Introduction
Lately I have been playing a lot of Brawlmachine, which is a fan format made by the good people over at Line of Sight. It’s not because I’ve gotten bored of playing Steamroller games, I still play those too, but because it’s a nice change of pace. I think it’s a great format for easing people (back) into playing the game, whether online or in person.
So like I said, I’ve mostly picked up the format as a way to play against new(er) or returning people without immediately overwhelming them with a full-blown 75-pointer, but I must say, there’s more appeal to it than that. Because of the small nature of the games, and the scenarios that are custom made for it, the games are generally more fast paced and come down to blitzing the scenario rather than the slug fests that larger games tend to become, at least those where both players refuse to get assassinated.
Approaching list building, like playing the game itself, requires a new mindset, where you accept that you can’t have all the tools you want in a list, and you will have to shore up your weaknesses by making trade-offs with your Specialists, or second list. Of course some models will always be staples in certain themes, cough Axiara cough, but because you can’t have everything, and everything is FA:1, list building does tend to be a bit more varied.
I don’t necessarily agree with all the things that are, or aren’t, on the Epic List, but as a whole it is a well fleshed out format, that is a ton of fun to both make lists for and play.
Today I wanted to go over a few of the lists I have been playing in the format. I was pleasantly surprised that, even though some of these lists have been made while taking in mind that I didn’t want to completely blow away my opponent during their first game in months, or ever, even the less regarded casters do tend to work just fine when your opponent also can’t bring all the the tools they would like, and/or have a much smaller foot print than “normal” games tend to have.
Lists are presented in a semi-random order. Note that not all lists have Specialists as some of them weren’t really made with events in mind, but simply made on the fly for a quick game, or as a thought exercise.
Deneghra2 – Dark Host
Cryx
[Theme] Dark Host
[Deneghra 2] Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Deathripper [6]
– Helldiver [6]
– Nightmare [18]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Bane Warriors (min) [10]
– Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [5]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]
I originally came up with this list during a discussion with a fellow Cryx player. The idea is that Deneghra can help deliver your army with the feat, and can help out the poor threat ranges with Breath Stealer, or she could simply use Dark Banishment to feed the opposing Warcaster to the waiting clutches of the Banes. The Warriors would also bring a level of attrition at which she is generally not great, and the Overlords would deal with any infantry that Hellmouth didn’t take care of.
Nightmare is still very expensive, but it’s the only proper ‘jack that is available in this theme and I can hopefully keep it relatively safe between baseline Ghostly and the feat.
Sadly, it sounded good, but doesn’t really work as well as I’d hoped, because the Banes are still way too slow to get anything done before being obliterated. A few of them might make it, and certainly do a lot of damage, but it didn’t feel worth it in the end.
As an aside, this can be extrapolated to the theme as a whole. The theme supposedly revolves around a few powerful units and has very few options outside of them, but at the 25-point level, it becomes very hard to squeeze in enough of them; if you want Tartarus, which you do, at most you can put in 2 minimum sized units with 1 having a Command Attachment (Knights + Officer + Riders, or Knights + Warriors + Officer & Standard). With both command attachments being very good, almost essential to how the unit wants to function, it always leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.
If you want to see for yourself how the list plays, I’d definitely invite you to give it a try.
Deneghra2 – The Ghost Fleet
Cryx
[Theme] The Ghost Fleet
[Deneghra 2] Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Barathrum [15]
– Deathripper [6]
– Nightmare [18]
Hellslinger Phantom [0(7)]
Ol’ Grim [6]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]
Specialists:
– Doctor Stygius [4]
Machine Wraith [2]
Misery Cage [2]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
14 points of this list are Specialists: Stygius, Machine Wraith, Misery Cage and the Ironmongers. Sometimes one of the gun solos won’t feel as valuable in a matchup, or the repair/Curse option will be needed, or the Overlords will have trouble to properly leverage their infantry clearing potential, and that provides great opportunities for swapping in some additional options.
I had actually intended to give the Dark Host version another chance in a league that I’m currently in, but last minute I decided that maybe I should just try to play it in Ghost Fleet instead. I don’t care about the pirates, but it has access to some good solo’s, the Cephalyx are Partisans anyway, I can bring Barathrum as a second heavy hitter, and it gives me a very useful reroll on the starting roll. With having baseline Incorporeal solos, I can also double down on the skew if my opponent happens to be light on Magical weapons.
It is by the way noteworthy that only a small percentage of opposing lists usually has an Archon, so both Wraiths are much more valuable, as they can more easily collect some souls to do their thing.
Aiakos2 – Scourge of the Broken Coast
Cryx
[Theme] Scourge of the Broken Coast
[Aiakos 2] Captain Aiakos [+29]
– Barathrum [15]
– Kharybdis [17]
– Doctor Stygius [4]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Misery Cage [2]
Satyxis Raider Captain [4]
Swamp Gobber River Raider [1]
Warwitch Siren [4]
Satyxis Gunslingers [7]
Specialists:
Scharde Dirge Seers [6]
Severa Blacktide [6]
The list has Severa and the Dirge Seers as Specialists, with plenty of options to swap something out to fit them in. While I like Severa in theory, she’s in my sideboard because often the shots of the Gunslingers are sufficient and Axiara is a way more flexible option, that can also give her Special Orders to the other Satyxis if I need some minor repositioning.
You’ll have to forgive me as I gush about this list for a while; it’s partly because it’s the one I’ve been playing the most recently, and partly because it works surprisingly well in this format.
So, obviously, in a format that has very central scenarios and that will often come down to striking first to get ahead on said scenario, the feat is immensely valuable. I will usually have Assail up on Barathrum so both heavies can threaten 15″, plus a nice assault spray for Kharybdis. If I really need it, the spell can go on Kharybdis to threaten a whopping 17″. Because of this, most opponents that win the roll will elect to go first, which is of course a good idea, but it’s also perfectly fine by me; the massive threat ranges still allow me to apply pressure across the entire zone(s). In addition I get to choose sides and score first, what’s not to like?
Scything Touch will start on the Raider Captain because she can then threaten a 16″ run to apply a casual +2/+4 for the jacks. The Warwitch Siren is the backup model for this, because I’ll often want her to Empower on the feat turn.
The one unit of Gunslingers is sufficient to score the 1 circular zone, that even happens to be central in most scenarios, and they are great at culling some of the opposing single wound infantry.
But the best part is that this list can cheat the scenario by virtue of White Squall. In a format where Telekinesis is not allowed simply because 50% or more of most lists consists of 2-3 battlegroup models, dislodging even one of those with a well place throw can be invaluable, especially if that was your opponent’s only contesting model which is now “sadly” no longer in the zone. So sad.
Of course, Aiakos himself rarely has the focus to cast it, but Stygius is excellent at just walking around, through a forest maybe, and chuck the spell at models DEF 12 or lower.
One last thing I would like to mention is that this is still a typical Cryx list, which means that it does not do well in a prolonged battle. After your alpha, your heavies are still very likely to die, and thus it is imperative that you use your advantage to get as far ahead on scenario as is possible. The turn afterwards you can hopefully use White Squall, coupled with the remnants of your force, to race to victory. If you don’t, it’s likely that it will result in defeat.
That’s honestly one of the things that makes the list so much fun to play; it feels like a race, and winning it is exhilarating.
Sturgis2 – Scourge of the Broken Coast
Cryx
[Theme] Scourge of the Broken Coast
[Sturgis 2] Sturgis the Corrupted [+31]
– Barathrum [15]
– Helldiver [6]
– Nightwretch [7]
– Stalker [8]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Misery Cage [2]
Warwitch Siren [4]
Satyxis Raiders (min) [10]
– Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [4]
Sturgis is also surprisingly okay in this format; he brings Occultation for something in his army, and he can get some work done himself. He can zip in, kill a few things, or one big thing, and Teleport back out. His feat can also be relatively impactful; there’s not that many models on the other side of the table, so if he can kill a few fools with Dead On Arrival, allocate to his jacks, which can then finish off the other models that got pulled closer, he can be rather safe from retaliation, especially if you keep Teleport in the back pocket.
The fact that his Chain Attack only triggers from initials still makes him a bit of an awkward caster to play, and I’m not sure if this would be the list I would play if I were to dust him off again in the future, but he’s definitely viable if you want to take him for a spin.
Agathia – Black Industries
Cryx
[Theme] Black Industries
[Agathia 1] Bane Witch Agathia [+29]
– Barathrum [15]
– Malice [15]
Hellslinger Phantom [0(7)]
Master Gurglepox [7]
Ragman [4]
Bane Knights (min) [9]
– Bane Knight Officer [4]
Specialists:
Machine Wraith [2]
Necrotech [2]
Soul Trapper [1]
Warwitch Siren [4]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
I originally made this list for fun as a kind of “upgrade” to the battle box (Slayer to Barathrum, Reaper to Malice, Deathripper to Gurglepox). In reality, you don’t often need an arc node at this point level, what with her personal mobility being what it is, so I would usually swap it out for the Ironmongers and Soul Trapper. The former are great for patching up the heavies after your opponent failed to finish them off. After all, it’s not easy to kill a heavy under Death Shroud and/or Hellwrought, even if it is a Helljack. Curse also helps against higher DEF targets, and Ragman’s Dark Shroud, or spot removal, has also been invaluable.
Agathia’s Henchman are of course also great, especially with access to another damage buff.
I’ve come to love the trick of dragging in a heavy with the Harpoon, then finishing it off with something else, like Barathrum, to then just slink back under cover of the feat, while playing at the battle box level, and you’ll be pleased to know that it is still effective at this game size. The Hellslinger or Ragman can help to clear lanes so you will usually take a heavy for free.
The list doesn’t threaten very far, but it can take some punishment, especially if Malice has also managed to pick up a few souls, and the Drag trick will put your opponent in a tough predicament most of the time, especially if you can make it near-guaranteed by landing a Parasite.
Rahera – Scourge of the Broken Coast
Cryx
[Theme] Scourge of the Broken Coast
[Rahera 1] Captain Rahera, Terror of the Wailing Sea [+28]
– Kharybdis [17]
– Seether [13]
– Satyxis Blood Priestess [4]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Satyxis Raider Captain [4]
Warwitch Siren [4]
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (max) [11]
Specialists:
Misery Cage [2]
Satyxis Gunslingers [7]
Scharde Dirge Seers [6]
As was said before, heavy shooting isn’t too common in Brawlmachine, and when it does crop up, I’ve found Rough Seas with a dash of Escort to be a rather effective counter. This list is similar to the Aiakos list above, but with a ranged control element rather than one against melee forces. I really like the Boarding Party here, because they hit hard on a budget, can abuse Black Spot if the opportunity arises, and love being kept safe from opposing guns.
The Seether is a bit of a budget Barathrum, but the free charge really helps free up Rahera’s focus burden somewhat. She will generally not want to rush in to get much use out of Blood Weaver very often, as she will be quite likely to die, but her toolkit is still valuable, having something useful to cast almost every turn. Axiara of course helps a lot to keep her safe, especially as I haven’t brought an arcnode.
For Specialists I have the Gunslingers for when the raw power of the BOBP isn’t needed, and Dirge Seers for when I find myself in need of Guidance, or perhaps a cloud wall to keep Rahera safe. The Misery Cage is a pivot slot that can be used to fill out some points, and an extra focus is of course never unwelcome.
The list worked surprisingly well for what I had intended it to, and was a lot of fun to play.
Mortenebra2 – Hearts of Darkness
Infernals
[Theme] Hearts of Darkness (Cryx)
[Mortenebra 2] Mortenebra, Numen of Necrogenesis [+27]
– Deathripper [6]
– Scavenger [7]
– Shrike [6]
– Slayer [10]
– Stalker [8]
Great Princess Regna Gravnoy [0(6)]
Machine Wraith [2]
Nicia, Hound of the Abyss [4]
Soul Trapper [1]
Griever Swarm (min) [8]
Yes, I know this isn’t a Cryxian theme, but I feel like she’s not easy to build in Cryx where, other than Scourge, caster-independant hit/damage buffs are hard to come by, especially when Asphyxious4 isn’t allowed, as is focus efficiency. Hearts of Darkness brings the latter and has a ton of great solos to bring utility.
On top of that, Infernals is my side faction and, since their Infernal Masters are not allowed in this format, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Credit for the idea goes to LoS for their Infernals primer.
The list as a whole felt alright to play, because I had plenty of focus to go around, and an on-demand damage feat to trigger. Locomotion was invaluable to get the treat ranges I needed, and so it was a good thing that I didn’t also need to spend focus on allocation much.
In a similar vein, I must confess that I once attempted at making a list with Mortenebra1 for Brawlmachine and promptly gave up, because I had no idea what to include without bloating the list way past 25 points.
Summary
As you can see, Scourge is still our most versatile choice, while also having access to two of our best Warjacks in Kharybdis and Barathrum, so I do tend to gravitate more towards those. Dedicated gun platforms also tend to be rarer due to their more prohibitive cost, so I have found it less necessary to rely on Black Industries to deliver our rather fragile ‘jacks.
As a whole, I would say that the fact that you can count on roughly half, or even more, of the opposing force to be invested in battlegroup models also helps in making choices, where single-target control effects, such as White Squall, are proportionally more powerful here than they would be in a “full sized” game.
Also, striking first, or having a powerful control feat, feels very important if you want to get enough work done before your opponent can effectively retaliate. Even if you can’t do a ton of damage, scenario is so live that it gives a great tactical advantage to put your opponent on the defensive, which is where I feel Cryx is supposed to shine. I think that’s also one of the reasons why I’ve been enjoying the format so much.
When building your own lists, you should really keep in mind the provided scenarios. You should invest in at least 1 unit, though in a pinch your caster can score the circular zone. Even more importantly is having some solos available, because all of the available scenarios have several flags in them and being able to score those when the opportunity arises is very important.
I would like to mention that the folks at LoS had made their own primer for Cryx already, but I made different choices and also wanted to put some more info out there. Be sure to give their page a visit as well though.
If you have any suggestions on which casters I should have a look at next time, I’d be happy to hear them.
Smeerlapperij 