Due to the relentless nature of the bone-tithe, the Mortisans of the Ossiarch Bonereapers never lack resources in their endless pursuit of greater and more efficient bone constructs for the osseous legions. With the fighting fiercer than ever during the Hour of Ruin, they have been commanded by Katakros to innovate and provide solutions for a changing battlefield. As a result, the Ossiarch Bonereapers have a whole pile of new units, from thundering chariots to stealthy assassins.
We’re kicking things off with the Mortek Triaxes, which have been requested by commanders of the Ossiarch Bonereapers since long before the Skaven menace put Nagash’s elite on the back foot. The original design for these constructs saw limited use in skirmishes and scouting parties, but the perfected version, with its eye dedicated to sensing the souls of foes, is the perfect complement to the Mortek Guard.
For every 10 Mortek Triaxes in a unit they are accompanied by two three-legged Balefire Brazier. If all of the Triaxes’ shots target the same unit they can place a Balefire Brazier token next to that unit, to denote the trauma of the burning-soul essence that wreathes their arrows. This harrowing ethereal flame causes its targets to suffer Atavistic Nightmares, reducing their control scores by 3, an effect which also spreads to enemies within 3” of them. Only healing abilities can extinguish the flames, at the expense of healing the unit or returning slain models.
MORTEK TRIAXES
Ranged Weapons | Rng | Atk | Hit | Wnd | Rnd | Dmg |
Osseous Bow | 18” | 2 | 3+ | 4+ | 1 | 1 |
ATAVISTIC NIGHTMARES
Passive
The trauma of the burning soul-essence is so horrifying that those who witness it are paralysed by dread.
Effect: While any of this unit's Balefire Braziers are next to an enemy unit, subtract 3 from the control scores of enemy units within that enemy unit's combat range.
If an ability would heal or return slain models to an enemy unit while any of this unit's Balefire Braziers are next to it, that ability does not heal or return any slain models to it. Instead, place those Balefire Braziers next to this unit.
The Liege-Kavalos are some of the greatest commanders in the Bonereapers forces, and the introduction of terrifying War Chariots gives them even more scope to race around the battlefield and ensure their orders are observed to the letter. Each Liege-Kavalos on War Chariot is a Masterful Charioteer, able to undertake swift defensive manoeuvres that make them even harder to hit, granting them Ward (5+). By following their command, up to two nearby Kavalos War Chariots are also granted the ward, so three-pronged assaults are common.
An order to Grind Them to Dust enables the Liege-Kavalos and two fellow charioteers to make a pile-in move during the movement phase, in addition to dealing mortal damage. The War Chariots themselves are designed to perform a Scything Assault, dealing damage when they charge into enemy units, whilst also crashing through defensive lines (represented by removing the model and setting up in combat again). They also unleash Pinning Attacks with their javelins, represented not by a weapon profile, but an ability that activates on a roll of 3+, dealing 1 mortal damage and preventing the targeted unit from making pile-in moves for the rest of the turn.
LIEGE-KAVALOS ON WAR CHARIOT
GRIND THEM TO DUST
Once Per Turn (Army), Any Movement Phase
With a barked command, the Liege-Kavalos orders their fellow charioteers to press further into the melee and crush the foe beneath their wheels.
Declare: If this unit is in combat, pick this unit and up to 2 visible friendly Kavalos War Chariots wholly within 12" of this unit and in combat to be the targets.
Effect: For each target:
Make a pile-in move.
Then, pick an enemy unit in combat with the target and roll a D3. On a 2+, inflict an amount of mortal damage on that enemy unit equal to the roll.
KAVALOS WAR CHARIOT
SCYTHING ASSAULT
Any Combat Phase
The War Chariot's incredible momentum sees it crash straight through the enemy front lines with shocking force.
Declare: If this unit charged this turn, pick an enemy unit in combat with it to be the target.
Effect: Inflict D3 mortal damage on the target. Then, you can remove this unit from the battlefield and set it up again within l" of the target.
KEYWORDS: CORE, ATTACK, FIGHT
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from these noisy war machines are the Mortis Reapers. Deadly assassins who operate in eerie synchronicity, they completely embody the expression that there is No Escaping the Tithe, as they disappear into the shadows and angles of terrain features only to emerge somewhere completely different. We prefer to use doors ourselves, but there’s no accounting for style. Each carries with them a clutch of Necrocaches – devices that unleash clouds of desiccating grave-sand when smashed, dealing mortal damage to the target and allowing the Mortis Reapers to flit away, pockets stuffed with bones.
MORTIS REAPERS
NO ESCAPING THE TITHE
Once Per Turn (Army), Any Movement Phase
The Mortis Reapers are utterly unrelenting in their pursuit of those who would dare attempt to shirk the bone-tithe.
Declare: If there are no enemy units within 6" of this unit, pick a terrain feature within 3" of this unit to be the target.
Effect: Remove this unit from the battlefield and set it up again wholly within 3" of the target and more than 9" from all enemy units.
NECROCACHES
Once Per Turn (Army), End of Any Turn
The Mortis Reapers hurl their necrocaches to the ground, releasing the flesh-withering grave-sand contained within and vanishing in the resulting cloud like phantoms.
Declare: Pick each enemy unit in combat with this unit to be the targets.
Effect: Roll a D3 for each target. On a 2+, inflict an amount of mortal damage on the target equal to the roll. Then, this unit can move 6". It can move through the combat ranges of enemy units but cannot end that move in combat.
The final piece of the tactical puzzle for you to ponder is the Liege-Mortek. These field officers are the lowest ranking of the Bonereapers commanders currently deployed, but no less deadly. With Clinical Efficiency they can order another Mortek unit to Fight after them, adding 1 to any hit rolls. This ability allows Mortek Triaxes and Mortek Crawlers to choose to Shoot instead of Fight, and grants their ranged weapons the Shoot in Combat rule.* If the elected shooting unit isn’t in combat, they must target a unit in combat with their Liege-Mortek, for some long ranged vengeance.
LIEGE-MORTEK
CLINICAL EFFICIENCY
Once Per Turn (Army), Reaction: You declared a FIGHT ability this unit
With a sharp gesture, the Liege-Mortek orders his cohorts to unleash a deadly assault.
Effect: Pick a visible friendly Mortek Guard, Mortek Triaxes or Mortek Crawler unit that has not used an ATTACK ability this phase and is wholly within 12" of this unit to be the target. Immediately after the FIGHT ability used by this unit has been resolved, the target can be picked to use either a SHOOT ability as if it were your shooting phase or a FIGHT ability. If it is picked to do so:
Add 1 to hit rolls for the target's attacks for the rest of the turn.
The target's ranged weapons (if any) have Shoot in Combat for the rest of the turn.
If the target uses a SHOOT ability and is not in combat, all of its shooting attacks must target units in combat with this unit.
On top of all these new units and rules, there are plenty of other changes in Battletome: Ossiarch Bonereapers. You’ll be able to pre-order everything mentioned here, and the new battletome, on Saturday.
* How does a Mortek Crawler shoot a unit it's in combat with? We’re visualising some kind of skeletal slam dunk scenario.
