The Withershadow Combine

Cloaked in darkness, this group of iron liches have stalked western Immoren and ripped its arcane secrets out of the shadows for over five centuries. This trio acts as one of the more subtle and precise instruments in Cryx's arsenal. Through rites unknown to any others, they may dismantle warjacks with frightening ease. The Combine then corrupts the cortex and summons in 'jacks from the Nightmare Empire to wreak havoc on the living.

Basic Info

• Template:Attached

Abilities

• Entire Unit
  • Template:Stealth
  • Template:Undead
  • Template:Magic Ability
  • Template:Soul Cage
    • Template:Strength of Death
• Maelovus only
  • Template:Officer
• Admonia only
  • Template:Black Arts

Weapons

• Lich Claws - 0.5" reach, POW 5, P+S 12 melee attack
  • Template:Magical Damage

Theme Forces

• Cryx
  • Template:Black Industries

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this model/unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Mortenebra is leading the army.

Thoughts on The Withershadow Combine

The Withershadow Combine in a nutshell

The Withershadow Combine is comprised of Maelovus (the officer), Admonia, and Tremulus. They're primarily a support unit, although to get the most use out of your points investment you should try and kill the occasional grunt with Dark Fire (the Combine can make a surprisingly effective gunline after grabbing a few souls). They generally stick behind your front lines, using Stealth and their naturally high DEF and ARM to avoid harm. From this back position they can support your warcaster with Black Arts and Puppet Master.

Puppet Master is normally thrown on your 'caster to allow them to reroll a game-critical attack roll, or on a friendly 'jack just prior to stomping face. If you're playing a little more aggressively, it's nice to put on an enemy 'jack/'beast and force them to re-roll a game-critical roll.

Combos & Synergies

The Withershadow Combine are a great addition to any Cryx force, as Black Arts makes every caster more efficient. Of course some warcasters have fewer upkeep spells available than others and they may not be casting them at all, let alone upkeeping them every turn.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Relatively high point cost - although they're worth every point, it can be hard to fit them into smaller games.
  • If you're too cautious with them, they won't make their points back.
  • If you're too aggressive with them, they'll die before being useful.
• Spell Slave isn't as great as it seems: as well as the "obvious" restrictions listed on the card (no upkeeps, no SELF, no CTRL, no COST 4+), you're also limited by the definition of "spellcaster" which renders almost every support spell Maelovus could cast as near-useless. Why? Well basically if the spell description includes a sentence that has "the spellcaster's battlegroup" or "the spellcaster's control area" you have to mentally delete that sentence from the spell effects, because Maelovus has neither. For example:
  • Excarnate lets you RFP an enemy and create a free grunt in your control area? Nope! Maelovus gets to RFP them but he can't create a freebie.
  • Siphon Bolt lets you remove focus from the enemy and have the spellcaster gain it? Nope! Maelovus gets to remove the point of focus but no one gets to gain it.
  • And so on and so forth.
• By taking them you lose out on other warcaster attachments all of whom are drastically cheaper.

Tricks & Tips

• Activate them near the start of your turn, to make sure you have Puppet Master in play before you try something risky!
• If it is important that Maelovus hits its Spell Slave attack (or action), use Puppet Master on him.

Other

Trivia

• Originally released in Warmachine: Legends (2008)
• Sculptor: Jeff Grace
• Although many other Factions now have it, the Puppet Master ability was original to Tremulus, and he is actually sculpted with a puppet.