Warmachine/Tactics/Khador

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Note that this page is, for the most part, a placeholder, and will be added to over the coming months. Also note that, currently, it only contains units from Prime Mk. 2 and Forces of Warmachine: Khador.

Why Play Khador?

People are drawn to the mighty forces of Khador for many reasons. It is well known that they have the biggest 'Jacks in the Iron Kingdoms, but trying to play a 'Jack heavy army with them is nearly impossible unless you fancy playing with Karchev exclusively. It is well known in the Khadoran community that you 'come for the 'jacks, but stay for the infantry'.

Unit Analysis

Warcasters

Note about Warcasters: Casters have Epic variants that offer new spells, weapons and feats. This does not make the epic versions better than there normal forms! Your caster choice WILL change the dynamics of your army and different versions of the same caster might not support the same style of play or list-building decisions.

• Kommandant Irusk (pIrusk): Coming soon.
• Supreme Kommandant Irusk (eIrusk): Coming soon.
• Karchev the Terrible: If you want to field an army composed Khador's big jacks, this guy is your man. He can give some extra movement to your slow jacks to hit around their slow speed, and has a spell that boosts the attack and damage rolls of every warjack in his control area, which is arguably more dangerous than his feat. Karchev himself is pretty deadly as well, basically a Juggernaut with extra MAT that can't lose systems, making him the most durable caster in the game
• Old Witch of Khador: Tricky bitch describes her perfectly, one of the hardest warcasters to play in Khador. Don't bother with her tier list it tries to make Kossite Woodsman happen. You know how people say Warmachine is magic in minatures, that makes her one of those control decks that requires you to know a fair bit about your opponent's capabilities to function properly. But if you do you can do some nasty shit. She is pretty much only going to take Scrapjack as her spells are meant to work on it.
  • Scrapjack: Coming soon.
• Kommander Sorscha (pSorscha): Sorscha1 is proof that even support 'casters can bring the pain. With a nice mix of offensive, defensive, and support spells, Kommander Sorscha has a trick up her sleeve for pretty much any possible situation. Her feat can make for clutch plays, as a large part of Khador's weakness lies in the fact that it has a hard time hitting with most of its attacks.

Sorscha is best used with lots of offensive units. Beast 09 is a great pick, and she's the battlebox caster for a reason. She can support a couple of warjacks, and she's not as infantry-reliant as many other warcasters (who cast lots of unit-wide buffs). She also hits pretty hard: if you see an opportunity where Sorscha could use a combination of her spells and boosted/bought attacks to charge the enemy warcaster, take it. If you've got her Feat handy, even better.

• Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratifkoff (eSorscha): Sorscha, Infantry Edition. Everything above still applies, but now her spell selection is tailored for supporting units of infantry. Her feat is most useful when used with infantry and she makes Winter Guard into a pretty scary force to face.
• Kommander Strakhov: Coming soon.
• Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Prince (pVlad): Having a hard time figuring out who you should start with? The Dark Prince is a solid bet. He's very straightforward to play: use Signs and Portents to make your models hit harder, Boundless Charge to get your warjacks into combat, and then Blood of Kings and Wind Wall to make him nearly unkillable (throw in a War Dog for added amusement) when the match approaches end-game.

Vlad is similar to the Butcher: He buffs his army, but as the game winds down, he /becomes/ the army, and very difficult to kill at that. Watch out for Blessed weapons and Arcane Assassin, as they can negate parts of Blood of Kings. His feat is quite useful for getting the first strike, which is important. Consider running two 'jacks with him for best results (Draigo, Spriggans, and Juggernauts all work well, as do Berserkers).

• Vladimier Tzepesci, The Dark Champion (eVlad): This is the Dark Prince, Infantry edition. His power-up is now reactionary and contingent on being damaged, but now he can more actively support infantry with everything from his feat to his spell selection. He's still decent for warjack support and has a mean endgame, though not as mean as his previous incarnation. Otherwise, the things that were said for Vlad1 still apply here.
• Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova: Coming soon.
• Orsus Koztavir, The Butcher of Khardov (pButcher):When you look at pButcher you should be drawn to three things: his MAT, his P+S and his SPD. He can hit just about anything, and kill anything he hits. On average rolls, he puts out a whooping 27 damage each attack. He comes with a reasonable amount of focus, which is best used on his spells rather than being selfish. Speaking of his spells, Butcher comes with four. Pay special attention to Iron Flesh, which can turn already hard to hit infantry into frustratingly impossible. Watch your Widowmakers become DEF 23 when hiding in woods. His other main spell is full throttle, which allows all the warjacks in his battle group to run, charge, slam or trample for free. In addition, every model in the battlegroup gets boosted ATK rolls for free, even Butcher himself. If you have two 'jacks in your battlegroup, you are effectively saving a focus point on each. Butcher is one of the better 'jack casters that Khador has due to full throttle, and when combined with his feat everyone in his control area gets boosted damage rolls. In this turn the entire army goes nuts and can crush the enemy army underneath their snow covered boots.

When using Butcher, do not try and run him at the front like a rampaging lunatic. Otherwise you will be peeling him off the curbside when he gets mowed down by the enemy. Instead you should let him hang back, using his spells to buff the army. He has slow Speed, only offset by the Reach on his axe. But you should hold him back and only push him forward when it is safe, because he will destroy anything he touches.

• Kommander Orsus Zoktavir (eButcher): Some adjustment to Orsus's spell list an abilities has likely made him the single most dangerous melee model in the game. His attacks now hit everything, friend and foe, within 2 inches of him, and he now has a spell that gives any model, say him, Berserk, allowing him to single-handedly destroy whole units. He is a bit tricky to use though: his abilities allow him to run warjacks more cheaply, but a lot of his best tricks kick in when he destroys enemies.
• Kommander Zoktavir, the Butcher Unleashed (Butcher3): From pButcher to eButcher, we saw a decrease in army synergy, and an increase in personal wrecking power. And it seems like the third incarnation of the Butcher has followed the trend again. He now offers nearly nothing to the rest of his army at all, but now, he IS the army. His raw power isn't perhaps what's improved - his flashing blade doesn't quite hit as much as eButcher's standard attack - but he now has much more consistency in his damage output, that no longer relies on him killing shit to get his juices flowing. In theme, his new feat (full focus refill for the Butcher) helps him and him alone wreck more face. Naturally, he tends to run warjacks that are pretty focus efficient, such as Berzerkers or Kodiaks, so he can hog a fair bit of the focus for himself, even if it's for overboosting.

The truly scary thing about Butcher3 is his threat range. He has a few ways of getting additional movement such as energizer, or a vengeance movement if one of his pups die (that's right, he now brings two war argus into battle with him, and he still has FOUR warjack points), or bringing along Madelyn Corbeau for a possible extra 3 inches. Throwing any extra inches he can get with his charge and impending doom, he can have a threat range on an enemy caster of near 20 inches (or even over, if the stars align), and he would still have enough focus for enough flashing blades to kill everything and anything that gets pulled into melee with him, provided he pops feat. It's fucking scary to face.

Warjacks

Note that, unlike most other factions, Khador does not have light warjacks, only heavies (with the exception of Scrapjack, who we talk about above).

• Berzerker: Oldest warjack in production/use by Khador. Also weakest in armor/stat wise for Khador but good for choppy business. They also can EXPLODE if focus is given to it (unstable cortex and all)! Some would use the free run/charge for its utility and avoid using focus on a point cheap jack. Others would load it with focus and create a boosted hit/damage jack that can finish its activation with a STR 14 5 inch explosion! /tg/, I know which we'll go for.
• Decimator: Juggernaut build scheme with short range revolver cannon that allows him to close in with each shot. Oh, did I mention a fuckhuge ripper saw that once it connects, extra attacks paid with focus hit automatically!? Sustained Attack enables this to happen and a Decimator with three focus usually means a funeral pyre should be waiting for the other jack. Very focus hungry though.
• Destroyer: The 'first' ranged 'jack in the Iron Kingdoms. It shoot cannon balls with a AoE that acts like Ordnance and ignores models that block LoS and it has a axe that can slice off a 'jack's limb on a crit. So, what is there not to like? It is easily one of the most expensive point wise among your choices AND you only get attack with either weapon per turn! You are wasting 50% of your point cost earn turn with this choice, regardless of weapon. Plays nice with some casters, but not others.
• Devastator: A Juggernaut build with large shield panels attached to its arms. Rolls on the board with a impressive 25 armor but each arm destroyed drops the armor by four points... Naturally, this only happens if you melee someone or open up to give a explosive goodbye to targets base to base with the jack. That and it can bulldose other models, even other 'jacks for crowd control and/or control zone dickery.
• Juggernaut: Your primary workhorse, and what most of your other jacks are based on. It's durable, hits hard, but slow and has low MAT, but for its cost, you generally can't go wrong fielding at least one to kill heavily armed targets.
• Kodiak: A Khador jack designed for mobility, and that actually works since it comes with Pathfinder and can run for free.
• Marauder: Have you ever seen a Khador player use a Marauder? More than likely not. It is the same price as the Juggernaut so it often ends up competing, losing out to that all powerful Ice Axe. But the Marauder has its own special powers, it can slam. Instead of attacking, the Marauder can unleash a nasty P+S 20 slam which will send anything aside. Use it to clear charge lanes and other nonsense. Watch your opponent's face drop when he realises that the 'jack which was screening him is going to drop on his casters head.
• Spriggan: A lance, a shield, and shoulder-mounted grenade launchers that can negate Stealth. The Spriggan does a bit of everything, and since most Khador lists won't be running a lot of jacks, having a generalist model with a toolbox of useful abilities is typically better than only having a model that can do damage.

Character Warjacks

• Beast 09: A more expensive Juggernaut with higher MAT, and ax with Reach and can use a Thresher attack, when fielded with Sorcha it can also Imprint for extra die against living warrior models, so unlike a normal Juggernaut, it's outright deadly against most everything near it. It can run for free and can advance whenever it takes damage when it's not his activation.
• Behemoth: Sorta like a mini-colossal, though it came first. It has a couple more boxes than Khador's usual jacks, and a cortex and subcortex for both its weapons. The main cortex you use for its melee attacks, and the subcortex you allocate to for using its two cannons. While expensive at 12 points, this thing gives you the firepower of two Destroyers at a much lower cost. Its Blast Fists have P of 0, but have armor piercing, so this excels at killing medium and large base models, but the usual low MAT of Khador jacks means it will run into trouble with heavily armored small base models.
• Drago: Coming soon.

Units

• Assault Kommandos: Coming soon.
  • Assault Kommando Flame Thrower: Coming soon.
• Battle Mechaniks: Because the moment your bigass Jacks get scratched you can simply unscratch them. Played right your opponents will have to focus down one warjack a turn or else have the battle mechaniks fix most of the damage. Essential if you run Kharchev the Terrible as it keeps him spry and ready to headstomp bitches.
• Greylord Ternion: Coming soon.
• Doom Reavers: A glass cannon unit. They have high MAT and deal a ton of damage, but they lack of any armor means they're use frail as you'd expect. They also have Berserk, so they can easily devastate tarpit units, but it also means they can end up attacking something you don't want them to if you aren't careful.
  • Greylord Escort: Prevents the Doom Reavers from attacking each other, very good. Also not a bad fighter on his own.
• Iron Fang Pikemen: Armored infantry with Shield Wall and Combined Melee Attack, meaning they can prove quite deadly against warrior models and jacks/beasts. If you don't have the attachments for Winter Guard, consider using these as their armor and numbers mean they can also make a good speed bump.
  • Iron Fang Officer & Standard: Coming soon.
• Iron Fang Uhlans: Coming soon.
• Kossite Woodsmen: Bleh. Fairly poor for their points, in theory you can force your opponent's deployment forward and away from the flanks with a few units. Or you could field more Winterguard or Ironfangs to kick much more ass?
• Kayazy Assassins: Sneaky fuckers with daggers, not an assassin unit like other factions roll with, but quite good at drawing attention away from your army as your opponent needs to commit anti-stealth to deal with them and they will kill any single wound infantry sent after them that aren't tarpits. Armies with solos or small units that like to camp on the flanks or the rear are prime targets for some stabbiness. Not a super important unit but good with some lists especially ones that like to have something to disrupt the enmies formation like the Old Witch. Putting Iron Flesh on them is a classic "uber-strategy," effectively rendering them immune to everything but templates.
  • Kayazy Assassin Underboss: Essential upgrade as it gives a good boost and adds another set of knives to enter some one's jugular vein.
• Man-O-War Bombardiers: Clocking in with five blast AoE's per turn, the Bombardiers make a terrifying lawn mower. Point them in the direction of your opponent's infantry and watch them disappear. If somehow the infantry manage to close with them, they do almost as much damage in close combat as they do at range. Durable, eight health boxes a pop, and the many infantry-boosting casters of Khador make Bombardiers a very good choice, especially with Iron Flesh (as you don't need to worry about charging them).
• Man-O-War Demolition Corps: Apply hammer to face, repeat. Demolition Corps can threaten everything from Heavy Warjacks to swarms of infantry. They're tough, they're effective, and if you have something like Bombardiers to force your opponents to close with you or else take heavy casualties at range, they can bring the pain.
• Man-O-War Shocktroopers: Your light warjack replacement, and a very effective one at that. Clocking in at 5 fellows for nine points, the Shocktroopers are exceptionally useful. Khador 'jack level armor (with shield wall), cannons built into their shields, Reach weapons with high POW+S, and eight health boxes a pop means that most armies will have a hard time getting past them at all, and they won't be unscathed.
• Widowmakers: Snipers, pretty simple, very good at keeping low CMD single wound infantry tarpits pinned. But they are variously effective against everything. Generally a very common 2nd buy after the starter box, works good with Kayazy to disrupt your opponent's game plan as it forces them to split units from the main fight.
• Winter Guard Infantry: Rank and file troops. Not so tough starting out, but if you invest points into their attachments and field them with the right warcaster and solos, WATCH OUT.
  • Winter Guard Officer & Standard: Coming soon.
  • Winter Guard Infantry Rocketeer: Coming soon.
  • Winter Guard Field Gun Crew: Coming soon.
  • Winter Guard Mortar Crew: Coming soon.
• Winter Guard Rifle Corps: Winterguard that cost more and have weaker but longer range rifles, have a special abilty that lets them pull down an AoE depending on size and either be 3" to 5" that any thing entering or existing it takes a strength ten hit automatically great for stealth units or funneling units.

Character Units

• Great Bears of Gallowswood: Fun unit of badasses, works best against infantry that aren't going to tarpit them or just squish them in one attack.

Solos

• Koldun Lord: Coming soon.
• Manhunter: Steampunk Spetznaz. Run in, hack your opponent with axes, repeat. Squishy but fun.
• Man-O-War Drakhun: Coming soon.
• Man-O-War Kovnik: Coming soon.
• War Dog: Khador's attachment for their warcasters. The most important part of the War Dog is that it increases the survivability of its attached caster against melee attacks. While its counter-charge ability is decent, that +2 DEF against melee attacks and immunity to back strikes is what you're paying the point for.
• Widowmaker Marksman: Sniper solo. Has a more powerful gun than the standard widowmaker, stealth, and a leadership ability granting swift hunter, which allows a 2 inch advance after destroying a model. Can really let you play your widowmakers a little more aggressively, as they get a 2 inch retreat if they make their kill.
• Iron Fang Kovnik: Coming soon.

Character Solos

• Fenris: Coming soon.
• Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich: Solo that buffs your Winter Guard that can give one three buffs per turn, either giving +3 STR, Tough, or boosted attack rolls. Joe is a staple of a lot of Winter Guard 'deathstars' for good reason.
• Uhlan Kovnik Markov: Coming soon.
• Yuri the Axe: Coming soon.