Theme - Jaws of the Wolf

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Khador Logo.jpg Theme - Jaws of the Wolf

Khador Theme Force
Armored Korps - Flame in the Darkness - Jaws of the Wolf - Legions of Steel - Warriors of the Old Faith - Winter Guard Kommand - Wolves of Winter

Mk4 icon.png
Theme Force Deleted
This mk3 Theme Force has no equivalent in mk4.

You can build a similar army in Unlimited Khador (if/when the models in this theme get ported to mk4 rules)

The deployment of warjack-heavy forces to eliminate hard targets is a standard response to military threats. A common Khadoran tactic involves augmenting such forces with a contingent of scouts who venture ahead to ensure the slow and steady column of Khadoran steel reaches its target intact. Once engaged, the warjacks rely on overwhelming strength and raw firepower to batter the enemy into submission.

Theme Rules

For the core rules on how Theme Forces work, see this article.

Theme Restrictions

An army made use the Jaws of the Wolf theme force can include only the following Khador models:

  • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit that will work for Khador.
    • These models/units can be included even if they have the Partisan [Khador] rule.
    • Mercenary units can have attachments, but not a Ranking Officer.

Full model list

The models allowed in Jaws of the Wolf are:   [Show/Hide]

This list was last updated: 2020.12   (Edit)

Warcasters

  • All Khador warcasters

Warjacks

  • All non-character Khador warjacks
  • Behemoth
  • Black Ivan
  • Other character warjacks can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.

Units

Solos

Mercenaries

  • Up to one solo
  • Up to one unit

Requisition Points

You can spend each Requisition Point on either:

  • One Kayazy Eliminator unit
  • One Khador command attachment
  • One other Small- or medium-based Khador solo with a point cost of 5 or less

Theme Bonuses

  1. Khador warjacks in this army gain Pathfinder.
  2. Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place one 5" AOE forest terrain feature anywhere completely within 18" of the rear table edge of your deployment zone.


Thoughts on Jaws of the Wolf

Jaws of the Wolf in a nutshell

Jaws of the Wolf focuses on the mainstay of Khador armies in MK3: The Warjacks, supplemented by infantry options comprised of Khador's Stealth and Advance Deployment units. It is quite possible to run an army entirely made up of stealth models. Lastly, never underestimate the power of having Pathfinder on every single heavy warjack you bring.

A forest is a cool bonus, but the usefulness will vary between "great" to "minor inconvenience" depending on what your opponent has brought; for instance vs Circle it'll be nigh useless, in fact it may even be more useful for the Circle player and you may want to not deploy the forest at all! The forest can be used to block LOS to your jacks advance, as somewhere for Yuri and his posse of Manhunters to hang out.

Theme weaknesses

Low model count

If you go for the traditional jack-spam approach to list building in this theme, you'll end up with a small force that makes it difficult to score scenario zones.

If your opponent can land a few critical debuffs and stop even one warjack from participating meaningfully for a turn, it can completely kneecap your army.

With fewer models you have fewer attacks (unless you bring a lot of multi-killer attacks like AOE spam, Thresher, etc). This will make it hard to deal with infantry swarms or anything else that needs you to roll a lot of dice. Against those sorts of lists you're going to be faced with several enemy models surviving simply because you had to ignore them this turn; so you have to be smarter about what you can safely ignore.

Theme forest

Be on the lookout when you place the theme benefit forest patch. You probably don't want to give concealment /LOS block to the enemy's outflanking units, and definitely don't want Baldur1 teleporting to your caster mid-game.

List Building Tips

More than anything else, this theme list makes playing lots of warjacks more viable across the board, and largely does so regardless of who you choose as your caster. Battle Mechanics should be taken to fill out the army and provide repair for the large number of Jacks and few Man-O-War solos included.

A completely different approach to list-building is to spam all the high-DEF stealth models available. Kayazy are excellent at gumming up the opponent's army while your battlegroup gets into position to either line up the assassination or prepare for the attrition.


Some wise investments include:

  • A unit of Widowmakers and their supporting solo the Widowmaker Marksman. They're good long-range skirmishers and excellent counters to single-wound infantry, which is a nice complement to an otherwise jack-heavy list. They can all be re-used in the Winter Guard Kommand theme, which is nice.
  • Ol' Grim is a character Widowmaker ghost who's everything you've ever wanted in a sniper. He can put out two shots per turn, provides much needed magic weapon support, and can be very hard to remove while camping on a flag.
  • Two units of Kayazy Eliminators as they are the best free option in the theme. They contest and do work without help from your caster. Also, they're technically mercs so you can reuse the models in the other Khador themes.
  • Sorscha0 is generally considered to be the model that makes the theme work, because Boundless Charge is such an incredible spell.
  • Malakov1 is the other junior. Incidentally, he also brings a much coveted speed buff in Red Line, which can even be stacked with Boundless and any other movement buff your caster might bring.
  • Both Sorscha0 and Malakov1 can also be taken in Winter Guard Kommand.
  • The Greylord Adjunct is a solid option for giving warjacks magic weapons or eyeless sight. He can be taken in any theme and most Khador players consider him an auto-include with all but a few casters.
  • Yuri1 is a competent combat solo that also contests and camps flags very well, and makes a great free card choice.

The more niche pieces include:

  • Behemoth is a very dangerous jack that can do lots of work with the right support. Don't feel obligated to take him though, depending how your caster supports your army, quantity can be better than quality.
  • Greylord Forge Seers
    • are generally considered to be a bad investment if their only role is to trundle up behind the jacks and empower them.
    • As jack marshals, they have a niche because of their drive that works very well with guns with Arcing Fire, as it lets the shot ignore a bunch of defensive buffs. A Destroyer or even Behemoth are popular.
  • Battle Mechaniks - You can do worse than spending your last few points on these little dudes. They do what you expect them to do: Repair, contest, then die. Just note that with casters that speed up jacks (such as Karchev1 or Strakhov1), the jacks might actually outrun the mechanics.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2020.10 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. It was then updated for the 2021.10 errata. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here.

Karchev1: [+30 WJP]
Yuri the Axe: [Free] (4 pts)
Widowmaker Marksman: [3 pts]
Manhunter: [2 pts]
Widowmaker Scouts: [7 pts]
Kossite Woodsmen: [7 pts]


For more Brawlmachine list ideas, see Category: Brawl List

Casters of Note

Most casters that play in this theme are either Battlegroup casters (good at running lots of warjacks) or Babysitter casters (good at looking after junior warcasters and jack marshals, and they run lots of warjacks). Very rarely, you can find a caster that synergises with the infantry in this theme.

Kozlov

Chosen Ground is a nice enough spell for warjacks, if it weren't for the fact that the theme already hands out pathfinder. The real synergies lie with his Field Marshal granting Gang Fighter to his Battlegroup, which is easily set up by Kayazy Eliminators and turns Khador jacks into legitimate power houses. And then there is Jack Hammer, which lets you spend his focus to buy attacks for his jacks effectively. this means you can run them into position and start wailing. Tactical Supremacy and Fury also have a multitude of applications on jacks, eliminators and solos. Lastly, the feat fixes the speed issues of Khador jacks for a turn, while also exacerbating their strengths with +2 ARM and the extra damage die on charges.

Butcher1

The more jacks he brings, the more focus efficient his Full Throttle spell becomes, so he feels right at home in this theme. He can also bring Ruin with him who will gain Pathfinder. Iron Flesh and Fury are also great upkeeps for both jacks and infantry in this theme and under his feat everything in your list should be able to crush even the hardest targets you encounter.

Harkevich

Harkevich does not want to play in Jaws. Although he definitely is a jack caster, the Pathfinder aspect of his Mobility spell is wasted in this theme and he rarely has the focus to do everything he wants to do at once. Thus, he is much better off running a jack-heavy build in Wolves of Winter, where he has damage and to-hit buffs as well as loads of focus support from the Greylord models.

Irusk2

He only wants to be in this theme if you plan on running it infantry heavy, in which case he is probably the best caster to do it. The combination of no knockdown, tough, and stealth is very obnoxious to deal with for many opponents. He can put Fire For Effect on Behemoth, so he needs to spend only one focus to get two fully boosted Bombard attacks.

Karchev

Probably the best caster in the faction to run a jack-spam list with. Road to War or Battle Charged will give you all kinds of movement tricks to use and abuse and thanks to the theme benefit you can even move through forests unhindered and the second theme benefit gives you another forest of your own! This means you can hide your jacks behind forests then counter charge through them, then swap to Road to War and move up the board some more and unleash an Unearthly Rage.

Strakhov1

He runs probably the best Behemoth in the faction since he can protect Big B from shooting via Occultation. The rest of his kit works very well with all kinds of jacks. Nothing is more satisfying than flinging a bunch of beefy jacks 20" across the board!

Old Witch1

Old Witch is a weird one due to her unorthodox kit. She and Scrapjack are experts in clearing out infantry, so they can clear charge ranges and unjam. Apparition is useful for two things; You can hide SJ and her behind a forest, then apparate one of them through to attack (ideally Old Witch herself so she can collect lots of souls), then jojo back with Unseen Path. Secondly it is a very nice threat extender for your battlegroup jacks. Furthermore she greatly benefits from the presence of Sorscha0, as she triggers Prowl on her and SJ via Fog of War and Boundless Charge combines very well with OWs other threat extenders. OW's feat can work like a time warp against armies without mass knockdown immunity and thus buy your jacks a precious turn to get into position to strike.

Old Witch2

She plays well in this theme, too. Not only can she reconstruct fallen jacks, she can also hand out Boundless Charges like candy, packs an every so useful damage buff and protects against shooting.


Casters to avoid

These casters make neither good battlegroup casters nor good babysitter casters:

  • Irusk1 - Pure infantry caster that prefers other units than Kossites or Kayazy.
  • Strakhov2 - Pure infantry caster that prefers other units than Kossites or Kayazy.
  • Vladimir1 - He will want to cast S&P every turn, which doesn't leave him with enough focus to effectively run a large battlegroup and the units in this theme don't become nearly as dangerous as Winter Guard under S&P.
  • Vladimir2 - While he does have buffs for jacks, he mainly wants only one or two good jacks and non-character troopers for his feat.
  • Vladimir3 - He wants cavalry en masse and he won't find it here.
  • Zerkova2 - Zerkova 2 works much better with far more Greylords and offers nothing to the models available in this theme.

Other

Trivia

Originally released 2017.03

Other Khador models

Khador Logo.jpg       Khador Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters

Butcher1 - Butcher2 - Butcher3 - Harkevich - Irusk1 - Irusk2 - Karchev1 - Karchev2 - Kozlov - Malakov2 - Old Witch1 - Old Witch2 - Sorscha1 - Sorscha2 - Sorscha3 - Strakhov1 - Strakhov2 - Vlad1 - Vlad2 - Vlad3 - Zerkova1 - Zerkova2

Warcaster attachments

Khador: War Dog - Greylord Adjunct
Mercenary: Madelyn Corbeau - Reinholdt - Wyshnalyrr

Other Warjack Controllers

"Junior" Warcasters: Malakov1 - Sorscha0
'Jack Marshals: Man-o-War Kovnik - Greylord Forge Seer

Heavy Warjacks

Beast-09 - Behemoth - Berserker - Black Ivan - Decimator - Demolisher - Destroyer - Devastator - Drago - Grolar - Juggernaut - Kodiak - Mad Dog - Marauder - Rager - Ruin - Spriggan - Torch

Colossal Conquest - Victor
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units

Assault Kommandos - Battle Mechaniks - Black Dragons - Doom Reaver Swordsmen - Great Bears of the Gallowswood - Greylord Outriders - Greylord Ternion - Iron Fang Pikemen - Iron Fang Uhlans - Kayazy Assassins - Kayazy Eliminators - Kossite Woodsmen - MOW Atanas & Standard - MOW Bombardiers - MOW Demolition Corps - MOW Shocktroopers - Widowmaker Scouts - WG Field Gun - WG Infantry - WG Mortar Crew - WG Rifle Corps
Ranking Officer CA : Koldun Kapitan Valachev

Solos

Bulkhead - Fenris - Greylord Adjunct - Greylord Forge Seer - Iron Fang Kovnik - Jozef - Koldun Lord - Malakov1 - Manhunter - MOW Drakhun - MOW Kovnik - MOW Strike Tanker - MOW Suppresion Tanker - Markov - Sofya - Sorscha0 - Ol' Grim - Underboss Vizkoya - War Dog - Widowmaker Marksman - WG Artillery Kapitan - Yuri1 - Yuri2

Battle Engines Gun Carriage - Man-o-War Siege Chariot - Man-o-War Assault Chariot
Theme Forces
Armored Korps - Flame in the Darkness - Jaws of the Wolf - Legions of Steel - Warriors of the Old Faith - Winter Guard Kommand - Wolves of Winter
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Khador Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

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Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification: Theme Forces     (Edit)

Themes that change a model's Faction   [Show/Hide]
  • Many themes swap which Faction a model counts as. They're slightly inconsistent with how exactly this is worded. Despite this inconsistency - whenever a model is considered a different faction to normal, it will not be its original faction. (Infernal Ruling)
For instance Lukas stops being a Crucible Guard model when taken in an Infernal army, and as a consequence he cannot take Toros or Vanguards in Infernals. (Infernal Ruling)
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.

Mercenaries and Ranking Officers

  • Adding a Ranking Officer to a Merc unit doesn't increase the number of Merc units you can take.

Other

  • See also the section on Partisans
Including Partisan Mercenaries   [Show/Hide]

Partisans & Theme Forces (Edit)

  • Partisans are Mercenary/Minion models, so there are two ways you can add them to a theme force:
    1. Freely: If the Partisan is on the list of allowed models, then you can take as many as you want plus another Mercenary unit/solo. (Infernal Ruling)
      They can be explicitly allowed (for example Jaws of the Wolf allows "Kayazy models/units" so Partisan Kayayz can be used freely).
      They can be implicitly allowed (for example Scourge of the Broken Coast allows "living Cryx models/units" and Partisan Cephalyx fit that criteria, so they can be used freely). (Infernal Ruling)
    2. Limited: If the Partisan isn't on the list of allowed models, it does use up your "Up to one Mercenary/Minion" slot, so you can only have the one.
  • 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 be taken as a Requistion Option (if they fit the Requistion description).
    For example Lanyssa can be taken as a free solo in the Legion of Dawn theme. (Infernal Ruling)
    • They will get any theme benefit that they fit the description for.
    For example Storm Division gives all Cygnar models Immunity Electricity, so Partisan Mercs in that theme get immunity too.
    For example Nemo4's Mechaniks get Reposition [3] in Heavy Metal. (Infernal Ruling)
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.
  • If your theme allows "3 weapon attachments" as a Requistion Option, you can spread them into different units. (Locked Thread)
  • Models with the Man-Sized rule count as small-based models for the purposes of being a Requistion Option. (Locked Thread)
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 Requistion Option, you can spread them into different units. (Locked Thread)
  • A non-character unit with a character attachment (i.e. Captain Karli) still counts as a non-character unit. (Infernal Ruling)
When to apply theme benefits   [Show/Hide]
  • With reference to special abilities that themes give to models, Ranking Officers, adding new models, and/or taking control of models:
    1. Theme force benefits are applied when you construct your list or put a new model into play. A model already in play will not lose or gain any theme benefits mid-game based on any changes of faction status or otherwise. (Infernal Ruling)
    2. However, if the theme gives a benefit to models "at the beginning of the game" (such as Devourer's Host letting models begin the game with 1 corpse token) then this benefit does not apply to new models that are put into play mid-game. (Locked Thread)
    • Example 1: Sons of the Tempest says "ATGM units in this army gain Pistoleer". If your opponent takes control of one of them, it keeps Pistoleer while under their control even though it's currently not "in the army".
    • Example 2: Storm Division gives Immunity:Electricity 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.
    • Example 3: Stange Bedfellows gives solos Swift Vengeance. If Nemo4 creates a new solo mid-game, that solo will have Swift Vengeance.

See also these Theme-Specific Rulings   [Show/Hide]
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Rules Clarification : Black Industries      (Edit)

  • 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)
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Rules Clarification : The Creator's Might      (Edit)

  • ​Elias Gade is allowed in Creator's Might. (Infernal Ruling)
  • You can spend the "Two Vassal solos" requistion option on one Vassal Mechanik and one Vassal of Menoth. Warroom has a bug and tells you that you can't. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Flame in the Darkness      (Edit)

  • 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)
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Rules Clarification : Llaelese Resistance      (Edit)

  • 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)
  • You can have a non-character unit with a character attachment (i.e. Captain Karli). (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : The Talion Charter      (Edit)

  • The 3rd benefit is "Sac Pawn [Sea Dog trooper]", not just any Sea Dog. (Infernal ruling)
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Rules Clarification : The Bones of Orboros      (Edit)

  • 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)
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Rules Clarification : The Devourer's Host      (Edit)

  • 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)
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Rules Clarification : The Wild Hunt      (Edit)

  • The animus benefit doesn't apply to enemy warbeasts. (Infernal Ruling)
  • The animus benefit doesn't stack with the Druid Wilder's Herding ability. (Infernal Ruling)
  • When it comes to other things that alter COST (such as Lamentation), follow basic maths: Double/halve first, then add/subtract.
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Rules Clarification : Oracles of Annihilation      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : The Exalted      (Edit)

  • If a Construct model loses the Construct advantage mid-game, it keeps the theme benefit anyway. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Band of Heroes      (Edit)

  • Boomhowler2 uses up your Minion slot. His Fell Calls ability is not enough to make him a "Fell Caller model/unit". (Infernal Ruling)
  • Boomhowler3 does not use up your minion slot on account of having the Champion keyword.
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Rules Clarification : The Blindwater Congregation      (Edit)

  • Void Leeches attached to a Gatorman Posse will gain Snacking, but they won't gain extra hitpoints. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Magnum Opus      (Edit)

  • 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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Rules Clarification : Hearts of Darkness      (Edit)