Some Noob Tips for starting Cryx with Jacks & Morty

[Iaphyr]

Hello All

I?m just about to start up a Cryx army with a BB on its way and I?d like a bit of modeling pointers to help me along. I have a decent sized troll force and I?ve an adequate Ret. One but all up I?ve played ~20 games of WMH so I?m still fairly noobish.

I?m planning to do a Jack-heavy army led by Morty, probably Tier or at least with the potential to play tier and not require to many more purchases to play non-tier and have a few questions that my cruddy search-Fu hasn?t solved yet:

• How tricky is it to Omni-Jack the Helljack & CrabJack kits? are there specific jacks I shouldn?t bother trying to accommodate for Morty when Omni-Jacking to make things easier?
• After reading Battlecollege ? any further tips for the assembly & painting of Morty? is Dreyfuss (that?s what I call him) just as fiddly to build and are there any conversions I could try to make the going easier?
• I don?t like identical posed models ? any ideas for WarWitch sirens seeing as I?ll have at least 2? I don?t care for the PP conversions rules as I don?t play in tourneys but I?d still want it to be reasonable. I was thinking converting a pLylyth model?
• What would be another Caster I could run using essentially the same models I?ll be running for Morty just to mix things up a bit later on down the track?
• Kraken + Morty seem a good pairing ? is there any decent netlists out for that combo yet? (my #1 opponent just bought a Stormwall so I?m guessing he?d like to find some other colossals to bash heads with!)
• Is there any newer noob guides for Morty that includes Wrath stuff etc?

[Rabid Bunny]

You could just convert the second WWS from the stock model. Shameless plug:




The main issue with Mortenebra is the smaller legs have very little contact and are very thin, making them a pain to pin. The same goes for Deryliss' arms and the Scavenger arms on Mortenebra's back (I ended up bending these down and gluing them onto her dress as my Mortenebra is in a passive pose).

I don't think there are any other casters that could run the same amount of Warjacks as Mortenebra as she specialises in getting the most out of initials rather than pumping them full of focus, eSkarre can run a few but I haven't used her much. As for Wrath, a Scavenger with Spectral Steel and Terminal Velocity and feat can do some damage. Flight lets it ignore intervening models when declaring charges and Ghostly lets it ignore freestrikes. The Desecrator works well with Terminal Velocity increasing its chance of Crit Shredding something, but I personally prefer a Harrower as it gives Mortenebra some anti infantry power and if you pull off a good Thresher, it can assassinate.

[Rumor]

Another shamless plug, semi painted nice and simple WWS conversion from the metal pDenny, Mortys head and a couple of GW Dark Eldar peices (Witch Barbs, Pony Tail, Sword).




Oi Rabid Bunny, you ever finish that Terminus?!

[Sanctjud]

Who knows...but I find it funny, any time he posts, he gets asked the same questions...lol.

[Iaphyr]

Another shamless plug, semi painted nice and simple WWS conversion from the metal pDenny, Mortys head and a couple of GW Dark Eldar peices (Witch Barbs, Pony Tail, Sword).

Interesting! I'm about to get a plastic one from the starter set so that could be the trick! could just bits order the Warwitch Hat and sword and it's done

Re: Morty Model - yeah that's what I was fearful of and was looking for ways to mitigate (like repositioning bits to get more contact area). Looking at the model, the legs are less of a worry to me as I think I'll be able to pin the model through the dres area so the legs won't be 'load bearing' and most will be attached at both ends. I might just leave off the back thingies or build new 'compact' ones with less leverage to be snapped off...

[nonchalance]

[*]How tricky is it to Omni-Jack the Helljack & CrabJack kits? are there specific jacks I shouldn’t bother trying to accommodate for Morty when Omni-Jacking to make things easier?

My plastic crabjack is still in the mail, but the helljack kit is easy as pie. Remember to magnet the head, and don't bother making a Corruptor. With the crabjack, I'd give myself all three options.

[*]I don’t like identical posed models – any ideas for WarWitch sirens seeing as I’ll have at least 2? I don’t care for the PP conversions rules as I don’t play in tourneys but I’d still want it to be reasonable. I was thinking converting a pLylyth model…

pDenny exists.

[*]What would be another Caster I could run using essentially the same models I’ll be running for Morty just to mix things up a bit later on down the track?

There aren't any. The Coven might like a few jacks, but they prefer arc nodes to heavy swarms.

[*]Is there any newer noob guides for Morty that includes Wrath stuff etc?[/LIST]

Her best list is still her tier, which cuts out everything from Wrath but Scavengers - and she does love those. Oh, and Desecrators, but I wouldn't bother with them unless you're running non-tier and adding Banes (and if you do that, add the Withershadow and Malice. Then pop feat for attrition and watch everything die.)

Here's a thing on the theme: http://theoverseer.dk/2012/06/08/tho...rnal-machines/ - though I think it makes a serious omission in the lack of bonejacks, the rest is super good.

[ShaunZ45]

About Morty: I didn't have any issues with assembling her without using pins or any tricks, and it's a solid figure because the spidery legs are glued to her and to the base. The long set of top arms are junk though ... mine got bent up the first time I used her so I tore them off and put on a set of long spikes.

[Rumor]

Desecrators with Morty are win, feat turn & terminal velocity = crit shreds for everyone!

[Creid]

• How tricky is it to Omni-Jack the Helljack & CrabJack kits? are there specific jacks I shouldn?t bother trying to accommodate for Morty when Omni-Jacking to make things easier?
  
  Can't speak to the crabjacks, but the helljack one is fairly easy if you have small, flat magnets and a decent pin vice. As far as usefulness of doing so...I omni-jack my Reaper so it can become Malice as need be (I almost never run those two together), but there's little point in swapping to a Corruptor, IMO. You probably don't need to do much of it for the standard Slayer-chassie helljacks, at least when it comes to Mortenebra: I tend to find that if I'm going heavy jacks with her, then it's multiple Slayers and maybe one reaper. That said, I only ever run one crabjack at a time with her, and she runs all of them REALLY well, so you could easily get away with omni-jacking the crabjacks.
  
• After reading Battlecollege ? any further tips for the assembly & painting of Morty? is Dreyfuss (that?s what I call him) just as fiddly to build and are there any conversions I could try to make the going easier?
  
  Deryliss goes together really easily, it's just gluing two arms into place. Mortenebra didn't give me any issues when I was assembling her, she's given me issues ever since though. When assembling her, just take the time to place each leg before you glue it on so you know they're in the right order; picking legs at random will lead to trouble. For the weapons coming off her back, PIN THOSE. And be careful of her very thin waistline - those have always been the area that have caused issues for me since her assembly: the back weapons and breaking at the hips.
  
• I don?t like identical posed models ? any ideas for WarWitch sirens seeing as I?ll have at least 2? I don?t care for the PP conversions rules as I don?t play in tourneys but I?d still want it to be reasonable. I was thinking converting a pLylyth model?
  
  Check out the Darkreach faction models within the Reaper Warlord line: http://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/Warlord. It's a bunch of fantasy-style Dark Elves with big flowy robes and very pointy swords.
  
• What would be another Caster I could run using essentially the same models I?ll be running for Morty just to mix things up a bit later on down the track?
  
  Hate to say it, but Morty is a bit weird. Warwitch Sirens run with everyone, but the rest of Cryx doesn't run the jacks like she does. Cryx casters are very focus hungry, and don't like handing their focus to 'jacks in general. So they tend to run more self-sufficient 'jacks. (Seether, Deathjack, Desecrator to some extent, etc.) Thanks to Terminal Velocity, Morty runs the other jacks without having to give them focus in the first place, so 'jacks that are mediocre with other casters are much better with her. Bottom line: Slayers and Reapers appear in other casters lists on occasion, Crabjacks make appearances from time to time (Leviathian with eGoreshade is popular, for example), but you'll never go as 'jack heavy with any other caster as you will with Mortenebra.
  
• Kraken + Morty seem a good pairing ? is there any decent netlists out for that combo yet? (my #1 opponent just bought a Stormwall so I?m guessing he?d like to find some other colossals to bash heads with!)
  
  Mortenebra, pSkarre, eSkarre, and Witch Coven seem to be the most popular choices for running the Kraken, at least according to the interwebz. Honestly, running the Kraken with Morty is alright; it can't benefit from Overrun, which is its only downside. But it'll be a good model to get the kill to make Overrun happen, and it's got a pretty hostile threat range running under Terminal Velocity. Realistically, it'll replace a Crabjack, like the Harrower, and a standard helljack in a Mortenebra tier list.
  
• Is there any newer noob guides for Morty that includes Wrath stuff etc?

I'm not aware of anything that's been written up to this point, but basically, there's two outlooks with Mortenebra. Tier and non-Tier. Mortenebra's Tier bonus is absolutely excellent, reducing the cost of all helljacks by 1 point each. This means 5 point Slayers, and a bunch of cheap other 'jacks, allowing you to spam heavies at the opponent for great effect. However, the tier list locks you into a pretty small series of models: She can take almost no infantry, much take two Warwitch Sirens, and doesn't really get any bonuses from taking bonejacks, which she excels with.

My 35 point tier list:
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
Deryliss
Harrower
Scavenger
Seether
Slayer
Slayer
Stalker

Warwitch Siren
Warwitch Siren

(I've also been experimenting with swapping the Harrower for a Desecrator and adding in 1 Necrotech & Scrap Thrall)

Another school of thought exists that Morty should forgo the tier bonus in exchange for the ability to load up on bonejacks. Morty runs our character jacks just as well as, if not better, than the rest of our casters, and going non-tier lets her take such monsters as the Deathjack and Malice. It also lets her take infantry options, such as the always-good Bane Thralls and Tartarus. Plus, some of the bonejack options go from good to phenominal with her, and they really get no bonus out of her tier list. I like this idea, a lot, but it strikes me as something you do at 50 points instead of 35. For more on this, read this very well written piece: http://wmdm2011.blogspot.com/2011/10...ortenebra.html

Ok, as far as Mortenebra goes in general, I'll describe her abilities and what a few key jacks get out of them. Models I don't mention should be mostly self evident.

Interface: 'jacks in B2B with Mortenebra can use her focus while she's holding it. There's only one jack I've ever found to make effective use of this: the Leviathan. With the ability to shoot 3 times, Interfacing with Mortenebra allows it to buy the extra shots, and have 5 focus left to boost to hit and damage as necessary. Further, with the proper setup, if you need to move it, you can use Overrun to do so and still be able to claim the aiming bonus during its activation.

Repair: Obvious. Fix your busted 'jacks. Only sometimes useful - Mortenebra is a caster who regularly spends all of her focus and doesn't want to be anywhere near the action on the front lines; usually you won't be able to do this because doing so means exposing yourself to your opponent.

Cull Soul: Standard fare Cryx caster, this almost never happens, don't try to plan around it, and just be happy on the rare instances she gets some soul tokens.

Feat: Her only infantry support, although, really this is rock solid for everything. Free rerolls on every to hit and to damage roll.

Spells:

Jump Start: It's good for when you need it; allows your 'jacks to charge when they're facing the wrong way at the start of turn. Helps shake off feats like pKreoss, etc. Doesn't come up that often, but a nice thing to have.

Doom Spiral: Eh. I never use this. It's not anywhere near strong enough to regularly damage 'jacks for the extra caster damage, plus, the range is short enough that you're exposing Morty to danger for trying to use it. Mortenebra is one of the few Cryx casters who doesn't run arc nodes regularly, so there's really not an effective way to use this spell.

Void Gate: Similar to Doom Spiral; this one rarely sees play for me. The AOE size is nice, and the damage is halfway decent, but again, range issue. This one also presents the problem of a cost issue, costing 4 focus to cast. Still, if you're running an arc node and you slap a Colossal with this spell, it'll be great for you next turn. Honestly, I find this more useful to target at my own models when facing Hordes armies that feature non-reach warbeasts. (Any warbeast standing in the AOE cannot be forced, so, while the POW 13 hit might damage your warjack a bit, it'll prevent your opponent from being able to buy or boost attacks if it's trying to kill your 'jack. That's a trade I'm willing to make when the situation comes up.)

Overrun: Flat out good. This spell is 1/2 of what defines Mortenebra. The out of activation movement allows your warjacks to bounce all over the place, and the ability to load up a jack, cast the next spell, and cast this one is the main reason to keep Deryliss alive.

Terminal Velocity: Mortenebra's signature spell, and the reason she's considered an anti-Hordes caster. Additional speed, free boosts to hit on all attacks, free charges and power attacks. Absolutely yes. It enables her to run all of our jacks with little to no focus allocated to them. The only downside is it only works vs. living targets and only works in her control area, so watch that carefully.




Regarding the 'jacks:

Slayer: Strictly for Tier lists. 5 points is SUPER CHEAP for this guy, and Terminal Velocity makes them bonkers. If you're gonna spam them, generally, you won't give them focus and they'll just run around combo striking everything on a charge attack.

Reaper: Usually appears as a 1-off in a tier list. Always good for pulling models out of the way and dealing a little extra damage. In non-tier, just go with Malice, it's just flat out better for 2 points more, even against non-WM armies.

Corruptor: http://privateerpressforums.com/show...-the-Corruptor. Read Obi's conclusion. 'nuff said.

Leviathian: See what I said about Interface before. This is the primary reason to run Levi with her. It makes for a good 'jack for getting Overrun to trigger, and makes for a decent ranged assassination piece with Interface and the feat.

Harrower: Walking gold with Mortenebra. Thresher+Reach+Terminal Velocity+Overrun+Soul Collection = I kill every infantry model that's within 10" of me at the start of my activation. All of them, at least as long as I get soul tokens out of them.

Oh, and his AOE doesn't hurt either.

Desecrator: This thing is a beauty with her, and works in both her tier and non-tier lists. Non-tier, it has synergies with Bane Thralls, and still has all of the benefits of her feat and TV. While powered by Terminal Velocity and her feat, the Desecrator has 3d6 to hit and reroll options. With Critical Shred, this makes it very likely it's going to get a huge pile of extra attacks on its melee weapon. Allocating it three focus at the start of turn makes it a damn near certainty that it's going to kill any living model it contacts during her feat turn. The only downside here is that it lacks reach, and the crabjack chassie is slow. You'll need to position carefully before the feat turn, and will probably need to use overrun to get it in position. Plus, it's AOE from its weapon can screen Mortenebra from non-reach infantry models if she lives inside of it. Flat out useful.

Stalker: My absolute favorite 'jack with Mortenebra. With Overrun and TV, this thing has a 19.5" threat range, but more importantly, has ECR, Arcane Assassin, and Grevious Wounds. Warlocks can't transfer, and it chews through most warcasters like butter, ignoring their camping. Mortenebra armies run small - they sit comfortably on one side of the board, while this thing takes advantage of Morty's 28" control area with regard to it and flanks the opponent's army. Your opponent either ignores it (and likely dies for that mistake; 3 focus on a Stalker on feat turn almost universally = dead caster), or they send part of their army to go deal with it. It won't just be a solo either; the Stalker will rip some chump solo's head off and keep coming - they're going to have to dedicate a 'jack or a unit to deal with it, and that means less screen for your other 'jacks to chew through. Take one, try it, be delighted with the mayhem it causes.

Scavenger: See above. Scavenger isn't as good at the caster kill by itself, but with the enhanced speed of TV, it makes for a GREAT model to finish off anything that was wounded by the rest of your army. At MAT 7, SPD 7, and Flight, it'll get wherever you need it to go, and Sprint means it'll come right back behind your helljack line to await another opportunity to strike. Great target to put Overrun on to trigger it too - Scavengers will reliably kill already damaged models. Rock solid.

Helldiver: See Laramon's blog I mentioned before, he describes what these do better than I ever could. They're a ton of fun with Morty.

Finally, remember one thing: Mortenebra is excellent at running Cryx jacks, but they're CRYX 'jacks. Just cuz she's running a pile of heavies doesn't make her an attrition caster. A Morty list can't go toe to toe with a pile of Khadorian heavies, you'll lose that fight. Mortenebra is an assassination caster; everything in your army is about getting the Overrun to trigger to enable your 'jacks to either kill the opposing caster, or wipe a massive portion of their army out in a single, clean sweep. (As in the Harrower.)


Hope that helps.

[lolololage]

Just to chime in, i recently magnetised the crab jack plastic kit.

Was pretty easy but you need to get the arm meagnets extremely flush (so the plastic on plastic causes friction) otherwise the weight of the MASSIVLY OVERSIZED harrower arm (and to an extent the levi) just falls to the ground if the magnet isnt flush.