Nagash wants one thing more than anything, which is to transform all of the Mortal Realms into a deathless Necrotopia. This is a big ask, even for a god, especially when his legions are filled with deluded monsters and bickering bloodsucking nobles. That’s why he ordered the creation of the Ossiarch Bonereapers, his perfect, unquestioningly loyal elites. In the pursuit of continued perfection, Nagash has tasked Katakros with revamping his military operations to better combat the disorder of the Hour of Ruin. For you, that means a bounty of new bone constructs, as well as a revamped battle trait.
The interlocking elements of the Ossiarch Bonereapers war machine are commanded by a cohort of Immortal Elite, who ensure the Ossiarchs work in perfect unison. In each battle round, one of your heroes can generate a number of relentless discipline points based on their ranking: Katakros, Mortarch of the Necropolis, generates 10, while mounted and chariot riding Liege-Kavalos generate 6, and spellcasting Mortisans generate 2. You can then spend these to use various RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE abilities throughout the battle round, with any unspent points trickling through your hands like grave-sand.
Most RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE abilities costs either 1 relentless discipline point, or 2 if the unit using it is reinforced and has more than half of its starting models. Remorseless March lets you swiftly advance a unit, while Impassive Retreat allows units who have retreated to charge back into the fray. Ruthless Extermination improves the efficacy of ranged attacks against those pesky ward rolls, Pitiless Assault adds 1 to a unit’s wound rolls in combat, and the Inviolate Legions ability confers Ward (5+) as your soldiers adopt defensive positions.
REMORSELESS MARCH
Your Movement Phase
The Ossiarchs advance into battle swiftly and mercilessly.
Declare: Pick a friendly OSSIARCH BONEREAPERS unit that has not used a RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE ability this phase to use this ability.
Effect: Spend 1 relentless discipline point. If that unit is reinforced and has more than half of its starting models, spend 2 relentless discipline points instead. Add 3" to the Move characteristic of that unit for the rest of the phase. That unit cannot use RUN abilities for the rest of the turn.
KEYWORDS: RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE
RUTHLESS EXTERMINATION
Once Per Turn (Army), Reaction: You declared a SHOOT ability for a unit that has not used a RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE ability this phase
With the enemy fully engaged, the Ossiarchs send a hail of fire raining down on them with cold efficiency.
Used By: The unit using that SHOOT ability.
Effect: Spend 1 relentless discipline point. If that unit is reinforced and has more than half of its starting models, spend 2 relentless discipline points instead. Subtract 1 from ward rolls for damage points inflicted by attacks made as part of that SHOOT ability.
KEYWORDS: RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE
As already mentioned, Orpheon Katakros is a military genius who generates 10 relentless discipline points every battle round. The Mortarch of the Necropolis also boosts the control score of any visible unit that has used a relentless discipline ability this turn by 3. Not content with boosting their potential to dominate objectives, the Supreme Lord of the Bonereaper Legions can also enable an Ossiarch Bonereapers unit to fight twice in a single combat phase, by spending relentless discipline points equal to the target unit’s Health characteristic, plus an extra point if they’re reinforced and have more than half their starting models.
Despite his penchant for commanding the ebb and flow of battle from a distance, if the odds turn against the Ossiarch Bonereapers, and at least half of the units from your starting army have been destroyed, Katakros will bellow You Dare?! and get serious with his foes. His fury boosts the attacks characteristic of the Crit (2 Hits)-imbued Inda-Khaat from 3 to 8, and improves the attacks characteristic of The Shield Immortis from three to six, but prevents the otherwise implacable commander from using the Supreme Lord of the Bonereaper Legions ability as he gets stuck in.
KATAKROS MORTARCH OF THE NECROPOLIS
SUPREME LORD OF THE BONEREAPER LEGIONS
Any Combat Phase
An Ossiarch force personally led by Katakros is said to be worth ten identical forces led by his generals.
Declare: If this unit is not in combat, pick a visible friendly OSSIARCH BONEREAPERS unit wholly within 12" of this unit that is in combat and has not used a RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE ability this phase to be the target.
Effect: Spend a number of relentless discipline points equal to the target's Health characteristic. If the target is reinforced and has more than half of its starting models, spend an additional relentless discipline point. The target can use 2 Fight abilities this phase. After the first is used, however, the target has STRIKE-LAST for the rest of the turn. In addition, the target cannot use RELENTLESS DISCIPLINE abilities for the rest of the phase.
KATAKROS MORTARCH OF THE NECROPOLIS
YOU DARE?!
Once Per Battle, Start of Any Turn
Katakros narrows his focus to personally deal with a more immediate threat.
Declare: This unit can only use this ability if at least half of the units from your starting army have been destroyed.
Effect: For the rest of the battle round:
Add 5 to the Attacks characteristic of this unit's Inda-Khaat.
Add 3 to the Attacks characteristic of this unit's The Shield Immortis.
This unit cannot use the 'Supreme Lord of the Bonereaper Legions' ability.
On top of this change to the Ossiarch Bonereapers battle traits, there are numerous changes to warscrolls throughout the battletome that help exemplify the manner in which the Bonereaper legions do battle. You’ll have to wait until the book releases to see them all, as we’ve got a whole bundle of new units to cover in the next post, including those archers everyone has been begging the Mortisans to construct for them…
