Storm Strider

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

Storm Strider Cygnar Stormsmith Battle Engine

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.

Towering above its enemies, the lightning-wreathed Storm Strider moves across the battlefield raining voltaic death upon all who stand against Cygnar. Its lightning cannon is one of the most potent weapons in the Cygnaran arsenal and represents the pinnacle of stormsmith achievement. More devastating still is the Storm Strider's ability to capture and store the energy of enemy attacks, adding this deadly kinetic force to its withering lightning blasts.

Basic Info

Storm Strider
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Huge SPD 5 STR 10 MAT 6 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 10 ARM 19 CMD 10 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 28 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE N/A COST 17 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Battle Engine - All battle engines share the same special rules, most notably being immune to a bunch of stuff. Click here for the long version.

Abilities

• Construct
• Immunity: Electricity
• Pathfinder
• Build Up Power [d3] - If this model advances during its Normal Movement, it gains d3 power tokens. This model can have up to three power tokens at any time. During its activation, this model can spend power tokens to boost one attack or damage roll for each token spent.
• Conductor - When a Stormsmith Stormcaller makes a Surge or Triangulation special attack, this model is considered to be another friendly Stormsmith Stormcaller.
• Dual Attack - This model can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. When this model makes its initial melee attacks or a power attack, it can also make its initial ranged attacks. This model can make ranged attacks even while in melee.
• Repulsor Field - When this model is hit with a melee attack, after the attack is resolved the attacker is pushed 1" directly away from this model.
• Superconduction - When a friendly Faction model makes an attack with a ranged weapon with Damage Type: Electricity targeting an enemy model in this model's command range, the attacking model gains +2 to its attack roll.

Weapons

Lightning Cannon
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		14			2			-			15
Damage Type: Electricity Critical Disruption Lightning Generator - When a model is directly hit with a basic attack made with this weapon, lightning arcs from the model hit to d3 consecutive additional models. The lightning arcs to the nearest model it has not already arced to within 4" of the last model it arced to, ignoring this model. Each model the lightning arcs to suffers an unboostable POW 10 electrical damage roll. Lightning arc damage rolls are not considered to have been caused by an attack. Resolve lightning arc damage rolls simultaneously with the damage resulting from the attack that caused the lightning arc.
Stomp
		RNG				POW				P+S
		1				3				13
Lightning Generator - as above

Theme Forces

• Storm Division
• Heavy Metal

Thoughts on Storm Strider

Storm Strider in a nutshell

The Storm Strider is Cygnar's lightning themed, self-enhancing, support battle engine both capable of putting out a lot of lightning arcs and hurting heavies at range. Once the enemy gets into its respectable CMD zone, its shots are murderously accurate, and makes your other lightning attacks all the more threatening. Once in melee, it must rely on its Repulsor Field to survive - which can be surprisingly effective (if the enemy fails to position his units so, that they cannot be pushed out of melee). Heavies with RNG 1" melee weapons get one attack before the Repulsor Field pushes them out of melee (2" gives them a second), and although charging Weapon Master infantry should be able to take it apart, it's a lightning themed model - it's supposed to fry them before they can charge in.

Combos & Synergies

• The other Storm buffers - Firefly, Silver Line Stormguard, Nemo3.
• Laddermore's Veteran Leader ability adds another layer of accuracy buff for the Storm Knight models in her CMD, making the ranged electro attacks incredibly accurate.
• Anything that does lightning damage.
• The Strider is a very favoured part of the Storm Division theme list. As all of your models are electro-immune, it's arcs will ignore them and jump onto enemy models.
• Since it can be shot without repercussions, and enemies don't want to be anywhere near its CMD zone, it appreciates every bit of extra ARM on it to minimalize shooting damage. Casters with Deceleration and/or Arcane Shield are your best friends.
• Major Victoria Haley - Temporal Acceleration allows you an extra shot on the gun (which will generate e-leaps) as well as get an extra 2 inches of movement.
• Alexia1 she brings throwaway bodies that you can use to run right next to a stealth/high DEF model, then shoot it in the back with your strider, lightning will arc into the enemy model and fry it.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Even after the 2017 Battle Engine update, the Storm Strider is still one of the squishier BEs. Its HPs are in between a light and a heavy warjack now, but its low DEF and the huge base makes it an easy target for shooting, especially since Kinetic Accumulator is gone.
  • On the flip side, it requires no focus to operate, and can fill itself up with tokens for boosting.
• A skilled opponent will position a model so the repel ability doesn't save the Storm Strider (although it's surprisingly good).
• If you cannot advance, or want to forfeit your normal movement for aiming, you won't get Power Tokens.
• As every Battle Engine, it is not part of your battlegroup, so those spells won't affect them.

Tricks & Tips

• Charge and then shoot for extra range (no shooting for failed charges, though).
• Look for low defense targets that can be used to leap off of. An especially useful one is objectives, which generally have squishy support units skulking nearby.
• You can also have him kick an engaged warjack in the back, causing lightning to hit the models engaging them and allowing the warjack to walk free. The POW is low enough that the jack won't suffer crippling damage.
• Watch out for Sturdy models - the Repulsor Field won't save you from their attack.
• There's an odd rule interaction between Rhyas' feat and the Repulsor Field. Once the Strider is damaged, the attacker is placed in B2B with the target, then it is pushed away 1". Be on the lookout, as you can easily give a free inch of threat range to a rampaging Scythean, or even for Rhyas herself...
  • The same goes for other teleporting shenanigans, including the Lord of the Feast, or Thagrosh1's Mutagenesis. The latter can yield starling amount of extra distance between Thagrosh' base width and 2" melee range.
• Remember, the Strider can benefit from its own Superconduction when selecting targets to hit.

Other

Trivia

• Released in the Warmachine: Wrath expansion book (2011)

Other Cygnar models

Cygnar Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Caine1 - Caine2 - Caine3 - Constance - Darius - Haley1 - Haley2 - Haley3 - Jakes2 - Kraye - Maddox - Nemo1 - Nemo2 - Nemo3 - Sloan - Stryker1 - Stryker2 - Stryker3 - Siege1 - Siege2 - Sturgis1
Warcaster attachments	Squire (Cygnar) - Madelyn Corbeau (Merc) - Reinholdt (Merc) - Wyshnalyrr (Merc)
Other Warjack Controllers	Battlegroup Controllers: Caine0 - Nemo4 - Jakes1 - Journeyman - T. Warcaster Lieutenant 'Jack Marshals: Runewood - Strangewayes - Anson Hitch - Stormblade Captain - T. Master Gunner - Gun Mage CA - Stormblade CA - Sword Knights CA
Light	Charger - Firefly - Grenadier - Hunter - Lancer - Minuteman - Sentinel Ace - Thorn
Heavy	Avenger - Centurion - Cyclone - Defender - Hammersmith - Ironclad - Reliant - Stormclad Brickhouse - Dynamo - Gallant - Ol' Rowdy - Thunderhead - Triumph
Colossal	Stormwall - Hurricane
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Arcane Tempest Gun Mages - Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Field Mechaniks - Legion of Lost Souls - Long Gunner Infantry - OoI Resolutes - OoI Vigilants - Precursor Knights - Rangers - Silver Line Stormguard - Storm Lances - Stormblades - Stormguard - Stormsmith Grenadiers - Storm Tower - Sword Knights - Tempest Blazers - Tr Cannon Crew - Tr Chain Gun Crew - Tr Commandos - Tr Express Team - Tr Long Gunners - Tr Infantry - Tr Mechaniks Special CA : Captain Jonas Murdoch (Mercenary unit) - Special WA: Morrowan Battle Priest (any unit)
Solos	Arcane Tempest Rifleman - Archduke Runewood - Captain Arlan Strangewayes - Captain Maxwell Finn - Commander Anson Hitch - Dreyfus1 - Dreyfus2 & Flubbin2 - Grand Master Gabriel Throne - Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One - Gun Mage Captain Adept - Journeyman Lieutenant Allister Caine - Journeyman Warcaster - Harlan Versh, Illuminated One - Lieutenant Allison Jakes - Lieutenant Bastian Falk - Lieutenant Gwen Keller - Major Katherine Laddermore - Major Harrison Gibbs - Morrowan Archon - Savio Montero Acosta - Squire - Stormblade Captain - Stormcallers - Tr Buster - Tr Master Gunner - Tr Patrol Dog - Tr Warcaster Lieutenant - Viktor Pendrake
Battle Engines & Structures	Nemo4 - Storm Strider - Trencher Blockhouse
Theme Forces
Flame in the Darkness - Gravediggers - Heavy Metal - Sons of the Tempest - Storm Division
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cygnar Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Battle Engine      (Edit) The main differences between battle engines and the other huge bases are: They can be placed, and they can move outside their Normal Movement (such as Dodge). They can benefit from Advance Deployment, Incorporeal, and Stealth. They can't make ranged attacks while in melee. At least not by default; but many battle engines have Gun Platform, Dual Attack, or similar. Unlike Colossals and Gargantuans, your opponent can take control of your battle engine. There are very few such abilities that work on this model type, though. Being a huge-based model, a Battle Engine can never gain the DEF bonus from concealment ... but it can still have concealment and thereby trigger Prowl. Huge Base (Edit) You can draw LOS from your Left arc to a target in your Right arc (and vice versa). See also this diagram Huge-based models get bonus distance if they do a Power Attack: Slam or Power Attack: Power Strike. But this bonus doesn't apply to slams triggered by normal attacks (such as Critical Smite or the Hurricane's Thunder Charge ability). Also, simply being on a huge base triggers a bunch of rules scattered throughout the rulebook, click to read them.   [Show/Hide] From the 2020.02 edition of the core rules (Edit) Fields of Fire Page 37 A huge-based model’s front arc is marked on its base. Its front arc is further divided into two 90° fields of fire. These fields of fire determine which models a huge-based model can target with its weapons, depending on the location of those weapons. Weapons located on a huge-based model’s left side (L) can be used to target only models in its left field of fire, and weapons located on its right side (R) can be used to target only models in its right field of fire. Weapons with locations “S,” “H,” or “—” can be used to target models in either field of fire. If any part of a model’s base is on the line separating the left and right fields of fire, the model is considered to be in both fields of fire. Concealment, Cover, LOS Page 49 Concealment & Cover - Huge-based models never gain the DEF bonuses from concealment or cover. Page 60 Clouds - Cloud effects do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Page 87 Forests - Forests do not block line of sight to huge-based models. Huge-Based models in melee Page 54 - Huge-based models never gain the Target in Melee DEF bonus. Page 65 - Combined Ranged Attacks cannot target a model in melee unless it has a huge base.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Electricity      (Edit) When electricity arcs/leaps, you ignore models with Immunity:Electricity. The arc "skips" them. If you attack a model with Immunity:Electricity, the arc/leap won't go anywhere at all. The arc is "grounded". Incorporeal models do not have Immunity: Electricity (they just ignore non-magical damage). As such electricity can arc/leap to and from incorporeal models.

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Conductor - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification:  : Dual Attack      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* If you fail a charge, then you do not get to make ranged attacks. If you have multiple ranged attacks and/or melee attacks, you can intermingle them in any order. (Infernal Ruling) You can charge, make a ranged attack, then make your charge melee attack. Even though you made a ranged attack, that doesn't change the fact that your first melee attack is the charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) You must complete all initial attacks before buying attacks. You can't go: Make an initial melee attack, then buy a melee attack, then make an initial ranged attack. (Locked Thread) Dual Attack doesn't let you mix initial attacks with a (★) attack. Dual Attack only lets you make either: Initial melee attacks and initial ranged attacks. Power attack and initial ranged attacks. Any other combination of (★ Attack) and initials is disallowed. See this thread for full explanation and links to relevant Infernal Rulings. You could theoretically make a special melee attack and then buy additional ranged attacks (or vice versa) ... but the core rules say "The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any" so the special attack would have to explicitly allow a swap - and I'm unaware of any that do so. There is no penalty for shooting an enemy you are in melee with. Your ranged attack(s) can target a model you are not in melee with. (Infernal Ruling) Dual Attack & Drag ( Edit ) This is pretty-much limited to just the Prime Axiom under Syntherion, or the Swabber, Galleon or Prime Axiom under Aurora2 If you charge model A then utilise Dual Attack to make a ranged attack vs the same model, then you would get the free melee attack from Drag. The Drag attack is a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) If you charge model A then utilise Dual Attack to make a ranged attack vs a different model, then you would lose the free melee attack from Drag. Your first melee attack must be versus the charge target, and you cannot save the Drag attack for later. (Infernal Ruling) If you didn't charge then ... just go nuts. There's no restrictions that I know of. Dual Attack & Slam/Trample ( Edit ) Power Attack Slam and Trample combine your Normal Movement and Combat Action, and how this works with Dual Attack is: Slam: You must resolve the movement, the attack, and moving the slammed model. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. Trample: You must resolve the movement, the attacks, and the free strikes. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Repulsor Field      (Edit) A model that starts B2B and hits you will be exactly one inch away after resolving Repulsor Field, so will still be just in range to hit you with a 1" melee range weapon. Similarily, after 2 hits they will be exactly 2" away and still ... etc. If a model with Repulsor Field is destroyed, the attacking model will not be moved (as there is no model to move directly away from). (Infernal Ruling) If multiple models with Repulsor Field are trampled over and not destroyed, player with Repulsor Field would pick which Repulsor Field triggers first. (Infernal Ruling) 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)

Rules Clarification : Superconduction      (Edit) The model with Superconduction can give itself the +2 to hit.

Rules Clarification : Build Up Power      (Edit) You roll Build Up Power after you have declared you are going to advance, but before physically moving the model. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Disruption      (Edit) If a model is disrupted, it cannot get focus for any reason. Whether the rule says 'allocate', 'gain', 'receive' or 'give' ... Disruption stops it all. (Infernal Ruling) Despite being unable to channel spells, a warjack can still be the target of spells just fine.

Rules Clarification : Lightning Generator      (Edit) Not considered an attack & "Non-attack damage roll" (Edit)   [Show/Hide] There are two ways you can get these "non-attack" damage rolls. Type 1 - A secondary damage roll that is not considered to be an attack. Some attacks create a second damage roll that is explicitly "not considered an attack" (such as Electro Leap). (Note that although the secondary damage roll is not an attack, the original attack certainly is and will trigger stuff normally. These clarifications don't apply to the original attack.) Type 2 - A damage roll that's not from an attack. Some special abilities & special actions tell you to make a damage roll without mentioning whether it is considered an attack or not (such as Vent Steam and Flak Field). When it comes to other abilities that trigger on damage (such as Vengeance) both types function the same way. For brevity we'll refer to both as "Pure Damage". Pure damage is not an attack, so doesn't trigger stuff like Vengeance. Pure damage is not an attack, so doesn't benefit from stuff that affects 'attack damage rolls' (such as Bethayne1's feat). (Infernal Ruling) Pure damage (normally) doesn't actually hit the model(s) it damages, so doesn't trigger stuff like Shock Field. (A few of them do specify they hit, though, like Warhead.) Pure damage is not from an attack, but it is (normally) damage from the original model. This has two implications: It's not an attack from a weapon so: it won't gain damage buffs from the weapon (such as Poison). it won't gain any Damage Types from the weapon. (Infernal Ruling) It is a damage roll from a model so: it can be boosted. (Infernal Rulings) ... unless the rule specifically says it can't, like a Scrap Thrall explosion or Lightning Generator. it will gain benefits that worded "this model gains ... on damage rolls" (such as Prey). (Infernal Ruling) warbeasts with a Crippled Body will roll one less die. (Infernal Ruling) Exception: Some damage is not from an attack and not from a model (for example, Collateral damage). In this case, you should reverse the stuff listed under #2 above.