Oni Clans - Faction Focus

Welcome back, adventurers, to the Chronicles of Tactica. Today, we will not be doing an individual deep dive, but instead taking a look at the Oni faction as a whole and highlighting their playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses. Let’s dig in.

Faction Identity

Oni Clans are one of the more unique factions in our repertoire. They are the epitome of the elite army, with access to the most expensive units in the game. This means they will often field fewer models than their opponents. This is offset by many of their more expensive models having 3 STA, closing the Activation gap that could result from having fewer models than the enemy.

Besides the Activation advantage, all Oni models are also extremely tough, sporting large amounts of HP and sometimes even ways to regain it.

The Oni Clans are also a very proactive faction, favouring their Active turn over the Reactive one. Their 3 STA also plays into this, as it allows a single model to go further and press its advantage even more. That does not mean they lack reactive power, but it is mostly focused on certain models.

Lastly, as a monster faction, Oni Clans have more restricted access to Upgrades and no access to Mercenaries (Neutral models). This makes their list building more limited and forces players to make concessions when creating their lists. However, this is offset by having some of the most terrifying models you can field in the game.

Leader Options

Oni Clans have three models with Stratagems that represent the best Leader options.

We have the main lady herself, Chyiohime. She is the most expensive model in the game, coming in at 45 points, which is more than half of your list. But she is a one-woman army, boasting an extremely powerful selection of Necromancy Spells, potent Stratagems, and the ability to make many, many new friends (including the big boy Riftspawn itself) through her summoning capabilities. Should you bring her, she will absolutely become the central point of your strategy.

Next, we have the Red Rasetsu. She is the beatstick option, bringing one of the strongest aggressive Active-turn-oriented profiles in the game, pairing mobility with extremely high offensive output. Her Stratagems support her frontline role and help the rest of the team keep up with her and dish out damage as effectively as she can.

Last but not least, we have the Blue Rasetsu. He is one of the more Reactive options for the Oni Clans. He excels at controlling the space around him, surprising his enemies, and keeping his allies in the fight for longer.

Chyiohime and Blue Rasetsu also unlock the ability to hire Undead models into your list, easing your list-building options a little further.

The Rest of the Clan

Oni Clans have four other models available to round out the list.

First, we have the abominable monster that is the Oni Pariah. Another extremely aggressive option, he is nearly unkillable, fast, and capable of dishing out absurd amounts of damage. However, he again comes with a hefty price tag of 40 points.

Then we have the two Yakshas, both providing their own flavour of mobility and excellent damage output. They each have 3 STA, making them the cheapest models in the game to sport that amazing stat. Both favour the Active turn, where they can really abuse their mobility tools to catch enemies off guard.

And then there is the fearsome Oni Marauder. Alongside the rest of the Oni lineup, the model looks more affordable, yet at 25 points it is still more expensive than most other models in the game. For those 25 points, you get a powerful model that is tough and capable of delivering solid damage output during its active turn.

Strengths of Oni Clans

With power concentrated even more heavily in individual models, it becomes easier for the player to bring that power to bear against the enemy’s weakest point. Playing with 3 STA models can also catch opponents off guard, as duels will often swing your way since you will almost always out-Activate an opponent’s individual models.

This gives Oni Clans a great deal of power during the Active turn, allowing them to choose where to engage and how to pressure their opponents.

Weaknesses of Oni Clans

However, this higher concentration of power also means that controlling space on the table is harder for the Oni Clans due to their lower model count. With fewer models, it is also more difficult for them to cover each other’s backs - if they even have such a sentiment.

When paired with their weaker Reactive Step, this weakness can quickly leave you overextended and caught in the clutches of multiple enemy models.

Conclusion

Oni Clans are a perfect faction for players who want to force the issue, stay proactive, and bring the fight directly to their enemies. With the Oni, you can truly feel the power at your fingertips as these massive brutes tear through your opponents’ puny humans and Rin as if they were made of paper.

This overview mainly focused on the Oni themselves. We will take a closer look at Undead minions in the next article.