Trollblood Lexicon: A Guide to Shorthand, Acronyms, and Conventions

[Saerko]

The Trollblood Lexicon

Some of us post around here often. REALLY often. It gets hard to type the full name of everything all the time, so we resort to acronyms. Listing lots of acronyms every time we talk about a broad class of things starts to get old too, so there’s some slang that’s thrown around to refer to certain groups of models and abilities. Hopefully, this will clear some of this up--feel free to keep it side by side when reading some posts until you catch on.

Conventions

p[name here] OR e[name here]

The etymology is a holdover from ages past, so we won’t go into it. The “p” and “e” prefixes are used to denote whether something is the original or Epic version of a model. For example, “Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain” would be shortened to “pMadrak”, while his Epic version “Madrak Ironhide, World Ender” would be shortened to “eMadrak”.

Common Forum Terms

Buff

A “buff” is any beneficial thing that can be provided to a model/unit from some other model/unit. A good example of a buff is the Pyre Troll’s animus Flaming Fists, because it increases the damage a friendly Faction model can do as well as providing an immunity and critical effect. It is also one of several beneficial abilities that can increase damage output on a model, so is often grouped with those like abilities under the term “damage buff”. Likewise, the Krielstone Bearer and Stone Scribes ability Protective Aura improves the ARM of a model, and so is often referred to as a “defensive buff”.

Metagame

The “metagame” is basically the factors that come into play external to a single game of Warmachine or Hordes. For example, I play with a group whose most active and skilled players play Cygnar and Skorne. Those players and factions represent my “local metagame” and affect the type of army lists that I build. What type of army lists those players favor out of the faction they play also helps define my local metagame, because it narrows the range of threats I have to plan around during any given game played locally. The metagame can also refer to what is happening nationally and globally with the game--so that if certain armies or lists become dominant in competitive play, people may refer to the metagame in terms of responding to those dominant elements. Context will usually provide some clues as to what someone is talking about when they throw this term around.

Assassination

Can refer to a model, army, list, or combination for which the primary use is destroy an opponent’s warlock or warcaster. For example, someone might say that Calandra is an “assassination warlock” because her spells and abilities facilitate killing a warcaster/warlock. When people talk about “assassination lists”, they’re referring to an entire army list whose primary trick is to win by destroying a warlock/warcaster. Again, context will help inform you here.

Tarpit

Most commonly refers to infantry whose purpose is to slow the opponent's advance up the board and allow less mobile elements to come into play. Very common in the Trollblood forums, this usually refers to Kriel Warriors, Fennblades, and other inexpensive, fast, single-wound infantry. Tarpits can exist in any faction though, with Winterguard in Khador, Steelhead Halberdiers for Mercenaries, and Zealots in Protectorate of Menoth as other notable examples. A tarpit unit is not expected to last the game--it is expected that they will be eliminated swiftly and with prejudice; however, many will also extract a stiff penalty from the opponent as they do so, and allow the owning player a chance to bring his or her primary forces to bear.

Acronyms/Short Terms

Common in the Forums

PP = Privateer Press
WM = Warmachine
H = Hordes
PPS = Privateer Press Staff
Mod = Forum Moderator
LGS = Local Game Store
FLGS = Friendly/Favorite Local Game Store
UA = Unit Attachment
WA = Weapon Attachment

Trollblood-Specific

TB = Trollbloods
KSB = Krielstone Bearer and Stone Scribes
SSE or ESS = Stone Scribe Elder
FC = Fell Caller Hero
EBDT = Earthborn Dire Troll
DTM = Dire Troll Mauler
Dygmie(s) = Pygmy Burrowers
SSC = Stone Scribe Chronicler
KW = Kriel Warriors
Fenns = Trollkin Fennblades
SG = Trollkin Scattergunners
LR = Long Riders
Champs = Trollkin Champions
Hero = Trollkin Champion Hero
Trollses or Trollkin Heston = Trollkin Runebearer

Minion-Specific

TH = Totem Hunter
AA = Alten Ashley
WE & S = Wrong Eye and Snapjaw
R & B = Rorsh & Brine
B & L = Brun and Lug
DH & S = Dahlia Hallyr and Skarath
Gobbers = Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew

If you're a new player and see something you don't understand or want an explanation for that's thrown around the forums, just send a PM my way and I'll explain it and add it to the list! That goes for veterans too--let's get as much stuff on here that might be confusing to new members as possible!

[Saerko]

*Extra Space

[Saerko]

**Extra Space

[bakaryu]

Nice idea Saerko, I think you missed out the DTM which is the only other real one I feel is missing from the list.

EDIT:

Oh yeah and Trollses (Runebearer)

[Saerko]

Right you are! Adding now.

[Sevwall]

Nowhere have I seen Trollkin Heston.

Good idea for a thread for the newbies.

[thecheese]

Burrowers: AKA: Dygmies, Sevwalls, Those ****ing little bastards

[Waaargh]

Heston was mentioned early on, can't recall if it was Trollton Heston or what it was. Anyways it made me smile and that is important. I wonder about the ESS, as I have never heard the SSE being called that.

[Saerko]

Heston was mentioned early on, can't recall if it was Trollton Heston or what it was. Anyways it made me smile and that is important. I wonder about the ESS, as I have never heard the SSE being called that.

That was happening earlier as well, and seems to have died down. I see it crop up occasionally and threw it in there just in case. Same thing with Heston.

[PG_Goldstep]

Since this is on our evergreen linky and intended for new visitors to our Utopian society, I thought I would suggest a pair of additions.

Mountain King is now showing up as MK or King. MK is important because in other, less civilized areas they think Molik Karn is called that.

The other is Toughaloes kinda needs to go next to LRs.

[Saraminss]

you have tarpit but you should probably explain "brick" as it to often used when talking about lists

[tallted]

I don't think Saerko posts on these forums anymore

[PG_thegreatblah]

I don't think Saerko posts on these forums anymore

He had some life issues a while back and has not yet come back to us. But that reminds me to drop him a line.

[McNs]

Mountain King is now showing up as MK or King. MK is important because in other, less civilized areas they think Molik Karn is called that.

Great thread.

I've seen MtK for Mountain King - gives good granularity between Molik Karn and Mountain King.

While I've never heard Trollkin Hetson before, its going to be really hard for me to not to think "Let my Fury go!" everything I use him now.

[PG_Goldstep]

He may not be posting right now (everyone should be able to walk away from a hobby guilt free) but if/when he decides to come back, we still will welcome him troll style.

Until then, when and only when there's a question about terms we should post here. If it ever gets too unwieldy, we replace the link in the evergreen with a refreshed version so he has less to work to catch up on when he makes his triumphant return.



I have seen MtK as well. Good catch. And Saraminss, if you want to try out a definition of "bricking" more power to you. I'm not sure I could do much better than "very tight formation to try to keep as many models within DEF and ARM buff ranges and to prohibit an enemy from gaining position on more fragile support models."

[Lord Azathoth]

I thought it was "Troly Moses"