Bile Thralls

Bile Thralls Cryx Unit Skarlock Commander Command Attachment

Unlimited Only This model can only be used in the Unlimited game mode. You can see the other models with / without mk4 rules on this page. Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

Disgorged from the hellish workshops of Cryx, bile thralls store volumes of corrosive digestive and decomposition agents within their bodies, with hoses and tubes leading from their distended mouths to crude firing mechanisms. With a lurching death spasm, each bile thrall can force a startling volume of caustic acis over a wide area to dissolve flesh and devour metal.

Soldiers assailed by a skarlock commander and its thralls are tormented by the sight of their comrades brutally slaughtered, only to have their souls used as fuel to power the commander’s dark magic.

Basic Info

Biles

Bile Thralls
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 5 STR 4 MAT {{{mat}}} RAT 3 M.A. N/A DEF 10 ARM 13 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 1 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 3 UNIT SIZE 6 or 10 +1 CA COST 6 or 9 +3 CA 0.9 pts each (excl CA) N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Undead

Weapons

• Bile Cannon - 8" spray, POW 12 ranged attack.
  • Damage Type: Corrosion
  • Continuous Corrosion
  • Purge (★ Attack) - Make an attack with this weapon. Each model covered by the spray template is automatically hit unless this model's LOS to it is blocked by terrain. After this attack is resolved, remove this model from play. Purge damage is simultaneous.

Skarlock Commander

Skarlock Commander
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR {{{str}}} MAT 6 RAT N/A M.A. 6 DEF 14 ARM 12 CMD 8 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA U UNIT SIZE N/A COST 3 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Undead
• Officer
• Battle Wizard - Once per turn, when this model destroys one or more enemy models with a melee attack during its activation, immediately after the attack is resolved it can make one Magic Ability special attack or special action.
• Magic Ability [ 6 ] - This model can cast spells. Normally this uses up the model's Combat Action and as such is limited to one spell per activation, but exceptions do exist.
• Soul Taker: Soul Cage - This model can gain soul tokens. When a living enemy model is destroyed within 2" of this model, this model gains the destroyed model's soul token. This model can have up to three soul tokens at any time. This model can spend soul tokens for the following:
  • Invigorate - Once per turn, this model can spend a soul token anytime during its activation, if it does each model in its unit gains +1 to attack rolls until the end of the turn.
  • Strength of Death - During its Combat Action, this model can spend soul tokens to boost one attack or damage roll for each token spent.
• Tactics: Advance Deployment - Models in this unit gain Advance Deployment.

Weapons

• Fell Spear - 2" reach, P+S 10 melee weapon.
  • Damage Type: Magical

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Dark Fire	(★ Attack)	10	-	12	-	Yes
When a living enemy model is destroyed by Dark Fire, the spellcaster gains the destroyed model's soul token regardless of the proximity of other models.
Disbinding	(★ Action)	-	Unit	-	-	No
Enemy upkeep spells and animi on this model and its unit immediately expire.

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Black Industries

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model/unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army.
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use this unit in the Strange Bedfellows theme.

Thoughts on Bile Thralls

Bile Thralls in a Nutshell

Bile Thralls are a support unit, and Purge is their entire purpose in (un)life. This allows a Cryx player to get around high DEF and "cannot be targeted" abilities, and to remove large swathes of single-wound infantry (because even if they survive the initial purge or trigger Tough, they've got a 2 in 3 chance of dying to the continuous corrosion).

Thoughts on adding the CA

A Skarlock Commander leading a Bile Thrall unit allows to spread out the Biles further and in this way to cover more enemy models under the bile cannons.

Moreover, he can be sniping models with Dark Fire on turns when the unit isn't running. All-in-all, probably worth it if you have points left.

Invigorate is a bit of a trap: the Biles RAT is so poor you shouldn't bother buffing it, just keep using Purge. It's not like they're going to survive for a 2nd round of shooting.

Combos & Synergies

Bile Thralls work well in any army that allows to speed them up or helps them get down the field intact. The following options increase their survivability:

• Occultation gives them stealth, protecting them from ranged attacks.
• Ghost Walk gives them the option of advancing through terrain giving concealment or cover.
• Terminus's "Shadow of Death" ability can help keep a few alive.
• Sturgis2's feat "Dead on Arrival" pushes all non-warcaster, non-warlock enemy models in his control area directly towards him a short distance leaving Biles with the task to clear jams of single-wound infantry.
• Using a screening unit such as Mechanithralls can keep your opponent busy.

A lot of the strategy for using Biles revolves around getting them as far forward as possible, to let their Purge cover as much of the enemy army as possible.

• Telekinesis or Darragh Wrathe's "Death Ride" ability can be used to speed the Biles up.

Drawbacks & Downsides

Due to their high damage potential, most opponents will make an effort to remove them before they can Purge. With their low DEF, ARM and SPD your opponent has a good chance of killing them all while they're still waddling up the field. Alternately, your opponent can just run to engage them and the Biles can't make any attacks at all (no melee attacks, and can't Purge while in melee because it's a ranged attack). In either case it isn't necessarily a bad thing, as your opponent may often commit excessive resources to eliminating Bile Thralls while leaving the rest of your army free to advance against minimal resistance.

Tricks & Tips

When the Biles Purge, spread the unit out as much as possible to cover a maximum number of enemy models. The best target is single-wounded infantry since if they will not die from Purge, they may suffer from continuous corrosion damage. There is no more Excarnate trick in Mk3 using Bile Thralls.

Other

Trivia

• The unit (without CA) was released way back in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
• The CA was released in the Warmachine: Vengeance expansion (2014)
• Sculptor: Will Hannah

Other Cryx models

Cryx Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Agathia - Aiakos2 - Asphyxious1 - Asphyxious2 - Asphyxious3 - Coven - Deathjack2 - Deneghra1 - Deneghra2 - Deneghra3 - Goreshade1 - Goreshade2 - Goreshade3 - Mortenebra1 - Mortenebra2 - Rahera - Scaverous - Skarre1 - Skarre2 - Skarre3 - Sturgis2 - Terminus - Venethrax
Warcaster attachments	The Withershadow Combine - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Skarlock Thrall - Doctor Stygius (Partisan) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Jack Marshals: Iron Lich Overseer       "Junior Warcasters": Aiakos1 - Asphyxious4 - Deneghra0
Light	Cankerworm - Deathripper - Defiler - Helldiver - Nightwretch - Ripjaw - Scavenger - Shrike - Stalker
Heavy	Barathrum - Corruptor - Deathjack1 - Desecrator - Erebus - Harrower - Kharybdis - Inflictor - Leviathan - Malice - Nightmare - Reaper - Seether - Slayer
Colossal	Kraken - Sepulcher
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Asphyxious4 - Bane Knights - Bane Riders - Bane Warriors - Bile Thralls - BO Boarding Party - BO Ironmongers - BO Smog Belchers - Blackbane's Ghost Raiders - Bloodgorgers - Marauders - Carrion Thralls - Cephalyx Drudges - Cephalyx Overlords - Mechanithralls - Necrosurgeon - Revenant Cannon - Revenant Crew - Satyxis Gunslingers - Satyxis Blood Witches - Satyxis Raiders - Scharde Dirge Seers - Scharde Pirates - Soulhunters - The Devil's Shadow Mutineers - The Withershadow Combine
Solos	Aiakos1 - Agrimony - Axiara - Bane Lord Tartarus - Bloat Thrall - BTO Mobius - Captain Rengrave - Darragh Wrathe - Doctor Stygius - Deneghra0 - Gerlak - Hellslinger - Iron Lich Overseer - Machine Wraith - Master Gurglepox - Misery Cage - Necrotech - Ol' Grim - Pistol Wraith - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Satyxis Raider Captain - Scrap Thrall - Skarlock Thrall - Severa Blacktide - Soul Trapper - Warwitch Siren
Battle Engines & Structures	Wraith Engine
Theme Forces
Black Industries - Dark Host - The Ghost Fleet - Scourge of the Broken Coast
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cryx Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Corrosion      (Edit) If you deploy in corrosion hazard terrain (Acid Pool), then you get corroded before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. A weapon can inflict continuous corrosion without itself being a corrosion damage weapon (for example, the Acidic Touch animus). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity: Corrosion it just won't apply the continuous effect.

Rules Clarification : Purge      (Edit) If a friendly model is caught in the Purge, you do not have the option of "choosing to roll" the auto-hit in the hope that you'll get a miss. Because you can only "choose to roll" auto-hits on attack rolls that auto-hit, and there is no attack roll for Purge. (Compare to Sustained Attack: "the attack automatically hits" or Guided "Attacks made with this weapon automatically hit" vs Purge "each model is automatically hit".)

Rules Clarification : Undead - None yet. (Edit)

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 : Officer      (Edit) Even if they're not on the Officer's card, an Officer can give (and benefit from) any non-standard orders that are on the unit's card (such as Shield Wall). Refer main rulebook. A Ranking Officer can't do this, though. When the Officer dies, the Leader model becomes the new Unit Commander (you don't get to choose). But if your unit doesn't include a Leader model, then you do get to choose any of the remaining models to be the new Unit Commander. You don't swap the model, but it may be worth putting a token down so you can tell that grunt apart.

Rules Clarification : Battle Wizard      (Edit) A Battle Wizard doesn't have to kill a model to cast a spell. They can instead skip making melee attacks and use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Cavalry Battle Wizards can trigger it from their Mount Attacks. (Infernal Ruling) This does not, however, allow them to trigger it twice in the same turn. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Magic Ability      (Edit) Using a Magic Ability counts as a spell, for effects such as Spell Ward, Witch Hunter, etc. Combat Action Nearly all Magic Ability spells require the spellcaster to use their Combat Action to cast the spell. As such it is not an "at any time" ability (like it is when warcasters/warlocks cast spells). This means ... You must complete your movement before you use a MA. A model in a unit cannot use its Combat Action to cast a spell until all members of the unit have completed their movement. (Infernal Ruling) You cannot make initial ranged or initial melee attacks on the same turn you use a MA. You cannot buy additional melee/ranged attacks after using a MA special attack. Refer to the core rulebook, "Special attacks listed as a rule of the model itself are neither melee attacks nor ranged attacks. The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any." You cannot use a MA on the same turn you charge. Because a charge must (almost always) be followed by a melee attack. Non-Combat Action There are a few models that can use a Magic Ability without using their Combat Action. These models get around all the restrictions listed above. Models with Geomancy or Necromancy can use a Magic Ability at "any time" just like a warcaster/warlock. Models with Battle Wizard or Necrophage can make melee attacks then get a bonus "free" spell. Models with Combat Caster can cast a spell before charging, then do a normal charge + melee attack. Note that Battle Wizards, Combat Casters, etc have the option to use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Their special rule is in addition to the normal spell casting, not instead of.

Rules Clarification : Dark Fire      (Edit) "Regardless of proximity" soul takers (Edit) The model which ignores distance doesn't always get the soul. Abilities which say you "can't" collect souls (such as Soul Ward) trump it, due to the general rule that "can't trumps can". If there are multiple models that all have the "regardless of proximity" clause, then you randomise who the soul goes to. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Disbinding - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Soul Cage - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Invigorate - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Strength of Death - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Tactics vs Granted     (Edit) Granted = The unit loses the ability as soon as the model that grants it is taken off the table. (think "G for Goes away") Tactics = The unit keeps the ability for the entire game, regardless of who dies. (think "Tac-Tick = K for Keeps")   Granted [ Vengeance ] If the model granting Vengeance dies, the unit will not get any Vengeance attacks. It is "If you have Vengeance, and you were damaged last turn, you get a move+attack." It is not "If you get damaged, you get Vengeance next turn." If you lose Vengeance halfway through resolving Vengeance, then you stop resolving Vengeance immediately. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Advance Deployment      (Edit) Sometimes you can attach a WA or CA that doesn't have AD to a unit that does have AD. If you do, the attachment effectively gains AD and they can all advance deploy together. (Locked Thread)