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.
Theme Rules
Theme Restrictions
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An army made use the Dark Menagerie theme force can include only the following Grmykin models:
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Full model list
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The models allowed in Dark Menagerie are: [Show/Hide]
This list was last updated: 2019.01 (Edit)
Warlocks
Warbeasts
Battle Engines
Units
Solos
Minions
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Theme Bonuses
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- 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
- The FA of Gremlin Swarms becomes 4 (instead of 2)
- 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.
- 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.
- Each non-trooper model in this army that can gain corpse tokens begins with one corpse token.
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Recent Changes
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| 2019.02 Cornucopia special
2019.03 Grymkin Wave 2
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Thoughts on this Dark Menagerie
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
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
- 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
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)
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
- For your solo, if you select a solo that comes in multiples (such as Swamp Gobber River Raiders) you get the normal number of solos. Not just a single model. (Locked thread)
- As per the errata to the core rules, 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)
- 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)
- 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 bug in Warroom that allows you to take multiple.
- Whether you used option 1 or 2 above, once they're in your theme force they count as a Faction model and so...
- they can count towards free points (if applicable). For instance, Nyss will count towards the "20 points of Retribution units" in the Defenders of Ios theme. (Infernal Ruling)
- they can be taken free of cost (if applicable). 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 the Devil's Shadows in Slaughter Fleet Raiders), they will count against your "up to one Merc" allowance.
Mercenaries and Ranking Officers
- If you can include a Merc unit, and its attachments, then you can attach a Ranking Officer. This is true regardless whether or not that Ranking Officer is on the list of "Allowed models" . (Infernal Ruling)
- Adding a Ranking Officer to a Merc unit doesn't increase the number of Merc units you can take.
- The Merc unit will count towards your "X points of [Faction] models/units" benefit (if your theme is worded that way). (Infernal Ruling)
Benefits for a single model/unit (eg "One unit of [blah] gains [yaddah]") [Show/Hide]
- If you need to choose which models get your theme bonus, then you do this choice after deployment. (Infernal Ruling)
- An example is how Winter Guard Kommand gives Advance Move to one-warjack-of-your-choice-per-WG-unit.
- In comparison, Destruction Initiative gives all Servitors the Shield Guard ability so you don't need to "make" a choice.
- You should still write on your army list how many of these bonuses you get to hand out, though, so your opponent can clearly see. (Infernal Ruling)
- ie at the bottom of your list, you'd write "3 warjacks gain Advance Move" but you don't need to state which three are going to get the bonus.
Free models and Specialists (ADR) [Show/Hide]
- You can swap out as many models from your main list into your specialists and vice versa as you like, but you must completely recalculate the new army list when you do, including bonuses. As long as the new army list is valid, including all free models, it doesn't matter what the left over points in your specialists are. (Staff Ruling)
- 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 & free points [Show/Hide]
- If a unit counts towards your free points, then all attachments count too; regardless of whether the attachment is the same model type. For instance:
- If the unit gets a benefit from a theme force, the Attachment will too. (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.
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.
Number of free models [Show/Hide]
- If a model is normally added to your army in multiples (such as 3 Scrap Thralls for two points, 2 Crabbits for seven points, etc) and you choose to use your free card on such a model, you only get one model. (Infernal Ruling)
- There are some exceptions, such as Storm Division's benefit explicitly saying you'll get 3 stormcallers.
- There is one odd exception, for Children of the Dragon, where it was ruled that you'll get 5 incubi. However that ruling is an exception, not a general case.
Cryx - Ghost Fleet [Show/Hide]
- The "free solo" can be any kind of solo, it doesn't have to be a Revenant solo.
Cryx - Scourge of the Broken Coast [Show/Hide]
Protectorate - The Faithful Masses [Show/Hide]
- A Mercenary unit with an Attendant Priest does count as Protectorate unit for the purpose of calculating points for free cards. There is a bug in Warroom that prevents it counting properly. (Staff Ruling)
Protectorate - The Creator's Might [Show/Hide]
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 - Call of the Wild [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)
Circle - The Devourer's Host [Show/Hide]
- Free Tharn models do count towards the free corpse tokens. (Infernal Ruling)
- 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)
Legion - Children of the Dragon [Show/Hide]
- If you select Incubi as your "one" solo, you get five of them. (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 - Kriel Company [Show/Hide]
- Despite being treated as a Trollblood unit during a game, Dannon, Blythe, and Greygore still use up your Minion slot during list creation. They are more like a Partisan Minion unit, in that respect. (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)
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