Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Finally went halves in the starter box with a friend, though I like both Khador and Scyrah equally Khador seemed the easier one to start off with and I already got a Destroyer just to paint ages ago anyway.

I've yet to play a proper game with them, in fact most are sitting in their bag as I construct them, but I was wondering if anyone could give me a run down on the sorts of strategies I can pull off with Sorscha (pronunciation on the name would be nice too ), two Destroyers, Juggernaut and 5 Man-O-Wars. At a brief glance to me it looks like they're sort of an in your face force, the jacks and such charging up and using their defense to help them bully the opponent. The Destroyers providing a slight cover fire to the advance.

This is generally quite different to my normal tactics in other wargames as I like to have a more balanced army with a decent amount of mobility. Allowing me to have a main plan, back up plans and to adapt as the battle unfolds. Mostly not up in your face and just punching it like this starter force seems to be. The comparison I'm seeing is the type I usually play is the dagger while these seem like an anvil or hammer. I also like the armour style they have more than the unarmoured look of the troops so I'd probably like to expand it by sticking to the other armoured units like the other types of Man-O-Wars, Ironfangs, etc. The Battle mechanics are one of the few unarmoured units I don't mind the look of though.

If it can't be advanced all too well this way I could just move onto Scyrah like I plan a little sooner, though this force would likely be easier to learn. Thanks in advance for any help.

I would probably keep sorscha behind the destroyer at the back but not too far behind. Then keep either the MOW or the Juggernaut in front of one other (defense in depth). Advance forward but in a way to try and get the first charge (remember Sorscha can cast boundless charge that give pathfinder and +2" to a model on the charge) If your front line gets charged first it isn't a big deal because the second line will be able to charge in and destroy what ever it was that charged you.

Sorscha feat is awesome so if enough enemies have committed to the charge, before you counter charge you can move her forward and pop your feat and then charge with your second line (stationary mean the enemy is going to be easy to hit)

Sorscha = SORS-SHA. ( at least for me and my english-speaking friends lol, could be different to native russians? )


Sorscha is fairly straightfowards to play. You're going to want her behind the jacks, and the inclusion of MOW lets you cover more gaps between the jacks.

Her spells are pretty straightforwards. You almost always want to cast Windrush at least every turn after turn 2. You can cast and upkeep Fog of War if you want, as its decent. Boundless Charge is good on the key turns to give your jacks a free charge, pathfinder on the charge, and +2". Makes the Juggernaut able to get a decent charge off. ( distance = 9" )


Her feat is really awesome. It makes everything within her LOS and 12" Stationary. That's a really strong effect that infantry can't escape. Just remember that jacks can shake the effect at the cost of 1 focus, so you don't want to leave her out there to be assassinated.


Speaking of assassination, Sorscha is the premier assassin for warmachine. Check this trick out!

You cast Wind Rush on yourself, which moves you 6" wherever you want to go. You can use this to get around models and stuff. Since all you've done so far is cast a spell ( which you can do before movement, attacks, etc ) you can then CHARGE! This is great because it lets you move a total distance of 15" + 2" Reach = 17". If you really really want to, you can even use your feat or cast Boundless Charge on yourself to get up to 19"!

I do like the sound of her feat.

Would Man-O-War demolition corps and bombardiers make a decent addition to this force or would I be better off getting more of the standard Man-O-Wars?

The Spriggan and Devastator are also my favorite of the Khador jacks (just by appearance at the moment) so I'd definitely like to at least shoehorn them into the list. Are they decent or would it just be better off to take only one of them?

The Spriggan is pretty decent with Boundless Charge. Even more extra threat range, for example.

The Devastator is an awesome jack, but it doesn't synergize with her super well. Since RAIN OF DEATH is an auto-hit her feat doesn't help it much, and usually you don't want it charging and stuff since that will open it up. It's your call though. Typical pSorscha jack grabs are like, Juggernaut or Destroyer. A couple of POW 14s on her feat turn can reliably assassinate a lot of casters.


MOW are tricky with her as well, since she doesn't do a lot for them. That being said the Bombardiers are kind of fun. You can spam more 3" AOEs by including Bombardiers, and be shooting at the same POW ( but lower range ) than Destroyers.



One thing to remember about her feat is its interaction with Stealth. Last time I checked you get to freeze the Stealth models in range ( they are in LOS ) and then Stealth doesn't block LOS, which lets you freeze the models behind the Stealth models.

correlation2 wrote:One thing to remember about her feat is its interaction with Stealth. Last time I checked you get to freeze the Stealth models in range ( they are in LOS ) and then Stealth doesn't block LOS, which lets you freeze the models behind the Stealth models.

ooooh, nasty. I hadn't realised that.

yastobaal wrote:

correlation2 wrote:One thing to remember about her feat is its interaction with Stealth. Last time I checked you get to freeze the Stealth models in range ( they are in LOS ) and then Stealth doesn't block LOS, which lets you freeze the models behind the Stealth models.

ooooh, nasty. I hadn't realised that.

I love watching stealth be more of a hindrance to its owning player than a boon. Shot Kaelyssa with an Impaler because she had surrounded herself with a mage hunter strike force... She was one unhappy elf

It's good to know I won't have to specialise too much to counter any nasty stealth units.

n0t_u wrote:It's good to know I won't have to specialise too much to counter any nasty stealth units.

Nah. Between a Destroyer and Winterguard Mortar Crews, you can simply AoE problems away.

Just remember with the strategy mentioned above: Sorscha1 relies very heavily on her high DEF keeping her safe. Slamming that Destroyer back over her will knock her down, and that is an extremely dangerous position for her to be in. Keep her back or out of LOS will help her immensely.

Khador can play as a dagger army. Actually this can be one of its more powerful incarnations.

'Dagger' units/models:

Kayazy Assassins with UA (acrobatics)
Kayazy Eliminators (acrobatics)
Yuri+Manhunters (hunter)
Old Witch (Scrapjack Yo-Yo)
Zerkova, preferably with Wishnalyrr (Force Blast, the poor man's teleport)
eVlad in conjunction with Uhlans, Kayazy, Eliminators, Manhunters
Kovnik Joe+Mortar[+pVlad], eIrusk+Mortar; same plus Behemoth bombards
eButcher killing spree (yes, really)

Khador actually has a LOT of subtlety once you get into the faction. Usually with the less utilized warlocks, like the Vlads and other non-IF casters. Something as innocuous as a 3 pt pair of Kayazy Eliminators plus eVlad represents a 13" charge through intervening models and four boosted hit/damage P&S14s at MAT12.

Or Kovnik Joe, the Mortar, and pVlad spamming S&P; that Rat3 mortar is hitting Def 15-16 on average doing about a POW 24-25 at 20", ignoring most intervening models. That is a horrendous amount of board coverage and really pressures the lighter casters.

There is a lot of axe-to-face in Khador. But there is an equal amount of creativity in executing that strategy.