Warmachine keeps dropping army tech, and this pair of previews feels practical.
Cryx gets a nasty survivability upgrade for its shambling swarms. Meanwhile, Cygnar Gravediggers receive real list-building advice for Bandit. So, both articles matter if you enjoy squeezing value from support pieces. This is a summary of community posts found here.
Cryx Mechanithralls Get A Durable Swarm Warmachine Bodyguard
Cryx’s Necrofactorium update introduces the Mechanithrall Swarm Warden, a command attachment built to keep the corpse-machine tide rolling. The article frames this as a direct response to enemies targeting Mechanithrall Swarms before Cryx can rebuild them through reconstitution. That feels right on the table, because every undead horde player knows watching key bodies vanish before recursion matters. The Warden’s big defensive trick is upgraded Corpulent Flesh, which resists AOE attacks.
More importantly, because it counts as a Mechanithrall Swarm model, it benefits from the Skarlock Lieutenant’s Leadership and gains Shield Guard. That creates a neat package: when an AOE ranged attack threatens a Mechanithrall Swarm or another Necrofactorium thrall, the Warden can absorb it. Ancient Shroud then makes it harder to remove, since it takes at least three attacks before Tough even matters.
Also, Necrosurgeon Initiates can heal damaged Wardens with Necrosurgery if the enemy fails to finish the job. Offensively, the Warden stays close to normal Mechanithralls, which is fine because those already hit hard.
However, Death Toll is the payoff. When a Warden kills a living enemy, it can return destroyed Mechanithralls to its own unit or another nearby unit. Therefore, it does not just protect the swarm. It helps the whole creepy machine reassemble itself mid-fight.
Bandit Gives Warmachine Gravediggers A New Super Heavy Puzzle
The Bandit article is less about one rule reveal and more about how to use this character super heavy. Steamforged offers two studio lists, and both show Bandit as a force multiplier. First, Major Grant Vargus turns Bandit into an armored headache.
Under Standing Tall, Bandit jumps from ARM 20 to ARM 23, and its 36 boxes make that a serious brick. However, the nastier trick comes when Bandit calls in a marshalled Blocker through Heavy Airdrop. If they stand base to base, Bandit reaches ARM 25, which is absurdly hard to crack. Since the 75-point list lacks Heavy Airdrops, Bandit uses FRAGO to convert Light Airdrops instead.
Vargus also supports the plan with Hand of Destruction, Rhythm of War, and Rock Wall. Meanwhile, Colonel Allison Jakes uses Bandit differently.
Her Synergy game wants many warjacks making melee attacks, because each successful activation improves later warjacks. Thanks to Bandit’s Vanguard Command Cortex, its marshalled warjacks contribute to and benefit from Synergy too.
By turn four, the list can potentially grow from five warjacks to nine through airdrops. Then Bandit can bring in a marshalled Raider, handing out Flank with Bandit and adding extra damage dice. Overall, Bandit looks like a centerpiece that rewards careful sequencing.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Together, these previews show Steamforged adding depth without pointless complexity. Cryx gets a durability and recursion tool that supports its core identity. Meanwhile, Gravediggers get a super heavy that changes list tempo, armor math, and activation order. If you like armies that win through layered support, both updates deserve attention.
