Lord Tyrant Zaadesh

Skorne Army of the Western Reaches Paingiver Scout Warlock

Model stats and abilities

Model Statistics

Base size = 40mm		SPD	AAT	MAT	RAT	DEF	ARM	ARC	CTRL
Health = 18
FA = C
Cost = Free		6	7	7	6	15	16	7	14
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Model Advantages and Abilities

Tough	When this model is disabled, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, remove 1 damage point from this model; it is no longer disabled and becomes knocked down. While knocked down, this model loses Tough.   Errata-Tough on 4-5-6 (2023-6-22) Question: If a feat or ability says when a model "makes a Tough roll of 4,5, or 6... that model can remove 1 damage point," does that mean the model gets to remove 1 damage point from that ability PLUS another damage point from the Tough ability? Answer: No, you only remove 1 damage point. Explanation: You will only heal one point of damage due to [Madrak's] feat Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck - PP Community forum
Dual Attack	This model can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. When this model makes its initial melee attacks, it can also make its initial ranged attacks. A model with Dual Attack can make its initial melee and ranged attacks in any order you choose. This model cannot make ranged attacks after making a power attack.   Errata-Dual Attack and Unit Charges (2023-10-27) Question: If a unit with Dual Attack charges a single model, are all placed in melee range, and the first model kills the charge target, can the remaining members of the unit make ranged attacks, or do they forfeit their Combat Action because they don't have any enemy models in their melee range? Answer: The check for melee range is done at the end of movement. If you kill the targets before they attack, they can still do their ranged attack. (Malkav13) Explanation: This post is correct. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum   Errata-Dual Attack and Special Attacks (2023-08-10) Question: Can a model with Dual Attack make any combination of ranged special attack and normal melee initial attacks, or its melee special attack and normal ranged initial attacks? (Example: Bison Both Barrels and Ram, or Mariner Thresher and gunshot). Answer: No. Explanation: The bison can not use dual attack and also make a special attack. That is correct in that (Thresher) example too. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum
Annoyance	Living enemy models within 1 inch of this model suffer -1 to attack rolls. No errata for Annoyance (Create)
Battle Plan	This model can use one of the following plans at any time during its activation: Precision Strike - While within 10 inches of this model, friendly models ignore other friendly models when determining Line of Sight (LOS). Firnely models can advance through other friendly models within 10 inches of this model if they have enough movement to move completely past them.Precision Lasts for one turn. Special Orders - RNG 5. Target friendly Faction warrior model/unit. If the model/unit is in range, it gains Reposition[3"]. Reposition At the end of this model/unit's activation in which it did not run or fail a charge, this model can advance up to 3 inches, then its activation ends. No errata for Reposition (Create) Stand Your Ground - RNG 5. Target friendly Faction warrior model/unit. If the model/unit is in range, it gains Set Defense for one round. Set Defense Models suffer -2 on charge and slam power attack rolls against this model. No errata for Set Defense (Create) No errata for Battle Plan (Create) No errata for Precision Strike (Create) No errata for Special Orders (Create) No errata for Stand Your Ground (Create)
Special Action	A model can make one of the following special action(s) during its Combat Action if it meets the requirements for the special action's use: Spyglass - Target an enemy model in this model's LOS. That model loses Stealth for one round. No errata for Special Action (Create) No errata for Spyglass (Create)

Weapons

Hand Cannon
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	12	1	-	12	-
Pistol	A model making an attack with this weapon targeting a model it is in melee with ignores the Target in Melee bonus when resolving this attack.   Errata-Pistol (2023-09-17) Question: Does the pistol benefit apply to models not in melee with the attacking model when the pistol is on a spray? Answer: No, it only applies to models with which the attacking model is in melee. Explanation: The intent is that a model only ignore the penalty for being in melee with the models that model is in melee with. Pistol only works against the models in the melee with the attacking model. Infernal Ruling: Dark Legacy - PP Community forum

Black Heart
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	1	-	-	14	-
Damage Type:Magical	This weapon causes magical damage. No errata for Damage Type:Magical (Create)
Grievous Wounds	A model hit by this weapon loses Tough and cannot have damage removed from it for one round. No errata for Grievous Wounds (Create)

Spells

Avenging Force	Cost	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
	2	Self	Ctrl	-	Upkeep	No
If one or more friendly Faction warrior models were damaged by enemy attacks while in the spellcaster's control range during your opponent's last turn, during your Maintenance Phase one model in the spellcaster's battlegroup in its control range can advance 3 inches and make one basic attack.
No errata for Avenging Force (Create)

Storm Rager	Cost	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
	3	6	-	-	Upkeep	No
Target friendly Faction warrior model gains +2 MAT and ARM and +2 on melee attack damage rolls and cannot be targeted by combined ranged attacks or combined melee attacks.
No errata for Storm Rager (Create)

Warlock Rules

Warlock

Warlock Rules A warlock is an Independent Model. a Leader model. a Battlegroup Controller controls warbeasts. Warlocks use Fury Manipulation Uses ARC to determine how many fury points it gains each turn. Begins the game with a number of fury points equal to its ARC. Cannot exceed its ARC stat in fury points as a result of leeching. Can spend fury points only during its activation (unless a special rule states otherwise) for the following: Buy additional attacks Boost attack rolls Boost damage rolls Shake some effects Can leach fury points from warbeasts in its battlegroup in its control range. Spirit Bond allows the warlock to gain a fury for each of its dead battlegroup warbeasts. Reaving allows the warlock to pull fury points from a warbeast in its battlegroup when it dies.

Feat

Rough House

While in Boomhowler's control range, friendly Faction models gain:

• +2 DEF
• Rapid Healing

Rapid Healing

When this model is damaged by an enemy attack, immediately after the attack is resolved remove d3 damage points from it.
No errata for Rapid Healing (Create)

Rough House lasts for one round.

Videos

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LEGACY------------

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LEGACY------------

Zaadesh rose from a wounded soldier who few thought would return to the field of battle to an influential lord tyrant. In battle, Zaadesh empowers his army to strike with brutal precision and to punish those enemies within reach before they get the chance to strike. He takes every opportunity in these endeavors so that he may one day face Archdomina Makeda, remove her from her seat, and finally see his own ends come to fruition.

Basic Info

This model is a Warlock.

Warlock Rules A warlock is an Independent Model. a Leader model. a Battlegroup Controller controls warbeasts. Warlocks use Fury Manipulation Uses ARC to determine how many fury points it gains each turn. Begins the game with a number of fury points equal to its ARC. Cannot exceed its ARC stat in fury points as a result of leeching. Can spend fury points only during its activation (unless a special rule states otherwise) for the following: Buy additional attacks Boost attack rolls Boost damage rolls Shake some effects Can leach fury points from warbeasts in its battlegroup in its control range. Spirit Bond allows the warlock to gain a fury for each of its dead battlegroup warbeasts. Reaving allows the warlock to pull fury points from a warbeast in its battlegroup when it dies.

Feat : Scorpion's Sting

While in Zaadesh's Template:CTRL range, friendly Faction models gain +2 STR and MAT and Defensive Strike. Scorpion's Sting lasts for one round.

Template:Defensive Strike-alt

Abilities

• Template:Flank
• Template:Sacrificial Pawn

Weapons

Deathsong - 2" reach, POW 6, P+S 12 melee weapon

• Template:Magical Weapon

Spells

{{Category: Template:Battle-ChargedTemplate:Burning AshTemplate:Flashing BladeTemplate:Inviolable Resolve }}[[Category: Template:Battle-ChargedTemplate:Burning AshTemplate:Flashing BladeTemplate:Inviolable Resolve ]]

Theme Forces

• Template:Disciples of Agony
• Template:Masters of War. He gains "Optional Take Down" in this theme.
• Template:The Exalted
• Template:Winds of Death

Thoughts on Zaadesh2

Zaadesh2 in a nutshell

Zaadesh is a beatstick warlock with some control elements. Battle charged and Burning Ash are here to complicate the life of your opponent and make you deliver your army, but it's not a full control caster like Haley can be - instead he gets in the way of shooting long enough to deliver his army for a beatdown. In some ways he's considered the "Skorniest" of Skorne warlocks, and is certainly considered one of Skorne's best.

With his feat and Sac-Pawn Zaadesh can survive most assassination attempts. But he is really susceptible to control based opponents that restrict the movements of his mostly melee force.

Maximising his feat and spells

Feat Zaadesh's feat is excellent with both offensive and defensive components. It both wrecks enemies and kills them coming in. It's at its best when you get the alpha strike and your models have reach attacks to destroy the charges of incoming melee attacks. Having battle-charged and burning ash in play can add to your opponents headaches in their turn when coupled with this feat.

Spells

• Battle-Charged is a spell to be put up on turn 1 and upkept for the entire game. Strong opponents won't give you many counter-charges but they certainly have to work to play around it.
• Burning Ash gives Zaadesh a cloud wall to block charges and firing lanes. He can't produce many but it's enough to provide some cover from melee and shooting alike, and sometimes enough to set up a full alpha strike. Using this in conjunction with other clouds (say from the Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew) lets you control the battlefield and helps you force the enemy to consider taking a counter charge.
• Inviolable Resolve is a simple defensive buff that also prevents models being pushed. Simple and effective. Models with an already high arm are the best targets, Immortals will of course not get much from the secondary effect in theme, but Karax and even Nihilators are also viable.
• Flashing Blade is a useful melee spell, effectively giving a thresher attack. It’s toolbox is deceptively deep as if you survive an assassination you can use flashing blade to kill your target then still move and make initial attacks after.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Enrage from Paingiver Beast Handlers doesn't work with Defensive Strike or Countercharge, alas.
• He is one of the few warlocks in the game without a zap spell meaning that unless you bring other magical weapons (e.g. via an Extoller Soulward or unit of Immortals) Incorporeal models can be a minor nightmare.
• Most of his kit is based around forcing your opponent to make difficult decisions, but that comes at the cost of quite a static play-style for the person playing him.

Tricks & Tips

• Counter charge channelers, shooters, and spellcasters with sacrificial fodder to prevent them from hitting your precious stuff. Scarabs are ideal for that.
• His clouds are key. Two, next to each other, block line of site for charges very effectively. Deciding which of your opponent's models get to charge and which don't is probably his biggest strength. Don't be fooled into trying to shut down shooting the same way though. The angles won't be in your favor.
• Don't overdo it with clouds. You want to soften the alpha strike of your opponent with them, but trying to deny it completely will usually lead you emptied of fury and vulnerable nonetheless.
• Under Battle-Charged, Zaadesh can counter charge. That's a high-risk, high-reward proposition, that you usually should do if a bunch of beast are also counter-charging.
• Opponents should remember that Zaadesh has a decent range on his melee assassination thanks to counter charge and this can catch people by surprise. (This is mostly used for bullying rather than actual assassinations; smart enemies will keep their caster back so you won't get this assassination - but it's something they have to play round)
• Flashing Blade is not an attack per se - you can still cast it, if you sacrificed your combat action to get up from Knockdown. It is situational, but if you do not need your combat action (for a charge, for example), it costs only 1 fury; just as many as to shake off the above mentioned effects.
• Another application of Flashing Blade is to remove nearby models around your charge target (like, a beast for transferring damage). You can make your charge move, cast Flashing Blade to finish off the would-be transfer target, then make your charge attack against your original target (all that demands you not to fail your charge, though). Works especially well, if multiple targets are in flanking distance of your battlegroup members.
• Inviolable Resolve prevents pushes. If you're dealing with an enemy you think is going to try and grab your warlock (e.g. Retribution's Helios) then put it on whichever warbeast you are going to sacrificial pawn on.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Zaadesh is an attrition warlock who normally plays a pretty tight beast-brick both to maximise counter-charge and so he can hide most of his army behind a cloud wall but is just as home with a lot of reach weapons. Inviolable Resolve just means he needs one really tough model/unit (Cetrati, Animantarax, Titan with a shield).

His feat does impressive work. Get close to Zaadesh's lines and they will mangle you.

Theme thoughts

As a warlock with a number of battlegroup abilities Disciples of Agony seems the obvious choice, but it's more complex than that.

Template:Header Bring a Siege Animantarax for speed and scenario use your warbeast points. And for the feat, of course.

• Siege Animantarax Not so much for counter-charge (it can't), but Zaadesh's feat does terrifying things for the Animantarax - especially with the knockdown defensive strike.
• Nihilators already have a 2" reach and really appreciate his feat. They just melt easily.
• You get minion warbeasts - which have a different set of strengths to Skorne's.
  • The Swamp Horror at MAT 8 can eat infantry.
  • The Battle Boar offers Primal which can grant a +4 to hit and to damage on feat turn.

Template:Header This theme has a lot of models with Reach which can make Zaadesh's feat very scary. The second most popular choice with Zaadesh - great theme with a very good warlock and significant synergy.

• The Supreme Guardian, mentioned above, can also be in this theme.
• Immortals - Zaadesh's feat works well with hard hitting models with long weapons.

Template:Header He can either bunch up with Cataphracts or Ferox behind the cloud wall or run a very aggressive feat. And Inviolable Resolve is great on Cetrati.

• Tiberion - Zaadesh want his warbeast hard hitting, sturdy, and with reach. Critical smite also work well with both counter charge and defensive strike.
• Cataphract Cetrati It's a good target for Inviolable Resolve, who is very hard to remove and hit hard. They also like his feat.
• Praetorian Karax love inviolable resolve for the same reason as cetrati. But as you get more bodies you get more options with Zaadesh’s feat.

Template:Header The infantry in this theme doesn’t really fit for Zaadesh, no reach and predominantly ranged.

• The Siege Animantarax and Supreme Guardian, mentioned above, can also be in this theme.
• Venator Slingers - just cheap advance deploying infantry that make things easier to hit. Low cost and setting up battlegroup models to do more is their only real synergy.

• Paingiver Beast Handlers beyond the obvious statement that a predominantly beast focused caster enjoys the best beast support in the game. The handlers actually become melee threats on feat turn due to anatomical precision, inflict pain can also be used on feat turn to further blunt a counter attack.
• Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew create clouds. The more clouds you have the more useful extra clouds are. (See also Bog Trog Mist Speaker). The Bellows Crew is frequently Zaadesh's choice for a minion unit in a theme force.
• Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor to keep Zaadesh safe from magic when you play him forward, bullying the enemy caster. He's not as valuable as he was thanks to the overlap with the Supreme Guardian.
• Extoller Soulward and Bog Trog Mist Speaker provide guidance to cover for his lack of magical weapons.

Battlegroup

With Counter-charge to his battlegroup and Defensive Strike Zaadesh likes a solid battle group (and the inevitable Paingiver Beast Handlers. Counter Charge is, of course, much more useful on warbeasts with a 2" melee reach such as the following:

• Titan Sentry Same thing as Tiberion, but cheaper. You can get both a retaliatory strike *and* a defensive strike or a charge.
• Rhinodon - it's cheap and it's effective. Remember you can crit knockdown on the counter charge. More importantly, remind your opponent that.
• Despoiler - The free upkeep make fury management significantly easier and regulary allow for another cloud. The clouds in turn protect Despoiler. It's also pretty hard hitting and helps everyone counter-charging.
• Aradus Soldier is already resistant to shooting, but with clouds in the way it can benefit his positioning and can protect him even more from shooting. Countercharge gives it both the mobility it lacks and it is something with reach and pull it can really take advantage of. It takes IR pretty well and finally if he can charge for his main attack it's painful.
• Aradus Sentinel - an unusual choice due to pillow-fistedness. But it shoots, it grabs, and it's great to sac pawn to. Zaadesh's feat fixes the pillowfistetness somewhat.
• Cyclops Savage - it's cheap and effective.
• Cyclops Brute and Cyclops Shaman - both also have reach although aren't that great at hitting.
• Scarab Pack - OK, so no reach. Just a counter charge and crit paralysis. Running 1 is a great option as it’s a 3 point sacrificial pawn target that can protect your other lesser warbeasts.
• Basilisk Krea If you're really paranoid about shooting. Also counter-charge helps it get into position to flank with a Basilisk Drake or even Chiron.

There are a handful of beasts he appreciates for their animus.

• Titan Gladiator - just a great beast and everyone loves Rush it’s stock has gone down a bit with the release of the Terrorizer
• Archidon - sprint synergies with Flashing Blade. Charge in, clear some troops, run away.
• Agonizer - if you are going to brick up you want this guy. Or the Basilisk Krea to mess up shooting even further.
• Basilisk Drake just in case he needs Pathfinder. And counter-charge is an excellent way to get a surprise flank from a Krea.

Other

Trivia

• Zaadesh's family supported Makeda's brother, Akkad, before she took command of House Balaash. Now he is secretly supported by a rogue faction of House Balaash to kill Makeda and dissolve the Empire in favour of the old ways. Dominar Rasheth is secretly a benefactor of Zaadesh, but with unknown motives. He is also the same person as the warlock Tyrant Zaadesh
• Released near the start of Mk3 (2016.11)

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.04 Connor's Retribution Analysis, vs Irusk2
• 2019.04 Arcane Assist, vs Mackay1
• 2018.09 Tactical Supremacy, vs Vyros2
• 2018.09 Tactical Supremacy, vs Vyros2 (again)
• 2018.09 Arcane Assist, vs Butcher1
• Template:VBR