Werebear

A Mage Spawn with the ability to shapeshift from bear to human guise. Shapeshifters are only capable of transforming when injured or very, very angry. They are generally loners that don’t associate with outsiders, or even others of their kind. Werebears are able to live in human society for short periods of time, trading animals pelts for other goods. However, it is usually only a matter of time before their true nature is revealed.

The Werebears are nine-foot slabs of shaggy muscle. They use their snout to find enemies, depending more on smell than on their weak eyes. Its forepaws in fists are larger than a man’s head. Their fingers have claws several inches long. Werebears are a menace throughout the Land, but in the steppes of the Fist, the Orc homelands, the Werebear's predatory nature has led to the extermination of more than one of the smaller Orc tribes. The only kind of Orc that can hold up against this transforming threat is the Crusher, large in size and armored with everything the Orcs can provide.

A lot of superstitions surround the shape-shifting Mage Spawn. The monsters which can appear human one moment, and a savage animal the next. Some say that to survive an attack by one of these creatures is to then be cursed to become as them. Other talk about the cycle of the moon, or the 'mark of the damned'. But these creatures are independent of any rituals or legendary curses, bearing their young as human and defending their territory as do their animal natures. Survivors of an attack often become diseased and in their insanity might leave for the wilderness, but they have never to anyone's knowledge actually become a shapeshifter. Those who have good perception can spot the bearers of the werewound, though not discern their true identity, merely knowing that they're a wildcard, a dangerous person.

## In tabletop

Never be a bear­baiter, or bear bait you will be. Able to safely assault ranged opponents, this Mage Spawn can take an incredible amount of damage and gets better as it does so! Ferocious even before the appearance of the Shyft, the Werebear becomes truly devasting in a formation. The Werebear is the rare piece that can be used against anything your opponent puts on the table.

A Werebear must be damaged to get it past its poor initial ranks. But many opponents will choose not to attack the Werebear, since they are aware of the amazing stats it possesses in the middle of its combat dial. You must often push your own Werebear out of the beginning ranks to make it an effective warrior. Once beyond its third rank, all Werebears gain Toughness and Battle Fury as well as an excellent attack, defense and damage values to make them top-notch close-combat warriors. Send them into close combat and watch them maul the enemy. They don't need any support, but a figure with Necromancy will bring back a Werebear 1 to 6 clicks into its combat dial - right in the midst of a Werebear's best stats!

## Gallery

Miniature from the Rebellion expansion.Miniature from the Unlimited expansion.Miniature from the back of a pack with a metallic, Painter's Edition one.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Lore-Expansion-Rebellion.pdf
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mage Knight Rebellion Trading Card Game
3. ↑ Rebel Thunder (Bill McCay), Chapter 1
4. ↑ Mage Knight Stolen Destiny #4