Post by Atreju on Jul 3, 2015 20:51:33 GMT
This is from the en-forum, written by pseudokinetic.
INTRO
i think this army is rather unique, and is going to be organized by guilds for easy referencing (at least, easy if you know what guild a model belongs to! ). however, i'll start off in describing unique traits of the force:
GUILDS- every cadwallon army may be fielded in 2 ways-
1. a generic army of cadwallon or militia force may be composed of any number of models from different guilds. if fielded in this way you may not take any allies in the force.
2. a guild may be used as an ally to another army, as long as that guild is allowed to ally w/ that force (ever guild has different alliegences). in which case at least one model from the guild must be present in the army, and then the rest may be fleshed out from w/in the guild and/or militia of cadwallon.
*note- a generic army of cadwallon that uses multiple guilds may still use guild specific solos! models must still have the correct rank (ie, a usurer can't take a blade's solo), but solos from multiple guilds may be fielded in the same force.
every cadwallon character has the oportunity to be accompanied by a WEAPON BEARER. the WB uses the character's card for deployment and must be deployed w/in 10cm of the character, and even gains any special deployment rules the character does (ie, can scout w/ a character if the character has scout), but then activates off it's own card during rounds of gameplay. the WB and character can share line of sight when w/in 10cm of each other, but not for purposes of shotting or casting spells and calling miracles. they can be useful little buggars, but them adding cards to your pile may be a detriment at times.
and the biggest thing that this force has going for it is VARIETY! w/ all the access to different guilds, it's possible to make just about any type of list, and the army has an abundance of shooting, magic, and elite combatents (and a bunch of cheap combatents also for filler!).
the slight downside of this is the fact that alot of the profiles come in Cry Havoks (CH's)- the issue number each guild comes in is listed w/ the guild and recommended models are listed w/ each profile. this does mean you need to invest in the magazines, and also buy models to proxy or convert to appropriate representations of the cards.
i'm going to ask the man in the pointy hat to not lock this thread, so discussion and/or suggestions can be made and saved here (the other discussion threads have goten bumped pretty far and i won't be surprised if they fall off after awhile), but it also allows me to edit the AotW and add models as they are released (just to point out- i'm not adding many models not released in english yet as you can' go off stat cards alone and i don't keep up in the news threads for translations. models will be added as the store updates and new guilds are released in CH's).
that being said, on to the info!
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GUILD OF ARCHITECHS (CH3)
alliance- cynwall elves, griffins, lions, tnb
primary element- light
forbidden element- darkness
the WRECKER DWARF is a little ball of agression. for 25ap you get a model that moves like a dwarf, has a mediocre res (4 w/ HB), but packs a MEAN wallup w/ att4, str7, and masterstrike/3! add to that the ability to increase str w/ pressure rolls and you have a literal wrecking ball in shape and function! bane/artillery is a rather unusual ability for him imo, as most models w/ artillery can either almost outdistance him by shooting and walking (sentinels, huntsmen, s'erum) or can just blast him full of holes before he gets there (any of them!)!
fortunately thier horrible mov is counteracted by a tunneling ablilty when fielded in the same force as an expert orc sapper (3 wrecker dwarves per sapper can be given this ability for +1ap apiece). it allows them to not be deployed as normal, then has a 50% chance at the end of every turn to be deployed as reinforcements on the battlefield. a sapper must be present for the chance, so you need to keep them safe until the lit'l guys pop up. the randomness of the ability can be a detriment to plans (especially w/ bad luck), but the surprise deployment can keep an opponent off guard and put them reeling when they do pop up.
recommended models- kanihir the savage, forge guardian, pilzenbhir, soldier of the plains.
the next few profiles are rather unsual as they all have abilities that require them to be fielded w/ a war machine, yet cadwallon as of yet has none to speak of. but this guild being allies w/ lions, griffins, and tnb make me think they can be used as servants of other's war machines if played as an ally in the other force, but this obviously wouldn't be good for gdr purposes.
when fielded, they don't have to be deployed w/ a war machine (except the siege engineer, who has a limit of 1 per incomplete 200ap of war machines and servants), but when they man a war machine count as servants and not substitutes for firing purposes. i believe this can be a way around the normal war machine 30% restriction, as if not fielded w/ the machines they shouldn't count in the percentage allowed yet can man them w/out penalties.
the EXPERT ORC SAPPER has quite nice stats for a member of a crew! add minelayer and sapper/7 to the mix and you get an excellent guardian over the machine, and well worth 33ap. then add the fact that they have special rules allowing them to add 2 additional barriers and has a 'countering-sapper' ability to either neutralize enemy mines or weaken thier barriers, and he becomes a must in a fire fight! he's also required in order to use the wrecker dwarve's tunneling ability.
recommended models- shaka-umruk, tamaor the vulture (w/out wings)
the CHIEF SERVANT OGRE is a grenade tossing beast of a model. a generic ogre (att5, str11, def5, res11, brutal, hardboiled) who is also a minelayer and mechanic makes it a tank to try and get through, can give a war machine his view point (large model!) and counts as 2 servants when manning a war machine. this makes him rather useful, but i'm not convinced worth 73ap in a 400ap game. he has another amusing ability of being able to blow himself up when making an attack (instead of making an attack) when he's at critical wound level-, and all models w/in 5cm of him then takes a str6 hit. not the most useful ability, but a last ditch effort to slow models down or take them w/ you!
recommended models- just about any ogre (firebrand w/out the cannon).
the SIEGE ENGINEER is the brains behind the war machine crew. fairly bad combat stats are balanced by cour6, dis6, and an aim4 for better targeting of enemies. add to the mix survival instict for alittle more staying power, the fact that he counts as 2 servants when operating, and he is perfect in his role behind a war machine and his front crew.
he does have a couple of abilties from CH3, but both involve the firing phase that was part of con2, and i haven't seen or heard of a revision for thier effects (making them null and void in con3).
recommended models- reaper of alahan, falconer (w/out falcon), griffin magistrate (w/out judgement blade), saphon the preacher.
back to 'normal' profiles, CARRACHE THE BOMBLAYER is a ranged attack character, basically a fucillier and minelayer in one. he may lay out 3 mines and 3 decoys upon deployment, and can then sit back and take shots at approaching forces w/ a str6, 25-50-75cm long rifle w/ a healthy aim5! target +3 makes him respectably safe from normal return fire, just beware artillery fire and scouts!
GUILD OF BLADES (CH5)-
alliances- all people
primary element- fire
forbidden elements- light and darkness
the OPRHAN OF AVAGDDU is farly close to the danu warriors of the kelt sessairs in play style. they have fairly meager stats for thier cost, but any time one takes a damage roll, the orphan will take a transformation roll- roll a die, and on 4,5,6 it will transform into a FURY OF AVAGDDU! on a 5 or 6, the damage is also ignored for a nice touch! the fury can be a nice beatstick, and even comes w/ possessed to keep it hiting hard after taking a hit or two. theses two profiles can be rather amusing to play, but can also be a major let down if and when your orphan doesn't transform...
recommended models- kassalis venin's little buddy (orphan), orc jackal warrior (fury)
the CYNWALL QUARTERSTAFFER is a good defensive model for 20ap. str6/res6, and can concentrate up to either init4 to help win inititive or def4 to tie a model up, and regen/5 fr some extra staying power make this model a solid mid range fighter. i'll take 2-3 of these in lew of cadwe militia for cheap troops and they generally preform better.
recommended model- cynwall selsÿms w/ lance
the FIRE SUPPORT GOBLIN is a little pyromaniac for the force. a pow3 warrior mage that masters fire can be fitted w/ a good number of support spells to help a force out (aura of authority and elemental chains, arrow of mana and forced march, pyrotechnia, etc). and while his combat stats aren't that good, reinforcement can make up for it w/ a good roll for a surprise redeployment in later rounds!
recommended model- goblin ashikaru
ISABEAU THE SECRET is a rather interesting choice of characters. she is bound to soma- the only model currently affiliated w/ that faction. she has respectable stats for her cost, but i feel she becomes exceptional when fielded w/ the soul of the somas, a weapon reserved to characters w/ soma in thier rank which gives a healthy +1 init/att/def, gives authority and righteousness, and is a black weapon (it being a black weapon would be rather useful if fielding both her and ahsa, but isabeau has the restriction of not being able to be part of an army that includes a model from the userer's guild).
Isabeau also comes w/ a special weapon bearer that may only be fielded w/ her, THE ORMER. at +18ap over a generic weapon bearer, you get a very nice increase in abilities and stats- att4/str6 w/ assassin makes him a force to be reckened w/, but his res3 makes him quite fragile. fortunately his small size gives him great cover even under new line of sight rules!
the original FIREBRAND OGRE to the best of my knowledge was the 1st cadwallon mini out, and was out quite awhile before any of the others. a heafty 90ap, this guy is a tank... literally! att5/str11, sequence, and brutal for offensive power, he also has res11 and hardboiled for a some nice toughness. add a cannon toating goblin on his back and the fact this guy can run and shoot a str10 light artillery projectile and you have a nasty customer indeed!
solo's for this guild include the ability to bind any mercenery to it, and have them count as being of cadwallon in rank (along w/ guild of blades). another allows the cancelling of an enemy spell or miracle once per game for a complete turn. the BLADE OF SARANNE is reserved to characters of this guild, and gives the owner bravery and bane/x for 13ap (x refers to a specific army...every model in that army!!!).
GUILD OF FERRYMEN (CH9)
alliances- all people
primary element- water
forbidden element- none
the FERRYMAN ESCORT starts off this guild w/ a nice touch of range to cadwallon. think of him as a griffin fuscillier w/ a grunt's combat stats- carrying around a str6 25-50-75cm weapon and having instinctive firing can well be worth the 27ap, but when fielded as a bodyguard for a character, the escort gains hardboiled as long as it stays w/in 10cm of his protectee! i enjoy this model for range support early on, and the ability to shoot into combats fairly safely w/ instinctive firing in later rounds in either bull's eye or assault firing capacities.
recomended model- griffin fuscillier
next up is the MASTER FERRYMEN. i wasn't a huge fan of this model in con3, but benefits GREATLY from assault fire to make him a more well rounded troop choice. aim4 makes a nice chance of hitting during an assault fire, while elite combat stats and master strike/0 can make him a model to be feared. add artifact/1 to give it anything from a potion of strength for harder hitting to runes of healing to make him more of a support model, taking easy ranged shots w/ harassement ability (though granted the pistol's range isn't all that great...).
recommended model- reaper of alahan
last but not least is the SINISTER. another model w/ a pistol, he also has assault fire printed on his card for an easy difficulty4 when preforming it. att6, str8, and assassin makes him a deadly model, but a base res5 also makes him an easy target to ranged attacks or being charged bfore he gets a chance to, so use him wisely or his 40ap cost will turn into a points sink. he also comes w/ the ability to chose an enemy character at the end of deployment, and gains +1 concentration when w/in 20cm of his target, and if he is the one to kill the enemy character, the concentration bonus becomes permanent until the end of the game.
recommended model- griffin thallion, lion falconer (w/out falcon)
unfortunately there aren't any solos for this guild, but i think that it comes overall w/ the best profiles for use so won't hold too much of a grudge against the fact...
GUILD OF USURERS (CH8)
alliances- paths of darkness
primary element- darkness
forbidden element- light
starting out small we have the TOMB RAIDER, a 13ap model that's pretty similar to the generic militiamen except for the addition of scout! imo these guys are a must due to thier low cost and ability to harass the enemy anywhere on the field in early turns.
recommended model- nothing has the feel of the artwork, i've ben using reapers of alahal.
to be honest, under conf3 i had never fielded the JESTER due to it's abysmal res3, but the new ambidex rules made me dust off the card and break them out for a run. a cheaper version of the sinister w/out a ranged weapon, the jester can be just as effective offensively and is perfect to charge into existing combats to team up and take down more expensive models (but beware going after a model that is likely to win init and has a high enough att to hit him easily! res3 won't last long against even goblins!).
recommended model- kelt danu warriors
the PALE is the fighting troop profile of this guild. at 27ap you get a fierce fighter w/ att5/str7, def4/res7, and who can charge any fear causing model of 6 or less w/out testing due to cour5 and bravery. while fierce isn't as good as it used to be, this is still a solid profile to use and a very capable fighter.
recommended model- lion valkyries
AHSA RUYARwhat can we say about a girl who sticks ghosts up her skirt? KICKASS! A 37ap pow4 mage is nothing to scoff at, especially when she masters necromancy and hangs w/ big daddy Sophet Drahas (see CH8 on using big daddy w/ in the court of ashes)! alliance/acheron and having access to the cartomancy path of magic makes her a bit fun to play in the wilds of acheron and makes her one of only 2 models that can use some of sophet's more interesting spells.
she comes w/ a rather nice artifact that's reserved to her, the finery of bewitchment, that allows her to take any single non character/war machine/titan model as an ally, reguardless of alliance rules. the only down side of this is they still count as an ally, so it's not very useful in play that doesn't allow them (which is most tournies, of course!). also included is a must fr any necromancer worth it's weight in undead- the newly dreaded death wave, a direct damage spell that gets stronger w/ more living dead models near the caster, and the overlooked twilight's embrace which can give an enemy a 'negative mutagenic' effect.
SYTH MORNIS is respectable in all categories and reminds me of a 'sinister' character, though replaces assassin w/ masterstrike/3 for a healthy str14 hit when used!. when combined w/ his artifacts the creditor which gives assasin damage rolls to any shots w/ his pistol (which gains unlimited range!) and blade of sorrow which forces an opponent to use 2 defence dice for each attack they would care to parry, you get a great assault firing masterstriking beastick! you gotta beware his res7 if this is tried- bad luck in damage rolls will get him killed. don't forget sequencing down to att/def4 to you may masterstrike and keep a defence die, especially as alot of opponents will tend to put all thier dice in attack rather than waste 2 defence dice on a single atack. not someone i'd use too often, but a pretty well rounded model who i'm looking forward to playtesting when in english.
solo's for the army include one to give a model bane/x, where x is any model w/ the same rank as him (regular, vet, elite, etc), and another to give a model devotion/2, martyr/2, and bravery. i've never bothered w/ the first, though w/ alittle planing in deployment and knowing your opponent's rank and file would make it repectable, but i'm fond of the second to provide cheap 'familiars' to mages in a force- i tend to put it on a couple of cheap tomb raider and have then act as bodyguards for a mage (used to put it on pales, but the new fierce rules means that if they die due to it in activation phase, they're no longer there for the combat phase so watered the solo down alittle).
the guild features CORRUPTION COUTERS- any army that has at least one usurer model in it may ay 10ap per counter that may be used to decrease a test of an opponent or increase a friendly model's roll. they may also be 'gambled' in game by assigning 2 of the counters to an enemy character, and you get 1d6 counters when that enemy is eliminated.
This guild also has access to a special version of it called THE COURT OF ASHES. To field this force SOPHET DRAHAS must be fielded as his dis must be used for tacticals. the rest of the force must consist of at least 30% of acheron models and 30% of models from the cadwallon militia and guild of userers. everyone counts as the same people for leadership purposes, and the court may ally itself w/ any meanders of darkness in the normal way outside of said requirements.
GUILD OF THIEVES (CH6)
alliances- acheron, akkyshan elves, dirz, devourers, goblins, lions, tnb
primary element- air
forbiden element- none
*note this guild comes in the french version of CH, but due to format changes that occured during that issue, it was never released in english. hopefully rackham will be kind enough to release it in some form in the near future... my apologies for being brief but i don't have access to thier full rules as of the moment (if a french owner would care to pm me or share in any way, it'd be appreciated!).
we'll start off w/ the CADWE BRIGAND. i have yet to figure out why a generic 17ap archer w/ archer stats would have brutal, but the respectable range amkes this a fieldable model, though overshadowed imo by the ferryman escort for +10ap. i've no practical experience w/ it, but it could be a decent ranged threat (though don't expet opponents to be very afraid of the str3 box...).
recommended model- drune archer
next up is the CADWE PIPE CLEANER (that's my best translation- sorry if it's off!). at 22ap it doesn't seem all that much, but survival instinct, scout, and a pistol can make it a deadly model to an unprepared opponent as it would be hard in most cases to target it before it gets a chance to assault fire into combat (hopefully against a weak model). once again, i've had no experience w/ it, and it might have more abilities described in the CH, but it still seems a decent choice in friendly games.
recommended model- ?
the guild is rounded out by the ARCANE ROBBER, a 29ap model w/ decent stats (though very low res3!), and asassin/bravery abilities. a pistol makes her alittle more versatile and she seems to have more rules in the magazine...
recommended model- griffin duelist
GUILD OF FORTUNE-TELLERS
alliances- cynwall elves, goblins, griffins, lions, tnb
elements- any magician may choose thier elements freely as long as they don't take opposing elements (in this case, darkness is only opposed to light).
the french release of CH13 has given a sneak peak at the latest guild...
the DRAWN OF THE TWELVE are a rather abyssmal lot. for 10ap you get a model w/ mediocre stats and has 'cursed' and target-2! no wonder this model has desperate on it! maybe rules in the magazine make it better, or i don't see this guy getting much field time...
recommended model- ?
on the contrary, the 27ap FORTUNE-TELLER AGENT is a model i'd expect to see alot of! a fuscillier w/ slightly more balanced str/res and better skill combat stats, you also get a model w/ luck, scout, reorientation, and instinctive firing! all that is well and good, but when you add 3.5 rules, you now have a model that can set up w/in a 25cm short range and be able to bull's eye alot of forces w/out fear of being charged that turn (assuming an opponent isn't fielding a model w/ move higher than 10cm base or that they scout away from those model)!
recommended models- saphon the purifier and/or garrell the redeemer
to round out the CH13 release we get a pow3 warrior age in the FORTUNE-TELLER MAGE. at 33ap it has a nice init5, att4, def5 but a rather low str4, res4. luck and masterstrike makes alittle more dangerous as def5 counterattacks can potentially turn into a returning str10 masterstrike, but i would still avoid any major combatants w/ this guy. mastering cartomancy and water means limited spell selection currently (the only cartomancy spells i know of are powered by darkness and we still have no water elemental), but i fell this is a well rounded model that deserves rotational status in both casual and competetive games.
recommended models- arakan the just (though i'd recommed a head w/out an eye patch)
unfortunately additional info will have to wait until CH13 is in english, but i will add info as it's given pertaining to special abilities, solos, and such.
GUILD OF GOLDSMITHS
aliiances- acheron, dirz, goblins, griffins, lions, tnb, wolfen howling pack
primary element- earth
forbidden element- fire
note- any cadwe militaman can become affiliated w/ the goldsmiths for +2ap. he gets +1str, +1res, and 'goldsmiths guild' added to his rank. all modifications are considered printed on his card.
this guild only has 2 current profiles, but both are very interesting constructs! starting out w/ the INCORRUPTABLE, we get a leaping construct w/ respectable stats and steam equipment to pump up it's movement and str. add consciousness to allow it to properly charge models out of sight (and detect enemy scouts!) and you have a formidable mobile model at your disposal. it also becomes more useful if used in conjunction w/ the knox battle tank (next), as if the incorruptable charges a model that's w/in 10cm of the fortress or a friendly character it basically gains the assassin ability.
recommended model- unfortunately nothing has the mechanical look of the artwork, but a cynwall construct warrior is prolly the closest w/ot starting from scratch.
the KNOX BATTLE TANK is a beast. at 115ap it's a walking tank (i tend to think of a primitive metal gear whenever i see it!) that has various modes of fire (either perforating artillery or multiple shot capabilities) along w/ HIGH combat stats, harasement, and the fact that it doesn't count as artillery, so can still assault fire and use bull's eye! admittedly, i have yet to break this guy out as i'm awaiting parts for conversion, but will be getting some field time asap...
recomended model-....uh... nothing comes close!
and once again we have a lack of solos, but any guild that builds a tank gets a free pass in my book.
UNAFFILIATED MODELS
now if looking to throw subtlty out the window and beat it senseless, VLADAR THE ARROGANT is the man for you! at 115ap you get a character who will win you tactical more often than not w/ dis7, leadership, and strategist (allowing you to roll up 5's and 6's for dis tests), but also gives you a nice beatstick w/ good combat stats, brutish charge, and ruthless! give him some extra equipment to increase his effectiveness w/ the scarlet to give him parade (don’t fail defece tests on a 1), and the vorblade to give him charging str/12! all this comes w/ the downside of him being 'predictable', meaning you'll always have his card face up in activation piles, reserves, and i think even when he's going #2... ... hence the lack of any form of subtlty
now comes my favorite model, MORZATH THE HELL-SPAT. *disclaimer- i said favorite, not most practical! i'm a middy player at heart and love to see this guy on the table!* that being said, a pow7 mage for 150ap, which is almost a waste if you don't let him bring his wagon for another +20ap. he's not practical at all under the con3 rules, but once spells became free to field i've seen him as well worth his 170ap. his cart and summoner/+5 ability allows him to bring back to life 10 models in the army, turning casualties into warriors of the abyss, morbid puppets, or zombie warriors based on how many gems you wanna spend. and him mastering necromancy just begs for him to bring them back and cast death wave. but the most fun part of the model is watching an opponent's face when he decides to cast his spell to turn into MORZATH'S BEAST- a pow7, fear10, dreadful cyclops!
keeping w/ my middy love, NURBALD THE SCULPTUR gives you a possessed pow4 initiate that masters chthonian magic, can roll up 5's for power tests thanks to focus, and has artifact/2 to make it easy for him to be a nice and legal 60ap for current gdr legal lists. he looks to be a well rounded and fun model to use and has potential to be nasty when fielded w/ ahsa ruyer (see usurer's guild).
he comes w/ the skiross stone, a reserved artifact that allows him to take up to 100ap of acheron fighters that have both 'living-dead' and 'regeneration' abilities (ie, zombie models) and thier rank goes from acheron to cadwallon. he has a reserved spell dolls of flesh allowing him to select 2 eliminated friendly models and combine them into a zombie warrior that gets deployed w/in 10cm of him, and another spell plagued hand that targets an enemy model and makes them not able to cast magic, call divinations, shoot, and makes them put more dice in def than att in combat until the end of round (note- this is a chthonian spell, and will be used in ALOT of middy armies to come!).
a bit on the unusual side, SYLARENN THE BIRD OF PREY has some very nice character combat stats (init5, att6, def6), mov12.5, and is mixed w/ the ability to chose an enemy fighter before each tactical roll (after decks are made) and your opponent must tell you where in their deck the card is! not game breaking, but rather amusing and can be useful in determining when you'll be using reserves or wanting to be charging something and in what order (ie, if you win tactical and know a single character is activating 3rd, it wouldn't be a priority to charge it in your 1st 2 draws).
she comes w/ a faithful bird the gold talon, that allows her to one enemies hth attack that hits and cancels the damage roll, and the raptor spear that gives her vivacity and masterstrike for 15ap.
next up was the OGRE MERCENARY, a 53ap version of the firebrand w/ no cannon w/ slightly different stats. this guy is well worth his ap, and can put out and take a hit and keep on truckin'. there's also an artifact for him in CH8 called 'stuff', that for 7ap allows him to roll a die before each tactical he's not in contact w/ an enemy, and can get either dreadful, sacred arour, or authority for the current turn (i'll take it to have an authority counter as there's more of a chance of getting that than the other 2 abilities, to help w/ game control in 1st couple of turns).
keeping w/ ogres. we have KHAURIK'S GUARD- a 60ap ogre that drops the ogre merc's sequence for fanatacism and implacable. presonnaly i'd go for the cheaper ogre merc ver this guy 90% of the time as more combat dice is generally better than impacable imo, but i can see this guy being very effective against a swarming army. unfortunately he comes out at the same time as...
KHAURIK'S TRIGGERS are basically the same as the guards, but you lose implacable for assault fire and gain a ranged 'pistol' (hehe- sawn off shotgun!) for +2ap. i see this guy geting ALOT of play time, as he'll only need a 2+ more often than not to succesfully assault fire w/ his str8 weapon. amusingly enough, there's even a MUSICIAN version of the trigger!
so we saw the rank and file ogres, but GORSNA cna blow them all away! for 95ap you get everything from generic ogres (no ranged weapon though), but you get to add all the character benefits (sequence, counterattack, masterstrike), along w/ strategist as an additional ability! he comes in CH11 and there may be additional rules for him that we may see when the issue is released in english. only real downside to him i see is the lack of leadership- running a partial war staff w/ him and a trigger would be quite fun (though that may be why there is no leadership ability!).
recommended model- kaurik's guard
also in CH11 is VOLTENAR THE VETERAN. he combines nice combat stats and ruthless, bravery, reflexes, and survival instinct/5 abilities for a reasonable 80ap. once again, there is not english info for him aside from stats yet, so time may tell what else he has.
recommended model- alahan falconer
the PIXIE TRICKSTER is a 12ap model w/ scout and luck abilites and a spell that allows them to be sacrificed to give luck to another model. it has a very respectable def4, though most of it's other stats are pretty weak. though it won't win you a game or kill many models, it's good to disrupt an enemy, tie models up, and generally harass in early turns. soon to be out in english.
the CADWE GRAVEDIGGER has the potential to be a staple model in any cadwallon force. at 18ap you get a pow3 warrior mage w/ bad att2/def2 but a decent str5/res7, the ability to master any one element, and insenistive/5 makes him a great support model to counter enemy mages (insensitive and mastery of darkness to absorb any element), and can also cast nice support spells (aura of authority, forced march) or damage spells (primal attacks and arrow of mana).
add to that thier reserved spells 'embrace of the mandrake' that allows them to reduce a target w/in 20cm to have a movement of 0cm, and 'mortuary veil' that blocks all line of sight from an enemy fighter w/in 30cm. the only downside to those spells is they need earth and air elements respectively, so would lower the effectiveness of thier countering role.
the CADWE GLADIATOR is another model w/ unusual rules that i find amusing. for 30ap you get a fighter w/ init4, def5/counterattack , and att4/str6/masterstrike2. add all that up and you have a model that can win init and deal a str12 hit, or a model that can lose init, counterattack, and still have enough dice for a masterstrike. add into the mix special ARENA rules ad you have a model that can do alot of damage quick. the main downside i see to him that makes him less than competetive is it's res4 that won't hold up to a goblin. a fun model to use, but something i'd leave home when playing serious. he's currently only available through rackham direct mail order.
i'll admit to not being certain where she's available from (i think she's available through the CORD's, but can easily be wrong- somebody correct me?), but AIONA THE UNFORGIVEN is a character model that screams 'subtlety or death!' impressive skill stats of init5, att5, def5 and ambidex, assassin, and vivacity are tempered by str5, res4, and dis2. chances are you're going to be using another model's dis for tacticals (the ogre merc even has a dis4!), and there's alot of forces out there that you ma have trouble winning tacticals against and will make it difficult for her to be as effective as she can be as if she gets charged she can go down rather quickly. not a model i'm personnally fond of, but if you can get by her weaknessess she can be a dangerous model to get into combat w/.
ARMY LISTS-
isabeau 75
soul of the somas 17
minor potion of str 3
2x sinisters 80
2x ferryman escorts 54
2x master ferrymen 56
ogre merc 53
stuff 7
sergeant 25
2x militia vets 30
=400ap, 11 models, 6 cards.
i used this list to good effect in casual games (ask the poor drune persecutor that got assault fired at by 3 models in the same round!). combines a good amount of shooting, toughness, and offensiveness into a generic list. only thing really missing was scouting to deal w/ opponent's shooters quickly- i can't use usurer's w/ isabaeu and the pixie tricksters weren't out when i used this.
morzath [14] 150
macabre handcart 20
morzath's beast [0]
life drain [2]
death wave [3]
internal chaos [4]
twilight's embrace [3]
dead forge [2]
aura of authority [2]
3x tomb raiders 39
3x pixie tricksters 36
2x ferryman escorts 54
ogre merc 53
2x jester 48
=400ap, 12 models, 6 cards.
if you read above, you had to expect morzath to be in one of these lists! this brings a good number of weak scouts to suicidally rush the enemy in the first turn, only to be brought back by morzath and his cart as stronger zombie warriors! the ferryman escorts should have little trouble keeping up w/ morzath to keep thier hardboiled ability and the ogre merc is there to keep the peace. when a suitable number of models have been recesitated, morzath tunrs to a 'clops and wreckes some nice havok! fear10 dreadful will keep him fairly safe from being swarmed, just beware alot of ranged attacks (which should've been eiter eliminated or weakened by all the socuts).
COURT OF ASHES
sophet drahas [14] 155
black spellbook (necromancy) 18
morbid puppet invok [3]
death wave [2]
dead forge [1]
life drain [2]
twilight's embrace [2]
devotion of the dead [1]
aura of authority [2]
arrow of mana[1]
3x cerberean zombies 75
2x dracynran centaur 62
3x tomb raiders 39
2x pales 48
=400ap, 11 models (starting), 5 cards.
i can't resist breaking sophet out- you're gonna live and die by him w/ a list like this, but he IS the court of ashes! dead forge can be cast on the pales, zombies, and archers (str10 bows can turn them into mini assault firing huntsmen!). raiders are there to harass enemy archers, everything else is pretty self explainatory.
and to kep the sillyness going:
OGRES!
gorsna 95
minor potion of str +3
ogre merc 53
firebrand 90
trigger 62
3x tricksters 36
guard 60
=399ap, 8 models, 6 cards.
i would've used the musician if gorsna had leadership, but this list can still win tactical w/ the strategist ability and has more than enough toughness to go toe to toe w/ most other force out there. main concern would be against a force w/ heavy shooting and magic (mainly magic that can negate res), but who needs a well rounded list every game?
(shout out to drimdal for sharing my love of an ogre list!)
more lists may come. i refrained from using any solos in non themed armies as the question of thier use is still in the air. anyone is prefectly free to share any list concepts in the floowing posts (i'd actually prefer it to keep thing interesting!).
INTRO
i think this army is rather unique, and is going to be organized by guilds for easy referencing (at least, easy if you know what guild a model belongs to! ). however, i'll start off in describing unique traits of the force:
GUILDS- every cadwallon army may be fielded in 2 ways-
1. a generic army of cadwallon or militia force may be composed of any number of models from different guilds. if fielded in this way you may not take any allies in the force.
2. a guild may be used as an ally to another army, as long as that guild is allowed to ally w/ that force (ever guild has different alliegences). in which case at least one model from the guild must be present in the army, and then the rest may be fleshed out from w/in the guild and/or militia of cadwallon.
*note- a generic army of cadwallon that uses multiple guilds may still use guild specific solos! models must still have the correct rank (ie, a usurer can't take a blade's solo), but solos from multiple guilds may be fielded in the same force.
every cadwallon character has the oportunity to be accompanied by a WEAPON BEARER. the WB uses the character's card for deployment and must be deployed w/in 10cm of the character, and even gains any special deployment rules the character does (ie, can scout w/ a character if the character has scout), but then activates off it's own card during rounds of gameplay. the WB and character can share line of sight when w/in 10cm of each other, but not for purposes of shotting or casting spells and calling miracles. they can be useful little buggars, but them adding cards to your pile may be a detriment at times.
and the biggest thing that this force has going for it is VARIETY! w/ all the access to different guilds, it's possible to make just about any type of list, and the army has an abundance of shooting, magic, and elite combatents (and a bunch of cheap combatents also for filler!).
the slight downside of this is the fact that alot of the profiles come in Cry Havoks (CH's)- the issue number each guild comes in is listed w/ the guild and recommended models are listed w/ each profile. this does mean you need to invest in the magazines, and also buy models to proxy or convert to appropriate representations of the cards.
i'm going to ask the man in the pointy hat to not lock this thread, so discussion and/or suggestions can be made and saved here (the other discussion threads have goten bumped pretty far and i won't be surprised if they fall off after awhile), but it also allows me to edit the AotW and add models as they are released (just to point out- i'm not adding many models not released in english yet as you can' go off stat cards alone and i don't keep up in the news threads for translations. models will be added as the store updates and new guilds are released in CH's).
that being said, on to the info!
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GUILD OF ARCHITECHS (CH3)
alliance- cynwall elves, griffins, lions, tnb
primary element- light
forbidden element- darkness
the WRECKER DWARF is a little ball of agression. for 25ap you get a model that moves like a dwarf, has a mediocre res (4 w/ HB), but packs a MEAN wallup w/ att4, str7, and masterstrike/3! add to that the ability to increase str w/ pressure rolls and you have a literal wrecking ball in shape and function! bane/artillery is a rather unusual ability for him imo, as most models w/ artillery can either almost outdistance him by shooting and walking (sentinels, huntsmen, s'erum) or can just blast him full of holes before he gets there (any of them!)!
fortunately thier horrible mov is counteracted by a tunneling ablilty when fielded in the same force as an expert orc sapper (3 wrecker dwarves per sapper can be given this ability for +1ap apiece). it allows them to not be deployed as normal, then has a 50% chance at the end of every turn to be deployed as reinforcements on the battlefield. a sapper must be present for the chance, so you need to keep them safe until the lit'l guys pop up. the randomness of the ability can be a detriment to plans (especially w/ bad luck), but the surprise deployment can keep an opponent off guard and put them reeling when they do pop up.
recommended models- kanihir the savage, forge guardian, pilzenbhir, soldier of the plains.
the next few profiles are rather unsual as they all have abilities that require them to be fielded w/ a war machine, yet cadwallon as of yet has none to speak of. but this guild being allies w/ lions, griffins, and tnb make me think they can be used as servants of other's war machines if played as an ally in the other force, but this obviously wouldn't be good for gdr purposes.
when fielded, they don't have to be deployed w/ a war machine (except the siege engineer, who has a limit of 1 per incomplete 200ap of war machines and servants), but when they man a war machine count as servants and not substitutes for firing purposes. i believe this can be a way around the normal war machine 30% restriction, as if not fielded w/ the machines they shouldn't count in the percentage allowed yet can man them w/out penalties.
the EXPERT ORC SAPPER has quite nice stats for a member of a crew! add minelayer and sapper/7 to the mix and you get an excellent guardian over the machine, and well worth 33ap. then add the fact that they have special rules allowing them to add 2 additional barriers and has a 'countering-sapper' ability to either neutralize enemy mines or weaken thier barriers, and he becomes a must in a fire fight! he's also required in order to use the wrecker dwarve's tunneling ability.
recommended models- shaka-umruk, tamaor the vulture (w/out wings)
the CHIEF SERVANT OGRE is a grenade tossing beast of a model. a generic ogre (att5, str11, def5, res11, brutal, hardboiled) who is also a minelayer and mechanic makes it a tank to try and get through, can give a war machine his view point (large model!) and counts as 2 servants when manning a war machine. this makes him rather useful, but i'm not convinced worth 73ap in a 400ap game. he has another amusing ability of being able to blow himself up when making an attack (instead of making an attack) when he's at critical wound level-, and all models w/in 5cm of him then takes a str6 hit. not the most useful ability, but a last ditch effort to slow models down or take them w/ you!
recommended models- just about any ogre (firebrand w/out the cannon).
the SIEGE ENGINEER is the brains behind the war machine crew. fairly bad combat stats are balanced by cour6, dis6, and an aim4 for better targeting of enemies. add to the mix survival instict for alittle more staying power, the fact that he counts as 2 servants when operating, and he is perfect in his role behind a war machine and his front crew.
he does have a couple of abilties from CH3, but both involve the firing phase that was part of con2, and i haven't seen or heard of a revision for thier effects (making them null and void in con3).
recommended models- reaper of alahan, falconer (w/out falcon), griffin magistrate (w/out judgement blade), saphon the preacher.
back to 'normal' profiles, CARRACHE THE BOMBLAYER is a ranged attack character, basically a fucillier and minelayer in one. he may lay out 3 mines and 3 decoys upon deployment, and can then sit back and take shots at approaching forces w/ a str6, 25-50-75cm long rifle w/ a healthy aim5! target +3 makes him respectably safe from normal return fire, just beware artillery fire and scouts!
GUILD OF BLADES (CH5)-
alliances- all people
primary element- fire
forbidden elements- light and darkness
the OPRHAN OF AVAGDDU is farly close to the danu warriors of the kelt sessairs in play style. they have fairly meager stats for thier cost, but any time one takes a damage roll, the orphan will take a transformation roll- roll a die, and on 4,5,6 it will transform into a FURY OF AVAGDDU! on a 5 or 6, the damage is also ignored for a nice touch! the fury can be a nice beatstick, and even comes w/ possessed to keep it hiting hard after taking a hit or two. theses two profiles can be rather amusing to play, but can also be a major let down if and when your orphan doesn't transform...
recommended models- kassalis venin's little buddy (orphan), orc jackal warrior (fury)
the CYNWALL QUARTERSTAFFER is a good defensive model for 20ap. str6/res6, and can concentrate up to either init4 to help win inititive or def4 to tie a model up, and regen/5 fr some extra staying power make this model a solid mid range fighter. i'll take 2-3 of these in lew of cadwe militia for cheap troops and they generally preform better.
recommended model- cynwall selsÿms w/ lance
the FIRE SUPPORT GOBLIN is a little pyromaniac for the force. a pow3 warrior mage that masters fire can be fitted w/ a good number of support spells to help a force out (aura of authority and elemental chains, arrow of mana and forced march, pyrotechnia, etc). and while his combat stats aren't that good, reinforcement can make up for it w/ a good roll for a surprise redeployment in later rounds!
recommended model- goblin ashikaru
ISABEAU THE SECRET is a rather interesting choice of characters. she is bound to soma- the only model currently affiliated w/ that faction. she has respectable stats for her cost, but i feel she becomes exceptional when fielded w/ the soul of the somas, a weapon reserved to characters w/ soma in thier rank which gives a healthy +1 init/att/def, gives authority and righteousness, and is a black weapon (it being a black weapon would be rather useful if fielding both her and ahsa, but isabeau has the restriction of not being able to be part of an army that includes a model from the userer's guild).
Isabeau also comes w/ a special weapon bearer that may only be fielded w/ her, THE ORMER. at +18ap over a generic weapon bearer, you get a very nice increase in abilities and stats- att4/str6 w/ assassin makes him a force to be reckened w/, but his res3 makes him quite fragile. fortunately his small size gives him great cover even under new line of sight rules!
the original FIREBRAND OGRE to the best of my knowledge was the 1st cadwallon mini out, and was out quite awhile before any of the others. a heafty 90ap, this guy is a tank... literally! att5/str11, sequence, and brutal for offensive power, he also has res11 and hardboiled for a some nice toughness. add a cannon toating goblin on his back and the fact this guy can run and shoot a str10 light artillery projectile and you have a nasty customer indeed!
solo's for this guild include the ability to bind any mercenery to it, and have them count as being of cadwallon in rank (along w/ guild of blades). another allows the cancelling of an enemy spell or miracle once per game for a complete turn. the BLADE OF SARANNE is reserved to characters of this guild, and gives the owner bravery and bane/x for 13ap (x refers to a specific army...every model in that army!!!).
GUILD OF FERRYMEN (CH9)
alliances- all people
primary element- water
forbidden element- none
the FERRYMAN ESCORT starts off this guild w/ a nice touch of range to cadwallon. think of him as a griffin fuscillier w/ a grunt's combat stats- carrying around a str6 25-50-75cm weapon and having instinctive firing can well be worth the 27ap, but when fielded as a bodyguard for a character, the escort gains hardboiled as long as it stays w/in 10cm of his protectee! i enjoy this model for range support early on, and the ability to shoot into combats fairly safely w/ instinctive firing in later rounds in either bull's eye or assault firing capacities.
recomended model- griffin fuscillier
next up is the MASTER FERRYMEN. i wasn't a huge fan of this model in con3, but benefits GREATLY from assault fire to make him a more well rounded troop choice. aim4 makes a nice chance of hitting during an assault fire, while elite combat stats and master strike/0 can make him a model to be feared. add artifact/1 to give it anything from a potion of strength for harder hitting to runes of healing to make him more of a support model, taking easy ranged shots w/ harassement ability (though granted the pistol's range isn't all that great...).
recommended model- reaper of alahan
last but not least is the SINISTER. another model w/ a pistol, he also has assault fire printed on his card for an easy difficulty4 when preforming it. att6, str8, and assassin makes him a deadly model, but a base res5 also makes him an easy target to ranged attacks or being charged bfore he gets a chance to, so use him wisely or his 40ap cost will turn into a points sink. he also comes w/ the ability to chose an enemy character at the end of deployment, and gains +1 concentration when w/in 20cm of his target, and if he is the one to kill the enemy character, the concentration bonus becomes permanent until the end of the game.
recommended model- griffin thallion, lion falconer (w/out falcon)
unfortunately there aren't any solos for this guild, but i think that it comes overall w/ the best profiles for use so won't hold too much of a grudge against the fact...
GUILD OF USURERS (CH8)
alliances- paths of darkness
primary element- darkness
forbidden element- light
starting out small we have the TOMB RAIDER, a 13ap model that's pretty similar to the generic militiamen except for the addition of scout! imo these guys are a must due to thier low cost and ability to harass the enemy anywhere on the field in early turns.
recommended model- nothing has the feel of the artwork, i've ben using reapers of alahal.
to be honest, under conf3 i had never fielded the JESTER due to it's abysmal res3, but the new ambidex rules made me dust off the card and break them out for a run. a cheaper version of the sinister w/out a ranged weapon, the jester can be just as effective offensively and is perfect to charge into existing combats to team up and take down more expensive models (but beware going after a model that is likely to win init and has a high enough att to hit him easily! res3 won't last long against even goblins!).
recommended model- kelt danu warriors
the PALE is the fighting troop profile of this guild. at 27ap you get a fierce fighter w/ att5/str7, def4/res7, and who can charge any fear causing model of 6 or less w/out testing due to cour5 and bravery. while fierce isn't as good as it used to be, this is still a solid profile to use and a very capable fighter.
recommended model- lion valkyries
AHSA RUYARwhat can we say about a girl who sticks ghosts up her skirt? KICKASS! A 37ap pow4 mage is nothing to scoff at, especially when she masters necromancy and hangs w/ big daddy Sophet Drahas (see CH8 on using big daddy w/ in the court of ashes)! alliance/acheron and having access to the cartomancy path of magic makes her a bit fun to play in the wilds of acheron and makes her one of only 2 models that can use some of sophet's more interesting spells.
she comes w/ a rather nice artifact that's reserved to her, the finery of bewitchment, that allows her to take any single non character/war machine/titan model as an ally, reguardless of alliance rules. the only down side of this is they still count as an ally, so it's not very useful in play that doesn't allow them (which is most tournies, of course!). also included is a must fr any necromancer worth it's weight in undead- the newly dreaded death wave, a direct damage spell that gets stronger w/ more living dead models near the caster, and the overlooked twilight's embrace which can give an enemy a 'negative mutagenic' effect.
SYTH MORNIS is respectable in all categories and reminds me of a 'sinister' character, though replaces assassin w/ masterstrike/3 for a healthy str14 hit when used!. when combined w/ his artifacts the creditor which gives assasin damage rolls to any shots w/ his pistol (which gains unlimited range!) and blade of sorrow which forces an opponent to use 2 defence dice for each attack they would care to parry, you get a great assault firing masterstriking beastick! you gotta beware his res7 if this is tried- bad luck in damage rolls will get him killed. don't forget sequencing down to att/def4 to you may masterstrike and keep a defence die, especially as alot of opponents will tend to put all thier dice in attack rather than waste 2 defence dice on a single atack. not someone i'd use too often, but a pretty well rounded model who i'm looking forward to playtesting when in english.
solo's for the army include one to give a model bane/x, where x is any model w/ the same rank as him (regular, vet, elite, etc), and another to give a model devotion/2, martyr/2, and bravery. i've never bothered w/ the first, though w/ alittle planing in deployment and knowing your opponent's rank and file would make it repectable, but i'm fond of the second to provide cheap 'familiars' to mages in a force- i tend to put it on a couple of cheap tomb raider and have then act as bodyguards for a mage (used to put it on pales, but the new fierce rules means that if they die due to it in activation phase, they're no longer there for the combat phase so watered the solo down alittle).
the guild features CORRUPTION COUTERS- any army that has at least one usurer model in it may ay 10ap per counter that may be used to decrease a test of an opponent or increase a friendly model's roll. they may also be 'gambled' in game by assigning 2 of the counters to an enemy character, and you get 1d6 counters when that enemy is eliminated.
This guild also has access to a special version of it called THE COURT OF ASHES. To field this force SOPHET DRAHAS must be fielded as his dis must be used for tacticals. the rest of the force must consist of at least 30% of acheron models and 30% of models from the cadwallon militia and guild of userers. everyone counts as the same people for leadership purposes, and the court may ally itself w/ any meanders of darkness in the normal way outside of said requirements.
GUILD OF THIEVES (CH6)
alliances- acheron, akkyshan elves, dirz, devourers, goblins, lions, tnb
primary element- air
forbiden element- none
*note this guild comes in the french version of CH, but due to format changes that occured during that issue, it was never released in english. hopefully rackham will be kind enough to release it in some form in the near future... my apologies for being brief but i don't have access to thier full rules as of the moment (if a french owner would care to pm me or share in any way, it'd be appreciated!).
we'll start off w/ the CADWE BRIGAND. i have yet to figure out why a generic 17ap archer w/ archer stats would have brutal, but the respectable range amkes this a fieldable model, though overshadowed imo by the ferryman escort for +10ap. i've no practical experience w/ it, but it could be a decent ranged threat (though don't expet opponents to be very afraid of the str3 box...).
recommended model- drune archer
next up is the CADWE PIPE CLEANER (that's my best translation- sorry if it's off!). at 22ap it doesn't seem all that much, but survival instinct, scout, and a pistol can make it a deadly model to an unprepared opponent as it would be hard in most cases to target it before it gets a chance to assault fire into combat (hopefully against a weak model). once again, i've had no experience w/ it, and it might have more abilities described in the CH, but it still seems a decent choice in friendly games.
recommended model- ?
the guild is rounded out by the ARCANE ROBBER, a 29ap model w/ decent stats (though very low res3!), and asassin/bravery abilities. a pistol makes her alittle more versatile and she seems to have more rules in the magazine...
recommended model- griffin duelist
GUILD OF FORTUNE-TELLERS
alliances- cynwall elves, goblins, griffins, lions, tnb
elements- any magician may choose thier elements freely as long as they don't take opposing elements (in this case, darkness is only opposed to light).
the french release of CH13 has given a sneak peak at the latest guild...
the DRAWN OF THE TWELVE are a rather abyssmal lot. for 10ap you get a model w/ mediocre stats and has 'cursed' and target-2! no wonder this model has desperate on it! maybe rules in the magazine make it better, or i don't see this guy getting much field time...
recommended model- ?
on the contrary, the 27ap FORTUNE-TELLER AGENT is a model i'd expect to see alot of! a fuscillier w/ slightly more balanced str/res and better skill combat stats, you also get a model w/ luck, scout, reorientation, and instinctive firing! all that is well and good, but when you add 3.5 rules, you now have a model that can set up w/in a 25cm short range and be able to bull's eye alot of forces w/out fear of being charged that turn (assuming an opponent isn't fielding a model w/ move higher than 10cm base or that they scout away from those model)!
recommended models- saphon the purifier and/or garrell the redeemer
to round out the CH13 release we get a pow3 warrior age in the FORTUNE-TELLER MAGE. at 33ap it has a nice init5, att4, def5 but a rather low str4, res4. luck and masterstrike makes alittle more dangerous as def5 counterattacks can potentially turn into a returning str10 masterstrike, but i would still avoid any major combatants w/ this guy. mastering cartomancy and water means limited spell selection currently (the only cartomancy spells i know of are powered by darkness and we still have no water elemental), but i fell this is a well rounded model that deserves rotational status in both casual and competetive games.
recommended models- arakan the just (though i'd recommed a head w/out an eye patch)
unfortunately additional info will have to wait until CH13 is in english, but i will add info as it's given pertaining to special abilities, solos, and such.
GUILD OF GOLDSMITHS
aliiances- acheron, dirz, goblins, griffins, lions, tnb, wolfen howling pack
primary element- earth
forbidden element- fire
note- any cadwe militaman can become affiliated w/ the goldsmiths for +2ap. he gets +1str, +1res, and 'goldsmiths guild' added to his rank. all modifications are considered printed on his card.
this guild only has 2 current profiles, but both are very interesting constructs! starting out w/ the INCORRUPTABLE, we get a leaping construct w/ respectable stats and steam equipment to pump up it's movement and str. add consciousness to allow it to properly charge models out of sight (and detect enemy scouts!) and you have a formidable mobile model at your disposal. it also becomes more useful if used in conjunction w/ the knox battle tank (next), as if the incorruptable charges a model that's w/in 10cm of the fortress or a friendly character it basically gains the assassin ability.
recommended model- unfortunately nothing has the mechanical look of the artwork, but a cynwall construct warrior is prolly the closest w/ot starting from scratch.
the KNOX BATTLE TANK is a beast. at 115ap it's a walking tank (i tend to think of a primitive metal gear whenever i see it!) that has various modes of fire (either perforating artillery or multiple shot capabilities) along w/ HIGH combat stats, harasement, and the fact that it doesn't count as artillery, so can still assault fire and use bull's eye! admittedly, i have yet to break this guy out as i'm awaiting parts for conversion, but will be getting some field time asap...
recomended model-....uh... nothing comes close!
and once again we have a lack of solos, but any guild that builds a tank gets a free pass in my book.
UNAFFILIATED MODELS
now if looking to throw subtlty out the window and beat it senseless, VLADAR THE ARROGANT is the man for you! at 115ap you get a character who will win you tactical more often than not w/ dis7, leadership, and strategist (allowing you to roll up 5's and 6's for dis tests), but also gives you a nice beatstick w/ good combat stats, brutish charge, and ruthless! give him some extra equipment to increase his effectiveness w/ the scarlet to give him parade (don’t fail defece tests on a 1), and the vorblade to give him charging str/12! all this comes w/ the downside of him being 'predictable', meaning you'll always have his card face up in activation piles, reserves, and i think even when he's going #2... ... hence the lack of any form of subtlty
now comes my favorite model, MORZATH THE HELL-SPAT. *disclaimer- i said favorite, not most practical! i'm a middy player at heart and love to see this guy on the table!* that being said, a pow7 mage for 150ap, which is almost a waste if you don't let him bring his wagon for another +20ap. he's not practical at all under the con3 rules, but once spells became free to field i've seen him as well worth his 170ap. his cart and summoner/+5 ability allows him to bring back to life 10 models in the army, turning casualties into warriors of the abyss, morbid puppets, or zombie warriors based on how many gems you wanna spend. and him mastering necromancy just begs for him to bring them back and cast death wave. but the most fun part of the model is watching an opponent's face when he decides to cast his spell to turn into MORZATH'S BEAST- a pow7, fear10, dreadful cyclops!
keeping w/ my middy love, NURBALD THE SCULPTUR gives you a possessed pow4 initiate that masters chthonian magic, can roll up 5's for power tests thanks to focus, and has artifact/2 to make it easy for him to be a nice and legal 60ap for current gdr legal lists. he looks to be a well rounded and fun model to use and has potential to be nasty when fielded w/ ahsa ruyer (see usurer's guild).
he comes w/ the skiross stone, a reserved artifact that allows him to take up to 100ap of acheron fighters that have both 'living-dead' and 'regeneration' abilities (ie, zombie models) and thier rank goes from acheron to cadwallon. he has a reserved spell dolls of flesh allowing him to select 2 eliminated friendly models and combine them into a zombie warrior that gets deployed w/in 10cm of him, and another spell plagued hand that targets an enemy model and makes them not able to cast magic, call divinations, shoot, and makes them put more dice in def than att in combat until the end of round (note- this is a chthonian spell, and will be used in ALOT of middy armies to come!).
a bit on the unusual side, SYLARENN THE BIRD OF PREY has some very nice character combat stats (init5, att6, def6), mov12.5, and is mixed w/ the ability to chose an enemy fighter before each tactical roll (after decks are made) and your opponent must tell you where in their deck the card is! not game breaking, but rather amusing and can be useful in determining when you'll be using reserves or wanting to be charging something and in what order (ie, if you win tactical and know a single character is activating 3rd, it wouldn't be a priority to charge it in your 1st 2 draws).
she comes w/ a faithful bird the gold talon, that allows her to one enemies hth attack that hits and cancels the damage roll, and the raptor spear that gives her vivacity and masterstrike for 15ap.
next up was the OGRE MERCENARY, a 53ap version of the firebrand w/ no cannon w/ slightly different stats. this guy is well worth his ap, and can put out and take a hit and keep on truckin'. there's also an artifact for him in CH8 called 'stuff', that for 7ap allows him to roll a die before each tactical he's not in contact w/ an enemy, and can get either dreadful, sacred arour, or authority for the current turn (i'll take it to have an authority counter as there's more of a chance of getting that than the other 2 abilities, to help w/ game control in 1st couple of turns).
keeping w/ ogres. we have KHAURIK'S GUARD- a 60ap ogre that drops the ogre merc's sequence for fanatacism and implacable. presonnaly i'd go for the cheaper ogre merc ver this guy 90% of the time as more combat dice is generally better than impacable imo, but i can see this guy being very effective against a swarming army. unfortunately he comes out at the same time as...
KHAURIK'S TRIGGERS are basically the same as the guards, but you lose implacable for assault fire and gain a ranged 'pistol' (hehe- sawn off shotgun!) for +2ap. i see this guy geting ALOT of play time, as he'll only need a 2+ more often than not to succesfully assault fire w/ his str8 weapon. amusingly enough, there's even a MUSICIAN version of the trigger!
so we saw the rank and file ogres, but GORSNA cna blow them all away! for 95ap you get everything from generic ogres (no ranged weapon though), but you get to add all the character benefits (sequence, counterattack, masterstrike), along w/ strategist as an additional ability! he comes in CH11 and there may be additional rules for him that we may see when the issue is released in english. only real downside to him i see is the lack of leadership- running a partial war staff w/ him and a trigger would be quite fun (though that may be why there is no leadership ability!).
recommended model- kaurik's guard
also in CH11 is VOLTENAR THE VETERAN. he combines nice combat stats and ruthless, bravery, reflexes, and survival instinct/5 abilities for a reasonable 80ap. once again, there is not english info for him aside from stats yet, so time may tell what else he has.
recommended model- alahan falconer
the PIXIE TRICKSTER is a 12ap model w/ scout and luck abilites and a spell that allows them to be sacrificed to give luck to another model. it has a very respectable def4, though most of it's other stats are pretty weak. though it won't win you a game or kill many models, it's good to disrupt an enemy, tie models up, and generally harass in early turns. soon to be out in english.
the CADWE GRAVEDIGGER has the potential to be a staple model in any cadwallon force. at 18ap you get a pow3 warrior mage w/ bad att2/def2 but a decent str5/res7, the ability to master any one element, and insenistive/5 makes him a great support model to counter enemy mages (insensitive and mastery of darkness to absorb any element), and can also cast nice support spells (aura of authority, forced march) or damage spells (primal attacks and arrow of mana).
add to that thier reserved spells 'embrace of the mandrake' that allows them to reduce a target w/in 20cm to have a movement of 0cm, and 'mortuary veil' that blocks all line of sight from an enemy fighter w/in 30cm. the only downside to those spells is they need earth and air elements respectively, so would lower the effectiveness of thier countering role.
the CADWE GLADIATOR is another model w/ unusual rules that i find amusing. for 30ap you get a fighter w/ init4, def5/counterattack , and att4/str6/masterstrike2. add all that up and you have a model that can win init and deal a str12 hit, or a model that can lose init, counterattack, and still have enough dice for a masterstrike. add into the mix special ARENA rules ad you have a model that can do alot of damage quick. the main downside i see to him that makes him less than competetive is it's res4 that won't hold up to a goblin. a fun model to use, but something i'd leave home when playing serious. he's currently only available through rackham direct mail order.
i'll admit to not being certain where she's available from (i think she's available through the CORD's, but can easily be wrong- somebody correct me?), but AIONA THE UNFORGIVEN is a character model that screams 'subtlety or death!' impressive skill stats of init5, att5, def5 and ambidex, assassin, and vivacity are tempered by str5, res4, and dis2. chances are you're going to be using another model's dis for tacticals (the ogre merc even has a dis4!), and there's alot of forces out there that you ma have trouble winning tacticals against and will make it difficult for her to be as effective as she can be as if she gets charged she can go down rather quickly. not a model i'm personnally fond of, but if you can get by her weaknessess she can be a dangerous model to get into combat w/.
ARMY LISTS-
isabeau 75
soul of the somas 17
minor potion of str 3
2x sinisters 80
2x ferryman escorts 54
2x master ferrymen 56
ogre merc 53
stuff 7
sergeant 25
2x militia vets 30
=400ap, 11 models, 6 cards.
i used this list to good effect in casual games (ask the poor drune persecutor that got assault fired at by 3 models in the same round!). combines a good amount of shooting, toughness, and offensiveness into a generic list. only thing really missing was scouting to deal w/ opponent's shooters quickly- i can't use usurer's w/ isabaeu and the pixie tricksters weren't out when i used this.
morzath [14] 150
macabre handcart 20
morzath's beast [0]
life drain [2]
death wave [3]
internal chaos [4]
twilight's embrace [3]
dead forge [2]
aura of authority [2]
3x tomb raiders 39
3x pixie tricksters 36
2x ferryman escorts 54
ogre merc 53
2x jester 48
=400ap, 12 models, 6 cards.
if you read above, you had to expect morzath to be in one of these lists! this brings a good number of weak scouts to suicidally rush the enemy in the first turn, only to be brought back by morzath and his cart as stronger zombie warriors! the ferryman escorts should have little trouble keeping up w/ morzath to keep thier hardboiled ability and the ogre merc is there to keep the peace. when a suitable number of models have been recesitated, morzath tunrs to a 'clops and wreckes some nice havok! fear10 dreadful will keep him fairly safe from being swarmed, just beware alot of ranged attacks (which should've been eiter eliminated or weakened by all the socuts).
COURT OF ASHES
sophet drahas [14] 155
black spellbook (necromancy) 18
morbid puppet invok [3]
death wave [2]
dead forge [1]
life drain [2]
twilight's embrace [2]
devotion of the dead [1]
aura of authority [2]
arrow of mana[1]
3x cerberean zombies 75
2x dracynran centaur 62
3x tomb raiders 39
2x pales 48
=400ap, 11 models (starting), 5 cards.
i can't resist breaking sophet out- you're gonna live and die by him w/ a list like this, but he IS the court of ashes! dead forge can be cast on the pales, zombies, and archers (str10 bows can turn them into mini assault firing huntsmen!). raiders are there to harass enemy archers, everything else is pretty self explainatory.
and to kep the sillyness going:
OGRES!
gorsna 95
minor potion of str +3
ogre merc 53
firebrand 90
trigger 62
3x tricksters 36
guard 60
=399ap, 8 models, 6 cards.
i would've used the musician if gorsna had leadership, but this list can still win tactical w/ the strategist ability and has more than enough toughness to go toe to toe w/ most other force out there. main concern would be against a force w/ heavy shooting and magic (mainly magic that can negate res), but who needs a well rounded list every game?
(shout out to drimdal for sharing my love of an ogre list!)
more lists may come. i refrained from using any solos in non themed armies as the question of thier use is still in the air. anyone is prefectly free to share any list concepts in the floowing posts (i'd actually prefer it to keep thing interesting!).
