Trencher Combat Engineers

Trencher Combat Engineers Cygnar Trencher Mechanik Unit

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.

As turn the wrenches of the mechaniks, so turns the war. Trencher combat engineers are even tougher and more combat-ready than their field mechanik counterparts in the regular Cygnaran Army. Every man and woman among them must be as adept with a firearm as they are at maintaining and repairing the warjacks and weapons of the platoon.

Basic Info

Trencher Combat Engineers
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR {{{str}}} MAT 6 RAT 6 M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 13 CMD 6 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 1 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 3 UNIT SIZE 3 COST 4 1.3 each N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Tough
• Dig In (★ Action) - This model gains cover, does not suffer blast damage, and does not block LOS. The model remains dug in until it moves, is placed, or is engaged. It can begin the game dug in.
• Repair [d3] (★ Action) - RNG B2B. Target friendly Faction construct model. If the model is in range, remove d3 damage points from it.
• Sabotage [d3] (★ Action) - Target enemy warjack or battle engine in B2B with this model suffers d3 damage points and cannot have damage removed from it for one round. When damaging a warjack, choose which column suffers the damage.

Weapons

• Carbine - 10" range, POW 10 gun
• Monkey Wrench - 0.5" reach, P+S 8 melee weapon

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Gravediggers - In this theme this unit gains Rise
  • Heavy Metal. They gain Reposition [3] in this theme. Also, they get +1 to their Repair result.
  • Sons of the Tempest
  • Storm Division - In this theme this unit gains Immunity: Electricity

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.
  • Mercenary players can use this unit in the Llaelese Resistance theme. They become Llaelese models and gain Pathfinder.

Thoughts on Trencher Combat Engineers

Trencher Combat Engineers in a nutshell

The Trencher Combat Engineers are a solid mix of support and light combat unit. As a combat unit they bring:

• the all round solid trencher statline, including tough
• Guns
• the ability to dig-in, making them difficult to remove

As a support unit, they bring:

• Repair D3
• Sabotage
• they are a small, sturdy unit available in Heavy Metal, making them good for scoring zones that Jacks can't

No discussion of these guys is possible without comparing them to Cygnar's other Mechanik unit: Field Mechaniks. Whereas the Field Mechs represent dirt-cheap repairers who aren't good for much else, Trencher Mechs can shoot, are more durable, and are much more expensive (per model). A huge point in the Trencher's favour is they can be taken in the Trencher theme, while the gobbers can't. Gobbers provide more bodies for the same price, offer more opportunity for repair, and give access to Malvin & Mayhem. Neither is distinctly better than the other, it mostly comes down to personal taste, and whether you want M&M.

Combos & Synergies

• They're the cheapest unit that can maximise the number of shots that a Grenadier can make through Manual Reload.
• Under Haley 3's Temporal Distortion, they can be Def 19, meaning they can sit at the back of a zone being almost unkillable.
• If you have Nemo4 summon a Trench Buster in a Heavy Metal Theme list, these guys can function as Flank enablers.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Everything they do is an action (either (★ Action) or combat). They can do only one per turn, and you're paying for all of them.
• They lack Advance Deployment, meaning that most of the time you won't have the opportunity to repair a jack, and be dug in the same time.
• In the Gravediggers theme, they don't do anything unique other than repair, and the theme generally doesn't bring very many jacks.

Tricks & Tips

• In the Heavy Metal theme, remember if you use Reposition[3] while they are dug in, they will no longer be dug in because of the move.

Other

Trivia

Released in the Gravediggers expansion (2017.06)

Other Cygnar models

Cygnar Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warcasters	Caine1 - Caine2 - Caine3 - Constance - Darius - Haley1 - Haley2 - Haley3 - Jakes2 - Kraye - Maddox - Nemo1 - Nemo2 - Nemo3 - Sloan - Stryker1 - Stryker2 - Stryker3 - Siege1 - Siege2 - Sturgis1
Warcaster attachments	Squire (Cygnar) - Madelyn Corbeau (Merc) - Reinholdt (Merc) - Wyshnalyrr (Merc)
Other Warjack Controllers	Battlegroup Controllers: Caine0 - Nemo4 - Jakes1 - Journeyman - T. Warcaster Lieutenant 'Jack Marshals: Runewood - Strangewayes - Anson Hitch - Stormblade Captain - T. Master Gunner - Gun Mage CA - Stormblade CA - Sword Knights CA
Light	Charger - Firefly - Grenadier - Hunter - Lancer - Minuteman - Sentinel Ace - Thorn
Heavy	Avenger - Centurion - Cyclone - Defender - Hammersmith - Ironclad - Reliant - Stormclad Brickhouse - Dynamo - Gallant - Ol' Rowdy - Thunderhead - Triumph
Colossal	Stormwall - Hurricane
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Arcane Tempest Gun Mages - Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Field Mechaniks - Legion of Lost Souls - Long Gunner Infantry - OoI Resolutes - OoI Vigilants - Precursor Knights - Rangers - Silver Line Stormguard - Storm Lances - Stormblades - Stormguard - Stormsmith Grenadiers - Storm Tower - Sword Knights - Tempest Blazers - Tr Cannon Crew - Tr Chain Gun Crew - Tr Commandos - Tr Express Team - Tr Long Gunners - Tr Infantry - Tr Mechaniks Special CA : Captain Jonas Murdoch (Mercenary unit) - Special WA: Morrowan Battle Priest (any unit)
Solos	Arcane Tempest Rifleman - Archduke Runewood - Captain Arlan Strangewayes - Captain Maxwell Finn - Commander Anson Hitch - Dreyfus1 - Dreyfus2 & Flubbin2 - Grand Master Gabriel Throne - Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One - Gun Mage Captain Adept - Journeyman Lieutenant Allister Caine - Journeyman Warcaster - Harlan Versh, Illuminated One - Lieutenant Allison Jakes - Lieutenant Bastian Falk - Lieutenant Gwen Keller - Major Katherine Laddermore - Major Harrison Gibbs - Morrowan Archon - Savio Montero Acosta - Squire - Stormblade Captain - Stormcallers - Tr Buster - Tr Master Gunner - Tr Patrol Dog - Tr Warcaster Lieutenant - Viktor Pendrake
Battle Engines & Structures	Nemo4 - Storm Strider - Trencher Blockhouse
Theme Forces
Flame in the Darkness - Gravediggers - Heavy Metal - Sons of the Tempest - Storm Division
Mercenaries
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Cygnar Mercenary
This index was last updated: 2021.11

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)

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.

Rules Clarification : Repair      (Edit) When repairing warjacks, you can choose which damage boxes to heal - they don't all have to be the same column. If you get a +1 bonus to a repair roll, that is one extra hitpoint healed. Not +1 to the number of pips showing on the dice.