Nightmare

Nightmare Cryx Character Heavy Warjack

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Dark Host. 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.

If the Slayer is a perfect killing machine, Nightmare is darkness and mortality incarnate. The cold shell of this helljack gives form to a bestial predatory instinct. It can become a ghostly specter and move through the rock and steel of any barrier before coalescing into terrifying reality. Nightmare's blackened metal chassis melts into the greater darkness - until it reaches out to rend its luckless victims limb from limb.

Basic Info

Nightmare
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Large SPD 6 STR 10 MAT 8 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 18 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 28 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 18 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warjack - All warjacks share the same set of special rules. Most notably being big and stompy. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Abilities

• Construct
• Prey - After deployment but before the first player's turn, choose an enemy model/unit to be this model/unit's prey. This model gains +2 to attack and damage rolls against its prey. When the prey is destroyed or removed from play, choose another model/unit to be the prey.
• Ghostly - This model can advance through terrain and obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past them. It cannot be targeted by free strikes.
• Bond [ Deneghra ] - If this model begins the game in Deneghra's battlegroup, it is bonded to them. This model is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While this model is bonded to Deneghra and in their control range, it gains Stealth.

Weapons

Wicked Claw (x2)
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				7				17				1 each side
Open Fist Chain Attack: Grab & Smash - If this model hits the same model with both its initial attacks with this weapon, after resolving the attacks it can immediately make a head-butt or throw power attack against that target.
Tusks
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				2				12				Head
Hard Head - This model can add this weapon's POW to its head-butt and slam power attack damage rolls.

Theme Forces - Cryx

• When taken by Deneghra0
  • Black Industries. Nightmare gains Carapace in this theme.
  • Scourge of the Broken Coast. Nightmare gains Gang Fighter in this theme.

• When taken by Deneghra1, Deneghra2, or Deneghra3
  • Black Industries. Nightmare gains Carapace in this theme.
  • Dark Host
  • Scourge of the Broken Coast. Nightmare gains Gang Fighter in this theme.
  • The Ghost Fleet

• When taken by anyone else
  • Black Industries. Nightmare gains Carapace in this theme.

Theme Forces - Other Factions

• Infernal players can use the Nightmare + Deneghra0 duo in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army. Nightmare gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.

Thoughts on Nightmare

Nightmare in a nutshell

Deneghra0

Nightmare is a beatstick heavy who can get where other heavies cannot, thanks to his native Ghostly. He can gain Stealth from any version of Deneghra, which really turns up his deliverability. Nightmare wants to be coming in from an odd angle to get at his Prey, rather than try to bull his way through the centre. This often means playing up the board away from the rest of your army.

Combos & Synergies

Deneghra1

• Deneghra0 allows you to take Nightmare independently of your main battlegroup, and get the Stealth bonus to boot. The two of them can operate on the flanks, making it easier for Nightmare to set up odd charge angles his Prey target wasn't expecting.

On the other hand, Nightmare is excessively expensive at 18 points and adding another 4 points to get Deneghra0 doesn't make the deal any sweeter.

• Deneghra2 apreciates Nightmare for a variety of reasons:
  • She has a bit more trouble cracking ARM than the other versions of Deneghra do, so Nightmare can help with that - at least on his Prey target.
  • She is the only version of Deneghra that has no access to Ghost Walk so she appreciates that Nightmare has it natively.
  • Deneghra2 has tools to speed up her battlegroup, which Nigthmare appreciates. Clever use of Hellmouth and/or Damnation in conjunction with Ghostly gives Nightmare a good threat range unimpeded by terrain and free strikes. Add in Incorporeal from the feat and you can even ignore most intervening models.
  • Deneghra2's Hellmouth spell can be used to open up a lane to the Prey target so Nightmare can put it in the ground.
  • Deneghra2 hands out Incorporeal with her feat can protect a few important models, which Nightmare definitely is. Also, Incorporeal stacks nicely with Ghost Walk.

• Deneghra1 and Deneghra3, and other casters, don't really care for Nightmare.

Damage Analysis

Deneghra2

Nightmare can put out some very nice damage, even with average dice.

• Flat Damage: 17, 17, 12, up to 3 additional attacks.
• Prey: +2 damage
• Caster Buffs / Debuffs: +5 damage (obtainable from a variety of models, but in particular Denny1).
• Revised Damage: 24, 24, 19, up to 3 additional attacks

Average Damage vs Khador Victor Colossal (ARM 20, 62 HP)

• Charge attack with Claw: 14 damage (-1 Focus)
• Initial attack with other Claw: 11 damage
• Initial attack with Tusks: 6 damage
• Smash & Grab headbutt: 4 damage
• Buy a Claw attack : 11 damage (-1 Focus)
• Buy a Claw attack : 11 damage (-1 Focus)
• TOTAL: 57 damage

This leaves the Victor, one of the toughest colossals in the game, with only 5 boxes on average dice. The typical Colossal/Gargantuan and anything lighter would already be dead.

Drawbacks & Downsides

Deneghra3

• The 18 point cost.

A Seether has similar raw damage output for 6 pts less. For 5 pts less, Barathrum has comparable stats and brings more tech (AD, Feedback, Dig-in/Drag Below). Seethers aren't as protected and Barathrum can't do as much damage, but 18 points is still a lot.

• Nightmare is slow enough that his Prey target can often "dodge" him.
• Nightmare is the embodiment of a glass cannon statline, and his output quickly drops off when one of his arms gets crippled.
• Smash & Grab vs a huge-based model is nigh useless - you can't knock them down or throw them. (You can headbutt them and get the headbutt damage roll, though.)

Tricks & Tips

• If you put Prey on Nightmare's "real" target, your opponent will keep that model out of Nightmare's reach. So instead try putting Prey on something that is a) likely to be played forward and b) is easy to kill. Then, the turn you intend to commit Nightmare at a target, kill the current Prey target with something else in your army, cycle Prey on to Nightmare's real target, and profit.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Sculptor: Jose Roig

Other Cryx models

Cryx Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Agathia - Aiakos2 - Asphyxious1 - Asphyxious2 - Asphyxious3 - Coven - Deathjack2 - Deneghra1 - Deneghra2 - Deneghra3 - Goreshade1 - Goreshade2 - Goreshade3 - Mortenebra1 - Mortenebra2 - Rahera - Scaverous - Skarre1 - Skarre2 - Skarre3 - Sturgis2 - Terminus - Venethrax
Warcaster attachments	The Withershadow Combine - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Skarlock Thrall - Doctor Stygius (Partisan) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Jack Marshals: Iron Lich Overseer       "Junior Warcasters": Aiakos1 - Asphyxious4 - Deneghra0
Light	Cankerworm - Deathripper - Defiler - Helldiver - Nightwretch - Ripjaw - Scavenger - Shrike - Stalker
Heavy	Barathrum - Corruptor - Deathjack1 - Desecrator - Erebus - Harrower - Kharybdis - Inflictor - Leviathan - Malice - Nightmare - Reaper - Seether - Slayer
Colossal	Kraken - Sepulcher
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Asphyxious4 - Bane Knights - Bane Riders - Bane Warriors - Bile Thralls - BO Boarding Party - BO Ironmongers - BO Smog Belchers - Blackbane's Ghost Raiders - Bloodgorgers - Marauders - Carrion Thralls - Cephalyx Drudges - Cephalyx Overlords - Mechanithralls - Necrosurgeon - Revenant Cannon - Revenant Crew - Satyxis Gunslingers - Satyxis Blood Witches - Satyxis Raiders - Scharde Dirge Seers - Scharde Pirates - Soulhunters - The Devil's Shadow Mutineers - The Withershadow Combine
Solos	Aiakos1 - Agrimony - Axiara - Bane Lord Tartarus - Bloat Thrall - BTO Mobius - Captain Rengrave - Darragh Wrathe - Doctor Stygius - Deneghra0 - Gerlak - Hellslinger - Iron Lich Overseer - Machine Wraith - Master Gurglepox - Misery Cage - Necrotech - Ol' Grim - Pistol Wraith - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Satyxis Raider Captain - Scrap Thrall - Skarlock Thrall - Severa Blacktide - Soul Trapper - Warwitch Siren
Battle Engines & Structures	Wraith Engine
Theme Forces
Black Industries - Dark Host - The Ghost Fleet - Scourge of the Broken Coast
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cryx Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

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.

Rules Clarification : Chain Attack Grab & Smash      (Edit) Grab & Smash allows you to make a Power Attack during the same activation that you charged. (Locked thread) You may want to refresh yourself on the Rules Clarifications on Throws and Head-Butts. Rules Clarification : Chain Attack      (Edit) Some Chain Attacks generate a Power Attack (such as Chain Attack: Throw. These Chains can be used after charging, even though Power Attacks normally can't be used after a charge. (Infernal Ruling) Buying extra attacks with fury or focus cannot trigger a Chain Attack - only initial attacks can trigger it. If you have 3 weapons but only 2 of them are associated with the Chain Attack, then you can make that 3rd initial attack at any point without it preventing the Chain Attack from triggering. Also, interrupting your initials to resolve the Chain Attack will not prevent you taking the 3rd initial. For example, the Cryx Nightmare has two Claws with a Chain Attack, plus some Tusks. When he makes his initial attacks he can go: [Claw] - [Tusks] - [Claw] - [Chain Attack] ... even though the two Claw attacks weren't sequential. [Claw] - [Claw] - [Chain Attack] - [Tusks] ... even though he did the Chain Attack before getting to his initial Tusk. [Tusks] - [Claw] - [Claw] - [Chain Attack] He cannot go ... [Claw] - [Claw] - [Tusks] - [Chain Attack] ... because you must resolve the Chain Attack as soon as it's triggered, or not at all.

Rules Clarification : Hard Head      (Edit) You can add the POW even if the weapon system is crippled. Hard Head doesn't get applied to collateral damage, because that is a separate type of roll. Refer page 45 of the mini rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Warjack      (Edit) The Cortex/Induction core rule means a warjack cannot have more than 3 focus at any time (maybe 4 if they're really special). Many abilities give out focus and don't state an upper limit (such as Convection and Empower). Despite not stating an upper limit, they are always "hard-limited" by the core rule. A warjack can have more than 3 focus during a turn, though. For instance, a knocked down warjack can Power Up and be Allocated 2 focus, then spend 1 to shake knockdown, then another model could Empower it back up to 3. Warjacks cannot spend focus outside of their activation. For instance, they can't boost free strikes or trigger Powerful Attack on Broadsides. (Infernal Ruling) Inert warjacks Abilities that say they cannot be used if the model is stationary (such as Shield Guard) cannot be used while a warjack is inert, either. Refer "Warcaster Destruction", page 59 of the core rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Prey      (Edit) When you declare your Prey target, it has to be used on a model that is currently on the table. You can't use it on models that are in Ambush, Burrow, etc. (Infernal Ruling) If you have both Prey and Ambush, then you declare your Prey target at the normal time (even though the Prey-er isn't currently on the table). (Infernal Ruling) Prey bonuses apply to "non-attack" damage, such as Electro Leap. (Infernal Ruling) If you hit your Prey target, but your attack is "shifted" to a non-Prey model (via Shield Guard etc) then you don't get the damage bonus vs the new target. If a model with Prey can return to play, then: If the Prey target is still alive when the Prey-er returns, then it stays as your Prey target. If the Prey target died while the Prey-er was off the table, you get to pick a new Prey target when you return to play. This is based on a MK II ruling.

Rules Clarification : Ghostly      (Edit) Ghostly doesn't let you move through other models, just terrain. Ghostly doesn't let you ignore damage from hazardous terrain. (Infernal Ruling) Ghostly ignores Windswept terrain penalties. A model with both Flight and Ghostly will move through Windswept terrain at full speed. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Bond      (Edit) Bonds are ineffective while the model is under your opponent's control. Refer the core rulebook. Bonds & Themes If a warjack/warbeast with a bond is in that caster's battlegroup, they can be taken in any theme force. Refer the core rulebook. This is true even if the caster isn't a full warcaster or warlock (this interaction changed as of 2018.06).

Rules Clarification : Stealth      (Edit) Stealth models are not invisible and you can target them - you'll just auto-miss most of the time. You can target them with a charge. You can target them with an AOE, have it auto-miss and scatter, luckily land on top of them anyway, and that will hit them.