Note – this article is part of an ongoing series – previous articles can be found here.
Welcome to long-time readers and first-time readers, alike! After the better part of a year, I’m back with another update to the Ogres of the Moonlit Hunt. During that time, the Clash of Kings 2022 was released, and it brought a handful of significant changes to the Ogres. Here are my key takeaways.
Ogre Warlock Spam
A confluence of rules changes has created a situation in which it is very easy to spam Ogre Warlocks. For starters, the Ogre Warlock now Inspires all units. Second, each Regiment of Ogre Warriors now unlocks one Hero, Monster, Titan, or War Engine (though as of right now, the Ogre army doesn’t include any War Engines). This means you can use Regiments of Ogre Warriors as the unlocks in your army and Ogre Warlocks as the only sources of Inspiring (if you wish). Combine that with the existing Ogre Warlock special rule, which gives an additional die to their casting of Drain Life, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Mind Fog (up to a maximum of three) for each Ogre unit within 6”, and you have a very efficient foundation. Throw Nomagarok and the Boomstick into the mix and you’re slinging upwards of Lightning Bolt (27).
No Love for the Ogre Warlord
The Berserker Bully now Inspires all units, and the Ogre Sergeant inexplicably gained Elite and Steady Aim. With these bonuses, there is now even less incentive to field my beloved Ogre Warlord. Sure, he still has an advantage in Nerve over the aforementioned Heros, but that is not enough to offset the other benefits they bring to the table at a fraction of the cost.
Slayer and Rampage Add More Flavor
The Hunters and Giant gained Slayer (Melee – D3 and D6 respectively), the Mammoth gained Rampage (Melee – D6), and the units in the Hell on Wheels formation gained Rampage (Melee – D3). These special rules might account for a few extra points of damage here or there, which is great, but they also help to distinguish these units and turn the story behind them into rules on the tabletop. Consider me a fan!
I’m Kind of a Big Deal
Speaking of the Mammoth, he also got a new, unique upgrade called The Big Deal. For 30 points, this honorific increases him to Brutal (2), adds Very Inspiring, and Call to Greatness – a special rule that allows him to give Brutal (+1) to a friendly core unit with the Ogre keyword within 12” at the start of each Melee phase, regardless of line of sight. This certainly makes the Mammoth more viable, but I doubt it will be an “auto-include” for most competitive lists.
A Little Nerve Goes a Long Way
The Red Goblin Scouts, a personal favorite unit of mine, increased their Nerve by one point across the board, and are now 10/12 as a Troop and 13/15 as a Regiment. This is a small change that can make a huge difference in decisive moments, so I am pleased to see it.
Through the Legs
The Crocodog Wrangler is a new unit with a whole host of special rules that make it unlike anything else in the Ogre army. As a Monster (Cavalry), the Ogres finally have an Individual worth fielding (sorry, not sorry, Red Goblin Biggit). He punches hard with Melee 3, Crushing Strength (1), 7 Attacks, Vicious (Melee), and Duelist. He’s rather quick with Speed 6 and Wild Charge (D3+1). And he can get where he needs to go thanks to Through the Legs – a special rule that allows him to both draw line of sight through and move through friendly core units with the Ogre keyword.
With all of these changes in mind, I absolutely had to paint a Crocodog Wrangler. I grabbed a classic Squig Hopper from my shelf and got to work.
As I spent time painting him, I crafted his backstory.
Spores in the Wind – Crocodog Wrangler
When a Red Goblin is gifted a pet Crocodog and promoted to the Scouts, nobody expects them to live long, least of all the Crescent King. Sometimes, they don’t even make it to the battlefield intact. When this unknown, scrappy Red Goblin climbed backwards onto his newly assigned Crocodog, everyone laughed. When the Crocodog broke away from the troop, darting wildly across the plains, zigging and zagging unpredictably, the laughter redoubled. When the Crocodog swallowed his first victim whole, however, the laughter turned to stunned silence. The Crescent King knew something peculiar was taking place, and narrowed his eyes.
It was only then that he noticed how the seemingly random movements of the Crocodog were actually following the complex, beautiful pattern of the wind. And, despite all of the jerking and bucking, the Red Goblin was deftly holding on in a calm, serene manner. A wicked smile spread across his face. A lethal weapon was born.
