Goreshade the Bastard & Deathwalker

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Goreshade the Bastard Cryx Warcaster Unit Deathwalker Character Trooper

During the rare moments Goreshade is not in study or slaughter he stares into the empty night remembering a time when he was positioned to seize control of an entire nation and not just another general in the legions of the Dragonfather.

Basic Info

Warcaster Unit - All warcasters come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Furthermore, this warcaster comes with some troopers that can be ordered around. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

This unit is made up of Goreshade and the Deathwalker.

Goreshade

Goreshade1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Medium SPD 6 STR 7 MAT 7 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 15 ARM 16 CMD 7 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS 7 FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 17 F. Field N/A WJP +27 WBP {{{wbp}}} 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

Feat - Dark Summons

Add to play one unit of Bane Warriors (one Leader and five Grunts). Place each model completely within 3" of Goreshade.

Tip ! The Banes can activate in the same turn.

Abilities

• Officer
• Undead

Weapons

Bloodcleaver
		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				7				14
Deathwalk - When this model boxes a living enemy warrior model with an attack with this weapon and the Deathwalker is not in play, RFP the boxed model and replace it with the Deathwalker. Damage Type: Magical

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Bleed	2	8	-	10	-	Yes
When Bleed damages a living enemy model, this model can remove d3 damage points.
Hex Blast	3	10	3	13	-	Yes
Enemy upkeep spells and animi on the model/unit directly hit by Hex Blast immediately expire.
Lamentation	3	SELF	-	-	Upkeep	No
When an enemy model casts a spell while in the spellcaster's control range, double the COST of the spell. Additionally, enemy models must pay double to upkeep spells on models/units in the spellcaster's control range.
Shadowmancer	3	SELF	Command	-	Round	No
While in the spellcaster's command range, models in its battlegroup gain Stealth and Dark Shroud. Shadowmancer lasts for one round. Dark Shroud - While in the melee range of a model with Dark Shroud, enemy models suffer -2 ARM.
Soul Gate	3	Control	-	-	-	No
RFP a friendly trooper in Goreshade's control range and replace it with target warjack in Goreshade's battlegroup that is in his control range. The warjack cannot activate this turn after being placed by Soul Gate.

Deathwalker

Deathwalker
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 3 MAT {{{mat}}} RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 14 ARM 10 CMD 5 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 1 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} 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

Abilities

• Undead
• Breath Taker - Living enemy models suffer -2 STR and -2 DEF while in this model's command range.
• Dark Restoration – If Goreshade is disabled while in this model's command range, this model is destroyed and 1 damage point is removed from Goreshade.
• Ghostly - This model can advance through terrain and obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past them. It cannot be targeted by free strikes.

Weapons

• Unarmed - This model has no weapons.

Theme Forces

• Black Industries
• Dark Host
• The Ghost Fleet
• Scourge of the Broken Coast

Thoughts on Goreshade1

Classic sclupt

Goreshade1 in a Nutshell

Goreshade1 is a middling battlegroup caster who brings a bit of a Stealth skew and anti-spell tech to the table. He lacks the focus efficiency to run a really large battlegroup (unless you spam something focus efficient, like Seethers).

Also, his buffs and debuffs are all tied to himself or Deathwalker (who has to be nearby) meaning he has to play fairly forward to apply them, which can leave him exposed to danger.

Feat thoughts

Pop his feat to get a small unit of Bane Warriors within charging range of something important (like the enemy caster) and combine the Dark Shroud and Breath Taker debuffs. Dark Summons is powerful in low-point games.

Don't get carried away with the Banes - remember to finish all your business with Goreshade after putting the Banes on the table, because if you start moving them then you've stopped his activation!

• In an alternative use, feat can be used to summon Bane models, which can be combined with the Desecrator for use with its Accumulator(Bane). This can be used to generate Bane models into themes that normally are unable to include Bane models (aside from Agathia)

Spell thoughts

• Bleed is a simple nuke, with a situationally useful heal tacked on.
• Lamentation makes it hard for your opponent to buff his own troops (or debuff yours), and Hex Blast will let you get rid of the upkeeps he does manage to cast.
  • Using Hex Blast to get rid of debuffs on your troops is a good excuse to take a Skarlock Thrall or the Withershadow Combine.
  • If you can catch the enemy caster in Lamentation your opponent will think long and hard about what spells to cast. Often they'll cast less, camp more, making it harder to assassinate them; so it can work against you.
  • When it comes to Lamentation vs upkeeps, note that is the model(s) the upkeep is on, not the original caster, that Goreshade needs to catch. So that is a lot easier to achieve.
  • Lamentation should be cast first turn and upkept all game.
• Soul Gate is normally used to yo-yo a high-value Jack (such as Deathjack). Send the jack in, beat face, then cast Soul Gate to bring it back to safety.
  • It can also be used for manoevering; beat face on the left flank then teleport to the right flank, ready for next turn.
    Or take it one step further in the themes Black Industries or Scourge, and use your Ambushers to get a jack right into the backlines.
  • You can even rescue a damaged warjack that (somehow) survived an enemy attack by teleporting it to a Necrotech or Ironmongers.
  • Incorporeal models are also a great option for using with soul gate, as they can get into the backlines then let you teleport a warjack there.
• Shadowmancer has a hefty casting cost but it easily pays off as Stealth protects you on the approach, and Dark Shroud makes not just your jacks hit harder, but nearby infantry that attack the same target will benefit too.
  • Warjacks with 2" reach can spread the Dark Shroud further, while jacks with Drag can pull more enemies into Goreshade's CMD range.
  • Note that the spell affects Goreshade, his warjacks, and the Deathwalker.
  • You'll cast Shadowmancer most turns, in the early game for the Stealth benefit and in the mid/late game for the damage increase.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• His spells are expensive, and only one can be upkept from turn to turn. He doesn't have enough focus to do everything at once.
• Between casting too many spells, and playing a bit forward so they're more effective, he leaves himself open to assassination.
• With so much anti-magic tech in one package, your opponents will simply pick a caster that never (or hardly ever) casts spells. That will render half your tech pointless.
• He is susceptible to anti-Stealth tech.
• You need to buy a unit of Bane Warriors to use his feat.

Tricks & Tips

• When you respawn Deathwalker it is an "add to play" effect, not a "return to play" effect.
• Remember they're a unit, and Deathwalker is not a solo. (She was a solo in previous editions of the game)

List Building Advice

Strategy

Goreshade likes to bully his way up the middle of the table, casting Shadowmancer to keep himself and his 'jacks safe and casting Lamentation to make his opponent's life miserable.

As battlelines close, he will pop feat and use the free Banes to take something nasty down.

He likes focus-efficiency support like Warwitch Sirens and Misery Cages. He also likes accuracy buffs and/or inherently accurate troops.

Theme Thoughts

    Scourge of the Broken Coast    

Not a bad theme for Goreshade1, although he certainly isn't the best caster for that theme. He has a damage buff which the girls like.

• Blood Witches have stealth and so double down on the Stealth skew. They also ambush which can give you Soul Gate shenanigans.
• Satyxis Raider Captains have auto-knockdown which can fix accuracy.
• The theme has access to Misery Cage and Satyxis Blood Priestess for arcane support, and Ironmongers for warjack support.
  • The Priestess also gives Sucker! for any anti-stealth guns that might be out there.
• The Gang Fighter bonus stacks nicely with Dark Shroud, both from Shadowmancer and the Banes you summon via feat. Your jacks will hit really hard!
• You can double down on the Stealth skew by having Axiara hand out Prowl to some Marauders

    Dark Host    

What's better than an army of Banes? An army of Banes led by a caster who summons more Banes, of course.

• Darragh Wrathe's Mortal Fear stacks with Breath Taker, or use his Death Ride ability to speed Goreshade up.

    Mercenaries    

• Gorman can debuff a construct's ARM, letting you really crank damage up.

Battlegroup

• Seethers are good with Goreshade. They are focus efficient, appreciate the Stealth (since they're only DEF 12) and can countercharge anyone who tries to get close enough to target stealth models.
• Inflictors can Shield Guard any guns that ignore stealth.
• Reapers are a decent warjack to pull enemy models and so give Goreshade an indirect threat extension which he is otherwise lacking.
  • Special mention to the character Reaper, Malice, although she is only available in two themes; Black Industries or the bad theme we don't talk about.

Starting a 25 point list

In 2020.10 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here.

Theme - Dark Host

Goreshade the Bastard: [+27 WJP]

• Deathwalker: [Free]
• Reaper: [13 pts]
• Slayer: [10 pts]
• Stalker: [8 pts]

Bane Lord Tartarus: [Free] (6 pts)

Bane Warriors (Max unit): [16 pts]

• Command Attachment: [5 pts]

Other

Trivia

Rolling Bones Goreshade

• Released in Warmachine: Escalation (2004)
• Sculptor (2004 original): Kev Whit
• This model has a limited edition sculpt, released in 2016-ish.

Other Cryx models

Cryx Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Agathia - Aiakos2 - Asphyxious1 - Asphyxious2 - Asphyxious3 - Coven - 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 - Deathjack - 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 - 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: 2020.12

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.03 Tiny Men, vs Strakhov1
• 2018.07 Not Snakes Gaming, vs Jalaam
• See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Deathwalk      (Edit) You can still create a new Deathwalker even if the old one was Removed From Play.

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:  : 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. Press Forward Order vs Spells cast at Any Time (Edit) As of 2020.08, I have lost track of how this is supposed to work and I'm giving up until it is sorted properly. Refer to this thread for the latest ruling and follow-up questions. 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 : 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 : Undead - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Bleed - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Hex Blast      (Edit) If you miss and deviate onto a different target, no upkeeps or animi expire. You need a direct hit. Anti-Upkeep vs a unit (Edit) If an upkeep is on a unit, then all you need to do is make it expire off any member of the unit and the spell will expire from the entire unit. It doesn't matter if the target is in formation or not. (Locked thread) However, if an upkeep is on a single model within a unit (such as Scything Touch) then you need to dispel it off that particular model to make it dispel. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Lamentation      (Edit) Casting Spells Warcaster's that stand outside the Lamentation area, and use an arc node within the area, are unaffected. Magic Abilities do not have a COST so are unaffected by Lamentation. Models that can cast spells with a COST [X] for free (such as Blood Boon or Spell Slave) are unaffected by Lamentation - they can still cast COST [X] spells, they're not limited to COST [X/2] spells. (Infernal Ruling) When combined with other abilities that change COST (such as Tanith's feat "Rites of the Wurm") use normal maths: double/halve first, then add/subtract. (Infernal Ruling) Upkeeping Spells It doesn't matter where the model doing the upkeeping is, it matters whether the model/unit that the upkeep is on is in control range. Upkeeps which aren't on a model/unit (such as Veil of Mists or Rock Wall) are unaffected by Lamentation. Models which upkeep spells by other means (such as Skarre2's Blood Trade) are unaffected by Lamentation. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Shadowmancer      (Edit) Battlegroup members (Edit) Spells that target/affect "models in the battlegroup" can also target/will also affect the caster, the caster's unit (if they have one), and the caster's Companion (if they have one). It won't target/affect models which are Attached, though. Rules Clarification : Stealth      (Edit) Stealth models are not invisible and you can target them - you'll just auto-miss most of the time. You can target them with a charge. You can target them with an AOE, have it auto-miss and scatter, luckily land on top of them anyway, and that will hit them. Rules Clarification : Dark Shroud      (Edit) Dark Shroud only applies to your melee range, and this doesn't include behind you. Refer to the latest errata. The ARM debuff still applies during a free strike.

Rules Clarification : Soul Gate      (Edit) "Trooper" is defined as "model in a unit". Solos are not troopers. You need LOS to the warjack/horror (because you target it) but not to the trooper you RFP. Replace (Edit) There are three types of Replace: Dragoons getting dismounted, Grunt models being promoted to a Leader model, and abilities that transform one model into another (such as Infection or Soul Gate) Colossals and Gargantuans cannot be placed via a replacement effect. (Infernal Ruling) You cannot replace a model if there isn't enough space, and you don't apply the rule of Least Disturbance. This can lead to some awkward rules interactions when a larger model replaces a smaller, or any model replaces another while overlapping a third model. Click to read more.   [Show/Hide] If it is completely voluntary (such as casting Soulgate) then you simply don't get to place the larger model because there isn't room. (Infernal Ruling) If it is involuntary and occurs while moving (such as a flying Dragoon moving and taking a free strike that dismounts him while overlapping something) then you rewind the movement until you reach a point where there is sufficient space to carry out the replacement. This can cause it to move several inches away from where it took the free strike. (Infernal Ruling) If is involuntary and occurs while standing still (such as Little Alyce getting shot and trying to transform into Big Alyce) you simply don't get to place the larger model because there isn't room. In the case of Alyce, you can't trigger Traumatic Transformation so Little Alyce goes through the disabled-boxed-destroyed process like a normal model does, and never becomes Big Alyce. (Infernal Ruling) In the case of the Northkin Fireeaters, the Pyg Grunt model can only be promoted to the Troll Leader model if there is enough space. If not, he stays a Pyg but becomes the unit commander. Note that if two models are B2B with a third model, that third model can't be replaced with a larger model. There is no configuration where it fits and overlaps where the small one was.

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.

Rules Clarification : Breath Taker - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Dark Restoration - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Ghostly      (Edit) Ghostly doesn't let you move through other models, just terrain. Ghostly doesn't let you ignore damage from hazardous terrain. (Infernal Ruling)

Note to Editors To edit Deathwalker's tagged abilities, Click here