Storm Strider

Towering above its enemies, the lightning-wreathed Storm Strider moves across the battlefield raining voltaic death upon all who stand against Cygnar. Its lightning cannon is one of the most potent weapons in the Cygnaran arsenal and represents the pinnacle of stormsmith achievement. More devastating still is the Storm Strider's ability to capture and store the energy of enemy attacks, adding this deadly kinetic force to its withering lightning blasts.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Electrical Immunity
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Build Up Power
• Template:Conductor
• Template:Dual Attack
• Template:Repulsor Field
• Template:Superconduction

Weapons

Lightning Cannon
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		14			2			Template:-			15
Template:Electrical Damage Template:Critical Disruption Template:Lightning Generator
Stomp
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		1				3				13
Lightning Generator - as above

Theme Forces

• Template:Storm Division
• Template:Heavy Metal

Thoughts on Storm Strider

Storm Strider in a nutshell

The Storm Strider is Cygnar's lightning themed, self-enhancing, support battle engine both capable of putting out a lot of lightning arcs and hurting heavies at range. Once the enemy gets into its respectable CMD zone, its shots are murderously accurate, and makes your other lightning attacks all the more threatening. Once in melee, it must rely on its Repulsor Field to survive - which can be surprisingly effective (if the enemy fails to position his units so, that they cannot be pushed out of melee). Heavies with RNG 1" melee weapons get one attack before the Repulsor Field pushes them out of melee (2" gives them a second), and although charging Weapon Master infantry should be able to take it apart, it's a lightning themed model - it's supposed to fry them before they can charge in.

Combos & Synergies

• The other Storm buffers - Firefly, Silver Line Stormguard, Nemo3.
• Laddermore's Veteran Leader ability adds another layer of accuracy buff for the Storm Knight models in her CMD, making the ranged electro attacks incredibly accurate.
• Anything that does lightning damage.
• The Strider is a very favoured part of the Storm Division theme list. As all of your models are electro-immune, it's arcs will ignore them and jump onto enemy models.
• Since it can be shot without repercussions, and enemies don't want to be anywhere near its CMD zone, it appreciates every bit of extra ARM on it to minimalize shooting damage. Casters with Deceleration and/or Arcane Shield are your best friends.
• Major Victoria Haley - Temporal Acceleration allows you an extra shot on the gun (which will generate e-leaps) as well as get an extra 2 inches of movement.
• Alexia1 she brings throwaway bodies that you can use to run right next to a stealth/high DEF model, then shoot it in the back with your strider, lightning will arc into the enemy model and fry it.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Even after the 2017 Battle Engine update, the Storm Strider is still one of the squishier BEs. Its HPs are in between a light and a heavy warjack now, but its low DEF and the huge base makes it an easy target for shooting, especially since Kinetic Accumulator is gone.
  • On the flip side, it requires no focus to operate, and can fill itself up with tokens for boosting.
• A skilled opponent will position a model so the repel ability doesn't save the Storm Strider (although it's surprisingly good).
• If you cannot advance, or want to forfeit your normal movement for aiming, you won't get Power Tokens.
• As every Battle Engine, it is not part of your battlegroup, so those spells won't affect them.

Tricks & Tips

• Charge and then shoot for extra range (no shooting for failed charges, though).
• Look for low defense targets that can be used to leap off of. An especially useful one is objectives, which generally have squishy support units skulking nearby.
• You can also have him kick an engaged warjack in the back, causing lightning to hit the models engaging them and allowing the warjack to walk free. The POW is low enough that the jack won't suffer crippling damage.
• Watch out for Sturdy models - the Repulsor Field won't save you from their attack.
• There's an odd rule interaction between Rhyas' feat and the Repulsor Field. Once the Strider is damaged, the attacker is placed in B2B with the target, then it is pushed away 1". Be on the lookout, as you can easily give a free inch of threat range to a rampaging Scythean, or even for Rhyas herself...
  • The same goes for other teleporting shenanigans, including the Lord of the Feast, or Thagrosh1's Mutagenesis. The latter can yield starling amount of extra distance between Thagrosh' base width and 2" melee range.
• Remember, the Strider can benefit from its own Superconduction when selecting targets to hit.

Other

Trivia

• Released in the Warmachine: Wrath expansion book (2011)