Brickhouse

Cygnar Storm Knights Heavy Warjack

Model stats and abilities

Model Statistics

Base size = 50mm		SPD	MAT	RAT	DEF	ARM
Health = 30
FA = C
Cost = 16		5	7	6	12	18
-
-

Model Advantages and Abilities

Headbutt Power Attack	This model can make Headbutt power attacks. No errata for Headbutt Power Attack (Create)
Slam Power Attack	This model can make slam power attacks. No errata for Slam Power Attack (Create)
Trample Power Attack	This model can make a trample power attack. No errata for Trample Power Attack (Create)
Construct	This model is a construct, and is not a living model. No errata for Construct (Create)
Resistance-Electricity	When this model suffers an electrical damage roll, remove one die from the damage roll. Lightning cannot arc from this model. Lightning cannot arc to this model (ignore this model when determining arcing lightning) No errata for Resistance-Electricity (Create)
Dual Attack	This model can make melee and ranged attacks in the same activation. When this model makes its initial melee attacks, it can also make its initial ranged attacks. A model with Dual Attack can make its initial melee and ranged attacks in any order you choose. This model cannot make ranged attacks after making a power attack.   Errata-Dual Attack and Unit Charges (2023-10-27) Question: If a unit with Dual Attack charges a single model, are all placed in melee range, and the first model kills the charge target, can the remaining members of the unit make ranged attacks, or do they forfeit their Combat Action because they don't have any enemy models in their melee range? Answer: The check for melee range is done at the end of movement. If you kill the targets before they attack, they can still do their ranged attack. (Malkav13) Explanation: This post is correct. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum   Errata-Dual Attack and Special Attacks (2023-08-10) Question: Can a model with Dual Attack make any combination of ranged special attack and normal melee initial attacks, or its melee special attack and normal ranged initial attacks? (Example: Bison Both Barrels and Ram, or Mariner Thresher and gunshot). Answer: No. Explanation: The bison can not use dual attack and also make a special attack. That is correct in that (Thresher) example too. Infernal Ruling: elswickchuck (Bulldog) - PP Community forum
Bond	If Brickhouse begins the game in Nemo's battlegroup, then it is bonded to Nemo. Brickhouse is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While Brickhouse is bonded to Nemo and in their control range, it gains the ability to reroll missed ranged attack rolls. Attack rolls can be rerolled only once as a result of this bond. . No errata for Bond (Create)
Chain Reaction	When this model hits an enemy model with a melee or ranged attack during its activation, after the attack is resolved this model gains a cumulative +1 to its damage rolls on subsequent attacks that activation. No errata for Chain Reaction (Create)

Weapons

Firestorm Cannon
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	10	D3+1	-	12	L
Pistol	A model making an attack with this weapon targeting a model it is in melee with ignores the Target in Melee bonus when resolving this attack.   Errata-Pistol (2023-09-17) Question: Does the pistol benefit apply to models not in melee with the attacking model when the pistol is on a spray? Answer: No, it only applies to models with which the attacking model is in melee. Explanation: The intent is that a model only ignore the penalty for being in melee with the models that model is in melee with. Pistol only works against the models in the melee with the attacking model. Infernal Ruling: Dark Legacy - PP Community forum
Damage Type-Electricity	This weapon causes electrical damage. No errata for Damage Type-Electricity (Create)

Battle Spear
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	2	-	-	17	R

Changes and Updates

Release Trivia

• Released in the Warmachine: Reckoning expansion (2015)

Lore

With its advanced armament and heavily armored hull, Major Beth Maddox’s personal warjack Brickhouse is a veritable wall of steel. While capable of enduring sustained assaults and holding vital battlefield positions, the warjack is just as eager to wade into enemy ranks to crush opposing warjacks with blows from its devastating power maul. No matter the situation, this bulwark of Cygnaran engineering is a welcome sight to its allies.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Immunity: Electricity
• Template:Bond (Template:Retaliatory Strike-alt)
• Template:Carapace
• Template:Force Hold

Weapons

Magno Fist
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				3				15				Left
Template:Open Fist
Power Maul
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		2				6				18				Right
Template:Critical Smite

Theme Forces

• When taken by Maddox
  • Template:Flame in the Darkness
  • Template:Gravediggers
  • Template:Heavy Metal
  • Template:Sons of the Tempest
  • Template:Storm Division

• When taken by anyone else
  • Template:Storm Division

Thoughts on Brickhouse

Brickhouse in a nutshell

Brickhouse is an interesting breed of warjacks. Its main chassis is on a Hammersmith class, with the respective SPD, DEF and ARM, while its charge range and actual hitting power is on par with the Ironclad. It costs 50% more than any of these two, for which it brings two things to the table:

• A Carapace that makes it a tough nut to crack with shooting. Almost the same level of ARM can be achieved by the readily available Arcane Shield too, but this one is unaffected by upkeep removal, and won't be neutralized by Blessed weaponry. On the flip side, it won't protect you from melee attacks.
• The Force Hold that can shut down enemy movement. It is almost completely a passive ability, working even if Brickhouse is knocked down, stationary, or the enemy is in its back arc. Hilarious against huge based targets too; even though a Colossal can't be made stationary, this one will shut down its movement, until the enemy deals with it.

Cygnar is not short on capable melee warjacks, and despite its seemingly ubiquitous specialties Brickhouse is a niche choice. It requires careful positioning to make the most out of it (or at least, more than you'd bring out from other, same-costed jacks). It also has immunity to electricity-based attacks, so you won't have to worry about arcing lightning arcs accidentally into it when you let loose your electro-leap shenanigans in its vicinity.

Combos & Synergies

File:Maddox1.jpg

Maddox1.

Speed is everything, and Brickhouse has glaring weakness in this aspect. Look for casters who can fix it.

• Maddox - Probably your #1 target for Assail. Upkeeping Onslaught will also help it to deal with rough terrain. Retaliatory Strike with a fairly high MAT can potentially slam away a charging opponent on a critical hit, meaning they will only get one attack.
• Anyone with Repair ability. If the right arm is crippled, Critical Smite won't happen from Retaliatory Strike. If the left arm is crippled, Force Lock will cease to work.
• A Journeyman Warcaster's Arcane Shield can transform a hard-to-kill warjack into frustrating-to-kill one.

Non-Maddox combos (Storm Division)

• Haley2 - Temporal Acceleration fixes speed issues, and TK offers a whole lot of fun with Force Lock.
• Kraye - Beside the obvious movement buffs (feat, Iron Horse and Horsepower) the boosted charge attacks allow Crit Smite to happen all the more often. With the following reposition you can advance towards the slammed model to reapply Force Hold. He also has some hilarious (or infuriating) interactions with Force Lock:
  • Damage from Lock the Target will counter placement, pulling out the fangs of the above listed placing tricks that might take the enemy model out of melee range.
  • Admonition is usually not advised against charging models with Counter Charge, as they can charge you again due to the advance from Admonition. Not in this case though, if you remain within 2" after the Admonition move. As they start the advance part of their Counter Charge in your Force Lock range, they can't move from their spot. Do this trick only against enemies who don't have 2" melee range.
• Nemo1 - Universal jack tuner, plus with a Journeyman you can stack Deceleration, Carapace and Arcane Shield for a total of ARM 28 against shooting.
• Nemo2 - Abuse Polarity Shield and Force Lock to ensure that the enemy will only reach you if you want. Or put on Fail Safe, and enjoy the Force Lock until Brickhouse is destroyed.
• Sturgis1 can push or pull opponents into his magno-lock range.
• Stryker1 can stack ARM buffs on it.
• Stryker3 - Speed up with Escort and either deliver an auto-hitting punch under his feat, or get more chance to trigger Smite with Iron Aggression.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Inherited weakness of its chassis, namely rock-bottom speed and DEF.
• Considering its raw combat potential it barely hits harder than an Ironclad while costing 4 pts more. Speaking about point cost, he costs as much as Thunderhead with less melee output and no ranged presence.
• More sensitive for system damage than its peers, especially on its arms. Beware with Grievous Wounds, as they need only to hit to counter repairs.
• Can easily become redundant:
  • Ironclad also has a very good critical effect on its main weapon, and with its superior speed it can run faster. The Tremor special attack often has more utility than Force Hold.
  • Hammersmith can also Smite the enemy - though with a chain attack. It depends on the target, which one happens with greater reliability, but if Smite triggers, it can follow the target, while Brickhouse will remain where it was.
  • A Stormclad costs one point more, matches its defense in close combat, hits harder, has ranged presence, and due to Accumulator it means less of a FOCUS burden on Maddox.
  • Off-themes, Ol'Rowdy offers default Retaliatory Strike, all the offensive output of the Ironclad and the ever-useful Counter-Charge, with excellent FOCUS efficiency thanks to Aggressive. All that for one point more.

Tricks & Tips

• Force Lock is incredibly useful to keep your models in place, if they fall under the enemy's control with spells/abilities, most notably form Domination or Seduction. They can still turn around and attack, but can't advance (and will be in melee with you, if this happens in your front arc).
• Brickhouse is a strong deterrent - with Carapace the enemy will rarely bother shooting (and it often means that they'll shoot something else instead).
• Stop Brickhouse 1.5" away from an enemy with only 1" melee weapons and they will be utterly impotent. Watch out for weapons with Lunge or Chain Strike though.
• Outside of beating Brickhouse to scrap, there are numerous ways to bypass Force Lock. Most common are placement effect (Apparition, Telekinesis, Slipstream), but pushing/pulling (at worst, slamming) shots and blows are also not out of consideration.
• If an Apparition-capable model is in B2B with you, it cannot place itself out of your Force Lock range with Apparition, as it still will be exactly 2" away from you.

Other

Trivia

• Released in Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar Command (2017)