Scharde Pirates

Most of the living humans who serve Cryx do so as part of the pirate raiding fleets. They are notorious for being willful and bloodthirsty scoundrels of volatile temperament. Sailors in the Cryxian fleets bear marks of the Dragonfather’s blessing in the forms of scales, bony protrusions, and horns growing out of their flesh. These pirates are hardy due in part to the blight toughening their bodies but much more so because their lives are brutal and their battles frequent.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Entire unit
  • Template:Assault
  • Template:Tough
  • Template:Gang

• Officer only
  • She has a better statline
  • Template:Officer
  • Template:No Quarter
  • Template:Tactics (Template:Feign Death-alt)

Weapons

Deck Sweeper
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		SP 6			1			Template:-			12
Template:Critical Continuous Fire
Hand Weapon
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				3				9

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Template:Slaughter Fleet Raiders

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army.
  • Mercenary players can use this unit in the Template:The Talion Charter theme. They become a Privateer unit in this theme.

Thoughts on Scharde Pirates

File:Scharde Pirates CA.jpg

Command Attachment

Scharde Pirates in a nutshell

They're cannon fodder troops with spray weapons. Their base stats are abysmal. Despite having sprays, their MAT, RAT and POW are very low and they need extra help from elsewhere to get anything done.

In Cryx (Scourge of the Broken Coast) they relatively unpopular because if the stronger unit options in the same theme.

In Mercenaries (Talion Charter) they're excellent. They benefit enormously from Rockbottom's Money Shot making their sprays quite dangerous, especially with Rahera and Fiona. They are also considered Privateers and so get boosts to their toughness so that is where they will truly shine.

Thoughts on the CA

It's not an auto-include, but 2" extra threat and Feign Death are both nice so it's a compelling option.

Combos & Synergies

• Skarre2 and Raheras' Black Spot spell can let them fire two sprays each turn, which is pretty cool.
• Scourge of the Broken Coast warjacks need warrior models to get their Gang Fighter bonus. These guys can do that job cheaply-ish.
• A Satyxis Blood Priestess can turn then into cheap-ish Sucker targets for your caster.

• In Talion Charter:
  • Gaining the keyword "Privateer" allows several Mercenary solos to start buffing them.
  • Lord Rockbottom's Money Shot ability turns their sprays into RAT 7, POW 14 attacks with assault.
  • Shae - If he feats and cast Coup de Main on them, Scharde Pirates threaten 22" among minfeat and Assault.
  • Bosun Grogspar and Doc Killingsworth grant them 4+ tough and no knockdown.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• In Cryx, they're only allowed in one theme and there they're overshadowed by the Satyxis and Blighted Trollkin units in the role of skirmishing single wound infantry.
• In other words, they're fulfilling a role that doesn't need to be filled.
• They are thus effectively more of a Mercenary unit that they are a Cryx unit. Meaning they are not really a good jump-off point for Cryx players trying to build into mercs and vice versa.

These particular drawbacks don't apply to Mercenary players using them in Talion Charter, where they're actually quite a good choice thanks to Money Shot. The main drawback in Talion is they are not Sea Dogs and therefore are not eligible for Sacrificial Pawn or Object of Desire.

Tricks & Tips

None really. They're a pretty straightforward combat unit.

Other

Trivia

• Released in the Black Fleet expansion (2017.11)