Baldur the Stonesoul

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

While the last tenuous thread of his life was held fast by Megalith, Baldur’s spirit was subsumed within the entirety of Orboros, and the fundamental principles of the world were made clear to him. He has returned to serve as a conduit for a torrent of destructive power. In the midst of battle Baldur can tap into this endless flow to empower himself beyond his mortal limits, but the longer he fights, the more his body tears itself apart.

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: Hallowed Ground

Friendly Faction models currently in Baldur's Template:CTRL range are affected by Roots of the Earth (refer to his Spell list) for one round.

Abilities

• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Devourer's Debt
• Template:Elemental Mastery
• Template:Ritual of Renewal

Weapons

Tritus
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				7				14
Template:Weight of Stone Template:Magical Weapon

Spells

{{Category: Template:CrevasseTemplate:Ground Zero

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Theme Forces

• Template:Secret Masters. In this theme he gains Sacrificial Pawn [Minion Warrior].
• Template:The Bones of Orboros. He can start the game with friendly upkeeps in play in this theme.
• Template:The Devourer's Host
• Template:The Wild Hunt

Thoughts on Baldur the Stonesoul

Baluder2 in a nutshell

Baldur the Stonesoul is the Circle brick-caster. His key feature is both the Roots of the Earth spell and the ability to put it on his entire army with his feat. A circle army that can take the alpha strike is very unusual, and Baldur therefore lets you play in a way that is most unlike normal Circle casters. In a ranged heavy meta extra ARM really matters because boosting is rarer for ranged than melee attacks.

Because of the his own lack of a damage buff (beyond free charges) when he runs Wold heavy he needs 3 Blackclad Stoneshapers and because he has Crevasse Baldur tends to be best bricking into infantry rather than winning brick-on-brick action.

Blessed is a big counter to Baldur2 so he has some hard match ups from the Protectorate of Menoth

Maximising his Feat & Spells

• Roots of Earth is that rare thing - a non-upkeep ARM buff (meaning that it can be spammed - and indeed is spammed on feat turn). It's also normally cast multiple times even on non-feat turns, leaving Baldur with a very tough battle group. Making your models unable to be moved is also great.
• Rock Wall is great for providing cover and should be out almost every turn. As an obstacle it can't be charged or slammed over. More importantly enemies can't end their movement on top of it, meaning it's awesome for blocking huge bases.
• Crevasse is normally cast via Megalith/Woldwardens. It's a pretty decent spell with a nice remove from play effect (making it a problem for Ghost Fleet). It can also do interesting things to shield walls.
• Ground Zero is mostly for owning control points.

• You feat at the obvious time - it's pure defence.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Slow, heavy, and hard hitting. Is this why you chose Circle? Effective tho.
• His feat casts a spell on everyone. It therefore is vulnerable to blessed weapons.
• The only damage buff Baldur himself brings to the party is free charges for the normally pillow-fisted Wolds.
• His play-style is predictable.
• Blessed Weapons deny his feat.

Tricks & Tips

• Remember that if you don't clear away the Wurm tokens then by turn 5 he hits like the Butcher. He's not an assassin - but can kill anyone that gets too close.
• Take control points - and then prevent the enemy pushing you off them.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Baldur2's normal win strategy is to take the best the enemy can throw at him, then grind them into dust. The Woldwrath is pretty central to this strategy... with a huge number of hitpoints (2nd-most in the game) and high armor with Roots of Earth, he can be difficult to deal with, especially if you're using Rock Wall to limit how much can attack him. More importantly, while the Woldwrath *can* be removed, it usually takes so many resources that the rest of the army is unscathed afterward. Baldur2 can push forward aggressively in the early game, contesting zones and flags early on. His army almost always survives the enemy's first strike thanks to Baldur2's feat, and can then counter attack to claim sole possession of the objectives. Even if the enemy manages to make some headway against your battlegroup, claiming the objectives can usually force them to spread ever dwindling resources out against your tougher models or risk losing the game on scenario.

Theme Thoughts

Baldur the Stonesoul is one of two warlocks who frequently plays with the The Bones of Orboros theme (the other one being Bradigus) - free points (normally spent on a Blackclad Wayfarer or two to start) for taking a rock-based army that he wanted to take anyway.

• Shifting Stones and Sentry Stone & Mannikins - not only are both these choices simply good but they fit Baldur thematically.
• Celestial Fulcrum - it's a tough shooter you can make tougher.
• Well of Orboros - cheapish, buffs constructs not effected by roots of the earth with hyper aggressive and has a high base armour. Bringing in another solo is also useful when you have the tools to protect it.
• See the Battlegroup section for which rocks to take.
• Chuck Dogwood in bones chuck can sit back and boost to hit capabilities of the battlegroup, with puppet master and vet leader, very handy on a caster who’s only hit fixer is on his melee weapon.

This theme gets you access to Loki, who is reasonably durable. The loss of Construct warbeasts makes it probably not worth it, though.

Warpborn Skinwalkers - the only 8 wound heavy infantry that's not carting half a ton of metal, making the tough tougher is always good.

Battlegroup

File:Megalith.jpg

Megalith is his pet warbeast, which he can take in any theme.

• Megalith is Baldur's pet warbeast, so he can take him in any theme. Megalith gains Baldur's construct-buffs. Giving Baldur automatic healing is great; it means the first two Wurm tokens do nothing to hurt Baldur so by turn 4 or 5 he can be a wrecking machine in melee. He also has a great spell list for Geomancy - both Roots of Earth and Crevasse are Geomancable.

He likes Construct warbeasts (which are not allowed in Devourer's Host).

• Woldwrath - the only actually really hard hitting option in Bones of Orboros a double Woldwrath list is not unknown. It also has great armour even before you throw Roots of Earth on it.
• Woldwarden - free charges, a combo smite, and great geomancy. Plus extra self healing.
• Woldwatcher - ARM 21 in Stone Form before Roots of Earth.
• Wold Guardian - ARM 20 before Roots, self healing from theme, free charges, and harder hitting than the Warden. And Shield Guard.
• Woldwyrd - Zap zap zap. It's pretty good and fits the theme.

Outside the Bones theme he likes other tough models:

• Feral Warpwolf - Although it's not allowed in Bones, Baldur's normal theme, the ARM buff it's probably the toughest non-character Circle heavy. And a Feral really likes being made immune to knockdown.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2021.12 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here.

Theme - The Bones of Orboros

Baldur the Stonesoul: [+30 WBP]

• Megalith: [17 pts]
• Wold Guardian: [16 pts]
• Woldwarden: [13 pts]

Blackclad Stoneshaper: [2 pts]

Chuck Dogwood: [4 pts]

Sentry Stone & Mannikins: [free] Template:Grey

Shifting Stones: 3 pts

Other

Trivia

Released in Hordes: Domination (2011)

Video Battle Reports

• 2019.05 Feat Fetish, vs Skarre2
• Template:VBR