Warmachine: Faction Makers and Breakers (Cryx & Skorne)
Find out which models for each faction make the perfect theme, and which break all the rules. First up is the far east and the far west: Cryx and Skorne.
Chalkboard here from Chalkboard War, ready to discuss when models fit, or mis-fit, a faction’s theme.
Privateer Press has done a masterful job in branding each of the factions in Warmachine-Hordes. From experts to brand-new players, everyone learns that each faction in the game has its own “feel” to it. “Cygnar shooting” and the “Troll Brick” are definite thing. What experts know, and what new players often find out in a rough lesson, is that for every rule there is an exception. While a faction might be defined one way, it doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be played that way. Crafty generals can figure out when to play into those expectations and find ways to win either with pieces or lists that do the opposite of what’s expected.
This is the first in a series that explores models for each faction that exemplify (“make”) that faction’s thematic feel, and models that offer varied strategy options that contradict (“break”) that faction’s theme. As a technical note, I’m going to be picking models that are not present in the starter battlegroup boxes for the “maker” list, as the battlegroup boxes have the theme on display by design. As for which factions to include in this first article I chose a geographic grouping, picking the two factions that are on the opposite sides of Immoren, the continent on which Privateer Press’ Iron Kingdoms systems take place. That means Cryx from their archipelago off the western coast, and Skorne from across a bleak desert in the east.
Cryx – Maker
Seasoned necromancers are likely to already have a solid front-runner model for a quintessential faction “maker” in Cryx, but given that we’re excluding the battlegroup boxes it suddenly becomes an open question (as War Witch Deneghra is THE faction-definer in many ways). So, consider the Nightwretch. Cryx is known for their spell-slinging, debuffs, and slightly lighter frames than other faction’s warjacks. The Nightwretch captures all three of these thanks to that critical arc node on a bonejack. At absurdly cheap points and fast movement, the humble Nightwretch can be up into range of the opponent and enabling the wide variety of Cryx debuffs to reach whatever target you wish. Back that up with the fact that it drops after a couple of hits, and the feel of Cryx is perfectly captured in these weedy little annoyances.
Cryx – Breaker
If Cryx is about spells, debuffs, and somewhat soft models, then the faction breaker is clearly the Bane Riders. These hard cases are the polar opposite of the Cryx theme. They’re resilient with multiple wounds and have relatively high armor, so they can take a punch better than many Cryx pieces (they have one higher armor than a Slayer Heavy Jack, and only three damage boxes less when the full unit’s health is added together). They don’t get worried about being bogged down in protracted melees because of that toughness plus the ability to escape them (via the Ghost special rule). And they’re relatively autonomous on the battlefield. They’re certainly helped by debuffs, but they’re not reliant upon them like a lot of other Cryx units. This is a great unit to send off toward an objective or a flank, rather than needing to remain in the combo-piece middle of the command zone. They can be an especially sturdy surprise for a foe who is expecting Cryx to play off a bit, or be reliant upon bringing multiple spells and pieces together on a target for success.
Skorne – Maker
Skorne has a few defining features: blocks of troops supported by warbeasts advancing in close, phalanx formation form the core, but also their soul and death manipulation abilities that benefit from lots of single-wound models dying. Enter: the Praetorian Karax. These guys are the epitome of Skorne on the battlefield. They’re troops that doubly-love bunching up in tight formations, with both the Shield Wall command for extra armor and the protection against blasts when base-to-base with another model. And then they’re the simple, cheapish single-wound infantry that many Skorne warlocks and models want to have present on the battlefield. Finally, you know something truly epitomizes Skorne when they’ve got “Skornergy”: abilities that make them somewhat contradictory to other elements of the force. In the case of the Karax, it’s the fact that they’ve got rules that make them harder to kill when so many other pieces want to see some losses among the infantry to power their abilities.
Skorne – Breaker
With Skorne’s conflicting rules, close supporting infantry groups, and heavy-armored-and-hitting warbeasts being the defining story of Skorne, there is one critter from the Beast Handlers’ slave pits that simply doesn’t fit the bill. The Archidon is the one winged creature in a faction known for its Elephant-beasts, Cyclopian Giants, and the newer-est beast type of burrowing worms. More than just appearance being a misfit, this beast is the opposite of a majority of Skorne heavy warbeasts. It’s slanted more toward defense than armor or health, and focused on mobility and precision-striking rather than the brute removal and/or movement across multiple attacks. The other big element is that instead of Skornergy, the Archidon has straight synergy: there are some clear spells that enhance its rules, while not robbing any other portions of an army list. The only downside as a theme “breaker” is the big wings on the model: every opponent will know that it’s not going to hang close to the battle line–so it’s not as big a surprise as other theme breakers we’ll be discussing.
~What are your theme “makers” and theme “breakers” for Cryx and Skorne?
Interested in what “Makers and Breakers” Chalkboard is fielding? Check out his blog at www.chalkboardwar.com.
