Dire Troll Mauler

Although dangerous and unpredictable, the powerful dire trolls serve their trollkin allies in a variety of battlefield roles. The dire troll mauler is a creature of savage simplicity, devastating enemies with nothing more than its gigantic fists and unearthly strength. The dire troll blitzer totes a rapid-fire slugger cannon and its pyg gunner into combat on its back, adding a lethal spray of lead to the crushing blows of its mighty fists. The dire troll bomber hurls barrels of explosives at the enemy before pulverizing them in melee combat.

Basic Info

Abilities

• Template:Regeneration
• Template:Snacking

Weapons

Claw (x2)
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		1				4				16Template:/19
Goes to P+S 19 if he casts his animus on himself Template:Open Fist Template:Chain Attack Grab & Smash

Animus

{{Category: Template:Rage }}[[Category: Template:Rage ]]

Theme Forces

• Trollblood
  • Template:Band of Heroes
  • Template:Kriel Company
  • Template:Power of Dhunia. In this theme, when this warbeast casts its own animus the COST is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).
  • Template:Storm of the North
  • Template:Vengeance of Dhunia

• Other Factions
  • Minion players can also use this warbeast in the Vengeance of Dhunia theme.

Thoughts on Dire Troll Mauler

Dire Troll Mauler in a nutshell

The Dire Troll Mauler is the backbone of Trollblood warbeast melee. Hitting hard (especially with Smash & Grab), it's the animus that makes the Mauler one of the best value beatstick heavies in the game. As a default heavy to reach for the Mauler is top of the list.

Combos & Synergies

Warlocks

• Gunnbjorn1 can place a wall behind the Mauler's target, ready for it to grab and throw into the wall for extra damage. Place the wall close enough to stop you throwing the target out of the Mauler's melee range, and then it can buy additional attacks afterwards.
• Grissel1, can make him really fast and difficult to catch with the Hoof it fell call, so he can charge something and come back to safety easily.
• Being Fury 5, he benefits greatly from Goad from Doomshaper1, giving him 2" of extra threat every time he kills something.
• Ragnor Skysplitter, the Runemaster loves him a mauler to put Pulverizer on, especially when the mauler stacks it's own Rage animus on top.
  • So with an additional +5 str that makes him a heavy warbest with a P+S of 21 and beat back. That makes him hit harder than a stormwall colossal.
  • Add Krielstone strength to get it to +6 STR, give +3" to any throw.
  • Also with Beatback and grab+smash, you can have a throwing threat range of 11" (in a straight line, directly away from the thrown model's base, and assuming the model can be pushed...otherwise, just 9 inches throw).
  • The first two attacks will drop the model's speed and defense, so it might not be able to return to combat with the Mauler after the throw.
  • With his field Marshal it’s even easier to apply the chain attack.
  • Pathfinder and Steady is good on any warbeast. As is blast Immunity and cover.
  • Or put the same buffs on an otherwise pillow-fisted Bouncer to get to P+S 18 with his Chain ball, and 17 with his Shield.
• Borka2 - His field marshal makes it Northkin, so it will be affected by the Cold Stone's Speed buff, under Battle Charge it gains Counter Charge and Borka can cast the Maulers animus for free, thereby relieving it of support duty.
• Doomshaper2 - casting Rage for free is very useful and his feat is useful on any beast.

Non-warlocks

• Any other warbeast that's going to get into melee with an armoured target loves the Mauler's animus.
• Troll Axer can put Rush on the Mauler, which is really good for a SPD 5 heavy. Any other speed buff will be nice too (like Dinner Time from Boomhowler, the Destroyer)
• Troll Whelps are always good for fury management.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• P+S 16 is extremely flimsy for a no-frills beater, especially for one as expensive as it is. Crusaders, Ironclads or Toros are all more powerful than it is, yet are significantly cheaper.
• Given its points cost compared to its statline, it's apparant you're paying a "points tax" for being able to Rage other warbeasts. It's likely going to be the only source of Rage in your list, so consider carefully when you want to commit it.
• the Pyre Troll has a 2 cost animus that increases power, but can target anything (rather than just warbeasts) and it grants continuous fire and fire immunity. This limits its potential as an animus bot.

Tricks & Tips

• Extra strength increases throw distance.
• Put Rush on the Mauler before it activates, have it charge, then cast its own animus on itself before it makes the charge attack. It costs a lot of fury, and you lose two buy/boosts by casting Rage, but it maximises threat range and raw damage output. You just need to weigh up whether the +3 STR is better than the 2 fury.

Other

Trivia

• Released way back in Primal Mk1 (2006)
• Dire troll mauler is the vanilla beast on trollbloods, and the only one who has 3 sculpts: Extreme Dire Mauler, Metal Mauler, and Plastic Kit Mauler.

Other Trollblood models

Index Trollbloods