Mule

Mercenary warjacks are often drawn from discontinued chassis once produced by kingdom armies. The Mule, a former Cygnaran warjack, wields a massive battle mace and an innovative steam-powered cannon packing enough explosive punch to scatter enemies like leaves. Mercenaries maintain these battle-tested machines and find them fully capable of standing toe-to-toe against any fresh from the assembly line.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Tried & True

Weapons

Steam Lobber
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		12			1			4			15			Left
Template:Arcing Fire Template:Critical Devastation Template:Steam Pressure
Battle Mace
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		2				5				16				Right

Theme Forces

• Mercenaries
  • Template:Flame in the Darkness
  • Template:Llaelese Resistance
  • Template:Operating Theatre
  • Template:Soldiers of Fortune
  • Template:Strange Bedfellows
  • Template:The Irregulars. If it is 'jack marshalled in this theme, it gains Flank [Warrior]
  • Template:The Kingmaker's Army
  • Template:The Talion Charter

• Other Factions
  • Convergence players can use this warjack in the Template:Strange Bedfellows theme, or by putting it in Aurora2's, Asphyxious4's, or Nemo4's battlegroup in various themes.
  • Cryx players can use this warjack by putting it in Asphyxious4's battlegroup in various themes.
  • Cygnar players can use this warjack in the Template:Flame in the Darkness theme, or by putting it in Nemo4's battlegroup in various themes.
  • Infernal players can take this model in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Crosse2 is leading the army. This model gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Khador players can use this warjack in the Template:Flame in the Darkness theme.
  • Aside from that, Mercenary warjacks can be taken in a plethora of Faction's themes via by putting it under the control of a Mercenary 'Jack Marshal or Mercenary "Junior Warcaster" (see #Who can take this warjack?). However the "Faction Type" of the warjack doesn't change when you do it this way.

Thoughts on Mule

Mule in a nutshell

The Mule is the dedicated ranged heavy of mercenaries. It boasts a POW 15 gun with decent range and a big blast but is hampered somewhat by RAT 5. Its key selling point is Critical: Devastation which can theoretically win games - but is too unreliable to count on unless you have something to support your crit fishing. It competes directly with the Mariner) in the 14 point ranged jack department and is usually not as good.

Combos & Synergies

• A fine way to run a Mule is to give it to Crosse1 whose Fire Group spell bumps the range to 18" with Steam Pressure. He can also give the Mule Run & Gun for an end-of-activation move, if the Mule killed something.
• Ossrum or Magnus1 can snipe it. Add Crosse1 and you're looking at a whopping 22" shooting range.
• There are several ways to increase the odds of landing that all important Critical Devastation, whether or not it is in Crosse1's battlegroup:
  • Damiano1's Deadeye spell. Damiano also makes it hit harder in melee and increases its ARM with his feat.
  • Ashlynn1's feat.
  • Ossrum1's Fire for Effect spell. This is especially good because it will affect all the damage rolls, too. Note that Ossrum can't Snipe it and Fire-For-Effect it at the same time.
  • Rerolls from Eilish1.
• Dougal can give it +2 RAT and +2 range.
• The Soldiers of Fortune theme force grants solos Mark Target bumping your RAT by an effective 2 points.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Its melee game is poor - the weapon simply doesn't have enough POW. But it's going in as a last resort anyway.
• It has the DEF of a Khadoran heavy and ARM of a Cygnaran heavy. In short the only reason it doesn't go down easily is because its range keeps it safe from a lot of stuff.
• Fundamentally it's almost identical to the Mariner but the comparison goes almost entirely in the pirate jack's direction:
  • When shooting the Mule has +1 POW (including blast damage) and Critical Devastation in exchange for 3" of threat range - and doesn't require a loader. This is the Mule's main advantage.
  • In melee (which you need to break armour; if you want a shooting-first model get a battle engine) the Mariner has +1 POW and a thresher attack, making it easier to clear chaff infantry.
  • Defensively the Mariner has +2 DEF, and can't be knocked down. In exchange the Mule gets an extra HP back when you repair it.
  • Finally, the Mariner is a privateer warjack, giving it access to buffs from Shea and Powder Monkeys. This puts the mule at a serious disadvantage in Talion lists.

Tricks & Tips

• Devastation throws all models in the 4" AOE simultaneously, using a single distance roll. Models furthest from the mule are thrown first

Other

Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Superiority (2006)
• Resculpted in 2012. It now comes in a multi-kit with the Nomad & Rover.