Cygnar: The Storm Brigade

As I outlined in my last post, I'm working on my second faction. My primary list for my Cygnar army is a tier three eStryker list, The Charge of the Storm Brigade! Tonight starts a three parter looking at the list and my theory machine behind it.

Caster: Lord Commander Stryker
My affection for melee beatsticks continues. eStryker has one thing on his mind. Physical abuse. His spell list is limited consisting of only three spells I'm using regularly. The first is a ranged armor buff for all friendly models in Stryker's control area. It's not an upkeep, so 2 focus every turn to keep the buff up. The second is Positive Charge which gives yet another melee buff to a jack and warrior models within 3". Again, no upkeep so you're looking at a 3 focus expendiature every turn you want this up. I find it incredibly useful stacked on a stormclad who is being supported by the stormblades. The last of the three oft used spells for me is veolicty, which essentially gives Stryker an extra 6" of movement for three focus. All of my assasination victories have come from using this spell, charging, and laying the smack. Stryker's other two spells are a damage spell (which I have never cast) and Rebuke which can stop units from making special attacks and charging. I can see rebuke being powerful with an arcnode, but I don't run one in this list so it doesn't find a lot of use.

Stryker's other powers are even more useful. He has reach, and is able to disrupt warjacks and also has a great ranged attack. Stryker can overcharge his armor granting him up to a 3d6 bonus to strength the down side is that he has to take as many dice as he rolls for the bonus in damage. This overcharge carries a lot of risk, but if all goes well, it's a garunteed caster kill in melee. Stryker also has a warjack bond that goes to any non-character warjack letting it re-roll the first melee attack each round. It sucks that this can't sit on Ol' Rowdy, but the Stormclad sure does like it.

In my army, Stryker always takes the squire. For anyone who hasn't seen this R2 D2 wannabe on the table, he lets your warcaster extend their control area by 2" as well as pull an extra focus 3 times a game and reroll a magic attack. For two points, the extended control and the extra focus for the assasination run are well worth it. If the squire is always behind Stryker, Stryker is always behind his favorite jack, Ol' Rowdy. More about him next time when I talk about jacks.