Revision as of 19:25, 8 July 2020

Northkin Bear Handler & Battle Bears Trollblood Unit

Some kriels are known for their skill in capturing and training wild northern bears, for the power of these beasts makes them potent weapons in times of war. By simple gestures combined with commands, a bear handler can designate prey even in the chaos of battle. The beasts become protective of their trainers and handlers and will lash out at anyone who raises a hand against them, making them useful guardians.

Basic Info

Northkin Bear Handler & Battle Bears
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Handler / Bears BASE Medium / Large SPD 6 / 7 STR 6 / 8 MAT 6 RAT 3 / - M.A. N/A DEF 12 ARM 15 / 17 CMD 9 / 5 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 5 / 8 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 2 UNIT SIZE 1 Handler 2 Bears COST 10 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Entire unit
  • Advance Deployment
  • Immunity: Cold
  • Pathfinder
  • Tough
  • Ambush - You can choose not to deploy this unit at the start of the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose any table edge except the back of your opponent's deployment zone. Place all models in the unit in formation completely within 3" of the chosen table edge.
  • Prowl - While this model has concealment, it gains stealth.
• Bear Handler only
  • Granted: Gang - While this model is in formation, models in its unit gain Gang. (Gang - When making a melee attack targeting an enemy model in the melee range of another model in this unit, this model gains +2 to melee attack and melee damage rolls.)
  • Trollkin - This model is a Trollkin model, but the bears and the overall unit is not.
  • Northkin - This model is a Northkin model, but the bears and the overall unit is not.
• Bears only
  • Unyielding - This model gains +2 ARM against melee damage rolls.

Weapons

• Bear Handler
  • Axe - 1" reach, P+S 10 melee weapon
• Bears
  • Claw (x2) - 1" reach, P+S 13 melee weapons
  • Bite - 1" reach, P+S 14 melee weapon

Theme Forces

• Storm of the North. The bears become Northkin models in this theme (normally only the Handler is Northkin).

Thoughts on the Northkin Bears

Battle Bears in a nutshell

The Battle Bears are a threatening melee unit. With the lead of the Handler, the bears fight as a coordinated unit. And they hit very hard and can take one hell of a pounding.

Combos & Synergies

• The Krielstone makes the bears ARM 21 in melee. And the Northkin STR-buff means that the bear's charge attack is a boosted POW 18.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• The attacks of the bears aren't quite as brutal as they look; most infantry expect their damage rolls to be boosted but with three attacks only one will be boosted per bear. (Still, boosted MAT 8 POW 16 is impressive).
• The weak link is the handler; if the enemy can scalpel out the handler you lose Gang, taking the effectiveness of the bears down to much more reasonable levels. This means he's a good choice for the Dhunian Archon's Threads of Life ability.

Tricks & Tips

• Although the bears are not Northkin models by default, they become Northkin if they're taken in the Storm of the North theme.
• Ambushing is great - but so is brawling under the Krielstone aura.
• Used in pairs they hurt heavies and can utterly maul lights.

Other

Trivia

Released in the Northkin CID (2017.07)

Other Trollblood models

Trollbloods Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Borka1 - Borka2 - Calandra - Gunnbjorn1 - Gunnbjorn2 - Grim1 - Grim2 - Grissel1 - Grissel2 - Doomshaper1 - Doomshaper2 - Doomshaper3 - Horgle2 - Jarl - Kolgrima - Madrak1 - Madrak2 - Madrak3 - Ragnor
Warlock Attachment	Trollkin Runebearer	Lesser Warlocks	Horgle1 - Madrak0
Light warbeasts	Ice Troll - Night Troll - Pyre Troll - Slag Troll - Storm Troll - Swamp Troll - Troll Axer - Troll Basher - Troll Bouncer - Troll Impaler - Winter Troll
Heavy warbeasts	Dire Troll Blitzer - Dire Troll Bomber - Dire Troll Brawler - Dire Troll Mauler - Dozer & Smigg - Earthborn Dire Troll - Mulg the Ancient - Rök
Gargantuan	Glacier King - Mountain King - Sea King
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units	Dannon Blythe & Bull - Boomhowler1 - Dhunian Knot - Kriel Warriors - Stone Bearer - NK Bears - NK Fire Eaters - NK Raiders - Pummeler Crew - Pyg Burrowers - Pyg Bushwhackers - Pyg Lookouts - Sons of Bragg - Scattergunners - Thumper Crew - T Champions - T Fennblades - T Highwaymen - T Long Riders - T Runeshapers - T Scouts - T Sluggers - Warders Special WA: Trollkin Sorcerer
Solos	Boomhowler2 - Boomhowler3 - Braylen Wanderheart, Trollkin Outlaw - Bumbles - Dhunian Archon - Fell Caller Hero - Fennblade Kithkar - General 'Thunderstone' Brug - Horgle1 - Horthol, Long Rider Hero - Janissa Stonetide - Ledfoot & Tredz - Madrak0 - Northkin Shaman - Pyg Tank - Stone Scribe Chronicler - Troll Whelps - Trollkin Champion Hero - Trollkin Skinner Valka Curseborn, Chieftain of the North
Battle Engines	Hearthgut Hooch Hauler - War Wagon
Theme Forces
Band of Heroes - Kriel Company - Power of Dhunia - Storm of the North - Vengeance of Dhunia
Minions that work for the Trollblooods
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Trollblood Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.10

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Northkin status The bears are not Northkin models by default. (Infernal Ruling) But they become Northkin if they're taken in the Storm of the North theme.

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)

Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Ambush      (Edit) If you attach a WA or CA to this unit, and the attachment doesn't have Ambush, then they all get to Ambush anyway. (Locked Thread) Ambush and Apparition both occur at Step 5 of the Control Phase. However, Ambush specifies the "end" of the Control Phase so you cannot use Apparition on a model that Ambushes. (Infernal Ruling) Declaring Ambush: Choosing whether a unit deploys normally or ambushes needs to happen before deployment. So it goes: do the starting roll, Player 2 chooses sides, Player 1 declares Ambushes (if any), then Player 2 declares Ambushes (if any), then Player 1 starts deployment. (Infernal Ruling) If you have both Prey and Ambush, then you declare your Prey target at the normal time (even though the Prey-er isn't currently on the table). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Gang and/or Gang Fighter and/or Tag Team and/or Team Effort     (Edit) You can gain the Gang bonus on free strikes, but generally only the first "Ganger" will get it. For example, if a target is engaged by two models with Gang, when it leaves the melee range of the first Ganger it suffers a free strike with the Gang bonus. Then it leaves the melee range of the second and suffers a normal free strike.

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)

Rules Clarification : Prowl and/or Just a Tree?     (Edit) Whether you can trigger this ability is a bit awkward; As long as you have concealment you get Stealth ... even if the attacker ignores concealment (such as with Hunter). If you're standing in a cloud, and the attacker "ignores clouds for LOS" (such as Bird's Eye) you get Prowl/Tree. If you're standing in a cloud, and the attacker "ignores clouds completely" (such as Alchemical Mask) you don't get it. (Infernal Ruling) Similar for standing in a forest. If a debuff removes Stealth, Prowl/Tree do not reapply stealth... But this ruling is being rechecked. (Infernal Checking) Rules Clarification : Stealth      (Edit) Stealth models are not invisible and you can target them - you'll just auto-miss most of the time. You can target them with a charge. You can target them with an AOE, have it auto-miss and scatter, luckily land on top of them anyway, and that will hit them.

Rules Clarification : Unyielding - None yet. (Edit)