Editing Warmachine/Tactics/Cryx (section)

==General Strategy==

Cryxian general strategy is hard to describe, since Cryx is one of the most varied factions in all of Warmahordes. They can field any type of army and do so well, and there's basically no strategy that they can't field.

This is further complicated by the fact that Cryx is even more warcaster-dependent than any other faction. Two Cryx 'casters might field identical lists, but run completely differently on the tabletop due to differences between spell lists and feats. This is true to an extent for every Warmahordes army, but Cryxian warcasters are often so strong that they end up dictating most of their army's strategy.

So, instead of going over each warcaster and all the intricacies of their interactions with every unit available to them (which you're really only going to learn by playing, though looking up other sources of information on the faction may help), let's look at the basics of what makes Cryx unique.

* '''Warcaster Strength'''
As mentioned above, the Cryxian warcaster in play is a huge part of the game. You generally have two types of casters in Warmchine. warcasters that exist to enable their armies to do the heavy lifting and rarely do much in person (looking at you, Protectorate) or casters that don't support there army as much but are a one man blenders (The Butcher, Allister Caine). Cryx splits the difference and does both. Cryx 'casters are rarely slouches in direct fighting, and some, like Gaspy2, are actually incredible threats in a brawl. Gaspy, Skarre, Terminus, and others can all dish out some serious pain, and can take a pounding in return (though, pf course, they still need ''some'' protection).

Aside from melee, Cryxian 'casters also pack some of the strongest spell lists in the game. Some are offensive powerhouses. Some are utility toolkits. Some debuff, some buff, and so on and so on. Many pack a mix of all of the above, which makes Cryx's 'casters toolboxes that have almost every answer you need. 

Cryx also has a hell of a lot of Arc Nodes, which, in addition to being fast and damn hard to catch, generally come dirt fucking cheap. A Cryx player can easily swamp his opponent in the damn things, which extends his 'caster's reach even further across the battlefield and means that all that power can come from anywhere at any time.

* '''Debuffs and Corrosion'''
Cryx brings more debuff options to the table than any other faction. Even discounting the aforementioned spells from the 'caster, a lot of Cryxian units bring some seriously painful debuffs along with them. Terror, ARM and DEF breakers, SPD reduction (which prevents charges!) - we've got it all. Any army going up against Cryx is going to start falling apart even before the fighting starts.

Cryx also brings its trademark Continuous effect: Corrosion, which behaves like Fire except that it doesn't roll for damage. Instead, it automatically inflicts one wound, which makes it hilariously effective at eating through infantry and solos. Splash your opponents with xenomorph blood and watch the butthurt as their models melt away.

* '''Mobility'''
Like the Dark Eldar, Cryx hits hard and hits fast. Cryxian units can cover a surprising amount of distance in a staggeringly short amount of time, though this isn't always apparent if you just look at their SPD.

Oh, sure, bonejacks are quick little bastards most of the time, but most of your mobility options come from special rules and abilities. Incorporeal is nice, and lets some of your infantry just walk through barricades. Helldivers are tricky little burrowing bastards that can get in critical charges from angles that your opponent never expected. Some of your units can even teleport outright, letting them blink in and out of combat without provoking free strikes.

As a Cryx player, you have the ability to dictate when fights happen. Use it, because without that critical alpha strike, your units will crumple like tissue paper.

* '''Assassination Runs'''

Put it all together now. Your forces are extremely mobile, hit like a truck made of zombies and testosterone, and are supported by some of the nastiest magic being channeled through the fastest, cheapest nodes around. Cryx rarely wins on scenario, but it doesn't matter since they're so damn good at launching bombing runs on the enemy warcaster, no matter where they try to hide.

* '''Weaknesses'''

You ''do'' have them, even if they aren't always going to be much of a hindrance.  Your ranged game sucks: almost all the "ranged" attacks in your army are almost certainly going to come from either a single solo, the pistol wraith, or your caster's spells. You do have jacks with ranged weapons but their RAT scores are as bad as they average Khador jack (even if your jacks tend to have MAT as good as Cygnar's).  You're generally fragile.  While your forces are cheap enough that you can usually make up for that lack of staying power with sheer quantity, enemies running the denial game with counters for high DEF are going to make it an uphill battle, ''especially'' if they brought long-ranged firepower.  

Banes aren't the end all be all anymore. The advent of Colossals like the Stormwall (who can mow down Banes before they can reach him), Ravagore spam (here's 4+ pieplates) and the Sacral Vault (models that end their movement next to it suffer 1 damage point, bye bye 1 wound Banes). While Banes are still incredibly powerful, you need to apply more strategy and use of support models and jamming units to ensure they reach their target and demolish them.

Also, EVERYONE will tech against you. Go to any army building forum and people usually have an "anti-Cryx list". Keep this in mind when playing in two list formats and make sure you have an anti anti-Cryx list.


And worst of all: you don't get to whine.  When you want to moan about the Cygnar player's gun mages, he'll just wordlessly point at your incorporeal ghost pirates with flaming weapons.  When you start bitching about a Khador player's wall of Tough, Berserk Weapon Masters, she'll frown at your Bane Thralls.  And, if you want to get up in arms about the Avatar of Menoth, you better not have the Deathjack on the table.  Shit rolls downhill, and the buck's gotta stop somewhere.