Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 5, 2018 19:12:02 GMT
Part two of this double-header focuses on a Warcasters whose name wouldn’t be out of place in a 1980s heavy metal band-and his character art could be that band’s album cover. That’s right, the Wrath of Ages himself, Reznik2. UPDATE, June 7, 2019: Added in new solos and units (some good stuff there for the big boy), added the Warriors of the Old Faith theme, re-organized preferred themes for him, and reviewed matchups. SERVATH REZNIK, WRATH OF AGES (REZNIK2)
Yep, that picture is huge but it's the only one that would display. Don't ask because I don't know why. Credit to the artist Tangible on CMON. Overview Reznik2 grew up. He traded his fat medium base for a big honkin’ huge battle engine base. Reznik2 plays a much different, more offensive game than his original incarnation. Huge kudos to PP for their design: he keeps so many of the themes that you knew and loved from Reznik1 (more accurate Warjacks, spell hate, threat range increase, Wracking) but executes them in completely different ways. Reznik2 plays nothing like Reznik1, but in my opinion has the tools and abilities he needs to effectively execute his game plan. And in the right matchups, it’s one punishing plan. Stats & Abilities Reznik2 has a pretty decent stat line. Biggest notables are that he mathematically absorbed his previous spell Engine of Destruction and is now always SPD 7 and P+S 14 Weaponmaster. MAT 7 helps him hit and being a Cavalry battle engine doesn’t hurt on that front either. DEF 13 ARM 18 aren’t winning contests, especially given his huge base, but we’ll get there in a second. 20 wounds helps, a slightly higher Warjack Point total than normal is also helpful, but the big change is that he went up to FOC 7. Given he has a couple of abilities that key off CTRL, this change combined with his fat base give him some serious board presence. His Mount attacks aren’t bad either, coming in at POW 12 with CE: Fire and Crit Knockdown. The Fire won’t matter often at all, but the KD can be super useful. His abilities don’t disappoint either. As Cavalry and a Battle Engine he comes with all strengths (and weaknesses) inherent. You won’t be screening him with terrain for sure. He’s a Pathfinder, which really helps because he’ll be finding difficult terrain constantly. He’s Repairable, which helps keep him standing, and he has Repo 3”, allowing him to execute his activation then retreat out of threat. His two signature abilities were saved for last. First, he has Curse: Battlegroup. He points at a model/unit within his CMD range (8”) and your battlegroup gets +2 to attack rolls. This is free and only needs to happen at some point during his activation. Very nice! His second ability is Lamentations of Suffering. Apparently all those wracks on his chariot prevent him from being targeted by non-magical ranged attacks while he has any Focus on him. This can and will save your bacon, as he’s not particularly hardy on his own. Spells Reznik2 sports a vastly different spell kit than Reznik1 and these dictate how he plays completely different as well. Boundless Charge: Model gets +2 movement and Pathfinder when charging and ‘jacks charge for free. A solid threat range increase that doesn’t rely on Reznik hitting an offensive spell. Death March: FF unit gains Vengeance and +2 MAT. A decent upkeep, though our faction struggles to use it as well as others could. The Flesh is Weak: Cost 3 nuke spell that prevents living and undead models hit by it from running, charging, slamming, or trampling. Reznik2 won’t cast this all the time, but it can be a game changer when it lands. Situational, but with high reward potential when the situation arises. Don't ever forget you have it. This spell gives you game into many Hordes armies, along with... Lamentation: Enemy models pay double the COST to cast spells while in Reznik2’s CTRL and pay double to upkeep spells on models in his CTRL. This is one of his two money makers and can give your opponent fits. Unlike all other Lamentation ‘casters, Reznik2 is sturdy enough to play in a position where your opponent will have trouble avoiding this spell. Ubiquity of free upkeeps makes this less of a great spell these days, but it’s still solidly good when it can be applied right. And remember that it works on animi so expect some dirty looks from Hordes players. Spellpiercer: FF models in his CTRL gain Blessed and Magical on their weapons. Arcane Shield getting you down? How about Incorporeal? Casually ignoring these defensive abilities is an amazing feeling and will not make you friends. FeatPURGE THE FAITHLESS. When an enemy model in Reznik2’s CTRL is boxed by a melee or ranged attack, center a 4” AOE and remove that model from play. Enemy models within the AOE take an unboostable POW 14 fire damage roll. A serious infantry clearing Feat that also has some pocket RFP in there to really make certain matchups sad.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 5, 2018 19:12:50 GMT
Good Stuff In keeping with the last tactica, this section breaks down general use models that cross-cut themes. Always take the Choir.
Warjacks: Much like Reznik1, Reznik2 likes his ‘jacks. Curse and Boundless Charge both synergize well with a good battlegroup. Since Reznik2 brings a melee threat increaser, his recommended ‘jack loadout is slightly different.
Warjacks I would recommend:
Scourge of Heresy: Reznik2 does amazing things with Scourge. Triggering the ‘jack’s bond is much easier with Reznik2 since he prefers playing at the front of the lines. And Boundless charge gives Scourge both efficiency and 11” threat before Bond (15” threat total). So good. Arcane Vortex also goes a long way to keeping Reznik2 safe from spells like Telekinesis.
Templar: Despite the fact that Lamentations of Suffering keep Reznik2 safe from most shooting, Magic Weapons are a thing and sneak into many lists/are granted by scenario objectives. Relying solely on Reznik2’s Focus camp is a risky prospect. It’s not a bad idea to take a Shield Guard or two and the Templar delivers on that front. 11” threat with Boundless Charge and the ability to get up to MAT 8 with Curse also helps this dude perform.
Indictor: Lamentation really stuffs some lists, especially Hordes given that Animi now cost double. However, sometimes a ‘caster is able to stay outside of Reznik2’s bubble and still be relevant on scenario while putting enough in the way that Reznik2 can’t close. Enter the Indictor with an intense amount of spell hate. If you want Hordes to flip a table on you, Reznik2 + an Indictor or two is a fast way of getting that done. Bonus points for the Indictor shutting down channeling, something Reznik2 does nothing against and is actually kind of weak to.
Melee ‘jacks in general: Boundless Charge and Curse really up the efficiency of a melee-based list. You can’t go wrong with most of our melee options, though it should be noted that Reznik2 needs to camp fairly high to be as resilient as you want him to be. It will be hard to fuel a big battlegroup. Things like Dervish spam or Crusader spam are better left to other ‘casters.
A Colossal: Reznik2 is really good with either of our Colossals. They centralize Focus investment, which his spendthrift self appreciates. They both benefit from Curse well, as they have multiple big guns they like shooting. Even Judy can hit Khador ‘jacks reliably using Rocket Pods with Curse up while moving. And the Revelator becomes punishing. If taking Judy you might consider a Reckoner, but I am not as crazy about gunline Reznik2 as I am a forward playing punishing list and feel like other ‘casters do the gunline look better. 12” threatening Colossals with free charges, however, are a lot for an opponent to deal with – especially when Reznik2 can make them MAT 8 when it matters.
Devout: This is middling but still a good pick. As with the Templar, Shield Guard good. Reznik2 also appreciates Spell Barrier, as this lets Scourge operate farther away from the big dude into spells. That said, if you’re already taking a Templar (or two!) and Scourge, the Devout is not really necessary.
Repenter: Repenters have a bad rap in Mk. III, but Reznik2 lets them taste their former glory. He can tune those sprays *up*, hitting RAT 7 with Blessed and Magical thanks to Spellpiercer and Curse. Add in Sevy0 (who I really recommend below) and those sprays get to RAT 8, deleting a ton of forward units. Repenter spam Reznik2 is a strong look imo and plays well into the matchups you want to take the big dude.
You can take a bunch of Warjacks with Reznik2 and perform, but the above ones are where I note special synergies. I do not prefer long-ranged gunline battlegroups because Curse is applied within 8” of Reznik2, requiring him to be forward. If he’s the only big target playing forward, it’s likely something’s going to get on him and make it hurt. Reznik2 plays best in your face – build a BG to support that. Arc nodes also have little value, as the Flesh is Weak is a cornercase spell, the only one he would arc, and he plays forward enough to cast it and retreat to safety.
Solos: We have a few cross-cutting solos that Reznik2 appreciates, as well as a standout Mercenary option that tilts some matchups.
Severius0: Available in Creator’s Might and Exemplar Interdiction. Again, Sevy0 is amazing. Creator’s Might is also Reznik2’s best theme (IMO) and you really should be taking him for free in it whenever you can. Sevy0 stacks on top of Curse to get excellent MAT/RAT values, which can be subtly buffed further by the use of Spellpiercer to deny buffs. Taking a Warjack out of Reznik2’s BG doesn’t really matter because Sevy0 can fully support it. Plus, Road to War stacks with Boundless Charge. Threat 14” Templars? Sounds good to me!
Hierophant: Available in all themes except Guardians of the Temple. Reznik2 isn’t the Focus hog his original incarnation is, but he still spends heavy and likes putting out non-upkeep spells (Boundless Charge and Spellpiercer). The Hierophant has a lot of value. If you take him, you will be playing a little different (more on that below).
Hand of Silence: Dude is a boss with Reznik2. He can hand out Focus, keeping the fat boy from having to shed his stack, he brings offensive power with yet-another-boostable-spray, and Direct Spirits is a rule that is subject to much ire. He synergizes well with Sanctifiers, opening up Reznik2's melee toolbox a bit. But moreover, he's better than two Vassals stapled together, which he should be given that's about how much he costs. His one downside is that he doesn't provide free points in any theme save for Faithful Masses, but that's not a bad theme for Reznik2 to play in. He also can't be taken in CM, which sucks, but I guess that's for the best considering the relative lack of soul currency in that theme.
Exemplar Warder: Available in Creator's Might and Exemplar Interdiction. Reznik2 appreciates Shield Guard, like a lot. This guy delivers. He also helps Reznik2 hit acceptable Warcaster defense in melee, frustrating assassinations and forcing boosts. He can also Client Madelyn Corbeau or another important solo (Sevy0) if you're worried about a melee threat getting on them. And the combo of Shield Guard and Inhuman Resolve seriously frustrates opponents' plans. He also makes for a sexy Sucker! target from Maddy. The Warder is a solid recommendation all around.
Vassal of Menoth: Available in all themes. Reznik2 needs Focus support. These guys give it. Recommended.
Wrack: Available in all themes. Reznik2 needs Focus. Notice a trend?
Vassal Mechanik: Available in all themes. Reznik2 likes Warjacks and is himself Repairable. This can be utilized to heal Reznik2 from chip damage he takes from the few magic shots that get through, preventing your opponent from winning via grinding Reznik2 down. Highly recommended.
Madelyn Corbeau: Available in all themes. The only Merc solo I view as a high priority consideration. Parley makes Reznik2 and Madelyn untargetable by melee attacks from warrior models. With her, Reznik2 can play *very* aggressively into melee-focused or non-magical ranged warrior model lists. These include such things as Primal Terrors, Gravediggers, much of Cryx (besides Black Industries), Devourer’s Host, Armored Korps, almost all Trollblood themes that see play, Maelok Gatormen spam, Mercs that aren’t Ossrum gunlines, and more I am definitely missing. Notice a trend here? Many of these lists are considered highly competitive and are seen routinely. Reznik2 with Madelyn makes it very hard for these lists to operate how they want. His fat base makes it hard for the opponent to get a bead on her from range, and if they do she can just Sucker! the hit onto an Exemplar Warder or a Mechanik (spicy tech: Sucker! onto a Warder who's already knocked down and at 0 HP from Inhuman Resolve. You can keep doing this!). And since Reznik2 punishes spell casting, it can be hard to get a quality spell off to tag her – doubly so if Scourge or an Indictor is hanging around. I view Reznik2 lists as two types: with Madelyn and without, and will cover each below.
Hermit of Hengehold: I lied, there's another solo I recommend. The soon-to-be new kid on the block, the Hermit of Hengehold packs some things Reznik2 appreciates. Namely a damage buff (which Reznik2 does not have) and a spell accuracy buff that's not tied to Curse. These are good things. HOWEVER, he is a Merc solo and so he competes with Madelyn Corbeau in every theme except for Warriors of the Old Faith. If you can't tell I strongly prefer Reznik2 with Madelyn, as this is a playstyle we can't access anywhere else in-faction and I firmly believe it pressures several still-popular army builds. If you weren't going to take Madelyn, though, put serious consideration into this dude.
Menite Archon: Available in all themes as a Merc; available as a full FA army option in Creator's Might, Faithful Masses, and Warriors of the Old Faith. Oh boy. Guys. Oh boy. The Menite Archon is very, very good with Reznik2. There isn't a part of his kit that is wasted. He's self-sufficient, so Reznik can focus on doing other things. Reznik2 can buff his threat range up to a very decent 13" before Vengeance. Fuel for the Flames bumps Reznik2's Feat damage. And, the kicker, the Archon brings Grievous Wounds. One of Reznik2's biggest Feat counters is Tough, which can randomly make it so that your Feat doesn't work. Very bad on a high priority infantry bundle. Enter the Archon, who can trigger the Feat himself and ignore Tough with a GW Thresher. Big yikes for your opponent. Take two with Reznik2 whenever you can.
Units: I only recommend two here, as we only have the Choir besides as a cross-cutting unit (which you are taking already).
Visgoth Rhoven & Honor Guard: Available in Creator’s Might and Exemplar Interdiction. One of my recommended matchups for Reznik2 is Cygnar Gravediggers, particularly Haley3. Being able to shoot and charge through a cloud wall is really nice. You can consider Rhoven & Co. for that, especially if you are going more ranged heavy with a Colossal. Plus, two more Shield Guards keep Reznik2’s buns nice and safe.
Idrian Skirmishers: Our other cross-cutting unit, available in all themes as a Merc choice or in Faithful Masses as... well, still a Merc choice but they're in the army composition rules and don't eat up your Mercenary unit option, so you can take another Merc squad. Reznik2 appreciates something to block charges in front of him and he does have one infantry-related spell. I'm not crazy about this recommendation, but there is synergy here so it should be noted. +2 MAT gets Idrians up to MAT 10 vs Prey, which decidedly does not suck. Add in Spellpiercer and they're downing Crucible Guard Rocketmen on 6s when charging, which is a *great* feeling. Vengeance serves as a pseudo threat range buff, but also stacks well with their desire to aim and shoot thanks to Reposition 3". It's kind of nice for a unit to aim, fire, and still move 6" on a turn. Still, I would probably prefer this on a squad that had 2" melee over .5" melee.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 5, 2018 19:13:13 GMT
Themes Reznik2 can perform in every theme, but he strongly prefers some to others. I have listed the themes I believe he does best in, with the top at the top and descending from there.
Creator’s Might: Reznik2 has one spell that works on infantry and then a couple of spells and abilities that benefit Warjacks. CM is obviously his home, and he has the tools to make it sing. He only wants one infantry squad anyway, which can be grabbed via Merc choices. I personally recommend Idrians, but most that you’d consider can work.
Faithful Masses: If you want to forgo the free solo support for running a bigger BG and double down on melee heavies, this is your theme. Death March is okay on Idrians (MAT 10 vs Prey does not suck and Vengeance helps set up shots), but that’s about it. You really take this theme to get +2/+2 on melee heavies. MAT 10/11 melee attacks? Yes, please! Also, the solo options are awesome and self sufficient so you can’t really go wrong.
Updating to note that Hand of Silence is a baller with Reznik2 and counts for free point accruals here. And also Initiates are stupid legit and provide him Shield Guard on the cheap and a frustrating-to-remove statline and ability loadout. Still mediocre targets in theme for Death March unless you take Forge Guard (who I didn't recommend because Harby runs them better), but this should be his #2 theme
Exemplar Inderdiction: Upside here is that this is probably the better home for Death March, since you can get Weaponmasters. There is overlap between Blessed Weapons on Warjacks as a theme benefit and Spellpiercer, but more often than not this just means you don’t cast Spellpiercer, leaving you more Focus to camp like a boss or hand out a Boundless Charge. Not a bad thing. Also, Sevy0 can be taken free in theme, which Reznik2 *greatly* appreciates.
Warriors of the Old Faith: Our new, cavalry-focused theme is number 4?! Sorry to say, but in my opinion, this theme is not one of Reznik2's stronger ones. As a bonus, he benefits from the Line Breaker theme benefit and has access to some sweet Cavalry (Flame Bringers don't suck and I personally rate Outriders highly). He can also take Khador 'jacks with Choir, which is very, very good. Hello RAT 6 Victor! (I also have a penchant for the Decimator, but everyone thinks I'm nuts). However, none of the infantry sing to his spell list and frustratingly Cavalry are not great targets for Death March. Piling on the damage, unlike the prior three themes Warjacks get zero benefits from this theme, which he certainly does not appreciate. Finally, he lacks the ability to take two swinging solos: Severius0 and Madelyn Corbeau (no Mercs). You add all this together and it just feels... kind of meh. He can take the Hermit of Hengehold here without stepping on Maddy's toes at least and the double Vasssal free theme benefit is very good, so it brings the theme up to decent. However, I believe you're not playing to his strengths if you take him in this theme.
Now, if you are a Khador player, ignore everything I said because you get gorram Spellpiercer in faction. On a 'caster who boosts Warjack RAT nonetheless. Less of an issue nowadays because Wolves is a damn fine theme, but still: Khador has long struggled for Magic Weapons and has no access to Blessed. Now you do. Party on.
Guardians of the Temple: While this theme is dead last, I think it’s a matter of preference. The theme has two units that quite appreciate Death March (Flame Bringers and Temple Flameguard). TFG become high DEF infantry clearers with it, always a good thing. Flame Bringers become MAT 9, allowing them to trivially remove high DEF infantry even without charging. And Vengeance is quite appreciated on them, driving their threat range into insane levels. Also, Ambushing Daughters put a lot of pressure on people, funneling them towards Reznik2. He likes this. That said, the theme doesn’t do anything special for Reznik2 and he does very little for infantry in general. I recommend this if you want to do horrible things to several Cryx themes, especially Dark Host or Scourge of the Broken Coast.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 5, 2018 19:13:38 GMT
Builds and Tactics Recommendations for building a Reznik2 army: - He likes Warjacks who don’t mind skirmishing midfield, as that’s where he’ll be. This trends him towards melee ‘jacks and shooting ones that have sprays.
- His Feat is triggered by both ranged and melee attacks, so guns are good. Infantry that can shoot and melee are recommended. Good thing we have a couple of options for those.
- Bring Focus support. You will need it. Reznik2 should be camping like a boss most of the time. For defensive purposes, assume he’s got one less focus than he is camping because you should always have one up for Lamentations of Suffering.
- Despite the fact that Lamentations of Suffering shuts down a lot of shooting, people still find plenty of ways to sneak magic guns into lists. A Shield Guard (or two, or three) won’t go amiss. And if you want to run a bit more focus efficient, a Devout is a great buy because of Spell Barrier.
Reznik2 is a very active ‘caster. His high mobility and powerful melee capabilities, coupled with a short range and powerful buff in Curse, create a Warcaster who better rewards getting busy midfield and less of the standard stay-back-and-hide that Protectorate ‘casters often do. There are two ways to play Reznik2, defined entirely by whether or not you took Madelyn Corbeau and what you’re playing into. If you took Madelyn Corbeau AND your opponent is not running magic gun heavy OR ‘jack/’beast heavy, congratulations, you just lost a potential friend. Reznik2 should sit comfortably midfield pressuring opponents with Lamentation and being immune to a bunch of things thanks to Parley and Lamentations of Suffering. A camp of 3 or 4 should keep him quite safe, but even a 1 camp is fine if nothing can touch him. Apply his kit as needed to get threat/eliminate defenses and don’t be afraid to get him a little stuck in, especially if you can set up a Scourge assassination. Be mindful of threats that can get on him and neutralize those. Also keep in mind that if his rear is open, you can leave melee with Parley’s buff up, as he cannot take free strikes either. A cute piece of tech that you probably won’t use because you’ll be too busy pounding heads. If you did not take Madelyn Corbeau OR your opponent is running magic gun heavy OR is running ‘jack/’beast heavy (shouldn’t be as this is a matchup Reznik2 does not like), Reznik2 plays much further back. In this case, assess whether you’re going to keep Lamentation humming or drop for more Focus. Reznik2 will likely serve as a Spellpiercer/Boundless Charge bot until the board gets more favorable for him. Without Madelyn especially, be mindful of hard-hitting things that can get on Reznik2. DEF 13/ARM 18 with 20 hp is a decent tank statline, but it’s impressive how quickly he dies to concentrated pressure. In both instances, it is imperative that you recognize the threats presented to Reznik2. - Heavies are a problem. If a buffed heavy gets on Reznik2, he has pretty good odds of dying. Always be heads up on your opponent’s threat vectors for heavies – even infantry spam lists usually feature something that scares the big dude.
- Reznik2 is vulnerable to debuffs. Be aware of what they are. Since he is so big, it is easy for your opponent to get a bunch of stuff onto him and drill him down. This matters into magic gun-heavy forces more than others.
- Reznik2 doesn’t like most spells. Against many Warlocks, he makes it impossible to cast effectively because of Lamentation. Against most Warcasters, though, you need to pay attention to what threatens him as they are more likely to back out of range and arc. Telekinesis is a high priority spell to shut down. Have a plan for that.
Reznik2 has few “tricks” that make him work. More than anything, he is a bully that strains your opponent’s ability to play the game they want. Classic Protectorate at its finest.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 5, 2018 19:18:40 GMT
Matchups Reznik2 has several favorable matchups. Of note, he answers some of the meta’s biggest bugbears with aplomb. This merits his consideration in several competitive pairings. When you’re wondering “What do I do against X?” and X isn’t 1.) ‘Jack Spam or 2.) Massed Magic Gun Spam, consider the big dude.
Cygnar: Strong matchup (with a big exception). Reznik2 is really freaking strong into Cygnar. Despite their plethora of guns, they have relatively little access to high POW magic shooting. He can zip up the table without fear, forcing Cygnar to fight on his terms. And that’s almost always a lose for Cygnar. Special note is his strength into Haley3 Gravediggers with Madelyn, as so much of that list is infantry and a combo of Spellpiercer and his Feat means that Haley3 gets to enjoy almost none of her normal tricks (COST 8 Force Hammer Baby Haley? Mmk.) He’s also really good into Nemo3 and Sloan, as they don’t pack the volume of magic shooting needed to threaten him. Make sure he’s not in electro leap death range vs. Nemo3 and you should be fine. Big exception: Caine1, particularly in Sons of the Tempest. He’s not a dead drop into it, but he has to run scared. If you can kill Bastian Falk and Aiyana and Holt, you might be okay. Maybe. It’s a rough matchup that turns the tables on his head. Fortunately Caine1 is not popular right now.
Khador: Medium to strong matchup. This is generally a strong matchup. Khador has no arc nodes and has ‘casters who play forward. Reznik2 punishes this playstyle handily. Plus, Khador’s many infantry spam lists will not appreciate his Feat nor Madelyn. And Khador has a distinct lack of magic shooting. However, Khador does run heavy spam from time to time. Reznik2 doesn’t love this unless you took a froggy heavy spam build of your own (not recommended). Look to play your other ‘caster into such a matchup.
Protectorate: Middling to strong matchup. Hilariously, Reznik2 is freaking awesome against the Protectorate. Spellpiercer plows right through Passage, giving you a ranged attrition advantage. We have limited access to magic guns, except for Reznik2 (hah!), so the big dude can play safe. And Protectorate heavy spam builds have fallen off in ubiquity and infantry builds dominate, leaving a lot of room for Reznik2 to dominate. I want to see him play into Harby because she has to keep backing up to Purify Lamentation, but I think that’s a strong match for him given that her infantry can’t touch him while Madelyn is hanging around. A note: Reznik2 is not great into Harbinger unless you're running a lot of Spray pressure. Reznik2 himself can be fairly immune to her army with Madelyn, but be careful of getting boxed in and trapped by a bunch of unkillable warrior models, only to have Judicator charge the next turn and flip his bricks. Martyrdom shuts down his Feat until you force enough rolls, which makes it tough to get a lot done. I think a spray spam list might have game here, as Harby hates Continuous Effects. It's just going to be a gruelling game.
Cryx: Middling to strong matchup. Reznik2 is generally strong into Cryx. Wraith Engines hate him (like hate hate hate him). Denny2 runs scared. And their infantry spam builds can’t touch him. Usually. Plus his Feat is destructive against so much dudespam. Cryx also doesn’t run many heavies in these types of lists, so his potential assassination risks are reduced. Just watch out for Skarre1’s Stalkers – they don’t tickle on Feat. Three critical matchups to watch. First, Reznik2 is not a fan of Black Industries, and that is popular right now. It’s list chicken as to who you’ll face off against – depends on how good a drop your other list is into Black Industries. Second, Denny1 Scourge with all of the Satyxis Gunslingers. It’s a surprising amount of magical shooting and it gets a serious POW swing on her Feat. Play very cautiously against this. Definitely a winnable matchup, but care must be taken. Finally, Skarre3 Slaughterfleet Raiders is of some concern. Because of Spellpiercer, you likely brought no Dispel (that’s totally reasonable), which means that the one squad with Draconic Blessing gets to ignore his Feat. Plus, the entire army is Tough, which really stuffs him randomly. Plus side is that Skarre3 does not appreciate RFP and Reznik2 can basically sit untouchable in the middle of her army unless she wants to commit something serious to scare him off. Her guns are magical, so take that into account, but that’s about all in the list that is.
Retribution: Weak to middling matchup. Ret's pretty good into the Protectorate overall now. Of concern is the considerable amount of quality magic shooting the faction and the Shadows of the Retribution theme in particular can lay down. Silver lining is that you typically don't have to worry about saving one Focus on Reznik2 because every dang thing in the army has a magic weapon. But certain matchups like Ossyan, Rahn, Issyria, or Ravyn, all in Shadows, can pose some real problems for the big guy. And I haven't even tested against Shade4 yet, who I hear is pretty good and people like playing him. On the plus side, Legions of the Dawn isn't a terrible matchup for Reznik2, which is also a popular theme force, and his Feat is impressive against Shadow's terrible ARM stats and lack of Tough. Just beware of how you play this game and you should hopefully come out on top.
Mercenaries: Middling matchup. From my read, Reznik2 does quite well into Mercs because of the high numbers of infantry they typically take, coupled with the lower amounts of magical shooting pressure they can put out. However, Ossrum with a bunch of ‘jacks exists and as I stated, Reznik2 has problems tackling heavy spam. He’s pretty favored into Mercs otherwise, so feel good dropping him into your opponent if that’s not what they’re fronting.
Crucible Guard: Middling matchup. Admittedly, I need to test this, but initial thoughts suggest Reznik2 to be pretty punishing vs. Crucible Guard. Their infantry-laden matchups are vulnerable to him, either because they can’t reliably hurt him or because Rocketmen evaporate thanks to his Feat. Their heavies aren’t durable, so heavy spam with CG is better than vs. other Factions. Lamentation is quite relevant with a lack of free upkeeps in the faction. And their Magic shooting is relegated to Warcaster guns, CG Infantry with CRA, one model with Guidance, and the Vindicator who nobody is taking. Reznik2 can be pretty safe vs. CG as long as he has a solid Shield Guard or two. Downsides are that his Feat really only works against Rocketmen, our Fire-based shooting still sucks against CG, and he is still vulnerable to a heavy landing on him and doing bad things. Fortunately, Reznik2’s army likes mixing it up in melee more than others, so CG really has to respect the list that he brings.
Infernals: Poor matchup, in my opinion. No matter the theme, Infernals have the tools to take Reznik2 to pound town. Dark Legacy features a ton of Horrors that hit crazy hard, a bunch of movement shenanigans, and an excellent spellcasting game that can stay outside of Lamentation range. Reznik2's Feat isn't super impressive given the paucity of infantry featured (and those that are featured can stay spread enough to not get turbogibbed). The Flesh is Weak is good on Horrors, but expensive and you might put Reznik at risk. Moving over to Hearts you have a better time, unless a Lukas or Malakov jack spam list show up. Frankly, we have good matchups into Infernals with several 'casters, but I don't believe Reznik2 to be one of them.
Convergence: Weak to middling matchup. Convergence plays Warjack heavy almost all the time, though that may change with the release of their new spider server solo. Reznik2 doesn’t love that look. Ubiquitous Shield Guards also complicate the ranged game. And they can get fairly easy access to Magic weapons, so Reznik2 has to be heads up about that. However, Convergence doesn’t love Lamentation or Spellpiercer, Reznik2 favors Spray shooting with how I build him, and his lists can go get busy in melee too. Convergence usually doesn’t field a punishing ranged game, so even though Magic shooting exists, it’s not super threatening to Reznik2. Play heads up and it’s a game, though I doubt the big guy is ever going to be favored into matchups like Axis or Orion.
Trollbloods: Middling to strong matchup. Man, Tough makes his Feat so sad. Okay, onto the good stuff. Reznik2’s kit is super punishing to Trolls. Lamentation brutalizes their low-ish FURY Warlocks. Their largely infantry-laden forces can’t do squat with Madelyn up his bum. And his Feat deletes infantry (should it work), unless they spread out which can be tough to do with a medium based infantry army. Plus, aside from Gunnbjorn, Trolls have squat for Magic shooting, so Reznik2 can play pretty far up safely. Just make sure a ‘beast doesn’t land on him because Troll beasts do not tickle.
Skorne: Weak to middling matchup. Skorne can run pretty big and heavy, which is not good. Derp Turtles ignore Madelyn and can put pain to Reznik2. Guidance is fairly accessible, giving their ranged Warbeasts good angles to shoot the crap out of Reznik2. On the other hand, Lamentation is pretty relevant against them and Spellpiercer gets around the defensive buffs they like putting up. And the Feat stuffs soul collection/recursion for the armies where that matters. I would be very careful versus a double Siege Animatarix list, but otherwise think it’s a live game.
Circle Orboros: Middling matchup. I’m not crazy about this faction in general because Krueger2 exists and god is he a pain. If you intend for Reznik2 to be a Circle drop, you will need a Devout – Scourge of Heresy alone won’t be enough to shut down a TK assassination. Also, Bones of Orboros likes to run more Warbeasts than Reznik2 is comfortable dealing with. On the plus side, the new hotness is Devourer’s Host, which Reznik2 does amazingly well against. He can wade into the infantry confidently, as even the Lord of the Feast juicing on Corpses can’t do squat to Madelyn. Just watch out for a Warpwolf landing on him. Reznik2 has a fair game into much of Circle, but has a tough time with Bones. If you anticipate a Krueger2/Iona pair and want Reznik2 to take that on, pack a Devout. If you anticipate a Bradigus pair, consider dropping your other list. Fun trivia fact: did you know that you double/half costs before incorporating additive/subtractive bonuses? This means that for Call of the Wild, Lamentation doubles the cost of the animus before the theme benefit reduces the cost by 1. It pretty much stuffs the fury efficiency of this theme force into the ground, as I can almost guarantee the player did not account for additional fury support to counter Lamentation. Una2 hates it when her birds have to pay to use their animi.
Legion of Everblight: Middling to strong matchup. Legion is not crazy about the big boy. Their most competitive theme, Primal Terrors, gets stuffed by Reznik2. He can single handedly tie up a squad of Chosen and be safe, as the only Warbeast they’re likely to pack is a Blightbringer who’s probably too far away to charge. Anamag in particular does not appreciate Spellpiercer. Legion doesn’t typically pack a ton of ranged shooting, so Reznik2 gets to run the field more comfortably than other ‘casters would. Just a heads up that his weak matchup is Lylyth3 Carnivean spam. Despite the fact that her Feat doesn’t work on him, those sprays don’t need to be Magical to get on him. Be very careful with positioning here and camp high. Fortunately the trick of Assaulting Reznik2 doesn’t work without serious Naga support, as they can’t target him with the Assault shot without Wraithbane (and are required to by the nature of that rule). And if they get all three Carniveans with Wraithbane, that will suck up 4 of Lylyth’s 5 FURY and the Naga’s activation, leaving Reznik2 to tank 1 boosted and 2 unboosted POW 12s (before Shield Guards) and then 3 boosted POW 14s. Even if the Objective gets in the mix and all 6 of those attacks with fully boosted damage can target him, you’re still looking at a 1% assassination run before Puppet Master, assuming a camp of 6. Painful, but survivable if you do the smart thing and camp like a boss (no real reason not to sit on at least 5 per turn). Lylyth does not appreciate his kit because of Spellpiercer (if you brought guns), so it will very much be a game of the two of you glaring at each other.
Minions: Middling to strong matchup. Reznik2’s weakest game here is when they go ‘beast heavy, so beware Rask and Arkadius. Reznik2 positively stomps on Maelok, though and is about the closest thing to a hard counter to him that exists in the game. You can leverage the presence of Reznik2 to force the Minions player to play their other list, then play your heavy stomper into that.
Grymkin: Weak to middling matchup. Ignore everything I previously said. Clockatrices are bad for Reznik2. He can be Paralyzed (the dude is a living battle engine after all), their Sprays are magical so they don't even have to get cute with targeting to land one on him, and they add unpredictability and better threat ranges than Grymkin previously could. Plus, P+S 14 is enough to ding up the big dude good, especially when you eat 2-3 of them at once. Since everyone and their mother is running double Dark Menagerie, I rank this one pretty bad for Reznik2. Should you somehow get your opponent to run Bump in the Night instead, the game becomes a lot more favorable to you. Which is why it probably won't happen.
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jarrow
Junior Strategist
Posts: 274
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Post by jarrow on Nov 6, 2018 12:36:12 GMT
I got some really good points from your article and definitely have to test Madelyn in stead of Hierophant (although I really miss both his abilities). For the Skorne matchup isn't Flesh is Weak key to that match as Skorne beasts (and animatrax) has low def and they really want to charge as it's free. Extoller's guidance is really problem as there is many models with multiple ranged attacks. Also against other Hordes factions, you always have to be aware if there is Mist-speaker with good shooter. For example troll army can really hurt Reznik by Guidanced Bomber and 2 units of fire-eater. Just have to position your own models so that there are not easy assault targets hanging near Reznik. Models on same line, not behind each other as that gives good lines to Reznik.
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Post by greytemplar on Nov 6, 2018 17:20:27 GMT
The Flesh is Weak is definitely not a situational spell for me. I tend to use Reznik2 as a Hordes drop, because both Lamentation and The Flesh is Weak affect beasts quite heavily. Doubling the cost of Animi and being able to prevent select beasts from running/charging is pure gold.
Reznik2 loves seeing a massive beast brick because it means The Flesh is Weak becomes insanely strong.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 6, 2018 17:34:48 GMT
Appreciate the feedback!
RE the Hierophant, I hope I called it out clearly that you can totally play him - it just changes how you play Reznik2. I am personally a fan of Madelyn right now because the combo is a solid answer to a lot of very popular powerful builds right now, namely Cygnar (Gravediggers) Khador (Armored Corps and Winter Guard Kommand), Protectorate (Exemplar Interdiction that isn't me playing double Judicator and Faithful Masses), Cryx (Dark Host, Ghost Fleet, Slaughterfleet Raiders), Mercs that aren't Ossrum 'jack spam, most Trollbloods armies, Circle (Devourer's Host and froggy Secret Masters), Skorne (Immortal Host), Legion (Primal Terrors), and Minions (Blindwater Congregation). The pattern you might notice there is that most armies listed have had a CID since the process began. It's impressive that Reznik2 has stood solid as an answer to these themes even though they have dramatically increased in power. While other factions scramble to adjust to the changing meta, Reznik2 stands strong, passively flipping them the bird. Gotta love him.
Also I'm an idiot and didn't put Ret. Derp. The Ret matchup is important, because I don't really like it after their CID. Ret is quite good now and has always been a bit of a faction boogeyman. They regained that title and Reznik2 is nonplussed about it. They're the one exception where I felt the CID process they received weakened our matchup into the faction. And I'm quite okay with that.
RE Skorne, I freely admit that they are one of my least played faction opponents, though I do have a mechanical awareness of how most armies work. Flesh is Weak is important. It's also *expensive* for what it does and it has a pitiful range. If you intend to play Reznik2 into Hordes a bunch, I would consider an arc node. Running him how I build him, I have trouble getting use out of the spell without putting Reznik2 in danger. Personally, against Skorne I'm probably dropping my other list that can handle heavy/turtle spam better. Reznik2 has the tools to play, for sure, but it's hard to get consistent use out of them without also putting yourself in danger of either your 'node or him dying to another heavy (or two or three) that's in charge range. If we had disposable arc nodes (HINT HINT PP), this concern would disappear, but we don't. And yes, Guidance is definitely a problem. Right now there isn't a ton of shooting to be found in most Skorne lists aside from the Derp Turtle, whose unboostable attacks are hardly threatening, but that's poised to change.
RE Mistspeaker/Mr. Fishstick/Guidance bot, it is vital to playing Reznik2 to understand the threats to him at all times. He's big and fat. You can't rely on stat bonuses like cover/concealment or line of sight blocking to keep him safe. I personally recommend always taking at least one Shield Guard with him - preferably two or three (or four if you take Rhoven). Even strong matchups like Cygnar or Khador can sneak a powerful shot or two through onto him thanks to Aiyana & Holt and an objective, and he's not hard for them to hit. Not going to kill him, but pressuring him for 2-3 turns is pretty effective, especially if your Mechaniks phone it in and roll 1s and 2s for Repair rolls (and, y'know, live long enough to keep doing that). For your Bomber example, I would look to Shield Guard the Bomber's shots because those hurt. The Fire Eaters can be countered with proper play and the Protectorate is very good at deleting that unit, but even if they do manage to get a couple of sprays onto him, boosted 12s aren't the end of the world. If you camp like a boss, Focus will reduce that nicely and then they've personally delivered six Fire Eaters into face stomping range. How nice of your opponent.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 6, 2018 17:35:59 GMT
The Flesh is Weak is definitely not a situational spell for me. I tend to use Reznik2 as a Hordes drop, because both Lamentation and The Flesh is Weak affect beasts quite heavily. Doubling the cost of Animi and being able to prevent select beasts from running/charging is pure gold. Reznik2 loves seeing a massive beast brick because it means The Flesh is Weak becomes insanely strong. The only massive 'beast bricks I see these days are Krueger2 or Bradigus. Pity me. I edited the entry for The Flesh is Weak, as it is a good spell. I just wish it was COST 2 and 10". Or 10" and Reznik2 gained a few more hitpoints so I didn't have to be scared to death when I'm camping so low.
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Post by paradox on Nov 6, 2018 20:04:11 GMT
I think you really need to discuss the exemplar warder now, too. Especially because it’s available in CM and EI. Bodyguard helps shore up his melee defense where Maddie cant, and hes an Inhuman Resolve Shield Guard. Should definitely be a very strong consideration.
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 6, 2018 20:47:26 GMT
Truth. I originally wrote these up ~4 months ago, except for a few additions, and did not expect the Warder to cross themes at that time. He's amazing.
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moquan
Junior Strategist
Posts: 193
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Post by moquan on Nov 6, 2018 21:49:54 GMT
With the Madelyn version, what list pairs would you consider? Guessing it won't be Harby, maybe HR in EI for handling the jackspam and gunlines?
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Hashmal
Junior Strategist
Posts: 557
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Post by Hashmal on Nov 6, 2018 22:43:19 GMT
I have used Kreoss3 to good effect prior. HR is also a very solid options. I am perfectly happy to play Reznik2 into gunlines as long as they aren't damage boosting Ret gunlines, which eases up the pairing process.
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Post by paradox on Nov 7, 2018 2:02:59 GMT
Putting all this together, are we looking at something like this?
Theme: The Creator's Might 3 / 3 Free Cards 75 / 75 Army
Servath Reznik, Wrath of Ages - WJ: +29 - Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan - PC: 4 - Scourge of Heresy - PC: 16 - Revelator - PC: 37 (Battlegroup Points Used: 29) - Templar - PC: 15
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 0 Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1 Exemplar Warder - PC: 0 Scrutator Potentate Severius - PC: 0 - Dervish - PC: 7
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4 Idrian Skirmishers - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15 - Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide - Chieftain & Guide: 5
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jarrow
Junior Strategist
Posts: 274
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Post by jarrow on Nov 7, 2018 6:38:05 GMT
I don't see why you want Revelator in stead of Judicator especially as you have Madelyn so blazing earth's are not that relevant. And you are lacking wracks. I think at least 2 wracks are mandatory, especially without Hierophant. I have just started Reznik2 and played only one game him with similar list, but Rhover&co+Gade in stead of Templar. (and Hierophant, not Madelyn) But definitely have to test Madelyn soon I have Reznik2 painted and really start testin him.
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