Karchev the Terrible

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Khador Logo.jpg Karchev the Terrible

Khador Greylord Warcaster

Mk4 icon.png
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.

Karchev is the man in the machine, a warcaster with the body of a warjack and a heart of fury. This Khadoran patriot drives his battlegroup forward relentlessly to crush the enemies of his beloved Motherland. Few are those that can withstand the sheer brutality of his assault. A single swing of his mechanikal axe Sunder can fell entire units as he wades into close combat with his warjacks in tow. Nothing short of the most advanced firepower can slow the unstoppable force that is Karchev.

Basic Info

Karchev1
Missing Info
Karchev.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
Warcaster 0
BASE Large
SPD 4
STR 12
MAT 7
RAT 5
M.A. N/A
DEF 12
ARM 19
CMD N/A
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS 6
FURY N/A
THRS N/A
HP 34
F. Field N/A
WJP +30
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

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.

Feat: Unearthly Rage

While in Karchev's control range, models in his battlegroup gain boosted melee damage rolls and their melee weapons gain Damage Type: Magical. Unearthly Rage lasts for one turn.

Abilities

  • Arcantrik Turbine - At the start of this model's activation, it can spend 1 focus point to gain +2" movement when advancing as part of its Normal Movement and Pathfinder for one turn.
  • Man in the Machine - Karchev is a living model but is neither a warjack nor a warrior model. He has a damage grid and suffers damage like a warjack. Karchev can make slam, trample and throw Power Attacks without spending focus but cannot make throw Power Attacks while his Open Fist is crippled. Effects modifying the amount of damage to or the manner in which damage is applied to a warjack also apply to him. Karchev cannot spend focus points to remove damage.
  • Repairable - This model can be targeted with Repair special actions as if it were a construct model.
  • Unyielding - This model gains +2 ARM against melee damage rolls.

Weapons

Fissure
Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW   LOCATION 
SP 10 1 - 12 Right
Open Fist
Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S   LOCATION 
1 3 15 Left
Sunder
Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S   LOCATION 
2 7 19 Right

Spells

COST RNG AOE POW DUR OFF
Battle-Charged

2 SELF Control - Upkeep No
While in the spellcaster's control range, models in its battlegroup gain Countercharge.
Countercharge - When an enemy model advances and ends its movement within 6" of a model with Countercharge and in its LOS, the model with Countercharge can immediately charge it. The model with Countercharge can use Countercharge only once per round and not while engaged.
Eruption

3 8 3 14 (Fire) Round Yes
Models hit suffer a POW 14 Fire Damage roll. This spell's AOE is a cloud effect and hazard that remains in play for one round. Models entering or ending their activations in the AOE take an unboostable POW 14 Fire Damage roll.
Ground Zero

3 SELF 5 13 - No
Center a 5" AOE on the spellcaster. Each other model in the AOE is hit and suffers a POW 13 damage roll. Immediately after this damage is resolved each enemy model damaged by Ground Zero is pushed d6" directly away from the spellcaster in the order you choose.
Jumpstart

1 SELF Control - - No
Models in the spellcaster's battlegroup that are currently in its control range stand up and are no longer stationary. Affected models can turn to face any direction. Models that were knocked down this turn are not affected by Jumpstart.
Road to War

3 SELF Control - Upkeep No
When a friendly Faction model in the spellcaster's control range destroys one or more enemy models with a melee or ranged attack during its activation, immediately after the attack is resolved one warjack in the spellcaster's battlegroup that is in its control range can advance up to 3". A warjack can advance as a result of Road to War only once per turn.

Theme Forces


Thoughts on Karchev1

Karchev1 in a nutshell

He's the jack caster of Khador - in every sense. Few can match his raw combat potential, and he rewards an aggressive play style on the board. Also he's big and mean, which works for him and against him. He has a lot of tricks to make his 'jacks faster than opponents expect and to allow them to come from unexpected directions.

Spell thoughts

  • Road to War - This is the most critical spell for getting the most out of Karchev. It can be difficult, since it requires 1) killing an enemy model 2) with a melee or ranged attack 3) during the model's activation. This means it is best triggered by killing single wound infantry. Jacks can have difficulty activating this effect without being fed extra focus, but your army can help with this by taking out exposed solos or squishy members of support units (I'm looking at you Widowmakers). One move is triggered per attack, not per model killed so AoEs will not potentially move your whole battlegroup. Since this only triggers on attacks, enemies killed by non-attack sources will not help you.
  • Jumpstart - Your go-to spell against pop and drop tricks, stationary-causing attacks like Ice Cage, as well as movement shenanigans, like Telekinesis, which would change your jacks' facing. If more than one of your models were knocked down, use this spell rather than spending FOCUS on shaking the effect. Situational, but can be life-saving - and don't forget that it includes you too.
  • Eruption - Even with the above-average damage of the hazardous effect, this one is pretty restrictive on your FOCUS pool.
  • Battle Charged - ensures that the enemy must place itself very well, if they don't want to get charged in return.
  • Ground Zero - Expensive, but can worth its weight in gold, when it comes to play. First, because it hits automatically. Even the most elusive jamming models will be hit automatically, and unless they have a 2" melee range, they have no way engaging you and evading the hit the same time. Heavy targets can also be pushed away from you, freeing up space for mounting a counter-attack, or simply just spraying them down with Fissure. Just watch out for rough terrain, as it halves the push distance.

Feat thoughts

Since all melee attack damage rolls are boosted, Karchev loves jacks with multiple melee attacks. Karchev is also a member of his own battlegroup, so he is an extreme assassination threat on his own with a full stack of Focus. His feat gives a boost, not an extra die, so it does not stack with the damage boost from charging. If you don't need the extra 3" of movement from a charge it is better to walk up and spend all of your focus boosting attack rolls and/or buying extra attacks. Since Karchev has few good ways of improving accuracy efficiently, you may want to knock target models down first. A charge from your Gun Carriage, or a shot from a Field Gun Crew will make sure your boosted damage rolls won't be wasted.

Though it gives you magical melee weapons too, it doesn't make your melee attacks magical, so you still won't be able to headbutt Gremlin Swarms to death.

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • Joint lowest DEF in the faction with Old Witch2 - whatever targets him, will likely hit. Beware Eyriss.
  • Large base makes his screen hard, and screening jacks can easily be hit/pushed out of place.
  • Deceptive ARM - he is as easy to kill as a regular heavy warjack.
  • Karchev does very little to help anything outside warjacks.
  • With two upkeeps and possibly a focus to improve his own mobility, Karchev has to be very careful with Focus management for his battle group without additional support.
  • Even with SR2017, his army's focus points are jacks. Actually, low SPD, low DEF jacks.
    • That makes him vulnerable to many tricks which hurts constructs (Dismantle and the like), and especially those which hurt warjacks and their controller (Domination, Feedback, Backlash)
    • Speed de-buffs and rough terrain tricks can hinder the delivery of his army.

Tricks & Tips

  • Don't forget, he's not a Construct. Anything that interacts with living models (Poison, Annoyance, Burning Ash, etc) affects him too.
  • The open fist is not magical, unlike Sunder. Keep it in mind when you try to wreck Incorporeal models.
  • Since Karchev can trample for free, and since trampling doesn't end your activation, you can declare a trample and then cast spells afterwards, effectively giving you +3" range on your spells.
  • Reinholdt can "reload" Karchev's axe giving him an extra spray during a round. How you reload an axe I have no idea.
  • Though you use an AoE for Ground Zero, the damage is not a blast damage, so blast immune models can still be hurt. Also, the spell targets Karchev, so targeting restictions against spells (like Spell Ward or Sacred Ward) can be circumvented.
  • If an enemy cannot be targeted by your spray attack, run up one of your own model in line with the enemy, then target it with Fissure, catching the intended target with it.


List Building Advice

Strategy

Karchev is an odd duck now. He allows an extremely mobile Khador jack game through Road to War/Counter Charge shenanigans, but at the same time, he has no way of addressing rough terrain. He allows extreme damage output from his jacks during his feat turn, but at the same time he doesn't have any focus efficient ways to make them more accurate outside of Fissure, which can easily leave him overexposed. This means he needs to be very careful in choosing his army if he is not going to be stymied by certain enemies or battlefield layouts. Ironically, if you are aiming for a well-suited theme force, you might best be served by the Winter Guard Kommand force instead of the jack-oriented Jaws of the Wolf, since it provides far more sources of knockdown to maximize the damage from his feat turn as well as advance move for his jacks and possible ways to provide protection despite his large base via sacrificial pawn. Also worthy of note is the Wolves of Winter theme, since stationary can also make those boosted damage rolls connect and it gives you access to the Greylord Forge Seer which can mitigate some of your focus shortage with Empower. Doom Reavers can also trigger plenty of Road to War movement.

It is difficult to consider Karchev independently of the other offbeat beat stick jack caster, Captain Jeremiah Kraye, with whom his Mk2 incarnation shared a lot of similarities. It appears he got the short end of the stick in the edition bump, since Kraye gets reposition 5 and cavalry rules for his jacks as passive effects, while Karchev has to pay upkeeps for far less reliable mobility boosts, nor does he get any accuracy benefits. He is definitely an incredibly powerful piece in his own right, and his damage potential far outstrips most casters in the game. His bump in WJ points also offsets some of the nerfing, but he will struggle far more against specific enemy army compositions, board layouts, and scenario conditions than he did previously.

Karchev is not for subtle scenario manipulation or cunning movement shenanigans. Quite often you'll win by assassination, or simply by attrition, destroying a huge chunk of your enemy's force under your feat turn. Though the in-yo-face approach seems easy, it requires perfect timing and model placing. Key elements are setting up a reliable Road to War chain to move your most important jacks up before a critical strike, and managing Battle Charged to stave off enemy jammers and/or heavy hitters from your army. For his personal combat output, Fissure is quite an efficient tool for setting up targets for the rest of your army. Sometimes it is better to stay your hand, and just shoot the target for a reliable knockdown, then letting your jacks finish the job, than rushing in all by yourself. With 1 focus, his personal threat range is a respectable 16", while with another to boost the attack roll, he can knock down warcasters and warlocks up to DEF15 with ease (while ignoring concealment, cover and stealth).

Theme thoughts

    Jaws of the Wolf    
Pathfinder on all jacks in the list (even those on Junior and marshals) is a really strong benefit. As is the extra forest offering some protection. I can alls lead to some interesing plays where a Battle Raged jack counter charges out of the woods. The theme also features lots of nice units for scenario and triggering Road to War.

  • A unit of Widowmaker Scouts as well as the Widowmaker Marksman are very good at triggering Road To War - and the Marksman is free in theme.
  • Kayazy Eliminators are useful - and you can get a unit of them for free. Also they can trigger Road at nice times and contest like champions.
  • Battle Mechaniks - you want to keep those jacks running, right? These are the guys you need. In Jaws of the Wolf reposition ensures that they won't die to blasts once they finished repairs.
  • Kossite Woodsmen - They ambush and thus contribute to your scenario game, also they can be nice RtW triggers (if they actually hit something).
  • Kovnik Apprentice Kratikoff - Boundless Charge is an extemely useful tool for Karchev since Khador jacks are notoriously slow.
  • Kovnik Andrei Malakov - He also brings a much needed speedbuff in Redline, bringing the two juniors just for this reason is usually worth it.
  • Greylord Forge Seer - Khador lacks for good magical shooting options to remove pesky Gremlin Swarms, Feralgeists and the like. Giving a Destroyer or even Behemoth to a Seer solves this problem nicely. They won't benefit from RtW, but can trigger it with their shooting. Additionally they prvide some focus efficiency with Empower.

    Wolves of Winter    
The main draw here is the abundance of ARM debuffs, as well as 4(!) models with Empower.

  • Koldun Lord - the afoementioned ARM debuff. Alternatively he can copy the Forge Seers empower, netting you up to 4 free focus a turn.
  • Void Archon - Yet another ARM debuff! Also a solo with an incredible threat range. Unfortunately it is not Friendly Faction so does not trigger Road to War.
  • Greylord Outriders - Sprays are excellent RtW triggers. Especially so when they come from SPD 9 horse riders that can flank around while your jacks advance up the middle of the board.
  • Doomreaver Swordsmen - Your bread and butter unit in this theme they can screen and contest your jacks.
  • Greylord Ternion - Ice Cages increase your odds to hit and Blizzards can screen your jacks nicely.
  • Lady Aiyana & Master Holt and Valachev are only available together in this theme. Aiyana hands out kisses and Holt shoots stuff to trigger RtW. Valachev makes the package faction friendly and Zephyrs them around.

    Winterguard Kommand    
This theme offers a plethora of RtW triggers due to it s great shooting capabilities. Winterguard Infantry, Rifle Corps, Rocketeers, the Gun Carriage and even the often maligned Assault Kommandos make for great screening and shooting pieces. Furthermore, the two Juniors are in this theme too.

    Support models - Various themes    

  • Greylord Adjunct - An absolute autoinclude. A free upkeep is just too good to pass up for Karchev who'S entire gameplan relies on his two. Guidance, extra range on spells and clouds in also very nice.
  • There is a good case for most of the other attachments though; Reinholdt lets him reload his Axe (what?) and Stealth removal is vital for RtW triggers. Sylys also provides free upkeeps and makes Eruption absolutely terryfing with Arcane Secrets. Corbeau or the War Dog keep him save in melee.
  • Kell Bailoch - If you brought Widowmakers and the Marksman already you migth want to bring him, just for the option to peel of 13 damage off of any warnoun.
  • Gobber Tinker - Mechanikally Adept, a prime contester and an excellent pointfiller!

Battlegroup

  • Every warjack in his arsenal can screen him. If you expect pop & drop tricks, the clamjacks are ideal counters, as all of them resist knockdown. Spriggan has other utility for stealth removal too, and can activate RtW at range with its grenades. The Demolisher and the Devastator resist pushes on top of Knockdown, and can serve a pretty good deterrent against lists with lots of movement shenanigans (Rahn, for example).
  • Karchev synergizes surprisingly well with the Decimator. RtW plus Beat Back allows a surprisingly mobile jack that is still able to gain an aiming bonus. It's auto-hit on subsequent melee attacks after a hit is also particularly deadly on his feat turn. You will still probably want a Forge Seer to feed this guys focus if you want to get the most from him.
  • For RtW chains units with long range guns can serve well. (Destroyer and Behemoth) fit the bill.
  • Kodiak - Kodiaks are already very mobile jacks thanks to their speed boost when running. This gets turned up to 11 with RtW/BC Karchev will also appreciate their built in Pathfinder since he does not have any way to hand it out. Finally, a source of cloud effect for screening is always appreciated, just be aware that Vent Steam cannot trigger RtW movement because it is not an attack.
  • Rager - a shield guard is always nice for such a large caster, and under your feat your point-blank shot's damage roll is also boosted.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2020.10 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. It was then updated for the 2021.10 errata. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here.

Theme - Jaws of the Wolf

Karchev1: [+30 WJP]
Yuri the Axe: [Free] (4 pts)
Widowmaker Marksman: [3 pts]
Manhunter: [2 pts]
Widowmaker Scouts: [7 pts]
Kossite Woodsmen: [7 pts]


For more Brawlmachine list ideas, see Category: Brawl List

Other

Trivia

Other faction models

Khador Logo.jpg       Khador Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters

Butcher1 - Butcher2 - Butcher3 - Harkevich - Irusk1 - Irusk2 - Karchev1 - Karchev2 - Kozlov - Malakov2 - Old Witch1 - Old Witch2 - Sorscha1 - Sorscha2 - Sorscha3 - Strakhov1 - Strakhov2 - Vlad1 - Vlad2 - Vlad3 - Zerkova1 - Zerkova2

Warcaster attachments

Khador: War Dog - Greylord Adjunct
Mercenary: Madelyn Corbeau - Reinholdt - Wyshnalyrr

Other Warjack Controllers

"Junior" Warcasters: Malakov1 - Sorscha0
'Jack Marshals: Man-o-War Kovnik - Greylord Forge Seer

Heavy Warjacks

Beast-09 - Behemoth - Berserker - Black Ivan - Decimator - Demolisher - Destroyer - Devastator - Drago - Grolar - Juggernaut - Kodiak - Mad Dog - Marauder - Rager - Ruin - Spriggan - Torch

Colossal Conquest - Victor
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units

Assault Kommandos - Battle Mechaniks - Black Dragons - Doom Reaver Swordsmen - Great Bears of the Gallowswood - Greylord Outriders - Greylord Ternion - Iron Fang Pikemen - Iron Fang Uhlans - Kayazy Assassins - Kayazy Eliminators - Kossite Woodsmen - MOW Atanas & Standard - MOW Bombardiers - MOW Demolition Corps - MOW Shocktroopers - Widowmaker Scouts - WG Field Gun - WG Infantry - WG Mortar Crew - WG Rifle Corps
Ranking Officer CA : Koldun Kapitan Valachev

Solos

Bulkhead - Fenris - Greylord Adjunct - Greylord Forge Seer - Iron Fang Kovnik - Jozef - Koldun Lord - Malakov1 - Manhunter - MOW Drakhun - MOW Kovnik - MOW Strike Tanker - MOW Suppresion Tanker - Markov - Sofya - Sorscha0 - Ol' Grim - Underboss Vizkoya - War Dog - Widowmaker Marksman - WG Artillery Kapitan - Yuri1 - Yuri2

Battle Engines Gun Carriage - Man-o-War Siege Chariot - Man-o-War Assault Chariot
Theme Forces
Armored Korps - Flame in the Darkness - Jaws of the Wolf - Legions of Steel - Warriors of the Old Faith - Winter Guard Kommand - Wolves of Winter
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Khador Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

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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.")
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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 : Open Fist  (aka, Power Attack Throw)     (Edit)

  • Throw ( Edit )
    • See also the Throw article for a recap of the core Throw rules.
    • If a model is somehow thrown at itself (which can happen with Durst1's feat) it would not move, it would be knocked down, and it would take a standard power attack damage roll but it would not take an additional die for colliding with itself. (Infernal Ruling)
    • Because you move the target model between the attack roll and the damage roll, you can get different buffs applied to the two rolls. For instance, if you throw the target in or out of a Flanking model's melee range.
  • Incorporeal vs Slammed/Thrown models ( Edit )
    • Incorporeal models cannot be moved by someone trying to slam them.
    • Slammed models can move through Incorporeal models.
      • If they have enough movement to get past them, no dramas.
      • If they land on them, you move the Incorporeal model out of the way as per the Rule of Least Disturbance.
      • If the Incorporeal model cannot be moved (i.e. it's a flag) then you move the slammed model out of the way, also by the rule of Least Disturbance.
      • For the purposes of Collateral Damage, only the model(s) you contacted before you applied the rule of Least Disturbance count as contacted.
    • The same logic applies to Throws.
  • Collateral Damage
    • Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered damage from an attack or model. Refer page 33 of the 2021.08 version of the rules pdf. As a result:
      • It doesn't trigger stuff that relies on being hit by an enemy (such as Shock Field) or damaged by an enemy (such as Vengeance).
      • It doesn't get bonus damage from stuff that adds to a model's damage roll (such as Signs & Portents or Prey).
      • It doesn't matter if the attacker has crippled weapon systems or aspects.
  • Throw - Power Attack
    • When you make a Throw Power Attack, no other abilities of the Fist weapon (such as Chain Strike) are applied unless they specifically mention Throws. (Locked Thread)
    • If you do a Power Attack Throw and you choose to throw the target directly away, no deviation is rolled to determine the final position of the model. (Locked thread)
    • A model that cannot be targeted by melee attacks (such as Una2's feat) cannot have models thrown at them, either. (Infernal Ruling)
    • Since throwing Model [A] at Model [B] involves making a melee attack roll vs Model [B] which is out of your melee range, it technically breaks a whole bunch of core rules. (Infernal Checking)
    • Even though you make a "melee attack roll" vs Model [B] you don't actually make a melee attack vs it. Also, the damage it suffers is from Collateral damage, not from the original attack. So you can't trigger stuff like Snacking from damage you did to Model B.


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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:
    1. Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    2. 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).
    3. In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
    4. In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
    5. When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
    6. 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.)
    7. Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
    8. 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.
    9. 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.


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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).
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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.
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Rules Clarification : Arcantrik Turbine      (Edit)

  • Karchev gains the movement buffs all types of Normal Movement (Full Advance, Run, Charge, Slam, or Trample). They all count as "advancing during Normal Movement".
  • Arcantrik Turbine cannot be used multiple times to increase movement multiple times. (Infernal Ruling)
  • Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Man in the Machine and/or Monster in the Machine     (Edit)

  • Karchev is a living model for the purposes of spells/effects that target/interact with living models (such as Bloodthirst and Soul Taker).
  • Karchev is a warjack for the purposes of spells/attacks that get bonus damage vs warjacks (such as 'Jack Hunter). (Infernal Ruling)
Karchev is a warjack for the purposes of spells/attacks that change which column gets damaged (such as Death Ward). (Infernal Ruling)
  • Karchev is not a warjack for any other purpose. For instance:

Rules Clarification : Repairable - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Unyielding - None yet. (Edit)


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Rules Clarification : Battle-Charged      (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.
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Rules Clarification:  : Countercharge      (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)

    Timing    
  • If the moving model has Assault, the Countercharge is resolved before the Assault attack. (Infernal Ruling).
  • If the moving model has a rule that resolves "at the end of Normal Movement" (such as Slipstream), the Countercharge is resolved before the other rule. (Infernal Ruling)
  • The moving model cannot use an "Any Time" after finishing their advance but before your Countercharge. They can use it only after the Countercharge is resolved.
  • If the non-countercharging player has a similar "ends an advance" trigger (such as Admonition) then they can trigger and resolve that from your countercharge movement.
    • Example: Model [A] charges, and triggers Countercharge on [B]. Model [B] countercharges, and triggers Admonition on [C].
      Resolve Admonition on [C]. Then finish resolving Countercharge on [B]. Then finish model [A]'s activation.

    Triggering Countercharge    

  • You can trigger Countercharge if you're engaging, but not engaged.
  • You can trigger Countercharge during your own turn, if your opponent has an ability to move during your turn (such as Admonition).
  • Some abilities let you "ignore intervening models when declaring a charge" (such as Flight). Unfortunately, you still need LOS to trigger Countercharge, and it's only after CC is triggered that you actually get to declare a charge. In other words, Flight and Countercharge don't work together for LOS purposes.
  • What does trigger Countercharge
    • Countercharge triggers off any advance, not just in-activation stuff.
    • Standing still but changing facing is an advance.
  • What doesn't trigger Countercharge
    • Aiming, or forfeiting your movement, is not advancing.
    • If a model doesn't move, doesn't change facing, doesn't aim ... does nothing but skips straight ahead to its Combat Action, this is not an advance. (Infernal Ruling)
    • Being placed (such as Teleport) is not an advance.
    • Involuntary movement (being slammed, thrown, or pushed) is not an advance.
  • When a unit is moving, countercharge is triggered on a model-by-model basis. So you can countercharge after any model in the unit has finished its move within range, but you can only countercharge that model who just finished its movement. You can't "save it" until the entire unit finishes moving and then say "I'm going to Countercharge the first guy you moved."

    Attacks, Boosting, & Other Triggers    

  • You only get one attack when making a countercharge, regardless of how many initials you normally have.
  • The charge attack damage is only boosted if the Countercharger moved 3" or more, as with a regular charge.
  • Countercharge occurs outside of activation so you can't spend fury/focus to boost a countercharge attack, nor buy additional attacks afterwards, not trigger stuff that only happens during your Combat Action (like Berserk).
  • Even if you trigger Countercharge during your own activation, for the duration of you resolving the CC it "no longer counts" as being in your activation. (Infernal Ruling)

    After the Countercharge    

  • The countercharging model cannot use any abilities that trigger on "during activation" or "during combat action" (such as Sprint), as Counter Charge is not an activation. (Locked thread)

    Other interactions    

  • Countercharge during your own activation (Countercharge vs Admonition etc) ( Edit )
    • You can trigger Countercharge during your own activation, but only if an enemy model moves during your activation. For instance, you move towards a model who has Admonition and they trigger that to try to move away. (You do a normal move, they trigger admonition and move, you trigger countercharge from their admonition-move.)
    • However countercharge always counts as being out-of-activation, no matter when you trigger it. (Infernal Ruling)
    As a result, you can't trigger only-during-activation effects (such as Critical Shred & Sustained Attack).
    • On the other hand, you can potentially get two charge attacks (one for your normal charge, one for the counter charge). (Infernal Ruling)
      This ruling still applies even after the 2018.07 update (Infernal Re-ruling)
  • Countercharge plus Admonition
    • If a model has both CC and Admonition, it can trigger both at the same time. A model moves nearby, it admonitions away, then countercharges back in.
  • Countercharge Inception
    • If a model [A] has Countercharge, and it charges an enemy model [B] that has Countercharge and Admonition, then ...
      • Model [A] charges and triggers CC and Admo on [B]
      • Model [B] Admo moves but before it can resolve its own CC, it triggers CC on [A]
      • You now have two models that have triggered CC simultaneously. So the Active player gets to resolve their one first.
  • Assault vs Countercharge ( Edit )
  • Countercharge & Cavalry ( Edit )
    • A model with Countercharge and Cavalry can make Impact Attacks during the countercharge. (Refer "Charges Outside of Activation" in the rulebook).
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Rules Clarification : Eruption      (Edit)

  • Not blast damage (Edit)
    • Due to the way it is worded, this spell/weapon does full POW to all models in the AOE. It is not blast damage and it is not halved.
    • For the same reason, it doesn't do "two damage rolls to the model directly hit". (Infernal Ruling)
    • Models that are immune to blast damage have no defence vs this spell/weapon.
  • Templates that do damage (Edit)   [Show/Hide]
    • Most templates that do damage to models that walk into them are defined as "Hazards" (such as Burning Ground) but there are a few that aren't Hazards (such as Creeping Barrage and Wall of Fire). The differences are:
      • A hazard is a terrain element
      • Damage from a hazard template is never considered to be from the model or weapon/spell that put it into play. So hazards never gain special rules of the weapon/spell (such as a Damage Type or Poison), nor does it gain special rules of the model (such as Hand of Fate).
      • Damage from a non-hazard template is considered to be from the model that put it in play. So non-hazards do get stuff like Hand of Fate. (Infernal Ruling)
      • Damage from a hazard is not from an attack (so won't trigger stuff like Vengeance)
      • Damage from a non-hazard is also not from an attack. Instead it will be a Special Action (Covering Fire), or a "instead of making an attack, place a template" (Creeping Barrage), or etc.
     
    • Damage templates from spells is complicated:
      • (Infernal Ruling)
      • Spells that leave templates that are not hazards (such as Razor Wall) do Damage Type: Magical.
      • Spells that leave templates that are hazards (such as Breath of Corruption) follow the rules for hazards, which are most likely not magical damage but it varies by the hazard.
      • The initial damage when you place the template, if any, is Damage Type: Magical.
      • For example, Breath of Corruption's initial POW 12 corrosion damage roll is Damage Type: Magical in addition to Damage Type: Corrosion. But the hazard that is put into play from Breath of Corruption is not Damage Type: Magical, just Damage Type: Corrosion.
     
    • By default, when you put a template into play it doesn't do damage to models they overlap. The exceptions are templates that are created by an AOE weapon, and templates that explicitly say they do damage when they're placed.
    • A model which is "placed" also counts as "entering" an area, so the template will damage any one who teleports/spawns into it, too.
    • If two templates are overlapping, a model that enters them will take two points of damage.
  • Hazardous Clouds (Edit)
    • A hazard, by definition, is a terrain effect. If a template is both a cloud and a hazard it will not block sprays as per the errata (2017.09) to spray attacks. (Infernal Ruling)
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    Rules Clarification : Ground Zero      (Edit)

    • Push - General     (Edit)   [Show/Hide]
      • Pushed models do not change their facing.
      • Pushed models move at half rate through difficult terrain. Also, Pathfinder doesn't apply during pushes.
      • Pushed models stop if they contact anything - a model of any size, or any obstacles or obstructions.
      • You don't get free strikes against pushed models, because it is "involuntary movement" and therefore does not count as an advance.
      • Pushed models suffer the effects of anything they move through (such as acid clouds).
      • If you use a Push vs a charging model (via a free strike for example), this will stop the charge movement (refer core rulebook).
        • However, if the pushed model is in melee range of its charge target after the push, then it is considered a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
        • In that scenario, you measure whether the charging model moved 3" or less excluding the push distance. (Infernal Ruling)
      • If you push a model to a position where it regains Incorporeal (for instance you push it out of range of an Exorcist) then what happens is (Being Checked by Infernals)
  • Not blast damage (Edit)
    • Due to the way it is worded, this spell/weapon does full POW to all models in the AOE. It is not blast damage and it is not halved.
    • For the same reason, it doesn't do "two damage rolls to the model directly hit". (Infernal Ruling)
    • Models that are immune to blast damage have no defence vs this spell/weapon.
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    Rules Clarification : Jumpstart      (Edit)

    • A warjack that stands up via Jump Start can still forfeit movement to aim and etc during their normal activation. Basically, it's as if you were never knocked down at all.
    • Jump Start does not allow you to shake Blind or Shadow Bind.
    • A warjack knocked down earlier on the same turn, cannot stand up via Jump Start. This is not a typo. (Infernal Ruling)
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    Rules Clarification : Road to War and/or Warpath and/or Rites of Torment     (Edit)

    • Note that this spell triggers when a model is destroyed. RFP attacks might interfere with it.