The Withershadow Combine

The Withershadow Combine Cryx Character Iron Lich Unit - (Warcaster Attachment)

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.

Cloaked in darkness, this group of iron liches have stalked western Immoren and ripped its arcane secrets out of the shadows for over five centuries. This trio acts as one of the more subtle and precise instruments in Cryx's arsenal. Through rites unknown to any others, they may dismantle warjacks with frightening ease. The Combine then corrupts the cortex and summons in 'jacks from the Nightmare Empire to wreak havoc on the living.

Basic Info

The Withershadow Combine
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 5 STR 7 MAT 7 RAT N/A M.A. 7 DEF 13 ARM 15 CMD 7 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 each F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE 3 COST 7 2.3 pts each N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

• Attached - Before the start of the game, attach this unit to a friendly Faction warcaster for the rest of the game. Each Faction warcaster can have only one model/unit attached to it.

Abilities

• Entire Unit
  • Stealth
  • Undead
  • Magic Ability [ 7 ] - 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.
  • 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.
• Maelovus only
  • Officer
• Admonia only
  • Black Arts - A friendly Faction warcaster/warlock that has this model in its control range can upkeep one spell without spending focus/fury.

Weapons

• Lich Claws - 0.5" reach, POW 5, P+S 12 melee attack
  • Damage Type: Magical

Spells

		COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Entire Unit
	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 models.
Admonia only
	Sigil of Power	(★ Action)	CMD	-	-	Turn	No
	Target friendly model/unit. If it is in range, its weapons gain Damage Type: Magical. Sigil of Power lasts for one turn.
Tremulus only
	Puppet Master	(★ Action) or (★ Attack)	10	-	-	Round	(★)
	When Puppet Master targets an enemy model/unit, it is a magic attack. You can have one affected model reroll one attack or damage roll, then Puppet Master expires. Puppet Master lasts for one round.
Maelovus only
	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

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model/unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army.

Thoughts on The Withershadow Combine

The Withershadow Combine in a nutshell

The Withershadow Combine is comprised of Maelovus (the officer), Admonia, and Tremulus. They're primarily a support unit, although to get the most use out of your points investment you should try and kill the occasional grunt with Dark Fire (the Combine can make a surprisingly effective gunline after grabbing a few souls). They generally stick behind your front lines, using Stealth and their naturally high DEF and ARM to avoid harm. From this back position they can support your warcaster with Black Arts and Puppet Master.

Puppet Master is normally thrown on your 'caster to allow them to reroll a game-critical attack roll, or on a friendly 'jack just prior to stomping face. If you're playing a little more aggressively, it's nice to put on an enemy 'jack/'beast and force them to re-roll a game-critical roll.

Combos & Synergies

The Withershadow Combine are a great addition to any Cryx force, as Black Arts makes every caster more efficient. Of course some warcasters have fewer upkeep spells available than others and they may not be casting them at all, let alone upkeeping them every turn.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Relatively high point cost - although they're worth every point, it can be hard to fit them into smaller games.
  • If you're too cautious with them, they won't make their points back.
  • If you're too aggressive with them, they'll die before being useful.
• Spell Slave isn't as great as it seems: 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 Maelovus could cast as near-useless. Why? Well basically 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 Maelovus has neither. For example:
  • Excarnate lets you RFP an enemy and create a free grunt in your control area? Nope! Maelovus gets to RFP them but he can't create a freebie.
  • Siphon Bolt lets you remove focus from the enemy and have the spellcaster gain it? Nope! Maelovus gets to remove the point of focus but no one gets to gain it.
  • And so on and so forth.
• By taking them you lose out on other warcaster attachments all of whom are drastically cheaper.

Tricks & Tips

• Activate them near the start of your turn, to make sure you have Puppet Master in play before you try something risky!
• If it is important that Maelovus hits its Spell Slave attack (or action), use Puppet Master on him.

Other

Trivia

• Originally released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Sculptor: Jeff Grace
• Although many other Factions now have it, the Puppet Master ability was original to Tremulus, and he is actually sculpted with a puppet.

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 : The Withershadow Combine Despite the main rulebook talking about warcaster units only being able to have "one model" attached to them, the "three models" in the WSC can be attached to warcaster units. (Infernal Ruling) The WSC can be attached to Goreshade1 - the Deathwalker is not an attached model in mk3. (Infernal Ruling) The WSC can be attached to the Coven. (Infernal Ruling) The Coven can only benefit from Black Arts once - if three Witches have Admonia in their control range, they will only upkeep 1 spell for free. (Infernal Ruling)

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 : 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.

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 : Officer      (Edit) Even if they're not on the Officer's card, an Officer can give (and benefit from) any non-standard orders that are on the unit's card (such as Shield Wall). Refer main rulebook. A Ranking Officer can't do this, though. When the Officer dies, the Leader model becomes the new Unit Commander (you don't get to choose). But if your unit doesn't include a Leader model, then you do get to choose any of the remaining models to be the new Unit Commander. You don't swap the model, but it may be worth putting a token down so you can tell that grunt apart.

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 initial ranged or initial melee attacks on the same turn you use a MA. You cannot buy additional melee/ranged attacks after using a MA special attack. Refer to the core rulebook, "Special attacks listed as a rule of the model itself are neither melee attacks nor ranged attacks. The rules for these special attacks indicate the nature of any additional attacks that can be made afterward, if any." 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 without using their Combat Action. These models get around all the restrictions listed above. Models with Geomancy or Necromancy can use a Magic Ability at "any time" just like a warcaster/warlock. Models with Battle Wizard or Necrophage can make melee attacks then get a bonus "free" spell. Models with Combat Caster can cast a spell before charging, then do a normal charge + melee attack. Note that Battle Wizards, Combat Casters, etc have the option to use their Combat Action to cast a spell. Their special rule is in addition to the normal spell casting, not instead of.

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)

Rules Clarification : Black Arts      (Edit) In a multi-caster game, more than one warcaster/warlock can upkeep a spell for free. Can't be used by a Battlegroup Controllers, because they're specifically NOT warcasters. Similarly for Lesser Warlocks.

Rules Clarification : Sigil of Power      (Edit) 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 : Puppet Master      (Edit) Puppet Master can be put on a model in a unit, and it will be applied to the whole unit. However, as soon as any model in the unit chooses to use it then it expires on the entire unit (so really it only affects one model). Puppet Master can be used on "secondary" damage rolls such as Electro Leap, Magic Bullet, etc. It can't be used on "stay in play" damage effects like a Scather's AOE. If the same player casts Puppet Master on the same model/unit multiple times it doesn't stack, at all. (Infernal Ruling) If different players cast Puppet Master on the same target, then they both take effect. When one player uses the Puppet Master, the other does not expire. Both players can use Puppet Master on the same roll. (Infernal Ruling)