Rules Focus: Emberwrought Warden
Wait, another Rules Focus? And we've got big one for you. Our Kazyr Rules Focus series continues with the second Emberwrought unit. Meet the Emberwrought Warden!
Where the Emberwrought Tyrant is all about delivering devastating attacks, the Warden takes a different approach. This towering construct is designed to protect its fellow warriors, absorb incoming attacks and make life considerably more difficult for enemies trying to break through your lines.
And just as importantly, the Warden generates red Essence, a particularly valuable resource for a faction with plenty of powerful abilities competing for it. But don't mistake its defensive role for a lack of offensive potential. Armed with a massive Embersteel Glaive and surrounded by living fire, the Warden can dish out some serious punishment of its own.
Not on my watch
Let's start with the ability that defines the Warden's role: Intervene. Whenever a friendly model within 2" of the Warden is hit by an enemy melee attack, the Warden can take the hit instead, disregarding the attack's line of sight and range. With DEF 5, ARM 6 and 6 HP it's well equipped to absorb punishment that might otherwise threaten more vulnerable Kazyr warriors.
But Intervene isn't the Warden's only way of keeping its allies alive. For two yellow Essence, Arcane Tempering grants friendly models within 4" of the Warden Resilient (1) until its next activation.
The two abilities complement each other nicely. Your opponent must contend with tougher models while also considering whether their melee attacks might end up hitting the Warden instead. This makes positioning particularly important. Keeping the Warden close to valuable units can force your opponent into some uncomfortable decisions. Of course, clustering your units also makes them more vulnerable to enemy abilities that punish tightly packed formations.
That's a very long stick
Despite its defensive focus, the Warden is far from harmless. Its Embersteel Glaive delivers a powerful melee attack with two red and two yellow essence dice. Thanks to Reach 3", it can threaten enemies from considerably farther away than most melee weapons. Add Cleaving Strike, and the Warden becomes a dangerous opponent for enemies trying to overwhelm it with numbers.
And there's another trick hidden in that glaive. Resonating Strike allows the Warden to inflict the Shattered condition, helping the Kazyr army to punch through particularly tough foes.
Fighting fire with more fire
As you might expect from a construct made of living flame, the Warden also has some interesting interactions with the Burning condition. Its Pyreheart ability infuses Burning damage rolls suffered by enemy models within 6" with an additional yellow die.
That makes it a natural companion for Kazyr units capable of setting enemies ablaze. Whether it's Serelleth spreading Burning through Ashfire Storm or another Kazyr warrior applying the condition, the Warden can make those flames considerably more dangerous.
And because Pyreheart is passive, it doesn't require any additional Essence. Position it near burning enemies, and let the flames do their work.
Reduce. Reuse. Re-Cinder.
Of course, absorbing attacks for your allies comes at a price. Fortunately, Consume Cinder allows the Warden to remove a friendly Cinder within 2" to recover one point of damage, once per activation. And here's where things get interesting: the Emberwrought's generic passive ability allows it to recover another point of damage whenever it removes a Cinder marker. Combined, that's two points of damage recovered from a single Cinder, making the Warden considerably harder to bring down. Not bad for a construct whose main job is taking hits for everyone else.
It's a straightforward ability, but one that fits its defensive role perfectly. The Warden can protect nearby models, withstand incoming attacks and then consume a Cinder to repair some of the damage. And should it finally fall, it has one last contribution to make.
Blazing Ember places two friendly Cinder markers within 1" of the Warden when it is destroyed. So even in defeat, it leaves behind valuable resources for the rest of your army.
A different kind of Emberwrought
While the Emberwrought Tyrant focuses on aggression and raw damage, the Warden is built around protection, durability and battlefield control. And there's one more reason to consider bringing it to the battlefield: Claim Ground (3). Combined with its defensive abilities, extended melee reach and substantial armour, this makes the Warden particularly well suited to contesting objectives and holding important positions. At 26 points, it's a significant investment. But its value doesn't come solely from how much damage it deals.
Intervene allows it to absorb melee hits intended for nearby allies. Arcane Tempering makes friendly models tougher, while Pyreheart increases the danger of Burning. And with Consume Cinder and Blazing Ember, it can make use of the Kazyr's signature faction mechanic both while fighting and when finally destroyed.
The challenge is getting the most out of that protection. Keep it too far from your other units, and much of its defensive potential goes to waste. Position it well, however, and your opponent may find that getting through your Kazyr army is considerably harder than expected. After all, some warriors are born to charge. Others are forged to stand their ground.
