Grolar

Khador 5th Division Armored Korps Heavy Warjack

Model stats and abilities

Model Statistics

Base size = 50 mm		SPD	MAT	DEF	ARM
Health = 34
FA = C
Cost = 15		4	8	10	20
-
-

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)
Hyper-Aggressive	When a model with Hyper-Aggressive suffers damage from an enemy attack, after the attack is resolved it can immediately make a full advance directly toward the attacking model. No errata for Hyper-Aggressive (Create)
Murderous	This model gains an additional die on melee attack rolls against warrior models. No errata for Murderous (Create)
Bond	If Grolar begins the game in {{{1}}}'s battlegroup, then it is bonded to {{{1}}}. Grolar is not considered to be bonded while under your opponent's control. While Grolar is bonded to {{{1}}} and in their control range, it gains {{{2}}}. Sorscha - Category:Sorscha No errata for Bond (Create) No errata for Sorscha (Create)

Weapons

AbilitySingle

Open Fist
	RNG	ROF	AOE	POW	LOCATION
	1	-	-	15	L

}}

{{Weapon|weapon=Ice Breaker|type = M |rng = 2 |rof = - |aoe = - |pow = 19| loc = L|abilities =Critical Freeze

A critical hit occurs if the attack directly hits and any two dice in the Attack Roll show the same number. This Critical grants the following weapon qualities or has the following effects: Freeze

A model hit by this weapon becomes stationary for one round unless it has Resistance:Cold.

No errata for Freeze (Create)

{Special Attack}

Changes and Updates

Release Trivia

• Released in Warmachine: Legends (2008).
• Beast is one of the few remaining warjacks that doesn't have a plastic/resin (re)sculpt.
• When he was spoiled in mk1, the image filename was "Mammoth.jpg". If you translate the runes on his cowl, it spells Mammoth. Obviously the name "Beast-09" was a last minute change.

Lore

The mighty Grolar shares the Kodiak’s boiler and chassis but uses that strength and speed to deliver crushing blows with its piston hammer before finishing with a withering hail of auto cannon shells.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Construct
• Template:Pathfinder
• Template:Dual Attack
• Template:Heavy Boiler

Weapons

Auto Cannon
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW			LOCATION
		8			d3+2			Template:-			12			Left
Open Fist
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				3				15				Left
Template:Open Fist
Piston Hammer
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S				LOCATION
		1				6				18				Right
Template:Ram

Theme Forces

• Khador
  • Template:Armored Korps
  • Template:Flame in the Darkness
  • Template:Jaws of the Wolf
  • Template:Legion of Steel
  • Template:Warriors of the Old Faith
  • Template:WG Kommand
  • Template:Wolves of Winter

• Other Factions
  • Cygnar and Mercenary players can use this model in the Template:Flame in the Darkness theme.
  • Infernal players can use this model in the Template:Hearts of Darkness theme, but only if Malakov2 is leading the army. This model gains Accumulator [Soulless] in this theme.
  • Protectorate players can use this model in the Template:Warriors of the Old Faith theme.

Thoughts on Grolar

Grolar in a Nutshell

Khador's "5th Border Legion" or "Mobility" warjacks are modern 'jacks equipped with superior mobility when compared to their classic counterparts. They pack innovative weapons with a lot of utility, letting them perform a wide range of duties and their inherent Pathfinder and high amounts of initial attacks make them formidable warjacks for many occassions. Both of their builds are suited to very different play styles:

• Grolars are combined arms warjacks with weapons for every job. Their 5-7 initial attacks each turn let them fulfill a wide range of tasks each activation and excellent synergy with activation-wide effects.
• Kodiaks are highly mobile melee warjacks with access to the full complement of power attacks and a devastating Chain Attack. Their Vent Steam ability lets them clear out low-ARM warriors with ease and provides endless utility with the clouds they generate.

The Grolar's claim to fame is its insane amount of initial attacks at both range but especially in melee thanks to its Dual Attack ability and the Ram on its impressive Piston Hammer. It's designed to knock its target down and then follow up with more hits and a hail of bullets from its Auto Cannon. While this approach fixes the Grolar's embarassingly low RAT, the POW 12 shots don't exactly strike fear into the hearts and cortices of models worth going after with an 16 point model.Thus, getting a good return on your investment in a Grolar requires a bit of preparation. The Hammer is a very powerful weapon by itself, letting you set up follow-up attacks and even assassinations and it has an Open Fist to make power attacks so even when the Auto Cannon can only be used opportunistically the Grolar does a lot of work, just at a premium. The Grolar is a great warjack, but only when played where it belongs.

Combos & Synergies

In order to justify the Grolar's high cost compared to something like Beast-09 or a Spriggan you need to run it with warcasters that play to its strengths. Boosting hits with focus on the Auto Cannon is extremely inefficient so the warcaster needs to have ways of buffing its attacks activation-wide. Globally boosting its effective RAT lets it threaten warriors with its gun and boosting its POW make those plinky bullets dangerous to heavy armor. There aren't a lot of Khador warcasters that let the Grolar perform, but those that do work really well with it. With 'Jack Marshals, benefits are very well spent on the Grolar because they boost actions globally.

Warcasters

• Butcher1: The Grolar is just about perfect for Orsus. He can't bestow Pathfinder, and Full Throttle is an amazing efficiency spell. But, as is often the case with him, it's all about the feat. An additional damage die on each and every one of up to 7 attacks is just a mean thing to inflict on your opponent.

• Sorscha (any iteration): Stationary models are easy to hit at range, even with RAT 4. Boundless Charge or Stoke the Fires let the Grolar do it is job in melee.
  • Sorcha1’s feat helps the Grolar get around models that can’t be knocked down.
  • Sorscha2's feat really lets those Auto Cannon shots count for something.
  • Sorscha3 her field marshal helps with landing the first knockdown hit (although the gun shots will not get this bonus). Stoke the Fires mentioned above also has more mileage on a warjack with pathfinder.

• Vladimir1: Vladimir's feat, Boundless Charge and Signs & Portents just push the Grolar to where it needs to be in a very efficient way.
• Vladimir2 has either Assail or Hand of Fate for it. That's a speed fix for the early game turns and a damage and accuracy fixer in the late game if you want to go for assassinations.
• Vladimir3 like Vlad2 he has has Hand of Fate, but he also has a feat that lets him get deep into the action with a potential 4” extra move during his activation and another 4” at the end via sprint. Bash the front line, side step knock down anyone who may free strike you then fire into the back lines before running away. The Warriors of the Old Faith also comes with Vassals and the Choir of Menoth.

• Kreoss3: In Warriors of the Old Faith can fix speed with Assail, MAT/RAT with Death Sentence and even up the damage further with Ignite.
• Feora3 - With Choir in tow, Incite and Red Line will turn the Grolar into a monster with a P+S 24 Hammer, a P+S 21 fist and POW 16 shooting. The speed buff coming from Redline is also very much appreciated.

'Jack Marshals

• Greylord Forge Seer: The focus-hungry Grolar is a great fit for Empowered.
• Man-o-War Kovnik: The Grolar appreciates Assault to extend its Cannon threat range and like shooting targets knocked down by the Kovnik.

Units

• Battle Mechaniks: The Grolar can be Repaired.
• In Warriors of the Old Faith take a Choir of Menoth and have them sing to the Grolar. Enjoy POW 14 autocannon shots and PS20 Hammer slams.

Mercenaries

• Colbie Sterling/Gobber Tinker/Raluk Moorclaw/Widget: These four are Mechanikally Adept, meaning they can Repair Khador models.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Typical for Khadoran warjacks, it has low native SPD and DEF.
• It's an expensive generalist compared to its specialized counterparts.
• It can become very focus inefficient if you overly rely on the Auto Cannon.
• It can be difficult for beginners to use to its full efficiency, but it's also nearly impossible to end up in a situation where you have excess focus left at the end of the turn.
• Massive or Steady and Sturdy models are immune to being knocked down and pushed.

Tricks & Tips

• Being knocked down causes models to lose Tough so feel free to go after Tough targets with the Piston Hammer.
• Charge with the Hammer. Knockdown, then autohit (anything but double-1s) with the Autocannon at point-blank range thanks to Dual Attack.
• Remember you have a variable ROF so don't plan around having the maximum of 5 shots, instead plan around having the minimum 3.
• Unlike Gunfighters, this model is free to shoot targets outside its melee range. This is especially helpful if you already killed all targets in melee range with your initial melee attacks.
• You can use your charge to extend your effective shooting range by over a foot depending on how many hammer swings and speed buffs you give your Grolar.

Other

Trivia

• The rules were released in Warmachine: Vengeance (2014).
• The Grolar is named after a polar-grizzly bear hybrid, known as the Grolar bear.
• The parts to build a Kodiak or a Grolar are contained in the same box, so you can use magnets to swap their Profile-specific parts for a two-in-one warjack.