Spotlight: Orin Midwinter

It took me a long time to figure this guy out and as usual the revelation came when I looked beyond his intended purpose: Specialized in hunting spell-casters, Midwinter uses his arcane energy to draw power from enemy wizards, suppress their magic, or simply strike them down with arcs of lightning.

Bug Zapper Extraordinaire

That sentence actually holds the key to Orin Midwinter because it talks about abilities that very rarely have any effect and casually mentions what makes him a wild card powerhouse so I've rewritten it: Specialized in hunting high defense solo characters, Midwinter occasionally uses his arcane energy to draw power from enemy wizards and Arc Lightnings something important.

As always the Battlecollege will take you through most of it. Orin Midwinter will die to a single Gun Mage almost every time, and unless he's using his stealth or hiding he'll die to anything that manages a slightly above average attack roll. This is what you have to work with but luckily Orin Midwinter has a few things going for him.

• Stealth

It's his most widely used spell but it's important to know that it's not always worth casting. Stealth is great unless you happen to be up against one of the many things in the game that simply ignore or circumvents it, but hiding behind something or someone works equally well. If you can manage both it's great but do remember not to stand to close because blast damage will kill him.

• Null Magic & Energy Vacuum

Null Magic is the ability that made him famous and a trap spell if there ever was one. This spell will stop all spellcasting within twelve inches of Orin Midwinter (yes even your own) but since he dies if a little girl slaps him it's just about guaranteed that he'll be first on the hit list that round. Null Magic doesn't stop channeling either so positioning is vital with this ability, and no matter how hard I tried to make this work he always died. (if you need a guide on using that ability this one should help)

Null Magic. Now this is where it all comes together. Skorne hates (...) those guys with spells such as Forcebolt which can pull you close to them, destroying your positioning, shieldwall, and general movement shenanigans. Parking Orin behind a large or medium base will make them immune to those RNG10 attacks, keeping your important models safe from those nefarious magic users. - Cardboard

Null Magic also stops Energy Vacuum and we really like those power tokens. Energy Vacuum gives Orin a token every time an enemy model casts a spell within twelve inches and that's a lot easier to achieve than blocking spells (people will occasionally cast within the area because it benefits them somehow or they need it to be in range).

• Arc Lightning

... well now that's interesting. The guy has a magical ability score of seven which means he can be expected to hit what he likes if he has access to debuffs. The average number of leaps is two so he can be expected to put three POW 10 attacks out there if he manages that first hit. The really interesting thing is that you get one leap automatically which means an answer to high defense/stealth models like Eiryss (if you don't know how that works you can go to 05:10 in this video where Galea does it with his Storm Lancers).

How to zap bugs: Advance

The first thing I discovered was that if I had the first turn if was counterproductive to use his Stealth spell. If you have a way of keeping him safe from long range shooting (or your opponent has none) then run like the wind. There's 31" between deployment zones, which means that unless your opponent has something that can reach 19" on his first turn (or Advance Deployment, extended deployment zone, etc. etc.) you should be safe. If you go second then stealth is important unless you're facing Legion/Cygnar or something that in general ignores it.

The reason you run is because Orin Midwinter threatens sixteen inches with his Arc Lightning, and that means frying models on turn two if they dare leave the deployment zone (if you're really lucky you can Arc Lightning and have it leap back and fry important support models even if they didn't advance at all). If you advance just six inches you risk having no viable targets in turn two since that leaves an opponent the option to advance eight or nine inches and remain outside his threat range.

How to zap bugs: Defense

Models that ignore stealth rarely ignores Cover as well and Orin Midwinter is hard to shift at defense eighteen. There's no reason not to give him a little extra defense if you can, but let's be honest and admit that he's probably not important enough to get any of the good spots. Orin Midwinter has a special defense you won't find on his card though, and it's more powerful than stealth and cover combined: perceived threat.

If you cast Null Magic his perceived threat will be very high but if you run or stealth it will be extremely low because most people think Orin Midwinter is shit (not THE shit, just shit). Few people really expect him to fry half a unit or kill Eiryss while she's stealth and in Cover, so they leave him alone and expect to dedicate a couple of models to ensure an easy kill when he unveils himself and pops Null Magic.

How to zap bugs: Offense

Orin Midwinter needs no help but his potential skyrockets if he gets some. Arc Lightning threatens sixteen inches and with three potential leaps you can theoretically zap a model from 34" away by bouncing lightning bolts off two large based models. Realistically though  we're talking 21-22" threat by bouncing a single bolt of the initial target and everything else should be considered a bonus.

• pDeneghra: The Withering makes him RAT 9 and POW 12 which is exceptional for a two point solo. Parasite means bouncing what amounts to POW 15 lightning bolts around and that's enough to fry several of the cavalry models in the game.

With War Witch Deneghra the man becomes a legend. Her feat is designed to turn him from alright into a whirlwind of destruction with lightning bolts taking out solo characters on average dice, and with the defensive qualities of of The Withering he might even survive a round/game.

• eDeneghra: Web of Shadows and Curse of Shadows makes him RAT 10 and POW 12.

While not as powerful a combination the ability to ensure that his initial lightning bolt hits is pretty sweet. With Marked for Death and Web of Shadows he'll be hitting defense nineteen on average dice, so you can rely on him connecting with the solo you're really trying to kill.

• Scaverous: Telekinesis is hilarious when you need to set up a chain of lightning going exactly where you need it. Defense and Armor debuffs available means Orin will fit here as well.

With Scaverous there's no need to run in your own models to make the perfect chain because you can just move his. Back strike bonus, Icy Grip, and Feast of Worms also means he can hit and damage what he needs to.

• All others: Solo characters like Eiryss and Anastasia are hard for Cryx to take out at range and we really need a way to handle them. A special mention should go to eSkarre and her feat which can keep him safe from almost anything, and the "Immortal Null Magic Orin Midwinter" is impressive.

Orin Midwinter is in my Terminus list for just that reason and there's not a single caster in Cryx that won't benefit from having him.

Conclusion

Orin Midwinter isn't in all my lists but he's a fine answer to enemy incorporeal models, stealth solos, and against things that are immune to magic he can lay down a beating if he's got a few tokens to back him up (MAT 6 and PS 9 with three tokens means two dead solo characters if he can reach them).

It's important to remember that he's an offensive solo and not like his abilities otherwise suggest a defensive one. He'll probably die after he engages and throws out an Arc Lightning but he can inflict massive damage if you apply that spell correctly and there's usually no hiding from it. Orin Midwinter is a solid two point solo and he performs as such.

/Lamoron

Spotlight: Deathripper

The great debate/debacle of 2011 was behind me, but this question made me decide to write a Spotlight on my favorite Arc Node: The Almighty Deathripper. I'm having a hard time understanding why such a simple debate has so many people up in arms, so while I do compare the Deathrippers to the Nightwretches several times during this spotlight, you should know that either one works well.

The Deathripper made the dubious decision to become a melee Arc Node, which we can all agree is pretty darn silly, since you can't arc while engaged, but I still find myself reaching for them in most games.

Deathrippers: Abilities

As always, the Battlecollege will sort out the details, but there's not a lot to say about it's abilities, so feel free to skip this part.

Deathrippers: Survivability

Disabling your Arc Nodes is a priority for most opponents (this should come as no surprise), so making sure they're safe is just common sense. That means the Arc Nodes should hug cover/concealment when at all possible, and stay away from obvious targets (blast damage will hurt them).

Deathrippers: Arc Node

The Deathripper is an Arc Node, and that's why we bring it. The thing is, that I find it's melee ability to benefit this assignment, and while that might sound strange, there are perfectly good reasons for it.

• Enemy models blocking your Arc: It happens quite often, that a model is parked just where I need my Arc Node to be. I could use other models to clear the zone, but I don't always have the luxury of surplus activations, or the models required to do it without getting in the way themselves.

As light jacks our Arc Nodes can slam, which is a way of clearing an offending model available to all of them, but the difference between a charge lane (toward) and a slam lane (directly toward), can be all it takes to deny you a win. A ranged Arc Node can charge of course, but the pathetic PS of their melee weapons will allow even single wound models to survive.

• Locked-down: An enemy model engages your Arc Node, but you don't really need it that turn. Instead of spending resources freeing it up for next round, you can spend less resources and it can free itself, while removing enemy resources to boot.

Usually you would rescue the poor thing, spend a Ghost Walk on it (and quite often they're outside Skarlock range), or dedicate some nearby models to freeing it. That leads me to the second reason I like Deathrippers: They can be devastating on offense.

Deathrippers: Losing the Arc Node

It happens all the time, and the boxes marked "A" vanish to some random rifleman with nothing better to do. In my experience, this makes the Deathripper invisible, as it instantly leaves the opponents hit list: Big mistake.

• DEATHRIPPER: Parasite (Skarlock) + The Withering + Dark Shroud + Full Focus. I almost shat myself when I pulled that one, and the Khador heavy parked outside Bane Thrall charge range (Tartarus died, again, but one Thrall was within running range) got ripped apart by the Arc Node it was locking down (it failed to hit that sweet defense fifteen).

You can add Rust Bomb, Scything Touch, Curse of Shadow or whatever your caster brings to the mix, and it adds up quickly. I've seen Deathrippers take down casters and heavies alike, which is simply not possible for a Nightwretch, and it gives you something to do when that Arc Node disappears.

Deathrippers: Losing the Cortex

You lost the Arc Node, and you've lost the Cortex as well, so it's time to go angling for some free strikes. With a Nightwretch you get a RAT 5 shot per turn, and with a Deathripper you get a MAT 6 attack per turn, but the Deathripper can lock down models where the Nightwretch cannot.

• Free strikes: It's a boosted PS 13 attack, and it hurts. Your opponent has to spend resources to avoid damage when he leaves (or simply take it, and hope for the best), and as such our crippled Deathripper retains a tactical application beyond hoping to hit.

Usually my opponent simply kills the Deathripper instead, which I still consider a win, as that's what I wanted him to do: spend more resources on the crippled Deathripper. I also do my best to make sure it dies somewhere that hinders my opponent, as the nifty 40 mm terrain patch can really blow his plans out of the water.

Deathrippers: Losing the Head

A little dented, but still a defense fifteen road block, and when it dies it leaves that fine patch of terrain. Try and die in a position that hinders your opponent, and mock him like crazy if he spends everything he has, just to have his kill piece lack Pathfinder and fail.

Deathrippers: Summary

I favor the Deathripper, because it has applications beyond the Arc Node, and I think the ability to destroy casters and heavies (last ditch, never plan to end up in that situation) outweighs the ability to shoot. I like being able to clear models with melee, since it allows me to place myself where my opponent thought he was covered, clear his block, and arc on his caster.

Nightwretches are fine, but I never seem to get a shot off, and I'm always wishing I had the ability to rip out some throats instead. The Deathripper has the ability to threaten anything in the game, with enough debuffs, and it remains useful, even in death.

Spotlight: Madelyn Corbeau

Talkin' 'bout my girl. Madelyn Corbeau can make me feel that way, so let me introduce you to my favorite chain smoking prostitute. Now she's not much to look at, but she's got moves you wouldn't believe, and she swings both ways to boot.

Madelyn Corbeau is a two point solo we usually associate with Lich Lord Terminus, but this broad has so much to offer, that she deserves her own little spotlight.

Having charmed half the courtiers in western Immoren, it is simple enough for her to gain access to the commanders of armies. She sells her services to any army with coin.

I might have left out a few words in that description, but Madelyn truly is a queen amongst prostitutes, so let's get down to business.

Madelyn Corbeau: Abilities

You know the drill, and Battlecollege will answer your questions, but Madelyn Corbeau lives and dies by her abilities, so it's walk-through time. 

Madelyn Corbeau: Advisor

This nifty little ability will add one to the CMD of a caster/solo in B2B contact, which can be quite useful with several models. I find myself using this when I've screwed up, and rarely do I plan on using it. It's really useful, when combined with her ability to move models before the turn begins, so she can end up in B2B with someone, without spending her activation.

• Terminus: Shadow of Death.
• eSkarre: Inspiration.
• pSkarre: Sacrificial Strike.
• Deryliss: Arcane Extension.
• pGoreshade: Tether.
• Satyxis Raider Captain: Desperate Pace / No sleeping on the Job. 
• Darragh Wrath: Death Ride / Beyond Death.
• Gerlack Slaughterborn: Leadership / No sleeping on the Job.

As you can see, it's mostly used when you mess up placement, but occasionally you can plan a round and take someone by surprise. If an opponent planned his round knowing that he could stop just outside Beyond Death, that extra inch can really screw him over. I find myself using this ability maybe once in five games, so it's not my main reason for bringing her.

Madelyn Corbeau: Intrigue

I had used her in quite a few games, before I began considering the full impact of this ability, and I'm still finding new application almost every game. The hardest part is remembering to activate it, since it happens in the maintenance phase, and there are so many other things to consider.

A Warcaster can be moved with this ability in the maintenance phase, allowing them a three inch advance before the round begins. This has a mind-boggling amount of applications, so I'll just mention a few. If you find yourself confused by the sequence of a turn, use this quick reference sheet.

• Focus allocation: Either you messed up, or someone threw, slammed, or placed your jack outside your control area, but with Madelyn you can move your caster in range, since the move happens before Focus allocation. This can potentially turn a useless knocked-down jack into an assassination threat, or allow a caster to run that Arc Node your opponent disregarded.
• Additional range: There are more casters than Terminus that can assassinate, and pGaspy, p/eSkarre, and several others can do the deed themselves (with three more inches of threat). I don't often see Madelyn on the table, so it comes as a surprise to most opponents, when she suddenly moves a caster into assassination range.
• Retreat: The ability to move up three inches before your activation, will allow some casters to get in range with feats or abilities, thus allowing you to retreat during your activation instead. This is very useful, as most casters will have to move up in order to get the most out of a feat, and will then be stuck near the lines, but with Madelyn you can pop and cast, then retreat to safety instead.
• Feat negation: Thanks to Temujin Khan for pointing out that several feats in the game can be negated by moving out of them in the maintenance phase. The example he uses is pSeverius and his feat that reads "while within", and since the maintenance phase comes before the control phase and focus replenishment, you can simply step out of the effect with intrigue if 3" is enough to do that, which it often is with pSeverius: nice catch Temujin!

Considering the amount of casters we have, it would take forever to list everything you can do with Intrigue, but take a look at your favorite caster, and think about the ability to move three inches before your turn really begins. It does require an enemy model within 9" of Madelyn, and it has limitations, but it's a passive ability on a two point model, with several other useful abilities, and I'm not done with Intrigue:

• Bile Thralls: Madelyn can move a Bile Thrall, which means a fourteen inch purge. It's considerably less than the Excarnate trick, and it will cost you a Bile Thrall, but it's available to any caster, and requires no dice or Focus to work. I can't tell you how much I enjoy my opponents facial expression, when the Bile Thrall moves into range.
• Admonia: You thought Unbinding was awesome, but Unbinding with three extra inches of range is bloody amazing. It solves just about every problem she has, and will make your opponent cry the salty tears of defeat.
• Bane Lord Tartarus: Fourteen inch range you say, and possibly the ability to curse before charging, allowing him to penetrate even deeper into a unit before threshering. It can also allow him to walk into range instead, allowing him the perfect position to reap the infidels.
• Gerlack Slaughterborn: Another three inches on his charge of doom, allows him to be hidden safely behind the lines until he launches. This will take a lot of people by surprise, and allow him some really effective charges.
• Gorman: If you bring Dougal MacNaile and Madelyn, he can throw a grenade at someone that began 17" away, with +2 RAT and a re-roll to scatter if you fail. That sounds like fun to me! The Gorman slingshot.

Then we've got every single solo with an interesting ability they rarely use because of range issues (Machine Wraith, Necrotech, Warwitch Siren, etc.) and every single ranged solo in the game. Finally there are unit attachments that like the ability to move into position (Blood Hag comes to mind), or the ability to move a friendly model out of the way, clearing a lane for your Helljack.

Edit: 02.09.2013

In SR 2013 there are several objectives that are classified as "Enemy models". This will activate intrigue, which is a damn sight more reliable than hoping for actual enemy models to help you out.

Madelyn Corbeau: Seduction

The ability to make Dartan Vilmon behead the Harbinger is hilarious, and if you're running a caster with access to Influence, this combination can be utterly devastating. Unfortunately the ability requires B2B contact, limiting it's use, but there are still a few things you can do with it.

• Free strikes: A common tactic to lock down units, is to run in a couple of models to engage them in melee. With this ability you can have one of those enemy models kill the other, while turning around so the previously engaged unit can simply walk away.
• Raw damage: There are plenty of hardcore weapon master models out there, so if you've got nothing better to do, go borrow one and smack something.
• Kaboom: A few models produce really unpleasant effects when they die, and these models are often doing their very best to be in the middle of your army when it happens. I cheerfully suggest, you put them in the middle of his instead.

There are many more applications of Seduction, so keep your eyes open and it will come in handy. Remember that Cavalry are also Warrior models, so Seduction works on them as well (I like Fenris the most, though the bastard missed last time I got to play with him).

Madelyn Corbeau: Sucker

Everybody loves this hooker, well as long as their alive. As long as she's directly hit, a nearby man/woman/child/dog/horse will take the hit. This means that Madelyn will rarely die, except when accidentally hit by stray AoE attacks.

She's rarely ever deemed worthy of your opponents attention either, since she has no attacks at all, and can pawn away shots to nearby models, so it's a rare thing when she dies to anything other than drifting AoE attacks, or an enemy model with nothing else to do. This does change very quickly in a local meta, but she's still just a two point solo, so no harm done if she croaks (bring a Necrosurgeon, and you've got yourself a zombie stripper)

Madelyn Corbeau: How to make it work

Madelyn likes being just behind the first line, preferably in cover, and should a living model or two hang out nearby, it wouldn't hurt. I don't usually dedicate resources to her survival, since nobody takes her seriously until after she makes her move, and I often end up with something in range to activate Intrigue anyway.

I usually place her with some less threatening models, so the enemy won't need to stay away. They won't come within nine inches of a unit of Bane Knights, but they'll certainly rush some Blood Witches with a heavy, and then you get your movement.

Madelyn Corbeau: Summary

One of the most powerful two point solo characters in the game, and in the excellent position of being considered no threat at all. Madelyn is hard to fit in lists, but she has so much to offer, and she's almost never a waste of points. Take her out for a spin, and remember to use her Intrigue ability in the maintenance phase.

Spotlight: Croe's Cutthroats

A successful empire needs assassins, and our empire doesn't really have any. It's a sad fact, but when we need someone dead, without revealing our intent, we need outside talent. This is where Croe comes in, bringing his band of merry backstabbing poisoners to the table.

Nil Mortifi Sine Lucre

The Cutthroats bring a ranged game, and while often regarded as complete failures, they work surprisingly well with the right setup. In addition to a list of abilities that spans a mile, the Cutthroats have both stealth and pathfinder, so they fit our faction theme well.

I'll begin with a story about underestimating the Cutthroats. I was on the receiving end of a Molik Karn missile, but before touching down he incurs a free strike from Croe. I pick up my dice, and my opponent get's a quizzical look on his face.

I show him that Croe has reach, and I pick up my dice. My opponent looks slightly bored, since I'm going to die anyway, and a free strike from some random dingbat won't matter. I roll my free strike, strip Molik Karn of his spirit, and win the game.

Croe's Cutthroats: Abilities

As always I'll leave most of the explaining to Battlecollege, but I'll have to take you through some of their abilities, since they're so crucial to the way the Cutthroats play. The list of abilities is exceptionally long, and remembering them all is quite hard.

• Bushwhack

One of the abilities that keep them alive. This allows you to fire, and then retreat out of charge range. It also allows you to kill models that are engaging you, and then retreat to safety. In combination with stealth, it allows them to remain almost untouchable, though you should be very careful around blasts or things that ignore stealth.

• Stealth

While essential to their survival, it won't keep them safe unless you Bushwhack. Stealth isn't an excuse to leave that linear obstacle either, because quite a lot of things ignore it. Blast damage will destroy their pathetic armor, so spread out!

Croe's Cutthroats: Support

The Cutthroats are short ranged, and cant hit a barn door from three feet away. Dougal MacNaile is an auto-include with the Cutthroats, since the additional two inch range can allow them to aim, but they really appreciate working with defense debuff casters.

Croe's Cutthroats: Warcasters

There are few casters that really appreciate the Cutthroats, though a couple of the others can run them with a modicum of success.

• Warwitch Deneghra: I rarely ever get to assassinate with them, since people quit when they do the math. Their caster is knocked down, and each cutthroat will put a 3d6+15 bolt in him/her.
• Wraith Witch Deneghra: Web of Shadows allows for some interesting rounds, where stealthy assassins annihilate your enemy, while he's easy to hit and unable to retaliate. Marked for Death or Curse of Shadows, will add the last bit of punch to their volley.
• Lord Exhumator Scaverous: Oh dear god! Telekinesis, Icy Grip, Feast of Worms, and you've got each cutthroat putting a 4d6+12 bolt into something, and you're doing it at RAT 9.

Croe's Cutthroats are slightly less effective against non-living models, but I've never found it problematic. The raw power they grant the casters above, is close to game breaking, and I've killed heavy warbeasts with a minimum unit (and then Bushwhacked backwards to line up for the next kill).

They're viable melee assassins with several casters, though they are downright scary with Lord Exhumator Scaverous, and I've had two of them take Karchev the Terrible down to half health, after which the player surrendered.

Croe's Cutthroats: Damn dirty tricks.

Everything else has been an introduction, but this is where the real meat is to be found. The Cutthroats have a pile of abilities, but the real power of the unit is their leader: Croe. Unlike most other characters he's not an officer, which means you can promote a grunt to "Croe" when he dies. This allows for some really impressive tricks, and knowing them is they key to their success.

• The Screen: Croe can cover quite a bit of ground with his free strikes, and it often takes people by surprise. None of the grunts have reach, so opponents often miss that little detail, and if you're living he hits like a truck. I usually leave Croe about four or five inches in front of the unit, and when he dies you simply promote a grunt.
• Hiss: Croe has a fancy gun, and hitting people shuts down their spellcasting for a round. He might have poor RAT, but hitting an enemy caster could very well win you the game. Journeymen Warcasters, Lesser Warlocks, and other spellcasting solos are perfectly viable targets, and it's always fun telling your happy opponent (his solo survived), that he's still screwed. It's not Eiryss, but it's wroth remembering.
• The annoying ****: This is my favorite trick, and like the screen tactic it works because Croe has reach, while his men lack it. This takes a little more explaining, and probably only works a couple of times against any given opponent, but I love doing it.

The annoying **** happens because the Cutthroats have stealth, and this occasionally leads to opponents advancing close to them with ranged units. The real fun happens, when he shoots Croe, and you promote a grunt, because that model now has reach, and your opponent suddenly finds a couple of his ranged models engaged.

Another version is where you promote a grunt to block his carefully arranged charge lanes with reach, or promote the grunt next to his important solo, so he has to deal with the engaged defense bonus, and risk blowing his own models to hell if he misses (Thanks to Jason for pointing out, that a promoted leader cannot actually make attacks, so remember that models can just walk away from him).

Croe's Cutthroats: Summary

The Cutthroats are assassins and should be treated as such. These guys are ninjas, and not the Hollywood version, but the "death from out of nowhere" type, that will die horribly if forced into a fair fight (so don't fight fair). Hide them behind linear obstacles, screen them with Croe, retreat with Bushwhack, and use whatever tricks your chosen caster has available to: make sure they survive.

These guys like having the first turn, so they can run like the wind, and spend every turn after that falling back with Bushwhack. If you can get away with aiming then do it, but keeping them safe takes priority (unless you can end the game of course).

If you commit them to melee you better have a damn good plan, because they will be brought down hard, and they're awfully expensive. If you find yourself engaged, pop a Ghost Walk on them, see what you can take down with melee attacks, and then retreat with Bushwhack and let something else handle the remaining offenders.

Retreat, Regroup, and Re-engage.

Spotlight: Rorsh & Brine

A while ago I decided I would stop failing with Wrong Eye. The Lesser Warlock had been a thorn in my side since I bought him, which was about a month after I discovered Warmahordes, and he had been shelved for most of that time. I put him on the table a couple of times and didn't do much better, so I decided to increase my learning curve by adding Rorsh & Brine to the list.

It was love at first sight. It's a swine with guns, dynamite, and brains, dragging around a 2000 lbs bipedal killing-swine, and I even made them custom tokens to represent their different abilities.

Rorsh cares nothing for goals or sides in the battles wracking western Immoren and offers his services for reasonable payment and no questions asked. He carries his lever-action pig iron and a fondness for explosives from one battlefield to the next. His greatest weapon is the gargantuan bipedal fighting boar Brine, whom Rorsh takes particular delight in unleashing to rend enemies limb from limb.

I ran a couple of games with both teams of Lesser Warlocks, and finally I understood what I've been doing wrong. I still lost the game, but the following game I had my solution in place, and while it turns a few heads, and causes a few laugh, the REMEMBER TRANSFERS written in white letters on the back of both bases finally did the trick.

Rorsh & Brine: Transfers

Remembering transfers might not seem like an earth shattering revelation to you, but those simple words made all the difference for me. I don't know if you'll need to go as far as writing on your own models, but if you find yourself failing with a Lesser Warlock: Remember Transfers.

• Rorsh needs to be within range to force Brine.
• Rorsh needs to be within range to transfer damage.
• Rorsh needs to camp Fury in order to transfer damage.
• Brine cannot be fully loaded on Fury.

This means you need to plan your placement carefully, since many opponents have access to some form of forced movement. A simple slam will move Rorsh out of transfer range, and it could even kill him with some lucky dice, but there are plenty of problems to take into consideration.

• Thunderbolt.
• Force Bolt.
• Devastation.
• Telekinesis.
• Beat-back.
• Slams.
• Throws.

I'm sure there are more, so be sure to keep them in mind when positioning Rorsh and Brine, and Remember transfers. Remember, that you need to make sure neither of them can be easily moved, since most of those effects work equally well on Brine.

Rorsh & Brine: Abilities

As always the Battlecollege will handle the task of actually explaining their abilities, but the article really lacks a mention of the sheer speed they can achieve. Rorsh has a *Action called Diversionary Tactic, and with this ability you can send Brine a massive thirteen inches forward with a charge. This movement can take you around corners, or allow you to activate Brine outside certain effects (this can really mess up some enemy feats).

Diversionary Tactics also allows you to move up to ten inches before throwing something, which is a massive distance, that will take a lot of people by surprise. It can be used to pull of incredible throws, angle slams perfectly, or simply charge longer than most heavies in the game, while allowing you to position Rorsh nearby. Rorsh can move a grand total of twelve inches with Diversionary Tactic, so keeping Brine in transfer/control range should be easy (surviving it is the hard part, so remember transfers).

Rorsh & Brine: Activation

In the first round Brine slaps himself for a Fury, and then uses another Fury to run up (preferably stopping in cover or concealment). Rorsh advances up behind him, spends two Fury to cast Pig Pen, and uses the Dig In *Action. This means that Rorsh is in cover, immune to blast damage, a couple of inches behind Brine, and with one transfer available.

The second round Rorsh upkeeps Pig Pen, leaving him with two Fury, and the game dictates what they do. I find myself doing one of three things, though more often than not it's the Brine Missile.

• The Brine Missile: In Cryx we have access to Ghost Walk, which already allows for some unpredictable vectors of attack, but when combined with Diversionary Tactics all hell breaks loose.

The look upon an opponents face, when Brine comes rampaging through buildings and models alike is just priceless. With Pain response he even tramples for free, so don't despair if you can't manage a sliver of sight: Just trample down and gore him.

• Apocalypse now: Rorsh has up to three ranged attacks, and if there's a bunch of infantry nearby, he can go to town. Begin by throwing the dynamite, then gun down whatever is left standing, while saving the last Fury for a transfer (Remember transfers).

This is quite rare, since Rorsh will usually be busy organizing a Brine Missile, but if he's still alive after Brine goes to pork heaven, he can be quite devastating to bunched up infantry. He has a fairly good RAT, and the ability to boost, so if you see an opportunity to gun down something important then go for it, but remember transfers if Brine is still alive.

• Consolidate: If there's nothing worth killing, you place yourself in a position where you get as much cover, concealment, and protection as you can. Rorsh might have cover from Pig Pen, but standing behind a linear obstacle can also interfere with melee attacks, or even stop a charge entirely. With the massive range they can achieve, you can find a nice spot to park, and wait for that golden opportunity to arrive.

I must admit that I often commit Brine too early. You want him to take some damage first, since it allows him to abuse Pain Response, but it takes nerves of steel to avoid committing him when a target presents itself. I've been thinking about inflicting the damage myself, but the risk of causing real harm is simply to great.

Rorsh & Brine: Warcasters

We have some excellent casters to choose from, but in order to take enough advantage of R&B to make up for their vulnerabilities, you need a caster that really profits.

• Warwitch Deneghra: Ghost Walk, Crippling Grasp, The Withering, and Pig Farm. You could even throw Parasite and Dark Shroud into the mix against low defense models, and watch Brine rip apart two Heavy Warbeasts in a single round. Warwitch Deneghra also suffers a severe lack of available Focus, making the Lesser Warlock a great addition.
• Wraith Witch Deneghra: Though she lacks the raw power of her prime version, she has a feat that will keep both R&B alive, and brings along the needed defense debuffs while doing it. Like her Prime version she benefits a lot from bringing a Lesser Warlock, to alleviate the strain on her Focus.
• Lord Exhumator Scaverous: Because Telekinesis, Ghost Walk, and Diversionary Tactic allows for some downright silly rounds. Hitting an enemy caster in the back, from seventeen inches away, with a Heavy Warbeast, is just too much fun.

Several other casters can run the team well, and Iron Lich Asphyxious almost made the list above, but with the those three casters the team becomes a true nightmare on the table.

Rorsh & Brine: Summary

Rorsh & Brine bring speed, shenanigans, power, and a complete lack of predictability to the table. They can destroy almost anything with a little help, but keeping them alive after the hit is hard. Remembering transfers is vital to getting your points worth, but the sheer look of terror on your opponents face, when a 2000 lbs bipedal swine appears next to their caster, is totally worth it.

Spotlight: Master Necrotech Mortenebra

Master Necrotech Mortenebra has a special place in my heart. The Overseer is a place where I champion the odd models and maligned options, so getting the opportunity to flaunt a devastating build, that just happens to fly in the face of every bit of Internet wisdom in existence, is simply priceless.

The first thing you'll notice when doing a search on the Privateer Press forums, is an overwhelming love for Mortenebras Tier list, and since I was quite new when I discovered Mortenebra, I jumped on the wagon, and bought a pile of Helljacks.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra, an architect of Cryx’s war industry, has emerged from the smoke and soot to lead her ‘jacks to war.

It was a horrible experience, with a clumsy list of heavies stumbling about, trying to exploit mistakes my opponents didn't make, and I soon realized that whenever someone tells you that Mortenebra can fight an attrition battle, you should smack him in the mouth. I won two games, then I lost two games, and then I realized I was using a scalpel as a club, attempting to bludgeon where I could simply slice.

I sat down and put on my thinking cap, and while I was doing that I was spectating a game. The Cryx player was doing some amazing tricks with Helldivers (slams & reverse charges), and something just clicked: Mortenebra can make them do that for free. Privateer Press noticed my interest, released the Scavenger, buffed the Stalker, and caused the birth of an abomination: Non-tier Mortenebra.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra: Abilities

Mortenebra is a very fragile caster, placed on a medium base, with nothing to protect her, except immunity to knockdown. That sounds bad already, but then we add the fact that she runs herself dry on Focus every turn, and it all goes to hell. It basically boils down to this: if they can see her, they can kill her. As always you can go to Battlecollege to get the specifics.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra: List construction

Running Mortenebra with her Tier list is possible, and several people do very well with it, but I find the non-tier option to be such a powerful choice, that I cant see ever going back.

When I introduced the non-tier Bonejack list, it raised a few eyebrows, but it was considered nothing but an entertaining experiment. A few months later I was told, that several people were very pleased, that my flying circus of doom didn't make an appearance at the Danish Masters. It includes Helldivers (2), Scavengers (2), Stalkers (1), Harrowers (2), and Warwitch Sirens (2). In a typical fifty point list, the core build is thirty eight points, leaving me twelve points to play with.

The linked articles should give you an idea about the different uses for the Helldivers and Scavengers, while the Stalker is kept in reserve for assassinations against warlocks, or if the Scavengers fail. The Harrowers castle forward, providing a safe place for Mortenebra (this is extremely important), and either clear drop zones for the Scavengers (using their Mortifiers), or exploit Thresher and Overrun to assassinate careless casters.

The real magic of this list is found in the remaining twelve points, which allows Mortenebra a host of options she lacks in her Tier list. I've tried out a couple of different builds, and these three are the most successful so far.

• Satyxis Blood Witches, Hag, and Withershadow Combine: Granting Mortenebra access to major upkeep removal, a free upkeep, and an additional reroll. The Withershadow Combine also add another ranged element, able to clear out one or two annoying models blocking an assassination. The Blood Witches are able to charge, remove a screen, and then turn incorporeal to allow charges through them. The Hag shuts down Tough, which is otherwise a serious problem for a Harrower assassination run, and this is my preferred setup (add your choice of one point filler).
    An alternative build I've been toying with, is going with just one Warwitch Siren, and including Slaughterborn instead, giving me the ability to clean out two ranks of infantry, before sending in the jacks.
• Bane Thralls, Unit attachment, and Tartarus: Have you ever seen a unit of Bane Thralls charge with rerolls on everything? It's like watching a truck with a front mounted plow, hit a wall of butter at fifty miles an hour. Bane Thralls allow Mortenebra to play attrition, and that makes for some very dangerous lists.
• Satyxis Raiders, Sea Witch, and Satyxis Raider Captain: These girls provide an excellent screen, activate Finisher with Feedback, wreck lines on infantry, and occasionally manage to knockdown something important. In a list with multiple slams and knockdowns, they can really wreck some face, and in other games they can engage enemy ranged models to save your precious Harrowers.

The core list plays on Terminal Velocity, allowing me to perform slams and power attacks for free, with boosted attack rolls and increased range against living models. A friendly Trollblood opponent once looked at our match, and asked me if I wanted to save some time and surrender, so we could go get lunch.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra: How to win

I asked him why I would do that, when I was going to win in about thirty seconds, and he laughed. I can understand why, since I had four Bonejacks and Deryliss left, facing an almost intact army, and Mulg placed by his caster.

• I upkeep Spectral Steel (Scav.) and assign three Focus (Scav.).
• Mortenebra activates: Terminal Velocity & Recalibration.
• Deryliss puts Overrun on a Stalker.
• Stalker procs Overrun.
• Scavenger moves with Overrun.
• Helldiver slams Mulg to the ground.
• Helldiver slams Grim Angus to the ground, inflicting two damage (not transferred)
• The Scavenger charges through the lines, with finisher up, hitting Grim automatically.

Grim had two Fury on him, but with Recalibration up it just wasn't enough. He could have survived with some lucky Tough checks, but one wasn't enough.

Sometime after that, it was named the Flying Circus of Doom, and people began taking it seriously. Fielding the Mortenebra non-tier list is a lot like playing a pinball machine, and in one game against a Legion player I slammed every beast he had on the table. Helldivers slammed, Scavengers flew over the slammed models to slam the second rank in odd angles, and Overrun moved the Stalker into position for a charge.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra: Non-tier

I'm often asked why I find non-tier to be superior, and there's a simple answer. Terminal Velocity & Recalibration allows our different Bonejacks to perform amazing stunts, while our heavies mostly just increase in raw power. When I field non-tier I can include models/units that increase my hitting power with debuffs, weapon masters, and support, while adding some ridiculous shenanigans to the list as well.

Non-tier Mortenebra with Bane Thralls can attrition a Warjack heavy list, which is something Tier-lists struggle against. Non-tier removes every problem you have when facing infantry spam, which is something Tier-lists struggle with as well. Non-tier has very few bad match-ups, and that's what I feel makes it so superior to Tier -lists.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra: Summary

The best thing about non-tier Mortenebra is, that it isn't quite as boring as her Tier-lists. You've got twelve points you can tailor to your specific needs, change around as you please without endangering the list, and use to add the variety that her Tier-list so badly needs.

Non-tier Mortenebra is an incredibly powerful build, that melts right through an enemy army to annihilate their caster, or probes his lines before forming into a steel fist, and striking where he's weak. Nobody can catch you, and nobody can dictate where you fight. You will outmaneuver Legion speed lists and destroy them, you will ignore enemy infantry no matter how many lines they form, and you will teach them to fear.

Spotlight: Leviathan

The Leviathan is a strange machine. It's a ponderous ranged combatant, that drains Focus from your Warcaster to perform even the most basic assignments, but it's not totally without merit. It's a sturdy Helljack, with immunity to knockdown, that can force opponents forward, and tank what would instantly destroy most other Cryx models.

The thing you need to realize is, that the Leviathan almost never kills anything. It has up to three high powered attacks with long range, but unless you completely luck out with your dice, it simply won't kill anything, but luckily it won't have to: The Leviathan isn't a ranged killer, it's a puller. It might sound a bit silly to use a nine point Helljack to pull, but it works.

For those familiar with MMORPGs the concept of a pull needs no explanation, but a pull is when one player engages the big baddie, and either tanks him or hands him of to the real tanks. The Leviathan is a puller, because it will force your opponent forward. Having two boosted PS 15 attacks hit a Juggernaut will inflict around ten damage, which won't bother it much, but your opponent will look at those ten damage and go "If I let him fire again, I'll loose some systems, so I better go all in before it's to late".

If your opponent hangs back you can keep denting him for ten damage per round, and if he advances he comes within charge range of the remaining army. Most cryxian models have excellent defensive mechanisms, and if you can take out the few models that circumvent those defenses with the Leviathan, you've won: He can't advance and he cannot fight back. There are several of those threats that can be neutralized in one round of shooting (there goes your gun arm Mr. Warjack), and several that cannot even retaliate without getting into range of your remaining army.

There's always the chance he outguns you, or that doing ten damage per round isn't enough to pull him, and that's why I recommend you bring two Leviathans (or none, obviously). Taking twenty damage per round (or loosing up to six models), from two sturdy Helljacks, is more than most opponents can ignore, and few armies can outgun them without getting in range of a counter punch.  This makes two Leviathans a rather good build, because you get to fight on your own terms almost every game.

The Leviathans also make handy tanks and road blocks, with good ARM and sturdy grids, and when your opponent does engage, they can put out quite a bit of damage if you're creative. The Leviathans can throw, trample, or simply hack things apart with it's PS 17 claw, but I've never actually done that. The Leviathans are a threat, and most opponents will attack the threat, even if that threat diminishes when the armies clash.

It's a funny thing, but my Leviathans always die. They're hit by melee monsters (Deathjack, Beast09, and others), or destroyed by a pile of weapon master infantry, and my opponents never seem to realize that they're doing exactly what I want them to (even the seriously good opponents fail this one). I bang up their models/units with the Leviathans, they destroy my Leviathans with some fresh models, and I destroy whatever did the deed. Now we've both lost our heavy hitters, and he has a pile of banged up models to boot. My infantry is usually better than his, and he has lost more than I have already.

Leviathan: Casters

There are plenty of casters that can run dual Leviathans, but few that can do it well. It requires a caster that can gain by throwing all they've got at supporting the Leviathans, and a caster that brings an army that can profit from the pull.

• eAsphyxious: Two Leviathans provide a nice place to hide, and Caustic Mist + Hellbound can protect them from retaliation. Parasite allows for some heavy damage, but he does lack a way to increase their RAT. eAsphyxious also tends to blow most of his budget on Banes, so I think the Desecrator will assume this position when it appears.
• eDeneghra: Two Leviathans provide a nice place to hide, and her feat allows them an extra round of shooting, and a round of great accuracy. She can keep them safe, get them out of trouble, and they should perform well with her.
• Mortenebra: This is one of the Warcasters that are usually recommended for the Leviathan, due to her Interface rule. I find Mortenebra to be a horrible caster, when it comes to Leviathans, and I'll bring a Harrower or Desecrator every time. Don't bring Leviathans with Mortenebra, it's a trap.
• Terminus: It's not a surprise if you've read my Terminus spotlight, but he quite likes two Helljacks, and the Leviathans are good choices. Unfortunately I think they'll be replaced by Desecrators, but until then they're lovely.
• Witch Coven: Occultation, Feat, Increased movement, debuffs, and plenty of Focus to make it all happen. The Coven isn't a bad choice for the dual Leviathan setup, and with Infernal Machine they can do some real damage in melee. I was surprised when I noticed this combination, but it's actually quite powerful.

As you can see, the list of casters isn't worth going out and buying two Leviathans. I would however recommend, that you magnetize the coming spider jack kits (or proxy) and give it a spin. It's different and enjoyable, and when you get used to them it's quite powerful.

 Leviathan: Support

The Leviathans require a lot of Focus, and I mean a lot. They need at least two Focus each, and they would really like three if you can manage it. If you're shooting at ARM 18 or less, with poor defense, you can get away with two Focus, but otherwise you need three for two shots with boosted damage. I've found the Leviathans to benefit a lot from The Withershadow Combine reroll, and if you can get Gorman in there with some Black Oil, you can really lay some damage on a target, but that's about it.

Leviathan: Summary

Leviathans are not the best Helljacks you can find, and I fear they'll become extinct when the Desecrator arrives, but if you build an army to exploit them it can get ugly real fast. I've never actually lost a game, in which I used the two Leviathans, since playing on your terms is such a powerful tool, and they've revolutionized my relationship to Helljacks in general (before trying this setup, I rarely took any Helljacks at all).

Spotlight: Bloodgorgers

The Bloodgorgers are frequent subjects in questions from new players, and with good reason. The angry trolls are in the unique position, of being a great unit in a faction of exceptional units. This makes people take notice of them (and the models which are made of pure awesome), but when placed on the table they often disappoint.

I'll begin with a little story about the first time I faced Karchev the Terrible. This opponent made the error of assuming that Bloodgorgers were designed to destroy infantry, and parked his wall of armor within range. His expression when the debuffs began stacking on the two heavies in front, was one of curious caution, and his expression when the Bloodgorgers charged was one of confusion, but when the first Bloodgorger began swinging at PS 19 that all changed.

Bloodgorgers: Statistics

Bloodgorgers are what I like to call unbridled potential. They need help, they need direction, and they need someone to invest resources in making them work, but when you do, the pure destruction a single troll can inflict defies belief.

• Defense

The Bloodgorgers have pathetic armor. I know it might look solid, but their armor won't protect them from anything but the weakest of blasts. There are times when people will roll exceptionally poorly, but in general you can expect to be hit and killed on average dice, by almost anything in the game. This is their main weakness, and if your caster can somehow overcome that problem they become a truly different unit. This can be accomplished by Occultation, Death Ward, Blood Magic, or similar effects, but is pretty much required in order to make them work as a primary unit.

The Bloodgorgers do have one more trick up their sleeve, and being Tough makes them a fairly resistant unit, when you've done something to protect them from ranged attacks. With General Gerlack Slaughterborn nearby they also become steady, and suddenly the unit can handle some real punishment.

• Offense

The Bloodgorgers are a truly terrifying unit, featuring the gang ability and multiple attacks. Without support they can each achieve two MAT 8 attacks with PS 13, but when you begin applying buffs/debuffs the unit transforms. A simple application of Parasite will allow a few Bloodgorgers to severely damage an opposing heavy, and additional debuffs will see almost anything die horribly.

With General Gerlack Slaughterborn the unit gains overtake, which allows them to be fairly effective against infantry as well. Without the general their potential is limited by their lack of reach, but with the right support (Ghost Walk) and overtake, they can munch through a lot of models. The main issue is keeping their gang bonus available when moving around, but if you can manage it the Bloodgorgers can really go to town.

• Movement

This is another issue you will need to handle, because these guys have some serious issues with terrain. Having a Skarlock and a caster with access to Ghost Walk is your best bet, but Saxon Orrik can handle business if you've got other plans for the Skarlock.

The Bloodgorgers are slow, and while bloodthirst allows them a fair threat against living models, you really need the ability to ignore terrain quite badly, and Ghost Walk is the superior choice. Without access to Pathfinder or Ghost Walk, the trolls will be out of range or unable to charge, and a good opponent will lure them in and destroy them.

Bloodgorgers: Complications

I hope you've noticed this already, but these guys need support. They need something to assist them with movement, something to safeguard them against shooting, and a couple of things to increase their offensive potential as well, and that's a lot of effort to make one unit work. This is why I rarely make Bloodgorgers my primary infantry, but they're really good backup!

Bloodgorgers: You get what you pay for.

A minimum unit of Bloodgorgers is just five points, and that's actually a pretty decent price for what they do, if you already planned on including a few other models.

• General Gerlack Slaughterborn: There are plenty of lists out there with Slaughterborn in them, because honestly he's worth the three points on his own. Add to this that the Bloodgorgers help to keep him safe, and they basically gain Steady & Overtake for free.
• Skarlock: This guy is probably in you list anyway, and sometimes you end up without a job for him. Instead of bringing support specifically for the Bloodgorgers, you can use a couple of them to keep him safe, and they can benefit on turns where he's not needed elsewhere.
• Bane Thralls: A staple of many lists, and they do well with Bloodgorgers. If you're facing infantry the Bloodgorgers can clean it out before you send in the Bane Thralls, and if you face heavy armor the Bane Thralls can supply Dark Shroud, and the Bloodgorgers can inflict some real damage.

When you look at it like that, you'll find that a minimum unit works well as an all purpose unit, that can scavenge resources from your army when nobody else needs it. They can shield important models, roll annoying Tough checks to block lanes, or simply get in the way of tramples. If your main units collapse the Bloodgorgers can pick up the slack, and inflict horrendous amounts of damage to both heavies and infantry alike.

Bloodgorgers are good, because they can be tooled to take on anything, which makes them the perfect backup unit. Bloodgorgers are great, because while they're waiting around to see where they're needed, they do a good job at being incredibly annoying to an opponent. Bloodgorgers are fantastic, because seeing the two remaining trolls annihilate a Juggernaut, will make your opponent go "blergh".

Spotlight: Lord Exhumator Scaverous

I'm not entirely sure I'm qualified to write this, but since nobody else seems to have done it I guess I'll give it a shot. I can always return and update it when I feel I've got it all figured out, but do take this into consideration when pondering the information in this spotlight.

Lord Exhumator Scaverous initially attracted my attention, because I refused to believe the rumors about him. I couldn't believe the people at Privateer Press would take the spell we could all agree Cryx should never have, and put it on a caster with access to Excarnate and Ghost Walk. When he finally arrived I damn near fainted, and I knew I had found my second caster.

A specialist in the acquisition of lore from the dead, Lord Exhumator Scaverous is one of the most potent and intelligent servants of the Nightmare Empire.

I lost my first game with the Exhumator, but then I got him figured out. The second and third game had my opponent surrendering after turn two, but then I ran into my first problem, as there are just: so many options. It literally gave me a headache to sort through his possible actions every turn, and I had to put him aside for the masters, since there was no way I would be able to field him in a timed tournament.

Scaverous: Abilities

Scaverous is a trinity-caster, and that's his only weakness. A trinity-caster is someone who has the ability to win by assassination, attrition, and scenario, while being equally strong in all aspects. This might not sound like a weakness, but it's horribly complicated, and mistakes will cost you games. This spotlight will contain more walkthroughs than usual, since Scaverous is so new at the moment.

• Avernus

Scaverous swings a mean scythe, and with Thresher he can reap a fair amount of souls. Scaverous can move potential targets around with TK, then charge in and Thresher the lot of them, TK himself further up the field and swing at some more targets, but this is a trap. Scaverous is not Terminus, and no amount of souls will help him if he dies before he can turn them into Focus. Avernus is handy to have, but should be considered your last way out.

• Black Gate (Feat)

The Black Gate is what makes Scaverous so dangerous, and while several other casters have feats that seem more powerful, the Black Gate is right up there with them. The obvious effect is to allow Scaverous to cast a storm of boosted spells, which allows him a fair spell assassination potential, as well as the potential to move entire units around on the table. This is such a powerful feat, that I would have thought it adequate, but there's more.

The Black Gate also provides every other friendly faction model in range with free boosts to their magic attacks, which makes Warwitch Sirens and Withershadow Combine hit defense seventeen on average dice. This is not worth constructing a list to abuse, but it's worth taking into consideration with the models/units you already include for different purposes.

There's more though, because the Black Gate also features a watered down version of Lamentation, increasing the cost of enemy spells and animi by one. There are quite a lot of casters which cannot pull their usual shenanigans with this added cost, and it will ruin the Fury economy of a lot of warlocks as well. It's not something to be relied on, but if your plans fail, it's nice to have a secondary effect reducing the consequences.

In summary, the Black Gate allows you to move a couple of models out of the way with boosted Telekinesis spells, at the cost of one Focus each. Then another Focus will buy you a boosted Icy grip, reducing the enemy casters defense by two. The another Focus will buy you a boosted Telekinesis, pulling him two inches forward and turning his back to your army, and the final three Focus will buy a boosted Feast of Worms. You now have an unprotected enemy caster, with his back turned, and -2 DEF/ARM, ready to be taken down at your leisure.

• Spells

The spell list is an abomination and should never have existed. Scaverous is one spell away from the perfect spell list, and Icy Grip is the closest thing to Crippling Grasp they could find. I usually don't do walkthroughs, but in this case I think I should.

1. Death Ward allows Scaverous to camp at ARM 26, setting a new record as far as i know.  It also allows him to run a few units such as Bane Knights or Bloodgorgers, that normally suffer badly from their lack of ARM.
2. Feast of Worms brings a powerful AoE attack, that just happens to include an ARM debuff. While it's not as good as a model/unit based debuff, it brings the ability to clear out models shielding your target, while applying the debuff as well. Remember that the ARM debuff applies to the AoE attack, making it effectively POW eight.
3. Excarnate allows for a slightly weaker version of the eGaspy Bile Thrall shenanigans. It's slightly weaker since Scaverous lacks the ability to redeploy after casting it, but I've never found it to be a serious problem. Excarnate also allows Scaverous a decent spell assassination, since three Focus buys you a fully boosted POW 13 on feat round.
4. Ghost Walk is a staple spell in Cryx, and it works just as well for Scaverous. With his access to movement related spells, Ghost Walk simply ads icing to a delicious cake, and allows you to forget about the annoying terrain or free strikes.
5. Icy Grip is there because they couldn't give him Crippling Grasp. A defense debuff to go with his ARM debuff, and the ability to stop a unit with scary *Attacks from doing harm. No running is a nice little bonus, but remember that ban on *Attacks, as it will make Winterguard Deathstars cry.
6. Telekinesis is just wrong. This spell does everything, and will need more than a little snippet like this to explain. We'll get back to this later, but the first thing I thought to myself when this was confirmed was: Oh dear, how do I justify putting this guy on the table.

The only thing holding this spell list back is a lack of Focus, but you did read his feat just before. If you manage to gather three souls, you can cast every spell on that list, with boosted attack rolls, in a single round. I'm not saying it would be a good idea, but a powerful list of spells backed up by the ability to cast all of them in a round, is just plain old wrong.

Scaverous: Telekinesis

This spell has a ridiculous amount of applications. I'm just saying it so you won't be surprised, and there's no possible way I can describe the multitude of ways this spell can ruin an opponent. Let's begin with five completely obvious applications and work from there.

• Additional threat: Casting a simple spell will increase the range of any model with two inches, allowing our speed six models a greater threat than a reach model with the same speed. This can be applied on the target as well, allowing a combined four inch increase in threat. Bile Thralls suddenly purge from thirteen inches away, and Admonia unbinds from fifteen inches away.
• Rescue & Retrieval: Telekinesis requires no attack roll against friendly models, so if you need something pulled out of melee, just apply Telekinesis. This can also allow you to freely gun down a model that was hiding in melee with the model.
• The Merry-Go-Round: Turning models around can really mess up an opponents plans. My personal favorite is simply turning heavies around, removing their options for a charge, removing their initial attacks, and making them pay for a Trample in order to reach anything. In addition it's a lot easier hitting someone who's looking the other way, and they don't benefit from shields either.
• The unwilling assistant: A dastardly use, which involves moving enemy models into positions that benefit you. This could involve moving a living model near a Warjack (allowing Snapjaw a free charge and more range), or moving models that release dangerous effects upon death, to where they inflict damage on his models instead.
• The Control area boogie: A little poke is all it takes, if your opponents Warjacks are loitering at the edge of his control area. It's a little less effective against hordes, but pushing your opponent two inches back, can occasionally prevent him from forcing his beasts if he doesn't run.

Those are just a few of the more obvious applications of the spell, and the list continues. The final thing to remember is, that if you attempt a Telekinesis against an engaged enemy model and miss, you instead get an opportunity to move your own model to a better position (and you won't even need to hit your own model since it's friendly). This probably wont come into play often, but keep it in mind anyway.

Scaverous: Complications

Knowing a bit about what he can do, we get to his one balancing fact: That he can't do it all at once. Scaverous can camp at almost unbreakable ARM, perform incredible feats of trickery, or simply fire a hail of spells, but he has to choose each round. This is actually some hard choices, because Scaverous is on a medium base, with no other defense mechanic, and he will go down if you choose the wrong round to go all in. This is a weakness we can remedy, but we have to do it through his list.

Scaverous: List construction

The first thing we have to look at, is survivability. Scaverous is on a medium base, and has a tendency to run himself dry on Focus with all his nifty spells, so getting shot in the face is a very real possibility. We've got several possible solutions for that particular problem, but I think two of them stand out.

• Bloodgorgers: These guys are faction models, and with General Slaughterborn to back them up they can be a fantastic shield. Bloodgorgers also benefit a lot from Death Ward, making them almost immune to blast damage. They do require a lot of resources to run properly, but they're usually worth it. The major problem is the amount of space they take up on the table, and this is something you need to practice avoiding.
• Ogrun Bokur: The cheap and easy option. This options means fighting with three points less in your army, since it will never actually do anything except keep Scaverous safe(ish). If you find yourself strapped for points, he will do.

The next thing we need to consider is assassination pieces.

• Malice: This is the only Helljack I'd consider including, since Scaverous makes pulling of Dark Industries even easier. Malice lacks reach, but opens up a lot of assassination vectors with drag, and can produce an impressive number of attacks when loaded up with souls.
• Lesser Warlocks: Looking at Scaverous it's clear, that he doesn't like to part with his Focus, so I'm always surprised when I see lists featuring multiple Helljacks. I do realize that we have access to some heavy hitters, and that several of them will be fine assassination pieces, but I feel the Focus drain limits his available options for assassination. Wrong Eye & Snapjaw will be the prime candidates for the job, but Rorsh & Brine shouldn't be underestimated.

Then we reach the really problematic part of the list, which is support. Scaverous is infamous for bringing an army of support pieces, but I don't think we need to go overboard.

• Skarlock: Always an awesome piece, but with Scaverous it rises to legendary. The ability to use Telekinesis before activating Scaverous will win you games, and with Black Gate active it can even apply debuffs to enemies with a fairly good chance of success.
• Withershadow Combine: If you don't already know why, then go read this. 
• Warwitch Sirens: If you don't already know why, then go read this.

And that's the list. There's plenty of additional support available, but the cost would have to come out of your units that will do the real work, and that's going to be a problem. Scaverous needs protection, he needs an assassination piece, and he needs a ton of support, so that leaves very little room for units.

• Bane Thralls: Scaverous really needs a way to apply a secondary ARM debuff, and Bane Thralls work well in that capacity. The Unit Attachment is a given, and you might as well bring Tartarus, but I usually settle for a minimum unit with Scaverous to keep the cost down. You can find their intervention article here.
• Bile Thralls: Not only do they annihilate enemies, but they deter charges and work wonders with Excarnate. You can find their spotlight here.
• Bloodgorgers: As stated earlier, they perform well as both protection and anti-infantry. With Dark Shroud support, and Feast of Worms up, they can even destroy heavies, which tends to surprise people writing them of as anti-infantry.
• Croe's Cutthroats: This unit becomes something truly unique when used with Scaverous. The unit has Backstab and Poison, allowing them to function as ranged weapon masters with Scaverous. In addition to turning a model around, he will increase the units pathetic range when he moves the target forward, and with the right support a unit of Croe's can take down most heavy warbeasts in a round, and Bushwack to safety.

I'm sad to report this, but Croe's Cutthroats rarely makes my lists. They require heavy thinking every round, and an amazing amount of resources, but when you do put the effort into it they can perform some truly stupid feats of strength.

Scaverous: Summary

Scaverous is a true powerhouse, but keeping him alive is harder than his exceptional ability to camp would suggest. Scaverous has no passive abilities to buff his army like Terminus, nor the ability to drain souls like Venethrax or Lich Lord Asphyxious, so you're usually restricted to his basic allotment of Focus (remember that Avernus is a trap), and it just isn't enough to do it all.

If you can manage to keep him safe, his ability to manipulate the battlefield will win you every game. If you can stay alive until both armies are decimated, you can camp your way to victory, and if you have the mental resources to grasp the vast amount of options he presents (I don't) you will never loose.

Spotlight: Lich Lord Terminus

I would like to introduce a friend of mine. He's an unholy abomination, the size of your average Helljack, with the ability to ignore just about anything on the table, and split a caster in two with a single blow. Terminus has an answer for everything in the game, and I'll tell you why: because he just won't die.

Terminus has been dubbed Lich Lord Freight Train, and the name is well deserved. He's fast, incredibly hard to put down, and will rampage straight through most almost anything on the table (and anything after an average feat round). He can reach armor values that nothing in the game can break, and take out two heavy warbeasts and the warlock they were guarding, in a single round. When the freight train comes at you, there's nothing to do but run.

You can read up on his abilities on Battlecollege here, but stay away from the section with thoughts on Terminus. It's not that they're wrong, but I believe the ideas presented there are unsuitable for Tournament Terminus, and tournaments are where Terminus really shines.

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
- Sun Tzu

It may be an obvious truth, but the way to win, is to avoid losing longer than your opponent, and this is where Terminus shines. I never field Terminus in friendly games, but I've brought him to every tournament I've been in, and I've never lost by assassination (Edit: After 51 games a Saeryn list, tailored against that specific Terminus list managed to kill him).

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
- Sun Tzu

This is impossible, and we all know it, but we can come close, and they way to do that is simplicity. When your army is simple and your activations are instinctive, you have an abundance of mental resources available to avoid mistakes. If you avoid mistakes long enough, your opponent will make one, and you win. Terminus will punish any of your opponents mistakes with swift death, and has a fairly good chance at surviving your own.

Terminus list construction: Infantry

The Dark Swarm isn't a new concept, but I do think I've contributed to making it a staple tournament build. In short it does away with the concept of a bullet shield, and instead relies on the simple fact, that few opponents will ever actually shoot at Terminus. This might come as a surprise for some, but there are quite a lot of empirical "evidence" to back up the theory. This means I leave Mechanithralls at home, which makes my turns a whole lot simpler, and simplicity wins games.

Personally I don't feel there are any other units that come even remotely close to the potential of the Bane Thralls with Terminus. They're perfectly designed to take down the heavies that threaten him, while being very effective Sacrificial Pawn targets (they are very hard to remove due to stealth and the armor rating to withstand a lot of blasts), and the ability to shake knockdown and stationary is more than just icing on the cake: It will allow your brick to keep moving.

That being said, the Bane Thralls usually have backup in the form of Bile Thralls. These little guys really love being Tough, and they add another layer of defense to the brick. In front you've got Helljacks (or Lesser Warlocks), backed up by Bane Thralls, and protected by Bile Thralls. This makes for a fortress of pain, that requires exceptional measures to crack.

• If a couple of Heavy Warjacks/Warbeasts come for your Helljacks: Bane Thralls respond and remove the threats. There are few casters that can take Terminus down without their heavies, so trading heavies will benefit you.
• An Infantry horde comes for your Helljacks or Bane Thralls: Bile Thralls respond and wipe out the opposition (and probably a few Bane Thralls unless you're the king of positioning). If they were living infantry you now have an ARM 30+ Terminus parked within range of the enemy caster, and if they were undead you have to settle for being ahead in resources.

That's all the infantry you really need. In emergencies the Withershadow Combine and Bile Thralls can be Sac. Pawned, but I've never actually had to do that. There are plenty of other units that can work with Terminus, but in terms of raw power you can't currently do better than Bane & Bile Thralls.

Terminus list construction: Helljacks

This has quite a few people baffled, but I usually bring a couple of Helljacks. I was inspired to try this by a Terminus tactica by lastspartacus, in which he mentions the Gunslinger list: "The idea behind this list is giving ranged options to your Terminus list to have more options in dealing with what you can't manage to reach with your swords and fists". The list includes two Leviathans, and while I didn't have much success with inflicting damage with the Leviathans, I discovered that two Helljacks parked in front of Terminus makes him very close to immortal. There are few armies that can punch through two Helljacks, cross their wrecks, and still have the juice to take down Terminus.

• Erebus: High defense and Poltergeist, makes this jack an ideal blocker for Terminus. Erebus also brings another assassination piece to the table, as an application of Ravager turns him into a non-reach Slaughterborn on steroids. I've never actually taken down a caster with him, but my personal best is sixteen kills in one round, which is double what I ever achieved with Slaughterborn.
• Malice: The ability to pull in heavies is exceptional with Terminus, as it allows for easy kills with the Bane Thralls. Malice also works very well with the Withershadow Combine, which are always present in a Terminus list, which further enhances it's usefulness.
• Desecrator: I've had no opportunity to try it out yet, but the Desecrator seems like a very nice Helljack. It's more survivable than Erebus & Malice, generates Focus from the Dark Swarm, and the AoE gun adds another layer of defense to the brick. I would be tempted to try a list with three of these sometime, because Terminus and accumulator can fill up all three.
• Leviathan: It's not a bad Helljack with Terminus, and it does remove a few of his really bad match-ups against Cygnar, but I find it tends to underperform. It's great when you look at the defensive abilities, but the Desecrator should do better.

The thing that usually deter people from Helljacks with Terminus, is the idea that he needs to camp his Focus, when in fact Terminus is the cryxian caster with most available Focus per turn. Terminus has one spell worth spending Focus on, and it's only worth casting once: Malediction. Casting Ravager is why you bring a Skarlock, and upkeeping it is taken care of by Admonia anyway, so: the only use Terminus has for his Focus is staying alive.

If you can keep him alive without needing his ARM score, you've got six Focus available each turn, and that's where the clever part becomes apparent. Killing a caster that is almost immune to ranged attacks, when he has two Helljacks parked in front of him, is seriously hard, and it makes it even worse if those Helljacks are immune to knockdown. If you bring two Helljacks you become harder to destroy, and if your bring ranged Helljacks, your Focus can work on destroying your enemy while you're at it.

If you find yourself matched against a list with enough magic attacks to actually hurt Terminus without Focus, you should have chosen your other list. Assuming it happens anyway, you can live through it. The great thing about Terminus is, that he can win a game without his army actually doing anything, so while the game will be harder you can just camp it out. Your Helljacks don't need Focus to get in the way, and with the Desecrator they can still run or boost due to accumulator.

Terminus list construction: Support

We all know how important support is to Terminus, and there's nothing to be done about that. I do feel that it's a weakness, so knowing which models you cannot afford to lose is vital.

• Admonia: Do not lose this woman! Admonia is the single most important model besides Terminus, and losing her is a disaster. Terminus needs his full compliment of Focus, and the free upkeep is essential for his Focus economy. In addition, a single upkeep spell can destroy Terminus, and you really want her alive to keep them of him.
• Tremulus: While he's not as essential as Admonia, his Puppet Master ability enables Terminus to assassinate without needing additional Focus. This is important, because there will be games where there are no available souls to grab. If you lose him, your assassination potential diminishes, to the point where you need to think about charging, instead of simply winning.
• Darragh Wrathe: The additional inch of movement is very nice, and his Beyond Death ability occasionally comes in handy (but since you're hidden behind a couple of Helljacks it usually doesn't). Darragh Wrathe is quite important, since twelve inch threat is a lot better than eleven inches, and allows you to out-threat most enemy casters.
• Madelyn Corbeau: Another way of gaining additional threat, and she can contribute to Bile Thrall movement as well, increasing purge ranges to fifteen inches. Tartarus also likes getting an additional three inch threat, and can often catch opponents with their pants down from those same fifteen inches away.
• Skarlock: Is actually quite important to Terminus, since he enables you to play Terminus offensively without putting yourself in danger. I began bringing him when I found myself missing out on souls, because grabbing them would weaken my ARM unless I used my feat. The Skarlock is there to pop Ravager, allowing Terminus to harvest two or three souls, while saving his feat for the slaughter to come.

These are the models you really don't want to lose, and they're worth around twelve points combined. Everything else just needs to take as long as possible dying for the cause, while causing your opponents as many headaches and difficult choices as possible. You really want to force him into making a mistake, and then send your two ton endgame at him and watch his caster go squish.

Terminus: Abilities

This is not an walk through, but an attempt at conveying what you can expect from the Freight Train. At the time I write this, only one caster has ever survived a charge from my Terminus: pSeverius. It happened because I allowed myself to be tricked away from my support, and faced a camping pSeverius with Defender's Ward up. That's defense sixteen and armor twenty three right there, while I had to spend a Focus on upkeeping Malediction, and had no re-roll available. pSeverius had four boxes left when the smoke cleared, and I lost on scenario.

Terminus with six Focus, Malediction, Ravager, and Puppet Master available, can put out an amount of damage that can only be described as ridiculous. He's effectively MAT 9 & PS 18, and can put seven or eight attacks on a caster (eight if he's within range of his claw, or there's an available sucker to punch, and proc another sword swing on the caster with ravager). Any normal caster taking that to the face will die, and even poor dice usually won't stop it from happening.

If I find myself up against something I think can survive that, I've got Bane Thralls or Tartarus available to lend a hand. Dark Shroud takes Terminus to PS 20, which will make even Karchev on full camp take notice (should take more than half his health on a charge, not including the additional damage from Puppet Master). The thing is, that these numbers don't include extra Focus from souls.

Terminus: Dragon's Call (Feat)

Dragon's Call requires an evaluation, and that's about the only hard part. The question you need to ask yourself is: How many guys can I kill within twelve inches of where he lands? In some games it's none, and in other games it's twenty. Let me just say, that if you get twenty souls on Terminus, your opponent might as well call it right there, since you've got the juice to wipe what remains of his army of the board, even if you can't get to him.

Most games I don't even bother using it, unless there are more than five guaranteed souls available. I always pop it when going for an assassination attempt though, so I've got a shot at some mad shenanigans if I fail. A really successful Dragon's Call allows for some really bad-ass maneuvers, and there's no shame in flaunting that ARM 35 when you have it.

I hope this cleared up a few questions about Terminus, but feel free to comment on it, and I'll work in the answers when I can.

/Lamoron