Satyr in the Shadows

Often, when I play Circle, I draw a fine line between the users of living warbeasts and the users of construct warbeasts. Sometimes, they intermingle, but typically I'll stick to one or the other. (Kaya, Morvahna, and Kromac prefer living beasts in my eyes, while Baldur, Krueger, Cassius, and Mohsar tend to prefer constructs.) Typically, when I use living heavies, I tend to favor Warpwolves. This isn't too surprising. All 3 flavors of Warpwolf are very versatile, and they tend to hit harder because of their ability to augment their strength on top of other effects Circle can provide. This tends to leave me neglecting the Satyrs. Sometimes, I don't know why.

The Gnarlhorn's fairly good in its own right. It has a very useful animus (Bounding can be devastating in conjunction with Epic Kaya's Dogpile and/or the Wayfarer's Hunter's Mark), it's a huge threat if it can get a slam off, and it can hit relatively hard with enough support. But we're not talking about the Gnarlhorn here. I want to talk about the oft-maligned Shadowhorn Satyr.

The Shadowhorn has a reputation of being Circle's “light heavy.” With a 13/17/24 defensive spread and relatively low POW attacks for a heavy, it's often called a large-based light much like the Seraph was in Hordes MkI. It does serve its own purpose, though. It's tied with the Rhinodon for the cheapest heavy warbeast in the game, and low cost has its own benefits. It also has a lot of abilities that can directly support Circle's hit-and-run tactics. It might not hit as hard as a Warpwolf, but it can certainly be an enabler for one of the harder-hitters.

One of my favorite Shadowhorn tactics is to use it to set up a kill for a big target. With Bounding Leap, it has greater versatility than other Circle heavies, who generally can only go directly at their target. Bounding Leap opens up a number of possibilities. One such tactic is to leap behind a warjack or warbeast and lock an arm or weapon system, causing them to be unable to break the lock as the attacker is not in its front arc, thus disabling it. I'm more of the one for destruction though. I'll typically activate its animus and throw the target toward my army. This way, I can both knock the model down and get it into the range of a heavier hitter while keeping the heavier hitter safe. Typically, this will result in your opponent being distracted by a heavy up in their grill. I recommend a Druid Wilder when employing this tactic, as not only can she use the animus for free, but you can also wander a little farther due to her Herding ability. With Kaya the Wildborne, this becomes even more brutal, as she can then use Spirit Door to bring the Shadowhorn back so you can wash, rinse, and repeat the procedure next turn.

Epic Kaya can provide some good options for it, as well. While Forced Evolution is typically best used on a Warpwolf due to their higher DEF and the fact that it augments their strength better, it's definitely not wasted on a Shadowhorn. With Gorax support, the Shadowhorn now hits ridiculously hard, and your opponent isn't going to want to charge a DEF 17 warbeast that grants some dire consequences (Reversal) if you miss. Besides, they'll probably underestimate the Shadowhorn anyways.

The Shadowhorn also has good synergy with its beefier cousin. While you lose the additional movement provided by Bounding or the extra hitting power a Gorax could provide, you also get a very powerful slam that will move a minimum of 5 inches (2 from Virility, 2 from Grand Slam, and a minimum of 1 on the distance die). From there, following up is optional; after all, you might just be knocking a model out of a control zone.

The Shadowhorn is cheap, but unlike Circle's other heavies, it's not about picking a target and murdering it. The Shadowhorn plays a more tricky style. It sets up the kill or disables a threat. It also provides support for other living warbeasts in your army. It might not hit hard. It might not make anything else hit hard. But what it does do is create openings for your army. And when Circle sees an opening, they'll not only take it, but they'll take advantage of it. And that's what makes the Shadowhorn worth using.

Charging Into the Dawn

I've been putting together my Dawnguard Destors (finally... took a month to get them in), and in the meanwhile I've been looking over ideas on getting them on the field. Retribution's still relatively new, so compared to other factions there are a limited number of synergies available to specific models/units as opposed to, say, Cygnar, since Retribution only has one book's worth of models while Cygnar has six (not including Wrath, obviously). This is a blessing and a curse, as you have less to think about, but fewer options. Regardless, though, I've thought of quite a few.

Destors are heavy cavalry, of course. Their speed is average for cavalry, and their MAT is actually slightly higher, which goes along with the Dawnguard theme. Even their RAT is decent (and also on par with the Invictors), and their ARM is pretty good, especially once you put unyielding into the mix. Destors can play a varied role in the army, as well. On the one hand, they have a pretty good POW charge attack, and they have gunfighter to use their cannons in melee. On the other hand, if they're out of melee, they can take advantage of Dual Shot. (Remember, you cannot gain an aiming bonus if you're in melee, and you can't get your second shot if you don't get an aiming bonus.) It really does go along with the Retribution's theme of having a versatile, dual-threat army.

Some warcasters get better use out of them than others though. Vyros is a fairly obvious choice, as Dual Shot can rack up kills for his feat, plus they can get up to ARM 21 in melee with Inviolable Resolve upkept on them. Vyros is also the only warcaster with a theme force that features them currently (and only in his “Legions of the Dawn” force in Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah). Ravyn is also a pretty good pick, since they can get pretty good range with Snipe, and due to Tall in the Saddle can be screened behind pretty much any front-line infantry, letting them get ample shots in before joining the charge. Obviously Ravyn's feat works very well with Dual Shot as well.

I'm going to mention Rahn too, because of a tactic that allows them to get the charge off that I learned from a friend of mine (only he used eNemo and Storm Lances). Using Polarity Shield will almost guarantee they get the charge, unless the opponent has a ridiculous advancing threat range or superior ranged firepower. (Or pretty good luck... I actually thwarted this plan with Trollkin Scattergunners, who rolled godly on dice, killing 4 and forcing the last to flee from casualties – appropriate, considering the luck I had.) Kaelyssa and Garryth don't get as much from them, though Kaelyssa's feat does help get the charge off in a similar nature to Rahn (while also granting Stealth to avoid having them shot to death), and Garryth can play around with their threat ranges with Mirage upkept on them.

I plan on using them in a gaming session this weekend, at least once with Rahn and possibly with Ravyn as well. (Appropriate, too, since I've just finished painting those two warcasters.) I might throw in a battle report if one of them happens to go well. In either case, the Destors have me excited about cavalry again, and I'm ready to finally let them loose.

Where Are the Blighted Swordsmen?

For some reason, I've been looking at Legion a lot lately. I don't know if it's faction envy or just a desire to play them in general. Something about the famed “Legion of Everbroke” has caught my eye. Lots of jokes run rampant in one of my groups about everyone being “closet Menites,” since each of us is occasionally subject to thoughts of minor pyromania. (“Fire good.”) I guess that would make me a closet Blighted? (...You get what I'm saying. I'll work on the wording, but it does work since I occasionally give Cryx a look too.)

Either way, I was looking through Legion models in Primal Mk. II the other day, and I stumbled across a unit that, honestly, I'm surprised I don't see on the other side of the table that often. Which unit is this? The Blighted Nyss Swordsmen. And I constantly wonder why. On their own they look solid: fearless, high MAT troopers with weapon master. They hit as hard as Bane Knights, and while they are fairly squishy, they also have relatively high DEF for a melee unit, which is tough for most to hit (barring your boosted Chain Lightning/Ashes to Ashes/other similar spell).

Let's look at the Swordsmen compared to some other Legion melee units. They arguably compare best to Warmongers, even more so because they share the same point cost. You get two Swordsmen per Warmonger, but the Warmongers have enough ARM to survive hits as they get in. Damage output is roughly equal between the two, but in my mind the Swordsmen are slightly better, since a) you have twice as many guaranteed attacks, and b) they won't attempt to kill each other if they have nothing else to kill, since Swordsmen don't have Berserk. You sacrifice Reach, but you can get a similar effect with the Abbot and Champion, since they grant Overtake and Cleave, which can give the benefits of berserk and reach without the nasty side-effects. I also happen to see Legionnaires a fair deal, and while they are fairly cheap as a 4/6 unit, they don't hit nearly as hard, or as often. They do have reach and CMA, but their ARM is still fairly low without Defensive Line, and their DEF is anything but great. Once again, I think the Swordsmen win. Did I mention that the Swordsmen are faster than both?

You can say what you want about Legion being a beast army. Even Legion lists I've seen recently have been more balanced, and I think the Swordsmen are a fine addition to any list. After all, most warlocks have something in their arsenal that the Swordsmen can benefit from.

• Prime Lylyth doesn't get as much use out of them due to her small control area and her tendency to stay in the backfield, but if things get sour her feat can make them even more deadly. Plus Swordsmen love finding a target that has been Parasited...

• Prime Thagrosh can throw Draconic Blessing on them, giving them attack power rivaling Khadoran Doom Reavers. Add in Thagrosh's own abilities in Fog of War and Death Shroud, and you have a solid, hard-hitting melee squad that will get into combat and wreck face.

• Vayl doesn't offer too much for them, but remember that Chiller CAN be cast on a unit. Throwing it on them early can help clear the way for Vayl and her beasts to get in and wreck face with Incite up.

• Rhyas brings her own tools to the table, granting Occultation to let them cross the field safely, Dash to do it even faster, and a feat that, with the Abbot and Champion, can give them 3 attacks if they manage to kill something, including a teleport and an Overtake move or two.

• Absylonia and Bethayne both bring Carnivore to the table, increasing their already high MAT and giving a nice RFP ability. Bethayne also comes armed with Ashen Veil to help them cross the field. Who said that spell had to go on Hex Hunters?

So really, only eLylyth and eThagrosh don't have anything that directly benefits them, but that's because they're either extremely ranged-focused (Lylyth) or beast-focused (Thagrosh). But still, the majority of Everblight's chosen can get fairly solid use out of them, and the point cost isn't exactly through the roof. Legion's only a beast army? Let's see what they say when these weapon masters start tearing them to shreds.

Skarring Your Opponent... with Metal?

The Pirate Queen Skarre has always been one of the warcasters that makes me consider Cryx from time to time. Finances and sanity actually prevent me from going through with it, but the thought comes up from time to time. Plus, she's just brutal to go against in general: once her feat goes off, I always leave myself thinking, “She just obliterated half of my army. I can't kill hers,” usually followed by that mental expletive. Generally though, when you see her on the field, she's typically pretty troop heavy. Soulhunters, Mechanithralls, and Satyxis are in plentiful supply when she's around because they have multiple attacks and get amazing buffs from Dark Guidance and Blood Magic. But can she run a 'jack heavy list effectively?

Skarre gets a lot of focus unless something has gone horribly wrong. Anywhere between 7 and 12, most commonly 9 or 10. Sure, 4 of these are going to be spent on Dark Guidance. But that leaves you with 3-9 focus to play with. You can camp some for armor. Or you can spell-sling. Or you can hand it to 'jacks. I intend to experiment with the latter one, and she's got quite a few toys to work with in that department. Looking to make a quick 35-point list, I looked at warjacks that don't mind getting that huge melee boost from her feat. Lots of these are bonejacks. Seeing the look on an opponent's face as their massive heavy is maimed or even boxed by a lowly bonejack because of Skarre's feat has to be satisfying. Of course, Cryx has heavies, too. And nothing spells overkill like a helljack on steroids.

I had quite a few choices, but I was leaning towards things like multiple attacks available and the ability to hit hard. 'Jacks that seemed to fit that bill included Ripjaws, Stalkers, Cankerworm, Slayers, Seethers, Nightmare, and Harrowers. That's a lot to narrow down from. For this list I ultimately decided on 2 Stalkers, a Ripjaw, a Deathripper (for points; could be a third Stalker), and Nightmare. The Stalkers can be the long flank and are deadly once they get back within Skarre's actual 12, buffed to the max and ignoring a lot of buffs. Ripjaw has an armor piercing attack that's a brutal P+S 15 on the feat, plus it's got an arc node. So does the Deathripper, and while sustained hurts the purpose of Dark Guidance a bit, there's nothing like a sustained P+S 18 on [insert target here]. Nightmare on Skarre's feat is just pure overkill. The claws (with Reach) get buffed up to P+S 23 individually (Or a whopping pow 29 combo strike!) with the prey bonus, which will rarely miss with the effective MAT 10 – even high-DEF 'casters like Caine are hit on average dice. These 'jacks, once buffed by her feat, become menaces, and she's going to have focus to spread around.

I threw a few troops into the mix to balance out the list: 10 Mechanithralls, 6 Blood Witches, the obligatory Skarlock, and a Pistol Wraith. The McThralls are cheap, hit hard (especially with Skarre's feat), and are easy fodder for Ritual Sacrifice. The Blood Witches are cheaper than the Raiders, and though they lack reach they can throw around some interesting effects, as well as cloud things up to cover the advance of your troops. The Pistol Wraith is ranged support, as he can pick off some easy targets or slow a bigger one for a turn while you advance.

At some point I'm going to want to try this out. I have a friend who plays Cryx that occasionally says he wants to try Khador... maybe I'll run this one by him. In theory, it could be devastating. In practice? We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Bear-ly Getting Started: A Look at the Khadoran Kodiak

Glancing at the front of the model's card, the Kodiak looks a lot like your basic Khadoran 'jack. It has what I refer to as the “standard Khador 'jack stat line,” in that it shares the same Speed, Strength, MAT, RAT, Defense, and Armor as others in the faction. (Only Berserker chassis, Devastator chassis, and character warjacks differ from this mold, and in most cases only slightly.) Nonetheless, the Kodiak tends to shine in its own light. Its fists are more powerful than a standard Juggernaut's, and it has a very versatile chain attack. It can also cover its own advance surprisingly well with Vent Steam and proper spell support. The chain attack and its heavy boiler also make it very focus-efficient, making it a prime choice for some of Khador's “focus-whore” warcasters. It's also easy to marshal because of this. And at only 8 points, it's fairly cheap to field. (The only warjacks that are cheaper are Berserkers, Juggernauts, and Marauders.) And while it doesn't boast a high-POW attack such as the Juggernaut, there are plenty of good reasons to use it.

I typically divide Khadoran 'jacks into two categories: focus-hungry 'jacks and focus-efficient 'jacks. The former typically have more powerful individual weapons and fewer abilities to do a lot without focus, and I typically stay away from them if I'm using a focus-hungry 'caster such as the Butcher. It's not that they can't be used, but typically these 'jacks need more focus to be effective and the focus on these 'casters is better used on themselves. The Kodiak falls in the latter field though, especially because it generates a third attack as long as it hits. And Khador has enough attack buffs that they can make this happen pretty easily.

Let's look at some of the controllers that are more suited to Kodiak use:

• Forward Kommander Sorscha – While I like doling out eSorscha's focus to high-POW 'jacks such as Juggernauts, Beast-09, and Decimators to take advantage of her feat, the Kodiak doesn't necessarily mind having extra focus, and under her theme force they only cost 7 points, which makes them worth considering.

• The Butcher of Khardov – Full Throttle means you'll almost always get Grab and Smash on your target, and the Kodiak is a perfect target for Fury, effectively giving it two P+S 19 fists, only made even better by his feat. Plus, a Kodiak in his tier 4 Heart of Darkness theme force has Advanced Deployment, meaning that threat is that much closer to your opponent's army. Almost an auto-include.

• Vladimir the Dark Prince – Signs and Portents help out a lot in the categories the Kodiak needs: hitting to enable the chain attack and damage output. His feat gets them into the fray quickly as well, ensuring that your Kodiaks get the first strike. Another solid choice.

• Kommandant Irusk, Kommander Strakhov, Supreme Kommandant Irusk – The first two of these warcasters possess Superiority, letting the Kodiak get a boost to MAT, SPD, and DEF before letting it do its own thing. Superiority boosts its DEF to a respectable 14 against ranged if you use Vent Steam (higher if you have a terrain advantage), which is tough for many models to hit without boosting, increasing its survivability. Irusk's epic form has the warjack bond, which while only giving the defense buff can provide the same kind of covering effect, while Energizer helps boost its threat range.

• Karchev the Terrible – Karchev is almost always spending all his focus upkeeping either Tow or Sidearms and casting Unearthly Rage, so the efficiency a Kodiak provides really helps. Unearthly Rage also has the benefit of boosting everything the Kodiak does besides Vent Steam – a useful side-effect.

• Man-O-War Kovnik – Marshaling a Kodiak to a Kovnik never hurts either. It gets free boosts from the drive, and it can still benefit from effects like Signs and Portents (though it doesn't get the speed boost from Vlad's feat). If you're running too many 'jacks for your warcaster to handle, marshaling this bad boy is never a bad option.

The Kodiak has a lot of uses with several different controllers, making it a very reliable warjack. It does require some support, since it's a bit less than stellar on its own, but while other 'jacks can do well with only focus, the Kodiak doesn't need it. It can get up the field surprisingly quickly and trash opposing warjacks or warbeasts, or throw models out of control zones in scenario play. It's almost always worth at least looking at a Kodiak for this purpose.