Deal psychic damage with the Mind Thief mercenary

The Mind Thief just released, an unsettling mercenary for several Warmachine armies: Cryx Necrofactorium, Dark Operations, Orgoth Sea Raiders, and soon, Orgoth Reaper Covenant.

Last time we previewed this cerebral hunter, we looked over their powerful abilities in detail. Today, we’ll take a look at how those armies can “benefit” from the Mind Thief’s aid…

Mind Thief within Cryx Necrofactorium

While Necrofactorium aren’t lacking for powerful solos, particularly from their Cephalyx allies, the Mind Thief brings a number of unique and useful tools to the undead army that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Most Necrofactorium solos are like bees in a hive. Even though they function independently, most of what they do serves the greater “hive” in a direct manner. Let’s take the popular character solo Silexus Xiphus, for instance.

Xiphus’ main role within the Necrofactorium army is to use Beffuddle to move important enemy models into vulnerable positions, making them easier to attack for the rest of the army. Xiphus themself doesn’t often make damaging attacks, but Befuddle is a powerful “force multiplier”.

The Mind Thief has a more direct damage dealing combat role. Both Xiphus and the Mind Thief have the archetypal Cephalyx spell, Psychic Assault. However, it’s the addition of Telekinetic Shift that allows the Mind Thief to get up close and personal to use Psychic Assault to its greatest effect.

After advancing 6”, the Mind Thief can teleport another 5” to ensure they get the perfect angle for Psychic Assault to hit multiple enemies at once.

Another synergy between Necrofactorium and the Mind Thief is sheer resources. Necrofactorium has plenty of cheap, expendable bodies for the Mind Thief to convert into mind tokens with Expendable Asset.

Enabling the Mind Thief to gain mind tokens in the early turns of the game means they’ll be perfectly positioned to cast multiple spells and even boost important attack and damage rolls.

Mind Thief within Dark Operations

The Mind Thief has a similar role and importance within the Dark Operations (Cephalyx) army to their role within Cryx Necrofactorium.

The two armies already share Silexus Xiphus and Akulon Thaemestra — both part of the Hive Mind Cadre which plays for Necrofactorium and Dark Ops — but even the Agitator and Akulon Stygius share the same “worker bees within the greater hive” force multiplier role.

So, what does the Mind Thief bring to the party? It becomes their only true combat solo, bringing boostable arcane attacks, Psychic Assault and Psychic Overload, and Telekinetic Shift to gain the speed to apply both extremely effectively.

Drudge Conduits and Drudge Slayers (A & B) are just as good if not better fodder for Expendable Asset. Mind tokens for the Mind Thief!

Mind Thief within Orgoth Sea Raiders

The Mind Thief operates a little differently within Orgoth Sea Raiders. Unlike Necrofactorium and Dark Operations, Sea Raiders has a plethora of combat solos, From the Grhotten Champions and Keepers, to Halexus the Warlord, and even the Siege Tarask.

The slight drawback of playing the Mind Thief in Sea Raiders is that cheap infantry are often slightly harder to come by unless the army includes a lot of Reaver units.

However, all these Sea Raiders solos have one thing in common: they’re melee specialists. The Mind Thief brings a capacity to hit from a distance, even if a short one. It’ll often be the case that there are durable combat models or units ahead of the Mind Thief charging into the fray.

It’s absolutely worth picking up here that Telekinetic Shift can be used before or after the Mind Thief’s other spells. So whereas with Necrofactorium and Dark Operations you might be more likely to advance, Telekinetic Shift, and then cast Psychic Overload or Psychic Assault, in Sea Raiders you have more options to advance, use your offensive spells, and then use Telekinetic Shift to retreat and remain safe during the enemy turn.

Then, the rest of the Sea Raiders army charges past to continue the offensive and stand between the Mind Thief and harm's way.

Will you be recruiting the Mind Thief? Share your army list ideas on Facebook and Discord!