Super heavy rules preview – Drago, the Beast Unchained
The time has come to unleash the wrath of Vladimir Tzepesci on the enemies of Old Umbrey as his most loyal warjack, Drago, returns to the field of battle in a union of twisted metal and magic.
Bathed in gore and baptized by the primal fires of Urcaen and sorcerous cunning, Drago has been transformed into one of the deadliest and most unpredictable instruments of war the Iron Kingdoms has ever seen.
Warmachine gameplay lead, Jamie Perkins, steps in to show us this living (yes, living) embodiment of savage fury, let's take a look at what Drago, the Beast Unchained offers to the forces of Old Umbrey.
Neither beast nor machine
Drago’s new super heavy form is the result of fusing the steam-powered force of warjacks with the ferocious might of warbeasts. As a result, Drago can use both focus and fury.
Neither Beast Nor Machine affords this abomination 3 focus points every turn to use as if it were a warjack. As an Umbrean warbeast, it can also be forced up to its fury stat of 4.
With twin POW 20 Executioner Axes, 3 focus, and 4 fury to spend, Drago’s a super heavy warbeast that hits like a gargantuan.
However, this all comes at a cost.
The strain from this fusion of spirit-machine blackfires means if Drago’s insatiable need for slaughter isn’t sated, Deranged Resurrection ensues. Each time Drago is forced to attack or boost a roll and doesn’t destroy an enemy, Drago itself suffers d6 damage.
So, while drawing from the power of this cortex-bound spirit can be immensely powerful, it can also tear itself apart in the process.
Drago can also draw from the memories of its cortex to recall the powers it shared with its former master, Vlad. Malignant Presence lets Drago spend 1 focus to gain +2 defense and Poltergeist, raising its DEF to 13 and causing models that fail to hit Drago to be pushed away.
No warbeast is complete without an animus, and Drago’s is aptly named Walk With Me In Hell. Effectively an animus equivalent of Impending Doom, this animus pulls all enemies within 5” closer to Drago, ready for the slaughter.
This won’t affect enemy Leaders, but everything else is fair game. And, because it’s an animus, the warlock leading Drago’s army can cast it, too…
Drago x Warlock synergies
First up, we have Kapitan Kazimir Morozov. Drago can draw on quite a few tools in this pairing.
First up, Morozov’s Field Marshal, Righteous Vengeance. When a friendly model is destroyed within 5” of Drago, he gets to make a 3” advance and attack the next turn; perfect for punishing enemies who dared to take a swing.
Add in Carnage for melee accuracy and Forced Evolution for even more hitting power, and Drago’s ready to rumble with anything. Morozov himself is also the perfect candidate to make use of Drago’s Walk With Me In Hell animus, particularly in his shifted form.
Next we have developer James Knight’s personal favourite Drago combo, Kapitan Yana Kovoskiy.
Two words: Conferred Rage. When Yana destroys an enemy, she grants a huge stat boost to all her warbeasts, Drago included.
But wait, there’s more! Yana’s feat, Path of Destruction, grants Cleave for another bonus attack, while Overtake allows Drago to chew through entire units of enemies and then annihilate something big behind them for good measure.
Lastly, Kapitan Galina Lissaya makes more versatile use of Drago with her suit of spells.
Refuge gives Drago a “hit and run” playstyle, enabling it to retreat to safety after destroying whatever enemies it can reach. Wild Aggression dials up the offence with a free charge and free boosts for all its melee attack rolls. Shadow Pack gives Galina herself and all her warbeasts stealth, including Drago, protecting him from enemy gunfire while advancing up the battlefield.
And finally, Galina’s feat, Go to Ground, grants +2 defence which stacks with Drago’s Malignant Presence to give it DEF 15 for one turn in the game.
Can’t wait to add this abomination to your Old Umbrey forces? Drago will be available to pre-order from Tuesday, August 18 for release on September 1! Follow Warmachine so you don’t miss the drop.
If you missed Drago’s live reveal with the Warmachine team, you can watch it back below:
