Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova
Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova |
Few people in the Khadoran Empire have more drive than Aleksandra. Most of her peers see her intensity and zeal for the occult as unsettling. She employs soldiers and warjacks with equal dispassion, and most who come to know her deem her heartless and cruel. Certainly she has the will and the courage to walk into the darkness without flinching, a talent that may prove vital to Khador's triumph in the months and years ahead.
Basic Info
Zerkova1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Abilities
- Warcaster - All warcasters come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.
- Immunity: Cold
- Pathfinder
- Arcane Artifacts - When this model casts a spell, you can choose to use one of the following special rules. Each special rule can be used only once per activation and expires after the spell is cast.
- Focus Sphere - Reduce the COST of the spell by 1.
- Lens of Tarvodh - The spell gains +5 RNG.
- True Sight - This model ignores cloud effects when determining LOS. This model also ignores Stealth.
- Sacred Ward - This model cannot be targeted by enemy spells.
Weapons
- Rod of Whispers - 10" range, POW 13 ranged attack
- Damage Type: Magical
- Grave Door - A model disabled by this weapon cannot make a Tough roll. When a living or undead enemy model is boxed by this attack, you can choose to take control of it. If you do, remove 1 damage point from it, causing it to no longer be boxed. You can then immediately change its facing. For the rest of the turn, this model can channel spells through the affected model while it is in this model's control range. This model can channel spells even while engaged. The affected model cannot activate. At the end of the turn, the affected model is destroyed.
- Quietus - 0.5" reach, P+S 11 melee attack
Spells
- |-
|colspan=7 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;"| |colspan=1 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;" rowspan=1| Freezing Mist ! style="border-top: 1px solid #A8A8A8;"| 2
! CTRL
! 3
! -
! Round
! No
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |colspan=8 style="text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"|Place a 3" AOE cloud effect completely within the spellcaster's control range. While in the AOE, models without Immunity: Cold suffer -2 to their attack rolls. The AOE remains in play for one round.
- |-
|colspan=7 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;"| |colspan=1 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;" rowspan=1| Frost Hammer ! style="border-top: 1px solid #A8A8A8;"| 2
! 8" spray
! -
! 12 (Cold)
! (★)
! Yes
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |colspan=8 style="text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"|Frost Hammer causes cold damage. On a critical hit, the model hit becomes stationary for one round unless it has Immunity: Cold.
- |-
|colspan=7 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;"| |colspan=1 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;" rowspan=1| Ghost Walk ! style="border-top: 1px solid #A8A8A8;"| 2
! 6
! -
! -
! Turn
! No
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |colspan=8 style="text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"|Target friendly Faction model/unit gains Ghostly for one turn.
- Ghostly - A model with Ghostly can advance through terrain and obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past them. It cannot be targeted by free strikes.
- |-
|colspan=7 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;"| |colspan=1 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;" rowspan=1| Hex Blast ! style="border-top: 1px solid #A8A8A8;"| 3
! 10
! 3
! 13
! -
! Yes
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |colspan=8 style="text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"|Enemy upkeep spells and animi on the model/unit directly hit by Hex Blast immediately expire.
- |-
|colspan=7 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;"| |colspan=1 style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |style="text-align:left; font-size:110%; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff;" rowspan=1| Watcher ! style="border-top: 1px solid #A8A8A8;"| 3
! SELF
! -
! -
! Upkeep
! No
|style="border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"| |- |colspan=8 style="text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; border-right: 1px solid #fff; border-left: 1px solid #fff; border-top: 1px solid #fff;"|Once per turn when an enemy model advances and ends its movement within 6" of the spellcaster, you can choose a warjack in the spellcaster's battlegroup that is currently in its control range. That warjack can immediately make a full advance towards the enemy model and then can make one basic melee or ranged attack targeting the enemy model. The attack and damage rolls against that model are boosted.
Feat: Howling Wind
Enemy models can't make ranged attacks while in Zerkova's control range. Also, if they activate in her control range they can't run, charge, make power/special attacks, give/receive orders, or make special actions.
Theme Forces
- Winter Guard Kommand. In this theme Zerkova gains Sacrificial Pawn [Winter Guard trooper model].
- Jaws of the Wolf
- Legion of Steel
- Armored Korps
- Wolves of Winter. In this theme Zerkova can start the game with non-offensive upkeep already in play.
Thoughts on Zerkova1
Zerkova1 in a nutshell
Zerkova was generally regarded as one of the most neglected caster in the faction, and Mk3 still has to bring something beside the general rule changes to alter that status. She has a strong denial/defensive feat, and some nice, spell-slinging tricks, thanks to her upgraded ranged weapon, but apart of that, she performs strictly average on the battlefield.
Spell thoughts
Her Arcane Artifacts boost considerably her spell casting capabilities, so here is a detailed run-down:
- Focus Sphere: your most important option, probably you'll want it to be used on an offensive spell to spare the boosting to hit. As it is tied to the casting of the spell, it cannot make your upkeep free.
- Lens of Tarvodh: +5 RANGE on paper looks cool, but practically, it is limited to Hex Blast (and to some extent, Ghost Walk). Still, it is good to remember, if you want to deliver a killing blow from afar.
- True Sight: You'll only ever use it on Hex Blast, and still, you'll probably choose the previous two options.
Spells:
- Freezing Mist: this spell first seems to be the poor man's trencher smoke, but it offers quite a few utility. Main targets are shooty enemy warjacks, who now lose their aiming bonus anyway. You can also shield your more vulnerable troops, or place it upon enemy models, which are already engaged with your units.
- Frost Hammer: Works well with Focus Sphere; for the basic cost you can fish for critical hits with a boosted attack roll on a crucial model.
- Ghost Walk: Her only support spell for her army. Can yield surprising results, if your enemy thought, they will be safe from your slow Man-o-Wars on the other side of the forest, or a caster was deceived by the lack of pathfinder upon your Uhlans, and sought refuge beyond a wall.
- Hex Blast: bog standard zapping spell with average POW. The upkeep/animi removal would come handy, were it not require a direct hit. In very desperate situations you can use it on your own heavies to remove a particulary nasty enemy upkeep from them (like Parasite).
- Watcher: A life-insurance spell, with a few limitation to be considered. It does not trigger, if the enemy's movement won't end within 6" of your caster, and your jack can make attacks only against the model that moved (so, if they moved a screening model in, it pretty much invalidates it). Against fast, alpha striking lists you'll want to pop it early, and never let it drop.
Feat thoughts
Zerkova's biggest selling point is her feat. It offers one excellent turn, where the enemy is limited to walk-and-strike close combat attacks, making their threat range highly predictable. It is also quite deadly for Gunfighter models, who either have no other means to attack, or perform much worse with their swords (read, Arcane Tempest models). However, it does not forbid boosting, so don't let your enemy get too close to you. Works well with Watcher, as the enemy will have fewer ways to bypass your jacks.
Drawbacks & Downsides
- Her feat can be bypassed by long range (>14") shooting, or by those, who can simply advance up to 14" without actually charging (Stryker2, for example). The limitations for charging/orders/power attacks are also invalidated, if the enemy activates outside her CTRL area.
- Very limited combat performance, and not extraordinary defensive stats. Also, spell-immunity tricks will make her a bad day.
- She offers very little direct support for her battlegroup, and for her army
- 2 out of the 3 Arcane Artefacts abilities are useless, if you want to channel spell throughout your Grave-Door-acquired arc-node.
- Grave Door only works on enemy model, so you cannot shoot your Mechanic in the back to get an arc-node. It is completely useless against a Convergence army.
Tricks & Tips
- Keep her Cold Immunity in mind, it can save her in match-ups against Vayl, or Sorscha.
- Playing Zerkova in the Winter Guard Kommand theme makes her a pain to assassinate. Spells are negated by Sacred Ward, shooting can be mitigated by sacrificing Winter Guard troopers and attempts at melee have to deal with Watcher first.
- Spell Ward does not makes you immune to spells. Bouncing lightnings, or overlapping AOEs from nearby models still pose threat to you.
List Building Advice
Strategy
Zerkova is a fairly odd caster in the faction (and in the entire game). She lacks dedicated unit support, offers almost nothing to her battlegroup, but still, rarely wins battles all by herself. Her feat is ideal for single-zone scenarios, and especially, for killbox missions, but she still needs her army to get the job done.
Freezing Mist with Focus Sphere allows her to spend her entire stack to place 12" of Cloud Wall. With Sylys Wyshnalyrr, she can do this while upkeeping Watcher. This LoS blocking synergizes nicely with her feat and allows her to deliver an army if the enemy doesn't ignore clouds.
She has some assassination potential against squishy casters with the Rod of Whispers. If you manage to kill, and then use Grave Door on a model near the enemy caster, you can deliver some well deserved Frost Hammer and Hex Blasts. It will most likely eat up all your FOCUS pool, but odds are you will still be far enough from retaliation.
Among units she also prefers self-sufficient choices, like Widow Maker Scouts, Winter Guard Infantry (with Kovnik Joe), Doom Reaver Swordsmen (with their attachment), and naturally fast units, like the Kayazi Eliminators / Assassins, IF Uhlans and the Grey Lord Outriders.
Theme thoughts
Armored Corps
This is probably the best theme to take her because Man-o-War hit like light warjacks, without needing focus from Zerkova so she can keep casting her spells. She also augments their durability with her cloudwall and/or feat, as even the softer ARM 16 Man-o-War can be hard to crack if your enemy is unable to charge them.
All of this is good, because all Zerkova really brings for the Man-o-War themselves is Ghost Walk. Ghost Walk is very good for the Man-o-War, though, since their only other access to Pathfinder is via Kommander Atanas Arcanovich's Relentless Charge battle plan, and neither Shocktroopers nor Bombardiers want to be charging all game.
The Siege Chariot brings a big gun (the biggest), and a pair of spare clouds. And even though your opponent can still see it through the clouds, they won't be able to charge it if you drop some medium bases between the chariot and the clouds. Atanas can help with this, as his Tactician applies to all Man-o-War.
Demo Corps in particular synergize with Zerkova. The character UA gives them Defensive Line, which couples with the -2 to attack rolls from Freezing Mist to make them effectively DEF 14, which is pretty admirable. With Sylys and a boost, your chances to crit on Frost Hammer aren't terrible, and that activates Shatter for the hammers. Weaponmaster P+S 16 solves Zerkova's damage problem. And with Ghost Walk, you don't need to worry about Free Strikes stopping you from charging.
Wolves of Winter
Alternatively, she can run a pretty decent Wolves of Winter force because she can protect the squishy Greylords and Doom Reavers. The Greylords can also extend the cloudwall by up to another (unnecessary) 33", though their clouds lack the staying power and utility of Zerkova's, as they must be centered on a model and disappear once the model is removed. Still, it can be fun to drop a cloudwall across the entire table.
Doom Reavers can't be targeted by spells, but Zerkova doesn't really want to cast any spells on her army anyways. Freezing Mist brings additional utility to the theme because the infantry is all DEF 13. And while DEF 13 isn't great, it's significantly improved by your enemy having -2 to all their attack rolls.
Legion of Steel
She can also run a pretty decent Legion of Steel force because she can keep the Iron Fangs safe from shooting while they get up the table. They might even be able to run for an extra turn, safe behind the clouds Zerkova pops out. With CMA and Ragman they hit decently hard, and Zerkova can bring the spells to make up for the theme's inability to get magic weapons. She also has the focus to fuel a couple gun jacks, making up for the theme's complete lack of ranged attacks.
Jaws of the Wolf and Winter Guard Kommand
These two are rather weaker for Zerkova in terms of synergies.
Jaws of the Wolf brings independent infantry, but they don't hit particularly hard. The jacks that the theme is centered around demand Zerkova's focus to perform, keeping her great spells off the table, and they don't need the protection of her feat as strongly as infantry. The infantry in the theme dont really need caster buffs to workz but they dont hit that hard by themselves. That said, there's probably a list that could be made by off loading the jacks onto Forge Seers, Malakov1, and/or Sorscha0.
Winter Guard Kommand brings cheap, cheap bodies and some good guns (CRAs and Rocketeers) and Zerkova can be very hard to kill in this theme between Sacrificial Pawn and Sacred Ward. But there is rarely any way for her to protect the numerous Winter Guard, and she neither helps them hit nor helps them damage. She also doesn't run jacks very well. This theme might be worth trying, again using Malakov1 and Sorscha0 to run fast heavies into your opponent while Zerkova protects the juniors and the Rocketeers against the enemy guns.
Battlegroup
As mentioned, it is kind of hard to offer an army to her. Power Up, and a good amount of FOCUS seemingly allows you to run an extensive battelgroup, but the lack of support limits her to self-sufficient jacks.
- Juggernaut is a plain and simple wrecking machine. Remember that Watcher boosts the attack roll, making it likely to freeze an assassination attempt in it's tracks, even if the attacker survives the boosted damage.
- Rager - a shield guard is always nice, if the enemy tries to kill you from afar during your feat
- Mad Dog - usually content with the Power Up focus
- Behemoth - all casters from the motherland love Big B, and enemies in her feat zone will rarely be able to run away from its templates.
- Conquest - its Creeping Barrage under your feat can be a powerful area denial tool for softer targets.
Other
Trivia
- Originally released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
Other Khador models
Video Battle Reports
- 2018.09 Arcane Assist 75 points vs Locke
- 2018.09 Not Snakes Gaming 75 points vs Hexeris2
- See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.
Rules Clarifications
Rules Clarification : Feat : Howling Wind
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Rules Clarification: : Magical Damage (Edit) | |
* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling)
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Rules Clarification : Grave Door (Edit)
Taking Control of an Enemy Model (Edit) [Show/Hide]
General
Movement
Attacks
Destroying the Controlled model
Taking control of an enemy Trooper (member of a unit)
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Rules Clarification: : Warcaster (Edit) | |||||
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Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Pathfinder (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Arcane Artifacts - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Focus Sphere - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Lens of Tarvodh (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : True Sight (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Sacred Ward and/or Spell Ward (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Freezing Mist (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Frost Hammer (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Ghost Walk (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Hex Blast (Edit)
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Rules Clarification : Watcher and/or Guardian Beast and/or Dark Sentinel (Edit)
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