Hello again!

Welcome to the second part of the Kharadron review now focusing on the special rules the army get.
If you want to read the first part of the review click here

Kharadron Overlords Army Rules

The faction has 2 specials rules, the Code and the Aether Gold!

Kharadron Overlords Code

The code is the first army-wide power they have. When you build your army you get to choose 1 article 1 amendment and 1 Footnote from a list of 3 each time.

First you need to choose an article :

Maybe it's me but they are pretty weak ^^ I think that I always pick Settle the grudge allowing me to focus one problematic enemy.
Once the Artycle is chosen you get to choose an amendment :

Hmm, number 3 is trash, second is ok but with the new" fly high "rule for the Skyvessel, it's not needed. I think the number 1, even if random is the best! As we are going to see Aether gold is super good!

All that left is choosing the footnote :

Footnotes are once per battle abilities and are very good !! Choose the one that fit the best your army or play style. Number 2 is my favourite but that is just me!

Kharadron Overlords Aether Gold !

Aether gold has a lot of potentials!, each hero, skyvessel and units with 10+ model have one share! (that's why I prefer the amendment number 1 to give aether gold to ballon units ! )

The limit is one unit from your army per phase. Note it doesn't specify "Your phase" so you can use it during enemy turn !! Each time you use one you lower your bravery by 1 and get the benefit from a Triumph.

Triumph are in the rules :

Note: I took the list from the pitched Battle but as nothing is specified in the Battletome maybe a faq will change this.
Note 2: The once per battle part of the Triumph is ignored if you pay with Aether Gold!

Honestly, it's a bit cumbersome to use as you need tokens for Aether gold, Triumph effect, Bravery debuff but the effect are quite good !

Each Skyvessel can once per game do a salvo with reroll hit or wounds. You can even choose to use Aethergold during the enemy attack to reroll save. Imagine the Ironclad rerolling save !!!!

Each hero can use a Command ability free and it's super good for An Admiral !!

The rule is very good but the bigger the battle is the more limiting the once per phase is.

Kharadron Overlords SubFactions

Kharadron Overlords can choose from 6 sub-factions, each one imposing the code, the General trait and the first relic.

Barak-nar

Extra command points and very good at dispelling Magic, Barak Nar is a good Meta Pick!

Barak-Zilfin

Extra Endrinwork is good, the trait is ok and the footnote is interesting.
Not my favourite choice but it's not a bad city.

Barak-Zon

My favourite City! The trait is awesome, the relics is very good too. The ability give Skywarden a charge with +1 to hit and wound rolls that's very good if you can combine it with an aether gold for a reroll to hit! by bringing a max size unit ! (12 for 400 points)

Barak-Urbaz

Urbaz is another good choice but the Mandatory Endrinwork hurt a lot :( but if you don't have an Ironclad and don't need the fly high Endrinwork it's a good choice as you can spam use aether gold all game long without the bravery debuff.

ps : The fly high Endrinwork is a ship trait for ironclad that allow to embark 25 models and still use fly high and disengage. I think it's Mandatory ^^

Barak-Mhornar

Relic is fun, but other powers are not good :(

Barak-Thryng

Mixing Duardin is kind of neat but the Stubborn power only work on Skyfarers. Another bad city but maybe someone will find a good combo.

That's it for the second part of the Review, all that left are traits and Relics. I will add them to this part I think in the evening.
Will do Tzeentch tomorrow I think.

Kharadron Overlords points and Roles

Multiple-way to get alternate Battleline to fit your army!

Traits, Artifacts and Endrinworks

Admiral, Edrinmaster, Navigator and Khemist have access to specifics traits and relics. That's a lot of options so let's see what is good or not

Admiral

The extra Aether gold or the Free command points are the best choices as the Admiral wants to keep using command ability while on a ship.

On the other hand, relics are kind of bad. The only good is the Proclmator Mask Hailer granting a free command ability once per battle round.

Endrinmaster

The Endrinmaster share the same first 3 traits with the general. The other 3 choices are: +1 repaired wound, +2A with Grungni gaze, free "I have my eyes on you"
Nothing fancy here :/ but the 2 extra Grungni gazes are cool.

On the Artifact front, it's divided into 2 lists of 3 options. Sadly the best option "Monolens" give an extra 9" range of the gaze and combo perfectly with the general trait is limited to non-flying Endrinmaster. Still, a general with the traits and relics riding a ship can do 3 shots per turn at 18" (3+/+2/-1/D3)
The "Luck" option for the Endrinmaster with a balloon is the "Bomblets" : Once par battle, choose a target within 6", on a 2+ deal 1 mortal wound and roll again. Keep rolling until death or roll of 1. Scary ^^

Navigator

Share the 2 first with the other 2, third is a reroll on the tempest, fourth is a +3" on the ship he's embarked upon, the fifth is +1 dispell/unbind, sixth is interesting: Choose one terrain or objectives, while wholly within 12'' of it don't roll for battleshock. I see little interest in having a General Navigator but in that case, I'll try to synergize the last ability with a drop infantry list.

Only 3 relics choice but there is a dispell scroll so it's useful.

Khemist

Khemist is trash don't pick him and don't make him general. Honestly, the only point of the Khemist is giving him the relic: Spell in a Bottle. This artefact let you cast 1 endless spell per game of your choice (any one) 100% success and can't be unbound. My first idea would be Cog for the +2 charge if you want to do a drop and charge list. Or maybe a perfectly placed pendulum. Still, you have to pay for the spell and it's once per game...

Endrinworks

Endrinworks are mount trait but for Skyvessels. Each size of ship have a list, you get to choose one trait for free and get extra for each Battalion.

Most interesting are for the Ironclad are the : extra armor (+2 wounds) or the bigger engine (allowing to fly high with more than 16 models). IMO there is no choice here, 25 models + 7 hitchers on the same Ironclad is so much threat!

/Cheers.
Bob.

Kharadron Overlords Review Navigation :
Kharadron Overlords Review part 1
Kharadron Overlords Review part 2

Hello everyone !!

The first review of the yaha ! Let's start with the Kharadron overlords Battletome.

They were in dire need of a new Battletome as even if their models are the best their rules were not so great. So let's see what GW did with them.
In this section of the review, the focus is on the Warscrolls and the Points but before talking about each warscrolls I have to explain 2 new rules that change everything for the Kharadron Overlords.

I) Two big rules changes

There is 2 fundamental change in this army and the consequence are so great that everything is going to change in the way you play Kharadron.

A) Ships Garrison

This is the biggest design change in the Army. In the previous Battletome Skyvessels had the embark rules, allowing troops to embark on the ship. While embarked the troops were not in the game anymore.

In the new Battletome, the Embark rule has been replaced by the garrison rule, same as the one for scenery. That means that dwarf inside ships can shoot, fight and suffer dmg. They are always considered in cover and enemy attacking them suffer a -1 to hit.

Wow Skyvessels shifted to flying Battlewagon full of shooting Dwarfs ^^ Note that only models with the "Marines" Keyword can garrison a ship. So that excludes all infantry with ballon backpack.

Also note that all the flying Dwarfs gets a new rule called hitchhiker as they grab the ship before they flight high they replace the old transport rule for them.

B) Fly high

it's the second rule that changes everything in the faction.

All 3 ships size get this ability that also allows using disengage at the same time (retreat but can still shoot later). Remark that depending on the numbers of wounds taken by the ship it loose mov", Fly high, Disengage.

Still, you have to land 9" from enemy troops and 1" from objectives. Also, keep in mind that now privateer pistol is nerfed to range 9"

The consequence of these 2 changes are quite big as you can keep the dwarfs inside the ship and hop all around the map.

Warscrolls Change

Some significant changes here and some points update too.

Brokk Grungsson

No points change for this one so he's still at 240 points. A few buffs on the weapons with improved rend on the Boast Canon and doubled the number of shot on the Charter. The overcharge rule was replaced with Endrinharness basic rules: "on a 6 to hit it's 3 mortals wounds".

Hitcher rule added, it's super strong because it applies on any sky vessel that Fly high. Even a Gunhauler can transport 7 models.

The new command abilities is not super sexy but it's quite strong in the new way to play Kharadron (i think) . Kharadron Fleet fly high with a bunch of stuff, drop somewhere and Brokk use the charge reroll bubble and you alpha somewhere weak. Note that the Ironclad can charge aswell and fight and make fight the unit inside ^^

ps: keep in mind that you can use a free command ability per phase with a new army-wide rule (aether gold, more details in the second part of the review)

Admiral

Arkanaut Admiral is now at 140 pts (+20) and was altered quite a bit.
One extra attack on the melee hammer however that still a low output model. But if is inside a ship he can use it now so it's strong.

He gets a wound transfert to nearby units and the power seems to work while he's in garrison. (Multiple rules in the Battletome specify that power don't work while inside a ship).

But the big changes are the Command abilities. He got 4 now, one run and charge, one reroll 1 to hit, one reroll charge distance and one +1 to melee attack rolls for the Skyvessel and his garrison!

I am not sure of the power curve but the concept is awesome, install him inside the Ironclad and profit!

Ironclad

Breath before reading this, the Ironclad is now at 510 points ! that 130 points increase. But I think it 100% worth it!
18 wounds and an improved 3+ save, 10" move, the fly high, the disengage rule, the 25/16 garrison and the updated weapons.
Look at the weapons, Great sky canon have now 2 fire mode, one of them does 6 dmg and hit on 3+ . Carbines are now always 8 shots with 2dmg !! Don't forget torpedoes as well with 4 shots.

Also, one Skyvessel get a free trait and Ironclad choose to embark 25 models and still be able to sky high !!!!

I like the Great Sky hook too as you can get a +2 charge and with reroll from the admiral for a reliable charge chance post Fly high.

Frigate

A Frigate is now at 250 points with this +50 points increase. Not as flashy as the Ironclad, the frigate is nonetheless extremely solid, 14w at an improved 4+, some nice Dakka with the main guns hitting now on 3+ and a 11/15 transport capacity.

Gunhauler

Gunhauler got a price hike as well with +20 at now 150pts. but with fly high, the bodyguard rule and the hitcher for skyfarers it's fine. 10 wounds with an improved 4+ armour save. A Fly high rule even if you are on 1 wound left. Main canon on 3+ to hit as well. Sadly, Carbine do only 1 damage on this chassis.
Escort vessel rules are helpful as you can protect multiple frigates with one Gunhauler.

I am not sold on Gunhauler yet, but the ability to use hitcher with them have potential (So you can transport jump pack infantry around the battlefield)

Arkaunaut comp

The Arkanaut Company is now at 90pts for 10 models, up to 40 (with no discount)...-3 points per model !!!!!
Cheaper and they get buff as well, now at 4+ armour save. It's a bummer they got their pistol range nerfed but with 12" range it would have been crazy with fly high.
Inside a ship, they are 3+ sv with -1 to hit them ^^
The mean nerf is the unit composition before we could take 3 specials weapons per 10 models now it's one of each special per 10... it's kind of shitty if you want to equip one company for one speciality.

Thunderer

120 for 5 body that's a +30 per 5. Up to 20 models. Thunderers gain 1 wound so that's huge. Decksweeper is improved as well and they get 3 new powers. Too bad these do not work inside a garrison (so a ship). Also, note that their melee attack now wound on a 4+.

I understand the design intent here, without the price increase the alpha power of the faction would be crazy ^^
On the other hand, they can shoot from inside the ship quite well until you drop 15 of them in a hotspot/cover for maximum efficiency.

Edrinmaster with Dirigible Suit

This is the new model included in the box, 220 point is super expensive. but considering the auto repair for 3, the dakka and the Hitcher rule it's not so bad (not great either.)

Navigator

Endrimaster

Aether Khemist

Now at 90pts with a 50points discount, still welcome to trash tier Khemist ^^
Ranged weapon range nerfed to 9", Aetheric Augmentation nerfed to reroll wound of 1 but not inside a garrison.

My only play with them would be to drop them in front of the Ironclad so if something big decides to charge the ship, it get -1 to hit unless he kill the Khemist first.

Yea not much to save on this poor Khemist :(

Edrinriggers

Skywardens

Stay at 100 points, Basic pistol get a second attack but stay at 9" range. Their melee attack is still 4+/3+, i would have liked a 3+ 3+. Note that the timed charge deal 1d3 mortal on a 4+.

Skywardens

ps : Using hitchers does not seem to count as a retreat.

That's it for the first part of the Kharadron review. Now that the warscrolls and points are done the second part will take a look at the special rules Kharadron have. I hope they have good stuff because there is not a lot of good buff/force multiplier for now.

/Cheers.
Bob.

Kharadron Overlords Review Navigation :
Kharadron Overlords Review part 1
Kharadron Overlords Review part 2