Apocalypse Dragon

> *Ny'alka reared high and scanned the battlefield, until he spotted the blade held by the weakskin. The summoner felt the distant sword's humming against the shields around his mind, and he realized before his beasts could enter the battle at full strength, he would have to enter himself.*
>
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Ny’alka, the Apocalypse Dragon, reborn after several millennia, is again unleashed upon the Land.

## History

In the Age of Mists, the Apocalypse Dragon birthed thousands of twisted Mage Spawn and led them on a rampage that laid waste to the entire Land. The Dragon was finally defeated by mighty heroes in an epic battle that shook the world, and the egg that survived has been guarded by the Draconum for centuries— lest it be hatched. Yet now the Shyft have captured the egg, and the Apocalypse Dragon has been reborn! As its rampage begins anew, the heroes and warlords of the Land must once again face the Dragon on the battlefield.

## In tabletop

This figure was released in a very limited number and could only be obtained by attending one of the major conventions. It’s great for team fights and a nice piece of art in itself, a must have for any serious Mage Knight player. This figure is huge with 5 unique heads, and stands over a foot tall with a wing span of nearly 18 inches. The Apocalypse Dragon comes with 3 settings:

* Angry: 600 point value with 1 action per turn. Active sections - front. Skulls showing to eliminate - 3.
* Furious: 900 point value with 3 actions per turn. Active sections - front, left, right. Skulls showing to eliminate - 6.
* Rampaging: 1200 point value with 4 actions per turn. Active sections - front, left, right, rear. Skulls showing to eliminate - 9.

With the exception of these rules, the Apocalypse Dragon is subject to all multiple dial warrior rules.

### The Dials

The Apocalypse Dragon has four sections, each with its own combat dial, allowing it to be confronted at three different levels of power. The front and rear dials each have 20 clicks, and each side (right and left) dial has 12 clicks. The number of combat dials the player of the Apocalypse Dragon chooses to use determines its point value and power level in the game. Dials being used in a game are active dials. If a section’s dial is not being used in a game, click it until the name of the power level being played appears in the stat slot; this is an unused dial. If an active dial is ever turned such that three skull symbols show, that dial is inactive. An inactive dial may not be given actions. When the required number of skulls are showing on inactive dials, the Dragon is eliminated.

### Opposing the Dragon

Battles involving the Apocalypse Dragon may be a single army versus the Dragon or multiple small armies working together to win. The cumulative point value of all armies opposing the Dragon cannot exceed the point value of the Dragon used in that game. It is suggested that the available points be distributed to players in multiples of 100.

In the base scenario, warriors of all the Land’s factions recognize the need to defeat the Apocalypse Dragon. In this scenario, though only the warriors within a single army are friendly to one another, only the Dragon is considered an opposing warrior.

In this scenario, a single player may control the Dragon using these rules. Alternatively, all players may bring opposing armies to face the Dragon; in these situations, control of the Dragon in its first turn goes to the player who brings the army with the lowest total point value. Control of the Dragon passes to the left at the beginning of each of the Dragon’s turns.

To set the scenario, click each of the Dragon’s active dials until the starting symbol appears in their stat slots. Place no objectives on the battlefield. The player who will control the Dragon on its first turn places it so that its center dot is at the center of the battlefield. One less piece of terrain is placed on the battlefield for each of the Dragon’s active dials.

Once the scenario begins, it continues until all opposing warriors are eliminated OR the Dragon is eliminated OR the time limit (if any) for the battle is reached. If all opposing warriors are eliminated, the player controlling the Dragon wins the scenario. If an opposing warrior eliminates the Dragon, the player controlling that warrior wins the scenario. If a time limit is reached, subtract 300 points from the Dragon’s point value for each dial that began the game active but that is inactive when the time limit is reached; whichever side has the most points’ worth of units on the battlefield—Dragon, not including any Brood spawned by the Beastmother special ability, or opposing players—wins.

### Special Rules

* When the Dragon is given an action, the action is assigned to an active section and an action token is placed on that section. Resolve the action using that dial’s combat values and special abilities, if applicable.
* The Dragon does not take pushing damage when one of its active sections is pushed.
* If a section isn’t given an action token on one of the Dragon’s turns, all tokens are removed from that section at the end of that turn.
* At the beginning of its controller’s command phase, before being given any other actions, the Dragon may be given a free action to move a maximum distance equal to the total of the speed values of all active sections. If the Dragon is given this free action on a turn, it may not be given move actions for the rest of that turn.
* The Dragon does not use a movement template when moving.
* The Dragon ignores terrain for movement purposes. Its base may not overlap terrain when placed on the battlefield.
* An active section with the wand attack type may use the counter spell proficiency even if it has an action token on it.
* The Dragon breaks away without a die roll.
* When an opposing warrior is in base contact with an active section of the Dragon, that section may make ranged combat attacks.
* When an opposing warrior deals damage to the Dragon, the Dragon may make an immediate close or ranged combat attack against that warrior.
* The Dragon is in base contact with soaring warriors whose flight stands are in base contact with it.
* The Dragon ignores the height advantage modifier when it attacks.
* If a warrior is given an action targeting an inactive section of the Dragon, the warrior gets –3 to its attack value for that action.
* If an opposing player gains control of the Dragon, the duration of that control ends after the Dragon resolves one action given to it by that player.
* Any ability or game effect that cancels or ignores any of the Dragon’s special abilities end at the beginning of the Dragon’s end phase.
* When an opposing warrior succeeds at an attack using either Crushing Blow or Pierce against the Dragon, roll one six-sided die. On a result of 1–4, the Dragon’s defense special abilities are not ignored.
* The Dragon is not eliminated unless the required number of skulls show in the stat slots of active sections.
* When played as part of an army outside of the base scenario, the Dragon’s point value is added to the build total of the army, but the Dragon contributes only the number of actions indicated for the Dragon’s power level to the army’s action total.

### Powers of the Apocalypse

The Apocalypse Dragon has access to multiple special powers based on its power level:

* Angry: Beastmother, Control.
* Furious: Beastmother, Control, Famine, Pestilence, War.
* Rampaging: Beastmother, Control, Death, Famine, Pestilence, Smash, War.

To use an available power, give an action to an active section that does not already have two action tokens on it. Unless specified otherwise, that section is the source of the action, and its arc is the arc for the power. Each power may be used only once per turn.

**BEASTMOTHER:** Roll one six-sided die and subtract 2 from the result, minimum result 1. Bring a number of Mage Spawn warriors (each with a point value of 40 or less) equal to the result into play within 3″ of the outer edge of the section; these Mage Spawn are called Brood. When Brood are in play, after the Dragon has completed its actions for a turn, the Dragon’s controller receives five actions that may be given to Brood that turn; any actions not given to Brood during that turn are lost.

**CONTROL:** Target a single opposing warrior with a ranged combat attack. If the attack succeeds, deal no damage. Instead, the target is controlled by the Dragon. Each time a controlled target is given an action, roll two six-sided dice. On a result of 2–7, the Dragon loses control of the target after the action resolves. The maximum number of targets that can be affected by this power is equal to the number of the Dragon’s active dials.

**FAMINE:** Roll one six-sided die. Target a number of figures equal to the result within range of the section. Deal each target pushing damage equal to the number of action tokens on that target, and then remove all action tokens from the targets.

**DEATH:** (optional) If the Dragon or any Brood deals damage to an opposing target figure that would eliminate that target, instead gain control of the target, turn it to its starting click, and give it a close or ranged combat action targeting a single opposing figure. After the action resolves, remove the target from the game. The section given the action to use this special ability does not receive an action token.

**PESTILENCE:** Make a close combat attack against all opposing figures within 8″ of the section. For each figure hit by the attack, heal an active section of 1 damage.

**SMASH:** Each figure wielding an item or relic within 8″ of the Dragon must roll a six-sided die and add its attack bonus (if any) to the result; roll separately for each item or relic carried by a figure. If a figure’s result is 6 or less, it drops that item or relic.

**WAR:** Target an opposing figure with zero action tokens within range of the section. Gain control of the target and give it a close combat action targeting a single opposing figure. Do not give the target an action token for the action or deal it pushing damage.

## Gallery

Apocalypse Dragon concept art.Apocalypse Dragon advertisement from the Omens expansion rulebook.Miniature.
1. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-2.0-Card-Set-Relics.pdf
2. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-2.0-Omens-Rules-2005.pdf
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Apocalypse-Dragon-Rules-2005.pdf

***Apocalypse***