IN SHORT: Hordes Exigence is here, so let’s take a look. As with previous releases, every Hordes army receives a host of new toys, this time throwing out powerful character warbeasts, lesser warlocks, and two of the new warbeast packs. Like all Privateer Press releases, the book is printed in full color with page after page of impressive new artwork.
So, let’s take a look at the new Legion of Everblight models.
ABSYLONIA, DAUGHTER OF EVERBLIGHT: Absylonia comes with plenty of ways to enhance Legion’s powerful arsenal of warbeasts. First, her warbeasts can charge or make power attacks without being forced. Second, if Absylonia kills something, those warbeasts get +2 SPD and +2 MAT. Third, her feat hands out +2 STR, Flight, and Reach to her battlegroup. Fourth, she can heal her entire battlegroup for d3+1 damage points at a cost of 2 Fury. That’s enough to guarantee every warbeast has every aspect active. Fifth, she can hand out Return Fire at 1 Fury per cast to allow her warbeasts to … return fire. Sixth, she can Fortify a model in her battlegroup with +2 ARM.
Oh yeah, Absylonia comes stocked with ways to make warbeasts an absolutely terror. She can also Teleport up to 8” away, which allows her to be played more aggressively, moving forward to get a kill in, then teleporting out of danger. She is an incredibly focused warlock, with basically nothing to give supporting infantry. But with a list of enhancements like the one above, why waste points on infantry?
BLIGHT WASPS: I tried. Honestly, I tried to figure out what these guys are good for. Blight Wasps are one of the two new warbeast packs, so they should be exciting, right? Well, not so much.
I mean, they’re not bad. I’m sure skilled players can put them to good use. They’re just underwhelming. There’s no wow factor here. Plus the Hunting Pack rule and Overwhelm animus don’t seem to mesh. Hunting Pack makes them a threat when they work together as a group, but Overwhelm can easily have them swinging bonus attacks at MAT 5 and P+S 8. Not exactly scary stuff here.
Meh.
NERAPH: This flying warbeast is fairly scrawny for a heavy warbeast and is instead geared to taking down high DEF enemies. A single hit with its Grasping Tail means every following attack automatically hits. After that, just keep headbutting the enemy with a P+S 16 Hammerhead. Plenty of light warjacks and warbeasts have very impressive DEF stats, but suffer with low ARM. The Neraph is an excellent counter to those models, and a flurry of P+S 16 attacks can certainly do work on tougher opponents.
ZURIEL: With a solid stat line, Flight, two P+S 16 daggers, and two spray attacks that set targets on fire, Zuriel means business! His Chain Attack allows him to get in a free spray if both his initial attacks hit the same target, and his animus is powerful when used right.
Predator’s Instinct is SELF only and costs 1 Fury. It gives Zuriel an additional die to all attacks against warrior models (excluding warlocks and warcasters). This allows Zuriel to tear through enemy infantry with ease using both spray attacks (RAT 5 with a bonus attack die should not be underestimated), but can also be used by numerous warlocks to great effect.
Given his affinities (Rhyas and Saeryn), he fits in well with both of them. He gets Stealth when with Rhyas and can channel spells for Saeryn. But by no means do I think he should be restricted to their lists. Just imagine putting Predator’s Instinct on the Lylyth’s bow or Thagrosh’s spray attacks, just to name a few possibilities. Yeah, I think those combos would create quite the mess.
STRIDER BLIGHTBLADES: An ambushing unit for Legion? Apparently so!
The Strider Blightblades look pretty straightforward. Ambush allows them to enter the battle from the table side edges. They have high DEF and Stealth to help them survive long enough to actually do something, and they have Combined Melee Attack and two attacks each to give them some extra hitting power.
Like other ambushing units, you pay for that ability and suffer elsewhere in the unit’s capabilities. These blighted killers cost a point a model, so your mileage may vary.
FYANNA THE LASH: Okay, I have to admit something here. I really do like seeing models with varying attack types. I enjoy having that level of flexibility built right into the model’s rules, and Fyanna can execute three different attack types. She can beat enemies back 1” at a time, gain additional damage dies against warbeasts, or throw enemy models around. With Chain Strike and SPD 7, she has 14” threat range and can attack twice a turn. To keep her safe, she can Prowl in terrain to gain Stealth, is immune to free strikes, and gets a free 2” move when shots miss her.
That all pretty awesome. But is she 3 points worth of awesome? With only 12 ARM and 5 damage boxes? Umm … maybe?
SUMMARY: Privateer Press introduces another set of new models that bring fresh possibilities to each faction. Less warlocks and warbeast packs may not be as exciting as gargantuans, but there are still plenty of fun releases in this book.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Privateer Press
Hordes Exigence Review: Skorne
IN SHORT: Hordes Exigence is here, so let’s take a look. As with previous releases, every Hordes army receives a host of new toys, this time throwing out powerful character warbeasts, lesser warlocks, and two of the new warbeast packs. Like all Privateer Press releases, the book is printed in full color with page after page of impressive new artwork.
So, let’s take a look at the new Skorne models.
XERXIS, FURY OF HALAAK: Here comes Xerxis, back for more and riding a … rhinoceros … sort of thing. Whatever it is, it looks impressive.
Xerxis himself is fast and hard hitting. With SPD 7, MAT 8, and a P+S 15 weapon, Xerxis is hitting like a ton of bricks even before his special rules kick in. Add in cavalry charge rules, Brutal Charge, Ignite, then Mobility, and suddenly you have a 14”threat range with the first attack slamming home with effective MAT 10, P+S 19. That, I think, will leave a mark.
As a cavalry battle engine warlock, he comes with a long list of built in rules, some good, some not. His huge base is his main liability. Solid defensive stats help there, and he has access to the Basilisk Krea’s animus if more protection from shooting is required. In fact, the Krea’s animus goes very well with Xerxis regardless. Not only does it give him an extra +2 to DEF and ARM against shooting, but it also drops enemy DEF by -2 if they’re within 2” of him. Remember that huge base? Yeah, that’s a lot of tabletop he’s covering with that aura.
Oh, and Xerxis gets to cast an animus spell for free once per turn thanks to his Warbeast Bond with a warbeast in his battlegroup. Plenty of applications for this beyond the Krea too.
Xerxis is also a very warbeast-friendly warlock, despite his low Fury of 5. Mobility gives +2 SPD and Pathfinder to his entire battlegroup and his feat turns the entire tabletop into his control area, allowing warbeasts to be forced far afield if necessary while giving them an additional die for attack and damage rolls (dropping a die of the player’s choice).
Xerxis is a fairly straightforward caster, but he definitely looks fun to play. Who doesn’t like a speeding horde of Skorne titans led by someone riding a rhinoceros?
SCARAB PACK: Now here’s one of the two new warbeast packs, and an interesting one at that.
Scarabs have low base stats, but they also have a lot of rules and features that help them perform beyond their raw numbers. For example, they come with poor DEF and ARM stats, but also have a lot of hit boxes to soak up damage as well as the ability to Dig In for cover and eat enemy models for health. Same with their MAT and P+S. Not very impressive, but they have built-in ways to enhance them.
Also, with the number of attacks the pack can put out (along with buying additional attacks or boosting attack rolls), that Critical Paralysis becomes a lot more likely to land. All in all, a very interesting addition to Skorne, and definitely one I think is worth trying out.
ARADUS SOLDIER: With SPD 3, the Aradus Soldier is slow. However, a combination of Advanced Deploy and Reach give it surprising threat potential early in the game, and P+S 18 on its Mandibles is no joke. That’s even higher than a Bronzeback, and can easily be pushed up to P+S 20 with beast handlers. After all, this is Skorne we’re talking about.
The Mandibles don’t have Reach, but the attacks that do come with Pull to suck enemies in for those Mandibles. Also, good luck killing this guy with shooting. Its Carapace rule takes its base ARM of 19 and turns it into 23 against ranged attacks and free strikes.
A fairly interesting setup here. It has more of a defensive feel to it than other Skorne heavies. Once it gets somewhere, it’s going to be a pain to shift. Though, you still have to get it there.
ARADUS SENTINEL: Similar to the Aradus Soldier, the Aradus Sentinel has the same low speed, Carapace rule, and Advanced Deployment. What the Sentinel brings on top of this is a powerful AOE attack with Poison! And given its Carapace rule, it’s difficult to tie up. It can back away from being engaged, take its lumps with ARM 23, and keep firing. The Poison rule on its ranged attack makes it particularly effective against other Hordes armies.
By the way, this guy goes great with a Mortitheurge Willbreaker. Two Poison AOEs per turn? Yes please!
PRAETORIAN KELTARII: Here’s another flavor of Praetorians for Skorne, this one with some solid defensive rules. Blade Shield gives them +2 DEF against ranged attacks, bumping them up to a very respectable DEF 15 ARM 14 when shot at. Parry makes them immune to free strikes, and Reform gives them a free 3” advance at the end of the unit’s actions.
Throw in Combined Melee Attack for some harder hitting when needed, and you have a solid block of infantry that can easily rush in and jam up the enemy’s ranks or help screen friendly force. Overall, a nice new unit.
TYRANT ZAADESH: So here’s Skorne’s lesser warlock and immediately something is different. Unlike the other factions, Zaadesh has no restriction on what he can include in his battlegroup. He comes with a decent defensive ability in Protective Battlegroup (letting a warbeast he controls take a ranged or magic shot for him), and he enhances his battlegroup with Tag Team.
When active, Tag Team gives his battlegroup +2 melee attack and damage as long as the target is engaged by another member of the battlegroup. Zaadesh’s abilities mesh well because Protective Battlegroup and Tag Team both keep his warbeasts close. And it doesn’t take much to turn him into a nasty killing machine. With his warbeast(s) nearby, Zaadesh can hit at MAT 8, P+S 14 repeatedly until his Fury runs dry.
He can also be used as an animus battery, dishing out multiple copies of Sprint from an Archidon, just as an example. Or Rush from a Gladiator. Or … well, I think you get the point.
But yeah, I like this little tyrant.
SUMMARY: Privateer Press introduces another set of new models that bring fresh possibilities to each faction. Less warlocks and warbeast packs may not be as exciting as gargantuans, but there are still plenty of fun releases in this book.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Hordes Exigence Review: Circle of Orboros
IN SHORT: Hordes Exigence is here, so let’s take a look. As with previous releases, every Hordes army receives a host of new toys, this time throwing out powerful character warbeasts, lesser warlocks, and two of the new warbeast packs. Like all Privateer Press releases, the book is printed in full color with page after page of impressive new artwork.
So, let’s take a look at the new Circle of Orboros models.
BRADIGUS THORLE THE RUNECARVER: Bradigus is a dedicated Construct warlock through and through, and boy does he bring the tools to get it done. First, all of his warbeasts (which must be Constructs) get a 1 Fury discount on their animus casting. Second, he can repair said Warbeasts d6 damage points with a skill check.
Synergize goes great with a healthy number of Woldwatchers, and allowing them to quickly boost melee attack and damage for the rest of the battlegroup. Rift gives Woldwardens an impressive 4” AOE spell to chuck out en masse. The spell even leaves rough terrain behind as an added insult. And speaking of insult, this guy can shut down enemy casting, channeling, and upkeeping within 5” of his whole battlegroup. Ouch!
Now, Bradigus is on a large base and his defensive stats aren’t particularly stellar. However, this is a manageable problem. Between Woldwatchers soaking up hits for him and/or Bradigus using a Wold Guardian’s animus to reduce ranged damage, Circle players have the tools to keep him safe at range.
The biggest downside I see (more about the hobby than the gameplay) is that Bradigus doesn’t synergize well with the Woldwrath. Given what an awesome centerpiece model the gargantuan is, it’s a little sad to see how poor a fit it is for Circle’s new dedicated Construct warlock.
ARGUS MOONHOUND: Want to field a Circle army with lots of shooting? Well, here’s the warbeast for you! First, the Argus Moonhound can Mark Targets, granting other Circle models +2 to ranged attack rolls against enemies within 5” of him. He can also perform a special action that strips Camouflage and Stealth from those same nearby enemies. It’s a perfect one-two punch prepping the enemy for a rain of incoming fire.
With Pathfinder and SPD 7, the Argus Moonhound can easily reach those targets and get them ready for the incoming fusillade. All this for only 4 points? Not bad at all.
ROTTERHORN GRIFFON: Here’s another 4-point light warbeast, but one with wings and a more offensive tilt to it. The Rotterhorn Griffon’s most notable feature is its Shrill Shriek special action. This hits all models (friend or foe) within 2” of it with POW 8.
Okay, so it’s just POW 8. But, it auto-hits and it can potentially affect a large number of clumped up models. With average damage rolls, the Rotterhorn can take out ARM 14 models half the time. This guy is tailored for eliminating high DEF models, and most of those won’t have much armor.
BRENNOS THE ELDERHORN: Brennos is not meant to go toe-to-toe with enemy heavies. With low health, ARM, and really bad DEF for a Circle non-Construct heavy, he’ll get torn to pieces by pretty much any enemy heavy in the game. But that’s not why you’d take him. Instead, he’s meant to hang back and support the rest of the army, with the epic version of Morvahna being the clear favorite given his affinity for her.
Brennos can heal Morvahna when he kills something (preferably with his ranged attack!) or when he takes damage. Given how much of a yo-yo Morvahna the Dawnshadow’s health can be, these extra damage points can be a big deal.
With his 1-Fury animus, this character satyr can reduce the cost of friend warbeast animus casting by 1 Fury, as long as they’re within his 8” command range. Not bad. He can also cast those same animus spells himself. Sacred Ward helps keep him safe at range, and his ranged attack comes with d3” knockback and a critical knockdown.
All in all, Brennos brings some interesting tools for Morvahna’s game. Just make sure he doesn’t get obliterated before he can use them.
THE DEATH WOLVES: The main currency of this 3-model character unit is corpse tokens. They each start with one, gain one when they kill a living enemy model, and can spend those tokens for boosts, extra attacks, or to reduce incoming damage to 1 point. They also grant each other Overtake (for their PacMan impersonations), Prowl (to help keep them safe), and Gang (for some extra hitting power when they need it).
They’re a character unit that can absolutely mulch through living light infantry. Not exactly the most exciting of jobs. There’s plenty out there that can grind through living light infantry, but the Death Wolves do what they do very well.
UNA THE FALCONER: Una is a lesser warlock who likes griffons. Really, really likes griffons. In fact, if it can’t fly, she can’t take it. But if it can, she gets it for a 1-point discount (3-point Rotterhorns, anyone?).
That said, she doesn’t really bring much to the table to enhance those griffons. She also doesn’t come with much in the way of defensive abilities. Bird’s Eye allows her to see everything in her control area, so hiding her behind terrain doesn’t hinder her. With those two facts, I’m thinking Una and a single griffon (maybe two) is probably the best route to take.
With RAT 6, three boostable birds of prey to “fire” at the enemy, and clear line of sight within her (admittedly small) control area, she can provide some decent ranged support. And with Black Penny, she can fire into melee without penalty. Nothing too special, but not bad either.
SUMMARY: Privateer Press introduces another set of new models that bring fresh possibilities to each faction. Less warlocks and warbeast packs may not be as exciting as gargantuans, but there are still plenty of fun releases in this book.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Hordes Exigence Review: Trollbloods
IN SHORT: Hordes Exigence is here, so let’s take a look. As with previous releases, every Hordes army receives a host of new toys, this time throwing out powerful character warbeasts, lesser warlocks, and two of the new warbeast packs. Like all Privateer Press releases, the book is printed in full color with page after page of impressive new artwork.
So, let’s take a look at the new Trollblood models.
BORKA, VENGEANCE OF THE RIMSHAWS: Borka is back and he’s riding a bear! With solid offensive and defensive stats, Borka is all about getting in your opponent’s face and then pounding said face. His large base does bring the usual vulnerabilities, and his Fury stat is low, so he certainly isn’t without weaknesses. But what he really brings is ways to penalize an opponent’s aggression.
First, his spell Battle Charged grants his whole battlegroup Counter Charge, allowing them a free charge when enemies stop within 6” of them (with a few restrictions). Second, he also grants his battlegroup Immunity: Cold, which isn’t a big deal until you see his feat.
With Ice Storm, Borka gives his whole army Stealth (again a tool to deliver his army to the opponent’s face). That’s nice, but this feat’s kicker is when an enemy lands a melee attack against his Immunity: Cold model. They suffer Stationary! Warmachine and Hordes often comes down to whoever hits first and hardest. With Borka’s feat, he’s going to penalize the heck out of any army trying to strike before him.
Have fun!
DOZER & SMIGG: Start with a Dire Troll Blitzer and replace the gun with a powerful but inaccurate AOE attack. This character warbeast brings a lot of support to ranged troll armies. First, it grants friendly Blitzers +2 to all of their attack rolls while they can see Dozer & Smigg. Very nice! Second, its animus gives +2 to ranged attack rolls and also allows the deviation and / or distance of deviation to be rerolled. Third, if you take Dozer & Smigg with Gunnbjorn, then this warbeast gets boosted blast damage rolls, making its ranged attack even more interesting.
Taking Dozer & Smigg is kind of like taking Blitzer Premium Plus for ranged armies. By itself, it’s not super special. But put it in the right army, and that Premium Plus can be a game changer.
NORTHKIN FIRE EATERS: Sometimes I come across models that make me love this game even more.
So, the Northkin Fire Eaters come with what you’d expect from fire eating trolls. Namely, spray attacks that set people on fire. They also get +5 ARM when receiving fire damage, and actually power up when they’re burning (boosted attack and damage rolls, among other buffs).
So what can you do with this unit? Well, have one of the models set the other two on fire, of course! Then go to town with two fully boosted spray attacks.
I love this game.
TROLLKIN HIGHWAYMEN: A solid no-nonsense unit built around using combined ranged attacks or putting out an impressive number of shots (2 per model). They also come with Gunfighter so they can keep fighting with their pistols in melee, Camouflage to help keep them safe from enemy shooting, and Swift Hunter for a little extra mobility when they kill something.
A nice addition to the Trollblood arsenal.
HORGLE IRONSTRIKE: Horgle is a lesser warlock who focuses solely on Pyre Trolls and Slag Trolls. But that’s okay, because he makes both of them cheaper by 1 point and can enhance their ranged attacks with Hot Shot, granting boosted ranged damage rolls to one battlegroup warbeast.
Horgle can also team up with either warbeast and pump out multiple +2 melee damage buffs to nearby models. He’s no slouch in melee either, with easy access to those same buffs and a sword that inflicts Continuous Fire.
So, yeah. This is one solid lesser warlock.
BRAYLEN WANDERHEART, TROLLKIN OUTLAW: Braylen is a solo that comes with everything the Trollkin Highwaymen have, only better. Better guns, better stats, better defensive abilities, and so on. With Luck, she can reroll misses for her twin POW 12 heavy pistols, and with Gun & Run, she can kill something and then back away to safety.
She’s also an Opportunist, granting additional attack and damage dies when in something’s back arc, and she grants this ability to Trollkin Highwaymen that can see her. Definitely worth consider alone or with a posse of Highwaymen.
SUMMARY: Privateer Press introduces another set of new models that bring fresh possibilities to each faction. Less warlocks and warbeast packs may not be as exciting as gargantuans, but there are still plenty of fun releases in this book.
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Tactics – Cryx: Goreshade, Lord of Ruin
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.
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.
Warmachine Vengeance Review: Cygnar
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 Cygnar models.
LORD GENERAL COLEMAN STRYKER: Stryker got himself a horse, and now he’s all about the alpha strike. He gives Storm Lances Reform (a 3” move after their actions), and his feat, Lightning Charge, basically begs for some horses in his army. When activated, all charge attacks and mount attacks automatically hit and gain an additional die for damage rolls. Ouch! Stryker’s horse also comes with Thunderous Impact, which zaps d3 nearby models when an impact attack lands. Nasty!
Warjacks can tag along too. With Escort, he gives them +2” movement to help them keep up. Throw in Field Marshal [Assault], and those warjacks are still shooting when they charge in. And when all of these models come crashing into the enemy’s lines, Fury gives a select model or unit +3 to their melee damage rolls.
Now do note that Stryker is a large base. This makes him a large target, but he won’t go down easily. With Escort up and a warjack nearby, he can camp at ARM 25. Add in DEF 15 and 18 hit points, and he’s no pushover. He also zaps anyone who hits him in melee.
With Stryker, hit first and hit hard. He certainly has the rules and stats to get the job done.
RELIANT: Here’s another electricity themed heavy warjack. It can fire an electrical 3” AOE that stays in play for a round, allowing it to help out with area denial tactics. It comes with a P+S 17 melee attack with Critical Thunderclap. On a critical hit, place a 4” AOE over the target. Models hit, friend or foe without Immunity: Electricity, become Stationary. And yes, bear in mind that is both friend and foe. Fortunately, Cygnar has a wide selection of models with the necessary immunity.
All this for only 8 points? Not too bad. Critical abilities are always a bit of a gamble, but area effect Stationary is nothing to scoff at.
TEMPEST BLAZERS: A lot of Warmachine involves using the right tool or trick in the right place. The Tempest Blazers (basically gun mages on horseback) bring three attack types to the table, Brutal Damage to hitting harder, Blessed for bypassing defensive buffs, and Electro Leap for taking out fodder.
With SPD 9 and light cavalry rules, they are highly mobile gun platforms, and their DEF 15 is no joke. Solid ranged support cavalry.
STORMBLADE CAPTAIN: What’s better than Storm Knights? Storm Knights with Relentless Charge, that’s what! The Stormblade Captain is worth 2 points for that ability alone. Stormblades in particular are only SPD 5 and don’t have Reach on their weapons. Getting stuck in a rough terrain quagmire or traipsing around it can be a real pain. He also comes with a P+S 13 Weapon Master melee attack with Reach, and thanks to Quick Work, can fire off a shot if he kills anything.
Oh, and he’s a ‘Jack Marshal too, and gives Storm Knights Tactician so they can ignore each other for LOS purposes. This solo is definitely worth the cost when supporting Storm Knight units.
LIEUTENANT ALLISON JAKES: And now let’s take a look at Cygnar’s new journeyman warcaster. 3 points gets you a 4 Focus mini-warcaster. That alone is a very exciting deal.
With only 5 hit boxes and ARM 13, Jakes can’t take much of a beating. And you should expect some hurt to come her way, especially if she has a warjack her battlegroup. Fortunately, she comes with some rules to help keep her safe. DEF 15 can be increased to DEF 17 with Sidekick and a nearby battlegroup warjack. This also grants her immunity to knock down, among other effects. Power Field let’s her camp Focus for ARM 17. Parry gives her immunity to free strikes, and Sprint lets her dash away from the front lines if she destroys something in melee.
Jakes can also give her battlegroup (including herself) a bit of extra speed with Energizer. All of this leads me to view her as a harassing model that nips at the enemy’s flanks, moving in and out to take out high value targets. Squishy, but mobile and hard to pin down.
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.
Warmachine Vengeance Review: Retribution
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 Retribution models.
ISSYRIA, SIBYL OF DAWN: This warcaster has no offensive abilities of any kind, be they weapons or spells. She depends entirely on her army to get the job done. Fortunately, she brings a whole host of support to said army along with 8 Focus to play with.
Offensively, Issyria can grant +2” charges in her control area and give a warjack a free attack each round. Her feat can be used by just about any model in Retribution. It lets them ignore concealment, Camouflage, and Stealth while granting them an additional die on attack and damage rolls. Very potent for a powerful alpha strike, be it melee or ranged or a combined approach.
Defensively, she also has an impressive toolkit. She comes with a +2 ARM buff, can negate enemy spells with Arcane Vortex, and can keep a key model safe with Admonition. Her only offensive spell, Blinding Light, serves a dual purpose. It strips enemy warrior models or units of 2 DEF and prevents them from making ranged or magic attacks. This can potentially shut down your opponent’s alpha strike before it gets off the ground, so she’ll want an arc node or two for that.
With so many support options and a powerful feat, Issyria can lead a wide variety of builds. First impressions are a tricky but potentially rewarding warcaster to play. If the key models in her army get wrecked, she’s done. Fortunately with an ARM buff, Admonition, and Arcane Vortex, she has the tools to keep those models safe until it’s time to strike.
IMPERATUS: Retribution gets a high level character warjack. Based on the Phoenix, the Imperatus comes with a shocking suite of rules and an equally shocking price tag of 12 points. First, this warjack is tough to kill. With DEF 13, ARM 18, and a 12-point field that regenerates d6 points in the maintenance phase, it’s sticking around. Even better, if it does get totaled, it just gets right back up with a full power field and one box repaired in each system.
It also hits hard with two P+S 17 thermal blades that set enemies on fire. Its POW 14 gun makes enemies explode into flames, setting their neighbors on fire. Yes, I think Privateer Press took the whole Phoenix thing quite literally with this one.
And it’s fast too. With SPD 6, Side Step, and Reach on its blades, it can potentially get to targets 15” away. Fast, hard-hitting, and tough to kill. It’s what a really expensive character warjack should be.
HOUSEGUARD THANE: This model brings a number of bonuses to Houseguard units. With Desperate Pace, a select Houseguard unit gains +2” movement. That’s a basic useful bonus to those units. But the most exciting rule is Firing Solution [Houseguard]. With this, the target unit ignores Camouflage and Stealth.
Retribution tends to struggle against Stealth. Well, guess what? Houseguard Thane plus Houseguard Riflemen can chew models relying on Stealth to keep them safe. A very nice addition to the Retribution arsenal.
MAGE HUNTER INFILTRATORS: What can I say? These guys live up to their name. Well, the Mage Hunter part, at least.
Gang brings their two attacks up to effective MAT 8 and P+S 11. Mage Killer makes them de facto Weapon Masters against spellcasters. Arcane Assassin allows them to ignore Power Fields and defensive buffs. Stealth, DEF 14, SPD 7, and Pathfinder help to get them there. They’re good at what they’re designed to do, and can definitely put the hurt on most warcaster/warlock models if they get close.
What more is there to say? Well, they can have the next model tag along …
EIRYSS, MAGE HUNTER COMMANDER: Eiryss is a unit attachment in her third edition, and she’s just as impressive as ever. This time she brings the pain to both Warmachine and Hordes, but especially to Hordes. All of her attacks (one ranged and two melee) come with Arcane Hemorrhage. Hit a model, strip it of Focus or Fury, and switch off its upkeep spells. This is nasty against Warmachine players, but can really mess with Hordes players’ fury management.
She can join either flavor of Mage Hunters, and both can benefit from her rules. She grants Fearless, Reform, and Advance Deployment. My personal favorite combo? Try Eiryss, the Strike Force, and a Strike Force Commander. Now Eiryss’s crossbow ignores LOS, concealment, and cover. Just try hiding from her now!
ELARA, TYRO OF THE THIRD CHAMBER: Here’s a journeyman warcaster that looks like she wants to be in the thick of it, but I don’t know about that.
When she kills a living enemy model, she can allocate a point of Focus to a battlegroup warjack. She also comes with Side Step for those extra 2” moves to help her nail two models and charge up whichever warjack she’s controlling. Theoretically, she could kill six models and fill up two warjacks. Not too bad, though this does come with a disclaimer. Her melee attacks are only MAT 6 P+S 10 and don’t have Reach. Not exactly the stuff of legends.
When camping, she reaches a solid DEF 15 ARM 18. Since she has no defensive abilities, she relies on her raw stats much more so than other journeymen warcasters. But her fairly unimpressive melee skills limit valid targets for Extraction.
Her Battle Charged spell does brings some more options to the table. This gives her battlegroup (including her) Counter Charge, allowing them to hang back a bit and then get free charges on models hitting the front lines. And she can always just stay out of the way and keep a warjack flush with focus. For 3 points, that’s still a good deal. But she doesn’t impress me the way some other journeymen warcasters do.
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.
Warmachine Vengeance Review: Menoth
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 Menoth models.
SERVATH REZNIK, WRATH OF AGES: Reznik got himself a chariot! He’s now a cavalry battle engine warcaster, with all the plusses and minuses that entails. As with any huge base model, survivability is important because they’re … well, they’re huge targets. Fortunately, Renzik has that covered. ARM 17 and 7 Focus can let him camp up to ARM 24. Those 20 hit boxes aren’t going away in a hurry. Oh, and if he has at least one Focus on him, non-magical ranged attacks automatically miss. Those rules will definitely help with his approach, because melee is one of his strengths.
Renzik can cast Creator’s Wrath on himself, granting an additional die to melee attack and damage rolls and makes those attacks ignore defensive buffs. Given Renzik’s already solid MAT 7 and P+S 13 and the fact that he can boost those rolls even further, it becomes clear what a monster in melee he is. Add in Flame Burst on his spear, and a feat that lowers enemy DEF by 2 and makes them explode into 4” POW 12 AOEs, and he can do a lot of damage before even considering his army.
He also comes with a lot of support options, Death March being the most exciting one in my opinion. There are plenty of units that can benefit from +2 MAT and Vengeance. Free 3” move and attack in the maintenance phase after losing a model? Yes, please! Iron Aggression is a carryover from Renzik’s prime version and grants a friendly warjack (doesn’t have to be in his battlegroup!) boosted melee attack rolls and a free run, charge, slam, or trample. Finally, he can put Lamentation up to double Focus or Fury costs within his control area.
Renzik looks like he has two basic modes of play, along with combinations of both styles. He can go straight in, spear-to-the-face style. Or he can hang back and provide a generous amount of support to his army. If your opponent doesn’t have much in the way of magical shooting, he can do both at the same time.
Pretty awesome. Should be interesting to see him in action on the table.
INDICTOR: This heavy warjack is a solid brick of Menoth-flavored nope. First, it’s got a generous damage grid, ARM 19 and a shield. It’ll take some effort to put down. With Sacred Ward, it can’t be targeted by enemy spells either.
But the big one is Consecration. Within 5” of this guy, enemy models can’t cast spells, channel spells, or upkeep spells. Yikes! Talk about disrupting your enemy’s plans! As an added bonus, its P+S 17 melee attack is magical and Blessed for ignoring enemy defensive buffs. Because it’s always nice to ignore even more of your foe’s efforts.
So yeah, like I said, this thing is a big can of Menoth nope. Very nice.
FLAME BRINGERS: These ladies on horseback are fast! I mean, really really fast! Not only do they come with SPD 9, but they also have Side Step for an additional 2” move after every initial attack that hits. Oh, and they have three attacks. They’re light cavalry, which gives them a 5” move after their actions are complete. All summed up during a round they charge, they can move an amazing 23”!
They come with Pathfinder, so terrain isn’t slowing them down, and when they’re hitting, it’s with P+S 9 Weapon Master swords. Not bad at all. They also come with Critical Grievous Wounds, a devastating ability against Hordes … when it actually triggers.
EXEMPLAR BASTION SENESCHAL: What are harder to kill than Exemplar Bastions? How about healing Exemplar Bastions! This model heals every Exemplar Bastion model in its command range 1 point at the beginning of their activation (including itself).
It also comes with an impressive suite of rules to keep it alive. It’s a Jack Marshal, and if it’s marshalling and in base to base contact with the warjack, it gets +2 ARM and can let the warjack take ranged and magic attack hits in its place. Defensive Strike gives it a free attack when someone walks up to it, once per round.
For 3 point, worth it if you’re fielding Bastions. Definitely worth it. Just imagine trying to shift this guy marshalling a Vigilant or Devout behind a full unit Bastions. Not going to be easy!
INITIATE TRISTAN DURANT: As a journeyman warcaster, he has a wide range of applications, but to me this guy’s rules scream “I want an arc node!”
First, he comes with a solid attack spell in Immolation. This POW 12 attack spell only has a range of 8”, but it causes the fire continuous effect on critical hits. Not bad.
However, it gets better. Durant has True Sight, so he ignores concealment, Camouflage, and Stealth. Now let’s think about how many powerful solos have those rules for protection, but wouldn’t like a POW 12 flame spell to the face? A lot, right? He also comes with Fortify to keep his arc node safe with +2 ARM, immunity to knock down, and a few other effects.
Durant lacks any special rules that help with his survivability, so it’s best to keep him back from the front lines. His DEF 14 and ARM 15 are decent, and he can pull off an impressive five attacks with P+S 11 and Blessed if he has to get into melee. But he’s just doesn’t feel like he’s meant for the front lines.
Alternately, instead of an arc node, he can keep a ranged warjack flush with focus and help it wail away at the enemies. Though honestly, any of the journeymen warcasters can do this.
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.
Warmachine Vengeance Review: Khador
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 Khador models.
KOMMANDER ZOKTAVIR, THE BUTCHER UNLEASHED: This guy will wreck your face. First, just in terms of raw hitting power, the Butcher has a MAT 9 P+S 16 Weapon Master axe with Reach. He can cast Flashing Blade to hit every model he’s engaging at the same time, and he has Silence of Death for negating Tough rolls and damage transfers. Absolutely sick!
But it gets worse. His feat lets him refill his focus. Perfect for assassination runs. He also comes with two War Anguses, which are fairly dangerous on their own, but are even more dangerous when they die because that triggers the Butcher’s Vengeance ability (free 3” move and attack in the maintenance phase). They also grant the Butcher Relentless Charge, so he has Pathfinder when he charges in.
But it gets worse! The Butcher also comes with Energizer for up to 3” of additional movement and Impending Doom for drawing enemies within 5” in to be carved up with Flashing Blade. Let’s just recap all those movement shenanigans. SPD 5 base + 3” charge + 2” Reach + 3” Vengeance + 3” Energizer + 5” Impending Doom. That’s 21” of non-linear threat range. Very, very nasty!
The Butcher Unleashed is a pure assassination caster. As pure as they come. His army is nothing but a means to an end, and that end is the Butcher’s axe in the enemy warcaster/warlock’s face.
GROLAR: Here’s an impressive and versatile Khador heavy warjack. First, its piston hammer is P+S 18 and inflicts Ram (knock down plus a 1” push and 1” move follow up). Very nice. It’s auto cannon is POW 12 RNG 8. Nothing too exciting until you see it gets 5 shots! Make the initial attack, spend 2 focus, and fire 4 more shots thanks to Double Strike. That’s a lot of cannon fire!
With Virtuoso and Gunfighter, the Grolar can use its melee and ranged abilities in any combination the situation calls for. It’s also surprisingly mobile. Between +1” for Rams and +2” for Fleet, it can clear a good amount of ground (for a Khador warjack, anyway), all while using both melee and ranged attacks in the same turn.
All this for the fair price of 9 points. Like I said, impressive and versatile.
GREYLORD OUTRIDERS: Greylords on horseback. These guys bring two abilities to the table. First, they can move in, spray down enemies with Frostbite, then move back 5” thanks to being their light cavalry rules. Or they can use Winter’s Wind on a friendly Khador model. Any enemy that ends their activation within 2” of that model becomes stationary. Ouch!
Just think about putting this effect on the Conquest or heavily armored warjacks like the Devastator or any big and tough Khador model for that matter. Since each Outrider can place this on a model, you can in theory have five of these Winter’s Wind areas up, heavily disrupting your opponent’s plans. And disruption is good.
Beyond that, the Outriders also have Snow-Wreathed which gives them permanent concealment, bumping their DEF 13 up to DEF 15 against most shooting. This will help keep them safe while they do their work.
IRON FANG KOVNIK: For 2 points, this guy makes Iron Fangs better. Not too much to say beyond that. He makes them immune to knock down with No Sleeping on the Job [Iron Fangs], and he gives them +2” movement when their shields are up with Shield March. He can also Jack Marshal and is comes equipped with a P+S 12 Weapon Master Reach attack. ARM 15 and Unyielding make him effective ARM 17 when in combat, so he’s not a pushover to get rid of.
A solid support solo for those who use Iron Fangs, though Shield March can apply to any unit that uses the Shield Wall order.
KOVNIK ANDREI MALAKOV: This journeyman warcaster is defined by his Redline spell. With this, a warjack gets +2 SPD and +2 STR, but at the cost of d3 damage at the end of each activation. Just about any Khador warjack can make good use of those bonuses. Perhaps not surprisingly, he goes very well with the new Grolar, being able to keep it flush with Focus while giving it an additional +2 SPD, letting the Grolar charge enemies up to 11” away. For Khador, that’s very fast indeed.
Finally, he comes with Sucker! to keep him safe. Ranged attacks that hit him must be pawned off to a nearby warrior model, so he definitely wants to stick around some infantry. Of course, he can still get nuked with magic attacks. Base ARM 13 and DEF 14 will only do so much, so watch out.
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 – SPLAT!
Jacob Holo: The gobber retrieves four circlets from his bag and places them on the ground in front of you. He handles them with thick leather gloves and uses extreme care. At no time does he touch them directly. The wide rings of twisted black metal radiate an aura of palpable evil. Even standing several feet away, you can feel the joy and color of the world starting to fade. Birds aren’t singing. Crickets aren’t chirping. Even the sound of wind through the trees has come to a stop. A strange unearthly chill settles over you.
Erik: I take one and put it on.
Jacob Holo: Of course you do. I mean, why wouldn’t you?
I’m beginning to think these players aren’t taking me seriously. And to be honest, maybe this is my own fault. Because I prefer everyone to have fun. Yes, I want to challenge the players, but I don’t feel the need to stomp their faces into the ground and pour salt in their wounds. No one likes a frustrating, unfair obstacle in the middle of their gaming session.
I am, first and foremost, a story teller. I relish the chance to take people on a journey, and that’s hard to do when they’re taking a roleplaying dirt nap. So, sometimes I bend the rules.
Jacob Holo: The Cryxian helljack staggers upright, foul glowing liquid pouring from the bullet holes in its chassis. It charges Erik, shaking the earth with each thundering stride. The helljack pulls back a fist of wicked claws and … <rolls dice>
Erik: Oh, this is going to hurt.
Ferrous Claw: How much health do you have left?
Erik: One point.
Ferrous Claw: Dude, nice knowing you. I call dibs on his shoes.
Fiz: No fair! I wanted them.
Jacob Holo: <dice roll result is a hit> … Ooh, so close. The helljack swings. You drop to your knees at the last moment. The massive metallic fist sails an inch over your head, taking your hat with it.
Erik: No, not my hat!
And that’s fine. A slightly modified die roll can give the party a bit of good “luck” when they need it the most or can turn a boring encounter into a true challenge, making the game all the more thrilling.
But perhaps I’ve been too forgiving. It’s time for their luck to run out. Nothing focuses a group of players like a brutal and unexpected death. And this crew does some really stupid stuff from time to time.
For example …
Jacob Holo: You carefully examine the narrow iron bridge and find a hinged plate spanning the entire width. No way around it and no guardrail. There’s another hinged plate on the opposite side. The mechanism looks like it’ll give out when sufficient pressure is applied. The gap they form is about six feet.
Erik: I’m going to jump it.
Jacob Holo: You take a step back and pause, glancing down at the inky blackness below. You don’t know how far it is to the bottom, but you guess the drop will be fatal.
Erik: I’m still going to jump it.
Jacob Holo: Sure. Why not. Jumping skill check.
Erik: <rolls dice> Err …I rolled a two.
Jacob Holo: You take a running leap, but your foot slips at the last moment. You stumble forward. The plates give way, and you plunge into the darkness screaming.
Erik: Can I turn around and try to catch the ledge?
Jacob Holo: Your comrades watch you disappear into the gloom below. Your scream fades until it’s abruptly cut off by a bone-crunching splat that echoes in the chasm.
Erik: Guess not.
Iron Kingdoms – Substitute Teacher, Menoth Style
With an established party of adventurers, substitutions can be tricky. As Dungeon Master, how do you eject a missing player from the narrative on a temporary basis? How do you maintain the balance of challenges versus the party when 25% of their resources are missing? How do you revise a planned session to account for the missing player?
Basically, improvise.
If I have warning, I can normally craft a suitable story, but this one came as a surprise. Our group is pretty good about attendance, but I suppose one of them being pregnant is a suitable excuse to take care of other business.
Anyway, I had to cut her character out. Somehow.
But how?
Oh, right. I’ll use that trick.
Jacob Holo: You find a letter shoved under the cabin door. It’s from Sam. She says she left during the night and that she’ll meet up with you on the mainland.
Erik: Does the letter say why?
Jacob Holo: Uhh … yeah, sure. It says she’s taking a detour to meet someone called Nancy Preg. It sounds urgent.
Erik: But aren’t we still on that pirate ship?
Jacob Holo: She took the long boat.
Erik: In the middle of the ocean?
Jacob Holo: Dude, just roll with it.
Oh, yeah. Seamless transition.
With that problem out of the way, I had to deal with the other problem of combat balance. The party was down its tank, and they were about to come up against some nasty trouble. I could have turned down the difficulty, but I really didn’t want to. We were fast approaching a plot climax, and the battles needed to intensify accordingly.
So, it was time to introduce an NPC to help out. A Menoth ship (now shipwreck) encountered in the last session seemed the logical choice. I grabbed my Menoth rulebook, picked a stat line, and retrieved the all important “Menoth Voice Simulator” from the kitchen cupboard.
I had everything set for the substitute character. Which is fine in theory, but that’s before players start mucking around. This crew is naturally suspicious of new characters. They might attack on sight or just kill the NPC for his shoes. Again.
My new Menoth Cinerator wouldn’t last five seconds.
Fiz: Hey, there’s this heavily armored guy in the woods up ahead.
Ferrous Claw: What’s his armor look like.
Fiz: Umm … what did it look like again?
Jacob Holo: White and red heavy plate with gold trim.
Fiz: Right. What he said.
Erik: Does he look undead?
Fiz: Umm, did he?
Jacob Holo: The individual is completely encased in armor. You don’t even know if it’s a he.
Ferrous Claw: Sounds tough. I think we should recruit him.
Erik: Yeah, good idea.
Fiz: We can use him to replace Sam! He’ll be like a substitute teacher, but with MORE PAIN!
Jacob Holo: What? Seriously?
Ferrous Claw: Did you say something?
Jacob Holo: No.
And so, based on absolutely no evidence at all, they decided to recruit this new character who then joined the party and helped set many Cryx ablaze. If only all of my NPCs were so fortunate. They didn’t even try to steal his shoes or anything. I was almost disappointed.
Almost.
Check out the complete list of roleplaying articles here.