Quatl - W'adrhŭn Guide (english)

Para Bellum has created a truly gigantic model here, one that requires its own transportation solution. It’s simply too long/wide to fit into an A-Case.

Cost:

At 170 points for a Medium Monster with Fly, the Quatl Riders offer incredible value. Their mobility and versatility make them a top choice in many army lists.

Strengths:

• Cleave 1: In close combat, the Quatl can reduce the opponent’s armor by 1 with a Clash attack.
• Bird of Prey: Once per round, the Quatl can, when flying over an enemy regiment of size 1 with a Move action, cause 5 hits that count as flank attacks. Important: This does not apply to a Charge.
• Death from Above: Upon successful charges into a flank or rear attack, the Quatl gains Brutal Impact 2.
  • Brutal Impact (2): Against Impact attacks, the opponent's defense is reduced by 2.
• Fly: With a Move or Charge action, the Quatl can move over regiments and impassable terrain. This means it can also move over regiments that are in melee combat.
• Mounted Hunters: The regiment can perform a free Volley action during its activation. However, note the action limit of 3, and that this cannot be used in close combat.
• Armor Piercing 1: In ranged combat, the Quatl can reduce the opponent’s armor by 1 with a Volley attack.
• Fluid Formation: At the start or end of the activation, the regiment can perform a free reform action. For a monster, this only minimally increases the charge range, but the free pivot allows for a better position to charge any target. It also frequently comes into play when shooting from any side or the rear.
• Super Mobile: Movement 9, Fluid Formation, Fly, and the narrow monster base make the Quatl and the Winglord Predator among the most mobile regiments in the game.
• Medium: As a medium-sized regiment, the Quatl can score points.
• Chants: Generates a Chant Marker, supporting the W'adrhŭn mechanics and providing access to many useful abilities.
• Battlefield Role - The Speakers: There are some small synergies with the Thunder Chieftain Warlord and the Winglord Predator, though they are more of a "nice-to-have" than crucial.

Weaknesses:

• Few melee attacks: With 9 attacks, 6 impacts, and Barrage 5, the Quatl can deliver up to 21 attacks per round. While this is quite impressive, once it gets stuck in melee, it’s only 9 attacks that hit on a 3 with Inspire. This often isn’t enough to survive on its own.
• Moderate defense: With Defense 3, Evasion 2, Resolve 3, and 15 health, the Quatl is surprisingly stable. This isn’t exceptionally good or bad, but more than expected. However, it is vulnerable to concentrated attacks and ranged fire. Death 2 rerolls can help here and surprisingly end up being my most common Chant with the Quatl.
• Irregular: The regiment does not affect reinforcement lines and cannot be accompanied by characters without this rule. However, this is irrelevant, as no characters can join the regiment anyway.
• Max 3 actions: The core rules allow only three actions per round. This means that a combination of Mounted Hunters, Fluid Formation, and the two regular actions is only possible to a limited extent.

General Tactics:

The Quatl is actually a hard-to-place unit, often acting more supportively than dominantly in many situations. In my first test games, I often combined it with a Thunder Chieftain Warlord, allowing it to benefit massively from Shock. This strategy worked well until my opponents figured out that they could simply tie up the Quatl with a Move Charge. Once locked in combat, it loses much of its effectiveness and becomes an easy target since it can’t break free from melee on its own.

Since then, I’ve focused more on the Winglord Predator, while the Quatl takes on a more supportive role. But that doesn’t make the Quatl bad; you just need to be careful not to waste its potential. With a double Move range of 18 inches, it can reach almost any key area from Reinforcements. It often ends up making a double move in one turn, followed by/before/alongside a Shot action. Sometimes I mix up the sequence with Aim, Shot, Move, depending on the situation. I specifically look for close combat against enemy ranged units. In those fights, it can cause massive damage and has a high chance of winning. In other situations, it stays on the defensive, only engaging in close combat later on alongside allied regiments. It often uses a Move Charge to enter the flank, breaking the opponent's last resistance or securing a final zone for me.

With Chants, this is made much easier. Even though many people are skeptical of the new system, it’s quite helpful. With each Cult Chant that isn't Conquest, the Quatl counts as an additional stand for zone control. This allows the Quatl to bring 3 to 4 stands over a distance of 18 + 1D6 inches into a zone and claim it effectively. Imagine one of the seagulls from Finding Nemo shouting "mine." It might sound trivial, but it’s made all the difference in my games. The opponent must plan their positioning carefully to prevent the zone takeover, as securing zones is key to winning points and ultimately the game. Killing the Quatl in a single round is also not easy for many regiments.