Baldur the Stonecleaver

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Baldur the Stonecleaver Circle Blackclad Warlock

A bastion of strength and resolve noted for his steadfast loyalty, Baldur the Stonecleaver is an unstoppable juggernaut on the battlefield.

Basic Info

Baldur1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 5 STR 7 MAT 7 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 14 ARM 16 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY 6 THRS N/A HP 17 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP +31 IHP {{{ihp}}} FA N/A UNIT SIZE N/A COST N/A N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warlock - All warlocks come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Feat: Broken Earth

1. While in Baldur's control range, friendly Faction models gain cover.
2. While in Baldur's control range, enemy models never have Pathfinder and treat open ground as rough terrain.

Broken Earth lasts for one round.

Abilities

• Pathfinder
• Elemental Mastery - Construct warbeasts in this model's battlegroup beginning their activation in this model's control range can charge and make power attacks without being forced. This model can heal friendly construct models in its battlegroup.
• Forest Walk - While completely within a forest, this model can forfeit its Normal Movement to use Forest Walk. If it does, choose a location completely within this model's control range that is completely within a forest. Remove this model from the forest and place it in the chosen location. This model cannot use Forest Walk while knocked down.

Weapons

Tritus
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				7				14
Weight of Stone - When a model is damaged by this weapon it suffers –3 SPD and DEF for one round. Damage Type: Magical

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Earth Spikes	3	10	3	13	(★)	Yes
When making this attack, ignore cover and concealment. On a critical hit, models hit become knocked down.
Rapid Growth	2	Control	4	-	Upkeep	No
Place the 4" AOE completely within the spellcaster's control range. The AOE is a forest that remains in play as long as its upkeep is paid.
Solid Ground	2	SELF	Control	-	Upkeep	No
While in the spellcaster's control range, friendly Faction models cannot become knocked down and gain Blast Resistance. Blast Resistance - A model with Blast Resistance gains +4 ARM against blast damage.
Stone Skin	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	No
Target friendly Faction model/unit gains +2 STR & ARM, but suffers -1 SPD & DEF.

Theme Forces

• Secret Masters. In this theme he gains Sacrificial Pawn [Minion Warrior]
• The Bones of Orboros. He can start the game with friendly upkeeps in play in this theme.
• The Devourer's Host
• The Wild Hunt

Recent Changes

No changes since 2021.10

Thoughts on Baldur1

Baldur1 in a nutshell

Baldur the Stonecleaver is a generalist support warlock. A bit of control with his feat and forest, a bit of buffing with Stone Skin, a bit of protection with Solid Ground, and several different assassination methods.

Feat thoughts

Baldur's feat is best used during the early turns of the game, during your approach toward the enemy. While he's geared to run Wolds, don't overlook Warpwolves with him. With cover from his feat, they're very difficult to shoot without combined ranged attacks, and Circle excels at removing the units that can perform those combined ranged attacks. Even more importantly, Warpwolves (especially Feral Warpwolves) are fast, and can claim objectives early while Baldur uses his feat to slow down the opponent and get easy victory points as a result.

Spell thoughts

Baldur's spell list is also pretty strong.

• Solid Ground pairs well with the tough Tharn Ravagers and Tharn Blood Pack, keeping them on their feet for more tough rolls. The Blast Resistance spell is even more useful for Circle Infantry, as they tend to have high defense and low armor.
• Stone Skin is the spell most people think of when they think of Baldur1. With the extra strength and armor, you can turn a Woldwarden into a Khador Warjack, or you can give Bloodtrackers a strength bonus that enhances both their ranged and melee attacks. Bloodtrackers are really good unit with Baldur since they benefit heavily from Blast Resistance spell's +4 ARM for blast damage.
• Rapid Growth allows him to drop a forest anywhere in his Control area. While the first thing many people think about is it enabling a forest walk assassination... and while that's true, it doesn't happen as often as you'd think. Rather, it's a great tool for line of sight blocking... with two Woldwardens and Rapid Growth, you can block off about 12" of line of sight that almost nothing in the game can see through.
• Earth Spikes is a fairly decent nuke spell, but even moreso because of the list of defenses it ignores - most of the ways enemy solos try to hide from being hit. This is especially true when you're using Geomancy from the Woldwardens... between ignoring those defenses and the Woldwarden's ability to boost, there isn't much he can't hit. Finally the AoE has a base 4/9 chance of scoring a critical knockdown so when boosted is sometimes worth slinging idly at the enemy caster for a pop and drop assassination with little lost if it fails.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• He doesn't have any terrible matchups - he's a bit too all round for that. (Although beware of armies with easy access to Ghostly and/or Flight.)
• Be sure to think of your plan when picking your army. Baldur doesn't provide one for you.
• Using Rapid Growth to give Baldur somewhere to teleport to for a Forest Walk assassination looks like a good idea. In practice your opponent only needs a small camp and it will probably fail; a more reliable method is presented below.

Tricks & Tips

• Forest Placement
  • When blocking LOS with Rapid Growth, be sure not to place it too close to the model you're trying to block, or they'll simply walk into the forest and negate the disadvantage.
  • A single forest generally isn't sufficient either... you'll usually need at least three forests in a line to block enough line of sight that they can't move around it to shoot their intended target.
  • The closer the forests are to the shooter, the more of their line of sight it blocks. Also, the closer the forests are to the intended target, the fewer line of sight angles there are to shoot him.
  • If you know their intended target, surrounding it with forests can often be more effective than building a forest wall.

List Building Advice

Strategy

The problem picking an army for Baldur is he works well with everything, but he doesn't have a "key win" condition. Coming up with a plan and picking models to suit it, will probably work better than picking a bunch of models and trying to figure something out. He buffs a bit of everything and has two assassination options but is not amazingly great at anything. He's a pretty good warlock for learning the ropes with and hard counters a couple of tactics including blast template spam.

The Baldur Assassination requires three models and only works against enemy casters who start in Baldur's control area, but Baldur to start in a forest. It is, however, unusual enough it will catch a lot of people by surprise. In order to do it you need a Blackclad Wayfarer (either starting within 8" of the enemy caster or by some shifting stones), and a Woldwatcher in the vague area. Then:

• Teleport the Wayfarer either behind the enemy caster or walk him up to him.
• Kill the Wayfarer with the Woldwatcher either by shooting (if the Wayfarer got behind the enemy) or melee if in melee with the enemy. Use your backstrike bonus.
• The Wayfarer having been turned into Fertilizer, Baldur can now Forest Walk into melee and pulp the enemy.

Taking Shivers with a Woldwarden in the Wild Hunt theme makes for a potent assassination run: Run Shivers into the desired position, activate the Woldwarden and cast its animus and mimicry it with Shivers. Now if you're in a forest you can teleport into melee with the enemy caster. Running Shivers next to Baldur, activating the Woldwarden and casting its animus also works. Then you are able to activate Baldur and cast Rapid Growth next to enemy casters and start the assassination.

Earth Spikes spammed through Woldwardens can make for a a very potent magic "gun"line.

Theme thoughts

Baldur the Stonecleaver works with almost everything. Living or stone warbeasts. Single wound or multi wound infantry. Which of course means that he works well with any theme force.

    The Bones of Orboros    

Is the obvious construct theme. A little more assassin-y than most, load up on wardens and fire away! The main problem is that other themes also allows you to use Wolds and have better model selection. Bones' Wolds are just slightly more tanky and you get a free Stone Skin at the strt.

• Sentry Stone & Mannikins are excellent
• Stone Keeper - +2 STR so your wardens hit like real heavies at P+S 18.
• Wayfarer - Your Wolds already charge for free but the +2 distance is nice.
• Chuck Dogwood - Veteran Leader for your favourite warbeasts! It affects Geomancy, too, so Wardens become very competent spellcasters. absolutely essential.

    The Wild Hunt    

Brings the Skinwalkers - and a lot more infantry, all of whom love both +4 armor against blast damage and cover from incoming fire for a turn.

• Warpborn Skinwalkers under Stone Skin are ARM 20 with 8 wounds and Hyper Regeneration in melee. Oh, and hit at P+S 16.

    The Devourer's Host    

• Tharn Bloodtrackers and Tharn Bloodweavers are DEF 14 with Stealth but ARM 11. They die horribly to blast damage except under Solid Ground.
• Tharn Ravagers, Tharn Blood Pack love Solid Ground because it makes them no-knockdown-tough. Bloodpack is brutal, and durable with Baldur1.
• This theme has excellent targets for Stone Skin in Ravagers. Remember that STR buffs also apply to thrown weapons, so Wolf Riders or Bloodtrackers are also an option.

    Secret Masters    

The better version of Bones as it gives you access to all the models in it, sans Mannakins but also unlimited Minion models.

• Farrow Valkyries - a unit to score circular zones with and ablative Shield Guards.
• Hermit - Telemetry provides +2 to magic attack rolls, while master of ruin pushes Earth Spikes to effective POW 15.
• Thamarite Advocate - An reroll to magic attack rolls is always neat.
• Scythe - Wild Growth gives her a forest to hide in for Treewalker.
• Bog Trog Mist Speaker for Guidance.

Battlegroup

Megalith is his pet warbeast, which he can take in any theme.

• Megalith is his pet warbeast, which he can take in any theme force. However Megalith's bond is only really useful with Baldur the Stonesoul as Baldur1 doesn't damage himself.

• Construct warbeasts look obvious with Baldur as he grants free charges, and some of them (including the Wold Guardian and Woldwrath) don't suffer from Stone Skin's DEF debuff while loving its ARM buff.
  • The Woldwarden has a special place with the Stonecleaver with because it's able to independently cast Earth Spikes.Load up on on them and spam away to see what is left standing, use it to snipe solos, or to enable assassinations.
• Warpwolves (Pureblood Warpwolf, Feral Warpwolf, and Warpwolf Stalker) use DEF 14 to protect themselves and are very vulnerable to being knocked down,
  • Wrong Eye & Snapjaw make those high DEF warpwolves even harder to hit via Star Crossed.
  • Combining a Pureblood with a Woldwrath with the Pureblood flanking isn't a bad idea.

First Seven Purchases

A few veteran players have put their heads together and tried to figure out the seven best things to buy for this specific caster. This is not designed to add up to a nice round points limit, nor be balanced vs other "First Seven" lists you find on this website. It is simply going to give you some of the essentials this caster needs most of the time.

1. Warbeast: Storm Raptor
2. Warbeast: Ghetorix
3. Structure: Well of Orboros
4. Solo: Tharn Ravager White Mane
5. Unit: Tharn Ravagers + CA
6. Unit: Death Wolves
7. Unit: Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron

Other

Trivia

Baldur1 was one of the Circle warlocks, released way back in MK1 Hordes Primal (2006).

Video Battle Reports

• 2018.11 Deathclock Dave, vs Ravyn1
• See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.

Other Circle models

Circle Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Baldur1 - Baldur2 - Bradigus1 - Grayle1 - Iona1 - Kaya1 - Kaya2 - Kaya3 - Kromac1 - Kromac2 - Krueger1 - Krueger2 - Mohsar1 - Morvahna1 - Morvahna2 - Tanith1 - Una2 - Wurmwood1
Lesser Warlocks	Krueger0 - Una1	Warlock Attachment	Druid Wilder - Tharn Blood Shaman
Light	Argus Moonhound - Winter Argus - Wild Argus - Gorax Rager - Razorwing Griffon - Rotterhorn Griffon - Scarsfell Griffon - Wold Wight - Woldwatcher - Woldwyrd
Heavy	Gnarlhorn Satyr - Riphorn Satyr - Shadowhorn Satyr - Feral Warpwolf - Pureblood Warpwolf - Warpwolf Stalker - Wold Guardian - Woldwarden Brennos the Elderhorn (Satyr) - Ghetorix (Warpwolf) - Loki (Warpwolf) - Megalith (Woldwarden)
Gargantuans	Storm Raptor - Woldwrath
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Druid Mist Riders - Druids of Orboros & CA - Reeves of Orboros & CA - Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Shifting Stones & CA - Stoneward & Woldstalkers - Tharn Bloodtrackers & Character UA - Tharn Bloodweavers & CA - Tharn Blood Pack - Tharn Ravagers & CA - Tharn Wolf Riders - Warpborn Skinwalkers & CA - Wolves of Orboros & CA Brighid & Caul - Death Wolves
Solos	Blackclad Stoneshaper - Blackclad Wayfarer - Bloodweaver Night Witch - Chuck Dogwood - Druid Wilder - Gallows Grove - Kogan the Exile - Krueger0 - Lord of the Feast - Reeve Hunter - Primal Archon - Shivers - Tharn Blood Shaman - Tharn Ravager Shaman - Tharn Ravager White Mane - Tharn Wolf Rider Champion - Una1 - War Wolf - Wolf Lord Morraig
Battle Engines & Structures	Celestial Fulcrum (Engine) - Well of Orboros (Structure)
Theme Forces
Secret Masters - The Bones of Orboros - The Devourer's Host - The Wild Hunt
Minions
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Circle Orboros Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.10

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Weight of Stone      (Edit) If you hit an enemy model that is already moving (ie a free strike), then Weight of Stone doesn't slow them down. You determine the number of inches a model is able to move at the start of its movement, so Weight of Stone won't impose the SPD reduction on movement that has already begun. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification:  : Magical Damage      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling) All spells have "Damage Type: Magical" (refer errata). This is inherited by "immediate" secondary damage (such as Eruption of Spines). (Infernal Ruling) and might be inherited by "lingering" secondary damage (see below). If a spell leaves a template in play that does damage to models that walk around in it, then: if it is not described as a hazard it will do magical damage to models that walk around in it. (Example: Razor Wall) if it is a hazard then it will not do magical damage to models that walk around in it. Instead, it does whatever damage type is specified by the spell description. (Example: Breath of Corruption). (Infernal Ruling) If a weapon/spell includes Magic Damage and another kind of elemental damage it will still damage Incorporeal models. Incorporeal models are not affected by the rule "if an attack does multiple types of damage and a model is immune to at least one it is immune to the entire attack." The phrase "immune to non-magical damage" should be interpreted as "immune to damage that doesn't include Damage Type: Magical" (not interpreted as "has immunity to Corrosion and Electricity and Cold and etc.")

Rules Clarification:  : Warlock      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

General Damage from a feat is neither an attack nor Damage Type: Magical (unless the feat says it is). FURY (uppercase) is the stat printed on the warlock's card. Fury (lowercase) refers to fury points a model currently has. Your CTRL area is double your FURY stat, not double your fury points. (Infernal Ruling) Casting spells or using feats is an anytime ability with the added restriction that you can't use them on the same turn you run even before you run. See also the clarifications on Any Time abilities (below). Some warlocks are also Battle Engines and thus follow all the Battle Engine special rules. There is no particular interaction between the Battle Engine rules and the Warlock rules. Reaving & Leeching If you choose to Reave, it's all or nothing. You must Reave all the Fury (up to your limit) and you can't choose to "let some disappear". (Locked thread) If your warbeast is Removed From Play, you can still reave fury off it. (Locked thread) If your warbeast is destroyed or RFP'd while under your opponent's control then: You cannot reave fury off it. Because it is still enemy at the time it was destroyed/RFP'd, and you can't reave from enemy warbeasts. After it is taken off the table, it returns to your control and is eligible for Spirit Bond and (possibly) Return to Play stuff (like Thagrosh1's feat). Transferring Damage If both the warlock and the warbeast are damaged by the same attack (such as an AOE), then you need to apply the 'normal' damage to the warbeast before the transferred damage. This distinction can be important when you're working out who/what actually destroyed the beast. (Infernal Ruling) If there is too much damage for the warbeast and it "overlaps" back to the warlock, then that damage is considered ... unsure at this time. (Infernal Checking) Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities     (Edit)         [Show/Hide] "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except: Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A. After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include: Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam. Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport). In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling) In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling) When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement). When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved". (Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.) Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge). Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running. Units: See below. In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't). If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling) Units with "Any Time" abilities You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A. A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active. You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however. A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling) Warcaster/Warlock Cavalry ( Edit ) Warcasters/Warlocks can't cast spells or use their feat while resolving Impact Attacks. Because Impact Attacks occur during movement - you can use spells or feat before moving, or after moving, but not during movement. Exception: If your Impact target(s) include your charge target, then your movement has ended (refer rulebook, last paragraph of 'Impact Attacks') and thus you're fine to use "any time" abilities before starting the Impact attacks. Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster Unit or Warlock Unit     (Edit) (Click Expand to read) This summary is specific to Warcaster/Warlock units. You may also want to check the Warcaster and Warlock pages respectively, for the "regular" rules clarifications. All models in the unit count as part of the battlegroup. So, for instance, Butcher3's argus can be moved via his Energizer spell. Warcaster units can have attachments. They can even attach units (such as the WSC). (Infernal Ruling) The non-caster models are trooper models but are not normally Grunt models. Therefore they're not normally eligible for stuff like Revive. If any member of the unit start to do their reposition movement, the warcaster or warlock in the unit would no longer be able to feat.(Infernal Ruling) Press Forward Order vs Spells cast at Any Time (Edit) You must issue orders before anything else. If you issue a Press Forward order, you must run or charge. If you cast spells before moving, you can't run so you must charge. If you cast spells before moving, then start the spellcaster's Normal Movement but have no valid charge targets, you are in a situation where you must charge but cannot charge. In this situation the spellcaster must either: forfeit their Combat Action, use their Normal Movement to make a full advance, then their activation ends. (Note that you cannot cast more spells after the full advance). forfeit their Normal Movement, then their activation ends. (Infernal Ruling) Steamroller 2018 The non-caster models can contest scenario zones & flags. The caster model cannot contest. The caster model can control zones and flags by itself, but: to control a zone, the entire unit remaining in play needs to be in formation. to control a flag, the entire unit remaining in play must be within 4" of the flag. Units Buying Attacks (Edit) If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because: A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action. A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA). Rules Clarification : Unit of Warcasters or Warlocks     (Edit) Even though they're warcasters, if they're out of formation they suffer the normal penalties (can't make attacks, actions, spells, etc). They can't upkeep each other's spells. They can only dominate one SteamRoller scenario element at a time. Each warlock/warcaster can have different upkeeps on them if those upkeeps are "target SELF" or "target model". If you cast an upkeep that is "target model/unit", that is the only upkeep any of them can have. Units Buying Attacks (Edit) If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because: A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action. A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA). The Legion Twins Rhyas cannot dominate a zone while out of formation. Rhyas can use the feat while out of formation. Haley3 Only Haley Prime is an 'actual' warcaster model, and as such she is the only one that can dominate a scenario element. The echoes can Control/Contest scenarios like a normal unit. Haley Prime can dominate an element even if the echoes are out of formation.

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Elemental Mastery      (Edit) Elemental Mastery's "can heal constructs" rule trumps "construct warbeasts cannot be healed" rule and the more generic rule of "cannot trumps can". (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Forest Walk - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Earth Spikes      (Edit) Earth Spikes doesn't ignore Prowl. The model you are attacking still has concealment (you just ignore it), and thus their Prowl ability will give them Stealth.

Rules Clarification : Rapid Growth - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Solid Ground - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Stone Skin - None yet. (Edit)