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The Old World: Dwarfen Mountain Holds – Arcane Journal Review

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Lore Review

The Dwarfen Mountain Holds are a series of mountain holds collectively known as the Karaz Ankor to the Dwarfs. The Dwarfs have a strong sense of identity and are an incredibly proud race. In times past, the Dwarfs were found throughout the mountain ranges of the Old World and beyond, mining for precious metals and creating a vast underground empire linked together by long tunnels known as they Underway.

However, the Dwarfs now find themselves besieged from all sides by the Ravening Hordes after a calamitous earthquake rocked the Worlds Edge Mountains where the majority of Dwarfen Holds stood. The Dwarfen empire is now in a slow decline as with each passing century, further holds are lost to the enemies that surround them. Don’t say that to the Dwarfs though….

There are three distinct flavours of Dwarfen army playable with the release of the new Arcane Journal, with options for you whether you want to run a traditional Dwarfen army of the sort that is constantly fighting to protect its holds, or a more focused force representing the experience troops that make up a Dwarf Kings throng, or the forces of an expeditionary force looking to reclaim a lost hold.

The lore section of the Arcane Journal focuses on the various Dwarf holds spread throughout the Old World, before expanding into exploring Dwarf society, from clans to the guilds.

The main focus of the lore is around Burlok Damminson and his expedition to reclaim the lost hold of Khazid Vosk, for which there is also a narrative scenario to allow you to recreate the battle. This section is perhaps the most detailed, going into the background of Burlok and the reasons for his expedition as well as the mustering of his troops. This is clearly intended to give some inspiration for creating a background for your own force.

The Book

As with our other Arcane Tome reviews, the core rules for an army from the Dwarfen Mountain Holds exist within the appropriate tome, with this one being the “Forces of Fantasy” book that also includes rules for Bretonnia, Empire, Wood Elves, and High Elves.

As a supplement to that, and the focus of this article, the Arcane Journal for the Dwarfen Mountain Holds includes two alternative ways to represent the Dwarfs, either as part of a Royal Clan Army or as an Expeditionary Force.

Besides containing two new “Armies of Infamy” as these alternative compositions are known, there is a selection of named characters, and a slew of extra runes and also runic tattoos that can be used both for these armies of infamy, many of which can also be selected as choices for your standard Dwarf army lists.

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.

Royal Clan Army

The Royal Clan Army represents the throngs of the most experienced warriors available to the Kings and Queens of the Karaz Ankor. Notably for this army is the lack of Engineers and Slayers and black powder units such as the Cannon and Thunderers. However, this army list does allow your to field more than 1 King, but also an Anvil of Doom alongside of them. A Royal Clan army is all about the elite troops. Royal Clan Warriors replace the standard Dwarf Warriors, and, aside from points, there’s no limit on the number of Hammerers you can fit into your Special section.

Special Rules

Ancestral Fury – Units in a Royal Clan army that have made a charge of 3″ or more, or have made a follow up move gain a +1 modifier to their strength characteristic. Excellent for Dwarfs and encourages you to charge the enemy rather than standing and waiting to be charged.

Riches & Heirlooms – All character models in the army an spend an additional 25 points on runes. Units that have access to Standard runes may also spend an additional 25 points on Standard runes. The latter does not apply to the Royal Clan Warriors who have this bonus already included in their unit entry.

Striking a Grudge – You may nominate a single enemy character to become hated by all friendly models, regardless of the army you are facing. As well as this, you win a bonus of 75 victory points if the nominated character is slain, has fled or is fleeing the when the game ends.

List Composition

As a result of the army representing the experienced army of a King or Thane, there no limits on the amount of Royal Clan Warriors or Longbeards in an army.

There are enough changes to the general composition that it would make it a dull read to list them all here, but some highlights are that Royal Clan Warriors replace Dwarf Warriors as a core choice, Longbeards become an optional core choice, while Thunderers, Engineers, Slayers (of all kinds), Cannons and Flame Cannons have been removed entirely. Hammerers are now no longer limited to 1 per King of Thane (0-1 per 1k), and Ironbreakers move from Special to Rare.

Unique Units

Royal Clan Warriors are more experienced versions of Dwarf Warriors and are only available in Royal Clan armies. These come with shields as default, as well as gaining the Gromril Armour (re-roll natural 1 when making an armour save) and Gromril Weapons (Gives hand weapons Armour Piercing of -1) special rules. They can also spend 25 points more than Dwarf Warriors on Standard runes, while their champion gains access to Talismanic runes. 2pts more than the Dwarf Warriors, but I consider this a bargain when comparing the two units like for like.

Expeditionary Force

As a nice counter to the experienced Royal Clan Army, you have the option to create an Expeditionary Force. A force which may be tasked with testing a new invention created by the Engineers Guild, or tasked with reclaiming a lost hold and the treasures within. The Expeditionary Force selection features a lot of Black Powder weapons and no Kings or Runelords.

It goes to some length to explain the reason why Doomseekers and Slayers accompany these expeditionary forces and this does feel a little shoe-horned in. But it still makes for a nice read and still gives plenty of inspiration for players looking to create their own lore backgrounds.

Special Rules

Expeditionary Marksmen – As mentioned, the focus of the Expeditionary Force are it’s Engineers and black powder weapons. So one unit of Thunderers per 1,000 points may be upgraded to Expeditionary Marksmen for +1 point per model. This allows the unit to ignore the negative effects on hit modifiers for moving and shooting. It also allows any Dwarf Engineer to also have the same rule.

Function Over Form – To represent the Expeditionary Force being a mobile army, you can reduce the toughness of any Cannons, Organ Guns or Flame Cannons by 1, which then allows them to lose the Move or Shoot special rule.

Subterranean Ambush – If the army includes a unit of Miners, the Dwarf player may deploy two 32mm round Mine markers, plus one additional marker for each additional unit of Miners in the army. There are conditions on where these markers may be placed, for example, not within the enemy deployment zone or within 12″ of another marker. However, this does allow the Dwarf player to place Miner units held in reserve within 6″ of a mine marker rather than a board edge.

List Composition

No Kings, Runelords or Anvils of Doom here. However, you do gain access to the Engineer Sapper character.

In Core there are no more Quarrellers, but they have been replaced by Dwarf Carts. While the usual 0-1 Longbeards for a King have been replaced by 0-1 units of Scout Gyrocopters per 1,000. Joining them are the Rangers, but instead of a 0-1 per army, this is now 0-1 per 1,000 points.

Miners, Scout Gyrocopters and Gyrocopters are the main units in the Special category and are joined by 0-3 of Bolt Thrower, Grudge Thrower and Cannon.

In the Rare section, your choices have jumped up to 33% of your army from the usual 25%. Gyrobombers have no limit and are joined by up to 1 unit of Slayers and up to 2 war machines per 1,000 points, made up of, Organ Guns and Flame Cannons.

Unique Units

Dwarf Engineer Sapper – Is essentially the same as the standard Dwarf Engineer but for the additional 20 points in its price you lose the Entrenchment, “Stand Back Chief!” and Artillery Master abilities for the “Dig In!” special rule, which can be used during any Command sub-phase. This allows the character and any unit they are with to be considered behind partial cover. On top of this, you also have the Hostile Terrain special rule, causing any enemy model that ends its movement within the combat range of this character to make a Dangerous Terrain test.

Scout Gyrocopter – The Scout Gyrocopter are more manoeuverable than the regular versions, and have increased speed over less armour and weapons. They’re the same price as the regular Gyrocopter but in that price you lose the Dive Bomb special rule and gain a host of others. Gaining the Extended Formation, Fly (10) rather than Fly (9), and Hatred (Orcs & Goblins). They also lose a little armour and count as having heavy armour rather than full plate. They do gain Hit & Run, this allows them to Fall Back in Good Order rather than having to make a follow up or pursuit move after winning a round of combat. They have the clattergun as their only weapon.

Miner’s Cart – Dwarfs haul a lot of baggage when mounting an expedition, from barrels of Black Powder, to barrels of Bugman’s XXXXXX. There are two types of Dwarf Cart. The Miner’s Cart allows any unit within 3″ to make a Stand & Shoot charge reaction as if it were equipped with Blasting Charges. When it loses its last wound to an enemy in the combat phase, on a roll of 4+ it explodes and each unit within 3″ suffers D6 Strength 3 hits at AP -1 with the Flaming Attacks special rule.

Bugman’s Cart – Any Dwarf unit that is within 6″ of a friendly Bugman’s Cart in the Command sub-phase gains a +1 modifier to its Movement characteristic until the end of the turn (not cumulative).

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

Thorgim Ulleksson, Kharl of the Dammaz Kron

At first you may not have realised that Thorgim Ulleksson is non other than Thorgrim Grudgebearer from the original Warhammer Fantasy Battle series and the Warhammer Total War franchise. (His ignominious death still hurts….).

Here, we’re treated to playing Thorgrim before he became High King, and you can read about his younger years and how he became intrinsically linked to the Book of Grudges.

At 250 points, Thorgim is already a beast of a model. Wielding Grudge-settler which is not classified as a great weapon and so does not have the Strike Last or Requires Two Hands special rules. It still has S+2 and -1 AP in combat, along with Armour Bane (1) and Magical Attacks. It is inscribed with the Master Rune of Smiting (Multiple Wounds – D6) and the Rune of Parrying (Enemies suffer a -1 to hit modifier when targeting Thogrim in the combat phase).

He wears the Armour of Skaldour, which is classified as heavy armour but with the benefit of a 4+ Ward save against a Killing Blow, or against any wounds suffered that has the Multiple Wounds (X) special rule.

He has the Grudgestone, which once set, allows Thogrim and any unit he has joined to gain the Unbreakable special rule and automatically pass any Panic tests they may be required to make. However, once placed, Thogrim and his unit cannot Flee as a charge reaction and cannot move other than to Give Ground or to make a follow up move or reform.

As well as this, being a master of Grudgelore, allows he and any unit he is with to replace the Hatred (Orcs & Goblins) with Hatred (all enemies) when the Grudgestone has been set.

Ungrim Ironfist, Slayer King of Karak Kadrin

Players of both the original series of Warhammer Fantasy Battle games, and the Warhammer Total War franchise will recognise the second special character to be listed in the book – Ungrim Ironfist.

Obviously a younger version than we’ve seen in previous editions, the lore talks about his background and how he became a Slayer King as did his father, and his father before him, for their Ancestor King Baragor. Who at the loss of his daughter on her way to wed the High King in Karaz-a-Karak, lost his battle against grief. Unable to to hold anyone else accountable other than his own decision not to travel with her, the King chose to shave his beard short and swore oaths to the Slayer Cult.

At 315 points, Ungrim Ironfist is available to any Dwarfen Mountain Holds army. As King of the Slayer Hold, Ungrim Ironfist allows for Daemon Slayers and Dragon Slayers to be taken as character choices in a Royal Clan army. He will also allow 1 unit of Slayers to be taken per 1,000 points as a core choice and up to 4 Doomseekers in every 1,000 points to be taken as Special choices.

Ungrim Ironfist can join a unit of Hammerers or Slayers. If he does join a unit of Hammerers, they benefit from gaining the Immune to Psychology and Unbreakable special rules for however long he remains with them.

Unlike other Slayers, Ungrim Ironfist does have armour, albeit only light armour. However, this is made up for with the Slayer Crown, which allows him to improve his armour value by 2 and have a 5+ Ward save against any wounds suffered.

His axe, the Axe of Dargo, is not classified as a great weapon, enabling Ungrim to attack at the Initiative 5 step, with both Magical Attacks and Monster Slayer at Strength +2 and -3 armour penetration. As with other, Slayer models, his rolls to wound of 4+ are always regarded as a success, regardless of the target’s toughness.

Burlok Damminson

It’s three for three with returning characters from the original Warhammer Fantasy battle series.

Following in the vein of the previous Arcane Journals released so far, Burlok Damminson is the prime focus of the lore within the first few pages of the book. This allows players to either recreate the historical battle in the book, or create new stories with the character.

Damminson is the cheapest of the three special characters in the book, coming in at only 85 points. This makes him only slightly more expensive than a regular Dwarf Engineer.

He has Range Finding Optics, which allows one friendly unit of Quarrellers, Thunders or Dwarf war machine to re-roll any rolls to hit of 1, or re-roll a single artillery dice. Provided that unit or war machine is not engaged in combat or fleeing. Any unit he accompanies do not suffer the usual -1 to hit modifier when shooting at long range either.

Mercenaries

Before we move to the two Armies of Infamy available in the journal, we should point out that there are three units provided in the book that can act as Mercenaries in any Dwarfen Mountain Holds force (Armies of Infamy or Grand Army) or Empire of Man Grand Army.

Doomseekers

Doomseekers are considered crazed individuals, even amongst the Slayers. Often covered in tattoos, Doomseekers throw themselves at the enemy without fore thought, flailing around themselves with axes attached to chains known as the whirling blades of death.

At 50 points, they’re cheap and versatile. They also have a host of options to tool them up Weapon runes and Runic Tattoos which we’ll cover later in this review.

Having no armour, you’d expect they wouldn’t survive long and you’d be right. However, the clever narrative influenced rule ‘Doomseeker‘ comes into play here. If you’re opponent does kill them during the battle, then they are worth no points to the enemy player. However, if the enemy player allows them to survive, they’ll gain bonus victory points equal to 100% of their points cost.

0-3 Doomseekers may be included as Mercenaries in any Dwarfen Mountain Holds or Empire of Man Grand Army. As a result they will be subject to the Misbehaving Mercenaries special rule.

Imperial Dwarf Mercenaries

Imperial Dwarfs, are those Dwarfs who have made homes for themselves within the Empire of Man. Here they’ll help humans build their homes, walls and craft weapons. When called to muster, they can be seen marching alongside the troops of the Empire, their weapons and armour often mimicking that of their Human allies.

Imperial Dwarf Mercenaries have a wide weapon selection, but come with light armour rather than the usual heavy armour as standard. Though this can be purchased as an upgrade. They have access to great weapons, thrusting spears, crossbows and handguns. As well as being able to purchase the Drilled or Veteran special rules for them, they can also take up to 50 points of Standard runes for one unit per 1,000 points.

However, only 1 unit of Imperial Dwarf Mercenaries can be included in any Dwarf Mountain Holds or Empire of Man Grand Army, and, like the Doomseekers, are subject to the Misbehaving Mercenaries rules.

Goblin-Hewer

The Goblin-hewer is rare amongst Dwarf armies due to its less than honourable origins. The original blueprints said to have been stolen from a famous engineer and rushed to completion by a thief. When unveiled, a fight broke out, resulting in many of the Engineering Guild shaving their beards in shame and taking the design with them.

The Goblin-hewer is a mercenary unit that may be taken in any Dwarf Army of Infamy and so, subject to the Misbehaving Mercenaries special rule.

Though if your Grand Army or your Expeditionary Force includes a Slayer of Legend, you may include 0-1 Goblin-hewer per 1,000 points as a rare choice. If included in this way, they’re also not subject to the Misbehaving Mercenaries special rule.

The Goblin-hewer fires a salvo of axes at their foes. An artillery dice roll determines the number of shots it fires plus a D3 modifier per rank or file depending upon which facing of an enemy unit the war machine fires upon. The Goblin-hewer has a 36″ range at Strength 4 and AP -1, plus Armour Bane (1).

Runic Tattoos

Not available in the Forces of Fantasy book, GW have expanded here to allows Doomseekers, Daemon Slayers and Dragon Slayers runic tattoos. Doomseekers are allowed up to 3 tattoos, Daemon Slayers, two and Dragon Slayers One. They cannot be duplicated on the same model and no two characters may have the same combination of tattoos. But with 10 tattoos there’s a decent enough choice.

I’ve picked the most how powered to go through rather than list each tattoo.

At 50 points Rune of the Dishonoured will allow Daemon Slayers and Dragon Slayers to benefit from a 3+ Ward save when losing their final wound. This also allows the enemy player to score bonus victory points up to the models points cost if it is still alive at the games end.

Rune of Endless Battle will allow a model with this runic tattoo which charged to make an additional attack for each unsaved wound.

Rune of the Reckless gives the model the Frenzy special rule (+1 attack and automatically pass Fear, Panic or Terror tests) as well as a +1 modifier to its to hit roll in combat. However, this is offset by the opponent also gaining a +1 to hit in the combat phase.

Engineers’ Weapon Runes

The runes can only be inscribed upon a crossbow or handgun, and follow the normal rules for Weapon runes described in Forces of Fantasy.

With 8 runes available, each gives varying benefits. Perhaps the most needed considering the current game state is the Master Rune of Slaying. This allows a to wound roll of 3+ to always be considered a success against an enemy whose troop type is behemoth. It also gives the weapon the Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule.

The Master Rune of Piercing gives the weapon a +1 modifier on its Strength characteristic and allows the weapon to shoot like a Bolt Thrower with the Through & Through special rule.

The Master Rune of Bursting Flame will allow the weapon to cause 2D3 hits on the target for each successful to hit roll.

The lesser runes all have smaller benefits such as the target of the shooting attack suffering from the Stupidity special rule until the start of the next turn, or the weapon not suffering from any negative to hit modifiers.

Wrap Up

Overall I think the book is a great benefit to Dwarf players, both Armies of Infamy bring something new to the table, with the addition of some of the Runes from this book, the Dwarfs no longer have to be terrified when an opponent brings a behemoth to the table.

As a long time Fantasy player I was pleased to see younger versions of three returning special characters. Although it may have been nice to have a one special character that hadn’t featured in the original Warhammer Fantasy series.

The Armies of Infamy are full of flavour and counteract each other perfectly (for Dwarfs at least) in their unit compositions.

The additional runes will go someway to help Dwarf players to take on Behemoths as well, and at range. Well done GW.

Given the relatively low cost of the Arcane Journals and the amount of lore and new play options, it feels worth picking up regardless of the army you collect.


Faction Focus, Fantasy, Forces of Fantasy, Games Workshop, Kingdom of Bretonnia, Reviews, Royal Rich, The Old World

The Old World: Kingdom of Bretonnia – Arcane Journal Review

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Lore Review

Bretonnia is a feudal kingdom in the west of the Old World known for its chivalric knights, mystical enchantresses, and… well… and peasants. Its knights live by a code of honour known as, “The Code Chivalric” that defines its society, promising to protect the weak from the wicked and to defend the lands of Bretonnia.

Once these lands were occupied by the High Elves of Ulthuan, who built many harbours and cities along the western coast and thrived on trade with the Dwarfs, however when this relationship broke down (impressively…) the land became a wilderness which orcs and humans fought to control until the Bretonni tribe emerged triumphant.

There are three distinct flavours of Bretonnian army playable with the release of the new Arcane Journal, with options for you whether you want to run a traditional Bretonnian army of the sort that is constantly fighting to protect its borders and forests, or a more focused force representing knights participating in an Errantry Crusade, or the forces of an outcast lord establishing his place in the Border Princes.

The lore section of the Arcane Journal focuses initially on the codes of chivalry that the knights are beholden to, before expanding into exploring the various areas of Bretonnia, from mountain frontiers to the great forests and walled towns that dot its landscape.

The main focus of the lore in there is on the Border Princes and the description of a crusade force riding to battle the undead legions, for which there is also a narrative battle plan to allow you to recreate the battle. The section on Outcast Nobility is somewhat shorter (2 pages vs 8) but gives some great ideas as to how and why a Lord may become an outcast and leaves plenty of narrative hooks for you to establish your own Lord’s background.

The Book

As with our Tomb Kings review, the core rules for an army from the Kingdoms of Bretonnia exist within the appropriate tome, with this one being the “Forces of Fantasy” book that also includes rules for Dwarfs, Empire, Wood Elves, and High Elves.

As a supplement to that, and the focus of this article, the Arcane Journal for the Kingdom of Bretonnia includes two alternative ways to represent the Bretonnians, either as part of an Errantry Crusade or as Outcast Exiles.

Besides containing two new “Armies of Infamy” as these alternative compositions are known, there is a selection of named characters, and a slew of extra magic items that can be used both for these armies of infamy, many of which can also be selected as choices for your standard Bretonnian army lists.

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.

Bretonnian Exiles

The immediate standout for this army is the ability to bring outcast wizards and artillery. An army of Exiles will likely be looking to leverage the powerful Border Princes Bombard alongside some of the other unique units in this book.

Special Rules

Banished Lords – Barons and Paladins lose access to the Grail Vow, and instead, they and several other units get access to the Exiles Vow, granting them the Stubborn and Veteran rules, as well as not having to take panic tests from units with Levies or Peasantry rules.

Reclaimed Glory – Exiles cannot pray for the Blessings of the Lady at the beginning of a game. Instead, if a unit with the Blessings of the Lady special rule runs down an opponent’s unit, they get the benefits of this rule as if they had prayed at the start of the game. Alternatively, a character killing an enemy character in a challenge will do the same for them (and any unit they have joined)

List Composition

As a result of the army representing outcast nobility, there are restrictions in place on Grail Knights, Dukes and Prophetesses (Not present) and Damsels (1 per army).

There are enough changes to the general composition that it would make it a dull read to list them all here, but some highlights are that Yeoman Guard replace Men-at-Arms as a mandatory core choice, mounted yeomen become an optional core choice, battle pilgrims are more limited (0-1 per 1k), and Questing Knights move from Special to Rare.

Free Company Milita and Empire Archers can also be included as Mercenaries.

Unique Units

Outcast Wizards give the option to include a level 1-3 wizard in your Exiles army, with access to a wide variety of lores. These roll an extra dice when rolling on the Miscast table and discard the highest, but at 105pts for a level 3 come in very cheap.

Yeoman Guards seem to be more professional versions of Men-at-Arms… they lose Polearms as default and instead take a spear or halberd, but can buy them back for a point. BS and LD increases aren’t hugely important by the time you add a Yeoman to a unit of men at arms, so if we take that into account then, they gain an extra WS and Veteran for 2 points as well as having access to a 25pt magic banner. The extra WS may not seem huge but can offer significant defensive benefit vs other WS3 units (now hit on a 4+), or WS5 units (hit you on a 3+ instead of a 2+)

Border Princes Brigands are a rare choice in an Exiles army and have a huge amount of variety when choosing weaponry and special rules. They come default with Open Order but can change that to Close Order or Skirmishers, can Ambush, Scout, and have Motley Crew so can take a mix of weaponry within the unit. That weaponry can consist of anything from the default hand weapon to additional hand weapons, shields, pistols, blunderbuss, and crossbows, giving you many ways to run these. I’m interested to see what people come up with!

The Border Princes Bombard is perhaps the highlight here and the one that I think most people taking an Exiles army may be attracted to. Effectively this is something between a Cannon and a Great Cannon, with the strength and range of a cannon, but with the armour piercing and damage of the Great Cannon.

Errantry Crusade

A little less dramatic a change than with the Exiles, the main distinctive feature of Errantry Crusades are that Knights Errant are likely to be in much greater prevalence, and you can run a higher than normal points value of rare choices such as Grail Knights.

Special Rules

Crusading Knights – The majority of units, anything from Mounted Yeomen to Grail Knights, gain the “Crusader’s Zeal” special rule and can swap their knight’s vow with the crusader’s vow.

Crusader’s Zeal increases a unit’s charge range but gives them impetuous meaning they have to charge, a nice bonus to have, but with a significant drawback.

The Crusader’s Vow gives a unit the Veteran ability and makes them immune to panicking peasantry or levies.

Earn Your Spurs is the final special rule and is very useful, boosting Knights Errant by giving them re-rolls of 1 to hit when within 6” of a Lord of Bretonnia or a friendly model with the Grail Vow. Additionally, should they capture an enemy standard, it’s worth 100 points rather than the normal 50 points at the end of the game.

List Composition

Characters remain unchanged in the main although Paladins become 1+, you were likely taking one anyway though given they retain the ability to upgrade one Paladin to a Battle Standard Bearer for no cost.

Core and Rare immediately jump out as the percentages for these have changed, with you requiring 33% minimum in core, and up to 33% in Rare, rather than the usual 25% for each of these. That shouldn’t be a huge problem however as your mandatory unit is Knights Errant (1+ per 1000) and you will likely be building around an all-mounted force, with no requirement for Men-at-Arms or Peasant Bowmen in an Errantry Crusade. Notably, you could take a unit of Battle Pilgrims as core, but I feel most players will be spending their core on a mixture of Knights Errant and Knights of the Realm.

You retain the ability to run Pegasus Knights in Special, which I’m sure will continue to be very popular.

Empire Knights and Inner Circle Knights are available as Mercenaries should you wish to bring some knights along to support your knights…

Unique Units

N/A – No change here

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

The Green Knight

One of the most recognisable characters and models available for Bretonnia, the Green Knight comes in at 275 points and is available to any Bretonnian army. Interestingly you don’t deploy him at the start of the battle but begin to roll from the first turn. On a 3+ he appears completely within a “natural” terrain feature (on most tables I imagine this will be a forest or water feature). He can’t (Edit: We stand corrected! 16/07/24) He can charge that turn. Being able to appear from nowhere, or even just the threat of him doing so, will keep an opponent thinking.

When removed from play, the Green Knight is not slain and may continue to appear, but becomes weaker each time, with -1 to the roll and -1 wound when he appears.

With ethereal, a 5+ ward, and terror, he can potentially hold up whole units by himself, and with the Dolorous Blade giving him a choice of D6 extra attacks (potentially 10 at ap-1) or +2 strength and multiple wounds, he can put out some hurt as well.

Sir Cecil Gastonne, The Worm Slayer

A named baron and the leader of the army of Bretonnian Exiles that stood in the path of Settra’s legions, Sir Cecil has a profile typical of a Bretonnian Baron, except for an extra weapon skill (WS7)

Notably, he is unmounted and comes with the Exiles Vow (Stubborn and Veteran) and a Dragonhide Cloak (a 3+ ward save vs flaming attacks as well as reducing AP of attacks against him by 2 and making him immune to Killing Blow and Multiple Wounds)

Sir Cecil wields an axe known as “Sorrow’s End” which means he’ll be striking at strength 5, with -1AP, Monster Slayer, and multiple wounds (2)

Overall though at 165 points and without an option for a mount I’m not sure how much we’ll see of the Wyrm Slayer.

Lady Élisse Duchaard, Prophetess of Brionne

Lady Élisse is a little different in that as a Prophetess she is not available to an army of Exiles, although will find a place in generic Bretonnian lists and Errantry Crusades. She was tutored by the Fae Enchantress and as a result, is exceptionally gifted at dispelling an enemy’s magic.

225 points is expensive for a level 3 wizard but with 5 wounds, the ability to switch two of her randomly generated spells rather than one, and the “Arcane Backlash” special rule that allows her to dominate an opponent’s wizards, it feels like she is great value.

Likely, the reason that you’re bringing Lady Élisse (other than that awesome model!) is her ability to dispel. She dispels at +4 due to an additional +1 to the roll, but more importantly, any natural double on that roll (not including a double 1) means the spell is immediately unbound and additionally the caster immediately loses a wound.

Magic Items

Within this section are 18 new magical items usable for Bretonnian armies. Of these four are usable only in an Errantry crusade army, six are reserved for Exiles, and the remaining eight are freely available to any Bretonnian army. I’ve picked a few that jumped out at first read below:

The Frontier Axe, reserved for Exiles and acting similarly to a great weapon with an extra point of AP, Multiple Wounds (2) and without Always Strikes Last (S+2, AP -3, MW(2), Requires two hands) which at 30pts seems pretty solid.

Ironspike Shield, another that’s locked to Exiles, is a shield that causes a strength 3 hit at AP-1 whenever an opponent rolls a natural 1 to hit or wound.

Crusaders Clarion, an enchanted item reserved for Erranty Crusade armies and giving mounts in the unit +1 strength when they charge

Of the items not locked to an Army of Infamy, I don’t feel many are particularly competitive, perhaps the choice is the Banner of Honourable Warfare which for 25pts gives re-rolls to hit in the first round of combat if the enemy is equipped with any missile weapons.

Wrap Up

Overall I think the book delivers well, two Special Characters are likely to see play, both Armies of Infamy bring something new to the table, and we’re seeing some good results competitively from them. (As I write this there’s an Errantry Crusade army undefeated from the first four games in a 100-player online tournament)

I do think I would have preferred if the armies of infamy locked down the Pegasus Knights in the same way that the Orc and Goblin book restricts access to Night Goblin Fanatics, as I feel they seem so much better than other units in the book it’s a shame to see competitive lists rush straight to take as many as they can so perhaps a missed opportunity there.

Given the relatively low cost of the Arcane Journals and the amount of lore and new play options, it feels worth picking up regardless of the army you collect.


Fantasy, Games Workshop, Peter Holland, Ravening Hordes, Reviews, The Old World, Tomb Kings of Khemri

Arcane Journal Review: Tomb Kings of Khemri

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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.