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Hi, just come back to the game, after years away (pre MkII).
Given away everything back in the days (except for eSkarre (liked the mini) and Pistol Wraith I kept for Great Rail Wars, the skirmish of Deadlands).
(re)Purchased Asphyxious as it was my caster of choice (mainly with troops) and a new jack, the Canckerworm (liked the mini and rules seem fun, plus is linked to Asphyxious).

So my actual belongings sum up to these four minis: Epic Skarre, Asphyxious, Cankerworm, Pistol Wraith.
Now I'm planning the next buys.

For Asphyxious I was planning to get some nodes, then troops again. Bane Thralls, Bane Knights, Mechanithralls are the ones I used in 1st edition.
My main problem was fighting Everblight, with their damn eyeless sight ability to spoil my own concealement abilities, much needed in a so melee heavy army. Plus lots of them are soulless.
Unfortunately, LOTS of Hordes players among my friends (4 out of 6) choosed Dragons as their Hordes force.
Too bad the Nyss Sorceress (finding IK characters usable in games was a nice surprise of this comeback) does not work for Cryx.

For Epic Skarre I was planning to give a try to the Black Spot + Reaper combo (maybe swapping in Malice while fighting jacks).
Never really played her, so no idea on what she needs (apart the always needed nodes).
Maybe something to heal her? She seems a girl pretty inclined to self-injury...

Thanks in advance .

[EDIT]
Was thinking if the starter box is worth getting anyway. Sure I'll purchase some node equipped bonejack anyway.
Plus I could order a metal harpoon directly at PP and use the Slayer as a base for Malice.

I've found Skarre2 only really needs one node but heavies are great with her. Asphyxious1 will love a couple and those troops will do fine with him. the battlebox will give you cheap nodes and a brilliant third caster so would go for it. Maybe look for hordes o' bits as the company have been splitting up the plastic parts of pp kits. Other purchases could be:

Warwitch sirens are great for their focus efficiency.

Satyxis Raider Captain should be used with Skarre to prevent those knockdown assassinations.

Necrosurgeon can be used with Skarre to heal as she will be taking damage.

Also the Satyxis raider unit is a great purchase, feedback can really force your opponent back.

Hi, thanks for reply.

I know Hoard o' Bitz, and would greatly prefer a plastic harpoon than a metal one, but unfortunately they're out of stock.
In fact, one of the aspects that made me decide for a comeback is PP turn on plastic, just to discover later than the plastic catalogue is still VERY limited.

Thanks for the suggestions. Satyxis Raiders are still in metal, right? Any info on a plastic release?.

No real releases for cryx in plastic for ages. Just the helljacks, arc nodes and Deneghra1 from the battlebox. Given that the winterguard and storm(thingys) have been released in plastic with their WAs in the box, some people are wondering about Mechanithralls but thats just people being hopeful.

More and more plastics are being made in warmachine, so don't be suprised if mechanithralls go plastic. All armys have had a plastic unit upgrade so far

I hope so, while Mechanithralls (being single or two pieces, if I remember correctly) are the ones less needing it. Unless making them plastics means also a resculpt, as actual models are some of the weakest ones among Cryx, imo.
I will prefer multi component troops as Satyxis to be made in plastc, and all the heavy jacks..

Btw, back to topic, what about Witheshadow Combine? Seems a nice group with plenty of interesting abilities. Looks like a toolbox good in any list. Back in the days I used a Skarlock, still a good option?
What about mercs? There's something nice among them? I'm especially eager to find something useful against Everblight as one of the widely played faction among friends, and the one that I remember had the most problems playing against (eyeless sight + no souls).

Gabbi wrote:
I hope so, while Mechanithralls (being single or two pieces, if I remember correctly) are the ones less needing it. Unless making them plastics means also a resculpt, as actual models are some of the weakest ones among Cryx, imo.
I will prefer multi component troops as Satyxis to be made in plastc, and all the heavy jacks..

Btw, back to topic, what about Witheshadow Combine? Seems a nice group with plenty of interesting abilities. Looks like a toolbox good in any list. Back in the days I used a Skarlock, still a good option?
What about mercs? There's something nice among them? I'm especially eager to find something useful against Everblight as one of the widely played faction among friends, and the one that I remember had the most problems playing against (eyeless sight + no souls).

I've never seen the combine being used but i have heard they are OK, Mercs, are you thinking on using them with cryx?

Combine are great, the free upkeep is the main reason I take them but puppet master is very good and three POW 12s ain't nothing to be sniffed at. The Skarlock is another great piece as a free spell is brilliant for focus efficiency. Some casters ain't too fussed about him, Gaspy2 and Goreshade1 are the main ones that come to mind.

As for mercs, Nyss Hunters are the best ranged option for Cryx, Boomhowlers are used slightly and some people love the Pirate package (sea dogs, press gangers, pirate solos) but that's expensive to get. Solos, Gorman Di Wulfe, Madelyn Corbeau, Saxon Orrik, and the Ogrun Bokur are very good ones. Wrong Eye & Snapjaw also have some use as well.

It depends on how you want to play, if you want a melee based army, use all your points on cryx, for a ranged option try mercs

I came back to the game myself recently and found that my standard buys in MkI (2-3 nodes, 2 Pistol Wraiths, Mechanithralls, Bile Thralls, Bane Thralls, BLT, and Gorman) were still highly viable, with new options crowding for my attention in MkII. These include the Officer and SB for Bane Thralls (Recover from Stationary and KD, and Tough? Hells yes.) The Warwitch Siren (Oh look! It's Teenage Angst Deneghra!) and the Satyxis Raider, depending on the list I am running.

The Siren works well when you take the Combine against WM. When the Combine scraps a heavy and you make a new one, it can't get allocated focus unless your caster spends a turn to take control of it. The Siren helps alleviate this issue with her ability. Also she has Venom (Like Denny) and a reach weapon with Shadow Bind (Like Denny) Of course, if you take the WSC, you'll need to invest in jacks to trade out with their power. I suggest the Seether (VERY focus efficient, as it can run/charge/powerattack for free, has a MAT7, and Smash and Grab) or the Harrower (runs on souls, has Thresher)

eSkarre is good now, and as the Colossal/Gargantuan meta stabilizes, she will get even better. I do admit that a full unit of Raiders + Sea Witch + Backlash will not kill a colossal. Unfortunately, the caster will die long before that ever happens. She is also (IMO) the best caster for the Kraken, if you ever decide to buy one.

Thanks everyone for replies and suggestions.
I was planning a very straightforward list for Asphyxious, mostly troops to allow him keep focus to go for caster kill. Among troops I mostly used Banes with Tartarus and mechanithralls, so I was planning to go for them agan (but $70 for Thralls? rly?).
For Skarre I would like to try something more subtle, and it's the one list I'm a bit more undecided about. As main jack as already said I would go for Reaper/Malice. Sure I'll get the Necrosurgeon and probably the Whiteshadow Combine. If then, Seether seems the right jack to keep ready to pop in. Siren and the merc courtesan seem good options, too.
While I can see the sinergies between Skarre and the Satyx troops, I'd prefer to stay away from them as I don't like very much the minis. Plus, I get headache at just thinking assembling them... So I'm a bit undecided on which troops add in, if any.

Kraken is the colossal jack? I don't know... I'm not a big fan of these things. Being around 20 pts I fear once purchased they will see the battlefield only in dedicated games. Among biggies I'd go for Engines instead, costing like a heavy I think they could be easily used more often.

The collosals are not useds that much, but i have seen many players who incorparte them into regular lists

The general opinion of the Wraith Engine is that it is terrible. I suggest doing research before purchase. $70 on Bane Thralls will never be regretted. $70 on the Wraith Engine? Something all together.

I must admit, something that costs $70 that will never be used that muchs is pretty expensive

Ok, thanks for advice guys. Wraith Engine seemed fun looking at stats/abilities... Money saved.
Btw I will not play tournaments or very competitive games, so, while winning is always fun, and ofcourse I'd like to field a competitive force, I'm not in need to tune it for tournament play. Especially if it would detract from the fun of playing it

Oh the wraith engine has most of the right stuff, souls to get more attacks, dark shroud to improve damage and incorporeal/apparition to move freely. Where it falls down is the DEF and ARM values. It is far too fragile and too easy to hit when not incorporeal. I killed one with two bane thralls, easily. A heavy warjack would have survived, albeit with a fair bit of damage.

True, no matter how much you put on a Battle engine you still need the base still, so without a lot of buff units Wraith engine will not function well

So, basically you're telling me that I will easily find myself spending 20 pts to field a Kraken than 9 for a Wraith Engine?
So, wanting to get a big toy it would be better spending my money on the Kraken?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ok, here's a draft for 25pts Asphyxious:

Iron Lich Asphyxious
Cankerworm
Ripjaw
Bane Knights (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Bane Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Mechanithralls (Leader and 9 Grunts)
Brute Thrall
Bane Lord Tartarus

Or I can get rid of the Knights and upgrade Thralls to 10 + attachment.

For 35pts games I would add some heavy hitter (maybe Wrong Eye & Snapjaw to save on focus).