Skarlock Thrall

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Skarlock Thrall Cryx Solo - (Warcaster Attachment)

Skarlock thralls are insidious creatures of blackest sorcery. Linked to their warcasters by bonds so powerful they can act in their master's stead, skarlocks move against enemies with a confidence born of a baleful intelligence.

Basic Info

Skarlock Thrall
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR MAT 3 RAT N/A M.A. 6 DEF 14 ARM 12 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} UNIT SIZE N/A COST 4 N/A N/A FA 1 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

• Undead
• Attached - Before the start of the game, attach this model/unit to a friendly Faction warcaster/warlock for the rest of the game. Each Faction warcaster/warlock can only have one model/unit attached to it.
• Soul Taker: Soul Cage - This model can gain soul tokens. When a living enemy model is destroyed within 2" of this model, this model gains the destroyed model's soul token. This model can have up to three soul tokens at any time. This model can spend soul tokens for the following:
  • Strength of Death - During its Combat Action, this model can spend soul tokens to boost one attack or damage roll for each token spent.
• Magic Ability [ 6 ] - This model can cast spells. Normally this uses up the model's Combat Action and as such is limited to one spell per activation, but exceptions do exist.

Weapons

• Claws - 0.5" reach, P+S 6 melee weapon

Spells

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Dark Fire	(★ Attack)	10	-	12	-	Yes
When a living enemy model is destroyed by Dark Fire, the spellcaster gains the destroyed model's soul token regardless of the proximity of other Soul Takers.
Spell Slave	(★ Action) or (★ Attack)	Stats vary every time
This model must be in its warcaster/warlock's control range to make the Spell Slave special action. When it does, it casts one of the spells on its warlock/warcaster's card with a COST of 3 or less. This model cannot cast upkeep spells or spells with a RNG of SELF or CTRL. When casting an offensive spell, Spell Slave is a magic attack. Use this model's Magic Ability score when making magic attack rolls.

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Black Industries
  • Dark Host

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model in the Hearts of Darkness theme.
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use this model in the Strange Bedfellows theme.

Thoughts on Skarlock Thrall

Skarlock Thrall in a Nutshell

When mk3 started the Skarlock was redesigned to be an offensive solo that pops off Dark Fire or some other "zap" spell each turn, and occasionally moonlights as a support solo with non-offensive spells. However his durability is terrible for playing near the frontline, and also most players would prefer the opposite model design - a support solo that occasionaly zaps stuff (which is how he worked in mk1 and mk2). So this guy tends to get skipped over in favour of other options.

The Skarlock comes with a two glaring drawbacks: Competition for the Warcaster Attachment slot, and competition to be a Spell Slave.

• Since mk3 began in 2016 he has competed with The Withershadow Combine, who also have Spell Slave (but are better at it) and do a bunch of other stuff too. His only saving grace was that he costs 4 points whereas the WSC cost 9.
• In early 2020 even this narrow advantage disappeared, because Doctor Stygius was released and Stygius also has Spell Slave (and is better at it), does a bunch of other stuff, and costs the same as a Skarlock.
• The Skarlock still has some very narrow applications for when you can't get Stygius, too specialised for me to bother describing here, but other than that the Skarlock Thrall has been replaced by Doctor Stygius.
• Within the non-Cryx Strange Bedfellows theme he doesn't compete with Stygius and the WSC ... but instead he competes with the Corollary.

Combos & Synergies

Some casters could do with a Spell Slave, but don't need the full suite of abilities that the WSC bring.

• Pirate Queen Skarre only needs a spell slave to cast Ritual Sacrifice. She also has 1 upkeep, but it doesn't get cast most games. Therefore for her the Skarlock is a better choice than the Withershadow Combine.
  • A Skarlock can cast Ritual Sacrifice on itself. So it plus three Scrap Thralls gets you 4 turns of the spell at a very low cost.
• Deneghra1 has two spells a slave can cast: Ghostwalk (super useful) and Venom (which only very occasionally you'll want to Spell Slave).
  She has two upkeeps so on paper the WSC are a better choice, but these upkeeps are so deadly that often you don't need to upkeep them. Therefore for her the Skarlock is a comparable choice than the WSC.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Major drawback: The Spell Slave competition mentioned in the Nutshell section.
• As well as the obvious restrictions listed on the card (no upkeeps, no SELF, no CTRL, no COST 4+), you're also limited by the definition of "spellcaster" which renders almost every support spell the Skarlock could potentially cast as near-useless. The reason is that if the spell description includes a sentence that has "the spellcaster's battlegroup" or "the spellcaster's control area" you have to mentally delete that sentence from the spell effects, because the Skarlock has neither. Two examples:
  • Excarnate lets you RFP an enemy and create a free grunt in your control area. The result: The Skarlock can RFP them but he can't create a freebie.
  • Siphon Bolt lets you remove focus from the enemy and then the spellcaster gains it. The result: The Skarlock gets to remove the point of focus but no one gains it.

Tricks & Tips

• Keep him safe casting support spells until the late game, when you can risk (and/or need to risk him) getting him forward and casting an offensive spell.

Other

Trivia

• Released way back in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
• Sculptor: Chaz Elliot

Other Cryx models

Cryx Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Agathia - Aiakos2 - Asphyxious1 - Asphyxious2 - Asphyxious3 - Coven - Deneghra1 - Deneghra2 - Deneghra3 - Goreshade1 - Goreshade2 - Goreshade3 - Mortenebra1 - Mortenebra2 - Rahera - Scaverous - Skarre1 - Skarre2 - Skarre3 - Sturgis2 - Terminus - Venethrax
Warcaster attachments	The Withershadow Combine - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Skarlock Thrall - Doctor Stygius (Partisan) - Madelyn Corbeau (Mercenary)
Other Warjack Controllers	Jack Marshals: Iron Lich Overseer       "Junior Warcasters": Aiakos1 - Asphyxious4 - Deneghra0
Light	Cankerworm - Deathripper - Defiler - Helldiver - Nightwretch - Ripjaw - Scavenger - Shrike - Stalker
Heavy	Barathrum - Corruptor - Deathjack - Desecrator - Erebus - Harrower - Kharybdis - Inflictor - Leviathan - Malice - Nightmare - Reaper - Seether - Slayer
Colossal	Kraken - Sepulcher
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Asphyxious4 - Bane Knights - Bane Riders - Bane Warriors - Bile Thralls - BO Boarding Party - BO Ironmongers - BO Smog Belchers - Bloodgorgers - Marauders - Carrion Thralls - Cephalyx Drudges - Cephalyx Overlords - Mechanithralls - Necrosurgeon - Revenant Cannon - Revenant Crew - Satyxis Gunslingers - Satyxis Blood Witches - Satyxis Raiders - Scharde Dirge Seers - Scharde Pirates - Soulhunters - The Devil's Shadow Mutineers - The Withershadow Combine
Solos	Aiakos1 - Agrimony - Axiara - Bane Lord Tartarus - Bloat Thrall - BTO Mobius - Captain Rengrave - Darragh Wrathe - Doctor Stygius - Deneghra0 - Gerlak - Hellslinger - Iron Lich Overseer - Machine Wraith - Master Gurglepox - Misery Cage - Necrotech - Pistol Wraith - Satyxis Blood Priestess - Satyxis Raider Captain - Scrap Thrall - Skarlock Thrall - Severa Blacktide - Soul Trapper - Warwitch Siren
Battle Engines & Structures	Wraith Engine
Theme Forces
Black Industries - Dark Host - The Ghost Fleet - Scourge of the Broken Coast
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cryx Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2020.03

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Undead - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Attached      (Edit) Attached models are not (normally) part of the warcaster's/warlock's battlegroup. (Infernal Ruling) (You need the Companion rule to become part of the battlegroup). Thus, attachments are not affected by battlegroup-only effects such as Energizer (unless they're a Companion).

Rules Clarification : Soul Cage - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Strength of Death - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Magic Ability      (Edit) Using a Magic Ability counts as a spell, for effects such as Spell Ward, Witch Hunter, etc. Combat Action Nearly all Magic Ability spells require the spellcaster to use their Combat Action to cast the spell. As such it is not an "at any time" ability (like it is when warcasters/warlocks cast spells). This means ... You must complete your movement before you use a MA. A model in a unit cannot use its Combat Action to cast a spell until all members of the unit have completed their movement. (Infernal Ruling) You cannot make ranged or melee attacks on the same turn you use a MA. You cannot use a MA on the same turn you charge. Because a charge must (almost always) be followed by a melee attack. Non-Combat Action There are a few models that can use a Magic Ability at any time (eg Geomancy and Necromancy), or can cast a spell "for free" under specific conditions that would otherwise require their Combat Action (eg Battle Wizard and Combat Caster). These models get around all the restrictions listed above.

Rules Clarification : Dark Fire      (Edit) "Regardless of proximity" soul takers (Edit) The model which ignores distance doesn't always get the soul. Abilities which say you "can't" collect souls (such as Soul Ward) trump it, due to the general rule that "can't trumps can". If there are multiple models that all have the "regardless of proximity" clause, then you randomise who the soul goes to. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification:  : Spell Slave      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

Explanatory Note This Rules Clarification is very similar to the ones for Necromancy and Geomancy (since all 3 are very similar abilities). Where Spell Slave is unique, the text has been coloured blue. Who does the casting It is the model with Spell Slave that does the casting, not the warcaster. (Infernal Ruling) It's not anything simple like "the warcaster gets an extra spell" during the warcaster's activation. Nor is it the "Spell Slave acts like an arc node". (On that note, Spell Slaves can't use arc nodes). Any buffs/debuffs currently on your warcaster/warlock are completely irrelevant to the Spell Slave's casting. For stuff that interacts with spellcasters (such as Witch Hunter) it is the location of the Spell Slave that matters, not the location of the warcaster. If the Spell Slave is within an area of "models cannot cast spells within this area" effect, it cannot cast spells. Regardless of where your warcaster is. If the warcaster is within an area of "models cannot cast spells within this area" effect, that has no effect on what the Spell Slave can do. When/how does a Spell Slave cast Spell Slaves use their Magic Ability to perform either a (★ Attack) or (★ Action). Because you use your Combat Action to do (★ Attack) or (★ Action) you must complete your movement before casting a spell (unlike warcasters). Typically, you cannot cast a spell after charging, because instead you must use your Combat Action to make a melee attack. If you forfeit your action, or are affected by a enemy abilities that prevents you using your action, you will be unable to cast spells. After casting a spell, a Spell Slave's activation ends (unlike what happens when your warcaster casts spells) because it has now completed both its move and its action. Spell Slaves do not pay the full cost of a spell, so are unaffected by stuff which changes the COST of a spell; such as Lamentation. (Infernal Ruling) or Scaverous's feat (Infernal Ruling) What spells can they choose to cast A Spell Slave cannot cast spells with a range of SELF or CTRL or with a COST more than 3, or that are an UPKEEP. In addition to this, a Spell Slave is heavily limited by the definition of 'Spellcaster'. Specifically: Spell Slaves can't cast spells that use the phrase "Spellcaster's battlegroup" because (most) spell slaves aren't in the battlegroup. Exception: Companion Spell Slaves (such as Deryliss) are in the battlegroup, so can.(Infernal Ruling) Spell Slaves cannot benefit from anything that occurs in the 'Spellcaster's CTRL area' because they don't have one. (Infernal Ruling) For instance, a Spell Slave that casts Excarnate will not be able to summon a new grunt. Spell Slaves cannot benefit from spells that give the caster Focus. Such benefits are limited to models with the 'Focus Manipulation' rule, which only warcasters have. For instance, a Spell Slave that casts Siphon Bolt would still take focus from the enemy, but won't gain any focus itself. Sometimes a Spell Slave can cast a cast a spell, but they will miss out on some of the benefits of the spell (as described above) A Hordes Spell Slave cannot cast animi, because they're not "spells on the warlock's spell card". How can they boost the spell You can not use focus that is on the warcaster to boost spells that the Spell Slave casts. (refer rulebook section on using focus to boost: only the model with focus on it can spend it, and only during its own activation) Spell Slaves can only boost if they have a special rule allowing them do so - for instance, the Skarlock Thrall can spend soul tokens on spells via its 'Strength of Death' ability. Other The Spell Slave doesn't gain any buffs/abilities that are on your warlock/warcaster (such as True Sight). The Spell Slave cannot channel spells through arc nodes. You can only channel through nodes in your CTRL area, and none of the three models have a CTRL area. The Spell Slave can use spells like Annihilation to gain enemy souls. But generally they will be unable to use the soul tokens so they will stay on the Spell Slave for the rest of the game (doing nothing). (Infernal Ruling)