Warcry/Tactics/Cypher Lords

Cypher Lord Tactics

Faction Overview

Pros

• High Movement-Cypher Lords all have a base movement of 5", which is above average and makes them the all around base fastest warband in the game. They also have a number of abilities which compliment their high movement.
• Fantastic Board Control-In addition to their high movement, they have a number of abilities which allow them to get wherever they need to be on the board in an instant (literally). They can get in and out of combat rather effortlessly.
• Good Damage-Most of their fighters deal high crit damage and tend to have higher attacks per cost than similar Fighters in other warbands

Cons

• Low Durability-Like with most other core Chaos warbands, they aren't the most durable of Fighters and only have one ability which enhances their survivability (although admittedly it's a pretty fantastic one).
• Lack of Ranged attacks-They do have an ability which lets them throw ninja stars, but it's honestly kind of a meme. Apart from this, they have no ranged attacks.

Abilities Overview

• [Double] Throwing Stars and Chakrams: Pick a visible enemy fighter within 6" of this fighter and roll 2 dice. For each roll of a 4-5, allocate 1 damage point to that fighter. For each roll of 6, allocate a number of damage points to that fighter equal to the value of this ability. (Faction-wide ability)
  • Ability Commentary-A relatively weak ability which won't do much in the large scheme of things. While it is nice to have at least some type of ranged attack option, this ability is incredibly underwhelming considering it is only a 34% chance to deal a MASSIVE 1 damage or a 16% chance to deal value damage. Even with a double value of 6, it's unlikely that you'll roll the necessary 6 to trigger ability damage. If you're looking to burn a [Double] you'd be better off going with the next ability or simply using your wild dice to make it a triple for that sweet, sweet, Shadowy Recall
• [Double] Acrobatic Leap: This fighter can fly when making move actions until the end of their activation; however, when flying, they cannot move vertically upwards more than 3". (Faction-Wide ability)
  • Ability Commentary-A movement ability which lets the fighter essentially ignore vertical movement costs up to 3". If you're playing with Official Warcry Terrain© this means that you'll mostly be able to move over anything on the table. A solid Faction-wide ability that you'll use often.
• [Double] Low Sweeping Blow: Roll 1 dice for each visible enemy fighter within 2" of this fighter. On a 4-5, allocate 1 damage point to the fighter being rolled for. On a 6, allocate a number of damage points to the fighter being rolled for equal to the value of this ability. (Mirrobound w/Glaive; Mindbound w/Double-bladed sword ability)
  • Ability Commentary-A solid AoE/Chaff clearing ability. While you won't typically be dishing out huge amounts of damage, the 2" range and the universal targeting of this ability makes it a pretty useful for putting some damage on low-wound models. Use this if you need to clear out an objective which is held by a bunch of low cost models. While not as universally useful as [Double] Acrobatic Leap it can come in handy for damaging fragile models enough that they can easily be taken down within 1 attack activation, even by your own low-cost Fighters.
• [Triple] Shadowy Recall: Pick a friendly fighter with the Minion runemark that is within 12" of this fighter. Remove that fighter from the battlefield and then immediately set them up anywhere on the battlefield within a number of inches of this fighter equal to the value of this ability. (Thrallmaster and Luminate Ability)
  • Ability Commentary-This is THE Faction-defining ability for this warband. It is incredibly powerful and cement Cypher Lords as the undisputed masters of board control. Mechanically, only Fighters who have the minion runemark can be targeted by this ability. In your warband, this means that every other model BESIDES the Thrall master or Luminate can be targeted. Also, since you are removing the target from the battlefield and then setting them back up this is NOT considered a move action and, as such, any debuff which prevents move/disengage actions do NOT prevent targets of this ability from completing the teleport. This means that you can target minions who are effected by immobilizing effects (such as nets) and still teleport them around the battlefield. The uses for this are almost limitless. Below are some common ways to use this ability:
    • Teleport a minion within 1" of an enemy to maximize 2 attack actions for the fighter
    • Teleport a minion onto objectives
    • Teleport a minion OUT of a dangerous situation and back to relative saftey
    • Teleport a minion directly next to you to counter-attack any fighter which threatens either your Thrallmaster or Luminate
    • Teleport a minion onto, beyond, or behind terrain.
    • Teleport a minion directly behind an enemy fighter who is directly engaged with your Thrallmaster or Luminate to trap them in place
    • Move a minion into position to threaten an objective/target, force your opponent to respond to the threat, and then teleport them to another point/objective/fighter which your opponent left abandoned attempting to respond to the apparent imminent threat.
  • Its uses are wide, varied, and can be completely gamechanging. This will undoubtedly be your most used ability and is the one ability that defines this warband. You could probably do without it in Round 1, but any other Round, you should be saving Wild Dice to turn an doubles into triples.
• [Triple] Shattered Gloom Globe: Until the end of the battle round, subtract 1 from the Attacks characteristic (to a minimum of 1) of the attack actions made by enemy fighters while they are within 6" of this fighter. (Thrallmaster ability)
  • Ability Commentary-A powerful defensive ability with a surprisingly large effect bubble/aura. While you'll mostly be using any triples you get for [Triple] Shadowy Recall this can come in handy if your Thrallmaster suddenly finds himself surrounded by multiple enemies. It can also be used as a measure to protect your other fighters. It's best used when you can effect multiple enemy fighters. It is wasted if there is only a single enemy fighter, as if you need to get away from a single enemy, you can simply move or disengage+move if they are in your face. Acts more as an "Oh shit"-button than an ability you plan your tactics around.
• [Quad] Spinning Somersault Strike: This fighter can fly when making move actions until the end of their activation; however when flying, they cannot move vertically upwards more than 3". In addition, this fighter makes a bonus move action. Then, they can make a bonus attack action. (Universal ability)
  • Ability Commentary-Combines [Double] Acrobatic Leap with [Quad] Rampage. Again emphasizing this warband's great movement capabilities, this ability essentially lets you ignore vertical movement cost while granting you a bonus movement and attack action. If you plan on using [Quad] Rampage, you might as well use this instead. A very powerful ability.

Fighter's Overview

Thrallmaster

• Stats: Movement 5"; Toughness 4; Wounds 20; 205 Pts.
• Weapons:
  • Fist-Range 1"; Attacks 5; Strength 4; Damage 2/6
• Fighter Commentary-He is the only choice for a leader this warband has so you MUST take him. As far as pure Chaos warbands go, he's one of the more lethal. 5 Strength 4 attacks at 2/6 damage is nothing to sneeze at, and given the ease with which this warband can get across the battlefield, his 5" movement make him one of the more mobile Leaders in Warcry. Generally speaking, you'll want to have him near the center of the battlefield to maximize the effectiveness of [Triple] Shadowy Recall. Between himself and the Luminate, the rest of the fighters in your warband should almost always be in range to be targeted by [Triple] Shadowy Recall. He isn't the toughest of Fighters, so any prolonged combat will see him taken down. As discussed above, he can use [Triple] Shattered Gloom Globe if he finds himself in a bad situation he can't simply move out of. Given his high crit damage value, it can be worth it to give him either [Double] Onslaught or [Quad] Spinning Somersault Strike if you really need an important target taken out.

Luminate

• Stats: Movement 5"; Toughness 4; Wounds 15; 175 Pts.
• Weapons:
  • Spear-Range 2"; Attacks 5; Strength 5; Damage 2/5
• Fighter Commentary-A solid statline with above average attacks and crit damage. He's very well-costed given his points value. He's the only other Fighter who can use [Triple] Shadowy Recall but with 5 less wounds, he needs to be a little more careful regarding positioning and engagement choices. His 2" reach on his spear assists in this regard, granting him and extended reach and the ability to stay out of the crucial 1" range for retaliation and disengage/move options. like the Thrallmaster, he should be played relatively close to the center of the board to maximize the potential of [Triple] Shadowy Recall. A good strategy is to separate the Thrallmaster and Luminate into separate Battlegroups and have them divide up the board between them with the intent to keep most of your other fighters in range of either the Thrallmaster or the Luminate to be able to [Triple] Shadowy Recall at all times. Keep Mindbound and Mirrorblades in front of him to screen and provide chaff while he is parked safely behind them poking enemies with his spear. Another solid choice for either [Double] Onslaught or [Quad] Rampage. He is a high value target given the fact that he is weaker than the Thrallmaster but can still use [Triple] Shadow Recall. Smart players will do everything they can to take out the Luminate and Thrallmaster first, so play defensively and allow your other Fighters to get into combat first.

Mirrorblade with Duelling Swords

• Stats: Movement 5"; Toughness 3; Wounds 10; 115 Pts.
• Weapons:
  • Duelling Blades-Range 1"; Attacks 5; Strength 4; Damage 2/4
• Fighter Commentary-The first of two Mirroblade variants. This one is only 5 points less than it's Glaive-wielding brother. He has 1 more attack with a lower damage profile. Interestingly, he does not have have access to [Double] Low Sweeping Blow, unlike the other variant. He also has one less inch of range. He misses out on some valuable utility in exchange for one more attack. While he can dish out some great damage, he is overshadowed by the glaive-weilding variant. There is no reason to take him over the other variant unless you are on a VERY strict points budget for your list.

Mirrorblade with Glaive

• Stats: Movement 5"; Toughness 3; Wounds 10; 120 Pts.
• Weapons:
  • Glaive-Range 2"; Attacks 4; Strength 4; Damage 2/5
• Fighter Commentary-This second variant of the Mirroblade brings much more to the table than his Duel-wielding counterpart. For a mere 5 points more he gains an additional 1" of range, an additional point of crit damage, and access to [Double] Low-Sweeping Blow. He does sacrifice 1 attack, but the other benefits outweigh this single disadvantage. His increased threat range and 2" attack will allow him to park behind other fighters and poke away at enemies while staying out of the crucial 1" bubble which would otherwise force disengage actions should the need arise (though you can always [Triple] Shadowy Recall him away if you really have to). His slightly higher crit value makes him slightly more dangerous vs. high-wound fighters. While [Double] Low Sweeping Blow isn't he most flashy--or even reliable--ability, it does offer a decent zone control option in a pinch.

Mindbound

• Stats: Movement 5"; Toughness 3; Wounds 10; 75 Pts.
• Weapons:
  • Paired Blades-Range 1"; Attacks 4; Strength 3; Damage 1/3
• Fighter Commentary-Your standard list-filling chaff. For

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