Latest revision as of 19:34, 24 May 2023

Brickhouse Cygnar Character Heavy Warjack

Prime This model is available in one Prime Army, Storm Knights. 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.

With its advanced armament and heavily armored hull, Major Beth Maddox’s personal warjack Brickhouse is a veritable wall of steel. While capable of enduring sustained assaults and holding vital battlefield positions, the warjack is just as eager to wade into enemy ranks to crush opposing warjacks with blows from its devastating power maul. No matter the situation, this bulwark of Cygnaran engineering is a welcome sight to its allies.

Basic Info

Brickhouse
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Large SPD 4 STR 12 MAT 8 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 11 ARM 19 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 30 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA C UNIT SIZE N/A COST 16 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Warjack - All warjacks share the same set of special rules. Most notably being big and stompy. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Abilities

• Construct
• Immunity: Electricity
• Bond [ Maddox ] - If this model begins the game in Maddox's battlegroup, it is bonded to them. This model is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While this model is bonded to Maddox and in their control range, Brickhouse gains Retaliatory Strike. (Retaliatory Strike - If a model with Retaliatory Strike is hit by a melee attack made by an enemy model during your opponent's turn, after that attack is resolved the model with Retaliatory Strike can immediately make one basic melee attack against that model. The model with Retaliatory Strike can make only one Retaliatory Strike per turn.)
• Carapace - This model gains +4 ARM against ranged attack damage rolls.
• Force Hold - Enemy models beginning an advance within 2" of this model cannot advance except to change facing. This model loses Force Hold while its Magno Fist weapon system is crippled.

Weapons

Magno Fist
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				3				15				Left
Open Fist
Power Maul
		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		2				6				18				Right
Critical Smite - On a critical hit, the model hit can be slammed d6" directly away from this model. If the model hit has a larger base than the attacking model, it is moved only half the distance rolled. The POW of collateral damage is equal to the STR of this model.

Theme Forces

• When taken by Maddox
  • Flame in the Darkness
  • Gravediggers
  • Heavy Metal
  • Sons of the Tempest
  • Storm Division

• When taken by anyone else
  • Storm Division

Thoughts on Brickhouse

Brickhouse in a nutshell

Brickhouse is an interesting breed of warjacks. Its main chassis is on a Hammersmith class, with the respective SPD, DEF and ARM, while its charge range and actual hitting power is on par with the Ironclad. It costs 50% more than any of these two, for which it brings two things to the table:

• A Carapace that makes it a tough nut to crack with shooting. Almost the same level of ARM can be achieved by the readily available Arcane Shield too, but this one is unaffected by upkeep removal, and won't be neutralized by Blessed weaponry. On the flip side, it won't protect you from melee attacks.
• The Force Hold that can shut down enemy movement. It is almost completely a passive ability, working even if Brickhouse is knocked down, stationary, or the enemy is in its back arc. Hilarious against huge based targets too; even though a Colossal can't be made stationary, this one will shut down its movement, until the enemy deals with it.

Cygnar is not short on capable melee warjacks, and despite its seemingly ubiquitous specialties Brickhouse is a niche choice. It requires careful positioning to make the most out of it (or at least, more than you'd bring out from other, same-costed jacks). It also has immunity to electricity-based attacks, so you won't have to worry about arcing lightning arcs accidentally into it when you let loose your electro-leap shenanigans in its vicinity.

Combos & Synergies

Maddox1.

Speed is everything, and Brickhouse has glaring weakness in this aspect. Look for casters who can fix it.

• Maddox - Probably your #1 target for Assail. Upkeeping Onslaught will also help it to deal with rough terrain. Retaliatory Strike with a fairly high MAT can potentially slam away a charging opponent on a critical hit, meaning they will only get one attack.
• Anyone with Repair ability. If the right arm is crippled, Critical Smite won't happen from Retaliatory Strike. If the left arm is crippled, Force Lock will cease to work.
• A Journeyman Warcaster's Arcane Shield can transform a hard-to-kill warjack into frustrating-to-kill one.

Non-Maddox combos (Storm Division)

• Haley2 - Temporal Acceleration fixes speed issues, and TK offers a whole lot of fun with Force Lock.
• Kraye - Beside the obvious movement buffs (feat, Iron Horse and Horsepower) the boosted charge attacks allow Crit Smite to happen all the more often. With the following reposition you can advance towards the slammed model to reapply Force Hold. He also has some hilarious (or infuriating) interactions with Force Lock:
  • Damage from Lock the Target will counter placement, pulling out the fangs of the above listed placing tricks that might take the enemy model out of melee range.
  • Admonition is usually not advised against charging models with Counter Charge, as they can charge you again due to the advance from Admonition. Not in this case though, if you remain within 2" after the Admonition move. As they start the advance part of their Counter Charge in your Force Lock range, they can't move from their spot. Do this trick only against enemies who don't have 2" melee range.
• Nemo1 - Universal jack tuner, plus with a Journeyman you can stack Deceleration, Carapace and Arcane Shield for a total of ARM 28 against shooting.
• Nemo2 - Abuse Polarity Shield and Force Lock to ensure that the enemy will only reach you if you want. Or put on Fail Safe, and enjoy the Force Lock until Brickhouse is destroyed.
• Sturgis1 can push or pull opponents into his magno-lock range.
• Stryker1 can stack ARM buffs on it.
• Stryker3 - Speed up with Escort and either deliver an auto-hitting punch under his feat, or get more chance to trigger Smite with Iron Aggression.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Inherited weakness of its chassis, namely rock-bottom speed and DEF.
• Considering its raw combat potential it barely hits harder than an Ironclad while costing 4 pts more. Speaking about point cost, he costs as much as Thunderhead with less melee output and no ranged presence.
• More sensitive for system damage than its peers, especially on its arms. Beware with Grievous Wounds, as they need only to hit to counter repairs.
• Can easily become redundant:
  • Ironclad also has a very good critical effect on its main weapon, and with its superior speed it can run faster. The Tremor special attack often has more utility than Force Hold.
  • Hammersmith can also Smite the enemy - though with a chain attack. It depends on the target, which one happens with greater reliability, but if Smite triggers, it can follow the target, while Brickhouse will remain where it was.
  • A Stormclad costs one point more, matches its defense in close combat, hits harder, has ranged presence, and due to Accumulator it means less of a FOCUS burden on Maddox.
  • Off-themes, Ol'Rowdy offers default Retaliatory Strike, all the offensive output of the Ironclad and the ever-useful Counter-Charge, with excellent FOCUS efficiency thanks to Aggressive. All that for one point more.

Tricks & Tips

• Force Lock is incredibly useful to keep your models in place, if they fall under the enemy's control with spells/abilities, most notably form Domination or Seduction. They can still turn around and attack, but can't advance (and will be in melee with you, if this happens in your front arc).
• Brickhouse is a strong deterrent - with Carapace the enemy will rarely bother shooting (and it often means that they'll shoot something else instead).
• Stop Brickhouse 1.5" away from an enemy with only 1" melee weapons and they will be utterly impotent. Watch out for weapons with Lunge or Chain Strike though.
• Outside of beating Brickhouse to scrap, there are numerous ways to bypass Force Lock. Most common are placement effect (Apparition, Telekinesis, Slipstream), but pushing/pulling (at worst, slamming) shots and blows are also not out of consideration.
• If an Apparition-capable model is in B2B with you, it cannot place itself out of your Force Lock range with Apparition, as it still will be exactly 2" away from you.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar Command (2017)

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 : Open Fist  (aka, Power Attack Throw)     (Edit) Throw ( Edit ) See also the Throw article for a recap of the core Throw rules. If a model is somehow thrown at itself (which can happen with Durst1's feat) it would not move, it would be knocked down, and it would take a standard power attack damage roll but it would not take an additional die for colliding with itself. (Infernal Ruling) Because you move the target model between the attack roll and the damage roll, you can get different buffs applied to the two rolls. For instance, if you throw the target in or out of a Flanking model's melee range. Incorporeal vs Slammed/Thrown models ( Edit ) Incorporeal models cannot be moved by someone trying to slam them. Slammed models can move through Incorporeal models. If they have enough movement to get past them, no dramas. If they land on them, you move the Incorporeal model out of the way as per the Rule of Least Disturbance. If the Incorporeal model cannot be moved (i.e. it's a flag) then you move the slammed model out of the way, also by the rule of Least Disturbance. For the purposes of Collateral Damage, only the model(s) you contacted before you applied the rule of Least Disturbance count as contacted. The same logic applies to Throws. Collateral Damage Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered damage from an attack or model. Refer page 33 of the 2021.08 version of the rules pdf. As a result: It doesn't trigger stuff that relies on being hit by an enemy (such as Shock Field) or damaged by an enemy (such as Vengeance). It doesn't get bonus damage from stuff that adds to a model's damage roll (such as Signs & Portents or Prey). It doesn't matter if the attacker has crippled weapon systems or aspects. Throw - Power Attack When you make a Throw Power Attack, no other abilities of the Fist weapon (such as Chain Strike) are applied unless they specifically mention Throws. (Locked Thread) If you do a Power Attack Throw and you choose to throw the target directly away, no deviation is rolled to determine the final position of the model. (Locked thread) A model that cannot be targeted by melee attacks (such as Una2's feat) cannot have models thrown at them, either. (Infernal Ruling) Since throwing Model [A] at Model [B] involves making a melee attack roll vs Model [B] which is out of your melee range, it technically breaks a whole bunch of core rules. (Infernal Checking) Even though you make a "melee attack roll" vs Model [B] you don't actually make a melee attack vs it. Also, the damage it suffers is from Collateral damage, not from the original attack. So you can't trigger stuff like Snacking from damage you did to Model B.

Rules Clarification : Smite      (Edit) This rule changed in Mk3 to no longer say it "adds the weapon's POW". It still does add the POW, however, because the whole section on calculating Slam damage was reworded in the main rulebook. Smite is not a Power Attack Slam, it is just an attack which causes a model to be slammed. As such, you can smite friendly models. You can trigger Critical Smite on a free strike. If you Smite on a charge, then the slam damage will be boosted. Chain Attack Smite only - Unlile the other versions of Smite, a Chain Attack one doesn't have the distance halved when a smaller base model smites a larger. The Knights Exemplar Seneschal is just that awesome. See also the clarifications on being slammed

Rules Clarification : Warjack      (Edit) The Cortex/Induction core rule means a warjack cannot have more than 3 focus at any time (maybe 4 if they're really special). Many abilities give out focus and don't state an upper limit (such as Convection and Empower). Despite not stating an upper limit, they are always "hard-limited" by the core rule. A warjack can have more than 3 focus during a turn, though. For instance, a knocked down warjack can Power Up and be Allocated 2 focus, then spend 1 to shake knockdown, then another model could Empower it back up to 3. Warjacks cannot spend focus outside of their activation. For instance, they can't boost free strikes or trigger Powerful Attack on Broadsides. (Infernal Ruling) Inert warjacks Abilities that say they cannot be used if the model is stationary (such as Shield Guard) cannot be used while a warjack is inert, either. Refer "Warcaster Destruction", page 59 of the core rulebook.

Rules Clarification : Construct - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Electricity      (Edit) When electricity arcs/leaps, you ignore models with Immunity:Electricity. The arc "skips" them. If you attack a model with Immunity:Electricity, the arc/leap won't go anywhere at all. The arc is "grounded". Incorporeal models do not have Immunity: Electricity (they just ignore non-magical damage). As such electricity can arc/leap to and from incorporeal models.

Rules Clarification : Shadow Bind , Force Hold, Force Lock, Quagmire, and/or Crawling Chaos     (Edit) Models affected by this ability may still advance 0" and thus abilities that trigger on "ends their movement within ..." or "after this model advances ..." will still trigger (for example Slipstream, Countercharge, etc). Models may still be placed, so abilities like Apparition will still work. The restriction applies to all advances: normal activation, bonus in-activation (like Overtake), and out-of-activation (like Energiser). Shadow Bind only If you manage to free strike a charging model and Shadow Bind it, their charge movement ends because they can no longer advance. At that point, you check whether their charge movement was successful or not.

Rules Clarification : Carapace - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Bond      (Edit) Bonds are ineffective while the model is under your opponent's control. Refer the core rulebook. Bonds & Themes If a warjack/warbeast with a bond is in that caster's battlegroup, they can be taken in any theme force. Refer the core rulebook. This is true even if the caster isn't a full warcaster or warlock (this interaction changed as of 2018.06).

Rules Clarification : Retaliatory Strike      (Edit) "Basic melee attack" also includes Mount Attacks. Refer to the definition of 'Basic Attack' in the rulebook. You can't make Retaliatory Strikes vs free strikes, because the free striker is defined to be in your back arc (regardless of the actual model's facings) and thus you don't have LOS to it. (Infernal Ruling)