Malekus, The Burning Truth

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Malekus, The Burning Truth Protectorate Warcaster

Determined to bring Menoth’s glory to the world, Malekus, the Burning Truth carries with him the righteous fire of the Creator. Malekus’ youth as an orphan was harsh, giving him insight into the perfidy of the world, and this inspired his conversion to the Sul-Menite faith. Malekus is ever willing to intercede on behalf of those willing to return to Menoth’s embrace, but he offers only scouring flames for those who persist in blind heresy.

Malekus comes in the Mk3 battlebox starter set, alongside 3 warjacks: a Repenter, Revenger, and Castigator. At the time of writing (2018.09) he is not available for individual purchase.

Basic Info

Malekus1
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 5 STR MAT 6 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 14 ARM 16 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS 7 FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 18 F. Field N/A WJP +30 WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} UNIT SIZE N/A COST N/A N/A N/A FA N/A N/A Warcaster 1 BASE N/A SPD N/A STR N/A MAT N/A RAT N/A DEF N/A ARM N/A CMD N/A FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP N/A WJP N/A WBP N/A UNIT SIZE N/A COST N/A FA N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Warcaster - All warcasters come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. (Click the link for a full rundown.)
• Immunity: Fire - This model does not suffer fire damage, nor the continuous fire effect.
• Ashen Veil - This model has concealment. Living enemy models without Fire immunity suffer -2 to attack rolls while within 2" of this model.

Weapons

• Scouring Flames - 10" spray, POW 13 gun.
  • Damage Type: Fire - This weapon does fire damage.
  • Continuous Fire - A model hit by this attack is set on fire. A model on fire suffers a POW 12 fire damage roll in the Maintenance phase of its owner's turn until the fire expires.
• Burning Blades - 1" reach, P+S 12 melee weapon.
  • Continuous Fire - A model hit by this attack is set on fire. A model on fire suffers a POW 12 fire damage roll in the Maintenance phase of its owner's turn until the fire expires.

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Banishing Ward	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	-
Target model/unit cannot be the target of enemy spells/upkeeps. Also, any upkeep spells and animi on the target immediately expire.
Ignite	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	-
Affected model/unit gains +2 to its melee damage rolls and Critical Continuous Fire on its melee attacks.
Immolation	2	8	-	12 (Fire)	-	Yes
This spell deals fire damage. Also, on a critical hit, models hit suffer continuous fire.
Open Fire	2	Control	-	-	-	-
Target warjack in the caster's battlegroup that is in its control range can immediately make one basic melee or ranged attack. A model can be targeted by Open Fire only once per turn.
Scourge	4	8	3	13	-	Yes
Models hit by this spell are knocked down.

Feat - Raging Inferno

1. When an enemy model suffers a Fire Damage roll while in his control range, add an additional die to that roll.
2. Continuous Fire effects that affect enemy models in his control range cannot expire.

Lasts one round.

Tip ! The additional damage die also applies to fire damage during the enemy turn. Most notably, the continuous fire during their Maintenenace Phase.

Theme Forces

• Exemplar Interdiction
• Guardians of the Temple
• The Creator's Might. He can start the game with upkeeps in play, and upkeep them for free in turn 1, in this theme.
• The Faithful Masses
• Warriors of the Old Faith

Thoughts on Malekus

Malekus in a Nutshell

Malekus likes fire. Currently, the best way to get fire damage in Protectorate is with shooty 'jacks. Unfortunately Malekus isn't particularly good at running large groups of 'jacks, which can make list-building for him beyond the battlebox a bit difficult.

Feat thoughts

The first thing to note is that melee weapons only do continuous fire or critical cont fire, but not fire damage itself; thus melee attacks don't get an extra damage die. Although applying cont fire is nice because in the enemy's next Maintenenace Phase you'll get a 100% guaranteed POW 12 +3d6 damage roll, wouldn't you much rather have something with higher POW and which you can boost to 4d6?

So to really capitalise on his feat you'll probably want lots of ranged attacks (and a few offensive fire-based spells). Subsquently this means you need a fair portion of your army to be unengaged on your feat turn so they can shoot, which means you're likely to use his feat early, before battlelines fully engage.

Alternatively, you could build a melee list centered around a colossal(s) which can shoot even while in melee.

It's also worth noting that his feat has no "friendly Faction" clause so it interacts just fine with your Mercenaries.

Spell thoughts

• Banishing Ward - Only useful if the enemy tries to debuff your army, but fantastic then.
• Immolation - It's a simple nuke spell. It stacks with his feat, which is nice.
• Ignite - Malekus gets less use out of this spell than the other Protectorate casters who have it (Reznik1 and Feora1).
  • Malekus doesn't want to cast it on himself, because he doesn't want to get in melee.
  • He probably doesn't want to cast this on a 'jack (at least not until the late game) because he mostly has ranged 'jacks.
  • It can be useful in the early game on a screening unit that wants to hit hard, as opposed to just running to jam.
  • Alternatively, take a pair of Castigators and hot-swap Ignite on them. Coupled with the Choir this makes for multiple P+S 20 flaming fists! Just sayin'
• Open Fire - Malekus' most useful spell.
  • It is unlikely to be used for an extra melee attack, because you'd be better off to allocate 1 focus and buy an attack than spend 2 focus to cast this spell. However, running a 'jack up to an enemy and using this spell to make one attack can be situationally useful.
  • Ranged 'jacks become potent, as it is effectively +1 ROF. Two Vanquisher AOEs a turn, yes please. Double Reckoner shots? Not to be sniffed at.
    As with a melee 'jack, you have the option to run the 'jack into position before casting, which can be situationally useful.
  • This spell of course gets its maximum effect on his feat turn against enemy 'jacks/beasts who have already been set on fire.
• Scourge - Expensive, but when you need it, invaluable.
  • It doesn't need to directly hit to cause knockdown, so it has many uses:
    • Knock down an enemy caster prior to assassinating them.
    • "Clear" a charge lane by knocking down models that are threatening free strikes on that lane.
    • Neutralising a high DEF target you need to kill (for example a Circle Warpwolf).
  • A point to remember is that you can run up a disposable low-DEF model of your own until it is close to the real target you want knocked down - shoot your model in the back and voila.

Battlebox Fights

In a battlebox fight, two players who bought nothing but their Faction's starter set use everything in that box to play a game.

Malekus usually wins by assassination, trying to manuvere until he gets a clear shot at the enemy caster then feating, knocking them down with Scourge, and going to town with Immolation + his warjacks attacks.

Drawbacks & Downsides

Malekus' has a good CTRL, but he generally prefers popping his feat earlier in the game and therefore would want to be closer to the front line to catch more of the enemy in it, so his ranged warjacks can let rip. This can leave him exposed or nearer the front than one might like.

Tricks & Tips

• If you want to get an enemy model with Scourge but don't want to boost to hit or it can't be targeted by spells, run a model with a low weapon reach up to it and cast your spell on it. Although losing a model can be harsh, a knocked down warcaster/warlock is often a dead one when faced with Malekus' fire guns and feat.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Typical - Attrition
Once he moves beyond the battlebox fights discussed above, Malekus does best aiming for attrition, playing for a slightly more ranged game, and picking off key enemy pieces and using Open Fire to keep up the volume of attacks from distance. Closing when necessary and using liberal spray attacks to clear out pesky enemy infantry. While watching for a possible opening for a kill.

Assassination
Malekus does have assassination options. It shouldn't be relied on, but never forget the chance, to pop feat, cast Scourge if needed to knock down the enemy caster or clear LOS to them, and then under feat ravage them with a couple of Immolations and then more from other ranged fire attacks as needed. With some extra ranged attacks that would do for most casters.

Other
Malekus will want some units to help protect his ranged warjacks. Most of the Protectorate infantry would fit in this role.

Theme Thoughts

Various themes

• Malekus likes his warjack and/or arcane support: Choir, Vassal of Menoth, Vassal Mechanik, Wracks, Hierophant. (Some of that support is more useful/popular than others, you're unlikely to need all of it in every game.)

The Creator's Might
As Protectorate's warjack-centric theme, this is where Malekus will spend most of his time. The downside is that there is effectively zero units available to screen your 'jacks with.

• The Covenant of Menoth - Can give a unit's ranged attack continuous fire, which benefits from his feat, albeit slightly more indirectly as the damage will be during the following maintenance phase from the boosted Continuous Fire that won't go out (if in his CTRL).
• A couple of Exemplar Warders will provide resilient solos to hold flags, or contest zones.
• Durant1 might be useful in a Malekus army(?) Any 'jack in Durant's control won't benefit from Open Fire, but Durant himself has the same fire-based nuke spell that Malekus has (Immolation).
• Severius0 is generally all-round good, especially if you take him as a free choice.
  • Malekus runs battlegroup-heavy, but doesn't have the focus reserves to let them boost willy-nilly. The extra +1/+1 buff from Sev0 helps alleviate that. Also Sev0 can get rid of enemy upkeeps, and has the same fire-based nuke spell that Malekus and Durant1 have (Immolation).
  • If you're taking Sev0, you'll probably want Sev's character 'jack Blessing of Vengeance. BoV's bond will give +2/+2 to Sev's spells, so on feat turn you're looking at an effective FOC 8, POW 15 +3d6 nuke which you can cast twice, and boost damage once.
  • Stack that damage buff with Aiyana and Holt plus your feat and you can get, for example, a Vanquisher shooting a 4" AOE with POW 17 +3d6 (direct hit) and POW 10 +366 (blast damage) that you can push up to 4d6 by boosting.

Guardians of the Temple
If you want fire, but you don't want "Nothing but 'jacks", this is where you'll want Malekus. This theme is chocka with flame-based units, most especially:

• Flameguard Cleansers - Good to jam and clear enemy infantry, and to light up potential feat targets with Continuous Fire. It would be missing a trick not to include the Flameguard Cleanser Officer too, as when an Assault charge is called, they make contact with the enemy and under the Officer's mini feat get to spray a long way behind the enemy front line. Good positioning can really burn down a lot. At the very least the enemy will have to account for this, playing more cautiously, giving you an edge, or aggressively and so exposing himself by trying to deal with those Cleansers with his faster options.
• Hand of Silence provides another flamethrower, provides anti-soul tools with Direct Spirits, and can spend souls to fuel warjacks.

Exemplar Interdiction
I'm not sure that Malekus will ever want to play here, but I bring it up to say:

• Severius0, and/or Hand of Silence, mentioned above, can also be taken in this theme.

The Faithful Masses
There's a few more fire-based units available here, if GotT doesn't appeal to you:

• The Covenant of Menoth, Durant1, and/or Hand of Silence, mentioned above, can also be taken in this theme.
• Deliverer Sunburst Crew - A cheap, high-power fire-damage ranged attack which causes continuous fire, so it benefits from his feat.
• Holy Zealots - A cheap source of (short) ranged fire attacks, on feat turn in particular these will be burning down a lot. Cheap enough that just keeping them around to maximise the feat turn is worth considering. With a soul collector such as the Reclaimer Gatekeeper and their CA - the Monolith Bearer to bring dead Zealots back - you have lots of souls available to grant Future Sight to the 'jacks, further improving their usefulness.

Mercenaries

• Thorn Gun Mages provide fire damage attacks with their pistols, and they've got pretty decent RAT.
• Aiyana and Holt plus a Ranking Officer (Attendant Priest) can you get you access to a +2 damage buff, but otherwise Malekus doesn't really need a Ranking Officer - he doesn't hand out 'friendly Faction' buffs.

Battlegroup

Eye of Truth is Malekus's pet warjack, that he can take in any theme.

• Lights
  • Repenter - Provides flamethrower attacks on a cheap chassis.
  • The Revenger is the cheapest arc node in Menoth, and useful if you want to get Scourge onto something without exposing Malekus.

• Heavies
  • Eye of Truth - EoT is a character warjack bonded to Malekus, so he can take him in every theme. EoT is a very powerful piece, so much so that getting access to him is the reason some players use Malekus (not the other way around). However, he shouldn't be your first purchase after the battlebox, there is plenty of other stuff in the Faction that works with both Malekus and other casters that you should explore first.
  • Reckoner - A solid choice and has a potential place in any Malekus build, the gun does Fire Damage and hits hard.
  • Vanquisher - Provides a 4" AOE fire attack that'll mulch infantry, and direct hits can hurt heavies too. It's a great target for Open Fire.

• Colossals
  • Judicator - The Judicator is normally considered the better colossal, but with Malekus the fewer fire attacks tips the balance towards the Revelator. But still, the Judicator does do work into Malekus' overall battle plan. The Reliquary makes its fists and Flamethrowers more accurate and work for attacks it makes out of activation, which helps if you want to use Open Fire on it. Additionally, sprays ignore cover and concealment; combined with the Blessed bubble Eye of Truth hands out, you'll ignore even more defensive measures.
  • Revelator - A staple of Malekus' lists as it synergises much better with him. All its ranged attacks are fire based, it isn't inaccurate (unlike the Judicator's rockets), and it provide large AOEs that put rough terrain into play. Again Open Fire is amazing on the Revelator - you can end up with three 4" AOE burning hazards that remain in play for a round. That is a lot of potential board control.

Other

Trivia

• Released 2016.06
• The sculpt shows a fellow who loves his food, so in the Protectorate he seems to be the answer to the perennial question "Who ate all the pies?", earning him the sometime epithet of: "The Piemaster".

Rules Clarifications

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 : Fire      (Edit) Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge 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: The model with the Any Time ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolve anything which includes "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) You're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement). 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. 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 Even if the ability says "any time during the unit's activation", a model in a unit can't use an Any Time ability if they run, fail a charge, or use an ability like Reposition. Because that model's activation has ended (even if the unit's activation is still ongoing) and you can't use abilities on models that are not active. So, for example: You cannot use a minifeat after the Officer runs. (Infernal Ruling) You cannot use a minifeat 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) 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. If you're giving an order, it must be done first, before casting any spells or using your feat. 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 (normally) not Grunt models. Therefore they're not eligible for stuff like Revive. 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 : Ashen Veil and/or Swarm     (Edit) The concealment bonus and the attack roll penalty do stack with each other, so someone making a ranged or magic attack while within 2" of you will suffer -4 to the attack.

Rules Clarification : Banishing Ward - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Immolation      (Edit) Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Ignite      (Edit) Since Ignite buffs "melee attacks" (and not "melee weapons") it will also affect Mount Attacks, Power Attacks, and various 'make a melee attack' abilities like Point Blank. Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Open Fire      (Edit) Since this spell targets, the caster must have LOS to the jack. Or channel through an arc node that has LOS to the jack.

Rules Clarification : Scourge - None yet. (Edit)