A new battletome is always an alluring prospect, especially when it’s dedicated to the Dark Prince. We put together a top 10 list of our favourite bits from the new book, but we felt compelled to sacrifice them one by one until we arrived at just six – the sacred number of the Prince of Pleasure.
1. Warscrolls for days
You’ve seen the breathtaking models, but when you count up the warscrolls, you’ll find this book contains a whopping 11 new units. Talk about excess. For good measure, there are also three additional warscroll battalions granting extra boons to Slaanesh’s most loyal followers.
2. The sumptuous stories
Broken Realms: Morathi introduced some riveting narrative threads regarding the current state of the Dark Prince, and this book pulls indulgently on those strings. The short version? There’s a very good reason that mortal followers of Slaanesh are rising up across every realm.
3. More options than ever before
The Hedonites can be roughly broken down into three categories, represented by different allegiance abilities and artefacts of power, so there’s something for every budding general’s play style. The Pretenders rely on hideously empowered generals, Godseekers are highly mobile and aggressive, and the Invaders are made up of fragile alliances between multiple warlords. If you like to play competitively, take a look at the recent Metawatch for some tips on getting the most from your Hedonites.
4. Mix things up with mortal units
The Sybarites, Slaanesh’s mortal followers, are stronger than ever – with options to fill a variety of battlefield roles. It’s now entirely possible to have a complete army with no daemonic units in it. The new choices not only give a twist on the Slaanesh aesthetic (seen first on the Dread Pageant from Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm), they also include powerful leaders, support Heroes, and plenty of fast, hard-hitting units. It’s a fresh way to collect, build, and play the Hedonites, offering loads of opportunities to try new things – how appropriate.
5. Experiment with unusual paint schemes
Painting a Hedonites of Slaanesh army can be a lot of fun, with unnatural flesh colours, gory bits, ensorcelled armour with strange tints, and loads of bling. The book includes handy guides to help you achieve those lurid schemes.
6. Sink your teeth into unsettling artwork
As you might expect from such a strange and beautiful army, the art in this book is mind-blowingly good. You’ll find yourself drawn into the disturbingly exquisite art on these pages – the Dark Prince would have it no other way. Take a look at a few more pieces if you’re not convinced.
Over the next few days, we’ll be exploring Battletome: Hedonites of Slaanesh in more detail. We’re sure you’re hungry for more…
If the idea of this army has your creative juices flowing, treat yourself to a Start Collecting! Daemons of Slaanesh box to perfect your painting techniques. The new releases, including the limited edition of this battletome (come on, live deliciously), will be up for pre-order this very weekend.