WARMACHINE/HORDES: Dynamic Update Preview - Quality of Life

WARMACHINE/HORDES: Dynamic Update Preview – Quality of Life

September 30, 2021

by Faye Reppas

We know you’re eager to hear more about the major balance update to WARMACHINE & HORDES coming on October 25th; if you haven’t heard about the big news use this link to read all about it!

Today, we want to share the quality-of-life changes with you. Though some very clearly increase the power of some models, the true goal of these changes is to increase the ease of use and understanding of the rules.

Some models that are being “buffed” within these quality-of-life changes will receive additional buffs later—so, this is not the end of the changes many of the models are getting. This list was more of a starting point we launched before going through to systematically adjust points, stats, or rules text for models.

Tomorrow (Friday, October 1st), the zero-level warlocks go on sale and will be added to the War Room and the Card Database. It is important to note these releases because those models’ rules will reflect changes that don’t go live on other models until October 25th (specifically, Krueger 0 and Makeda 0). The new version of Sacrificial Pawn doesn’t matter without all Sacrificial Pawn rules being updated, so gameplay will not change across the board just because this single model has the updated text. For Krueger, if more than one range reduction effect is affecting a model’s range attack, apply Krueger’s effect first before all others.

The next Insider planned will be October 21st, which will have a comprehensive list of all the buffs in it. Between now and then, I will appear on a podcast planned in the middle of October where I expect we will be talking more about those coming changes. Stay tuned to our social media for updates on this!

And the last thing to know is that I explain some (but not all) of the changes within the list. If something is marked <Rules Cleanup>, it means the functionality of the rule did not change at all, just the wording.

That’s it for now. Be sure to check back in our store tomorrow to pick up the zero-Level warlocks!

Cygnar

Sons of the Tempest Benefit

Note that the following Cygnar models gained the Gun Mage keyword:

- - Caine’s Hellslingers
  - Captain Allister Caine
  - Captain Kara Sloan
  - Lieutenant Allister Caine
  - Arcane Tempest Rifleman
  - Black 13th Strike Force
  - Tempest Blazers

First benefit changes to:

Gun Mage models in this army gain Pistoleer.

Trencher Express Team

Range Finder becomes 1˝

Trencher Chain Gun Crew

Ammo Feeder becomes 1˝

Protectorate of Menoth

Avatar of Menoth

Change wording of Gaze of Menoth ability to “…enemy models beginning an advance while within 8˝ of this model and in its LOS must advance…”

Khador

Wolves of Winter Benefit

This is intended to clean up the suddenness of every Doom Reaver potentially getting Apparition at any time. That alone would be an obvious nerf to the theme benefit; however, now the benefit affects two units instead of one, and if a unit with Apparition is destroyed (or becomes non-effective), you can switch the benefit to a new unit during your turn.

Change the text of the benefit for wolves of winter to the following:
Before you take your first turn, choose up to two friendly non-warcaster Doom Reaver or Greylord units to gain an apparition token. A unit with an Apparition token has Apparition. At any time during your activation phase, you may remove an Apparition token from a friendly unit. If you have fewer than two Apparition tokens among friendly units, your warcaster can spend 1 focus to put an Apparition token on a friendly non-warcaster Doom Reaver or Greylord unit within its control range anytime during its activation.

Retribution of Scyrah

Heavy Rifle Team

Range Finder becomes 1˝

Convergence of Cyriss

Axis’ Feat

Circumpotence – Enemy models currently in Axis’ control range suffer Curtail. Friendly Faction models currently in Axis’ control range gain Intensify. Circumpotence lasts for one round. (A model with Curtail suffers –2 SPD and STR and cannot charge or make slam or trample power attacks.) (A model with Intensify gains +2 SPD and STR.)

Prefect Hypatia

This was done to make it so Hypatia can’t move with Apparition to get more angels into her command range than were originally there.

Leadership [Angels] – At the start of your turn, Friendly Angels models within this model’s command range gain Apparition this turn.

Optifex Directive

All-Terrain becomes 1˝

Weapons Modulation becomes 1˝

Transfinite Emergence Projector

Servitor Satellites becomes within 1˝

Mercenaries

Reinholdt

Warcaster benefits become while within CMD (4)

Seduction

Seduction becomes while within 3˝

Affects…

- Press Gangers
- Madelyn Corbeau
- Cephalyx Dominator

Commodore Cannon

Heavy Artillery becomes 1˝

Fire! Becomes 1˝

Herne & Jonne

Scattershot becomes 1˝

Trollbloods

Keg Carrier (Borka 1)

Top Off becomes 1˝

Mountain King

Whelp Shedding becomes within 1˝

Scroll Bearers (Doomshaper 3)

Scroll Bearer becomes 1˝

Circle Orboros

Megalith

Bountiful Restoration becomes 1˝

Legion of Everblight

Proteus

Crawling Chaos becomes 1˝

Skorne

Paingiver Beast Handlers

Prodding becomes 1˝

Venator Flayer Cannon Crew

Fast Reload becomes 1˝

Multi-Faction

Shield Wall (order)

Add a sentence after the first:

When receiving this order a model can forfeit its combat action to gain +3˝ movement as part of its normal movement this turn.

Affects…

- Houseguard Halberdiers
- Iron Fang Pikemen
- Man-O-War Shocktroopers
- Assault Kommandos
- Precursor Knights
- Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps
- Temple Flameguard
- Cataphract Cetrati
- Praetorian Karax
- Obstructors
- Reciprocators
- Black Dragons
- Piggybacks
- Exemplar Cinerator Officer

Defensive Formation

This change is designed to ensure that models that benefit from Defensive Formation can’t double dip between the baseline increased movement speed of the Shield Wall order and the Reposition [5˝].

The beginning of the second sentence becomes:

This activation, models not affected by the Shield Wall order in this unit…

Affects…

- Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard
- Tyrant Vorkesh
- Exemplar Cinerator Officer
- Piggyback Officer

Crusader’s Call

Friendly Faction models beginning a charge as part of its Normal Movement in the spellcaster’s control range gain +2˝ movement. Crusader’s Call Lasts for one turn.

Affects…

- The Harbinger of Menoth
- Constance Blaize, Knight of the Prophet
- Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn

Primal

This was a quality-of-life update to make this rule easier to understand and use. Note that almost all warbeasts that currently have relatively cheap access to Primal will be getting +1 POW on their melee weapons or +1 STR, depending on which makes more sense.

Primal – Target friendly living Faction warbeast gains +1 STR and MAT for one round.

Affects…

- Gorax Rager
- Feral Warpwolf
- Rok
- Battle Boar

Shield Guard and Sacrificial Pawn

Both abilities are gaining an additional sentence that says they can trigger only once per attack. This means you can’t Chain Shield Guards and Sacrificial Pawn triggers to move an attack halfway across the table. You can still use both Shield Guard and Sacrificial Pawn a single time in conjunction with each other.

Shield Guard add the following sentence to the end of the ability:
Shield can trigger only once per attack.

Affects…

- Beast 09 (Bond)
- Brute Thrall
- Sentinel
- Vanguard
- Rutger Shaw (Drive)
- Ghordson Avalancher
- Ogrun Bokur
- Devout
- Blessing of Vengeance
- Templar
- Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard
- High Paladin Dartan Vilmon
- Troll Bouncer
- Archdomina Makeda (Field Marshal)
- Cyclops Brute
- Nephilim Protector
- Wold Guardian
- Titan Sentry
- Triumph
- Gallant
- Aspis
- Rover
- Tiberion
- Sturm & Drang (Mental Domination)
- Trollkin Warders
- Exalted Guardian (Makeda 3)
- Father Lucant (Field Marshal)
- Conservator
- Steelsoul Protector
- Inflictor
- Trench Buster
- Rager
- Warden
- Blind Walker
- Lieutenant Crosse, Resistance Fighter (Lifebound)
- Farrow Valkyries
- Madrak, Great Chieftain
- Wold Wight
- Loki
- Spears of Scyrah
- Fane Knight Guardian
- Crabbit
- Kapitan Sofya Skirova
- Exemplar Warder
- Brighid & Caul (caul)
- Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen
- Initiates of the Wall
- Abidan the Keeper
- Umbral Guardian
- Swabber
- Morrowan Archon
- Alexia, the Undying (Elite Cadre)
- Morrowan Battle Priest
- Shivers
- Forges of War Benefit
- Destruction Initiative Benefit

Sacrificial Pawn add the following sentence to the end of the ability:
Sacrificial Pawn can trigger only once per attack.

Affects…

- Greylord Escort
- Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich
- Lich Lord Terminus
- Necrosurgeon
- Monolith Bearer
- Morvahna the Autumblade
- Thagrosh, the Messiah
- Ragman
- Transfinite Emergence Projector
- Exulon Thexus
- Cephalyx Agitator
- Tyrant Zaadesh
- Extoller Advocate
- Cognifex Cyphon
- Lord Tyrant Zaadesh
- Barnabas, Lord of Blood
- Craelix, Fang of Everblight
- Doctor Stygius
- Isaiah, Dread Harvester
- Winter Guard Kommand Benefit
- Talion Charter Benefit
- Secret Masters Benefit
- Disciples of Agony Benefit