The Blades of Khorne are sharpening their weapons and grinning gleefully in anticipation of a shiny new set of battle traits designed to appeal to the more erudite berserker. But there’s much more to the new battletome than these alone…
For instance, the Deathbringer’s brutal Kingslayer Axe is one of the many weapons in the army bearing the new Blood-hungry keyword, dealing Crit (2 hits) with its keen Damage 3 edge. What’s more, the perturbing Trophies of Glorious Deaths he carries can cause nearby warriors to lose their nerve and fumble commands on a 5+.
DEATHBRINGER
Kingslayer axe (Melee Weapon)
Attack: 4
Hit: 3+
Wound: 3+
Rend: 1
Damage: 3
TROPHIES OF GLORIOUS DEATHS
Reaction: Opponent declared a command for a unit within 8" of this unit
The sight of mighty champions reduced to nothing more than a Deathbringer's grisly trophies is enough to make the staunchest warrior baulk and falter.
Effect: Roll a dice. On an 5+, that command has no effect, it still counts as having been used and the command points spent to use it are still lost.
He’ll be right at home in the Gorechosen Champions Army of Renown, which is made up exclusively of mortal heroes, from Mighty Lords of Khorne to Deathbringers.
Attention from The Red God’s Eye ensures that heroes fight without fault, granting Ward (4+) to every unit, and these Legendary Slayers are so practised in the art of killing that their Blood-hungry weapons permanently gain Crit (Mortal).
THE RED GOD'S EYE
Passive
When the Gorechosen fight in unity, the Blood God's gaze is drawn. None would dare falter under such scrutiny.
Effect: Friendly GORECHOSEN CHAMPIONS units have WARD (4+).
LEGENDARY SLAYERS
Passive
To be Gorechosen is to have slain hundreds, if not thousands.
Effect: Blood-hungry weapons used by friendly GORECHOSEN CHAMPIONS units have Crit (Mortal).
A single heroic trait adds a frankly obscene 20 to a hero's Control score while in combat, letting you take the fight to objectives without worry, while three artefacts provide extra damage, a chance at Strike-first, and protection from shooting attacks – and a deployment ability ensures you’ll be carrying two at all times.
With Slaughterpriests and Realmgore Ritualists on the menu, the Gorechosen Champions can also summon the Wrath-axe, and access an exclusive prayer lore. Skin of Brass improves the defence of a unit, reducing rend on incoming attacks, while the empowered version pops twice.
Cowed and Broken on the other hand invokes Khorne’s seething hatred and turns it into a chance to deal a smattering of mortal damage, and Eruption of Apoplexy violently explodes an enemy into a shower of super-heated gore that sears anyone foolishly stood nearby.
SKIN OF BRASS
Your Hero Phase (4)
A shimmering skull manifests over a chosen champion, spilling gore upon them and granting their skin the hue and toughness of freshly forged brass.
Declare: Pick a friendly GORECHOSEN CHAMPIONS PRIEST to chant this prayer, pick a visible friendly unit wholly within 12" of them to be the target, then make a chanting roll of D6.
Effect: Until the start of your next turn, subtract 1 from the Rend characteristic of weapons used for attacks that target that friendly unit. If the chanting roll was 8+, you can pick another eligible unit to be a second target.
KEYWORDS: PRAYER, UNLIMITED
COWED AND BROKEN
Your Hero Phase (4)
The priest channels Khorne's seething hatred through a Gorechosen, causing the bones of foes who stand in the way of worthier targets to agonisingly twist and snap.
Declare: Pick a friendly GORECHOSEN CHAMPIONS PRIEST to chant this prayer, pick a visible enemy unit within 12" of them that is in combat with a friendly unit to be the target, then make a chanting roll of D6.
Effect: Roll 8 dice. If the chanting roll was 8+, add 1 to each roll. For each 4+, inflict 1 mortal damage on the target.
KEYWORDS: PRAYER
If, on the other hand, you’re pledged to Khorne because you want to field nothing but Bloodthirsters, then The Baleful Lords are behemoths of carnage. The proud tradition of an army of “just big guys” reigns supreme here, with abilities that supercharge your already formidable monsters.
With a Bellow of Hatred, a Baleful Lord can prevent enemies they are in combat with from using commands, which is extremely useful for stopping their prey from hiding behind All-out Defence – while the Mage-Eaters reaction grants them the ability to unbind spells, potentially punishing casters for even daring to raise their wands against the servants of Khorne.
BELLOW OF HATRED
Once Per Turn (Army), Any Combat Phase
The enmity released by this blood-curdling scream stuns nearby enemies.
Declare: Pick a friendly BALEFUL LORDS unit that has not used a RAMPAGE ability this turn to be the target.
Effect: For the rest of the turn, enemy units cannot use commands while they are in combat with the target. The target cannot use RAMPAGE abilities for the rest of the turn.
KEYWORDS: RAMPAGE
MAGE-EATERS
Reaction: Opponent declared a Spell ability
Those who dare wield spells in the presence of these daemons are soon punished.
Used By: A friendly BALEFUL LORDS unit targeted by that SPELL ability.
Effect: Make a magic-eater roll of D6. On a 3+, that spell is unbound. If the spell was unbound and the magic-eater roll was 5+, inflict D3 mortal damage on the caster.
There are plenty of other tricks in this army that let you eke out as much juice as you can from your convocation of greater daemons. If you end up missing Skarbrand’s explosive damage output when you’re playing your other Chaos armies, then you’ll be pleased to know the Exiled One himself can hire himself out as a Regiment of Renown – who could refuse such a winning smile?*
Full details of both Armies of Renown, rules for the Deathbringer, Regiments of Renown, and a Spearhead packed with Flesh Hounds are all available in Battletome: Blades of Khorne, which is available to pre-order on Saturday.
* Or those two very large axes…
