Gorax Rager

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Gorax Rager Circle Light Warbeast

Hulking brutes that fall somewhere between man and beast, gorax serve the Circle Orboros by ripping its enemies limb from limb with their powerful, oversized claws. When wounded, gorax become living embodiments of primal rage, tearing into enemies with unfettered savagery.

Basic Info

Gorax Rager
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Medium SPD 5 STR 9 MAT 5 RAT N/A M.A. N/A DEF 12 ARM 16 CMD N/A ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY 3 THRS 6 HP 22 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA U UNIT SIZE N/A COST 6 N/A N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Warbeast - All warbeasts share a huge stack of special rules. The short version is they're big, furious, and beat stuff up pretty good. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.
• Pain Response - While damaged, this model can charge and make power attacks without being forced.

Weapons

Claw (x2)
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0,5				3				12
Open Fist

Animus

	COST	RNG	AOE	POW	DUR	OFF
Primal	2	6	-	-	Round	No
Target friendly living Faction warbeast gains +1 STR and MAT for one round.

Minion status

The Gorax can also be controlled by the Minion warlock known as Dr. Arkadius, and becomes a Minion Farrow warbeast when it does so.

Theme Forces

• Circle
  • Secret Masters
  • The Bones of Orboros
  • The Devourer's Host
  • The Wild Hunt. In this theme, when Gorax Rager casts its own animus, the COST is reduced by 1.

• When take by Dr. Arkadius
  • The Thornfall Alliance
  • Will Work for Food

Recent Changes

No changes since 2021.10

Thoughts on Gorax Rager

Gorax Rager in a nutshell

The Gorax is a cheap light warbeast that brings the Primal Animus, allowing Circle warbeasts to mangle armour. Every Circle player should own one - the animus is just that useful on a light warbeast.

Many people refer to the Gorax as an ‘animus bot’ meaning that transfers and a cast of Primal are its key functions rather than getting stuck in and using those fists, and for the most part they are right. It’s accuracy is poor, it’s fists won’t crack armour and it’s the only circle Warbeast without pathfinder so you can trip yourself up with poor order of activations if you have a way to make forests. Pain Response is your key incentive for throwing the Warbeast into the fray in the late game as free charges are nothing to be sniffed at.

Combos & Synergies

• Riphorn Satyr is a good Primal target, and less of a loss than a warpwolf when trading it.
• Kromac 2 lets the Gorax cast primal for free with Awakened Spirit. A circle warbeast with primal on feat turn will have a massive +3 STR, as well as (effective) +3 MAT against any target in Kromacs 14 inch command range. Up to 4 beasts can easily be put under primal in one turn between the gorax and kromac.
• Primal does wonders for low strength lights like Griffons who are cheap enough to be relatively disposable after being targeted with primal
  • This is especially true with Una 2, since flank, hand of fate, and primal means griffons are hitting like heavies.
• Tanith can throw out primals for 1 fury on her feat turn, allowing her to send in a ton of buffed up beasts, and still possibly camp some.
• Mohsar can use maltreatment on the Gorax after it casts its animus to set up pain response next turn and to get an extra point of fury.
• A Gorax is pretty much an auto-include in the beast heavy Wild Hunt Theme. Only pass up on it if you want a feral Warpwolf instead, although the 8 point difference is enough that taking the gorax nets you an extra light and a Gallows Grove or War Wolf

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Mostly just an animus on a stick.
• Without it’s animus it will struggle to hit basic infantry and is unlikely to scratch heavies
• Does nothing for Wolds
• it is the only circle Warbeast without pathfinder or a way to navigate terrain
• Low charge range of 8.5 means that most other models in the game out threat a Gorax
• it can be played with Dr Arkadius - but you have little reason to when the Battle Boar has the same threat range, animus, cost, +1 armour, +1 threshold and a conditional berserk and overtake Vs free charges and power attacks when damaged.

Tricks & Tips

• Remember it can two handed throw people.
• Pain Response only requires a single box be filled. You can have your warlock put an unboosted melee swing into it if they aren't very strong.
• After the 10/2021 change to Primal (the target beast does not auto-frenzy) there is no reason anymore not to use primal if you can afford the 2 fury cost.

Other

Trivia

Released way back in Primal Mk1 (2006)

Other Circle models

Circle Index       (Edit)
Battlegroup & Similar
Warlocks	Baldur1 - Baldur2 - Bradigus1 - Grayle1 - Iona1 - Kaya1 - Kaya2 - Kaya3 - Kromac1 - Kromac2 - Krueger1 - Krueger2 - Mohsar1 - Morvahna1 - Morvahna2 - Tanith1 - Una2 - Wurmwood1
Lesser Warlocks	Krueger0 - Una1	Warlock Attachment	Druid Wilder - Tharn Blood Shaman
Light	Argus Moonhound - Winter Argus - Wild Argus - Gorax Rager - Razorwing Griffon - Rotterhorn Griffon - Scarsfell Griffon - Wold Wight - Woldwatcher - Woldwyrd
Heavy	Gnarlhorn Satyr - Riphorn Satyr - Shadowhorn Satyr - Feral Warpwolf - Pureblood Warpwolf - Warpwolf Stalker - Wold Guardian - Woldwarden Brennos the Elderhorn (Satyr) - Ghetorix (Warpwolf) - Loki (Warpwolf) - Megalith (Woldwarden)
Gargantuans	Storm Raptor - Woldwrath
Units, Solos, Battle Engines, & Structures
Units	Druid Mist Riders - Druids of Orboros & CA - Reeves of Orboros & CA - Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Shifting Stones & CA - Stoneward & Woldstalkers - Tharn Bloodtrackers & Character UA - Tharn Bloodweavers & CA - Tharn Blood Pack - Tharn Ravagers & CA - Tharn Wolf Riders - Warpborn Skinwalkers & CA - Wolves of Orboros & CA Brighid & Caul - Death Wolves
Solos	Blackclad Stoneshaper - Blackclad Wayfarer - Bloodweaver Night Witch - Chuck Dogwood - Druid Wilder - Gallows Grove - Kogan the Exile - Krueger0 - Lord of the Feast - Reeve Hunter - Primal Archon - Shivers - Tharn Blood Shaman - Tharn Ravager Shaman - Tharn Ravager White Mane - Tharn Wolf Rider Champion - Una1 - War Wolf - Wolf Lord Morraig
Battle Engines & Structures	Celestial Fulcrum (Engine) - Well of Orboros (Structure)
Theme Forces
Secret Masters - The Bones of Orboros - The Devourer's Host - The Wild Hunt
Minions
Refer to Who Works for Whom and/or Category: Circle Orboros Minion
This index was last updated: 2021.10

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Open Fist  (aka, Power Attack Throw)     (Edit) Throw ( Edit ) See also the Throw article for a recap of the core Throw rules. If a model is somehow thrown at itself (which can happen with Durst1's feat) it would not move, it would be knocked down, and it would take a standard power attack damage roll but it would not take an additional die for colliding with itself. (Infernal Ruling) Because you move the target model between the attack roll and the damage roll, you can get different buffs applied to the two rolls. For instance, if you throw the target in or out of a Flanking model's melee range. Incorporeal vs Slammed/Thrown models ( Edit ) Incorporeal models cannot be moved by someone trying to slam them. Slammed models can move through Incorporeal models. If they have enough movement to get past them, no dramas. If they land on them, you move the Incorporeal model out of the way as per the Rule of Least Disturbance. If the Incorporeal model cannot be moved (i.e. it's a flag) then you move the slammed model out of the way, also by the rule of Least Disturbance. For the purposes of Collateral Damage, only the model(s) you contacted before you applied the rule of Least Disturbance count as contacted. The same logic applies to Throws. Collateral Damage Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered damage from an attack or model. Refer page 33 of the 2021.08 version of the rules pdf. As a result: It doesn't trigger stuff that relies on being hit by an enemy (such as Shock Field) or damaged by an enemy (such as Vengeance). It doesn't get bonus damage from stuff that adds to a model's damage roll (such as Signs & Portents or Prey). It doesn't matter if the attacker has crippled weapon systems or aspects. Throw - Power Attack When you make a Throw Power Attack, no other abilities of the Fist weapon (such as Chain Strike) are applied unless they specifically mention Throws. (Locked Thread) If you do a Power Attack Throw and you choose to throw the target directly away, no deviation is rolled to determine the final position of the model. (Locked thread) A model that cannot be targeted by melee attacks (such as Una2's feat) cannot have models thrown at them, either. (Infernal Ruling) Since throwing Model [A] at Model [B] involves making a melee attack roll vs Model [B] which is out of your melee range, it technically breaks a whole bunch of core rules. (Infernal Checking) Even though you make a "melee attack roll" vs Model [B] you don't actually make a melee attack vs it. Also, the damage it suffers is from Collateral damage, not from the original attack. So you can't trigger stuff like Snacking from damage you did to Model B.

Rules Clarification:  : Warbeast      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

See also the Warbeast page for a recap of the core warbeast rules. Forcing If an ability doesn't specify how much it costs to force, it costs 1. (Infernal Ruling) Animi A single Animus can be on several models at the same time. (Infernal Ruling) Unlike in Mk2, in Mk3 if a model has an animus on it from any source and then another animus is cast on that model, it will lose the first instance of an animus and will be replaced by the second. It does not matter if either the first animus or the second animus is from a warlock or warbeast. (Infernal Ruling) An animi cast by a warlock is an animi and a spell. (Infernal Ruling) 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) Frenzy (Edit) You cannot trigger optional abilities (such as Cleave or Sprint). (Infernal Ruling) You must trigger compulsory abilities (such as Consume) ... except for compulsory abilities that also generate an extra attack (such as Berserk). In that case, you don't get the Berserk attack. (Infernal Ruling) A warbeast may not make an Assault shot as part of a Frenzy activation. If the closest target to a warbeast resolving a Frenzy cannot be charged, then the warbeast will forfeit movement and action (as per the rules of having to charge and not being able to). (Infernal Ruling) If a frenzying warbeast can't reach its charge target (because the charge lane is blocked by terrain, etc) then it will make a failed charge and end its activation. (Locked thread) If a frenzying warbeast has two melee weapons with the same POW, it can choose which one to use. (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Pain Response - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Primal      (Edit) Primal plus Rapport (Edit) If a warbeast has both Primal and Rapport cast on it, then you can either: Use the warbeast's MAT plus the bonus to MAT from Primal, or Use the current MAT of the warlock but it will miss out on the Primal bonus. (Infernal Ruling)