Scion+of+Black+Blood


 * Scion of Black Blood, Neverborn Enforcer**

=__Overview__= Scion of Black Blood is a versatile Mercenary Nephilim Enforcer – perhaps the epitome of "jack of all trades, master of none." He brings ranged and melee attacks, free Interact Actions and the only in-faction Condition removal available to the Neverborn. While his statline is on the low side for an 8-point model, he becomes more powerful when he's suffered some wounds. toc

=__Mobility__= While Scion has a healthy **Cg** 7, his **Wk** 5 is average for Neverborn, and his only movement tricks are Triggers on less-than-accurate Attacks. But while he's unlikely to keep up with many of his fellow Nephilim, he has a ranged Attack and his signature Ability, **Blessings of the Blood**, is a 6" aura; he can afford to lag behind the rest of his Crew.

While Scion's (0) Action, **Forbidden Ritual**, won't move anyone around, it grants some pseudo-mobility: It forces another friendly model in 10" to take a (1) Interact Action. This will let your other models spend more AP to get into position to **Distract** or lay down Scheme Markers.

=__Offense__= Scion has two Attack Actions, one melee and the other ranged. Both have valuable on-success Triggers, but both have mediocre Attack stats of 5. That's offset by his **Blood Fury** ability, which will give him a positive twist on all flips (except damage) when he has 6 or fewer Wounds remaining, but he's going to struggle to hit high-**Df** targets.

His melee ability, **Sacrificial Blade**, has a strong damage range, but no built-in suits. On a ram, //Blood's Favor// will heal 2 on any one model (including Scion!) in 3". On a mask, //Hide in Shadow// will allow Scion to move up to 3".

His ranged ability, **Custom Shotgun**, has a limited range of 8" and a decent damage track; it also lacks built-in suits. On a ram, //Spreadshot// forces models within a 2" pulse of the target to take a TN 13 **Df** duel or suffer 2 damage; on a mask, it can trigger //Hide in Shadow//.

If you're stocked with decent Control Hand, Scion can prove surprisingly flexible. //Hide in Shadow// will allow him to get clear of most engagement ranges, or to attack multiple models in a single turn. An example: If Scion starts engaged with a model, you can attack that model, trigger //Hide in Shadow// to get out of its engagement range without taking a disengaging strike, and then shoot at a model upfield. While **Custom Shotgun**'s //Spreadshot// isn't quite as good as real blast damage, it has similar functionality – it can nail fragile models that were in a "safe" position.

=__Resilience__= Scion isn't terribly resilient, at least at first. With **Wd** 10, **Df** 4, and **Wp** 5, he'll be easy to hit and easy to whittle down. He has some deterrence due to **Black Blood**, but his real defense comes from **Blood Fury**. As long as he has 6 or fewer Wounds, the Scion will gain a positive to all flips (except damage). While he's still soft to attacks that target **Df**, having a positive twist on **Wp** 5 isn't half-bad. Either way, it's important to keep him in cover; he's not going to survive any sustained attack, and his //Blood's Favor// healing trigger isn't terribly reliable.

Scion also brings the only in-faction counter to Conditions: Whenever a friendly model Activates in a 6" aura of him, **Blessings of the Blood** will allow it to discard two cards to end all Conditions on it. Be careful – this ends //all// Conditions on the model, even positive ones. Remember that Scion can also discard two cards to end Conditions on himself – the Ability is an aura, after all. While this is a strong Ability, be judicious with its use. Two cards is very expensive.

=__Upgrades__= Scion has a somewhat limited selection of Upgrades to choose from, and several of them are better served on other models. Going without an Upgrade is a perfectly serviceable option for Scion.

Nexus of Power
If you're planning on using a Master of Henchman who aggressively uses Soulstones, this might be a good option for you. It's inexpensive and provides solid, reliable healing – and it's the same range as **Blessings of the Blood**, so you're doubling up your protective auras.

Obsidian Talons
This Upgrade gives all Nephilim the //Flay// trigger, which can allow the little beasts to cheat damage flips even if they have negative twists. The big drawbacks here: Scion is somewhat less hardy than some other models that can take this Upgrade, and he can't benefit from the Trigger, since it requires two masks. Unless you're really struggling with Upgrade slots, or all your other Nephilim are marked for death, this is probably better used on a model that will last longer (such as Angel Eyes).

Pact
Pact's already a low-value Upgrade, since you're unlikely to see the Black Joker on any given clutch play to begin with – and Scion really doesn't have many must-succeed actions. (It's not like he's reliably hitting to begin with, right?) Still, Scion will generally flip a lot of cards: Once he's taken enough damage, **Blood Fury** adds a positive twist to every flip he does (except for damage). If you're terrified of seeing the Black Joker on a **Df** or **Wp** flip, you might want to consider Pact – but only if The Mimic's Blessing isn't on the table for some reason. (Maybe you're expecting to face a **Ca**-heavy Crew, for example.) Generally not worth the Soulstone you'll spend on it.

Rapid Growth
Scion will likely be midfield, so will probably be in range of any Terror Tots or Young Nephilim you want to nurture. He also has a decent melee damage track, meaning he might be able to make use of **Feed the Brood** occasionally. And while Scion generally wants to be in LoS of his friends so they can benefit from **Forbidden Ritual** and **Blessings of the Blood**, Rapid Growth's nurturing Abilities don't require LoS. With careful placement, Scion can limit his LoS to enemies while playing his support role and encouraging Nephilim to grow up. Still, he's fragile; far less mobile than Tots or Youngs; and his low accuracy will hinder how often he'll be able to feed the children. Carefully consider the terrain, Schemes and Strategies before giving him this Upgrade! He's only a decent candidate if you know you're going to spend most of the game clumped up near a safe bolthole.

Retribution's Eye
One of the best Enforcer Upgrades in faction, and Scion's got a great damage track to really make sure that Izamu or Illuminated gets a solid dose of the deads. Still, he's low on accuracy, and there are some //very// deserving Enforcers in Neverborn (helllllo, Teddy?). Since this is Rare 1, you'll probably want to give this to a dedicated face-shredder over Scion.

The Mimic's Blessing
Probably my favorite Upgrade choice for Scion. At Rare 3, he's not competing with anyone for it, and its **Perfect Camouflage** Ability meshes, ahem, //perfectly// with Scion: He often wants to Activate late in the turn, and it gives him some much-needed gusto on duels versus **Charge** and **Sh** Actions (which typically target his lackluster **Df**). The draw-and-discard if he dies is just gravy; if you want to wring some survivability out of Scion, this is probably your go-to.

=__Tactics and Tips__= The Scion can do just about everything – but none of it particularly well. That means that you're going to want to maximize your options with him; if you get locked into one role, he's simply going to underperform. Keep your eyes open and watch for openings for Scion to duck in and do something unexpected – remember his //Hide in Shadows// triggers and his **Forbidden Ritual** Action. Keep track of your opponent's hand, and strike when you can minimize their ability to Cheat Fate against your low **Sh** and **Ml**.

Remember that Scion's **Blessings of the Blood** happens on other models' Activations, not his. This means he can usually afford to Activate late in the turn, which maximizes the chance that he'll have a wounded target to pick off or a well-positioned target for **Forbidden Ritual**. When moving him, keep in mind that he needs to be within 6" of the models you need to keep healthy.

Scion's auras need LoS, and you're going to need to keep him upfield – ideally within 6" of the action. This means he's going to love non-blocking cover, where he'll get a defensive bonus but will still be able to lend a hand (or force an Interact Action). If there's no cover in a convenient place, that's fine; in Neverborn Crews, you've got Waldgeists, who can provide a forest while happily sitting back to hold down a board quarter or contribute to Turf War.

Mr. Tannen synergizes well with Scion. His 6" aura **Cooler** punishes opponents for Cheating Fate; this overlaps with Scion's auras, and acts as a defensive force multiplier for **Blood Fury**. Similarly, Tannen's **Chatty** and Scion's **Forbidden Ritual** can give you a massive edge in Schemes such as Distract: Once they're in position, you're going to have nearly a foot-wide circle where you're dominating any Interact requirements. Just remember that Tannen doesn't have **Black Blood**, so needs to keep some distance between himself and Scion.

Scion can really shine in a Jakob Lynch Crew. Lynch's **Ace in the Hole** Ability allows you to grab any aces that hit your discard pile during your other models' Activations; with a single ace in hand, **Blessings of the Blood** doesn't sting nearly as much. With 2 aces in hand, it's 100% free.

=__Playing Against Scion of Black Blood__= Scion is going to have a subtle, but cumulative effect on the game. It's unlikely that he'll single-handedly change the course of play, but he's great at ensuring that everyone else gets more out of their AP: He gives out free Interact Actions, he can finish off wounded models at range, he can ensure that crippling Conditions don't hurt. If you're going to handle him, do it early, and focus him down. He can't take a sustained assault, particularly if it targets his **Df**. While his healing is unreliable, it's a factor you'll have to keep in mind: If you can't burn him to the ground before he gets a chance to swing that **Sacrificial Blade** around, you might have wasted some AP. If possible, use ranged Attacks; between **Black Blood** and his hefty damage tracks, he can dish out some real hurt, even if he can't do it consistently.

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