MOW Drakhun to dismount or not to dismount THAT is the question!

[wargolem]

I have fielded the Drakhun several times now and love his playability. I do however generally run him with the dismount since I like to run him up front. Whenever he does not have the dismount I tend to hold him back and not get nearly as much use out of him. Anyone have and input on the best way to field him?

[quindraco]

I have fielded the Drakhun several times now and love his playability. I do however generally run him with the dismount since I like to run him up front. Whenever he does not have the dismount I tend to hold him back and not get nearly as much use out of him. Anyone have and input on the best way to field him?

As a medium based model, he is inherently worse at dismounting than a small based model, since it's so much harder for him to fall out of engagement with his attackers. Furthermore, his dismounted copy isn't on the table until you are losing, as opposed to something else you pay for with the same point, which is on the table from the get-go and provides you with an additional attack vector. I personally never take the dismount, but play him up front anyway - if he dies, I have more warriors behind him.

[John of Arc]

He's awesome either way, but dismount doubles his survivability for a single point, which is pretty important for a model that's spends so much time up front. He doesn't lose Counter Charge when you dismount him, either, so he doesn't lose any effectiveness unless you really need those extra two inches of speed. One of my friends is just getting into the game, and he's been playing a 15 point eVlad list that includes a Drakhun. Every time I manage to kill it, I breathe a sigh of relief, because I'm happy that I don't have to deal with it anymore. It's much scarier with dismount.

[quindraco]

He's awesome either way, but dismount doubles his survivability for a single point, which is pretty important for a model that's spends so much time up front. He doesn't lose Counter Charge when you dismount him, either, so he doesn't lose any effectiveness unless you really need those extra two inches of speed. One of my friends is just getting into the game, and he's been playing a 15 point eVlad list that includes a Drakhun. Every time I manage to kill it, I breathe a sigh of relief, because I'm happy that I don't have to deal with it anymore. It's much scarier with dismount.

He absolutely loses Counter Charge while dismounted. Total dismount losses:

-3 SPD, -2 ARM, -2 boxes, loss of Counter Charge, loss of Steady, loss of Combat Rider. He also changes base size, of course.

[alexcragg]

One point for eight health boxes. I say why not.
unless you desperately need that one point to improve the overall list.

[Octavius_Maximus]

One point for eight health boxes. I say why not.
unless you desperately need that one point to improve the overall list.

Basically this. No dismount unless you have a spare point. (or 2 points for Dismount+War dog.)

[x3tsniper]

I always bring dismount.

The other day I ran him up to engage. 2 bastions a knight exemplar and finally a redeemer to kill him. Which meant he did his job perfectly keeping the redeemer from being able to fire into my infantry.

Normally though he just likes to blow stuff up. Having the dismount is amazing, as it forces them to allocate WAY more than 1pt worth of models to killing just the dismount most of the time. His dismount is easily worth it. What other time can you get a 1pt model with 11/17, 8 health and a ps 14 wm? Sure he will sometimes just get scraped off the board after he is dismounted, but there are the times where he gets another charge after this. Even dismounted, he is normally close enough to charge dismounted, unless you let them blow him up at range, which isn't easy, and makes you a terrible person.

[wargolem]

thanks for the input! Does anyone have any cool stories to go along with all this awesome info?

[x3tsniper]

I have had Drakhun kill an angelius from full life to dead with him mount attack and a charge. I think he had Battle Lust, but it is still hilarious. My friend about threw the thing at a wall after having to remove it from the board.

[Tyr852]

Unless it's a really odd fit I always take him with dismount , 1 pt for a meatshield is a solid enough and if he does live another round he will easily make up that point. One of the better round I had with him was taking out a battlengine with him on pbutchers feat , getting dismounted but not killed then killing their caster with a free strike as they ran by.

I mean for 1 pt you still get a high arm , multi hitbox , weaponmaster with reach.

[x3tsniper]

I am completely amazed someone is willing to take a free strike from Drakhun. Mat 10 and pow 14 with 4 dice. Oo That is asking to lose a system/death on just about anyone. That can drop a caster that isn't camping full focus pretty easily.

[Frege]

Yeah taking freestrikes from the Drakhun is last resort!!!

As for dismount or not. I don't think it matters either way. You don't play the Drakhun any differently if he dismounts or not. You can jam up some infantry for a bit longer. So if you have a point go for it, if not no big loss.

As a side note I find myself taking the barebones non-dismount option in smaller games and usually pay the point in a 50 point game. Probably because points are not quite so tight.

[Joasht]

I'm surprised people actually are willing to actively consider not taking the dismount; its usually a "last resort" kind of thing for me if there isn't one point to spare. Not saying its wrong, but I never quite considered it since I somehow see it as 1 point for an 8-wound, ARM 17 weaponmaster. You can force your opponent to take it out twice if its placed well, since with Reach and its medium (dismounted) base it can force some free strikes if your opponent isn't careful.

[RevolverAdamska]

Imho, dismount for 1 point of difference you get more stats point and skills

[The Buoyancy of Water]

Do you have a drakhun?
If yes:
Do you have a spare point?
If yes:
Do you already have a war dog or Wyshnalyrr?
If yes:
Do you have a unit you can attach a useful 1pt WA to?
If no:
Get dismount.

Drastically over-simplified It really depends on the rest of your list and what you want him to do.

Cheers,
Dave

[Binz]

I always take the dismount - unless that one point is reeeeally important.

Like, Spriggan -> Beast 09 important, or War Dog important.

Its much easier to take it in a bigger list, but in small lists like 15pt games, especially with a caster like eVlad, youll be winning games all day long with him.

[Viss]

As for the rulings of Tough rolls I do not take dismount when playing pIrusk. It's better to have mounted with 4+ tough on feat turn than +8 boxes and then Tough.

With other casters I bring him always with dismount.

[Jack Hammer]

Bit of an odd but related question. Does a dismounted Dragoon loose the Cavalry Trait? I expect they should, but don't have my rule book to be sure.

The reason I am asking is because of 3Vlad's Feat.

[quindraco]

Bit of an odd but related question. Does a dismounted Dragoon loose the Cavalry Trait? I expect they should, but don't have my rule book to be sure.

The reason I am asking is because of 3Vlad's Feat.

IIRC the core rulebook explains that a dismounted dragoon is not a cavalry model, but if it doesn't that's a hell of an oversight, since it would mean the dismounted model could still make impact and ride-by attacks, and get +2 to attack rolls on the charge.

[AnotherMike]

I've tried him with both, and have decided to always take the dismount. Any time I haven't I've really wished I had it left. I've typically used him to support flanking Kayazy, and a run to engage at 16" keeps them safe long enough to close with whatever target I've assigned them. That dismount lets him (usually) engage the enemy longer or commit much more serious force to take him out.

That, and I almost had him 1-shotted on turn 2 by a mage hunter assassin that got all up in my grill (a time when I took no dismount).

[mostholycerebus]

After a few games with the dismount, I never take it anymore. First, you aren't getting a weapon master for the whole game. You are getting a speed 4 MoW who can't shield wall for, tops, 2 turns. That's best case. Worst case is, whatever you send him at wastes him in a turn. Or he blocks YOUR charge lane after putting hurt on a critical piece.

Plus, there's never anything I wouldnt rather spend the point on. Wardog, Reinholdt, WGI rocket, jack upgrade, merc solos, etc. I would rather have an always usefull tool than a maybe speed bump. Half the games I play Drakun doesnt even die, so I basically handicapped myself a point.

[Havock]

The dismount option is mostly another 8 health boxes on annoying for your opponent. it can still hit hard but it is "just" a souped up MoW shocktrooper from that point on. Somtimes it gives your opponent a headache, somtimes they just butcher him again after that. Then again, it is a 1 point upgrade, still a good 1-point upgrade

Used one today with Corbeau, that is a tag-team made in heaven/hell.

between countercharge and her 3" move granted during maintenance phase it opens up a lot of possibilities.
Like basically sealing the game on eKaya on turn 2.

Granted, my dice were on fire, but that could have something to do with my blood sacrifice during the drakhun's construction

[profparm]

First, you aren't getting a weapon master for the whole game.

Why wouldn't you get WM the whole game? That ability is on the weapon, and he uses the same weapon dismounted.

[PG_Caecus Scius]

I pretty much always take the dismount. The amount of times my dismounted drakkhun has still killed the enemy caster in my Ebutcher list, makes it too hard to ignore. You cannot buy a better solo for 1 point. Think about it like a super incubus... those don't deploy until something dies, and they rock face. The drakkhun is the same, for 1 point there isn't anything better you can buy... so buy it. For theme forces or whatever, if you just HAVE to have that 1 point go ahead....

[quindraco]

I pretty much always take the dismount. The amount of times my dismounted drakkhun has still killed the enemy caster in my Ebutcher list, makes it too hard to ignore. You cannot buy a better solo for 1 point. Think about it like a super incubus... those don't deploy until something dies, and they rock face. The drakkhun is the same, for 1 point there isn't anything better you can buy... so buy it. For theme forces or whatever, if you just HAVE to have that 1 point go ahead....

In the majority of possible contexts, I would rather spend that point on a war dog, eButcher included.

[Frege]

In the majority of possible contexts, I would rather spend that point on a war dog, eButcher included.

If not wardog then Reinholdt for me!!!

[Karl Eller]

The War Dog is a better 1 pt option, but if you already have a Warcaster attachment and have the 1 pt to spare, the Dismount is always a good option.

[Kommissar Golovko]

If you want the Dog, put it in. If you want the Dismount, put it in. Then add whatever else more you want. Just because both are 1 point doesn't mean you can't have both. There's no rule saying if you have the Dog you can't take the Dismount and vice versa.

[Frege]

I believe the comment was in resposne to the notion that there isn't anything better you can get for 1 point.

I believe there is. In fact, I go so far as to say all other 1 point options are preferable to me than the Drakhun dismount. I literally only get it if there is nothing else i can find to do with that point.

[cjkeys]

There is a guy at my local shop who runs the drakhun and he always runs him with the dismount because he can charge in and if you wreck his ride you now have a suped up mow shocktrooper staring you in the face that you have to deal with.

[quindraco]

There is a guy at my local shop who runs the drakhun and he always runs him with the dismount because he can charge in and if you wreck his ride you now have a suped up mow shocktrooper staring you in the face that you have to deal with.

Yeah, if eVlad feats a Drakhun with dismount and sticks him in melee somewhere, he becomes very close to indestructible.

[Skylifter]

Out of interest, does the Drakhun have two stat cards, or are both his mounted and dismounted version on the same stat card? I am considering to get the Drakhun in the near future, and I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense, fiscally, to buy the mounted-only version and just use a MoW Shock Trooper as the dismount than getting the box with both in.

[Karl Eller]

Out of interest, does the Drakhun have two stat cards, or are both his mounted and dismounted version on the same stat card? I am considering to get the Drakhun in the near future, and I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense, fiscally, to buy the mounted-only version and just use a MoW Shock Trooper as the dismount than getting the box with both in.

One stat card. It's got a x/y value for SPD and ARM, with a Dragoon rule saying it loses Steady, Counter Charge, etc.

[Skylifter]

One stat card. It's got a x/y value for SPD and ARM, with a Dragoon rule saying it loses Steady, Counter Charge, etc.

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[AnotherMike]

One stat card. It's got a x/y value for SPD and ARM, with a Dragoon rule saying it loses Steady, Counter Charge, etc.

Hopefully posting this isn't a problem, if it is I'll gladly take it down, but this is what the statline looks like:



x/y = mounted/dismounted, and it's got two sets of boxes labeled mounted (10 boxes) and dismounted (8 boxes)