Master Tormentor Morghoul

Template:Skornebox This model is playable only in an Unlimited format.

A devotee of pain and one of the most skilled paingivers in the Skorne Empire, Master Tormenter Morghoul is a scion of suffering. With each hand sheathed in a fearsome bladed gauntlet, Morghoul rips through his enemies on the battlefield and evades injury with uncanny grace. He uses his mastery of pain to reduce the effectiveness of enemy warbeasts while driving his own into devastating bouts of agonized fury.

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 : Pain & Suffering

While in Morghoul's Template:CTRL range, enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock, non-infernal master models cannot have damage transferred to them, be forced, or spend focus, fury, or essence except to pay tithe. Pain & Suffering lasts one round.

Abilities

• Template:Parry
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Anatomical Precision
• Template:Dodge
• Template:Maltreatment
• Template:Side Step
• Template:Steady

Weapons

Ripper (x2)
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				5				11
Template:Magical Weapon Template:Double Strike Template:Inflict Pain

Spells

{{Category: Template:AbuseTemplate:AdmonitionTemplate:Torment }}[[Category: Template:AbuseTemplate:AdmonitionTemplate:Torment ]]

Theme Forces

• Template:Disciples of Agony. He gains Sacrificial Pawn [Minion warrior] in this theme.
• Template:Masters of War. He gains "Optional Take Down" in this theme.
• Template:The Exalted
• Template:Winds of Death

Thoughts on Morghoul1

File:Morghoul1 alt.jpg

Alternate sculpt

Morghoul1 in a nutshell

Morghoul1 does two things and does them well: Turns his warbeasts into wrecking balls via Abuse, and assassinates enemy casters by way of a ridiculous number of attacks with Anatomical Precision. These are both very good things to do. In the current metagame, turning your heavies into faster and harder hitting wrecking balls is extremely effective.

Feat thoughts

His feat is a pretty brutal lockdown feat that can shut down the enemy's entire battlegroup for a turn. It’s main limiting factor is that it only effects enemies in his very small control range.

Spell thoughts

• Abuse is his signature spell. Threat range and damage; playing against a non-gargantuan warbeast list it can lock it down.
• Admonition is a good defensive spell - either to save a beast he's just thrown in or to protect himself from assassinations.
• Torment is a zap. At Fury 5 it's seldom worth it (and is normally cast by Marketh) but it does at least prevent damage transfers so it's part of an assassination run.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• It's very easy to put warbeasts outside Morghoul's control area.
• His feat is relatively underwhelming because it's pretty easy to avoid with his small control area.
• He buffs a limited number of beasts at a time, meaning he's more effective at lower points values.
• He wants to play forward but isn't that tough (a lot moreso now that he has Steady, however).
• In terms of warlocks who make your beasts move faster and hit harder he's competing for space with Beast Master Xekaar, Xerxis, Fury of Halaak and Lord Tyrant Zaadesh, who all tend to be much more versatile.

Tricks & Tips

• Charge the beasts up and let them go.
• Morghoul is a surprisingly good melee assassin; your dice will spike from time to time, and else he threat 14 points of near-automatic damage.
• Cast sprint from an Archidon onto Morghoul so you can use him to tear through enemy melee infantry - and get him back to safety.
• Inflict Pain can be used as fury management on your own warbeasts. Morghoul isn't going to hurt them ... much.
• Torment is rarely useful, but remember it prevent transfers and heal. You can use that to punish casters who thought that four transfers would make them survive a gladiator.
• Can you say TITAN BOAT? Grab every Titan in the game and put him under Morghoul. The Bronzeback Titan helps with fury management, shield guards are everywhere, slams are happening, opponents are crying. It's good stuff!
• If you Admonition a model playing forward (probably an already enraged Archidon) move it to use the enemy you were walking away from as cover.

List Building Advice

Strategy

His main method of winning is to trade pieces and beat the enemy to a pulp.

He's very minion-friendly, doing nothing directly for his infantry.

Theme thoughts

There is no good reason not to run Morghoul in Disciples of Agony; he has the widest choice of (and the best) battle group - and the Paingiver Task Master does more for minion units than he ever does.

• The minion Battle Boar or Blackhide Wrastler for a second strength buff.
• Zaadesh1 - Abuse can be cast on his warbeasts. First Blood allow for non linear threat and Abuse allow you to give him 2 lights who will hit hard enough to threaten anything. Beware of the short control range.
• Chiron can get some weirdly angled sprays off. As for that matter can the Road Hog
• Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor has Veteran Leader of Paingivers, which helps you land the assassination run (or on occasion his attack spell)

• He gets access to the character warbeast Tiberion. Your opponent will swear you're cheating. But overkill is wasted points.
• Zaadesh1, mentioned above, can also be taken in this theme.

• Venator Slingers are an excellent skirmish screen, Flare doing good things for his beasts chance to hit.

• Paingiver Beast Handlers - if you are going to run a lot of warbeasts...
• Aptimus Marketh is for all practical purposes a free abuse every turn - a fairly major power boost. And sometimes you get to upkeep for free. Not often needed if you're using his upkeep on a beast - but on Morghoul himself for safety it's a free Fury.

Battlegroup

Morghoul likes cheap and effective combat warbeasts

• Archidon - It loves STR buffs - and its long leash means that it won't accidentally fly out of Morghoul's control area. Morghoul meanwhile loves cheap beasts he can turn into wrecking balls and an abused, rushed Archidon can threaten 15". Just be aware that although an enraged, abused, prodded Archidon will utterly maul many heavies, it probably won't be able to use its animus to sprint to safety unless you soften them up first.
• Rhinodon - It's cheap. It has three initial attacks. It has a threat range of 10" before you even start with the buffs. And between Enrage and Abuse it becomes a wrecking ball at P+S 19 on its tail.
• Cyclops Savage in low point games under Enrage and Abuse this hits like a heavy.
• Cyclops Brute Even the Brute hits pretty hard. And it can take a hit or two.
• Titan Gladiator Always awesome. Even more of a wrecking ball with Morghoul and Rush leads to some pretty impressive threat ranges.
• Aradus Soldier Rush + Abuse allow to out reach most colossals, and it hits pretty damn hard.
• Titan Cannoneer The gun to clear the infantry, then Morghoul turns it into a one elephant wrecking crew. Morghoul does a surprisingly good line in gun lines, shooting the enemy up as they charge in and then turning gun-beasts into melee beasts.
• Razor Worm A turn 1 cruise missile, charging 13" from the advance deployment line, and then ricocheting another 8" right into the enemy support.
• Desert Hydra - the faster of the two Skorne gargantuans gets turned into a wrecking ball by Morghoul. Also Sandstorm reduces RNG 12 to RNG 9, forcing a lot of shooters inside the range of Morghoul's feat and thereby neutralising them.

Other

Trivia

• Released way back in Primal Mk1 (2006)
• The name Morghoul is speculated to mean "Bird Demon". It could be a combination of the words Morgh, meaning bird or chicken in Iranian, and the Ghoul/ Gallu/ Goule, meaning a mean evil spirit or demon who'd drag unfortunate victims off to the underworld. Whether or not this is how Privateer Press named him, his birdlike aesthetics makes this interpretation very fitting. Both in the normal sculpt but especially in the variant sculpt, ready to swoop down for the kill.