Hearthgut Hooch Hauler

Hooch haulers combine the two favorite pastimes of the Northkin: battle and dangerously strong alcohol. These armored wagons are loaded with sloshing kegs filled with the highest-proof booze a warband can distill. As the great bears hauling the wagon trample through the enemy’s ranks, the crew lights volatile kegs and flings them into concentrations of warriors or hoses down infantry with pressurized sprays of burning spirits. When the enemy army is defeated, the Northkin gather at their hooch haulers to drink deeply and share stories of their accomplishments during the battle.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Cavalry
• Template:Construct
• Template:Immunity Cold
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Beer Wagon
• Template:Dual Attack
• Template:Reposition 3
• Template:Veteran Leader

Weapons

• Torch (x2) - 10" spray, POW 12 gun
  • Template:Fire Damage
  • Template:Continuous Fire
• Cask Bomb - 8" range, 4" AOE, POW 16 gun
  • Damage Type: Fire - As above
  • Continuous Fire - As above
  • Template:Accelerant
  • Template:Rear Attack
• Mount - 0.5" reach, POW 14 mount attack
  • Template:Knockdown
  • Template:Trampling Hooves

Theme Forces

• Template:Storm of the North
• Template:Kriel Company

Thoughts on Hearthgut Hooch Hauler

Hearthgut Hooch Hauler in a nutshell

The Hearthgut Hooch Hauler provides a strong suite of support abilities for any Northkin force. Veteran Leader will help all of your Northkin land their attacks, Stumbling Drunk will keep your warriors on their feet and in fighting order, and the Oil special rule granted by High Proof on the Cask Bomb will set up all of your fire-based attacks for a very powerful turn. With two SP 10 attacks and an AOE 4 fire bomb, this battle engine brings a lot of pain to the enemies of the North!

Combos & Synergies

• All Northkin models like Veteran leader and stumbling drunk.
  • Remember Borka2 has Field Marshal [Northkin] so all his beasts love the hooch too.
• Northkin Raiders and Northkin Fire Eaters especially benefit from the HHH. Veteran leader to make them hit better, Beer Wagon to keep them alive and oil to boost their fire damage rolls!
• Pyg Lookouts benefit from the HHH's presence and can mark targets for the HHH to hit.
• Horgle2 likes models that can spread fire and provide his beasts with free charges and on feat turn he can boost attack rolls and damage rolls vs models on fire (does not stack with oil).
• Dozer & Smigg - Lucky Shot makes it RAT 7, aka it puts it at a level that a piece this expensive should be in the first place, if only on the Cask Bomb attack.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Template:BAHI2
• Big and debuffable target.
• It's RAT 5. In SotN you will need to bring Pyg Lookouts, knock down tech, or even another HHH to make this thing hit anything at range. Which is quite a request coming from a 18 point model. In Kriel company keep it near a cheap solo like a Troll Whelp to get the much needed accuracy
• If it isn’t using its buffing abilites (Veteran Leader, Stumbling Drunk and accelerant) a War Wagon has the same melee game, longer ranged guns, a built in accuracy buff and is 1 point more.
  • Because of this your list building is kind of limited in Kriel Company, Pyg Lookouts, Northkin Raiders, a Krielstone with the Northkin Elder as well as some warbeasts and possibly your caster are the only eligible Northkin models, and none of them are unique to the theme.

Tricks & Tips

• A Stumbling Drunk skirmish screen is very good at preventing the Hooch Hauler being charged.

Other

Trivia

Released in the Northkin expansion (2017.07)