Chainmail - Model Tactics - Chainmail Set 3: Half-Dragon Mage

Model Tactics
Chainmail Set 3: Half-Dragon Mage
By Bruce R. Cordell and Rob Heinsoo

Why It Rocks: The Half-Dragon Mage is, you guessed it, part dragon! That means it possesses a cold breath attack that sends enemies scurrying. What, that’s not enough? Well, how about a selection of spells that will turn your Half-Dragon into a terrifying force of power on the field of battle?

Tricks and Tactics: No, the Half-Dragon Mage is not a commander, for all its cost (30). But, never fear, it is Independent 2, which means it can go where it wants and target the second-nearest enemy model. Of course, you want to get a group of enemies in its Cold Blast to maximize its effectiveness. But, don’t just run your Mage up into a fight -- given the chance, you’ll want to prep yourself.

Bring several archers or other models to the table to act as a shield, and give your enemies something to focus on while the Mage spends a few rounds buffing. Cast mage armor and invisibility on the Half-Dragon Mage itself. With these two spells in place, it can maneuver around the battlefield until you find the perfect place to let loose with its first Cold Blast. It would be ideal to find it a position from which it could retreat afterward (’cause it’ll be visible again) in order to cast another invisibility. If you haven’t already done so, take a round (once invisible for the second time) for the Half-Dragon Mage to cast magic weapon on itself. This will make a difference once it has used its magic missiles.

The alternate plan -- one that’s often forced upon you -- is to use as many of the Half-Dragon’s offensive spells as possible as quickly as possible. Glitterdust can prove surprisingly effective if it succeeds in blinding one or more opponents; blinded opponents’ moves are halved, which sets them up for more ranged spells from the Mage and more ranged attacks by the Mage’s archer friends.

The important thing to realize is that the Half-Dragon Mage costs a lot. This means that when you use its Cold Blast special ability, it’s important to keep a reasonable retreat route in mind. You want to keep this model in play as long as possible and use all of its spells to get the full value for the points you paid. With two invisibility spells, hopefully this won’t be too difficult.

Enemies Who Hate to See It: Azer Troopers run like scared little kobolds when they see a Half-Dragon Mage.