Playing with Gathering Darkness, Fane of Nyrro’s new army box
Fane of Nyrro’s latest army box just released and it’s bringing a tactical feast to Warmachine’s hungry eldritch host.
We’ve got Fraser from the Warmachine dev team here to tell us exactly what Harasheth’s Gathering Darkness force can add to your Fane army, and how the models in the box synergise for a delectable buffet that’ll satisfy any player’s appetite.
Most eldritch leaders boast extreme statlines but Harasheth does things differently, sacrificing traditional combat stats for an incredibly impressive ARC 9 and CTRL 16.
Don’t let that fool you, though: Harasheth will still be pushing up the board, just not in the way his compatriots do.
With a blanket –1 ARM penalty for tormented enemies in control range, Harasheth wants to position aggressively to ensnare as many enemies in his aura as possible. He’ll be quick to shadow shift out of harm’s way.
This may seem trivial with six starting hunger points, but Harasheth has plentiful hunger generation beyond that. For a start, gaining one hunger each time one of his non-eldritch warrior models bites the dust.
On top of that, Harasheth can spend his hunger with abandon, either increasing the resilience of his forces or reviving one his minions with much more vigor than is usual for a recently resurrected model.
To further supplement his hunger generation, Harasheth can cast his signature spell that’s brand new to Warmachine, Afflicted Wind, to inflict incredible torment on the enemy lines. (We’ll see just how effective this can be later…)
Then we have Expendable Pawn, another new spell to Warmachine that can turn any friendly faction model into a Shield Guard at the cost of –2 DEF.
(To be used with caution, but can give enemy forces pause for thought if executed in the right place.)
Rounding off Harasheth’s spell list are Carnivore, Hex Blast, and Revive, all previously seen in Warmachine. We’ve already covered Harasheth’s uniquely powerful synergy with Revive, and while there isn’t anything particularly special about the others, I wonder how many other instances of either a straight stat buff that go on any type of model, or enemy upkeep removal is in Fane of Nyrro. (Hint: it's VERY uncommon.)
And to cap all this off, while Harasheth won’t be delivering mace-to-face like the other Fane leaders, he will get one moment of absolute devastation with his feat. Spread torment everywhere, then feat to gain a massive amount of healing (something else you might have noticed is quite rare in Fane), and damage spread across the enemy army.
Moving swiftly on, Gathering Darkness introduces a number of important solos to the Fane of Nyrro’s ranks. First up, the Razor Bat Alpha.
This incredibly mobile solo, which specialises in attacking multiple different models in the same activation, is a near-perfect companion for Harasheth.
With the Bat’s two Afflictor attacks immediately triggering Harasheth’s Withering Anguish, and Harasheth’s feat easily putting a little damage out to trigger the Bat’s Finisher, this pair make a deadly combo.
The second of two combat solos to enter the fray, The Forsaken engages the enemy before vanishing completely. How classically “vampire” of him.
A patient hunter, The Forsaken lurks beneath the ground — for an impressive DEF 19 against ranged attacks — before launching his assault from unexpected angles. And if he gets his target, good luck catching him.
Lurking in the souls of the enemy, the Riven waits for the perfect moment to join the battle.
Materialising from the corpses of your victims, the Riven both amplifies enemy vulnerabilities and feeds on the torment of the dead. Another excellent way to capitalise on Harasheth's unique ability to spread significant torment.
The first of two units that descend on the battlefield as darkness gathers: Styrge Hounds.
These loyal hounds obey their master’s will, capable of displaying near-unmatched mobility, ferocity, and endurance… but not at the same time.
Pick your moment carefully, and this unit will be lethal. Direct them unwisely, however, and they’ll likely not see another turn. And, for those keeping score, they’re a perfect target for Harasheth’s Profane Resurrection and feat heal.
Rounding out the new Fane of Nyrro forces, the Hollowed epitomize the sentiment “service in death”.
The absolute definition of “cheap fodder”, eldritch commanders will bring these poor beings to the battlefield to die and, in doing so, feed on their essence.
The Hollowed combine perfectly with Harasheth, who not only double-dips on the hunger generation when they die, but actively sets them up to do so with Expendable Pawn.
Sound like your idea of a party? Gathering Darkness just released, so bag your set (or two) now!
A self-contained army (~50 points), use this force for Skirmish-level Warmachine games or combine with other Fane army boxes for epic 100-point battles.
Gathering Darkness is the third of the three Fane of Nyrro army boxes, so if you’ve been hanging on to start your collection, now’s the time to delve into the eldritch.
