Stormblade Infantry

Stormblades are ready to face insurmountable odds and wield the most advanced mechanika Cygnar has to offer. These heavily armored soldiers are each handpicked to become knights of storm. Supplementing ancient martial tradition with state-of-the-art weaponry, in combat Stormblades are surrounded by a nimbus of flashing lightning, a sight that represents a fearsome presage of the future of Cygnaran warfare

Cygnar’s arcane mechaniks devised the Storm Thrower to both provide storm knights with covering fire and to enhance the accuracy of blasts produced by Storm Glaives.

Each elite soldier carries a potent mechanikal glaive capable of slicing through steel and generating powerful electrical blasts. These armoured knights are the vanguard of Cygnar's mechanikally advanced military.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Entire Unit
  • Template:Assault
  • Template:Combined Melee Attack
  • Template:Immunity: Electricity

• Officer only (CA)
  • The Officer has +1 MAT, +1 RAT, and 5 hitpoints
  • Template:Jack Marshal
  • Template:Officer
  • Template:Granted (Template:Relentless Charge)
  • Template:Iron Zeal

• Standard Bearer only (CA)
  • Template:Conductor
  • Template:Standard Bearer
  • Template:Take Up

Weapons

Leader	Rod Bolt File:Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW  6 1 Template:- 14 Template:Electrical Weapon Storm Rod File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  2 9 15
Grunts	Glaive Bolt File:Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW  6 1 Template:- 14 Template:Electrical Weapon Storm Glaive File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  1 9 15
Storm Gunner (WA)	Storm Thrower File:Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW  12 1 Template:- 14 Template:Electrical Weapon Template:Electrical Current Electrical Blade File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  1 7 13
Officer & Standard Bearer (CA)	Storm Glaive Blast File:Gun icon.jpg  RNG   ROF   AOE   POW  6 1 Template:- 14 Template:Electrical Weapon Storm Glaive File:Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S  1 9 15

Theme Forces

• Cygnar
  • Template:Storm Division. This unit gains Unyielding in this theme.

• Other Factions
  • Infernal players can use this unit in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Sloan is leading the army.
  • Mercenary players can use this unit in the Template:Llaelese Resistance theme. They become Llaelese models and gain Pathfinder.

Thoughts on Stormblade Infantry

File:Stormblade CA.jpg

Command Attachment

Stormblade Infantry in a nutshell

Stormblades are a hard hitting infantry unit that can be used in two ways. First as a minimum unit as effectively Cygnar's in faction weapon master infantry to break up heavy armour. Second by going all in, getting the command attachment to give them Iron Zeal (to ward off shooting) and Relentless Charge - something that is pretty scarce in the theme. The unit and their weapon attachments also have Assault so when the first attachment hits so does the entire unit.

Thoughts on adding the CA

Without the Command Attachment, you will give up on Relentless Charge - and combat is where these guys really want to be. Even if you cannot reach your opponent, it helps you to extend your Assault shot's range, extending your seemingly static 11" threat bubble up to 14" (20" for your Gunners), no matter the terrain (save for Quicksand).

Iron Zeal helps their survivability immensely. Against most armies, it is best to use turn 2. Turn 1 most everyone runs, with a handful of long range pot shots taken. Turn 2 is when most armies are in range, but haven't hit melee yet. This mini-feat bumps them up to levels where infantry guns will struggle to kill them. Additionally, if you are getting tough from something like Rhupert Carvolo, they can't be knocked down, which significantly increases their chance of survival.

This is also one of the few CA's in the game where the standard bearer has a weapon and is a combat model. If he dies and you have a grunt to take-up, you won't diminish the unit's overall combat effectiveness.

It is an expensive CA for what it is but as a requisition option that isn't too much of an issue.

Thoughts on adding the WA

The Stormgunner is a great way to beef up the unit, since he is just a shy less capable in melee, but packs serious punch at range. If you are assaulting a large target, like a colossal or heavy jack, make sure to have them shoot first. If the stormgunner hits, a full unit of stormblades can kill a colossal in one round, thanks to their assault shots and charge attacks. These are also a great way to use up extra points in a list.

Theme thoughts

Most of the time these guys will be run in the Storm Division theme force, and they're not currently allowed in any other Cygnar themes. The Storm Division features the full spectrum of electrical-themed models which can buff them, namely:

• the Firefly or Stormguard for ranged damage boost
• the Silver Line Stormguard for lowering DEF on jacks
• the Storm Strider for extra accuracy
• Stormblade Captain for Tactician and Desperate Pace
• and Laddermore's Veteran leader, which gives them +1 MAT/RAT.
• Nemo3 really likes Storm Division and these guys.

They can also be taken in the Mercenary Llaelese Resistance theme force, which really likes heavy-hitting infantry.

• Trencher Infantry can screen them from charges, and they are favored choices for this theme.
• Gibbs gives Llaelese Stormblades Feign Death and Reposition.

Combos & Synergies

They die to shooting so:

• anyone with Deflection or Deceleration helps.
• Gwen Keller's Force Barrier aura helps immensly.
• The trusty Arcane Shield, or Dauntless Resolve are always useful, especially when paired with their minifeat.
• Stryker1's feat also helps them to reach the front in one piece, or stand against a counter-attack, even against charging, weapon-master infantry.

Other:

• Stormclad and Reliant
  • Their presence charges up the jack, leaving more focus for your warcaster.
  • If you take the risk, you can put it under the care of the Officer for marshalling. This is not always advised though. The officer has no Drive, and is already a high priority target. Making this unit effectively a 29/33 point-unit will draw a huge bullseye on him. If you want to marshal a jack, choose a Sentinel, which might guard your investment.
• Sometimes you'll Pathfinder outside charges as well - so Rhupert or Throne is a good choice as a Merc solo.
• Ragman or Gorman are also worth considerating as your mercenary solo choices due to their damage buffs.
• Morrowan Battle Priests can be a good alternative WA, and their attacks are affected by the leaders buff. The WA also provides Rise which makes them better targets for tough effects.
• Stormsmith Stormcallers can occasionally set up Surges/Triangulations if the flag bearer is forward enough.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• They resist blasts, but direct shooting clears them off quickly. Also beware Snipers, Corrosion and Anatomic Precision.
• Short melee reach and short-ranged shooting.
• If you add all the extras, their cost can fly away pretty fast. Finding the balance can be difficult.
• The Officer is a high priority target.
• Shortest charge range melee unit in Cygnar. Assault and The Stormblade Captain's Desperate Pace adds another consideration to this though.

Tricks & Tips

• If you have the trimmings assault with the weapon attachments first - that way they hit and all the other blasts will.

Other

File:Stormblade WA.jpg

Weapon Attachment

Trivia

• In MK1, the leader's weapon was called the Storm Rod - and if you lost the leader you lost the electrical arc (just as you lost orders when you lost the leader in MK1). Now it's just a badge of office.
• The unit (not including UA or WA) was released in Warmachine: Prime (2003)
• The UA was released in Warmachine: Escalation (2004)
• The WA was released in Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar (February 2010).