Borders will fall. Legends will rise!

A war is being fought on two fronts.

As death looms, battle-scarred heroes struggle for glory, for victory,
and for redemption.
Caspia is invaded as Korsks cathedral is desecrated.
Alliances made in the shadows bear bitter fruit.
The clash of old rivals shapes the fate of nations,
and the Iron Kingdoms enters a new era!

ARMACHINE: Legends brings the saga of

WARMACHINE to an earth-shattering
climax and introduces new warcasters,
additional epic warcasters, character warjacks, powerful solos, and
battle-ready units and attachments. This book delivers 176 full-color
pages that continue the WARMACHINE story, introduces many
characters, and unveils exciting new options for your army!
Warcaster Attachments are new models that accompany
warcasters to protect them and augment their powers.
Warjack Imprints allow new character jacks to spend
focus to activate powerful new abilities.
Tactics, Cohorts, and Affinities add new special abilities
when these legendary models team up with your
existing forces.
WARMACHINE: Legends ensures that, whether you are
expanding your army or building a new one, no battle
will ever be the same.

Play WARMACHINE
against

TM

ISBN: 978-1-933362-28-1

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Credits
Brian Snoddy
Matt Wilson
Matt Wilson
Bryan Cutler
Matt Wilson
Jason Soles
Kris Aubin
Rob Stoddard
Erik Yaple
Douglas Seacat
Jason Soles
Kevin Clark
Bryan Cutler
Jason Soles
Rob Stoddard
Christopher Bodan
Matt Wilson
Carlos Cabrera
Eric Deschamps
Emrah Elmasli
Marek Okon
Lucio Parillo
Karl Richardson
Andrea Uderzo
Eva Widermann
Kieran Yanner
Chris Walton
Matt Wilson
Steve Angeles
Kris Aubin
Kim Goddard
Josh Manderville
Daniel Gelon
Ron Kruzie
Gregory Clavilier
Jeff Grace
Mauro Gnani
Todd Harris
Jason Hendricks
Bobby Jackson
Werner Klocke
Olivier Lafitte
Aragorn Marks
Stefan Nieheus
Edgar Ramos
Jose Roig
Ben Saunders
Steve Saunders
Jeff Wilhelm
Amy Brehm
Matt DiPietro
Ron Kruzie
Quentin Smith
Rob Hawkins
Steve Angeles
Sherry Yeary
Marky Erhardt

Erik Breidenstein
Christopher Frye
Adam Johnson
Bobby Stickel
Nathan Letsinger
Brent Waldher
Eric Cagle
Rob Hawkins
Dan Brandt
Mark Christensen
Kelly Yeager
Douglas Colton
Trey Bindewald
Alex Chobot
Joel Falkenhagen
Miluo Hsu
Matt Hutchiens
Del Ivanov
Joe Lee
Greg Lincoln
Craig Lowry
Mike McIntosh
Ben Tracy
Clint Whiteside
Nathan Letsinger
James Kerr
Peter Goublomme
Eric Lakin
David Ray
Peter Goublomme
Brian Putnam
Gilles Reynaud
John Simon
Donald Sullivan
Kevin Clark
Alex Badion
Christopher Bodan
Erik Breidenstein
Brandon Burton
Alex Chobot
Christopher Frye
Rob Hawkins
Delian Ivanov
Brad Lannon
Nathan Letsinger
Doug the Seacat
Brent Waldher
Chris Walton
Andrew Brandt
Carl Brannon
Hugh Brown
David Carl
Jessica Carl
David Dauterive
Eric Ernewein
Seth Ferris

Christian Fontaine
Brian Grist
Chad Huffman
Peter Jenisch
Nick Kendall
David Lyons
Geoffrey Long
Rob Miles
Derek Osborne
Adam Poirier
Adam Rosenblum
Timothy Simpson
David W. Sininger
Donald Sullivan
Mark Thomas
Dan Webber
Christopher Bodan
Dan Brandt
Erik Breidenstein
Eric Cagel
Kevin Clark
Matt DiPietro
Marky Erhardt
Rob Hawkins
Douglas Seacat
Jason Soles
Rob Stoddard
Brent Waldher
Chris Walton

Table of Contents
The Price of Redemption Part One . 6
New Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cygnar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
General Adept Sebastian Nemo
28
Captain Jeremiah Kraye
30
Thorn 32
Ol Rowdy
34
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team
36
Trencher Cannon Crew
38
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer
39
Squire 40
Sword Knight Officer & Standard Bearer
41
Captain Arlan Strangewayes
42
Major Katherine Laddermore
44
Precursor Knights
46
Precursor Knight Officer & Standard Bearer
47
Cygnar Gallery
48

Protectorate of Menoth . . . . . .

52

Hierarch Severius
56
High Executioner Servath Reznik
58
Blessing of Vengeance
60
Fire of Salvation
62
Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard
64
Exempar Bastions
66
Hierophant 67
Allegiant of the Order of the Fist
68
Vassal of Menoth
69
High Exemplar Gravus
70
Idrian Skirmishers
72
Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide
73
Protectorate Gallery
74

Khador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Supreme Kommandant Irusk
82
Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova
84
Beast-09 86
Drago 88

Great Bears of Gallowswood

90
War Dog
92
Koldun Lord
93
Fenris 94
Kovnik Markov
96
Yuri the Axe
98
Kayazy Assassins
100
Kayazy Assassin Underboss
101
Khador Gallery
102

Cryx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Goreshade the Cursed
110
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
112
Deryliss 114
Cankerworm 116
Nightmare 118
Bloodgorgers 120
Revenant Cannon Crew
121
The Withershadow Combine
122
Blackbanes Ghost Raiders
124
Darragh Wrathe
126
General Gerlak Slaughterborn
128
Cephalyx Slaver & Drudge Mind Slaves
130
Cephalyx Overlords
131
Cryx Gallery
132

Mercenaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Horgenhold Forge Guard
Steelhead Heavy Cavalry
Anastasia di Bray
Stannis Brocker
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor
Thor Steinhammer
Mercenary Gallery

140
141
142
144
146
148
150
152

The Price of Redemption Part Two 154

Map of Western Immoren . . . . . . 176

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First printing: June 2008. Printed in China.

WARMACHINE: Legends - E-Version . . . . . . . . . . ISBN: 978-1-939480-40-8

Foreword
True Legends never die.
- Origin unknown

ere it is as promisedthe icing on the cake!

For five years and over a thousand pages, we
have built upon the WARMACHINE experience
layer by layer and brick by brick. Each installment
expanded the options available to you as a player. Each
new component multiplied the number of combinations
within this complex box of tools, challenged your
mastery of the game, and heightened that euphoric
feeling of victory that comes with every success. For
many, however, perhaps the most important and exciting
aspect of each new volume in the WARMACHINE series
of books is the epic tale we have woven with words and
pictures that brings to life a pantheon of characters that
have become institutionalized in the minds of thousands
of players around the world.
Our goal since the beginning has been quite simple:
make you believe. The characters we created and
the world we shaped is so vividly realized in our own
imaginations that we are compelled beyond control to
share it with you. Because of that, we must strive with
every ounce of passion and perseverance we posses to
immerse you in this universe so that you may experience
it as lucidly as we do.
If we can make you believe that an invented hero can rise
as a champion, fall before adversity, and find redemption
once more in the eyes of his people, then we have
succeeded. If we can engage you in the tumultuous affair
of two imagined lovers and make you feel the isolation
they must endure, then we have accomplished our
objective. If we can transport you to a fabricated world
embroiled in a conflict so palpable that you are driven
to stand behind one faction so completely and with such
tangible conviction that the woes of our real world all
but fade from your awareness, then we have triumphed
beyond measure.

Whether it is a man, an event, or a story spun from a

hyperactive imagination, for a thing to reach mythical
status it must resonate clearly in the consciousness of
a substantial and unified collective. We have labored
to manifest these fictitious personalities, these makebelieve dramas, and this fantastic world as incarnate
phenomena. To us they are as precious as any material
or living being, but only you can elevate their existence
from a fashioned concept to a corporeal permanence.
We have endeavored with such purpose to assemble you,
the players of WARMACHINE, so that you would keep
our dreams alive and bestow upon them the greatest
distinction a concept can realize.
Thank you for indulging us in five years of unrestrained
creativity. Thank you for believing, and thank you for
making our creations Legends.
Though this book represents the final climactic chapter
in this first WARMACHINE saga, in truth Legends is but
a moment to catch your breath. The muse that inspired
the story so far still moves us with clarion direction, and
these characters strain within our psyche to venture
beyond the known limits of imagination. There are miles
to go before we sleep, and we look forward to bringing
you the continued epic and the opportunity to keep
these legends alive.

5
PAGE
unde
Perhaps we have

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5

The Price of Redemption

Part One

he roar of a blazing inferno swallowed the

screams of dying soldiers. Choking smoke
blinded the survivors. Cygnars 16th Heavy
Infantry Battalion pressed on despite the
heavy losses. They had pushed too far
into the heart of Sul to turn back. Sporadic rocket fire
erupted nearby, but they could clearly see the Menites
withdrawing to seek a better-fortified position. The blaze
that consumed so many brave young men and women
had been Feoras last effort to break their resolve.
Lord Commander Coleman Stryker marched forward
determined not to give her that satisfaction. Fear showed
clearly on the faces of many of his men as Stryker rallied
the 31st Storm Company back to readiness.
Stormblade Captain Niels Waverly of the 31st Storm
Chasers caught up with his commander. Sir, we must
pull back. The fire has cut us off from reinforcements,
and the street ahead is thick with Flameguard.
Commander Stryker shook his head. No. Push on
captain. We will not give up the ground your men died
to gain. The smell of charred flesh hung thick in his
nostrils and riled his anger and determination. Feora
is retreating. We have her cornered. This is the time to
end her.

I will see her gasp her last

breath before she burns even
one more Cygnaran soldier.
Feoras escort of Temple Flameguard attempted to
recover but could not preserve their ragged and
incomplete line. They pulled back into an ancient
looming Menite temple, one of the larger buildings still
standing in this quarter.
Onward! You men, take the Flameguard! Stryker drew
his pistol and fired into the retreating wall of shields.
A Flameguard fell only to have another fill the gap.
Stormblades, their weapons crackling with lightning,
rushed forward to engage the Menites.
Stryker sent Ol Rowdy charging into a limping
Crusader covering Feoras retreat. The Ironclad finished
the Crusader with a heavy blow and returned to the
warcasters side. Stryker vowed, I will see her gasp her
last breath before she burns even one more Cygnaran
soldier. Together with Rowdy, Stryker left his men to the
fight outside and followed after Feora.

Ol Rowdy battered through the large barred doors

with a single great blow. Warjack and warcaster burst
into the vaulted central chamber. Stryker stopped in
his tracks. Hundreds of civilians huddled in the temple.
They packed in tight between the shattered pews as they
scrambled to get out of Feoras way. She and her ragtag
battlegroup backed through the crowd and scrambled
up a dais at the far end of the chamber. For once he had
caught her alone, separated from her escort, only to find
her hiding behind a mass of terrified men, women, and
children. Their fearful visages showed them as frightened
of the Priestess of the Flame as of the Cygnaran attacker.
Feora took advantage of his surprised hesitation. Her
Vanquisher came at him with its massive flail sweeping
in a wide arc. Civilians dove to the ground to avoid the
weapon. Stryker ducked low as the metal balls swept
through the wall and support columns behind him
with an explosion of stone and sparks. Sparing no time,
Feoras Castigator came in low with its fists ablaze to
smash into Ol Rowdy.
The Castigator and Rowdy tumbled through an interior
wall in an avalanche of masonry. The cascading rubble
buried an elderly couple. Panic erupted throughout the
crowd. Stryker froze, conflicted. Instincts to save these
blameless lives railed against his heart filled with hatred
for everything they represented. He looked at the blood
seeping from under the pile of stone and knew there
would be more if this battle continued.
Strykers hesitation proved short lived as the Vanquisher
continued its assault. The wildly swinging flail careened
off supporting pillars and walls. The great temple shook
to its very foundation. Stryker mustered his power
and laid into the already damaged Vanquisher with a
powerful flurry of chopping blows from Quicksilver.
The first took the jacks legs from under it, the next
battered its head into useless scrap, and the third
thrashed the pistons powering its whirling flail. It
collapsed in a heap of twisted iron and steel. Keeping
pace, Ol Rowdy rose to its feet and backhanded
the Castigator. Dust and rocks fell liberally from the
compromised ceiling. Stryker saw that the building
could take little more abuse and remain standing.
In the chaos of his skirmish with the other jacks, Stryker
had failed to notice Feora moving a badly damaged
Redeemer into position on the dais. She charged the jack
with all her power, its one operational weapon glowing
with visible mystic runes. A barrage of rockets hissed out

of the skyhammer launcher and spiraled wildly through

the great sanctuary like a storm of angry snakes. One
detonation sent bodies flying through the air. A second
projectile ripped Rowdys right shoulder casing from
its fasteners in a fantastic explosion. The third rocket
missed Stryker by a yard before gaining altitude and
corkscrewing into the wall above the entry. The massive
iron doors buckled and blocked any escape. Fire raced
across support beams and masonry rained upon the
civilians. Many of their shrieks ceased instantly.
Stryker stared at the Protector of the Flame in disbelief;
her willingness to sacrifice her people confounded his
logic. Her gambit had failed, though. The damaged
Redeemer had missed its mark, and her effort had left
her weak with no assets to aid her. It came down to him
and her, but he could not ignore the screams and wails of
the refugees. The temple was collapsing.
He stepped toward Feora. Quicksilver hummed as she
retreated behind the altar. Rowdys boiler chugged beside
him, the warjack ready to do his bidding. In a moment,

Stryker would destroy his quarry and seal her in a tomb

of broken rubble alongside her callously abandoned
followers. The Lord Commander looked around him and
saw the eyes of the sobbing, screaming masses of Menites.
His jaw clenched. He turned on his heel and clapped
the great warjack on its iron arm. The door, Rowdy! he
yelled over the cacophony and quickly pushed his way
into the crowd of innocents.
The sea of refugees parted as the warjack stomped past
his commander. Ol Rowdy wound up with a mighty side
swing and crashed the hammer into the temples doors.
They flew from their hinges, but the act dislodged even
more rubble. The entry arch could not support the
weight of the collapsing wall. Dropping his sword, Stryker
braced himself against a support pillar. He overpowered
his armor to muster all its strength and keep the massive
vaulted ceiling aloft. Rowdy spread its arms across the
entry to prop the arch up as stone fell around them.
Go! Go! Hurry! Stryker yelled. The panicked Menites
rushed the doors. Some knocked others down in the

press. He saw others lift the wounded before scrambling

out under Rowdys arms. The ceiling groaned. He could
feel it begin to give way. Fire ate through the beams in the
awkward arrangement above his straining arms.
Strykers eyes locked with those of his enemy across the
sanctuary, safely hidden behind a featureless bronze
mask. As she intoned one last prayer, Stryker knew he
would never have the satisfaction of defeating her. Even
so, a grim smile spread across his face as he strained with
all his might to keep the temple standing for a few more
seconds. You didnt beat me, he whispered. For the
briefest instant, Feora seemed to pause as if shed heard
him. Then she vanished in a flash of fire.
He felt a sense of relief as the last of the fleeing refugees
cleared the doors and the final crack sounded. The pillar
crumbled. Lord Commander Stryker fell buried beneath
stone and burning wood.

Great Prince Vladimir Tzepesci stood on the slight

rise overlooking the new barracks east of Laedry
and watched older soldiers instruct younger ones on
the new training grounds. Gathering the household
liegemen of his vassals had proved neither quick nor
easy. Many already served the army as officers, but Vlad
asked them to fulfill older ideals, feudal promises oft
forgotten in the modern era.
They make good progress, Vladimir said to the hulking
man mounted on a horse at his side.
Viscount Barak Ushka grunted noncommittally. An
Umbrean Uhlan of the ancient traditionhis line had
borne that title long before the rise of the Iron Fangshe
sat astride his Karpathan Destrier layered in the armor
of his ancestors. Our infantry is ready, but we need
more heavy horse. Some of your vassals have been slow to
answer your call.
They will answer. Over a century had passed since a
great prince had exercised his feudal rights to organize
an army for war. Reconciling those oaths with the military
chain of command occupied an ambiguous space in
Khadoran law. It brought to sharp relief the confusion
engendered by Vlads noble title and his lack of official
rank in the army. By unwritten custom, his recognized
warcaster status granted rank equivalent to a kommander,
but his bloodline complicated the issue.
A young runner brought word that the newly elevated
Supreme Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk had come to pay
his respects. Stay with the men, Vladimir instructed the
viscount. The horseman had a temper and occasionally
grew too vocal in defense of his liege lord.

Irusk and his entourage had clearly come to survey Vlads

mustering army. Vladimir scanned the senior officers
accompanying Irusk and immediately saw Forward
Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff. The two exchanged a
silent look, and Vlad allowed himself a small smile. He
saw a warning in her eyes, not that he needed it.
Supreme Kommandant Irusk, welcome. You honor me
with your presence.
Great Prince Tzepesci. Irusk offered the smallest bow
etiquette allowed. You have mustered a sizable force. I
was not informed of any imminent threat.
These men are not for defense. I hope to deal the
eastern rebels a decisive blow. A sizable force is moving
toward Leryn, including a well supported contingent of
southern Menites.
Yes, I have that report. Yet what I see here is the result
of months gathering Umbreans to your banner. Some of
these are from our new lands, and they have no great love
for the Khadoran Empire.
I felt it my role to inspire in them a greater sense of
patriotism and duty. We must reassert the old blood ties
that bind them to our empress.
Is it the empress to whom they are bound, or to you?
An important distinction, I think. I have been having
difficulty recently gaining soldiers and supplies from
Great Prince Rolav Mulesci, yet I see some of his men
here. Quite unusual.
Vlads eyes went cold and his hand strayed near the hilt
of Dominion. Behind Irusk his officers seemed similarly
tense and glanced between the two men. It appears you
have something more to say, supreme kommandant.
Let us dispense with the extraneous rhetoric and come
to your point. We have wars to fight on the battlefield
instead of in your councils.
Irusk smiled without warmth. My concern is simple. You
appear to have put the needs of Umbrey before those of
the empire.
Vladimir gritted his teeth. I seek to safeguard lands we
have already won. What is conquest if we do not hold
what we seize?
Irusk was not persuaded. Your perspective has become
too provincial. Understandable since you do not have
regular contact with the High Kommand. We will be
reassigning a number of your soldiers to assist in the
imminent attack on Northguard. I have a list of men,
warjacks, and provisions. He waved and a subordinate
kommander stepped forward and offered a thick ledger
for Vladimirs perusal.

Vladimir scowled. This represents over half of my veteran

forces and the majority of my operational warjacks.
Completely unacceptable.
With respect, this is not a request. It would serve you
better to inform the High Kommand of your plans. Were
they integrated into our ongoing operations, we could
have avoided this confusion.
The two warcasters stared at one another. I will comply
with the wishes of the High Kommand, but I will need
to compensate for this deficit in my forces. I request
Kommander Kratikoff and her battlegroup be given leave
to join my assault. Vladimir nodded in her direction.
Irusk considered this and looked to Sorschas carefully
blank face. I have given the forward kommander an
important task for the upcoming engagement. Let us ask
her. Kommander Kratikoff, where would your talents best
serve the Motherland?
She hid her distress well, but Vladimir could see it in
the rigidity of her posture and the fact that she avoided
looking at him directly. Sorscha spoke after a short pause.
The attack on Northguard is clearly the higher priority.
The supreme kommandant nodded, satisfied.
Vladimir said, Zoktavir, then.
Irusk sighed regretfully although he did not seem sincere.
Would that I could loan Kommander Zoktavir to you,
but he is detailed to deal with Felligs garrison. Perhaps
Zevanna Agha? I was told she supported your efforts.
She is with the Third Border Legion rooting out
certain...interior difficulties. He knew full well that the
supreme kommandant knew the details of her movements
better than Vladimir did.
In that case, Great Prince Tzepesci, I am afraid you
are on your own. Your talents, however, would be very
welcome in our operation. Say the word and I will provide
you with a significant role in the battle ahead.
A thin, young rider wearing the colors of the Khadoran
Kommand Dispatch Service interrupted the coolly polite
discussion. His horse stood lathered and breathing hard,
clearly pushed almost to death. He dismounted and
knelt with an extended leather case. Urgent news from
Ravensgard, supreme kommandant!
Irusk read the message quickly and frowned, lost in
thought. He turned to his officers. Our spies have
brought word that General Sebastian Nemo has
left Northguard quite abruptly, riding south toward
Bainsmarket. He seems likely bound for the train station
there and hence Caspia.

Kommander Strasvite of the 4th Assault Legion noted,

That is good fortune, sir.
Yes. This shall greatly increase the odds of our success.
Irusk sounded almost disappointed. Though I would
have enjoyed the opportunity to face him again. We shall
exploit this opportunity.
Vladimir offered, It would seem you no longer require
all of the men and supplies you demanded.
The supreme kommandant shook his head sharply.
Quite the contrary. I require every available man and
machine. I will take no chances with this assault. I suggest
delaying your action until after we have taken the fortress.
I am certain some forces could be allocated to deal with
this eastern uprising at that time.

My concern is simple. You appear to

have put the needs of Umbrey before
those of the empire.
By then it will be too late. Vladimir felt his temper start
to get the better of him. He nearly told Irusk of Zevanna
Aghas warning regarding the importance of Leryn, but
he refrained. He knew the supreme kommandant placed
no weight on portents.
Irusk shrugged. Do as you must. Leryn is unassailable
and has ample food stores. It can easily endure a few
months against the Menites, with or without you.
Conserve your strength and delay. That is my advice. But
I know you will heed your own compass. He offered the
same nominal bow and took his leave. His subordinates
began to gather men, warjacks, and supplies from
Tzepescis army. Umbreys dark champion could do
nothing but fume, yet the lost soldiers did not occupy
his thoughts. Rather, he thought of Sorschas eyes and
the pain and worry he saw in them before she turned to
leave.

Cylena Raefyll could imagine few things more unpleasant

than the crowded press of humanity that choked the
bustling streets of Korsk. She had recently endured the
company of the dead, she reminded herself, and the
throngs of the living were no worse. She drew stares as
she made her way along the streets, but the scrutiny
proved less intense than she expected. The citys

residents had clearly grown accustomed to the sight of

Nyss refugees, perhaps finding it quaint that so many
of these once fearsome northern elves huddled on the
outskirts of their capital.

have seen nothing to dispute this. He lowered his voice

conspiratorially. They have taken the Winter Father to a
well guarded place. We could not have hoped for a more
secure stronghold to preserve Him.

Cylena had come so far south, against her instincts, partly

in search of them. She had also come seeking new allies.
While she had expected the eldritch Goreshade to turn
on her eventually, the depths of his treachery had taken
her by surprise. She had not anticipated that the blackhearted creature would enter an unholy pact with the
dragon Everblight. She had narrowly escaped with her
life, and several of her kin had paid the ultimate price for
this harsh lesson.

This revelation shocked Cylena in more ways than

she could express. The priest breached custom just by
speaking aloud of the Winter Father while near to nonNyss. That the priests allowed humans to come in contact
with their god defied belief.

She hoped the Khadorans would make better allies. She

had heard enough during her travels south to know
Everblights deprivations had become a concern to these
northmen. The blighted perversions that had once been
Nyss had put many northern villages to the sword. In fact,
these attacks had forced her to observe greater caution
when nearing such afflicted regions, as the terrified
locals could not differentiate between true Nyss and the
corrupted monsters. When she learned that the bulk of
the Nyss refugees had found some welcome in Korsk, it
occurred to her she could perhaps restore her numbers

The Deathbringer and his shadows have

come to this city! He who crushes the
skulls of empty-eyed infants while their
mothers wail! He is drawn here, and
doom walks with him.
by traveling there.
She found her people amid the slums where they looked
woefully out of place. They did not greet her as warmly
as she expected. The Raefyll tribe, living on the far
fringes, had always engendered distrust, yet they warmed
to her after she shared stories of her shards travails.
She carefully did not mention her partnership with the
eldritch. Why are you here? she asked a priest who
seemed to have influence among the refugees.
The humans came to us, he explained. I do not know
why, but they offered sanctuary. We had gone too far
without food or shelter, so their aid was welcome. One
of the human faiths opened its arms. He shrugged.
They say it is their doctrine to assist those in need. We

10

The appalled look on her face made her thoughts clear

and turned the priest peevish. Do not look at me that
way, child! The humans know not what they help us
protect. To them it is simply a sacred block of stone, a
curiosity of a simple people. We have been careful in our
dealings. The last of the Maelwyrr Aeryn stand vigil.
The conversation left her feeling troubled, and she
quickly took her leave. Though kindly, she decided the
priest was a fool. It filled her with despair to reflect that
the strongest and wisest of her people had died fighting
the forces of Thagrosh in those early days of the upheaval.
On her way out of the Nyss ghetto, an older man
scrambled after her and called her by name. One of the
nearby women waved Cylena off as she turned. He is
mad, she insisted. A hermit we found and cared for. He
means no harm. Do not listen to his words, he makes no
sense. Cylena nodded to the woman but knelt by the old
man, intrigued.
He came closer and hissed, The Deathbringer and his
shadows have come to this city! He who draws screaming
souls from the rift and sheaths them in steel. He who
crushes the skulls of empty-eyed infants while their
mothers wail! He is drawn here, and doom walks with
him. Cylena felt a chill that raised the hairs on the
back of her neck. She knew precisely who the blind Nyss
described. The elders among her people said that the
blind sometimes possessed a different sight, their minds
open to true visions. Listen to me, child of Raefyll. In
times forgotten, the Winter Father sent emissaries to the
forest dwellers to deliver a treasure of lore so great it
might have ended our shared ills.
Cylena worked to follow this shift in topic, too fascinated
to pull away. The inheritors of Lyoss spurned our
people and bitterness fell between them, the old man
continued. This threatens to destroy us all! You can
bridge this divide. Find the one they call the Angel of
Retribution. Her people are here, in the smoking den
where outsiders linger. Go to them and seek him with the
face of lines. The Angel must know the Deathbringer is
here. Someone must stop him before it is too late. His
words faded, and he fell asleep in mid sentence.

He might have spoken nothing but the ravings of a

madman, but too much of what he said he could not
know. Cylena could not stop thinking about his words and
knew he must have seen some glimmer of truth.

outfits with loyalty to nothing but gold. She even heard

the hearty laughter of dwarves, likely a notoriously
bloodthirsty company from Horgenhold that she heard
had developed a taste for Llaelese wine.

She walked the crowded streets of Korsk asking Nyss and

those humans who understood where to find the place
and the man the hermit had described. She eventually
found a dark and dank, smoke-filled basement tavern,
shunned by the locals but visited by foreigners, where
strange music played and an unusual assortment of
outcasts lingered. Smoke stung her eyes and made
breathing a labor.

The strength of this host might have impressed her more

if she had not just seen the progress of Severius Northern
Crusade gathered north of this position. The ranks of
gleaming armor from the perfectly disciplined Knights
Exemplar and even the silently devoted throngs of zealots
had seemed to her the embodiment of a truly dedicated
army. Her peers looked like a disordered rabble.
Considerable tension had arisen between the Menites and
the Resistance in recent weeks, but this action had them
united for the moment.

She nearly fled, but a hand clasped her arm and pulled
her back. She reached for the short skinning blade
strapped to her thigh before she locked eyes with the
man. She paused. While neither Nyss nor human, she
could instantly telldespite his concealed featuresthat
he more closely resembled the former than the latter.
He took her to an enclosed table surrounded by a thick
curtain and unwrapped his face. His shaved head and
rugged features struck her as strange, similar to the Nyss
and yet distinctly different. Several thick scars, the marks
of many battles, crisscrossed his face. She knew him as
Iosan, the distant kin of the Nyss, and undoubtedly the
man the hermit spoke of.
I am Fes Elyssar. Your incautious inquiries make my
mission here more difficult. Why do you seek me?
She got quickly to the point. I was told to find the
woman you call the Angel of Vengeance. The words felt
awkward to her tongue, for she spoke the Shyr language
haltingly, and she feared she did not get them quite right.
She who hunts those born to power. She must come
here, quickly. She must bear witness to our plight.
The scarred elf tapped slender fingers on the table and
scrutinized her closely. That can be arranged, but first
I must know more. Who are you, and what has brought
you here?

Anastasia di Bray made her way silently through the

motley assortment of fighting men and women that
constituted the Resistance to find the warcaster who
had brought them together. Anastasia had rarely seen
so many patriots gathered in one place, and she found
it simultaneously inspiring and worrisome. Here waited
former members of the Llaelese Army, exiled sons
and daughters of executed nobles, stranded Cygnaran
soldiers who now called Rhydden home, remnants of
the High Royal Guard, gun mages of the Loyal Order
of the Amethyst Rose, and sell-swords from mercenary

Anastasia found Ashlynn DElyse checking the

deportment of her warjacks amid mechaniks hired to
keep the machines running properly. The two Rynnish
women ducked into a nearby field tent to talk and ousted
a Steelhead supply sergeant trying to catch a few winks.
Thanks for coming so promptly, Ashlynn began. I take
it you know the situation and the arrangement weve
made with Grand Scrutator Severius?
Yes, Anastasia replied cautiously. It makes me uneasy.
I think its a bad idea to bring that army into Leryn. We
have no assurances they will keep their word.
The warcaster smiled ruefully. Without them, we have no
way into Leryn at all. The Resistance has done everything
it can within the city, but the Greylords have the place
sealed up tight. Other than passing messages, our hands
are tied. This is our only chance. That city will be the
stronghold we need. Rhydden is indefensible from
Khador in the long term.
Anastasia looked unconvinced, but she remained
professional. How can I help?
We are locked into this partnership, but I do not trust
Severius either. We need a better idea of what he intends.
Go to him, and make your services available. I know he
lacks intelligence on the current state of affairs in the city.
He should jump at the chance to learn more.
He will fully expect Ill be reporting back to you,
Anastasia noted.
True, but in this case he will have no other better
options. He does not hold me in particularly high regard.
We are tools to him, but once paid for a tool is only worth
its price if it sees use...
...And once a tools purpose is finished, it is discarded,
Anastasia finished the thought.

11

Ashlynn smiled in approval. Just so. I am making

arrangements to ensure we are not so easily thrown away.
She leaned closer and said in a lower voice, We have
secret friends in Rhul.
Anastasia felt a sudden surge of respect and affection for
the warcaster and clasped her hand. Be careful in the
battles ahead. Llael needs you.
There is no Llael, Ashlynn reminded her. It is a
memory of a dream. Do as Severius bids and be cautious.
Do not deceive him; he can smell lies and half-truths.

How in blazes do they get used to this cold? A man in

gleaming armor attempted to huddle steel-clad arms to
his chest, his breath pluming.
Its not even winter. Just imagine what its like in those
mountains up north. An identically armored man flexed
the numb fingers on his right hand within his gauntlet.
The Morrowan Precursor Knights stood watch outside
the Katrinksa Cathedral in Korsk. Battle Chaplain Giles
Relford allowed them the indulgence of griping while at
their post from sympathy for their unusual assignment.
While first and foremost Morrowans, they were Cygnaran
born warriors on foreign soil forced to endure the hostile
stares and suspicious scrutiny of the locals.
Primarch Arius had sent them to this post, but the
knights did not understand the necessity of their vigil.
The Church currently provided sanctuary to a group
of northern refugees, understandable and certainly
admirable, but the Precursor Knights had a more specific
task. They stood guard against any forces of darkness
that might threaten this cathedral. Battle Chaplain
Relford insisted that the direct command of a holy
archon of Morrow had directed them here. No mortal
could comprehend the fullness of the Prophets plans or
His ongoing struggles against darker gods envious of His
domain and influence.
Katrinksa Cathedral lay adjacent to Stasikov Palace at
the heart of Korsk. The knights could see the palace
from where they stood. One of the most imposing
structures in western Immoren, Stasikov served as the
fortress-home of the recently self-proclaimed Empress
of Khador. No wonder that the locals believed the
Precursors had come as spies, given the proximity.
Agents of the Greylords Covenant had restricted
the knights movements to a small radius around
the cathedral. The kapitan of the palace guard had
enforced strict limits on the number of knights that
could patrol the cathedral grounds fully armed.

12

The waiting might have gone easier with a clear threat,

but the knights had difficultly imagining a more secure
location. Katrinksa, as the largest cathedral in Khador,
saw hundreds of visitors every day and thousands on
days of high worship. Any hostile force seeking to reach
its arched doors would need to fight through the Korsk
city garrison and withstand attacks by the personal
guard of the Empress stationed at the palace not two
hundred yards away.
As Relford had put it, Ours is a trial of patience.
Countless times angry relatives of those who had died in
battles against Cygnar accosted the Precursors. The shared
faith did not matter to such people. The Precursors had
no choice but to endure the scorn stoically.
Did you see that? Sir Edgers question shook Relfords
subordinate chaplain Canthor from his thoughts. Edgers
pointed across the open courtyard in front of the gas-lit
cathedral entrance to the shadows near a tall hedge.
No. What did you? Wait, yes something moved.
Chaplain Canthor pushed up the visor of his helmet to
peer at where a large shadow had crossed to the right. The
time had passed midnight. It would have been peculiar for
anyone to approach the cathedral at this hour, particularly
since the Korsk Vicarate Council was attending the
Empress at the palace. Step lively. Everyone stay alert,
Canthor ordered in a low but clear voice.
To their credit, despite months of inactivity, the men
responded crisply. They stepped forward into line,
held their shields marked with the shining sigil of the
Radiance of Morrow before them, and each readied the
blessed mace of their order. Likely nothing, but Battle
Chaplain Relford cut off as horrific figures burst from the
darkness in front of them.
Hulking dead creatures wearing spiked armor, wielding
axes, and enshrouded in writhing shadow charged
forward smoothly as if gliding on the darkness pouring
from their lower bodies. The undead crashed their axes
into the line of shields. The Precursors polished silvery
armor gleamed in the light of the gas lamps, but clinging
darkness dampened that light as the dead entangled
them. Several knights fell immediately to the cruel barbed
edges of those axes, but the rest stood firmly in formation
and shattered undead flesh and bone with blessed maces.
The nights chill took on a sickly and unnatural edge. The
knights found breathing difficult.
Battle Chaplain Relford chanted prayers praising the
Prophet and invoking the Lord of Light. Confidence
surged through his limbs as he waded into battle. Their
order prepared well to fight the walking dead. He had no
time to consider how they had arrived.

His hope ended when he saw what approached behind

the thralls.
A hulking, armored undead creature with eyes that
gleamed with an inner fire stepped forward. Smoke
poured into the nights sky from the pair of curved
stacks on its back. The creature carried a huge brutallooking cleaver, its bronzed frame inscribed with green
runes. Indistinct silhouettes strode on either side of
this creature, and they leaped forward with impossible
speed on spider-thin legs. Relfords prayers choked in
his throat.
The Stalkers tore Precursor shields free on either end
of the line and plunged the pointed tips of eviscerators
through gaps in armor. Goreshades ghastly smile was
the last sight several of the men had as Bloodcleaver
chopped into them. In seconds the line had shattered
and those who remained drew back around their banner
and their chaplain, faces wan. Relfords holy words no
longer comforted as the knights saw their death made
manifest. The vile creature hacked them down one by
one and took clear delight in their pain.

It ended so quickly it seemed a nightmare. Precursor

Harlus Vaneway lay against the stones at the foot of
the sweeping stairs, among the first to fall beneath the
piercing thrusts of the ghastly machines. He saw the
entire morbid spectacle from where he lay bleeding,
and his faith trembled and nearly shattered. He wished
for death to spare him the sight of the blasphemy now
inflicted on his brothers in arms.
It seemed the horrible creature had not noticed him. The
thing quickly chopped the heads from the dead with cold,
ruthless efficiency. It gathered these grisly trophies and
moved out of sight toward the cathedral entrance.
Why had they been sent here to be slaughtered like sheep?
This question plagued Harlus mind as his life seeped
onto the cold Khadoran marble. The Prophet would not
send them to their deaths for no purpose, yet Harlus
could find no reason. Just as his eyes began to close on this
miserable thought, he jolted awake. No. His voice came
as a whisper filled with resolve. He would not abandon his

13

faith, the pillar of his life, not at this final hour. The fact
that he yet lived must have meaning.
He looked toward the light of Stasikov Palace and
somehow found the strength to stand. He felt the world
sway, and dizziness almost overcame him. Leaning so that
gravity helped his steps, he staggered forward. Help,
he tried to shout, but it emerged as a whisper. He wove
almost sideways and trailed blood as he went. He focused
on Morrows light and tried to feel its warmth in his

The path is clear for us to strike at

the heart of Cygnar. Now is the time to
bring down the heretic king...
numb legs. He prayed to Ascendant Katrena for strength
for just a few more steps.
His face had the pallor of a corpse as he entered the
gaslight, and the palace guard saw him. The dead, he
gasped. The knights armor clanged loudly as he toppled
to the pavement. The guards overcame their surprise, ran
over, and discovered the gaping wound in his side. He
gasped with his last breath, Cryx comes, and pointed to
the cathedral. With that he slumped and knew no more.

General Adept Nemos subordinates waited for him in

the antechamber outside the private recovery rooms
and gawked at the looming architecture, stained glass,
and intricately carved columns of Archcourt Cathedral,
the heart of the Sancteum in Caspia. The glory of
the cathedral contrasted with the groaning of the
injured. The priests had converted much of the large
hall into a vast hospice. Nemo had told them little,
but they had learned of the grave injuries sustained by
Lord Commander Stryker. Those who knew what had
happened to him all expressed their doubts that the
warcaster would live.
With the Church on our side, I reckon we are destined
to win the war. The Menites cant recover their
wounded as quickly as we can, opined young Major
Les Mallerby, an enthusiastic Stormguard officer who
had accompanied Nemo south on his hasty trek from
Northguard. When not in battle, Mallerby served as an
aide overseeing the flood of paperwork that inevitably
followed a Cygnaran general.
The seasoned Trencher Captain Dalt Larvet grunted in
disagreement. Remember, they pushed us out of Sul.

14

The trip had been a welcome diversion to both of

them, particularly the comfort of traveling by train.
The immense distance and rugged landscape between
Northguard and Caspia had passed at dizzying speed.
Once arrived in Caspia, they had eagerly sought news of
recent fighting from their counterparts in the Second
Army, which proved easy since every solider in the city
seemed to talk of nothing else.
Mallerby insisted, Ive heard the Menites are contained.
Well be back in Sul soon enough.
General Adept Nemos return interrupted their
conversation. He appeared lost in thought, his brow
furrowed, and he did not look them in the eye. Mallerby
and Larvet exchanged glances. Nemos demeanor seemed
to confirm their worst fears. Neither had the nerve to
question the general as they marched from the cathedral,
certain that inquiries would intrude on a moment of
private grief. Nemo said nothing to either of them.
Possibly he had grown so used to their presence that he
had ceased to think of them as people.
As they made their way back toward the central garrison,
a messenger approached with some haste. He bore a
satchel bearing the seal of the Cygnaran Army. Urgent
telegraph message from Northguard for General Adept
Nemo! The notion of such messages transmitted by wire
remained a novelty worth savoring among the military.
As yet this new means of long-distance communication
connected only a few wired stations. The notion of almost
instantaneous contact between Caspia and the northern
theater was a boon they were still learning to appreciate.
Nemo shook off the distraction of his private thoughts to
seize the satchel and break its seals. He squinted at the
tightly scrawled script. Curse and damn it all! Did Irusk
sit there with a spyglass watching for me to leave? He
looked to his two aids as if recognizing their presence for
the first time. Northguard is besieged again. We were
hardly out of the Thornwood when Ravensgard opened
its gates. Morrow help us, I didnt think they could muster
a force so quickly.
Nemo considered a moment and then began issuing
orders. Larvet, track down Captain Jeremiah Kraye. I
believe hes based at Eastwall. Mallerby, contact Captain
Dominick Darius who should be fighting under Major
Brisbane. I need both of them to rendezvous and head
north by train. Theyll need every jack Caspia can spare.
I dont expect well get many, but every one will help.
Tell Darius to quit lollygagging and get the Thunderhead
cracking again. Ill talk to the Warmaster General
directly. Well go ahead of them. We must return as
quickly as possible.

Their resolve has been an inspiration, your Holiness.

They held the gates against several assaults, letting their
bodies be the bulwark against which the enemy crashes
Enough! Hierarch Garrick Voyle slammed an open
palm down upon the stone ledge in front of him and
caused those gathered to jump as the stone cracked. You
say they are stalled. I do not need your report softened or
their lack of progress excused.
The senior monk of the Order of the Fist addressing
Hierarch Voyle and the gathered visgoths of Imer
prostrated himself on the cold floor before the priests.
The Harbinger floated near him. The monk spoke again,
Forgive me, your Holiness. It is true they have made no
further progress into Caspia.
Visgoth Jasrun spoke, Yet Sul is reclaimed. A victory
worthy of rejoicing.
No. Voyles voice was harsh. The gates of Caspia stand
open, controlled by the faithful. The path is clear for us
to strike at the heart of Cygnar. Now is the time to bring
down the heretic king, to seize the Sancteum, and submit
its priests to the True Law. Reclaiming Sul is no victory. It
only reduces an earlier shame.
The Harbinger spoke, I will go to them to lend my aid.
Yes, you should be there, Voyle nodded agreement, but
you will not go alone. The knights and garrison of Imer
will also come, and I shall lead them.
At these words the visgoths stared in silent disbelief
at their hierarch. None of them dared to speak. The
Harbinger drifted closer to him, her voice as quiet as a
whisper, Remember the words of Sulon as he lay dying.
He said doom would befall any hierarch who entered
Caspia before the divided city is made whole.
Voyle spoke to her with greater patience than he would
have shown to anyone else. That prophecy holds no
weight. Too frequently my predecessors have used its
warning as an excuse for inaction. The time is at hand.
Only by sword and fire will Caspia and Sul be rejoined.
The visgoths hesitantly voiced their own objections, but
Voyle made a sharp gesture to silence them. I will not
wait in Imer as victory slips from our grasp. Menoth
summons me to war and I will answer His call. The
divided city shall become one and its people will prostrate
themselves or perish in flames. He faced the visgoths
and commanded, Gather the collective might of Imer,
and send word to Tower Judgment. When our forces are
ready, we march on Caspia.

The ruins of a nameless village in the northern

Thornwood, long since raided, burned, and plundered,
concealed the entrance to the upper caves. Hidden
behind a number of charred and easily moved timbers,
lay a large cave capable of accommodating the bulkiest
helljack. Mortenebra glided forward on her multitude of
legs into the tunnel, followed by her escort of bonejacks
and Harrowers.
The tunnels descended rapidly through a confusing hive
of switchbacks and dead ends, several of which concealed
sentries with the patience of the dead. The enormous
bloat thrall occupying one such passage raised its weapon
toward her until it recognized her as an iron lich. The
uninitiated would easily get lost in these tunnels, and
a few defenders could hold its chokepoints against any
larger force. A trace quantity of necrotite subtly marked
the proper way forward, invisible to ordinary mortal eyes,
yet as clear to Mortenebras sight as a beacon.
The lower caverns resulted from more careful
engineering, and the extensive metal support beams and
piping running along the ceilings suggested this facility
had operated for many years. Mortenebra recognized
cephalyx handiwork, particularly the odd specific angles
where the corridors met. From her time among the Cult
of Cyriss, which had long opposed the subterranean
race, Mortenebra knew that cephalyx preferred joins at
increments of fifty-five degrees to avoid right angles.
The air held a redolent reek Mortenebra knew well. The
complex smell combined putrescence, worked metal,
the heat of forges, burning oil, and noxious chemicals
mixed without care for the delicate sensibilities of mortal
respiratory systems; the odor of necrotechs at work.
A trio of dark figures robed in black that set off their
gleaming white skulls swept into the chamber to confront
Mortenebra. They offered her gestures of deference.
She inclined her head slightly and lowered the clawed
manipulators on her back in a pattern of recognition and
respect. The creature at the fore, wearing a hooded cowl,
spoke. Welcome, Master Necrotech Mortenebra.
Greetings to the Withershadow Combine. She turned to
each in turn, Maelovus, Admonia, Tremulous.
Lich Lord Asphyxious entered the chamber from the
opposite hallway, the gleaming green lens of his eye
briefly scanning along the trio. He clutched a weapon of
poweronce Lich Lord Daeamortusand his posture
suggested a certain agitation. A female shadow followed
closely behind the lich lord, one whom Mortenebra knew
rarely strayed far from Asphyxious side.

15

Mortenebra genuflected to Asphyxious, a complex

movement that involved the splaying of her many legs and
the unfolding of her arms and the manipulators behind
her. Even the wriggling vertebra that comprised her
black-iron spinal cord opened in supplication. Lich Lord
Asphyxious. I present myself to you in the name of Lord
Toruk, our master. Use me as you will.
The witch made a noise, clearly finding the connotation
amusing, but Mortenebra ignored this impertinence.
Asphyxious made a gesture that traced his personal
glyph in the air as a show of welcome. Master Necrotech
Mortenebra, thine arrival could not have been better
timed. Allow me to introduce Wraith Witch Deneghra.
His claw gestured to indicate his female shadow, who
offered a human curtsey and an insouciant smirk.
The witchs mannerisms created a note of disorder, but
Mortenebra had learned to ignore such mortal remnants.
She accepted the fact that most of her peers seemed
strangely reluctant to cast aside the anachronisms of their
former lives.
Mortenebra addressed him, Have the cephalyx been able
to exploit their access to these depths to open the way to
your lost temple?
Asphyxious tilted his head to one side as he scrutinized
Mortenebra. The Temple Garrodh is lost, sunk beyond
reclamation, and of no consequence. Its power is no
longer required. Let us speak now of the task I would ask
of thee.
How may I serve? I had hoped to view the extent of your
operations here and
Asphyxious held up a clawed hand, There will be time
for that after the nonce. First, there is a slaughter to
arrange. We must sow the seeds of ruin by ensuring
no stronghold exists where mortals may find succor
beneath the boughs of these accursed trees. Go forth with
Deneghra and intercept the reinforcements rushing even
now to provide deliverance. Thou wilt find them amid
the Bloodsmeath. Delay them as long as possible. Do not
concern thyself with victory, only delay.
As you wish. She hardly spared Deneghra a glance as the
wraith witch joined her, and they turned to make for the
surface. The retinue of helljacks and bonejacks following
after them doubled and then tripled as machines joined
them from the ancillary passages.

Supreme Kommandant Irusk walked the lines of massive

cannons brought forward for shelling the outer bulwarks
and trenches defending Northguard. The booming

16

guns on either side created an unrelenting thunder. The

central fortress, a castle in its own right, had elevation
on their side, and its massive cannon batteries outranged
even his pieces specifically manufactured for this assault
in the foundries of Korsk. The largest fortress cannons
remained constrained by certain angles of fire and their
inability to ascertain the exact positions of Irusks forces.
More dangerous incoming fire came from numerous
outer redoubts constructed to prevent easy approach.
Irusks artillery hammered on these star-shaped
fortifications, but their thick, steeply sloped walls
deflected direct artillery fire. The forts stood at various
intervals around the central fortress to support the rows
of deep trenches and associated bunkers from which
came the periodic report of return rifle fire as Irusks
snipers probed the lines.
His expert eye plainly saw that Northguard had not
entirely recovered from the last battle. Thick smoke along
the lines made accurate appraisals difficult, but the story
told in the number of unoccupied watch towers and the
empty bunkers which previously had bristled thick with
Trenchers and chain guns.
Irusk conducted a slower and more deliberate assault
than the last with a precise awareness of exactly what he
would face. He did not like to think of the lives spent
to gain this education, but he remained determined to
make use of every painful lesson. He generally preferred
to strike the enemy as swiftly as possible and exploit their
inability to adapt. He had revised this doctrine for the
first stage of his assault. Despite the High Kommands
propaganda that Northguard would fall easily, the
southerners had designed this fortress admirably and
defended it with soldiers every bit as dedicated and
skilled as his elite assault legions. He had to peel this
fortress layers each in turn like an onion. Confronting
them directly would only bury more of his countrymen in
the blood-soaked mud.

General Adept Sebastian Nemo and his retinue had

pushed hard to return to Northguard with all the haste
they could muster, a task made harder by the incomplete
rail lines through the Thornwood. Fortunately, the same
difficulties that slowed his pace and kept Northguards
supply lines ever troublesome also formed a serious
impediment to invaders. For several hours the Cygnarans
had heard the intermittent sound of great booming
cannons that proclaimed the siege well underway. At last
Nemos escort broke through one dense knot of trees and
saw the southern supply fortress, the last significant outer
redoubt protecting the main road.

As they hastened forward toward its sloping walls,

woodsmen and manhunters leapt out from ambush.
Rifles crackled and several Trenchers along the left side
of the road toppled to the dirt. Nemos Stormguard
moved forward to intercept as the remaining Trenchers
ducked down behind the nearest trees to return fire. The
accompanying squad of Rangers vanished swiftly into the
woods, their own rifles ready as they moved to find those
who fired on their exposed position.
Nemo felt naked without a single warjack at his side. His
haste required him to travel light and leave the walking
iron with Kraye and Darius. He took to the cover of a
massive, moss-covered boulder shoring up the earthworks
of a steep incline down to the road.
Looking up the slope, he saw a flitting shadow. A man
in furs leapt down the hillside through the trees toward
him with axes raised. Nemo calmly lifted his hand and
enveloped the would-be assassin in a pulsing surge of
lightning. Dispassionately Nemo watched the hulking
Khadoran fall, tumbling and twitching, and expire just
inches from the warcasters left boot.
After a few minutes, the ambush collapsed under
Cygnaran rifle fire, and they found their losses light.
Rather than a strongly organized war party, the
Khadorans seemed a sweeping scouting expedition
likely hoping to intercept supply wagons on the road.
Storm Lances rode out from the southern fortress and
exclaimed happily at the sight of General Nemo. The
generals party reached Northguard proper without
further incident.
Hagan Cathmore, Lord General of the First Army, Earl
of Bloodsmeath, and Lord of Northguard waited in the
entry hall to greet Nemo warmly. The middle-aged but
still hale nobleman dressed in the armor of the northern
Sword Knights. Nemo could tell from the dark lines
around his eyes that the man had not slept. Old friend,
Cathmore greeted him, you are a welcome sight. Im
glad you got our message. Id not thought to see you for
some weeks yet.
And leave you to wrestle Irusk by your lonesome? Never.
Nemo chuckled. Now that the excitement of the ambush
had faded, he began to feel his own weariness return. It
looks like neither one of us has gotten any rest.
And why should we, when theres work to do?
Cathmore drew Nemo closer and moved apart from
their subordinate officers, who gave them space. Away
from his men, the lord generals expression revealed the
worry that absorbed him. This assault by Irusk, I am not
sure we can weather it. We are nearly surrounded. Our
strength remains reduced. I dislike how much of the

outer trench works weve had to give up to them. The

winter fox has clearly learned the range of our cannons.
At times I think all we accomplish is wasting powder.
Nemo nodded, his own expression turned serious. I did
not expect to find them so near the southern fortress.
I had to pull the men closer in. We had Cryxian attacks
as well along the outer western edge. It almost seemed the
two forces worked together. As Cryx attacked the western
flank, Irusks new kommandos attacked the middle lines
near Lagger Creek, dividing them.
Nemo sighed. Irusk would not work with the dead, but
they are vultures and ever ready to exploit weakness.
Seeing the gloom in Cathmores eyes and the slump to his
shoulders, Nemo made an effort to sound more cheerful.
Have heart, my friend. We will beat them again, you and
I. There are still a few tricks up my sleeve.
Cathmore allowed himself a small hopeful smile and
raised an eyebrow. Oh?

This assault by Irusk, I am not

sure we can weather it. We are
nearly surrounded.
Weve got Captains Darius and Kraye coming swiftly up
the river with additional warjacks from Caspia. Not as
many as Id like, but I think it will suffice. They should
help us see this through.
That is excellent news. Cathmores relieved smile
made him seem a younger man. Here, I know you are
exhausted, but before you retire I wanted to show you
the most recent maps of their positions, as best as we can
determine. Nemo nodded and followed. He put aside
thoughts of a warm bed and worked to focus his mind.

Damn you, Irusk. Damn you to an eternity wandering

Urcaen! Vladimir Tzepesci swore under his breath at a
man hundreds of miles away. The sharp and jagged edges
of his sword Dominion dripped with gore. He swung in
great arcs of sweeping death with both hands. It shattered
armor, parted flesh and bone, and slew in screaming
agony men bearing the Menofix. He could feel a line
of blood trickle down his side from an earlier wound. It
was a cold and rainy day for battle. The grassy hills had

17

become blood-churned mud underfoot, and dark clouds

seethed above.

quickly as possible hoping to get to the walled city ahead

of them, but he had walked into an ambush.

Vladimir stood at the center of a tide of destruction.

Fighting at his side, the ancient Berserker Dragos
executioner axes had killed men beyond counting this
day. Two other Berserkers had earlier exploded like
tremendous bombs deep within the ranks of the enemy
from the exertion placed upon them. His Destroyer
held its own at the terminus of his left flank, but Knights
Exemplar surrounded it, enraged and emboldened by the
mounting casualties of their brothers in arms.

They used that first small force and an easy victory to

spur us on, he muttered. The greater force did not
reveal itself until the Khadorans could not escape. He
had hoped to divert the Menites back toward Khadoran
fortified lines, but the enemy reacted too swiftly. Counting
the Llaelese renegade, he faced three warcasters at the
least. He felt deep bitterness at the thought of the soldiers
Irusk had taken from him. Those men might have turned
the tide here. He thought of Sorscha.

To his left stood a battered but intact line of veteran Iron

Fangs and to his right a virtually impregnable wall of ManO-War Shocktroopers. His larger force of Uhlans and a
Drakhun, led by Viscount Barak Ushka, moved swiftly
back and forth to run down enemies trying to flank their
position. They had fought valiantly and soaked their
horses in Sul-Menite blood, but they were tired nearly to
exhaustion. Everything they engaged perished, but the
situation remained grim. A large number of their horses
had tried to cut off the enemy where the valley narrowed
only to run into a rebel warcaster and her ragtag army.
Several steam cannon blasts fired by Mules had disrupted

Vladimir caught sight of Grand Scrutator Severius and

his warjacks heading straight toward Vladimirs position.
Where Severius pointed his staff, fire and destruction
followed. Vladimir recognized the heavily armored
Menite marching near the scrutator as High Executioner
Servath Reznik. The enormous book carried on the
back of several supplicants drew Vladimirs eyes from
the warcasters. The sight of it filled him with a sense
of awakening dread. Surrounded by an entire choir of
chanting priests, the book seemed to shimmer golden
with a light that reflected the hidden sun.

Vlad felt something at the center of

his being twist in awe and amazement as
he beheld the grand scrutator infused
with the power of the Creator.
the charge, and out of the smoke had poured heavily
armored dwarves bearing massive hammers. He could see
the remnants of that force still battling far off to his right,
but he could not move to their aid.
Vladimir watched as a swiftly charging force of Exemplar
Vengers swept past. Ushka and the Drakhun crashed into
the leftmost knights like a moving wall of granite that
sent horses and riders toppling. The rest of the charging
line continued straight on into the defenseless mortar
crews firing into the ranks of the Menite army. Those
guns went silent as Venger lances impaled their crewmen.
Most of their Winter Guard and freshly trained Umbrean
pikemen had earlier routed and fled.
Vladimir rallied his remaining men and fought to a
position atop a rise where he could look down on the
valley below the mountains within which Leryn nestled.
The scope of the Menite army sprawled across the field
ahead beggared belief. He had marched his men as

18

The voices rose up in a chorus that boomed across the

valley with the strength of the thundering sky. Severius
stepped up to the book as its attendant bowed and backed
away. The ringing voice of the grand scrutator rose up,
By the litany of the Seal of Sorrows, bestow upon me
the Mark of the Lawgiver to guide the faithful who stand
in the wilderness of the faithless. Open the path to a
new dominion, and bring order where chaos reigns!
A whirlwind of dust and stone spun around Severius
and those nearest him as if they stood at the center of
a tornado. Vladimir thought he could hear a deeply
resonant tone from some unfathomable instrument, like
the ring of a deep gong impossibly sustained.
The churning clouds above their heads parted and a
pure beam of golden sunlight flashed down onto the
grand scrutator and the Covenant. The light fell upon the
Khadorans with curtains of flame. Men-O-War instantly
boiled in their armor. Vlad felt something at the center
of his being twist in awe and amazement as he beheld the
grand scrutator infused with the power of the Creator.
Lancets of fire poured forth from Severius mask as if the
essence of Menoth pierced the veils separating Caen from
Urcaen and peered through those mortal eyes.
Retreat! Vladimir Tzepesci shouted without hesitation.
He had no fear of his own death, but in those eyes he saw
the doom of all the men he led. Back! This day is lost!
They withdrew with surprising ease. As soon as they began
to pull back, the Menites broke off and did not pursue.

They turned instead to behold the golden glory of Grand

Scrutator Severius. He was lit by the sun shining through
the cracked clouds while rain and lightning smote the
earth around him and the wind howled. As Vladimir
urged his men away from the field, he saw the Menite
army kneel all at once as if of one mind. The sight turned
his blood to ice.

Captain Dominick Darius stood at the end of the main

road and looked into the fetid fen with a grimace. The
road literally ended here but not by any design of its
engineers. I recall the last time I was out this way, this
road went quite a ways further north, he remarked. He
could see the road pick up again for a few yards before
a series of sinkholes created a chain of deep ponds.
Around him raged the almost deafening buzz of forest
birds, insects, the croaking of frogs, and other less easily
identified sounds. So Kraye, got any brilliant ideas?
Captain Jeremiah Kraye sat astride his horse Malagant
and looked at the end of the road. Darius had grown
accustomed to during their journey the stoic expression
on Krayes weathered face. Looks like we should have
taken a boat all the way after all. Behind them stretched
a long line of wagons hitched to teams of draft horses
panting from hauling warjacks and ample loads of coal
and water.
Not with those Khadoran gunboats that the Corvis boys
say are patrolling the upper river, Darius said. They
had put their cargo on fast steamships up the Dragons
Tongue River to Corvis and then as far up the Black
River as the Corvis garrison intimated was possible before
encountering cannon-laden Khadoran river boats. Kraye
called the loss of the northern river a bad sign in the
sort of understatement that characterized his personality.
Kraye sniffed philosophically. We knew wed have to give
up hauling the jacks through this swamp sooner or later.
Darius sighed. I guess its going to be sooner.
Nemo picked us for a reason. Lets get these jacks
moving. About time, if you ask me. The pace of these
wagons was trying my patience. We can redistribute the
fuel and supplies to the horses. I know a good trail that
should have survived the recent rains.
Darius signaled back to the porters and mechanic crews.
Unload the jacks! Fire them up! And move like youve
got a gorax on your tail! The several small units of
young Trenchers and long-gunners accompanying them,
sent straight from training at Point Bourne, also went
scurrying. Kraye had contacted a southern post of the
Reconnaissance Service and obtained a squad of rangers

who had already proven their worth on the trip.

Kraye suggested, How about you get into that armored
suit of yours? Remember what happened the last time you
decided to muck about in your overalls.
Darius grimaced, and his hand went to the side of his
face. Point taken.
Moments after Darius sealed himself into his steam-armor
rig, the swamp around them went ominously silent. Every
insect, bird, and reptile suddenly stopped its racket and
left them with only the chugging of their steam engines
and the nervous whinnying of the horses.
Darius knew the Thornwood well enough to take that
as a bad omen. Okay people, look sharp! Kraye has the
lead. If you dont want to drown in mud, follow him and
do what he tells you. Ill be at the rear with the heavies.
He mentally directed the two Ironclads, a Centurion,
and a Defender to move out. The Thunderhead fell into
line without prompting. The only jack among them that
did not require traditional refueling, it had remained
active the entire trip. Its only material needs lay in
periodic replacements of the galvanic flow cells feeding
its massive storm chambers, each cell a sealed metal
canister containing layered zinc, brass, and copper strips
bathed in alchemical fluids. Across the mental link Darius
shared with it, he sensed again the crisp intelligence of
its superior cortex. The Thunderhead hardly needed any
direction at all and boasted an uncanny knack for doing
just the right thing at the right time.
Kraye had his carbine rifle in hand and stared out into
the murky darkness between the trees. He looked back
and nodded. Lets not leave Northguard waiting.
His retinue included two Chargers, two Hunters, two
Sentinels, and a Grenadier.
Darius directed the heavy jacks to follow the more solid
trail Kraye insisted lay only a short detour from the main
road. Now that the racket from local vermin had settled
down they could hear the sound of cannons, although
from this far away it sounded like the rumbling of a
distant storm.

Kraye had an exhaustive knowledge of Cygnars

wilderness areas, but one man can perform only so many
miracles. Despite their best efforts, the swamp began to
get the better of them as tenuously solid ground became
sucking mud. They kept the jacks in motion to fight the
constant slow sinking.
The light jacks fared better than the heavies, particularly
benefiting from Krayes masterful touch. Darius had

19

never seen jacks move with such life-like ease and

nimble steps. Darius poured his arcane energies into
his machines and pushed their articulated propulsion
to the limit. Kraye employed his own breed of magic to
tighten up the ground and lend each warjack a degree
of surefootedness, but it remained a trial. Darius rig
faced similar peril depending on where he stood since,
he carried nearly the weight of a light warjack. When he
could get solid footing, he used his steam-powered crane
to help pull the jacks loose.

the light warjacks leading his group. As he and the

nearest Hunters fired unerringly at the helljack, the
mud on either side of the trail erupted, and Helldivers
sprung forward to attack. One of these squat and alien
constructs threw its full weight into the nearest Charger.
The Cygnaran machine toppled back into the murk. The
bonejack followed up with its powerful jaws and tore
off large pieces of metal. Another surged toward the
nearest Ironclad and rammed into its leg with a shriek of
crumpling metal plating. Numerous shadows closed in.

Bad idea to travel at night, Kraye muttered, but the

cannon fire had not ceased and mens lives lay on the line
He urged his warjacks to greater speed.

Ambush! Kraye shouted, but rifle fire had already

commenced. The Sentinels chain guns whirred into
action and cut into the indistinct forms coming toward
them. Darius urged the Defender to fire at will. It
launched a shell into the Harrower crippled by Hunter
fire. Another Harrower skittered toward them oblivious to
the sucking mud. Darius compelled the second Ironclad
to intercept the bonejacks surging toward the nearest
knot of long gunners. He heard the distinct sound of

They heard a terrible shriek a pulsing white and green

light flashed between the trees and exploded into one
of the Trenchers near Kraye. A cloud of pure darkness
erupted and consumed the men standing nearest.
Harrower! Kraye yelled and raised his carbine to fire
as blue runes of arcane force swirled around him and

20

the Grenadiers grenades launching while Trenchers

hastened to reload it.
Darius lobbed a steam cannon shot toward one of the
helljacks approaching from the perimeter, but the
canister flew wide and sunk into the mud. He had to
stop and pull a Centurion from the muck with his crane.
Cursing under his breath, Darius labored to get it out of
the mire or at least prevent it sinking so far its heartfire
went out. He fortified the Thunderhead with a ring of
thick runes around its frame and sent it ahead to aid
Kraye, even as the cavalryman rode back and twisted in
the saddle to fire behind him. Lightning streaked out
from the Thunderheads coils and revealed dozens of
swiftly moving forms coming out of the darkness.
Several ghostly forms coalesced, including the floating
shape of a strangely crowned woman who carried a long
and cruelly curved polearm. Her movements possessed
a distinct sensuality despite the pallor of her flesh, and
Darius started as he recognized her as the ghostly witch
from the battle at the Temple Garrodh. Alongside her
stalked a creature of pure darkness that melted forth
from the shadows. Only as it approached him did Darius
recognize it as a Slayer gleaming with green runes. He
righted the Centurion and sent it ahead to block the
helljack. That monstrous machine charged past the
Centurion straight for Darius. The Centurion stabbed
with its piston spear, but the weapon passed entirely
through the Slayer. Despite Darius power field, the
helljack raked huge gaping gouges through his thick
armor. He felt startling pain as its claws penetrated the
flesh of his abdomen.

energy that filled the air with sudden light. Darius ejected
his half-jacks and sent them ahead to dig in and prepare
to explode. Fall back toward better ground! Get to the
rock wall! He directed his men and jacks toward the
relative shelter of a tumbled wall they had passed on the
road, the shattered remnants of some abandoned fort.
He waited for Krayes horse and their soldiers to get past
the line. Hope you didnt expect to reach Northguard
without some action. His warjacks lined up ahead of him
as a rumbling wall of steel.
Kraye offered the hint of a smile as he reloaded his
carbine, slammed its breech shut, and sighted down the
barrel at the approaching horde. Thats presuming we
reach Northguard at all. He looked out to where the
forest seemed almost to seethe with hostility. I wont
wager on our chances just now.
Darius triggered his mines and savored the sight of
Cryxian black steel raining down amid the blasted
landscape. The undead assault never slowed.
Kraye fired again into the darkness, and a shadowy
form pitched over into the muck. I do believe were
outnumbered.
The mechanik gave Kraye a sour look. You think? They
had no more time for words as both of them braced to
endure the onslaught.

The Ironclad nearest to him grabbed hold of the now

solid machine and hurled it into the mud. Unfortunately
the landing spot proved too shallow to threaten the
nightmares necrotite fires. Darius saw an even stranger
creature emerge from the gloom and cross the swampy
ground on a mass of metal legs. Its form suggested
feminine curves, but it had insect-like appendages. It took
Darius a moment to identify it as a Cryxian warcaster,
something far worse than a new type of helljack. Kraye!
Look out! Two more Slayers and an army of murderous
thralls with steam-powered fists poured from the shadows,
and the skirmish became a true fight.
The sound of Sentinel chain guns seemed like music as
they tore through two more bonejacks attacking on the
left. The Hunters sent armor piercing rounds into the
larger Cryxian machines, but only one of the approaching
Slayers toppled.
Darius sent his power into his gathered warjacks. The
Thunderheads coils fired a massive fan of electrical

21

NEW RULES
Affinities

Allies

Affinities are special abilities granted to some unique

warjacks when the warjack is part of a specific warcasters
battlegroup. The warjack gains the affinity when
controlled by any version of the warcaster listed in the
name of the ability. A unique warjack with an affinity
may be bonded to the warcaster listed in the name of
the affinity. The warcaster referenced always refers to the
warjacks controller.

Allies are faction models that can also be fielded with

mercenary contracts that include the line models that
will work for followed by the Allys faction. For example,
the Highborn Covenant mercenary contract may include
Mercenaries that will work for Cygnar, so Precursor
Knights (Cygnar Allies) can be taken in Highborn
Covenant contract armies. Allies are Mercenary models
when included in a mercenary army.

Cohorts
Some models grant abilities to other models of a certain
type in the same army. Models that gain abilities from
a Cohort rule retain them even after the model that
granted these abilities is destroyed or removed from play.

22

Epic Solos

Warcaster Attachments

Epic solos are variations of character solo models with

fresh abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Epic solos do
not replace the original solos upon which they were
based but instead offer players the opportunity to play
whichever version they prefer.

Warcaster Attachments are sidekicks or attendants that

follow a warcaster into battle. Before the start of the
game, the Warcaster Attachments controller assigns it to
a single warcaster. The Warcaster Attachment cannot be
reassigned during a game. Each warcaster may only have
one Warcaster Attachment. A warcaster attachment is
part of its warcasters battlegroup.

Because all versions of a solo are the same character, an

army or team may include only one version of a solo. Just
as a player cannot field two Bane Lord Tartarus models
in the same army, he cannot field both Eiryss, Mage
Hunter of Ios and epic solo Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
at the same time.
To reflect the nature of epic solos and to preserve game
balance, players may not include an epic solo in games
with an army point limit smaller than 750-points.

Imprints
Some warjacks have Imprints representing a partial
awakening of the warjacks cortex. A warjack with an
Imprint may activate the Imprint at anytime during its
activation by spending one focus point. A warjack cannot
use its Imprint while its cortex system is disabled.

Light Cavalry
Some cavalry models are designated as Light Cavalry.
They follow all normal Cavalry rules with the following
alterations. A light cavalry model may move up to its
current SPD in inches after completing its combat action.
A light cavalry model cannot be targeted by free strikes. A
light cavalry model cannot make Ride-By Attacks and does
not make impact attacks. A light cavalry model may make
initial attacks with its mount. When making additional
attacks, a light cavalry model may use its mount.

Tactics
Tactics are abilities granted to units by some Unit
Attachments. The unit retains these abilities even after
the model that confers them is destroyed or removed
from play.

A Warcaster Attachment is a solo model that activates at

the same time as its warcaster. A Warcaster Attachment
may perform its normal movement before or
immediately after the warcaster performs his normal
movement but before either model performs an action,
similar to the way that units activate. If a Warcaster
Attachment is not in melee or within 3 of its warcaster
at the start of the warcasters activation, the Warcaster
Attachment must run.
The warcaster and his Warcaster Attachment do not form
a unit.

Mercenary Contract Errata

Magnus Agenda Contract Army Composition
An army constructed under the Magnus Agenda
contract must include either Magnus the Traitor or
Epic Warcaster Magnus the Warlord. The army also
includes the warcasters battlegroup.
The army may also include Boomhowler & Co., Croes
Cutthroats, Gorman di Wulfe, Kell Bailoch, Orin
Midwinter, any Idrian models/units, and any Steelhead
models/units.
A single unit of Cygnar Trenchers or a single unit of
Cygnar Long Gunners may be included in the army.
This unit cannot be a weapon crew, nor can it include
attachments. The troopers in the unit are deserters.
They are considered to be friendly mercenary models
instead of Cygnar models.

23

Cygnar
Blackness. Momentary interruptions
of haze and pain. Each time his mind
struggled to the surface he felt like
a drowning man seeking air. At first
these moments of consciousness felt like
disconnected bubbles of time.
Coleman Strykers first memory after his clash
with Feora was awakening with his face pressed against
steel, dizzy enough to vomit if he had had anything in his
stomach. He watched with a horrible vertigo as the ground
passed below him and slowly realized Rowdy was carrying
him. Blood dripped into his eyes while smoke choked his nose
and lungs. Around him he heard the sound of roaring fire,
crackling wood, and screams of confusion. He recognized
gunfire and shouting as the world faded.

Pain. Arms strapped to a stretcher, struggling futilely to get

free. His arms. He could tell he lay in the Storm Division field
headquarters, a converted building near the wall of Sul and
his only home for the last year. A bustle of frantic movement
surrounded him, junior officers with anxious expressions
packing up everything they could carry amid a flurry of
shouted orders. Soldiers lifted his stretcher and carried him
out of the room. He tried to speak but could only manage a
rasp. There was a bad jolt as they rushed him around a corner
prompting a flash of pain and bright white light.

Dizziness. Nausea. He stared up at ornate frescos on a ceiling

very high above him, surrounded by the sounds of groaning
men. His ears told him he lay in a hospital, but the vaulted
ceiling made him think of a cathedral. He would eventually
discover both of these conclusions correct, but the dissonance
proved almost overwhelming at the time.
These sights grew more familiar over the passing days as
he faded in and out of consciousness with no regularity.
Sometimes he awakened at night, other times during the day.
At some point they moved him to a smaller chamber away
from the other wounded, a fact he noticed with regret. He
had felt better among his fellow soldiers.

Light. Shocked to consciousness by a shadow gliding through

the filtered sunlight that blinded his vision, he reached out to
grab the older mans arm. Where... His hoarse voice and
painfully dry throat failed him. The man leaned down to lift a
water flask to Strykers lips. He drank eagerly before speaking
again. Where am I?
The Sancteum. Stryker must have looked baffled since the

mans face softened and he lowered his voice as if speaking to

a child. This is the Archcourt Cathedral. The stranger wore
priestly vestments, and Stryker thought about last rites.
Am I dying?
Do not dwell on death, my son. We have done what we can.
The priest hesitated but seemed to decide on frank honesty.
By all rights you should be dead. Your back was nearly
broken. Many of your bones were shattered. Our ability to
heal these injuries is limited, and it will be slow. Our most
extreme intervention is only possible immediately after mortal
wounds are dealt. By the time they brought you to us it was
too late for that. Your body needs to do most of the work.
Rest in Morrows hands.
When at last he slept, he dreamed of the sensation of a hand
pulling a shroud over his face while he lay paralyzed, but he
offered no protest and welcomed the slow slide into oblivion.

Regret. Stryker opened his eyes to the last face he could have
hoped to see and immediately wished that he could return to
the numb embrace of darkness. He had to acknowledge at last
that indeed General Adept Sebastian Nemo sat by the bed,
and guilt welled within Strykers chest. Nemo? His tone
sounded disbelieving. Now I know I must be dying.
That was the rumor. Nemo sighed. They misled me.
Traveled all this way, riding on trains not even meant to carry
people, not good for a man of my age or condition, and now
they say you might make it through after all. Looks like I
could have stayed at Northguard.
Itd probably be better if the rumor was true. Strykers
words provoked a racking cough.
Nemos expression turned stony. Death in the face of despair
is surrender, a cowards escape. I expected better from you.
Stryker winced at his mentors words. You are right; dying
would not set anything right.
Nemo paused for a time. We have both known soldiers
turned meek while laid low who returned to their customary
bluster when recovered. I need to know that this turn is
genuine.
I will make no excuses. I have done terrible things. The
words came slowly, with labored breathing.
Thats true. And youre the only one who can fix them.
Strykers eyes conveyed the pain of the crumbling of a
mental wall he had erected to harden himself. How can I
fix anything? Ive dishonored my countrymen, my king, my
station, myself...you. I have no honor left.
Honor is not a shield, Coleman. It does not protect you.

25

Honor is a fragile beacon that guides our

actions. You must protect it.

It was always meant for you. It just wasnt ready yet. It

wouldnt fit me anyhow.

A poor protector I have been.

Seeing the armor made Stryker itch to get back in action

and reminded him of his confused memories on the heels of
his injury. I wish they would tell me whats going on. The
priests seem determined to keep me in the dark.

Stop that. Self-pity doesnt suit you, boy.

Leto had you brought here so you could
think. If thats the best you can do, you might
as well be dead. Morrow denied you the mercy of
a death in battle, and I do not believe the Prophet let you
live so you could rot in a dark room feeling sorry for yourself.
Its not that
Coleman! His old masters bark silenced Stryker. Nemo
paused and stared at the floor with blank eyes for what seemed
a long time as he carefully pondered his next words. Finally
he cleared his throat and his voice trembled, barely above a
whisper. I thought I lost you, son. Not to the Menites, but to
the corrupting horror of war. It eats at every man who ever
set foot on a battlefield. It gnaws at us all, and I have seen it
consume better men than you. But you beat it. Youve beaten
it and dont even know it, you mop-headed fool. Take strength
from that. I have. I knew I didnt train a tyrant. I know what
you did to land here. Theres good in you, and plenty more
where that came from.
Strykers voice ran thick with emotions he fought to contain.
I wont let you down again. I promise.
I know.
A knock on the door preceded two field mechanics entering
with Strykers armor set erect on a simple rack. Nemo waved
to the floor nearest the door, and they placed it there. They
bowed quickly to both the general adept and the bedridden
lord commander and took their leave.
Ah, one last object lesson. Again, Im sorry. What I said to
you outside Corvis
Dont be daft! I didnt bring this to solicit apologies. Youll be
doing plenty of that in the days ahead. I wanted to give you
something to motivate your recovery. While I was waiting for
you to awake, I made a few tweaks to work out some of the
problems. The solution came to me not long after you took
it. Wont have as much raw potency, but it should prove more
stable.
All this time youve known how to fix it?

King Letos orders. Nemos slight smile showed by the

movement of his white moustache. I believe he worried you
might get out of bed to rejoin the fighting unless he kept you
isolated.
I know we were pushed out of Sul, Stryker said as if he still
could not believe it.
That much is true.
But how did they get through our gates?
Nemo cocked his head and asked, What makes you think
they got through the gates?
Stryker sighed. The Archcourt Cathedral would not be
stacked with wounded if we were not fighting in the streets of
Caspia.
They launched a major offensive immediately after you fell.
From what I gathered, there was little your men could have
done to prevent it. The Menites attacked with everything
they had. They kept Major Brisbane tied up in the southern
quarter, and by the time he got back it was too late. They
drove your men across the bridge and past the arches before
seizing and destroying the main gate mechanisms.
And now? Where do things stand?
Its a stalemate. Siege has kept them bottled up in the Black
River Courtyard, but they have a solid defensive position
using the interior walls against us. Everyone is playing a
waiting game right now. I believe Lord General Heltser is
preparing an offensive to reclaim the gatehouse. The Second
Army will see it through. Wish I could stay to join the fight,
but they need me back on the northern front.
They sat in silence for a long time but a far more
comfortable silence. At last Stryker felt Nemos hand on his
shoulder and looked up to see the older man standing to
leave. Ill let you rest. You have recovering to do. Siege said
the men were asking after you; Ill tell them youre still on
this side of Urcaen. Make me proud, son.

Well, it was just a theory until I put it in practice. Nemo

chuckled. You could have brought it back anytime.
This more than anything else humbled Stryker, and he
understood the message. Cant say I wouldnt be more
comfortable in my old steam armor, but if you think itll work
now, Ill give it a try. You sure you wouldnt prefer to keep it?

26

Stryker awoke to sounds he recognized as the dull thuds of

explosions. His body remained a mass of pains and aches, but
they did not feel as urgent. He forced himself to rise from the
bed. This prompted a dizzy spell, but he soon found he could

stand if he ignored the shooting pain in his back. He tested

his weakened legs by walking across the room.

exarch nodded and transcribed Strykers next words upon

the parchment with quick, economical strokes.

Not long thereafter the door opened and a priest entered

wearing more ornate attire than the others. He started in
surprise to see the Lord Commander inspecting his armor.
This priest bore an oak staff wrought with silver and topped
by the Radiance of Morrow. His other hand held a stack
of parchment and a fountain pen. A thick silver bracelet
inscribed with swirling looping patterns encased the mans
entire right forearm, an exarchs distinct emblem of service.
Lord Stryker? You shouldnt be out of bed yet. His voice
had a subtle Llaelese accent.

With that business taken care of, Stryker asked, What

happened to break the stalemate? How did the Menites regain
the upper hand?

Stryker at last recognized the man. Exarch Dargule?

Though they had little contact, Stryker could not have
recognized any other exarch by sight. King Leto occasionally
invited Exarch Dargule to war councils since he served as
the unofficial head of the Churchs information network.
The priest leaned his staff against the wall so he could shake
Strykers hand, and the warcaster waved the priest to the
chair. I cant stay in bed forever. It sounds as if there is
fighting closer in Caspia now.
Exarch Dargule nodded. Yes, I am afraid so.
I was given the impression we had them contained.
Dargule sighed. Things have taken a turn for the worse.
There is fighting in the streets, but the garrison holds.
Reinforcements from Eastwall should arrive soon. We will
ensure the Menites never reach the Sancteum.

Word has it Hierarch Voyle has arrived from Imer with all of
the forces once kept back to guard their capital.
Voyle is here? Stryker forgot his weariness.
Dargule shrugged. No one has seen him. I expect he is
at the temple in Sul, but Visgoth Rhoven is here, fighting
alongside Grand Exemplar Kreoss and the Protector of
Flame. Word of the hierarchs arrival sent the zealots into
a maddened frenzy. They broke the containment of the
courtyard and began to seize gatehouses along the inner
walls. They have laid siege to the Strategic Academy. Castle
Raelthorne is still safe. This reassurance sounded hollow.
Likely I should not have told you even this much.
The lord commander could feel every muscle in his body
aching. His back burned in constant agony, but his mind
filled with images of Menites rampaging through Caspia. He
gritted his teeth and looked at his armor again. He asked,
Can you help me put this on? The priest shook his head at
Strykers stubborn resolve but acquiesced.
Now, Stryker asked, already feeling better as the voltaic coils
charged to life, where is my sword?

How long have I been here?

Almost six weeks. Seeing the outrage and surprise on
Strykers face he added, A short time, given the extent of
your injuries.
Stryker scrubbed his face with his hands and crossed to his
armor. I must go see to my men.
You will do them no service as you are. There are others
defending the city. Allow them the honor to buy you the time
you require to mend.
Stryker unclasped the breastplate of his armor and winced
as he almost dropped it. His muscles had clearly atrophied
during the bed rest. I cannot wait here while the city burns.
The exarch sighed, but it seemed clear the lord commander
had no desire to heed priestly advice. Dargule raised his pen
and asked, The attending priest said you wanted a witness
and a scribe? He smiled as if entertained by serving as a
clerk.
Yes. There are important matters to put in motion. After
you transcribe them Ill need to have orders sent south by a
fast ship. Would you be willing to attend to the details? The

27

general adept sebastian nemo

That our enemies tremble at the sound of thunder and fear the flash of lightning is the legacy of one man, and his name is Sebastian
Nemo.
King Leto Raelthorne, approving the Warmaster Generals request for promotion

General Adept Sebastian Nemo has given three lifetimes

of service to his nation. He has fought in Cygnars wars
for nearly fifty years, dealt with the loss of his wife and the
estrangement of his daughter, and witnessed the deaths of
countless brothers in arms. Despite these sacrifices and his
weary old bones, Nemo still answers dutys call.
The promotion of a warcaster to general during peacetime
often served as a prelude to retirement. The honorific
bestowed upon a veteran commander after decades of service
provided a chance to quit the field and leave the next battles
to the young. Sebastian Nemo has defied this tradition. His
promotion demonstrates that his nation needs his leadership
on the front lines now more than ever. So long as he has

the strength to lift a weapon and his warjacks heed his call,
Sebastian Nemo will never quit the battlefield.
Some of the men complain that Nemos temper has turned
more acerbic in recent months, a feat hard to credit.
Whatever his temperament, the generals mind remains at
its peak. No one can match Nemos deep and fundamental
understanding of warjacks and the voltaic technologies
empowering Cygnars greatest weapons. His schematics
race decades ahead of peers content to slowly refine older
technologies. Sebastian Nemos intellectual leaps have
created new power sources and provided unanticipated
innovations in warjack cortex and weapons technology. The
most brilliant minds of other nations continually struggle
even to understand Nemos simplest creations as his genius
moves on to the next level of invention.
Many of Nemos fighting techniques and tactics evolved
from the period when he served as a respected warcaster
leading a brigade of the Third Army against the Cryxian
menace during the reign of Vinter IV. Nemo learned to
wrestle with an elusive enemy capable of striking anywhere,
and these tactics served him well when he aided Prince Leto
in overthrowing his tyrannical brother. Recent years have
seen Nemo on the northern front, and the battles
against Khador have prompted him to rethink his
tactics. Accustomed as an inventor to tearing

28

Cygnar EPIC Warcaster Character

up old schematics and starting fresh, Nemo has taken the
same approach to his methods of war.
Nemo fell from the summit of the Orgoth temple of Garrodh
during the recent battle and suffered trauma that necessitated
his return to Caspia alongside the wrecked Thunderhead. It
seemed appropriate that they should recover together, and
Nemo supervised repairs to his masterpiece even as others
attended to his severe internal injuries. He also found the time
to implement other significant projects, the fruits of which
have not yet fully come to light.

Khador withdrew, but this proved a short reprieve. Now they

knock again on the gates of Cygnars mightiest northern
fortress, and Nemo knows Gurvaldt Irusk comes to deliver a
reckoning. Even knowing the odds are against him this time,
the general adepts resolve remains firm. Prepared to utilize
every stratagem and trick learned from a lifetime of soldiering
to make Khador pay dearly for every inch of Cygnaran soil,
Sebastian Nemo stands as an inspiration to his men, a legend
to every mechanic lifting a wrench, and a god to the smiths of
storm who see in his eyes the promise of the lightnings wrath.

War does not allow men like Sebastian Nemo long rest. The
War Council returned him to active duty just in time for the
now famous Relief of Northguard. Nemo reminded the weary
defenders and confidant attackers just what impact Cygnaran
jacks could deliver. Without Nemos iron giants and his ability
to push them past their normal limits, the fortress would have
fallen months earlier.

Focus 7

5 4 5 5 14 16
Galvanic Bolt
RNG ROF AOE POW
10 1 13

Feat: High Voltage

Tactical Tips
Remote Activation: This just means Nemo does not have to
be in base-to-base contact with a warjack to reactivate it. This ability
changes no other rules.
Pulse Lightning: Apply the damage all at once.
System Bypass: If System Bypass expires on a warjack that has
lost three systems, that warjack immediately becomes disabled.

SPELL

COST RNG AOE POW

UP

OFF

Energizer
*
Self CTRL
Nemo spends one to three focus points when this spell is cast. Models in his
battlegroup currently in his control area may immediately move up to 1 for each
focus point spent. Energizer may be cast once per turn.
Force Field
3
Self CTRL
-
X
Nemo does not suffer blast or collateral damage and cannot be knocked down.
When an enemy AOE ranged attack deviates from a point in Nemos control
area, after the deviation distance has been rolled Nemos controller chooses the
direction the AOE deviates.
Lightning Shroud 2
6
-
-
X
When target friendly Cygnar model directly hits a warjack with an attack, the
model hit suffers Disruption. When the affected model hits an enemy model
with a normal melee attack, lightning arcs to and automatically hits the nearest
enemy model within 4. That model suffers an unboostable POW 10 damage
roll. A warjack suffering Disruption loses any unused focus points and cannot be
allocated focus points or channel spells for one round.
Polarity Shield 2
6
-
-
X
This spell targets a friendly model/unit. A model affected by Polarity Shield
cannot be targeted by charges or slam power attacks made by a model that began
its normal movement in the affected models front arc.
Pulse Lightning 3
10
-
11
A model hit by Pulse Lightning suffers d3 damage rolls.

System Bypass
3
8
-
-
X
Target warjack in Nemos battlegroup does not suffer the effects of disabled
systems. The affected warjack is not disabled until four or more of its systems are
disabled. When cast on a disabled warjack that has lost three systems, the warjack
is no longer considered disabled.
Voltaic Strike 3
8
-
14
X
Models within 1 of target enemy warjack suffer a damage roll equal to the
warjacks current STR. Models damaged by Voltaic Strike suffer -2 SPD for
one round.

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

General Adept Sebastian Nemo boasts supreme mastery

over the voltaic energies provided by the thrumming coils
of his warcaster armor. Where once he unleashed a
random disruptive explosion, he has refined these energies
to provide a precisely controlled surge channeled straight
into his warjacks cortexes. Nemos empowered warjacks
advance in perfect coordination to unleash a crushing
offensive strike.

Fulger
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 7 11
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

14
C
5
84
Small

Warjacks in Nemos battlegroup currently in his control area each receive up to 3

focus points. A warjack cannot have more than 3 focus points as a result of High
Voltage.

Nemo
Arcane Amplifier - Nemo gains +1 STR for each unspent focus point on him.
Automatic Regenerator - At the beginning of his controllers Control Phase,
Nemo removes d3 damage points.
Cohort: Expert Forecasters - Stormsmiths included in an army with Nemo
have Stormcall [9] and gain +2 on Stormcall damage rolls.
Focus Matrix - Nemo can allocate focus points during his activation.
Additionally, once per turn during Nemos activation, his controller may remove
focus points from warjacks in his battlegroup in his control area and place them
on Nemo. Nemo cannot exceed his current FOC stat in focus points as a result of
Focus Matrix.
Remote Activation - Nemo may forfeit his action to reactivate one inert
friendly Cygnar warjack in his control area.
Warjack Bond - One warjack, which can be a unique warjack, in Nemos
battlegroup may begin the game bonded to him. Nemo can allocate up to 5 focus
points to this warjack. When Nemo suffers damage from an enemy attack while his
bonded warjack is in his control area, immediately after the attack has been resolved,
the warjack may move up to its current SPD in inches.

Galvanic Bolt
Tractor Field - A warjack directly hit by Galvanic Bolt cannot move and suffers -4
DEF. While within 3 of the affected warjack, warjacks cannot run, charge, or slam
and can only move directly toward the affected warjack. Tractor Field lasts for one
round.

Fulger
Reach - 2 melee range.

29

Captain jeremiah kraye

That man brings single-minded determination and dogged persistence to any fight. He will find the enemy, engage, and overcome.
Major Markus Siege Brisbane of Captain Kraye

In previous centuries, the sound of galloping

hooves on the battlefield heralded salvation
or doom. The proud riders of heavy horse
retain their reputation for turning the tide of
battle, but the modern battlefield boasts the
more fearsome sound of warjacks shaking the
earth underfoot. Captain Jeremiah Kraye of the
Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service blends these
old and new fighting disciplines into a personal
doctrine of rapid, devastating assault. Kraye prefers
to strike against an exposed flank or to harass an
enemys reinforcements, and he instills his jacks with
unprecedented mobility and crushing momentum.
Jeremiah Kraye comes from a long line of
Cygnaran officers. His father Sheridan retired
as a respected colonel, and history records
Jeremiahs grandfather Nathan as one of
the finest generals to serve King Vinter
III. Kraye continued this tradition
by graduating with the highest
honors from the Strategic
Academy and entering the
Cygnaran cavalry. His
early career coincided with
the Scharde Invasions,
but he did not join in the
fighting. He served instead
with Cygnars border
defenders, whose heroism
the war with Cryx has largely
overshadowed.
As Cygnar allocated more and more
forces to the Broken Coast, fewer and
fewer soldiers had to guard the hundreds

30

Cygnar Cavalry Warcaster Character

of miles of borderlands. The cavalry proved vital, and Kraye
demonstrated he had the mettle to deliver blows the enemy
would not soon forget. He learned how to make due with
whatever supplies and resources the army could provide, and
relied on foraging just to survive. Kraye learned to make best
use of lighter warjacks as the heavier machines shipped south
for the coastal wars. He always found a way to achieve victory
against all odds.
In a move that did lasting damage to his career, Kraye
resigned his commission in 589 AR after Vinter Raelthorne
IV incarcerated Krayes uncle for treason. This was at the
peak of the Inquisitions power, when they could arrest and
execute any man speaking out against the king. Not until
after the overthrow of the tyrant and the rise of Leto did
Kraye return to active duty. His return came at the urging
of Scout General Bolden Rebald in 595 AR, at which time
Kraye avenged his uncle by running many Vinter loyalists to
ground. He joined the Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service and
brought his extensive experience along Cygnars borderlands
to that fledgling organization. With Cygnars defenses once
more stretched thin, the Warmaster and Scout General kept
Captain Kraye busy leading men from one battlefield to the
next.
Kraye is an outspoken man of intelligence and education.
His refined breeding shows through despite his dusty and
road-weary appearance. He enthusiastically debates tactics
or strategy but has no patience for politics and claims no

Tactical Tips
When Kraye makes a Ride-By attack, he can cast a spell before
moving or after completing his movement, but he cannot cast a spell
during the Ride-By.

SPELL

COST RNG

AOE POW

UP

OFF

Arcane Barrage 3
8
3
13
X
Models/units hit suffer -2 CMD and cannot run, charge, or perform special
attacks for one round.
Easy Rider
3
Self CTRL
Friendly Cygnar models/units currently in Krayes control area ignore movement
penalties from, and may charge and slam across, rough terrain and obstacles
during their activations. Easy Rider lasts for one turn.
Full Tilt
2
6
-
-
X
Target warjack in Krayes battlegroup doubles its SPD during its normal
movement. The affected warjack cannot make ranged attacks.
Guided Fire
2
Self CTRL
-
Models in Krayes battlegroup currently in his control area gain boosted ranged
attack rolls. Guided Fire lasts for one turn.
Hot Pursuit
2
8
-
-
X
X
Immediately after target enemy model/unit ends its normal movement, a model
in Krayes battlegroup in his control area may move up to its current SPD in
inches.
Mage Sight
2
CTRL
5
-
Place a 5 AOE completely within Krayes control area. Models in Krayes
battlegroup ignore forests and cloud effects when drawing LOS to models in the
AOE and ignore Camouflage, cloud effects, concealment, cover, Invisibility, and
Stealth when making ranged and magic attacks targeting models in the AOE.
This spell lasts for one turn. This spell may be cast once per turn.

ambition to higher rank. He has a unique rapport with his

trusted and expertly trained war-horse named Malagant
who responds with almost empathic awareness to his riders
will. Malagant heeds subtle shifts in weight and pressure as
instructions to rear up and shred enemies with strikes of his
iron-shod hooves.
Kraye requires no accolades or praise for his service to the
army and King Leto, only the opportunity to lead his jacks
to war and deliver swift retribution against Cygnars enemies.
Officers who have fought beside him claim Kraye can find the
best fighting ground anywhere along Cygnars borders, which
he roams as a tireless and vigilant guardian. He needs only his
horse, his warjacks, and soldiers courageous enough to plunge
into peril when he sounds the charge.

Focus 6

Feat: Horsepower
Jeremiah Kraye can send forth a wave of charged energy to
the warjacks around him that infuses them with his own
predilection for mobility and grants toppled jacks the strength
to stand. They follow Krayes lead in a thunderous assault
across the battlefield that grinds anything caught in their path
into the mud.
Friendly knocked down Cygnar warjacks
currently in Krayes control area may
immediately stand up. Friendly Cygnar
warjacks currently in Krayes control area may
immediately turn to face any direction. Affected
warjacks may charge at SPD+5 without
spending focus during their activations this turn.
Melee attack rolls made by affected warjacks are
boosted. Horsepower lasts for one turn.

Kraye
Expert Rider - Kraye cannot be knocked down.

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

8 6 6 6 14 17
Radcliffe Carbine
RNG ROF AOE POW
13 2 11
Bitter End
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 12
Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

10
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

18
C
5
87
Large

Intelligence - Krayes controller gains +1 on

the Starting Roll to determine the order of deployment and play.
Iron Horse - Warjacks in Krayes battlegroup gain Cavalry model rules. Light
warjacks in Krayes battlegroup gain Light Cavalry model rules and can run
without spending a focus point. When a heavy warjack makes an impact attack,
use the models current STR for the POW of the attack. The melee range of
impact attacks is 1/2. Warjacks may spend focus points to boost impact attack
and damage rolls.
Pathfinder - During his activation, Kraye ignores movement penalties from, and
may charge across, rough terrain and obstacles.
Reposition - When Kraye destroys an enemy model with a non-impact melee
attack, after the attack is resolved he may turn to face any direction.

Bitter End
Brutal Charge - Kraye gains +2 to Bitter End charge attack damage rolls.
Parry - Kraye cannot be targeted by free strikes.

31

THORN
Thorn is not just a machine. It is an extension of my will. You can borrow it, but I will require your right leg as collateral.
Major Victoria Haley to Lassiter Polk of the Cygnaran Armory

Height/Weight: 91 / 3.25 tons

Armament: Disruptor Spear
(right arm), Shock Shield (left
arm), Grade IX Arc Node
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 410
Lbs / 10 hrs general, 1.5 hrs
combat
Initial Service Date: 601 AR
Cortex Manufacturer: Fraternal
Order of Wizardry working with
the Cygnaran Armory
Orig. Chassis Design: Cygnaran
Mechaniks Coalition at the Royal
Cygnaran University

32

Cygnar unique light WARJACK

Even the most skeptical wizards of the Fraternal Order admit
there is something exceptional going on in the cortex of this
Lancer for it to demonstrate intelligence so considerably
above normal. Given Major Haleys prodigious arcane talents,
it seems likely Thorns singular capabilities result from nearly
continuous exposure to her and in particular the countless
times she has channeled her powerful magic through its
arc node. Experts on cortex development at the Strategic
Academy theorize the strength of Haleys mental influence
has imprinted additional arcane connections on the intricate
machinery and burned in myriad new pathways its creators
never anticipated. The only jack Haley has retained from her
impetuous first years in the service fighting Cryx along the
Broken Coast, Thorn has stayed at her side for virtually her
entire career.
Thorns transformation into one of the most efficient jacks
in Cygnars arsenal did not happen overnight. In several
battles, both Cryxian and Khadoran forces nearly battered
Thorn into an almost unrecognizable heap. Haley felt a
special connection to its cortex and made it a priority for
her mechaniks to salvage and rebuild the jack on each
occasion. She immediately noticed a dramatic improvement
in subsequent combat behavior, a demonstration of Thorns
singular ability to learn from its mistakes. Haley pushed for
additional technological improvements to the jacks chassis as
part of these reconstructions to expand Thorns capabilities.
The most recent rebuild included an experimental reaction
drive that utilizes a high-end accumulator and reflexive trigger
relay to translate overflow arcane energy into motive power.
So long as Thorn regularly receives channeled spells, it can
perform short bursts of exceptional speed. Thorns reaction
drive allows it to deliver Haleys magic exactly where she
needs it the most and then reposition itself behind cover to
avoid incoming fire. This has made pinning Thorn down in
combat almost impossible.
A number of mechaniks at the Cygnaran Armory hope to
use Thorn as a prototype for the next generation of arc node
technology but have found their efforts frustrated. Warjacks
with less refined cortexes cannot operate the reaction drive,
and the overflowing arcane power often causes an overload
explosion of the delicate arc node. These researchers have
demanded that the Warmaster General requisition Thorn
for closer inspection, but the importance of Major Haleys
presence on the front lines has kept the jack out of their
hands. Haley has flatly refused to allow Thorn to leave her
side and would never endorse its disassembly by curious
gearheads.

Thorn
Affinity (Haley): Combat Channeling Haley can channel spells through Thorn while
Thorn is engaged.
Arc Node - Thorn may channel spells.
Disengage - Anytime other than its activation
that an enemy melee attack misses Thorn,
Thorn may move up to 2. During this
movement, Thorn cannot be targeted by free
strikes.
Imprint: Clarity - During its activation,
Thorn may spend one focus point to use
Clarity on an enemy model within 8. Thorns
controlling warcaster ignores intervening
models, Invisibility, and Stealth when making
magic attacks against the affected model. Clarity
lasts for one turn.
Reaction Drive - Once per turn, immediately
after Thorns controlling warcaster casts a spell
channeled through Thorn, Thorn may move up
to its current SPD in inches.

Disruptor Spear
Disruption - Warjacks hit by the Disruptor
Spear suffer disruption. A warjack suffering
disruption loses any unused focus points and
cannot be allocated focus points or channel
spells for one round.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 8 6 5 13 16

18
L

Shock Shield
SPECIAL POW P+S
Shock Field 1 9

Disruptor Spear
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 13
1

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

C
3
93
Medium

Reach - 2 melee range.

Set Defense - Thorn gains +2 DEF against charge and slam attacks
originating from its front arc.

Shock Shield
Shock Field - If Thorn hits a warjack with the Shock Shield, or if
a warjack hits Thorn with a melee weapon and its Shock Shield is
not disabled by the attack, its opponent takes one damage point to its
first available Cortex system box. When Thorn attacks with the Shock
Shield, mark this damage before rolling damage.

To bolster its ability to evade opposing jacks, Haley had

Thorn outfitted with a disruptor spear, which it has used to
fend off jacks three times its weight. Thorn behaves with
almost reckless aggression in battle as if it enjoys taunting
the enemy to try to catch it while it rushes forward. Haleys
soldiers believe its willingness to go for the throat comes
directly from the warcaster herself.

33

ol rowdy
That jack of Strykers is as stubborn as a mule, but it puts up one hell of a fight.
Captain Dominick Darius

Height/Weight: 123 / 6.75 tons

Armament: ESI Quake
Hammer (left arm), Buckler
(right arm)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 650
Lbs / 8 hrs general, 1.5 hr
combat
Initial Service Date: 557 AR,
Refitted 604 AR & 606 AR
Cortex Manufacturer:
Fraternal Order of Wizardry
Orig. Chassis Design: Engines
East

34

Cygnar unique HEAVY WARJACK

The image of Lord Commander Stryker fighting back-to-back
with the jack affectionately named Ol Rowdy has indelibly
imprinted itself on the minds of those who fight under the
banner of the Cygnus. Rowdy looks like any Ironclad at
first glance, but the eye notices the many decorations and
honors marking service in numerous wars, the massive plates
adorning the warjacks shoulders and right arm, and the bulk
of its extra smoke stacks. It is as much a simple Ironclad as
Coleman Stryker is a simple Cygnaran warcaster. Rowdys
eyes smolder with the eagerness to charge into the heart of
the battle and reduce anything in its path to scrap.
Ol Rowdy has five decades of service under its chassis. It hails
from the first generation of Ironclads hammered together
at the Cygnaran Armory. Many of the jacks produced that
year possessed an unfortunate flaw in their cortexes that only
emerged in the pressure cooker of battle. Not until after years
of fighting with distinction during the Scharde Invasions did
the ornery temper that would characterize Ol Rowdy come
to the fore. Of all the personality quirks a warjack might
develop, warcasters and commanders consider the habit of
charging into battle without mental prompting or verbal
command among the worst.
A jack found to have this type of flaw generally has its
cortex wiped clean, but Rowdys service record caused the
mechaniks to take a risk and leave it unaltered. Few veteran
jacks survived the war, and each boasted valuable combat
experience impossible to replicate. Eventually commanders
decided to retire Rowdy to serve in the training of young
warcasters at the Point Bourne Strategic Academy. Rowdy
served in this capacity until a twenty-one year old Lieutenant
Coleman Stryker received the jack as a test of skill during his
journeyman tour. Strykers instructors thought that he would
learn humility from Rowdy, but Stryker enjoyed the machines
spirit and will to fight.
In recent years Stryker has invested a large portion of
his officers wage in this warjack, most significantly in the
dynamic capacitor controlling layers of redundant coiling and
system bypasses that allow Rowdy to fight at full effectiveness
even after enduring spectacular damage. Stryker has lost
count of the number of times Ol Rowdy has saved his life, as
often by interposing itself in harms way as by simply refusing
to stop fighting no matter how much punishment it takes.

Ol Rowdy
Affinity (Stryker): Protective - When
Stryker is screened by Ol Rowdy, Stryker gains
an additional +2 DEF from magic and ranged
attacks. Attacks that ignore screening also ignore
this bonus. While in base-to-base contact with
Ol Rowdy, Stryker gains +2 DEF versus melee
attacks and cannot be knocked down. While in
base-to-base contact with Stryker, Ol Rowdy
does not move when slammed.
Counter Charge - Ol Rowdy may charge an
enemy model that ends its normal movement
within 6 and LOS of Ol Rowdy. Resolve this
charge immediately after the enemy model
completes its movement. If Ol Rowdy makes
a counter charge, it cannot make another
until after its controllers next turn. Ol Rowdy
cannot make a counter charge while engaged.
Dynamic Capacitor - When Ol Rowdy
suffers damage, its controller chooses which
column takes the damage.
Gung Ho - While in its controlling warcasters
control area, Ol Rowdy may charge or slam
an enemy model in its controlling warcasters
control area without spending a focus point.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 11 7 5 12 19

20
L

ESI Quake Hammer

SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 7 18

Open Fist
SPECIAL POW P+S
Buckler 0 11
1

L
L

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Hyper Senses - At the start of Ol Rowdys

activation, before its normal movement it may
turn to face any direction. When Ol Rowdy destroys a model with a
melee attack, it may immediately turn to face any direction. When an
enemy model ends its movement with Ol Rowdy in its melee range, Ol
Rowdy may immediately turn to face the model directly.

C
4
121
Large

Imprint: Best Defense - During Ol Rowdys activation, it may

spend one focus point to use Best Defense. When Ol Rowdy is hit by
one or more melee attacks made during an enemy models combat
action while Best Defense is in effect, immediately after that models
combat action ends Ol Rowdy may make one melee attack targeting
that model. Best Defense lasts for one round.

ESI Quake Hammer

Critical Quake - On a critical hit, all models in Ol Rowdys melee
range may be knocked down.
Tremor (HAttack) - Roll 2d6 and add the weapons POW. This roll
cannot be boosted. Compare the result to the DEF of every model
within 2. These models are knocked down if the total equals or exceeds
their DEF. This effect causes no damage. A Tremor special attack cannot
be made after a charge. A Tremor special attack does not need a target.

Open Fist
Buckler - The Buckler grants +1 to Ol Rowdys ARM. This bonus
does not apply to damage originating in the models back arc.

Tactical Tips
Counter Charge: Rowdy does not spend a focus point to use
Counter Charge.
Critical Quake: Rowdys controller chooses if all models are
knocked down or if no models are knocked down. Its all or nothing.

35

black 13th gun mage strike team

After awhile killing becomes easier than breathing. In fact, sometimes killing one more of theirs means drawing one more breath.
Captain Dixon Lynch, Black 13th

The Black 13th is a well-honed weapon of war sharpened to a

razors edge by relentless service to the crown. It serves as the
elite strike force of the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest.
The exact number of men and women serving in this tight knit
organization has waxed and waned since the teams founding but
has always consisted of a select few who demonstrate deadly skill
with the magelock pistol.
The Black 13th has operated out of Northguard in recent years
and typically undertaken missions deep into Khadoran and
occupied Llaelese territory. These sensitive missions vary between
lightning raids, daring rescues, and flawless assassinations. The
army never acknowledges this groups greatest accomplishments,
and their dead receive no special honors or recognition.
The Black 13th covered Cygnars withdrawal from Llael in 605
AR by harrying vast numbers of Khadoran forces after the fall
of Merywyn and buying time for weary soldiers to regroup at
the northern fortresses. Since that time, intense fighting near
Northguard has cut the units compliment to three. Captain

36

Dixon Lynch is the only surviving member of the original Black

13th, although Sergeant Watts has fought with him for over seven
years. Dixon does not talk about the teams history, either from a
desire to preserve their secrets or due to an abundance of painful
memories, and will not identify the ultimate source of their
sometimes-enigmatic orders. While not part of the Cygnaran
Reconnaissance Service, Captain Lynch does not report to the
First Army at Northguard, and his place in the army hierarchy
remains murky at best.
Even excepting his service to the Black 13th, many at the
Tempest Academy see Lynch as a legend. Perhaps the eldest
gun mage still serving in the field, Lynch once belonged to the
Brothers of the Tempest, the secretive fraternity that predated
the founding of the Militant Order and its formal adoption as
a branch of the Cygnaran Army. He has a reputation as a man
of few words, and his cold but steady leadership has earned
him the unshakable loyalty of his team.

Cygnar character UNIT

Those who see Lynch as taciturn view Sergeant Samuel
Watts as downright unfriendly. The gaunt and scarred
gun mage, infamous for his biting wit and an inability to
keep his opinions to himself, has few friends. Rumor has it
Watts remains a sergeant despite his seniority after earning
the ire of Lord General Olan Duggan, who allegedly
pronounced the edict, That man will never be an officer
so long as I am still breathing. Those who know Watts
reputation carefully avoid responding to his baiting. He
has an infamous reputation for taunting fools into reaching
for a weapon as an excuse to demonstrate the speed of his
lighting-fast draw.
This might lead people to think of Lieutenant Darsey
Ryan as the friendly face of the team. A coolly polite and
professional duelist par excellence, Ryan joined the team
just before the invasion of Llael and remains a tough nut
to crack. Even Watts admits she once beat him at his own
game. She attracts challengers like a flame attracts moths
and has left dozens of would-be pistoleers dead in the
dirt. In battle, she wields a magelock in each hand with
no apparent inhibition to her sorcerous power. When she
focuses her arcane energy into striking down a hard target,
the bullets from her pistols erupt into a blinding flash and an
explosion of devastating power.
When these three fight together, each effortlessly watches the
blind spots of the others while combining their fire to tear
apart any opposition. Vaporized enemies linger as clouds
of ash, while even ghostly Cryxian wraiths shriek in pain as
glowing, rune-carved bullets hit home. Other targets expire
in a flash of powder and the echo of thunder as they take
as many of the enemy with them as possible. For the Black
13th, there can never be capture or surrender, only victory,
escape, or death.

Lynch
Fire Beacon (HAttack) - Fire Beacon is a RNG 12,
AOE 5 ranged attack. Models hit suffer no damage.
The Fire Beacon AOE remains in play for one round.
While within the AOE, models lose all benefits from
Camouflage, cloud effects, concealment, cover,
Invisibility, and Stealth.
Leader
Pre-Emptive Fire (Order) - When a model in this unit
is targeted by an enemy ranged attack, before the range is
measured, one model in this unit that received this order
and has LOS to the attacker may immediately make a
ranged attack targeting the attacker. Pre-Emptive Fire
lasts for one round.

Ryan

Lynch

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 4 5 8 15 12
Ryan & Watts

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 4 5 7 15 12
Magelock Pistol
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 10
L

Second Magelock Pistol

RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 10

R
Lynchs
Damage

Chain Attack Mage Storm - If Ryan hits the

Ryans Damage
same target with both initial Magelock Pistol attacks
Watts Damage
during the same activation, after resolving the attacks
Field Allowance
she may immediately make an additional Magelock
Victory Points
Pistol attack against the target regardless of ROF.
If the attack succeeds, instead of rolling damage
Point Cost
normally, center a 4 AOE cloud effect on the model
Base Size
hit. Models in the AOE when it is placed suffer a
POW 14 damage roll. Models entering or ending
their activations in the AOE suffer a POW 12 damage roll. Ryan never suffers
damage from Mage Storm. The AOE remains in play for one round. Do not
choose an Arcane Effect when making a Mage Storm chain attack.

8
5
5
C
2
77
Small

Watts
Clandestine - While Watts is in play, models in this unit gain Prowl. While
within a terrain feature that provides concealment, the AOE of a spell providing
concealment, or the AOE of a cloud effect, a model with Prowl gains Stealth.
Attacks against a model with Stealth from greater than 5 away automatically miss.
If a model with Stealth is greater than 5 away from an attacker, it does not count
as an intervening model.

Unit
Chain Fire - Models in this unit gain a cumulative +1 to ranged attack
damage rolls for each direct hit on an enemy model made by a model in this
unit this turn. Apply this bonus after resolving each attack. This bonus lasts for
one turn.
Gunfighter - A model with Gunfighter has a melee range of 12. It may make
Magelock Pistol attacks targeting models in its melee range. These attacks do not
suffer the normal attack roll penalty for targeting a model in melee and cannot hit
another combatant if they miss their intended targets. A model with this ability does
not gain an aiming bonus when targeting models in its melee range. A model with
this ability may perform free strikes with Magelock Pistols. A model with this ability
may charge and make his initial attacks but does not make a charge attack.
Arcane Effect - Each time a Magelock Pistol is used to make a ranged attack,
choose one of the following effects:

Tactical Tips
Fire Beacon: You cannot choose an Arcane Effect when
making a Fire Beacon special attack.
Pre-Emptive Fire: If the enemy model is destroyed, its
attack is not resolved.
Chain Fire: Remember, if Ryans Mage Storm chain attack
hits, it counts as a Chain Fire direct hit.

Blaze - When this attack hits, roll an additional damage die.

Long Shot - The Magelock Pistol gains +6 RNG for this ranged attack.
Mage Killer - Mage Killer attacks may damage models only affected by
magic attacks. When resolving Mage Killer attacks, ignore unspent focus on
target models with the Focus Manipulation ability.
Smoke em If You Got em - Replace enemy living or undead models
destroyed by a Smoke em If You Got em attack with 3 AOE cloud effects
that remain in play for one round. Models destroyed by this attack are
removed from play.
Thunderbolt - An enemy model hit by this attack is pushed directly
back d3. On a critical hit, target model is also knocked down. A pushed
model moves at half rate in rough terrain and stops if it contacts an obstacle,
obstruction, or model. The pushed model cannot be targeted by free strikes
during this movement.

Second Magelock Pistol (Ryan Only)

37

trencher Cannon crew

Cygnar trencher unit

Put some cannons on that hill today, and I guarantee you well own it next winter.
Captain Maxwell Finn of the 95th Trencher Company to his lieutenants

Gunner

Cmd 8 Crewman

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

2 6 6 5 13 13
Crewman

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 6 5 13 13
Cannon
RNG ROF AOE POW
15 1 3 13
Military Rifle
RNG ROF AOE POW
10 1 11
Hand Weapon
SPECIAL POW P+S
2 8

Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
1
Gunner and 2 Crewmen
32
Gunners Base Size
Large
Crewmans Base Size
Small

Targeting (HAction) - The Gunner gains a

cumulative +1 RAT when attacking with the
Cannon for one round. The Crewman must be
in base-to-base contact with the Gunner and
not be engaged to use Targeting.

Unit
Dig In (HAction) - Models in this unit may
dig a hasty battle position into the ground,
gaining cover (+4 DEF) and +4 ARM. A dug
in model remains dug in until he moves or is
engaged. A model cannot dig into solid rock or
man-made constructions. Models in this unit
may begin the game dug in.
Rushed Deployment - The Cannon Crew
may advance deploy, but if it does so it cannot
activate the first round of the game. If the
Cannon Crew advance deploys, place models
in the unit after normal deployment, up to 12
beyond the established deployment zone.

Weapon Crew - The Cannon Crew is made

up of a Gunner and 2 Crewmen. The Gunner
is mounted on a large base with the Cannon.
The Gunner is treated as a small-based model
rather than a large-based model. A weapon
crew cannot run or charge. The Gunner gains +2 of movement per
Crewman with which he begins his activation in base-to-base contact.
When the Gunner is destroyed or removed from play, a Crewman within
1 can take the destroyed Gunners place immediately and become
the new Gunner. Remove the Crewman from the table instead of the
Gunner. Any effects, spells, or animi on the damaged Gunner expire.
Any effects, spells, or animi on the removed Crewman are applied to the
new Gunner.

Cannon (Gunner Only)

Light Artillery - The Cannon cannot be used to make ranged attacks
if the Gunner moves during his activation. The Gunner does not receive
an aiming bonus for forfeiting movement. The Gunner cannot make
ranged attacks with the Cannon and another ranged weapon during the
same activation.

38

Battling their way forward despite incoming mortar and rifle

fire, Trencher artillery crews haul their cannons into the fray
across any terrain. The crews dig hasty positions on high
ground, throw up sandbag barricades, and prepare to fire.
These cool, professional gunners, chosen as much for their
steady nerves as their killers eye, calmly consult tactical maps
and shout orders above nearby explosions. The crews fall into
smooth, practiced actions: One unpacks a cannon shell as
another opens the hinged breach. The first rams home shell
and powder bags, and the second slams the hatch shut and
cranks the wheel to tighten its spring-loaded steel pin. The
gunner checks wind, elevation, and the range finder before
launching the shell with a muffled explosion. The cannon
crews have gained a reputation among their fellows not so
much for turning the tide of battle themselves but for sending
the enemy flying with tremendous precision and clearing the
way for Trencher platoons to pour forth from cover and end
the exchange with a rush of cold steel.
Some who have seen the short barrels of the Trencher cannons
have mistaken them for close-ranged naval ordinance. In truth,
the Cygnaran army engineered these quite modern cannons
to maximize portability and accuracy. They enhanced the
latter with a conical shell and rifled barrel instead of the older
ball shot and smooth bore guns. Though the range cannot
equal the Khadoran mortar, it remains impressive and comes
with no appreciable loss of precision. The Khadorans have
learned a grudging respect for these cannons, particularly
after discovering them dug-in and fortified right up against the
forward lines.

arcane tempest gun mage Officer

cygnar arcane tempest gun mage unit attachment

It is not enough to be quick or accurate. Your weapon must be guided by your will alone.
Arcane Tempest Captain Larstin Jorimy
As battles intrude on Cygnaran soil, the Militant Order of the
Arcane Tempest has stepped up to answer their nations call.
Officers lead handpicked teams of war-honed gun mages to
prove that no greater masters of gun sorcery exist in Immoren
than these veterans of the Arcane Tempest. Bringing a wellrounded arsenal of arcane abilities together with deadly
accurate magelock pistol fire, such captains and their teams
are highly prized for their versatile fire support.
The Militant Order has expended considerable resources
to requisition warjacks for these veteran teams. Research
has demonstrated that experienced gun mages can prepare
warjack ammunition to transmit arcane energy with the
same techniques used to create rune bullets, and the Arcane
Tempest has trained a number of its officers to master this
process. Channeling this power through warjack weaponry
requires a sufficiently accomplished officer in close proximity
to the jack. Since warjack armament is not constructed from
the same alloy as magelocks, firing rune-carved ammunition
damages the jacks weaponry. A single battle usually does not
render such weapons ineffective, however, and the benefits can
mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Captain

Captain

Arcane Inferno (Order) - See Arcane Tempest

Gun Mage card for description.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Jack Marshal (1) - The Captain may start the

game controlling up to one Cygnar warjack.
Officer - The Captain is the unit leader.
Quickening - Once per game during his units
activation the Captain may use Quickening.
When a model in this unit is targeted by an enemy
ranged attack, before the range is measured, one
model in this unit with LOS to the attacker may
immediately make a ranged attack targeting the
original attacker. Quickening lasts for one round.
Rune Shot - When a warjack controlled by the
Captain makes a ranged attack, its controller may
choose one Arcane Effect or Arcane Adept Effect.

Cmd 9

6 4 6 8 15 12
Magelock Pistol
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 10
Sword
SPECIAL POW P+S
3 7

Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
1
+1
27
Small

Tactics: Arcane Adept Effects - Models in the Captains unit gain

Arcane Adept Effects. When a model in the Captains unit makes a
Magelock Pistol attack, it may choose one of the following effects instead of
an Arcane Effect:
Black Penny - The attacking model does not suffer the firing into
melee penalty and ignores concealment and screening.
Ricochet - After directly hitting a target with a ranged attack, the
attacking model may immediately make one additional ranged attack
targeting another model in the attacking models LOS and within 4 of
the original target. Do not choose another Arcane Effect or Arcane Adept
Effect when making the additional attack. Attacks gained from this ability
cannot generate further additional attacks.
Wraith Bane - This attack can damage models only affected by magic
attacks.
Tactics: Combined Ranged Attack - Models in the Captains unit gain
Combined Ranged Attack. Instead of making ranged attacks separately,
two or more models in this unit may combine their attacks against the same
target. In order to participate in a combined ranged attack, a model must
be able to declare a ranged attack against the intended target and be in a
single open formation group with the other participants. The model with
the highest RAT in the attacking group makes one ranged attack roll for the
group and gains +1 to the attack and damage rolls for each model, including
himself, participating in the attack.

Magelock Pistol
Arcane Effect - See Arcane Tempest Gun Mage card for description.

Tactical Tips
Arcane Inferno: If the Captain is still in play, he is the leader
of the unit.
Black Penny: Models in this unit still cannot make combined
ranged attacks into melee.
Ricochet: A combined ranged attack bonus only applies to the
first attack.

39

Squire

Cygnar WARCASTER attachment

The fulcrum of our military strength is the warcaster. Magnify that power and our might increases exponentially.
Master Mechanik Lassiter Polk of the Cygnaran Armory

Squire

Cmd

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 3 4 1 14 14
Damage
Accumulator Circles
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
1
1
18
Small

Squire
Arcane Realignment - While within 5 of
the Squire, the Squires warcaster may re-roll
one failed magic attack roll each turn. A roll
may only be re-rolled once due to Arcane
Realignment.
Arcane Repeater - While within 5 of the
Squire, the Squires warcasters control area is
extended by 2.

Disbinder (HAction) - Enemy upkeep spells

on the Squire expire. If the Squires warcaster
is within 3 of it, enemy upkeep spells on the warcaster also expire.
Field Transfer - While in base-to-base contact with its warcaster, the
Squire gains +1 ARM for each focus point on the controlling warcaster.
Mechanikal - The Squire is not a living model, never flees, and
automatically passes command checks.
Reserve Accumulator - Once per round during the Squires
controllers Control Phase while the Squire is in its controlling
warcasters control area, the Squires controller may mark one unmarked
accumulator circle on the Squires card to place a focus point on its
warcaster.

The recently unveiled Squire represents the culmination of

decades of painstaking work by the experimental engineering
branches of the Strategic Academy, the Royal Cygnaran
University, and the Cygnaran Armory in Caspia.
This compact, steam-powered drone utilizes
an advanced arcane turbine similar to those
found in warcaster armor. The Squire entirely
lacks weaponry, as its designers intended it for
neither labor nor warfare. Instead, this compact
mechanikal marvel enhances the innate powers
of the warcaster attached to it.
While its designers admit this only
reluctantly even in their most secret
reports, some of the final pieces needed
to assemble the Squire fell into place only
after an undisclosed agreement between
King Leto and the Cult of Cyriss made
available certain key technologies. The
main difficulties on the project involved
finding a way to miniaturize a tremendous
volume of extremely sensitive and fragile
equipment into a portable armored shell
that would hold up when exposed to the
hazards of the battlefield.
The designers ultimately wanted
to create a platform that would

40

Tactical Tips
Reserve Accumulator: This allows the warcaster to exceed
his current FOC in focus points.

tap into the enigmatic mental field used by warcasters to

control warjacks in combat. The Squire uses modified arc
node technology to expand this field and allow warcasters
to control jacks at significantly expanded distances. The
engineers also managed to add a number of other significant
tools, such as technology that enhances spell targeting
and a refined accumulator that temporarily stores arcane
energy reserves. The Squires tremendous development
and production costs include a compact variant cortex and
many components difficult to engineer, which means very
few production models exist. Everyone who has witnessed
the Squire on the battlefield, however, considers this cost
ultimately trivial when compared to the extraordinary aid the
Squire provides to a warcaster.

Sword Knight Officer & Standard Bearer

Cygnar Sword knight unit attachment

Let me awaken in Urcaen with my sword in hand. Let the Beast beware my coming, for I am armed eternal in life and in
death.
Part of the Vow of Steel sworn by sword knight officers
Sword Knight majors carry forward the proud tradition of
their order and prove that some methods of waging war never
become obsolete. Such warriors fight unrestrained by reliance
on charged accumulators, storm chambers, or mechanikally
insulated armor and require nothing but a stout shield, a
sharp blade, and their amazing skill. No man wearing the
Cygnus can compare with these senior knights ability to
coordinate precise and devastating strikes that tear apart
rushing warjacks or hulking warbeasts with surpassing ease.
Their heroic legacy has assured their orders immortality in
the annals of Cygnaran warfare.
Most Sword Knight companies serve alongside other heavy
infantry, but several battalions in each army remain composed
solely of Sword Knights and lead by a major boasting decades
of decorated service to the crown. The men holding this
esteemed rank descend from the noble blood of the ruling
families comprising the Royal Assembly. Some are in household
service to the dukes and earls controlling Cygnars provinces.
Sword Knight officers own lands even now threatened by
Cygnars enemies, and their desire to preserve their legacy for
their own heirs motivates them as much
as honor and duty. Years of
experience fighting and
leading knights
has given

Major

Major

Jack Marshal (1) - The Major may start the

game controlling up to one Cygnar warjack.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Officer - The Major is the unit leader.

Standard Bearer Cmd 6

Pronto (Drive) - The Major may attempt

to Drive the warjack under his control in his
marshaling range. To Drive a warjack, the
Major must make a command check at any time
during his activation. If the check succeeds, the
warjack immediately moves up to its current
SPD in inches. If the check fails, the warjack
does not benefit from Jack Marshal this turn.
Tactics: Dismantle - Models in the Majors
unit gain Dismantle. When a model with
Dismantle hits a warjack with a melee attack,
roll an additional damage die.

Cmd 9

6 6 8 4 13 14
SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 6 4 13 14
Battle Blade
SPECIAL POW P+S

4 10

L
Majors Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point
R Cost
Base Size

Tactics: Dismember - Models in the

Majors unit gain Dismember. When a model
with Dismember hits a warbeast with a melee attack, roll an additional
damage die.

5
1
+1
27
Small

Unit Abilities - The Major has Sword Knight unit abilities.

Standard Bearer
Defensive Line - See Sword Knight card for description.
Practiced Maneuvers - Once per game during the units activation
the Standard Bearer may use Practiced Maneuvers. Models in this
unit ignore other models in this unit and friendly Cygnar warjacks
when drawing LOS and can move through other models in this unit
and friendly Cygnar warjacks if they have enough movement to move
completely past the models bases. Practiced Maneuvers lasts for one
turn.
Unit Standard - Models in the Standard Bearers unit do not flee
while the Standard Bearer remains in play. If the Standard Bearer is
destroyed or removed from play, a Knight in this unit within 1 can
take the Standard Bearers place immediately and become the new
Standard Bearer. Remove the Knight from the table and replace it with
the Standard Bearer model. Effects, spells, and animi on the
replaced Knight are applied to the Standard Bearer
model. Effects, spells, and animi on the destroyed
Standard Bearer expire. If the Standard Bearer is
not replaced, the unit must immediately pass a
command check or flee.

Battle Blade (Major Only)

these officers tremendous insight into

the best way to direct their soldiers and
jacks in battle and to coordinate complex
and precisely timed maneuvers that allow
man and machine to strike with perfect
harmony and bring untold destruction onto
the enemy.

41

captain Arlan strangewayes

They say that if you want to learn how to put jacks together, go and sit at the knee of Arlan Strangewayes.
Captain Dominick Darius

The arcane mechanik Arlan Strangewayes views every

challenge in life or battle as a knotted puzzle with a
corresponding actionable solution. Whether handling an
arrogant superior officer, repairing a hopelessly mangled
arcane turbine, or facing the looming peril of a charging
Khadoran Juggernaut, Strangewayes discovers and executes
the best course of action. He finds the chaos of battle and the
complex inner workings of warjacks easier to fathom than

42

military politics, and he boasts to have solved many of his

most difficult dilemmas by swinging his enormous mechanikal
wrench.
Strangewayes is first and foremost a battlefield mechanik.
While some of his colleagues enter the fray only reluctantly,
Strangewayes seeks out danger. Younger men have often
mistaken Arlans recklessness in battle as a death wish, but his

cygnar character solo

behavior actually arises from his complete and utter faith in
Cygnaran warjacks. With a Defender, Stormclad, or even a
simple Charger in front of him, Strangewayes becomes oblivious
to peril. He concentrates only on the jacks in his charge,
observing pressure gauges and weighing the impact of
damaged systems, and stands ready to use his potent magic
to enhance the capabilities of these machines. With a little
arcane boost, jacks near him spring into a blur of motion and
nimbly evade blows or destructive magic.
When not on the battlefield, Strangewayes focuses on lovingly
repairing the machines in his charge. He takes every shattered
piece of armor plating, every torn connecting rod, and every
burst conduit as a personal insult. Strangewayes can ignore
many ordinary perils in combat because of the safety afforded
him by his massive, customized, steam-powered armor. While
not as elaborate as the full rig preferred by Captain Dominick
Darius, Strangewayes suit grants considerable protection and
allows him to shrug off explosions or blows that would easily
fell an unprotected man. He has become quite comfortable
in his armor despite the hassles of keeping it refueled and
maintained and sometimes forgets he has it on. He relies on
its enhanced strength to manipulate oversized warjack parts
during field repairs. Adding to the armors utility, he adapted
Cygnaran disruption technology into a voltaic gauntlet
that sends forth a powerful electrical surge to fry men and
machines.
Strangewayes comes across as gruff and difficult to please,
a man of action and few words. His eyes bore into anyone
addressing him as if suggesting he has more important
things to do than waste time in conversation. Strangewayes
is a paragon of the field mechaniks serving the Cygnaran
army, and most of the armys best mechaniks heed his
advice. Those who spend time under his tutelage find him
a grueling taskmaster unforgiving of mistakes and prone
to demonstrating design or repair flaws in the most painful
fashion possible. Though few enjoy such harsh lessons, they
rarely forget them.

Strangewayes
Arcane Mechanik - As a special action,
Strangewayes may cast one of the following
spells on a friendly Cygnar warjack within 5 of
him during his activation.
Arcane Reinforcement HAction) Attacks made by the affected warjack can
damage models only affected by magic
attacks. The affected warjack may charge
incorporeal models. Ranged attacks made
by the affected warjack may be considered
magic attacks but use the warjacks
RAT to resolve the attack rolls. Arcane
Reinforcement lasts for one turn.

Stangewayes

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 7 5 5 12 16
Voltiac Gauntlet
RNG ROF AOE POW
SP 1 10
Fixer
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 12
Damage
L
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
R Size
Base

Evasive Action (HAction) - The

affected warjack gains +2 DEF against
ranged and magic attacks, cannot be targeted
by free strikes, and does not suffer blast damage. Evasive Action lasts
for one round.

8
C
1
32
Small

High Performance (HAction) - During the affected warjacks

next activation this turn, it can make one normal ranged attack
with each of its ranged weapons before its normal movement. The
warjack cannot attack again with its ranged weapons that activation.
The affected warjack may also charge or slam without paying a focus
point that activation.
Expert Repair [10] (HAction) - Strangewayes may attempt repairs
on any friendly Cygnar warjack that has been damaged or disabled. To
attempt repairs, Strangewayes must be in base-to-base contact with the
damaged warjack or disabled wreck marker and make a skill check. If
successful, remove d6+1 damage points from anywhere on the warjacks
damage grid.
Jack Marshal (2) - Strangewayes may start the game controlling up
to two Cygnar warjacks.

Voltaic Gauntlet
Disruption - A warjack hit by Voltaic Gauntlet suffers disruption. A
warjack suffering disruption loses any unused focus points and cannot be
allocated focus points or channel spells for one round.

Fixer
Reach - 2 melee range.
System Lock - When a warjack is hit by Fixer, Strangewayes
controller chooses one of the warjacks systems to be locked. That system
suffers the effects of being disabled for one round. The warjack may not
be disabled as a result of System Lock.

One might expect a sense of kinship between Sebastian Nemo

and Arlan Strangewayes, but while they have fought together,
the two older men share an uncomfortable awareness of their
differences. Nemo is an inventor, warcaster, and theoretician,
while Strangewayes is a pragmatic nuts-and-bolts man
focused on keeping warjacks running in the field. That Nemo
has heard that Strangewayes called the Thunderhead an
overly complicated and impractical bit of business has
only strained their tense relationship. Even with his voltaic
gauntlet, Strangewayes vocally advocates steam power and
has a keen admiration for the older jack chassis, particularly
the Ironclad and Defender. This has added to his reputation
as a curmudgeon, but he remains the man every Cygnaran
warcaster wants girding his jacks for war while marching into
battle.

43

major katherine laddermore

Thunder peeled as lightning lit the night and smote the enemy. She came through the clearing smoke astride her horse like an answered
prayer.
Trencher Sergeant Alger Fullet

Katherine Laddermore demonstrates her unflinching loyalty

and dedication to the ideals of the Cygnaran Army on an
almost daily basis. A superlative, battle-proven cavalry officer,
she often volunteers for high-risk assignments and extra
patrols, and her combat skills while leading the charge inspire
all serving under her command.

44

To understand Katherine Laddermore, one must realize

that every day she serves in uniform, she does so in open
defiance of her father Archduke Fergus Laddermore, the
most powerful landed noble in Cygnar. Katherine would
be the first to insist that others not judge or treat her
differently because of her family name, yet some names
carry such inherent power as to make this impossible. Her

Cygnar storm lance dragoon character solo

father, the Lord of Durnkeep and ruler of the Southern
Midlunds, controlled all of the Midlunds during Vinters
reign. This gave him governorship over a substantial portion
of Cygnars most prosperous lands. Even reduced in power
under King Leto, her family controls the breadbasket of
Cygnar and the lands that feed Caspia. The archduke
has plagued King Leto since he took the throne. Fergus
Laddermore would lose his life if the king discovered that
the archduke had betrayed the crown by secretly aiding and
abetting Asheth Magnus and the Skorne. Such a man does
not appreciate defiance. It speaks volumes to Katherines
strength of will and sense of identity that she defied his
wishes by enlisting in the Cygnaran Army and qualifying to
join the Storm Lances.
While ignorant of her fathers treason, Katherine did discover
her familys reprehensible actions during Vinter IVs reign
despite efforts to shelter her from this truth. While history
remembers her grandfather for endorsing the creation of the
Tempest Academy during his time as Vinters first Warmaster
General, his son Fergus helped foster the rising power of the
Inquisition. The more Katherine found the more appalled
she became at her fathers actions and amazed that King Leto
had not stricken her family from western Immoren entirely.
She vowed to redeem her family name through service to
this righteous king. Her drive to rectify these misdeeds adds
to the uncompromising zeal with which Major Katherine
Laddermore executes her duties. She vigilantly patrols
Cygnars eastern border with the handpicked members of the
33rd Heavy Cavalry Battalion.
Laddermores interests in the technology empowering her
knights weapons eventually brought her in contact with
Sebastian Nemo, who found her an enthusiastic testing
platform for his experimental new Voltaic Lance with
its powerful internal Electro Charger. This weapon, too
expensive and finicky for mass production, enables Major
Laddermore to conduct devastating lightning-imbued
charges alongside her knights. The coils of her lance whir
to screaming power with the pounding of her steeds hooves
as arcs of electricity flicker between her and the Storm
Lances riding nearby. Bolts of lightning fired from the tips
of these empowered lances strike deep into the enemy ranks
and clear paths through swaths of opposing infantry to lay
bare the enemys heart. The weapon becomes painfully
hot after several uses and sizzles through her gauntlets, but
Laddermore never allows this discomfort to deter her from
turning her horse around to deliver another crippling blow
to the enemy.

Laddermore
Assault - As part of a charge, after moving
but before performing her combat action,
Laddermore may Assault. When making
an Assault, Laddermore makes a single
ranged attack targeting the model charged.
Laddermore is not considered to be in melee
when making the Assault ranged attack, nor
is the target considered to be in melee with
Laddermore. If the target is not in melee
range after moving, Laddermore must still
make the Assault ranged attack before her
activation ends. Laddermore cannot target
a model with which she was in melee at the
start of her activation with an Assault ranged
attack.
Commander - Laddermore has a command
range equal to her CMD in inches. Friendly
Cygnar models/units in her command range
may use Laddermores CMD when making
command checks. Laddermore may rally and
give orders to friendly Cygnar models in her
command range.

Laddermore

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

8/6 6 8 6 13 17/14
Voltaic Accelerator
RNG ROF AOE POW
6 1 12
Voltaic Lance
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 8 14
Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

10
Mounted Laddermores Damage
8
Dismounted Laddermores Damage 5
Field Allowance
C
Victory Points
2
Point Cost
59
Mounted Base Size
Large
Dismounted Base Size Small

Dragoon - While mounted, Laddermore has base SPD 8 and base ARM
17. Dismounted, Laddermore has base SPD 6 and base ARM 14.
Electro Charger - While within 5 of Laddermore, friendly Storm
Lance models gain +2 RNG on Electro Bolt Attacks. When an affected
model hits a model with an Electro Lance attack, lightning arcs to and
automatically hits the nearest enemy model within 4. That model
suffers a POW 10 damage roll.
Fearless - Laddermore never flees.
Field Marshal - Friendly Storm Lance models in Laddermores
command range, including Laddermore, ignore friendly Storm Lance
models when drawing LOS and can move through other friendly Storm
Lance models if they have enough movement to move completely past
the other models bases.

Voltaic Accelerator
Kinetic Discharge - While mounted, Laddermore gains +2 RNG
and POW on Voltaic Accelerator attacks when she moves during her
activation. Kinetic Discharge lasts for one round.
Lightning Generator - When a model is hit, lightning arcs from
the model hit to d3 additional enemy models. The lightning arcs and
automatically hits the nearest enemy model within 4 of the last model
hit, but it cannot strike the same model more than once. Each additional
model hit suffers a POW 10 damage roll.

Voltaic Lance
Mounted Charge - While mounted, Laddermore gains +2 to Voltaic
Lance charge attack damage rolls.
Lightning Generator - See Voltaic Accelerator above for description.
Reach - 2 melee range

Tactical Tips
Kinetic Discharge: This bonus does not apply to Lightning
Generator damage rolls because Lightning Generator damage rolls
are not Voltaic Accelerator damage rolls.

45

precursor knights
cygnar morrowan ally unit

Victory won without faith or honor is, in truth, a lasting defeat.

Motto of the Precursor Knights, drawn from Morrows words in the Enkheiridion

Chaplain

Cmd 9 Ally

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 8 4 13 14
Knight

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 7 4 13 14
Blessed Mace
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 12

Precursor Knights are Cygnar models that

will work for mercenary contracts that include
mercenaries that will work for Cygnar.
Animosity - Precursor Knights cannot be
included in an army that includes undead
models.

Chaplain
Leader

Shield Wall (Order) - Every Precursor

Knight who received the order who is in tight
Field Allowance
2
formation with the Chaplain at the end of
the units movement gains +4 ARM. If the
Victory Points
2
Chaplain is no longer on the table, the largest
Leader and 5 Troops
67
tight formation group forms the shield wall. If
Up to 4 Additional Troops 10ea
there is more than one group with the largest
Base Size
Small
number of troopers, the units controller
decides which group forms the shield wall. A trooper that did not receive
the order cannot join the shield wall. This bonus does not apply to
damage originating in the models back arc. Models that do not end their
movement in tight formation do not benefit from the shield wall. This
bonus lasts for one round.

Unit
Fearless - Precursor Knights never flee.
Healing Touch (HAction) - Remove one damage point from a
friendly living warrior model in base-to-base contact with the Precursor
Knight.
Spell Ward - A Precursor Knight cannot be targeted by spells, friendly
or enemy.

Blessed Mace
Balefire - Blessed Mace attacks gain an additional damage die against
undead models.
Blessed - The Blessed Mace may damage models only affected by
magic attacks. When making a Blessed Mace attack, ignore spell effects
that add to the targets ARM or DEF. A Precursor Knight may charge
incorporeal models.
Knock Back - Enemy models hit by a Blessed Mace may be be pushed
1 directly away from the attacking model immediately after resolving the
damage roll. The attacking model may then move up to 1.

Western Immoren has seen its share

of horrors, but the violence of this
war has challenged the faith of even
veteran soldiers. The Precursor Knights
stand resolutely at the forefront of the
worst battles. These armored warriors
serve the Morrowan faith in the bloody
clashes between mankind and the
unholy terrors preying on body and
soul. Precursors value peace but know
well that only bloodshed can resolve
some conflicts.

46

Precursors follow a strict code of honorable conduct that brings

to the battlefield the virtues taught by the warrior-philosopher
Morrow and his martial ascendants. These knights hold to
the conviction that war does not excuse depravity, and victory
cannot excuse immorality. The Precursors sacred duties include
ensuring the proper burial of the dead, and they take equal care
with the corpses of enemies and comrades alike. Precursors
gladly lay down their lives in battle to preserve the safety of
innocents or to bring Immoren even one step closer to a lasting
peace.
While Morrow is worshiped across the region, Precursors are a
distinctly Cygnaran knightly order. Originally sanctified on the
holy grounds of Caspias Archcourt Cathedral, they occupy a
number of far-flung fortress monasteries. Precursors dwelling in
these strongholds watch Cygnars rugged western coastline and
add their strength of arms to the Third Armys vigil against
Cryx. The pious men and women of this order join Cygnaran
soldiers in the field and follow their path to wherever Morrows
faith is threatened or the innocent require protection. By the
blessings of Ascendants Katrena, Solovin, and Markus, the
knights prayers knit injured flesh together and protect them
from malignant magic. Hope is a rare commodity in these
troubled times, but so long as the Precursor Knights endure,
they will remain a shining beacon keeping the darkness at bay.

Precursor Knight Officer & Standard Bearer

Cygnar Morrowan Precursor Knight Ally Unit Attachment

A wise leader loves peace but does not shirk from war. He serves as an example of righteousness to guide his men in battle and
fears not death.
Enkheiridion, Morrowan canto 5, 17:3
Precursor Knights blur the line between priest and knight.
These stalwart holy warriors defend Cygnar and the
Morrowan Church against numerous reprehensible enemies.
This potent combination of holy and martial disciplines
reaches its ultimate expression in the renowned Morrowan
battle-chaplains. Pious leaders who carry forth the example of
the martial ascendants, these warrior-priests march to war by
the bidding of the primarch preaching the word of their god.
They swear their lives to preserve the souls and bodies of their
comrades from the rapacious clutches of Cryxian horrors, to
grant the injured surcease from pain, and to crush and drive
the wicked from Caen, never more to trouble the innocent.
Any who think Morrowans meek lose this misapprehension
upon confronting the Precursors and their tireless battle
chaplains on the field. These leaders of the faith have
taken it upon their shoulders to earn peace by conducting
honorable war. By the protection of Ascendant Katrena,
those who fall in battle near these warriors will find their way
in peace to Morrows domain. Before battle, the chaplains

Battle Chaplain

Battle Chaplain Cmd 10

Morrows Name - Once per game during

his units activation, the Battle Chaplain may
use Morrows Name. Models in this unit roll
an additional die on melee damage rolls this
activation.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Officer - The Battle Chaplain is the unit

leader.

6 6 7 4 13 14

6 6 8 4 13 14
Standard Bearer Cmd 7
SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Shield Wall (Order) - See Precursor Knights

for description.
Tactics: Kneel - Models in this unit gain
Kneel. Models with Kneel do not block LOS
when determining LOS for friendly models.
Tactics: Sanctified - Models in this unit gain
Sanctified. When a model with Sanctified suffers
sufficient damage to be destroyed, it is removed
from play. When a friendly model within 3 of
a model with Sanctified is destroyed, it does not
generate a soul token.

Blessed Mace
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 12

L
Battle Chaplains Damage 5
Field Allowance
1
Victory Points
+1
Point
31
R Cost
Base Size
Small

Unit Abilities - The Battle Chaplain has Precursor Knight unit

abilities.

Standard Bearer
Holy Standard - Undead models in melee with a model in this unit
that is in a skirmish formation group with the Standard Bearer roll one
less die on damage rolls.
Unit Abilities - The Standard Bearer has Precursor Knight unit
abilities.
Unit Standard - If the Standard Bearer is destroyed or removed from
play, a Knight in this unit within 1 can take the Standard Bearers
place immediately and become the new Standard Bearer. Remove the
trooper model from the table and replace it with the Standard Bearer
model. Effects, spells, and animi on the replaced trooper are applied to
the Standard Bearer model. Effects, spells, and animi on the destroyed
Standard Bearer expire.

Blessed Mace (Battle Chaplain Only)

Balefire - See Precursor Knights for description.
Blessed - See Precursor Knights for description.
Knock Back - See Precursor Knights for description.

bless their banners and infuse them with the prayers of the
gathered Precursors. The elevated and gleaming Radiance of
Morrow pains the walking dead and saps away their strength.
Standing shield to shield beneath these inspiring banners, the
Precursors do not shirk from waging war even against other
Morrowans. By invoking the name of their god their blows
resound with the weight of holy power.

47

Cygnar

General Adept Sebastian Nemo

Epic Warcaster

Captain Jeremiah Kraye

Warcaster

Ol Rowdy
Unique Heavy Warjack

48

Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team

Character Unit

Major Katherine Laddermore

Dragoon Solo

Captain Arlan Strangewayes

Solo

Precursor Knights
Unit

Precursor Knight Officer & Standard Bearer

Precursor Knight Unit Attachment

Trencher Cannon Crew

Unit

49

Cygnar

50

51

PROTECTORATE of menoth
While normally adept at concealing
her emotions, the young Ryn woman
named Anastasia di Bray appeared
obviously uncomfortable in the company
of Grand Scrutator Severius. She had hoped to
convey her report through an intermediary, but he had
summoned her directly. She stood before him now with her
cheeks flushed and her eyes averted. In the silence she felt
an irrational fear that her heart was beating so hard that the
scrutator could hear it.
She found it almost impossible to look directly at Severius,
although she could not have explained precisely why. It felt
as though a heat poured from him, and even with her eyes
averted she had a sense of light. There was no actual glow,
and yet she felt as though there must be. Ever since Severius
had invoked the words of power and fire had erupted from
the Covenant on the bloodied fields before Leryn, something
had changed in the scrutators presence. Anastasia found it
inexplicably terrifying.
His voice also sounded deeper and more resonant than she
remembered. Tell me what you have learned.
Anastasia was not timid or easily awed by self-important men
in high position. She tried to remind herself of this, but her
voice betrayed her and quavered when she spoke. T-they
have omitted it from their service records, but I am reasonably
c-certain that both Magzeiv Akina Kazanovo and Magziev
Kasia Zevschenzo were raised as Menites. Confirming this
was easier with Akina. The Kazanovo family has belonged to
the Old Faith as long as anyone can remember.
And Kasia?
Anastasia felt compelled to close her eyes and discovered
this helped as she fell into a familiar cadence while reciting
facts. There is little record of the religious affiliation of the
Zevschenzo family, but I did discover Kasias parents lived in
a primarily Menite village south of Great Zerutsk. She has
had almost no contact with her family in the years since she
joined the Greylords Covenant; they have shunned her, in
fact. There has been no reconciliation despite her record of
service to the Khadoran Army. Yesterday I learned from a
servant who cleans her quarters that she keeps a Menofix in a
small private shrine consistent with the Old Faith.
Thank you. Your services have been adequate. You may
collect your payment from Preceptor Kantis Loron and
leave. The grand scrutator waved a gauntleted hand, and
Anastasia gratefully fled the tent.

Even with his gleaming robes of station, the grand scrutator

and those who accompanied him seemed like motes before
the rising walls of Leryn. The placement of this walled city,
set within the steep rocky slopes of Mount Borgio and the
nearby southern Silvertip Peaks, appeared singularly imposing
and formidable. The Oldwick River rushed through the
valley before the great gates of the city, and on this day the
sky burned a harsh clear blue with a cold wind rifling down
out of the northern mountains. A hawk flying north into
those towering peaks would soon pass the sprawling Rhulic
fortress of Horgenhold and, two hundred miles of imposing
mountains further on, reach Lake Armsdeep and Ghord, the
heart of Rhul.
The winding road leading up to the front gates of Leryn along
the western side of the river required multiple passes within
bow or rifle range of the defenders the ramparts of the walls
protecting the outer city. Those defenders were clearly in a
state of high alert despite the small size of Severius entourage
of Exemplar Knights, the Revenger named Blessing of
Vengeance, a Devout, and a small cluster of robed choir. At
least a score of Widowmakers and countless Winter Guard
had their sights on him, as did those manning the walls
myriad cannons and other weapons. The Menites advanced
without apparent concern, and the Seneschal at their fore
held two banners. One bore the fire and impaled serpent of
the Northern Crusade, while the other communicated their
desire for parley. Severius had sent a message ahead of his
arrival, lest some over enthusiastic sniper decide to earn his
fame.
The gates remained closed but uniformed Khadorans waited
just outside their bulk, safely covered by sentries occupying
the looming gatehouse. Grand Scrutator Severius approached
them at a sedate, unhurried pace as he leaned upon his staff.
At the center waited a trio wearing the distinctive fur-lined
coats and blood-red uniforms of the Greylords Covenant.
An older man with a thick white beard, its length divided
in two by jeweled golden clasps, stood at the fore. His wide
frame and broad shoulders belied his age, and his stern eyes
as gray as the cloak he wore watched Severius closely. Such a
commanding figure made it easy to overlook the two women,
both striking in their own way, standing in similar uniforms
just behind him. The younger of the two had raven-black hair
and green eyes that contrasted with the older womans pure
white hair and eyes of cold blue. These eyes followed every
step Severius took, but their blank expressions gave away
nothing.
The leading Greylord spoke first, his voice deep and thick
with barely restrained anger. Grand Scrutator Severius. You
will forgive me if I do not extend warm greetings to you.
Fresh Khadoran blood is still drying on your hands.

53

Greetings to you, Koldun

Lord Volkh Lazar, Severius
offered. I was treated with more
courtesy the last time I visited these
walls ten years ago. Tell me, does the
priest Zayiv Ryledor still preach at the
Temple of the Lawgiver and attend to the
faithful here?
This time the white haired woman spoke, Visgoth Ryledor
is still here. She blinked after answering as if she had
not meant to speak. The koldun lord looked to her with a
disapproving scowl, and she lowered her eyes and compressed
her lips.
Severius spoke, Ah, please send him my regards. We have
had our disagreements, but I know his unwavering faith has
been a beacon to his people.
I do not think you came to deliver messages to Llaelese
priests, Lord Lazar noted. Why are you here?
It did not seem as if the scrutator raised his voice, yet his
words carried far. Know this. Three nights past I spoke the
revelatory passages of the Covenant of Menoth. I invoked
this revelation and sealed it with the blood of the faithful and
the purgation of the faithless. We stand here by the Creators
will, not mine. Your ignorance will not change the certainty
that this city now belongs to the Lawgiver. I am not without
compassion. Those who would not welcome the faithful have
a day and night to vacate the city. I vow no harm will come
to those who leave. On tomorrows dawn we will come again
to claim this city for Menoth. Those who deny us will be
punished.
As Severius spoke, Koldun Lord Lazars face had become
increasingly red and it looked as if he struggled to restrain
the urge to leap across the space between them and strike the
scrutator. Listen to me. I will only say this once. The outside
of these walls is all you will ever see. This city has never been
seized by strength of arms, yet I hope you are foolish enough
to try.
And yet it has been seized, Severius answered calmly. Not
through strength of arms, but by offering the toll of a river of
blood. It is a toll that can be paid again.
Begone! Lazar shouted and pointed down the road. Those
standing nearby could discern that the air temperature had
dropped sharply, and their breath now emerged as visible
plumes of vapor.
Severius offered no further protest and simply turned to make
his slow way back down the road away from the city. To those
watching from atop the walls it seemed as though the wind
did not return until the grand scrutator had gone from sight.

54

A far larger procession marched up those same roads as the

sun broke over the horizon the next morning. A long train of
shining Knights Exemplar, led by hundreds mounted astride
lean desert horses, preceded the perfectly disciplined lines
of thousands of Temple Flameguard, thousands more robed
zealots, uniformed Deliverers, and lesser priests. Dozens of
warjacks and the wagons that supplied them with coal and
water were scattered amid the column.
Allies from the Llaelese Resistance followed more reluctantly
toward the rear. They gazed up at the looming walls with
distinct uneasiness and wondered at the lack of caution or any
apparent strategy. On those first early steps when they came
close to the walls it seemed that they walked toward their
certain deaths.
An eerie silence greeted them as they marched; neither cannon
nor rifle thundered from behind the upper crenellations.
Greasy smoke rose in numerous plumes behind the walls.
Strange sounds had come from the city during the previous
night, such as gunfire, the clashing of metal, and shouts and
screams. This racket had not lasted terribly long and had left
many of the lower ranks amid the Protectorate forces curious
and puzzled, but their superiors told them nothing.
Even as they marched directly up to the impossibly tall
gatehouse, they did not endure even so much as a curse.
Grand Scrutator Severius walked silently at the head of the
line. Blessing of Vengeance marched next to him on one side,
and the imposing bulk of High Executioner Servath Reznik
stood on the other. As they stepped forward there came a
loud and low scraping sound combined with the clattering
of quickly moving chains, and the gates began to yawn
open. A great spontaneous shout went up from the gathered
Protectorate forces as the warcasters led the way into the city.
Even more surprising, cheering people lined the sides of
the streets. From deeper in the city came the tolling of bells,
and the air erupted with colored streamers and bits of cloth.
Where many had expected to march into a hail of gunfire,
they instead walked into the festive atmosphere of a city
screaming its welcome to them.
Looking closely it was not difficult to see that the welcoming
faces were not universal. Only the forward thrust of those
gathered excitedly at the fore of the main road from the
gate, most of them wearing Menofixes, demonstrated their
approval. Among them stood some in Khadoran uniforms,
although it did not take long to see that they had torn
the symbols of their nation from their sleeves. Behind the
front ranks lining the streets, darker faces watched either
impassively or with dread as the Grand Scrutator, the High
Executioner, and scores of Knights Exemplar poured into
their city. Even among those who cheered it seemed clear that

more of them celebrated the overthrow of the Khadorans

than actually welcomed their new visitors.
In stark contrast to the jovial and parade-like atmosphere, a
row of wagons stood lined up alongside the widest part of
the entry road a hundred yards up the main thoroughfare.
Flies had already gathered, and a thick flow of residual blood
seeped out and down into the gutter from these wagons.
Bodies wearing Khadoran uniforms lay stacked like cordwood
in each wagon. Most had gaping gunshot wounds, but others
had their throats cut; some had limbs bound so tight the cords
cut into wrists and ankles where they had clearly struggled
before their executions. Among the soldiers lay the bodies
of men and women in civilian clothing, their faces frozen in
expressions of fear. The Protectorate army marched past the
charnel wagons without acknowledging them.
At the top of the first long incline lay an open courtyard,
clearly a market for the outer of three walled rings comprising
the fortified city. Severius and Reznik strode into this space
to the accolades of the crowd. People packed into the area
except for an elevated platform at the center. Likely an
auctioneers stand in other times, it now held a single cage and
two figures in white robes who knelt with heads bowed at the
approach of the warcasters. The cage trapped an older man,
stripped to the waist and chained to the bars, with a thick rag
tied into his mouth and countless bruises discoloring his flesh.
The man struggled against his restraints. Blood flowed down
his arms from where the cruel metal shackles bit his wrists.
His wild eyes and the crudely hacked remains of his once
proud beard made it difficult to recognize the great Koldun
Lord Volkh Lazar.

quickly unlimbered the tremendous folding wrack slung across

his back. He found a sunken hole toward the back of the
platform where some previous use had required setting a post
and here situated and braced the wrack. He attached chains
to the shackles at the koldun lords wrists and hauled him
up onto the frame with quick and practiced motions. Reznik
pulled forth another chain weighted with a heavy censor and
strapped this to Lazars neck. The entire operation took very
little time.
Despite the chain painfully pulling on his throat and his body
stretched by his arms chained above his head, the koldun
lords eyes filled with hate as he began to chant in a powerful
voice. Cold air moved around him, and frost began to rime the
chains that bound him. His eyes bore into the back of Servath
Reznik, who appeared to pay him no mind. Before Lazar
could utter more than a dozen words, there came a sudden low
sound like an indrawn breath followed by an explosive thump
as fire ignited along the Greylords body. He began to scream.
He fired like a torch while the crowd chanted their prayers
and adorations even louder. Severius stood before the burning
wrack on the platform and allowed them this moment of glory.
Menoth be praised, he said, and a chorus of voices picked
up and repeated this prayer.

Severius and Reznik mounted the platform. The grand

scrutator raised his hands to the crowd, who yelled their
praises. Letting Reznik hold his staff for a moment, Severius
leaned forward to touch the brows of the two bowing figures.
Bless you, my children. You have answered the call of the
Creator. The faces that looked up to him reverently were
familiar despite the lack of their previous attire. One had
black hair, the other white; one green eyes and the other blue.
Those eyes seemed half-maddened now. Tears poured down
the former Greylords cheeks, although onlookers could not
discern if the women wept from grief, some lingering guilt, or
spiritual rapture. They prostrated themselves before the grand
scrutator.
Severius waved his hand. Servath Reznik opened the cage and
pulled forth the still struggling koldun lord. At a sign from the
grand scrutator, Servath yanked loose the gag. Severius asked
Lazar, Do you repent and forsake your misguided loyalties?
Do you admit the crimes you have committed while betraying
the Creator?
Damn you, damn you all! Empress Vanar will crush you!
Lazar ranted. Severius made another gesture, and Reznik

55

HIERARCH severius
Death and destruction are not our purpose. We require only submission to the Creator, but those who refuse to bow will burn.
Hierarch Severius to his new northern congregation

Severius voice has always resonated with

sacred power when invoking miracles on
the battlefield. He inspires his followers
to transcend their humanity and become
an extension of the Creators will. He
demonstrates a strength and surety that
belies his age. Those who attend him can see
and hear the power of unchecked divinity
conveyed through his words and deeds. When
he raises his staff against his enemies, righteous
fire blazes forth to teach them a final lesson
in pain and humility. While the believers look
on his robed form with an awe and adoration
that gives rise to tears, others see him as an
incarnation of pure terror and a reminder that
The Shaper of Man can just as easily reduce His
creation to ash if it displeases Him.
The priesthood froze in shocked, despairing
disbelief in those first terrible hours after Hierarch
Voyles death. The visgoths and senior priests
remembered too well the years of chaos and
uncertainty in the wake of Hierarch Ravonals
passing and the bloody struggle that followed as
Voyle seized the reins of power. Voyles death caused
the visgoths even greater concern, for he died in
the hour of their faiths ascension. The Harbingers
presence reassured the priests in Sul and reminded
them that they did not lack for guidance. To them she
said, The next hierarch walks among you, carving a
new domain in the north, uniting the faithful in His
name. Her absolute certainty convinced them that she
spoke Menoths will.
The Protectorate has sometimes endured for many years
before a man proved worthy of the title of hierarch
while the Synod of the Visgoths ruled instead. The rise
of Severius marks the first time a hierarch gained power
so quickly and with such clear and irrefutable approval
from the Creator. During his service under Hierarch
Voyle, Grand Scrutator Severius deliberately refused the
title of visgoth and removed himself from the political
arena to demonstrate his determination to remain on the
battlefield.
With the passing of Voyle and the unanimous
endorsement of both the Synod and the Harbinger,

56

Protectorate Epic Warcaster Character

Severius no longer refuses such authority. He takes the heavy
mantle of leadership in stride knowing that the Protectorate
must heed a single voice in this time of war. Likewise
Severius knows his place lies at the fore of his crusade. He
will never step from the field of battle and his role as the
anointed priest-general who brings fire and the wrack to the
enemies of his faith. His hierarchy shall differ dramatically
from Ravonal and Voyle. Though both were visionaries and
great men, theirs was a time of preparation, of building
the machinery of war, readying the martial orders, and
constructing factories and mines to support the coming
crusades. Hierarch Severius will take up the weapons his
predecessors forged and leave the trivial matters of running
the Temple bureaucracy to the Synod.

power as foretold by prophecy and confirmed by the visions of

the Harbinger. He has witnessed the return of the Testament
after his sojourn in Urcaen. The path of the future lies open
and clear to Severius. He has vowed to make it his lifes work
to unite the Menites of western Immoren and spread the True
Faith to all of humanity. Those answering his call will usher in
a new age by hammering the cathedrals of Morrow to rubble
and erecting new temples to the Lawgiver. The younger
wayward faith will bow to Menoth or perish utterly.

Severius has spoken the words inscribed in script of blazing

fire within the Covenant of Menoth, invoking its terrible

Focus 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Tactical Tips

5 5 4 6 14 14

Fires of Communion: While they are friendly solos, affected

models are not affected by any effects on their original units.
Scourge of the Lawgiver: This does not affect models with
focus.
Hex Breaker: A warlock cannot use the animus of a warbeast
affected by Hex Breaker.

SPELL

Cmd 9

COST RNG AOE POW UP OFF

Call of the Creator 1

8
-
-
X
Target living enemy non-warcaster/warlock warrior model must make a
command check. If the model fails its command check, Severius controller
takes control of the model and immediately makes one normal attack, then this
spell expires.
Courage of Faith
2
Self CTRL
While in Severius control area, friendly Protectorate warrior models/units
do not suffer the effects of failed command checks. Once per turn during an
opponents turn while in Severius control area, when a friendly Protectorate
model/unit passes a command check caused by an enemy model, the affected
model or each model in the affected unit may make one normal attack. Courage
of Faith lasts for one round.
Creators Wrath
2
Self
-
-
X
Severius gains an additional die on melee attack and melee damage rolls.
Severius attacks may damage models only affected by magic attacks. When
making a melee attack, Severius ignores spell effects that add to the targets ARM
or DEF. Severius may charge incorporeal models.
Fear of God
2
8
-
-
X
X
When this spell is cast, target enemy living model/unit must pass a command
check or forfeit its movement or action during its next activation. While the spell
remains in play, affected models cannot give or receive orders.
Hex Breaker
3
10
3
13
X
A model damaged by Hex Breaker cannot cast spells and loses its animus for
one round.
Holy Ward
3
6
-
-
X
Target friendly Protectorate unit gains +2 DEF and cannot be targeted by spells
or animi.
Immolation
2
8
-
12
X
On a critical hit, target model suffers Fire. Fire is a continuous effect that sets the
target ablaze. A model on fire suffers a POW 12 damage roll each turn during
its controllers Maintenance Phase until the fire expires on a d6 roll of 1 or 2.
Fire effects are alchemical substances or magical in nature and are not affected
by water.
Light of Truth
3
Self CTRL
-
The front arc of friendly Protectorate warjacks currently in Severius control
area extends 360. Affected models ignore intervening models, cloud effects, and
forests when determining LOS. Light of Truth lasts for one round.

Feat: Fires of Communion

With his divinely appointed authority, Hierarch Severius can
invoke the most sacred rites of his faith to prompt curtains of
holy fire to descend from on-high. Unholy blasphemies cannot
endure this light and are transfigured to ash. The living who
have followed false gods feel overwhelmed by shame as they
witness the manifestation, and they are compelled to prostrate
themselves before the hierarch and obey his commands.

Reign of Fire
RNG ROF AOE POW
8 1 10
Staff of Authority
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 8 13
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

16
C
5
92
Small

Either d3+3 undead models in Severius control

area chosen by Severius controller suffer a POW
12 damage roll, or Severius takes control of d3+3
living enemy non-character warrior models chosen
by Severius controller currently in his control area. Controlled models become
friendly solos and may activate normally this turn. Fires of Communion lasts for
one turn.

Severius
Absolute Authority - Severius may issue any number of orders during his
activation and may issue any order to a unit that its original leader or officer could
issue.
Admonisher - When Severius directly hits an enemy model with a melee or ranged
attack, the d3 nearest enemy models within 5 of the enemy model hit suffer a POW
10 damage roll.
Presence of the Creator - Severius command range is equal to twice his
current CMD in inches. Enemy models in Severius command range suffer -2
CMD.
Warjack Bond - One non-unique warjack in Severius battlegroup may begin
the game bonded to him. Severius may allocate one additional focus point to
the warjack. Once per turn when the warjack is directly hit by an attack, it
may immediately spend one focus point to suffer no damage or effects from the
attack.

Reign of Fire
Spiritual Channeling - Reign of Fire may be channeled through an arc node like
a spell.

Staff of Authority
Reach - 2 melee range.
Scourge of the Lawgiver - Add +1 to Staff of Authority damage rolls for each
fury point on the model hit.

57

high executioner servath reznik

He is nothing but a blunt instrument of the hierarch released to obliterate any who offend. Pray your name never earns a place
on his writs.
Grand Exemplar Kreoss, speaking to Feora, Priestess of Flame

Those who have spurned the Lawgiver enjoy a false sense

of security outside the Protectorate of Menoth. They think
themselves safe from the scrutators who brought the white-hot
brand to the faithless in ancient times. These unbelievers
learn their mistake at the edge of the High
Executioners sword. Servath Reznik
readily imposes his will on
foreign soil. He
brings sworn writs
demanding the
execution of those
guilty of sacrilege,
sorcery, or religious
treason. He is a
terror let loose on the
enemies of the True Faith
within and without of the
Protectorates borders.
The High Executioner embodies
ancient ways of the faith, and his
masked visage recalls the time before
the rise of the Twins when priestkings reigned and citizens knew
that impiety earned suffering and
death. Born in an isolated village
in Khadors northern mountains
among the strictest sects of the Old
Faith who saw the local scrutator as
judge and jury, Reznik learned that
the ministrations of wrack or execution
invoked with the proper prayers might
divest a soul of sin as it fled to Urcaen
and gain redemption in the City of Man
despite mortal failings.
As a youth Reznik stumbled upon a
gathering of cultists of the Devourer
Wurm near his village. Without
hesitation he threw himself against
the throng armed with only a torch
and his fists and brought them down.
He recognized among the burnt and
battered bodies several youths from
his village who obviously feigned piety
in daily temple services and embraced
blasphemies at night. He took it upon
himself to root out the impious before such

58

Protectorate Warcaster Character

corruption could take hold. He proved so capable that the
scrutator adopted Reznik as an apprentice.
The way of the priest did not suit Reznik, and he soon
abandoned the north. It sickened him that so many of his
own people seemed content to live amongst those who praised
false gods. He sojourned south to where he had heard that
those of purer faith had carved a nation amid sun-blasted
sands. The timing of his arrival proved fortuitous, for he met
Garrick Voyle before he became hierarch. The priest-monk
saw in Rezniks eyes the truth in his soul: here walked an
instrument of execution who could kill for his faith eagerly
and without mercy. In this hour did Servath Reznik become
High Executioner, and in the early days of Voyles hierarchy
Reznik stayed busy proving by example that the hierarch
would brook no insubordination or lack of resolve. Where
Reznik went death was his sole purpose, and he brought a
sudden and unavoidable end to those who refused to see that
a new hierarch had arisen. Stories still circulate of Menite
villages burned to the last woman and child at Rezniks hands,
with none left to describe the reasons for such punishment.

The Protectorates leaders have little love for Reznik. Only

Hierarch Severius understands what sort of weapon his
predecessor wrought in Reznik and tolerates his presence.
Rezniks single-mindedness and almost inhuman appetite
to punish the wicked has earned the enmity of Grand
Exemplar Kreoss. Feora, Protector of the Flame, sees him
as a man immune to persuasion, utterly without ambition,
and therefore beyond her influence. Word of his purpose has
spread to every Menite community across western Immoren.
He has earned a kind of fearful adoration from those who
relish divine retribution, and they bring him the names of
those suspected of heresies against the faith.
Severius great work in Llael has drawn Rezniks attention and
prompted him to swear anew his vows of service. He has joined
his strength to the Northern Crusade to carve a stronghold
from this stubborn soil. The days ahead will provide ample
opportunities to exercise his function and spread the fire of the
Lawgiver across the darkened lands.

Tactical Tips
Excruciator: The Wracks do not have focus when they are put
in play.
Firestarter: If the model hit by Firestarter is in base-to-base
contact with a friendly model not suffering Fire, the model hit does
not move. If the model is in base-to-base contact with two or more
models not suffering Fire, randomly determine which model is set
on Fire.

SPELL

COST RNG

AOE POW

UP

OFF

Brand of Heresy 2
8
-
-
X
X
Target enemy model/unit becomes Branded. Models in Rezniks battlegroup
gain boosted attack and damage rolls against Branded models.
Firestarter
1
8
-
-
X
Nothing happens if the model hit cannot be affected by Fire. Otherwise, target
enemy model suffers Fire. When a non-warcaster/warlock warrior model is hit,
it immediately moves 3 directly toward the nearest enemy model that is not
suffering Fire, stopping short if it contacts an obstruction or another model.
When the hit model contacts another enemy model, that model also suffers Fire.
Fire is a continuous effect that sets the target ablaze. A model on fire suffers a
POW 12 damage roll each turn during its controllers Maintenance Phase until
the fire expires on a d6 roll of 1 or 2. Fire effects are alchemical substances or
magical in nature and are not affected by water.
Hate Monger
2
Self
-
-
Reznik gains +3 STR and may make d3 initial melee attacks during his combat
action. While in melee, Reznik gains +2 ARM. Hate Monger lasts for one round.
Perdition
2
10
-
10
X
When an enemy model is damaged by Perdition, immediately after the attack
has been resolved one model in Rezniks battlegroup may move up to its current
SPD in inches. The model cannot end this movement farther from the nearest
enemy model than it began.
Witch Hammer 3
8
3
13
X
Models hit by Witch Hammer cannot give or receive orders or cast spells for
one round.
Zealots Rage
2
6
-
-
X
Target model in Rezniks battlegroup can charge or slam at SPD +5 without
spending a focus point. During its activation, the affected model ignores
movement penalties from, and may charge and slam across, rough terrain and
obstacles.

Focus 6

Feat: Judgment Day

Heresy and blasphemy invoke the righteous wrath of
High Executioner Servath Reznik. He delivers the final
fire of judgment to those who would draw upon sorcerous
power in defiance of the Lawgiver. Calling upon Menoth,
Reznik strips away the arcane strength of his enemies
and leaves them quaking and frail, awaiting the sentence
of death.
Enemy models currently in Rezniks control area lose
all focus and fury points and cannot upkeep spells or
be allocated focus. Enemy models casting spells while
within Rezniks control area suffer Fire. Judgment
Day lasts for one round.

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 7 7 4 14 17
Confessor
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 7 14
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

17
C
5
70
Medium

Reznik
Excruciator - Once per turn during Rezniks activation when he destroys a living
enemy warrior model with a melee attack, after the attack has been resolved, his
controller may place a Wrack into play within 3 of Reznik. There must be room for the
Wracks base.
Exorcist - Melee attacks made by Reznik can damage models only affected by magic
attacks. Reznik may charge incorporeal models.
Terror - Enemy models/units in melee range of Reznik and enemy models/units with
Reznik in their melee range must pass a command check or flee.
Witch Hound - When a model in Rezniks battlegroup in his control area is hit by an
enemy magic attack, immediately after the attack is resolved one model in his battlegroup
in his control area may move up to its current SPD in inches and make one normal
attack.

Confessor
Purgation - Reznik gains an additional die on Confessor attack and damage rolls
against a model with an animus or enemy upkeep spell on it.
Reach - 2 melee range.

59

BLESSING OF VENGEaNCE
Pity and mercy are gifts reserved for those of faith making forgivable mistakes. Those who violate the True Law earn only righteous
vengeance.
Grand Scrutator Severius during the anointing of the Blessing of Vengeance

Height/Weight: 98 / 4.7 tons

Armament: Halberd (right arm),
Heavy Repulsar Shield (left arm)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 165
Lbs / 5.5 hrs general, 1.2 hrs
combat
Initial Service Date: 574 AR
Cortex Manufacturer: Greylords
Covenant (smuggled, modified)
Orig. Chassis Design: SulMenite Artificers (including
components designed by
Engines East and the Khadoran
Mechaniks Assembly)

60

Protectorate Unique Light Warjack

Blessing of Vengeance has served for three long decades as
a direct conduit for the divine. It has channeled prayers of
destruction and conversion onto the heads of the enemies
of the faithful and blessed and bolstered the resolve of
countless thousands of devoted soldiers. No wonder then
that the benedictions of Hierarch Severius fly with particular
potency when directed through Blessing of Vengeance. The
eyes of this jack glow with fervor when it beholds enemies
blasted to ash or lit afire by the holy power of Severius or
others authorized to pass judgment through it in the name of
Menoth. Zealots whisper that this jack can see straight into
mens souls and that it stands ready to smite the impious.
None in the Protectorate would accuse Hierarch Severius
of sentimentality. If anyone proved impudent enough to ask
him why he has maintained the same Revenger for almost
thirty years, Severius would explain this as a coldly practical
decision uncolored by emotion. The jack has survived its
battles, learned to accurately gauge threats to its master,
and become well attuned to channeling Severius invoked
prayers. The hierarch sees the machine as an investment.
The Vassals of Menoth have spent much time and many
precious resources rebuilding the machine and enhancing its
armament. Severius greets each dawn as another reminder of
the countless unbelievers awaiting punishment, and he orders
Blessing of Vengeance made ready for him every day when he
takes up his staff to conduct battle.

Blessing of Vengeance
Affinity (Severius): Attuned - Once per
turn when Severius channels a spell through
Blessing of Vengeance, Severius gains +2 to the
damage rolls.
Arc Node - Blessing of Vengeance may
channel spells.
Fired Up - Once per turn, when an enemy
model ends its normal movement in Blessing
of Vengeances melee range, Blessing of
Vengeance may immediately make one normal
melee attack against that model. Blessing of
Vengeance gains +2 to the attack roll and
boosted damage for this attack.
Imprint: Preactive Strike - Blessing of
Vengeance may spend one focus point to make its
combat action before its normal movement this
activation. It cannot run, charge, or slam during
its activation this turn.

Halberd
Powerful Charge - When making a charge
attack with the Halberd, Blessing of Vengeance
gains +2 to its attack rolls.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Heavy Repulsor Shield

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 9 6 4 12 17

19
L

Heavy Repulsor Shield

SPECIAL POW P+S
Excessive Repel 0 9

Halberd
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 4 13
1

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

C
3
88
Medium

Excessive Repel - When a model is hit by

the Heavy Repulsor Shield, or when Blessing of Vengeance is hit with
a melee weapon and the Heavy Repulsor Shield is not disabled by the
attack, after the attack is resolved, Blessing of Vengeance pushes the
opposing model 2 directly away.

Blessing of Vengeance seems aware that its function as

intermediary for holy power requires it to stand unmolested
on the field of battle. It perceives the approach of the enemy
with a palpable hostility, and it enthusiastically batters
intruders away with its shield or obliterates them with
unerring swings of its halberd. It will go to any lengths to
avoid distractions in order to move where its master needs it,
ready to channel a final reckoning deep into the heart of the
enemy.
Since Severius ascension to hierarch, he has made keeping
Blessing of Vengeance pristine a vital priority. An entire choir
and a dedicated Vassal of Menoth attend the jack at all
times, foregoing food, sleep, and rest if needed to prepare it
for the next days battles. It stands as the final line of defense
against those who would do harm to the leader of their nation
and faith, both a dauntless bodyguard and an imperishable
weapon.

61

FIRE of Salvation
The Fire of Salvation can manifest as either a blaze within the soul of the faithful or as a punitive flame turned on the heretic.
Hierarch Luctine on the importance of crusade

Height/Weight: 12 / 8.3 tons

Armament: Absolver (right arm)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 253
Lbs / 6 hrs general, 1 hr combat
Initial Service Date: 590 AR
Cortex Manufacturer: Vassals
of Menoth (liberated, wiped, and
reconditioned)
Orig. Chassis Design: Modified
variant by the Vassals of Menoth

62

Protectorate Unique Heavy Warjack

Those who have stood before this aureate Crusader say
its eyes carry a weight of presence more akin to a zealot
than a soulless construct. Those who have joined Grand
Exemplar Kreoss in battle and fought alongside this peerless
machine describe its dedication and loyalty as if speaking of
another soldier of the faith. Its fervent wrath strikes terror
in unbelievers and kindles rapture in followers of the True
Law as they witness Absolver sweeping through entire ranks
of heathens and incinerating them. The death of the faithful
around it drives Fire of Salvation toward the enemy to seek
vengeance for the dead. Every swing of its flame-wreathed
mace increases its momentum. It hammers blows one after
another until every foe lies shattered and burned. In the
aftermath, Menites of other nations who witnessed Fire of
Salvation have at times fallen to their knees, laid down their
arms, and forsaken old loyalties. They grovel before Mikael
Kreoss and beg him to show mercy and restrain this relentless
warjack from executing its just punishment.
The choir priests attending Fire of Salvation know every
detail of its chassis. Each rod, piston, and steel plate forms
part of a proud legacy, and reading its densely inscribed
surface reveals the history of this Crusaders participation in
the wars of the Protectorate. After every battle, armorers etch
new lines describing its deeds into the layers of decorated
armored plating. Priests have affixed blessed parchments
illuminated with passages from the Canon of the True Law
onto its chassis to formalize and recognize the sanctity Fire of
Salvation has earned by righteous conflict.
While it uses a cortex and weaponry of more recent design,
several of the jacks armored plates once protected machines
that fought in the original crusades in which the faithful
brought conversion or death to the savage Idrians who
foolishly opposed Menoths will. Many of these warjacks were
lost to the southern sands in battles north of Ancient Icthier,
including the desperate last stand where Hierarch Luctine
fell in 521 AR. These blessed artifacts lay buried beneath the
dunes for decades alongside the bones of Luctine, and the
proximity to this vaunted leader imbued in them an almost
palpable sanctity. The priests of Sul considered it only proper
that such relics should gird a warjack that has fought faithfully
alongside Grand Exemplar Kreoss since his earliest days of
service to the Protectorate.

Fire of Salvation
Affinity (Kreoss): Spiritual Conduit While Fire of Salvation is in Kreoss control
area, Kreoss can target it with upkeep spells
regardless of range or LOS, and enemy models
cannot upkeep spells on Fire of Salvation.
Kreoss can upkeep a spell on Fire of Salvation
without spending a focus point.
Glyphs of Reprisal - When Fire of Salvation
is directly hit by an enemy magic attack, the
attacking model suffers d3 damage points after
the attack has been resolved. The attacking
model suffers this damage even if Fire of
Salvation is destroyed by the attack.
Imprint: Holy Fervor - During its activation,
Fire of Salvation may spend one focus point
to gain boosted melee attack rolls and when
it destroys an enemy model with one of its
melee weapons, it may immediately make one
additional melee attack. Holy Fervor expires at
the end of Fire of Salvations activation.
Relentless - Fire of Salvation is not disabled
until four or more of its systems are disabled.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 11 6 4 10 19
L

Open Fist
SPECIAL POW P+S

0 11

Absolver
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 7 18
1

L
L

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Righteous Vengeance - Once per turn,

when an enemy attack destroys or removes from
play one or more friendly Protectorate warrior
models within 5 of Fire of Salvation, after the
attack has been resolved Fire of Salvation may immediately move up to
its current SPD in inches and make one normal attack.

C
4
113
Large

Absolver
Fire - Target model hit suffers Fire. Fire is a continuous effect that sets
the target ablaze. A model on fire suffers a POW 12 damage roll each
turn during its controllers Maintenance Phase until the fire expires on
a d6 roll of 1 or 2. Fire effects are alchemical substances or magical in
nature and are not affected by water.
Dispel - Upkeep spells on target model/unit immediately expire when
hit by Absolver.

Tactical Tips
Glyphs of Reprisal: If an attack that directly hits the Fire of
Salvation is considered a magic attack, the attacker suffers the damage.
Holy Fervor: The Fire of Salvation does not receive additional
attacks after trampling.

jack joins them in engagements. It fights as a brother knight,

becomes enraged at the sight of allies laid low, and moves to
intercept enemies and deliver blazing retribution.

Fire of Salvation has learned much from fighting alongside

Kreoss for almost two decades, and it echoes his footsteps
in battle. This fact inspires the Knights Exemplar when the

63

visgoth Juviah rhoven & Honor guard

Let the wrath I see in your eyes ignite a fire of faith with your blades. Drive the enemy back from our holy righteousness!
Visgoth Rhoven to the gathered faithful before the assault on Caspia

Visgoths are the ranking priests of the Protectorate who

serve the hierarch directly. Their position in the theocracy
affords them almost unparalleled influence and the power
of life and death over every citizen. Such men rarely take
to the battlefield, but the stakes in the current crusade have
simply risen too high. More than ever the strength of the
Protectorates war effort rests on the shoulders of its greatest
priests. Visgoth Juviah Rhoven has spent a lifetime upholding
the True Law in the walled city and preparing its garrisons for
the crusade. Sul is his domain, and he has taken its invasion as
a personal affront. He walks now into war as a living example
to the faithful and proof that even the highest clergy should
bear arms against the faithless.

64

In addition to his authority as visgoth, Juviah Rhoven serves

as one of three vice-scrutators and therefore has access to
the inner circle of the faiths dark protectors. He came to this
pinnacle of power as the first among the visgoths to support
Garrick Voyle in his bid for hierarch. Rhoven immediately
recognized the divine mandate that had called Voyle to act.
If he ever spoke of those days, Rhoven could take credit for
many of the countless corpses left in the wake of Voyles
consolidation. He personally added scores of names to High
Executioner Rezniks death warrants. While Voyle appreciated
Rhovens ruthless support, the visgoths leadership in the
aftermath of these struggles truly earned him his place
governing this strategically vital city. Sul prospered under

Protectorate Character Unit

Rhovens uncompromising direction and became a shining
example of industry and faith, a pillar of the Protectorate.
Juviah Rhoven has spent most of his tenure as a man more
feared than loved, as expected of a vice-scrutator. The silence
in Suls streets after curfew and the pristine cleanliness of its
walls and avenues served as an outward sign of the terror
Rhoven inspired. Most who lived there knew of friends or
family who had vanished for small violations of laws or even
the suspicion of impiety and suffered brutal penance in
dungeons below the visgoths palace. After Cygnaran soldiers
shattered the city walls and marched through the rubblestrewn streets, Rhovens merciless nature became his most
lauded quality and fear transformed to adoration.
Visgoth Rhovens tireless honor guard accompanies him
wherever he marches. These veteran exemplars bear
consecrated halberds anointed with holy oil drawn from
the same reservoir that feeds the sacred flame in the Great
Temple of Sul. Two decorated senior Sulese knights lead
the honor guard. Darvik Gius and Martus Cassian never
stray far from Rhovens side, ready to intercept any enemy
attempting to harm the visgoth. Both quiet, stern men enjoy
wide admiration. Many know the story of how Cassian nearly
lost his eye to the blow of a Caspian battle blade during an
engagement near the Marchfells. Cassian has refused to repair
the damage to his helmet in memory of the event and to
ensure he stays ever vigilant.
Rhoven has fought tirelessly since Cygnaran forces first
besieged and then invaded his sacred city. Street-to-street
fighting in its defense has occupied Visgoth Rhovens attention
for months. He has appeared at most major engagements and
raised the Staff of Sulon to inspire the faithful with memories
of this martyred hierarch. He has conducted a fervent defense
of the citys holy sites, in particular Sulons Remembrance
and the seat of his authority at the ancient Great Temple of
the Creator.
Rhoven led the Protectorate vanguard during the assault on
Caspia alongside his hierarch. He has ignited the fires of faith
quite literally, praying for winds of fire to sweep through the
heretics, piercing their deceptions with his unerring sight, and
dismissing enemy magic by invocations of anathema. To the
faithful, Rhoven embodies grim and unyielding resolve and
stands as the unwavering fire of Sul.

Rhoven
Commander - Rhoven has a command
range equal to his CMD in inches. Friendly
Protectorate models/units in his command
range may use Rhovens CMD when making
command checks. Rhoven may rally and give
orders to friendly Protectorate models in his
command range.
Creators Mercy - While Rhoven is in play,
when a living enemy warrior model suffers
sufficient damage to be destroyed as a result
of an attack made by a model in this unit, the
enemy model must make a command check
using its base CMD. If the check fails, the
model is removed from play and Rhovens
controller may add a non-leader trooper model
to a friendly Deliverer, Holy Zealot, or Temple
Flameguard unit within 10 of the attacking
model. The model must be placed in formation
and may activate normally this turn.

Rhoven

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 6 6 4 12 15
Gius & Cassian

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 6 8 4 12 15
Staff of Sulon
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 12
L

Consecrated Halberd
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 11

R
Rhovens
Damage
Guis Damage
Cassians Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Flames of Wrath - An enemy model

directly hit by a melee attack or ranged attack
made by Rhoven or a friendly Protectorate
model within 3 of him suffers Fire. A model
on fire suffers a POW 12 damage roll each turn during its controllers
Maintenance Phase until the fire expires on a d6 roll of 1 or 2. Fire
effects are alchemical substances or magical in nature and are not
affected by water.

5
8
8
C
2
71
Small

Leader
Menoths Sight (HAction) - While in Rhovens command range,
enemy models lose Incorporeal, Invisibility, and Stealth. Menoths Sight
lasts for one round.
Sanctuary (HAction) - Continuous effects, animi, and enemy upkeep
spells on friendly Protectorate models currently in Rhovens command
range expire. While in Rhovens command range, friendly models/units
cannot be affected by continuous effects, animi, or targeted by enemy
upkeep spells. Sanctuary lasts for one round.

Gius and Cassian

Exemplar - Gius and Cassian are Exemplar models.
Weapon Master - Gius and Cassian roll an additional die on their
melee damage rolls.

Unit
Crusaders Blessing - A model in this unit gains a cumulative +3
ARM bonus for each other model in this unit with which it is in base-tobase contact.
Fearless - Models in this unit never flee.

Staff of Sulon (Rhoven only)

Reach - 2 melee range.
Critical Stagger - On a critical hit, the model hit by the Staff of
Sulon loses its initial attacks for one round.

Consecrated Halberd (Gius & Cassian only)

Reach - 2 melee range.
Shared Defense - This model and friendly warrior models in baseto-base contact with it gain +2 DEF against charge and slam attacks
originating from their front arcs.

65

exemplar bastions
Protectorate Exemplar Unit

I feel no weight but the eyes of the Creator upon me.

Exemplar Warden Joriah Masvan

Warder

Cmd 9 Warder

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Leader

4 7 8 4 11 17 Unit
Fearless - An Exemplar Bastion never flees.
Knight

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

4 7 7 4 11 17
Bastion Glaive
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 4 11
Warders Damage
8
Knights Damage
5
Field Allowance
1
Victory Points
3
Leader and 2 Troops
66
Up to 2 Additional Troops 20ea
Base Size
Medium

Reach - 2 melee range.

Hold Strong - A model in this unit in baseto-base contact with another model in this unit
cannot be knocked down.
Sanguine Bond - When a model in this unit
suffers damage from an enemy attack, the
Bastions controller may assign the damage
points to one or more other models in the unit,
dividing them at his discretion. A model cannot
be assigned more damage points than it has
wounds remaining.
Vital Force - When a model in this unit hits
with a melee attack, add the number of marked
damage boxes the attacking model currently
has to the damage roll.
Weapon Master - An Exemplar Bastion rolls
an additional die on his melee damage rolls.

Bastion Glaive

A select few who take up the vows of the Exemplar hear a

special calling. During their initial fasting these exemplars
experience a dream wherein they find themselves interred
below the earth. They feel its weight pressing down yet
remaining calm and unafraid. All exemplars are brothers in
arms, yet those destined to follow the path of the bastion are
admired for the additional weight that quite literally rests
upon their shoulders.
Potential bastions endure a
cruel but necessary
trial. They stand
in the temple
courtyard for two
days and nights
with weights loaded
upon them and no
food or water. At the
end they must find
the will to ignore the
pain and march across
the temple grounds, even

66

though some suffer crippling injuries. Those who succeed

prove they have the fortitude to last the training by which
they learn to fight within the impossibly heavy bastion armor,
comprised of ancient steel plates borne by past brothers and
engraved with lines of holy writ from the True Law.
The bond each Exemplar Bastion shares with his brothers
in arms grants him their strength even as injuries threaten to
wear them down. Side by side bastions become rooted by their
faith and impossible to topple. Bastion knights sleep standing
in their armor and can ignore the mundane needs of the
body and endure days or even weeks without stepping forth
from their thickened shells. Their stalwart resilience causes
enemies of Menoth to despair as the bastions take up their
glaives, their eyes lit with inner flame, and march forward
imperturbable. Their punishing blows grow stronger even as
wounds threaten to overtake them, as if their spirits looming
reunion with the Creator empowers their dying bodies.

HIEROPHANT

Protectorate Warcaster Attachment

Let the sound of prayer and the litany of the True Law be the only music your ears apprehend.
Hierarch Severius

Tactical Tips
Extension of Will: This does not modify the range of a spell.

Hierophant
Extension of Will - While within 3 of the
Hierophant, the Hierophants warcaster may
target friendly Protectorate models in his control
area with spells regardless of LOS.
Fearless - The Hierophant never flees.
Field Transfer - While in base-to-base
contact with his warcaster, the Hierophant gains
+1 ARM for each focus point on the warcaster.
Harmonious Exaltation (HAction) - The
Hierophant can make a Harmonious Exaltation
special action while within 3 of his warcaster.
Once during this activation, the warcaster
spends one less focus point to cast one spell.

Hierophant

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 4 5 3 13 12
Staff
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 3 7
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
1
1
19
Small

Holy Restoration (HAction) - The Hierophant can make a Holy

Restoration special action while within 3 of his warcaster. Remove d3
damage points from the warcaster.
Spiritual Conduit - While the Hierophant is within 3 of his
warcaster, spells cast directly from the warcaster gain +2 RNG.
Channeled spells and spells with a range of Self, CTRL, or SP do not
benefit from Spiritual Conduit.

Staff
Reach - 2 melee range.

From among the senior warpriests leading the choirs of

Menoth arise dedicated and fervent spiritual leaders who
have bolstered warjacks with hymns for decades. As these
individuals reach an advanced age, some demonstrate a
powerful affinity for the warcasters with whom they have
long served. Such respected priests learn through exposure
and practice to harmonize their prayers with the warcaster
and use faith to provide a bulwark for these battle leaders.
These warpriests, called hierophants, form a small but revered
company that remains close by a warcaster to chant prayers or
offer council.
Each hierophant bears scrolls of selected excerpts from the
Canon of the True Law with the greatest bearing on war. As
the warcaster fights, the hierophant adeptly finds the hymn
or passage most applicable to the situation and elevates his
warcasters mindset and power through the inspiration of
faith These chants revitalize the warcasters flagging energies,
lift spirits, and speed prayers of power outward to strike
even distant targets. All these benefits, almost intangible in
themselves, have a palpable combined impact.

67

ALLEGIANT of the order of the fist

Protectorate Solo

If I do not allow you to strike me, you cannot. Will is stronger than flesh.
Garrick Voyle speaking to the first allegiants

Allegiant

Cmd 9 Allegiant

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 7 4 15 12
Punching Gauntlet
SPECIAL POW P+S
2 9

Circular Vision - The Allegiant has no back

arc, and his front arc extends 360.
Fearless - The Allegiant never flees.

Fists of Fury - When he makes an attack,

the Allegiant gains a cumulative +1 STR and
MAT for each enemy model after the first with
which he is in melee. While in melee with two
Punching Gauntlet
or three enemy models, the Allegiant may push
SPECIAL POW P+S
models hit by a Punching Gauntlet attack 1
2 9

directly away. While in melee with four or more
Damage
5
enemy models, the Allegiant may slam models
Field Allowance
2
hit by a Punching Gauntlet attack d6 directly
away. A slammed model suffers a damage roll
Victory Points
1
equal to the Allegiants current STR plus the
Point Cost
25
POW of the Punching Gauntlet. If a slammed
Base Size
Small
model contacts or moves through a model
with an equal or smaller-sized base, that model
is knocked down and suffers a collateral damage roll of 2d6 plus the
Allegiants current STR.
Flying Kick - The Punching Gauntlets have a 2 melee range on
charge attacks.
Perfect Balance - The Allegiant cannot be targeted by combined
melee attacks, combined ranged attacks, or free strikes. Perfect Balance
negates back strike bonuses against the Allegiant. When knocked down,
the Allegiant may stand up during his activation without forfeiting his
movement or action.
Pugilist - The Allegiant may make one additional melee attack.
Shifting Winds Stance - After his normal movement, the Allegiant
may forfeit his action to enter the Shifting Winds Stance. While in the
Shifting Winds Stance, the Allegiant gains +2 DEF, and when an enemy
attack misses him, after the attack has been resolved, he may move up to
his current SPD in inches. Shifting Winds Stance lasts for one round.
Tough - When the Allegiant suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed,
his controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the Allegiant is knocked down
instead of being destroyed. If the Allegiant is not destroyed, he is
reduced to one wound.
Weapon Master - The Allegiant rolls an additional die on his melee
damage rolls.

No warrior looks more unassuming at rest or so devastating

in motion than a monk of the Order of the Fist. Disdaining
weapons and wearing little armor, these expert pugilists
effortlessly evade rifle fire, deflect enemy blades, and
counterattack with a series of rapid kicks and punches. By
the time a monk reaches the vaunted rank of allegiant, he has
fused his faith with unwavering discipline and absolute selfcontrol to become one of the most dangerous weapons in the
Protectorate arsenal.
Their order is young by Menite standards, founded by Garrick
Voyle during the reign of Hierarch Ravonal a decade before
Voyle seized rulership of the Protectorate. Allegiants served

68

as his inner guard in the bloody months when he consolidated

his power and proved their unique strength to the other
martial orders. These monks walked the streets listening for
treasonous plotting and rooted out insurrection before it could
begin. The men and women dragged from their homes by
monks in the middle of the night simply vanished forever.
Allegiants study the strength of stone and the fluidity of sand
until the application of deadly force becomes as simple to
them as breathing.
While lesser members of the order still serve the Temple by
blending among the populace and staying alert to hints of
sedition, allegiants have joined the active war against the
unbelievers. They accompanied Hierarch Voyle in his attack
on Caspia and will not return to their monasteries after his
death.

vassal of menoth
Protectorate Solo

Chain my arms, but you cannot shackle my mind. I loan you my power, but I refuse to pray to your god.
Vassal Dominigo Marshall, former member of the Ordic Fraternal Order
Creating the Vassals of Menoth constituted one of the most
significant pragmatic measures Garrick Voyle initiated to
modernize the Protectorates army. The Synod granted the
wizards and arcane mechaniks of the Vassals the sole sanction
to pollute their souls with arcane energies in order to create
and maintain the machines of modern war. The clergy never
entirely trusts the Vassals, due to their immersion in profane
forces, and watches them constantly. Foreign-born wizards
liberated to serve the Creator constructing warjack cortexes
and lending them power in battle comprise many of the
most talented Vassals. These pampered slaves and prisoners
receive certain luxuries but remain guarded lest they slip their
restraints to flee to their homelands. Even native-born Vassals
suffer these restraints though they daily prove themselves
fervent believers.

Vassal

Vassal

Cmd 6

Gird - While within 3 of a friendly

Protectorate warjack, the Vassal gains +3 ARM.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Prisoner - The Vassal never flees and

automatically rallies when within 10 of a
friendly Protectorate model. When the Vassal is
not within 10 of a friendly Protectorate model
at the start of his controllers Maintenance
Phase, the Vassal immediately activates and
flees.

Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

6 4 5 3 13 13
5
1
1
19
Small

Magic Ability
As a special attack or action, the Vassal may cast one
L of the following
spells during his activation. Determine the success of a magic attack
by rolling 2d6 and adding the Vassals Magic Ability score of 7. If
the roll equals or exceeds the targets DEF, the attack hits. The Vassal
cannot make additional attacks after making a magic
R attack.
Ancillary Attack (HAction) - Target friendly Protectorate
warjack within 5 immediately makes one normal melee or ranged
attack.
Arcane Bolt (HAttack) - Arcane Bolt is a RNG 12, POW 11
magic attack.
Enliven (HAction) - Anytime other than its activation that
target friendly Protectorate warjack within 5 suffers damage from
an enemy attack, if it is not stationary, it may immediately move up
to its SPD in inches, then this spell expires. The warjack cannot be
targeted by freestrikes during this movement. Enliven lasts for one
round.

Menites have always harbored hostility toward arcane magic

as its use violates the will of the Lawbringer. Even during the
civil war, however, Menite leaders recognized the necessity
of warjacks in the post-Orgoth age. Capturing Vassals
to construct and attend these weapons has proven a wise
expedient. Vassals demonstrate their worth on the battlefield
with spells that can annihilate the enemy directly or bolster a
warjacks power.
The demands of the crusades have forced the Protectorate to
increase their efforts to discover native-born talent. It seems
strange to outsiders that any man would volunteer for slavery,
yet Sul-Menites born to these skills are often deeply ashamed
of the ungodly origins of their power and accept their chains
as penance. They enter the House of Truth in Imer to learn
how to master their powers and to pray daily for forgiveness
for their innate corruption.

69

high exemplar Gravus

May I lay down my life so my brothers can fight to victory in His name.
High Exemplar Gravus

Members of his order describe High Exemplar Sarvan Gravus

as the unbreakable weapon of their faith. He shirks from no
order, no matter how bloody or terrible. In his time he has
shattered the weak flesh of both Devourer worshipers and
Cygnaran soldiers and sent their souls screaming to Urcaen.
He leads the Exemplar Vengers to battle shouting
resounding prayers to the Creator of Man that rise
above the thundering sound of hooves.
When Grand Exemplar Baine Hurst met
his end defending the Harbinger, many
among the Synod supported High
Exemplar Gravus to succeed him.
Though Mikael Kreoss eventually
took command of the Exemplar
order, Gravus was the only other
knight who could have risen
to this esteemed post. As the
people admire Kreoss for his
dignity and defense of the
faithful, they respect Gravus
for his merciless pragmatism
and his unwavering adherence
to the Exemplar code. Gravus
hopes to die in battle and only
fears that he might outlive his
usefulness as a warrior. Any who

70

Protectorate Exemplar Dragoon Character Solo

have witnessed him riding into the throng of the enemy while
his blessed flail crushes one skull after another know that that
time has not yet arrived.
Gravus will admit age has taken its toll. Riding to battle every
day puts a difficult strain on a man of his years, but his will
to fight remains undiminished. Gravus considers himself a
cavalry knight first and foremost and refuses to surrender his
steed. He claims he daily takes new strength from the youth
and vitality of his faithful mount Fidelitus. This horse springs
from a distinguished lineage that has served the Vengers over
many decades.
Gravus rose to prominence during the reign of Hierarch
Ravonal, when the Knights Exemplar transformed from a
small order into a true force of war. Cygnaran soldiers on
the other side of the Black River learned well his name and
recognized him as the Protectorates premiere cavalry leader
for his bold strikes. On several occasions he led small forces
of Knights Exemplar against far greater numbers, inflicted
tremendous casualties, and emerged victorious.
Gravus earned a different reputation among the northerners
who once inhabited the lazy town of Fisherbrook. Then
Grand Scrutator Severius ordered Gravus to sweep through
the eastern portion of town and raze its structures to the
ground, thereby stirring up the garrison defenders who might
have otherwise retreated to Stonebridge Castle. Gravus at
once took his men into the outskirts of town and killed every
man, woman, and child he could reach before sending his
Vengers to ride down those who fled.
Gravus has never questioned the will of the clergy in his
lifetime of service. He believes it their role to interpret the
will of the Creator and his role to obey. The only time he has
ever evidenced even the slightest displeasure with his superiors
occurred on hearing word of the Protectorates withdrawal
from Caspia after the death of Hierarch Voyle. Even here
he has not spoken against the visgoths, though his eyes burn
with anger and a desire to avenge his fallen leader. Now he
has turned north past the desert sands to renew his oaths
of service to the new hierarch and lend his strength to the
Northern Crusade. He feels his good death approaching with
a sound like hooves on stone, and he will not shrink from it.

Gravus
Commander - Gravus has a command
range equal to his CMD in inches. Friendly
Protectorate models/units in his command
range may use Gravus CMD when making
command checks. Gravus may rally and give
orders to friendly Protectorate models in his
command range.
Dragoon - While mounted, Gravus has base
SPD 8 and base ARM 17. Dismounted, Gravus
has base SPD 5 and base ARM 15.
Fearless - Gravus never flees.
Grim Resolve - Gravus gains a resolve token
for each friendly Exemplar model destroyed or
removed from play by an enemy attack within
his command range. Gravus may have up to
five resolve tokens at any time. Gravus may
spend resolve tokens during his activation for
additional attacks or to boost attack or damage
rolls.

Gravus

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

8/5 5 8 4 12 17/15
L

Reverence
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 11

Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

10

Mounted Gravus Damage

8
L
Dismounted Gravus Damage 5
Field Allowance
C
Victory Points
2
R Cost
Point
62
Mounted Base Size
Large
Dismounted Base Size Small

Inspiring Charge - When Gravus hits an enemy model with a charge

attack, friendly Exemplar Venger units currently in his command range
may charge without receiving the charge order this turn. Affected models
that charge, charge at SPD +5 and gain boosted attack rolls this turn.
Requiems Prayer - During his activation, Gravus may spend one
or more resolve tokens to perform one of the following prayers for each
resolve token spent. Each Prayer may be performed once per activation
and lasts for one round.
Brothers Keeper - Friendly non-warcaster Exemplar models
currently in Gravus command range, including Gravus, cannot be
knocked down or made stationary.
Eye for an Eye - When Gravus is damaged by a direct hit from a
magic attack, after the attack has been resolved the attacking model
suffers an equal damage roll. Then Eye for an Eye expires.
Resolution - When Gravus suffers a damage roll that exceeds
his ARM, he may use Resolution. When Resolution is used, Gravus
only suffers one damage point regardless of the total rolled, then
Resolution expires.
Weapon Specialist - Gravus rolls an additional die on Reverence
damage rolls.

Reverence
Blessed - Reverence may damage models only affected by magic attacks.
When making a Reverence attack, ignore spell effects that add to the targets
ARM or DEF. Gravus may charge incorporeal models.
Chain Weapon - Reverence ignores shields and Shield Wall.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Tactical Tips
Requiems Prayer: Take note that Gravus can perform more
than one prayer per turn.

71

idrian skirmishers
Protectorate Idrian Ally Unit

Walk alone into the sands where the nomads dwell. Only if you return alive will you earn my respect.
Amon Ad-Raza to a Sulese priest

Rhaz

Cmd 8

Ally

6 6 7 6 14 12

Idrian Skirmishers are Protectorate models

that will work for mercenary contracts that
include mercenaries that will work for the
Protectorate.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Rhaz

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Nomad

Cmd 6

6 6 6 5 14 12
Rifle
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 10
L

Kopis
SPECIAL POW P+S
Brutal Charge 4 10

Field Allowance
2
R
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
70
Up to 4 Additional Troops 11ea
Base Size
Small

Intercept (Order) - Every Idrian

Skirmisher who receives this order must
advance. When an enemy model ends its
normal movement within 6 and LOS of an
Idrian Skirmisher who received this order, the
Idrian Skirmishers in this unit may intercept.
All unengaged models in the intercepting unit
who received this order must immediately run
or charge. This order then expires.
Leader

Unit
Advance Deployment - Place the Idrian
Skirmishers after normal deployment, up to
12 beyond the established deployment zone.

Bushwhack - The Idrian Skirmishers may

make ranged attacks before moving. After all Idrian Skirmishers in the
unit have completed their attacks, Idrian Skirmishers in the unit may
advance normally but can take no additional actions.
Camouflage - An Idrian Skirmisher gains an additional +2 DEF when
benefiting from concealment or cover.
Coordination - Idrian Skirmishers in this unit can ignore other models
in this unit when drawing LOS. An Idrian Skirmisher can move through
other models in this unit if he has enough movement to move completely
past the other models bases.
Pathfinder - During his activation, an Idrian Skirmisher ignores
movement penalties from, and may charge across, rough terrain and
obstacles.
Swordmaster - An Idrian Skirmisher may make one additional melee
attack.

Kopis
Brutal Charge - An Idrian Skirmisher gains +2 to Kopis charge
attack damage rolls.

Western Immoren holds few more dangerous or unpredictable

regions than the sweeping barrens east of Cygnar and the
Protectorate of Menoth known as the Bloodstone Marches.
For centuries only the Idrian tribes have lived amid these
dunes. These brave nomads carve out a life amid the many
hostile creatures stalking the sands. Skirmishers, noted for skill
with both rifle and blade, have long served as the guardians of
their homeland.
Years spent leading ambushes in silence among shifting sands
have given the rhaz who lead these warriors a remarkable
level of deadly coordination and adaptive cunning. They rise
up from the sands to intercept enemy forces sent to root them
out. They close swiftly with a startling battle cry and often slay

72

their enemies before they can react. While many skirmishers

kopis blades have passed from generation to generation for
centuries, these warriors have more recently mastered the
rifles picked up in trade at border towns such as Ternon Crag.
Though the majority of the varied Idrian peoples converted to
the worship of Menoth in 504 AR, not all of these men and
women joined the Protectorate. Some tribes heeded the word
of Menoth but kept to the dunes and oases of their ancestors.
In recent years, settled Idrians within the Protectorate have
gone forth to convince with these distant kinsmen of a
common cause. While some skirmishers fight pragmatically
for coin, others display true faith. They eagerly strive to end
the lives of blasphemers by the explosive report of their rifles
or the silent strike of a kopis deep into vitals.

idrian skirmisher Chieftain & Guide

Protectorate Idrian Skirmisher Ally Unit Attachment

Do not forget that Menoth was the first great hunter, tracking the spoor of the Devourer Wurm across the skies.
Retek Sabukhari, Guide of the Palm Shroud Oasis tribe
Only a man who has won many victories and possesses
great force of will can hope to unite multiple rhaz under his
leadership. Such a leader can use these greater numbers and
his followers ambitions to carve a sovereign region among
the borderlands and defend it against his rivals. These great
chieftains lead skirmishers in coordinated ambushes and
timed assaults. Each chieftain must win his rank through
combat rather than birth. Ultimately skirmishers have little
use for history or lineage beyond the deeds of heroes, the
spoils of battle, and the victories each recounts around the
campfire.
The support of a knowledgeable guide is key to the successful
attacks that support a chieftains position. These desert guides
have learned the skills to follow an enemy back to his lair
and to find the perfect ground to lay an ambush. Some say
the greatest guides have an almost intuitive ability to predict
the coming weather and senses so keen they can translate
the slightest trembling of the sands underfoot into a precise
count of an approaching army. Pious Menites sometimes feel

Chieftain
Assault & Battery (Order) - Every Idrian
Skirmisher who receives this order may make
one ranged attack, after which he must charge
or run. The ranged attack is made before
declaring a charge target.
Intercept (Order) - See Idrian Skirmishers
for description.

Chieftain

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 8 7 14 12
Guide

Unit Abilities - The Chieftain has Idrian

Skirmisher unit abilities.

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 6 5 14 12
Rifle
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 10

Officer - The Chieftain is the unit leader.

Tactics: Combined Melee Attack Models in this unit gain Combined Melee
Attack. Instead of making melee attacks
separately, two or more models with
Combined Melee Attack in melee range of
the same target may combine their attacks.
In order to participate in a combined melee
attack, a model must be able to declare a
melee attack against the intended target. The
model with the highest MAT in the attacking
group makes one melee attack roll for the
group and gains +1 to the attack and damage
rolls for each model, including himself,
participating in the attack.

Cmd 9

Kopis
SPECIAL POW P+S
Brutal Charge 4 10

Second Kopis
SPECIAL POW P+S
Brutal Charge 4 10

Chieftains Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
1
+1
40
Small

Guide
Go To Ground - Once per game during his units activation, the
Guide may use Go To Ground. Models in this unit gain cover (+4 DEF)
and +4 ARM. An Idrian Skirmisher loses the benefits of Go To Ground
if he moves or is engaged. Go To Ground lasts for one round.
Huntsman - After deployment and before the first players turn,
the Idrian Skirmishers controller declares an enemy model/unit to
be the units prey. While the Guide is in play, models in this unit gain
Huntsman. A model with Huntsman beginning its activation within 10
of the prey gains +2 of movement and +2 to attack and damage rolls
against their prey. When the prey has been destroyed or removed from
play, the Idrian Skirmishers controller may immediately select another
model/unit as their prey.
Unit Abilities - The Guide has Idrian Skirmisher unit abilities.

Kopis
Brutal Charge - An Idrian Skirmisher gains +2 to Kopis charge
attack damage rolls.

Second Kopis (Chieftain only)

Brutal Charge - An Idrian Skirmisher gains +2 to Kopis charge
attack damage rolls.

uncomfortable around these guides, as their long hours by

themselves amid the dunes gives rise to a wildness in their eyes
and a skill at predation that borders on the preternatural.
They prove their worth, however, by finding and stalking
the enemy with unerring precision.

73

PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH

Hierarch Severius
Epic Warcaster

High Executioner Servath Reznik

Warcaster

Hierophant
Warcaster Attachment

74

Vassal of Menoth
Solo

Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide

Idrian Skirmisher Unit Attachment

Fire of Salvation
Unique Heavy Warjack

Idrian Skirmishers
Unit

High Exemplar Gravus

Dragoon Solo

75

PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH

76

77

KHADOR
The clock was ticking. Irusk knew it as
soon as his forces moved into the killing
range of Northguards main cannons. He
had a limited time to execute a five-prong attack
on the outer redoubts surrounding Northguard and
protecting its network of trenches. All of his previous efforts
led to this.
As soon as the assault began his mortars became vulnerable
to the cannons in the great fortress, which roared thunder and
hurled death amid the muddy fields. The odds guaranteed at
least one and possibly two of these attacks would falter and
require additional waves. Irusk watched Assault Kommandos
surge through the smoke to attack the outer trenches, and he
sent Destroyers forward to lend fire to the assault. The powerful
fortress guns raked the jacks with armor-rending blasts.
The Cygnarans relied on the overlapping cover from their outer
fortifications to support the trenches and could not allow these
positions to fall. Furthermore, the defenders knew the danger of
circumvallation. If Irusk gained control of the redoubts, he could
use them as a fortified line to shield his men while he pressed
the attack. Nemo would soon feel compelled to challenge the
Khadorans with sufficient force to break the assaults, Irusk knew.
He was, in fact, counting on it.
The chaos of a command post, of senior officers shouting
orders and coordinating incoming messages while subordinates
frantically updated the map with tokens representing the
shifting tides of the battle, surrounded Irusk. The clamor of
rifle and cannon fire made communication difficult, yet Irusk
watched with a serene expression as if listening to an orchestral
arrangement.
Maintain pressure on the western face, he instructed an
older kommandant, whose face shone slick with sweat as he
listened to the appalling casualty reports from the brutal enemy
shelling in that quarter. Major Victoria Haley, the Northguard
Gravediggers, and veteran long gunners from Cygnars First
Army held the center there supported by Grenadiers, Sentinels,
and several Defenders. Haleys Lancers stalked those trenches to
extend her power deep into the attacking forces.
Irusk looked up sharply as he heard one kommander conferring
with a messenger. The kommander spoke so the room could
hear. General Nemo is out, moving to support the southeastern
position with the Northern Thunder storm knights and at least a
dozen heavy warjacks. They are coming up behind the occupied
trenches there. Subordinates hastened to adjust the map
markers.
Irusk had everyones full attention, though he spoke at first to
himself. Nemo must expect reinforcements from the river. He
nodded as the final piece of a vast mosaic clicked into place in
his mind. Forward Kommander Kratikoff. She looked up to
him, her body tense. Move against the western approach. Let
Major Haley see you when you strike her line. Push as hard as

you can until you receive my signal, then withdraw south toward
Nemos position. When you withdraw, have a portion of your
flank move north. Time it to appear to be a rout.
What if I actually break her line? Sorscha asked, her eyes
flashing with confidence.
No, you must withdraw. If you see the chance to neutralize
Major Haley quickly, do so. But if the chance does not come,
withdraw on my signal. It is imperative. Go. She seemed
disappointed at these instructions but saluted and left. The white
Juggernaut called Beast idling outside the kommand tent moved
to follow her. The tent rocked from a nearby explosion, and dirt
sprayed onto its canvas. Several of the markers shifted from the
close impact.
Irusk spoke to Kommander Kigir Villislovski of the 1st Border
Legion as if nothing had happened. Send my compliments to
Kommander Karchev, and tell him to move as quickly as possible
along the river to attack the southeastern fortification. He will
find General Nemo there. Have the Widowmakers currently
covering the northern mortars advance and concentrate fire on
Nemos storm knights. Tell Kovnik Grigorovich the trench line
on the flank of the Northern Thunder must fall, no matter the
cost. I have faith in the Unbreakable 111th. The kommander
saluted and left.
Kovnik Markov. The veteran Iron Fang Uhlan stood to
attention. Now is the time. Take your Iron Fangs and strike
between Nemo and the trenches, here. Irusk indicated a
sweeping line between Northguard and the southeastern redoubt.
This will be a difficult position. Flank Nemo on the right with
Uhlans while your pikemen sweep left. You will suffer enfilade
rifle fire from these trenches, and the cannons will have an angle
on you from the heights. Instruct the Greylords to cover you as
much as possible with fog and snow.
Markovs face remained stoic, but his voice betrayed his
confidence. We will persevere, supreme kommandant.
This all rests on you, my old friend. Irusks demeanor softened
and he clapped the kovnik on the shoulder. We must convince
Northguard that Nemo is cut off. You will receive the brunt of
their retaliation. Wait for my signal to break free and come to the
western advance. I warn you, it may not come in time.
Markov saluted. I understand, sir. The 29th will hold. He
strode quickly from the tent to mount his steed and rejoin the
29th Assault Battalion, a core element of Irusks favored 4th
Assault Legion. As Markov rode away, the supreme kommandant
watched and knew that most likely his old friend and comrade
would die in the next few hours. Such was war.

Gurvaldt Irusk touched the cavalry saber at his waist and

remembered the lessons of his father. He found not witnessing

79

the battle with his own eyes the most

difficult part. He could not watch
Karchevs clash against Nemo. He could
not see Markovs diversionary attack. He
could not observe Sorschas careful feint.
Northguard stood before him like a jutting stone tooth,
its top ringed in smoke from firing cannons. The air itself had
become difficult to breathe from the burning powder and tides
of smoke put forth by Trencher grenades. The forest behind the
fortress seemed another world compared to the barren stretch of
blasted mud, wire, and fortifications.
At Irusks order, the Khadorans slackened their attack on the
western face and pulled forces away just as Sorscha shifted
toward Nemo. Irusk had not realized how tense he felt until he
heard that Major Haley had taken the bait. He watched the
Cygnaran lines for the subtle signs of moving troops as Haley
went to relieve Nemo with whatever forces she could spare from
the trenches. Irusk knew Nemo would fight toward the southern
supply fortress to preserve Northguards best chance of relief.
The supreme kommandant had left the general adept no other
choice.
The great cannons still fired, however, and Irusk knew his
soldiers could not long endure such shelling while constrained
by the narrow bottlenecks into which the carefully engineered
defenses funneled his assault teams.
Irusk turned to the three men freshly arrived at his position.
He clasped the arm of Kapitan Joreslev Volkov and nodded
to the two men with him. Kapitan Volkov, Lieutenants
Kolsk, Yarovich. You do me honor with your presence, and I
will not keep the Greatbears long from the battle. I need you
three to carve a way to the very gates of Northguard, drawing
as much attention as possible. A Defender stands near the
center and provides ancillary cover fire on that approach.
Neutralize it. I will be blunt. This is a suicidal task.
Volkov smiled. This is the reason we put on our armor today.
We were born for this. The Greatbears of Gallowswood,
counted among the greatest of Iron Fangs, unlimbered their axes
and left.
Irusk turned next to Underboss Sarkol Maskovich of the kayazyhired assassins that had joined the battle. Irusk disliked using
such men but found them expedient. He pointed at red marks
on another map. These are lesser powder stores, and this is the
chain by which they supply the redoubts. The central store is
here. He pointed to an incomplete diagram of Northguards
interior based on the reports of spies.
The underboss crossed heavily muscled arms across his ample
stomach and frowned. You expect my men to get inside there?
The pressing need to keep powder running to these outer
positions has resulted in sloppy security. With supply runners

80

coming and going, the gate is always open. That powder is your
target. Ten times the usual pay for those who live.

As the assassins ran forward unseen amid the smoke, three

apparent madmen in Iron Fang armor and wielding enormous
axes confronted the enemy. They leapt into the trenches and
tore through the defending Trenchers and long gunners with
sickening wet thuds of their axes. The Greatbears moved like
phantoms through the smoke. A hulking shadow in the gloom
was the only warning Cygnaran soldiers had before an Iron Fang
appeared with an axe to strike a killing blow.
Three men did what ten thousand could not: They carved a
narrow path to the center. Sword Knights and Stormguard
converged only to meet their end. The assassins darted unseen
through the opening, leapt nimbly across trenches, and raced
toward the powder supply. A Sword Knight tried to intercept
them, swinging his heavy blade low and wide, but the underboss
parried the blow with his shorter sword and drove the narrow
point of his other weapon straight through the gap in the knights
visor.
The surprising attack ended as quickly as it started. The assassins
melted away. The Greatbears vanished into the smoke like a
dream. Only the dozens of corpses gave any evidence of a fight.
In the following period of relative calm, Cygnaran officers took
stock of the situation and reorganized their lines. Then the
air erupted with a bone-rattling explosion that shamed even
the cannons atop the fortress. The ground shook as if from an
earthquake, and the rumbling and crunching sound of falling
stone echoed across the field.
From his position at the head of the 4th Assault Legion, Irusk
watched a large portion of Northguards outer western wall
crumble. Several secondary explosions followed, and the western
cannons fell silent. Irusk had only sought a reprieve from their
fire; he had not expected an explosion sufficient to breach the
wall. He raised his saber and shouted, Forward! Attack!

Karchev joined the supreme kommandant as they pressed their

final attack into the confused chaos that gripped the western
defenses. Irusk had his fathers sword in one hand, his hand
cannon in the other, and his Kodiak and a Spriggan at his side.
Enemy warjacks soon poured from the interior over the rubble
where the western face had come down.
An Ironclad rushed toward him, quake hammer raised. Irusk sent
his Kodiak to slam it back against the wall. Before the jack could
regain its feet, Irusks Spriggan charged forward and finished
the Ironclad with its heavy lance. Karchev and his escorting
Juggernauts and Marauders made quick work of the other jacks
that emerged. Irusk ordered his Man-O-War into the breach.
Bullets clanged off their armor while they continued forward
unperturbed.

A panting messenger approached Irusk. General Nemo has

formed a defensive corridor from the lower southeastern exit. They
are evacuating men toward the supply fortress.
Let them. Northguard first. Every man who flees this castle is
one fewer we must kill to claim it.

At the half-broken summit of the fortress, Irusk and Karchev

confronted the Lord of Northguard as the sun set behind
the keep and lit the smoke-filled sky with the colors of fire.
Climbing the heights had taken time with Karchevs bulk, but
the Cygnarans had designed the stone stairs to accommodate
warjacks, and Irusk believed it important to have the former
Greylord present. Irusk found it eerily quiet on the heights. The
last defenders stood at the center of the upper tower of the
central keep amid the great cannons that had hurled punishment
on the Khadorans below. Northguards Lord General and his
escort had retreated here as the fortress below succumbed floor
by floor. They had held long enough to spike the cannons and
thereby deny their use to Irusks forces. A Cygnaran flag hung
listless in the still air.
At the center stood a man wearing heavy armor festooned with a
variety of military awards, Lord General Hagan Cathmore, Lord
of Northguard and the Earl of Bloodsbane. Every member of
the escort of decorated Sword Knights surrounding him clearly
held an elevated standing, with the major leading them certainly
a titled vassal in the service of the earl.

Karchev moved with astonishing speed. He knocked aside several

Sword Knights with a few swift blows before slamming his great
axe down at the Lord of Northguard. Cathmore raised his
sword in a futile attempt to deflect the blow. Sunder cut straight
through Cathmores blade and nearly divided the man in two.
The remaining Sword Knights met similar fates in the next few
seconds.
Irusk gazed at the mutilated remains of Hagan Cathmore, the
distant descendant of the colonel who had defeated Karchev at
the Battle of the Tongue a hundred years before. That warcaster
had died in the explosion that cost Karchev his limbs, and the
Khadoran claimed he sought no further vengeance. The grim
satisfaction in Karchevs voice belied that assertion, however,
when he turned to his supreme kommandant and said, I think
that will not be the last Cathmore I kill.
Irusk felt a strange sadness. Lord Cathmore had proven himself
a worthy adversary and came from as distinguished a lineage as
existed in these southern climes. The man had chosen his death
and faced it bravely.
With one quick motion Irusk cut through the flagpole. He pulled
the wooden shaft from its mounting as he shouted an order
behind him. One of his junior officers rushed up the stairs with a
tremendous banner bearing the Anvil of Khador. In silence and
with solemnity, Gurvaldt Irusk planted the Khadoran flag atop
Northguard.

Lord General Cathmore?

The slender man, perhaps in his late forties, had proud features,
and his nobility shone through despite his lined and tired eyes.
Yes, I am he.
I am Supreme Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk. I claim this
fortress in the name of Empress Ayn Vanar of the Khadoran
Empire. I ask you to surrender your arms.
Earl Cathmore looked down for a moment. He reached to the
hilt of the sword at his waist. He drew the blade slowly from
its sheath, and in the quiet atop these heights, Irusk heard the
whisper of metal. Cathmore did not reverse his grip to deliver the
weapon but held it level, the point directed towards the supreme
kommandant. No. There will be no surrender.
Very well, Irusk said and sighed. Things happened quickly
after that. Irusks saber flashed as the Sword Knights leapt
forward to strike with their battle blades. The supreme
kommandant confronted their major, parried the first swing,
ducked under the second, and delivered a perfectly executed
blow that cut cleanly through the mans neck. His head flew
over the ramparts while the body stood a few heartbeats before
toppling. Irusk made quick work of the next few that rushed him.

81

Supreme kommandant irusk

A general must act decisively in battle. He who stands on the defensive does not conduct war, he endures it.
Supreme Kommandant Irusk

One man has stood for decades at the forefront of the Khadoran
Army as perhaps the greatest military genius born in an age and
an example all soldiers strive to emulate. The High Kommand
has named Gurvaldt Irusk the Empires perfect officer. His
accomplishments impress warriors of all creeds and nations. His
treatises on battle and war top required reading lists in military
academies across the Iron Kingdoms, including the capital of
Khadors traditional enemy. He exercises absolute control over
men in the chaos of battle and the uncertainties of war. For
all this, however, his elevation to Supreme Kommandant
brought a reminder of recent defeat and cemented his
resolve to redeem himself in the eyes of his sovereign.
Irusks successes have never satisfied him. He remains
critical of any plan and willing to find ways to refine
his techniques, yet even this habit of frank selfappraisal did not prepare him for the scathing words
of his empress after his initial failure to capture
Northguard. Her indictment shamed him more than
he had ever felt in his lengthy military career. He took
a short leave and returned to his neglected family
home north of the capital. Here he realized that
the accusation of wasting the lives of his men
troubled him most. As an officer, he had learned
to measure lives as a resource. He had reduced
his countrymen to abstract quantities of force
and valued them too little.
Uncertain how best to reclaim his honor,
Gurvaldt Irusk considered falling on his
sword, a rare act still considered a brave death
for a failed solider. He found a well-worn
cavalry saber among the neglected relics
of his fathers military careera lifelong
officer noted for his quiet humility and
deeply-held kinship with his brothers
in armsand this brought to mind
forgotten lessons from his gruff sire. A
summons from the empress forestalled
Irusks hand. The last thing he expected
when he answered this call was that she
would promote him to the rank of
Supreme Kommandant. All through
the ceremony, her eyes bored into
his with a message that required no
words.

82

Khador epic warcaster Character

Irusk understands that Empress Vanar presented this rank
to him as a challenge delivered to hammer home the nail of
his failure. In her way, she indicated that his death would not
serve as an acceptable atonement. Irusks new rank grants him
the absolute authority to wield whatever forces Khador can
muster. Looking into the empress eyes, Irusk knew that she
would accept nothing less than total victory.
Before his march back to Ravensgard, Irusk put aside
Onslaught and took up his fathers sword. Mechaniks at the
Rigevnya Complex extracted the blade from its battered,
rusted hilt and integrated its finely balanced length into
a worthy mechanikal housing. Irusk wields this blade as a
reminder that he has promised to deliver a victory to his
empress.
On his return, he gathered his men to where he stood
illuminated atop the inner ramparts and told them of the
battle to come. The ringing tones of his voice echoed from
the sky and quickened the blood in every listener. A ripple
of revitalized enthusiasm spread through the army like an
explosive shockwave. Even men recuperating from crippling

Tactical Tips
Crowd Control: Attack rolls are based on Irusks LOS.
Total Obedience: Irusk does not gain Tough from Total
Obedience because he is not within his own command range.

SPELL

COST RNG AOE POW

UP OFF

Artifice of Deviation 3
CTRL
5
Place a 5 AOE template anywhere completely within Irusks control area.
During their activations while in the AOE, friendly models ignore movement
penalties from, and may charge and slam across, rough terrain, obstacles and
may move through obstructions and other models if it has enough movement to
move completely past the obstruction or models base. Enemy models treat the
AOE as rough terrain. Artifice of Deviation lasts for one round.
Battle Lust
3
6
-
Target warrior model/unit becomes Fearless and rolls an additional damage die
on melee attacks for one round. Fearless models never flee.
Blitzkrieg
3
Self CTRL
-
Models in Irusks battlegroup currently in his control area may charge or slam
without spending a focus point. Affected models charge or slam at SPD +5.
Blitzkrieg lasts for one turn.
Crowd Control
3
CTRL
3
10
X
Place a 3 AOE anywhere in Irusks line of sight completely in his control area.
Irusk then targets each model in the AOE with a magic attack in an order
chosen by Irusks controller. Irusk gains a cumulative +1 bonus on these Crowd
Control attack and damage rolls for each model destroyed by this casting of
Crowd Control. Completely resolve each attack individually and apply the
targets special rules immediately as each attack is resolved. When making Crowd
Control attack rolls, Irusk ignores Invisibility and Stealth.
Fire For Effect
3
6
-
-
X
Target friendly Khador models first ranged attack roll each activation is
automatically boosted. If this ranged attack is an AOE attack, its blast damage
rolls are boosted.
Grind
3
10
-
14
X
Target warjack damaged by Grind takes one additional damage point to its first
available Movement system box. Mark this damage after marking the normal
damage from Grind.
Tactical Supremacy 2
6
-
-
X
Target friendly model/unit may move up to 3 after all friendly models have
completed their activations.

injuries at the fortress infirmary limped back to their units,

eyes filled with an unshakable resolve.
When entering battle, Irusk imagines the assets in his war
arsenal meshing together in absolute harmony like thousands
of gears. He has outlined a perfect plan to assault the
unassailable, to turn the weapons of his adversaries against
them, and to deceive them into seeing what he wishes while
obscuring his killing thrust. A symphony of destruction lies
ahead, orchestrated and conducted by a maestro born to lead
men in battle.

Focus 7

Feat: Desperate Ground

After a lifetime of innovating tactics across countless battlefields,
Supreme Kommandant Irusk has learned how to wrest the
initiative away from his enemies and turn formerly untenable
ground into an advantage. Backed by a palpable aura of
authority, Irusk strikes at the crucial hour and raises the
Khadoran standard as he leads his army through any obstacles
to seize total victory.

Cmd 10

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 7 6 15 15
Hand Cannon
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 12
Endgame
SPECIAL POW P+S
Critical 7 13

Friendly Khador models currently in Irusks

control area ignore cloud effects and forests when
Damage
determining LOS. During their activations, affected Field Allowance
models ignore movement penalties from, and can
Victory Points
charge and slam across, rough terrain and obstacles.
Point Cost
Affected models that are currently knocked down
Base Size
immediately stand up. Enemy models/units
currently in Irusks control area suffer -2 SPD and
cannot give or receive orders. Desperate Ground lasts for one round.

17
C
5
80
Small

Irusk
Absolute Authority - Irusk may issue any number of orders during his activation
and may issue any order to a unit that its original leader or officer could issue.
Martial Discipline - While in Irusks command range friendly living Khador small
and medium-based warrior models, including Irusk, benefit from Martial Discipline. A
model benefiting from Martial Discipline may ignore friendly Khador warrior models
when drawing LOS. During its activation, an affected model may move through other
friendly Khador warrior models in Irusks command range if it has enough movement
to move completely past the models base. Affected models may make melee attacks
through other friendly Khador warrior models in Irusks command range.
Total Obedience - While in Irusks command range, friendly Khador warrior
models gain Tough. When a model with Tough suffers sufficient damage to be
destroyed, its controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the model is knocked down instead
of being destroyed. If the model is not destroyed, it is reduced to one wound.
Warjack Bond - One non-unique warjack in Irusks battlegroup may begin the game
bonded to him. Irusk may allocate one additional focus point to the warjack. The
warjack cannot be knocked down.

Endgame
Critical Decapitation - On a critical hit, damage exceeding the targets ARM
is doubled. A model suffering sufficient damage to be destroyed cannot make a
Tough roll. When this attack destroys an enemy model, friendly Khador models
currently in Irusks command range gain an additional die on melee attack rolls
this turn.

83

KOLDUN KOMMANDER ALEKSANDRA ZERKOVA

I thought I had known cold, then I looked into Zerkovas eyes.
Great Prince Vladimir Tzepesci

For years the Greylords Covenant has plundered buried crypts

and forgotten tombs for ancient Orgoth secrets and weapons
to employ in the name of the Motherland. Aleksandra Zerkova
is the greatest among these wizards. Demonstrating an
unrelenting thirst for knowledge and willingness to destroy any
who stand in her way, Zerkova has become a living repository
of unholy lore. Her name carries an ominous edge even among
her peers, who know she has allies among the hidden Prikaz
Chancellery.
The Zerkova family name resounds with envy or fear in the
ears of northerners and southerners alike. This long line of
distinguished officers noted for service to the crown includes
kommanders and kommandants who added to the strategic
legacy taught at the Druzhina military academy. A Zerkova
led the attacks against Ord during the Second Expansion War,
and that kingdom remembers them as sadistic villains. Some
Khadorans, however, associate the Zerkovas with a darker
legacy and an obsession with lost secrets and dubious
shortcuts to power. For the last four generations in
particular, an interest in occult studies has gone hand
in hand with their patriotic zeal.
Aleksandras father set her to the mastery of dead
languages, and her childhood passed amid the dusty tomes
of their private library. Inculcated in arcane lore as a youth,
the ways of magic came naturally to her and expanded with
extensive study. Aleksandra demonstrated early in her education
the beginnings of a lifelong interest in ancient civilizations
and their mysteries, particularly those of the
Orgoth and ancient Morrdh. She eventually
broadened her studies to include investigating
the cursed people of Acrennia, ancient Calacia,
and searching amid ruins predating the Khardic
Empire.
After she passed the exhaustive loyalty tests
required by the Prikaz Chancellery, High Obavnik
Arbiter Dmitrilosk granted Aleksandra authorization
to travel abroad unsupervised in search of weapons for
the Motherland. She has spent over a decade venturing
into ruins like those of Uld Vroggen and descending deep
into the uncovered Orgoth chambers within the mines of
Khardov. She keeps her warjacks and subordinate Greylords at
her side as she fearlessly trespasses onto foreign soil and batters
aside those who would forbid her.

84

Khador greylord warcaster character

During the Night of Howling Wolves preceding the siege
of Merywyn, Aleksandra led a strike force against the citys
lodge of the Fraternal Order of Wizardry. She obliterated
these arrogant wizards with such thorough efficiency that the
means by which they vanished remains a mystery. Zerkova
stood among the first volunteers to join the expedition in 606
AR to sneak into the southern city of Sul and plunder its
secrets amid the chaos of battles between the Protectorate and
Cygnar. Aleksandra alone knows the exact inventory of ancient
secrets and relics gathered during these raids. She carries on
her person several significant items of power, some of Orgoth
origin, gathered from across western Immoren. These lend
her magic an almost unparalleled flexibility and let her reach
beyond her normal limits.
Few people in the Khadoran Empire have more drive than
Aleksandra. Most of her peers, including her subordinates,
see her intensity and passion 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. On more
than one occasion, the family of an officer who failed Zerkova
has inexplicably vanished. No one can link her to these events,

Tactical Tips
Lens of Tarvodh: Spells with a RNG of Self, SP, or Ctrl are not
affected.
Orgoth Seal: Reduce the RNG of the attack before checking to see
if the attack is in range.
Force Blast: Roll separately to see how far each model is moved.

SPELL

COST RNG

AOE POW

UP

OFF

Banishing Ward 2
6
-
-
X
*
Enemy upkeep spells on target model/unit hit expire. Affected models cannot be
targeted by spells or animi by models other than this spells caster. When this spell
targets an enemy model, it is an offensive spell and requires a magic attack roll.
Force Blast
2
Self
*
10
Models within 1 of Zerkova suffer a POW 10 blast damage roll. Zerkova may
increase the radius of Force Blast by spending focus points, adding +1 per focus
point spent. Enemy models damaged by Force Blast are pushed d6 directly away
from Zerkova in an order determined by her controller.
Frost Storm
3
10
4
12
X
X
The Frost Storm AOE is a cloud effect that remains in play as long as its upkeep
is paid. While in the AOE, enemy models suffer -2 to attack rolls.
Icy Grip
3
8
-
-
X
X
Target enemy warrior model/unit suffers -2 DEF and cannot run or perform
special attacks. If an affected model does not end its normal movement at least 1
from where it began its normal movement, it suffers d3 damage points.
Razor Wind
2
10
-
A blade of wind slices through the target model.

12

Sigil of Doom
3
6
-
-
X
Target enemy non-warcaster/non-warlock warrior model/unit must make a
command check. If the roll fails, Zerkovas controller takes control of the affected
models. Affected models immediately charge and may make one normal attack.
After resolving all charges, Sigil of Doom expires. Sigil of Doom may be cast
once per turn.
Watcher
3
6
-
When an enemy model ends its normal movement within 6 of Zerkova, target
warjack in her battlegroup may immediately move up to its SPD in inches and
make one normal melee or ranged attack with boosted attack and damage rolls
targeting the enemy model. After resolving the attack, this spell expires. Watcher
lasts for one round.

but those who serve her never doubt her willingness to go to

any length to enforce discipline and loyalty.
Aleksandras voice commands respect in the halls of power,
and her colleagues see her as a woman of destiny. Whether
that destiny leaves a legacy of triumph or leads to a terrible fall
remains a mystery. Certainly she has the will and the courage
to walk into the darkness without flinching, a talent that may
prove vital to Khadors triumph in the months and years ahead.

Focus 7

Feat: Howling Wind

With a call Aleksandra Zerkova summons a tornado of icycold wind that howls in answer to her. The shrieking vortex
moves like a living creature as it pushes against Zerkovas
enemies, drowns out their
voices, and makes concentration all but impossible.
Enemy models currently in Zerkovas control area
cannot run, charge, make special attacks, give or
receive orders, or perform special actions, and they
lose their initial ranged attacks. Howling Wind lasts
for one round.

Zerkova
Field Officer - An additional Greylord unit
may be fielded over normal Field Allowance
limitations if Zerkova is included in the army.

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 5 6 5 15 15
Rod of Whispers
RNG ROF AOE POW
6 1 12
Quietus
SPECIAL POW P+S
Stall 6 11
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

16
C
5
70
Small

Inner Silence - Friendly Doom Reavers never attack Zerkova.

Orgoth Seal - When a magic attack targets Zerkova, the attack suffers -3 RNG.
If a magic attack hits Zerkova, after the attack has been resolved the attacking
model suffers d6 damage points.
Pathfinder - During her activation, Zerkova ignores movement penalties from,
and may charge across, rough terrain and obstacles.

Arcane Artifacts
Each time Zerkova casts a spell, she may choose one of the following abilities. Each
ability may only be used once per activation.
Focus Sphere - The cost of the spell is reduced by one.
Ghost Stone - When casting the spell, Zerkovas front arc extends 360,
she can target a model in her control area regardless of LOS, and she ignores
Invisibility and Stealth.
Lens of Tarvodh - The spell gains +3 RNG.

Rod of Whispers
Soul Lash - After completing a combat action in which she destroyed one or
more enemy models with melee attacks, Zerkova may make one Rod of Whispers
attack if she is not engaged. Add +1 RNG and POW for each enemy model
Zerkova destroyed with a melee attack during this activation.

Quietus
Stall - Target warjack hit by Quietus suffers Stall. Stall is a continuous effect that
reduces the warjacks current SPD to 1 and DEF to 7. Stall expires in the models
controllers Maintenance Phase on a d6 roll of 1 or 2.

85

BEAST-09

I have had many warjacks. In time they all fall, and I send the wreckage away. This one, this Beast, is not like the rest. This
one I will keep.
Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff

Height/Weight: 12 / 9.75 tons

Armament: Ice Breaker (right
arm)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 530 lbs
/ 6 hrs general, 1.5 hr combat
Initial Service Date: 600 AR
(Cortex & original chassis), 605
AR (enhanced weaponry and
rebuilt boilers)
Cortex Manufacturer: Greylords
Covenant
Orig. Chassis Design: Khadoran
Mechaniks Assembly

86

Khador unique Heavy Warjack

It begins with a low, rumbling growl more felt than heard,
and then comes the sound of air escaping like the grunt
of a hunter that has caught a scent. The crushing sound
of something massive treading through thick snow and ice
follows, and the ground trembles beneath its steps. When it
breaks through the trees with the splintered crack of exploded
timber, its prey already knows that a monster approaches.
This is the hulking Juggernaut called Beast. Its posture
more than anything else conveys animal menace, and its
frame quivers with the raw power of its oversized boilers. The
jack only becomes docile and still when Sorscha Kratikoff
calls it to her side, and in battle it seeks her approval like a
faithful hound.
Beast was assembled at the Rigevna Complex in 600 AR.
Like countless others of its design, it shipped south by rail to
one of several supply depots and soon received assignment
to Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff. In her typical pragmatic
fashion, Sorscha gave the warjack an identifier number based
on the order of allocation to her kommand. It still bears the
09 designation to this day, even though it has long outlasted
those that came before.
Sorscha found 09 a tenacious fighter and kept it at her side
throughout the following years. The intense crucible of
the ongoing battles during the invasion of Llael tested the
warjacks limits and brought it truly into its own. More than
mere survivability set 09 apart as it drove forward at the
vanguard of one battle after another. It possessed a battle
instinct that made it seem a living beast of iron. It did not rely
solely on the orders of its master and would sometimes act on
its own initiative.
In early fighting outside besieged Merywyn, Sorscha found
herself cut off from the bulk of her kommand and driven into
a ravine during a Cygnaran counteroffensive. She had sent 09
to refuel and resupply, but it lingered against her directives,
perhaps spotting the smoke of approaching enemies. Despite
its low fuel, the warjack moved to the far side of the ravine
and joined Sorscha as she engaged. Sorscha used its sudden
arrival to turn the tide of battle, keenly aware of its nearly
exhausted fuel supply and her very limited time. With its last
bit of steam the jack charged forward to intercept the enemy
and swept its axe in wide killing arcs. Sorscha saw the will
of the defenders crumble and fail just as Beast itself ran dry.
They broke and ran from the field, unaware that the jack was
spent.

Beast-09
Affinity (Sorscha): Eager - While Beast-09
is in Sorschas control area, Beast-09 can re-roll
failed charge and slam attack rolls. Attack rolls
may only be re-rolled once due to Eager.
Brute Force - Beast-09 gains an additional die
on head-butt, slam, and trample damage rolls.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

4 12 6 3 10 20
L

Open Fist
SPECIAL POW P+S

0 12

Ice breaker
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 7 19

HD

Head Spike
SPECIAL POW P+S

2 14

Head Spike - Beast-09 gains +2 POW for

head-butt attacks.
Heavy Boiler - Beast-09 may run without
spending a focus point.
Hyper Aggressive - Anytime other than its
activation when Beast-09 is not stationary and
suffers damage from an enemy attack, after
the attack has been resolved, Beast-09 may
immediately move up to its current SPD in
inches directly toward the attacking model.
Imprint: Murderous - During its activation,
Beast-09 may spend one focus point to gain an
additional die on melee attack rolls against living
enemy warrior models for one round.

Ice Breaker
Critical Freeze - On a critical hit, target
model becomes stationary for one round.
Reach - 2 melee range.

L
L

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Thresher (HAttack) - Beast-09 may make

one melee attack with its Ice Breaker against
every model within melee range in its front
arc. Completely resolve each attack individually and apply the targets
special rules immediately as each attack is resolved. Determine
damage normally. A model is ineligible to be hit if it has a special rule
preventing it from being targeted or if the attackers line of sight is
completely blocked by terrain.

C
5
126
Large

particular boon in battles where she has faced a numerical

disadvantage, as Beast has always evened the odds.
In recognition of its merits, Sorscha requisitioned an extensive
overhaul of Beasts armament and engine design after the
Empress declared Llaels occupation a success. Sorscha claimed
the massive engine and boilers from a spent Kodiak and
ordered Beasts weapon replaced with an enhanced Ice Breaker
axe. Beast has never let Sorscha down, and despite her oftencold demeanor she speaks of the machine with undeniable
fondness.

This nascent bond deepened during the battles that followed.

Eventually Sorscha named the machine Beast as an
endearing reminder of how it had earned its place at her
side. It has picked up an inherent ruthlessness from its long
association with her and seems to take some enjoyment from
each kill. Blows striking its armored plates only encourage
its destructive frenzy. Sorscha has found these qualities a

87

DRAGO
War is cruel, and we who master it know our hearts are savage. That machine fights with the spirit of our people.
Vladimir Tzepesci

Height/Weight: 10 11 / 8.6 tons

Armament: Executioner Axes (left
and right)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 350 Lbs /
10 hours general, 1.5 hr combat
Initial Service Date: 427 AR
(original), 605 AR (weaponry
upgrade)
Cortex Manufacturer: Greylords
Covenant
Orig. Chassis Design: Khadoran
Mechaniks Assembly

88

Khador unique Heavy Warjack

All Berserkers have the roughened look of decades of service,
but Drago stands out even among such company. While it has
a cortex as old and unstable as any Berserkers, the passing
of long years has removed many of the limited restraints
that once held the machine back in battle, and it unleashes
unmitigated violence at the slightest provocation. Drago
serves as a prime example of why mechaniks traditionally
wipe most old cortexes clean. This machine, however, has
fought alongside warriors of the Tzepesci line for almost two
centuries, and their family clout has kept it in service. They
have gone so far as to keep the machine chained up like a wild
beast when not engaged in battle, lest it lash out against its
keepers. Although its connection to the Tzepesci warcasters
means it will heed them, and them alone, even when the
frenzy takes it, these soldiers see the warjack as a weapon they
unleash rather than control. Drago boasts tenacious resilience
and never gives up the fight. It will crawl toward its opponents
even if its legs lay shattered beneath it.
Almost certainly Drago is the oldest warjack still seeing
regular service in the Khadoran military. The Tzepesci family
provided a large part of the coin to develop the Berserker
chassis. Even in those years the family demonstrated a
proclivity for siring potent sorcerers and warcasters. Drago
received its name in homage to a Tzepesci ancestor for whom
Vladimir has always felt a particular affinity. The warcaster
Drago Tzepesci, who fought in the horrendously bloody
battles to overthrow the necromancer Ivan Vladykin the
Frenzied when he briefly seized the Khadoran throne, had a
reputation for martial prowess, blood lust in combat, and a
tendency toward recklessness that eventually cost him his life.
Some of Vladimirs vassals find it peculiar that their welldisciplined and noble lord enjoys the company of this savage
and seemingly untamable machine, but to Vladimir, Drago
represents his bloodlines warrior spirit given mechanikal
form. While he careful prevents it from harming his men,
Vladimir understands that victory sometimes requires
unchecked violence. Those who fight next to Drago describe
it as capable of threshing through numerous enemies while
its engines roar with lusty enthusiasm for each spray of blood
and gore.
By long tradition for older jacks that serve often in battle,
Drago sees frequent repair, but the mechaniks do not expend
unnecessary effort keeping it neat or clean. Its armored
plates and spikes bear the evidence of countless battles. Each
nick and dent is a battle honor as valuable as any medal
or ribbon and a reminder of near misses or the close hint
of destruction that sometimes follows the machine. After
Cygnaran defenders disabled several Khadoran warjacks
during the siege of Merywyn, Drago took it upon itself to
replace its old and battered axes with a pair of Executioner
Axes salvaged from wrecked Destroyers. Fighting with these

Drago
Affinity (Vladimir): Familiarity - While
Drago is in Vladimirs control area, Dragos
controller may choose not to make Unstable
rolls. When Drago is in Vladimirs control area
and makes an attack, roll an additional die on
attack and damage rolls. Discard the lowest die
in each roll.
Berserk Frenzy - Drago may charge without
spending a focus point. Each time Drago
successfully hits a target during its activation, it
gains a cumulative +1 to its attack and damage
rolls for all subsequent attacks that turn.
Chain Attack Bloodbath - If Drago
has both arm systems functional and hits the
same target with both of its initial Executioner
Axe attacks during the same activation, after
resolving the attacks it may immediately
make an additional melee attack against every
model in its melee range without spending a
focus point. Completely resolve each attack
individually and apply the targets special
rules immediately as each attack is resolved. A
model is ineligible to be hit if it has a special
rule preventing it from being targeted or if the
attackers line of sight is completely blocked by
terrain.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

4 11 5 3 11 18
L

Executioner Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Critical 6 17

Executioner Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Critical 6 17

L
L

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

C
4
105
Large

Head Spike - Drago gains +2 POW for head-butt attacks.

Imprint: Run Riot - During its activation, Drago may spend one
focus point to use Run Riot. When Drago destroys one or more enemy
models with a normal melee attack during this activation, after all
attacks generated by the attack are resolved, Drago may immediately
move up to 2.
Tenacious - Drago can charge and slam while its movement system is
disabled.
Unstable - Dragos cortex is dangerously unstable and can explode
catastrophically. Roll a d6 at the end of any activation in which Drago
spends one or more focus points. If the roll is equal to or less than
the number of focus points spent, Drago explodes. Models within 3
of Drago suffer an unboostable POW 14 damage roll, and Drago is
removed from play. Do not replace Drago with a wreck marker.

Executioner Axes
Critical Amputation - On a critical hit, each arm and weapon
system that takes damage is automatically disabled. After marking
regular damage, those systems that took damage have their remaining
system boxes marked as well.

great weapons in hand and under the direction of the Dark

Champion, Dragos instability seems to fade while retaining
all of its rampant ferocity.

89

GREAT BEARS OF GALLOWSWOOD

We three carry the weight of our fallen comrades, and only we and the ghosts of Kragvold are worthy to bear our kompany name.
Joreslev Volkov

The Greatbears of Gallowswood have a peerage of such

stature that the mere mention of their names causes a room to
hush with respectful silence. Men relate the Greatbears stories
as if witnesses to their deeds rather than hearing them second
hand. The Greatbears are the survivors of an Iron Fang
kompany once based out of Kragvold Fort, a rugged bastion
overlooking Khadors border where it touched both the Ordic
hills and Cygnars Thornwood Forest.

by leading his squad against five times their number near

Karlwine Creek. In 593 AR the craven southlanders grew
tired of their losses from border skirmishes and decided to
tear out Kragvold Fort entirely. Their plan relied on deception
and misdirection, for they feared to face the Iron Fangs in
battle. By unworthy stratagems, they managed to topple one
of the towers of the fortress and breach its defenses while
many of the defenders fought several miles to the east.

Joreslev Volkov, the sixth in an unbroken chain of Iron Fangs,

earned fame with this unit while still a lieutenant. He won his
Shield of Khardovic and Sash of Valor in a series of bloody
engagements near Fellig. This included attacks to destabilize
Cygnaran border garrisons and numerous skirmishes against
disreputable mercenary companies paid in Cygnaran coin to
harass Khadoran citizens living near the border.

Volkov, foremost among those who stood against the

Cygnaran attack, fought beside his trusted brother-in-arms
Moskor Kolsk. A heavily muscled younger scrapper named
Kartov Yarovich soon joined them. As Cygnarans poured
into the breach, this trio held one of the largest passages
into the open courtyard by themselves as their countrymen
died around them. The three yielded their position only
through pressure from the sheer profusion of Cygnaran
dead accumulated into a bleeding wall pressing down on

Volkov earned the honorific of Fang of the First Bear

when just twenty-two years old, the youngest ever to do so,

90

Khador iron fang Character UNIT

them. Every foot of ground the Greatbears surrendered
they soaked in Cygnar blood. Volkov eventually saw that the
fortress had fallen, and they made their retreat. Cygnarans
cheered in relief to see them go, weary of sacrificing their
own against these bloody-minded heroes. The Greatbears
watched in fury as their home collapsed to rubble and
burned. Cygnar erased it and their dead comrades from
the face of Khador in a great pyre, an ignoble end to such
worthy men.

Volkov
Coordinated Strike - While Volkov is in play,
models in this unit gain Coordinated Strike.
Models with this ability ignore friendly Iron
Fang models when drawing LOS. During its
activation, a model with this ability can move
through other friendly Iron Fang models if it
has enough movement to move completely past
the models bases. Models with this ability can
make melee attacks through other friendly Iron
Fang models.

The High Kommand praised each of the Greatbears for

having fought on past any hope of victory, yet they cared little
for accolades. Volkov refused to reform his kompany even
after his superiors promoted him to kapitan. He pointed to
Kolsk and Yarovich and said that they carried the weight of
the fallen dead and that only they and the ghosts of Kragvold
would bear the company name. Word of their deeds spread
and the High Kommand made an exception to allow the
Greatbears to retain their status and exempted them from
reassignment.

Furious Charge (Order) - Models that receive

this order must charge at SPD +5 or run, and
they may cross rough terrain though they suffer
normal movement penalties.

Seeing the trio join an engagement sends an immediate

thrill through war-weary men. The Greatbears have fought
in nearly every major battle and border skirmish for the last
fifteen years, and on many occasions their tireless ferocity
has turned the tide. Volkov, the bearded and dark-eyed
leader admired by every officer, has a nose for the shifting
tides of battle and an uncanny ability to arrive where most
needed. The older Kolsks Sabers of Service testify to twenty
unflinching years in uniform, and he serves as the lieutenant
every kapitan or kommandant dreams to have at their side.
He never questions his orders and can find a way to execute
the most impossible plans. Yarovich is the wilder of the three,
called the Brute by some but with affection. A kovnik once
baited Yarovich to a fight outside a drinking hall, thinking his
uniform would protect him, and Yarovich killed the officer
with a single punch. No one dares pick a fight with Yarovich
now, and his laughter rings out on the battlefield as he sweeps
his axe in killing circles alongside his true brothers of the
Greatbears.

Unit

Leader

Kolsk
Got Your Back - While Kolsk is in play, models
in this unit cannot be knocked down.

Volkov

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 8 4 13 14

Kolsk & Yarovich Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 8 4 13 14
Great Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 12
Volkovs Damage
Kolsks Damage
L
Yarovichs Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
R Cost
Point
Base Size

8
8
8
C
2
76
Small

Yarovich
Alert - While Yarovich is in play, models in this unit have no back arc,
their front arcs extend 360, and when determining LOS, they ignore
cloud effects and forests.
Battle Brothers - A model in this unit in base-to-base contact with one
or more models in this unit gains +2 DEF and ARM.
Fearless - A model in this unit never flees.
Overwhelm - When two or more models in this unit hit the same model
with melee attacks during the same activation, the model hit loses its
initial attacks and cannot make special attacks during its next activation.
If all three models in this unit hit the same model with melee attacks
during the same activation, that model is also knocked down.
Precision Strike - When a model in this unit damages a warjack with
a melee attack, the attacking models controller chooses which column
takes the damage.
Tough - When a model in this unit suffers sufficient damage to be
destroyed, its controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the model is knocked
down instead of being destroyed. If the model is not destroyed, it is
reduced to one wound.
Weapon Master - A model in this unit rolls an additional die on its
melee damage rolls.

Great Axe
Back Swing (HAttack) - The model may immediately make two Great
Axe attacks.
Reach - 2 melee range.

91

WAR
dog
khador warcaster attachment
Morrow preserve us from the hound that befriends the Butcher of Khardov.
Unnamed sergeant watching Orsus feed raw meat to his war dog

War Dog

Cmd 6 War Dog

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

7 7 6 1 14 13
Bite
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 11

Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

8
1
1
18
Small

Counter Charge - The War Dog may

charge an enemy model that ends its normal
movement within 6 and LOS of the War
Dog. Resolve this charge immediately after the
enemy model completes its movement. If the
War Dog makes a counter charge, it cannot
make another until after its controllers next
turn. The War Dog cannot make a counter
charge while engaged.
Fearless - The War Dog never flees.

Guard Dog - While the War Dog is within

3 of its warcaster and is not stationary, its
warcaster cannot be targeted by free strikes,
gains +2 DEF against melee attacks, and models attacking the warcaster
do not gain back strike bonuses.
Return - Immediately after the War Dog completes a charge, it may
move up to its current SPD in inches. The War Dog cannot end this
movement further from its warcaster than it began. The War Dog cannot
be targeted by free strikes during this movement.
Scent - The War Dog may ignore LOS when declaring a charge.
Tough - When the War Dog suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed,
its controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the War Dog is knocked down
instead of being destroyed. If the War Dog is not destroyed, it is reduced
to one wound.

The breeding of war hounds is a high art in the rugged hills

and lowlands of Khador, provided ones concept of art allows
for the likelihood of having ones fingers chewed off by two
hundred pounds of raw muscle. Many philosophies compete
to define the best execution of this time-honored breeding
tradition, and entire family lines rest their reputation and
honor on the fighting prowess of their dogs. Khadoran
officers commonly bring these beasts to the battlefield and
look to them as both companions and protectors.
While the ignorant prefer the most bloodthirsty
and savage hounds, experts consider this the
lowest expression of breeding. Those who know
a fine war dog prize loyalty as its best asset.
This holds particularly true for warcasters
with their concentration necessarily divided
between their warjacks, troops, and the
heat of battle. Warcasters cannot afford to
divert their attention to an unruly beast at
their side, however deadly, and they much
favor the Kovosk-bred bullmastiff as a
result. This enormous hound, almost as

92

large as a wild argus, shows great aptitude for training and

demonstrates an instinctive desire to bond with and protect a
human master.
With a finely trained war dog standing ready, a warcaster can
focus on other matters while the hound serves as a second set
of eyes in battle. Such dogs latch onto an enemy with bonecrushing jaws and refuse to let go. They tie up and hinder
more dangerous threats until their warcaster can deal with
them. The strength of the dogs loyalty means that they gladly
give up their lives to save those to whom they have bonded.

Tactical Tips
Scent: Scent allows the War Dog to make a counter charge even if
the target is not in its LOS.

KOLDUN
Lord
khador greylord solo
Southerners equate knowledge to a flame, but in the north we know ice preserves secrets against times withering touch.
Koldun Lord Volkh Lazar
Grim masters of elemental cold, Koldun Lords have icy stares
that seem to freeze the blood of those who meet their gaze.
These masters of axe and spell represent the true battlewizard ideal of the Covenant and command tremendous
respect from their peers, who hope one day to join their
number.
Khadoran jacks generally accompany Greylords of this
stature in battle as both weapons and bodyguards. The
Koldun Lords are precious to the Motherland, both for the
power they wield and the vast repertoire of occult lore they
possess. These warjacks move by the Lords will to intercept
a blow or spell hurled against the Greylord and serve
better than any shield or protector. Indeed, many Koldun
Lords once spent time mastering the secret arts of cortex
construction and know better than most how to instill superior
combat performance in warjacks.
Koldun Lords often obscure themselves and their protectors
in a mist filled with churning snow capable of freezing solid
any foolish enough to approach too closely. So too do they
instill the blade or cannon of their jacks with a chilling
mystical rime that even the fleshless dead can feel.

Koldun Lord

Koldun Lord

Battle Wizard - The Koldun Lord gains

+2 on charge attack rolls. If the Koldun Lord
destroys an enemy model with a melee attack,
immediately after the attack has been resolved
he may cast one spell.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Boosted Attack (Drive) - The Koldun

Lord may attempt to Drive each warjack
under his control in his marshaling range.
To Drive a warjack, the Koldun Lord must
make a command check at any time during
his activation. If the check succeeds, the attack
rolls for the warjacks initial attacks are boosted
during its activation this turn. If the check fails,
the warjack does not benefit from Jack Marshal
this turn.

Cmd 9

6 6 6 4 14 14
Frost Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
6 12

Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
L Size
Base

5
1
1
30
Small

Cohort: Battle Wizard - Greylord Ternion units in an army with the

Koldun Lord gain Battle Wizard.
Cold Iron - Attacks made by a warjack controlled by the Koldun Lord
may damage models only affected by magic attacks. Affected warjacks
can charge Incorporeal models.
Iron Wall - The Koldun Lord gains +2 ARM for each warjack
he controls that is in base-to-base contact with him. When the
Koldun Lord is directly hit by an enemy ranged or magic attack,
his controller may choose to have a warjack he controls that is in
base-to-base contact with him become the target instead and be
automatically hit by the attack.
Jack Marshal (2) - The Koldun Lord may start the game
controlling up to two Khador warjacks.

Magic Ability
As a special attack or action, the Koldun Lord may
cast one of the following spells during his activation.
Determine the success of a magic attack by rolling 2d6
and adding the Koldun Lords Magic Ability score of 8. If
the roll equals or exceeds the targets DEF, the attack hits.
The Koldun Lord cannot make additional attacks after
making a magic attack.
Freezing Mist (HAction) - The Koldun Lord and
warjacks he controls currently in his marshalling range gain
concealment. Enemy models ending their activations within 2
of the Koldun Lord become stationary for one round. Freezing
Mists lasts for one round.
Frost Bite (HAttack) - Frost Bite is a POW 12 spray attack.
Ice Cage (HAttack) - Target model within 10 suffers
a cumulative 2 DEF for one turn to a minimum of DEF
5. Apply this penalty before any other DEF modifiers. If a
model is hit with three or more Ice Cage attacks in the same
turn, it becomes stationary for one round.

93

FENRIS
He is a living nightmare. Send him to haunt our foes rather than menacing our own sons and daughters.
Koldun Fedor Rachlavsky of the Greylords Prikaz

94

Khador doom reaver dragoon character SOLO

No Doom Reaver however fearsome compares to the one
called Fenris. Some call him the Unbound, for even the
Greylords Covenant cannot govern his actions, and he
has become a force unto himself. He rides to war atop a
nightmarish steed and wields a pair of fellblades as if some
harmony in their combined voices gives him insight into
his own inner darkness. Few men have the courage to stand
before this living horror. The Doom Reavers follow him as
though his bloody mindedness gives purpose to their lunacy.
No one knows the true history of the mortal man who became
Fenris. The records of his crimes vanished decades ago.
Most assume that he killed many, but none know their names
or true numbers. Some say he was a cannibal raised by the
mountain berserkers. Others call him an assassin and say that
the love of killing overwhelmed him. Whatever the truth, he
took to the fellblade like a man discovering a missing part of
himself.
An expectant silence falls over the Doom Reavers when
Fenris and his steed arrive on the battlefield. At his charge,
shrieks rend the air as the berserkers he leads to battle leap
forward across the broken earth to keep up with the flashing
hooves of his steed. Fenris seems the very embodiment of a
reborn Orgoth warlord come once more to conquer and leave
nothing but fields of rotting flesh and bones for scavengers.
His ability to ignore the careful conditioning and mystically
reinforced restraints imposed on all Doom Reavers by the
Greylords proved troubling from the start. He disappeared for
days when it suited him and returned to the camp drenched in
blood. The army would have ordered his destruction if not for
the outbreak of war. His skill at arms and the ease with which
he shrugs off injury might have made his execution difficult,
and some believe him possessed of witch-born immortality.
Khadoran military officials speak of Fenris only reluctantly,
like a dirty secret best not aired, yet he has found his place
with the one man to whom he has something close to
kinship. Knowing no other mortal could control him, the
kommandants remanded Fenris to the command of Orsus
Zoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov, and in this company
the wild savage has seemed content. The bond between
them cannot be friendship, for they share only the joy of
annihilation.
The creature Fenris rides is barely recognizable as a horse
and more resembles a wild and half-mad nameless monster.
Winter Guard found the crazed thing wandering after a
bloody battle near Ravensgard and their lieutenant ordered
it put down after two men died trying to restrain it. Fenris
arrived at the slaughter field just before the execution and, for
reasons impossible to articulate, put a halt to the killing and
has ridden the creature since that day. It will linger after a

Fenris

Fenris

Cmd 8

Abomination - Models/units friendly

or enemy within 3 of Fenris must pass a
command check or flee.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Doom Reaver Commander - Fenris has a

command range equal to his CMD in inches.
Friendly Doom Reaver models/units in his
command range may use Fenris CMD when
making command checks. Fenris may give
orders to friendly Doom Reaver models in his
command range. While in Fenris command
range, friendly Doom Reavers will not attack
other models in their unit.

Fellblade
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 13

Fellblade
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 6 13

Dragoon - While mounted, Fenris has base

SPD 8 and base ARM 16. Dismounted, Fenris
has base SPD 6 and base ARM 14.
Fearless - Fenris never flees.
Field Officer - An additional Doom Reaver
unit may be fielded over normal Field Allowance
limitations if Fenris is included in the army.

8/6 7 8 4 13 16/14

Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

12

Mounted Fenris Damage

8
Dismounted
Fenris Damage 8
R
Field Allowance
C
Victory Points
2
Point Cost
74
Mounted Base Size
Large
Dismounted Base Size Small

Mad Howl - Once per activation immediately

after an attack in which he destroys an enemy
model, Fenris may use Mad Howl. Enemy models/units in his command
range must pass a command check or flee. Friendly Doom Reaver
models in his command range may immediately move up to 3. A model
cannot end this movement out of formation or cause other models in
this unit to no longer be in formation.
Relentless Charge - Fenris may charge across rough terrain and
obstacles without penalty.
Tough - When Fenris suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed, his
controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, Fenris is knocked down instead of
being destroyed. If Fenris is not destroyed, he is reduced to one wound.
Weapon Specialist - Fenris rolls an additional die on his Fellblade
damage rolls.

Fellblades
Berserk - Every time Fenris destroys another model with a Fellblade
attack, he must immediately make one Fellblade attack against another
model in his melee range, friendly or enemy.
Spell Ward - Fenris cannot be targeted by spells.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Tactical Tips
Tough: Do not make a Tough roll when Fenris Mounted damages
boxes are filled and he becomes Dismounted.
Spell Ward: Spell effects that do not target Fenris can still affect
him.

battle has ended to tear flesh from the bodies of the slain, this
ghoulish repast the only sustenance it seems to require.

95

KOVNIK MARKOV
Some men are stone, solid but brittle. Others are wood, bending in the wind but snapping under pressure. Markov is steel; the
steel which makes the finest swords.
Supreme Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk

The blood of ancient horselords flows in the veins of Kovnik

Dorek Markov. The beloved kovnik has come to represent
everything the Iron Fang revere. Under his leadership the men
of his 29th Assault Battalion advance like a single body driven
by one mind. They remain unwavering despite casualties
and grind down even entrenched opposition with tireless
resolution. Markov sees every Khadoran soldier as kin, but
the Iron Fangswho have sworn their lives to serviceare

96

KHADOR iron fang uhlan cavalry CHARACTER SOLO

his brothers. He knows the grim work and endurance required
of them, and he does not suffer casual dilettantes or citizens
reluctantly fulfilling their national obligation to breathe the
same air as his battle-hardened veterans.
Markov had the rare honor of serving directly alongside his
father, also an Uhlan kovnik. Dorek Markov grew up with
the expectation that he would sit in the saddle and wield
the blasting lance. His father trained Dorek from sunup
to sundown to care for his steed and learn the traditions
of the Uhlans. Years after joining the service and earning
his commission, Markov received assignment to the same
battalion as his father, and they fought together in skirmishes
against Cygnaran border defenders. He will always remember
the last brutal battle where he saw his father fall from his
horse in a clash against Cygnars Storm Lances. Markov
rallied his troops and drove the Cygnarans from the field
but could do nothing for his father save attend to him in
those final minutes. The quiet dignity with which his father
accepted death in battle left a lasting impression on Markov,
and he endeavors to do justice to this legacy.
Markov serves alongside the Iron Fangs of the 2nd Army with
distinction. He has earned nearly every award and accolade
offered by the Khadoran Army. His battalion played a key
role in the early Riversmet battles during the invasion of
Llael and proved their merit during the siege of Merywyn.
Some say the record of this battalion more than anything else
prompted Irusk to choose the 4th Assault Legion to spearhead
his attacks on Cygnars border defenders.
Markov leads the famous uhlan charge with his brothers
almost as a first among equals. His Pozdyov steed Gorvech
carries Markov into battle alongside the formations of
pikemen under his command. Gorvech wears reinforced
barding and Markov has conditioned the steed to endure
the chaos of battle unfazed. Markov wields a customized
concussion lance armed with an incredibly powerful explosive
tip. As he hammers into the enemy, this charge detonates
with an earth-shaking explosion that sends men, beasts, and
even warjacks tumbling while Markov and his steed emerge
unharmed through the ensuing cloud of gore and debris.

Markov

Markov

Cohort: Fearless - Iron Fang Uhlans in an

army with Markov gain Fearless.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Combat Rider - Markov may make one

melee attack with his Mount during a combat
action in which he did not make a charge attack.

Concussion Lance
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 10 16

Short Spear
SPECIAL POW P+S
Close 4 10

Fearless - Markov never flees.

Iron Fang Commander - Markov has a
command range equal to his current CMD in
inches. Friendly Iron Fang models/units in his
command range may use Markovs CMD when
making command checks. Markov may rally and
give orders to friendly Iron Fang models in his
command range. Markov may issue any order
that the units original leader or officer could
issue.
Precision Strike - When Markov damages a
warjack with a melee attack, Markovs controller
chooses which column takes the damage.

Cmd 9

8 6 8 4 13 18

Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S
Critical 12

Damage
R Allowance
Field
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

10
C
1
48
Large

Relentless Charge - Markov may charge

across rough terrain and obstacles without penalty.

Concussion Lance
Blast - Center a 4 AOE on a model directly hit by the Concussion
Lance. Models in the AOE other than the model directly hit suffer a
POW 10 blast damage roll. On a critical hit, models in the AOE are
knocked down. Markov is not affected by Blast.
Lance - The Concussion Lance may only be used to make charge
attacks. If Markov has charged at least 3, his Concussion Lance has 2
melee range until the end of his activation.

Short Spear
Close Combat - Markov may not make an initial attack with the Short
Spear during an activation in which he charged at least 3.

Mount
Critical Knockdown - On a critical hit, target model is knocked down.

congratulations from Markov carries more weight than the

most inspiring speech from lesser officers. Markovs quiet
strength serves as an inspiration and a reminder of the ancient
nobility that still rides forth in the name of Khador.

Markov has proven as adroit with battlefield tactics as any

kommandant. Supreme Kommandant Irusk counts Kovnik
Markov among his most trusted officers, and they frequently
dissect recent skirmishes at Irusks table. When preparing for
the massive second attack on Northguard, Irusk entrusted
Markov with leading the sizable diversionary force whose
successes proved crucial for ultimate victory. The senior
Uhlan expects and receives tremendous efforts from his men,
exhorting them to push themselves harder. Markov has gained
the respect of the men through his willingness to share their
dangers and has engendered in them a keen desire to earn
his approval. A single scornful look or a shoulder slap of

97

YURI the axe

Let him earn his amnesty by spilling southern blood.
Great Prince Bolovric, agreeing to pardon the crimes of Yuri the Axe

Khadorans have a reputation as hardy and rugged people,

each and every one descended from the blood of old
warriors and toughened by their unforgiving land. It speaks
to something that even stoic Khadorans describe the wild
mountain men with a respect born from fear. They hail from
a harsh and bitter landscape whose inhabitants must survive
extreme cold, unforgiving terrain, and bloodthirsty creatures
prowling the Nyschatha Mountains. Among those who call
the frozen north home is a brutal killer named Yuri the Axe.

98

This man loves his Motherland with fierce devotion and sees
no contradiction between his patriotism and scornful disdain
for the law.
Many Khadoran families consider it nothing short of criminal
that Yuri walks the world as a free man. They would gladly
put an end to him if they could. The widows and orphans he
has created take no comfort from Yuris insistence that he has
never killed a man who did not earn it. Yuri does not kill from

khador manhunter CHARACTER SOLO

deeper malice, but as a hunter by nature, he finds killing an
easy and often expedient solution to any given problem. He
thinks no more of taking the life of a man standing in his way
than he does of killing a bear for its hide.
Yuri moved easily from hunting animals to hunting men. He
took up bounties on gangs of outlaws and rid the northern
hills of bandits and poachers. The thrill of this hunt appealed
to him, and eventually he set on the trail of a rogue Winter
Guard kompany that had turned to extortion near Uldenfrost.
Yuri hunted them for weeks, first eliminating their sentries
and methodically exterminating every patrol that ventured
from their barracks. In the end those he did not kill died of
cold and starvation, too frightened to step outdoors. Word
of his deeds spread. Even the warlike Nyss of the Shard
Spires learned to avoid Yuris hunting grounds and called him
slyeshar, the maddened bear.
The destruction of this Winter Guard kompany drew the ire
of the Third Army, who made bringing the killer to justice
a top priority. Yuri made sport of his hunters by leading
them into switchback ambushes, bone crushing traps, and
deadfalls. This hunt eventually included a procession of
local manhunters and several highly skilled agents in the
service of Great Prince Bolovric. Yuri delighted in testing the
manhunters who came to slay him. He called them out before
ending their lives with a quick sweep of his axe.

Yuri
Advance Deployment - Place Yuri after
normal deployment, up to 12 beyond the
established deployment zone.
Camouflage - Yuri gains an additional +2 DEF
when benefiting from concealment or cover.
Cohort: Tree Walker - Kossite Woodsmen
and Manhunters in an army with Yuri gain
Tree Walker.
Fearless - Yuri never flees.
Field Officer - An additional Manhunter solo
may be fielded over normal Field Allowance
limitations if Yuri is included in the army.

Yuri

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 8 8 4 14 14
Great Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 5 13
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
L
Base Size

8
C
1
32
Small

Flying Steel - Yuri may make d3 initial attacks with the Great Axe
R
during his activation.
Pathfinder - During his activation, Yuri ignores movement penalties
from, and may charge across, rough terrain and obstacles.
Stealth - Attacks against Yuri from greater than 5 away automatically
miss. If Yuri is greater than 5 away from an attacker, he does not count
as an intervening model.
Tree Walker - Yuris LOS is never blocked by forests. While within a
forest, Yuri gains +2 DEF against melee attacks and may move through
obstructions and other models if he has enough movement to move
completely past the obstructions or the models bases.
Weapon Master - Yuri rolls an additional die on his melee damage rolls.

Great Axe
Reach - 2 melee range.

It required a concerted effort of the 3rd Border Legion

including a team of Kossites and Widowmakers to corner
Yuri. He annihilated half the force before they wore him
down and dragged him in chains to a labor camp outside
Tverkutsk for trial. Despite constant guard, Yuri murdered his
captors and escaped into the Scarsfell.
Such a man as Yuri could suffer only one of two fates:
execution or service to the state. The four northern great
princes wintering at the Haus Prinkov in the city of Tverkutsk
decided the latter option seemed less costly, so they sent an
offer of amnesty on the condition that Yuri loan his talents
to the High Kommand. Yuri accepted the bargain with
surprising enthusiasm. He has proven true to his word,
destroying the enemies of the Motherland where and when
required. He has gained a following among Khadoran
wilderness fighters, many of whom seek him out to learn
the ways of the hunt and the kill. They could find no better
teacher, and Yuri instructs best by bloody example.

99

KAYAZy
ASSASSINS
Khador Kayazy ally UNIT
They march to war with us because they have the ruthless will to do what the enemy will not.
Kommandant Yegoruv Ilyevich, 1st Division, 1st Army, to a subordinate

Capo

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 8 4 14 11
Blademan

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 7 4 14 11
Assassin Blade
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 10

Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
64
Up to 4 Additional Troops 10 ea
Base Size
Small

Ally
Kayazy Assassins are Khador models that will
work for mercenary contracts that include
mercenaries that will work for Khador.

Capo
Leader

Unit
Parry - A Kayazy Assassin cannot be targeted
by free strikes.
Riposte - When a Kayazy Assassin is the
target of an enemy melee attack that misses,
he may immediately make a melee attack
targeting the attacking model if it is within his
melee range.

Stealth - All attacks against a Kayazy Assassin

from greater than 5 away automatically miss.
If a Kayazy Assassin is greater than 5 away
from an attacker, he does not count as an intervening model.
Ventilate - When a Kayazy Assassin hits an enemy warrior model with
a melee attack during his combat action, the model suffers a normal
damage roll after which it suffers one additional damage point for each
other Kayazy Assassin in this unit with the model in its melee range.

Khadoran kommanders have earned their share of

glory, but others seek to profit from recent conquests.
The kayazy, the great Khadoran merchant-princes
and industrialists, have supported the war
with hard work and coin. These scheming
manipulators have long preserved their
interests by employing highly skilled killers
against their rivals in the bloody games
of Khadoran commerce. These
deadly emissaries work together to
surround and slaughter an enemy
with dozens of brutally accurate
thrusts from their plunging blades.
On the orders of the kayazy, these
groups of assassins have come
south to bring their honed skills
at swordplay and murder to the
battlefield. In this fashion the merchantprinces assure that their profits continue
unimpeded by the vagaries of military
command.
Drawn originally from the most ruthless
and skilled street gangs in the larger
Khadoran cities, these grim killers survived
amid harsh alleyways by slitting the throats
of those who would do the same to them.
Serving the kayazy as an assassin brings a

100

measure of respect and status, and these men climbed the

ranks of the underworld on a rising pile of corpses to gain
the patronage of their influential masters. Many soldiers feel
uncomfortable around these murderous duelists, but none can
fault their skill and efficiency.
These blademen mastered the duelists art in a school where
failure brought deadly consequence. They fight in the Korsk
style, wielding a thrusting blade in one hand while using their
cloak in the other to entangle a foes weapon or arm before
striking. Kayazy Assassins boast swordplay expertise the equal
or better of pompous blade masters of noble lineage. Few can
stand against the flurry of flashing blades as several assassins
close at once on their chosen victim.

KAYAZyKhador
ASSASSIN
UNDERBOSS
Kayazy assassin ally UNIT ATTACHMENT
He finds killing is so easy I think it requires more effort for him to let a man who crosses him live.
Capo Georgi Barayev
Some say the ruthless underbosses who lead handpicked
teams of assassins hold the true power among the killers
employed by the kayazy. These criminal commanders achieve
their status only after cutthroat competition among the Korsk
gangs. Beyond being deadly with a blade, an underboss
must demonstrate intelligence, patience, and the ability to
accumulate and preserve wealth. Surviving long enough to
enjoy ones accumulated blood money is an accomplishment
in itself, but no underboss can become soft, as his underlings
stand ready to replace him at any sign of weakness. The
kayazy often set rival underbosses against one another in
underworld shifts of alliances and betrayals.

Underboss

Underboss

Backstab - The Underboss rolls an additional

die on his back strike damage rolls.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Chain Attack Bleed Out - If the

Underboss hits the same living target with both
of his initial Assassin Blade attacks during the
same activation, after resolving the attacks he
may immediately make an additional melee
attack against the target. If the attack succeeds,
instead of dealing damage, the target must
forfeit either its movement or action on its next
turn.

Cmd 9

6 6 8 4 14 11
Assassin Blade
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 10

Assassin Blade
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 10

Damage
L

Field Allowance
Kill Stroke - Once per game during this units
Victory Points
activation, the Underboss may use Kill Stroke.
This activation, models in the unit may move
Point Cost
through other models if they have enough
R Size
Base
movement to move completely past the models
bases, and they ignore intervening models when declaring charges.

8
1
+1
29
Small

Killer Rep - While the Underboss is in play models in his unit never
flee.
Officer - The Underboss is the unit leader.
Tactics: Duelist - Models in this unit gain Duelist. A model with
Duelist gains +2 DEF against melee attacks.
Tough - When the Underboss suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed,
his controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the Underboss is knocked down
instead of being destroyed. If the Underboss is not destroyed, he is
reduced to one wound.
Unit Abilities - The Underboss has Kayazy Assassin unit abilities.

The wealth of riches that the kayazy offer to participate in

the ongoing war effort has not gone unnoticed, and many
underbosses want to claim a piece of the action. These
ambitious assassins make the necessary arrangements for
their kills and hand-select the best murderers among their
crews. Underbosses often lead particularly important strikes
personally to show subordinates exactly how to do things
properly. Hiring an underboss and his crew represents a
substantial investment but well worth the coin, for such a
group can all but assure the murder of their target. These
honed killers know no retirement awaits them. Failure
invites either maimingif the underboss is merciful
or a slit throat.

101

KHADOR
Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova
Warcaster

Supreme Kommandant Irusk

Eipc Warcaster

Fenris
Dragoon Solo

102

Kayazy Assassins
Ally Unit

Yuri the Axe

Solo

Kayazy Assassin Underboss

Kayazy Assassin Unit Attachment

Great Bears of Gallowswood

Character Unit

Drago
Unique Heavy Warjack

Beast-09
Unique Heavy Warjack

103

KHADOR

104

105

CRYX
Blood pooled thick between the corpses
and cobblestone on the streets outside
the Katrinksa Cathedral. The eldritch
Goreshade felt the growing imperative to
quickly finish his tasks within, yet he did not rush
as he hacked off the heads of the slain Precursor Knights
one by one. Even in death the bodies of these holy knights
who died resolutely defending sanctified ground carried the
stink of their god. Such remains could not be defiled easily
or without consequence, but Goreshade was a master of the
deepest arts of blasphemy.
The Vicarate Council of Korsk called this cathedral home,
and Goreshade had carefully selected his time to strike after
watching the cathedral patiently from the shadows. Tonight,
some obligation had summoned the entire council and their
guardians to the nearby Stasikov Palace. The Precursor
Knights had proven an unexpected complication. Goreshade
did not understand why this southern order had stood guard
with the citys leading priests elsewhere, but it seemed the
only sign that the foolish Morrowans had any inkling of the
importance of what had fallen into their grasp. The knights
had caused him an unfortunate delay, but he intended to
make use of their presence.
He gathered the decapitated heads into a pile. He found
even the touch of their sanctified blood on his unliving hands
unpleasant. He invoked the words of a rite intended to break
the holy threshold of the cathedral. Great cathedrals like
these were anathema to the dead so long as their holy fonts
remained inviolate, but Goreshade knew means around such
defenses. While the faithful liked to believe their god watched
over them constantly, wards like these sprang from mortal
prayers. He had repeatedly dispensed with similar protections
through the strength of his eldritch will while penetrating the
Protectorate of Menoths holy places.
When his rite reached its terminus he took the head of the
battle chaplain and set it upon the threshold where the large
doors swung open. He placed the head upright facing inward,
then pulled back the lids of its eyes and spoke words in a
guttural, forgotten language. Green light fired in the eyes
and burned the fleshy orbs to cinders. He stepped into the
main hall and pushed his way through an invisible barrier.
A sensation like liquid fire washed over him. He ignored this
temporary discomfort.
The holy aura of this place did not feel as strong as he had
expected. Something of far greater sanctity had recently
compromised it. For two thousand years these grounds had
provided a gathering place for the worship of countless pious
thousands, yet now an alien presence overshadowed millennia
of prayer. Goreshade could sense this presence below, where
these foolish humans had brought the vault of a frozen but still
living elven god.

Goreshade left his Stalkers to watch the entryway while he

descended. The largest chamber directly below the cathedral
contained numerous steam boilers used to heat the enormous
chamber above, but he eventually found the entrance to the
burial chambers. A wide passage, intended to convey kings
and those of noble blood to their final rest, extended below
the chancel. This attached to crypts and tombs below which
lay the older catacombs. Even before he neared his destination
the temperature of the passages and chambers plummeted.
He expected the vault to have guards, confirmed by the
flickering of light and the sound of low voices ahead. Cloaked
in shadows, he entered a large domed room that served as
a hub between numerous smaller burial chambers. The
crumbling bricks of the walls and softened edges of the carved
stonework suggested antiquity. At the center stood the vault,
a large and perfectly proportioned cube of polished marble.
Sigils carved in a graceful curved script decorated each
surface.
It clearly did not belong here. Several torches lit the room
but the vault emitted its own soft and cold blue-tinged
illumination that seemed the antithesis of flame. Thirteen
robed Nyss knelt in a circle around it, facing inward and
chanting with their heads bowed. Another thirteen slept
huddled in their cloaks on the cold stone floor against the
far wall. Beside each, the sleeping and those awake, lay the
gleaming length of a naked steel blade. The chamber felt
as frosty as the Shard Spires where the Nyss culture had
shattered beneath an uncaring sky.
Theirs seemed a poor posture to assume as a vigil, for none
faced outward or kept watch on the entry chamber. As he
entered the chamber, however, the torches lit along the
periphery sputtered and extinguished. The cold blue light that
remained brought all edges to a sharp contrast. As one the
thirteen praying Nyss took up their blades, stood, and turned
to face him as if they had prepared centuries for this single
moment.

They fought bravely and died without ever betraying fear or

the horror they must have felt at the monster they faced. Most
were among the last of the Maelwyrr Aeryn, a shard that had
long served the frozen god until their numbers diminished,
and an abomination forced them to flee their homeland.
Goreshade could not deny their skill, but they had spent too
long fasting. Their holy rituals strengthened their will but
reduced their fighting strength. They should have spent their
hours eating heartily and sparring rather than starving and
kneeling on frozen stone.

107

Goreshade used every trick at his

disposal as he dispatched them,
refusing them a direct fight. They
died to his blade and profane spells.
Their companions watched as those he hacked
down rose as sythyss deathwalkers. At each kill a
new deathwalker rose while the previous one loosed a thin
wordless wail of protest and sloughed to tattered ribbons of
flesh. The sleeping Nyss awoke, but they too died on his blade.
Blood covered the floor and almost immediately congealed
and froze into polluted red-slick pools.
Some few of the gods priests opposed him, and Goreshade
found them even more contemptible. He could sense their
ready latent power, so close to its wellspring, but even now
they proved reluctant to sip its strength. They had trained
too long to avoid straining their patron by invoking His
divinity. They lacked the reflexes of the human battlepriests the eldritch had fought.
The last, an elder, matched Goreshade blade-to-blade and
evoked in the eldritch something akin to respect. Goreshade
had never seen an elf so aged. Marked by myriad wrinkles
covering skin thin like gauze and colorless hair that looked like
strands of ice, he nevertheless demonstrated a skill with his
sword beyond all age and defying the frailty of his old bones.
Though he struck with feeble blows, his swords sharp edge
carried holy runes Goreshade sensed could do him harm.
This was the qyr-aransor, ancient elder in their tongue, Vaeril
the Wise. For four centuries he had stalked the northern
wilderness and served his slumbering god. His eyes suggested
he had faced worse horrors and yet lived. He proved the truth
of this with a blinding sequence of lightning feints and strikes
ending in one unavoidable thrust. His eyes fired with triumph
as he impaled the holy claymore deep into Goreshades chest.
Goreshade shuddered in annoyance as he fell twisting to the
floor and yanked the blade free from the ancients hands.
What the Nyss took as a death shudder was actually
Goreshade pulling the sword loose while forestalling his
destruction by absorbing the essence of his last deathwalker.
The priest-warrior stared in incomprehension as Goreshade
stood again and hurled the blade into one of the darkened
corridors. With an almost gentle swing he let Bloodcleaver
carve into the qyr-aransor below the ribcage but stopping short
of his spine. Vaeril slumped to his knees bleeding profusely.
This cannot be, the ancient whispered in a barely audible
hiss. The prophecy...I shall not die until I have seen the face
of Nyssor.
Goreshade offered the dying priest the slightest bow. In the
Nyss Aeric tongue he answered, Let us fulfill your destiny.
He turned and strode toward the gleaming vault.

108

Undoubtedly the Nyss knew an elegant procedure for opening

the marble vault, but Goreshade had no time for enigmas.
He took the cruder expedient of ignoring the words writ in
holy script on the forward face and shattered it with several
great blows of Bloodcleaver. He threw the stone shards away
to reveal the core of a single block of solid ice that siphoned
in every trace of remaining warmth from the already freezing
chamber, as if the shell had existed to protect its bearers and
not to preserve its contents.
Goreshade had prepared for this eventuality and brought
forth the wrought iron Torch of Lord Khazarak, a Menite
relic plundered from the tomb of that ancient Khadoran
horselord. The eldritch had spent some time in previous
months corrupting this forgotten treasure for his purposes.
When he spoke the Khurzik phrase to ignite the torch,
its blaze glowed not with the clean orange and yellow of
true flame but with the bright green of balefire. Its raw,
undeniable, and overwhelming heat began to melt the ice
wherever he held its flame. The large shadowy figure dimly
visible within the crystalline depths took on greater definition.
Goreshade took care not to melt too much, first revealing
the hilt of the great sword Voass. Its workmanship was finer
than any he had seen and its metal bore an unfamiliar sheen.
He melted more until the face of a god emerged, a face that
seemed more a statue carved to represent the abstraction
of an elf larger than life rather than anything alive. Even
as he tried to take in the features of the god they subtly
shimmered and changed, like frosted breath on a mirror.
Goreshade had a sense of tremendous age and strength and
coldness like the blackness between stars. Looking upon those
features provoked strange feelings, echoes from Goreshades
mortal days when his heart still beat and blood still flowed
in his collapsed veins. Recognizing the trap, he shook off the
sensation.
He pulled back the green fire. Awaken and heed my words,
Scyir of Winter, Grand Crafter of Lyoss, Architect of Shifting
Glass, Frozen Sage, Winter Father, Keeper of Secrets. Awaken
Nyssor, brother of Issyr, Lyliss, and Scyrah, who sleeps.
When those eyes opened it seemed as though they did so with
a sound like the cracking weight of an iceberg breaking free.
The Torch of Lord Khazarak sputtered and extinguished as
the silver eyes of a god fell upon Goreshade. Simultaneously
Goreshade became aware that his Stalkers in the chamber
above had joined battle. Through them he sensed the sudden
intrusion of Khadoran soldiers into the cathedral.
A whisper behind him spoke. My lord, I failed thee.
Goreshade looked in irritation at the dying priest, enraged that
the Nyss should address the awoken god first.

Nyssor spoke, No, my son. Be whole. Goreshade felt a

surge of power as the ancient priest had his life restored.
This blatant waste of power angered the eldritch more than
anything else. He turned to slay the Nyss again, but Vaeril
had gone along with the bodies of the other fallen guardians.
Goreshade, his rage burning, turned back to see the silver
eyes regarding him. No wonder the gods had fallen if this one
wasted His waning energy on insects. It was insufferable.
You will answer. I have learned your secrets and know how
the people of Ios can be whole again. You need only confirm
it.
The eyes stared at him with scorn but the god still did not
speak.

but halfway through, he felt the air thicken and the slash
slowed. Halfway again his arms seemed to move with almost
painful deliberation, yet he still felt the sharp edge could bite.
With Voass only a few inches from the gods neck, Goreshade
felt as though he pushed the blade through solid stone. Each
time he divided the distance in half his speed also halved, and
Goreshade saw at this rate the blade would never reach its
destination. Futile anger built in him as he heard shouts in the
corridors and the stomping of boots. His fight with the vaults
guardians had weakened him; it would not take much to
destroy him. I will master your sword, Goreshade promised.
The next time we meet it will end your life.
Tearing his eyes away and holding the gods sword tight in his
grasp, Goreshade cloaked himself in shadows and fled.

Centuries ago you sent emissaries to Ios to bring word to

Scyrah, but they were turned away. You told them you and
your sister must end your lives here on Caen before your
power faded entirely. You described the ceremony whereby
your essence would return to the Veld. You knew your
corporeal presence corrupted the divine order. You have
shattered the cycle of rebirth by lingering here and brought
ruin to the race beloved of Lacyr. By ending you both, the
cycle will restore itself. Confirm this and I will deliver you.
At last the god spoke. You have learned some secrets, but too
few. Your comprehension is flawed. You hope to be a savior,
but you are walking death.
The rage building within Goreshade flared in his eyes.
Has your slumber made you a coward? Khazaraks Torch
clattered to the floor as he raised Bloodcleaver and swung the
great blade straight at the neck of the frozen god.
The blade suddenly stopped as it touched the divine flesh,
and the eldritchs straining arms refused to move it further.
He saw the skin begin to part, and a single drop of blood
welled against the edge. He felt a burst of cold, and a rime of
frozen moisture shimmered across Bloodcleavers surface. The
god spoke again, and Goreshade felt each word like a blow.
You are anathema, beyond redemption. Your words will
be unheard and your legacy ash and ruin. With a clanging
protest Bloodcleaver exploded into countless tiny shards and
metal powder.
Goreshade growled in denial. He grasped the hilt of Voass
and pulled it loose from the sheath held by the gods frozen
fingers deeper in the ice. Coldness spread up his arm and
the sword screamed a keening protest. It fought him, but he
clamped his will upon it even as it tried to freeze his hand.
You will die by your own blade. Emotion showed for the
first time in the stoic expression of the god.
The eldritch pulled back to swing, but as his eyes locked with
Nyssors, Goreshade found overpowering the will of a deity no
simple task. He began his swing, leveraging all of his strength,

109

GORESHADE the cursed

You are anathema beyond redemption. Your words will be unheard and your legacy ash and ruin.
Nyssor, Scyir of Winter, invoking his curse on Goreshade

Once known as the

Iosan Lord Ghyrrshyld,
Goreshade became an
eldrich to escape his mortality
long before he joined the
Nightmare Empire. Though a
captain in the armies of Cryx,
his ties to Lord Toruk remain ill
defined. Certain Cryxian powers
once thought Goreshade a simple
if powerful weapon, a convenient
tool for their ambitions, but a terrible
hubris motivates Goreshade. This
has compelled him to confront a god.
Nyssor cursed him for his madness,
but Goreshade remains convinced that
his path will prove the salvation of his
kind. Understanding his logic requires
plunging into the unhallowed depths of
his labyrinthine mind.
Goreshade has never forgotten his time in
Ios when he spoke words none of his people
wished to hear. He confronted them with the
fate of their species by demanding the lords of Ios
stare into the black, empty eyes of soulless children and
face the failure of their gods. Outsiders do not know that Lord
Ghyrrshyld prompted a civil war that consumed Ios and closed its
borders. Most Iosans have yet to recover from the shock of facing
their inevitable extinction. Ghyrrshyld tried to convince them that
reversing a cosmological apocalypse would require acts some would
deem sacrilege, and they had not the strength of will to heed his
words. Ghyrrshyld left them to their folly and sought undeath. He
vowed he would embrace every dark art to buy the time he needed to
do the unthinkable.
By becoming an eldritch Goreshade
gained insight into the endless
chasm between Caen and
Urcaen. Mastery of this
lore irrevocably altered his
perception of reality. He

110

Cryx EPIC Warcaster character

believes that this void continually consumes the lost souls
of the elven race and that he alone has the power to restore
them. His solution requires removing the ailing gods from
Caen, even if that means their destruction, and the sages of
Ios cannot face the awful truth that salvation requires their
living gods to die. Goreshade will pay any price and commit
any atrocity to complete this great work.
Some of Goreshades recent actions have placed him
perilously close to openly defying the lich lords of Cryx.
He has made subversive promises to the dragon Ethrunbal.
Without question he has pursued his own agenda, yet
ultimately he remains a faithful ally to Lord Toruk. Goreshade
firmly believes that only a creature as powerful and ancient as
this dragon could understand his mission. Even with the elven
gods crippled, Goreshade requires the strength of the Cryxian
Empire to enact his plans.
His path ultimately led him to the steps of the great
Morrowan cathedral in Korsk, where he stood before a god
and prepared to extinguish an immortal flame. Humans

Tactical Tips
Reanimator: You cannot return models to a unit that has been
completely destroyed.
Spectral Curse: This means that models can move through the
affected unit, but the unit cannot move through other models. We
told you Goreshade was a bastard.

SPELL

COST RNG

AOE POW

UP

OFF

Abyssal Gate
3
8
-
12
X
When an enemy model is damaged by Abyssal Gate, Goreshades controller
may immediately place the damaged model anywhere completely within 3 of
its current location, choosing its facing. There must be enough space to place
the models base.
Hex Blast
3
10
3
13
Enemy upkeep spells on model/unit directly hit by Hex Blast expire.

Phantom Hunter 2
6
-
-
X
Target friendly model can declare charges, slams, and ranged and magic attacks
without LOS. The affected model ignores cloud effects, cover, concealment,
obstructions, and screening when making attacks.
Psychic Vampire 3
Self CTRL
-
X
After an enemy model casts a spell or uses an animus within Goreshades control
area, it suffers one damage point and Goreshade removes one damage point.
Warbeasts forced to use an animus suffer this damage to the first available Spirit
circle.
Shadowmancer 3
Self CTRL
Models in Goreshades battlegroup currently in his control area gain Dark
Shroud and Stealth. Enemy models within the melee range of a model with
Dark Shroud suffer -2 ARM. Attacks against a model with Stealth from greater
than 5 away automatically miss. If a model with Stealth is greater than 5 away
from an attacker, it does not count as an intervening model. Shadowmancer lasts
for one round.
Spectral Curse 2
8
-
-
X
*
Target model/unit cannot make free strikes. A model may move through an
affected model if it has enough movement to move completely past its base.
When this spell targets an enemy model, it is an offensive spell and requires a
magic attack roll.
Sudden Death
2
6
-
-
X
When an enemy model ends its normal movement within 6 and LOS of
an unengaged model in target friendly Cryx unit, a model in the unit may
immediately charge the enemy model. If a model makes a charge as a result of
Sudden Death, it is removed from play immediately after the charge has been
resolved. A model charging due to Sudden Death ignores formation.

drove Goreshade from the temple but not before he pulled

the god-blade Voass from the Scyir of Winters frozen
fingers. Goreshades eyes fire with a mad glow all the more
terrifying for its unshakable conviction. Even if his people
refuse his notion of salvation, he will bring it to them by
force. He stands ready to unmake Caen if he must. He sees
no contradiction in destroying the world to save countless
immortal souls.

Feat: Reanimator

Focus 7

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Goreshade bolsters his mastery of death magic with profane lore 6 7 7 4 15 16

otherwise forgotten. As part of a dark accounting he balances
Voass
the scales of death by snuffing the animating force from one
SPECIAL POW P+S
soldier to loan its spark to another. Dead flesh knits and stands
to fight as the once living breathe again and become unclean
Multi 8 15
mockeries of their former selves.
Damage
17
Return one or more destroyed non-character
Field Allowance
C
friendly Cryx warrior models to play, placing
Victory Points
5
them completely in Goreshades control area. One Point Cost
83
friendly warrior model currently in Goreshades
Base Size
Medium
control area is removed from play for each model
returned. Trooper models must be returned to their
original units and must be placed in formation. Returned models placed in their
original unit cause the unit to lose benefits or effects that it received from the original
destruction of the returned models. Returned models cannot activate the turn they
return to play.

Goreshade
Elite Cadre - Bane Thrall units included in an army with Goreshade gain +1
MAT, RAT, and CMD. Each time a friendly Bane Thrall destroys a living enemy
warrior model while in Goreshades control area, its controller may add a nonleader model to the Bane Thralls unit. Models cannot activate the turn they are
put in play. The model must be placed completely within Goreshades control
area and in formation.
Siphon - During his controllers Control Phase before focus is allocated,
Goreshade may drain up to either three focus points or three wound points from
one friendly warcaster in his control area and add them to his current total.
Goreshade cannot siphon more wound points than he has lost.
Terror - Enemy models/units in melee range of Goreshade and enemy models/
units with Goreshade in their melee range must pass a command check or flee.
Undead - Goreshade is not a living model and never flees.

Voass
Critical Brittle as Ice - On a critical hit, damage that exceeds the targets ARM
is doubled.
Reach - 2 melee range.
Winters Wrath (HAttack) - When Goreshade makes a Winters Wrath attack,
before making the attack roll, he must pass a command check using his base
CMD. If the roll fails, Goreshade becomes stationary for one round. If the roll
succeeds, Goreshade makes a Voass attack. If the attacks hits, roll an additional
damage die. If the attack destroys a model, models other than Goreshade within
2 of the model destroyed become stationary for one round.

111

MASTER NECROTECH MORTENeBRA

Lifes births are accidents of imperfect flesh. My designs are perfection made manifest in cold steel.
Master Necrotech Mortenebra

The army of necrotechs who look on Mortenebra with almost

religious adoration call her by a number of titles, such as
the Fleshless Maiden, the Mistress of Precision, or the
Cruel Shaper. These titles amuse her as a mocking echo
of the names given to Cyriss, the Maiden of Gears.
This seems only proper as her necrotechs look to
her as a paragon of their craft. She stands in
their company as a queen amid gnats, willing
to destroy any creature impertinent enough
to present her with flawed engineering.
Mortenebra walks with insect-like articulation
and inhuman grace on metal legs that
chatter like clicking teeth as she
crosses stone.
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
has emerged from the smoke
belching factories of Skell
to lead her constructs to
war. The living rarely
marvel long at the horror
of her appearance before
her helljacks descend
to slaughter. She stands out
even among the evils of Cryx as
singularly cold and untouched by
human desires or remnant aspirations.
The alien tone of her voice and
perfectly calculated cadence of
her words remain conspicuous
even among the undead. In life,
Mortenebra stood among the
early practitioners drawn
to the riddle of the hidden
goddess Cyriss, the Maiden
of Gears. She joined this
fledgling cult soon after its
founding and contributed
to some of the cults
fundamental discoveries.
She embraced and helped
to define the precepts that
formed the core of that
religion.

112

Cryx Warcaster character

Mortenebra participated in the breakthrough work that
provided the means to transfer and preserve a sentient
consciousness into a clockwork shell. Mortenebra became
increasingly dissatisfied with the progress even as the
organization made real strides in this process. Perhaps some
breed of manic perfectionism afflicted her, but she became
convinced of deep and inextricable problems. She saw flaws
where others saw beauty, and she proclaimed the process
unready while others clamored to begin.
This created a growing rift between Mortenebra and the
Cult. As she attempted to analyze these fundamental flaws,
Mortenebra came to the conclusion that the vessels did not
possess true free will. Some external force exercised a subtle
but undeniable control on the translated consciousness.
Her peers accused her of impiety and paranoia when she
presented her findings, and they explained her conclusions as
nothing less than the palpable guiding hand of Cyriss.
Undeterred by their platitudes, Mortenebra decided to take a
more radical approach. Her plan would forever alienate her
from the Cult of Cyriss. Sparing no expense, she designed a
trap to capture and hold an iron lich. She knew of an ancient
arcanist of Skell, an iron lich named Lorvetus, obsessed with

Tactical Tips
Terminal Velocity: Note that this movement is in addition to
extra movement gained from charging or slamming

SPELL

COST RNG AOE POW

UP

OFF

Death Race
2
6
-
When target model in Mortenebras battlegroup destroys one or more enemy
models with an attack, one model in Mortenebras battlegroup in her control
area may immediately move up to its current SPD in inches. Death Race then
expires. Death Race lasts for one turn. Death Race may be cast once per turn.
Doom Spiral
2
8
-
12
X
When Doom Spiral damages a warjack, the warjacks controlling warcaster
suffers d3 damage points.
Jump Start
2
Self CTRL
-
Models in Mortenebras battlegroup currently in her control area may
immediately change their facing. Affected models that are stationary are no
longer stationary. Affected models that are knocked down immediately stand up.
Sacral Ward
2
6
-
-
X
Target model in Mortenebras battlegroup gains Sacral Ward. When the affected
model is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack, its controller may select a
friendly non-incorporeal undead model in its front arc and within 3 of it to be
directly hit instead. Sacral Ward then expires. The selected model becomes the
target and is hit automatically.
Spectral Steel 3
6
-
-
X
Target warjack in Mortenebras battlegroup gains +2 ARM and Ghostly. A
model with Ghostly may move and charge through any terrain and obstacles
without penalty. A model with Ghostly may move through obstructions if it
has enough movement to move completely past the obstruction. A model with
Ghostly cannot be targeted by free strikes.
Terminal Velocity 4
Self CTRL
-
Warjacks in Mortenebras battlegroup currently in her control area can charge or
perform power attacks without spending focus. When an affected model attacks
a living model with a melee attack, its attack rolls are boosted. When an affected
model targets a living model with a charge or slam, it gains +2 of movement.
Terminal Velocity lasts for one turn.
Void Gate
4
10
4
13
X
X
The Void Gate AOE stays on the table as long as upkeep is paid. While in the AOE,
enemy models cannot channel spells, be allocated focus, or be forced.

Orgoth lore. She bribed several disreputable merchants that

frequented Blackwater to spread rumors of a buried Orgoth
bibliotheca. Lorvetus took the bait. Despite her preparations,
the ambush resulted in a bloody battle. Lorvetus murdered a
dozen lesser members of the cult, but in the end Mortenebra
secured the lich for her study.
Mortenebra tested and dissected the creature back in her
laboratory, fascinated by its necrotechnology, and conducted
a lengthy dialog until she isolated and expunged its animating
soul. She took her findings, the lichs corpse, and a detailed
analysis of its operation to the leading fluxion of the cult and
recommended replicating from the abomination several new
mechanisms to improve the cult transfer protocols. Her peers
listened in horror as she suggested incorporating necromantic
elements into their machinery.
The Cult ultimately denounced Mortenebra and cast her

Feat: Recalibration
Master Necrotech Mortenebra is a virtuoso of the twisted
occult science that gave rise to the war machines of Cryx. By
extending her power she can impart mechanical perfection
upon her entire army to refine their attacks and maximize their
killing efficiency. Though some would protest that the walking
dead need no encouragement for slaughter, Mortenebra
contends there is always room for improvement.
Friendly Cryx models currently in Mortenebras
control area may re-roll attack and damage rolls.
Each roll may be re-rolled once as a result of
Recalibration. Recalibration lasts for one turn.

Mortenebra
Cohort: Pit Crew - Necrotechs in an army with
Mortenebra gain Repair [8].
Interface - While in base-to-base contact with
Mortenebra, a warjack in her battlegroup can
spend focus points that are on Mortenebra.

Focus 7

Cmd 8

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 6 4 15 16
Scavenger
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 5 12
Scavenger
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 5 12
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

16
C
5
92
Medium

Necromantik - Once per turn during her activation when Mortenebra gains a soul
token after destroying a living enemy model with a melee attack, immediately after the
attack has been resolved she may spend the soul token to cast a spell with a focus cost
of three or less without spending any focus points.
Pathfinder - During her activation, Mortenebra ignores movement penalties from,
and may charge across, rough terrain and obstacles.
Repair [10] (HAction) - Mortenebra may attempt repairs on any friendly Cryx
warjack that has been damaged or disabled. To attempt repairs, Mortenebra must be
in base-to-base contact with the damaged warjack or disabled wreck marker and make
a skill check. If successful, roll a d6 and remove that number of damage points from
anywhere on the warjacks damage grid.
Soul Cages - Mortenebra gains a soul token for every living model destroyed within
2. During her controllers next Control Phase, replace each soul token with a focus
point.
Spider Legs - Mortenebra cannot be knocked down.
Terror - Enemy models/units in melee range of Mortenebra and enemy models/
units with Mortenebra in their melee range must pass a command check or flee.
Undead - Mortenebra is not a living model and never flees.

Scavengers
Reach - 2 melee range.

113

DERYLISS
out. Only a fear of her growing power prevented them
from assassinating her. They came to regret their cowardice.
While they banished her from their inner sanctum, the
cult proved incautious regarding its defensive measures.
Unbeknownst to them, Mortenebra retained loyal minions
within the organization, and these agents conspired against
their superiors. When the cult first succeeded in transferring
a priest into a clockwork body, Mortenebra returned in force.
She deactivated the guardians, slew all who opposed her,
seized the clockwork priest as her captive, and fled to Cryx.
Exploiting information gleaned from her examination and
interrogation of Lorvetus, Mortenebra presented herself and
her captive to the lords of Blackwater and offered everything
she knew in exchange for asylum. The priest screamed curses
at her as necrotechs laid bare his inner mechanisms. She
listened to its abuse with clinical disdain and remembered
the way her own servitors had dissected Lorvetus. She had
already begun the gradual process of readying herself
to become an iron lich, and she soon acquired
the additional lore she required to complete this
transformation.
Mortenebra is now entirely a creature of Cryx,
her past almost forgotten. She views her new
form as vastly superior to any vessel constructed
by the cult of the machine goddess, and she
has fully embraced the worship of Lord Toruk.
Mortenebra has adapted the precepts of her
former cult to the principles of necrotechnology
and implemented their secretive cell structure
with her cabal among the Scharde Isles. Her
specialized knowledge and singular machine
empathy give her unique insight into Cryxian necrohorrors. She has turned her perfectionism to the
machines she fabricates and controls. Mortenebra can
literally meld her mind in perfect synchronization with
the helljacks at her command. The perfect transfer of
arcane energy to her constructs is beyond the ken of lesser
warcasters. This synergy becomes absolute and terrifying
as her army moves as one extension of her unfathomably
complex mind.

114

cryx skarlock thrall character solo

Mortenebras skarlock Deryliss is an ever-lurking presence,
always ready to loan its considerable skills to its master
wherever she travels. She crafted Deryliss early in her stay on
Cryx, and she has gradually improved it over the centuries
into a refined and intelligent aide. By Deryliss proximity
and intercession Mortenebra can extend her control over
her jacks even when battle has scattered them far apart.
In addition to arcane power, Mortenebra has bestowed on
Deryliss some measure of her authority, and the creature can
speak in her stead.

Mortenebra will erase anything she perceives as an

impediment to the smooth working of her machinery, and
even puissant lords do not escape her scrutiny. She remains
eager to learn of discoveries made by Asphyxious that could
further her craft and to pick his skull regarding the vanished
Temple Garrodh. Asphyxious has been obliged to accept
Mortenebras insights even as he watches her closely. Soon
the mainland armies will taste bitter ashes while watching
their armies disassembled by horrors Mortenebra directs with
clockwork precision.

Mortenebra maintains a vast network of agents on the

mainland that kept her well informed of events abroad
even as she remained close to the heart of the empire in
Skell. For decades, Mortenebra has utilized Deryliss and
her minions to collect a wide variety of Orgoth relics. She
incorporates each piece of stolen occult lore she extracts into
new necrotechnology. Through her intermediaries she has
plundered treasures from the ruins at Nine Stones, Henge
Hold, and even the mining complex below Khardov.
Mortenebra has mechanized and streamlined Cryxs
necromantic processes to an unprecedented level. She
improved the method of corpse collection and soul harvesting,
and improved the efficiency of the methods used to deliver
the divided pieces of the dead. Some rotted flesh goes to
the vast roiling cauldrons of caustic chemicals to become
corrosive bile. Other pieces necrosurgeons stitch together to
fuse with pneumatic tubes and machinery. She has overseen
the construction of great forges and smelting vats to melt ore
and pound it into shape. She has built foundries and factories
for turning refined materials into jacks. Necrotechs under her
command exactingly assemble Cryxian cortexes from layers of
precious metals, glass, and carved slivers of bone.
Mortenebra has managed the careful equation of serving
all the lich lords and yet calling none her master. Lich
Lord Morbus, held accountable for the war industry of the
Nightmare Empire, has directed most of her efforts, yet she
has also done favors for other benefactors. The industry of
her vast factories has fueled the war efforts of Terminus,
Daeamortusbefore his destructionand now Asphyxious.
Her decision to step onto the mainland marks a turning point
for Cryx. She has gone to inspect the hidden bases expanding
in the tunnels below the Thornwood and the Wyrmwall
Mountains and ensure that their progress stays on schedule.

Deryliss

Deryliss

Cmd 8

Point Cost

Arcane Extension - While Deryliss is in

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM
Mortenebras control area, Mortenebra may
6 6 5 3 14 13
allocate focus points to warjacks in her battlegroup
in Deryliss command range. While Deryliss is in
Claw
Mortenebras control area, she may upkeep one spell
SPECIAL POW P+S
without spending a focus point.

2 8
Bound to Mortenebra - Deryliss is bound to
Damage
5
Mortenebra. Deryliss cannot be reassigned during
Field Allowance
C
a game. Each warcaster may only have one bound
Victory Points
0
Skarlock Thrall.
Commander - Deryliss has a command range
Base Size
Small
equal to his CMD in inches. Friendly Cryx models/
units in his command range may use Derylisss
CMD when making command checks. Deryliss may rally and give orders to friendly
Cryx models in his command range.
Companion - Deryliss is included in any army that also includes Mortenebra.
Deryliss is part of Mortenebras battlegroup. If Mortenebra is destroyed or removed
from play, remove Deryliss from play.
Enhanced Recharge - While in base-to-base contact with Deryliss, Mortenebra
removes one additional damage point each time she spends a focus point to regenerate
her power field.
Soul Keeper - Deryliss gains a soul token for every living model destroyed within 2.
Deryliss may have a maximum of three soul tokens at any time. Deryliss may spend
soul tokens to boost attack and damage rolls. During his controllers Control Phase,
Deryliss may spend soul tokens to allocate focus points to warjacks in Mortenbras
battlegroup in his command range. A warjack is allocated one focus point for each soul
token spent.
Spell Slave (HAction) - While in Mortenebras control area, Deryliss may cast
one of Mortenebras spells with a focus cost of three or less without spending any
focus points. Deryliss uses Mortenebras FOC stat to resolve all effects of the spell
including attack rolls. Deryliss cannot channel spells or cast spells with a range of Self.
Mortenebra may allocate focus points to upkeep spells cast by Deryliss, and spells cast
by Deryliss are considered to have been cast by Mortenebra. When Deryliss casts an
offensive spell, he is considered to be the attacker.
Undead - Deryliss is not a living model and never flees.

115

CANKERWORM
It made unholy congress with a Defender and then started firing shells at us from clear across the river!
Trencher survivor of the most recent sighting of the Cankerworm

Height/Weight: 15 (long) / 3.25

tons
Armament: Bite, Replicator
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: UNKNOWN
Initial Service Date: UNKNOWN
Cortex Manufacturer: UNKNOWN
Orig. Chassis Design: UNKNOWN

116

Cryx unique bonejack

Cankerworm slithers through battlefields on hooked claws
while its armored scales rasp along its serpentine length. A
carrion scavenger feasting on dead machines, Cankerworm
picks their rusted carcasses clean of parts to integrate into
its own mass. Its capacity to regenerate itself has allowed it
to emerge from the wreckage of battle countless times and
return to Asphyxious despite its near destruction. It tears limb
from limb those who interrupt or seek to thwart its purposes,
but it has no lasting interest in flesh. Its rear terminus houses a
strange device that grafts itself to weapons salvaged from the
battlefield.
Only Asphyxious knows from whence Cankerworm arose,
and it seems likely the result of his own tinkering amid
the mechanisms of countless war-torn fields of slaughter.
Cankerworm has lurked near wherever the iron lich has
battled in the last few centuries. It seems a creature more selfcreated than designed, the extension of acquisitive principles
of bafflingly complexity, and it embodies Asphyxious
philosophy of rising from below to consume his enemies
whole.

Cankerworm
Ablation - When Cankerworm rolls damage
against a medium or large-based model
suffering Corrosion, the targets ARM stat
is halved when calculating damage. Effects
that further modify ARM are not reduced.
Cankerworm gains +2 on damage rolls against
small-based models suffering Corrosion.
Advance Deployment - Place Cankerworm
after normal deployment, up to 12 beyond the
established deployment zone.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 6 4 14 15
HD

Bite
SPECIAL POW P+S

3 10
Replicator
SPECIAL POW P+S
Adapt 5 12

Affinity (Asphyxious): Extended Control

Range - When checking to see if Cankerworm
is in Asphyxious control area for the purpose of
allocating focus, double the area.
All Terrain - During its activation,
Cankerworm ignores movement penalties from,
and may charge and slam across, rough terrain
and obstacles.
Imprint: Weakness - During its activation,
Cankerworm may spend one focus point to
use Weakness. When a model is damaged by
Cankerworm this turn, it suffers Weakness for
one round. When a model suffering Weakness
makes a damage roll, it rolls one less die.

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Cankerworm attacks with a breed of cunning and sense of

self-preservation that makes mockery of life. Skulking across
the blasted battlefield, Cankerworm waits for the mightiest
of warjacks to suffer crippling damage and springs to attack
the vulnerable machine. As it delivers the killing strike,
Cankerworm harvests weapons and other useful machinery
from the fallen construct. Its unprecedented ability to
manipulate even the most sophisticated and complex
mechanikal devices makes Cankerworm a particularly
versatile tool in Asphyxious arsenal.

Meat Grinder - Cankerworm gains an additional die on melee attack

rolls against living models. When Cankerworm destroys a living enemy
model with a melee attack, it gains a focus point.

The existence of this machine has only added to the terrifying

legacy of Asphyxious. Even the lich lords servants find the
machine disquieting. It has on occasion lashed out against
those who displease its master. No Cryxian interferes with
Cankerworm as it scours the battlefields like an enormous,
malignant iron insect. Its behavior is often as inexplicable as
it is abhorrent. Necrotechs have observed Cankerworm pile
the dead after a battle and bury itself in their midst. It also
sometimes stalks the wounded, both living and warjack, back
to their camps to finish them just before they reach safety. It
has dissected machinery and corpses with equal dispassion
and sometimes recovers a skull or a piece of mechanika it feels
them worthy of its masters further scrutiny. How it chooses
its trophies remains a mystery no one has dared to investigate
closely.

Stealth - Attacks against Cankerworm from greater than 5 away

automatically miss. If Cankerworm is greater than 5 away from an
attacker, it does not count as an intervening model.

C
2
75
Medium

Salvage (HAction) - To use this special action, Cankerworm must be

in base contact with a wreck marker. Remove the wreck marker from
play. When Cankerworm removes a light wreck marker, remove d6
damage points from anywhere on Cankerworms damage grid. When
the Cankerworm removes a heavy wreck marker, remove d6+3 damage
points.
Scutter - If Cankerworm destroys at least one enemy model with a
melee attack during its activation and is not in melee at the end of its
combat action, it may move up to its current SPD in inches.

Replicator
Adapt - When Cankerworm makes a Salvage special action, its
controller may choose to adapt the Replicator. When adapted, the
Replicator gains the abilities of one of the totalled or disabled warjacks
arm weapon systems. When adapted, the Replicator becomes the type
of weapon adapted, melee or ranged, and uses the RNG, ROF, AOE,
and POW of the adapted weapon. When the Replicator adapts a new
weapon, it loses the stats and abilities of the last weapon. Replace
references to the warjack, faction, and weapon with references to
Cankerworm, Cryx, and Replicator, respectively.

Tactical Tips
Weakness: Weakness affects ranged and magic attack damage rolls
too.
Meat Grinder: There is no limit to the number of focus points
Cankerworm can gain from Meat Grinder.
Replicate: The Cankerworm can gain +2 ARM if it adapts a
shield. The Cankerworm cannot replicate a one shot weapon and
fire it if the weapon has already fired this game.

117

NIGHTMARE
Bound in iron and death; annihilation, I give you form.
Wraith Witch Deneghra

Height/Weight: 1110 / 7 tons

Armament: Wicked Claws (left
and right)
Fuel Load/Burn Usage: 100
Lbs (necrotite) or 200 Lbs (coal) /
12 hrs general, 2 hrs combat
Initial Service Date: UNKNOWN;
Current chassis 606 AR
Cortex Manufacturer:
UNKNOWN
Orig. Chassis Design:
UNKNOWN

118

Cryx unique helljack

If the Slayer is a perfect killing machine, then the Nightmare
is darkness and mortality incarnate. The cold shell of this
helljack gives form to a bestial predatory instinct. It can
become a ghostly specter and move through the rock and
steel of any barrier before shimmering into terrifying reality.
Striding forward alongside the Wraith Witch Deneghra,
Nightmares blackened metal chassis melds into the greater
darkness until it reaches out with lengthy claws to rend its
victims limb from limb.
Deneghra chose this machine as her vessel of vengeance the
day its claws held her in place for her sisters killing stroke.
This same Slayer later carried Deneghras body from the field,
obedient to her beyond death. After Asphyxious returned
her soul to awaken her flesh, the thought of her own blood
on its claws fueled Deneghras obsession. Her training as a
warwitch had taught her the power in blood rituals and black
deeds done with the passions roused. Her murder had left an
indelible imprint on the machine that the potency of the soul
shared between these internecine twins only magnified.
Deneghra conducted careful preparations for the ritual by
which she would bind this creature to her and remake it as a
tool of her vengeance. By her order, necrotechs extensively
modified its form to prepare the helljack for the dark rites
ahead and its new role. With all in readiness, Deneghra
circled the machine with a complex pattern of fell runes
empowered by sacral blood. She chanted words of power as
she completed the runes. Where her lifes blood had spilled,
cold fire erupted in a blaze and Deneghra remembered the
loss of her mortality.
As her chanting reached its climax and the runes ignited to
a painful intensity, Deneghras mind and Nightmares cortex
connected with an ecstatic frisson to seal an imperishable
bond. This imprinted Nightmares cortex with her insatiable
hunger for vengeance. Through this link, the helljack became
the ultimate hunter, a tireless horror that would follow its
quarry with infinite patience. It became the demon Deneghra
would unleash upon her enemies to know that death would
inevitably find them.

Nightmare
Affinity (Deneghra): Black Veil - While
Nightmare is in Deneghras control area,
Nightmare gains Stealth.
Death Tracker - After deployment and before
the first players turn, Nightmares controller
declares an enemy model/unit to be its prey.
When Nightmares prey moves during the preys
activation, immediately after the model/unit
completes its activation Nightmare may move up
to its current SPD in inches. Nightmare cannot
end this movement farther from its prey than it
began. If Nightmares prey is a unit, it cannot
end this movement farther from the closest model
in the unit than Nightmare began. Nightmare
gains +2 to attack and damage rolls against
its prey. When the prey has been destroyed or
removed from play, Nightmares controller may
immediately select another enemy model/unit to
be its prey.
Imprint: Ghostly - During its activation,
Nightmare may spend one focus point to gain
Ghostly for one turn. A model with Ghostly
may move, charge, and slam through any
terrain and obstacles without penalty during
its activation. A model with Ghostly may move
through obstructions if it has enough movement
to move completely past the obstruction. A
model with Ghostly cannot be targeted by free
strikes.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 10 7 4 13 18
L

Wicked Claw
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 15

Wicked Claw
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 15

HD

Tusks
SPECIAL POW P+S
Tusks 2 12

L
L

Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

C
4
121
Large

Wicked Claws
Combo Strike (HAttack) - Nightmare may make Wicked Claw
attacks separately, or it can make a special attack to strike with both
Claws simultaneously. Make one attack roll for the Combo Strike. Add
Nightmares STR once and the POW of both Wicked Claws to the
damage roll.
Fists - Each of Nightmares Wicked Claws has the abilities of an Open
Fist.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Tusks
Tusks - In addition to providing an extra weapon for attacks,
Nightmares Tusks give it +2 POW for head-butt attacks.

All hope vanishes from those who witness Nightmare

materialize from the shadows to slaughter. The machine
stares out at the world with unholy menace, and the fires of
its eyes gleam with the cold malice that lurks in the nights
outer darkness. Those who flee from Nightmare soon learn to
despair as all efforts of evasion prove fruitless and the machine
closes on its prey with the terrible certainty of death.

119

bloodgorgers
cryx blighted trollkin unit
No man shall drink the blood of another. The taste brings madness.
Attributed to Priest-King Golivant

Kithkar

Cmd 8 Kithkar

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 7 7 4 12 15
Gorger

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 7 6 4 12 15
Large Hand Weapon
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 11

Small Hand Weapon
SPECIAL POW P+S
2 9

Blood Marks
Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
78
Up to 4 Additional Troops 12 ea
Base Size
Medium

Furious Charge (Order) - Models that

receive this order must charge at SPD +5 or
run, and they may cross rough terrain though
they suffer normal movement penalties.
Leader

Unit
Blood Drinkers - When a Bloodgorger
destroys a living enemy model, mark a Blood
Mark on his units card. Bloodgorgers gain the
following abilities while they have at least the
stated number of marked Blood Marks.
Blood Trance (2 Marks) - Affected
Bloodgorgers pass their tough rolls on rolls of
4, 5, or 6.
Gore Fueled (4 Marks) - Affected
Bloodgorgers gain +2 SPD and an
additional die on melee attack damage rolls.

Slaughterhouse (8 Marks) When a Bloodgorger destroys an enemy
model with an attack during his activation,
immediately after the attack has been resolved, he may move up to 3.
A Bloodgorger cannot end this movement out of formation or cause
other models in this unit to no longer be in formation.

Fearless - A Bloodgorger never flees.

Gang - A Bloodgorger gains +2 to attack and damage rolls when
making a melee attack targeting an enemy model in melee range of
another model in this unit.
Tough - When a Bloodgorger suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed,
his controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the Bloodgorger is knocked down
instead of being destroyed.

120

The murderous Bloodgorgers hail from a kriel of blackhearted savages brought to violent frenzy by the taste and
smell of blood. They find no greater joy in life than charging
into battle to maim and rend their enemies before feasting on
the warm flesh while the fresh blood steams in the air. Toruks
blight has blessed these trollkin with pronounced spurs and
curving horns in their flesh, added to their muscled bulk, and
in all ways enhanced their ability to commit atrocity. They
lead charges to spark terror and rout, thrown away by their
masters as fodder for the carnage of war. They embrace this
role with reckless enthusiasm and spend their short, brutal
lives bathed in gore.
This ghastly band gave rise to the terrifying General Gerlak
Slaughterborn. The twisted monsters that join this kriel see
him as akin to a god or at least the trollkin hand of Toruk.
Only the most depraved and aggressive blighted trollkin join
this company, a dubious honor. The unchecked abandon with
which these trollkin slaughter is almost unprecedented.
Bloodgorgers sometimes carve off the faces of their foes
and carry them as grisly trophies. Sometimes, with the
enemy maimed but still alive to watch, a Bloodgorger slowly
consumes the victims fingers and hands with obvious
pleasure. This sickening feasting does more than terrify, it
brings the power of sacrifice and blood. The Bloodgorgers
have only a crude, yet no less effective, understanding of these
rites compared to the satyxis reaver witches or the Tharn.
By feasting on the butchered, Bloodgorgers become nearly
invincible and move fiendishly from one victim to the next.
Perhaps the Bloodgorgers only mercy lies in the fact that their
raids rarely ever leave any victims alive to suffer the memories
of wanton cruelty and endless hunger for flesh.

revenant cannon crew

cryx revenant unit
Neither fortress walls, nor armored hull, nor smoke, rain, nor speed bestowed by the wind, nor Morrows own hand shields us
from the ghost cannons.
Captain Phinneus Shae, describing the weapons of the Atramentous
The Atramentous and the lesser spectral ships of the Ghost
Fleet carry potent supernatural weapons seized from wellarmed naval vessels and merchant ships boarded at sea. These
captured guns undergo a foul transformation into the Ghost
Fleets unearthly ordnance. Surrounded by choking ash,
revenant weapon smiths melt and re-forge these guns while
chanting praises to the Dragonfather in time to their hammer
blows as the dark metal bathes in the ships flames. The
hissing heat leaves its indelible mark upon these weapons and
bonds them forever to the vessel and its crew.
Balefire dances just below the surface of the transfigured
metal and makes these cannons fevered to the touch.
Revenant crews can feel their flesh burning as they load and
fire the weapons. Captain Rengrave holds claim to the souls
and smoking flesh of those killed by the cannons shrieking
projectiles and curses these victims to join the guns crew.
The gleaming spectral glow of Toruks flame lingers on shot
fired from these bores and dances on the surface of anything
struck as a blazing marker to revenant eyes. Ghost ships have
chased many a terrified vessel despite darkness of night and
the obscuring veil of storm and rain by following the trail of
ghost-light lingering from earlier cannon fire.

Crewman
Targeting (HAction) - The Gunner gains a
cumulative +1 RAT when attacking with the
Ghost Cannon for one round. The Crewman
must be in base-to-base contact with the Gunner
and not be engaged to use Targeting.

Gunner

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

2 6 5 4 13 12
Crewman

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Unit
Undead - Models in this unit are not living
models and never flee.
Weapon Crew - The Revenant Cannon Crew
is made up of a Gunner and 2 Crewmen. The
Gunner is mounted on a large base with the
Ghost Cannon. The Gunner is treated as a
small-based model rather than a large-based
model. A weapon crew cannot run or charge.
The Gunner gains +2 of movement per
Crewman with which he begins his activation
in base-to-base contact. When the Gunner is
destroyed or removed from play, a Crewman
within 1 can take the destroyed Gunners place
immediately and become the new Gunner.
Remove the crewman from the table instead of
the Gunner. Any effects, spells, or animi on the
destroyed Gunner expire. Any effects, spells, or
animi on the removed Crewman are applied to
the new Gunner.

6 6 5 4 13 12
Ghost Cannon
RNG ROF AOE POW
14 1 3 14
L

Necrotite Pistol
RNG ROF AOE POW
8 1 10

Cutlass
SPECIAL POW P+S
3 9

Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
1
Gunner and 2 Crewmen
32
Gunners Base Size
Large
Crewmans Base Size
Small

Ghost Cannon (Gunner only)

Damnation - When a Ghost Cannon attack destroys a living warrior model,
add a Crewman to the unit if one or more Crewmen in the unit have been
destroyed or removed from play. This unit can never have more than two
Crewmen as a result of Damnation. A Crewman cannot activate the turn it
was put in play.
Ghost Shot - The Gunner ignores intervening
models when making Ghost Cannon ranged
attacks.
Light Artillery - The Ghost
Cannon cannot be used to make
ranged attacks if the Gunner
moves during his activation.
The Gunner does not receive
an aiming bonus for forfeiting
movement. The Gunner
cannot make a ranged attack
with the Ghost Cannon and
another ranged weapon in the
same activation.
Spectral Mark - Models hit by a
Ghost Cannon attack are marked for
one round. Undead models gain +2 to
attack rolls against marked models.
Wraith Bane - Ghost Cannon attacks
may damage models only affected by
magic attacks.

Necrotite Pistol
Critical Wasting - On a critical
hit, target model suffers an additional
damage point.

121

the withershadow combine

By their patient machinations these abominations tarnish our victories and magnify our defeats a hundred-fold.
Battle-Chaplain Renus Oliveway of the Highgate Precursor Knights

The Withershadow Combine has served among the more

subtle tools in Cryxs arsenal for the last five centuries. This
trio of liches emerged from an unknown darkness to become
an embodiment of the vast intelligence and premeditated
malignance of Cryx. Combing through ruins and manipulating
agents to penetrate mainland cabals, they have gathered a
massive store of arcane lore. They alone possess many secrets
of the Orgoth and other forgotten powers. The Withershadow
Combine solves dilemmas for which typical Cryxian methods
have proven inadequate, serving as a scalpel amid an army of
threshing blades.
Few know the true origins of these necro-horrors. Recorded
sightings of Admonia date back to the early rebellion against the
Orgoth, which she apparently spent much time silently observing.
She has a particular fascination for the origins of arcane magic
on the mainland and allegedly followed the invaders to plunder
the ruins of notable arcane repositories left behind them.
Passages in apocryphal journals suggest her exploits include the
excavation the Arcanists Academy, which the Orgoth erased
from Caen, the ruins of the tower left by Scion Nivara after her
dark ascension, and the hidden gravesite of Scion Stacia. These

122

tales must have some truth, as the Thamarite cabal called the
Shroud has declared Admonia an enemy of their faith. They
eagerly seek her destruction in the hope of recovering lost relics.
The first recorded sighting of Maelovus occurred on the Sand
Narrows during an outbreak of brackriver plague. While his
purpose there remains unclear, locals record witnessing him
reaping souls along this length of shore so often that they
began to make offerings to him as a manifestation of death and
devastation. In the hopes of assuaging the powers of darkness,
one village sacrificed an entire generation of their children in
his name, yet this bought no relief. Crude and broken statues
bearing his likeness still rest in certain recessed crevices below
the dark cliffs in this region.
These two antediluvian horrors founded the Withershadow
Combine to investigate Orgoth occult practices yet unknown to
Cryx. Tremulus joined the Combine seven decades later after a
long tenure overseeing Cryxs charnel pits. He had grown weary
of the company of necrotechs and become fascinated with the

cryx character unit

manipulation of mortal minds. He set to infiltrating the sanctums
of several of the Iron Kingdoms fledgling arcane organizations
to pry loose otherwise untenable secrets. By his labors in later
centuries, the Combine gained a vast and deep understanding of
mainland warjacks that the liches exploited to singular effect. In
the centuries since the addition of Tremulus, the Combine has
shown no interest in expanding their number.
Many within the inner circles of Cryxian power believe the
Combine deploys at the behest of one or another of the lich
lords who remain rooted in Skell close to the Dragonfather, such
as Corripio, Malathrax, or Tenebrus. The Combine has served
all the lich lords at various times over the last few centuries,
though their ultimate agenda remains a mystery. The Combine
speaks no threats or demands but offers respectful obedience and
service.
Together they transcend their individual strengths. Maelovus
has access to lore the ancients never transcribed in book or
scroll, and many scholars among the dead envy the depth of his
knowledge. The quiet Admonia, the eldest of the three, remains
the true master of arcane secrets. She has proven her ability to
unravel the spells of sorcerers or priests with a wave of her ironclawed hand and a whispered sibilant word. Tremulus appears
completely insane by mortal reckoning and possessed of what
some might mistake for morbid humor. The twitching of his
macabre marionette prompts enemies to spastically respond in
kind, and he seems to enjoy manipulating short-lived mortals.
The members of the Withershadow Combine know still more
enigmatic rites. These liches have become adept at tearing
armored plating and shivering bolts loose from warjacks with
the slightest touch of their clawed hands as they seek to corrupt
the cortex within. Through coordinated incantations, the three
harness a battered cortexs mechanisms and energies to unleash
a shimmering distortion in the walls of reality. Through this
yawning portal they can bring forth helljacks and bonejacks from
the bowels of Cryx and let them loose to wreak havoc.

Maelovus
Shadowborne - While Maelovus is in play,
models in this unit gain Shadowborne and Stealth.
During its activation, a model with Shadowborne
ignores movement penalties from, and may charge
across, rough terrain and obstacles. An affected
model may move through other models if it has
enough movement to move completely past the
models bases and cannot be targeted by free
strikes. Attacks against a model with Stealth from
greater than 5 away automatically miss. If a
model with Stealth is greater than 5 away from
an attacker, it does not count as an intervening
model.
Leader

Unit
Black Arts - A friendly Cryx warcaster with one
or more models in this unit in his control area can
upkeep one spell without spending a focus point.

Maelovus

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 7 4 14 16

Admonia & Tremulus Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 7 6 4 14 16
Lich Claws
SPECIAL POW P+S

6 13
L
Maelovus
Damage
Admonias Damage
Tremulus Damage
Field
R Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

8
5
5
C
2
70
Small

Dark Industries - When a model in this unit

disables or destroys an enemy warjack during its activation while the warjack
is in melee range of all three models in this unit, instead of replacing the
warjack with a wreck marker it may be replaced with a friendly autonomous
Cryx warjack. The enemy warjack is removed from play. If the enemy
warjack was a light warjack, it may be replaced with any non-unique
bonejack. If the enemy warjack was a heavy warjack, it may be replaced
with a Reaper or Slayer. The warjack may activate normally this turn.
Dismantle - When a model in this unit hits a warjack with a melee attack,
roll an additional damage die.
Greater Authority - Friendly Cryx warcasters gain +1 CMD for each
model in this unit in their control areas.
Soul Takers - A Combine model gains a soul token for every living enemy
model destroyed within 6 of it. A Combine model may have up to 3 soul
tokens at any time. A Combine model gains +1 ARM for each soul token it
has. During its activation, a Combine model may spend soul tokens to gain
additional attacks or to boost attack or damage rolls.
Terror - Enemy models/units in melee range of a Combine model and
enemy models/units with a Combine model in their melee range must pass
a command check or flee.
Undead - A Combine model is not a living models and never flees.

Magic Ability
As a special attack or action, a Combine model may cast one of the following
spells during its activation. Determine the success of a magic attack by rolling 2d6
and adding the models Magic Ability score of 7. If the roll equals or exceeds the
targets DEF, the attack hits. A Combine model cannot make additional attacks
after making a magic attack.
Dark Fire (HAttack) - Dark Fire is a RNG 10, POW 12 magic attack.
The attacking model gains the soul token for a living model destroyed by
Dark Fire regardless of its or any other models location in relation to the
model destroyed.
Puppet Master (HAction or HAttack) [Tremulus Only] - Puppet
Master is a RNG 10 spell. When this spell targets an enemy model/unit,
it is a magic attack. The Combines controller may make one affected
model/unit re-roll one or more dice rolled for a command check, attack,
or damage roll, then Puppet Master expires. The Combines controller
chooses which dice are re-rolled. Puppet Master lasts for one round.
Unbinding (HAction) [Admonia Only] - Enemy upkeep spells within
5 of Admonia expire. A spellcaster suffers d3 damage points for each
spell he controlled that expired as a result of Unbinding.

123

blackbanes ghost raiders

Beware corpse light on the high seas. It is by such omens that the ghost fleet sets its course.
Fiona the Black

124

cryx revenant character unit

The Ghost Raiders walk the ashen decks of the Atramentous
as sinister blazing specters among the masses of the rotting
dead. They hold themselves apart from the far more
numerous carnate revenants surrounding them. The Ghost
Raiders have added to their ranks over the years by reaping
a terrible harvest of the souls they slay, but they lack the
ability to restore themselves with the ease of their corporeal
counterparts. When obliterated in battle, the ghosts curse
draws their invisible essences shrieking back to the Atramentous
to reignite in its endless flames. By the Dragonfathers
unending fire did their mortality end, and to that fire they will
forever return.
When Lord Toruk fell upon the Atramentous sixteen centuries
ago, His outstretched wings eclipsed the sky as his shadow
swept across the waves. The mortal crew of the ship looked
up to see a perfect and horrible creature of a scope beyond
imagining closing upon them with the inevitability of death
itself. They were about to pay the price for their master Pirate
King Threnodaxs hubris in defying the Dragon. Among
those on the deck with Captain Rengrave stood his first mate
Carsor Blackbane, known as the most ruthless and cruel of
the Darkmoor pirates. As Lord Toruk made His offer of
immortality to the captain, Blackbane stood transfixed at the
prow of the vessel with his battle-ready matesbravest and
most impertinent of the crew of the Atramentousand stared
transfixed at the scaled manifestation of darkness. These
men stood just yards from the great maw of Toruk when
He breathed the undying flame that consumed the ship and
provided its horrifying rebirth.
This fire burned hottest where Blackbane stood on the upper
deck and completely incinerated the bodies of the first mate
and his men. Reborn and bound to Captain Rengrave in his
service to Lord Toruk, these men did not rise as revenants like
the rest. Instead of walking on legs of dead flesh and bearing
weapons of wood and steel, Blackbane and his men became
less substantial manifestations of their blackened souls. They
blazed in the darkness with Toruks own fire, and their blades
flowed with unholy green flame.

Blackbane

Blackbane

Death Bringers (Order) - Models in this

unit that received this order must run or charge
a living enemy model. Charging models charge
at SPD +5. When an affected model destroys
a living enemy warrior model with a charge
attack, add a Pirate to this unit. The model must
be placed in formation and cannot activate this
turn.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Leader
Second Wind - Remove all damage from
Blackbane when he destroys a living enemy
model.

Unit

Cmd 8

6 6 7 4 13 12
Pirate

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 5 4 13 12
Cutlass
SPECIAL POW P+S
4 10

L
Blackbanes
Damage
5
Field Allowance
C
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
67
Up to 4 Additional Troops 9 ea
Base Size
Small

Incorporeal - While Incorporeal, a model

in this unit ignores movement penalties from
rough terrain and obstacles. It can move
through obstructions and other models if it has
enough movement to move completely past the
obstruction or models base. A model may move through a model in this
unit without effect if it has enough movement to move completely past
the models base. A model in this unit does not count as an intervening
model. A model in this unit cannot engage models or be engaged. A
model in this unit only suffers damage and effects from magic attacks,
animi, spells, and feats and is not affected by continuous effects.
Continuous effects on an Incorporeal model expire during its controllers
Maintenance Phase. A model in this unit cannot be charged, slammed,
or pushed. Slammed and thrown models move through a model in
this unit without effect. When a model in this unit makes an attack, all
models in the unit lose the Incorporeal ability for one round.

Searing Wind - When a model in this unit is destroyed, living models

within 1 suffer Fire. Fire is a continuous effect that sets the target ablaze.
A model on fire suffers a POW 12 damage roll each turn during its
controllers Maintenance Phase until the fire expires on a d6 roll of 1 or
2. Fire effects are alchemical substances or magical in nature and are not
affected by water.
Undead - Models in this unit are not living models and never flee.

panicked townsfolk through their burning streets like rats until

finally ending their suffering by slaughtering them to the last.

The Ghost Raiders come ashore as ephemeral flickers

accompanied by a sound like distant howling. They roam far
from the Atramentous when Blackbane wills it and scout well
ahead of Rengraves immortal fleet. When battle disrupts
their discarnate forms, they do not vanish meekly but erupt
into a searing inferno that consumes anything near them.
Blackbane remains Rengraves first mate. While the dead do
not know fear, the crew of the Atramentous respect Blackbane
and keeps a wary distance. When his temper flares, the first
mate has hurled quartermasters who displeased him into the
ocean and forced them to find their slow way back to the
vessel. He has a reputation as a sadist even among a crew
known for inhuman cruelty. Sometimes when raiding he herds

125

darragh wrathe
Few know the meaning of true devotion, for their allegiance ends with the grave. In a thousand years, Toruk will remain my
master.
Darragh Wrathe

126

cryx dragoon CHARACTER solo

Darragh Wrathe is among Cryxs most fearsome leaders. His
arrival in a battle atop his fiendish steed of hell-wrought iron
and lifeless flesh heralds the coming of his master Lich Lord
Terminus. A howling wind, the disembodied moaning of
Wrathes countless victims, follows him wherever he rides. His
shadow sweeps across the hills and moors as if with a life of
its own. Few mortals who feel the weight of his stare survive.
Most lose their lives on the razor edge of his scythe or in a
sudden eruption of spectral fire.
Once a cruel and sorcerous pirate in the service of Cryx,
Wrathes blight-wracked body began to fail him as he
internalized the corruption of Lord Toruk. That this mockery
of life survives testifies to the tenacious influence of the blight
that has slowly ravaged and consumed him. Wrathe considers
this wasting disease a blessing and proof that the Dragons
energies flow through his limbs. He believes these same
energies empower his sorcery.
Over the years, Wrathe has become more machine than
man as he has replaced the spoiled portions of his flesh with
necro-mechanikal substitutes. While difficult to credit from his
monstrous appearance, Darragh Wrathe technically still lives.
His hollow chest contains a mass of foul pumps and blackiron organs that keep blood and bile flowing to what organs
and flesh he retains. A massive breastplate and gorget protect
this churning machinery. Wrathe replaced his lower jaw with
bands of steel plate and speaks in a quavering buzz through
a grill in this throat. The armored mechanikal appendage
replacing his left arm ends in sharp claws. He reinforced the
bones of his right arm with pistons and stitched muscles,
sinew, and skin around the structure.
Wrathe retired from the sea and came to Skell as a black
pilgrim seeking necrotechs who would replace his heart and
lungs. He entered the service of Lich Lord Terminus and
began to immerse himself in the necromantic lore permeating
the citys very air. Terminus saw Wrathes potential as a
versatile lieutenant and shaped him into an agent and vassal.
Wrathe hopes in time to give up the remnants of his mortal
birth and join the ageless necro-horrors he reveres. He feels
immense satisfaction every time he replaces some part of
himself with more impervious mechanika.

Wrathe

Wrathe

Cohort: Shadow Rider - Soul Hunter units

in an army with Wrathe gain Shadow Rider.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Dragoon - While mounted, Wrathe has base

SPD 8 and base ARM 17. Dismounted, Wrathe
has base SPD 6 and base ARM 15.

Necro-Scythe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 6 13

Fearless - Wrathe never flees.

Necromancer Commander - Wrathe has
a command range equal to his CMD in inches.
Friendly Cryx models/units in his command
range may use Wrathes CMD when making
command checks. Wrathe may rally and give
orders to friendly Cryx models in his command
range. Wrathe may issue any order to a friendly
undead unit that its original leader or officer
could issue.

Cmd 9

8/6 7 7 4 14 17/15

Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

12
Mounted Wrathes Damage 8
Dismounted Wrathes Damage 5
Field Allowance
C
Victory Points
2
Point Cost
67
Mounted Base Size
Large
Dismounted Base Size Small

Shadow Rider - While mounted, Wrathe

cannot be targeted by free strikes. Wrathe
cannot make Ride-By attacks. Wrathe may move
up to his current SPD in inches after completing his combat action.

Necrotheurgy
Wrathe may cast one of the following spells during his activation.
Determine the success of a magic attack by rolling 2d6 and adding
Wrathes Necrotheurgy score of 7. If the roll equals or exceeds the
targets DEF, the attack succeeds.
Beyond Death - Living enemy models currently in Wrathes
command range suffer -2 to damage rolls. Beyond Death lasts for one
round.
Hellfire - Hellfire is a RNG 10, POW 14 magic attack. Model/units
damaged by Hellfire must pass a command check or flee.
Death Ride - Death Ride may only be cast after Wrathe ends
his normal movement. Friendly undead Cryx models currently in
Wrathes command range may immediately move up to 1.

Necro-Scythe
Reach - 2 melee range.

from zealous faith in the Dragon God. Wrathe relishes the

warped strength of the Dragonfather. The constant, gnawing
pain of his slowly rotting tissues reminds him of his place,
but Wrathe has come to savor this agony as a spur to fire his
hatred and a barb to push him to new acts of slaughter and
depravity.

When astride his steed and given command of Cryxs swiftest

horrors, Darragh Wrathe executes his orders with conviction,
eager for any excuse to push his power to its limit. His
devotion to Toruk arises not as an expedient to power but

127

GENERAL GERLAK SLAUGHTERBORN

In the annals of carnage, that savage is beyond sane reckoning, his appetite the equal of the Great Beast.
Lord General Vincent Gollan, Earl of Shieldpoint

128

CRYX blighted trollkin bloodgorger character solo

Gerlak Slaughterborn is a hulking monster of battle. His
infamous brutality has caused brave men to fall to their
knees in terror unable even to defend themselves at the
mere sight of him. Leading his notorious Bloodgorgers, this
horribly blighted trollkin has earned his name in a century
of massacre. The Bloodgorgers claim the count of his slain,
if piled into the deep, could create a grisly bridge from
Garlghast to the mainland. The Cryxian Empire has found
better use for Slaughterborns murder toll. Necrotechs follow
in his wake and pick among the gnawed bodies like carrion
crows. From his detritus arise mechanithralls, brute thralls,
and the other unliving soldiers of Cryx.
A walking nightmare even among the warped Bloodgorgers,
Slaughterborns regenerative tissues have gradually increased
his height and bulk over the decades such that he walks
among the tallest ogrun as their equal in size and strength. He
shows no sign of aging and displays renowned stamina among
a species notorious for endurance. Only when he unleashes
himself in a frenzy of slaughter does his true strength reveal
itself. He gorges on the flesh and blood of those slain by his
axe, and each killing blow adds to his power. He wades into
the enemy as a reaper of flesh, his axes edge turned aside
by neither armor nor bone, and his enemies fall like stalks of
wheat at harvest.
Slaughterborn earned his place by blades edge amid the
scattered Scharde Islands disorganized assortment of warring
trollkin kriels. These tribes have free reign to pillage coastal
targets and often serve as fodder or raiding crews. Gerlak
saw the chance to rise above this by his strength of arms and
cunning and seized control of the Bloodgorgers, the most
ruthless kriel, for himself. With them firmly in his grip, he
landed on Garlghast with a bloody sack of rotting heads,
trophies culled from many raids, and offered them to Lich
Lord Terminus along with an oath of fealty.
Terminus first afforded Slaughterborn the title of general;
an ironic appellation, as the lich lord did not expect the
trollkin to live to enjoy it. Slaughterborn has gone to certain
death countless times when the Bloodgorgers have fought
as a sacrificial diversion to buy Cryxian forces the chance
to pursue the knotted schemes of the lich lords. On each
occasion, Slaughterborn has either won victory or limped
back as the sole survivor of the latest bloodbath. He has
earned his title and become one Cryxs most respected living
battle leaders, famed for his irrepressible hunger for war. He
now controls the entirety of the Scharde Islands blighted
ogrun and trollkin from which he recruits warriors easily
emboldened by the taste of blood.

Slaughterborn
Blood Glutton - When Slaughterborn
destroys a living enemy model, mark a Blood
Mark on his card. Slaughterborn gains +1 STR
and ARM for each Mark marked.
Butchery - At the end of Slaughterborns
controllers turn, after all friendly models/
units have activated, each friendly Bloodgorger
unit in Slaughterborns command range with 8
marked Blood Marks may remove all its Blood
Marks to activate again once.

Slaughterborn

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 8 8 4 12 17
Great Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Reach 5 13
Damage
Blood Marks
Field Allowance
Victory Points
L
Point Cost
Base Size

Commander - Slaughterborn has a

command range equal to his CMD in inches.
Friendly Cryx models/units in his command
range may use Slaughterborns CMD when
making command checks. Slaughterborn may rally and
R give orders to
friendly Cryx models in his command range.

10
C
1
36
Medium

Fearless - Slaughterborn never flees.

Flying Steel - Slaughterborn may make d3 initial attacks with his
Great Axe each activation.
Gore Charged - While one or more friendly Bloodgorgers are in
Slaughterborns command range, he gains the Bloodgorger units current
Blood Drinkers abilities.
Terror - Enemy models/units in melee range of Slaughterborn and
enemy models/units with Slaughterborn in their melee range must pass
a command check or flee.
Tough - When Slaughterborn suffers sufficient damage to be destroyed,
his controller rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, Slaughterborn is knocked down
instead of being destroyed. If Slaughterborn is not destroyed, he is
reduced to one wound.
Unstoppable Charge - Slaughterborn charges at SPD +5 and may
cross rough terrain though he suffers normal movement penalties.

Great Axe
Reach - 2 melee range.

to land an army on shores further to the north. After inflicting

far greater casualties than anyone anticipated, Gerlaks army
finally fell almost to the last, and Slaughterborn lay buried
in a pile of corpses, his body mutilated beyond recognition.
He rested amid the carnage for two weeks, feasting on the
rotting flesh of his own dead, until the blackened stumps of a
severed arm and leg sprouted anew and regenerated to make
him whole. Slaughterborn returned to the islands only long
enough to recruit a fresh force, eager for the battles ahead.

His most recent brush with death proved narrower than most.
Slaughterborn and his blighted forces assaulted Cygnars
impregnable fortress city of Highgate. This massive attack
distracted that nations defenders long enough for Terminus

129

cephalyx Mind Slaver & drudge mind slaves

Cryx cephalyx ally unit
One neednt die to be transformed into a walking nightmare. Id fire a bullet into my own skull before letting the mind-rapers
get their knives into me.
Professor Viktor Pendrake, Corvis University

Cephalyx Slaver Cmd 9 Ally

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 6 4 14 13
Drudge

Cmd 3

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 8 5 2 11 15
Prosthetic Blades
SPECIAL POW P+S
5 11

Drudge Weapon
SPECIAL POW P+S
5 13

Cephalyx Slavers Damage 5
Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
67
Up to 4 Additional Troops 9ea
Base Size
Small

The Cephalyx Slaver & Drudge Mind Slaves

are Cryx models that can be included in
mercenary contracts that specify them as
eligiblle participants.

Cephalyx Slaver
Anatomical Precision - If a Cephalyx
Slavers melee damage roll fails to exceed target
living models ARM, the target automatically
suffers one damage point.
Fearless - A Cephalyx Slaver never flees.
Floating - During its activation, the Cephalyx
Slaver ignores movement penalties from rough
terrain and obstacles.
Flying Steel - The Cephalyx Slaver may
make d3 initial attacks with its Prosthetic Blades
each activation.
Leader
Mental Static (HAction) - Target enemy
model/unit within 8 of the Cephalyx Slaver
cannot give or receive orders for one round.

Sacrificial Pawn - Whenever the Cephalyx Slaver is directly hit by an

enemy ranged attack, his controller may choose to have a Drudge Mind
Slave in the Cephalyx Slavers unit within 3 of him and in his front arc
directly hit instead. The Drudge Mind Slave is hit automatically and
suffers full damage and effects.

Prosthetic Blades (Cephalyx Slaver only)

Drudge
Cephalomek - Drudge Mind Slaves in formation with the Cephalyx
Slaver at the start of the units activation gain one of the following
Cephalomek effects. All Drudge Mind Slaves gain the same effect.
Cephalomek effects last one round.
Extension - Affected Drudge Mind Slaves gain Reach. A model with
Reach has a 2 melee range.
Kill Drive - Affected Drudge Mind Slaves gain Berserk. Every time a
model with Berserk destroys another model with a melee attack, it must
immediately make one melee attack against another model in its melee
range, friendly or enemy.
Wrecking Crew - Double the POW of affected Drudge Mind Slaves
Drudge Weapons against knocked down targets.
Eyeless Sight - A Drudge Mind Slave ignores Camouflage,
cloud effects, concealment, forests, Invisibility, and Stealth
when declaring charges or making attacks.
Fearless - Drudge Mind Slaves never flee.
Head-butt (HAttack) - The Drudge Mind Slave
makes a head-butt attack with the same effect as a headbutt power attack.
Mental Assist - Drudge Mind Slaves within 3 of the
Cephalyx Slaver leading the unit gain +2 to melee attack
rolls.
Mindless - Drudge Mind Slaves can only receive orders
from the Cephalyx Slaver leading the unit.
Tough - When a Drudge Mind Slave suffers sufficient
damage to be destroyed, its controller rolls a d6. On a 5
or 6, the Drudge Mind Slave is knocked down instead of
being destroyed.

Drudge Weapons (Drudge only)

130

Dread creatures beyond mankinds understanding lurk in

the caverns below the surface of Immoren. These terrifying
creatures called cephalyx conduct twisted experiments with a
unique science called cephalomek that blends artifice, biology,
and enslavement. Entirely removed from the surface world
and detached from the weakness of compassion, cephalyx
float above the ground by inexplicable means and command a
host of powerfully muscled, warrior-slaves called drudges.
Cephalyx subject their captured victims to painful surgery.
The creatures saw open a victims skull to insert cruel devices
designed to sever specific portions of the mind and render
the subject tractable. The resulting imposing but mindless
warriors obey every telepathic impulse from their masters.
The exact nature of the arrangements between the Cryxian
Empire and the cephalyx remains unknown, the goals and
directives withheld from lesser servitors on either side.

cephalyx overlords
cryx cephalyx ally unit
When beset by other horrors, a man can take small comfort knowing his mind is inviolate. The cephalyx strip even this away.
Enumerator Hyle Bryant of the Cult of Cyriss
As little as surface dwellers know of the cephalyx, even less
lore exists regarding their cruel overlords. These dark beings
project an alien menace as they hover out of the shadows
and send lesser cephalyx scurrying on enigmatic errands.
That overminds occupy a leadership position within the
subterranean culture of the cephalyx seems clear, although
the nature of their bizarre hierarchy remains as mysterious as
their means of communication. With bulbous and extended
heads protected by smooth shells of metal and pierced by
multiple glowing eyes, overminds appear even more inhuman
than their slaver counterparts. Few overminds have been killed
and none have been captured intact, so no man knows how
much is flesh and how much is machine beneath their leather
exteriors.
An overmind always appears with an escort of two
subordinates. As they drift near, humans feel a strangely
painful sensation in their minds that builds in intensity. This
shrieking sets teeth on edge and metes out sharp barbs of
agony any time a person tries to concentrate. By some effort
of will, the overmind and its escorts can briefly enslave lesser
intelligences. Those who have survived this manipulation

Ally
The Cephalyx Overlords are Cryx models that
can be included in mercenary contracts that
specify them as eligible participants.

Overmind
Leader

Unit
Anatomical Precision - If a Cephalyx
Overlords melee damage roll fails to exceed
target living models ARM, the target
automatically suffers one damage point.
Black Operations - When a model in this
unit destroys a living enemy warrior model
with a melee attack, the Cephalyx Overlords
controller may add a Drudge model to a
friendly Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudge unit
within 8 of the Cephalyx Overlord. The model
must be placed in formation and may activate
normally this turn.

Overmind

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 7 6 14 13
Cephalyx

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

6 6 6 5 14 13
Psychic Assault
RNG ROF AOE POW
SP 1 12
L

Prosthetic Blades
SPECIAL POW P+S
5 11

R Allowance
Field
Victory Points
Leader and 2 Troops
Base Size

1
2
52
Small

Fearless - A Cephalyx Overlord never flees.

Floating - During its activation, the Cephalyx Overlord ignores
movement penalties from rough terrain and obstacles.
Flying Steel - A Cephalyx Overlord may make d3 initial attacks with
its Prosthetic Blades during its activation.
Mind Control - As a special action, a Cephalyx Overlord may use one
of the following abilities:
Crossed Wires (HAction) - Target living enemy model within 10
of the Cephalyx Overlord must make a command check. If the check
fails, the Cephalyx Overlords controller takes control of the model and
may make one normal attack with it after which Crossed Wires expires.
Sap Will (HAction) - Target living enemy model/unit within 10 of the
Cephalyx Overlord suffers a cumulative -2 CMD for one round
Sleep Walker (HAction) - Target living enemy model within 10
of the Cephalyx Overlord must make a command check. If the check
fails, the Cephalyx Overlords controller takes control of the model
and may immediately move the affected model up to its current SPD
in inches after which Sleep Walker expires.

Psychic Assault
Sense Mind - A Cephalyx Overlord does not require LOS to make
a Psychic Assault attack. When making a Psychic Assault attack, the
Cephalyx Overlord ignores concealment, cover, cloud effects, Invisibility,
Stealth and terrain.

describe the sensation as like spiders crawling inside the

skin while a sharpened wire penetrates the brain. As this
unbearable sensation reaches its peak, the victims mind
becomes like a prisoner within his own body. He can only
watch helpless as his body defies his will.

131

cryx

Master Necrotech
Mortenebra & Deryliss
Warcaster and Solo

Goreshade the Cursed

Epic Warcaster

Darragh Wrathe
Dragoon Solo

132

Cephalyx Slaver & Drudge Mind Slaves

Ally Unit

Cephalyx Overlords
Ally Unit

Withershadow Combine
Character Unit

Cankerworm
Unique Bonejack

133

cryx

134

135

MERCENARIES
Asheth Magnus almost palpable
impatience and seething animosity
betrayed his dark mood. He sat hunched
at the improvised table in the crude tent and
flipped through several worn and rough-edged
maps. His left hand tapped on the surface of the topmost
map while his brooding glare kept returning to the tent flap.
The close, crowded confines of the tent interior sweltered,
the heat made worse by the presence of several large men
including most prominently Magnus himself, the hulking
trollkin Greygore Boomhowler, and Stannis Brocker in his
heavy armor. No one seemed inclined to speak out of turn
and break the uncomfortable silence.
At last the tent curtain opened and Jarok Croe stepped inside
without any sign of contrition for his tardiness. He smiled
affably at Boomhowler and Brocker, but did a double take at
the sight of Magnus. Thin red lines from some peculiar sort
of injury riddled the warcasters face. It looked as if someone
with a particularly sharp knife had repeatedly carved Magnus
face in neat parallel lines. Though healing well, the wounds
would leave a lattice of scars. Purplish bruises marked his chin
and upper neck. What happened to you? Croes concern
sounded almost sincere.
Shut up and sit down. Magnus pointed to a battered
crate of military supplies marked with a Cygnus. We
dont have much time, and this operation will require tight
coordination.
Brocker gave Croe a leering nod as the assassin pulled up
next to him. Magnus is explaining how hes going to pay us a
pittance to besiege Eastwall with a bushel of rusty spears and
a few empty rifles.
Of course, Croe nodded gamely, his voice thick with
sarcasm. Sounds perfectly reasonable. Besieging invincible
fortresses is my specialty. Please carry on.
The most important thing to remember, Magnus voice
silenced the rest of them, his tone such that even Croe
quieted, is that this will be a bluff. I am not expecting you to
conquer Eastwall. I am well aware of your limitations. He
looked directly at Croe as he said this and the assassin shifted
uncomfortably on the crate. I only require that Eastwall feel
threatened and remain distracted. We are buying time.
All of the men looked grim and more than a little skeptical
except for Stannis Brocker, who seemed almost jovial. With
each passing word the large mans humor seemed to grow.
Ah, to see the look on their faces when they learn they got
penned in by a few hundred sell-swords.
Croe asked, Am I to understand by your use of the term we
that you will be joining us?
No, I will be going into Caspia. Magnus told him with an

insincere smile. Croe whistled, for he knew better than most

the danger implied in that simple statement. The torments
awaiting Magnus should the Cygnarans capture him, while
perhaps less extensive than what he had apparently suffered
recently, would certainly prove more fatal. Magnus added,
Im sure youve heard the rumors. The Menites have pushed
their way into the city and are fighting in the streets.
Bout time the swans had a bit o turnabout, eh?
Boomhowler chuckled.
I have informants in their ranks, and if we time this properly,
I should get in and out without any particular hassle. All I
need is time. Eastwall cannot feel at liberty to lend support to
Caspia. If they feel properly harassed they will not quit the
border. They are already undermanned and twitchy from the
last skorne attack.
I thought you said the skorne would be making some kind of
major offensive here soon.
Magnus gritted his teeth. That will no longer be happening.
They have shifted further north and initiated an assault on
Fort Falk instead, which will not create a diversion sufficient
enough for my needs.
Croe made a sly noise. Ah, now I see. Your bald, ugly friends
abandoned you, so you hire us instead. This has the earmarks
of a disaster in the making.
Magnus had clearly had enough of Croes sarcasm. Are you
interested in fighting for pay? If not, get out of my camp.
Croe held up a hand. Oh no. Im here for coin, but Im not
suicidal. If we can make this bluff work without getting us
killed, fine. Otherwise, Ill pass. I dont suppose you want to tell
us why you need to get into Caspia?
Magnus gave him a cold stare. That is my business, not
yours. Suffice to say it you all stand to earn a considerable
fortune in due time, if you prove yourselves reliable now.
General murmurs of acceptance drifted from the assembled
mercenaries, and Magnus nodded. Good. He indicated
the low table in front of him, and the men huddled close
over the table to peer at the detailed maps he had gathered
of the Black River at its narrows near Eastwall and the
surrounding countryside and hills. Magnus outlined the best
angle of approach to obfuscate their true numbers. The
trick comes in timing the arrival of several small forces from
different directions and creating the illusion of more men.
Ive received the cooperation of a number of men from
the Daggot Blades and the Black River Rovers, who will be
hiding their company colors. He said no more, but the men
gathered knew the rumor that these companies were in the
employ of Archduke Fergus Laddermore, a highly placed
Cygnaran noble from whom Magnus had received covert aid
on previous occasions.

137

Magnus continued. Ive made

arrangements with the Kardrah
tribe to join us, a relatively reliable
group of Idrians Ive worked with
before. I expect they will reinforce you not
long after the initial engagement. By your
movements and siege construction efforts you can
confuse Eastwalls spotters regarding your purpose and
force composition. They will send sorties but will be reluctant
to commit so long as they have the obviously superior
defensive position. Its in their interests to hold tight and wait
for you to make a move.
What of Eastwalls cannons? Boomhowler asked.
Here Magnus allowed himself a sneer. They will be reluctant
to use them. They are trying to hide the fact that their powder
supplies are low. I know this because Im the one whos been
hitting their supply wagons. If you do things properly, they
will never fire.
Croe almost jumped out of his skin as a man the assassin
had not seen leaned past him into the light and pointed at a
line representing one of the northern hills. I hazard I can
get to here undetected. Should have a high enough vantage
to provide fire into the forward area and enough mobility
along these hills with reasonable cover. Croe studied the
mans scared duster and weathered features as he spoke. The
assassins eyes widened as he recognized the man as Kell
Bailoch. The legendary sniper had simply stood in the back
with the lesser lieutenants and proven again his knack for
vanishing from sight. With a few men to spot for me, I can
provide fire from multiple directions and convince them Im
an entire team of riflemen.
I can arrange that. I have some younger lads perfect for
such work, Stannis Brocker asserted. Weve brought a fair
number of halberdiers and a strong force of ready cavalry.
He gave a predatory smile. Caspia was too proud to secure
their services before the Menites retook Sul, and I made sure
to get these lads before anyone else could hire them. They are
hungry for work, and double pay goes a long way.
Magnus eyed the men around him. Brocker will be in charge,
although Boomhowler has his own business to attend. The
rest of you, listen to Brocker. He knows the plan, he knows
the land; he will see this through. Croe reluctantly affirmed
his men would assist with harassing the fortress incoming
supply lines. By coin and blood. Magnus nodded to them
as they clasped hands in agreement. One burly soldier with a
missing ear who had the look of a Cygnaran Trencher set to
pulling forth dented goblets from somewhere behind the table.
Someone else brought out a large clay jug of heavily fortified
wine that gave forth a strong reek. Brocker liberally sloshed
this into the goblets and passed the drinks around.

138

By coin and blood, the rest affirmed. One by one they

raised their goblets to toast the endeavor before taking hearty
gulps of the strong and bittersweet wine.

Magnus approached a tent almost entirely hidden amid the

trees on a small rise overlooking the main camp. The man
billeted here clearly held deep suspicions of the mercenaries
company but seemed too curious to remove himself far. The
warcaster understood the mans paranoia enough to make
some noise during the approach. The tents resident had a
bad habit of lashing out with lightning at things that surprised
him. Magnus pushed through the tents flap into darkness.
Asheth Magnus, a voice spoke before Magnus eyes
adjusted. The warcaster made out the robed man standing
in the shadows with his staff. He had set up his small tent
but seemed reluctant to light a fire. Only occasionally did he
allow himself a candle within the tent, and then only to pore
over a few musty and tattered books he kept in a patched
satchel. Despite his wariness, however, the mans pride had
clearly eaten at him, and he wore an old faded and threadbare
inquisitors uniform. Keeping company with Vinter
Raelthorne IVs old allies must have inspired a certain reckless
nostalgia in the man. Seeing that uniform and its lightning eye
symbol called up old memories for Magnus.
I know you must be uneasy so near to Caspia, Senior
Inquisitor Midwinter. Magnus nodded a greeting with
more polite formality than his normal habit. Handling
Orin Midwinter required a careful blend of respect and the
occasional slap for intimidation. The man perpetually had a
wild look in his eyes and sometimes behaved unpredictably.
Be glad I am not taking you with me.
The mage licked his lips and scowled. I am no coward,
Magnus. I have no fear of returning to that city. Soon they
will answer for their crimes.
Magnus cleared his throat. He knew better than to go down
that well-worn track. The time has come for you to be
forthcoming with me. You told me he is in Caspia, but now
I must know the details. No more secrets, Magnus said, and
thought, accept for mine. I must admit I have my doubts. You
have not been there in so long. How can you be sure where to
find the man I seek?
I have friends. Orin gave him a sly smile. I still have friends
in the city, make no mistake. You are not the only one with
informants. Asler Garhaus spent too much time and effort
creating that cover. It is flawless. No one knows who he is,
or would recognize his face, except me. He tapped his own
chest with a long finger. He would not relocate unless he had
no other choice. Of course, with the fighting in the city...

Magnus scowled. That thought had preyed on his mind,

but this remained his last, best chance. If the Menites swept
through the wrong neighborhood with fire and bloodshed, the
information could vanish entirely, but without the chaos of
the Menite attack, Magnus would have no hope of entering
the city. His voice took on an edge. Allister Caine is gunning
after inquisitors, and Im sure he has a bullet ready for you. I
must reach Garhaus first if we wish to make this right.
Fear showed plainly in Midwinters eyes. I know. But perhaps
we can come to an agreement, a little extra to sweeten the
deal? What if, in exchange for his location, you take me
into Caspia with you? I would like to see it again, one more
time before the return of our lord... His expression held an
unsavory hunger when he spoke of the city, his eyes distant as
he remembered his time there as a man of power. It has been
so long since I walked its streets
Magnus stepped up and wrapped the massive grip of his
mechanikal hand around the inquisitors shoulder. Magnus
began to squeeze. This is not the time. Tell me where he is.
Midwinter gasped and his knees buckled. Stop! Stop, fine, I
will tell you. I was going to anyhow. You need not manhandle
me. Magnus released his hand and the magus slumped.
His eyes looked hurt, and he spoke in a rush. The Smoke
District. He passes himself off as an alchemist. Has earned
some prestige. He works for the Cygnaran Armory; they have
no idea who he truly is. Uses the name Kiel Sanderby. Lives
on Cutter Way, between Crock Alley and Sunbright Road.

Yes, yes. Midwinter affirmed testily and rubbed his shoulder

where Magnus had grabbed him.
Magnus adopted a less strident tone. You will need to seek
asylum with the Menites at the end of this. There are several
camps across the Black who know my name and can contact
those who have hired my services. They know how to reach
me.
Midwinter frowned. They capture men such as me and
shackle them as prisoners or burn them alive.
Magnus extended a thick set of folded parchment. Show
them this. Ask for Preceptor Gorran Mejers, and they will not
harass you. They will make arrangements for the services of
men like us, but do not linger long.
The inquisitor took the papers dubiously and eyed the waxed
seal. Very well. Give my regards to Gerhaus, if you see him.
Magnus nodded grimly and took his leave. As he limped down
the hill, he felt the magus watching. Magnus contemplated his
return to Cygnars capital with a mix of conflicting emotions.
The Menites might well burn it to the ground before the end
of the month, and he would bear some of the blame.

Midwinter stank of terror, and his face had gone pale. He

clearly expected to die now that he had given up this last
piece of information. Magnus took a step back and smiled
to reassure Midwinter. There, that wasnt so difficult, was
it? Thank you, Senior Inquisitor Midwinter. You serve the
true king well, and he will not forget you. Magnus remained
careful to avoided telling Midwinter too much regarding the
warcasters mission or his current status with the Exile. The
warcaster knew better than to underestimate this wizard who
had survived so long where many others had not.
So there is no way I can persuade you to take me with you? I
can be very discreet.
No! Do not even think of getting near that city. It will be
dangerous enough for me there alone. I need you with
Brocker. Eastwall has mages who may try to disrupt our
efforts. Keep Brocker safe. Magnus privately thought it
more likely Brocker would keep Midwinter alive rather than
the reverse. A hesitation lingered in Midwinters eyes, and
Magnus knew enough of the eccentric wizard to take this as
a warning. If I see you anywhere near Caspia, Ill kill you
myself. Is that clear?

139

horgenhold forge guard

rhulic mercenary unit

In seven centuries only the Orgoth tested our defenses. If others fear to come to us, we will go to them. March on, lest peace
devour our fortunes before we bring our hammers to bear.
Forge Marshal Galtar Brunderson

Captain

Cmd 9 Mercenary

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

4 6 7 4 10 16
Hammerer

Cmd 7

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

4 6 6 4 10 16
Mechanikal Warhammer
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 11
Field Allowance
2
Victory Points
2
Leader and 5 Troops
52
Up to 4 Additional Troops
8ea
Base Size
Small

The Horgenhold Forge Guard will not work

for Cryx or Khador.

Captain
Leader

Unit
Defensive Line - Models in this unit in tight
formation gain +2 ARM.
Ranked Attack - A Horgenhold Forge
Guard may make melee attacks through
intervening models in the same unit.
Teamwork - Models in this unit gain +2
to attack rolls when making a melee attack
targeting an enemy model in melee range of
another model in this unit.

Weapon Master - A Horgenhold Forge

Guard rolls an additional die on his melee damage rolls.

Mechanikal Warhammer
Critical Slam - On a critical hit, instead of rolling damage normally, a
Horgenhold Forge Guard may slam the target model d6 directly away
from him. The model suffers a damage roll equal to the Forge Guards
current STR plus the POW of his Mechanikal Warhammer. If the
slammed model collides with another model with an equal or smallersized base, that model suffers a collateral damage roll equal to the Forge
Guards current STR.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Horgenholds heavy infantry march to war enclosed in thick

armor so expertly fabricated and seamlessly constructed
that it makes a mockery of lesser examples of the armorers
craft. The stalwart Forge Guard form an impervious line
and wield massive two-handed, piston-driven pneumatic
hammers capable of delivering blows powerful enough
to topple warjacks. Having drilled for countless hours
coordinating strikes alongside comrades they would
lay down their lives for, the Forge Guard operate as a
perfect machine of blunt destruction.

140

The ruling Stone Lords insist on neutrality in the southern

wars, but the choices of individual ruling clans clearly indicate
ongoing arguments within the Moot regarding human politics.
The Forge Guard have a strong rivalry with their counterparts
from Hammerfall, their sister fortress watching the west of
Rhul while Horgenhold watches the south. Accordingly, the
warriors of Horgenhold hire to different nations than their
western kin. They refuse Khadoran coin while accepting pay
from the southern zealots.
A number of the clans who protect Horgenhold had kinsmen
and friends in Llael, and some of these died in the attacks on
Riversmet. Many in these clans have made it clear they would
feel more comfortable with Llael rid of its occupiers and Rhul
not shipping its trade through Khadoran territories. These
stout warriors bear the same name as their ancestral kinsmen
who stopped the Orgoth from intruding on Rhulic soil at a
time when those tyrants found defeat an unfamiliar taste. That
the renowned Forge Guard has joined the wars of men has
not gone unnoticed, and already they have more offers than
they can answer.

steelhead heavy cavalry

mercenary cavalry UNIT

Steelheads never give up the chase once joined. Ride hard, if you value your life!
One Cygnaran Army courier to another, after identifying their pursuers.
The larger branches of the Steelhead Mercenary Company
often include hardened horsemen who provide the speed
and power of heavy cavalry at a reasonable price. Hiring
such professionals costs a fair amount more than acquiring
the services of Steelhead infantry, but employers desiring
the crushing impact they deliver consider these horsemen a
bargain. The cavalrymen have earned the respect of their
peers and a reputation as tough veterans who seek out the
greatest risk because it brings them the best pay. These
pragmatic sell-swords readily kill for coin and have no interest
in the larger reasons or implications of their battles. While
some citizens in war-torn areas accuse them of banditry and
looting, Steelhead officers insist their men are professionals
who only take the normal liberties expected of any redblooded soldier in a time of war.
The Steelheads have no one preferred breed of horse and
gladly make use of any steed available and amenable to
training. Some ride the swift, leaner horses bred near Carre
Dova in Ord; others prefer the desert steeds raised among
the Idrians; while the hardy, strong Midlund breeds found
in northern Cygnar also commonly appear. Regardless of
mount, members of this flexible fighting force carry cavalry
axes and a cheaply provisioned but deadly blunderbuss.

Mercenary

Sergeant

The Steelhead Heavy Cavalry will work for any

faction.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Sergeant
Assault (Order) - Every model in this unit
that received this order must either charge or
run. As part of a charge, after moving but before
performing its combat action, each model in this
unit that received this order must, if possible,
make a single ranged attack targeting the model
charged. Assaulting models are not considered
to be in melee when resolving the Assault ranged
attacks, nor are the targets of those attacks
considered to be in melee with the assaulting
models. If the target is not in melee range after
moving, the Assault ranged attack must still be
made before the modelss activation ends. An
assaulting model cannot target a model with
which it was in melee at the start of its activation
with the Assault ranged attack.
Leader

Unit
Flank - When a model in this unit makes a
melee attack against an enemy model that is
within the melee range of a friendly Steelhead
Halberdier, the attacking model gains +2 to
melee attack rolls and rolls an additional damage
die.

Cmd 8

8 6 6 6 13 16
Horseman

Cmd 6

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

8 6 5 5 13 16
Blunderbuss
RNG ROF AOE POW
8 1 12
Cavalry Axe
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 11
Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

10
Sergeants Damage
10
Horsemans Damage
8
Field Allowance
1
Victory Points
3
Leader and 2 Troops
74
Up to 2 Additional Troops 23ea
Base Size
Large

Cavalry Axe
Back Swing (HAttack) - The model may
immediately make two Cavalry Axe attacks.
Brutal Charge - Steelhead Heavy Cavalry gain
+2 to Cavalry Axe charge attack damage rolls.
Reach - 2 melee range.

They practice a particularly

terrifying offensive tactic
whereby they unload a volley
of blunderbuss fire, holster
those weapons, and ready
their axes just as they close
with a galloping of hooves.

141

ANASTASIA di BRAY
The fates of nations hang in the balance of arms and secrecy.
Llaelese proverb

Anastasia is a ghost in the night, a fleeting

flicker against a bullet-pocked wall, a face
glimpsed out of the corner of the eye in a
crowded tavern. She has become so adept at
hiding that she sometimes loses her identity
in the effort of standing motionless amid
shadows and listening to every whisper. A
soldier unlucky enough to glimpse her and
shout a challenge finds his words and air cut
off by a knife thrown into his throat from
the now empty darkness.
Anastasia has transformed herself into
a creature of stealth who can penetrate
any security perimeter, slip past the most
watchful guards, and steal vital secrets
from enemy headquarters. Her great skill
derives from more than the professional
pride of a master spy. Her dark eyes and
silent stare give a hint of a passion deeper
than mere success. Only her peers in
the Llaelese Resistance understand the
driving purpose behind her actions. A
single maxim defines Anastasias world:
Nothing can be right again until Llael is
cleansed of the Khadoran invaders and
the traitors who aided them.
Born to a middle-class family in Laedry,
Anastasia proved from an early age more
interested in activities society considered
better suited to men. This athletic, fearless
young girl continually put herself in
peril by climbing and exploring the citys
rooftops, racing and jumping horses, and
learning to fight in seedier neighborhoods,
all to the horror of her parents. Her
family despaired of ever marrying her
off, but fortune intervened. Anastasias
bold demeanor caught the attention of a
young bachelor son of a lofty Merywyn
family, a man named Hargo di Bray.
As adventurous as Anastasia with his

142

Mercenary CHARACTER Solo

gambling, dueling, and back-alley intrigues, and as resistant
to the designs of his family, Hargo proved the young womans
match in every way.
Despite the disapproval of his family, who considered her
common, Hargo swept Anastasia off her feet. They married
and moved to Merywyn. Hargo soon revealed to Anastasia
his membership in a secret cabal of agents serving Llaels
Ministry of Internal Security. She persuaded him to let her
prove her aptitude for such work and shortly thereafter joined
as well. Anastasia quickly surpassed both Hargo and her
tutors by gaining fluency in multiple languages, learning to
disguise her appearance and mimic the voice and posture of
others, and mastering methods of gathering vital information
from seemingly innocuous conversations. She traveled
extensively alongside her husband and pried secrets from the
wealthy and powerful of Caspia, Merin, and even Korsk. In
the end, her talent proved her undoing.
After a visit to Korsk in 604 AR, Anastasia pieced together
facts that pointed to Prime Minister Deyar Glabryns
conspiracy with Khador. She decided Hargo would have
a better chance of finding the right ear for this dangerous
information and told him what she had learned. He
vanished two days later. Anastasia learned that Glabryns
agents had infiltrated the ministry to its highest offices, that
they had captured, tortured, and interrogated Hargo before
murdering him, but he had not revealed her involvement.
She knew Glabryn would take no chances, however. Despite
her years of careful preparations and killing several of the
agents sent to eliminate her, she still barely escaped.
The Khadoran invasion interrupted this hunt and made all
her efforts moot. Anastasia listened in horror to the stories of
the attacks on Elsinberg and her home city of Laedry. Her
father joined the defense of the town, and Winter Guard cut
him down. Her mother died when stray mortar fire exploded
near their home. The invasion killed everyone close to
Anastasia and left her with a deep and profound hatred.
Eventually she reunited with certain loyal members of her
former cabal and joined the Resistance gathering in Rhydden.
Anastasia helped these patriots in the futile siege of Merywyn
and many lesser battles that followed. She still returns to the
capital frequently to learn what she can of the occupiers.
Anastasia plans to one day have a reckoning with Deyar
Glabryn and the other traitors who sold out their people,
but for now she does what she can to aid the Resistance.
She helps smuggle weapons and supplies and organizes the
most effective urban cells in Merywyn, Laedry, and Leryn.
She knows that throwing off the yoke of Khadoran rule will
require considerable time, powerful allies, and more than a
few slit throats.

Mercenary

Di Bray

Anastasia di Bray will not work for Cryx or

Khador.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Di Bray
Acrobatics - Di Bray may move through
other models if she has enough movement to
move completely past the models bases. Di
Bray cannot be targeted by free strikes. Di Bray
ignores intervening models when declaring a
charge.
Advanced Move - Before the start of the
game, after both players have deployed, di Bray
may move up to her current SPD in inches.
Counter Insurgency - Enemy models with
Advance Deployment cannot be deployed
within 7 of di Bray.

Cmd 8

7 5 6 6 14 12
L

Throwing Knives
RNG ROF AOE POW
6 1 2

Sword
SPECIAL POW P+S
3 8

L
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
R
Base Size

5
C
1
23
Small

Deep Deployment - Place di Bray up to

16 beyond the established deployment zone. Di Bray does not gain this
benefit if she uses Advance Deployment.
Espionage - Once per game when di Bray ends her activation
within 6 of an enemy warcaster/warlock she learns a secret. After
learning a secret, the next time di Bray ends her activation within a
number of inches of a friendly warcaster equal to her current CMD,
friendly models/units in that warcasters command range, including the
warcaster may immediately move up to their current SPD in inches.
Hide in Sight (HAction) - Di Bray becomes Invisible for one round.
While Invisible, di Bray cannot be targeted by ranged or magic attacks,
charged, or slammed, and gains +4 DEF against melee attacks. While
Invisible, di Bray does not block line of sight or provide screening.
Intelligence - Di Brays controller gains +1 on the Starting Roll to
determine the order of play.
Stealth - Attacks against di Bray from greater than 5 away
automatically miss. If di Bray is greater than 5 away from an attacker,
she does not count as an intervening model.
Vital Shot - When di Bray makes a ranged attack damage roll that fails
to exceed a living models ARM, the model automatically suffers one
damage point.

Throwing Knives
Thrown - Add di Brays current STR to the POW of her Throwing
Knife attacks.

Tactical Tips
Deep Deployment: Place di Bray during normal deployment.
Wondering why the ability mentions Advance Deployment when
di Bray doesnt actually have the ability? Check out the Highborn
Covenant rules.

143

STANNIS BROCKER, Steelhead Commander of Ternon Crag

The goals of great conquerors would come to nothing without men willing to heed their orders and bathe in the blood of the
enemy.
Asheth Magnus, the Warlord

Many soldiers do not relish battle. They see their grim work
as a necessary expedient to preserve the peace or to shield
those lacking strength of arms. Stannis Brocker is not one
of those men. He has spent long decades earning coin by
dealing death and misfortune to others without regret. This
hardened man makes no apology for his brutal profession and
greets news of strife abroad as the promise of good business
to come. Brocker feels naked without his heavy plate armor
over his thick torso. He does not know, nor care to learn,
how to live without earning fresh bruises and scars riding
into the fray while raising his weighty sword high to strike
those his employers pay him to kill. He cares nothing for the
reasons behind any specific conflict; the whys
and wherefores will not help him cleave
or command men, so he has no use
for them. He is, in some ways, the
epitome of the mercenary ideal:
apolitical, effectively amoral, and
interested only in battle and coin.
Brocker has outlasted most who
live the hard mercenary life. He
has endured until his age has

144

Mercenary steelhead cavalry character Solo

begun to show in a variety of lasting aches. He finds these
small reminders of mortality easily quenched by ample ale,
the distractions of dicing and cards, or the occasional cheaply
wooed female companion. He has spent two decades fighting
alongside his brothers in the Steelhead Mercenary Company
and has earned his own type of immortality in its rosters
and annals. He has passed up numerous opportunities to
retire and serve on as a functionary, including the chance to
take over the coveted Five Fingers branch, in order to keep
fighting. Brocker happily leaves such details to those more
comfortable with books and inkpots. He seeks no comfortable
retirement or death but prefers the painful one he knows
awaits him someday, perhaps crushed beneath his horse or
gasping out his last after feeling an enemys lance tickling his
innards in some nameless border skirmish.
Brocker makes no excuses about being an opportunist so
long as the work includes the chance to get into the fight
personally. He expects to be well paid for his work, and it
was one such lucrative offer from Asheth Magnus that lured
him east to take over and expand the Ternon Crag branch
of the company. Most consider Ternon Crag barely civilized
country, perched at the edge of the blasted Bloodstone
Marches, but the environment suited Brocker. While not going
so far as to alienate potential Cygnaran employers or get
himself labeled a criminal, Stannis Brocker has nonetheless
frequently associated with the renegade warcaster and made
the Steelheads services available for Magnus use should he
have need.
Brocker has transformed the Ternon Crag branch of the
Steelheads from a small outpost employing a dozen poorly
equipped men at best into a significant chapter house that
has left its mark in the organization. In recent months,
Brocker has heard less and less from his primary employer
and taken on other contracts abroad from necessity. He
finds that a headquarters outside national borders has its
advantages. Recent fighting near Llael, in the Thornwood
Forest, and along Cygnars eastern border has offered enough
opportunities to keep the men busy. Things got dicey in
Ternon Crag with the recent skorne occupation of the town,
but the invaders attention has since shifted elsewhere. Brocker
and the Steelheads have since stepped into that vacuum and
regained some measure of their influence and clout.

Mercenary

Brocker

Stannis Brocker will work for any faction.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Brocker
Commander - Brocker has a command
range equal to his CMD in inches. Friendly
Mercenary models/units in his command
range may use Brockers CMD when making
command checks. Brocker may rally and give
orders to friendly Mercenary models in his
command range.
Field Promotion - Once per activation,
Brocker may promote a Halberdier in a friendly
Steelhead Halberdier unit that has had its
Sergeant destroyed or removed from play. That
Halberdier must be in Brockers command
range. Replace the promoted model with a
Sergeant model. Effects, spells, or animi on the
replaced Halberdier are applied to the new
Sergeant.

Cmd 9

8 6 7 5 13 17
L

Hand Cannon
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 12
Thrasher
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 11

Mount
SPECIAL POW P+S

10

Damage
R
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

Forefend - Brocker may make a melee attack

against an enemy model that enters and ends its
movement within his melee range. Resolve the attack immediately after
movement ends. If Brocker makes a Forefend attack, he may not make
another until after his controllers next turn.

10
C
1
37
Large

Furious Charge (Order) - Brocker may issue this order to a friendly

Steelhead unit. Models that receive this order must charge at SPD +5
or run, and they may cross rough terrain though they suffer normal
movement penalties.
Steelhead Tactician - While in Brockers command range, friendly
Steelhead models, including Brocker, ignore friendly Steelhead models
when drawing LOS. During its activation, a friendly Steelhead model,
including Brocker, may move through other friendly Steelhead models
in Brockers command range without effect if it has enough movement
to move completely past the models bases. While in Brockers command
range, friendly Steelhead models, including Brocker, may make melee
attacks through friendly intervening Steelhead models.

Thrasher
Brutal Charge - Brocker gains +2 to Thrasher charge attack damage
rolls.
Critical Brutal Damage - On a critical hit, roll an additional
damage die.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Gorbrute and with his greatsword Thrasher held aloft often

brings to mind tales of the ancient Warlord Era, when a man
like Stannis Brocker could have carved a out fiefdom with the
edge of his blade.

Stannis Brocker lords over the local Steelheads as an

undisputed tyrant, admired and feared but not always loved.
He commands the outfit with a stern hand and brooks
no insubordination even as he has a realistic appraisal of
the appetites and mettle of his men. Brockers employers
appreciate him for his ability to turn sometimes-unruly sellswords into an effective and deadly army. The sizable force of
halberdiers and heavy cavalry he leads make even Cygnars
eastern border guard uneasy. Seeing Brocker astride his horse

145

EIRYSS, angel of retribution

We are the blades of retribution. The time has come to mete punishments so terrible that the gods themselves will weep for our
enemies.
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Eiryss fulfills the vow of revenge that defines the Retribution

of Scyrah with every breath she takes. Like all of her
outlaw sect, she blames human magic for the
atrocities inflicted on the elven gods and
will accept no peace or recompense
from the human nations. Through
an awareness of the larger cause,
Eiryss has swallowed her hatred
of humanity and spent years
hunting spell-casters on the
battlegrounds of mankind,
and many who profane
Caen with foul sorceries
have fallen to her bolts. To
her fellow mage hunters
Eiryss is a shining
light in the darkness,

146

Mercenary epic mage hunter CHARACTER Solo

an anointed angel of wrath who embodies everything the
Retribution works to achieve. She became something more to
her people the day she met the desperate Nyss hunter Cylena
Raefyll.
A tragic divide rooted in ancient misunderstandings and
missed opportunities has separated the last two surviving
elven communities for centuries. The Nyss occupying the
Shard Spires to the far north of Khador have had little
contact with the nation of Ios, which had sealed its borders
and refused all contact with the outside. Therefore the elves
of Ios, while desperately yearning to understand the mystery
of their vanished gods, remained ignorant that one of these
gods sheltered with their winter kin. Only when faced by the
utter destruction of her entire culture did Cylena Raefyll risk
contact. She brought news of a growing catastrophe, and the
first Iosan she found who would listen to her tale was Eiryss,
as each had turned to offering their services to the warring
human nations. The ripples from their meeting would spread
rapidly to shake the foundations of the elven race and change
all of Immoren.
Eiryss arrived in time to witness Goreshades attempted
murder of Nyssor, but human wizards of Khadors Greylords
Covenant intervened before she could slay the eldritch. The
horror of what the eldritch had attempted, and the dread
of what the humans might do, eclipsed the wonder she felt
at the chance to witness one of the Vanished with her own
eyes. Thoughts of the deeper indignities likely awaiting a lost
god of her people at the hands of the accursed Khadorans
sped her steps back to her homeland and the leaders of the
Retribution. She told the elders guiding her sect of Nyssors
survival, imprisonment, and capture by the human spellcasters. She spoke of her fears for His treatment and her
suspicions that the Greylords would subject the Scyir of
Winter to study like some rat in a cage. She vowed not to
allow this sacrilege to transpire.
Word of this outrage spread rapidly through Ios and ignited
an intense debate. Many Iosans found new truth in the
Retributions cause and lent their support to the order. The
Retributions leaders sent Eiryss back to continue with her
work, for the time she spends among the human armies
provides intelligence impossible to derive in any other
fashion. She fights with a renewed sense of purpose and
has adapted her techniques to better suit her role as the
Angel of Retribution. Many of her fellow mage hunters now
choose exile from Ios in the pursuit of their quarry and have
organized in the shadows not watched by mankind to prepare
for the coming battle.

Mercenary

Eiryss

Eiryss will not work for Cryx.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Eiryss
Advance Deployment - Place Eiryss after
normal deployment, up to 12 beyond the
established deployment zone.
Arcane Hunter - A model hit by an attack
made by Eiryss loses all focus points. When
Eiryss damages a warjack with an attack, the
warjack suffers disruption. A warjack suffering
disruption cannot be allocated focus points or
channel spells for one round.
Camouflage - Eiryss gains an additional +2
DEF when benefiting from concealment or
cover.
Fearless - Eiryss never flees.
Pathfinder - During her activation, Eiryss
ignores movement penalties from, and may
charge across, rough terrain and obstacles.

Cmd 9

7 4 6 9 16 12
L

Crossbow
RNG ROF AOE POW
12 1 12

Bayonet
SPECIAL POW P+S
2 6

Saber
SPECIAL POW P+S
3 7

Damage
R
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
C
1
38
Small

Retribution Partisan - When included in a

Retribution army, Eiryss is a Retribution model.
Sniper - When damaging a warjack, Eiryss controller chooses which
column takes damage. When damaging a warbeast, Eiryss controller
chooses which branch takes damage. When she hits with a ranged attack,
Eiryss may automatically inflict one damage point instead of rolling
damage.
Stealth - Attacks against Eiryss from greater than 5 away
automatically miss. If Eiryss is greater than 5 away from an attacker,
she does not count as an intervening model.
Technological Interference - While within 5 of Eiryss, nonmyrmidon warjacks cannot channel spells or be allocated focus.
Whiplash - When an enemy model misses Eiryss with a magic attack,
the attacking model becomes the target and is automatically hit by
the attack instead. AOE magic attacks that miss are centered on the
attacking model. Eiryss is the point of origin for these attacks.
Weapon Master - Eiryss rolls an additional die on her melee damage
rolls.

Crossbow
Unravel - Enemy upkeep spells on a model/unit hit immediately expire
and the controlling spellcaster suffers d3 damage points.

Tactical Tips
Whiplash: If you are considering targeting Eiryss with an offensive
spell, read her rules completely. Twice.

Eiryss forges the path ahead of her peoples rising anger, ever
at the forefront as the herald of the coming storm. The years
ahead may see Eiryss remembered as the match that ignited
an unseen inferno. Such a conflagration as follows her will
leave no nation of western Immoren unscathed.

147

orin midwinter, ROGUE INQUISITOR

Midwinter is a mad dog born to hunt. Woe to the world that he has slipped our leash.
The late Head Inquisitor Dexter Sirac after the Lions Coup

Orin Midwinter may be the last of a dying breed. The word

Inquisition still evokes dread in Cygnarans who lived through
the end of Vinter Raelthorne IVs reign. Few remain of this
once mighty fraternity of ruthless wizards that tortured and
killed any who opposed their king. Among the elite of this
fellowship, Senior Inquisitor Orin Midwinter held a position
just below Head Inquisitor Dexter Sirac. Orin remembers the
days when he walked the halls of power, and the sound of his
staff on the tiles provoked terror in his captives. His minions
daily dragged before him prisoners accused of sorcery,
witchcraft, or treason, and Orin remembers the interrogations
and punishments they endured at his hands before eventually
earning the release of death. Orin remembers those

148

days fondly. The last thirteen years spent concealing his

background and living in comparative squalor have proven
difficult, but he has bided his time and maintained his uniform
against the day he might resume his work.
Raelthorne originally formed the Inquisition to stamp
out witchcraft, although he soon expanded the powers
of its ruthless agents to root out any perceived treason.
Orin made his name neutralizing rogue sorcerers and had
less involvement in the torture of petty nobles or others
captured for sedition. Ironically, his dedication to the
core of the Inquisitions values worked against him after
the coup. The more politically minded inquisitors found

Mercenary CHARACTER Solo

shelter, and Midwinter found himself left out in the cold
and forced to rely on his own cunning to survive. Many
former comrades in his position failed to evade their tireless
hunters. Some confessed their sins, insisted that they could
redeem themselves, and pleaded for the mercy of the
Church of Morrow. Orin refused to submit and stayed
hidden. Consumed by outrage he lied, debased himself, and
sacrificed all his current pride to hang onto the memory of
his former glory. His squalid life has taken a toll, however,
as he has picked up some form of consumptive disease from
the back-alleys that steadily eats at his lungs, and he expects
death will come to him sooner rather than later. He will no
more surrender to death than to the usurper Letos hunters,
and he remains determined to stay alive as long as possible.
The paranoia that has to some extent preserved him up until
now has grown over the years and magnified with recent
rumors of an unknown vigilante set on gunning down the last
remaining inquisitors. While he sees himself as the same great
master of the arcane as in former days, Orin Midwinter has
changed considerably with the passing of these years. The
legacy of his travails manifests as a wild look in his eyes and
the occasional explosive surge of temper before the bloody
coughs overcome him once more.
No history records the number of men Orin has killed,
either during his tenure as an inquisitor or in the years
following, and he has acquired a taste for it. His invoked
lightning has often fallen on those Orin decides show too
much curiosity about his past. These occasional murders
have necessitated him staying on the move, never at
home in any port or town or city. Aware that Cygnars
Reconnaissance Service would eagerly snap him up, he has
traveled widely, and yet spent most of his years not far from
Cygnar. He feels restless anywhere else, although he has
spent weeks and months hiding in Ords ports, among the
maze-like warrens where the high and mighty of Merywyn
hid the lower class of Llaels capital, and more recently
wandering the outskirts of the Bloodstone Marches.
Orins desire for self-preservation has become a type of
madness, but he has never entirely lost his loyalty to Vinter.
He recently swallowed his fears and contacted those he
believes loyal to the former king. This has led him to
seek both Saxon Orrik and Asheth Magnus, for he knows

Mercenary

Midwinter

Orin Midwinter will not work for Cygnar.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

Minion
Orin Midwinter will only work for the Skorne.

Midwinter
Arcane Executioner - Midwinter gains
an additional die on damage rolls against an
enemy model with an upkeep spell on it.

Magic Ability

Cmd 8

6 4 6 4 14 12
Void Staff
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 5 9
R
Damage
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
L
Base Size

As a special attack or action, Midwinter may

cast one of the following spells during his
activation. Determine the success of a magic
attack by rolling 2d6 and adding Midwinters
Magic Ability score of 7. If the roll equals
or exceeds the targets DEF, the attack hits. MidwinterR cannot make
additional attacks after making a magic attack.

5
C
1
24
Small

Lightning Stroke (HAttack) - Lightning Stroke is a RNG 10,

POW 10 magic attack. Lightning arcs from the model hit to d3
additional models. The lightning arcs and automatically hits the
nearest model within 4 of the last model hit, but it cannot strike the
same model more than once.
Null Magic (HAction) - Models cannot cast spells while within
12 of Midwinter. Null Magic lasts for one round.
Stealth (HAction) - Midwinter gains Stealth for one round. Attacks
against a model with Stealth from greater than 5 away automatically
miss. If a model with Stealth is greater than 5 away from an attacker,
he does not count as an intervening model.

Void Staff
Energy Vacuum - Midwinter gains one power token when an enemy
model within 12 inches of him casts a spell. Midwinter may spend
power tokens for additional attacks or to boost attack or damage rolls.
Midwinter can have up to 3 power tokens at any time.
Reach - 2 melee range.

Tactical Tips
Null Magic: Dont forget that Null Magic affects friendly models
too.

Letos regime hunts the latter in particular. Orin hopes the

renegade warcaster can provide some safety, and the rogue
Inquisitor intends to use his formidable arcane powers to
prove his worth. Among such company he has put aside
secrecy and donned his old robes of station in hopes of
creating a new Inquisition before illness claims him. He
dreams of the day the citizens of Cygnar again tremble
before him and plead for their lives.

149

thor steinhammer
He and his wrench are worth more than a company of hired guns.
Captain Sam MacHorne

Thor will be the first to admit he is a disappointment to his

entire family line. He admits this with a jovial smile and a
hearty laugh, however, and shows no sorrow for having upset
his ancestors hopes for his generations perfect dwarven
warrior. Thors disregard stems from the weight of gold in
his pockets. As one of the best-paid mercenaries in western
Immoren, his specialized talents command more coin than
any duelist, rifleman, or other breed of common soldier.
Unlike them, Thor can command and maintain the expensive
warjacks essential to modern conflict and keep them running
well past when they should collapse to scrap.

150

One of several fighting houses defending Groddenguard,

the Steinhammer clan stands vigil against the horrors of
the frozen northern plain and watches for the return of the
dragon Scylfangen. Thors family expected this second-born
of eight sons to master the arts of war and take his place
among their ranks of hearty and lusty champions renowned
equally for drinking and fighting. They bestowed his first
name in homage to a number of famous dwarves who have
borne it before, such as Thor of the Last Stand who died
fighting Scylfangen in 115 BR. Unfortunately for his familys
aspirations, Thor discovered in his youth a lasting fascination
for the mechanikal, particularly the complex inner workings
of Rhuls mining jacks.

Mercenary RHULIC CHARACTER Solo

Not caring that it would estrange him from his clan, Thor
found work in a variety of northern mines and there became
acquainted with Grundback Runners, Ghordson Drillers,
Wroughthammer Rockrams, Ghordson Stonepelters, and
other jacks integral to Rhulic mining, quarry work, and
inter-clan warfare. The perils of such labor kept his services
in constant demand, both for commanding the jacks and
rebuilding them after inevitable accidents and cave-ins. Thor
had inherited a hint of his familys battle-lust, however, and
he found this steady, lucrative work lacking in excitement.
The warcaster Gorten Grundback introduced Thor to the
mercenary life after a brief return to Rhul for resupply.
Steinhammer saved the warcaster a sizable pile of coin by
repairing two scrapped Grundback Gunners that Gorten had
given up for salvage. Seeing the potential of such skill, Gorten
used the wealth of riches he had amassed and spent and tales
of adventure across the war-torn southern lands dominated
by mankind to impress the younger dwarf.
Thor gladly left the cold Glass Peaks to find his fortune
and has never looked back. He enjoys hiring on with fellow
Rhulfolk, but he has also become a welcome sight in the
taverns frequented by human sell-swords from Five Fingers
to Ternon Crag. While his ability to command jacks remains
limited to those of Rhulic origins, he has learned the ins and
outs of maintaining the variety of second-hand jacks popular
in mercenary circles. Thor has followed Gortens advice to
avoid the diamonds offered by southern zealots and to steer
clear of the Scharde Isles, but the master mechanik has
otherwise offered his services to a variety of paying clients.
The excellent reputation he has earned with the illustrious
Searforge Commission makes it easier to acquire otherwise
elusive mechanikal components that many mercenaries
desperately require.

Mercenary
Steinhammer will not work for Cryx or the
Protectorate.

Steinhammer

Steinhammer

Cmd 9

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM

5 6 6 5 12 14

Combat Mechanik - After performing a

special action, Steinhammer may immediately
move up to his current SPD in inches.

Blowtorch
RNG ROF AOE POW
4 1 12

Dismantle - When Steinhammer hits a

warjack with a melee attack, roll an additional
die on the damage roll.

Torch
SPECIAL POW P+S
Multi 12 12

Haste (Drive) - Steinhammer may attempt

to Drive each warjack under his control in
his marshaling range. To Drive a warjack,
Steinhammer must make a command check
at any time during his activation. If the check
succeeds, the warjack gains +3 of movement
during its activation this turn. If the check fails,
the warjack does not benefit from Jack Marshal
this turn.
Jack Marshal (2) - Steinhammer may
start the game controlling up to two Rhulic
Mercenary warjacks.

Wrench
SPECIAL POW P+S
2 8

Damage
R
Field Allowance
Victory Points
Point Cost
Base Size

5
C
1
26
Small

Repair [9] (HAction) - Steinhammer may attempt repairs on any

friendly Mercenary warjack that has been damaged or disabled. To
attempt repairs Steinhammer must be in base-to-base contact with the
damaged warjack or disabled wreck marker and make a skill check. If
successful, remove d6 damage points from anywhere on the warjacks
damage grid.
Tune Up (HAction) - Steinhammer tunes up one friendly Rhulic
warjack in base-to-base contact with him. The tuned warjack gains
boosted attack or damage rolls. Tune Up lasts for one turn.

Blowtorch
Fire - A model hit by the Blowtorch suffers Fire. Fire is a continuous
effect that sets the model ablaze. A model on fire suffers a POW 12
damage roll each turn during its controllers Maintenance Phase until the
fire expires on a d6 roll of 1 or 2. Fire effects are alchemical substances
or magical in nature and are not affected by water.

Torch
Fire
Flame - Do not add Steinhammers STR to Torch attack damage rolls.

In addition to his fair hand with a wrench, Thor has a

peerless knack for squeezing maximum performance from
the machines under his command. Indeed, those witnessing
the exceptional performance of Thors jacks have sometimes
mistaken him for a warcaster. He relishes the opportunity
to correct such assumptions. He insists that his talent is not
mystical or arcane but rooted in simple know-how combined
with a dash of finesse.

151

MERCenaries

Horgenhold Forge Guard

Unit

Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

Epic Solo

Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor

Solo

152

Stannis Brocker, Steelhead

Commander of Ternon Crag
Solo

Thor Steinhammer
Solo

Steelhead Heavy Cavalry

Unit

153

The Price of Redemption

Part Two

ord Commander Coleman Stryker railed

against the urge to black out as he left the
Sancteum. The powered armor helped, but
the pain continued oscillating up and down
his spine with an intensity that caused his
ears to ring. He had sent runners to gather his officers,
so the crowd of uniformed men and women waiting
when he exited the postern gate did not surprise him.
What did take him off guard was the presence of King
Leto Raelthorne, flanked by a host of Stormguard and
wearing the masterfully forged armor bestowed on him
by the Church of Morrow. The helmet gripped under the
kings arm included a ring of gold tines representing a
crown. At his side hung the gleaming sword crafted for
his hand by smiths serving the Order of Illumination.
Though a fine blade, its presence served to remind
everyone that the Raelthorne ancestral sword remained
in the hands of Letos brother.
A cheerful shout went up from the gathered officers,
and King Leto approached with a smile. Lord Stryker.
I am pleased you have defied the expectations of my
pessimistic priests. His expression became stern. I am
told you are not fully recovered from your injuries.

We need to consolidate the defenders

and withdraw. This place is a death trap!
Ive never felt better, sire, but why are you in armor?
I will not sit idle while my kingdom is invaded.
Sire, there is merit in letting the men see you armed. It
will inspire them. But were you to fall in battle...It is not
wise for you to join the fray.
It is reckless for you to join battle with your recent
injuries. Let us both ignore such wisdom. Tell me, Lord
Commander Stryker, are you willing to take up arms
alongside your king?

154

the earth shake separate from pounding warjacks and

cavalry. His Defenders unleashed fire on a badly battered
Juggernaut as he looked up from the melee to see the
western wall of Northguard crack and sunder. The
powder magazine, he whispered aloud in disbelief.
Morrow help us.
He had gone out to confront a force of warjacks trying to
flank them along the river. The entire flow of the battle
had perplexed him; it seemed that the enemy worked
to intercept him and yet refused to engage him directly.
Karchev had led these warjacks, but the Cygnarans could
not find him even as battle joined.
Nemo spotted a familiar figure in blue fighting toward
him. Major Victoria Haley had a Lancer and Defender
in tow as she directed long gunners and Trenchers to
secure a path to Nemos position. Their rifle fire joined
cannon shells from the nearby outer fort to explode
amid the Iron Fangs. Haley extended her mechanikal
prosthetic and power flowed like an invisible hand to
seize the cortex of a nearby Destroyer and force it to
fire on the Khadorans. The air around Thorn, Haleys
Lancer, shimmered as a channeled pulse of temporal
distortion erupted amid a cluster of nearby Winter Guard
preparing to fire on Nemos men.
Haley stopped near the general adept. They looked to
have you surrounded, sir.
Many thanks for the reprieve, but all our efforts may
have been undone by that. He waved to indicate the
grievous breach in the western face of Northguard.
Haleys expression also turned bleak as she glanced up to
where stones continued to tumble down the great castles
outer wall. In the next moment she looked around her
with sudden suspicion. Where is that Khadoran ice
witch? I chased her this way
She is elsewhere by now. I fear they have diverted us.
I should have seen it. Nemo clasped Haleys shoulder.
Come. Let us see how bad that breach is.

Stryker remembered a famous phrase credited to Leto

at the time of the coup. Stryker smiled as he said, Now
is the time to gather an army and indulge in reckless
deeds. The king laughed and nodded his approval.

It seemed to take far too long, but they fought their way
up the slope and eventually reached the southeastern
entrance to the castle. Pitched fighting raged over
numerous areas of the outbuildings as pockets of
defenders battled the steadily swelling ranks of the
Khadorans. Man-O-War Demolishers with massive
hammers steadily widened the breach as Winter Guard
and Iron Fangs rushed inward between them.

Nemo heard a great resounding explosion and the

cracking thunder of breaking stones. As his Centurion
and Ironclad crashed into a line of Iron Fangs, he felt

Nemo found the highest-ranking officer present, a

Colonel Jiels Longbridge commanding Trenchers and
long gunners in the courtyard, and ran to the younger

mans side. Nemo shouted over the din, Wheres Lord

General Cathmore?

surrender. Consider it a lesson. Surrender your arms, and

you will be spared.

Colonel Longbridge pointed toward the central keep,

now swarming with red uniforms. Took his personal
guard up to spike the main cannons. Irusk and Karchev
went through after.

Sebastian Nemos eyes took in the cracked lines along

the walls and across the broad stone stairs. The explosion
of the fortress main magazine had clearly made an
impact even here. To Urcaen with you! He sent mental
commands to the two Defenders and loaned his power
to their heavy cannons. They fired with a deafening roar
and their heavy shells slammed into the great cracked
pillar below the stairs supporting the mass of Karchev.
Masonry crumbled as Karchev staggered. His weight
pulled him closer to the edge until the lip along the side
of the stairs collapsed entirely. Karchev fell and shattered
through the tiles of the floor beneath with a resounding
crash of metal and stone. A tremendous dust cloud
erupted as he plunged through into the lower floor.

Nemo grimaced and turned to shout at Major Haley, We

need to consolidate the defenders and withdraw. This
place is a death trap! He pointed to a smaller knot of
Khadorans pressing in near the eastern barracks. Break
through that line and organize the men. He began to
advance toward the central keep.
Where are you going? Major Haley asked, worried.
Ill keep Irusk and Karchev occupied while you gather
the men.
You cant go in there alone! she protested.
He winked at her. Im never alone. His eyes indicated
the heavy warjacks advancing with him. Ill buy as much
time as I can. Dont wait. Get as many as you can out to
the supply fort. We can regroup there and assess.
Haley nodded and turned to her men. Nemo set up
an organized firing line to suppress the new arrivals
pouring through the breach. Colonel Longbridge, keep
those men off Major Haleys back! He shouted to the
Stormguard and Stormblades behind him, To the keep!
Nemo led the charge with his Centurion and Ironclad
at the front and his Defenders behind. Winter Guard
and Widowmakers on the western battlements fired at
the Cygnarans as they advanced, but in doing so they
exposed themselves to attacks from Longbridges line.
Nemo mentally commanded his Defenders to add their
fire up into the occupied ramparts.
As the Cygnarans stormed into the large central chamber,
a Destroyer immediately fired on the Centurion, but
its massive shield absorbed the explosive blast. Nemo
did not halt for the Khadoran force fighting the last
remnants of the Cygnarans defending the building,
but he pulled up short when he saw Karchev and Irusk
descending the huge stairs circling the inner perimeter
of the keep wall. Drying blood coated Karchevs axe.
Nemo shouted to the supreme kommandant as he
paused on the stairs. Where is Lord Cathmore?
Karchev showed his teeth in a fiendish smile. In
contrast, Irusk looked almost sorrowful as he shook his
head. Lord General Cathmore is dead. He refused to

Supreme Kommandant Irusk almost followed Karchev

during the partial collapse. He threw himself to the
other side and slid down several wide steps. His face red
and furious, he stood, drew his hand cannon without
hesitation, and fired at Nemo. The bullet exploded
into sparks along Nemos power field. Nemos attention
shifted to the Khadoran warjacks charging across the
floor of the main chamber toward him. The Spriggan
at the fore moved with alarming speed straight toward
him with its lance extended. A Kodiak and a Juggernaut
flanked the Spriggan, smoke pouring from their stacks
and engines screaming. Before Nemo could urge his
Centurion to intercept, red runes of power circled the
Cygnaran jack. Nemo heard the screeching noise of
metal grinding metal as the gears and pistons of the
Centurions legs seized up and locked tight.
Nemo stood calmly despite the massive lance coming
toward his chest. He extended his mechanika staff
Fulger. Its coils flared blue and released a massive pulse
of voltaic power. This electrical knot smashed into
the warjack and sent blue lightning and sparks racing
along its surface while the air thrummed with power. A
vortex of magnetic energy pulsed along the Spriggans
frame. The jack came to a jarring halt. The Kodiak and
Juggernaut slid directly into it and stuck tight. They
flickered with electric sparks as Nemo backed away. His
Ironclad strode forward and slammed its mighty hammer
down. The entire mass of fused Khadoran jacks tumbled
to the ground.
The Stormblades behind Nemo charged forward. Their
great storm glaives sizzled as they laid into the heavily
armored warjacks. They carved huge scores along thick
steel panels and shredded pistons and piping.

155

Even in this moment of temporary advantage, Nemo

felt time slipping away. Khadoran soldiers had finished
their individual battles with Sword Knights defending the
outbuildings and now turned to confront his soldiers.
The Destroyer fired its bombard again and sent several
Stormblades flying from the explosive blast. Irusk
reloaded and fired his hand cannon at Nemos head, but
the shot deflected off the Centurions arm as the general
adept moved behind its bulk.
Fall back to the courtyard! Nemo shouted. His
own runes of power circled the Centurion to give its
damaged gears the temporary approximation of full
function. As the Defenders fired on advancing Man-OWar Shocktroopers, Nemo sent power into his warjacks
to hold the line and leave just enough of a gap for the
remaining Stormblades to squeeze through and out of
the building. This wall of heavy jacks blocked the door
as Nemo looked back to see the men of the First Army
retreating toward the southeastern entrance. Haley
shouted them on, but a wall of Khadoran red pressed
ever closer to the diminishing firing line supervised by
Colonel Longbridge.
Nemo called one of his Defenders out from its position at
the door to send it running toward the advancing Winter
Guard. It lifted its shock hammer as it trampled straight
through a line of Khadorans who tumbled madly to the
side in a largely unsuccessful attempt to evade its heavy
steps. Colonel! Take your men and go! Nemo shouted.
He did not have to tell Longbridge twice. At the colonels
shouts, men picked up their rifles and ran to follow those
Haley had already evacuated. Nemo stepped slowly back
and lighting pulsed from his fingertips into the enemy.
He raised Fulger in his other hand to fire on those that
remained. Around him a great force field shimmered
to deflect the explosive blasts of incoming mortar fire.
Finally, he stepped back through the gate, the last
Cygnaran out of Northguard.

We sit here doing nothing while those at Northguard

fight for glory. This is a waste. Yuri the Axe stood from
his bench near the fire at the center of the hall to hurl
a bone from the tough blackened meat he had been
gnawing. One of the heavily muscled war dogs near the
fire leapt for the bone and claimed it.
Sitting back from the fire but dominating the room, the
warcaster Orsus Zoktavir stared into the flickering flames
like a brooding king of old. His axe rested close to hand.
He had not touched the meat aside from tearing off a large
piece to throw to his favored war dog, a nameless hulking

156

brute. As Yuri complained the other officers looked at

their kommander nervously. They did not speak loudly in
Kommander Zoktavirs presence, but he appeared lost in
his own thoughts and not listening to them.
The Khadorans had transformed a large woodcutters
lodge near Fellig into a field command station. Presently
it looked more like the hall of an ancient barbarian
chieftain with its roaring fire, bloodthirsty hounds, and
gathered warriors feasting on spits of roasted meat.
Why do we let him eat with us? whispered Kovnik
Androv Maslovech, the ranking Winter Guard officer.
Hes not an officer. Hes not even a soldier. Hes a
criminal. A murderer.
A pardoned murderer, the burly Man-O-War Kovnik
Bortos Pragnos said in a low voice. Whats the matter,
Yuri, not enough victims since Fellig sealed their gates?
Yuri ignored him and reached for another piece of
roasted meat. Ive wrestled starved mountain cats more
ready to fight than these southern cowards.
Our orders are clear, Maslovech said. His voice
gradually rose as he lost his patience. We were sent to
harass them into sealing their gates. That is what we have
done. He did not notice that Orsus had begun to clench
his teeth.
Yuri retorted, Fenris and his Doom Reavers have
them crying themselves to sleep, not your men. In an
unnerving coincidence at that moment they heard the
howling of a wolf in the distance. The officers started and
shifted uncomfortably.
Leave military matters to your betters, Pragnos
suggested in an intense hiss. He was the only one looking
nervously at Zoktavir.
Yuri insisted, They could have sent anyone to watch an
empty road. We are more than enough to seize Fellig.
They will beg to surrender.
Maslovech spoke condescendingly. Our force is too
small. Attacking would be foolish, not brave. We are lucky
they are so terrified they do not retaliate. We would be
cut down in days.
Silence! Orsus Zoktavir finally shouted. He stood to his
feet and seized Lola. His face went red and the veins on his
neck and bald forehead throbbed. His officers immediately
fell still. The only sound came from the dogs crunching on
bones. The Butcher of Khardov glared at Maslovech. You
are a coward. I should kill you where you stand.
Kommander? Maslovech had gone pale, his eyes wide. I
did not

Yuri is the only man here worthy of being called Khadoran.

No more hiding. No more games. We attack. He did not
look to see if they followed as he stalked into the night.

The 9th Iron Fang Uhlan Kompany took the expedient

of riding north out of the forest and galloping west across
the open plains before turning south to rendezvous with
the forces laying siege to Fellig. Deepwood Tower had
fallen after Northguards defenders retreated, which left
Fellig as the last Cygnaran garrison in the Thornwood.
The cavalry arrived at the current kommand center but
found the woodsmans lodge filled with the wounded
and dying, most of them Winter Guard and Kossite
irregulars. Dead Cygnaran soldiers littered the road and
forest outside the improvised hospital. Kapitan Yarlos
Sergeivich stopped one of the men attending to the
wounded. Sergeant, where is Kommander Zoktavir? We
are here to reinforce. Did Felligs garrison attack?
The man looked at him with a wild smile. No, it was we
who attacked! Zoktavir fights them now. Things went
poorly at first. He looked to the scores of wounded and
seemed to lose his train of thought. He turned back.
I am sure victory will be ours. None can stand against
Kommander Zoktavir!
Kapitan Sergeivich blinked, appalled. You attacked? The
garrison outnumbered you a hundred to one or more!

Oh, it is glorious! Each day Zoktavir attacks and each

night he returns. They tried to follow him the first few
days. He waved to the Cygnaran bodies. Fenris rides
among them like death. If you hurry, you can join them.
You should see it with your own eyes. I wish I could
come, he looked regretfully back to the bodies, but
someone must attend the dying.
One of the mounted lieutenants leaned to his kapitan
and indicated the soldier with a nod, I do not think he
is sane, sir.
Kapitan Sergeivich nodded as he absorbed the horror of
the situation. He has seen too much. Come, Vassely, over
here, Sergeivich called to their most junior horseman.
Ride to Supreme Kommandant Irusk. Tell him
Kommander Zoktavir is in peril, and stress the urgency of
the situation.

A low haze of smoke and the occasional groans of the

injured clouded the eastern Caspian streets in the
aftermath of the latest clash. Major Markus Siege
Brisbane watched rubble rain to the cobblestones as
a Deliverer rocket exploded into the upper floor of a
nearby building. He followed the smoke trail to a shorter
building down and across the street. Blue glowing runes
circled the business end of his rocket cannon as he lifted
it, focused explosive power into the primed projectile,

157

and squeezed the trigger. A silver streak sailed unerringly

through the open window. A flash and a dull thump
followed as the first floor erupted in a concussive flash
and took with it whatever Menites had holed up inside.
Siege glared at a long gunner lieutenant. Was that one
of the Deliverers I told you to root out?
The junior officer offered feebly, Sorry, sir. I guess
we missed one. Wont happen again, sir. He looked
properly shamed.
Gunfire and rippling explosions erupted nearby.
Following the sounds, they came upon a squad of gun
mages hunkered amid the rubble of broken buildings
and firing at Menites scattered around the square.
Explosions looked to have hit several of the gun mages,
who lay slumped and bleeding.
Fire at will, Siege instructed his long gunners. He
unleashed a barrage of rockets into the tightest clusters
of Deliverers.

something in the weight of Markus

Brisbanes stare leeched away the gun
mages insolence.
The Menites disengaged and fled east. Siege let them go.
He knew they were likely a ploy to lure soldiers into the
Menite-occupied lane two streets away. He had earlier
tallied casualties for several squads that had fallen into
similar traps.

I have other sharpshooters in this army, captain. What

I dont have are warcasters. I need you to be where I tell
you to be when I tell you to be there. Have I made myself
clear? The lord commander indulged you, Caine, but I
will not.
Neither generals nor kings intimidated Caine, but
something in the weight of Markus Brisbanes stare
leeched away the gun mages insolence. Yes sir. He
paused as he turned to go and said, I liked you better
when I wasnt reporting to you.
Sieges eyes narrowed. Collect your men, and stand
ready. Well be moving to relieve Benewics Gate as soon
as the order comes.

While dutifully returning to the docks, a cowled beggar

accosted Allister Caine and grabbed his arm. Caines eyes
squinted as he took in the disguised features. Rebald?
Cygnars Scout General directed Caine into the nearby
shadows of an alleyway. There isnt much time, Scout
General Rebald explained. We have an urgent situation
that requires your attention.
Yeah, I know. Listen general, can I get back to you on
this? You may not have noticed, but Caspia is under
attack. Caines sarcasm provoked no reaction.

Sieges eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar face. Captain

Allister Caine!

Our agents arrested a man trying to sneak into the city,

but he escaped before we could lock him up. We have
him cornered in a warehouse near the Kings Gate.

Caine turned to face the new arrival. Thanks for the

assist, Major Brisbane.

Sounds unpleasant, but how is that my concern? We

have city guard for this kind of thing.

Siege ignored him for a moment to address the other

gun mage officer. Lieutenant, take your casualties and
report back to your post. This area is not secure. Caine
moved to follow, but Siege cleared his throat. Captain,
not you. Come over here.

This particular prisoner was wearing an inquisitors

uniform under his overcoat. Rebald paused to let that
sink in. His description matches a man we thought
dead named Orin Midwinter. Midwinter was one of
Dexer Siracs lieutenants. Rebald looked solemn. This
could be it.

Major, Caine obliged the order with a lazy swagger.

That wasnt as messy as it looked.
What I want to know, Major Brisbane growled in a
low voice, is why are you here? I told you to oversee
the mustering point at the southern docks. There are
soldiers and warjacks there assigned to you.

158

If you hadnt noticed, Menites have overrun our posts

in five different places. I got word of gun mages pinned
down and came to lend a hand. Allister Caine looked
particularly unkempt. His disheveled hair and bloodshot
eyes suggested he had not slept.

Caine smiled predatorily. Im on it.

And Caine, Rebald added, dont kill him. We have
other plans for him. Get what you need to know and
arrange to get him out of the city, preferably without any
civilian casualties.

Voyle generously invoked the blessings of the Creator to

set the weapons of the faithful afire with holy power.
Caine climbed to an open window of the warehouse and
squeezed his way inside. He dropped quietly to a narrow
walkway not far from the opening and waited for his eyes
to adjust to the half-darkness. The warehouse held only
a few stacks of crates and boxes. Caine had the good
fortune to spot his quarry first. The man stood below
the warcaster just behind several crates and watched the
main door into the warehouse. He reminded Caine of a
cornered weasel.
Pistols in hand, Caine slowly and carefully lowered
himself down to the main floor without making a sound.
He stood twenty yards directly behind the inquisitor.
Knowing the guile and craft of such characters, Caine
gathered his power to sharpen his vision. Blue-white
runes shimmered briefly around his head.
At just that moment the metal head of the staff in the
inquisitors hand crackled with sparks and the silver
ball in the tip of its tines began to spin. The inquisitor
whirled with impressive alacrity for a man of his age. He
spoke a word of power and his form faded to blend into
the shadows of the dark room. He dove toward the other
side of the nearest pile of crates.
Caine stepped forward with his pistols pointing
unerringly at the wizard. I can still see you. Think
carefully about the next thing you do
Die! Midwinter screamed and pointed his staff. A
jagged streak of electricity lit the room with stark white
light and surged straight at Caine. He barely tumbled to
the side in time. He could feel his skin tingle as the surge
flickered past. A stack of crates exploded behind him,
and several caught on fire.
The air around the gun mage flickered. Suddenly he
stood directly behind Midwinter with both pistols lodged
into the wizards back. Maybe you didnt hear me. Drop
the staff, and well have a nice little talk.
Why should I believe you? How many of us have you
killed? Midwinters voice had a defiant edge, but Caine
could hear the fear beneath.
Obviously not enough. Talk or die. Its up to you. I dont
care either way.

Where Garrick Voyle marched, Menites surged like

a wave, overcome by the worshipful rapture of their
hierarchs presence. They chanted Menoths name
as they waded into the enemy with spear, sword, and
incendiary explosive. Cygnarans reeled before them.

Voyles fighting attire resembled the trappings of the

monks of the Order of the Fist rather than the manylayered robes customary when he sat at the heart of
the Sovereign Temple in Imer, although he retained
the scrutator mask. A cluster of subordinate priests
surrounded him to attend to his orders and chant
prayers. One stood close carrying the hierarchs staff of
office, as Voyle preferred to keep his hands free. On each
forearm he wore armored vambraces equipped with a
tapered punching blade forged of pattern-welded steel by
the finest artisans of Imer.
Those blades had remained pristine and unbloodied.
Despite proximity to the front, Voyles armored escort
fought to prevent the faithless from approaching him.
Grand Exemplar Kreoss stayed close at hand and let
his warjacks sweep through the enemy as he struck with
Justifier. The Harbinger floated serenely behind and
shielded the forward knights with her power. Voyle had
ordered Visgoth Rhoven, Feora, Amon Ad-Raza, and the
Testament elsewhere to oversee other battles and thereby
beset the enemy in multiple locations.
After the first few fights, the hierarch took Mikael Kreoss
aside. Your valor is commendable, Grand Exemplar, but
I must take to the fore so the faithful may comprehend
that Menoth stands with us. Do not interfere or shield
me. My faith is all the protection I require.
Kreoss bowed deeply. As you command, Your Holiness.
Forgive my enthusiasm.
There is nothing to forgive. You stand as a paragon of
your order. Our successes in this crusade are largely to
your credit. But it is important to shatter the resolve of
our enemy by demonstrating the futility of opposing us.
The time has come for a manifestation of the divine.
Hierarch Voyle then led the crusade to confront the
entrenched defenders surrounding Benewics Gate, the
fourth great gatehouse in the winding path to the heart
of the City of Walls. The Protectorate had seized other
gates, but this one resisted their advance. Menite fire
had exploded the banded gate and its inner portcullis,
but the gates garrison had improvised a barricade and
brought up several heavy warjacks. The Menites had
erected their own opposing barricades and occupied the
adjoining buildingsonce military living quartersfrom
which they kept the defenders under constant fire.
A hush fell over the Menites as the hierarch lead a
wall of knights and warjacks against the barricade. An
intense hail of gunfire poured upon the attackers but
sputtered gradually to a halt as the Cygnarans realized

159

it accomplished nothing. Voyle had his head bowed in

prayer and golden light suffused the street before him.
All incoming fire fell to the pavement five feet before his
advancing steps like accumulating hail. Two booming
Defender shots caused a glittering explosion of sparks
and more twisted metal on the cobblestones.
As Voyle neared the barricade, a pair of Centurions
stepped forward with piston spears at the ready and
massive shields held before them. A Hammersmith and
a pair of Defenders stood ready behind the barricades.
Chancellor Birk Kinbrace, an aging warcaster who had
earned the distinguished title of commander adept
before retiring from active duty to run the Strategic
Academy, directed the jacks and lead the defenses. He
stood in his old warcaster armor atop the upper level
of the gatehouse, where he had an ideal vantage. At his
side, his most promising apprentice warcasters loaned
strength to the warjacks below.
Against these foes Mikael Kreoss directed a half dozen
jacks including a Guardian and his own Crusader, Fire
of Salvation. A variety of light warjacks accompanied the
Menites further back, held by the Harbinger in reserve to
join the fight after the initial clash.
The Centurions made the first move. They ignored the
priest to engage the approaching warjacks. One impaled
the Guardian through its armored torso with a great
shriek of torn metal. The piston spear repeatedly drove
into the Guardians frame and ripped apart its engine
and arc node. The other Centurion lunged toward Fire
of Salvation.
Those watching gasped as Garrick Voyle interposed
himself between the machines.
Voyle drew back his arms and drove his fists forward as
if pushing against a crushing tide. The air shimmered
between them as the Centurion, still several yards away,
rocked backward. Its armored chassis collapsed under
the invisible impact of some devastating force. A sudden
fire erupted along its midsection as its boiler exploded.
Two Castigators and the Fire of Salvation joined the fight
to make quick work of the remaining Centurion before
following Hierarch Voyle to advance on the barricade.
Desperate firing resumed from rifle positions atop the
gatehouse and the adjoining walls. The golden glow had
faded, and this time bullets cut into the forward ranks of
knights and left many to bleed in the road. Shots aimed
at the hierarch never found their target, and the chanted
prayers of choirs shielded the Menite warjacks from
shells directed at them. The Castigators stepped up and
reached with blazing hands to tear apart an enormous
section of the barricade.

160

Voyle reached out with his fingers spread and a wall of

shimmering fire consumed the nearest ranks of Cygnaran
soldiers. Satisfied at the impression he had made, Voyle
stepped back and waved his army forward. Mikael Kreoss
shouted for his knights to charge. The hierarch calmly
rejoined his entourage of priests and offered the Grand
Exemplar a single nod.

Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova was awaiting

her Greylord superiors at Stanislav Palace when the
alarm sounded. She gathered her men and rushed to
the cathedrals defense without hesitation. Her finely
tuned senses detected a supernatural dimension to the
attack almost at once, and the atrocity at the entrance
confirmed this with grisly eloquence.
The Stalkers slowed her, but concentrated volleys of
blunderbuss fire and her icy sorcery soon scrapped the
bonejacks. She ordered her men to secure the cathedral
and lead a small force into the tombs. At last they
entered the glowing chamber to witness an inexplicable
sight. A half-broken marble vault stood at the center of
the room and enclosed a manlike form sealed in ice. The
interior of the ice emanated the cold blue light that lit
the room. As she watched, a haze occluded the ice and
obscured the form within. The room felt freezing cold
and painful even for one with her training.
The soldiers entering the room after her exclaimed
as they discovered the floor entirely covered in frozen
blood. Several slipped and fell as they moved to check
the other entrances and secure the chamber. Zerkova
slowly circled the ice block and inspected it closely,
careful to avoid touching it.
Kommander, the other tunnels are empty. There is
no sign of anyone; not even corpses, a Winter Guard
kapitan reported with teeth chattering and lips blue. He
glanced around at the extraordinary amount of blood.
An agitated man dressed in the simple garb of a junior
priest of Morrow arrived behind the soldiers.
Zerkova glanced at the kapitan. Search the premises.
Send half your kompany to scour the adjoining streets.
Have any soldiers that come from the palace join you.
She turned to a subordinate Greylord magziev. Summon
whatever of our fellowship you require and secure these
premises, on my authority. Then tell Koldun Fedor
Rachlavsky that we have an item of special interest we
need moved to an appropriate facility. The magziev
bowed curtly and rushed back the way they had come.
The priest pushed through the soldiers to confront her.
Kommandant, this relic is under the protection of the

Church of Morrow. It must remain. It is here by the order

of the primarch

her crossbow to struggle with his vice-like grip as he lifted

her into the air.

Zerkova raised the Rod of Whispers, which gleamed with

a sickly greenish radiance. Streaks of rope-like blackness
lashed out with a sound like rhythmic voices chanting
and struck the priest in the face and chest. His skin
withered and his eyes puckered and vanished in a puff
of dry smoke. He fell dead to the floor. The men nearby
watched the priest fall without surprise or alarm.

Killing you would be simple, Goreshade told her in

their native tongue. He let the points of his black-nailed
fingers prick the delicate skin of her neck. Then he
dropped her to the ground and rested the point of Voass
just below her chin. You are of the Retribution? Do you
not realize we seek the same end?

Zerkova spoke to a lieutenant. Have it recorded that

this priest was dead when we arrived. Be sure no other
members of the clergy, including the vicars, interfere.
Be polite but firm. Tell them to stay clear for their own
protection, of course.
The lieutenant nodded. Yes, kommander.
Zerkova turned back to stare at the block of ice with a
lustful look smoldering in her good eye. She snapped at
another soldier, You! Find something large enough to
cover this. And the rest of you, take hold of those poles.
Lets see how heavy that thing is. Lift slowly.

Goreshade slipped past the Khadoran soldiers without

drawing their attention, but his preternatural senses told
him something followed him. He became one with the
shadows as he vaulted over the outer perimeter wall and
ran through the surrounding streets.
He heard a dry click. He spun to the side, but a bolt
pierced his unliving flesh below his ribs. Such a weapon
should have barely annoyed him, but the damage it
wrought went beyond anything he expected. He felt his
arcane energies evaporate. He hissed in disbelief as he
realized how close to destruction the fiendish weapon
had brought him in his already weakened state.
His attacker had come perilously close. She stood just
behind him in the narrow alleyway, a thin-cowled figure
armed with a crossbow set with a bayonet. In her other
hand he saw an elegant blade. He instantly recognized
the graceful woman as Iosan.
He did not pause to wonder at her presence but leapt
back and slashed with Voass. The blade left a shimmer of
trembling ice crystals in its passing arc. She ducked the
blow, came inside his reach, and sliced up with her saber.
Goreshade narrowly parried her blow by locking Voass
against her slender steel as frost formed along its length.
Goreshade felt his power return as the bolts magic
faded. He battered the saber from her hand and struck
like a serpent to wrap his fingers around the womans
throat. Her eyes widened as she choked. She dropped

Liar! She gasped in a strangled voice. You would

profane the gods!
Your ignorance deceives you. It is they who profane us.
The extinction of Ios looms while you flail in the darkness
and spoon-feed divine invalids. You understand nothing.
Death will be a release to them and to our people.
She spat. Monster! The loathing in her eyes suggested
denial and fear. I will hunt you as long as I draw breath.
He paused, bowed respectfully, recovered her sword,
and drove its blade clear through her. He watched with
detached curiosity as she gasped in pain. I pierced
nothing vital. Should you live, let your masters know what
you have seen and heard. Tell your priests that I come to
deliver your goddess from the bonds of this world.

Tell your priests that I come to

deliver your goddess from the
bonds of this world.
Leaving her impaled, Goreshade disappeared into the
night. Eiryss grasped desperately for her crossbow, but it
had fallen just out of reach.

The fighting retreat from Northguard proved a messy

affair, particularly once Nemo decided to give up the
southern supply fortress. Spirits rose when they ran into
Captains Jeremiah Kraye and E. Dominic Darius coming
toward the fort. Darius, abashed, apologized profusely to
Sebastian Nemo for arriving too late. Kraye echoed the
sentiment if not the effusive emotion.
When Nemo heard the story of their encounter with the
Cryxians, he chuckled at their hangdog faces. Wed have
used you well fighting Khadorans, but by Morrow you
earned your pay here. The Cryx you fought would have
fallen on us if you had not discovered them. He waved
to indicate the disheartened Cygnaran soldiers including

161

the countless wounded. These words comforted the

captains, but no one could avoid wondering what might
have happened with two more warcasters and a dozen
extra warjacks at Northguard.
Khador harried the Cygnarans with probing attacks on
their flanks as they retreated. These attacks seemed more
intended to ensure the Cygnarans kept withdrawing
south than to destroy them. After one such attack,
Cryxians sprung on them from the swampy forest, and
the dual-pronged assault temporarily threw the column
into chaos. Defending against this backed the Cygnarans
against the shore of a nearby bog until they gained the
upper hand. As the undead dispersed, General Nemo
found they had divided his forces by driving some of his
men deeper into the forest.
While taking stock of their situation, Nemo had the
horrifying realization that they no longer had Major
Haley with them. The general adept immediately called
on Captain Jeremiah Kraye. I need you to find her.
Take cavalry, Rangers, and whatever jacks you need.
Focus on finding her. Dont come back until you do, you
understand me?

Nemo had the horrifying

realization that they no longer had
major Haley with them.
Kraye nodded solemnly. Ill find her, I promise. He
touched the edge of his hat and spurred Malagant into
the trees.

Captain Maxwell Finn of the Northguard Gravediggers

opened his eyes and immediately wished he had not. He
found himself half buried in a trench surrounded by the
unmoving bodies of his comrades. As he pulled himself
free from the blood-soaked mud, he saw no end to the
corpses. Some slumped in various poses of agony, most
still clutching rifles. Some lay atop dead Khadorans,
which gave him some small satisfaction.
He eventually found a canteen, pried it loose from dead
hands, and drank it dry. His thirst quenched, he became
aware that he had been shot twice. One had gone
straight through his side and the other had superficially
grazed his upper left arm. He attended these wounds
with scraps of muddy cloth.

162

The silence made no sense. By Thamars bloody teeth,

where did everyone go? He scooped up his mini-slugger.
Northguard, far away and dark, looked like a dead ruin.
After a moment, he heard something that sounded
like thunder to the south. The front has moved, he
considered aloud, and Im behind it.
A sudden groan sounded like music to his ears. He
searched for the source and found a sergeant at the other
end of the trench amid the corpses. Dried blood caked the
soldiers armor, but his shoulder plate bore the familiar
winged skull and knife insignia of the 95th Trencher
Company. Fullet? Take it easy, son. Have a drink. He put
another canteen to Sergeant Alger Fullets lips.
Captain Finn? The man looked incredulous.
We have to get moving. Can you stand?
He tried and then fell back with a groan. Dont think so,
sir. Sorry.
Finn easily discovered the break in Fullets leg and
improvised a splint from two abandoned rifles. This
will hurt. Fullet bite the sheath of Finns trench knife
as the captain tied the rifles into place. Fullet groaned
against the pain.
How about we find somewhere better to be? Captain
Finn heaved the wounded Trencher up and got him
settled on one leg. They began to limp south. Finn
paused at the sound of another groan from nearby.
Finn set Fullet against a tree to find and pull loose
another wounded Trencher from a pile of bodies. This
one looked relatively intact, only knocked unconscious
when cannon fire exploded a nearby bunker. The
massive dent on his bronzed helmet indicated where
the armor had saved his skull. He moved unsteadily
but otherwise required little tending. The two had just
rejoined Fullet when they heard another voice plaintively
asking for help in Caspian. Finn sighed. Looks like its
going to be a slow walk. Lets find that soldier.

Exhausted, Vassely of the 9th Iron Fang Uhlan reported

to the supreme kommandant. Irusks army moved along
a broad front to simultaneously claim the Thornwood
and chase down the retreating Cygnarans. Irusk stood
quietly as he listened to news of the fiasco at Fellig, but
his face turned red, and he clenched his fists. He sent for
Forward Kommander Kratikoff before he turned from
his officers and stared at the back of his tent until he
regained his composure.

After Sorscha entered and saluted, Irusk informed her,

We have soldiers at Fellig in need of relief. I cannot
afford to shift my attention, but it would be irresponsible
to leave those men unsupported. You are the only one
who might arrive quickly enough to provide assistance.
Yes, sir.
You must move with all haste. Leave your warjacks, and
ride with the 12th Iron Fang Uhlan. They have fought
with you before.
A fine kompany, sir. I will go at once. She turned on
her heal and started to depart.
Kratikoff. His voice caused her to pause and look
back. This force is led by Kommander Orsus Zoktavir. I
presume that will not be a problem?
He detected a certain color to her cheeks, but she shook
her head. Why should it? She left without an answer or
salute. Irusk stared after her, his eyes thoughtful.

King Leto and Lord Commander Stryker had barely

joined the 18th Brigade of the Storm Division when
word came of massive attacks occurring in several areas
of the eastern city. Some sections of Caspia had fallen
completely and their inhabitants fled deeper inside the
walls. The attack on Benewics Gate most concerned
Stryker and the generals. An anxious messenger
confirmed, Hierarch Garrick Voyle led that strike
personally, sir.
General Artoris Halstead pleaded, That is a fight I beg
you not to join, sire.
That is precisely where we need to be, Leto insisted.
Let us muster these men and move out.
Stryker turned to General Halstead and asked, Where is
Major Brisbane?
He went to support the 25th Brigade in a clash nearer to
the Armory. Ill recall him and gather the 21st Brigade to
join you.
Very well. Thank you, general. Stryker offered a
respectful parting salute. Halstead hesitated a confused
second before returning it. Relations between the two
had grown uncomfortable since the warcaster had
taken the Storm Division from its nominal commander.
Halstead seemed unsure what to make of the lord
commander with that tension apparently behind them.
Leto and Stryker led the marching soldiers in blue,
trailed closely by Ol Rowdy and a pair of Stormclads.

A dozen additional warjacks marched alongside them,

directed by various officers.
They were grateful to receive the support of Major
Katherine Laddermore and the handpicked knights she
lead. Street fighting severely limited the usefulness of the
Second Armys cavalry, so while Laddermore remained
mounted, her command consisted mostly of Stormblades
and Stormguard. The cavalry had proven more useful
for conveying wounded to healing stations established by
Morrows clergy. Throughout the fighting, riders pulled
a constant trickle of the injured from the lines and saved
the lives of countless comrades.
As Strykers forces marched through the streets, Caspians
cheered encouragement from windows and porches.
Stryker saw as much fear as hope on their faces and
thought again of the stakes in the fight ahead.

Gorten Grundbacks dreams of a lucrative and

uneventful stint of patrol duty in the scenic hills of
Ord vanished on his arrival at Boarsgate. The fortress
commander, an Ordic Army veteran, awaited the dwarf
with a stiffly formal air. Greetings, Commander Caralo
Allesari, Gorten said as pleasantly as he could manage.
What service can I perform for Boarsgate?
The first sign of real trouble was the fact that Allesari
wore his formal dress uniform and seemed freshly shaved
and groomed without a single wine stain or missing
button in evidence. His boots positively gleamed with
polish. The lord castellan would like to see you himself.
Gorten glared at the man. Lord castellan?
Yes, Lord Castellan Ostal Vascar, General of the Shield
Division and Commander of Midfast. He lowered his
voice and leaned toward the dwarf. Hes going to ask
you to take a message to Fellig. Allesari liked to gossip.
We need someone to get through and deliver a letter to
Cygnars Duke Olan Duggan at Fellig. The Butcher has
that place surrounded.
Why in the name of Ghorfel do you lot care what
happens to Fellig?
Hell explain, but betwixt the two of us, hes going
to offer a bit of support to their garrison. Not just
mercenaries. We can put some Ordic Regular Army in
there to help man the walls.
Gorten ignored the implied slight to his profession and
followed Allesari towards the fortress inner buildings.
Let me see if I have this. You want me to fight through
a cordon held by the Butcher of Khardov to ask a

163

Cygnaran duke if he wants to allow the Ordic Army to

occupy his city?

These grisly displays stood thickest near the sealed

gatehouses overlooking the roads out of the city.

We have to do something. Maybe you havent been

paying attention, but Khador is booting Cygnar from the
Thornwood. Well soon have Khadorans all along our
northern and eastern borders. Fellig will provide as good
a bulwark as any other. The Lord castellan will explain it
better than I.

The Cygnus still waved from atop the gates, so Sorschas

forces kept a careful distance lest defenders fire on
them. An improvised barrier of wagons and other debris
occupied the space of a shattered gateway. A sizable
number of corpses lay strewn across the area, most in
the blue of Cygnar, but too many wore the red of the
Motherland. Crows gathered by the hundreds to pick
at the bodies. Several ruined Khadoran jacks lay by the
roadway. A line of corpses continued into the trees.

The Rhulic mercenary sighed, Fine, but Im not getting

dressed up or shining my boots to talk to him. I dont
care how many titles hes got.

The Iron Fangs of the 12th Uhlan suspected something

unusual well before they arrived at Fellig. It started with
a frosty argument between their Kapitan Kigir Tishnikov
and Forward Kommander Kratikoff regarding the
route to Fellig. Tishnikov confided to his lieutenants
that Kratikoff took a slower route than necessary. She
claimed they needed to avoid Cygnaran watch points, but
the kapitan believed she intentionally did not make all
necessary haste.
They found abandoned the hall that had served as
Zoktavirs kommand center. The stench of death
surrounded it as thickly as the swarms of flies. A soldier
tasked to look inside confirmed it as a charnel house of
Khadoran dead. Sorscha Kratikoff scowled. They could
hardly walk a few yards before discovering more bodies
and evidence of battle. Lieutenant Yurik Belavdon tried
to lighten the moment, More Cygnaran corpses than
ours, but this fell flat. The mood became darker with the
evidence of Iron Fang Uhlan corpses bearing the mark of
the 9th Kompany, many of whom Vassely recognized.
Just beyond the city, a figure on horseback suddenly
crashed through the trees in front of them. Uhlan horses
reared and screamed in terror, eyes rolling. Sorscha had
her quad-iron out, but she slowly lowered the weapon.
Before them stood a creature out of a nightmare.
Sorscha recognized Fenris, the Doom Reaver, and his
twisted mount. Decapitated heads decorated his saddle.
He stared at them from behind his faceless mask as his
blood-maddened steed stomped and glared with wild
eyes. After a short pause and without speaking a single
word, Fenris kicked his steed and rode into the forest,
fellblades in hand.
This grim apparition had them unsettled before they
broke the tree line. All present had seen carnage but
never like this. Sharpened stakes capped with severed
heads and dismembered limbs thrust up from the
ground around Fellig along with other signs of barbarity.

164

Following the bodies to a hill overlooking a creek they

found Kommander Orsus Zoktavir. He lay slumped on
the sands on the far side of the narrow strip of water
but still strained to pull forward while his bleeding legs
dragged behind him. His right hand dug the butt of
Lolas haft into the soil. Gore clung thick to the axe
blade and corpses in Cygnaran blue littered the creek
and the bloodied rocks and mud around him.
A half dozen Sword Knights stood in a semi-circle nearby,
clearly staying out of reach. They looked reluctant to
approach, as if they preferred to let Zoktavir bleed out
instead of engaging him directly.
Hold! Kratikoffs order halted the Uhlans hasty
preparations for a charge. Kapitan, take your men
and check the perimeter for survivors. Eliminate any
remaining Cygnaran patrols outside the city.
But kommander, what about
Her lips compressed. Do not question my orders. Go.
Kapitan Tishnikov saluted and did as she bid. Sorscha
looked down on the bleeding giant one more time and
then turned away from him to follow the kapitan.

Major! A Stormguard sergeant panted as he jogged

around the corner in his heavily insulated armor. He
rested the weight of his nexus generator against his leg.
Weve got Exemplar Bastions coming this way! They
broke through the Blackwine Road blockade. More
knights are ranked up behind, not sure how many.
Form a double line! Ready for incoming! Markus
Brisbane bellowed. The Stormguard hastened into
formation with halberds set along the eastern side of
the street. At Sieges orders Trenchers and long gunners
formed up behind with rifles ready. Concentrate fire.
Bastions do not go down easy, so give em everything
youve got. Behind Siege a pair of battered but still
intact Defenders moved up to cover the street with their
heavy cannons.

Brisbane seethed but did not to let his men see anything
except calm. He had just received word of the situation
at the fourth gate. He kept running over plans to
extract his troops from fighting this column of knights,
but everything hinged on his still unanswered calls for
Captain Caines forces to join him.
Bastion knights came marching around the corner in a
crushing wall of heavy armor. The air erupted with the
sharp crack of rifle fire and the deep boom of Defender
cannons. Stormguard braced for impact.
Siege extended his hand and clenched his fist. His power
rent the cobblestones at the center of the bastions
line. Huge chunks of masonry shattered into their
midst and littered the street with uprooted stone. The
bastions weathered the blast but it slowed them enough
for another withering volley of rifle fire. The knights
marched through the torn street, and bloodshed began
in earnest.
Siege moved into a gap where a glaive had cut down one
of his men and brought his great hammer Havoc around
in a brutal blow. The shattered Bastion went flying back
through the knights pressing behind him.
His temper got the better of him. Where the hell is
Caine? He cursed. I will strangle that man with my own
two hands.

Allister Caine used a little-known passage between the

inner walls as a shortcut. He shattered a rusted lock on
an ancient gateway with his pistol and pushed swiftly
through to the next street. He felt increasing excitement
as he neared his target.
Relief washed over him when he saw they had not
evacuated this street. He could hear gunfire in the
near distance as the Menites pressed ever closer. He
easily located the building and surprisingly found its
door unlocked. Quietly, he entered the home of Kiel
Sanderby, alchemist, aka Asler Garhaus, inquisitor. He
had just an instant of warning from the familiar smell of
smoke from a warcasters arcane turbine boiler.
Stop! ordered the familiar voice of Asheth Magnus.
Do not move a single muscle. Drop your pistols into that
stove by the door. Do it now!
Caine could see across the large entry room a thin
man with wide eyes held by a mechanikal hand on his
shoulder in front of a more hulking form. Magnus living
hand pointed a scattergun at Caine.
You have one second to put your pistols in that stove
or I kill Garhaus, taking with him everything he knows.

Caine could see the absolute terror on Garhaus face.

Clearly he remembered Magnus.
Caine knew he could shoot Magnus without hitting
Garhaus, but the power field made instantly killing the
warcaster nearly impossible. Magnus had his back against
the wall near the rear door, which made flashing next to
him dicey, particularly against a man who knew that trick.
A wood stove just left of the door already pumped heat
into the room. It nearly killed him, but Caine had no
choice. He kicked open the front grill and inserted his
pistols amid the smoldering wood. Unless he recovered
them quickly, the fire would quickly ruin them. Magelock
alloy could sustain extreme heat, but the pistols included
other less resilient mechanisms. And the belt, Magnus
insisted. Caine clenched his teeth and dropped in his
ammunition belt. Now power down your armor. Caine
balked at this last indignity but finally did as asked.
Though the lightest of all possible variants, his warcaster
armor still became an uncomfortable weight pressing on
his back. The lack of power made his arms and legs feel
heavy as all the joints resisted his every move.

A soldier tasked to look inside

confirmed it as a charnel house of
Khadoran dead.
How did you find this place? Magnus asked.
Likely the same way you did.
Ah, Midwinter. I knew I should have killed him.
Caine felt itchy to retrieve his pistols before it was too
late. What are you waiting for? he asked.
Caine almost jumped out of his skin as the popping
noise of his ammunition igniting erupted from the stove.
That, Magnus said with an ugly smile.
What do you think youre going to accomplish? Caine
asked. Now disarmed, more than anything he wished he
had brought a jack; a nice Hunter or a Defender.
Magnus drawled with evident good humor, An
excellent question. Caine could not remember seeing
the mercenary so cheerful. I was puzzling over why
you were killing inquisitors. He looked toward his
prisoner. I couldnt decide if it was a personal vendetta
or something deeper. Now I know. Vinter has an heir,
however dubious his legitimacy. I doubt you have his best

165

interests at heart. Does your softhearted king know what

you intend? I think not. A word of advice. Dont rely on
old loyalties or friendships. They disappoint. Better a
man carves his own destiny. Thanks to Garhaus here I
know where the bastard is hiding. Ill admit I hoped to
have the time to learn a few additional details, but things
dont always go according to plan.

The trees crawled with Widowmakers and other

Khadorans seeking her death or capture. She had killed
quite a few, but she held no illusions of getting them
all. Her power field alone would not keep her alive if
cornered. She could slow down incoming bullets, but
Widowmakers remained deadly shots despite her tricks.
They also navigated the woods far better than she.

Wait! Caine shouted but too late. Magnus slammed

Garhaus headfirst into the nearest wall. His corpse
dropped to the floor as Magnus fired his scattergun.
Caine rolled awkwardly out of the way as a spray of metal
shredded the doorframe and wall.

Haley succumbed to impatience and began to move

towards where she thought Thorn waited. She tried to
stay quiet and wished she had spent more time with
the Rangers among the Knights of the Vigil during her
Highgate tour. She emerged at the edge of a small pond,
slipped on the muck, and slid into the open. The air
erupted with rifle fire.

The trees crawled with

Widowmakers and other Khadorans
seeking her death or capture.
He had barely gotten to his feet when he saw Magnus
draw in power. The room exploded in a massive spray
of debris. The burning wood stove shredded into fireladen shrapnel. Caine simply vanished. He appeared
just outside the apartment and rolled to the cover of a
nearby wall. Coughing against the dust and smoke, he
scrambled back toward the rear alley on wobbly legs.
He could see no sign of Magnus anywhere around the
exploded residence. Caine sighed and ignited his armors
arcane turbine before turning to search the rubble for
his pistols.

Feeling powerless was an unfamiliar experience for

Major Victoria Haley and one she cared for not at all.
She hunkered absolutely still amid the dense vegetation
of the forest. She had her magic. She had her warcaster
armor with its power field at utmost strength. She had
her weapons. For the first time, however, this all seemed
completely inadequate.
Somehow she had become separated from the entire
First Army and her Lancer Thorn. She could still feel
Thorn, out there and intact, but too far to use. Even now
she could still issue simple commands across their link.
She had sent it repeated summons but the forest terrain
had probably confused its ability to navigate.
She might have exploited any enemy cortexes in range to
her own benefit, but she sensed none. She wondered if
the Khadorans were deliberately keeping them back. She
had the sardonic thought that perhaps she had used her
powers too flagrantly during the earlier battle.

166

Her power field flared as bullets barely missed her. She

felt a piercing pain in her left shoulder and her right
calf before she sent a pulse of arcane energy to slow the
incoming projectiles while she dove for cover. She saw a
hint of movement opposite and sent a blast of power that
direction. A sphere of crackling temporal destruction
exploded the trees on the other side of the pond, but she
had no idea if it hit anyone.
The overwhelming futility of the situation almost made
her scream. I am not going to die like this, she vowed
in an intense whisper.
No, you wont, she thought she heard her own voice
whispering in her ear.
Suddenly she heard screams in the forest from multiple
directions. Haley risked peering out of cover. She saw
a Widowmaker stagger from the undergrowth, his face
and chest melting from caustic slime. She heard distinct,
sickeningly wet popping noises followed by more screams
and sporadic firearms fire. To her left a Khadoran
woodsman leapt from the bushes as a ghostly form
shimmered into being behind him and raised a pistol to
fire straight into his back. A skeletal head with flaming
eyes turned to her.
Fantastic. Haley raised her hand cannon, but a voice
made her pause.
Wait, sister. If we wanted you dead, you would be. The
wraith witch drifted into sight from the trees ahead.
Haley did not know why she did not simply attack in that
moment. Perhaps the exhaustion and frustration stayed
her hand, or the blood loss, or the fact that the Cryxians
certainly surrounded her. She could hear the sounds of
men dying horribly, but she could not sense even a single
warjack cortex.
Stop your gloating and come on already! Haley
screamed. She realized she was almost in tears and

clamped down on that emotion to avoid giving Deneghra

the satisfaction.
I am not here to harm you, sister.
Shut up! You are nothing to me!
Deneghra drifted closer and became solid as she touched
the ground. She removed her helmet and Haley saw a
pale reflection of her own features. A wicked scar crossed
Deneghras bare midsection where crude stitches knitted
her dead flesh. But we are sisters.
Haley realized that her heart beat frantically, and she
felt excruciatingly torn. A part of her insisted, I already
mourned you. You are dead to me. You are not my sister. Seeing
this creature standing before her, however, returned a
grief to Haley she had thought long past.
I know you will not understand, but I have had a
revelation. For the first time Haley heard no mocking
laughter. She could almost mistake Deneghras
expression for sincerity. My flesh is cold, but the soul we
share is still with me. Death does not change our bond.
When I hurt you, I hurt myself. Her fingers traced the
edges of the scar.
What kind of fool do you think I am? I cannot believe a
single word from your lips. Haley insisted and tried to
ignore the little kernel of doubt wriggling like a maggot
in her stomach.
Deneghra smiled. I require nothing of you. Take
your life, she waved to indicate the fallen and hissing
corpses of nearby Widowmakers, as a gift. We will talk
again. Goodbye. She faded into the trees with the
pistol wraith. Haley stared at the darkness, and her
heart beat so hard it hurt.

The fight at Benewics Gate went poorly. Through the

twisting streets, Strykers forces arrived behind the
Protectorate army to find that the Menites had broken
through the outer gateway. They had penetrated deep
and were killing the defenders with abandon. Stryker
saw the Harbinger floating behind the nearest soldiers.
Sunlight suffused her flowing garments despite the heavy
shadows from the looming walls to either side of the
wide street. Looking on her caused a confusing mix of
emotions, so he endeavored not to face her directly.
His forces carved through the back ranks of the enemy
as light warjacks rushed to confront the Cygnarans. A
Repenter sprayed fire and sent several knights to painful
deaths before a Stormclad crushed the light jack.
Lightning arced from the generator blade to cook nearby

Menites. Major Katherine Laddermore then lead a mighty

charge of Stormblades. The knights chanted Letos name
as they drove through the mass of Flameguard.
Stryker drove his blade into a Dervish which collapsed
beneath the blow. He saw his king fighting alongside
Stormguard on the left side and up the wide steps that
accessed the wall. Knights Exemplar held this point,
but Leto beat them back, his sword a silver blur. Once
past the knights the advancing Stormblades made quick
work of the Deliverers on the section of the wall beyond.
Leto ordered the Kings Hailstorm long gunners of the
80th Regiment to occupy the upper level and fire on the
Menites below.
Stryker extracted himself and worked his way closer to
the stairs as the king descended with a heavy but solid
tread. Stryker called to him, Youre not as young as you
once were, sire!
That took more out of me than I expected, Leto
admitted. He removed his helmet and took a moment to
regain his breath. But it felt good.
The ground shuddered and the sound of crashing metal
rent the air as the battered wreck of one of Strykers
Stormclads landed not fifteen feet away and crushed
several Stormguard. Shocked, Stryker raised Quicksilver
and instinctively stepped in front of the king. The
warcaster could feel the warjacks dying cortex in his
mind. A single man in a scrutators mask walked slowly
toward them as if nothing on Caen could trouble him.
Hierarch Voyle, Stryker whispered aloud. With that
recognition, Stryker felt the rise of a sudden inferno of
rage. All the anger, futility, and indignation inspired by
the horrors he had seen Menites perpetrate flooded him.
Here, his mind told him, here is your true enemy.
Ol Rowdy picked up on his anger from two dozen yards
away. The warjack turned to face Hierarch Voyle. Its red
eyes burned with frightening intensity, and it launched
itself towards the Menite a split second before Stryker
charged. With weapons raised, Stryker and Ol Rowdy
converged on the hierarch in a narrowing wedge of
rapidly accelerating momentum.
Stryker sent a surge of arcane power across the space
between himself and his trusted Ironclad. White
lightning erupted along the warjacks entire exterior. As
they neared one another, he felt a frisson as these sparks
leapt back to him. A deadly corona formed around his
sword, and his hair stood on end. Strength and power
flowed through his body, and he activated Nemos
modified arcantrik amplifier. The coils on his back
erupted with blue-white light as electrical energy surged

167

through his powered armor. He felt no corresponding

blaze of pain.
Voyle did nothing to avoid their approach save to
broaden his stance and stand with arms slightly
outstretched. He bowed his masked head as if in prayer
and the air around him turned golden. Across the
exposed skin of his arms stretched an infinitely complex
pattern of knotted black lines, the Canon of the True
Law. As Voyle stood braced, it seemed as though those
lines flowed and shifted.
Ol Rowdy arrived just ahead of Stryker and slammed
its quake hammer down. Cobblestones pulverized to
dust instantly and a shockwave rippled through the
earth. Voyle jumped with inhuman grace just before the
hammer struck. He seemed to hover a moment, and
the trembling ground stilled when he landed. Stryker
leveraged the length of Quicksilver with all his might into
a cleaving blow.
Stryker would never entirely understand what Voyle did
at that moment. The hierarch raised one hand close to
his chest to intercept the path of the swing and held his
fingers in a rigid formation. The other hand he held
back to the side but ready. Stryker watched as Voyle
caught Quicksilvers crackling edge with his bare hands.
In the same motion the hierarch spun and rolled with
the swing to send the warcaster flying. Only Rowdys
quick reflexes prevented a complete disaster. The
Ironclad lunged forward and awkwardly caught Stryker
in its right fist before Voyle could hurl the warcaster clear
across the square.
Even as Rowdy set him on his feet, Stryker felt his back
give a tremendous jolt of protest from the wrenching
motion he had endured. Stryker turned his pain into
anger and whirled to strike a blow upon the hierarch.
Voyle crossed his arms to intercept the blade with his
vambraces. Sparks and flashes of light flew from the
impact. Stryker hammered down again and again to no
avail. The pavement below the hierarch cracked and
his feet sank two inches into the street from the force.
Stryker had torn apart steel machines with less effort, yet
the hierarch glowed with health, utterly unharmed.
Garrick Voyle retaliated with almost lazy movements.
Despite his seemingly casual blows, Stryker could barely
deflect, dodge, or evade them, and he had to give ground
simply to avoid the attacks. Quicksilver vibrated painfully
in his hand despite the powered assist of his armor. Even
Voyles near misses delivered an impact Stryker felt as
great punishing blows along his power field and armor
plating. He had no time to counterattack.

168

Stryker felt his sword moving too slowly to deflect the

next blow. He gritted his teeth against the expected
impact. Suddenly another blade intercepted the strike
and gave Stryker just enough time to fall back. His eyes
widened as he recognized King Leto beside him. Get
back! Stryker yelled. The thought of his king leaping to
defend Stryker was so absurd the warcaster almost missed
another parry.
Letos brother was the infamous swordsman, but the
king demonstrated considerable skill all the same. Voyle
fell back from a sequence of impressively swift attacks
and gauged this new threat. In the next moment, as
Leto parried the left punching blade, Voyles right fist
shot in to strike the kings abdomen. The spike shrieked
painfully against Letos holy armor. It failed to penetrate,
but everyone heard the cracking sound of ribs shattering.
The blade slid down to the gap at Letos waist and
pierced his flesh through the mail. The knights fighting
nearby saw the king struck and several came forward to
his aid. Now dismounted, Major Laddermore made a
desperate lunge with her sparking weapon. Voyle easily
deflected her lance, but the distraction allowed Stryker
and Leto to land solid blows. Neither harmed Voyle but
they knocked him back several feet.
King Leto staggered, and Stryker pushed his king back
toward the lines of knights. The lord commander
stepped in front of Leto, ready for Voyles vengeance.
He saw Ol Rowdy dealing with a Reckoner that had
attacked from behind and had a sudden inspiration.
Stryker sent power and a command to his jack. Rowdy
obligingly seized the Reckoner and hurled it toward
the combatants. Stryker stepped back and Laddermore
managed to tumble aside as the massive frame of the
Protectorate warjack crashed directly on top of Garrick
Voyle. The hierarch vanished.
Stormguard and Stormblades rushed to surround
and protect their king as Stryker shouted, Major
Laddermore, get Leto out of here! A wash of blood ran
down the kings leg, and he looked pale and unsteady.
Laddermore reacted immediately. She raced to her
horse and swung on as it picked up speed. She pulled
the king up with her and, with her knights of the 33rd
Heavy Cavalry, galloped away through the rubble. The
street soon filled with sword knights, Stormblades, and
Stormguard. Regroup and fall back! Stryker shouted
as the Menites surged toward them. Knights in that line
understood that protecting the king mattered above all
else, even above their own lives.
As they began their fighting retreat, Stryker saw Hierarch
Voyle extricating himself from beneath the nine-ton

warjack. Beyond his torn garments, he showed no blood

or other sign of injury. Stryker glanced up and saw the
Harbinger floating above. She looked directly at Stryker.
He wrenched his gaze away and focused on expediting
their retreat.

They ran into Halstead and the 21st Battalion, and the
combined force moved toward the docks to regroup.
They all knew that their withdrawal conceded another
gatehouse to the Menites. The morale of the men
had fallen low as word of the hierarchs power spread.
The fear Stryker saw even on the faces of his veteran
Stormblades alarmed him.
Lord commander, Katherine Laddermore called. The
stench of the docks lingered in the air behind the smell
of blood and fire. She dismounted and carefully eased
the king down from her steed. Stryker crossed to her and
helped support the monarch down to a sitting position.
She said in an urgent whisper, I dont think his wound
is closing. Leto looked very pale and dazed, and the
wound continued to bleed freely.

I thought your armor Stryker said, but cut himself off

as he saw the pain on his monarchs face.
It should, the king said weakly. The priests blessings
always staunched other wounds. They had to listen
carefully to hear Letos soft voice. Maybe I donned the
wrong suit? His feeble laughter seemed to take all his
energy, and he coughed up blood. Laddermore set the
kings head in her lap, but she looked as frustrated and
helpless as Stryker felt.
The sound of incongruous happy exclamations distracted
Stryker. He looked up to see a large group of Precursor
Knights approaching, greeted warmly by the Storm
Division soldiers. Strykers heart surged with hope when
he saw Primarch Arius at the fore. Primarch! The king.
Arius knelt at King Letos side without hesitation and
took control of the situation. Here, help me unbuckle
this armor, he said to Major Laddermore.
Can you... Stryker stopped, unable to finish.
I can cease the bleeding. It will take dedicated attention.
This is not a normal wound. Voyle has bent all of his
will to the destruction of this nation, this sovereign. The
intensity of that purpose informed his strike.

169

Primarch Arius pulled a surgical needle and thread from

somewhere on his person and began sewing the wound
directly. All present found it strange to observe the
leader of the Church of Morrow bloodying his fingers to
sew a wound. Leto looked at Strykers worried face and
beckoned the warcaster closer. The king whispered, Our
people look to me to lead them. They look to you to save
them. I know you will not fail them.
The warcaster nodded and felt stronger despite the
weight of responsibility. Leto fell unconscious, but his
pale face settled into a more comfortable repose. Stryker
looked up to the officers around him. The sounds of
fighting echoed ever closer. Muster the men. Weve
saved the king; now we must save the city.
He looked to where Katherine Laddermore remained
kneeling at the kings side. I entrust his safety to you,
major. Return him to the Sancteum, and then rejoin us.
She nodded and carefully lifted the king back to her
steed with the help of her knights.

Voyle has absolute faith. In another

man, this would be insanity.
Stryker expected the primarch to follow her, but the
priest remained with his escort of Precursor Knights. We
will accompany you, lord commander. Stryker nodded.
He could clearly see that his men all took heart from the
priests presence.
As they departed, news arrived of Voyles army making
its way toward the largest of the inner walls. Rather than
march directly toward the enemy, Stryker thought for
a moment and then double-timed his soldiers through
a narrow passage on an indirect route to the most
defensible point. He would face the Menite army at
Golivants Gate, the last and greatest inner barrier still
held by Cygnaran forces before the market quarter.
As he reviewed his plans for defense and the threats
facing them, Stryker could not help dwelling on his fight
with Voyle. Stryker gripped Quicksilver as they walked.
No man is invulnerable, he muttered. I refuse to
believe it.
The primarch at his side spoke after a pause. All power
has limits. He sighed. Unfortunately, Voyle has fewer
limits than most. He is singularly formidable. He has
been slowly gathering and conserving his power for years,
like a miser hoarding gold. He was waiting for the perfect

170

moment to strike. Clearly he has taken Caspias open

gates as that moment.
How is what he does even possible? Stryker asked.
That is not easily explained, the primarch admitted.
You must understand that he is entirely free of doubt.
Voyle has absolute faith. In another man, this would be
insanity. No one should believe anything without doubt.
It isnt human.
Stryker asked incredulously, Do you mean that what he
believes becomes possible?
Arius smiled. One mans faith alone, however absolute,
cannot bend the world. Only the gods shape reality at
whim, and even they work slowly. Yet priests are conduits
for the divine on Caen. Miracles are divine will made
manifest. Garrick Voyle has overcome the constraints
of his flesh. He channels the power of mans Creator
and boasts unwavering faith. You are right; no man
is invulnerable, but for all practical purposes Voyles
vulnerabilities, his limits, do not matter. He saw Strykers
expression and offered, The church will lend its aid, all
that we can.
That aid is appreciated. Yet here between the walls and
amid the streets of Caspia, our efforts are constrained.
He can pick his fights. We both know what it means
if open fighting reaches the residential area past the
Market Quarter. If he breaches Golivants Gate, countless
thousands will die. We do not have the time or means to
evacuate them.
The primarch nodded solemnly. Your assessment is most
likely correct.
Lord Commander Stryker paused their march long
enough to address his nearest officers. Force and
strength of arms alone will not avail us here. While we
will stand ready for battle if it comes, we must first try
another recoursediplomacy and an appeal to their
faith. We have all lost to much to destroy each other for
nothing. Listen carefully to my orders. I will need your
help to get this done in the little time we have.

Like sharks sensing blood in the waters, the Protectorate

forces in Caspia gave up their individual battles to gather
behind their hierarch. The chanting prayers rose like a
wall of sound to raise their hearts while sinking those of
Caspians. The Menites marched through the winding
streets slowly but with a sense of inevitable weight. Those
who secured each street cheered for the hierarch and
the clergy as they passed. All felt certain they witnessed

a time of singular glory, a moment to pass down for

centuries to come.
At the fore marched Hierarch Voyle with the Harbinger
beside him, priest-king and prophetess, flanked by
men in gleaming armor, each a recognized hero of the
faithful: the Grand Exemplar Kreoss, High Exemplar
Sarvan Gravus, and High Paladin Dartan Vilmon. Just
behind walked the Testament of Menoth, the chained
Omegus held tight in his grasp. At his side marched
Visgoth Juviah Rhoven of Sul and his exemplar
bodyguards. Next strode the Avatar of Menoth with its
trailing red banners, as if a temple walked on steel legs.
Beside the Avatar came Feora, Protector and Priestess
of the Flame, and High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza. Their
army flowed out endlessly behind them.
The streets fell strangely quiet as this massive column
advanced on the tremendous gatehouse protecting
the inner city. All who marched could see lines of long
gunners, Defenders, Sentinels, and others along the
crenellated walls above the road, but they unleashed
no hail of fire. Before the sealed gates stood a hulking
Ironclad and a single man in blue and white armor.

Lord Commander Coleman Stryker had insisted over

the protests of the generals and his subordinate officers
that he stand alone outside the gates. The Stormblades
objected loudest, but he ordered them not to interfere.
We may be destined for a conflagration, but do not
make me the spark. Measure my life against all those
behind this gate. Major Markus Brisbane, battered and
weary from recent fighting, had finally joined them.
Stryker pulled him aside just before leaving. If I should
die here, the defense of Caspia falls to you. This army is
in your hands. Siege had nodded and said nothing, but
his eyes conveyed firm resolve.
Stryker failed in his attempt to leave without Ol Rowdy.
The scarred Ironclad developed a sudden inability to
heed commands when told to stay behind the walls.
In the end, the Ironclad accompanied him, although
Stryker kept the machine on a short leash. He clamped
his will as firmly as possible on the jacks cortex while
the Menites closed.
The massive structure of Golivants Gate attached to the
largest of the interior barriers in the City of Walls, nearly
as thick as the citys great outer wall. It would require
time for any army to destroy. As Stryker had hoped,
Hierarch Voyle clearly saw no threat in the warcaster
and did not order him killed out of hand. Even though
the hierarch appeared willing to parley, Voyle refused to
speak first.

Stryker stepped forward and raised his voice. He hoped

those who could hear him would pass the word to those
who could not. Greetings, Hierarch Garrick Voyle and
those worthies who march with you. We have fought
today as adversaries. I acknowledge the strength of your
convictions. Much of what has transpired between our
peoples has been tragic. We have seen too much of
suffering and bloodshed and the deaths of many who
sought nothing but to live their lives.
He continued after a deep breath, I beseech you for a
pause in our bitter strife. Let us take a moment to cease
the destruction that has consumed both our cities. Too
many innocent lives have been lost. We hurt both our
peoples and our faiths. Our two cities live too closely
for ceaseless violence. Though we may never agree on
certain matters, and old grievances remain to be aired,
let us take stock of what we have lost and find another
way to settle our differences.
Stryker signaled to those inside the gates. As he spoke
next he found himself looking not at Hierarch Voyle but
the Harbinger. Atop these walls, a sign of my sincerity.
A long line of civilians with weary but expectant
expressions gathered there, most of their eyes fixed on
the gleaming Harbinger. These people are Menites
once taken prisoner. Now they are free. I offered them
the choice of remaining in Cygnar or joining your cause,
and those here have answered the call to cross the
Black River. I ask you, in the spirit of our shared history,
to allow these families to depart and begin their new
lives with you. Take them to Sul while we put an end to
needless bloodshed. Even should we feel obliged to take
up arms tomorrow, let today be a day of peace.

Hierarch Voyle stood as unmoving as stone, and silence

fell on all those gathered. The Harbinger drifted closer
to him, her soft voice not carrying beyond the inner ring
of those nearest the hierarch. The souls of those faithful
will be the first trickle of a larger stream. All will happen
at the pace Menoth wills. Haste will be our undoing.
Voyles said in a patient voice, You are the spirit of
inspiration and hope to our faith. Though you lead our
soldiers in war, your heart is temperate, as it must be. But
now is not the time for distraction. Our enemy seeks to
destroy our will and halt our destiny at the hour of our
triumph. This can only be answered by a heart of iron.
He shouted to Stryker, No. You will not weaken the
resolve of my people. Your cowardly ploy is transparent.
We do not turn from bloodshed when the sacrifices of
the righteous reinforce the True Law. The lives of a few
hundred are inconsequential against the weight of the

171

War of Souls. He turned to where Feora stood before a

long line Reckoners and Redeemers. Fire on the wall.
Feora did not hesitate. She raised her hand, and the
warjacks raised their weapons. Smoke blanketed the
Menite lines. Rockets and incendiary shells began
slamming onto the upper ramparts of the wall.
No! Stryker screamed to no avail. The outer
crenellations began to crumble and fall as shattered
masonry showered on the soldiers and civilians gathered
behind the gate. Many died instantly. Stryker darted back
toward the gatehouse where legions of guards manned
slits in the postern entrance. Stryker yelled, Get those
people off the wall! Do it now!
While the lord commander turned to scream, Dartan
Vilmon spoke in a voice that resounded off the nearby
stones. STOP THIS! The High Paladin of the Order of
the Wall, his face livid, strode towards Hierarch Voyle.
Hierarch Voyle turned and locked eyes with the paladin.
Voyle raised a hand, and Feora obediently ceased the
barrage. High Exemplar Gravus leapt from his horse
and strode toward Vilmon, flail in hand, but also halted
at a gesture from Voyle. Grand Exemplar Kreoss stood
unmoving, his helmeted head bowed. The Harbinger
mirrored his posture and shook her head. Commander
Stryker seemed the only one who saw her distress.
The treachery of the Order of the Wall manifests at
last, Hierarch Voyle said, his voice laced with loathing.
You would defy Menoth?
Vilmon answered, I would defy you. I serve the Creator,
but there is no cause for this. It cannot be His will.
They stared at one another for what seemed a long
moment. At last the hierarch declared, You are a traitor
to the faith. I declare you apostate. Voyle stepped toward
Vilmon with long strides, even as the paladin stood
resolute, as if his feet were rooted in the stone. The
penalty for this insolence is death. With a single swift
movement he struck at the paladins impervious breast.
To Garrick Voyles eyes it seemed as though a flash of
white obliterated his surroundings. In that flash he saw
the Harbingers pale flesh impaled upon his weapon,
saw her crumpled over his fist and arm as she coughed
blood. He stepped back in confused shock, and the world
reasserted itself. Before him, Dartan Vilmon staggered
back and fell to one knee, but his body remained intact.
Voyle followed his gaze to where the Harbinger sank to
the stones with blood pouring from a massive wound on
her chest. The Testament had already reached her side,
the Omegus gleaming as he knelt down to her.

172

Garrick Voyles breathing labored. His eyes filled with the

fire of hate as he turned to Lord Commander Stryker.

Stryker drew Quicksilver and fueled his power field as

Voyle came at him, but Ol Rowdy charged forward to
intercept without orders. The Ironclad swung its quake
hammer in a mighty blow. Voyle smoothly ducked under
and threw a hooked uppercut toward the jack as he slid
past. The air shimmered between them, and the armor
along Rowdys underside buckled and caved. Several
pistons holding up its waist exploded into shrapnel.
Rowdy staggered and toppled to the side. It put its free
hand down to break its fall. Voyle attacked Stryker with a
rapid flurry of impossible attacks.
Rage undermined the smooth clarity of Voyles grace. His
swings seemed almost clumsy, but that same unyielding
strength continued to fuel them. It took every ounce of
concentration and prowess Stryker could muster to avoid
an instantly mortal blow. He recognized with deadly
clarity that he was out of his depth. He gave up ground as
he tried to avoid Voyles strikes. As Stryker ducked under
one swing, the gatehouse bricks behind him exploded
into dust. With a sweep of Voyles leg, a deep trench
opened in the paved road.
One uppercut whizzed near his face and rocked Strykers
jaw. Blood sprayed from his lips as he staggered back
in pain. He twisted his back badly as he tried to regain
his balance and staggered away from the gate. The next
strike sent Quicksilver tumbling from his fingers and
his body skidding across the stones of the street. At that
moment, he accepted the fact of his imminent death.
The thought did not trouble him as much as imagining
Voyle and Feora breaking past Golivants Gate. Morrow
save them, Stryker murmured.
Turning his head, he realized that he had fallen next to
where the Harbinger lay. He looked to her blindfolded
face. She still breathed, although it seemed a strain. She
silently offered him the hilt of her blade Providence.
Only steel forged in faith can stand against faith.
Menoth calls for him. Without thinking Stryker grasped
the hilt. A blaze of fire ran up his arm and shocked him
to full alertness. He staggered to his feet.
Voyle came toward him. Behind his mask there was
murder in the hierarchs eyes. Providence felt like a
searing brand in Strykers hands. It smoked and singed
his flesh through his gauntlets. The sword would not
long endure his touch. Stryker activated his armors
arcantrik amplifier and power informed his limbs. He
stood and raised the holy weapon even as his every
instinct screamed to drop the white-hot blade.

Instead, he stepped at Voyle and lunged. He felt the

sword guide his hand as if by its own will. The hierarch
raised an armored forearm to deflect the swing, a gesture
he had managed so effortlessly against Quicksilver.
This time his parry accomplished nothing. The doublepronged points of Providence easily sunk deep into
Hierarch Voyles chest. For a moment Voyle and Stryker
locked eyes, and the warcaster could see the anger bleed
away to confusion and disbelief. Voyle pushed forward,
his right hand reaching toward Stryker, but his strength
left him. His head turned toward the Harbinger one last
time before he fell heavily to the ground.
Stryker dropped the searing blade. His palms still
burning. He fell to his knees in exhaustion and bowed
his head.

As if of a single voice, a gasp went up from the gathered

Protectorate army. Many of them fell to their knees
in shock, while others stood frozen in disbelief. The
Cygnaran defenders atop the walls looked down with
their weapons loaded and ready. It seemed time had
stopped entirely and not even the wind dared to move.
Feora broke out of this reverie first with something like
a choked gasp. She stepped toward where Stryker knelt
unarmed and raised Apocalypse. Before she could deliver
her blow, Grand Exemplar Kreoss moved swiftly and
grabbed her arms in his gauntleted hands. No. Step
back. This is over. At least for today.
With the rest of the crowd, she stared down at the corpse,
as if sheer force of will could reverse what they had seen.
She looked then to Stryker. He must die for what he has
done. We must continue the attack! Her voice ran thick
with rage.
Kreoss indicated the weeping faces of the gathered army.
Attacking now would break them. Their fight is gone.
Their hearts feel only sorrow. Throwing the faithful
against this gate would yield us nothing but blood and
ruin. He looked toward Visgoth Rhoven, whose masked
face nodded once and stayed bowed. We return to Sul to
honor the dead.
The Avatar stepped toward the corpse of Garrick Voyle
and turned its shield over on the ground. Blood soaked
Amon Ad-Razas hands as he placed the hierarchs body
in the inner curve of the shield with silent reverence.
The Testament and Vilmon gathered up the Harbinger
and her blade, and they turned from the gate.

Some days after the chaos in Caspia settled, Lord

Commander Coleman Stryker had the chance to visit his
king in the palace. The severe damage had persuaded
certain disreputable groups to take advantage of the
destruction for their own ends. Tension between the
walls of Sul and Caspia remained high as workmen
on both sides repaired gatehouses, mended breaches,
and rebuilt. The men standing to the wall in either
direction glared across the Black River as they had for
over a century, their hatred now made more tangible by
memory of recent fighting.

Only steel forged in faith can stand

against faith. Menoth calls for him.
Stryker had attended too many funerals, and the taint of
the grave touched all award ceremonies, promotions, and
recognitions of valor for those who survived. Warmaster
General Turpin had fallen ill. While this affliction did not
appear immediately life threatening, he could no longer
endure sitting in the war council for extended periods.
Many of his responsibilities fell to General Halstead, who
relied increasingly upon Lord Commander Stryker and
the warcasters rapport with his men.
With so much to do, Stryker had refused to indulge
his desire to check the health of his sovereign until the
warcaster could come as he did now and kneel to state
with confidence, Order had been restored to the army.
Caspia is secure, Your Majesty.
Leto Raelthorne seemed much better, although still
pale and looking years older than he had just two weeks
earlier. He remained sitting on his throne rather than
standing to greet the warcaster. One hand held his
mending side, but he smiled warmly. Thank you, my
friend. You have done us a tremendous service. There are
not words to convey the debt your kingdom owes you.
He looked to his left to a stained glass representation of
the City of Walls. Caspia came very close to destruction.
Far too close. I credit you with its salvation.
Coleman Stryker bowed again, clearly uncomfortable
with praise. Even had Caspia fallen, Cygnar would
endure. Our people will not bow again to a tyrant. But I
am glad the city stands.
King Leto lifted from his lap a stack of papers that had
clearly occupied him before Stryker arrived. Reports
and missives regarding the situation in the north. We
have won the battle here, but Cygnar bleeds. Northguard

173

and Deepwood Tower have fallen, and the Thornwood is

ours no more. The Khadoran Empire sends its regards.
Sarcasm and indignation laced his tone. They tell me
they are content to leave us Point Bourne and Corvis but
warn us not to march past the Dragons Tongue River. All
lands to the north they claim. They are a hungry bear. I
am sure this meal will not long content them.
Stryker felt the blood leave his face at these words. He
could not resist asking, Any word from General Nemo,
Major Haley, or the others?
They have arrived in Corvis. For now that city and Point
Bourne host the divisions of the First Army.
Stryker nodded, pleased, but concern tempered his
relief. What of Fellig?
Leto raised another letter. Here I have salutations from
King Baird of Ord who hopes I will not take offence to
his sending a strong contingent of his army to Fellig as a
gesture of respect between friends. He assures me that,
of course, his troops will happily assist in the defense of
the city should it become necessary. Leto sighed. Duke

Know that I will never give you reason

to doubt my judgment or my loyalty.

174

Olan Duggan has asked me for instructions. I will tell

him to accept Ordic support. Baird has every reason to
fear Khador along his eastern border, which is so much
softer than his northern one.
So Fellig becomes an Ordic city in all but name. Stryker
shook his head in disbelief.
Better Ordic than Khadoran, the king sighed. We
still retain our garrison there; this will be a cooperative
arrangement. Not quite an alliance, but perhaps a small
step in that direction. In time they may realize how
closely the fates of our two kingdoms are linked. Leto
waved a hand as if the matter was of no consequence.
Regardless, there remains much work to be done. I will
be relying on you now more than ever.
Coleman Stryker bowed deeply. Know that I will never
give you reason to doubt my judgment or my loyalty.
You never have. Come, let us discuss the jackals who
seek to pick at our wounds and how best to teach them
the error of their ways.

Deep beneath the soil of the Thornwood twisted a

profusion of caves and tunnels. In some places they
came together, and in some places they opened into vast
chambers filled with movement and industry. The earth
echoed with the clanking of tools, the sucking of bellows,
the roar of fires, and the gurgling of pipes ushering
thick fluids to heated vats and seeping bladders of sewn
flesh. Figures intent on their labors, both many-limbed
necrotechs and floating cephalyx accompanied by
drudges, moved through the corridors.
A cavernous chamber set back from one of the central
assembly rooms housed a large meeting hall accessed
by sweeping stairs. A tremendous low-set platform with
benches along its sides occupied the center of the room.
Asphyxious turned as Mortenebra entered the chamber.
He offered her a gesture of respectful greeting. Dost
thou find the facilities acceptable?
There are areas for improvement, of course, but
the production elements are advanced. It is...most
impressive, Lich Lord Asphyxious.
I am pleased.
Deneghra glided into the room and slid close to speak
to Asphyxious in low tones, obviously pleased. She
smirked, settled onto one of the nearby benches, and
openly stared at the delicate intricacies of Mortenebras
form. At some point the darkness in one corner opposite
the larger of the two entryways receded to reveal the
Withershadow Combine.

conveyed menace. The Coven came close to him, and

Morgaen spoke to Asphyxious. Skarre Ravenmane
regrets being unable to attend. So too Captain Rengrave
and General Gerlak Slaughterborn. They oversee other
necessary preparations.
The assembly waited a very long time in almost unmoving
silence. Only Deneghra evidenced any impatience, but
she occupied herself in whispers with the Coven. The two
lich lords seemed content to sit frozen and never look at
one another.
At length footsteps echoed in the corridor and the
eldritch Goreshade at last entered the chamber. He
bore in his arms something long wrapped in heavy
cloth. Asphyxious looked up sharply and rasped in an
unfriendly tone of voice, You are marked.
Goreshade waved a hand dismissively. It is of no
consequence. He set the bundle on the platform and
gently unfurled the cloth to reveal an elegant sword
gleaming silver in the unwholesome light. Asphyxious
made a startled noise and held up a claw as if to shield
his eyes. Terminus hissed and also looked away. The
Withershadow Combine began chattering excitedly.
Deneghra and the Coven leaned forward eagerly. Only
Mortenebra seemed unfazed. Goreshade spoke in a
hungry voice. The gods will tremble.
Asphyxious moved to the table and looked to them each
in turn. An era of ceaseless work has laid the foundation
for where we stand. Now we shall initiate the next and
most critical phase of our masters grand design.

A trio of living women filed into the room a few moments

later and offered low curtseys to Asphyxious. Behind
them, the Egregore floated slowly above the ground.
Great thick flows of darkness poured from various
apertures in its bone and metal exterior. Asphyxious
spoke, The Witch Coven of Garlghast. Morgaen,
Helleana, Selene. Welcome.
The ground shook as if from a very small, localized
tremor and then the vastness of Lich Lord Terminus
entered the chamber. Despite the great size of the hall
and its entry tunnels, the space seemed too small to
hold him. He hunched his shoulders and folded down
his sweeping, tattered wings to their most compact
configuration. The lich lords great presence made it
almost easy to overlook the smaller man at Terminus
side, a mortal mass of muscle, metal plates, and
machinery. Asphyxious voice stayed neutral. Lich Lord
Terminus, Darragh Wrathe. Please, be seated.
Terminus said nothing and surveyed the room. Even
when not in motion, Terminus form and alien skull

175