened can make use of a wide array of different abilities, some of these have the potential to go very wrong. A bad roll when using the Overcharge weapon quality can deal more damage to the attacking unit than its target, whilst drawing a low-value card when invoking the Locomotor Boosters special rule can leave a unit stranded and vulnerable to retaliation. Additionally, if you rely too heavily on abilities that require you to reveal Command & Conquest Cards from your deck, you run the risk of triggering a Communications Breakdown when you burn through your entire deck. This is particularly risky in larger games, where your deck could deplete especially quickly due to the number of Discipline tests required across each Round.
Success as an Enlightened General involves carefully weighing the odds and taking calculated risks in order to achieve the desired outcome. Those who throw caution to the wind, courting disaster at every opportunity, have only scorn and derision to look forward to.
How the Mighty Fall
The powerful effects of the Peer Review Special Rule, combined with the generally low Discipline values of Enlightened units, means that keeping your Commanders on the Battlefield and close to your frontlines is vitally important. However, a shrewd Enlightened General knows to balance this with the need to keep their Commanders alive. Make the most of obscuring models and any Boons that can reduce the amount of Damage your Commanders receive. And of course, having additional Commanders on the Battlefield allows each one to be in range of the other, allowing each to benefit from the Peer Review special rule of the others as well as the Damage-discarding Uncanny Reconstruction Special Command.
Building your Force
So, where to begin with building an Enlightened Force?
Well, the Enlightened Faction Battlegroup Starter Set provides a great entry point, containing a mighty Behemoth and a good range of Reinforced units, making it perfect for Battle-scale Clashes. Looking for something smaller? The Enlightened Introductory Set is perfect for getting to grips with this faction, or for expanding a pre-existing Force. Should you want to theme your Force around specific units, the Enlightened Wells Battlegroup Set, the Enlightened Infantry Regiment and the Enlightened Armoured Regiment all allow you to grow your Force organically and on a budget.
These boxes can easily be combined to create Force Lists tailored to your personal preferences, as shown in the examples below:
Skirmish-Scale List (1,000 points)
This Force combines an Enlightened Introductory Set and an Enlightened Armoured Regiment to create a warmachine-heavy list that specialises in taking out enemy targets quickly, before they have a chance to deal significant damage. The high Speed values of most of these units also means they can start controlling and contesting Strategic Objectives early in the Clash, with the large Rotorcraft squadron serving as a dedicated distraction unit to draw enemy fire and harass enemy Light units. Should the enemy bring substantial anti-Heavy capabilities to the fray, the Entropic Shielding boon can be used to make your Armour and Artillery that little bit more hard-wearing.
Battle-Scale List (2,000 points)
By adding an Enlightened Introductory Set to an Enlightened Faction Battlegroup Starter Set, you gain access to a powerful Behemoth unit with the option to Bolster any unit currently available in the Enlightened’s roster. This Force List capitalises on such flexibility by including a Wells Super-Heavy Surveyor, a Full-Strength unit of Mars Battle Tripods and a Full-Strength Brute Warden Cohort. Focussing on defensive tactics, the powerful, relatively short-ranged attacks of the Wells serve to punish any targets that come too close. The large unit of Mars Tripods serves as the Force’s heavy hitter, posing a significant threat to enemy Armour units. The Brute Wardens provide a fearsome bulwark that protects Enlightened Infantry and Cavalry, allowing them to control and contest Strategic Objectives whilst shielded from reprisals.
Cataclysm-Scale List (3,000 points)
If you are looking to field a truly immense Force, why not combine the contents of two Enlightened Faction Battlegroup Starter Sets and an Enlightened Infantry Regiment to produce a Force that is truly Cataclysm-worthy?
Focusing on Infantry and Cavalry, this Force contains a S.U.R.G. Auxiliary Battlegroup, which not only allows it to field an impressive number of Infantry and Cavalry units, shielded behind Brute Warden Cohorts, but also provides the Synchronised Assault Protocols Commander Bonus to stack the odds of pulling off a successful Flank Attack firmly in your favour—all the better to set your swarms of Strider CAV Cohorts scuttling over your unsuspecting enemies from all directions!
With such an emphasis on Close Quarters Combat, the two Behemoths in this list need to keep pretty close to the heart of battle in order to provide the most support to their underlings. This makes them potentially quite vulnerable to enemy attacks. However, should you lose one of these mighty war machines, you can always make use of the Weaponised Hubris Special Command to ensure that your prized contraption goes out with a bang, just make sure you get your supporting constructs out of the way first!
In Short…
The Enlightened offer a plethora of interesting abilities and special rules that allow a General to engage with their Force at various levels of tactical complexity. Many of these abilities can increase the effectiveness of a unit to astonishing levels, but also carry the risk of going very, very wrong, with some having the potential to destroy your prized unit altogether!
Enlightened units are generally deadly at short range, so make sure to close the gap between your units and the enemy battleline as quickly as possible to maximise your Force’s lethality. Pick where you are going to place your spearhead carefully, and use the healing effects of the Uncanny Reconstruction Special Command to keep your expensive shock troops in prime fighting condition for as long as possible. Keep your Commanders close to the front line, so your low-discipline units won’t be too badly fazed by the attrition they will inevitably be taking. But don’t hesitate to throw expendable units into the meatgrinder if it secures your strategic needs.
After all, what is the price of a single life compared to the future your endeavours will help to realise?