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.
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Khador’s heavily armored Iron Fang pikemen are charged with hunting down and destroying enemy warjacks, carrying explosive-tipped blasting pikes designed to tear through the thickest armor of man or machine. The most veteran of these pikemen are welcomed into the elite Black Dragon kompany, where their experience and precision make them brutally efficient on the attack and unbreakable in defense.
Rally the Black Dragons behind the standard of Khador and lead them to glory at the command of their brave Kapitan.
Basic Info
Black Dragons |
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COST |
{{{cacost}}} |
UNIT SIZE |
{{{casize}}} |
FA |
{{{cafa}}} |
Unit / Officer |
BASE |
Small |
SPD |
6 |
STR |
6 |
MAT |
7 / 8 |
RAT |
N/A |
M.A. |
N/A |
DEF |
12 |
ARM |
14 |
CMD |
8 |
ESSENCE |
{{{essence}}} |
FOCUS |
N/A |
FURY |
N/A |
THRS |
N/A |
HP |
1 / 5 |
F. Field |
N/A |
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WJP |
{{{wjp}}} |
WBP |
{{{wbp}}} |
IHP |
{{{ihp}}} |
FA |
2 |
UNIT SIZE |
6 or 10 +2 CA |
COST |
9 or 15 +3 CA |
1.5 each |
N/A |
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N/A |
Warcaster 1 |
COST |
N/A |
N/A |
Understanding the Statblock |
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Abilities
- Entire unit
- Practiced Maneuvers - Each model in this unit can ignore other models in this unit when determining LOS and can advance through them if it has enough movement to move completely past them.
- Leader, Grunts, & Officer
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Combined Melee Attack
- Precision Strike - When this model damages a warjack or warbeast with a melee attack, choose which column or branch suffers the damage.
- Shield Wall (Order) - Until the start of their next activation, each affected model gains +4 ARM while B2B with another affected model in its unit. When receiving this order a model can forfeit its Combat Action to gain +3” movement as part of its Normal Movement this turn. This bonus does not apply to damage originating in the model's back arc. Models in this unit can begin the game affected by Shield Wall.
- Officer only
- The Officer has a better statline
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Officer
- Iron Zeal [ Minifeat ] - This model can use Iron Zeal once per game at any time during the unit's activation. Models in this unit gain +3 ARM and cannot become stationary or knocked down. Models are not affected while out of formation. Iron Zeal lasts for one round.
- Tactics: Side Step - Models in this unit gain Side Step. (Side Step - When a model with Side Step hits an enemy model with an initial melee attack or a melee special attack, it can advance up to 2" after the attack is resolved.)
- Standard only
- Standard Bearer - While this model is within 5" of its unit commander, the unit commander gains +2 CMD.
- Take Up - If this model is destroyed, you can choose a Grunt in this unit within 1" of it to be destroyed instead. Effects on this model expire, and it gains the effects on the chosen Grunt. Remove the Grunt from the table instead of this model. This model has the same number of unmarked damage boxes as the chosen Grunt.
Weapons
Leader, Grunts, & Officer
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Blasting Pike
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RNG
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POW
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P+S
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2
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7
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13
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Standard Bearer
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- Unarmed - This model has no weapons.
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Theme Forces
Thoughts on Black Dragons
Black Dragons in a nutshell
The Black Dragons are an elite unit within the Iron Fang Pikemen, gaining Practiced Maneuvers and Precision Strike but costing slightly more. A hard hitting shield wall unit, the Black Dragons are a decently viable unit in their niche and more than good enough for friendly games, but with two such close units in stats and abilities there has to be one winner and the Iron Fangs are almost identical but more cost effective.
Thoughts on the CA
The Officer and Standard Bearer give Iron Zeal and Side Step. That's more toughness and maneuverability; ARM 21 is enough to shrug off almost all incoming fire that's meant to hit infantry.
Combos & Synergies
Drawbacks & Downsides
- With the lack of Set Defense Black Dragons die a lot to charging infantry.
- The Black Dragons have the same statline, weapons, and shield wall as the Iron Fang Pikemen and are more expensive. It's difficult to make the case that Practiced Maneuvers is that important if you are good at positioning, and Precision Strike on its own is not worth the extra points.
- The Iron Fang Kovnik and Uhlan Kovnik Markov between them hand out the differences between base Iron Fangs and the Black Dragons making this upgrade less than worthwhile. Indeed the Kovnik on his own covers most of the gap and more.
- Due to the regular Iron Fang minifeat the Black Dragons really need to make mileage out of their ARM 21.
- A mini-feat and charge from the regular Iron Fangs is simply superior to one from the Black Dragons.
- Like all single wound shield walls there are a number of sources of auto-damage like Anatomical Precision and Scather that stop them cold.
Tricks & Tips
- Iron Zeal and the shield wall between them bounce almost all anti-ARM shooting.
- Side Step allows them to brawl with infantry, spreading out to stab before bunching up in shield wall.
Other
Trivia
- Rules-wise, the Black Dragons used to be just a normal Iron Fang unit which a special CA.
- In the mk2 to mk3 transition, it became its own unit.
- The "Black Dragon" CA was released 2012-ish, and wasn't published in any expansion book.
Other Khador models
Rules Clarifications
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Rules Clarification : Knockdown (Edit)
- Knockdown (Edit) - Remember, knockdown only prevents what it says it does. Refer to the Knockdown page for a recap of what a model can/can't do.
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Rules Clarification : Unarmed (Edit)
- Since this model has no weapons it does not have a melee range.
- This means it can't engage other models, declare charges, or make free strikes
- Also it can't gain abilities that require a melee range (such as Ragman granting this model Dark Shroud).
- However, other models that do have melee weapons can engage this model. So this model can still gain the "target in melee" shooting bonus.
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Rules Clarification : Combined Melee Attack (Edit)
- Each CMA only counts as a single attack, no matter how many participants are involved. This means, for example, that if Satyxis Raiders damage a warjack and trigger their Feedback ability, the enemy warcaster will only take 1 damage total, not 1 for every Raider.
- Any bonuses (such as back strike) or penalties (such as intervening terrain) are determined according to the model leading the CMA (the attack leader).
- If the participants have buffs/debuffs but the attack leader doesn't ... then the CMA doesn't because only the attack leader matters. Simple as that.
- A single unit can perform multiple CMAs, utilising different groupings of models. eg a unit with 10 models could make one 10-man CMA, or two 5-man CMAs, or five 2-man CMAs, or etc.
- CMA for units that have more than one melee weapon (the short version)
- Once you have more than one melee weapon, charging becomes a bit complicated. There are two important rules:
- A model which charges must use its first attack to make a charge attack. It can't "skip ahead" to contributing its second non-charge attack before it's resolved its first attack.
- For a CMA to gain the charging bonus, then all contributors must be contributing a charge attack.
- These two rules have a few, slightly confusing implications. Click the expand box below for a full breakdown.
CMA for units with more than one weapon (the long version) (Edit)
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The following example is about Satyxis Raiders, but is equally applicable to other units with two CMA:
- Each Raider gets two attacks. Both, one, or neither can be a CMA as you choose.
- If you are doing two CMA in a row, then you should note that the second CMA doesn’t have to use the same “primary attacker” or the same “participants” as the first CMA.
- For instance, you could have the first CMA with raider A being the "primary attacker" and raider B being the "participant",
- then for the second CMA have raider B the "primary attacker" and raider A the "participant".
- Or leave A alone for a moment and use B plus C. Whatever takes your fancy.
- Primary attackers and participants don't have to use the same weapon. So, continuing with the above example, you could have primary A use lash and participant B use horns, then primary B use lash and participant A use horns. Effectively granting you two lash attacks with CMA bonuses!
- Combined Melee Attack and charging
- Remember the 2 rules above?
- Rule 1 means you cannot contribute your second, non-charge attack before you have resolved/contributed your first attack.
- Rule 1 means you cannot "skip ahead" to resolving your second, non-charge attack before you have resolved/contributed your first attack.
- but wait, there's more!
- However, thanks to the "Units with Combined Melee Attack ignore the rule that one trooper's combat action cannot begin until the previous model's combat action ends" rule, you can "pause" your second attack if you want to do a CMA with it later. For example:
- Model A performs its charge attack.
- Model B performs its charge attack. (Interrupting A)
- Model C performs its charge attack. (Interrupting B)
- CMA using A, B & C's remaining attack.
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Rules Clarification : Practiced Maneuvers - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Marksman and/or Precision Strike (Edit)
- These abilities do not get around Retribution Force Fields. The attacker's ability assigns it to a column, and Force Field reassigns it.
- Versus a Colossal or Gargantuan, you don't get to choose which grid is damaged. That is still governed by which Firing Arc the attacker is standing in.
- Attacker chooses column vs Defender chooses column (Edit)
- When both the attacker and defender have an ability that lets them choose the column that gets damaged, the attacker gets to choose. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Shield Wall (Edit)
- You don't need to have the entire unit in B2B to get the bonus. Even just two models in B2B will give it to each other. Which way they're facing doesn't matter, either.
- You can still get Shield Wall while knocked down.
- Shield Wall works against all damage except damage originating in your back arc.
- If a damage roll doesn't have an origin point (such as Scather, Old Witch1's feat, continuous fire, etc) then by definition it can't originate in your back arc, and you'll get your bonus vs it.
- It won't work vs stuff that "leaps" off models in your back arc, such as Electro Leap. (Locked thread)
- If you start the game in Shield Wall, it will expire when you activate the unit. It doesn't let you run and be in Shield Wall on turn 1.
- Since models move in straight lines, it impossible to keep two models B2B while advancing. Thus you cannot benefit from Shield Wall while moving through acid clouds etc.
- Unless you have something that lets you move through models, like Tactician.
- Orders affect unit attachments, even if that attachment doesn't have the order on their card (such as a Soulless Escort benefiting from the Shield Wall order). (Infernal Ruling)
- You get your Shield Wall bonus vs continuous fire in the Maintenance Phase. Shield Wall doesn't expire until the unit activates. (Locked thread)
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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.
- 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.
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Rules Clarification : Iron Zeal (Edit)
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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)
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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")
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- 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)
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Rules Clarification : Side Step (Edit)
- You can't trigger Side Step by hitting friendly models.
- You can't trigger Side Step from additional attacks that you buy, or out-of-activation attacks (such as free strikes).
- If you have multiple initial attacks, you have to step after each one. You can't "save up" all your side steps then get a single big 4" or 6" move.
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Rules Clarification : Standard Bearer (Edit)
- If the Officer dies, the Standard Bearer can give the CMD bonus to the Leader model.
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Rules Clarification : Take Up (Edit)
- If you use Take Up the attacking model cannot trigger anything that needs the attacker to "Destroy" a model (such as Alpha Hunter, Killing Spree, Berserk, etc). Although the model that was attacked reached the Destroyed step of the timing sequence, Take Up negates that entirely. (Infernal Ruling)
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