Kayazy Assassins

File:MercenariesLogo.jpg File:Khador Logo.jpg

Template:FH2 Template:FH3 Template:FH2 Template:FH3

The kayazy, merchant-princes of the new Khadoran Empire, have long employed bands of skilled and ruthless bladesmen to settle scores. Now these private soldiers go south to protect their masters' investment in the war. With a swift dueling style honed on the pitiless streets, these casual killers easily avoid unfavorable fights to attack in a group and quickly dispatch even well armored foes.

The ruthless underbosses lead handpicked teams of assassins in the service of their Kayazy masters. These skilled, patience, and intelligent killers rise to their rank through murder and cutthroat competition. They demand a sizable price for their services, but are worth every coin. An underboss leading an assassination team all but assures the death of the target.

Basic Info

Mercenary - This unit will work as a Template:Khador Partisan.

• Template:Partisan

Abilities

• Entire Unit
  • Template:Parry
  • Template:Stealth
  • Template:Anatomical Precision
  • Template:Duelist
  • Template:Gang

• Underboss
  • He has a better statline
  • Template:Tough
  • Template:Kill Stroke
  • Template:Tactics (Template:Shadow Dance)

Weapons

Leader & Grunts	Assassin Blade File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  0.5 4 10
Underboss	Assassin Blade (x2) File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  0.5 4 10

Theme Forces

• Mercenary
  • Template:The Irregulars
  • Template:Operating Theater (only if controlled by a Cephalyx Dominator)

• Khador
  • As a Mercenary model, they can be taken in most of the Khador themes. However, this will use your "Up to one Mercenary unit" slot (most of the time).
  • Template:Armored Corps
  • Template:Si
  • Template:Jaws of the Wolf. They don't use your "Up to one Merc" slot in this theme.
  • Template:Legion of Steel
  • Template:Si
  • Template:Winter Guard Kommand
  • Template:Wolves of Winter

Thoughts on Kayazy Assassins

File:Underboss.jpg

Command Attachment

Kayazy Assassins in a nutshell

Kayazy Assassins can do a lot of work if they are able to reach the opposing force, especially if they can charge one turn and backstab the next, or perhaps even do both on the same turn. They die fast to blast damage, and so prefer spells like Solid Ground or Iron Flesh to keep them alive. They also lack pathfinder and have a below average threat range. Casters that shore up their deficiencies are required or they just die.

Combos & Synergies

• Irusk1 and Irusk2 are the main infantry support casters in the faction; they have a readily available package to boost hitting power, or survival on the Kayazys. Doubling up Stealth with no-kd tough makes them suprisingly tricky to get rid of.
• Any Iron Flesh caster does soemthing for them, as blasts are their natural predator.
• Any of the casters with Fury ups their offensive profile significantly. Butcher1 in particular, with him you can live the dream by protecting them on the advance with Iron Flesh, then swap to Fury and have them roll up to 5 damage die under feat at P+S 13.
• Kozlov has an all important SPD buff for them as well as Fury and with Shadow Dance they can get into very interesting places for Gang Fighter.
• Malakov2 - Discombobulate means you can start your Shadow Dance with a Backstab charge. Veil of Mists alleviates the lack of Pathfinder.

• Gorten Grundback has Solid Ground, which helps them not die but doesn't help their threat range issues.
• Rhupert or Saxon grant Pathfinder, Rhupert can also give them Tough which is neat with Gorten's Solid Ground spell
• Lanyssa's Hunter's Mark helps them get there.
• Crosse1 for even easier backstabs.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They rely on Back Stab to get any work against harder targets done but are only SPD 6 and have no movement tricks to speak of that would help them get into back arcs.
• Low armor. Anything with high MAT/RAT, or auto-hit will clear these guys fast. They are especially vulnerable to sprays.
• Low speed and DEF for their roles (Duelist somewhat mitigates that).
• Anatomical Precision only works against living models and there's a bunch of non-living stuff that is very popular, including Archons, Jacks, Clocks, Immortals, ect.
• In Mercenaries they compete directly with Croe's Cutthroats for the role of a stealthy unit that relies on Backstab for offence, and Croes usually come out on top.

Tricks & Tips

File:Kayazy Assassin Shadow 1.jpg

Oh no, the left-hand assassins have charged out of formation (the red aura)! They won't get to attack this turn.
... or won't they?

File:Kayazy Assassin Shadow 2.jpg

After the right-hand assassins have finished their attacks, the Underboss can be Shadow Danced over and get the left-hand ones back in formation before they attack.
After that, you can get the right-hand ones to Shadow Dance back in formation, ready for next turn.

• Parry lets you get into the enemy's back arc to get your Kill Stroke.
• Shadow Dance:
  • You can't place the model that just attacked.
  • You place the model within 3" of itself, not the attacking model.
  • You cannot place yourself out of formation (refer to the core rulebok).
  • Shadow Dance can be used on free strikes. So if something tries to get away from you, simply hit them and get another assassin to jump back in their way.
  • Shadow Dance can be used to spread your unit out really thin and make attacks "out of formation" - see the thumbnails.

Other

Trivia

File:MiniCrate9 4 KayazyGodfather.jpg

Kayazy Godfather; Minicrate Exclusive.

• The unit & UA were both released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Template:LES