Difference between revisions of "Iron Fang Pikemen"

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(Basic Info)
(Basic Info)
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| cost  = 9{{/}}15 +4 CA
 
| cost  = 9{{/}}15 +4 CA
 
| cost_note = 1.5 each (no CA)
 
| cost_note = 1.5 each (no CA)
| cost_note2 = 1.86 / 1.73 each (with CA)
+
| cost_note2 = 1.6 each (with CA)
 
| fa    = U
 
| fa    = U
 
}}
 
}}

Revision as of 21:37, 14 February 2019

Khador Logo.jpg Iron Fang Pikemen

Khador Iron Fang Unit

Khador’s heavily armored Iron Fang pikemen are charged with hunting down and destroying enemy warjacks, carrying explosive-tipped blasting pikes designed to tear through the thickest armor of man or machine. The most veteran of these pikemen are welcomed into the elite Black Dragon kompany, where their experience and precision make them brutally efficient on the attack and unbreakable in defense.

Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard - Command Attachment

Rally the Iron Fang Pikemen behind the standard of Khador and lead them to glory at the command of their brave Kapitan.

Basic Info

Iron Fang Pikemen
IronFangPikemen+UA.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
BASE Small
SPD 6
STR {{{str}}}
MAT 7
RAT N/A
M.A. N/A
DEF 12
ARM 14
CMD 8
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS N/A
FURY N/A
THRS N/A
HP 1
F. Field N/A
WJP {{{wjp}}}
WBP {{{wbp}}}
IHP {{{ihp}}}
FA U
UNIT SIZE 6 / 10 +2 CA
COST 9 / 15 +4 CA
1.5 each (no CA)
1.6 each (with CA)
N/A
Warcaster 1
COST N/A
N/A
Understanding
the Statblock

Weapons

  • Standard
    • Unarmed - This model has no weapons.

Abilities

  • Leader, Grunts & Officer
    • CMA symbol.jpg Combined Melee Attack
    • Shield Wall (Order) - Until the start of their next activation, each affected model gains +4 ARM while B2B with another affected model in its unit. When receiving this order a model can forfeit its Combat Action to gain +3” movement as part of its Normal Movement this turn. This bonus does not apply to damage originating in the model's back arc. Models in this unit can begin the game affected by Shield Wall.
  • Officer only
    • The Officer has +1 MAT & 5 hitboxes.
    • Officer symbol.jpg Officer
    • Defensive Formation [ Minifeat ] - This model can use Defensive Formation once per game at any time during its unit's activation. This activation, models not affected by the Shield Wall order in this unit currently in formation gain Reposition [5"]. Additionally, at the end of this activation any previous orders this unit was issued expire and this unit is affected by the Shield Wall order. (Reposition [5"] - At the end of an activation in which it did not run or fail a charge, a model with Reposition [5"] can advance up to 5", then its activation ends.)
    • Tactics: Relentless Charge - Models in this unit gain Relentless Charge. (Relentless Charge - While advancing as part of a charge, this model gains Pathfinder.)

Standard only

    • Standard Bearer - While this model is within 5" of its unit commander, the unit commander gains +2 CMD.
    • Take Up - If this model is destroyed, you can choose a Grunt in this unit within 1" of it to be destroyed instead. Effects on this model expire, and it gains the effects on the chosen Grunt. Remove the Grunt from the table instead of this model. This model has the same number of unmarked damage boxes as the chosen Grunt.

Theme Forces

Thoughts on Iron Fang Pikemen

Command Attachment

Iron Fang Pikemen in a nutshell

Tough and hard-hitting, the Pikemen are the gold standard for Khador single-wound melee infantry when it comes to fighting jacks and beasts. Seemingly average across the board, their ARM is high enough out of Shield Wall to shrug off most blasts - and in Shield Wall they shrug off Cygnaran POW 10s and most other anti-infantry tech. They also hit hard enough to really worry enemy heavies and with Combined Melee Attacks and Reach they can put in a showing against even high-DEF infantry. If you're looking for a powerful, affordable and reliable unit, then look no further than the Iron Fang Pikemen.

The Pikemen's high natural MAT and Combined Melee Attack makes them very likely to hit whatever they're aiming for and the Blasting Pike is a sufficiently strong weapon that you can use the Pikemen to engage even heavies. There are few "wrong targets" for them when it comes to surmounting DEF and ARM.

Thoughts on adding the CA

Mastering this unit is all about mastering positioning. Relentless charge helps you out if the enemy hides behind terrain, or has means to place rough terrain patches into the way of your advance. Defensive Formation offers a crucial, one-time bonus for your advance (see tips & tricks). The Officer also has an elite MAT, making him an ideal conductor for combined melee attacks against elusive targets (striking at minimum MAT10 P+S 15 in a CMA).

Combos & Synergies

Iron Fang Pikemen are currently available in their special theme force, Legion of Steel. Getting Advance Move for a single unit of them (or their brothers clad in black) can establish a solid board presence, especially if you have some spells to increase their ARM (Iron Flesh, for example). You can also get some of their necessary support solos for free.

  • Iron Fang Kovnik - Precision Strike helps you a lot in warjack/beast hunting, while knockdown immunity will pull out the fangs of various pop&drop tricks that you might find at Stryker1, or Kreoss1.
  • Uhlan Kovnik Markov - His Tactician bubble makes combat maneuvers all the more easy and enables you to set up powerful two-punch combos where the Pikemen form the first wave and Iron Fang Uhlans the second as they (counter)charge nearby enemies.
  • Sofya - You'll hit Cryxian bonejacks on average rolls, and start your CMA on effectively MAT10 in her aura.
  • Irusk1 and Irusk2 - Premiere infantry support casters, they can offer a lot in terms of movement, resilience and hitting power. Keep in mind their innate abilities (like Irusk1's BAttle Plans, or Irusk2's Total Obedience), which might allow you to skim points on various support solos and command attachments.

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • Corrosion and attacks that cause fixed damage (Puncture, Deadly Shot, Sniper, Anatomical Precision and so on) kill them all the same, whether or not they're in Shield Wall
  • Rough terrain outside charges and SPD de-buff in general will decrease their efficiency a lot.
  • With all the base-overhang it is a real pain in the back to put them into actual base-to-base contact on the table

Tricks & Tips

  • Defensive Formation can be used either to spread out, make a (non-charge) attack and still end up in a shield wall order or to either stay alive or jam after a charge.

Shield Wall 101

  • You cannot run/charge and enter Shield Wall, as both are tied to orders, from which a unit can receive only one.
  • Consequently, things that forbid orders (Zerkova1's feat, Rebuke, Wailing, the Pandemonium Arcana, etc.), forbid Shield Wall as well.
  • Generally the arrowhead/triangle formation is the most often used way to marshal your IFP. If your enemy pushes away a model, the other 2 still receive the shield wall bonus in their front arc.
  • Read the rule clarification for Shield Wall when you will get the bonus.
  • Units with Chain Weapons are natural predators of Shield Walls - try to get them first, before they charge you.

Other

Trivia

  • The unit (not including CA) was originally released in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
  • The CA was released in Warmachine: Escalation (2004)
  • This unit, and especially the older metal casts are quite notorious about their bending/breaking pikes. It is advised to exchange the shafts of their pikes to stronger metal (usually brass) rods.

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 : Knockdown      (Edit)

  • Knockdown (Edit) - Remember, knockdown only prevents what it says it does. Refer to the Knockdown page for a recap of what a model can/can't do.
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Rules Clarification : Unarmed      (Edit)

  • Since this model has no weapons it does not have a melee range.
    • This means it can't engage other models, declare charges, or make free strikes
    • Also it can't gain abilities that require a melee range (such as Ragman granting this model Dark Shroud).
  • However, other models that do have melee weapons can engage this model. So this model can still gain the "target in melee" shooting bonus.


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Rules Clarification : Combined Melee Attack      (Edit)

  • Each CMA only counts as a single attack, no matter how many participants are involved. This means, for example, that if Satyxis Raiders damage a warjack and trigger their Feedback ability, the enemy warcaster will only take 1 damage total, not 1 for every Raider.
  • Any bonuses (such as back strike) or penalties (such as intervening terrain) are determined according to the model leading the CMA (the attack leader).
    • If the participants have buffs/debuffs but the attack leader doesn't ... then the CMA doesn't because only the attack leader matters. Simple as that.
  • A single unit can perform multiple CMAs, utilising different groupings of models. eg a unit with 10 models could make one 10-man CMA, or two 5-man CMAs, or five 2-man CMAs, or etc.
  • CMA for units that have more than one melee weapon (the short version)
    • Once you have more than one melee weapon, charging becomes a bit complicated. There are two important rules:
      1. A model which charges must use its first attack to make a charge attack. It can't "skip ahead" to contributing its second non-charge attack before it's resolved its first attack.
      2. For a CMA to gain the charging bonus, then all contributors must be contributing a charge attack.
    • These two rules have a few, slightly confusing implications. Click the expand box below for a full breakdown.
CMA for units with more than one weapon (the long version) (Edit)
The following example is about Satyxis Raiders, but is equally applicable to other units with two CMA:
  • Each Raider gets two attacks. Both, one, or neither can be a CMA as you choose.
  • If you are doing two CMA in a row, then you should note that the second CMA doesn’t have to use the same “primary attacker” or the same “participants” as the first CMA.
    • For instance, you could have the first CMA with raider A being the "primary attacker" and raider B being the "participant",
    • then for the second CMA have raider B the "primary attacker" and raider A the "participant".
    • Or leave A alone for a moment and use B plus C. Whatever takes your fancy.
  • Primary attackers and participants don't have to use the same weapon. So, continuing with the above example, you could have primary A use lash and participant B use horns, then primary B use lash and participant A use horns. Effectively granting you two lash attacks with CMA bonuses!
  • Combined Melee Attack and charging
    • Remember the 2 rules above?
    • Rule 1 means you cannot contribute your second, non-charge attack before you have resolved/contributed your first attack.
    • Rule 1 means you cannot "skip ahead" to resolving your second, non-charge attack before you have resolved/contributed your first attack.
    • but wait, there's more!
    • However, thanks to the "Units with Combined Melee Attack ignore the rule that one trooper's combat action cannot begin until the previous model's combat action ends" rule, you can "pause" your second attack if you want to do a CMA with it later. For example:
      • Model A performs its charge attack.
      • Model B performs its charge attack. (Interrupting A)
      • Model C performs its charge attack. (Interrupting B)
      • CMA using A, B & C's remaining attack.
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Rules Clarification : Shield Wall      (Edit)

  • You don't need to have the entire unit in B2B to get the bonus. Even just two models in B2B will give it to each other. Which way they're facing doesn't matter, either.
  • You can still get Shield Wall while knocked down.
  • Shield Wall works against all damage except damage originating in your back arc.
    • If a damage roll doesn't have an origin point (such as Scather, Old Witch1's feat, continuous fire, etc) then by definition it can't originate in your back arc, and you'll get your bonus vs it.
    • It won't work vs stuff that "leaps" off models in your back arc, such as Electro Leap. (Locked thread)
  • If you start the game in Shield Wall, it will expire when you activate the unit. It doesn't let you run and be in Shield Wall on turn 1.
  • Since models move in straight lines, it impossible to keep two models B2B while advancing. Thus you cannot benefit from Shield Wall while moving through acid clouds etc.
    • Unless you have something that lets you move through models, like Tactician.
  • Orders affect unit attachments, even if that attachment doesn't have the order on their card (such as a Soulless Escort benefiting from the Shield Wall order). (Infernal Ruling)
  • You get your Shield Wall bonus vs continuous fire in the Maintenance Phase. Shield Wall doesn't expire until the unit activates. (Locked thread)


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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 : Defensive Formation      (Edit)

  • Defensive Formation doesn't actually issue/receive a Shield Wall Order, it just causes the whole unit to be affected. This means two things:
    1. It doesn't interact with stuff which works on issuing/receiving orders (such as Rebuke or the Pandemonium Arcana).
    2. Models out of formation will also gain Shield Wall.
  • Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities     (Edit)         [Show/Hide]
    • "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
    1. Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    2. 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).
    3. In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
    4. In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
    5. When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
    6. 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.)
    7. Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
    8. 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.
    9. 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 : Reposition      (Edit)

  • Models out of formation cannot move via Reposition. Refer to the "Out of Formation" rules in the core rulebook.
  • End of Activation (Edit)
You cannot resolve two end-of-activation movement effects (refer to "End of Activation Movement" in the core rulebook). For EOA stuff that doesn't involve movement, though, it gets a bit more murky:
  • Some EOA abilities explicitly state your activation ends as part of resolving the ability (like Reposition), and some don't (like Refuge).
Whether it is explicit it or not, by definition an EOA ability is the last thing you can do for that activation. For instance, if you resolve Refuge and then continue your activation to cast more spells, then you have not used Refuge at the end of your activation.
You cannot do an "at any time" ability during or after triggering an EOA ability; you cannot cast spells, purchase additional attacks, use a mini-feat, etc.
  • If you start resolving an EOA movement (such as Reposition) then you cannot trigger abilities that occur "at any time" (such as Go To Ground). Because you can't trigger it while resolving the EOA movement, and after the EOA movement your activation has ended. (Infernal Ruling)
  • For units: if any model in the unit starts resolving the unit's EOA movement, then no model in the unit can trigger an any-time ability. (Infernal Ruling)
  • See also the training article: LPG - End of Activation.
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Rules Clarification : Tactics vs Granted     (Edit)

  • Granted = The unit loses the ability as soon as the model that grants it is taken off the table. (think "G for Goes away")
  • Tactics = The unit keeps the ability for the entire game, regardless of who dies. (think "Tac-Tick = K for Keeps")
 
  • Granted [ Vengeance ]
    • If the model granting Vengeance dies, the unit will not get any Vengeance attacks.
    It is "If you have Vengeance, and you were damaged last turn, you get a move+attack."
    It is not "If you get damaged, you get Vengeance next turn."
    • If you lose Vengeance halfway through resolving Vengeance, then you stop resolving Vengeance immediately. (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Relentless Charge      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Standard Bearer      (Edit)

  • If the Officer dies, the Standard Bearer can give the CMD bonus to the Leader model.
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Rules Clarification : Take Up      (Edit)

  • If you use Take Up the attacking model cannot trigger anything that needs the attacker to "Destroy" a model (such as Alpha Hunter, Killing Spree, Berserk, etc). Although the model that was attacked reached the Destroyed step of the timing sequence, Take Up negates that entirely. (Infernal Ruling)


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Note to Editors
To edit the CA's tagged abilities, Click here