WARMACHINE: Making the Most of Your Trollkin Sluggers
When the Trollkin Sluggers arrived on the scene in February, it was not to the fanfare one might expect for machine gun wielding trolls. While the models are some of the best in an excellent line, I think their rules and stats have had people a little puzzled.
The crux of it lies in the fact that they must stand still to get the full effect (D3 shots) from their machine guns. At the same time, their RAT along with the range and POW on their weapons is right in the middle of the road. Trolls also don’t come across as a shooting army, so it can be easy to miss all the great help they can bring to a gun fight. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to see how to make these guys work best and here are the thoughts I’ve come up with. I’m convinced these guys are a feast or famine unit. If played just right, they can be your army’s MVPs. If used thoughtlessly they will amount to a waste of points that barely manages to rack up a few kills.
General Stuff: To begin with, I think sluggers are really made for games of at least 50 points. They are more of a mid to late game unit, and they will do better when you have some of the usual melee rank and file to help block for them while they get into position. If you have to move to shoot with them, try to weigh the benefits of 5 rat 5 shots against a potential 5d3 rat 7 shots they might get next turn if you find a better place to put them. Unless you have a nice target lined up already, don’t be afraid to run them somewhere they might be really useful later. Be mindful of their range. 10″ is just a bit more than most units can charge, but it is the same distance many units can run. A dedicated melee unit will probably try to run into engaging distance of your sluggers at the first possible opportunity. Its not worth taking a few rat 5 shots if it causes the unit to get bogged down the next turn. Finally be aware of scenarios in steamroller play. If your opponent wants to run a unit into an objective zone, the following turn might be the perfect opportunity to annihilate them with the Sluggers’ Full Auto.
Helpful Army Additions: Outside of general tactics trolls do have a lot more specific help in terms of animi and other useful talents. There are many creative applications for Trollkin abilities that will benefit a ranged unit like the Sluggers. Obviously Sluggers will benefit from more general things like the Krielstone Bearer’s armor buffing aura, or a Chronicler or Swamp Gobber unit granting concealment. An Impaler can increase the range of one of them – more if a Warlock helps cast it. But lets discuss some of the more interesting options. The ones that are a little more Slugger specific.
At 5 points, the Winter troll is too expensive to be a good buy simply to support the Sluggers. But since many of the Warlocks that are useful for sluggers can help this guy a lot, he may often find himself fighting beside them. If you do decide to bring him along, his animus can be a great defense against units that try to run to engage your sluggers. He can cause any runners within 2″ of its target to freeze in their tracks, making them stationary for a round. Since stationary models don’t count as engaging, that’s another opportunity to unload on your opponent. And since his spray breath ignores the target in melee penalties, he can also help clear out any models that do end up engaging your sluggers.
The Runeshapers also work very well in slugger lists. Their ability to knock down enemy models is another way to help keep sluggers out of melee and greatly increases their odds of hitting infantry.
The Fell Caller might seem an unlikely choice for this list, but if you’ve already taken one to buff other units in your army, don’t overlook his spray weapon. This can help clear engagers from your sluggers and let them do their job. He can do this and still use a fell call.
Since he can benefit from many of the same spells and effects that help sluggers a Blitzer can perform well in a list with Sluggers in it. If you do take a Blitzer, keep his animus in mind if your sluggers end up in melee. Repulsion can push back enemy attackers to keep your Sluggers free to work. The downside is, that since it has a range of “self” its really only for use in very tight situations.
Your Warlocks: Out of the list of potential candidates I’ve found that there are four warlocks in particular that can help your sluggers shine.
Gunnbjorn is the obvious choice. Snipe is without a doubt the easy way to make sure your sluggers don’t have to move to shoot. He also has the ability to lay down a Wall of Stone in the same way as Janissa. Finally, Sluggers make fairly good Explosivo targets given the decent pow of their weapons. At pow 13 an Explosivo‘ed slugger’s AoE hits as hard as a Khador Bombard.
Grim Angus also brings a lot to the table. With Cross Country granting Pathfinder and Hunter, your Sluggers can walk unhindered into a forest and begin unleashing death unseen. Marked for Death will allow you to shoot the spell’s target regardless of line of sight. Return Fire also creates some interesting opportunities for them, but don’t play it too risky. They are only arm 14. His feat will also make your opponents a lot easier to hit, and with the penalty to speed it inflicts on their army, it almost guarantees you a turn of Full Auto shooting.
Grissell also has some great abilities to lend. Her Calamity spell effectively brings the pow and rat of your sluggers up by 2 against the target of that spell. With an effective Pow 15, your Sluggers will start chewing through even heavy warjacks. Add that to her Hoof It ability and it will be that much easier for you to get them into a good position, or move them back to safety when they finish shooting. Bring along some Bone Grinders and a Bouncer to help keep her out of harm’s way.
Calandra Truthsayer’s feat will add a powerful punch to the sluggers pow 13 while making them hit a lot more often. The spell Star Crossed can help them survive if they get engaged. Finally if the sluggers find themselves in melee with a warjack or beast, Befuddle allows Calandra to move a single model up to 3″ away, allowing the sluggers to stand still and shoot.
~So what are your thoughts on the latest addition to the Trolllblood army? Does anyone have any great Slugger stories to share? And perhaps more importantly did I miss out on any great tips for these guys? Let me know.
