Hoarluk Doomshaper, Shaman of the Gnarls

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

The trollkin shaman Hoarluk Doomshaper is a walking legend who wades into battle with mad endurance, heedless of punishments inflicted by the weapons of his enemies. By lifelong effort and force of will, Doomshaper has gained mastery over full-blood trolls, including most particularly the formidable dire trolls, who listen to him as if he were kin. Doomshapers emergence from the Gnarls is a dire omen for all who oppose the Trollblood.

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: Dhunia's Wrath

1. Enemy models suffer d6 damage points for each focus, fury, or essence point they spend while in Doomshaper’s Template:Control range.
2. Enemy warbeasts suffer d6 damage points for each fury they receive as a result of being forced while in Doomshaper's Template:CTRL range.
3. If a model is destroyed as a result of this damage while casting a spell, the spell does not take effect.
4. If a model is destroyed as a result of this damage while making an attack, the target model suffers no further damage or effects from the attack.

Dhunia's Wrath lasts for one round.

Abilities

• Template:Tough
• Template:Goad
• Template:Great Power
• Template:Scroll of the Will of Balasar

Weapons

• Gnarlroot - 2" reach, POW 6, P+S 12 melee weapon
  • Template:Magical Weapon
  • Template:Accurse

Spells

{{Category: Template:DissolutionTemplate:FortuneTemplate:Guardian BeastTemplate:RampagerTemplate:Stranglehold }}[[Category: Template:DissolutionTemplate:FortuneTemplate:Guardian BeastTemplate:RampagerTemplate:Stranglehold ]]

Theme Forces

• Trollbloods
  • Template:Band of Heroes. In this theme he gains "Optional Take Down".
  • Template:Kriel Company
  • Template:Power of Dhunia. In this theme he can start the game with friendly upkeeps in play.
  • Template:Storm of the North. In this theme he can upkeep spells on (almost) any friendly model for free.
  • Template:Vengeance of Dhunia. In this theme he gains Attuned Spirit [Trollblood/Minion Warbeast].

• Other Factions
  • Minion players can also use this warlock in the Vengeance of Dhunia and he gains Attuned Spirit as mentioned above.

Thoughts on Doomshaper1

Doomshaper1 in a nutshell

Doomshaper1 has one major purpose - To backstop the metagame. If upkeep spells start overrunning the metagame then Dissolution becomes an absolutely awesome spell that can shut down numerous casters.

Outside of Dissolution, the only thing he really brings to the table is Fortune because the rest of his spell list wants him to be further forward than someone with his defensive stats would actually like. And if all you need is something like Fortune, you're better overall just to use Calandra1.

Feat thoughts

It's a feat. It's a really really annoying feat that offers the enemy risk/reward. It's a feat where most enemy casters will step outside his control area and other models may or may not simply suck up the damage - and does nothing to infantry. And in general it's not that much use against Warmachine enemies.

Spell thoughts

• Fortune is simply a good upkeep that works on anything
• Guardian Beast is a very good spell - but at DEF 13 ARM 15 he needs it.
• Dissolution is either gamewinning or a dead spell. Fury 4 is expensive - but it shuts down
• Rampager can be potentially gamewinning by stealing enemy heavies - or less useful than e.g. Gallows as it's not that far - or utterly useless. Best cast through Mulg
• Stranglehold is probably the best 2 cost spell in the game - but needs a damage boost on anything worth casting it on.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• "Old Man" stats - That's a terrible DEF/ARM combination meaning assassination is on the table.
• His feat, Dissolution, and Rampager are all awesome against the right targets - but whether those targets exist is up to your opponent and not something you can control. To illustrate with strong tournament lists:
  • "Rask & Friends" (Rask in Will Work for Food with all four character lesser warlocks) struggles horribly against Doomshaper1; there are plenty of excellent targets for Rampager and you can easily use it to pull a beast out of a lesser warlock's control area making it easy to kill. The feat is is backbreaking against lesser warlocks, effectively rendering them impotent for a turn. And finally Rask has three upkeeps and three of the four lesser warlocks have one each, making Dissolution terrifying.
  • Warwitch Deneghra in Ghost Fleet has no warbeasts as she's a warmachine caster, not a hordes one. Her upkeeps are offensive and targets she puts parasite and crippling grasp on normally end the turn dead so she doesn't really fear dissolution. And on feat turn she just walks out of Doomshaper's control area and proceeds to send her spells through arc nodes. So you've no feat, three spells (two upkeeps and a zap), Goad, and "Old Man" stats. Doomshaper is little more powerful than a lesser warlock.
• Unfortunately Ghost Fleet is more common than Rask & Friends - and lists like Ghost Fleet are a lot more common than lists like Rask. So Doomshaper1 is most useful when you know what your opponent is likely to use (as in a local league).

Tricks & Tips

• Goad can be utilized to access models that might otherwise be out of reach. If in SotN, Rok with Goad can be quite powerful.
• If Guardian Beast is triggered and Mulg is the warbeast chosen to move and attack, the boosted attack roll can make his chance to crit smite something on your opponents turn (likely before the models gets to attack) much higher. Combined with Fortune for rerolls in the unlikely chance of a miss.

List Building Advice

Strategy

His main method of winning is Attrition - Doomshaper doesn't have an assassination run in him, and doesn't have too much scenario presence by shutting down the enemy.

Theme thoughts

He's primarily a battlegroup caster, with Goad being useful for every warbeast with Reach. This makes Power of Dhunia the obvious choice for his army. Fortune on the other hand is at the most use on a unit like Trollkin Raiders or Scattergunners that get off a lot of shots, giving some use to Kriel Company or Storm of the North

Battlegroup

• Mulg the Ancient - He both has an affinity with Doomshaper and has a long enough weapon to take advantage of Goad.
• Otherwise it's staples like the Krielstone and the Dire Troll Mauler.
• Troll Bouncer - Almost a must to prevent him getting shot and provide animus to make him Steady, i.e., slightly less killable.
• The Ice Troll and Troll Axer both have reach weapons and MAT 6 to take advantage of Goad.

Other

Trivia

Released in Primal Mk1 (2006)