Build-a-Yhetee: Rules & Stats Overhaul

THE FANBOY YHETEE WISH-LIST
I’m new to the OS, and just got back into Warhammer after years away (but you never truly forget). Was an OK player then, and the new edition & army book was a lovely read. Anyway, not iportnant: the point is YHETEES.

Ever since the since I saw the illustration in the first Ogre Kingdoms book, I have wanted to field the furry beauties.  But they weren’t very good in the last book. Yet, somehow, they got worse! Opreation Yhetee was a nice read but most of the positive feedback was along the lines of ‘better than expected’.

This is basically an I WANT song for Yhetees. So if you have the patience to humour me, here is a lengthy wishlist/overhaul for Yhetees and an addition of a Yhetee character with a brand new lore. Wanted to see what you guys think of it, whether there’s enough good stuff to try out in personal games.

Yhetees: What are they? What should they be?
I think Yhetees SHOULD be a glass cannon. At the moment though, they’re more like a marzipan cannon. I’ve heard it said that they should be a core unit, mainly because they aren’t especially good. I like the idea of Yhetees as special, but think they should offer Oks something, y’know, SPECIAL.

They are no longer replacement cavalry. The utility of ME means we have better scouts. And Sabretusks & Gnoblars offer the full spectrum of premium chaff.. So, again what are they for?

I feel Yhetees should be a quick, manoeuvrable sorta light cav alternative to the heavy Mournfangs. They should excel at hit and run, and be well suited to a new lore of magic which concentrates on debuff. I’ve decided to propose a new version of the Yhetees, as well as a Yhetee magic Character! I hope you guys like the read.

The idea of Yetis not as lumbering apes but as fast pack hunters always struck me as an original use of the archetype, so this is what I’ll be running with.

Note: I never read the Kislev book, so I don’t know about the 6th Edition ice magic. Doesn’t matter. What I’m proposing is Yhetee specific.
Lets get to it:

Yhetees
M   WS   BS   S   T   W   I    A   Ld   Points
7    4      0    4    4    3   5    3   7      58

TROOP TYPE: Monstrous Infantry

SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Strider, Swiftstride, Flammable

Aura of Frost: The Yhetees exude a magical aura of cold which stiffens the joints and freezes the blood of their foes, Enemies models in base contact with Yhetees suffer a -1 penalty to hit regardless of who they attack. Note that characters may still join Yhetee units.

Large Skirmishers: A Yhetee pack is loose and mobile. Yhetees follows the rules for Skirmishing units, except that enemies shooting at Yhetees do not have the -1 penalty to hit light troops.

Natural Armour (6+): Yhetees are covered in thick fur which protects them from the harshness cold, and, as any ogre would tell you, would make for some swanky foot-wraps. It confers a 6+ Armour Save.

Yhetee Pounce: Though lacking the girth of their ogre cousins, the ferocity of a Yhetee pack pouncing is no trifling matter. If Yhetees charge, their stomp attacks are worked out before any other attacks, as if they were impact hits. Otherwise, charged Yhetees make their stomps at the same time as their normal attacks. In this way, Yhetee stomps are not subject to Always Strikes Last.

NOTES: A hunter amendment: give him the option to be upgraded (20 Points?) to Yhetee-Kin: an ogre who has spent time hunting among them. He gains swiftstride, strider, and still has the option to take Longstrider (lot of strides in that sentence). Gives us a nice character/unit combo, though not as nice as the revealed later Ice Shaman…

My explanations, if you're interested....

THE STATS
Sure, a Yhetee Fanboy like me would prefer a movement of 8 and Ld 8, but I tried to be true to the fluff. Not a massive overhaul, but a few things bear mentioning. First, the WS. If a Sabretusk gets WS4, then the snowmen deserve it. I think it’s fitting as I imagine a flurry of feral blows. Next, possibly the most controversial thing: the strength. I know strength is mathematically more useful than weapon skill, but here’s the thing: do we care? I mean, the OK is hardly stuck for choice when it comes to hard hitters. If you want strength, you’ll just get Ironguts and they’re in core. The fluff portrays Yhetees as quick hunters. Also, the S4 means we can spare a few points on more useful stuff.

Next change: initiative. This is something really in short supply in the ogre army, especially since 8th Ed stopped chargers from striking first. Already, you can see this build being worth including against quick, elite T3 armies like elves, where you’re striking at the same time (or getting your pounces in first). Other than that, not much has changed. Ld still sucks, but that’s just a general OK weakness. Overall, we have a net gain of 1 on the stats. Points wise? They are more specific and situational than the Jack-of-all-trades Maneaters and brittle compared to the Mournfang (which, let’s face it, are under-priced). But they have a few tricks that means they shouldn’t be under-priced. Maths is where I’m least certain, so feel free to suggest a more fitting points cost it you think it can be measured.

SPECIAL RULES
Fear? Check. Swiftstride? Check. Now, the notable stuff. Scale Terrain from last Edition was basically the Yhetee’s calling card, and they don’t even get STRIDER? Amended.

Probably the most controversial thing: Flammable. I’m keeping it.

Yeah.

Because it makes sense. These guys live in sub-zero temperatures, use enchanted ice and are covered thick, luscious locks of hair. You think they fancy themselves going against a fire-breather? At least they don’t fear fire like war beasts, even though they look eligible for that unit type. 8th Edition Yhetees are flammable, and they can’t do squat about it. They just have to cross their fingers nobody brought a fire-banner or flaming attacks, which is unlikely, since fire is also the kryptonite of anything that has regen. But my brand of Yhetees? They get Yhetee shamans. We’ll get to him

Now, I may have gone a bit nuts with the quantity of special rules. The first to go would obviously be skirmishers, but I thought it would be nice to reflect the movement of a feral pack, make them more manoeuvrable and add some variation to the OK list. But should go if it’s getting overcrowded. (Having just proof-read it, I’m fairly certain this should go, but will leave in case I’m way off base).

One of the main complaints about Yhetees is how brittle they are. I actually think we aren’t far off, but I would give them a 6+ save. After all, ogres get it for gut plates. 6+ is low, but it goes with their utility against S3 armies like elves. It’s not scaly skin. Another complaint is the lack of an Ogre charge. It would be nice, but Fluff shouldn’t be sacrificed for a filthy unit (I honestly just learnt that phrase). So, the pounce. I like this because it’s not an extra attack like Ogre Charge, but plays into the fast attack of the Yhetee. It keeps the incentive to charge, since it means you get to stomp before the enemy. What do you guys think?

 Lastly, the Aura. Not much to say about this. The previous book got it right, the new version stumbled. A -1 WS is NOT the same as -1 to hit. If Nurgle gets it, why not the Yhetees? Adds a little staying power to our furry glass cannons. I also suggested the hunter shoud be upgraded to Yhetee-kin. Of all the heroes, a Hunter/Yhetee combo makes most sense (though not as funny as a Firebelly combo). But you plonk a Hunter in, you lose swiftstride (right? I am 80% certain this is how the rule works). However, the Yhetees should have a more appropriate choice. I give you the anti-firebellly, the Yhetee Ice Shaman.

Let’s get to it:

Yhetee Shaman

  M    WS    BS   S    T   W   I    A    Ld   Points
  7     4      0     4    5    4    5    4    7   160

TROOP TYPE: Monstrous Infantry

MAGIC: Yhetee Shamans are Level 1 Wizards with access to the Lore of Ice. They can be upgraded to Level 2 for 35 Points.

SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Strider, Swiftstride, Flammable, Aura of Frost, Large Skirmishers, Natural Armour, Yhetee Pounce

Veteran Hide (5+): Older Yhetees have weathered much adversity and their hide has hardened accordingly. Veteran hide confers a 5+ Armour Save.

NOTES:

Stats
Not much to say, I’ve followed the usual rules for Hero-level casters: +1 T, +1 W, and +1 A. The points cost was tricky, but it went down after I decided against a Thundertusk-style breath weapon. I know people like him, so don’t want to steal his THUNDER ⌐■-■-(⌐■_■). I decided on the butcher scale: about 3x the base unit cost. 160p it is.

All the special rules are the same, though considered a ward save against something? Butchers are immune to poison and Firebellies have the fire ward going but I am not sure. Maybe it’s best to keep it clean; the Yhetees are already running a bazillion special rules!

Upgrades: heavy armour analogue was a must, but I don’t like the idea of a Yhetee running around with magic items. Maybe only if it’s from the Ogre book?

Now for the fun/hard part: Making a whole new lore. This was ambitions, especially for a lapsed war gamer with no grasp of maths. I am tentatively ready to claim none of the spells are innately broken, though could obviously do with some polishing and playtesting. Oh, and the casting value is a total shot in the dark, even more than the points thing. If there was a similar spell to refer to, I’d use that as a guideline, but I wanted uniqueness. With all that said, I present the lore of cold/ice (name not decided), with notes afterwards.

Yhetee Ice Magic
Extinguishing Chill (Lore Attribute)

In the wake of an ice spell the air turns bitterly cold and snuffs out even the most raging fire. Spell casters can hardly muster a spark and even guns become unreliable.

Enemy models subject to effect of an ice spell have a -2 penalty to cast spells from the Lore of Fire, all Flaming Attacks except for breath weapons are rendered normal attacks and models have a -1 penalty to hit when shooting Black Powder Weaponry (War Machines are unaffected). This effect lasts until the start of the caster’s next magic phase.

Icy Sheen (Signature Spell)                                                                                      Cast on 4+

The Yhetee exhales his freezing breath and coats the weapons of his comrades with ice that is keener than steel.

Remains in play. Sheen of Ice is an augment spell with a range of 12“. The target’s close combat weapons are counted as Magical and have +1 Armour Piercing. Enchanted weapons and ranged weapons are unaffected. If the target is hit by flaming attacks or a spell from the Lore of Fire, Icy Sheen is automatically dispelled.

The caster can choose to target all friendly units within 12“. If he does so, the casting value is increased to 10+.

1. Numbing Chill                                                                                                 Cast on 6+

The Shaman belches a cloud of frost that freezes stiff the limbs of his foes, making movement a burden.

Numbing Chill is a Hex spell with the range of 12”. Until the start of the caster’s next magic phase, the target has the Always Strikes Last special rule. Yhetees and Thundertusks are unaffected. The caster can choose to extend the range to 24”. If he does so, the casting value is increased to 11+.   

2. Frozen Earth                                                                                             Cast on 7+

The wizard channels the power of winter to cover a portion of the earth with a precarious layer of ice. Many a warrior has underestimated the effect one slip can have on their delicate spines…

Sheen of Ice is a Vortex. Place a small round template anywhere within 18” of the caster. Until the start of the caster’s next magic phase, all models (friend or foe) starting under the template or that move over it must take a dangerous terrain test. Yhetees and Thundertusks treat this as normal terrain.

The caster can choose to use a large round template instead of the small round template. If he does so, the casting value is increased to 11+.

3. Ice Wall                                                                                          Cast on 7+

Extending his hands toward a friendly unit, the Shaman causes thick columns of ice spring from the ground and shelter his comrades.

Ice Wall is an augment spell with a range of 18”. If the target moves or reforms Ice Wall is automatically dispelled.

Until the start of the Caster’s next magic phase, the target is subject to the rules of Hard Cover. Enemies that charge the unit after the spell has been cast lose charge bonus in combat resolution. Additionally, the target has a 3+ ward save against any impact hits resulting from the charge. After rolling for impact hits, Ice Wall is automatically dispelled.

The Caster may choose to extend the range of the spell to 36”. If he does so, the casting value increases to 15+.

4. Frosty Malfunction                                                                                         Cast on 11+

Sending a cloud of chill toward an enemy war machine, the shaman stiffens mechanisms and freezes bolts in place. It renders the machine temporarily useless, though the cold also prevents it from exploding.

Freeze Mechanism is hex spell with the range of 18” and may only be cast on war machines (including war machines mounted on chariots). If the opponent wishes to shoot the target war machine in his next shooting phase, he rolls a dice. On a 4+, he may attempt to shoot as normal. On a roll of 3 or under, the war machine automatically misfires. In either situation, the target has +1 to rolling on the misfire chart this turn. War machines which cannot misfire are unaffected by the spell.

The Caster may choose to extend the range of the spell to 36”. If he does so, the casting value increases to 18+.

5. Shatter Steel                                                                                            Cast on 13+

Concentrating his arcane might, the shaman hurls a bolt at his foes. It explodes with the force of pure winter, causing armour to crack and shatter from the cold and leaves that horde of Black Orcs semi-naked and a little embarrassed.

Shatter Steel is hex spell. Place a large round template anywhere within 12” of the caster. All models under the template (including characters) must take Armour Saves. Models which fail the save permanently lose any type of heavy armour, light armour, barding or shield they were equipped with. Shatter Steel cannot be parried. This is marked as one would mark wounds, and models that have lost their armour always killed in combat and shooting before the unaffected members of the unit, though character and command models are still subject to the normal rules of targeting.

Armour saves conferred by Scaly Skin, Tough Hide or other pseudo-armour special rules are unaffected. A model which has both a worn armour save and additional protection conferred by scaly skin may still lose the armour, so saves made against Shatter Armour discount a Scaly Skin bonus. Models cannot make a Ward Save unless their Ward Save is conferred by enchanted armour, in which case they may make their Ward Save if the Armour Save is failed.

The Caster may choose to extend the range of the spell to 24”. If he does so, the casting value increases to 17+.

6. Whirling Blizzard                                                                                   Cast on 14+

The Yhetee Shaman summons a maelstrom of wind and snow and encases an enemy unit, utterly disorientating them and buffeting them off course.

[/i]Whirling Blizzard is a hex with a range of 18”. Until the start of the caster’s next magic phase, the target is blinded by the blizzard and cannot have any line of sight. The Unit cannot benefit from the General’s Inspiring Presence or the benefits of a Battle Standard, unless these are already within the unit. If the General and/or Battle Standard are within the target unit, other units cannot benefit from the presence.It is subject to the rules of Hard Cover. If the target is engaged in close combat, it loses its rank bonus and cannot be steadfast.

Additionally, the unit is subject to a compulsory movement at its next movement phase. The unit moves at Half Movement Speed +D3 in a direction decided by a roll of a scatter dice (if a Hit is rolled, you decide the direction). If it moves off the board, it is removed as a casualty. If it moves through a friendly unit, Whirling Blizzard is automatically dispelled but the moved-through unit must take a panic test, though the effects of the General’s Inspiring Presence and Battle Standard are as normal. If the unit moves into contact with impassable terrain, it halts and takes a dangerous terrain test. If the unit is charged, it is subject to the Always Strikes Last Special Rule. War machines are not affected.

The caster can upgrade the spell’s accuracy and choose the direction of the target’s Halved M” +D3 movement rather than use the scatter dice. If he chooses to do so, the casting value is increased to 19+.


NOTES
Yhetee ice magic could be a nice counterpoint to Gut Magic as the Maw Lore is primarily geared for buffs, while this Ice Magic is focused on De-buffs. It’s relatively short ranged, but I thought this would be important for balancing. It suits my role for Yhetees as flankers, war machine hunters and general fast cav support.

Extinguishing Chill (Lore Attibute)

The Lore Attribute is supposed to represent the way Fire and Ice are oppositional forces, but that neither is dominant. Ice can be used to limit the use of fire and black powder, but it also automatically dispels Ice Magic buffs. So while fire is presented as the lore’s weakness, there are many opportunities for pre-emptive action. I felt that I’d make breath weapons the exception, since they are rare a pricey. This is what makes it fair to have flammable Yhetees: their heroes can snuff fire out!

Icy Sheen (Sig Spell)

The signature spell is not necessarily my favourite, but I felt it was important for continuity, since it’s basically a modified version of the Yhetees’ ice weapons rules. At the moment they are basically the only good thing about them, but, having remedies the unit’s stats, I feel this shouldn’t be base equipment but a signature augment. It also means Yhetees can give your regular bull a bunch of magical attacks! I also added armour piecing to reflect the way freezing aura makes things brittle (see spell 5) and means the buff has more utility, otherwise the signature spell would be way too situational. I kept the whole weakness to flaming attacks because a) it’s realistic b) it’s balanced c) the lore attribute and spells give you ways to combat it.

1) Numbing Chill

This would be the staple of the list, and is great for Ogres. I made the range pretty short, for balance and because I don’t want to make Ice magic a REPLACEMENT for Yhetees, but a compliment. It’s one of the Thundertusk’s things, but why should he get all the fun?  I believe there’s a lore of Slanaesh spell that is somewhat similar?

2) Frozen Earth

Without playtesting, this might be my favourite. It’s less flashy, but has the potential to really mess up the enemy movement for low casting value. You can use it for damage, or just as a threat. And your Yhetees and TT can run through it! Helps engineer those charges, especially having given Yhetees a minor version of impact hits. Anyway, this gives you other stuff to do with Thundertusks, as they can go where the enemy can’t. You may have noticed I’ve included the TT but not the Stonehorn. I feel like the TT is just more of an ‘ice’ creature, like the Yhetee. Plenty of creatures can live in the Mountains of Mourn, but few OWN it like the Yhetees and TT.

3) Ice Wall

This one is pretty simple: hard cover or no impact hits (so good against ogres). Unless you have places to be, good for neutralizing a particularly dangerous unit of archers or chariots. There must be a variation of this somewhere around (other than folding fortress) but can’t recall.

4) Frosty Malfunction

A cheesy name, but an immediately interesting prospect. I agonized as to the range, as for fluff and balancing reasons I felt it should be short (ice should be an aura based lore anyway). Making the range of a Hex 12” just doesn’t seem the done thing, but I think that’s what the unmodified range SHOULD be. Would like to hear thoughts on this. As for the spell itself, I like the tactical implications. It has random elements to it (50/50), but also has a psychological effect on the opponent, since he has a choice to not attempt to fire, which might even be better in the long run. I don’t know much about the Skaven, but I do know they have misfire tables best avoided! As another factor to consider (and one which logical makes sense) is the +1 on the misfire chart. I mean, a freeze spell making a cannon blow up is quite funny, but not fair. Overall, it makes a pack of Yhetees premier war machine hunters (and a handy distraction from you REAL hunters, the sabretusks).

5) Shatter Steel

As far as I see it, the most useful spell in the lore (Bretonia and WoC). Number 5s tend to be like that, less flashy than Number 6 but more usable. I like the scaling of efficacy against how strong the armour actually is, sort of like The Caress of Laniph (Lore of Death) in that way. I struggled a little with implementation. I settled on the large round template because small would be underpowered (and wanted the upgrade to be range). I still not sure whether 2D6/3D6 models affected would be better. Less fiddly, certainly, but then how do you account for heroes? I didn’t want to complicate things with a ‘Look Out, Sir’. Again, I think the principle is good, but could use a little more polish.

6) Swirling Blizzard

Okay, this one was a little wordy (and probably why I put it at number 6 over a more powerful Shatter Steel). It’s not supposed to be the sort of scary Mindrazor/Purple Sun game winner, but an opportunity for some crucial gambit. The key is versatility: it has lots of little bonuses. You can isolate a problem unit from the general & BSB, or the General themselves. You can try and get something off the board, though the random movement makes it more difficult. The Panic test and Dangerous Terrain things are the least impressive effects, but might be situationally useful. While this is not my favourite spell, I can see plenty of uses. To be honest, it also has a rather unimpressive upgrade, but that’s the nature of the spell. Another upgrade would be a further movement (to represent more powerful winds). Would that be more useful than precision? I don’t know.

Those are my finished spells. Thanks for staying with me!

My personal rankings in terms of how much I like them would be

1)   Numbing Chill
2)   Frozen Earth
3)   Shatter Steel
4)   Frosty Malfunction
5)   Swirling Blizzard
6)   Ice Wall

But I do like the lore attribute. It sounds quite fun to play a Yhetee heavy list with two LV2 Shamans against an Empire list with Fire Wizards.

My final upgrade table:
     
Unit Size: 3+

    Equiptment:
•   Hand Weapon
•   Tough Hide (6+ Armour Save)
       
Special Rules:
•   Fear
•   Strider
•   Swiftstride
•   Flammable
•   Aura of Frost
•   Pounce
      
Options:
•   One Yhetee may be upgraded to a Greyback..........................................10 Points
•   One Yhetee may be upgraded to a Musician............................................10 Points
•   The Entire unit may be armed with additional hand weapon...................2 Points per model


  M    WS    BS   S    T   W   I    A    Ld   Points
  7     4      0     4    5    4    5    4    7   160
   
A Yhetee Shaman is a Level 1 Wizard who knows spells from the Lore of Ice

    Equipment:
•   Hand Weapon
•   Tough Hide (6+ Armour Save)
       
Special Rules:
•   Fear
•   Strider
•   Swiftstride
•   Flammable
•   Aura of Frost
•   Large Skirmishers
•   Pounce   
   
Options:
•   May be upgraded to a Level 2 Wizard............................................35 Points
•   May be armed with an additional hand weapon.............................2 Points
•   May upgrade tough hide to veteran hide........................................4 Points
•   May take Magic Items from the Ogre Book to a total......................50 Points


So, that’s it!

Phew, a bit wordy I suppose. Wonder if anyone read it.

Anyway, that’s my earnest attempt to make Yhetees not only playable, but an integral part of the Ogre army. What does the Ogre Stronghold think?

Smug, on behalf of all the other members of the Stronghold welcome!

As the first person to reply to this thread, I have to say how impressed I am with your first post; you certainly have raised the bar for any other new-comers!

I found it a great read, on par with two other members posts (Jimmy and McSheehy). Sending you Gnoblar your way....

Badmarsh

Thanks for the Gnoblar, Badmarsh! It's also nice that the first comment wasn't "this is broken as hell". Will play-test when I have the time and see if concept worked.

Looks great, i assume you must have read my thread where i say Yhetees should be Core anyway i havea few questions?

Why did you drop Skirmisher?

I love the Yhetee Shaman idea, i have suggested a Yhetee character for ages. I do believe however it should probably be a special character (That makes Yhetees core?). There was a Lore of Ice is the Kislev army supplement from years ago, maybe something to look at

Minigiant: Yeah, it must have been you. I remember reading it somewhere on the OS, sorry not to credit ya!

I dropped Skirmisher for a few reasons. First, I wanted to stay as true to previous incarnations as possible. Second and more important, I felt like I was giving them too many special rules. Even if we discount the Tough Hide (basically just L armour) and flammable (since that's definitely a disadvantage) we still have 6 nice special rules. Feel free to correct me as I am no expert, are there many units in special that have 8 special rules? It just felt like they were getting too many toys.

Plus, the a massive positive conferred by being a skirmisher is the -1 to hit, and Yhetees, being monstrous infantry, shouldn't be eligible. i briefly considered giving them a thing along the lines of "they get their -1 if they march", to reflect that their speed makes them hard to hit, but that felt needlessly complex. Basically, skirmishers was to make it more elegant. And you can't really drop fear, aura or strider without distancing them from the fluff. Dropping ice weapons was actually what gave me the idea to make it a sig spell, and then the new new lore.

Yeah, a Yhetee character would be great. I agree the Yhetees should have a special character that makes them core (helps with themed armies). I think we should have that AND a standard LV 1/2. I think that's always the best course, as some people (me) prefer to customize a unnamed hero rather than use a named one

Another thing this would mean is we get three different Yhetee units. That makes them a large part of the army ecology. While I don't think OK should have the balance of species like in Orcs and Goblins, I like the idea of making OK a faction like the Wood Elves: an alliance of species (though with a clear dominant one) that inhabits the same place. So the Yhetees I guess are the equivalents of the tree-people. You want to do the same for Gnoblars too.

Yeah, I have heard Kislev had the Lore of Ice. I'm guessing that's no longer in date. Is there somewhere you can find that?

An opening thread this good deserves more than a single gnoblar.