Showcase: Jade Obelisk Warcry Warband (inc. painting guides)

The Jade Obelisk have smashed their way on to the blog and today I’ll talk about these stoney cursed fighters and their Warcry tactics. I’ll also share my tutorial guides for painting a Desecretor and their familiar Idolarc.

These cursed architects unknowingly worship Tzeentch. Their Mason King brought back a large mysterious Jade Obelisk from a distance land and when an avian creature emerged from it and started to guide them they begun to worship it. They live to make sacrifices for their god to help abate the affects of their curse. For they are slowly turning to stone and their faces crumble behind masks made of jade. They will also destroy all false idols and statues using their picks and hammers.

This warband is large with 10 members. The most expensive model is only 110pts, the Obelisk Bearer, and they’re not even the leader, the Nephrite Priestess is and she just 105pts, that’s the same points as the Idolarc. The Desecretors are 100pts and the Defacers are 95. Pretty cheap models allowing you to field good numbers.

So what are the strengths of the Jade Obelisk? Well they have a good toughness value across the warband of 4 (just the Priestess and Idolarc are toughness 3). They have good strength characteristics with the Descretors dishing out strength 5 attacks and the Obelisk Bearer and Defacer with Stonecutter tools dealing strength 4 attacks. They also have ranged attacks. The Defacers with Antithete Bows can shoot between 3″-15″ with 2 attacks and strength 3 doing 1 damage or 3 damage on a critical (roll of 6).

So, cheap points, heavy hitting, plenty of damage, and pretty tough, what’s the downside? Well it’s their movement. All the heavy hitters only move 3″. With the Defacers and Priestess moving an average 4″. The Idolarc moves 8″ and can fly but isn’t really geared up for fight. Being this slow means the enemies are probably going to run up and hit them first and this is where the Jade Obelisk’s reaction can come in handy, The Curse of Jade, you can -1 (to a minimum of 1) to all damage from that fighter’s attack action.

Not only does their reaction make them take less damage, they can also heal with the [Double] Stonewarp. Being near the Obelisk Bearer or the Priestess can heal wounds. The other 2 [Double] abilities augment the already powerful Defacer with Stonecutter tools and Desecretors. Hammering Strikes adds half the value of the double to your second activations attacks so long damage was dealt in the first activation so a double 6 can make the Stonecutter Damage 5/6 with their second activation’s 4 attacks. Rock-shattering Blow, is simpler as it’s +1 strength and +1 damage making a Desecretor Str6, Dmg4/6 (3/6 if it’s the Warpick).

Moving on to the [Triples] you have the Priestess’ Bloody Tribute that if they can take down an enemy, you can pick a friendly fighter near the Obelisk and give them a much needed free move. The other [Triple] is called Gaze of the Idolarc and basically it’s a nerf. You can subtract half the value of this ability rounding up from an enemy’s movement or toughness until the end of the battle round. Finally there is the Quad, Might of the Speaker, and it’s amazing. Pick a friendly fighter within the number of inches equal to this ability (+3″ if the Priestess is on the board still) and that model can make up to 2 bonus moves, 2 bonus attacks or 2 bonus disengage moves in any combinations. So if you can cast this quad on a Desecretor he is going motor across the battlefield and smash things to pieces.

So in conclusion, cheap and heavy hitting. Slow movers but can heal. Ability to nerf incoming enemy damage, movement or toughness.

As you can see from above, here are my recipes cards for the Jade Obelisk Desecretor and the Idolarc.. I hope you find these useful when you work on your own Jade Obelisk or Disciples of Tzeentch models.