When you first look at power attacks they simply look like a throw away thats tacked on to provide Jacks a little more punch, or at least thats what I first thought. Given some more experience and a deeper look, the uses of power attacks are actually very widely applied, especially when playing using scenarios rather than just playing caster kill. Power attacks can be used by all jacks and some models, though most attacks require an open fist and one of the more powerful attacks (two handed throw) requires two open fists, so may not be seen of field as frequently as you'd think, partly due to the wide range of uses focus has other than using power attacks.
To start with there are the throws, any open fist weilding jack can carry out a throw. If it hits, the attacking model and the defending model make an opposed strength test, meaning that if the attacker's strength total is greater than the defender the throw gets off, if the defender gets a higher total the throw fails. If the throw works the model targeted gets thrown a distance equal to half the attacking model's STR, then the model is knocked down and takes damage. In the case of a double handed throw when the strength rolls are made the attacking model rolls using 2d6 whereas the defending model only uses 1d6, meaning that more often than not when making a two handed throw it will get off also give the option to aim the first model at a second model. This can create some interesting caster assassination opportunities as if the second model is on a smaller base than the thrown model it will be knocked down, an incredibly useful way of making that hard to hit caster far easier to hit and takes a chunk of health off in the process.
Push is a power attack that doesn't require any open fists to pull off, it auto hits, which is useful against high DEF models and if you beat your opponents STR roll you push them 1", after which the attacking model "may" move an inch following the push. This allows a model to break out of combat allowing other models to make ranged attacks, unless the defending model has Reach in which case the better option is the far better attack, Slam. Rather than charging a model may choose to Slam a defending model 1d6 inches away, dealing damage equal to the attacking models STR +2d6. When the defending model is slammed if it contacts any models on a smaller base size they are knocked down and suffer a collateral damage roll, it's worth noting this roll can't be boosted. The Slam attack is another very useful attack, allowing jacks to move models out of range of control points as well as opening charge lanes, not to mention the possiblity of slamming a jack into a large squad of infantry that would otherwise threaten your jack next turn.
Special attacks known as locks are incredibly useful for locking down jacks or locking important weapon systems. To carry out a lock, the attacking model must have at least one open fist, then declare what it's attempting to lock (in the case of two open fists, you must also declare which fist is locking what) and make a normal attack roll, on a hit the lock is successful and the dependent on what is locked attacks can't be made in that location while the lock is in force. For example locking a Juggernaut's right arm forces the opponent to use the initial attack to break the lock (opposed strength test) and can only buy additional attacks with that weapon once the lock is broken. Locks also stop locked models from moving so can be used to lock up opponent's arc nodes (apart from Thorn) or stopping a model from benefiting from a shield (especially useful against models with Repulsor shields). If an attacking model chooses it may break the lock during the models activation, which is always a good option if you feel it'd be a better option to attempt to cripple a system or two than risk your opponent breaking the lock and smashing up your own jack. It's also worth noting that you can't lock a model that has been knocked down (it is just a little unfair to have a jack in that sort of position) and also lock attacks cause no damage, so against a heavy jack it is usually worth locking a powerful weapon then beating down on it with a free weapon, as for light jacks same applies, shields are a good target for locking, however in most cases Khadoran jacks should simply hit light jacks normally as often they can scrap light jacks relatively quickly when fully fueled with focus.
The last two special attacks to mention (not including the special attacks only usable by Colossals) are Headbutt and Trample. Headbutt is available to all jacks (except for Karchev) and is very simple as long as the model being targeted isn't on a larger base than the attacker and the attacking model is in a headlock, an attack roll is made and on a hit the defending model is knocked down. This attack is short and sweet and very useful with jacks such as the Beserker which lack the MAT of other Khadoran warjacks (which is partly why it has it's part of it's chain attack) making jacks fall over for 1 focus is brilliant especially when you have a squad of infantry such as the MOW Demo corps within charge range, or when you want to protect a support unit, forcing your opponent into choosing between closing the distance or shooting at the unit, essentially if you want to slow a model down, headbutt is a very useful tool in the special attack tool box. Trample only works for models with a base size of 50mm or more (so heavys and Colossals only) and can be quite a risky yet useful method of thinning out large numbers of small based infanttry. The attacking model sacrifices it's action and movement then moves it's SPD +3", then models in the path of the trampling model suffer an attack roll from the attacking model, after hitting a damage roll is made as normal for each model hit. After this stage any surviving models that were in melee range of the trampling model resolve free strikes against it. This is why this attack is incredibly risky, against high DEF models you are far more likely to miss and lose a large chunk of damage in the process so if you do try to trample a unit such as Satyxis Raiders the best way is to use a spell or effect to lower their DEF (pSorcha's feat is also very useful for this purpose) that way you increase your chances of hitting and wounding models for far less risk of taking as many free strikes once the trample attacks are resolved.
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