Prime
This model is available in one Prime Army, First Army. 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.
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Prepared for anything, Cygnar’s highly trained trenchers are the first on and the last off the battlefield. These combat-hardened soldiers dig in and make life hell for the enemy, with rifles and grenades softening up the opposition before the decisive bayonet charge.
Only time and experience can dig in under heavy fire and keep his edge for weeks of unrelenting tension when food and ammunition run low. Those who survive may be promoted through the ranks; many a capable soldier has proudly ended their career with a sergeant's stripe. Chosen for their natural talent and coolness under fire, the highly trained snipers exhibit exceptional skill and marksmanship.
Grenadiers are selected from among the trenchers with an interest in demolitions and are then thoroughly trained in the safe assembly and preparation of rifle grenades, a recent improvement on the traditional explosive grenade.
Basic Info
| Trencher Infantry |
| Missing Info |
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| COST |
{{{cacost}}} |
| UNIT SIZE |
{{{casize}}} |
| FA |
{{{cafa}}} |
| Warcaster 0 |
| BASE |
Small |
| SPD |
6 |
| STR |
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| MAT |
6 |
| RAT |
6 |
| M.A. |
N/A |
| DEF |
13 |
| ARM |
13 |
| CMD |
8 |
| ESSENCE |
{{{essence}}} |
| FOCUS |
N/A |
| FURY |
N/A |
| THRS |
N/A |
| HP |
1 |
| F. Field |
N/A |
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| WJP |
{{{wjp}}} |
| WBP |
{{{wbp}}} |
| IHP |
{{{ihp}}} |
| FA |
U |
| UNIT SIZE |
6 / 10 +2 CA +0-3 WA |
| COST |
9 / 14 +4 CA +2 per WA |
| 1.4 each |
| N/A |
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| N/A |
| Warcaster 1 |
| COST |
N/A |
| N/A |
Understanding
the Statblock |
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Abilities
- Entire unit except Sniper and Grenadier.
- Officer only
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Officer
- Cautious Advance (Order) - Each affected model must make a full advance as its Normal Movement and perform the Dig In special action, then can make a normal ranged attack as its Combat Action.
- Into the Breach [ Minifeat ] - This model can use Into the Breach once per game during its unit's activation, immediately after issuing the Press Forward order. This activation, models in this unit can perform the Smoke Bombs special action before charging.
- Sniper only
- Sniper - Instead of making a damage roll to resolve a ranged attack, this model can inflict 1 point of damage. A model disabled by a ranged attack made by this model cannot make a Tough roll.
Weapons
| Grunts, Leader, and Officer (CA)
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| Military Rifle
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RNG
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ROF
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AOE
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POW
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10
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1
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-
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11
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| Bayonet
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RNG
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POW
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P+S
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1
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3
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9
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- Brutal Charge - This model gains +2 to charge attack damage rolls with this weapon.
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| Sniper (CA)
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| Scoped Rifle
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RNG
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ROF
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AOE
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POW
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14
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1
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-
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11
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| Bayonet
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RNG
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POW
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P+S
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1
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3
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9
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- Brutal Charge - This model gains +2 to charge attack damage rolls with this weapon.
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| Grenadier (WA)
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| Military Rifle
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RNG
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ROF
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AOE
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POW
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10
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1
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*
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- Attack Type - Each time this weapon is used to make an attack, choose one of the following special rules:
- Rifle Shot - This attack is POW 11.
- Rifle Grenade - This attack becomes AOE 3 and POW 10. Blast damage caused by this weapon is POW 10.
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| Trench Knife
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RNG
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POW
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P+S
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0.5
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3
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9
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Theme Forces
Thoughts on Trencher Infantry
Trencher Infantry in a nutshell
Trenchers are a unit with a ton of rules that all adds up to something that can do almost anything well. Their relatively high native RAT, CRA and weapon attachments make them dangerous at range to just about anything. Brutal charge and 1" reach allows them to do fair amounts of damage to medium infantry, light's or more squishy heavies. With native tough and their plethora of tricks, they can achieve high levels of survivability that can fluster opponents. Advance deployment and decent speed mean they can get into scenario zones and flags surprisingly quickly.
Dig In makes their DEF astronomical, and they will be nearly unkillable at range. The two main weaknesses to Dig In are melee attackers, who ignore it completely, and sprays, which ignore cover anyway. With the CA the unit gains a method to move and remain dug in (or rather, re-dig in after your move). KEEP IN MIND: Digging in means that your Trenchers will NOT block line of sight, so they essentially can shoot through each other as if they had Martial Discipline
A wall of Smoke Bombs is a great way to block LOS and prevent your warcaster from being sniped off the board, but remember that it won't block LOS to the Trenchers themselves (although they will get the concealment bonus).
Thoughts on the Command Attachment
The Trencher Infantry CA is almost a must-have to make Trenchers truly amazing in a Cygnar army. Cautious advance means they can still remain survivable while also moving, which is very handy early in the game. His minifeat can be difficult to use, though can be exceptionally frustrating for opponents who can't see through clouds.
The Sniper is handy, but doesn't add a whole lot to the unit. Since he can't CRA, he ends up sniping out solos or plinking a point of damage onto things with exceptionally high armor.
Thoughts on the Weapon Attachment
A squad of Trenchers can have up to 3 grenadiers attached. Useful as an extra body, but don't expect much from them. They can't CRA unfortunately, but POW 10 blast damage can slaughter light infantry, and even threaten squishy casters.
Combos & Synergies
In Cygnar
- Trenchers defensive stats are at the point where they are very easy to kill, but any sort of buff makes them instantly a pain to deal with. If they dig in they are immune to all types of ranged attacks except CRA's and sprays. Blur, Arcane Shield, Deceleration, Deflection, and Dauntless Resolve are all excellent spells to provide them. Additionally, Heightened Reflexes from Caine2 can ensure they stay standing if they make their tough roll.
- Their middling range is helped immensely by Snipe from any of those casters, and allows for the entire unit to get a CRA onto something.
- Colonel Markus ‘Siege’ Brisbane ups their hitting power with Fury, their threat ranges with Desperate Pace and makes them more annoying to remove with High Ground.
- Major Prime Victoria Haley provides them with their favourite spell: Tactical Supremacy This way, they can walk forward, pop smoke, then reposition backwards out of the smoke. This makes the entire army invisible to an opponent that doesn't have true sight, and they can continue to do this every turn. This can be an incredibly simple and effective tactic against a lot of different armies. She also has Temporal Distortion bubbles, which are great with trencher, because if you haven't caught on by now: Defensive techs are really good on Trenchers.
In Mercenaries
Drawbacks & Downsides
- Expensive infantry unit, whose survival depends on smoke bomb cover, Dig-In, and occasional Tough rolls. Lists and armies that bypass some or all of these (e.g. Eyeless Sight, Hunter, Grievous Wounds, RFP attacks) will kill them pretty soon and armies liek that aren't rare either.
- Models with 2" melee range and/or Parry can run in and out to engage them, cancelling the cover bonus from Dig-in without taking free strikes.
- Lightning, Fire and Corrosion are valid dangers, even for dug-in Trenchers. Watch out for your own Electro Leap-capable models too.
- Smokewalls work both ways, and it can take practice to learn how to block your opponent without also blocking yourself.
- Their delivery can be hindered greatly by difficult terrain tricks.
- They really don't hit hard in melee, not hard enough to dent heavies anyway.
Tricks & Tips
- Bringing their CA will allow Trenchers to advance, Dig In, and then perform a ranged attack. They can even CRA after using Cautious Advance
- A very economic way of dealing with above average ARM is to perform multiple 2-man CRAs at POW 13, which should crack most armored infantry with decent rolls
- One of the most efficient ways of killing a hellmouth is by casting fire for effect on a single trencher, then performing a 10 man CRA lead by him. The damage roll will be 2D6+3, meaning a 5 on 2D6 will kill the hellmouth outright. While a niche application, this is a very effective way of dealing wtih a common problem.
Other
Trivia
Other Cygnar models
Rules Clarifications
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Rules Clarification : Powerful Charge and/or Brutal Charge (Edit)
- If you declare a charge but move less than 3", then the attack doesn't count as a "Charge Attack" and you won't get the bonus.
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Rules Clarification : Attack Type and/or Arcane Savant (Edit)
- If you forget to declare your Attack Type before rolling the attack, and you and your opponent can't agree on a fair fix, then the Judge's Policy is that the first listed Attack Type is the one that will be used.
- If your target can only be targeted by certain kinds of attack (ie a Menoth warjack with Passage), you can first choose the correct Attack Type (ie Magical Damage vs Passage) and then that allows you to target it. The Attack Type selection and target declaration both occur at Step 1 (Refer Appendix A). (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Rifle Grenade - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Advance Deployment (Edit)
- Sometimes you can attach a WA or CA that doesn't have AD to a unit that does have AD. If you do, the attachment effectively gains AD and they can all advance deploy together. (Locked Thread)
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Rules Clarification: : Assault (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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General
Step 1: Declare the charge
- Are you in already melee? With any enemy, not just your charge target?
- If yes, you don't get an Assault attack at all (Refer to the latest Errata). Instead it's just a normal charge.
- If no, continue to Step 2.
- Note: You cannot be "in melee" with a stationary/knocked down target. Feel free to declare charges (and Assault shots) in this case.
- You can even charge a knocked down model you're in B2B with, advance 0", and get your ranged attack and your melee attack(s).
Step 2: Move the charging model
- As soon as the movement is finished, determine whether it was a successful charge or not.
- Do this before resolving anything that triggers on "Ends Movement" (like Admonition, Countercharge).
- Do this before resolving your Assault attack.
- Did you make a successful charge? You get the ranged attack even though you're "in melee" (not yet though).
- Did you fail the charge? You will get the Assault shot anyway (not yet though).
- Did you fail the charge, but end your movement in melee with someone different to your charge target? You get the ranged attack even though you're "in melee" (not yet though). (Infernal Ruling)
- Now that you've figured out whether the charge successful, you resolve "Ends Movement" effects (such as Countercharge) before the Assault attack. (Infernal Ruling).
- If something happens at this point that changes whether a model is in/out of melee range, it does not retroactively change a failed charge into a successful charge or vice versa.
- If your charge was successful you may use "any time" abilities between 'finishing movement' and 'starting Assault attack'. (Infernal Ruling)
- If you fail your charge, you may not use "any time" abilities before or after making the Assault attack. (Infernal Ruling)
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Tip !
Assault is not a "triggered ability" and it will never trigger simultaneously with another ability that triggers/resolves at "ends movement". Instead, the other ability is always resolved before the Assault shot.
You can make an Assault shot even if you charged less than 3".
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Step 3: Make the ranged attack
- The ranged attack is optional.
- Since the Assault attack is outside your Combat Action, you can only do a basic ranged attack. CRA & Special ranged attacks are only allowed during your Combat Action, you can't do them. (Infernal Ruling CRA & Special Attack)
- Did you move at least 3" during the charge movement? Who cares, that is irrelevant to the Assault attack!
- Make your ranged attack vs your charge target
- If the charge target is already dead (which can happen when units charge) then you don't get to redirect your Assault attack vs 'someone else'. You simply don't get an Assault attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- A model which can do something "instead of making a ranged attack" (such as the Spriggan's Targeting Flare) then they can do that as an Assault attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- If your ranged attacks triggers other attacks/damage that occur "after the attack" (such as Drag or Electro Leap) then those will resolve as per normal, regardless of whether you had a successful charge or not. (Infernal Ruling)
- Is the target in melee with the shooter?
- If yes, then you ignore the +4 DEF bonus (as per the 3rd paragraph of "Targeting a Model in Melee" (TMM) rules)
- If no, resolve the ranged attack exactly the same as if it were a normal ranged attack.
Step 4: After finishing the Assault attack
- If it was an unsuccessful charge, your activation now ends.
- If it was a successful charge, and your charge target is ...
- still alive, then you get your charge attack (as per the charge rules)
- dead, then you get your initial melee attack(s) vs anyone still in your melee range (as per the charge rules).
- Either way, you don't get to make more ranged attacks (other than the obvious exceptions like Gunfighter, of course).
Units
- Move all models in the unit before making any Assault attacks. (Infernal Ruling)
- Make all Assault attacks before making any Charge attacks. (Infernal Ruling)
- Each model in the unit is effectively "stalled" while you move/shoot the other models. This "stall" does not create an opportunity to use "any time" abilities. (Infernal Ruling)
- If a trooper's target dies before they make their Assault shot, they don't get to redirect it. You just skip their Assault shot. (Infernal Ruling)
- You cannot make Assault attacks while out of formation, as per the regular formation rules about making attacks.
- Assault & CRA (Edit)
- You cannot mix Combined Range Attacks with Assault shots, as CRA works during your combat action and Assault shots occur before it. (Infernal Ruling)
Other
- Warbeasts
- Warbeasts cannot use Assault during a Frenzy. Refer to the latest errata.
- Assault vs Countercharge ( Edit )
- Assault & Drag ( Edit )
- You determine whether a charge was successful or not before making the Assault attack.
- If you make an unsuccessful charge but then use Drag to get your charge target into melee range, then:
- It is still a failed charge and your activation is going to end after the Assault attack is resolved. (Infernal Ruling)
- You will get the free melee attack from Drag as part of resolving the Assault ranged attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- Whether or not your charge was successful, this free melee attack is not a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- You won't be able to purchase additionals (because your activation ended).
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Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Dig In and/or Foxhole Buddy (Edit)
- Unlike nearly every ability in the game, Dig In doesn't have a "expires after one turn/round" clause.
- Thus you could spend your action on turn 1 to Dig In and (assuming you don't move or get engaged) stay Dug In on turn 2 and use your action to make ranged attacks.
- Being pushed counts as moving. (Locked thread)
- If a model with Dig In is added to play or returned to play, it does not count as "starting the game". It can't be put into play already Dug In. (Infernal Ruling)
- You can use Dig In while you're in someone's back arc. You are engaging, but not engaged.
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Rules Clarification : Smoke Bomb (Edit)
- While this model is in the centre of the cloud, no one else can get concealment from the cloud.
- Cloud radius = 1.5" = 38.1mm. Small base radius = 15mm. That leaves 23.1mm space, which is not enough for another small base.
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Rules Clarification: : Gunfighter (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)
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General
- You cannot Aim if you start your activation in melee. (Infernal Confirmation)
- A free strike with a ranged weapon still gets the +2 to hit and boosted damage (I'm pretty sure - I'd like to double check it though).
- If you have a Gunfighter stuck in melee and the Gunfighter wants to shoot a friendly model, then you can only do so if that friendly is within the Gunfighter's melee range. Also, if that friendly model is engaged by an enemy, that friendly model will always get the +4 DEF bonus (because the point of origin of the attack, the Gunfighter, is not "in melee" with the friendly model).
Targeting
- Outside of melee
- If the Gunfighter isn't in melee, and didn't charge this turn, then it shoots just the same as a normal model.
- In melee, but didn't charge
- If it didn't charge, it can target anyone it's "in melee" with.
- This can be any model in the Gunfighter's melee range, plus any models that have the Gunfighter in their melee range.
- If a Gunfighter kills all the enemies it is in melee with, and still has the ability to make more ranged attacks, then those attacks just follow the normal Ranged Attack rules. (Infernal Ruling)
- Charged into melee
- If it did charge, its initial attacks can only target models that are in the Gunfighter's melee range.
- If all models in the Gunfighter's melee range are killed before it makes its initial attacks, it loses any unspent initial attacks. (Infernal Ruling)
- However if it can purchase additional attacks (via Reload for instance) and/or get free attacks (via Black Spot for instance), then those non-initial attacks can target anyone it's "in melee" with, as per #2 above.
- Other targeting notes
- Remember, you can never be "in melee" with a friendly model, so a Gunfighter can pretty much never choose to target a friend while it's in melee.
- If the gunfighter is unengaged, it can still shoot a friendly model, which would just be a normal ranged attack.
- Gunfighter doesn't change the RNG of your gun, it just provides you an ability to use it while in melee and imposes some targeting restrictions.
- If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 1", that will further limit who you can target.
- If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 0", you cannot make attacks (refer 'Weapon Statistics', page 19 of rulebook).
Attack Roll
- You use the Gunfighter's RAT for the attack roll.
- Gunfighters do not ignore the Cover/Concealment bonus. (Infernal Ruling)
- How the +4 DEF bonus for "being in melee" works with Gunfighters is:
- they always ignore it vs enemies, because the "point of origin of the attack is in melee with the target".
- they never ignore it vs friendlies, because you cannot be in melee with a friendly target.
Incorporeal Gunfighters
- Note that enemy models without magic weapons can't hurt you in melee, but they can engage you.
- If they engage you then you're in melee and your target selection is limited to just models in melee (as explained above).
Gunfighter + an AOE weapon
- If you miss then the AOE will deviate as per the normal AOE rules. Not very far, though, considering the max distance you'll be apart is 2".
- If you use an AOE weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the blast template.
Gunfighter + a spray weapon
- Who you can target with the spray is limited as described above, but you get to put the whole spray template down and potentially hit models well outside the melee.
- If you use a spray weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the spray template.
Units of Gunfighters
- If a unit of Gunfighters successfully charge, but someone else in their unit kills their charge target before they get a turn to attack, then they may redirect their attack.
- Redirected attack:
- If they're still engaged, their initial attack (s) must be vs someone in their melee range.
- If they're still engaged, but no one is in their own melee range, they don't get any initial attacks.
- If they're unengaged, they are now free to shoot anyone within the gun's normal range.
Other interactions
- Gunfighter vs Point Blank (Edit)
- If a model has both Gunfighter and Point Blank, then you should declare whether you're using it as a ranged attack or melee attack whenever you shoot the gun. Because that can limit what other initial/additional attacks you can make. (Infernal Ruling)
- These two abilities are subtly different, but it's an important difference.
- Gunfighter allows you to make ranged attacks while in melee.
- Point blank allows you to make melee attacks with your ranged weapon.
- Since you can't make both ranged and melee attacks in the same turn, a Gunfighter model has a choice of either initial melee attack(s) or initial ranged attack(s). (unless it has Virtuoso or something).
- Whereas a Point Blank model chooses to make initial melee attacks, and then gets to make attacks with both weapons.
- Furthermore, the types of bonuses, penalties, and special effects you (or your opponent) can trigger will change dramatically:
- Any buffs/triggers on ranged attacks (such as Evasive, Shield Guard, Deadeye, etc) will affect Gunfighter attacks, but not Point Blank attacks.
- Any buffs/triggers on melee attacks (such as Battle Lust, Riposte etc) will affect Point Blank attacks, but not Gunfighter attacks.
- Gunfighter & Cavalry ( Edit )
- A cavalry model that charges then makes a Gunfighter attack will not gain a boosted charge attack roll, because a ranged attack is not a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- You also won't gain a boosted charge damage roll, as per normal for a Gunfighter.
- Gunfighter vs RNG modifiers (Edit)
- Unlike what most people might tell you, Gunfighter doesn't have a "range", it just lets the model make ranged attacks while in melee. The gun's actual RNG is unaffected though, until you put something like Windstorm (-5 RNG) on it. Then what happens is:
- If the gun is RNG 7, Windstorm will reduce it to 2". Thus it won't affect any Gunfighter attacks.
- If the gun is RNG 6, Windstorm will reduce it to 1". Thus you can only make Gunfighter attacks vs models within 1" (if you can - charging Gunfighters may be more limited).
- If the gun is RNG 5, Windstorm will reduce it to 0". Thus you can't make any attacks as per 'Weapon Statistics' (page 19 of the core rulebook).
- (Infernal Ruling)
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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.
- 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.
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Rules Clarification : Cautious Advance (Edit)
- You can combine Cautious Advance with a Combined Ranged Attack.
- A model that can't make an Action (such as being affected by Zerkova1's feat) can't do a Dig In via Cautious Advance.
- If a model attached to the unit doesn't have the Dig In action on their own card, then they can't do a Dig In via this order. Specifically, the Morrowan Battle Priest. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Into the Breach (Edit)
- A model which runs instead of charging will not be able to place a Smoke Bomb.
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Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities ( Edit) [Show/Hide]
- "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
- Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include:
- Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam.
- Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport).
- In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
- In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
- When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
- When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved".
(Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.)
- Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
- Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running.
- Units: See below.
- In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't).
- If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling)
- Units with "Any Time" abilities
- You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active.
- You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however.
- A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Sniper (Edit)
- If you choose to do 1 point of damage, this is still considered to be damage "from an attack" for the purposes of Vengeance etc. (Locked thread)
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Note to Editors
To edit the CA's tagged abilities, Click here
To edit the WA's tagged abilities, Click here
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Advance Deployment
Assault
Tough
