Feats vs Blessed Question

[Egomine]

Is a feat a considered a spell effect?

Example Horash’s feat gives +3 armor to everything in his control range.

Would Savayrn’s feat which gives his control ranged blessed effectively counter this?

[Malkav13]

In themselves they are not spell effects. There are some feats which allows the casting of spells, but in and of themselves Blessed won’t work as they are not actually spells.

[Michael]

I’ll provide supporting rules quotes. This is from the “Warcaster” section, but the “Warlock” and “Infernal Master” portions are identical, except for an odd sentence order difference that does not affect it in any material way.

@Feat

Each warcaster has a unique feat that can turn the tide of battle if used at the right time. A warcaster can use this feat at any time during its activation. A warcaster can use its feat only once per game.
Remember that because a warcaster can use its feat at any time, it can do so before moving, after moving, before making an attack, or after making an attack but not while moving or attacking (see
“Use of ‘Any Time’ Special Rules,”p. 3).

So, a feat is a feat. “Feat” does not say that a Feat is a spell – and nothing in “SPELLS, SPELLCASTING &
ANIMI” says that either – so therefore a Feat is not a spell.

Feats can cause models to cast spells (see: Omodamos’ feat in Infernals), but in and of itself, a Feat is not a spell.

[Cyel]

Which part of the rules suggested to you that feats may be spells?

[Egomine]

Nothing said it was a spell. However nothing said really what it was at all. Feats feel like they are based on magic as they represent something special from the caster. I just wasn’t sure and thought it would make sense to ask a clarifying question.

As a new player this is an area of the rule book where a simple sentence in the rules stating feats are not spells would be helpful.

[mursu]

Yeah a totally fair question! Welcome to the game and feel free to ask anything.

[Malkav13]

From a Lore and Fluff perspective, Feats are wide range of things. Secret advanced technology, knowledge and skill with jacks , tactics and training, a burst of magic, and more. It all depends on the caster and what they are doing.

[Michael]

@Egomine

…
As a new player this is an area of the rule book where a simple sentence in the rules stating feats are not spells would be helpful.

Welcome to the game! It’s a ton of fun, if I do say so myself!

So, in Warmachine, it’s customary for rules to only say what they do, instead of what they do not do.

So, for example, let’s look at model types and bring up an old question that used to crop up in earlier editions fairly regularly: “Do warjacks and warbeasts generate soul tokens?”.

We start by figuring out what generates soul tokens.

@Models

…
Models are considered to be living unless otherwise noted.
…

So, from this sentence, we are told that every single model in the game is a living model, unless the model’s rules say otherwise. It gives us the blanket rule, and tells us that certain models might be different.

@Corpse and Soul Tokens

Living models have souls that can be claimed as soul tokens.
…

That’s pretty straightforward, as these things go. If you’re a living model, you have a soul, and models are living models unless specified otherwise.

All warjacks (currently; things could change, mind you!) have the Construct advantage, which says:

@Construct

This model is a construct and is not a living model.

So, this rule tells you what it does: it makes the model not a living model. It doesn’t make it, for example, Undead, because it doesn’t say it makes the model Undead.

Also, in this edition, the book spells out the living distinction even further in the Warjack section:

@Warjack Special Rules

All warjacks have the following special rules in common.

All warjacks have the Construct advantage and are not living models. Warjacks are independent Cohort models.

.
.
.

So, from this, it’s pretty clear that warjacks do not generate soul tokens. What about warbeasts?

@Warbeast Special Rules

All warbeasts have the following special rules in common.

Warbeasts are independent Cohort models.

So, models are living models unless otherwise specified. Nothing in the generic warbeast rules say otherwise, so therefore warbeasts are living models.

…except, of course, for Construct warbeasts (or warbeasts with the Soulless advantage), but you probably figured that out already.
.
.
.
.
Long-winded, I know, but hopefully this supports the point that the rules only say what they do, not what they do not do.

Bringing it all back around to address your specific question: a feat would say outright “Feats are spells” if feats were spells. Or, alternatively, the “Spells” section would contain similar blanket language. Unless the rules says “This is X” somewhere, then you’re safe taking the rules at face value.

A feat is a feat is a feat; it’s just a once-per-game thing that warcasters/warlocks/infernal masters can do. Sometimes they cause the leader to cast spells, but in and of itself, saying “I use my feat” does not mean you’re casting a spell.

Hopefully this helps!

[Egomine]

Super helpful. Thank you all

[Michael]

Sure thing! Glad to be of service!