The Arena of Shades battlebox is arriving soon, and it’s absolutely loaded with models for both Daughters of Khaine and Nighthaunt armies. Each of these factions is getting a new Hero, and the ghosts with the most also bag a fresh* new ranged unit. But just why are they fighting in the first place?
Luckily, there is a comprehensive 40-page booklet coming in the box to explain what’s going on, complete with three unique battleplans, 10 warscrolls and for all the different units you’ll get, and realm rules for fighting across the Aqshyan city of Har Kuron (and if that weren’t enough, you also get a separate 56-page core rulebook for Warhammer Sigmar).
But what’s going on in this embattled corner of the mortal realms? Well, let’s just say that neither Nagash nor Morathi are quite ready to bury the hatchet yet…
Nagash is a jealous god – and since the Great Necromancer despises living conceits like “change” or “personal growth”, it’s safe to say he always will be. He’s got a bone to pick with just about every faction in the Mortal Realms, but if there’s one sure-fire way to end up on his bucket list, it’s stealing souls that he feels are his by right. Or destroying them, withholding them, concealing them… even just delaying them by staying alive too long. You get the idea.
If you followed the events of Broken Realms: Morathi, you’ll know that the city of Anvilgard was seized by the Daughters of Khaine and renamed Har Kuron. This was achieved with the help of High King Volturnos and his Idoneth Deepkin, and Morathi paid for their service in the only currency they care for – souls.
You can probably see where this is headed. Nagash got reeeal mad about Morathi’s blatant theft. After all, he’s supposed to get every single soul when someone dies. Those are the rules – he said so himself!
The God of Undeath has a lot on his plate, so he sends Kurdoss Valentian, the Craven King – and in a classic display of delegation, he sends his crossbow-wielding Craventhrone Guard. Led by Vayon of the Withered Quill, one of the dreaded Scriptors Mortis, this merciless Nighthaunt army is ready to throw the book at the Daughters of Khaine. Or so they think…
Har Kuron is far from defenceless – the city is now holy ground for the largest murder cult in the Mortal Realms. The Daughters of Khaine have erected gladiatorial pits to hone their skills, where they put on bloodthirsty displays for a baying audience.
These deadly arenas are presided over by the High Gladiatrixes, spectacular death-dealers who are every bit as scary as the name suggests. One such warrior, Yelena, was so eager to test her skills against the Nighthaunt that she simply rushed out into the streets, followed by a growing throng of acrobatic killers.
It’s into this bitter conflict between gladiators and ghosts that the Arena of Shades plunges you. The battlebox will be available for pre-order very soon, and it includes the new Scriptor Mortis, Craventhrone Guard, and High Gladiatrix models to represent the characters in the story – plus battleplans and realm rules to bring their struggle to life.
Stay tuned for more news about updated Nighthaunt and Daughters of Khaine battletomes as well. In fact, why not sign up for the newsletter so we can send you the latest as soon as it’s up on the website?
* Fresh is probably not the correct word. Recently deceased? Newly raised? Anyway you get the idea.