by Faye Reppas

Leading up to the release of five early iterations of some of the most powerful warlocks in Immoren, we’re showcasing each of the rule sets currently in playtest in this series of Insiders. If you need to catch up, you can find Barnabas here and Makeda here. Trolls have always been near and dear to my heart, so in this Insider, I’m pleased to tell you more about Madrak.

Before finding the cursed axe Rathrok, Madrak was a mighty champion of the kriels. He still believes the might of the trollkin alone can protect his people. At that time, the kriels did not yet have enemies on all sides, forcing them to fight for the survival of their culture and even their very lives. That does not mean this version of Madrak is soft by any means; he was already quite the hardened warrior long before picking up Rathrok.

Madrak Ironhide, Champion of the Kriels

Trollblood Trollkin Champion Solo

Madrak 0

SPD   STR   MAT  RAT   DEF   ARM  CMD FUR

6        8        7        6        13      17      9        4

FA: C

Point Cost: 5

Base Size: Medium

Damage: 8

Mastermind [Trollkin Warlock] – This model can be included in any army that includes a Trollkin Warlock model, regardless of theme force restrictions. This model cannot be included in any army that doesn’t also include a Trollkin Warlock model.

Madrak 0

Tough

Lesser Warlock – This model is not a warlock but has the following warlock special rules: Battlegroup Commander, Fury Manipulation, Healing, Spellcaster, and Transferring Damage. This model must have at least one warbeast in its battlegroup at the start of the game.

Henchmen [Troll Axer and Troll Impaler] – Choose one friendly Troll Axer and one friendly Troll Impaler in this model’s battlegroup at the beginning of the game to be Henchmen. The chosen models gain +1 MAT, RAT, and Life Link. (Once per turn, a model with Life Link can have damage transferred to it without spending fury.)

Relentless Charge – While advancing as part of a charge, this model gains Pathfinder.

Righteous Vengeance – If one or more friendly Faction warrior models were destroyed or removed from play by enemy attacks while within 5˝ of this model during the last round, during your Maintenance Phase this model can advance up to 3˝ and make one basic melee attack.

Weapons

Stoneshard [1x]

Melee    Rng: 1             POW: 6           P+S: 14

Damage Type: Magical

Krielstone Echo – When this model hits an enemy model with an attack with this weapon, for one round friendly Faction models gain +2 ARM while within 4˝ of this model.

Spells                          Cost    RNG   AOE    POW   DUR   OFF

Bracer                                     2             6             –              –             UP       No

Target warbeast in the spellcaster’s battlegroup gains +2 ARM. The affected model and any friendly models B2B with it cannot become knocked down, cannot be pushed, and cannot be moved by a slam.

Jackhammer                          1             6             –             –             –          No

Target model in the spellcaster’s battlegroup immediately makes one basic melee attack.

Madrak, Champion of the Kriels brings a lot of power to any Trollblood force—and I mean any force. Mastermind is meant to signify that this is the Madrak who found himself constantly on the frontlines in the early battles for the survival of the kriels. It has the added benefit of putting him in every single Trollblood theme list as long as it is being led by a trollkin. Important to note: in War Room, he will just always be available in every theme but will be FA: 0 unless you take a trollkin warlock, which will then allow you to take him. Despite the FA not being C in War Room, he is still a character model.

Some storyline fans will remember Madrak had two named warbeasts, an Axer and an Impaler, and his Henchmen rule is meant to bring those two beasts to life. These warbeasts will not only be more accurate but will make the already defensive Madrak even more resilient with the Life Link ability. Taking both an Axer and an Impaler will give Madrak two free transfers a turn!

The weapon he wields is a shard of a kriel stone, and under the right circumstances, Madrak can still draw out the faint remnants of the stone’s power. This ability encourages Madrak to be on the frontlines, mixing it up with enemies while being surrounded by allies. I really love how much this ability brings to the table thematically.

The last big addition to his card is Bracer. It has the obvious benefit of making his Axer or Impaler that much tougher, and it gives him a place to be safe from being knocked down or pushed. If you are willing to put in the added points, however, Bracer can make an absolute beast of an Earthborn Dire Troll. Between Elemental Communion, the kriel stone aura, Bracer, and Madrak’s own Krielstone Echo, you can get that Dire Troll up to an impressive 26 armor! This isn’t easy to pull off, of course, but it makes a mighty fine anchor when it does.

Madrak works quite well with Ragnor, Grissel, and Borka, and with access to all five theme lists, I think Madrak Ironhide, Champion of the Kriels is going to be seeing a lot of board time!

There are still more to come, so stay tuned, and be sure to welcome Madrak to your armies when he’s released next month.