Theme - Dark Menagerie

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Grymkin Logo.jpg Theme - Dark Menagerie

Grymkin Theme Force
Dark Menagerie - Bump in the Night

Each of the Defiers has some special preference for how to unmake Menoth’s twisted civilization. When the opportunity to strike arises, a Defier gathers a dark menagerie of his or her worst nightmares in a terrifying show of force. Towering beasts of twisted flesh and bounding swarms of frightful creatures gather together to enact the Defier’s will, leaving behind only a handful of demented survivors to spread word of the host of shadows that emerged from the night.

Death Knell

Theme Rules - Remix

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Rules subject to change - 2019 Theme Remix
All existing theme forces are changing from the "free cards" system into a new "Requistion Points" system. There will be an interim period between the end of 2019.07 to mid 2019.09 where players can use whichever system they prefer.

The Remixed version became officially available on the 26th July.

The Dreamer

Theme Restrictions

An army made use the Dark Menagerie theme force can include only the following Grmykin models:

  • You may also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will work for Grymkin.
    • These models can be included even if they have the Partisan [Grymkin] rule.
    • Minion units in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.

Full model list

Crabbits
The models allowed in Dark Menagerie are:   [Show/Hide]

This list was last updated: 2019.09   (Edit)

Warlocks

Warbeasts

Battle Engines

Units

Solos

Minions

  • Up to one minion solo
  • Up to one minion unit

Requisition Points

Gorehound

You can spend each Requisition Point pm either:

Theme Bonuses

Skin & Moans
  1. The FA of Gremlin Swarm solos in this army becomes 4 (instead of 2)
  2. Gremlin Swarm solos in the army gain Serenity.
    Serenity - At the beginning of your Control Phase, before leeching, you can remove 1 fury point from a friendly Faction warbeast within 1" of this model.
  3. Each non-trooper model in this army that can gain corpse tokens begins the game with one corpse token.

Recent Changes

2019.02 Cornucopia special

2019.03 Grymkin Wave 2

2019.07 Theme Remix

  • Game-wide Remix changes
  • The new RQ model, Weird Wendell, added to the list of allowed models.
  • Freebies changed to allow solos. Also you now get two Crabbits per RQ.
  • The benefits are unchanged.

Theme Rules - Old Version

Old Restrictions   [Show/Hide]

An army made use the Dark Menagerie theme force can include only the following Grmykin models:

Old Bonuses   [Show/Hide]
  1. You may also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will work for Grymkin.
    • These models can be included even if they have the Partisan [Grymkin] rule.
    • Minion units in this army can include attachments, including a Ranking Officer
  2. The FA of Gremlin Swarms becomes 4 (instead of 2)
  3. For every full 15 points of warbeasts, you can add free of cost either:
    • one Crabit, or
    • one Gremlin Swarm
    • Free Crabits do not count toward the total point value of warbeasts when calculating this bonus.
    • Note that in Steamroller events, your opponent only scores army points for every 2 crabits they kill; ergo an odd number of Crabits (or just 1) are a point disadvantage for your opponent.
  4. Gremlin Swarms gain Serenity.
    • Serenity - At the beginning of your Control Phase, before leeching, you can remove 1 fury point from a friendly Faction warbeast within 1" of this model.
  5. Each non-trooper model in this army that can gain corpse tokens begins with one corpse token.

Thoughts on the Dark Menagerie

Gremlin Swarm
Recent Change icon.png

Recent Errata - This article needs updating
The "Basic Info" section has been updated to match a recent errata/spoiler, but the "Thoughts On" section hasn't been brushed up yet.
If you play this Faction, please delete the old irrelevant info and then delete this warning.

See also Category: Recent Change and Category: Recent Release.

Dark Menagerie in a nutshell

Dark Menagerie is the beast theme of the Grymkin and rewards you for taking battlegroup models and the death knell.

The primary way to play Dark Menagerie is a very powerful beast brick where the backbone is formed by cage ragers and skin and moans, both of which benefit a lot from the corpse they recieve as a theme benefit.

Very notably while being a slow brick theme it has a way of mitigating the standard weakness of slow bricks. Gremlin swarms which are free in theme and assist in fury management are able to contest extremely well which allow you to play a slower list and not lose scenario.

with a very tough brick, that has excellent contesting models Dark Menagerie is hard to beat in attrition, has excellent denial tech through Arcana, Wraithbane on Cage Ragers and Arcane vortex, and your caster benefits from all of this tech making many assassinations simply untenable.

Without any exception, all grymkin warlocks are playable in this theme and have compelling synergies.

Competitiveness

Lady Karianna Rose

Dark Menagerie is the staple themeforce of the grymkin and is considered extremely competitive. It alone propels them to being very powerful in the current meta. Almost any of their casters can be highly succesful in this theme force.

List building tips

Rattler
  • Cage Ragers and Skin & Moans form the backbone of the theme and there is essentially no reason to not bring at least one of these models
  • All warlocks are viable in this theme, However they will have a different composition.
  • The King of Nothing can play a radically different style where he focuses on the factions light warbeasts and turns them up to 11. He's an extremely odd caster with a very high skill cap.
  • All three of the light warbeasts have a place. Rattlers are dedicated anti infantry and with enough buffs can threaten weaker heavies. Gorehounds are powerful skirmishers using their mobility to scalpel out key models, kill infantry, or just jam. Frightmares have the true sight animus and are usually brought when its important such as on the old witch or the king of nothing.
  • Crabbits are one of the best lesser warbeasts in the game and are brought to improve your match into not just guns, but key guns with effects such as a drag gun.
  • Death Knell is not mandatory, but is a very strong piece. Expect to see it with the majority of casters in this theme unless they have strong delivery tech that compensates for the lack of the knell such as Old Witch 3.
  • Dread Rots are not usually brought in force, but its not uncommon to see a minimum unit who can screen, do some work, and become corpses for the Death Knell.

Starting a 25 point list

If you want to try this theme but are still stuck for ideas, try this. It's relatively newbie friendly.

Warlock thoughts

Placeholder


Other

Trivia

Released 2017.06

Other Grymkin models

Grymkin Logo.jpg       Grymkin Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup
Warlocks

The Child - The Dreamer - The Heretic - The King of Nothing - The Wanderer - Old Witch 3
Arcana
Warlock Attachment: Baron Tonguelick

Warbeasts Lesser

Crabbit

Light

Frightmare - Gorehound - Rattler

Heavy

Cage Rager - Clockatrice - Skin & Moans

Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units

Dread Rots - Hollowmen - Mad Caps - Malady Man - Murder Crows - Neigh Slayers - Piggybacks - Twilight Sisters

Solos

Baron Tonguelick, Lord of Warts - Cask Imp - Glimmer Imp - Grave Ghoul - Gremlin Swarm - Lady Karianna Rose - Lord Longfellow - Trapperkin - Witchwood

Battle Engines Death Knell
Theme Forces Minions
Dark Menagerie - Bump in the Night

Eilish Garrity, the Occultist - Hermit of Henge Hold - J.A.I.M.s - Primal Archon

This index was last updated: 2019.04

Rules Clarifications

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Rules Clarification : Serenity      (Edit)

  • Each model with Serenity can pick one warbeast to remove fury from, that is within range of the ability. They may pick the same or different warbeasts.
    So, for example, a warbeast with 4 Serenity models around it can have 4 fury removed from it. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification: Theme Forces     (Edit)

Rerolling the starting roll   [Show/Hide]
  • You cannot use the theme benefit to reroll if it is a draw. Instead both players reroll until there is a loser, and then the loser can use their reroll benefit (if they have it). (Infernal Ruling)
  • If both players have a reroll, first the original loser uses their reroll.
    • If the original loser still loses, fine.
    • If the original loser now wins, the other player can use their reroll.
    • If it is now a draw, both players reroll until there is a loser. Then the player that hasn't used their theme benefit reroll can still use it, if they want.
Warjacks/Warbeasts with bonds   [Show/Hide]
  • A warjack/warbeast with a bond can always be included in a theme force, whether or not they're in the list of allowed models, but only if they're controlled by that bonded model.
  • This applies even if that bonded model isn't a full warcaster/warlock (changed as of 2018.06).
Including Mercenaries   [Show/Hide]

Number of Mercenaries

  • If your "up to one Merc" ...
    • ... can take warbeasts/warjacks, then you can add warbeast(s)/warjack(s) (without exceeding your "up to one" allowance)
    • ... comes with a Companion model, then you'll get that Companion (without exceeding your "up to one" allowance)
  • There is a bug in Warroom that allows you to not only take one Merc solo/unit, but the entire FA of that Merc solo/unit. It's a bug.

Partisans & Theme Forces (Edit)

  1. If the theme force has the Partisan model on the list of allowed models, then it doesn't use up your "Up to one mercenary" slot, and so you can take the full FA plus another mercenary. Example: Cephalyx in Black Industries or Kayazy in Jaws of the Wolf. (Infernal Ruling)
  2. If the Partisan isn't on the list, it does use up your "Up to one mercenary" slot, and you can only take one. (There is a known bug in Warroom that allows you to take the full FA.)
  • Whether you used option 1 or 2 above, once they're in your theme force they count as a Faction model and so can be taken as a Requistion Option (if they fit the Requistion description). For instance, Eiryss1 can be taken as a free solo in the Legion of Dawn theme. (Infernal Ruling)

Mercenaries and Quasi-Partisans

  • Some themes include a benefit that says "If this model is included, it counts as a Faction model instead of a Mercenary model". For example Greygore in Kriel Company.
    In this case, the mercenary model has effectively gained Partisan and is subject to the FA limits described above. To reiterate:
    • If that Merc is in the list of allowed models allowed (such as Savio in Storm Division), they won't count against your "up to one Merc" allowance.
    • If that Merc isn't in the list, (such as Order of Illumination Resolutes in Heavy Metal), they will count against your "up to one Merc" allowance.

Mercenaries and Ranking Officers

  • Adding a Ranking Officer to a Merc unit doesn't increase the number of Merc units you can take.
Requisition Points   [Show/Hide]
  • You can choose the same Requisition option as many times as you like, as long as it doesn't put you over a FA limit.
  • You can't mix and match models from different options. Say one option allows 3 Machine Wraiths and another allows 3 Necrotechs. You can't use your Requisition Point to get 2 Wraiths and 1 Necrotech.
  • If you have an option that allows one other solo, you can't use it to get something already on the list. For instance, Ghost Fleet allows 3 Misery Cages (which are FA 4) for one Requistion Point, and it allows 1 other solo. That "other solo" can't be a 4th Cage.
Free models and Specialists (ADR)    [Show/Hide]
  • If your theme only allows one merc solo, you can't have one in your main list and a different one in your specialists.
Unit Attachments   [Show/Hide]
  • If a unit is allowed in a theme, any-and-all of its attachments are allowed too. Exception: Ranking Officers are not allowed unless explicitily mentioned.
  • If the theme force gives a benefit to a specific unit, any-and-all attachments to that unit will benefit too. Even if it is a "generic" attachment like the Void Leech. (Infernal Ruling)
    For example, a Trollkin Sorcerer will gain Serenity if its attached to a Dhunian Knot unit in a Power of Dhunia theme force.
  • If your theme allows "3 weapon attachments" as a freebie, you can spread them into different units.
When to apply theme benefits   [Show/Hide]
  • Theme force benefits are applied when you construct your list and models keep the benefit for the whole game. You don't gain/lose theme benefits due to in-game changes.
    Also, if you put a new model into play midgame, they immediately gain any relevant benefits too. (Infernal Ruling)
    • For example, Scourge of the Broken Coast gives Dodge to "models in the army." If your opponent takes control of one of them, it keeps Dodge even though it's currently not "in the army".
    • For example, Storm Division gives lightning immunity to "Cygnar models in the army." If you include a Mercenary unit with a Ranking Officer, they will get the theme benefit and also keep it even after the Ranking Officer dies.
Cryx - Black Industries   [Show/Hide]
  • The entry which allows "Cephalyx models/units" only applies to Partisan Cephalyx. That's because the theme's rules start off with "this army can only include the following Cryx models"​. Partisan Cephalyx are the only ones that fill that condition.
  • The Cephalyx Agitator also works for Cryx and can go in Black Industries but, because it is not a Partisan, it will use up your Mercenary solo slot.
  • (Infernal Ruling)
Protectorate - The Creator's Might   [Show/Hide]
Mercenary - Flame in the Darkness   [Show/Hide]
  • You can take any number of Mercenary jacks. You can also select two additional jacks from Khador and Cygnar in any combination you like. Character warjacks with a bond don't count against this limit of 2. (Infernal Ruling)
  • There is a bug in Warroom that allows you to take two Cygnar and two Khador jacks.
  • Morrowan Battle Priest:
    • If your warcaster is a Cygnar model that makes every unit you take a Cygnar unit, and Battle Priests can be attached to any unit.
      Warroom has a known bug where it doesn't allow this interaction.
    • If your warcaster is a Mercenary or Khador model, though, the only units the Battle Priest can attach to are the Morrow ones.
    • If you attach the Battle Priest to The Devil's Shadows Mutineers then it can be returned via Blood Bound. (Infernal Ruling)
Mercenary - Llaelese Resistance   [Show/Hide]
  • It is 2 Cruicible or 2 Cygnar or 2 Menoth.
    You can't take more than 2, and you can't mix and match from multiple Factions. (Infernal Ruling)
Mercenary - The Talion Charter   [Show/Hide]
  • The 3rd benefit is "Sac Pawn [Sea Dog trooper]", not just any Sea Dog. (Infernal ruling)
Circle - The Bones of Orboros   [Show/Hide]
  • Una1 cannot be taken in this theme (yet) due to the conflict between the theme's "Only Construct warbeasts allowed" and Una1's "Must take warbeasts with flight". There are no construct warbeasts with flight (yet). But if/when there is, then Una1 can be taken in this theme. (Infernal Ruling)
Circle - The Devourer's Host   [Show/Hide]
  • Bradigus1 is not legal in this theme. The theme only allows living warbeasts, his rules only allow construct warbeasts, and you can't just 'skip' his battlegroup - you have to spend your warbeast points.
  • If you create a new model mid-game (ie with the Well of Orboros and that model can have corpse tokens, that model does not enter play with a corpse. Because it's not the beginning of the game. (Locked thread)
Circle - The Wild Hunt   [Show/Hide]
  • When it comes to other things that alter COST (such as Lamentation), follow basic maths: Double/halve first, then add/subtract.
  • Due to the way Tanith's feat is worded, during her feat turn the COST of animi cannot drop below 1. (Infernal Ruling)
Skorne - The Exalted   [Show/Hide]
  • If a Construct model loses the Construct advantage mid-game, it keeps the theme benefit anyway. (Infernal Ruling)
Trollblood - Band of Heroes   [Show/Hide]
  • Boomhowler uses up your Minion slot. His Fell Calls ability is not enough to make him a "Fell Caller model/unit". (Infernal Ruling)
Crucible Guard - Magnum Opus   [Show/Hide]
  • If Mosby is attached to a Mercenary weapon crew unit, they would gain 3" reposition and would not lose it if Mosby is no longer in the unit. (Infernal Ruling)
Infernals - Hearts of Darkness   [Show/Hide]
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