Gorten Grundback

99% of this website is about Mark 3 (mk3), which is the previous edition of the game (2016 to 2022). The reasons for this are explained here. 1% of the website is about Mark 4 (mk4), but only in regards to which mk3 models are useable in mk4 Prime and which are mk4 Unlimited. See Legacy Armies for more detail.

Gorten Grundback Mercenary Rhulic Warcaster

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Rhul Guard. It can also be used in the Unlimited game mode. You can view the other Mk3 models that made it into a Legacy Army at this page. Note that the rest of this page is about the model's Mark III rules.

One day Gorten had a revelation: he was meant to be a Warcaster. Having heard tales among men and dwarves about the great honour and glory those who can wield magic in battle, he decided to leave the mining life behind and bring his command of stone and earth to the battlefield. At his call, walls of rock rise from nowhere, molten ore will slag his enemies, and allies become rooted to the ground such that nought but death shall move them.

Basic Info

Gorten1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 4 STR 7 MAT 7 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 19 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS 5 FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 18 F. Field N/A WJP +31 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

Mercenary - In a 2+ caster game, he can work for Cygnar, Crucible Guard or Khador.

Warcaster - All warcasters 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.

• Rhulic Warcaster - This warcaster can control only Rhulic warjacks.

Feat : Landslide

1. Choose a table edge and a distance up to 8". Enemy models currently in Gorten's control range are pushed the chosen distance directly towards the chosen table edge in the order you choose.
2. For one round, affected models suffer -3 to SPD, RAT, and DEF, cannot give or receive orders, and cannot charge or make slam or trample power attacks.

Abilities

• Tough
• Resourceful - This model can upkeep spells on models in its battlegroup without spending focus/fury.

Weapons

Dual Hand Cannon
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		12			2			-			12
Both Barrels (★ Attack) - This model gains +4 to the damage roll for this attack. This model cannot make additional ranged attacks with this weapon during an activation in which it used a Both Barrels attack.
Forge Father
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				7				14
Damage Type: Magical Critical Smite - On a critical hit, the model hit can be slammed d6" directly away from this model. If the model hit has a larger base than the attacking model, it is moved only half the distance rolled. The POW of collateral damage is equal to the STR of this model.
Gutter
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				2				9

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Energizer	2	SELF	-	-	-	No
Each model in the spellcaster's battlegroup that is currently in its control range can immediately advance up to 2". Energizer can be cast only once per activation.
Molten Metal	2	10	-	-	-	Yes
Target warjack suffers 1 point of fire damage to each column on its damage grid.
Rock Wall	2	Control	-	-	Upkeep	No
Place a wall template anywhere completely within the spellcaster's control range where it does not touch a model's base, an obstruction, or an obstacle. The wall is an obstacle that provides cover.
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.
Strength of Granite	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	No
Target model in the spellcaster's battlegroup gains +4 STR.

Theme Forces

• Hammer Strike. Gorten gains Tough in this theme.
• Soldiers of Fortune
• The Irregulars

Thoughts on Gorten Grundback

Gorten Grundback in a nutshell

Gorten walks slowly forward weathering any small arms fire that comes his armies way by upkeeping Solid Ground and casting Energizer & Rock Walls until it's time for him to feat.

This alone can win him the game. If it doesn't he will need to use Strength of Granite to apply pressure accordingly and attrition the rest of the game.

Gorten can deliver his battlegroup but doesn't have the focus to run a large one. Combined arms is often the way to go in bigger games for this reason.

Feat thoughts

Gorten's feat is one of the strongest in the game without factoring in the 10" control area. As such, it is critical to him winning or losing and it is super easy to screw it up by moving models in the wrong order, or not being able to see where models will finish.

This feat can be used in a number of different ways:

• Drag the opposing caster to you (or sometimes left or right work), kill them. This tactic is used against the unprepared player. There are plenty of ways to set this up. You could slide the opposing caster to an Earthbreaker or Driller, Alexia and her Risen, Kayazy Assassins, Anastasia Di Bray, use your imagination. Experienced players won't allow you to do this easily, and the odds of the opposing caster starting your turn within 14" of Gorten are quite low.
• Shove everything 8" towards its own deployment zone. This is awesome for clearing flags and zones. It can also force some casters to killbox themselves, especially warcaster units that won't be able to issue run orders
• Defensively feating to defend the Earthbreaker or Gorten. If your opponent has a colossal or two, they aren't going anywhere, but you can use the feat to buy your Earthbreaker a turn to get into position for the charge and land some more shots.
• Use Rock Wall. Sometimes, you can bunch up a huge number of enemy models by placing a wall in front of them and sliding them into it. Then you blast or spray them. This can also be used to move a warcaster away from its guard, warbeasts and warjacks out of control range, move unit leaders away from their units, the possibilities are limitless.
• Pull your target out from behind cover to set them up for a charge or shooting. Pull them behind obstacles to prevent them from charging or shooting.
• Push models into hazards or rough terrain.
• Split up squads. As they can't take orders, this can tie up a particularly hard squad, or prevent squads that rely on orders (like Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps, for example) from being able to do their orders.

Think carefully about the order models are moved. Slide a shield guard into its caster, then slide the caster 8" away from it. Create bunched-up models where it serves your purpose, or spread units out as much as possible.

Spell thoughts

• Energizer - Excellent for threat extension, or as an Reposition-like effect. Pull Gorten back after his feet to keep him safe, or push him IN to catch more models. Have a Rockram back 2" away after shooting, or use it to push the threat of a Strength of Granite buffed Driller to 10", you get the picture.
• Molten Metal - Six guaranteed points of damage isn't terrible, especially against high ARM warjacks, and can be very useful when you have just one box left of a system somewhere.
• Rock Wall - It can be used to provide cover, block charge lanes, stop specific models when you are using Landslide and prevent things from reaching melee range.
• Solid Ground - It is almost always cast on the first round and kept up unless the opponent has no blasts or knock-down effects.
• Strength of Granite - Any melee 'jack (or Gorten himself!) can use this spell. It makes them hit much harder and is always kept up for free thanks to Resourceful.

Drawbacks & Downsides

Gorten has three major weaknesses:

1. SPD 4 with Energizer as one of the few ways to make him go faster.
2. Limited army support.

   Rock Wall is a great spell that does more for an army than one might think, and Solid Ground is great with the right models, and the feat makes the other army really easy targets that don't fight back. But the rest of the time, his army is pretty much on its own.

3. Limited focus

   While he does have Resourceful, to save the focus on Strength of Granite and Solid Ground, he still only has FOCUS 5, and you'll likely want to hot-swap SoG and maybe Rock Wall, so focus for allocation and camping purposes will still be tight.

Tricks & Tips

• Cast Strength of Granite on your melee 'jack. If your 'jack is gone, then cast it on Gorten.
  • POW 25 Earthbreaker! In addition to massive damage, you can now toss a model 12.5". That's better than the torpedoes!
  • Drillers with POW 20/22.
  • POW 19 Bashers.
  • Gorton himself goes to POW 18/13.
• Cast Solid Ground first round, upkeep it the whole game. There really isn't a reason to not use it now that Gorton is Resourceful.
• Advance a squad. Cast Rock Wall in front of it for a quick and easy DEF buff.
• Crit-Smite:
  • If Gorten gets into melee combat, try and line up your target so there is an equal-or-larger based model behind it so you can slam them into it. Or cast Rock Wall behind them!
  • Remember, as a small model, he's only going to be slamming medium and large-based models half the distance rolled.
• Bosun Grogspar can hit Gorten in the back and Pitch him, Boss MacHorne can combo smite him, or Dez can shoot him in the back for the same result. This is not in any way a reliable extra distance for Gorten's feat (it's d6" for Bosun and Sam, d3" for Dez) - but should make your opponent extremely paranoid about Gorten's threat range.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Gorten needs to keep as much of his army alive as possible while he gets in position to feat. Unfortunately, he has been stealth nerfed several times since he can't charge friendly models or be slammed or thrown by his own warjacks. The only ways to increase the threat of his feat (other than Energizer) is by pitching him with Bosun Grogspar or using the Steelhead Ironhead's Power Lifter ability (and/or the Galleon's for that matter). This makes it easier for your opponent to position to minimize your feat turn.

Theme Thoughts

    Soldiers of Fortune    

• The Steelhead-based recursion engine is possible here, as Rhupert, Sergeant Nicolas Verendyre and Alexia are allowed. He doesn't really care for Horses or Artillery, so maxing out on Halberdiers is his best option in this theme.
• Steelhead Arcanist - Magic Weapon on a stick is crucial if your list is intended to have any sort of game into incorporeal or hymn of shielding. Empower for your jacks is also great.
• Steelhead Ironhead - This is the model Gorten loves more than any other as it gets him up the board 2" faster. You should play him in Soldiers of Fortune for this reason alone.
• Herne & Jonne - Thor is not allowed in this theme, so if you want to run an Earthbreaker, stacking Mark Target and Artillerist is the next best thing
• Dez1 - She can shoot him in the back for extra Feat threat range.

    The Irregulars    

• Idrian Skirmishers come with native Pathfinder, blast immunity, and DEF 13 (aka DEF 17 behind cover), thus they take to his buffs very, very well.
• Croe's Cutthroats - Pathfinder, Repo 5" and Prey, just like the Idrians, but they have Stealth and Backstab. Naturally they love Rock Wall and Solid Ground.
• Gastone Crosse - You want those Croes to have Backstab online as much as possible, so Discombobulate is essential. He loves hiding behind a Rock Wall, too.
• Kayazy Eliminators - Giving them knock-down immunity takes away the most popular way the enemy can reduce their DEF, which is excellent. They might end up operating outside of his bubble to keep you in scenario though.
• Alexia & The Risen - As you will bring lots of chaff anyway, she is a great choice to add to your recursion game.
• Thor Steinhammer - If you bring an Earthbreaker, Thor and his Tune-Up is mandatory. In this theme he can also bring a Basher along for Flank if you want him to and have the points.
• The usual merc mainstays that work well with everybody are in this theme: Aiyana & Holt, Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios, Ragman, Hermit, Eilish and Anastasia.
• Gabriel Throne and Rhupert hand out Tough to units, which combos well with his no-knock-down bubble. Throne also has a damage buff.
• Bamfist - Hands out Empower and can push some models around to set up for the big feat turn. Force Barrier stack with cover from Rock Wall.
• Nemo4 - Summons in an Ironhead and runs an extra heavy for Gorten. With Lightning Shroud his heavy will hit like a truck as well, he can also adds a recursive element to your units.
• Asphyxious4 - Another damage buff who can also generate a cloud wall and basically a heavy in his own right.
• Dez1 is here, also.
• Bosun Grogspar can pitch him with his hook.
• Boss MacHorn can likewise Combo Smite him in the back.
• Widget1 squeezes another shot out of your Earthbreaker (or any other jack, preferably a ranged one).
• Gudrun2 Kinetic Distortion stack with Cover from Rock Walls for +6 DEF against shooting. This gets even the cumbersome Rhulic heavies delivered.
• Lanyssa - Hunter's Mark gives a free charge and a speed buff to his jacks, who desperately need it. She loves Cover and Solid Ground, too.

    Hammer Strike    
Gorten, with his Solid Ground, isn't so much a caster that makes dwarves good as a caster that makes his army more dwarf-like; Solid Ground makes troops highly blast resistant and able to keep their feet. The Rhulfolk in general don't gain that much from this.

• Hammerfall Siege Crawler - Technically also available in Irregulars, but useless there as it has nothing to reinforce. It provides recursion to your Forge Guard.
• Bamfist - He actually has units in this theme to put Force Barrier on! Forge Guard behind a wall and under a Barrier actually become very dodgy against shooting.
• In Hammer Strike, Forge Guard gain the Tough special rule, which coupled with a pair of Siege Crawlers bringing them back plus Rock Walls and Solid Ground, is about the slowest, stoutest, most resilient, most dwarfish army you're going to get from Warmachine.
  • Stonelord Guvul Gondor should always be attached to a unit of Forge Guard. He recurrs them, makes them faster, and grants them another attack.
• The Rhulic heavies gain repo here so they can trample and repo farther than they can run on turn 1.
• Bamfist, Thor, Gudrun and Herne and Jonne are here, too.

Battlegroup

• A Ghordson Driller and a Ghordson Basher can get some work done under Strength of Granite.
• Grundback Blasters and Gunners are never a bad pick for any dwarf caster.
• Ghordson Earthbreaker - Not a great choice, though not awful. Gorten can leverage its abilities somewhat by placing Rock Wall in front of it and putting Strength of Granite on it. However, many armies can shoot it right off the board in a turn or two.

Other

Trivia

GOR-10; Minicrate Exclusive.

• Released in Warmachine: Escalation (2004)
• This model has a limited edition sculpt, released in 2020.09.

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Vyros2
• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Deneghra1
• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Fyanna2
• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Kaelyssa1
• 2018.08 Deathclock Dave, vs Maelok1
• 2018.07 Deathclock Dave, vs Locke1
• 2018.06 Feat Fetish, vs Nemo1
• See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Feat: Landslide Even if the model(s) cannot be pushed (such as Colossals)they will still suffer the other effects of the feat. (Infernal Ruling)

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

General Damage from a feat is neither an attack nor Damage Type: Magical (unless the feat says it is). FOCUS (uppercase) is the stat printed on the warcaster's card. Focus (lowercase) refers to focus points a model currently has. Your CTRL area is double your FOCUS stat, not double your focus 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 warcasters 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 Warcaster rules. Work out all damage modifiers (such as Decapitation doubling the damage that exceeds ARM) before reducing it with the Power Field. (Infernal Ruling) 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 : Rhulic Warcaster - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Both Barrels - 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 : Smite      (Edit) This rule changed in Mk3 to no longer say it "adds the weapon's POW". It still does add the POW, however, because the whole section on calculating Slam damage was reworded in the main rulebook. Smite is not a Power Attack Slam, it is just an attack which causes a model to be slammed. As such, you can smite friendly models. You can trigger Critical Smite on a free strike. If you Smite on a charge, then the slam damage will be boosted. Chain Attack Smite only - Unlile the other versions of Smite, a Chain Attack one doesn't have the distance halved when a smaller base model smites a larger. The Knights Exemplar Seneschal is just that awesome. See also the clarifications on being slammed

Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Resourceful      (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 : Energizer      (Edit) The models affected are determined when you cast the spell. If you use Energizer to move your caster forward and get more models in your CTRL range, that doesn't change anything. 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 : Molten Metal      (Edit) This spell always does 6 damage, but applying that damage can get a little complex: Vs a Retribution warjack with, say, 3 boxes left on its forcefield: Deal 3 points of damage to the forcefield, then 1 to columns 4,5,6. Vs a normal warjack with column 1 already filled in, then the damage "rolls over" to column 2. So 2 points of damage to column 2, then 1 each to columns 3 to 6. Vs a colossal: It can only affect one damage grid. So it will only do 6 damage, not 12.

Rules Clarification : Rock Wall      (Edit) The size of the wall template is 0.75" by 4". (Infernal Ruling) The upkeep spell is not "on" any model, not even the original caster. It can't be dispelled by stuff that targets models (such as Dispel or Hex Blast). It can be dispelled by stuff that doesn't target (such as Purification). But only if the template is in range of the Purification - the position of the original caster doesn't matter.

Rules Clarification : Solid Ground - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Strength of Granite      (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.