Pyg Burrowers

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Pyg Burrowers Trollblood Unit

Stalwart pygs have proved invaluable as scouts, spies, and ambushers. Their endurance and size make them consummate tunnel-diggers. Armed with incredibly powerful slug guns, these courageous pygs burrow across battlefields to catch the enemy unaware. Their massive, short-range hand-held cannons are designed to penetrate warjack armor but serve just as well against warbeasts and enemy soldiers.

Basic Info

Pyg Burrowers
Missing Info
	COST {{{cacost}}} UNIT SIZE {{{casize}}} FA {{{cafa}}} Warcaster 0 BASE Small SPD 6 STR 5 MAT 4 RAT 5 M.A. N/A DEF 13 ARM 12 CMD 7 ESSENCE {{{essence}}} FOCUS N/A FURY N/A THRS N/A HP 1 F. Field N/A WJP {{{wjp}}} WBP {{{wbp}}} IHP {{{ihp}}} FA 1 UNIT SIZE 6 / 10 COST 7 / 11 1.3 each N/A N/A Warcaster 1 COST N/A N/A Understanding the Statblock

Abilities

• Advance Deployment
• Gunfighter
• Pathfinder
• Tough
• Burrow [ 4" ] - You can choose not to deploy this model/unit at the start of the game. If it is not deployed normally, place the burrow marker at the same time as your models with Advance Deployment, up to 20˝ beyond your deployment zone and not within 6˝ of another burrow marker. At the beginning of any of your Maintenance Phases after your first turn, you can place this model/unit completely within 4˝ of the burrow marker and remove the marker from the table. This model can begin dug in when placed in this manner. Additionally, it must forfeit its Normal Movement or Combat Action during its activation the turn it is placed into play.
• Dig In (★ Action) - This model gains cover, does not suffer blast damage, and does not block LOS. The model remains dug in until it moves, is placed, or is engaged. It can begin the game dug in.

Weapons

Slug Gun
		RNG			ROF			AOE			POW
		4			1			-			14
Hand Weapon
		RNG				POW				P+S
		0.5				3				8

Theme Forces

• Trollbloods
  • Kriel Company
  • Vengeance of Dhunia

• Other Factions
  • Minion players can use this unit in the Vengeance of Dhunia theme.

Recent Changes

2021.10

• Gained Gunfighter

Thoughts on Pyg Burrowers

Pyg Burrowers burrowed into a nutshell

Burrowers may begin the game off the table, and serve as a psuedo-surprise unit, popping out at a pre-positioned marker to shoot low defense models. Their short range and difficulty hitting high defense targets makes burrowing attractive, but they do have advanced deployment and pathfinder to make them a flexible close-range shooting unit.

Combos & Synergies

• Horgle, the Anvil makes them more accurate and more dangerous on feat turn. Considering that enemies have to be on fire to get the bonus, Having super accurate burrowers pop up and destroy heavies that are on fire is pure salt. Just the way we trolls like it.
• Grissel2 can use them as extra threat on her assassination. 6 basically auto-hitting POW 14 attacks for 8 points is great value, and is pretty nasty for most casters.
• Pyg Lookouts - Place a marker in the centre of the board, so the enemy has to play round it. This will encourage them to play closer to the edges of the board, where you can ambush their troops with Lookouts. Mark Target also helps the burrowers hit.
• Trollkin Highwaymen with Braylen Wanderheart - Same as above only that you wait until the enemy moves past the marker and then pop up the borrowers. Now the enemy either has to turn around and be back-stabbed, or push forward and be backstroke by a bunch of POW 14 guns.
• Grim2's feet gives them Snipe and Mark Target. Range 8" is really strong on their slug guns, especially since you can get them up to RAT 11 and POW 18 with Mortality, Backstrikes, Mark Target and the Hermit's Master of Ruin.
• General 'Thunderstone' Brug not only does he passively make them Rat:6 he can let them dig in again after advancing and shooting Or (likely in combination with snipe) grant them pow16 and eyeless sight alongside effective Rat:8 (aiming)

Drawbacks & Downsides

• Terrible MAT average RAT
  • Almost every stat is slightly below average they need help to do work, fortunately Mark Target from the Kriel Company theme helps in part.
• Burrowing can leave them not where you need them. It's not a trap per se, but assuming you always want them burrowed is. Your opponent can also position models in the popup area and make it hard to bring them in. Choose your marker spot carefully.

Tricks & Tips

• When you un-Burrow your models can come in Dug-In.
• You can hold back and emerge in the mid-late game
  • Contest a zone after successful attrition.
  • Force an opponent to keep models near the marker in case the pygs pop up.
  • Provide easily killed models to trigger the Dhunian Archon's Mother's Embrace for healing damaged multi-box models late in the game when single box models aren't normally on the field.

Other

Trivia

Released in Hordes: Evolution (2007)

Other Trollblood Models

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 Clarificaitons

Rules Clarification : Advance Deployment      (Edit) Sometimes you can attach a WA or CA that doesn't have AD to a unit that does have AD. If you do, the attachment effectively gains AD and they can all advance deploy together. (Locked Thread)

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

General You cannot Aim if you start your activation in melee. (Infernal Confirmation) A free strike with a ranged weapon still gets the +2 to hit and boosted damage (I'm pretty sure - I'd like to double check it though). If you have a Gunfighter stuck in melee and the Gunfighter wants to shoot a friendly model, then you can only do so if that friendly is within the Gunfighter's melee range. Also, if that friendly model is engaged by an enemy, that friendly model will always get the +4 DEF bonus (because the point of origin of the attack, the Gunfighter, is not "in melee" with the friendly model). Targeting Outside of melee If the Gunfighter isn't in melee, and didn't charge this turn, then it shoots just the same as a normal model. In melee, but didn't charge If it didn't charge, it can target anyone it's "in melee" with. This can be any model in the Gunfighter's melee range, plus any models that have the Gunfighter in their melee range. If a Gunfighter kills all the enemies it is in melee with, and still has the ability to make more ranged attacks, then those attacks just follow the normal Ranged Attack rules. (Infernal Ruling) Charged into melee If it did charge, its initial attacks can only target models that are in the Gunfighter's melee range. If all models in the Gunfighter's melee range are killed before it makes its initial attacks, it loses any unspent initial attacks. (Infernal Ruling) However if it can purchase additional attacks (via Reload for instance) and/or get free attacks (via Black Spot for instance), then those non-initial attacks can target anyone it's "in melee" with, as per #2 above. Other targeting notes Remember, you can never be "in melee" with a friendly model, so a Gunfighter can pretty much never choose to target a friend while it's in melee. If the gunfighter is unengaged, it can still shoot a friendly model, which would just be a normal ranged attack. Gunfighter doesn't change the RNG of your gun, it just provides you an ability to use it while in melee and imposes some targeting restrictions. If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 1", that will further limit who you can target. If you're affected by a debuff that reduces your RNG to 0", you cannot make attacks (refer 'Weapon Statistics', page 19 of rulebook). Attack Roll You use the Gunfighter's RAT for the attack roll. Gunfighters do not ignore the Cover/Concealment bonus. (Infernal Ruling) How the +4 DEF bonus for "being in melee" works with Gunfighters is: they always ignore it vs enemies, because the "point of origin of the attack is in melee with the target". they never ignore it vs friendlies, because you cannot be in melee with a friendly target. Incorporeal Gunfighters Note that enemy models without magic weapons can't hurt you in melee, but they can engage you. If they engage you then you're in melee and your target selection is limited to just models in melee (as explained above). Gunfighter + an AOE weapon If you miss then the AOE will deviate as per the normal AOE rules. Not very far, though, considering the max distance you'll be apart is 2". If you use an AOE weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the blast template. Gunfighter + a spray weapon Who you can target with the spray is limited as described above, but you get to put the whole spray template down and potentially hit models well outside the melee. If you use a spray weapon to make a free strike, you get the +2 to hit and you get boosted damage against everything under the spray template. Units of Gunfighters If a unit of Gunfighters successfully charge, but someone else in their unit kills their charge target before they get a turn to attack, then they may redirect their attack. Redirected attack: If they're still engaged, their initial attack (s) must be vs someone in their melee range. If they're still engaged, but no one is in their own melee range, they don't get any initial attacks. If they're unengaged, they are now free to shoot anyone within the gun's normal range. Other interactions Gunfighter vs Point Blank (Edit) If a model has both Gunfighter and Point Blank, then you should declare whether you're using it as a ranged attack or melee attack whenever you shoot the gun. Because that can limit what other initial/additional attacks you can make. (Infernal Ruling) These two abilities are subtly different, but it's an important difference. Gunfighter allows you to make ranged attacks while in melee. Point blank allows you to make melee attacks with your ranged weapon. Since you can't make both ranged and melee attacks in the same turn, a Gunfighter model has a choice of either initial melee attack(s) or initial ranged attack(s). (unless it has Virtuoso or something). Whereas a Point Blank model chooses to make initial melee attacks, and then gets to make attacks with both weapons. Furthermore, the types of bonuses, penalties, and special effects you (or your opponent) can trigger will change dramatically: Any buffs/triggers on ranged attacks (such as Evasive, Shield Guard, Deadeye, etc) will affect Gunfighter attacks, but not Point Blank attacks. Any buffs/triggers on melee attacks (such as Battle Lust, Riposte etc) will affect Point Blank attacks, but not Gunfighter attacks. Gunfighter & Cavalry ( Edit ) A cavalry model that charges then makes a Gunfighter attack will not gain a boosted charge attack roll, because a ranged attack is not a charge attack. (Infernal Ruling) You also won't gain a boosted charge damage roll, as per normal for a Gunfighter. Gunfighter vs RNG modifiers (Edit) Unlike what most people might tell you, Gunfighter doesn't have a "range", it just lets the model make ranged attacks while in melee. The gun's actual RNG is unaffected though, until you put something like Windstorm (-5 RNG) on it. Then what happens is: If the gun is RNG 7, Windstorm will reduce it to 2". Thus it won't affect any Gunfighter attacks. If the gun is RNG 6, Windstorm will reduce it to 1". Thus you can only make Gunfighter attacks vs models within 1" (if you can - charging Gunfighters may be more limited). If the gun is RNG 5, Windstorm will reduce it to 0". Thus you can't make any attacks as per 'Weapon Statistics' (page 19 of the core rulebook). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Pathfinder      (Edit) Pathfinder (Edit) - Pathfinder does not apply to involuntary movement (pushes & slams). (Infernal Ruling)

Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Burrow      (Edit) You cannot run on the turn you Unburrow, because you can't forfeit your Combat Action twice. While you're not on the table, you cannot be targeted by anything. (Infernal Ruling) Furthermore, even if the burrow marker is caught in a "models currently within ..." effect (such as Deneghra1's feat) the burrowed models are not within that area, so won't be affected. Burrow marker The burrow marker is not a model. It cannot be attacked, and it does not block movement. Models can even stand on it. The burrow marker is the same diameter as a small-based model.

Rules Clarification : Dig In and/or Foxhole Buddy     (Edit) Unlike nearly every ability in the game, Dig In doesn't have a "expires after one turn/round" clause. Thus you could spend your action on turn 1 to Dig In and (assuming you don't move or get engaged) stay Dug In on turn 2 and use your action to make ranged attacks. Being pushed counts as moving. (Locked thread) If a model with Dig In is added to play or returned to play, it does not count as "starting the game". It can't be put into play already Dug In. (Infernal Ruling) You can use Dig In while you're in someone's back arc. You are engaging, but not engaged.