Calandra Truthsayer, Oracle of the Glimmerwood

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Trollblood Logo.jpg Calandra Truthsayer, Oracle of the Glimmerwood

Trollblood Trollkin Warlock

In the chaos of war Calandra is a beacon of hope and optimism who can always find an encouraging word to bolster her follow trollkin. At the same time, her maternal drive compels her to strike with merciless resolve against any who would harm those she has vowed to protect. As Oracle of the Glimmerwood, she is more than a simple shaman. She possesses the rare gift of true sight and is able to discern glints of possible futures through divination and augury.

Basic Info

Calandra1
Missing Info
CalandraTruthsayer.jpg
COST {{{cacost}}}
UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}}
FA {{{cafa}}}
Warcaster 0
BASE Medium
SPD 5
STR 6
MAT 5
RAT N/A
M.A. N/A
DEF 14
ARM 14
CMD 8
ESSENCE {{{essence}}}
FOCUS N/A
FURY 8
THRS N/A
HP 16
F. Field N/A
WJP {{{wjp}}}
WBP 27
IHP {{{ihp}}}
FA C
UNIT SIZE N/A
COST N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Warcaster 1
COST N/A
N/A
Understanding
the Statblock

Warlock - All warlocks come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.

Feat: Good Omens

When a friendly Faction model rolls a 1 or 2 on a die in an attack or damage roll while in Truthsayer's control range, it can reroll the die. Each die can be rerolled only once as a result of Good Omens. Good Omens lasts for one turn.

Abilities

  • Tough symbol.jpg Tough
  • Fate-Blessed - When a friendly Faction model makes an attack or damage roll during its activation while in this model's control range, this model can spend 1 fury point to allow the model to reroll that roll. Each roll can be rerolled only once as a result of Fate-Blessed.
  • Soothing Song - Once per turn, anytime during your activation phase except while activating a model, this model can spend 1 fury to remove up to 1 fury point from each friendly living Faction warbeast in this model's control range.

Weapons

Salt
Sword icon.jpg  RNG   POW   P+S 
0.5 4 10

Spells

COST RNG AOE POW DUR OFF
Befuddle

2 10 - - - Yes
An enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock, non-infernal master model hit by this attack can be pushed up to 3˝ in any direction. A model can be pushed only once per turn as a result of Befuddle.
Bullet Dodger

2 6 - - Upkeep No
Target friendly Faction model gains +2 DEF and Dodge.
Dodge - A model with Dodge can advance up to 2" immediately after an enemy attack that missed it is resolved unless it was missed while advancing. It cannot be targeted by free strikes during this movement.
Discombobulate

2 10 - - Turn Yes
Both the front arc and back arc of target model/unit is treated as its back arc.
Misfortune

3 10 - 12 - Yes
A model damaged by Misfortune becomes knocked down.
Star-Crossed

3 SELF Control - Round No
While in the spellcaster's control range, enemy models gain an additional die on attack rolls. Discard the highest die of each roll. Star-Crossed lasts for one round.

Theme Forces

  • Other Factions

Recent Changes

2021.10

  • Gained Discombobulate
  • Soothing Song stopped being a spell and became a baseline ability

Thoughts on Calandra

Calandra in a Nutshell

Calandra is a spell slinger with a strong theme of dice manipulation. She can be excellent for beginners as she is much simpler and more forgiving than the faction's other spell slinger, Kolgrima Stonetruth, Winter Witch.

Her large control range helps her notorious spell Star-Crossed cover basically the whole center of the table. This is a big advantage, especially because she is quite squishy and needs to stay away from the front lines.

She can play with basically anything but she likes higher DEF models to abuse Star Crossed the most. This means that she can play an effective gunline with Pygs or a more melee focused list with Trollkin Champions if she should so choose. Although she has the fury to run a battlegroup heavy list she doesn’t really offer them much beyond Soothing Song.

Feat thoughts

Her feat makes your alpha strike bigger and better or an assassination run more reliable. If it has a downside it’s that it slows you down slightly if you are playing on a clock. It’s quite a universal buff and no one will dislike it,but it comes into its own with sprays, AOEs and crit effects, as it makes them marginally easier to land.

The key word in the feat is CAN if you roll double 2 and still hit you can keep it then get the crit and if you destroy a model with a 1 and a 5 there is no point wasting your clock to reroll.

Spell thoughts

Star-Crossed You'll cast Star-Crossed almost every turn it's the key to her attrition game.

NOTE: Star-Crossed is much better once your DEF goes higher than 12. This is because 6 and 7 are by far the most common values for MAT, as are 5 and 6 for RAT. MAT 7 needs a 5 to hit DEF 12, which will still succeed almost two-thirds of the time even under Star-Crossed. However, when your opponent needs a 6 or 7 to hit, the spell will have a much bigger impact. Rolling 7 or higher on two dice is better than even odds at 58%, but with Star-Crossed, that same attack plummets to a 32% chance to hit. The jump from DEF 12 to DEF 13 is already one of the most important in the game, but under Star-Crossed that takes a 64% chance down to 48% and that is quite significant too.

Misfortune Is expensive for a POW 12 with no AOE, but it does knock down the target if you deal damage. Calandra doesn't need a Runebearer as much as other warlocks but having him cast this for her is helpful.

Bullet Dodger If you need to put Bullet Dodger on Calandra herself, you're losing anyway. The best use of the spell is to take a key model from the average Trollblood DEF 12 to DEF 14 so that Star-Crossed can protect it much better. So put Bullet Dodger on the warbeast or solo who is most in danger and/or most key to your plan at the time and already has at least average defence (sorry Mulg), an Earthborn Dire Troll near water goes up to DEF 16. Key solos like your Runebearer or Fell Caller can be worth casting it on. Valka, Braylen, and Horthol are quite capable combatants on their own, but any of them can be a terror with Bullet Dodger. Skaldi is a unit attachment, but any friendly faction model is a valid target.


Befuddle Is great fun and can often swing the whole game. While it can't target casters directly, it can still open lanes to them or line up slams by putting models in just the right spot, for example. Since you're often using it on low-DEF targets, look for opportunities for the Runebearer to cast it via Spell Slave.

Discombobulate Another great offensive control spell with a deeper toolbox than you may expect. It denies lots of abilities that require line of sight such as counter charge and defensive strike while also setting up Backstab which highwaymen love with Braylen.

Drawbacks & Downsides

  • Everyone hates playing against Calandra - dice manipulation slows the game down and people find it really obnoxious to play into.
  • She is mainly a support warlock who can't really deal damage on her own. Her army does all of the heavy lifting.
  • DEF 14, ARM 14 means she needs to be protected, or she needs to keep Bullet Dodger on herself.
  • Because she works well with everything she's seldom as effective as a warlock focused on running what you want to do in specific. Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain is basically just plain better for leading troops like Trollkin Champions, and for warbeasts, she's no Doomshaper.
  • Star-Crossed can make things difficult for units and unboostable attacks, but charging cavalry, boosting warbeasts and warjacks, as well as spell-casters and any RAT/MAT buff or DEF debuff can usually defeat the spell's defensive benefit.

Tricks & Tips

  • She's pretty straightforward, and one of the good beginner warlocks in Trollbloods.

List Building Advice

Strategy

Her main win condition is using Star-Crossed and Befuddle to gain the upper hand on attrition, but she can sometimes open up surprising assassination vectors and sudden scenario victories. She wants models/units with high DEF to better leverage Star-Crossed.

The more dice a model throws around, the more mileage it gets from Calandra's feat and Fate Blessed ability. So look for Weapon Masters, sprays, multiple attacks, and so on. The Champs and Fire Eaters are prime choices.

Calandra can easily run a lot of light warbeasts, because of high FURY and Soothing Song.

Theme thoughts

    Storm of the North    

    Kriel Company    

    Power of Dhunia    

    Vengeance of Dhunia    
Star Crossed is already useful on minions but this theme the farrow are friendly faction so get the Krielstone bonuses too, that coupled with a good mix of high Def minions like gobbers and a wider range of warbeasts is very handy.

  • Champions live in this theme as well.
  • Farrow Brigands - while dug in they have a great defence that star crossed improves.
  • Farrow Valkyries - have Def13 and without the Runebearer you will need to be slightly further forward so shield guard helps.
  • General Brug and Pyg models also live in this theme
  • Razor Boars - Def13 and soothing song helps keep them in check with low fury investment.
  • Gudrun2 his defence aura is friendly faction only but in this theme everyone benefits and the combo with star crossed is useful.

    Support models - Various themes    

  • The Krielstone - She is an excellent user of the Krielstone. She can easily load it up turn one and then it can keep itself topped off.
  • Trollkin Runebearer extends her control range by 2", allowing Star-Crossed to reach more enemy models, and can also cast Befuddle in a pinch, or more often hang behind her and using Harmonious Exaltation to reduce the cost of one of her spells.
  • Dhunian Archon - add to the frustration of trying to kill her infantry.

    Minions    

  • Star Crossed is Minion-friendly, so any and all Minion models/units with high DEF synergise with her.

Battlegroup

  • The Earthborn Dire Troll and Swamp Troll can get their own DEF higher than 12, if only situationally.
    • The Swamp Troll can penalize the attack rolls of other living models by handing out Concealment
    • The Earthborn also functions as a great workhorse heavy with some damage buffs.
      • Add in Bullet Dodger and the Sea King's animus for a readily available pool of shallow water, and all of a sudden you get a DEF16 warbeast, who can dodge most of the incoming attacks - especially under Star-Crossed.
  • The Dire Troll Bomber generates lots of fury and uses lots of dice.

Other

Trivia

Released in Hordes: Metamorphosis (2009)

Other Trollblood models

Trollblood Logo.jpg       Trollbloods Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks

Borka1 - Borka2 - Calandra - Gunnbjorn1 - Gunnbjorn2 - Grim1 - Grim2 - Grissel1 - Grissel2 - Doomshaper1 - Doomshaper2 - Doomshaper3 - Horgle2 - Jarl - Kolgrima - Madrak1 - Madrak2 - Madrak3 - Ragnor

Warlock Attachment

Trollkin Runebearer

Lesser Warlocks

Horgle1 - Madrak0

Light warbeasts

Ice Troll - Night Troll - Pyre Troll - Slag Troll - Storm Troll - Swamp Troll - Troll Axer - Troll Basher - Troll Bouncer - Troll Impaler - Winter Troll

Heavy warbeasts

Dire Troll Blitzer - Dire Troll Bomber - Dire Troll Brawler - Dire Troll Mauler - Dozer & Smigg - Earthborn Dire Troll - Mulg the Ancient - Rök

Gargantuan Glacier King - Mountain King - Sea King
 
Units, Solos, & Battle Engines
Units

Dannon Blythe & Bull - Boomhowler1 - Dhunian Knot - Kriel Warriors - Stone Bearer - NK Bears - NK Fire Eaters - NK Raiders - Pummeler Crew - Pyg Burrowers - Pyg Bushwhackers - Pyg Lookouts - Sons of Bragg - Scattergunners - Thumper Crew - T Champions - T Fennblades - T Highwaymen - T Long Riders - T Runeshapers - T Scouts - T Sluggers - Warders
Special WA: Trollkin Sorcerer

Solos

Boomhowler2 - Boomhowler3 - Braylen Wanderheart, Trollkin Outlaw - Bumbles - Dhunian Archon - Fell Caller Hero - Fennblade Kithkar - General 'Thunderstone' Brug - Horgle1 - Horthol, Long Rider Hero - Janissa Stonetide - Ledfoot & Tredz - Madrak0 - Northkin Shaman - Pyg Tank - Stone Scribe Chronicler - Troll Whelps - Trollkin Champion Hero - Trollkin Skinner Valka Curseborn, Chieftain of the North

Battle Engines Hearthgut Hooch Hauler - War Wagon
 
Theme Forces
Band of Heroes - Kriel Company - Power of Dhunia - Storm of the North - Vengeance of Dhunia
 
Minions that work for the Trollblooods
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Trollblood Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.10

Rules Clarifications

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Rules Clarification:  : Magical Damage      (Edit)
(Click Expand to read)

* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling)
  • All spells have "Damage Type: Magical" (refer errata).
    • This is inherited by "immediate" secondary damage (such as Eruption of Spines). (Infernal Ruling)
    • and might be inherited by "lingering" secondary damage (see below).
  • If a spell leaves a template in play that does damage to models that walk around in it, then:
    • if it is not described as a hazard it will do magical damage to models that walk around in it. (Example: Razor Wall)
    • if it is a hazard then it will not do magical damage to models that walk around in it. Instead, it does whatever damage type is specified by the spell description. (Example: Breath of Corruption).
    • (Infernal Ruling)
  • If a weapon/spell includes Magic Damage and another kind of elemental damage it will still damage Incorporeal models. Incorporeal models are not affected by the rule "if an attack does multiple types of damage and a model is immune to at least one it is immune to the entire attack."
    The phrase "immune to non-magical damage" should be interpreted as "immune to damage that doesn't include Damage Type: Magical" (not interpreted as "has immunity to Corrosion and Electricity and Cold and etc.")


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Rules Clarification:  : Warlock      (Edit)
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  • General
    • Damage from a feat is neither an attack nor Damage Type: Magical (unless the feat says it is).
    • FURY (uppercase) is the stat printed on the warlock's card. Fury (lowercase) refers to fury points a model currently has.
    • Your CTRL area is double your FURY stat, not double your fury points. (Infernal Ruling)
    • Casting spells or using feats is an anytime ability with the added restriction that you can't use them on the same turn you run even before you run.
      • See also the clarifications on Any Time abilities (below).
    • Some warlocks are also Battle Engines and thus follow all the Battle Engine special rules.
      There is no particular interaction between the Battle Engine rules and the Warlock rules.
  • Reaving & Leeching
    • If you choose to Reave, it's all or nothing. You must Reave all the Fury (up to your limit) and you can't choose to "let some disappear". (Locked thread)
    • If your warbeast is Removed From Play, you can still reave fury off it. (Locked thread)
    • If your warbeast is destroyed or RFP'd while under your opponent's control then:
      1. You cannot reave fury off it. Because it is still enemy at the time it was destroyed/RFP'd, and you can't reave from enemy warbeasts.
      2. After it is taken off the table, it returns to your control and is eligible for Spirit Bond and (possibly) Return to Play stuff (like Thagrosh1's feat).
  • Transferring Damage
    • If both the warlock and the warbeast are damaged by the same attack (such as an AOE), then you need to apply the 'normal' damage to the warbeast before the transferred damage. This distinction can be important when you're working out who/what actually destroyed the beast. (Infernal Ruling)
    • If there is too much damage for the warbeast and it "overlaps" back to the warlock, then that damage is considered ... unsure at this time. (Infernal Checking)
  • Restrictions on "Any Time" abilities     (Edit)         [Show/Hide]
    • "Any Time" abilities can be used at any time during a model/unit's activation, except:
    1. Before any compulsory forfeiture of movement/action. See step 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    2. After the model with the "Any Time" ability has had their activation end "prematurely". By this I mean you resolved something which includes the phrase "its activation ends". Examples include:
      • Running, failing a charge, or failing a slam.
      • Abilities that include "then its activation ends" (such as Reposition and Teleport).
    3. In between declaring your charge target and making your charge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
    4. In between completing your charge movement and determining whether it was a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
    5. When you're in the middle of moving. (Note: Impact Attacks count as being in the middle of movement).
    6. When you're in the middle of an attack. Which also includes effects that occur "after the attack is resolved".
      (Although the attack is "resolved" at Step 11, in terms of using an "Any Time" ability the attack is not "finished" until after Step 14. Refer to the first paragraph of Apdx A.)
    7. Your opponent interrupted your activation to trigger one of their own abilities (such as Countercharge).
    8. Warcasters/warlocks/etc can normally cast a spell or use their feat "At any time". However, there is a core rule saying they cannot do so on the same activation that they run. So, they are subject to all the same restrictions listed above, plus they can't cast/feat before running.
    9. Units: See below.

    • In general you can use "Any Time" abilities while you're knocked down or stationary (except Spells and Feats which specify you can't).
    • If you have a gun with a random ROF, you can use an "Any Time" ability inbetween rolling the number of shots and actually making the first attack. (Infernal Ruling)

    Units with "Any Time" abilities
    • You cannot use an "Any Time" ability before issuing/receiving orders. See step 1 and 2 of the activation sequence, appendix A.
    • A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after they run (Infernal Ruling) or fail a charge. Because that makes that specific model's activation to end even though the unit's activation is still ongoing, and you can't use abilities on models that are not active.
      • You can use an "Any Time" ability before running, however.
    • A model in a unit can't use an "Any Time" ability after anyone in the unit has begun a Reposition move. (Infernal Ruling)
  • Warcaster/Warlock Cavalry ( Edit )
    • Warcasters/Warlocks can't cast spells or use their feat while resolving Impact Attacks. Because Impact Attacks occur during movement - you can use spells or feat before moving, or after moving, but not during movement.
      • Exception: If your Impact target(s) include your charge target, then your movement has ended (refer rulebook, last paragraph of 'Impact Attacks') and thus you're fine to use "any time" abilities before starting the Impact attacks.


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Rules Clarification:  : Warcaster Unit or Warlock Unit     (Edit)
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This summary is specific to Warcaster/Warlock units. You may also want to check the Warcaster and Warlock pages respectively, for the "regular" rules clarifications.
  • All models in the unit count as part of the battlegroup. So, for instance, Butcher3's argus can be moved via his Energizer spell.
  • Warcaster units can have attachments. They can even attach units (such as the WSC). (Infernal Ruling)
  • The non-caster models are trooper models but are not normally Grunt models. Therefore they're not normally eligible for stuff like Revive.
  • If any member of the unit start to do their reposition movement, the warcaster or warlock in the unit would no longer be able to feat.(Infernal Ruling)
  • Press Forward Order vs Spells cast at Any Time (Edit)
    • You must issue orders before anything else. If you issue a Press Forward order, you must run or charge.
    • If you cast spells before moving, you can't run so you must charge.
    • If you cast spells before moving, then start the spellcaster's Normal Movement but have no valid charge targets, you are in a situation where you must charge but cannot charge.
      In this situation the spellcaster must either:
      • forfeit their Combat Action, use their Normal Movement to make a full advance, then their activation ends. (Note that you cannot cast more spells after the full advance).
      • forfeit their Normal Movement, then their activation ends.
      • (Infernal Ruling)
  • Steamroller 2018
    • The non-caster models can contest scenario zones & flags.
    • The caster model cannot contest.
    • The caster model can control zones and flags by itself, but:
      • to control a zone, the entire unit remaining in play needs to be in formation.
      • to control a flag, the entire unit remaining in play must be within 4" of the flag.
  • Units Buying Attacks (Edit)
    • If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because:
    • A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action.
    • A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA).
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Rules Clarification : Unit of Warcasters or Warlocks     (Edit)

  • Even though they're warcasters, if they're out of formation they suffer the normal penalties (can't make attacks, actions, spells, etc).
  • They can't upkeep each other's spells.
  • They can only dominate one SteamRoller scenario element at a time.
  • Each warlock/warcaster can have different upkeeps on them if those upkeeps are "target SELF" or "target model". If you cast an upkeep that is "target model/unit", that is the only upkeep any of them can have.
  • Units Buying Attacks (Edit)
    • If you make attacks with model [A], then start making attacks with model [B], you cannot 'go back' and buy more attacks with [A]. Because:
    • A model can only buy additional attacks during its Combat Action.
    • A model in a unit must complete its Combat Action before the next model starts theirs (with some exceptions, like CMA).
  • The Legion Twins
    • Rhyas cannot dominate a zone while out of formation.
    • Rhyas can use the feat while out of formation.
  • Haley3
    • Only Haley Prime is an 'actual' warcaster model, and as such she is the only one that can dominate a scenario element.
    • The echoes can Control/Contest scenarios like a normal unit.
    • Haley Prime can dominate an element even if the echoes are out of formation.

Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Fate-Blessed - None yet. (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Soothing Song      (Edit)

  • You can remove fury from any friendly Faction beast, not just the ones in the caster's own battlegroup.
  • Soothing Song cannot be used during the caster's activation. The restriction is on a model, which includes the caster. (Infernal Ruling)


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Rules Clarification : Befuddle      (Edit)

  • Push - General     (Edit)   [Show/Hide]
    • Pushed models do not change their facing.
    • Pushed models move at half rate through difficult terrain. Also, Pathfinder doesn't apply during pushes.
    • Pushed models stop if they contact anything - a model of any size, or any obstacles or obstructions.
    • You don't get free strikes against pushed models, because it is "involuntary movement" and therefore does not count as an advance.
    • Pushed models suffer the effects of anything they move through (such as acid clouds).
    • If you use a Push vs a charging model (via a free strike for example), this will stop the charge movement (refer core rulebook).
      • However, if the pushed model is in melee range of its charge target after the push, then it is considered a successful charge. (Infernal Ruling)
      • In that scenario, you measure whether the charging model moved 3" or less excluding the push distance. (Infernal Ruling)
    • If you push a model to a position where it regains Incorporeal (for instance you push it out of range of an Exorcist) then what happens is (Being Checked by Infernals)
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Rules Clarification : Bullet Dodger      (Edit)

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Rules Clarification : Dodge      (Edit)

  • Dodge triggers after any missed attack - melee, ranged, or magic.
  • An enemy model with 2" melee range that is B2B with you before you Dodge, will be exactly 2" away afterwards, and thus will be able to attempt a 2nd melee attack.
  • If you're missed by an AOE attack, but it doesn't deviate very far and still hits you then: Dodge still triggers, but the AOE does damage before you get the Dodge movement. (Infernal Ruling)
  • If an enemy can attack you when you advance and then stop moving (such as Countercharge or Defensive Strike) and they miss you, then you can trigger Dodge (because you're no longer advancing).
  • Dodge plus Riposte (Edit)
    • If a model has both Dodge and Riposte, you can choose whether to dodge or riposte first. Appendix A Step 13 applies here, because the controller of the model being attacked is not the active player.
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Rules Clarification : Discombobulate      (Edit)

  • A model with no front arc can't draw LOS to anything, so it cannot make any attacks during your turn - no free strikes, no Defensive Strikes, no Watcher attacks, etc.
    • The one exception is if the discombobulated model somehow casts a free offensive spell, during your turn, and uses an arc node to get LOS.
  • Also a discombobulated model effectively has no melee range so it cannot engage your models (but it can be engaged).
  • A discombobulated model cannot advance (because you always have to face the direction you advance).
    Thus it cannot use during-your-turn movement such as Admonition, Countercharge, Dodge, etc.
  • Lastly, it cannot gain defensive bonuses that are locked to the front arc (Shield, Polarity Field, etc)

Important: Discombobulate only lasts one turn, so everything said above wears off pretty quickly.

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Rules Clarification : Misfortune      (Edit)

  • Knockdown (Edit) - Remember, knockdown only prevents what it says it does. Refer to the Knockdown page for a recap of what a model can/can't do.

Rules Clarification : Star-Crossed - None yet. (Edit)