Grand Exemplar Kreoss

All Menites are brothers in battle to Grand Exemplar Kreoss, and he is determined to avenge the fallen and the lost. Taking on the burden of every death to stoke the warrior’s furnace within him, his rage and fury have become the spear and shield of Menoth’s vengeance.

Basic Info

Warcaster abilities:

• Focus Manipulation

• Battlegroup Controller

• Power Field

• Spellcaster

• Independent Model

• Leader

Feat : Strength of Arms

1. When a friendly Faction model makes a melee attack while the enemy model is in in Kreoss' Template:Control range, the attack automatically hits.
2. While in Kreoss' Template:Control range, friendly Faction models can make one additional melee attack during their Combat Actions.

Strength of Arms lasts for one turn.

Abilities

• Template:Tough
• Template:Imperishable Conviction
• Template:Paragon of Faith

Weapons

• Justifier - 2" reach, P+S 14 melee weapon.
  • Template:Magical Weapon
  • Template:Smite Attack
  • Template:Life Trader

Spells

{{Category: Template:Battle-ChargedTemplate:CastigateTemplate:ChastenTemplate:Cleansing FireTemplate:Inviolable ResolveTemplate:Sacrosanct }}[[Category: Template:Battle-ChargedTemplate:CastigateTemplate:ChastenTemplate:Cleansing FireTemplate:Inviolable ResolveTemplate:Sacrosanct ]]

Theme Forces

• Template:Exemplar Interdiction. He gains Aegis in this theme.
• Template:Guardians of the Temple
• Template:The Creator's Might. He can start the game with upkeeps in play, and upkeep them for free on turn 1, in this theme.
• Template:The Faithful Masses
• Template:Si

Thoughts on Kreoss2

Kreoss2 in a nutshell

In many respects, he is dialed up version of Kreoss1, not necessarily in terms of strength but in terms of play style. He is one trick pony and basically walking feat with limited melee potential and some spells to support his army, that needs to do all the work. It's just that his feat can bring more hurt to the enemy (albeit only in melee) as his spells are generally weaker to offset that. His weapon still has good POW and he has enought FOC to dish a lot of attacks, now he is also pseudo-weapon master thanks to life trader he can delete most thinks if he sets his mind onto it, but his survivability still requires you to be careful with him. If you like exemplar units and want an army that exclusively features them, he's good option.

Feat thoughts

Kreoss1 used his feat to knock the enemy down and make them easier to hit. Kreoss2 says "eh, let's skip that nonsense and just auto-hit them (in melee)". This makes Kreoss2 far superior against anything immune to knockdown (of which there is more and more in the game).

Given that he normally fills his army with hard-hitting weapon masters that on feat turn become super accurate and get an extra attack, his feat is great against high-ARM armies and/or high-DEF armies and/or high-model-count armies - so it's good vs everything, basically. The only downside is mastering timing with this feat, to make sure you can actually get at enough enemy models to justify its use. Your opponent will probably try and "bait your feat" by putting a frontline forward that they're prepared to lose to your feat, then try and counterpunch you.

Note that the extra attack is an "additional" attack which, by definition, occurs after your initial attacks. If something is triggered by your initial attacks, such as Chain Attack, then you have to resolve that before starting the bonus feat attack.

Spell thoughts

• Battle-Charged adds a new dimension to Kreoss' battlegroup. Although skilled opponents won't get caught by it too often, it's still something they have to consider when going in. It's usually worth casting turn one and upkeeping.
• Castigate can throw a wrench into armies relying on recasting key animi or requiring channeled spells. You won't cast it every game, but it can be backbreaking when you do use it.
• Chasten is short-ranged and needs to damage to actually do anything, but it can take care of many annoying spells.
• Sacrosanct can be useful against enemy infantry, especially those with multiple attacks such as Tharn Ravagers or Long Gunners of either stripe. Unfortunately, RFP effects get around it, and several themes give it out to all of their warrior models, making this a situational spell much of the time.
• Inviolable Resolve provides an ARM bonus and protection against control effects. It's best used on already hardy multi-wound models or those you want to protect against small-arms shooting. You can also put it on Kreoss himself if you're worried about his safety.
• Cleansing Fire is a basic nuke. Kreoss usually has better things to spend his Focus on, so its most likely use is to clear off Incorporeal models.

Drawbacks & Downsides

Kreoss has problem with gunlines as he has very limited means of protection for his units and no way to speed them up. He can still do well as those models that make it can do a lot of damage (and Daughters can be immensely helpful) but it is a bit of an uphill battle even in best scenario as he relies on his army to do virtually all of the work, so if not enough of them makes it, he's done for.

Armies that are just naturally strong against infantry with multiple continuous effect AOEs or just obscene number of attacks can ruffle his feathers as well.

Kreoss' play style is also very much predictable and not exactly stunning list in flashy moves department. He marches towards the enemy, feats, charges in the straight line and hopes for the best. It can be very effective but experienced enough opponents will predict him and try to minimize the damage.

Tricks & Tips

• Strength of Arms has an awesome, often maligned perk too; it saves an incredible amount of time on your deathclock. Since you don't have to waste seconds on working out the attack roll, you can go right to the damage rolls. In more exotic cases you can also skip damage rolls too, if the P+S on your weapon is high enough to kill them outright. In both cases however be on the lookout for any rule interaction and sequencing that is tied to an attack or a damage roll. Fast gameplay should not warrant carelessness.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Kreoss2 is all about explosive feat turns. His spells offer only a marginal boost to his army's effectiveness for a Protectorate caster so there will be casualties along the way, but his feat can make up for it. Not wasting his feat pointlessly on the first random charge nor holding on to it until it's too late are steps one, two, and three with this guy. His feat can override high defense values which makes him the bane against certain factions but pointless against others (for instance you don't need help hitting Khador heavies).

With MAT 8 and Life Trader he can do quite a bit of damage on his own, but it's best to use him offensively mid-to-late game once you've hopefully thinned out the models that can threaten him. Until then, he's best deployed in the center of his army.

Kreoss likes any solo that helps him buff his infantry in some way, or even ones to support his jacks. Only thing he might stay clear on are probably spell-support solos as most lists simply don't have anything for Kreoss to do, to be in need of that extra focus.

Jacks benefit slightly less then infantry from his feat as they offer fewer attacks for their cost then squad of infantry, but those attacks are high POW and automatically hit. Additionally, Battle-Charged can make certain warjacks more appealing than others.

Theme Thoughts

Kreoss likes Exemplars. They're all high POW infantry with Weapon Master attacks who love automatically hitting and getting an extra hit in as well.

• Basic Knights Exemplar are relatively cheap and effective Weapon Master infantry with potential for some divine punishment under Battle-Driven. The CA that makes them more reliable outside of feat turn with their mini-feat, or allows for bit more reliable damage output during feat, and each Knight can dish out up to three attacks with overtake thanks to those two.
• Exemplar Errants are not what they used to be but are still fairly effective screen for the rest of your army.
• Exemplar Vengers bring respectable mobility to otherwise sluggish army. Auto-hitting Impact Attacks are great for pushing through chaff, while the extra attack from the feat lets them hit enemies with their sword after a Lance attack.
• Exemplar Bastions and especially Exemplar Cinerators are nice man-brick to hide your caster and still offer potent melee attacks, with Cinerators being a bit faster than the harder-hitting Bastions due to Vengeance, and more survivable thanks to Shield Wall.
• Gravus for Brother's Keeper (and potential beat stick when high on souls), as well as speeding up your slower Exemplars.
• Knight Exemplar Seneschal is a slashy stabby solo that Kreoss can enhance.
• The Exemplar Warder makes an excellent bodyguard to Kreoss with its, er, Bodyguard ability boosting his DEF to a respectable 16 in melee, and Shield Guards are always welcome.

Kreoss 2 doesn't have a lot of synergy with the theme; he prefers having many models making attacks rather than spending his points on a few that will only make a handful of attacks.

• Scourge of Heresy - Combined with Castigate, you can effectively shut down enemy spellcasting with its Arcane Vortex. Additionally, auto-hitting Thresher attacks will wipe out any infantry your opponent is foolish enough to clump together.

Not the best theme for him, but also not the worst. It brings a lot of infantry with average MAT that will appreciate the auto-hitting part of the feat; unfortunately, their low POW means they might just bounce off of high ARM targets.

• Daughters of the Flame - Kreoss also always had a bit of an affair with these girls as three auto-hitting Anatomical Precision attacks with and Acrobatics can be rather devastating.
• Flamebringers - Auto-hitting impact attacks and an additional Weapon Master sword attack will let you decimate most infantry. They're also fast, and with Parry, they can usually go to where they want to be.
• Nicia1 is a slashy stabby solo that Kreoss can enhance.
• Pyrrhus will get a total of four Weapon Master attacks under feat. A fun trick for scenario is assigning both the Rapid Strike and feat attack to his shield for three Beat Backs, allowing you to push an enemy three inches from its initial position.

An interesting way to play Kreoss2. It has Weapon Masters (though not as many as Exemplar Interdiction), but its Paladin models are a bit more resilient, and faster than most of them as well. Although not a key part of his game, Hand of Vengeance can help give his warjacks a solid punch, especially when combined with his feat.

• Kreoss2's main weakness is against shooting. Faithful Masses has numerous shooting resistant models and easy access to cheap Shield Guards in the form of Initiates of the Wall.
• All solo Paladins are Weapon Masters and appreciate the extra attack on feat turn. Combined with Righteous Vengeance from Vilmon, that's a potential of three Weapon Master attacks on feat turn.

• Rhupert Carvolo can give Pathfinder, Concealment, and Tough to a unit, though the last isn't necessary for Exemplars.
• The Menite Archon is a potent, durable beatstick. Under feat, it can Thresher and follow up with an ordinary attack.

Battlegroup

File:FireOfSalvation.jpg

Fire of Salvation is Kreoss's pet warjack, that he can take in any theme.

• The Templar is not only durable, but has 2" reach, Chain Weapon, Beat Back (not as stellar as it used to be still potentially useful tool) and Shield Guard.
• Fire of Salvation is Kreoss' pet warjack that he can take in any theme. It is a solid beat stick that gives extra mobility from fallen warriors, packs Dispel, and its bond with Kreoss makes it incredibly powerful in melee even without the Choir or feat.
• The Sanctifier has one of the longer threat ranges amongst our heavies. Kreoss2 has no natural speed buff.
• The Dervish is an auto hitting, parrying, side stepping model that can wreak havoc on the feat turn. Also, counter charging at Mat 7 is nice.
• Guardian - The Guardian is a great package for Kreoss2! The Arc Node makes using Chasten and Cleansing Fire offensively a reality and Counter charge at MAT 9 thanks to Powerful Charge is amazing, especially with 2" and P+S 18. The Critical Pitch rule on the flame pike means the Counter Charge has to be respected by your opponent, lest their models get thrown back into their army

First Seven Purchases

A few veteran players have put their heads together and tried to figure out the seven best things to buy for this specific caster. This is not designed to add up to a nice round points limit, nor be balanced vs other "First Seven" lists you find on this website. It is simply going to give you some of the essentials this caster needs most of the time.

1. Warjack: Fire of Salvation
2. Warjack: Indictor
3. Solo: Exemplar Warder
4. Solo: High Exemplar Gravus
5. Unit: Exemplar Cinerators + CA
6. Unit: Exemplar Errants + CA
7. Unit: Knights Exemplar + CA

Other

Trivia

Released in Warmachine: Apotheosis (2005)

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.01 Arcane Assist, vs Hexeris2
• 2018.08 Deathclock Dave, vs Ossrum1
• Template:VBR