Category Archives: Despoilers

Talkin’ Tomes: Slaves to Darkness with Big Phil

DANNY
Ok, so first question for you, Phil – you’ve been on a few shows (like Coach’s) to talk about your thoughts on the whole book. But since then, I know you’ve played a whole bunch of test games, putting theory into practice. How many have you played since the book came out, and have any of your theories/feelings changed since the plastic has hit the table?

PHIL
I have played a “couple” of games with the new book. Based on my spreadsheets, I have played 67 games with the new book, of which 13 of them are with the new GHB. My initial thoughts on the book was that Host of the Everchosen and Ravagers were going to be Damned Legions that I was going to lean into the most. Hosts is still really appealing for access to the second banner. The 5+ rally I thought was really strong but is also very situational as your army wants to be grinding it out in combat.

Ravagers, I think, have huge potential within a teams setting by maximising on cultists, splintered fang mostly but is something that I think will struggle in singles play. Having played a few games with both (11 with Hosts and 7 with Ravagers) I soon felt that the army felt quite reliant on its spell casting to elevate it to the level that I want it to play at, the army needs it spells to come off to really show its pure power. The Heroic action Draw on Power tends to be the go to heroic action and with this come the sacrifice of additional CP for what is quite a CP hungry army, at least with the new GHB going second will allow multiple heroic actions.

Since working this out, I have found myself playing purely Cabalists and have got in 49 games with them with two losses to Laurie & Sylvaneth and Mike Wilson with that horrid Hexwraith list. Both of which were close games. The power of casting 5 spells (in my builds) on 3D6 all but assures for a successful magic phase and even armies like Tzeentch struggle to shut you down, even if they welcome the 5 fate points, they dont like a fully buffed unit of Chosen having a 5″ charge through a soulscream bridge with Levitate.

DANNY
Haha, yes, just a couple! I’ve played a slightly more humble 10 games (8 in new season) with the new book but I can totally see what you mean about HOTE – it’s hard to play into the rally while doing what the army wants to do. And yeah, Cabalists is where I’ve landed too – like you say, being able to actually plan around your casting and mitigate our lack of range/MWs with endless spells etc is clutch. Fascinating early thoughts, thank you. Since playing those 67 games, what’s your overall vibe on the book? Are you happy with the tools it has? At a high level, how do you think it’s balanced internally and externally?

I know you’ve said Splintered Fang seem to stick out internal AND external balance wise – they seem pretty obviously ‘off’ – but are there any other army rules or units that are standing out for better/worse to you?

PHIL
Overall, I am happy with where the book has landed. We all knew the save stacking was going to disappear and as were all the re-rolls that we had. I am sure a lot of non slaves to darkness players are pretty happy about this! The new book really suits the way I like to play, which is very much an aggro play style. Your models will now die but will do a mass amount of damage in the process. With regards to the tools it has on offer, the lists that I have been focused on are still really reliant on the sorcerer lords and hard-hitting elite units such as Chosen and Knights. These units are quite pricey but are worth every point for me. The addition of the ensorceled banners is great and gives so much to these elite units with either the survive-ability of the nurgle banner or the heavy hitting prowess of the khorne or slaanesh banner.

What helps is that we still also have very cheap battle line options with the cultists that do a great job for their points costs, particularly the Unmade and Corvus Cabal for me. In terms of the questions regarding the internal/external balance. As I stated, a lot of people are going to be much happier playing against this book as you will actually see models get taken off the table. The army is a lot more “honest” now, its a combat army that hits like a train, has a good save, but isn’t immune to rend 5, for example.

People are going to hate me, I don’t actually think the splintered fang are as much of an issue as everyone thinks with them, yes they do MWs on 6s to hit and wound on a 2+. A unit of 30 with no buffs other than khorne on the charge is 96 attacks, which averages 16MWs and 26 saves at no rend. They are then bravery 6, 5+ save, movement 6. Good players will be able to deal with them before they get there.

Units that I think have really stood out for me are Chosen, which may sound stupid after playing with Varanguard for so long. The double fight mechanic can never be overlooked, especially as they dont need to be within 3″ for it to trigger, and with a 2″ reach, it can be quite devastating if people don’t screen correctly. These with a soulscream bridge are super scary when casting all spells on 3d6. The unit in Khorne averages 12 damage and 7MWs against a 2+ unrendable save on the first activation. For me, there isn’t much in the game that can stand up to this unit double fighting. The other unit for me is Knights. Initially, I was looking at them as big damages sources as MSU and was running warriors in Nurgle with the banner.

Now I have moved to a big unit of knights with the nurgle banner as they can add an extra dynamic to the list to what the warriors gave, they give that double edge with being able to deal damage and also grind out your opponents, I often use them to pin in my opponents and clear away all the screens turn 1 to leave open avenues for my chosen to get bridged in and do damage.

Big miss for me is Archaon, and I hate to say it, as he and I had such a bromance last year. But at 860, he’s over costed. He has some great abilities with no inspiring or rally, but he just doesnt do enough consistent damage to warrant the price tag anymore, he is also keyword locked into a subfaction that offers him no benefits and also potentially hampers the army you take in it. As you then start struggling to fully utilise the double banners. If you could take him in Ravagers and perform the heroic action attributed to them, then Archaon may be back in my list buidling.

DANNY
Sorceror Lords definitely do a lot of heavy lifting, don’t they? And amen in terms of the chaff – I’m so impressed with how they’ve managed to make almost all of the Warcry cultist units have their own identity and role. Horns of Hashut don’t jump off the page, but even they have a ranged anti-chaff attack and decent tankiness for their points. Cypher Lords and Tarantulos – and this is a shame because they both look so cool – are two of the less inspiring ones, but otherwise, it’s a great selection.

On that note – haha I think you’d have to say worse than that about the Splintered Fang for me to hate you – they’re a hot topic but I’m with you – they have great output on paper but we all know games aren’t won on paper. Chosen are the new darlings for sure, right? I know you’re making hay with the Khorne allies while the sun shines – but I think even once that ends, with Undivided mark and the Dread Banner I’ve found it’s super reliable to get them to rend 2-3 and a few other super useful buffs too.

Nurgle Knights as a pinning device is very interesting – given they hit on 4s (frustrating!), this sounds like a great way to run them. And I also hard agree with you on Archaon – I know how much it must hurt you to say that!! – in my test games with him, he’s super fun but yeah, his damage output is actually super swingy and poor overall, and agree the key word locking is frustrating as it really limits the tactical options of both him and some of the ‘lesser’ sub-factions.

So, let’s double down on sub-factions quickly. We know Cabalists is strong. HOTE and KOTET both have very clear and obvious benefits and play styles. But do you think there’s any untapped potential in LotP, Ravagers, or Despoilers?

Despoilers seems to me like the faction for ‘oh you’re an old player with loads of daemon princes and monsters – here’s a way you can kinda use them together – but just seems utterly non competitive given what monsters and daemon princes in the book are like.

PHIL
For me I actually think Ravagers have the ability to be very good on the table, there are a lot of strong cultist units in the book and with the culmination of also a good allies pool, could pose a real threat on the table top, especially with the heroic action to bring back half a unit. Imagine killing a unit of splintered fang after its just done 26 MWs and forced 49 armour saves [EDITOR’s NOTE: Obvs there’s since been the FAQ to disallow Khorne heroes buffing Slaves units, but you get the point] with the right khorne pieces bloodstoker & bloodsecrator with the charge, then they come back in your hero phase and you get to do half of that all over again! The fact that they come down in the hero phase and you are able to move after is another huge benefit. I was playing some test games with them with Archaon and having them fight on death as well.

Once the Khorne allies go, I think we are more likely to see a transition to Slaanesh to aid their delivery to where they want to be, run and charge, throw in a warshrine and charge 3d6 and you will be able to get the across the board pretty reliably. You might even see a Daemon Prince with a trophy rack to aid them against the chip damage!

Legion of The First Prince is an interesting one. It’s not one that I would focus on the allies pool too much or even Belakor. I instead would really lean into the eye of the gods and look to roll as much as you can on the table with a unit of 10 Chosen or 6 Varanguard, with the ability to give one of these the mark of your choice each turn it really gives great utility to react to what is happening in a game. I played my friend the other day with 10 Chosen with the dread banner and he is rolling on the eye of the gods up to 3 times a turn, think by turn 3 his Chosen were rend 4, plus 3 to charge and 6+ Ward. There is definitely scope there! But are they better than the other banners? Time will tell.

I will be honest, Despoilers. Read it, didn’t look into it. I am sure Simon Weakley will come up with some mental list surrounding a bunch of Daemons Princes but I dont think that there scroll is the strongest out there, the fact that the best ability is an heroic action is frustrating. The fact that you can add 2 wounds to all your Daemon Princes and Monsters is nice, with a 3+ save on the princes and 6+ Ward. You effectively become 14 wounds. There are some nice command traits you can use that make the princes a bit more tanky or fighty, but it really isn’t a legion i would be leaning into.

DANNY
Yeah Despoilers definitely seems like the biggest miss, mainly due to how limited Daemon Princes are like you say – I’ve had success with one as a utility platform (trophy wracks keeping blobs of Chosen/Warriors safe, turning off wards, extra heroic action etc) but more than one seems likea huge trap.

Ok – I’d love to get your thoughts on something more philosophical – and that’s why are the coolest looking units in the book so mediocre? Daemon Prince, the iconic Chaos Warshrine, both ‘beasts (Mutalith and Slaughter), Ogroid Myrmidon – and I’m going to throw the Chaos and Exalted lords in there even though they have obvious scoring utility in the new season. Why did the rules writers take their foot of the gas on them – or do they have potential? Seems to me, if nothing else, the Myrmidon and chaos lords have utterly boring scrolls and essentially rely on lucky EotG rolls to become semi-useful late game, when most foot heroes in the game have some kind of fun buff/command ability etc.

The Muta/Slaughter beasts seem almost there but lack the things you’d expect – no decent rend on a giant Khorne monster, most of the Mutalith effects being super poor and relying on having a Tzeentch wizard nearby (which you don’t want as Gaunt summoner sucks and the Tzeentch mark also sucks) – etc etc. Am I missing something with these guys? They’re my biggest let downs in the book, and even though we have enough stuff to be competitive, it feels like there’s a lot of missed design/fun potential here. Thoughts?

PHIL
For me, I think two of the MVPs of the last book in the Chaos Lord & The Warshrine are a detriment of their own success. For a long period of time, you saw both these models in the vast majority of lists. The Warsrhine for me is the biggest miss, though, as this book feels like you want to be mixing and matching sub factions, and locking its ability to the keyword it’s assigned is a feels bad. Particularly, as Slaanesh for me feels the only really viable mark for the 3D6 charge. My lovely Mindstealer was quickly moved from auto, including to the bin, with the removing of its awesome ability and the monster keyword! Both the Slaughter & Mutalith Vortex beasts are warscrolls I quickly passed over, as you say the lack of rend on the Slaughter Beast and the Mortilth Vortex Beast having cool abilities but the chances of them coming off cant be assured in the slightest.

However, I actually like the Gaunt Summoner! He is a two cast wizard, knows the full spell (which allows him to know levitate), and naturally plus 1 to cast. The summoner gives options with spell casting, but I feel he is slightly over costed at 210 points. But, I have used in some Host of The Everchosen lists that I have been trialling as that second banner keeps eyeing me up!

DANNY
Yeah I think you’re right, GW have mostly smashed it out of the park with 3e books feeling very thematic etc, but they do seem to have a pattern of hammering stuff too much down that stood out before. My issue is that it’s not a points issue necessarily, but a frustrating design issue. And yeah I totally agree on the Gaunt Summoner being over-costed – he’s a great magic option for the reasons you say, but the fact the Tzeentch Mark is so weak and him being so fragile for the points means it just feels way too risky to me to ever really include. But sure, outside of Cabalists, he gives you some magic phase flexibility.

OK, final questions! At the current points, what tier (or take a guess at average win-rate for the season) would you put the book in – for most normal (but competitive) players? What do you think our red match ups are?

PHIL
For me I think the book is in between A & B tier, I think the win rate will very much the same at around 45%, people used to be able to get away with mistakes if they got the save stacking right, whereas now its not as forgiving, which sounds stupid considering the army has a base 3+ save, but with only one mystic shield and all out defense we need to think carefully of where it needs to go. The army packs even more of a punch now, so when you go in and it goes right, it will smash people away. The biggest reds for me are Lumineth, Tzeentch, and anything with mass AOE mortal wounds.

We are so reliant on our heroes and spell casting, so if opponents have a way of getting around the new Galletian Champions rules, it’s going to cause a massive issue and really lowers the effectiveness of the list. Tzeentch and Lumineth can both do this very well through magic. The next red is Nighthaunt, they can just turn off the fact that the army is 3+ save with the charge debuffs and with the cruciator reducing damage it becomes really hard as we have no way of taking out these pieces at range really without allying in units.

DANNY
Legendary. I can believe that – I also think some of the design failings we spoke about combined with the eliteness just means we won’t be able to keep up with the board control of certain armies – looking at you with a side-goat-eye new BoC book and maybe even Gitz.

Ok, I think that about wraps it up, much as I’d love to ask you endless questions, I know you have a small tournament over in the US shortly to prepare for….

[Post-script] That little tournament was LVO – at which Phil went 4-1, losing only to 3rd place Kaleb’s Tzeentch, by 1 point!

Top Three AoS Lists for Realm of Geddon 2023

This is the Top Three AoS Lists for Realm of Geddon 2023 that took place on the 4th and 5th February. It involved 14 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5-game tournament.

As a reminder, as this tournament has less than 20 players, there won’t be any comments from the Woehammer guys here. This frees up their time for the bugger tournament write ups.

Before I jump into the Top Three AoS Lists, I wanted to remind everyone of our friendly Discord server where you can join in the conversation with the Woehammer crew and suggest articles or series for the website.

If you like what we’re doing, why not join our Patreon and help keep it going?

Also if there’s a one day or two day tournament you’d like us to cover drop us a comment on this post and we’ll have a look at it for you.

The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Disciples of Tzeentch
– Change Coven: Hosts Arcanum
– Grand Strategy: Master of Destiny
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Kairos Fateweaver (440)**
Curseling, Eye of Tzeentch (180)**
General
– Command Trait: Cult Demagogue
– Lore of Fate: Arcane Suggestion
– Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
Fatemaster (140)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Fate: Shield of Fate
Fluxmaster, Herald of Tzeentch on Disc (170)**
Lore of Change: Fold Reality
Great Bray-Shaman (100)*
Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist

Battleline
10 x Tzaangors (180)**
10 x Tzaangors (180)**
3 x Screamers of Tzeentch (110)**
10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)*

Units
3 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Disc (180)**

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (70)
Daemonic Simulacrum (70)
Quicksilver Swords (60)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 107
Drops: 2

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Allegiance: Ogor Mawtribes
Mawtribe: Meatfist
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Butcher (140)***
General
– Cleaver
– Command Trait: Gastromancer
– Artefact: Gruesome Trophy Rack
– Lore of Gutmagic: Blood Feast
Butcher (140)*
Cleaver
– Lore of Gutmagic: Blubbergrub Stench
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master

Battleline
4 x Ironguts (270)***
4 x Ironguts (270)
4 x Leadbelchers (170)**
4 x Leadbelchers (170)**
4 x Leadbelchers (170)**

Artillery
Ironblaster (200)*
Ironblaster (200)*
Ironblaster (200)*

Core Battalions
*Grand Battery
**Galletian Sharpshooters
***Galletian Command

Total: 1930 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 121
Drops: 10

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Allegiance: Slaves to Darkness
Damned Legion: Despoilers
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Chaos Lord on Karkadrak (220)*
General
– Command Trait: Idolator Lord
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Prayer: Heal
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
– The Lore of the Damned: Chaotic Conduit
Exalted Hero of Chaos (100)***
Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (195)*
Axe
– Wings
– Command Trait: Bolstered by Chaos
– Artefact: Helm of Many Eyes
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle

Battleline
5 x Chaos Knights (230)*
Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
5 x Chaos Knights (230)*
Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
9 x Corvus Cabal (80)**
Mark of Chaos: Khorne
10 x Splintered Fang (100)**
Mark of Chaos: Khorne
10 x Splintered Fang (100)**
Mark of Chaos: Khorne
10 x Ungors (65)**
Mauls & Half-Shields

Units
10 x Chaos Chosen (480)***
Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
– Ensorcelled Banner: The Banner of Screaming Flesh
– Reinforced x 1

Endless Spells & Invocations
Soulscream Bridge (80)

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans
***Galletian Command

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 129
Drops: 11

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Allegiance: Daughters of Khaine
– Temple: Khailebron
– Mortal Realm: Ulgu
– Grand Strategy: Bloodthirsty Zealots
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Melusai Ironscale (120)*
– General
– Command Trait: Zealous Orator
– Artefact: Crown of Woe
– Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
Morathi-Khaine (350)*
The Shadow Queen (350)*

Battleline
15 x Blood Stalkers (540)**
Reinforced x 2
10 x Blood Sisters (300)*
Reinforced x 1
10 x Witch Aelves (120)*
Sacrificial Knives and Blade Bucklers

Units
5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)**
5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)**

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Galletian Sharpshooters

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 94
Drops: 4

Final Tournament Placings

To view the full tournament placings, visit Ecksen.

Top Three AoS Lists for Michigan GT

This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Michigan GT that took place in USA on 1st and 2nd October. It involved 72 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

Before I jump into the Top Three AoS Lists, I wanted to remind everyone of our friendly Discord server where you can join in the conversation with the Woehammer crew and suggest articles or series for the website.

If you like what we’re doing, why not join our Patreon and help keep it going?

Also if there’s a one day or two day tournament you’d like us to cover drop us a comment on this post and we’ll have a look at it for you.

The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Ossiarch Bonereapers
Legion: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Arkhan the Black, Mortarch of Sacrament (340)**
Mortisan Soulmason (115)**
General
– Command Trait: Mighty Archaeossian
– Spell: Arcane Command
– Artefact: Godbone Armour

Battleline
5 x Kavalos Deathriders (190)**
Nadirite Spear and Shield
5 x Kavalos Deathriders (190)**
Nadirite Spear and Shield
9 x Necropolis Stalkers (525)*
Reinforced x 2
9 x Necropolis Stalkers (525)*
Reinforced x 2

Endless Spells & Invocations
Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)
Bone-tithe Shrieker (50)

Core Battalions
*Expert Conquerors
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 95
Drops: 3

Brett: One of the top ranked players takes a maxi tournament with Ossiarch Bonereapers (OBR), an underrepresented faction. That it’s an unusual list, is a bonus. No Mortek guard but still plenty of casting with Arkhan and the Soulmason. The Arkhan’s casting bonuses will help with the Endless spells, everyone knows Ravenaks by now but the Bone-tithe Shrieker is a bit different. It prevents rally or inspiring presence with 12″ and grants +1 to hit to OBR within 12″. There is a lot on the warscrolls even for the troops, but the short version is that Arkhan can heal D3 wounds or return a model with less than 3 wounds to the Deathriders who, have bonus damage on the charge and can do mortal wounds on a 5+ from a command point.

The Stalkers have a range of bonuses that they they can use, including re-rolling their hits or saves or, +1 to rend/ damage. They have a command to gain re-rolls to runs and charges as well as fly. This list is attempting to deal with the lack of mobility that hampers OBR (Mortek move 4″), and brings a lot of focussed combat power. Stalkers are a really flexible unit, being able to decide whether to be tanky or aggresive each turn. It’s possible to use Arkhan’s command to increase the Soulmason’s spell range to 30″, granting them re-rolls on 1s as well as extra rend and damage in a turn. With 45 attacks at -2 rend, 2 damage, hitting and wounding on 3s. They’re in Expert Conquerors for maximum objective control.

He faced down several Incarnates, a block of 4 Stormdrakes and a Leviadon on his way to number 1, attesting to the effectiveness of the approach in the right hands. Bill scored exceptionally well, the only player with about 200 points and more than 30 in front of 2nd (who he didn’t face).

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Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
Lineage: Legion of Blood
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour
Neferata, Mortarch of Blood (365)**
Lore of the Deathmages: Decrepify
Vampire Lord (140)**
General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Expertise: Arcane
– Universal Spell Lore: Levitate

Battleline
5 x Black Knights (100)**
5 x Black Knights (100)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)**

Units
20 x Grave Guard (280)*
Great Wight Blades
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Blood Knights (390)*
Reinforced x 1

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)
Horrorghast (40)
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 109
Drops: 4

Brett: Both Mortarchs, the expected 3 Endless Spells, death ward, heals and units that return on death to make a surprisingly hard to kill list. Legion of Blood with Arcane Expertise and a foot Vampire Lord to use the +2 to casting/dispels/unbinds for the first cast. Having one of the Mortarchs cast Cogs to make this a very high probability of Purple Sun on demand. The Mortarchs and Blood Knights make up most of the power in the list, while the Black Knights provide mobile threat, containment and objective grabbers. The Skeletons, Grave Guard and Black Knights could be set up off the board (1 in reserve for every deployed unit) and summoned in any phase via a gravesite. Mostly useful against elite armies that can’t cover all four objectives.

The Blood Knights and Grave Guard are both included in Bounty Hunters, and with 2 Mortarchs this is a 4 drop list. This can place it at the mercy of their opponents in some cases. A lot of control and resilience is possible, but SBGL is a little low in outright damage. Michael won all 5 games but his scoring was average dropping him to 2nd despite his 5/0.

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Army Faction: Beasts of Chaos
Army Subfaction: Gavespawn
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours

LEADER
1 x Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (210)
Hellforged Sword and Malefic Talons
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
1 x Tzaangor Shaman (135)***
General
– Command Traits: Unravelling Aura
– Artefacts: The Knowing Eye
– Spells: Wild Rampage
1 x Great Bray-Shaman (100)***
Spells: Tendrils of Atrophy
1 x Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)***
Artefacts: Mutating Gnarlblade
– Spells: Hailstorm

BATTLELINE
30 x Tzaangors (525)**
Pair of Savage Blades and a Vicious Beak
– 3 x Icon Bearer
– 3 x Brayhorn
– 6 x Tzaangor Mutant
– Savage Blade and Arcanite Shield
– 6 x Savage Greatblade
10 x Gors (70)**
Banner Bearer
– Brayhorn
– Gor Blade and Beastshield
10 x Gors (70)***
Banner Bearer
– Brayhorn
– Gor Blade and Beastshield

TERRAIN
1 x Herdstone (0)

OTHER
6 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Discs of Tzeentch (360)*
6 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Discs of Tzeentch (360)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Bounty Hunters
**Expert Conquerors
***Warlord

TOTAL POINTS: (1985/2000)

Brett: Another good result for Beasts since their Tome Celestial. The increase in rend is particularly useful when you don’t face Nighthaunt. Roger paid for that by facing SBGL in his first 3 rounds. As for the list itself, a Khorne marked Daemon Prince for anti-charge and because he is a combat monster with always fights first. A Tzaangor Shaman that gives +1 to hit for the Tzaangor within 12″ and a Great Bray Shaman giving +3″ movement to all Gor units within 12″. Although the Tzaangor Enlightened are very mobile (great for Barge Through or even Against the Odds) this list is built around making you come to them (Defend What’s Ours, Grand Strategy). With the Gors to provide screens that leaves the Daemon Prince and Tzaangor to pick their targets.

Roger had a great run, 4/0 until the final round where he met Bill and was defeated. He finished just 3 points behind 2nd. The Tzaangor Enlightened wouldn’t be a great match into the Necropolis Stalkers leaving Roger a little short on dealing with Bill’s list.

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Allegiance: Slaves to Darkness
– Damned Legion: Despoilers
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Be’Lakor, the Dark Master (360)
General
– Spell: Call to Glory
Chaos Lord on Manticore (255)***
Blade & Lance
– Artefact: Helm of Many Eyes
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)***
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Spell: Mask of Darkness
Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (210)***
Sword
– Artefact: Armour of Tortured Souls
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne

Battleline
8 x Chaos Legionnaires (110)*
Mark of Chaos: Undivided
8 x Chaos Legionnaires (110)*
Mark of Chaos: Undivided
10 x Chaos Marauders (90)**
– Axes & Shields
– Mark of Chaos: Undivided

Units
8 x Iron Golems (75)*
Mark of Chaos: Undivided
3 x Varanguard (280)**
Ensorcelled Weapon and Warpsteel Shield
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)***

Behemoths
Chaos Warshrine (215)***
Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Prayer1: Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal

Endless Spells & Invocations
Horrorghast (40)

Core Battalions
*Expert Conquerors
**Bounty Hunters
***Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1975 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 110
Drops: 11

Brett: Be’Lakor (the other prince) led Slaves to Darkness list with an almost standard list of heroes. Two of the newest warbands (Chaos Legionaries) as battleline, suggesting a heroic painting effort. These guys were released very recently and, when close to Be’Lakor gain a +1 to their wound rolls. They aren’t really damage powerhouses though, just like the Marauders. But this is where the Chaos Lord on Manticore and Khorne marked Daemon Prince come in with their damage and mobility. The Chaos Sorcerer and Lord, as well as the Warshrine and Varanguard are Tzeentch marked (re-rolling save rolls of 1 within 12″ and a 5+ spell ward) with the remainder of the list as Chaos Undivided for Be’Lakor to work with.

Finally the Mindsteale is on a really cheap mobile monster to be best friends with Horroghast (Mindstealer applies a -2 to bravery). Most of the power is concentrated in the heroes particularly Be’Lakor. At this stage of the edition everyone knows Be’Lakor and he’s always a target for mortal wounds and shooting. Unfortunately most of the list is pretty fragile, they will screen briefly but it wouldn’t be hard to remove most of them in a single turn. After which the combat threats are exposed. Alternatively those heroes are the most mobile elements and can have themselves isolated without screens. Michael played around those issues and took down Seraphon and Fyreslayer lists losing to a clever Cities list with 30 Irondrakes and 10 Protectors. The Protectors would wade through most of this list while shrugging the incoming damage.

Final Tournament Placings