Stormclad

The Stormclad was commissioned by King Leto specifically for the Stormblades. A walking tempest of iron and lightning, it wields a weapon of raw galvanic fury. The energy flowing through its generator blade allows the Stormclad to cleave through the heaviest armor like a storm splitting a tree and also to launch cataclysmic electrical blasts.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Assault
• Template:Construct
• Template:Immunity: Electricity
• When this model begins its activation within 3 inches of one or more Storm Knight models, this model gains 1 focus point.

Weapons

Stormbringer
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		8			1			Template:-			14			Right
Template:Electrical Damage Template:Electro Leap
Open Fist
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				3				14				Left
Template:Open Fist Template:Buckler
Generator Blade
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		2				8				19				Right
Electro Leap - as above

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Flames in the Darkness
  • Template:Gravediggers
  • Template:Heavy Metal
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest
  • Template:Storm Division

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use it in Hearts of Darkness, but only if Sloan is leading the army. This model gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Mercenary and Khador players can use it Flame in the Darkness
  • Mercenary and Convergence players can use it by putting it under the control of Nemo4 in various themes.

Thoughts on Stormclad

Stormclad in a nutshell

The Stormclad is the premier Cygnar heavy. It combines the solid statline of the ironclad, then adds every bell and whistle you could think of. A 2" melee gives it a longer threat range, the buckler means it's more survivable, electro-leap helps it clear off infantry and support models, and POW 19 means it can bust open just about anything. It's even pretty good with the gun, thanks to rat 6, pow 14, and a 13" walking range. If your caster only wants to bring 1 heavy, the stormclad should be at the top of list. However you get what you pay for and the Stormclad is very much a premium cost piece.

Combos & Synergies

• The Stormclad wants to be working near some sort of Storm Knight to benefit from Accumulator.
  • The Stormblade Captain is a jack marshal, and hands out reposition 5" to his jack. This means a free focus from the accumulator, another focus from Arlan, to spend to charge, and the reposition move after it has layed down the hate under the Crush! order. Reposition 5" means the Stormclad can shoot its gun and be 13" away from what i just shot, so you can actually get mileage out of it, without risking losing your 17 point heavy. Just be careful not to get the captain killed.
• If you combine Accumulator with Captain Arlan Strangewayes, once you have used Power Up on the Stormclad, your warcaster doesn't need to give one Stormclad any focus at all!
• Haley2 will turn a Stormclad into a serious threat with Temporal Acceleration, especially so it is being marshaled. Extra threat range and an extra attack make it dangerous indeed and if you still need a few inches on the charge you can just TK it forward.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• The drawbacks of the Stormclad all boil down to one thing - it can do just about everything which means that you pay for it all. If you only want some of the things other heavy jacks are generally cheaper - and the Stormclad struggles to do everything at the same time.
• In the same combined arms role there are two cheaper non-character rivals that do almost the same job while being significantly cheaper.
  • Reliant is 4 points cheaper and has all the Storm-synergy while only being less resilient thanks to the buckler. It doesn't hit nearly as hard but has a longer shooting threat range, and for four points less what do you expect?
  • Avenger is 2 points cheaper and hits almost as hard while having more board control on the gun. The Avenger has a 1" lower threat range and no Storm-synergy while hitting not quite as hard but, outside Storm-lists, is a good way to save points to fit something else in.
• If you intend to field it with casters who can bring character jacks, you must ask whether or not said jacks could do more for the same point cost:
  • Ol' Rowdy is even more focus efficient and even more resilient and comes with a large number of awesome rules. At the cost of a gun.
  • Dynamo has a pretty awesome bond, and a much more pronounced ranged presence. Even without Nemo a full stack Dynamo can hit almost as hard in melee as a full stack Stormclad while having a much better ranged game. On the other hand the Stormclad in Storm Division is much more focus efficient.
  • DJ Thunderhead is only a point more, has a much bigger ranged and infantry melting game and is probably more dangerous in melee thanks to the sustained attack. Of course the Thunderhead is only allowed in Heavy Metal and Storm Division.
• Storm Knight models are strongly advised to ease the focus burden via Acummulator - but they are only available in a single theme. Your other option is to take it either with Maddox, Acosta or Dreyfus2, none of whom are cheap.
  • Be careful on relying on Storm Lances or Laddermore to benefit from Accumulator. They can quickly get away from the Stormclad.
  • The Stormclad is four points more expensive than the Reliant, which is a similar all-rounder with accumulator (but fewer frills) and although the Reliant doesn't hit as hard Storm Knights aren't known for their problems breaking armour.

Tricks & Tips

• Don't forget about the Generator Blast. It's relatively high power for a gun, and is electrical damage, with all the synergies therein. If you aren't allowed to charge, or can't move, it's still a great gun if you can get something in range.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Escalation (2004)