Character Warjacks used by other indivuals other than their owners

[Jake the Dog]

I was reading some of the MkII books and came upon this bit:

Its eyes glow with fervor when it be holds enemies blasted to ash or lit afire by the holy power of Severius or others authorized to pass judgment through it in the name of Menoth.

Emphasis mine. This is the first instance I see of a character Warjack that belongs / is attuned to one specific individual has / could been used by another individual. Is there other similar instances in the fiction?

[Lanz]

Haley mentions something about taking arms and legs as collateral for borrowing Thorn. Does that count?

[MagnustheJust]

With the exception of the Butcher, I do not believe any warcaster in all of the Khadoran Empire is brave/insane enough to ever consider "borrowing" Drago...

[Flindo]

Mulg and Doomy are buddies, I am unaware who Rok holds his allegiance to though, I heard that he has some connection to Borka though.

[MadJack]

With most of the factions there are logical reasons why a caster/warlock might lend his/her personal jack/beast out to others (commanding officers give orders, etc), but I always thought it was a little silly that Rocinante can be used by any non-Rhulic caster when it's personally owned by Damiano, and I don't think he's got any higher-ups who would order him to let others use it. Maybe he rents it out? If so, I'll bet he requires a sizable deposit.

[Gobos]

there is a mention somewhere (Metamorphosis I think) of Morvahna using Megalith.

[magi]

With most of the factions there are logical reasons why a caster/warlock might lend his/her personal jack/beast out to others (commanding officers give orders, etc), but I always thought it was a little silly that Rocinante can be used by any non-Rhulic caster when it's personally owned by Damiano, and I don't think he's got any higher-ups who would order him to let others use it. Maybe he rents it out? If so, I'll bet he requires a sizable deposit.

You're probably right on the money there. Rocinante is just as much a mercenary as Damiano.

[Driver]

SPOILERS

Nemo uses Thorn in Colossals.

[jandrese]

there is a mention somewhere (Metamorphosis I think) of Morvahna using Megalith.

Megalith seems more like the Deathjack than Ol' Rowdy to me. He's got his own plans and agenda. He's BFFs with Baldur, but he isn't tied to the Druid.

[Brandubh]

I do think it's silly that certain character warjacks / warbeasts can be used by multiple warcasters / warlocks. Ghetorix, for instance, is pretty closely associated with Kromac - I can't really see Mohsar "borrowing" him - ever. Cassius or Krueger, however, might (Cassius is more likely, I think).

Drago, Eberus, Mulg, Rok, Molik Karn, Proteus, and Ol' Rowdy are all examples of strong bonds which I don't think would be readily shared.

Behemoth, Malice, Deathjack, Avatar of Menoth, and Megalith are all examples of characters who could easily be used by multiple warcasters / warlocks.

[Deo85]

I wonder how Cryx was able to even tame Deathjack so they could use him to begin with...

[Jake the Dog]

Megalith seems more like the Deathjack than Ol' Rowdy to me. He's got his own plans and agenda. He's BFFs with Baldur, but he isn't tied to the Druid.

Baldur made the darn thing. Megalith kept Baldur on life support and brought him back from certain death. That sounds like more than just BFFs to me.

[Minotaur]

I wonder how Cryx was able to even tame Deathjack so they could use him to begin with...

They bribed it with Soul Cake?

[Jake the Dog]

They bribed it with Soul Cake?

But the cake is a lie...

[Minotaur]

But the cake is a lie...

Cryx wouldn't be much of an Empire if they gave cake out to everyone they tried to use.

[Sul-Menite]

In the NQ 10 year anniversary special edition GnG on Drago, they mentioned that khadoran warcasters have been injured by Drago. Vlad has mentored warcasters (Sorscha the most famous) so it's possible that Vlad makes his apprentices use Drago at some point.

[PG_LEJKaya]

Baldur made the darn thing. Megalith kept Baldur on life support and brought him back from certain death. That sounds like more than just BFFs to me.

Wait... there's more than BFFs?

[Jake the Dog]

Wait... there's more than BFFs?

Bros. 10char

[Dragon2439]

Im sure it does happen. Characters are made because they survive long enough to gain a semblence of a mind and then are upgraded. Other times they are made specifically into characters and enhanced well beyond normal jacks. While these bonds are strong, they will work for other casters. This is represented in affinities and tier lists

As for DJ, he just agrees to work for cryx because they feed him souls and change his oil and stuff.

[PG_Alviaran]

Actually, the Deathjack is enslaved. And is NOT happy about it. In MK1, he even had a rule that if he was not fed troops/focus he would basically frenzy and try to attack the caster controlling him.

[Exemplar's_Gaze]

All I know is that in MY fluff, Kreoss allows Testament to borrow Fire of Salvation, and Reznik begrudgingly allows Feora to take Scourge of Heresy on missions :P

[Tarma]

Nobody use/borrow/control the Avatar. If he is on the battlefield, thats because he, has choose to help X caster.

@PG_Exempla's_Gaze, in what book is that, I must have overlooket that part of fluff?

Tarma

[PG_Alviaran]

Nobody use/borrow/control the Avatar. If he is on the battlefield, thats because he, has choose to help X caster.

@PG_Exempla's_Gaze, in what book is that, I must have overlooket that part of fluff?

Tarma

It's HIS fluff. It's the way he has chosen to justify those casters taking jacks from their owners. Nothing official.

[Wishing]

I just bought Gallant a little while ago, and since he is an ally that can go in Highborn lists, I was thinking of using him with Broadsides Bart, whom I also just bought. It's a bit of a weird match, but hey. Since his lady Constance is so friendly with the Highborn mercs that she can count as one of them, I assume she is also friendly enough to lend out Gallant to them if necessary.

[FearLord]

Ol'Rowdy was used as a spirited training jack until Stryker took it on for his Journeyman Tour...

In terms of rules, most Cygnar casters can make great use of him, but I suspect in the fluff he would be much less popular - his entry states that of all the flaws a Cortex can develop, charging into battle without prompting is considered one of the worst. His intractable nature would probably make him less efficient for many casters.

Finally, most of Rowdy's upgrades have been paid for out of Strykers wages, and based on his extremely high rank, it seems unlikely he'd let many other people use it without dire need... I know I don't like people touching my stuff at work...

[Icepick28]

Actually Harkevich lets the Senior Mechanic borrow black Ivan in wrath

[Domoto]

Cryx wouldn't be much of an Empire if they gave cake out to everyone they tried to use.

Meh, when they run out they could just give the rest the chicken

[Lord Tyrant peers]

xerxis with molik karn. because he is makedas right hand man

[Ashcans]

With most of the factions there are logical reasons why a caster/warlock might lend his/her personal jack/beast out to others (commanding officers give orders, etc), but I always thought it was a little silly that Rocinante can be used by any non-Rhulic caster when it's personally owned by Damiano, and I don't think he's got any higher-ups who would order him to let others use it. Maybe he rents it out? If so, I'll bet he requires a sizable deposit.

Rocinante is so old that he is a little bit confused - the fluff mentions that he basically thinks that Amador Damiano is the same Damiano that started him up a hundred years ago.

So basically if you wait until Amador's back is turned and show up wearing sufficiently flashy armor, there's an even chance that Rocinante will assume that you're his boss and wander off with you.

Poor jack should really have one of those 'Hello, my name is _____, if found please return me to ______' tags.

[Jake the Dog]

Actually Harkevich lets the Senior Mechanic borrow black Ivan in wrath

It was just for being used as a laborjack. No combat use.

[MadJack]

Rocinante is so old that he is a little bit confused - the fluff mentions that he basically thinks that Amador Damiano is the same Damiano that started him up a hundred years ago.

So basically if you wait until Amador's back is turned and show up wearing sufficiently flashy armor, there's an even chance that Rocinante will assume that you're his boss and wander off with you.

Poor jack should really have one of those 'Hello, my name is _____, if found please return me to ______' tags.

Now I'm picturing Damiano spending most of his time trying to figure out who Rocinante walked off with this time...

[fire4effekt]

Rocinante is so old that he is a little bit confused - the fluff mentions that he basically thinks that Amador Damiano is the same Damiano that started him up a hundred years ago.

So basically if you wait until Amador's back is turned and show up wearing sufficiently flashy armor, there's an even chance that Rocinante will assume that you're his boss and wander off with you.

Poor jack should really have one of those 'Hello, my name is _____, if found please return me to ______' tags.

Wins thread.

[PG_Feeple]

I believe Vayl2's Theme Force even allows her to take Proteus, which is "supposed" to be Absylonia's.

[Exemplar's_Gaze]

I imagine that Testament just gives Kreoss "the look" and there is no argument. Reznik, however, actually built Scourge FOR Feora I think. He isn't very good at using him personally anyway :P

[Pwnstar53]

xerxis with molik karn. because he is makedas right hand man

It's actually cause in the fluff, Xerxis is the one who knee capped Karn and brought him in. So I think he is afraid and will listen to Xerxis now that he has realized he gets to kill things for fun now (plus who wouldn't be afraid of Xerxis? :P).

[jandrese]

I imagine that Testament just gives Kreoss "the look" and there is no argument. Reznik, however, actually built Scourge FOR Feora I think. He isn't very good at using him personally anyway :P

It's hard to figure out what Reznik was thinking with the Scourge of Heresy. The poor jack just doesn't make any sense.

[RocketSurgeon]

In the NQ 10 year anniversary special edition GnG on Drago, they mentioned that khadoran warcasters have been injured by Drago. Vlad has mentored warcasters (Sorscha the most famous) so it's possible that Vlad makes his apprentices use Drago at some point.

So now we know why the Motherland suffers a shortage of warcasters.

[Tyrfigr]

I believe Vayl2's Theme Force even allows her to take Proteus, which is "supposed" to be Absylonia's.

The same can be said about Typhon. Thagrosh created him, but Abby is allowed to take him in Theme. He seems to hang out more with Abby than Thag.

[Lanz]

The same can be said about Typhon. Thagrosh created him, but Abby is allowed to take him in Theme. He seems to hang out more with Abby than Thag.

Vayl2 can take him in theme list, and so can Rhyas's Rear Guard theme list.

Typhon just gets around with everybody.

[Rapier]

Is this not because Typhon has it's own personality? (My reading of Typhon's creation was that the remainder of Pyromalfic is still in there- I'm hoping typhon will go epic and become more like a tormented Pyromalfic (See the Chimeria in MN2 for ideas). As for the others - it's a case by case basis really.

At the end of the day; the 4 origional warmachine factions, Trollbloods, Skorne and Everblight all have strong higheraichal structures - higher ranks can require those character jacks and beasts to serve where they areneeded without any real argument.

You have some exceptions - Mulg only really serves Doomshaper out of respect not dominance. Circle and the Retribution are a bit more of a problem; they don't have unified power structures. House Vyre doesn't have to give up it's stuff to the Dawnguard and the Potents serve different Omnipotents - in these cases they can only ask rather than command - it seems reasonable that most of the time these shared resources would be granted though - even the "rebel" casters in each of the factions essentially serve the same overall goals. (Well; I guess Goreshade doesn't; but I think he's the only one).

On a related note what do you guys think of the Special Issue Rule? For me it feels like the warcasters that have this instead of Affinity are getting the short end of the stick. I feel like their should be at least some rules justification for character jacks being better with their linked fluff. (I see why it may be better and easier from a balance point of view, but it undermines the character concept for me).

It's even worse in cases where the Warcaster/Warlock doesn't have a bond rule - since it's essentially no better for them than for anyone else (and only serves to errata old theme forces); I don't mind character jacks and beasts not having affinity at all (Deathjack for example). I can also see why affinity rules may lead to reduced list building (A caster with an affinity jack almost always wants to take it - thefore those casters reduce list building options).

How would you feel about affinity costing an extra point? (So Thorn costs 1 extra point with Haley) - I suppose the affinities would need to be a lot better then though.