Madrak, Great Chieftain

Madrak Ironhide has dedicated his life to guiding the United Kriels through a history fraught with suffering and betrayals. Madrak once wielded the cursed axe Rathrok, the World Ender, taken up out of desperation in the hope of using its power to save his people from impending destruction. Freed from the burden of that ancient weapon, Madrak returned to those loyal to him and has resumed the mantle of leadership, lending his strength to his people and drawing on theirs in return.

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: Rallying Cry

1. While in Madrak's Template:Control range, friendly Faction warrior models cannot become knocked down.
2. When a friendly Faction warrior model makes a Tough roll of 4, 5, or 6 while in Madrak's Template:Control range, remove 1 damage point from that model.
3. After removing this damage the affected model can advance 3" unless it was disabled while advancing (ie disabled by a free strike). The affected model cannot be targeted by free strikes during this movement.

Rallying Cry lasts for one round.

Abilities

• Template:Tough
• Field Marshal [ [[:Category:{{{ability}}}|{{{ability}}}]] ]

[[Category:{{{ability}}}]]

• Template:Protective Aura
• Template:Righteous Vengeance
• Template:Shield Guard

Weapons

Thrown Spear
File:Gun icon.jpg		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		8			1			Template:-			14
Template:Magical Weapon Template:Reload 1 Template:Thrown
Spear
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		2				6				14
Template:Magical Weapon
Shield of Volarr
File:Sword icon.jpg		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				4				12
Template:Shield Template:Magical Weapon Template:Beat Back

Spells

{{Category:

}}[[Category:

]]

[[:Category:{{{name}}}|{{{name}}}]]	Cost	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	No
Target friendly Faction warrior model/unit gains an additional die on melee damage rolls, but suffers -2 DEF.
No errata for {{{name}}} ([[:Category:Errata-{{{name}}}|Create]])
[[:Category:{{{name}}}|{{{name}}}]]	Cost	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
	2	6	-	-	Upkeep	No
Target friendly Faction warrior model/unit gains an additional die on melee damage rolls, but suffers -2 DEF.
No errata for {{{name}}} ([[:Category:Errata-{{{name}}}|Create]])

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 Madrak3

Madrak3 in a nutshell

Madrak3 has a potent spell list, a great Field Marshall and beefy stats, worthy of a true hero. His downsides are his mediocre feat and not having enough fury to do everything he wants to each turn. He is a warrior support caster who also happens to have a significant personal threat.

His Field Marshall [Shield Guard] is great for keeping your troops alive. When it's time to go in he and the Runebearer can put out Battle Lust. Defender's Ward is one of the best defensive unit buffs in the game. The Pyre troll animus can also be put on specific important models to increase their damage. Spellpiercer is there for those pesky Incorporeal models or for ignoring spells. His stone aura is now a base 8" and increases with fury so he can get a much larger amount of his army inside it. With Righteous Vengeance he threats a very respectable 14", preferably with the Runebearer putting Battle Lust on him and possibly with the pyre or slag troll Animus on top.

His different incarnations fit his lore pretty well: Madrak1 supports his army but is reliant on his weapon and the dark power within, Madrak2 having awakened Rathrok is all about wrecking face, but risks getting his friends killed and Madrak3, now free of his burden, is fully focused on helping and supporting the trolls around him by layering defensive support abilities and offering ad hoc damage boosts to his warriors.

Feat thoughts

His feat is an obvious defensive feat which you take in order to tank the alpha strike. No knockdown with 4+ tough just makes the infantry hard to kill.

Note that his feat doesn't stack with Tough. That is, a multi-wound model that passes a Tough check only heals 1 hitpoint under his feat, not two hitpoints.

Spell thoughts

• Spellpiercer is a great spell when you need to cast it - and utterly pointless two games in three. It's an excellent hard counter to a lot of spells and to incorporeal models (although not to incorporeal models charging through yours). You'll know when you want it; it tries to force a fair fight and trolls excel at winning a fair fight.
• Battle Lust is an awesome warrior buff, can be cast by the Runebearer.
• Defender's Ward one of the best defensive upkeeps in the game, make Champs 14/20, make Long Riders 14/22, the world is your oyster.
• Rebuke is a powerful offensive upkeep - but can't be cast by a Runebearer, normally needs boosting to hit, and the only arc node is in Power of Dhunia, and thus is frequently not cast.

Drawbacks & Downsides

• He's a counterplayer, rather than a warlock with a plan.
• Protective Aura on a warlock isn’t as great as it sounds, you would assume as the Krielstone with UA is so iconic to trolls that he could split his forces. But as his beasts still need to be in his ctrl range and because trolls lack the channelling options to cycle his buffs efficiently to far away infantry you rarely get enough of a second bubble for it to be worthwhile.

Tricks & Tips

• He has Shield Guard. He's a WARLOCK with SHIELD GUARD. Usually, you use Shield Guards for the warlock or warcaster! You could use this to take some heat off of someone in your battlegroup, but don't bite off more than you can chew! (It's normally used on shots like Alten Ashley's - which doesn't worry a warlock but can seriously hurt a warbeast). Note that you can shield guard then transfer the damage if need be. If possible, try to save this for taking a shot off of a key support piece like a Fell Caller.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Madrak is a toolbox caster with fury management for beasts and an attrition feat for infantry - and a backup krielstone. He's therefore a decent attrition caster who can finish games.

In terms of what to put in his army, this is a harder question than it sounds; of Madrak's abilities, Spellpiercer helps everything, his feat helps all infantry roughly equally, and Fortune works on anything. And Soothing Song makes Madrak able to run surprisingly warbeast heavy or lets a lone gargantuan clear a fury so he can transfer to it.

Theme thoughts

Madrak woks best in melee oriented theme that allow the Runebearer, so Band of Heroes and Storm of the North.

• Trollkin Fennblades - Two full units of them. Both with CAs. Put battle lust on one, have the Runebearer do the same for the other, then send them screaming into enemy lines.
• Trollkin Champions - Your clean up crew. Defender's Ward on them makes their stats obscene and they are already Weapon Masters so Battle Lust will do quite a number coming from them.
• Kriel Warriors - a 15 person strong unit under defenders ward can be a really great tarpit. The WA especially, the fact that it can grant Carapace to medium based models nearby is great, especially if Carapace is coupled with shield guard.

• Champions are here too. You can even upkeep Defender's ward on them for free.
• So are Kriel Warriors
• Krielstone - Only mentioned here because one of Madraks main upsides is that you don't need a Kriel Stone. In this theme you might still want to take a stone for the Northkin elder, though.
• Bumbles - A great fire and forget missile with Advance Deployment and Battle Lust.

• Trollkin Runebearer - Extremely important for him, as he can cast a second instance of Battle Lust. Don't leave your hovels without one!
• Fell Caller Hero - A MAT buff for your infantry, or plain old Pathfinder.
• Dhunian Archon if one trooper dies heal another. Fury Management is real nice for him too.
• Horgle1 - Madrak wants to save any spare fury for battle lust, so casting animi is rare - having him throw out another Pyre Troll animi is handy.

Battlegroup

• Dire Troll Bomber or Troll Impaler gives Madrak Far Strike - for 4" extra range on his thrown spear.
• Swamp Troll - An Impervious Flesh Shield Guard.
• Pyre Troll or Slag Troll - Your resident damage buffs for any troll list.
• Dire Troll Brawler - A very good beater with lots of health for SG and Beat Back for scenario.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2021.03 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 - Band of Heroes

Madrak, Great Chieftain: [+29 WBP]

• Earthborn Dire Troll: [14 pts]
• Pyre Troll: [8 pts]
• Troll Basher: [7 pts]

Fell Caller Hero: [Free] Template:Grey

Stone Scribe Chronicler: [4 pts]

Troll Whelp: [1 pt]

Trollkin Fennblades (Max unit): [15 pts]

• Command Attachment: [5 pts]

Total RRP: USD $218 (based on PP's online store prices 2021.05)

Other

Trivia

• Released 2016.12
• His weapon from previous incarnations, Rathrok, was stolen by Kromac2.