Previously we looked at the rules regarding Warcasters and Warlocks, which meant we essentially covered the basics of how model stat lines work, how attacks work, boosting, extra dice, and more. In this blog post we look at Warbeasts and Warjacks (and the related critters), and how they take those basics and build upon them to become the powerhouses that they are.
Warjacks at first glance are the same as any other combatant. But we have a few new symbols we need to note. After the base size, we have symbols above the stat line indicating the abilities to Trample, Slam, and Headbutt. These are power attacks. We also have the symbol for Dual Attack - so the jack can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. Finally there is the Construct symbol, because warjacks are not alive.
Steel and Bone
Perhaps the most different is the health. A warjack doesn't have a single health box, or a health box track like a solo or warcaster. It has a damage grid. There are 6 columns and when damage is applied you roll to see which column the damage is applied to first, with damage overflowing into the next column, working left to right, and top to bottom.
So in our example, 7 points of damage was applied, hitting column 2 first.
The empty boxes can be considered the armour and structure of the jack. It can take damage and still run. In the case of Deuce that means it has 18 hit boxes that can be filled in and the jack still operates at full strength.
The boxes with letters are the system. L for the left arm. R for the right arm. C for the cortex. M for movement. A will designate an arc node on warjacks that have that. H for head for those with weapons located there. G for Power Field Generator. When all letters for the system are marked as damaged, the system is degraded. For arms, any shield benefit it may have is lost. Also, the weapon located in that arm (or head) loses 1 die on attack rolls and 1 die on damage rolls. In the case of movement, M, when fully damaged, the jack can no longer run, charge, or perform the Slam or Trample special attack, and its DEF drops to 5. If the head is fully damaged, all benefits provided by the head are lost. The cortex fully damaged means the warjack can no longer be given focus points, cannot spend them, and loses any on it immediately. If the arc node is taken out, then it loses the use of it - so it may no longer channel spells. The crippled Power Field Generator means focus points can no longer be spent to reduce incoming damage.
Warjacks of course can be repaired, and when a system has just one box restored, the system on the jack works as normal once more.
Warbeasts of course are alive, and don't have the Construct condition. Also, rather than damage grids, they have life spirals. These essentially work the same as the grids. You roll to see which spiral arm the damage is applied to, and damage will overflow into the next spiral, working clockwise. Unlike Warjacks there are no systems to disable associated with the damage circles. Instead, a Warbeast has aspects related to the spirals. Mind, Body, and Soul. So, if all the spirals are marked damaged for a specific aspect, the Warbeast is somehow diminished. If the Mind spirals are fully checked off, the beast has one less die on all attack rolls and cannot make power attacks, special attacks or chain attacks. If the Body is fully checked off, then one less die is rolled for damage rolls. And if the Spirit spirals are fully checked off, then the Warbeast can no longer be Forced.
If we compare Warjacks to Warbeasts, it becomes clear that Warjacks' systems are more discretised—if one weapon is damaged, the other still fully functions. But for Warbeasts, if the Body is fully damaged, it doesn't stop the Warbeast from still hitting with attacks as normal. For the Warbeast a single box of a spiral healed means all weapons are back to working order, while for a Warjack, repairs have to be applied more specifically to systems.
Steam and Blood
We learnt from the previous article about Warlocks and Warcasters, that they interact with Warbeasts and Warjacks through the manipulation of Fury and Focus respectively.
A Warjack within control range of a Warcaster can be allocated Focus from the Warcaster during the Control Phase. A Warjack can have up to 3 points of Focus. Other effects also can put Focus on a Warjack. Plus, all Warjacks in control range in the Control Phase get a free point of Focus. So Warcasters can support a number of Warjacks happily with right support from other units.
A Warjack can use Focus for a number of things - some similar to Warcasters. They can boost attack rolls and damage rolls for weapons. They have to spend Focus in order to charge or run. They can perform extra attacks by spending a Focus. And they can use Focus shake effects or perform Power Attacks, such as Slams.
Warlocks don't have Focus, but have Fury. Fury is spent in the same way as Focus - to buy extra attacks, to boost attack rolls, to boost damage rolls, to heal. But Fury as we noted is also used to transfer damage. And Fury is generated differently by Warbeasts.
While Warjacks spend Focus, Warbeasts generate Fury. Unless the Spirit aspect is crippled, Warbeasts generate Fury as they are Forced to do things. A Warbeast must be Forced to do the same acts a Warjack would have to spend Focus for.
Let's just reiterate that.
Warjacks Spend Focus Points to Charge, Run, Slam, Trample, Headbutt, Power Attacks, Special Attacks, Buy Extra Attacks.
Warbeasts do the above by being Forced. To be Forced generates a Fury Point.
Warbeasts can only be Forced a few times, as they cannot have more Fury allocated to them than their FURY stat. So that means some Warbeasts can only be Forced twice, others three times, some even 4 times. Warbeasts can even be Forced to generate Fury Points, even if they perform no action. This is called Rile.
Warbeasts also have Animi - effectively spells that they can be Forced to cast. These generate Fury points on the Warbeasts equal to their cost.
In the Control Phase, Warlocks restore Fury points to themselves by Leeching them from the Warbeasts in their Control Range. It is likely that there will be times when there is too much Fury to Leech. This will mean some Fury will remain on some Warbeasts. This will trigger a Frenzy. In the Control Phase, after Leeching, for each Warbeast roll 2d6 and add to the result the number of Fury points still on the Warbeast. If the total is greater than the Warbeast's Threshold value, the Warbeast Frenzies. It will shake all conditions, such as Knock Down, charge the nearest target friend or foe, and make all basic attacks possible. The attack rolls are all boosted for free. And if it moved more than 3 inches, then the damage rolls are boosted. With the Frenzy resolved, any number of the Fury points on the Warbeast can be removed Once activated in this manner, a Warbeast can't be activated again in that turn.
So when comparing Warjacks to Warbeasts, it is clear that Warjacks have a consistent manner in which they can act. Consistent but limited. They can have up to 3 Focus, but they don't go out of control.
Warbeasts however must be carefully managed to prevent one from being Frenzied and attacking models on your side. But, by comparison, Warbeasts have greater potential then Warjacks as some have be Forced 4 times vs the equivalent 3 Focus points a Warjack can have.
Within the game, this means in the early game Warlocks have greater access to Fury Points, and even with many Warbeasts, they can all easily be Forced. Warcasters have a limited amount of Focus, and so only a certain amount of Warjacks can be given Focus. In the late game, as Warjacks get destroyed, more Focus is available for a fewer amount of Warjacks. But for Warlocks, with Warbeasts dead, Fury becomes less available to Leech, Warbeasts though are likely less prone to Frenzy, but Warlocks do get a free Fury point in the Control Phase for each of their dead medium based or larger warbeast.
Ultimately the interaction of Warlocks with Warbeasts, and Warcasters with Warjacks, are similar, but with an inversion on how the Focus/Fury are gathered/spent. Warjacks are consistent, but limited. Warbeasts have greater potential, but risk things going out of control.
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