With a higher-end cost of 19 points, you’ll have to go out of your way to hire one of these units, let alone two, given their limit of two per list. For that price, you get the Assassin Class, which increases your chances of landing those ever-elusive Critical Hits. But that’s not all—you also get the Ranger Class, which grants extremely valuable out-of-Activation mobility. Together, these qualities clearly define the role of our stealth archer.

The stats for this model are what I like to call “quintessential Thenion”. With an impressive SPD of 6, ACC of 14, and a respectable AG of 13, the Ranger Guild Hunter excels in proactive stats. However, his defensive stats tell a different story, with a DEF of 8, ARM of 2, and a single HP. This trend of strong offense and weak defense is common throughout the Thenion faction, and their stats certainly reflect that.

As usual in this series, we also take a look at the Skills and Traits that emphasize what the stats and Classes hint at. With Stealth II, the Rangers-Guild Hunter is the second model in the faction to have access to the Shrouded State, allowing him to freely choose the angle of attack and make that first shot much deadlier with Surprise Attack. To help with positioning, the model has Infiltrate I, which allows for more Deployment options, and Climbing Expert, making those hard-to-reach sniping vantage points the Ranger’s natural hunting grounds. And to further emphasize the hunter theme, the Ranger comes with Advantage (Beast) (while it isn’t relevant yet, we promise, it will be one day 😉!). Along with this come Tracking I, and Survival (Forest, Difficult). Survival (Forest) can be particularly advantageous on some table layouts—it’s quite fun sniping models through forests when those models can’t even see you!

On the table, the Hunter is, as mentioned multiple times in this article, the quintessential stealth archer of the game. With the mobility to reach a good vantage point, he can rain down arrows on exposed enemies before retreating back into the shadows with the Ranger Class’s move. Alternatively, he can stay in position to suppress enemy forces with his bow.

Speaking of equipment, let’s take a look at what the Rangers-Guild Hunter brings to the table. First, and most importantly, is the Short Bow. While it lacks the flair of some of the larger bows that the Soga faction can wield, the Hunter has, between the Assassin Class, Assassination Combat Art level I, and a chance to get those sneaky back-arc shots, the innate ability to make the Short Bow a feared weapon in its own right. And just in case the Hunter gets caught out, his Short Sword and Dagger are there, available for emergencies.