Grognards rejoice, the Old World has returned, and it’s returned with a bang!
Games Workshop released Tomb Kings and Bretonnia as the first two factions of this new edition set in the Old World.
Lore Review
The Bretonnians, being Bretonnians, launched a Crusade that happened to trespass across the finely manicured lawns of Nehekhara and steal the treasures of these ancient cities away. The Tomb Kings are having none of it and have launched an invasion of Bretonnia, which is making its way towards the Kingdom via the Border Princes. What happens next is up to you!
Nehekhara has stood for millenia, while the Human tribes of the Old World were still inhabiting mud huts. The many city states of Nehekhara suffered a multitude of civil wars as the various Kings and Queens tried to establish their domains. Only once Settra came to power were the various city states unified.
Under Settra’s command, the priests of Nehekhara aimed to conquer death.
The Book
With the core rules for the Tomb Kings inside the Ravening Hordes Book, this is a supplement to that book and adds further lore and rules to your Tomb King forces. It also gives you rules for three special characters; Settra the Imperishable, Prince Apophas, and Nekaph.
Armies of Infamy
The Armies of Infamy offers novel and thematic approaches to constructing your faction’s army lists. Introducing unique army-wide special rules and granting access to upgraded units that enhance specific playstyles. However, opting for an army of infamy imposes greater restrictions on your army composition compared to the base books by excluding certain units.
It’s important to mention that these Arcane Journals differ from traditional army books from previous editions. They act as supplements to the unit lists and army rules found in Ravening Hordes and Forces of Fantasy books. Playing a game in the Old World only using the Arcane Journals is not possible, as they rely on references to the special rules from Ravening Hordes and Forces of Fantasy. These journals provide new ways to play your faction, including special characters, but they don’t provide details on specific rules.
Nehekharan Royal Host
The Nehekharan Royal Host is tailored for those seeking an elite gaming experience with their skeletal forces, this list embodies the pinnacle of Tomb Kings’ might at the expense of magical prowess. High Priests are absent; instead, the focus is on an impressive display of chariots and the steadfast ranks of the royal guard.
Royal Rules
As for the Royal Rules, the vanguard of the host, the Royal Host chariots, gain the ‘Grind Them Down‘ rule within their General’s command range, enabling them to reroll impact hits against their enemies. The General, a Tomb King or Tomb Prince, has the option to elevate their status to a level 1 wizard with the ‘Arise!‘ special rule. However, if chosen, they automatically become your Hierophant, regardless of other wizards in your list.
Also, for every 1000 points in your army, one unit of Skeleton Skirmishers can acquire the ‘Ambushers‘ special rule for free, and one unit of Skeleton Horse Archers can take the ‘Chariot Runners‘ special rule for free. This strategic addition ensures effective screens for your chariots.
Lastly, units in the army with the Volley Fire special rule gain ‘Steadfast Discipline,’ allowing its use even after movement or when declaring the Stand and Shoot reaction.
List Composition
Hero units still make up to 50% of your list and you must have at least one Tomb King or Prince. You now don’t need to take any Mortuary Priests as long as you upgrade your General with the 35pt Hierophant upgrade.
Your selection of core units has increased from a minimum of 25% to 33%. Skeleton Chariots have been changed to a minimum of 1+ units, and you can take a single unit of Tomb Guard or Tomb Guard Chariots, which replace the Sepulchral Stalkers in the standard army composition.
Special remains at a maximum of 50% of your list, but you can only take up to two Tomb Scorpions instead of three per 1000 points. You’ll also find Skeleton Archers and Skeleton Horse Archers now in the specials. If you take any more than one Tomb Guard Chariots (the first being a core choice), the rest will be classed as Special.
Rare is at a maximum of 25%, as before. With the only change being the inclusion of the Screaming Skull Catapult.
You won’t be able to select; High Priests, Necrotects, Skeleton Archers, Skeleton Warriors, Tomb Swarms, Carrion, Necrolith Colossus, Necrosphinx or the Casket of Souls.
Royal Host Units
Being a Royal Host, the Tomb Kings naturally surround themselves with the very best Units. To represent that, the Royal Host has access to a number of upgraded units.
My personal favourite is the Royal Host, which costs 5 points per model. This can be a mixture of Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Archers, of which you must have a minimum of 5 models of each type. You can purchase as many of each after the first 10. Skeleton Warriors in this unit must fight on the front rank with the Archers at the back. They keep the rules of both the Warriors and the Archers as well as gaining the Steadfast Discipline rule. They can also purchase the Nehekharan Phalanx special rule.
Royal Host cavalry works in the same manner, made up of Skeleton horseman and Skeleton Archers, meaning you’ll need at least 10 models to field them. These come in at 11 points each and again, gain the Steadfast Discipline rule. They can also buy the Counter Charge rule for 1 point per model.
The last unit is the Tomb Guard chariots, which are slightly more expensive than the regular chariots. They come armed with Halberds and Shields along with an extra point of strength and cleaving blow on their attacks. The Indomitable (2) special rule and an additional impact hit per chariot.
Mortuary Cult
This army revolves around the Preists and the rarer bone constructs available to Tomb Kings. They lack speed but have greater control over their forces.
Cult Rules
Mortuary Cult armies must have a priest be the general of the army, which must also be a Hierophant.
Every Liche Priest in the army acquires the ‘Harmonious Incantations‘ special rule, allowing a Liche Priest within the command range of other friendly Liche Priests to recover an additional wound when using the Arise! special rule.
Liche priests also have the option to use wounds from nearby swarms, monstrous infantry, monstrous cavalry, monstrous creatures, and behemoths to power their spells using the ‘Sepuchral Animus.‘ Nehekharan Undead within the command range of a Liche priest may sacrifice 1-3 wounds to boost the next spell cast by the wizard, potentially giving a High Priest up to a +8 or more, depending on the presence of a Casket of Souls and chosen magic items.
Finally, Tomb Scorpions and Necroserpents can invest 2 points per model for ‘The Terrors Below‘ special rule. Units with this upgrade and entering the battlefield via ‘From Beneath the Sands,’ can select a single enemy infantry or heavy unit within 8 inches to take a number of initiative tests equal to the ambusher’s unit strength or be removed.
Mortuary Cult Composition
In Mortuary Cult lists, it is mandatory to include at least one High Priest or Mortuary Priest as the general, while there is no obligation to field a Tomb King or Tomb Prince on the battlefield. Notably, Tomb Kings are entirely excluded from consideration when assembling this Army of Infamy. As compensation, Cults players are granted access to the new hero option, the Arch Necrotect.
Similar to the Royal Hosts, Mortuary Cults lists must allocate at least 33% of their composition to Core options, with the initial unit of Ushabti and Necroserpents also counting as core, and the Tomb Swarms restricted to one.
Regarding Special slots, inclusion of one Tomb Scorpion is required per 1000 points in a Mortuary Cults list, with no upper limit imposed beyond the
special points allocation, unlike the constraints of the Ravening Hordes force organization chart. Moreover, players have the liberty to select one Necrolith Colossus or Necrosphinx as a Special choice without consuming any of their Rare points allocation. The options available for the Rare slot remain unaltered from those outlined in the main book.
Notably, Mortuary Cults lists forego access to several units, including Tomb Kings, Tomb Heralds, Tomb Guard, Necropolis Knights, Skeleton Chariots, and the Khemrian Warsphinx.
Mortuary Cult Units
The Arch Necrotect emerges as a unique Hero unit exclusive to the Mortuary Cults, offering additional enhancements to the units within your ranks through two distinct abilities. “Immortal Overseer” elevates a friendly unit’s initiative by D3 following a successful leadership test, while “Stone Shaper” bolsters the Regeneration save of a friendly Necrolith Colossus, Necrosphinx, or Ushabti unit within an 8-inch radius by 1.
Venerable Ushabti, formidable close combat monstrous infantry, opt for a slight reduction in movement compared to their standard counterparts, in exchange for heightened strength, weapon skill, and the Magic Resistance (2) special rule.
Lastly, the Mortuary Cults occasionally field Necroserpents, relinquishing their riders in favour of adopting the ambushers’ special rule, the Open Order formation, and at a reduced points cost.
Special Characters
The main army composition lists found in Ravening Hordes and Forces of Fantasy notably lacked the array of special characters that enthusiasts have grown fond of within their cherished factions. While it’s understandable considering the shift in time period, with many of these iconic figures potentially not yet existing, it leaves a void in the hearts of fans longing for something extraordinary to connect with. The Arcane Journals address this gap by introducing a selection of special characters, both familiar and new, to their respective armies, and none are older than those presented here.
Settra the Imperishable makes his grand return, embodying all the traits fans have come to expect. Priced at 445 points, the King of Kings charges into battle atop his legendary heavy chariot, the Chariot of the Gods, reminiscent of old. With 8 wounds, a 5+ ward save, and 5+ regeneration, Settra exudes impressive survivability in this edition, particularly when included in the Royal Host army of infamy, where he gains the ability to join units of Tomb Guard chariots for added protection.
True to his stature, Settra boasts an array of special rules. Unlike his counterparts, he can utilise the Arise! ability in combat, and his ‘Crown of Nehekhara‘ extends his ‘My Will be Done‘ ability to all friendly units within 6 inches, rather than just those he has joined. Additionally, Settra’s Blade of Ptra remains as lethal as ever, boasting Strength 6, Armour Penetration -3, and imposing a permanent -1 penalty to Hit on any surviving enemy model wounded by it.
Accompanying Settra is his steadfast bodyguard, Nekaph, known as the ‘Herald of Despair’. Nekaph’s presence instills fear and terror in larger infantry squads, compelling them to take additional tests with an extra die, discarding the lowest result. With the enhancements Fear and Terror have received in this edition, Nekaph may find a place in lists whether Settra is present or not, although he cannot be included in Mortuary Cults lists as he is classified as a Tomb Herald. As Settra’s Champion, Nekaph is obligated to declare and/or accept challenges if possible, and his challenges cannot be refused. In challenges, Nekaph delivers a killing blow on a roll of 5 or 6 to wound.
Lastly, Prince Apophos the Cursed Scarab Lord returns, resuming his role as a flying assassin designed to eliminate a specific target or perish in the attempt. As Usirian’s Reaper, the disgraced prince gains full rerolls to hit and to wound against a designated enemy character declared at the start of the game, and possesses a breath weapon that inflicts wounds on a 4+, albeit with no Armour Penetration.
Magic Items
The final sections of the arcane journal reveals 17 new magical items for Tomb Kings heroes. Among these, three are exclusive to the Armies of Infamy detailed earlier, while one is reserved for armies featuring Settra himself or Nekaph.
The Blade of Antarhak, priced at 45 points, is a weapon exclusive to the Royal Host. It bestows upon its wielder a +1 strength modifier, -1 Armour Penetration, and the ability to regenerate a wound for each unsaved wound inflicted in combat.
Locked to the Mortuary Cults, the Staff of Aeons, costing 30 points, empowers a Liche Priest with +2 strength, an Armour Penetration of -1, and any unsaved wounds inflicted by the staff permanently diminish the opponent’s armor save by 1.
For members of the Nehekharan Royal Host, the Royal Mantle, priced at 40 points, serves as magical armor enhancing the wearer’s armor save by +1, while extending the My Will Be Done special rule to all units within a 6-inch radius.
The Royal Standard of Settra, a 50-point banner, instils the unit carrying it with Hatred (enemy characters) and the Terror special rules.
Other notable items include the Banner of the Desert Winds, providing a unit with the Vanguard and Reserve Move special rules; Phakth’s Blades of Justice, increasing the user’s attacks by 1 for each rank of enemy units engaged with them; and Phazerakt’s Kanopi, enabling the summoning of 2d6+3 Skeleton Warriors to the battlefield upon a successful leadership test.