Warmachine: Eilish Garrity, Friend to All
We’re taking a look at one of the only models in the game that will work for any Faction. When should you reach for this Occultist and what role will he play in your lists?
Eilish Garrity is a Mercenary solo, a part of the Black River Irregulars, and can be taken by any Faction in the game. Eilish recently got his general release, although he’s already seen some significant table time due to the No Quarter Prime release of him back in early 2018.
New general release vs. No Quarter Prime pose
For those unfamiliar, take a look at what Eilish Garrity can do.
Base Stats
Nothing super impressive here, 13 DEF and 14 ARM with 5 boxes will keep him alive through blast damage but any dedicated attack is likely to take Eilish down. Luckily his Gate Walker ability will help keep him safe after casting a spell.
With no weapons Eilish can’t make any melee/ranged attacks or preform a charge for extra distance.
Magic Abilities
Bleed – Definitely not the reason you are bringing Eilish. A low range, low pow offensive spell. However with the Mental Force ability it becomes respectable. Still only likely to be used in times of desperation.
Puppet Master – A fantastic go to ability, there is always a good Puppet Master target. Eilish’s release marked the moment that every single Faction in the game gained access to Puppet Master. Back in the olden days it was a coveted ability only available to a handful of Factions.
How it feels when you use Puppet Master on enemy models
Unbinding – Remove all enemy upkeeps within 5 inches. This works on all models, not just friendly. So if that Arcane Shielded Centurion gets too close, Eilish can simply remove the upkeep, no rolls required.
Other Abilities
Arcane Void – This causes damage to an enemy spellcaster whenever they target a friendly model within 5 inches of Eilish. While it sounds really cool at first, it doesn’t have an impact during most games. It does happen to be a silver bullet to any single wound magic users like Battle Mages or Greyloard Ternions. So if you have a local Rahn player you really want to tech against, reach for Eilish.
Gate Walker – Teleporting away keeps Eilish pretty safe. In the late game he holds a flag well, moving 5 inches off the flag to cast a spell, then jumping back to position.
Mental Force – Boosting hit and damage rolls is nice, however it does cause damage. There is a decent synergy with Bleed as you will heal back the damage you have taken.
Why Bring Eilish?
For 5 pts Eilish isn’t exactly cheap, but he definitely has a place in some lists. If 2 or more of the following is true, I’ll try to work Eilish into my list
- I need Puppet Master for an important attack in the list. (Ex. Drag Shot on Galleon, Stranglehold damage roll)
- Some element of my list is susceptible to enemy upkeeps. (Ex. Playing troop heavy lists with no way to deal with Rebuke)
- I need an answer for a specific match-up that uses upkeeps on front line models (Ex. Arcane Shield, Inviolable Resolve, Surefoot, Countermeasure)
- I can take Eilish for free (Grymkin and Mercs)
- I want an answer for single wound spellcaster units (Battle Mages, Greylord Ternions, Hex Hunters)
The Most Important Question
Which sculpt is better? The No Quarter Prime(skull pointed forward) or the general release(skull above head).
