warmachine tactics strategy guide

8/10/2019 WARMACHINE Tactics Strategy Guide

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TABLE OFCONTENTS

WELCOME TO WAR! . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MULTIPLAYER TACTICS. . . . . . . . . 4

CYGNAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH . . . . 17

KHADOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

CRYX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

TACTICS CAMPAIGN GUIDE . . . . . 35

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

CREDITSWARMACHINE Creator

Matthew D. Wilson

WARMACHINE: Tactics

Game DevelopmentWhiteMoon Dreams

No Mans Land StoryMatthew D. Wilson

Project Manager

Michael G. Ryan

WriterStu Liming

EditorsMichael G. Ryan

Michael Sanbeg

Graphic Design DirectorJosh Manderville

Graphic DesignBryan Cutler


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WELCOME TO WAR!

WARMACHINE: Tacticsis the rst video game based on the

award-winning tabletop game WARMACHINE. If youre

already familiar with the tabletop game, youll recognizethe world of the Iron Kingdomswarcasters, warjacks, and

bloody clashes between enemy factions. If youre new to

the world of WARMACHINE, youre about to discover a

place where magic and technology blend together to make

warfare especially brutal and unpredictable.

This guide will arm you with knowledge and strategy to

help you compete in online multiplayer matches as well

as conquer the No Mans Land single-player campaign

effectively and efciently. By the time you reach the end

assuming you survive that longyoull have encountered

an incredible array of heroes and villains. Get ready to take

your rst step onto the battleelds of the Iron Kingdoms toexperience war like never before!


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SPD bonuses are affected by any multipliers, like a run. A run

will always be double a units SPD in distance.

MAT:This stat refers to how accurate the unit is with its melee

attacks. You wont need to do the math, thoughwhen you

select a target, the menu shows you the hit percentage.

RAT: This refers to a units skill with crossbows, guns, and

any other ranged attacks.

MAG:This is used to represent a units accuracy with spells.

Dont worry: spells that target friendly units, such as Defenders

Ward and Boundless Charge, automatically hit. Your MAG stat

only comes into play if youre targeting an enemy unit with a

spell, such as Earthquake or Crippling Grasp.

DEF:This is used to represent your units ability to evadeattacks. Its used against all forms of attacks.

ARM:ARM reduces the damage from an attack for every

point it has. Some units, such as the Lancer, gain a bonus to

their ARM unless they are attacked from behind.

WEAPONS

Each weapon in the game is

categorized as melee or ranged.

Within these categories, each

weapon has a name. The DAM

stat tells you how much damage

the weapon can do, to withina few points. Just as with MAT,

during an attack command, a

rough estimate of the damage

it will inict is displayed. These

predictions are adjusted if you

are spending focus, gaining

charge bonuses, and so on.

There is also a word that follows in parentheses. This is

the damage type. Most weapons in WARMACHINE: Tactics

are the Physical type. Occasionally, a weapon will have a

different type, like the Purier ranged attack here, which is

Fire type. Some units and abilities grant immunity to certaintypes of damage. Immunity means the affected units do not

suffer damage or effects from any attacks of that type.

So, in the example of the Flameguard Cleansers Purier

weapon, Cleansers are also immune to Fire type damage,

meaning if one Cleanser hits another Cleanser with the

Purier attack, the other Cleanser is safe from harm! Units

have this information under the Advantages section.

Some units have spells they can cast, and they have the

same prole as ranged attacks, with the exception of the

associated focus cost, if any.

THE BASICSPlaying head to head can introduce challenges and issues

you would never face during the WARMACHINE: Tacticscampaign. This section includes a few tips for surviving

against the hordes of other players out there.

THE FIRST RULE OF WARMACHINE

There is one immutable rule to WARMACHINE, no matter

the faction or the point size: dont let your warcaster die.

Warcasters are sorcerer-soldiers trained to ght not only

with martial and arcane prowess but also with the rare gift

of being able to mentally control warjacks. Warjacks are

hulking, mechanikal constructs built for destruction. Normal

soldiers might be able to direct warjacks with coded phrases or

gestures, but the degree of control a warcaster can exert over awarjack is exponentially better, and warcasters have the added

bonus of being able to command several warjacks at once.

The battles in WARMACHINE: Tactics multiplayer currently

can only end one way: with the death of a warcaster.

ANATOMY OF A UNIT

Units have numerical representations of their battleeld

prowess. These are abbreviations of which aspects they

represent. Consider Commander Coleman Stryker.

First, notice the HP and Focus callouts are next to the units

portrait in the red and blue gear. This allows you to view

them at a glance from the activation queue.

HP:This represents how many points of damage the unit

can take before it is destroyed.

Focus: Some units have a

Focus stat, showing how many

focus points they currently

have. Warcasters are unique in

that focus points add to their

ARM stat if those focus points

remain unspent. This is called

overboosting.

SPD: This refers to how fast a

unit can move. Each point of

SPD allows the unit to move one

square in a straight direction.

Diagonal movement does not let

you move as far. Occasionally,

bonuses are granted to either

SPD or movement. Movement

adds only statis squares to your

movement potential whereas

MULTIPLAYER TACTICS


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ADVANCED TIPS

THINKING MOVES AHEAD

Thinking moves ahead means you need to think not just

in terms of what you want to do on your turn but also in

terms of what your opponent is likely to do in response to

your moves. Lets look at a prime example.

Here we have a few troopers just a turn away from dishing outsome pain. Lets move our Stormsmith Stormcaller to here

with the Stormblades backing him up left just a bit behind.

Its not because theyre slower but because they want to be

in position for the Temple Flameguards response:

Sure, that poor Stormcaller is in dire straits, but now we

have a Temple Flameguard and a Cleansereach worth

more than the Stormcaller cost usin assault range of our

Stormblades. This technique of baiting out units by offering

a weak or sacricial unit in exchange for luring other units

into charge or attack range of your more powerful units is

a basic demonstration of thinking moves ahead. Knowing

that your moves not only advance your cause but also affect

your opponents decisions is a big advantage, and you

should keep it in mind at all times. Notice the Exemplar

Cinerators are waiting for the Stormblades to charge in to

counter on the Cinerators turn!

KNOWING YOUR RANGES AND

MEASUREMENTS

Being able to see a grid gives you a lot of information, and

that information can be put to great use. Ranged attacks

have a RNG stat that is measured in grid squares. So, a RNG

6 gun on the Nightwretch can shoot a target in line of sight

within 6 grid squares of him.

If you count the grid squares, you can already see the

Nightwretch cant shoot any of the Flameguard. Yet.

Oh...thats why.

An aggressive stance for Cygnar but not as aggressive as it

could be... Why not?

Hmm. Close enough to arc some spells but not for the

Nightwretch to get in on this action.

COMBINED RANGED AND

COMBINED MELEE ATTACKS

Some Units have a Special Ability of Combine Ranged

Attack (CRA) or Combined Melee Attack (CMA). To

perform a CRA/CMA:

1. A unit declares the CRA/CMA Special

ability and chooses a target. All other units

of the same type can now only move andcontribute to the CRA/CMA. (Those units

have the CRA/CMA icons above them.)

2. When other units of the

same type (i.e., Winter Guard,

Trenchers, etc.) activate, the

squares in which they can

contribute to the CRA/CMA are

highlighted.

3. Once all units you want to have contribute to the CRA/

CMA are in position, re-select one unit and execute the

CRA/CMA (for added help with a CRA, choose the unit

that didnt move, if possible.).

4. The attack resolves and the round continues. Note that

until the CRA/CMA resolves, units of other types cant

activate.


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Fortunately, the Deler doesnt have these problems! With

its spray template, it can potentially hit many targets at

once. The yellow lines show potential targets.

Additionally, while highlighting a square or set of squares

where your unit can go during its movement, the game alsodraws lines to all available targets, giving you a nice visual

reference of what you can and cannot shoot. Since you still

need line of sight, be mindful of your facing before you

commit to an attack.

KNOW YOUR ABILITIES AS WELL AS

YOUR OPPONENTS

Every unit in this game has Special abilities. Knowing what

options you both have is your key to victory. I wouldnt

bunch up my Mechanithralls when Winter Guard Infantry

Rocketeers have AOE attacks that can deal damage to

multiple targets at once!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND

ALL YOUR FOCUS

It can be tempting to allocate all your focus and let your

warjacks cut loose, but that may not always be the best

course of action. While warjacks are powerful, they are still

vulnerable and can be destroyed like any other unit in the

game. Sometimes allocating focus judiciously is the wiser

course of action.

YOU CAN MOVE IN PARTS

Many times, you will just select where you want your unit toend its movement and select it. You can move less than your

maximum distance, however, and still have the remainder

to use. Heres an example:

There we go! The Defiler can have his pick of

Menite targets there!

Time to hand out a bunch of damage to those undead!

Deneghra on the left has

a much better chance of

surviving to see the next

turn with cover and several

focus points than she does

with a more aggressive

stance, on the right.

This Winter Guard moves forward cautiously...

...and, upon seeing that the coast is clear, goes on to

complete his movement. Use this to get in position while

avoiding free strikes.


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YOU DONT HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD

While instinct might suggest you need to always move

forward, many times that is not necessary. Sometimes, its

wiser to back up.

This Arcane Tempest Gun Mage could charge in and show

that Man-O-War his mettle, but he decides his pistol is what

makes him valuable, not his sword, and so he backs up...

...to take a smaller shot now but, more important, to

survive to take more shots in the future. This also allows

the Stormblades, who tend to do much better in melee, to

charge in.

Even not moving at all can have an advantage. By forfeiting

your movement, you gain a bonus to your ranged attack values.

ARC NODES KEEP YOUR

WARCASTER SAFE

Spells have ranges, just like ranged attacks, and sometimes

putting your warcaster forward to cast a spell can expose

him or her to danger. The Revenger, Lancer, Deathripper,

Nightwretch, and Deler all have an important ability

called Arc Node. This allows the warjacks controlling

warcaster to cast a spell at a target as if he stood where the

Arc Node is, thus enabling the warcaster to add spells to

the fray without exposing himself to danger. The Arc Node

needs to remain in the warcasters Control Area in order to

be used, so dont let that warjack stray too far!

A GUIDE TO

COMMAND HINTS

When you place your cursor during a units activation,

the grid has a few hints to show you what will happen if

you commit to the command right then. Here's a quick

look at what they mean:

The blue circle means a unit moves

here and will get an attack or action to

perform. Remember, they may need to

change their facing in order to make

some attacks, so if you moved up to hit and cant attack,

check your facing!

The red circle means a unit moving here

is giving up its action in order to do

so. Early turns will typically see forces

running, but be careful about running up

so far you run right into your opponents attacks!

The shield icon shows that a unit

stepping here will gain cover from at

least one angle. Be sure the wall or

terrain is facing a probable angle of

attack to get the bonus, though!

This icon means that moving a warjack

here will place it out of the warcasters

current Control Range. The thin yellow

line you see around the battlefield shows

the current Control Areas borders. A

warjack wont lose focus on it by leaving the Control

Area, but it wont be able to arc spells or get more focus

until its returned to the warcasters Control Area.

When making a charge or assault

attack, these sections light up around

your current target. The red square (or

squares, for larger units) shows where

your unit ends its charge. Green squares

represent other squares your unit can

successfully end its charge in. If you want multiple units

to charge, make sure the previous units end its charges

with space for its allies to get in on the beatdown!


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CYGNAR

Known as the Jewel of the

Iron Kingdoms, the great nation

of Cygnar is beset by enemies onall sides. Against these threats

stands the elite army of the

Cygnus, including battle-hardened

trenchers, deadly long gunners,

and the legendary Storm Knights,

warriors whose weapons bristle with lightning. Armed

with the most advanced mechanika in the Iron Kingdoms,

the stalwart and courageous soldiers of Cygnar stand resolute

against those who seek to destroy their beloved homeland.

In play, Cygnar is very much a faction of position and

precision. Cygnaran units can typically play several roles

at once (think jacks-of-all-trades with no specializationslike some of the units found in other factions), or they are

dedicated to a single act in war but don't do as well if they

must act in another capacity. This requires you to use pieces

in specic roles and to understand that the forces of Cygnar

are more than just the sum of their parts. Your opponents

will often forget or ignore the exibility of your troops, and

this can be used to your advantage.

WARCASTERS

COMMANDER COLEMAN STRYKER

A paragon of Cygnaran virtue, ColemanStryker embodies the newfound hope in

Cygnar. Joining the Royal Guard at the

age of sixteen, Stryker would, within the

next few years, become a critical player

in his nations history, ghting during

the military coup that saw Cygnar's

leadership shift from a malignant king

to his benign brother. Diligently trained

in the arts of martial spellcraft, Stryker

has defended Cygnars borders with a

singular devotion to saving the lives of

his compatriots. Stryker is a man dedicated to duty, honor,and the preservation of the Cygnaran people.

Stryker can make everything seem easy: Snipe allows units to

shoot from impossible distances. Arcane Shield makes units

stand tough as nails against attacks. Blur prevents enemy

ranged attacks from nding their targets. Plus, Strykers

weapons cause Disruption, and his feat Invincibility causes his

squad to truly live up to its name. As if that werent enough,

Earthquake creates a massive AOE that causes Knockdown.


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MAJOR MARKUS SIEGE BRISBANE

Whenever Cygnaran leaders

are forced to crack fortied

positions, they call on Major

Brisbane for his infamous skills.

Armed with his mechanikal

hammer Havoc and his rocket

cannon, Siege has laid wasteto more enemy forces than

he can count. Major Brisbane

is famed for breaching the

notoriously impervious walls

surrounding the Protectorate

city of Sul, which had not

been penetrated for millennia. Uninterested in the politics

or intrigue some warcasters actively pursue, Siege is the

consummate soldier, and has served the Cygnaran military

faithfully for over two decades.

Sieges talents are represented by abilities designed to

bring the hurt to enemies who would otherwise be safe.

Spells like Foxhole protect your forces and can be used to

remove problem units blocking line of sight to juicy targets.

Mage Sight lights up units relying on Stealth to keep

them safe from Cygnars many ranged attacks, and Rift

can slow down your opponents approach and throw out

damage as a bonus. BreachSieges feateven allows you

to ignore all ARM and damage mitigation for one attack,

including any focus a warcaster kept to help him weather

your attacks. On top of all that, Siege can use an ability on

his rocket cannon called Ground Pounder, allowing him to

place an AOE in his Control Area and make attacks against

everything in that AOE.

COMMANDER DALIN STURGIS

Commander Dalin Sturgis is

a master duelist who believes

in leading his troops from

the front lines. Nimble and

deadly, Sturgis has honed his

impressive combat skills to

lend support to his warjacks

and soldiers even as he surges

across the battleeld delivering

death from his twin-bladedmechanikal staff. For those

who dare threaten his beloved

homeland, a urry of precisely

targeted blades rends their lives from their bodies before

Commander Sturgis disappears in a ash of arcane light to

track down his next opponent.

Commander Dalin Sturgis plays far more aggressively than

the average Cygnaran warcaster, using Snap Strike to get

two additional attacks for the price of a single focus point

and featuring Chain Attack: Flash, and both Feedback and

Electro Leap, as properties on his dual blades. His feat,

Dead on Arrival, pushes all enemy units three squares

closer to Sturgis, and those that end within three squares of

him take 4 DAM. Any units destroyed by his feat generate

focus points for Sturgis warjacks. With all this, you may be

tempted to let Sturgis loose and go all-out on the offensive,

but be cautious. Sturgis isnt invulnerable, even with his

Arcane Shield spell in place.

WARJACKS

LANCER (LIGHT WARJACK)

The Lancer is the pinnacle

of Cygnaran ingenuity and

technology, designed to

maintain and defend its arc

node on the eld of battle. Arc

nodes are expensive, made

of fairly rare materials, thus

necessitating a warjack with

the defensive capabilities ofthe Lancer. Built on the agile

chassis of the Charger, its shield generates a shock eld

that can disrupt the processes of an enemy warjacks cortex

when struck. Add in a heavy war spear, and the Lancer is a

formidable weapon for any warcaster.

Set Defense and the Shield ability allow the Lancer to stay at

the vanguard of a Cygnaran force, allowing its controlling

warcaster to cast spells from a position of safety and daring

enemies to approach. Once engaged, its Shock Shield causes

Disruption, blunting the capabilities of any warjacks that

hope to take it out. The Lancer can also be quite difcult to

eliminate, as the Shield ability gives it an effective 5 ARM,

and it has only two HP less than Cygnars heavy warjacks.

CHARGER (LIGHT WARJACK)

The Charger is the most

heavily produced light warjack

in history. Its exibility and

superior articulation make it the

prime choice for commanders

throughout the nation.

Employing the reloading

mechanism originally intended

for the Defender, the Charger'sdevice has been modied to allow the recoil of one shot to

load a second round almost instantly.

Dont let the Charger fool you: although it is the least durable

of Cygnars warjacks, it can put damage out like no other,

wielding a gun that is able to re twice in a single activation.

To make it even better, Powerful Attack means that giving

a Charger its full allotment of 3 focus points can allow it to

make two attacks with boosted attacks as well as boosted

damage! At a mere eight points each, a few of these can create

a serious threat for anything but the hardiest of enemies.


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IRONCLAD (HEAVY WARJACK)

The Ironclad is the mainstay

of Cygnars frontline heavy

warjacksit signied the shift

from creating jacks for labor

to designing them specically

for war. The Ironclad wields a

Quake Hammer it can slam tothe ground, causing anyone

nearby to lose their balance.

Not only does the Ironclad

have one of the highest natural

DAM stats in the game, it also has the Tremor special ability,

granting it the chance to knock down anything within two

squares. This means the Ironclad can be used as an excellent

face beater or as a synergistic piece, knocking down enemy

units to allow its allies to make short work of them.

DEFENDER (HEAVY WARJACK)

No other warjack has suchrange with a cannon. Though

ranged weaponry is nothing

new in warjack technology, the

Defender sets a new bar for

excellence with its heavy barrel

rapid reloading mechanism

and the ability to maintain a

melee presence. The Defender

features a signicant shift in

the Cygnaran armory, introducing long-range repower of

unprecedented accuracy.

A variant of the Ironclad, the Defender exchanges the

powerful Quake Hammer and Open Fist for a Disruption-

granting melee weapon and an impressive ranged attack.

Sporting RNG 16 and DAM 7, the Defender has the longest

potential threat range of any warjack in the game. Thanks to

Disruption, the Shock Hammerthough not as impressive

as the Quake Hammerforces enemy warjacks to think

twice before engaging the Defender. It is currently the most

expensive of all the Cygnaran warjacks, but it is also the

most exible, being a potent combatant both at a distance

and up close.

WARRIORSTRENCHER INFANTRY

The trencher infantry corps is made

up of common Cygnaran folk trained

for war, steadfastly representing the

enduring spirit of the nations people.

While trenchers are not brutal masters

of either melee or ranged combat, it is

certainly a mistake to underestimate

them. They are sometimes referred to

as gravediggers, as they typically precede the bulk of an

army to set up cover and trenches for the battle to come.

Trenchers can also cover their fellow soldiers advance by

dispersing small explosives, clouding an area with smoke to

hide their allies from enemy re. Interestingly, the trencher

infantry rst began as an experiment by Cygnaran generals

to see if they could discipline surly or insubordinate soldiers

into skilled combatants.

Trenchers are soldiers with many talents. They feature the

Assault ability, allowing them to combine a ranged attack

with a charge, making them one of the few units able to

potentially kill another unit in a single activation. With

Dig In, Trenchers can be very pesky to remove if they nd

cover on the battleeld. Their Smoke Bombs are also highly

useful, providing concealment and blocking line of sight

behind them. They also have Combined Range Attack,

allowing several Trenchers to assist the others in taking

down difcult targets. Trenchers are well suited to several

tasks but do not individually excel at any one thing.

TRENCHER INFANTRY GRENADIER

Trenchers with experience

and interest in demolitions are

often granted a newer piece of

military technology: a grenade

that can be red from a rie,

allowing these trenchers to

expend them with reasonable

accuracy. This ordnance is

essential for breaking tight

formations of Winter Guard

and those of other enemies of Cygnar.

Trencher Infantry Grenadiers have Grenade rounds, a

special ability that turns their ranged attacks into AOEs

ahd lower armor, though you cannot make Combined

Ranged Attacks with Rie Grenade rounds. Apart from the

Rie Grenades, The Grenadier is in all respects a Trencher.

For only one extra point to get an AOE attack each round,

however, a Grenadier can be a great value.

STORMBLADE

Pioneered by Leto Raelthorne

before he seized the crown,

Stormblades are trusted withthe most advanced mechanika

wielded by any soldier in the

Cygnaran military. Stormblades

undergo intensive training to

supplement ancient martial

tradition with state-of-the-art

weaponry, and are counted

among the nest ghting men

in service of the king.


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Short of heavy warjacks, Stormblades are the hardest hitters

you can bring. Their Storm Glaives hit for an impressive

DAM 7, and their ranged attack is DAM 6. RAT 1 and

RNG 6 means they arent going to be shooting opponents

down from across the board, but they do have access to two

excellent abilities: Assault and Thunder Thrust. These allow

Stormblades to dish out some incredible damage if they

can land the two attacks. Storms Eye also means rangedattack hits can hurt nearby units. Finally, if they truly have

a difcult time putting out damage, Stormblades have

Combined Melee Attack.

STORMGUARD

Eschewing the Storm Glaive in

favor of a Voltaic Halberd, the

Stormguard use a mechanikal

capacitor to discharge an

electrical arc with every swing.

The very air darkens around

them in combat, thick with thesmell of ozone and the promise

of death.

Stormguard are possibly the

best front line unit in Cygnar.

Reach and Set Defense allow them to get into melee early and

often. Once there, Electro Leap allows them to take down

nearby enemies. Electrical Charge lets them put damage out

to several units at once by charging past, zapping them with

their electrical elds. Stun Strike is a very solid ability to

lower the DEF of a target and to prevent it from moving as

wellperfect for locking down a big target!

ARCANE TEMPEST GUN MAGE

Elite arcanists trained to channel their magical energies

through specially crafted rune bullets imbued with deadly

effects, gun mages from the Militant Order of the Arcane

Tempest are unique problem

solvers. Their very presence

inspires condence among

other Cygnaran troops.

Gun Mages are not going to

be the star players, killing

everything in one shot. They

are, however, going to be keyin many games. When they

make a ranged attack, they can

choose between one of four

different effects:

Snipe:Snipe shots are given +4

RNG, allowing them to place a few potential damage points

on units that would otherwise be safely removed from the

front lines.

Brutal:Brutal shots provide boosted damage on a critical hit.

Thunderbolt: This shot will slam into the target, pushing

it back 13 squares and knocking it down on a critical hit.

Phantom Seeker:This allows the Gun Mage to ignore line

of sight considerations.

Phantom Seeker and Thunderbolt will often be your bestoptions, allowing you to dictate positions and to counter

clever moves by your opponent.

STORMSMITH STORMCALLER

Many of the best and brightest minds in Cygnars army are

recruited for their mechanikal aptitude and trained at the

Strategic Academy to become masters of the arcane, capable

of harnessing the power of the storm. Using complex devices

known as Stormcallers, they can conjure lightning from the

sky to scorch men or disrupt the

delicate cortexes of warjacks.

Multiple stormcallers can assist

in their fellows efforts andchain lightning between them

or into a large area.

Stormcallers dont cost a lot of

points and dont offer much in

the way of durability; however,

these critical units can affect a

huge portion of the eld. They

have three special abilities,

each dependent on how many

Stormsmiths are on the eld:

Stormcall: A RNG 10 attack that ignores Concealmentand Stealth, inicting 4 DAM (Electric). It can also cause

Disruption to warjacks.

Surge: If two Stormcallers are within 20 squares of each

other, they can draw a line of electricity between them. This

causes the same DAM and possible Disruption as Stormcall.

Triangulation: If there are three Stormcallers within 20

squares of each other, they form a triangle in which three

targets are selected. There is a separate attack for each

unit, and each attack has the same damage and effects as

Stormcall.


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FACTION FEELCygnar tends to cover its bases with specialists.

Stormblades, for example, are typically not elded to

contribute to a ranged attack threat. Fortunately, you can

rely on the more accurate Gun Mages or the more powerful

Defender to take care of that concern. This combined

arms thinking is required for success with Cygnar. There

are also several signicant themes in Cygnar that centeraround warjack supremacy.

Facing other Cygnaran armies can sometimes prove a

challenge, as a signicant number of your units are immune

to Electrical-type damage. If you believe you may face

Cygnaran opponents, consider how that could affect your

plansand what you can do to disrupt theirs.

POWER COMBOS

STRYKER, STORMBLADES, AND

TRENCHERS

Stryker has an oft-forgotten spell in Earthquake.Coincidentally, Stormblades suffer from difculty in hitting

with ranged attacks. Consider knocking a target down,

raining lightning down on that knocked-down target, and

then using Trenchers to either produce clouds or pump

more ranged attacks into the helpless enemy.

The Lancer is there to arc Earthquakes beyond the reach

of Strykers control area. Trenchers should lead the way

and use their Smoke Bombs to block line of sight to the

Stormblades until those Stormblades can unleash their

deadly assaults on the knocked-down target.

Be wary of losing Trenchers too quickly, and be especially

cautious of continuous effects like Fire and Corrosion.

Should your opponent neutralize your Trenchers defenses

too soon, do not be afraid to spend your feat and run

everything into melee just to rob your opponent of options

and to get into the thick of combat.

STORMSMITHS, GUN MAGES, AND

STORMGUARD

At rst, these three may not seem to have a lot of synergy,

but this combo shuts warjacks down. Disruption, Critical

Knockdown, and Set Defense all work together here, making

it an above-average task to take down these Cygnarans.

Toss in a couple of hard-working warjacks, and by the time

your opponent reaches your front line, youll be in a primeposition to deliver the hurt with a minimum of pain.

Major Markus Siege Brisbane really brings this list

together, assisting in the early game with Rift, Foxhole, or

even Force Hammer. He can use Mage Sight to circumventStealth and cloud effects, while Breach allows this army,

which might otherwise struggle against multiple heavy

warjacks, to unleash some surprising damage.

This list can be a little light in the HP department, so be

aware of effects like Wretched Rain that can chip off a few

points in a large AOE. Siege may want to concentrate Rift

spells or Ground Pounder attacks against models with such

attacks to put them down before they become too irksome.

STRYKER AND HEAVY 'JACKS

Another way to use Stryker is to cast Arcane Shield and

Blur to make your units nearly invulnerable. Its also wise

to place single-target buff spells on units that will hang

around long enough to enjoy them, so warjacks like the

Defender and the Charger make ideal targets.

Remember: stick with your buddy!

SAMPLE LIST

Commander Coleman Stryker

Charger x2

Lancer

Stormblade Infantry x5

Trencher x4Trencher Grenadier

SAMPLE LIST

Major Markus Siege Brisbane

Ironclad x2

Arcane Tempest Gun Mage x4

Stormsmith Stormcaller x3

Stormguard x5

Please come inplease.

Go on, try and take out a warjack. I dare you.


16/5516

Strykers feat needs to be timed very well to keep things

moving smoothly. Units like Stormsmith Stormcallers and

Gun Mages can pin down troublesome enemy elements as

you focus re into designated targets. A Lancer is useful

not simply for ring off spells as they are needed on the

front line, its also as a ne bulwark to take point against the

brunt of an enemy attack.

Keep in mind that, with this many warjacks and upkeep

spells, your focus points will be stretched pretty thin, and

youll still need to keep Stryker safe. Dont be afraid to

let warjacks take their chances with unboosted shots or

to transfer Arcane Shield to Stryker himself to maintain a

degree of safety.

STORMBLADES, STORMGUARD, AND

STORMSMITHS

What could be better than jamming all the factions

lightning-generating units together and making your

own Storm Division! The Stormguard can absorb the rst

wave, freeing the Stormblades to use Assault while the

Stormsmiths sit back and zap away at their leisure or set up

a massive Triangulation attack!

This army is all about setting up waves of attack. It may be

tempting to use Sturgis feat early to get the Stormguard into

the fray as quickly as possible, but they are primarily there

to keep the backeld alive and to stay in prime position

for a counter-assault. This list can really lay into an army,as all units but Sturgis and his battlegroup are immune to

Electrical damage.

Unlike the role they play in many other lists, the Stormguard

are not here to be thrown away. Sure, they are your front line

units because of Reach and Set Defense, but even they are

valuable, and you should not sacrice them lightly. Dont

be afraid to Arcane Shield one of them if he is staring down

several potential charges next turn.

SAMPLE LIST

Commander Coleman Stryker

Defender x2

Charger x2

Lancer

Arcane Tempest Gun Mage x2

Stormsmith Stormcaller

Mosquitos everywhere, beware!

SAMPLE LIST

Comander Dalin Sturgis

Lancer x2

Stormblade Infantry x4

Stormguard x6

Stormsmith Stormcaller x3


17/55


18/5518

enemies from casting spells, and any warcaster or other unit

that uses focus caught with the feat will not replenish focus

points on their next turn.

HIGH EXEMPLAR KREOSS

Kreoss is a prime example

of the virtues extolled by the

Exemplar order. Originallyfrom Khador but later taken

in by Protectorate Menite

pilgrims, Kreoss channeled the

feeling of loss that came with

separation from his family into a

relentless pursuit of perfection.

Members of both the clergy and

the military respect his prowess

as he directs interdictions of

zealous soldiers and warjacks

to key points in a battle, a living

legend among the people of the Protectorate.Kreoss offers an answer to any situation. If there are too

many upkeep spells or continuous effects, Kreoss can

cast Purication, which can also prevent more spells from

coming into play. Defenders Ward keeps his units safe

from harm. His feat, Menoths Wrath, knocks down all

enemy units in his control range, allowing your units to

disengage without free strikes and to land melee attacks

with incredible ease.

FEORA, PROTECTOR OF THE FLAME

Feora, Protector of the Flame

is the head of the TempleFlameguard, but her ambition

extends well beyond their

ranks. During the Cygnaran

assault against the Protectorate

city of Sul, Feora was nearly

crushed under the weight of

a destroyed warjack. Rather

than simply succumb to death,

she rose again to become

instrumental in repelling the

enemy from her city. Reforged

in purpose, she will purge in

righteous ames everyone who stands against her.

Feora plays with re in a very literal sense. She has a range

10 spray attack (the biggest in the game), two spells that can

cause re damage to enemy models (Ignite and Cleansing

Fire), and she prevents continuous Fire effects from expiring

within her control range. Her feat, Wild Fire, allocates

focus to her warjacks for each enemy unit suffering from

Fire and allows her to manipulate which units suffer from

continuous Fire.

WARJACKS

CRUSADER (HEAVY WARJACK)

As part of the peace accord

following the conict with

Cygnar that led to the

creation of the Protectorate of

Menoth, it was declared thatthe Protectorate would not

be permitted to maintain a

standing army. Yet warjacks

were still produced using

cortexes smuggled from

Khador and parts scavenged

from various battleelds, and the greatest of the new

Protectorate designs was the Crusader. Built with heavy

armor, the Crusader was made to endure any assault and

retaliate with devastating force, enhanced by the inferno

mace inspired by the aming maces of the Reclaimers.

Crusaders are simple but effective warjacks. Costing only12 points, theres certainly an argument for throwing one

in just to have a unit on the eld that can bring a lot of pain

and take a lot of punishment. The DAM 10 Inferno Mace

features the Critical Fire ability, but otherwise its not a

complex unit full of special rulesits simple and powerful.

VANQUISHER (HEAVY WARJACK)

The Vanquisher was built in

secret and not fully revealed

until the Protectorate had

entered into full revolt. It

lumbers across the eld

whirling its massive spiked

ail, known as a blazing star.

Deafening thumps emit from

its ame belcher as cannonballs

explode with a re so hot it

melts metal to slag on impact. Once the Vanquisher closes

in on its targets, its blazing star crushes bone and steel alike.

The Vanquisher is the Protectorates most expensive

warjack, but its well worth the cost. The Blazing Star, a

Chain Weapon with the Thresher special ability, inicts a

respectable DAM 8. The Flame Belcher ensures nothing

reaches the Vanquisher undamaged. Its impressive AOEattack covers a fairly large area and inicts continuous Fire

against any units within it, perfect for eliminating massed

troops and for taking on light warjacks.


19/5519

REVENGER (LIGHT WARJACK)

Protectorate forces captured

and reverse-engineered early

Cygnaran arc nodes to lengthen

the reach of the True Faiths

arcane warriors, while the

development of the repulsor

shield was a true Protectorateinnovation, allowing the

Revenger to rebuke opponents.

Once those enemies have been

pushed away, the Revenger uses its halberd weapon to

retaliate from a safe distance, giving it an edge in combat

against foes bigger than itself.

The Revenger, much like Cygnars Lancer, is a light warjack

that sports a heavy warjacks ARM, thanks to its shield.

Unlike the Lancer, however, the Revenger is suited to be

highly aggressive. Powerful Charge encourages you to charge

rather than bracing to absorb a charge, and Repel as a quality

on the shield allows the Revenger to push back would-be

assailants, denying them multiple attacks. The Revengers

arc node will make it a staple in almost any Protectorate list.

REPENTER (LIGHT WARJACK)

Menoths Fury, the volatile

oil found throughout the

Protectorates desert lands, is

rened to produce many of the

ery effects of the nations arsenal,

but the Repenter is armed with

the substance in its most basic

form. The Repenter pumps outthis substance as a spray, igniting

it to immolate those who would

reject the True Law of Menoth.

Should heretics survive this trial by re, the Repenters three-

headed war ail is sure to deliver them to the afterlife.

At only 8 points, the Repenter is a warjack of true value. Its

War Flail is not to be underestimated, but the real manner

in which the Repenter earns its keep is its spray attack,

causing continuous Fire to anyone hit by it.

WARRIORS

TEMPLE FLAMEGUARD

While many average citizens

of the Protectorate take up

arms in their nations crusade,

the Temple Flameguard were

formed in the Protectorates

earliest days to create a

permanent, dedicated order of

disciplined soldiers. Ostensibly

formed to guard the many

temples dedicated to Menoth, this order has over time

become one of elite infantry. A small, perpetually burning

reservoir of Menoths Fury in every Flame Spear inicts

burning wounds with each strike.

Flameguard are a cheap and potent unit that can hold

the line like no other. Shield Wall and Set Defense make a

formidable combo, but Protectors Rush gives you the bestof two worldsa charge attack and Shield Wall! This can

allow you to set the line of combat and force your opponent

to react defensively. Menoths Howl can also put re

damage out there and Terrify your enemies as well!

FLAMEGUARD CLEANSERS

Flameguard Cleansers are

charged with a grim duty.

Once, they were dispatched

to the homes and hideouts of

heretics within the Protectorate

to incinerate those structures

and anyone within them. Nowthey take to the eld with the

same zealotry displayed in the

execution of their sacred duties. With the ames of raw

Menoths Fury lighting the sky, Cleansers stand a grim

vigil to execute enemies with the curved blades at the end

of their purier weapons.

Flameguard Cleansers are the most common means for

players to put the Fire continuous effect onto the eld. They

are immune to Fire themselves, so dont be concerned if

Cleansers get in the way of each others attacks. If Cleansers

arent in range of an enemy unit, Flame Wall will provide

an excellent deterrent to their enemies, as any units moving

through take 2 DAM and are then affected by the continuous

effect Fire. Incinerate is also a handy ability to have, sending

out a ery cloud effect. While this may not hit as many units

as the Cleansers default Spray attack, blocking line of sight

with cloud effects is extremely useful when playing against

ranged-heavy forces.

EXEMPLAR CINERATOR

Only the most dedicated

soldiers are invited into the

Exemplar order, and to become

an Exemplar Cinerator, onemust endure punishing trials

of endurance and stamina in

preparation of the burden of

their massive armor. Years

of prayer and training allow

Cinerators to channel wounds

into a spiritual fervor, speeding these Exemplars ever closer

to their enemies. Their blades are imbued with countless

blessings, and their ickering suggests an unquenchable

ame that explodes when wielded in battle.

TFG


20/5520

Cinerators are the Protectorates heavy hitters with plenty

of HP and Weapon Master to let them dish out serious

damage. Flame Burst is also a real boon, setting nearby units

on re when a compatriot dies. Shield Wall is excellent,

Relentless Advance extends the Cinerators threat range,

and Melting Blade can, with clever placement of re, ignore

an opponents ARM to cause massive damage.

EXEMPLAR ERRANT

The Errants are an order within

the Exemplar brotherhood,

acting as its advance strike

force. Often deployed beyond

the Protectorates borders

for extended periods, they

understand that too often their

exploits and even heroic deaths

will go unrecognized, save by

their brothers awaiting them

in the afterlife. Armed withheavy crossbows inscribed with

blessed sigils to bypass heretical

magic and with a traditional

sword and shield for when the ghting gets close, Errants

stand ready to sacrice themselves for their righteous cause.

Exemplar Errants are a powerful advance unit. Their

crossbows are deceptively potent due to Blessed, which

allows them to ignore any spells enhancing an opponents

DEF or ARM. Like all Exemplars, they are Weapon Masters

in melee, but Self-Sacrice is their truly interesting ability,

granting them Tacticss only tool to heal units. This doubles

the amount of HP healed if an Errant gives his life for it,which could net a possible 10 HPperfect for keeping key

units alive. Be warned, however, that warjacks cannot be

repaired in this manner.

VASSAL OF MENOTH

Whether native born or

captured from foreign powers,

arcanists were once reviled

by the Protectorate but have

in recent years found a place

within its military, shackled and

convinced that their sorcerous

powers are shameful and

corrupt. As the Protectorates

army became a power to be

feared by its neighbors, its

reliance on arcane abilities

to maintain and construct

warjacks increased with the use of these poor souls.

Vassals of Menoth are not warriors in the traditional sense,

but they are still a potent addition to any Protectorate force.

Enliven allows a warjack to bait out an enemy unit only to

retreat to safety, while Ancillary Attack is perfect for when

you need just one more attack to seal an enemys fate. Arcane

Bolt is a basic but useful ability as well. Normally, standing too

close to a key target like a warjack can put a unit at risk, but the

DEF and ARM bonuses granted by Iron Sentinel, along with

immunity to Knockdown, can mitigate that concern.

FACTION FEELThe Protectorate of Menoths strength is built on the use

of abilities that must be activated in a specic order to

achieve maximum effectiveness. Unlike most factions, the

Protectorate often brings units that enhance other units

rather than contributing directly to combat. The Vassal of

Menoth is a good example of this, using Ancillary Attack or

Enliven to deliver victory. Protectorate armies also punish

opponents for not being able to completely eliminate

models such as the Exemplar Cinerators.

Most Protectorate warcasters serve to enhance their armies;

only Feora, Protector of the Flame is really a melee powerhouse.

Given that protecting your warcaster is of paramount

importance anyway, being called on to pay more attention to

your warcasters vulnerabilities isnt that much of a detriment.

Just a few Temple Flameguardto Shield Wall in front of your

warcaster, blocking line of sight, and to provide a hefty speed

bump for any units that want to engage with them in melee

may provide all the extra protection youll need.

POWER COMBOS

FLAMEGUARD CLEANSERS AND

TEMPLE FLAMEGUARD

Fire can be potentially more devastating that Corrosion.

While Corrosion does bypass ARM and other forms ofdamage mitigation, Firelike that of the Flameguard

Cleansersstarts at a whopping 5 DAM. Warcasters

suffering Fire damage are protected only by the ARM bonus

of unspent focus points from the previous round. This can

force enemy warcasters to hoard focus points instead of

spending them on warjacks or spells, which works to your

advantage. Combine this talent of the Flameguard Cleansers

with the inexorable wall of armor the Temple Flameguard

provides, and you can light the re and watch your enemies

burn to the ground!

Burn, baby, burn!


21/5521

With plenty of ways to put Fire out there, it will be

simplicity itself to mow down wave after wave of troops

while marching forward, giving the enemy warcaster

less and less room to maneuver. Enemy troops will crash

upon the shields of the Temple Flameguard while the

Flameguard Cleansers either make Incinerate attacks or

set up Flame Walls to punish heretics for attempting to

engage your forces.

You may nd yourself struggling to deal with high-ARM,

heavy-HP units like warjacks. Combined Melee Attacks

from the Temple Flameguard can alleviate that, and Feora

herself can certainly get into combat and help out. Her

naturally high ARM, combined with Escort, will allow

Feora to survive all but the heaviest blows.

HIGH EXEMPLAR KREOSS,

VANQUISHERS, AND REPENTERS

High Exemplar Kreoss brings a lot of powerful options to the

game, such as Defenders Ward and Purication, and his feat

can be used to extremely potent effect. Knocked down units

do not block line of sight and cannot engage your units in

melee, so Vanquishers and Repenters can use their ranged

attacks to lay down attacks against your opponents backlineincluding even the enemy warcaster himself!

Further, both warjack types have jacks with Chain

Weapon, allowing them to negate any attempts to bolster

ARM by forming a Shield Wall. Kreoss assassination

angle is very hard to counter, as no blocking and no units

to deny line of sight can stop Kreoss when he decides the

game ought to be over.

There are ways canny opponents can mitigate the powerof this list, and you should be aware of them. First and

foremost, cloud effects block line of sight, and you wont

have a way to remove that. Also, a warcaster can hoard

focus points to boost ARM, making it difcult to assassinate

him. While a warcaster with his full allotment of focus is

hard to injure, keeping all that focus means he isnt casting

spells or empowering warjacks to buy more attacks or boost

rolls. With this army, its best to concentrate on their units

and warjacks and wait until they have no choice but to try

and take you on personally.

GRAND SCRUTATOR SEVERIUS AND

REVENGERS

Like Kreoss, Grand Scrutator Severius has several great

spells, but in this interaction we want to focus on one in

particular: Eye of Menoth. Eye of Menoth adds +1 to all

attack stats and to the DAM of any weapon. This is huge,

and it affects all friendly units in Grand Scrutator Severius

considerable control area.

With Eye of Menoth, your units are getting an effective half-

focus point boost with each attack. This means handing out

your remaining focus for further boosting or for additional

attacks should give you all the edge you need. A Revengers

arc node allows Grand Scrutator Severius to put out any

spells he needs to even the odds. Ashes to Ashes, while

expensive, can remove smaller targets to lower the enemy

unit count in your favor.

SAMPLE LIST

Feora, Protector of the Flame

Crusader

Vanquisher

Flameguard Cleanser x3

Temple Flameguard x6

Vassal of Menoth

Normally, it would be a slog to try and kill all these Winter

Guard. Lets just cut to the chase, shall we?

SAMPLE LIST

High Exemplar Kreoss

Repenter

Vanquisher x3

Vassal of Menoth x3

The Eye has fallen on Kreoss . . . and found him wanting!


22/5522

With such a low unit footprint, be conscious of gettinganked by units that could bypass your front line and take

out the Grand Scrutator. If you're confronted by enemies

your own units can't cope with that may have a route to

attack to Severius, drop Eye of Menoth in favor of Defenders

Ward on Severius himself to increase his survivability.

EXEMPLAR CINERATORS AND

EXEMPLAR ERRANTS

Just as the two types of Flameguard units can assist one

other, exemplar units give each another synergistic support.

Exemplar Cinerators are nigh-unstoppable melee monsters,

but none in Immoren are truly invincible. Exemplar Errants,

however, can restore life to their allies wounded bodies.

Errants can inict early damage with their ranged attacks

to cover the Cinerators as they advance. Then, once the

Cinerators have joined the battle, the Errants should fall

back to use Self-Sacrice to keep the Cinerators alive.

The aw here is that Cinerators are slow, so they can take

a while to get into melee and will likely be charged rather

than charge the enemy themselves. Try to limit the models

your opponent can kill outright to a minimum by spreading

your forces out and staggering them rather than running

them all up in a line. Grand Scrutator Severius spells Vision

and Defenders Ward can blunt the damage inicted by

enemy charges, so cast your spells wisely.

SAMPLE LIST

Grand Scrutator Severius

Revenger x4

Temple Flameguard x3

Vassal of Menoth x4

That is a lot of HP to chew through.

SAMPLE LIST

Grand Scrutator Severius

Revenger

Vanquisher

Exemplar Cinerator x3

Exemplar Errant x5

Vassal of Menoth x2


23/5523

KHADOR

In the cold north of western

Immoren lies the mighty

Khadoran Empire, whose massivemilitary epitomizes the national

ideals of strength and resilience.

Legions of Winter Guard march

at the call of the empress, bent

on conquest. Led by powerful

warcasters as unrelenting as the Khadoran winter and

backed by elite soldiers such as the disciplined Iron Fang

Pikemen and the imposing Man-O-War troopers who stride

into battle in great steam-powered suits of armor, the army

of Khador is ready to crush all who stand against it.

In play, Khador is a faction of brute force. Its warjacks are

heavily armored and loaded with HP, and its troopsnotably the Man-O-Warspack a substantial punch. Even

the humble Winter Guard can shoot, chop, and spray into

the heart of their enemies. The faction has much more to

offer than just Winter Guard, however, and can readily

eld fearless Iron Fang Pikemen, those robust Man-O-Wars,

mysterious Greylords, and ruthless Assault Kommandos.

WARCASTERS

KOMMANDER SORSCHA KRATIKOFF

Driven by the image of herfathers death to survive the

rigors of war and excel as a

soldier, Sorscha Kratikoff is a

warcaster who channels her

strength and bitterness into

her arcane prowess. Fiery

rage and icy hatred! she was

once heard to say. These

things a good soldier makes,

not warmth and comfort. Her

fury has been described as that

of some goddess of frost anddeath; she is driven by her patriotism, but this is becoming

increasingly eclipsed by the darkness growing in her heart.

Sorscha brings a swift and surprising threat to the game, but

her high DEF can lead players to overcondence. Her feat,

Icy Gaze, makes enemies Stationary, locking them down as

theyre frozen in place. She has to tread a ne line between

aggression and arrogance, however. Fog of War keeps

her army safe on the approach, Boundless Charge allows

models to increase their threat ranges, and Tempest grants


24/5524

Knockdown. Sorscha herself can use Wind Rush to skyrocket

her DEF and in essence gain a second move. And Icy Gaze

freezes everything Sorscha can see in her Control Range,

which is more restrictive than one may think. Keep those two

caveats in mind before you commit to using her feat.

KOMMANDER STRAKHOV

When the Khadoran HighKommand requires a dangerous

operation to be conducted deep

behind enemy lines, they call

on Kommander Oleg Strakhov.

Fearlessly inltrating enemy

territory, Strakhov was crucial

in the early days of the war

against Llael. Strakhov was also

the driving force behind the

creation of the Assault Kommandos. If he has any weakness,

it is his impetuousnessoften, he executes maneuvers and

operations before his superiors have approved his actions.In WARMACHINE: Tactics, Strakhov plays as a dodgy,

sneaky warcaster until the moment arises when he or one of

his warjacks can eliminate the enemy warcaster. Occultation

removes the threat of ranged attacks, Battering Ram slows

the enemy advance, and Rift places rough terrain to slow

down an oncoming opponent. Sentry is excellent for keeping

enemies paranoid about their movements, and Superiority

gains one of Strakhovs warjacks an edge against any other

warjacks and warrior units. Strakhovs feat, Iron Fist,

increases units threat ranges, adding free Charge and Slam

attacks while granting Pathnder and an additional four

squares of movement when charging or slamming. This allmakes Strakhovs forces incredibly unpredictable, for an

enemy knows that at any moment impassioned Khadorans

may surge forth to crash into their lines.

ORSUS ZOKTAVIR,

THE BUTCHER UNLEASHED

Orsus Zoktavirs patriotism

may be beyond reproach, but

his methods have often been

criticized. Zoktavir earned

the nickname the Butcher of

Khardov after slaughtering

both the citizens of the village

of Boarsgate and his own

detachment of Winter Guard

who were unwilling to raise

arms against them. A mountain of a man, the Butcher

strides across western Immoren with his mechanikal axe,

affectionately named Lola, in hand. Anyone with any sense

fears the Butchereven those under his command.

The Butcher plays a fairly straightforward game, moving

ahead and destroying everything. Lola hits for a massive 8

damage and has both Reach and Weapon Master. Add to that

the Butchers spell Flashing Blade, and the focus point you

would have spent to make one additional attack can now

buy an attack against everything in melee range and line

of sight. The Butchers feat causes units to become Terried

automatically and replenishes his focus, and his Impending

Doom spell drags in units from beyond his melee range.

All in all, the Butcher is more than capable of killing almostanything in the game, and he can withstand an incredible

amount of damage before he will be put down.

WARJACKS

JUGGERNAUT (HEAVY WARJACK)

In Khador, bigger is usually

better, and the Juggernaut is a

testament to that attitude. Its

merciless Ice Axe encases its

target in layers of ice, freezing

pistons and gears and forcing

them to seize up. Size andpower are prized attributes in

Khador, and the Juggernaut is a

prime example of both.

The Juggernaut might seem

like a fairly basic warjack at

rst, but looks can be deceiving. While it lacks ranged

attacks or clever movement abilities, it more than makes

up for those decits with raw power. The Ice Axe inicts

a massive DAM 11 and causes Stationary on a critical hit.

Even its Open Fist has DAM 7, granting the Juggernaut

unparalleled damage potential.

DESTROYER (HEAVY WARJACK)

Whereas some nations develop

new warjacks and their

associated technology with

speed, Khadors development

cycle is on a slower track.

This is because Khadoran

workmanship, more so than

that of any other nation, is

designed to last. The Destroyer

has been Khadors warjack of

choice for siege warfare and troop dispersal for nearly acentury. Do not mistake the power of the Bombard Cannon

as an indication the Destroyer cannot perform in meleethe

Executioner Axe it wields is more than capable of rending

man and metal apart.

The Destroyer is able to handle several small threats with its

Bombard AOE attack or rush into melee with its Executioner

Axe, which can cause Critical Amputation to lower a units

MAT and RAT for the rest of the game. The Destroyer is a

warjack eager to earn kills every round.


25/5525

MARAUDER (HEAVY WARJACK)

Even when Khador builds a

secondary purpose into its

warjacks, these machines still

epitomize the brutal efciency

of the Khadoran temperament.

The Marauder, which was

designed to pulverize buildingsand heavily armored warjacks,

employs its ram pistons to

slam targets back and reduce

them to scrap. Other warjacks

require a running start to slam their enemies, but the

Marauder needs no such room.

The Marauder is a subtle unit some Khador players may

pass over in favor of more straightforward warjacks, but you

should not underestimate the effect the Marauders Combo

Smite can have. By sending enemy units ying about, you

can open charge lanes and create attack opportunities that

didnt exist at the start of your turn.

DECIMATOR (HEAVY WARJACK)

The Decimator was developed

to take on other warjacks with

direct re before ripping them

open with its enormous rip

saw. Mighty walls and heavy

warjacks alike have fallen victim

to the Decimators wrath. It is

brute force personied.

The Decimator, much like

other Khadoran warjacks, is

built to withstand the mightiest blows. It is, however, more

heavily dedicated to ranged warfare against other warjacks.

Whereas the Destroyer uses an AOE to affect several units

at once, the Decimator targets a single unit, knocking it

back each round and advancing in sync with that forced

movement. The Rip Saw is a potent melee weapon, using

Sustained Attack to eliminate its odds of missing with

subsequent attacks.

WARRIORS

MAN-O-WAR SHOCKTROOPER

Manufacturing warjack cortex-

es is both expensive and labor

intensive. The Khadoran solu-

tion to this resource drain was

to create steam-powered suits

men could wear to become

wrecking machines in their

own right. Wielding powerful

axes and shield cannons, they

stride through the battleeld,

smoke billowing from their armors engines, laying waste

to all they encounter.

Man-O-War suits grant their wearers massive HP bonuses

and make them excellent as smaller unit-count solutions to

enemy armor. They tend to fall into the same broad category

as light warjacks in terms of durability and damage output,

but they have a few other tricks up their metal sleeves.Armor Splitter removes armor mitigation from targets,

allowing less-powerful units in your army to make a

healthy damage contribution. Shove and Shoot is useful to

give your troops breathing room, as this ability pushes a

target back one square and then allows the Shocktrooper

to make a ranged attack. The Shocktroopers have Reach,

so this push will leave a target in their melee range, thus

blunting any ranged counterattacks. Further, Man-O-War

Shocktroopers have the Shield Wall and Combined Melee

Attack abilities.

ASSAULT KOMMANDO

Founded by the deadlyKommander Strakhov, Assault

Kommandos are well versed

in trench warfare. Girded with

alchemically treated armor and

masked for protection against

their own Strangle Gas attacks,

these patriots were critical

in the siege of the Cygnaran

fortress of Northguard during

the Llaelese War. Any Assault Kommando would be lled

with satisfaction after driving Cygnaran Trenchers out of

their own trenches.

Assault Kommandos work best in teams and boast

immunity to some of the games most insidious effects:

Fire and Corrosion. Shield Wall keeps Kommandos in the

game longer than one might expect, and Assault & Battery

is not to be underestimated, allowing a ranged attack to

precede a Charge or Run action. Combine this with masks

allowing them to ignore cloud effects, and they can bring

a counter-effect against every other faction in the game.

Finally, Strangle Gas is of interest to tactical players: the

Kommando makes a ranged attack, and if it hits, it centers

on the target a 3-x-3 square cloud effect that lowers DEF and

all attack stats, forcing anyone in the AOE to either sufferthose effects or ee from their position.


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ASSAULT KOMMANDO FLAME THROWER

As the Assault Kommando

program bloomed into a

success beyond the front lines,

High Kommand continued

to capitalize on its success,

introducing Flame Throwers

as a new addition to theKommandos. Training is

both rigorous and dangerous,

but there is no shortage of

volunteers.

This variant of the Assault Kommando forgoes gas grenades

and carbines for a spray attack with Fire as a continuous

effect. This also gains the Flush Out ability, which drives

enemy units from cover. Be cautious, though, as a Flame

Thrower that is destroyed will explode in a glorious ball of

ame, catching anything nearby on re.

WINTER GUARD INFANTRYIts ranks lled by the common

citizens of Khador, the Winter

Guard is the heart and soul

of the Khadoran war effort.

Whether they are volunteers

driven by a sense of duty and

patriotism or conscripts forced

to serve a mandatory tour of

duty, Winter Guard patrol their

nations cities and ll their

nations ranks on the front

lines.

Winter Guard are cheap, solid units. While Combined

Ranged Attack and Combined Melee Attack make them

dangerous in groups, both at a distance and up close, they

have a few other clever options they can offer as well. Grape

Shot exchanges a small bit of power in favor of a spray

attack, and Aim Low allows a few choice Winter Guard

to take point and trip up the enemy lines, giving the rest

of your force more rounds of shooting before the battle

degenerates into a melee brawl.

WINTER GUARD INFANTRY ROCKETEER

Following the fall of Llael, manyalchemists within that nations

Order of the Golden Crucible

have been captured and

forced to enhance the power

of Khadors growing arsenal.

Amid the various products

of this forced labor, portable

rockets have been fabricated

and distributed among the

more trusted members of the

Winter Guard, and war is now even more devastating to

enemies of the Motherland.

The Rocketeer has all the abilities of a normal Winter Guard,

along with the ability to re a Rocket to create a small AOE

to knock down small- and medium-based units. These units

are well worth an additional point for their added value.

IRON FANG PIKEMEN

Proud soldiers of the

Motherland, these hardened

soldiers are members of one

of the oldest military orders

in Khador. Far evolved from

the steadfast spearmen

who stood rm against the

roving horselords who once

dominated the edges of their

empire, modern Iron Fangs

wield pikes with blasting caps

at the tips that can knock anopponent off his feet, should an

explosive thrust fail to end that

foes existence.

Iron Fangs take an aggressive stance and are bent on taking

down enemies much bigger than themselves. Combined

Melee Attack allows them to gang up on a target while

Shield Wall helps them survive a counterattack, but their

tricks dont end there. Penetrating Blast can take advantage

of a knocked down target by inicting 5 DAM that cannot be

mitigated by ARM, and Dash allows them to move through

enemy troops, taking them out in the process.

GREYLORD

The premiere occult order of

the Motherland, the Greylords

Covenant began as a splinter

group of the Cygnaran-

dominated Fraternal Order of

Wizardry and is responsible for

bringing the secrets of warjack

cortex fabrication to Khador.

Some Greylords focus on arcane

mastery, some work closely

on warjack technology andmechanika, and others search

their frozen lands for forgotten

weapons from a terrible age.

Greylords can deliver Critical Stationary attacks and

provide rough terrain. They primarily set up obstacles for

the enemy rather than eliminating them. Blizzard shrouds

ally units in obscuring cloud effects that follow them, Rime

Blast places rough terrain on the map, and Ice Cage can

potentially freeze units in place. Even if Ice Cage doesnt


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succeed in making anyone Stationary, it still lowers the SPD

and DEF of the target.

FACTION FEELKhadoran armies can go in multiple directions, elding a

swarm of agile warriors or an implacable wall of armor, one

that is seemingly impossible to breach. While some players

may skew to one extreme or another, many prefer to bring abalance of the two, forcing their opponents to provide both

high accuracy and high damage. While Khadoran warjacks

are characteristically slow, each warcaster can mitigate this

to catch unsuspecting opponents off-guard.

Khador can also introduce interesting challenges that

opponents may not expect. Stationary can lock down

warrior units and force a warjack to spend a focus during the

Control Phase, just like Knockdown. Unlike Knockdown,

however, one cannot ignore it and still be productive that

activation, so youll force your opponent to deal with it or

accept that hes essentially lost that unit for the round.

POWER COMBOS

IRON FANG PIKEMEN AND

MAN-O-WAR SHOCKTROOPERS

These units can march forward in an impervious wall,

their ranks unbroken until it comes time to bring the pain.

Between Knockdown, Shield Wall, Armor Splitter, and

Combined Melee Attack, this is a list that is tough to crack

at range and even tougher to stop once youre engaged.

This list may lack speed and long-range threats, but Iron

Fangs and Man-O-War Shocktroopers are among the

hardiest units in the faction. Even after ve grueling rounds

of combat, this list remains very durable. Depending on

your ratio, you will have an average of 13 to 15 HP per unit.

The sample list here comes in at an average of 14.23 HP per

unit, which is pretty durable relative to the typical damage

output of most enemy armies.

The key to playing this list is in knowing when to shift

gears. Because you cant attack and Shield Wall, you need

to practice and learn when to Shield Wall, when to attack,

and when to use Combined Melee Attack, Armor Splitter,

and so on. Developing an intuition about when to change

tactics will make all the difference.

ASSAULT KOMMANDOS AND

GREYLORDS

Assault Kommandos ignore all sorts of things: Fire,

Corrosion, and even low-damage ranged attacks, thanks to

Shield Wall. Strangle Gas is great, but they need to directly

hit for it to function, and sometimes they struggle with that.Enter the Greylords, who can cast Ice Cage to lower DEF

values and make enemies more susceptible to Strangle Gas.

Not only are the

Kommandos immune

to Fire and Corrosion

damage, they can now

shoot and gas enemies

with impunity. The

Greylords Ice Cage

ability lowers DEF and

hits with regularity,

which in turn can allowKommandos to hit

more easily. Dont be

shy about having one

Kommando shoot gas to

further lower the DEF of

a target. While Strangle

Gas does create a cloud

effect, Kommandos

ignore cloud effects.

The calm before the Iron Storm.

Look at all the HP thats left!

SAMPLE LIST

Kommander Strakhov

Decimator

Marauder

Iron Fang Pikemen x8

Man-O-War Shocktrooper x2

You dont have to go home, but

you cant stay here.


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The only problem with this combo is that it lacks punch

against high-ARM targets. While you can make enemies

Stationary and distribute rough terrain, this list will not

casually remove warjacks from battle. Its best to let your

own warjacks take them on and to rely on their higher

durability to see them emerge triumphant. Save Sorschas

feat for when the Greylords cant afford to use Ice Cage.

IRON FANG PIKEMEN AND WINTER

GUARD ROCKETEERS

Winter Guard Rocketeers can knock down targets, and Iron

Fangs inict vast amounts of damage to targets sufferingfrom Knockdown, thanks to Penetrating Blast. This is a

pairing that can stall out an enemys offense and take down

just about anything in the game!

Penetrating Blasts biggest downfall is that it needs a

knocked down target to work, but the Rocketeers bring

more Knockdown to the ght and at range to boot!

Normally, youd have to rely on Critical Knockdown from

other Blasting Pike attacks or from Sorschas Tempest spell.

Rocketeers free you from having to try your luck with other

Iron Fangs or free you to plan Sorschas entire action around

one spell. This also allows you to bring another warcaster

who can make use of Knockdown to either clear a path

or make attacking a mere formality: Kommander OrsusZoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov.

Its important to be aware that Greylords need line of

sight to their target, but they cannot withstand a lot of

punishment. Iron Fangs should be positioned to block and

discourage enemy units from attacking the Greylords. Some

Greylords may want to use Blizzard on the lead Iron Fangs

and forward Greylords to protect them.

GREYLORDS AND ASSAULTKOMMANDO FLAME THROWERS

Khador brings more effects to the game than any other

faction, and thanks to Assault Kommandos, it can ignore

more effects than any other faction as well. Make good use

of Stationary, but follow it up by setting targets on re.

Combined with Rime Blast to slow them down, youll be

able to eliminate enemy units before they can even begin to

deal damage.

Assault Kommando Flame Throwers can Shield Wall to

protect the Greylords, while the Flame Throwers, immune

to their own spray attacks, can shoot with impunity without

fear of harming each other. On turns in which Greylord

attacks are not a priority, the Kommandos can Shield Wall

and the Greylords can cast Blizzard on them to make the

Flame Throwers nigh unstoppable.

One thing to beware of in this list is Flame Thrower death.

While other Flame Throwers wont be affected, Greylords

certainly will. These explosions can also be used to your

advantage, however, and any Flame Throwers near death

should be put into positions where their Fiery Blast would

be most devastating to your opponent.

SAMPLE LIST

Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff

Destroyer

Assault Kommando x5

Assault Kommando Flame Thrower

Greylord x6

SAMPLE LIST

Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff

Destroyer

Assault Kommando Flame Thrower x6

Greylord x5

SAMPLE LIST

Kommander Orsus Zoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov

Juggernaut

Greylord x4

Iron Fang Pikeman x4

Winter Guard Rocketeer x3

The bigger they are...

These bonejacks are about to get a little freezer burn.


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CRYX

Cryx focuses on massive swarms

of troops, lots of spells, and

bonejacks with arc nodes to slingthose spells from a safe distance.

Ruled by Toruk the Dragonfather

and overseen by his twelve Lich

Lords, Cryx is a nation of pirates,

slavers, and worse. Like all

dragons, Toruk radiates an unnatural blight, and this warps

and twists the populace of his island nation in terrifying

ways. Necromancy is a common and well-understood magic

here, and undead servants that would horrify mainland

folks are a common sight. From the cruel-but-alluring

Satyxis to the cannibalistic trollkin Bloodgorgers that dwell

across the islands of Cryx, this faction has no shortage oftroops to further the machinations of the Dragonfather.

Cryx typically relies on spells like Parasite and Crippling

Grasp to make up for its units generally lackluster attributes.

Under Crippling Grasp and The Withering, Deneghra can

threaten even the highest DEF units with nothing more than

lowly Mechanithralls. Debuffs arent the only tools in her

arsenal, though. Spells like Hellre and Venom are quite

capable of eliminating opponents from the battleeld. As

if that werent enough, Cryx has a number of units that can

capture the souls of fallen enemies and convert them into

focus the following turn, punishing your opponent beyond

simply losing a unit. Combine this with the dodgy anddeadly arc node-bearing bonejacks, and Cryx can put out a

spell just about anywhere!

WARCASTERS

WARWITCH DENEGHRA

Years ago, a Satyxis witch

under the command of Iron

Lich Asphyxious received a

portent that a girl born off the

coast of Cygnar would hold

unparalleled arcane potential.

Satyxis raiders massacredthe populace of the village of

Ingrane and stole the child,

bringing her back to Cryx. There she was subjected to horrors

and twisted rituals that nurtured her arcane gifts as her full

warcasters powers bloomed under Asphyxious tutelage.

Warwitch Deneghra, this abductee warcaster, is emblematic

of the playstyle of Cryx. Crippling Grasp and Scourge can

circumvent high DEF targets, and Parasite can mitigate

high ARM from the toughest foes. Combine this with her


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debilitating feat, The Withering, and she can threaten

almost anything your opponent dares to bring against you.

Deneghra doesnt care how high you stack your statsshe

can knock them down.

IRON LICH ASPHYXIOUS

A former druid of the Circle

Orboros, Asphyxious hasgreat power equaled only by

his ambition. Commanded by

Toruk to prove his devotion,

the druid who would become

Asphyxious cast himself

into the molten lava of the

dragons volcano. Toruk then

scooped the druids remains

from the volcano, pleased with

the mortals willingness to sacrice himself, and sealed

Asphyxious soul into a vessel of necromantic power.

Asphyxious came to serve the Lich Lords of Cryx, but hedesires their level of power above all else and has begun

scheming to ascend within Cryxs dark ranks.

Asphyxious tends to be more hands-on in the carnage,

with his Sustained Attack ability, Scything Touch, and a

feat that essentially gives him double his normal focus

points. This feat, Consuming Blight, also inicts 3 points

of damage and ignores all damage mitigation. Asphyxious

doesnt simply walk up and challenge all comers, though.

Teleport and Hellre allow him to engage only when and

where he is ready. He also brings Parasite to the table. With

these combined abilities, Asphyxious plays much more

aggressively than his protg Deneghra.

STURGIS THE CORRUPTED

Having pledged his immortal

soul in service to the

Dragonfather, Dalin Sturgis

is as corrupt as he was once

honorable. Death has done

nothing to curb the depraved

power of this once great

Cygnaran warcaster, who now

pits his formidable ghting

prowess against those he used

to call brother and friend.

Though he maintains the same reexes and skills he held in

life, Dalin Sturgis no longer seeks to use his power to protect

those around him; instead, his service to Lord Toruk has

turned his arcane strength to delivering death to his enemies.

Sturgis has already died in combat, but he hasnt missed

a step. His feat, Dead on Arrival, works exactly as it did

when he was alive, as do Relentless Charge, Snap Strike,

and Reversal. He has, however, traded Chain Attack: Flash

for Chain Attack: Dark Shroud, causing all enemy models

in his melee range to suffer decreased ARM. His spell list

features a few changes as well, trading Teleport and Arcane

Shield for Occultation and Parasite. Most interestingly, he

also picks up Blood Rain, which is a small AOE spell that

inicts 4 DAM and Continuous Effect: Corrosion to anyone

in the AOE.

WARJACKSDEATHRIPPER (LIGHT WARJACK)

Great beasts are blighted and

bred solely for the purpose

of harvesting their skulls for

these quintessential bonejacks.

Though a common sight on

the battleeld, bounding forth

on two legs while arc node-

spewing their masters foul

magic, these machines should

not be taken lightly.

While Cryx players will denitely include Deathrippers

in their armies for their high speed, high DEF, and Arc

Node ability, Sustained Attack can take some of the risk

out of attacking a target, should an enemy attempt to pin a

Deathrippers arc node down by engaging it in melee.

DEFILER (LIGHT WARJACK)

Other nations of Immoren

have only a few true

innovators of mechanika, but

Cryx is not bound by such

limitations. Toruk has blessed

the Nightmare Empire withlegions of necrotechsmad,

unstable, but brilliant minds

that ceaselessly labor to propel Cryxs war machines toward

brutal victory. The Deler is one such invention. Unlike the

Deathripper, the Deler stops short of charging into the

front lines, preferring to spray opponents with its Sludge

Cannon. Veteran troops know the wisest course of action is

to engage a Deler in close combat before it can wreak too

much havoc at range.

The Deler is a clever little bonejack, boasting a RNG 8

spray attack with Continuous Effect: Corrosion. Sprays are

a great way of mitigating the defense bonus of concealment

and are handy for affecting multiple units at once, if you can

line opponents up in a single shot. As with all bonejacks, the

Delers arc node is an ever-present threat.


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also provide a bigger target and cant get into all the small

places their man-sized counterparts can access.

SKARLOCK THRALL

The skarlock thrall isnt just

another mindless undead

automaton. Instead of the

dull icker of undeath mostthralls possess, skarlocks

are granted a higher degree

of intelligence. During the

creation of a skarlock, dense

rings of corrupt sigils are

carved into their desiccated

esh. Skarlocks are among the

few thralls crafted that retain

memories, bits of lore they

picked up in life, and they are

even capable of creating and pursuing their own agendas.

During the creation process, a warcaster leaves arcaneechoes in their skarlocks, allowing them to cast some of

that warcasters spells.

Skarlock Thralls can ease a warcasters burden of fueling

spells with precious focus points, freeing the warcaster to

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