View source for Midas

{{Minionbox|{{Minion}} {{Farrow}} [[Warlock]]}} [[Category: Model]]
{{4P|The Thornfall Alliance}}

''Greed, ferocity, and cunning are virtues esteemed by farrow, and Midas lacks for none of these. A potent bone grinder, he is empowered by lives stolen and feasted upon. The energies released in death are weapons and tools for Midas, who consumes his foes to gain their powers and knowledge. At his command, the bones of fallen beasts become animate and dead flesh rises to fight again.''

=Basic Info=
{{Infobox-Model
| name  = Midas1
| image = Midas.jpg
| base  = Small
| spd   = 5
| str   = 7
| mat   = 6
| rat   irrelevant
| def   = 14
| arm   = 16
| cmd   = 8
| fury  = 6
| hp    = 16
| wbp   = +30
}}

* '''[[Minion]]''' - In a 2+ warlock game, Midas can work for {{Circle minion}}, {{Legion minion}}, {{Skorne minion}}, or {{Trollblood minion}}.
* {{Warlock}}

=== Feat: Pet Cemetery ===
# Midas spends any number of fury points when this feat is used.
# [[Return to play]] each destroyed warbeast from Midas' battlegroup, placing them completely within 6" of Midas with one unmarked damage box in each aspect. Warbeasts that were destroyed this turn cannot be returned. [[Category: Return to Play Feat]]
# For each fury point spent, [[remove damage|remove 1 damage point]] from each model in Midas' battlegroup that is currently in his {{CTRL}} range. [[Category: Remove Damage Feat]]
# Returned warbeasts gain [[Undead]]. Returned warbeasts cannot be forced this turn. [[Category: Undead Feat]]
{{Tipbox|Step 3 applies to the whole battlegroup, not just those returned by step 2 of the feat.
}}

=== Abilities ===
* {{Tough}}
* {{Butchery}}
* {{Dismember}}
* {{Curse|Farrow Bone Grinders|style={{CMD}} }}}}
* {{Limited Battlegroup|warbeasts|[[:Category:Farrow Warbeast|Farrow Warbeasts]] and [[Boneswarm]]s}} Furthermore, Boneswarms in Midas' battlegroup become Farrow warbeasts instead of Gatorman warbeasts.

=== Weapons  ===
* '''Bone Saw''' - 1" reach, P+S 13 melee attack.
** {{Magical Weapon}}
** {{Soul Food}}

=== Spells ===
{{Spellbox|
{{Battle Lust}}
{{Calamity}}
{{Death March}}
{{Hex Blast}}
}}

===Theme Forces ===
* {{Thornfall}}. {{PAGENAME}} gains [[Rise]] in this theme.
* {{Will Work for Food}}


= Thoughts on {{PAGENAME}} =
=== {{PAGENAME}} in a nutshell===
Midas is a particularly unusual warlock by any measure: His Feat resurrects dead warbeasts and heals his entire battlegroup, yet his spell list boasts some of the best unit buffs in the game AND an effective debuff suite in Hex Blast (for stripping buffs) and Calamity (for applying his own). His Corpse token generation tugs toward filling out his battlegroup, but his unit buffs have a number of optimal targets between his two theme forces. Even among Farrow warlocks he is bizarre, with Primal (see Drawbacks) having inconsistent use in late game, and making the absolute most out of infantry models when most Farrow warlocks prefer to use their infantry to defensively screen ''at best''.

Mastering Midas means committing to a combined arms warlock with some of the most unique gameplay rhythms in the faction, if not the entire game to date.

===Feat thoughts===
: '''Welcome to Whose Beasts Are They Anyway!?''' ''Where the fury don't matter, so why should they?''

'''Pet Cemetery''' is one of the weirdest feats in the game and is best explained in three parts.

*''Fully Functional Corpses'' - While your warbeasts can't be forced the turn they come back, they still have all the other benefits of a normal activation, so they can make their full round of attacks, move, or even forfeit their movement to aim. While they can't cast their animus, they '''do''' return that animus to your spell list, giving Midas the ability to Sprint with a [[Road Hog]] or cast a battery of Lucky Shots with your returned [[Splatter Boar]]. Lastly, [[War Hog]]s/[[Road Hog]]s can press their dails for free, meaning that if the best thing for them to do after their activation ends is die, they have a fair chance to do exactly that if you aren't spending fury to heal.
*''Mostly Dead is Still Dead'' - Remember that the beasts you bring back with Pet Cemetery are undead. That means a few interesting things when it comes to enemy abilities like Snacking, but can be just as dismaying for Midas players when spells like Primal or abilities like Bacon come into focus. Plan thoroughly at list-build so it doesn't trip you up in the middle of play.
*''Squeezing Blood From a Bone'' - In especially rare cases, you may encounter situations where the only benefit you'll be able to derive from this feat will be the healing effect. Maybe RFP (remove from play) effects are eating your beasts, or maybe the healing boost you need is as important ''or more'' than the bodies you can return. Looking for the best time to use this feat means measuring both halves of its effect.

===Spell thoughts===
* '''Death March''' is an awesome upkeep spell. A MAT buff, a speed buff, and potentially an extra attack. It's an upkeep that works well on just about any unit, although the extra potential attack is best when applied to 10-person units.
* '''Battle Lust''' is an awesome damage buff for infantry units, letting even mediocre infantry trash heavies. It applies to all melee damage rolls, so units that can make multiple melee attacks (like ''Farrow Valkyries'') benefit greatly from it.
* '''Calamity''' is a bare bones attack and damage mark. It has slightly longer range than most debuff spells of its kind, meaning range-extensions native to Minions are pretty important for keeping Midas safe.
* '''Hex Blast''' is a potent nuke. As an anti-upkeep and anti-animus spell, it is a good lead into a fortified unit or hard target--and it applies damage after any upkeeps/animi expire! Going into late game, having lots of fury can let you marry Hex Blast and Calamity for lots of damage and applied vulnerability. In a pinch, you can also use it to nuke enemy upkeeps on your own models.

=== Drawbacks & Downsides ===
* While half of his spell list is for buffing infantry, the other half of his spell list relies on debuffing the enemy. In match-ups where spell protections like Banishing Ward, Sacred Ward and the like are in play, buffing your infantry can turn from a necessity to the backbone of your list. Relying too heavily on too few infantry models in this regard can bite you in such match-ups.
* While Calamity and Hex Blast can achieve high range or be arc'd, Midas' Curse effect has limited range. Don't be too eager to use it unless you are certain of Midas' safety.
* Remove From Play effects pose a particular disadvantage to Pet Cemetery, asking players to radically adjust their normal play habits in situations where RFP is available to an opponent.
* While the [[Battle Boar]] is a necessity to most Farrow warlocks, its animus can only target living models, making the Battle Boar a liability for Midas players wanting to use [[War Hog]]s or [[Road Hog]]s.

=== Tricks & Tips===
*''Instilling False Life'' - Warbeasts brought back with Pet Cemetery can still charge where [[Lanyssa Ryssyl]] is concerned. Hunter's Mark can open up a good deal of options if you keep Lanyssa around long enough to apply it.
*''Carnivore Encore'' - [[Razor Boar]]s, while generally unremarkable, can be a potent source of corpses when Midas is leaning on infantry for heavy lifting, and their ability to Snack on living models synergizes neatly with Pet Cemetery's healing effect.
*''Have you ever won a game where you cast one animus nine times in a single turn?'' - Would you like to?

=List Building Advice=
===Strategy===
Between Death March and Battle Lust Midas turns his infantry into brutal killers, while his feat puts you ahead in the attrition game. His feat also affords players opportunities to play into late game scenario/assassination, but battlegroup selection can factor heavily into either potential.

His two themes, Will Work For Food and The Thornfall Alliance, carry attractive choices on both fronts. Details below, but if you intend to skew Midas' unique resource mechanics, spellcasting support, and use a heavy-warbeast battlegroup, Will Work For Food is a wiser choice. If you want the best troop choices for Midas' infantry support, an edge for Pet Cemetery against Warmachine opponents, and better early game defensive positioning, The Thornfall Alliance can be more attractive.

===Theme Thoughts===
{{Header|[[Will Work for Food]]}}

In its present state (January 2020), Will Work for Food is seen by many as the best way to play Midas. Some of the best targets for Battle Lust, all the best spellcasting support and a more proactive Theme Force buff than Thornfall to his battlegroup (Overtake) make it a natural fit.

* [[Gatorman Soul Slave]] - Midas is arguably one of the best benificients of the Soul Slave's many abilities. With the Soul Slave he upkeeps Death March for free every turn, but being able to cast Battle Lust for free is arguably the greatest boon here. Additionally, a Hex Blast benefitting from Mental Force is an effective Five Fury bonus from significant range.
* [[Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron]] - the Boil Master can supply Midas with either d3 corpse tokens a turn from Seasoning the Sauce or even more later on when your infantry dies and feeds the pot. This means that mid-game and late-game The Pot can focus on using Spectral Lash or Puppet Strings to polish your latter turns.
* [[Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters]] - While prohibitively expensive, Midas brings some of the best options for buffing Nyss Hunters in faction. Death March and Battle Lust can work in tandem to let them run the board for a massive turn when they charge, and Calamity can enhance their shooting in situations where they might play best harassing enemy models from afar.
* [[Greygore Boomhowler & Co.]] - While Boomhowler's troopers are a fairly mediocre choice (although as of OCtober 2021 appropriately costed), one of Midas's favorite choices at list-build, [[Farrow Valkyries]], are very good as ensuring Boomhowler himself can use abilities like Cacophony in the mid-game/late-game. Fighting to work with 10 medium bases might be a challenge, but Boomhowler'n Co. generally serve a good role throughout the any game where you can protect Boomhowler himself.

{{Header|[[The Thornfall Alliance]]}}

Salvage is a puzzling benefit to consider in tandem with Pet Cemetery. Best look away to the other wonders this theme brings, like Trench templates... and '''Rise'''.

* The advantage of most Farrow troops is the ease with which Death March can stay functional--Rise allows them to stand up prior to the bonus move/attack from Vengeance. Three units of Farrow Valkyries (detailed below) and a full unit of Brigands/Commandos all taking an extra 3" of movement in a turn can have massive payoff. Calamity is an all-star as well, with many cheap, reliable guns achieving admirable numbers with just a little twist of magic (much like his battlegroup!).
* [[Farrow Brigands]] - Brigands are an excellent choice for Death March, but their melee potential is harder to skew than other troop choices in the faction for the price. Prey from the [[Farrow Brigand Warlord]] can alleviate this, but leaning on Farrow Brigands for Battle Lust potential can be disappointing if you set expectations too high.
* [[Farrow Commandos]] are possibly the best choices to take advantage of Calamity at range when looking for consistent damage. Calamity + 2-man CRAs put them at  RAT 10 -> POW16+2d6 on direct hit. Blast drifts can also be tweaked with CRA + Calamity as well, trivializing high DEF, low ARM targets.
* [[Farrow Slaughterhousers]] have the highest melee damage potential in-faction, with excellent pricing and Take Down to be sure the killing sticks. While Take Down doesn't mesh well with Butchery where Midas's play against Hordes is concerned, their damage potential with Battle Lust/Calamity and their stratospheric MAT potential can not be overstated.

{{Header|Either theme}}

* [[Farrow Bone Grinders]] - Cheap and desirable. Magic weapons, CMA, dismembering warbeasts, Grievous Wounds, and Curse! Under Battle Lust they can take warbeasts apart with a 5d6 charge. And Craft Talisman is excellent for Midas, allowing him to stay a lot safer when casting Calamity or Hex Blast.
* [[Farrow Valkyries]] - although only three models they get six melee attacks (Battle Lust wheee!). And as playing Midas can be risky, Shield Guards are excellent - and they already have Vengeance. Take them, Take '''all of them.'''

=== Battlegroup ===

Midas' battlegroup make-up is highly malleable. Because of the way he supports his army, all of his most effective support tactics for ramping up to-hit/damage rolls still work with his warbeasts. War Hogs, Road Hogs, a brace of Gun Boars/Splatter Boars; all of these models get good support out of Midas. But, as mentioned prior in this article, Midas' beast choices have to account for their functionality without access to fury points as well as Primal when accounting for Pet Cemetery's late game performance. With that in mind, our battlegroup needs to;

1 - be threatening enough that your opponent is compelled to destroy warbeasts that will be critical threats if left alive.

2 - be large enough that, at half strength, you have enough warbeasts ready to return with Pet Cemetery that Midas is a credible late-game scenario/assassination threat.

3 - be dense enough that you can reliably mint Bone Tokens from your own forces, instead of relying on your opponent's list build to ensure you can play at Midas' full potential during key turns.

Among veteran Midas players, testing has lead to two different camps. Both philosophies meet all of these goals, but do so by leaning into list extremes that are not accommodating to newer players. The following explanations are tailored to describe the make-up of these two list doctrines without getting bogged down in the specifics.

{{Header| A - All The Pigs You Know}}

The first list doctrine is one that any player will recognize sitting across the table from a Farrow battlegroup. You take some War Hogs and/or Road Hogs and stack all the buffs you can think of to make one hit as hard as possible. Midas has the benefit of being able to bring them back later. Hunter's Mark, a necessity for threat extension in these lists, takes extra priority to preserve for late game, as it is one of the only ways to allow Pet Cemetery'd warbeasts to charge. Battle Boars are a lower priority here than in other lists, as Primal doesn't really make it into late game play unless things have gone impossibly well, but still appreciated for a solid alpha strike. Lastly, these lists often lean more into [[Will Work For Food]], where increasingly creative solutions to Midas' poor army threat ranges reside.

{{Header| B - Guns, Germs And Iron}}

The second list doctrine is unique to Midas. Firstly, it forgoes much of what is familiar to Farrow battlegroups by refusing to take heavies altogether, save sometimes a single Road Hog. The core of Midas' battlegroup for these lists is always a brace of three Gun Boars and at least one Splatter Boar, with sometimes Razor Boars to buffer Midas' bone token production. Where the first doctrine takes a few priority units with high damage potential, lists following this doctrine are ovarloaded with possible targets for Battle Lust, Slaughterhousers and Valkyries first among them. To supplement the lack of real-estate lost by avoiding taking heavies, a Meat Thresher serves this list well as a center-piece to draw the line of engagement. Lastly, the list often prioritizes every model being able to fire a shot, to make the most of Calamity at any possible turn. While doctrine A can work well in either list, the priority that doctrine B places on using combined arms models necessitates that doctrine B's most successful lists are almost entirely [[Thornfall Alliance]] builds.

With all of this in mind, assessing Midas' possible battlegroup choices below will take both doctrines into account, highlighting whether they lend themselves to the first or second doctrine.

{{Header| The Sounder}}
* [[Razor Boars]] (A + B) - Cheap corpse tokens. Being able to bring them back with Pet Cemetery and let them snack on a trooper from behind is not bad either. Useful roadblocks that serve the purpose twice.
* [[Battle Boar]] (A) - While Primal loses a lot when assessing Pet Cemetery, it is still a godsend for Farrow alpha strikes. Calamity working in tandem with Adrenalize ensures that it is not totally useless if brought back with Pet Cemetery as well, although the option is still not very strong.
* [[Road Hog]] (A + B) - Calamity can make the Road Hog's flamethrower sing both before and after Pet Cemetery, and it remains a serviceable heavy at all times.
* [[War Hog]] (A) - Top. Damage.
* [[Gun Boar]] (B) - A brace of Gun Boars make a fairly resilient gun platform that Midas can make good use of. Pet Cemetery'd Gun Boars can prove a harrowing late-game threat against squishier warcasters/warlocks, in particular because of the...
* [[Splatter Boar]] (B) - The Splatter Boar's animus is the backbone of any gunline described in doctrine B. Razorback Crews, Gun Boars, Farrow Commandos and special choices like [[Hutchuck, Ogrun Bounty Hunter]] all benefit. On turns where Midas isn't casting Battle Lust, he has a lot of fury to support such guns with.
* [[Boneswarm]] (F) - A difficult choice to justify for Midas. It has abilities and an animus that make it attractive on paper, but even in [[Will Work For Food]] (where support models can make up for their miserable start), Boneswarms struggle to meet their place as a viable light warbeast choice. In [[Thurnfall Alliance]], they are barely paperweights.

===First Seven Purchases===
A few veteran players have put their heads together and tried to figure out the seven best things to buy for this specific caster. This is ''not'' designed to add up to a nice round points limit, nor be balanced vs other "First Seven" lists you find on this website. It is simply going to give you some of the essentials this caster needs ''most'' of the time. 

# Warbeast: [[Road Hog]]
# Warbeast: [[Road Hog]]
# Solo: [[Gatorman Soul Slave]]
# Unit: [[Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron]]
# Unit: [[Farrow Valkyries]]
# Unit: [[Farrow Valkyries]]
# Unit: [[Nyss Hunters]]


=Other=
===Trivia===
Released in [[Hordes: Gargantuans]] (2013)

===Which Warbeasts can he take?===
{{Index Farrow Warbeasts}}

===Other Minion models===
{{Index Minions}}

===Rules Clarifications===
{{RC Limited Battlegroup}}
{{RC Tough}}
{{RC Butchery}}
{{RC Dismember}}
{{RC Curse}}

{{RC Magical Weapon}}
{{RC Soul Food}}

{{RC Battle Lust}}
{{RC Calamity}}
{{RC Death March}}
{{RC Hex Blast}}