Wangbu
sun-shield sword-warden who anchors the Thorjacks' line
Wangbu — The Encounter
sun-shield sword-warden who anchors the Thorjacks' line · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Wangbu
Every wedge needs an anchor, and for the Thorjacks that anchor is Wangbu. The lowland grimoires draw him as the still point at the center of the storm: while Juswa rides and Xander dances, Wangbu sets his great sun-blazoned shield and does not move. The blazon is an old solar charm, the kind northern folk paint to ward off the killing cold, and the warband swears it turns blades as readily as it turns frost. He fights shoulder-to-shoulder with the hammer-bearers, shielding them as they wind up their swings and stepping in front of the blows meant for them. Pull him out of the line and the whole Thorjack formation softens; leave him standing and the warband fights from behind a moving wall.
Run Wangbu in Sixty Seconds
- Anchor the line then plant Wangbu where allies can cluster for the +2 Shield-Warden AC.
- Knock them down then Shield Bash anyone who tries to push past into the soft back rank.
- Spend the reaction then Intercept the biggest hit aimed at a fragile ally beside him.
- Hold, don't chase then keep him beside the warband; his job is the wall, not the kill.
Wangbu
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
CR 5 · 1,800 XP · GUIDELINEShield-Warden. While Wangbu wields his shield, allied Thorjacks within 5 ft. of him gain a +2 bonus to AC.
Sun-Emblem Bulwark. Wangbu has advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone or pushed, and any creature that ends its turn within 5 ft. of him must subtract 2 from its next attack roll against an ally.
Actions
Multiattack. Wangbu makes two longsword attacks.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if used in two hands.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength save or be knocked prone.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Intercept (Reaction). When an ally within 5 ft. of Wangbu is hit by an attack, Wangbu can reduce that damage by 7 (1d8+3) as the blow rings off his shield.
A cloaked warden plants his sun-blazoned shield and raises a crossguard sword, daring the storm to break against him.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Plant Wangbu at the front and keep allies hugging him for the Shield-Warden AC bonus. Use Shield Bash to knock down whoever tries to break the line, and spend Intercept on the squishiest ally beside him. He holds ground, he does not chase.
Open by stepping between the enemy and the warband's hammer-bearers, granting them +2 AC. Shield Bash anyone who closes, and Intercept blows aimed at Kemeroo or Pachorva mid-swing. Keep him anchored beside allies; if the wedge moves, he moves with it as the shield.
Run him as the immovable hinge of the shield-wall: the warband fights from behind him while he bashes down chargers and soaks hits with Intercept. Never advance him alone. His value is the cluster of Thorjacks he protects, so keep them close.
Put Wangbu on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Wangbu?
Wangbu is CR 5 (1,800 XP) at his native Tier 2, a defensive anchor rather than a damage dealer or solo boss. Scale to AC 15 / +4 for Tier 1 or AC 19 / +9 for Tier 3.
How does Wangbu fight alongside the rest of the Thorjacks?
He is the wedge's anchor: he stands in front of the hammer-bearers, grants nearby Thorjacks +2 AC, knocks down anyone who tries to break the line, and intercepts blows meant for fragile allies. The warband fights from behind his sun-shield.
Is it worth focusing Wangbu first?
Often yes. While he stands, the whole warband is harder to hit and harder to reach. Drop him and the Shield-Warden bonus and Intercept vanish, leaving the hammer-bearers exposed.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
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