Warcasters are the stars of Warmachine, and Cryx has no shortage of powerful and fun-to-play warcasters. Today, I’m taking a look at Goreshade, Lord of Ruin.
IN SHORT: With two ways to inflict Stationary, some excellent buff spells, and a cheap way to bring back undead models, Goreshade is a force to be reckoned with. Did I mention he’s got a horse now too?
STRENGTHS: Where to begin with this guy?
How about, he’s a warcaster with Ghostly and cavalry rules. What does this mean? Well, for starters, no one’s getting free strikes against him, even if he misses impact attacks or performs a ride-by attack. That’s a chocolate and peanut butter combo if I ever saw one.
He’s also Tall in the Saddle, so he can ignore small and medium bases when making melee attacks. So forget about typical Shield Wall units preventing line of sight to a vulnerable warcaster when declaring a melee attack.
And while we’re on it, what a melee attack! His sword Voass is P+S 15 with Reach and Stationary. Even better, he’s effective MAT 9 when he charges (again because of those delicious cavalry rules). And after he’s hit once, every extra attack hits automatically.
So, a quick recap. No one gets free strikes against him. He can trample through enemy models. He hits like a truck, freezes enemies solid, and then is free to dish out hit after hit with impunity. That is an assassination vector opponents MUST respect!
But Goreshade is far from a one trick undead horse. He comes with a whole host of ways to support his army. Infernal Machine buffs one of his warjacks. +2 SPD and MAT on a Kraken anyone? Occultation gives out Stealth to units or models (potentially to himself for added safety). And Scything Touch enhances melee damage by +2, again to units or models.
For his feat, Winter’s Grasp, he can explode his own warrior models into 3” AOEs. And what do these AOEs do? Well, they inflict Stationary! He can literally freeze an enemy army dead in its tracks.
But the real gem in his spell list is Mockery of Life. For the cheap price of 2 Focus, Goreshade can bring back a friendly Faction Undead Grunt. Now, Cryx infantry does not lack for ways to increase its numbers. When combined with Goreshade’s new spell, this can get outright silly. Be sure to bring extra models!
He can even cast a spell for free once per turn if a living enemy model casts a spell in his control area. That gives him 4 potential Mockery of Life casts! I mean, seriously, even his basic magic attack spell is snazzy. With Siphon Bolt, he can strip 1 Focus or 1 Fury off models hit and add 1 Focus to his own pool, kind of making this a 1 Focus attack spell. Yikes!
Rounding out the package, Goreshade’s basic stats are solid. With DEF 14, ARM 17, Focus 7, and 17 hit boxes, so he can take a solid beating before going down.
Yeah, Goreshade comes fully loaded.
WEAKNESSES: Goreshade is sitting on a large base, which automatically makes him difficult to protect. He also has three upkeep spells and Mockery of Life vying for his Focus pool. Put those two together, and it’s easy to splurge and leave him vulnerable.
Ghostly and SPD 8 do help him use terrain to his advantage, and he can slap Stealth on himself for added protection, but the problem definitely exists.
Goreshade also lacks the conventional assortment of Cryx debuffs. While Scything Touch does aid damage output, Goreshade has very limited options when it comes to making Cryx models hit better. This mostly revolves around using his feat to inflict Stationary. Models that like DEF debuffs for more accurate attacks won’t find much support from this warcaster.
SYNERGIES: Goreshade loves undead infantry so he can bring them back with Mockery of Life, and that synergy is even better if those models can already add to their numbers. And if those models are self-sufficient, it gets even better.
For all of the above, Bane Thralls or Bane Knights with Tartarus provide an excellent option. For most of the above, Mechanithralls supported by Necrosurgeons do the trick.
Blackbane’s Raiders are also a potent choice. They’re undead and they can reanimate their enemies as long as Blackbane is around. But they’re also incorporeal with SPD 7, which allows them to race through the enemy lines and be detonated by Goreshade Stationary-inflicting AOEs. For this same reason, Machine Wraiths are an excellent vector for delivering Goreshade’s feat to enemy models.
Bane Riders are another choice with plenty of promise. They may lack a way to add more Riders, but they are highly self-sufficient when it comes to hitting their targets hard and accurately, plus each Rider that Goreshade revives packs considerable punch. Better than bringing Mechanithralls back for 2 Focus a model, right? Their large bases also provide a means to block line of sight to Goreshade.
JUST FOR FUN: It’s the Mechanithrall two-for-one sale! Enemy gun lines getting you down? Mechanithralls lying around in pieces? Well, have no fear!
With both Necrosurgeons and Goreshade on hand, each blown up Mechanithrall can come back not once, but TWICE! That’s because the Necrosurgeons and Goreshade both use a different resource to add models (a corpse token versus a destroyed status).
So yeah. Double-dip till your heart’s content. Even blow up some of your own Mechanithralls to get the process started.
Enjoy!
SUMMARY: Goreshade is back and comes loaded with cool tricks and abilities. He’s a powerful assassin all by himself, and he can play a downright demoralizing attrition game with Mockery of Life. Plus, it’s a steampunk undead dark elf on a steampunk undead horse! Do I really need to say anything else?
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Cryx
Warmachine Vengeance Review: Cryx
IN SHORT: Warmachine Vengeance has arrived. Let’s dig in. As with previous releases, every Warmachine army gets a healthy heaping of awesome, this time with an emphasis on speed with exciting cavalry units and mobile warcasters. It also ushers in an interesting cast of journeymen warcasters. The book is printed in stellar full color with plenty of gorgeous new artwork.
Let’s take a look at the new Cryx models.
GORESHADE, LORD OF RUIN: Goreshade’s back and he’s on a horse! Of course, that puts him on a large base, but he’s well equipped to handle that. DEF 14, ARM 17, Focus 7, 17 hit boxes. Plenty of raw defensive power there. He also has access to Occultation to give a model or unit Stealth, including himself. Ghostly lets him ignore terrain and free strikes. And, of course, Cryx has no shortage of arc nodes at its disposal if he wants to hang back a bit.
Goreshade doesn’t have any debuffs, but that’s okay. He comes with two excellent buffs in the way of Scything Touch (+2 melee damage for a model or unit) and Infernal Machine (+2 MAT, +2 SPD, and Terror for a battlegroup warjack). Both are excellent spells. Still, he’s going to favor units that are self-sufficient when it comes to hitting their targets, since he lacks a DEF debuff.
For getting into melee, he has an impressive linear threat range. SPD 8 plus Reach lets him stab targets 13” away. And when he is stabbing, it’s with a P+S 15 sword that inflicts Stationary. He also can cause Stationary with his feat, Winter’s Grasp. Friendly warriors in his control area can be made to explode into 3” AOEs that freeze enemy models not immune to cold. And after he’s spent models in this manner, he can bring them back with Mockery of Life.
Goreshade also comes with two abilities that help with Focus efficiency. Spell Vortex lets him cast a spell for free if a living enemy model casts a spell in his control area last turn. His attack spell, Siphon Bolt, can strip Focus or Fury off the target one point per hit and give Goreshade a point of Focus in return.
All in all, a very exciting and flexible new caster. Can’t wait to try him out.
INFLICTOR: Do my eyes deceive me? A Cryxian heavy with Shield Guard and ARM 19 thanks to its shield? Wow! At 8 points, the Inflictor is an excellent option for many Cryx warcasters. On average, our warcasters can be quite greedy with their Focus. But, they also have these warjack points we need to spend. Well, have no fear! Put those points towards an Inflictor, and let it tank hits meant for the warcaster or squishy solos.
Its stinger may only be P+S 16, but that’s plenty of punch for Cryx since we have so many options for stripping ARM off our targets. And it even comes with a Soul Drive to give it one point of Focus for free every turn. Awesome. Just awesome.
BANE RIDERS: ARM 18 heavy cavalry? Yes, please!
Don’t let the lack of Weapon Master deceive you. These banes hit hard! With base P+S 13 and Brutal Charge, they slam home with 15+3d6 on the charge. Their mounts are also a hefty POW 12, great for impact attacks. They may not be as fast as some of the other cavalry in this rulebook. But when you combine SPD 7, Ghostly for ignoring terrain, Curse for an extra 2”, and Reach on their melee attacks, their natural threat range is nothing to ignore.
They’re also very self-sufficient. Per cavalry rules, they automatically get +2 to their attack rolls on the charge. Toss in Curse, and suddenly they’re at effective MAT 10! Yikes! Bane Riders definitely operate at their peak when charging.
And let me just say we finally have a unit worthy of putting Death Ward on. ARM 20 banes on horses anyone?
SKARLOCK COMMANDER: Here’s a unit attachment for Mechanithralls or Bile Thralls. For only one point, this guy is not bad at all. It’s always annoying when my Mechanithralls get hit with a nasty debuff. It doesn’t happen super often (I’m normally the one doing the debuffing, not my foe), but spending one point on an attachment that can clear those debuffs is handy. The extra bit of CMD is also a nice boon, though the model doesn’t have any rules to help keep him safe.
Still, The Skarlock Commander has a decent set of offensive abilities with Dark Fire, Battle Wizard, and Soul Taker. These can combine for a surprisingly powerful offense. First soak up some souls with kills from the attached unit. Then stab something in melee (boosting with souls if needed), then cast Dark Fire for free thanks to Battle Wizard (again, boosting with souls).
For only one point? Yeah. Not too bad.
AIAKOS, SCOURGE OF THE MEREDIUS: The Cryx journeyman warcasters comes loaded down with awesome sauce. First, he’s going to be hard to pin down with Stealth, DEF 14, and ARM 19 if he’s camping with Escort active. Second, he’s fast with SPD 6 and Jump for an additional 5” placement. Escort also gives +2” to his warjack, which is just lovely when added to the already speedy Cryxian warjacks.
And he also comes with the Deathbringers spell, which allows Aiakos and his battlegroup to ignore Tough and damage transfers. Against Hordes, that’s brutal!
But wait! There’s more! He also comes with Drag to reel in enemies. His harpoon may only have RAT 5, 6” RNG, and POW 10, but he’s got the Focus to boost those rolls when needed. There are plenty of exciting combos with this guy. Too many to count.
Aiakos, ladies and gentlemen. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a few more warjacks in Cryxian lists thanks to this guy. Finally!
Time to dust off my Leviathan.
SUMMARY: Privateer Press continues to release new and exciting models for each of its factions, ensuring that whichever army you play, you keep getting new options to bring to the tabletop. All in all, Vengeance is great release for a game that keeps getting better.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Iron Kingdoms – Undead Pirate Facepalm
In RPGs, players play the campaigns. The campaigns should not play the players. There’s a fine line between guiding players and super-gluing them to the plot. Players want to affect the world around them, shape its events, and defeat its obstacles. They do not want to sit passively by while plot happens or be led by the nose on a predetermined path.
So when the party was taken hostage by undead pirates, I purposefully left the scenario open to let their creativity shine through. Sure, they were on their own, outnumbered and out to sea with no clear escape, but I presented several options for their problem-solving enjoyment. Would they use the warjacks in the hold to take over the ship? Would they wait for the pursuing warships to arrive and make their escape during the attack?
Or perhaps they would barter with the undead pirate captain for safe passage. After all, a posse of heavily armed, highly skilled mercenaries has a lot to offer a band of pirates. Especially since between the four of them, they have about half a conscience.
So what did they do?
I’ll tell you what. They sold their souls to the captain. That’s what.
Did not see that coming.
Jacob Holo: Okay, Radcliffe finishes writing the contract. He places it on the table. The terms are laid out in plain language and large script. There’s no legalese here. The paper glows with a faint ethereal aura. The words are written in blood. You get the impression this is a very binding contract.
Ferrous Claw: I cut my finger and sign it in blood.
Jacob Holo: Wow. That was fast.
Erik: I guess I’ll do the same.
Sam: Yeah me too.
Fiz: I’m doing it!
Jacob Holo: Right … Okay, then.
And now I’ve got a mess on my hands, because these players have clearly not read my script.
Unbeknownst to them, I’ve been slowly setting up a major plot twist. And (strange as it may sound), I need to kill off the entire party for the twist to work. You see, there’s going to be a switch of employer soon. Right now, they’re working for the good guys. After the twist happens, they’ll be working for Cryx, the undead bad guys of the Iron Kingdoms.
Yes, you guessed it. I’m going to turn the whole party undead and have them work for an Iron Lich. Besides, with this crew, playing the bad guys is going to fit like a glove. Yeah, like a glove stolen off a stranger they just garroted because he looked at them funny. That can happen with this crew.
Only, now I’ve got these contracts to deal with. And it’s even worse than you might think, because one of the players figured out a loophole and fulfilled his contract. At the expense of the other players, no less. Because, when you play a complete bastard of an assassin, why not backstab your friends?
So now, three of them are contract-bound and one isn’t. Things could get messy. But, when it comes to roleplaying, messy can be fun, and I’ve already got some ideas for a new twist. After all, the only one who isn’t contract bound has been playing the rest of the party for fools. It may be interesting to reveal his actions to them and let them decide his fate.
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen party members slaughter their own before. This could be a first for me.
Check out the complete list of roleplaying articles here.
Iron Kingdoms – Kraken Smash!
NPCs are tricky to get right. You can pour hours into crafting what you think is an entertaining and engaging character, complete with intricate backstory, only to have the players not like him. Or ignore him. Or rob him blind. Never mind that NPCs can have very short lifespans around players.
And there’s the problem: player choice. Roleplaying is all about choices and options and dynamic stories going in unpredictable directions. Players can choose to kill my NPC because they like his shoes (this has happened). And this can be a really bad thing. Because, while the players now have really nice shoes, they don’t have a quest.
But fear not. I’m an engineer. I’m all about ruthless efficiency. Introducing the Disposable Non-Player-Character. They’re like tissues with personality.
So let’s start with one of the most important NPCs in my current Iron Kingdoms campaign: Anthony Radcliffe. He’s a gruff, cigar-chomping, no-nonsense military commander who hires the players to complete unsavory tasks. He also died in the first campaign session. Got pulped by a heavy warjack hammer blow.
But no worries. The players had their mission and a promissory note good at any Cygnar military base (because these people expect to be paid for their questing).
After looting Anthony’s corpse (because why not?), the players went on to complete their quest. Later, they stopped at a nearby base to get paid. There they met Benjamin Radcliffe: a gruff, cigar-chomping, no-nonsense military commander who hires the players to complete unsavory tasks. He also looks exactly like his brother Anthony. And, surprise surprise, the players managed to get him killed too. This time, he got blown to bits with a chain gun.
Erik: Whoops. My bad.
Jacob Holo: Oh, ha ha. I’ll pretend you didn’t do that on purpose.
But it’s all good. Once again, they completed their mission and regrouped at a coastal town to get paid. There they met Charles Radcliffe: a gruff, cigar-chomping, no-nonsense warcaster. And just to make the story short, he got flattened by a Kraken colossal. Because, you know, sometimes describing the three-story enemy warjack threshing its way through a platoon of troops doesn’t say you-can’t-win-this-fight quite clearly enough. No, it’s much better to paste the important NPC standing next to the players, splatter them with his blood, and make them take terror checks. That gets the message across.
So yeah. I basically threw my own version of Carmine from Gears of War into the campaign. And it’s still all good, because there are plenty of letters left in the alphabet. In fact, they’ve already met Douglas Radcliffe: a gruff, cigar-chomping, no-nonsense undead Cryx pirate captain who has taken them hostage. End of session! To be continued!
Fiz: Whaaaaaaaa!
Jacob Holo: Well, you did decide to flee blindly aboard a ship in the harbor … while the town was under attack from the sea. Not the smartest move. Just saying.
We’ll see how they handle that next. Should be fun.
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Iron Kingdoms – Epic Ghost Ship versus Shopping
There are many ways to introduce new characters into a campaign. A memorable introduction can really set the tone for how the other players will interact with the new guy or gal. And sometimes, it’s just fun to have a really ridiculous and flashy entrance to help get things rolling.
I had one such entrance planned for a tavern by the docks. Only, the new player caught a nasty stomach flu and couldn’t play. Well, what to do? I had a whole session planned around his introduction and a connected side quest. I didn’t want to let that go to waste.
So I changed some of my long term plans for the campaign and introduce one of the NPCs early, a cheerful but shifty treasure-hunting gobber. He crashed through the tavern window like a missile, skidded across the table, stopped in front of the players, told them to run, and scurried out the door.
Naturally, with an introduction like that, the party ignored him completely and went about their business of picking pockets and brooding in shadowed corners.
Then the bow of a warship crashed through the same tavern wall.
Yes. You read that right. The bow of a warship. You see that players? Ignore my quest-giving NPC will you? Well, guess what? He was right! You’ve got thousands of tons of boat heading straight for you. Think fast or get run over.
Fortunately, they ran.
And now I had the perfect setup. Not only had I delivered the quest-giver directly to the players, I’d delivered the quest location as well. Today would focus on a derelict vessel with a mysteriously slaughtered crew, ghostly lights up on the deck, and treasure deep in its holds. Everything was set up for a creepy journey through its dark, dank corridors. I even had some music ready to set the tone. There’s no way they could screw this up, right?
Right?
Yeah. About that.
Erik: Is there any place around here I can upgrade my laborjack?
Jacob Holo: Yeah, sure. Plenty of places to choose from.
Erik: Come on, team. Let’s go shopping.
Sam: All right.
Fiz: Yay! Shopping!
Ferrous Claw: What about the boat?
Erik: It’s not going anywhere.
Jacob Holo: Oh, for goodness sake. You want to go shopping now?
Erik: Well, we don’t know what’s in there. It might be dangerous.
Jacob Holo: Of course it’s dangerous. Something killed the entire crew.
Erik: Right. So, I want to upgrade my laborjack to get ready.
Jacob Holo: Seriously?
Erik: Yeah.
Jacob Holo: I am so sending a Machine Wraith after you.
Erik: What’s that?
Jacob Holo: You’ll find out.
And so the brave party of adventurers went shopping. For waaaaaaaaaaaay too long. They purchased a grand total of 15 arrows, 15 rifle shells, 2 grenades, and a buckler. I am not kidding. With this heavy ordnance, they felt appropriately girded for whatever awaited them. With a final bit of apprehension, they proceeded into the derelict ship where the meat of the session could finally begin.
Let’s recap this, shall we? I set up the session for a fast, exciting start. The quest-giver crashes through the window. The quest location crashes through the wall. The quest is provided with everything in place. The party goes in and starts the adventure.
Time from mission start to target entry?
2 hours.
Uhhh… Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get these players moving.
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Iron Kingdoms – Release the Blood Witches!
Sometimes, you get those players. You know. Those players. The ones that really get into their cold, brooding, greedy assassin character’s skin and just aren’t in the mood to party up. And that’s okay, I guess. That goes along with the whole roleplay experience. But the thing is we’ve got a campaign to get going, monsters to slay, stuff to loot. Time to get the lead out, people!
Except that one player has got to be difficult.
Oh, what’s the pay for this mission? Pfft! Not enough. Come back when you get serious.
And it’s not like we can abandon him. Because, unlike the assassin-for-hire at the inn, the player is sitting on the couch eating pizza with us. It’d be kind of rude for us to leave without him. Figuratively, of course. I mean, what’s he going to do? Eat pizza in silence for four hours while we go kill and loot stuff?
And yet, there he is, being stubborn about his pay.
Well, fear not. I’m the Dungeon Master. I have all sorts of shenanigans at my disposal. This was our first session using Privateer Press’ magnificent Iron Kingdoms rulebook, and none of the players really knew what to expect. I, however, was very familiar with the nasty denizens of the Iron Kingdoms.
And you know something? Nothing says “get your butt in gear” like exploding bystanders.
So, the scenario went down like this. Our incorrigible assassin lingered in the inn, waiting for more pay while the other players tried to acquire it. Two cloaked figures entered (secretly Satyxis Blood Witches), and started cutting up innocent bystanders.
And, if you know anything about Blood Witches, you know they leave a mess. People started exploding left and right, and the assassin found himself taking Death Strike damage without being hit. Oh, you better believe he wanted some wingmen to help him out. He bolted out of the inn, which was now filled with bloody fog, and ran straight for the other players.
Yeah, don’t mess with the DM. You want to go and do your own thing? You want to slow down the game while everyone else is itching to kill some monsters? Let me explain to you how this works. You either party up, or I explode people until you get in line.
A friend of mine had a phrase for this. “Rocks fall.” It means you’re doing something that is making it a lot less fun for everyone else. Either behave yourself, or rocks will fall from a clear sky and crush your character.
He wasn’t joking either.
But the best part, the very best part, is the assassin player didn’t even realize he’d been jolted with a twenty kilovolt cattle prod. He thought it was just part of the story. And sometimes, stuff like that can really make a gaming session special, when things go off script and everyone gets a little creative.
It was fun. And yeah, a lot of people exploded before they killed all of the Blood Witches.
Good times.
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Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Asphyxious the Hellbringer
Warcasters are the stars of Warmachine, and Cryx has no shortage of powerful and fun-to-play warcasters. Today, I’m taking a look at Asphyxious the Hellbringer.
IN SHORT: Hey, someone spilled Menoth in my Cryx … and I think I like it!
STRENGTHS: Asphyxious the Hellbringer has an amazing suite of support spells that are very unusual for Cryx. It is these spells that truly define his role as a warcaster. Let’s step through them.
First, there’s Carnage. Any Cryx models in Asphyxious’ control area get +2 to melee attack rolls. Ouch! Cryx has no shortage of powerful melee models, and Asphyxious can make any of them hit more often.
Next up, there’s Scything Touch, a returning spell from Iron Lich Asphyxious. This spell grants +2 melee damage to a friendly model or unit. It’s a great spell for enhancing a unit’s damage output. As an added bonus, the targets also gain Critical Corrosion.
Then there’s, Ashen Veil, which grants concealment to a friendly model or unit. It also causes living enemy models within 2” to suffer -2 on their attack rolls. Yikes! A defensive buff? In this army? Cryx has no shortage of models that would love to boost their defenses, and many already have very good DEF stats. This is a truly superb addition to our arsenal.
Now let’s take a look at Mobility. This spell may be battlegroup only, but it’s a solid one. It grants +2 SPD and Pathfinder for the cheap, cheap price of 2 Focus. While its primary use is to get warjacks into position, Asphyxious can enjoy its benefits as well.
And why wouldn’t he like that? With FOCUS 7, ARM 17, 18 hit boxes, and a P+S 16 beat stick, Asphyxious is no slouch up close and personal. Add Blood Boon on his sword, Daimonion, he wants to be in the thick of it. Take out a living model with his sword, and Asphyxious can cast a spell for free (once per activation).
On top of that, Asphyxious comes with two attack spells, Bone Shaker and Hex Blast, the latter of which is great for clearing enemy upkeeps and animi. He also comes with a versatile feat, Rites of Shadow, which can be used both defensively and offensively. Every time an enemy is forced, casts a spell, or spends Focus / Fury, Asphyxious gets a soul token and heals d3 damage. Just bunker down for your opponent’s big swing, then punish them hard the next round.
Oh, and he even has his own pet Skarlock.
Yes, let’s not forget Vociferon. This unique Skarlock comes with Soul Collector and Death Harvest. This means Vociferon can collect soul tokens in his command range and then transfer them to Asphyxious in the Maintenance Phase. Oh, and he’s also an Arc Node. You know, in case the soul gathering thing wasn’t cool enough.
WEAKNESSES: Carnage and Mobility are not upkeeps. Between recasting these two spells (as needed) and upkeeping Ashen Veil and Scything Touch, Asphyxious is going to feel the drain on his Focus reserves. Add in the fact that he’s a nice, juicy medium base target, and suddenly leaving him drained of Focus doesn’t look like such a smart idea.
Blood Boon, Vociferon, and the feat do help with Focus efficiency. However, none of these are without risk. Vociferon has to be far enough forward to collect those souls, leaving him vulnerable to attack. The Rites of Shadow has a similar problem, though not as pronounced. And Blood Boon requires Asphyxious to engage the enemy directly.
Asphyxious also can’t employ a standard Skarlock. While Vociferon is great, he’s trickier to use. Plus, Asphyxious has Scything Touch, a spell that is just begging to be bounced around from unit to unit to unit. Without a normal Skarlock to act as a Spell Slave, shifting a powerful upkeep around is a lot more difficult.
Finally, Asphyxious needs living models for their souls. Without them, he cannot operate at peak efficiency. Though honestly, that’s sort of like saying, Asphyxious is in Cryx.
SYNERGIES: Asphyxious’s support spells can produce a diverse set of benefits for basically any model in the Cryx arsenal, but there are a few combinations that really stand out.
Satyxis Raiders are a great target for Ashen Veil. With base DEF 14, Force Barrier from a Satyxis Raider Sea Witch, and Ashen Veil, they’re at an amazing DEF 18 at range and a potent DEF 16 in close against living models.
Scything Touch can be used with any number of powerful melee units, but Mechanithralls are my favorite. Not only are they dirt cheap, but each has two attacks. A full unit of Mechanithralls can put out 20 attacks. With Scything Touch, that’s a damage output swing of 40 hit boxes. You won’t typically see that much benefit, but the potential is there.
And with two great upkeep spells, who can forget the Withershadow Combine. With them in tow, they can help lighten Asphyxious’ Focus load. As a bonus, they’re a unit, so they’re valid targets for Scything Touch or Ashen Veil, as the situation dictates.
JUST FOR FUN: Asphyxious may not be geared towards supporting warjacks, but that doesn’t mean he should ignore them. Mobility brings extra speed to the already swift warjacks of Cryx, and there are plenty of ways to use this.
The Cankerworm stands out as particularly impressive because, due to Affinity [Asphyxious], it gets a free move if it ends its activation in Asphyxious’ control area. Now who doesn’t like an extra fast armor-piercing warjack, ping-ponging back and forth, eating your opponents wreck markers and taking their weapons? I know I like it!
SUMMARY: Asphyxious the Hellbringer has an amazing range of abilities and can support a wide variety of army compositions. With a truly unique spell list for Cryx, he is one warcaster that will make an excellent addition to any player’s collection.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Skarlock Thrall
Solos in Warmachine may not have the raw power and durability of warjacks or the sheer numbers enjoyed by infantry. But don’t discount them. For so few points, no models can tip the balance of a game quite like solos can. Today, I’m taking a look at the Skarlock Thrall.
IN SHORT: Who doesn’t like a free spell a turn? The Skarlock is a Cryx warcaster’s best friend.
STRENGTHS: Two words. Spell Slave! With this ability, the Skarlock can cast one of its warcaster’s spells for free, while in that warcaster’s control area. And for only 2 points? Seriously, that is just so cool.
Now, there are a few exceptions to worry about. The Skarlock can only cast spells of COST 3 or less and cannot cast spells with target SELF or CTRL. Even with these limitations, there are so many applications for Spell Slave, it’s ridiculous.
The savings in Focus alone are phenomenal. The Skarlock is great for assisting Cryx warcasters with support spells. From a timely application of Ghost Walk to applying or re-applying buffs like Scything Touch and support spells Occultation, the Skarlock is a huge boon to Focus efficiency. It’s just great to have along.
WEAKNESSES: With DEF 14, ARM 12, and only 5 hit boxes, the Skarlock is squishy. Keep it safe, because if your opponent can take a shot at it, it’s likely dead. This makes it very risky to use the Skarlock for offensive spells, which force it into range of reprisal. It’s best to keep the Skarlock back in a support role until it’s needed. That said, don’t be afraid to sacrifice a Skarlock to get that extra debuff applied. Often, the right debuff in the right place is well worth a dead Skarlock.
Also, it … umm … It can’t cast every spell? It’s not a 1 point solo? You can’t take two?
Seriously, I’m stretching on this one.
SYNERGIES: Almost any warcaster can take advantage of the Skarlock. It’s basically an auto-include in most lists, so it’s easier to cover the exceptions rather than the synergies.
The Skarlock is a warcaster attachment, so it cannot be included with Mortenebra or Asphyxious the Hellbringer, who both have their own character Skarlocks. Of the remaining warcasters, Goreshade the Bastard is probably the one that will miss a Skarlock the least, since the only spells available to the Skarlock are offensive. Though do not discount even this. Goreshade can often be hurting for Focus, and an extra Hex Blast at the right time can be game-changing, given its ability to strip enemy upkeep spells.
JUST FOR FUN: Let’s look at Iron Lich Asphyxious’s spell Scything Touch. This is a rare buff spell in Cryx that grants +2 STR and Critical Corrosion to a unit or model.
Start the round by upkeeping Scything Touch on Unit 1, activate Unit 1 and get the most out of the buff. Next, activate the Skarlock and cast Scything Touch on Unit 2. Activate Unit 2 and do some damage. Now activate Asphyxious and cast this spell on Unit 3. Activate Unit 3 and tear it up.
That’s three units benefiting from +2 STR in a single round for only 3 Focus and a Skarlock. Not too bad.
And remember, this tactic can also be used on debuffs against enemy units. Who wouldn’t like to smash three warjacks in a row, each afflicted with Parasite’s -3 ARM penality?
SUMMARY: The Skarlock has a place in almost every Cryx list. If in doubt, take one. Seriously, just take it. You won’t regret it.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Pistol Wraith
Solos in Warmachine may not have the raw power and durability of warjacks or the sheer numbers enjoyed by infantry. But don’t discount them. For so few points, no models can tip the balance of a game quite like solos can. Today, I’m taking a look at the Pistol Wraith.
IN SHORT: These ghostly duelists are experts at reaching their targets, striking first, and striking hard. But watch out! They are glass cannons.
STRENGTHS: First, the Pistol Wraith lives up to its name. It shoots well, which is something of a novelty in Cryx. With RAT 7, the Pistol Wraith’s twin POW 12 pistols are accurate and can do some decent damage. Good speed on the solo and range on the weapons also lends the Pistol Wraith a high threat range of 16”.
But what’s better than POW 12? Boosted POW 12! Thanks to its Body Count rule, the Pistol Wraith can collect souls of living enemy models it kills. Those souls can then be used to boost attack or damage rolls, making the Pistol Wraith one deadly customer.
But there’s more! If the Pistol Wraith connects on the same target with both pistols, it fires a third non-damaging Chain Attack at that target. This Death Chill attack forces the target to give up either its movement or its action during its next activation. This gives the Pistol Wraith the ability to hinder targets it has trouble damaging, such as high ARM warrior models, heavy warjacks, and even Colossals!
To keep the Pistol Wraith safe, it has Incorporeal, which grants it immunity to normal attacks until it opens fire.
WEAKNESSES: At 3 points, the Pistol Wraith is a mildly pricey solo. With DEF 14, ARM 12, it’s also vulnerable. This can lead to the Pistol Wraith becoming a one-hit wonder by getting flattened immediately after opening fire the first time.
This problem also makes it difficult to use souls because the Pistol Wraith has to collect them first through attacks. And when it attacks, it loses Incorporeal for a round, leaving it very vulnerable.
Finally, besides our impressive selection of debuffs (which go great with Pistol Wraiths), Cryx has very little support for enhancing ranged attacks.
SYNERGIES: Skarre, Queen of the Broken Coast and Pistol Wraiths go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Not only does Epic Skarre enhance shooting to ridiculous levels with Black Spot, her Fate Weaver feat can be used to protect the Pistol Wraith. First Black Spot a unit, then have a Pistol Wraith or two attack the unit, gobbling up the soul tokens and getting free shots. After this, use Fate Weaver to make the Pistol Wraiths invalid targets. With the Pistol Wraiths gorged on souls and protected from reprisal, they’re ready to do some real damage next round!
And, of course, debuffs make anything better, not just melee attacks. The Pistol Wraith’s ranged attacks can benefit greatly from the wide selection of Cryx debuffs. Why not team up with Warwitch Deneghra for an assassination run. Combining Parasite with her feat, The Withering, on the same target can turn the Pistol Wraith’s RAT 7 POW 12 attacks into effective RAT 9 POW 17, which can be boosted further with souls!
JUST FOR FUN: You know the saying, boosted 12’s win games. Hey, check it out. Pistol Wraiths have two POW 12 attacks that can be boosted. Huh.
Just saying. Might be worth a look.
SUMMARY: Pistol Wraiths are dangerous solos, and with Incorporeal, they can normally get the drop on their target. Just don’t expect them to last long after that first strike if you haven’t planned accordingly. That said, make no mistake. With the right list and a solid battle plan, Pistol Wraiths are absolutely deadly!
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Warwitch Siren
Solos in Warmachine may not have the raw power and durability of warjacks or the sheer numbers enjoyed by infantry. But don’t discount them. For so few points, no models can tip the balance of a game quite like solos can. Today, I’m taking a look at the Warwitch Siren.
IN SHORT: Cheap, fast, and supremely versatile, the Warwitch Siren is one of the premier Cryx solos.
STRENGTHS: The name of the game here is versatility. For only 2 points, the Warwitch Siren brings a large toolbox of interesting abilities. Let’s take a look at them.
First, there’s Power Booster. The Warwitch Siren can clear of warjack of the Disrupted effect and, if it doesn’t have any Focus, she gives it one. Warmachine is a game of resource management, namely Focus, and the Warwitch Siren lets the warcaster keep more. Very nice!
Next, the Warwitch Siren can move into base-to-base with a living enemy warrior model and use Seduction. Take control of the enemy model, make a full advance then make one normal melee attack. There is no roll to hit for Seduction. The ability always works, though warcasters and warlocks are immune.
The applications of this power are many and varied. Need to bring an enemy support solo closer to your warjack? Seduce them! Want to break a unit by moving the leader out of formation? Seduce them! Got a powerful melee solo closing in? Seduce them, turn them around, and attack something!
The Warwitch Siren also come with Venom, a low POW 8” magic spray that causes Corrosion. With a magic attack of 7, Venom is deadly against clumped up groups of enemy infantry. Between the initial spray attack and the Corrosion afterwards, the Siren can clear out surprising numbers of enemy infantry all by herself.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Warwitch Siren can inflict Shadow Bind with her P+S 11 Shadow Blade melee attack. This is great for stopping an enemy warjack or warbeast dead in its tracks, especially if the target doesn’t have Reach. Because, guess what? The Siren does! She can freeze models in place, lower their defense by 3, and they can’t even smack her back. This also gives her the defense bonus for being engaged in melee.
On top of all of this, the Warwitch Siren comes with Stealth to protect her at range and Parry to let her ignore free strikes.
All this for 2 points? Very nice indeed!
WEAKNESSES: ARM 13 and DEF 15 are good, but not great. The Warwitch Siren can be difficult to pin down, but when she is, she gets squished. Even with Stealth protecting her, she has to watch out for blast damage. Never mind that there are plenty of ways to bypass Stealth.
And while Shadow Bind on her melee attack is nice, she’s only MAT 5. Even against the generally low DEF of heavy warjacks, she has a reasonable chance to miss.
Finally, she’s a living model, with all the extra vulnerabilities that brings over our undead models.
SYNERGIES: Just about everything in Cryx. Almost every list I make includes one and sometimes two Warwitch Sirens. However, there are some combinations that can stand out.
Scaverous’s feat boosts the attack rolls of magic attacks. Combined with the Siren’s Venom and her solid magic attack, and suddenly that spell is really, really accurate. Go ahead! Melt their faces right off!
Venethrax also gives the Venom spell’s Corrosion effect a nice boost with his Caustic Presence [Corrosion]. Instead of a two in three chance of basic infantry dying, now they just die.
With the number a warjacks Mortenebra normally fields, she really enjoys the extra Focus two Warwitch Sirens can bring to her battlegroup.
Finally, what’s better than one round of Shadow Bind? TWO rounds of Shadow Bind! Try teaming up some Sirens with Wraith Witch Deneghra’s feat to really paralyze your opponent.
JUST FOR FUN: A little combo I like to use is a Warwitch Siren and a Stalker as a two-part flanking force. Both the Siren and the Stalker swing wide on one flank. Both are SPD 7 and both have Stealth. Plus the Siren can Power Boost the Stalker if Focus is tight. With the Stalker’s Extended Control Range, the warcaster is free to load it with Focus when the moment is right. Together, the two can cause a lot of chaos for only 6 points.
SUMMARY: The Warwitch Siren is a fantastic, supremely versatile solo that fits great in almost any Cryx army. The sheer number of abilities she brings to the table gives you plenty of options and makes it almost impossible for your opponent to predict her moves. It’s a rare game where I’m not fielding my trusty Siren in the list.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Machine Wraith
Solos in Warmachine may not have the raw power and durability of warjacks or the sheer numbers enjoyed by infantry. But don’t discount them. For so few points, no models can tip the balance of a game quite like solos can. Today, I’m taking a look at the Machine Wraith.
IN SHORT: In Cryx, we steal enemy corpses and enemy souls. But what about whole warjacks? Yeah, we do that too.
STRENGTHS: The Machine Wraith is a 1 point solo that TAKES CONTROL OF ENEMY WARJACKS! Granted, there are a number of conditions that have to be met and qualifiers that need to be added. But still. Seriously. I mean seriously, this is so awesome.
The Machine Wraith needs to get within 1” of the target warjack and execute its Machine Meld special action, so it cannot be used if the Machine Wraith charges. The target warjack must have a functioning cortex, cannot be a character warjack, and cannot be a Colossal since they are immune to control of any kind.
To pull this off, the Machine Wraith is fast at SPD 7 and is Incorporeal! This not only protects the Machine Wraith from normal attacks, it also allows it to pass through other models and terrain on its way to taking control of the enemy.
Opponents have a few options for getting the warjack back. Warcasters can spend Focus and attempt to kick the Machine Wraith out. Basically, the warcaster and the Machine Wraith compare CMD and add a D6. The Machine Wraith has a low CMD 7, by the way. Damaging the warjack will also kick the Machine Wraith out, but in your Maintenance Phase. Either way, your opponent is wasting resources.
And even if the Machine Wraith is kicked out, the biggest benefit is preventing any Focus allocation to the enemy warjack. When the Machine Wraith is inside, the warjack is not a part of any battlegroup! No Focus for you!
As a side bonus, the Machine Wraith can also use its speed to harass enemy solos and infantry, setting itself up for free-strikes while remaining protected by Incorporeal.
WEAKNESSES: Except for Incorporeal, the Machine Wraith is a soft target. DEF 14 isn’t too bad, but ARM 12 on a medium base with one hit box is nothing to be excited about. If your opponent wants the Machine Wraith dead, it’s probably dead. Protecting it with smart use of terrain is critical.
Also, while the Machine Wraith is best used against Warmachine armies, those armies tend to have a wider selection of magical weapons. Even worse, Colossals and character-warjacks give Warmachine players plenty of options that are immune to the Machine Meld ability.
And that comment about not allocating Focus to a warjack under Machine Wraith control swings both way, so you can’t allocate Focus to it either, though this isn’t a big deal. The Machine Wraith is more about denying options to your opponent than opening up new ones for you.
And finally there are Hordes armies that don’t care one bit about Machine Meld. Against them, the Machine Wraith is a simple solo harasser … with low P+S and average MAT. It’s not terrible, but it’s not exciting either.
SYNERGIES: The Machine Wraith needs the enemy warjack to be within 8” in order to steal it … unless another model pulling it in! Try teaming up with Reaper or Malice warjacks and using their Drag attacks to bring the enemy warjack into range. Scaverous’s Telekinesis spell can produce a similar effect, either pulling the warjack in or bumping the Machine Wraith closer. Or both.
Also, fielding the Machine Wraith with other Incorporeal models can saturate your opponent’s ability to deal with them effectively. The Wraith Engine can also help the Machine Wraith get to its target by giving it a small ARM buff via its Unhallowed rule. This also makes the Machine Wraith immune to blast damage.
JUST FOR FUN: Against a Gargantuan or a Colossal there’s nothing a Machine Wraith can do, right? Well, not so fast!
Yes, the Machine Wraith is an Incorporeal model, which means enemies can walk right through it too. Except, Large bases normally come with low speed. Sure, that Colossal can walk right through the Machine Wraith, but it has to clear it too! It can’t stop on top of the Machine Wraith!
Run the Machine Wraith up and engage the Colossal. Now the Machine Wraith has DEF 18 to ranged attacks. Shooting the Machine Wraith down with magic is going to be tough. And if your opponent moves in another model to take the Machine Wraith out, now THAT model is blocking the Colossal!
SUMMARY: The Machine Wraith is a fairly situational solo that sometimes shines and sometimes is barely mediocre. Still, for only one point, the ability to take an enemy warjack as your own should not be dismissed. In the right place at the right time, Machine Wraiths can single-handedly swing games in your favor.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders
Infantry may not be the stars of Warmachine, but that doesn’t make them any less important. From screening high priority targets to overwhelming a foe with sheer numbers, infantry plays a critical role, especially in the armies of Cryx. Today, I’m taking a look at Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders.
IN SHORT: Who doesn’t like zombie pirates? Well, these are GHOST zombie pirates! On FIRE!
STRENGTHS: Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders are Incorporeal! This isn’t a lone solo like the Pistol Wraith, but an entire unit of up to 10 bodies that are immune to non-magical damage and can walk through walls or even enemy troops. Granted, they lose their Incorporeal status for one round when they attack, but this is still a terrifying ability to deal with.
If that wasn’t enough, their attacks set enemy models on fire. Not critical fire, mind you. Continuous Fire! Even if they don’t kill their target, there’s a chance the enemy will just burn to death. Fire is a powerful and dangerous continuous effect that a lot of models do not want to get hit with. Many warcasters are especially vulnerable to continuous fire, because fire does its damage before they replenish their Focus. As an added bonus, their attacks are also magical.
Blackbane, the unit leader, also grants Reanimation to the unit. If they kill a living model, a new Ghost Raider gets added within 3” of the model doing the killing.
Finally, because of these abilities, the Ghost Raiders are a huge free strike threat. Often the best move is to run them forward and engage as many enemy models as possible (though watch out for enemies with magical weapons). Many models simply aren’t equipped to handle Incorporeal units, nor risk a MAT 8 or 9 free strike with P+S 10 and boosted damage.
In response, your opponent may: (A) Move away, risking the free strike and the new Ghost Raider. (B) Move in models capable of dealing with the Ghost Raider, taking them from other parts of the battle. (C)Spend valuable Focus to blast the Ghost Raider with magic. (D) Glare at the Ghost Raider in frustration and do nothing.
Any of these results can be useful, making the Ghost Raiders premier disruption units.
WEAKNESSES: With MAT 6 (except for Blackbane, who has MAT 7) and a single P+S 10 attack, Ghost Raiders can struggle to do damage. This is why using free strikes is my favorite strategy with them, since the +2 MAT and boosted damage roll helps bring them up to respectable levels. They’re also pricey at 9 points for a full unit, which puts them in competition with many other excellent Cryx infantry units that are harder hitting and easier to use for a similar price.
And while Reanimation is a great ability, it goes away as soon as Blackbane is taken out. Smart opponents will target Blackbane first, so watch out and try to protect him.
Finally, magic and magical weapons bypass Incorporeal. Without Incorporeal for protection, the Ghost Raiders are easy targets with only DEF 13 and ARM 12. Magical ranged attacks are especially painful! Incorporeal grants them superb mobility. Use it to keep them safe!
SYNERGIES: The Ghost Raiders can walk through walls and enemy troops. Why not use them with Epic Deneghra’s Marked for Death spell? Not only does Marked for Death drop enemy DEF by 2, it also allows them to be targeted regardless of line of sight. Nice!
The Wraith Engine can provide a welcome boost to the Ghost Raiders while they’re Incorporeal and in its generous command range. Between the Wraith Engine’s clouds and its Unhallowed ability, it can mean the difference between DEF 13 ARM 12 Raiders and DEF 15 ARM 14 Raiders immune to blast damage. Not too bad.
Finally, Captain Rengrave is a solid addition with his Veteran Leader [Revenant] ability, giving a +2 bonus to Revenant model attack rolls if they can see Rengrave. With smart positioning, those free strikes suddenly became a terrifying MAT 10!
JUST FOR FUN: If you’re taking Ghost Raiders, why not load up on Incorporeal models to saturate your opponent’s ability to handle them? Taking Ghost Raiders with Machine Wraiths, Pistol Wraiths, Wraith Engines, Epic Deneghra, and Blood Witches with Blood Hag can overwhelm your opponent’s ability to cope. This can lead to a somewhat unbalanced army list, but also a fun one.
SUMMARY: Normally, Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders aren’t going to deal a ton of damage. What they excel at is charging into the enemy ranks and causing absolute chaos. They’re nowhere near as straightforward to use as most Cryx infantry, but their ability to disrupt the enemy’s plans is a powerful and welcome addition.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.