Tuesday, October 18, 2011
NEW STUFF
Guess what guys, I started playing Malifaux! Hooray! I'm also working 40 hours a week so I have even less time than normal. So basically I'll be updating at maximum once a week but I'll try to ensure that it IS once a week. Also I might write about Malifaux sometimes. I'm bashing my head against this Nemo update so once it's done it'll show up. I know what I want to write but I open the file and I'm like URRRRGGGGHHHH and nothing gets written.
Monday, October 10, 2011
NO! THAT IS VERY WRONG!
YOU CLING TO YOUR PATHETIC FABLE OF FLUID EXCHANGE!
seriously, this will never ever not crack me up
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Ugh
Oh god I am really bad lately :(. When I started writing in this thing again I promised myself I'd be more regular. Today I want to talk about something that's not wargaming, though I know I should stick to what I'm good at. I promise I have another caster coming up-- actually, it's Commander Adept Nemo, unexpectedly enough.
Anyways, I'm really excited about Elizabeth Warren. I think one thing she does very well, and something that basically every Democratic politician should be taking lessons about, is articulate the ethos of the liberal position. Not the Democratic position, the liberal position. The media has done a good job in turning "liberal" into a dirty word in recent years, which is a bit of a shame. We shouldn't run away from our liberalism. We should embrace it. Saying "I'm a liberal" is saying "I believe in the mission of government." Liberalism is the belief in the social contract, and the idea that government's purpose is to improve the lives of its citizenry. People come together to form governments because they think they're stronger together than they are apart. Hell, that's on our money: E Pluribus Unum, Out of Many, One.
The market is all about efficiently allocating resources, but the government says that sometimes the market's idea of efficiency is wrong. Sometimes something is socially inefficient. Letting people's houses burn down if they can't afford to pay for fire protection is economically efficient, but socially inefficient. Liberals believe that sometimes we must accept a certain level of economic inefficiency to provide against things like poverty, starvation, illness, disasters (including fire) and etc.
I am a liberal, and proud of it. I believe that government can be a force for good. I believe that taxation is not slavery-- it is the price we pay for civilization, for roads and bridges and power and water and protection. If you are rich in America, you didn't get rich all on your own. You worked hard (maybe, inheritance is something else entirely) but you also ate food and drank water that was safe because the FDA made sure of it; you drove your car and shipped your products on roads that were built by the government; you communicated with your clients, family, friends, and coworkers through the government postal service or the government-developed and funded Internet. The government set up the environment in which you were able to make your money. The most brilliant investor in the world can't turn much profit if he has to hire mercenaries to protect his money, build and pave his own roads, grow his own food etc.-- and if he's relying on other people to do it for him, he has no reason to trust that they will do a good job unless he can oversee them or pay someone else to do so. And if he does that then we're starting to get government again! See how that works? The absence of government is an undesirable situation. Anyone who says otherwise has not really thought it through.
Conservatives forget this. They take government for granted. They assume that because things are ok now with the level of government we have, we can slash spending. In effect, they believe that the rich are rich in spite of the government, not because of it, and this is a dangerously stupid and myopic view. The conditions for wealth only exist in the presence of civilized society, and such a society requires a strong and well-funded central government.
There's a lot more I want to say on the morality of wealth distribution, but that can wait for another time. Basically, government is an invisible benefit to everyone, and in recent years some people have taken to denying the existence of that benefit because they've forgotten about it. They've grown accustomed to it. Elizabeth Warren articulates the liberal point of view-- that because government helped us get where we are, we have a responsibility to see that it carries on to help the next generation-- and I am glad of her for it.
Anyways, I'm really excited about Elizabeth Warren. I think one thing she does very well, and something that basically every Democratic politician should be taking lessons about, is articulate the ethos of the liberal position. Not the Democratic position, the liberal position. The media has done a good job in turning "liberal" into a dirty word in recent years, which is a bit of a shame. We shouldn't run away from our liberalism. We should embrace it. Saying "I'm a liberal" is saying "I believe in the mission of government." Liberalism is the belief in the social contract, and the idea that government's purpose is to improve the lives of its citizenry. People come together to form governments because they think they're stronger together than they are apart. Hell, that's on our money: E Pluribus Unum, Out of Many, One.
The market is all about efficiently allocating resources, but the government says that sometimes the market's idea of efficiency is wrong. Sometimes something is socially inefficient. Letting people's houses burn down if they can't afford to pay for fire protection is economically efficient, but socially inefficient. Liberals believe that sometimes we must accept a certain level of economic inefficiency to provide against things like poverty, starvation, illness, disasters (including fire) and etc.
I am a liberal, and proud of it. I believe that government can be a force for good. I believe that taxation is not slavery-- it is the price we pay for civilization, for roads and bridges and power and water and protection. If you are rich in America, you didn't get rich all on your own. You worked hard (maybe, inheritance is something else entirely) but you also ate food and drank water that was safe because the FDA made sure of it; you drove your car and shipped your products on roads that were built by the government; you communicated with your clients, family, friends, and coworkers through the government postal service or the government-developed and funded Internet. The government set up the environment in which you were able to make your money. The most brilliant investor in the world can't turn much profit if he has to hire mercenaries to protect his money, build and pave his own roads, grow his own food etc.-- and if he's relying on other people to do it for him, he has no reason to trust that they will do a good job unless he can oversee them or pay someone else to do so. And if he does that then we're starting to get government again! See how that works? The absence of government is an undesirable situation. Anyone who says otherwise has not really thought it through.
Conservatives forget this. They take government for granted. They assume that because things are ok now with the level of government we have, we can slash spending. In effect, they believe that the rich are rich in spite of the government, not because of it, and this is a dangerously stupid and myopic view. The conditions for wealth only exist in the presence of civilized society, and such a society requires a strong and well-funded central government.
There's a lot more I want to say on the morality of wealth distribution, but that can wait for another time. Basically, government is an invisible benefit to everyone, and in recent years some people have taken to denying the existence of that benefit because they've forgotten about it. They've grown accustomed to it. Elizabeth Warren articulates the liberal point of view-- that because government helped us get where we are, we have a responsibility to see that it carries on to help the next generation-- and I am glad of her for it.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Failure
Short entry today, about how not to lose. This won't win you games, but it will keep you from losing them. This is a topic near to my heart because it's my biggest weakness in the game and a problem I've struggled to overcome.
This is a game about assassination. We're trying to kill the opponent's caster. People erect defenses to protect their caster, and a good assassination is not just about preparing a model to kill the opponent but smashing aside those defenses to let him (or her) do his (or her) job.
Sometimes, you can't do enough. Sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it fails. Recognizing this and responding to it appropriately is key. When you've started setting up an assassination and something goes wrong, you're at a serious risk of failure if you continue. You need to evaluate. "If I abandon this plan now and pull back, will I lose too much? Am I too committed?"
The concept of "sunk costs" in economics applies here. If you already activated a model, its activation is done. You can't undo it. You may be tempted to forge ahead so that that activation wasn't "wasted" but if your chances of success are slim, you are just wasting more activations. Instead, see what else you can do. Did you hand out buffs? Why not strike against a portion of the enemy's army, dealing some damage? Why not pull back and turtle up, limiting the damage he can do and biding your time until another chance comes along? Think about your options. Don't be afraid to play aggressively and go for an assassination, but if the dice betray you, be pragmatic. Re-evaluate constantly. Recognize failure as soon as it occurs and don't throw good money after bad, but move on to Plan B rather than struggle fruitlessly to complete Plan A.
This is a game about assassination. We're trying to kill the opponent's caster. People erect defenses to protect their caster, and a good assassination is not just about preparing a model to kill the opponent but smashing aside those defenses to let him (or her) do his (or her) job.
Sometimes, you can't do enough. Sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it fails. Recognizing this and responding to it appropriately is key. When you've started setting up an assassination and something goes wrong, you're at a serious risk of failure if you continue. You need to evaluate. "If I abandon this plan now and pull back, will I lose too much? Am I too committed?"
The concept of "sunk costs" in economics applies here. If you already activated a model, its activation is done. You can't undo it. You may be tempted to forge ahead so that that activation wasn't "wasted" but if your chances of success are slim, you are just wasting more activations. Instead, see what else you can do. Did you hand out buffs? Why not strike against a portion of the enemy's army, dealing some damage? Why not pull back and turtle up, limiting the damage he can do and biding your time until another chance comes along? Think about your options. Don't be afraid to play aggressively and go for an assassination, but if the dice betray you, be pragmatic. Re-evaluate constantly. Recognize failure as soon as it occurs and don't throw good money after bad, but move on to Plan B rather than struggle fruitlessly to complete Plan A.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Karchev the Terrible
Ugh, I've been so bad lately. I do really apologize, to both of my readers. I have been busy, busy, but it's time for a new caster series. I guess that since I'm apparently only doing these lately, their length will have to make up for their infrequency. This week we're talking about Karchev the Terrible.
Karchev is one of the few 5-Focus warcasters, though like most of the others he has access to more. His statline is impressive: it's more reminiscent of a Khadoran warjack than a warcaster. His speed is the lowest of any warcaster, and his defense is near the lowest. His armor is quite high, though, and with a decent focus camp his armor gets to pretty significant levels. He is also well-provisioned in the attack area, having a very powerful 10-inch spray that automatically knocks down everyone it touches and two very powerful melee attacks, one of which has Reach and one of which can perform power attacks, like throws. Finally, his damage grid is enormous, making him very survivable. Like a warjack, if he loses systems his attacks become less powerful, and he has only limited ability to heal himself via Focus; still, the sheer damage he can take outstrips any other caster, even the 20-health behemoths like the Butcher and Rasheth.
Karchev's special rules are a major part of him. First of all is Arcantrik Turbine, which can solve one of his two biggest problems (but not both at the same time): lack of focus or low speed. It either grants him a focus point or gives him +2” of movement and Pathfinder. Note that this triggers at the start of Karchev's activation, so the focus cannot be allocated; still, you'll often be spending focus during your activation, so this isn't so bad. It also means you can look at the lay of the land before you decide which benefit to take, as your plan may change over the course of your turn.
Man in the Machine is his second special rule, and it's a really huge one. What it boils down to this this: Karchev is alive, but he's not a warrior nor a warjack. For most purposes, you can treat him as a warjack-- but non-damaging effects that specifically target warjacks, such as eNemo's Tractor Field, have no effect on him. On the other hand, effects that damage warjacks in a specific way, like Iron Rot, will affect him. Karchev can be repaired, and normal heals can only heal the three boxes of his “Body” system, which replaces the cortex and allows him to allocate focus. Karchev can trample, which means he can compensate for his low speed by moving at +3” without having to immediately end his activation for failing a charge.
On to Karchev's spells. First up is Eruption, one of his two extremely expensive attacking spells-- although this one is really worth it. It's like a fire-based Breath of Corruption, but more powerful: a POW 14 hit to the direct target AND everyone under the template. This isn't blast damage, either, so Battle Mages and Satyxis both take their lumps like everyone else. The cloud stays there, too, doing a POW 14 to everyone who touches it. Karchev will need to boost to reliably hit anyone with this, and if he does so that'll cost 80% of his Focus. Still, sometimes you don't have better options. Fortunately, even if you scatter you're still doing POW 14s, so boosting is not always necessary-- and if you absolutely have to hit someone, running a Khadoran 'jack into base to base contact with them and zapping him from behind works. They're DEF 10, going to 14 in melee, and 12 if Karchev starts his activation in their rear arc-- so you'll hit on a 7, average on 2d6, and toast everyone touching them with a POW 14.
Ground Zero is a sort of “get away from me!” spell. Karchev has a large base and is easy to engage, but sometimes you need to clear a path to get out of there. Ground Zero blasts everyone within roughly an inch and a half of Karchev's base away from him, hitting them for a POW 13 and pushing them d6” straight away. Note that if you are careful and have Sylys Wyshnalyrr, you can upkeep Tow, cast Ground Zero, then trample away, towing your 'jacks and cast Unearthly Rage. However, this will require careful placement, as you don't want to push your own 'jacks out of towing range. Remember that you push in an order you choose, so if you carefully place cheap models like mechanics touching your 'jacks, they won't be able to be pushed away. A pushed model stops if it contacts another model, regardless of base size.
Sidearms is a nice upkeep that helps keep your 'jacks safe. While they're B2B with other models in your battlegroup, your jacks gain +1 DEF for each other 'jack they're touching and can't be knocked down. Now, normally the DEF bonus won't be much, as your 'jacks start at DEF 10. If you're Towing three models, though-- and this will be tricky, since you'll have to cast or upkeep Tow, then advance, then cast Sidearms, since both this and Tow are upkeeps on the self-- then you'll be getting a +3 on Karchev and the 'jack directly behind him and a +2 on each of the others. This will put Karchev up to DEF 15, which is respectable, and if you're in a forest or on a hill the cumulative bonuses can put your DEF 14 'jacks up to something significant. More importantly, the Tow formation is vulnerable to slams, which can knock down all four 'jacks when aimed properly. If this is a possibility, it's wise to case Sidearms to prevent knockdown. You'll still take damage, but at least you won't have to spend lots of focus standing up.
Tow is the first of Karchev's signature spells, and it's a real killer. It's a bit tricky to work out, but basically it functions like this: when you cast or upkeep it, Karchev has Tow active. While it's active, if he moves, any friendly 'jack that passes within 2” of him can be “hooked.” You can “hook” up to three 'jacks, and if you do, at the end of your movement they are all placed in his rear arc facing any direction you wish. This spell is one-half of the dreaded Karchev Powerslide, the maneuver that gives your SPD 4 Khadoran 'jacks among the highest threat range in the game. Karchev can start 2” in front of a 'jack, upkeep Tow, trigger his Turbine, then Trample obliquely towards the enemy (though you can't change facing after a trample, so be careful; you can Run if you don't want to cast Unearthly Rage, but if you do make sure you allocate out all your Focus at the start of the turn). This is a 9” movement, and then the friendly 'jack can be placed in your back arc, where it can charge a further 7”. Counting the place effects and the potential of Reach, this can be a 20” or higher threat range. Combined with Unearthly Rage, Karchev's feat for free charges, and a focus to buy another attack, this is an astonishingly large number of very high-POW boosted damage rolls. Remember that 'jacks must be placed in Karchev's rear arc, so frequently he won't be able to attack himself unless you get lucky with positioning-- and enemies will be getting the back strike bonus against him, if he places his butt facing them. Frequently, of course, this won't matter, as the game will either have ended or your opponent will have bigger problems to deal with.
Unearthly Rage is Karchev's best spell, and indeed one of the best spells in the game. It's woefully simple: Karchev and his warjacks gain boosted attack and damage rolls and magical weapons. That's it. It's brutal. This is a pure focus multiplier, and on a good day with some 'jacks it's the equivalent of 4-6 focus per 'jack. It only lasts for your turn, and thus won't benefit free strikes, but also won't benefit attacks made via Domination or the like from your opponent. If your 'jacks are going into melee, you should always cast this unless you're running. Even a 'jack with two base attacks will benefit from four focus worth of boosts, making this worth it. It only affects melee attacks, though there are some very good Karchev builds using ranged 'jacks.
Karchev's feat is a bit simple and underwhelming-- it's more of a “free focus” battery like Unearthly Rage. His 'jacks can turn to face any direction at the start of their activation, can charge for free and gain Pathfinder. This is quite useful since if you're upkeeping Tow and casting Unearthly Rage, you often don't have enough left to let all of your 'jacks charge. If they charge for free, they can get into melee and benefit from Rage. Total War is for the turn where the metal hits the flesh and you get stuck in, so maximizing benefit is mostly a timing issue, but it's often easy to tell when you're going to make it in. So pop it then.
Karchev's tier list is interesting. It allows all non-character 'jacks plus Behemoth, Battle Mechaniks, Greylords, and Man-o-Wars. Tier 1 lets you take as many Ternions as you wish, and increases your Koldun Lord FA based on how many Ternions you take. Tier 2 requires two units of Man-o-Wars and lets them Advance Move, somewhat compensating for their low speed. Tier 3 requires at least one Ternion and gives you some free cloud effects on Turn 1, helping to shield you from the enemy's first turn offense (if they have one). Tier 4 requires three warjacks and makes all of his 'jacks cheaper.
The Tier 4 bonus is very nice, given how many warjacks you'll want to bring (and how expensive Karchev's favorite 'jacks are) but requiring two units of Man-o-Wars is pretty onerous. Man-o-Wars do well with casters who can support them by increasing their speed or survivability, but Karchev does nothing for them. And the points you spend on Man-o-Wars will likely outweigh the points you'll save on 'jacks. Also, the tier leaves out some key models you'll want, like Beast-09, Widowmakers, and mercs.
Let's talk about some key model synergies. Jack synergies are important, since a Karchev list is so 'jack focused. He likes the Destroyer, Spriggan, Behemoth, Beast-09, and possibly the Kodiak.
The Destroyer works well with Karchev for a specific strategy: towing it around the edge of the battlefield, dropping tons of POW 14 templates all over the enemy. If you're going for a melee-based army, which plays into Karchev's powerslide, you'll want someone else, but with the Behemoth and two Destroyers you can drop four templates per turn all over the enemy while staying out of engagement range, and still aiming. You can see over Karchev with Arcing Fire, making positioning less important.
The Spriggan is probably the best non-character 'jack for the Powerslide, largely due to Reach extending its threat range. It has a very potent POW 18 main attack, as well as some utility-- the ability to launch grenades or flares while being towed around, at least until it's time to engage, can be very helpful. Bulldoze is also a great utility ability for an army that relies on mobility and speed, as pushing enemies out of charge lanes can help three very tightly bunched 'jacks all reach their targets. Still, if you're taking a Spriggan, you're mostly taking it for that badass lance, and the ability to powerslide someone's face right off.
The Behemoth is a classic Karchev 'jack. It's tough as nails, it hits harder than almost any other warjack in the game (against ARM 18-19, it's effectively POW 21; against ARM 17, it's effectively POW 20; against ARM 20, it's effectively POW 22), and it can launch tons of bombard shots while you advance. You can rain steel on the enemy while you maneuver into position, getting the aiming bonus all the while, and then charge in and shred their heavies when you need to. A top choice.
Beast-09 is the centerpiece of any good powerslide. It's an absolute monster, hitting at MAT 7 with a reach POW 19, and with Thresher to boot. With Unearthly Rage, a single Thresher can do serious damage to multiple enemy 'jacks, if they're dumb enough to stick together, and the combination of Unearthly Rage and its Imprint mean that a thresher can reliably hit even super high-DEF enemies like Kayazy (although often you won't need both and you'll be casting Unearthly Rage anyways). Still, free runs to advance in the early game, Reach, and an absolutely punishing damage output means that it's the best Powerslide 'jack in the game, even better than the Spriggan (for just one more point) and with Thresher to boot. It can kill warjacks and infantry, it can do anything it needs you do.
The Kodiak is a possibility, if you need a midrange 'jack and if you're already running 3 others. Its cloud is a nice defensive ability, its chain attack benefits strongly from Unearthly Rage, and Heavy Boiler means it can keep up even if three other 'jacks are being Towed. It's not as powerful in melee as the others, but it's very effective against enemy 'jacks, with the ability to throw out two boosted POW 16s and then throw the target away. Note that it does not have Reach, like the Behemoth, so it's a bit trickier to get it into melee than the Spriggan or Beast.
Units and solos that work with Karchev are more valuable for what they can do for him, rather than what he can do for them-- which in most cases is nothing. Battle Mechaniks are a must, for their ability to keep Karchev and his 'jacks in fighting shape, and Greylord Ternions provide some much needed versatility. Doom Reavers work well unsupported, though they don't really provide anything that Karchev is missing except infantry removal. Widowmakers are great for their ability to surgically remove key enemy models. Nyss Hunters are excellent infantry removal, something Karchev loves. For solos, Koldun Lords provide some great support, a Widowmaker Marksman can support your Widowmaker unit, and Sylys Wyshnalyrr is an amazing support piece to help Karchev manage everything he has to manage. It's tough to argue with Sylys, but a War Dog can be helpful if you are considering committing Karchev to fight personally. Finally, an Ogrun Bokur can prevent some real problems.
Battle Mechaniks serve a simple role: they keep Karchev and his 'jacks repaired. Losing an arm or movement system can cripple you, but Mechaniks can get a 'jack right back in the fight, and they are also the only way to restore MOST of Karchev's health (except for his Body system). I'd go with two minimum units over one maximum, which gives you some strategic flexibility. It's also not hard to keep them base to base with 'jacks for Iron Sentinel, but be careful of slams!
Greylord Ternions are an interesting choice, and one that doesn't show up too often. Ice Cage is a very impressive ability for its ability to make enemies stationary, but Unearthly Rage often means accuracy is not a problem. The ability to generate cloud effects is very potent, and combined with Sidearms can often push your warjacks' defense up to the point where it actually becomes an issue for the opponent-- very rare for Khador. They can also fight decently in combat if you have a Koldun Lord, though you'll want to pick fairly weak enemies as their MAT is not great. Finally, if you have nothing better to do, a few Sprays is also nice-- note that they're far more accurate with Sprays than with melee attacks, so unless you have Battle Wizard and are fairly sure you'll be hitting and killing the enemy, you should stick with spraying. They're pretty pricey for some 13/13 one-wound infantry models, so use your jacks to keep them protected while you advance.
Doom Reavers are an interesting choice. Karchev has no problem destroying enemy 'jacks with his own, but infantry clouds can pose a threat, since only Beast can thresh and 3” AOEs can be unreliable. Doom Reavers are great at clearing infantry with a Reach, Weapon Mastering Berserk attack, but they might then gum up the charge lanes you want open unless you plan carefully so they remove each other after they're done removing the enemy. You usually don't want berserkers killing each other, but if it clears an opening to deliver Beast to the enemy caster, it can be a good thing. Just make sure you need it before you do it. They have Spell Ward anyways, making them unbuffable by many casters, but even Karchev's feat can't support them like Butcher's or Irusk's. Take them if you think you will need to, but I think Karchev has better infantry removal options.
Widowmakers and Nyss Hunters serve similar roles: both shoot out enemy infantry. Nyss Hunters can shoot right through forests, which is nice and helps keep them safe, and can fight passably well in melee. Karchev can't buff them, but they do reasonably well on their own. They both take out infantry screens without gumming up the works with their bodies. Widowmakers are slightly more accurate and have a longer range, but lack Hunter; they also have a lower defense, but Pathfinder and Camouflage more than compensate for that. They also advance deploy and have Sniper, allowing them to get into position quicker and take out even shieldwalled infantry (or do some damage to heavy 'jacks if necessary). In contrast, you get many more Nyss Hunters, the ability to CRA lets them take out high-DEF high-priority targets, and with Weapon Master they can actually fight in melee. They also have a higher base DEF, making them safer out in the open. It's up to you which you take (or take both!) but either present a compelling infantry removal option.
Koldun Lords do everything basic Ternions do (almost; they lack Blizzard) but have a very useful ability in Power Booster. Since Karchev often won't be allocating Focus, you'll have plenty of chances to Power Booster someone, which will usually go to buying another attack (since Karchev will feat the turn he engages). Koldun Lords are slightly better fighters than regular Ternions, though it's still not their preferred place to be. They can marshal, though doing so would be a mistake as you'd lose the benefit of Unearthly Rage. Power Booster is why you buy them, since one extra focus on a warjack is really three if it's used to buy an attack under Unearthly Rage, but whether this is a worthwhile expenditure of two points is up to you.
If you're taking Widowmakers and have two points free, a Marksman can help keep them safe by allowing them to Swift Hunter deeper into terrain after shooting, but he's competing with Kell Bailoch for that two-point sniper slot and Bailoch can shoot twice (and magically). How much infantry removal shooting do you need? It obviously depends on your opponent's list, which you won't know in advance, so you have to sort of dial it in based on how comfortable you are. Two points won't buy you another Khadoran 'jack, but a cloud of support models might, and that's a tough tradeoff to make.
Sylys Wyshnalyrr is a dream come true for Karchev. He allows him to upkeep Tow for free, giving him another Focus (and every one is precious) and giving him more tactical options-- like the aforesaid Tow/Ground Zero/Unearthly Rage combination. Wyshnalyrr makes offensive spell-slinging with Eruption a bit more viable with his other abilities, making it less essential to boost, though it's still almost always a better use of focus to sling Beast-09 into an infantry formation and let him Thresh them away. Still, that extra focus is not to be sneezed at, especially since it allows you to upkeep Tow even if Karchev is in the area of Lamentation, shot by a Disruptor Bolt or something like that.
The War Dog competes with Sylys and thus won't show up often, but he deserves a mention for being a combat support model for a caster who most definitely can fight. He's also very cheap, thus making him good filler. Being able to run out of combat without free strikes and Tow your jacks with you is a very valuable ability, and the +2 DEF against melee attacks may just push Karchev into “hard to hit” territory for many enemies. Finally, since you'll be spending a lot of time with your butt towards the enemy for powerslides, negating back strikes might help. It's something to think about, though I'd reach for Sylys first in many cases.
Finally, the Ogrun Bokur is there for one reason only: taking shots for Karchev. A large base with DEF 12 and the requirement to be right up in the thick of things is hard to protect, and a single Disruptor Bolt can really ruin your day. The Bokur can take that bullet, as well as any Momentum or Tractor Field shots, and keep your army moving. And he can fight, too!
Here's a sample 35 point list:
Karchev -5
Behemoth +13
Beast-09 +11
Kodiak +8
Sylys Wyshnalyrr +2
Ogrun Bokur +3
Max Mechaniks +3
A nice, simple but effective list, containing two ARM 20 and one ARM 21 'jack at 35 points. Remember that the Bokur doesn't actually have to be in the path of the shot to absorb it, just within 2” of Karchev, so keep him a bit safe. In fact, if your Kodiak is running to keep up instead of being Towed, there's a spot behind Karchev and between his friends that's nice and safe. The Mechaniks keep everything running and Sylys stretches out the Focus. Sylys does have to be within 3” of Karchev to use his little spell assist Arcane Secrets, but only within 8” to upkeep a spell for free, so keep him safe. This list lacks the delicious infantry removal options discussed above, but hits like a train. If you want, you can drop the Mechaniks to a minimum unit and switch Sylys for the dog to free up two points, which can bump the Kodiak to a Spriggan or buy you Kell Bailoch. At 50 points, you can add maxed out Nyss Hunters to this, split the one max Mechanik unit into two minimum ones, switch the Kodiak for a Spriggan and add the two-point solo of your choice: a Koldun Lord, Bailoch, Gorman di Wulfe, or Widowmaker Marksman, perhaps.
Karchev is one of the few 5-Focus warcasters, though like most of the others he has access to more. His statline is impressive: it's more reminiscent of a Khadoran warjack than a warcaster. His speed is the lowest of any warcaster, and his defense is near the lowest. His armor is quite high, though, and with a decent focus camp his armor gets to pretty significant levels. He is also well-provisioned in the attack area, having a very powerful 10-inch spray that automatically knocks down everyone it touches and two very powerful melee attacks, one of which has Reach and one of which can perform power attacks, like throws. Finally, his damage grid is enormous, making him very survivable. Like a warjack, if he loses systems his attacks become less powerful, and he has only limited ability to heal himself via Focus; still, the sheer damage he can take outstrips any other caster, even the 20-health behemoths like the Butcher and Rasheth.
Karchev's special rules are a major part of him. First of all is Arcantrik Turbine, which can solve one of his two biggest problems (but not both at the same time): lack of focus or low speed. It either grants him a focus point or gives him +2” of movement and Pathfinder. Note that this triggers at the start of Karchev's activation, so the focus cannot be allocated; still, you'll often be spending focus during your activation, so this isn't so bad. It also means you can look at the lay of the land before you decide which benefit to take, as your plan may change over the course of your turn.
Man in the Machine is his second special rule, and it's a really huge one. What it boils down to this this: Karchev is alive, but he's not a warrior nor a warjack. For most purposes, you can treat him as a warjack-- but non-damaging effects that specifically target warjacks, such as eNemo's Tractor Field, have no effect on him. On the other hand, effects that damage warjacks in a specific way, like Iron Rot, will affect him. Karchev can be repaired, and normal heals can only heal the three boxes of his “Body” system, which replaces the cortex and allows him to allocate focus. Karchev can trample, which means he can compensate for his low speed by moving at +3” without having to immediately end his activation for failing a charge.
On to Karchev's spells. First up is Eruption, one of his two extremely expensive attacking spells-- although this one is really worth it. It's like a fire-based Breath of Corruption, but more powerful: a POW 14 hit to the direct target AND everyone under the template. This isn't blast damage, either, so Battle Mages and Satyxis both take their lumps like everyone else. The cloud stays there, too, doing a POW 14 to everyone who touches it. Karchev will need to boost to reliably hit anyone with this, and if he does so that'll cost 80% of his Focus. Still, sometimes you don't have better options. Fortunately, even if you scatter you're still doing POW 14s, so boosting is not always necessary-- and if you absolutely have to hit someone, running a Khadoran 'jack into base to base contact with them and zapping him from behind works. They're DEF 10, going to 14 in melee, and 12 if Karchev starts his activation in their rear arc-- so you'll hit on a 7, average on 2d6, and toast everyone touching them with a POW 14.
Ground Zero is a sort of “get away from me!” spell. Karchev has a large base and is easy to engage, but sometimes you need to clear a path to get out of there. Ground Zero blasts everyone within roughly an inch and a half of Karchev's base away from him, hitting them for a POW 13 and pushing them d6” straight away. Note that if you are careful and have Sylys Wyshnalyrr, you can upkeep Tow, cast Ground Zero, then trample away, towing your 'jacks and cast Unearthly Rage. However, this will require careful placement, as you don't want to push your own 'jacks out of towing range. Remember that you push in an order you choose, so if you carefully place cheap models like mechanics touching your 'jacks, they won't be able to be pushed away. A pushed model stops if it contacts another model, regardless of base size.
Sidearms is a nice upkeep that helps keep your 'jacks safe. While they're B2B with other models in your battlegroup, your jacks gain +1 DEF for each other 'jack they're touching and can't be knocked down. Now, normally the DEF bonus won't be much, as your 'jacks start at DEF 10. If you're Towing three models, though-- and this will be tricky, since you'll have to cast or upkeep Tow, then advance, then cast Sidearms, since both this and Tow are upkeeps on the self-- then you'll be getting a +3 on Karchev and the 'jack directly behind him and a +2 on each of the others. This will put Karchev up to DEF 15, which is respectable, and if you're in a forest or on a hill the cumulative bonuses can put your DEF 14 'jacks up to something significant. More importantly, the Tow formation is vulnerable to slams, which can knock down all four 'jacks when aimed properly. If this is a possibility, it's wise to case Sidearms to prevent knockdown. You'll still take damage, but at least you won't have to spend lots of focus standing up.
Tow is the first of Karchev's signature spells, and it's a real killer. It's a bit tricky to work out, but basically it functions like this: when you cast or upkeep it, Karchev has Tow active. While it's active, if he moves, any friendly 'jack that passes within 2” of him can be “hooked.” You can “hook” up to three 'jacks, and if you do, at the end of your movement they are all placed in his rear arc facing any direction you wish. This spell is one-half of the dreaded Karchev Powerslide, the maneuver that gives your SPD 4 Khadoran 'jacks among the highest threat range in the game. Karchev can start 2” in front of a 'jack, upkeep Tow, trigger his Turbine, then Trample obliquely towards the enemy (though you can't change facing after a trample, so be careful; you can Run if you don't want to cast Unearthly Rage, but if you do make sure you allocate out all your Focus at the start of the turn). This is a 9” movement, and then the friendly 'jack can be placed in your back arc, where it can charge a further 7”. Counting the place effects and the potential of Reach, this can be a 20” or higher threat range. Combined with Unearthly Rage, Karchev's feat for free charges, and a focus to buy another attack, this is an astonishingly large number of very high-POW boosted damage rolls. Remember that 'jacks must be placed in Karchev's rear arc, so frequently he won't be able to attack himself unless you get lucky with positioning-- and enemies will be getting the back strike bonus against him, if he places his butt facing them. Frequently, of course, this won't matter, as the game will either have ended or your opponent will have bigger problems to deal with.
Unearthly Rage is Karchev's best spell, and indeed one of the best spells in the game. It's woefully simple: Karchev and his warjacks gain boosted attack and damage rolls and magical weapons. That's it. It's brutal. This is a pure focus multiplier, and on a good day with some 'jacks it's the equivalent of 4-6 focus per 'jack. It only lasts for your turn, and thus won't benefit free strikes, but also won't benefit attacks made via Domination or the like from your opponent. If your 'jacks are going into melee, you should always cast this unless you're running. Even a 'jack with two base attacks will benefit from four focus worth of boosts, making this worth it. It only affects melee attacks, though there are some very good Karchev builds using ranged 'jacks.
Karchev's feat is a bit simple and underwhelming-- it's more of a “free focus” battery like Unearthly Rage. His 'jacks can turn to face any direction at the start of their activation, can charge for free and gain Pathfinder. This is quite useful since if you're upkeeping Tow and casting Unearthly Rage, you often don't have enough left to let all of your 'jacks charge. If they charge for free, they can get into melee and benefit from Rage. Total War is for the turn where the metal hits the flesh and you get stuck in, so maximizing benefit is mostly a timing issue, but it's often easy to tell when you're going to make it in. So pop it then.
Karchev's tier list is interesting. It allows all non-character 'jacks plus Behemoth, Battle Mechaniks, Greylords, and Man-o-Wars. Tier 1 lets you take as many Ternions as you wish, and increases your Koldun Lord FA based on how many Ternions you take. Tier 2 requires two units of Man-o-Wars and lets them Advance Move, somewhat compensating for their low speed. Tier 3 requires at least one Ternion and gives you some free cloud effects on Turn 1, helping to shield you from the enemy's first turn offense (if they have one). Tier 4 requires three warjacks and makes all of his 'jacks cheaper.
The Tier 4 bonus is very nice, given how many warjacks you'll want to bring (and how expensive Karchev's favorite 'jacks are) but requiring two units of Man-o-Wars is pretty onerous. Man-o-Wars do well with casters who can support them by increasing their speed or survivability, but Karchev does nothing for them. And the points you spend on Man-o-Wars will likely outweigh the points you'll save on 'jacks. Also, the tier leaves out some key models you'll want, like Beast-09, Widowmakers, and mercs.
Let's talk about some key model synergies. Jack synergies are important, since a Karchev list is so 'jack focused. He likes the Destroyer, Spriggan, Behemoth, Beast-09, and possibly the Kodiak.
The Destroyer works well with Karchev for a specific strategy: towing it around the edge of the battlefield, dropping tons of POW 14 templates all over the enemy. If you're going for a melee-based army, which plays into Karchev's powerslide, you'll want someone else, but with the Behemoth and two Destroyers you can drop four templates per turn all over the enemy while staying out of engagement range, and still aiming. You can see over Karchev with Arcing Fire, making positioning less important.
The Spriggan is probably the best non-character 'jack for the Powerslide, largely due to Reach extending its threat range. It has a very potent POW 18 main attack, as well as some utility-- the ability to launch grenades or flares while being towed around, at least until it's time to engage, can be very helpful. Bulldoze is also a great utility ability for an army that relies on mobility and speed, as pushing enemies out of charge lanes can help three very tightly bunched 'jacks all reach their targets. Still, if you're taking a Spriggan, you're mostly taking it for that badass lance, and the ability to powerslide someone's face right off.
The Behemoth is a classic Karchev 'jack. It's tough as nails, it hits harder than almost any other warjack in the game (against ARM 18-19, it's effectively POW 21; against ARM 17, it's effectively POW 20; against ARM 20, it's effectively POW 22), and it can launch tons of bombard shots while you advance. You can rain steel on the enemy while you maneuver into position, getting the aiming bonus all the while, and then charge in and shred their heavies when you need to. A top choice.
Beast-09 is the centerpiece of any good powerslide. It's an absolute monster, hitting at MAT 7 with a reach POW 19, and with Thresher to boot. With Unearthly Rage, a single Thresher can do serious damage to multiple enemy 'jacks, if they're dumb enough to stick together, and the combination of Unearthly Rage and its Imprint mean that a thresher can reliably hit even super high-DEF enemies like Kayazy (although often you won't need both and you'll be casting Unearthly Rage anyways). Still, free runs to advance in the early game, Reach, and an absolutely punishing damage output means that it's the best Powerslide 'jack in the game, even better than the Spriggan (for just one more point) and with Thresher to boot. It can kill warjacks and infantry, it can do anything it needs you do.
The Kodiak is a possibility, if you need a midrange 'jack and if you're already running 3 others. Its cloud is a nice defensive ability, its chain attack benefits strongly from Unearthly Rage, and Heavy Boiler means it can keep up even if three other 'jacks are being Towed. It's not as powerful in melee as the others, but it's very effective against enemy 'jacks, with the ability to throw out two boosted POW 16s and then throw the target away. Note that it does not have Reach, like the Behemoth, so it's a bit trickier to get it into melee than the Spriggan or Beast.
Units and solos that work with Karchev are more valuable for what they can do for him, rather than what he can do for them-- which in most cases is nothing. Battle Mechaniks are a must, for their ability to keep Karchev and his 'jacks in fighting shape, and Greylord Ternions provide some much needed versatility. Doom Reavers work well unsupported, though they don't really provide anything that Karchev is missing except infantry removal. Widowmakers are great for their ability to surgically remove key enemy models. Nyss Hunters are excellent infantry removal, something Karchev loves. For solos, Koldun Lords provide some great support, a Widowmaker Marksman can support your Widowmaker unit, and Sylys Wyshnalyrr is an amazing support piece to help Karchev manage everything he has to manage. It's tough to argue with Sylys, but a War Dog can be helpful if you are considering committing Karchev to fight personally. Finally, an Ogrun Bokur can prevent some real problems.
Battle Mechaniks serve a simple role: they keep Karchev and his 'jacks repaired. Losing an arm or movement system can cripple you, but Mechaniks can get a 'jack right back in the fight, and they are also the only way to restore MOST of Karchev's health (except for his Body system). I'd go with two minimum units over one maximum, which gives you some strategic flexibility. It's also not hard to keep them base to base with 'jacks for Iron Sentinel, but be careful of slams!
Greylord Ternions are an interesting choice, and one that doesn't show up too often. Ice Cage is a very impressive ability for its ability to make enemies stationary, but Unearthly Rage often means accuracy is not a problem. The ability to generate cloud effects is very potent, and combined with Sidearms can often push your warjacks' defense up to the point where it actually becomes an issue for the opponent-- very rare for Khador. They can also fight decently in combat if you have a Koldun Lord, though you'll want to pick fairly weak enemies as their MAT is not great. Finally, if you have nothing better to do, a few Sprays is also nice-- note that they're far more accurate with Sprays than with melee attacks, so unless you have Battle Wizard and are fairly sure you'll be hitting and killing the enemy, you should stick with spraying. They're pretty pricey for some 13/13 one-wound infantry models, so use your jacks to keep them protected while you advance.
Doom Reavers are an interesting choice. Karchev has no problem destroying enemy 'jacks with his own, but infantry clouds can pose a threat, since only Beast can thresh and 3” AOEs can be unreliable. Doom Reavers are great at clearing infantry with a Reach, Weapon Mastering Berserk attack, but they might then gum up the charge lanes you want open unless you plan carefully so they remove each other after they're done removing the enemy. You usually don't want berserkers killing each other, but if it clears an opening to deliver Beast to the enemy caster, it can be a good thing. Just make sure you need it before you do it. They have Spell Ward anyways, making them unbuffable by many casters, but even Karchev's feat can't support them like Butcher's or Irusk's. Take them if you think you will need to, but I think Karchev has better infantry removal options.
Widowmakers and Nyss Hunters serve similar roles: both shoot out enemy infantry. Nyss Hunters can shoot right through forests, which is nice and helps keep them safe, and can fight passably well in melee. Karchev can't buff them, but they do reasonably well on their own. They both take out infantry screens without gumming up the works with their bodies. Widowmakers are slightly more accurate and have a longer range, but lack Hunter; they also have a lower defense, but Pathfinder and Camouflage more than compensate for that. They also advance deploy and have Sniper, allowing them to get into position quicker and take out even shieldwalled infantry (or do some damage to heavy 'jacks if necessary). In contrast, you get many more Nyss Hunters, the ability to CRA lets them take out high-DEF high-priority targets, and with Weapon Master they can actually fight in melee. They also have a higher base DEF, making them safer out in the open. It's up to you which you take (or take both!) but either present a compelling infantry removal option.
Koldun Lords do everything basic Ternions do (almost; they lack Blizzard) but have a very useful ability in Power Booster. Since Karchev often won't be allocating Focus, you'll have plenty of chances to Power Booster someone, which will usually go to buying another attack (since Karchev will feat the turn he engages). Koldun Lords are slightly better fighters than regular Ternions, though it's still not their preferred place to be. They can marshal, though doing so would be a mistake as you'd lose the benefit of Unearthly Rage. Power Booster is why you buy them, since one extra focus on a warjack is really three if it's used to buy an attack under Unearthly Rage, but whether this is a worthwhile expenditure of two points is up to you.
If you're taking Widowmakers and have two points free, a Marksman can help keep them safe by allowing them to Swift Hunter deeper into terrain after shooting, but he's competing with Kell Bailoch for that two-point sniper slot and Bailoch can shoot twice (and magically). How much infantry removal shooting do you need? It obviously depends on your opponent's list, which you won't know in advance, so you have to sort of dial it in based on how comfortable you are. Two points won't buy you another Khadoran 'jack, but a cloud of support models might, and that's a tough tradeoff to make.
Sylys Wyshnalyrr is a dream come true for Karchev. He allows him to upkeep Tow for free, giving him another Focus (and every one is precious) and giving him more tactical options-- like the aforesaid Tow/Ground Zero/Unearthly Rage combination. Wyshnalyrr makes offensive spell-slinging with Eruption a bit more viable with his other abilities, making it less essential to boost, though it's still almost always a better use of focus to sling Beast-09 into an infantry formation and let him Thresh them away. Still, that extra focus is not to be sneezed at, especially since it allows you to upkeep Tow even if Karchev is in the area of Lamentation, shot by a Disruptor Bolt or something like that.
The War Dog competes with Sylys and thus won't show up often, but he deserves a mention for being a combat support model for a caster who most definitely can fight. He's also very cheap, thus making him good filler. Being able to run out of combat without free strikes and Tow your jacks with you is a very valuable ability, and the +2 DEF against melee attacks may just push Karchev into “hard to hit” territory for many enemies. Finally, since you'll be spending a lot of time with your butt towards the enemy for powerslides, negating back strikes might help. It's something to think about, though I'd reach for Sylys first in many cases.
Finally, the Ogrun Bokur is there for one reason only: taking shots for Karchev. A large base with DEF 12 and the requirement to be right up in the thick of things is hard to protect, and a single Disruptor Bolt can really ruin your day. The Bokur can take that bullet, as well as any Momentum or Tractor Field shots, and keep your army moving. And he can fight, too!
Here's a sample 35 point list:
Karchev -5
Behemoth +13
Beast-09 +11
Kodiak +8
Sylys Wyshnalyrr +2
Ogrun Bokur +3
Max Mechaniks +3
A nice, simple but effective list, containing two ARM 20 and one ARM 21 'jack at 35 points. Remember that the Bokur doesn't actually have to be in the path of the shot to absorb it, just within 2” of Karchev, so keep him a bit safe. In fact, if your Kodiak is running to keep up instead of being Towed, there's a spot behind Karchev and between his friends that's nice and safe. The Mechaniks keep everything running and Sylys stretches out the Focus. Sylys does have to be within 3” of Karchev to use his little spell assist Arcane Secrets, but only within 8” to upkeep a spell for free, so keep him safe. This list lacks the delicious infantry removal options discussed above, but hits like a train. If you want, you can drop the Mechaniks to a minimum unit and switch Sylys for the dog to free up two points, which can bump the Kodiak to a Spriggan or buy you Kell Bailoch. At 50 points, you can add maxed out Nyss Hunters to this, split the one max Mechanik unit into two minimum ones, switch the Kodiak for a Spriggan and add the two-point solo of your choice: a Koldun Lord, Bailoch, Gorman di Wulfe, or Widowmaker Marksman, perhaps.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Garryth, Blade of Retribution
Just like last week, I'm covering a caster in depth. This week it will be Garryth, Blade of Retribution.
Again, we'll start with the statline and special rules. Garryth has one of the more exceptional statlines for casters. He is at the high end for SPD and MAT, and he has standard "dodgy, nimble" caster defensive stats at 16/14. This matches up with Amon, Haley, Deneghra, Rhyas and Saeryn, etc. He has four initial attacks: two blades and two pistol shots. Though his POW is low, he has Weapon Master to make up for it. He's a mediocre shot and can't buy more than his initial two pistol attacks, but he's a deadly close combat fighter. As for special rules, he has Pathfinder-- allowing him to keep up with his target-- Stealth, which helps keep him safe until he can make it into melee, and Parry, allowing him to escape unfavorable encounters. His last two rules are the big ones.
First, he has Arcane Assassin. This means he ignores almost all spell effects on his targets. Note that this is with ALL of his attacks-- blades, pistols, and even magic attacks. He also ignores focus points boosting a power field. As a result, his seemingly low POW, with Weapon Master and Arcane Assassin, is more than enough to shred almost any enemy caster in melee. Note that he will not ignore indirect bonuses from spells-- for example, if an enemy has cast Fog of War or Veil of Mists, granting themselves concealment, he will not ignore that, as it is not a direct bonus to DEF. Finally, his blades have Grievous Wounds. Not only does this prevent Tough and healing, but it prevents warlocks from transferring. Whether the opponent is camping Focus or Fury, Garryth doesn't care.
Overall, he is a brutal combatant. Garryth getting into melee with the enemy with more than a couple of focus left on him is a death sentence to most casters and locks. His feat can help in this respect, as he can set it up so that even if he fails to assassinate his prey, he is safe from retaliation. Note that his ARM is quite low, and camping a couple of FOC can be difficult due to his desire to upkeep, cast and boost. Garryth's army often serves as a Garryth Delivery System, and you should keep that fact in mind.
Onto his spells.
Death Sentence is his first spell, and it's not a bad one-- it marks an enemy, allowing you to reroll failed to hit rolls against them. Garryth's low FOC means you will basically have to boost-- anything he can reliably hit unboosted doesn't need this cast on them. This means it will cost half of his FOC to put up. It's an upkeep, but generally whatever you cast it on should be mostly dead after a turn. This is one of those spells you will want to arc. It goes well with inaccurate but high-volume fire-- a unit of Mage Hunter Strike Force attacking Death Sentenced infantry can reliably put huge holes in their formation. On turns when Garryth is hanging back waiting for his moment, activating him early to throw this out is not a bad idea, but since it costs such a chunk of your FOC to do so, make sure that it's worth it.
Gallows is Garryth's offensive spell, and again, it's very expensive. It will cost 4 FOC to reliably hit something, and with the pull being only d6" it's not very reliable. Garryth's guns are magical, so you can use those instead of this to pick off Pistol Wraiths and the like, though arcing Gallows gets you a reliable threat range. It may be tempting to use it to pull an enemy closer so Garryth can charge it, but if he starts 10" away from an enemy he can charge them anyways and when you arc this spell it pulls the enemy towards the node, not Garryth. Not to mention it takes most of Garryth's remaining FOC to cast, leaving him little for the assassination. Remember that you have this spell, but generally Battle Mages are more effective for push/pull shenanigans. You could Death Sentence the target you want pulled for cheaper, and though that takes up Garryth's activation, you will be able to yank the enemy into position and kill it with a Phoenix or something.
Mirage is a great spell, always useful. It extends the threat of a unit by 2", but it does so much more than that. You can readjust models to ensure that they have line of sight for a charge-- they end their movement facing in any direction you wish. You can pull them out of terrain (or deeper in, if they have to charge through it). You can disengage them from combat. Obviously, you get the most mileage by putting this on a unit, but lategame casting it on Garryth himself is not bad. It extends his threat, which is never a bad thing.
Psychic Vampire is an interesting spell. Against some enemies, such as Hex Hunters, Druids of Orboros and Battle Mages, it's brutal-- it shuts them down from casting in Garryth's control area unless they want to die. Against others, they simply don't care. It's expensive and Garryth's FOC is tight, so don't cast it unless you have to. Remember that his CTRL is smallish, but Garryth likes it up towards the front so that's not too bad.
Next, we've got Garryth's feat. It's a bit hit-or-miss, but powerful. Vortex Lock prevents the casting or channeling of spells, movement by place, and most importantly, spending FOC. This last one is the big one. Enemy Warmachine players cannot boost while in Garryth's control area. If you fail an assassination run, this is what keeps you alive. It's kind of a defensive feat, which is odd for such an assassin-y caster, but it has a lot of uses. The place effects thing is unusual, but it does close off some threat vectors to Garryth, making him harder to assassinate. No casting or channeling is a big deal-- enemies will have to either face you without magic or back off. Note that it does not prevent upkeeping spells and Garryth lacks dispel effects, so eEiryss might be useful. Preventing enemies from spending FOC is especially nice for blunting 'jack based retaliation. If they can't buy attacks against you or boost their damage rolls, they're not able to do serious damage. Beware of casters with Full Throttle or Unearthly Rage, as they can boost their 'jacks' rolls while sitting comfortably outside of your control area-- and beware of Hordes lists, which shrug off what is arguably the most potent part of the feat. An excellent way to use it is to force Garryth forward and pop it, preventing your opponent from taking advantage of Garryth's exposure. You want him forward, but you want him safe.
Like many of the Retribution tiers, Garryth's is quite restrictive. He can take all non-character 'jacks, but his only units allowed are MHSF, and he can only take Mage Hunter Assassins and Nayl. If he takes three Mage Hunter Assassins, he gets +1 on his starting roll; three units of MHSF with Soulless UAs give him Nayl for free; and leaving out heavy warjacks gives him and his 'jacks Advance Deployment. This is quite a potent ability, as his MHAs will already by ADing, along with one unit of MHSF. However, this army does not allow multiple MHSF UAs, as Ravyn's does, meaning that two of the units will not be able to AD nor ignore cover and intervening models. Furthermore, Garryth has no way to boost their accuracy outside of Death Sentence-- though he can cycle it between two enemy units per turn, it won't help them hit very high-DEF enemies enjoying cover or concealment. Finally, especially if one goes to Tier 4, the list lacks a way to handle heavy armor. Garryth himself can do it by spending lots of FOC, and Mage Hunter CMAs with 'Jack Hunter can put a bit of a dent in, and even MHAs can get lucky and roll high, but against Skorne titan walls, Khador 'jack walls, Troll bricks etc. this army may struggle. Advance deployment and +1 to go first can help Garryth get out towards the enemy quickly, and with the Soulless Escorts they're quite safe from magic-- and it's nice to have an almost all-Stealthed army-- but many of the missing units and solos are quite valuable. I would argue against taking this tier in most circumstances. Against shooty jack-heavy Cygnar lists, if you can take out the Black 13th you are in good shape, but otherwise you will struggle against armor; and Menoth 'jackwalls with "no shooting" can make you tear your hair out.
So let's look at some key model synergies.
Warjacks:
Garryth can't feed too many 'jacks, but he does like arc nodes. The Chimera's a nice one, as is the Phoenix; the latter is more expensive, but can also help deal with armor. The much-maligned Gorgon has a place, as does the Hydra, who can survive with less FOC. For Vyre 'jacks, many of them replicate effects Garryth already has, like Grievous Wounds, or the Banshee's wail and his feat. Generally more than two 'jacks is very tough for Garryth to run.
The Chimera's ability to disappear from combat and escape makes it very valuable to Garryth as a Gallows or Death Sentence arc-- its maneuverability can help you set up good Gallows angles. Sadly you can't stack Mirage with Apparition, as the effects have the same name, but it's nice to double up on that ability. In a pinch, the Chimera can combo strike something big, but if you're sending it into combat you're in trouble.
The Phoenix is a bit trickier than the Chimera, since you kind of want it in melee-- but of course it can't arc. It helps deal with the armor problem that the rest of the army has, and the Phoenix Field can help keep it alive. Mirage can make a Phoenix into a giant Chimera, able to strike where you want and then pop out of combat to channel. Overall it's a great 'jack, but pricey.
The Gorgon has one job in a Garryth army: lock something down so Garryth or his minions can kill it. It's cheap-ish, and it likely won't survive going in to lock something down. If you have persistent problems with people running away, it might be worth using, but otherwise leave it at home. Force Lock is why you take this thing.
The Aspis is worth a mention. Garryth is, as mentioned, quite frail, and keeping him alive long enough to get the kill can be a trial. An Aspis can take a bullet for him and keep him standing. Garryth's desire to mix it up personally is often the death of him, but a hefty Shield Guard light can reduce that risk.
Finally, the Hydra's somewhat-independence means that Garryth can load it up early and just let it have a ball, but his inability to do anything to keep it safe or accelerate or make it hit harder is worrying. Unlike other assassin-y casters like Thyra, Garryth does not make it easier for his army to assassinate you. He makes it easier for HIM to assassinate you.
Units:
Battle Mages, Mage Hunter Strike Force, and Dawnguard Sentinels are the units Garryth likes to see. Somewhat unusually, this is less about what he can do for them and more about what they can do for him.
Battle Mages are just all kinds of great, but they really shine when their push me/pull you shenanigans are actually towards some end other than "pissing off the opponent." When positioned right, a unit can drag an enemy, d3" at a time, towards Garryth's threat range. This may be an enemy caster; more often it'll just be a 'jack or beast. If he tags it with Death Sentence the turn before and upkeeps it, they'll be quite accurate, and Garryth can dash up and finish off whatever it is without running into danger. They can also push enemies away and out of their support formations, leaving the target isolated. Garryth likes having targets all alone like that.
Mage Hunter Strike Force do much the same job in a Garryth list as in any other: remove infantry, take potshots at support models and vulnerable casters. Garryth doesn't like lots of infantry blocking his path, and doesn't want to give 'jacks FOC to trample it away. MHSF can solve that problem, and Mirage not only extends their threat range, but allows them to reposition and still get the aiming bonus-- a must with their mediocre RAT. I wouldn't bother taking more than one unit, as you lose a lot without the UA.
Dawnguard Sentinels also love a UA with Garryth. Mirage + Vengeance is a lot of out of activation movement, and makes these little SPD 5 soldiers a lot faster than they seem. Death Sentence also ensures that none of their attacks are wasted. Once your opponent has triggered Vengeance, get as many of them in as you can, since they likely won't stick around too much longer-- you don't want to drip-feed them in a bit at a time. Otherwise you're just wasting troops. They go well with MHSF, as the Hunters kill low-ARM infantry and the Sentinels go after tougher stuff.
Solos of interest include epic Eiryss, Sylys Wyshnalyrr, Arcanists, MHAs, Magisters and perhaps Snipers.
eEiryss is always nice. Garryth and his MHSF ignore camped focus and upkeep spells, but the rest of his army doesn't. Furthermore, with judicious timing, you can shoot off an enemy upkeep and pop your feat, preventing it from being recast. It's better to go after offensive upkeeps like Fury rather than defensive ones like Defender's Ward, as you ignore those anyways, but of course it's not a hard and fast rule. Also remember that her shots prevent channeling through arc nodes and can keep Garryth safe.
Wyshnalyrr is a Focus battery for a caster who really needs it. I've mentioned several times how tight Garryth is on Focus. Wyshnalyrr not only lets him upkeep Mirage for free, but makes his spells more accurate, perhaps allowing you to toss out more Death Sentences and Gallows. Gallows may actually be worth it if you can use it to pull someone into charging range, as long as you are sure you can kill them once you get in there.
The job of an Arcanist in a Garryth list is simple. Sometimes there's not enough FOC to go around, and the Arcanist makes that better. Garryth's well-stated liking for arc nodes, as well, means nothing if they get taken out. The Arcanist can bring those back online with ease. Nice and simple. He's tough to keep safe, so hang him back until you need him.
Mage Hunter Assassins are like mini-Garryths. They pose a serious psychological threat, as nobody wants to expose their caster to an Arcane Assassin Decapitation. They also have a 14" threat range, 16" under Mirage. Expect them to die, even with Stealth and Pathfinder, but to do their job in dying. They can be used to herd enemies in towards the middle of the board, where Garryth can get at them. One of the best things Garryth can do is just use his threat range as a tool: nobody wants to get within 12.5" of him and die, so you can pressure them into a tight box where your army can finish them off.
The Magister (and to a lesser extent, Madelyn Corbeau) is great for his ability to accelerate Garryth. Whip Snap is an extra 3" of movement on one of the game's few "I get into melee with you, you lose" models. Keep him close to Garryth and keep him safe. Your opponent only needs to be on the receiving end of a 15.5" Garryth attack once before they never make that mistake again. Remember that it stacks with Corbeau's Intrigue.
Finally, Snipers might see some use in clearing targets from your path. Garryth ignores free strikes but he can't move OVER models like Rhyas or Thyra. He also lacks Reach, so you have to get up close and personal. Having a couple of enemy grunts blocking the path can ruin your day if Mage Hunters can't get in there, but the Sniper's 20" threat is hard to hide from.
Garryth does more than just seal the deal himself, but it's what he's best at. Here's a 35 point list that plays to his strengths:
Garryth, Blade of Retribution +5
Phoenix -10
Aspis -4
House Shyeel Battle Mages -5
Min Mage Hunter Strike Force + UA -7
Min Dawnguard Sentinels + UA -8
House Shyeel Magister -2
Sylys Wyshnalyrr -2
Madelyn Corbeau -2
Total 35 +5
Garryth comes with a little entourage here-- two solos to speed him up, one to help him cast, and a 'jack to keep them all safe. He has a bit of everything in terms of infantry; some anti-armor, some anti-infantry, some movement guys. This army's job is to deliver Garryth, and it does it well. If you want to drop Sylys for an Arcanist you can probably drop one of the movement solos (I'd get rid of Madelyn first) and bump one of the min units up to max, but that's your choice.
Next week, we look at Karchev or pAsphyxious.
Again, we'll start with the statline and special rules. Garryth has one of the more exceptional statlines for casters. He is at the high end for SPD and MAT, and he has standard "dodgy, nimble" caster defensive stats at 16/14. This matches up with Amon, Haley, Deneghra, Rhyas and Saeryn, etc. He has four initial attacks: two blades and two pistol shots. Though his POW is low, he has Weapon Master to make up for it. He's a mediocre shot and can't buy more than his initial two pistol attacks, but he's a deadly close combat fighter. As for special rules, he has Pathfinder-- allowing him to keep up with his target-- Stealth, which helps keep him safe until he can make it into melee, and Parry, allowing him to escape unfavorable encounters. His last two rules are the big ones.
First, he has Arcane Assassin. This means he ignores almost all spell effects on his targets. Note that this is with ALL of his attacks-- blades, pistols, and even magic attacks. He also ignores focus points boosting a power field. As a result, his seemingly low POW, with Weapon Master and Arcane Assassin, is more than enough to shred almost any enemy caster in melee. Note that he will not ignore indirect bonuses from spells-- for example, if an enemy has cast Fog of War or Veil of Mists, granting themselves concealment, he will not ignore that, as it is not a direct bonus to DEF. Finally, his blades have Grievous Wounds. Not only does this prevent Tough and healing, but it prevents warlocks from transferring. Whether the opponent is camping Focus or Fury, Garryth doesn't care.
Overall, he is a brutal combatant. Garryth getting into melee with the enemy with more than a couple of focus left on him is a death sentence to most casters and locks. His feat can help in this respect, as he can set it up so that even if he fails to assassinate his prey, he is safe from retaliation. Note that his ARM is quite low, and camping a couple of FOC can be difficult due to his desire to upkeep, cast and boost. Garryth's army often serves as a Garryth Delivery System, and you should keep that fact in mind.
Onto his spells.
Death Sentence is his first spell, and it's not a bad one-- it marks an enemy, allowing you to reroll failed to hit rolls against them. Garryth's low FOC means you will basically have to boost-- anything he can reliably hit unboosted doesn't need this cast on them. This means it will cost half of his FOC to put up. It's an upkeep, but generally whatever you cast it on should be mostly dead after a turn. This is one of those spells you will want to arc. It goes well with inaccurate but high-volume fire-- a unit of Mage Hunter Strike Force attacking Death Sentenced infantry can reliably put huge holes in their formation. On turns when Garryth is hanging back waiting for his moment, activating him early to throw this out is not a bad idea, but since it costs such a chunk of your FOC to do so, make sure that it's worth it.
Gallows is Garryth's offensive spell, and again, it's very expensive. It will cost 4 FOC to reliably hit something, and with the pull being only d6" it's not very reliable. Garryth's guns are magical, so you can use those instead of this to pick off Pistol Wraiths and the like, though arcing Gallows gets you a reliable threat range. It may be tempting to use it to pull an enemy closer so Garryth can charge it, but if he starts 10" away from an enemy he can charge them anyways and when you arc this spell it pulls the enemy towards the node, not Garryth. Not to mention it takes most of Garryth's remaining FOC to cast, leaving him little for the assassination. Remember that you have this spell, but generally Battle Mages are more effective for push/pull shenanigans. You could Death Sentence the target you want pulled for cheaper, and though that takes up Garryth's activation, you will be able to yank the enemy into position and kill it with a Phoenix or something.
Mirage is a great spell, always useful. It extends the threat of a unit by 2", but it does so much more than that. You can readjust models to ensure that they have line of sight for a charge-- they end their movement facing in any direction you wish. You can pull them out of terrain (or deeper in, if they have to charge through it). You can disengage them from combat. Obviously, you get the most mileage by putting this on a unit, but lategame casting it on Garryth himself is not bad. It extends his threat, which is never a bad thing.
Psychic Vampire is an interesting spell. Against some enemies, such as Hex Hunters, Druids of Orboros and Battle Mages, it's brutal-- it shuts them down from casting in Garryth's control area unless they want to die. Against others, they simply don't care. It's expensive and Garryth's FOC is tight, so don't cast it unless you have to. Remember that his CTRL is smallish, but Garryth likes it up towards the front so that's not too bad.
Next, we've got Garryth's feat. It's a bit hit-or-miss, but powerful. Vortex Lock prevents the casting or channeling of spells, movement by place, and most importantly, spending FOC. This last one is the big one. Enemy Warmachine players cannot boost while in Garryth's control area. If you fail an assassination run, this is what keeps you alive. It's kind of a defensive feat, which is odd for such an assassin-y caster, but it has a lot of uses. The place effects thing is unusual, but it does close off some threat vectors to Garryth, making him harder to assassinate. No casting or channeling is a big deal-- enemies will have to either face you without magic or back off. Note that it does not prevent upkeeping spells and Garryth lacks dispel effects, so eEiryss might be useful. Preventing enemies from spending FOC is especially nice for blunting 'jack based retaliation. If they can't buy attacks against you or boost their damage rolls, they're not able to do serious damage. Beware of casters with Full Throttle or Unearthly Rage, as they can boost their 'jacks' rolls while sitting comfortably outside of your control area-- and beware of Hordes lists, which shrug off what is arguably the most potent part of the feat. An excellent way to use it is to force Garryth forward and pop it, preventing your opponent from taking advantage of Garryth's exposure. You want him forward, but you want him safe.
Like many of the Retribution tiers, Garryth's is quite restrictive. He can take all non-character 'jacks, but his only units allowed are MHSF, and he can only take Mage Hunter Assassins and Nayl. If he takes three Mage Hunter Assassins, he gets +1 on his starting roll; three units of MHSF with Soulless UAs give him Nayl for free; and leaving out heavy warjacks gives him and his 'jacks Advance Deployment. This is quite a potent ability, as his MHAs will already by ADing, along with one unit of MHSF. However, this army does not allow multiple MHSF UAs, as Ravyn's does, meaning that two of the units will not be able to AD nor ignore cover and intervening models. Furthermore, Garryth has no way to boost their accuracy outside of Death Sentence-- though he can cycle it between two enemy units per turn, it won't help them hit very high-DEF enemies enjoying cover or concealment. Finally, especially if one goes to Tier 4, the list lacks a way to handle heavy armor. Garryth himself can do it by spending lots of FOC, and Mage Hunter CMAs with 'Jack Hunter can put a bit of a dent in, and even MHAs can get lucky and roll high, but against Skorne titan walls, Khador 'jack walls, Troll bricks etc. this army may struggle. Advance deployment and +1 to go first can help Garryth get out towards the enemy quickly, and with the Soulless Escorts they're quite safe from magic-- and it's nice to have an almost all-Stealthed army-- but many of the missing units and solos are quite valuable. I would argue against taking this tier in most circumstances. Against shooty jack-heavy Cygnar lists, if you can take out the Black 13th you are in good shape, but otherwise you will struggle against armor; and Menoth 'jackwalls with "no shooting" can make you tear your hair out.
So let's look at some key model synergies.
Warjacks:
Garryth can't feed too many 'jacks, but he does like arc nodes. The Chimera's a nice one, as is the Phoenix; the latter is more expensive, but can also help deal with armor. The much-maligned Gorgon has a place, as does the Hydra, who can survive with less FOC. For Vyre 'jacks, many of them replicate effects Garryth already has, like Grievous Wounds, or the Banshee's wail and his feat. Generally more than two 'jacks is very tough for Garryth to run.
The Chimera's ability to disappear from combat and escape makes it very valuable to Garryth as a Gallows or Death Sentence arc-- its maneuverability can help you set up good Gallows angles. Sadly you can't stack Mirage with Apparition, as the effects have the same name, but it's nice to double up on that ability. In a pinch, the Chimera can combo strike something big, but if you're sending it into combat you're in trouble.
The Phoenix is a bit trickier than the Chimera, since you kind of want it in melee-- but of course it can't arc. It helps deal with the armor problem that the rest of the army has, and the Phoenix Field can help keep it alive. Mirage can make a Phoenix into a giant Chimera, able to strike where you want and then pop out of combat to channel. Overall it's a great 'jack, but pricey.
The Gorgon has one job in a Garryth army: lock something down so Garryth or his minions can kill it. It's cheap-ish, and it likely won't survive going in to lock something down. If you have persistent problems with people running away, it might be worth using, but otherwise leave it at home. Force Lock is why you take this thing.
The Aspis is worth a mention. Garryth is, as mentioned, quite frail, and keeping him alive long enough to get the kill can be a trial. An Aspis can take a bullet for him and keep him standing. Garryth's desire to mix it up personally is often the death of him, but a hefty Shield Guard light can reduce that risk.
Finally, the Hydra's somewhat-independence means that Garryth can load it up early and just let it have a ball, but his inability to do anything to keep it safe or accelerate or make it hit harder is worrying. Unlike other assassin-y casters like Thyra, Garryth does not make it easier for his army to assassinate you. He makes it easier for HIM to assassinate you.
Units:
Battle Mages, Mage Hunter Strike Force, and Dawnguard Sentinels are the units Garryth likes to see. Somewhat unusually, this is less about what he can do for them and more about what they can do for him.
Battle Mages are just all kinds of great, but they really shine when their push me/pull you shenanigans are actually towards some end other than "pissing off the opponent." When positioned right, a unit can drag an enemy, d3" at a time, towards Garryth's threat range. This may be an enemy caster; more often it'll just be a 'jack or beast. If he tags it with Death Sentence the turn before and upkeeps it, they'll be quite accurate, and Garryth can dash up and finish off whatever it is without running into danger. They can also push enemies away and out of their support formations, leaving the target isolated. Garryth likes having targets all alone like that.
Mage Hunter Strike Force do much the same job in a Garryth list as in any other: remove infantry, take potshots at support models and vulnerable casters. Garryth doesn't like lots of infantry blocking his path, and doesn't want to give 'jacks FOC to trample it away. MHSF can solve that problem, and Mirage not only extends their threat range, but allows them to reposition and still get the aiming bonus-- a must with their mediocre RAT. I wouldn't bother taking more than one unit, as you lose a lot without the UA.
Dawnguard Sentinels also love a UA with Garryth. Mirage + Vengeance is a lot of out of activation movement, and makes these little SPD 5 soldiers a lot faster than they seem. Death Sentence also ensures that none of their attacks are wasted. Once your opponent has triggered Vengeance, get as many of them in as you can, since they likely won't stick around too much longer-- you don't want to drip-feed them in a bit at a time. Otherwise you're just wasting troops. They go well with MHSF, as the Hunters kill low-ARM infantry and the Sentinels go after tougher stuff.
Solos of interest include epic Eiryss, Sylys Wyshnalyrr, Arcanists, MHAs, Magisters and perhaps Snipers.
eEiryss is always nice. Garryth and his MHSF ignore camped focus and upkeep spells, but the rest of his army doesn't. Furthermore, with judicious timing, you can shoot off an enemy upkeep and pop your feat, preventing it from being recast. It's better to go after offensive upkeeps like Fury rather than defensive ones like Defender's Ward, as you ignore those anyways, but of course it's not a hard and fast rule. Also remember that her shots prevent channeling through arc nodes and can keep Garryth safe.
Wyshnalyrr is a Focus battery for a caster who really needs it. I've mentioned several times how tight Garryth is on Focus. Wyshnalyrr not only lets him upkeep Mirage for free, but makes his spells more accurate, perhaps allowing you to toss out more Death Sentences and Gallows. Gallows may actually be worth it if you can use it to pull someone into charging range, as long as you are sure you can kill them once you get in there.
The job of an Arcanist in a Garryth list is simple. Sometimes there's not enough FOC to go around, and the Arcanist makes that better. Garryth's well-stated liking for arc nodes, as well, means nothing if they get taken out. The Arcanist can bring those back online with ease. Nice and simple. He's tough to keep safe, so hang him back until you need him.
Mage Hunter Assassins are like mini-Garryths. They pose a serious psychological threat, as nobody wants to expose their caster to an Arcane Assassin Decapitation. They also have a 14" threat range, 16" under Mirage. Expect them to die, even with Stealth and Pathfinder, but to do their job in dying. They can be used to herd enemies in towards the middle of the board, where Garryth can get at them. One of the best things Garryth can do is just use his threat range as a tool: nobody wants to get within 12.5" of him and die, so you can pressure them into a tight box where your army can finish them off.
The Magister (and to a lesser extent, Madelyn Corbeau) is great for his ability to accelerate Garryth. Whip Snap is an extra 3" of movement on one of the game's few "I get into melee with you, you lose" models. Keep him close to Garryth and keep him safe. Your opponent only needs to be on the receiving end of a 15.5" Garryth attack once before they never make that mistake again. Remember that it stacks with Corbeau's Intrigue.
Finally, Snipers might see some use in clearing targets from your path. Garryth ignores free strikes but he can't move OVER models like Rhyas or Thyra. He also lacks Reach, so you have to get up close and personal. Having a couple of enemy grunts blocking the path can ruin your day if Mage Hunters can't get in there, but the Sniper's 20" threat is hard to hide from.
Garryth does more than just seal the deal himself, but it's what he's best at. Here's a 35 point list that plays to his strengths:
Garryth, Blade of Retribution +5
Phoenix -10
Aspis -4
House Shyeel Battle Mages -5
Min Mage Hunter Strike Force + UA -7
Min Dawnguard Sentinels + UA -8
House Shyeel Magister -2
Sylys Wyshnalyrr -2
Madelyn Corbeau -2
Total 35 +5
Garryth comes with a little entourage here-- two solos to speed him up, one to help him cast, and a 'jack to keep them all safe. He has a bit of everything in terms of infantry; some anti-armor, some anti-infantry, some movement guys. This army's job is to deliver Garryth, and it does it well. If you want to drop Sylys for an Arcanist you can probably drop one of the movement solos (I'd get rid of Madelyn first) and bump one of the min units up to max, but that's your choice.
Next week, we look at Karchev or pAsphyxious.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Argh!
Don't worry, I have not fallen back on old habits. Tomorrow, I will post the second in my casters series: Garryth, Blade of Retribution.
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